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More than 42 million Americans are waiting with bated breath to hear if the Trump administration will use emergency funding to provide billions in food aid.

Judges gave the Trump administration until Monday at 12:00 EST (17:00 GMT) to give updates about how it plans to pay for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap) benefits, also known as food stamps.

Funding for the program remains in limbo due to the more-than-month-long US government shutdown caused by the inability of Congress to agree on a funding deal.

Regardless of the judges' ruling or other resolution, millions of Americans have gone without essential food assistance since funding for the program ran dry on Saturday.

Israeli military's ex-top lawyer arrested as scandal over video leak deepens

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy0kpd97qqko, today

The former top lawyer in the Israeli military has been arrested, as a political showdown deepens over the leaking of a video that allegedly shows severe abuse of a Palestinian detainee by Israeli soldiers.

Maj Gen Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi resigned as the Military Advocate General of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) last week, saying that she took full responsibility for the leak.

On Sunday, the story took a darker turn when she was reported as missing, with police mounting an hours-long search for her on a beach north of Tel Aviv.

She was subsequently found alive and well, police said, but was then taken into custody.

The fallout from the leaked video is intensifying by the day.

Broadcast in August 2024 on an Israeli news channel, the footage shows reserve soldiers at the Sde Teiman military base in southern Israel taking aside a detainee, then surrounding him with riot shields to block visibility while he was allegedly beaten and stabbed in the rectum with a sharp object.

The detainee was subsequently treated for severe injuries.

Five reservists were subsequently charged with aggravated abuse and causing serious bodily harm to the detainee. They have denied the charges have not been named.

On Sunday, four of the reservists wore black balaclavas to hide their faces as they appeared at a news conference outside the Supreme Court in Jerusalem along with their lawyers, who demanded the dismissal of their trial.

Adi Keidar, a lawyer from the right-wing legal aid organisation Honenu, claimed his clients were subject to "to a faulty, biased and completely cooked-up legal process".

Last week, a criminal investigation was launched into the leaking of the video.

Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi was put on leave while the inquiry took place.

On Friday, Defence Minister Israel Katz said she would not be allowed to return to her post.

Shortly after that, Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi resigned.

In her resignation letter, she said she took full responsibility for any material that was released to the media from the unit.

"I approved the release of material to the media in an attempt to counter false propaganda against the army's law enforcement authorities," she said.

That is a reference to efforts by some right-wing political figures in Israel to claim that the allegations of severe abuse of the Palestinian detainee had been fabricated.

She added: "It is our duty to investigate whenever there is reasonable suspicion of acts of violence against a detainee."

After her resignation, Katz issued a fierce condemnation of her conduct.

"Anyone who spreads blood libels against IDF troops is unfit to wear the army's uniform," he said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed his defence minister's words on Sunday, saying that the incident at Sde Teiman was "perhaps the most severe public relations attack that the State of Israel has experienced since its establishment".

Hours later, the first reports began appearing in the Israeli media that Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi was missing, sparking fears that a political scandal had taken a turn towards tragedy.

A massive search effort was launched. Several hours later, she was found "safe and in good health" in the coastal area of Herzliya, Israeli police said.

Overnight, a police spokesperson announced that two people had been arrested on suspicion of "leaking and other serious criminal offences" as part of an investigation.

Israeli media reported that the pair were Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi and the former chief military prosecutor, Col Matan Solomosh.

The Sde Teiman incident has been a lightning rod for the division between the left and right in Israel.

On the right, the leaking of the video is denounced as a defamation of the Israeli military, all but amounting to an act of treason.

After Israeli military police went to Sde Teiman to question 11 reservists over the incident in July 2024, far-right protesters - including at least three lawmakers from Netanyahu's governing coalition - broke into the facility to show their support.

On the left, Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi's decision to enable the footage to be released is seen as the one time she lived up to the responsibilities of her post.

The video is regarded by the left as concrete evidence backing up multiple reports of abuse of Palestinian detainees since the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel.

Last October, a report by a UN commission of inquiry alleged that thousands of child and adult detainees from Gaza had been "subjected to widespread and systematic abuse, physical and psychological violence, and sexual and gender-based violence amounting to the war crime and crime against humanity of torture and the war crime of rape and other forms of sexual violence".

Israel's government said it rejected the accusations of widespread ill-treatment and torture of detainees, and insisted that it was "fully committed to international legal standards". It also said it had carried out thorough investigations into every complaint.

Kim Kardashian has taken her law exams but says: I could never be a divorce lawyer

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxr2nv9503o, today

Kim Kardashian may be weeks away from finding out if she's passed her law exams, but she says practising divorce law is not in her future.

The 45-year-old, who plays divorce attorney Allura Grant in the Disney+ upcoming legal drama All's Fair, tells the BBC she's "more into criminal justice and reform work" and adds, "I don't think I can ever really do family law".

Kardashian has been studying to become a lawyer for the last six years, undertaking an apprenticeship that negates the need for a university degree.

"It was the wildest idea that I was going to law school - but to me it all makes sense and I hope that I'm forever curious and always want to try new things," she says.

Kardashian, who has four children with ex-husband Kanye West, also runs fashion and shapewear brand SKIMS and appears in the reality series The Kardashians with her family.

Her interest in criminal justice has been documented on her reality TV shows, where she has advocated for prison reform in the US and sentence reduction for first-time offenders.

Not content with her already packed-out schedule, her recent pivot to acting has raised eyebrows - but it hasn't dented Kardashian's ambition.

"I guess I just don't live in those expectation boxes," she says.

She says she "loves taking on constructive criticism" but doesn't understand why people think she "can't do something that you want to do or are curious or want to learn about".

Her first real introduction to acting was her 2023 casting in the 12th season of American Horror Story, in which she appeared as a publicist.

Kardashian received mostly positive critical reviews for her portrayal, which encouraged her to take on more acting roles.

All's Fair reunites the star with American Horror Story showrunner Ryan Murphy, who is also behind hit series such as Glee and Pose.

His latest project, All's Fair, is a legal drama set in the US, which sees Kardashian play a divorce lawyer alongside Sarah Paulson, Naomi Watts, Glenn Close, Niecy Nash and Teyana Taylor.

Kardashian says her priority was to "come in prepared" to set, adding she would spend every day "watching and learning from these women", who she called "the best acting coaches in the world".

She adds that there was a lot of pressure on her, because those behind the show were "taking a chance on working with me".

"The last thing I would want to do is be unprofessional, be late or not know my lines," she says.

'I've experienced it with my family'

All's Fair, which Disney+ says holds the records for their most-watched trailer of all time, is a spectacular dramatisation of the lives of lawyers tasked with navigating divorce for rich and famous female clients.

Kardashian says divorce is "such a relatable topic" after experiencing it "with my family and parents growing up".

Kardashian herself has been divorced three times - most recently to Kanye West in 2022 after eight years of marriage.

Whilst she says the stories of the women in the show "are not based on anything I've been through", she was "definitely inspired" by practising to be a lawyer.

Kardashian's co-star Watts also recognises that, whilst the show might be sensationalised, the story of "women who feel like they're finished, [their lives] are all over, broken and in pieces" at the end of a relationship is one that is familiar for many.

Nash, who stars as a legal investigator in the show, says that divorce is something many "have in common with other women and celebrities" and thinks the show is so appealing due to its relatability, even if it's more dramatic way than real life.

Paulson adds says that although the central theme of the show may be divorce, "conflict and resolution is a beautiful part of the show", which also "tackles big, important and emotional relationships".

'Ryan Murphy's magic'

Much of the talk around the show has been about the strength of the all-female cast, which is filled with some of Hollywood's biggest names.

The cast all echo that it was Ryan Murphy - who has won six Emmy awards, a Tony award and two Grammy awards in his 25-year career in television, film and theatre - that convinced them to sign up.

"He [Murphy] calls and I don't tend to say no to him," Paulson jokes.

Paulson is perhaps one of Murphy's greatest collaborators, having appeared in nine series of American Horror Story between 2011 and 2021.

Kardashian says the cast all went into the project "blindly" but it was great to see Murphy's "magic come to life".

"Ryan was really intentional in that way, he really loves to uplift women and make these female-led casts, which is super empowering. He wrote it that way, he saw it no other way," she adds.

Watts also agrees, noting that the writer and producer "manages to identify spaces that haven't necessarily been visited before".

"He's wonderful at creating stories for women of a certain age and for me that's where I am at in my life.

"These women all get to do these incredible things together - we're such a different group - different ages and everything and we're supporting each other through the story," Watts adds.

Murphy received a five-year developmental deal with Netflix in 2018, which was reportedly worth $300m (£228m).

During that time he made two true crime series for the streaming service - Dahmer- Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story and Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, plus drama series The Politician.

Murphy now has a new deal with Disney+, which includes All's Fair.

He serves as executive producer on the show alongside Kardashian, Close, Paulson, Watts and Nash.

Kris Jenner, Kardashian's mother and manager, also receives a director credit.

Antarctic glacier's rapid retreat sparks scientific 'whodunnit'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c04gq00xyeeo, today

The recent rapid retreat of an Antarctic glacier could be unprecedented, a new study suggests, a finding which could have major implications for future sea-level rise.

The researchers found that Hektoria Glacier retreated by more than 8km (5 miles) in just two months in late 2022.

The authors believe it could be the first modern example of a process where the front of a glacier resting on the seabed rapidly destabilises.

But other scientists argue that this part of the glacier was actually floating in the ocean – so while the changes are impressive, they are not so unusual.

Floating tongues of glaciers extending into the sea – called ice shelves – are much more prone to breaking up than glacier fronts resting on the seabed.

That's because they can be more easily eaten away by warm water underneath.

Solving the 'whodunnit'

That Hektoria has undergone huge change is not contested. Its front retreated by about 25km (16 miles) between January 2022 and March 2023, satellite data shows.

But unravelling the causes is like a "whodunnit" mystery, according to study lead author Naomi Ochwat, research affiliate at the University of Colorado Boulder and post-doctoral researcher at the University of Innsbruck.

The case began way back in 2002 with the extraordinary collapse of an ice shelf called Larsen B in the eastern Antarctic Peninsula. About 3250 sq km (1250 sq miles) of ice shelf was lost, roughly the size of Cambridgeshire or Gloucestershire.

Larsen B had been effectively holding Hektoria Glacier back. Without it, Hektoria's movement sped up and the glacier thinned.

But the bay vacated by the ice shelf was eventually filled with sea-ice "fastened" to the seabed, helping to partly stabilise Hektoria.

That was until early 2022, when the sea-ice broke up.

What followed was further loss of floating ice from the front of Hektoria, as large, flat-topped icebergs broke off or "calved", and the ice behind sped up and thinned.

That is not unusual. Iceberg calving is a natural part of ice sheet behaviour, even though human-caused climate change makes the loss of ice shelves much more likely.

What was unprecedented, the authors argue, was what happened in late 2022, when they suggest the front of the glacier was "grounded" - resting on the seabed - rather than floating.

In just two months, Hektoria retreated by 8.2km. That would be nearly ten times faster than any grounded glacier recorded before, according to the study, published in Nature Geoscience.

This extraordinary change, the authors say, could be thanks to an ice plain - a relatively flat area of bedrock on which the glacier lightly rests.

Upward forces from the ocean water could "lift" the thinning ice essentially all at once, they argue - causing icebergs to break off and the glacier to retreat in quick time.

"Glaciers don't usually retreat this fast," said co-author Adrian Luckman, professor of geography at Swansea University.

"The circumstances may be a little particular, but this rapid retreat shows us what may happen elsewhere in Antarctica where glaciers are lightly grounded, and sea-ice loses its grip," he added.

What makes this idea even more tantalising is that this process has never been observed in the modern world, the authors say. But markings on the seafloor suggest it may have triggered rapid ice loss into the ocean in the Earth's past.

"What we see at Hektoria is a small glacier, but if something like that were to happen in other areas of Antarctica, it could play a much larger role in the rate of sea-level rise," said Dr Ochwat.

That could include Thwaites – the so-called "doomsday" glacier because it holds enough ice to raise global sea-levels by 65cm (26in) if it melted entirely.

"It's really important to understand whether or not there are other ice plain areas that would be susceptible to this kind of retreat and calving," Dr Ochwat added.

Other scientists unconvinced

But other researchers have contested the study's findings.

The controversy surrounds the position of the "grounding line" or "grounding zone" - where the glacier loses contact with the seabed and starts to float in the ocean.

"This new study offers a tantalising glimpse into what could be the fastest rate of retreat ever observed in modern-day Antarctica," said Dr Frazer Christie, glaciologist and senior Earth observation specialist at Airbus Defence and Space.

"But there is significant disagreement within the glaciological community about the precise location of Hektoria Glacier's grounding line because it's so difficult to get accurate records from radar satellites in this fast-flowing region," he added.

The location of the grounding line may sound trivial, but it is crucial to determine whether the change was truly unprecedented.

"If this section of the ice sheet was in fact floating [rather than resting on the seabed], the punchline would instead be that icebergs calved from an ice shelf, which is much less unusual behaviour," said Dr Christine Batchelor, senior lecturer in physical geography at Newcastle University.

"I think the mechanism and rate of retreat proposed are plausible in Antarctic ice plain settings, but because of uncertainty about where the grounding zone was located at Hektoria, I am not fully convinced that this has been observed here," she added.

But where there is little debate is that the fragile white continent – once thought largely immune from the impacts of global warming – is now changing before our eyes.

"While we disagree about the process driving this change at Hektoria, we are in absolute agreement that the changes in the polar regions are scarily rapid, quicker than we expected even a decade ago," said Anna Hogg, professor of Earth observation at the University of Leeds.

"We must collect more data from satellites, so that we can better monitor and understand why these changes are occurring and what their implications are [for sea-level rise]."

Additional reporting by the Visual Journalism team

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Trump says it would be 'hard for me' to fund New York City if Mamdani becomes mayor

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c231e284345o, today

US President Donald Trump has said he would be reluctant to send federal funding to his hometown of New York City if left-wing front-runner Zohran Mamdani is elected mayor of America's biggest city this week.

"It's gonna be hard for me as the president to give a lot of money to New York, because if you have a Communist running New York, all you're doing is wasting the money you're sending there," Trump said in a television interview.

The Trump administration has repeatedly tried to cut federal grants and funding for projects primarily located in Democratic-run areas.

Opinion polls indicate Mamdani is ahead of his main rival, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, on the eve of Tuesday's vote.

Rescue under way after medieval tower collapses in Rome

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce3kz7jxe0po, today

Part of a medieval tower in the heart of Rome's tourist district has collapsed, trapping one man and leaving another critically injured.

A section of the Torre dei Conti, on the edge of the famous Roman Forum and close to the Colosseum, gave way just after 11:30 local time (10:30 GMT).

"It's a very complex situation for the firefighters because there is a person trapped inside," Rome Prefect Lamberto Giannini said. The man is conscious and communicating with rescue workers.

The tower has been closed to the public for many years, and was undergoing conservation work when a section collapsed.

While rescue efforts were still under way, a second section of the 29m (90ft) high tower began crumbling again, with bricks raining down, creating a huge cloud of dust.

The firefighters were unharmed, pausing their rescue work for a time, but then continuing their search for the missing man.

After the initial collapse, firefighters "put up some protection" around the trapped man, so when the second collapse happened, "they obviously shielded him", Lamberto Giannini said.

"It will be a very long operation because we have to try to save the person, but we also have to try to mitigate... the enormous risks faced by the people trying to carry out the rescue," he added.

A police chief has said there is no imminent danger that the tower will disintegrate.

One worker was taken to hospital in a critical condition, local and foreign news agencies report.

Another worker, 67-year-old Ottaviano, who was inside at the time of the collapse but escaped from a balcony uninjured, told AFP news agency: "It was not safe. I just want to go home."

Rome's mayor and the country's culture minister have visited the scene. A crane and drone are also being used to assist with the rescue operation.

The 13th Century tower is part of the Roman Forum, a major tourist attraction right in the heart of the city, but it is separated from the main visitors' area by a road. The streets all around have been taped off by police as a precaution.

The medieval tower was built by Pope Innocent III as a residence for his brother.

Oscar-nominated actress Diane Ladd dies at 89

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg41x3w1zvo, today

Diane Ladd, three-time Academy Award nominee and star of Wild at Heart, has died at 89.

Her daughter, actress Laura Dern, confirmed her death on Monday.

"My amazing hero and my profound gift of a mother, Diane Ladd, passed with me beside her this morning," Dern said in a statement, adding that her final moments were spent at home in California.

Dern, who starred with her mother in 1991's Rambling Rose, did not share Ladd's cause of death.

"She was the greatest daughter, mother, grandmother, actress, artist and empathetic spirit that only dreams could have seemingly created," Dern said. "We were blessed to have her."

Ladd's career on stage and screen spanned decades. Her big break in film came in a waitress role in Martin Scorsese's Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore in 1974, which earned her an Oscar nomination.

She went on to appear in dozens of films after that including as recently as 2022, when she played a grandmother in the coming-of-age film Gigi & Nate, and also acted frequently on television shows.

She was married to actor Bruce Dern from 1960 to 1969.

Starbucks to sell majority stake in China business

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0g90376j5o, today

Starbucks says it is selling a 60% stake in its business in China as part of a $4bn (£3.04bn) deal with investment firm Boyu Capital.

Under the agreement, the world's biggest coffee chain will have a 40% stake in the Chinese retail operation and retain ownership of the Starbucks brand there.

Starbucks entered China in 1999 and the country is now its second-largest market outside the US, but has struggled in recent years with the rise of homegrown brands like Luckin Coffee.

The business will continue to be headquartered in Shanghai and will own and operate 8,000 outlets in the Chinese market, with plans to grow to as many as 20,000 locations, the firm said on Monday.

The partnership with Boyu is a "significant milestone" and signals its plans for long-term growth in China, Starbucks said as it put a $13bn valuation on its retail operations in China.

The collaboration "combining Starbucks globally recognised brand, coffee expertise, and partner (employee)-centred culture with Boyu's depth of understanding of Chinese consumers," it added.

Starbucks said it plans to introduce new drinks and digital platforms in China, adding that the deal will be finalised by the middle of next year.

Boyu Capital is a private equity firm that invests in retail, financial services and technology businesses. The company has offices across Asia, including in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Starbucks' future in China had been uncertain for months after former boss Laxman Narasimhan said last year that the company was exploring "strategic partnerships" to stay competitive in the world's second largest economy.

The agreement marks one of the biggest deals involving the Chinese operations of a global consumer company in recent years.

KFC and Pizza Hut's operations in China were spun off by their owner Yum! Brands in 2016 after struggling in the country for years.

Other major US brands like fashion chain Gap and ride-hailing platform Uber have also faced challenges in China.

In recent years, Starbucks has seen falling sales in China, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, slower consumer spending and fierce competition.

Beijing-based Luckin Coffee now runs more shops in China than Starbucks and has won a loyal following with its lower prices and frequent discounts.

Starbucks has also cut its prices in the country in a bid to compete with domestic rivals, but this has had an impact on its profits.

Since being appointed as Starbucks' chief executive last year, Brian Niccol has been on a mission to turn around the global business.

The former Chipotle boss has led a revamp of Starbucks' menu, and has said he would hire more baristas while scaling back automation efforts.

The chain has more than 40,000 outlets around the world.

New Attenborough doc captures lion saving pregnant hyena from wild dogs

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn51l324p7lo, today

Rare hyena behaviours have been caught on camera, including a mother-to-be trying to steal food from wild dogs and outsmarting rivals by hiding a stolen carcass underwater to mask its scent.

This is just some of the remarkable animal behaviour on display in the new BBC wildlife documentary series, Kingdom, which follows the lives of four rival carnivore families over five years.

The scenes include poignant moments as the animals face threats from snare trappings to brutal ambushes and violent territorial battles.

"We could never have written a script like this, only nature could write this script," said executive producer Mike Gunton.

Behind the scenes, the Zambia Carnivore Programme works to protect these animals.

The team followed four animal families - leopards, hyena, wild dogs and lions - in Zambia's Luangwa Valley, capturing rare moments and revealing the intricate dynamics of life in one of Africa's wildest regions.

Viewers will watch five-day-old lion cubs opening their eyes, alongside dramatic scenes shown in Kingdom for the first time, such as a pack of wild dogs rescuing one of their own from the jaws of a crocodile.

Other wild animals like elephants and baboons also feature in the new series, which is narrated by Sir David Attenborough.

"Everything about these species has been shaped by millions of years of competition alongside each other," said series producer Felicity Lanchester. "Now…humans are changing that," she added.

Filmmakers and scientific researchers in the region have collaborated behind the scenes as the footage is a valuable source of data, informing conservation strategies.

"We got a lot of information that we wouldn't have been able to get otherwise... on topography, diet, movement, births, and deaths,” said Dr Matthew Becker, scientific consultant for the series and CEO of the Zambia Carnivore Programme.

The greatest threat these large carnivores face is habitat loss, while snaring and a declining prey base also play a role. Wire traps, or snares, are often set for antelope - both for food and illegal trade - but many large mammals become victims as by-catch.

These pressures are changing pack sizes, diets and survival strategies, according to Dr Becker. A single incident can have knock-on effects, impacting dozens or even hundreds of animals.

In one scene, a wild dog reappears after losing a leg in a snare trap. Despite his injury, his natal pack welcomes him back, ensuring he eats his share and keeps up on hunts.

For those not as fortunate, the Zambia Carnivore Programme exists to protect them. The organisation, along with other local groups, removes snares, safeguards dens and provides information for law enforcement on illegal trade in ivory and bushmeat.

Reflecting on the conservation focus of the series, Dr Becker said: "Ultimately, it's a message of optimism in the face of some very concerning trends."

Its incorporation in wildlife programmes is now an inevitability, according to the producers.

The external forces acting on these creatures are clear and series like Kingdom can shed light on the need to protect them.

Speaking about conservation, series editor, Simon Blakeney, said: "It’s a challenge, but it's not hopeless."

Kingdom begins on BBC One at 18:20 GMT on Sunday and will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

French climber among at least three killed in Nepal avalanche

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2kp42y5y81o, today

At least three climbers, including a French national, have died after being hit by an avalanche on a Himalayan peak in north-eastern Nepal, police say.

The incident happened at 09:00 local time (03:15 GMT) on Monday near the base camp of the Yalung Ri mountain in Dolakha district.

Those killed were part of a group of 12 trekkers and local guides that set out over an hour before the avalanche hit, the district police chief told the BBC. They include two Italians, a German and a Canadian.

Five Nepali guides who returned to the base camp were injured but not critically. Rescue efforts are continuing.

Local Deputy Superintendent of Police Gyan Kumar Mahato said a rescue helicopter had landed on Monday in the Na Gaun area of Dolakha - a five-hour walk from the Yelung Ri base camp.

Efforts to locate those still missing have been hampered by poor weather and logistical issues, according to local media reports.

Separately, attempts to rescue two Italian climbers who went missing while attempting to scale the Panbari mountain in western Nepal are continuing.

Stefano Farronato and Alessandro Caputo were part of a three-man group that became stranded along with three local guides last week. The third member of the group, named in media reports as Velter Perlino, 65, has since been rescued.

Cyclone Montha triggered heavy rain and snowfall across Nepal last week, stranding trekkers and tourists in the Himalayas.

Two British and one Irish woman were among a group that had to be rescued after being trapped for several days in the western Mustang region.

India's weight-loss drug boom - and the risks behind it

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yplj4j0l5o, today

The calls come thick and fast to Mumbai-based diabetologist Rahul Baxi - but not just from patients struggling to control blood sugar.

Increasingly, it is young professionals asking the same thing: "Doctor, can you start me on weight-loss drugs?"

Recently, a 23-year-old man came in, worried about the 10kg he'd gained after starting a demanding corporate job. "One of my gym friends is on [weight loss] jabs," he said.

Dr Baxi says he refused, asking him what he would do after losing 10kg on the drug.

"Stop, and the weight comes back. Keep going, and without exercise you'll start losing muscle instead. These medicines aren't a substitute for a proper diet or lifestyle change," he told him.

Such conversations are becoming increasingly common as demand for weight-loss drugs explodes in urban India - a country with the world's second-largest number of overweight adults and more than 77 million people with Type 2 diabetes.

Originally developed to treat diabetes, these drugs are now being hailed as game changers for weight loss, offering results that few previous treatments could match. Yet their growing popularity has also raised difficult questions - about the need for medical supervision, the risks of misuse and the blurred line between treatment and lifestyle enhancement.

"These are the most powerful weight-loss drugs we've ever seen. Many such drugs have come and gone, but nothing compares to these," says Anoop Misra, who heads Delhi's Fortis-C-DOC Centre of Excellence for Diabetes, Metabolic Diseases and Endocrinology.

Two new drugs dominate India's fast-growing weight-loss market. One is semaglutide, sold by Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk as Rybelsus (oral) and Wegovy (injectable) - while Ozempic (injectable) has been approved for diabetes in India but is not yet available for obesity. The other is tirzepatide, marketed by American drugmaker Eli Lilly as Mounjaro, primarily for diabetes but increasingly used for weight loss in India.

Both belong to a class known as GLP-1 drugs, which mimic a natural hormone that regulates hunger. By slowing digestion and acting on the brain's appetite centres, they make people feel full faster and stay full longer. Taken once a week, most of these drugs are self-injected in the arm, thigh or stomach. They curb cravings - and in Mounjaro's case, also boost metabolism and energy balance.

Treatment starts with a low dose that's slowly raised to a maintenance level, and weight loss usually begins within weeks.

Doctors warn that most users can regain weight within a year of stopping, as the body resists weight loss and old cravings return. Prolonged use without exercise or strength training can also strip away muscle along with fat.

Also, not everyone responds to GLP-1 drugs, and most plateau after losing about 15% of their body weight. Side effects range from nausea and diarrhoea to rarer risks such as gallstones, pancreatitis and muscle loss. India's high-carb, low-protein diet already fuels sarcopenic obesity - the loss of muscle alongside fat gain - and weight loss without adequate protein or exercise can make it worse.

"With all the media hype and social media buzz, these drugs have become something of a craze among affluent Indians eager to shed a few kilos," says Dr Baxi.

The frenzy, a Delhi-based physician recalls, was evident even at a recent medical conference.

"Three months after the launch of a new drug, I'd treated about a hundred patients. A colleague said he'd done over a thousand - most using imported jabs bought on the black market."

India's anti-obesity drug market has surged from $16m in 2021 to nearly $100m today - a more than sixfold jump in five years, according to Pharmarack, a research firm.

Novo Nordisk leads the market with its semaglutide brands, with Rybelsus alone accounting for nearly two-thirds of the market since its 2022 launch, according to the firm. Eli Lilly's tirzepatide (marketed as Mounjaro), launched earlier this year, had become India's second-bestselling branded drug by September, according to Pharmarack. Each monthly injectable pen - four weekly doses - of these drugs costs between 14,000-27,000 rupees ($157–300), steep for most Indians.

What India has seen so far may just be the tip of the iceberg. Come March, the patent for semaglutide - the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy - expires here, potentially unleashing a flood of cheaper generics and making them more accessible. Jefferies, an investment bank, calls it a "magic pill moment" for India, predicting the semaglutide market could reach $1bn with the right pricing, uptake, and government incentives.

"What we have heard is that nearly a dozen companies are already ready with generic versions of Rybelsus, the oral drug," says Sheetal Sapale, vice-president at Pharmarack. "But as affordability improves, the risk of misuse rises too."

Doctors tell stories of patients being put on high dosage of weight-loss drugs by gym trainers, dieticians and beauty clinics with no authority to prescribe them. Some online pharmacies are delivering drugs after a cursory phone consultation in the absence of a prescription. Beauticians offer "bridal packages" promising rapid slimming before the big day. There are fears of spurious medicines flooding the market. Federal minister Jitendra Singh has "advised caution" on the new drugs.

"One patient asked me if these new medicines could help his daughter lose seven kilos before her wedding - in three months," recalls Dr Bhaumik Kamdar, a Mumbai-based chest physician. "He wanted to know if they really work."

One challenge in India, doctors say, is the way people perceive obesity - and how that shapes attitudes toward weight loss.

"Most don't realise that obesity is a chronic, relapsing disease," says Dr Muffazal Lakhdawala, a Mumbai-based bariatric surgeon. "Many people with chronic obesity try crash diets, lose some weight, then regain even more."

"Here, if you're overweight, people assume you're well-fed and affluent. We've gone so far in avoiding the elephant in the room that we've normalised it."

Obesity, doctors warn, is a gateway to a host of diseases. "It's linked to at least 20 cancers, infertility, osteoarthritis and fatty liver - now one of the leading causes of cirrhosis," says Dr Lakhdawala. Yet, despite it affecting nearly one in eight people globally, there's still no universal consensus on how to define or classify obesity.

"The arrival of these drugs has changed the conversation - obesity is now being treated as a disease, not just a lifestyle issue."

Doctors across specialities are now turning to weight-loss drugs for more than just obesity or diabetes.

Endocrinologists, diabetologists, cardiologists, and nephrologists are increasingly prescribing them to overweight patients to improve heart and kidney outcomes - for instance, those preparing for angioplasty or stenting.

Orthopaedic surgeons now prescribe them to help patients lose weight before knee surgery, while chest physicians use them for those with sleep apnea, a disorder that blocks the airway during sleep. "For patients with sleep apnoea who avoid using Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines, these drugs can help by reducing weight, which in turn improves their sleep," says Dr Kamdar.

Even bariatric surgery is evolving with India's obesity boom. From just 200 procedures in 2004, the number soared to 40,000 in 2022 - a 200-fold rise.

Surgeons like Dr Lakdawala now run multidisciplinary programmes where patients on weight-loss drugs are first guided by endocrinologists, nutritionists, and psychologists for three to six months. "We don't hand out drugs casually," he says. "Those who don't respond to the drugs or have severe obesity are then considered for surgery."

His message to the growing number of urban Indians seeking quick fixes is blunt: "Don't use the drugs for cosmetic weight loss - use it for life-threatening weight gain."

And for those chasing quick fixes to shed just five or 10kg?

He has simpler advice: "Cut out sugar - it's the biggest evil. Without that, no weight loss will last. Add four days of exercise a week, and you'll lose those 5-7kg - no injections needed."

He made his money selling camels and gold. Now this warlord controls half of Sudan

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3vn17r29v9o, today

Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo, known as "Hemedti", has emerged as a dominant figure on Sudan's political stage, with his paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) now controlling half of the country.

The RSF scored a notable victory recently when it overran the city of el-Fasher, the last garrison held by the Sudanese army and its local allies in the western region of Darfur.

Feared and loathed by his adversaries, Hemedti is admired by his followers for his tenacity, ruthlessness, and his promise to tear down a discredited state.

Hemedti has humble origins. His family is from the Mahariya section of the camel-herding, Arabic-speaking Rizeigat community that spans Chad and Darfur.

He was born in 1974 or 1975 - like many from a rural background, his date and place of birth were not registered.

Led by his uncle Juma Dagolo, his clan moved into Darfur in the 1970s and 80s, fleeing war and seeking greener pastures and were allowed to settle.

After dropping out of school in his early teens, Hemedti earned money trading camels across the desert to Libya and Egypt.

At the time, Darfur was Sudan's wild west - poor, lawless and neglected by the government of then-President Omar al-Bashir.

Arab militiamen known as the Janjaweed - including a force commanded by Juma Dagolo - were attacking the villages of the indigenous Fur ethnic group.

This cycle of violence led to a full-scale rebellion in 2003, in which Fur fighters were joined by Masalit, Zaghawa and other groups, saying they had been ignored by the country's Arab elite.

In response, Bashir massively expanded the Janjaweed to spearhead his counter-insurgency efforts. They quickly won notoriety for burning, looting, raping and killing.

Hemedti's unit was among them, with a report by African Union peacekeepers saying it attacked and destroyed the village of Adwa in November 2004, killing 126 people, including 36 children.

A US investigation determined that the Janjaweed were responsible for genocide.

The Darfur conflict was referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC), which brought charges against four men, including Bashir, who has denied carrying out genocide.

Hemedti was one of the many Janjaweed commanders deemed too junior to be in the prosecutor's sights at that time.

Just one, the Janjaweed "colonel of colonels", Ali Abdel Rahman Kushayb, was brought to court.

Last month he was found guilty on 27 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity and he will be sentenced on 19 November.

In the years following the height of the violence in 2004, Hemedti played his cards skilfully, rising to become head of a powerful paramilitary force, a corporate empire, and a political machine.

It is a story of opportunism and entrepreneurship. He briefly mutinied, demanding back-pay for his soldiers, promotions and a political position for his brother. Bashir gave him most of what he wanted and Hemedti rejoined the fold.

Later, when other Janjaweed units mutinied, Hemedti led the government forces that defeated them, in the process taking control of Darfur's biggest artisanal gold mine at a place called Jebel Amir.

Rapidly, Hemedti's family company Al-Gunaid became Sudan's largest gold exporter.

In 2013, Hemedti asked - and got - formal status as head of a new paramilitary group, the RSF, reporting directly to Bashir.

The Janjaweed were folded into the RSF, getting new uniforms, vehicles and weapons - and also officers from the regular army who were brought in to help with the upgrade.

The RSF scored an important victory against the Darfur rebels, did less well in fighting an insurgency in the Nuba Mountains adjacent to South Sudan, and took a subcontract to police the border with Libya.

Ostensibly curbing illicit migration from Africa over the desert to the Mediterranean, Hemedti's commanders also excelled in extortion and, reportedly, people-trafficking.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) called on the Sudanese army to send troops to fight against the Houthis in Yemen.

The contingent was commanded by a general who had fought in Darfur, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, now the head of the army at war with the RSF.

Hemedti saw a chance and negotiated a separate, private deal with both Saudi Arabia and the UAE to provide RSF mercenaries.

The Abu Dhabi connection proved most consequential. It was the beginning of a close relationship with the Emirati president, Mohamed bin Zayed

Young Sudanese men - and increasingly from neighbouring countries too - trekked to the RSF recruiting centres for cash payments of up to $6,000 (£4,500) on signing up.

Hemedti struck a partnership with Russia's Wagner Group, receiving training in return for commercial dealings, including in gold.

He visited Moscow to formalise the deal, and was there on the day that Russia invaded Ukraine. After the war in Sudan broke out, he denied the RSF was getting help from Wagner.

Although the RSF's main combat units were increasingly professionalised, it also encompassed a coalition of irregular old-style ethnic militia.

As the regime faced mounting popular protests, Bashir ordered Hemedti's units to the capital Khartoum.

Punning on his name, the president dubbed him himayti, "my protector", seeing the RSF as a counterweight to potential coup makers in the regular army and national security.

It was a miscalculation. In April 2019, a vibrant camp of civic protesters surrounded the military headquarters demanding democracy.

Bashir ordered the army to open fire on them. The top generals - Hemedti among them - met and decided to depose Bashir instead. The democracy movement celebrated.

The RSF has acquired modern weapons including sophisticated drones, that it has used to strike Burhan's de facto capital, Port Sudan, and which played a crucial role in the assault on el-Fasher.

Investigative reporting by, among others, the New York Times, has documented that these are transported through an airstrip and supply base built by the UAE just inside Chad. The UAE denies that it is arming the RSF.

With this weaponry, the RSF is locked in a strategic stalemate with its former partner, the Sudanese army.

Hemedti is trying to build a political coalition, including some civilian groups and armed movements, most notably his former adversaries in the Nuba Mountains.

He has formed a parallel "Government of Peace and Unity", taking the chairmanship for himself.

With the capture of al-Fasher, the RSF now controls almost all the inhabited territory west of the Nile.

Following escalating reports of mass killings and widespread condemnation, Hemedti declared an investigation into what he called violations committed by his soldiers during the capture of el-Fasher.

Sudanese speculate that Hemedti sees himself either as president of a breakaway state, or still harbours ambitions to rule all of Sudan.

It's also possible that he sees a future as an all-powerful political puppet master, head of a conglomerate that controls businesses, a mercenary army and a political party. By these means, even if he isn't acceptable as Sudan's public face, he can still pull the strings.

And as Hemedti's troops massacre civilians in al-Fasher, he is confident that he enjoys impunity in a world that does not care much.

Alex de Waal is the executive director of the World Peace Foundation at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in the US.

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

I'm luckiest man alive, it's a miracle, says Air India sole survivor

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp85zvne1m3o, today

The sole survivor of the Air India plane crash, which killed 241 people on board, has said he feels like the "luckiest man" alive, but is also suffering physically and mentally.

Viswashkumar Ramesh walked away from the wreckage of the London-bound flight in Ahmedabad in extraordinary scenes that amazed the world.

He said it was a "miracle" he escaped but told how he has lost everything, as his younger brother Ajay was a few seats away on the flight and died in the crash in June.

Since returning to his home in Leicester, Mr Ramesh has struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), his advisers said, and has been unable to speak to his wife and four-year-old son.

Flames engulfed the Boeing 787 flight when it went down shortly after take-off in western India.

Shocking video shared at the time showed Mr Ramesh walking away from the aftermath with seemingly superficial injuries, as smoke billowed in the background.

Speaking to BBC News, an emotional Mr Ramesh, whose first language is Gujarati, said: "I'm only one survivor. Still, I'm not believing. It's a miracle.

"I lost my brother as well. My brother is my backbone. Last few years, he was always supporting me."

He described the devastating impact the ordeal has had on his family life.

"Now I'm alone. I just sit in my room alone, not talking with my wife, my son. I just like to be alone in my house," Mr Ramesh said.

He spoke from his hospital bed in India at the time, describing how he had managed to unbuckle himself and crawl out of the wreckage, and met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi while receiving treatment for his injuries.

Of the passengers and crew killed, 169 were Indian nationals and 52 were Britons, while 19 others were killed on the ground.

A preliminary report into the crash, published by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau in July, said fuel supply to the engines was cut off just seconds after take-off. Meanwhile, an investigation is ongoing and the airline said care for Mr Ramesh, and all families affected by the tragedy, "remains our absolute priority".

This is the first time the 39-year-old has spoken to the media since he has been back in the UK. A documentary crew were also filming in the room.

The BBC had detailed discussions with his advisers around his duty of care before the interview.

When asked about his memories of the day of the crash, he said: "I can't say anything about that now."

'I'm suffering'

Flanked by local community leader Sanjiv Patel and spokesman Radd Seiger, Mr Ramesh said it was too painful to recall the events of the disaster, and broke down during parts of an interview at the home of Mr Patel in Leicester.

Mr Ramesh described the anguish he and his family are now living through.

"For me, after this accident... very difficult.

"Physically, mentally, also my family as well, mentally... my mum last four months, she is sitting every day outside the door, not talking, nothing.

"I'm not talking to anyone else. I do not like to talk with anyone else.

"I can't talk about much. I'm thinking all night, I'm suffering mentally.

"Every day is painful for the whole family."

Mr Ramesh also spoke about the physical injuries he suffered in the crash, which saw him escape his seat - 11A - through an opening in the fuselage.

He says he suffers pain in his leg, shoulder, knee and back, and has not been able to work or drive since the tragedy.

"When I walk, not walk properly, slowly, slowly, my wife help," he added.

Mr Ramesh was diagnosed with PTSD while he was being treated in hospital in India but has not received any medical treatment since being back home, his advisers said.

They described him as being lost and broken, with a long journey of recovery ahead, and are demanding a meeting with Air India's executives, claiming he has been treated poorly by the airline since the crash.

"They're in crisis, mentally, physically, financially," Mr Patel said.

"It's devastated his family.

"Whoever's responsible at the highest level should be on the ground meeting the victims of this tragic event, and understanding their needs and to be heard."

'Put things right'

Air India has offered an interim compensation payment to Mr Ramesh of £21,500, which has been accepted, but his advisers say this is not enough to meet his immediate needs.

The family fishing business in Diu in India, which Mr Ramesh ran with his brother before the crash, has since collasped, his advisers said.

Spokesman for the family Mr Seiger said they had invited Air India for a meeting on three occasions, and all three were either "ignored or turned down".

The media interviews were the team's way of reissuing that appeal for the fourth time, he said.

Mr Seiger added: "It's appalling that we are having to sit here today and putting him [Viswashkumar] through this.

"The people who should be sitting here today are the executives of Air India, the people responsible for trying to put things right.

"Please come and sit down with us so that we can work through this together to try and alleviate some of this suffering."

In a statement, the airline, which is owned by Tata Group, said senior leaders from the parent company continue to visit families to express their deepest condolences.

"An offer has been made to Mr Ramesh's representatives to arrange such a meeting, we will continue to reach out and we very much hope to receive a positive response," it said.

The airline told the BBC that this offer was made before the media interviews with Mr Ramesh.

Five moments that defined India's women's World Cup glory

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgyklpy88lo, today

India held their nerve under the weight of immense expectation to beat South Africa by 52 runs and clinch their first-ever Women's World Cup.

The roar at Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium said it all - history had finally caught up with promise.

It's been a campaign of redemption and resilience. From three straight defeats in the group stage to a flawless knockout run, India's turnaround was as dramatic as it was defining.

For a cricket-mad nation long waiting for its women to stand shoulder to shoulder with its men, this triumph felt epochal - the spark of a new era. Here are the five moments that shaped India's road to glory.

Harmanpreet hands the ball to Shafali in the final

It was an unexpected move that stunned everyone.

Shafali Verma - playing only because regular opener Pratika Rawal was injured - is a part-time spinner in the Virender Sehwag mould.

Yet she struck gold, removing Sune Luus with her second ball and Marizanne Kapp with her seventh, halting South Africa's chase in its tracks.

After the match, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said she'd gone with her gut - "it felt like her day." Having earlier smashed 87, Verma fittingly took home the Player of the Match award.

Amanjot's tumbling catch ends Wolvaardt's charge

South Africa's opener and captain Laura Wolvaardt had been the pre-eminent batter in the tournament, not only leading the run-scorer's list, but also slamming a century in the semi-final to knock out England.

In the final, she threatened to do the same against India with another magnificent century.

With 78 needed, Wolvaardt went for broke - but her lofted hit off Deepti Sharma was skied to long-on. Amanjot Kaur, the 25-year-old daughter of a carpenter from Punjab, sprinted in, juggled thrice, and finally clung on in a tumbling catch that sent the stadium - and India - roaring.

Wolvaardt stood between India and victory. Amanjot had held her nerve, and the catch for dear life. The path to victory had been cleared.

Jemimah's dazzling century stuns Australia

On a dewy night, Jemimah Rodrigues powered India to one of the greatest chases in women's cricket to reach the World Cup final.

Her unbeaten 127 in the semi-final against Australia was the very definition of a tour de force.

Promoted to No 3, Jemimah played the innings of a lifetime, steering India past a record target against their long-time nemesis - the Australians who had thwarted India's ICC dreams for over a decade.

Her innings was a masterclass in building a match-winning knock under pressure.

Walking in after two early wickets - including the prolific mainstay Smriti Mandhana - she steadied the innings with superb technique, sharp match awareness, and bursts of flair. Her 167-run stand with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur became the bedrock of India's record run chase.

The most compelling aspect of Jemimah's amazing innings was the mental and emotional setbacks she had to overcome before and during the tournament, including being dropped for a match. She finished the match in tears of redemption and everlasting glory.

Jemimah's innings helped India hunt down a record 338 in a pulsating edge-of-the-seat finish - winning by five wickets with five balls to spare.

Harmanpreet Kaur - calm, clever, and in command

A touch below her best with the bat - though her crucial 89 against Australia powered India into the final - Harmanpreet's true impact lay in her leadership.

Composed, tactical, and fearless, she was the steady hand that guided India through the pressure of knockout cricket.

Under intense scrutiny after three straight defeats mid-tournament, Harmanpreet rallied her team with calm authority - regrouping swiftly and brilliantly through a series of bold, inspired calls.

Bringing Jemimah back into the XI - a move widely criticised at the time - was vindication enough.

But promoting her to No 3 was the masterstroke that transformed India's campaign. A fluent half-century against New Zealand, a rousing century in the semi-final against Australia, and a vital knock in the final cemented Jemimah's role as the pivot around which India's batting thrived.

Backing Shafali Verma to bowl in a tense final was an inspired call - a gamble, perhaps, but one that paid off handsomely.

Through the pressure of the semi-final and final, Harmanpreet's composure never wavered. Unflustered and astute, she held the team together with smart, timely decisions.

Deepti's sensational all-round performances

Deepti Sharma ended the tournament as its leading wicket-taker - a feat remarkable in itself, yet only half the story of her impact.

Her crucial runs in the knockout matches were just as vital, making her one of the true architects of India's title triumph.

Against Australia, Deepti turned the game twice over - first with a double strike in a tense closing spell that likely saved 15–20 runs, then with a spirited, attacking 24 that kept India's pulsating chase on track.

In the final against South Africa, Deepti went one better - a run-a-ball 58 that powered India past 250, followed by a stunning 5 for 39. It was one of the finest all-round performances in World Cup history - men's or women's.

ChatGPT owner OpenAI signs $38bn cloud computing deal with Amazon

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgqlzje32pjo, today

OpenAI has signed a $38bn (£29bn) contract with Amazon to access its cloud computing infrastructure, as the start-up continues its run of major partnerships to secure computing power.

In 2025, the ChatGPT maker has signed deals worth more than $1tn with Oracle, Broadcom, AMD and chip-making giant Nvidia. Its latest deal reduces its reliance on Microsoft.

As part of the seven-year agreement, OpenAI will gain access to Nvidia graphics processors to train its artificial intelligence models.

The deal follows a sweeping restructure of OpenAI last week which saw it convert away from being a non-profit and changed its relationship with Microsoft to give OpenAI more operational and financial freedom.

"Scaling frontier AI requires massive, reliable compute," said OpenAI co-founder and CEO Sam Altman.

"Our partnership with AWS [Amazon Web Services] strengthens the broad compute ecosystem that will power this next era and bring advanced AI to everyone."

The deal reflects the massive demand for computer power coming from the growing interest in AI - and OpenAI's rush to secure the power it needs.

OpenAI, which brought AI into the consumer mainstream with the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, had been reliant on Microsoft for computing power for years. The two firms had an exclusive cloud agreement until January of this year, when their relationship loosened.

The AI start-up's first agreement with Amazon's AWS marks its latest shift away from Microsoft toward diversified sources of computing power.

"The deal with AWS shows that OpenAI considers that its path to leadership is paved with getting access to as much computing power as it can get its hands on," said Kim Forrest, chief investment officer at Bokeh Capital Partners.

Microsoft "taking less of a control stake in the company has allowed relationships with near competitors to OpenAI's funders possible," she added.

But OpenAI has been unprofitable, as spends big to get ahead in the development of AI technology. Quarterly results from Microsoft last week indicated that OpenAI lost $12bn in just the last quarter.

Following the announcement of the deal on Monday, Amazon shares hit an all-time high, adding $140bn (£106bn) to its valuation.

AWS is "uniquely positioned to support OpenAI's vast AI workloads," Matt Garman, CEO of AWS, said in a statement.

Leading AI firms have been investing in one another, creating a tangled web of deals that has been drawing scrutiny. OpenAI is at the centre of that web.

In response to OpenAI's deal spree, there has been some speculation that an AI bubble may be in the offing.

Speaking to the BBC last month, Sam Altman said: "Yes, the investment loans are unprecedented", but added: "It's also unprecedented for companies to be growing revenue this fast."

Warnings have come from the Bank of England and the International Monetary Fund, as well as from JP Morgan boss Jamie Dimon, who told the BBC that "the level of uncertainty should be higher in most people's minds".

Tanzania president being sworn in after election marred by violence

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpv1ddevk9go, today

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan is being sworn in shortly for a second term following an election marred by violent protests and rejected by the opposition as a sham.

The inauguration ceremony is being held at a military parade grounds in the capital, Dodoma, in an event closed to the public but broadcast live by the state-run TBC.

Samia was declared the winner on Saturday with 98% of the vote. She faced little opposition with key rival candidates either imprisoned or barred from running.

International observers have raised concerns about the transparency of the election and its violent aftermath, with hundreds of people reportedly killed and injured.

The authorities have sought to downplay the scale of the violence. It has been difficult to obtain information from the country or verify the death toll, amid a nationwide internet shutdown in place since election day

In her victory speech, Samia said the poll was "free and democratic" and described the protesters as "unpatriotic".

Opposition leaders and activists say hundreds were killed in clashes with security forces. The opposition Chadema party told the AFP news agency that it had recorded "no less than 800" deaths by Saturday, while a diplomatic source in Tanzania told the BBC there was credible evidence that at least 500 people had died.

The UN human rights office earlier said there were credible reports of at least 10 deaths in three cities.

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Jamaica's hurricane aftermath 'overwhelming', Sean Paul says

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c93xn2xg6r4o, today

Jamaican music superstar Sean Paul has said the scale of the effort required to help people in the country is "overwhelming" after Hurricane Melissa devastated parts of the island last week.

The Grammy-winning reggae singer said the category five storm was "very frightening, especially for my young kids".

"That's the first time they've seen trees dance like that and the wind move like that," he told BBC News. "They're in shock still, and traumatised. And can you imagine the children who are in the epicentre of it? It feels like you're in the Middle Ages."

Winds of up to 185mph (295 km/h) caused at least 28 deaths. Paul and his family were in the capital Kingston, while areas further west suffered the greatest damage.

The singer said: "It is really difficult to bear. We weren't hit in Kingston very hard, but it was frightening. And you're wondering, at any minute now is there going to be, you know, some tree that comes along and slaps your roof off?

"That happened to friends of mine in Montego Bay. They've lost their whole roof, and they're still in the trenches helping people there, making sure that food reaches and clothes reach [people]. Everybody's stuff is all muddied up and it's hard to think about something positive at this time."

Paul has pledged $50,000 (£38,000) to match donations to Food For The Poor Jamaica, and described the devastation as "a very mind-blowing situation".

"After days and days of communication and trying to help out in different ways, on Saturday I broke down," he said.

"It's just the amount of energy it takes, and the depression that starts to set in, and then you have to shake yourself out of it because there's just so much to be done that we haven't even tipped the iceberg yet."

He continued: "It is overwhelming. I myself took a drive to the country yesterday, the countryside of St Mary, which was not hit as hard, but still hit. They don't have light yet, and a lot of people out there can't even see the rest of what's happening, because once they get charge on their phone, they're just trying to call loved ones to make sure that they're OK."

Some people "don't even know that people are helping them, because a lot of the time they're not able to see these videos of people preparing stuff to send out there", he said.

"And so little has been actually distributed... There's still blocked areas, roads that are damaged.

"I just heard a story of 15 babies that were under three months old, but they're sleeping in cardboard boxes right now. So it's a terrible situation, and we're trying to get help out there as much as possible."

'Breaks my heart'

Fellow Jamaican music star, Shaggy, has also been co-ordinating aid efforts on the island, bringing essentials to locals via small convoys.

Asked how he felt about what had happened, he said: "Devastated. I don't think I can unsee what I've seen... It's rough, there's a lot of aid coming in.

"Nobody could really prepare for something like that.

"We got into the Black River area, which was hit really hard. Everything is flattened. It breaks my heart. I couldn't help but weep. These are my people."

He added: "I've never seen anything like this, it looks like a bomb exploded."

Sean Paul said: "Shaggy has reached out to me, a friend of mine in the business, and he is trying to hold a concert in December. It's a long term thing, so we don't want to hold it next week where no one will know about it. It has to be down the road where we can promote it."

Agony for families as landslide death toll climbs in Uganda and Kenya

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyv8g28zd7mo, today

More than 40 people are now known to have died after multiple landslides struck Kenya and Uganda's mountainous border region last week.

"I lost a grandmother, a maternal aunt, an uncle, two sisters, a family friend and a cousin. They were staying together in Kaptul village," Felix Kemboi told the BBC on the Ugandan side.

So distressed was the 30-year-old Felix that he struggled to put the experience into words.

On both sides of the border, many people are still missing and search and rescue teams have been sent out to find them, amid warnings that more landslides could occur.

"As heavy rainfall continues to be experienced across several parts of the country, the risk of landslides, especially along the Kerio Valley region, is heightened," warns Kenyan Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen.

He is urging residents of affected areas to be cautious of any earth movements and says local authorities are moving those at risk to higher ground.

Fourteen schoolchildren were among the dozens of Kenyans killed when two mudslides struck the Great Rift Valley area, according to the country's education ministry.

Survivors in eastern Uganda have shared terrifying accounts with the BBC.

"We were sleeping at night, we [heard] a huge sound. The neighbours came running. 'You wake up'. The mountain is coming. My niece and brother died," recalls Helda Narunga Masai.

Her home in Kween village was destroyed in the mudslide and she is now staying with a neighbour.

About 14km (eight miles) up the road, in Kapchorwa, three children and woman from the same household were killed.

Uganda Red Cross workers say at least 18 people have died in the country's east, and their staff plus community volunteers are searching for the 20 people still unaccounted for across Kapchorwa, Bukwo and Kween districts.

Mande David Kapcheronge, a local leader, has told the BBC that the rescue teams are using rudimentary tools to dig up heaps of mud in the recovery.

Experts have warned against building homes in some of the affected areas in Uganda and Kenya, where landslides are a known problem.

In 2010, a landslide in the Ugandan town of Bududa killed about 300 people, making it one of the country's most devastating natural disasters.

In response to this latest disaster, the Ugandan government is paying bereaved families 5m shillings ($1,300; £1,000) and 1m shillings to each survivor.

The Kenyan government has yet to announce compensation for survivors or the bereaved.

In Uganda, search missions have been hampered by the mudslides cutting off access to some roads.

Additional reporting by Natasha Booty

More stories from the BBC:

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Sugarloaf selfies as William begins Brazil visit

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clylxv52pdeo, today

The Prince of Wales was presented with the keys to Rio de Janeiro as he began a five-day visit to Brazil.

Prince William was on the city's Sugarloaf Mountain, with a bird's eye view of the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue, as he received the honour from the city's mayor, Eduardo Paes.

The prince had travelled to the top of the mountain by cable car, to the surprise of several groups of tourists queuing to travel up the mountain. As he came down again, he posed for selfies with several of the people who had waited to catch a glimpse of him.

He is visiting Brazil for the first time with two key environmental missions. On Wednesday he is presenting the Earthshot Prize, the annual award from the charity he set up himself.

The following day he will travel to Belem, in the Amazon rainforest, where he is scheduled to deliver a speech as part of COP30, the annual UN climate meeting where governments discuss how to limit and prepare for further climate change.

It is the first time that Prince William has travelled internationally for a COP summit, as his father, King Charles, has previously led the way for the royals, making several keynote speeches to world leaders over the years.

Prince William did attend, along with his father, when it was held in Glasgow 2021, two weeks after the first Earthshot Prize.

The prize annually awards a £1m grant in five different categories for projects that aim to repair the world's climate - and Prince William has committed himself to it for10 years, with Rio marking a halfway point for the venture.

This year's shortlist includes an upcycled skyscraper in Sydney, the entire island of Barbados and a Bristol based company that filters microplastics from washing machines.

When he announced the nominees, the prince spoke of the optimism and courage he was looking for.

"The people behind these projects are heroes of our time, so let us back them. Because, if we do, we can make the world cleaner, safer and full of opportunity - not only for future generations, but for the lives we want to lead now."

After the ceremony, Mayor Paes said Prince William has been "amazed with the beauty of the city" and he joked: "So he's got the keys, he can do whatever he wants in the next 72 hours. The city belongs to Prince William. I'm still the king, but it will belong to him!"

Prince William's visit to Rio de Janeiro is the most significant royal engagement he will make this year and also mark the first time he will be seen representing the Royal Family since the crisis surrounding his uncle Andrew.

There has been speculation that Prince William was heavily involved in the King's announcement last week to sanction Andrew by removing his remaining titles and asking him to leave his home in Windsor - but those close to the situation say that was not the case.

Although William would have had a powerful, influential voice as the future monarch, the decision was ultimately the King's working with his private team of advisers and in conjunction with the government.

The visit to Brazil will include the two key environment-based events but will also allow him to take in some of Rio's other famous sights.

As an avid football fan and chairman of the English Football Association, it was no surprise that a pilgrimage was arranged on his first day to the Maracana Stadium, the stage of some of the football-mad nation's most famous moments.

Once there, he was greeted by the player who wore the yellow and green kit more than any other, Brazil's most capped-star Cafu, who presented him with a signed number 2 Brazil shirt.

The legendary right back, who is the only player in history to appear in three World Cup finals, was scheduled to join the prince leading training drills involving local children.

Cafu has also agreed to be one of the star presenters of the Earthshot Prize, alongside former F1 driver Sebastian Vettel, Olympic gymnast Rebeca Andrade and Brazilian environmental activist Txai Suruí.

Train-attack accused 'may be linked to other incidents'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c986n2q6qy0o, today

Police are investigating whether a man accused of stabbing 10 people on a train is linked to an attack on a 14-year-old boy and to two reports of a knifeman at a barbers' shop.

Cambridgeshire Police said it was reviewing the incidents following the knife attack on the London-bound LNER train after it passed through Peterborough on Saturday.

On Friday the teenager was stabbed in the city and a man was reported to be at a barbers' shop carrying a knife. The shop made a second report the next day.

Anthony Williams, 32, of no fixed abode, was charged with 10 counts of attempted murder relating to the train stabbing and a count of attempted murder in connection with an attack in London on Saturday.

A man was left with facial injuries following the attack at about 00:45 at a station in Silvertown.

Cambridgeshire Police said in all three incidents a "crime was raised" and investigations launched.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has praised police, first responders and the "heroic" actions of the driver and the members of staff aboard the train when the "vile and horrific attack" took place.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood also paid tribute to the "breathtaking bravery" and "heroic acts of the passengers and train crew who intercepted the attacker".

At about 19:10 on Friday, a 14-year-old was stabbed by a man with a knife in Peterborough city centre.

Police said the victim was treated at Peterborough City Hospital for minor injuries and later discharged.

Cambridgeshire Police said: "The offender had left the scene when the call was made and despite a search of the area by officers and a police dog, the offender was not identified."

Also on Friday evening, a man was seen with a knife at a barbers' shop in the Fletton area of Peterborough.

Police said the incident took place at 19:25, but was reported to officers two hours later at 21:10, by which time the man had left the shop.

Officers were not sent, the force added.

The same barbers' shop called the police at 09:25 on Saturday to report that a man carrying a knife was at the shop.

Officers arrived at the site within 18 minutes and searched the area, but were unable to locate or identify the man.

Cambridgeshire Police said: "We are currently reviewing all incidents in the timeframe to understand whether there were any further potential offences.

"British Transport Police retain primacy for the overall investigation, which will include these three incidents."

Cambridgeshire Police referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), as it typical in these cases.

The IOPC, however, said it would not be investigating the incident as "it did not meet the criteria for a valid referral".

Scunthorpe United footballer Jonathan Gjoshe, 22, and Nottingham Forest fan Stephen Crean were travelling on the LNER train from Doncaster to London King's Cross when they were injured during the attack at about 20:00 GMT.

Mr Gjoshe was slashed across the bicep and had been operated on, his club said.

Mr Crean has been hailed a hero after he confronted the train attacker, going face to face with him in the carriage.

He described how he "tussled" with the man, who was shouting at him as he slashed him on the head and hand.

He said he was determined to confront the attacker to give another passenger time to close the door of the buffet car, where other passengers had gathered.

In the House of Commons earlier, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "There's no doubt that their collective action, their brave action, saved countless lives and I know the whole country is grateful for that."

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said earlier that one member of the train crew "ran towards danger" and confronted the knife-wielding attacker.

His actions stopped the attacker from advancing through the train, she added.

MPs also praised the quick reaction of train driver Andrew Johnson, a former Royal Navy officer.

Mr Johnson contacted the control room to get the train diverted from the fast track to the slow track when the alarm was raised.

It meant it could stop in Huntingdon, which allowed emergency services to quickly access the scene.

Mr Johnson said: "As train drivers, we hold a lot of responsibility. We practise our emergency response and keep up to date with our knowledge of the route, so if needed, we know exactly where to stop and what to do.

"The action I took is the same as any other driver.

"I think my colleagues onboard were the real heroes and I'd like to pay tribute to their bravery."

Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

Shein bans all sex dolls after outrage over childlike products

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cddrg70pj1mo, today

Online retail giant Shein says it has banned the sale of all sex dolls on its platform around the world, after being accused of displaying products with "a childlike appearance" on its website.

The French consumer watchdog first raised concerns at the weekend over the description and categorisation of the dolls, saying it left "little doubt as to the child pornography nature of the content."

The company said on Monday that it has permanently banned "all seller accounts linked to illegal or non-compliant sex-doll products" and will tighten controls across its global platform.

Shein also says it has temporarily removed its adult products category as a precaution.

Every listing and image related to the sex dolls has been removed from Shein's platform, the firm said.

The retailer added that it will conduct a thorough review, with plans to set stricter controls on sellers.

"The company has also strengthened its keyword blacklist to further prevent attempted circumvention of product listing restrictions by sellers," said Shein.

The firm's executive chairman Donald Tang said: "The fight against child exploitation is non-negotiable for Shein. These were marketplace listings from third-party sellers - but I take this personally."

"We are tracing the source and will take swift, decisive action against those responsible."

France's Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control initially raised concerns about the dolls on Saturday.

In response, Shein said it had removed the listings for childlike sex dolls as soon as it became aware of the issue and began an investigation over how the products were able to be offered for sales on its platform.

France's finance minister threatened to ban the Singapore-based retailer from the country if it continued to sell the products - days before the company was due to open its first permanent outlet in Paris.

People were seen protesting outside the BHV department store opposite Paris's city hall, where the Shein outlet is set to open this week.

The brand has previously come under scrutiny over the environmental impact of fast-fashion and the working conditions of the people who make the products sold on the platform.

First scientific evidence of Black Death in Edinburgh found on skeleton

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2kpz2vnqglo, today

The first scientific evidence of the Black Death in Edinburgh has been discovered on the remains of a teenage boy who died in the 14th Century.

Plaque on the child's teeth has been found to contain pathogens of the bacteria for the Bubonic plague.

Originally excavated in 1981 from the grounds of St Giles' Cathedral, the remains have undergone new detailed analysis using advanced methods including ancient DNA sequencing, isotopic analysis and radiocarbon dating.

John Lawson, City of Edinburgh Council's curator of archaeology, said it was a "very exciting" discovery.

Mr Lawson said the young male was buried with care, rather than in a mass grave which was more common for victims at the time.

The skeleton, which dates from between 1300 and 1370 - a period coinciding with the Black Death - was one of 115 exhumed almost 45 years ago to make way for steps inside the cathedral on the Royal Mile.

They have been stored in the city's archives since then.

The new work on the medieval bodies was commissioned as part of Edinburgh 900, a year-long celebration of the city's 900th anniversary.

The cathedral, which was founded in 1124, has also been marking the milestone.

Although the work has not been finished, Mr Lawson has spoken to BBC Scotland News about the discovery.

He commissioned experts at the Francis Crick Institute in London to do the DNA tests.

"This teenager has the ancient DNA of the bacteria of the Black Death, of the Bubonic plague, which is really exciting," Mr Lawson said.

The disease, which would not show up on the bones, could only be identified using modern DNA testing.

Mr Lawson said: "We know the Black Death happened but it is the fact we can now tie this person into historic events that is very exciting."

What was the Black Death?

The Black Death pandemic was primarily caused by bubonic plague.

Bubonic plague is the most common type of plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, characterised by swollen lymph nodes called "buboes".

The name "Black Death" likely arose because of the skin lesions and tissue death (gangrene) that turned the skin black in some cases.

The Black Death was a specific historical pandemic that swept through Europe between 1347 and 1353.

It was one of the most fatal pandemics in history, wiping out an estimated 50 million people in Europe.

Five layers of bodies were found in the cathedral's grounds - each covering about 100 years.

Mr Lawson said the discovery meant a better picture could be painted of this historical period in time.

"Without this ancient DNA we wouldn't have known how this person died and, by examining all the cemeteries in a proper scientific way, it's going to be ground changing in terms of how we understand and chart our history," he added.

The project has previously used pioneering technology by experts at Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee universities, to create facial restorations of a number of the skeletons.

Dr Maria Maclennan, a senior lecturer at the School of Design, Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) at Edinburgh University, led the work on facial restorations.

Among them was a man buried within the grounds of the cathedral in the 12th Century and a woman who was one of eight females buried inside the Chapel of Our Lady between the 15th and 16th centuries.

Two 15th-century pilgrims have also been studied.

The faces of five of them are currently on show at St Giles' in the exhibition Edinburgh's First Burghers: Revealing the Lives and Hidden Faces of Edinburgh's Medieval Citizens, which runs until 30 November.

Mr Lawson said the pioneering work had even ascertained where the people, who were buried between the 12th Century and 1560, were born.

Tests have given an "amazing" insight into the lives, diets, health, origins, and identities of Edinburgh's earliest residents, he said.

Although more will be revealed once the project has been completed, Mr Lawson told BBC Scotland trace chemicals in the geology of water they drank was used to map where they were born.

He said early research shows most of the people were from the Lothians with one or two from the Scottish Highlands.

Margaret Graham, City of Edinburgh Council's culture and communities convener said: "Thanks to this exciting new research, we've been able to get a closer insight into the lives of those who existed through such a notable chapter in our past.

"As an ancient city, we have such a rich history and the discovery of a young male who may have died during the Black Death is a hugely significant find.

"I've no doubt that we have so much left to uncover and our heritage and shared stories will be enhanced over time."

Kimberly-Clark to buy Tylenol-maker for more than $40bn

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr43dp99k4vo, today

Kimberly-Clark is set to buy Kenvue, the maker of Tylenol, which has faced attacks from the White House and flagging demand for its products.

The more-than $40bn (£30.5bn) cash-and-stock deal would create a consumer giant, with a portfolio of some of the world's most commonly stocked bathroom and medicine cabinet items.

Kimberly-Clark makes Kleenex, Huggies nappies and some of the biggest toilet paper brands in the US. As well as Tylenol, Kenvue is known for Band-Aid, Zyrtec, Benadryl, Neutrogena and Aveeno.

Both firms have been under pressure as price-conscious households increasingly turn to cheaper, store-brand versions of their products.

Johnson & Johnson spun off Kenvue as a standalone company in 2023, separating its faster growing, more profitable medical technical and pharmaceutical business from its consumer products.

Executives argued at the time that a narrower focus would help each company flourish.

But Kenvue's business and its shares have struggled, down almost 30% in a year, making it a target of activist investors, who have bought up stakes and pushed the firm for changes, including a possible sale.

The firm's shares sank last month, when the Trump administration publicly linked use of Tylenol during pregnancy to autism, despite what scientists say is inconclusive evidence.

Sales in the first nine months of the year are down almost 4% compared with 2024.

In their announcement of the deal, executives said the companies had "complementary strengths" and a combination would accelerate growth. They said they expected to complete the transaction in the second half of next year.

Together, the firms are on track to generate $32bn in sales in this year, they said.

"With a broader product range and greater reach, the combined company will be a global health and wellness leader," they said.

The cash-and-stock deal values Kenvue at about $48.7bn, the companies said.

They said Kenvue shareholders would receive about $21 per share, including $3.50 in cash and a portion of shares in Kimberly Clark.

Kenvue shares jumped 17% in early trading to more than $16.

But shares in Kimberly-Clark sank more than 10% in a sign of investor doubts about the deal, which exposes the firm to new risks.

Kenvue is facing a lawsuit from the Texas attorney general, claiming that Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson hid alleged dangers that the drug posed to children's brain development.

Kenvue brands, while under the Johnson & Johnson umbrella, had also faced crisis in recent years over lawsuits linking use of its baby powder to cancer.

A recent lawsuit in the UK picked up on those claims, accusing Johnson & Johnson of knowingly selling baby powder contaminated with asbestos for decades.

The company, which now makes its talcum powder with cornstarch, has denied the allegations.

Trump tariffs head to Supreme Court in case eagerly awaited around the world

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn4jyk9jyv3o, yesterday

What may be the biggest battle yet in Donald Trump's trade war is about to begin.

The Trump administration heads to the US Supreme Court on Wednesday, facing off against small businesses and a group of states who contend most of the tariffs it has put in place are illegal and should be struck down.

If the court agrees with them, Trump's trade strategy would be upended, including the sweeping global tariffs he first announced in April. The government would also likely have to refund some of the billions of dollars it has collected through the tariffs, which are taxes on imports.

The final decision from the justices will come after what could be months of poring over the arguments and discussing the merits of the case. Eventually they will hold a vote.

Trump has described the fight in epic terms, warning a loss would tie his hands in trade negotiations and imperil national security.

On Sunday, the president said he will not attend the hearing in person as he did not want to cause a distraction.

"I wanted to go so badly... I just don't want to do anything to deflect the importance of that decision," he said. "It's not about me, it's about our country."

Trump previously said that if he does not win the case the US will be "weakened" and in a "financial mess" for many years to come.

The stakes feel just as high for many businesses in the US and abroad, which have been paying the price while getting whipped about by fast-changing policies.

Trump's tariffs will cost Learning Resources, a US seller of toys made mostly overseas and one of the businesses suing the government, $14m (£10.66m) this year. That is seven times what it spent on tariffs in 2024, according to CEO Rick Woldenberg.

"They've thrown our business into unbelievable disruption," he said, noting the company has had to shift the manufacturing of hundreds of items since January.

Few businesses, though, are banking on a win at the court.

"We are hopeful that this is going to be ruled illegal but we're all also trying to prepare that it's setting in," said Bill Harris, co-founder of Georgia-based Cooperative Coffees.

His co-op, which imports coffee from more than a dozen countries, has already paid roughly $1.3m in tariffs since April.

A test to Trump's presidential power

In deciding this case, the Supreme Court will have to take on a broader question: How far does presidential power go?

Legal analysts say it is hard to predict the justices' answer, but a ruling siding with Trump will give him and future White House occupants greater reach.

Specifically, the case concerns tariffs that the Trump administration imposed using the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which the White House has embraced for its speed and flexibility. By declaring an emergency under the law, Trump can issue immediate orders and bypass longer, established processes.

Trump first invoked the law in February to tax goods from China, Mexico and Canada, saying drug trafficking from those countries constituted an emergency.

He deployed it again in April, ordering levies ranging from 10% to 50% on goods from almost every country in the world. This time, he said the US trade deficit - where the US imports more than it exports - posed an "extraordinary and unusual threat".

Those tariffs took hold in fits and starts this summer while the US pushed countries to strike "deals".

Opponents say the law authorises the president to regulate trade but never mentions the word "tariffs", and they contend that only Congress can establish taxes under the US Constitution.

They have also challenged whether the issues cited by the White House, especially the trade deficit, represent emergencies.

Members of Congress from both parties have asserted the Constitution gives them responsibility for creating tariffs, duties and taxes, as well.

More than 200 Democrats in both chambers and one Republican, Senator Lisa Murkowski, filed a brief to the Supreme Court, where they also argued the emergency law did not grant the president power to use tariffs as a tool for gaining leverage in trade talks.

Meanwhile, last week the Senate made a symbolic and bipartisan move to pass three resolutions rejecting Trump's tariffs, including one to end the national emergency he declared. They are not expected to be approved in the House.

Still, business groups said they hoped the rebuke would send a message to the justices.

'An energy drain like I've never seen'

Three lower courts have ruled against the administration. After the Supreme Court hears arguments on Wednesday it will have until June to issue its decision, although most expect a ruling to come by January.

Whatever it decides has implications for an estimated $90bn worth of import taxes already paid - roughly half the tariff revenue the US collected this year through September, according to Wells Fargo analysts.

Trump officials have warned that sum could swell to $1tn if the court takes until June.

If the government is forced to issue refunds, Cooperative Coffees will "absolutely" try to recoup its money, said Mr Harris, but that would not make up for all the disruption.

His business has had to take out an extra line of credit, raise prices and find ways to survive with lower profits.

"This is an energy drain like I've never seen," said Mr Harris, who is also chief financial officer of Cafe Campesino, one of the 23 roasteries that own Cooperative Coffees. "It dominates all the conversations and it just kind of sucks the life out of you."

What could happen next?

The White House says that if it loses, it will impose levies via other means, such as a law allowing the president to put tariffs of up to 15% in place for 150 days.

Even then, businesses would have some relief, since those other means require steps like issuing formal notices, which take time and deliberation, said trade lawyer Ted Murphy of Sidley Austin.

"This is not just about the money," he said. "The president has announced tariffs on Sunday that go into effect on Wednesday, without advance notice, without any real process."

"I think that's the bigger thing for this case for businesses - whether or not that is going to be in our future," he added.

There is no clear sign of how the court will rule.

In recent years it has struck down major policies, such as Biden-era student loan forgiveness, as White House overreach.

But the nine justices, six of whom were appointed by Republicans, including three by Trump, have shown deference to this president in other recent disputes and historically have given leeway to the White House on questions of national security.

"I really do think arguments are available for the Supreme Court to go in all different directions," said Greta Peisch, partner at Wiley and former trade lawyer in the Biden administration.

Adam White, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said he expected the court to strike down the tariffs, but avoid questions like what constitutes a national emergency.

The case has already complicated the White House's trade deals, such as one struck in July with the European Union.

The European Parliament is currently considering ratifying the agreement, which sets US tariffs on European goods at 15% in exchange for promises including allowing in more US agricultural products.

"They're not going to act on this until they see the outcome of the Supreme Court decision," said John Clarke, former director for international trade at the European Commission.

In Switzerland, which recently downgraded its outlook for economic growth citing America’s 39% tariff on its goods, chocolatier Daniel Bloch said he'd welcome a ruling against the Trump administration.

His business Chocolats Camille Bloch is absorbing about a third of the cost of new tariffs on kosher chocolate that his firm has exported to the US for decades, aiming to blunt price increases and maintain sales. That decision has wiped out profits for the unit and is not sustainable, he said.

He hopes Trump will reconsider his tariffs altogether, because "that would be easiest".

"If the court were to make the tariffs go away of course we would see that as a positive sign," he said. "But we don't trust that that will bring the solution."

Follow the twists and turns of Trump's second term with North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher's weekly US Politics Unspun newsletter. Readers in the UK can sign up here. Those outside the UK can sign up here.

More people using family help than Buy Now Pay Later loans

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cze6822y135o, today

People turn to family and friends for money more often than Buy Now Pay Later loans, a new survey has suggested, and for most of them it was for less than £250.

The survey of more than 4,000 adults commissioned by non-profit Fair4All Finance, shared exclusively with the BBC, found that while 25% of respondents had taken out a Buy Now Pay Later loan, 26% had borrowed from family and 15% from friends this year.

Many relied on friends and relatives because they had been turned down by traditional services like banks - but some of those loans still come with interest.

For 42-year-old Carla McLoughlin, borrowing small sums from her mum is crucial.

The mother-of-three explains that the money is needed "just to tide us over for a week or two until we get paid".

But some people said borrowing from their nearest and dearest had affected those relationships.

Of those who borrowed from family, 9% said it weakened the relationship, and that figure rises to 17% when borrowing from friends, with different expectations of repayment souring relationships.

The dynamics get trickier for many with 16% of people who borrowed from friends and 8% of those that borrowed from family saying they were charged interest.

Val Lucus, Carla's 63-year-old mother, said she's lent to other family members who didn't pay her back.

"You're constantly chasing it up. That can be difficult," she said.

'We do it all the time'

Fair4All Finance was set up 2019 by the government, and campaigns to make financial products available to a wider group of people.

The research was carried out in collaboration with polling firm Ipsos, and included people from England, Scotland and Wales.

It found that younger adults, households with children, and people on zero-hours contracts or in lower-paid work are most likely to borrow from friends and family.

The research also showed that a quarter of all households would not be able to afford a £500 emergency bill without borrowing.

But the flow of cash is not all in one direction for Carla and her mum Val. They live close by in Merseyside, and regularly have to borrow from each other.

"We do it all the time. If I need £50 just to get a few bits to tide me over," Carla said.

"Two weeks later she'll be short so I give that back and if she needs a bit extra I give it to her."

Carla has been turned down for a loan in the past and struggled to get a phone contract, so Val has been happy to help.

Carla has also seen her mum pawn her grandmother's rings in the past.

"I was crying my eyes out, saying mum why didn't you ask me?" she said, adding that she wants to help her mum whenever she can, and has paid for her mum's gas and electricity bills in the past.

The pair said it has not impacted their relationship, and have never charged each other interest, but they have seen it go wrong for others.

"Some people say they'll pay you back but then they don't. Then they're messing it up for themselves," Carla added.

Nowhere else to turn

A lot of people turn to family and friends because they have been turned down by banks, credit cards or Buy Now Pay Later services.

For others it could be a cheaper option to avoid overdraft fees or high-interest short-term loans.

Kate Pender, the boss of Fair4All Finance, said it was important everyone has access to credit for the unexpected moments in life.

"No one should have to risk their closest relationships just to cover essential costs. We urgently need to expand access to safe, affordable credit so people aren't forced into difficult choices," she said.

Of those surveyed, 4% had turned to a loan shark, or unregistered lender within the last 12 months.

That figure could be even higher, as some of those who think they are borrowing from a "friend" may actually have borrowed from a loan shark - a person who is lending to multiple people, charging high interest, and often using intimidation to get repayment.

Dave Benbow head of the England Illegal Money Lending Team, known as Stop Loan Sharks, said about half of all people the organisation supports believed the loan shark was a friend at the time of borrowing.

"All too often we see situations where extra charges are suddenly added, the debt spirals, and borrowers find themselves trapped," he said.

Moneyhelper, an independent website backed by the government, says it's important to think carefully before borrowing from someone in your family or a friend. If you struggle to repay this could put pressure on you and your relationship.

They suggest good forward planning and a written agreement can help whether you're the one doing the borrowing or lending.

Can I lend money safely?

* Be completely honest with yourself about whether you can afford to lend the money if it was never paid back.

* If you feel pressured, or awkward, then say no. There are safe borrowing options, like Credit Unions you could direct a loved one to.

* Keep a written record - an email, text or Whatsapp could be enough - saying how much your lending and when you'd like to be repaid.

* Offer to help in another way - perhaps pay a bill directly for someone in need.

* Encourage the person asking to get help from a debt organisation. Help them get on top of their finances, don't just keep bailing people out.

'No idea who he is', says Trump after pardoning crypto tycoon

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn7ek63e5xyo, today

US President Donald Trump says he does not know who Changpeng Zhao is, despite pardoning the cryptocurrency multi-billionaire last month.

Trump was asked about the pardon during an interview with CBS News' 60 Minutes programme, which was broadcast on Sunday.

Zhao, who is also known as "CZ", pleaded guilty to enabling money laundering in 2023. He served four months in prison and agreed to step down as the chief executive of Binance, the crypto exchange he co-founded.

His companies have partnered with firms linked to Trump on new digital-currency projects including Dominari Holdings, where his sons sit on the board of advisers and which is based in Trump Tower.

The host of 60 Minutes, Norah O'Donnell, asked Trump why he pardoned Zhao even though government prosecutors had said he caused "significant harm to US national security."

"Okay, are you ready? I don't know who he is", the president responded.

Trump added that he did not recall meeting Zhao and had "no idea who he is", only that he had been told that the businessman was a victim of a "witch hunt" by the administration of former US president Joe Biden.

During the interview, Trump also discussed his support for cryptocurrencies and said that the US had to make sure it was a leader in the industry or risk China and its rivals gaining an advantage in the emerging technology.

The president's pardon lifts restrictions that had stopped Zhao from running financial ventures, but it is unclear whether it changes his standing with US regulators or his role at Binance.

At the time of the pardon, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called Zhao's prosecution under the Biden administration part of a "war on cryptocurrency", pushing back on critics who said the pardon appeared motivated by Trump's personal financial interests.

"This was an overly prosecuted case by the Biden administration," she said, adding that the case had been "thoroughly reviewed". "So the president wants to correct this overreach of the Biden administration's misjustice and he exercised his constitutional authority to do so."

The Binance platform remains the most used crypto exchange in the world for trading digital assets.

The Trump administration previously halted a fraud case against crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun, after his investments in the Trump family's crypto firm, World Liberty Financial.

In May, it was announced that a stablecoin launched by World Liberty Financial would be used by an Abu Dhabi firm for a $2bn (£1.52bn) investment in Binance.

Trump has also pardoned founders of the crypto exchange BitMEX, who faced charges related to money laundering, and Ross Ulbricht, founder of the Silk Road, the dark web marketplace known as a place for drug trade.

Will AI mean the end of call centres?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz913ylq3k3o, yesterday

Ask ChatGPT whether AI will replace humans in the customer service industry, and it will offer a diplomatic answer, the summary of which is "they will work side by side".

Humans though, are not so optimistic.

Last year, the chief executive of Indian technology firm Tata Consultancy Services, K Krithivasan, told the Financial Times that AI may soon mean that there is "minimal need" for call centres in Asia.

Meanwhile, AI will autonomously resolve 80% of common customer service issues by 2029, predicts business and technology research firm Gartner.

There is currently a lot of hype around "AI agents". That is the term given to AI systems that can operate more autonomously and make decisions.

They could turbo-charge current non-AI chatbots, known as "rule-based chatbots", which can only answer a set list of questions.

My own recent experience with parcel delivery firm Evri's chatbot illustrates the existing, non-AI state of play.

My parcel had not arrived, and Ezra (the name of the chatbot), offered to "get this resolved straight away".

It asked for a tracking reference, and after I had typed that in, it told me that my parcel had been delivered.

I could request proof of delivery, and when I did so it showed me a photo of the package… at the wrong front door. And there was no option to advance the conversation after this "evidence" was shown.

In response, Evri tells the BBC it is investing £57m to further improve the service.

"Our intelligent chat facility uses tracking data to suggest the most helpful responses and ensure the customer's parcel is delivered as soon as possible, if this has not happened as scheduled," it says.

"Our data confirms the vast majority of people get the answers they need from our chat facility, first time, within seconds. We're always reviewing feedback to ensure our services are as helpful as possible, and we continue to make enhancements on a rolling basis."

On the flipside, rival parcel delivery firm DPD had to disable its less rule-bound AI chatbot after it criticised the company and swore at users.

Getting the balance right between being on brand and genuinely helping customers is a tricky one for businesses to grapple with as they migrate to AI.

Some 85% of customer service leaders are exploring, piloting or deploying AI chatbots, according to Gartner. But it also found that only 20% of such projects are fully meeting expectations.

"You can have a much more natural conversation with AI," says Gartner analyst Emily Potosky.

"But the downside is the chatbot could hallucinate, it could give you out-of-date information, or tell you completely the wrong thing. For parcel delivery I would say rules-based agents are great because there are only so many permutations of questions about someone's package."

Resources and money are among the key reasons businesses may be considering the move from human to AI customer service. But Ms Potosky points out that it isn't a given that AI will be cheaper than human agents.

"This is a very expensive technology," she says.

The first thing that any business wanting to replace humans with AI will have to do is ensure that they have extensive training data.

"There's this idea that knowledge management becomes less important because generative AI can solve the fact that their knowledge is not particularly well organised, but actually the opposite is the case," adds Ms Potosky.

"Knowledge management is more important when deploying generative AI."

Joe Inzerillo, chief digital officer at software giant Salesforce, tells the BBC that call centres provide fertile training grounds for AIs, particularly ones that have been moved to low-cost areas such as the Philippines and India.

This is because a lot of staff training will have been done, which the AI can also learn from.

"You have a huge amount of documentation, and that's all really great stuff for the AI to have when it is going to take over that first line of defence," he says.

Salesforce's AI-powered customer service platform, AgentForce, is currently being used by a range of customers from Formula 1, to insurance firm Prudential, restaurant-booking website Open Table, and social media site Reddit.

Mr Inzerillo says that when Salesforce first put the platform through its paces it learned some valuable lessons about how to make the AI seem more human-like.

"While a human might say 'sorry to hear that', the agent just opened a ticket," says Mr Inzerillo.

So the AI was trained to show more sympathy, especially when a customer has a problem.

Salesforce also found that not allowing the agent to talk about competitors proved problematic.

"This backfired when customers asked legitimate questions about integrating Microsoft Teams with Salesforce," says Mr Inzerillo. "The agent refused to help because Microsoft appeared on our competitor list."

The firm subsequently replaced that rigid rule.

Salesforce has ambitious plans for the continuing rollout of its AI agents, and so far it claims that they are a hit with its customers. It also says that the vast majority of customers, 94%, are choosing to interact with AI agents when given the option.

"We've seen customer satisfaction rates that are in excess of what people get with humans – then AI can unlock the next level of customer service," says Mr Inzerillo.

It has also meant that the firm has cut customer service costs by $100m, but he was keen to play down recent headlines that suggest this has led to 4,000 jobs being slashed.

"A very large percentage of those people got redeployed in other areas around customer service."

Fiona Coleman runs QStory, a firm which is using AI to offer human call centre workers more flexibility in their shift patterns. Its customers include eBay and NatWest.

While she sees the value in AI improving working conditions, she is not sure the technology can ever replace humans entirely.

"There are times where I don't want to have a digital engagement, and I want to speak to a human," she says.

"Let's see what it looks like in five years' time - whether an AI can do a mortgage application, or talk about a debt problem. Let's see whether the AI has got empathetic enough."

The use of AI in customer service could, in fact, already be facing a backlash.

Legislation currently proposed in the US to move off-shore call centres back to America also requires businesses to disclose the use of AI, and transfer a caller to a human if asked to do so.

Meanwhile, Gartner predicted that by 2028 the EU may mandate what is called 'the right to talk to a human" as part of its consumer protection rules.

Should K-beauty products have to come from South Korea?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwykqrlwwxqo, 5 days ago

Korean skincare or "K-beauty" products are very popular around the world.

But as exports from South Korea hit $10.3bn (£7.7bn) last year, cosmetics companies in other countries have introduced their own K-beauty ranges that are not Korean-made.

Does this blurring of the definition matter?

K-beauty products first came to international attention in the 2010s, part of a wave of other Korean exports, such as K-pop and K-drama.

The K-beauty skincare regime can be very elaborate, involving as many as 10 different steps, each requiring a separate product. This caught the imagination of people around the world, and sales rose sharply.

Annual exports from South Korea increased from $650m in 2011 to $4bn in 2017, according to official figures, a sixfold rise in just six years.

Recognising this huge jump in demand, cosmetics brand Seoul Ceuticals was launched in 2017, named after the South Korean capital.

"We started to see this increase in growth in interest in K-beauty, and began developing a skincare brand to meet that demand… when we really saw it emerging in the US," says Seoul Ceuticals' director of retail relationship Ann Majeski.

"It has been extremely successful. We expect to do over $14m in sales in 2025. We've seen a global acceptance and demand for the K-beauty products. We've started selling in India, Latin America, Europe and Australia."

But Seoul Ceuticals is not a Korean company. It is based in the US, where it also manufacturers all its products.

The business doesn't claim to be Korean, but it does say that it makes "real, authentic Korean skincare".

That may sound like a contradiction, but the company says it isn't because its ingredients are sourced from South Korea.

"I think we were a little more sensitive about it when we were first starting, because we wanted to be very transparent that the products are made in the US," says Ms Majeski.

"[But] we source our ingredients in Korea… we wanted to be able to legitimately say we are a K-beauty brand."

