David Norris, who murdered Stephen Lawrence, has been denied parole, the BBC understands.

He sought release during a parole hearing in October, having been jailed in 2012.

Stephen, 18, was stabbed to death in a racist attack in south London in 1993.

Only two of his killers have been convicted, with police always saying six people were involved.

At the parole hearing, Norris admitted he was part of the attack but refused to name the other killers. He had previously denied involvement.

Norris gave evidence via a video link from prison during the public hearing, in which he was bidding for release on licence.

Stephen's mother, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, said at the hearing that Norris remained a danger to the public and must remain in prison. The justice secretary also opposed Norris's release.

The hearing took place 13 years after Norris was jailed for life, with a minimum sentence of 14 years and three months.

Stephen was stabbed by a gang as he waited at a bus stop in Eltham, south-east London.

Witness evidence in the case records that an extreme racist slur was used towards Stephen just before the gang attacked.

In his evidence to the parole hearing, Norris said he was the last person to punch Stephen. He had tried to hit him two or three times and one of his punches connected.

For decades Norris publicly denied involvement in the murder, giving no-comment interviews to police, and claiming he was innocent during his trial.

However, the hearing heard confirmation that he had admitted involvement since being in prison, but denies stabbing Stephen or using a knife.

It also heard Norris continued to use racist language in prison, with him having been recorded in 2022 using the same racial slur that was hurled at Stephen before he was stabbed.

In a prepared statement that Norris read out, he apologised to the Lawrence family and wider black and ethnic community for the "fear" and "horror" his role in the attack had caused.

In a statement read on her behalf at the hearing, Baroness Lawrence said Norris had "killed my son in the most brutal and callous fashion. In doing so he changed my life and life of my family members forever".

She said she could not forgive Norris because he has not "expressed any acceptance, any contrition and certainly has no humanity".

Stephen's father previously told the BBC that Norris should name the other killers before he could be judged to be safe for release from prison.

People needing urgent dental treatment and patients requiring complex care will be prioritised under government plans to improve access to NHS dentists in England.

The proposals could mean a saving of £225 for patients requiring numerous appointments for complicated treatments.

For years, many patients have found it increasingly hard to find a dentist, with some towns in England referred to as "dental deserts", with no access to NHS dentists at all.

The British Dental Association (BDA) said that without more funding and real reform, the plans wouldn't solve current issues.

Speaking on Radio 4's Today programme, health minister Stephen Kinnock said the plans were intended to "prioritise" urgent care.

He said there was "a lot of unnecessary routine care going on" in NHS dentistry services at the moment.

If a patient has "good oral health" he said they don't need to see a dentist "more than about once every two years".

He said the current practice of most patients being offered NHS check-ups every six months was "not the right use" of dentists' time, and added that it was "sucking up a lot of money in NHS dentistry".

Under the current system, which dates back to 2006, dentists are paid for what are called Units of Dental Activity, known as UDAs.

Different procedures - fillings, extractions and more complicated work - are assigned a different number of UDAs.

Dentists who provide NHS care have a contract that says how many UDAs they will carry out each year and are paid accordingly.

But this has meant that more money was available to dentists for carrying out simple check-ups, rather than spending longer with patients who needed more complex, time-consuming care.

For years dentists have been complaining that the contract for NHS work fails to cover the costs of what they're being asked to carry out.

As a result many dentists have been walking away from NHS work – meaning it's increasingly hard for people to access care. There are parts of the country where there is simply no access to NHS dentistry.

'Chronic underfunding'

Under the government plans, there would be new incentives for dentists to offer longer-term treatments for major issues such as gum disease and tooth decay through the NHS.

Currently, a patient with tooth decay in several teeth or severe gum disease - both of which require complex treatment - would need to be treated over multiple appointments, which is costly and time consuming.

But under proposed changes to the dental contract for NHS work, dental practices would be able to offer patients a single comprehensive package of treatment over a longer period, tailored to their needs.

And ministers argue that this could save a patient up to £225 in fees.

Shiv Pabary, chair of the BDA's General Dental Practice Committee said "a dental crisis" had come about directly as a result of the contract put in place in 2006.

