Gisele Pelicot awarded France's Legion of Honour
She attended almost every day of the trial, which ended last December with Dominique Pelicot, 72, being given a maximum 20 years in jail for aggravated rape, after confessing to drugging her and recruiting around 50 men to rape her while she lay comatose in bed."I want all women who have been raped to say: Madame Pelicot did it, I can too," Pelicot previously told reporters, adding that she wanted to make "shame swap sides" from the victim to the rapist.French President Emmanuel Macron has publicly paid tribute to Pelicot as a trailblazer, adding that her "dignity and courage moved and inspired France and the world".According to her lawyer, a memoir detailing Gisèle Pelicot's story in her own words will be published early next year.
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BBC News
15 minutes ago
- BBC News
Details of Sustainable Farming Scheme for Wales unveiled
Major changes to the financial support available for agriculture marks "a new relationship between the people of Wales and farmers", the Welsh government has protest-hit plan for greener farm subsidy payments - known as the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) - has been seven years in the leaders have described the publication of a final set of proposals as "a once in a generation event".But wildlife groups warned the new plan fell "far short" of helping farmers to successfully tackle climate change and nature loss. The SFS will replace EU-era subsidies, which farmers had received for decades based largely on how much land they rely on these payments - an average of 67% of Welsh farm income - came from subsidies in new approach aims to reward sustainable farming practices and the delivery of "public goods" like wildlife habitat and soaking up carbon in the land. For their initial "universal" payment, farmers will have to agree to carry out 12 actions ranging from soil health planning and habitat maintenance, to online courses to enhance knowledge and skills related to sustainable sums also include funding to recognise "social value" - something farmers had called for - and which aims to recognise what are described as the wider benefits that sustainable agriculture provides to society, from food production to sustaining rural will also be an extra £1,000 for smaller farms in 2026 as a one-off stability payment to acknowledge the uncertain period of scheme's optional layer is intended to top up farm incomes for further environmental work, including woodland creation, improved public access to the countryside and support to go organic.A collaborative payment will also be available in future to support farmers working together on landscape-scale projects. The Welsh government has said it will commit £238m in 2026 for the universal payments - equivalent to the current, main subsidy farms receive, known as the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS)."Significant" funding for optional and collaborative work is also promised - with an overall budget similar to the £340m currently designated to farming unions and environmental groups alike said far more was required - closer to £500m, to account for rising costs in agriculture and the scale of what was now being asked of farmers to Cymru said it was frustrating the total budget remained static, but the Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW) said the plan proposed "workable payment rates" and provided "much needed stability for the sector". Rhodri Lloyd-Williams, who farms sheep and cattle across 750 acres of hillside near Talybont, Ceredigion, said this was "a massive moment", after "years of uncertainty" following the Brexit vote in an organic farmer and member of the Nature Friendly Farming Network, his is exactly the sort of farming system ministers want to support, from rotational grazing of livestock to boost soil health, to planting hedges and said he would glad to see the new scheme include "a bit more encouragement" for this sort of work, which he said could deliver "multiple benefits" for both the farming business and "first and foremost we need to keep Welsh farmers farming," he said. Debate over the years has focused on how to make the scheme workable for farmers while ambitious enough to deliver against Wales' environmental government had already made some major concessions - such as scrapping a requirement for farms to have 10% tree cover to qualify for funding, after widespread farmer protests in plan outlines a new approach to encouraging farmers entering the scheme will need to complete an opportunity plan for woodland and hedgerow creation in the first year and demonstrate progress towards it by government said it was asking farmers to plant at least 0.1 hectares - or 250 trees by the end of would be "generous support for tree and hedgerow planting" in the optional layer, including a higher payment rate for tree planting during the first three years of the aim is for the scheme to deliver at least 17,000 hectares of new tree planting across Wales by 2030, with an aspiration of achieving 21,500 government's also targeting 1,500km (932 miles) of hedgerow extension by 2030, with an aspiration of achieving 2,000km (1,243 miles). 'Deeply concerned' But wildlife groups said they felt much of the scheme has been watered down to placate protesting Sharp, director of Wildlife Trusts Wales, said the organisation was "deeply concerned" the SFS would not "adequately address the climate and nature crises"."Welsh farming is in crisis - fewer farms, fewer jobs, and increasing environmental damage. "We need to see an increased budget for the SFS, specifically for the optional and collaborative tiers, to help farmers transition to nature-friendly farming practices," she Phillips, Policy and Advocacy Manager at WWF Cymru said it appeared the SFS was now "sustainable in name only"."Today's proposals for the first year fall far short of what's needed to deliver change quickly, and in part risks recreating bits of the old schemes with exaggerated area-based payment rates for little apparent public good," he said. The announcement comes ahead of the start of the annual Royal Welsh Agricultural Show next week, where politicians of all colours will be setting out their own vision for the future of farming and the countryside with less than a year to a Senedd then, the government promises a tool will be ready on their website for farmers to be able to calculate an indicative SFS payment for their first minister with responsibility for climate change and rural affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, said the government had "listened carefully to farmers across Wales and revised our approach to ensure it works for the agricultural industry and meets our shared responsibilities to the natural world around us"."With this in mind, the scheme represents a new relationship between the people of Wales and our farmers. "This is not just a scheme for farmers, this is a scheme for the whole of Wales – a whole farm, whole nation approach," he said.
