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KAHRAMANMARAS, Turkey Rescuers pulled more survivors from the rubble a week after an earthquake struck Turkey and Syria leaving more than 35,000 dead, as the United Nations warned the toll was set to rise far higher.

A young boy and a 62-year-old woman were the latest miracle rescues after being trapped for nearly seven days under the wreckage of collapsed buildings since Feb 6s devastating quake.

Seven-year-old Mustafa was rescued in south-east Turkeys Hatay province, while Madam Nafize Yilmaz was pulled free in Nurdagi, also in Hatay, reported the Anadolu state news agency early on Monday. Both had been trapped for 163 hours before their rescue late on Sunday.

CNN Turk, meanwhile, reported that 40-year-old Sibel Kaya was rescued in southern Gaziantep province, some 170 hours after the first of two major quakes struck the region.

Turkeys disaster agency said more than 32,000 people from Turkish organisations were working on search-and-rescue efforts, along with 8,294 international rescuers.

A member of a British search team posted a remarkable video on Twitter on Sunday showing a rescuer crawling down a tunnel created through the rubble to find a Turkish man who had been trapped for five days in Hatay.

Search teams are facing a race against the clock, as experts caution that hopes for finding people alive in the debris dim with each passing day.

In the devastated Turkish city of Kahramanmaras, near the epicentre of the quake, excavators dug through mountains of twisted rubble as a rescue team recovered a body from the wreckage.

But in many areas, rescue teams said they lacked sensors and advanced search equipment, leaving them reduced to carefully digging through the rubble with shovels or only their hands.

If we had this kind of equipment, we would have saved hundreds of lives, if not more, said Mr Alaa Moubarak, head of civil defence in Jableh, north-west Syria. Lack of aid in northern Syria

The UN has decried the failure to ship desperately needed aid to war-torn regions of Syria.

A convoy with supplies for north-west Syria arrived via Turkey, but the UNs relief chief Martin Griffiths said much more was needed for millions whose homes were destroyed.

He said the rescue phase was coming to a close, with urgency now switching to providing shelter, food, schooling and psychosocial care.

We have so far failed the people in north-west Syria. They rightly feel abandoned, looking for international help that hasnt arrived, Mr Griffiths said on Twitter.

Assessing damage in southern Turkey on Saturday, when the toll stood at 28,000, Mr Griffiths said he expected the figure to double or more, as chances of finding survivors fade with every passing day. More On This Topic Turkey earthquake: Teen pulled out alive over 80 hours later Two-year old rescued from rubble 79 hours after earthquake in Turkey Supplies have been slow to arrive in Syria, where years of conflict have ravaged the healthcare system, and parts of the country remain under the control of rebels battling the government of President Bashar al-Assad, which is under Western sanctions.

But a 10-truck UN convoy crossed into north-west Syria via the Bab al-Hawa border crossing, carrying shelter kits, plastic sheeting, rope, blankets, mattresses and carpets.

Bab al-Hawa is the only point for international aid to reach people in rebel-held areas of Syria after nearly 12 years of civil war, after other crossings were closed under pressure from China and Russia.

The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) met Mr Assad in Damascus on Sunday and said the Syrian leader had voiced readiness for more border crossings to help bring aid into the rebel-held north-west.

He was open to considering additional cross-border access points for this emergency, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters. Conflict, Covid-19, cholera, quake Emergency personnel and local people work at the site of collapsed buildings following a powerful earthquake in Adiyaman, south-eastern Turkey, on Feb 12. PHOTO: EPA-EFE The compounding crises of conflict, Covid-19, cholera, economic decline and now the earthquake have taken an unbearable toll, Dr Tedros said a day after visiting Aleppo.

While Damascus has given the all-clear for cross-line aid convoys to go ahead from government areas, Dr Tedros said the WHO is still waiting for a green light from rebel-held areas before going in.

Mr Assad looked forward to further efficient cooperation with the UN agency to improve the shortage in supplies, equipment and medicines, his presidency said.

He also thanked the United Arab Emirates for providing huge relief and humanitarian aid, with pledges of tens of millions of dollars.

But in Turkey, security concerns prompted the suspension of some rescue operations, and dozens of people have been arrested for looting or trying to defraud victims in the aftermath of the quake, according to state media.

An Israeli emergency relief organisation said on Sunday that it suspended its earthquake rescue operation in Turkey and returned home because of a significant security threat to its staff. Anger grows

After days of grief and anguish, anger in Turkey has been growing over the poor quality of buildings, as well as the governments response to the countrys worst disaster in nearly a century.

A total of 12,141 buildings were officially either destroyed or seriously damaged in Turkey.

Three people were put behind bars by on Sunday and seven more have been detained, including two developers who were trying to relocate to the former Soviet republic of Georgia.

Officials and medics said 31,643 people had died in Turkey and 3,581 in Syria from last Mondays 7.8-magnitude tremor, bringing the confirmed total to 35,224. AFP More On This Topic Hope for more survivors fades as Turkey-Syria quake toll passes 20,000 UN admits aid failure for Syria as quake toll tops 33,000

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MasterChef presenter John Torode sacked

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MasterChef presenter John Torode sacked

MasterChef presenter John Torode will no longer work on the show after an allegation he used an “extremely offensive racist term” was upheld, the BBC has said.

His co-host Gregg Wallace was also sacked last week after claims of inappropriate behaviour.

On Monday, Torode said an allegation he used racist language was upheld in a report into the behaviour of Wallace. The report found more than half of 83 allegations against Wallace were substantiated.

