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The funeral of Pope Francis will be simpler than those of previous popes, following instructions he set out himself.
But as a head of state and leader of more than a billion Catholics worldwide, it will still be a spectacle of ceremony and tradition.
His death has drawn famous figures, politicians, and thousands of followers to Vatican City to pay their respects.
What time does the funeral start?
Archbishops and bishops will start gathering at 08:30 local time (07:30 BST) in the Constantine Wing, a corridor adjacent to St Peter's Basilica.
At the same time, Catholic priests will congregate in St Peter's Square.
Half an hour later, at 09:00 local time, patriarchs from the Orthodox church and cardinals will congregate in Saint Sebastian Chapel, inside the basilica, where the remains of Pope John Paul II lie.
They will walk in a funeral procession accompanying the Pope's coffin, which has spent the last four days in the centre of St Peter's Basilica.
The funeral starts at 10:00 when the coffin is laid in the square in front of St Peter's Basilica. The service will be led by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re.
Guests and dignitaries will be seated closer to the basilica and coffin, with thousands of other clergy and members of the public in and around St Peter's Square, similar to the funeral for Pope Benedict XVI shown below.
The service will end with prayers for Pope Francis and a final commendation - a concluding prayer where the Pope will be formally entrusted to God.
This marks the beginning of a nine-day mourning period called Novemdiales with a mass held every day in his memory.
Who will be attending?
Officials expect at least 250,000 members of the public to attend the funeral and there are some 170 heads of state or government on the guestlist.
Prince William will represent King Charles III, continuing a precedent set in 2005 when the then-Prince of Wales attended Pope John Paul II's funeral on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II.
There will also be hundreds of members of the clergy, with each group having a specific dress code for the service.
For bishops and archbishops, the liturgical clothes for a funeral include the alb, a white tunic held by a traditional cord called cincture, the amice, a short linen cloth to cover the neck, and a red chasuble, a solemn cape, in honour of the pope. Finally, they don a simple white linen or silk mitre on their heads.
Cardinals wear similar clothes, but they can be distinguished by their more ornate damask pattern mitres, which look cream rather than white.
Priests wear simpler garments and a long scarf over their tunic called a red stole.
The leaders, or patriarchs, of Orthodox churches will wear their own style of mitres, a cape called sakkos and an ornate cloth called omophorion, in colours according to their specific traditions.
How has Francis changed traditions?
After the service, Francis's body — dressed in a red chasuble and a damask and golden papal mitre — will be transported to the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome for burial. He will become the first Pope since Leo XIII, who died in 1903, to be buried outside the Vatican.
Traditionally, the Pope's remains would have been enclosed the day before the funeral in three nested coffins, made of cypress, lead, and oak.
The cypress coffin symbolised humility and mortality; the outer oak coffin, a sign of 'dignity and strength' and the lead coffin, welded to preserve the remains and prevent tampering.
Last year, however, Pope Francis requested that he be buried in a simpler wooden coffin with a zinc interior.
This is the coffin that will be seen in the funeral service.
According to Monsignor Diego Ravelli, the Vatican's master of liturgical ceremonies, the request emphasised "even more that the Roman Pontiff's funeral is that of a shepherd and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful man of this world".
Why did Francis choose burial site?
Pope Francis was a Jesuit - a Catholic religious order of priests known for their dedication to education and missionary work.
He was also a devotee of the Virgin Mary and as such, he chose to be buried in Santa Maria Maggiore, which sits outside the Vatican walls in the centre of Rome.
The church houses the Salus Populi Romani, a Byzantine icon of the Virgin believed to have been made by St Luke the Evangelist and used by Jesuit orders all over the world.
In his will, written in 2022, Pope Francis said: "Throughout my life, and during my ministry as a priest and bishop, I have always entrusted myself to the Mother of Our Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary."
"I wish my final earthly journey to end precisely in this ancient Marian sanctuary, where I would always stop to pray at the beginning and end of every Apostolic Journey, confidently entrusting my intentions to the Immaculate Mother, and giving thanks for her gentle and maternal care," he wrote.
On his first day as Pope in 2013, Francis left the Vatican to pray in Santa Maria Maggiore.
Seven popes are buried in the same basilica in ornamented tombs, however, the Argentinian pontiff asked that his tomb would be in the side aisle, between the Pauline Chapel (Chapel of Salus Populi Romani) and the Sforza Chapel, close to a statue known as the Mary Regina Pacis (Mary, Queen of Peace).
"Near that Queen of Peace, to whom I have always turned for help and whose embrace I have sought more than a hundred times during my pontificate," he explained in his will.
The Pope also asked that his tomb would be in the ground, simple and bearing only the inscription "Franciscus", the Latin version of his chosen name.
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend Pope Francis's funeral on Saturday in St Peter's Square, among them world leaders, Catholic officials and mourners from around the globe.
Many heads of state and royals have confirmed their attendance, including Prince William, French President Emmanuel Macron, Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, and Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Political figures will be out in full force at the ceremony, the most prominent gathering of world leaders since US President Donald Trump's inauguration.
Pope Francis's vocal opinions on global issues occasionally put him at odds with leaders - some of whom will be at the funeral.
Dignitaries will sit on the the right-hand side of the square - facing the Basilica - with the heads of state for Argentina and Italy taking the front seats.
This will be followed by reigning sovereigns followed by heads of states who will be seated in alphabetical order by country, in French.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the Prince of Wales
Starmer, who No 10 confirmed would attend, described Pope Francis's leadership as "courageous" in a statement following his death and said he was a pope "for the poor, the downtrodden and the forgotten".
Prince William will attend the funeral on behalf of his father, King Charles III, in keeping with recent tradition. The King, when he was Prince of Wales, attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005 on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II.
King Charles and Queen Camilla were among the last high-profile figures meet the Pope at his residence Casa Santa Marta during a royal visit to Italy earlier this month.
* You can watch and follow the funeral live here on the BBC News website and app. In the UK, there will be live coverage on BBC One from 0830-1230 BST, presented by Reeta Chakrabarti, available to watch on the iPlayer. There will also be live coverage on the BBC News channel presented by Maryam Moshiri. Finally, you can also follow coverage of the funeral on the BBC World Service
Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
US President Donald Trump
Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that he and first lady Melania would attend the Pope's funeral, marking the first foreign trip of his second term as US president.
After news of the Pope's death emerged, Trump ordered that all federal and state flags be flown at half-mast in honour of the late pontiff. He called Pope Francis "a very good man" who "loved the world" and "he especially loved people that were having a hard time".
The pair clashed in the past. In 2016, Pope Francis criticised Trump's proposal to build a wall on the US-Mexico border, saying a person "who thinks only about building walls" and "not building bridges, is not Christian".
Trump hit back, saying: "For a religious leader to question a person's faith is disgraceful."
After Trump met the Pope during a trip to the Vatican in 2017, he said: "He is something, he's really good. We had a fantastic meeting."
In February, Pope Francis described Trump's mass deportations as a "major crisis".
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky
The Ukrainian president had said he would travel to Vatican City with first lady Olena Zelenska for the funeral.
But on Friday, he said he may not be able to attend due to a number of military meetings, following a strike on Kyiv on Thursday.
He said the first lady and foreign minister would still attend.
In an earlier tribute to Pope Francis, Zelensky said: "He knew how to give hope, ease suffering through prayer, and foster unity."
"He prayed for peace in Ukraine and for Ukrainians."
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Francis made repeated calls for peace and an end to the war. The two leaders met several times at the Vatican, most recently last October.
Following that meeting, Pope Francis wrote on X: "All nations have the right to exist in peace and security. Their territories must not be attacked, and their sovereignty must be respected and guaranteed through peace and dialogue."
Earlier in 2024, Ukraine had strongly rejected a call by the pontiff for Kyiv to negotiate an end to the war and have "the courage to raise the white flag".
Other world leaders and royals attending the funeral
* Poland President Andrzej Duda
* EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
* Javier Milei, the president of Argentina, Pope Francis's home country
* Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella
* Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader
* Belgium King Philippe and Queen Mathilde
* Croatia President Zoran Milanovic
* Ecuador President Daniel Noboa
* Ireland Taoiseach (prime minister) Micheál Martin
* Moldova President Maia Sandu
* Norway Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit
* Latvia President Edgars Rinkevics
* New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon
* Sweden King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia
* UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres
World leaders may be gathering on Saturday to pay their respects to a fellow statesman whose church has more members than their states have citizens.
But they may also use the Pope's funeral as a rare and unexpected opportunity to conduct a little impromptu diplomacy.
For it will be one of the largest gatherings of global heads of state and government since the funeral of the late Queen in 2022.
Diplomats said there were few plans for formal meetings between government leaders because that would not be in the spirit of what is a solemn occasion.
"We do not want to be disrespectful to our hosts," one European diplomat said. "But will there be opportunities for brush-byes? Absolutely."
That was a reference to the serendipitous conversations that can take place on the margins of a summit or a ceremony as leaders "brush by" one another while they find their seats.
Another official said: "It's a funeral. We are treading carefully."
All eyes will, of course, be on whether Presidents Trump and Zelensky use the opportunity of being in the same place to discuss the prospects of a ceasefire in Ukraine. They will be seated in an area of St Peter's Square allocated to world leaders in alphabetical order by country.
You might imagine that means the leaders of the United States and Ukraine would sit near one another. But French was historically the language of diplomacy so the President of les États-Unis may well be some distance from his Ukrainian counterpart.
Given the tensions between the two leaders, some diplomats said this might be no bad thing and could avoid the risk of a confrontation like that in the Oval Office in February.
It is possible both men could meet privately elsewhere in Rome, as some European countries were hoping, but it was not clear if that was likely. "If it happens, it will be impromptu," one diplomat said.
On Tuesday, Zelensky said he was ready in principle to see Trump in Rome. "We are always ready to meet with our partners from the United State of America," he said.
The following day, Trump said he had "a lot of meetings set up" but did not say with whom. On Friday, Zelensky cast doubt on whether he would manage to attend after all, following the latest Russian strikes on Kyiv disrupting his travel plans.
The diplomatic focus will be on the part of St Peter's Square where presidents and prime ministers, princes and monarchs will sit waiting for the obsequies to begin. That will be the main opportunity for them to mingle and discuss the issues of the day, to make contacts and establish relationships.
The journey to Rome could also provide an opportunity for diplomatic encounters. The Vatican said 170 delegations were coming including about 50 heads of state, 15 heads of government and 12 reigning monarchs. The chances of them meeting at one of Rome's two airports on arrival or departure is high.
But while funerals can present diplomatic opportunities, they can also pose threats. There is the possibility of leaders coming into contact with an adversary. That is because politicians who are subject to European travel sanctions can visit Vatican City because it is considered neutral territory. Crucially, neither President Vladimir Putin of Russia, nor President Xi Jinping of China are due to attend.
* You can watch and follow the funeral live here on the BBC News website and app. In the UK, there will be live coverage on BBC One from 0830-1230 BST, presented by Reeta Chakrabarti, available to watch on the iPlayer. There will also be live coverage on the BBC News channel presented by Maryam Moshiri. Finally, you can also follow coverage of the funeral on the BBC World Service
The most unpredictable moment could come in the service itself. Francis Campbell, the British ambassador to the Holy See from 2005 to 2011, said the funeral Mass involves a moment when celebrants give each other a sign of peace and leaders could find themselves shaking hands with people they would rather not. "You cannot avoid it," he said. "You are attending a religious ceremony and it's incumbent on you to participate as much as possible."
At the funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005, the then Prince of Wales found himself unexpectedly shaking hands with President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. The future King's spokesman said he had been "caught by surprise".
There are also risks for leaders appearing before many thousands of mourners. At the same funeral in 2005, George Bush was booed by the crowd when his face was displayed on a monitor, an apparent judgement on the US president's war in Iraq.
The former Prime Minister Harold Wilson is credited with coining the phrase "a good working funeral" in relation to the service marking the death of Winston Churchill in 1965.
Geoff Berridge, Emeritus Professor of International Relations at Leicester University, said working funerals were of considerable value.
"They provide heads of state and government with a good excuse to break existing schedules for urgent discussions on current problems without arousing public expectations," he wrote in his book, Diplomacy: Theory and Practice.
In recent years, there have been several such funerals following the deaths of the late Queen, the former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, and Ebrahim Raisi, the Iranian president.
But "working funerals" have also been the subject of satire. Jim Hacker, the eponymous PM in the Yes, Prime Minister comedy on the BBC, said working funerals were a "heaven sent" opportunity.
"Dignified grief goes down very well with the voters, especially when it is shared by the world's statesmen," he told his aides. Working funerals were "much better than a summit because there are no expectations. People don't expect their leaders to come back from a funeral with test ban agreements or farm quote reductions. So we can actually have some meaningful discussions. A summit is just a public relations circus."
Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein of sexual abuse, has died by suicide aged 41, her family has confirmed.
Giuffre was one of the most outspoken accusers of convicted sex offenders Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, his former girlfriend. She alleged they trafficked her to the Duke of York when she was 17, which Prince Andrew has strenuously denied.
Relatives said in a statement on Friday that she had been a "fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse", and that the "toll of abuse... became unbearable".
"She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking," a statement from her family said.
"Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors," her family's statement said.
It said the mother of three died on Thursday at her farm in Western Australia.
West Australia police said they were called to reports of a woman who had been found unresponsive at a home in Neergabby on Friday night.
A statement continued: "Sadly, the 41-year-old woman was declared deceased at the scene.
"The death is being investigated by Major Crime detectives; early indication is the death is not suspicious."
Ms Giuffre had recently been living with her children and husband Robert in the suburb of North Perth, though recent reports suggest the couple had split after 22 years of marriage.
Three weeks ago, Ms Giuffre posted on Instagram to say that she had been seriously injured in a car accident, which her family later said she had not intended to make public. Local police later disputed the severity of the crash.
After making her abuse allegations public, Giuffre became a prominent campaigner and was closely associated with the Me Too movement.
Giuffre alleged that Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell trafficked her to the Duke of York when she was 17.
Prince Andrew, who has denied all claims against him, reached an out-of-court settlement with her in 2022.
The settlement included a statement in which he expressed regret for his association with Epstein but contained no admission of liability or apology.
Giuffre, an American, said she became a victim of sex trafficking when she was a teenager.
She said she met Maxwell, a British socialite, in the year 2000.
From there, she said she was introduced to Epstein and alleged years of abuse by him and his associates.
If you are suffering distress or despair, details of help and support in the UK are available at BBC Action Line. In the US, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255 or the Crisis Test Line by texting HOME to 741741. Help is also available in the US and Canada by dialing 988. Young people in need of help can call Kids Help Phone on 1-800-668-6868
US envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin had "constructive" talks in Moscow on Friday lasting three hours, according to an aide of Putin's.
Yuri Ushakov said the possibility of Russia and Ukraine resuming direct talks was a particular point of discussion.
The US has not released details of what was discussed during the meeting, but as it took place US President Donald Trump hinted the two sides were close to reaching a deal.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged allies to apply more pressure on Russia, blaming Moscow for failing to agree to a previous temporary ceasefire presented by the US.
Traffic was halted as a convoy of cars carrying Witkoff arrived in central Moscow, as he made his fourth visit to Russia since the start of the year.
The three-hour talks were described as "constructive and very useful" by Putin aide Ushakov.
It had brought the "Russian and US positions closer together not just on Ukraine but also on a range of other international issues", he said.
"Specifically on the Ukrainian crisis, the possibility of resuming direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives was in particular discussed," he added.
Earlier this week, Putin signalled for the first time since the early stages of the war that he was open to talks with Zelensky.
His remarks were believed to be in response to a proposal by the Ukrainian president for the 30-hour Easter truce to be extended for 30 days. No truce has yet been agreed on.
Kyiv has been on the receiving end of growing pressure from Trump to accept territorial concessions as part of an agreement with Moscow to end the war.
The issue of the occupied Crimean peninsula, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, has become a particular flashpoint.
Zelensky has repeatedly rejected the idea of recognising Crimea as part of Russia, telling reporters in Kyiv on Friday: "Our position is unchanged - only the Ukrainian people have the right to decide which territories are Ukrainian."
However, in later remarks he suggested "territorial issues" could be discussed if a "full and unconditional ceasefire" is agreed on.
"A full and unconditional ceasefire opens up the possibility to discuss everything," he said.
He also referenced comments made by Trump in an interview with Time magazine, in which the US president said "Crimea will stay with Russia".
"What President Trump says is true, and I agree with him in that today we do not have enough weapons to return control over the Crimean peninsula," Zelensky said.
The US's peace plan has not been publicly released, but reports suggest it proposes Russia keeps the land it has gained, amounting to about 20% of Ukraine's territory - a condition that is in Moscow's favour.
According to the Reuters news agency, which has seen US proposals handed to European officials last week as well as subsequent counter-proposals from Europe and Ukraine, there are significant disparities between them.
The US deal offers American legal acceptance of Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and de facto recognition of Russian control of other occupied areas, including all of the Luhansk region.
By contrast, the Europeans and Ukrainians will only discuss what happens to occupied Ukrainian territory after a ceasefire has come into effect.
As the meeting between Witkoff and Putin was taking place, Trump claimed talks were going in the right direction.
"They're meeting with Putin right now, as we speak, and we have a lot of things going on, and I think in the end we're going to end up with a lot of good deals, including tariff deals and trade deals," he told reporters in the US.
He said his aim was to bring about an end to fighting in Ukraine which was claiming the lives of 5,000 Ukrainian and Russians a week, adding he believed "we're pretty close" to a peace deal.
But Russia and Ukraine's positions still seem miles apart, with no representative from Ukraine invited to take part in the talks in Moscow.
Writing on social media on Friday, Zelensky criticised Russia for failing to agree to a 30-day ceasefire proposed by the US on 11 March and urged allies to apply more pressure to it.
"It's been 45 days since Ukraine agreed to President Trump's proposal for quiet in the sky, sea and the frontline," he said. "Russia rejects all this. Without pressure this cannot be resolved. Pressure on Russia is necessary."
He said Russia was being allowed to import missiles from countries such as North Korea, which he said it then used in a deadly missile strike on Kyiv on Thursday, which killed 12 people.
"Insufficient pressure on North Korea and its allies allows them to make such ballistic missiles. The missile that killed the Kyiv residents contained at least 116 parts imported from other countries, and most of them, unfortunately, were made by US companies," Zelensky alleged.
Following the attack on Kyiv, Trump said he was "putting a lot of pressure" on both sides to end the war, and directly addressed Putin in a post on social media, saying: "Vladimir STOP!"
Since then, however, Trump has blamed Kyiv for starting the war, telling Time magazine: "I think what caused the war to start was when they [Ukraine] started talking about joining Nato."
Ahead of the talks between Witkoff and Putin on Friday, a senior Russian general was killed in a car bomb attack in the Russian capital. The Kremlin accused Ukraine of being responsible. Kyiv has not commented.
Two people were also killed in a Ukrainian strike on the Russian region of Belgorod, the local governor said. Again, Ukraine has not commented on the claim.
Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) - set up to cut US government spending - claims to have saved, on average, more than $10bn a week since President Trump entered office.
"We're talking about almost $200bn and rising fast," Trump told the BBC when talking about Mr Musk's cost-cutting drive on 23 April.
Doge's website says it is focusing on cancelling contracts, grants and leases put in place by previous administrations, as well as tackling fraud and reducing the government workforce.
BBC Verify has looked at the agency's biggest claimed savings, examining the figures and speaking to experts.
Our analysis found that behind some of the large numbers, there is a lack of evidence to back them up.
How does Doge report savings?
In October, Mr Musk pledged to cut "at least $2 trillion" from the federal government budget. He subsequently halved this target and on 10 April talked about making savings of $150bn from "cutting fraud and waste" by the end of the next financial year in 2026.
The US federal budget for the last financial year was $6.75tn.
Doge publishes a running total of its estimated savings on its website - which stood at $160bn the last time the site was updated on 20 April.
However, less than 40% of this figure is broken down into individual savings.
We downloaded the data from the Doge website on 23 April and added up the total claimed savings from contracts, grants and leases.
Our analysis found only about half of these itemised savings had a link to a document or other form of evidence.
US media has also highlighted some accounting errors, including Doge mistakenly claiming to have saved $8bn from cancelling an immigration contract which in fact had a total value of $8m.
Doge says it is working to upload all receipts in a "digestible and transparent manner" and that, as of 20 April, it has posted receipts "representing around 30% of all total savings". It also lists some receipts as being "unavailable for legal reasons".
What's the evidence behind the biggest saving?
BBC Verify examined the four largest savings listed on the Doge website which had receipts attached.
The department claims these add up to $8.3bn, but after examining the evidence provided and speaking to people familiar with federal contracts, this figure appears to be overstated.
For three of the savings, Doge links to documents on the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS). This is a database which records contracts given out by the US government.
The documents show a contract's start and end date, the maximum amount the government has agreed to spend, and how much of that has been spent.
David Drabkin, a federal contracts expert who helped develop the FPDS database, said the maximum figure listed should be treated with caution.
"FPDS does not reflect the actual paid price until some period of time after the contract has been completed and the contract actions have been recorded," he says.
"For example, when buying research and development into a vaccine no one really knows how much that's going to cost - so when a price is set, it's not a definite price but rather an upper limit."
So if Doge counts the maximum figure, that can represent projected spending over a number of years, rather than a direct saving from the country's yearly spending.
Doge's largest listed individual saving is $2.9bn.
It comes from cancelling a contract - which started in 2023 under President Biden - for a facility in Texas to house up to 3,000 unaccompanied migrant children.
Doge appears to have taken the "total contract value" until 2028 - the end date listed - and subtracted the amount spent so far to get the $2.9bn figure.
But the contract was reviewed annually, meaning renewing it until 2028 was not guaranteed.
A source familiar with this contract - who spoke on condition of anonymity - told BBC Verify that Doge's figure is "based on speculative, never-used figures" and that the actual spending depended on how many children were placed at the facility and the services they required.
"In truth, the government never incurred those costs and could never reach that ceiling amount. The real, documentable savings from early termination were approximately $153 million", they estimated.
They say this figure comes from tallying up the $18m per month fixed running costs (for things like staffing and security at the facility) from February - when Doge announced the cut - to November - when the contract was subject to annual review.
They also told us that the site - which closed on the same day as the Doge announcement - never reached its maximum capacity of 3,000 children, and about 2,000 stayed at the Texas facility at its peak, before numbers fell significantly as border crossings decreased.
We contacted the Administration for Children and Families and the Department for Health and Human Services which awarded the contract but are yet to hear back.
What about the other big savings?
Another IT contract, this time with the Department of Defense, is the third largest claimed saving.
Doge says $1.76bn was saved by cancelling a contract with an IT services company called A1FEDIMPACT.
On the contract document, the total value is listed as $2.4bn. An online database of government contracts called Higher Gov says this amount was the ceiling value.
Again, there is $0 recorded for the amount that had been spent at the time the contract was terminated.
It is unclear where Doge's figure of $1.76bn comes from - we have asked the Pentagon and the supplier about it.
The fourth largest claimed saving of $1.75bn comes from cancelling a USAID grant to Gavi, a global health organisation, which campaigns to improve access to vaccines.
Doge links to a page on USASpending.gov. It shows a grant was paid to Gavi in three instalments, during the Biden administration, totalling $880m.
Gavi confirmed that $880m had been paid out by USAID but said it had not been told the grant had been terminated.
"Gavi has not received a termination notice related to this grant," a spokesperson told us.
We have not found any evidence for the $1.75bn saving claimed by Doge, and a source familiar with the contract said it was unclear where it comes from.
We asked the USAID Office of Inspector General about the grant but it did not respond to us.
While Doge may have cut a significant amount of government spending, the lack of evidence provided for its biggest claimed savings makes it impossible to independently confirm exactly how much.
Doge does not have a press office but BBC Verify has contacted the White House to ask for more evidence of these claimed savings.
Additional reporting by Ned Davies and Alison Benjamin.
What do you want BBC Verify to investigate?
A judge in Wisconsin has been arrested by US federal authorities after allegedly trying to help an undocumented immigrant who appeared in her court avoid arrest.
The US Marshalls Service told the BBC's US partner CBS News that officers took Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan into custody on Friday morning.
In a post on X, which was deleted minutes later, FBI Director Kash Patel alleged that Dugan allowed Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican national facing three misdemeanour counts of battery stemming from a fight, to escape from her courtroom.
Flores-Ruiz was later arrested and appeared in the Milwaukee court for a scheduled hearing on 18 April.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that officers from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were also in the courtroom that day, and that Dugan directed Flores-Ruiz and his lawyer to a side door leading out of the courtroom.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.
The Trump administration is restoring visas for hundreds of foreign students who had their legal status abruptly terminated stoking panic among many who feared immediate deportation, government officials confirmed.
Justice department attorney Elizabeth Kurlan told a federal court that immigration officials are now working on a new system for reviewing and terminating visas for international students.
The announcement follows more than 100 lawsuits filed by students who were abruptly stripped of their legal right to study in US universities.
An estimated 1,800 students and 280 universities have been impacted , according to a tally from Inside Higher Ed.
Many affected students appeared to have participated in political protests or have had previous criminal charges, such as driving infractions.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously said the administration would terminate status for people whose actions the administration believes run counter to US interests.
The policy has caused widespread fear and confusion across hundreds of US universities, with some students opting to leave the country pre-emptively rather than face possible detention or deportation.
The Justice Department told the court on Friday that records would be restored in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information Systems (SEVIS), which tracks foreign students' compliance with their visas.
But ICE still maintains the authority to terminate a SEVIS record for other reasons.
For example, "if a student fails to maintain his or her nonimmigrant status after the record is reactivated, or engages in other unlawful activity that would render him or her removable from the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act" justice department attorney Elizabeth Kurlan told a federal court in California, NBC News reported.
Attorneys for the students have argued that the revocations violate the students' legal rights, and the fear of detention has prevented them from fulfilling their studies.
Attorneys representing students across the country said that their clients had seen their records restored in recent days, according to NBC News.
Losing their SEVIS records left students vulnerable to immigration actions -- and possible detention and deportation, according to Elora Mukherjee, director of the Immigrants' Rights Clinic at Columbia Law School.
"What I'm hearing is that this is a reprieve for many students who have had their status reinstated in SEVIS," Prof Mukherjee said. "But this doesn't mean this ordeal is over for the students who have had their records terminated."
The Justice Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It was all smiles in the Kremlin.
"It's so good to see you," gushed Steve Witkoff as he shook the hand of the Russian president.
From his broad smile you could tell that Donald Trump's special envoy was indeed delighted to see Vladimir Putin.
In fact, he's been seeing rather a lot of him.
This was their fourth meeting in just over two months.
In that period Witkoff has surely had more face time with Russia's president than any other American.
The Kremlin released 27 seconds of video from the meeting. What caught my attention wasn't so much the body language or the greetings - it was the table.
On one side sat the combined might of the Russian delegation: President Putin, flanked by his veteran foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, his envoy on foreign investment Kirill Dmitriev, plus an interpreter.
On the other side, clearly outnumbered: Witkoff and a translator.
This is not traditional diplomacy - but then again, Witkoff is not a traditional diplomat.
He is a billionaire New York real estate developer and long-time confidant of Trump - who himself is not a traditional president.
Like Trump, Witkoff has made a career in doing deals.
This is how high-level US-Russian diplomacy is being conducted now in the Trump era.
It's how crucial decisions with potential implications for the global order are being debated.
Following this round of talks, Ushakov held a conference call for reporters. He insisted that the negotiations with Witkoff had been "constructive and very useful".
"May I ask a question?" I began. "What are the main sticking points, the obstacles to peace in Ukraine?"
"Thank you," Ushakov said. "We'll end it there." Conference call over.
From the various alleged peace proposals that have been leaked to the press, there seem to be plenty of "sticking points". There are differences over the territorial concessions Ukraine would be required to make, security guarantees, sanctions relief for Russia and the sequencing - that is, the order in which obligations undertaken be carried out.
The day Witkoff flew to Moscow, on the edge of the city, peace was shattered.
A car bomb killed a senior Russian general.
Yaroslav Moskalik was deputy head of the Main Operations Directorate of the Russian General Staff. The Kremlin accused Kyiv of assassinating him.
If that's true, it's a sign of how Russia's war in Ukraine has come much closer to home.
There is no guarantee that talks between Putin and Witkoff will bring peace. And there will be concern in Kyiv and in Europe that they were not at the table.
What is clear is that Putin and Trump are determined to bring their countries closer - whatever happens with the Ukraine peace process.
For Moscow and Washington, now their watchword is co-operation.
On Friday, I attended a ceremony at a Moscow military park symbolising this.
It marked the moment, 80 years ago, when American and Soviet soldiers met on the Elbe River in the dying days of World War Two. That was a time when Russia and America were allies.
A military band played as people lined up to lay flowers at a memorial to the Meeting on the Elbe.
Putin's invasion of Ukraine put the US and Russia on opposite sides, but times are changing again.
The White House and the Kremlin are trying to repair relations. Could they secure a peace deal, one that's acceptable to Ukraine?
"We are just re-establishing contact," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told me at the ceremony.
"We are just trying to find a way out of this terrible crisis which was created by the previous American administration. They ruined many things."
Moscow presents itself as peacekeeper. It blames Kyiv and the "collective West" for the fighting.
And yet in February 2022, it was President Putin who ordered Russian troops to invade a sovereign neighbouring country, to force it back into Moscow's orbit.
So much has changed, not least the attitude of the White House.
President Biden had promised to support Ukraine "for as long as we can".
Earlier this month, Trump blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for starting the war.
"You don't start a war against someone 20 times your size and then hope that people give you some missiles," Trump said.
The threat to Canada's sovereignty from US President Donald Trump has dominated the election campaign, but the country also faces a challenge from within. Some western Canadians, fed up with a decade of Liberal rule, are openly calling for separation.
Standing in front of a crowd of about 100 squeezed into a small event hall in the city of Lethbridge, Dennis Modry is asking locals about Alberta's future.
Who thinks Alberta should have a bigger role in Canada, he asks? A dozen or so raise their hands.
Who thinks the province should push for a split from Canada and form its own nation? About half the crowd raise their hands.
"How many people would like Alberta to join the US?" Another show of support from half the crowd.
Mr Modry, a retired heart surgeon, is a co-leader of the Alberta Prosperity Project, a grassroots organisation pushing for an independence referendum.
The possibility of a split has long been a talking point in this conservative-leaning province. But two factors have given it new momentum: Trump's comments about making Canada the 51st US state, and the subsequent boost that has given the Liberal Party in the polls ahead of Monday's federal election.
Mr Modry told the BBC the separatist movement has grown in recent months - driven in part, he believes, by the president's rhetoric.
"We're not interested in that", he said. "We're interested in Alberta sovereignty."
Jeffrey Rath, however - a lawyer and rancher from Calgary who is another of the project's co-founders - was not as dismissive of Trump's 51st state suggestion. Although he agrees independence is the priority, he could see a future where Alberta joined with the US.
"We have a lot more culturally in common with our neighbours to the south in Montana … (and) with our cousins in Texas, than we do anywhere else," he said.
Previously on the political fringes, the possibility of a unity crisis is now being discussed out in the open.
In an opinion piece for national newspaper the Globe and Mail, Preston Manning - an Albertan considered one of the founders of the modern conservative movement in Canada - warned "large numbers of Westerners simply will not stand for another four years of Liberal government, no matter who leads it".
Accusing the party of mismanaging national affairs and ignoring the priorities of western Canadians, he added: "A vote for the Carney Liberals is a vote for Western secession – a vote for the breakup of Canada as we know it."
This sense of "western alienation", a term used to describe the feeling that the region is often overlooked by politicians in Canada's capital, is nothing new. For decades, many in the oil and gas-rich prairie provinces of Alberta and Saskachtewan have bemoaned how they are underrepresented, despite the region's economic significance for the country as a whole.
That resentment grew under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government, which brought in environmental policies some Albertans view as a direct attack on the region's economic growth.
National polls suggest the Liberals, now under the leadership of Mark Carney, could be headed for their fourth consecutive win come election day on Monday. That it could come in part because of a surge of support in Ontario and Quebec - the eastern provinces where so much of the population is concentrated - only adds to the regional divide.
Judy Schneider, whose husband works in the oil industry in Calgary, told the BBC she would vote "yes" in an independence referendum.
She said she didn't see Carney, who spent much of the last decade away from Canada but was raised in Edmonton, Alberta's capital, as a westerner.
"He can come and say 'I'm from Alberta,' but is he?" Ms Schneider said.
An independent Alberta remains an unlikely prospect - a recent Angus Reid poll suggested that only one in four Albertans would vote to leave Canada if a referendum were held now. A majority of Canadians, however, feel the issue should be taken seriously, a separate Nanos poll indicated.
Political analysts say the divide will pose a challenge to the country's next prime minister, especially if Carney wins. And even a victory for Calgary-born Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre would "not solve the imbalance that presently exists between the East and the West," Mr Modry, the activist, said.
That wider sentiment has pushed Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who leads the United Conservative Party, to strike her own path in trade talks with the US, while other provincial leaders and the federal government have co-ordinated their efforts closely. She even visited Trump at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.
In Canada, Smith has publicly warned of a "national unity crisis" if Alberta's demands - which centre around repealing Trudeau-era environmental laws to accelerate oil and gas production - are not met by the new prime minister within six months of the election.
While Smith has dismissed talk of outright separation as "nonsense", critics have accused her of stoking the flames at such a consequential time for Canada's future.
The Trump Organization is now selling red caps that simply read "Trump 2028", seeming to promote the president as a candidate in the election in 2028.
By that time, though, Donald Trump will have served two terms in the White House, the limit set by the US Constitution.
The release of the $50 cap (£38) followed Trump's comments that he is "not joking" about wanting to serve a third term as US president.
The US Constitution says that "no person... shall be elected more than twice", but some Trump supporters - and the president - have suggested there could be ways around that.
Why is Trump talking about a third term?
Trump was asked in an interview with NBC about the possibility of seeking a third term and said "there are methods which you could do it".
"I'm not joking... a lot of people want me to do it," he added. "But, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know, it's very early in the administration."
Trump, who would be 82 at the end of his second term, was asked whether he would want to keep serving in "the toughest job in the country".
"Well, I like working," he replied.
These were not his first comments on the topic. In January, he told supporters that it would be "the greatest honour of my life to serve not once, but twice or three times or four times". However, he then said this was a joke for the "fake news media".
In April, Trump's official online merchandise store began offering a "Trump 2028" hat for sale for $50. The president's son Eric was pictured wearing the hat in the listing, which included the message: "The future looks bright!"
What does the US Constitution say?
On the face of it, the US Constitution seems to rule out anyone having a third term. The 22nd Amendment states:
"No person shall be elected to the office of the president more than twice, and no person who has held the office of president, or acted as president, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected president shall be elected to the office of the president more than once."
Changing the constitution would require a two-thirds approval from both the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as approval from three-quarters of the country's state-level governments.
Trump's Republican Party controls both chambers of Congress but does not have the majorities needed. Additionally, the Democratic Party controls 18 of the 50 state legislatures.
How could Trump be president for a third term?
Trump supporters say there is a loophole in the constitution, untested in court.
They argue that the 22nd Amendment only explicitly bans someone being "elected" to more than two presidential terms - and says nothing of "succession".
Under this theory, Trump could be the vice-presidential running-mate to another candidate - perhaps his own vice-president, JD Vance - in the 2028 election.
If they win, the candidate could be sworn into the White House and then immediately resign - letting Trump take over by succession.
Steve Bannon, the podcaster and prominent former Trump adviser, said he believed Trump would "run and win again", adding there were "a couple of alternatives" in determining how.
"There are some loopholes that have been discussed," Trump told Time magazine in a wide-ranging interview published in April. "But I don't believe in loopholes."
Andy Ogles, a Tennessee Republican in the House of Representatives, introduced a resolution in January calling for a constitutional amendment to allow a president to serve up to three terms - as long as they were not consecutive.
This would mean that only Trump of all living presidents would be eligible - Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W Bush all served consecutive terms, whereas Trump won in 2016, lost in 2020, and won again in 2024.
However, the high bar for constitutional amendments makes Ogles' proposal a pipe dream - although it got people talking.
Who opposes a Trump third term?
Democrats have deep objections.
"This is yet another escalation in his clear effort to take over the government and dismantle our democracy," said Daniel Goldman, a New York Representative who served as lead counsel for Trump's first impeachment.
"If Congressional Republicans believe in the Constitution, they will go on the record opposing Trump's ambitions for a third term."
Some within Trump's party also think it's a bad idea.
The Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin, of Oklahoma, said in February he would not back an attempt to put Trump back in the White House.
"I'm not changing the constitution, first of all, unless the American people chose to do that," Mullin told NBC.
Republican Congressman Tom Cole has called the idea "too fanciful to really discuss seriously."
What do legal experts say?
Derek Muller, an election law professor at the University of Notre Dame, said the Constitution's 12th Amendment says "no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of president shall be eligible to that of vice-president of the United States".
That means serving two terms in office disqualifies anyone from running as a vice-presidential candidate, in his view.
"I don't think there's any 'one weird trick' to getting around presidential term limits," he said.
Jeremy Paul, a constitutional law professor at Boston's Northeastern University, told CBS New there were "no credible legal arguments" for a third term.
Has anyone served more than two terms?
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected four times. He died three months into his fourth term, in April 1945.
The Great Depression and the Second World War coloured Roosevelt's time in office - and are often cited for his extended presidency.
At that time, the two-term limit on US presidents had not been written into law - it was instead a custom followed since George Washington refused a third term in 1796.
Roosevelt's extended stewardship led to the tradition being codified into law in the 22nd Amendment in 1951.
US President Donald Trump has some well-known nemeses: illegal immigrants, low-flow showers and last, but definitely not least, the head of the US central bank.
Elevated by Trump to lead the Federal Reserve starting in 2018, Jerome Powell almost immediately found himself under fire - described on social media as a bonehead and questioned about reports that the president wanted him gone.
But however uncomfortable Powell might have been then, his position has only gotten worse.
Not only is he overseeing an economy where the risk of recession is rapidly rising, Trump has been flirting publicly with his removal, writing on social media last week: "Powell's termination cannot come fast enough!"
Coming at a time when Trump has pushed to expand presidential power, while cowing political opponents and ploughing past judicial efforts to check his action, it has raised alarm that he is more serious about, and might be more able to, exert control over the Fed than during his first term.
The tensions cooled this week, when Trump, a day after a market slide that some analysts tied to the comments, denied to reporters that he ever had any intention of firing Powell.
It came amid other hints of de-escalation in Trump's economic rhetoric as his policies, especially trade tariffs, have faced rising political and business backlash.
But Trump did not offer much assurance that he would limit his interventions at the Fed, maintaining his right to have a view and noting that he might call Powell to discuss his concerns about the bank's interest rate policy.
Donald Kohn, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and the former vice chair of the Federal Reserve, said the shift in tone appeared intended to calm financial markets but he did not think it marked the end of a fight over the Fed, an institution considered vital to the health of the world's largest economy.
"It's a testimony to the market's response," he said. "But I think it's way too soon to say that there's a stability there."
What is Trump's problem with Powell?
Trump's clash with the Fed is ostensibly rooted in differences over where the bank should fix its key interest rate, which plays an influential role shaping borrowing costs for credit cards, mortgages and other loans.
Lower rates make it easier to borrow and tend to deliver an economic boost. Higher interest rates dampen activity, helping to keep prices stable.
Trump, who cut his teeth professionally taking out loans as a property developer, has long confessed to liking a low interest rate policy.
He objected when the Fed raised rates in his first term and has been pushing Powell to cut them now, arguing that inflation has cooled and keeping rates too high could do unnecessary economic damage.
"There can be a SLOWING of the economy unless Mr. Too Late, a major loser, lowers interest rates, NOW," he wrote on social media earlier this week, referring to Powell.
A threat to Fed independence?
Trump is hardly the first politician to cast the bank as a scapegoat at a moment of economic turmoil - or to press for lower interest rates.
Nor is he alone in his criticism of Powell, who infamously initially dismissed post-pandemic price inflation as "transitory" and has been faulted for being too focused on backward-looking data.
His pressure on the bank, however, breaks with Washington tradition in recent decades of presidential deference to the Fed.
It has drawn comparisons to former President Richard Nixon, who pushed his Fed chairman to loosen its policies ahead of the 1972 election, moves later blamed for feeding the high-inflation, low-growth "stagflationary" dynamic of that decade.
The idea that Trump could exert control over the Fed elicits horror among many economists, who say history is littered with examples of countries where political interference at central banks led to spiralling prices and economic ruin.
Sarah Binder, professor at George Washington University and a scholar of the Federal Reserve, said confidence in Fed independence is key to maintaining market faith that inflation will be controlled.
If shaken, it could lead to higher borrowing costs for everyone, as investors demand higher interest rates for holding debt, she warned, noting that should the Fed eventually cut rates, it is likely to spark speculation about Trump's influence - regardless of how, if at all, it played into the decision.
"That's ultimately the problem. It is perceptions of independence that really matter and that's what the pernicious effects of the attacks are they do raise doubts about whether the Fed can be as stalwart as central bankers want to be," she said.
Can Trump fire Powell?
Joe Lavorgna, chief economist at SMBC Nikko Securities, who served on the National Economic Council during Trump's first term, said he saw little need for Trump to dial back his attacks, noting that he was making a "very classic macro argument" about the bank's flaws.
"I'm completely on board with the president's sympathies or comments that the Fed has historically been late," he said, adding that he thought stock market falls had been driven primarily by questions about trade policy.
He said he believed that Fed officials would remain more responsive to financial conditions than the president, noting that, if anything, Trump's pressure could make it more hesitant to cut, lest it be perceived as being cowed.
"Ultimately the Fed is going to do what's prudent," he said. "The question is just the timing."
Powell, a longtime Washington lawyer whose term as chair is due to end next year, has maintained that he is unbothered - and uninfluenced - by the criticism and asserted that Trump does not have the legal authority to remove him.
But the strength of his position is a matter of legal debate.
By law, Fed governors can only be removed for cause, but it is unclear whether that protection extends to the role leading the board.
The administration has already taken steps to reduce the Fed's regulatory role and is engaged in a legal battle over expanding presidential authority over other government agencies set up with features, like for cause protections, intended to insulate them from partisan pressure.
Mark Spindel, founder and chief investment officer of the Washington-based investment advisory firm Potomac River Capital, who has worked with Prof Binder on Fed studies, noted that the tradition of Fed "independence" had evolved over time, often after political or economic crisis.
"Things that are given can be taken away," he said, hours before Trump appeared to back off.
Asked again for his thoughts a few days later, Mr Spindel wrote back just two words in reply: "Damage done."
Looting has been reported at other Sudanese museums and ancient sites. Last September the UN's world heritage organisation, Unesco, warned of a "threat to culture" and urged art dealers not to import or export artefacts smuggled out of Sudan.
Before the war, the National Museum was undergoing rehabilitation, and so many of its treasures were boxed up.
That may have made it easier for the collections to be removed.
Sudanese officials say precious artefacts from the National Museum were taken away to be sold.
They strongly suspect RSF fighters took some of the valuables to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE has been widely accused of funding the RSF, although both parties have always denied these accusations.
"We had a strong room for the gold collection, they managed to open it and took all the gold," Ms Ahmed said.
"Maybe they kept it for themselves, or maybe they traded it in the market."
So the whereabouts of pieces like a gold collar from the pyramid of King Talakhamani at Nuri, which dates to the 5th Century BC, are unknown.
Asked about the value of what was taken, Ms Ahmed replied simply: "There is no value for the museum artefacts, it's more expensive than you could imagine."
The de facto government of Sudan says it will contact Interpol and Unesco to attempt to recover artefacts looted from the National Museum and elsewhere.
However recovering the artefacts seems a difficult and perhaps even dangerous task, with little immediate prospect of success.
The government, and other Sudanese observers, say the RSF's attacks against museums, universities and buildings like the National Records Office are a conscious attempt to destroy the Sudanese state - but, again, the RSF denies this.
Amgad Farid, who runs the Fikra for Studies and Development think-tank, is particularly critical of the looting.
"The RSF's actions transcend mere criminality," he wrote in a piece shared by his organisation.
"They constitute a deliberate and malicious assault on Sudan's historical identity, targeting the invaluable heritage of Nubian, Coptic, and Islamic civilisations spanning over 7,000 years, constituting a cornerstone of African and global history, enshrined within these museums.
"This is not an incidental loss amid conflict - it is a calculated endeavour to erase Sudan's legacy, to sever its people from their past, and to plunder millennia of human history for profit."
The story of the National Museum – taken over by armed men, its gold and valuables looted and stolen – mirrors the individual stories of so many Sudanese in this conflict: they have been forced to flee, their houses occupied, their gold stolen.
According to the UN, nearly 13 million people have been forced from their homes since the fighting began in 2023, while an estimated 150,000 people have been killed.
"The war is against the people of Sudan," Ms Ahmed says, bemoaning the war's human cost, as well as the unimaginable loss of centuries of heritage.
She - along with other like-minded individuals - intend to restore the National Museum and other looted institutions.
"Inshallah [God willing] we will get all our collections back," she said.
"And we build it more beautiful than before."
More about the war in Sudan from the BBC:
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.
Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
As they walked through arrivals at Manchester Airport, a couple seemed to be behaving oddly towards their baby.
Something did not sit right with Border Force officers. One worried the relationship between the three was "not genuine".
Officers pulled the couple for questioning. The man, Raphael Ossai, claimed to be the girl's father.
He handed them a birth certificate for the baby, which showed his travelling companion, Oluwakemi Olasanoye, as the child's mother.
But officers found a second birth certificate, hidden in the lining of the couple's luggage. It named another woman, Raphael's British wife, as the little girl's mother.
It was the start of a mystery that remains unsolved - the little girl's true identity is still not fully known.
What we do know is the child is not related to any of the adults. The girl, who we are calling Lucy, seems to have been born in rural Nigeria in September 2022, and given to an orphanage when she was just three days old.
The couple who carried her to the UK, Ossai and Olasanoye, pleaded guilty to immigration offences and were sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by deportation.
Now Lucy has been in care in Manchester for nearly two years. The Nigerian High Commission did not engage in depth with the case despite multiple requests from the High Court.
For the last nine months the High Court in Manchester has been trying to find out who Lucy really is, as it decides what her future should be.
A little girl lost
The court heard that on June 20 2023, Ossai and Olasanoye unlawfully brought Lucy to the UK from Lagos, via Addis Ababa. Olasanoye had a visa to work in the UK and agreed to travel with Ossai and Lucy.
When the couple were sentenced in criminal court, it was believed that Lucy was the child of Ossai and his Nigerian-born British wife.
Ossai met his British wife in Kenya and married her in Nigeria in 2017 – but he had never been to the UK. When he applied for a visitor's visa, he was turned down due to financial circumstances.
At the time of sentencing, the judge said the "principal motive for this offence" was to bring the bring the baby to the UK so him and his British wife could live as a "family" with Lucy.
However during the High Court hearing, DNA tests proved Lucy is not related either of the adults.
Documents presented to the court said that she had been born to a young student in rural Nigeria, who was not able to care for her. Her father was not known.
The papers indicated the mother had voluntarily relinquished Lucy to an orphanage.
Ossai and his British wife said they had been looking for a little girl to adopt, and he collected Lucy when she was a tiny baby.
The couple had permission to foster the little girl but not to adopt her or take her out of Nigeria.
Ossai, a music producer, took Lucy to a small flat in the Nigerian capital Lagos where he looked after her for the next nine months.
He told the court he had cared for the baby well – that he had fed her properly, played her music, and kept her safe.
But a social worker from the Children and Family Court Advisory Service CAFCASS said she believed Lucy had been neglected, underfed and under stimulated.
She had met the little girl when she was just over a year old, in October 2023.
"It was really sad when I met her," a social worker told the court.
Giving evidence, she said it was as though the child did not realise "she was actually a person".
"She was so lost, and not really present… she just felt so alone yet she was surrounded by people," she added.
During an observation session, the social worker said Lucy became very "panicky" when her foster carer stood up to leave the room.
She also displayed an "extreme cry" that was "very difficult to soothe".
When asked whether Lucy could have been traumatised by the flight or by her transfer to care, the social worker said she believes it is unlikely that alone was to blame.
She added that if Lucy had developed a secure attachment to Ossai, that would have been transferred to her foster carer.
The judge said the child lacked "basic parental attachment" but did not make a finding on the cause.
"I am sure that her being brought into this country illegally and thus separated from her carers is bound to be a significant factor," he said.
'We see her as our daughter'
Although Ossai has been sentenced to be deported, he and his British wife asked the High Court to assess them to care for Lucy.
Ossai said that he thought of Lucy as his daughter. His lawyers said that as the Nigerian authorities had approved him as her foster parent, the English court had no power to take her away.
Lucy had always been happy with him, Ossai said, and he thought taking her into care had upset her, especially placing her with white foster carers.
"The white may be strange to her," he added. "When they took her from me I saw the way she was looking at them."
His lawyers raised concerns that if Lucy were adopted by a white family, she would lose her cultural identity.
Ossai's British wife said Lucy "is like that precious gift that I desired so much".
She told the High Court she would do "anything and everything" for her, adding "I see her as my child".
Both broke down and cried in court when they talked about the little girl.
The best opportunities for Lucy
The High Court Judge hearing the case, Sir Jonathan Cohen, rejected Ossai and his British wife's application to be assessed to care for Lucy.
He said the lies they had told and the actions they had taken, especially moving Lucy from Nigeria, had "inevitably caused her very significant emotional harm".
Lucy has been placed with several different foster carers and is residing in at least her third new home since her arrival in the UK. In April, the judge ordered she be placed for adoption in the UK and that her name be changed.