"The reforms announced today are trying to tweak a system that's broken."

He added that until the "chronic underfunding" and wider systemic problems were addressed, NHS dentistry would continue to fail to work for "dentists and for patients".

"To try and deliver comprehensive care within the same budget that we have at the moment is going to be hugely challenging."

Mr Kinnock said the government had a "massive issue to fix" in dental care and was negotiating with the BDA on a "radical overhaul" of the NHS dentistry contract.

The government has formally begun the process which will decide the future of the BBC.

It has published a consultation document - or green paper - laying out plans to future-proof the BBC, put it on a sustainable financial footing and bolster trust.

This begins the renewal of the BBC charter - the corporation's rulebook and licence to exist - which expires in 2027.

The culture secretary Lisa Nandy said: "The BBC is fundamental to the health of our nation and we want to make sure that we put it on a firm footing for decades to come.

"We're asking everybody to get involved and play their part in helping to shape its future."

Outgoing BBC director general Tim Davie said in a statement: "We welcome the publication of the government's green paper and the start of the public consultation on the future of the BBC. We urge everyone who cares about the success of the UK's world-leading creative industries to have their say.

"At the BBC, we want change, so we can continue to deliver for the UK for generations to come. We want to secure a public service BBC that is independent, sustainably funded for the long term, and meets our audience's needs."

Former BBC controller of editorial policy, Richard Ayre, described the consultation as "the most encouraging start of a charter process in decades, with the government apparently committed to giving the BBC a sustained and financially sustainable future".

The licence fee brought in £3.8 billion last year. Other funding streams - advertising, subscription and fee reform, including charging wealthier people more - are on the table for now, although many media commentators expect the licence fee to remain, with some changes.

Nandy said: "We're keeping all options open. The only option for funding the BBC that we've ruled out is general taxation and that is because it is essential that the BBC can hold governments of any persuasion to account, including ours, without fear or favour and without being heavily reliant on direct funding from government."

She described the BBC as "an institution that matters deeply to the democratic process in this country and to the health of our nation" and said it "has to have sustainable funding in order to thrive".

But she also acknowledged recent issues at the corporation: "There have been serious concerns about developments at the BBC, including editorial standards and about political interference.

"These aren't new challenges for the BBC. Throughout its history it's had to navigate them, but we believe that through this charter we can strengthen the amount of accountability within the BBC."

Former BBC director general Tony Hall suggested there should be careful consideration of a household tax charged in line with council tax bands.

The government rejects that model. It does, however, accept that public funding of the BBC will remain in some form and Lord Hall suggests an independent body, like a pay review body, to "take the politics out of the licence fee debate".

"Give them the task every three years of reviewing whether the money the BBC has got matches our ambitions for the BBC," he said.

He agrees the licence fee needs to be reformed and made "fairer".

The Reform party wants to scrap the licence fee altogether, while Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, threatened to withdraw support for it earlier this year.

The Liberal Democrats are supportive of the licence fee up until 2027. The Green Party did not specifically mention the BBC in its 2024 manifesto.

There will be a 12-week public consultation and the government is seeking views on how to ensure the BBC commands the public's trust, is accountable to audiences and fully represents communities.

This includes potentially giving the corporation new responsibilities to counter misinformation and disinformation, updating the BBC's mission to put accuracy on the same footing as impartiality and strengthening the BBC's independence, including examining political appointments to the BBC's board.

Labour MPs raised concerns around this issue in Parliament after the recent BBC controversy over the misleading edit of a Donald Trump speech on a Panorama prompted the resignations of the BBC director general and the CEO of News.

Trump is now suing the BBC for defamation over the edit.

Lord Hall told BBC News: "I think trying to take the politics as much as possible out of the organisation would be good. That means really looking carefully at appointments. I don't think there should be any political appointments to the board."

Others argue these appointments (there are five government-appointees on the BBC board including the chairman) ensure accountability and help challenge groupthink.

The BBC has faced a series of controversies in recent months for which it has had to apologise.

These include a documentary about children in Gaza that had to be taken down from BBC iPlayer after it emerged the child narrator was the son of a Hamas official and the failure immediately to remove the punk duo Bob Vylan's set from a Glastonbury live stream after offensive comments were made on stage.

