An Ethiopian asylum seeker has been sentenced to 12 months in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Epping, Essex. Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was found guilty of five offences following a three-day trial at Chelmsford and Colchester magistrates' courts. The incidents occurred just days after Kebatu arrived in the UK on a small boat and while he was accommodated at The Bell Hotel as part of the UK's asylum seeker housing program.

The court heard that Kebatu approached the teenager and her friends in Epping town center on July 7 and 8, inviting them back to the hotel and making unwanted advances. According to testimony, he told the girls "come back to Africa, you would be a good wife" and stated he wanted "one baby from you and one baby from your friend." The following day, Kebatu attempted to kiss the 14-year-old and placed his hand on her thigh, with the victim reporting she repeatedly said "no, I'm 14" but alleged he responded that "age did not matter."

Kebatu also sexually assaulted a woman who had been assisting him with his CV, placing his hand on her thigh after what she described as him "taking advantage of my kindness." During sentencing, District Judge Christopher Williams criticized Kebatu's account and said he had sought to portray himself as a victim and "scapegoat." The judge noted that while Kebatu had attempted suicide while on remand, there was "no realistic prospect" of rehabilitation, making a suspended sentence inappropriate.

The case sparked significant protests outside The Bell Hotel and other asylum seeker accommodations across the country. In victim impact statements, the 14-year-old said she now feels vulnerable wearing skirts and checks over her shoulder when with friends, while the adult victim expressed frustration that Kebatu "did not even appear to know that what he's done was wrong." The court also heard that Kebatu now wishes to be deported, a position he held even before the trial according to his lawyer Molly Dyas.

King Charles has joined forces with Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett in a previously unpublicized podcast recording focused on global conservation efforts. The 22-minute episode, titled "Unearthed: The Need For Seeds," was recorded in the private gardens of Windsor Castle in July and features the monarch alongside Blanchett and Kew seed scientist Dr. Elinor Breman. This marks only the second podcast recording in the King's public life, demonstrating his continued commitment to environmental causes that have defined much of his royal work.

The conversation centered on the Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst, West Sussex, which King Charles originally opened in 2000 and has maintained an active interest in since. The facility represents one of the world's most ambitious conservation projects, having collected, cleaned, dried and stored nearly 2.5 billion seeds from more than 40,000 plant species in walk-in freezers maintained at minus 20 degrees Celsius. Both the King and Blanchett, who became Wakehurst's first ambassador last year, emphasized the critical importance of this work in preserving global biodiversity.

During the discussion, Blanchett expressed concern about the rapid loss of natural habitats, noting that "97 percent of wildflower meadows have been decimated" in recent decades. She highlighted the disconnect between perceived natural beauty and actual ecological fragility, stating that "there is an urgency to the work that the seed bank does." The King echoed this sentiment, reflecting on his long-standing awareness of environmental degradation, particularly the damage to flower-rich meadows since the postwar period.

The podcast also touched on broader conservation challenges, including the need for increased funding and public awareness. Blanchett pointed to the frustration of seeing "so many extraordinary initiatives right there ready to be scaled up" but lacking financial support and direction. King Charles acknowledged both the progress made and the need to accelerate conservation efforts, stating that while the seed bank's work is "wonderful," the process must speed up to address escalating environmental threats facing plant species worldwide.