He said that Lucy "needs to have the best opportunities going forward in the world", and that can "only be done in a placement in an alternative family".
The judge added that she would be provided with "background" about her heritage and told what happened in her past.
He found that Ossai and his British wife had a genuine desire to adopt Lucy.
Julian Bild, an immigration lawyer for anti-trafficking charity Atleu, said in circumstances where a woman is a UK national and a child is a UK national via adoption or otherwise, "it is likely the family would be allowed to stay here".
It is possible for a child to receive British citizenship if they are brought to and physically adopted in the UK, he said.
But he added that it is "very, very unlikely that a Nigerian could simply adopt a child to improve their immigration situation and get away with it because that would be pretty transparent".
"A person seeking to bring a child to the UK for the purpose of adoption would first need to get a Certificate of Eligibility from the UK government before being able to do so.
"The genuineness for all of this to happen is obviously looked at very closely by the family courts, social workers and experts to ensure the arrangement is in the best interests of the child."
The Home Office said it could not comment on individual cases and therefore could not clarify whether Ossai and Olasanoye had been removed from the UK.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that we will do everything to make sure they are not free to roam Britain's streets, including removing them from the UK at the earliest possible opportunity.
"Since the election we've removed 3,594 foreign criminals, a 16% increase on the same period 12 months prior."
The Nigerian High Commission did not respond to our requests for comment.
When Donald Trump revealed the level of trade tariffs that countries around the world would face from the US, nations in South America breathed a sigh of relief.
Ten of the 12 states on the continent received the lowest level of 10%.
Only Guyana and Venezuela were initially hit with higher rates of 38% and 15% respectively, before these were subsequently reduced to 10%. This came as Trump decided to pause elevated rates on almost all countries for 90 days.
The exceptions are China, which has been hit with 145%, and Canada and Mexico, which have still got 25% tariffs on some exports to the US.
Commentators who describe this as a win for South America argue that the higher US tariffs on China, and on Canada and Mexico, could make South American goods more attractive to US and global buyers.
While plausible, this view oversimplifies broader global trade instability that South America is also exposed to.
Here I'll set out this debate – starting with the potential upsides for the region.
South America is rich in commodities. Its biggest economies - Brazil and Argentina - are major exporters of soybeans and petroleum as well as, in Brazil's case, iron ore used in steel production.
The US's huge tariffs on Chinese goods, and China's retaliatory 125% on US imports, may create opportunities for South American exporters.
For example, Brazil could increase agricultural exports to China to replace previous US supplies. China is already Brazil's largest export destination, followed by the US.
There is a precedent. When Trump hit China with tariffs during his first term of office, China shifted some commodity purchases from the US to Brazil, boosting Brazilian soybean exports.
With the 2025 soybean harvest in Brazil now continuing, some are hoping for a repeat.
These include Frederico D'Avila, a farmer and ex-politician aligned with former Brazilian President Bolsonaro. Mr D'Avila was also previously a senior figure at Aprosoja, a soybean producers' group.
He tells the BBC that President Trump's first term was "excellent for Brazilian agriculture" as "Trump's tariffs in that time favoured us".
However, Juan Carlos Hallak, professor of international economics at the University of Buenos Aires, has a counterpoint. He says that raising "bilateral barriers" on commodities mostly just affects "who sells to whom", and not financial gains for the sellers - as the prices are set globally.
So his suggestion is that South American nations shouldn't expect more financial gains from their commodities as a result of Trump's actions, just potentially different customers.
"The prices are [instead] affected by macroeconomic factors… for example if there is a recession," he tells the BBC.
Yet other sectors in South America are also hoping that Trump's actions mean they could win more global sales as countries decide to buy less from the US.
Take the Brazilian beef industry. The country's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was recently in Japan, hoping to open the Japanese market to Brazil's beef exports.
Japan currently buys 40% of its beef from the US. But after Trump initially threatened to hit the country with 24% tariffs, Tokyo may shift to buy more meat from South America.
Other Brazilian industries, such as coffee and footwear, may gain a competitive edge over their Asian counterparts in the US market.
Brazil is the world's biggest producer of coffee, followed by Vietnam, Indonesia and Colombia.
Trump initially hit Vietnam with tariffs of 46% and Indonesia with 32%. While those higher rates are now on pause, if they are reinstated in July it will make beans from those two countries significantly more expensive in the US.
This would give both Brazilian and Colombian coffee a competitive advantage in the US, where they are already the main suppliers.
Meanwhile, Brazil's shoemakers could see more exports to the US as a result of Trump's high tariffs on Chinese exports. Currently China is the world's largest manufacturer of footwear while Brazil is in fifth place.
The other three nations in the top five list of the world's largest footwear producers are India, Vietnam and Indonesia. The US initially gave India a higher tariff rate of 26%.
Uruguay's new President Yamandú Orsi has also said that Trump's tariffs are helping to push a trade deal between the EU and South America's bloc, Mercosur, closer to reality.
He said that "Europe has little choice now but to lower its demands somewhat" in negotiations, as it seeks to diversify trading partners.
You may have noted a lot of "coulds" and "ifs". That's not just because it is early days. It's also because the pace and scale of US trade changes are causing wider instability.
Whether the potential positives for South America outweigh the potential negatives is hard to calculate accurately, which brings me to the risks for the continent.
Firstly, 10% is still 10%. Even countries with the lower tariff rate may face reduced US demand if prices rise. This is more of a risk for imports that compete with US domestic production, such as oil, soybeans, copper, iron ore, gold, and lithium.
The US has also hit imports of aluminium and steel, from all countries, with tariffs of 25%.
Brazil is a producer of both metals and has large reserves of their raw materials – bauxite and iron ore. Meanwhile, Argentina has one of the largest aluminium producers in South America, listed company Aluar, and a smaller steel industry.
Argentine producers warn they may both lose US access and face more Chinese imports, creating increased competition for domestic producers.
"We're worried by the diversion of what can no longer enter the US," Carlos Vaccaro, executive director of the Argentine Steel Chamber, told the Buenos Aires Herald.
Trump's tariff wars have also led to global commodity price volatility, with oil and copper prices seeing slumps. Copper hit a 17-month low at the start of April. This volatility could hit the economies of Chile and Peru, where copper is the top export.
Eduardo Levy Yeyati, a former chief economist at the Central Bank of Argentina, says the impact on commodity prices and global demand is a "serious headwind" for South America.
Looking ahead, Mr Yeyati says that if Brazil and Argentina do end up enjoying a big rise in exports to the US, it could result in them getting higher tariffs from Trump.
After all, Trump's aim is to boost domestic production, not imports from other countries.
Mr Yeyati says that Trump may be equally displeased if South American nations start exporting more to China. "If Brazil fills in the US quota of goods exports to China, the US may choose to punish Brazil."
He theorises that Trump could also try to pressure Latin America to reduce China's footprint in the region in return for favourable treatment. China invests billions of dollars in infrastructure projects across Central and South America.
So, calling Trump's tariffs a clear "win" or "loss" for South America oversimplifies a complex situation. Especially if Trump announces in July that every country except China, Canada and Mexico will continue at 10%.
As Mr Hallak says: "It's very hard to predict where this is going."
Subject to this caveat, he envisions a future where the US protects its manufacturing industries more than its agricultural goods.
But adds: "I'm not sure Latin America is ready to take advantage of those opportunities. There will be specific opportunities for sure, but something that changes the game? I don't think so."
Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have signed an agreement to respect each other's sovereignty and come up with a draft peace deal by 2 May.
The deal was signed by the two countries' foreign ministers in Washington, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also present at Friday's ceremony.
Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been displaced in recent months as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have seized swathes of mineral-rich territory in eastern DR Congo.
After losing territory, the government in Kinshasa turned to the US for help in exchange for access to the minerals.
Lawyers for Sean "Diddy" Combs appear to have offered a preview of his legal defence in his sex trafficking case, arguing that the rapper led the "lifestyle" of a "swinger" and was not a criminal.
At a hearing in New York on Friday - a little more than a week before his trial - his attorneys told the court that the rap mogul thought it was "appropriate" to have multiple sex partners, including sex workers, because it is "common".
Federal prosecutors also revealed to the court on Friday that they'd offered Mr Combs a plea deal, which he rejected.
The trial of Mr Combs, one of the most successful rappers and music moguls in the US, is due to begin with jury selection on 5 May.
The UN World Food Programme says it has depleted all its food stocks in Gaza, where Israel has blocked deliveries of humanitarian aid for seven weeks.
"Today, WFP delivered its last remaining food stocks to hot meals kitchens," it warned. "These kitchens are expected to fully run out of food in the coming days."
Israel cut off aid on 2 March and resumed its offensive two weeks later after the collapse of a two-month ceasefire, saying it was putting pressure on Hamas to release its remaining hostages.
The UN says Israel is obliged under international law to ensure supplies for the 2.1 million Palestinians in Gaza. Israel says it is complying with international law and there is no aid shortage.
At the end of March, all 25 bakeries supported by the WFP in Gaza were forced to close after wheat flour and cooking fuel ran out. Food parcels distributed to families containing two weeks' rations were also exhausted.
Malnutrition is also rapidly worsening, according to the UN. Last week, one of its humanitarian partners screened 1,300 children in northern Gaza and identified more than 80 cases of acute malnutrition - a two-fold increase from previous weeks.
The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says there are also severe shortages of medicine, medical supplies and equipment for hospitals overwhelmed by casualties from the Israeli bombardment, and that fuel shortages are hampering water production and distribution.
The WFP said the current Israeli blockade – the longest closure Gaza has ever faced – had exacerbated already fragile markets and food systems.
Food prices had skyrocketed by up to 1,400% compared to during the ceasefire, and the shortages of essential commodities raised serious nutrition concerns for vulnerable populations, including children under five, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and the elderly, it warned.
"The situation inside the Gaza Strip has once again reached a breaking point: people are running out of ways to cope, and the fragile gains made during the short ceasefire have unravelled. Without urgent action to open borders for aid and trade to enter, WFP's critical assistance may be forced to end," the agency said.
"WFP urges all parties to prioritize the needs of civilians and allow aid to enter Gaza immediately and uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law."
More than 116,000 tonnes of food assistance - enough to feed one million people for up to four months - is positioned at aid corridors and is ready to be delivered as soon as Israel reopens Gaza's border crossings, according to the agency.
In the meantime, WFP Country Director Antoine Renard told the BBC the agency was trying everything it could to keep the hot meals kitchens running.
"More than 80% of the population... have been displaced during the war. And just since 18 March [when the Israeli offensive restarted], you've got more than 400,000 people who have been displaced once again," he said.
"Every time you move, every time you lose assets. So these kitchens are so essential for people to have a basic meal."
However, even when fully supplied, the kitchens have been reaching just half the population with only 25% of daily food needs.
Gavin Kelleher, humanitarian access manager with the Norwegian Refugee Council, told the BBC from central Gaza that once the kitchens' food stocks ran out they would no longer able to provide anything.
To survive, he said, people were eating less, bartering to "exchange a bag of diapers for lentils or cooking oil", or selling what belongings they have left to try to get cash to access remaining food supplies.
He added that begging was also taking place on a scale not seen before in Gaza, but that people were not able to give to others anymore.
"The desperation is really, really severe."
Earlier this week, the Israeli foreign ministry rejected criticism of the blockade from the UK, France and Germany, which called it "intolerable" and demanded it end immediately in a joint statement.
The ministry said more than 25,000 lorries carrying almost 450,000 tonnes of aid had entered Gaza during the ceasefire, adding: "Israel is monitoring the situation on the ground, and there is no shortage of aid in Gaza."
It also said Israel was not obliged to allow in aid because Hamas had "hijacked" supplies "to rebuild its terror machine".
Hamas has previously denied stealing aid and the UN has said it has kept "a very good chain of custody on all the aid it's delivered".
Last week, Hamas rejected an Israeli proposal for a new ceasefire, which included a demand to disarm in return for a six-week pause in hostilities and the release of 10 of the 59 hostages still in captivity. The group reiterated it would hand over all of the hostages in exchange for an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal.
The Israeli military launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
At least 51,439 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
A 6.3-magnitude earthquake has injured at least 20 people and seriously damaged multiple buildings in the Ecuadorian port city of Esmeraldas.
According to the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre, the quake struck at a depth of 30km (18.64 miles) near the Ecuadorian coast at 6:44 local time on Friday (9:44 GMT).
The quake damaged homes and public buildings, caused widespread power cuts, and led to some oil infrastructure being temporarily shut down.
President Daniel Noboa said he had deployed all government ministers to the province to coordinate the installation of shelters, deliver humanitarian aid kits and "assist with everything our people need".
"The government is with you, and that's how we will move forward," he wrote in a post on social media.
Andres Mafare, 36, heard a loud crack while he was walking to the port, followed by a strong earthquake.
He told the AFP news agency he immediately ran home to try to find his wife and sons. "I ran like crazy, and when I got here saw that my house had been destroyed," he said.
About 80% of homes were left without power, according to authorities.
Ecuador's national oil company, Petroecuador, said it briefly suspended operations at its refinery in Esmeraldas.
In 2023, at least 15 people were killed in a 6.7-magnitude earthquake off Ecuador's coast.
In 2016, a devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake killed more than 700 people, and injured several thousand.
Sudanese people are eating leaves and charcoal to survive after fleeing an attack on a camp for displaced people near the city of el-Fasher, an aid agency has told the BBC.
"The stories we've been hearing are truly horrific," Noah Taylor, the Norwegian Refugee Council's head of operations, told the BBC's Newsday programme.
People are fleeing el-Fasher for Tawila, but are dying "on arrival," Mr Taylor added.
He said that some were "dying of thirst", whilst making the 40km (25 mile)- journey from Zamzam camp in "blistering" temperatures.
"We've heard stories there are still bodies on the road between el-Fasher and Tawila.
"We spoke to a family who told us of a girl who had walked on foot by herself from el-Fasher, was repeatedly raped along the journey, and then died of her wounds when she arrived in Tawila."
El-Fasher is the last city in Sudan's western region of Darfur under the control of the army and its allies. Earlier this month, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacked the nearby Zamzam camp, forcing tens of thousands to flee their makeshift shelters.
Many Zamzam residents had been there for two decades, after escaping previous conflicts in Darfur.
The RSF has been battling the army for the past two years in a war that has killed tens of thousands and forced some 13 million people from their homes.
Aid agencies say it is the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
After it was attacked by the RSF, the Zamzam camp was "completely destroyed", North Darfur Health Minister Ibrahim Khater told Newsday last week.
Mr Taylor also warned that Tawila was struggling to cope with the influx of people fleeing their homes.
"There is very little in the way of food, there is very little in the way of water," he said, adding that the small town was currently sheltering around 130,000 to 150,000 people.
Last week, people fleeing Zamzam told the BBC their homes had been burned down and that they had been shot at. The RSF says it attacked the camp but denies committing any atrocities.
More about the war in Sudan from the BBC:
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Famed aerobatic pilot Rob Holland has died after a plane crash at the Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia.
His death on Thursday was announced in a statement on his official Facebook page.
Mr Holland, 50, was due to perform this weekend at Air Power Over Hampton Roads, a popular air show at the Virginia base.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it was investigating the crash of the experimental MX Aircraft MXS.
Mr. Holland previously piloted the carbon-fibre, custom-built MXS-RH, a single-seater aircraft made by the same Australian company whose experimental plane crashed.
He was approaching the runway "for a normal landing" when the crash happened, NTSB's lead investigator Dan Boggs said at a news conference on Friday. "There was no acrobatic (sic) manoeuvres or nothing planned at that time."
Jim Bourke, president of the International Aerobatic Club, said Mr Holland "revolutionized our sport, not just within the USA but on the world stage, arriving on the aerobatic competition scene like a wrecking ball laying waste to everyone who challenged him".
John Cudahy, president of the International Council of Air Shows, told the Associated Press, Mr Holland "demonstrated what the end of the road for a pursuit of excellence looks like".
He performed at the 2023 edition of the biennial air show at the base and won several competitions for his daring stunts in the cockpit. He won the U.S. National Aerobatic Championships a record 13 consecutive times with his last win being in 2024. In 2012, he was the recipient of the Art Scholl Award, which is presented by the International Council of Air Shows.
His website details a list of his 2025 appearances, including airshows in Chicago, Milwaukee and Gold Coast, Australia.
Mr Holland was from New Hampshire and was a teenager when he first qualified as a pilot, according to his website. He also studied aviation at a now-defunct New Hampshire college.
"Even with an absolutely impressive list of accomplishments, both in classical competition aerobatics and within the air show world, Rob was the most humble person with a singular goal to simply be better than he was yesterday," the Facebook statement said.
The air show this weekend is expected to draw over 100,000 visitors, the air base said a day before the crash.
Former Republican congressman George Santos has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
The 36-year-old pleaded guilty to the federal charges in New York court last August.
Prosecutors had asked for 87 months - over seven years - in prison, while Santos's attorneys had requested he serve two years, the minimum sentence for aggravated identity theft.
The sentencing marks the final step in the downfall of the novice New York politician, who was expelled from Congress after the fraud case alleged that he lied about his background and misused campaign funds to finance his lifestyle.
The federal government alleged Santos laundered campaign funds to pay for his personal expenses, illegally claimed unemployment benefits while he was employed and lied to the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
Prosecutors said he charged more than $44,000 (£32,000) to his campaign over a period of months using credit cards belonging to contributors who were unaware they were being defrauded.
In court last year, Santos admitted to theft and applying for unemployment benefits that he was not entitled to receive. He has also acknowledged making false statements and omissions on financial statements submitted to the House Ethics Committee and the FEC.
The former lawmaker has been ordered to pay at least $374,000 (£280,000) in restitution.
He has been attempting to raise money on Cameo, a platform where people can purchase personalized videos from celebrities.
Santos's downfall began after the New York Times in 2022 published an investigation revealing the freshman congressman had lied about his CV, including having a university degree and working for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs.
From there, the lies continued to pile up, including allegations that he stole money from a fundraiser for a dying dog and that he lied about his mother surviving the 11 September terrorist attacks. Shortly after, local and federal officials began to investigate.
He was eventually charged with 23 federal felony crimes, and in 2023, he became the first member of Congress to be expelled in more than 20 years, only the sixth in history.
A report from the House ethics panel accused him of misusing campaign funds for personal benefits, including Botox and subscriptions on the OnlyFans website.
Santos defeated a Democratic incumbent in 2022, flipping the district that encompasses parts of New York's Long Island and Queens, where he grew up.
Santos, an ardent supporter of President Donald Trump, has said that he would not ask the president for a pardon.
"If the president thinks I'm worthy of any level of clemency that is bestowed upon him, he can go ahead and do it, but for me to seek a pardon is to deny accountability and responsibility," Santos told the New York Times.
Yet he appeared to contradict himself in an episode of his podcast, when his guest, blogger Perez Hilton asked him if he would request a pardon if he were sentenced to years in prison.
"You bet your sweet ass I would," he told the TV personality.
Luigi Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all federal charges brought over the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York last year.
The 26 year old, who was arrested in December and accused of shooting Mr Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel, faces the charges of murder and stalking.
His not guilty plea means he will now face trial and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty if he is convicted.
Mr Mangione arrived at the Lower Manhattan court on Friday wearing a prison outfit and with his hands in cuffs. He acknowledged he had read the indictment against him before entering his plea, telling the judge: "not guilty".
Earlier on Friday, federal prosecutors officially filed to seek the death penalty in this case.
They argued that he carried out Mr Thompson's murder "to amplify an ideological message" and spark resistance to the health insurance industry.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi, who directed prosecutors to seek capital punishment, said in April that Mr Thompson's death was "an act of political violence".
Mr Mangione's lawyers previously called discussion of executing him "barbaric".
During the 35-minute hearing on Friday, Judge Margaret Garnett attempted to co-ordinate a pre-trial schedule, while Mr Mangione's lawyers continued to raise objections to his indictments on both federal and state charges in New York.
The judge agreed Mr Mangione's lawyers would need months to go through prosecutors' "three terabytes" of evidence, including police footage, data from social media, financial and phone companies and other evidence from state prosecutors.
It means Mr Mangione's federal trial willnot take place before 2026 - with the judge setting his next federal hearing for 5 December, when a "firm trial date" will be set.
During the hearing, Mr Mangione's lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, pushed for her client to be tried in federal court - where the the death penalty is at stake - before state court, arguing the reverse would raise "constitutional issues".
She also accused state prosecutors of "eavesdropping" on Mr Mangione's recorded calls with her from jail. Judge Garnett asked prosecutors to write a letter within seven days explaining how Mr Mangione would be ensured access to a separate phone line to make privileged calls with his legal team.
The judge also asked Ms Friedman Agnifilo to submit a new motion by 27 June requesting the government be prevented from seeking the death penalty, since she submitted her first motion before prosecutors formally filed notice that they would do so.
Judge Garnett also asked prosecutors to remind Bondi and government officials of rules surrounding public statements and their impact on a fair trial and jury selection.
Mr Mangione is also facing state charges in both Pennsylvania, where he was arrested, and New York. At an arraignment in December, he pleaded not guilty to state murder and terrorism charges in New York.
Mr Thompson was shot dead in Manhattan early on 4 December last year.
The suspect escaped the scene before exiting the city. Five days later, Mr Mangione was arrested at a McDonald's restaurant in Pennsylvania.
Public reaction to Mr Thompson's killing has shed light on deep frustrations with privatised healthcare. Some have celebrated Mr Mangione has a folk hero, and a fund set up for his legal defence garnered nearly $1m (£750,000) in donations.
Supporters gathered outside the courthouse on Friday too.
Shell casings with the words "deny", "defend" and "depose" were found at the crime scene. Critics say these words are associated with healthcare companies avoiding payouts and increasing their profits.
Six police officers have been killed in Thailand after their plane crashed into the sea during a test flight for parachute training, police have said.
The small plane was seen crashing into the water at around 08:00 local time (01:00 GMT) on Friday in the Cha-am district, a coastal resort area some 130km (80 miles) southwest of Bangkok.
Royal Thai Police said in a statement on Facebook that five of the officers died at the scene, with a sixth later dying in hospital.
Authorities are examining the aircraft's black box data recorder to determine the cause of the crash.
Local media said that the aircraft hit the water around 100 metres from the shore, while footage shared online showed people wading into the sea to reach the crash site.
The officers who died were three pilots, one engineer and two mechanics, police confirmed.
"The Royal Thai Police express their deepest condolences to the brave officers who lost their lives," a statement added.
Police chief Kitrat Phanphet, who visited the scene alongside other officials, said initial investigations showed the plane was heading towards houses but its pilots managed to manoeuvre it towards the sea, avoiding any further fatalities.
Photographs from later on Friday showed the plane wreckage lying part-submerged in shallow water.
Traders are counting their losses as Tanzania clamps down on people trying to flout a ban on goods from neighbouring Malawi in an escalating regional trade row.
On Friday, businesswomen told the BBC that some fellow traders had been arrested on the second day of a ban imposed by Tanzania on all agricultural imports from Malawi and South Africa.
"My bananas were seized and destroyed. Right now, our business has brought losses, and we only have a little money left," said Jestina Chanya, a trader in Karongo, about 50km (30 miles) from the border with Tanzania.
Diplomatic efforts to address the dispute have failed but Tanzania's agriculture minister said fresh talks were ongoing.
Last month, Malawi blocked imports of flour, rice, ginger, bananas and maize from Tanzania, and other countries, saying this was to protect local producers.
South Africa has for years prohibited the entry of bananas from Tanzania.
On Thursday, Tanzania's Agriculture Minister Hussein Bashe said trade restrictions from those two countries "directly affected" traders from his country and described the trade barrier as "unfair and harmful".
Bashe announced an immediate ban on all agricultural imports from the two countries, "to protect our business interests".
Trade flows have been greatly affected at Kasumulu – the official border crossing between Tanzania and Malawi.
When the BBC visited the Malawian town of Karonga, traders - mostly women - said they were still shaken by the sight of tonnes of their produce slowly rotting, then ultimately being dumped after being denied entry into Tanzania.
"The losses I have incurred are big because I can't go buy anything any more, and I don't even know how I will feed my children," said June Mwamwaja.
But Tanzanian traders have also been hit.
On Saturday Tanzania's agriculture minister posted a video on social media showing a pile of rotten bananas in a truck which had been prevented from entering Malawi.
Tonnes of tomatoes also spoiled at the border recently after lorries from Tanzania were denied entry into Malawi.
Malawian traders like Jeniffa Mshani said they preferred agricultural goods from Tanzania because it was easier and more affordable to source them across the border.
"Tanzanian products are big and sell very well in the market, and their prices are good. Our local [Malawi] products are more expensive. I have nothing to do - I don't have the capacity to compete with those [who have big capital]. I just can't," she told the BBC.
They said Tanzanian produce, especially potatoes, were larger and of better quality.
Others said their customers preferred Tanzanian plantains over Malawian ones, describing the former as tastier, while the latter were often spongy.
But since Thursday, Malawian authorities, both at the border and in nearby markets, have become increasingly strict – often arresting traders found with Tanzanian produce.
"When we bring goods from Tanzania, they turn us back. One of us was stopped and arrested right at the border," another trader said.
Some of them said they had no idea why they were being blocked while some rich business people were still allowed to transport goods across the border.
"They are targeting us who have little capital, while those with big money are still bringing in goods," said Ms Chanya, who sells potatoes and bananas in Karonga market.
Following the crackdown, some traders have resorted to selling their goods in secret, afraid to display them openly for fear of arrest.
"We only carry three or four bunches [of bananas], just to earn a living for the children," said Evelina Mwakijungu, adding: "But our large consignments have been blocked, so we have no business - we're struggling with our families".
The normally bustling border crossing of Kasumulu remained noticeably quieter than usual with drivers seen relaxing in the shade of trees, while others played draughts or lounged in the back of their lorries.
They declined to be quoted directly but explained that they were simply waiting for word from their bosses on what to do next.
On a normal day, more than 15 lorries loaded with agricultural produce would cross the border, drivers told the BBC.
Malawi's trade ministry spokesperson Patrick Botha told local media that they were yet to get official communication on the issue.
"We are hearing [about] this from social media. At an appropriate time, we will comment," he was quoted as saying.
Malawi has become an increasingly important market for Tanzanian goods in recent years, with exports trebling between 2018 and 2023, according to official Tanzanian figures.
But landlocked Malawi, which has relied on Tanzanian ports to carry its exports such as tobacco, sugar and soybeans to the rest of the world, will have to reroute its goods.
It is not yet clear how hard South Africa, which exports various fruits, including apples and grapes, to Tanzania, will be hit by the ban. South African authorities are yet to comment.
The row comes at a time when Africa is supposed to be moving towards greater free trade through the establishment of a continent-wide free-trade area, which began operating four years ago.
Additional reporting by Wycliffe Muia
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A senior Russian general has been killed in a car bomb attack in Moscow, officials have confirmed.
Russia's Investigative Committee (SK) - the main federal investigating authority in the country - confirmed Gen Yaroslav Moskalik died when a Volkswagen Golf car exploded after an improvised explosive device stuffed with pellets went off.
Local media reported that the car was parked next to the general's house in the eastern suburb of Balashikha and exploded as he walked past it.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has blamed Ukraine for the attack, saying Kyiv "continues its involvement in terrorist activities inside our country". Ukraine has not commented.
Moskalik represented Russia's General Staff in talks with Ukraine in Paris in 2015, which resulted in the Minsk agreements set up to end the war between Ukraine and Russian-backed separatist forces that started in 2014.
According to the Kremlin website, he joined the Russian contingent led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Kremlin aide and former Russian ambassador to the US, Yuri Ushakov, for those ceasefire talks.
Videos and photos circulating on Telegram on Friday show a car in flames outside a block of flats.
As a matter of policy, Ukraine never officially admits or claims responsibility for targeted attacks such as the one which killed Gen Moskalik.
But unnamed sources within Ukrainian security services have previously told the media, including the BBC, that they have been behind similar assassinations, such as the killing of Gen Igor Kirillov in December 2024. Named officials, though, never went on the record.
Within Russia, there does not appear to be a force willing and able to carry out such attacks.
The incident came before US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Friday.
Lavrov earlier said Moscow was "ready to reach a deal" with the US to end the Ukraine war, although some elements needed to be "fine-tuned".
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, the mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, suggested his country may have to give away territory as part of any peace deal.
Drone attacks on Ukraine continued overnight into Friday.
Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 103 drones, which killed three people, including a child and a 76-year-old woman, in the town of Pavlohrad, in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region.
Ukraine's north-eastern city of Kharkiv also came under attack with its mayor, Ihor Terekhov, saying several private buildings were damaged.
The Vatican has released the order of service ahead of the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday in St Peter's Square.
The booklet, published on the Vatican's website, is 87 pages long and contains the service in English, Italian and Latin.
There are also sections in several other languages including French and Portuguese.
Thousands of mourners have been queuing to say a final goodbye before the service takes place at 10:00 local time (09:00 BST).
Below is the full English version of the published text.
THE INTRODUCTORY RITES
Entrance Antiphon
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.
Praise is due to you in Sion, O God. To you we pay our vows in Jerusalem.
You who hear our prayer. To you all flesh will come.
Our evil deeds are too heavy for us, but only you can pardon our transgressions.
Blessed the one whom you choose and call to dwell in your courts.
We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you.
And with your spirit.
Penitential Act
Brethren, let us acknowledge our sins,
and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.
I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
Collect
Let us pray.
O God, immortal shepherd of souls, look on your people's prayers and grant that your servant Pope Francis, who presided over your Church in charity, may, with the flock entrusted to his care, receive from your mercy the reward of a faithful steward.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading
'He is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.'
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
In those days:
Peter opened his mouth and said:
'Truly I understand that God shows no partiality,
but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right
is acceptable to him.
As for the word that he sent to Israel,
preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ -
he is Lord of all -
you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea,
beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed:
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and with power.
He went about doing good
and healing all who were oppressed by the devil,
for God was with him.
And we are witnesses of all that he did
both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.
They put him to death by hanging him on a tree,
but God raised him on the third day and caused him to appear,
not to all the people
but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses,
who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
And he commanded us to preach to the people
and to testify that he is the one appointed by God
to be judge of the living and the dead.
To him all the prophets bear witness
that everyone who believes in him
receives forgiveness of sins through his name.'
The word of the lord.
Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me; he revives my soul.
He guides me along the right path,
for the sake of his name.
Though I should walk in the valley of the
shadow of death, no evil would I fear, for you are with me.
Your crook and your staff will give me comfort.
You have prepared a table before me in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil;
my cup is over flowing.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow
me all the days of my life.
In the Lord's own house shall I dwell for
length of days unending.
Second Reading
He will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body.
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians
Brothers and sisters,
our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Acclamation before the Gospel
This is the will of my Father, says the Lord, everyone who believes in the Son should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
Gospel
Follow me.
The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.
Glory to you, O Lord.
When Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples and they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?' He said to him, 'Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.' He said to him, 'Feed my lambs.'
He said to him a second time, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' He said to him, 'Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.' He said to him, 'Tend my sheep.'
He said to him the third time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, 'Do you love me?' and he said to him, 'Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.' (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.)
And after saying this he said to him, 'Follow me.'
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Homily
Universal Prayer or Prayer of the Faithful
Brothers and sisters,
let us pray to God our Father,
who today brings us together
to commemorate the Paschal Mystery of his only-begotten Son
as we celebrate the funeral of the Pastor of the universal Church.
May he welcome him into his peace
and bestow every blessing upon the Church and the whole world.
Let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For the late Pope Francis,
that the Chief Shepherd,
who eternally lives to intercede for us,
may welcome him into his kingdom of light and peace.
Let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For the holy Church of God,
that in fidelity to her mandate,
she may be, in Christ,
a leaven of renewal in our human family.
Let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For all peoples and nations,
that by the tireless pursuit of justice,
they may be ever united in fraternal love
and persevere in seeking the path of peace.
Let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For the souls of the deceased Roman Pontiffs
and of all those who in the Church
proclaimed the Gospel and exercised the
priestly ministry, that they may come to
share in the heavenly liturgy.
Let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For all the faithful departed, that they
may be granted entrance into the
kingdom of heaven.
Let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For us gathered here, that having celebrated
the sacred mysteries, we may
one day be called by Christ to enter his
glorious kingdom.
Let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
God, our salvation, hear us as we make
our prayer in union with the Blessed
Virgin Mary and all the Saints:
welcome into the assembly of your elect
the soul of your servant and our Pope
Francis, who put his trust in the prayer
of the Church.
Through Christ our Lord.
THE LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
Offertory Chant
Give light to my eyes lest I fall asleep in death; lest my enemy say, 'I have prevailed over him'.
Pray, brethren,
that my sacrifice and
yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.
May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands
for the praise and glory of his name,
for our good and the good of all
his holy Church.
Prayer over the Offerings
Look with favour, we pray, O Lord, on
the peaceful offering of your people,
with which we confidently commit to
your mercy the soul of your servant Pope
Francis, and grant, we pray, that, having
been, in the midst of the human family,
an instrument of your charity and peace,
he may merit to delight in the same, for
ever with all your Saints.
Through Christ our Lord.
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER III
Preface
The hope of resurrection in Christ
The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right and just.
It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God,
through Christ our lord.
In him the hope of blessed resurrection has dawned,
that those saddened by the
certainty of dying might be consoled
by the promise of immortality to come.
Indeed for your faithful, Lord, life is
changed not ended, and, when this earthly
dwelling turns to dust, an eternal dwelling
is made ready for them in heaven.
And so, with Angels and Archangels,
with Thrones and Dominions, and with
all the hosts and Powers of heaven, we
sing the hymn of your glory, as without
end we acclaim:
You are indeed Holy, O Lord, and all you
have created rightly gives you praise,
for through your Son our Lord Jesus
Christ, by the power and working of the
Holy Spirit, you give life to all things and
make them holy, and you never cease to
gather a people to yourself, so that from
the rising of the sun to its setting a pure
sacrifice may be offered to your name.
Therefore, O Lord, we humbly implore
you: by the same Spirit graciously make
holy these gifts we have brought to you
for consecration, that they may become
the Body and Blood of your Son our
Lord Jesus Christ, at whose command
we celebrate these mysteries.
For on the night he was betrayed he him-
self took bread, and giving you thanks,
he said the blessing, broke the bread and
gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take this, all of you, and eat of it,
for this is my Body, which will be
given up for you.
In a similar way, when supper was ended,
he took the chalice, and giving you
thanks, he said the blessing, and gave the
chalice to his disciples, saying:
Take this, all of you, and drink
from it, for this is the chalice of
my Blood, the Blood of the new
and eternal covenant, which will
be poured out for you and for
many for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this in memory of me.
The mystery of faith.
We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and
profess your Resurrection until you
come again.
Therefore, O Lord, as we celebrate the
memorial of the saving Passion of your
Son, his wondrous Resurrection and
Ascension into heaven, and as we look
forward to his second coming, we offer
you in thanksgiving this holy and living
sacrifice.
Look, we pray, upon the oblation of your
Church and, recognizing the sacrificial
Victim by whose death you willed to
reconcile us to yourself, grant that we,
who are nourished by the Body and
Blood of your Son and filled with his
Holy Spirit, may become on body, one
spirit in Christ.
May he make of us an eternal offering
to you, so that we may obtain an inheritance
with your elect, especially with
the most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother
of God, with blessed Joseph, her Spouse,
with your blessed Apostles and glorious Martyrs,
and with all the Saints,
on whose constant intercession in your
presence we rely for unfailing help.
May this Sacrifice of our reconciliation,
we pray, O Lord, advance the peace and
salvation of all the world. Be pleased to
confirm in faith and charity your pilgrim
Church on earth, with the Order
of Bishops, all the clergy, and the entire
people you have gained for your own.
Listen graciously to the prayers of this
family, whom you have summoned before you:
in your compassion, O merciful Father,
gather to yourself all your
children scattered throughout the world.
Remember your servant Pope Francis
whom you have called from this world to
yourself. Grant that he who was united
with your Son in a death like his, may
also be one with him in his Resurrection,
when from the earth he will raise up in
the flesh those who have died, and transform
our lowly body after the pattern of
his own glorious body. To our departed
brothers and sisters, too, and to all who
were pleasing to you at their passing
from this life, give kind admittance to
your kingdom. There we hope to enjoy
for ever the fullness of your glory, when
you will wipe away every tear from our
eyes. For seeing you, our God, as you are,
we shall be like you for all the ages and
praise you without end, through Christ
our Lord, through whom you bestow on
the world all that is good.
Through him, and with him, and in him,
O God, almighty Father, in the unity of
the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is
yours, for ever and ever.
THE COMMUNION RITE
At the Saviour's command and formed
by divine teaching, we dare to say:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed
be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will
be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give
us this day our daily bread, and forgive
us our trespasses, as we forgive those
who trespass against us; and lead us not
into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every
evil, graciously grant our peace in our days,
that, by the help of your mercy, we may
be always free from sin and safe from all
distress, as we await the blessed hope and
the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
For the kingdom, the power and the
glory are yours now and for ever.
Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your Apostles:
Peace I leave you, my peace I give you,
look not on our sins, but on the faith
of your Church, and graciously grant her
peace and unity in accordance with your
will.
Who live and reign for ever and ever.
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
And with your spirit.
Let us offer each other the sign of peace.
Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world.
Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.
Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof,
but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.
Communion Antiphon
Let perpetual light shine upon him, with
your Saints for ever, for you are merciful.
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice!
O let your ears be attentive to the sound
of my pleadings.
If you O Lord, should mark iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
But with you is found forgiveness, that
you may be revered.
I long for you, O Lord, my soul longs for
his word.
My soul awaits the Lord more than
watchmen for daybreak
More than watchmen for daybreak,
let Israel hope for the Lord.
For with the Lord there is mercy, in him
is plentiful redemption
It is he who will redeem Israel from all
its iniquities.
Like the deer that yearns for running streams,
so my soul is yearning for you, my God.
My soul is thirsting for God, the living God;
when can I enter and appear before the face of God?
My tears have become my bread, by night, by day,
as I hear it said all the day long: 'Where is your God?'
Prayer after Communion
Let us pray.
As we come to the table of your eternal banquet,
we humbly beg your mercy, Lord, for the soul of your departed servant
Pope Francis, that he may rejoice at
last in possession of the truth in which
he faithfully confirmed your people.
Through Christ our Lord.
FINAL COMMENDATION AND FAREWELL
Introduction
Dear brothers and sisters,
let us commend to God's tender mercy the soul of Pope Francis,
Bishop of the Catholic Church,
who confirmed his brothers and
sisters in the faith of the resurrection.
Let us pray to God our Father through
Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit; may
he deliver him from death, welcome
him to eternal peace and raise up him
on the last day.
Through the intercession of the Blessed
Virgin Mary, Queen of Apostles and
Protectress of the Roman people, may
God reveal to our Pope the face of his
beloved Son and console the Church
with the light of the resurrection.
Prayer of the Church in Rome
Holy Mary, pray for him.
Holy Mother of God, pray for him.
Mother of the Church, pray for him.
Protectress of the Roman People, pray for him.
Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel and Saint Raphael, pray for him.
All holy Angels, pray for him.
Saint John the Baptist, pray for him.
Saint Joseph, pray for him.
All holy Patriarchs and Prophets, pray for him.
Saint Peter and Saint Paul, pray for him.
Saint Andrew, pray for him.
Saint John and Saint James, pray for him.
Saint Thomas, pray for him.
Saint Matthew, pray for him.
Saint Matthias, pray for him.
Saint Luke, pray for him.
Saint Mark, pray for him.
All holy apostles and evangelists, pray for him.
Saint Barnabas, pray for him.
Saint Mary Magdalene, pray for him.
All holy disciples of the Lord, pray for him.
Saint Clement (I), pray for him.
Saint Callistus (I), pray for him.
Saint Pontian, pray for him.
Saint Fabian, pray for him.
Saint Cornelius, pray for him.
Saint Sixtus (II), pray for him.
Saint Sylvester (I), pray for him.
Saint Damasus (I), pray for him.
Saint John (I), pray for him.
Saint Martin (I), pray for him.
Saint Leo the Great, pray for him.
Saint Gregory the Great, pray for him.
Saint Gregory (VII, pray for him.
Saint Pius (V), pray for him.
Saint Pius (X), pray for him.
Saint John (XXIII), pray for him.
Saint Paul (VI), pray for him.
Saint John Paul (II), pray for him.
All holy Roman Pontiffs, pray for him.
Saint Stephen, pray for him.
Holy First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church, pray for him.
Saint Ignatius of Antioch, pray for him.
Saint Justin and Saint Apollonius, pray for him.
Saint Hippolytus, pray for him.
Saint Tarcisius, pray for him.
Saint Lawrence, pray for him.
Saint Sebastian, pray for him.
Saint Perpetua and Saint Felicity, pray for him.
Saint Sabina, pray for him.
Saint Agnes, pray for him.
Saint Cecilia, pray for him.
Saint Eugenia, pray for him.
Saint Maria (Goretti, pray for him.
All martyrs of Christ, pray for him.
Saint Ambrose, pray for him.
Saint Jerome, pray for him.
Saint Augustine, pray for him.
Saint Athanasius, pray for him.
Saint Basil and Saint Gregory of Nazianzus, pray for him.
Saint John Chrysostom, pray for him.
Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius, pray for him.
Saint Bernard, pray for him.
Saint Charles (Borromeo), pray for him.
Saint Catherine of Siena, pray for him.
Saint Teresa of Jesus, pray for him.
Saint Benedict, pray for him.
Saint Francis and Saint Dominic, pray for him.
Saint Ignatius of Loyola, pray for him.
Saint Francis (Xavier), pray for him.
Saint Philip (Neri), pray for him.
Saint Gaspar (del Bufalo), pray for him.
Saint Vincent (Pallotti), pray for him.
Saint John Mary (Vianney), pray for him.
Saint Frances of Rome, pray for him.
Saint Paula, pray for him.
Saint Marcella, pray for him.
All holy men and women, saints of God, pray for him.
Christ, hear us. Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
O God, faithful rewarder of souls, grant
that your departed servant and our
Bishop, Pope Francis, whom you made
successor of Peter and shepherd of your
Church, may happily enjoy for ever in
your presence in heaven the mysteries
of your grace and compassion, which he
faithfully ministered on earth.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Prayer of the Eastern Churches
(from the Funeral Office of the Byzantine Liturgy)
God of our salvation, grant rest to the soul of your servant. Lover of mankind, lead him, with the souls of the just, to the blessings of eternal life in your presence.
Guide the soul of your servant to the place of your rest, Lord, where your Saints repose, you who alone are immortal.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. You are our Saviour, our God, who descended into hell and freed those imprisoned there from its pains; now grant repose to the soul of your servant.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. Amen.
May the Blessed Virgin Mary, most pure and immaculate, who without loss to her virginity became the Mother of God, pray for the salvation of the soul of your
servant.
Have mercy on us, O God, in your great kindness; we beseech you, hear us and be
merciful.
Lord, have mercy.
Again, let us pray for the repose of the soul of this departed servant of God
Francis, Bishop, that he may be forgiven his every sin and failing.
Lord, have mercy.
May the Lord God lead his soul to the resting place of the righteous. Let us ask
Christ, our immortal King and God, to bestow on him the divine mercy, the
kingdom of heaven, and the forgiveness of his sins.
Hear us, Lord.
Let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
God of souls and of all flesh, who tram pled death underfoot, vanquished the devil and gave life to the world, grant repose to the soul of your departed Servant Francis, Bishop, in a place of light and joy, a verdant place, a place of blessedness, where suffering, pain and sorrow are no more.
Forgive every sin he committed in thought, word or deed, for you are a gracious God and a friend to mankind. No one who lives is without sin; you alone are sinless, your righteousness is eternal and your word is truth.
For you, O Christ our God, are the resurrection, the life and the repose of your Servant Francis, Bishop, who has fallen asleep. We give you glory, with your eternal Father and your Holy Spirit, who is gracious and the giver of life, now and forever.
Amen.
May your remembrance be eternal, dear brother, worthy of blessedness, never to be forgotten.
Amen.
Responsory
I know that my Redeemer lives:
on the last day I shall rise again.
And in my flesh I shall see God my saviour.
I shall see him myself, face to face and
my own eyes shall behold him.
And in my flesh I shall see God my saviour.
Within my heart this hope I cherish:
That in my flesh I shall see God my saviour.
Gracious Father, we commend to your
mercy our Pope Francis whom you
made Successor of Peter and Shepherd
of the Church, a fearless preacher of
your Word and a faithful minister of the
divine mysteries.
Welcome him, we pray, into your heavenly dwelling place,
to enjoy eternal glory with all your chosen ones.
We give you thanks, Lord,
for all the blessings that in
your goodness you bestowed upon him
for the good of your people.
Grant us the comfort of faith and the
strength of hope.
To you Father, source of life, through
Christ, the conqueror of death, in the
life-giving Spirit, be all honour and glory
for ever and ever.
Antiphons
May the angels lead you into paradise;
may the martyrs come and welcome you
and take you to the holy city, the new and
eternal Jerusalem.
May choirs of angels welcome you and
with Lazarus, who is poor no longer,
may you have eternal rest.
Canticle of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Lk 1: 46-55
My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him from
generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts
of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from
their thrones and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham
and to his offspring for ever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and
to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and
ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
The UK's trade relationship with the EU is arguably "more important" than the one it has with the US, the chancellor has told the BBC.
Rachel Reeves suggested that moving closer to the EU on trade was a bigger priority, despite her current focus on talks with the US.
After her meeting with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday, Reeves tweeted that both the UK and US want a deal that is "in both our national interests".
Earlier this week, she signalled the UK could lower tariffs on US car imports from their current 10% to 2.5% as part of a wider deal.
The UK is preparing for a summit with the EU in May in an attempt to "reset" the relationship between the two.
"I understand why there's so much focus on our trading relationship with the US but actually our trading relationship with Europe is arguably even more important, because they're our nearest neighbours and trading partners," she told the BBC.
"Obviously I've been meeting Scott Bessent this week whilst I'm in Washington, but I've also this week met the French, the German, the Spanish, the Polish, the Swedish, the Finnish finance ministers - because it is so important that we rebuild those trading relationships with our nearest neighbours in Europe, and we're going to do that in a way that is good for British jobs and British consumers."
A Downing Street spokesman said the chancellor's remarks had been "a statement of fact that the EU is our largest trading partner".
The spokesman also highlighted comments that Sir Keir Starmer has made previously where he had said it was a "false choice between the EU and the US".
Reeves said this week that the government is working "flat out" to secure a trade deal with the US.
She has said she wants to see "free and fair" trade, and wants to deepen the relationship between the US and UK in areas such as technology.
Conservative shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith told Sky News that his party would "absolutely be seeking to prioritise" a deal with the US over the EU.
Griffith argued that the UK already had a tariff-free deal on goods with the EU, therefore the "next best choice if you want to grow the economy after the chancellor's crashed it would be to get a deal with the US".
Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said: "The chancellor is absolutely right that our trading relationship with Europe is more important, but the government's approach so far shows these are little more than empty words.
"This government has bent over backwards to appease Donald Trump but barely lifted a finger to unleash growth by boosting trade with Europe."
'We're all grappling with tariffs'
Regarding the situation with the US, Reeves said she "understands what President [Donald] Trump wants to address" with his tariffs, ahead of talks with her US counterpart in Washington.
Reeves said there were similarities with the way both the US and UK governments had come to power off the back of voter frustration with the economy.
"We're all grappling with this issue of tariffs but I think that there is an understanding why President Trump wants to address some of the global imbalances there are in the system," she said.
Trump has already imposed tariffs of 25% on all car imports to the US including from the UK.
The UK also faces a broader tariff rate of 10% and is looking to negotiate an agreement with the US administration, along with dozens of other countries hit with even higher levies – most of which are currently on pause until July.
Some US officials have been positive about the prospects of a deal. Last week US Vice-President JD Vance said there was a "good chance" a trade deal could be reached with the UK.
Reeves said she had also been working closely with European and Canadian counterparts to remove trade barriers, and that conversations around the table at G20 meetings this week had been difficult.
"Obviously there are strains. We are all following what's happening in our domestic bond markets, in our equity markets, and we all know that that uncertainty is bad for investment in the UK economy."
You can watch Faisal's full interview with Rachel Reeves here.
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Marks & Spencer (M&S) says it has stopped taking online orders as the company struggles to recover from a cyber attack.
Customers began reporting problems last weekend, and on Tuesday the retailer confirmed it was facing a "cyber incident".
It told the BBC on Wednesday some of its systems were back to normal, but others remained offline.
Now the firm has entirely paused orders on its website and apps.
"We are truly sorry for this inconvenience," it wrote in a post on X.
"Our experienced team - supported by leading cyber experts - is working extremely hard to restart online and app shopping.
"We are incredibly grateful to our customers, colleagues and partners for their understanding and support."
It said its stores remain open despite the issues affecting online ordering.
Previously, the firm was dealing with problems which affected people using Click & Collect, as well as paying with gift cards.
Since it suspended online ordering, M&S has responded to social media posts advising customers that these problems persist.
"Gift cards, e-gift cards and credit receipts can't currently be used as a payment method in store or online," it said in response to one person on X.
But it told another that if people have already received an email telling them an item is ready to be collecting, they should be able to go in-store and pick it up.
"We're holding all parcels in store until further notice, so there's no risk of it being sent back," it said.
M&S said on Tuesday it had reported the incident to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
The National Crime Agency previously told the BBC its officers are working with the NCSC to support the firm.
Australia's prime minister Anthony Albanese has pledged to invest A$1.2bn (£580m) in a strategic reserve for critical minerals if he wins next month's election, as trade tensions escalate.
The announcement came after China imposed export restrictions on seven rare earth elements, essential to the production of advanced technologies - including electric vehicles, fighter jets, and robots.
