Police told of racist attack before man killed

12 minutes ago Share Save Katie Thompson BBC News Navtej Johal BBC News, Midlands correspondent Share Save

CCTV shows the moments before Bhim Kohli was fatally attacked

An elderly man who was racially abused before being fatally attacked had told police he witnessed an assault on another Asian man yards from his home two weeks earlier, the BBC has found. Bhim Kohli had been walking his dog in a park in Leicestershire in September when he was punched and kicked by a 14-year-old boy while a girl, 12, filmed the attack. The BBC has learnt that Mr Kohli spoke to officers in August after he saw two white boys aged 12 and 13 racially abuse a man and throw a large rock at him near the same park where the 80-year-old encountered his own attackers. Leicestershire Police said "organisational learning" to improve logging anti-social behaviour had been identified.

Mr Kohli died the day after the "intense attack" against him in Franklin Park, Braunstone Town near Leicester, for which the boy and girl, now aged 15 and 13 respectively, were both convicted of manslaughter. They are due to be sentenced on Thursday. Another eyewitness to the attack in August, Linda Haigh, said she warned police about racially motivated problems in the area before Mr Kohli died, and believes he would still be alive had they taken her more seriously.

Supplied Bhim Kohli was walking his dog Rocky on the day of the fatal attack

The victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, was walking to Franklin Park on 17 August when he was targeted by the two boys, who were not involved in Mr Kohli's death. He told the BBC: "One of the boys started picking up stones and throwing them at me... and then the same boy picked up a quite a large rock from the front garden of one of the houses there, and tried to throw it at me." The man, aged in his 40s, said they shouted at him to "go back to your village". "It was a throwback to back to the 80s, when it was quite commonplace to be racially abused," he said. "I was shocked that this kind of behaviour was still around society. "I've not been in that situation for a long time, maybe 40 years."

A rock was thrown at the man by two children

It was when one of the boys picked up a wooden fence post and tried to hit the man with it that others - including Mr Kohli and his daughter Susan, and their neighbour Ms Haigh - intervened, according to the man. He said he was shocked by the "kind of behaviour from such a young age group". "The racist language, the violence used as well... they were trying to physically hurt me," he added. "The anger, but more just the vitriol of the whole thing." Police were called but the pair were not arrested until three days after the death of Mr Kohli, according to the man. He believes a greater police presence in the area following the assault could have prevented the attack on Mr Kohli two weeks later. "They should have really looked at putting more presence there, more officers, maybe mobile police cars driving around," he said. "They could have deterred them. It's obviously very tragic."

The man was targeted as he made his way into this entrance of Franklin Park in August

During the trial of Mr Kohli's killers, the court was told about an occasion "a week or two" before his death when the girl convicted of his manslaughter was present while other children threw apples at him. The jury was also shown a video she had filmed on her phone of another Asian man having a water balloon thrown at him and being racially abused. The BBC has also been told it was reported to police that in July Mr Kohli had stones thrown at him, was spat at and had been racially abused by a group of children after he told them to get off his neighbour's garage roof. Ch Supt Jonathan Starbuck, of Leicestershire Police, said: "Prior to Mr Kohli's death, police were aware of two reports of anti-social behaviour involving youths in the Franklin Park area which were being investigated. "Partnership work in the area following Mr Kohli's death did identify further incidents which had not been reported." He added an investigation conducted by the force, reviewed by the Independent Office for Police Conduct, did not identify any "misconduct or missed opportunities which could have prevented Mr Kohli's death".