Nandy termed the Labour government "unashamedly supporters of the BBC as an institution, even as we've had serious frustrations with some of the decisions and failings that have taken place at the BBC in recent months".

She said the review of the charter was the chance "to make sure that it can not just survive, but thrive. It's an institution that belongs to us all. If it didn't exist, we would have to invent it".

The consultation will also look at how to devolve more commissioning to the regions and whether there should be a new obligation on the BBC to drive economic growth, build skills and support the UK economy.

The BBC is the only organisation operating under a royal charter with an expiry date. In a speech in November 2024, the BBC chairman Samir Shah said "there are more than 1,000 charter bodies, and I am not aware of any other that needs to be renewed like the BBC".

He asked: "Should we consider the BBC also having a permanent charter like the others?"

The government appears to be consulting on this, with some suggesting the threat of a future Reform government is focusing minds on the uncertainty renewal every decade creates and whether it allows too much political interference.

Ayre said: "It's interesting that the government chooses the word 'future-proof' for the BBC. Can that really mean that they're considering not a 10-year charter, which is the norm, but a sort of self-sustaining charter which will see the BBC continuing in its key position as the national broadcaster for what the government calls decades to come?

"Of course future governments can always try to undo that, but actually a royal charter, it's quite difficult to undo because technically it is the will of the monarch rather than of the government of the day".

Hall said "the great thing about the charter review this time is that I believe the government wants to secure the BBC's future for the long term. It could be a great legacy."

Next year, following the consultation, the government will publish its own vision for the BBC.

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The New South Wales (NSW) premier has strongly rejected criticism of the police response to the attack on a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach, saying officers acted with "bravery and integrity".

Some witnesses have suggested police were too slow to disarm the two gunmen, who killed 15 people and injured dozens at an event celebrating Hanukkah at Australia's best known beach.

"There are two officers in critical care... at the moment," Chris Minns said after sustained questioning from reporters. "They weren't shot in the back as they were running away. They were shot in the front."

There have also been questions about whether adequate security was provided before the shooting took place.

"They shoot, shoot, change magazine and just shoot," one witness, Shmulik Scuri, told reporters the day of the assault, adding he thought officers "froze".

Asked about these criticisms, Minns said the "rush to conclusions" about the police operation was "disrespectful".

"They didn't take a backward step. They engaged the gunmen on the footbridge with handguns. The offenders had long range rifles," Minns said.

"If there's any suggestion that NSW Police didn't live up to their responsibilities to the people of this state, it should be rejected because it's not consistent with the facts."

NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon avoided questions about how many officers had been deployed to police the event in advance. He told reporters police "regularly patrol that area as we did on that day" and that police presence was based "on the threat that exists at the time".

Australia's security agency has said the younger alleged gunman in the father-son duo, Naveed Akram, had come to their attention in 2019 due to his associations, but that there was nothing to suggest he was a risk of violence.

"Had there been intelligence that there was a particular threat at that location, or to that event, we may have had a different policing response," Commissioner Lanyon said.

NSW Police established Operation Shelter after the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel to investigate antisemitic hate crimes. As part of the operation, regular patrols are conducted of high-risk locations. The eastern suburbs of Sydney, including Bondi, which has a significant Jewish population, is a key focus.

Another taskforce, Strike Force Pearl, was set up later to investigate hate crimes in Sydney.

Police received reports of gunfire at a park in Bondi Beach at 18:47 (07:47 GMT) on Sunday. The gunmen carried out a shooting spree that lasted around ten minutes before police shot both men, killing one and critically injuring the other.

Dr Vincent Hurley, a former police officer who lectures on policing at Macquarie University, told the BBC it was "unrealistic" to expect police to be able to know how to react to every possible scenario.

"To respond to a mass shooting and mass killing event like that, there's no training that can be done."

He pointed out that police officers would have initially been reliant on calls to emergency operators "and everyone would have given them a different story".

"Then they have to fight through traffic at Bondi Beach which is a nightmare at the best of times."

At the scene, police would have been confronted with "absolute chaos" as thousands of people attempted to flee.