China's controls apply to all countries but were widely seen as retaliation to US President Donald Trump's tariffs.
Albanese said Australia would prioritise minerals that are key to its security, and that of its partners, including rare earths. But could his plan challenge China's dominance?
What are rare earth minerals and why are they important?
Rare earths are a group of 17 elements - named "rare" because they are notoriously difficult to extract and refine.
Rare earths, like samarium and terbium, are critical to the production of technologies set to shape the world in the coming decades – including electric vehicles and highly advanced weapons systems.
Albanese's proposed reserve includes rare earths as well as other critical minerals of which Australia is a top producer - like lithium and cobalt.
Both China and Australia have rare earth reserves. But 90% of rare earth refining – which makes them usable in technology – takes place in China, giving the country significant control over supply.
And that has spooked Western governments.
Why is China restricting the export of rare earth minerals?
Beijing said its restrictions on rare earths were in response to Trump's sweeping tariffs on Chinese imports to the US, currently at 145%.
But analysts say Washington's inability to secure the supply of rare earths has become one of the Trump administration's chief anxieties, especially as diplomatic tensions with Beijing have deepened.
Around 75% of US rare earth imports came from China between 2019 and 2022, according to the US Geological Survey.
Philip Kirchlechner, director of Iron Ore Research in Perth, Western Australia, told the BBC that the US and EU had "dropped the ball" on recognising the importance of the rare earths over recent decades, as China swiftly developed a monopoly over refinement.
"China has its foot on the blood vein… of US and European defence systems," he added.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, this week said that China halting exports of rare earths used in advanced magnets was affecting the company's ability to develop humanoid robots, in an early symbol of the pain Beijing has the power to inflict on US companies.
Could Australia's proposal change the game?
Albanese's proposal says that minerals in the reserve will be available to both "domestic industry and international partners", in a likely reference to allies such as the US and EU.
But Kirchlechner, while welcoming the move as "long overdue", added that the proposal is "not going to solve the problem".
The fundamental issue is that even if Australia stockpiles more critical minerals, the refining process of rare earths will still largely be controlled by China.
Lithium – not a rare earth, but a crucial metal in the production electric vehicle batteries and solar panels – is a good example. Australia mines 33% of the world's lithium, but only refines and exports a tiny fraction. China, on the other hand, mines just 23% of the world's lithium, but refines 57% of it, according to the International Energy Agency.
Australia has been investing in refining rare earths as part of its Future Made in Australia plan, aimed at leveraging the country's critical minerals reserves to drive the green transition.
Arafura Rare Earths, headquartered in Perth, Western Australia, last year received A$840m in funding to create the country's first combined mine and refinery for rare earths. And in November, Australia opened its first rare earths processing plant, also in Western Australia, operated by Lynas Rare Earths.
But the country is expected to depend on China for refining until at least 2026, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, headquartered in Washington.
How will the US and China respond?
China has been trying to seize on the volatility brought by Trump.
In a series of editorials in Australian newspapers, China's ambassador to Canberra lambasted Washington's approach to global trade, and called on Australia to "join hands" with Beijing - something that Albanese quickly rejected.
Australia has touted its resource industry in its talks with Trump. Some critical minerals were exempt from a 10% tariff he imposed on imports of most Australian products.
But analysts say Albanese's proposal is mainly aimed at protecting Australia and its partners from strategic adversaries like China.
Alicia García-Herrero, chief economist for Asia-Pacific at Natixis, told the BBC that Albanese's plan was "more sophisticated" than previous proposals, because it included the ability to sell Australia's resources at moments of economic tension.
If China imposes export controls, she added, Australia could begin selling more of its mineral reserves to help lower prices on global markets, and loosen the control China has had on setting prices.
But she said that Australia still cannot completely replace China.
"If [Australia's] goal is to serve the West, become more instrumental to the West – especially the US – there are weak spots China can enter – and the most important is refining."
The culture secretary has said the BBC's licence fee is "unenforceable" and insisted "no options are off the table" when the government begins a review into the corporation's current funding model later this year.
In an interview with the Telegraph, Lisa Nandy said there were "problems" with the annual charge, with "fewer and fewer people" paying the £174.50 fee.
The charter, which expires in 2027 and is under review, is an agreement between the BBC and the government that sets out the terms and purposes of the corporation - including the existence of the licence fee.
A BBC spokeswoman said the broadcaster looks forward to engaging with the government and securing the long-term future of the BBC.
Nandy has already started negotiations with the BBC about the corporation's funding.
It currently gets most of its income from the licence fee - in the last financial year, the BBC received £3.7bn, or about two-thirds of its total income, from it.
"We're open to a different system," she told the Telegraph, but admitted no preferred options had been put forward yet.
She added the government wanted the public's input in shaping the new model to create "a fairer, more sustainable system".
According to the BBC, 80% of households currently pay the licence fee.
Nandy also said she had been "very concerned" about the way the fee had been enforced in the past as it had been found to disproportionately target women.
Two BBC reviews found the gender disparity had been due to societal factors.
The review in 2017 detailed a gender skew towards women-only households, a greater likelihood of women answering the door to TV Licensing Enquiry Officers and a higher chance of them engaging positively with an officer.
In 2023, the BBC set out plans to reduce the high proportion of women being prosecuted for licence fee evasion, after figures showed that they made up 76% of the 52,376 people convicted over it in 2020.
Nandy has previously said the charge was "deeply regressive" and that she was thinking "quite radically and creatively" about alternatives. But the minister has ruled out using general taxation to fund the BBC.
She did, however, keep open the possibility of a subscription model.
Last month in a Sunday Times interview, the corporation's chairman suggested wealthier households could be charged more.
A BBC spokeswoman said: "The public cares about the BBC and we have launched our biggest ever public engagement exercise, so audiences can help drive and shape what they want from a universal and independent BBC in the future.
"We want to continue to reform and evolve and look forward to engaging with government on the next Charter and securing the long-term future of the BBC."
Top executives at well-known US firms are warning about the impact that tariffs are having on their companies and the wider economy.
Technology giant Intel, footwear maker Skechers and consumer goods firm Procter & Gamble, have either cut their profit forecasts or withdrawn them citing economic uncertainty.
US President Donald Trump has been trying to rebalance relations with key trading partners by using steep tariffs to bring them to the negotiating table.
No new trade agreements between the US and other countries have been announced yet but there have been signs of progress in talks with South Korea.
"The very fluid trade policies in the US and beyond, as well as regulatory risks, have increased the chance of an economic slowdown with the probability of a recession growing," said Intel's chief financial officer, David Zinsner, during a call with investors.
"We will certainly see costs increase," he added as the California-based firm announced gloomy profit and revenue forecasts.
Intel's shares dropped by more than 5% in extended trading after those remarks.
Beyond the technology industry, footwear maker Skechers also disappointed investors. The firm's shares fell after it withdrew its annual results forecast.
"The current environment is simply too dynamic from which to plan results with a reasonable assurance of success," Skechers' chief operating officer, David Weinberg, told investors in a post-earnings call.
Skechers - like rivals Nike, Adidas and Puma - uses factories in Asia, particularly in China, to make its products.
Comments from Procter & Gamble (P&G) executives also hinted at how tariffs could mean higher prices for its customers.
The maker of Ariel, Head & Shoulders and Gillette said it was considering changes to its prices to make up for the extra cost of materials sourced from China and other places. It also said it expected sales to grow this year less than previously forecast.
"We'll be looking for every opportunity to mitigate the impact," said Andre Schulten, P&G's financial chief, adding that there will be adjustments to "some level of consumer pricing".
The Japanese owner of the 7-Eleven convenience stores, Seven & I, said it is also feeling the impact of the trade tensions.
North America account for more than 70% of its sales.
Its incoming chief executive, Stephen Dacus, told the BBC about the uncertainty faced by the business.
"We don't know what those tariffs are going to be. We've seen some news recently where they have changed quite a bit so it's a little bit difficult to understand what the ultimate effect is," he said.
"Lowering prices and lowering quality typically doesn't work... so what you have to do... is find ways to maintain quality while bringing the cost down".
They join a growing list of examples of companies around the world that have warned about the impact of Trump's trade policies.
South Korean car making giant Hyundai announced on Friday that it has set up a task force to find ways to deal with the fallout from tariffs.
"We expect a challenging business outlook to continue due to intensifying trade conflicts and other various unpredictable macroeconomic factors," it said.
It added that it is considering moving some manufacturing out of South Korea.
The firm has already shifted some production from Mexico to the US, which accounts for about a third of its global sales.
Meanwhile, there were signs that talks on Thursday between US and South Korean trade officials in Washington DC, aimed at removing tariffs, have been positive.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the two sides had a "very successful" meeting.
"We may be moving faster than I thought, and we will be talking technical terms as early as next week," he told reporters after the meeting.
South Korea's industry minister, Ahn Duk-geun, who also took part in the talks, echoed Bessent's optimism and added that they are working toward a "July package".
A 90-day pause on higher tariffs affecting dozens of countries is set to expire on 8 July.
Trump has said more than 70 countries have reached out to start negotiations since the tariffs were announced.
California's economy has overtaken that of the country of Japan, making the US state the fourth largest global economic force.
Governor Gavin Newsom touted new data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the US Bureau of Economic Analysis showing California's growth.
The data shows California's gross domestic product (GDP) hit $4.10 trillion (£3.08 trillion) in 2024, surpassing Japan, which was marked at $4.01 trillion. The state now only trails Germany, China and the US as a whole.
"California isn't just keeping pace with the world - we're setting the pace," Newsom said.
The new figures come as Newsom has spoken out against President Donald Trump's tariffs and voiced concern about the future of the state's economy.
California has the largest share of manufacturing and agricultural production in the US. It is also home to leading technological innovation, the centre of the world's entertainment industry and the country's two largest seaports.
Newsom, a prominent Democrat and possible presidential candidate in 2028, filed a lawsuit challenging Trump's authority to impose the levies, which have caused disruption to global markets and trade.
Trump has enacted 10% levies on almost all countries importing to the US, after announcing a 90-day pause on higher tariffs.
Another 25% tariff was imposed on Mexico and Canada. The levies on China, however, have led to an all-out trade war with the world's second largest economy.
Trump imposed import taxes of up to 145% on Chinese goods coming into the US and China hit back with a 125% tax on American products.
His administration said last week that when the new tariffs were added on to existing ones, the levies on some Chinese goods could reach 245%.
Newsom noted his worries about the future of the state's economy.
"While we celebrate this success, we recognise that our progress is threatened by the reckless tariff policies of the current federal administration," he said. "California's economy powers the nation, and it must be protected."
Trump has argued his trade war is only levelling the playing field after years of the US being taken advantage of.
The tariffs are an effort to encourage factories and jobs to return to the US. It is one major pillar of his economic agenda, as is a cut in interest rates, aimed at reducing the cost of borrowing for Americans.
The new data shows California's GDP behind the US at $29.18 trillion, China at $18.74 trillion and Germany at $4.65 trillion. It also shows California was the fastest growing among those countries.
Japan's economy is under pressure because of its decreasing and ageing population, which means its workforce is shrinking and social care costs are ballooning.
This week, the IMF cut its economic growth forecast for Japan and projected that the central bank would raise interest rates more slowly than previously expected because of the impact of higher tariffs.
"The effect of tariffs announced on April 2 and associated uncertainty offset the expected strengthening of private consumption with above-inflation wage growth boosting household disposable income," its World Economic Outlook report said.
It's a bright spring morning in Hanover, Germany, and I'm on my way to meet a robot.
I have been invited to see the G1, a humanoid robot built by Chinese firm, Unitree, at the Hannover Messe, one of the world's largest industrial trade shows.
Standing at about 4'3" (130cm), G1 is smaller and more affordable than other humanoid robots on the market, and has such a highly fluid range of motion and dexterity that videos of it performing dance numbers and martial arts have gone viral.
Today the G1 is being controlled remotely by Pedro Zheng, the Unitree sales manager.
He explains that customers must program each G1 for autonomous functions.
Passers-by stop and actively try to engage with the G1, which cannot be said for a lot of the other machines being shown off in the cavernous conference room.
They reach out to shake its hand, make sudden movements to see if it will respond, they laugh when G1 waves or bends backwards, they apologise if they bump into it. There's something about its human shape that, uncanny as it is, sets people at ease.
Unitree is just one of dozens of companies around the world developing robots that have a human form.
The potential is huge - for business it promises a workforce that doesn't need holidays or pay rises.
It could also be the ultimate domestic appliance. After all, who wouldn't want a machine that could do the laundry and stack the dishwasher.
But the technology is still some way off. While robotic arms and mobile robots have been common in factories and warehouses for decades, conditions in those workplaces can be controlled and workers can be kept safe.
Introducing a humanoid robot to a less predictable environment, like a restaurant or a home, is a much more difficult problem.
To be useful humanoid robots would have to be strong, but that also makes them potentially dangerous - simply falling over at the wrong time could be hazardous.
So much work needs to be done on the artificial intelligence that would control such a machine.
"The AI simply has not yet reached a breakthrough moment," a Unitree spokesperson tells the BBC.
"Today's robot AI finds basic logic and reasoning – such as for understanding and completing complex tasks in a logical way – a challenge," they said.
At the moment their G1 is marketed at research institutions and tech companies, who can use Unitree's open source software for development.
For now entrepreneurs are focussing their efforts on humanoid robots for warehouses and factories.
The highest profile of those is Elon Musk. His car company, Tesla, is developing a humanoid robot called Optimus. In January he said that "several thousand" will be built this year and he expects them to be doing "useful things" in Tesla factories.
Other carmakers are following a similar path. BMW recently introduced humanoid robots to a US factory. Meanwhile, South Korean car firm Hyundai has ordered tens of thousands of robots from Boston Dynamics, the robot firm it bought in 2021.
Thomas Andersson, founder of research firm STIQ, tracks 49 companies developing humanoid robots - those with two arms and legs. If you broaden the definition to robots with two arms, but propel themselves on wheels, then he looks at more than 100 firms.
Mr Andersson thinks that Chinese companies are likely to dominate the market.
"The supply chain and the entire ecosystem for robotics is huge in China, and it's really easy to iterate developments and do R&D [research and development]," he says.
Unitree underlines that advantage - its G1 is cheap (for a robot) with an advertised price of $16,000 (£12,500).
Also, Mr Andersson points out, the investment favours Asian nations.
In a recent report STIQ notes that almost 60% of all funding for humanoid robots has been raised in Asia, with the US attracting most of the rest.
Chinese companies have the added benefit of support from the national and local government.
For example, in Shanghai there is a state-backed training facility for robots, where dozens of humanoid robots are learning to complete tasks.
So how can US and European robot makers compete with that?
Bristol-based Bren Pierce has founded three robotics companies and the latest, Kinisi has just launched the KR1 robot.
While the robot has been designed and developed in the UK, it will be manufactured in Asia.
"The problem you get as a European or American company, you have to buy all these sub-components from China in the first place.
"So then it becomes stupid to buy your motors, buy your batteries, buy your resistors, shift them all halfway around the world to put together when you could just put them all together at the source, which is in Asia."
As well as making his robots in Asia, Mr Pierce is keeping costs down by not going for the full humanoid form.
Designed for warehouses and factories, the KR1 does not have legs.
"All of these places have flat floors. Why would you want the added expense of a very complex form factor... when you could just put it on a mobile base?" he asks.
Where possible, his KR1 is built with mass-produced components - the wheels are the same as you would find on an electric scooter.
"My philosophy is buy as many things as you can off the shelf. So all our motors, batteries, computers, cameras, they're all commercially available, mass produced parts," he says.
Like his competitors at Unitree, Mr Pierce says that the real "secret sauce" is the software that allows the robot to work with humans.
"A lot of companies come out with very high-tech robots, but then you start needing a PhD in robotics to be able to actually install it and use it.
"What we're trying to design is a very simple to use robot where your average warehouse or factory worker can actually learn how to use it in a couple of hours," Mr Pierce says.
He says the KR1 can perform a task after being guided through it by a human 20 or 30 times.
The KR1 will be given to pilot customers to test this year.
So will robots ever break out of factories into the home? Even the optimistic Mr Pierce says it's a long way off.
"My long term dream for the last 20 years has been building the everything robot. This is what I was doing my PhD work in I do think that is the end goal, but it's a very complicated task," says Mr Pierce.
"I still think eventually they will be there, but I think that's at least 10 to 15 years away."
China has called on the US to cancel its sweeping tariffs on Chinese goods entering the country as a sign that the President Donald Trump is serious about resolving the trade war between the two countries.
A Chinese official said there had been no trade talks with the US, despite suggestions otherwise from the Trump administration.
The trade war between the world's two largest economies has been escalating, with China sending back Boeing planes it ordered from the US in its latest retaliation over tariffs.
But Trump has appeared to soften his stance on China, saying that the taxes he has so far imposed on Chinese imports would "come down substantially, but it won't be zero".
A trade war between China and the US is in full swing, with Trump imposing import taxes of up to 145% on Chinese goods coming into the US, and China hitting back with a 125% tax on American products.
In one of China's strongest statements yet over the tariff war, Commerce Ministry spokesman He Yadong said the US should remove all "unilateral tariff measures" against China "if it truly wanted" to solve the issue.
"The person who tied the bell must untie it," he added.
Separately, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said China and the US had "not conducted consultations or negotiations on tariffs, let alone reached an agreement".
He added that reports to the contrary were "false".
Trump previously said negotiations between the countries were "active" - but this was also contradicted by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who said on Wednesday they had not yet begun.
Bessent added that there was an opportunity for a "big deal" between the US and China on trade.
He has previously said he expected a de-escalation of the "unsustainable" trade war, and said the current situation was "not a joke".
Trump said on Tuesday that he would be "very nice" in negotiations with Beijing in the hope of securing a trade deal.
But following China's latest comments, he said on his Truth Social media platform "Boeing should default China for not taking the beautifully finished planes that China committed to purchase".
"This is just a small example of what China has done to the USA, for years," he added, before repeating accusations that synthetic opioid fentanyl "continues to pour into our country from China, through Mexico and Canada, killing hundreds of thousands of our people".
The boss of plane manufacturer Boeing revealed China had sent back aircraft it had ordered from the US as part of its retaliation to tariffs.
Kelly Ortberg said this week that two planes had already been returned and another would follow due trade tensions between the two countries.
China held a roundtable on Wednesday to address the concerns of more than 80 foreign firms over the impact of US tariffs on their investments and operations in China, the commerce ministry said.
"It is hoped that foreign firms will turn crises into opportunities," said Vice Commerce Minister Ling Ji.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said he will step back from his role with the Trump administration's cost-cutting team known as Doge.
Those at the White House, including the president, have said it has long been the plan that Musk would soon step away, but the news came as the billionaire's car business saw earnings plunge.
Musk's announcement left many unanswered questions, including when he will actually leave the administration and what will happen to Doge, which stands for Department of Government Efficiency.
When asked by the BBC on Wednesday, President Donald Trump reinforced the message that the administration was preparing for Musk's departure.
It's also unclear how many days Musk has already worked for the government, whether the government is keeping a tally, and how the limit would be enforced.
There has been criticism that the Trump administration may have flouted government rules in creating Musk's unprecedented role, and concerns that he may not follow the time limit.
Under rules for SGEs, Musk would have to undergo ethics training, provide a confidential financial disclosure statement, and avoid conflicts of interest.
His corporate empire includes large companies that do business with the US government and foreign governments, including SpaceX, which has $22 billion in US government contracts, according to the company's chief executive.
The rules also prohibit special government employees from partisan activities, including wearing clothing with political slogans, while in government offices or carrying out official duties. Musk has been pictured wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat in the Oval Office.
Still, in February, an anonymous White House official told CBS News, the BBC's US partner, that Musk would file a confidential financial disclosure at some point, and had been given an ethics briefing.
The following month, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told the BBC: "Elon Musk is selflessly serving President Trump's administration as a special government employee, and he has abided by all applicable federal laws."
For now, Musk appears to serve at Trump's behest, with no clear oversight other than the president himself.
In a report released last week, progressive think-tank Public Citizen criticised the Trump administration and said the White House was "wildly abusing" the SGE rules.
"Right now, the public has no way to know whether SGEs like Musk who don't file public financial disclosure reports or are permitted to oversee themselves are putting the people's interests ahead of their own," said report author Jon Golinger.
The BBC has contacted Musk and the Office of Personnel Management - the agency overseeing special government employees, and one where Doge employees have reportedly taken over several functions - for comment.
On Thursday, the Wall Street Journal reported that around 100 Doge employees would remain in various government departments after Musk departs this year.
Musk and Trump set a deadline for Doge to finish its work, which corresponds to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the US Declaration of Independence.
The executive order setting up Doge, signed by Trump on Inauguration Day in January, mentioned 4 July 2026 as the ending date.
Earlier, in December, Musk responded to a tweet that also said Doge would finish entirely on that date.
"The final step of DOGE is to delete itself," he wrote.
The price of Donald Trump's cryptocurrency has soared after the US president promised to host two special events for its top investors.
The website for the $Trump meme coin says its 220 biggest holders will be invited to a private gala dinner with the president on 22 May, describing it as the "most EXCLUSIVE INVITATION in the world."
According to crypto trading platform Coinbase, $Trump jumped by more than 70% after the announcement. But it remains well below the record high of more than $74 (£42.40) reached shortly after its launch in January.
The digital currency is one of several crypto-related ventures launched by businesses linked to Trump, who has called himself the "crypto president".
As well as the gala dinner, which will be held at the Trump National Golf Club in Washington DC, there will be "an ultra-exclusive private VIP reception with the President" for the top 25 coin holders, the coin's website said.
Trump tokens in circulation are currently worth a total of around $2.5bn. They were first released just days before his inauguration on 20 January.
The move was criticised by several people in the crypto industry, with some calling it "a stunt".
First lady Melania Trump also launched a cryptocurrency on the eve of the inauguration.
Meme coins are often used by speculators to make money or to allow fans to show support to a celebrity or moment in internet culture.
Shortly after returning to the White House this year, Trump signed an executive order to create a presidential working group tasked with proposing new crypto laws and regulations.
He has also signed an order to create a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve as well as a Digital Asset Stockpile, which will include other digital currencies.
Those funds will be stocked with coins forfeited to the federal government as part of criminal or civil proceedings.
This week, Trump's media company announced plans to launch exchange traded-funds (ETFs).
The financial products to be launched by Trump Media & Technology Group, owner of the Truth Social platform, and its partners will include digital assets as well as stocks with a "Made in America focus".
ETFs are investment funds that hold multiple assets. They can be bought and sold in a similar way to shares.
The government is no longer ruling out a youth visa deal with the EU, ahead of a summit next month to "reset" relations after Brexit.
Labour has previously said it has "no plans" for such a scheme, which would make it easier for young people to study and work abroad.
But an agreement has emerged as a key European demand in ongoing negotiations between the two sides to boost co-operation. Downing Street declined to repeat its previous opposition to reporters on Thursday, saying it would not provide a "running commentary" on talks.
It comes as over 60 Labour MPs called on ministers to strike a "new and bespoke youth visa scheme for UK and EU citizens aged under 30".
In a letter to EU relations minister Nick Thomas-Symonds, they argued a mutual deal for time-limited visas, subject to a cap, would "extend new cultural, educational, and economic opportunities to young people in the UK".
Sir Keir Starmer met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen later, as preparations increase for the summit in London on 19 May.
Following the meeting, a Downing Street spokesperson said: "Discussing the ongoing negotiations to strengthen the UK-EU partnership, they both agreed that good progress had been made.
"They asked their teams to continue their important work in the coming weeks, with the aim of delivering as ambitious a package as possible at the first UK-EU summit next month."
The Labour government is aiming to forge closer economic ties to the EU after Brexit. Both sides have also expressed a renewed interest in a defence and security pact amid the war in Ukraine.
A defence deal would potentially unlock full UK access to a €150bn (£128bn) EU-backed loans scheme, with British firms otherwise limited to providing up to 35% of the value of projects funded under the programme.
Speaking at UK Trade and Business Commission meeting on Thursday, Germany's ambassador to the UK Miguel Berger said he wanted to see progress on a youth visa deal as part of a "package approach" to the talks, where different topics are linked together.
He added that EU citizens had faced "many obstacles" to moving to the UK since Brexit, including "very high thresholds" for skilled work visas.
Existing schemes
The UK currently offers visas allowing young people from 12 non-EU countries including Japan, South Korea and Uruguay to study or work in the UK for up to two years. Those from Australia, Canada or New Zealand can extend by a further year.
These visas are subject to annual quotas, ranging from 100 visas for Andorra to 42,000 for Australia, with ballots held where they are oversubscribed.
Applicants from these countries need at least £2,530 in savings, cannot apply for most benefits, and have to pay an annual NHS surcharge of £776 for students and £1,035 for workers.
The European Commission first suggested an EU-wide youth deal in April last year, claiming Rishi Sunak's government had approached European capitals to discuss individual visa deals, risking "differential treatment" of EU citizens.
Under its original proposal, people aged between 18 and 30 would be able to apply for visas lasting up to four years to work, study, train or volunteer, with no overall cap on the number of visas issued.
It also said EU applicants should not have to pay the NHS surcharge, and should be able to pay the same university tuition fees as British students, rather than the higher fees they have had to pay since Brexit.
'Youth experience'
There have been suggestions that the Home Office, tasked with delivering government plans to lower overall migration, is pushing for any eventual agreement to be more limited than that suggested by the European Commission.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is reportedly arguing for visas to be limited to one year so that EU citizens taking part do not show up in official immigration figures, with applications also subject to an overall cap.
Asked about the reports, Mr Berger declined to comment, saying that "we have to leave that to the negotiations".
The EU has been keen to stress that a visa deal would not replicate the bloc's rules on freedom of movement, under which EU citizens were automatically entitled to live and work in the UK without applying for a visa.
Documents circulated between EU states also suggest a deal could be rebranded as a "youth experience" scheme, in an apparent bid to downplay any link to migration.
But any deal that is negotiated is likely to lead to a political row, with the Conservatives and Reform UK critical of a proposed agreement.
During a local election campaign visit earlier, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said a deal risked "another avenue which people might use to game the system," adding that Labour "doesn't know how to negotiate".
She added: "Where are all these people they want to bring in going to work?"
Reform leader Nigel Farage said a deal could lead to a "huge number of people" coming to the UK, adding it would be "completely against what the Brexit vote demanded".
An agreement has however been strongly supported by the Liberal Democrats and the Greens, which have long been calling on the Labour government to reach an agreement with the EU.
In his comments on Thursday, Mr Berger insisted a deal would have "nothing to do with migration" as those taking part in the scheme would "go home" once their visa has ended.
South Africa's finance minister has dropped plans to increase value-added tax (VAT), in a major climbdown to prevent the collapse of the coalition government.
Enoch Godongwana's decision came after the second-biggest party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), threatened to quit the government, warning a VAT hike would hurt the poor the most.
Godongwana, a member of President Cyril Ramaphosa's African National Congress (ANC), had argued the increase was needed as the government was facing a financial crisis.
But with other parties also rejecting the hike, it raised the prospect of parliament taking the unprecedented step of voting down the national budget, forcing him and the ANC to concede.
More about South Africa from the BBC:
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The export of video game controllers from the UK to Russia has been banned as they can be repurposed to pilot drones used to launch attacks on Ukraine.
It is part of a package of around 150 trade sanctions against Russia announced by the Foreign Office on Thursday.
The European Union enforced a similar ban on video games and joysticks earlier this year.
Other technology items used in the defence and energy sectors are among items which can also no longer be exported to Russia, including software used to search for new oil and gas wells.
Sanctions were also announced on exports of chemicals, electronics, machinery and metals to limit Russia's military capability.
This includes electronic circuits and other components that can be used in weapons systems.
"Gaming consoles will no longer be repurposed to kill in Ukraine," Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty said.
He added: "Putin thought he could use British markets to boost his war effort, buying harmless goods and turning them into tools of war - but the UK is exposing and acting on this sinister trade.
"Today's action clamps down on Russia's sneaky trading and deprives Putin of the goods he desperately needs to fight his barbaric war."
He added that cutting off Russia's energy revenues "will drain Putin's war chest".
"And our tough new measures will also degrade Russia's military machine - new export sanctions mean Putin will no longer be able to get his hands on specialist technology used to produce weaponry for his illegal war."
The latest package is part of wider sanctions by the US, UK and EU on Russia, in response to its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Sanctions are penalties imposed by one country on another, to stop them acting aggressively or breaking international law.
The UK also condemned a Russian missile strike on Kyiv that killed nine people and injured dozens overnight on Thursday, one day after Ukrainian, US, UK and European officials met in London to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine.
UK foreign minister David Lammy said on X: "While Ukrainian ministers were in London working towards peace, [President Vladimir] Putin's Russia was attacking the Ukrainian people."
A dozen US states have joined together on a lawsuit aiming to block President Donald Trump's spate of tariffs that have upended global trade.
The suit, which is led by New York's governor and attorney general, argues that the president lacked the authority to impose the levies. It notes such tariffs must be approved by the US Congress.
Twelve states joined the lawsuit, which was filed with the United States Court of International Trade.
The White House accused New York Attorney General Letitia James of "prioritizing a witch hunt against President Trump over protecting the safety and wellbeing of their constituents".
White House spokesman Kush Desai added that the "administration remains committed to using its full legal authority to confront the distinct national emergencies our country is currently facing—both the scourge of illegal migration and fentanyl flows across our border and the exploding annual U.S. goods trade deficit."
The lawsuit states that tariffs must be approved by Congress and questioned Trump invoking a 1970s law called the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to enact the levies.
"By claiming the authority to impose immense and ever-changing tariffs on whatever goods entering the United States he chooses, for whatever reason he finds convenient to declare an emergency, the President has upended the constitutional order and brought chaos to the American economy," the lawsuit states.
Trump invoked the IEEPA as the basis for several of his tariffs against China, Mexico, Canada, and other countries.
A president can use the law "to deal with any unusual and extraordinary threat, which has its source in whole or substantial part outside the United States, to the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States," if he has first declared a national emergency.
The lawsuit argues that the law does not actually grant Trump the power he claims to derive from it. The act has never been used to issue tariffs by any president, congressional research shows.
Last week, the state of California filed its own lawsuit against the Trump administration over tariffs. That lawsuit also argues that Trump lacks the power under the IEEPA to impose these tariffs. Several other lawsuits have similarly challenged Trump's authority using that law for the levies.
Trump has implemented tariffs on global trading partners in a stated effort to correct what he believes is a trade deficit between the US and other nations.
On 2 April, in an event billed as "Liberation Day," Trump shook the global economy by announcing "reciprocal" tariffs on nations across the world. A few days later amid a market backlash, he announced a 90-day pause on the tariffs and lowered the rate to 10% for most countries.
That pause didn't extend to China, which Trump said had a "lack of respect" and was retaliating. Instead, the US issued a 145% on goods imported from China, which has led to a trade standoff and rattled global markets.
On Wednesday, Trump said he hoped to come to a deal with China soon and noted the 145% tariff was "very high".
The White House has also imposed 25% tariffs on certain goods from it's neighbours, Mexico and Canada.
A trade war between the world's two biggest economies is now in full swing.
Chinese exports to the US face up to 245% tariffs, and Beijing has hit back with a 125% levy on American imports. Consumers, businesses and markets are braced for more uncertainty as fears of a global recession have heightened.
Chinese President Xi Jinping's government has repeatedly said it is open to dialogue, but warned that, if necessary, it would "fight to the end".
Here's a look at what Beijing has in its arsenal to counter US President Donald Trump's tariffs.
China can take the pain (to a point)
China is the world's second-largest economy, which means it can absorb the impacts of the tariffs better than other smaller countries.
With more than a billion people, it also has a huge domestic market that could take some of the pressure off exporters who are reeling from tariffs.
Beijing is still fumbling with the keys because Chinese people are not spending enough. But with a range of incentives, from subsidies for household appliances to "silver trains" for travelling retirees, that could change.
And Trump's tariffs have given the Chinese Communist Party an even stronger impetus to unlock the country's consumer potential.
The leadership may "very well be willing to endure the pain to avoid capitulating to what they believe is US aggression", Mary Lovely, a US-China trade expert at the Peterson Institute in Washington DC, told BBC Newshour earlier this month.
China also has a higher threshold for pain as an authoritarian regime, as it is far less worried about short-term public opinion. There is no election around the corner that will judge its leaders.
Still, unrest is a concern, especially because there is already discontent over an ongoing property crisis and job losses.
The economic uncertainty over tariffs is yet another blow for young people who have only ever known a rising China.
The Party has been appealing to nationalist sentiments to justify its retaliatory tariffs, with state media calling on people to "weather storms together".
President Xi Jinping may be worried but, so far, Beijing has struck a defiant and confident tone. One official assured the country: "The sky will not fall."
China has been investing in the future
China has always been known as the world's factory - but it has been pouring billions into becoming a far more advanced one.
Under Xi, it has been in a race with the US for tech dominance.
It has invested heavily in homegrown tech, from renewables to chips to AI.
Examples include the chatbot DeepSeek, which was celebrated as a formidable rival to ChatGPT, and BYD, which beat Tesla last year to become the world's largest electric vehicle (EV) maker. Apple has been losing its prized market share to local competitors such as Huawei and Vivo.
Recently Beijing announced plans to spend more than $1tn over the next decade to support innovation in AI.
US companies have tried to move their supply chains away from China, but they have struggled to find the same scale of infrastructure and skilled labour elsewhere.
Chinese manufacturers at every stage of the supply chain have given the country a decades-long advantage that will take time to replicate.
That unrivalled supply chain expertise and government support have made China a formidable foe in this trade war - in some ways, Beijing has been preparing for this since Trump's previous term.
Lessons from Trump 1.0
Ever since Trump tariffs hit Chinese solar panels back in 2018, Beijing sped up its plans for a future beyond a US-led world order.
It has pumped billions into a contentious trade and infrastructure programme, better known as the Belt and Road initiative, to shore up ties with the so-called Global South.
The expansion of trade with South East Asia, Latin America and Africa comes as China tries to wean itself off the US.
American farmers once supplied 40% of China's soybean imports - that figure now hovers at 20%. After the last trade war, Beijing ramped up soy cultivation at home and bought record volumes of the crop from Brazil, which is now its largest soybean supplier.
"The tactic kills two birds with one stone. It deprives America's farm belt of a once‑captive market and burnishes China's food security credentials," says Marina Yue Zhang, associate professor at the University of Technology Sydney's Australia-China Relations Institute.
The US is no longer China's biggest export market: that spot now belongs to South East Asia. In fact China was the largest trading partner for 60 countries in 2023 - nearly twice as many as the US. The world's biggest exporter, it made a record surplus of $1tn at the end of 2024.
That doesn't mean the US, the world's biggest economy, is not a crucial trading partner for China. But it does mean it's not going to be easy for Washington to back China into a corner.
Following reports that the White House will use bilateral trade negotiations to isolate China, Beijing has warned countries against "reaching a deal at the expense of China's interests".
That would be an impossible choice for much of the world
"We can't choose, and we will never choose [between China and the US]," Malaysia's trade minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz told the BBC last week.
China now knows when Trump will blink
Trump held firm as stocks plummeted following his sweeping tariffs announcement in early April, likening his staggering levies to "medicine".
But he made a U-turn, pausing most of those tariffs for 90 days after a sharp sell-off in US government bonds. Also known as Treasuries, these have long been seen as a safe investment. But the trade war has shaken confidence in the assets.
Trump has since hinted at a de-escalation in trade tensions with China, saying that the tariffs on Chinese goods will "come down substantially, but it won't be zero".
So, experts point out, Beijing now knows that the bond market can rattle Trump.
China also holds $700bn in US government bonds. Japan, a staunch American ally, is the only non-US holder to own more than that.
Some argue that this gives Beijing leverage: Chinese media has regularly floated the idea of selling or withholding purchases of US bonds as a "weapon".
But experts warn that China will not emerge unscathed from such a situation.
Rather, it will lead to huge losses for Beijing's investments in the bond market and destabilise the Chinese yuan.
China will only be able to exert pressure with US government bonds "only up to a point", Dr Zhang says. "China holds a bargaining chip, not a financial weapon."
A chokehold on rare earths
What China can weaponise, however, is its near monopoly in extracting and refining rare earths, a range of elements important to advanced tech manufacturing.
China has huge deposits of these, such as dysprosium, which is used in magnets in electric vehicles and wind turbines, and Yttrium, which provides heat-resistant coating for jet engines.
Beijing has already responded to Trump's latest tariffs by restricting exports of seven rare earths, including some that are essential for making AI chips.
China accounts for about 61% of rare earths production and 92% of their refining, according to estimates by the International Energy Agency (IEA).
While Australia, Japan and Vietnam have begun mining for rare earths, it will take years before China can be cut out of the supply chain.
In 2024, China banned the export of another critical mineral, antimony, that is crucial to various manufacturing processes. Its price more than doubled amid a wave of panic buying and a search for alternative suppliers.
The fear is that the same can happen to the rare earths market, which would severely disrupt various industries from electric vehicles to defence.
"Everything you can switch on or off likely runs on rare earths," Thomas Kruemmer, director of Ginger International Trade and Investment, told the BBC previously.
"The impact on the US defence industry will be substantial."
M&S shoppers are facing further frustration at the checkout as the company struggles to recover from a cyber attack.
Customers began reporting problems on the weekend, with the retailer confirming on Tuesday it was dealing with a "cyber incident."
It told the BBC on Wednesday that customer-facing systems were back to normal.
However, it has since confirmed it has been forced to take some systems offline as part of its "proactive management of the incident."
It said it had stopped processing contactless payments, had paused the collection of click and collect orders in stores, and warned of delays to online order deliveries.
Contactless payments have since been restored, the BBC has been told, however this has been questioned by some customers.
BBC staff have described witnessing the impact of the suspension of contactless payments.
At Euston station, in London, shop staff were seen shouting that it was cash only as the payments system was down. Disruption was also seen in Glasgow, and a store at Edinburgh Haymarket seemingly closed early.
M&S says it had made the "decision to move some of our processes offline to protect our colleagues, partners, suppliers and our business".
But stores remain open and customers could "continue to shop on our website and our app", the statement added.
But confusion has reigned on social media amongst M&S customers.
The firm has responded to some posts on X (formerly Twitter) in the past few hours advising customers contactless payments can be taken in stores
However, this has been contradicted by some individuals, with one saying: "That is wrong - only chip and pin or cash is working".
M&S also told click & collect customers not to travel to a store "until they have received their 'Ready To Collect' email".
Some customers also questioned that, with one person saying after receiving their email, "store staff said they are unable to retrieve the item"
The company has declined to provide detail on the nature of the attack, but moving systems offline is often a response to ransomware attacks.
On Tuesday the firm said in a notice to investors that it had engaged "external cyber security experts to assist with investigating and managing the incident.
"We are taking actions to further protect our network and ensure we can continue to maintain customer service," it added.
The company said it also reported the incident to the National Cyber Security Centre which told the BBC it was "working with Marks and Spencer to support their response to a cyber incident".
The National Crime Agency told the BBC its officers were "working alongside partners in the NCSC to better understand the incident and support the company".
There is an opportunity for a "big deal" between the US and China on trade, America's Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said.
Asked about an upcoming meeting between the countries, Bessent said it would be an "incredible opportunity" to strike an agreement, if China was "serious" on making its economy less dependent on manufacturing exports.
"China needs to change. The country knows it needs to change. Everyone knows it needs to change. And we want to help it change because we need rebalancing too," he said.
The comments come as the trade war between the world's two biggest economies has escalated in recent weeks.
US President Donald Trump has brought in a number of tariffs on imports to the US which he has said are aimed at increasing US manufacturing and protecting jobs.
These include import taxes of up to 145% on Chinese goods, but China has hit back with a 125% tax on US products.
Speaking at the Institute of International Finance conference on Wednesday, Bessent, said it was a "matter of impetus and will".
"There is an opportunity for a big deal here, that the US is looking to rebalance to more manufacturing, the identity of that would be less consumption.
"If China is serious on less dependence on export-led manufacturing growth, and a rebalancing towards a domestic economy… if they want to rebalance, let's do it together."
The comments come after Bessent reportedly said on Tuesday that he expected a de-escalation of the trade war and that the current situation was "not a joke".
Trump has also said he is optimistic about improving trade relations with China, saying the level of tariffs - or import taxes - that he had imposed on Chinese imports would "come down substantially, but it won't be zero".
Tensions between China and the US have shaken investors, with violent swings in share prices and sharp falls in the dollar.
Stocks surged on Wednesday on hopes that trade tensions between the US and China could soon ease.
Aside from the trade war, Bessent called on the IMF and the World Bank to refocus on the core missions of economic stability and development, arguing that they had strayed too far into vanity projects such as "climate change, gender and social issue".
"These issues are not the IMF's mission," he said.
Tensions between the countries have rattled financial markets, with both sides introducing strong tariffs on each other.
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said that he was "very frankly encouraged" by Bessent's comments on the IMF and World Bank.
Although Mr Bessent said the IMF and the World Bank are "falling short" he did not call for the US to withdraw from the institutions as some conservatives have lobbied for.
He said the Trump administration will use US influence at these institutions and "push them to accomplish their important mandates".
In April 2020, Indonesian photographer Joshua Irwandi captured one of the most chilling and poignant images of Covid-19's toll.
Covid-19 was first confirmed in Indonesia on 2 March 2020 – a dance instructor and her mother tested positive after coming into contact with someone with the virus.
Indonesia is a vast country made up of thousands of islands, but it took little more than a month for the disease to spread to every one of its 34 provinces, among them Java.
Java is the most heavily populated island in the world, home to more than 151 million people. As the pandemic spread, Java – and its densely packed capital Jakarta – became an epicentre of the disease's spread.
Indonesia's health workers battled this new disease with scant resources at first. One study estimated that by July 2021, more than 1,500 Indonesia health workers had been killed by the disease. Nurses in the densely populated country reported shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the early stages of the pandemic as they dealt with the increasing caseload.
Indonesia, of course, was not facing this disease alone. As part of a series looking at the global response to the virus in April 2020, National Geographic commissioned Indonesian photographer Joshua Irwandi to cover his country's battle against Covid.
Clad in a protective suit like the health workers he was shadowing, Irwandi spent his days inside a Jakarta hospital, observing firsthand how health workers were trying to save lives.
They were not always successful. One victim – the patient's identity has never been revealed to the public – died in their hospital bed. Irwandi took a picture after the body had been wrapped in protective coverings to prevent infection.
"This is the procedure that that was mandated by the Indonesian Ministry of Health," says Irwandi. "How to, you know, dispose of the bodies, you have to wrap them. What happened that day was I was shadowing the doctors and nurses in the hospital, and I was informed that there was a patient who just passed away."
Irwandi first took pictures of the nurses, clad head-to-toe in protective gear, covering the body in whatever material they had to hand. "First with infectious waste bags, actually, and after the body was sort of wrapped up they'd start wrapping with plastic wrap that you see in the supermarket," he says. "I think it took a gruelling hour or so in the heat. They thought that if we turn off the air conditioner, then it might kill the virus. And you're operating under this hot mask."
Irwandi's calm but chilling photograph belies the frenzied activity that was taking place hospitals as Covid-19 struck. The plastic wrap catches the cold, hard glare from the ceiling lights, while the coverings underneath look like something that could have wrapped a body in a ceremonial funeral thousands of years ago.
This eerie figure lies in stark contrast to the modern-day setting: an anonymous hospital room, empty except for a bed and television set. With its sombre, painterly quality, it reminds us that even in our industrialised, often antiseptic modern world, we remain vulnerable.
"The whole time I worked with my mentor here in Indonesia, Van Castelren, who's a Dutch photographer. I was also showing him what kind of images I've been making, asking him 'where do you think this is going'. If you're talking about composition, the more that it resembles something from the classics, usually the stronger the impact of the photograph would make."
And make an impact Irwandi's photo did. "A lot of people accused the image of a set-up," says Irwandi. "There was a singer with two million followers who basically thought that this is a whole setup, and Covid is not that dangerous. People said that it's a mannequin inside.
"You can imagine the sort of misinformation and disinformation at the time. I was given access for a very specific job. Obviously, it's very different to what the public might be seeing or feeling."
Irwandi took a conscious decision to take the photo from the same height as the body: it is not the top-down view that a health worker or doctor would have when attending to the body. This positioning puts both the viewer and the subject at the same level.
"When I was in that moment photographing somebody being wrapped in plastic. Could it be my family next? Could it be my friends next? The best you can do is inform your loved ones that this is happening, and take care of yourself," Irwandi says. "I think that is the main message from the photo: if you don't put on your mask, or if you reject science, this is potentially how people could end up."
The image drew reaction far from Indonesia. It was given second prize in the general news category of the World Press Photo in 2021 and was also nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
Amid the social media-fuelled furore around the image, people continued to contract the disease and die. By the end of the year, more than 800,000 cases had been confirmed in Indonesia and more than 20,000 people had died.
More like this:
• Five years on: The countries that never locked down
• When empty became the new normal
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"It wasn't the first patient who died that I photographed, and it's not the last either," says Irwandi. "The following year, you know, Jakarta became the epicentre of Covid in Asia. You could imagine, how many people were influenced by those who thought that Covid was not dangerous, or who thought that 'this is all a set-up, this is fake news', or whatever, and those people died anyway.
Irwandi said the photo had extra resonance for him when he covered mass burials of Covid victims in a graveyard a year later. He visited twice within a week, and fresh plots had already been dug for more victims. "The danger is real, whether or not people like the photograph," he says.
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Chris Brookes-Smith, 28, used to live in fear of dying from eating even the smallest trace of peanut.
Ten years ago he had his worst allergic reaction after ordering a curry at a local Indian takeaway. The trauma of it is seared into his memory.
"I knew I was in trouble after one bite," he says. "Within seconds there were spots on my lips. Within minutes I was vomiting. I could feel my throat closing up, hives forming in my armpits then over my whole body... My face going all puffy with the swelling."
His voice tails off, full of emotion.
"I thought I was going to die."
Photos taken in hospital later that day show the toll the reaction took on his body.
"I looked like a plucked turkey because my skin had blistered so much," Chris says.
But the most painful thing were the hives - red, raised bumps on the skin - which felt "like boiling water had been poured over me".
Trying to avoid peanuts, one of the most common food allergies, has been a way of life for Chris and millions of other adults with a serious allergy. Eating out, going to social events and travelling abroad are all fraught with anxiety.
As many as one in 200 adults and one in 50 children have a nut allergy, charities say. Some children grow out of their allergies, but many don't - and they continue into adulthood, often getting worse.
An allergic reaction occurs when the body reacts to the protein in peanuts, thinking it's a threat, which triggers a sudden release of chemicals. Symptoms can range from the mild to very serious.
Chris's allergy first came to light as a baby, when he developed a rash as his mum made peanut butter sandwiches.
Each reaction since has been worse than the one before, which means he's become accustomed to living every day "on high alert hoping nothing bad happens".
Activities such as going out with friends or eating in restaurants, which should be enjoyable, turned into stressful, potentially life-threatening experiences.
Despite a love of travel, Chris avoided going to countries where peanuts are commonly used, like south east Asia, after three allergic reactions on a trip to Italy.
As Chris grew up, his family constantly worried about him. But then his mum heard about a clinical trial at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London that would change her son's life.
It would test whether adults like Chris with serious peanut allergies could be desensitised by training their bodies to tolerate the very thing that could kill it, calming down the immune system when it would usually over-react.
Despite being "really nervous", Chris agreed to sign up.
From milligrams to whole nuts
Under the watchful eye of doctors, Chris started by eating a fraction of a milligram of peanut powder mixed with yoghurt. Over many months, the amount of peanut was gradually increased, slowly building up to Chris eating fractions of nuts and, finally, whole nuts.
By the end of the nine-month study, 14 of the 21 patients could eat the equivalent of five peanuts without having allergic reactions - including Chris.
Professor Stephen Till, who led the research, says the treatment "has potential to have a real impact on patients' lives".
"Most severe reactions occur because of mistakes, usually by somebody else, and miscommunication. So it provides them with some protection against that.
"They've taken control, if you like, of their peanut allergy now."
The method - called oral immunotherapy - is already proven to work for allergies to pollen, wasp and bee stings. It's only been used on food allergies in the last 20 years, and mostly in children whose immune systems are still developing. Adult allergies are thought to be harder to shift.
"Peanut allergy is very common in children and almost never goes away," says Prof Till. "Those young people are going to become adults, so we need treatments for adults too."
This trial, published in the journal Allergy, shows adults with serious allergies can increase the amount of peanut they can tolerate by 100 times.
Chris, who lives in Northamptonshire, had no idea how he would react to even the slightest trace of peanut. Increasing that dose - willingly - every day was something he couldn't imagine.
"The first time I went there and I ingest this stuff, my heart's going a million miles an hour," he says. "The big jump in fear was going from peanut dust to half a whole nut."
But he was reassured by having a team of doctors and nurses present, with drugs such as adrenaline standing by in case of a severe, life-threatening reaction.
"You've got 100 eyes on you - nothing is gonna happen."
However, experts stress no one should try this at home on their own because of the risk of a serious allergic reaction occurring.
'Wonderful feeling'
Not everyone who tried the treatment was desensitised, and larger trials in more people will have to work out why that is.
"For some people, there were reactions and we had to slow down or go back a step," explains Prof Till. "But the message is that you can desensitise adults to peanuts -and there should be more focus on adults in the future."
Being able to eat peanuts safely had a huge impact on the lives of those who took part, the researchers say. It has given them freedom to travel, reduced their anxiety when eating out and removed their fear of food.
How to develop this into a practical treatment on the NHS is more of a challenge. First, larger trials are needed to prove it can work for more people.
And researchers are looking at whether putting drops of peanut in solution under the tongue could be a safer way of achieving the same end result.