But not everyone would agree with this.

"The products should be manufactured by a Korean manufacturer," says Seung Gu Kim, co-founder of K-beauty cosmetics firm Hwarangpoom.

He runs the business with his wife Elisa Ahonpää-Kim. While they are based in Finland, all of their team except Elisa are Korean, and all their products are made in South Korea.

"The most important thing that we both absolutely agree is that the brand should develop its concept, and ideas, and products with a Korean perspective," says Mr Kim.

"That can come through in the ingredients, the design. Or cultural elements, basically anything that clearly connects to the brands to Korea, or at least reflects a Korean influence."

However, the couple do admit that the definition of K-beauty remains complex.

"I guess it's a very vague concept, because on the market you will find a lot of brands that are made by Koreans who live abroad," says Ms Ahonpää-Kim.

"And then brands like Lancôme and Clinique manufacture their products in Korea and Japan, but then it doesn't make those brands Japanese and Korean."

There is currently no official definition of K-beauty. And there is no protected designation of origin to defend it, like in the case of Champagne or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

And there is no plan to set one up, according to the K-beauty Industry Association, the only K-beauty trade body officially approved by the South Korean government.

"We are currently more focused in promoting and expanding K-beauty," says the organisation's chairman Chang Nam Jang.

"While the trend is quite established in Asia, it is only just starting in Europe and the US, and we don't want to throttle the growth by imposing any sanctions on them."

However, the association does have rules for its members – they must be companies that are registered in South Korea, and their products must be officially tested and approved by Korea Food & Drug Administration. That approval is required in order to sell inside South Korea.

"If a product is developed in a way that suits the climate and environment of Korea, and is recognized as a viable product in the Korean market, then we would acknowledge it as K-beauty," says Mr Jang.

Hwarangpoom agrees with this definition, and has received approval from KFDA. And Seoul Ceuticals has also started the process to attain KFDA approval, to bring their products to Korean consumers.

With K-beauty exports from South Korea in 2024 20% higher than in 2023, there is a lot of money to be made in the sector whether the firms are homegrown or not.

In fact, South Korea is now the largest exporter of cosmetic products after France and the US.

However, this success has spawned counterfeiters.

Mark Lee is the CEO of MarqVision, a US-based business helps firms spot fakes and get them removed from sale.

"For a major Korean beauty brand, which I cannot disclose, we recently conducted 29 test purchases across major US marketplaces," he says. "Twenty six of them were fake. So that's a 90% counterfeit rate."

And in 2024 as a whole, Marqvision identified $280m worth of fake K-beauty products in the US market alone.

The high number of counterfeits greatly frustrated K-beauty fan Gracie Tullio. "Shopping online for K-beauty was a really scary experience," she says.

This led to London-based Ms Tullio launching PureSeoul in 2019, a K-beauty retail business that sells authentic products sourced directly from Korean manufacturers.

She says she gets customers who visit the shop with suspected fake products to check if they are real.

"Even our customers can be sometimes tempted by the lower price [of online fakes]. It's so tempting for them just to give it a go and see, and nine times out of 10, it's not real," she says.

The start-up creating science kits for young Africans

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c201zx3yyx1o, today

Stemaide's goal is to bring science and technology skills to all young Africans.

Started in 2022 in Ghana, it has developed a science kit that will work in areas without the internet.

Prince Boateng Asare, CEO of Stemaide, says the firm wants to prepare young Africans for the jobs of the future.

This is the second in a six-part series on technology in Africa.

Trump administration must continue food aid during shutdown, US judges say

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr433x9zqq4o, yesterday

The Trump administration cannot suspend food aid used by about 42 million low-income Americans during the US government shutdown, two federal judges have ruled.

The rulings said the government must pay for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap) benefits, also known as food stamps, using emergency funds.

US President Donald Trump said he had instructed government lawyers to ask the courts how the administration could legally fund Snap, adding: "Even if we get immediate guidance, it will unfortunately be delayed."

While individual US states administer the benefits, the programme uses money from the federal government, which has been unfunded and shut down since 1 October.

Republicans and Democrats have traded blame for the federal shutdown, which is entering its second month.

The Snap programme works by giving people reloadable debit cards that they can use to buy essential grocery items. A family of four on average receives $715 (£540) per month, which breaks down to a little less than $6 (£4.50) per day, per person.

Several states have pledged to use their own funds to cover any shortfall, but have been warned by the federal government that they will not be reimbursed.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said it will not distribute food assistance funds in November due to the shutdown, saying: "The well has run dry".

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said payments could be made as soon as Wednesday.

"There's a process that has to be followed, so we have got to figure out what the process is," Bessent told CNN on Sunday.

Pressed on whether that process could be done by the middle of the week to give out benefits, he replied: "Could be".

Dozens of US states sued the Trump administration over its plans to halt funding, hoping to force it to use a roughly $6bn (£4.5bn) emergency contingency fund for Snap.

Trump said on Truth Social on Friday: "If we are given the appropriate legal direction by the Court, it will BE MY HONOR to provide the funding."

Massachusetts US District Judge Indira Talwani wrote in her decision that the states that sued were likely to win in court on their claim that "Congress intended the funding of Snap benefits, at a reduced rate if necessary, when appropriated funds prove insufficient".

The judge said the administration must access the contingency funding to pay the benefits and had until Monday to report back to the court on whether they will authorise at least partial benefits for November.

Judge Talwani also wrote that the Trump administration "erred in concluding" that the USDA was blocked by law from tapping the emergency reserves in the contingency fund when there was a lapse in federal funding.

The USDA had said those reserves were insufficient to pay full benefits, which cost $8.5bn-$9bn each month. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins had said she would only use the fund for an emergency such as a natural disaster.

Even if the government turns to the contingency fund, it would only be able to cover about 60% of beneficiaries in a single month, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), a think-tank focused on policies that help low-income families.

Judge Talwani also asked the administration to report back on whether it will pay full benefits for the month by moving money from other programmes, similar to the administration transferring military research funds earlier this month to pay members of the armed forces.

In a separate ruling in Rhode Island, federal Judge John J McConnell Jr ordered the Trump administration to make full Snap benefit payments by 3 November.

The judge said the contingency fund - in addition to a separate $23bn fund created through the Agricultural Adjustment Act amendments of 1935 - could be used to make full payments.

If the government chooses not to use these other funds, Judge McConnell Jr ruled the government had to make a partial payment using the total amount of the contingency funds by 5 November.

The USDA did not comment on the decisions. The BBC has also contacted the Office of Management and Budget for comment.

The National Parents Union urged the government to take action, calling the move to halt benefits "a moral disgrace and a direct assault on America's working families".

China to ease chip export ban in new trade deal, White House says

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy5qgy93w9go, today

China will begin easing an export ban on automotive computer chips vital to production of cars across the world as part of a trade deal struck between the US and China, the White House has said.

The White House confirmed details of the deal in a new fact sheet after Xi Jinping and Donald Trump met in South Korea this week.

The nations also reached agreements on US soybean exports, the supply of rare earth minerals, and the materials used in production of the drug fentanyl.

The deal de-escalates a trade war between the world's two largest economies after Trump hit China with tariffs after he entered office this year, leading to rounds of retaliatory tariffs and global business uncertainty.

A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington told the BBC that details of the agreements reached had been shared by "competent authorities".

"China-US economic and trade relations are mutually beneficial in nature," he said.

"As President Xi Jinping noted, the business relationship should continue to serve as the anchor and driving force for China-US relations, not a stumbling block or a point of friction."

Speaking on Sunday following the release of the deal details, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNN: "We don't want to decouple from China… (But) they've shown themselves to be an unreliable partner."

Much of what is in Saturday's fact sheet was announced by Trump and other officials following the meeting between the two leaders.

Trump had described the talks, held in South Korea, as "amazing", while Beijing had said they had reached a consensus to resolve "major trade issues".

One of the issues addressed in the deal was the export of automotive computer chips. There had been concern that a lack of chips from Nexperia, which has production facilities in China, could create global supply chain issues.

Nexperia is a Chinese-owned company, but is based in the Netherlands. About 70% of Nexperia chips made in Europe are sent to China to be completed and re-exported to other countries.

The fact sheet states that China will "take appropriate measures to ensure the resumption of trade from Nexperia's facilities in China, allowing production of critical legacy chips to flow to the rest of the world".

It follows Beijing saying on Saturday that it was considering exempting some firms from the ban.

Firms are still scrambling to find out what it means for them, said Sigrid De Vries, director general of the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association.

"The Chinese authorities have said they would start exporting eligible chips again, that they're investigating and making lists of companies ...but the scope and the conditions are as yet unclear," she told the BBC's Today programme.

She added that China easing the automotive chip ban was positive news because "supply shortages were imminent".

But she warns "they are still looming" because of the interruption so far, adding that it's hard to tell if vehicle prices will be affected.

Last month, the likes of Volvo Cars and Volkswagen warned a chip shortage could lead to temporary shutdowns at their plants, and Jaguar Land Rover said the lack of chips posed a threat to their business.

On other key issues, Beijing will now pause export controls it brought in last month on rare earth minerals - vital in the production of cars, planes and weapons - for a year.

The White House also said it would lower tariffs brought in to curb the import of fentanyl into the US, with China agreeing to take "significant measures" to deal with the issue.

Fentanyl is a synthetic drug manufactured from a combination of chemicals, and while it is approved for medical use in the US, the powerful and highly-addictive substance has since become the main drug responsible for opioid overdose deaths in the US.

The chemicals used in its manufacturing, some of which have legitimate uses, are mostly sourced from China.

On soybeans, China has committed to buying 12 million tonnes of US soybeans in the last two months of 2025, and 25 million metric tonnes in each of the following three years - which is roughly the level they were previously at.

China's decision to stop purchasing soybeans from the US earlier this year denied American farmers access to their largest export market.

In response, Trump revived a bailout for farmers which was in place during his first term in office.

Vue cinema boss: I don't see streaming as the competition

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c986d9jjv87o, yesterday

The boss of one of the UK's biggest cinema chains says he does not see streaming services and home entertainment as competition.

Tim Richards, the founder and chief executive of Vue International, says film studios tried to "circumvent" cinemas during the pandemic but lost "hundreds of millions of dollars" as a result.

"I think the studios certainly learned that we are in one small ecosystem, we all need each other," he told the BBC's Big Boss Interview podcast.

Rival cinema chains have a constructive relationship too, he says: "We are fairly open in terms of trading best practices. We want to have a message that cinemas are a great place to have a good time."

Richards spoke of the turbulence of the last five years for the film industry.

Vue went from having its best year ever in 2019, to being "effectively closed for almost two years" during the Covid-19 pandemic, to grappling with actors' and writers' strikes which shut down production for nearly another year.

While Richards was trying to figure out how to prevent Vue from going under, or from having to lay off any of its staff, streaming services like Netflix saw their subscriber numbers explode.

"I had a singular focus: save the company and save all of our 10,000 employees," he says.

"When you have a mission like that, failure is not really an option, because the consequences are too high."

Even as cinemas began to re-open, industry figures questioned whether the model of film release had changed for good. Films like Marvel's Black Widow saw minimal theatrical runs as streaming platforms tried to push their original productions.

More recently, titles like K-Pop Demon Hunters and The Thursday Murder Club are playing for just a few weeks in cinemas, despite proving to be hugely popular.

But Richards is unfazed. Vue returned to pre-pandemic trading levels this year and is expecting next summer to be the company's biggest ever.

He is emphatic that there will always be an appetite for the big screen: "During the pandemic, there was an increase with subscription services because people had no choice...But that has not continued."

"I have never looked at what happens in the home as being competition...our biggest, most frequent customers are Netflix subscribers or Disney Plus subscribers. People who love movies love movies in all formats."

The Hollywood strikes, too, he says, were a supply issue, not a demand one. "We've never had a demand issue."

Richards clearly knows the ecosystem of films inside out. Before founding Vue (then Spean Bridge Cinemas) in 1999, he was a senior executive at Warner Brothers, operating the studio's own cinema chain, Warner Village. Spean Bridge bought Warner Village's 36 cinemas in 2003, and the Vue brand was born.

"The headline in the business section of the Times was: 'Unknown Bit Player Buys Warner Brothers,'" he recalls with a laugh.

Entertainment industry squeezed

Due to cost-of-living pressures persisting, many parts of the entertainment industry are seeing revenue slow down as people cut back on discretionary spending.

Added to this are rising operational costs: an increase in the minimum wage and higher employer national insurance contributions.

"We have done our very, very best to not pass on those costs to our customers," Richards said. "And we haven't. And we've taken a small hit as a consequence, but we're hoping that the volume which we've seen as a consequence will follow it."

Still, he says, the entertainment industry has been "squeezed...and kind of attacked in some instances".

Government decisions have "hurt the people they're trying to help", in his view.

What's the industry's message ahead of the upcoming budget? "Please don't touch [us] again."

And while Richards doesn't believe that streamers are poaching his customers, he says he does worry about "somebody turning right and going to a theme park or a football game or something else".

But it's not a case of teenagers and young adults sitting at home instead of going out: "They're a lot more social than previous generations, and that has shown in our attendance with a lot of our movies."

And what is his own favourite movie?

He responds diplomatically: "I see a lot - a lot - of movies every week.

"But I look at a movie like One Battle After Another. And when I see a movie like that, I have hope for the future because it's such an incredible movie. Original IP, original story, incredibly well done."

Shein accused of selling childlike sex dolls in France

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gjjyvg1nqo, yesterday

France's consumer watchdog has reported fast fashion giant Shein to authorities for selling "sex dolls with a childlike appearance" on its website.

The Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) said in a statement that the online description and categorisation of the dolls "makes it difficult to doubt the child pornography nature of the content", French media reported.

Shein told the BBC: "The products in question were immediately delisted as soon as we became aware of these serious issues." It said its team was "investigating how these listings circumvented our screening measures".

Shein is also "conducting a comprehensive review to identify and remove any similar items that may be listed on our marketplace by other third-party vendors".

The DGCCRF has reported Shein to French prosecutors as well as Arcom, the country's online and broadcasting regulator, according to French media.

The news has emerged just days before Shein is set to open its first permanent physical shop anywhere in the world - in a Parisian department store.

The decision to allow Shein to open at BHV Marais, a shop in France's capital city that traces its roots back to 1856, has provoked controversy. The company has faced criticism for its labour practices and environmental record.

Shein will open at BHV on Wednesday ahead of other shops across France, all owned by property firm Société des Grands Magasins.

Commenting on the dolls sold on Shein's site, France's consumer watchdog warned that "the dissemination, via an electronic communications network, of child pornography is punishable by up to seven years' imprisonment and a fine of €100,000 (£88,000)".

Shein said it "maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards any content or products that violate our platform policies or applicable laws".

A spokesperson said the fast fashion firm is taking the matter "extremely seriously".

"We are taking immediate corrective actions and reinforcing our internal controls to prevent this from happening again," they said.

Shein has already been fined millions of euros in recent months.

In September, France's data protection authority, the Commission Nationale de L'informatique et des Libertés, imposed a €150m (£132m) penalty on Shein for failing to get users' consent to allow "cookies" which collect information about people visiting a website.

Shein is contesting the fine, which it called "wholly disproportionate" and "politically motivated".

Andrew fixed palace visit for firm with £1.4m deal with ex-wife

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy5q05v0q1xo, yesterday

Andrew Mountbatten Windsor arranged a private tour of Buckingham Palace while the late Queen was in residence, for businessmen from a cryptocurrency mining firm which agreed to pay his ex-wife up to £1.4m, the BBC can reveal.

Jay Bloom and his colleague Michael Evers were driven through the palace gates in the former prince's own car after being collected from their five-star Knightsbridge hotel for the visit in June 2019.

Their company, Pegasus Group Holdings, which Mr Bloom co-founded, employed Sarah Ferguson as a "brand ambassador" for a crypto-mining scheme which would lose investors millions when it failed less than a year later.

Mr Bloom, an entrepreneur who had previously set up a failed Mafia-themed museum in Las Vegas, and Mr Evers, a former actor, were met by a greeter and escorted inside the palace.

Mr Evers told the BBC they then met the Queen, although Mr Bloom disputed this.

Both Mr Evers and Mr Bloom were invited by the then-prince to his Pitch@Palace event - a Dragons' Den-style business pitching competition - at nearby St James's Palace later that day, and they dined that evening with Andrew, Ms Ferguson and their daughter Princess Beatrice.

Ms Ferguson was working with Pegasus Group Holdings at the time of the palace visit, while she was Duchess of York, to promote plans to use thousands of solar power generators to mine Bitcoin at a remote site in the Arizona desert.

But the project ultimately failed with only 615 of the planned 16,000 generators acquired and just $33,779 (about £25,000) in cryptocurrency mined.

In April 2021, some investors took legal action, claiming millions of dollars of investor funds were unaccounted for. A tribunal awarded the investors $4.1m, but Mr Bloom is seeking permission to appeal.

The revelations add to growing questions about how Andrew and his former wife have funded their lifestyle, as well as long-standing concerns about their business connections and that the then-prince may have used his royal titles and connections for private gain.

On Thursday evening, Buckingham Palace announced that it was starting the formal process of stripping Andrew of his royal titles and that he would be losing his Windsor mansion, following intense criticism of his links with the billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Andrew and Ms Ferguson did not respond to a detailed list of questions about their involvement with Mr Bloom and the crypto-mining venture.

Sarah Ferguson was paid more than £200,000 for her work for the company and a leaked contract reveals she was in line for a separate bonus worth £1.2m.

She also received a stake in the business, which proposed using solar generators to reduce the cost of the energy-intensive computer calculations needed to generate or "mine" the digital currency Bitcoin.

Her contract stipulated that she required first-class travel, five-star hotels and the services of a professional hairdresser and make-up artist for the maximum of four "networking events" she would attend on the company's behalf.

It said she did not "hold herself out as an expert on the solar industry" and therefore accepted no responsibility for "industry-related information or commercial assessments" used as the basis for her statements promoting the company.

A royal friendship

Sarah Ferguson first met the Las Vegas businessman Jay Bloom in May 2018 when she was at a convention in the city to promote one of her children's books.

The pair struck up a friendship and business relationship.

Pegasus documents would subsequently describe her role as to "engage with the company's clients, investors and strategic relationships" as well as involvement with the company's planned "philanthropic activities".

For Mr Bloom, it was an introduction to royal circles which would lead to visits to Buckingham Palace and St James's Palace, a tour of Ms Ferguson and Andrew's home, the Royal Lodge in Windsor, and dinners with her and her family in at least four different countries.

Eight years before the duchess signed up to be a brand ambassador for Pegasus, Mr Bloom had hit the Las Vegas headlines, accused of missing payments and deceiving investors in connection with a "mob experience" exhibition in the city. Mr Bloom denied wrongdoing, fought investors' lawsuits and vowed to repay them.

He now had a new company, Pegasus, and ambitions to build a hotel and casino in Greece.

It was there in July 2018, while considering investing in the company, that Michael Evers, a former actor and reality TV star who had made money from cryptocurrency investments, first met Ms Ferguson.

The hotel and casino did not get built, but Mr Bloom had soon pivoted Pegasus to a new idea, one that was inspired by seeing a mobile solar power generator in use at the Las Vegas motor speedway in early 2019, according to filings in the later legal action brought by investors.

Mr Bloom and his co-founders hit upon a plan to use vast banks of these units to power a crypto-mining operation. The endeavour, the company estimated, would generate millions of dollars a month.

In March 2019, Ms Ferguson had dinner with Mr Bloom in Los Angeles. They had lunch at the Beverly Hills Hotel a few days later as she helped him try to close a deal for Pegasus. One of her daughters stopped by during the meal.

Mr Evers was now working for Pegasus as well as being an investor. He said he and Mr Bloom were regularly in London over the following months as they explored taking Pegasus public on the AIM market - part of the London Stock Exchange for growing companies.

He said he got to know Ms Ferguson and her family and "through all that, I met Prince Andrew [and] Princess Beatrice and a lot of their family" who he described as "really great people, really friendly".

"We were there once a month for a week to two weeks at a time and every time the relationships just kind of grew stronger and stronger and they started offering tours of different places, I guess like behind the scenes or I don't know what you'd call it," Mr Evers said. "And just wanting to introduce us to more and more people."

As well as a tour of the Royal Lodge, Andrew and his ex-wife arranged for the pair to visit Buckingham Palace on a day in June 2019 when it was closed to the public.

They were picked up from their Knightsbridge hotel by an official driver in a dark blue Range Rover used by Andrew and driven through the palace gates in the early afternoon.

Once inside they were taken through to the inner courtyard, where a female greeter was waiting to meet them. A video taken by the men from inside the car captured their arrival.

A former Royal Household employee, who reviewed the footage, told BBC News that it was clear that palace security staff on the gate were expecting the vehicle.

"The ramp was dropped before they came out to speak to the driver," they said. "That was the reception we'd expect if we were carrying a member of the Royal Family."

What happened once they went inside is disputed by the two men.

Mr Evers said they had been told in advance that there would be an opportunity to meet the Queen. But once there, he said staff told him he was not allowed to take photos.

"They didn't want anyone knowing that we were meeting Elizabeth. And it was very, very brief, she was not doing super well, so it was more just like a hello and in passing. No touching or anything," he said.

He said it wasn't a formal meeting, "it was just like a quick, 'hello, goodbye'".

The Queen was in residence that day, with her published schedule including her regular weekly audience with the prime minister. The Palace was unable to confirm or deny whether the introduction with the two men took place.

Responding to questions by email, Mr Bloom initially said he had decided just to visit the palace as a tourist. He subsequently said the only person he met at the palace was a "staffer".

When challenged and presented with evidence from his own social media, which included footage of him being driven into the palace, and comments about spending time with Andrew, and there being "pictures I can post, the pictures I can't, and then the stuff I couldn't take pictures of... lol", Mr Bloom said he had misremembered.

He then admitted that he "was in fact shown to Andrews [sic] office and did thank him for the car and for him and Sarah arranging the tour".

He denied ever having met or been in the same room as the late Queen.

Mr Bloom made a second visit to Buckingham Palace in July 2019, photos show. On social media he made an apparently joking reference to "meeting HRH".

Helicopters and guns in the desert

Two months later, Ms Ferguson was one of two celebrity guests - alongside the motivational speaker Tony Robbins, who says he has coached figures such as Serena Williams and Hugh Jackman - at a "ground breaking" for Pegasus's energy project launch in the Arizona desert.

They were flown in, with Mr Bloom, Mr Evers and others, in two black-and-gold helicopters and posed with gold-coloured spades and construction hats at the remote site of what Pegasus promised would become a multi-billion-dollar off-grid data centre.

With armed guards with AR-15 rifles and pistols standing nearby, Mr Bloom introduced Ms Ferguson at a press conference as a "personal friend".

In the short speech that followed, Ms Ferguson praised the company, saying she was "so proud to be here" and touted the potential philanthropic uses of the technology in Africa.

That October, a month before Andrew's fateful BBC Newsnight interview where he disastrously attempted to explain his connections to Mr Epstein, Ms Ferguson signed a contract agreeing to provide specific services for Pegasus.

For reasons that remain unexplained, the contract itself was with Alphabet Capital, a British company whose owner, Adrian Gleave, ran a number of caravan and holiday parks.

A High Court ruling in London in 2024 has previously revealed that Ms Ferguson received more than £200,000 for her work for Pegasus from Alphabet Capital.

Andrew has also received money from Alphabet, including £60,500 traced to Mr Gleave and his businesses, according to court documents previously reported by the BBC.

Neither Andrew nor Mr Gleave have explained why this money was paid.

Mr Bloom said he has never heard of Alphabet or Mr Gleave and there was no connection with Pegasus.

Lawsuits and recriminations

A year after investing millions of dollars in the crypto solar scheme, some of its main investors became concerned about progress and began legal proceedings.

In 2023, judges from the Commercial Arbitration Tribunal in the US found in the investors' favour awarding them millions of dollars.

Jay Bloom has since mounted a number of legal challenges over the award in the Nevada courts.

Mr Bloom told BBC News that Pegasus emphatically disputed "any allegations of misconduct" and said they were "addressing the clearly flawed arbitral findings through established legal processes".

Andrew and Ms Ferguson did not respond to the BBC's questions, including whether Ms Ferguson planned to repay money received for her Pegasus work to the company's investors.

Mr Evers said he regretted being involved with Pegasus. He said Mr Bloom was "working very, very hard to get all the investors paid back" but that he was frustrated to still be owed money himself several years later.

Millions of Americans brace for healthcare insurance costs to spike

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cnvee260n8eo, 3 days ago

Americans are expected to see skyrocketing healthcare prices as the open enrollment period for insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace begins on Saturday.

About 24 million people buy health insurance through the marketplace, the majority of whom used to receive tax credits to lower the monthly price.

Without credits, the monthly cost could rise by 114% on average, according to health research non-profit KFF. This could mean an extra $1,000 a year, and in some cases much more.

Democrats have demanded the healthcare subsidies, which expire at the end of the year, be extended in exchange for ending the month-long federal government shutdown.

Republican leaders have argued the health insurance issue should be dealt with separately, and after the government reopens. Though some conservative lawmakers have expressed concerns with the subsidies ending.

For those who have previously made use of the tax credits, the new costs could be a shock.

Stacy Cox and her husband, who are small business owners in Utah, were paying $495 (£376) a month for health insurance.

Ms Cox said that, without the tax credits, their monthly premiums are estimated to rise to $2,168, a 338% increase.

"It's horrific to actually see real numbers," she said.

If the subsidies are not extended, Ms Cox said she and her husband will cancel their health plan and buy some type of emergency insurance, which would not cover any of their routine and preventative healthcare costs.

The back-up plan is worrying for Ms Cox, who has an autoimmune disease, and her husband, who has hereditary cardiovascular disease.

"It's horribly stressful, because what I know is that the emergency plan is not going to cover what I need," she said.

Experts say that about seven million people like Ms Cox are expected to stop buying health insurance through the marketplace if the tax credits end. Of those, between four and five million are expected to lose healthcare coverage altogether because they won't be able to find other means, some experts suggest.

Lawmakers remain at an impasse over the issue, as they enter the second month of the government shutdown.

Democrats are seeking to renew the subsidies and reverse steep cuts US President Donald Trump made to Medicaid, the government-run programme which provides healthcare insurance for low-income adults, children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with disabilities.

Some Republican lawmakers have criticised the subsidies as a part of Obamacare legislation that they do not support.

But at least a few conservative lawmakers have said they want the tax credits to continue, including Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has said she is "absolutely disgusted" by the subsidies ending.

Americans were also facing the possibility of a suspension of food aid used by more than 40 million people because of the government shutdown.

But judges on Friday ruled that the Trump administration must pay for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap) benefits using emergency funds.

Trump reacted to the legal decision via Truth Social on Friday, saying: "Our government lawyers do not think we have the legal authority to pay Snap with certain monies we have available, and now two Courts have issued conflicting opinions on what we can and cannot do.

"I have instructed our lawyers to ask the Court to clarify how we can legally fund Snap as soon as possible."

Canadian PM Carney apologises to Trump over anti-tariff advert

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4007deg2qo, 3 days ago

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said that he has apologised to US President Donald Trump over an anti-tariff advertisement that quoted Ronald Reagan.

Trump suspended trade talks with Canada and said he would impose an additional 10% tariff on Canadian imports in response to the advert last week.

"I did apologise to the president," Carney told reporters at the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation Summit in South Korea on Saturday.

The advert used a series of clips from former President Reagan's 1987 national radio address, in which he argued that tariffs would hurt America's economy.

"Such trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer," Reagan said in the speech.

Carney said the advert - which was funded by the province of Ontario - was "not something I would have done" and that Trump was "offended" by it.

Trump said on Friday that Carney had apologised to him and added that the two had a "very good" relationship. But, he said, "what he did was wrong".

Carney said that Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, who was responsible for the advert, had shown him the clip beforehand and he advised Ford not to go forward with it.

The advert aired during the first two World Series baseball games between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ford said the TV spot had garnered "one billion views" as well as attention from as far as the UK and India.

The advert reportedly led to an "expletive-laced tirade" between US envoy Pete Hoekstra and Ontario trade representative David Paterson.

Ford said Hoekstra had made remarks that were "absolutely unacceptable" and said he needed to call Paterson to apologise.

Since taking office, Trump has imposed sweeping tariffs on a host of nations, including Canada.

The US has a 35% tariff on Canadian goods, though most are exempt under an existing free trade agreement. Certain sectors, however, have separate tariffs, including 50% on steel and aluminium and 25% on automobiles, which have particularly hurt Ontario.

Trump has accused Canada of using the advert to interfere in an upcoming US Supreme Court case that will weigh whether the president's tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China and dozens of other countries are legal.

China to loosen chip export ban to Europe after Netherlands row

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly44qwgnx0o, 3 days ago

Beijing has said it will loosen a chip export ban it imposed after Dutch authorities took over Nexperia, a Chinese-owned chipmaker based in the Netherlands.

In September, the Netherlands invoked a Cold War-era law to take control of Nexperia, stating "serious governance shortcomings" which could impact the availability of chips - which are critical for making cars - in an emergency.

China said in response that it would not re-export Nexperia chips completed in its Chinese factories to Europe. Last month, the likes of Volvo Cars and Volkswagen warned it could lead to temporary shutdowns at their plants.

On Saturday, Beijing said it would consider exempting individual firms from the ban.

Around 70% of Nexperia chips made in Europe are sent to China to be completed and re-exported to other countries.

On Saturday, the Chinese government said: "We will comprehensively consider the actual situation of enterprises and grant exemptions to exports that meet the criteria."

It did not elaborate on what that criteria is, but criticised "the Dutch government's improper intervention in the internal affairs of enterprises" which, it said, led to "the current chaos in the global supply chain".

Last week, in a letter seen by the Reuters news agency, Nexperia told customers it would stop sending chips to China to be processed. It said it was developing "alternative solutions to ensure supply continuity" for customers.

Nexperia is headquartered in the Netherlands but owned by Wingtech, a company backed by the Chinese government, which acquired the Dutch business in 2018.

In October, Zhang Xuezheng, Nexperia's chief executive and the founder of Wingtech, was ousted as the firm's boss after a Dutch court suspended him as a director.

The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs said at the time it was concerned about "serious managerial shortcomings" under his leadership and "observed that Nexperia's operations in Europe were being compromised in an unacceptable manner".

Last month, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) had warned Nexperia chip supplies would only last a few weeks unless the Chinese ban was lifted.

"Without these chips, European automotive suppliers cannot build the parts and components needed to supply vehicle manufacturers and this therefore threatens production stoppages," the group said.

The latest plans by Beijing to relax its export controls have emerged after US President Donald Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping met in South Korea earlier this week.

Trump later said the leaders discussed chips, while Beijing's post-meeting readout did not explicitly mention any area of trade.

The White House is expected to release a fact sheet later on Saturday detailing its new trade agreement with China.

In December 2024, the US government placed Chinese chip manufacturer Wingtech on its so-called "entity list", identifying the company as a national security concern.

In the UK, Nexperia was forced to sell its silicon chip plant in Newport after MPs and ministers expressed national security concerns. It currently owns a UK facility in Stockport.

Businesses are running out of pennies in the US

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20556ly45eo, 3 days ago

US businesses are literally going penniless.

Since the Trump administration ended minting the one-cent coins earlier this year, those still in circulation are becoming harder to find. Many stores are now rounding their cash sales down to the nearest five cents, saying there are no federal guidelines on how to proceed.

"That adds up really quickly," said Dylan Jeon, senior director of government relations with the National Retail Federation

In February, President Donald Trump said producing the coin was wasteful and too expensive and on social media called to "rip the waste out of our great nation's budget, even if it's a penny at a time".

The US Mint officially stopped making pennies in May. The Treasury Department estimated shortages would start in early 2026, but they actually came much sooner. Banks can't get pennies from the federal government, so businesses can't get them from the banks.

"We first heard about the issue in late August, early September," Mr Jeon said. "It's really impacting any business that deals with cash payments."

Now store clerks don't know what to do when their tills are bare and someone needs change in pennies from a cash purchase.

The temporary solution for many, Mr Jeon said, is rounding the price of the sale up or down to the nearest five cents so the customer can use a nickel, the next lowest tender in the US.

But some cities, including New York, require retailers to give exact change and others don't allow cash payments to differ from card payments for the same item, Mr Jeon said.

To avoid lawsuits and customer complaints, many retailers have chosen to just round down.

"You're talking about losing up to four cents for every cash transaction across multiple stores across the country," he said. "It's unsustainable."

Many stores are now urging customers to pay in exact change. Others are hosting promotions for customers to bring in extra pennies they have at home.

Convenience stores are some of the hardest hit by the shortage, said Jeff Lenard, a spokesperson for the National Association of Convenience Stores.

Convenience giant Kwik Trip has announced it is rounding down to the nickel, which it says will cost it up to $3m (£2.3m) this year.

American coins have been discontinued before, including the half-cent, three-cent and 20-cent pieces that were retired in the 1800s, Mr Lenard said. It's been many years, though, since a staple like the penny - which entered ciruclation in 1793 - has ceased production.

"People don't want the penny until they can't get it back in change," he said.

It costs nearly four cents to make a penny.

But keeping the zinc and copper coins in circulation will help lower-income Americans who primarily pay in cash, said Mark Weller, executive director of Americans for Common Cents.

"These are people that don't have the access to checking accounts and charge cards and banking services," he said. "You hurting lower-income groups when you start rounding transactions."

He also thinks the government savings from not producing pennies will be offset by the need for more nickels, which are worth five cents but cost nearly 14 cents to make.

People watching the penny world believe there needs to be federal guidance for both businesses and shoppers on rounding, how to carry out transactions during the shortage, and generally what to do with the coins.

"There will always be pennies out there, it's just such a low-utilisation coin," said Mr Jeon. "People forget about them in their pockets, they lose them in their couch, they're sitting in jars. Those are coins that aren't making it into circulation."

Nvidia strikes bumper AI deals with Asia tech giants

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyv862r7l2ro, 4 days ago

US chip giant Nvidia will supply more than 260,000 of its most advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chips to South Korea's government, as well as Samsung, LG, and Hyundai.

The companies will all deploy the AI chips in factories to make everything from semiconductors and robots to autonomous vehicles and meant that South Korea can "now produce intelligence as a new export," chief executive Jensen Huang said.

Mr Huang did not disclose the value of the South Korean deals.

It caps off a busy week for Nvidia, which on Wednesday became the first company to be valued at $5 trillion and on Thursday saw signs of a thaw in US-China trade relations that may mean it can export more of its chips to China .

Speaking at a CEO summit on the sidelines of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) in Gyeongju, South Korea, Mr Huang added that with the chips, companies would be able to create "digital twins" with other factories around the world.

These deals form part of Nvidia's latest effort to expand AI infrastructure globally, to further integrate AI into products and services.

Nvidia has been striking international partnerships which helped it become the first company ever to be valued at $5tn (£3.8tn) on Wednesday.

Caught in the middle

The South Korea deals come as Nvidia grapples with the fallout of the China-US trade war.

China made up more than a tenth of Nvidia's revenue last year, but the extent of China's access to Nvidia's chips has been a point of friction with Washington.

"We used to have 95% share of the AI business in China. Now we're at 0% share. And I'm disappointed by that," Huang said in Gyeongju on Friday.

Trump said after his meeting with Xi on Thursday that Beijing will hold talks with Nvidia to discuss sales of its chips in China.

Trump said the talks remained between China and the US company, but that the US government will play the role of a "referee" of sorts.

On Friday, Huang said he would like to sell Nvidia's state-of-the-art Blackwell chips to China, although the decision needed to be made by the US President.

The US imposes export controls on sales to China of Nvidia's most-advanced AI chips.

The tech boss had no news on China sales, or the talks between the two leaders but that he hopes they'll find a way to have new policies that allow chips back into China.

"It's in the best interest of America to have the China market and it's in China's interest to have an American company bring technology to the country," Huang said.

"We'd like to see American technology be the global standard."

AI power

South Korea - which is already home to major semiconductor companies and vehicle manufacturers - wants to become a regional AI hub.

The country is the ideal place to expand AI infrastructure, according to the Nvidia CEO, because of its access to energy and land, and its ability to construct factories.

President Lee Jae Myung said he would prioritise AI investment after coming into office in the face of US tariffs.

With the Nvidia deal, the South Korean government plans to build computing infrastructure that it will control, a term known as "sovereign AI".

More than 50,000 Nvidia chips will power data centres at the National AI Computing Center and facilities owned by South Korean companies like Kakao and Naver.

The chip giant is dependent on the tightly-knit supply chains that run through the Asia Pacific region.

Nvidia is primarily a chip designer, and so outsources most of its physical production to manufacturers like Samsung, SK Hynix and TSMC.

TSMC has been a critical partner for Nvidia, making the company's most advanced AI chips, including its flagship Blackwell series.

Samsung makes parts for Nvidia's H20 chips, a scaled-down processor made for the Chinese market under US export rules.

National security experts and some politicians have long voiced concerns about the US selling AI chips to China, saying that Beijing could use them to gain an advantage in AI, as well as in military applications.

Analysts say that US efforts to block China's access to advanced computer chips have fostered innovation within China.

Both Huawei and Alibaba have unveiled their own chips that they say can rival Nvidia's products for the Chinese market.

Beijing has also reportedly prohibited local firms from buying from Nvidia, urging them to buy from Chinese chipmakers to give its domestic tech industry a boost.

"We respect deeply the capabilities of China," Nvidia's Jensen Huang said on Friday.

Nvidia's share price was this week further boosted by a wave of new deals, including partnerships with the US Department of Energy, Nokia, Uber, and Stellantis - moves aimed at reassuring investors that AI investments will deliver returns.

Hopes of a revival in China sales, following trade talks between Presidents Trump and Xi, also lifted its share price.

Additional reporting by Jaltson Akkanath Chummar

Disney pulls channels from YouTube TV over fee dispute

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2emmdx0x38o, 4 days ago

Subscribers to YouTube TV have lost access to ESPN, ABC and other Disney channels, as the two companies struggle to negotiate a licensing deal.

Disney said the online pay-TV platform, which is owned by the tech giant Google and available only in the US, had refused to pay fair rates for the content, which also include National Geographic and the Disney channel.

In its own statement, YouTube TV said that Disney's proposed terms "disadvantage our members while benefiting Disney's own live TV products".

After tense negotiations, the channels vanished from YouTube TV just before midnight on Thursday - the deadline to reach a new deal. The blackout affects roughly 10 million subscribers.

If Disney channels remain suspended for an "extend period of time", YouTube TV said it would offer subscribers a $20 credit.

YouTube and Disney-owned Hulu are among the biggest online TV platforms in the US.

Their stand-off follows similarly contentious talks this year between YouTube and other media companies, which had also threatened to limit the shows available to YouTube TV subscribers.

Google struck a deal at the last minute with Comcast-owned NBCUniversal earlier this month to keep shows like "Sunday Night Football" on YouTube TV. It has also reached agreements with Paramount and Fox in recent months.

In separate statements, both Google and Disney said they were working toward a resolution to restore Disney content to YouTube TV.

Still, the companies remain divided on fees.

"With a $3 trillion market cap, Google is using its market dominance to eliminate competition and undercut the industry-standard terms we've successfully negotiated with every other distributor," a Disney spokesperson said in a statement.

But YouTube said in a statement that Disney was proposing "costly economic terms" that would lead to higher prices for YouTube TV customers and limit their options for content, benefiting Disney's own live TV offerings like Hulu+ Live TV.

Four easy ways to spend less and save more money

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6258nn89dgo, 4 days ago

We've all looked at our bank account and wondered why we don't have as much money as we thought we did, and suddenly, the bills, shopping and socialising begin to add up.

For many of us, our relationship with money is strained and dealing with financial matters leaves us feeling overwhelmed or stressed.

If you're struggling to get on top of your finances, here are four ways to help you manage your money better.

1. Look at when you spend money

Sitting down and thinking about what actually drives you to spend money can help you stop destructive patterns, says journalist and author Anniki Sommerville.

When she previously worked in a very stressful corporate role, she bought new clothes everytime she achieved something difficult or challenging.

"I felt like I deserved to reward myself.

"I had this pattern of spending, which was like 'you've done a really good presentation, now you deserve to buy yourself something.'"

Abigail Foster, a chartered accountant and author, says the easiest way to discover these kinds of habits is looking through your bank statements, to see when you spend the most.

"Is it late at night? Is it the weekends? I have friends that have really bad habits of when they're bored on the train, they start buying things."

Understanding these instincts, enables us to put in steps to prevent them.

"You can be better equipped to make an alternative decision and go, 'Do you know what? I can just take a deep breath and not purchase something.'"

2. Spend an hour a week on your finances

Anniki says when she was younger, she often felt scared to check her bank balance and avoided dealing with money as much as possible.

This kind of behaviour is often linked to our education, says Claer Barrett, consumer editor at the Financial Times.

"How we felt about maths in school, maybe that burning feeling of shame of not knowing the answer or putting your hand up to answer a question and getting it wrong, that can often make us feel like, I can't do maths. So therefore, I can't do money."

"We should be really pushing on that door and trying to understand more about our financial situation."

Abigail says the only way to do this is to force yourself to tackle it head on, setting aside a set amount of time each week to look at your bank account and all your outgoings.

"It's a minimum of an hour a week.

"Just go through your finances and kind of be hit with it. It sounds a lot, but it can be really calming for your nervous system."

Doing this will often throw up outgoings that you've forgotten, such as a subscription for a gym you haven't been to in six months or a random app you've forgotten you've subscribed to, she says.

3. Don't let jargon put you off - ask questions

Often the terms associated with money can be offputting.

Claer says don't let words like investing, scare you, instead take time to learn about them.

"Whether we're talking about stocks and shares, or investing in a pension. We need to give ourselves every advantage financially," she says.

"So being shy or feeling shameful, not asking these interrogating questions is the worst thing we can do."

She suggests making a list of things you are unsure about, whether that's consolidating pensions or asking for a pay rise at work, and slowly working through them.

Don't be too hard on yourself if you're just starting.

"We're all a work in progress. I've got my financial to do list at the back of my diary. There are some things that have been on it for more than a year.

"That's just life, but as long as I can try and do something every week towards making my financial situation a better place, that's moving forward."

4. Set up a freedom fund

Many of us are already too stretched keeping up with the costs of everday living to even think about saving.

But for those who can afford to, Abigail suggests setting up a "freedom fund" to give you options when life gets difficult.

She recommends setting up an easy access account only in your name and not joint, and to put a portion of your income away every month.

Unlike an emergency fund pot for things like unexpected car and house repairs, a freedom fund is money designed to "make you happier."

"So when a job no longer serves you, you can think 'I've got some money sat away so I can go and look for something else.'

"Or if you want to leave a partner, that freedom fund can give you the ability to walk out."

The US bet big with Argentina bailout - is it paying off?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g3mdvle78o, 4 days ago

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been the point-person entrusted with selling financial markets on some of President Donald Trump's riskiest economic gambles: sweeping global tariffs, trade talks with China and preparations to install a new leader at the US central bank.

But Bessent's trickiest task may just be the White House bet on Argentina.

The US stepped onto the scene in mid-September, responding to a plunge in the peso - the Argentine currency - which officials feared could imperil Trump ally President Javier Milei and his party in looming midterm elections.

Bessent said the US would do whatever was needed to stabilise the situation, calling the country a key ally in the region.

In political terms, the US intervention - which included purchases of pesos and the establishment of a $20bn (£15bn) currency swap line that gives the Argentine central bank access to dollars - was a success for Milei.

His party not only fended off losses in the midterm elections but made inroads, strengthening his position.

But whether the US intervention in the country will be a success financially is another question.

The peso has fallen roughly 30% this year, including roughly 4% over the last month. The drop came despite the US commitments - and a modest rally after the election.

It's an indication of the ongoing risk. At the end of the day, the US could find itself holding a pile of pesos worth much less than they were originally.

The intervention in Argentina was a highly unusual move - especially from a White House known for its "America First" approach.

Milei has endeared himself to conservatives in the US with his embrace of free-market reforms and radical spending cuts. He has met frequently with Trump, who has called him his "favourite president".

But the US has rarely offered financial bailouts to other countries - especially in a case that posed no wider financial stability risks - and direct purchases of a struggling emerging market currency are unprecedented, says Brad Setser, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Adding to the risk is Argentina's long history of currency devaluation and debt default, including most recently in 2020.

Few are positioned to be as aware of the potential pitfalls as Bessent, who made his name as a currency trader working for George Soros.

Bessent famously took part in the 1992 speculation against the British pound. At that time, investors who bet that Sterling had been overvalued were said to have broken the Bank of England with their heavy selling.

This time, Bessent finds himself on the opposite side of similar gamble. He has defended his moves, invoking the spectre of fellow South American country, Venezuela, and arguing that failure to shore up Argentina as a US ally could lead to destabilisation in the region.

"These results are a clear example that the Trump Administration policy of Peace through Economic Strength is working," Bessent wrote on social media after the recent election in Argentina.

On Wednesday, Bessent posted again to say: "the Argentine economic bridge has now turned a profit for the American people".

The US Treasury Department did not respond to inquiries seeking more details.

But it has kept quiet about key information needed to assess Bessent's claims - including the timeline and scale of its peso purchases - or sales - and what, if any, other assets the Argentine government pledged in order to secure the swap deal.

Analysts have estimated the US has purchased as much as $2bn worth of pesos so far - hardly an earth-shattering figure.

But Democrats have criticised the help at a time of White House spending cuts and an ongoing government shutdown, accusing Bessent of wanting to protect finance "buddies" with investments in the country.

Even some members of Trump's own Republican Party have questioned how the aid aligns with the president's "America First" goals.

Bessent has disputed any characterisation of the US support for Argentina as a "bailout", promising there will be "no taxpayer losses" and even declaring the peso "undervalued".

But while that could be true for a short-term trade, that view is not the general consensus.

To the contrary - most analysts say the peso is overvalued, but has been propped up by support from the Argentine central bank, which set trading limits for the peso in April.

Economists say maintaining such limits is not sustainable. They cite the surge in Argentines travelling to make purchases in neighbouring countries where their money travels farther as one of the signs that the peso is being held artificially high.

The Argentine central bank has insisted it is committed to the trading band, which was intended to protect the country from wild currency swings destabilising prices and support Milei's efforts to control inflation.

But it has already had to spend billions buying pesos to keep the currency steady, burning through International Monetary Fund (IMF) funding and dipping into its foreign reserves, which are key to paying its debt obligations.

Economists say they expect the bank will have to change its policy to allow the peso to fall more - or the country risks needing another bailout.

That choice presents a dilemma for Bessent, given his promises to guard the US against losses.

"Is the US willing to provide support to Argentina so that Argentina can defend the peso at this level?" Mr Setser asks. "Bessent has to decide in a sense whether to double down... or he has to let the peso adjust and recognise that his intervention was a bridge to the election."

The peso plummeted ahead of the midterms, as businesses and households in Argentina rushed to trade the currency for dollars.

People wanted to protect themselves, remembering the way the currency collapsed in 2019 after the election loss of former president Mauricio Macri, who was also known for economic reform, says Joaquín Bagües, managing director of Buenos Aires-based Grit Capital Group.

"Every single guy that I talked to, they wanted to buy dollars... they have very fresh memories about that," he said, describing the run as a "confidence crisis."

Mr Bagües says the demand for dollars has eased since the election.

But the peso has not experienced the kind of sustained relief seen in other assets, like bonds or the stock market, which surged more than 20% the day after the election and has continued to rise.

While Argentine companies are starting to tap international lending markets again, after being frozen out ahead of the election, analysts say they expect US banks to remain wary of lending to Argentina, despite a push by Bessent to arrange an additional $20bn in private financing.

And Mr Bagües says there are too many policy questions ahead to predict what will happen to the peso.

Kathryn Exum, co-head of sovereign research at Gramercy Funds Management, suggests that the peso could rise "over the medium term" if the government is able to continue advancing economic reforms.

But, she adds, "there's a lot that needs to be done between now and then".

For now, Anthony Simond, investment director on the emerging market debt team at Aberdeen Group, says he expects the peso has farther to fall.

"Bessent may say one thing, but I think the economic reality may force them to be a little bit more flexible in terms of currency management," he says.

Apple claims 'tremendous' global uptake of latest iPhones

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz6n98exv9zo, 4 days ago

The latest iPhones have seen "a tremendous response" across the globe, said Apple boss Tim Cook as the tech giant released its latest financial results.

The firm unveiled its thinnest iPhone, the Air, in September, along with upgraded iPhone 17 models, proving a bumper crop for the firm.

It said it expects the upcoming Christmas and New Year's period to be a blockbuster, forecasting overall revenue to be up to 12% higher than the same period last year.

But Apple narrowly missed estimates for iPhone sales in its fourth quarter that ended in September, which boss Tim Cook blamed on supply constraints for several iPhone models along with a lag in shipments to China.

Despite that, during a call with analysts Mr Cook said Apple is heading into the holiday season "with our most powerful lineup ever".

The iPhone Air helped entice customers and boost sales.

If the company meets its sales forecast for the holiday season, it would be Apple's "best quarter ever", chief financial officer Kevan Parekh told analysts on Thursday.

Apple reported overall fourth quarter revenue of $102.5bn (£77bn), topping analysts' estimates and representing an 8% increase from the previous year. But iPhone revenue, specifically, came in slightly below expectations at $49bn (£37bn).

Mr Cook stressed that global demand for iPhone 16 and 17 models has been robust, despite constraints that led to the sales miss in the recent quarter.

"We're not predicting when the supply and demand will balance," Mr Cook said. "We're obviously working very hard to achieve that, because we want to get as many of these products out to customers as possible."

In the Chinese market, he said he "couldn't be more pleased with how things are going", citing strong reception to the new iPhone 17.

Data from Counterpoint, a technology market research firm, showed that the first 10 days of iPhone 17 sales in the US and China were up 14% compared with sales of the iPhone 16.

The effects of US President Donald Trump's tariffs also remain top of mind for Apple's investors. It manufactures many iPhones in China and its global supply chain leaves it vulnerable to trade wars - though a recent meeting between Trump and President Xi raised hopes for a de-escalation of tensions.

Mr Cook on Thursday told analysts that the company took at $1.1bn (£836m) hit from tariffs in the recently ended quarter. He said the hit will likely amount to another $1.4bn in the holiday quarter as Trump imposes taxes on those whom he sees as "unfavourable" to the US economy.

Amazon, which also reported quarterly results on Thursday, projected sales to land between $206bn (£156bn) and $213bn (£161bn) for the current quarter through December, largely in line with analysts' expectations.

"We're encouraged by the start of the peak season," Brian Olsavsky, Amazon's chief financial officer, told analysts.

Amazon also said that revenue from Amazon Web Services (AWS), its cloud computing business, rose 20% in the third quarter from the previous year - its fastest pace since 2022.

For investors, that AI-driven growth could come as a reassurance, as Apple faces fierce competition in the race to dominate the AI boom.

Apple's stock has lagged behind that of rivals Microsoft and Alphabet, both of whom on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to spending big on the technology. Those firms have reported even faster growth than Amazon in their cloud computing businesses.

"We continue to see strong demand in AI and core infrastructure, and we've been focused on accelerating capacity," Andy Jassy, Amazon's chief executive, said in a statement.

'This is the big one' - tech firms bet on electrifying rail

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czdjg92y00no, 4 days ago

Every day, thousands of passengers heading south west on trains leaving Aldershot station pass a cluster of solar panels nestled by the tracks. Few, if any, may notice the installation. But the train they are on is drawing power from it.

"On a sunny afternoon, if you are catching a train through Aldershot, a little bit of the energy for that train will come from those solar panels," says Leo Murray, co-founder and chief executive of Riding Sunbeams, a start-up aiming to use renewable energy resources for rail electrification projects.

Riding Sunbeams built the Aldershot array in 2019 . It's small in scale at just 40 kilowatts – equivalent to roughly 10 of the rooftop solar arrays you would find on a typical British home. But it demonstrates how renewables can feed directly in to the railways.

Not only that, Mr Murray says it is currently the only solar array in the country that delivers power directly to rail to move trains. "If you are a railway, this is the cheapest electricity you can buy," he adds.

Around the country, and the world, many trains still run on diesel – a fossil fuel. To go electric, rail operators have traditionally had two options: electrified rail, or overhead lines that that trains connect to with arm-like pantographs on their roofs. Installing either of these systems can be expensive and technically challenging.

But engineers are working on new ways of implementing such technologies and completely different alternatives are also emerging, which could speed up electrification projects.

A key barrier to electrification is often the limitations of the local electricity grid – it's hard to get access to a big connection for powering your trains. "That problem has only become much, much worse," says Mr Murray.

This is why he views solar panels as so useful in enabling railway electrification projects.

Mr Murray says that, after the Aldershot project, he had hoped Riding Sunbeams would go on to build a full-scale commercial pilot. But funding problems got in the way.

Now, however, Network Rail, which owns and maintains railway infrastructure in Great Britain, is seeking suppliers for rail-side renewables projects.

"This is the big one," says Mr Murray, explaining that his business is planning to bid for a contract.

New projects bring new complexities, however. At Aldershot, the track was already electrified – it was a case of plugging solar panels in to that existing system.

But for trains that are switching off diesel and moving over to overhead lines, leveraging solar is harder. This is because solar panels produce direct current (DC) electricity whereas overhead lines use alternating current (AC).

Efforts are underway in England to develop a new converter device that could solve this problem, though.

Separately, Colton Junction between Leeds and York, the fastest railway junction in the UK – where trains speed through at up to 125mph – was electrified recently with the help of software developed at the University of Huddersfield.

The software makes a 3D model of the overhead line system, allowing engineers to plan its construction in minute detail – lowering costs by removing the need for certain forms of traditional testing and evaluation.

"Everything was specified in the software in terms of measurements," says João Pombo, associate director of the university's Institute of Railway Research. "All the trains are running at maximum speed at that junction since August."

But there are completely different ideas for electrification out there. Polish start-up Nevomo has developed an electromagnetic propulsion system. It's retrofitted onto existing track by fitting a thick aluminium cable into an enclosure that runs between the rails. This generates a magnetic field strong enough to propel freight wagons fitted with magnets.

"We eliminate locomotives completely," says Ben Paczek, founder and chief executive. "Each wagon becomes independent. They can also operate in groups."

A key benefit of the technology, says Mr Paczek, is that it allows operators to bring freight wagons to a stop very quickly – and, as a consequence, that means they could, in principle, safely put lots of independently moving wagons relatively close together on one stretch of rail, increasing the density of freight transportation in a particular area.

Nevomo hopes to launch working implementations of its technology at a steel plant in Bremen, Germany, and at a port in India next year.

These will be relatively small in scale, each covering track distances of less than 1km (0.6 miles). But Mr Paczek hopes to see bigger installations in the future. "In a quite conservative environment like rail, we need to demonstrate it properly first."

It would be possible to automate the motion of electromagnetically-propelled wagons, he adds – though initially they will be controlled remotely by human operators.

In the US, Parallel Systems is also working on electrifying individual freight wagons so that they can move independently around a rail network – but in a very different way, with batteries. The firm's wagons would have a range of 800km, says co-founder and chief executive Matt Soule.

He describes it like moving packets around a distribution centre – "atomised freight", and quite unlike traditional locomotive-pulled freight trains that can be more than 2km long. "We're focused on doing the shorter stuff that they're not doing," says Mr Soule.

He adds that he does not aim to replace freight locomotives, but rather to offer a rail-based delivery service that could compete with trucking. "If we simply grab 10% of the trucking market, we've doubled the rail industry," he says.

Stuart Hillmansen at the University of Birmingham, who has worked with Riding Sunbeams in the past, says organising the movement of individual freight trains on an existing rail network could be "quite challenging – certainly on [British] railways".

But he says that new technologies are helping to facilitate electrification – and that electrified trains in general are now the "go-to" option for new railways.

"All of these technologies are physically feasible and can work, the thing is managing the business case," he says.

I built this 'AI aunt' for women after family tragedy in South Africa

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd673291pljo, yesterday

A gruesome killing in her own family inspired South African Leonora Tima to create a digital platform where people, mostly women, can talk about and track abuse.

Leonora's relative was just 19 years old, and nine months pregnant, when she was killed, her body dumped on the side of a highway near Cape Town in 2020.

"I work in the development sector, so I've seen violence," Leonora says. "But what stood out for me was that my family member's violent death was seen as so normal in South African society.

"Her death wasn't published by any news outlet because the sheer volume of these cases in our country is such that it doesn't qualify as news."

The killer was never caught and what Leonora saw as the silent acceptance of a woman's violent death became the catalyst for her app, Gender Rights in Tech (Grit), which features a chatbot called Zuzi.

This is one of the first free AI tools made by African creators to tackle gender-based violence.

"This is an African solution co-designed with African communities," says Leonora.

The aim is to offer support and help gather evidence that could later be used in legal cases against abusers.

The initiative is gaining interest among international women's rights activists, although some caution that chatbots should not be used to replace human support, emphasising that survivors need empathy, understanding, and emotional connection that only a trained professional can provide.

Leonora and her small team visited communities in the townships around her home in Cape Town, speaking to residents about their experiences of abuse and the ways technology fits into their lives.

They asked more than 800 people how they used their phones and social media to talk about violence, and what stopped them from seeking help.

Leonora found that people wanted to talk about their abuse, but "they were wary of traditional routes like the police".

"Some women would post about it on Facebook and even tag their abuser, only to be served with defamation papers," she says.

She felt that existing systems were failing victims twice, first in failing to prevent the violence itself, and then again when victims tried to speak up.

With financial and technical support from Mozilla, the Gates Foundation, and the Patrick McGovern Foundation, Leonora and her team began developing Grit, a mobile app that could help people record, report and get a response to abuse while it was happening.

The app is free to use, though it requires mobile data to download it. Leonora's team says it has 13,000 users, and had about 10,000 requests for help in September.

At its core, Grit is built around three key features.

On the home screen is a large, circular help button. When pressed, it automatically starts recording 20 seconds of audio, capturing what's happening around the user. At the same time, it triggers an alert to a private rapid-response call centre - professional response companies are common in South Africa - where a trained operator calls the user.

If the caller needs immediate help, the response team either sends someone to the scene themselves or contacts an organisation local to the victim who can go to their aid.

The app was built with the needs of abuse survivors at its core, says Leonora: "We need to earn people's trust. These are communities that are often ignored. We are asking a lot from people when it comes to sharing data."

When asked whether the help feature has been misused, she admits there have been a few curious presses - people testing to see if it really works - but nothing she'd call abuse of the system.

"People are cautious. They're testing us as much as we're testing the tech," she says.

The second element of Grit is "the vault", which Leonora says is a secure digital space where users can store evidence of abuse, dated and encrypted, for possible use later in legal proceedings.

Photos, screenshots, and voice recordings can all be uploaded and saved privately, protecting crucial evidence from deletion or tampering.

"Sometimes women take photos of injuries or save threatening messages, but those can get lost or deleted," Leonora says. "The vault means that evidence isn't just sitting on a phone that could be taken away or destroyed."

This month, Grit will expand again with the launch of its third feature - Zuzi, an AI-powered chatbot designed to listen, advise, and guide users to local community support.

"We asked people: 'Should it be a woman? Should it be a man? Should it be a robot? Should it sound like a lawyer, a social worker, a journalist, or another authority figure?'" Leonora explains.

People told them that they wanted Zuzi to be "an aunt figure" - someone warm and trustworthy, who they could confide in without fear of judgment.

Although built primarily for women experiencing abuse, during the testing phase, Zuzi has also been used by men seeking help.

"Some conversations are from perpetrators, men asking Zuzi to teach them how to get help with their anger issues, which they often direct at their partners," Leonora explains. "There are also men who are victims of violence and have used Zuzi to talk more openly about their experience.

"People like talking to AI because they don't feel judged by it," she adds. "It's not a human."

UN Women reports that South Africa experiences some of the world's highest levels of gender-based violence (GBV), with a femicide rate that is five times higher than the global average. Between 2015 and 2020, an average of seven women were killed every day, according to South African police.

Many, including Lisa Vetten, a specialist in gender-based violence in South Africa, agree that it is inevitable that technology will play a role in addressing it.

But she also warns of caution around the use of AI in trauma-centred care.

"I call them Large Language Models, not artificial intelligence because they engage in linguistic analysis and prediction - nothing more," she says.

She can see how AI systems may be able to help, but knows of examples where other AI chatbots have given incorrect advice to women.

"I worry when they give women very confident answers to their legal problems," she says. "Chatbots can provide helpful information but they are incapable of dealing with complex, multi-faceted difficulties. Most importantly, they are not a substitute for human counselling. People who have been harmed need to be helped to trust and feel safe with other human beings."

Grit's approach has drawn international attention.

In October, Leonora and her team presented their app at the Feminist Foreign Policy Conference hosted by the French government in Paris, where global leaders met to discuss how technology and policy can be used to build a more gender-equal world. At the conference, 31 countries signed a pledge to make tackling gender-based violence a key policy priority.

Conversations are buzzing around the use of AI, says Lyric Thompson, the founder and head of the Feminist Foreign Policy Collaborative, "but the moment you try to include gender in the conversation, to raise the dangers of racist, sexist and xenophobic bias being baked in, eyes glaze over and the conversation shifts - likely to a back corridor where there aren't any pesky women around to raise it".

Heather Hurlburt - an associate fellow at Chatham House, specialising in AI and its use in tech - agrees that AI "has enormous potential either to help identify and redress gender discrimination and gender-based violence, or to entrench misogyny and inequity", but adds which way we go is "very much up to us".

Leonora is clear that the success of AI to tackle gender-based violence depends not just on engineering, but on who gets to design technology in the first place.

A 2018 World Economic Forum report found that only 22% of AI professionals globally were women, a statistic that is still often cited.

"AI as we know it now has been built with historic data that centres the voices of men, and white men in particular," Leonora says.

"The answer is not only about having more women creators. We also need creators who are women of colour, more from the global south, and more from less privileged socio-economic backgrounds."

Only then, Leonora Tima concludes, can technology begin to represent the realities of those who use it.

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Football Manager has finally added women's teams after 20 years. I put the game to the test

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyz8de5p57o, 2 days ago

The most recent edition of the Football Manager game was played by a mind-blowing 20 million people.

But last year a new game wasn't released, for the first time in its 20-year history.

That's due to significant delays as its studio, Sports Interactive, made massive changes to refresh the series.

Usually, minor tweaks and features are added in new versions.

But what's coming in Football Manager 26 - when it finally releases on 4 November - is closer to a complete rewrite of everything that came before.

Some of the new features are ambitious, to say the least.

It will be the first game ever to feature women's football, including around 40,000 players from 14 leagues.

And the user interface - the system you click through to sign players, read news and get to the football - has been remade.

Essentially, it is no minor update.

"This isn't a continuation," series boss Miles Jacobson told me. "This is a new game - the start of the next 20 years."

He even admitted it wasn't perfect, and said fixes would be needed.

And let's be blunt - as the public beta test nears its end, there are a lot of people online who are frankly furious with many of these changes.

"The user interface sucks," reads one angry comment. "They ruined my favourite game," reads another.

"New leadership is needed," reads a third.

Speaking of the leadership, Jacobson accepted this game could impact his future at the studio.

After last year's cancellation, he told me Football Manager 26 simply needed to be a hit.

"You live and die by your decisions," he said. "If it was the wrong decision then I'm not going to be here in a year's time."

So what is it - a bold new step for one of the best-selling gaming franchises in history, or a colossal misfire akin to Ange Postecoglou's 39-day stint in charge of Nottingham Forest?

Four years of sweat and tears

Fans of women's football will be relieved to know this is no half-measure.

I played through a few seasons as Liverpool in the Women's Super League and was pleasantly surprised by just how well-integrated women are into the game.

"It's been four years of sweat and tears," Sports Interactive's head of women's football research Tina Keech told me.

"This is the biggest database in women's football in video games. We've had to go out and do some real hard work to find this accurate data."

She explained getting the stats of individual players' careers isn't as simple as Googling it - back in the day, clubs weren't so diligent about keeping records.

But Football Manager, of course, is not just a database.

On the pitch, it benefits from new graphics, based on work with women's footballers in the motion capture studio, and a perhaps unlikely source: VAR.

Players' movements in real life have been captured by the tech and turned into animations in the game.

Women's football provides its own unique challenges to the series.

Like in the real world, budgets are much tighter even for the top teams, so you need to be more careful how you spend your money.

For example, I mindlessly appealed against a failed work permit application to sign an international player - an irrelevant sum to a top men's team - only to discover this had wiped out a solid chunk of my transfer budget.

It all felt like playing Football Manager on hard mode, which was a welcome challenge.

But for those of us looking for a way to make the game a bit easier, Keech gave us the inside track on the game's first ever female wonderkids - young footballers who haven't yet hit the big time but who have significant potential.

She told me about two players in particular who can be signed immediately and have the potential to become star players - as long as you have the money.

"Felicia Schröder, I think there were quite a few WSL [Women's Super League] clubs looking at her in the summer, she's out in Sweden, scoring goals for fun," Keech said. "And then Trinity Armstrong, who's out in the US and is supposed to be a really impressive centre-back."

Tactical overhaul

It's the football matches themselves which have faced the biggest changes.

In previous versions, you didn't have much to do between watching the highlights. You could follow the text at the bottom of the screen, but most people just twiddled their thumbs and waited.

But that's all changed - now, you see a small visual representation of what's happening with dots on a screen, harking back to how the game looked in the 00s.

Visually, it's lots of fun, with new camera angles which better reflect how football plays out on the telly.

Another massive new feature - and I appreciate this one is really for the football nerds out there - is an overhaul of the tactics system.

Previously you would have one tactic and individual instructions for players. Now, you can set two different tactics at once - one for when your team has the ball, and one for when they don't.

These completely change the match experience for the better, and coupled with the new graphics, it's fair to say football has never been so much fun in Football Manager.

I'll even admit to clapping my hands and spinning in my chair with excitement when Fūka Nagano blasted in a piledriver from 35 yards - which led to a bunch of staff at the studio gathering around to watch the replay.

But for all the bits that work, there are problems too. The game sometimes felt unfinished.

I played a work-in-progress version of the game when I visited Sports Interactive in October, and since then, I've been playing a "beta" version. So it's possible some of these issues may be addressed by the time the game comes out.

The user interface has been the focus of dissent online, and not without good reason. When it works, it's great - but when you can't figure out how to do something, it's a chore.

Fans will say the old user interface had its problems, but we all knew how to use it - so why change it?

Then there were the bugs. At various times, information displayed incorrectly, menus didn't pop up when I clicked on them, and once a player even seemed to forget to wear their kit in a match and played in a tracksuit instead.

For a lot of people, these aren't deal-breakers, and some may even sound quite petty.

But I'm only listing a few of the problems I encountered. There's no real excuse for all of the problems this close to the game's full release.

Final whistle

After playing the game for quite a few hours, I was torn.

You have to reward the studio for the ambition. The matches are great, and women's football is an excellent addition.

But you can't manage national teams for men or women, only club teams, which seems ridiculous after England goalie Hannah Hampton's heroics this summer - though I've had it confirmed this will be added later as a free update.

And on that point, the studio confirmed to me there will be only one paid extra, an editor that lets you change player's stats. There will be no flood of micro-transactions or season passes, as has become common elsewhere in the gaming industry.

But there are glaring bugs. As someone who's been playing since 2004, it's clear to me the user interface needs many more months of work.

Ultimately, the thing fans will want to know is: can you still be hooked by the new version of a game so addictive it has reportedly been cited in multiple divorce cases?

As I enter my fourth season in charge of Liverpool, following a genuinely devastating 1-0 defeat in the Uefa Women's Champions League final to Arsenal courtesy of a late Alessia Russo goal, my answer probably becomes fairly obvious.

All the changes take some getting used to, but that desire for just "one more match" hasn't gone away.

Does that mean you should get it? I don't know. But I do think the early social media critics should remember one thing that's been a fact of football for decades.

Fans calling for the manager to be sacked should often be careful what they wish for.

'Having AI interview me for a job felt wrong'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gwwlj8dd3o, today

A comedian and writer says he turned down a job interview after learning the questions would be coming from Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Richard Stott, from Beverley, East Yorkshire, said he had applied for a freelance copywriting role but turned down the interview after he was told it would be "led by AI".

"It didn't sit well so I told them if interviewing in person wasn't worth their time then the role wasn't worth mine and I left it," he said.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) said employers need to "strike the right balance between AI and human interaction when hiring".

Mr Stott, who is a freelancer, voiced his concerns about the AI interview on social media and said he received "unanimous support" from people saying it was "not a good idea".

"It felt disrespectful that they weren't willing to put time into speaking to candidates," he added.

"When you're going into a company or team personality is important and you can't quantify that in data, so to have AI remove that seems counterintuitive."

Despite this, Mr Stott said AI "can be fantastic" when used correctly, such as taking away jobs that are laborious.

"Not everyone can turn down a job interview but if they're using AI and enough of us say no then it won't take off," he added.

'One-way train'

Luke Bottomley, 37, director at James Ray Recruitment in East Yorkshire, said AI was becoming "increasingly important".

"I think AI will be something that needs to be integrated into business or they will be left behind.

"It's on a one-way train at the moment and everyone needs to be looking at it.

"That said, when it comes to the human element, I don't think it will be replaced."

Mr Bottomley explained that using AI for job applications would mean that businesses "will miss out on potentially exceptional candidates".

"Having a one-to-one interview gives the chance to know an individual and what they can bring to a role, you can't get that through a robot," he added.

Hayfa Mohdzaini, senior technology adviser at CIPD, which is the professional body for HR and people development, said: "Employers need to strike the right balance between AI and human interaction when hiring and consider candidate preferences so that they don't miss out on great talent.

"While an AI chatbot might be a cost-effective option for an employer, it might put off some candidates from applying.

"Employers should tell candidates upfront when AI will be used and explain how it will benefit them."

Additional reporting by Richard Madden and Eleanor Maslin.

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Mimicking the brain can improve AI performance

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c986ddy0myno, yesterday

University of Surrey researchers have developed a new approach to improve artificial intelligence (AI) performance by mimicking the networks of the human brain.

According to a study published in Neurocomputing, mimicking the brain's neural wiring can significantly improve the performance of artificial neural networks used in generative AI and other modern AI models such as ChatGPT.

Topographical Sparse Mapping connects each neuron only to nearby or related neurons, similarly to how the human brain organises information efficiently.

Dr Roman Bauer, senior lecturer, said: "Our work shows that intelligent systems can be built far more efficiently, cutting energy demands without sacrificing performance."

Researchers said the model eliminated the need for vast numbers of unnecessary connections, improving performance in a more sustainable way without sacrificing accuracy.

Dr Bauer added: "Training many of today's popular large AI models can consume over a million kilowatt-hours of electricity.

"That simply isn't sustainable at the rate AI continues to grow."

An enhanced version called Enhanced Topographical Sparse Mapping goes a step further by introducing a biologically inspired "pruning" process during training.

This is similar to how the brain gradually refines its neural connections as it learns.

The research team is also exploring how the approach could be used in other applications, such as more realistic neuromorphic computers - a computing approach inspired by the human brain's structure and function.

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.

Online porn showing choking to be made illegal, government says

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyk3qzq7k7o, today

Online pornography showing strangulation or suffocation is to be made illegal, as part of government plans to tackle violence against women and girls.

It follows a review which found depictions of choking were "rife" on mainstream porn sites and had helped normalise the act among young people.

Both the possession and publication of such material will be a criminal offence, under amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill currently going through Parliament.

Online platforms would also be required to proactively detect and remove such material or face enforcement action via media regulator Ofcom.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said the change would make choking in pornography a "priority offence" under the Online Safety Act, putting it on the same level as child sexual abuse material and terrorism content.

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: "Viewing and sharing this kind of material online is not only deeply distressing, it is vile and dangerous. Those who post or promote such content are contributing to a culture of violence and abuse that has no place in our society.

"We're also holding tech companies to account and making sure they stop this content before it can spread," she added.

Conservative peer Baroness Bertin warned earlier this year that there has been a "total absence of government scrutiny" of the pornography industry.

Her independent review, published in February, cited an account of a 14-year-old boy asking a teacher how to choke girls during sex and warned that people imitating such behaviour "may face devastating consequences".

The government pledged in June to table amendments to the Bill which would outlaw showing choking in online pornography.

'Serious form of violence'

A BBC survey carried out in 2019 suggested 38% of women aged 18-39 had been choked during sex.

Bernie Ryan, chief executive of the Institute for Addressing Strangulation, welcomed the government's amendment, saying choking can send "confusing and harmful messages" to women about what to expect in intimate relationships.

"Strangulation is a serious form of violence, often used in domestic abuse to control, silence or terrify," she said.

Andrea Simon, director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, described the amendments as "a vital step" towards tackling the normalisation of violence in online content.

"There is no such thing as safe strangulation; women cannot consent to the long-term harm it can cause, including impaired cognitive functioning and memory," she said.

"Its widespread portrayal in porn is fuelling dangerous behaviours, particularly among young people."

But campaigner Fiona Mackenzie, founder of the group We Can't Consent To This, was less optimistic of the proposed law's effectiveness.

She argued there were already existing laws against showing choking in pornography, but which were not enforced in practice.

This included the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, which criminalises the possession of extreme porn, including that showing life-threatening acts.

"More than five years ago, young women told us that social media sold strangulation of women as normal, as an expression of passion," she said.

"The porn sites make this normal for men - and none of those sites have ever felt the impact of the existing law.

"So a change in law or practice is needed. It's possible that this time the government might actually do something about this.

"However until we see otherwise, I don't believe that any new law will actually be enforced."

The government said in June, when the amendment was pledged, that it built on existing laws, including the Obscene Publications Act 1959 and the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008.

Government disappointed by unexpected O2 price rise

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y02797xygo, today

The government has asked the media regulator to revisit its rules on phone companies raising their prices in the middle of a contract, after O2 unexpectedly announced it was raising prices by £2.50 a month.

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said O2's higher than expected price increase is "disappointing given the current pressures on consumers".

"I believe we need to go further, faster. I am keen that we look at in-contract price rises again," she wrote in a letter to the media regulator.

Ofcom said it shared the government's concern that "customers who face price rises must be treated fairly by mobile providers".

O2 said in a statement: "We appreciate that price changes are never welcome, but we have been fully transparent with our customers about this change, writing directly to them and providing the right to exit without penalty if they wish."

Ofcom has been given until 7 November to respond to Ms Kendall's letter, and said it would respond to her specific questions shortly.

In January, new rules came in which cracked down on phone and broadband providers increasing prices in the middle of a contract without warning.

However, last week O2 announced it would be raising its monthly prices by more than originally promised.

It was able to do this because the increase was not linked to inflation, and it has given customers 30 days to leave without penalty - so long as they continue paying off the cost of their device.

The company said it has not gone against the regulation and Ofcom's rules do not stop providers from raising prices.

"A price increase equivalent to 8p per day is greatly outweighed by the £700m we invest each year into our mobile network, with UK consumers benefitting from an extremely competitive market and some of the lowest prices compared to international peers," it said.

Ms Kendall said O2 went "against the spirit" of the rules in her letter to Ofcom's chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes.

She has asked Ofcom to look into whether the 30-day switching period makes it easy enough for consumers to move to another provider.

"I would welcome your undertaking a rapid review on how easy it is for customers to switch providers," she said.

"If companies are determined to increase pricing, it is beholden on us to make sure that customers are able to go elsewhere as easily as possible."

She has also asked for an assessment into whether the January rules give consumers enough transparency into price rises during their contracts.

Ofcom's rules require companies to tell customers how much their bills will rise by in pounds and pence before their contract starts.

O2 initially said its monthly prices would increase by £1.80 a month in April 2026 for current customers.

But the firm now says they will go up by £2.50 instead.

Ms Kendall said she wants phone providers to inform all their customers - including those whose contracts started before the new rules - how much their monthly prices will go up by.

"We've always said fixed should mean fixed," said Tom MacInnes, director of policy at the Citizens Advice charity, and added the current rule "hasn't gone far enough to protect customers".

"If one company is able to get away with this, other providers could follow suit," he said.

"The time has come for the regulator to banish mid-contract price rises for good."

Meanwhile, telecoms analyst Paolo Pescatore of PP Foresight said UK network operators are "cash-strapped as margins are being squeezed".

He added: "Striking the right balance between raising much-needed funds and investing in next-generation networks is never easy."

But he said while other providers would have usually followed in announcing similar prices rises, "it seems highly unlikely that rivals will follow suit, given the consumer backlash and awareness generated thus far".

Nasa hits back at Kim Kardashian's moon landing conspiracy

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg1epp73ppo, 4 days ago

US space agency Nasa has rejected reality star Kim Kardashian's claim that the 1969 space mission to land the first man on the Moon was faked.

"Yes, we've been to the Moon before... 6 times!" Nasa acting administrator Sean Duffy wrote on social media.

Kardashian made the comments on the latest episode of her long-running TV series The Kardashians, telling co-star Sarah Paulson she thought the Moon landing "didn't happen".

Despite being consistently debunked, conspiracy theories as to whether humans actually reached the Moon have persisted for more than 50 years, particularly with the rise of social media.

In the episode, Kardashian can be seen showing Paulson an interview with astronaut Buzz Aldrin, who along with Neil Armstrong took the first steps on the lunar surface during the Apollo 11 mission.

"I'm sending you a million articles with both Buzz Aldrin and the other one," Kardashian says, before reading a quote allegedly from Aldrin responding to a question about the scariest moment of the expedition.

"There was no scary moment because it didn't happen. It could've been scary, but it wasn't because it didn't happen," she reads.

It is unclear which article Kardashian was reading from, or if the quotes were actually from Aldrin.

The reality star is later seen telling a producer that she believes the Moon landing was fake.

"I think it was fake. I've seen a few videos on Buzz Aldrin talking about how it didn't happen. He says it all the time now, in interviews. Maybe we should find Buzz Aldrin," she says.

Following the broadcast, Duffy tagged Kardashian in a post on X, rebuffing her comments, and promoted Nasa's current moon exploration program Artemis, which is "going back under the leadership" of Donald Trump.

"We won the last space race and we will win this one too," he added.

In response, Kardashian wrote back asking about the interstellar object named 3I/Atlas, which astronomers said could be the oldest comet ever seen.

"Wait…. what's the tea on 3I Atlas?!?!!!!!!!?????" she replied.

Duffy later invited Kardashian to the Kennedy Space Center for the launch of the Artemis mission to the moon.

For decades, scientists and experts have rebutted conspiracy theories claiming the Apollo 11 mission was a hoax.

"Every single argument claiming that Nasa faked the Moon landings has been discredited," according to the Institute of Physics.

Australian influencer family move to UK to avoid social media ban

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8x1ry124eqo, 4 days ago

An Australian family with millions of online fans are relocating to the UK to avoid their home country's social media ban for under-16s which starts in December.

Known as the "Empire Family", the four-member unit is made of mums Beck and Bec Lea, 17-year-old son Prezley and daughter Charlotte, 14, who all post videos of their daily lives.

In a post, the family said they use the internet "for good" and the move to the UK will mean their daughter can continue to make content.

Australia's ban - touted as a world-first - will mean Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X and YouTube must take "reasonable steps" to prevent those under 16 years from creating accounts and deactivate existing ones.

The ban is designed to protect young people from the harmful impact of social media and tech companies that do not comply risk being fined up to A$50m ($32.5m; £25.7m).

It is unclear how they will implement the ban but some potential methods include using official ID documents, parental approval and facial recognition technology, prompting concerns over data privacy and the accuracy of age verification software.

YouTube was initially exempt from the ban but earlier this year the government reversed its decision. Teens under 16 will still be able to view videos but will not be permitted to have an account, which is required for uploading content or interacting on the platform.

In the video detailing the family's decision to move from Perth in Western Australia to London, Beck says they are not against the social media ban.

"We understand that it is protecting young people from harm on the internet but we use the internet for good," she said.

"We understand that there's young people that are affected negatively from social media, we're not naïve to that."

Her concerns are that the government hasn't "defined it exactly, of how it's going to work yet".

"It covers us while Australia figures out the logistics of that rule because I think there's going to be a lot of hiccups and a lot of ups and downs."

Beck's wife Bec said social media had changed so much since it first emerged and many young people were "making a difference for good" on platforms.

The move also came about as all the family have dual British-Australian citizenship and their daughter Charlotte recently decided to switch to online schooling, meaning they can be based anywhere.

Charlotte, who posts online as Charli, has about half a million YouTube followers, about 300,000 fans on TikTok and almost 200,000 on Instagram. Her accounts are managed by her parents.

The family's main presence is on YouTube with son Prezley's account attracting 2.8 million subscribers while the family's account is followed by 1.8 million.

The videos include make-up tutorials, gaming sessions and family holidays.

Pornhub says UK visitors down 77% since age checks came in

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgkz3m3re1zo, 4 days ago

Pornhub says the number of UK visitors to its website is down 77% compared with July, when more rigorous age checks for sexually explicit sites were introduced under the Online Safety Act.

It claims sites that are ignoring the new requirements are benefiting.

The BBC has not been able to independently verify Pornhub's claim - however, data from Google shows searches for the site have decreased by almost half since the law came into effect.

This could be a consequence of people reducing their porn use but could also be partly explained by people visiting the site through alternative means such as a VPN, which masks a user's location.

Pornhub is the most visited porn site in the world - and the 19th most visited on the entire web, according to data from Similarweb.

Under the OSA, anyone accessing such websites in the UK now has to prove they are over 18 with age checks such as facial identification.

The firm's claim is the latest indication that people in the UK are changing how they use the internet since the Online Safety Act came into effect.

According to Ofcom, visits to pornography sites in general in the UK have reduced by almost a third in the three months since 25 July.

The regulator said the new law was fulfilling its primary purpose of stopping children from being able to "easily stumble across porn without searching for it".

"Our new rules end the era of an age-blind internet, when many sites and apps have undertaken no meaningful checks to see if children were using their services," the watchdog said.

Ofcom told the BBC it believed the number of people using VPNs for general use reached 1.5 million daily in July, after the law came in, but has since decreased to around one million.

Meanwhile, research by Cybernews counted more than 10.7 million downloads of VPN apps in the UK from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store across 2025.

"It is likely that people not wanting to verify their age or identity to access sexual content, for example because of privacy concerns, are using VPNs to get around this," Dr Hanne Stegeman from the University of Exeter told the BBC.

"As the location of website visitors are usually determined through IP addresses, it could be that those figures are inaccurate when a portion of visitors are using VPNs."

And Cybernews information security researcher Aras Nazarovas told the BBC people in the UK "can and do" use VPNs.

"After age checks kicked in, VPN apps jumped to the top of the UK App Store, and at least one provider saw a 1,800% surge in downloads," he said.

"So part of Pornhub's 'missing' UK audience hasn't vanished - it's being reclassified as non‑UK traffic."

But he said he believed "the rest" was indeed "users shifting to sites that don't require age checks".

'Exponential growth'

Alex Kekesi, an executive at Pornhub's parent company Aylo, told the BBC the new rules were unenforceable.

She said Ofcom faced an "insurmountable task" trying to get an estimated 240,000 adult platforms - visited by eight million users per month in the UK - to follow the rules.

This compares with the regulator taking action against fewer than 70 sites for non-compliance.

Ofcom says it prioritises sites to be investigated based on how risky they are and their number of users.

And Ms Kekesi claimed some pornographic sites have benefited from flouting the rules. The BBC has not independently verified this.

"There are a number of sites whose traffic has grown exponentially, and these are sites that are not complying," she said.

Ms Kekesi also has concerns about the content on some of these sites.

She told the BBC of one which seemed to encourage users to search for content featuring girls below the age of consent.

Aylo says it has shared details of this and other sites with Ofcom.

The regulator has defended the way it enforces the new rules, saying increasing traffic to sites can be one factor that triggers an investigation.

"Sites that don't comply and put children at risk can expect to face enforcement action," it told BBC News.

Ofcom's data shows that the top 10 most popular sites all have age assurance deployed. These sites represent a quarter of all visits to adult sites from across the UK.

It adds that over three quarters of daily traffic to the top 100 most popular sites are going to sites that have age assurance.

The government has also defended the regulator, and said protecting children online was a "top priority" for ministers.

"Where evidence shows further intervention is needed to protect children, we will not hesitate to act," it added in a statement.

Should devices do the checks?

Ms Kekesi spoke to the BBC while in the UK for a meeting with Ofcom and government officials, where she has been making Pornhub's case that age checks should be done at device level, rather than by individual websites.

She said the UK stands out in having persuaded the platform to introduce age checks.

A number of jurisdictions have sought to compel Pornhub to check its users' ages, but the response of the site has been to block users rather than comply.

Ms Kekesi said the UK was different because it allowed sites to offer a range of different solutions, meaning that Pornhub could use methods - such as email-based checks - which didn't require collecting biometric data.

She denied that the threat of hefty fines for non-compliance had been the primary motive for complying, pointing to the contrast with France - its second biggest market - where it had cut off access rather than agreeing to what regulators demanded.

Ian Corby of the Age Verification Providers Association rejected calls for a switch to device-based verification.

But he added the group shared a desire for a "level playing field" meaning age checks should be "robust, not superficial or fake".

Chelsea Jarvie, a cybersecurity company founder who has been researching methods of age assurance for a PhD at Strathclyde University, told the BBC both approaches to age checks would be needed - with neither age verification on platforms nor devices being a "silver bullet".

"For somebody to truly be safe online we need different layers of controls throughout their browsing journey," she said.

Justin Baldoni case against Blake Lively dismissed after missed deadline

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c986npp638qo, today

Justin Baldoni's $400m (£295m) lawsuit against his former co-star Blake Lively has been formally ended by a judge, who said the actor and director had failed to meet a deadline to continue his claim.

The pair, who starred in the 2024 film It Ends with Us, have been locked in a bitter legal battle since Lively sued Baldoni last December accusing him of sexual harassment and waging a smear campaign against her.

In response, he filed a lawsuit against her as well as her husband Ryan Reynolds, their publicist and the New York Times, claiming civil extortion, defamation and invasion of privacy.

Baldoni's case was dismissed in June, but he had a chance to file an amended complaint. However, Judge Lewis Liman said he had failed to do.

The judge said he had contacted all of the parties on 17 October to give them warning that he would enter a final judgement to conclude the case.

Only Lively responded, asking for the final judgement to be declared, but for her request for legal fees to remain active. The judge agreed.

Her original lawsuit against Baldoni is also ongoing.

After Baldoni's case was dismissed in June, the actress's lawyers called it "a total victory and a complete vindication".

At the time, Baldoni's lawyer said Lively's "predictable declaration of victory is false", and that "with the facts on our side, we march forward".

He added: "While the court dismissed the defamation related claims, the court has invited us to amend four out of the seven claims against Ms Lively, which will showcase additional evidence and refined allegations."

However, those amended claims were not filed, according to the latest ruling. Baldoni and Wayfarer have not commented.