The attacks have left the victim of the August assault fearful for his safety and that of his elderly parents, who also live in the area. His father, like Mr Kohli, likes to go for a walk, but since being targeted, he tells him not to, especially in the dark, he told the BBC. "Even my nephews... you worry about them as well because you just don't know. It's just become more violent," he said. The two boys involved in the August assault appeared in youth court in Leicester in December charged with racially or religiously aggravated common assault. They admitted the offences but were later dealt with out of court by way of a deferred youth caution following a referral to the youth justice panel for an out-of-court disposal. The process aims to divert young people away from the criminal justice system where possible, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

Linda Haigh says she feels let down by police and more could have been done

Ms Haigh, who was friends with Mr Kohli for more than 20 years, told the BBC she called police when she saw the two boys involved in the August assault pick up the boulder from outside her neighbour's house and throw it at the man. She said she was aware of similar attacks by young people happening last summer in Braunstone Town and told police it needed to be "nipped in the bud". "I don't think it was taken serious enough," she said. "I think they should have acted on it. I feel that we've been totally let down." Ch Supt Starbuck said: "We continue to monitor the area of Franklin Park and have engaged with the community through a local survey, drop-in centres, engagement with local schools, youth work and proactive policing patrols."

Suspended Met officer spent five years on full pay

6 hours ago Share Save Tony Grew BBC News Share Save

PA Media Cdr Julian Bennett was initially dismissed in October 2023

The Metropolitan Police says Londoners "will be as outraged as we are at the utter waste of public funds" after a disciplinary process for one of its senior officers took almost five years. Cdr Julian Bennett has been dismissed from the force for a second time following a misconduct hearing. He had been suspended from duty since July 2020 after he refused to provide a sample for a drugs test. He was initially dismissed in October 2023 but he appealed to the Police Appeals Tribunal (PAT) which ordered a new hearing on the basis the panel had ruled on allegations they were not asked to. Mr Bennett was suspended on full pay during the whole process.

On Tuesday the second panel found the allegation proven against Mr Bennett at the level of gross misconduct. Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said the former senior officer "knew full well what was required of him, yet he made a choice not to cooperate".

'A simple matter'

"I am enormously concerned that almost five years since this incident happened we have only now been able to dismiss Cdr Bennett," added Assistant Commissioner Twist. "This should have been a simple matter. Cdr Bennett has never disputed he refused a lawful order to take a drugs test." He said greater use by the Met of accelerated misconduct hearings to fast-track cases where the evidence is "irrefutable" would allow the force to dismiss officers "far more quickly". "I am confident a situation like Cdr Bennett's prolonged case would not happen again," he added. The original disciplinary panel rejected a claim by Mr Bennett's former flatmate Sheila Gomes that he had used cannabis daily before breakfast. But it found that he had breached professional standards when he refused to do a drugs test.

Two further allegations at the first panel - that between 2019 and 2020, while off duty, he had smoked cannabis, and that he gave an untrue explanation for why he refused to take the drugs test - were not proven. He told the first panel he had been taking CBD (cannabidiol) to treat facial palsy and was worried the sample would come up positive for an innocent reason. Mr Bennett - who wrote a Met drugs strategy in 2017 - was found in 2023 to have breached force standards for honesty and integrity, orders and instructions and discreditable conduct and was sacked. His lawyers successfully argued that while he had always admitted refusing to provide a sample, the panel found him guilty of a lack of integrity that he had not been charged with. Following the PAT's decision to revoke the dismissal, the Met considered a legal challenge by way of a judicial review but decided that Mr Bennett should face a fresh misconduct hearing. Following the misconduct panel's decision and his subsequent dismissal, Mr Bennett will be added to the College of Policing's barred list. Those appearing on the list cannot be employed by police and a number of police-related bodies.

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Boulder attack renews safety concerns for US Jewish communities

52 minutes ago Share Save Kayla Epstein BBC News Share Save

Getty Images SWAT officers on the scene after an attack in Boulder, Colorado that targeted a group calling for the release of hostages held in Gaza.