Chris now eats four peanuts every morning with his breakfast granola to keep his allergy at bay – as recommended by his doctors.
He's grateful for having had the opportunity to take part in the trial and hopes many others with serious peanut allergies can also benefit from the treatment.
While he admits he still hates the flavour of peanuts, he says knowing he can now eat something that once sent his body into "nuclear meltdown" has changed his life.
"It's a wonderful feeling," Chris says. "I'm no longer afraid of dying."
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WhatsApp says its new AI feature embedded in the messaging service is "entirely optional" - despite the fact it cannot be removed from the app.
The Meta AI logo is an ever-present blue circle with pink and green splashes in the bottom right of your Chats screen.
Interacting with it opens a chatbot designed to answer your questions, but it has drawn attention and frustration from users who cannot remove it from the app.
It follows Microsoft's Recall feature, which was an always-on tool - before the firm faced a backlash and decided to allow people to disable it.
"We think giving people these options is a good thing and we're always listening to feedback from our users," WhatsApp told the BBC.
The company likens the feature to other permanent options in the app like 'channels' and 'status'.
It comes the same week Meta announced an update to its teen accounts feature on Instagram.
The firm revealed it was testing AI technology in the US designed to find accounts belonging to teenagers who have lied about their age on the platform.
Where is the new blue circle?
If you can't see it, you may not be able to use it yet.
Meta says the feature is only being rolled out to some countries at the moment and advises it "might not be available to you yet, even if other users in your country have access".
As well as the blue circle, there is a search bar at the top inviting users to 'Ask Meta AI or Search'.
This is also a feature on Facebook Messenger and Instagram, with both platforms owned by Meta.
Its AI chatbot is powered by Llama 4, one of the large language models operated by Meta.
Before you ask it anything, there is a long message from Meta explaining what Meta AI is - stating it is "optional".
On its website, WhatsApp says Meta AI "can answer your questions, teach you something, or help come up with new ideas".
I tried out the feature by asking the AI what the weather was like in Glasgow, and it responded in seconds with a detailed report on temperature, the chance of rain, wind and humidity.
It also gave me two links for further information, but this is where it ran into problems.
One of the links was relevant, but the other tried to give me additional weather details for Charing Cross - not the location in Glasgow, but the railway station in London.
What do people think of it?
So far in Europe people aren't very pleased, with users on X, Bluesky, and Reddit outlining their frustrations - and Guardian columnist Polly Hudson was among those venting their anger at not being able to turn it off.
Dr Kris Shrishak, an adviser on AI and privacy, was also highly critical, and accused Meta of "exploiting its existing market" and "using people as test subjects for AI".
"No one should be forced to use AI," he told the BBC.
"Its AI models are a privacy violation by design - Meta, through web scraping, has used personal data of people and pirated books in training them.
"Now that the legality of their approach has been challenged in courts, Meta is looking for other sources to collect data from people, and this feature could be one such source."
An investigation by The Atlantic revealed Meta may have accessed millions of pirated books and research papers through LibGen - Library Genesis - to train its Llama AI.
Author groups across the UK and around the world are organising campaigns to encourage governments to intervene, and Meta is currently defending a court case brought by multiple authors over the use of their work.
A spokesperson for Meta declined to comment on The Atlantic investigation.
What are the concerns?
When you first use Meta AI in WhatsApp, it states the chatbot "can only read messages people share with it".
"Meta can't read any other messages in your personal chats, as your personal messages remain end to end encrypted," it says.
Meanwhile the Information Commissioner's Office told the BBC it would "continue to monitor the adoption of Meta AI's technology and use of personal data within WhatsApp".
"Personal information fuels much of AI innovation so people need to trust that organisations are using their information responsibly," it said.
"Organisations who want to use people's personal details to train or use generative AI models need to comply with all their data protection obligations, and take the necessary extra steps when it comes to processing the data of children."
Dr Shrishak says users should be wary.
"When you send messages to your friend, end to end encryption will not be affected," he said.
"Every time you use this feature and communicate with Meta AI, you need to remember that one of the ends is Meta, not your friend."
The tech giant also highlights that you should only share material which you know could be used by others.
"Don't share information, including sensitive topics, about others or yourself that you don't want the AI to retain and use," it says.
Additional reporting by Joe Tidy
A group of British parents who believe social media played a part in the death of their children have travelled to the US to demand better online safety protections for children.
Four families flew to New York City to protest with hundreds of others from the US and Canada outside the offices of Meta - owner of Facebook and Instagram.
"All we're asking for is can you please help us protect our children," said Mark Kenevan, father of Isaac who died aged 13 from taking part in a social media challenge.
Their visit comes as media regulator Ofcom announced that websites will be legally required to block children's access to harmful content from July to continue operating in the UK.
Websites will also have to introduce more rigorous age checks, according to its final children's code of practice published on Thursday.
BBC Breakfast followed the four British families on their mission in the US.
The British parents walked with American families through the streets of New York City. Some parents held signs saying "Meta profits, kids pay the price".
Others clutched framed treasured photos of their children, who had died.
Lisa Kenevan, mother of Isaac, said the families banding together had given each other strength.
"We just want government, we want tech companies to understand that we are getting stronger, our voices are getting stronger, and we're not going to go away," she said.
A coroner ruled that Isaac had died in 2022 as a result of misadventure, but the Kenevans say social media platforms were also to blame.
This year they were among several families who filed a wrongful death lawsuit against TikTok in the US, which accuses the platform of pushing dangerous prank and challenge videos to children to boost engagement time.
Maia Walsh's family, who are part of the lawsuit, also believe the 13-year-old died from injuries while taking part in an online challenge. An inquest into her death will examine her use of TikTok.
Her father Liam Walsh, talking about the New York protest, told BBC Breakfast: "I feel as though we're getting recognition for what happened to our children, because there is something in it - it's not just desperate parents clutching at straws.
"We're slowly revealing what happened to our children, and this is part of that movement."
TikTok says it prohibits dangerous content or challenges on the platform, and directs those who search for hashtags or videos to its safety centre.
Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, says it also shares the goal of keeping teens safe online and had recently introduced "teen accounts" with enhanced protections.
"We believe teens deserve consistent protections across all the different apps they use - not just our platforms," Meta said in a statement.
Also among the parents in New York is Ellen Roome, who believes her 14-year-old son Jools Sweeney died after an online challenge went wrong in 2022 and his social media accounts could provide the evidence needed. An inquest into his death found he took his own life.
"[He was] just a normal, lovely boy. Not one moment in our life did we think we would be in this position... there was nothing that gave us any indication that there was a problem," Ms Roome said, who is campaigning for legislation to grant parents access to their children's social media accounts if they die.
"I almost want to tell parents 'you don't know what your children are looking at'.
"This isn't for our children because it's too late, but for them to have that conversation with their children about what are they looking at, what are they seeing."
The BBC previously approached TikTok, X, Snapchat, Discord and Meta - which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads - to ask about Ms Roome's case.
None of them gave a formal response, but a spokesperson from Snapchat previously said: "Our hearts go out to Ms Roome and her family for the loss of Jools.
"We have extra protections for under 18s and offer parental tools so parents can see who their teens are communicating with and report any concerns."
A spokesperson for TikTok has also previously said the company had removed 99% of videos showing or promoting dangerous content before it was reported by a user.
Also among the parents in New York was Lorin LaFave, mother of 14-year-old Breck Bednar who was lured to his death in 2014 after being groomed online whilst gaming.
The online safety campaigner, who now shares Breck's story in schools through the Breck Foundation, said: "I would love to see age restrictions. For me I think children need their childhood longer.
"They're being exposed to so much adult content and adult relationships too soon, too young, and you're only a child once."
There's a secret side of YouTube, just beyond the guiding hand of the algorithm – and it’s nothing like what you know. The vast majority of YouTube's estimated 14.8 billion videos have almost never been seen. Until now.
On 23 April 2005, YouTube posted its first video; 19 awkward seconds of the platform's co-founder describing elephants at the zoo. But 20 years later, YouTube has moved from its amateur roots to such a behemoth that the company says it's the new Hollywood. YouTube is the world's number one TV streaming service, where users clock billions of hours of watching every day. Leading YouTubers regularly outperform big-name studios. For comparison, an estimated 823 million cinema tickets were sold across all of the US and Canada in 2024. Meanwhile, MrBeast's most successful video alone racked up 762 million views, about one watch for every 10 people on earth.
That's the vision of YouTube the company promotes – slick, professional, entertaining and loud – but from one perspective, it's all a façade.
Through another lens, the essence of YouTube is more like this video from 2020. Before I watched, it had only been seen twice. A man points the camera out of his bedroom window as a flurry breaks out in the dead of winter. "Here it is," he says. "The falling snow." The sound of a TV plays in the background. A bird lands on a nearby fence. 19 minutes go by. Nothing happens.
"The conversations we're having about YouTube are based on an impoverished view of what the platform really is," says Ryan McGrady, senior researcher at the Initiative for Digital Public Infrastructure at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, US. "When we just focus on what's popular, we miss how the vast majority of people actually use YouTube as uploaders, and overlooking the role it plays in our society."
I spent the last month dipping into one of the first truly random samples of YouTube ever collected outside the company. I saw a side of the internet that sometimes feels lost, one full of pure, unvarnished self-expression. It's an entire world that YouTube's all-seeing algorithm won't show you.
"YouTube isn't just a vehicle for professionals," McGrady says. "We rely on it as the default video arm of the internet. YouTube is infrastructure. It's a critical tool that regular people use to communicate."
To unveil this side of YouTube, McGrady and his colleagues built a tool that dials videos at random. The scraper tried more than 18 trillion potential URLs before it collected a big enough sample for real scientific analysis. Among the findings, the researchers estimate that the median video has been watched just 41 times. Posts with more than 130 views are actually in the top third of the service's most popular content. In other words, the vast majority of YouTube is practically invisible.
Most of these videos aren't meant for us to see. They exist because people need a digital attic to store their memories. It's an internet unshaped by the pressures of clicks and algorithms – a glimpse into a place where content doesn't have to perform, where it can simply exist.
Into the wild
12 years ago, a woman from the US named Emily posted a YouTube video called "sw33t tats". I learned it's even older than that, recorded around 2008. In the video, Emily, who asked to withhold her full name, sits in her college dorm room. She pries her mouth open as her younger sister brings a marker to the inside of Emily's lower lip.
"Stop moving!", her sister yells as she starts to write, the girls barely able to control their laughter. Emily holds her lip open to the camera, and her sister does the same, revealing a sweet tat of her own. But the footage is blurry; whatever these fake tattoos said is lost to time.
Emily, now 34 and living in New York City, forgot this video existed until I asked her about it. "I don't even remember why I uploaded this," she says. "I think wanted to send it to my sister, but I also I had to free up space on my hard drive. I just needed a place to put it. I don't know, it's funny and weird. I'm glad it's still here."
"We tend to assume the reason to use social media is to try to be an influencer, either you're Joe Rogan or you're a failure. But that's the wrong way to think about it," says Ethan Zuckerman, who leads the YouTube research as the director of the University of Massachusetts' Initiative for Digital Public Infrastructure.
YouTube tells the BBC it's incorrect to suggest the platform doesn't let you see videos with low views or content from small channels. The algorithm's job is to help people find the videos they want to watch and that will give them value, YouTube says, and sometimes that does include videos with a small number of views.
"The magic of YouTube is that whether a video has 60 views or six million, people are able to find community, learn a new skill, be entertained, or share their voice with the world," says Boot Bullwinkle, a YouTube spokesperson. "Every channel starts from the same blank slate, from which they can build an audience and grow a business."
Zuckerman and his colleagues weren't the first to go looking for YouTube's underbelly. Between 2009 and 2012, for instance, iPhones included a feature that let users post videos straight to YouTube with a few taps. YouTube reported that mobile uploads jumped 400% a day. Unless people added a custom title, the name for all these videos followed a standard format, which makes them easily searchable over a decade later. A few online tinkerers have explored these videos, which apparently number in the millions. One even built a custom player that cycles through them.
Without the algorithm's recommendations, you'll find that YouTube is a study of the everyday, Zuckerman says, people documenting small moments in their lives and using the available tools to exchange ideas.
In South Asia, for example, Zuckerman says YouTube and similar networks seem to function as a video messaging tool for people with low or no literacy. Most of YouTube comes from outside of the US, in fact. Zuckerman's lab has estimated that over 70% of YouTube videos are in languages other than English. You find fisherman in South America waving from a boat, or two construction workers speaking in Hindi about how much they miss home. Videos like these fall under what he calls "friends and family" content, where comments and interactions all come from people who seem to know the user personally.
"If any of these videos went viral, it would mean something went terribly wrong. That's not what most of YouTube for," Zuckerman says.
Small moments
Most unwatched YouTube is less entertaining than sw33t tats, which, with respect to Emily, sets a low bar. This stuff is bland enough to melt your brain. A bride gets ready for a photo shoot. A grouchy Korean man rants about politics. Six seconds of a martial arts instructor, devoid of context. Dash camera footage from a car struggling to escape a parking lot. A woman advertises a horse for sale in 2018. Endless, mundane screen recordings of video games – the University of Massachusetts Amhurst study found people playing video games seems to make up almost 20% of YouTube.
Occasionally, you stumble on something fun, or more often, just plain weird. Three men performatively slapping each other's rear ends to a James Brown song. A woman reviews a brand of pre-sliced bologna (it's "not too bad"). Or take the channel "Space Stuff and Other Stuff", where a kid raps about the planet Neptune and shares his condolences after Queen Elizabeth's passing. The latter falls in the "other stuff" category, apparently.
Some videos are heartrending. I listened to an elderly man describe how he's living in a car on a farm, trading manual labour for a place to stay. There was a moving tribute to a departed cat from her owner, Tyler. "Kiko didn't make it," he says, holding back tears. "It's so darn quiet without her here." A few dozen videos I paused to watch a young ballerina float delicately across a stage, wafting back and forth in front of a hushed crowd.
"As researchers, we spend a lot of time with this stuff. It can be a lot like looking at people's personal snapshots," Zuckerman says. "Most of it's boring, but sometimes it's poignant, even haunting. And every so often, you get something that feels incredibly revealing about how human beings communicate."
But my favourite videos by far came from Bill "The WoofDriver" Hellman. He's a 58-year-old working in real estate just outside of Baltimore, US. But that's not his passion. What Hellman really cares about is his dogs, and the unique way he cares for them. "You've never seen anything like this before," he says in one video. I guarantee that he's right.
Hellman has built over 50 custom-made vehicles that he uses to take his four huskies out for what he calls "urban mushing". He uses social media to document their adventures on the trails of the eastern US. It all looks a bit like the dog sled races of the Iditarod. Except here, the dogs are usually strapped to the side of his various slow-moving contraptions, recumbent bicycles and electric dog-walking carts. By the looks of it Hellman's dogs are thrilled to participate.
He's posted more than 2,400 YouTube videos in the last 14 years, many of which include original rock songs. (Hellman says he's written more than 100 WoofDriver songs, in fact.) He puts in a lot of work, heading out with drones and groups of friends to document his journeys. Hellman's even paid for celebrity endorsements through the platform Cameo to promote his videos. But for all the effort, his channel often gets little traction. Many videos have views in the low double digits.
"I don't get a big audience a lot of the time, but that doesn't bother me. I was just so in love with how happy it made the dogs that at some point I thought 'I gotta share this'," Hellman says. "Maybe it'll inspire someone to take better care of their dogs, but really, I use YouTube like the cloud, so I have a place to document my adventures."
YouTube doesn't pay the bills, and the WoofDriver isn't selling anything – though he's happy to give you the dimensions if you want to build your own urban dog sled. "I just do it because of the joy it brings me," Hellman says.
'If you go looking for it, you'll find it'
Random YouTube usually doesn't look like the highly produced videos of the WoofDriver, but he's a good representation in one sense. Like Hellman's content, the majority of these unseen YouTube videos range from neutral to overwhelmingly positive.
The same can't be said for what rises to the top. Research suggests YouTube's algorithm amplifies negativity, reinforces stereotypes and gives users little control over the content they don't want to see. Over the years, YouTube has faced increasing criticism over concerns about hate speech, political extremism and misinformation. Along with other social media platforms, YouTube has been utilised by drug cartels and harnessed by terrorists as a tool for promotion and recruitment.
YouTube says that the company has employed a set of community guidelines since its earliest days to establish what's allowed on the platform. The company says it has redoubled efforts to address its responsibilities. One way YouTube measures its success is through its "violative view rate". In 2017, for every 10,000 views on YouTube, 63-72 views came from content that violated YouTube policies, but today that number has fallen to eight to nine views, according to the company.
YouTube says it gives users several ways to manage YouTube recommendations and search results, such as deleting your Watch History.
When the Initiative for Digital Public Infrastructure set out to study YouTube, part of the impetus was to document how common hate speech and misinformation is on the platform. "If you go looking for it, you'll find it," McGrady says, but compared to the total body of videos on YouTube it's exceedingly unusual. Still, it doesn't matter how rare a damaging video is if it gets a ton of views, McGrady says, and harmful content remains a serious issue on YouTube.
In recent years, Google has faced a wave of scrutiny from policy makers, with new laws and a mountain of proposed regulations – not to mention a series of antitrust cases. But when the regulatory conversation turns to the videos on YouTube themselves, the focus is almost always on content that goes viral, McGrady says.
This ignores the obligations YouTube should have because, according to McGrady, the company is running a piece of essential infrastructure.
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"The internet is deeply troubled, and we can't ignore the way tech companies are exacerbating those problems," McGrady says. "What makes me hopeful is that when you find a way to look at how people are really using the web, a lot of it still feels like the early internet. It's expression, communication, connection. Fundamentally, it's a place where regular people share themselves and do wonderful things."
The YouTube we talk about – the one full of celebrities, scandals and manufactured virality – only tells part of the story. The majority exists in quiet moments, in shaky camera work and voices meant for no one in particular. I watched hundreds of these videos. Everything one of them is public, but it's also clear that most people didn't upload this content for strangers. It was like being let in on a secret, a sprawling, uncurated documentary of human life. But watching it also felt like work compared to the doomscroll-inducing entertainment you get from the algorithm. Eventually, I closed my tabs and headed back to the YouTube homepage, back to the polished world of the corporate internet.
* Thomas Germain is a senior technology journalist for the BBC. He's covered AI, privacy and the furthest reaches of internet culture for the better part of a decade. You can find him on X and TikTok @thomasgermain.
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Fortified breakfast cereals can be a useful source of fibre, vitamins and minerals – but some are considered ultra-processed food.
We're often told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Get this decision right and your nutritious morning meal can help keep you energised and focused for whatever challenges come your way. Yet the choice of what to eat for breakfast – or what to give your children if you have them – can feel overwhelming at times.
If, like 53% of the US population you decide to go the breakfast cereal route every week, then you can take your pick. There's porridge oats, granola, muesli, bran flakes, corn flakes, and puffed rice – the options are endless, with each colourful box promising to deliver a healthy, nutritious meal. Yet, although breakfast cereals have traditionally been seen this way, some scientists warn that these are ultra-processed snacks – and they are not actually good for us at all.
So, what is the truth, and what kind of cereals – if any – should we be eating?
First off, some facts. Cereals are grasses from the Poaceae family, cultivated for their edible seeds, or grains. Cereal crops include wheat, rice, oats, barley and corn. Each cereal grain has three main edible components. There's the outer layer of bran, which is rich in fibre, B vitamins and trace minerals. Then there's the endosperm, which is packed with starch and proteins to support the developing plant embryo. Finally, the germ contains the embryo, and is rich in oils, vitamins and minerals.
One of the first people to come up with the idea of turning grains into breakfast cereals was John Harvey Kellogg, an American physician. At the time he was a superintendent of the Battle Creek Sanatarium – a kind of hybrid between a hospital and a health resort. To improve the patients' diet, Kellogg developed, patented and introduced a variety of new foods, including Granola and Corn Flakes. However, these have now become so ubiquitous that there are dozens of generic versions on the market.
Today the production of breakfast cereals is an industrial affair. After the grains are harvested, breakfast cereals will undergo various processing steps before being packaged and sent to supermarket aisles. Some cereals – such as bran flakes – are made from the entire, or whole grain, while in others, such as some corn flakes, the grain is crushed between large metal rollers to remove the outer layer of bran. Some cereals then undergo further processing where the grain is milled into flour.
The resulting product is then mixed with flavourings, salt, sweeteners and other ingredients such as vitamins and minerals. They are then cooked and shaped into flakes, loops or other forms. Finally, the cereal is baked or toasted to give it a crisp texture.
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Because cereals are fortified with minerals and vitamins, they have long been seen as an effective way of ensuring that people get the nutrients they need. This is especially true for individuals with restricted diets who may struggle to get the vitamins they require from food. Vegetarian and vegan diets, for example, tend to be low in vitamin B12, while a person with lactose intolerance may avoid milk and therefore not get enough calcium and vitamin D. As we get older, we absorb certain nutrients less efficiently, which can increase the risk of malnourishment. Pregnant women and children are also at greater risk of nutrient deficiencies.
Research confirms that there may be some benefits from eating fortified breakfast cereals. For example, studies have shown that many populations around the world are deficient in key nutrients. A study in the US, meanwhile, found that without fortification, a high percentage of children and adolescents wouldn't get enough micronutrients, risking long term health problems. Many breakfast cereals are also high in fibre, a nutrient that fuels the "good" bacteria in our guts – which 90% of us don't get enough of.
"Generally speaking, fortified cereals can make a useful contribution to some of the vitamins and minerals that, in the UK, some of us are deficient in," says Sarah Berry, professor of nutrition at King's College London.
For example, Berry points to the fact that in the UK, almost 50% of girls aged 11 to 18 have low iron intakes. Meanwhile, 14% of adults in the US have inadequate intakes of this nutrient. (Read more from the BBC about the global challenge of iron deficiency, and the debate over when to take iron supplements.)
"However, you have to balance this out against the fact that there are many cereals that are high in sugar, low in fibre, and have a high glycaemic index, which means they aren't going to keep you full for long," says Berry. There are also ways of getting these vitamins and minerals that might be better for you, such as fruits, nuts, and vegetables, she says.
While some breakfast cereals are high in fibre, vitamins and minerals, many are also high in added sugar, salt and unhealthy fats.
According to the British Heart Foundation, a charity that funds cardiovascular research based in the UK, a 30g serving of sugar-frosted corn flakes, for example, contains around 11g of sugar. This is 12% of the maximum total recommended intake (RI) for sugars in the UK. (In the US, there isn't a recommended limit for total sugars, but the daily reference intake for added sugars is 50g per day (based on a 2,000 calorie diet). Meanwhile, a 45g serving of granola with dried fruit, nuts, and seeds, meanwhile, has 9.6g of sugar (10.7% of your total RI).
Eating so much sugar in one go is likely to lead to large blood sugar spikes, which over time may leave you at greater risk of developing diabetes, heart disease and other conditions. People who experience blood sugar spikes and dips are also inclined to feel hungrier sooner, leading to unhealthy snacking.
"We know from our own research that if you eat a breakfast high in sugar or refined carbohydrates, then two to four hours afterwards you tend to feel less energetic, more hungry, and less alert as well," says Berry. "What we've also shown is that people who have that dip after their breakfast tend to consume their next meal 30 minutes before someone who has a breakfast that doesn't cause them to have a dip, and they tend to consume, on average, 100 calories more at their next meal."
There is also concern that some breakfast cereals are an ultra-processed food, which means that they have undergone significant industrial processing. They frequently contain added sugars, preservatives, artificial colours and other additives.
"As a mum and a scientist, I am cautious about allowing my children to eat cereals that contain a lot of colourants," says Berry.
"Whilst in the UK there are stringent regulations in place to show the safety of these additives and colourants, I think there's a lot that we still don't know about how they may impact our health in the long term," adds Berry. "We are starting to understand that they may negatively impact factors such as our gut microbiome, but we just don't know enough yet."
However, not everyone agrees. Some experts and health charities argue that lumping all ultra processed foods (UPF) together is too simplistic – and not all processed foods are bad for you. For example, a 2024 study by researchers at the Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, Massachusetts, found that while sugary drinks and processed meats raised the risk of cardiovascular disease, the opposite was true for ultra processed breads, breakfast cereals, yogurts and dairy desserts.
And not all breakfast cereals are created equal. Berry counts granola and muesli as healthy options, as long as they don't contain too much added sugar. "It's about building a breakfast that has the fats, the protein, and the carbohydrate that's going to cause that more sustained release of energy and keep you feeling fuller for longer," she says. "Granolas and muesli have lots of nuts, seeds and berries in them, so they have got loads of fibre, but also protein and fat from the nuts. That will keep you full for longer and will therefore balance your energy levels better."
Another popular breakfast choice is porridge, or oatmeal as it is known in the US. One large review study included data from more than 470,000 individuals, and followed their health outcomes over years or decades. The researchers found that those with the highest oat intake had a 22% lower likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those with the lowest consumption. Those who consumed at least 19g per day also had a 24% lower risk of death from all causes compared to those who ate the least.
The key ingredient thought to be responsible for the health benefits of oats is a dietary fibre known as beta glucan. Beta glucan has been shown in many clinical trials to reduce circulating cholesterol levels, particularly low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the 'bad' cholesterol linked to heart disease. Some studies also suggest that beta glucan may reduce a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and help them develop better insulin control.
However, many oat-based breakfast cereals are made from finely ground oat flours that do not have the same health benefits as whole, rolled oats. Compared to the latter, the large surface area of breakfast cereals made with oat flour means they are more quickly digested, causing sugar to rapidly enter the bloodstream. The same is true of pre-cooked porridges made from "instant oats".
In one clinical trial, volunteers were asked to eat rolled oats on one day, and instant finely-ground oats on another day. The researchers found that despite the oats containing the same amount of fibre, protein, fat, and carbohydrates, the more finely ground oats produced a much larger spike in the participants' blood sugar levels.
Meanwhile, breakfast cereals made from refined grains, where the nutrient and fibre-rich bran and germ layers have been stripped away, may also have fewer benefits. While studies have shown that the consumption of whole grains is linked to a reduced risk of cancer, cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases, research suggests that some of these health effects don't seem to apply when grains are consumed in their refined forms.
"Whole grain cereals are healthy because they are packed with fibre," says Riccardo Caccialanza, a clinical nutritionist at the University of Pavia in Italy. He explains that one important function of this nutrient is to slow down the digestion of food, so you get fewer glucose peaks and better glucose control. "However, if you take the fibre away, which happens when you refine the grain, then the glucose increases more quickly," he says.
So, are breakfast cereals good or bad for us? It depends entirely on the cereal.
One study in Australia looked at over 140,000 people aged 45 years and older. It found that eating muesli for breakfast lowered the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Another large study asked over 186,000 participants aged 40 to 69 years in the UK about their dietary habits – including breakfast cereal consumption – and then followed the participants for an average of 13 years. It found that people who ate at least one bowl muesli, bran-based cereals, and porridge a day were 15%, 12%, and 11% less likely to die during the follow up period than people who did not eat breakfast cereals. On the other hand, individuals who ate sweetened cereals for breakfast were more likely to die of cancer during the study period.
The key, then, is to look at the back of the pack carefully, say experts. "If you're selecting cereals that have about less than five grams of sugar a portion, and more than three grams of fibre per portion, then you're on track to making a healthier choice for your cereal," says Berry.
But to make it extra healthy, both Berry and Caccialanza suggest 'hacking' or customising your cereal so that it doesn't just contain carbohydrates, but also has a good mix of healthy fats and protein that will keep you feeling full for longer.
"I love a granola, but I add extra nuts and kefir yoghurt to it," says Berry. "I make a supermarket standard granola healthy by what I overlay on top. And I think that's something that people should be thinking about a little bit – what can they do to add some balance to [breakfast cereals]?"
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As US President Donald Trump takes aim at the Smithsonian Institution for "anti-American ideology", Adam Rutherford examines what the science of genetics has taught us about race.
When scientists unveiled the first draft of the Human Genome Project 25 years ago, it seemed to deliver the final word on some antiquated myths about race. It provided definitive evidence that racial groupings have no biological basis. In fact, there is more genetic variation within racial groups than between them. Race, it showed, is a social construct.
But despite that fundamental finding, which has only been reinforced as work on human genomes has continued, race and ethnicity are still often deployed to categorise human populations as distinct biological groups. These are views that can be found circulating in the pseudoscience on social media, but they also still creep into scientific research and healthcare systems.
It is even more troubling when this thinking finds its way into the halls of government.
President Donald Trump and his administration have made no secret of his rejection of many aspects of the scientific worldview. Since returning to the White House, he has made sweeping cuts to science funding for biomedical and climate research, but in a recent Executive Order, Trump took aim at what most scientists now regard as biological reality.
Entitled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History", the Presidential order, signed by Trump, targeted an exhibition in the Smithsonian American Art Museum called "The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture".
The order is part of a broader attempt to shape American culture by eliminating "improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology" from the institute's museums. It states: "Museums in our Nation's capital should be places where individuals go to learn – not to be subjected to ideological indoctrination or divisive narratives that distort our shared history."
The exhibition itself is criticised in the text for promoting the idea that "race is not a biological reality but a social construct, stating 'race is a human invention'". The order offers the exhibition as an example of a "harmful and oppressive" shift in the narrative portraying American values.
This is the point when people like me, a geneticist who specialises in the history of race science, get a little bit vexed.
The issue here is that the sentence cited from the Smithsonian is 100% correct. This is neither controversial in science nor history.
Human variation is, of course, very real. People are different, and we can see those differences in skin pigmentation, in hair colour and texture and in other physical characteristics. These differences cluster in locations around the world: people from the same region on average look more similar to each other than to people from other areas – so far, so obvious.
In the 18th Century, these traits were the primary determinants for a new fashion for categorising humans in supposedly scientific terms. The Swedish botanist Karl Linnaeus is legitimately credited as the father of modern biology, as he gave us the classification system we still use today: genus and species. Every living thing is named according to this system, for example the bacteria Escherichia coli, or the lion, Panthera leo, or Gorilla gorilla, which probably doesn't need explaining.
We are Homo sapiens – wise people. But in his foundational work Systemae Naturae, Linnaeus introduced another tier of classification for us, designated primarily by that most visible of human traits: pigmentation. Linnaeus gave us four types of human, lumped together by continental landmasses: Asiaticus – people with "yellow skin", and straight black hair; Americanus – indigenous Americans, with "red skin" also with straight black hair; Africanus – "black skinned" people with tight curls in their hair; and Europeaus – "white skinned" with blue eyes.
These designations are clearly absurd – none of the colours are accurate, even if you took the obviously incorrect view that millions of people share the same skin tones even within those categories. But the roots of the race designations we still use today are visible in these labels. Some of these terms have fallen out of social acceptability and are considered racist. But we still use "black" and "white" as descriptors for millions of people, none of whom really have either black or white skin.
Even if this colour scheme were true, Linnaeus' original descriptions only began with physical traits. What he included in later editions of Systemae Naturae, which became the basis for scientific racism, were portrayals of behaviours. Asiaticus were described as "haughty, greedy and ruled by opinions" while Americanus were labelled "stubborn, zealous, regulated by customs". Africanus women were denoted as being "without shame" while both sexes were said to be "crafty, lazy, and governed by caprice". He described Europaeus as "gentle, acute, inventive, governed by laws".
By any definition in any age, these assertions are racist and entirely incorrect.
Of course, in examining history, we must be wary of judging people from the past by our own standards. But as the foundational text of modern biology, introducing a classification system for humans that is ludicrous, racist and most importantly, hierarchical, would leave an indelible mark on the centuries that followed.
Over the next 200 years, many men would seek to refine these categories with new metrics, including pseudoscientific interpretations of craniometry, or skull measurements. They never settled on a definitive answer about how many races there are – none of the characteristics that were being used are immutable, nor exclusive to the people to whom they were supposedly essential. We call this ideology "racial essentialism". But all of the many schemes put white Europeans as superior to all others.
It was biologist Charles Darwin who first began to unpick these ideas, recognising in his 1871 book the Descent of Man that there was much more continuity in traits between people that had been designated as discrete races. By the beginning of the 20th Century, molecular biology had entered the stage, and the era of genetics would dismantle the biological concept of race.
By the time we began to look at how genes are shared in families and populations, we saw that similarities do indeed cluster in groups, but these groupings do not align with the longstanding attempts to classify the races. The true metric of human difference is at a genetic level. In the 20th Century, when we began to unravel our genomes, and observe how people are similar and different in our DNA, we saw that the terms in use for several centuries bore little meaningful relation to the underlying genetics.
Even though only a tiny percentage of our DNA differs between individuals, the genome is so large and complex that there is great diversity. Geneticists are still working to unravel how this alters people's health, for example. But those genetic differences do not delineate along the lines of what we call race. They follow ancestral lines, can differ by geographic location and can be traced through historic migration patterns.
What we now know is that there is more genetic diversity in people of recent African descent than in the rest of the world put together. Take two people, for example from Ethiopia and Namibia, and they will be more different to each other at a genetic level than either one of them is to a white European, or indeed a Japanese person, an Inuit or an Indian. This includes the genes that are involved in pigmentation.
Yet, for historical reasons, we continue to refer to both Ethiopians and Namibians under the race definition of "black". Or take African Americans, people largely descended from enslaved Africans brought to the New World: sequencing the genomes of Black Americans reveals echoes of the history of transatlantic slavery. They not only mixed genetic ancestry from the handful of West African countries from which their ancestors were taken, but also significant amounts of White European DNA. This reflects the fact that slave owners had sexual relationships – many of which would not have been consensual – with enslaved people.
Therefore, the simple categorisation of descendants of the enslaved as "black" similarly does not make biological sense. They are genetically diverse in themselves and different from the African ancestors from which they are descended. To lump them together makes no scientific sense.
So it is by consensus, usage and history that we continue to use the term "black". This is what we mean by a social construct. The concept of race has little utility as a biological taxonomy. But it is enormously important socially and culturally. Social constructs are how the world works: money and time are both socially constructed too. The value of a pound or dollar is applied by agreement against goods and services. Time passes unerringly, but hours and minutes are entirely arbitrary units.
So, while race is not biologically meaningful, it has biologically meaningful consequences. The impact of most diseases correlates with poverty. As people of ethnic minority ancestry tend to be in lower tiers of socio-economic status, diseases tend to affect them more severely. This is true across the board, but was exposed early on in the pandemic. Black, South Asian and in America Hispanic people were disproportionately infected with and died of Covid-19.
The media immediately began to search for a reason that reified a biological version of race, sometimes focusing on vitamin D metabolism, which is connected with melanin production, and has effects on viral infections. Some studies showed that lower levels of vitamin D did associate with susceptibility to covid infection among black people. But this is a correlation not a cause.
More like this:
• The people whose DNA held a secret
• Why you have viruses hiding in our DNA
• The mystery of the human genome’s dark matter
Underlying any slight differences in biology are much more potent causes: while so many of us were locked down, frontline NHS workers, people cleaning up our rubbish and driving our buses all were more likely to be from ethnic minorities. They simply had a higher risk of being exposed and so infected with the virus. Combine that with the fact that minority groups are more likely to live in multigenerational, dense urban housing, and the supposedly biological susceptibility fades.
This is why genetics has played such an important role in the dismantling of a scientific justification of race and understanding racism itself. And it's why the latest statement from Trump's White House is troubling many in the scientific community.
Trump frequently speaks about aspects of genetics to make political points. One view that he has expressed repeatedly is that some people, and predictably himself, are genetically superior. "You have good genes, you know that, right?" he said in September 2020 to a rally in Minnesota – a state that is more than 80% white. "You have good genes. A lot of it is about the genes, isn't it, don't you believe? You have good genes in Minnesota."
Similarly, in the successful 2024 campaign, he denounced immigrants as having "bad genes". It's hard for someone who studies genes – and the strange and sometimes troubling history of genetics – to understand even what might constitute a "bad" or "good" gene.
Ours may be a pernicious history, but the trajectory of genetics has been one that tends towards progress, and equity for all, as enshrined in the Declaration of Independence.
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Genetic factors are thought to play a major role in the development of autism – but for decades what they are has proven elusive. Now scientists are starting to uncover clues.
Until the 1970s, the prevailing belief in psychiatry was that autism was a consequence of bad parenting. In the 1940s, the Austrian psychiatrist Leo Kanner had coined the controversial "refrigerator mother" theory suggesting that autism arose from early childhood trauma, created by mothers who were cold, uncaring and rejected their children.
Daniel Geschwind, a neuroscience and genetics professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), says that this is now rightly recognised as being deeply damaging and wrong – but it took the better part of three decades for Kanner's theory to be debunked. It was not until 1977, when a couple of psychiatrists carried out a landmark study demonstrating that autism often runs in identical twins, that a more nuanced and accurate picture of autism's origins began to emerge.
That 1977 study was the first time that a genetic component of autism had been identified. Research has since shown that when one identical twin is autistic, the likelihood that the other twin will be too can be more than 90%. Meanwhile, the chances of fraternal twins of the same sex each sharing a diagnosis of autism are around 34%. These levels are substantially higher than the typical rate of occurrence among the wider population, of around 2.8%.
It is now widely accepted that there is a strong genetic component to autism. But which genes are involved and how their expression is influenced by other factors are only just starting to be unravelled.
Tiny differences
Even after the twin study in 1977, it would take several more decades for the full subtleties of the interaction between autism and the human genome to become apparent.
Between any two individuals, the amount of genetic variation is around 0.1%, meaning that approximately one letter or base pair out of every 1,000 in their DNA will be different. "Sometimes these variations have no effect at all," says Thomas Bourgeron, a neuroscience professor at the Institut Pasteur in Paris. "Sometimes they have a little effect, and sometimes they have a super strong effect."
Currently, "super strong" variations have been identified in up to 20% of all cases of autism, with a single mutation in a single gene being largely responsible for driving critical neurodevelopmental differences. The role of these single gene mutations and how they arise is one of the most heavily studied areas in autism research, because as Bourgeron explains, they often result in severe and life-limiting disabilities.
"This is not like the autism you see in the movies," Bourgeron says. "If you're born with one of these major mutations, there's a high likelihood you'll end up with intellectual disability or motor delay [the ability to coordinate muscle groups] or epileptic encephalopathy. It has a major impact on their quality of life and their family in most cases."
So far scientists have identified at least 100 genes where these mutations can occur. Bourgeron himself made one of the first discoveries in March 2003 when he identified two gene mutations linked to autism. Each impacted proteins involved in synaptogenesis, the process of forming connections between neurons in the brain. It was a major breakthrough, although it barely made a ripple in the media at the time, with Bourgeron recalling how former US President George W Bush had recently declared war on Iraq.
But more discoveries were to come, including mutations in the Shank3 gene which are estimated to occur in less than 1% of people with autism. We now know that some of these mutations are known as de novo variants, which means that they occur through random chance in a developing embryo and aren't present in the blood DNA of either the mother or father. Geschwind describes de novo variants as being akin to a "bolt of lightning", that is both unexpected and rare.
However, in other cases, these mutations can have been passed on by one of the parents, even if both appear to be neurotypical, a more complex phenomenon which researchers have only begun to understand in the past decade.
"You might wonder, if an autistic child has inherited a rare gene mutation from one of their parents, why doesn't the parent have autism too?" says Geschwind. "What seems to happen is that in the parent, it's not sufficient to be causal, but in the child, that major gene mutation combines additively with other, less individually impactful gene variants to drive neurodevelopment differences," he says.
Of course, there are also thought to be environmental factors involved in the development of autism – even among identical twins where one has been diagnosed, 10% of the time the other one will not be.
Historically, identifying the environmental factors behind autism has led to pseudoscientific beliefs such as the idea – now widely debunked – that certain vaccines might be involved. Now the US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has pledged a massive research effort to identify the causes of autism before September 2025. This includes hiring the vaccine sceptic David Geier as a data analyst at the US Department of Health & Human Services. The Autism Society of America have expressed concerns that the plans are unrealistic, as well as potentially harmful and misleading.
According to the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), potential non-genetic causes of autism include prenatal exposure to air pollution and certain pesticides, extreme prematurity, and birth difficulties leading to oxygen deprivation in the baby's brain, among other factors.
Early development
Today genetic research is leading progress into how neurodevelopment can lead to autism. It appears that many of these genes become functional during the formation of the cortex – the wrinkly outer layer of the brain responsible for many high-level functions, including memory, problem-solving and thinking.
This critical part of brain development occurs in the foetus as it is developing in the womb, and according to Geschwind, peaks somewhere between 12 and 24 weeks. "You can think of these mutations as disrupting the normal patterns of development, knocking development off of its normal track so to speak and maybe onto another tributary, instead of the normal, neurotypical pattern of development," says Geschwind.
Because they cause such severe disability, the information about these gene mutations has enabled parents to form support groups, for example the FamilieSCN2A Foundation which serves as a community for families of autistic children where the autism diagnosis has been linked to a genetic change in the SCN2A gene. Discussions have also been held regarding the idea of using such genetic information to influence future reproductive decisions.
"If it's a de novo variant, then you can tell the parents that the risk would be low [of having another child with the same neurodevelopmental challenges], because there is a limited contribution from inherited factors, if they decided to have subsequent children," says Geschwind. "We can also give the family a sense of the spectrum of how their child might develop over time, and for parents of a two-year-old that's non-verbal and has some walking delay, they want to know what to expect."
But while this can offer huge benefits for these families, the concept of genetic research is not viewed with universal positivity across the autistic community. Autism is a vast spectrum, ranging from those with severe impairments in physical and mental development which will never allow them to live independently, to others with far fewer support needs who view their autism as an identity and advantage, and oppose depictions of autism as a disorder.
Because of this, for some autistic people, their families and a number of academic researchers, the compilation of genetic data has yielded ongoing concerns about how it might be used.
A complex picture
In the past half century, genetics studies have shown that in the majority of autistic people, their neurodiversity arises through the additive effects of hundreds or even thousands of relatively common gene variants which they have inherited from both parents.
These gene variants exist throughout the population of both neurotypical and neurodivergent people, and the individual contribution of any one of these genes to neurodevelopment is negligible. But in combination, they have a significant effect on the wiring of the brain. Bourgeron says that it is not uncommon for one or both parents, who carry some of these gene variants, to display autistic traits such as a preference for order, difficulties in detecting emotions, and being hyperaware of patterns; but unlike their child, these traits do not manifest to such a significant degree that they themselves could be diagnosed as autistic.
Over the last 20 years, autism researchers have devised some ingenious ways of identifying some of these more subtle variants. In the early 2000s, Simon Baron-Cohen, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Cambridge, and colleagues, devised a test called Reading the Mind in the Eyes. This is intended to assess a person's ability to detect emotions such as looking playful, comforting, irritated or bored – based on a photograph which shows only the person's eyes.
The idea is that poorer performance on the test indicates a higher likelihood of a person being autistic. "Autistic individuals have a different way of looking at the face, and they seem to get more information from a person's mouth," says Bourgeron. "Neurotypical individuals get more information from the eyes."
More recently, in partnership with the DNA testing site 23andMe, which agreed to host the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test on their website, Bourgeron and Baron-Cohen were able to gather data on the abilities of more than 88,000 people to read thoughts and emotions from a person's eyes, and compare this performance with their genetic information. Through this dataset, they were able to identify large groups of gene variants associated with poorer emotion recognition, many of which are thought to be carried by autistic people.
Other research studies have found that common gene variants associated with autism tend to be negatively correlated with empathy or social communication. But they are positively correlated with the ability to analyse and construct systems as well as rules and routines. Most intriguingly, they are also often linked to higher educational attainment, along with greater spatial or mathematical or artistic abilities. "This perhaps explains why these genetic variants, which come from very distant ancestors, have remained in the population throughout human history," says Geschwind.
Geschwind and Baron-Cohen are now embarking on a project to try to understand whether some of the common gene variants linked with autism can explain why autism seems to be more prevalent in men, and why autistic women are thought to be more adept at masking their neurodivergent traits compared with autistic men.
"The likelihood is that differences in male and female brain development and function make the men more susceptible and the women protected from the genetic susceptibility to autism to some degree, but we don't fully understand that yet," says Geschwind.
However, some experts believe that autism may be much more common in women than is currently thought, and that the experiences of this group are being overlooked.
Geschwind suggests that understanding sex differences in autism could help identify protective factors which could be used as future treatments, yet this very concept remains deeply divisive and reflective of one of the core underlying tensions within autism research. While some scientists pursue treatments, other researchers and some autistic people believe that autism is not a disorder to be fixed, but an identity and a shared experience.
"Autism isn't a biological phenomenon that has to be tested for, and where you get a categorical outcome or prognosis," says Sue Fletcher-Watson, professor of developmental psychology at the University of Edinburgh. "It isn't something, like cancer, that is universally agreed to be bad and for which everyone wants a cure. In my opinion, it never will be."
In particular, Fletcher-Watson says that many autistic people fear that the ultimate outcome of autism genetic research will be a prenatal test, which could pose an existential threat to autism. Beginning in 2005, one activist created the Autistic Genocide Clock, stating that if such a test existed, it would represent a continuation of historic attempts to eliminate minority groups. Two decades later, such fears remain.
"Genetic researchers on the whole have done little to listen to, and address, the fears of the autistic community regarding security and future use of genetic data," says Fletcher-Watson. These fears are heightened by political contexts, she says, such as the strength of certain far-right parties, which make the possibility of eugenic use of genetic data seem much more real.
Prenatal tests are already established practice in the UK for conditions caused by having an extra copy of a chromosome in some or all of the body’s cells. These include Down's syndrome (where there's an extra copy of chromosome 21), Edward syndrome (where there's an extra copy of chromosome 18), and Patau syndrome (where there's an extra copy of chromosome 13), and in some countries like Iceland, termination rates following a positive screen are close to 100%," she says.
A broad spectrum
Joseph Buxbaum, a psychiatry professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, who founded the Autism Sequencing Consortium, an international group of scientists who share samples and genetic data, feels that some autistic activists are missing the point.
"When I get challenged by somebody who says, 'Well I have autism and I don't think I need be researched,' I'm like, 'Well, how about somebody who has no language, an IQ of 50 and will never be able to live alone and unsupervised,'" says Buxbaum. "What are your thoughts about that person? So, when I think about interventions, I'm thinking about these people, as opposed to someone who has trouble maintaining eye contact, unusual interests and conflicts in social situations."
Geschwind agrees, also citing the marked differences which exist across the autistic spectrum. "The majority of the spectrum is a condition that has to be accommodated like any other disability," he says. However, he adds that another cohort – those who are more severely impacted – would warrant treatment. "These are different things," he says.
To try and better stratify the broad spectrum of autistic traits, the Lancet Commission formally recognised the term "profound autism" in 2021, as a way of describing autistic people who are unable to advocate for themselves and are likely to require 24-hour support throughout their lives. Since then, a variety of clinical trials have begun, all using various therapeutic strategies to try and target the single genes underpinning physical and intellectual disability in different individuals with profound autism.
The main idea for these treatments surrounds the fact that all of us have two copies or alleles, or variants, of every single gene, one from each parent. A recent study from Geschwind's lab leveraged the understanding that most of the de novo gene mutations linked with profound autism only knock out one of these copies, suggesting it might be possible to reduce the degree of disability by boosting the unaffected copy. "That means you have one unaffected copy, [the activity of which] which we showed could be turned up to compensate," says Geschwind.
Bourgeron has recently been running a clinical trial using the metal lithium to boost a version of the Shank3 gene in autistic children who are known to have Shank3 mutations. In the future, Geschwind suggests that a technology such as Crispr, which allows scientists to edit a person's DNA, could be used to intervene at an even earlier stage of life. For example, gene therapy could be delivered to unborn babies found to have various mutations, while they are still in the womb. "We've recently figured out a way of doing this," he says. "It might not fully correct the impacted gene, but it could at least partially correct it."
The FDA has recently granted approval for the US-based biotechnology company Jaguar Gene Therapy to run a clinical trial where a gene therapy is administered to autistic children with a Shank3 gene mutation along with a co-occurring genetic condition called Phelan-McDermid syndrome which affects development, speech and behaviour.
"This trial is only possible because all the children participating have genetic diagnoses," says Buxbaum. "And because researchers at Mount Sinai and elsewhere have spent the past 15 years studying how these children develop when they have these mutations. We can then use this natural history data as a control in the study."
But while such trials could undoubtedly result in enormous benefits for the children involved and their families, Fletcher-Watson is still sceptical about their depiction as therapies for autism, profound or otherwise. She would prefer to see them characterised as treatments for intellectual disability.
"I believe that when people talk about these single-gene cases of autism, they are being disingenuous," says Fletcher-Watson. "They are talking about single-gene causes of intellectual disability, perhaps many of whom are also autistic. But there is funding available for research to address autism, active parent campaign groups and all sorts of resources, in a way that there is not for intellectual disability."
At the same time, Fletcher-Watson is more optimistic about the potential of genetic research to devise novel treatments for some of the co-occurring conditions with which autistic people are often diagnosed, including epilepsy, sleep disturbances, OCD and gastrointestinal disorders.
Bourgeron now coordinates a European project on risk, resilience and developmental diversity in mental health, collaborating with autistic people and their families to better understand why autism rarely comes in isolation, and what makes different individuals prone to these conditions.
At the same time, Bourgeron says that we also need to better recognise neurodiversity and reduce stigma relating to autism. "I think that for us as geneticists we need to go back to the needs of each person" he says. "Some autistic individuals with Shank3 mutations are so severely impacted that they need round the clock care. For others, they might only need specific support at school.
"Overall, we need to do a better job of recognising neurodiversity, and doing everything we can to make sure that people who function differently from the majority can flourish in our societies."
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Your reaction times can reveal a surprising amount about what's going on inside your body, from your brain health to your risk of an early death.