In June, Judge Liman explained that Baldoni's lawsuit centred on two claims: that Lively "stole the film" from him and his production company Wayfarer by threatening not to promote it, and that she and others promoted a false narrative that Baldoni sexually assaulted her and launched a smear campaign against her.

But Baldoni and his production company "have not adequately alleged that Lively's threats were wrongful extortion rather than legally permissible hard bargaining or renegotiation of working conditions", Judge Liman wrote at that time.

Additionally, the judge wrote, Baldoni and his company did not prove defamation because the "Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Lively is responsible for any statements other than the statements" in her lawsuit, which are privileged.

The judge also determined that evidence did not show that the New York Times "acted with actual malice" in publishing their story, dismissing that $250m suit as well.

"The alleged facts indicate that the Times reviewed the available evidence and reported, perhaps in a dramatised manner, what it believed to have happened," he wrote. "The Times had no obvious motive to favour Lively's version of events."

Sir Anthony Hopkins: It's such a miracle being alive

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crmxv3m8mwzo, today

Not many people can say they've been given a private piano recital by Sir Anthony Hopkins.

But that's exactly what happened when our four-strong BBC team went to interview the double Oscar-winning actor in Los Angeles.

We were in the same room as the man who terrified as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, shattered as a butler in The Remains of The Day and devastated as a dad with dementia in The Father.

An actor who was cast by Oliver Stone as President Nixon because - according to Sir Anthony - the director said "you're nuts like Nixon".

At a grand piano in a hotel in Beverly Hills, as he plays us a piece he calls Goodbye, it's clear an artistic soul exudes from his every pore. Haunting notes of music, lines of poetry and Shakespearean verses cascade out of him.

We were meeting because Sir Anthony's publishing his autobiography, We Did OK, Kid, an honest and at times upsetting account of a loner who was bullied and written off as a child in Wales and became one of Britain's finest acting exports.

He puts his success down to sheer luck, telling me: "I couldn't take credit for any of it, I couldn't have planned any of this - and now at 87, about to turn 88, I get up in the morning and I think, 'Hello, I'm still here,' and I still don't get it."

From the outside, it looks less about luck and more about his deep understanding of human emotion, as his performances testify. I ask what makes him such an instinctive actor.

"It's such a miracle being alive," he says.

He finds the complexity of human beings "fascinating... I mean, how can you produce Beethoven, Bach and then Treblinka and Auschwitz?"

Sir Anthony has always understood the duality of being human, and it explains his acting range.

He got his first break on film when the actor Peter O'Toole suggested he audition for the 1968 movie The Lion in Winter, in which O'Toole was playing Henry II.

At that point, Sir Anthony had been a member of Sir Laurence Olivier's National Theatre company for several years. But, he recalls: "I couldn't fit into the British theatre style, I just felt out of it."

He also "didn't want to be standing on stage holding a spear for the rest of my life, in wrinkled tights, I just wanted to have a bit of a life".

He was cast as Richard the Lionheart and couldn't believe that a baker's son from Port Talbot was working with Katharine Hepburn.

The actress, playing his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine, gave him "the best advice I've had" as they rehearsed their first scene together. She told him to "just speak the lines... Don't act, just do it". She also said he was "real good".

Hepburn was right, of course. Some classically trained theatre actors, particularly back then, didn't appreciate how much they needed to adjust their performance for the intimacy of a camera. He did.

He doesn't much care for talking about the craft of acting, or certainly the reverence there can be around it, but he shares his method with me: "Be still. Be economic. Don't act or twitch around, you know, 'showing off' acting... simplify, simplify, simplify'."

His performances stand out because he's an actor of huge emotional depth and psychological insight. Think of him as Dr Treves, the friend and protector of John Hurt's Elephant Man.

Or as Lecter, still for me the most terrifying of characters more than 30 years on. The serial killer is a monster but Sir Anthony understood that less is more, on screen.

Instead of playing Lecter as obviously monstrous, "you go the opposite way, you draw back", he explains. He realised as soon as he had read a few pages of the script that the role was "a life-changer".

He writes in his memoir that he "instinctively sensed how to play Hannibal. I have the devil in me. We all have the devil in us, I know what scares people".

He tells me he played Lecter still - and deadly. So when he was in character opposite other actors, he decided, "Don't take your eyes off the person. That's terrifying."

He puts on Lecter's metallic rasp for me and appears to enjoy repeating his character's words to Jodie Foster's Clarice. "You're not real FBI," he almost hisses.

"That's scary," he says. He's not wrong. Even in an upmarket LA hotel on a warm autumn afternoon, I'm feeling chilled.

And what about the famous line - "I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti", which he follows with that vampire-like hiss?

He explains as a child he'd seen the Hungarian-American actor Bela Lugosi do the same when playing Count Dracula in the 1931 movie. Sir Anthony decided in the moment of filming to copy it and The Silence of the Lambs director, Jonathan Demme, kept it in.

What is startling about the memoir is the disconnect between how the world viewed the young actor and how much it was clearly missing about him. He was bullied at school for what other kids saw as his large "elephant" head.

He was slapped around by teachers who deemed him a complete dunce. Even his parents pretty much wrote him off.

He believes it was the making of him. It "gave me a core of anger, resentment and revenge", he says.

But why hadn't they all noticed his talents? This was a child who was given the 10 volume Children's Encyclopaedia when he was six ("I was so captivated, I read every one of them") and became fascinated by astronomy.

A boy who played the piano, made art and loved Dickens and Shakespeare, quoting from them extensively.

A school report in 1955 when he was 17 marked "the turning point" in his life. It was terrible, as usual. "What's going to happen to you?" Sir Anthony recalls his father lamenting. "I said: 'One day, I'll show you, both of you'."

He's pleased his parents lived long enough to see him succeed. When he won his first best actor Oscar, for The Silence of the Lambs in 1992, 11 years to the day after his father died, he rang his mother in Wales and said: "I guess I did OK."

But it was a rough ride in the early days. He was an alcoholic who picked fights with directors and others. He wasn't always a good husband to his first two wives. Booze turned him nasty.

"That's the ugly side of alcoholism," he writes. "It brought out a brutal side of me. I'm not proud of it at all."

The anger, he believes, came "from inside, my own insecurities, being bullied at school and all the rest of it. I didn't like authority".

Then one night in LA in December 1975, almost 50 years ago, he drove his car while in "a complete alcoholic blackout". When he came to, he realised that he was "out of control" and could have killed someone. He made a phone call to ask for help.

"Suddenly, something said 'it's all over, now you can start living'... the craving left and it's never come back."

At his first meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous, he had a realisation about everyone else in the room.

"They're all misfits like me. Like all of us. We feel we never belong. We feel self-hatred. All of us are the same. I'm not alone."

It's that feeling of disconnection that shines out of the book.

He writes that his wife Stella believes he is on the autism spectrum which is "likely right, given my proclivity for memorisation and repetition... and my lack of emotionality" but he says he prefers the term "cold fish". I want to know why.

It seems to have begun as a reaction to the bullying and screaming at him through school and National Service.

"I'd just stare them out, and that drove them mad," he recalls. "You withdraw into yourself and think, 'OK you can't hurt me, can you?" It was, he says, his "only defence... and that's a power, you see: I don't care."

Of course, Sir Anthony does care and we talk a little about the state of the world. It's at this point in our interview that he becomes his most passionate. He grew up in Port Talbot surrounded by people who had been impacted, even brutalised, by war.

He played Sir Nicholas Winton, the man who saved hundreds of mainly Jewish children from the Nazis, in the film One Life.

When I ask him about whether he worries about increasing polarisation now, he becomes very animated and intense.

"The world has always been a place of utter turmoil. But I think if we go on in this way of hatred... we are dead.

"Nobody's allowed to have an opinion. Nobody can have a different view. That's fascism. And it's insanity."

If he has any advice about it all, it's to say "'Come on, stop this rubbish, beating each other up over ideas. They're only ideas and we're only going to be dead one day'."

Sir Anthony Hopkins' best performances

I ask him, as he looks back at his long life, what his biggest regrets are and he's quick to answer. "People I've hurt over the years, the stupid things I did."

He's estranged from his only child, his daughter Abigail, who he walked out on when she was just one and he was in the depths of alcoholism.

He writes that "after realising I was unfit as a father for Abigail, I vowed not to have any more children... I couldn't do to another child what I'd done to her".

He has tried to repair their relationship over the years.

When he took on the role of King Lear in his 80s, in Sir Richard Eyre's 2018 film, Lear's words to his daughter Cordelia struck a painful chord.

He writes in his new book: "The line that hit me harder than perhaps any other I've ever spoken was 'I did her wrong'. Saying those words, I felt deeply, perhaps for the first time in my life, how I had hurt my own daughter.

"I remembered how as a baby she'd lit up when I walked into the room. I remembered how I said goodbye to her the night I walked out. I remembered how I had tried and failed to win her back later. I remembered how I had given up. And as Lear, but also as myself, I began to cry."

He didn't want to talk about it in our interview. Poignantly, in this section of the book, he writes: "I hope my daughter knows that my door is always open to her."

I couldn't help feeling moved reading this. It's as if he is trying to send a message to her, hoping against hope that there might be a reconciliation before it is too late.

At 87, he is looking back, aware he has lived many years longer than he has left to live. "Most of my friends have died, they're gone, God bless them," he says. "I hope to be around a little longer. But even that, I'm thinking, 'oh well, I had a good time'."

He certainly still appears to be having fun. After some early reserve when we first met, he quickly relaxed. When he played the piano, he shared how he had lost two much-loved pianos when his house burnt down in the LA fires earlier this year. "They were all under the rubble".

As we walked through the hotel lobby together, he was spotted by guests and waved happily to them. "I like to say hi because people think actors are special. We're not at all," he smiles.

Whatever he says, it was special to spend a few hours in his presence. He's an acting legend who's given us six decades of memorable performances. He's also a genuine heavyweight who is steeped not just in musical knowledge, but culture, history and philosophy.

And we end the interview on a philosophical note - as he recites "They are not long, the days of wine and roses" from an Ernest Dowson poem and muses on the fleeting nature of life.

"What are we doing here, what are we?" he asks. "We can't explain anything about ourselves. We may have fancy ideas, religious ideas, philosophical ideas, scientific ideas... what's that all about? We're nothing finally, and yet we're everything".

We Did OK, Kid by Sir Anthony Hopkins is published on 4 November.

Halloween 2025: All the celebrity costumes at Heidi Klum's party

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gpwn5v072o, 3 days ago

It is officially the scariest night of the year and, while everyone in Hollywood and beyond has been showing off their elaborate costumes, there is one party we're all watching.

Heidi Klum has cemented her place as the official Queen of spooky season thanks to her wild, weird and wonderful costumes and her annual bash that attracts celebrities across the globe.

She had kept fans on their toes all day, dropping snippets of her costume on Instagram in the lead up to her party - despite being one of the last arrivals of the night - and she did not disappoint.

Following her notorious worm and peacock costumes in recent years, the Project Runway star took her animal theme to new levels as a bright green, and pretty hideous, Medusa.

She slithered up the carpet with several moving snakes protruding from her intricate headpiece, sticking her vile tongue out at the waiting photographers.

Although she warned fans that her costume would be "very ugly", this probably isn't what anyone expected.

Heidi collaborated with Oscar-nominated make-up artist Mike Marino once again to pull off her costume, with a team of more than 35 people working hard to ensure she had all eyes on her.

As the festivities continue, here is a look at some of the most impressive outfits at Heidiween 2025 and beyond.

But it's not all about Hollywood (or Heidiwood). Even politicians are getting in on the action, including President Trump, who is hosting a party at his Florida home.

Like Heidi, her husband Tom Kaulitz, is never one to shy away from playing dress up.

He was by her side arriving to the party as a man who was unfortunately turned to stone after looking directly at Medusa.

The Tokio Hotel musician committed to the bit by posing with his weapon and shield raised, suggesting Medusa's appearance caught him by surprise moments before his demise.

Ice-T and Coco Austin have never shied away from going all out for Halloween, and are regulars at Heidi's annual bash. This year was no different as the rapper looked menacing in a red hooded jumpsuit, hiding his face with a blood-splattered white mask. He had a selection of weapons on hand to make his costume truly terrifying.

Model Coco also got the horror memo in a bright red wig and denim bodysuit, with Chucky's tagline: "Wanna play?" scrawled across the front, layered on top of a striped, long-sleeved turtleneck top.

YouTuber James Charles carried his own head as he made his way into the party, reminiscent of Jared Leto's red carpet arrival at the 2019 Met Gala.

The beauty vlogger put his own spin on things as a "headless horseman" and even filmed a make-up tutorial on Instagram for his unique accessory.

Darren Criss may have taken some inspiration from his host as he donned a Shrek costume, including bright green face paint, a prosthetic nose and huge stomach, which he patted in front of the cameras.

Not quite as epic as when Heidi did the same in 2018, the Glee star switched his efforts up with tartan red trousers alongside wife Mia Swier - who chose not to be his Princess Fiona, but instead Puss in Boots, complete with a black cape and a hair thong.

Olympian Ilona Maher was a real-life vintage Barbie at Klum's Halloween party, modelling a strapless sparkly custom black Undone by Kate gown. She accessorized simply with black opera gloves and a chunky gold necklace.

Unveiling her outfit on Instagram, the rugby player proudly posed with her very own Barbie doll, as well as a handkerchief emblazoned with the phrase: "Beast. Beauty. Brains. Barbie."

Not every costume has gone down well, with some saying that US model Julia Fox's costume as a blood-soaked Jackie Kennedy was in poor taste.

Others have been more popular.

Singer Demi Lovato recreated her "Poot Lovato" meme which went viral on Tumblr in 2015 - a reference to her alter-ego who has been locked in a basement.

Other highlights on social media include Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's daughter North West and her friends dressing up as Japanese kawaii-metal band BABYMETAL.

Maria Carey also went for Japanese theme, with hot pink hair and a frilly pastel blue dress, and posting "Happy Halloween from Japan" in a photo with her two twin children.

Rapper Megan Thee Stallion opted for portraying Choso from the Manga series Jujutsu Kaisen.

Singer Jade, formerly of girl group Little Mix, dressed up as Greta from the Gremlins, while the Cat in the Hat's famous aesthetic was recreated by singer Janelle Monae.

Elsewhere, Paris Hilton recreated the famous look from Britney Spears's music video for Oops!... I Did It Again.

Actress Keke Palmer channelled her inner rapper by dressing up as Snoop Dogg (and lip-synching to his music).

Actress and BLACKPINK member Lisa looked dazzling as The Golden Woman from the animated series Love, Death + Robots.

Kourtney Kardashian Barker is famously a big Halloween fan, with this year's costume serving as a nod to the Bride of Frankenstein.

Lizzo, who dressed up as a weight loss drug last year, called Halloween "so cheesy" as she dressed this year as a mozzarella stick, complete with an oozing cheese dress and boots.

Content creator and media personality Amelia Dimoldenberg never takes the easy option when it comes to dressing up for Halloween and this devilish costume certainly looks like it required some effort.

The night earlier, on the eve of Halloween, she went to a party in New York as the divorce of singer Lily Allen and Stranger Things actor David Harbour. Dressed as Harbour's sheriff character, she listened to the latest Allen album, which references their breakup.

And singer Ed Sheeran dressed up as Pennywise the clown, Stephen King's character from It.

Meanwhile, US Vice-President JD Vance wore a wig as he became the bizarre meme-version of himself. That same meme is alleged to have gotten a Norwegian tourist banned from the US earlier this year.

Strictly pros transform into ghouls for Halloween week - and a Celebrity Traitor guest stars

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2lp72n0p0vo, 3 days ago

It's fright night in the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom!

Stars are gearing up for the contest's annual Halloween Week on Saturday evening, with songs by Charli XCX, Lady Gaga and Benson Boone in the mix.

It's one of a number of themed weeks that happen every year - the others are Movies, Blackpool, Musicals and Icons.

It comes as speculation continues to mount over who will replace presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, after their announcement last week that they will be leaving at the end of the current series.

Fans outside Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire suggested names including Alesha Dixon, Zoe Ball and Alison Hammond as possible new hosts.

This year's Strictly grand finale is on 20 December, and the BBC said Winkleman and Daly's final appearance would be the Christmas Day special.

During last week's show, the duo nodded to the news of their departure, as they thanked audiences for their "beautiful messages".

This weekend will also see a special performance from Celebrity Traitors star Cat Burns, who will appear during Sunday night's results show.

Here's who is dancing on Saturday night - and to what:

* Alex and Johannes - Salsa to Horny by Mousse T feat. Hot 'n' Juicy

* Amber and Nikita - Viennese Waltz to I See Red by Everybody Loves an Outlaw

* Balvinder and Julian - Samba to Stay by Shakespears Sister

* Ellie and Vito - Tango to Abracadabra by Lady Gaga

* George and Alexis - Cha Cha Cha to Apple by Charli XCX

* Harry and Karen - American Smooth to Mystical Magical by Benson Boone

* Karen and Carlos - Argentine Tango to Red Right Hand by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

* La Voix and Aljaž - Paso Doble to Beethoven's 5th

* Lewis and Katya - Couple's Choice to Creep by Radiohead

* Vicky and Kai - American Smooth to Total Eclipse of The Heart by Bonnie Tyler

Stop reading now if you want to avoid spoilers from last Saturday's Icons Week

Last week, Emmerdale star Lewis Cope and his dance partner Katya Jones led the pack with 34 points, after their Johnny Cash Quickstep impressed the judges.

La Voix brought the laughs - belting out Cher's Believe before diving into a Salsa to Strong Enough. The judges noted there was room for improvement, but La Voix's charisma on the dancefloor was lauded.

Other highlights included a mood-boosting dance by Ellie Goldstein and her partner Vito Coppola, who packed a punch with a dynamic Salsa to a Spice Girls medley. Goldstein even got a heart-warming video message from her favourite Spice Girl, Baby.

Despite some impressively garish trousers, YouTuber George Clarke hit a bum note with his Jive to Harry Styles' As It Was. Craig Revel Horwood, acerbic as ever, called it "flat footed", and Clarke and his partner Alexis Warr crashed out with the lowest score this evening - at 27.

But in the end, it was Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and his partner Lauren Oakley who left the competition follow a dance off against Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin.

This Saturday night, the remaining couples will undergo terrifying transformations as they perform routines they hope will win over the judges and audiences at home.

We can expect judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke to embrace the Halloween spirit too - with all eyes on what costumes they might opt for.

Halloween week is also a milestone, as week six is almost halfway through the competition.

Fans can expect to enjoy plenty of tricks and treats from the vampires, zombies and skeletons.

But as always - the couple whose performance doesn't quite cast a spell will be banished during Sunday night's results show.

Strictly Come Dancing is broadcast live at 18:35 on BBC One and on BBC iPlayer.

Linkin Park to headline 2026 Download festival

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cew4jq9277zo, today

Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit and Guns N' Roses have been announced as headliners of next year's Download festival.

The trio are among 90 rock and metal acts set to play the three-day event held at Donington Park, Leicestershire.

Other acts on the bill include Pendulum, Cypress Hill, Babymetal and Black Veil Brides.

They'll be joined by metal heavyweights Trivium, Mastodon and Architects, alongside indie-rockers Feeder and Ash, across the weekend of 10 to 14 June.

Linkin Park's presence at the top of the bill will mark the first time a female-fronted band has headlined the three-day rock and metal event since its launch in 2023.

The nu-metal group reformed last year with Emily Armstrong as their new lead singer.

They have gone on a world tour and recorded their first new material since the death of former frontman Chester Bennington, who took his own life in 2017.

The choice of Emily upset some fans, who pointed to her alleged ties to the Church of Scientology and past support for convicted rapist Danny Masterson.

Chester Bennington's family also criticised the band with his son, Jaime, accusing remaining members of "quietly erasing" his father's "life and legacy".

Emily has distanced herself from Masterson, while Linkin Park founding member Mike Shinoda has insisted she is not trying to replace anyone.

Next year's Download will also be a first for Limp Bizkit, who have never headlined the festival.

Their appearance at this year's Leeds Festival was the last time they performed live with founding member and bassist Sam Rivers, who died last month aged 48.

Rock legends Guns N' Roses are currently in the middle of a world tour, and recently appeared at Ozzy Osbourne's final live show in his hometown of Birmingham.

Download bills itself as a festival "spanning the full spectrum of rock, metal, punk, emo, hardcore, alternative and classic rock".

In recent years Download has also featured pop acts and surprise guests, with the Vengaboys an unlikely addition to 2024's line-up.

And Dogstar - the band formed by actor Keanu Reeves - are due to perform in 2026.

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Becky Hill announced for Forest Live line-up

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce8znpl2dp3o, today

Becky Hill has been announced as the latest artist to join next year's Forest Live line-up.

She is due to take to the stage at Cannock Chase Forest in Staffordshire on 26 June, as part of a series of gigs taking place in woodlands across the country.

She previously performed at Delamere Forest in Cheshire as part of the same series in 2024. Tickets for the concert in Staffordshire go on sale from Friday.

Hill, from Bewdley, Worcestershire, originally found fame on The Voice and was the only contestant to score a number one single straight after the show.

The two-time BRIT Award winner has recently completed a headline arena tour of the UK and Ireland, and is best known for her work in the house, pop and electronic genres.

Her songs have been streamed more than 10 billion times, and she has had six UK Top 10 hits to her name as well as her number one single, Gecko (Overdrive).

She joins other confirmed headliners for Forest Live in 2026 including Deacon Blue, Lightning Seeds, Snow Patrol, The Kooks and UB40 ft Ali Campbell across various venues.

The shows form the 25th anniversary year for the woodland gigs, known for bringing performances from world-class acts to spectacular outdoor locations.

They are hosted by Forestry England, an organisation which manages 1,500 of the nation's woods and forests.

Money from Forest Live ticket sales helps maintain them and fund conservation projects.

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Ellie Goldstein 'made history' on Strictly, says model

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cddr5n2vm3do, today

A model with Down's syndrome said Ellie Goldstein "made history" during her stint on Strictly Come Dancing.

Ms Goldstein, who also has the condition, left the show on Sunday after dancing the Tango to Lady Gaga's Abracadabra with her partner Vito Coppola.

Beth Matthews, 26, from Swansea, said watching Ms Goldstein dance made her feel "proud, emotional and joy".

"She was amazing," Ms Matthews said, adding that she was "very upset" the model and actor had been eliminated from the competition.

Ms Goldstein, who is the first person with Down's syndrome to feature on Strictly, became the fifth dance star to leave the show, exiting on the Halloween-themed night.

Ms Matthews' mother, Fiona, said the Malory Towers actor's call-up and success in the dance competition could "build on something".

She said: "It's a massive TV programme and it's such a major Saturday night TV institution, which can open new doors.

"People thought they weren't sure what she could do. She was amazing.

"A lot of people have a set idea of what people with Down's syndrome are like.

"I always say to anyone with a young child with Down's syndrome to give them hope, and Ellie has given them hope."

She said her daughter was also hoping to get into acting alongside her modelling career.

The Clause: from school band to playing 'dream' arena

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpq14yg0010o, today

A band with three members who met as 12-year-old schoolboys in the West Midlands are to play their "dream" venue as they celebrate the success of their debut album.

The Clause's Victim Of A Casual Thing hit eighth place in the official UK album charts - above stars such as Sabrina Carpenter and Elton John. It is now in 19th place and also tops the Independent Albums Chart.

Guitarist Liam Deakin, 26, said the past few days had "been one big blur" as the album's success sunk in.

Frontman Pearce Macca, also 26, added the album tour took in notable venues, but they were particularly excited to headline Birmingham's O2 Academy, which had been an early ambition.

Macca said the tour, which kicks off in Brighton on 13 November, was the band's biggest so far.

"We are playing some venues that we never thought we would play up and down the country. The main one of those being the Academy in Birmingham," he said.

When the band started more than 10 years ago, it was "a little funny joke between us" that they would one day headline there, he said.

"And on the 19th December it's going to happen, right at the end of our debut album tour, which is probably a bit earlier than we thought it would happen, but it's going to be a dream."

'We were 12-year-old strangers'

Macca explained how he first met Niall Fennell, the band's drummer, and bassist Jonny Fyffe at St Peter's Catholic School in Solihull.

"We were 12-year-old strangers, and we just happened to find each other one lunchtime," he said.

They met Deakin when they were aged 15 or 16, at a gig of the band Jaws.

"He joined the band after that, and we were just messing around for a couple of years, and it started to gather a bit of traction, and so we thought we might give it a proper crack," Macca said.

Deakin added they were "lucky enough to have a really great army of fans" who supported them.

"We haven't got any label or any kind of big management; it's just the result of four lads who have grown up together that have completely thrown their lives into it and seen what happens," he said.

The Clause has already had a series of sold-out tours and supported acts including James, The Lottery Winners and The K's.

The band has also played at big events, including the Isle of Wight Festival and Radio One's Big Weekend.

Deakin said their recent success "has been a bit wild".

"I don't think we kind of expected to be that far up the charts," he said.

"We were sitting at number eight in the UK album chart midweek. We were looking at the list of names, and it was like Taylor Swift, Olivia Dean, Elton John, Sabrina Carpenter - and us."

He added the O2 Academy gig was going to be a "big, big night" for the band and its fans.

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Paddington musical co-creator on 'magical' show

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg7148my63o, today

The co-creator behind the new Paddington musical has described the "magical" moment an audience saw him for the first time.

Jessica Swale, who is originally from Berkshire, has worked to create the show with McFly's Tom Fletcher and its first preview show took place at London's Savoy Theatre on Saturday.

The show was adapted from the popular books by Berkshire-born Michael Bond.

"Tom and I have probably seen the reveal moment of the bear I reckon 400 or 500 times and maybe we are just emotional wrecks working towards something that means so much to us," Swale said. "But it makes us weep every single time because he's so beautifully done."

She said the team behind the show had worked "really hard" to keep the new iteration under wraps for the past couple of years.

"We have to get it right. Paddington is so beloved and has become such an icon that we had to make sure that if we were going to put him on stage he would be utterly lovable," Swale said.

"It's really quite an astonishing thing. I have worked in theatre since I was 19, 20, which is a little while ago, and I have never ever seen anything quite so magical in my life."

Paddington's original creator, Bond was born in Newbury and grew up in Reading.

Swale was born at Reading's Royal Berkshire Hospital and attended St Nicholas CE Primary School in Hurst and Kendrick School.

Despite currently living in London, she feels "like I've had my paws very firmly planted in Berkshire my whole life".

Back in the capital, her home is now dominated by an attempt to make a small, Paddington-related present for the many hundreds of people involved in the production as per theatre tradition.

"I have a house that is completely covered in sticky surfaces. Everywhere I go, everything I pick up, everything is marmalade flavoured.

"I loved marmalade but I'm having a difficult relationship with it now because nearly 300 pots of marmalade later, I can't get out of my front door without everything sticking to me."

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Deacon Blue and OMD to perform at Lincoln Castle

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn09kyyrv8po, today

Synth-pop icons Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) and Scottish pop rockers Deacon Blue have joined the line-up for a series of concerts at Lincoln Castle next year.

OMD will bring their Summer of Hits Tour to the castle on 11 June, joined by guests Peter Hook & The Light and Andrew Cushin.

Deacon Blue will perform on 26 June alongside Lightning Seeds.

Cuffe & Taylor promoter Mark Harrison said: "They are the perfect addition to our line-up so far and we still have so much more to come."

OMD have a career spanning more than 40 years, with more than 40m records sold worldwide and 18 UK Top 40 hits.

Their songs include Enola Gay, Maid of Orleans, Souvenir and If You Leave.

They will be joined by Peter Hook & The Light, a post-punk band, as well as rising indie star Andrew Cushin.

Hits from Deacon Blue, who have two UK number one albums, include Chocolate Girl, Wages Day and Fergus Sings The Blues.

Liverpudlian indie band Lightning Seeds will join them as special guests.

The concerts are part of a partnership between Lincolnshire County Council and Live Nation promoters Cuffe & Taylor to bring artists to perform in the historic location.

Tom Grennan, Billy Ocean, DJ Pete Tong and David Gray will also perform within the medieval walls of Lincoln Castle next year.

British pop and ska band Madness will also return next year after their previous sold-out performance in 2024.

Tickets go on general sale at 10:00 GMT on 7 November.

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'Playing a dame in panto is part of my DNA'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgvqzzl3p0o, today

A television director has said he wants to bring back "warm and sparkly" shows for the whole family to enjoy, ahead of taking on the role of a dame in a pantomime.

Paul Gibson, 55, from Bedworth, Warwickshire, has spent years building an impressive television career and working on iconic shows, including Shakespeare and Hathaway, Midsomer Murders and Father Brown.

But he said his heart lies in pantomime after falling in love with it when he first performed at Bedworth Civic Hall at the age of 17.

Now a creative director at the performing arts theatre on the town's high street, he is taking to the stage as Widow Twankey in this year's production of Aladdin in December.

"Preparations are steaming ahead as we open in five weeks, and we've been rehearsing for about six weeks," he said.

"There's a bit of final polishing to do, but it is an amazing show that we've got lined up this year."

Having performed in various pantomimes around Coventry and Bedworth over the last 30 years, Mr Gibson said he learned where his passion came from a few years after he first performed as a dame.

"I did my first dame at 25, and three or four years later my uncle came to see me and said to my dad that 'it was like watching our old man'.

"My grandfather was a club comic and used to work at all the clubs in Coventry, and it turned out he used to [be a] panto dame as well, so I finally learned this about my grandad who I had never met," he said.

He added he was thrilled to understand where his passion came from.

"I just fell in love with [panto] as a teenager and it just felt like something I had to do, like it was part of my DNA," he said.

Mr Gibson added he wanted to put the pantomime on at the "amazing" venue to honour the fact it was saved by volunteers last year and run entirely by them.

He said he enjoys performing in shows ahead of Christmas as the theatre is "warm, it's sparkly, it's amazing, and you put on this show that's for the whole family".

"We don't have many of those kinds of shows anymore, or Sunday night television where the whole family can sit round and watch, be told stories as a family," he said.

"That is what panto does, it caters to everyone and there's something for the whole family to enjoy."

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Quentin Blake illustration centre plans opening

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crmxe4lmd4xo, today

The UK's first permanent home for illustration will open in central London in May to "celebrate its traditions" and welcome the "astonishing diversity" of art across the world.

An 18th Century waterworks in Clerkenwell is being transformed into the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration, which was previously based in King's Cross under a different name.

The £12.5m centre hopes to be the "world's largest dedicated space for illustration", with the idea 20 years in the making.

Sir Quentin said: "I am proud to think the centre has my name on it – illustration is a wonderful universal and varied language."

Sir Quentin set up a charity for illustration in 2002 and the House of Illustration was based in rented space in King's Cross between 2014 and 2020.

The new centre aims to open in spring with a solo exhibition in the Grade II listed Engine House by MURUGIAH, whose brightly coloured art is inspired by film, sci-fi, Japanese anime and 2000's era pop-punk.

Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration's director Lindsey Glen said: "Every day, people all over the world use illustration to share stories and ideas – to communicate, express, inform and persuade.

"Now, there will be a place where everyone can explore this important, yet overlooked art form, filled with imaginative exhibitions, installations, books, play and making."

Other attractions will include a free library, learning spaces and art highlighting stories about the site's 400-year history.

There will be illustrator residencies in London's oldest surviving windmill and free public gardens.

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Museum 'delighted' to get iconic Nipper painting

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgy2ewwz1po, today

Museum staff are "absolutely delighted" to have acquired the iconic painting His Master's Voice following a successful crowdfunding campaign.

The artwork was painted by Francis Barraud in 1898 and features the "HMV dog", who was named Nipper.

Lara Nix, director of the Huguenot Museum in Rochester, said having the painting in the permanent collection was a "real point of pride for Rochester and for Kent".

"Displaying Nipper here connects that Kentish heritage to one of the world's best-loved cultural icons," she said.

Ms Nix explained Barraud was of Huguenot descent, relating to the French Protestants who fled religious persecution and settled in England from the 16th Century.

The Barraud family settled in London, where they became artists and craftsmen.

Ms Nix said the Huguenots were one of the earliest refugee communities to settle in Kent.

"The painting is a wonderful example of how Huguenot talent and heritage continued to shape British art and culture for centuries," she added.

Earlier this year, the museum launched a crowdfunder to purchase the painting, which was owned by Antony and Jules Michael.

According to the museum, the pooch was named Nipper because he "tended to nip people's legs".

Originally, Nipper was depicted with a phonograph but Barraud's friend suggested using a gramophone instead.

The artist pitched the idea to the Gramophone Company in Maiden Lane, London, which commissioned his painting, paying him £100 for the artwork and copyright.

The artwork became the Gramophone Company's official trademark in 1909, using Nipper's image on its gramophones and record labels and the company was dubbed "HMV" colloquially.

Nipper became a worldwide icon rapidly.

In 1921, the Gramophone Company opened its first HMV shop at 363 Oxford Street.

The Gramophone Company merged with the Columbia Graphophone Company to form EMI Records in 1931.

EMI discontinued the Nipper trademark at the end of the 20th Century then sold it to the newly-independent HMV shops in 2003, but Nipper's fame still echoes to this day.

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Gallery turned into court for climate exhibition

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crl25zzz2wpo, yesterday

A gallery has been transformed into a court room as artists put the former British East India Company on "trial" for alleged, historic climate crimes.

It is the first time the immersive exhibition, Court for Intergenerational Climate Crimes, has been staged in the UK outside of London.

Created by academic, writer and lawyer Radha D'Souza and artist and researcher Jonas Staal, the installation opened at Leeds Arts University's Blenheim Walk Gallery on Friday.

Curator Marianna Tsionki said it was a "brilliant opportunity" and offered a different artistic experience to the city's other galleries.

Founded in 1600, the British East India Company started as a trading business but became a powerful force that shaped the history of India and the British Empire.

The exhibition, which was commissioned by the Serpentine Galleries in London, focuses on the environmental fallout of the company's activities up until its dissolution in 1874.

Ms Tsionki said: "It's our core focus to raise questions within the university, not only for the benefit of our student and academic community, but for the benefit of the city.

"The uniqueness of the Blenheim Walk Gallery relies on this idea of operating within an academic environment, but not isolated from the rest of the cultural production of the city."

On Friday, audience members had the opportunity to take part in the mock trial as jury members.

As well as the live public hearing, the exhibition includes a recording of a previous trial that took place earlier this year in London.

Ms Tsionki said: "Even if audiences don't get a chance to engage, to participate in the public hearing, they still get a sense of how those two elements work together and complement each other.

"What is really important is this historical connection. And also making a point that the climate crisis is not isolated from previous decisions."

The exhibition, which runs until 31 January, also includes lightboxes displaying plants linked to the East India Company's operations.

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'I was buzzing to be the guest star for Inside No. 9'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2wzl2eemeo, yesterday

BBC presenter Kofi Smiles had a bit of a fright when he was called up for an appearance in a stage production of Inside No.9 – the long-running comedy-horror show.

Spoiler warning: This article reveals details about Inside No. 9 Stage/Fright, which is touring the UK.

Smiles, who presents the breakfast show for BBC Radio Humberside, found himself "starstruck" when chosen to be a surprise guest alongside creators Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith during a performance at Hull New Theatre.

But after appearing as the "hostage" in a kidnapping gone wrong, he said he was "buzzing" and added: "It was nerve-racking and exhilarating."

"One bit I had to do was flamenco dancing, so at that point I was like, well, I'm not going to be a flamenco dancer on my own," he recalled.

"So I grabbed Steve, who was dressed as one of the burglars, then we both started dancing on the stage and spinning and twirling around. And that got a lot of laughs."

Inside No. 9 ran on BBC Two for nine series between 2014 and 2024 and, like the TV show, the stage version challenges audiences to "expect the unexpected".

At one point in each performance, a celebrity guest is brought on stage. During the Hull run they included the ice dancer Christopher Dean and comedians Tommy Cannon and Paul Chuckle.

Smiles said: "I never thought I'd even be asked and I haven't done any sort of drama or acting since I was a kid.

"I thought, let's give it a go. It could be a disaster, it could be terrible.

"I was a little bit starstruck at first. But they're just so genuine and very good with people.

"You can tell these guys are just doing it because they love it.

"I think it's cool they do this because it's a show that's got such a long run and they need to keep it interesting, making it very specific to every location that they go to."

Smiles was given the full celebrity experience, with his name on the dressing room door and having his hair and makeup done. His costume was made up of a dressing gown, pyjamas and slippers.

"I tried to get away with taking them, because they were so comfy. But they said you can't take them because we don't have that many slippers in that size," he said.

Pemberton and Shearsmith – who is from Hull – made their names in the cult comedy show The League of Gentlemen.

The pair were spotted out and about in the city by eagle-eyed fans earlier in the week.

They popped in to the 95-year-old Dinsdales Joke Shop, in Hepworth's Arcade, to purchase gags and pranks.

Shop owner Graham Williams said it was "lovely" to see them and added: "We always wondered if the joke shop in League of Gentlemen was based on our shop?"

The show's run in Hull ended on Saturday, with the tour heading to Oxford, Stoke, Liverpool and Edinburgh, before finishing in Birmingham on 6 December.

Smiles said his experience was "really fun".

"I had a great time and would definitely do it again."

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'We're creating the Billy Elliots of the future - but we need support'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3647gkyez4o, yesterday

In the film Billy Elliot, the son of a striking miner in the north east of England in 1985 is seen to face prejudice because he wants to be a ballet dancer.

When it hit cinemas in 2000, Billy's challenges seemed already to be in the distant past, but experts say aspiring young male dancers still face similar problems today.

"I was going to be a footballer, which is the most unrealistic thing in the entire world. Every kid in the world wants to be a footballer," says Joe, 16, from Bradford.

Joe now wants to be a dancer and has trained at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance (NSCD) in Leeds since he was 13.

He says if it wasn't for an email sent to his mum from NSCD, where just 10% of the students are boys, he would never have even thought of becoming a dancer.

"I went to the audition and my life just completely flipped around," he says.

"I ended up coming to the audition, and since then it's been the only thing I've done for the last three years."

"Without that email, that one singular email, I would never have even considered it," he says.

The NSCD is trying to tackle the issue of a lack of male dancers with the creation of an all-male group called Collide.

Teacher Tracy Witney explains: "We set up Collide in 2016. We did takeovers of Leeds city centre with boys' groups, but also professional dancers.

"One of the things we realised is that there aren't really any dance companies that have more than two or three male dancers in the company."

Joe says that with 12 male dancers in Collide, at first it felt strange to be in a room full of other boys and men who danced as he was so used to being in the minority.

"It kind of sucks because you go, it shouldn't be like that. It shouldn't be like that all," he says.

"I walked into my first class maybe a month ago now, and I was, like, there are more than three boys in this room. It was brilliant."

At Northern Ballet – also in Leeds - 25% of the current 2025–26 cohort are male-identifying, and each year the organisation runs two free masterclasses for boys.

Barnaby, 13, joined Northern Ballet after attending one of those masterclasses.

His first dance experience was during the Covid pandemic when he saw his sister taking part in classes on Zoom at home in Sheffield.

"I started doing the dance classes in the hallway while she was on Zoom," he says.

"So then, after Covid, when my sister was stopping dance, my mum signed me up," he explains.

"I like how you can be artistic but then there's also set technique, so it's not just completely free - you still have rules - but you can also add your own creativity."

Barnaby says while his friends are supportive, overall he feels more comfortable in dance classes than at school.

"My family didn't really know anything about dance because neither of my brothers did dance and obviously my sister did it, but they didn't know anything about it."

Barnaby aspires to join a professional ballet company once he has completed his training.

He says there is at least one positive to being the only boy in a class.

"There are less people competing for the same roles," he smiles.

At Northern Ballet, Barnaby is taught by Nic Gervasi, who joined the company in 2010 as a dancer and who was promoted to junior soloist in 2015.

"A little bit like Joe, dance completely changed the trajectory of my life," he says.

"There was no one in my family that was dancing. I came from a really small town. There was not much access, so for me it did open up a lot of opportunity.

"From quite an early age, I knew what I wanted to do and I was very passionate about it. I was lucky to have a lot of support."

Mr Gervasi says listening to Joe and Barnaby "makes me feel very hopeful".

"But it also makes me feel sad to know that we're still looking at so much challenge for them."

Joe and Barnaby both receive funding to help them train because Northern Ballet and NSCD are National Centres for Advanced Training in Dance (CAT).

The schools offer a training programme to the next generation of aspiring dancers aged between 11 and 18 which is funded by the Department for Education (DfE).

Until it was cut earlier this year, the CAT programme also had an outreach arm that funded dance schools to go into communities and mainstream schools to find potential dancers.

Students and teachers fear the CAT scheme could be cut altogether after they were told that ministers could only promise funding until the end of this academic year.

According to its organisers, across its 10 regional centres, the CAT scheme reaches about 900 students.

About 68% of those receive means-tested bursaries and 52% come from households earning less than £25,000.

Ms Witney, who as well as teaching Joe is also chair of the National Dance CAT managers group, says: "Joe's training was supported by DfE grants, so Joe's career trajectory has been supported by that financial income.

"Without those grants, we won't have the Joes."

The DfE says it is committed to "breaking down barriers to opportunity so every child can achieve and thrive".

A spokesperson for the department said it was providing £36.5m across the music and dance CAT schemes this academic year.

"We are creating those dancers of the future, it's just we need that support and that backing to keep it going," says Ms Witney.

"It might be 25 years of Billy Elliot, but actually some things still haven't changed - or they did, and then they've come back around again."

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.

Gallery 'honours artists' with anniversary show

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ceq0yd3g4yeo, yesterday

An art gallery is marking a quarter of a century since it opened with an exhibition featuring 25 artists.

Twenty Five & Onwards, staged at Rheged in Penrith, includes painting, photography, sculpture, ceramics and textiles by artists selected from across Cumbria.

Many have previously displayed pieces at the venue, while others have been chosen as emerging talents.

Organisers said it takes inspiration from Rheged's first show, which was titled Twelve and featured work by a dozen people, and the gallery "wanted to honour the incredible artists who have been a key part of our story so far".

"This exhibition is both a celebration of the past and an exciting look ahead to the future of art in Cumbria," curator Claire Harrison said.

Derek Eland, who is among those whose work is on display, said Rheged had "never shied away from giving contemporary artists in Cumbria a high-quality platform to exhibit interesting and sometimes challenging work".

His contributions include Lakeland paintings as well as items produced following time spent in Ukraine.

The free-to-enter exhibition is open daily and runs until 1 February.

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Airport reveals plans to expand onto green space

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1lqr2jdd9lo, today

Bristol Airport says plans to extend its runway to accommodate long-haul aircraft will include taking over a a small section of open access land.

The development would see landing lights and fencing installed on a small section of Felton Common, at the eastern edge of the runway, so it can handle larger long-haul planes needed for transatlantic flights.

A public consultation will open this week, but campaign group Bristol Airport Action Network (BAAN) has described the plans as "unacceptable".

A Bristol Airport spokesman said: "We realise how important the open space is to local people, and so we are consulting with those with rights on the common, users of the common and local residents."

"We would encourage people to find out more about our proposal and provide any feedback they might have to help shape our plans."

Richard Baxter, a local environmental campaigner speaking for BAAN, said: "Felton residents shouldn't have their community space reduced and their homes and wildlife facing such intense light pollution just to spare the airport its blushes for forgetting about the safe landing of its long-haul flights."

Last year, the airport announced its 'Masterplan to 2040', detailing its long-term vision to provide long-haul flights to destinations such as the Middle East and the east coast of America.

However, BAAN has claimed that the airport's plans did not take into account the need for approach landing lights, which are an essential safety feature.

Since publishing the master plan, the airport said it has has continued to refine its design to ensure it meets all relevant safety standards set by the Civil Aviation Authority, the UK's independent regulator for aviation.

In order for the runway to continue operating safely, for all types of aircraft and in all weather conditions, the airport said it would need to relocate the existing approach lighting and install additional safety features at the end of the runway.

BAAN said their research suggests the new approach on Felton Common would be a row of bright white elevated lights placed 30 metres apart and 250 metres long (820ft) - roughly equivalent to the length of Park Street in Bristol.

Bristol Airport said people will still be able to continue to use all of the bridleways on the common and that care has been taken to maintain access across the green space.

As the enclosed lighting would result in some loss of accessible open space and affect grazing rights, the airport said replacement land would be provided adjacent to the area.

The six-week consultation will open on Friday 7 November and close on Friday 19 December, with the feedback from the public collated ahead of a possible planning application in early 2026.

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Hotel plan filed for town's vacant offices

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20pky38lr5o, today

Unused offices a short walk away from Windsor Castle that have been empty for six years could be used as a 21-bedroom hotel if a plan gets the go-ahead.

Developers want to use the first, second and third floors of George V Place in Thames Avenue for the project.

They have filed the application with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, which will decide on the plan later.

The developers have said the hotel would "add to the vitality and viability of the town centre" with the reduction of office space needed following the Covid pandemic.

Airline moves to reassure customers on resilience

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdeg659jje1o, today

Guernsey States-owned Aurigny has offered reassurance to customers about its resilience following the news that the UK's Eastern Airlines was on the brink of collapse.

The island's airline has in the past leased aircraft from the UK company but Aurigny said it had relationships with "many providers".

Chief commercial officer Philip Saunders said more than 96% of its flights had been operated by its own fleet from January to August.

"Aurigny occasionally uses aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance providers to support consistent resilience and to maintain the schedule during peak demand periods, when our own aircraft are in maintenance or crew are undergoing training," he added.

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London Luton Airport runway resurfacing starts

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwypqvqypxro, today

London Luton Airport (LLA) will carry out essential runway resurfacing works over about five months at a cost of £18m.

The works, starting on Monday, will take place overnight between 00:01 GMT and 05:45 on weekdays to minimise disruption to airport operations.

During this time, the runway will be closed to all aircraft for takeoffs and landings.

Neil Thompson, chief operations officer at LLA, said it "will closely monitor noise levels throughout the project".

The airport said the work was necessary to ensure the continued safety and efficiency of airport operations and to ensure it continues to meet all regulatory safety requirements.

It wrote to more than 25,000 households to notify them about the work, which is being carried out by engineering firm Lagan.

Mr Thompson said: "We recognise that projects of this scale can raise questions or concerns, particularly around noise disturbance and light pollution.

"Wherever possible, materials will be reused to reduce both waste and the movement of vehicles."

He added they would like to thank local residents for their understanding and cooperation.

Last year, London Luton Airport carried more than 16.7 million passengers, but that number was expected to rise to 32 million per year by 2043 after the government approved its expansion.

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Bali halts Chinese construction of glass lift on cliffside

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgkdz4ny8do, today

Bali authorities have suspended the construction of a 182m (597 ft) cliffside glass lift on one of the Indonesian province's most-photographed cliffs, after it sparked outrage over concerns of environmental harm.

The lift on Kelingking Beach, to be built by Chinese developer China Kaishi Group, was supposed to make it easier for visitors to reach the beach.

But photographs of the first lift shafts cutting through the iconic cliff - nicknamed the "T-Rex cliff" for its shape - have gone viral on social media, angering locals and tourists who say it destroys the area's natural beauty and accelerates erosion.

Authorities have also found that the project did not obtain the necessary permits.

"It's a shame that the beautiful view of Kelingking Beach has been destroyed by the lift project," local resident Made Sediana told the Bali Sun newspaper. "Tourists come to Nusa Penida to enjoy the beautiful panorama, not the lifts."

"It's stupid. Tourists come to Bali to enjoy its natural environment because their own countries are already filled with high-rise buildings. This just makes it even worse," wrote another.

Bali senator Niluh Djelantik, who has been vocal about her disapproval of the glass lift, said: "Long before this lift was built, we had already voiced our opposition. The risks are too great."

"Enjoy Bali's beauty wisely; don't create access that seems to be leading tourists to the gates of disaster," she wrote in a Facebook post a day before authorities announced the suspension.

It is unclear how long the suspension will last.

Some people urged authorities to repair the stairs connecting the cliff to the beach instead of pursuing these "vanity projects". The lift project cost $12m (£5.8m), according to local media reports.

It currently takes between 45 and 60 minutes to hike from the cliff to the beach via a steep trail, while the return hike up the cliff can take up to two hours.

Others also aired concerns that making it easier to reach the beach could increase the risks of swimming accidents.

While it offers stunning views, swimming is not allowed at Kelingking Beach because of its narrow coastline and big waves - still, many ignore these warnings, resulting in a spate of deaths and injuries.

Chinese investments in Bali have been growing. For instance, Chinese firm ChangYe Construction Group has invested $3b to build Bali's second airport, in a joint ventures with local firm PT BIBU Panji Sakti.

Developers urged to scale down solar farm plans

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cze682jkpg6o, today

Developers hoping to build a solar farm spanning parts of Rotherham and Doncaster which would be the UK's largest have been urged by councillors to withdraw the plans.

If approved, the 750MW development would cover about 4,940 acres (2,000 hectares) from Conisbrough to Woodall.

However, Rotherham councillor Jamie Baggaley has put forward a motion to be discussed later this week asking developers to "hear the voices of local residents" and significantly scale back the plans.

Developers said the sites had been chosen due to their proximity to Brinsworth substation, which would connect the solar farm to the National Grid and avoid high quality agricultural land.

The solar farm would be the first Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project to apply for planning permission in the Rotherham area, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

'Impact on historic scale'

In his motion, to be discussed by a full Rotherham Council meeting on Wednesday, Baggaley, Labour councillor for Rother Vale, said the proposal by Green Nation and Net Zero One had "already attracted significant local concerns".

"It would disrupt more than 60 rights of way, force significant traffic for construction and maintenance along narrow countryside roads, remove land from agricultural use, and alter the appearance and landscape value of miles of local countryside. It would be an impact on an historic scale," the motion stated.

"If developed as it is currently proposed, there is no clear benefit to local communities. Residents who would face the most direct consequences of the development are not currently expected to see any direct benefits to their energy bills or local employment."

Chris Read, Labour council leader, has already written to the secretary of state for energy security and net zero warning that large-scale rural solar projects could undermine public support for the government's net zero targets.

Rotherham's three MPs - Jake Richards, John Healey and Sarah Champion - have also objected, along with parish councils.

The site's developers have said the solar farm would make a significant contribution to national energy goals to reduce energy costs, create energy security and fight against climate change.

The developers are not expected to submit a formal planning application until next May.

As a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, the final decision will be made by the government, though Rotherham Council's planning officers will prepare a local impact report as part of the process.

If approved, the motion put forward by Baggaley would formally record that the Whitestone Solar Farm "does not enjoy the support" of the full council and would call on the developer to withdraw its current plans.

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North

Project aims to restore nature at rural sites

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c74jjl8n4j1o, today

A new nature recovery project is set to begin at four sites in the Shropshire Hills.

Shropshire Council said the Rescuing Rocks and Overgrown Relics scheme would focus on habitat restoration at former mining and quarrying locations, including Poles Coppice in Pontesbury, Snailbeach and the Bog.

The work will include scrub management and coppicing to expose rocky habitats that support species like slowworms, grayling butterflies and bird's-foot-trefoil.

The project will be led by the council's outdoor partnership team and the Shropshire Hills National Landscape team, with help from volunteers.

Funding comes from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as part of the government's "30by30" target to protect 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030.

Council leader Heather Kidd said she was "delighted" by the project's launch.

"Bringing these historic sites back to life for both nature and people is a fantastic example of partnership working in the Shropshire Hills," she said.

"It's especially welcome that this important work is being funded by Defra, supporting our shared commitment to nature recovery without placing additional pressure on local council budgets."

Other 30by30 projects planned in the Shropshire Hills this winter include habitat restoration on Norbury Hill and natural flood management work at Walcot.

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Council puts £50k into flood defence scheme design

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp8ej88qj7jo, today

A total of £55,000 has been invested by Herefordshire Council to design a flood management scheme for a school and leisure centre both affected by flooding.

Holmer Church of England Academy and Hereford Leisure Centre, both on Holmer Road in Hereford, were among more than 400 properties hit by floods in 2024.

The latest investment would be made under the wider £2m programme to reduce flood risks, announced in September.

"This investment reflects our commitment to safeguarding residents, schools and community facilities from the growing threat of flooding," councillor Dan Hurcomb said.

"By prioritising areas with a history of flood events, we're not only protecting infrastructure but also enhancing community resilience.

"I'm proud to see this programme moving forward to address the unique challenges of our county."

The wider programme of work will target the areas most affected by flooding, aiming to protect homes, businesses, roads and public spaces.

Its designs aim to determine whether incorporating attenuation - a way of slowing down water flow - could provide a more effective approach to managing water.

Hurcomb said: "The goal is to develop a scheme to keep children in school, families active at the leisure centre and homes safe from water damage.

"This is just the first step in a larger plan to make Herefordshire more resilient to extreme weather."

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What is COP30 and why does it matter for climate change?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c04gqez4lkyo, 5 days ago

World leaders will soon gather in Belém, Brazil, for their annual meeting on tackling climate change.

COP30 takes place 10 years after the Paris climate agreement, in which countries pledged to try to restrict the rise in global temperatures to 1.5C.

However, the head of the United Nations (UN) says "overshooting" the 1.5C target is now inevitable and US President Donald Trump is among leaders not expected to attend.

What is COP30 and what does it stand for?

COP30 is the 30th annual UN climate meeting.

COP stands for "Conference of the Parties". "Parties" refers to the nearly 200 countries that signed up to the original UN climate agreement in 1992.

When is COP30?

COP30 officially runs from Monday 10 November to Friday 21 November.

World leaders will gather before the summit opens on Thursday 6 and Friday 7 November.

It often overruns because of last-minute negotiations to secure a deal.

Why is COP30 being held in Brazil?

The host nation is chosen by participating countries after a nomination from the host region.

It is the first time the conference is being held in Brazil.

The choice of Belém, in the Amazon rainforest, has caused significant challenges.

Some delegations have struggled to book affordable accommodation, leading to concerns that poorer nations could be priced out.

The decision to clear a section of Amazon rainforest to build a road for the summit has also proved controversial.

Brazil has also continued to grant new licences for oil and gas which, alongside coal, are fossil fuels, the main cause of global warming.

Who is going to COP30 – and who isn't?

Representatives are expected from countries around the world.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will be there, as will Prince William, on behalf of King Charles.

But many world leaders are yet to confirm their attendance.

Shortly after his inauguration in January 2025, President Trump vowed to withdraw from the Paris agreement, which underpins the international commitment to tackle climate change.

China, the world's biggest emitter of planet-warming gases, is expected to send a delegation, but President Xi Jinping is not likely to be there.

Politicians will be joined by diplomats, journalists and campaigners.

Previous summits have been criticised for the large number of attendees who are connected to the coal, oil and gas industries. Campaigners argue this shows the ongoing influence of fossil fuel advocates.

Why is COP30 important and what is the Paris Agreement?

COP30 takes place at a crucial moment, with global climate targets under strain.

In Paris in 2015, nearly 200 countries agreed to try to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C above "pre-industrial" levels and to keep them "well below" 2C.

There is very strong scientific evidence that the impacts of climate change - from extreme heat to sea-level rise - would be far greater at 2C than at 1.5C.

But while the use of renewable energy - particularly solar power - is growing rapidly, countries' climate plans have fallen short of what the 1.5C goal requires.

Ahead of COP30, countries were supposed to have submitted updated plans detailing how they will cut their emissions of planet-warming gases. However, only a third have done so.

Given how close the target is, UN secretary general António Guterres said that "overshooting" 1.5C is inevitable. But he hoped temperatures could still be brought back down to the target by the end of the century.

The UN hopes that COP30 will demonstrate an increased commitment to the process set out in Paris.

What will be discussed at COP30?

Brazil hopes to agree steps to deliver commitments made at previous COPs.

As well as countries' new carbon-cutting plans, several areas could come up for discussion.

Fossil fuels

At COP28, in 2023, countries agreed for the first time about the need to "transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems".

But that language was not strengthened at COP29, in 2024, as many had hoped.

Money

At COP29, richer countries committed to give developing nations at least $300bn (about £227bn) a year by 2035 to help them tackle climate change. But that is far less than poorer countries say they need.

That agreement also included an aspiration to raise this to $1.3tn from public and private sources. However, there have been few concrete details about this will be achieved.

Renewables

At COP28, countries agreed to treble the global capacity of renewables - such as wind and solar - by 2030.

While renewables are forecast to grow rapidly, the International Energy Agency says the world is not on track to meet that goal.

Nature

One new development could be the launch of the "Tropical Forests Forever Facility" - a fund to prevent the loss of tropical forests.

Will COP30 make any difference?

A major step forward looks challenging this year, not least because of the influence of the Trump administration.

In a speech to the UN in September, the US President branded climate change the "greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world", and falsely attacked the overwhelming scientific evidence for rising temperatures.

He has also pledged to boost oil and gas drilling and roll back green initiatives put in place by his predecessors.

It has been difficult to reach consensus at other environmental talks in 2025, such as the attempts to reach a first global plastics treaty in August, which collapsed for a second time.

In October, a landmark deal to cut global shipping emissions was delayed following pressure from the US and some other countries.

Some observers, such as campaigner Greta Thunberg, have accused previous COPs of "greenwashing" - letting countries and businesses promote their climate credentials without actually making the changes needed.

But significant global agreements have been reached at COP sessions, allowing greater progress than national measures on their own.

Despite the difficulties of delivering the 1.5C warming limit, the commitment has driven "near-universal climate action", according to the UN.

This has helped bring down the level of anticipated warming - even though the world is still not acting at the pace needed to achieve the Paris goals.

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A really simple guide to climate change

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9w15nggj58o, 6 days ago

Human activities are causing world temperatures to rise, posing serious threats to people and nature.

Things are likely to worsen in the coming decades, but scientists argue urgent action can still limit the worst effects of climate change.

What is climate change?

Climate change is the long-term shift in the Earth's average temperatures and weather conditions.

The world has been warming up quickly over the past 100 years or so. As a result, weather patterns are changing.

Since the 1980s, each decade has been warmer than the previous one, the UK Met Office says.

And the world's ten warmest years on record have all happened since 2015, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

The year 2024 was Earth's hottest ever recorded, with climate change mainly responsible for the high temperatures.

It was also the first calendar year to surpass 1.5C of warming compared to "pre-industrial" levels of the late 1800s, according to the European Copernicus climate service.

How are humans causing climate change?

The climate has changed naturally throughout the Earth's history.

But natural causes cannot explain the particularly rapid warming seen over the last century, according to the UN's climate body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

This has been without doubt caused by human activities, in particular the widespread use of fossil fuels - coal, oil and gas - in homes, factories and transport systems.

When fossil fuels burn, they release greenhouse gases - mostly carbon dioxide (CO2). This CO2 acts like a blanket, trapping extra energy in the atmosphere near the Earth's surface. This causes the planet to heat up.

Since the start of the Industrial Revolution - when humans started burning large amounts of fossil fuels - the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere has risen by more than 50%, far above levels seen in the Earth's recent history.

The CO2 released from burning fossil fuels has a distinctive chemical fingerprint. This matches the type of CO2 increasingly found in the atmosphere.

What effects of climate change have already been seen?

* more frequent and intense extreme weather, such as heatwaves and heavy rainfall

* rapid melting of glaciers and ice sheets, contributing to sea-level rise

* warmer oceans, which can fuel more intense storms and harm sea life

Back in 2022, parts of East Africa suffered their worst drought for 40 years, putting more than 20 million people at risk of severe hunger.

Climate change has made droughts like this at least 100 times more likely, the WWA says.

The particular vulnerabilities of individual communities across the globe determine who is affected by these extreme events, and how badly.

Why does 1.5C matter and how will future climate change affect the world?

* more people being exposed to extreme heat

* higher sea levels as glaciers and ice-sheets melt

* increased risks to food security in some regions due to more extreme weather

* greater chances of some climate-sensitive diseases spreading, such as dengue

* more species being threatened with extinction

* the loss of virtually all coral reefs

About 3.3 to 3.6 billion people are highly vulnerable to climate change, according to the IPCC.

People living in poorer countries are expected to suffer most as they have fewer resources to adapt.

This has led to questions about fairness, because these places have typically only been responsible for a small percentage of greenhouse gas emissions.

However, knock-on impacts could be felt over wide areas. For example, crop failures linked to extreme weather could raise food prices across the globe.

What are governments doing about climate change?

Reaching net zero CO2 emissions is essential to limit global warming, the IPCC says.

This means reducing emissions as much as possible, and actively removing any remaining emissions from the atmosphere.

Most countries have, or are considering, net zero targets.

There has been encouraging progress in some areas, such as the growth of renewable energy and electric vehicles.

But humanity's CO2 emissions are still at record highs.

Long-term warming – rather than temperatures seen in an individual year – reached between 1.34C and 1.41C in 2024, the WMO says.

At current rates of warming, this means that the 1.5C target could be breached around the year 2030.

In a speech in October 2025, UN secretary general António Guterres conceded that "overshooting" 1.5C was now inevitable, given how close the target is and how high emissions remain.

But he said that he hoped temperatures could still be brought back down to the 1.5C target by the end of the century.

However, without substantial intervention to change current policies, it is thought warming could reach close to 3C by that point.

World leaders meet every year to discuss their climate commitments.

At the most recent summit in November 2024, COP29, richer countries committed to giving developing nations at least $300bn (about £227bn) a year by 2035 to help them tackle climate change.

But this is far less than poorer countries say they need.

Many countries had also hoped that the deal struck in 2023 to "transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems" would be strengthened, but that did not happen.

Governments will gather again in Brazil in November 2025 for COP30.

What can individuals do about climate change?

* taking fewer flights

* using less energy

* improving their home's insulation and energy efficiency

* switching to electric vehicles or living car-free

* replacing gas central heating with electric systems like heat pumps

* eating less red meat

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How do hurricanes form and are they getting stronger?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz913gxlw3jo, 6 days ago

What are hurricanes and where do they happen?

Hurricanes are powerful storms which develop in warm tropical ocean waters.

In other parts of the world, they are known as cyclones or typhoons. Collectively, these storms are referred to as "tropical cyclones".

Tropical cyclones are characterised by very high wind speeds, heavy rainfall, and storm surges - short-term rises to sea-levels. This often causes widespread damage and flooding.

Hurricanes can be categorised by their peak sustained wind speed.

Major hurricanes are rated category three and above, meaning they reach at least 111mph (178km/h).

How do hurricanes form?

Have hurricanes been getting worse?

Globally, the frequency of tropical cyclones has not increased over the past century, and in fact the number may have fallen - although long-term data is limited in some regions.

But it is "likely" that a higher proportion of tropical cyclones across the globe have reached category three or above over the past four decades, meaning they reach the highest wind speeds, according to the UN's climate body, the IPCC.

How is climate change affecting hurricanes?

Assessing the precise influence of climate change on individual tropical cyclones can be challenging due to the complexity of these storm systems.

But rising temperatures can affect these storms in several ways.

Firstly, warmer ocean waters mean storms can pick up more energy, leading to higher wind speeds.

Maximum wind speeds of hurricanes between 2019 and 2023 were boosted by an estimated 19mph (30km/h) on average as a result of human-driven ocean warming, according to a recent study.

Secondly, a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, leading to more intense rainfall.

Climate change made the extreme rainfall from Hurricane Harvey in 2017 around three times more likely, according to one estimate.

How might hurricanes change in the future?

The number of tropical cyclones globally is unlikely to increase, according to the IPCC.

But as the world warms, it says it is "very likely" they will have higher rates of rainfall and reach higher top wind speeds. This means a higher proportion would reach the most intense categories, four and five.

The more global temperatures rise, the more extreme these changes will tend to be.

The proportion of tropical cyclones reaching category four and five may increase by around 10% if global temperature rises are limited to 1.5C, increasing to 13% at 2C and 20% at 4C, the IPCC says - although the exact numbers are uncertain.

Most countries fail to submit new climate pledges ahead of summit

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czdrv8m5v4lo, 7 days ago

Only 64 countries have submitted new plans to cut carbon, the UN says, despite all being required to do so ahead of next month's COP30 summit.

Added together these national pledges would fail to keep the world from warming by more than 1.5C, a key threshold to very dangerous levels of climate change.

While the UN review does show progress in curbing carbon emissions over the next decade, the projected fall is not enough to stop temperatures surging past this global target.

The report underlines the scale of the task facing world leaders who head to Belém in northern Brazil next week for the COP30 climate gathering.

Ten years after the Paris climate pact was agreed in 2015, the efforts of countries to restrict the rise in global temperatures are under renewed scrutiny.

Every signatory agreed to submit a new carbon-cutting plan every five years, which would cover the next decade.

But only 64 countries managed to put a new pledge in place this year, despite many extensions of the deadline. These represent around 30% of global emissions.

In addition, the UN's review includes statements from China and the EU on their future plans made at Climate Week in New York in September.

Taken together, the efforts mean that global emissions of carbon dioxide should fall by around 10% by 2035.

However, scientists say that such a drop is nowhere near enough to keep the rise in temperatures under 1.5C.

To keep that goal alive will require steep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, up to 57% by 2035, according to the UN last year.

"This report shows that we are going in the right direction but too slowly," said Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation, often referred to as a key architect of the Paris Agreement.

"It is essential to acknowledge the missing national pledges and confront the persistent gap between ambition and actual implementation."

The 1.5C limit, agreed at Paris, has long been seen as the threshold of very dangerous warming.

In 2018, scientists outlined the massive benefits to the world of keeping the rise under 1.5C as compared to allowing them to rise to 2C. Passing 1.5C include more frequent and intense heatwaves and storms, increased damage to coral reefs and growing threats to human health and livelihoods, UN scientists have said.

However, that limit was breached in 2024 for a whole year for the first time.

UN leaders are increasingly accepting the fact that the threshold will be breached permanently by the early 2030s at current rates.

"One thing is already clear: we will not be able to contain the global warming below 1.5C in the next few years," UN secretary general António Guterres told delegates at a meeting of the World Meteorological Organisation last week.

"Overshooting is now inevitable. Which means that we're going to have a period, bigger or smaller, with higher or lower intensity, above 1.5C in the years to come."

Despite this, the UN is keen to stress that there are some significant green shoots in the new report that provide hope.

Many more countries are expected to lodge plans as their leaders gather for COP30 in Belém in Brazil.

Large carbon producers such as India and Indonesia haven't yet unveiled their carbon plans. They will likely do so during COP30 and these may have a significant impact on the overall projections for 2035.

Some countries are also likely to cut faster and deeper than they've promised, say experts.

"It's actually completely reasonable to look at China," said Todd Stern, former US Special Envoy for climate change.

"They'll put down a certain number, which is not great, and then they will overachieve it, and China does that a lot."

The UN says they are confident that emissions globally will likely peak and start to decline in the next few years, for the first time since the industrial revolution in the 19th century.

They say the plans in place show clear stepping stones to net-zero emissions by the middle of the century. Net zero means balancing the amount of planet-warming "greenhouse" gases produced by human activities with the amount being actively removed from the atmosphere.

One important factor is that the cuts assessed by the UN include the planned US pledge submitted under President Biden.

While President Donald Trump has said he will pull out of the Paris agreement, that process is not completed yet, so the UN are keeping the US plans in their calculations even if these won't happen as planned.

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Israel confirms Hamas returned bodies of three soldiers held hostage

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3ep044jz47o, today

Israel has confirmed the identities of three deceased hostages whose bodies it received from Hamas via the Red Cross in Gaza on Sunday.

Forensic tests showed the remains were those of Israeli soldiers Col Asaf Hamami, 40, Capt Omer Neutra, 21, and Staff Sgt Oz Daniel, 19, the prime minister's office said.

The confirmation means eight dead Israeli and foreign hostages are still in Gaza.

Under the first phase of the US-brokered ceasefire deal with Israel that started more than three weeks ago, Hamas agreed to return all 20 living and 28 dead hostages it was holding.

Israel has accused Hamas of deliberately delaying the recovery of the dead hostages' bodies, while Hamas has insisted it is struggling to find them under rubble.

The slow progress has meant there has been no advance on any of the substantive issues in the second phase of the ceasefire deal, including plans for the governance of Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, the disarmament of Hamas, and how to organise the reconstruction of a territory left devastated by two years of war.

Hamas's armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, handed over the remains of the three hostages to the Red Cross on Sunday night after saying they had been found "along the route of one of the tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip".

The bodies were transferred to Israeli forces in Gaza before being transported to the National Centre of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv for identification.

On Monday morning, the Israeli prime minister's office announced that the remains belonged to Col Hamami, Capt Neutra and Staff Sgt Daniel.

"The government of Israel shares in the deep sorrow of the Hamami, Neutra and Daniel families, and all the families of the deceased hostages," a statement said.

"The Hamas terrorist organisation is required to uphold its commitments to the mediators and return them as part of the implementation of the agreement. We will not compromise on this and will spare no effort until we return all of the hostages, every last one of them," it added.

Col Hamami was commander of the Southern Brigade of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Gaza Division. The IDF said the father-of-three was among the first troops to reach the combat zones following the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023 and was "the first to declare war". He was killed fighting near Kibbutz Nirim and his body was then taken to Gaza by Hamas as a hostage, it added.

Capt Neutra, an Israeli-American dual national who was born in the US and emigrated to Israel, was serving as a platoon commander in the IDF's 7th Brigade. The IDF said he was killed in battle near the Gaza perimeter and that his body was abducted by Hamas.

Staff Sgt Daniel was serving in the IDF's 7th Armoured Brigade. He was also killed during a battle with Hamas gunmen near the Gaza perimeter and his body was taken by them as a hostage, according to the IDF.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum in Israel, which represents many hostages' relatives, said it "bows its head in sorrow and shares in the profound grief" of the three men's families.

"There are no words to express the depth of this pain. The hostages have no time. We must bring them all home, now!"

Hamas and Israel have accused each other of repeated violations of the ceasefire since it took effect on 10 October.

On Sunday, an Israeli air strike killed a man in northern Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

The Israeli military said it had struck a "terrorist" who had crossed the "Yellow Line", which demarcates territory in Gaza still under Israeli control, and was posing a threat to its troops.

Under the deal, Hamas agreed to return all the hostages it was holding within 72 hours.

All the living Israeli hostages were released on 13 October in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 detainees from Gaza.

Israel has so far handed over the bodies of 225 Palestinians in exchange for the bodies of the 18 Israeli hostages so far returned by Hamas, along with those of two foreign hostages - one of them Thai and the other Nepalese.

Six of the eight dead hostages still in Gaza are Israelis, one is Tanzanian, and one is Thai.

All but one of the dead hostages still in Gaza were among the 251 people abducted during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, during which about 1,200 other people were killed.

Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, during which more than 68,800 people have been killed, according to the territory's health ministry.

Israeli strikes in Gaza kill 104, health ministry says, after Hamas accused of killing soldier

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgjdy5eevn2o, 6 days ago

At least 104 Palestinians were killed in a wave of Israeli strikes in Gaza on Tuesday night, the territory's Hamas-run health ministry says.

The Israeli military said it struck "dozens of terror targets and terrorists" in response to violations by Hamas of the US-brokered ceasefire deal.

Israel's defence minister accused Hamas of an attack in Gaza that killed an Israeli soldier, and of breaching the terms on returning deceased hostages' bodies. Hamas said it had "no connection" to the attack and that Israel was trying to undermine the deal.

US President Donald Trump maintained "nothing" would jeopardise the ceasefire, but added that Israel should "hit back" when its soldiers were targeted.

The Israeli strikes hit homes, schools and residential blocks in Gaza City and Beit Lahia in the north of Gaza, Bureij and Nuseirat in the centre, and Khan Younis in the south.

Witnesses in Gaza City described seeing "pillars of fire and smoke" rising into the air as explosions shook several residential areas.

Gaza's health ministry said a total of 104 people were killed, including 46 children and 20 women, and that more than 250 others were injured.

Three women and a man who were pulled from the rubble of the al-Banna family's home in the southern Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City, according to the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency.

In the urban Bureij refugee camp, five members of the Abu Sharar family were killed in a strike on their home in the Block 7 area, it said.

At Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, women gathered to mourn over the bodies of a mother, Bayan al-Shawaf, and her four children who were killed in a strike on a tent at a camp for displaced families in the al-Mawasi area.

"What kind of world is this? Is this the ceasefire?" asked Bayan's cousin, Umm Mohammed. "They [the children] were sleeping. They were wanting to learn."

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Wednesday morning that it had "begun the renewed enforcement of the ceasefire" after carrying out a series of strikes on what it described as "dozens of terror targets and terrorists", including at least 30 commanders of armed groups.

"The IDF will continue to uphold the ceasefire agreement and will respond firmly to any violation of it," it added.

A brief statement put out by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Tuesday evening said he had ordered the IDF to carry out "forceful strikes" on Gaza but did not specify his reasons.

However, his defence minister said Hamas had crossed "a bright red line" by launching an attack on Israeli soldiers in Gaza on Tuesday.

"Hamas will pay many times over for attacking the soldiers and for violating the agreement to return the fallen hostages," Israel Katz warned.

On Wednesday morning, the IDF announced that a reservist soldier, Master Sergeant Yona Efraim Feldbaum, was killed.

A military source said the attack took place in the southern city of Rafah on the Israeli side of the so-called "Yellow Line", which demarcates IDF-controlled territory inside Gaza under the ceasefire deal.

Sgt Feldbaum was killed when one of the vehicles of an IDF engineering team that was dismantling an underground tunnel route in Rafah was hit by fire from "terrorists in the area", according to the source.

"A few minutes later, several anti-tank missiles were fired at another armoured vehicle belonging to the troops in the area. No injuries were reported," they added.

Hamas insisted on Tuesday that it had "no connection to the shooting incident in Rafah".

On Wednesday, the group stressed that it remained committed to the ceasefire agreement and accused the Israel of seeking to undermine it with the strikes.

The US played down concerns that all-out hostilities could resume.

On board Air Force One, President Trump told reporters: "As I understand it, they took out, they killed an Israeli soldier. So the Israelis hit back and they should hit back."

"Nothing is going to jeopardise" the ceasefire, he said. "You have to understand Hamas is a very small part of peace in the Middle East, and they have to behave."

UN human rights chief Volker Türk said the reports of so many people being killed were "appalling" and urged all sides not to let the opportunity for peace "slip from our grasp".

On Wednesday afternoon, hours after announcing it had resumed the ceasefire, the IDF said it had carried out a new air strike on a site in the northern town of Beit Lahia where weapons and "aerial means" intended for an imminent attack were stored.

Palestinian media reported that one person was killed in the al-Salateen area.

On Tuesday afternoon, Israel's prime minister had pledged to take unspecified "steps" against Hamas after the group handed over the previous day a coffin containing human remains that did not belong to one of the 13 deceased hostages still in Gaza.

Netanyahu's office said forensic tests showed they belonged to Ofir Tzarfati, an Israeli hostage whose body was recovered by Israeli forces in Gaza in late 2023, and that this constituted a "clear violation" of the ceasefire deal.

The IDF also released footage from a drone that it said showed Hamas operatives "removing body remains from a structure that had been prepared in advance and burying them nearby" in eastern Gaza City on Monday.

"Shortly afterwards," it added, the operatives "summoned representatives of the Red Cross and staged a false display of discovering a deceased hostage's body."

Hamas rejected what it called the "baseless allegations" and accused Israel of "seeking to fabricate false pretexts in preparation for taking new aggressive steps".

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) later condemned what it called the "fake recovery", saying it had attended the scene "at the request of Hamas" and "in good faith".

It went on: "The ICRC team at this location were not aware that a deceased person had been placed there prior to their arrival, as seen in the footage – in general, our role as neutral intermediary does not include unearthing of the bodies of the deceased.

"Our team only observed what appeared to be the recovery of remains without prior knowledge of the circumstances leading up to it.

"It is unacceptable that a fake recovery was staged, when so much depends on this agreement being upheld and when so many families are still anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones."

The ceasefire agreement brokered by the US, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey is supposed to implement the first stage of Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan.

It said Hamas would return its 48 living and deceased hostages within 72 hours of the ceasefire taking effect on 10 October.

All 20 living Israeli hostages were released on 13 October in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 detainees from Gaza.

Israel has also handed over the bodies of 195 Palestinians in exchange for the bodies of the 13 Israeli hostages so far returned by Hamas, along with those of two foreign hostages - one of them Thai and the other Nepalese.

Eleven of the dead hostages still in Gaza are Israelis, one is Tanzanian, and one is Thai.

On Saturday, Hamas's chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya said the group was facing challenges because Israeli forces had "altered the terrain of Gaza". He also said that "some of those who buried the bodies have been martyred or no longer remember where they buried them".

However, the Israeli government insists Hamas knows the locations of all the bodies.

Although the ceasefire deal appeared to acknowledge that Hamas might not be able to return all the deceased hostages within the original timeframe, Trump warned the group on Saturday that it had to hand over those remaining "quickly, or the other countries involved in this great peace will take action".

All but one of the dead hostages still in Gaza were among the 251 people abducted during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, during which about 1,200 other people were killed.

Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, during which more than 68,600 people have been killed, including more than 200 since the ceasefire took effect, according to the territory's health ministry.

Israel says coffin from Hamas did not contain another hostage's body

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly9z0mvzyko, 7 days ago

Israel says a coffin handed over by Hamas on Monday did not contain the body of another deceased hostage but more of the remains of another person held captive whose body had been previously returned.

Forensic tests showed the remains belonged to Ofir Tzarfati, whose body was recovered by Israeli forces in late 2023, and not to any of the 13 deceased hostages still in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said.

It accused Hamas of a "clear violation" of the two-week-old Gaza ceasefire deal and said Netanyahu would discuss "steps in response".

Hamas denied delaying the return of the hostages and claimed Israel was seeking "false pretexts" in preparation for "aggressive steps".

The Palestinian group's military wing also announced separately that it would hand over the body of a deceased hostage to the Red Cross on Tuesday evening.

Hamas insists it is complying with the ceasefire agreement brokered by the US, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey and is doing its best to find remains under the rubble left by two years of war.

However, Israeli officials insist that it knows the locations of all the hostages.

On Monday evening, Hamas announced that it would hand over to the Red Cross the body of an Israeli hostage which had been recovered earlier in the day.

A few hours later, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that its troops in Gaza had received a coffin and taken it to the National Institute for Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv for identification procedures.

But the Israeli prime minister's office said it was found that "remains belonging to fallen hostage Ofir Tzarfati – of blessed memory, who was returned from the Gaza Strip in a military operation about two years ago – were returned".

"This constitutes a clear violation of the agreement by the Hamas terrorist organisation," it added. "Prime Minister Netanyahu will hold a security discussion with the heads of the security establishment to discuss Israel's steps in response to the violations."

Tzarfati, a 27-year-old Israeli-French dual national, was shot and wounded while being abducted by Hamas gunmen at the Nova music festival during the 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel, which triggered the Gaza war.

At the start of December 2023, the IDF announced that his body had been found by its forces in Gaza and brought back to Israel.

In March 2024, additional remains belonging to him were returned for burial.

"We went to sleep last night with anticipation and hope that another family would close an agonising two-year circle and bring their loved one home for burial. But once again, deception has been inflicted upon our family as we try to heal," Tzarfati's family said in a statement.

They added: "This morning we were shown video footage of our beloved son's remains being removed, buried, and handed over to the Red Cross - an abhorrent manipulation designed to sabotage the deal and abandon the effort to bring all the hostages home."

Later, the IDF released footage from a drone filmed that it said showed Hamas operatives "removing body remains from a structure that had been prepared in advance and burying them nearby" on Monday.

"Shortly afterwards," it added, the operatives "summoned representatives of the Red Cross and staged a false display of discovering a deceased hostage's body."

Hamas issued a statement rejecting what it called Israel's "baseless allegations".

It accused Israel of preventing the entry into Gaza of the heavy machinery needed to accelerate and complete the search for the hostages' bodies.

"[Israel] is seeking to fabricate false pretexts in preparation for taking new aggressive steps against our people, in a flagrant violation of the ceasefire agreement," it added.

There was no immediate comment from the Red Cross.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum in Israel, which represents the relatives of many hostages, demanded an urgent meeting with the prime minister to discuss responses to what it called Hamas's "despicable actions".

"Hamas's repeated violations and the IDF's documentation prove what we have known and stated clearly and unequivocally: Hamas knows the location of the hostages and continues to act with contempt, deceiving the United States and mediators while dishonouring our loved ones," it said.

"The Israeli government cannot and must not ignore this, and must act decisively against these violations."

Israeli government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian told a briefing that Hamas would now face "serious repercussions" failure to return all the deceased hostages' bodies within 72 hours of the ceasefire taking effect on 10 October, as it had agreed.

"There is a meeting taking place, the prime minister is holding, and in terms of consequences for Hamas, nothing is off the table right now, but all of this is in full co-ordination with the United States," she said.

It is understood that Israeli officials are discussing with the Trump administration various responses to Hamas's failure to return all the deceased hostages' bodies within 72 hours of the ceasefire taking effect on 10 October.

One being considered is said to be expanding the area of Gaza under IDF control, which is demarcated by the so-called "Yellow Line".

Public broadcaster Kan News said the first step taken by Israel would be to stop allowing Hamas members and Red Cross representatives to visit IDF-controlled territory to help an Egyptian team with earth-moving equipment search for the remaining dead hostages.

The Israeli government had confirmed on Monday that such visits were being permitted "under close IDF supervision".

All 20 living Israeli hostages were released soon after the ceasefire took effect on 10 October in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 detainees from Gaza.

Israel has also handed over the bodies of 195 Palestinians in exchange for the bodies of the 13 Israeli hostages previously returned by Hamas, along with those of two foreign hostages - one of them Thai and the other Nepalese.

Eleven of the dead hostages still in Gaza are Israelis, one is Tanzanian, and one is Thai.

All but one of the dead hostages still in Gaza were among the 251 people abducted during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, during which about 1,200 other people were killed.

Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, during which more than 68,500 people have been killed, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

Freed Israeli hostage forced to dig own grave is 'growing back to his old self', father says

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4pyw1jmgwo, 8 days ago

The father of a released Israeli hostage who was forced to dig his own grave in a Gazan tunnel by Hamas has told the BBC his son's health is "improving every day".

Avishai David was speaking after his 24-year-old son Evyatar David and two other freed hostages - Guy Gilboa Dalal and Eitan Mor - were discharged from hospital to a hero's welcome at their homes on Sunday.

"I can't explain how happy it makes me feel to see him growing back to his old self," the father added.

In August, two months before Evyatar's release, Hamas had posted a video showing him emaciated in a narrow concrete tunnel - a move that drew condemnation from Israel and many Western leaders.

Avishai David told the BBC he was happy to see his son's "vitality improving every day, his colour returning [to his face], his cheeks getting fuller".

"Thank God, he pulled through it and he's strong."

The father said he had suffered for months knowing that his son was only "80km away... and I can't help him".

"It devastated me," he said, adding that he "couldn't sleep, eat, drink properly."

In August, Evyatar's brother Ilay told the BBC the Hamas video was a "new form of cruelty".

"He's a human skeleton. He was being starved to the point where he can be dead at any moment, and he suffers a great deal," Ilay said at the time.

In the footage itself, Evyatar said: "I haven't eaten for days... I barely got drinking water." He was seen digging what he said would be his own grave.

On Sunday, cheering crowds - including many friends and neighbours - greeted Evyatar David as he returned to his hometown of Kfar Saba in central Israel.

Dr Michal Steinman, Director of Nursing at Rabin Medical Centre where the three released hostages were treated, told the BBC their bodies still bore the marks of "this horrific captivity".

"We can see their blood tests... and we've also heard their stories... they are not lying. You can see the marks of this metabolic trauma. Their skin tells their story. You can see the scars and the wounds."

But Dr Steinman added that the hostages "came back stronger than they were".

Evyatar was abducted from the Nova music festival during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023.

He and 19 other living hostages have been released by Hamas under the first phase of a US-brokered ceasefire deal earlier this month.

Hamas has also transferred 15 out of 28 deceased hostages. Thirteen were Israelis, one was Nepalese and the other Thai.

In exchange, Israel has freed 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 detainees from Gaza, and returned 15 bodies of Palestinians for every Israeli hostage's remains.

The IDF launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to the 7 October 2023 attack, in which Hamas-led gunmen killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel and took 251 others hostage.

More than 68,000 people have been killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures are seen by the UN as reliable.

Israel confirms identities of hostages' bodies returned by Hamas

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gj90j2g8jo, 4 days ago

Israel has confirmed the identities of two deceased hostages whose bodies it received from Hamas via the Red Cross in Gaza on Thursday.

Forensic tests showed the remains were those of Amiram Cooper, 84, and Sahar Baruch, 25, the Israeli prime minister's office said.

"The government of Israel shares in the deep sorrow of the Cooper and [Baruch] families and all the families of the fallen hostages," it said in a statement.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum in Israel demanded that all 11 Israeli and foreign deceased hostages still in Gaza be returned immediately by Hamas in line with the US-brokered ceasefire agreement.

Amiram Cooper was abducted along with his wife, Nurit, from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which sparked the war. Hamas released Nurit after 17 days, but it continued to hold Amiram.

The Israeli military said it estimated Amiram was murdered in captivity in February 2024, but that final conclusions will be made upon completion of a post-mortem.

It had previously said he was killed along with three other hostages - Nadav Popplewell, Chaim Peri and Yoram Metzger - in Khan Younis while troops were operating in the area. Hamas had claimed they were killed by an Israeli strike.

Sahar Baruch was kidnapped during the attack on Kibbutz Be'eri by Hamas gunmen, who also killed his brother, Edan, and grandmother, Geula Bachar.

The Israeli military said it estimated that he was murdered in captivity on 8 December 2023, and that it was awaiting the results of a post-mortem.

It had previously announced that he was killed during a rescue attempt by Israeli forces.

The military expressed its deep condolences to the two men's families and stressed that Hamas was "required to fulfil its part of the agreement and make the necessary efforts to return all the hostages to their families and to a dignified burial".

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents many hostages' families, said: "There are no words to express the depth of this pain."

"The hostages have no time. We must bring them all home, now!"

On Friday morning, Israeli authorities returned via the Red Cross the bodies of another 30 dead Palestinians in exchange for the two hostages, Nasser hospital in Khan Younis said.

Under the ceasefire deal, Israel has agreed to hand over the remains of 15 Palestinians for every deceased Israeli hostage.

On Tuesday, the Israeli government accused Hamas of violating the Gaza ceasefire deal after the group handed over a coffin containing human remains that did not belong to one of the 13 deceased Israeli and foreign hostages then still in Gaza.

It said forensic tests showed they belonged to Ofir Tzarfati, a hostage whose body had been recovered by Israeli forces in Gaza in late 2023.

The Israeli military also released footage filmed by a drone that showed Hamas members removing a body bag containing the remains from a building in Gaza City, reburying it, and then staging the discovery in front of Red Cross staff.

The Red Cross said its staff were unaware that the body bag had been moved before their arrival and that the staged recovery was "unacceptable".

Hamas rejected what it called the "baseless allegations" and accused Israel of "seeking to fabricate false pretexts in preparation for taking new aggressive steps".

Hours later, the Israeli government accused Hamas of another ceasefire violation, saying the group's fighters had killed an Israeli soldier in an attack in an area of southern Gaza.