On Sunday, a group gathered in Boulder, Colorado, to raise awareness for hostages held in Gaza was attacked, leaving 12 people injured. The suspect, Mohammed Sabry Soliman, accused of throwing incendiary devices at them, allegedly planned the attack for a year, and told police he wanted to "kill all Zionist people," according to court documents. It was the latest in a string of attacks against Jewish people and institutions, ratcheting up anxiety among those in North America's Jewish community who see these incidents as signs of growing antisemitism in the US. The Boulder attack occurred just weeks after a suspect shot and killed a couple outside the Capitol Jewish Museum in Washington, DC. They were later identified as employees of the Israeli embassy who had been attending an event at the museum. In April, the official residence of Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro was set on fire, just hours after the Jewish lawmaker celebrated the first night of Passover. "Jews are feeling the impact and are more afraid than they were two weeks ago, or that fears that existed in some communities a few weeks ago are more heightened," said Adina Vogel Ayalon of J Street, a pro-Israel advocacy group that's critical of the war and has called for a ceasefire in Gaza. "These types of hate crimes are not distinguishing between where you fall on the political spectrum about the war" between Israel and Hamas, Ms Ayalon said. "And that is something very unsettling."

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Israel has faced sustained international criticism over its military actions in Gaza, which it undertook after Hamas attacked the country on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 people - mostly civilians - and taking 251 hostages. Over 50,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. The statistics do not distinguish between civilians and Hamas fighters, and the BBC and other international media organisations are blocked by Israel from entering Gaza to verify. But a United Nations report that assessed Gazan deaths during a six-month period found nearly 70% of verified victims were women and children. Throughout the conflict, human rights experts have raised the alarm of widespread hunger, disease, and displacement within Gaza. The war also has become a divisive political issue in the US. Pro-Palestinian protests across university campuses and in major cities have ignited greater debates over education and free speech. There are religious, generational, and partisan divides within the American Jewish community about support for Israel and the question of Palestinian statehood. But the attacks in Boulder and Washington DC, struck a broader nerve because they crossed a "clear red line between legitimate free speech and political violence," Ms Ayalon said. Boulder's attack has drawn condemnation outside the Jewish community. "Acts of antisemitism have no place in our society," the Muslim Public Affairs Council condemned the Boulder attack in a statement. "This violent assault is not only an attack on a specific community but a direct threat to the values of pluralism, dignity, and safety for all people of faith. As Muslims, our faith calls us to speak out against injustice and to uphold the sanctity of every human life." The group targeted in Boulder, Run For Their Lives, holds weekly meetings and marches across the country to call for the release of the remaining hostages taken to Gaza. "The premise of the group is to peacefully raise awareness of the hostages. We're apolitical, we're not protesting anything," said global coordinator Shira Weiss. Many of the group's members are Jewish and support Israel, but those are not requirements for participation. "We get people from all walks of life - who vote Republican, Independent, Democrat, who support the Israeli government, or don't support the Israeli government," Ms Weiss said. Safety has always been a top priority for group chapters, she said, but they "never thought such a violent attack would happen." Jewish communities and institutions across the US have long required security, but many bolstered their defences after a shooter espousing right-wing antisemitic conspiracy theories murdered 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania synagogue in 2018. The following April, another shooter attacked a synagogue in Poway, California, killing one person and injuring three others.

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'Good weather' small boat surge and 'tax bombshells'

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There is no standout lead story across the fronts of Wednesday's papers. But a handful touch on small boat crossings. "Now it's good weather to blame for boat surge!" is the headline in the Daily Express. A photo of the "major new search for missing Maddie" appears on the front, as police resume their hunt for Madeleine McCann in Portugal almost two decades after her disappearance.

The Daily Mail also goes with small boats, saying there is evidence that the "Rwanda plan did deter" them following the release of government report on the number of migrants trying to reach the UK across the English Channel. At the top of the page, the face of Rachel Reeves is superimposed inside a cartoon explosive, as the Mail offers advice on how to "armour-plate your finances" against her next "tax bombshells".