Of the course of our lifetimes, our reaction times will slowly wane. It's one of the reasons why athletic performance tends to drop off from our 30s onwards.
Scientists are finding that being able to maintain an average reaction speed can be a key indicator that our brain is still in good working order, even into our latter decades. But that isn't all they can reveal. From your heart health to your overall risk of an early death, your reaction times can provide a window into the inner workings of the body.
"Some people just tend to be faster than others, even before ageing effects really kick in," says Simon Cox, professor of brain and cognitive ageing at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. "But a decline in reaction times probably indicates an accumulation of age-related degradation. It's a marker which tells us a lot about the combined functioning of quite a lot of biological systems."
But how can you assess your reaction time in the comfort of your home?
One easy assessment is a well-known experiment known as the "ruler drop test". You'll need the assistance of a family member or friend for this one, as well as a ruler:
• Sit in a chair, resting your arm on a table so that your wrist is hanging off the edge, with your thumb and forefingers facing up.
• Ask your partner to hold a ruler vertically, over your hand, with the "zero", where the numbers start, aligned with your thumb.
• Without warning, your partner should drop the ruler, while you try to catch it as quickly as possible.
• The distance the ruler falls before being caught is an assessment of your reaction time.
Broadly speaking, an excellent performance equates to catching the ruler at a distance less than 7.5cm, above average counts as 7.5-15.9cm, average is 15.9-20.4cm, while below average is anything over 20.4cm and poor is more than 28cm.
Population studies have noticed a correlation between the speed of decline in reaction times and risk of multiple age-related illnesses. In addition to a person's overall risk of death – one study found that there was a significant link between a person's reaction times and the likelihood of death from all major causes – there is also a strong relationship between this metric and the risk of death from specific conditions. This includes coronary heart disease, stroke and respiratory disease.
A person's reaction times are also associated with their susceptibility to falls, losing the ability to live independently and the onset of dementia.
However, according to Cox, a single reaction time measurement doesn't reveal all that much, as reaction speeds vary considerably from one person to another due to factors ranging from gender to genetics, physical fitness, lifestyle habits and even personality type. Cox notes that what is likely to be more important is how your reaction speed varies if you compare your performance on the same test over time – for example, at yearly intervals over the course of a decade - and whether it starts to noticeably decline.
As Cox points out, our ability to react relies on a network of interconnected sensory systems: how well we see, hear or even smell a given stimulus, how quickly our brain can process the information it's receiving from our eyes or ears and issue a signal in response, and finally how quickly our nerve fibres, muscles and tendons can enact what the brain is telling them to do. "All these pieces of the jigsaw can be affected by ageing, and not necessarily to the same extent in all people," says Cox.
There are two components to a reaction to the ruler drop test – the brain's ability to make a quick assessment that it has been dropped, and the speed with which the body can act on the brain's instructions to catch it.
Researchers have found that the first component of this network which tends to break down, beginning in midlife, is our physical ability to act on the brain's signals. So, our brains might notice that the ruler has been let go within milliseconds – but it still takes a while for the body to catch up.
At the University of Colorado Boulder, biomedical professor Alaa Ahmed has found that as we get older, our reaction times may depend more heavily on our overall bodily health than our brain. She says this may be because things like fast-twitch muscle fibres which enable our physical ability to respond quickly, have waned, or because our mitochondria – the components within our cells which generate energy – are working less well, meaning that we're less efficient at moving swiftly.
"Making a faster movement is more costly to older adults, so they rely primarily on reacting faster," says Ahmed.
At the same time, if we stay relatively well, our brain and central nervous system can still function strongly into our latter years. According to Matthew Pain, a professor of biomechanics at Loughborough University in the UK, scientists have assessed this by measuring the "startle reflex" in the ankles of healthy elderly adults in response to a loud sound. The results showed their brain's ability to respond to the sound and send a "move" signal to the ankle tends to remain relatively intact.
"The raw nervous system hardware in healthy elderly [people] is not that [much] worse," says Pain. "Purely based on the startle reflex, they could still react quickly enough to be disqualified at the Olympics for a false start. They wouldn't, however, be able to get out of the blocks very quickly."
As well as the ruler test, reaction times can be assessed through simple computer games such as the Human Benchmark Reaction Time Test which involves waiting for a red box to turn green and then clicking on it as quickly as possible. Sharp deteriorations in performance over time can reflect a combination of sensory systems breaking down, as well as a slowing of the brain's decision-making. One study last year found that loss of visual sensitivity in seeing and responding to patterns can be one of the earliest signs of dementia, beginning more than a decade before symptoms begin.
"With age, the nerve fibres in the brain's white matter can start to communicate signals less efficiently, resulting in slower information processing," says Cox. "Once the decision has been made to react, the nerves that connect your brain to your muscles also need to be in good condition to transmit that message quickly, and these age too."
Improving your score
But there are things that we can all do to either slow or prevent this decline from happening. Pain recommends so-called dual task training, which involves simultaneous movement and cognitive training activities to tune both the brain and body. Examples include walking while turning your head from side to side, balancing on one leg while reciting the alphabet, or tossing a ball while verbally associating words.
Even things like such as participating in fitness classes via a TV screen or tablet can help with your reaction times. "This improves the ability to perceive [a stimulus] and respond with meaningful coordinated motions," says Pain.
Cox says that many of the activities which are often linked with healthy ageing, such as continuing to play a sport into later life, learning a musical instrument in retirement or simply keeping engaged with intellectual pursuits such as board games can have knock-on benefits for our reaction times.
"Sports performance drills which require fast responses could boost reaction times by enhancing both brain and body," says Cox. "And there's some evidence that generally keeping more socio-intellectually engaged is related to slower cognitive ageing across aspects of complex thinking."
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With smartphones tougher than ever, a new wave of phone minimalists say cases are for cowards. I joined the case-free cult, called the experts and braced for the sound of broken glass.
A few months ago I walked into an Apple store to buy a new iPhone. After sifting through models and upgrades, a cheerful salesperson told me the price came to $1,199 (£919). She laughed when I mentioned that's close to what I pay for a month's rent. "Crazy, isn't it?" she said. "Now let's look at some phone cases."
It felt like the obvious next step. But even as the cost of mobile phones breaches the stratosphere, some seemingly reasonable consumers going a different route: they're walking around with their phones completely naked, moving through the concrete and the spills and the dust with no case, no screen protector, nothing. I know some of these people. Their phones are shiny, with titanium frames and carefully engineered glass on full display. They seem so happy and carefree. Is it all in my head? Is fear the only thing standing between me and case-free bliss?
"Come on man, just check out how this thing feels," a friend said to me couple of weeks later. A proud no-case guy, he handed me his iPhone. It was far more handsome without a case, and even better to hold. "They build phones tougher now. I drop it all the time, it's fine."
According to conversations I've had since then with glass manufacturers, die-hard anti-casers and people who get paid to damage phones on purpose, it seems he could be right. Experts agree: the modern smartphone is far more robust than its ancestors. Still, most people I know use protection. So who's the crazy one here?
I decided to find out. When I got home, I tore the case off my phone, threw it in a drawer and committed to a month of sweating through the case-free lifestyle. I pitched my editor a story about it. He liked the idea but assured me the BBC would not pay for repairs if my experiment goes sour. May God have mercy on my soul.
Shattered glass
There's been a lot of discussion about how going caseless has become a status symbol for some who want to give off an air of class and confidence. When I interview tech executives and entrepreneurs, for example, phone cases are a rare sight.
"You're saying 'I can afford to replace this'. But it's not about appearances for me. I was a no-case guy even before my first startup," says Yousef Ali, chief executive of Blast Radio, a live audio platform for DJs. "For me it just seems nuts to have a $1,000 [£766] luxury device known for its material design and spend your day touching a $30 [£23] plastic case instead. It's like putting a vinyl cover on your couch to save the fabric. I have expensive pants too, should I wear an extra pair of pants to protect them? Where does it end?"
I won't pretend the first week without a phone case didn't leave me feeling, well, kind of cool. It's the lamest possible version of flirting with danger. But trends come and go. What I want is facts – ideally some harder than the ground I picture my phone careening towards.
If you're reading this on a mobile phone, you're probably looking through Gorilla Glass, a patented, smash-resistant technology made by a company called Corning. All the big-name phone manufacturers use Gorilla Glass or another Corning product for some or all of their screens, including Apple, Google, Huawei and Samsung. There are some exceptions for older phones and budget brands, but for the most part, Corning has the market cornered.
The Gorilla process starts with dipping glass in a bath of molten salt heated to 400C (752F). "The bath pulls smaller ions such as lithium out of the glass and swaps in larger ions such as potassium," says Lori Hamilton, Corning's director of technology for Gorilla Glass. "It creates this layer of compressive stress that makes it more difficult for flaws to penetrate through the glass." In other words, it squishes the glass together, making it less susceptible to damage.
Corning's research involves putting phones through ritualistic torture to study what goes wrong and how to prevent it. Phones face special glass scratching machines and go into tumblers with car keys to simulate pockets. Corning even collects phones busted by consumers in the wild to find unusual damage.
"Then we go through a CSI-type effort called fracture analysis, where we study tiny shards of glass to understand the source of the original fracture," Hamilton says.
When your phone breaks, it's the screen that fails most of the time. But according to Hamilton, results have improved dramatically in recent years, and today's smartphones are far stronger. In 2016, Corning reported that Gorilla Glass 5 survived drops of 0.8m (2.6ft) in the lab. That grew to 2m (6.6ft) with Gorilla Glass Victus in 2020. Gorilla Armor 2, one of Corning's latest products featured on the Samsung Ultra S25, has reportedly braved up to 2.2m (7.2ft).
Outside evidence seems to back up these improvements in phone materials, construction and design. In 2024, the insurance company Allstate, which sells phone protection plans, found that 78 million Americans reported damaging their phones, compared to 87 million in 2020.
"We don't use the term unbreakable," says Hamilton. "There will always be failures. There are always situations where you get a deep enough flaw or the right kind of bending." But Hamilton says skipping a case is reasonable, and at this point it's just a matter of preference. "After all, phones are an investment," she says. "I don't use a screen protector, but I actually do use a case." It's not for safety, though. It's a wallet case. "I just like a place to put cards and money."
'It's made me more conscious of the thing'
Gorilla Glass was invented for the iPhone, though the latest models use a similar but upgraded Corning glass technology called "Ceramic Shield" made with "nano-ceramic crystals". Apple claims the latest iteration of Ceramic Sheild for the iPhone 16 makes it "2x tougher" than the glass on any other smartphone.
You might think those crystals and ions would be enough to shield me from spending money on a phone case, but manufacturers send mixed messages.
Apple will sell you on the wonders of ceramics, but is also happy to sell you a case stamped with the Apple logo. My iPhone salesperson suggested I might like a nice blue one for $49 (£38). So, does an iPhone need a case? Apple wouldn't say: a spokesperson declined to comment.
Phone case manufacturer Spigen, on the other hand, was happy to talk. "It's true that phones are more durable than ever," says Justin Ma, a Spigen spokesperson. "However, despite these advancements, these devices are always prone to accidents," he says.
But even Ma wouldn't call a case necessary. "You might expect us to say everyone needs a case. But the reality is that it depends on the individual." Some people like the feel of a bare phone, some want maximum protection and still others choose a case for aesthetic purposes.
Whatever their reasons, case users are a massive contingency. Ma says Spigen cases alone cover 100 million devices. The consulting firm Towards Packaging clocked the global phone case market at almost $25bn (£19bn) in 2024.
I was standing in my kitchen drinking a glass of water when I got the itch for one last bedtime doomscroll. As I yanked my phone out of my pocket, my fingers slipped. My pristine iPhone made a ferocious arc through the air, bounced off the side of my refrigerator and landed hard, corner first, by my feet.
But when I checked, my phone was fine, saved perhaps by hardened glass, dumb luck or my gentle linoleum floor.
For Jonna Valente, one half of a caseless couple based in North Carolina in the US, going without a case wasn't about science or status. "When I got my last phone, my daughter picked out the pink colour, and I didn't want to put a case on it because she just loved it so much," she says.
Valente never looked back, and as time went by, she realised living without a case changed her relationship with her phone. "Because my fingers don't grip it as well, I just have more of an awareness," she says. "It's made me more conscious of the thing, and I find I don't get blindly sucked in as much as I used to. I can't believe I'm saying this but I think I'm actually using my phone less."
As romantic as Valente makes it sound, I can't say the same. I'm as mindlessly glued to the internet as ever before.
The drop
Early in my career I worked at the magazine Consumer Reports, which has a full-on laboratory where teams of engineers have designed scientific tests to rate and review the products for almost 90 years. Just down the hall from my office was a crew that has rated phones for decades. To test for durability, Consumer Reports uses violence. If anyone knows the truth, it would be my old colleague Rich Fisco.
"We call it the drop test," says Fisco, who heads Consumer Reports' electronics testing. Phones go into a three-foot-long metal box with concrete panels at both ends, he says. Then the box spins, 50 times, slamming the phone against the concrete again and again. When the process is over, an engineer examines the device. If it survives, Fisco says they put the phone back in the box and give it yet another 50 drops.
"When the drop tests first started, about a third of phones would fail," says Fisco. "We haven't seen a phone fail the drop test in a long time. The glass has improved. These days they seem to be doing a lot better," he says.
"Look, I'm not saying the screen won't get scratched at some point, and if you drop it just right, or it lands on a little rock, say goodbye. But if your phone falls out of your hip pocket when you're walking down the street, the reality is it's probably not going to break," Fisco says. "It's true, you don't have to use a phone case anymore. But the real question is, are you a gambler?"
Even though Fisco publishes results that show dozens of phones passing the drop test every year, he still keeps his own device wrapped in a case. "Of course I do," he says. "I'm cheap."
I was rushing out the door on day 26 of my month with no case. Standing at the top of my building's staircase, I grabbed my phone to check on my commute to work. The next moment is a blur – I was probably being careless – but suddenly my phone was not in my hand but, in fact, tumbling out in front of me. I winced as it bounced down the steps once, twice and three times before clattering to a stop at the foot of the stairs.
I rushed down to rescue it, and lo and behold, there was a small gash in the corner of my iPhone's aluminium siding. The glass, however, was miraculously unscathed.
I spent the remaining days of my experiment playing it safe, clutching the phone tight on my rides on the subway, practicing mindfulness whenever I picked it up or set it down and on the whole simply using the thing a bit less.
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My friend, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. The next time we met up in the park, I asked him how his phone was doing. "Bad," he said. "I dropped it. It's smashed, cracked, the front and the camera lens." He was the first to call it ironic. Then again, he has an older iPhone. Maybe the newer ceramic glass would have saved him. Maybe not.
No matter how many salt baths they give your screen, glass is breakable. But I'm now convinced that with newer devices – and steadier hands than mine – a case really is optional if you're willing to accept some very real risks. By the end of the month, though, my nerves were shot. I'd been walking a tightrope, and while I'd survived a lot of bumps and drops, every near miss felt like a warning.
In the end, I'm back on the case. But every once in a while I still slip it off, just for the thrill, and let my phone feel the wind in its glass.
* Thomas Germain is a senior technology journalist for the BBC. He's covered AI, privacy and the furthest reaches of internet culture for the better part of a decade. You can find him on X and TikTok @thomasgermain.
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A few years ago, Duncan Lyster was studying physics at school in a market town in rural Herefordshire.
Today, he is in the US, working on a Nasa mission to uncover the ancient secrets of the solar system.
"It's really cool," summed up Mr Lyster, from Ross-on-Wye.
He got the opportunity to spend three weeks working with the space agency as part of his PhD in planetary sciences at the University of Oxford.
Nasa launched the Lucy probe in October 2021 as part of a $980m (£720m), 12-year mission to study Jupiter's trojans - groups of asteroids surrounding the solar system's largest planet.
Mr Lyster said they date back to the very earliest days of the solar system.
"The mission is actually named after the Lucy fossil, which is the first fossil discovered of an upright, walking human," he explained. "That taught us a lot about early humans, and the aim of this mission is to learn about the early solar system and how the solar system formed."
My Lyster admitted to being a little star-struck by some of the people he was working with.
"There's some really big names in science here," he said. "I met a guy who basically, everything I've been doing for the last year and a half of my PhD is based on work that he did back in the 80s."
He also found himself working alongside Queen guitarist Brian May - who famously finished his own doctorate in astronomy nearly four decades after he began - which Mr Lyster described as "a bit of a surprise".
Mr Lyster, whose fascination with space began in early childhood, said he was still amazed by the science behind launching probes into space.
"You're aiming at this tiny point of light, which you can only see with the most powerful telescopes.
"This is a spacecraft that's moving at 30,000mph relative to the asteroids. To be able to predict that with that level of precision - I still find it absolutely mind-boggling. Then we get these images back, and we get to have our first ever close-up look at this new asteroid that no one's ever seen before.
"It was a pretty special moment."
A former student at Ross-on-Wye's John Kyrle High School - where he paid tribute to "Mr Toomer, a fantastic physics teacher" - Mr Lyster is already a long way from home.
So can he see himself going even further, following in some famous footsteps and taking a trip to space?
"If anyone's going to offer me a ride, I certainly won't say no."
And what of the age-old question - is there intelligent life out there?
"The universe is so big, there are so many star systems, and we now know that almost every star we see in the sky has a planet or multiple planets orbiting it. I think it is overwhelmingly likely that there's something out there. Whether we'll ever see it or make contact with it is another question.
"But I think there's something out there."
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The creation of three "dire wolf" pups has raised hopes that it may be possible to resurrect extinct animals. But some scientists have grave concerns.
When news broke that Colossal Biosciences, a Dallas-based biotechnology company, had resurrected three extinct dire wolves, the internet reacted with awe. It is a species that last roamed the earth some 13,000 years ago, but has found recent fame thanks to Game of Thrones, which features fictional dire wolves.
The story was stoked further when a photograph of Game of Thrones author George R R Martin holding one of the adorable white pups was released. "I have to say the rebirth of the direwolf has stirred me as no scientific news has since Neil Armstrong [walked] on the moon," Martin wrote on his blog.
Martin, who is an investor in Colossal, added that more extinct species were on the way, including the woolly mammoth, Tasmanian tiger and dodo.
Colossal – which is currently valued at $10bn (£7.6bn) and is backed by high-profile donors such as Chris Hemsworth, Paris Hilton and the CIA – boldly states on its website that it's "going to fix" the problem of extinction.
According to Matt James, the company's chief animal officer, the aim is not to create a Jurassic Park-like zoo full of extinct animals, but to reintroduce lost species back into the habitats they once occupied. Once those animals are settled in, Colossal expects them to exert positive change on their habitats. "We're trying to focus on species that can have cascading effects on an ecosystem to improve stability, lift biodiversity and maybe even help with climate change buffering," James tells the BBC.
De-extinction has been talked about for decades. But Colossal's three dire wolves – which are actually grey wolves that possess 20 edited genes that are meant to give them dire wolf-like features – represent the most serious effort to date to make that lofty vision a reality.
In the wake of the dire wolf announcement, however, many scientists have criticised Colossal's approach. They see efforts to bring back long-extinct species as costly wastes of resources and a distraction from the significant work that's needed to save still-living species.
The BBC spoke with several experts in fields ranging from conservation biology to paleontology about efforts to resurrect species from extinction and whether they are likely to achieve the goals that Colossal hopes.
Chief among the concerns raised was that claiming it is possible to bring back extinct species may actually lead to more existing species being lost. It could give politicians and industries the idea that damage to the environment can be fixed by resurrecting species.
Such a message could be particularly damaging at a time when the US is withdrawing from international agreements on climate change and revoking measures intended protect the environment and wildlife, says David Shiffman, a marine conservation biologist and independent consultant based in Washington, DC.
"It's beyond irresponsible for these people [Colossal] to be claiming some sort of conservation victory in this environment," he says.
This worry was quickly reinforced when Doug Burgum, the US Secretary of the Interior – who the Colossal team met with in advance of their dire wolf announcement – praised the company's work on X as a new "bedrock for modern species conservation". Burgum also criticised the ineffectiveness of the "endangered species list" – presumably a reference to the Red List of Threatened Species, drawn up by the International Union of Conservation (IUCN) or the list of threatened & endangered species maintained by branches of the US Government – thanks to what he characterised as a focus on regulation. "Since the dawn of our nation, it has been innovation – not regulation – that has spawned American greatness," he wrote.
Super-cool science
Biodiversity is under a seemingly endless onslaught of threats, virtually all of which are imposed by humans. The leading reasons, according to the IUCN, are habitat destruction, invasive species, overexploitation from fishing and hunting, illegal wildlife trade, pollution and climate change.
Colossal claims that its de-extinction work will directly benefit conservation. But the company needs to tie its work to "ameliorating, alleviating or reversing something that's on that list" of threats to biodiversity, says Kent Redford, former director of the Wildlife Conservation Society who now works as an independent conservation consultant in Portland, Maine.
While Colossal's de-extinction work is "super-cool science," he continues, he does not see it alleviating any of the threats highlighted by the IUCN.
Colossal sees things otherwise. The company states on its website that woolly mammoths reintroduced to the Arctic, for example, will increase those habitats' resilience to climate change through their foraging behavior, which they say will help to keep carbon locked in permafrost in the ground. By scraping away snow, the company says, mammoths will expose the soil below to cold air, causing it to stay frozen.
However, Nitin Sekar, a conservation scientist with the Asian elephant specialist group at the IUCN, says he has struggled to find evidence in the scientific literature to support this claim. One study comparing carbon storage in the Arctic tundra to taiga forest found the soil in areas covered in trees could store nearly twice as much carbon overall. Only slightly more was found in the permafrost of the tundra than in the taiga. Nor could he find anything else about how mammoths might have affected carbon in general.
Some research on existing species of arctic herbivores suggests that they can reduce permafrost thawing. One scoping study by researchers at the University of Oxford does point to the role mammoths had on the climate during the Pleistocene and suggests bison and horses could replicate some of that role. But those species need to be maintained at high densities – where they are fenced, fed and managed by humans – to have any protective effect. The Arctic ecosystem is also different today than it was in the Pleistocene, so it is also hard to say whether mammoth hybrids would have that same effect on today's landscape as species like caribou and reindeer.
There could be other ways that mammoths affect carbon levels. As temperatures increase, the act of trampling and scraping away snow could actually accelerate permafrost melting by exposing it to the Sun – an effect that some research suggests is already happening in wet lowlands in the Arctic.
"Overall, with the data we have now, it's just impossible to know how mammoths affected their environment millennia ago, or how the mammoth-elephant hybrids will behave in our warmer future," Sekar says. "It seems like a strange thing to gamble on in the face of an existential crisis, given the alternatives."
James calls for more research to resolve these questions and show "direct links and causation in a way that can help to bring the rest of the scientific community along on this journey".
Dire wolves and woolly mammoths were driven extinct by the complex forces of a changing planet, not just by human activities. For species that humans are responsible for annihilating, though, simply bringing them back does not help to address the threats that pushed them to extinction in the first place, says Corinne Kendall, programme director for Southern Africa at the Peregrine Fund, a non-profit organisation that aims to conserve birds of prey around the world.
Modern conservationists recognise this and are increasingly focused on landscape-level solutions rather than saving a particular favourite species, Kendall adds.
"That's what's missing in the way Colossal is approaching this," she says. "If you only address the genetics and technology side of things, it's interesting from a scientific discovery standpoint, but you're creating the trees without the forest."
Julie Meachen, a vertebrate paleontologist and morphologist at Des Moines University in Iowa, believes, however, that the genetic techniques Colossal used to create its dire wolves are applicable to conservation. The company is also exploring ways to help still-living species such as the northern white rhino, elephants and endangered pigeons, she points out. "These techniques could be applied to any species suffering from genetic diversity loss and to combat inbreeding or genetic bottlenecks in low population sizes," she says.
"I think the conservation work that Colossal is doing is far more important than the de-extinction work, but this conservation work does not get the same press coverage as the flashy de-extinction part," she adds. "That is unfortunate."
James at Colossal agrees that de-extinction technologies are just "one piece of a very complex puzzle" that must also include things like habitat protection. But he says that attention-grabbing headlines about extinct species being brought back to life can act like "a giant ship" pulling "all these other projects in its wake".
Nature and nurture
It is also important to be clear about what Colossal is actually able to achieve. It is unlikely to ever be possible to truly resurrect long-gone species like dire wolves or woolly mammoths, say scientists not involved with the company. Tissue samples from animals that have been extinct for tens of thousands of years lack the intact cells needed for traditional cloning techniques, says Jacquelyn Gill, a paleoecologist at the University of Maine. "What Colossal is engaging in is genetic modification of modern species to give them physical characteristics to make them look like extinct species."
This in itself is a significant technical achievement, argues Colossal and its supporters.
In the case of the dire wolves, the three puppies it managed to breed are in reality "genetically modified grey wolves", say researchers. Essentially the genome of modern wolves was edited to replicate small segments of ancient DNA obtained from the fossilised remains of dire wolves. They are, the company admits, grey wolves with dire wolf characteristics.
But scientists have even questioned some of those characteristics.It's unlikely, for example, that dire wolves would have been white, but Colossal chose to make its animals white "because of popular conceptions from Game of Thrones", Gill says. "This was an aesthetic choice, not a biological or scientific one."
Even if Colossal did bring back animals that very closely resembled Ice Age species, they still would not be the same as the bona fide ones that lived thousands of years ago because the Pleistocene ecosystem they inhabited no longer exists, Meachen says. "A dire wolf or any other species is not only its genes, but also its environment and all the other species living there."
Colossal says it has no plans of releasing dire wolves into the wild. But it does aspire to eventually repopulate parts of the Arctic with woolly mammoths. This would require engineering a lot of baby mammoth proxies, which the company plans to do by using Asian or African elephants as surrogates.
In the West especially, though, some people are starting to question the ethics of whether elephants – extremely intelligent, social and sentient beings – should be kept in captivity at all, much less be experimented on, Sekar says. Asian elephants in modern zoo facilities also frequently suffer from infertility and lose their calves to stillbirths and infanticides twice as often as elephants in semi-wild conditions, he says, while mothers deeply mourn dead calves. "Are we really ok putting elephants through that so we can have these visually entertaining animals that aren't even real mammoths?" asks Sekar.
James says that Colossal will have many quality control steps to ensure things go well for the elephants, and that the company will also be working with leading animal welfare experts to "avoid potential welfare pitfalls ahead".
Lack of returns
Colossal has not disclosed how much it invested in the dire wolf programme – but it's likely in the many millions of dollars. While costs of new technologies do eventually go down with scale, even if de-extinction does get cheaper, it will still be orders of magnitude more affordable and effective to stop species from going extinct in the first place, Shiffman says. Moreover, if the original drivers of extinction are not addressed, then de-extinct species could quickly become re-extinct, he warns.
While Redford acknowledges that money is not fungible, if Colossal's primary goal really is conservation, then he says he has a hard time viewing its work on de-extinction as being "the right investment to make".
For every extinct species that Colossal is bringing back, however, James says the company is also investing in a surviving endangered species. Work is being done to introduce greater genetic diversity to populations of endangered red wolves in the US, for example, and to engineer elephants to be resistant to herpes virus.
But while red wolves do have some issues with genetic diversity, their biggest threats are road collisions and human persecution, Kendall says. Without addressing "how the animal is going to survive on the ground", the genetic component becomes "kind of irrelevant".
Herpes also only kills a fraction of the number of wild Asian elephants each year compared to those killed by humans, says Sekar, who is planning to publish data from the Indian government about causes of elephant deaths. Around eight wild elephants die per year of herpes compared to around 100 killed in some way by humans, he says.
Colossal could leverage its synthetic biology expertise in ways that are clear wins for the planet, experts say. Crops that are engineered to more efficiently take up nitrogen, for example, could be a huge boon for reducing the steep climate costs of nitrogen fertiliser and lessening the major dead zones that its runoffs cause in water bodies. Finding ways to engineer high quality animal proteins for human consumption could, likewise, be a game-changer for alleviating the many environmental and animal welfare concerns that plague the livestock industry, the experts say.
"Colossal clearly has very talented biologists on their team," Sekar says. "If they were to turn their attention to addressing problems like that, they could really be the heroes of conservation."
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An academic from the Open University (OU) has been selected as the first UK scientist to carry out research on Moon samples from China's lunar exploration programme.
Prof Mahesh Anand, who is based at the OU's Milton Keynes laboratories, is to receive materials from the Chinese lunar mission, Chang'e-5, which returned Moon samples to Earth in December 2020.
He applied to conduct research on Chang'e-5 samples in Dec 2023 and is one of seven experts globally chosen to receive the material.
Prof Anand has been conducting lunar research for more than 20 years, working with colleagues at the OU to uncover the secrets of the Moon, including the presence of water on its surface.
China's robotic Chang'e-5 mission was sent to a site on the lunar nearside called Oceanus Procellarum in November 2020.
It was carefully chosen to add to the sum of knowledge gained from previous sample returns - the last of which was conducted by a Soviet probe in 1976.
The OU team at Milton Keynes plan to use the lunar materials to determine the amount and isotopic composition of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and noble gases in Chang'e-5 samples.
The results will be used to evaluate the giant-impact origin of the Moon and develop new insights into the history of volatiles such as carbon and nitrogen in the Earth-Moon system, the OU said.
This is the first time lunar samples returned by a Chinese space mission will have been allocated to international principal investigators, said the OU.
Prof Anand said being chosen was "a great honour and privilege for my team".
"This is a recognition of our world-leading lunar sample research, underpinned by long-term funding from the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC/UKRI) and the OU's commitment towards maintaining world-class analytical laboratories," he said.
A spokesperson for the Chinese National Space Agency (CNSA), said sharing the samples was "win-win cooperation".
"The international sharing of lunar samples and joint research efforts enable scientists from around the world to study the Moon's formation and evolution, fostering collaborative exploration of the universe's mysteries," they said.
Dr James Carpenter, head of the lunar science office at the European Space Agency, said: "The Chang'e-5 lunar samples provide a unique window into the history of the Solar System, and the Open University is one of the best places in the world to unravel the scientific story that's these samples have to tell."
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A smartwatch app which records people's alcohol consumption could provide a more accurate picture of drinking habits for researchers.
The University of Bristol trialled the AlcoWatch on 32 participants from the city's Children of the 90s health study over 12 weeks.
They were prompted five times a day to record any alcoholic drinks they had, where they were consumed and whether it was in a social situation.
Dr Andy Skinner said: "Smartwatch-based methods for data capture could help researchers explore a much wider range of health-related behaviours, and develop new interventions to help with important issues like problematic drinking."
Traditional methods of recording alcohol consumption involve adding notes to a diary, which relies on individuals remembering to write it down.
The university's trial found that the app resulted in higher engagement from participants, leading to more accurate data.
It follows on from a previous app created by the university which aimed to help people stop smoking.
Chris Stone, a lead researcher on the AlcoWatch study, said: "We've produced an app which asks quick, simple questions about people's drinking behaviour.
"Capturing the data as people are drinking is a better way to do it," he added.
It is hoped that the app could be rolled out to the public and the NHS in the future to help people monitor their drinking habits.
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President Donald Trump will meet with The Atlantic magazine editor-in-chief who was inadvertently added to a Signal group chat with administration officials discussing air strikes against the Houthi group in Yemen.
Trump said on social media Thursday that he would be meeting Jeffrey Goldberg, and two of Mr Goldberg's colleagues, Ashley Parker and Michael Scherer, later in the day.
"I am doing this interview out of curiosity, and as a competition with myself, just to see if it's possible for The Atlantic to be 'truthful,'' Trump wrote.
Trump claimed the journalists were "not exactly pro-Trump writers" and questioned whether they were "capable of writing a fair story on 'TRUMP'?"
In the post, Trump said the interview would be for a story titled "The Most Consequential President of this Century". When contacted by the BBC, The Atlantic had no comment.
The interview comes a month after Mr Goldberg published a story about being added to a secret group chat on the encrypted texting app Signal. In the text chain, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and other top US officials discussed the details of an upcoming attack against the Houthis.
The scandal rocked the White House. Then, in April, the New York Times and others reported that Hegseth had shared information about the same military action in a second private Signal group chat, which included his wife, brother and personal lawyer.
Trump has continued to stand by his defence secretary and others involved in the incident, telling reporters earlier this week: "Pete's doing a great job ... Everybody's happy with him."
Hegseth's wife, Jennifer Rauchet, is a former Fox News producer and holds no official position within the Pentagon.
His brother, Phil, and personal lawyer Tim Parlatore, both hold positions at the Department of Defense. But it is not clear why any of the three would require advanced warnings about sensitive US strike plans.
The White House repeatedly has played down the scandals, claiming no "classified" information was shared with the Atlantic editor in the first chat. That thread included information about the exact timings of the air strikes as well as the weaponry being used, before the attack had taken place.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are calling for stronger protections for children from the dangers of social media, saying "enough is not being done".
Prince Harry and Meghan unveiled a memorial in New York City which is dedicated to the memory of children whose families believe harmful material online contributed to their deaths.
"We want to make sure that things are changed so that... no more kids are lost to social media," Prince Harry told BBC Breakfast in New York.
"Life is better off social media," he added, saying that he was "grateful" that his children were still too young to be online.
"The easiest thing to say is to keep your kids away from social media," Prince Harry said at an Archewell Foundation event in New York.
"The sad reality is the kids who aren't on social media normally get bullied at school because they can't be part of the same conversation as everybody else."
The installation unveiled by Prince Harry and Meghan is called the Lost Screen Memorial and is made of 50 smartphone-shaped light-boxes, each displaying a photograph of a child whose life was lost "due to the harms of social media". It will be open for 24 hours.
The children's images were shared by parents who are part of the Parents' Network. This is a support network, set up by Prince Harry and Meghan's Archewell Foundation, for parents whose children have experienced harm from social media.
Prince Harry and Meghan have been supporting families who say social media played a role in the deaths of their children.
They have backed calls to technology firms that say parents should be able to gain access to information on the phones of children who have died, despite arguments about privacy.
The prince said tech firms were "getting away with it" by arguing they didn't need to disclose information to UK families because of privacy considerations.
"You are telling a parent, you are telling a dad and a mum that they can't have the details of what their kid was up to on social media because of the privacy of their kid. It's wrong," he said.
Meghan said the danger of social media was a global issue and "one thing we can all agree on is that children should be safe".
She praised the parents who were speaking out.
"I think in many ways what we see through these parents is the hope and the promise of something better, because... they just want to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else," said Meghan.
Separately to Prince Harry and Meghan's event in New York, a group of British parents staged a protest outside Meta's offices on Thursday.
Ellen Roome, from Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, was among the families.
She believes her 14-year-old son Jools died after an online challenge went wrong in 2022. She says his social media accounts could provide evidence. An inquest into his death found he took his own life.
Earlier in the week, Ms Roome told BBC Breakfast: "It's too late for our son Jools, but there are plenty of other children around the world that we still need to help. This is a massive issue globally.
"There was nothing that gave us any indication that there was a problem."
Mark Kenevan, whose son Isaac died aged 13 in 2022, said: "All we're asking is... please help us protect our children."
A coroner ruled that Isaac died as a result of misadventure, but the Kenevans say social media platforms were also to blame.
Lisa Kenevan, Isaac's mother, said the families banding together had given them strength.
"Our voices are getting stronger, and we're not going to go away," she said.
The Kenevans filed a wrongful death lawsuit against TikTok in the US earlier this year alongside three other British families.
The lawsuit accuses the platform of pushing dangerous prank and challenge videos to children to boost engagement time.
Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, has said it shares the goal of keeping teens safe online. The firm said it had recently introduced "teen accounts" with enhanced protections.
"We believe teens deserve consistent protections across all the different apps they use - not just our platforms," Meta said in a statement.
In the UK on Thursday, the media regulator Ofcom published measures intended to improve protections for children online, including requiring tougher age checks and more robust action to prevent children accessing harmful content.
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Florence Pugh has fast become one of Hollywood's biggest names - but before the bright lights of Los Angeles came calling, it was among the rolling hills and dreaming spires of Oxfordshire that her star began to burn.
Claire Hooper - who taught a young Pugh for "about two or three years" at Cokethorpe School, in Witney, during the early noughties - said the actress "always had star quality".
She spoke to the BBC ahead of her former student's latest release, Marvel's Thunderbolts*.
The film sees Pugh return to her role as assassin Yelena Belova, with the character teaming up with other antiheroes - including those played by Sebastian Stan and David Harbour - to embark on a dangerous mission.
Ms Hooper said Pugh was destined for the big screen: "It was quite extraordinary for somebody of her age - it wasn't like watching a little child on the stage."
Reviews for Thunderbolts* have not yet been widely published, but responses to early screenings have been positive - with Pugh in particular being highlighted for praise.
The 29-year-old has called the film the "movie we all need right now".
"I think we need to understand mental health a bit more and I think we need to understand that everyone is battling with their own demons - and this is a movie that certainly tackles that," she told reporters at the film's London premier on Tuesday.
Her performance has been called "superb" and labelled the one that "shines the brightest" among the cast by some critics.
It's something that doesn't surprise Ms Hooper: "I cast her in what was probably her first ever public performance - as Mary in the school nativity play.
"She just had an amazing ability at a young age to completely embody a character and sort of let herself go."
Ms Hooper, who has taught at Cokethorpe for 24 years, said Pugh performed the nativity in a Yorkshire accent: "I'm not sure where that came from at the time, but she was just brilliant."
She said her former pupil - who she affectionately referred to as "Floss" - "always had star quality".
The superhero blockbuster is a far cry from her first big-screen role in Carol Morley's 2014 film The Falling, that was filmed at Carmel College in Wallingford.
Starring alongside Maisie Williams, 17-year-old Pugh was still in the sixth form at St Edward's School in Oxford when she was cast.
Pugh was born and grew up in the city alongside three siblings - including the actor and singer Toby Sebastian, who played Trystane Martell in the HBO series Game of Thrones.
In 2015 she spoke to BBC Radio Oxford's Kat Orman about her break-out role and growing up in the city.
Her father, Clinton Pugh, is well known for his restaurants - and more recently for his criticism of Oxford's traffic filters.
Ms Hooper said Pugh grew up in a "creative, really good and fun family", adding that she and her siblings were "all just incredibly talented, gorgeous humans".
"They were really, really special children."
Anna Smith, film critic and host of the podcast Girls On Film, said Pugh was a "talented, versatile actress who makes smart choices" who was now a "big star".
Since her first film more than a decade ago, Pugh has gone on to star in movies such as Midsommar, Don't Worry Darling and the Oscar award winning films Oppenheimer and Dune: Part Two.
In 2020, she herself earned an Academy Award nomination for her supporting turn as Amy March in Greta Gerwig's adaption of Little Women - although she lost out on the night to Marriage Story's Laura Dern.
"Audiences seem to respond to her authenticity - while she's very versatile, I think she brings a warmth and wit to many of her roles that people can relate to. It's not overly 'Hollywood'," Ms Smith, who first met Pugh when the actress was 16, said.
She made her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in 2021, starring alongside Scarlett Johannsen's Black Widow, in what was her first appearance as Yelena Belova.
Following Thunderbolts*, she is set to return as the character in Avengers: Doomsday alongside Marvel stalwarts Robert Downey Jr and Chris Hemsworth.
"Florence combines relatability with talent and star power, and she appeals to a wide variety of audiences thanks to balancing superhero movies and sci-fi with thoughtful dramas," Ms Smith said.
She added: "I don't think it will be too long before she lands her first Oscar."
Pugh remains close to her family, releasing a song with her brother during lockdown in 2021.
The Pugh family joined her at the premiere of Thunderbolts* in London and her grandmother, Pat Mackin, regularly attends her celebrity events.
Talking on the red carpet, Pugh said: "I don't ever want to be caught out for something that I'm not, and I think that's always been the essence of why I've always been big mouthed, why I've always been opinionated and why I've always worn the things I want to wear.
"I would much rather know that everything I've done is 100% me than have to apologise for something that was half me later."
Despite her stardom, Ms Hooper said she still saw "Floss" as "that tiny child with really striking and incredible vocal quality, and the ability just to become a different person".
"I can't take any credit whatsoever for her success, but I'm incredibly proud of what she's done - she's just got extraordinary talent," Ms Hooper added.
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BBC film critics Caryn James and Nicholas Barber pick their cinema highlights of the year so far, from a brutal war epic to an ambitious period vampire drama.
Companion
The sharpest American indie film of the year so far, Companion stars Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher as a devoted young couple who go to stay with some friends in a Russian tycoon's remote forest getaway. (Rupert Friend has a hilarious cameo as the mulleted oligarch.) As a drunken evening of confessions, suspicions and disagreements unfolds, it seems at first if the film might be a romantic comedy, or maybe a noirish thriller about a robbery gone wrong. In fact, Companion is a science-fiction comedy thriller – but beyond that, the less you know about the film in advance, the more enjoyable its many ingenious twists and turns will be. Suffice it to say that the big-screen debut of writer-director Drew Hancock is a sparklingly entertaining satire on modern technology and the never-more-relevant topic of how entitled and misogynistic certain insecure young men can be. And it packs all of its ideas into 97 minutes. (NB)
Sinners
As stunning as Ryan Coogler's Black Panther was, he has outdone himself with Sinners. Michael B Jordan is slyly convincing as twins named Smoke and Stack, who return from Chicago to their home town in Mississippi, in the Jim Crow South in 1932, to open a juke joint. With huge ambition and imagination, Coogler swirls familiar genres and tropes into a wholly original film that blurs the real and the supernatural. Sinners is a period piece as well as a vampire film. It is a drama about racism, family, superstition and spirituality, and it comes with passionate sex and exhilarating blues music. Coogler directs with brio, at times creating a phantasmagoria in which robed African musicians appear next to rappers. The first hour is so full of texture it could stand alone as a period film, but the supernatural eventually intrudes, leading to a finale of action, blood and vengeance. Jordan is surrounded by a superb supporting cast, including Delroy Lindo, Wunmi Musaku and Hailee Steinfeld. Sex, blues and vampires at the door? What more can anyone want from a film? (CJ)
Art for Everybody
Miranda Yousef's riveting documentary tells the stranger-than-fiction story of Thomas Kinkade, one of the biggest-selling artists in history. Critics dismissed his work as nauseatingly sickly, but in the 1990s and 2000s, there were shops all around the US devoted to Kinkade's sentimental pictures of cosy country cottages. Art for Everybody asks fascinating questions about who gets to decide what counts as legitimate art, and whether some paintings can be more moral than others – questions that resonate today, in light of the continuing culture wars in the US . But Yousef's delicately balanced and sensitive film is just as fascinating on personal issues as it is on sociopolitical ones. A key part of Kinkade's marketing was his carefully constructed public image as a devoutly Christian, all-American family man, and yet the so-called "Painter of Light" had a dark side, too. Did the pressures of being a squeaky-clean Dr Jekyll push him into becoming a self-destructive Mr Hyde? (NB)
Warfare
Alex Garland, the writer and director of Civil War, and Ray Mendoza, a veteran who was that film's military advisor, have created a harrowing, visceral, real-time drama that recreates an actual battle between Navy Seals and al-Qaeda jihadists. Garland's virtuoso technique and Mendoza's first-hand experience of war blend in a film of uncompromising focus, which plunges us into the intensity of combat without explanation or backstory. Yet the faces of Joseph Quinn, Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis and D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai are enough to capture the fear and determination of being under siege. Creating characters far from the bravado of typical Hollywood war films, the actors depict courage in battle as a terror-filled endurance test. The film immerses us in that feeling. It is loud and intense, relentless in its barrage of grenades and gunfire, and when the cries of pain from the injured men start, they never stop. Warfare is a dazzling technical achievement but much more. Focusing on the personal cost of combat and violence itself rather than the politics of the Iraq conflict, it reinvents the war film with bracing freshness and immediacy. (CJ)
Bring Them Down
Barry Keoghan, Christopher Abbott and Colm Meaney star in this dark and bloody western-style thriller about a feud between sheep farmers in remote rural Ireland. Meaney and Abbott (who speak their dialogue in Irish) play a laconic father and son who lose their two prize rams, only to discover that they have been stolen by their neighbour's shiftless son (Keoghan). Accusations are made, simmering resentments reach boiling point, and violence ensues – but then Christopher Andrews, the film's debut writer-director, rewinds his story and replays it from a revelatory new perspective. Suddenly, a hard-boiled story of crime and retribution becomes an aching tragedy about desperate economic hardship, youthful stupidity, male pride, and the traumas passed down from taciturn fathers to taciturn sons. Bring Them Down is tough to watch but it's beautifully shot, cleverly plotted and stunningly powerful. (NB)
Misericordia
Alain Guiraudie's (Stranger by the Lake) engaging film is full of surprises. It starts as a drama about Jeremie, a young man returning to his small village in the lush French countryside for a funeral, then becomes a quietly comic take on desire along with a thriller about covering up a murder. The film deftly carries the audience with it through all these turns. Jeremie is an opportunist but also an enigma. He may have had a passion for his former boss and mentor, the village baker, who died. The baker's widow definitely seems interested in Jeremie, who grew up as the best friend of her son, Vincent; he now angrily suspects Jeremie of wanting to sleep with his mother. Jeremie does not want that but he does find himself in a reluctant affair with the local priest. The joke is that so many people lust after the unremarkable Jeremie, and the suspense comes from the small-town eyes and local police wondering what happened when Vincent mysteriously disappears. Misericordia (Latin for mercy) was nominated for eight Cesar awards, the French equivalent of the Oscars, including film and director, but its human comedy lands easily with audiences everywhere. (CJ)
Holy Cow
Deep in the leafy French countryside, a scruffy teenage layabout Totone (Clément Faveau) has to look after his younger sister Claire (Luna Garret) after the sudden death of their father. His answer to their dire financial problems? Making award-winning luxury cheese. Louise Courvoisier's debut film is a heart-tugging coming-of-age drama, rooted in the soil of the Jura region where she grew up. She offers an earthy insider's view of how strenuous life can be for agricultural workers, and how wrenching it is when carefree youth turns to relentless, responsible adulthood. But she also fashions a warm, romantic, gorgeously scenic and ultimately hopeful tale of underdogs working together in the sunshine to improve their lives. Blessed are the cheesemakers, as Monty Python once put it. (NB)
The Friend
A giant, sloppy Great Dane tugs Naomi Watts around the streets of Manhattan, but by the end of this lovely film about affection and grief the physical comedy with the dog seems the least of it. Watts smoothly play Iris, a creative writing teacher whose best friend, Walter, a famous womanising author, kills himself. He leaves her his dog, Apollo, even though she lives in a one-room apartment in a pet-free building. Dealing with Apollo becomes a way for Iris to grapple with her feelings of love and loss for Walter, played by Bill Murray in flashback scenes filled with such wit and tenderness that they have a great impact in spite of his minimal screen time. Based on Sigrid Nunez's eloquent, acclaimed 2018 novel, the film was directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel, whose films include the underrated Montana Story (2021) with Haley Lu Richardson and Owen Teague. Avoiding mawkish clichés, they have created a gem of a film that is funny and touching whether you are a pet lover or not. Come for the rambunctious Great Dane, stay for the beautifully rendered emotions. (CJ)
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
Aardman's two greatest heroes are back – and so is their sneakiest ever adversary, a diabolical penguin named Feathers McGraw. Directed by Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham, the Oscar-nominated Vengeance Most Fowl is chock-full of the qualities that make Wallace & Gromit's farcical adventures so cherished: the painstaking stop-motion claymation, the Heath Robinson-style gadgetry, the winking homages to classic cinema, the gleefully silly British humour, and the deep affection for the characters and their world. Above all, it a treat to see Feathers McGraw, more than 30 years after he was introduced in The Wrong Trousers. But there is more to the Bristol-based studio's new film than the nostalgic whimsy you would expect. When Wallace invents a robotic garden gnome that does all of Gromit's favourite gardening jobs (and that's even before it turns evil), the story takes a canalboat trip into Mission: Impossible territory by addressing fears about artificial intelligence. (NB)
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
The immensely talented director Rungano Nyoni, whose I Am Not a Witch (2017) won a Bafta for outstanding British debut, makes artful, accessible films of great visual panache. Her latest is a clear-eyed drama about cultural and generational conflict. The heroine, Shula, is a cosmopolitan woman recently returned from the city to her village in Zambia. Nyoni conveys this dissonance at once, as Shula drives home from a costume party dressed in a glittery silver helmet and dark glasses (an homage to a Missy Elliott video) and finds her Uncle Fred dead on a dirt road. As the story takes us into the family's traditional funeral rituals, it slowly reveals that Shula and two cousins had been abused by Fred as children, a reality their mothers put aside as they mourn their brother. Nyoni's style is realistic even as she drops in surreal images. The narrative about secrecy and the trauma of sexual assault builds in power right to the end, when Shula recalls a children's television programme and the title of this stunning film finally makes sense. (CJ)
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Stars from the reality television show Love On The Spectrum went on the defensive after Robert F Kennedy Jr commented that people with autism make limited contributions to society.
People with autism "will never pay taxes, they'll never hold a job, they'll never play baseball, they'll never write a poem, they'll never go on a date", the US Health and Human Services chief said earlier this month.
The remarks from Kennedy drew widespread anger from people with autism who reject the notion of needing to be repaired, but also responses from those pushing for a greater understanding of autism.
"Autistic people have the same hopes, dreams and yes, the same awkward dating moments as anyone else," Dani Bowman, one of the television show's star's said to US media.
Jake Tilk, and his brother, Max Tilk, who is on the autism spectrum, largely avoid that political discourse in their social media videos where they share what their day-to-day life looks.
They share their lives online to create awareness and acceptance of autism, because the brothers want to celebrate neurodiversity, Jake Tilk told the BBC.
"It's most important that discussions about autism are grounded in science, compassion and most importantly the living experiences of people with autism themselves," he said.