Hamas claimed it was not involved in the incident in the Rafah area, but Israel's prime minister ordered a wave of air strikes across Gaza on Tuesday night in response. The Israeli military said it attacked "dozens of terror targets and terrorists".

Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said 104 Palestinians were killed, including 46 children and 20 women, making it the deadliest day since the ceasefire took effect on 10 October.

US President Donald Trump maintained "nothing" would jeopardise the ceasefire agreement, which his administration brokered along with Qatar, Egypt and Turkey, but he added that Israel should "hit back" when its soldiers were targeted.

Under the deal, Hamas agreed to return the 20 living and 28 dead hostages it was holding within 72 hours.

All the living Israeli hostages were released on 13 October in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 detainees from Gaza.

Israel has handed over the bodies of 225 Palestinians in exchange for the bodies of the 15 Israeli hostages so far returned by Hamas, along with those of two foreign hostages - one of them Thai and the other Nepalese.

Nine of the 11 dead hostages still in Gaza are Israelis, one is Tanzanian, and one is Thai.

All but one of the dead hostages still in Gaza were among the 251 people abducted during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, during which about 1,200 other people were killed.

Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, in which more than 68,600 people have been killed, including more than 200 since the ceasefire took effect, according to the territory's health ministry.

Can the Gaza ceasefire deal survive?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgk4x5ze3mo, 5 days ago

Ultimately, the survivability of the much-vaunted ceasefire deal, as well as the wider, 20-point Trump peace plan for Gaza, depends heavily on the continuing engagement of the current White House.

Trump, his Vice-President JD Vance, his special envoy Steve Witkoff, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio have all been here to Israel this month.

They have all invested a large amount of time and effort in stopping the carnage in Gaza and they all have something to lose if their efforts fail.

In practice, this means several things.

While the US publicly acknowledges Israel's right to respond to attacks that it ascribes to Hamas, in private US officials have been urging restraint in order to keep this deal alive.

After the first major challenge to the ceasefire on 19 October, when Israel said Hamas fighters had shot dead two of its soldiers and its retaliatory strikes killed more than 40 Palestinians, it was Washington that made Israel reopen border crossings to let in aid and it was US pressure that prevented an even harsher Israeli response.

Now that Hamas has returned the 20 living hostages it was holding, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli jails, there are some on the far-right in Israel, including in the cabinet, who have been urging the government to resume the full-scale war on Hamas.

The White House is unlikely to let that happen, but it is clearly allowing Israel some leeway to respond to apparent violations by Hamas.

So far, Hamas, while strongly condemning the Israeli air strikes, is still insisting it is abiding by the terms of the deal.

"Hamas accepted the ceasefire because it seemed the least bad choice open to them, especially as President Trump is invested personally and might act as an effective brake on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu," says Tahani Mustafa, lecturer on international relations at King's College London.

But if violence such as what occurred on Tuesday becomes the norm, then the ceasefire will exist in name only.

Although the US is the big heavyweight behind this deal, Egypt and Qatar are in many ways just as important.

Qatar has long hosted Hamas leaders as well as - since the group's attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023 that sparked the war - round after round of peace talks involving the CIA and Mossad, Israel's overseas intelligence agency.

Tellingly, despite the renewed bloodshed in Gaza, the Qatari Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, told a US audience on Wednesday: "Fortunately, I think the main parties - both of them [Israel and Hamas] - are acknowledging that the ceasefire should hold and they should stick to the agreement."

Dr Robert Pinfold, lecturer in Defence Studies at King's College London, is of a similar opinion.

"The ceasefire will likely survive," he told the BBC. "Israel and Hamas both perceive that the costs of abrogating the ceasefire themselves are too high."

But when it comes to moving on beyond phase one of the Trump plan for Gaza, he is less optimistic.

"What has been set back is any meaningful transition to somewhere better, such as Gaza's rehabilitation and rebuilding. Whilst the ceasefire may survive, it will remain on tenterhooks," he said.

"Any prospect of 'peace' or rebuilding Gaza is as remote as ever."

New images show Israeli control line deeper into Gaza than expected

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2y00g4x29o, 12 days ago

The Israeli military is exerting control over more of Gaza than expected from the ceasefire deal with Hamas, a BBC Verify analysis has found.

Under the first stage of the deal, Israel agreed to retreat to a boundary running along the north, south and east of Gaza. The divide was marked by a yellow line on maps released by the military and has become known as the "Yellow Line".

But new videos and satellite images show that markers placed by Israeli troops in two areas to mark the divide have been positioned hundreds of metres deeper inside the strip than the expected withdrawal line.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz - who instructed troops to place the yellow blocks as markers - warned that anyone crossing the line "will be met with fire". There have already been at least two deadly incidents near the boundary line.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not address the allegations when approached by BBC Verify, stating simply that: "IDF troops under the Southern Command have begun marking the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip to establish tactical clarity on the ground."

There has been a consistent lack of clarity as to where exactly the boundary will be imposed, with three separate maps posted by the White House, Donald Trump and the Israeli military in the run up to the ceasefire agreement which came into force on 10 October.

On 14 October the IDF issued the latest version marking the Yellow Line on their online map, which is used to communicate its position to people in Gaza.

But in the north, near the al-Atatra neighbourhood, drone footage from the IDF showed that a line of six yellow blocks were up to 520m further inside the Strip than would have been expected from the IDF maps.

Footage geolocated by BBC Verify showed workers using bulldozers and diggers to move the heavy yellow blocks and place them along the coastal al-Rashid road.

A similar situation was visible in southern Gaza, where a satellite image taken on 19 October showed 10 markers erected near the city of Khan Younis. The line of blocks ranges between 180m-290m inside the Yellow Line set out by the IDF.

If these two sections of boundary were typical of how the markers were being placed along the entirety of the line then Israel would be exerting control over a notably larger area than expected from the ceasefire agreement.

Multiple analysts who spoke to BBC Verify suggested that the blocks were intended to create a "buffer zone" between Palestinians and IDF personnel. One expert said the move would be consistent with a long-term "strategic culture" which seeks to insulate Israel from nearby territories it does not fully control.

"This gives the IDF space to manoeuvre and create a 'kill zone' against potential targets," Dr Andreas Krieg, associate professor at King's College London, said.

"Potential targets can be engaged before they reach the IDF perimeter. It is a bit like no man's land that does not belong to anyone – and Israel tends to take that territory from the opponent's chunk not its own."

Three experts who spoke to BBC Verify suggested that the disparity between the markers and the IDF map was an intentional design to warn civilians they are "approaching an area of increased risk".

Noam Ostfeld, an analyst with the risk consultancy Sibylline, said that some blocks "seem to be positioned near roads or walls, making them easier to spot".

But a post to X by the Israeli defense minister seemed to suggest that the yellow blocks marked the actual line, warning that "any violation or attempt to cross the line will be met with fire".

There is already confusion among Gazans over areas where it is safe to go.

Abdel Qader Ayman Bakr, who lives near the temporary boundary in the eastern part of Gaza City's Shejaiya district, told the BBC that, despite promises from Israel of clear markings, he had seen none put in place.

"Each day, we can see Israeli military vehicles and soldiers at a relatively close distance, yet we have no way of knowing whether we are in what is considered a 'safe zone' or 'an active danger zone'," he said.

"We are constantly exposed to danger, especially since we are forced to remain here because this is where our home once stood."

Since the ceasefire came into effect, the IDF has reported a number of instances of people crossing the Yellow Line. On all occasions the IDF said it fired upon those involved.

BBC Verify has obtained and geolocated footage showing the aftermath of one incident on 17 October, which the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency said killed 11 civilians - including women and children all reportedly from the same family. The agency said the Palestinians' vehicle was targeted by Israel after crossing the Yellow Line east of Gaza City in the Zeitoun neighbourhood.

The footage showed rescue workers inspecting the burnt out remnants of a vehicle and covering a nearby badly-mangled body of a child with a white sheet. BBC Verify geolocated the video to a spot around 125m over the Yellow Line marked on maps by the IDF.

The IDF said warning shots were fired towards a "suspicious vehicle" that had crossed the line. The statement added when the vehicle failed to stop troops opened fire "to remove the threat".

Meanwhile, the legal status of the boundary has also been questioned.

"Israel's obligations under the law of armed conflict do not cease even for those breaching the Yellow Line," said Dr Lawrence Hill-Cawthorne, professor of Public International Law at the University of Bristol.

"It can only target enemy fighters or those directly participating in hostilities, and in so doing it must not cause excessive civilian harm."

In a statement, an Israeli military spokesperson said: "IDF troops under the Southern Command continue to operate to remove any threat to the troops and to defend the civilians of the State of Israel."

They added that the concrete blocks are "being placed every 200 metres".

Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to the 7 October 2023 attack, in which Hamas-led gunmen killed about 1,200 people and took 251 others as hostages.

At least 68,280 have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

Additional reporting by Erwan Rivault, Lamees Altalebi and Maha El Gaml

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Gaza children dying as they wait for Israel to enable evacuations

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cze61zg7zzpo, 10 days ago

So many lives in Gaza still hang in the balance.

In different wards of Nasser Hospital lie two 10-year-old boys, one shot by Israeli fire and paralysed from the neck down, another with a brain tumour.

Now that a fragile ceasefire is in place, they are among some 15,000 patients who the World Health Organization (WHO) says are in need of urgent medical evacuations.

Ola Abu Said sits gently stroking the hair of her son, Amar. His family says he was in their tent in southern Gaza when he was hit by a stray bullet fired by an Israeli drone. It is lodged between two of his vertebrae, leaving him paralysed.

"He needs surgery urgently," Ola says, "but it's complicated. Doctors told us it could cause his death, a stroke or brain haemorrhage. He needs surgery in a well-equipped place."

Right now, Gaza is anything but that. After two years of war, its hospitals have been left in a critical state.

Sitting by the bedside of her younger brother, Ahmed al-Jadd, his sister Shahd says her brother was a constant comfort to her through two years of war and displacement.

"He's only 10 and, when our situation got so bad, he used to go out and sell water to help bring some money for us," she says. A few months ago, he showed the first signs of ill health.

"Ahmad's mouth started drooping to one side," Shahd explains. "One time he kept telling me, 'Shahd my head hurts', and we just gave him paracetamol, but later, his right hand stopped moving."

The one-time university student is desperate for her brother to travel abroad to have his tumour removed.

"We can't lose him. We already lost our father, our home and our dreams," Shahd says. "When the ceasefire happened it gave us a bit of a hope that maybe there was a 1% chance that Ahmed could travel and get treated."

On Wednesday, the WHO co-ordinated the first medical convoy to exit Gaza since the fragile ceasefire began on 10 October. It took 41 patients and 145 carers to hospitals abroad via Israel's Kerem Shalom crossing, with ambulances and buses taking the group on to Jordan. Some have stayed for care there.

The UN agency has called for numbers of medical evacuations to be rapidly increased to deal with the thousands of cases of sick and wounded. It wants to be able to bring out patients through Gaza's Rafah border crossing with Egypt as it has done previously.

However, Israel has said it is keeping the crossing closed until Hamas "fulfils" its commitments under the terms of the Gaza ceasefire deal by returning the bodies of deceased hostages. Israel has kept the Gaza side of the Egyptian border closed since May 2024 when it took control during the war.

Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, the head of the WHO, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said "the most impactful measure" would be if Israel could allow Gazan patients to be treated in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as happened before the war.

Top EU officials and foreign ministers of more than 20 countries - including the UK - have previously called for this, offering "financial contributions, provision of medical staff or equipment needed".

"Hundreds of patients could be treated easily and efficiently in a short time if this route reopened to the East Jerusalem Hospital Network and the hospitals in the West Bank," says Dr Fadi Atrash, CEO of the Augusta Victoria Hospital on the Mount of Olives.

"We can at least treat 50 patients per day for chemotherapy and radiation and even more than that. Other hospitals can do a lot of surgeries," the doctor told me.

"Referring them to East Jerusalem is the shortest distance, the most efficient way, because we have the mechanism. We speak the same language, we're the same culture, in many cases we have medical files for Gazan patients. They've been receiving treatment in East Jerusalem hospitals for more than a decade before the war."

The BBC asked Cogat, the Israeli defence body which controls Gaza's crossings, why the medical route was not being approved. Cogat said it was a decision by the political echelon and referred queries to the prime minister's office, which did not offer further explanation.

After the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023, Israel cited security reasons for not allowing Gazan patients in other Palestinian territories. It also pointed out that its main crossing point for people at Erez had been targeted by Hamas fighters during the assault.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says that in the year to August 2025, at least 740 people, including nearly 140 children, died while on waiting lists.

At Nasser hospital, the director of paediatrics and maternity, Dr Ahmed al-Farra, expresses his frustration.

"It's the most difficult feeling for a doctor to be present, able to diagnose a condition but unable to carry out essential tests and lacking the necessary treatments," Dr al-Farra says. "This has happened in so many cases, and unfortunately, there's daily loss of life due to our lack of capabilities."

Since the ceasefire, hope has run out for more of his patients.

In the past week in the hospital grounds, a funeral took place for Saadi Abu Taha, aged eight, who died from intestinal cancer.

A day later, three-year old Zain Tafesh and Luay Dweik, aged eight, died from hepatitis.

Without action, there are many more Gazans who will not have a chance to live in peace.

Gaza doctors struggle to investigate 'signs of torture' on unnamed dead returned by Israel

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gz3r46e37o, 11 days ago

Out of a single room, with no DNA testing facilities or cold storage units of its own, the forensics team at Gaza's Nasser hospital face the challenges brought by peace.

Over the past eleven days, 195 bodies have been returned to Gaza by Israeli authorities, in exchange for the bodies of 13 Israeli hostages, under the terms of Donald Trump's ceasefire deal. Two other bodies – those of Nepalese and Thai hostages – have also been returned by Hamas.

Photographs released by Gaza's medical authorities show some of the bodies badly decomposed, and arriving in civilian clothes or naked except for underwear, some with multiple signs of injury. Many have their wrists tied behind their backs, and doctors say some bodies arrived blindfolded or with cloth roped around their necks.

The forensic team at Nasser hospital are working with almost no resources to answer vast questions about torture, mistreatment and identity.

The head of the unit, Dr Ahmed Dheir, said one of their biggest limitations is a lack of cold storage space. The bodies arrive in Gaza thoroughly frozen and can take several days to thaw out, ruling out even basic identification methods like dental history, let alone any deeper investigation or post-mortem (autopsy).

"The situation is extremely challenging," he said. "If we wait for the bodies to thaw, rapid decomposition begins almost immediately, putting us in an impossible position [because] we lose the ability to examine the remains properly. So the most viable method is to take samples and document the state of the bodies as they are."

The BBC has viewed dozens of photographs of the bodies, many of them shared by Gaza's health authorities, others taken by colleagues on the ground.

We spoke to several of those involved in examining the bodies in Gaza, as well as families of the missing, human rights groups, and Israeli military and prison authorities.

We also spoke to three forensic experts outside the region, including one specialising in torture, to educate ourselves about the medical processes involved in this kind of investigation – all agreed that there were questions that were difficult to answer without post-mortems.

Dr Alaa al-Astal, one of the forensic team at Nasser hospital, said some of the bodies arriving there showed "signs of torture", such as bruises and marks from binding on the wrists and ankles.

"There were extremely horrific cases, where the restraint was so tight that blood circulation to the hands was cut off, leading to tissue damage and clear signs of pressure around the wrists and ankles," he said.

"Even around the eyes, when the blindfolds were removed, you could see deep grooves - imagine how much force that took. The pressure left actual marks where the blindfold had been tied."

Dr Astal also mentioned the loose cloths tied around the necks of some bodies as needing further investigation.

"In one case, there was a groove around the neck," he said. "To determine whether the death was due to hanging or strangulation, we needed to perform a post-mortem, but because the body was frozen, it was not dissected."

Sameh Yassin Hamad, a member of the Hamas-run government committee responsible for receiving the bodies, said there were signs of bruising and blood infiltration indicating that the bodies had been severely beaten before death. He also said there were stab wounds on the chest or face of some of them.

Some of the images we saw from the unit clearly show deep indentations or tightly-fastened cable-ties on the wrists and arms and ankles. One photograph appears to show the bruising and abrasion that would confirm that ties had been used while the person was still alive.

Other bodies showed only deep indentation marks, meaning a post-mortem would be needed to determine whether the ties had been used before or after death. Cable-ties are sometimes used when transporting bodies in Israel.

When we asked Israel's military about the evidence we gathered, it said it operates strictly in accordance with international law.

We showed the photographs we were given to the outside forensic experts. The images represent a fraction of the bodies transferred to Gaza by the Red Cross.

All three experts said that some of the markings raised questions about what had happened, but that it was difficult to reach concrete conclusions about abuse or torture without post-mortems.

"What is happening in Gaza is an international forensic emergency," said Michael Pollanen, a forensic pathologist and professor at the University of Toronto. "Based upon images like this, there is an imperative for complete medicolegal autopsies. We need to know the truth behind how deaths occurred, and the only way to know the truth is to do autopsies."

But even with limited forensic data, doctors at Nasser hospital say the routine cuffing of wrists behind the body rather than in front, along with the marks observed on the limbs, points to torture.

"When a person is naked, with their hands tied behind their back, and visible restraint marks on their wrists and ankles, it indicates that they died in that position," Dr Dheir told us. "This is a violation of international law."

And there is strong evidence to suggest widespread abuse of detainees - including civilians - in Israeli custody in the months after the war began in October 2023, particularly in the military facility of Sde Teiman.

"At least in the first eight months of the war, the detainees from Gaza were cuffed behind their backs, and had their eyes covered, 24 hrs, 7 days a week, for months," said Naji Abbas, head of the Prisoners and Detainees Programme at the Israeli human rights organisation, Physicians for Human Rights (PHRI).

"We know that people developed serious infections on their skin, hands and legs because of the cuffs."

We have spoken to several people who worked at Sde Teiman over the past two years, who confirm that detainees were cuffed hand and foot – even while undergoing medical treatments, including surgery.

One medic who worked there said he had campaigned to loosen the cuffs, and that the treatment of detainees there was "dehumanisation".

But many of those detained during the Gaza war are held as unlawful combatants, without charge.

One complication for doctors at Nasser Hospital now is determining which of the returned bodies are Hamas fighters killed in combat, which are civilians and which are detainees who died in Israeli custody.

Some of the bodies returned by Israel are still wearing Hamas headbands or military boots, but doctors say most are either naked or in civilian clothing, making it difficult to distinguish their role, interpret their injuries, and assess human rights violations.

Photographs seen by the BBC show mostly naked or decomposed bodies. One dressed in civilian clothing and trainers has what officials say are two small bullet wounds in his back.

Sameh Yassin Hamad, from Gaza's Forensics Committee, said that Israel had sent back identification with only six of the 195 bodies it had returned – and that five of those names turned out to be wrong.

"Since these bodies were held by the Israeli authorities, they will have full data about them," said Dr Dheir. "But they haven't shared that information with us through the Red Cross. We were sent DNA profiles for around half the total number of dead, but have not received any details about the dates or circumstances of death, or the time or place of detention."

We asked Israel's army about the details in this report, including striking allegations by Gaza's forensic team that Israel had removed single fingers and toes from the bodies for DNA testing.

Israel's military said "all bodies returned so far are combatants within the Gaza Strip." It denied tying any bodies prior to their release.

A spokeswoman for the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, Shosh Bedrosian, on Wednesday described the reports from Gaza as "just more efforts to demonise Israel" and suggested the media focus instead on the experience of Israeli hostages.

As families of those missing gather at the hospital gates, Dr Dheir and his staff are under intense pressure to identify the dead and provide answers about what happened to them.

So far, only some 50 bodies have been positively identified – mostly through basic details like height, age and obvious previous injuries. Another 54 have been buried, unidentified and unclaimed, because of intense pressure on space at the unit.

Many families of the missing attended the burial of the unnamed dead this week, just in case one of them was theirs.

"Honestly, it's hard to bury a body when you don't know whether it's the right one or not," said Rami al-Faraa, still searching for his cousin.

"If there was [DNA] testing, we'd know where he is – yes or no," said Houwaida Hamad, searching for her nephew. "My sister would know if the one we're burying is really her son or not."

Donald Trump's ceasefire deal has brought some relief for Gaza, but little closure for the families of most of those missing, left burying a body in place of a brother, husband or son.

Correction: An earlier version of this story said the bodies of 13 Israeli hostages had been returned by Hamas. This was briefly amended to refer to 11 bodies but has since reverted to the original figure. We separately reported that the bodies of two foreign nationals, one Tanzanian and one Thai, have also been returned. In fact the two bodies returned are one Nepalese and one Thai citizen.

UN's top court says Israel obliged to allow UN aid into Gaza

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c17pqxzl0yzo, 12 days ago

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has said Israel has a legal obligation to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip by the UN and its entities to ensure the basic needs of Palestinian civilians there are met.

An advisory opinion from the UN's top court also said Israel had not substantiated its allegations that the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) lacked neutrality or that a significant number of its staff were members of Hamas or other armed groups.

The UN's chief said he hoped Israel would abide by the "very important decision".

But Israel rejected the ICJ's opinion as "political" and insisted it would not co-operate with Unrwa, which it has banned.

The opinion is non-binding, but it carries significant moral and diplomatic weight.

In December, the UN General Assembly asked the ICJ for an opinion on Israel's obligations, as an occupying power and a member of the UN, towards UN agencies and other international organisations operating in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

It came after the Israeli parliament passed laws banning any activity by Unrwa on Israeli territory and contact with Israeli officials.

The ICJ was asked to also cover in its opinion Israel's duty to allow the unhindered delivery of essential supplies to Palestinian civilians.

Israel tightened its blockade on Gaza after the start of its war with Hamas two years ago and has since restricted - and at times completely stopped - the entry of food and other aid for the 2.1 million population.

Before this month's ceasefire deal took effect, UN-backed global experts had warned that more than 640,000 people were facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity and that there was an "entirely man-made" famine in Gaza City.

Israel rejected the famine declaration, insisting it was allowing in sufficient food.

The ICJ's President Yuji Iwasawa read out its advisory opinion at The Hague on Wednesday.

He said the panel of 11 international judges agreed that Israel, as an occupying power, was required to fulfil its obligations under international humanitarian law.

The first obligation was to "ensure that the population of the Occupied Palestinian Territory has the essential supplies of daily life, including food, water, clothing, bedding, shelter, fuel, medical supplies and services", according to the judge.

The second was to "agree to and facilitate by all means at its disposal relief schemes on behalf of the population of the Occupied Palestinian Territory so long as that population is inadequately supplied, as has been the case in the Gaza Strip".

The other obligations listed included respecting the prohibitions on forcible transfer from an occupied territory and on the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare.

Judge Iwasawa said the panel were also of the opinion that Israel had "an obligation to co-operate in good faith with the United Nations by providing every assistance in any action it takes in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, including [Unrwa]".

Israel was also obliged to ensure "full respect for the privileges and immunities accorded to the United Nations" and its officials, as well as for the "inviolability of the premises of the United Nations... and for the immunity of the property and assets of the organisation from any form of interference", he added.

When asked about the advisory opinion in Geneva, UN Secretary General António Guterres said: "This is a very important decision. And I hope that Israel will abide by it."

He added that the advisory opinion came at a moment in which the UN was doing everything it could to boost aid deliveries to Gaza and deal with the "tragic situation" there.

Unrwa’s Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, said the opinion was "unambiguous".

"With huge amounts of food and other life saving supplies on standby in Egypt and Jordan, Unrwa has the resources and expertise to immediately scale up the humanitarian response in Gaza and help alleviate the suffering of the civilian population," he wrote on X.

But Israel's foreign ministry said it categorically rejected the advisory opinion, describing it as "entirely predictable from the outset regarding Unrwa".

"This is yet another political attempt to impose political measures against Israel under the guise of 'international law'," it added.

The ministry also said Israel was fully upholding its obligations under international law and that it would "not co-operate with an organisation that is infested with terror activities".

Unrwa - the largest humanitarian organisation in Gaza, with 12,000 Palestinian staff based there - has repeatedly denied Israel's allegation that it is deeply infiltrated by Hamas, which is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the US, UK and other countries.

Israel has said that Unrwa staff took part in the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken to Gaza as hostages, and claimed that the agency still employs more than 1,400 "Hamas operatives".

The UN said last year that it had fired nine of Unrwa's staff in Gaza after investigators found evidence that they might have been involved in the 7 October attack. Another 10 staff were cleared because of insufficient evidence.

Judge Iwasawa said the information the ICJ received was "not sufficient to establish Unrwa's lack of neutrality", and that Israel had "not substantiated its allegations that a significant part of Unrwa employees 'are members of Hamas... or other terrorist factions'".

Since the Israeli laws banning Unrwa took effect in January, the agency says its Palestinian staff have continued providing assistance and education, health and other services to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

However, the agency says Israel has banned it from bringing aid into Gaza and stopped issuing visas to Unrwa's international staff.

Unrwa says at least 309 of its staff and 72 people supporting the agency's activities have been killed since the start of the war in Gaza. The territory's Hamas-run health ministry says Israeli attacks during the conflict have killed at least 68,229 people in total.

Unrwa's acting Gaza director, Sam Rose, told the BBC that the agency welcomed the advisory opinion because it "underscores the obligations of Israel under international law".

"The ruling of today says that Israel's laws against Unrwa have gone against those obligations, as have its actions on the ground," he said.

The Palestinian foreign ministry said the advisory opinion made "very clear that Israel must cease these illegal policies and that states have an obligation to bring Israel into compliance with its obligations in this regard".

"Israel must immediately lift the unlawful ban on Unrwa and allow all other international organisations invited by Palestine to operate freely and safely," it added.

Who are the released hostages?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpvl9k4mw8no, 4 days ago

The Israeli military says 20 living hostages and the bodies of 17 deceased hostages have been handed over by Hamas and have returned to Israel under the Gaza ceasefire deal. Until 13 October, 48 hostages were still being held in Gaza, 28 of whom were dead.

All but one of the hostages were among the 251 people abducted during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, during which about 1,200 other people were killed.

Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, during which more than 68,000 people have been killed, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

Living hostages who have been released

Gali and Ziv Berman, 28-year-old twin brothers, were abducted from Kibbutz Kfar Aza with their neighbour, Emily Damari. Ziv was held with Emily for 40 days before they were separated. She was released in January 2025 during the last ceasefire. Gali and Ziv's family said they had been informed by other hostages released in early 2025 that they were still alive.

Ariel Cunio, 28, was abducted in the attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz on 7 October. Ariel's brother Eitan, who escaped the Hamas-led gunmen, said the last message from Ariel said: "We are in a horror movie." Ariel's partner, Arbel Yehud, was freed as part of a ceasefire deal in January 2025.

David Cunio, 35, another of Ariel's brothers, was also kidnapped from Nir Oz. David's wife Sharon Aloni Cunio and their then-three-year-old twin daughters Ema and Yuly were among the 105 hostages released during a week-long ceasefire in November 2023. Sharon's sister Danielle Aloni and her daughter Emilia were also freed.

Avinatan Or, 32, was kidnapped at the festival along with his girlfriend, Noa Argamani, but they were immediately separated. Noa and three other hostages were rescued in an Israeli military operation in central Gaza in June 2024. His British-Israeli mother, Ditza, had said she just wanted to put her ear to his chest and hear his heartbeat again.

Matan Angrest, 22, an IDF soldier, was in a tank that was attacked near the Gaza perimeter fence on 7 October. One video showed a crowd pulling him from the tank unconscious and injured. Earlier this year, his family said they had been told by released hostages that he was suffering from chronic asthma, untreated burns and infections.

Matan Zangauker, 25, was taken with his partner Ilana Gritzewsky from Nir Oz. Ilana was released during the November 2023 ceasefire. In December 2024, Hamas released a video showing Matan in captivity. He said he and his fellow hostages were suffering from skin ailments, shortages of food, water and medicine.

Eitan Horn, 38, an Israeli-Argentine dual national, was kidnapped along with his elder brother Yair from Nir Oz. Yair was freed in February 2025 during the last ceasefire. Hamas released a video at the time showing Eitan and Yair hugging and breaking down in tears ahead of the latter's release. "Every day we imagined what we'd do if we were freed," Yair recalled recently.

Nimrod Cohen, 21, was serving as an IDF soldier when his tank was attacked by Hamas at Nahal Oz. After the new ceasefire was agreed, his mother Viki posted on social media: "My child, you are coming home."

Omri Miran, 48, was abducted from his home in Nahal Oz. His wife, Lishay, said she last saw him being driven away in his own car. She and their two young daughters, Roni and Alma, were not taken with him. In April 2025, Hamas released a video showing Omri marking his 48th birthday. In response: Lishay said: "I always said and I always knew, Omri is a survivor."

Guy Gilboa-Dalal, 24, attended the Nova music festival with his brother Gal. The last time they saw each other was just before Hamas launched its first barrage of rockets into Israel at the start of the attack. Gal evaded the gunmen on the ground, but Guy was kidnapped. Last month, Hamas released a video showing Guy and another hostage, Alon Ohel, being driven around Gaza City in late August as the Israeli military prepared to launch an offensive there.

Alon Ohel, 24, has Israeli, German and Serbian citizenship. Hamas footage showed him being taken away from the Nova festival. Alon was not seen in another video until August 2025, when he was filmed being driven around Gaza City with Guy Gilboa-Dalal. Last month, a picture of him was released, which his family said showed Alon had gone blind in one eye.

Yosef-Chaim Ohana, 25, had been at the festival with a friend, who said they had remained to help people escape the gunfire before running themselves.

Elkana Bohbot, 36, was working at the festival when he was abducted. Earlier this year, Israeli media cited a released hostage as saying Elkana, who has asthma, was being held in inhumane conditions and had developed a severe skin disease.

Eitan Mor, 25, was working as a security guard at the Nova music festival. His father Mor said he saved dozens of people before being kidnapped by Hamas gunmen. His family had been told by a previously released hostage who spent time with Eitan in a tunnel that he had acted as a "spokesman to the captors" and "lifted everyone's spirits".

Maxim Herkin, 37, is an Israeli-Russian dual national who was invited to the festival at the last moment. His two friends were killed in the attack. In April 2025, Maxim appeared in a Hamas video along with Bar Kupershtein. The following month, Maxim was seen alone in another video and appeared to be bandaged up. Hamas said was the result of an Israeli air strike.

Bar Kupershtein, 23, was working at the festival and stayed behind during the attack to help treat casualties. He told his grandmother that he would head home as soon as they were finished. But he was later identified in a video of hostages.

Segev Kalfon, 27, was running away from the festival with a friend when he was taken hostage by Hamas gunmen. Two months later, the Israeli military found a video of the abduction. In February 2025, released hostage Ohad Ben Ami told Segev's father, Kobi, that they had been held captive with four other men in a tunnel in "terrible conditions".

Evyatar David, 24, was at the festival. He texted his family to say "they are bombarding the party". His family say they later received a text from an unknown number, with a video of Evyatar handcuffed on the floor of a dark room. In August 2025, Hamas published a video of an emaciated and weak Evyatar in a tunnel. The footage caused outrage in Israel and deep concern among his family. "He's a human skeleton. He was being starved to the point where he can be dead at any moment," said his brother Ilay.

Rom Braslabski, 21, was working on security at the festival. According to an account published by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, he was trying to rescue an injured person when he was caught in a volley of fire. In August 2025, Palestinian Islamic Jihad published a video of Rom, in which he is seen crying as he says he has run out of food and water. He said he is unable to stand or walk, and "is at death's door". Medical experts said he was suffering from "deliberate, prolonged, and systematic starvation".

Hostages whose bodies Hamas has returned

Bipin Joshi, 23, a Nepalese agriculture student, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Alumim. A fellow student told the BBC that Bipin threw back a grenade thrown by Hamas attackers before being taken hostage. Footage from 7 October showed him walking inside al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. His family received no signs of life for a year, until the Israeli military shared a video showing him in captivity around November 2023. On 14 October, the Israeli military confirmed Bipin was among the bodies returned by Hamas the previous day.

Guy Illouz, 26, was shot twice during the attack on the Nova festival and died of his wounds after being taken hostage, his family said. Released hostages were said to have confirmed his death.

Yossi Sharabi, 53, was kidnapped from Be'eri along with his brother, Eli. In January 2024, the kibbutz announced that the father-of-three had been killed in captivity in Gaza. The following month, the IDF said an investigation had found that he was likely to have been killed when a building collapsed following an Israeli strike on another building nearby. Eli, who was released earlier this year, told the BBC how important it was for the family to have a funeral for closure.

Daniel Peretz, 22, was a captain in the IDF's 7th Armoured Brigade. Originally from South Africa, he was killed in an attack on his tank near Nahal Oz on 7 October and his body was taken to Gaza, the IDF said.

Tamir Nimrodi, 20, was a staff sergeant in the IDF who was serving as an education officer at the Erez Crossing on 7 October. The last time his mother, Herut, saw him was in a video of his abduction posted on social media that day. She received no signs of life after that and his fate was unknown until his body was handed over on Tuesday night. After his remains were formally identified, Tamir's family said that he had been "murdered in Hamas captivity".

Uriel Baruch, 35, was abducted from the Nova festival. According to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the father-of-two's family were informed by the IDF in March 2024 that he was killed on 7 October and that his body was taken back to Gaza as a hostage.

Eitan Levi, 53, was a taxi driver from Bat Yam who was killed by Hamas gunmen on a road close to the Gaza perimeter on 7 October, while he was driving a friend to Be'eri. The father-of-one's body was then taken to Gaza, where Palestinians were filmed beating and kicking it.

Inbar Hayman, 27, was a graffiti artist from Haifa. She was volunteering at the Nova festival when Hamas gunmen attacked on 7 October. She was killed and her body was taken into Gaza, the IDF said, citing the information and intelligence available to it. She was the last female hostage being held.

Muhammad al-Atarash, 39, was a sergeant-major in the IDF's Northern Gaza Brigade. In June 2024, the IDF confirmed the father-of-13 from the Bedouin village of Sawa was killed while fighting Hamas gunmen near Nahal Oz on 7 October and that his body was being held in Gaza.

Ronen Engel, 54, a resident of Nir Oz kibbutz, was abducted from his home and killed by Hamas on 7 October before his his body taken to Gaza. The Israeli military announced his death in December 2023. Engel's wife, Karina Engel-Bart, and their teenage daughters, Mika and Yuval, were also taken hostage but were later freed during the first truce. Israel's Hostages and Missing Families Forum said Engel was remembered by loved ones as a man with "hands of gold and the soul of an artist."

Eliyahu Margalit, 75, was from Kibbutz Nir Oz. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said he was a "cowboy at heart" and managed the cattle branch and horse stables of the kibbutz for many years. The IDF said he was killed on 7 October and his body was taken to Gaza. He was pronounced dead on 1 December that year. His daughter was also abducted and taken to Gaza and was released after 55 days.

Sonthaya Akrasri, 30, was a Thai agricultural worker killed in the attack on Kibbutz Be'eri, Thailand's foreign ministry said in May 2024. He was the father of a seven-year-old daughter and planned to open his own farm in Thailand one day, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said.

Tamir Adar, 38, was an IDF reservist master sergeant, Nir Oz's deputy security co-ordinator and a member of its rapid response team who was killed while fighting Hamas gunmen during the 7 October attack, his kibbutz announced in January 2024.

Arie Zalmanowicz, 85, was abducted by Hamas gunmen from Nir Oz on 7 October. In November 2023, Hamas released a video showing him saying he felt unwell. The following month the grandfather-of-five's kibbutz said he had died in captivity. After Arie's body was returned, the IDF said it estimated that he was murdered in captivity on 17 November 2023.

Amiram Cooper, 84, was abducted along with his wife, Nurit, from Nir Oz on 7 October. Hamas released Nurit after 17 days, but it continued to hold Amiram. The IDF said it estimated Amiram was murdered in captivity in February 2024. It had previously said he was killed along with three other hostages - Nadav Popplewell, Chaim Peri and Yoram Metzger - in Khan Younis while troops were operating in the area. Hamas had claimed they were killed by an Israeli strike.

Sahar Baruch, 25, was kidnapped during the attack on Be'eri by Hamas gunmen, who also killed his brother and grandmother. The IDF said it estimated that he was murdered in captivity on 8 December 2023. It had previously announced that he was killed during a rescue attempt by Israeli forces.

Other deceased hostages still in Gaza

Itay Chen, 19, was an Israeli-American who was serving as a soldier in the IDF on 7 October. The IDF said he was killed during Hamas's attack on Nahal Oz base and that his body was taken back to Gaza as a hostage.

Oz Daniel, 19, was a sergeant in the IDF's 7th Armoured Brigade and was killed during a battle with Hamas gunmen near the Gaza perimeter fence on 7 October. His body was taken to Gaza as a hostage, according to the IDF.

Meny Godard, 73, was killed during the attack on Be'eri with his wife, Ayelet, and his body was taken to Gaza as a hostage, his family said. In March 2025, the IDF said some of Meny's remains had been found at a Palestinian Islamic Jihad outpost in Rafah, but that the group was believed to be holding the rest.

Ran Gvili, 24, was a sergeant in the Israel Police who was killed while fighting Hamas-led gunmen in Kibbutz Alumim on 7 October. His body was subsequently taken to Gaza as a hostage, according to the IDF.

Tal Haimi, 41, was part of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak's rapid response team and was killed during the attack there on 7 October. The father-of-four's body was taken to Gaza.

Asaf Hamami, 41, was a colonel in the IDF and commander of the Gaza Division's Southern Brigade. He was killed near Kibbutz Nirim on 7 October and his body is being held in Gaza, according to the IDF.

Joshua Mollel, 21, was a Tanzanian student who was undertaking an agricultural internship at Kibbutz Nahal Oz when it was attacked on 7 October. The Tanzanian government confirmed that he was killed that day and that his body was being held by Hamas.

Omer Neutra, 21, an Israeli-American and grandson of Holocaust survivors, was serving as an IDF tank commander near Gaza when Hamas attacked on 7 October. The IDF later said he was killed that day and his body taken to Gaza.

Dror Or, 48, and his wife, Yonat, were killed in the attack on Be'eri, the kibbutz confirmed. Two of his three children, Noam and Alma, were taken hostage and were released as part of the November 2023 ceasefire deal.

Suthisak Rintalak, 43, was a Thai agricultural worker killed in the attack on Kibbutz Be'eri, Thailand's foreign ministry said in May 2024, citing the available evidence. His body is being held by Hamas in Gaza.

Lior Rudaeff, 61, was killed while attempting to defend Nir Yitzhak from attack on 7 October, the kibbutz said.

Hadar Goldin, 23, was a lieutenant in the IDF's Givati Brigade who was killed in combat in Gaza in 2014.

UK pledges £4m to clear land mines to help flow of aid in Gaza

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9d6x02xdj6o, 4 days ago

The UK will give £4m to help clear landmines from parts of Gaza so more aid can get in, the foreign secretary has announced.

It will be used by the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) to demine areas preventing the safe passage of aid.

There are an estimated 7,500 tonnes of unexploded munitions currently stopping support reaching Palestinians, the Foreign Office said.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, who will make a visit to the region at the end of this week, said: "We must do everything we can to flood Gaza with aid."

The funding will help with the delivery of explosives experts, equipment and education in the region, the Foreign Office said.

Landmines are explosives usually buried just under the ground, or above it, with detonating systems that are triggered by contact

Cooper said: "The situation in Gaza is desperate without the vital humanitarian support they need."

"Today I am announcing £4m for the UNMAS in Gaza, funding that will help clear the explosives and rubble as part of the UK's effort to ensure aid can be delivered safely.

"We will not be able to get relief at the scale so desperately needed in Gaza without clearing munitions and making progress on the pathway for lasting peace."

The Foreign Office said allowing the safe passage of aid was a "vital component" of the US-brokered ceasefire deal, and would help the transition to the next phase of the peace plan.

There has been a significant increase in aid distribution since the ceasefire took effect on 10 October. But Israel has limited the number of aid trucks allowed into Gaza in response to what it says is Hamas's delay in returning all the bodies of deceased hostages still in Gaza.

Cooper visited the Halo Trust in Wilton, Wiltshire, on Thursday to speak remotely to British deminers working in the region and meet representatives from UNMAS, Halo and MAG (Mines Advisory Group). Halo and MAG - both British organisations - are responsible for clearing 69% of all civilian landmines around the world.

Richard Boulter, UNMAS chief of design, operational support and oversight, said the organisation was "pulling out all the stops" to tackle unexploded ordnance that threatens the lives of Palestinians "striving to find food and return to their homes".

He added the UK support was an "essential boost to this effort".

The Foreign Office said Cooper would "continue her drive for aid access, support for the UN and humanitarian NGOs, and action on reconstruction on a visit to the region at the end of the week".

On 7 October 2023, 251 people were abducted during a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that left 1,200 others dead.

Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, during which more than 68,500 people have been killed, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

Dependants of some Gazan students can join them in UK, government says

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly91lj9y47o, 5 days ago

Partners and children of some Gazan PhD and master's students coming to study in the UK will be now able to join them, the government has confirmed.

It marks a reversal of the original policy which only supported the evacuation of the students themselves.

Each application will be considered on a "case-by-case basis", a government spokesperson said, with dependants needing to meet certain requirements including proving they can cover living costs.

Visas are only available to dependants of students on government-funded courses such as Chevening scholarships, or those studying for PhDs and other research-based higher degrees.

Some students had previously said they would not be able to travel to the UK to take up their university scholarships because it would involve leaving their children behind.

Those wishing to join their relatives in the UK will need to apply for a student dependant visa application and meet the requirements, including evidence they have sufficient funds - up to £6,120 ($8,074) for those studying outside London, or £7,605 for those studying in London.

"Students coming from Gaza to the UK have suffered an appalling ordeal after two years of conflict," the government spokesperson said.

"They have endured unimaginable hardship but can now begin to rebuild their lives through studying in our world class universities.

"That is why we are supporting the evacuation of dependants of students on scholarships who are eligible to study here under the immigration rules on a case-by-case basis."

Manar al-Houbi, who previously told the BBC it was "impossible" for her to leave her three young children and husband behind in Gaza to take up her PhD place at the University of Glasgow, said she was "deeply relieved" by the policy change and hoped to be evacuated with her family "very soon".

"Academic women should never be deprived of their professional just because they have family responsibilities. I am very grateful to the UK government for making this wise and fair decision," she added.

At least 75 Gazan students have arrived in the UK since the government began supporting evacuations for those with fully-funded scholarships last month, including a third group of 17 students who arrived on Monday.

However, the BBC understands that six students due to begin master's courses in Glasgow will now not be evacuated, as they would arrive too late to start their studies this year.

Dr Nora Parr, a University of Birmingham researcher who has been coordinating efforts to support the students, welcomed the policy change but said she was "devastated" that these six students had lost their "hard-earned places".

"The existing government policy leaves both these students and their university in a cruel limbo," she said.

The University of Glasgow declined to comment. The BBC understands that the university will honour the places held by the six students if they are able to arrive in time for future enrolment deadlines.

The current evacuation support scheme runs until the end of the year and it is unclear what will replace it.

The war in Gaza was triggered by an attack on southern Israel by Hamas-led gunmen on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

More than 65,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

A US-brokered ceasefire deal was signed earlier this month, with Hamas returning all 20 living hostages to Israel as part of the agreement.

The ceasefire was severely tested by a deadly round of violence this week, when Israel carried out air strikes after a soldier was killed in what it said was an attack by Hamas. Hamas said it had "no connection" to the incident in Rafah.

At least 104 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli strikes, Gaza's health ministry said.

Ben & Jerry's co-founder says Unilever blocked Palestine-themed ice cream

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1lqeqv9j9no, 6 days ago

The co-founder of ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's says that its parent company Unilever blocked it from launching an ice cream flavour that expressed "solidarity with Palestine".

Ben Cohen announced that he will independently create the new flavour as part of a personal series highlighting causes the company has been barred from addressing publicly.

Ben & Jerry's is known for its activism on social issues and has consistently spoken out on political, environmental and humanitarian matters - including the Israel-Gaza conflict.

A spokesperson for the Magnum Ice Cream Company, Unilever's ice cream arm, said it had determined that "now is not the right time to invest in developing this product".

Mr Cohen's statement deepens the long-drawn dispute between the world-famous ice cream maker and Unilever, the British packaged goods giant which has owned Ben & Jerry's since 2000.

The co-founders said Unilever and Magnum, which is in the process of being spun off from its parent company, had unlawfully blocked their company from "honouring its social mission".

But Magnum said: "The independent members of Ben & Jerry's Board are not, and have never been, responsible for the Ben & Jerry's commercial strategy and execution."

It said the company would continue to focus on "ongoing, impactful campaigns close to its communities", including campaigning for improved conditions in refugee accommodation in the UK, and freedom of speech rights in the United States.

Mr Cohen said in an Instagram video on Tuesday that he is creating a new watermelon-flavoured sorbet, calling for ideas for the product's name and what ingredients should be added.

The watermelon has become a symbol for solidarity with Palestinians due to its colours, which are similar to those of the Palestinian flag – red, green, black and white.

The American entrepreneur said Ben & Jerry's were prevented by Unilever from creating the dessert.

"I'm doing what they couldn't," Mr Cohen says from his set in a kitchen. "I'm making a watermelon-flavoured ice cream that calls for permanent peace in Palestine and calls for repairing the damage that was done there."

In 2021, Ben & Jerry's refused to sell its products in areas occupied by Israel. Its Israeli operation was sold by Unilever to a local licensee, allowing its ice cream to continue being sold in the occupied West Bank.

The dessert series will be developed under Ben's Best, Mr Cohen's activist ice cream brand, he said in a statement to the press. The flavour is being produced independently of Ben & Jerry's, the statement said.

Ben's Best was first setup in 2016 to support former US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, with the flavour "Bernie's Back".

Mr Cohen said he will develop other ice cream flavours that speak to the issues Ben & Jerry's was silenced from addressing publicly by Unilever.

In September, co-founder Jerry Greenfield stepped down from Ben & Jerry's after decades at the company, citing concerns that its independence had been compromised following Unilever's decision to curb its social activism.

At the time, Ben Cohen said that "Jerry has a really big heart and this conflict with Unilever was breaking it."

"My heart leads me to continue to work inside the company to advocate for its independence so that it can actualise the social mission, the values that it was founded on and has maintained for over 40 years," he told the BBC's PM programme.

Key town faces 'multi-thousand' Russian force, top Ukraine commander admits

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crklljyx6mzo, 2 days ago

Ukraine's top military commander has admitted his soldiers are facing "difficult conditions" defending Pokrovsk - a key eastern front-line town - against massed Russian forces.

Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi said Ukrainian troops were fending off a "multi-thousand enemy" force - but denied Russian claims that they were surrounded or blocked.

He confirmed that elite special forces had been deployed to protect key supply lines which, army sources said, were all under Russian fire.

The defence ministry in Moscow reported that Ukrainian troops were surrendering and 11 of their special forces had been killed after landing by helicopter - something denied by Kyiv.

Gen Syrskyi said in a social media post on Saturday that he was "back on the front" to personally hear the latest reports from military commanders on the ground in the eastern Donetsk region.

In a short video, Syrskyi is seen studying battlefield maps with other commanders, including the head of Ukraine's military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov.

It is unclear when or where the footage was recorded.

Ukrainian media earlier reported that Budanov was in the region to personally oversee the operation by the special forces.

The deployment of special forces suggests officials in Kyiv are determined to try to hold on to the town, which Russia has been trying to seize for more than a year.

Ukraine's 7th Rapid Response Corps said on Saturday that Ukrainian troops "have improved [their] tactical position" in Pokrovsk - but the situation remained "difficult and dynamic".

Late on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed that the defence of Pokrovsk was a "priority".

There have been growing reports of Russian advances around the strategic town to the west of the Russian-seized regional capital of Donetsk.

Images shared with news agencies late on Friday appear to show a Ukrainian Black Hawk helicopter deploying about 10 troops near Pokrovsk, although the location and date of the footage could not be verified.

Russia's defence ministry said it had thwarted the deployment of Ukrainian military intelligence special forces north-west of the town, killing all 11 troops who landed by helicopter.

DeepState, a Ukrainian open-source monitoring group, estimates about half of Pokrovsk is a so-called "grey zone" where neither side is in full control.

A military source in Donetsk told the BBC that Ukrainian forces were not surrounded but their supply lines were under fire from Russian troops.

The US-based Institute for the Study of War said Ukrainian forces had "marginally advanced" during recent counter-attacks north of Pokrovsk, but that the town was "mainly a contested 'grey zone'".

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory, including the Crimean peninsula Moscow annexed in 2014.

Moscow wants Kyiv to cede the Donetsk and neighbouring Luhansk regions - collectively known as the Donbas - as part of a peace deal, including the parts it currently does not control.

Pokrovsk is a key transport and supply hub whose capture could unlock Russian efforts to seize the rest of the region.

But Kyiv also believes its capture would help Russia in its efforts to persuade the US that its military campaign is succeeding - and, therefore, that the West should acquiesce to its demands.

Washington has grown increasingly frustrated with the Kremlin's failure to move forward with peace negotiations - culminating in US President Donald Trump placing sanctions on two largest Russian oil producers and axing plans for a summit with President Vladimir Putin.

Zelensky has publicly agreed with Trump's proposal for a ceasefire that would freeze the war along the current front lines.

Putin is refusing to do so, insisting on his maximalist pre-invasion demands that Kyiv and its Western allies see as a de facto capitulation of Ukraine.

Additional reporting by Jaroslav Lukiv

Nato 'will stand with Ukraine' to get long-lasting peace, senior official tells BBC

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czxng7kxnp9o, yesterday

Nato "will stand with Ukraine up to the day in which we will have them sitting around the table for a long-lasting peace", a senior official from the military alliance has told the BBC.

Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chair of Nato's military committee since January, added from an operational point of view he considered the Russia-Ukraine war was bogged down, and "it was almost time to sit and talk because it's a waste of lives".

Pointing to the fact that Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 had resulted in two more countries joining the Western alliance - Finland and Sweden - Adm Dragone described the war as a strategic failure for Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite recent slow, incremental advances by Russia on the battlefield.

"They will not get a friendly or puppet government like in Belarus. Putin will not succeed."

Asked if European nations were prepared to keep going with supporting Ukraine's defence, he said they were. It was beneficial, he believed that they had had something of a wake-up call and were now taking charge of their own defence.

In June, Nato members agreed to raise their defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. The move followed repeated urges from US President Donald Trump for members to do so.

On Russia's recent announcement about long-range, nuclear-powered weapons like the Burevestnik and the Poseidon, the former Italian chief of defence staff and naval aviator played down concerns by Nato, saying that it was a defensive nuclear alliance.

"We are not threatened by them," he said, "we are just ready to defend our 32 nations and our one billion people. We are a nuclear alliance."

On the risk of future invasions or attacks, Adm Dragone said if - and he emphasised the conditional here - there was to be anywhere it would likely be the Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

But he pointed out that as Nato states Article 5 would be requested - which considers an attack on one nation to be equivalent to an attack on all - and that Nato would come to their defence.

Asked if that included the US, he replied: "Yes, because they have committed to this and they have underlined that they are still in the business."

Of all Nato defence needs right now, Adm Dragone said air defence was the top priority. Recent incursions by Russian drones into Poland and Romania have prompted the alliance to upgrade its air defences.

Regarding the possibility of activating a notional "drone wall" on Nato's eastern borders, he said this would be done within months and that "the alliance's Allied Command Transformation in Norfolk [Virginia] is already working on that".

"There is a lot of stuff on the market which will fulfil our immediate needs so we set up a new activity which is Eastern Sentry... integrating all the air defence that we already have on our eastern flank.

"Airspace incursions are pretty frequent, we escort them out and that's basically the game," the admiral said.

Despite no sign that Russia is changing course on the war in Ukraine and despite signs that some members - notably Slovakia and Hungary - are increasingly opposed to supporting Ukraine's defence, Adm Dragone ended on a positive note.

"The alliance is reliable, it is mature, there is a cohesion which is our centre of gravity."

"The alliance is stronger than our adversaries, and we will stay with Ukraine up to the day that peace will break out," he added.

In Russia's 'blitz' of Ukraine, the question of appeasement is back

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cew40lqvel2o, 8 days ago

Following another week of intensive and lethal Russian bombardment of Ukraine's cities, a composite image has been doing the rounds on Ukrainian social media.

Underneath an old, black-and-white photo of Londoners queuing at a fruit and vegetable stall surrounded by the bombed-out rubble of the Blitz, a second image - this time in colour - creates a striking juxtaposition.

Taken on Saturday, it shows shoppers thronging to similar stalls in a northern suburb of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, while a column of black smoke rises ominously in the background.

"Bombs can't stop markets," reads the caption linking the two images.

The night before, as the city's sleep was interrupted once again by the now all-too-familiar booms of missile and drone strikes, two people were killed and nine others injured.

The implication is clear. Rather than destroying public morale, Russia's dramatic ramping up of attacks on Ukrainian cities is conjuring a spirit of resilience reminiscent of 1940s Britain.

When I visited the market - with the black fumes still billowing from the missile strike on a nearby warehouse - that sense of fortitude was evident.

But there was plenty of fear, too.

Halyna, selling dried prunes and mushrooms, told me she saw little cause for optimism.

"In my opinion, according to the scriptures of the saints, this war hasn't even started yet."

"It will get worse," she added. "Way worse."

A shopper who told me she had felt her house tremble from the force of the blast was still visibly shaken by the experience.

Inspiring memes about blitz-spirit are all very well, but for Ukraine the far bigger question is not how to endure this war, but how to stop it.

And with President Donald Trump proclaiming his powers as a peacemaker and pushing that question back to the centre of global politics, another term from that same period in history is once again looming large – 'appeasement'.

The question of whether Ukraine should fight against or negotiate with an aggressor has been there since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.

But more than three years after it launched its full-scale invasion, the war is entering a new phase, and that word has re-entered the global debate.

On the battlefield, fighting has reached a brutal stalemate, and Russia is now increasingly targeting Ukrainian cities far from the front line.

Its aerial attacks – using ballistic missiles, explosive-laden drones and glide bombs – have gone from an average of a few dozen each day last year to nightly, and often run into the many hundreds.

What the Kremlin insists are "military and quasi-military" targets now regularly include Ukraine's civilian rail stations, passenger trains, gas and electricity supplies, and homes and businesses.

According to UN figures, almost 2,000 civilians have been killed this year, bringing the total since the start of the war to more than 14,000.

As well as the human toll, the financial burden is rising exponentially, with the cost of the air defence systems significantly higher than that of the waves of cheap drones being sent to overwhelm them.

Just over a week ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky set off for his meeting in Washington with President Donald Trump in optimistic mood.

The US, he believed, was running out of patience with Russia.

But he was wrong-footed by a surprise Trump-Putin phone call while en route, and subsequent talk of another summit between the two leaders in Budapest.

Zelensky's own exchange with Trump in the White House was reportedly a difficult one, with the US president once again repeating his old talking points.

Framing the conflict as little more than a fight between two men who didn't like each other, Trump insisted they needed to settle the war along the existing front line.

Warning of the risks of escalation, he also refused to grant Ukraine the use of the long-range Tomahawk missiles to strike deep into Russia.

Gregory Meeks, a senior Democrat on the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, called Trump's strategy "weakness through appeasement".

Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X that "appeasement never was a road to a just and lasting peace".

Although the comments from the Ukrainian president were slightly more guarded – having learned the hard way not to criticise Trump too strongly – they implied the same meaning.

"Ukraine will never grant terrorists any bounty for their crimes, and we count on our partners to take the same position," Zelensky wrote on social media after arriving back in Kyiv.

With Russia making it clear that it wasn't anything like as ready as the US president had hoped to end the fighting - vowing instead to advance on even more territory - the planned summit was put on ice.

Washington promptly sanctioned Russia's two biggest oil companies – a sign, perhaps, of growing impatience with Putin.

While the economic impact to Russia is likely to be minimal, it represents a major shift in Trump's foreign policy, having previously said he would not impose sanctions until European nations ceased buying Russian oil.

Even if that is the case, it's clear that a large gulf remains between the US and European view of how to end the conflict.

It was on firmer ground that Zelensky found himself a few days later, meeting various European leaders in Brussels and later in London.

More sanctions packages were agreed and progress was made towards using Russia's own frozen assets to fund Ukraine's war aims, though ultimately no final agreement was struck.

Speaking alongside Zelensky in Downing Street on Friday, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer promised he would work with his European partners to help provide more long-range weapons to take the fight onto Russian territory.

With hindsight, it's easy to mock Britain's policy of appeasement during the 1930s. Indeed, some did so even then.

"You could always appease lions by throwing Christians to them," Harold Macmillan, a future prime minister and opponent of the policy, once said.

"But the Christians had another word for it."

And yet we sometimes forget that the man most associated with the policy, then-prime minister Neville Chamberlain, enjoyed significant support from the US, which shared his deep fear of repeating the horrors of the World War One.

President Trump appears to harbour similar fears today.

The risk of a widening war with a nuclear armed state is not to be taken lightly, as Ukraine increases the effectiveness and frequency of its strikes on Russian oil depots and, in some instances, its power grid.

The Russian leader knows this, warning recently that the use of foreign supplied Tomahawks could prompt a response that was "serious, if not staggering."

But few Ukrainians I've spoken to this week have any doubt that the lesson of history holds true.

"Russia only stops when it's washed in its own blood," said Yevhen Mahda, a professor at Kyiv's National Aviation University.

"Ukraine has proven this. The sooner the West understands, the better for us all."

At the market, surrounded by gourds and carrots grown in his own garden, Fedir said he had also been jolted awake by the power of the nearby missile strike.

"Putin understands only force," he said. "We need to destroy their airfields and their factories that produce these shells, bombs and missiles."

The greater risk, he suggested, lies in concessions, negotiations or appeasement – call it what you will – that, however well motivated, only serve to further embolden an authoritarian power.

"Does Europe think he will calm down after Ukraine," he asked. "If he takes Ukraine, he'll carry on."

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The 'Heroes of Kharkiv' who saved 48 children from kindergarten hit by Russian drone

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9q1w9ypl8jo, 9 days ago

Although moving forward, Oleksandr Volobuev's body is angled slightly away from the camera, as if bracing against the deadly air still swirling with falling debris and smoke.

His face in careful concentration, the Major-General from Ukraine's Civil Protection Service clings tightly to a precious bundle, wrapped for protection in his coat - and out of which two small pink shoes protrude.

It is a striking image of a dramatic rescue from a nursery school in the eastern city of Kharkiv, following a devastating, direct hit by a Russian drone.

Unsurprisingly it has gone viral, capturing both the Ukrainian and the wider global public's imagination.

With 48 children trapped in a shelter in the burning building, it was not the only act of bravery that day, not by a long way.

But few photographs better sum up the growing impact of Russia's full-scale invasion on everyday life, with Ukraine's most vulnerable now bearing the brunt, including children.

"We got the call that there had been an attack on the kindergarten," Oleksandr Volobuev told me. "And, of course, knowing there would be children there, we set off in a state of some anxiety."

Little did he expect that by the end of that day, as a result of carrying that little girl to safety, he would find himself being hailed as a national hero.

In a split-second moment caught on camera, the Ukrainian people saw not only the reality of Russia's new strategy - its increasing attacks on civilian infrastructure - but also a stark depiction of their own resilience and defiance.

It's impossible to know why the Honey Academy, based in a sturdy, two-storey brick building in Kharkiv's Kholodnohirsky district, was hit by a Shahed drone.

The low, menacing hum of those Iranian-designed weapons, which carry a lethal 50kg payload, is now all too familiar, not only to soldiers on the front line, but to Ukrainians everywhere.

While they can be devastatingly accurate, the large volume being fired by Russia - with multiple waves of drones in each attack on cities across the country - means some inevitably malfunction.

Russia has regularly denied targeting residential areas, but maps of the city show no obvious military targets in the immediate vicinity of the kindergarten, and the Ukrainian government certainly spoke of it as deliberate.

"There is no justification for an attack on a kindergarten, nor can there ever be," President Volodymyr Zelensky said shortly after the strike. "Clearly, Russia is growing more brazen."

Fedir Uhnenko was also with one of the emergency teams rushing to respond to the strike.

Normally, as a press officer with the Civil Defence Service, he is not so closely involved in frontline work.

But this time, seeing the disaster unfolding in front of him, he knew he had to act.

"There'd been a huge explosion and there was horror in their eyes," he told me, on finding the children huddled in the building's basement.

Luckily, following the air raid warning that had sounded before the attack, the children had taken cover in the school's shelter there.

But with the fire still burning, the roof destroyed and the building filling with smoke and dust, they were still in danger.

His colleagues, as well as members of the public who had come to help, stepped forward one by one to scoop up a child.

Like Oleksandr, his more senior commander, Fedir was pictured carrying a child to safety. In his case it was a young boy, through the rubble and smoke.

"I was reassuring him all the way that everything was fine, there was nothing to worry about," he explained.

"When we came out of the building, there was a car on fire. Our boys were putting it out. And, you know, I was surprised the kid didn't cry. There was certainly fear in his eyes."

"I said to him, go ahead and hold me as tight as you like. I'm quite big myself and, as you can see in the photo, he grabbed me so tightly."

In the end, he had fulfilled two roles: the rescue work and his day job too. His press officer's helmet-camera rolled throughout, capturing many of the up-close photographs and videos that have since been beamed around the world.

The children were carried to an emergency reception point in a safe zone, a few hundred metres from the nursery school.

All were unharmed, but there can be little doubt about the danger they faced.

One adult working nearby was killed in the strike and nine others were wounded, one with serious burns and another a traumatic amputation of her leg.

For all the rescuers, Fedir told me, there was the constant awareness not only of the risks of fire, falling masonry and smoke, but of the possibility of another strike.

Russia has been known to hit the same target twice, which Ukrainians see as a deliberate strategy to kill emergency workers.

The day after the nursery school attack, one of these so called "double taps" killed a firefighter and wounded five of his colleagues in a village a short distance from Kharkiv.

Ukraine believes Russia has turned to civilian targets in desperation over its inability to make significant gains on the battlefield.

Both Oleksandr and Fedir say what they saw at the kindergarten has done little to change their view of the enemy.

"From the beginning I have only one feeling that we must go through all this and win," Oleksandr told me.

I ask him what kind of future he envisages for the 48 young lives he helped save.

"Of course, only good, happy lives," he replied. "But not only our children. I would like all children to live in peace."

Three killed in Russian strikes on Kyiv, officials say

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czxnye07x2lo, 9 days ago

Three people have been killed and at least 32 others injured in an overnight Russian air attack on Ukraine's capital Kyiv, the city's mayor has said.

Two high-rise residential buildings were hit in the strikes, Vitali Klitschko said, adding in a Telegram post that six children were among the injured.

Meanwhile, Russian air defences destroyed two drones heading towards Moscow on Sunday, according to the city's mayor, Sergei Sobyanin.

The latest Russian bombardment comes as Moscow has stepped up attacks on civilian targets and energy infrastructure ahead of winter, with Ukrainian authorities saying nearly 1,200 drones have been launched in the past week alone.

Officials in Kyiv said the three people were killed when a drone struck a nine-storey residential building in the Desnianskyi district to the north-west of the city, with 24 others injured in the same attack.

Damage was also reported to at least three other residential buildings in Kyiv. Seven people including two children are being treated in hospital, officials said.

Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022, and it currently controls around a fifth of Ukrainian territory, including the Crimean peninsula, which it annexed in 2014.

There has been marginal movement along the front lines as fighting on the ground continues, while Ukraine has sought to hurt Russia's warfighting ability by striking its military production plants and oil facilities that are essential to its economy.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has recently called on allies to supply his armed forces with long range weapons to continue doing so.

However, he came away from a recent meeting at the White House and subsequent EU summit empty-handed.

US President Donald Trump did announce new sanctions targeting Russia's largest oil companies this week - the first time he had done so in his current term - as did the EU.

Trump said that talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin "don't go anywhere" as he shelved plans for the two to meet in Budapest over the war in Ukraine.

On his way to Asia over the weekend, Trump said he had a "great relationship" with Putin but that recent events had been "disappointing", suggesting a meeting between the two was conditional on a peace deal being likely.

Trump has appeared increasingly frustrated with Russian conditions for bringing the war to a close, with a summit in Alaska in August failing to yield any tangible results.

The US president had previously said fresh sanctions on Moscow were contingent on European allies cutting their Russian energy imports. The EU has pledged to do so by 2028.

Zelensky has agreed to a US proposal to cease fighting along the current front lines so peace negotiations can begin - though this falls short of Russian demands that Ukrainian forces completely withdraw from the eastern Donbas region.

However, senior Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who met US officials in Washington on Friday and Saturday, told CNN that he believed Russia, Ukraine and the US were close to a diplomatic solution to end the war.

"It's a big move by President Zelensky to already acknowledge that it's about battle lines," Dmitriev said.

"You know, his previous position was that Russia should leave completely so actually, I think we are reasonably close to a diplomatic solution that can be worked out."

Meanwhile, Russia said it conducted a test of an experimental nuclear-powered missile on Sunday, which has been hailed as having a potentially unlimited range and the ability to evade missile defences.

British man arrested in Ukraine accused of spying for Russia

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c781z0wyzneo, 5 days ago

A British man has been detained by Ukrainian security services and accused of spying for Russia.

Prosecutors in Kyiv said the unnamed man had been passing information to Russian intelligence while working as a military instructor.

They said the Briton had arrived in Ukraine in January 2024 and had "conducted instructional sessions for military personnel in Mykolaiv", a city near the front line in the south of the country. He later worked for Ukrainian border units, they added.

The man is being held without bail while a pre-trial investigation is conducted. Ukrainian security services say he could face up to 12 years in prison.

The UK Foreign Office said it was aware of the reports and it was "in close contact with the Ukrainian authorities".

In a statement, the Ukrainian prosecutor's office said the British man had stopped working as an instructor in September 2024 and moved to Odesa where he "established contact with a representative of the Russian special service and agreed to provide military information for money".

It said there was evidence showing the Briton in May 2025 transmitting the location of Ukrainian units, photographs of training areas and information about military personnel that could lead to their identification.

The man is also accused of gathering information about facilities in Odesa, trying to get access to military units and even discussing "the possibility of using explosive devices". For one of these tasks, the prosecutors say he received $6,000 (£5,148).

In a separate statement, Ukraine's security service, the SBU, said the man had been "preparing to commit terrorist attacks".

It said he had "professional skills in fire and tactical training" and had advertised his willingness to spy on "various pro-Kremlin internet groups".

The SBU said Russian spies had sent the Briton instructions about how to make an improvised explosive device as well as the location of a cache of weapons from which he took a pistol and two loaded magazines.

It added that the man had been detained at his "temporary residence" in Kyiv.

The man appeared in court this week and was detained without bail while a pre-trial investigation was being conducted by the SBU with support from counterintelligence units.

Prosecutors published photos showing him in court with his face blurred to prevent his identification.

Russian forces gain foothold in strategic Ukrainian town

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c620765wlxgo, 6 days ago

Russian troops are making a concerted push in eastern Ukraine and have gained a foothold in the strategic hub of Pokrovsk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says.

Moscow's soldiers outnumber Kyiv's 8-1 in the area and Ukraine cannot match that, Zelensky added while insisting Russia had not yet "achieved the planned result".

Russia has been trying to capture Pokrovsk for two years. The key supply and transport hub provides supplies and reinforcements to the eastern front - and it would get Moscow closer to occupying the entirety of the Donetsk region.

It would also put towns of the heavily fortified "fortress belt" - Kramatorsk, Slovyansk, Kostyantynivka and Druzhkivka - within easier reach of Moscow.

Zelensky said drone imagery showed that around 200 Russian soldiers were inside Pokrovsk.

Describing the situation as "difficult", he said earlier that there was widespread fierce fighting and "sabotage groups" had entered the town.

However, he rejected reports by Russia's Chief of General Staff, Gen Valery Gerasimov, that Ukrainian troops had been completely surrounded.

In an update on Tuesday, Russia's defence ministry said its forces had encircled Ukrainian troops around the main railway station and cleared the city's Troyanda district of Ukrainian forces.

One soldier from Ukraine's 155th Brigade, Artem Pribylnov, rejected the notion that Ukrainian troops had been encircled in a "cauldron" at Pokrovsk.

"But the war has changed and it's very technological now," he said.

In previous assaults there had been a path out of the cauldron that troops could drive in and out of, he said, but now drones controlled access points, which made it "extremely dangerous".

"Perhaps that's why Russians claim they've encircled Pokrovsk even if there is no physical encirclement of the city?" he suggested.

According to Capt Hryhoriy Shapoval, spokesperson of Ukraine's East operational group, 79 attacks had been repelled near Pokrovsk since Monday - almost a third of the total 218 assaults recorded across the entire front line.

He said that Russian troops had concentrated a large number of troops and equipment near Pokrovsk and that they were using armoured vehicles to cover their infantry.

"So it's hard to stop them," he said.

He added that Kyiv's troops normally used drones to counter the Russians' advance but foggy and rainy weather conditions had made it harder to detect and destroy infantry troops.

The situation in and around Pokrovsk exemplifies the high cost of shifting the front line forward, even just by a few metres.

Last week, Ukrainian media reported that Russian forces were engaging in street battles and targeting Ukrainian positions, including drone operators.

Away from the towns, drone technology means both Russian and Ukrainian forces are able to pound one another deep on either side of the front line.

Russia's full-scale invasion, launched in February 2022, is almost into its fifth year. Moscow's troops currently occupy about 20% of Ukrainian territory.

Kyiv's defence capabilities are shrinking and Zelensky has said Ukraine needs financial support from its European allies to continue fighting Russian forces for another two or three years.

European leaders have so far failed in their attempts to divert €140bn (£123bn) worth of Russian frozen assets to Ukraine - a move which would require complex legal machinations and which was blocked by Belgium at an EU summit last week. The proposal will be revisited in December.

Zelensky said he had told his European counterparts that while Ukraine was "not going to fight for decades... you must show that for some time you will be able to provide stable financial support to Ukraine".

The Ukrainian president also said he hoped a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday would result in a decision by China to cut its support for Russia.

Last week Trump slapped Lukoil and Rosneft - two major Russian oil companies - with sanctions, and urged Turkey and China to halt purchases of Russian oil in a bid to put economic pressure on the Kremlin.

"I think this may be one of [Trump's] strong moves, especially if, following this decisive sanctions step, China is ready to reduce imports" from Russia, Zelensky told journalists earlier this week.

What's the significance of US sanctions on Russian oil?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0qpne1pz3jo, 12 days ago

US President Donald Trump has announced what he called "tremendous" new sanctions against two of Russia's largest oil companies, in a bid to pressure Moscow into ending its war on Ukraine.

The measures target Rosneft and Lukoil - two major oil corporations that help fund the Kremlin's "war machine", according to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

They represent the first direct interventions the Trump administration has imposed on Russia over its invasion, and have therefore been viewed as a geopolitically significant moment.

Which companies have been targeted by US sanctions?

The sanctions, imposed by the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), effectively blacklist Russia's two largest oil producers.

Rosneft, a state-controlled company headed by Russian President Vladimir Putin's close ally Igor Sechin, and Lukoil, a privately owned firm, account for nearly half of the nation's total crude-oil exports, according to Bloomberg estimates.

Between them, the two corporations export 3.1 million barrels of oil per day.

Rosneft alone is responsible for nearly half of all Russian oil production, which makes up 6% of the global output, according to estimates from the UK government.

Why is the US imposing sanctions now?

Ending the Russia-Ukraine war has become a focal point for Trump in recent months, and has gained new impetus after he helped to broker a ceasefire in Gaza.

A similar deal in Ukraine has so far eluded him, despite his campaign promises to solve the situation quickly. A summit with Putin in August failed to yield any tangible results, and Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with Moscow.

The US and its allies have so far been tentative about restricting the Russian energy industry, fearing wider impacts on the global economy.

But Trump has recently put more pressure on US allies to curb their spending on Russian oil - saying he would only issue sanctions when they did so.

It was Putin's refusal to end the "senseless war" that ultimately prompted the move, Bessent said on Wednesday.

The news comes a week after the UK imposed similar sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil - and just a day after the White House said a planned follow-up meeting with Putin in Budapest would be shelved.

"Every time I speak to Vladimir, I have good conversations and then they don't go anywhere," Trump explained. "I just felt it was time. We waited a long time."

How significant are the new US sanctions?

The impact is being seen as symbolic as well as economic, because Trump has so far pinned his hopes on brokering a peace deal and has resisted issuing sanctions.

Two former US ambassadors to Ukraine suggested that the significance of the move remained to be seen in the long term.

The sanctions "will certainly hurt the Russian economy, which is already stumbling", Ambassador John Herbst told the BBC. "But I think it's naive to expect this step alone [will] push Putin to actually make peace and good faith."

"If we want Putin to actually negotiate in good faith, we have to maintain major pressure, economic and military, for many months. But this is a good start."

Bill Taylor, another former ambassador, told the BBC: "These sanctions are an indication to President Putin that he has to come to the table."

How could the US sanctions affect the war in Ukraine?

Trump has repeatedly endorsed proposals to freeze the fighting along current frontlines, suggesting that territory should be "cut the way it is".

Russia has pushed back against that idea, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov indicating Russia had not changed its position of wanting Ukrainian troops to leave the parts of the eastern Donbas region Kyiv still controls.

These new sanctions, against such a critical pillar of Russia's economy, could push it to reconsider that position. That is what the US is hoping for - though analysts who spoke to the BBC expected little immediate change on the ground.

According to Dr Stuart Rollo, a research fellow at the University of Sydney's Centre for International Security Studies, the sanctions serve two primary goals - "to materially impact Russia's industrial capacity to wage war, and to coerce Russia into accepting peace terms out of fear of the escalating impacts of sanctions on their economy and society".

Dr Rollo added: "They will not impact the former. They may impact the latter if a deft diplomatic balance is struck between the perceived consequences of continuing the war, and the benefits and concessions that will be furnished through a negotiated peace."

Michael Raska, Assistant Professor in the Military Transformations Programme at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, said that, in the near term, the sanctions were "unlikely to alter the military balance in Ukraine".

But, he added, "as profit margins shrink, Russia will face difficult trade-offs between maintaining socio-economic stability, while financing a protracted war".

Which other countries could be hit by the sanctions?

These sanctions are sure to deal a blow to Russia's economy, with taxes from the oil and gas industries accounting for about a quarter of the nation's federal budget.

But the ripple effects could also be felt much further afield.

Oil and gas are Russia's biggest exports - with Moscow's biggest customers including China and India, the world's two most populous countries, and Turkey.

Together, China and India make up most of Russia's energy exports.

China last year purchased a record of more than 100 million tonnes of Russian crude oil, which accounted for almost 20% of its total energy imports.

Likewise, oil exports to India, which made up only a small fraction of its imports before the Ukraine war, has since grown to some $140bn (£103.5bn) since 2022.

Trump previously levied a 25% tariff on goods from India as what he called retaliation for such imports.

Although Trump said Indian PM Narendra Modi had assured him during a phone call on Tuesday that Delhi "was not going to buy much oil from Russia" as he too "wants to see the war end with Russia-Ukraine".

Trump is urging these countries to halt purchases of Russian oil altogether, forcing them to find alternative suppliers, possibly at a higher cost.

But refusal to do so could see China and India attracting secondary sanctions from the US.

Edward Fishman, a former senior US State Department sanctions official, suggested the significance of the new sanctions depends on what happens next.

"Will the US actively threaten secondary sanctions on the Chinese banks, UAE traders, and Indian refineries that transact with Rosneft/Lukoil?" he wrote on X.

"I expect, at the very least, some pullback from dealings with Russian oil in the short term."

On Thursday, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters that Indian state refiners were reviewing their Russian oil trade documents to ensure that no supply would be coming directly from Rosneft and Lukoil.

And Reliance, Indian's top buyer of Russian oil, also said it was recalibrating its crude imports from Moscow in response to the sanctions.

How could the sanctions affect global oil prices?

News of Trump's sanctions has already caused global oil prices to rise, with Brent - a leading international crude oil benchmark - measuring a 5% surge.

For comparison, Brent measured a 1.6% rise following the UK's announcement of sanctions against Rosneft and Lukoil last week.

That announcement led the Russian embassy in London to warn that targeting major Russian energy companies would disrupt global fuel supplies and increase costs worldwide - including for families and businesses in the UK.

Those ominous projections don't appear to have materialised to any major degree - and pale in comparison to the uptick measured over the past 24 hours, as Trump's announcement fuels uncertainty.

But Dr Rollo suggests that, even in this more recent case, the surge is unlikely to continue.

"In the medium- to long-term, I don't expect that this will impact oil prices globally, unless secondary sanctions on shipping and finance related to these companies come to be strictly enforced," he told the BBC.

Additional reporting by Peter Hoskins, Osmond Chia and James FitzGerald

Rosenberg: Trump abandons carrot and wields stick over Putin in Ukraine talks

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cnve5532v7yo, 12 days ago

One week ago I had the distinct feeling it was Groundhog Day, or as the Russians call it, Dyen Surka.

Amid US threats to pressure Moscow - by supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine - Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump held a telephone call. The result: the announcement of a US-Russia summit in Budapest.

Last August, amid threats of additional US sanctions against Russia, Putin met Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff. The result: the announcement of a US-Russia summit in Alaska.

Déjà vu.

But Groundhog Day seems to be over.

The Alaska meeting went ahead, with minimal preparation and little result.

But the Budapest summit is off. It barely had time to be "on", to be fair. Now President Trump has cancelled it.

"It didn't feel like we were going to get to the place we have to get," the US president told reporters.

And that's not all.

Previously, Trump had not followed through on threats of more pressure on Russia, preferring carrots to sticks in his dealings with the Kremlin.

For the moment he has put his carrots away.

Instead he's imposed sanctions on two major Russian oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil.

That's unlikely to force a U-turn on the war from President Putin. But it's a sign of Trump's frustration with the Kremlin's unwillingness to make any compromise or concessions to end the fighting in Ukraine.

The Russians don't take kindly to sticks.

On Thursday, President Putin told reporters that the new US sanctions were an "unfriendly act" and an attempt to put pressure on Russia.

"But no self-respecting country and no self-respecting people ever decide anything under pressure."

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was less diplomatic.

"The USA is our enemy and their talkative 'peacemaker' has now fully set on the path to war with Russia," he wrote on social media. "The decisions that have been taken are an act of war against Russia."

Thursday morning's edition of the tabloid Moskovsky Komsomolets was slightly less dramatic, but obviously unflattering. The paper criticised "the capriciousness and fickleness of [Russia's] main negotiating partner."

So what's changed?

Instead of rushing off to summit no. 2, as he had done for summit no.1, this time around President Trump was slightly more cautious.

He had asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to lay the groundwork for the summit with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to make sure there was a point in decamping to Budapest.

It soon became clear that there wasn't, and that a new summit now was unlikely to produce a breakthrough.

Russia is fiercely opposed to Donald Trump's idea of freezing the current battle lines in Ukraine.

The Kremlin is determined to take control, at the very least, of the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. It has seized and occupied much of it.

But President Volodymyr Zelensky is refusing to cede to Russia those parts of the Donbas that Ukraine still controls.

Moscow would have welcomed a second US-Russia summit.

The first, in Alaska, was a diplomatic and political coup for the Kremlin. The red-carpet welcome in Anchorage for President Putin symbolised Russia's return to the international stage and the West's failure to isolate Moscow.

Over the last week Russian state media have been savouring the idea of a summit with President Trump in Europe, but without the European Union at the table. Russian commentators portrayed the proposed meeting in Budapest as a slap in the face for Brussels.

At the same time, few here seemed to believe that, even if it went ahead, the Budapest summit would produce the kind of result Moscow wanted.

Some Russian newspapers have been calling for the Russian army to continue fighting.

"There isn't a single reason Moscow should agree to a ceasefire," declared Moskovsky Komsomolets yesterday.

That doesn't mean the Kremlin doesn't want peace.

It does. But only on its terms. And right now those are unacceptable to Kyiv and, it would appear, to Washington.

Those terms involve more than just territory. Moscow is demanding that what it calls the "root causes" of the Ukraine war be addressed: an all-encompassing phrase with which Russia broaden its demands to include a halt to Nato enlargement eastwards.

Moscow is also widely believed to retain the goal of forcing Ukraine back into Russia's orbit.

Is Donald Trump ready to increase the pressure on Russia even more?

Possibly.

But it's also possible we may wake up one morning and find ourselves back in Groundhog Day.

"In the game of Trump tug-of-war, Russia is leading again," wrote Moskovsky Komsomolets after the Budapest summit had been announced.

"In the couple of weeks before the meeting in Budapest, Trump will be pulled in the opposite direction by telephone calls and visits from Europe. Then Putin will pull him back to our side again."

Why Trump made breakthrough in Gaza but can't with Putin over Ukraine

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2y9je4d3go, 13 days ago

Reports of an impending US-Russia leadership summit have been greatly exaggerated, it seems.

Just days after US President Donald Trump said he planned to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest - "within two weeks or so" - the summit has been suspended indefinitely.

A preliminary get-together by the two nations' top diplomats has been cancelled, too.

"I don't want to have a wasted meeting," President Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday afternoon. "I don't want to have a waste of time, so I'll see what happens."

The on-again, off-again summit is just the latest twist in Trump's efforts to broker an end to war in Ukraine – a subject of renewed focus for the US president after he arranged a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza.

While making remarks in Egypt last week to celebrate that ceasefire agreement, Trump turned to Steve Witkoff, his lead diplomatic negotiator, with a new request.

"We have to get Russia done," he said.

However, the circumstances that aligned to make a Gaza breakthrough possible for Witkoff and his team may be difficult to replicate in a Ukraine war that has been raging for nearing four years.

Less leverage

According to Witkoff, the key to unlocking a deal was Israel's decision to attack Hamas negotiators in Qatar. It was a move that infuriated America's Arab allies but gave Trump leverage to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into making a deal.

Trump benefited from a long record of siding with Israel dating back to his first term in office, including his decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, to change America's position on the legality of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and, more recently, his support for Israel's military campaign against Iran.

The US president, in fact, is more popular among Israelis than Netanyahu – a position that gave him unique influence over the Israeli leader.

Add in Trump's political and economic ties to key Arab players in the region, and he had a wealth of diplomatic muscle to force an agreement.

In the Ukraine war, by contrast, Trump has much less leverage. Over the past nine months, he has swung between attempts to strong-arm Putin and then Zelensky, all with little seeming effect.

Trump has threatened to impose new sanctions on Russian energy exports and to provide Ukraine with new long-range weapons. But he has also recognised that doing so could disrupt the global economy and further escalate the war.

Meanwhile, the president has publicly berated Zelensky, temporarily cutting off intelligence-sharing with Ukraine and suspending arms shipments to the country - only to then back off in the face of concerned European allies who warn a Ukrainian collapse could destabilise the entire region.

Trump loves to tout his ability to sit down and hammer out deals, but his face-to-face meetings with both Putin and Zelensky haven't seemed to move the war any closer to a resolution.

Putin may actually be using Trump's desire for a deal – and belief in in-person deal-making - as a means of influencing him.

In July, Putin agreed to a summit in Alaska just as it appeared likely that Trump would sign off on congressional sanctions package backed by Senate Republicans. That legislation was subsequently put on hold.

Last week, as reports spread that the White House was seriously contemplating shipping Tomahawk cruise missiles and Patriot anti-air batteries to Kyiv, the Russian leader called Trump who then touted the possible summit in Budapest.

The next day, Trump hosted Zelensky at the White House, but left empty-handed after a reportedly tense meeting.

Trump insisted that he was not being played by Putin.

"You know, I've been played all my life by the best of them, and I came out really well," he said.

But the Ukrainian leader later made note of the sequence of events.

"As soon as the issue of long-range mobility became a little further away for us – for Ukraine – Russia almost automatically became less interested in diplomacy," he said.

So, in a matter of days, Trump has bounced from entertaining the prospect of sending missiles to Ukraine to planning a Budapest summit with Putin and privately pressuring Zelensky to cede all of Donbas – including territory Russia has been unable to conquer.

He has finally settled on calling for a ceasefire along current battle lines – something Russia has refused to accept.

On the campaign trail last year, Trump promised that he could end the Ukraine war in a matter of hours. He has since abandoned that pledge, saying that ending the war is proving harder than he expected.

It has been a rare acknowledgement of the limits of his power – and the difficulty of finding a framework for peace when neither side wants, or can afford to, give up the fight.

Ukrainian city in total blackout after 'massive' Russian assault

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn8vrxjdd5go, 14 days ago

The Ukrainian city of Chernihiv is in total blackout following what the authorities describe as a "massive" assault by Russian missiles and drones, with hundreds of thousands of people affected.

Across the wider Chernihiv region, four people are reported to have been killed as residential neighbourhoods were struck in the town of Novhorod-Siverskyi.

Ten others were injured, including a 10-year-old girl.

The country's most northerly region is the latest to be hit in an intensifying series of attacks on civilian infrastructure as Russia targets energy supplies, the rail network, homes and businesses in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

"I personally heard the drones flying overhead," 55-year-old Oleksandr Babich said.

The Chernihiv city resident spoke in matter-of-fact terms about a night filled with the low whine of Iranian-designed Shahed drones, a sound now being increasingly heard far from the war's front lines.

"Unfortunately, our region is very close to our scheming neighbour," he said, adding an expletive for good measure.

The Chernihiv region shares a border with both Russia and Belarus, giving the air defences here less time to react to any incoming attacks.

In a raid involving more than 100 Shahed drones - each of which carry a 50kg warhead - and six ballistic missiles, the direct strikes on Chernihiv's electricity generating facilities left the whole city without power, as well as large parts of the surrounding area.

Andriy Podorvan, the deputy head of the Chernihiv Regional Military Administration, told the BBC that it was part of a pattern across much of the country, with things getting much worse in recent months.

"For around half a year we have been experiencing targeted strikes on the energy infrastructure in our region," he said.

"The number of attacks has significantly increased over the last two months."

When I asked him if he believed that any of the targets were of military value - Moscow's usual justification for these sorts of attacks - he pointed out that Russia has even been targeting petrol stations.

"I can only see strikes on civilian infrastructure," he said.

The attack on the electricity grid has also meant the loss of power to water pumping stations, seriously impacting supplies. Residents have been told to stock up on bottled water or are having to rely on emergency deliveries.

With the attacks ongoing in the morning, electrical engineers had to delay their initial response - but were later able to begin working to restore power.

The wider concern is that, if the intensity of Russia's bombardment continues, it risks rapidly depleting the country's energy resilience, taking a heavy toll on the economy and - with a harsh winter ahead - dealing a psychological blow to the public too.

Up until now, the country's generating companies - working together in a war-time spirit of co-operation - have been able to restore power relatively quickly, but stocks of replacement equipment are not unlimited.

A single transformer can take more than a year to produce, with added time for transportation and installation.

The country is having to look for all the help it can get.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's recent meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington may have been seen as a strategic disappointment, coming away without having secured a supply of long-hoped for long-range Tomahawk missiles.