Individual officers would also have been faced with difficult choices such as whether to stop and render assistance to injured individuals or to go and look for the gunmen, decisions for which there is no protocol.

And even once the offenders had been identified, he says the risk of hurting bystanders in the crossfire would have complicated responses.

"There would be no way as a police officer, I would have drawn my firearm because all of the innocent individuals", he added. "It's not what you see on Netflix."

At least 15 civilians have been confirmed dead in Sunday's shooting attack at Bondi beach.

Many were attending an event to mark the first day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.

Authorities have confirmed that two rabbis, a Holocaust survivor and a 10-year-old girl were among the victims.

This is what we know about those identified so far:

Matilda, 10

Authorities confirmed that a 10-year-old girl, named by her family to local media as Matilda, was among the dead.

Irina Goodhew, who organised a fundraiser for the girl's mother and said she was the child's former teacher, wrote: " I knew her as a bright, joyful, and spirited child who brought light to everyone around her.'

The Harmony Russian School of Sydney also confirmed that she was one of its students.

"We are deeply saddened to share the news that a former student of our school has passed away in the hospital due to injuries sustained from a gunshot," the school wrote on Facebook.

"Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences go out to her family, friends, and everyone affected by this tragic event … Her memory will remain in our hearts, and we honor her life and the time she spent as part of our school family."

Meanwhile her aunt spoke to ABC news and said that Matilda's sister, who was with her when she was shot, was struggling to come to terms with the loss.

"They were like twins — they've never been separated," she told the ABC.

Rabbi Eli Schlanger

Known as the "Bondi Rabbi", Eli Schlanger, 41, was one of the key organisers of Sunday's event. He was head of the local Chabad mission, an international Hasidic Jewish organisation based in Brooklyn.

The death of the British-born father of five was confirmed by his cousin, Rabbi Zalman Lewis.

"My dear cousin, Rabbi Eli Schlanger @bondirabbi was murdered in today's terrorist attack in Sydney," Zalman wrote on Instagram. "He leaves behind his wife & young children, as well as my uncle & aunt & siblings … He was truly an incredible guy".

In a post on its website, Chabad said Schlanger's youngest child was just two months old.

"He was the most godly, humane, kind, gracious human being I think I've ever met," Alex Ryvchin of the Executive Council of Australia Jewry, told reporters at Bondi on Monday morning.

Dan Elkayam

The death of French national Dan Elkayam was confirmed by Frances's Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.

"It's with immense sadness that we have learnt that our compatriot Dan Elkayam was among the victims of the terrorist attack that hit Jewish families gathered on the beach at Bondi in Sydney," he wrote on social media. "We mourn with his family and loved ones, with the Jewish community and the Australian people."

According to his LinkedIn profile, Elkayam worked as an IT analyst for NBCUniversal and had moved to Australia last year.

He was also a keen footballer, and "an integral member" of our premier league squad, the Rockdale Ilindin Football Club in west Sydney wrote on its Facebook page.

He was "an extremely talented and popular figure amongst team mates. Our deepest and sincerest condolances to Dan's family, friends and all that knew him. He will be missed," the club wrote.

Alexander Kleytman

Alexander Kleytman was a holocaust survivor who came to Australia from Ukraine.

"I have no husband. I don't know where is his body. Nobody can give me any answer," his wife Larisa Kleytman told reporters outside a Sydney hospital late on Sunday.

"We were standing and suddenly came the 'boom boom', and everybody fell down. At this moment he was behind me and at one moment he decided to go close to me. He pushed his body up because he wanted to stay near me," she told the Australian.

Chabad wrote on X that Alexander "died shielding her from the gunman's bullets. In addition to his wife, he leaves behind two children and 11 grandchildren."

The couple shared some of their life story with Jewish Care in 2023.

"As children, both Larisa and Alexander faced the unspeakable terror of the Holocaust," the health organisation wrote in its annual report.

"Alex's memories are particularly harrowing; recalling the dreadful conditions in Siberia where he, along with his mother and younger brother, struggled for survival."

Peter Meagher

Former police officer Peter Meagher was working as a freelance photographer at the Hanukkah event when he was killed, his rugby club confirmed.