Thames Water is "on the brink of renationalisation" reports the Financial Times in its top story as US private equity firm KKR "walked away from a £4bn rescue". Elsewhere on the FT's front, the "Big Four accountants", Deloitte, EY, PwC and KPMG, are in a race to create audits for new AI products - a potential new revenue stream.

The UK will "stockpile military medical supplies for nuclear attacks" reports The i Paper. The Ministry of Defence has been urged to "work closely with the NHS and military healthcare" for "the most extreme circumstances". A special report from "inside secret Kharkiv" is also promised in the paper, showing life in Ukraine "as Putin's bombs continue to rain down".

Love island "hunk" Kyle Ashman was "sensationally axed" from the show "after The Sun alerted bosses that he was arrested on suspicion of a machete attack". ITV "sent him home from Majorca" after they learned he had been "quizzed but released" over a machete attack in Stafford in February.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is in a "£15bn spending pledge" so as to "placate fractious Labour MPs" writes The Guardian. It is an effort to convince them her review "will not be a return to austerity". Labour's planning bill is a "threat to English nature" the Guardian reports in an exclusive, saying "more than 5,000 of England's most sensitive, rare and protected natural habitats are at high risk" of destruction under the new bill.

The Daily Telegraph's headline reads "Trump attacks BBC over Hamas coverage" after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the BBC corrected and took down a story about an incident near an aid distribution centre in Gaza on Sunday. The BBC said the claim was "completely wrong", saying it "did not remove any story and we stand by our journalism".

The chief suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann said he was "looking forward to a nice steak and a beer" when released from jail according, reports the Daily Star. The story is based on comments Christian Brückner made in an interview with German broadcast RTL. He currently serving a sentence for rape in 2005, and could be released within a year.

"Police cuts 'mean some crimes must be ignored'" headlines The Times. Sir Keir Starmer has been warned by police chiefs that they will face "stark choices" over what to investigate should Treasury trimming be implemented. The water sector needs a "full overhaul" according to the chairman of the Independent Water Commission in a new report. Meanwhile, singer and environmental activist Feargal Sharkey says the report doesn't go far enough: "We were promised champagne but today we've been offered sour milk".

One "mum's message to Labour" headlines the Daily Mirror. Joy Dove warns the government to reconsider cutting benefits after a coroner ruled that her daughter took her life because her payments were "wrongly axed" under the Conservatives.

Author Evaristo 'astonished' to receive one-off £100k prize

35 minutes ago Share Save Emma Saunders Culture reporter at the Hay Festival Share Save

Getty Images Bernardine Evaristo pledged to put the prize money into a project to support other female writers

Trailblazing author Bernardine Evaristo has said she is "astonished" to have been honoured with a one-off outstanding contribution award to mark the 30th anniversary of the Women's Prize for Fiction. Evaristo, who was the first black woman to win the prestigious Booker Prize when the award was shared with Margaret Atwood in 2019, told the BBC: "This [prize] wasn't on anyone's radar... I feel very blessed." The accolade is in honour of her career's work - which includes her Booker-winning novel Girl, Woman, Other - and her long-running advocacy for inclusion and diversity in the arts. Evaristo will receive £100,000 prize money and a sculpture.

Both will be presented on 12 June at a ceremony in London, where the winners of the 2025 Women's Prizes for Fiction and Non-Fiction will also be announced. Evaristo said she would put the prize money into a project to support other women writers, and will give more details in the autumn. "I'm not doing it because I'm a multi-millionaire," she joked. "It just feels right to put back in. We should support each other." The writer said it was "incredibly validating" that her advocacy work had been recognised by the Women's Prize body. "Women's fiction was in a very bad place when it [the Prize charity] began. Every year it's shone a light... and helped to amplify women's voices."