But his meetings with the heads of leading US energy companies, in which they discussed ways of helping Ukraine to shore up and modernise its energy sector, were reportedly a success.

Some estimates put the total cost of the damage to Ukraine's energy infrastructure so far at more than $16bn (€13.7bn; £11.9bn).

In Chernihiv, the regional official Andriy Podorvan told the BBC that he believes Russia is unable to make any significant progress on the front lines and so now sees the civilian population as a weak point.

But he thinks this is misjudged.

"People understand who the enemy is and who is guilty in this situation," he said. "It will lead to the even greater unity of the population."

Mr Babich agrees.

"Although, yes, there are inconveniences, the majority of the population is ready for this," he insisted.

Many have been going to work as normal, he pointed out, with back-up generators in place for important facilities like hospitals and government buildings, and neighbours are helping each other.

"The hero city of Chernihiv did not give up and is not going to give up. Morale is high."

Russia's new nuclear weapons - real threat or Putin bluster?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn40w7g2d2zo, 4 days ago

On Wednesday, over tea and cakes with veterans of the Ukraine war, President Vladimir Putin announced Russia had tested a new weapon.

"There is nothing like this," the Russian leader said of the Poseidon - a nuclear-powered, nuclear-capable underwater drone that can be fired like a torpedo and which a senior Russian MP said could "put entire states out of operation".

When it was first unveiled in 2018, Russian media said the Poseidon would be able to achieve a speed of 200km/h (120mph) and travel in a "constantly changing route" that would make it impossible to intercept.

Putin's claim came only days after the announcement that Moscow had conducted a test of its "unlimited-range" Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile.

It's "a unique product, unmatched in the world", Putin said of the Burevestnik, noting the missile was so new "we are yet to identify what it is, what class of weapons [it] belongs to".

It is not unusual for Russia to test and flaunt weapons.

And, despite the boisterous nature of Russian announcements, their military value is ambiguous.

"They are basically Armageddon weapons - too powerful to be used unless you're happy to destroy the world," Mark Galeotti, a Russia scholar and long-time observer of Russian politics, told the BBC.

Both the Poseidon and the Burevestnik are second-strike, retaliatory weapons, Mr Galeotti added - and not even the most rabid Kremlin propagandists are suggesting anyone is preparing to launch strikes on Russia.

It is also unclear whether the weapons are actually viable.

In 2019, five Russian nuclear engineers died in a rocket engine explosion which some Russian and Western experts said was linked to the Burevestnik.

Two years later, the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) - a London-based think tank specialising in global conflict and security - noted that Russia faced "considerable technical challenges" in ensuring "the reliable performance of the nuclear-propulsion unit" of the missile.

Neither the Poseidon nor the Burevestnik were entirely novel - both had first been presented to the world in 2018 as part of a new array of weapons that Putin called "invincible".

So it is the timing of the announcements - rather than their contents - which could be noteworthy.

After a whirlwind few months of tentative diplomacy by US President Donald Trump to try and bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table, Trump appears to have cooled off on the endeavour to end the war.

Last week, the White House cancelled a summit between Trump and Putin, apparently after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio realised the gulf between Moscow and Washington's positions was too great for a high-level meeting to achieve meaningful results.

Not only is there no suggestion of any further talks, but soon after the meeting was cancelled, Trump imposed sanctions on two of Russia's biggest oil producers as punishment for Moscow's failure to agree on a peace deal in Ukraine.

And while his relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky seems to still be fraught, it appears Trump is growing irritated with Moscow's intractability.

So Putin may be vying for Trump's attention.

"In the face of Trump blowing hot and cold with his support for Ukraine or sympathy to Russia, here is an element in which Moscow has bigger cards than Kyiv," Mr Galeotti argued.

"So in that context [successful weapons tests] are more about keeping him thinking Russia is indeed powerful."

Another clue could come from the battlefield in Ukraine.

Three-and-a-half years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbour, its troops continue to merely grind on - at great cost in human life and resources - with no obvious breakthrough likely any time soon.

"We are getting towards the end of summer fighting season in Ukraine and it has not gone very well for the Russians," said David Heathcote, head of intelligence at McKenzie Intelligence Services.

The announcements about the Burevestnik and the Poseidon should be seen as a reflection of the weakness of their conventional forces, Mr Heathcote told the BBC.

Russia is not formally part of any military alliances that would serve as a deterrent if it is on the back foot, and its army is tied up and under pressure in Ukraine.

In these cases, Mr Heathcote says, "the Russians always react with unnecessary and overexaggerated sabre rattling".

While Moscow's decision to publicly announce the Burevestnik and Poseidon tests may have been influenced by this, it seems the claim has already had the tangible effect of provoking Trump into instructing its military to resume nuclear weapons testing.

Trump justified the move as a way of keeping pace with other countries such as Russia and China.

"With others doing testing, I think it's appropriate that we do also," Trump said - although it will likely take several months for the US to restart nuclear tests after a 33-year pause.

The Kremlin's reaction to Trump's statement was quick

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov questioned whether the US president had been correctly informed. The Russian tests "cannot in any way be interpreted as a nuclear test", Peskov said.

Trump did not elaborate on the kind of tests he wanted the US to resume.

It was likely, said IISS Head of Strategy, Technology and Arms Control Dr Alexander Bollfrass, that Trump's decision was a direct response to the Russian test of the Burevestnik and that the US could be planning to conduct similar flight tests of US Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles.

How teenager gave a street concert and was caught up in Russia's repressive past

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz91jyxj88ko, 4 days ago

In a wood on the edge of St Petersburg they're reading out a list of names.

Each name is a victim of the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin's Great Terror.

In this part of Russia there are thousands of names to be read. Thousands of lives to remember on Russia's annual Remembrance Day for Victims of Political Repression.

Buried in the Levashovo Wasteland are believed to be at least 20,000 people - possibly as many as 45,000 - who were denounced, shot and disposed of in mass graves; individuals, as well as whole families destroyed in the dictator's purge in the 1930s.

Nailed to the trunks of pine trees are portraits of the executed. Standing here you can feel the ghosts of Russia's past.

But what of the present?

Today, Russian authorities speak less about Stalin's crimes against his own people, preferring to portray the dictator as a victorious wartime leader.

What's more, in recent years a string of repressive laws has been adopted here to punish dissent and silence criticism of the Kremlin and of Russia's war in Ukraine.

Kremlin critics might not be denounced as "enemies of the people" like under Stalin. But increasingly they are being designated "foreign agents".

The authorities claim the labelling helps to protect Russia from external threats.

More than three and a half years after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian authorities have two main objectives: victory abroad and conformity at home.

Anyone here who publicly challenges, questions or even hints they doubt the official narrative that, in this war Russia is in the right, risks becoming a target.

At Leninsky District Courthouse, the stairwell outside Courtroom 11 is packed with journalists. There is barely room to move.

I get talking to Irina. Her daughter Diana is on her way here in a police car for a court appearance.

"This must be frightening for you," I say.

Irina nods.

"I never thought anything like this could happen," says Irina softly. "You can't imagine it. Until it happens to you."

Minutes later, 18-year-old Diana Loginova arrives in the building guarded by three police officers. She hugs her mother and is taken into court.

Diana has already spent 13 days in jail for "organising a mass public gathering of citizens resulting in a violation of public order".

But the charges keep coming.

The "mass gathering" was an improvised street concert which the authorities claim obstructed pedestrian access to a Metro station.

Diana Loginova is a music student and, under the name Naoko, lead singer with the band Stoptime.

On the streets of St Petersburg, Stoptime have been performing songs by exiled Russian artists like Noize MC and Monetochka, singer-songwriters fiercely critical of the Kremlin and of Russia's war in Ukraine.

Many of these prominent musicians, now abroad, have been officially designated foreign agents by Russian authorities.

Videos posted online show that Stoptime's street concerts have been attracting quite a crowd, with dozens of mainly young people singing along and dancing to the music.

Whilst it is not forbidden in Russia to sing or play songs by foreign agents, in May a Russian court banned Noize MC's track Swan Lake Cooperative, claiming it contained "propaganda for the violent change of the constitutional order".

Swan Lake is seen by many as a symbol of political change in Russia.

In the USSR, Soviet TV often showed the ballet following the death of Soviet leaders, and it was back on Soviet TV screens in 1991 during the failed coup by communist hardliners. Lake (Ozero in Russian) is also the name of a dacha co-operative widely associated with President Putin's inner circle.

A video clip of Stoptime performing the song went viral recently on social media.

Diana Loginova was detained on 15 October. Police also arrested her boyfriend, guitarist Alexander Orlov, and drummer, Vladislav Leontyev.

The three band members were sentenced to between 12 and 13 days behind bars.

In Courtroom 11 Diana is facing an additional charge: discrediting the Russian armed forces. It relates to one of the songs she sang: You're a Soldier by ("foreign agent") Monetochka.

"You're a soldier," begins the chorus.

"And whatever war you are fighting,

"I'm sorry, I'll be on the other side."

After a brief hearing the judge finds Diana guilty of discrediting Russia's army and fines her 30,000 roubles (£285).

But she is not free to go. The police take Diana back to the police station and prepare more charges.

The next day she and her boyfriend Alexander are brought to Smolninsky District Court. I manage to have a word with them before they enter the courtroom.

"I'm very pleased, and it's important, that people have been supporting us, that many people are on our side, on the side of truth," Diana tells me.

"I'm surprised by how things have been exaggerated. We've been accused of lots of things we didn't do. All we were doing was bringing the music we like to a mass audience. The power of music is very important. What's happening now proves that."

"I think it's not the words, it's the music that is most important," guitarist Alexander Orlov tells me. "Music says everything for people. It always has."

Alexander reveals he proposed to Diana when the police van they were being transported in stopped at a petrol station.

"I made a ring out of a tissue," he tells me. "I had time to get on my knees, and she said yes."

"We hope we'll be back home soon," says Diana. "That's what we're dreaming of most."

They won't be going home yet. At this latest court hearing the judge sends Diana and Alexander back to jail for another 13 days for more public order offences.

Civil society in Russia is under intense pressure. Yet supporters of Diana Loginova and Stoptime are trying to make their voices heard.

"I was on the street when Diana was singing and people were singing along so beautifully," says Alla outside the courthouse. "For me it was important to be here to support Diana and show her some people do care. This should not be happening."

To another of Diana's supporters I suggest that, in Russia now, displaying solidarity for anyone accused of discrediting the Russian army requires a degree of courage.

"It's people like Diana who are the brave ones," says Sasha. "We're cowards. Some people are heroes. Others just follow behind."

"Some people [in Russia] are scared," continues Sasha. "But others here do support the authorities and what's going on. Unfortunately, I know people like this. It came as a blow when I discovered that people I've been friends with for 40 years support what's happening. For years they've been watching Russian TV. I haven't."

In the Urals city of Yekaterinburg, Yevgeny Mikhailov expressed his solidarity through music. The street musician performed songs in support of Diana Loginova. He was detained and jailed for 14 days for "petty hooliganism".

Despite the crackdown, young street musicians in St Petersburg continue to perform music by artists labelled foreign agents by Russian authorities.

It's a chilly autumn evening. But passers-by have stopped to listen to a teenage band outside a St Petersburg Metro station. Among the songs they're performing are compositions by "foreign agents" Noize MC and Morgenshtern.

Suddenly the police turn up. The concert is over.

I look on as three band members are taken away in a police car.

I go to meet someone else in St Petersburg accused of "discreditation".

Ludmila Vasilyeva, 84, was born two months before Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union.

She survived the Nazi siege of Leningrad (then the name for St Petersburg) and has carried with her all her life how devastating war can be.

So, when Vladimir Putin ordered a mass invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ludmila was deeply shocked.

Earlier this year, on the third anniversary of Russia's "special military operation", Ludmila went on to the street to express her anti-war stance.

"I wrote on my placard: 'People! Let's stop the war. We bear responsibility for peace on Planet Earth!'"

Following her personal protest Ludmila received a letter from the police instructing her to report to the police station.

"They told me that I had discredited our soldiers. How? By calling for peace? I let them know that everything I'd wanted to say I'd already made quite clear on my placard and that I wouldn't be going down to the station. They threatened to take me to court. And in the end that's what they did."

Ludmila was fined 10,000 roubles (£95) for "discrediting the Russian armed forces".

She has no regrets and seemingly, despite the growing repression around her, no fear.

"Why should I be scared?" Ludmila asks me. "Of what and of whom should I be frightened? I'm not scared of anyone. I speak the truth. And they know that."

She believes that increasing authoritarianism stems from those in power fearing the public.

"People are scared. But [the authorities] are more scared. That's why they're tightening the screws."

Ludmila Vasilyeva's outspokenness is an exception, not the rule. Today few Russians engage in public protest. I ask Ludmila why that is: is it fear, indifference, or because of support for the authorities?

"Most people are focused on their own lives, on just surviving," Ludmila replies.

But she claims that when she speaks her mind publicly many people agree with her.

"When I go to the shops, I always strike up a conversation. No one has ever sneaked on me or put in a complaint about me.

"Once I was saying something down at the post office. Someone turned to me and said: 'Quiet, keep it down.' I replied: 'Why should I be quiet? What I'm saying, isn't it the truth? Truth must be spoken loudly.'"

Not everyone agrees.

"When I was standing with my placard and talking to a policeman, a man in his 50s came up to us. He leant forward and said: 'Just strangle her.'"

Trump's planned tests are 'not nuclear explosions', US energy secretary says

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpd26yxxx3lo, today

The US is not planning to conduct nuclear explosions, Energy Secretary Chris Wright has said, calming global concerns after President Donald Trump called on the military to resume weapons testing.

"These are not nuclear explosions," Wright told Fox News on Sunday. "These are what we call non-critical explosions."

The comments come days after Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had directed defence officials to "start testing our nuclear weapons on an equal basis" with rival powers.

But Wright, whose agency oversees testing, said people living in the Nevada desert should have "no worries" about seeing a mushroom cloud.

"Americans near historic test sites such as the Nevada National Security Site have no cause for concern," Wright said. "So you're testing all the other parts of a nuclear weapon to make sure they deliver the appropriate geometry, and they set up the nuclear explosion."

Trump's comments on Truth Social last week were interpreted by many as a sign the US was preparing to restart full-scale nuclear blasts for the first time since 1992.

In an interview with 60 Minutes on CBS, which was recorded on Friday and aired on Sunday, Trump reiterated his position.

"I'm saying that we're going to test nuclear weapons like other countries do, yes," Trump said when asked by CBS's Norah O'Donnell if he planned for the US to detonate a nuclear weapon for the first time in more than 30 years.

"Russia's testing, and China's testing, but they don't talk about it," he added.

Russia and China have not carried out such tests since 1990 and 1996 respectively.

Pressed further on the topic, Trump said: "They don't go and tell you about it."

"I don't want to be the only country that doesn't test," he said, adding North Korea and Pakistan to the list of nations allegedly testing their arsenals.

On Monday, China's foreign ministry denied conducting nuclear weapons tests.

As a "responsible nuclear-weapons state, China has always... upheld a self-defence nuclear strategy and abided by its commitment to suspend nuclear testing", spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular press conference in Beijing.

She added that China hoped the US would "take concrete actions to safeguard the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime and maintain global strategic balance and stability".

On Thursday, Russia too denied it had carried out nuclear tests.

"Regarding the tests of Poseidon and Burevestnik, we hope that the information was conveyed correctly to President Trump," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists, referencing the names of Russian weapons. "This cannot in any way be interpreted as a nuclear test."

North Korea is the only country that has carried out nuclear testing since the 1990s - and even Pyongyang announced a moratorium in 2018.

The exact number of nuclear warheads held by each country is kept secret in each case - but Russia is thought to have a total of about 5,459 warheads while the US has about 5,177, according to the Federation of American Scientists (FAS).

The US-based ACA gives slightly higher estimates, saying America's nuclear stockpile sits at about 5,225 warheads, while Russia has approximately 5,580.

China is the world's third largest nuclear power with about 600 warheads, France has 290, the United Kingdom 225, India 180, Pakistan 170, Israel 90 and North Korea 50, the FAS says.

According to US think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), China has roughly doubled its nuclear arsenal in the past five years and is expected to exceed 1,000 weapons by 2030.

Trump says he doubts US will go to war with Venezuela

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c709rwxzx9yo, today

Donald Trump has played down the possibility of a US war with Venezuela, but suggested Nicolás Maduro's days as the country's president were numbered.

Asked if the US was going to war against Venezuela, the US president told CBS' 60 Minutes: "I doubt it. I don't think so. But they've been treating us very badly."

For two months, the US military has been building up a force of warships, fighter jets, bombers, marines, drones and spy planes in the Caribbean Sea. It is the largest deployment there for decades.

The US continues to launch strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean. The Trump administration says the strikes are necessary to stem the flow of drugs into the US.

Trump rejected suggestions that the US action was not about stopping narcotics, but aimed at ousting Maduro, a long-time Trump opponent, saying it was about "many things".

At least 64 people have been killed by US strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since early September, CBS News - the BBC's US news partner - reports.

Speaking from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, Trump said: "Every single boat that you see that's shot down kills 25,000 on drugs and destroys families all over our country."

Pushed on whether the US was planning any strikes on land, Trump refused to rule it out, saying: "I wouldn't be inclined to say that I would do that... I'm not gonna tell you what I'm gonna do with Venezuela, if I was gonna do it or if I wasn't going to do it."

Long-range bomber planes, B-52s, have carried out "bomber attack demonstrations" off the coast of Venezuela. Trump has authorised the deployment of the CIA to Venezuela and the world's largest aircraft carrier is being sent to the region.

Maduro has previously accused Washington of "fabricating a new war", while Colombian President Gustavo Petro has said the strikes on boats are being used by the US to "dominate" Latin America.

Trump said the government was "not going to allow" people "from all over the world" to come in.

"They come in from the Congo, they come in from all over the world, they're coming, not just from South America. But Venezuela in particular - has been bad. They have gangs," he said, singling out Tren de Aragua.

He called it "the most vicious gang anywhere in the world".

Trump was also asked about nuclear testing, after he called on US military leaders to resume testing nuclear weapons in order to keep pace with other countries such as Russia and China.

Asked by CBS's Norah O'Donnell if he planned for the US to detonate a nuclear weapon for the first time in more than 30 years, Trump said: "I'm saying that we're going to test nuclear weapons like other countries do, yes."

However, Energy Secretary Chris Wright sought to calm global concerns by telling Fox News the US was not planning to conduct nuclear explosions.

During his CBS interview, Trump also spoke about the US government shutdown, which has gone on for more than a month and left millions of Americans facing the loss of essential services.

The president blamed Democrats, calling them "crazed lunatics" who have "lost their way" - but said he believed they would eventually capitulate and vote to end the shutdown.

"And if they don't vote, that's their problem," he said.

It was Trump's first interview with CBS since he sued its parent company, Paramount, over a 2024 interview with then Vice-President Kamala Harris.

He said the interview - which aired as part of the presidential election campaign - had been edited to "tip the scales in favour of the Democratic Party".

Paramount agreed to pay $16m (£13.5m) to settle the suit, but with the money allocated to Trump's future presidential library, not paid to him "directly or indirectly". It said the settlement did not include a statement of apology.

Trump last appeared on the 60 Minutes programme in 2020, when he walked out of an interview with Lesley Stahl because he claimed the questions were biased. He did not agree to an interview with the show during the 2024 election.

Two Michigan men charged with Halloween terror plot

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y9qrg4d7ro, today

Two men have been charged with a terrorist plot to carry out a mass shooting over Halloween weekend in the US state of Michigan.

The suspects, Mohmed Ali and Majed Mahmoud, scouted potential locations in a suburb of Detroit and expressed support for the Islamic State group online, federal prosecutors say.

A third defendant, described as a juvenile in court documents, is unnamed. The alleged conspirators bought semi-automatic guns, more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition and trained how to shoot at a gun range, prosecutors say.

The defendants are due in court in Detroit on Monday. US Attorney General Pam Bondi said it was "a major ISIS-linked terror plot".

"According to the complaint, subjects had multiple AR-15 rifles, tactical gear, and a detailed plan to carry out an attack on American soil," she added.

The defendants are charged with handling firearms and ammunition and having reasonable cause to believe the weapons would be used to commit a federal crime of terrorism.

A 73-page charging document filed by the Department of Justice says that in September the suspects scouted the suburb of Ferndale, where numerous bars and restaurants are located.

"Many of the clubs and bars in this area intentionally attract members of the LGBTQ+ community," said the court papers.

Three killed in latest US strike on alleged drug boat in Caribbean

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn401vzjx48o, yesterday

Three men have been killed in a US strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has said.

It is the latest in a series of attacks on vessels the Trump administration says are being used to smuggle drugs into the US.

Since they began in September, experts have questioned the legality of the strikes under international law, which have drawn strong criticism from Latin American leaders whose citizens have been targeted.

Combatting the flow of illegal drugs is a key policy for US President Donald Trump - but some have suggested the strikes are part of efforts to influence politically opposed governments in the region.

Hegseth said the boat targeted on Saturday was operated by a designated terrorist organisation - without specifying which one - and had been travelling in international waters when it was hit.

The vessel was travelling along a known drug-smuggling route and carrying narcotics, he said, without providing evidence.

Hegseth's statement late on Saturday was accompanied by a video that appears to show a blurred-out boat travelling through the water before exploding.

Announcements of these strikes are usually accompanied with grainy footage but no evidence of the alleged drug trafficking and few details about who or what was on board each vessel.

The Trump administration has previously said that some boats targeted had departed from Venezuela.

The Trump administration has insisted that it was targeting "narco-terrorists".

The BBC's US partner, CBS News, reported that at least 64 people have been killed by American airstrikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since early September.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has previously described the attacks as "murder" and said they were being used by the US to "dominate" Latin America.

Meanwhile, Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro accused Washington of "fabricating a war".

The two left-wing leaders have increasingly been at odds with the Trump administration.

Following Petro's comments, the US placed sanctions on him and his inner circle, as well as removing Colombia's certification as an ally in the war on drugs. Trump has threatened military action against land targets in Venezuela.

But this, he has admitted, may require the consent of the US Congress.

However, some US lawmakers, both Democrat and Republican, have said the strikes on vessels also required congressional approval - something Trump has denied.

Others have questioned whether the lethal strikes were legal at all.

The UN's human rights chief Volker Turk said on Friday that such attacks were a violation of international human rights law.

"Over 60 people have reportedly been killed in a continuing series of attacks carried out by US armed forces... in circumstances that find no justification in international law," he said.

"These attacks – and their mounting human cost – are unacceptable."

Experts in Latin American politics have suggested the strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific were part of a suite of measures designed to influence change in Colombia and Venezuela.

The US is among many nations that consider Maduro's election last year as illegitimate, while Trump has been critical of Petro's policies on combatting the drug trade in his country, which has traditionally been a US ally.

Washington has steadily been building up a force of warships, fighter jets, marines, spy planes, bombers and drones in the Caribbean over the past few months, which it has framed as part of a crackdown on drug-trafficking but which military analysts say is much larger than what is needed.

Mississippi mum fatally shoots escaped research monkey

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cev18k70zkyo, today

One of the monkeys that escaped after a truck overturned in Mississippi last week was shot dead by a woman who said she feared for the safety of her children.

Jessica Bond Ferguson said she and other residents had been warned that the escaped monkeys carried diseases. "I did what any other mother would do to protect her children," she told the Associated Press.

The monkeys were being housed at Tulane University's National Biomedical Research Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, for scientific research purposes and escaped last weekend while being transported.

Officials from the university said that the monkeys did not have "any infectious agent".

The 35-year-old mother of five said her 16-year-old son alerted her to a monkey in their backyard in Mississippi.

That is when she got out of bed and grabbed her gun and her cell phone and spotted the animal some 60ft (18m) away.

"I shot at it and it just stood there, and I shot again, and he backed up and that's when he fell," she told the AP.

The Jasper County Sheriff's Department confirmed a local resident "encountered" one of the monkeys and said the animal was in the possession of the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks.

There has been confusion surrounding the escape, including how many monkeys were being transported, who owned them, and why the truck overturned.

Tulane University said the animals "were not being transported by Tulane, not owned by Tulane, and not in Tulane's custody".

It added that although Tulane "did not transport or own the nonhuman primates at the time of the incident", it sent "a team of animal care experts to assist" officials.

Videos shared online showed the monkeys moving through the tall grass on the side of the Mississippi highway. On the highway were wooden crates with the label "live animals".

The monkeys being transported were Rhesus monkeys, animals that are commonly used in biomedical research, particularly in studies of infectious diseases and vaccine development.

Clooney says Harris replacing Biden was a 'mistake'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ceq01zn52z4o, today

George Clooney has said it was a "mistake" for Kamala Harris to replace Joe Biden as the Democratic candidate to face Donald Trump in the US presidential election last November.

But the actor added that he had no regrets about writing an op-ed in the New York Times that July calling for Biden to quit the race.

In the piece, titled "I Love Joe Biden. But We Need a New Nominee", Clooney wrote that the ageing president had won many battles in his career "but the one battle he cannot win is the fight against time".

Clooney's comments come after the former president's son, Hunter Biden, lashed out at him for questioning his father's mental sharpness.

Less than a fortnight after Clooney's op-ed, Biden announced he would step aside for Harris.

In his interview with CBS, the actor said that he would write it again, adding: "We had a chance."

"I wanted there to be, as I wrote in the op-ed, a primary. Let's battle-test this quickly and get it up and going," he said.

But there was no Democratic primary and Biden's vice-president took the nomination, going on to lose against Trump.

"I think the mistake with it being Kamala is she had to run against her own record. It's very hard to do if the point of running is to say, 'I'm not that person'. It's hard to do and so she was given a very tough task," Clooney said.

"I think it was a mistake, quite honestly."

In the op-ed, the actor and prominent Democratic fundraiser wrote that it was "devastating to say it", but the Joe Biden he had met at a fundraising event three weeks earlier was not the Biden of 2010. "He wasn't even the Joe Biden of 2020," he added.

"He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate," Clooney said, in reference to Biden's disastrous TV debate against Trump weeks before, which fuelled new concerns about the 81-year-old's and fitness for office.

In an expletive-filled interview with the YouTube outlet Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan, Hunter Biden accused Clooney of exaggerating the former president's frailty.

Asked why Clooney had intervened in the race, Hunter Biden responded with a succession of profanities about the actor.

"What do you have to do with… anything?" he said in a message directed at Clooney. "Why do I have to… listen to you?"

In an interview with the BBC last month, Harris said she might run again for the White House.

In her first UK interview, Harris said she would "possibly" be president one day and was confident there would be a woman in the White House in future.

New Yorkers could pick a political newcomer to run their city - and take on Trump

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3rjjdvx5r5o, 2 days ago

As Zohran Mamdani walked the streets of the Upper East Side for a campaign event to greet early voters, he could barely walk a few steps without being stopped by his supporters.

Two smiling young women looked starstruck and told him they followed him on Instagram. The millennial Democratic nominee for mayor thanked them before posing with another young man who had readied his phone for a selfie.

Throngs of press surrounded Mamdani and captured his every moment, like running into the street to shake hands with a taxi driver shouting "we support you, man".

With a comfortable lead in the polls, the 34-year-old is on the brink of making history when New Yorkers vote on Tuesday, as the youngest mayor in over a century and the first Muslim and South Asian leader of the city.

A relatively unknown figure just months ago, few could have predicted his rise, from hip-hop artist and housing counsellor to New York State assembleyman and frontrunner to lead the biggest city in the US, a job which comes with a $116bn (£88bn) budget and global scrutiny.

Leading a three-way race

Through viral videos and outreach to content creators and podcasters, Mamdani has reached disaffected voters at a time when faith in the Democratic party among its own members is at an all-time low.

But there are questions over whether he can deliver on his ambitious promises and how a politician with no executive experience will handle the onslaught sure to come from a hostile Trump administration.

There is also the complicated relationship he has with his party establishment, as he becomes a national figurehead for left-wing Democrats.

He describes himself as a democratic socialist, which has no clear definition but essentially means giving a voice to workers, not corporations. He has promised to tax millionaires to pay for expanded social programmes. It's the politics of Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with whom Mamdani has often shared a stage.

Trump has threatened to withdraw federal funds if New Yorkers elect a "communist".

Mamdani has refuted that common attack line about his politics and during a daytime television interview he agreed with the host that he was "kind of like a Scandinavian politician," only browner, he joked.

Victory would be seen as a rejection of politics as usual by New Yorkers as they struggle with the cost of living - Mamdani's number one issue.

His main rival in Tuesday's vote is former Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent after losing to Mamdani in the primary.

Cuomo accuses Mamdani of an anti-business agenda that would kill New York. He says he has shown he can stand up to Trump but Mamdani calls Cuomo the president's puppet.

Curtis Sliwa, the Republican nominee, mocks both of them. In the last debate, he said: "Zohran, your resume could fit on a cocktail napkin. And Andrew, your failures could fill a public school library in New York City."

Rent freezes and free buses

Mamdani's message has been laser-focused on affordability and quality of life issues. He has promised universal childcare, freezing rent in subsidised units, free public buses and city-run grocery stores.

It's a message that has landed with New Yorkers fed up with sky-high prices.

"I support him because I'm a housing attorney and I see how the cost of living just keeps going up and up and up," Miles Ashton told the BBC outside the candidates' debate earlier this month. "We all want an affordable city."

The costs of the Mamdani agenda would be covered by new taxes on corporations and millionaires, which he insists would raise $9bn - though some, like the libertarian Cato Institute, say his sums don't add up. He would also need the support of the state legislature and Governor Kathy Hochul to implement new taxes.

She has endorsed him but says she is against increased income taxes. She does, however, want to work with him to achieve universal child care, which is by far the biggest-ticket item on his agenda at $5bn.

As he rode the M57 bus across Manhattan to highlight his free buses plan, he told the BBC why his focus on affordability was the right approach in the Trump era.

"It's time for us to understand that to defend democracy, it's not just to stand up against an authoritarian administration. It is also to ensure that that democracy can deliver on the material needs of working class people right here. That's something we've failed to do in New York City."

Among New Yorkers who told the BBC they were not voting for Mamdani, doubts about him being able to pay for his agenda and his inexperience were two of the biggest factors.

What New York business world thinks

After Mamdani won the Democratic primary in June, Wall Street leaders were hardly celebrating. Some threatened to leave the city.

But there's been a noticeable shift since then - the mood is less panic, more collaboration. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon even said he would offer his help if Mamdani is elected.

Real estate developer Jeffrey Gural, who has met Mamdani, says he is too inexperienced to lead the nation's largest city. He thinks his rent freeze plan would hurt tenants and his taxes on wealthy people will drive high earners away.

He does, however, support Mamdani's universal childcare plan, a provision he gives his own staff at his casino upstate.

Part of the change in tone since the primary has been down to a concerted effort on Mamdani's part to meet his critics.

On 14 October, Alexis Bittar, a self-taught jewellery designer who grew his business into a global company, hosted Mamdani and 40 business leaders at his 1850s Brooklyn townhouse.

They were a mix of CEOs and business owners from financial, fashion and art sectors. More than half were Jewish and they were all either on the fence or opposed to Mamdani's candidacy.

There were questions about business, his management experience and how he would finance his agenda.

"I think he came across great," Mr Bittar told the BBC. "The thing that's remarkable about him is he's incredibly equipped to answer them - and diligently answer them."

An apology to police

Part of Mamdani's engagement with his critics has been a willingness to change his position.

In 2020, after the murder of black man George Floyd by a police officer in Minnesota, Mamdani called for the city to defund police and called the NYPD "racist". But he has since apologised and says he no longer holds those views.

Crime is the number one issue for Howard Wolfson, who worked for former Mayor Michael Bloomberg and is now a Democratic strategist. He was present during a meeting last month between the mayoral hopeful and Bloomberg, who spent $8m during the primary race trying to beat him.

Wolfson told the BBC he will judge Mamdani on how the city is policed.

"I think it's great that he reaches out and is engaged, but I'm much more interested in how he's going to govern," he said. "Public safety is really the prerequisite for success or failure."

Many see Mamdani's pledge to ask the police commissioner Jessica Tisch to stay on as a way to allay concerns he would be soft on crime.

He says he would maintain the current level of NYPD staffing and create a new department of community safety that would deploy mental health care teams instead of armed officers to non-threatening, psychiatric calls.

A city divided over Gaza

One position Mamdani has stood firm on is his criticism of Israel and lifelong support for Palestinian rights.

It represents a break from the Democratic party establishment and could be a deciding factor for many voters in a city with the largest Jewish population outside of Israel.

He sparked outrage during the primary process when he refused to condemn the term "globalise the intifada". But after Jewish New Yorkers expressed their unease to him, telling him they felt unsafe on hearing it, he said he discouraged others from using it.

A letter signed by more than 1,100 rabbis cited Mamdani as it condemned the "political normalisation" of anti-Zionism. Jewish voters are largely split between Mamdani and Cuomo in polling.

Brad Lander, the city's comptroller, or financial chief, who teamed up with Mamdani in the Democratic primary to endorse each other's candidacy against Cuomo, says many Jewish New Yorkers like him are very enthusiastic about Mamdani.

He is a mayoral candidate deeply committed to keeping everyone safe, regardless of religious beliefs, Lander told the BBC.

Sumaiya Chowdhury and Farhana Islam of the group Muslims for Progress have canvassed for the mayoral hopeful.

Ms Islam said that, while they are all excited that he could be New York's first Muslim mayor, he doesn't need to lean on his identity for support.

"His policies speak for themselves and they alone are enough to make him popular."

Since his primary win, the Islamophobia Mamdani faces has increased. He now has police security and, last month, a Texas man was arrested on charges of making terroristic threats against him. In one message, the man said "Muslims don't belong here".

Mamdani decided to deliver an address on Islamophobia after Cuomo laughed along to a radio talkshow host saying that Mamdani would cheer another 9/11-style attack.

In an emotional speech, he said he had hoped that by ignoring racist attacks and sticking to a central message, it would allow him to be more than just his faith. "I was wrong. No amount of redirection is ever enough."

Future of the party

What may propel Mamdani to victory in liberal New York may not be a recipe for success nationally. And Democrats in Congress seem worried about the implications of his ascendancy as party tensions between moderates and progressives persist.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has not endorsed Mamdani, while his fellow New Yorker House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries only endorsed him a few hours before early voting began.

Democratic strategists have said the problem posed by Mamdani for the party's establishment is that Trump and the Republicans already cast Democrats, no matter how moderate, as socialists. And it's a tactic that is thought to have landed with some effect among Cuban and Venezuelan voters in the 2024 election.

Josh Gottheimer, the moderate Democratic representative of New Jersey, told the Washington Post he thought Mamdani had "extremist views" at odds with the Democratic party and that he feared Republicans will use the candidate as a kind of "bogeyman".

At a campaign event on the Upper East Side, Mamdani told the BBC how he plans to handle the intense scrutiny if he wins, pointing to the energy behind his candidacy.

"There is no doubt that there will be opposition as we see that opposition today, and what has allowed us to surmount the unbelievable amounts of money that has been spent against this campaign in the primary or the general, has been the mass movement that we have created."

Paloma Nadera, 38, volunteering at the event, said the last time she had been this excited to vote had been for Barack Obama in 2008. Since then she's been disappointed by what she called the lack of bravery within the party.

"I feel like this race means so much to me because it's local. It's going to affect me, my family, my friends, everyone here in New York City.

"But it's also sort of sending a message, up the chain about what we want politics to start to look like on the Democratic side on a national level."

Additional reporting by Grace Goodwin

She's a pop star, he's a former PM - why Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau just might work

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn09r01k9yqo, 3 days ago

It is a pairing that few could have predicted: a former Canadian prime minister and an American pop star who has toured the world and reached the edge of space.

Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry have made it official. The couple were spotted holding hands in Paris last weekend as they left the Crazy Horse cabaret, where they had been celebrating Perry's 41st birthday.

While they may seem an unlikely duo, Trudeau and Perry – who have both been in the spotlight for the better part of the last decade – have more in common than some might think. And their budding romance is not entirely unprecedented in Canadian political history.

The pairing also allows them to change the conversation after a year in which both have faced hits to their reputations.

The relationship is a "rebranding for both of them in a very interesting and unexpected way", says Jose Rodriguez, a professor of communication studies at California State University Long Beach.

Partnering with a statesman creates a credible bridge for Perry into civic and philanthropic endeavours, he adds. It expands her audience and access to a politically engaged public, and global organisations outside the music industry.

For Trudeau, 53, the California Girls singer helps his new persona because she is in "a softer arena", Mr Rodriguez says, rather than the tough world of politics.

At the core of it is simple human connection, too, observers note. Both are newly single - Trudeau and his wife separated in 2023 - and this is the first post-split high-profile romance for both.

Changing the conversation

The romance rumours between them began swirling in late July, when the two were spotted having dinner together at Le Violon, a swanky restaurant in the heart of Montreal.

Two days later, Trudeau was spotted attending Perry's show in the city, singing along to her hits Firework and Teenage Dream.

Then, in mid-October, images of them kissing aboard Perry's yacht off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, went viral.

Neither Trudeau nor Perry have publicly spoken about their romance. Their representatives did not respond to the BBC's requests for comments. But before the weekend photos landed, the singer appeared to hint at the relationship during a London tour stop last month.

A fan in the audience proposed to her shortly after photos of her and Trudeau canoodling surfaced.

"You know, you really should have asked me about 48 hours ago," Perry responded.

Even though many may not have seen it coming, observers say their getting together helps serve their individual public images.

After becoming a global progressive icon when he was catapulted into Canada's highest office in 2015, Trudeau was forced to resign earlier this year after his popularity plummeted.

Despite winning a sweeping majority a decade ago - promising "sunny ways" domestically while being admired for his youthful charm abroad - it did not take long for scandals to tarnish his image.

A series of luxury vacations drew criticism for being tone-deaf - including one trip to the private island of the Aga Khan in the Bahamas, which was found to have violated federal conflict-of-interest laws. Trudeau then faced another controversy in 2019 after old photos of him in blackface surfaced, forcing him to issue a public apology.

By the end of his tenure, Canadians had grown frustrated with his leadership and were ready to move on.

Perry has similarly faced a crop of undesirable headlines after riding high for years.

The singer was enjoying the height of pop stardom in the 2010s, churning out consistent hits, and her bold, colourful style helped define pop culture. In 2018, Billboard magazine named her one of the greatest popstars of the 21st Century.

But scandal found her, too. Her newest album, 143, was panned by critics as her worst artistic effort to date. The Guardian called it "some way short of a total catastrophe", while the Telegraph called it "disastrous".

And earlier this year, she was mocked for taking part in an all-woman Blue Origin space flight with billionaire Jeff Bezos' wife Lauren Sanchez and CBS anchor Gayle King. Perry acknowledged the criticism in April, saying "I'm not perfect" but that "the internet is very much a dumping ground for the unhinged and unhealed".

Then came the split between her and Bloom, who she was with after her marriage to comedian Russell Brand fell apart in 2011.

"When you're in the middle of an unfortunate storyline, the best thing you can do is move onto a different storyline," notes Los Angeles Times pop music critic Mikael Wood.

The relationship with Trudeau "changes the subject from a flop album and from a tour that seemed a little thirsty and misguided, and makes us talk about something else".

The measured roll-out of the relationship also seemed to ease observers into the romance.

Prof Rodriguez notes that the optics of them appearing together in Paris was "a high signal, low speech confirmation" of their affection that allowed the visuals to do the work.

"Each has weathered scrutiny, so a carefully staged relationship narrative can re-index attention around vitality, optimism and cross-domain relevance."

A match made in heaven?

The pair do have things in common.

Perry and Trudeau are ideologically aligned, LA-based music writer Gerrick Kennedy observes, being "anti-establishment" disruptors in their respective fields.

Perry herself is no stranger to activism and politics, having performed at multiple campaign events in 2016 for Democratic US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and publicly endorsed Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.

She is a vocal advocate for LGBTQ rights and has supported various feminist charities and causes - issues that Trudeau had also publicly backed (he famously made gender-parity in cabinet central to his policy).

They also each appear to be dedicated parents to their young children. Perry's four-year-old daughter, Daisy, features frequently on her Instagram. Trudeau's Instagram shows he spent the summer taking each of his three children on separate holidays.

By dating Perry, Trudeau is charting a different path post-politics than his predecessors, who often assume high-level consulting gigs or join law firms.

It is, however, on-brand for a prime minister who was always unusual, says Michael Mulvey, a marketing professor at the University of Ottawa.

As the son of another former prime minister, Pierre Eliott Trudeau, he grew up in the spotlight. One of the earliest photos of him is of an infant Justin being held by former US First Lady Pat Nixon.

After the separation from his wife, the youngest Trudeau could not escape the inevitable comparisons to his father, who also separated from his first wife and the mother of his children, Margaret, while in office.

The senior Trudeau had his own famous flings, namely with American singer Barbra Streisand and Canadian actress Kim Cattrall, of Sex and the City fame.

"There's no question that we see history repeating itself," says Jonathan Malloy, a professor of political science at Carleton University in Ottawa.

But Prof Mulvey notes that there are others who connect with his human experience of being a newly single dad.

Not long after his exit from politics, Trudeau posted a photo of himself buying kitchenware, which commentators took as him signalling the start of his "divorced dad era".

"There are probably some people that hope he gets it together, has a cooling off period from the post-divorce trauma and gets on with his life," Prof Mulvey says.

Five ways US government shutdown is hurting - and why it's about to get worse

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c74jden8ddxo, 5 days ago

The US government shutdown has entered its fifth week and there is no clear end in sight.

With Democrats and Republicans deadlocked over passing a spending plan that would reopen federal agencies, millions of Americans are feeling economic pain that could soon grow worse.

The fiscal fight means millions of Americans may not receive food aid, thousands of troops could have to work without pay, and millions may go without heat.

Here’s how the shutdown has affected everyday people.

Food assistance

More than 40 million Americans use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap) to feed themselves and their families.

While that programme had enough funding to survive the first four weeks of the shutdown, the Trump administration has said the money will run out on 1 November.

By Saturday, Snap benefits, also called food stamps, could lapse for the first time in the programme's history.

Snap is a critical lifeline that keeps families out of poverty, Hannah Garth, a Princeton University professor who studies food insecurity, told the BBC.

Groups that provide food for people in need are already under strain and the loss of Snap will make the situation worse, she added.

On Thursday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency so the state could “help the three million New Yorkers losing food assistance” because of the shutdown.

People enrolled in Snap have been stockpiling food and visiting aid organisations, as they wait for the impasse to lift on Capitol Hill.

Half the states and the District of Columbia have sued President Donald Trump's administration over the food aid freeze.

The administration, in turn, has blamed Democrats for the funding running dry and said it will only draw from a Snap contingency fund in an emergency such as a natural disaster.

The federal government distributes Snap benefits through programmes run by the states.

Some states, such as Virginia, have said they will be able to make up for any lack of funds in November, but others like Massachusetts have said they can't cover the shortfall.

Military pay

If the Trump administration does not intervene, more than a million members of the US military will miss their paycheques on Friday.

About a quarter of military families are considered food insecure, and 15% rely on Snap or food pantries, according to the research firm Rand. Meanwhile, the Military Family Advisory Network estimates that 27% of families have $500 (£380) or less in emergency savings.

The Pentagon says it has accepted a $130m gift from a wealthy donor to help pay salaries during the shutdown, but that only works out to $100 for each of the 1.3 million active-duty service members expecting to be paid.

The White House plans to pay the troops on 31 October by using money from a military housing fund, a research-and-development account, and a defence procurement fund, according to Axios, a political news outlet.

Earlier this month, the administration made payroll by moving $6.5bn from military research.

More than 160 families told the National Military Family Association, an advocacy group, that they have been underpaid during the shutdown, some by hundreds of dollars and others by thousands.

Heat amid the winter chill

Around six million Americans use a federal assistance initiative called the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (Liheap) for help paying utility bills.

The government usually sends Liheap funds directly to utility companies in mid-November.

The temperature is already dropping in northern areas, where Americans heat their homes with propane, electric and natural gas.

Many states bar natural gas and electric companies from cutting off service to people who do not pay their bills, but those rules do not apply to propane or heating oil.

Experts say thousands could face deadly conditions unless the government reopens or the government finds another resolution, such as a nationwide moratorium on cutting off heat in the shutdown.

Federal civilian workers

Thousands of Americans work for the federal government as civilian employees and many of those folks will miss a paycheque this week.

It has been a slow burn for many, with the side effects of the shutdown getting worse.

Some civilian employees were able to get a week or two of compensation, while others have not seen a dollar since 1 October.

Among those going without pay beginning this week are congressional aides on Capitol Hill.

Food banks and food pantries across the US have already said they have seen an increase in the number of federal workers asking for help - particularly in Washington, DC.

If the shutdown continues until 1 December, some 4.5 million paycheques will be withheld from federal civilian employees, making for about $21bn in missing wages, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Furloughed employees are typically paid after shutdowns end, although Trump has threatened to withhold pay and is currently trying to fire thousands of workers, which is being challenged in court.

Air traffic controllers

Thousands of air traffic controllers missed their first paycheques this week.

Because they are considered essential workers, they must continue to do their jobs without pay during the shutdown. Since 1 October, numerous controllers have called in sick and now many report they are getting second jobs.

In turn, thousands of US flyers have faced widespread delays.

“The problems are mounting daily,” Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said at a press conference this week.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has said many of the flight delays in recent days and weeks have been the result of absence by air traffic controllers.

Duffy has warned controllers could be fired if they fail to show up for work.

Does Trump's nuclear testing raise the stakes - or are we already in an arms race?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czxn00l00r6o, 4 days ago

President Donald Trump has announced the US will start testing nuclear weapons in what could be a radical shift in his nation's policy.

"Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis," Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, as he was about to meet the Chinese president on Thursday.

"That process will begin immediately."

The world's nuclear-armed states - those acknowledged as belonging to the so-called nuclear club and those whose status is more ambiguous - regularly test their nuclear weapons' delivery systems, such as a missile that would carry a nuclear warhead.

Only North Korea has actually tested a nuclear weapon since the 1990s - and it has not done so since 2017.

The White House has not issued any clarifications to the commander-in-chief's announcement. So it remains unclear whether Trump means testing nuclear delivery systems or the destructive weapons themselves. In comments after his post, he said nuclear test sites would be determined later.

Many of the six policy experts who spoke to the BBC said that testing nuclear weapons could raise the stakes in an already dangerous moment where all signs showed the world was heading in the direction of a nuclear arms race - even though it has not yet begun.

One of the six did not agree that Trump's comments would have a major impact - and another did not think the US was provoking a race - but all said the world faced a rising nuclear threat.

"The concern here is that, because nuclear armed states have not conducted these nuclear tests in decades - setting North Korea aside - this could create a domino effect," said Jamie Kwong, fellow in the nuclear policy programme at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

"We're at a very concerning moment where the US, Russia and China are potentially entering this moment that could very well become an arms race."

Darya Dolzikova, Senior Research Fellow for Proliferation and Nuclear Policy at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) - a London-based defence and security think tank - said she did not believe Trump's comments would change the situation massively.

But, she added, "there are other dynamics globally that have raised the risks of nuclear exchange and further proliferation of nuclear weapons to levels higher than they have been in decades".

Trump's message, she said, "is a drop in a much larger bucket, and there are some legitimate concerns of that bucket overfilling".

The experts pointed to escalating conflicts where one or more of the warring parties is a nuclear power - the war in Ukraine, for instance, in which Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened at times that he could use nuclear weapons.

And then there were flare-ups - if not full-fledged conflicts - such as the one between Pakistan and India this year, or Israel - which has a policy of neither confirming nor denying it has nuclear weapons - attacking Iran - a country the West accuses of trying to build nuclear weapons (a charge Tehran denies).

Tensions on the Korean peninsula and China's ambitions in Taiwan add to the overall picture.

The last existing nuclear treaty between the US and Russia that limits their amounts of deployed nuclear arsenals - warheads ready to go - is set to expire in February next year.

In his announcement, Trump said the US had more nuclear weapons than any other country - a statement that does not match figures updated regularly by another think tank that specialises in the field, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri).

According to Sipri, Russia has 5,459 nuclear warheads followed by the US with 5,177, and China coming a distant third with 600.

Other think tanks reported similar numbers.

Russia announced recently it had tested new nuclear weapons delivery systems - including a missile the Kremlin said could penetrate US defences and another that could go underwater to strike the US coast.

The latter claim may have led to Trump's announcement, some of the experts suspected, even though Russia said its tests "were not nuclear".

Meanwhile, the US has been watching China closely - with increasing concern that it will reach near-peer status, too, and posing a "two-peer nuclear risk", experts said.

So a resumption of US nuclear testing could prompt China and Russia to do the same.

A Kremlin spokesman said that "if someone departs from the moratorium, Russia will act accordingly".

In its response, China said it hoped the US would fulfil its obligations under the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty - which both countries have signed but not ratified - and honour its commitment to suspend nuclear testing.

Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Washington-based Arms Control Association, said a US resumption of nuclear weapons testing would be "a mistake of historic international security proportions".

He said the risk of nuclear conflict "has been steadily rising" over several years and, unless the US and Russia "negotiate some form of new constraints on their arsenals, we're likely going to see an unconstained, dangerous, three-way arms race between the US, Russia and then China in the coming years".

Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, said the average person should be "very concerned" because there has been an increase over the past five years in nuclear warheads for the first time since the Cold War.

The last US nuclear weapons test - underground in Nevada - was in 1992.

Kimball said it would take at least 36 months to get the Nevada site ready for use again.

The US currently uses computer simulations and other non-explosive means to test its nuclear weapons, and therefore does not have a practical justification to detonate them, multiple experts said.

Kwong said there were inherent risks even with underground testing, because you must ensure there is not a radioactive leak above ground and it does not affect groundwater.

While blaming Russia and China for ratcheting up the rhetoric, Robert Peters, senior research fellow of strategic deterrence at the conservative Heritage Foundation, said that, while there may not be a scientific or technical reason for testing a warhead, "the primary reason is to send a political message for your opponents".

"It may be necessary for some president, whether it's Donald Trump or whomever, to test nuclear weapons as a demonstration of credibility", he said, arguing it was "not an unreasonable position to hold" to be prepared to test.

While many others the BBC spoke to disagreed, all offered a fairly dire assessment of the current situation.

"My sense is that, if the new nuclear arms race hasn't already begun, then we're currently heading towards the starting line," said Rhys Crilley, who writes on the subject at the University of Glasgow.

"I worry every day about the risks of a nuclear arms race and the increasing risk of nuclear war."

The US tested the first atomic bomb in July 1945 in the desert at Alamogordo, New Mexico.

It later became the only country in the world to use nuclear weapons in warfare after dropping two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of the same year during World War Two.

Trump's Asia tour sees deals, knee-bending and a revealing final meeting

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1j8zn0ex9ro, 4 days ago

In Japan, Trump's Marine One flew past a Tokyo Tower lit red, white and blue – with a top in Trumpian gold.

Newly elected Prime Minister Sanai Takaichi detailed $550bn in Japanese investments in the US and offered the American president a gift of 250 cherry trees for America's 250th birthday, and a golf club and bag that belonged to Shinzo Abe, the assassinated former prime minister who bonded with Trump in his first term.

She also became the latest foreign leader to nominate Trump for his much-desired Nobel Peace Prize.

Not to be outdone, South Korea welcomed Trump with artillery firing a 21-gun salute and a military band that played Hail to the Chief and YMCA – the Village People song that has become a Trump rally anthem.

President Lee Jae Myung held an "honour ceremony" for Trump during which he gave the American leader his nation's highest medal and a replica of an ancient Korean dynastic crown.

Lunch with Lee featured a "Peacemaker's Dessert" of gold-encrusted brownies. Later that day, the Koreans served Trump vineyard wine at an intimate dinner in Trump's honour with six world leaders attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference summit.

In the US, Trump may be the subject of "No Kings" demonstrations by Americans who disapprove of his boundary-testing expansions of presidential power, but during his East Asia swing he was treated like royalty.

And like the kings of old, Trump arrived in Korea seeking tribute – in the form of $200bn in cash payments, $20bn a year, from South Korea to the US, to be invested at the direction of Trump's government. Agreement on the terms of those payments helped ensure that the tariff rate on South Korean exports to the US would drop from 25% to 15%.

The main event of Trump's Asia trip came in its final hours, however, as he met with Xi.

There, the power dynamic between leaders of the world's two largest economies was decidedly different than the interactions Trump had with his foreign counterparts in previous days.

Missing were all the pomp and the pageantry. No military bands, no honour guards, no carefully crafted menus celebrating mutual national affection. Instead, the two leaders and their top aides sat across a long white negotiating table in a nondescript military building just off the runway of Busan's international airport.

It was perhaps a reflection of the high stakes that when Trump shook hands with Xi in Busan, he appeared tense. It was a far cry from his relaxed attitude when he told me the day before that he was optimistic he would have a good meeting.

"I know a little bit about what's going on because we have been talking to them," he said. "I'm not just walking into a meeting cold."

For months, Trump had been threatening higher tariffs on Chinese exports to the US – as a source of revenue for the American treasury as well as to pressure China to open its markets and control the export of chemicals used to make the drug fentanyl.

China, unlike many of America's other trading partners, responded with escalation, not concessions.

If tariffs were a source of economic hardship for China, then Beijing would target America's vulnerabilities. It suspended purchase of US agricultural products and proposed export controls on its large supply of critical minerals - resources that the US, and much of the world, rely on for high-tech manufacturing.

Trump's mood was upbeat after the meeting, which he described as "amazing" and graded a 12 on a scale of 1-10. The president appeared in a good mood even as the plane jostled from rough turbulence as it climbed into the sky.

But it was a battle of wills and economic pain set the two nations on a path that ultimately led to Thursday's meeting and an agreement on both sides to de-escalate.

The US lowered its tariffs, while China eased access to critical minerals, and pledged to resume importing US agricultural products and increase purchases of US oil and gas.

While it may not have been a breakthrough, it was an acknowledgement by both sides that the existing situation was unsustainable.

The international order that will take its place, however, is far from clear. As Xi acknowledged in his opening remarks at the bilateral meeting, China and the US "do not always see eye to eye with each other".

"It is normal for the two leading economies in the world to have frictions now and then," he said.

That may represent an improved outlook after months of tension, but it was also an sign that "frictions" are here to stay.

China has global and regional ambitions and a growing willingness to expand its influence.

Trump, for his part, has attempted to reorder American priorities abroad, using US economic might to pressure allies and adversaries alike. And it is those American allies – nations like Japan and South Korea that have long relied on American political, economic and military support - that are scrambling to adjust to the new reality.

Some of that scrambling comes in the form of a bend-backward willingness to accommodate Trump in forms large and small. Gifts and dinnertime honours are easy, but multibillion dollar payments, increased military spending and permanent tariffs take a toll.

And they could ultimately prompt a reevaluation of relations with America – and, as a result, with China.

Trump may have received a king's welcome in South Korea, but, in what could be viewed as a bit of on-point symbolism, as he departed, it was Xi who was arriving. And the Chinese leader's Korean hosts had promised a diplomatic reception equal to that received by the Americans.

Xi is fully participating in the Apec leaders meetings – proceedings that Trump chose to skip. If there is a vacuum created by America's international manoeuvres, it is a void China appears more than willing to fill.

Trump may be returning to America with everything he wanted from this trip. But, in a twist on the Rolling Stones song that he used to play at his political rallies, it's not yet clear that he got what America needs.

Why the US government has shut down and what happens now

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crrj1znp0pyo, today

The US government shutdown continues, with Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Congress no closer to ending their budget standoff.

It means that many - but not all - US government services are temporarily suspended, and around 1.4 million federal employees are on unpaid leave or working without pay.

Although budget confrontations are common in US politics, this one is especially tense because President Donald Trump began drastically reducing the size of the national government as soon as he returned to office in January, and has threatened to use the current impasse to make further cuts.

Why did the US government shut down and when will it reopen?

Which government services have stopped, and which are carrying on?

Not all aspects of government stop during a shutdown. Services deemed essential continue as normal, but most staff are not paid until the government reopens.

Border protection and law enforcement staff, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, and in-hospital medical care workers are expected to operate as usual.

However many flights have been cancelled or delayed because of a shortage of air traffic controllers, who are also expected to work without pay.

Thousands of government employees deemed non-essential have been furloughed - temporarily put on unpaid leave. That has affected ongoing research projects at agencies like the National Institutes of Health. Contractors who are not directly employed by the government are missing out on work, too.

US troops were on track to miss their paycheck in mid-October until the Trump administration identified funds to pay them. However, House Speaker Mike Johnson warned this was a "temporary fix" and future payments may not be made.

Money for Snap (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), commonly known as "food stamps", has also run out. The 41 million people enrolled in the programme were warned in late October that they would . But on 3 November, the Trump administration said it would partially fund the programme for the month using emergency funds, setting up another potential showdown before 1 December.

Social Security and Medicare cheques are still being distributed, although benefit verification and card issuance work may be interrupted.

Services like federally-funded pre-school and institutions like the Smithsonian museums have been reduced or closed.

How has the White House responded to the shutdown?

In the past, lengthy government shutdowns were seen as politically dangerous to lawmakers and the current occupant of the White House, as they disrupted voters' everyday lives.

However this time, the White House appears more than happy to shutter large parts of the US government for an extended period. Trump has threatened to break with the past practice of returning government operations to normal, bringing spending back to previous levels, and paying workers retroactively for the shutdown.

Since January, his administration has already slashed government spending and sacked many federal workers, testing the boundaries of presidential power. Now he is seeking to permanently fire "non-essential" workers during the shutdown.

"We'll be laying off a lot of people," Trump said on 30 September, the day before the shutdown began.

The administration has also warned that furloughed "non-essential" workers may not receive their unpaid salary after the shutdown finishes.

On 7 October, Trump told reporters that back pay "depends on who we're talking about" and that some workers "don't deserve to be taken care of".

Many lawmakers insist this is wrong, including the top Democrat in the US House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, who said: "The law is clear - every single furloughed federal employee is entitled to back pay, period."

Earlier in October, the administration's attempt to to lay off about 4,000 workers was temporarily blocked by a federal judge, but the White House is appealing against the ruling.

How could the shutdown affect the economy?

What happened during previous US government shutdowns?

Shutdowns over budgets are a unique aspect of US politics.

They have become quite common over the past 50 years - with three taking place during Trump's first presidential term.

The last shutdown, which began in late December 2018, lasted 35 days - the longest in history.

It was brought about by disagreements over funding a wall on the Mexico border.

It finally ended in part because large numbers of air traffic controllers, who had been working for a month without pay, began calling in sick, as has started to happen during the current shutdown.

Do you have questions about the US government shutdown? Or are you a federal worker affected by the current situation? Get in touch via this form or by emailing bbcyourvoice@bbc.co.uk

Guinea's coup leader enters presidential race

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly10e87d08o, today

The military commander who has ruled Guinea since a coup four years ago has entered the presidential race, breaking an earlier promise to hand power to a civilian government.

Col Mamadi Doumbouya submitted his candidacy at the Supreme Court on Monday, flanked by soldiers and wearing black sunglasses. He did not make any public comment.

Two of Guinea's biggest opposition parties - RPG Arc en Ciel and UFDG - have been excluded from December's contest.

This has raised concerns about the election's credibility.

Guineans had reacted with shock last month when it was announced that presidential candidates would need to pay a deposit of 875m Guinean francs ($100,000; £75,000) to contest the election.

While the previous deposit was almost as high - 800m francs - some analysts had hoped it would be reduced to encourage more people to stand in these historic elections.

‎Four years ago, Col Doumbouya had pledged to hand power back to civilians, saying "Neither I nor any member of this transition will be a candidate for anything... As soldiers, we value our word very much." ‎

‎

The election is being held under a new constitution that allowed Col Doumbouya to run for the presidency.

Under his rule, the Guinean authorities have been cracking down on peaceful dissent, including attempts to mobilise people towards a return to democratic rule.

The junta has been criticised for suspending media outlets, restricting internet access and brutally suppressing demonstrations.

Yet Col Doumbouya justified deposing then-83-year-old President Alpha Condé on similar charges - including rampant corruption, disregard for human rights and economic mismanagement.

Prior to seizing power in the 2021 coup, Col Doumbouya was a middle-ranking soldier. His 15-year military career included missions in Afghanistan, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Central African Republic and close protection in Israel, Cyprus, the UK and Guinea.

Aged 40, he is currently the youngest African head of state.

December's election will take place in the absence of several prominent figures - such as ex-President Alpha Condé who was kicked out of power in 2021, and former Prime Ministers Cellou Dalein Diallo and Sidya Touré - all of whom are currently living abroad.

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Trump tells military to prepare for 'action' against Islamist militants in Nigeria

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cev18jy21w7o, yesterday

US President Donald Trump has ordered the military to prepare for action in Nigeria to tackle Islamist militant groups, accusing the government of failing to protect Christians.

Trump did not say which killings he was referring to, but claims of a genocide against Nigeria's Christians have been circulating in recent weeks and months in some right-wing US circles.

Groups monitoring violence say there is no evidence to suggest that Christians are being killed more than Muslims in Nigeria, which is roughly evenly divided between followers of the two religions.

An advisor to Nigeria's president told the BBC that any military action against the jihadist groups should be carried out together.

Daniel Bwala said Nigeria would welcome US help in tackling the Islamist insurgents but noted that it was a "sovereign" country.

He also said the jihadists were not targeting members of a particular religion and that they had killed people from all faiths, or none.

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu has insisted there is religious tolerance in the country and said the security challenges were affecting people "across faiths and regions".

Trump wrote in a social media post on Saturday that he had instructed the US Department of War to prepare for "possible action".

He warned that he might send the military into Nigeria "guns-a-blazing" unless the Nigerian government intervened, and said that all aid to what he called "the now disgraced country" would be cut.

Trump added: "If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!"

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth replied to the post by writing: "Yes sir.

"The Department of War is preparing for action. Either the Nigerian Government protects Christians, or we will kill the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities."

Trump's threat has triggered alarm across Nigeria. Many on social media are urging the government to step up its fight against Islamist groups to avert a situation where foreign troops are sent into the country.

But Mr Bwala, who said he was a Christian pastor, told the BBC's Newshour programme that Trump had a "unique way of communicating" and that Nigeria was not taking his words literally.

"We know the heart and intent of Trump is to help us fight insecurity," he said, adding that he hoped Trump would meet Tinubu in the coming days to discuss the issue.

Trump earlier announced that he had declared Nigeria a "Country of Particular Concern" because of the "existential threat" posed to its Christian population. He said "thousands" had been killed, without providing any evidence.

This is a designation used by the US State Department that provides for sanctions against countries "engaged in severe violations of religious freedom".

Following this announcement, Tinubu said his government was committed to working with the US and the international community to protect communities of all faiths.

"The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality," the Nigerian leader said in a statement.

Jihadist groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province have wrought havoc in north-eastern Nigeria for more than a decade, killing thousands of people - however most of these have been Muslims, according to Acled, a group which analyses political violence around the world.

In central Nigeria, there are also frequent clashes between mostly Muslim herders and farming groups, who are often Christian, over access to water and pasture.

Deadly cycles of tit-for-tat attacks have also seen thousands killed, but atrocities have been committed on both sides and human rights group say there is no evidence that Christians have been disproportionately targeted.

Trump has frequently expressed satisfaction over not having embroiled the US in a war during his tenure, and has cast himself as a peace-making president.

But the Republican leader is facing a growing number of voices domestically, particularly from the political right, who have drawn attention to the situation in Nigeria.

Additional reporting by Chris Ewokor in Abuja

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Netherlands to return stolen ancient sculpture to Egypt

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cnve21y7lreo, yesterday

The Netherlands has said it will return a stolen 3,500-year-old sculpture to Egypt.

It is "highly likely" the stone head, dating from the time of the pharaohs, was plundered during the Arab Spring in either 2011 or 2012, according to the Dutch Information & Heritage Inspectorate.

A decade later, it turned up at an arts and antiques fair in Maastricht and, following an anonymous tip-off, Dutch authorities determined it had been stolen and exported illegally.

Dutch outgoing prime minister Dick Schoof made the pledge to hand it back as he attended the opening of the archaeological Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza this weekend.

The Dutch government said the sculpture of a high-ranking official from the dynasty of Pharaoh Thutmose III is "deeply meaningful to Egypt's identity".

The statue had been offered up for sale at The European Fine Art Foundation fair in 2022. The dealer voluntarily relinquished the sculpture after authorities had been tipped off about its illegal origin.

The government said it expected to hand the stone head over to the Egyptian ambassador to the Netherlands at the end of this year.

"The Netherlands is committed both nationally and internationally to ensuring the return of heritage to its original owners," it said.

The news comes as Egypt celebrated the opening of the enormous Grand Egyptian Museum showcasing its archaeological heritage this weekend.

First proposed in 1992, the construction of the museum itself was interrupted by the Arab Spring.

Costing around $1.2bn (£910m), the facility contains 100,000 artefacts, including the entire contents of the intact tomb of the boy king Tutankhamun and his famous gold mask.

Prominent Egyptologists are hoping the museum will strengthen demands for key antiquities held in other countries to be returned.

These include the Rosetta Stone, the key to deciphering hieroglyphics, which is on display at the British Museum in London.

'I was accused of spying and beaten' - a boy's escape from captured Sudan city

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyk1nq6v4lo, 3 days ago

Twelve-year-old Abdiwahab - not his real name - sobs as he recounts what happened to him as he escaped from the western Sudanese city of el-Fasher.

The young boy left el-Fasher on Sunday as it fell to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the paramilitary group that has been fighting a two-and-a-half-year civil war against the army.

In a video received by the BBC, his face reflects deep sorrow and fatigue, his voice low as he describes being assaulted "many times" by RSF fighters.

Fearing reprisal attacks from RSF fighters, Abdiwahab had joined a wave of people - including some of his family - trying to get out.

The UN estimates that 60,000 have managed to get out of el-Fasher with many narrating horrendous stories of atrocities, including rape.

After three days of walking Abdiwahab reached the relative safety of Tawila - an 80km (50-mile) journey - but he arrived on his own.

''I left the city with my father and siblings but because of the chaos we were separated, I came to Tawila alone," he says on the video.

He was assaulted on the way and accused of being involved in espionage.

"I walked along the road, and on the road, [the RSF] caught me, many times. They beat me and hit me, saying, 'this little boy is a spy'."

This chimes with other accounts of how men and boys are especially at risk as they face arbitrary arrest, violence and summary execution.

Abdiwahab says that RSF fighters had already taken his mother and one of his sisters about a month ago, and he does not know if they are still alive.

Ali, not his real name, who is now a volunteer aid worker after fleeing el-Fasher himself a fortnight ago, was the one who filmed Abdiwahab's account.

He is stationed at the entrance to Tawila where a temporary camp has been established and where new arrivals gather before being relocated to permanent camps inside the town.

In a voice note to the BBC explaining the context, Ali's words were almost drowned out by the noise and chaos at the camp.

"[Abdiwahab] keeps asking me about his parents. I decided to take him home until we found them," Ali says.

He noticed how the boy was traumatised, fearing that any light appearing at night was an RSF vehicle coming to get him.

"He saw a light in the distance and held me tight, screaming. He froze."

Ali says each new arrival to the camp carries a story of survival and despair.

There are many unaccompanied minors, including children who lost their parents on the road, coming in every day.

"Just yesterday, twin children around 10 years old arrived with a woman who said their parents had died on the way," the volunteer aid worker says.

"The situation is terrifying. People continue arriving with many conditions, some with injuries and malnutrition. Those who arrived are begging us to go and save the people on the road, because many are dying trying to come to Tawila," Ali says.

Survivors spoke of "passing dead bodies scattered along the road and hearing the cries of the wounded calling for help".

But even relief work has become deadly.

Ali says the organisations operating in Tawila are afraid to leave the town after five Red Crescent volunteers were killed in another state earlier this week.

"They are waiting for assurances and confirmation that the situation is safe," he says.

Many mothers arriving in Tawila are in desperate need of food, water and medical help, according to the charity Save the Children.

Some women reported being attacked by armed men on motorbikes and robbed as they fled.

"Women who managed to escape with their children as fighting raged made it to Tawila without food or water. They are now entirely dependent on already stretched humanitarian assistance," the aid agency said in a statement.

The UN's refugee agency has said it was struggling to find enough shelter and food for civilians seeking refuge in the town.

But not everyone is making it out of el-Fasher, where there have been reports of mass killings.

This week, RSF leader Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo admitted to "violations" in the city and said they would be investigated. A senior UN official has said that the RSF had given notice that they had arrested some suspects.

Estimates vary as to how many civilians are still strapped in the city.

Save the Children puts it at more than 260,000 people, including an estimated 130,000 children, who have to contend with famine-like conditions, the collapse of health services and no safe route out.

More BBC stories on the conflict:

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Reports of mass killings in Sudan have echoes of its dark past

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20pezegv1zo, 4 days ago

Emerging evidence of systematic killings in the Sudanese city of el-Fasher have prompted human rights and aid activists to describe the civil war between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the military as a "continuation of the Darfur genocide".

The fall of el-Fasher, in the Darfur region, after an 18-month RSF siege brings together the different layers of the country's conflict - with echoes of its dark past and the brutality of its present-day war.

The RSF emerged from the Janjaweed, Arab militias who massacred hundreds of thousands of Darfuris from non-Arab populations, in the early 2000s.

The paramilitary force has been accused of ethnic killings since its power struggle with the army erupted into violence in April 2023. The RSF leadership has consistently denied the accusations - although on Wednesday its leader Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo admitted to "violations" in el-Fasher.

The current charges are based on apparent evidence of atrocities provided by the RSF fighters themselves.

They have been sharing gruesome videos reportedly showing summary executions of mostly male civilians and ex-combatants, celebrating over dead bodies, and taunting and abusing people.

Accounts from exhausted survivors also paint a picture of terror and violence.

"The situation in el-Fasher is extremely dire and there are violations taking place on the roads, including looting and shooting, with no distinction made between young or old," one man told the BBC Arabic service. He had escaped to the town of Tawila, a hub for those displaced from el-Fasher.

Another woman, Ikram Abdelhameed, told the Reuters news agency that RSF soldiers separated fleeing civilians at an earthen barrier around the city and shot the men.

And satellite images collected by Yale University's Humanitarian Research Lab show evidence of what seem to be massacre sites - clusters of bodies and reddish patches on the earth that the analysts believe could be blood stains.

El-Fasher "appears to be in a systematic and intentional process of ethnic cleansing of… indigenous non-Arab communities through forced displacement and summary execution", the Yale researchers say in a report.

There is a clear ethnic element to the battle for el-Fasher, because local armed groups from the dominant Zaghawa tribe, known as the Joint Force, have been fighting alongside the army.

The RSF fighters see Zaghawa civilians as legitimate targets.

That is what many survivors of the paramilitary takeover of the Zamzam displaced persons camp next to el-Fasher reported earlier this year, according to an investigation by the medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

The army has also been accused of targeting ethnic groups it sees as support bases for the RSF in areas it has recaptured, including the states of Sennar, Gezira and some parts of North Kordofan.

"Whether you're a civilian, wherever you are, it is not safe right now, even in Khartoum," says Emi Mahmoud, strategic director of the IDP Humanitarian Network which helps co-ordinate aid deliveries in Darfur.

"Because at the flip of a hat, the people in power who have the guns, they can and will continue to falsely imprison, disappear, kill, torture, everyone."

Both sides have been accused of war crimes - ethnically motivated revenge attacks are part of that.

It was Sudan's military government in 2003 that weaponised ethnicity - enlisting the Janjaweed to put down rebellions by black African groups in Darfur who accused Khartoum of politically and economically marginalising them.

The pattern of violence established then has been repeated in Darfur now, says Kate Ferguson, the co-founder of NGO Protection Approaches.

This was most evident in the 2023 massacre of members of the Massalit ethnic group in el-Geneina in West Darfur, which the UN says killed up to 15,000 people.

"For more than two years, the RSF have followed a very clear, practiced and predicted pattern," Ms Ferguson said at a press briefing.

"They first encircle their target town or city, they weaken it by cutting off access to food, to medicine, to power supplies, the internet. Then when it's weakened, they overwhelm the population with systematic arson, sexual violence, massacre and the destruction of vital infrastructure. This is a deliberate strategy to destroy and displace, and that's why I feel the appropriate word is genocide."

The RSF has denied involvement in what it has called "tribal conflicts", but Gen Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti, appeared to be hearing expressions of mounting international outrage, including from the UN, the African Union, the European Union and the UK.

He released a video saying he was sorry for the disaster that had befallen the people of el-Fasher in a war that had been "forced upon us" and admitted there had been violations by his forces, promising they would be investigated by a committee that has now arrived in the city.

Any "soldier or any officer who committed a crime or crossed the lines against any person… will be immediately arrested and the result [of the investigation] to be announced immediately and in public in front of everyone," the general pledged.

Shortly afterward the RSF released footage that it says shows the arrest of a fighter accused of carrying out executions in el-Fasher.

However, observers say similar promises of accountability made in the past - in response to accusations of a massacre in the Darfui city of el-Geneina in 2023, and alleged atrocities during the group's control of the central state of Gezira - were not fulfilled.

It is also not clear how much control the RSF leadership has over its foot soldiers - a loose mix of hired militias, allied Arab groups, and regional mercenaries, many from Chad and South Sudan.

"The reality is that the way that the RSF is, it's very, very hard to believe that a command is going to be given by Hemedti, and then people on the ground are going to follow it," says aid co-ordinator Ms Mahmoud. "By that time, we'll have lost many, many people."

Aid groups and activists warn that if the pattern of the past two years is allowed to continue, it could happen again. They stress that the el-Fasher killings were entirely predictable, but the international community failed to act to protect civilians despite ample warning.

"The reality is that we laid these options out multiple times over six meetings with UN Security Council elements, with the US government, with the British government, with the French government, basically saying they had to be ready for a protection kinetic option [direct military action] in the summer of last year," says Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab.

"This cannot be something settled by a press conference. It has to be something settled by immediate action."

In particular, activists are urging pressure on the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is widely accused of providing military support to the RSF. The UAE denies this despite evidence presented in UN reports and international media investigations.

"This is exactly like the siege of Sarajevo," says Ms Mahmoud, referring to the Srebrenica massacre during the Bosnia war, which galvanised international action. "This is the Srebrenica moment."

More BBC stories on Sudan:

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

'We saw people murdered in front of us' - Sudan siege survivors speak to the BBC

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgr4qqgdlkjo, 4 days ago

Shaken, scratched and left with just the clothes he is wearing, Ezzeldin Hassan Musa describes the brutality of Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the wake of the paramilitary group taking control of el-Fasher city in the Darfur region.

He says its fighters tortured and murdered men trying to flee.

Now in the town of Tawila, lying exhausted on a mat under a gazebo, Ezzeldin is one of several thousand people who have made it to relative safety after escaping what the UN has described as "horrific" violence.

On Wednesday, RSF leader Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo admitted to "violations" in el-Fasher and said they would be investigated. A day later a senior UN official said the RSF had given notice that they had arrested some suspects.

About an 80km (50-mile) journey from el-Fasher, Tawila is one of several places where those lucky enough to escape the RSF fighters are fleeing to.

"We left el-Fasher four days ago. The suffering we encountered on the way was unimaginable," Ezzeldin says.

"We were divided into groups and beaten. The scenes were extremely brutal. We saw people murdered in front of us. We saw people being beaten. It was really terrible.

"I myself was hit on the head, back, and legs. They beat me with sticks. They wanted to execute us completely. But when the opportunity arose, we ran, while others in front were detained."

Ezzeldin says he joined a group of escapees who took shelter in a building, moving by night and sometimes literally crawling along the ground in an effort to remain hidden.

"Our belongings were stolen," he says. "Phones, clothes - everything. Literally, even my shoes were stolen. Nothing was left.

"We went without food for three days while walking in the streets. By God's mercy, we made it through."

Those in Tawila told the BBC that men making the journey were particularly likely to be subjected to scrutiny by the RSF, with fighters targeting anyone suspected of being a soldier.

Ezzeldin is one of around 5,000 people thought to have arrived in Tawila since the fall of el-Fasher on Sunday.

Many have made the entire journey on foot, travelling for three or four days to flee the violence.

A freelance journalist based in Tawila, working for the BBC, has conducted among the first interviews with some of those who made the journey.

Near to Ezzeldin sits Ahmed Ismail Ibrahim, his body bandaged in several places.

He says his eye was injured in an artillery strike, and he left the city on Sunday after receiving treatment in hospital.

He and six other men were stopped by RSF fighters.

"Four of them - they killed them in front of us. Beat them and killed them," he says, adding that he was shot three times.

Ahmed describes how the fighters demanded to see the phones of the three who were left alive and went through them, searching their messages.

One fighter, he says, finally told them: "OK, get up and go." They fled into the scrub.

"My brothers," he adds, "they didn't leave me behind.

"We walked for about 10 minutes, then rested for 10 minutes, and we continued until we found peace now."

In the next tent in the clinic run by medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Yusra Ibrahim Mohamed describes making the decision to flee the city after her husband, a soldier with the Sudanese army, was killed.

"My husband was in the artillery," she says. "He was returning home and was killed during the attacks.

"We stayed patient. Then the clashes and attacks continued. We managed to escape.

"We left three days ago," she says, "moving in different directions from the artillery areas. The people guiding us didn't know what was happening.

"If someone resisted, they were beaten or robbed. They would take everything you had. People could even be executed. I saw dead bodies in the streets."

Alfadil Dukhan works in the MSF clinic.

He and his colleagues have been providing emergency care to those who arrive - among them, he says, are 500 in need of urgent medical treatment.

"Most of the new arrivals are elders and women or children," the medic says.

"The wounded are suffering, and some of them they already have amputations.

"So they are really suffering a lot. And we are trying to just give them some support and some medical care."

Those arriving this week in Tawila join hundreds of thousands there who fled previous rounds of violence in el-Fasher.

Before its seizure by the RSF on Sunday, the city had been besieged for 18 months.

Those trapped inside were bombarded by a barrage of deadly artillery and air strikes as the army and the paramilitaries battled for el-Fasher.

And they were plunged into a severe hunger crisis by an RSF blockade of supplies and aid.

Hundreds of thousands were displaced in April when the RSF seized control of the Zamzam camp close to the city, at the time one of the main sites housing people forced to flee fighting elsewhere.

Some experts have expressed concern at the relatively low numbers arriving at places like Tawila now.

"This is actually a point of worry for us," says Caroline Bouvoir, who works with refugees in neighbouring Chad for the aid agency Solidarités International

"In the past few days we have about 5,000 people who have arrived, which considering we believe there were about a quarter of a million people still in the city, that is obviously not that many," she says.

"We see the conditions that those who have arrived are in. They are highly malnourished, highly dehydrated, or sick or injured, and they are clearly traumatised with what they have seen either in the city or on the road.

"We believe that many people are stuck currently in different locations between Tawila and el-Fasher, and unable to move forward - either because of their physical condition or because of the insecurity on the road, where militias are unfortunately attacking people who are trying to find safe haven."

For Ezzeldin the relief of having reached safety is tempered by the fears for those still behind him on the journey.

"My message is that public roads should be secured for citizens," he pleads, "or humanitarian aid sent to the streets.

"People are in a critical state - they can't move, speak, or seek help.

"Aid should reach them, because many are missing and suffering."

More BBC stories on the conflict:

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

New videos show executions after RSF militia takes key Sudan city

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd9kjw515pyo, 6 days ago

Warning: This story contains graphic descriptions of executions.

Fighters from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have executed a number of unarmed people after capturing the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, new videos analysed by BBC Verify show.

The RSF, which has engaged in a brutal war with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) for more than two years, seized a key military base in the city over the weekend after an extended siege.

Several videos have since emerged showing men wearing military fatigues and some with what appear to be RSF patches carrying out extreme acts of violence around el-Fasher. The UN's Sudan coordinator said it had received "credible reports of summary executions" in the city during an interview with the BBC on Wednesday.

BBC Verify has approached the RSF for comment. Imran Abdullah, an adviser to the paramilitary, denied the group's fighters were targeting civilians in an interview with the BBC on Monday.

Sudan has been ravaged by war since the conflict broke out in 2023, prompted by the collapse of the SAF and the RSF's fragile ruling coalition. More than 150,000 people have died across the country and about 12 million have fled their homes since then.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Denise Brown - the UN's Sudan coordinator - said she had received reports of executions against "unarmed men in particular" since the RSF entered el-Fasher. Killings of unarmed civilians or surrendering combatants is a war crime under the Geneva Convention.

Most of the clips reviewed by BBC Verify are in dusty and sandy rural locations, making it hard to say where exactly they took place. However, we did geolocate one video showing the summary shooting of an unarmed man at a university building in el-Fasher.

The clip showed the unarmed man sitting amid dozens of dead bodies in a hallway. As the video progressed, he was seen turning towards the camera which followed an armed man who was descending the stairs. The fighter then raised his rifle and fired a single shot knocking the unarmed man to the ground, where he lay motionless.

A number of similarly distressing clips are circulating online, but are difficult to geolocate as they are recorded outside the city itself where there are very few visible landmarks. But BBC Verify has managed to place one of the fighters who appeared in multiple execution videos in the area around el-Fasher in recent days.

The fighter, who goes by the name of Abu Lulu, has long had his activities with the RSF documented on a social media profile viewed by BBC Verify.

A video which first appeared online over the weekend showed him amidst dead bodies in an area north-west of the city. Working with the Centre for Information Resilience (CIR), BBC Verify has been able to confirm the location of this footage, but it's difficult to say whether the dead in the clip are civilians or SAF troops killed in fighting due to the quality of the video.

But Abu Lulu has also appeared in at least two videos which show him participating in the execution of unarmed men who are kneeling and under armed guard. Reverse image searches show all the videos have appeared online since the weekend.

In one video he was seen addressing an injured man lying on the ground, berating him for not sharing information before threatening to rape him. The RSF fighter then shot the captive several times using an automatic rifle.

A separate video shows Abu Lulu standing alongside several RSF troops carrying AK-style assault rifles and guarding a group of at least nine unarmed captives. After addressing the men, Abu Lulu aimed his rifle at the group and opened fire. In the aftermath the other armed men raised their arms and cheered.

In another clip the fighter was seen standing alongside several other armed men with dozens of dead bodies visible in the background. Some of the fighters were wearing RSF style uniforms, one of which has a circular patch with a black line running around the circumference - consistent with the paramilitary's insignia.

In August the RSF said it would investigate Abu Lulu after he was accused of executing a captive. A statement said "if it is proven that the perpetrator is indeed a member of our ranks, he will be held accountable without delay".

The videos come after US-based researchers said that satellite images taken of el-Fasher since the city fell appear to show the aftermath of mass killings carried out in the streets of the city itself.

Analysts with the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab highlighted large "clusters" visible in the images, which they said were "consistent with the size range of adult human bodies and are not present in previous imagery".

In the report issued on Monday, Yale said that its analysts' observations were "consistent with reports of executions" shared online and by the UN and human rights groups in recent days and also highlighted "discoloration" which the analysts said may be human blood.

A simple guide to what is happening in Sudan

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjel2nn22z9o, 6 days ago

Sudan plunged into a civil war in April 2023 after a vicious struggle for power broke out between its army and a powerful paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

It has led to a famine and claims of a genocide in the western Darfur region - with fears for the residents of city of el-Fasher after it was recently captured by the RSF.

More than 150,000 people have died in the conflict across the country, and about 12 million have fled their homes in what the United Nations has called the world's largest humanitarian crisis.

Here is what you need to know.

Why is there a civil war?

* Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the armed forces and in effect the country's president

* And his deputy, RSF leader Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as "Hemedti".

Who are the RSF fighters?

The RSF was formed in 2013 and has its origins in the notorious Janjaweed militia that brutally fought rebels in Darfur, where they were accused of genocide and ethnic cleansing against the region's non-Arab population.

Since then, Gen Dagalo has built a powerful force that has intervened in conflicts in Yemen and Libya.

He also controls some of Sudan's gold mines, and allegedly smuggles the metal to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The army accuses the UAE of backing the RSF, and carrying out drone strikes in Sudan. The oil-rich Gulf state denies the allegation.

The army also accuses eastern Libyan strongman Gen Khalifa Haftar of supporting the RSF by helping it to smuggle weapons into Sudan, and sending fighters to bolster the RSF.

In early June 2025, the RSF achieved a major victory when it took control of territory along Sudan's border with Libya and Egypt.

This was followed by the capture of el-Fasher in late October, meaning it controls almost all of Darfur and much of neighbouring Kordofan.

With the RSF's recent formation of a rival government, it is likely Sudan will split for a second time - South Sudan seceded in 2011, taking with it most of the country's oil fields.

What does the army control?

The military controls most of the north and the east. Its main backer is said to be Egypt, whose fortunes are intertwined with those of Sudan because they share a border and the waters of the River Nile.

Gen Burhan has turned Port Sudan - which is on the Red Sea - into his headquarters, and that of his UN-recognised government.

However, the city is not safe - the RSF launched a devastating drone strike there in March.

This was retaliation after the RSF suffered one of its biggest setbacks, when it lost control of Khartoum - including the Republican Palace - to the army in March.

"Khartoum is free, it's done," Gen Burhan declared, as he triumphantly returned to the city, though not permanently.

The city was a burnt-out shell by the time the RSF left, with government ministries, banks and towering office blocks stand blackened and burned. Hospitals and clinics were destroyed, hit by air strikes and artillery fire, sometimes with patients still inside.

The international airport - which was a graveyard of smashed planes - re-opened in mid-October to domestic flights, though its official opening was delayed by a day because a RSF drone hit an area nearby.

The army has also managed to win back near total control of the crucial state of Gezira. Losing it to the RSF in late 2023 had been a huge blow, forcing hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee its main city of Wad Madani, which had become a refuge for those who had escaped conflict in other parts of the country.

But el-Fasher, which was the last major urban centre in Darfur held by the army and its allies, fell to the RSF at the end of October.

Over 18 months, the RSF laid siege to the city, causing hundreds of casualties, overwhelming hospitals and blocking food supplies.

It recently stepped up it efforts by building an earthen wall around the city to trap residents and stop food from reaching people - and destroyed the nearby Zamzam displacement camp which had already been hit by famine.

Is there a genocide?

What attempts to end the conflict have been made?

There have been several rounds of peace talks in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain - but they have failed.

BBC deputy Africa editor Anne Soy says that both sides, especially the army, have shown an unwillingness to agree to a ceasefire.

UN health chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has also lamented that there is less global interest in the conflict in Sudan, and other recent conflicts in Africa, compared to crises elsewhere in the world.

"I think race is in the play here," he told the BBC in September 2024.

The International Crisis Group (ICG) think-tank has called diplomatic efforts to end the war "lacklustre", while Amnesty International has labelled the world's response "woefully inadequate".

Humanitarian work has also been badly affected by the decision of the Trump administration to cut aid.

The WFP says more than 24 million people in the country are facing acute food insecurity.