Daily Mail
33 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Ministers unveil subsidies of up to £3,750 in desperate bid to boost EV sales - but Teslas WON'T be covered
Ministers have unveiled subsidies of up to £3,750 in a desperate bid to boost electric car sales. Taxpayers are pumping around £650million into cutting the prices of EVs until 2028-29 so they are more attractive to drivers. However, the move - part of the Net Zero push - will not cover Teslas as they cost more than the £37,000 limit. BMWs, Audis and Mercedes are also outside the price range. The Government has pledged to ban the sale of new fully petrol or diesel cars and vans from 2030, but there are concerns that the industry is not on track to hit targets. The grants effectively resurrect support that was ditched by the Tories three years ago. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: 'This EV grant will not only allow people to keep more of their hard-earned money – it'll help our automotive sector seize one of the biggest opportunities of the 21st century. 'And with over 82,000 public chargepoints now available across the UK, we've built the infrastructure families need to make the switch with confidence.' Only fully electric models priced at £37,000 or less are eligible for the new grants of up to £3,750, with funding confirmed up until 2028-29. The scheme will not immediately be available because manufacturers need to apply for eligibility for vehicles in their ranges, rather than buyers registering grants at the point of purchase. Not all grants will be worth £3,750, with the discount determined by how green the manufacturing process is for each model. The greenest vehicles will be in band one, while band two vehicles will receive up to £1,500. Chinese EVs are not expected to meet the criteria for the grants. Funding will remain under review, with the scheme subject to amendments or an 'early closure with no notice' should the pot of available money 'become exhausted', the DfT clarified. The Government's hope is that by making the most financially attainable EVs even more affordable, it will make switching more appealing to private buyers rather than just those who lease more expensive EVs or acquire them as company cars or through salary sacrifice schemes. Around 50 different models are expected to be eligible for the grants, but no Teslas appear to qualify. Keir Starmer and Elon Musk were embroiled in a bitter spat last year after the billionaire attacked the PM over the grooming gangs scandal. There are also a number of electric cars that are just over the £37,000 threshold and manufacturers are likely to review whether to lower the RRPs on these models in order to qualify. Drivers buying electric cars can benefit from tax breaks if their employer has a company car scheme, but there have been no universally available grants since they were axed by the Conservative government in June 2022. The DfT announced last week that road signs for electric vehicle charging hubs will be introduced on major A roads in England. It also launched a £25million scheme for local authorities to support residents without off-road parking to recharge electric cars using cables connected to their homes which run along gullies embedded in pavements. Under the Government's zero emission vehicle (Zev) mandate, at least 28 per cent of new cars sold by each manufacturer in the UK this year must be zero emission, which generally means pure electric. Across all manufacturers, the figure during the first half of the year was 21.6 per cent. Keir Starmer announced in April that sales of new hybrids that cannot be plugged in will be permitted to continue until 2035. Changes to the Zev mandate also mean it will be easier for manufacturers who do not meet the targets to avoid fines. Conservative shadow transport secretary Gareth Bacon accused the Government of 'forcing families into more expensive electric vehicles before the country is ready', adding the reintroduction of grants would mean 'more pain for taxpayers'. He said: 'Last year, only one in 10 private purchases of new cars was electric. This is a product people demonstrably do not want. 'Last week, the Office for Budget Responsibility made clear the transition to EVs comes at a cost, and this scheme only adds to it. Make no mistakee: more tax rises are coming in the autumn.' The Conservative Environment Network also described the grants as 'a waste of taxpayers' money', given declining prices for electric vehicles, but urged the Government to invest in charging infrastructure instead, 'giving confidence to a new generation of drivers to go electric'. Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said the announcement is a 'clear signal to consumers that now is the time to switch'. He went on: 'Rapid deployment and availability of this grant over the next few years will help provide the momentum that is essential to take the EV market from just one in four today, to four in five by the end of the decade.' RAC head of policy Simon Williams said discounted cars should start appearing at dealerships 'within weeks'. He added: 'As the biggest savings will be given to cars with the strongest green manufacturing credentials, drivers will be picking models that are not only better for their wallets, but better for the planet too.' Dan Caesar, chief executive of lobby group Electric Vehicles UK, said: 'While battery-only EVs are much cheaper to buy and run than most realise, surveys show that cost misperceptions are the primary reason for hesitance. 'A generous grant of this nature gives a new group of interested buyers a gentle nudge.' Ian Plummer, commercial director of online vehicle marketplace Auto Trader, said 'any incentives' to help people buy an electric car are welcome as many drivers are 'put off by the high upfront cost'.
Sky News
33 minutes ago
- Sky News
Is there £15bn of wiggle room in Rachel Reeves's fiscal rules?
Are Rachel Reeves's fiscal rules quite as iron clad as she insists? How tough is her armour really? And is there actually scope for some change, some loosening to avoid big tax hikes in the autumn? We've had a bit of clarity early this morning - and that's a question we discuss on the Politics at Sam and Anne's podcast today. And tens of billions of pounds of borrowing depends on the answer - which still feels intriguingly opaque. You might think you know what the fiscal rules are. And you might think you know they're not negotiable. For instance, the main fiscal rule says that from 2029-30, the government's day-to-day spending needs to be in surplus - i.e. rely on taxation alone, not borrowing. And Rachel Reeves has been clear - that's not going to change, and there's no disputing this. But when the government announced its fiscal rules in October, it actually published a 19-page document - a "charter" - alongside this. And this contains all sorts of notes and caveats. And it's slightly unclear which are subject to the "iron clad" promise - and which aren't. There's one part of that document coming into focus - with sources telling me that it could get changed. And it's this - a little-known buffer built into the rules. It's outlined in paragraph 3.6 on page four of the Charter for Budget Responsibility. This says that from spring 2027, if the OBR forecasts that she still actually has a deficit of up to 0.5% of GDP in three years, she will still be judged to be within the rules. In other words, if in spring 2027 she's judged to have missed her fiscal rules by perhaps as much as £15bn, that's fine. Now there's a caveat - this exemption only applies, providing at the following budget the chancellor reduces that deficit back to zero. But still, it's potentially helpful wiggle room. This help - this buffer - for Reeves doesn't apply today, or for the next couple of years - it only kicks in from the spring of 2027. But I'm being told by a source that some of this might change and the ability to use this wiggle room could be brought forward to this year. Could she give herself a get out of jail card? The chancellor could gamble that few people would notice this technical change, and it might avoid politically catastrophic tax hikes - but only if the markets accept it will mean higher borrowing than planned. But the question is - has Rachel Reeves ruled this out by saying her fiscal rules are iron clad or not? Or to put it another way... is the whole of the 19-page Charter for Budget Responsibility "iron clad" and untouchable, or just the rules themselves? 1:17 And what counts as "rules" and are therefore untouchable, and what could fall outside and could still be changed? I've been pressing the Treasury for a statement. And this morning, they issued one. A spokesman said: "The fiscal rules as set out in the Charter for Budget Responsibility are iron clad, and non-negotiable, as are the definition of the rules set out in the document itself." So that sounds clear - but what is a definition of the rule? Does it include this 0.5% of GDP buffer zone? The Treasury does concede that not everything in the charter is untouchable - including the role and remit of the OBR, and the requirements for it to publish a specific list of fiscal metrics. But does that include that key bit? Which bits can Reeves still tinker with? I'm still unsure that change has been ruled out.