"For him it was simply a catastrophic case of being in the wrong place and at the wrong time," Mark Harrison, the general manager of Randwick Rugby Club, wrote on its website.

"'Marzo, as he was universally known, was a much loved figure and absolute legend in our club, with decades of voluntary involvement, he was one of the heart and soul figures of Randwick Rugby."

The club said he had spent almost four decades in the NSW Police Force where he was "hugely respected by colleagues".

"The tragic irony is that he spent so long in the dangerous front line as a Police Officer and was struck down in retirement while taking photos in his passion role is really hard to comprehend," the club said.

Reuven Morrison

Reuven Morrison migrated to Australia from the former Soviet Union in the 1970s as a teenager, according to an interview he gave to the ABC exactly a year ago.

"We came here with the view that Australia is the safest country in the world and the Jews would not be faced with such anti-Semitism in the future, where we can bring up our kids in a safe environment," he told the national broadcaster.

Confirming his death, Chabad said that he was a longtime resident of Melbourne, but that he "discovered his Jewish identity in Sydney".

"A successful businessman whose main goal was to give away his earnings to charities dear to his heart, notably Chabad of Bondi," the organisation wrote on X.

Australia's Prime Minister has visited Bondi hero Ahmed al Ahmed in hospital, after the bystander tried to disarm one of the gunmen in the nation's deadliest gun attack since 1996.

"Your heart is strong", PM Anthony Albanese told the father-of-two, later calling him "the best of our country".

The fruit shop owner, who was born and raised in Syria, was shot several times in the shoulder after tackling one of the alleged gunmen. Albanese said Mr Ahmed would "undergo further surgery" on Wednesday.

At least 15 people have been confirmed dead after Sunday's attack in Sydney during an event to mark the first night of Hanukkah.

Police have declared the attack as a terrorist incident targeting the Jewish community.

"He was trying to get a cup of coffee and found himself at a moment where people were being shot in front of him," Albanese said after the bedside visit.

"He decided to take action, and his bravery is an inspiration for all Australians. He is a very humble man."

"At a moment where we have seen evil perpetrated, he shines out as an example of the strength of humanity," the prime minister added.

"We are a brave country. Ahmed al Ahmed represents the best of our country."

He later added: "Ahmed, you are an Australian hero."

There has been nationwide support for the 43-year-old including from US President Donald Trump who commended his courage, and a US billionaire who donated $99,999 (US$ 65,000; £49,000) to Mr Ahmed, calling him a "brave hero".

In the footage, Mr Ahmed is seen hiding behind a parked car before he leaps out.

He runs at the alleged gunman and seizes his weapon, before turning the gun round on him. The suspected attacker then begins to retreat.

Mr Ahmed then lowers the weapon and raises one hand in the air, appearing to show police he was not one of the attackers.

Mr Ahmed's father previously told the BBC that his son was driven to act by his "sentiment, conscience and humanity".

He "saw the victims, the blood, women and children lying on the street, and then acted".

Australia's Prime Minister has visited Bondi hero Ahmed al Ahmed in hospital, after the bystander tried to disarm one of the gunmen in the nation's deadliest gun attack since 1996.

"Your heart is strong", PM Anthony Albanese told the father-of-two, later calling him "the best of our country".

The fruit shop owner, who was born and raised in Syria, was shot several times in the shoulder after tackling one of the alleged gunmen. Albanese said Mr Ahmed would "undergo further surgery" on Wednesday.

At least 15 people have been confirmed dead after Sunday's attack in Sydney during an event to mark the first night of Hanukkah.

Police have declared the attack as a terrorist incident targeting the Jewish community.

"He was trying to get a cup of coffee and found himself at a moment where people were being shot in front of him," Albanese said after the bedside visit.

"He decided to take action, and his bravery is an inspiration for all Australians. He is a very humble man."

"At a moment where we have seen evil perpetrated, he shines out as an example of the strength of humanity," the prime minister added.

"We are a brave country. Ahmed al Ahmed represents the best of our country."

He later added: "Ahmed, you are an Australian hero."