Getty Images Evaristo and Atwood shared the Booker Prize in 2019, the first authors to do so since 1992

Evaristo co-founded Britain's first black women's theatre company, Theatre of Black Women, which ran from 1982 to 1988. She also set up the Spread the Word writers' development agency, the Complete Works mentoring scheme for poets of colour, and the Brunel International African Poetry Prize, among other projects. She was made an MBE in 2009 for services to literature. The 66-year-old said she began her activism work in the 1980s "simply because there was a need for it". "At that time, it's not something I saw as separate to my creativity. I did it because I knew I wanted to take responsibility, to be the change I wanted to see. I did it because it needed to be done." It's important not to rest on your laurels because "if we don't keep up momentum, the status quo might close in on itself again", she said. "It's not something where we can say 'We've achieved this, we can drop it'." She said there was a current "backlash against freedoms women had earned over a century". "There is always the risk of a backlash."

Getty Images Lennie James and Ariyon Bakare won Baftas for best actor and best supporting actor respectively for their roles in BBC drama Mr Loverman, adapted from Evaristo's novel of the same name

She wouldn't be drawn on her next writing project because "it's not wise to announce things prematurely", but she said she still has time to juggle both her writing and her activism work. "I've been here a long time... I've had a long time to get things done! My main focus is my writing. I'm a writer who has to juggle lots of things... to create tensions. That's how I work. "I'm good at compartmentalising. But I do work all the time. My husband and I have been together 18 years and we went on our first holiday three years ago!" But she said that's because "I enjoy what I do". "I work weekends, there's no distinction between weekdays and the weekend. I don't need to drag myself away from what I do. It's positive energy."

Getty Images Naomi Klein won the inaugural Women's Prize for Non-Fiction, which was introduced last year, for her book Doppelganger: A Trip Into The Mirror World

The Women's Prize Trust says it aims to celebrate and amplify women's voices; open up writing as a viable career for women from all backgrounds; and promote original work. The judging panel for the contribution award included critic and writer Bonnie Greer, broadcaster Vick Hope, and author Kate Mosse. Mosse said in statement: "Bernardine Evaristo's beautiful, ambitious and inventive body of work, her dazzling skill and imagination, and her courage to take risks and offer readers a pathway into diverse and multifarious worlds over a 40-year career, made her the ideal recipient. "Significantly, Evaristo has consistently used her own magnificent achievements and exceptional talent as a springboard to create opportunities for others, to promote unheard and under-heard women's voices and to ensure that every female writer feels she has a conduit for her talent."

Trailblazing talent

Labour is cosying up to China after years of rollercoaster relations

1 hour ago Share Save Ankur Shah Editor, BBC Global China Unit Share Save

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The sprawling city of Chongqing in southwestern China is an incredible sight. Built on mountainous terrain and crisscrossed by rivers, it is connected by vast elevated roads. Trains even run through some buildings. TikTokers have begun documenting their commutes in the striking urban architecture, generating millions of likes and much hype. But it is also where, on a somewhat quieter trip, mayors and their deputies from the UK recently visited - the largest British civic delegation to visit the country in modern history. The whole trip, which took place in March, received substantial Chinese media coverage, despite flying more under the radar in the UK. The impression it left on some of the politicians who travelled there was vast. "[The city is] what happens if you take the planning department and just say 'yes' to everything," reflects Howard Dawber, deputy London mayor for business. "It's just amazing."

Hector Retamal/ AFP via Getty Images TikTokers have begun documenting their commutes among the striking urban architecture of Chongqing

The group travelled to southern Chinese cities, spoke to Chinese mayors and met Chinese tech giants. So impressed was one deputy mayor that, on returning home, they bought a mobile phone from Chinese brand Honor (a stark contrast from the days the UK banned Huawei technology from its 5G networks, just a few years ago). Roughly half-a-dozen deals were signed on the back of the trip. The West Midlands, for example, agreed to establish a new UK headquarters in Birmingham for Chinese energy company EcoFlow. But the visit was as much about diplomacy as it was trade, says East Midlands deputy mayor Nadine Peatfield, who attended. "There was a real hunger and appetite to rekindle those relationships."

