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‘Scott Mills sacked by BBC’ and ‘Starmer’s 48-hour ultimatum’

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The headline on the front page of the Guardian reads: “Trump threat to 'obliterate' all Iranian power plants”.

Former BBC radio presenter Scott Mills appears on most of Tuesday’s papers, after he was sacked following allegations about his personal conduct. The Guardian says Mills hosted “Britain’s most popular breakfast show”, but was “blindsided” by the decision to take him off air last Tuesday. Donald Trump’s latest threats against Iran also feature on the Guardian’s front page; the president has said he will “obliterate” Iran’s power stations and water plants if Tehran does not agree to peace terms “shortly”. Iran remains “defiant”, the paper notes.

The headline on the front page of the Mirror reads: "Sacked Mills in 2016 cop probe".

“Sacked Mills in 2016 cop probe” declares the Mirror, which first reported Mills’ departure from Radio 2. The paper says it understands the sacking was related to a “historical allegation”. The BBC has not given any further details, but says only “while we do not comment on matters relating to individuals, we can confirm Scott Mills is no longer contracted to work with the BBC”.

The headline on the front page of the Telegraph reads: “Starmer's 48-hour ultimatum to doctors”.

Several papers feature the planned strike for resident doctors next week, with the Telegraph reporting Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has issued a “48-hour ultimatum” to those intending to be part of the industrial action. Sir Keir is urging resident doctors to reconsider, and the paper says he will withdraw an offer to provide at least 4,000 new specialty training posts if the six-day strike goes ahead.

The headline on the front page of the i Paper reads: “PM meets UK fuel bosses as prices rise at the pumps”.

Rising fuel costs are the top story for the i Paper, which reports that Sir Keir is urging business leaders to “help limit fallout” from the war with Iran. The prime minister has said that the public wants action on food prices, petrol and energy, according to the paper, which says he has met with fuel executives to discuss “contingency plans” for lower supplies of diesel and jet fuel.



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‘Extremely rare’ Bob Dylan draft lyrics discovered inside Allen Ginsberg book | Bob Dylan

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Almost 60 years after it was first typed out by Bob Dylan, a torn page of lined paper bearing a draft for the lyrics of I’m Not There has been discovered, tucked inside an Allen Ginsberg paperback.

During the summer of 1967 in New York, just outside Woodstock, Bob Dylan wrote and recorded more than 100 songs with his then-backing group The Band, including I’m Not There. A small collection of these tapes would be released eight years later by Columbia Records, while more songs, including I’m Not There, would only be released over the following decades.

I’m Not There was finally released as part of the soundtrack for Todd Haynes’ 2007 Dylan film of the same name, and the track is held in high esteem among many Dylan fans.

A draft of the track’s lyrics was recently discovered inside a first-edition paperback of Allen Ginsberg’s Ankor Wat once owned by Sally Grossman, the wife of Dylan’s first manager, Albert Grossman, and a close friend of the singer. She appears with Dylan on the cover of his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home.

Sally Grossman featured on the cover of Bob Dylan’s 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. Photograph: f8 archive/Alamy

The page of lyrics is set to go under the hammer in April. It is estimated it will fetch between £20,000 and £40,000 (US$26,400-$52,800) at auction.

“After discussions with notable Dylan collectors, it is believed that this is an extremely rare working lyric draft of what is regarded as one of Dylan’s greatest pieces of songwriting,” Omega Auctions wrote in the item’s description.

The book was gifted to Sally Grossman by Ginsberg himself in 1969 and is part of her estate that was sold to a book dealer after her death in 2021. It is likely the lyrics had remained nestled in the book undetected for years, with Omega Auctions saying they fell out while the seller was leafing through the book.

The Allen Ginsberg book includes an inscription made by the writer to Sally Grossman. Photograph: Omega Auctions

In 2025, two typewritten drafts for Dylan’s 1965 hit Mr Tambourine Man sold for US$508,000 (£417,000) at auction in Nashville. They were among 60 items up for sale in a dedicated Dylan auction from the personal collection of music journalist Al Aronowitz, who famously introduced Dylan to the Beatles in 1964.

Among Dylan’s drafted lyrics, other music memorabilia also set to be sold in April includes Michael Jackson’s handwritten lyrics for Black or White and an archive relating to the development of the Radiohead album OK Computer.



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New bin rules begin in England but not all councils are ready

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Weekly food waste collections are required for all English homes as new legislation takes effect.



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Sad faces all round as Bolivia’s clowns protest over decree threatening their livelihoods | Bolivia

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Dozens of clowns have marched through the streets of Bolivia’s capital to protest against a government decree that limits extracurricular activities in schools, threatening their livelihoods.

Wearing full face paint and their signature red noses, the clowns gathered on Monday in front of the ministry of education in La Paz to oppose a decree published in February. The new mandate says schools must comply with 200 days of lessons each year – in effect banning them from hosting the special events where the entertainers are frequently employed.

A clown rides a unicycle during a protest in La Paz against the government’s ban on holiday parties at schools during teaching hours. Photograph: Juan Karita/AP

Clowns in Bolivia are often hired for school festivities to entertain children during breaks from their regular lessons. One such event is Children’s Day, which the country celebrates on 12 April.

“This decree will economically affect all of us who work with children,” said Wilder Ramírez, a leader of the local clown union, who also goes by the name of Zapallito. The clown told journalists that “children need to laugh”, while his colleagues wondered if Bolivia’s education minister had ever had a childhood.

The decree issued by the government of the recently elected president, Rodrigo Paz, says celebrations will no longer be authorised during regular school days, though they can be held voluntarily on weekends. Government officials said they would take the clowns’ critiques into account when they make a decree for the 2027 school year.

But those assurances provided little relief to the clowns protesting on Monday.

The decree by President Rodrigo Paz says celebrations will no longer be authorised during regular school days, though they can be held voluntarily on weekends. Photograph: Luis Gandarillas/EPA

“This decree will diminish our income, and with the economic crisis the country is going through, our future looks increasingly gloomy,” said Elías Gutiérrez, a spokesperson for the Confederation of Artisanal Workers of Bolivia.

Bolivia is grappling with its worst economic crisis in decades. Revenues from natural gas are plummeting after a sustained decline in production, and US dollars are becoming scarce, making imports more expensive in the landlocked nation.

Clowns, photographers and costume makers marched through the centre of La Paz, blowing whistles and setting off small fireworks. Photograph: Luis Gandarillas/EPA

Tailors who work with clowns and make dresses for children for cultural events and photographers who typically cover school celebrations joined Monday’s protest.

Clowns, photographers and costume makers marched through the centre of La Paz, blowing whistles and setting off small fireworks.

One of the clowns carried a sign that blamed the government for “taking away smiles, and taking work away”.



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