Aid volunteers told the BBC that more than 1,100 - or almost 80% - of the emergency food kitchens have been forced to shut, fuelling the perception that Sudan's conflict is the "forgotten war" of the world.

Where is Sudan?

Sudan is in north-east Africa and is one of the largest countries on the continent, covering 1.9 million sq km (734,000 sq miles).

It borders seven countries and the Red Sea. The River Nile also flows through it, making it a strategically important for foreign powers.

The population of Sudan is predominantly Muslim and the country's official languages are Arabic and English.

Even before the war started, Sudan was one of the poorest countries in the world - despite the fact that it is a gold-producing nation.

Its 46 million people were living on an average annual income of $750 (£600) a head in 2022.

The conflict has made things much worse. Last year, Sudan's finance minister said state revenues had shrunk by 80%.

More about Sudan's war from the BBC:

People outside the UK can watch the documentary on YouTube.

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Egypt's Grand Museum opens, displaying Tutankhamun tomb in full for first time

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg4q403rpzo, 2 days ago

Near one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - the Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza - Egypt has officially opened what it intends as a cultural highlight of the modern age.

The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), described as the world's largest archaeological museum, is packed with some 100,000 artefacts covering some seven millennia of the country's history from pre-dynastic times to the Greek and Roman eras.

Prominent Egyptologists argue that its establishment strengthens their demand for key Egyptian antiquities held in other countries to be returned – including the famed Rosetta Stone displayed at the British Museum.

A main draw of the GEM will be the entire contents of the intact tomb of the boy king Tutankhamun, displayed together for the first time since it was found by British Egyptologist Howard Carter. They include Tutankhamun's spectacular gold mask, throne and chariots.

"I had to think, how can we show him in a different way, because since the discovery of the tomb in 1922, about 1,800 pieces from a total of over 5,500 that were inside the tomb were on display," says Dr Tarek Tawfik, president of the International Association of Egyptologists and former head of the GEM.

"I had the idea of displaying the complete tomb, which means nothing remains in storage, nothing remains in other museums, and you get to have the complete experience, the way Howard Carter had it over a hundred years ago."

Costing some $1.2bn (£910m; €1.1bn), the vast museum complex is expected to attract up to 8m visitors a year, giving a huge boost to Egyptian tourism which has been hit by regional crises.

"We hope the Grand Egyptian Museum will usher in a new golden age of Egyptology and cultural tourism," says Ahmed Seddik, a guide and aspiring Egyptologist by the pyramids on the Giza Plateau.

Apart from the Tutankhamun exhibit and a new display of the spectacular, 4,500-year-old funerary boat of Khufu - one of the oldest and best-preserved vessels from antiquity - most of the galleries at the site have been opened to the public since last year.

"I've been organising so many tours to the museum even though it was partially open," Ahmed continues. "Now it will be at the pinnacle of its glory. When the Tutankhamun collection opens, then you can imagine the whole world will come back, because this is an iconic Pharoah, the most famous king of all antiquity."

"It's an absolute must-see," says Spanish tourist, Raúl, who is awaiting the full public opening on 4 November.

"We're just waiting to go and check out all of the Egyptian artefacts," says Sam from London, who is on an Egypt tour. "It's a once in a lifetime opportunity."

Another British tourist says she previously saw the Tutankhamun exhibits on display at the neoclassical Egyptian Museum in bustling Tahrir Square.

"The old museum was pretty chaotic, and it was a bit confusing," she comments. "Hopefully the Grand Museum will be a lot easier to take in and I think you will just get more out of it."

The new museum is colossal, spanning 500,000 square metres (5.4m sq ft) – about the size of 70 football pitches. The exterior is covered in hieroglyphs and translucent alabaster cut into triangles with a pyramid shaped entrance.

Among the GEM showstoppers are a 3,200-year-old, 16m-long suspended obelisk of the powerful pharaoh, Ramesses II, and his massive 11m-high statue. The imposing statue was moved from close to the Cairo railway station in 2006, in a complex operation in preparation for the new institution.

A giant staircase is lined with the statues of other ancient kings and queens and on an upper floor a huge window offers a perfectly framed view of the Giza pyramids.

The museum was first proposed in 1992, during the rule of President Hosni Mubarak, and construction began in 2005. It has now taken nearly as long to complete as the Great Pyramid, according to estimates.

The project was hit by financial crises, the 2011 Arab Spring – which deposed Mubarak and led to years of turmoil - the Covid-19 pandemic, and regional wars.

"It was my dream. I'm really happy to see this museum is finally opened!" Dr Zahi Hawass, Egypt's former long-time minister of tourism and antiquities, tells the BBC. The veteran archaeologist says it shows that Egyptians are equals of foreign Egyptologists when it comes to excavations, preservation of monuments and curating museums.

"Now I want two things: number one, museums to stop buying stolen artefacts and number two, I need three objects to come back: the Rosetta Stone from the British Museum, the Zodiac from the Louvre and the Bust of Nefertiti from Berlin."

Dr Hawass has set up online petitions – attracting hundreds of thousands of signatures – calling for all three items to be repatriated.

The Rosetta Stone, found in 1799, provided the key to deciphering hieroglyphics. It was discovered by the French army and was seized by the British as war booty. A French team cut the Dendera Zodiac, an ancient Egyptian celestial map, from the Temple of Hathor in Upper Egypt in 1821. Egypt accuses German archaeologists of smuggling the colourfully painted bust of Nefertiti, wife of Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten, out of the country more than a century ago.

"We need the three objects to come as a good feeling from these three countries, as a gift, as Egypt gave the world many gifts," Dr Hawass says.

Another leading Egyptologist, Dr Monica Hanna, names the same objects, "taken under a colonialist pretext", as ones which must be repatriated. She adds: "The GEM gives this message that Egypt has done its homework very well to officially ask for the objects."

The British Museum told the BBC that it had received "no formal requests for either the return or the loan of the Rosetta Stone from the Egyptian Government".

Egyptian Egyptologists voice their excitement about the new museum becoming a centre for academic research, driving new discoveries.

Already, Egyptian conservators based there have painstakingly restored items belonging to Tutankhamun, including his impressive armour made of textiles and leather. According to Egyptian law, such restorations can only be done by Egyptians.

"Colleagues from around the world have been in awe of the fantastic conservation work that has been done," says Dr Tawfik, adding that the entire project is a source of great national pride. "As well as ancient Egyptian history, we are also showcasing modern Egypt because it's Egypt that built this museum."

A coronation not a contest - Tanzania's first female president faces little opposition

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cev1drlz0x0o, 8 days ago

With no heavyweight opposition candidates cleared to compete in Wednesday's election, many Tanzanians feel the vote is less like a contest and more like a coronation for President Samia Suluhu Hassan, as she faces her first presidential election.

The 65-year-old became the East African nation's first female head of state after the death in 2021 of sitting President John Magufuli. He was admired on the one hand for his no-nonsense drive to stamp out corruption but criticised on the other for his authoritarian clampdown on dissent and controversial attitude towards the Covid pandemic.

President Samia, who had been vice-president, seemed like a breath of fresh air - and with her warmer and friendlier style, she initiated reforms that seemed to represent a radical departure from her predecessor's policies.

Her four Rs policy - "reconciliation, resilience, reform and rebuilding" - reopened Tanzania to foreign investors, restored donor relations and mollified the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank.

"She made a difference, the lost relationship between Tanzania and international organisations such as World Bank was restored," political analyst Mohammed Issa told the BBC.

But over the last two years or so, the political space has drastically shrunk - and the targeting of government critics and opposition voices is said to be more ruthless now than it ever was under Magufuli, with regular abductions and killings now reported.

"Samia came in with a conciliatory tone, but now she has become bold and makes tough decisions that many did not expect from her," said Mr Issa.

"She is now widely blamed for some things like abductions, killings, repression of opposition and other issues on security."

This is reflected in reports by Freedom House, a US-based democracy and human rights advocacy group, which ranked Tanzania as "partly free" in 2020 and "not free" last year.

The government has not commented on the allegations.

Samia's CCM has won every election since the reintroduction of multi-party democracy in 1992, but the campaigns are usually vibrant with robust debate between the rival parties.

While the electoral commission has cleared 17 presidential candidates to stand this time, the main opposition party, Chadema, is barred with its leader, Tundu Lissu, currently on trial for treason.

He had been calling for electoral reforms before his arrest in April - and the party is now urging its supporters to boycott the poll.

His deputy, John Heche, was also arrested last week - and told the BBC just before his detention that President Samia's so-called reforms were hollow: "Yes, rallies were allowed again, but today Chadema can't do its mandate because the promises were fake."

Meanwhile, presidential hopeful Luhana Mpina, from the second largest opposition party, ACT Wazalendo, has also been disqualified - twice.

He had managed to get his candidacy reinstated by the High Court after he was barred over a procedural issue - but when the Attorney General appealed last month, the electoral commission decided to uphold the disqualification.

This leaves smaller opposition parties like Chaumma and CUF in the race, but in reality there is no chance of them stopping Samia winning her first personal mandate.

"The ruling party's control, exclusion of the opposition and institutional bias undermine electoral credibility. Limited civic space and low voter engagement further weaken inclusiveness," said political analyst Nicodemus Minde in a recent report for the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) think-tank.

This has left some would-be voters, like Dar es Salaam resident Godfrey Lusana, despondent.

"We do not have an election without a strong opposition. The electoral system is not independent. We already know who will win. I can't waste time to vote," he told the BBC. "If the electoral commission was really independent, I would have voted."

This is in stark contrast to the buzzing campaign on Tanzania's semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar - from where President Samia originally hails.

The islanders elect their own regional president and incumbent Hussein Mwinyi of the CCM is seeking another term, but faces stiff competition from ACT-Wazalendo's Othman Masoud - who has been serving as his deputy in a unity administration.

On the campaign trail on the mainland, President Samia has capitalised on the initial praise she received for her motherly approach - seeking to govern through dialogue rather than decree.

This earned her the nickname "Mama Samia" - and at her rallies she has been promising to bring widespread development through better infrastructure, health and education.

One senior party member who criticised her automatic candidacy - Humphrey Polepole - has since been abducted in mysterious circumstances.

There is also a suggestion that she has in fact become the pawn of a powerful network of business tycoons and other influential CCM backers, known colloquially as Mtandao, according to Mr Minde in his ISS report.

"Internal [CCM] party democracy has been stifled through an orchestrated move to make President Samia the sole candidate. While this has deepened divisions within the party, a façade of unity is being presented to the public," he said.

It is believed that Magufuli refused to take orders from the Mtandao, preferring to stick to his own anti-corruption agenda.

Mr Minde warns that this has all contributed to a prevailing sense of fear in the East African nation. With the self-censorship of the media and the shrinking of political discourse, public debate has retreated to private conversations and social media.

Analysts warn that such detachment, especially among young people, could hollow out Tanzania's democracy further - and create problems down the road for President Samia should there not be a big turnout and if protests kick off.

For Tito Magoti, a lawyer and young political activist, the demands remain simple.

"We want a free Tanzania where anyone has the freedom to speak," he told the BBC.

"The freedom of movement and the freedom to do anything they wish."

More about Tanzania from the BBC:

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

The 92-year-old president who never loses

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwypqg8vnleo, 7 days ago

To absolutely no-one's surprise, Cameroon's Constitutional Council has proclaimed the re-election of 92-year-old President Paul Biya, the world's oldest head of state, for an eighth successive term.

Amid rumours of a close result and claims of victory by his main challenger, former government minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary, excitement and tension had been building in the run-up to Monday's declaration. Hopes for a shock result were briefly raised.

Consequently, despite it being part of the long-term pattern, the official outcome, victory for Biya with 53.7%, ahead of Tchiroma Bakary on 35.2%, came as a disappointment and an anti-climax for many Cameroonians.

Biya's decision to stand for another seven-year mandate, after 43 years in power, was inevitably contentious. Not only because of his longevity in power, but also because his style of governance has raised questions.

Extended stays abroad, habitually at the Intercontinental Hotel in Geneva or alternative more discreet locations around the Swiss lakeside city, have repeatedly triggered speculation about the extent to which he is actually governing Cameroon - or whether most decisions are in fact taken by the prime minister and ministers or the influential secretary general of the presidency, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh.

Last year, after making a speech at a World War Two commemoration in the south of France in August and attending the China Africa summit in Beijing the next month, the president disappeared from view for almost six weeks without any announcement or explanation, sparking speculation about his health.

Even after senior officials appeared to indicate that he was, once again, in Geneva, reportedly working as usual, there was no real news until the announcement of his impending return home to the capital, Yaoundé, where he was filmed being greeted by supporters.

And this year it was not really a surprise when he squeezed a further pre-election visit to Geneva into his schedule just weeks before polling day.

Biya's inscrutable style of national leadership, rarely calling formal meetings of the full cabinet or publicly addressing complex issues, leaves a cloud of uncertainty over the goals of his administration and the formation of government policy.

At a technical level, capable ministers and officials pursue a wide range of initiatives and programmes. But the political vision and sense of direction has been largely absent.

His regime has shown itself sporadically willing to crack down on protest or detain more vocal critics. But that is not the only or perhaps even the most important factor that has kept him in power.

For it has to be said that Biya has also fulfilled a distinctive political role.

He has acted as a balancing figure in what is a complex country, marked by large social, regional and linguistic differences - between, for example, the equatorial south and the savannah north, or the majority of regions that are French-speaking and the English-speaking North-West and South-West, with their different educational and institutional traditions.

In a state whose early post-independence years were marked by debates over federalism and tensions over the form that national unity should take, he has assembled governments that include representatives of a wide range of backgrounds.

Albeit sometimes under pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and international creditors, his administrations have averted debt disaster and, in recent years, gradually consolidated national finances.

Moreover, the past decade or so has seen Biya appear increasingly almost like a constitutional monarch, a symbolic figure who may decide a few key issues but leaves others to set the course on most policy areas.

And his continuation in this role has been facilitated by the competitive rivalries between senior figures in the ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM). While he is there, the succession does not have to be decided.

However, with no designated or preferred political heir apparent, and with some one-time "next generation" CPDM figures themselves now getting on in years, Biya's perpetuation in office has fuelled a constantly turning rumour mill about the succession.

Increasingly, the name of his son Franck has been cited, even though he shows little interest in politics or government.

Meanwhile, there is no shortage of either development or security challenges for the president despite Cameroon's rich natural resource diversity.

Is it possible that today we are seeing a decisive erosion in popular tolerance of Biya's self-effacing version of semi-authoritarian rule?

Are Cameroonians tiring of a system that offers them multi-party electoral expression but little hope of actually changing their rulers?

Has the bloody crisis in the English-speaking regions exposed the limits of the president's cautious and distant approach?

When protests demanding reform first erupted there in 2016 Biya was slow to respond. By the time he did offer meaningful change and a national dialogue, the momentum of violence had accelerated, eroding the space for real compromise.

Meanwhile, so low-key in style, he has failed to really sell an economic and social development vision for Cameroon or instil a sense of progress towards a goal.

Biya was already testing the limits of popular tolerance with his decision to stand for a seventh successive term in 2018.

But ultimately he managed to face down a strong opposition challenge from Maurice Kamto, leader of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) - and when Kamto disputed the official results awarding him only 14% of the vote, he was detained for more than eight months.

But this time around, Tchiroma Bakary's candidacy shifted the mood and sense of possibility in a way that no previous challenger has managed, at least since 1992, when even official results credited John Fru Ndi, of the Social Democratic Front (SDF), with 36% of the vote, only just behind Biya on 40%.

And this time it is not just that Biya is seven years older and even more hands-off than before.

It is also that, in contrast to Kamto - who struggled to reach far beyond his core electorate - Tchiroma Bakary, a Muslim northerner, has attracted support from a wide cross section of society and of Cameroon's regions, notably including the two anglophone regions.

This one-time political prisoner who later compromised with Biya and accepted a ministerial post, had the guts to go to Bamenda, the largest English-speaking city, and apologise for his role in the government's actions.

And over recent days, as tensions grew in the run-up to the result declaration, Tchiroma Bakary shrewdly stayed in Garoua, his home city in the north, where crowds of young supporters had gathered to shield him from the risk of arrest by the security forces.

Now, after expectations that had built so high, there is intense frustration and anger among opposition supporters at the official result, however expected it may have been.

The security forces were already reported to have shot protesters in Douala, the southern port city that is the hub of the economy. And shooting has now been reported from Garoua too.

For Cameroon, Biya's determination to secure an eighth presidential term has brought high risks and painful costs.

Paul Melly is a consulting fellow with the Africa Programme at Chatham House in London.

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Attacks on people like me happen every time my country has an election

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdx4g2pke12o, 10 days ago

Fresh trauma arrives with every election season in Tanzania for 42-year-old Mariam Staford.

For most, the fiesta-like rallies and songs, along with the campaign messages, signal a chance for people to make their voice heard. But for those with albinism, they bring terror.

Warning: This article contains details of graphic violence that some people may find upsetting

"The first thing that comes to me is fear," Mariam tells the BBC as people prepare to vote for a president and parliament on Wednesday.

"I know that killings of people with albinism happen especially at election time in Tanzania, when witchcraft beliefs intensify. That's why I don't take part in campaigns... I am so afraid."

Albinism, which affects an estimated 30,000 people in Tanzania, is a rare genetic condition that reduces melanin - the pigment that gives colour to skin, eyes and hair.

Superstition has made those with the condition targets. The false belief that body parts of people with albinism bring wealth, luck, or political success have driven attacks and killings across Tanzania.

Activists say such assaults intensify in the run-up to an election as people vie for political influence.

Mariam knows what this danger looks and feels like personally.

In 2008, one of the bloodiest years for people with albinism in Tanzania as preparations for local elections were under way, machete-wielding men stormed into her bedroom in Kagera, a north-western border region.

"They came at a late hour of the night, cut off my right hand [from above the elbow] and took it away, and then they also cut off my left hand.

"The next day I was taken to a dispensary, unconscious, and the doctor who saw me said: 'This person is already dead, take her back home and bury her'."

Against the odds, Mariam survived - but she was five months pregnant and her unborn child did not.

* 79 people have been killed

* 100 people were mutilated but survived

* Three victims were not injured

* Two people were abducted and remain missing

* 27 graves have been desecrated and body parts looted.

Sitting at his home in Mwanza, her brother, Manyashi Emmannuel, now 25, recalls that day. The pain still haunts him.

"I was eight years old, and saw her legs, hands and tongue removed by the attackers. Ever since then, I have been scared. It is most difficult at times when we hear of attacks close to elections."

Despite the awareness campaigns, the attacks are still continuing.

One has been recorded this year, in the north-western town of Simuyu, in June. The victim was unharmed but has now been moved to a safe house.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan recently warned against what she called harmful traditional beliefs, saying they had no place in Tanzania's elections.

Senyi Ngaga, a district commissioner of one of the areas prone to attacks, says government education campaigns have raised understanding, but rural areas remain vulnerable to superstitions as well as discrimination.

She wants more involvement from everyone in the community to stop the attacks.

"We recently held a festival with traditional healers where we sat together and talked," the commissioner tells the BBC.

"As the election approaches, we also advised them to be good ambassadors to tell others to reject such acts and ensure that people with albinism are protected."

While campaign groups and survivors say much more work still needs to be done by the government, some progress has been made.

Awareness drives, civil society programmes, and school inclusion initiatives have helped reduce attacks in some areas.

Communities are slowly beginning to understand that people with albinism are not cursed and that superstitions can have deadly consequences.

But the murder last year of two-year-old Asimwe Novath, abducted from her home in Kagera region, was a reminder that the issue has not gone away.

Witnesses said the toddler was taken by force by two unidentified men while she played with her mother.

Seventeen days later, parts of Asimwe's body were found in a sack, discarded under a bridge in the same region. Her remains were later buried at her family home.

Nine suspects have been charged with premeditated murder in connection with the killing, but the case has not concluded.

For Mariam, the case brought up troubling memories.

"It took me back to my own night of attack back in 2008. I know that pain, and I know her mother will never forget it."

Her experience means that fear is part of her everyday life. She avoids crowds and rarely leaves home unaccompanied.

As Wednesday's vote approaches, Mariam says she will not cast a ballot, sceptical about what difference it will make to her life.

Instead, she will spend the day quietly at home in Kilimanjaro.

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

'It became one of the children' - Kenyan family on adopting orphaned cheetah cub

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gj4x4939qo, 11 days ago

A Kenyan family has told the BBC how a cheetah cub they adopted after finding it lying next to its dead mother became almost like one of their children.

However, their neighbours in the northern Wajir county were not pleased to see a wild animal being raised so close to them.

"Many people immediately told us to get rid of the cub so it wouldn't harm the livestock. We didn't do that because it seemed unreasonable," Bisharo Abdirahman Omar said.

The reaction was unsurprising as the Somali-speaking nomadic community earn their living by raising livestock, which are often threatened by predators such as cheetahs, leopards, lions, and hyenas.

"We knew it wouldn't benefit us in any way, like livestock would," said Rashid Abdi Hussein, a 45-year-old father of 10.

"But I decided that since people are killing these animals, maybe we should raise them instead and be different."

The family cared for the cub for two years and three months, during which it became an inseparable part of the family.

"The animal was troublesome at first, but in the end, it became tame and became one of the children," he said.

The family fed the cub milk through a syringe at first, then meat when it was old enough.

"We have made a big sacrifice - since the day I rescued it, I have slaughtered 15 sheep to feed the cheetah," Mr Hussein told the BBC.

The family have been praised by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) for their generosity in looking after an animal which is often killed or trafficked.

Sharmaarke Mohamed, head of the Northeastern Conservancy Association (NECA), says cheetahs and wildlife across north-eastern Kenya are facing a growing crisis that has gone largely unnoticed.

"Cheetahs are currently facing a very grave threat, along with many other wild animals," he said.

"This young cheetah that was recently found was most likely orphaned, its mother was either killed or poisoned," he said.

According to the Cheetah Conservation Fund, the smuggling of baby cheetahs is widespread in the region, with active trafficking routes running through northern Kenya, eastern Ethiopia and Somalia.

The organisation estimates that between 200 and 300 cheetah cubs are smuggled out of the Horn of Africa each year, many of which are transported to Yemen and then distributed across the Gulf States to be illegally sold as pets.

Ms Omar said the family were approached by people who had wanted to buy the young cheetah but they had refused to sell it.

"While we were taking care of it, there were people who offered us money. Some even said they would pay 20,000 Kenyan shillings ($155; £115)," she told the BBC.

"Others suggested we trade it for goats, but we refused because it had become part of the family."

While KWS praised the family for looking after the cheetah, it pointed out that keeping wild animals as pets was against the law.

"We deeply appreciate the Good Samaritan's compassion and remind all Kenyans that true coexistence means protecting wildlife," the agency said.

The young cheetah is now being taken care of at the Nairobi Safari Walk.

More about Kenya from the BBC:

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Sudan's fertile region where food is rotting amid famine and war

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20enql8027o, 9 days ago

Jebel Marra is the last remaining territory controlled by the Sudan Liberation Army - Abdulwahid (SLA-AW). This armed group has remained neutral in the current war. It has never signed a peace deal with the authorities in Khartoum going back to 2003 and the conflict over Darfur at that time.

SLA-AW has controlled what locals describe as "liberated areas" for more than two decades.

Now, surrounded by war on all sides, the region is increasingly isolated.

To the west and north, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied Arab militias have blocked major roads. To the south, RSF positions are bombed almost every week by the Sudanese army - these attacks are also claiming civilian lives.

The RSF also control areas to the east.

The result is a closed-off environment where farmers and middlemen can no longer reach the national markets in the cities of el-Fasher 130km (82 miles) away, or Tine, on the Chadian border, 275km (170 miles) away.

There are other alternatives but none have the same national reach and all involve treacherous journeys.

Tawila, right on the edge of SLA-AW territory, has become the site of a makeshift market. It is on the road to el-Fasher, which is cut off by an RSF siege, and has become home to tens of thousands who have managed to flee that city.

Because of the difficulty of moving the produce any further, there is an oversupply in the market and as a result prices here have fallen.

There are some here who are looking to buy supplies to try and smuggle produce into el-Fasher - an extremely dangerous and life-threatening trade.

Getting goods this far has always been a challenge and food can sometimes rot on the way.

"To travel about 12km, it takes you a whole day of driving in the mountains and the mud," says Yousif, a fruit vendor in Tawila. But now, he says, the insecurity makes things even worse.

In Central Darfur, a recent truce between leaders from the Fur ethnic group - dominant here - and Arab nomads has allowed limited trade in some areas.

Markets have reopened in the SLA-AW- controlled town of Nertiti, where Arab women sell sour milk and Fur farmers bring fruit and vegetables. But the arrangement is fragile.

"The market only opens once a week. Travel is still dangerous," says a trader from Nertiti.

"Armed robberies still happen on the roads, even after the agreement."

Fruit and crops can now also be sold in the market in RSF-controlled Zalingei, the capital of Central Darfur state. But Arab militias allied to the RSF are frequently accused of harassing or attacking civilians in the area, though the groups deny any wrongdoing.

Each Thursday, which is market day, the number of checkpoints between Nertiti and Zalingei increases, sometimes reaching more than two dozen. But as more vehicles are on the road on market days, more people take the opportunity to travel.

The checkpoints, some manned by RSF fighters and others by Arab militia, are sometimes overseen by just one armed man in plainclothes, who demands a fee. Drivers will then often try to negotiate as passengers watch on silently.

Returning back to the Jebel Marra region, SLA-AW checkpoints guard every road into the mountains, and armed men also demand money.

Bags are searched with contraband, even including skin-bleaching creams, widely used elsewhere in Sudan, are confiscated.

Once inside the SLA-AW controlled area, despite the relative peace, there are clear signs of the conflict elsewhere in the country.

Lorries filled with people fleeing the fighting, particularly around el-Fasher, can be seen on a daily basis.

Many of them find shelter in schools, clinics and other public spaces receiving little to no humanitarian assistance - aid agencies struggle to get through all the checkpoints.

In Golo, the de facto capital of the SLA-AW territory, a woman who had escaped from el-Fasher, described the dire conditions. She is now sheltering in a classroom with 25 other freshly arrived families.

"We have no income. No jobs to do, I used to work as a nurse and I can farm, but the land here belongs to people who work only for themselves. We don't know what to do," the woman said.

As she spoke, sick, elderly people lay on the ground and children were screaming from hunger. At least there will be some relief as the food that could not be taken out of Golo will be available.

This is the Jebel Marra region, a strange world surrounded by war. A world of green mountains and waterfalls. A world of bright, juicy fruit. A world of frightened evacuees.

One fruit trader said he had lost hope in both warring parties.

"We're not part of the war - we just want to sell our oranges."

More about the war in Sudan:

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Finery and frailty: Africa's top shots

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy164j8dyxo, 11 days ago

A selection of the week's best photos from across the African continent and beyond:

From the BBC in Africa this week:

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

An ex-first lady, a tycoon and a 'safe pair of hands' vie for power in Ivory Coast

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2de6wkd4qo, 12 days ago

* Simone Gbagbo, 76, former first lady, once married to ex-President Laurent Gbagbo and regarded as his main adviser

* Jean-Louis Billon, 60, a former minister and one of the country's richest men who made his fortune from palm oil

* Henriette Lagou Adjoua, 66, a former minister and prominent women's rights campaigner

* Ahoua Don Mello, 67, a former minister and ex-ally of ex-President Gbagbo.

Despite the economic progress under Ouattara, his opponents hope to capitalise on complaints from many of the country's poor, who are not feeling the benefits of the rapid growth.

"The economy is growing, but not for us," Billon, the business tycoon and youngest of all the candidates - representing the Democratic Congress (Code) - has said.

Dancing on stage during rallies in front of thousands of supporters in the political capital, Yamoussoukro, he has taken to doing judo moves to show he is "ready for the job and full of energy".

"Young people can't find jobs, and the cost of living is rising," says the politician, who is confident that if he gets into a second-round run-off with the incumbent, then "Ouattara's time will be over".

Billon had been hoping to represent the centre-right Democratic Party (PDCI) of late President Henri Konan Bédié.

But in the end the party went for the now-disqualified Thiam - so without a candidate on the ballot paper, Billon feels sure he will get the backing of PDCI supporters.

‎However, Simone Gbagbo, leader of the leftist Movement of Capable Generations (MGC), has also positioned herself as a voice for the disaffected - and believes those votes will come to her.

Always smiling and wearing traditional smart dresses, her energy sparks and she holds her mic like a pop star. A natural campaigner, she knows how to revitalise her supporters.

The former first lady, once dubbed "the iron lady" because of her reputation for toughness, is part of the CPA-CI, a coalition of opposition groups that came together earlier this year to protest against Ouattara's candidacy.

"President Ouattara has done some good things, but he destroyed education," she told her supporters recently.

With a background in education, academia and trade unions, her campaign has focused on rebuilding schools and offering better opportunities to young people.

‎Despite such criticism, Ouattara's backers remain confident. His rallies seem a little bit less dynamic than in 2010, 2015 and 2020 - but they still attract many people of all ages.

The popular hit Coup du marteau (Hammer Blow) by Ivorian rapper Tam Paiya and featuring Team Paiya has become the unofficial anthem for his RHDP party with former prime ministers, ministers, MPs and other influential backers often seen dancing to it with energy.

"The president is in good shape and ready to serve again," says government spokesman Adama Coulibaly, pointing to major public works and investor confidence as proof of the country's stability.

But despite the change to the constitution in 2016 that allowed Ouattara to run for a third and fourth term, his candidacy this time round has sparked anger and the government has reacted to recent protests with a swift crackdown.

More than 700 demonstrators were arrested earlier this month following an opposition march and 50 sentenced to three years in jail.

‎There is some concern that this could be the prelude to further disorder in the aftermath of the vote.

The memory of past political violence remains vivid - and to avoid any unrest, the security forces have been deployed across major cities.

Nevertheless many residents are taking precautions.

"We're leaving Abidjan a week before the vote," Ahoua Diomande, a mother of two, told the BBC.

"Each election brings fighting and deaths."

‎‎But there are optimists too, like Charm Matuba, an Abidjan resident who originally hails from Congo-Brazzaville and has been closing following the campaign even though she cannot vote.

"I know everything will go well. Ivorians don't want to die again for politicians," she said.

"I just hope people will go to vote. All my friends support Simone. She's a leader, a true source of inspiration. She can create the surprise."

‎‎Regional loyalties are likely to play a large role in this election, as they have done in the past.

Ouattara enjoys strong support in the north, where his base among Dioula-speaking communities remains loyal - and he opted to launch his campaign in the west where he has previously picked up votes.

Simone Gbagbo also draws much of her backing from the west - and from the south-west too, historic strongholds of her ex-husband's former party.

Billon appeals to urban voters and the central regions, promising to modernise the economy and foster generational change.

"He represents the young generation," said Salifou Sanogo, who is 19. "It will be my first time voting and seriously, I know he will win. Ouattara is too old, tired and didn't do anything for us. We need change, we need Billon."

The endorsement of the excluded candidates would be significant but neither Thiam nor former President Gbagbo has backed anyone else.

However, Simone Gbagbo is supported by Charles Blé Goudé, once a close ally of her former husband and who has opted not to put his hat in the ring.

"Bring Simone to the palace," the charismatic politician told thousands of his Young Patriot COJEP party supporters at one recent rally.

Along with the economy, foreign relations have also become a campaign issue.

Ivory Coast has taken a hard line against the military juntas in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, which now form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and have sought closer ties with Russia.

These regimes accuse Ouattara of siding with France, their former colonial power, and pursuing a "secret agenda" on its behalf - which his government denies, maintaining it supports democratic governance in the region.

But the rhetoric has sharpened tensions with its northern neighbours. Some opposition candidates, including Ahoua Don Mello, have suggested that Ivory Coast should be "open to new partnerships" with Russia and China, arguing that the country must diversify its alliances.

His message has resonated in parts of western Ivory Coast, where anti-French sentiment runs deep.

When fake news alleging that Ouattara had died trended on social media last march, the Ivorian authorities believe it started from the AES countries.

‎‎As the noise and excitement of campaigns draw to a close, President Ouattara's supporters insist that continuity is the key to preserving stability and economic progress.

His critics argue that another term could deepen frustration and erode trust in democratic institutions - something that has dangerous echoes of the past.

More BBC stories on Ivory Coast:

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Kenyan landslide kills 21 after heavy rainfall

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20eeqn2qlyo, 2 days ago

The Kenyan government has confirmed that 21 people have died following a landslide in the western part of the country after heavy rainfall.

Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said the bodies had been transferred to a nearby airstrip after the landslide in Marakwet East late on Friday night.

He said on X that more than 30 people were still unaccounted for after being reported missing by their families while 25 people with serious injuries had been airlifted to receive further medical attention.

The Kenyan Red Cross, which is helping to coordinate rescue efforts, said that the most affected areas are still not accessible by road due to mudslides and flash flooding.

The Kenyan government paused the search and rescue operation on Saturday evening but said it would resume on Sunday.

"Preparation to supply more food and non-food relief items to the victims is underway," said Murkomen, adding: "Military and police choppers are on standby to transport the items."

Kenya is in its second rainy season when it usually experiences a few weeks of wet weather compared to a heavier, more prolonged period earlier in the year.

The government has urged people living near seasonal rivers as well as areas that experienced landslides on Friday to move to safer ground.

Meanwhile, flash flooding and landslides in Uganda, near the border with Kenya, have killed a number of people since last Wednesday.

On Saturday, the Uganda Red Cross said another mudslide had occurred in Kapsomo village in the east of the country, destroying a house and killing four people inside.

The Red Cross said floods had severely affected most villages near riverbanks in the Bulambuli District.

It said continuous heavy rainfall had caused the River Astiri and the River Sipi "to overflow, resulting in widespread destruction of homes, crop fields, and community infrastructure".

Tanzania president wins election as hundreds feared dead in unrest

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2ww0e0jewo, 3 days ago

President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been declared the winner of Tanzania's presidential election, securing another term amid days of unrest across the country.

Samia won 98% of the votes in Wednesday's poll, the electoral commission said. In her Saturday victory speech she said the election was "free and democratic", accusing protesters of being "unpatriotic".

Opposition parties rejected the results, calling the vote a mockery of the democratic process as Samia's main challengers had been either imprisoned or barred from running.

International observers have expressed concern over the lack of transparency and widespread turmoil that has reportedly left hundreds of people dead and injured.

The nationwide internet shutdown is making it difficult to verify the death toll.

The government has sought to play down the scale of the violence - and authorities have extended a curfew in a bid to quell the unrest.

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

At least 20 dead after magnitude-6.3 earthquake hits Afghanistan

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8jrw12d3edo, today

At least 20 people have died after an earthquake struck northern Afghanistan, local authorities say, with the toll expected to rise as rescue efforts continue.

Hundreds have also been left injured, local officials told the BBC.

The earthquake struck near Mazar-e-Sharif, one of the country's largest cities that is home to about 500,000 people, at around 01:00 local time on Monday, (20:30 GMT on Sunday).

It had a magnitude of 6.3 and a depth of 28km (17 miles), according to the US Geological Survey, and was marked at the orange alert level, which indicates "significant casualties" are likely.

More than 530 people have been injured, according to the Taliban government health ministry.

Provincial officials earlier told the BBC that casualties were likely to rise as rescue efforts continued.

Haji Zaid, a Taliban spokesman in Balkh province wrote earlier on X that "many people are injured" in the Sholgara district, south of Mazar-e- Sharif.

He said they had received "reports of minor injuries and superficial damages from all districts of the province".

"Most of the injuries were caused by people falling from tall buildings," he wrote.

Many of Mazar-e Sharif's residents rushed to the streets when the quake struck, as they feared their houses would collapse, AFP news agency reported.

The quake led to a power outage across the country including in the capital city Kabul, after electricity lines from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan - major suppliers of power to Afghanistan - were damaged.

The Taliban spokesman in Balkh also posted a video on X appearing to show debris strewn across the ground at the Blue Mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif, revered by Shia Muslims.

The mosque, built in the 15th Century, is believed to house the tomb of the first Shia Imam, the son-in-law and cousin of Prophet Mohamad. It is now a site where pilgrims gather to pray and celebrate religious events.

Khalid Zadran, a Taliban spokesman for the police in Kabul, wrote on X that police are "closely monitoring the situation".

Numerous fatalities were also reported in Samangan, a mountainous province near Mazar-e-Sharif, according to its spokesman.

The quake on Monday comes after a 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck Afghanistan's mountainous eastern region in late August, killing more than 1,100 people.

That earthquake was especially deadly as the rural houses in the region were typically made of mud and timber. Residents were trapped when their houses collapsed during the quake.

Afghanistan is very prone to earthquakes because of its location on top of a number of fault lines where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet.

Poor communication networks and infrastructure - buildings there are not earthquake-resistant, for example - have often hampered rescue efforts following disasters like this.

China intimidated UK university to ditch human rights research, documents show

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq50j5vwny6o, yesterday

China waged a campaign of harassment and intimidation directed at a UK university to get it to shut down sensitive research into alleged human rights abuses, documents seen by the BBC show.

Sheffield Hallam University staff in China were threatened by individuals described by them as being from China's National Security Service who demanded the research being done in Sheffield be halted.

And access to the university's websites from China was blocked, impeding its ability to recruit Chinese students, in a campaign of threats and intimidation lasting more than two years.

In an internal email from July 2024, university officials said "attempting to retain the business in China and publication of the research are now untenable bedfellows".

When the UK government learned of the case, the then Foreign Secretary David Lammy issued a warning to his Chinese counterpart that it would not tolerate attempts to suppress academic freedoms at UK universities, the BBC understands.

The issue was also raised with China's most senior education minister.

China was seeking to halt research by Laura Murphy, professor of human rights and contemporary slavery at Sheffield Hallam, into allegations Uyghur Muslims in the north-western region of Xinjiang were subject to forced labour.

China has faced accusations – always firmly denied – that it has committed crimes against humanity and possibly genocide against the Uyghur population.

In late 2024, following pressure from the Chinese state and a separate defamation law suit against the university, Sheffield Hallam decided not to publish a final piece of research by Prof Murphy and her team into forced labour.

And in early 2025, university administrators told her that she could "not continue with her research into supply chains and forced labour in China".

She initiated legal action against the university for failing in its duty to protect her academic freedom and she submitted a "subject access request" demanding Sheffield Hallam hand over any relevant internal documents.

The documents she obtained showed the university "had negotiated directly with a foreign intelligence service to trade my academic freedom for access to the Chinese student market," she told the BBC.

She added: "I'd never seen anything quite so patently explicit about the extent to which a university would go to ensure that they have Chinese student income."

Sheffield Hallam has now apologised to Prof Murphy and said she can resume her work.

A spokesperson said "the university's decision to not continue with Professor Laura Murphy's research was taken based on our understanding of a complex set of circumstances at the time, including being unable to secure the necessary professional indemnity insurance".

They said the university wished to "make clear our commitment to supporting her research and to securing and promoting freedom of speech and academic freedom within the law".

But the general secretary of the University and College Union, Jo Grady, said "it is incredibly worrying that Sheffield Hallam appears to have attempted to silence its own professor on behalf of a foreign government".

She added: "Given the censorship Hallam has seemingly engaged in, it now needs to set out how it will ensure its academics will be supported to research freely and protected from overreach by foreign powers."

A government spokesperson told the BBC "any attempt by a foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK will not be tolerated, and the government has made this clear to Beijing after learning of this case".

It all began so differently.

When, in 2021, Prof Murphy published a major report into Uhygur forced labour in the solar panel industry, the director of the Helena Kennedy Centre (HKC), the department in which her unit was based, wrote to congratulate her.

"This is an exceptional moment in the history of the HKC... we are all exceptionally proud of this body of work which rightly shines light on the blatant abuse of Uyghur tights (sic) in China.. Well done Laura!"

Over the following months her unit published four reports, including into car parts and cotton for clothing, trying to trace supply chains and highlight where goods reaching western consumers may have been produced with inputs made with forced labour in Xinjiang.

China denies such practices occur.

The Chinese Embassy in London told the BBC "the Helena Kennedy Centre at the Sheffield Hallam University has released multiple fake reports on Xinjiang that are seriously flawed".

"It has been revealed that some authors of these reports received funding from certain US agencies," the Embassy added.

Prof Murphy told the BBC she has received funding over the course of her career from the US National Endowment for Humanities for work on slave narratives, the US Department of Justice for work on human trafficking in New Orleans, and more recently from USAID, the US State Department and the UK Foreign Office for her work on China.

The Chinese Embassy said the allegations of "forced labor" in her reports "cannot withstand basic fact-check".

"While presenting itself as an academic body, the Centre has in practice acted as a vehicle for politicised and disinformation-driven narratives deployed by anti-China forces," the embassy added.

The university realised it was coming in for criticism from China as far back as 2022.

An internal university email from August of that year, seen by the BBC, said China's foreign ministry had issued a statement "denouncing us as being in the 'disreputable vanguard of anti-China rhetoric'".

The email said the university had admitted 500 Chinese students in 2018, but numbers had collapsed in the pandemic and had not bounced back like it had in other markets.

It expressed concern that the Chinese government's criticisms could result in a "boycott" by prospective students and recruitment agents.

In total, the documents show Sheffield had earned £3.8m in 2021/22 from China and Hong Kong.

Later in August 2022 the university's English language testing website used by Chinese students to take tests before coming to Sheffield had been "shut down in China temporarily".

Over the next two years the pressure escalated dramatically leading university officials to write in an email in May 2024 that "the continuation of the university's scholarly activity with and in China and Hong Kong has been placed at risk because of the research activities, led by Professor Laura Murphy, in relation to alleged persecution of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang Province, China".

An internal "risk summary," dated 9 December 2024, detailed what had happened.

In August 2022, China had blocked access to the university's websites. All email communication from and to the university was disabled.

It meant students in China due to study at Sheffield Hallam were unable to access the enrolment website, arrange their welcome or airport pick up in the UK, or course information.

The university said this had "undoubtedly had a negative impact on recruitment" in 23/24, with "anticipated further decline in 24/25".

And, in 2024, the intimidation began.

"Things in Beijing have kicked off," an internal email from 18 April 2024 said.

The risk summary detailed that "three officers of the National Security Service" visited Sheffield Hallam's office in China.

A local staff member was "questioned for two hours regarding the HKC research and future publications.

"The tone was threatening and message to cease the research activity was made clear."

At another visit, security officers said the internet issues were because the Uyghur research was available on the university website.

Finally, in September 2024, the document states "a decision by the university not to publish a final phase of the research on forced labour in China was communicated to the National Security Service .. immediately relations improved and the threat to staff wellbeing appears to be removed".

Sheffield Hallam says these internal communications need to be seen in context and do not represent university policy.

Complicating things for Sheffield Hallam had been a report by its Forced Labour Lab published December 2023 into clothing supply chains connected to Xinjiang.

Smart Shirts Ltd, a Hong Kong supplier of garments with customers in the UK, brought a claim for libel, alleging it had been defamed as its name was included.

A preliminary ruling at the High Court in London in December 2024 found that report had been "defamatory".

A full trial in that case is yet to take place at which Sheffield Hallam will be able to put forward its defence to the company's claim, but the university was told by its insurers that "any defamation, libel or slander" claims linked to its entire Social and Economic Research Institute were no longer covered.

Professor Murphy had, meanwhile, built an international profile.

Her work had been cited in the UK parliament, in Canada and in Australia. She had taken a career break in late 2023 to work for the US Department of Homeland Security, helping it with the implementation of their Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act.

In her absence, and amid the pressure from China and the lawsuit, Sheffield Hallam decided her unit would close in early 2025.

"Despite significant offers of continued funding we have decided it is in our best interests to terminate the research," an email of August 2024 said.

It added that by not publishing the final report under the university's auspices it hoped "we can minimise the possibility of any further scrutiny of our operations .. thereby attending to related duty of care issues".

But failing to publish the report was a breach of the terms agreed with the external groups who had agreed to fund the research.

So the university decided to close the unit and not use any outstanding funds.

Sheffield Hallam said it was normal practice for research groups to stand down at the end of an external contract.

When Prof Murphy returned from her career break in early 2025, the university told her of its "decision not to continue with her research into supply chains and forced labour in China due to .. the corporate insurance position .. and our duty of care to colleagues working in both China and the UK".

Any other work or public engagements outside the university would also have to be checked for "conflict of interest".

Seeking to continue her work, Prof Murphy began her legal action and made a subject access request to the university requiring it to turn over relevant internal documents.

"What about the duty of care to me and the duty of care to the rest of my research team?," Prof Murphy told the BBC.

"They laid off my entire research team. Sent them away. They sent back all of our research funding, and they shuttered the entire programme without regard for the people who worked with us on that project, so many of them Uyghur folks."

She added: "As long as the university system in the UK is so wildly underfunded as it is now, universities will be vulnerable to attacks like this."

After receiving her apology from the university and a pledge to protect her academic freedom, she is not currently pursuing her legal action.

Her case had been built on the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023, which places on universities a duty to promote freedom of speech and academic freedom for their staff.

Her solicitors, Leigh Day, had argued that a lack of insurance and "unspecified" concerns about staff safety do not provide universities carte blanche to restrict freedoms.

The law firm believes refusing to authorise any research on a particular country would be unlawful.

Sheffield Hallam's spokesperson said: "For the avoidance of doubt, the decision was not based on commercial interests in China.

"Regardless, China is not a significant international student market for the university."

The university only enrolled 73 students from China in 2024/25.

The Chinese Embassy said "there are over 200,000 Chinese students in the UK, making China the largest source of international students in the UK," adding "educational cooperation has become a driving force in bilateral ties".

Baroness Helena Kennedy KC, patron of the centre that bears her name, said UK universities were "vulnerable" to pressure from China because "bringing in Chinese students is one of the ways of dealing with the financial crises that universities are facing".

"If we see limitations being made on the kind of research that goes on in these universities, I think we should be alarmed," added the Labour peer, who has herself been sanctioned by China for speaking out about issues related to Xinjiang.

Popular Malaysian rapper charged with drug use

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy9p55137ywo, today

Popular Malaysian rapper Namewee has been charged with illegal drug use and possession, local media reported on Monday, quoting Kuala Lumpur police.

Namewee, who pleaded not guilty to both charges, has been released on bail after being arrested last month, authorities said.

The 42-year-old is known for his satirical songs and music videos about taboo topics in Malaysia, from obscenity to religion to China's censorship.

In an Instagram post on Sunday, Namewee denied using or carrying drugs.

"The truth will be out when the police report is released," he wrote.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus said that Namewee was arrested on 22 October in a hotel room, where they found pills believed to be ecstasy - also known as MDMA.

Namewee later tested positive for illicit substances - including amphetamines, methamphetamine, ketamine, and THC - and was remanded for two days, Fadil said in a statement.

If convicted of drug possession, he could be jailed up to five years and caned.

A police official told local media that Namewee had been in the same hotel at the same time as Iris Hsieh, a Taiwanese influencer who was found dead in her hotel room bathtub.

Namewee wrote on Instagram that he felt "deeply sorry" about Hsieh's death. The ambulance had taken "nearly an hour" to arrive at the scene, he wrote.

He said that he had remained silent as the case was under investigation - though it's unclear if he's referring to his drug charges or Hsieh's death.

He also claimed that he has received "blackmail" in recent days but would "fight to the end".

Namewee has long courted controversy with his music.

In 2016 he was arrested in Malaysia for his music video Oh My God, which was filmed at various places of worship around the country. Critics said the song insulted religious sensitivities.

In 2021, he released the song Fragile, which poked fun at Chinese nationalists and touched on politically sensitive topics like the sovereignty of Taiwan and the persecution of Uyghurs in Xinjiang. The song went viral for Mandarin-speaking audiences but was banned by China.

Cruise cancelled following death of woman left behind on island

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y44ly3vg2o, 3 days ago

A 60-day cruise around Australia has been cancelled days after the death of an elderly female passenger who was left behind by the ship on a remote island.

Suzanne Rees had been hiking on Lizard Island with fellow passengers from the Coral Adventurer, but broke off from the group for a rest. The ship left without her and returned several hours later after the crew realised the woman was missing.

A major search operation found her body the following day.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) is investigating the incident, alongside Queensland Police and the state coroner.

The CEO of the cruise operator Coral Expeditions, Mark Fifield, said on Saturday that passengers and crew on the Coral Adventurer were told on Wednesday that the remainder of the voyage had been cancelled due to the "tragic passing of Suzanne Rees and previous mechanical issues".

He added in a statement that passengers would be issued a full refund, and said Coral Expeditions was working "to co-ordinate the return journeys of the passengers via chartered flights".

Amsa also released an updated statement on Saturday, saying it had "issued a notice to the Master of Coral Adventurer" prohibiting any new passengers from boarding the ship.

The spokesperson said that officials would attend the vessel in Cairns upon its return.

The ship initially left the north-eastern city on 24 October, and was just two days into the voyage at the time of the 80-year-old's death. Lizard Island was the first stop on the journey.

Passengers aboard - who typically pay tens of thousands of dollars to join the cruise - were transported there for a day trip with the option of hiking or snorkelling.

Suzanne Rees' daughter, Katherine Rees, said on Thursday that her family was "shocked and saddened that the Coral Adventurer left Lizard Island after an organised excursion without my mum".

She described her mother as an "active 80-year-old" who was a member of a bushwalking group.

"From the little we have been told, it seems that there was a failure of care and common sense."

Ms Rees added that she hoped the coroner's inquiry would be able to pinpoint what "the company should have done that might have saved mum's life".

"We understand from the police that it was a very hot day, and mum fell ill on the hill climb," she said.

"She was asked to head down, unescorted. Then the ship left, apparently without doing a passenger count.

"At some stage in that sequence, or shortly after, mum died, alone."

Earlier this week, Mr Fifield confirmed that Coral Expeditions was "working closely with Queensland Police and other authorities to support their investigation".

He said that the company was "deeply sorry that this has occurred" and had offered its full support to the Rees family.

The Coral Adventurer caters for up to 120 guests with 46 crew, according to the company's website. It was purpose-built to access remote areas of Australia's coast and is equipped with "tenders" - small boats used to take passengers on day excursions.

Incidents like this are rare, and cruise ships have systems to record which passengers are embarking or disembarking, Harriet Mallinson, cruise editor of travel website Sailawaze, told the BBC.

"Sneaking ashore or [back] on board just isn't an option," she said.

Cruise lines take these procedures very seriously and have "clever tech in place to prevent such incidents from happening", Ms Mallinson added.

"This is most likely a shocking - and tragic - one-off."

300 million tourists just visited China's stunning Xinjiang region. There's a side they didn't see

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8x1rnnd5gjo, 2 days ago

When Anna was planning her first visit to Xinjiang in 2015, her friends were perplexed.

"They couldn't understand why I'd visit a place that back then was considered one of China's most dangerous areas."

One of her friends pulled out of the trip and started "ghosting" her on WeChat, said the 35-year-old Chinese national, who did not want to reveal her real name.

"She said her parents forbade her from going anywhere near Xinjiang and did not want to engage further."

Anna went anyway, and returned this June. But it had changed, she says.

"Xinjiang was as beautiful as I remember it, but there are far too many tourists now, especially at the major attractions."

For years, Xinjiang had bristled under Beijing's rule, sometimes erupting into violence, which kept many domestic Chinese tourists away. Then it became infamous for some of the worst allegations of Chinese authoritarianism, from the detention of more than a million Uyghur Muslims in so-called "re-education camps", to claims of crimes against humanity, by the United Nations.

China denies the allegations, but the region is largely cut off to international media and observers, while Uyghurs in exile continue to recount stories of terrified or disappeared relatives.

And yet in recent years Xinjiang has emerged as a tourist destination – within China and, increasingly, outside of the country. Beijing has pumped in billions of dollars to develop infrastructure, help produce TV dramas set in its unusual landscapes, and has occasionally welcomed foreign media on carefully orchestrated tours.

It has been repackaging the controversial region into a tourist haven, touting not just its beauty but also the very local "ethnic" experiences that rights groups say it is trying to erase.

Stretched across China's north-west, Xinjiang borders eight countries. Located along the Silk Road, which fuelled trade between the East and West for centuries, some of its towns are packed with history. It is also home to remote, rugged mountains, majestic canyons, lush grasslands and pristine lakes.

"The views exceeded my expectations by miles," says Singaporean Sun Shengyao, who visited in May 2024 and describes it as "New Zealand, Switzerland and Mongolia all packed into one place".

Unlike most of China which has a Han majority, Xinjiang mostly has Turkic-speaking Muslims, with the Uyghurs being the largest ethnic group. Tensions escalated throughout the 1990s and 2000s as Uyghur allegations of marginalisation by Han Chinese spurred separatist sentiments and deadly attacks, which intensified Beijing's crackdown.

But it is under Xi Jinping that the Chinese Communist Party has begun tightening control like never before, sparking allegations of the forcible assimilation of Uyghurs into Han Chinese culture. On a visit in September, he hailed the region's "earth-shattering" development and called for the "Sinicisation of religion" – the transformation of beliefs to reflect Chinese culture and society.

Meanwhile investment has been pouring into the region. Some 200 international hotels, including prominent names like Hilton and Marriott, are either already operating or planning to open in Xinjiang.

In 2024, the region welcomed some 300 million visitors, more than double the number in 2018, according to Chinese authorities. Tourism revenue from Xinjiang grew about 40% over this period to reach 360 billion yuan ($51bn; £39bn). In the first half of this year, some 130 million tourists visited the region, contributing about 143bn yuan in revenue.

While foreign tourism has been growing, the vast majority are domestic visitors.

Beijing now has an ambitious target: more than 400 million visitors a year, and tourism revenue of 1 trillion yuan by 2030.

Some people are still scared to go. Mr Sun says it took him a while to gather friends for a trip in May 2024 as many of them saw Xinjiang as unsafe. The 23-year-old himself had a bout of the jitters, but as the trip continued, they vanished.

They started off in the bustling streets of the regional capital, Urumqi. They then spent eight days on the road with a Chinese driver, travelling through mountains and lush steppes, which left Mr Sun in awe.

It is common for drivers and tour guides in Xinjiang to be Han Chinese, who now make up about 40% of the region's population. Mr Sun's group did not interact extensively with local Uyghurs, but the few they managed to strike up conversations with were "very welcoming", he says.

Since he has returned, Mr Sun has become somewhat of an advocate for Xinjiang, which he says has been "misunderstood" as dangerous and tense. "If I can inspire just one person to learn more about [Xinjiang], I would have helped reduce the stigma by a little."

To him, the stunning sights he enjoyed as a tourist seem far removed from the disturbing allegations that put Xinjiang in global headlines. All he saw was evidence that Xinjiang remains highly surveilled, with police checkpoints and security cameras a common sight, and foreigners required to stay in designated hotels.

But Mr Sun was unfazed by that: "There is heavy police presence, but that's not to say that this is a big problem."

Not every tourist is convinced that what they are seeing is the "real" Xinjiang.

Singaporean Thenmoli Silvadorie, who visited with friends in May for 10 days, says: "I was very curious about Uyghur culture and wanted to see how different things may be there. But we were quite disappointed."

She and her friends were wearing hijabs and, she says, Uyghur food vendors had approached them saying they were "envious we could freely wear our hijabs... but we didn't get to have very deep conversations". They also weren't allowed to visit most local mosques, she adds.

Still, the allure for foreign visitors is strong. China itself is a hugely popular destination, and Xinjiang has emerged as an "untouched", less commercialised option.

A growing number of foreigners are "approaching Xinjiang with open minds and a genuine desire to see and assess the truth for themselves", China's state-run newspaper Global Times wrote in May.

The party has also been quick to promote content on Xinjiang by foreign influencers that aligns with the state's narrative. Among them is German vlogger Ken Abroad, who in one of his videos said he'd seen "more mosques [in Xinjiang] than in the US or any countries in Europe".

But others take a different view. Writer Josh Summers, who lived in Xinjiang in the 2010s, tells the BBC the city of Kashgar's Old Town was "completely torn down, reimagined and rebuilt in a way that doesn't reflect Uyghur culture in any way".

According to a Human Rights Watch report from 2024, hundreds of villages in Xinjiang had their names - which were related to the religion, history or culture of Uyghurs - replaced between 2009 and 2023. The group has also accused authorities of closing, destroying and repurposing mosques in Xinjiang and across China to curb the practice of Islam.

Grave rights violations have also been documented by other international organisations, including the UN. The BBC's reporting from 2021 and 2022 found evidence supporting the existence of detention camps, and allegations of sexual abuse and forced sterilisation.

Beijing, however, denies all of this. Within the country, the party has been remaking the image of what was once seen as a troubled region to woo more domestic tourists. And it appears to be working.

When Anna went for the second time, it was with her mother, who was eager to visit after watching a drama series set in the mountainous Altay prefecture in the north. The series, To the Wonder, was funded by the government and promoted on state media.

Altay has plenty of fans on the Chinese internet. "Who would have known that I'd wander into God's secret garden in Altay? At Kanas Lake, I finally understood what it means to be in paradise. This is a place where the romance of mountains, rivers, lakes and the seas are woven together in a single frame," reads one comment on RedNote.

Another says: "At dawn, I watch from the guesthouse as the cattle graze the fields. Golden birch forests glow in the sunlight, and even the air seems wrapped in sweetness – such undisturbed beauty is the Altay I've always longed for."

Travel agencies describe the region as "exotic" and "mysterious". It offers a "magical fusion of nature and culture you won't experience anywhere else in China", says one such agency, The Wandering Lens. The prices for these tours vary. A 10-day trip could set you back between US$1,500 and US$2,500 (£1,100-1,900), excluding flights.

A typical itinerary for the north would include the Kanas National Park, with outings to alpine lakes and the popular five-coloured beach, and a visit to a Uyghur village where you can ride on carriages and spend time with a Uyghur family.

Things get more adventurous in the south, where trips often include drives through the desert, various lake excursions, and a visit to Kashgar, a 2,000-year-old Silk Road city.

Visitors share their itineraries online, complete with coloured-coded route maps and snaps of Uyghur delicacies, like the spicy stew, "big plate chicken", grilled lamb skewers, and fermented mare's milk. Some even mention "hours-long performances that recreate the splendour of the Silk Road".

If you search for Xinjiang on social media platforms RedNote and Weibo, as you'd expect, you get posts raving about its beauty and iconic architecture. There is no mention of the allegations that clash with this idyllic appeal.

At this time of the year, Chinese social media is awash with photographs of Xinjiang's poplar forests bathed in autumn's amber glow.

The Communist Party is "selling its own version of Uyghur culture by presenting Uyghur people as tourist attractions", says Uyghur-American Irade Kashgary who left the region in 1998.

"They are telling the world we're no more than dancing, colourful folk who look good on social media."

Watching her hometown grow in popularity from across the Pacific, Ms Kashgary, the Uyghur activist, urges tourists to "recognise the serious issues" in Xinjiang.

"It's not my place to tell people not to visit, but they need to realise that what they experience there is a whitewashed version of [Xinjiang]," she says.

"Meanwhile, people like me will never be able to go back because of our activism. It is far too dangerous... and yet, why can't I? This is my homeland."

Devastation on repeat: How climate change is worsening Pakistan's deadly floods

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgmx2e3nnw0o, 2 days ago

Rescuers and relatives searched knee-deep in water for the body of one-year-old Zara. She'd been swept away by flash floods; the bodies of her parents and three siblings had already been found days earlier.

"We suddenly saw a lot of water. I climbed up to the roof and urged them to join me," Arshad, Zara's grandfather, said, showing the BBC the dirt road where they were taken from him in the village of Sambrial in northern Punjab in August.

His family tried to join him, but too late. The powerful current washed away all six of them.

Every year, monsoon season brings deadly floods in Pakistan.

This year it began in late June, and within three months, floods had killed more than 1,000 people. At least 6.9  million were affected, according to the United Nations agency for humanitarian affairs, OCHA.

The South Asian nation is struggling with the devastating consequences of climate change, despite emitting just 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

To witness its effects, the BBC travelled from the mountains of the north to the plains of the south for three months. In every province, climate change was having a different impact.

There was one element in common, though. The poorest suffer most.

We met people who'd lost their homes, livelihoods and loved ones – and they were resigned to going through it all again in the next monsoon.

Lakebursts and flash floods

Monsoon floods started in the north, with global warming playing out in its most familiar form in Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan.

Amid the high peaks of the Himalayas, Karakoram and Hindu Kush, there are more than 7,000 glaciers. But due to rising temperatures, they are melting.

The result can be catastrophic: meltwater turns into glacial lakes which can suddenly burst. Thousands of villages are at risk.

This summer hundreds of homes were destroyed and roads damaged by landslides and flash floods.

These "glacial lake outbursts" are hard to warn against. The area is remote and mobile service poor. Pakistan and the World Bank are trying to improve an early warning system, which often doesn't work because of the mountainous terrain.

Community is a powerful asset. When shepherd Wasit Khan woke up to rushing waters, with trailing chunks of ice and debris, he ran to an area with a better signal. He began warning as many villagers as he could.

"I told everyone to leave their belongings, leave the house, take their wives, children and elderly people and get away," he told BBC Urdu's Muhammad Zubair.

Thanks to him, dozens were saved.

The danger took a different form in the north-western province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In Gadoon, the BBC found hundreds of villagers digging through piles of rocks with their bare hands.

A cloudburst had caused a flash flood early in the morning, a local official said. That happens when a sudden updraft in humid, moist air leads to a heavy and localised burst of rain. The current washed away several homes and triggered a landslide.

Men from neighbouring villages rushed over to help, which was invaluable – but not enough. The excavators the villagers desperately needed were trapped in flooded roads, some blocked by massive rocks.

"Nothing will happen until the machines arrive," one man told the BBC.

Then a silence suddenly blanketed the area. Dozens of men stood still in one corner. The bodies of two children, soaked in dark mud, were pulled from under the rubble, and carried away.

Scenes like this played out across the province, with rescuers delayed due to uprooted trees and major infrastructure being destroyed. A helicopter carrying aid crashed in the bad weather, claiming the lives of all crew on board.

Building on Pakistan's floodplains

In villages and cities, millions have settled around rivers and streams, areas prone to flooding. Pakistan's River Protection Act - which prohibits building within 200 ft (61m) of a river or its tributaries - was meant to solve that issue. But for many it's simply too costly to settle elsewhere.

Illegal construction makes matters worse.

Climate scientist Fahad Saeed blames this on local corruption and believes officials are failing to enforce the law. He spoke to the BBC in Islamabad, next to a half-built, four-storey concrete building as big as a car park - and right by a stream that he saw flood this summer, killing a child.

"Just a few kilometres from parliament and still such things happen in Pakistan," he says, visibly frustrated. "It's because of misgovernance, the role of the government is to be a watchdog."

Former climate minister Senator Sherry Rehman, who chairs the climate committee in Pakistan's Senate, calls it "graft", or simply "looking the other way" when permissions are given for construction in vulnerable areas.

The country's breadbasket submerged

By late August, further south in the province of Punjab, floods had submerged 4,500 villages, overwhelming "Pakistan's breadbasket", in a country that can't always afford to import enough food.

For the first time, three rivers - the Sutlej, Ravi and Chenab - flooded simultaneously, triggering the largest rescue operation in decades.

"It was the most important anomaly," said Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah, the chief risk officer for the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

In Punjab's capital, Lahore, the impact on wealthier and poorer communities was stark. The gated community of Park View City was inundated by the Ravi river, making its prized streets impossible to navigate. Residents of luxury homes were forced to evacuate.

Surveying the damage, two local men, Abdullah and his father Gulraiz, were convinced water would be drained soon, thanks to the area's property developer Aleem Khan, a federal minister.

"No problem, Aleem Khan will do it," Gulraiz told the BBC.

But for residents in the poorer neighbourhood of Theme Park, the floods were crushing. One officer told the BBC they kept having to rescue people who swam back to their homes when the water levels dropped, desperate to salvage whatever they could. But then the water would rise, leaving them stranded.

We saw one man returning from his house, an inflatable donut resting on his hip.

Some residents were moved to tents provided by the Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan. Sitting outside in the summer heat, Sumera was weeks away from giving birth. She was extremely thin.

"My doctor says I need two blood transfusions this week," she said as she tried to keep hold of her toddler, Arsh.

Nearby, Ali Ahmad was balancing a small kitten he rescued from the floods on his shoulder. The boy was one of the few who had a mattress to sleep on.

By the end of monsoon season, the floods had displaced more than 2.7 million people in Punjab, the UN said, and damaged more than one million hectares of farmland.

Further south in Multan district, always hit hard by floods, the scale of the humanitarian crisis became even clearer, with tents lining dirt roads and highways.

Access to healthcare was already a challenge in rural areas of Pakistan, but once the floods hit, the challenge was unbearable for many women we met.

BBC Urdu's Tarhub Asghar met two sisters-in-law, both nine months pregnant. A doctor had warned them they weren't drinking enough water. They raised a bottle to explain. The water was completely brown.

The search for solutions

Some are trying different solutions.

Architect Yasmeen Lari has designed what she calls "climate-resilient houses" in dozens of villages. In Pono, near Hyderabad, women showed the BBC huts they'd built themselves - a large circular building on wooden stilts. Dr Lari calls it their training centre and says families can move their belongings there and shelter.

But Dr Lari argues building an entire village on stilts would be unfeasible and too expensive. Instead, she says her designs ensure the roofs don't collapse, and that by using natural materials such as bamboo and lime concrete, the homes can be rebuilt quickly by the villagers themselves.

Pakistan has reached a point where "it's not about saving buildings; it's about saving lives," she says.

This is the reality for Pakistan. All the climate scientists and politicians the BBC spoke to warn of an increasingly worrying future.

"Every year the monsoon will become more and more aggressive," Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah at the NDMA said. "Every year, there will be a new surprise for us."

As the country faces the growing and ever-changing challenges posed by climate change, in which the poorest are often the worst affected, there is one refrain from people returning to homes likely to flood next year: "I have nowhere else to go."

From the fringe to the final - India's phenomenon

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy5q02qxynwo, 4 days ago

Rodrigues' maiden World Cup century helped India go past the twists, turns and hurdles during the run chase.

After the match, experts hailed it as the greatest ODI century in women's cricket in the greatest run chase the format has seen. Few have disagreed.

It was a masterclass from Rodrigues - in both conception and execution.

Her reading of the ebb and flow of play, especially during testing passages, was superb.

The ability to find gaps in the field, the innovative strokes that disrupt the rhythm of the bowlers and flummoxed fielders, the swift running between the wickets, the capacity to up the strike rate when needed, showcased a batter in commanding form.

What her composure and sublime form didn't show was the turmoil Rodrigues had been battling before and during the tournament.

It's an irony now that Rodrigues wasn't in India's original World Cup plans - her selection came only after much debate.

After the match, Rodrigues admitted to battling anxiety through the tournament - uncertain about her place, her role, and her future after being dropped.

"I relied on Jesus to help me out of the mental crisis," she said.

Faith may move mountains - in Rodrigues's case, it silenced the demons in her head and steadied her focus.

On her return to the playing XI against a tough New Zealand side, she scored a stroke-filled unbeaten 65. But a far bigger challenge awaited her in the semi-final.

Australia, choosing to bat first, notched up 338, fired by a brutal 119 off just 93 deliveries by 22-year-old opener Phoebe Litchfield and her 155-run partnership for the second wicket with veteran Ellyse Perry.

When these two were together, Australia looked set to score 375 or more, but India's bowlers pulled back things, preventing the situation from spinning out of control.

Nonetheless, 338 looked an imposing score to overhaul against the all-powerful Australia side, and India looked to have fallen into a familiar hole when hard-hitting Shefali Verma and classy, in-form Smriti Mandhana, fell within 10 overs.

That is when Rodrigues, promoted to number three in the batting order, took charge to change the trajectory of the match and redefine her team's fortune and her own career.

A brisk start showcased her intent. Assuming the role of senior partner, she nursed captain Harmanpreet Kaur through her early tense phase.

As nerves settled, the duo grew in confidence, adding 167 for the third wicket and bringing India within sight of victory.

It wasn't a cakewalk - the Aussies fought hard, but the defending champions finally cracked.

India matched their skill and intensity, and surpassed their famed resilience. They shattered a psychological barrier in an exhilarating style, showing grit, commitment, and nerves of steel.

Rodrigues couldn't keep her emotions in check after the match, nor could captain Harmanpreet, who had made a superb 89 in a partnership that helped India pull off the stunning upset.

There was some element of good fortune in India's passage into the final. New Zealand, for instance, suffered badly at the hands of bad weather which cost them valuable points.

In the semi-final, Rodrigues had a couple of chances (on 82 and 107) as Australia uncharacteristically dropped sitters.

But all said, India's place in the final was well-deserved: for the quality of cricket they have played, as well as the burning desire they have shown. To come back so strongly after losing three matches on the trot was an extraordinary turnaround.

Both semi-finals played on successive days had produced major upsets, making the knock-out stage topsy-turvy and laced with high suspense.

In the final, India will meet South Africa, who have had a rollercoaster ride through the tournament, but have shown deep resilience and ambition to advance so far.

Having toppled Australia in the men's World Test Championship, the Proteas now eye a "golden year" - with the women's ODI World Cup crown in sight and India standing in their way.

On paper, South Africa may trail India, who also enjoy home advantage. But with in-form players like Laura Wolvaardt, Marizanne Kapp, and Nadine de Klerk, they've consistently found ways to defy the odds.

India are within touching distance of creating history. A win for India would transform women's cricket globally, much as happened when Kapil Dev's unheralded team beat the West Indies in 1983.

India, and the cricket world, waits with bated breath for the outcome of Sunday's final.

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Why the Indian passport is falling in global ranking

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3ep1epqjkpo, 3 days ago

Earlier this year, a video by an Indian travel influencer complaining about India's weak passport went viral on social media.

He said that while neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of Indian tourists, getting visas to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

His dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength was reflected in the latest Henley Passport Index - a ranking system of the world's passports based on visa-free travel - which placed India in the 85th spot out of 199 countries, five spots lower than last year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report yet. The BBC has reached out to the ministry of external affairs.

Countries like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India - which is the fifth-largest economy globally - are ranked higher on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

In fact, India's rank in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings are dismal compared to Asian nations like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held top positions.

This year, like the last, Singapore topped the index with visa-free travel to 193 countries. South Korea came in second with 190 visa-free destinations and Japan ranked third with 189 countries.

Meanwhile, Indian passport holders have visa-free entry to 57 countries, just like the citizens of the African country Mauritania, which shares the 85th rank with India.

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. A weak passport means more paperwork, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times for travel.

But despite the decline in the rank, the number of countries offering visa-free access to Indians has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, in 2014 - the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power - 52 countries offered visa-free travel to Indians and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians increased from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) is higher than what it was in 2015 (52), yet India's rank for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility - meaning countries are entering into more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to a 2025 report by Henley & Partners, the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has increased the number of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 in the past decade. Consequently, its rank on the index has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India - which was ranked 77th on the index in July (the Henley Passport Index is updated quarterly to reflect changes in global visa policies) as it enjoyed visa-free access to 59 countries - dropped to the 85th position in October after losing access to two countries.

Achal Malhotra, former Indian ambassador to Armenia, says there are other factors that affect the strength of a country's passport, like its economic and political stability as well as its openness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For example, the US passport has dropped out of the top 10 and now occupies the 12th position - a historic low - because of its increasingly insular stance in world politics, the report says.

Mr Malhotra recalls how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s, which called for an independent homeland for Sikhs in India and caused internal turmoil. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," Mr Malhotra says. "India has a high number of people migrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors such as how secure a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also play a role in gaining visa-free access to other countries, Mr Malhotra says.

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. In 2024, the Delhi police arrested 203 people for alleged visa and passport fraud. India is also known for having cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace of visa processing.

Mr Malhotra says that technological advances, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. The e-passport includes a small chip that stores biometric information, making it harder to forge or tamper with the document.

But more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements remain key to boosting the global mobility of Indians and, by extension, India's passport ranking.

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North Korea's former ceremonial head of state dies

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cze68e2zwjjo, today

Kim Yong Nam, North Korea's former ceremonial head of state and a lifelong supporter of the ruling dynasty, has died aged 97, according to state media.

He held the role of president of Pyongyang's rubber-stamp Supreme People's Assembly from 1998 to 2019.

Kim Yong Nam served in various diplomatic roles under the regimes of the country's founder Kim Il Sung, his son Kim Jong Il, and his grandson Kim Jong Un - though was not related to the family.

He died of multiple organ failure on 3 November, according to the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The agency described him as an "old-generation revolutionary who left extraordinary achievements in the development history of our party and country". A state funeral has been held for him.

Kim Yong Nam was born when the Korean peninsula was under Japanese colonial rule, into what KCNA called a family of "anti-Japanese patriots". He attended Kim Il Sung University in Pyongyang and also studied in Moscow, before beginning his career in the 1950s.

Starting out as a low-ranking official in the ruling party, he rose to become foreign minister and then served as chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly for nearly all of Kim Jong Il's reign.

Even as real power remained in the hands of the ruling Kim family, Kim Yong Nam was often seen as the face of North Korea on the international stage.

In 2018, he led a North Korean delegation to South Korea during the Winter Olympics, where he met the South's then-president Moon Jae-in.

Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un's influential sister, was part of the delegation.

Kim Yong Nam also previously met two other former South Korean presidents: Kim Dae-jung in 2000, and Roh Moo-hyun in 2007 - on both occasions, at inter-Korean summits respectively.

South Korea's Unification Minister Chung Dong-young offered condolences, saying he had "meaningful conversations about peace in the Korean peninsula" with Kim Yong Nam.

Former North Korean diplomat Thae Yong Ho, who has since resettled in the South, told the BBC that Kim Yong Nam never uttered a word that was regarded as problematic by the regime.

"[He] never made his own opinions known... He had no close [allies] or enemies. He never showed any creativity. He never put out a new policy. He only repeated what the Kim family have said before," said Thae, who is now the leader of South Korea's presidential advisory council on reunification.

"Kim Yong Nam is the perfect role model of how to survive for a long time in North Korea," Thae said, adding that he avoided criticism from within the party by maintain a "clean" reputation.

Unlike many other high-ranking officials in the North, Kim Yong Nam was never demoted even as power was handed down through three generations of the Kim family clan. He retired in April 2019.

His longevity was rare as many other officials have been purged, sent to labour camps, or even killed if they are deemed to have acted against the state's policies.

For example, Kim Jong Un ordered the execution of his uncle Chang Song Thaek in 2013 for "acts of treachery", state media reported then.

Additional reporting by Lee Hyun Choi in Seoul

Maldives bans smoking for younger generations

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crex3154l8jo, today

The Maldives has banned young people born on or after 1 January 2007 from smoking tobacco, becoming the only country in the world to enforce a nationwide generational tobacco prohibition.

The archipelago's health ministry announced on Saturday that it would be illegal for younger generations to use, buy or sell tobacco within the country.

The ban "reflects the government's strong commitment to protecting young people from the harms of tobacco", the ministry said.

Ahmed Afaal, vice chair of the archipelago's tobacco control board, told BBC World Service's Newshour programme that the country's general vaping ban last year had been a "good step towards a generation of tobacco-free citizens".

The new ban "applies to all forms of tobacco, and retailers are required to verify age prior to sale", the health ministry said, adding that it aligned with the Maldives' obligations under the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

According to the UN's health body, this convention "provides a global response to a global problem – namely, the tobacco epidemic".

Mr Afaal said the country's crackdown on vaping had been an important first step because "these new stylish gadgets are tactics of the industry to approach the younger generations to uptake addictive processes, which definitely harms their health".

Last year, the Maldives made it illegal for anyone to import, sell, possess, use or distribute electronic cigarettes and vaping products, regardless of age.

Tourists coming to visit the Maldives' islands will also have to adhere to the law, but Mr Afaal argues the smoking ban will not have a detrimental impact on tourism.

"People don't come to the Maldives because they're able to smoke. They come for the beaches, they come for the sea, they come for the sun, and they come for the fresh air," he added.

Quoting tourism data, Mr Afaal argued that despite the new regulations there had been no tourist cancellations and the number of arrivals had grown in the past year.

"We're projecting more than 2m [tourists] in the next year," he said.

Plans by New Zealand to pass a generational smoking ban were scrapped in 2023 after a new government took power.

The move was seen as a blow to many health experts and Māori people in particular, who have one of the highest smoking rates.

Last year, the UK's then-Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, had hoped to introduce a law that would ban young people born on or after 2009 from smoking.

A new version of the legislation, introduced by the current government, has passed through the Commons and is now at the committee stage at the House of Lords - nearing its last hurdles before it gets royal assent.

Australian mushroom murderer appeals against convictions

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crl294dpxxko, today

Erin Patterson, the Australian serving life for the mushroom murders, has officially lodged an appeal against her convictions.

The 51-year-old was found guilty of murdering three relatives and trying to kill another with a toxic mushroom meal at her home in the state of Victoria in 2023.

Under Australian law, appeals are not an automatic right, and Patterson's legal team had to convince the Court of Appeal that there might have been legal errors in her trial.

Patterson's appeal was officially lodged on Monday, after the court gave her lawyers the green light to challenge the convictions. The grounds of the appeal have not yet been disclosed.

There was intense public interest in the toxic mushroom case, and a media frenzy swirled around the small courtroom in the country town of Morwell during the trial.

Over nine weeks of testimony, the jury heard evidence suggesting Patterson had foraged death cap mushrooms in nearby towns and lured her victims to the fatal meal under the false pretence that she had cancer - before trying to conceal her crimes by lying to police and disposing of evidence.

Her estranged husband, Simon Patterson, had also been invited to the lunch but cancelled at the last minute, in part due to his belief that his wife had been trying to poison him for years.

Following the trial, it was revealed that he had become so violently ill after eating several of her meals in the past that he had been in a coma, a large part of his bowel had been surgically removed, and his family had been told to say goodbye to him twice as he was not expected to survive.

Patterson is currently in a female maximum security prison - the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in Melbourne. During her sentencing, Justice Christopher Beale told the court she spent 22 hours a day in her cell, with no contact with other inmates due to her "major offender status".

The judge noted that Patterson's reputation and the huge media and public interest in the case meant she would likely "remain a notorious prisoner for many years to come, and, as such, remain at significant risk from other prisoners".

Former Australian politician jailed for more than five years for sex crimes

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce863vz6gp0o, 4 days ago

A former Australian politician convicted of sexually abusing two young men he met through work has been sentenced to five years and nine months in jail.

Gareth Ward, 44, has been in prison since July after a jury found him guilty of raping one man and indecently assaulting another, in separate incidents in 2013 and 2015.

Ward represented the coastal town of Kiama in the New South Wales (NSW) parliament from 2011. He resigned as a Liberal Party minister when the claims emerged in 2021 but refused to quit parliament and was re-elected in 2023.

Judge Kara Shead SC considered Ward's disability of legal blindness in her sentence and found "no other penalty other than imprisonment is appropriate".

Ward, who appeared via video-link at Parramatta District Court, will serve at least three years and nine months in prison before he can apply for parole.

Justice Shead said the court needs to "send a stern message to like-minded offenders that sexual offendings such as this will be met with salutary penalties".

She also said Ward had "escaped justice for a decade and enjoyed a life free from a programme or punishment for his crimes during that time".

Shead described his actions as "callous and predatory" and rejected arguments by Ward that his public fall from grace amounted to extra-curial punishment - disadvantages suffered by the offender but not imposed by the court - because it was "inevitable" that his crimes would attract media attention.

After his conviction in July, Ward launchd a failed legal bid to remain in parliament and resigned moments before the members could expel him.

His legal team has previously said he intends to appeal the guilty verdict.

Ward's nine-week trial in the NSW District Court heard that he invited a drunk 18-year-old man to his home in 2013 and indecently assaulted him three times, despite his attempts to resist.

Two years later, he raped a 24-year-old political staffer at his home after an event at parliament.

In a victim impact statement, the then 18-year-old described how he turned to drugs and alcohol to cope after the assault and said he suffered frequent flashbacks.

The then 24-year-old also described using alcohol as a form of self-medication and said the abuse had destroyed his dream of entering politics.

Ward had argued the 2015 rape didn't happen, and that the other complainant was misremembering their encounter from 2013.

But the prosecution argued that striking similarities in the accounts of the two men, who did not know each other, showed they were telling the truth.

A jury deliberated for three days before returning the guilty verdicts.

On Friday the judge noted that Ward had shown no remorse as he maintained his innocence but nevertheless said he had good prospects for rehabilitation.

Ward's resignation prompted a by-election in Kiama in September, which was won by the Labor candidate.

Prankster charged over lining up with rugby team

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp854v6ldygo, yesterday

An internet prankster has been charged by police after appearing with the Australia team before their rugby league game against England on Saturday.

Daniel Jarvis was seen on BBC One's television coverage standing at the end of Australia's line-up during the national anthems before the game at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Merseyside Police said the 37-year-old, from Gravesend in Kent, had been charged with disrupting a person engaged in a lawful activity.

He has been remanded in custody to appear at Liverpool Magistrates' Court on Monday.

It is understood the incident will form part of a Rugby Football League internal review of the event.

Saturday's match was the first non-football event at Everton's new stadium, which opened earlier this year.

Australia won 14-4 to secure victory in the three-Test series, which ends in Leeds next Saturday.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.

Messages in a bottle from WWI soldiers found on Australian coast

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyg6pny0e8o, 6 days ago

Messages in a bottle written by two Australian soldiers in 1916 have been found more than a century later on the country's south-western coast.

The cheerful notes were penned just a few days into their voyage to join the battlefields of France during World War One.

One of the soldiers, Pte Malcolm Neville, told his mother that the food on board was "real good" and that they were "as happy as Larry". Months later, he was killed in action at the age of 28. The other soldier, 37-year-old Pte William Harley, survived the war and returned home.

The letters have been passed on to their descendants, who have been stunned by the discovery.

The bottle was found earlier this month on the remote Wharton Beach, near Esperance in Western Australia, by local resident Deb Brown and her family.

She was visiting the beach with her husband and daughter on one of their regular quad bike trips to clear up litter, when they spotted a thick glass bottle in the sand, she said on Tuesday.

"We do a lot of cleaning up on our beaches and so would never go past a piece of rubbish. So this little bottle was lying there waiting to be picked up," Ms Brown told the Associated Press news agency.

Though the paper was wet, both letters were still legible, so Ms Brown began tracking down the soldiers' families in order to pass them on.

Ms Brown located Pte Neville's great-nephew, Herbie Neville, by searching for the soldier's name and the town he was from online, as his mother's address was included in the note.

Mr Neville told ABC News the experience had been "unbelievable" for his family.

The second letter, written by Pte William Harley, was addressed simply to whoever found the bottle. His mother had died years earlier.

Pte Harley's granddaughter, Ann Turner, told ABC she and the soldier's four other surviving grandchildren were "absolutely stunned" by the message.

"It really does feel like a miracle and we do very much feel like our grandfather has reached out for us from the grave," she said.

"I feel very emotional when I see that the other young man had a mother to write to, and that message in the bottle was to his mother, whereas our grandfather long ago had lost his mother so he just writes it to the finder of the bottle."

The bottle was thrown overboard "somewhere in the Bight", Pte Harley's letter said, referring to the Great Australian Bight off the country's southern coast.

An oceanography professor told ABC it may only have been in the water for a few weeks before it landed at Wharton Beach, where it may have remained buried for 100 years.

Australia deports first foreign detainees to Nauru in controversial deal

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgdp58vkkpo, 7 days ago

Australia has started to deport foreign detainees to Nauru, marking the start of a controversial deal with the tiny Pacific island nation.

In a statement on Tuesday, Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed that "the first transfer had occurred" last Friday, although how many people were deported is unknown.

The deal was struck after Australia's top court ruled that it could not indefinitely detain about 358 people, the bulk of whom have been convicted of crimes, forcing their release into the community.

Human rights groups have criticised the deal, which is expected to cost A$2.5bn (£1.64bn; $1.23bn).

The Australian government has repeatedly refused to release details of the agreement for the so-called NZYQ cohort, and refugee advocates says it goes against the country's human rights obligations.

Laura John, from the Human Rights Law Centre told SBS News the plans have been "shrouded in secrecy from the outset".

"We do not know if the person who has been exiled has left family behind in Australia, whether they need medical care that is unavailable in Nauru, or even if they still had visa appeal options in Australia."

The NZYQ cohort refers to a group of detainees who were released into the Australian community after a landmark High Court decision in 2023 found that the government's power to hold them indefinitely in immigration detention was unlawful.

Many of them had been convicted of serious crimes including assault, drug smuggling and murder, leading to their Australian visas being cancelled.

The Australian government found itself in a difficult situation - unable to send the former-detainees back to their home countries for fear of persecution or because their government wouldn't accept them - but also facing severe backlash from the public for their release into the community.

Last year, the government, under Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, made changes to Migration Act, bolstering its powers to deport non-citizens, in a move critics described as "brutal".

It included paying third-countries to take Australia's deportees.

Australia turned to Nauru, and under the agreement which was finalised earlier this year, the deportees are given a 30-year visa that allows them to work on the island and mix freely with its 12,500 inhabitants.

The first transfer triggers an upfront payment of A$408m to resettle the group in Nauru.

Aside from these details, little is known about the agreement.

"People are secretly being sent to Nauru, with key aspects of the deal still kept from the Australian public", immigration spokesperson for the Greens party, David Shoebridge, told Australian media.

Criticising the lack of transparency in the plan and "contemptuous silence" from Minister Tony Burke, Shoebridge also expressed concern that once the deportees arrive in Nauru, they could then be sent back to their home countries.

"No matter who you are or where you were born, governments should not be able to disappear you, send you off against your will to a country that you have zero connection to," he said.

Burke has defended the arrangement, telling the Australian Broadcasting Corporation he has inspected the accommodation and health facilities on Nauru and "the standard there is good".

"When somebody has come and treated Australians in a way that shows an appalling character, their visas do get cancelled and when their visas are cancelled, they should leave," Burke has previously said.

This deal is separate to the arrangement for Nauru to run Australia's offshore immigration processing regime. That system was scaled back following international condemnation on how the detainees were treated and housed.

Surfboard lost in Tasmania drifts more than 2,400km to New Zealand

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cnvem58vj57o, 8 days ago

A custom-made surfboard which fell off a boat in Tasmania almost 18 months ago has been found off the west coast of New Zealand, after drifting about 2,400 km (1,490 miles) across the sea.

Frenchman Alvaro Bon was kitesurfing in Raglan Harbour on the North Island about two weeks ago when he found the barnacle-covered board.

He posted his find on several online surfing groups and days later, a friend of the board's owner recognised it and connected the pair.

The board will be collected in Auckland this week, and reunited with its Australian owner, known only as Liam, who says the board was blown overboard in May 2024.

"He couldn't believe it," Bon told the BBC, adding that the board was irreplaceable because the designer no longer makes surfboards.

The 30-year-old, who has lived in New Zealand for about ten years and kitesurfs in Raglan daily, said the day he found the board, he had been forced to let go of his kite due to particularly strong currents.

It was a split-second decision to sacrifice his kite or risk being swept out to sea.

He sought refuge on a remote side of the harbour before spotting the cream-coloured 7ft 6in (229cm) board, covered in mussels and barnacles but remarkably undamaged.

