Latest news with #Channel4News
BBC News
34 minutes ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Ukrainecast Can Zelensky recover from nationwide protests?
Available for over a year After the biggest demonstrations since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Volodymyr Zelensky has largely walked back a controversial overhaul of domestic anti-corruption bodies. But is he still under pressure? Fresh from a reporting trip to Ukraine, we're joined by Lindsey Hilsum, International Editor at Channel 4 News. She discusses the fallout from the protests, the changing nature of warfare, and Donald Trump's latest intervention. Plus - Lucy and Vitaly speak with the BBC's Cyber correspondent, Joe Tidy, about an apparent Ukrainian hack on Russia's Aeroflot airline, and the Kremlin's new surveillance-driven alternative to WhatsApp. Today's episode is presented by Lucy Hockings and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Laurie Kalus, Julia Webster and Polly Hope. The technical producers were Phil Bull and Mike Regaard. The social producer was Joe Wilkinson. The series producer is Tim Walklate. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@ with your questions and comments. Or send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480 You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast's Discord server here:
Channel 4
3 hours ago
- General
- Channel 4
UK's rarest breeding birds raise chicks for first time in six years
We can't tell you where it's happening. We really can't tell you quite why it's happening. But as the bloke who set up the Woodstock Festival once famously remarked: 'The point is man – it's happening!' They're back. After an absence of six years, Montagu's Harriers have bred this year, at a location we can't disclose in England. They've bred well too, producing no fewer than four chicks: three male and one female. How do they know? Well it turns out the colour of the iris in the chicks' eyes differs between the male and the female and the RSPB has been taking such a close look it's examined the nest on a number of occasions, not least to check out this vital information. The nest marks the breeding place of the rarest bird producing chicks in the UK this year. This male and female and that is it. These birds come and go, migrating from Senegal in West Africa, back to Europe every summer and because of ringing we know that the male was hatched in southern England back in 2015 – and he's now hitched up with a French partner to produce this year's spectacular breeding success. Four fully fledged youngsters now, brown and almost the same size as the grey male and the fawn coloured female – the mother and father. All it seems, bizarrely well accustomed to the vehicles that come and go here. The farmer in this case has been driving to the wheat field, checking on them regularly twice a day from the first time that he noticed what he thought was a harrier of some sort. 'The male was hatched in England back in 2015 – and he's now hitched up with a French partner to produce this year's spectacular breeding success.' It's an area where there are Marsh Harriers but these were different. They looked to him much smaller when sat on a fence post and yet when they took to the air that enormous wingspan, the unmistakable sky signature of a major bird of prey. Protection of this nest site is obviously critical because of the abiding problem of egg thieves at the early stages of incubation, back in May when the wheat field was as yet green and short and the birds vulnerable. The secret had to be kept mainly because of a rather different problem – not one of egg thieves so much, as bird enthusiasts. Were the location disclosed the problem would be scores, perhaps hundreds of twitchers. People – well let's face it largely men – coming and setting up shop with the long lenses to tick off another vital species on their list. That problem will soon disappear in a matter of days, perhaps even tomorrow. The youngsters are now fully fledged – their adult feathers have grown. They'll very soon disperse and prepare for the long journey south to Senegal. Yet all the while there is a loud human disruption here which you think would have a negative effect on these birds. In fact as we filmed the nest site exclusively for Channel 4 News, it was the exact time to harvest the field containing the nest. The combine was approaching up the track. This is top grade milling wheat for bread and today had to be the day. Tomorrow wouldn't do. Yesterday was no good either. So what to do? We filmed in the cockpit of the combine as it gradually entered around the field, leaving a space around the nest. For some months the nest itself has been marked out by a small fence to protect it from ground predators. You might think that the effect of a massive combine, the noise, the dust and all the rest of it would disturb the birds. But they simply don't mind. They flew all around the nest, with the adults returning with food for the well-grown offspring. But should a human emerge from such a machine they would fly away at once, as indeed they did when RSPB officials arrived to mark out a safe area around the nest for the combine. No panic, they soon returned. It all marks the conclusion of a successful partnership between the farmer here and the RSPB. But the fortunes of these birds are mixed. Essentially the UK lies on the very far north-western fringe of their range. The birds come up from migration in West Africa through Spain and France and a tiny proportion of those fetch up in the UK some years. There is another story though, other birds migrate up via Turkey to Eastern Europe and as far as Russia and the story of those two routes is very different. The western birds which come to the UK are not doing very well. Their numbers appear to be declining across Spain and France and indeed the UK. However for those eastern flying birds, breeding patterns in Eastern Europe appear to be going from strength to strength, so the picture is mixed across Europe. But for this year in the UK, with one nest, two parents and four healthy youngsters – some very good news indeed. And the prize is that these birds like to come back to the same sites for nesting sometimes, year upon year. Here's hoping… Scientists discover pet flea toxic chemicals in every birds' nest they tested Frozen sperm vault bringing animals back from brink of extinction Nature takes back control in the Lake District
Channel 4
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Channel 4
Inside Sweida with Druze militia group
The southern Syrian city of Sweida, torn apart by days of fighting, is still suffering a lack of food and fuel. Violent clashes in the region between Druze and Bedouin groups left more than 1,000 people dead. There are allegations of executions carried out by all sides, while survivors told Channel 4 News that government troops massacred civilians. Media are now restricted from entering the city but before then we spent four days there, hearing from those who both witnessed and took part in the fighting. A warning, this report contains distressing testimony and images from the start.
BBC News
6 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
New pub in Leeds could 'disturb Channel 4 news'
A broadcaster has expressed concerns that noise from a new pub could disrupt television news Wharf Tavern has applied to Leeds City Council for a premises licence for its city centre bar to operate until 02:00 BST at a site which is also occupied by Channel 4 are delivered from the first floor of a riverside building at Brewery Place, above the a letter from ITN, which runs Channel 4 News, said daily news programmes were broadcast live at 12:00 and 19:00. "These broadcasts are live and as such are vulnerable to noise and other disruption," the firm were raised over noise from an outside area with space for around 100 said: "In addition, however, we are concerned that even moderate ambient noise – staff chatter, footsteps, laughter, and bar service activity – will be directly audible within the studio."ITN said it was happy to work with the applicant to address the noise concerns, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.A licensing sub-committee will consider the application at a hearing on 29 July.A report to the meeting said conditions had been agreed with the council and West Yorkshire included measures to prevent noise spreading through the building, no loudspeakers in use outside after 23:00 BST and customers being asked to keep quiet."Noise from a licensable activity at the premises will not be audible at the nearest noise sensitive premises after 23:00."Councillors will have the option of granting or refusing the licence, or allowing it with additional Wharf Tavern is a sister venue to sites including Whitelock's, White Cloth Hall and Meanwood Tavern, and would occupy the old Home restaurant unit. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Channel 4
6 days ago
- Politics
- Channel 4
Inside Syria: Druze leader tells C4 his community being targeted for extermination
The Druze spiritual leader Hikmat Al-Hijri has told Channel 4 News he fears his community is being targeted in a campaign of extermination. Speaking after violent clashes between Druze and Bedouin groups in the south killed more than a thousand people, he said there's no longer any trust between him and Syria's interim government. A warning, there are distressing images in this report.