There has been nationwide support for the 43-year-old including from US President Donald Trump who commended his courage, and a US billionaire who donated $99,999 (US$ 65,000; £49,000) to Mr Ahmed, calling him a "brave hero".

In the footage, Mr Ahmed is seen hiding behind a parked car before he leaps out.

He runs at the alleged gunman and seizes his weapon, before turning the gun round on him. The suspected attacker then begins to retreat.

Mr Ahmed then lowers the weapon and raises one hand in the air, appearing to show police he was not one of the attackers.

Mr Ahmed's father previously told the BBC that his son was driven to act by his "sentiment, conscience and humanity".

He "saw the victims, the blood, women and children lying on the street, and then acted".

A French court has sentenced a former rebel leader and politician from the Democratic Republic of Congo to 30 years in jail after finding him guilty of complicity in crimes against humanity more than two decades ago.

Roger Lumbala headed a rebel movement backed by neighbouring Uganda accused of committing atrocities during a period known as the Second Congo War.

The judge said the 67-year-old was found guilty of ordering or aiding and abetting torture and inhumane crimes, summary executions, rape constituting torture, sexual slavery, forced labour and theft.

Lumbala, who was living in France when he was arrested nearly five years ago, has refused to accept the legitimacy of the court in Paris.

He did not attend the trial, which began last month, though he was in the dock to hear the verdict on Monday.

Lumbala also served as a minister in DR Congo's transitional government from 2003 to 2005 and later as a member of parliament.

Several years later the Congolese government issued an arrest warrant for him over his alleged support for the M23, a rebel group currently active in the eastern DR Congo, prompting him to flee to France.

The Second Congo War, which raged from 1998-2003, involved nine countries, numerous rebel groups and led to the estimated deaths of between two and five million people.

At the time Lumbala led the Rally of Congolese Democrats and Nationalists (RCD-N), which allegedly carried out atrocities during a campaign between 2002 and 2003 called "Erase the Slate".

The operation targeted members of the Nande and Bambuti ethnic groups in the north-eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu who were accused of supporting a rival militia.

A UN team that investigated in its aftermath said it was characterised by "premeditated operations using looting, rape and summary execution as tools of warfare".

Lumbala's case was prosecuted under the principle of "universal jurisdiction", which allows French courts to seek justice related to crimes against humanity committed abroad.

Five non-governmental organisations, including Trial International and the Clooney Foundation for Justice, pooled their expertise to participate in the trial, helping support survivors to testify and requesting expert analyses.

Trial International, a Geneva-based justice campaign group, said 65 survivors, witnesses and experts testified before the court about the Erase the Slate operation.

After the verdict, it issued a statement from two of the survivors - David Karamay Kasereka and Pisco Sirikivuya Paluku.

"We were scared but came all the way here because the truth matters. For years, no one heard us," they said

"We would have preferred to face Roger Lumbala, to look him in the eyes. But this verdict marks a first step toward reclaiming pieces of ourselves that were taken from us."

During the trial Mr Kasereka, 41, described how his father and neighbours were tortured killed by Lumbala's men, the AP news agency reports.

Mr Paluku, who is a now 50-year-old nurse, told of how the rebels robbed and injured him, killed his uncle and raped his friend's wife, the AFP news agency says.

"We hope that this will serve as a lesson to those who continue to bring grief to the people of Congo, and particularly to Ituri," he told the Reuters news agency.

According to AP, Lumbala's legal team, which has 10 days to file an appeal, called the sentence excessive. Prosecutors had sought a life sentence.

Eastern DR Congo, which is rich in minerals, has been wracked by conflict for more than 30 years, since the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Several peace deals going back to the 1990s have collapsed.

Over the years a number of other militia leaders, including Thomas Lubanga, Germain Katanga and Bosco Ntaganda, have been put on trial and convicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for abuses committed in the east of DR Congo.

Human rights groups welcomed Monday's verdict as a milestone for further accountability in the long-running conflict there.

"This verdict is historic. For the first time, a national court has dared to confront the atrocities of the Second Congo War and show that justice can break through even after decades of impunity," Trial International's Daniele Perissi said in a statement.

More about the DR Congo conflict:

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