Warning: This story contains spoilers about who has won Celebrity Big Brother
Coronation Street star Jack P Shepherd has been crowned the winner of this year's Celebrity Big Brother.
Shepherd, who has played David Platt for 25 years on the soap, beat fellow finalists including drag artist Danny Beard, US personality JoJo Siwa and TV star Chris Hughes.
Also in the ITV reality show's final on Friday were comedian Donna Preston and pop star Chesney Hawkes.
Minutes after his win was announced, a visibly shocked Shepherd left the house repeatedly saying "crazy" as he was greeted by the series' hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best.
The self-declared Big Brother superfan said: "I can't believe it, I am blown away. I didn't expect it."
He said he thought he was a "shoo-in" for fifth place until his housemates began "disappearing" on Friday night's show.
"I thought, surely not," he said. "When JoJo went my head fell off - I had her nailed down as the winner."
Reflecting on his love of the show, he added: "I was skipping into the diary room even if they were telling me off - I loved it. I loved the whole thing."
This year's series made headlines when Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke was unveiled as one of the housemates when it began three weeks ago - before being kicked out for "inappropriate language" and "unacceptable behaviour".
The Oscar-nominated actor had been given a warning after Siwa accused him of being "homophobic", before being removed after a confrontation with former Love Island star Hughes.
Hughes and former Dance Moms star SiwaSiwa, 21, formed a close friendship on the show. She also made waves when she said being in the house had made her decide to identify as queer instead of lesbian.
"I'm switching letters!" she told Beard, joking that she was moving from the L to the Q in LGBTQ.
"I've always told myself I'm a lesbian, and I think being here I've realised, 'Oh, I'm not a lesbian, I'm queer.' And I think that's really cool".
Viewers' favourite
The celebrities who were voted out over the course of the series included TV host Trisha Goddard, athlete Daley Thompson and EastEnders icon Patsy Palmer.
Also on the line-up were MP Michael Fabricant, presenter Angellica Bell and The Only Way Is Essex's Ella Rae Wise.
But it was Shepherd who emerged as the viewers' favourite.
The 37-year-old has been a fixture on screen as Gail's son David since 2000, when he was 12. There has been speculation about his future on the show, but he has said he wants to stay for another 25 years.
This was the second celebrity edition of Big Brother on ITV since the broadcaster revived the show in 2023. The launch episode earlier this month was watched by about 2.7 million people.
Gregg Wallace has defended himself against allegations about him, insisting "they're not all true".
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Wallace - who stepped away from presenting MasterChef last November in the wake of the claims against him - said he felt "under attack" and that he had contemplated suicide.
A BBC News investigation revealed allegations of inappropriate sexual comments by 13 people who had worked with Wallace across a range of shows, over a 17-year-period.
Since then, further claims of "groping" and "touching" have emerged, all of which Wallace has strenuously denied.
Wallace said that at the time, his mother called him to ask why people were "picking on him".
He said he responded: "I've said something really stupid. They're investigating my behaviour, but more and more people are coming forward with complaints about me. Mum, they're not all true. I haven't done these things."
Wallace revealed that his mother recently died, adding that it was "terribly sad" that she had spent the last few days of her life reading "horrible things" about him.
One of the women who spoke to BBC News as part of its investigation was broadcaster Kirsty Wark who appeared on Celebrity MasterChef.
Wark accused Wallace of telling "sexualised jokes" during the filming of the show, and said that it left people feeling "uncomfortable".
But Wallace says he was never aware he had offended her until it came to light last year, saying: "I thought we got on."
Other high-profile media personalities, including Vanessa Feltz and Kirstie Allsopp, also spoke up at the time.
Wallace said that Feltz's complaint "knocked him for six", and also pushed back against Allsopp's comments about his language, saying: "I wouldn't have said that."
'Absolutely not true'
Writing on Instagram in November, singer Sir Rod Stewart described Wallace as an "ill-mannered bully", and said the presenter "humiliated" his wife Penny Lancaster when she was on Masterchef in 2021.
Addressing that claim, Wallace said it was a "shame" as he liked Sir Rod. He acknowledged there had been a "falling out" between himself and Lancaster, but said it was over "whether an orchid should stay on a bowl of soup or not".
He also addressed other allegations that emerged towards the end of last year, including one that he'd walked around on set naked with a sock on his penis.
He admitted to putting a "sock over my private bits" and opening his dressing room door shouting "hooray", but claimed he did this to three friends who were in the studio after filming had finished, rather than while it was taking place.
He admitted that some of the inappropriate jokes were "probably true", saying: "Some of what's been said sounds like the sort of comments I'd have made."
But he insisted he never groped any workers, calling those claims "absolutely not true".
He also said that many of those who work with him had offered him their support, including John Torode, his co-presenter on MasterChef.
Torode has not responded to a request for comment.
When Banijay launched an inquiry, Wallace said his "world tumbled in".
"It's very difficult to explain the pressure unless you've been through it. I thought about suicide all the time: "Is my insurance up to date? Will [Wallace's wife] Anna get some money? She doesn't deserve this. It would be better if I wasn't here."
He told the newspaper Banijay had arranged for a crisis mentor to support him.
Wallace said he was recently diagnosed with autism, saying: "I want to make it absolutely clear I'm not blaming my behaviour on my diagnosis, but it does explain a hell of a lot to me."
He added that he accepts he was "very slow to wake up" to a changing work environment.
"It wasn't until seven years ago that I had a massive wake-up call and realised the loud, energetic greengrocer persona I was on the telly was, maybe, becoming redundant. So I changed."
"I honestly never meant to upset anyone. I thought I was going in every day and just delivering what was wanted. I didn't realise I was causing any problems."
Wallace has been one of Britain's most high profile presenters for more than two decades.
BBC News, which is editorially independent from the wider organisation, started investigating Wallace last summer, after becoming aware of allegations. The claims were made across five shows, from 2005 to 2022.
Most of the allegations came from production workers. Many were young female freelancers.
Allegations heard include Wallace talking openly about his sex life, taking his top off in front of a female worker saying he wanted to "give her a fashion show", and telling a junior female colleague he wasn't wearing any boxer shorts under his jeans.
BBC News has also heard from a former MasterChef worker who says he showed her topless pictures of himself and asked for massages, and a former worker on Channel 5's Gregg Wallace's Big Weekends, who says he was fascinated by the fact she dated women and asked for the logistics of how it worked.
Another female worker on MasterChef in 2019 says Wallace talked about his sex life; a female worker on the BBC Good Food Show in 2010 says Wallace stared at her chest; and a male worker on MasterChef in 2005-06 says Wallace regularly said sexually explicit things on set.
After BBC News's initial investigation, more women came forward with claims.
One woman says he touched her bottom at an event and another says he pressed his crotch against her while filming on a different show.
His lawyers have strongly denied he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.
Wallace has repeatedly declined an interview request from BBC News.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, information and support can be found at the BBC's Action Line.
The UK's Eurovision hopefuls, Remember Monday, have covered a song from Will Ferrell's cult movie about the contest, as the finals draw closer.
The trio travelled to Iceland earlier this month to film their version of Húsavík (My Hometown), originally sung by Rachel McAdams' character Sigrit in the Netflix spoof, The Story Of Fire Saga.
It's released just three weeks before the band perform their own song, What The Hell Just Happened, at this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland.
Bookmakers predict that the UK will fall just outside the top 10 in the contest, with Sweden and Austria among the favourites to win.
However, Remember Monday told BBC News that they're "hungry to get a good result".
"We feel like there's a little bit of a stigma around Eurovision, and we'd really love to be a part of changing it," said singer Holly-Anne Hull.
The group, completed by Charlotte Steele and Lauren Byrne, started singing together in school, and went on to have starring roles in West End shows like Les Misérables, Phantom Of The Opera and Six: The Musical.
As long-standing Eurovision fans, they've thrown themselves into a whirlwind European press tour, performing in about a dozen countries, and even singing on a Swiss mountaintop.
For their journey to Húsavík, Steele even confronted her fear of flying by travelling in both a propellor plane and a helicopter.
The trip fulfilled "a long-time dream of ours", the band said.
In the music video, they get to visit the charming Elf Houses that form part of the country's magical folklore, and sing with a choir of Icelandic schoolgirls who previously performed at the 2001 Oscars, when Húsavík (My Hometown) was nominated for best original song.
"We're very honoured that they welcomed us into their beautiful town and let us sing that song," said the band, "and we're grateful that it's on film so we can relive those memories forever".
"We've never seen anywhere as beautiful with our own eyes!"
Ahead of Eurovision, the BBC has announced a one-off special, featuring Graham Norton in conversation with Remember Monday.
The programme will be broadcast on Friday 9 May on BBC One, giving a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the band's preparations for Basel.
Separately, BBC Radio 2 has revealed that Sara Cox is joining the station's presenting line-up for this year's contest.
The broadcaster will commentate on the semi-finals alongside Richie Anderson. Scott Mills and Rylan will host the grand final on 17 May.
Rehearsals for the contest start today (25 April) at the Jakobshalle arena.
In the initial stages, stand-ins perform the 37 entries, allowing participants to review staging, choreography and lighting cues before contestants arrive in Switzerland at the start of May.
Last year's contest was won by Swiss singer Nemo for their song The Code - a semi-operatic pop song that charted their journey to realising they were non-binary.
This year's favourite is Swedish band KAJ, whose song Bara Bada Bastu, is an ode to the benefits of the sauna.
If they emerge victorious, Sweden will record its eighth win - breaking a tie with Ireland as the Eurovision's most-successful nation.
From the latest season of the dystopian workplace drama to the UK miniseries that got the world talking and a new hit medical show, we pick the year's greatest programmes to stream right now.
The Studio
Hollywood is an easy target, but this satire is so sharp, astute and sometimes absurd that it may be the funniest show of the year. Seth Rogen, who co-created the show, plays Matt Remick, the newly appointed head of Continental Studios, a lover of high-art films with a mandate to make commercial hits based on IP including Kool-Aid. A flood of actors and directors – including Ron Howard, Olivia Wilde and Zoe Kravitz – make cameo appearances, gleefully spoofing their own images, none funnier than Martin Scorsese in the hilarious opening episode. The series regulars are ideally cast, with Ike Barniholtz as Sal Saperstein, Matt's second-in-command, Catherine O'Hara as the previous studio head and Kathryn Hahn as the loud, wackily-dressed head of publicity. Taking us into the Golden Globes and marketing meetings, The Studio suggests that everyone is just bumbling along at a moment when the entire movie industry is in crisis. The industry might not know where it's going, but this behind-the-scenes comedy is a pure delight. (CJ)
Available on Apple TV+ internationally
The White Lotus
One thing's for sure: if Mike White's first-world-problems satire about rich holidaymakers was admired by many for its first two seasons, it broke out to become a true cultural phenomenon in its third, with a huge ratings boost. This time round, it sent its dysfunctional groupings – a corrupt financier and his family, three clashing female friends, a vengeful man and his younger girlfriend – to a Thai wellness retreat, and every week, you could not move online (metaphorically) for the discourse it generated and debate it stirred. Some complained that this season was too slow and lacked suitable plot momentum, while others pointed out, sagely, that the problem was that it was a character-led drama that was never meant to be dissected like Game of Thrones, but for its unexpected blockbuster popularity. Personally? I enjoyed it as both the darkest and most reflective series so far, but one which again thrived off a magisterially cast ensemble, in which Parker Posey, Carrie Coon, Aimee Lou Wood and Patrick Schwarzenegger were standouts, but no one was a weak link. (HM)
Available on Max in the US and Now in the UK
Adolescence
It's no wonder that this uncompromising British series about a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering a girl in his school has become a cultural flashpoint, praised by UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, made available to be shown in schools and sparking conversations about young men and the toxic influence of social media. The social issue is wrapped in a drama brilliantly personalized and brought to life by the actors. Stephen Graham, who created the show with Jack Thorne, plays the boy's father and conveys the shock and grief of a parent forced to consider the unthinkable possibility that his son might be a killer. Owen Cooper gives a remarkably sophisticated performance as the accused boy, who seems guileless until he explodes in anger. And Ashley Waters plays a detective who struggles to understand his own teenage son, expanding the theme beyond one family. Each episode was shot in a single, real-time take, which sounds like a gimmick, but director Philip Barantini handles that approach so smoothly that it fades into the background, even while adding intensity to a piercing drama that offers no comfortable resolution. (CJ)
Available on Netflix internationally
Severance
Fairly or not, Apple TV+ has become a streamer known for ploughing huge resources (over $20bn, reportedly) into a range of starry shows that not very many people watch – but with the second series of this dystopian workplace drama, it became clear it had a genuine watercooler hit on its hands. Which is even more surprising, when you consider just how strange Severance is. Its compelling high-concept premise – in which employees of the sinister Lumon corporation have their consciousness separated into office selves, or "innies", and home selves, or "outies" – is one thing, but beyond that, it is constantly taking the story down surreal rabbit holes, involving for example, mysterious "macrodata refinement" work or a herd of goats. In truth, as this series progressed through its second half, it felt a little too meandering for its own good, and its climactic payoff couldn't match that from the first season. But it's still an exquisite work in all areas, from the clever dual-identity acting (especially from shining star Britt Lower) to the stark visuals. Bring on season three, and perhaps a few more solid answers as to what's really going on at Lumon. (HM)
Available on Apple TV+ internationally
The Pitt
It might sound like just another medical drama, but this show about a trauma centre in Pittsburgh revitalises the genre with its attention to the psychological stress on caregivers. Noah Wyle gives a shattering performance as the department head, the dedicated, harried, emotionally wracked Dr Robbie, still traumatised after failing to save his mentor during the Covid-19 pandemic. He is surrounded by other doctors and a group of students and interns, each adding a different dimension, from Supriya Ganesh as a brilliant medical prodigy to Isa Briones as an abrasive intern and Taylor Dearden as the caring Dr Mel, whose neurodivergence makes her especially empathetic with her patients. Unlike most medical shows, The Pitt never lets their personal melodrama overwhelm the focus on their work. Each absorbing, fast-paced episode takes place in real time during one 15-hour-long shift, and each veers between the devastation of losing patients and the relief of saving them. You'd think a series so blunt about death would be depressing, but instead The Pitt is exhilarating in its focus on people for whom life and death are everyday events. (CJ)
Available on Max in the US
Paradise
It's difficult to discuss the power of this show without giving away the key twist that comes at the end of episode one. But safe to say, it turns what starts as a relatively conventional political thriller on its head. Sterling K Brown is the head of the US president's security detail, who finds himself accused of murder of his boss – but above and beyond the killing itself, not everything seems quite right with the world. Created by Dan Fogelman, the man behind the equally rug-pulling TV weepie This is Us, this is solid entertainment in the very best sense, with sharp plotting matched by some strong performances, from Brown’s tortured hero to Julianne Nicholson as a sinister tech billionaire. Plus, later on in the series, one particular episode which deals with truly monumental matters is simply breathtaking – but again, that's all that can be said without spoiling things for those yet to watch. The good news for those that have is that it's already been recommissioned. (HM)
Available on Hulu in the US and Disney+ internationally
Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light
The sumptuous conclusion to this adaptation of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall trilogy blends a beautifully shot escape into the luxurious past of Henry VIII's court with an evergreen depiction of the high personal cost of manoeuvring for power and influence. Mark Rylance is poignant as the king's advisor, Thomas Cromwell, who questions his own decisions, while the mercurial Henry is losing confidence in him. And Damian Lewis's fresh interpretation of Henry is dazzling, his voice and manner chillingly subdued even as he issues the most ruthless commands. Henry's wives come and go, but the unravelling bond between these men, and their opposite trajectories – Cromwell's self-doubts and decline and Henry's iron will that eliminates anyone in his way – shape the story. Written by Peter Straughn, a recent Oscar winner for his screenplay of Conclave, The Mirror and the Light is more resonant today than the original Mantel book was when it was published in 2020. It feels entirely relevant in a world where creeping authoritarianism is a global concern. (CJ)
Available on PBS in the US and BBC iPlayer in the UK
The Narrow Road to the Deep North
Since breaking out in HBO teen drama Euphoria, rising star Jacob Elordi has chosen his roles well – but perhaps nothing has served him better so far than returning to his home country of Australia to play the protagonist in this searing war drama. An adaptation of Richard Flanagan's Booker Prize-winning novel, it explores the life of World War Two army surgeon Dorrigo Evans across three time periods: his stint stationed in Adelaide for military training, his hellish experiences as a prisoner of war in the Thai jungle, and then his existence as a professionally successful but emotionally deeply troubled veteran (now played by Ciarán Hinds), still unable to truly process the events of decades ago. Brought to impactful visual life by Justin Kurzel, known for his visceral studies of male violence on the big screen like Snowtown and The Order, it is simply one of the best evocations of the horrors of conflict that has been committed to screen. But at the same time, it takes as much care in its exploration of passion as violence, with the chemistry between Elordi's young Dorrigo and his uncle's wife Amy (a superb Odessa Young) burning up the screen. Given some of the scenes of sadistic brutality, it is of course a difficult watch, as it should be, but also one whose sheer artistry offers a kind of transcendence. (HM)
Available on Prime Video in the US, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada
Your Friends and Neighbors
Jon Hamm has never been better, expertly mixing comedy and drama in this series about a hedge-fund manager called Coop, who loses his job. He schemes to keep up appearances in his wealthy community, only to discover a new sense of himself. The show has a broad comic element, as Coop turns cat burglar, solving his financial problems by stealing luxury items from his neighbours. But the series is best in its bold take on what he calls in one of his mordant voiceovers, "the quiet desperation of rich middle-aged men", and in its depiction of his complicated relationships. He is still emotionally attached to his ex-wife (Amanda Peet), who left him for one of his friends, and struggles to connect with his two teenage children. He has a tender, supportive bond with his emotionally fragile sister (Lena Hall, a standout in the cast). Hamm hasn't had a role this rich since Don Draper in Mad Men, another flawed but sympathetic charmer who makes some wildly bad decisions, and defines the character so perfectly that it's hard to imagine anyone else at the centre of this sleek but penetrating series. (CJ)
Available on AppleTV+ internationally
Big Boys
It might have created a little less noise than Adolescence, but here is another British show about masculinity that really deserves to be seen. Jack Rooke's semi-autobiographical show about two university students who form an odd-couple friendship – nerdy gay man Jack and straight jack-the-lad Dan – has been an incredibly deft mix of laugh-out-loud humour, complete with delightfully niche pop culture references, and poignant drama – covering sexual awakening, depression, dementia and more besides – since it started in 2022. But this third and final series was undoubtedly its most powerful, kicking off with a hilarious episode on a package holiday in Greece but getting more serious as it continued, and handling Danny's spiralling mental health problems with particular skill. And boy, does Rooke know how to shatter audience hearts – the final episode is an emotional masterclass, including a significant cameo from the man himself. Here's hoping that it launches its extremely talented creator into the big time. (HM)
Available on Hulu in the US and Channel 4 in the UK
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Esoteric and pioneering, the paintings of a lesser-known Pre-Raphaelite, Evelyn De Morgan, explored the trauma and meaning of war – and prefigured current fantasy art.
On a rocky beach that glows red with lava, smoke-breathing dragons surround wretched-looking prisoners beseeching an angel to deliver them from suffering. The oil painting Death of the Dragon by Evelyn De Morgan looks at first like a scene from the New Testament's apocalyptic Book of Revelation. But, painted between 1914 and 1918, it's also something more personal and critical: an allegory for the misery and bondage of World War One, and the confrontation between good and evil.
The spectacular painting, measuring more than a metre high, is one of the highlights of a new exhibition, Evelyn De Morgan: The Modern Painter in Victorian London, at London's Guildhall Art Gallery, home to the City of London Corporation's art collection. On display are rarely seen works from the De Morgan Foundation, as well as two newly-restored paintings and two recreations, completed just last year, of works lost in an art warehouse fire in 1991.
The show coincides with the reopening of the De Morgan Museum in Barnsley, Yorkshire, following an extensive roof renovation, and responds to a rising interest in this lesser-known artist. She has tended to be eclipsed by her husband William – a ceramicist and writer, who had worked early in his career with the textile designer William Morris – and the famous men in their circle: her uncle and art teacher, John Roddam Spencer Stanhope, for example, and the painters William Holman Hunt and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Much of what we know about De Morgan today comes from her sister Wilhelmina, who set up the De Morgan Foundation, but even she saw fit to publish the couple's posthumous biography under the title William De Morgan and his Wife.
Yet, Evelyn De Morgan more than deserves the art world's belated acclaim. A Slade graduate, who was working at the tail end of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, she took the arguably twee or overly sentimental genre into new territory, creating tableaux that were unusually visionary and energetic. The women she portrayed were less passive than those depicted by her contemporaries, and featured as symbols of agency rather than objects of the male gaze. Instead of a drowned body floating down the river, as in Sir John Everett Millais' Ophelia, or figures whose main currency was their looks, we meet a skilled sorceress creating magical potions and flying superheroines who can cast rain, thunder and lightning from their fingers.
These goddess-like figures show the influence of the classical art that De Morgan had studied. Immaculately executed works such as Boreas and Oreithyia (1896) reveal her interest in mythology and her mastery of the human form, reminiscent of Michelangelo.
In Death of the Dragon, in terms of composition, it's easy to see the influence of Sandro Botticelli's The Birth of Venus (1483–1485), which De Morgan had visited in Florence. If De Morgan's haloed angel echoes this idea of rebirth − reflecting the artist's belief in a spiritual afterlife − then the winged beasts are its counterpart, Death, always biting at the heels of the people and threatening to overcome them. Elsewhere in her work, Death takes alternative forms: a dark angel bearing a scythe, sea monsters or – more obliquely – a sand timer. It's a symbolism that speaks to life's transience, and acquires additional poignancy in her later work, conveying the collective trauma of living through a World War that claimed close to a million British lives.
"During the First World War they [the De Morgans] were in London, so they would have been directly affected," Jean McMeakin, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the De Morgan Foundation, tells the BBC. "Death was real for them in a way that perhaps we've largely forgotten these days," she points out. "Members of William's family died from tuberculosis, and his own health was often quite poor. Death was, in a way, always present in the background."
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De Morgan was a pacifist and her art became a form of activism. In Our Lady of Peace (1907), a response to the Boer Wars, a knight pleads for protection and peace, while in The Poor Man who Saved the City (1901), wisdom and diplomacy are advocated as alternatives to military intervention. Later, in The Red Cross (1914-16), angels carry the crucified Christ over a withered landscape pierced by Belgian war graves – a suggestion, perhaps, that the Christian faith is at odds with the brutality of war, but offers us hope of redemption. "You must never praise war," De Morgan declared in The Result of an Experiment (1909), a book of "automatic writing" co-authored with her husband. "The Devil invented it, and you can have no conception of its horrors."
Good and evil
The idea of the forces of good and evil acting upon ordinary people was pervasive at this time. "Spiritualism was quite popular," asserts McMeakin, citing the author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – the creator of Sherlock Holmes – as one of its most famous adherents. Other-worldly beliefs, she says, were "probably the result of the turmoil, the massive changes happening in society leading up to the turn of the century, plus a period of many wars, which would have had an impact on their view of the world". Doubtless, De Morgan was also influenced by her mother-in-law, Sophia, a well-known spiritualist and medium. With so many lives lost, it was no doubt tempting to believe that you could reconnect with the departed.
For De Morgan, materialism was in opposition to spirituality, and many of her works conflate the pursuit of wealth with death. Crowns, as worn by the winged serpents in Death of the Dragon, are a repeated motif denoting greed and miserliness. In Earthbound (1897), an avaricious king in a gold cloak patterned with coins is about to be overwhelmed by the angel of death, while in The Barred Gate (c.1910-1914), a similar figure is denied entry to Heaven.
With the future so uncertain, De Morgan places the importance of spiritual fulfilment and happiness at the centre of much of her work. In Blindness and Cupidity Chasing Joy from the City (1897), for example, "Cupidity" is personified as a crowned figure clutching treasures who is driving away "Joy" in the form of an angel. Here, as in Death of the Dragon, the central characters are chained, suggesting trapped souls.
In The Prisoner (1907-1908), the barred window and a woman's chained wrists make captivity a metaphor for gender inequality, hinting at the De Morgans' support for universal suffrage (Evelyn was a signatory of at least two important petitions, while her husband was vice-president of the Men's League for Women's Suffrage). The theme recurs in Luna (1885), where the rope-bound body of a moon goddess, a mythological figure of feminine power, functions as a metaphor for a woman's struggle to influence her own destiny.
Christened "Mary", Evelyn later adopted her then-gender-neutral middle name, as women's art was not taken seriously. "She wanted to be considered on the same level as her male peers," says McMeakin. "We can assume a huge degree of self-possession and determination in her desire to become a professional artist," she adds, making the point that even De Morgan's mother opposed her career choice.
Technically, De Morgan was also a pioneer. She experimented with burnishing and rubbing gold pigment into her works to add depth and interest, and explored new painting techniques invented by her husband, made by grinding colours with glycerine and spirit. Stylistically, she was also ahead of her time. The unconventional use of pinks and purples, and the bold rings of rainbow-coloured light, prefigure the psychedelic painting styles of the 1970s, while her terrifying monsters would not look out of place in contemporary fantasy art.
While art history has tended to paint women as virgin mothers, objects of beauty or temptresses, De Morgan's specifically female perspective recasts them as figures of hope that augur an alternative, brighter future. In Lux in Tenebris (light in darkness) (1895), for example, the female figure holds an olive branch in her right hand, offering a pathway to peace. In Death of the Dragon, the angel is surrounded by a magnificent rainbow: a symbol (along with the sky) of joy that denotes spiritual fulfilment and freedom, as well as the promise of an afterlife.
It's a mistake to think of works such as Death of the Dragon as "completely bleak", argues McMeakin, noting that "often with [her] apocalyptic scenes, there is a glimmer of hope, or a part of the painting that is calm". In many ways, Death of the Dragon is optimistic, expressing a sense that the war – the metaphorical dragon – is nearing its end, and that good can overcome evil. In this existential battle, De Morgan saw a place for her work. When she was aged just 17, she chastised herself for not painting enough. "Art is eternal, but life is short," she wrote in her diary. "I will make up for it now, I have not a moment to lose."
Evelyn De Morgan: The Modern Painter in Victorian London is at the Guildhall Art Gallery, London until 4 January 2026.
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Tragedy Titus Andronicus is the Bard's goriest work, and a new production is set to be one of the most extreme takes on it yet. It raises the question: why do we watch such brutality?
Good theatre has the power to really move us – a statement that's usually taken metaphorically, rather than literally. Yet when it comes to Shakespeare's bloodiest play, Titus Andronicus, its impact can be so visceral it causes audience members to faint. I should know: while reviewing a production at Shakespeare's Globe in London, back in 2014, its disturbingly violent scenes caused me to start to feel light-headed, even while safely sat down in my seat. Unfortunately, it was a bench with no back: before the end of the first half, I had fainted away completely, falling backwards and waking up in a stranger's lap.
Warning: this article contains some graphic descriptions of violence
And I was far from the only person to have such a full-bodied response to Lucy Bailey's production of this gory revenge tragedy: the press went wild for stories of "droppers", with more than 100 people fainting during the run – testament to the immense power of Shakespeare's writing, and the skill of performers, as well as to the props department's handling of litres of fake blood.
One of the Bard's earliest plays, written in 1591-2, and almost certainly his first tragedy, Titus Andronicus is a story of violent vengeance: Titus, a general of Rome, returns from wars against the Goths with their queen, Tamora, and her sons held as captives. When her eldest son is sacrificed by Titus, Tamora swears revenge – setting in motion a series of increasingly brutal acts that ends with an infamous scene involving the baking of pies... Boasting 14 deaths, it is the most violent of all Shakespeare's plays – and now it's back on stage, with a new production opening at the UK's Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Its fluctuating reputation
The play's unavoidable ultra-violence has meant that, for much of the performance history of Shakespeare – whose birthday is today – Titus Andronicus was considered a bit of an embarrassment, a bloody stain on his reputation: too gruesome, too over-the-top, to be considered in the same category of greatness as, say, Hamlet or Othello. Then there's its sometimes queasy tone: the excesses can tip Titus into a gleefully macabre, manic comedy (an aspect also embraced in Bailey's gore-fest). Let's just say, the Victorians were not fans.
But the play's reputation began to revive in the second half of the 20th Century. At the Royal Shakespeare Company alone, there have been several seminal productions in the past 70 years, starring Laurence Olivier (1955), Patrick Stewart (1981), Brian Cox (1987) and David Bradley (2003), while Anthony Hopkins playing Titus on screen in Julie Taymor's influential, blackly funny film version in 1999 also surely helped boost the play's standing. Some of these productions leaned heavily on the horror, too: there were fainters and walk-outs in Deborah Warner's unflinching 1987 production, which Cox once claimed was the most interesting play he'd done and the best stage performance he'd ever given. But he also pointed to the odd humour of the play, calling it "a young man's play… full of energy, joie de vivre and laughter that often strikes people as ludicrous".
Titus is not always staged with grisly literalness: in the Olivier-starring production by Peter Brook, the mutilation of Titus's daughter Lavinia was famously suggested with stylised red streamers – an aestheticised approach also used in the Japanese Ninagawa Company's production in the 2000s. More recently, Jude Christian's all-female 2023 production in London's candle-lit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse enacted the violence on candles themselves, with cast members stabbing, snapping or snuffing them.
In the latest production of Titus Andronicus, however, there will be blood. Buckets of it. "We are doing gallons of blood. We've made a sort of wet room [on stage], it's got a drainage system and an abattoir hook…" says Max Webster, the play's director, over a video call from Stratford-upon-Avon. He's had to figure out how to stage no fewer than 27 different acts of onstage violence, from punches through to limbs being lopped off and tongues being cut out. And the only limit on the amount of gore sloshing around is the practical question of how to clean it up between scenes. "It's an unbelievably boring thing about how many crew members and squeegees it takes," laughs Webster. "In one sentence, you're thinking 'what is the meaning of tragedy in relation to human nature?' – and then very quickly you get into 'how many mops can the crew hold?'."
Webster, whose acclaimed productions include an adaptation of Booker Prize winner Life of Pi and a recent David Tennant-starring Macbeth, wanted to direct Titus Andronicus for one simple reason: Simon Russell Beale, one of Britain's greatest Shakespearean actors, asked him to. Titus was a part that Russell Beale fancied a crack at, and the RSC was happy to oblige. This version is updated – set in a crisp, besuited modern world riven by conflict, although where exactly is kept deliberately vague.
"It's trying to be open – we're not setting it in Kosovo or Gaza or Sudan," says Webster, adding swiftly "And we're not going to try to produce the US army onstage or something – it's trying to make sense of Rome as a 'superpower of empire' rather than as 'the United States of America'." Still, he sees Titus as freshly, troublingly relevant, in light of shocking events such as the 7 October Hamas attacks, the war in Gaza, and the sudden invasion of Russian troops into Ukraine, the story's extreme violence doesn't seem so unimaginable.
In this production, the violence is certainly no laughing matter. In rehearsals, they have been playing it entirely seriously, and eschewing the blackly cartoonish or stylishly Tarantino-esque approach to the violence that some directors explore. This has risks: Webster fully expects that, when the show is in front of an audience, there may be some nervous laughter; it'll be their job in previews to figure out where these laughs form a necessary "pressure release valve", and where they're really just a sign to make the show even more harrowing.
For Webster, it isn't possible to laugh at the brutality of Titus Andronicus in 2025 – it's too real. He sees the play as "a howl of pain"; watching it becomes an act of witness, an attempt to face up to atrocities taking place right now – something that he acknowledges could be hard for an audience. "I can walk down the Avon [river], and know my family is safe and it doesn't feel like the world is burning. But you look at other parts of the world… these horrors, that maybe feel historical to us, are actually happening."
The psychology behind violent entertainment
But Titus Andronicus isn't a documentary; it's an old play, that people choose to stage and choose to pay to go to see. So why, when we could just watch the news, do we opt to watch such harrowing content as art, as entertainment? It's a question that partly motivated Russell Beale to do Titus, he told The Guardian last week: "I don't understand the violence. I don't understand why as an audience we feel excited, stimulated, challenged by it; it's so relentless."
It may have been shunned in later centuries, but Titus Andronicus's original audiences loved it – and many other forms of graphically horrible entertainment, from bear baiting to public hangings. Titus was a hit in Elizabethan England, and in writing it Shakespeare may, in fact, have been playing to the crowd: it resembles the super-violent revenge tragedies that were popular at the time, rarely-staged works such as Thomas Kyd's The Spanish Tragedy and Thomas Middleton's The Revenger's Tragedy. Such plays were, themselves, drawing inspiration from the incredibly bloody and outrageous tragedies written by Seneca in the First Century AD – including Thyestes, a source of direct inspiration for Shakespeare, where the title character is fed a pie made of the flesh of his own children. And obviously, Ancient Greek tragedies – even if they keep acts of violence off-stage – are a rich and enduring source of creative murders of family members and cycles of bloody revenge.
Such tragedies, Webster points out, had their origins in ritual performances of sacrifice. "I guess theatre came out of killing goats in Ancient Greece… there's always been some relationship between theatre and violence and the sacred stuff."
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It does seem that watching the very worst things imaginable unfolding has an irresistible appeal – not only do we still return to Greek or Shakespearean tragedies, but we've also turned death and violence into major sources of entertainment, apparently appropriate for daily consumption. Horror films, true crime podcasts, police procedurals, first-person shooter video games… depictions of very, very bad things happening to bodies are pervasive across all art forms, all the time. You might even say we're addicted to the adrenaline shot we get from such emotionally-wringing, extreme forms of entertainment: research shows that the blood-pumping, heart-racing high we get from fear is close to the pleasurable bodily experience of excitement.
From the high body count of fantasy shows like Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon to the dystopian chills of Squid Game to the seemingly endless appetite for the torture porn movies of the Saw franchise, much of our creative output would make Seneca smack his lips in approval. But beyond the potential physical thrills, why are we so drawn to watching such violent content?
When I ask Webster, he's as unsure as Russell Beale. "The truth is, I don't know. But there is a lust to watch violence on-stage – it is a basic human urge." He wonders if it forms a safe outlet for our innate human darkness. And a common theory as to why we enjoy the terrors of a horror movie or the bleakness of a dystopian novel is just this: that such fictional outings are a secure way for us to rehearse terrible acts – without ever having to experience those in real life. "Maybe it is so we don't have to do [violence] in our lives?" Webster ponders. "We all have these weird, dark, turbulent fantasies that we don't talk about because they're not socially acceptable… so maybe seeing it on-stage is an escape, or a relief?"
The academics Haiyang Yang and Kuangjie Zhang confirm Webster's theory, sharing research in the Harvard Business Review that found that horror entertainment "may help us (safely) satisfy our curiosity about the dark side of human psyche… As an inherently curious species, many of us are fascinated by what our own kind is capable of. Observing storylines in which actors must confront the worst parts of themselves serves as a pseudo character study of the darkest parts of the human condition."
If I'm honest, the news that there's so much blood in Webster's Titus Andronicus that they need a drain on stage has got me nervous of watching the show, rather than gleefully ready to excise my inner demons. Is he worried that this Titus might be so powerful – so bloody, and so upsetting – that people will faint? He is not. "It's important you provide a content warning, and then people can make an informed decision about if they want to see it," says Webster. "If people faint, they faint."
Titus Andronicus is at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, until 17 June
Holly Williams novel The Start of Something is out in paperback now
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Sister Midnight, Santosh and All We Imagine as Light are part of a new wave of female-centred Indian films challenging the roles of traditional Bollywood heroines.
They're unpredictable, sometimes humorous, sometimes sexually adventurous, and they're all leading characters, rather than orbiting a man. The heroines of films including Sister Midnight, Santosh, Girls Will Be Girls, All We Imagine as Light and Shadowbox are giving international audiences a chance to see female characters from India who differ from most traditional Bollywood heroines. But do Indian audiences want to watch them – or will they even be able to?
A feral bride in an arranged marriage that neither she nor the groom particularly want, Uma is the protagonist of Karan Kandhari's spiky comedy Sister Midnight, which premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for a Bafta. Well-known Bollywood actress Radhika Apte, who plays her, is shown struggling with household chores. "Men are dim," her neighbour tells her. "They'll eat anything. Just add chilli and salt." Uma informs her awkward groom, who has gone on a week-long drinking binge, that he "stinks" and tells her employers sarcastically when they offer her a cleaning job that she's "a domestic goddess".
Told through offbeat dialogue, physical comedy and a punkish soundtrack that includes Iggy Pop, Sister Midnight presents a heroine unlike anything else filmed in India, according to Apte. "I'd never read anything like it before and I couldn't put it down," she tells the BBC. "I was completely taken by Uma, she was this crazy creature, and I didn't know why I resonated with her, but I just did. It was going to be a very thin line playing her between it being really cool and it going wrong. And that excited and challenged me. I also like how unapologetic Uma is and the more she accepts herself, the freer and stronger she becomes."
Uma is the latest character that offers a different kind of female protagonist to Indian viewers, one who differs markedly from the traditional Bollywood heroine. "Bollywood", the name for Hindi-language studio cinema, has historically dominated the Indian box office, making around $1.36bn last year. But it's also been accused of being "sexist and regressive" in its attitude towards women. In 2023, a landmark study in India examined some of the country's biggest hits in terms of gender representation and sexual stereotyping, and found what they described as a "formula" to many of Bollywood's female characters.
"The female lead has to be thin and beautiful. She has to be coy and demure who expresses consent through gestures rather than words, but [she] wears sexually revealing clothing and has to be somewhat modern to allow for her to be in a pre-marital relationship which is a transgression," Professor Lakshmi Lingam, the project lead for the study, told the BBC at the time. "There's very little attempt to do something different."
The depiction of both male and female characters on screen is important, she added, because "in India, where families and schools rarely teach about sex education and consent, all our responses are influenced by books and cinema".
By contrast, the male stars of the biggest Bollywood films of 2023 were described as "led by alpha male protagonists with rippling muscles and blazing guns brandished on screen as they went on a bone-crunching rampage to vanquish their enemies". The hit films included Shah Rukh Khan's Pathaan and Jawan, in which he plays a spy and vigilante, as well as the much-criticised, hyper-violent Animal, starring Ranbir Kapoor, a film accused of misogyny and objectifying women. It was made by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, whose previous film Kabir Singh showed the male lead openly stalking and harassing a woman and was the second biggest Bollywood movie of 2019.
Changing the narrative
There have been hit films showing women in roles of authority, including female rocket scientists in Mission Mangal, also one of the most successful Bollywood films of 2019, and films praised for a modern perspective on gender roles, such as Karan Johar's Rocky aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (Rocky and Rani's Love Story). But nevertheless Shubhra Gupta, the film critic for daily newspaper The Indian Express, laments the lack of "wriggle room" India's leading ladies generally have in their roles.
"These heroines' overriding principle is demureness," she tells the BBC. "You can have flashes of spirit, or you may speak your mind, but you'd also be just right in terms of beauty, and you'd be very clearly subservient to the leading man and whatever he is doing. You are pretty much always bringing up the rear, with a few scenes in which you get to shine."
In Sandhya Suri's recent drama Santosh, however, a Dalit woman (from the lowest caste in Indian society) is as a police officer, with the authority that brings. Santosh inherits her husband's police officer job when he dies in service, something that's possible on compassionate grounds for government employees in India. Santosh, played by Shahana Goswami, is an enigmatic character who finds corruption in her local police force when a young girl is raped and murdered. She has a female boss, played by film and TV actress Sunita Rajwar, who has learned to compromise to stay at the top.
Suri, previously a documentary maker, says she was influenced in making it by the real-life gang rape and murder in 2012 of a young woman on a bus in Delhi, which made worldwide headlines and led to new laws to safeguard women. (Despite that, sexual violence against women and girls remains high in India, and a 2022 report found that cruelty by a husband or his relatives remained the biggest crime against Indian women.)
"There were big protests at the time [of the rape and murder], and I saw the photo of a female cop being confronted by some very angry female protestors. I saw that image and I saw the expression on the cop's face, and it was so enigmatic that I was just very, very taken by it. It was so interesting. She was at both ends of power. There was the possibility of violence against her, but [it was] also possible for her to mete out violence as well with that uniform," Suri tells the BBC.
"I wanted to know if you took somebody like Santosh, shut up in the kitchen of her house, and you put her in that place, what's her response to that?" she explains. "I wanted to ask if there was a way to be a woman that's not about being a man, and not about being oppressed. Is there some other way in her society in which she can be, and that there may be a line she steps over?"
Santosh, which was made in Hindi, was the UK's Oscar entry for best international film in 2025 – one attribute both Sister Midnight and Santosh share is that, though they were filmed in India, they're made by British Indian film-makers. Sister Midnight's makers hope to release it in India in 2025, but Suri tells the BBC that Santosh will almost certainly not get a cinema release there.
"We screened it at the Mumbai International Film Festival and had a great response, and I was moved by just how real the film felt to a local audience," she says. "But it looks like the film won't release in India, sadly, as it was admitted to the censor board (CBFC) and there were so many cuts, I couldn't maintain some semblance of a film."
Censorship in India
Indian censorship decisions have frequently caused controversy: in 2017, the decision to ban the feminist Indian movie Lipstick Under My Burkha for being "too lady oriented" caused an outcry, and was later overturned after negative publicity. But many homegrown blockbusters are self-censoring, especially when it comes to sex and sexuality.
The 2021 Telugu-language hit Pushpa: The Rise, the story of a smuggler, removed a scene where the hero Pushpa (played by Allu Arjun) touches the chest of the heroine, Srivalli, because of complaints from the audience. In 2024, Pushpa 2: The Rule again caused controversy in India, according to Shubhra Gupta, because of an insinuation that Srivalli (played by Rashmika Mandanna) might want to be sexually intimate with her husband.
"The [female] character acts very cute, she comes on to the hero and is very playful when she wants a little assignation," Gupta says of it. "The rest of the film she's serving the hero. She wants her husband not to have sex with anyone else. But in fact, it became a real talking point in India because it's not something heroes or leading ladies in the movies are supposed to have conversations about.
"And our mainstream film experience is still very much that if a woman has a sexual experience outside marriage, there will be some castigation attached to it," she adds. "She won't be 'pure' anymore, she'll be known as 'bold' which means she's been around."
It makes Payal Kapadia's acclaimed film All We Imagine as Light seem more audacious in terms of its exploration of sex. The first ever Indian winner of the Cannes Film Festival's Grand Prix is the story of a nurse, Prabha, who's been abandoned in her arranged marriage. Meanwhile, her younger flatmate Anu, a Hindu, wants to get intimate with her Muslim boyfriend, itself another taboo. There's no talk of marriage in advance.
"The film's about the preoccupations I've had for some time," Kapadia tells the BBC. "Women in India can be financially independent, but there is still not a lot of autonomy with what you choose to do with your personal life. It's infantilising women. You could be 25 years old, making your own money, providing for your family back home. But you can't decide who to be with or who to marry."
Despite the accolades, All We Imagine as Light was not chosen as India's 2025 Oscar entry (the deciding jury called it "a European film taking place in India".) But it wasn't the only film by an Indian female director in 2024 that put a young woman's sexual awakening on screen – the English and Hindi language movie Girls Will Be Girls, by Shuchi Talati, won the audience award at the Sundance Film Festival. Set in a boarding school in the Himalayas, it's the story of an 18-year-old girl who falls in love with a boy for the first time, but whose romance is disrupted by her mother.
But Indian films breaking societal "norms" have found international recognition before, from Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding (2001), to Lipstick Under My Burkha (2016), and 2014's LGBTQ+ teenage love story, Margarita with a Straw. Shubhra Gupta says there's still a vast gap between what an international audience react to and what mainstream Indian audiences will pay to see, given the high ticket prices in cinemas.
"These films we're talking about are part of independent Indian film, which is really where all the exciting things happen, and that's pretty much true of all world cinema," she says. "Payal Kapadia has had a fabulous journey with All We Imagine as Light, and it did get a cinema release here. But I'm not sure how much box office it made in India." She adds that many viewers in India would react in "disbelief" to heroines such as Sister Midnight's Uma and Santosh were they able to watch the movies, as they are so unconventional.
"They wouldn't be able to suspend disbelief that in Santosh, a Dalit woman from the lower caste, would be made into the lead, that she's driving the narrative. It would be such a hard sell here," she says. "And Radhika Apte's character Uma is a wife, but she is not submissive. She goes out there and does all these mad things. They are excellent films that might do well on a streaming platform, or they will find a discerning audience – but a discerning audience doesn't really make up the numbers that a big budget Bollywood film will."
Breaking stereotypes
But Indian film-makers still have to try to break stereotypes for audiences, according to Tanushree Das and Saumyananda Sahi, the directors behind Bengali-language film Shadowbox. The film, shown at this year's Berlin International Film Festival, is the story of Maya, (played by Tillotama Shome) who holds down several jobs and battles to keep her family going because her husband, a former soldier, struggles with his mental health and is frequently humiliated by the community because of it.
"When we're talking about working class underprivileged women, the term 'from the margins' tends to crop up," Das tells the BBC. "But the 'margin' represents a huge majority of our population. Where are their stories, then? It's high time we broke stereotypes, and to do this more women need to tell their own stories. I feel producers and distributors of film underestimate how large a viewership women represent, and their appetite to see stories where their lives are mirrored rather than projected in a tokenistic way."
If cinema itself is not an option, the rise of the international streamers and OTT platforms (which allow viewers to watch content directly on their TV or through a phone app) during the Covid-19 pandemic has provided a place for recent, more audacious, female-focused film-making. The Great Indian Kitchen in 2021 by Jeo Baby, a Malayalam language film, became a hit on the app Neestream, and versions of the story were also made in Tamil and Hindi. It's the story of an arranged marriage, and the film shows, from a female viewpoint, household drudgery, unpleasant in-laws and monotonous and painful sex with an uncaring husband, with one female critic saying of it that "the film rips through patriarchy, the bedrock of the institutions of family and religion."
Laapataa Ladies, by Kiran Rao (which did become India's Oscar entry this year) also deals with an unwanted arranged marriage and was released on Netflix, as was 2020's Gunjan Saxena, which told the story of India's first ever female fighter pilot.
"But people are not actually buying a ticket for these," Gupta says. "It's mostly 15-to 35-year-olds who are going to the movies, and often they happen to be young men. And the film industry is still a boy's club to a large extent."
For more nuanced female characters to be seen in big-budget cinema films, ultimately Bollywood's lack of profits last year might be an impetus. After its bumper 2023, last year Bollywood only achieved 40% of the overall Indian box office profits, and Gupta says its "formulaic films" are part of the problem. "People are hungry for something different," she says. "But the problem is, if you take them too far out of their comfort zone, I'm not sure whether they're going to come to the cinema. So unfortunately, we've ended up maintaining this equilibrium so that people will come to the movies not expecting to see women who are feminists, or women who do not ascribe to the idea of what a good woman should be."
However, she adds, it's not just female characters who have to be written differently in order for change to come. "I would say that if you want your women characters to be different, you also have to write your men differently too," says Gupta. "There needs to be a cosmic shift across the board."
Santosh and Sister Midnight are currently on release in the UK. Sister Midnight will be released in the US on 16 May 2025.
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In April 1983, a German magazine, Stern, and a British newspaper, The Sunday Times, claimed to have made one of the century's most extraordinary historical discoveries. In fact, it was one of the century's most extraordinary hoaxes – and the scandal that followed cost millions and ruined reputations.
On 25 April 1983, 42 years ago this week, respected German magazine Stern published what they believed to be the most spectacular historical scoop: the previously unknown private diaries of Adolf Hitler. To show off their extraordinary exclusive to the world's press, the weekly news magazine had arranged a Hamburg press conference for the same day. The story would indeed dominate global headlines – but not in the way the magazine hoped.
Three days earlier, Stern's London editor Peter Wickman had told BBC News that they were "absolutely convinced" that they had the authentic Hitler diaries in their hands. "We were very dubious at the beginning, but we had a graphologist looking at them, we had an expert who compared the paper. We had historians like Professor Trevor-Roper, and they are all convinced they are genuine."
The handwritten journals ran from 1932 to 1945, covering the entire period of Hitler's Third Reich. "There are 60 diaries, they look a bit like school exercise books but with a hard cover. They have seals outside with a swastika and an eagle and inside, of course, Hitler's very spidery gothic handwriting," Wickman told the BBC.
Stern believed that their discovery had the potential to rewrite what was previously known about the Nazi leader. And the diaries' content was certainly eye-opening, revealing a little-known sensitive side to the Führer. They detailed everything from Hitler's battles with flatulence and halitosis, and the pressure from his girlfriend Eva Braun to get Olympics tickets, to notes about sending Stalin – "the old fox" – a birthday telegram. The notebooks also seemed to indicate, somewhat startlingly, that the Nazi leader was unaware of the Holocaust that was being carried out in his name.
The journals had supposedly been unearthed by Stern journalist Gerd Heidemann. The reporter was already regarded around Stern as something of a Nazi memorabilia obsessive. In 1973, the magazine had assigned him to write a story about a dilapidated yacht which had once belonged to Hitler's second-in-command, Hermann Göring. Heidemann spent a fortune buying the yacht and restoring it. He also began an affair with Göring's daughter Edda, who introduced him to a number of former Nazis. It was through these contacts, Heidemann said, that he had come across Hitler's diaries.
Heidemann claimed that the plane had been carrying the diaries, which were salvaged from the crash and stowed away in a hayloft. In the intervening years, they had found their way to an East German collector who was now offering to sell them. The reporter would negotiate the deal to buy them, acting as intermediary between his East German source and Stern.