Anadolu Agency/Getty Images David Cameron takes Xi Jinping for a pint at a UK pub

To some, it was reminiscent of the "golden era" of UK-China relations, a time when then-Prime Minister David Cameron and Chinese President Xi Jinping shared a basket of fish and chips and a pint. Those days have long felt far away. Political ties with China deteriorated under former UK Conservative Prime Ministers Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss. The last UK prime minister to visit China was Theresa May, in 2018. But the recent delegation - and the talk of Sir Keir Starmer possibly visiting China later this year - suggests a turning point in relations. But to what greater intent?

A 'grown up' approach

The course correction seemed to begin with the closed-door meeting between Sir Keir and Chinese President Xi in Brazil last November. The prime minister signalled that Britain would look to cooperate with China on climate change and business. Since then, Labour's cautious pursuit of China has primarily focused on the potential financial upsides. In January, Chancellor Rachel Reeves co-chaired the first UK-China economic summit since 2019, in Beijing. Defending her trip, she said: "Choosing not to engage with China is no choice at all." Reeves claimed re-engagement with China could boost the UK economy by £1bn, with agreements worth £600m to the UK over the next five years — partially achieved through lifting barriers that restrict exports to China.

Getty Images Rachel Reeves claimed re-engagement with China could boost the UK economy by £1bn

Soon after, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband resumed formal climate talks with China. Miliband said it would be "negligence" to future generations not to have dialogue with the country, given it is the world's biggest carbon emitter. Labour simply describes its approach as "grown-up". But it all appears to be a marked shift from the last decade of UK-China relations. During the so-called "golden era", from 2010, the UK's policy towards China was dominated by the Treasury, focusing on economic opportunities and appearing to cast almost all other issues, including human rights or security, aside. By September 2023, however, Rishi Sunak said he was "acutely aware of the particular threat to our open and democratic way of life" posed by China.

'The world will become more Chinese'

Labour claimed in its manifesto that it would bring a "long-term and strategic approach". China has a near monopoly on extracting and refining rare earth minerals, which are critical to manufacturing many high-tech and green products. For example, car batteries are often reliant on lithium, while indium is a rare metal used for touch screens. This makes China a vital link in global supply chains. "China's influence is likely to continue to grow substantially globally, especially with the US starting to turn inwards," says Dr William Matthews, a China specialist at Chatham House think tank.

AFP via Getty Images Ed Miliband said it would be "negligence" to future generations not to have dialogue with China

"The world will become more Chinese, and whilst that is difficult for any Western government, there needs to be sensible engagement from the get-go." Andrew Cainey, a director of the UK National Committee on China, an educational non-profit organisation, says: "China has changed a lot since the Covid-19 pandemic. To have elected officials not having seen it, it's a no brainer for them to get back on the ground". Certainly many in the UK's China-watching community believe that contact is an essential condition to gain a clearer-eyed view of the opportunities posed by China, but also the challenges.

Questions around national security

The opportunities, some experts say, are largely economic, climate and education-related. Or as Kerry Brown, Professor of Chinese Studies at King's College London, puts it: "China is producing information, analysis and ways of doing things that we can learn from". He points to the intellectual, technological, AI, and life sciences opportunities. Not engaging with China would be to ignore the realities of geopolitics in the 21st century, in Dr Matthew's view, given that it is the world's second largest economy. However he also believes that engagement comes with certain risks. But Charles Parton, who spent 22 years of his diplomatic career working in or on China, raises questions about the UK's economic and national security. For example, the government is reportedly weighing up proposals for a Chinese company to supply wind turbines for an offshore windfarm in the North Sea. Mr Parton warns against allowing China access to the national grid: "It wouldn't be difficult in a time of high tension to say, 'by the way, we can turn off all your wind farms'". But earlier this year, the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU issued a statement expressing concern over the "politicisation" of deals between wind developers in Europe and Chinese turbine suppliers.