He hid it in the sand dunes and returned a few days later before kitesurfing the board back to the harbour - holding it under one arm, while grabbing his kite with his other hand.

After cleaning the board, he took to social media to try find its owner, posting pictures that showed the unique signature of the board's designer.

"Definitely not an everyday board... Wonder if the board could have drifted from east Australia??" he wrote.

"I remember I posted the pictures in the message and then I went for a surf in Raglan again," Bon said.

When he returned, his phone was full of replies about the mystery board, with hundreds of people sharing the post and even more commenting on the unusual find.

After his friend spotted the board, Liam sent Bon pictures of the board to prove its ownership and organised for a family friend to pick it up and bring it home.

As for his fateful discovery, Bon was philosophical about it.

"Every story has got a meaning to it... the day I found the surfboard, I lost my kite at the same time," he said.

"Maybe that's the meaning... sometimes you need to let go of some stuff to find better."

Teenage cricketer dies in Melbourne after being hit by ball

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0rp0w5y0zko, 5 days ago

An Australian teenager has died after he was hit by a cricket ball during a practice session in Melbourne.

Ben Austin, 17, was training - with a helmet but no neck guard - in cricket nets in Ferntree Gully on Tuesday when he was hit in the neck by a ball thrown using a handheld ball launcher.

Emergency workers attended the scene around 17:00 local time (06:00 GMT) before Ben was rushed to hospital in critical condition. He was put on life support but died on Thursday.

Ben's dad Jace Austin said the family was "utterly devastated" by the death of "our beautiful Ben" while Cricket Victoria said the cricketing community across the country would be mourning the teenager's death.

In a statement, Jace Austin shared details of his family's loss.

"For Tracey and I, Ben was an adored son, deeply loved brother to Cooper and Zach and a shining light in the lives of our family and friends," he said.

"This tragedy has taken Ben from us, but we find some comfort that he was doing something he did for so many summers - going down to the nets with mates to play cricket.

"He loved cricket and it was one of the joys of his life."

Mr Austin said the family was also supporting Ben's teammate who was bowling in the nets when the accident happened.

"This accident has impacted two young men and our thoughts are with he and his family as well," he said.

He also thanked the local cricketing community for their support since the accident and praised the first responders and medical staff who helped his son.

Cricket Victoria chief executive officer Nick Cummins said it was an "extremely challenging time" for all involved.

"The ball hit him in the neck in a similar accident that Phil Hughes suffered 10 years ago," Mr Cummins said, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

In 2014, Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes died after being struck on the neck by a ball while batting in the Sheffield Shield.

His death, for which a coroner ultimately found no-one was to blame, sparked improvements to safety equipment for those playing the sport.

The ball that hit Ben was apparently launched by a thrower using a handheld device, commonly used to accelerate the speed of the ball and ease the strain of bowling on the shoulders.

In a statement, Cummins said: "The entire cricketing community in Victoria - and nationally - is mourning this loss and it will be something that will stay with us for a long time."

He described Ben as a talented player, popular teammate and captain who was well- known in under-18 circles in Melbourne's south east.

"It is heartbreaking to see a young life cut so short, while Ben was doing something that he loved so much," Mr Cummins said.

Ben played for the Ferntree Gully Cricket Club who, in a social media post, paid tribute to the youngster as someone who brought joy to many.

The club also called on friends and supporters to "put your bats out for Benny", mirroring a similar gesture that was made for Hughes.

The Waverley Park Hawks Junior Football Club, for which Ben played more than 100 games, said he was "kind", "respectful" and a "fantastic footballer".

"Our club and community have lost a truly great young person who was developing into a fine young adult and his loss will be felt keenly by our club for many years to come."

Cruise operator 'failed' woman who was left on island and died, family says

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyndvj3640o, 5 days ago

The daughter of a woman who was left behind by a cruise ship on a remote island and later found dead has accused the operator of a "failure of care and common sense".

The body of Suzanne Rees, 80, was found by rescue workers on Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef on Sunday. The day before, she had been hiking on the island with her fellow passengers but was not on the ship when it left hours later.

Katherine Rees said she was "shocked and saddened" that the Coral Adventurer left "without my mum", whom she described as healthy, active, a keen gardener and bushwalker.

"From the little we have been told, it seems that there was a failure of care and common sense," she said on Thursday.

It's understood that Suzanne Rees, from New South Wales, was on the first stop of a 60-day cruise around Australia, which had left Cairns earlier this week.

Passengers, who pay tens of thousands of dollars to join the cruise, were transported to the exclusive island for a day trip with the option of hiking or snorkelling.

Suzanne joined a group hike to the island's highest peak, Cook's Look, but broke away from the others as she needed to rest.

"We understand from the police that it was a very hot day, and mum fell ill on the hill climb," Katherine said.

"She was asked to head down, unescorted. Then the ship left, apparently without doing a passenger count.

"At some stage in that sequence, or shortly after, mum died, alone."

Katherine said she hoped a coronial inquiry would "find out what the company should have done that might have saved Mum's life".

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) said it was investigating the death and would meet the ship's crew when it is due to dock in Darwin later this week.

A spokesperson for Amsa said it was first alerted to the missing woman at around 21:00 local time (10:00 GMT) on Saturday by the ship's captain.

A search party returned to the island a few hours later but efforts to find Suzanne were called off in the early hours of Sunday before a helicopter returned in the morning and found her body.

On Wednesday, the chief executive of Coral Expeditions said the company was "deeply sorry" for the death and were offering their support to the Rees family.

"We are working closely with Queensland Police and other authorities to support their investigation. We are unable to comment further while this process is under way," Mark Fifield said.

Incidents like this are rare, and cruise ships have systems to record which passengers are embarking or disembarking, Harriet Mallinson, cruise editor of travel website Sailawaze told the BBC.

"Sneaking ashore or [back] onboard just isn't an option," she said.

Cruise lines take these procedures very seriously and have "clever tech in place to prevent such incidents from happening. This is most likely a shocking - and tragic - one-off," Ms Mallinson added.

Investigation after woman left behind by cruise ship dies on island

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62eww646wjo, 5 days ago

An 80-year-old Australian woman has been found dead on a Great Barrier Reef island after being left behind by the cruise ship she was travelling on.

The woman had been hiking on Lizard Island, 250km (155 miles) north of Cairns, with fellow passengers from the Coral Adventurer cruise ship on Saturday but is believed to have broken off from the group to have a rest.

The ship left the island around sunset but returned several hours later after the crew realised the woman was missing. A major search operation found her body on Sunday morning. No details have been released.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) said it was investigating and would meet the ship's crew later this week.

It is understood the woman, who has not been named, was on the first stop of a 60-day cruise around Australia, with tickets costing in the tens of thousands of dollars for the journey.

She had joined a group hike to the island's highest peak, Cook's Look, before she decided she needed to rest, according to the Courier Mail newspaper.

But she did not make it back to the ship, which then departed without her.

Incidents like this are rare, and cruise ships have systems to record which passengers are embarking or disembarking, Harriet Mallinson, cruise editor of travel website Sailawaze told the BBC.

"Sneaking ashore or [back] onboard just isn't an option," she said.

Cruise lines take these procedures very seriously and have "clever tech in place to prevent such incidents from happening. This is most likely a shocking - and tragic - one-off", Ms Mallinson added.

Traci Ayris was sailing near the island last weekend and told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that she saw a helicopter using a spotlight to search a walking trail on the island at around midnight on Saturday.

She said about seven people with torches went to the island to search but it was called off at around 03:00 on Sunday (18:00 GMT Saturday) with a helicopter returning on Sunday morning when the body was apparently found.

"We knew she was dead because they called everyone back from the search immediately," she told ABC.

"And no-one went to the spot that the chopper was hovering over until later that day when the police arrived."

A spokesperson for Amsa said it was first alerted to the missing woman at around 21:00 on Saturday by the ship's captain.

The authority said it would work with other relevant agencies to investigate the case and that it takes the safety of passengers and crew onboard commercial vessels seriously.

Ms Ayris also said the incident was clearly distressing for crew and passengers.

"It was very sad in this paradise to have this tragedy occur. It should have been a happy time for that lovely lady."

A report into the "sudden and non-suspicious death" of the woman will be prepared for the coroner, Queensland police said.

Coral Expeditions chief executive Mark Fifield said staff had contacted the woman's family and were offering support over the "tragic death".

"While investigations into the incident are continuing, we are deeply sorry that this has occurred and are offering our full support to the woman's family," Mr Fifield said.

"We are working closely with Queensland Police and other authorities to support their investigation. We are unable to comment further while this process is under way," he added.

The vessel has continued its voyage to Darwin.

Additional reporting by Tom McArthur

Valencia leader resigns over handling of deadly floods

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr43d5yz3xxo, today

The president of Spain's Valencia region, Carlos Mazón, has resigned after months of pressure over his handling of flash floods last year.

A total of 229 people died in towns in the Valencia region on 29 October 2024, with a further eight dying in neighbouring regions, in Spain's worst natural disaster for decades.

Many in Valencia blamed Mazón for the scale of the tragedy because of how he and his government responded that day.

It emerged that the regional president had spent nearly four hours in a restaurant with a journalist, Maribel Vilaplana, while the floodwater was wreaking havoc and he did not attend emergency meetings during much of the day.

Mazón's government also failed to issue an emergency alert to the phones of Valencia residents warning them of the floods and providing advice until after 20:00, by which times dozens of people had already died.

"I can't go on anymore... I know that I made mistakes, I acknowledge it and I will live with them for the rest of my life," Mazón said as he announced his decision, adding that he should have cancelled his schedule for that day to take charge of the crisis.

"I have said sorry and I say it again, but none of [the mistakes] were due to political calculation or bad faith."

Polls had shown that the vast majority of people in Valencia wanted Mazón, of the conservative People's Party (PP), to step down because of his management of the floods.

Monthly protests were held demanding his resignation, most recently on 25 October, when an estimated 50,000 people turned out on the streets of Valencia. Mazón had been making fewer public appearances in recent months because of the abuse he received from members of the public.

However, his insistence on attending the memorial service for victims on the first anniversary of the tragedy last week angered relatives of those who died and a number of them barracked him during the ceremony.

Mazón seemed shaken by the experience, which appeared to prompt his decision to resign.

His announcement came the same day that Maribel Vilaplana, the journalist with who he had lunch on the day of the floods, testified before a judge who is investigating possible negligence.

According to Spanish media reports, Vilaplana told the magistrate that Mazón "was constantly texting on his phone" and that at one point he received "a lot of calls".

Mazón will continue as a member of the regional parliament, meaning he will have immunity from prosecution.

During his resignation announcement, Mazón criticised the left-wing central government of Pedro Sánchez, accusing it of blocking aid to his region "purely to cause us political damage".

Mazón has become an increasingly problematic figure for the PP over the last year, with concerns that his unpopularity threatened to undermine the party's electoral prospects not just in the Valencia region but nationwide.

However, his replacement has been complicated by the fact that the PP relies on the parliamentary support in the region of the far-right Vox. That party, which has been gaining ground on the PP in polls there, will have to agree to his successor.

Louvre heist carried out by petty criminals, prosecutor says

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gw42j29lqo, yesterday

Last month's jewellery heist at the Louvre museum was carried out by petty criminals rather than organised crime professionals, Paris's prosecutor has said.

"This is not quite everyday delinquency... but it is a type of delinquency that we do not generally associate with the upper echelons of organised crime," Laure Beccuau told franceinfo radio.

She said four people arrested and charged so far over the theft that shocked France and the world were "clearly local people" living in Seine-Saint-Denis, an impoverished area just north of Paris.

Jewels worth €88m (£76m; $102m) were taken from the most-visited museum, in the French capital, on 19 October.

In Sunday's interview to franceinfo radio, Beccuau said the four arrested people - three men and a woman - "all live more or less in Seine-Saint-Denis".

She said two of the male suspects had been known to the police, as they each had multiple theft convictions.

On Saturday, a 38-year-old woman was charged with complicity in organised theft and criminal conspiracy with a view to committing a crime.

Separately, a man, aged 37, was charged with theft and criminal conspiracy.

The suspects - who have not been publicly named - both denied any involvement.

Beccuau said the two were in a relationship and had children together, without giving any further details.

Two men who had previously been arrested were already charged with theft and criminal conspiracy after officials said they had "partially recognised" their involvement in the heist.

Investigators believe four men carried out the daylight theft, and one of them is still on the run.

Three other people detained earlier this week have been released without charge.

On the day of the heist, the suspects arrived at 09:30 local time (07:30 GMT), just after the museum opened to visitors, Ms Beccuau told reporters last week.

The suspects arrived with a stolen vehicle-mounted mechanical lift to gain access to the Galerie d'Apollon (Gallery of Apollo) via a balcony close to the River Seine. The men used a disc cutter to crack open display cases housing the jewellery.

Prosecutors said the thieves were inside for four minutes and made their escape on two scooters waiting outside at 09:38, before switching to cars.

One of the stolen items - a crown - was dropped during the escape. The other seven jewels have not been found.

The fear is that they have already been spirited abroad, though the prosecutor in charge of the case has said she is still hopeful they can be retrieved intact.

Since the incident, security measures have been tightened around France's cultural institutions.

The Louvre has transferred some of its most precious jewels to the Bank of France following the heist.

Drones seen over Belgian military base for third night, minister says

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20e8qzllewo, today

Drones have been seen flying over a Belgian military base near the Dutch border for a third night in a row, according to the country's defence minister said.

A helicopter was deployed to the Kleine-Brogel base after drones were spotted - they then flew off towards the Netherlands, national broadcaster VRT reported.

Defence Minister Theo Francken said an investigation was under way, calling it "a clear mission targeting Kleine Broge".

Francken told Belgian radio on Monday that it looked like an espionage operation, but said he would not speculate on who could be behind it.

"I have some ideas, but I'm going to be cautious," he added.

Drones were also spotted flying above other military air bases - the Leopoldsburg, in central Limburg province, and Marche-en-Famenne in the south-east of the country.

VRT reported over the weekend that drones were also seen close to coastal Ostend and Antwerp's Deurne airports.

It marks the latest incident involving drones disrupting European airspace in recent months.

In October, unconfirmed drone sightings forced Germany's Munich airport to suspend operations twice in 24 hours.

The month before, Denmark said drones flown over its airports appeared to be the work of a "professional actor".

At the time, Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said there was no evidence to suggest Russia was behind the incursion.

The Russian embassy in Copenhagen denied "absurd speculations" of its involvement.

Also in September, Estonia and Poland requested a consultation with other Nato members, after around 20 Russian drones crossed into Poland and Russian MiG31 jets entered Estonian airspace.

Russia denied violating Estonia's airspace and insisted the Polish incursion was not deliberate.

The European Commission has since proposed four defence projects, including a counter-drone system, as part of plans to get the continent ready to defend itself by 2030.

Bella Culley freed from Georgian prison

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy1870g8x7o, today

Pregnant teenager Bella Culley, who was charged with drug trafficking in Georgia, has been freed from prison, her lawyer has said.

The 19-year-old from Billingham, Teesside, had faced a potential 20 years in jail, but prosecutors made a last minute change to the terms of a plea bargain.

As she learned of the news in court in Tbilisi, Miss Culley gave her lawyer Malkhaz Salakaia a big hug.

The teenager was detained on 10 May having being arrested at Tbilisi International Airport when 12kg (26lb) of marijuana and 2kg (4.4lb) of hashish were found in her luggage.

Mr Salakaia said prosecutors made the change to the terms of her plea bargain given her age and pregnancy, and decided to free her.

Her family previously paid £137,000 to reduce her sentence to two years.

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Avalanche in Italy kills five including father and daughter

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp3x4w1g5v3o, yesterday

An avalanche in Italy's Dolomite mountains has killed five German climbers, including a 17-year-old girl and her father, according to rescuers.

The mountaineers, travelling in separate groups, were scaling Cima Vertana in the Ortler Alps at around 16:00 local time on Saturday when the fast-moving snow hit.

A group of three people "was fully swept away by the avalanche" and all died, said Italy's Alpine rescue service, Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico.

Separately, the father and daughter were carried away by the avalanche and their bodies were recovered on Sunday. Two other climbers in a third party survived.

The alarm was raised by the survivors, triggering the rescue operation.

Olaf Reinstadler, a spokesperson for the Sulden Mountain Rescue Service, told German media that the avalanche on the 3,545-metre (11,630ft) mountain, also called Vertainspitze, could have been caused by recent snow drifts which had not bonded to the ice below.

He said climbing tours were popular and the weather conditions were good, but wondered why the mountaineers were climbing late in the afternoon, as the descent would have then taken until nightfall.

The bodies of the three people climbing together were recovered on Saturday before rescue efforts were suspended due to fading light and safety conditions.

The Alpine rescue service said that due to fog and low visibility, helicopters could not take off at first light on Sunday.

However, once conditions improved, rescuers and avalanche dog units were airlifted to 2,600 metres before setting out on foot.

By late morning, the bodies of the two missing mountaineers - the father and daughter - were found.

Young Russians are being seduced by a cheap, dangerous weight-loss pill called Molecule

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c201xe61x0lo, 2 days ago

Molecule, a pill promising rapid weight loss, went viral on Russian TikTok earlier this year.

Young people's feeds started filling up with captions like "Take Molecule and forget food exists", and "Do you want to sit in the back of the class in oversized clothes?"

Clips showed fridges lined with blue boxes featuring holograms and "Molecule Plus" labels.

The orders began piling in, as teenagers shared their "weight-loss journeys" on social media.

But there was a catch.

Maria, 22, had purchased the pill from a popular online retailer. She took two pills per day and, after two weeks, says her mouth dried up and she completely lost her appetite.

"I had absolutely no desire to eat, let alone drink. I was nervous. I was constantly biting my lips and chewing my cheeks."

Maria developed severe anxiety and began having negative thoughts. "These pills were having a profound effect on my psyche," she says.

Maria, who lives in St Petersburg, says she wasn't prepared for such severe side effects.

Other TikTok users mentioned dilated pupils, tremors and insomnia. And at least three schoolchildren are reported to have ended up in hospital.

In April, a schoolgirl in Chita, Siberia, needed hospital care after overdosing on Molecule. According to local reports, she was trying to lose weight quickly, in time for the summer.

The mother of another schoolgirl told local media her daughter was admitted to intensive care after taking several pills at once.

And in May, a 13-year-old boy from St Petersburg needed hospital care after experiencing hallucinations and panic attacks. He had reportedly asked a friend to buy him the pill because he was being teased at school about his weight.

Substance banned in UK, EU and US

The packaging for Molecule pills often lists "natural ingredients" such as dandelion root and fennel seed extract.

But earlier this year, journalists at the Russian newspaper Izvestiya submitted pills they had purchased online for testing and found they contained a substance called sibutramine.

First used as an antidepressant in the 1980s and later as an appetite suppressant, studies later found sibutramine increased the risk of heart attacks and strokes - while only slightly promoting weight loss.

It was banned in the US in 2010, and is also illegal in the UK, EU, China and other countries.

In Russia, it is still used to treat obesity, but available only to adults and by prescription.

Purchasing and selling sibutramine without a prescription is a criminal offence. But that hasn't stopped individuals and small businesses from selling it online - often in higher doses than legal medication - and without requiring prescriptions.

The unlicensed pills cost about £6-7 ($8-9) for a 20-day supply - much cheaper than recognised weight-loss injections like Ozempic, which on the Russian market sell for £40-160 ($50-210) per monthly pen.

"Self-administration of this drug is very unsafe," says endocrinologist Ksenia Solovieva from St Petersburg, warning of potential overdose risks, "because we do not know how much of the active ingredient such 'dietary supplements' may contain".

Russians regularly receive prison sentences for purchasing and reselling Molecule pills. But it's proving difficult for authorities to get a grip on the drug being sold illegally.

In April, the government-backed Safe Internet League reported the growing trend involving young people to the authorities - prompting several major online marketplaces to remove Molecule from sale. But it soon began appearing online under a new name, Atom, in near-identical packaging.

A law was recently passed allowing authorities to block websites selling "unregistered dietary supplements" without a court order - but sellers have been getting around this by categorising them as "sports nutrition" instead.

On TikTok, you can find retailers selling Molecule under listings that look like they are for muesli, biscuits and even lightbulbs. And some retailers aren't even trying to hide it any more.

A few weeks ago, the BBC found Molecule listings on a popular Russian online marketplace. When approached for comment, the site said it had promptly removed any products containing sibutramine. But it admitted it was difficult to find and remove listings that didn't explicitly mention sibutramine.

If you do manage to get your hands on Molecule, it's hard to know exactly what you're getting - and it's unclear where the pills are being manufactured.

The BBC found some sellers with production certificates from factories in Guangzhou and Henan, in China. Others claim to be sourcing the pills from Germany.

Some packets state they were produced in Remagen in Germany - but the BBC has discovered there is no such company listed at the address given.

Certain Kazakh vendors selling Molecule to Russians told the BBC they bought stock from friends or warehouses in the capital Astana but couldn't name the original supplier.

Meanwhile, online eating-disorder communities have become spaces where Molecule is promoted, with users relying on hashtags and coded terms to slip past moderation.

Ms Solovieva says Molecule is particularly harmful when taken by young people who already have eating disorders. For those in or near relapse, an easily available appetite suppressant can be seriously dangerous, she says.

Anna Enina, a Russian influencer with millions of followers who herself has admitted using unlicensed weight-loss pills in the past, publicly warned her subscribers: "As someone who has struggled with an eating disorder... the consequences will be dire. You'll regret it tenfold."

Twenty-two-year old Maria suffered bad side effects, and is one of those who regrets it. After taking too many Molecule pills, she was sent to hospital.

Now she discourages other young women and girls from taking the pills in weight-loss forums. She even reached out to one teenage user's parents to alert them.

But Molecule remains popular online.

And every video that appears on Maria's TikTok feed is a reminder of the pills that made her sick.

Anger lingers in Serbia a year after train station tragedy

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgkk841r4eo, 2 days ago

A sea of people flowed along the roads leading up to Novi Sad railway station.

They came in their tens of thousands to remember the 16 people who died there this time last year, on another unseasonably warm and sunny autumn day.

The victims were standing or sitting underneath a concrete canopy at the recently-renovated facility, when it collapsed. The two youngest were just six years old, the oldest, 77.

Regular protests have rocked Serbia in the 12 months that have followed. But on Saturday morning, the huge crowd participated in an event that put the emphasis on quiet commemoration.

At 11:52 (10:52 GMT), the time of the disaster, they observed a silence for 16 minutes - one for each of the victims. Family members cried. One woman needed to be physically supported by men wearing the red berets of armed forces veterans.

After the silence, relatives laid flowers at the front of the station.

The rubble of the collapsed canopy has been cleared away, but otherwise the building appears to have remained untouched since the disaster.

Twisted metal protruding from the walls and broken glass still offer evidence of the catastrophe.

Novi Sad station was supposed to be a symbol of Serbia's progress, under President Aleksandar Vučić's Progressive Party. The country's second city would be a key stop on the high-speed railway line whipping passengers from Belgrade to Budapest in less than three hours.

Vučić and Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban jointly opened the renovated facility in 2022. Its angular, Yugoslav-era form had been upgraded as part of the high-speed project.

But now, after another renovation and the disaster that followed, the station stands as the prime example of everything that is wrong in Serbia.

For the government's flagship infrastructure project to prove deadly to its citizens was more than many people could bear. They took to the streets, carrying placards reading "corruption kills".

University students quickly took leadership.

Anti-government demonstrations are not exactly a novelty in Serbia, but in contrast to previous movements which fizzled out, the student-led anti-corruption protests have persisted.

"Every other protest movement was organised by political opposition parties and people in Serbia don't trust them," says Aleksa, a 23-year-old management student at Novi Sad University.

"We are the most trusted group in the country - that's why, even though we have made mistakes, people believe in us."

The students have shunned the opposition parties. After initially demanding accountability from the authorities, they are now calling for fresh elections.

They plan to submit a list of independent, expert candidates who could run a technocratic government. This would, they say, be the best way to rid Serbian institutions of the cronyism and corruption which they hold responsible for the railway station disaster.

In September, 13 people, including former construction, infrastructure and Transport Minister Goran Vesić, were charged in a criminal case over the collapse.

A resolution in the European Parliament last month called for full and transparent legal proceedings and an assessment "of potential corruption or negligence" - underlining the "need to examine more broadly the extent to which corruption led to the lowering of safety standards and contributed to this tragedy".

The government has denied accusations of corruption.

The student protesters' approach has gained the respect of some opposition leaders.

"They showed integrity and perseverance," says Biljana Djordjević, an MP and co-leader of the Green-Left Front.

"The new generation have found their way of participating, that is the difference this time. They have cut across generations in the families, we always wanted them to be more vocal, and now they are."

Political scientist Srdjan Cvijić, from the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, believes the students have cut through in a way that Serbia's opposition parties simply could no longer do.

"Until last year, the regime had been effectively managing to render traditional politics disgusting to the overall population," he says.

"They haven't managed to do so with the student movement and the result is that the student movement has managed to pierce into the traditional electorate of the ruling party in a way that nobody previously managed to do."

Perhaps this explains a sudden change in tone from President Vučić. He has generally taken a combative line with the protesters, accusing them of attempting a "colour revolution" - the kind of popular movements that were behind pro-European protests which toppled governments in European countries in earlier years.

These changes in former Soviet republics in the early years of the 21st Century pushed the likes of Georgia and Ukraine in a pro-EU direction.

But on the eve of the commemoration, Vučić apologised for his fiery rhetoric towards protesters, claiming that he had "said some things that I am now sorry for saying".

The students responded dismissively. They told the president, "You have blood on your hands."

This day may have been about respect and remembrance. But the anger remains.

My pregnant teen toasts bread over a candle flame in Georgian prison, mum says

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62065ynx5xo, 2 days ago

A British teenager - eight months pregnant and charged with drugs smuggling - is awaiting sentencing in prison in Georgia, South Caucasus. A payment of £137,000 by her family will reduce her sentence but what are the days like for Bella Culley, incarcerated 2,600 miles (4,180km) from home?

Speaking exclusively to the BBC, Bella Culley's mother reveals her daughter - now 35 weeks pregnant - has been transferred to a prison "mother and baby" unit.

This marks a significant change for the 19-year-old after five months in a cell in Georgia's Rustavi Prison Number Five, with only a hole in the ground for a toilet, one hour of fresh air daily, and communal showers twice a week.

Lyanne Kennedy says her daughter has been boiling pasta in a kettle and toasting bread over a candle flame but is now allowed to cook for herself and other women and children in the unit, and is learning Georgian.

"She now gets two hours out for walking, she can use the communal kitchen, has a shower in her room and a proper toilet," she says, describing the improved conditions since a transfer earlier this month.

"They all cook for each other," Ms Kennedy says. "Bella has been making eggy bread and cheese toasties, and salt and pepper chicken."

Miss Culley has been held in pre-trial detention since May, after police discovered 12kg (26lb) of marijuana and 2kg (4.4lb) of hashish in her hold luggage at Tbilisi International Airport.

Some accounts from inside the jail paint a stark picture of conditions.

In September, Georgian media widely published an open letter they said had been sent from prison by Anastasia Zinovkina, a Russian political activist sentenced to eight-and-a-half years on drug possession charges.

Ms Zinovkina, who insisted the drugs were planted on her, described the sanitary conditions as "appalling" and "horrific".

"One single bar of soap is used to wash hair, body, socks, underwear, and dishes," she wrote. "If the soap runs out before the guards decide to give out a new one (which happens once every three months) then they simply don't wash.

"Toilet paper is provided once monthly, and only to those with no money on their prison account. Showering is permitted only twice weekly - on Wednesdays and Sundays - for 15 minutes.

"The girls who don't have slippers bathe barefoot or use shared slippers. They get fungal infections and pass them to each other."

The Georgian Ministry of Justice told the BBC in May that conditions in the prison had significantly improved since earlier monitoring reports by the Georgian Public Defender.

Under Georgia's new penitentiary code, which came into force in January last year, inmates "have the right to fresh air at least one hour on a daily basis", it said.

It also highlighted various reforms, including vocational education programmes, a digital university for distance learning, and improved healthcare through an online clinic.

"Georgian authorities put human-centered approach at the heart of the penitentiary reform to ensure the healthy management of prison system," it said in a statement.

The ministry also said the UN sub-committee on prevention of torture visited the prison in October 2023 and "did not express any concerns regarding the prison conditions, sanitary or issues related to out-of-cell activities/contact with outside world".

The committee's report is confidential but the UN said at the time it encouraged the Georgian government to make it public.

The case has drawn attention to Georgia's strict approach to drug-related offences and its extensive use of "plea bargaining" to resolve criminal cases.

Guram Imnadze, a criminal justice lawyer and drug policy expert based in Tbilisi, says in 2024 nearly 90% of drug-related crimes in Georgia were resolved in this way.

"Sentences are so severe that plea bargaining is in both sides' interests," Mr Imnadze explains. "The main strategy from a defence perspective is to have plea bargaining as fast as possible."

Earlier agreements typically result in softer conditions, with lower sentences and fines, he says.

For trafficking involving large amounts of drugs, Georgian law provides for sentences of up to 20 years or life imprisonment. Mr Imnadze says Miss Culley's case coincided with a new interior minister taking office, who made drug crimes a priority.

"What they want is to show the public right now what tangible results they have, and 12kg of marijuana is already a huge amount for public perception," he says.

Miss Culley claimed she had been tortured and forced to carry the drugs but was warned she was facing 20 years in prison. But, for a "substantial sum", she could be released, she was told.

Back in Tbilisi City Court last Tuesday, the teenager heard her family had managed to raise £137,000. Not the amount needed for her to walk free but enough to reduce her sentence significantly, to two years. She is due in court again on Monday to hear her final sentence.

Ms Kennedy says the family is doing everything they can to get her home "where she should be".

Miss Culley's lawyer, Malkhaz Salakaia, has previously said that, once an agreement was reached, he would appeal to the President of Georgia to pardon the British teenager.

Mr Salakaia confirmed Miss Culley had pleaded guilty to bringing drugs into the country, flying from Thailand via Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, but said she was made to do so by gangsters who tortured her with hot iron.

Georgian police had launched a separate criminal investigation into her coercion allegations, he said.

When the teenager landed in Tbilisi on 10 May, her luggage was immediately flagged by Georgian authorities and, although she attempted to explain to police that someone was supposed to meet her at the arrivals hall, they did not follow this up and charged her, he said.

Mr Salakaia says there is a provision in Georgian law for pregnant women, raising the family's hopes that the teenager could be released before giving birth.

"It is written in the law that when a child is born, the mother must be outside until the child is one year old," he says.

Ms Kennedy, who has been traveling back and forth between the UK and Georgia, says her daughter is getting on well with staff and prisoners and she had been able to take in baby clothes for her.

Her daughter's full story "will come in time", she says.

"Until then we are just a family doing everything we can for my daughter and grandson."

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Who is Rob Jetten, tipped to become youngest Dutch prime minister?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr7m0n890npo, 4 days ago

Rob Jetten's achievement in dragging his socially liberal D66 party from fifth place to the top of Dutch politics in less than two years has been extraordinary.

But politically, all the stars were perfectly aligned for the 38-year-old to do so.

Although the final result has not yet been declared in a nail-biting race, Dutch news agency ANP says Jetten has won because populist Geert Wilders cannot catch him. Both their parties are projected to win 26 seats.

No other political leader commanded as much screen time during the campaign as Jetten and his smile and cheerful message resonated with voters, while his rivals sometimes struggled.

Hardly a night went by without him on TV. When Wilders cancelled an appearance because of security fears, Rob Jetten seized the moment and took his place. He even featured in a TV quiz show recorded months ago called The Smartest Person.

And his D66 party was untarnished by involvement in Wilders' ill-fated 11-month coalition, largely because Jetten had fared so poorly in the last election in 2023. The government collapsed last June when Wilders' party quit following a row over migration.

But perhaps more than anything else, he was able to convey a positive message summed up by the slogan Het kan wel - an optimistic phrase that borrows from Barack Obama's "Yes, we can".

It contrasted strongly with Wilders, who he accused of "sowing division".

If his party does come top, Rob Jetten could become the Netherlands' first openly gay prime minister.

A self-confessed politics nerd as a child, the young Jetten grew up in a small town in the southern province of Brabant and came out when he was young.

Jetten has not made his private life part of his political identity, but five years ago he posted a video in which he read out a long list of homophobic messages from his phone, to prove why an international day against homophobia was important.

Jetten is now engaged to Argentine hockey player, Nicolás Keenan, and they are due to marry next year.

He was an early supporter of the centrist D66, which describes itself as progressive and socially liberal party, and officials soon spotted his potential.

After a few years working for Dutch rail network ProRail, Jetten was elected as an MP in 2017 and had a couple of early experiences as leader before he served under long-serving prime minister Mark Rutte as climate minister.

But not everything has worked out smoothly in Jetten's career.

A parliamentary colleague complained he was "pushy" on the climate, and his big ambitions as minister were cut short when Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine sent energy prices soaring.

He led D66's disastrous campaign in 2023 when the party came away with only nine seats, two years after his predecessor Sigrid Kaag managed second place after Rutte.

Jetten was not yet as fluent in front of the cameras. Some media appearances he gave were criticised as dull, and one critic labelled him "Robot Jetten".

"Robot Jetten is going to be prime minister!" one reporter said to him incredulously as his success became clear on Wednesday night.

"Sometimes it can work out really crazy in politics," Jetten replied with a broad grin.

Supporters see him as a kind of mini-Mark Rutte, who is now head of Nato.

And that comparison will suit Jetten fine, as many Dutch now look back warmly on the stability of the Rutte years, after two years of relative turmoil.

Both men always appear cheerful and pragmatic, and both are notorious for getting by on precious little sleep.

However, party colleague Roy Kramer noticed a difference: "Rutte is a chatterbox, Jetten is a bit quieter," he told Dutch newspaper Het Parool.

The liberal leader has big ambitions, and few challenges are more pressing than tackling the Netherlands' housing crisis, with a shortage of some 400,000 homes.

Jetten wants to build 10 cities and complains Dutch governments have not really achieved anything impressive for the past 10 to 15 years. He is making big promises and will come under pressure to deliver.

For Jetten to succeed he will need some of Rutte's teflon political coating that saw him through four governments.

He has already survived one awkward moment in the campaign, when a joke about Crown Princess Amalia fell flat in front of 2,000 students in Rotterdam.

"I think the best way of promoting work in the military is being able to end up training with the Crown Princess. I bet a few guys in this audience would be interested in that," he said.

The debate moderator hit back saying: "What kind of sexist remark is that?"

Jetten later admitted it was inappropriate, but it appears to have done him no harm.

Women welcome arrest of charity boss identified in BBC sex-for-aid investigation

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgkzg680j7lo, 9 days ago

A Turkish charity owner at the centre of sexual abuse allegations, brought to light by a BBC investigation, has been arrested.

BBC News Turkish revealed accusations that Sadettin Karagoz sexually exploited vulnerable women, promising them aid in return for sex. He denies all the allegations.

Mr Karagoz set up his charity in Turkey's capital, Ankara, in 2014. Syrian refugees desperate for help said at first he seemed like "an angel".

One of them, Madina, fled the Syrian civil war in 2016 and said that two years later, one of her children became critically ill and her husband abandoned her. Her name has been changed to protect her anonymity.

Left to care for three children alone, she went to Sadettin Karagoz's organisation, which translates as the Hope Charity Store. It gathers donations for refugees such as nappies, pasta, milk and clothes.

"He told me: 'When you have nowhere to go, come to me and I will look after you," she says.

But when she did, Madina says he changed. She describes how Mr Karagoz told her to go with him to an area in the office behind a curtain to get some supplies.

"He grabbed me," she says. "He started kissing me… I told him to get away from me. If I hadn't yelled, he would have tried to rape me."

Madina describes how she escaped from the building but Mr Karagoz later went to her home.

"I didn't open the door because I was terrified," she says, explaining that he threatened to have her sent back to Syria.

Scared of repercussions, Madina says she never went to the police and did not tell anyone else what had happened.

Mr Karagoz, a retired bank worker, denies the allegations and has told the BBC that his organisation has helped more than 37,000 people.

He says that the aid distribution area in the charity is small, crowded and monitored by CCTV so he could not have been alone with any woman.

Over the years, his charity has gained widespread recognition and won a local newspaper award in 2020. It has been featured on national TV, and he says it has attracted support from national and international organisations. In March this year he changed its Turkish name to My Home-meal Association.

In all, three women, including Madina, told the BBC that Mr Karagoz had sexually assaulted and harassed them.

Seven other people, including two former employees of his charity, say they either witnessed or heard first-hand testimony of him committing acts of sexual abuse between 2016 and 2024.

According to 27-year-old Syrian refugee Nada, he said he would only give her aid if she went to an empty flat with him. "If you don't, I won't give you anything," she says Mr Karagoz told her. Again, her name has been changed to protect her anonymity.

She was with her sister-in-law and says they stormed out. But desperate to provide for her family, she explains she didn't know where else to turn, so went back.

On one occasion, Nada says Mr Karagoz took her behind a curtain to get nappies for her son where "he tried to touch my breasts".

Another time, she says that "he came from behind and grabbed my hand… he forced me to touch his genitals".

Afraid of the stigma attached to sexual abuse and scared she would be blamed, Nada says she didn't feel she could tell anyone, even her husband.

The third woman who told the BBC that Mr Karagoz had assaulted her is Batoul, who has since moved to Germany.

A single mother, she too says she went to him for help. "When I turned away to pick up the aid, he put his hands on my backside," she explains. "I left the aid and walked out of the shop."

These testimonies were not the first to surface against Mr Karagoz.

In 2019 and 2025 he was accused of sexual harassment and assault, but on both occasions prosecutors decided there was insufficient evidence to prosecute him. Police said neither victims nor witnesses were willing to come forward to make formal complaints.

Some women told us they were afraid testifying could lead to them being harassed or deported.

But after the BBC investigation, it is understood two other women came forward to report Mr Karagoz, and their testimony resulted in him being charged with sexual abuse. He is now in jail awaiting trial.

Batoul says she is "truly happy" he has been arrested, "for myself and for all the women who have suffered in silence and couldn't speak out because of fear".

She adds that she hopes it "gives courage and strength to all women who are being exploited in any way".

Before he was arrested, we put the allegations made by Madina, Nada, Batoul and charity workers to Mr Karagoz.

He denied all the accusations and claimed if they were true, more women would have come forward.

"Three people, five people, 10 people [could complain]. Such things occur," he said. "If you said 100, 200 [had accused me], then fine, then you could believe I actually did those things."

He also said he had diabetes and high blood pressure and showed us a medical report with details of an operation in 2016 to remove his left testicle. This meant he was not able to perform any sexual activity, he said.

However a professor of urology and specialist in men's sexual health, Ates Kadioglu, told the BBC that having one testicle removed "doesn't affect someone's sex life".

We put this to Mr Karagoz who insisted that sexual activity was "not possible for me".

We also put it to him that sexual assault may be motivated by a desire for power and control. He responded by saying: "I personally don't have such an urge."

"All we did was good deeds and this is what we get in return."

Sadettin Karagoz said women who accused him of assault in the past did so because he had reported them to the police for being involved in illegal activities.

All the women we spoke to denied they or their relatives were involved with crime and the BBC has seen no evidence to suggest that they were.

The striking Swedish workers taking on carmaker Tesla

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y9082q0jjo, 8 days ago

In Sweden 70 car mechanics are continuing to take on one of the world's richest companies – Tesla. The strike at the US carmaker's 10 Swedish service centres has now reached its second anniversary, and there is little prospect of a resolution.

Janis Kuzma has been on the Tesla picket line since October 2023.

"It's a tough time," says the 39-year-old. And as Sweden's cold winter weather sets in, it's likely to become tougher.

Janis spends each Monday with a colleague, standing outside a Tesla garage on an industrial park in Malmö. His union, IF Metall, provides accommodation in the form of a mobile builders' van, as well as coffee and sandwiches.

But it's business as usual across the road, where the workshop appears to be in full swing.

The strike concerns an issue that goes to the heart of Swedish industrial culture - the right of trade unions to negotiate pay and conditions on behalf of their members. This concept of collective agreement has underpinned industrial relations in Sweden for nearly a century.

Today some 70% of Swedish workers are members of a trade union, and 90% are covered by a collective agreement. Strikes in Sweden are rare.

It's an arrangement welcomed across the board. "We prefer the right to negotiate freely with the unions and sign collective agreements," says Mattias Dahl of the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise business organisation.

But Tesla has upset the apple cart. Outspoken chief executive Elon Musk has said he "disagrees" with the idea of unions. "I just don't like anything which creates a kind of lords and peasants sort of thing," he told an audience in New York in 2023. "I think the unions try to create negativity in a company."

Tesla came to Sweden back in 2014, and IF Metall has long wanted to secure a collective agreement with the company.

"But they wouldn't respond," says Marie Nilsson, the union's president. "And we got the impression that they tried to hide away or not discuss this with us."

She says the union eventually saw no other option than to announce a strike, which started on 27 October, 2023. "Usually it's enough to make the threat," says Ms Nilsson. "The company usually signs the agreement."

But not in this case.

Janis Kuzma, who is originally from Latvia, started working for Tesla in 2021. He claims that pay and conditions were often dependent on the whim of managers.

He recalls a performance review at which he says he was refused an annual pay rise because he was "not reaching Tesla's goals". Meanwhile, a colleague was said to have been turned down for a pay rise because he had the "wrong attitude".

However, not everyone went out on strike. Tesla had some 130 mechanics working at the time the industrial action was called. IF Metall says that today around 70 of its members are on strike.

Tesla has long since replaced these with new workers, for which there is no precedent since the 1930s.

"Tesla has done it [found replacement staff] openly and systematically," says German Bender, a researcher at Arena Idé, a think tank financed by Swedish trade unions.

"It's not illegal, which is important to understand. But it goes against all established norms. But Tesla doesn't care about norms.

"They want to be norm breakers. So if somebody tells them, hey, you are breaking a norm, they see that as a compliment."

The BBC asked to speak to Tesla's subsidiary, TM Sweden, but the request was declined in an email citing "all-time high deliveries".

Indeed, the company has given only one media interview in the two years since the strike began.

In March 2024, TM Sweden's "country lead", Jens Stark, told the business paper Dagens Industri that it suited the company better not to have a collective agreement, and instead "to work closely with the team and give them the best possible conditions".

Mr Stark denied that the decision not to enter a collective agreement was one made at Tesla headquarter in the US. "We have a mandate to make our own such decisions," he said.

IF Metall is not entirely alone in its fight. The strike has been supported by a number of other unions.

Dockworkers in neighbouring Denmark, Norway and Finland, are refusing to handle Teslas; rubbish is no longer collected from Tesla's Swedish facilities; and newly built charging stations are not being connected to the grid in the country.

There is one such facility near Stockholm Arlanda Airport, where 20 chargers stand idle. But Tibor Blomhäll, the president of enthusiasts group Tesla Club Sweden, says Tesla owners are unaffected by the strike.

"There's another charging station 10km (six miles) from here," he says. "And we can still buy our cars, we can service our cars, we can charge our cars."

With stakes high on both sides, it's hard to see an end to the stand-off. IF Metall risks setting a precedent if it concedes the principle of collective agreement.

"The concern is that that would spread," says Mr Bender, "and eventually erode the strong support for the labour market model that we have among employers as well".

Tesla, on the other hand, may feel that conceding this fight in Sweden would strengthen the hand of those who want to unionise Tesla at its production facilities in the US and Germany, where it employs tens of thousands of staff.

Mr Bender detects another reason for the position Tesla has taken. "I think it's important to understand that Elon Musk doesn't want to be sort of told how to do things," he says.

"And I think he doesn't view the industrial action that the union has taken as an invitation to negotiate, but rather as an ultimatum to sign a dotted line that he doesn't want to sign."

Mr Blomhäll of Tesla Club Sweden also says he sees no quick solution. "This will be another Korean War," he says. "A conflict that just drags on."

Hurling star DJ Carey jailed over fake cancer claims

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gwwl8rpn8o, today

Former Kilkenny hurler DJ Carey has been sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison.

The 54-year-old, who previously resided at Newtown, Maynooth, County Kildare, pleaded guilty in July to 10 charges related to defrauding people out of money while pretending to have cancer.

A five-time All-Ireland winner and multiple All-Star, Carey is one of the most decorated and acclaimed hurlers to ever play the sport.

The sentencing had been adjourned last week after the court was told he was in hospital.

A judge told the court he could not imagine a more reprehensible fraud.

He said Carey had exploited people's good nature, Irish broadcaster RTÉ has reported.

The 10 counts that Carey pleaded guilty to involved a total of 13 complainants, including Denis O'Brien, one of Ireland's wealthiest entrepreneurs.

O'Brien gave Carey more than €125,000 (£109,500) and provided him with accommodation and transport.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court had heard Carey defrauded 22 people out of a total of almost €400,000 (£350,000).

About €44,000 (£38,500) has been repaid.

Carey's defence counsel had told the court he had suffered a stunning fall from grace and was now something of a pariah.

Irish campaigner and advocate Sr Stan dies aged 86

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20e8grl332o, today

Irish campaigner and advocate Sr Stanislaus Kennedy has died at the age of 86.

Sr Kennedy, better known as Sr Stan, died on Monday morning at St Francis Hospice in Blanchardstown, Dublin.

In 1985, she founded the charity Focus Point (now Focus Ireland), following her research into the needs of women experiencing homelessness in Dublin in the 1980s.

In a statement, Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin said she was a "true Christian", who dedicated her life to helping those "on the margins".

Sr Stan was born Treasa Kennedy on 19 June 1939 near Lispole, on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry.

She left home at 18, joining the Sisters of Charity and becoming Sr Stanislaus Kennedy.

During her life she also set up a number of voluntary organisations and was appointed the first chair of the Combat Poverty Agency.

In 2001, she took up a new issue, establishing the Immigrant Council of Ireland to help people from a migrant background that were coming into the country.

The Religious Sisters of Charity said she worked tirelessly to support the homeless, immigrants and those in disadvantaged communities throughout Ireland and beyond.

Focus Ireland CEO, Pat Dennigan said, "her vision will continue to guide us, we will not see her like again that is for sure".

Irish government could charge asylum seekers for accommodation

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy5vje3gvjo, today

Asylum seekers who are working may be charged up to €238 (£208) per week to cover the cost of their accommodation, under plans being considered by Irish ministers.

There were 32,774 international protection applicants living in state-provided accommodation in the Republic of Ireland, as of last July.

Ireland has seen higher numbers of people seeking asylum and refuge in recent years than ever before.

Proposals to charge asylum seekers for accommodation come as part of wider plans by the Irish government to reduce supports for asylum seekers.

The Irish government is now planning to charge international protection applicants who have jobs but live in state accommodation from €15 (£13) to €238 (£208) per week under proposals seen by BBC NI.

The plans are being brought forward by Irish Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan and his junior minister Colm Brophy.

Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) Simon Harris faced backlash last week from some opposition parties for saying Ireland's asylum system is not working.

He also said the government should reconsider existing policies "in a very serious way".

Plans to charge asylum seekers, who are working, to cover the cost of their accommodation will be considered by senior Irish ministers and top government officials at a meeting of the cabinet sub-committee on migration on Monday.

What is in the Irish government's plans?

Under the plans, asylum seekers may pay a proportion of their weekly wages towards their accommodation.

Nine bands will be put in place where the weekly wage earned will dictate how much is paid towards accommodation.

For example, asylum seekers earning from €97.01 (£85) up to €150 (£131) per week may be charged €15 (£13) per week.

But those earning €600 (£526) and higher per week may have to pay €238 (£208) per week towards accommodation.

Asylum seekers who do not pay the charges and build up "significant arrears" may face court.

They may also be pursued by debt collectors.

Asylum seekers who are granted international protection may also be refused citizenship if they have outstanding debt for accommodation.

Currently, asylum seekers receive an expenses allowance of €38.80 (£34) per week per adult and €29.80 (£26) per week per child.

The proposals will be discussed at the cabinet sub-committee meeting on Monday and if approved, will go to a full cabinet meeting for approval.

The government estimated in September 2024 that the number of those eligible to pay a contribution charge in state asylum seeker accommodation was approximately 7,600.

Laws will have to be drawn up to implement the changes.

Housing Ukrainian refugees

The Irish Department of Justice has also warned if current numbers of Ukrainian refugees coming into the Republic continue, the "total available capacity" may be exhausted by the end of November.

More than 120,000 Ukrainian refugees have arrived to the Republic since the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022.

Some 83,000 now live in Ireland.

Numbers of Ukrainian refugees coming in has increased in recent months, with the Department of Justice attributing this to law changes in Ukraine which allowed men aged 18 to 22 to leave the country.

The total number of Ukrainian refugees which arrived last September was 1,781 - this is the highest since the end of 2023.

The Irish government is now also considering plans to limit the length of time during which state accommodation is offered to new refugee arrivals from 90 days to 30 days.

Long-term plans being considered by government also include whether to further phase out and ultimately wind down the €600 (£526) payment paid to people who house Ukrainian refugees.

The government is also considering whether to wind down the construction of rapid-build modular homes for refugees.

These changes may not take effect until between the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027.

Man in his 20s dies following Dublin assault

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj97yevwjgdo, yesterday

A man in his 20s has died following an incident in Tyrrelstown, Dublin, on Saturday night.

It comes after an gardaí (Irish police) responded to reports of a disturbance involving a number of people at Curragh Hall Crescent in Tyrrelstown at about 22:30 local time.

The group had dispersed by the time police arrived.

A short time later, a male in his 20s arrived at Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown with serious injuries. He was subsequently pronounced dead.

A man in his 20s has been arrested and is in police custody.

Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to come forward and said they will provide an update in due course.

'No help, no food, no water': Hurricane-hit Jamaican towns desperately wait for aid

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpv11w8ez10o, yesterday

Five days after Hurricane Melissa pummelled into western Jamaica with record force, residents in devastated communities along the coast are still desperately waiting for help.

Many of the roads are blocked by debris and people are isolated with little food, no power or running water, and no idea of when normalcy will return.

The government said on Saturday that at least 28 people in Jamaica have died since the hurricane hit as a monster category five storm with 185 mph (297km/h) sustained winds.

That is a near 50% jump in the death toll overnight, and the number could rise as officials clear their way into new parts of the island in the coming days.

Local official Dr Dayton Campbell told the BBC 10 of those deaths were in Westmoreland.

Westmoreland parish is believed to have the second highest number of unconfirmed deaths, after St Elizabeth to the south east. The eye of the storm hit somewhere between the two neighbouring parishes. At St Elizabeth an estimated 90% of homes have been destroyed.

A long stretch of road headed west into Westmoreland Parish winds through a graveyard of trees – stacks of branches and limbs, cracked and twisted, blanketing the landscape for miles. It is grim evidence of Hurricane Melissa's ferocity - it was the strongest storm to strike the Caribbean island in modern history.

Piles of debris are heaped on the parish's roadsides, next to battered buildings, shipping crates turned on their side and crowds of people wading through the destruction.

On Saturday morning, men with machetes hacked through branches as thick as their arms, clearing patches of the road where traffic jams were at a standstill.

A policeman with an automatic weapon strapped to his chest, part of a convoy accompanying an aid truck on its way to Westmoreland, hopped out of his vehicle to help direct traffic.

"We don't know what lies ahead," the officer told the BBC, describing what he has seen as "total devastation".

Those living in Whitehouse, a coastal town and commercial hub on the edge of Westmoreland Parish, say the wait for assistance is becoming frustrating.

Gary Williams said he has heard promises of incoming aid delivery, but "they no turn up".

He sat in the shade on a makeshift stool in front of a building barely standing – its entire roof gone – unsure of what to do next.

Williams said he lost his house in the storm and has "nowhere to live", suggesting he might sleep right where he is, outside on the front porch.

Another woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "Words can't explain the situation that we're in. It's horrible. I don't even know what to say. So many hopeless, helpless and lifeless people here right now."

About 400,000 people in Jamaica were without power as of Friday, and an untold number more have no access to cell phone service or Wi-Fi, cut off from the outside world.

Jamaica's transportation minister Daryl Vaz announced on Saturday that more than 200 StarLink devices have been deployed across the island to help people access the internet.

He addressed criticism the government has received for its response, saying there were "several factors" contributing to delays.

"Refuelling, Areas for Landing, Accessibility and Timing/Visibility," Vaz said on X.

Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness urged that the "immediate focus is on clearing debris, restoring essential services", as well as providing food and medical supplies.

But that would only solve part of the problem.

In a tiny community just outside of Whitehouse, Robert Morris rested against a slab of broken concrete. Behind him, the fishing village he has called home his entire life has been destroyed, along with his livelihood.

"We all devastated here, man," he said. He said the boat house was destroyed and is now "flat".

"Melissa take everything down," he said, including his fishing boat, which he describes as "mashed up".

Morris also told of "no help, no food, no water".

"We just have to try and see what we can do," he said, adding that his plan was to find someone whose boat was still intact so that he could join and fish.

Even then, he is not sure where he would sell his catch.

The people in these areas are filled with pride and resilience, words that are often repeated on local radio stations and visible through their optimism in the most difficult circumstances.

Seated under the facade of a badly damaged building, Roy Perry said he has lost everything, but "we have to just keep the faith and the hope is up still".

"Can't give up. Not gonna give up," he said.

It is the same tone struck by Oreth Jones, a farmer sitting in the bed of his truck selling pears, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes – the last of his produce that was spared from the storm.

Of his farm, he said: "It's all wrecked. They all destroyed." But he quickly followed up with: "We have to give God thanks we're alive."

Jones survived the strongest hurricane in Jamaican history while he was injured, wearing a homemade splint on his right leg from a fracture he suffered during a biking accident before Melissa hit.

When asked about how the community will move forward, he said: "Pray. Nothing else we can do. Nothing else."

Meanwhile, foreign aid has now started entering into Jamaica.

The US State Department announced on Friday that its Disaster Assistance Response Team had arrived. And countries including the UK have also pledged millions in aid relief funds and emergency supplies.

Hurricane Melissa death toll rises to 28 in Jamaica

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1e34p92q0vo, yesterday

The number of people killed in Jamaica as a result of Hurricane Melissa has risen to 28, the Caribbean nation's prime minister has announced.

Andrew Holness confirmed nine other deaths on Saturday, adding that there were reports of possible fatalities still being verified - suggesting the figure may yet rise.

Emergency responders and aid agencies have struggled to reach certain parts of the island in the aftermath of the storm due to blocked roads, debris and flooding.

The category five hurricane - the strongest type - has caused dozens of deaths across the Caribbean, bringing powerful winds and landslides to Cuba and Haiti.

The full scale of the destruction Melissa wrought on Jamaica has only become clear in the past few days as the hurricane knocked out communication systems and power to much of the island after it made landfall on Tuesday.

Communities on the island's western portion, such as Black River and Montego Bay, have seen the worst of the destruction.

Images have emerged showing buildings razed to the ground, debris and belongings strewn on streets, and whole neighbourhoods still under floodwater.

The Red Cross says that 72% of people across Jamaica still do not have electricity and around 6,000 are in emergency shelters.

Jamaican officials confirmed to news agency AFP that multiple field hospitals were being established to treat people in the worst-affected areas in the west.

Aid reaching those in need was initially held up by the temporary closure of Jamaica's airports.

Now that it is arriving in the country, landslides, downed power lines and fallen trees have made certain roads impassable - complicating its distribution.

With so many in need of clean drinking water, food and medicine, there have been reports of desperate people entering supermarkets and pharmacies to gather what they can.

Melissa has become the most powerful storm on record to hit Jamaica, and one of the strongest seen in the Caribbean.

At its peak, the hurricane had sustained winds of 185mph (295 km/h). A category five hurricane - those capable of catastrophic damage - has winds in excess of 157mph.

At least 31 people have been killed in Haiti as a result of Melissa, while at least two deaths have been reported in the Dominican Republic.

In Cuba, thousands of people have been evacuated as more than 60,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed.

The impact of climate change on the frequency of storms is still unclear, but increased sea surface temperatures warm the air above and make more energy available to drive hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons. As a result, they are likely to be more intense with more extreme rainfall.

Ahead of the start of this year's Atlantic hurricane season, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted above-normal activity.

US strikes on alleged drug boats violate law, UN human rights chief says

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2nx95pgz7o, 4 days ago

The UN's human rights chief has condemned US military strikes on vessels allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean and Pacific, saying the lethal attacks violate international law and amount to "extrajudicial killing".

Volker Türk said on Friday that more than 60 people have reportedly been killed in US strikes since early September.

Calling the attacks "unacceptable", he said Washington must halt them immediately and conduct prompt, independent and transparent investigations.

President Donald Trump has said the strikes are necessary to stem the flow of drugs into the US and he has the legal authority to continue bombing boats in international waters.

Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth has said strikes are being carried out on vessels operated by drug-trafficking groups designated as terrorist organisations by the US, saying this week that "the Western Hemisphere is no longer a safe haven for narco-terrorists bringing drugs to our shores to poison Americans".

Türk, while acknowledging the challenges of tackling drug trafficking, said in a statement that the circumstances for the deadly strikes "find no justification in international law".

"Countering the serious issue of illicit trafficking of drugs across international borders is - as has long been agreed among States - a law-enforcement matter, governed by the careful limits on lethal force set out in international human rights law."

Under law, the intentional use of lethal force "is only permissible as a last resort against individuals who pose an imminent threat to life", he said.

He added that based on "very sparse information provided publicly by the US authorities, none of the individuals on the targeted boats appeared to pose an imminent threat to lives of others".

He called on the US to use law enforcement methods including intercepting boats and detaining suspects, and if necessary, prosecuting individuals.

Most strikes have taken place off the coast of South America in the Caribbean, though attacks in the Pacific this week killed at least 18 people, according to Hegseth.

In the Caribbean, the US has deployed troops, aircraft and naval vessels and last week ordered the world's largest warship - the USS Gerald R Ford - to the area.

The strikes have drawn condemnation in the region and experts have questioned their legality. Members of US Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, have also raised concerns and questioned the president's authority to order them.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her government does not "agree with these attacks" and has called for meetings with the US ambassador, insisting that "all international treaties be respected."

The US actions have also heightened tensions between Washington and the governments of Colombia and Venezuela.

The US has placed sanctions on Colombian president Gustavo Petro, accusing him of failing to curb drug trafficking and allowing cartels to "flourish". Petro has responded that he has been fighting drug trafficking "for decades".

Trump has also accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of leading a drug-trafficking organisation, which he denies.

Venezuela's attorney general told the BBC there is "no doubt" that Trump is trying to overthrow the Venezuelan government. He accused the US of hoping to seize the country's natural resources, including reserves of gold, oil and copper.

The US is among many nations that do not recognise Maduro as Venezuela's legitimate leader, after the last election in 2024 was widely dismissed as neither free nor fair. Opposition tallies from polling stations showed its candidate had won by a landslide.

'The bodies just kept coming' - photographer at deadly Rio police raid

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c364k5e9g58o, 5 days ago

A photographer who witnessed the aftermath of a massive Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has told the BBC of how residents came back with mutilated bodies of those who had died.

The bodies "kept coming: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", Bruno Itan told BBC Brasil. They included those of police officers.

One of the bodies had been decapitated - others were "totally disfigured", he said. Many also had what he says were stab wounds.

More than 120 people were killed during Tuesday's raid on a criminal gang - the deadliest such raid in the city.

Bruno Itan told BBC Brasil that he was first alerted to the raid early on Tuesday by residents of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages telling him there was a shoot-out.

The photographer made his way to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the bodies were arriving.

Itan says that the police stopped members of the press from entering the Penha neighbourhood, where the operation was under way.

"Police officers formed a line and said: 'The press doesn't get past here.'"

But Itan, who grew up in the area, says he was able to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he remained until the next morning.

He says that Tuesday night, local residents began to search the hillside which divides Penha from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for relatives who had been missing since the police raid.

Residents of the Penha neighbourhood proceeded to place the recovered bodies in a square - and Itan's photos show the reaction of the people there.

"The brutality of it all impacted me a lot: the sorrow of the families, mothers fainting, pregnant wives, crying, outraged parents," the photographer recalled.

The governor of Rio state said that the massive police operation involving around 2,500 security personnel was aimed at stopping a criminal group known as Comando Vermelho (Red Command) from expanding its territory.

Initially, the Rio state government maintained that "60 suspects and four police officers" had been killed in the operation.

They have since said that their "preliminary" count shows that 117 "suspects" have been killed.

Rio's public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to the poor, has put the total number of people killed at 132.

According to researchers, Red Command is the only criminal group which in recent years has managed to make territorial gains in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is widely considered one of the two largest gangs in the country, alongside First Capital Command (PCC), and has a history dating back more than 50 years.

According to Brazilian journalist Rafael Soares, who has been covering crime in Rio for years, Red Command "operates like a franchise" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and becoming "business partners".

The gang engages primarily in drug trafficking, but also smuggles guns, gold, fuel, alcohol and tobacco.

According to the authorities, gang members are well armed and police said that during the raid, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of Rio state, Cláudio Castro, described Red Command members as "narcoterrorists" and called the four police officers killed in the raid "heroes".

But the number of people killed in the operation has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it was "horrified".

At a news conference on Wednesday, Governor Castro defended the police force.

"It wasn't our intention to kill anyone. We wanted to arrest them all alive," he said.

He added that the situation had escalated because the suspects had retaliated: "It was a consequence of the retaliation they carried out and the disproportionate use of force by those criminals."

The governor also said that the bodies displayed by locals in Penha had been "manipulated".

In a post on X, he said that some of them had been stripped of the camouflage clothing he said they had been wearing "in order to shift blame onto the police".

Felipe Curi of Rio's civil police force also said that "camouflage clothing, vests, and weapons" had been removed from the bodies and showed footage appearing to show a man cutting camouflage clothing off a corpse.

Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has summoned Governor Castro to a hearing on Monday to explain the police actions "in detail".

With additional reporting by BBC Brasil's Carol Castro in Rio de Janeiro.

At least 132 killed in Rio police raid, officials say

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8x155engwpo, 6 days ago

The number of people known to have been killed in a deadly police raid in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday has risen to 132, officials say.

This is more than double the figure cited after the police operation in the favelas (poor neighbourhoods) of Alemão and Penha, in the north of Rio de Janeiro, on Tuesday.

The public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to the poor, made the new death toll public after grieving residents lay dozens of bodies in a square early on Wednesday.

The police raid was the deadliest in the city, where authorities have for decades tried to contain the gangs which control many of its poorer neighbourhoods.

Asked about the figure given by the public defender's office, Rio state Governor Cláudio Castro said that forensic work was still under way and that until it had concluded, the official figure which he had been given was of 58 dead, although it was "certain to change".

Among those expressing shock about the death toll was Brazil's President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

According to Brazil's justice minister, Lula was "astonished" and also expressed his surprise that the federal government had not been informed beforehand.

Even before the number of dead had more than doubled, the United Nations Human Rights office had said it was "horrified" by the police operation.

Early on Wednesday, residents took the bodies of those killed into a square in Penha, where they placed them next to each other in a long line to show the deadly nature of the raid.

According to Brazilian media, estimates varied between at least 50 and more than 70 bodies.

Many of the bodies had reportedly been retrieved from a nearby hillside, where police said most of the deadly clashes had unfolded.

Challenged by journalists about earlier remarks he had made describing those killed as "criminals", Governor Castro replied: "To be quite honest with you, the conflict wasn't in a built-up area, it was all in the woods. So I don't believe anyone was just strolling in the woods on a day of conflict. And that's why we can easily classify them."

Residents described the scenes unfolding on Tuesday as "war-like", with shoot-outs between officers and armed men - with buses set on fire to create barricades.

According to the police, gang members also used drones to drop explosives on the officers as they fanned out through the neighbourhoods, which are strongholds of the Red Command.

"This is how the Rio police are treated by criminals: with bombs dropped by drones. This is the scale of the challenge we face. This is not ordinary crime, but narco-terrorism," Governor Castro, said.

Governor Castro said that the raid had been two months in the planning and was based on a thorough investigation.

Among those arrested is a man accused of being a leading drug dealer for the Red Command.

The governor also posted photos on social media of the four police officers who were killed in the operation.

He praised the officers killed on what he called "a historic day" in which he said they "confronted organised crime".

Rafael Soares, a Brazilian journalist covering crime in Rio, told BBC News Brasil that the Red Command had been on the offensive in Rio in recent years, reclaiming territory it had lost to its rivals, First Capital Command (PCC).

Soares added that the police operation was part of Governor Castro's efforts to leave his mark and deal a decisive blow to crime in the city ahead of elections next year.

The police raid also comes just days before the city is due to host the C40 World Mayors Summit - a meeting of nearly 100 mayors from the world's leading cities - and the Earthshot Prize - the environmental award which will be handed out by Prince William on 5 November.

Huge police raids are not unusual in Rio, but the number of fatalities in Tuesday's operation is.

According to Soares, police operations in which more than 20 people are killed are "very rare" across Brazil and those that do occur, have mainly happened in Rio.

Rio de Janeiro's Minister for Public Security, Victor Santos, said that 280,000 people lived in the areas where the raids took place.

Police footage showed heavily-armed officers patrolling the narrow, steep lanes of the densely populated hillside favelas.

"This is a war we are seeing in Rio de Janeiro. Decades of inaction by all the institutions - municipal, state and federal - have allowed crime to expand in our territory," Santos said.

With additional reporting by BBC News Brazil's Marina Rossi and Mariana Alvim in São Paulo.

'We need food, we have no food' - desperation takes hold in Jamaica after hurricane

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0jdd186l0go, 3 days ago

People walk along muddied roads scavenging the wreckage for food. Others jump into damaged stores in the hope of finding bottled water or other supplies.

As the death toll rises, residents of Black River are still searching for loved ones while they also battle to survive, days after Hurricane Melissa made this Jamaican port city ground zero of the devastation seen across the Caribbean.

Residents here say they have been living in a state of chaos the last three days since Melissa slammed into them as one of the most powerful category five storms ever recorded in the region.

The fierce winds and storm surge that barrelled through here have decimated nearly everything, leaving roads unusable and a trail of destruction that has them increasingly desperate and isolated with no electricity or running water.

Capsized boats lie kerbside. Brick buildings are split in half. Giant sheets of metal are twisted between tree branches. Vehicles sit in crumbled pieces.

Residents who spoke to the BBC said they have seen no aid trucks in the area so far and described having to eat what food they can find in debris by the roads in the coastal town, nearly 150km (93 miles) west of the capital, Kingston.

Others made their way inside battered supermarkets, taking what they could for themselves.

"We have to use whatever we see here, on the street and also in the supermarket," Demar Walker explained, sitting in a shaded area down the street from the store to escape the heat and 80% humidity.

He said he and others had to climb into the market due to its roof caving in and took what they could. They tossed water and items to others also in need.

"We had to throw food to other people."

Nearby, others told the BBC of a local pharmacy being looted in Black River, describing anarchy as people ran in and out carrying armfuls of drugs and alcohol.

"I saw items covered in mud being hauled out," Aldwayne Tomlinson told the BBC. "At first, I thought the place was still open, but then I really got a second glance.

"I heard a lady say: 'Mi need go get some alcohol.' That's when I knew they were looting the pharmacy as well."

'We need food'

A short walk from the market, Jimmy Esson leaned against a massive metal beam that had been knocked to the ground.

"I lost everything, all my things," he said. "We need food. We have no food."

Survival is the primary concern on most people's minds here. The other is the rising death toll. Officials in Jamaica said on Thursday that at least 19 people had died in the country, a big jump from the five that had been counted the day before. Another 30 have died in neighbouring Haiti due to the storm.

"My community, we have dead bodies there," Mr Walker said.

He said he, like many others in the area, still has not heard from family and doesn't know if they made it out of the storm alive. Mr Walker is stuck in Black River, sleeping in whoever's house is still standing that will accept him, he says, while his eight-year-old son is in Westmoreland, the next parish over.

Westmoreland shares Jamaica's western coast, along with Black River in the St Elizabeth parish, and was also severely damaged by Melissa.

"There's no way of getting to my family to find out if they're OK," he said as his eyes began to swell. Along with the unusable roads making travel difficult, there is little to no cell phone service and no electricity or running water in many hard-hit spots.

"The entire town of Black River is devastated," the town's Mayor Richard Solomon has said.

He noted to local media the desperation of residents who are looting and - while not condoning it - said he understood why it was happening.

"It is a delicate balance," Solomon said of the response to it. "Persons are seizing the opportunity to pick up what they can off the ground [from damaged stores]. However, you have others being a little bit more forceful, where they are trying to get into people's properties to get all sorts of supplies."

Local officials estimate that 90% of the houses here were destroyed. Much of the town's vital infrastructure has been destroyed too, including the local hospital, police station and fire station.

"There are entire communities that seem to be marooned and areas that seem to be flattened," Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon said.

Aid supplies are starting to arrive more rapidly to the main airport in Kingston, but smaller regional airports - some of which are located near where humanitarian assistance is most needed - remain only partly operational.

Aid agencies and the military are bringing in the urgently needed supplies from Kingston by land but many roads remain unpassable in places, including in places like Black River.

The town is about a two-hour drive from Kingston but the main road in is - at various points - flooded, damaged and clogged with cars.

Michael Tharkurdeen, a local medic, was in the town's fire station when the storm hit.

"We were upstairs, the entire bottom floor was flooded. The water was around maybe four feet going five feet. When the water came in, the seas came in, flooded everywhere," he said.

"Nobody could be on the bottom floor. Trust me, there were waves there about this high," he added, pointing to his shoulder.

People who did make it to him from the flooded-out buildings nearby arrived in bad condition. They had "lacerations on their hands, their feet", he says. "Kids, elders, everybody."

Mr Tharkurdee also found a man "lifeless" and with "no pulse" once the flood waters receded.

"I'm not a doctor, I'm a medic, so I couldn't pronounce him dead," he said. "All we could have done was document that and cover his body."

By mid-afternoon on Friday, a fleet of military helicopters flew into Black River - with many hoping they came with desperately needed supplies.

Armed officials carrying machine guns descended onto the streets and soon the crowds rummaging the looted pharmacy and grocery store had cleared. A line of cars that had jammed the sole road in the area had been cleared.

A relative quiet replaced the noise and chaos of hundreds of people fighting for their survival.

"St Elizabeth, we want it to come back again," Shawn Morris said of the area's future and his hopes to get aid here.

"It's not about the money," he said. "We need food and water."

What makes Melissa such a dangerous storm?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp3d71q32w5o, 7 days ago

How Melissa became a Category 5 monster

Tropical Storm Melissa took shape last Tuesday before rapidly strengthening as it moved west through the Caribbean.

A hurricane forms when warm, moist air rises from the ocean surface and creates a spinning system of clouds and storms. In the centre, air sinks, creating the eye, a calm, cloud-free zone surrounded by a wall of violent winds and rain known as the eye-wall.

Melissa's origins trace back to a cluster of thunderstorms off the coast of West Africa in mid-October. By 21 October it had reached tropical storm strength and by 26 October, it was a Category 4 beast churning through the Caribbean Sea.

Ocean temperatures in the Caribbean are unusually high this year and hurricanes feed off that warm layer of water. Those conditions allowed Melissa to intensify quickly.

"The ocean is warmer and the atmosphere is warmer and moister because of [climate change]," says Brian McNoldy, senior research associate at the University of Miami.

"So it tips the scale in favour of things like rapid intensification [where wind speeds increase very quickly], higher peak intensity, and increased rainfall."

Low pressure and violent winds

Melissa ranks as one of the strongest storms in the Atlantic this century.

For Jamaicans, the comparisons with past storms are chilling. If it strikes Jamaica at close to full strength, it could eclipse all the storms the island has experienced before. Gilbert in 1988, the last direct hit, was a Category 3. It destroyed thousands of homes and killed 49 people. Dean in 2007 and Beryl in 2024 came close, but neither matched Melissa's power.

The storm's central air pressure dropped to 892 millibars as of the National Hurricane Center's advisory on Tuesday morning local time, below Hurricane Katrina's 902 mb. The lower the pressure, the more violent the winds - making this one of the most powerful systems ever to form in the Atlantic.

Hurricane Katrina, which hit New Orleans in 2005, killed 1,392 people and caused damage estimated at $125bn (£94bn).

"This is going to be the strongest hurricane that's ever hit [Jamaica], at least in the records we have," Dr Fred Thomas, a research software engineer at Oxford University's Environmental Change Institute, told the BBC.

The storm has been blamed for four deaths in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Jamaica's minister of health said on Monday that three people had died on the island while preparing for the approaching storm.

Melissa strengthened particularly quickly, fuelled by very warm waters in the Caribbean, around one to two degrees above average.

"There has been a perfect storm of conditions leading to the colossal strength of Hurricane Melissa," Dr Leanne Archer, research associate in climate extremes at the University of Bristol, said.

Slow pace poses catastrophic flooding risk

While the wind speed is staggeringly high, the storm's movement is notably slow. Melissa itself was crawling westward at around 5km/h on Tuesday- slower than a person's walking pace.

That lethargy, meteorologists warn, could be catastrophic as it means that a hurricane can bring rain to a single location for days on end, aggravating flooding.

When hurricanes stall, they linger over one area for far longer than normal, leading to repeated waves of rain, flooding and wind damage.

One of the most famous examples of this is Hurricane Harvey in 2017, which stalled over Houston in the US. Harvey released 100cm of rain in just three days, causing catastrophic flooding.

The US National Hurricane Center has warned that Jamaica could see 38 to 76 cm of rain, with as much as a metre in some mountainous areas.

Storm surges of up to four metres are possible, especially along the island's southern and eastern shores. Low-lying parishes such as Clarendon and St Catherine are at risk of flash flooding not only from rainfall but also from torrents rushing down from the Blue Mountains.

"Imagine a metre of rainfall coming down in a whole basin and then being channelled down into a river network. That's going to be metres and metres of flooding by the time it reaches the lower parts of that drainage network. So the flooding will probably result in a large loss of life, I imagine," Dr Thomas, who visited Jamaica earlier this year, said.

Some research suggests hurricanes are generally moving more slowly than they used to. That means more storms like Melissa can sit, rather than sweep, over the land they hit.

And some scientists believe that might be to do with how climate change is affecting circulation patterns in our atmosphere, but that is far from certain and natural variability may also be playing a role.

Jamaica 'unprepared'

Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness has already warned that "no infrastructure can withstand a Category 5".

Dr Thomas largely agrees, but explained that most new buildings in Jamaica were made of reinforced concrete, as required by national building codes.

"Anything built to that code should be pretty strong in terms of the wind, but the wind has only one impact," he said.

"The frightening thing about Melissa is not just the wind - it's the rain and the storm surge. You could have your whole ground floor completely inundated and then part of the first floor as well."

In major cities like Kingston and Montego Bay, the construction is more robust, he said, but in rural and hillside areas, "there's more vernacular architecture [some things built from wood] not the larger, concrete-type buildings". Those will fare far worse.

"This hurricane will be very hard on Jamaica," says Kerry Emanuel, professor emeritus of atmospheric science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Jamaica is "unprepared to cope effectively" with major storms, Dr Patricia Green, an architect and preservationist based in Kingston told the BBC. She recalled how "a couple of hours of rainfall" in September caused "massive flooding" in the capital, exposing deep weaknesses in urban planning.

She criticised the surge of high-rise developments "sited in areas that should be the runoff of the city", saying they had brought flooding to districts "that never had flooding before".

As a low-lying island nation, it is particularly exposed to storms. About 70% of the population resides in coastal areas, according to data from the Jamaican government.

And as is the case with extreme weather, poorer communities are expected to be most badly affected.

"This is one of those worst-case scenarios that you prepare for but desperately hope never happen," says Hannah Cloke, professor of hydrology at the University of Reading.

"The whole country will have a deep and permanent scar from this beast of a storm. It will be a long and exhausting recovery for those affected."

Tourism is another concern. Jamaica's big resorts are largely made from concrete, but their strength has never been tested by winds of this magnitude.

Other parts of the country's infrastructure are more exposed, with electricity expected to go out. Dr Thomas said: "The grid will probably take areas offline before the worst of the storm. But then you've got poles and lines brought down by debris and trees. It's often not the wind itself, but what the wind picks up."

Beyond the buildings, the storm threatens Jamaica's power, water and transport networks. Fallen trees and flying debris are expected to down power lines. Flooding could overwhelm sewage systems and contaminate water supplies. Landslides are likely to cut off mountain roads, isolating rural communities.

Dr Green said modern architectural trends are worsening resilience and the move from traditional jalousie windows with slats to fixed glass can leave buildings more exposed. The sealed panes prevent air from passing through, increasing pressure inside and making walls and roofs more likely to fall when storms strike.

The most vulnerable, she added, are the poorer communities, particularly those living along riverbanks and gullies, which Dr Green says is a "historical, colonial issue", tracing back to emancipation, when formerly enslaved people were granted marginal lands. Many of these families, she said, have lived there for generations, without affordable alternatives or secure land titles.

Dr Thomas pointed particularly to Port Royal which is a small fishing village in Kingston, considered one of the most hurricane-vulnerable communities and on the compulsory evacuation list.

He visited in February, explaining: "It's sort of a long spit of land and it's extremely exposed with a seven or eight-mile drive back to the mainland, so it could be quite easily cut off."

The ripple effects of any one failure can be wide: "Power goes out, and then telecommunications go. Hospitals have backup for a while, but often not long enough. And the airport's closed, which means aid can't get in quickly."

With airports closed, supply chains disrupted and aid flights grounded, even after the storm passes, recovery may take months.

'Brothers in the forest' - the fight to protect an isolated Amazon tribe

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjw92x915xlo, 9 days ago

Tomas Anez Dos Santos was working in a small clearing in the Peruvian Amazon, when he heard footsteps approaching in the forest.

He realised he was surrounded, and froze.

"One was standing, aiming with an arrow," he says. "And somehow he noticed I was here and I started to run."

He had come face to face with the Mashco Piro. For decades, Tomas - who lives in the small village of Nueva Oceania - had been practically a neighbour to these nomadic people, who shun contact with outsiders. However, until very recently, he had rarely seen them.

The Mashco Piro have chosen to be cut off from the world for more than a century. They hunt with long bows and arrows, relying on the Amazonian rainforest for everything they need.

"They started circling and whistling, imitating animals, many different types of birds," Tomas recalls.

"I kept saying: 'Nomole' (brother). Then they gathered, they felt closer, so we headed toward the river and ran."

The people in Nueva Oceania are worried about the damage to the Mascho Piro's livelihood, the threat of violence and the possibility that loggers might expose the Mashco Piro to diseases they have no immunity to.

While we were in the village, the Mashco Piro made their presence felt again. Letitia Rodriguez Lopez, a young mother with a two-year-old daughter, was in the forest picking fruit when she heard them.

"We heard shouting, cries from people, many of them. As if there were a whole group shouting," she told us.

It was the first time she had encountered the Mashco Piro and she ran. An hour later, her head was still pounding from fear.

"Because there are loggers and companies cutting down the forest they're running away, maybe out of fear and they end up near us," she said. "We don't know how they might react to us. That's what scares me."

In 2022, two loggers were attacked by the Mashco Piro while fishing. One was hit by an arrow to the gut. He survived, but the other man was found dead days later with nine arrow wounds in his body.

The Peruvian government has a policy of non-contact with isolated people, making it illegal to initiate interactions with them.

The policy originated in Brazil after decades of campaigning by indigenous rights groups, who saw that initial contact with isolated people lead to entire groups being wiped out by disease, poverty and malnutrition.

In the 1980s, when the Nahau people in Peru made initial contact with the world outside, 50% of their population died within a matter of years. In the 1990s, the Muruhanua people faced the same fate.

"Isolated indigenous peoples are very vulnerable - epidemiologically, any contact could transmit diseases, and even the simplest ones could wipe them out," says Isrrail Aquise from the Peruvian indigenous rights group, Femanad. "Culturally too, any contact or interference can be very harmful to their life and health as a society."

For the neighbours of uncontacted tribes, the reality of no-contact can be tricky.

As Tomas shows us around the forest clearing where he encountered the Mashco Piro, he stops, whistles through his hands and then waits in silence.

"If they answer, we turn back," he says. All we can hear is the chatter of insects and birds. "They're not here."

Tomas feels the government has left the residents of Nueva Oceania to handle a tense situation by themselves.

He plants food in his garden for the Mashco Piro to take. It is a safety measure he and other villagers have come up with to help their neighbours and protect themselves.

"I wish I knew the words to say, 'Here have these plantains, it's a gift,'" he adds. "'You can take them freely. Don't shoot me.'"

At the control post

Almost 200km south-east on the other side of the dense forest, the situation is very different. There, by the Manu River, the Mashco Piro live in an area that is officially recognised as a forest reserve.

The Peruvian Ministry of Culture and Fenamad run the "Nomole" control post here, staffed by eight agents. It was set up in 2013 when conflict between Mashco Piro and local villages resulted in several killings.

As the head of the control post, Antonio Trigoso Ydalgo's job is to stop that from happening again.

The Mashco Piro appear regularly, sometimes several times a week. They are a different group of people from those near Nueva Oceania, and the agents don't believe they know each other.

"They always come out at the same place. That's where they shout from," Antonio says, pointing across the wide Manu River to a small shingly beach on the other side. They ask for plantain, yucca or sugar cane.

"If we don't answer, they sit there all day waiting," Antonio says. The agents try to avoid that, in case tourists or local boats pass by. So they usually comply. The control post has a small garden they grow food in. When it runs out, they ask a local village for supplies.

If these aren't available, the agents ask the Mashco Piro to come back in a few days' time. It has worked so far, and there has been little conflict recently.

There are about 40 people who Antonio sees regularly - men, women and children from several different families.

They name themselves after animals. The chief is called Kamotolo (Honey Bee). The agents say he is a stern man and never smiles.

Another leader, Tkotko (Vulture) is more of a joker, he laughs a lot and makes fun of the agents. There is a young woman called Yomako (Dragon) who the agents say has a good sense of humour too.

The Mashco Piro don't seem to have much interest in the outside world but are interested in the personal lives of the agents they meet. They ask about their families and where they live.

When one agent was pregnant and went on maternity leave, they brought a rattle made from the throat of a howler monkey for the baby to play with.

They are interested in the agents' clothes, especially sports clothes in red or green. "When we approach, we put on old, torn clothes with missing buttons - so they don't take them," Antonio says.

"Before, they wore their own traditional clothing - very beautiful skirts made with threads from insect fibres that they crafted themselves. But now some of them, when tourist boats pass, receive clothes or boots." says Eduardo Pancho Pisarlo, an agent at the control post.

But any time the team ask about life in the forest, the Mashco Piro shut the conversation down.

"Once, I asked how they light their fires," says Antonio. "They told me, 'You have wood, you know.' I insisted, and they said, 'You already have all these things - why do you want to know?'"

If someone doesn't appear for quite a while, the agents will ask where they are. If the Mashco Piro say, "Don't ask", they take it to mean that person has died.

After years of contact, the agents still know little about how the Mashco Piro live or why they remain in the forest.

It is believed they may be descended from indigenous people who fled into the deep jungle in the late 19th Century, escaping rampant exploitation and widespread massacres by so-called "rubber barons".

Experts think the Mashco Piro may be closely related to the Yine, an indigenous people from south-eastern Peru. They speak an antiquated dialect of the same language, which the agents, who are also Yine, have been able to learn.

But the Yine have long been river navigators, farmers and fishermen, while the Mashco Piro seem to have forgotten how to do these things. They may have become nomads and hunter-gatherers to stay safe.

"What I understand now is that they stay in one area for a while, set up a camp, and the whole family gather," says Antonio. "Once they've hunted everything around that place, they move to another site."

Isrrail Aquise from Fenamad says more than 100 people have come out in front of the control post at various times.

"They ask for bananas and cassava to diversify their diet, but some families disappear for months or years after that," he says.

"They just say: 'I'm going away for a few moons, then I'll come back.' And they say goodbye."

The Mashco Piro in this area are well protected but the government is building a road which will connect it to an area where illegal mining is widespread.

But it is clear to the agents that the Mashco Piro do not want to join the outside world.

"From my experience here at the post, they don't want to become 'civilised'," Antonio says.

"Maybe the children do, as they grow up and see us wearing clothes, perhaps in 10 or 20 years. But the adults don't. They don't even want us here," he says.

In 2016, a government bill was passed to extend the Mashco Piro's reserve to an area that would include Nueva Oceania. However, this has never been signed into law.

"We need them to be free like us," says Tomas. "We know they lived very peacefully for years, and now their forests are being finished off - destroyed."

Warships, fighter jets and the CIA - what is Trump's endgame in Venezuela?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gp2lxz75eo, 10 days ago

For two months, the US military has been building up a force of warships, fighter jets, bombers, marines, drones and spy planes in the Caribbean Sea. It is the largest deployment there for decades.

The US says it has killed dozens of people in strikes on small vessels from Venezuela which it alleges carry "narcotics" and "narco-terrorists", without providing evidence or details about those on board.

The strikes have drawn condemnation in the region and experts have questioned their legality. They are being sold by the US as a war on drug trafficking but all the signs suggest this is really an intimidation campaign that seeks to remove Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro from power.

"This is about regime change. They're probably not going to invade, the hope is this is about signalling," says Dr Christopher Sabatini, a senior fellow for Latin America at the Chatham House think tank.

He argues the military build-up is a show of strength intended to "strike fear" in the hearts of the Venezuelan military and Maduro's inner circle so that they move against him.

BBC Verify has been monitoring publicly available tracking information from US ships and planes in the region - along with satellite imagery and images on social media - to try to build a picture of where Trump's forces are located.

The deployment has been changing, so we have been monitoring the region regularly for updates.

As of 23 October, we identified 10 US military ships in the region, including guided missile destroyers, amphibious assault ships and oil tankers for refuelling vessels at sea.

A $50m reward testing loyalty of inner circle

It is no secret that the US administration, particularly Secretary of State Marco Rubio, would like to see Maduro toppled.

Earlier this year, he told Fox News Maduro was a "horrible dictator" and when asked whether he was demanding that Maduro leave, added: "We're going to work on that policy."

But, even for overt critics of Maduro like Rubio, it is difficult to explicitly call for military-backed regime change - something members of Venezuela's opposition have longed called for.

Donald Trump campaigned against regime change in 2016, pledging to "stop racing to topple foreign regimes", and more recently has condemned engaging in "forever wars."

The US does not recognise Maduro as the president of Venezuela. The outcome of the last election in 2024 was disputed and the way the election was conducted was widely dismissed internationally, and by the opposition in Venezuela, as neither free nor fair.

The US has upped its bounty for information leading to Maduro's arrest to $50m, an incentive for those within his loyal, inner circle to hand him in. But it has yielded no defections.

Venezuelan law professor and senior associate at the CSIS national security think tank, Jose Ignacio Hernández, says $50m is "nothing" for Venezuela's elites.

There is a lot of money to be made through corruption within an oil-rich state like Venezuela. The former head of Treasury Alejandro Andrade, made $1bn in bribes before he was convicted.