The promise of a sensational world exclusive, providing previously unknown insight into the mind of the Nazi dictator, proved irresistible to the magazine. But Stern was determined to keep a tight grip on who knew about their scoop, so when they hired handwriting experts to authenticate the diaries – providing them with "genuine" Hitler documents for comparison – they would only give them a few selected pages of the notebooks to look at. Stern ultimately forked out some 9.3 million Deutschmarks (£2.3m) for the volumes, and, having paid such an exorbitant sum, opted to store them in a Swiss vault for safekeeping.
The first historian to examine the diaries was Prof Hugh Trevor-Roper, also known as Lord Dacre of Glanton. In 1947, he had written a book, The Last Days of Hitler, which had brought him a great deal of academic prestige, and he was regarded as a leading expert on the Nazi dictator. He was also an independent director of The Times newspaper, which two years earlier had been acquired along with its sister paper, The Sunday Times, by Rupert Murdoch.
Lord Dacre was initially sceptical about the diaries, but flew to Switzerland to view them. His opinion began to be swayed when he heard the diaries' origin story and was told, erroneously, that chemical tests had found them to be pre-war. But what really tipped the balance for the historian was seeing the huge volume of material involved.
"The thing that struck Hugh Trevor-Roper most forcefully and certainly struck me as a non-expert when I saw the original material was the sheer scale of it," The Times editor Charles Douglas-Home told the BBC on 22 April 1983. "The enormous range of this archive. It's not just that there are nearly 60 volumes of notebooks filled out in Hitler's longhand which is there, there are about 300 of his drawings and pictures and personal documents such as his party card. I remember there are the drawings which he submitted to art school when he was a young man hoping to get into art school, and there is a painting, an oil painting and so on. Now a forger would have to be very good to forge across that whole range."
Lord Dacre became convinced that the journals were genuine, even writing an article for The Times vouching for their authenticity and declaring that historic events might need to be re-evaluated in light of them. As word got out about the Hitler diaries, a bidding war developed over their serialisation rights, with The Sunday Times proprietor, Murdoch, flying over to Zurich to negotiate a deal in person.
With serialisation deals signed, Stern hastily planned a press conference to announce the publication of Hitler's diaries to the world. But even before the notebooks' grand reveal, doubts were being raised about their veracity – not least by the staff of The Sunday Times themselves, who had been burnt before. In 1968, the newspaper had made a down payment on diaries supposedly written by the Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini, which had also been vouched for, by his son no less. "But they turned out to be fakes devised by two little old ladies who lived in Vercelli outside Milan," journalist Phillip Knightley, who worked for The Sunday Times's investigative team, told Witness History in 2011.
The hoax is exposed
However, Murdoch was certain about the diaries and, despite the reservations of its editor, Frank Giles, rushed the serialisation into print in The Sunday Times with the headline "world exclusive" the day before Stern's press announcement.
Giles rang Lord Dacre seeking reassurance about the story only to have the historian confess that he was not so much having doubts as making "a 180-degree turn" regarding the diaries' authenticity. "Everybody in the room, all the newspaper executives slumped down in their chairs and put their heads in their hands because we had lost our principal authenticator," said Knightley. "It was clear that the story was absolutely wrong."
The Sunday Times could still have stopped the presses and changed the front page. But when Giles rang the proprietor, "Murdoch said, 'Just because Dacre has been vacillating for all this time, screw him, we'll publish,'" recalls Knightley.
For Stern, things would just get worse at its news conference the next day. After editor-in-chief Peter Koch declared that he was "100% convinced that Hitler wrote every single word in those books", Lord Dacre, the very historian who had vouched they were the real deal, admitted under questioning that he was having second thoughts.
To the horrified looks of the Stern executives, Lord Dacre said that he wasn't able to establish a link between the plane crash and the alleged diaries and that he had been rushed into making a judgement. "I must say as a historian, I regret that the normal methods of historical verification have, perhaps necessarily, been to some extent sacrificed to the requirements of the journalistic scoop," he said.
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The day after the chaotic press conference, Charles Hamilton, a US autographs dealer, told BBC Breakfast that as soon he saw the diaries' pages he "could smell the ebullient odour of forgeries". Hamilton said that he knew the signature wasn't authentic because he was constantly offered fake Hitler documents. "Shortly it will be established without any question, and without any panel of experts which I think is superfluous at the present time, the whole affair will die down and it will be a great hoax in the history of mankind," he said.
And he was not wrong. Within two weeks, rigorous forensic analysis had exposed the diaries as fakes. Not only, as Hamilton had pointed out to the BBC, was Hitler's supposed signature not accurate, but chemical testing revealed that their paper, glue and ink were not manufactured until after World War Two. The diaries were peppered with errors, modern-day phrases and historical inaccuracies, sometimes referring to information that Hitler could not have possibly known.
In the wake of these revelations The Sunday Times quickly abandoned its serialisation and printed an apology. Stern also publicly apologised for having fallen for the hoax.
Reputations fall, circulations rise
Under pressure, Heidemann revealed that the East German source supplying the diaries was Konrad Kujau – a counterfeiter who turned out to be the author of the works. Kujau was a skilled artist, but his forgeries were far from sophisticated. Seeking inspiration, he had plagiarised large parts of Max Domarus's book Hitler: Speeches and Proclamations 1932-1945, and as a result had copied word for word some of the chronological and factual mistakes in that book's first edition. To try to give the journals a more personal feel, he had imagined a more prosaic side to the Führer's life, throwing in entries like "I can't even get off work and visit Eva", "Have to go to the post office, to send a few telegrams", and "Eva says I have bad breath". Kujau had even struggled with the elaborate Gothic initials he used on the diary covers, accidentally sticking the initials FH to them instead of AH. He had then attempted to age the notebooks by merely pouring tea over them and bashing them on his desk.
What helped with the initial authentication of the diaries was that Kujau was such a prolific forger of Nazi memorabilia that many of the "genuine" documents Stern had given to experts, to enable them to compare Hitler's handwriting, had actually also been produced by Kujau himself. He was arrested by the police and admitted to his role in the hoax. He even went so far as to demonstrate his guilt by writing his confession in the style of Hitler's handwriting. In 1985, he was found guilty of fraud and forgery and sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison.
On further investigation, the police found Heidemann had also inflated the prices he said his source was requesting for the diaries, and had been skimming money off the top of the sums paid by Stern. He seems to have done this to fund his lavish lifestyle, the upkeep of his Nazi yacht and his penchant for buying ever more dictators' memorabilia (he would later claim to possess Idi Amin's underwear). He, like Kujau, was convicted in 1985 of fraud and was sentenced to four years, eight months. At his trial, Heidemann maintained that he too had been duped, but Kujau always insisted that the reporter knew the diaries were fakes.
In the fallout from the scandal, Lord Dacre's reputation as a historian would be permanently tarnished. Koch and another of Stern's editors would lose their jobs, while Giles would be removed from his role as The Sunday Times editor. Even Murdoch would later claim to the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics in 2012 that his decision to run with the story "was a major mistake I made, I take full responsibility for it. I will have to live with it for the rest of my life."
However, his newspaper's circulation was boosted by his decision to print the false story. And since Murdoch had insisted on a clause that Stern return all the money paid to it by The Sunday Times if the diaries were shown to be fake, the media mogul would only profit financially from the hoax.
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It may be set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, but Tony Gilroy's Star Wars series takes a key plot from a real robbery masterminded by Stalin in an Imperial Russian city. And Andor has as much to do with our world as it has with Stalin's.
It has all the makings of the perfect heist.
The scheme takes place far from the imperial seat of power, on the wild fringes of an empire almost too vast to comprehend. Fuelled with revolutionary zeal, the plotters are a rag-tag outfit of men and women that includes thieves, murderers and turncoats. Their prize? A treasure chest of cash that can fund ever-more-ambitious missions against the hated ruling elite.
If you watched the first season of the Star Wars spin-off TV series Andor, you'll recognise this plot as one of the high points. Over three episodes, anti-hero Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and his band of accomplices hide out in mountain passes on the planet Aldhani, fine-tuning an audacious smash-and-grab from an Imperial garrison which is storing the wages of an entire sector.
The real-life theft that inspired it was also a long, long time ago, just not quite so far away.
It took place in Yerevan Square in what was then the imperial Russian city of Tiflis, now the Georgian capital Tblisi, on 26 June 1907. A shipment of cash for the city's Russian state bank branch, amounting to some 300,000 roubles ($1m at the time), was stolen by a gang of robbers linked to the Bolshevik revolutionary movement. Using bombs and guns, the gang left a scene of utter devastation in their wake; some 40 people were killed and dozens more injured. The news of the brazen daylight attack made headlines across the world.
The heist was the brainchild of a charismatic cobbler's son-turned-revolutionary called Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili. He was a gifted public speaker, an ex-seminary student, a romantic poet rumoured to have left a string of broken hearts in his rakish wake. He often went by the name "Soso" (which he had used when writing poems for local publications), though in years to come he would become far better-known – and feared – as Joseph Stalin.
Yes, the troubled outlaw beloved by Star Wars fans everywhere is based in part on one of history’s most notorious mass murderers, as the series' creator, Tony Gilroy, has acknowledged. "If you look at a picture of young Stalin, isn’t he glamorous," Gilroy said in an interview in Rolling Stone in 2022. "He looks like Diego!"
Stalin took Russia from its war-ravaged imperial decline to a nuclear-armed superpower in just three decades, but also presided over a reign of authoritarian terror that starved, executed or imprisoned millions of its own citizens. Countless books had been written on his cruel years in power, but very little on his early years. Writer Simon Sebag Montefiore saw a gap, and began rifling through archives in post-Soviet countries to try and separate the truth from myth, and tell the little-known story of Stalin's early life.
A gangster and a killer
In 2007 – a century after the infamous heist in Tiflis – Young Stalin was published. It delved into the early life of the Soviet Union's dictatorial leader. "Should the life of a black-hearted ogre, a mass murderer who was the wickedest of the 20th-Century's monsters, be quite so entertaining," asked a review in The Observer at the time.
One person who read Young Stalin was Gilroy. The writer and producer, who had scripted the first four Bourne films and the Andor-precursor film, Rogue One, was planning a TV series that would explore Cassian Andor's journey from casual thief to rebellious figurehead. The true story of a revolutionary movement on the far fringes of a real empire gave Gilroy his source material. "Literally, I’m the classic old white guy who just can’t get enough history," Gilroy said in Rolling Stone. "The last 15 years, I’ve been reading all non-fiction." He added that Young Stalin was "an amazing book" and that its account of the Tiflis bank robbery was an "incredible movie sequence".
Did Sebag Montefiore ever think to himself, 'Here's the perfect setting for a Star Wars spin-off,' when he was researching his book? "No, I didn't ever think that when I was toiling in the archives in Moscow and Tbilisi," he tells the BBC. "But I did think that there was something pretty elemental about the life of Stalin, especially before 1917. It was a fascinating story, partly because no one knew about it."
The Tiflis heist was reported around the world and funded the revolutionaries' movement for years, says Sebag Montefiore. "Lenin and the whole Bolshevik Party lived off that money until the [1917] revolution."
Sebag Montefiore says that the young Stalin and the troubled Andor bear striking similarities: "A young man from nowhere with a revolutionary ideology, and a fight against a huge empire," the writer says. "I did think there was something interesting about the secret life of someone in that situation. That's basically what Tony Gilroy has focused on in Andor."
Stalin was, of course, not the only figure fomenting turmoil in Tsarist Russia, and Andor fleshes out other characters with attributes from the young Georgian's contemporaries. Among Andor's co-conspirators in the Aldanhi heist is Karis Nemik (Alex Lawther), an idealist writing a high-minded manifesto for the emerging resistance, similar to Bolshevik Leon Trotsky's polemics amid the opulent decline of Romanov rule.
Stellan Skarsgård's character, Luthen Rael, is an analogue for Vladimir Lenin, the Bolshevik leader who was able to form a powerful movement from unlikely bedfellows. A wealthy art collector, Luthen's precise manners in front of his gilded customers hide an uncompromising hatred of the empire and a restless desire to fund a growing resistance. In Cassian's talented, taciturn thief he sees a useful tool; Lenin saw the same in Stalin. "In 1911, people said to Lenin, 'Why are you using this guy? He's a gangster. He's had people killed. He was involved in all these bank robberies,'" says Sebag Montefiore. "And Lenin replies, 'He's exactly the type we need.' Stalin could edit a paper. He could write and could read. And he was also someone who could arrange a hit on somebody and arrange a bank robbery. That was what Lenin talked about: some people were tea drinkers, and other people were thugs, Stalin could do both, and that's why Stalin won in the end."
The birth of an empire
The research into historical rebellions – Gilroy has said he studied other revolutions while writing Andor, as well – has no doubt helped create the show's oddly realistic feel. Andor feels more down to earth than anything the Star Wars universe has shown us before, if you'll excuse the occasional spaceship roaring overhead, or an alien or two sitting in the local bar. There are flashes of mundane detail rarely scene in big-budget sci-fi. People complain that Andor's mother Maarva's (Fiona Shaw) house is always too cold. Security officer Syril Karn's (Kyle Soller) petulant intensity even extends to tailoring his uniform to make him look smarter than his contemporaries. The Imperial Security Bureau hoping to root out the emerging rebellion is a nest of competing ambitions that feels as real as anything in a historical drama – or in everyday office politik. There are fewer blaster-toting Stormtroopers than there are in the Star Wars films, and more sadistic, trenchcoated officers who would have been right at home in the Tsarist secret police, the Okhrana, or its Soviet replacement, the Cheka.
"In the past, Star Wars movies drop us in at a very big moment," says Walter Marsh, an Australian writer who praised Andor's grown-up worldview in The Guardian in 2022. "There's the big climactic battle, or Luke Skywalker's heroic journey, and they're these big themes of good versus evil. But as any historian will tell you, wars and empires and revolutions don't start and end overnight, and there's always this bigger backstory. There's this sort of long tail. It takes years for that kind of colonial rot, those systems of control, to set in."
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Andor shows the corruption and brutal entitlement found at every layer of autocratic regimes: the guards drinking in a brothel while they're supposed to be on duty (and prepared to shake down anyone they don't like the look of); the prison industrial system that requires constant additions even if the new prisoners have done nothing wrong; the subtle sabotage of ethnic pilgrimages to sacred land that is earmarked for imperial development. And with authoritarianism on the rise around the globe, Andor has as much to say about today's world as it does about Stalin's.
"When the show came out I think I was pleasantly surprised to see a story in that universe that was familiar, but which also approached this question of empire that's been so central to the whole franchise, but was never actually tackled in a really nuanced and human character-driven way," Marsh tells the BBC. "It's all well and good to have a big, evil Sith Lord achieve global, universal domination. But how does power assert itself on the street level, from one human to another?
"The Empire is this huge grinding, unthinking machine, but it's also a very human thing," Marsh continues. "Who are the people that find a place and thrive in those systems?" He remarks that in the original films the Imperials were little more than blank-and-you-miss-them pantomime villains: "British guys in suits getting choked by Darth Vader at some point, who are just fiddling with buttons in the background."
Andor's strength is its "three-episode arcs that showed us the kind of death by a thousand cuts that it takes to achieve this sort of social, political and economic dominance", says Marsh. "The converse of that is it shows all the ways in which that kind of oppression inspires pushback and resistance in all kinds of different ways."
From hero to villain?
The new season, which begins on Tuesday 22 April, will develop the rebellion's story as it rushes towards the events seen in Rogue One: the scenes of brutal Imperial reactions to a demonstration shown in the trailer evoke the Tsarist crackdown on a St Petersburg march in 1905, which was a slow-burning contributor to the Bolshevik revolution.
"The scavenger who becomes a passionate revolutionary leader is kind of fascinating," says Sebag Montefiore of the troubled Cassian Andor. "That's a great trajectory, because that's exactly what Stalin did. And it'll be interesting to see how deep Gilroy uses that – how far he goes to create a character with both heroic and villainous features."
George Lucas's original film trilogy rooted the rebellion in the classic good-guys-versus-bad-guys dynamic of countless Saturday matinee cliffhangers, the resistance modelled after anti-Nazi opposition in occupied Europe. The rebels of Andor inhabit a much more compromised reality; like real-life revolutionary movements, they are much more complicated than the ones we usually see on screen. Luthen, Andor's Lenin proxy, considers it with chilling deliberation in one of the first season's standout scenes: "I'm condemned to use the tools of my enemy to defeat them. I burn my decency for someone else's future. I burn my life to make a sunrise that I know I’ll never see."
As Sebag Montefiore notes, the revolutionaries themselves knew deep down that if they took power, they themselves would have to use repression as a tool; they would become what they once despised. "Lenin himself said: 'A revolution without firing squads is meaningless.'"
Andor season two is available on Disney+ from 22 April.
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As museums around the world celebrate the 250th birthday of JMW Turner, it's time to reappraise his beloved and celebrated painting, The Fighting Temeraire.
JMW Turner's The Fighting Temeraire became a national celebrity when it was first unveiled in 1839, and its fame has endured to the present day. It was once voted Britain's favourite painting and currently features on £20 banknotes. But the widely accepted interpretation of this iconic painting's message might, in fact, contradict Turner's true intentions.
The "Temeraire" of the title refers to a 98-gun warship of the British Navy, which is depicted in the painting's background. It was a hero in Britain's defence against France during the Napoleonic Wars, but it caught the nation's attention in 1838 when it was dismantled and its parts sold off. Turner's painting depicts this once-mighty gladiator of the seas being towed down a burnished River Thames by a much more recently invented steam-powered tugboat.
A brief segment in the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall captures a popular view about the painting. In the scene, Bond (Daniel Craig) meets Q (Ben Whishaw), his new head of research and development, in London's National Gallery, and they sit in front of The Fighting Temeraire. "It always makes me feel a little melancholy", says the young, tech-savvy Q, in a pointed jibe to 007, an old-school field agent. "A grand old warship being ignominiously hauled away for scrap."
This echoes the widely held belief that the painting evokes a sense of nostalgia and faded national glory. According to this view, the ghostly Temeraire is the painting's heroine, and the tugboat its villain. In the 19th Century, the English writer William Makepeace Thackeray referred to the smaller vessel as "a little, spiteful, diabolical steamer" and the American novelist Herman Melville called it "a pygmy steam-tug" by comparison to the "Titan Temeraire".
You can see why Turner's original audience may have sympathised with the humbled HMS Temeraire and been saddened by her fate. Back in 1804, she had played a critical role in blockading French ports and defending the British coast. But her finest moment came on the afternoon of 21 October 1805, in the Atlantic Ocean, just off the coast of south-west Spain.
At this pivotal hour, the Battle of Trafalgar, a deadly sea battle between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of Spain and France, was at its climax. Admiral Lord Nelson's flagship HMS Victory had led the attack but was being pummelled by the French vessel Redoubtable. Then, out of the cannon smoke, surged HMS Temeraire, followed by a war-hungry flotilla of British vessels. The Temeraire blasted the Redoubtable with her guns and endured a hailstorm of cannon volleys in return – an onslaught that lacerated the ship and spattered her decks with blood. But like a stalwart prize-fighter, the Temeraire weathered the bout. She valiantly protected her flagship and played a vital part in the British navy's ultimate victory in the Battle of Trafalgar.
Finding beauty in newness
Turner was 64 when he painted The Fighting Temeraire. He was born in 1775 in a down-at-heel area of London near Covent Garden but managed to enrol at the prestigious Royal Academy of Arts aged 14. He became an Academician at the precocious age of 24, and a Professor of Perspective when he was just 32. But although he rubbed shoulders with the great and the good, he refused to soften his Cockney accent or refine his manners. He was also fiercely entrepreneurial – he opened his own private gallery, sought wealthy patrons, and was always on the lookout for captivating and lucrative new artistic projects that might have widespread appeal. On one level, The Fighting Temeraire achieves his desire for broad popularity by harnessing people's sense of national pride.
But there's an even more important message to learn from the painting than its patriotism and sentimentality. It concerns that much maligned tugboat: the true focal point of the painting.
Steam power was the new mechanical wonder of Turner's age, and his attitude to this recent technology was much more complicated than Thackeray, Melville or Q recognised. In other Turner artworks, like Snow Storm – Steam-Boat (1842) and Rain, Steam and Speed (1844), you can see his fascination with modern machinery and its transformative influence on individual experience, the environment, and society as a whole. This is in stark contrast with Turner's great rival John Constable, whose parents were from the elite, and whose paintings tended to overlook some of the most seismic changes that were reshaping the British Isles at the time.
In Constable's iconic 1821 painting The Hay Wain, an archaic cart rolls gently away from the viewer into a bucolic English landscape. Turner's The Fighting Temeraire gives us the exact opposite, putting the spectator on a collision course with the unstoppable force of industry.
This reflected contemporary reality. At the time The Fighting Temeraire was painted, the Royal Navy was increasingly using steamboats for towing bigger vessels. Moves were already afoot to replace its sail-powered fleet with new steam frigates. But the demise of the Temeraire didn't reflect a routine upgrade in armaments. This was a one-of-a-kind revolution in seafaring. Sailors around the world had relied on wind-and-sail or oar-propulsion for thousands of years. Now, steam engines could allow seafarers to overcome the vagaries of gusts, shallows and tidal patterns – to supersede nature itself. The future was steam-powered, but how this was going to affect the future of transport, trade and naval combat was still anybody's guess in the 1830s. What Turner did know was that as far back as Homer's Odyssey, sailing functioned as a profound symbol of the life journey in art and literature. And so, by hitching the old and the new so unforgettably in his painting, he shows us a compelling metamorphosis – the beginning of a new, post-industrial lifecycle in human history.
Turner was awake to the responsibility of artists in times of irreversible historical change. For him, the age-old skill of depicting wooden sailing ships, their rigging, sails and ornately carved figureheads was becoming obsolete. The challenge for every artist (and every member of society) in the modern age, he realised, was to discover beauty and significance in newness, and in artefacts that had not previously been depicted in art, like iron funnels, pistons, valves, and paddle wheels. In The Fighting Temeraire, his rise to this challenge is captured in a very memorable and uncompromising symbol.
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Turner even adapted his painting technique to express the technological and social transformations in the world around him. He used newly invented paint hues like Lemon Yellow and Scarlet Lake in The Fighting Temeraire. Pigment analysis of the painting also indicates that he raided from his kitchen for substances to add his paint to achieve desired effects, like tallow, cooking fat or even salad oil.
His interest in new technology, and his search for innovative techniques with which to represent them, had a direct impact on the next generation of avant-garde painters. Claude Monet and Camille Pissarro were both wowed by Turner's art. An engraving of Turner's Rain, Steam and Speed (which depicts a train hurtling over Maidenhead bridge) was even displayed at the first Impressionist Exhibition in Paris in 1874 – a pivotal event in the history of modern art.
In 2025 various exhibitions will celebrate the 250th anniversary of Turner's birth, from Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool (Turner: Always Contemporary), to Turner's House in Twickenham (Turner's Kingdom: Beauty, Birds and Beasts), and from the Yale Centre for British Art, Connecticut (JMW Turner: Romance and Reality) to Tate Britain (Turner and Constable). But to fully appreciate this extraordinary artist, it's important to grasp the true meaning of his masterpiece, The Fighting Temeraire.
Frequently it's been accepted as a melancholy image, a forlorn lament for past glories and a lost way of life. But this misses its essential point. The Fighting Temeraire is really about transformation and the inevitability of change rather than nostalgia. The most important lessons to learn from The Fighting Temeraire are about Turner's attitude and outlook. It embodies his refusal to be daunted by newness or enslaved by traditional artistic values. His quest to find the beauty and grandeur of modern experience, and leave the past behind, is magnificently on display in The Fighting Temeraire. And these qualities are truly his lasting legacy to modern art.
The 250th anniversary of JMW Turner's birth is on 23 April 2025.
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Britain in the 1960s was captivated by the daring of the Great Train Robbery, and the sheer scale of the money stolen. But when the accused men stood trial in April 1964, the judge was determined to send a message that such crimes would not be tolerated. Fourteen years later, several of the convicts talked to the BBC.
On 16 April 1964, Robert Welch was one of the 12 men found guilty of a notorious heist in Aylesbury Crown Court. Fourteen years later, in 1978, he was on the BBC's documentary and current affairs programme, Man Alive, and recalled seeing local dignitaries jostle for positions in the courtroom to hear the sentencing. "This was what they had all come to watch. The climax of the play, the drama," Welch said. "And the medieval setting in which we were sentenced, you know, it was a bit chilling."
Welch and his fellow convicts had fallen a long way since pulling off one of the most audacious and lucrative thefts the UK had ever seen: the Great Train Robbery.
Welch and his co-defendants were part of a band who held up a Royal Mail night train travelling from Glasgow to London. The robbers had made off with £2.6m in used banknotes, a record haul at that time, and the equivalent of over £50m ($65.8m) today. At the time of Welch's trial, police were still hunting for three of the people they suspected had been involved in the crime.
To execute this carefully orchestrated robbery, 15 members of two of London's biggest criminal gangs had worked together, each tasked with a particular role in the plot. "They were regarded as the elite of the criminal world," Reginald Abbiss, who had covered the crime for the BBC as a young reporter, told the Witness History podcast in 2023. "You had to have a certain talent and audacity, certain abilities to be able to pull a heist of this magnitude and they came together because they needed a multitude of talent."
The daring robbery took place just after 03:00 on 8 August 1963. The first step the criminals had taken was to cut the phone lines to stop an alarm being raised. They then rigged the train signals to stay red. "They put a glove over the green light, they wired a cheap battery up to the red light and this, of course, meant the driver had to slow up," said Abbiss.
Seeing the red light, the train's driver, Jack Mills, stopped the engine, and his co-driver, David Whitby, climbed out to use the trackside phone to find out what the problem was. That's when Whitby discovered that the line had been cut, and he was set upon by masked men wearing boiler suits. In the meantime, a masked robber burst into the train's cab to restrain the driver. When Mills tried to put up a fight, another gang member hit him over the head, rendering him semi-conscious.
"The one glitch, if you like, was the fact that the train driver… tried to resist," said Abbiss. "One of the robbers hit him on the head with a cosh. A lot of blood and down he went."
The gang had been given inside information that the cash and high-value packages were held in the train's front two coaches. And because it was a Bank Holiday weekend, it would be carrying more money than usual.
One hundred and twenty sacks of money
Although there weren't any police onboard, there were more than 70 Post Office employees, mostly in the rear carriages, where they were busy sorting letters. The criminals who had already familiarised themselves with the train's operation and layout quickly uncoupled the two money-laden carriages. The plan was to detach them and drive them away from the steep embankment to a predetermined rendezvous where it would be easier to unload the bags of cash.
It was then they hit a problem. "They had a driver to drive the train, he couldn't get the train going, and they had to pull the original driver, Jack Mills, up from the floor and threaten him and say, 'Drive the train,'" said Abbiss. "He managed to get the train a mile up the line to where most of the gang were waiting, leaving the other eight or nine coaches with sorters happily sorting, totally unaware that the main part of the train had gone on ahead."
Mills, still bleeding profusely, was told to stop the two front carriages at Bridego Bridge. There, the rest of the gang broke into the carriages, overpowering the Post Office staff working in them, and forcing them to lie face down on the floor. They also brought in Mills and Whitby, who were handcuffed together.
The gang had decided that they would give themselves just 15 minutes to unload the loot and then leave whatever money was left. They formed a human chain and swiftly removed 120 sacks containing two-and-a-half tonnes of money into parked Land Rovers. After a quarter of an hour, the crew called time and ordered the terrified Post Office staff to stay still and not to attempt to contact the police for 30 minutes. Then the robbers drove off into the night.
The boldness of the theft and the enormous sum of money involved captured the British public's imagination. In the weeks that followed, the country was gripped by sensational headlines detailing the police's hunt for the perpetrators. But despite the meticulous nature of the robbery's planning and its skilful execution, within a year the majority of the criminal gang had been rounded up and were facing trial.
"Well, at first view, the job was a very well-planned job," ex-Det Supt Malcolm Fewtrell, who led investigations into the heist, told BBC News in 1964. "But in the event, it has been a disaster. They obviously weren't so clever as they thought they were."
The judge at their trial did not view the robbers' actions in the "romantic" way some of the public seemed to, saying that it would be "positively evil" if he showed the convicted men any semblance of leniency.
Crime and punishment
"I remember a shock wave ran through the courtroom when the judge, a man called Lord Justice Edmund Davies, handed down 307 years in the space of half an hour," Abbiss told BBC Witness History in 2023. At the time, the punishments they received for the robbery were some of the harshest in British criminal history, especially since nobody had been killed and no firearms had been used.
"I was just numbed, I couldn't think of anything but 30 years. When are we going to get out? We are never going to get out," one of the robbers, Tommy Wisbey, told Man Alive in 1978.
"I don't think it really hits you until a couple of days later and you realise what you've got," fellow gang member Gordon Goody said to the BBC. "I mean it was a bit of a joke downstairs, clowning around and all that kind of thing. But deep down, I suppose you were sick."
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The reason the judge gave for the severity of the prison terms was the assault on Mills. "Anybody who has seen that nerve-shattered engine driver can have no doubt of the terrifying effect on law-abiding citizens of a concerted assault by armed robbers," said Justice Davies at the trial. Mills never worked again and died in 1970 of leukaemia. His co-driver Whitby died of a heart attack the following year at the age of 34.
But there was also a sense, at least among the robbers themselves, that they were being disproportionately punished because the heist had embarrassed the British establishment. One of them, Roy James, said to the BBC in 1978, "At that moment, all the shame that was with me throughout the trial was lifted because I felt that Mr Edmund Davies then used his position as a High Court judge, used the backing of the state for vengeance. He put himself on a par with me and everything that he said I was."
"There was a feeling that Justice Davies came down particularly hard for two reasons," said Abbiss. "One was the violence shown against the train driver, and the other was that the establishment, the government, the Post Office and British Rail, the way that they were sort of caught with their pants down. It showed the establishment to be people perhaps who take their eye off the ball."
The criminals' notoriety only grew following their sentencing when two of the gang made dramatic escapes from prison. Charles Wilson, who had been the treasurer of the group, broke out of jail just four months after the trial. He was recaptured in Canada after four years on the run and served another 10 years behind bars. Ronnie Biggs escaped from London's Wandsworth Prison, 15 months after his sentencing, using a makeshift rope ladder. He underwent plastic surgery and lived at times in Spain, Australia and Brazil, evading arrest for nearly 40 years. In 2001, he voluntarily returned to the UK for medical treatment and served the rest of his prison sentence.
On the run
The law would also eventually catch up with the three gang members who didn't stand trial that day. Bruce Reynolds, considered to be the robbery's mastermind, spent five years on the run until he was arrested on his return to England. He was sentenced to 25 years in jail, but ended up serving just 10. His son Nick, who spent his early life on the run with his father in Mexico and Canada, would later have his own link to the outlaw lifestyle when his band Alabama 3's song Woke Up This Morning became the opening theme of The Sopranos TV series.
Ronald "Buster" Edwards, who was later played by Genesis singer Phil Collins in a 1988 film, Buster, fled to Mexico following the robbery. He gave himself up in 1966 and was released after serving nine years. James White, who acted as the quartermaster for the robbery, was caught in Kent and sent to prison after three years on the run. He was released in 1975.
Despite the lengthy jail time handed down, all the men convicted of the Great Train Robbery would end up being released early. None served more than 13 years for the crime – although many of them would return to prison for different offences in the years that followed.
As for the huge haul stolen during the robbery, despite the police in 1964 offering a 10% share for information that would lead them to it, the majority of the money was never recovered.
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A museum is set to reopen fully after a major refurbishment to enhance the visitor experience.
Tullie, in Carlisle, temporarily closed at the end of 2023 for a £4.5m revamp, and after a series of delays it partially reopened in November.
Visitors now have full access to its new exhibition space dedicated to Carlisle's "diverse and rich history", with themes such as wild, industrial and revolutionary.
The entrance has also been developed, and there is a cafe, shop and events space.
Funding came from the government's Town Fund and Future High Streets Fund, Arts Council England and Cumberland Council.
The Grade I listed Gatehouse has also been restored with funding from Historic England, allowing for its removal from the Heritage at Risk register.
The 130-year-old museum's full reopening was pushed back four times, after "complex" redevelopment work had overrun.
Items back on display include a 46ft (14m) fin whale skeleton - named Driggsby - which was discovered by a dog walker when it was washed up on the west Cumbrian coast in 2014.
Council cabinet member Anne Quilter described Tullie as one of Carlisle's "flagship attractions".
"These exciting developments will provide a lasting legacy for both locals and visitors, enriching the cultural landscape of Carlisle for years to come," she said.
Emmie Kell, from Arts Council England, added: "It's a pleasure to continue supporting Tullie in its mission to offer a vibrant and inclusive cultural experience to all."
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A photographic exhibition that highlights the impact of the ongoing war in Ukraine is on display in Bristol.
The exhibition, called Erased from the Face of the Earth, focuses on how the conflict has affected Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022 and can be seen at the M Shed until 20 July.
It has been organised by the charity Ukraine Aid and Welfare, with sponsorship from the charity's trustee William Maude-Roxby and with the support of the Embassy of Ukraine in the UK and Northern Ireland.
Antonina Grebeniuk, founder of Ukraine Aid and Welfare, said: "We strongly believe that its display is crucial for raising awareness among the British public."
Ms Grebeniuk added: "Many Bristolians have welcomed Ukrainian families since the beginning of the invasion, helping them rebuild their lives.
"They have expressed the utmost sympathy for the Ukrainian people, and this exhibition can't leave anyone unaffected by the destruction depicted in these images and the ongoing consequences of Russian aggression against Ukraine."
The exhibition features images showing damage to various regions, including Luhansk, Donetsk, Slobozhanshchyna and southern Ukraine.
The exhibition features thematic banners that contain QR codes linking to videos of destroyed villages and cities in Ukraine.
It has already been presented in several European countries, including Poland, Spain, Croatia and Bulgaria.
Erased from the Face of the Earth was first launched at Bristol City Hall as part of Ukrainian Independence Day celebrations in August 2024.
It was also on display in The Galleries as part of a pop-up exhibition in February 2025 and M Shed is hosting the exhibition for three months so that a wider audience has the opportunity to see it.
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A year-long festival celebrating 50 years of the Calderdale borough will come to an end this weekend, with the grand finale showcasing a series of light installations.
The Beacons event will see a UFO-like sphere shine in Todmorden, while a "searchlight spectacular" will light up the Old Flour Mill in Brighouse and a "halo of light" will be visible over Halifax.
April has seen 50 events in the CultureDale programme, marking every year since the metropolitan borough was formed in 1974.
Danielle Durrans of Calderdale Council said: "We knew we wanted something huge and memorable to give Calderdale the 50th birthday party it deserves, and the Year of Culture has certainly done that."
The light shows are the culmination of more than 350 events to have taken place during CultureDale.
The UFO-inspired piece, located at the Canal Basin off Burnley Road in Todmorden, is by local artist Aimee Grundell, who said people would "witness a fusion of mystery, light and sound".
The backdrop for the bright beams of Brighouse will be the ROKT Activity Centre in the Old Flour Mill.
Organisers said the beams would be visible for miles and would "dance and play" throughout the sky on Saturday and Sunday from 20:00 until 22:00 BST.
The sight would be a "celebration of Brighouse and its enduring spirit", the council said.
Meanwhile in Halifax, the sky across Beacon Hill will see a "halo of light" weaving patterns across the clouds.
Organisers have called it a celebration of Halifax - its landscape, heritage and spirit.
The Wainhouse Tower will also be lit up in colour.
Durrans, cabinet member for public services and communities, said: "CultureDale has showcased the borough's creativity, talent, distinctiveness and diversity, and will be part of its story for generations to come."
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A ceremonial bugler said when he received a call from comedian Joe Lycett to create a Birmingham anthem he thought it was a "wind-up".
Antonio Socci, a trumpeter from Perry Bar, Birmingham, was asked by the Brummie comedian to create a "fanfare tune" for Lycett's TV show, the United States of Birmingham.
The new series follows him travelling across the US and other countries to bring 18 different Birminghams together in a signed friendship agreement with the West Midlands city.
Mr Socci, 43, said he did not realise the song he created for the show would end up as something similar to a "national anthem".
He said the programme makers requested "a little fanfare", but that "it kind of grew and grew, and then all of a sudden it is now the United States of Birmingham national anthem," he said.
The tune, which will feature on the fourth episode of the Sky series, was played for the first time on BBC Radio WM on Thursday.
Mr Socci said the 30-second song contains the lyrics "Birmingham, 18 states together, friendships now forever, Birmingham united."
He has performed professionally on stage since he was five years old, after learning from his father, Antoine Socci who played in the Band of the Royal Regiment of fusiliers of Warwickshire.
"My father was pretty famous around the West Midlands for playing in a ballroom dance band for 60 years and he did all the big functions," he added.
"I learnt trumpet on the job, so I was probably one of the last generation to be out every night on a school night with my father's ballroom dance band, learning tunes."
Having studied Jazz at Birmingham Conservatoire and previously been a guest conductor with West Midlands Police Brass Band, Mr Socci was appointed Bandmaster of the Band of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, Warwickshire in 2019 and conducts them at engagements all over the Midlands.
He has also appeared on BBC's Songs of Praise and CBeebies, as well as performing as a ceremonial bugler for the National Memorial Arboretum and the City of Birmingham.
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Estate agents have started to market a 1930s seaside music and dance venue for sale - but have not listed a guide price to potential buyers.
Great Yarmouth Borough Council voted in March to sell the freehold of the Art Deco Ocean Room in Gorleston, after it closed in 2024.
A non-invasive structural report identified defects that could cost £800,000 to remedy, but warned that the cost could double if a full invasive survey was carried out.
Guy Gowing, senior partner at Arnolds Keys, said: "The building does require refurbishment and investment, but its wonderful location and rich history make this a very attractive prospect for serious players in the leisure and tourism sector."
Built in 1939 as the Floral Hall, the Ocean Room is a distinctive rotunda building, and for the past 50 years has operated as a night club and function venue.
It has played host to acts including Rag'n'Bone Man, Blur and Mike Tyson, and featured in the Richard Curtis and Danny Boyle Beatles-inspired film, Yesterday.
The 15,000 sq ft seafront building includes a 10,000 sq ft circular main entertainment area as well as bars and kitchens, and a large south-facing terrace accessed from the promenade and beach.
'Unique opportunity'
The venue is being marketed with potential in leisure, healthcare or nursery use, which are permitted under the existing planning permission.
But as well as expressing financial offers, interested parties will have to demonstrate they have sufficient funding in place to meet the cost of extensive repairs.
Mr Gowing said he had already received expressions of interest from local and national leisure operators.
He added: "This unique opportunity allows for the creation of a prominent bar, restaurant, or other leisure facility, enhancing Gorleston's appeal as a tourist destination.
"The property is being sold by Great Yarmouth Borough Council, who fully support its refurbishment and redevelopment.
"The landmark building offers the opportunity to create a 'key leisure venue which will add value to Gorleston's tourist offering' once it has been refurbished and redeveloped."
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Singer Amy Macdonald is approaching two decades in the music industry, but admits the disbelief at hearing her songs played on the radio will never go away.
The Scottish musician shared a moment on social media this week where she broke down after hearing her new song on BBC Radio 2.
The song, Is This What You've Been Waiting For, is her first single release since 2021, and she told BBC Scotland's Reporting Scotland News at Seven programme that her emotions took her by surprise.
"That was totally off the cuff," she said. "I knew the song was getting played on Radio 2 that morning, so I was always going to listen – it was the first play.
"I put it on and as soon as it started I got so overwhelmed.
"It's strange to me because I have been doing this for 18 years.
"I've heard my song played on the radio all over the world, and it still never feels normal."
Amy says she is glad it doesn't.
"For me it is still incredibly exciting and I still get such a buzz from hearing my songs on the radio – it is such a big part of what I do," she added.
The singer, from Bishopbriggs, near Glasgow, launched her new album and a European tour with a fashionable pop-up gig in Glasgow's Princes Square shopping centre.
She follows in the footsteps of other artists promoting new music with surprise gigs, but said she had to be convinced it was a good idea.
"Everybody seems to do this now – I've seen so many videos of Ed Sheeran appearing anywhere and everywhere this week and it's so cool.
"I thought, people love live music, I'll go out and play a few tunes for them and hopefully everybody goes away with a smile on their face."
Hundreds turned out on a Friday afternoon to see the singer, best-known for hits Mr Rock And Roll and This Is The Life.
And the live gig reflected the inspiration for the new song, and album.
Amy said: "It started off about my love of live music. I'd seen a load of amazing videos of U2 playing at The Sphere in Las Vegas and thought what an incredible venue that is.
"And it got me thinking about performing live and how nothing can really replicate that.
"It was basically a song that started off about my passion for performing and seeing live music and being in a crowd and just being part of that."
She is looking forward to touring after her last dates were hit by the Covid pandemic.
"My last album it was interrupted with cancellations and the constant rule changes so we kind of missed out on that so it feels like it has been a long time coming," she said.
"I am excited to be back in Glasgow and I've got loads of festivals this summer and then a big run of dates in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, all these European places where I spend so much of my time.
"But I am just grateful that I am able to do something I love and am able to get out there and see so many people."
The highlight is set to be her homecoming at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow on 12 December.
She said: "I have always flown the flag for Scotland and Glasgow and I have always felt very loved and love performing in Scotland – it's my home.
"We have the best fans in the world."
People say they have been left "heartbroken" after a decorative knitted post box topper created for VE day has been stolen.
Kingswood Town Council worked with local knitting shop, Yarn and Yardage, to produce the two elaborate toppers to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two.
In a post on Facebook, council bosses said they were "completely heartbroken" after a knitted Lancaster Bomber that formed part of one of the designs was stolen, and they are now calling for them to be returned.
"It's really heartbreaking because one person's spent hours doing that and everyone's been really excited to see the finished product," said Alice Twinn, from the council.
"The team and the local community are really upset that it's happened," she added.
"We've had messages from parents who take their children to see the toppers and they've been really disappointed to see that its been damaged in this way."
Toppers were also been created to celebrate Christmas, Easter and other big events over the last year - but this is the first time they have been significantly vandalised.
"When we started a lot of people said they would get damaged and we really wanted to challenge that because the community deserves nice things regardless of reputation and we've been really pleased that they've been so well respected," said Ms Twinn.
Carly Morrish is the owner of Yarn and Yardage and set up the yarn bombing group that made the topper.
"The team are already planning something to replace it and that speaks volumes of the people in this group because they will not be beaten," she said.
"Every time we have an idea we level up and draw on each others skills to make it bigger and better - our motto is that yarn will always win!"
The council said they have put in a request to the police for CCTV.
They have also invited anyone who is in possession of the stolen plane to hand it in to Yarn and Yardage where no questions will be asked.
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The ongoing closure of a theatre is having an "enormous" impact on a town, "denying children, actors and crowds a chance to use a professional playhouse".
Yeovil's Octagon Theatre in Somerset shut in April 2023 to allow for a £15m upgrade. But there have been multiple delays, with people waiting for Somerset Council to submit a revised business after the initial proposals were scaled down.
Rich Walters, vice chairman of the town's Civic Players, said: "Community theatre is not just a bit of fun, it feeds into the whole of society."
Somerset Council spokesperson said the authority remained committed to reopening the theatre, with work expected to be completed in 2026 or 2027.
The Swan Theatre is now the only community theatre open in the town, offering audiences a 131-seat auditorium and a stage.
A crowdfunder has been launched to help this volunteer-run venue upgrade while The Octagon is closed.
Mark Payne, chair of The Swan Theatre Company, said there is "a lot of appetite" for local people aspiring to break into the arts.
But, Mr Walters said there is now a shortage of performing arts space in the area.
He said: "All of us miss The Octagon - the opportunity to work at a professional theatre is amazing.
"A lot of people from this area who may have worked with societies have gone on to professional training and are now working as professionals in the industry."
He is concerned that the lack of theatre space will negatively impact young people.
"We all know the pressure on children these days is even more intense now and to have something like theatre to express themselves and meet other likeminded people... the impact cannot be underestimated," he added.
Both of the actors said that the closure of The Octagon has had an "enormous" impact on audiences too, with some productions unable to tour to the area because of a lack of space or availability.
A council spokesperson said they recognised the theatre's importance as an arts and entertainment venue.
They added that work is under way on submitting a revised business case to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
The refurbishment has been scaled down from the initial £30m plan, due to rising costs making the original project "unviable".
The timescale of the project is subject to a wider review with a newly appointed design team, but more clarity is expected "in the coming weeks".
Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts, lead member for communities, said: "The Octagon Theatre redevelopment is a pivotal project that will modernise the venue for the whole of Somerset, making it a hub for cultural expression."
Mr Payne added the closure is "a really sad thing for the town".
"We know that there's procedures to go through, but it's taken such a long time already," Mr Walters added.
"We want our Octagon back."
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A Dutch town hall has admitted that it "most likely" accidentally disposed of 46 artworks, including an Andy Warhol print of the former Dutch queen, during renovation works last year.
Maashorst municipality said the works, including a 1980s silkscreen print of Queen Beatrix worth about €15,000 (£12,800), disappeared during work on a town hall last year.
An investigation said the artworks were stored in a basement during renovations and a lack of guidelines for storing the artworks could have been among the reasons why they ended up being thrown away.
Mayor Hans van der Pas told public broadcaster Omroep Brabant: "That's not how you treat valuables. But it happened. We regret that."
A statement by the municipality on Thursday said the artworks were put into storage during work on a town hall in Uden - which is being incorporated into the neighbouring municipality of Landerd to form the Maashorst municipality.
"It's most likely that the artworks were accidentally taken away with the trash," they said.
A report by investigators found that some of the artworks were stored in wheelie bins in the basement and were "not handled with care", according to local newspaper Algemeen Dagblad.
The report concluded: "Ownership was not properly established, no policies and procedures were established regarding the renovation and insufficient action was taken when the artworks turned out to be missing."
It went on to say that a lack of guidelines for registration, storage, conservation and security of the artworks, were also contributing factors.
Local media reports that the 46 artworks altogether were worth around €22,000 (£18,800) and the Maashorst municipality said it was unlikely they will ever be found.
Queen Beatrix reigned as queen of the Netherlands from 1980 until she abdicated in 2013, when she was succeeded by her son King Willem-Alexander.
The Queen Beatrix print was part of Warhol's series Reigning Queens, which comprised of 16 colourful prints of four monarchs, including the late Queen Elizabeth II, Margrethe II of Denmark - who abdicated in 2023 - and Queen Ntombi Twala of Eswatini, previously known as Swaziland.
Warhol, considered one of the greatest artists of the 20th Century, created the prints in 1985 - two years before his death.
In November last year, Warhol prints of Queen Beatrix and Ntombi Twala were stolen - and abandoned - during a heist on a Dutch art gallery.
Local police at the time said thieves took four silkscreen prints from the MPV Gallery in the North Brabant province and fled by car.
But the portraits of Queen Beatrix and Queen Ntombi were later abandoned because they did not fit in the vehicle, NOS reported at the time.
A much loved pet that inspired the composer Edward Elgar has been honoured in a stone sculpture.
Dan the bulldog is the hero of Elgar's 11th Enigma Variation, but a wooden statue in Hereford installed in 2002 was looking a bit worse for wear.
With funding from Hereford Guild of Mayor's Guides, a new sculpture of Dan has been carved in local sandstone and will soon be back on the banks of the River Wye.
"It's amazing. For so long, when we've taken our walks along the river bank we've been a bit sorry to show people poor old Dan in his shabby state," said Angela Eaton from the guild.
"He was thrown into the river at one point and travelled downstream to Mordiford, where he was spotted by a local resident," Ms Eaton said.
"He installed him in his own garden and tried to hold Herefordshire Council to ransom for not looking after him properly."
The original Dan was a much-loved pet of the former organist at Hereford Cathedral, George Robertson Sinclair.
In 1898, he was walking along the River Wye with his friend Edward Elgar when Dan fell into the water.
All 14 parts of Elgar's orchestral work are inspired by one of his friends.
He dedicated the 11th to Dan and recreated the sounds of him falling down the bank, paddling upstream and celebrating climbing out with a bark.
The new sculpture has been carved by Saul Sheldon at Hereford Cathedral's Stonemason's Yard, a few metres away from where the real Dan lived.
"He's climbing out of the reeds, out of the river," said Mr Sheldon.
"If he was just sat there, gazing up at the clouds it would have been a bit easier I suppose but it's nice to do something a bit different.
"The old wooden one, he's been on his travels down the Wye.
"Hopefully this one will be much harder to tip over, that's for sure."
The new stone Dan has been funded by the Hereford Guild of Mayor's Guides, the Elmley Foundation, Hereford City Council and the Herefordshire Community Foundation.
He will be on permanent display on the Bishop's Meadow, opposite Hereford Cathedral.
The sculpture will be unveiled on 26 July to mark the opening of the Three Choirs Festival in Hereford.
The original wooden carving of Dan will be put on display at Hereford Museum.
Sheena Gough is 89 years old but she can easily lift her leg on to a ballet barre to demonstrate elegant dance moves to her class.
The ballet teacher, who trained in London and Paris, has pupils who travel hundreds of miles every week for her 90-minute lessons in Edinburgh.
But now the grande dame has decided to hang up her ballet shoes after a 72 year career.
BBC Scotland News joined her last class in the Stockbridge area of the city, where her students said it was the "end of an era".
Sheena enrolled at the Scottish School of Ballet in Grosvenor Crescent in Edinburgh when she was 14 years old.
By the age of 17, her talent had caught the eye of English ballet dancer and choreographer Anton Dolin - who begged her parents to let her be taught by Bolshoi-trained Olga Preobrajenska in Paris.
"Fortunately my parents agreed," Sheena said.
"I was really rather nervous, my parents took me over in the car and dropped me off at someone's flat in Paris and left me to get on with it.