James Sullivan, director of Cyber and Tech at defence think tank Rusi, notes there are also some questions around cyberspace. "China's activities in cyberspace appear to be more strategically and politically focused compared to previous opportunistic activities," he says. As for defence, the UK's recently published defence review describes China as a "sophisticated and persistent challenge", with Chinese technology and its proliferation to other countries "already a leading challenge for the UK". Ken McCallum, MI5 director general, meanwhile, has previously warned of a sustained campaign on an "epic scale" of Chinese espionage abroad. But Prof Brown pushes back on some concerns about espionage, saying some media narratives about this are a "fairytale". Beijing has always dismissed accusations of espionage as attempts to "smear" China.

Is the UK really a 'compliant servant'?

Sir Keir and his team will no doubt be closely monitoring how this is all viewed by Washington DC. Last month, President Donald Trump's trade advisor Peter Navarro described Britain as "an all too compliant servant of Communist China", urging the UK against deepening economic ties. "When it comes to foreign policy towards China, America's influence on policy will be quite substantive compared with say continental Europe," says Dr Yu Jie of China Foresight at LSE IDEAS think tank. Most analysts I speak to in both the UK and China are still clear on the need for the two countries to get back in the same room, even if they differ on where to draw the line: in which areas should Westminster cooperate and where should it stay clear. These red lines have not yet been drawn, and experts say that without some kind of playbook, it is difficult for businesses and elected officials to know how to engage.

Getty Images The Business Secretary admitted that he would "look at a Chinese firm in a different way" when considering UK steel industry investments

"You can only keep firefighting specific issues for so long without developing a systematic plan," warns Mr Cainey. Certain thorny issues have arisen, including Chinese investments in the UK. For example in April when the government seized control of British Steel from its former Chinese owner Jingye, to prevent it from being closed down, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds admitted that he would "look at a Chinese firm in a different way" when considering investment in the UK steel industry. China's foreign ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, warned that Labour should avoid "linking it to security issues, so as not to impact the confidence of Chinese enterprises in going to the UK". After Starmer met Xi last year, he said the government's approach would be "rooted in the national interests of the UK", but acknowledged areas of disagreement with China, including on human rights, Taiwan and Russia's war in Ukraine. Securing the release of pro-democracy activist and British citizen Jimmy Lai from a Hong Kong prison is, he has said, a "priority" for the government.

'Go with your eyes open'

Labour's manifesto broadly pledged: "We will cooperate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must." What is still lacking, however, is the fine print. Asked about the British government's longer-term strategy, Mr Parton replied: "No.10 doesn't have a strategy." He tells me he has some specific advice: "Go with your eyes open," he says. "But have a clear idea of what needs protecting, and a willingness to take some short-term financial hits to protect long-term national security." Labour has suggested that some clarity on their approach will be provided through the delayed China "audit", a cross-government exercise launched last year, which will review the UK's relations with China. The audit is due to be published this month, but many doubt that it will resolve matters.

PA Labour's delayed China 'audit' could offer some clarity on the UK's approach

"If we see a visit from Starmer to Beijing, that will be an indication that the two sides have actually agreed with something, and that they would like to change and improve their bilateral relationship," says Dr Yu. But many people in Westminster remain China-sceptic. And even if the audit helps Britain better define what it wants out of its relationship with China, the question remains, do MPs and businesses have the China-related expertise to get the best out of it? According to Ruby Osman, China analyst at the Tony Blair Institute, there is an urgent need to build the UK's China capabilities in a more holistic way, focusing on diversifying the UK's points of contact with China. "If we want to be in a position where we are not just listening to what Beijing and Washington want, there needs to be investment in the talent pipeline coming into government, but also think tanks and businesses who work with China," she argues. And if that's the case, then irrespective of whether closer ties with China is viewed as a security threat, an economic opportunity, or something in between, the UK might be in a better position to engage with the country.