Many analysts agree the Venezuelan military would be key to any regime change, but for them to turn on Maduro and oust him, they would also likely want promises of immunity from prosecution.

Mr Hernández adds: "They will think, in some way or another I am involved in criminal activities too."

Michael Albertus, a political science professor at the University of Chicago who publishes extensively on Latin America, is not convinced that even a bounty of $500m would persuade Maduro's inner circle to turn him in.

"Authoritarian leaders are always suspicious of even their inner circle, and because of that, they create mechanisms for monitoring them and ensuring loyalty," he said.

Economic sanctions on Venezuela have exacerbated the already severe economic crisis, but have not succeeded in persuading senior figures to turn against their president.

Why this probably isn't just about drugs

Bolstering US sea and air strength

The Pentagon has ordered the deployment of a carrier strike group to the region.

It includes the USS Gerald R Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier.

As well as the US ships we tracked around Puerto Rico - where the US has a military base - satellite imagery also showed two vessels about 75 miles (123km) east of Trinidad and Tobago.

One was a guided missile cruiser, the USS Lake Erie.

The other appeared to be the MV Ocean Trader according to Bradley Martin, a former US Navy captain, now a senior policy researcher at RAND Corp.

This is a converted cargo ship designed to support special forces missions while blending in with commercial traffic. It can house drones, helicopters, and small boats.

There are a wide variety of missions it could conceivably support, including reconnaissance to prepare for strikes. But Mr Martin stresses that its presence "doesn't necessarily mean that those kinds of activities are being carried out or are planned".

Military analysts have pointed out that intercepting drugs at sea does not require a force as big as the current US one.

The US has also bolstered its air presence in the region - BBC Verify has identified a number of US military aircraft across Puerto Rico.

Stu Ray, a senior analyst at McKenzie Intelligence Services, says a satellite image taken on 17 October shows F-35 fighter jets on the tarmac, possibly F-35Bs.

These are highly advanced stealth jets prized for their short take-off and vertical landing capability.

On social media, a private jet pilot shared a video of a MQ-9 Reaper drone, filmed at Rafael Hernández Airport on Puerto Rico.

These have been used by the US to carry out attacks and surveillance in Afghanistan, Syria, Libya and Mali.

Earlier in October, BBC Verify tracked three B-52 bombers which flew across the Caribbean and close to Venezuela's coast.

The US air force later confirmed that the planes had taken part in a "bomber attack demonstration".

Flights of B1 bombers and P-8 Poseidon spy planes have also been visible on plane tracking platforms.

Images on social media have also shown military helicopters operating off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago.

Some of these are Boeing MH-6M Little Birds - nicknamed "Killer Eggs" - used by US special forces.

What CIA could do inside Venezuela

When asked if the CIA had been given the authority to take out Maduro, Donald Trump dodged the question and said it would be "ridiculous" to answer.

He has also said that the US is "looking at land now", referring to possible military operations on Venezuelan soil.

The CIA is viewed with a lot of suspicion by many in Latin America because of a long history of covert interventions, attempts at regime-change, and support for past right-wing military dictatorships, notably in Chile and Brazil.

Ned Price, deputy to the US representative to the United Nations and formerly a CIA senior analyst and State Department senior adviser, said CIA covert action can take "many forms."

"It can be information operations. It can be sabotage operations. It can be funding opposition parties. It can go as far as the overthrow of a regime. There are a lot of options between the low-end and high-end option."

This could include agents being used to target trafficking suspects inside Venezuela. By the US's own definition, this could include Maduro himself.

Dr Sabatini says given Venezuela isn't a major production point for drugs, there are no cocaine or fentanyl labs to "take out" but there are airstrips or ports which the US could target.

"If he wants to be aggressive, he could send a missile to a military barrack. There is pretty good intelligence certain sectors of the military are involved in cocaine trafficking."

Or it could be a "smash and grab situation", he notes, where they attempt to seize Maduro or some of his lieutenants and bring them to justice in the US.

The big question, he argues, is how long Trump is willing to keep so many US assets parked in the Caribbean.

If the prime purpose of this military build-up is to threaten Maduro, it is unclear whether it is enough to prompt defections.

Whether that goes as far as an actual attempt to dislodge the Maduro regime through force, ponders Professor Albertus, it is hard to know.

Peru cuts diplomatic ties with Mexico over ex-PM's asylum claim

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czdrg9zqnljo, today

Peru has announced it is breaking off diplomatic relations with Mexico after its government granted asylum to a former Peruvian prime minister facing charges for a 2022 coup attempt.

Peruvian Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela expressed his "surprise and deep regret" after learning Betssy Chávez was being given refuge at the Mexican embassy in Peru.

"Given this unfriendly act... the Peruvian government has decided to sever diplomatic relations with Mexico today," Zela said.

Chávez had been imprisoned in June 2023 over her alleged role in ousted Peruvian president Pedro Castillos's plan to dissolve congress. She was released by a judge on bail in September and had denied the charges against her.

Peru also accused Mexico of "repeated instances in which the current and former presidents of that country have interfered in Peru's internal affairs".

"The truth is, they have tried to portray the authors of the coup attempt as victims, when in reality, Peruvians live and want to continue living in democracy, as recognised by all countries in the world, with the sole and lonely exception of Mexico," Zela added.

Prosecutors are seeking a 25-year sentence for Chávez's alleged role in Castillo's plan to dissolve congress.

Castillo was arrested in December 2022 on charges of rebellion, after he attempted to dissolve congress and install an emergency government.

Hours after the attempt, Castillo was impeached. He has been in preventative custody ever since.

Prosecutors are seeking a 34-year jail term for Castillo, who previously said he never took up arms against the state because the military refused his orders.

Peru's decision to sever diplomatic ties with Mexico adds to ongoing tensions between the two governments since Castillo's ousting.

In 2022, Lima expelled Mexico's ambassador following its decision to grant asylum to Castillo's wife and children following his arrest.

A year later, Peru also recalled its ambassador to Mexico after then-president Andrés Manuel López Obrador expressed his support for Castillo, saying he had been "illegally ousted".

A former primary school teacher, farmer and union activist, Castillo was dubbed Peru's "first poor president".

With no previous political experience, he took office as a government outsider, vowing to transform Peru's deteriorating economy and support the poor.

But Castillo's presidency came to an infamous end after his attempt to seize power was declared unconstitutional, with government officials and the country's armed forces refusing to support him.

Casillo's successor, former president Dina Boluarte, was removed from office last month by an overwhelming majority in Peru's congress, after mass protests against political scandals and soaring crime.

Congress leader José Jeri was then sworn in as interim president.

Britons evacuated from Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa land in UK

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg441qyv2xo, yesterday

A flight chartered by the UK government to evacuate British nationals from Jamaica in the wake of Hurricane Melissa has landed at Gatwick Airport.

The flight, which left Kingston's Norman Manley International Airport on Saturday, comes after the UK flew in aid as part of a £7.5m regional emergency package.

Some of the funding will be used to match public donations up to £1m to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent - with King Charles and Queen Camilla among those to have donated.

Despite aid arriving in Jamaica in recent days, blocked roads have complicated distribution after Melissa devastated parts of the island, killing at least 28 people.

Melissa swept across the region over a number of days, leaving behind a trail of destruction and dozens of people dead. In Haiti, at least 31 people were killed, while Cuba also saw flooding and landslides.

Jamaica's Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon said on Friday "there are entire communities that seem to be marooned and areas that seem to be flattened".

Around 8,000 British nationals were thought to have been on the island when the hurricane hit.

The UK Foreign Office has asked citizens there to register their presence and advised travellers to contact their airline to check whether commercial options were available.

The UK initially set aside a £2.5m immediate financial support package for the region, with an additional £5m announced by Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper on Friday as "more information... on the scale of the devastation" emerged.

The British Red Cross said the King and Queen's donation would help the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) "continue its lifesaving work" - which includes search and rescue efforts in Jamaica as well as ensuring access to healthcare, safe shelter and clean water.

The Red Cross said that 72% of people across Jamaica still do not have electricity and around 6,000 are in emergency shelters.

Until the Jamaican government can get the broken electricity grid back up and running, any generators aid agencies can distribute will be vital.

So too will tarpaulins, given the extent of the housing crisis.

Meanwhile, with so many in need of clean drinking water and basic food, patience is wearing thin and there are more reports of desperate people entering supermarkets to gather and give out whatever food they can find.

The BBC has seen queues for petrol pumps, with people waiting for hours to then be told there is no fuel left when they reach the front of the queue.

Some people are seeking fuel for generators, others to drive to an area where they can contact people, with the power down across most of the island.

The country's health minister, Dr Christopher Tufton, described "significant damage" across a number of hospitals on Saturday - with the Black River Hospital in St Elizabeth being the most severely affected.

"That facility will have to be for now totally relocated in terms of services," he said. "The immediate challenge of the impacted hospitals is to preserve accident and emergency services."

Dr Tufton added: "What we're seeing is that a lot of people are coming in now to these facilities with trauma-related [injuries] from falls from the roof, to ladders, to nails penetrating their feet."

The minister said arrangements had been made for the ongoing supply of fuel to the facilities as well as a daily supply of water.

Landslides, downed power lines and fallen trees have made certain roads impassable - complicating the distribution of aid across the island.

However, some of the worst affected areas of Jamaica should finally receive some relief by Sunday.

At least one aid organisation, Global Empowerment Mission, rolled out from Kingston on Saturday with a seven-truck convoy heading to Black River, the badly damaged town in western Jamaica, carrying packs of humanitarian assistance put together by volunteers from the Jamaican diaspora community in Florida.

Help is also coming in from other aid groups and foreign governments via helicopter.

It remains only a small part of what the affected communities need but authorities insist more is coming soon.

Melissa - the strongest hurricane so far this year - made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday, with sustained winds of up to 185mph (295km/h).

A category five storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale is the strongest kind, with wind speeds in excess of 157mph, making hurricanes of this strength capable of catastrophic destruction.

Fire at shop in Mexico kills 23, officials say

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0mxxm49jggo, yesterday

A fire that broke out at discount shop in Mexico has killed at least 23 people and injured 11 others, local officials say.

The blaze broke out on Saturday in the centre of the north-western city of Hermosillo at a branch of Waldo's - Mexico's largest discount chain.

Multiple local authorities described the incident as an explosion, though regional Governor Alfonso Durazo said the exact cause had yet to be determined. The Sonora state public security secretariat said it had ruled out the possibility it was an attack or act of deliberate violence against civilians.

Children are among the victims, officials said, with a 15-year-old girl among those taken to hospital.

Images from the scene show thick, black smoke billowing from the building, with the flames appearing to have spread to cars parked in front of the shop.

After the fire was extinguished, scorch marks can be seen rising from the shop's doors and windows, one of which appears completely destroyed. The car immediately in front of this window is entirely burnt out.

"To the families who lost a loved one... I share your pain and offer you my full solidarity," Durazo said in a video address.

He added that an "extraordinary, transparent and thorough" investigation had been launched to clarify the causes of the incident and determine who was responsible.

Sonora state's Attorney General Gustavo Salas Chávez told reporters early on Sunday that most of those killed had died due to "exposure to toxic gases".

He said there was no indication that the fire had been started intentionally, but added that he could not rule out an investigation into the cause.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on social media: "My heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives."

Waldo's shops are a common sight on Mexico high streets, with hundreds of outlets across the country.

The fire comes on the weekend when Mexico celebrates the Day of the Dead, where festivities are held for people to honour deceased loved ones.

The state government said it was cancelling cultural events planned for Sunday after the incident.

Hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Israelis protest against conscription

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c77zdvjrx0do, 5 days ago

Hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jewish Israelis are taking part in a protest in Jerusalem against changes to a legal exemption for religious students from conscription in the military.

Almost all sects and factions of the ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, community are taking part in what has been dubbed the "march of the million".

Since the founding of Israel, students enrolled full-time at a religious school, or yeshiva, have been exempted from conscription, although some other members of the community do serve in the military.

Demands for them to play a bigger role have intensified during the war in Gaza.

Roads in and around Jerusalem were shut down before the start of one of the biggest anti-conscription protests by ultra-Orthodox Israelis in years.

It is bringing together disparate elements of the community, which makes up about 14% of the Israeli population.

What is uniting them is their opposition not only to moves to enforce conscription for more of their community, but also anger at hundreds of arrests in recent months of ultra-Orthodox men avoiding the draft.

The Haredi believe that their age-old way of life could be under threat.

But many in Israel feel they have not shared their fair burden in the war.

Bringing them into the military would help with a shortfall in manpower.

But there are also concerns in the military about conscripting large numbers of ultra-Orthodox - integration would be a difficult challenge, as well as accommodating the Haredi need to adhere to the strict code of their religious beliefs.

Israeli troops kill municipal worker in south Lebanon raid

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdrz6gkk5p3o, 5 days ago

Israeli troops carried out an incursion into a south Lebanese town overnight, killing a municipal employee, state media report, amid an escalation of Israeli attacks in Lebanon.

The troops, accompanied by drones and light armoured vehicles, entered Blida and stormed the town hall, where the employee - named as Ibrahim Salameh - was sleeping, according to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency.

The Israeli military said its troops were conducting an operation to "dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure", without providing evidence that the building was being used by the group.

Israel's operation drew a furious response in Lebanon, where a ceasefire ended a war between them last November.

Israel's military says troops encountered a "suspect" inside the building and opened fire when an "immediate threat" was identified, it added. It was not clear whether Salameh had been the target of the operation.

Israel has stepped up its attacks on people and targets it says are linked to Hezbollah, a Shia Muslim group backed by Iran.

The Lebanese President, Joseph Aoun, instructed the commander of the Lebanese army to confront any Israeli incursion into southern Lebanon.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam denounced the killing of Salameh and the incursion as a "flagrant violation of Lebanese institutions and sovereignty".

He said Lebanon would continue pressing the United Nations and ceasefire guarantors "to ensure a halt to the repeated violations and the implementation of a complete Israeli withdrawal from our lands".

Protests were held on Thursday morning in Blida and nearby towns, where residents blocked roads with burning tyres to denounce what they called a "blatant aggression" and the state's failure to protect civilians.

Over recent days, Israel intensified its strikes across Lebanon, saying it was targeting Hezbollah positions.

A second Israeli operation was reported overnight in the nearby village of Adaisseh, where residents say troops blew up a religious ceremonial hall.

Israeli warplanes also flew over parts of southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley on Thursday, while drones were again seen circling low above Beirut's southern suburbs.

During a meeting of ceasefire monitors on Wednesday, US envoy Morgan Ortagus said Washington welcomed Lebanon's "decision to bring all weapons under state control by the end of the year", adding that the Lebanese army "must now fully implement its plan".

Under the ceasefire agreement, Israeli troops were to withdraw from southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah was to move its fighters north of the Litani river and dismantle its military infrastructure there - a plan the group and its allies strongly oppose.

Only the Lebanese army and the UN peacekeeping force, Unifil, are authorised to deploy armed personnel in the area south of the Litani, but Israel has maintained positions at several strategic border sites.

Israeli military's top lawyer resigns over leak of video allegedly showing abuse of Palestinian detainee

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyk1dk7d9do, 4 days ago

The Israeli military's top lawyer has resigned after saying that she was responsible for the leaking of a video that purportedly shows soldiers sexually abusing a Palestinian detainee last year.

Maj Gen Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, the military advocate general, had been on leave since a criminal investigation was launched by police earlier this week into how the surveillance video at the Sde Teiman detention facility was leaked.

Five reserve soldiers have been charged over the incident.

Before her resignation, Defence Minister Israel Katz had said Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi would not be allowed to return to her post.

Warning: this story contains a description of alleged sexual abuse

In her resignation letter, Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi said she took full responsibility for any material that was released to the media from the unit.

"I approved the release of material to the media in an attempt to counter false propaganda against the army's law enforcement authorities," she said.

That is a reference to efforts by some right-wing political figures in Israel to claim that the video and reports of abuse of detainees were fabricated.

Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi went on: "It is our duty to investigate whenever there is reasonable suspicion of acts of violence against a detainee."

After her resignation was accepted by the chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Katz put out a statement welcoming the decision.

"Anyone who spreads blood libels against IDF troops is unfit to wear the army's uniform," he said.

The leaked video was broadcast on the Israeli Channel 12 news in August 2024.

The footage shows soldiers at Sde Teiman taking aside a detainee, then surrounding him with riot shields to block visibility while he was stabbed in the rectum with a sharp object. The detainee was treated for severe injuries.

After Israeli military police went to Sde Teiman to question 11 reservists over the incident, far-right protesters broke into the facility to show their support.

Five reservists were subsequently charged with aggravated abuse and causing serious bodily harm to the detainee. They have denied the charges.

The video was seen as concrete evidence backing up multiple reports of abuse of Palestinian detainees since the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel.

Right-wing politicians in Israel, however, condemned the leaking of the video as attempt to defame the Israeli military.

Last year, a report by a UN commission of inquiry alleged that thousands of child and adult detainees from Gaza had been "subjected to widespread and systematic abuse, physical and psychological violence, and sexual and gender-based violence amounting to the war crime and crime against humanity of torture and the war crime of rape and other forms of sexual violence".

Israel's 'yellow line' in Gaza gives Netanyahu room for manoeuvre

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2y9ny653no, 14 days ago

Under Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza, the "yellow line" - which Israel withdrew to earlier this month - is the first of three stages of Israeli military withdrawal. It leaves it in control of about 53% of the Gaza Strip.

One Israeli newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, referred to it as "effectively the new border" in Gaza.

It's a remark that will please the far-right coalition partners of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The fortifications and demarcations Israel is now building along this boundary are meant to clearly divide the territory, but they may also help to blur the differing hopes and expectations of Mr Netanyahu's allies in Washington and at home.

How long he can keep both sets of expectations in play depends largely on this next stage of negotiations.

The boundary marked by the yellow line is temporary, but further withdrawal of Israeli forces rests on resolving the difficult issues pinned to the second stage of Donald Trump's deal – including the transfer of power in Gaza and the process for disarming Hamas.

Washington is keen that nothing upset this next delicate stage of negotiations. US Vice-President JD Vance flew in on Tuesday to push Netanyahu to press on with peace talks. Trump's negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with the Israeli PM on Monday.

Israeli newspapers have been reporting that Netanyahu is receiving a stern message from his American allies to "show restraint" and not to endanger the ceasefire.

When Israel complained that Hamas had violated the terms of the ceasefire on Sunday, killing two soldiers, the response advocated by Mr Netanyahu's far-right National Security Minister was a one-word demand: "War".

Instead, Israel carried out an intense, but brief, wave of air strikes, before reinstating the truce, and was careful to emphasise that its troops had been attacked inside the yellow line – keen to show Washington that Israel had not broken the rules.

Netanyahu has said the war will not end until Hamas is dismantled – its disarmament, and the full demilitarisation of Gaza, are among the conditions he has set.

But Israeli commentators are lining up to say that the real decisions over Israel's military action in Gaza are now being made in Washington.

The yellow line – and the daunting task facing negotiators in this second stage of the deal – are clues as to why Netanyahu's coalition partners have chosen to wait, rather than carry out a threat to bring down his government.

The dream for many extremist settlers – and ministers – is that the next stage of this process will prove impossible to resolve and the yellow line will indeed become the de facto border, opening the way to new settlements on Gazan land. Some hardliners would like Israel to annex the whole of the Gaza Strip.

The vast majority of Israelis want an end to the war and for the remaining bodies of the hostages, and Israel's serving soldiers, to come home.

But Israel's prime minister is known as a politician who likes to keep his options as open as possible, for as long as possible, and this is a deal in stages, with caveats built in.

Agreeing to this first stage meant withdrawing to positions that left Israel in control of more than half of Gaza, and agreeing to a ceasefire in order to get hostages home.

From here, it will become harder to align the goals of his US and domestic allies.

Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly underlined that violations of the deal by Hamas – including its failure to disarm – would allow Israel to return to war.

"If this is achieved the easy way, so much the better," he told the Israeli public earlier this month. "If not, it will be achieved the hard way."

Donald Trump has said the same. But Washington has so far shown a tolerance for delays and violations in implementing the deal on the ground, leaving Netanyahu with far less political room than perhaps he'd like.

Olympics and Saudi Arabia abandon esports Games deal

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c803ggn89n5o, 4 days ago

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has cancelled a deal made with Saudi Arabia to host the first Esports Games.

The competition was due to be held in capital city Riyadh in 2027 as part of a 12-year deal with the country.

It had originally been due to launch this year, but was reportedly pushed back over concerns about the time needed to arrange the event.

A statement from the IOC said the two sides "mutually agreed" to end the deal but were committed to "pursuing their own esports ambitions on separate paths".

Saudi Arabia has become a key player in the world of competitive gaming, and has hosted the annual Esports World Cup for the past two years.

After a boom before and during the Covid-19 pandemic, many major esports contests and teams have struggled to find the money to put on expensive in-person events.

Saudi Arabia has been willing to fund events through its Public Investment Fund (PIF) which it says is part of efforts to move away from its reliance on oil to generate income.

The kingdom has also invested heavily in more traditional sports, and critics argue that this practice - known as "sportswashing" - is designed to distract from the kingdom's human rights record and its anti-LGBT laws.

Despite parting ways with the IOC, the country recently announced plans to start an Esports Nations Cup from November 2026, allowing contenders to compete under their national flags.

The IOC says it still has plans to hold an Olympic Esports Games of its own, to run alongside the traditional summer and winter Games.

It has previously run test events involving fighting and driving games, and in 2022 the Commonwealth Games hosted its own esports championship.

However, the organisers of the 2026 Games in Australia have ditched plans for a follow-up.

Saudi Arabia's interest in the games industry extends beyond esports, and it recently led a bid to buy gaming giant Electronic Arts for a record $55bn (£42bn).

The company publishes popular video games including EA FC, Battlefield and Apex Legends.

This week, some of the biggest content creators linked to another big EA series, The Sims, said they would stop making videos about the game in protest at the sale.

Saudi Arabia also has stakes in Grand Theft Auto publisher Take Two, Resident Evil maker Capcom and Nintendo.

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Politicians rarely comment on the royals. That could all change after the Andrew saga

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2emj9r4j22o, 3 days ago

"You might think this is about Andrew," a senior Whitehall figure wonders out loud.

"But put this in your diary as a pivot point in the relationship between Palace and Parliament."

Will this royal mess usher in a new era? And despite their conventional refusal to comment, could politicians become quicker to point out the monarchy's flaws, and more willing to speak out?

"Nice try!" was the then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson's response when he was asked by reporters about the original, disastrous interview with the man who was until 48 hours ago afforded his title Prince Andrew, back in 2019.

That just about sums up the response - for years. Ministers would rather do almost anything than speak out on the saga.

"It was more than being allergic - you were going into a no-win scenario," a former No 10 official recalls. "You either incur the wrath of the Palace, or you look like you are defending the indefensible."

The avoid-it-if-you-possibly-can tactic was not just associated with the long-running Andrew saga. For many years, the broad convention has been that senior politicians who want to get near government keep their mouths diplomatically shut about the royals, aside from bland praise, or supportive quiet murmuring.

And the convention worked both ways - with the Royal Family never talking about political matters in public. Polite nods in both directions were the order of the day. It has been deliberate - "don't upset the Queen, don't upset the King."

In our political system, it's hard to think of other areas where there is the same kind of unwritten rule. The former No 10 source says the prime minister is rarely told to not do something, but when it comes to the royals, aides and officials are "preprogrammed" to advise: do not get involved.

There have, of course, always been notable exceptions.

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is a republican, and questioned whether the royal family should be scaled back.

Boris Johnson infuriated the Palace when he closed down Parliament for weeks, suspected of seeking to stop MPs trying to thwart his ambition to take the UK out of the EU. For the Palace, that nakedly political action was deeply uncomfortable.

David Cameron was rapped on the knuckles when he claimed the late queen "purred" down the phone line when he told her the result of the Scottish referendum.

The leader of the Greens, Zack Polanski, tells me they are a republican party, and there are plenty of proud republicans peppered through Labour, the SNP, and Lib Dem ranks, although those aren't the parties' official positions.

The truth is, for those in, or close to power, the monarchy is not just a fact of political life, but part of it. The reason? Don't forget, the crown is depicted on the headed paper of government documents, on the front of our laws, and stamped on the side of ministers' red boxes. The government is his or her majesty's administration.

Ministers are appointed by the Crown. And that's not just abstract. Senior politicians who attend the Privy Council will see the monarch on a regular basis. The prime minister famously has an "audience", a one-to-one chat, with the King every week.

So the government and Palace are fundamentally connected through process and personalities. Insiders underline these real relationships are another reason for not taking potshots.

In the last few weeks, however, there is no question there's been a bolder appetite in Parliament. Revelation after revelation about Andrew's behaviour has prompted an unusual level of chatter. We've seen MPs trying to force a change in the law for him to lose his titles.

The Lib Dems pondered using their allotted time in the Commons to debate cranking up the pressure. And the powerful Public Accounts Committee has been demanding answers over Andrew paying only a peppercorn rent at his home in Windsor. Even though his big brother is calling in the removal vans, the PAC is still waiting for responses to its queries. Depending on the responses it gets, they may still launch a bigger investigation into the financial trail.

And while it still seems unlikely, the committee's MPs could even summon Andrew to give evidence to them.

American politicians have threatened to do the same - and UK Trade Minister Chris Bryant said on Friday morning he should attend if asked to do so, as any "decent person" would.

Even a few weeks ago, it's hard to imagine those kinds of comments escaping the mouth of any member of a British government.

The nature of the allegations - and arguably the Palace's hesitation to take bolder action over a long period of time - has changed the mood, reflecting, as politicians often do, the public's attitude.

"The truth is we are very supportive of the Royal Family and the King," one opposition source said. "But lots of people we spoke to knocking on doors were so unhappy, so we felt it needed to get sorted."

Unease about royal behaviour had spread way beyond regular critics of the monarchy – Robert Jenrick and Sir Ed Davey bringing it up "sent shockwaves".

And sources suggest messages were being quietly conveyed from government too. One said: "'people [...] politely saying to the Palace this is not going away and this is difficult - the government saying 'eek, this isn't going away' - will have been part of it."

It is also the case that the royal furore has been incredibly convenient for the government this week - grabbing headlines while Chancellor Rachel Reeves' behaviour was being questioned.

During royal scandals, "you breathe a sigh of relief as you guys - the media - go crackers over something else," a former No 10 official told me.

By her own admission, Reeves broke the rules. She didn't get her story straight at the start. Had the King made his decision a few days earlier or a few days later, the chancellor's embarrassment might have been building into a bigger scandal.

It'd be wrong to suggest it was politicians who sent Andrew packing. The King was very unusually heckled. There have been years of unease over Andrew's behaviour. Allegation after allegation.

Several weeks ago Virginia Giuffre's family went on my show and said Lord Mandelson should never have been the UK ambassador to the US.

But the role of Parliament and politicians did matter, a source says. Another Whitehall insider tells me it started in Parliament - and the Palace "would have been aware that it was becoming a bigger issue" there.

While technically, of course, the monarch is the ultimate boss, Parliament writes the cheques, through what's known as the Sovereign Grant, and has the power to scrutinise the Palace's spending.

So what now? Some MPs perhaps have a taste for exerting pressure on the royals. There is the possibility of a full investigation into Andrew's finances. There are already calls for a debate about removing Andrew from the line of succession. That would require a change of the law. It's not a tempting prospect for a weak government to pursue that kind of deeply controversial business.

But one insider tells me: "There are quite a lot of politicians in both houses who have wanted to get into this over the years and now Andrew has opened the door ajar and they can now push it fully open and go in."

Perhaps royal rows will become a more regular part of our political fare.

What another former Downing Street figure described as the "blanket blah-blah-blah, we can't comment" approach might have had its day.

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Martha Kearney: I'm worried about Britain’s wildflowers - so I planted a meadow

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3rjnlv8ejxo, 4 days ago

Ever since I was a child I have loved wildflowers. I have fond memories of the woods in Sussex, where I grew up, filling with primroses early in the year and carpeted with bluebells in the spring.

I always used their nicknames - "eggs and bacon" for birds-foot-trefoil (a native plant known for its yellow slipper-like petals) and "bread-and-cheese" for the young shoots of the British tree hawthorn, which my friends and I would eat. And pretend to like!

We picked rosehips from hedges too, which we split open to make itching powder, perfect for playground pranks.

But later in life, on my walks through the countryside, I began to notice dwindling numbers of wildflowers. I missed the grasslands, bursting with colour, that I'd so enjoyed in my childhood.

According to the charity Plantlife, approximately 97% of wildflower meadows have been lost across the UK since the 1930s, while species-rich grassland areas, which used to be a common sight, are now among the most threatened habitats.

"It's definitely a story of severe overall decline, both in the cover of flowers but also the diversity," explains Simon Potts, professor of biodiversity and ecosystem services at Reading University.

So, what will happen if there isn't more intervention to save wildflowers? What will the future look like?

"Awful, in a word," says Prof Potts. "If we, let's say, take a scenario where we just continue business as usual as we are now, we will still keep losing our wildflowers.

"And with that, we lose the beneficial biodiversity like the pollinators and the natural enemies of pests."

As a bee lover I am on team pollinator - which is one of the reasons why my husband and I decided to plant our own wildflower meadow. Not just for the beautiful colours but for the vibrancy of the bees, butterflies and moths flying around, which need that habitat.

Yet since then, I've come to understand that the loss of wildflowers could bring other perhaps more unexpected consequences too.

Higher food prices, less wildlife

"The consequence will be for farmers," argues Prof Potts. "They will get low yields and poor quality crops, consumers will have to pay higher prices. Our environment will be degraded, eroded, will have less wildlife.

"Many of them [wildflowers] produce nectar and pollen, which is super important for things like wild bees, hoverflies, and butterflies, that can pollinate crops."

Prof Daniel Gibbs, food security lead at the University of Birmingham's School of Biosciences, also has concerns about the long-term consequences.

"Over time, and alongside pressures from climate change and land degradation, this could make our food system more fragile, and negatively impact food security," he says - meaning we could, for example, find ourselves with more limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

There are also studies showing that fields near wildflower-rich margins or meadows produce better-quality fruit and higher yields.

"Wildflowers can also support some bugs, like spiders and carabid beetles… [which] do an absolutely fantastic job in controlling some of the pests that we get on crops - that can either damage the crop or sometimes lower the quality of the produce," adds Prof Potts.

He describes wildflowers as almost like little factories, pumping out beneficial bits of biodiversity that can help with food production.

"Farmers may have to rely more on manual pollination," Prof Gibbs says. "Or we may need to look to increasing food imports, both of which can drive up prices."

Farming under strain

Multiple factors are behind the decline. Sarah Shuttleworth, a botanist with Plantlife, argues that certain intensive farming methods have contributed.

But some intensive farming methods have also allowed farmers to grow food for the country - and farmers I spoke to pointed out that they face tough financial choices.

Though there have been government subsidies in place for years, meaning farmers are paid by the government to support wildlife on their land, since Brexit the way these grants are paid has changed, with different schemes designed in each of the devolved nations.

In England, there has been frustration in some quarters about the speed and rollout of the grants and the fact that some schemes have been paused - such as the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), though this is due to reopen, while others extended at the last minute, leaving farmers less able to plan ahead.

Speaking about the SFI scheme, a Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) spokesperson told the BBC: "We inherited farming schemes which were untargeted and underspent, meaning millions of pounds were not going to farming businesses.

"We have changed direction to ensure public money is spent effectively, and last year all the government's farming budget was spent."

They also acknowledged that wildflowers are vital, providing food and habitats for pollinators and wildlife, as well as improving biodiversity, and added: "We are backing farmers with the largest nature-friendly budget in history and under our agri-environment schemes we are funding millions of hectares of wildflower meadows."

As part of its new deal for farmers, Defra said it has committed nearly £250m in farming grants to improve productivity, trial new technologies and drive innovation in the sector.

Mark Meadows, Warwickshire chair of the National Farmers' Union (NFU), maintains 6m (20ft) wildflower strips around many of his fields. He feared that without an extension to his current agreement with Defra he'd have to return some wildflower margins to crop production.

"I'd love [to] be profitable enough [to] say 'Look, we'll leave 5% of our farmland,'… but agricultural costs have gone up a lot," he says.

Other farmers share similar tales. David Lord is a third-generation farmer in Essex and member of the Nature Friendly Farming Network.

"I'm 47 and I've never known farming to be under so much strain," he says.

Knowing what funding for nature recovery on farms will be in place in future years is, he says, crucial. "It takes time and care and cost to maintain [wildflowers]... A lot of farmers aren't going to be minded to just keep these habitats in place without the funding."

Why we created a meadow

There are some glimmers of hope.

Prof Potts says there has at least been a slowdown in decline over the last couple of decades - and perhaps a limited recovery for some species.

"I think [this] reflects some of the agricultural practices that have been a bit more nature-friendly."

Nature writer, and author of Flora Britannica, Richard Mabey, agrees that the decline in wildflowers is far from universal.

Certain species such as cow parsley, yarrow and knapweed are in fact spreading, and he welcomes an influx of non-native plants and "garden escapes", such as snowdrop and buddleia.

Even so, Prof Potts says: "It is the most precious things that we're losing the most of." This includes cornflowers, corncockle and corn marigold - what he terms the iconic British countryside flowers.

And the overall decline is why my husband and I decided to create our own wildflower meadow from an overgrown arable field.

There was a field next to our house, which I had put beehives in, with permission from the owner. I had often thought it would be wonderful to create a wildflower meadow around those hives, so when the opportunity arose to buy the field, we decided to go ahead.

A conservation specialist advised us on where to buy the seed. It was particularly important to get some yellow rattle seed, which helps keep more dominant grasses in check. This in turn gives other wildflowers more opportunity to gain a foothold.

Our first year after sowing was amazing. A patriotic bloom of red, white and blue burst across the field. The red was from poppies which came from the disturbed ground. The white was ox-eye daisies, bladder campion and wild carrot, with spires of bright blue from viper's bugloss.

The colour has changed over time - the splash of red did not return, but different wildflowers arrived in their place.

The most spectacular year was last summer. Orchid seeds I'd scattered many years before and almost forgotten about, managed to flower. We counted more than 100 bee orchids — which to a bee lover like me, was the climax of years of work.

In fairness, I should admit it's years of my husband Chris's work. He found an old-fashioned seed fiddle for us to use — a hand-held device used to scatter the seeds in a controlled way, operated as though drawing a bow across a violin.

He also cut the hay at the end of summer, initially trying with a scythe - Poldark-style - but ultimately finding a small tractor does the trick in a less backbreaking way.

Of course, many people are not in the fortunate position we found ourselves in, of being able to create a wildflower meadow. And in the UK, you cannot plant wildflowers just anywhere — you would most likely need the landowner's permission.

But growing numbers of people are trying to create their own patches of wildflowers. Plantlife reports that more and more are joining its No Mow May initiative — an annual campaign to let wildflowers grow freely, by packing away the lawnmower.

Sarah Shuttleworth says just a small spot can make a difference, especially when it comes to pollinators. "Anyone who has a patch of grass could do their bit… the idea is that you're recreating a meadow-type management scheme, but in a very, very micro scale."

Time for a radical rethink?

The charity would like to see wildflower habitats being given the same kind of protection as other precious landscapes. Meanwhile Prof Potts thinks, "We need a bit more of a radical think about how to support farmers to do the right thing."

New housing developments could also prove a way to create wildflower meadows. Under the government's Biodiversity Net Gain scheme, set up under the Environment Act, developers creating building sites are obliged to ensure the same amount of biodiversity at the end of the project, as they had at the start, plus 10%.

Ben Taylor manages the Iford Estate, farming land near Lewes in Sussex. For a recording of Open Country on Radio 4, he showed me with great pride around a new wildflower meadow, which was part of a 90-acre site, funded as a pilot by the scheme.

"We have seen hares here now, which we never had a year or two ago, before we started doing this. So it's really exciting..."

But, I wondered, does it make sense to take all of those acres of land out of food production?

Mr Taylor says the soil was poor there anyway. "You have to have nature to be able to grow food," he adds. "Because you need the pollinators as you need the ecosystem, the food chains, the soil webs and everything else to be able to grow food sustainably in the long-term - so I like to think of it as a reservoir of biodiversity."

Many ecologists also want us to look beyond the benefits the wildflowers provide for us.

"Those species are just valuable in their own right, regardless of what they do or what they provide… They've also got their own right to be," argues Dr Kelly Hemmings, associate professor in ecology at the Royal Agricultural University.

Richard Mabey stresses a similar point. "They are important, in my view, for ethical reasons, simply because they exist.

"Beyond that they are the infrastructure of all other life on the Earth, the fundamental base of the food chain."

Top picture credit: Getty Images

Why so many UK homes are still dangerously mouldy - years after this toddler died

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpwvzxzzxrxo, 8 days ago

Kyle (not his real name) had been living in his three-bedroom house in Greater Manchester with his pregnant wife and two children for a few weeks when he first noticed the mould in the bedroom.

He wiped it away but when it returned quickly, he realised there was a serious problem.

"It spread through the bedrooms and all through the walls,” he recalls. “Plug sockets used to blow because the water had gotten into them.”

Clothes, toys, beds and televisions had to be thrown away.

The family ended up sleeping on the living room floor, Kyle recalls - even after his wife returned from hospital with their newborn after giving birth.

The landlord painted over the mould but failed to tackle the underlying problem, he claims.

Kyle, an admin worker, and his family had rented the property on the private market, but after seven months they moved out and now live in temporary accommodation.

“It was a nightmare. I didn't know what to do - I just felt like crying most of the time."

In Britain, problems with damp and mould are widespread. In all, 1.3 million dwellings in England - 5% of the total - had damp problems in one or more rooms in 2023-4, according to government figures released earlier this year.

Concerningly, more than a million children lived in damp households.

This is the case despite widespread public shock after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old boy from Rochdale, died from a respiratory condition caused by exposure to mould in 2020.

Awaab's father Faisal Abdullah had repeatedly raised the issue with the flat with Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH). "They don't do anything for you - it's really devastating," he says.

"How - in the UK in 2020 - does a two-year-old child die from exposure to mould in his home?" Coroner Joanne Kearsley asked during the inquest.

Crucially, she asked the government to take action to prevent future deaths.

Now, five years on from Awaab’s death, the Coroner’s question prompts another.

That is: why - even now having seen the devastating consequences for that two-year-old boy - does mould remain a scourge in so many homes? And is enough being done in the UK to change that?

Awaab’s law and its limits

Damp, mould and asthma

Hannah is a respiratory nurse in the North East of England - her patients have asthma flare ups, chest infections and other sorts of respiratory issues that lead to hospital admissions. In her view, asthma cases linked to mouldy homes are all too familiar.

"I work in fairly deprived areas and see a high number of patients whose symptoms are made worse, or even caused, by damp and mould in their homes," she says.

"We see the consequences every single day."

People living with mould are indeed more likely to suffer from respiratory illnesses, infections, allergies and asthma.

NHS England spent an estimated £1.4bn every year treating illnesses associated with living in cold or damp housing, according to a 2021 report from building research body BRE.

The figures also verify that it’s an issue disproportionately affecting the less well-off: of the one million children living in damp properties, almost half (482,000) had a relatively low income.

Retirees are affected too - some 324,000 people were aged 65 or older.

And Awaab Ishak's death is a stark reminder of what's at stake.

Years of complaints: ‘Nothing was done’

Awaab had consistently suffered from cold and respiratory issues throughout his short life. After becoming short of breath, he went into respiratory and cardiac arrest and died in December 2020.

He was just two years old.

Christian Weaver, a barrister who represented Awaab Ishak's family during the inquest, describes the case as an "eye-opener" - in particular, hearing how persistently the family had tried to get help.

"They'd made complaints for years, an NHS health visitor had written to Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, and even someone from the landlord's own team had visited the property - but nothing was done."

The Manchester North senior coroner said ventilation in the one-bedroom flat in which he lived had not been effective.

"This was a direct contributing factor in the development of the mould," Ms Kearsley said.

In response, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing says: "The most important thing to us is our customers live in safe, warm and comfortable homes.

”Over the last 18 months our teams have been working hard to ensure we are ready for the introduction of Awaab's Law, and we have reviewed and improved all our work processes and practices.

"We continue to urge all our customers to report any potential issue with damp, mould or condensation in their homes to us as soon as they can, so we can act quickly to investigate and resolve any issues."

RBH also says it is "already planning ahead for the expansion of the scope of Awaab's Law, beyond mould and damp, over the next two years".

’A national epidemic’

Mould will only grow if it is given moisture, nutrients and warmth - and so there are certain things tenants can do to help stop or slow the spread.

Not drying clothes indoors, for instance, opening windows and not putting the heat on too high, explains Riina Rautemaa-Richardson, an expert in fungal infectious diseases at Manchester University.

But poor ventilation can also be caused by structural problems like roof leaks or poor drainage, she says - and landlords have a responsibility to address these root causes.

Tackling the problem also requires something bigger too, many experts believe - that is, addressing underlying problems with the nation's housing stock.

"There is a national epidemic of damp and mould cases which has prevailed for many years," says Michael Parrett, a buildings pathology specialist.

The underlying problem, he believes, is that "dampness in buildings is misdiagnosed and at worst misunderstood".

Is the new law enough?

Housing Secretary Steve Reed believes the new law changes, which passed when the previous Conservative government was in office, will help.

"[It] will give tenants a stronger voice and force landlords to act urgently when lives are at risk, ensuring such tragedies are never repeated."

But some housing campaigners want firmer commitments around when Awaab's Law will extend to the private sector.

"We've heard nothing from the government about when it will apply to private renters," says Tom Darling, director of Renters Reform Coalition.

“That needs to happen urgently, and the protections be watertight."

The government is expected to set out how it will apply to the private rented sector soon - they say they want to make it "fair, proportionate and effective for both tenants and landlords".

They will also need to decide whether small private landlords should be expected to respond as quickly as the likes of large social landlords.

But certain official figures suggest that it is private rental tenants who need the most protection.

According to the English Housing Survey, these homes are less likely to meet a "decent standard" than those that are socially owned.

In 2023, 3.8 million dwellings failed to meet this standard. Private rented dwellings were most likely to be classed as non-decent - in all 21% were.

People who rent part of their property from a social landlord under a shared ownership scheme will not be protected however.

Nonetheless, some welcome the new legislation as a step in the right direction.

Richard Blakeway, the housing ombudsman, says Awaab's Law is a "vital way to improve housing conditions and strengthen residents' rights".

Landlords being set up to fail?

The changes will be implemented in phases, along with rules around other hazards, such as structural and electrical issues. But some warn that this all could end up putting the onus on landlords rather than tackling the root causes with the nation's housing stock.

"What it's going to do is put landlords under extreme pressure", says Michael Parrett. "They are stretched already. I think in some cases it will set up landlords to fail."

With councils and housing associations having to do repairs with such quick turnarounds, it will have a knock-on effect on the budgets of councils too, some of which are already on the brink of bankruptcy.

Cllr Tom Hunt of the Local Government Association argued: "Councils need sufficient funding to mitigate the existing pressures on housing stock so that they can put these new measures in place swiftly.”

Meanwhile Alistair Smyth, director of policy and research at the National Housing Federation (NHF), says that whilst NHF supports the principles of Awaab's law, it will be a "challenge" for its members to comply with.

But for those affected, including Awaab’s family, however, the most important thing is to bring an end to the mould problems - and end the risk of further fatalities. And fast, given how long this debate has already stretched on.

“A lot of people, they're not going go through the same [that] I went through,“ says Awaab’s father.

"What's truly heart-breaking is these are preventable deaths," adds Hannah, the nurse.

"We like to think we're forward-thinking in public health, but… there’s a huge gap between the policy and the reality.

“We’ve really let people down.”

How China really spies on the UK

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgr4xpyrkdqo, 5 days ago

It is a question that successive governments have struggled with: what kind of threat does China really pose to the UK?

Trying to answer it may have contributed to the high-profile collapse of the case in which two British men, Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, were accused of spying for China and charged under the Official Secrets Act.

Both deny wrongdoing - but when charges were dropped last month, it sparked political outcry.

Prosecutors and officials have since offered conflicting accounts about whether a failure or unwillingness to label China as an active threat to national security led to the withdrawal of the charges. And yesterday Lord Hermer, the attorney general, blamed "out of date" legislation for the case's collapse.

But this all raises the question of what exactly Chinese espionage looks like in the modern world.

On one level, China spies within the traditional framework of the old ways of human espionage associated with the Cold War, with spies working under the cover of being diplomats, and recruiting people to pass secrets.

The witness statement by a deputy national security adviser for prosecutors investigating the now-collapsed case of Cash and Berry outlines this kind of work.

"The Chinese Intelligence Services are interested in acquiring information from a number of sources, including policymakers, government staff and democratic institutions and are able to act opportunistically to gather all information they can."

Here is the thing though. Pretty much every country does this kind of spying - wanting insight into what other countries are up to is as old as the hills. The UK conducts this kind of espionage against China (as China itself has publicly complained about). When countries get caught there is normally a public row but each side knows it is normal business.

But this barely covers the breadth of the Chinese behaviour that worries security officials.

"Try not to think too much just in terms of classic card-carrying spies based out of the embassy in the John le Carre mould," the head of MI5 Sir Ken McCallum said during a briefing on national security threats earlier this month.

For what truly sets China apart - and what lies at the heart of the problem - is that the national security threats China poses go beyond traditional notions of espionage.

To complicate matters further, some of the threats are also closely tied up with the reasons many believe we need to engage with China.

China's economic power, for example, presents many potential benefits for a UK desperate for growth.

Labour is reported to be seeking to improve ties with China. However, securing the benefits of a relationship while navigating the associated risks is the hard task that has bedevilled governments.

Growing concerns about political influence

The sheer size of Chinese intelligence – which some estimates put at half a million when you account for the entire workforce operating on security both at home and abroad – means they can afford to pursue their work at a larger scale than many other countries.

Every country uses its intelligence services differently - how it does so throws a spotlight on the priorities of the state - and in China, the top priority is ensuring the continued rule of the Communist Party.

In practice this has meant influencing political debate abroad, going after dissidents, collecting data at a large scale and ensuring economic growth at home.

In the UK, concerns about Chinese political influence have been growing.

MI5 issued an "interference alert" in January 2022 about the activities of an alleged Chinese agent, Christine Lee, who was believed to have infiltrated Parliament.

Ms Lee denied the allegations. She later took unsuccessful legal action against MI5, and told a tribunal that the spy agency's alert about her carried a "political purpose".

MI5 has also warned that Beijing was cultivating local politicians in the early stages of their career with the hope of seeding them into more senior positions - a sign of a long-term, patient strategy to build influence.

Here, the purpose was not stealing secrets or gaining information so much as manipulating political debate – having people in influential positions who will take a pro-China view of issues and the world.

Another area that worries UK security officials is China's predilection for spying on dissidents, known as transnational repression, something that has been a primary target for Chinese intelligence for years with a focus on groups like Tibetan campaigners.

But the arrival in the UK of many young pro-democracy activists from Hong Kong, following Beijing's clampdown, has heightened the concerns.

According to MI5, Hong Kong police have issued bounties against more than a dozen pro-democracy activists here in the UK and there have been increased reports of harassment and surveillance.

Beijing has always dismissed accusations of espionage as attempts to "smear" China.

"China never interferes in other countries' internal affairs and always acts in an open and aboveboard manner," the Chinese embassy in London has previously said.

In a statement issued earlier this month, it added: "The so-called 'China spy-case' hyped up by the UK is entirely fabricated and self-staged. China strongly condemns this...

"China's development is an opportunity for the world, not a threat to any country. We firmly oppose attempts to smear China by peddling unfounded allegations of 'spying activities, or concocting the so-called 'China threat'."

Sophisticated cyber-espionage

Yet China has been linked to some large scale cyber operations. Some of this sits within modern notions of espionage – stealing secrets.

Last year Beijing was accused of trying to hack into the emails of MPs.

"China represents an economic threat to our security and an epoch-defining challenge," Rishi Sunak, the then-prime minister, said at the time, while avoiding formally labelling Beijing as a "threat".

Then, in August, the UK finally revealed what many suspected – that it had been hit as part of a highly sophisticated espionage campaign codenamed Salt Typhoon, which compromised telecoms companies around the world.

The UK remained quiet about who exactly was hit and only spoke out in conjunction with a dozen other countries and after months of discussion behind the scenes about what it should say.

"The data stolen through this activity can ultimately provide the Chinese intelligence services the capability to identify and track targets' communications and movements worldwide," the UK's National Cyber Security Centre, an arm of GCHQ, warned in a statement.

The US had spoken out months earlier, and there it has been reported that senior politicians, including Donald Trump and JD Vance, had their communications targeted during the 2024 election.

An 'alarming' appetite for data

Now, in the UK, plans for a new Chinese Embassy at the former Royal Mint building in London have drawn attention for fears that it could offer the chance for espionage by tapping data cables which run underground beneath it.

But some security officials downplay those dangers - not only because those cables can be physically protected and monitored - but because of Beijing's capacity for large cyber-espionage.

The reality is that it has shown itself perfectly capable of collecting data through remote cyber-access.

That kind of targeting, though, still sits broadly within traditional state-on-state espionage and the kind of thing Western governments carry out.

In fact it was the revelations about the scale of UK and US digital eavesdropping by former contractor Edward Snowden that may have spurred China to become more ambitious in cyber-space.

But in cyber-space, the real concern is broader.

What is notable about Chinese intelligence activity online is an appetite for data on a massive scale. Beijing's pursuit of what is often called bulk data - large scale data sets which might contain financial, personal, health or other types of information - is what alarms Western security officials.

"China has been trying to collect population level data on British people," according to Ciaran Martin, a former head of the UK's National Cyber Security Centre.

"That may be useful to train artificial intelligence or to better understand the country or even influence opinion or possibly even to work out what our vulnerabilities are individually and collectively.

"It is not always effectively carried out but it is very different from the kind of 'normal' spying on government and politics that virtually all countries undertake.

"In this other respect, China is notable only for how brazen its spying sometimes is."

Some of this data is stolen but sometimes it is suspected to be acquired through Chinese companies with access to the Western market.

The stream of attempts to 'lure academics'

There is one element that is trickiest for national security officials to deal with when it comes to China: how to balance the risks and the benefits of China's growing economic power.

A priority for the Chinese state - and its spies - is ensuring economic growth.

Observers often point to a kind of unspoken bargain: the Chinese public will tolerate the relative lack of political freedom and continued one-party rule as long as the state delivers economic benefits.

That is one reason that China has also been active for decades in pursuing economic as well as political and diplomatic secrets in a way Western countries have not.

Sometimes this has been business secrets of companies – whether designs for new products or negotiating positions.

There are types of sensitive information that are not state secrets, like high-tech research into a new advanced material at a university, which has military as well as civilian applications.

MI5 says it is tackling "a steady stream of attempts to lure UK academic experts" in order to get hold of technology they are working on, often starting with approaches over networking sites like LinkedIn.

"In a world where the 'DNA' of military and economic power is built on ones-and-zeros [of digital information], when core intellectual property and process knowledge leak, entire industries can be upended - and with them move jobs, capital, and geopolitical leverage," says Andrew Badger, a former US intelligence official and co-author of an upcoming book, The Great Heist: China's Epic Campaign to Steal America's Secrets.

"The UK's current debate about how to prosecute spies, strengthen laws, and balance commerce with security should start from this historical truth: economic power can only be sustained with the resolute custody of secrets."

The hardest risk to measure

As China's economic power grows – especially in advanced technology – one of the hardest risks to measure is the UK and other Western states' dependence on China in critical fields, including electric vehicles and critical minerals used in manufacturing.

This underpinned the debate about the Chinese telecoms company Huawei building a large part of the country's new 5G phone infrastructure.

Chinese equipment was cheaper and often seen as better than those of competitors - but were there risks?

It was less about using it to spy - and more the fact that a relationship of dependency on another country for technology on which daily life depends opens the way to influence and even coercion. If you do something or say something Beijing does not like, could it cut you off?

In the end, technology from Huawei - which always denied it was a security risk - was excluded from 5G. But it was only the first Chinese company to go global and now there are many more.

So, does it matter if China builds new nuclear reactors? Or becomes the main supplier of green technology? And what about if people depend on the Chinese-originated social media platform TikTok for their news and information?

This is the area where the tension with the economic growth agenda become clearest. China is the second largest economy in the world, an important export market and source of investment. If we want to secure the benefits of this relationship then it becomes much harder to exclude Chinese companies from the UK market.

Any kind of blanket ban on Chinese technology or companies would be absurd. But just how much should we open ourselves?

The other challenge for Britain is that, in many of these areas where economic and national security mix, the US is taking a tougher stance - and Washington is seeking to pressure London to come into line.

That leaves London caught between pressure from Beijing and Washington and trying to work out how to address these threats while also maintaining productive relationships.

None of this is easy - and not much of it is to do with traditional spying. In this new world, threats are far broader and more complex.

But without a clear, consistent China strategy that is confidently expressed, this government – like previous governments - will continue to find it hard to know how to navigate.

Britain's energy bills problem - and why firms are paid huge sums to stop producing power

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdedjnw8e85o, 6 days ago

It is 1am on 3 June. A near gale force wind is blasting into Scotland. Great weather for the Moray East and West offshore wind farms, you would have thought.

The two farms are 13 miles off the north-east coast of Scotland and include some of the biggest wind turbines in the UK, at 257m high. With winds like that they should be operating at maximum capacity, generating what the developer, Ocean Winds, claims is enough power to meet the electricity needs of well over a million homes.

Except they are not.

That's because if you thought that once an electricity generator - whether it be a wind farm or a gas-powered plant - was connected to the national grid it could seamlessly send its electricity wherever it was needed in the country, you'd be wrong.

The electricity grid was built to deliver power generated by coal and gas plants near the country's major cities and towns, and doesn't always have sufficient capacity in the wires that carry electricity around the country to get the new renewable electricity generated way out in the wild seas and rural areas.

And this has major consequences.

The way the system currently works means a company like Ocean Winds gets what are effectively compensation payments if the system can't take the power its wind turbines are generating and it has to turn down its output.

It means Ocean winds was paid £72,000 not to generate power from its wind farms in the Moray Firth during a half-hour period on 3 June because the system was overloaded - one of a number of occasions output was restricted that day.

At the same time, 44 miles (70km) east of London, the Grain gas-fired power station on the Thames Estuary was paid £43,000 to provide more electricity.

Payments like that happen virtually every day. Seagreen, Scotland's largest wind farm, was paid £65 million last year to restrict its output 71% of the time, according to analysis by Octopus Energy.

Balancing the grid in this way has already cost the country more than £500 million this year alone, the company's analysis shows. The total could reach almost £8bn a year by 2030, warns the National Electricity System Operator (NESO), the body in charge of the electricity network.

It's pushing up all our energy bills and calling into question the government's promise that net zero would end up delivering cheaper electricity.

Now, the government is considering a radical solution: instead of one big, national electricity market, there'll be a number of smaller regional markets, with the government gambling that this could make the system more efficient and deliver cheaper bills.

But in reality, it's not guaranteed that anyone will get cheaper bills. And even if some people do, many others elsewhere in the country could end up paying more.

The proposals have sparked such bitter debate that one senior energy industry executive called it "the most vicious policy fight" he has ever known. He has, he says, "lost friends" over it.

Meanwhile, political opponents who claim net zero is an expensive dead end are only too ready to pounce.

It is reported that the Prime Minister has asked to review the details of what some newspapers are calling a "postcode pricing" plan. So is the government really ready to risk the most radical shake-up of the UK electricity market since privatisation 35 years ago? And what will it really mean for our bills?

Net zero under attack

The Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband, is certainly in a fix. His net zero policy is under attack like never before. The Tories have come out against it, green politicians say it isn't delivering for ordinary people, and even Tony Blair has weighed in against it.

Meanwhile Reform UK has identified the policy as a major Achilles heel for the Labour government. "The next election will be fought on two issues, immigration and net stupid zero," says Reform's deputy leader Richard Tice. "And we are going to win."

Poll after poll says cost of living is a much more important for most people, and people often specifically cite concerns about rising energy prices.

Miliband sold his aggressive clean energy policies in part on cutting costs. He said that ensuring 95% of the country's electricity comes from low-carbon sources by 2030 would slash the average electricity bill by £300.

But the potential for renewables to deliver lower costs just isn't coming through to consumers.

Renewables now generate more than half the country's electricity, but because of the limits to how much electricity can be moved around the system, even on windy days some gas generation is almost always needed to top the system up.

And because gas tends to be more expensive, it frequently sets the wholesale price.

Could 'zonal' pricing lower bills?

Supporters of the government's plan argue that, as long as prices continue to be set at a national level, the hold gas has on the cost of electricity will be hard to break. Less so with regional – or, in the jargon, "zonal" - pricing.

Think of Scotland, blessed with vast wind resources but just 5.5 million people. The argument goes that if prices were set locally, it wouldn't be necessary to pay wind farms to be turned down because there wasn't enough capacity in the cables to carry all the electricity into England.

On a windy day like 3 June, they would have to sell that spare power to local people instead of into a national market. The theory is prices would fall dramatically – on some days Scottish customers might even get their electricity for free.

Other areas with lots of renewable power - such as Yorkshire and the North East, as well as parts of Wales - would stand to benefit too. And, as solar investment increases in Lincolnshire and other parts of the east of England, they could also see prices tumble.

All that cheap power could also transform the economics of industry. Supporters argue that it would attract energy-intensive businesses such as data centres, chemical companies and other manufacturing industries.

In London and much of the south of England, the price of electricity would sometimes be higher than in the windy north. But supporters say some of the hundreds of millions of pounds the system would save could be used to make sure no one pays more than they do now.

And those higher prices could also encourage investors to build new wind farms and solar plants closer to where the demand is. The argument is that would lower prices in the long run and bring another benefit - less electricity would need to be carried around the country, so we would need fewer new pylons, saving everyone money and meaning less clutter in the countryside.

"Zonal pricing would make the energy system as a whole dramatically more efficient, slashing this waste and cutting bills for every family and business in the country," argues Greg Jackson, the CEO of Octopus Energy, one of the biggest energy suppliers in the UK.

Research commissioned by the company estimates the savings could top £55 billion by 2050 - which it claims could knock £50 to £100 a year off the average bill. Octopus points out Sweden made the switch to regional pricing in just 18 months.

The supporters of regional pricing include NESO, Citizens Advice and the head of the energy regulator, Ofgem. Last week a committee of the House of Lords recommended the country should switch to the system.

Energy firms push back

There are, however, many businesses involved in building and running renewable energy plants that oppose the move.

"We're making billions of pounds of investments in renewable power in the UK every year," says Tom Glover, the UK chair of the giant German power company RWE. "I can't go to my board and say let's take a bet on billions of pounds of investment."

He's worried changing the way energy is priced could undermine contracts and make revenues more uncertain. And he says it risks undermining the government's big push to switch to green energy.

The main cost of wind and solar plants is in the build. It means the price of the energy they produce is very closely tied to the cost of building and, because developers borrow most of the money, that means the interest rates they are charged.

And we are talking a lot of money. The government is expecting power companies to spend £40bn pounds a year over the next five years on renewable projects in the UK.

Glover says even a very small change in interest rates could have dramatic effects on how much renewable infrastructure is built and how much the power from it costs.

"Those additional costs could quickly overwhelm any of the benefits of regional pricing," says Stephen Woodhouse, an economist with the consultancy firm AFRY, which has studied the impact of regional pricing for the power companies.

That would come as already high interest rates have combined with rising prices for steel and other materials to push up the cost of renewables. Plans for a huge wind farm off the coast of Yorkshire were cancelled last month because the developer said it no longer made economic sense.

And there's another consideration, he says. The National Grid, which owns the pylons, substations and cables that move electricity around the country, is already rolling out a huge investment programme – some £60bn over the next five years - to upgrade the system ready for the new world of clean power.

That new infrastructure will mean more capacity to bring electricity from our windy northern coasts down south, and therefore also mean fewer savings from a regional pricing system in the future.

There are other arguments too. Critics warn introducing regional pricing could take years, that energy-intensive businesses like British Steel can't just up sticks and move, and that the system will be unfair because some customers will pay more than others.

But according to Greg Jackson of Octopus, the power companies and their backers just want to protect their profits. "Unsurprisingly, it's the companies that enjoy attractive returns from this absurd system who are lobbying hard to maintain the status quo," he says.

Yet the power companies say Octopus has a vested interest too. It is the UK's biggest energy supplier with some seven million customers, and owns a sophisticated billing system it licenses to other suppliers, so could gain from changes to the way electricity is priced, they claim.

And the clock is ticking. Whether the government meets its clean power targets will depend on how many new wind farms and solar plants are built.

The companies who will build them say they need certainty around the future of the electricity market, so a decision must be taken soon.

It's expected in the next couple of weeks. Over to you, Mr Miliband.

Clarification: This article was updated on 29 October 2025 to include the word 'frequently' in the sentence: And because gas tends to be more expensive, it frequently sets the wholesale price.

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The £5.30 orange juice that tells the story of why supermarket prices are sky high

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c397n3jl3z8o, 13 days ago

Listen to Faisal read this article

There has been more than a bitter twang in the glasses at British breakfast tables. Only five years ago, a typical supermarket own-label carton of orange juice could be bought for 76p for 1 litre. It now costs £1.79.

That's a rise of 134% since 2020, and it's up 29% just in the past year.

In cafes and restaurants it's a similar story - with £3.50 to £4 now a standard price point for a glass of basic OJ.

One colleague was outraged to be sent a bill for £9 for a glass of hangover-busting orange juice and lemonade at an unassuming little restaurant in Kent. Asked why so much, she was told that the orange juice - albeit freshly squeezed - accounted for £5.30 of the price.

Yet as costs have surged, the taste is changing too, with certain manufacturers substituting oranges for mandarins to cut costs.

The public is, if you like, being freshly squeezed.

There are all sorts of reasons for this: disease among crops, extreme weather, over-reliance on supply from a single nation, new rules for packaging and complexities around trade wars and Brexit.

All of this is compounded by grocery price inflation which, after hitting 17.5% in 2023, came down (to around 5.7% in August) but is rising once again.

Plus new figures for overall inflation released today put it at 3.8% - marking the 12th month in a row it is above the Bank of England’s 2% target.

It is a perfect storm.

Yet the problem is not isolated to orange juice - track the prices of all sorts of other groceries in supermarket aisles and you'll see a similar pattern. And so understanding what has happened to orange juice offers a glimpse into how our overall grocery bills suddenly seem so expensive.

It all prompts the question: is this storm a passing one, or are prices set to remain stubbornly high - and should we brace for them staying that way permanently?

The Bing Crosby effect

Where else to start but in the orange groves of Florida where the industrialisation of OJ began as an initiative of the US Army during World War Two.

The US government was seeking a source of transportable Vitamin C for troops that didn't taste like turpentine.

Orange juice is nearly 90% water. So gently evaporating the water off the juice and freezing the concentrate allowed for transportability of a much-better-tasting product when water was later re-added.

WW2 ended before the troops got to try it, but it ended up being commercialised by what became the American soft drink giant, Minute Maid.

It was popularised by Bing Crosby, who, as a significant shareholder, would sing in ads and radio show jingles about frozen orange juice being "better for your health".

Western consumption of orange juice surged.

Flash forward to today and an estimated 2.5 billion gallons of orange juice are drunk each year - with about a tenth of that in the UK, where the market is still growing.

Drought, disease and flooding

At an industrial unit in the Essex town of Basildon, green steel drums of frozen orange concentrate arrive from Brazil, overseen by Maxim McDonald.

His firm Gerald McDonald and Co is named after his great-grandfather, a pioneer who was importing orange concentrate as far back as the 1940s from what was then British-mandate Palestine.

Today it produces juices and blends them, then sells them to supermarkets and restaurant suppliers.

But prices reached extraordinary heights in global markets, rising from $1(75p) to $1.50 (£1.12) per lb over the last decade, to a record $5.30 per lb by the end of last year.

This followed five years of poor crops, owing to severe drought and a disease called citrus greening (caused by bacteria spread by insects). Brazil had its worst crop since 1988. In some parts of its citrus belt, two thirds of orange trees are affected.

"Around September of last year the price shot up to crazy levels," Maxim tells me. "At the worst time I was being offered $7 a kilo.

"For such a major commodity to go from $2 to $7 is insane, but it took a while to filter through to consumers."

Until 2023 the rise in orange juice prices was disguised among food inflation in general, explains Philip Coverdale, an industry expert at consultancy firm GlobalData.

Producers have tried to look beyond South America but it's not easy - the supply of oranges has been sewn up by Brazil, even more so than, say, the Saudis have cornered the market for crude oil.

Morocco, Egypt and South Africa grow oranges too but their supplies are more limited. Spain also grows them, but Valencia and Seville oranges are mostly exported as fruit, rather than concentrate. (Plus Spain too suffered from weather-related production slumps, including the floods in Valencia last October.)

Even within Brazil the market is concentrated in the hands of huge industrialised conglomerates.

In a truly competitive market the price would settle again - but it hasn't, nor does the industry expect it to. This is a phenomenon that is common to many other ordinary groceries too whose prices have risen.

Oranges becoming less sweet

Florida is the other traditional exporter of oranges, but output from the Sunshine State over the past year has been the lowest since the Great Depression, amid a high number of hurricanes and long-term problems caused by citrus greening.

One problem with greening is that it reduces sugar content, making oranges less sweet.

"Not many are buying Florida oranges any more unless it is a requirement to label the juice 'Florida Orange'," says Maxim McDonald.

"It's very difficult to get oranges out of Florida [because of the shortages] and it's too expensive."

One of the leading suppliers to Tropicana sold off some of its land earlier this year to build homes.

Tropicana itself, the marquee US brand for orange juice, had to restructure its debts this year. Pepsi has also sold most of its stake in it.

One of Tropicana's recent product innovations in the US has been to launch an "essentials" brand of orange juice "blends" - combining orange, apple and pear juice - at a lower price.

Similar trends can be seen on British shelves. Orange is being mixed with mango, mandarins and clementine juice. Mango purée is especially cheap right now, driven by a good harvest in India. Mandarin concentrate, meanwhile, is cheaper than its orange equivalent because there is less demand for it.

These developments save money, but also maintain the traditional sweetness of the taste.

Tariffs: War on the orange

Then there is the added impact of the recent spike in trade tensions with the US since President Trump introduced new tariffs.

Oranges, it transpires, have been at the centre of it.

US exports of orange juice to Canada have slumped to a 20-year low after Canada put counter-tariffs on US exports. The former PM Justin Trudeau warned that Canadians might have to "forgo Florida orange juice".

The Trump administration has also settled on a 10% tariff on orange juice coming from Brazil, which will feed into US supermarket prices.

In 2024, the UK eliminated tariffs on some imports produced from fruit grown outside Britain. But tariffs on certain sweeter, cheaper varieties and blends were not part of this.

And while the tariff cuts might have helped, they were vastly outweighed by the increase in the underlying price.

Then there are new regulations around packaging, further adding to the pressures.

The rules, known as Extended Producer Responsibility, are aimed at improving recycling rates, with a weight-based fee. All juice producers will be impacted, especially those still using glass bottles.

In August a Bank of England report said that high food price inflation is driven partly - and among other things - by these regulations.

Did the West fall out of love with OJ?

In Brazil, the orange harvest has recovered somewhat - this is the greatest hope for a return to normal prices. Yet it coincides with sinking demand: global consumption of orange juice is now down 30% from a peak two decades ago.

Though this may be partly down to the high prices, in certain parts of the world there has also been a shift in perception about the sugar content and health benefits or otherwise of fruit juice.

"When young children are not regularly given juice from an early age, they are less likely to be regular juice drinkers in later years," suggests Philip Coverdale at GlobalData.

Demand is increasing in countries with growing middle classes, such as China, South Africa, and India. But elsewhere other more exotic fruit juices such as mango, pear and pomegranate are growing in popularity.

Ultimately, however, orange juice is a staple that supermarkets have long been used to selling at low prices. And the price spikes to £2 a carton could, with for example better weather, simply reverse.

"The volatility in the harvest appears to have reduced," says Giles Hurley, UK CEO of Aldi, "Our buying team are doing everything they can to ensure that that saving is passed on to consumers."

Others in the supply chain are less convinced, given that much of the frozen concentrate was bought at last year's high prices. Plus, the stranglehold of the small number of giant producers who control the market remains.

As for the citrus greening, some major commercial producers, including Coca-Cola, which owns Minute Maid and Innocent, have contributed to a project to Save the Orange, using artificial intelligence to find a way to combat it.

It's a long-term project - and even if fruitful, it may be some time before the effect - if at all - filters through to grocery bills.

But the story of orange prices does also show how an upward price shock gets transmitted around the world far more quickly than a downward one.

Chocolate, coffee, butter and beef

Oranges are not the only food that has seen a price spike, of course. The price of beef and veal is up almost 25% in a year. Butter is up almost 19%, and chocolate and coffee 15% and milk over 12%, all according to the Office for National Statistics.

This all suggests that, more generally, there may be something else at play. And that for all the food and drink spikes, the consumer was actually protected from the worst of it for a period - and now it is pay back time.

"It might be the retailers didn't full pass through the cost increase in the first place and therefore it's a way of recouping some of the margin they would otherwise have got," says Steve McCorriston, Professor of Agricultural Economics at the University of Exeter.

Ultimately, though, trying to unpick the precise reason for why our food and drink costs what it does is very difficult - other factors that influence price can go undetected.

"What we don't know much about is how these supply chains tend to work in practice. It's difficult to uncover relationships between retailers and manufacturers or farmers and the use of contracts."

There is also a broader question that goes well beyond orange juice: do consumers in the UK need to simply accept the fact that as a densely populated small country with limited agriculture, a changing climate means the UK will be increasingly exposed to food price shocks?

A 2024 government report on food security noted: "The UK continues to be highly dependent on imports to meet consumer demand for fruit, vegetables and seafood...

"Many of the countries the UK imports these foods from are subject to their own climate-related challenges and sustainability risks."

And so it could be that this is only the start of a wild ride on what we pay for our food and drink.

Top image credits: Daniel Grizelj/ Tetra Images/ Getty Images

Police failed to tell me about my partner's violent past. He ended up choking me

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c629gz5g0emo, 6 days ago

Sarah's boyfriend used to say things she did not think much of at the time.

"I love it when you wear your hair up because I can see your neck," he would say.

But as time went on, his behaviour started to worry her.

He did not like her leaving home, accused her of cheating, and said her behaviour was fuelling his mental health problems.

Sarah, whose name we have changed to protect her identity, was pregnant when she went to police to try to find out more about his past.

"I didn't want to bring a child into a potentially abusive relationship," she says.

Under the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS), also known as Clare's Law, people concerned their partner or ex-partner may have a history of being abusive can ask police to disclose incidents on their record in a "right to ask" application.

Government guidance released in 2023 says it should take police no longer than 28 days to respond "to ensure individuals have quicker access to the information they may need to protect themselves".

Sarah followed up on her Clare's Law request after a month and was told by police that they had not contacted her because there was nothing to disclose.

But, five months later, officers told her they did have a disclosure: her boyfriend was known to have strangled previous partners.

By that time, she says she had experienced her partner's abuse first hand.

Police responses to a BBC News Freedom of Information request (FOI) suggest some people in England and Wales have waited more than two years for responses to their "right to ask" applications. Only 23 of 43 forces responded to our request with a breakdown of how often they were meeting the deadline in 2024.

Despite the statutory guidelines saying police should answer within 28 days, the figures show seven forces breached the time limit in more cases than they met it in 2024.

A further 10 failed to comply with the time limit in more than a quarter of cases.

Avon and Somerset police disclosed information following a "right to ask" application 685 times in 2024, but it took longer than 28 days in 539 of those cases - meaning they missed the deadline in almost 80% of cases.

Disclosures also took longer than 28 days in more than 60% of cases at West Mercia Police and Wiltshire Police.

The Wiltshire force has previously apologised for failures under Clare's Law, which it said had led to two people coming to harm.

After police told Sarah there was nothing to disclose, her boyfriend's behaviour escalated. He punched doors.

"On one occasion he threatened to kick the baby out of me," she says, "and on another occasion, he threatened to throw me down [the] stairs.

"He used to manipulate me, gaslight me and say things like, 'I only do what I do because you make me feel that bad,'" she says.

Then, after their child arrived, there were incidents when he strangled her to the point that she could not breathe for several seconds, she says.

After one assault, six months after her Clare's Law request, Sarah called the police.

"I was pulled in on the back of the 999 call and they had some information to share with me," she says.

When she told them about her previous information request, officers told her "they got it wrong".

In fact, he was a high-risk perpetrator who had attacked previous partners, including by strangling them.

But by that time she says she had been "sucked in" and felt she "couldn't get out of that relationship".

Dr Charlotte Barlow, a criminologist at the University of Leeds, says: "When you are in a relationship with an abuser, it's incredibly difficult to leave.

"Reasons include feeling afraid the abuse will escalate, fear their children will be taken away, scared they won't be believed by police or other agencies, having nowhere to go, no access to finances."

Dr Barlow's research shows Clare's Law is most effective for safeguarding when it is accessed earlier in a relationship, before a victim is fully under their partner's control, meaning delays increase risks.

Police said sometimes those who contact officers can fail to engage when they are trying to give them information.

Forces also pointed to a steep increase in requests for information under Clare's Law. In the year to March 2024 there were almost 59,000 requests for information under the disclosure scheme, up from about 14,000 in 2019.

"It is a massive resource burden on police," says Dr Katerina Hadjimatheou, a senior lecturer in criminology at the University of Essex.

"You sometimes have people with huge criminal histories over a period of decades and so police have to go into the system and search through," she says.

"They've been given no resources to do Clare's Law."

Avon and Somerset Police says not delivering responses within the 28-day time frame during 2024 "wasn't acceptable; and as a result, we have uplifted our resources over the [past] 12 months to improve and strengthen our response". Now the force has 13 dedicated officers who risk assess new applications.

Both Avon and Somerset Police and West Mercia Police say the average time it takes them to make disclosures has fallen since 2024, while Wiltshire Police says it has invested in a "comprehensive restructure" of its domestic abuse support team.

A Home Office spokesperson told BBC News that the government fully expects police forces to meet the 28-day deadline, and its mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade "includes the right to know whether they are safe from previous perpetrators".

Although conviction information is available via an easily searchable national database, Dr Hadjimatheou says fragmented police computer systems mean finding information about all the relevant incidents can be more difficult.

Issues with information-sharing between police forces is "persistent", says Isabella Lowenthal-Isaacs, policy manager at charity Women's Aid.

"This is particularly concerning given many domestic abuse survivors flee across local authority boundaries."

Police are exploring how automated technology might help compile the necessary data quickly, says assistant commissioner Louise Rolfe, the national policing lead for domestic abuse.

"Recent improvements to standardise the implementation of Clare's Law are starting to have a positive impact, but there is more for us to do and further for us to go," she says.

Dr Hadjimatheou's research shows a significant majority of people who applied for a disclosure had not sought help from services for their abuse before, she says, so a Clare's Law request presented a key opportunity to prevent serious harm.

"That person has contacted [the police] for a reason," she says. "It's a chance to put them in contact with services to help them to safeguard them and it's being squandered."

The academic argues the disclosure service would be cheaper and more effective if its public-facing part was run by domestic abuse services, rather than police officers.

"Think about all the people who want to know but are too scared to contact police," she says.

For Sarah, a final attack, six months after the Clare's Law disclosure, triggered her to break up with her partner.

"I was in the kitchen and he put his hand around my neck. I'm only 5ft 3ins and he was quite tall," she says.

"My feet came off the floor and he pushed me over the kitchen sink."

Although Sarah says that was the end of the physical abuse, her ex-partner continued to bombard her with text messages, emails and phone calls.

Since leaving her partner, she has developed chronic pain, which she attributes to the stress of her abuse.

"I just feel that had the Clare's Law disclosure been given correctly at the correct time, then I could have made an informed decision as to whether I should stay or not," she says.

"And I can't say for definite, but I would more than likely have left."

The police force which Sarah requested information from, which we are not naming, has since apologised to Sarah for the delay in her DVDS disclosure.

Details of support for domestic abuse in the UK are available at BBC Action Line

The 20 terrifying minutes endured by train attack passengers

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgvqw8vnq7o, today

On Saturday night a train from Doncaster bound for London was dramatically diverted after an alarm was raised on board. A man armed with a large knife, who is believed to have joined the train at Peterborough, carried out a vicious attack on multiple victims. Within 20 minutes a suspect had been arrested in Cambridgeshire, more than 70 miles from the train's intended destination of King's Cross in London.

Eleven people were treated in hospital, where one person remains in a stable but critical condition. The BBC has spoken to train passengers and stabbing victims alongside video and police statements to build a picture of how the attack and the emergency response unfolded.

'You need to run, you need to run'

The attack started just over an hour after the LNER train left Doncaster. At 19:29 it had pulled out of Peterborough station, where the suspect had apparently boarded. Just five minutes later the alarm was pulled near the middle of the train in coach J.

Amira Ostalski and a friend, both students at Nottingham University, had got on the train at the previous stop of Grantham and were travelling to London to "have some fun".

Amira was seated watching a film when she saw a man in a white shirt leap out of his seat about five rows in front of her followed by screams of "knife, knife". Amira then spotted a man holding a large kitchen knife and fled towards the rear of the train with her friend.

In the next carriage, coach H, YouTuber Olly Foster heard shouts of "run, run, there's a guy literally stabbing everyone", and initially thought it was a Halloween prank. But as passengers began pushing through the carriage Olly could see "blood all over the chair" he had leaned on, covering his hand in blood.

Olly then saw an older man, thought to be an LNER staff member, who "blocked" the attacker from stabbing a younger girl, leaving him with a gash on his head and neck.

Nottingham Forest fan Joe, 24, was not meant to be on the train. He had watched the team's football match against Manchester United earlier and missed a connecting train in Grantham.

Joe was texting his friends about his plans for the night when people came rushing through the carriage. "You need to run, you need to run," someone told Joe. He started running but when he turned to look behind him saw "a tall black male" holding "a bloodied knife".

Matt Kingston took his headphones out as he saw a group of people heading his way in coach H and also began running down the train. Another Nottingham Forest fan Alistair Day, 58, was next to the train's cafe bar in coach G, and saw people fleeing down the train with blood on their clothes.

Sheltering inside the cafe

The train's cafe bar transformed into an impromptu hiding space for those fleeing the attacker. Alistair said he saw around a dozen people inside this enclosed buffet counter in coach G and they were "trying to close up the shutters" to protect themselves from the assailant. Matt had managed to get inside the booth with the others.

Alistair saw the man near the door waving a knife and trying to open the shutters, which by then had been locked. A video he provided to the BBC from inside the cafe bar shows multiple passengers inside, with at least one on the phone to emergency services. Alistair and another witness, Tom McLaughlan, told the BBC they saw a Nottingham Forest fan move to confront the attacker. "He wasn't the biggest guy. We tried to stop him," Alistair said.

It appears they were referring to Stephen Crean who later told the BBC the man pulled out a large knife when he confronted him outside the cafe bar. "He's gone for me and there was a tussle in the arms and that's where my hand, the fingers are really bad, four cuts through them, sliced. And then he raised it and must have caught me when I was ducking and diving and caught me on the head."

Stephen said he had been trying to give another passenger time to close the door to the cafe bar. "That door still wasn't shut behind me, because I could still see him struggling to close it. So until I knew it was I wasn't moving away from it."

Matt said the attacker then walked past the locked door while waving the knife around. "He then returned back up the train and passed us again." At that point a young man told Matt he'd been stabbed in the chest "so I helped with putting pressure on the wound and helped hold him up".

Another victim of the train attack was Scunthorpe United footballer Jonathan Gjoshe, who was slashed across the bicep and later needed an operation.

Alarm raised and train diverted

As soon as the alarm was raised the train driver, Andrew Johnson, a Royal Navy veteran, sprang into action and contacted the control centre. The decision was made to divert the train, which was travelling at 125mph (201km/h), to a slow track, which allowed it stop at Huntingdon Station just minutes after the emergency services were first called.

The East of England Ambulance Service received the first emergency call at 19:38. A minute later, Cambridgeshire police received a report about multiple stabbings on a train. Together, they mobilised a response team outside Huntingdon Station, just under 300m away from the police force's headquarters. At 19:41 the train arrived at the station, a minute before British Transport Police were also called to the incident.

Escape at Huntingdon Station

CCTV footage captured by a business in its car park shows passengers running up platform two towards the main station building. A dramatic TikTok video, filmed from a bridge on Brampton Road overlooking the rail tracks and station, shows police officers running towards the train along the same platform.

Tom saw two men who appeared to have been stabbed "covered in blood" as he fled the train. Alistair said he saw a man who had been in the cafe bar with him being carried towards an ambulance by paramedics. "I just want to know he's okay," he said.

Emergency services took 10 people to hospital where a further victim was treated. Six patients have since been discharged.

The LNER staff member who remains in a critical but stable condition "undoubtedly saved people's lives" by trying to stop the attacker, British Transport Police said.

Forced to flee again

CCTV footage shows a man climbing a fence at the station at 19:43 to an adjacent car park while holding a knife.

Amira, who had been hiding at the back of coach G armed with a metal tray to fight off the attacker if necessary, had run to the car park with her friend for safety when they got off the train.

But they saw the man walk in their direction. Fearing for their lives, they hid in a taxi. An image captured by Amira's friend through its windscreen shows the man being detained by six police officers near several bins in the car park, around 50m (160ft) from the fence.

Video filmed from a separate taxi nearby shows the officers armed with guns, Tasers and accompanied by a dog detaining a man on the ground. Clicks from the Taser are audible in the footage.

By 19:50 police had two men in custody, 32-year-old Anthony Williams, and a 35-year-old man who was released a day later after police established he was not involved. On Monday morning Williams appeared in court charged with 10 counts of attempted murder over the train attack.

Additional reporting by Adam Durbin.

England's most deprived areas named - see how your area is affected

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly137089yyo, 4 days ago

Jaywick, near Clacton-on-Sea in Essex, has been named the most deprived neighbourhood in England for the fourth consecutive time since 2010, new data shows.

Seven areas in Blackpool are also among the 10 most deprived, alongside one in Hastings and one in Rotherham, according to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

Half of the neighbourhoods in Middlesbrough are very deprived, making it the council with the highest proportion, ahead of Birmingham and Hartlepool.

The minister for local government and homelessness, Alison McGovern, said the figures were an indictment of previous policies and the government was "tackling the root causes of deprivation head on".

The Index of Multiple Deprivation looks at living conditions across an area - but does not mean that everyone in a highly deprived neighbourhood will be struggling, nor will all those in a less deprived area be well off.

The figures published on Thursday do not show whether an area has become better or worse off since the previous report, but instead show patterns of how areas have changed relative to each other.

Deprivation is spread across the country, with 65% of local authorities containing at least one highly deprived neighbourhood, up from 61% in 2019.

A neighbourhood to the east of Jaywick was again found to be the most deprived having previously topped the list in the last three reports, released in 2010, 2015 and 2019.

Clacton MP Nigel Farage, whose parliamentary constituency includes Jaywick, told the PA news agency he was "obviously sad that things aren't improving more quickly".

He said he believed he had "definitely helped" tourism in the area, with "having a high-profile MP helping to put Clacton on the map". But he added: "I'm doing what I can, but there's a limit to what one person can do."

The MHCLG found 82% of areas found to be the most deprived in 2025 were already in that category in 2019.

The department used a number of weighted metrics to determine a neighbourhood's level of deprivation, including income, crime and barriers to housing.

They are then assessed as more or less deprived compared to other neighbourhoods.

Middlesbrough has the highest percentage of very deprived neighbourhoods for income, education and crime, while Hartlepool tops the list for employment.

Liverpool has dropped out of the top 10 overall despite ranking second in 2019, but it still fares worst for health with more than 60% of its neighbourhoods classed as highly deprived.

The report also found that Tower Hamlets and Hackney in London had the highest levels of income deprivation among households with children.

Meanwhile, nine of the 10 local authority districts with the highest levels of income deprivation among older people are in London.

There are pockets of deprivation surrounded by less deprived areas in every region of England, but highly deprived places are most concentrated in the north and the midlands.

More than one in five neighbourhoods in the North East and the North West are in the most deprived category, compared with around one in 25 in London, the South West and the East of England, and one in 33 in the South East.

England's least deprived neighbourhood is in the town of Harpenden, near St Albans in Hertfordshire.

The report is the latest in a long-running series that are used by central and local government and other bodies to target resources for local services.

The government's recently announced Pride in Place funding - offering "overlooked" communities a share of £5bn - was allocated in part based on the deprivation figures from 2019.

Areas with a history of heavy industry or mining are particularly affected, the report's authors highlight, along with parts of East London and several coastal towns including Jaywick.

The former holiday resort was visited by the UN special rapporteur for extreme poverty as part of a fact-finding mission in 2018.

And last year, its local district council, Tendring, agreed a £126m 20-year improvement plan.

The latest data highlights "the scale of the challenge" but does not "reflect the progress made since 2019 or the strength of the people who call Jaywick Sands home", Tendring District Council said in a statement.

Council leader Mark Stephenson described Jaywick as a "truly special place" and called on the government for extra funding.

Speaking to the BBC, local resident Christopher Thompson, 60, said: "[Jaywick] is deprived, it needs investment, there is nothing here for the kids.

"The community is amazing - amazing people down here, they all help each other out."

Government minister McGovern said the statistics were a "damning indictment of a system that has left some communities broken, councils pushed to a financial cliff edge and residents facing the brunt of service cuts".

Previous policies had "barely begun to break the cycle of deprivation," leading to stagnant local growth and "loss of hope", she said.

McGovern added the government was "tackling the root causes of deprivation head on" by investing £500m in children's development, extending free school meals and a new £1bn crisis support package across the UK.

The previous Conservative government also used deprivation figures, along with other criteria, when deciding where would receive "Levelling Up" grants.

Dr Megan Armstrong, associate professor at University College London said that working class communities in places which formed the foundation of Britain's industrial economy had been "left to bear the brunt" of de-industrialisation "with few alternatives or support".

She added: "Successive governments have failed to reinvest or repair the damage, instead pursuing policies of austerity and privatisation that have further deepened inequality. Breaking that cycle requires sustained investment, structural reform, and genuine community engagement."

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also have Indices of Multiple Deprivation which are each published separately. No dates have yet been announced for these updates.

How is deprivation measured?

The Index of Multiple Deprivation ranks all of England's 33,755 neighbourhoods, each with an average of 1,500 people, by their deprivation score.

The score is calculated from data on income, employment, education, crime, health and disability, barriers to housing and services, and the living environment.

Once all the neighbourhoods are ranked, they are split into 10 equal groups called deciles, where the first decile is the 3,375 most deprived neighbourhoods and so on.

We are using terms like "highly deprived" and "most deprived" to refer to this group of neighbourhoods. There are areas of deprivation throughout England and not everyone in a neighbourhood will experience deprivation equally.

Additional reporting by Jess Carr, Libby Rogers and Lucy Dady