Torode, 59, insisted he had “absolutely no recollection” of the alleged incident involving him and he “did not believe that it happened,” adding “racial language is wholly unacceptable in any environment”.

John Torode and Gregg Wallace in 2008. Pic:PA
Image:
John Torode and Gregg Wallace in 2008. Pic: PA

In a statement on Tuesday, a BBC spokesperson said the allegation “involves an extremely offensive racist term being used in the workplace”.

The claim was “investigated and substantiated by the independent investigation led by the law firm Lewis Silkin”, they added.

“The BBC takes this upheld finding extremely seriously,” the spokesperson said.

“We will not tolerate racist language of any kind… we told Banijay UK, the makers of MasterChef, that action must be taken.

“John Torode’s contract on MasterChef will not be renewed.”

Australian-born Torode started presenting MasterChef alongside Wallace, 60, in 2005.

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Why Gregg Wallace says he ‘will not go quietly’

A statement from Banijay UK said it “takes this matter incredibly seriously” and Lewis Silkin “substantiated an accusation of highly offensive racist language against John Torode which occurred in 2018”.

“This matter has been formally discussed with John Torode by Banijay UK, and whilst we note that John says he does not recall the incident, Lewis Silkin have upheld the very serious complaint,” the TV production company added.

“Banijay UK and the BBC are agreed that we will not renew his contract on MasterChef.”

Read more from Sky News:
BBC reveals highest-earning stars
Men who cut down Sycamore Gap tree locked up
Couple murdered two-year-old grandson

Earlier, as the BBC released its annual report, its director-general Tim Davie addressed MasterChef’s future, saying it can survive as it is “much bigger than individuals”.

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BBC annual report findings

Speaking to BBC News after Torode was sacked, Mr Davie said a decision is yet to be taken over whether an unseen MasterChef series – filmed with both Wallace and Torode last year – will be aired.

“It’s a difficult one because… those amateur chefs gave a lot to take part – it means a lot, it can be an enormous break if you come through the show,” he added.

“I want to just reflect on that with the team and make a decision, and we’ll communicate that in due course.”

Mr Davie refused to say what the “seriously racist term” Torode was alleged to have used but said: “I certainly think we’ve drawn a line in the sand.”

In 2022, Torode was made an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, for services to food and charity.

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Politics

Programmable regulation is the missing key to DeFi’s legal future

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Programmable regulation is the missing key to DeFi’s legal future

Programmable regulation is the missing key to DeFi’s legal future

Programmable regulation could be the solution to legacy regulatory frameworks struggling to keep pace with DeFi’s rapidly evolving ecosystems. Embedding compliance in code can bring legal clarity, reduce risk and foster innovation in DeFi.

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UK

MasterChef presenter John Torode sacked

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MasterChef presenter John Torode sacked

MasterChef presenter John Torode will no longer work on the show after an allegation he used an “extremely offensive racist term” was upheld, the BBC has said.

His co-host Gregg Wallace was also sacked last week after claims of inappropriate behaviour.

On Monday, Torode said an allegation he used racist language was upheld in a report into the behaviour of Wallace. The report found more than half of 83 allegations against Wallace were substantiated.

Torode, 59, insisted he had “absolutely no recollection” of the alleged incident involving him and he “did not believe that it happened,” adding “racial language is wholly unacceptable in any environment”.

John Torode and Gregg Wallace in 2008. Pic:PA
Image:
John Torode and Gregg Wallace in 2008. Pic: PA

In a statement on Tuesday, a BBC spokesperson said the allegation “involves an extremely offensive racist term being used in the workplace”.

The claim was “investigated and substantiated by the independent investigation led by the law firm Lewis Silkin”, they added.

“The BBC takes this upheld finding extremely seriously,” the spokesperson said.

“We will not tolerate racist language of any kind… we told Banijay UK, the makers of MasterChef, that action must be taken.

“John Torode’s contract on MasterChef will not be renewed.”

Australian-born Torode started presenting MasterChef alongside Wallace, 60, in 2005.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Why Gregg Wallace says he ‘will not go quietly’

A statement from Banijay UK said it “takes this matter incredibly seriously” and Lewis Silkin “substantiated an accusation of highly offensive racist language against John Torode which occurred in 2018”.

“This matter has been formally discussed with John Torode by Banijay UK, and whilst we note that John says he does not recall the incident, Lewis Silkin have upheld the very serious complaint,” the TV production company added.

“Banijay UK and the BBC are agreed that we will not renew his contract on MasterChef.”

Read more from Sky News:
BBC reveals highest-earning stars
Men who cut down Sycamore Gap tree locked up
Couple murdered two-year-old grandson

Earlier, as the BBC released its annual report, its director-general Tim Davie addressed MasterChef’s future, saying it can survive as it is “much bigger than individuals”.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

BBC annual report findings

Speaking to BBC News after Torode was sacked, Mr Davie said a decision is yet to be taken over whether an unseen MasterChef series – filmed with both Wallace and Torode last year – will be aired.

“It’s a difficult one because… those amateur chefs gave a lot to take part – it means a lot, it can be an enormous break if you come through the show,” he added.

“I want to just reflect on that with the team and make a decision, and we’ll communicate that in due course.”

Mr Davie refused to say what the “seriously racist term” Torode was alleged to have used but said: “I certainly think we’ve drawn a line in the sand.”

In 2022, Torode was made an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, for services to food and charity.

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