Top image credit: PA

Jonathan Joss: Three roles the late US actor was known for

3 hours ago Share Save Ian Casey BBC News Share Save

Alamy

US actor Jonathan Joss, known for his roles in King of the Hill and Parks and Recreation, has died aged 59. Joss was shot dead, in what his husband called a homophobic hate crime, although police in Texas say there is no evidence of this. Joss's broad career spanned different genres and platforms, appearing in films, sitcoms, animations, stage productions and more. He has been credited with increasing representation of Native Americans on screen. Here are three of the notable performances he will be remembered for.

John Redcorn in King of the Hill

In the animated sitcom King of the Hill, Goss voiced the character of John Redcorn, a Native American "licensed New Age healer" from season two onwards. The sitcom centres around the Hill family and is set in the fictional town of Arlen, in suburban Texas. For the first four seasons, Redcorn is having an affair with Hank Hill's neighbour, Nancy Gribble. Nancy's husband Dale is oblivious. While a flawed character, Redcorn is known for his kindness and calm persona, and for championing his Native American heritage. In season four, during perhaps his most notable storyline, Redcorn reveals an ongoing battle between his tribe and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, saying he hoped to regain Native American land from the government. Considering Redcorn a "true friend", Dale decides to help him with the lawsuit filed against the government, by introducing him to the Freedom of Information Act. Redcorn then permanently ends his14-year affair with Nancy, out of respect for Dale. The affair is not revealed to Dale and he happily heads home with Nancy.

Author Dustin Tahmahkera once described Redcorn as "arguably the most developed and complex indigenous character in US sitcom history, thanks in critical part... to the on-and-offscreen work of Joss". In his 2014 book Tribal Television, which considered the representation of Native Americans in sitcoms, Tahmahkera added that the portrayal "attempted to break through a largely unkind and unflattering history of representations of the indigenous". But the fact that Redcorn was the "most human and multidimensional" Native American on screen was "a disheartening and stark reminder of the history of indigenous representations in network television", Tahmahkera pointed out. King of the Hill originally aired from 1997 to 2010. The sitcom is set to return in August with the characters aged and living a new part of their lives.

Chief Ken Hotate in Parks and Recreation

Getty Images Jonathan Joss was a fan favourite in Parks and Recreation

Joss's onscreen role as Native American tribe leader Chief Ken Hotate was a fan favourite in this live-action sitcom. The Chief's sharp dress sense matched his comedic wit, and he was often seen teasing the core characters as they struggled to tell if his straight-faced comments were deadly serious or a complete joke. Chief Hotate often met Leslie Knope, deputy director of the Parks and Recreation department for the fictional city of Pawnee, to discuss use of the land. He would often use stereotypes associated with Native Americans to his advantage, for example when opposing a festival organised on an ancient burial site by saying he hoped his ancestors "don't put a curse" on the event. White people are "terrified of curses", he explained to the camera in a tongue-in-cheek aside. As with King of the Hill, Joss's character was dedicated to defending tribal ancestry, and would often highlight injustices faced by his community. Parks and Recs creators used Joss's character with a "really witty kind of self awareness", said Samantha Sheppard, associate professor of cinema and media studies at Cornell University. "Parks and Rec loved to kind of reckon with the fact that despite the very good intentioned and warm-hearted, generous public servant that was Leslie Knope, and the folks who worked for the city, that the city still existed on indigenous land, and therefore had to account for those violences and that history," Prof Sheppard told the BBC. His role made light of the sensitive issues in a way that made the difficult topic of America's ugly history with indigenous groups more "accessible", Prof Sheppard said. "There was this kind of cheeky awareness of stereotypical representations of Native Americans on screen," she said, referring to the dichotomy of Chief Hotate also being a casino owner. "I think it did pave the way for, like, other kinds of indigenous storytelling to happen."

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