"It wasn't even a school, she was just somebody that famous dancers from all over the world would go to to attend her classes, so it was a little bit daunting."
Margot Fonteyn - the Royal Ballet prima ballerina - was among Sheena's fellow pupils in the classes, which were conducted in French.
"She was sweet, I remember her having difficulty with one of the steps. It was all quite an adventure," Sheena said.
But it was when she moved to London that she badly injured her ankle while doing pointe work - where dancers perform on the tips of their toes - and her parents told her to travel back to Edinburgh while it healed.
There she helped with the teaching at her former ballet school during her recovery.
"And lo and behold I discovered I was far happier teaching than performing - and I've never looked back. I've been teaching ever since," she said.
Ian Johnston, 60, regularly makes a 200-mile round trip from Castle Douglas to join Sheena's lessons.
He first joined her class when he lived in Edinburgh in 1991. Now he brings his son, Sandy.
"I travel this distance every week because Sheena is one of a kind, her classes are inspirational and her teaching style is very exciting," he said.
Ian contacted the BBC through Your Voice, Your BBC News to suggest we tell Sheena's story.
"There is nobody else who teaches quite like her," Ian added.
"Her classes are notoriously tough and rewarding.
"It's going to be quite a shock not to have her anymore but I will hear her corrections in my head and her saying, 'Where's your face? Where's the join? Where's the excitement?' every time I do other classes in the future."
Ian's son, Sandy, added: "I can't tell you how much I will miss the classes, they are the best I have ever been to and unlike anything else.
"She doesn't let us away with anything, she notices everything, and she knows what you can aim for.
"I'm very sad she's retiring because you don't find many classes like these anymore."
Sheena said she decided to retire after worrying she might not be able to remain at her peak.
But she is not planning to have a rest.
"There is the garden and my house to tidy up," she said.
"I think I ought to make it easier for anybody who has to sort it out after I go."
Another pupil, data scientist Ryan Mcmanus, said it was the end of an era.
The 34-year-old, who travels more than 100 miles every week for the class, said: "It's the highlight of my every week to come along and have a great time learning how to do things and getting corrections.
"I have been to other classes and what I like about Sheena is she is very insistent on the fundamentals: on correct placement, correct posture, on correct technique.
"I've seen a vast improvement in me and it's entirely down to her correctness, which I really appreciate coming from a scientific background myself.
"I had tears in my eyes when the class ended, I'm so sad and I sincerely doubt we will be able to find anyone like her again."
Tracy Hawkes, a ballet dancer who owns the dance studio in St Stephen Street where Sheen's classes are held, said the teacher had left a wonderful legacy.
"She's certainly one of the grande dames in Scotland," she said.
"To have someone who has been through decades of change in style and methods of teaching but has continued to have been such a font of all knowledge and experience, to have someone who is nearly 90 still doing that is just amazing.
"I've been so proud to have her here at the studio and it's a very sad day now she's retiring."
Some of Sheena's pupils have gone on to the Royal Ballet, International Ballet and the British Ballet.
"One of my former pupils is about to move to the Scottish Ballet and when he heard I was retiring he was on the phone saying he wants private lessons, I'll get you tickets to come see me dance if you just give me some private lessons," Sheena said.
"So, it's meant to be the end - but we'll see."
Dorset's joint Towns of Culture for 2025 are set to begin 12 months of events with a launch party later.
Weymouth and Portland received a combined £60,000 from Dorset Council in funding as part of the new County of Culture scheme.
Every year, the initiative, run by the Arts Development Company, sees a different town, village or hamlet in Dorset named as the host, with last year's winner being Bridport.
The locally based not-for-profit arts organisation, B-Side, is working with both town councils to organise events for the next 12 months.
This evening St Nics Gallery in Weymouth will host what organisers called "an unforgettable evening of music, art and dance".
Activities from ballet and brass bands to natural history walks, film clubs, DJ nights festivals and more are expected over the next year.
Starting this weekend, there will be street performances in Weymouth Town Centre and a brass brand playing at the Portland High Angle Battery.
Reveal is the name of this year's scheme, because the board said it wanted to uncover creativity and change the way that people conceive of towns that sit in rural or coastal settings.
Director Rocca Holly-Nambi said: "Our communities have so much to offer creatively, and our places are rich with culture.
"We see this year as a springboard for working together, celebrating who we are, and putting in place solid foundations for a thriving cultural sector for years to come."
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As Radiohead and the RSC launch an innovative reinterpretation of Hamlet, a visit to the play's setting in Denmark brings a new dimension to the tragedy.
There's a cold wind blowing from the Øresund Sound as I stand on a platform in front of Kronborg Castle in Helsingør, Denmark, looking out to Sweden. At one end of the platform, a pillar-box red guard post stands beside a row of impressive cannons facing the strait. I'm not here for the view though: I'm looking for ghosts.
This windy spot is the exact location for the opening scene of Hamlet, Shakespeare's best-known tragedy. Here, two guards, Francisco and Bernardo, switch posts in the middle of the night and speak of the ghost of Hamlet's father. The castle behind me, a grand Renaissance pile built in 1574 complete with fairytale turrets, a moat and a grand banqueting hall, is where the rest of the lurid drama unfolds.
This year, the Royal Shakespeare Company is presenting no fewer than three variations on the story: a radical adaptation using Radiohead's album Hail to the Thief as its score (from 27 April); Fat Ham, a comic tragedy that transplants Hamlet's story into the Deep South (from 15 August); and a traditional take in Rupert Goold's production starring Luke Thallon (from 8 February). For context, the last time the RSC staged Hamlet was back in 2006.
"There's something in the air right now saying that the play has resonance," says Tamara Harvey, co-artistic director at the RSC, noting that all three producers had approached the RSC to stage their productions in the same year.
As a play that deals with themes of generational differences and changing world orders, not to mention the sense that "there's something rotten in the state of Denmark" – the idea that society's foundations no longer feel secure – it's hard to miss its appeal.
Today, nothing looks rotten in Helsingør – the modern-day name for Shakespeare's town of Elsinore. The sky is blue and the sun is glinting off a gold flag flying at the top of one of the turrets. I'm on a tour with castle host Louise Older Steffensen to uncover Kronborg's Hamlet connections. Our feet echo as we walk around the stone corridors and into the grand ballroom with its chequerboard floor and soaring wooden ceiling, as she tells me there is no evidence that Shakespeare ever visited Kronborg – but he certainly knew it well.
"We have contracts that tell us that Shakespeare's colleagues visited the castle," she says. "We know that the actors Thomas Pope, George Bryan and William Kempe were here for a season, performing plays for the Danish king. When they returned to England, they set up the Lord Chamberlain's Men, Shakespeare's company."
They may have brought back tales of what happened within its walls. A distinctive celebration is mentioned in the play: a toast followed by the bang of a kettle drum, a trumpet, and a cannon – and it comes from a tradition followed in the castle at that time.
In a dimly lit room next to the ballroom, the tapestries from that era are on display, their gilded threads depicting mythologised kings. Long curtains hang around the queen's bedchamber and around the castle, softening the sandstone walls, dampening sound and making it a fraction warmer – as well as providing opportunities for dramatic intrigue.
Visiting the castle feels like being immersed in the play, walking down the large gallery where the silk dresses of the ladies-in-waiting would have rustled into its beautifully preserved church. It's as if the play itself has come to life, and the castle plays up to that theatricality. In the summer, special tours invite guests to participate in Hamlet-inspired murder mystery-style tours, and in the autumn, Hallowe'en tours take place in the creepy basements. Nobody, to date, has seen the ghost of Hamlet's father – but there have been other ghostly sightings, according to Steffensen and assorted castle guides.
More clues about the importance of this castle to Shakespeare emerge as Steffensen gives me a history lesson. James I married Denmark's teenage princess, Anne, in 1589. When Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603 and King James ascended to the throne, England had a Danish queen.
"The first quarto – written very early in 1603 – is set in Denmark," said Steffensen, "but there are no specific locations in it. After Anne becomes Queen of England, we get references to the castle itself."
King James became the patron of Shakespeare's company and their name changed from "The Lord Chamberlain's Men" to "The King's Men" in 1603. Queen Anne's castle in Denmark became an important location for the royal family and thus gained a starring role in the play.
We climb to the top of the cannon tower, a large flat space in a corner of the castle. Views reach across the moat to the yellow barracks buildings around it and to the town beyond. It's in one of these barracks buildings, the former infirmary that is now the headquarters of the town's Shakespeare Festival, where I find out more about the legacy of Hamlet in Helsingør.
Lars Romann Engel, CEO and artistic director of HamletScenen, the castle's professional theatre body, welcomes me into a hallway-cum-gallery of Hamlet actors through the decades. In a who's who of Hamlets, black and white headshots of Jude Law, Kenneth Branagh, Sir John Gielgud, Derek Jacobi, David Tennant, Richard Burton and Christopher Plummer cover the walls and stairwell.
Hamlet played a part in reinventing this town into a cultural hub after its shipbuilding industry collapsed in the 1980s, as the municipality devised a way to create a producing theatre at the Unesco-listed castle. Engel set up the town's Shakespeare festival, which takes place at the castle every August, showing adaptations of Hamlet in many guises; previous shows have included Spaghetti Western versions, dark German variants by experimental theatre Schaubüne and a sell-out staging starring Jude Law.
As well as Hamlet, the festival typically also produces a lighter Shakespeare work, often with music and other events. Both plays are performed in the open air with the castle as a backdrop; tickets book out a long way in advance and the audience typically shows up with a picnic.
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A trained theatre director himself, Engel directed a very successful adaptation of Hamlet in 2008, set in the castle's courtyard with tumbledown walls and crumbling masonry – starring a young Claes Bang as Rosenkrantz – and, after a mutual decision with the local municipality, set up the festival following its success. He has been running and directing the event for the past 17 years.
"When you see Hamlet here, you know that you enter the myth," said Engel. "Now you are at the epicentre of it all. It's a special thing: it was actually here that it was written for."
Engel takes me on a tour of some of the other barracks buildings, ending in the Lapidarium, the sculpture storage room of the castle, where a full-size sculpture of Shakespeare sits beside a sleeping Viking warrior, Holger Danske. Danske is another significant figure for the castle: according to legend, when Denmark needs him, he'll wake up and come to its aid. A reproduction of this original model lurks in the gloom of the castle cellars.
Engel is in the throes of arranging this year's festival, which will take place 6-24 August and feature both Twelfth Night and Hamlet, performed by The Lord Chamberlain's Men, who take a classical Elizabethan approach to the works and perform with an all-male cast.
"This year we've taken a more classical approach," said Engel, "because right now the world is edgy. When we are a little afraid, we don't like it to be upside down and we want it to be more as we know it."
In testament to the endless ways the play can be reinvented, however, Engel also plans to put on Eddie Izzard's one-person Hamlet at the stage this year. It's often said that every minute of every day, Hamlet is being performed somewhere in the world. Shakespeare's most popular play in his lifetime has an afterlife, 425 years later, that surpasses all expectations.
"It's one of the greatest pieces of writing in the English language, dealing with the very nature of human existence," says Harvey. "A play wrangling with this fundamental issue with such complexity is always going to mean different things to different people."
Visiting Kronborg Castle, experiencing the "set" of the play in real life, certainly brings it to life. As I exit the castle, crossing the bridge over the moat, past the guardhouse to the grass fortifications around the castle, the sounds of marching feet echo through the sound system. I'm back in the world of the play, at the end of Hamlet, joining the march where the prince's body is taken away.
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From Korea's doenjang and gochujang to Hong Kong's XO sauce and East Asia's fish sauce, Asian cuisines provide hundreds of ways to flavour and season dishes.
Across Asia, myriad sauces add layers of flavour, depth and instant seasoning to dishes, far surpassing any measure of salt and pepper. From Korea's doenjang and gochujang to Hong Kong's XO sauce and East Asia's fish sauce, there are hundreds of different sauces on the market. Many of these have fermentation as a common thread, creating deeply complex flavours that are a result of patience and time. This article will guide you through some of the most common and how to use them.
XO sauce
This elusively named condiment originated in Hong Kong, with roots dating to the 1970s and 80s. "XO", which stands for "extra-old", is a nod to XO cognac – an aged liquor that often signifies wealth and prestige in Hong Kong. However, the semblance between the sauce and the cognac ends there, as there's no actual liquor in XO sauce. "XO" simply provides the connotation of luxury, hinting at the array of expensive ingredients within the jar.
The condiment, which is a staple of Cantonese cuisine, has foggy origins. Hong Kong's Sun Tung Lok restaurants have laid claim to its invention, though it's also said that it was first created in 1986 at The Peninsula Hotel's Spring Moon restaurant.
While there's no standardised XO recipe, the ingredients typically include dried scallops and shrimp, as well as garlic, red chillies and ginger. Some variations include Chinese dry-cured ham. The resulting sauce is mildly spicy, savoury and smoky. Use it as a condiment with subtly flavoured dishes such as noodles, steamed seafood like scallops and white fish, or on dim sum dishes such as rice rolls and radish cake. XO can also be used as a seasoning to braise meats and flavour vegetables.
Chinese and Japanese soy sauce
Originating in China about 2,200 years ago, the first known soy sauce recipe was recorded in an ancient Chinese agriculture text, with records showing that some of the first versions of soy sauce were closely linked to jiang, a soybean paste fermented with meat, millet and salt.
There are many varieties of soy sauces used worldwide, including Chinese light and dark soy sauce, Hong Kong sweet soy sauce, Japanese shoyu, Taiwanese soy sauce, Korean ganjang and Indonesian kecap manis. They all consist of the same main ingredients: fermented soybean paste, wheat, yeast and salt.
Chinese soy sauce is brewed in two primary ways: light and dark. Made from the first press of fermented soybeans and aged anywhere from days to months, light soy sauce is thinner and saltier than dark soy and is used in everyday cooking for a pop of flavour. Alternatively, dark soy is made at the end of the pressing process. It is thick, dark and sweet, as it often includes molasses or caramel. It's used sparingly to add colour and roundness to dishes like stir-fries, braises and marinades.
Japanese soy sauce (shoyu), is typically made with an equal ratio of soybeans and wheat, resulting in a mild, slightly sweet flavour. It has a long brewing time and as such, it's complex and rich. Tamari, which is often used in place of Japanese soy, is made from miso (fermented soybean paste), but without wheat, making it a rich, gluten-free option that can be used in a variety of dishes.
Sweet chilli sauce
This staple condiment is popular in many cuisines, but it's perhaps best known in Thailand where it is believed to have originated (there are conflicting stories of its origin). The sauce tastes as the name would describe – sweet and a little spicy. Primarily made of red chillies, rice wine vinegar and a sweetener like sugar or honey, sweet chilli sauce may also have notes of garlic, rice wine vinegar and fish sauce, depending on the producer.
Corn starch is usually added to create a slightly thick consistency that makes for a perfect dipping sauce served alongside crunchy, salty and deep-fried dishes such as spring rolls and chicken wings. It also makes a great glaze and adds punchy sweetness to stir-fries.
Oyster sauce
If you've been to a Chinese grocery store, chances are you've come across the Hong Kong sauce giant, Lee Kum Kee. Legend has it that oyster sauce was invented by Lee Kum Sheung in 1888 when he was boiling a pot of oyster soup and accidentally left it on the stove overnight. The next day, the soup was transformed into a thick, caramelised, gravy-like sauce — aka the oyster sauce we know and love today.
The sauce is rich, umami-filled and savoury with a hint of sweetness that's perfect for stir-fries, stews and dipping sauces. There are numerous brands on the market and even Lee Kum Kee makes two variations: original and panda oyster sauce. The "original" oyster sauce contains about 40% oyster extract while "panda" only contains 11%. Oysters naturally contain umami, which means the more oyster extract in your chosen sauce, the deeper and richer your food will taste.
Hoisin sauce
Hoisin sauce is a thick, sweet, savoury sauce popular in Cantonese cuisine. The word hoisin is derived from the Cantonese pronunciation of "seafood" – but there's no actual seafood in the sauce, nor is it typically eaten with seafood. Instead, hoisin sauce is used for vegetable and meat stir-fries or in marinades such as char siu, a Cantonese-style barbecue pork. It's also often served alongside Peking duck as a dipping sauce, and at Vietnamese restaurants it's used as a condiment for phó (soup with noodles and meat).
The main ingredient in hoisin sauce is fermented soybean paste, combined with thickening agents such as corn starch and sweet potato powder. Other ingredients include sesame paste, sugar, rice vinegar and spices such as red chilli peppers and garlic. While peanut butter is often listed in the ingredients of online recipes, there are no peanuts in traditional hoisin sauce.
Chinese black bean sauce
Fermented black beans (made from soybeans) were discovered in a tomb that was sealed in 165 BCE during China's Han Dynasty, making them the oldest known soy food. The fermented beans are a key ingredient in all-purpose black bean sauce, which includes soy sauce, garlic, ginger, vinegar and sometimes a sweetener like sugar. It's salty, pungent and umami-rich and a versatile ingredient/condiment that can be used in stir-fries and marinades. When used alongside aromatics, proteins and other sauces (such as soy sauce), the intense flavour of the black bean gets diluted, leaving a savoury richness that brings an unmistakable level of extra flavour to a dish. There are variations on the sauce (such as black bean garlic sauce and chili black bean sauce) that merge additional flavours into the fermented beans.
Gochujang
Korean gochujang is a thick, sticky, fermented red chilli paste that's savoury and spicy with an underlying sweetness. The red paste is made from gochu-garu (Korean chilli powder), glutinous rice powder, powdered soybeans, grain syrup, malt, salt and water. Traditionally, gochujang is made in the winter and fermented in sunlight for about two to six months.
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Gochujang is versatile and can be used as a punchy marinade for meats, dissolved into sauces and soups and added into dips. It's a popular condiment or dipping sauce for dishes like Korean fried chicken and bibimbap (a mixed rice dish) and tteokbokki (rice cakes). Heat levels differ between brands, so make sure to taste to adjust the amount you use accordingly.
Fish sauce
Fish sauce is an ancient condiment with roots dating back to Greece in 7th Century BCE, where it was made by fermenting small fish with salt. It's not very different in modern times, as it's typically made with anchovies or other oily fish, shrimp or even krill. It's a key ingredient in East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisines in countries such as Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam, as well as in Italy where it's called colatura. Popular dishes that owe their deliciousness to fish sauce include Thailand's pad thai (a stir-fried noodle dish) and tom yum (a hot and sour soup), Vietnam's nuoc mam cham dipping sauce and Laos' larb (ground meat salad).
To make the sauce, fish are placed in barrels with salt and left to ferment for about 12 to 18 months, resulting in a briny and fishy sauce packed with umami. While the sauce may smell overwhelmingly fishy at first whiff, the odour mellows when cooked, leaving behind a subtle, savoury flavour. Because the sauce is so pungent, small amounts go a long way, and it's advisable to taste and adjust the amount of sauce as you cook.
Add fish sauce to salad dressings, stir-fries, soups, marinades, braises and even pasta sauces for an added layer of complexity.
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An airline has apologised for travel disruption after some flights were delayed or rescheduled due to maintenance.
Blue Islands, which operates in Guernsey, has been carrying out the maintenance following engineering inspections.
The company said it apologised for any inconvenience and said it is "working around the clock" to return to normal operations.
Services should be fully resumed on Saturday and Sunday, it added.
They added: "Every decision we make is driven by our unwavering commitment to the safety and comfort of our customers and crew.
"Our teams are working around the clock to return to normal operations as quickly as possible."
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Gatwick Airport has said it will accept stricter limits on aircraft noise and has put forward what it called improved plans in response to the government's approval for a second runway.
Last month Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said that she was "minded" to give consent for the airport to bring its second runway into use.
Gatwick has now responded to the Secretary of State's letter with what it called an "improved noise scheme for local residents."
The airport also said it accepts a requirement to have 54% of passengers using public transport before it brings the Northern Runway into operation - but it needs support.
Gatwick said it needs help from third parties, including the Department for Transport, to support delivery of the conditions and improvements required to meet the target.
This would include reinstating the full Gatwick Express train service, the airport said.
It also said if the 54% public transport target is not achieved then an alternative cars-on-the-road limit should be met instead.
If neither the public transport mode share or the cars-on-the-road limit are met, then the second runway would be delayed until £350m of road improvements have been completed, it said.
The airport has also responded to the Secretary of State on a number of other matters including measures to strengthen sustainable design and reduce emissions.
'Grown sustainably'
Stewart Wingate, CEO of London Gatwick said: "This project represents a £2.2bn investment, fully funded by our shareholders and it is essential that any planning conditions enable us to make full use of the Northern Runway.
"We are confident that our amended proposals will allow us to grow sustainably and meet passenger demand, while addressing the matters raised by the Secretary of State in her letter, including noise and environmental impacts."
The Secretary of State is expected to make a final decision by 27 October.
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People staying overnight in Liverpool will have to pay a "tourist tax" after hoteliers voted in favour of plans to introduce one.
A ballot by Accommodation BID, which represents 83 hotels in the city, found that the majority supported the idea of a £2 City Visitor Charge.
Accommodation BID, which also represents serviced apartment providers in Liverpool, thinks the levy will raise £9.2m over two years, of which £6.7m will go towards supporting the city's visitor economy.
Liverpool BID Company, which manages Accommodation BID, said the levy would "turbo charge" the city's tourism and visitor economy when it comes into force in June.
The charge will be managed and administered by hotels and serviced accommodation providers, either when guests check in or at the end of their stay.
Money raised under the scheme will be administered by Accommodation BID.
Liverpool BID Company includes two business improvement districts in the city centre and represents more than 800 businesses in Liverpool.
For an overnight visitor charge to be implemented in England, a clear and transparent business plan must be provided for how the money raised will be spent.
Of the 83 hotels in Liverpool balloted about the visitor charge, 59% were in favour, on a turnout of 53%.
'Major investment'
Marcus Magee, chair of Liverpool's Accommodation BID, said the ballot was a "major step" in enabling the city's hospitality sector to have a say and an influence on decisions about the visitor economy.
This, he said, was "crucial to the vibrancy and economy of the city".
Bill Addy, chief executive of Liverpool BID Company, said the £2 levy would help Liverpool attract bigger events which, in turn, would bring more visitors and money to the city.
"We have always said the industry should have their say on whether they want this levy to come in, as they are administering it," he said.
"The evidence of other European cities suggests this model will translate overnight stays into major investment, so that we can convert that into world-leading and world-beating events."
In April 2023, Manchester became the first city in the UK to introduce a "tourist tax".
The City Visitor Charge - a £1 per room, per night fee - raised about £2.8m in its first year.
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Tourism businesses have said it has been the worst start to a tourist season ever.
They blamed DFDS's sailing schedule for a drop in day trippers, which they say does not give French tourists enough time to spend in Jersey.
Constable Marcus Troy, who is also a hotelier, echoed the sentiments by telling the States Assembly it had been the worst start to a season for hospitality "in living memory".
DFDS said 6,000 people travelled with them over the Easter weekend, adding that data from Visit Jersey suggested room bookings were consistent with last year.
The Jersey Hospitality Association acknowledged that while things had been difficult there were plenty of encouraging signs.
But Jon Morgan, who sells coach tours, said: "It's been the worst start to any tourism season I've been involved with.
"It's the poor scheduling of the St Malo ferry - the day trippers don't get long enough here.
"I've been told by French visitors when they go into the tourist office in St Malo they tell them to go to Guernsey instead because they get longer in Guernsey."
Jane Van Loock agreed that the ferry schedule had led to it being the worst start to a season ever.
Ms Van Loock said, "We are seeing a lot less day trippers coming from St Malo, obviously now with the restrictions of timetables. I understand the St Malo boat is only coming on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday."
"We are also very isolated from Guernsey and so we are not seeing day trippers from there either."
The slow start to the season has also been raised in the States Assembly.
Speaking to the BBC after the States Assembly sitting, Constable Troy said: "I'm a hotelier myself and I'm feeling the pinch.
"DFDS were unable to publish their schedule early enough. A lot of hotels have lost a lot of group bookings through the summer because group bookings from the UK have cancelled.
"The early season which has basically been taken care of by a company called Morvan Fils which is backed by Condor provides Jersey hotels with a significant amount of business in the early season and late season and that has disappeared completely."
Marcus Calvani, from Jersey Hospitality, acknowledged that some parts of the tourism sector were having a very difficult time but said there were encouraging signs from the data.
Mr Calvani said: "Hotels that partake in international data processing that comes back to Visit Jersey shows thing are not that bad so there is a positive side to it.
"There is a lot of geopolitical situations going on that is effecting people's travel and as a destination we are holding our weight for once which is good news."
He also defended DFDS's day trip schedule for visitors coming from France.
"If you look at this weekend, the French are spending about 10 hours on the island when they get here - that's the same if not more than past years," he said.
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Long associated with swim-up bars and endless beach time, all-inclusive resorts are rewriting the rules to meet the changing expectations of post-pandemic travellers.
When international travel resumed following the easing of Covid-19-related restrictions in 2022, Gregor Nassief, owner of Dominica's Fort Young Hotel and Dive Resort, was preparing for what many were calling the era of "revenge travel". With demand surging for all-inclusive holidays, he considered launching simple, one-stop-shop holiday packages. But he quickly realised that Dominica – nicknamed the "Nature Island of the Caribbean" – is not your typical beach destination.
"Travellers who come here don't want to do the fly-and-flop, where you sit at the beach and do nothing else," says Nassief. "People come here to explore Dominica. It would be impossible for an all-inclusive offering to succeed here if we don't include the island."
Nassief's realisation is part of a broader shift in resort travel. Long associated with swim-up-bars, buffets and endless beach time, all-inclusive resorts are adapting to meet the changing expectations of post-pandemic travellers. Many now crave both ease and adventure, seeking a frictionless stay with access to meaningful local experiences. From guided hikes and cultural outings to restaurant dinners and self-drive excursions, the all-inclusive model is expanding to include more of the surrounding destination. The shift, which began in earnest around 2022, continues to evolve in 2025 as more travellers prioritise connection, authenticity and exploration – all from the comfort of a five-star resort.
Nassief's "island inclusive" package launched in January 2022, offering guests not only full board and airport transfers, but a daily land or sea group excursion such as a trek to the spectacular waterfalls at Trafalgar Falls or a guided visit to lively Roseau Market. Despite requiring a five-night minimum booking and a significant upcharge (the island-inclusive package is $456 per person per night based on double occupancy, while the room-only rate starts at $302 a night), the programme now accounts for 30% of the hotel's all-inclusive leisure bookings.
A similar model drew Manila-based lawyer Kathrina Sadsad-Tamesis to Nay Palad Hideaway on Siargao, a recently trendy island in south-eastern Philippines, in 2024. With rates starting at $900 per person per night, a stay at the luxury resort includes made-to-order meals, massages and private off-property excursions like surfing classes, paddleboarding along nearby mangroves or visiting the picturesque Magpupungko rock pools.
"I like the fact that you don't need to check prices once you're there," Sadsad-Tamesis says, adding that she would love to see more resorts offering similar packages that build outings into their rate. To her, it encourages a more active trip. "You don't need to think about what you are going to eat, you don't have to plan your activities, because they planned it all for you.
"Sometimes planning is the hardest part," she adds, "so if the resort is already including activities, it is easier to participate."
This blend of ease and engagement appeals to many travellers. A'Rielle Thomas, a family and honeymoons specialist at Fora Travel, estimates that 50% of her all-inclusive clients are now looking for experiences beyond the resort gates. "They don't want just a flop-and-stop vacation. They want to interact with locals and with the destination," she says. Thomas believes that it's an opportunity for resorts to reimagine the guest experience – and tap into a new demographic of travellers who want the best of both worlds: a great beach resort and an opportunity for adventure.
"This is a blind spot for many resorts, because for a long time, getting guests offsite hasn't been their focus," she explains. "If I'm staying at a resort but they offer a transfer and a guide to see Chichén Itzá, that's a totally different value proposition and will be more enticing to someone who might not want to sit at a beach the whole time."
But the excursions don't have to be as involved as a visit to a historical site or a day of island hopping. For some, a change of scenery for a meal could be enough, which is why Sandals launched their Island Inclusive dining programme in 2022 at Sandals Royal Curaçao. The initiative offers guests in select room categories dinner at a local restaurant, complete with transfers and a $250 dining credit. According to Jessica Shannon, chief experience officer at Sandals, this has been a wildly popular perk with a vast majority of qualifying guests taking advantage. The company now plans to bring the activation to the entire Sandals portfolio of 17 resorts.
Off-site meals are just one part of the Local Discovery initiative at Ikos Resorts, which operates seven hotels in Mediterranean hotspots like the island of Kos and the historic city of Marbella. Introduced in 2015, the initiative encourages guests to explore some of Europe's most beautiful regions for no extra cost. In addition to lunches or dinners at seafood taverns and family-owned eateries, visitors can also borrow a car for independent rides through the Costa del Sol or Mallorca's hilly interior. The Museum of Asian Art on Corfu, Pablo Picasso Museum in Marbella and Akrani winery on Kos are just some of the venues included in the brand's Culture Pass programme, which offers Ikos guests free access.
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Meanwhile, in 2023 Paradisus by Meliá unveiled their "Destination-Inclusive concept" for guests staying in higher rooms categories, which adds off-resort experiences to the all-in packages at many of their resort locations, from Los Cabos, Mexico, to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and Gran Canaria in Spain. At Paradisus Palma Real Golf & Spa Resort, a guest might be whisked away on a catamaran to practice yoga on an unspoiled beach. At Paradisus by Meliá Gran Canaria, meanwhile, staying in a superior room can include a guided hike around Roque Nublo or a visit to the Banana Museum.
According to Paula Forero, general manager of Paradisus Palma Real, hoteliers are learning that the needs of today's travellers – even those who are booking all-inclusives – have shifted as a result not just of the pandemic but also of social media. Now that travellers can easily consume content about the destinations of their upcoming vacation, they're feeling more intrepid, not wanting to miss out on the sights and sounds of the places they're scouting on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
"Before, travellers were OK with spending seven days at a hotel, resting, enjoying, eating, not thinking," Forero explains. "Now, no. Guests are more curious, because they have access to more information. They want more experiences, more adventures."
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Once emptied of wildlife, South Africa's Babanango Game Reserve is now home to the Big Five – thanks to a bold rewilding project led by Zulu communities and global conservationists.
Daybreak filters through the fever trees and umbrella thorns of South Africa's White Umfolozi River Valley, splintering orange light across a puckered grassland teeming with newly arrived wildlife. Bumping atop rough roads in an open-sided safari vehicle is field guide Eduan Balt, who's "reading the bush newspaper" – studying fresh prints on dirt trails for signs of apex predators.
Balt drives along some of the valley's 600km of roads – many built in recent years – passing bomas (enclosures) holding quarantined buffalo and a pond where hippos with giant jowls yawn into the morning air. The smell of wild anise wafts over the vehicle as it careens toward the valley floor. Then, suddenly, a lioness darts across the golden grassland to our left, muscling her way to a fallen tree where three kitten-like cubs bound into view.
These are the first lions born in this part of KwaZulu-Natal province in at least 150 years. Lions, like most native animals, became locally extinct in the decades following the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, after which the British Empire gained control of the region, turning it into farmland. Zulu communities got large swathes of it back during the land reforms that followed the fall of apartheid. But after decades of cattle grazing and illicit hunting, the area was largely depleted of wildlife.
That changed starting in 2018, thanks to an innovative collaboration between philanthropic investors, local NGOs and three Zulu community trusts, who leased lands to create one of the most ambitious rewilding projects in South Africa in more than a decade. The 20,000-hectare Babanango Game Reserve has welcomed nearly 4,000 medium- to large-sized animals since the process of game translocation – and remediating landscapes – began, in earnest, five years ago. Many, like the lions, have reproduced. So, there are now about 5,000 wild animals roaming a landscape they were largely absent from for more than a century.
German philanthropists Barbara and Hellmuth Weisser invested nearly 1 billion rand (£42.5m) to rewild these animals. They also bankrolled the tourist infrastructure that should support Babanango's future operational costs. "I don't know of anyone else doing something quite like this," Hellmuth tells me over dinner at the Zulu Rock Lodge, one of four safari lodges now spread across the park.
The 77-year-old – a former energy executive and keen photographer – has been visiting southern Africa since the 1980s. In retirement, he and his wife wanted to find a place for a park that would uplift communities while restoring biodiversity. "The problem for us is that there was no supermarket for finding projects," he recalls.
Babanango is south of Kruger National Park in a poorer region of South Africa closer to Durban than Johannesburg that wasn't historically a safari destination. It appeared on Hellmuth's radar only because the NGO Conservation Outcomes had identified a community trust, Emcakwini, looking for a partner to lease its unpopulated lands.
Hellmuth visited Babanango in 2017 and says he fell in love with its wild topography, including the boulder-strewn hills that tumble down 700m from our hilltop perch at Zulu Rock. "We didn't want to buy somewhere where there was an existing project that had been run into the ground," he recalls. "When we got here, we found a landscape that was extremely interesting."
In 2018, the Weissers signed a contract with the Emcakwini Community Trust. Two smaller neighbouring trusts, Esibongweni and Kwa Ngono, came onboard in 2019 and 2020 respectively. All told, about three-fourths of the game reserve is now leased from these communities, who earn a rental fee and share ownership of the animals. The community trusts will also receive 25% of park profits when the project becomes solvent.
Babanango transformed into a Big Five game reserve in record time, but the process was not without its challenges. First, there was the 2,600 cows, 300 goats and 35 donkeys that the community trusts promised to remove from the land; something that didn't happen for more than three years. Then, in 2022, finally free of livestock, the park could complete its 81km perimeter fence, though much of what was initially laid was cut by ranchers and poachers. A majority of the wild animals arrived beginning in late 2022.
"It was very important, becoming a nature reserve, that we have species that were endemic to the area," explains Chris Galliers, conservation manager at Conservation Outcomes, which consulted on the project. "A number of species were completely removed from the system; others like kudu, bushbucks and warthogs were still there in low numbers, but we needed to top them up for genetic purposes."
A few leopards roamed the land, too. Yet, rhinos, buffalo and lions were all reintroduced between May 2022 and March 2023. Elephants were the last of the Big Five to arrive in June 2023. "It was a big milestone," says Galliers. "It symbolised that everything we had to do to get to that point had been done correctly."
All rewilded animals live in bomas for several months before release to control for diseases such as foot-and-mouth. Most come from similar habitats to ensure they'll adapt and climatise as quickly as possible. There's also intense monitoring to ensure the balance of predator and prey remains intact. Efforts to discourage poaching include dehorning the rhinos (a procedure that conservationists use to increase the species' survival rates), which I spot my third day at Babanango behind fanning candelabra trees.
Galliers is the first to acknowledge that the park is a massive disrupter for the region. "People have, for a large part of the past 200 years, been trying to get rid of these animals because of the threats they posed," he says. "Now, the animals are sitting on their doorsteps again. So, it's quite a thing to try and understand."
On my fourth and final day, I travel beyond the fence line, past browned fields trampled by cattle, to the village of Denny Dalton. Here, I meet with Thina Nyathi, manager of the African Habitat Conservancy Foundation (AHC), a registered public benefit organisation that supports Babanango with its community development work.
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Nyathi, who was born in KwaZulu-Natal and is a native Zulu speaker, shows me one of the 17 solar-powered boreholes that AHC built to bring running water to neighbouring communities. She also tells me about AHC's efforts to remove invasive plants, such as black wattles, which suck up the region's groundwater. "We see the direct impact this has on water scarcity because there are streams that were not flowing that, all of the sudden, are flowing again," she explains.
The foundation works with communities within a 10km radius of Babanango's fence line on everything from conservation education to agricultural support. It also runs vocational training, including classes on ceramics and Zulu beadwork so that the lodges in Babanango can sell crafts that uplift local artisans. "It's about teaching someone to fish, and not just giving them the fish," Nyathi says. "Working together means we also understand what their challenges are and support them to get to a point where they no longer need our help."
About 75% of the staff at Babanango comes from the surrounding communities, and for many, it's their first salaried employment. Dudu Ngcobo, who works as part of the park's ecological restoration team, sent her two daughters to university, which for Nyathi demonstrates the ripple effects of higher-paying job opportunities.
The park hires locally for short-term projects, such as land rehabilitation, which helps build a greater understanding of the reserve's potential paybacks and long-term impact. The hope is that Babanango can become a kind a blueprint for other conservation areas on locally owned landscapes. "Done right, we are able to have quite a big benefit on the environment," Nyathi says, "but also the communities that surround it."
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In the male-dominated world of Delhi's kabootarbazi, one woman's passion for her birds has earned her respect, admiration – and a place in the sky.
As dusk descends on Old Delhi, the bustling streets grow even more crowded, with pedestrians inching forward through jam-packed streets and auto-rickshaws honking impatiently. But above the chaos, a quieter ritual takes flight. On rooftops across the old quarters, kabootarbaaz (pigeon keepers) release their cherished flocks into the sky. Whistles pierce the air and calls echo from rooftop to rooftop. And the birds respond, transforming the skyline into a swirling spectacle.
Pigeon keeping in Old Delhi is more than a pastime; it's an umbilical cord to the identity of Old Delhi that's rooted in the city's Mughal heritage. "A kabootarbaaz takes immense pride in their pigeons," says Ratnendu Ray, who conducts heritage walks in Delhi for the Indian National Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage (INTACH). "It's a sense of self, cultural identity and belonging."
A living legacy
The tradition of pigeon keeping, known as kabootarbazi, dates to ancient times, tracing its roots to the era of the Mahabharata (between 400BC and AD200) when the birds were kept in palaces to entertain royalty. "Women of the court would often sit in their jharokhas (balconies) and watch the pigeons in flight," says author and historian Rana Safvi.
However, she explains, it was under the Muslim rulers that this pastime evolved into a popular sport.
"The sport reached its zenith under Emperor Jahangir, who likened kabutarbaazi to ishqbaazi (the art of love) and brought expert pigeon trainers to Delhi, elevating the tradition to a new level of refinement."
Thousands of pigeon keepers across the city carry on this tradition, rising through the ranks from shagird, or trainee, eventually rising to be a khalifa. "[They are] finally recognised by the fraternity as an ustaad – the highest level one can attain," says Ray.
The only woman in the sky
While kabootarbazi is traditionally a man's job passed down from father to son over the centuries, Shaheen Parveen has the distinction of being the only female pigeon keeper in Delhi.
In the neighbourhood of Khawaja Mir Dard Basti, Parveen transitions through various roles in a day, from devoted wife to mother to grandmother. However, as soon as she is alone, she climbs up the bamboo stairs that lead to the rooftop of her house, high above the crammed lanes where men savour kebabs frying in small eateries.
She starts her day inspecting her more than 100 pigeons, ensuring that each one is healthy before feeding them a custom grain mix. She then trains them through timed flights, using whistles or claps for recall. Evenings involve roll calls and nest checks; she also perfects their skills for competitions.
A voice above the rooftops
At sunset, Parveen's voice stands out from the myriad calls of men echoing for pigeons. As she raises her voice to the highest pitch, people peer out of their windows and from their terraces to catch a glimpse of their favourite pigeon keeper.
Being a kabootarbaaz is both tradition and passion, and Parveen says that spending time with the birds brings her a sense of peace and tranquillity. "If I don't spend time with them, I feel sick; they are like my children," she says.
Breaking barriers
Parveen's rise to the respected status she now holds within the male-dominated community has been far from easy.
She credits her father for her love of the sport. "Every day after returning from school, he would take me to the rooftop to see his pigeons and that is when my love for the birds began," she says. However, she had to contend with the disapproval of her brother, who forbade her from pursuing the hobby. Later, she faced criticism from others who claimed it was unbecoming for a woman.
However, she persisted, driven by her love for the birds. "When your skills are praised and the community respects you for them, you feel uplifted, then the voices of those who speak against you don't matter," she says. "Let people say whatever they want to, I will continue doing what I want and what gives me peace."
Respected in the community
Parveen has earned widespread respect across the community for her talents. "People see the visit of an experienced pigeon keeper to their roofs as a blessing; I receive many offers from people requesting me to bless their pigeons," she says with a smile. However, she usually declines these offers: "I don't get time from my own pigeons; also it is tiring."
Experienced pigeon keepers like Mohsin Ustaad take out time from their busy schedules to support Parveen with feed and medicine, expenses that she sometimes struggles to afford. "I came to her terrace because I respect her and have admiration for her skill," says Mohsin. Parveen smiles shyly: "It costs thousands of rupees – thankfully Mohsin helps us."
A celebrated champion
Parveen's biggest triumph came when her pigeons won a major local race that drew hundreds of ustaads and hobbyists from Old Delhi and beyond – many of whom had trained their birds for months or years in preparation. In the race, the pigeons were released from a remote location and had to find their way back home. Judging was based on speed, endurance and how well the pigeons responded to their ustaad's calls.
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Race winners are awarded trophies, cash prizes and immense respect within the kabootarbazi community. Afterwards, scores of pigeon keepers presented Parveen with gifts. "Some even gave me money. It was like India had won the World Cup, some put garlands on me, I was nervous and happy," she says, showing videos and pictures of the event.
"People recognised her, she got more respect," her daughter adds.
A rooftop attraction
Pigeon keeping has also become an attraction for travellers visiting Delhi, who are intrigued to see a way of life they may have seen in Bollywood movies but never witnessed for themselves.
Kabootarbaazi, Ray says, is governed by a rich set of social structures, unspoken rules and codes of conduct. "Pigeon-keepers often operate within specific territories, usually based around their neighbourhood or rooftop," he explains. "Venturing into territory of others is seen as disrespectful. There are also competitions and tournaments; witnessing all of it is a traveller's delight."
His heritage walk Prayer, power and pigeon: A heritage walk and kabootarbaz introduces visitors to this world, walking through the winding alleys between houses and watching the birds soaring through the open city skies.
Social media spectacles
Content creators are also flocking to Old Delhi to capture the sight of the birds soaring and swirling in the sky. As they climb up to the terraces, seasoned pigeon keepers spring into action. They tighten their grip on the mesh used to guide the birds mid-flight with swift, practiced motions; they whistle, clap and call out in rhythmic chants.
The pigeons, mid-flight, respond in unison, veering back toward home, their wings slicing through the air in a synchronised dance. "I've been following pages of pigeon keepers on YouTube and other platforms for some time now," says Imran Ahmed, who came to take photos for his social media platforms. "Today, I'm glad to finally be among them, capturing photos and being photographed alongside these beautiful birds."
An enduring bond
As the day ends, Parveen climbs to her terrace and lets her birds out. When they reach a certain height, she calls them to return. They respond right away. "I train each bird to recognise my voice, to know my call and trust me. It's a bond that you can't build overnight," Parveen explains, adjusting her pigeons' feed.
Though not an official ustaad yet, her skill and status are undeniable. "These birds feel my moods, and I feel theirs," she says, smiling. "In this world of feathers and sky, they know me as I know them. That's something no one can take from me."
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She jets around the world for her high-profile beauty career, but her heart is in Seoul. Here are her top K-beauty experiences in town, from face lasers to body scrubs.
For Chriselle Lim – style guru, digital creator and creative director of PHLUR fragrances – self-care is a way of life. Especially when she visits South Korea, the birthplace of the viral "K-beauty"– beloved for its multi-layer "glass skin" skincare regimens and high-tech sun creams.
"Beauty and self-care in Korea is a daily thing," says the fresh-faced and flawlessly stylish Lim, who spent her formative years in the glamorous South Korean capital and returns with her daughters each year. "It's not about hitting a certain age and then taking care of your skin. You just do it since you're a very young girl. As we're trying to reverse [sun damage] here in the States, in Korea, the women have been taught to protect themselves early on. We were always embarrassed about our moms taking us around in their crazy massive sun hats and their gloves. But now I get it. I've become that lady."
While innovative Korean products like collagen sheet masks continue to dominate the international market, Korea is also seeing an uptick in beauty tourism. Consumers can visit "skin clinics" for medical aesthetic treatments powered by ultra-modern Korean technologies; often not yet approved by the FDA. Adding to the appeal, patients can get several treatments – from Botox to Titanium skin lifting to liquid laser sun spot removal – in one sitting with jaw-dropping transformations and little downtime – compared to Western protocols, which require patients wait 28 days between treatments.
"I have a lot of followers that ask me for tips and where to go," says Lim. "It makes a lot of sense. One, the technology is there. And two, it's so much cheaper [than the US], at least by five times. The flight there, renting an Airbnb or a hotel; it actually makes a lot of sense because you are saving money in the long run."
Not that Lim ever needs a reason to visit Seoul. "It's a fast-paced city that is extremely clean, chic, sophisticated," she says. "Just imagine fashion and art and beauty all combined in one. It's one of those places I go whenever I'm feeling like I need inspiration."
Here is Lim's go-to plan for a self-care holiday in Seoul.
1. Best skin clinic: Eun Skin Clinic
Gangnam, the stylish district made world-famous by a certain 2012 K-pop song, is considered Seoul's K-beauty and medical tourism hot spot – and it's where Lim's self-care holidays start. First stop: Eun Skin Clinic in the affluent Cheongdam neighbourhood, south of the Han River.
"They do incredible lasers, the best I've experienced," says Lim. "They speak really good English there, which is a big make or break for me because I'm not fluent in Korean. And because [the doctor] deals with a lot of English-speaking people, I think she realises that a lot of them are here to explore and have fun, so she doesn't want to be so aggressive with their face. They do a very customised approach."
Korean skin lasers, notes Lim, are so gentle they can even be layered on top of each other to compound their transformative effects.
"It's very, very gentle," says Lim of her most recent visit. "I did something called Ruby toning; helps with even skin tone and brightening. And there's another laser that I did called MeDioStar®, which is brightening and tightening. And then on top of that, I did PRP [platelet-rich plasma treatment]. And then I also did microneedling and then salmon DNA. It takes maybe an hour and a half to do."
She cautions: "The next day, if you get five to eight treatments, your skin will be slightly bruised, but it goes away within, I would say, 48 hours. [These lasers are] effective on the deeper surface level, but on the topical level, you can't really tell that you've gotten anything done… But then after I went home, and people were like, 'Wait, did you, did you do something to your face? ' And you're like, 'Okay, I think it's kicking in'."
Lim recommends visitors hit skin clinics at the beginning of their trip – "first thing when they land… because these clinics like to check up on you after three-to-five days. During that downtime, you could do coffee and check out some incredible museums and do some shopping."
Website: www.eunskin.co.kr/
Address: 88-37 Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam District, Seoul
Phone: +82 2 546 3322
Instagram: @eunskinclinic/
2. Best relaxing body treatment: Gogyeol
As part of her downtime from skin procedures, Lim also likes to indulge in relaxing body treatments.
"There's this spa called Gogyeol," says Lim. "I love this place to reset my body. They do a traditional Korean massage and scrub."
Like Eun Skin Clinic, Spa Gogyeol is found in Cheongdam; a two-minute walk from the Gangnam-Gu Office metro station. Lim notes that Spa Gogyeol is a not a jjimjilbang (a public Korean bathhouse). "A lot of people love Korean bathhouses [because] they do this intensive scrub where they literally scrub off all the dead cells off your skin and it just comes purging off your body. It's pretty disgusting. But [Spa Gogyeol does] that treatment in a private setting, so you can get the body scrub, the upgrade massage and a detox wrap. They literally scrub off every dead skin cell on your body, and it just feels so soft. You feel like you're floating."
Spa Gogyeol also offers a rich menu of holistic medical treatments, working with the body's five Tae energies. "In Korean health, a lot of it is about balance," says Lim. "So they'll really analyse your body to see what they need to focus on, and they'll customise it for you.
"I think a lot of people that are on holiday just want to relax," she adds. "A lot of tired mamas. It's a very calming space."
Website: https://spa-gogyeol.com/
Address: 3F&4F, 13, Seolleung-ro 132-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Phone: +82 10-7682-1297
Instagram: @spa_gogyeol
3. Best overall spa: The Trinity Spa
Where Eun Skin Clinic is expressly high tech and Spa Gogyeol takes a holistic approach, Lim's next spa pick – Trinity Spa in Seoul's Yongsan District – is all about pampering and beautification.
"It's a little tricky with Trinity spa because their English isn't the best," says Lim. "But I think they're working on it. They're more of a general spa; that's why I feel okay recommending it. They do everything from amazing facials, really focussing on lifting the face and focussing on your lines, and brightening and tightening to body contouring, massages. They cover it all."
Trinity Spa's array of facial and body treatments toe the line between technology and relief – like the Real Jade Stone V-line jaw contour treatment or the lymphatic drainage leg massages – all administered in private guest rooms with cushy spa beds designed for ultimate relaxation.
"It's just a very relaxing experience for someone that wants a general spa experience," says Lim.
Website: www.trinityspa.co.kr/
Address: 3rd floor, Taeseok Building 116 Dokseodang-ro, Hannam-dong, Yongsan District, Seoul
Phone: +82-2-420-0797
Instagram: @the_trinityspa_official/
4. Best beauty shopping: Amorepacific Headquarters, Sulwhasoo flagship and Olive Young
The Korean skincare craze began in the early 2010s; global cosmetic purveyor Sephora's website now features a K-beauty section and Lim herself often provides K-beauty product recommendations on social media.
So when in Korea, shop as the Koreans do.
"Everyone needs to go to Amorepacific World Headquarters," declares Lim. Known as the inventor of the cushion foundation, Amorepacific now also owns many popular Korean skincare companies including Sulwhasoo, Innisfree, Cosrx and Laneige. "It's open to the public, which a lot of people don't know," says Lim. "In their lobby, you can get your face scanned; a lot of people go there to get their cushion foundation customised… they have a beauty store in their lobby, so you can experience all of their brands at once. [There's also] an interactive Amorepacific store called AMORE Seongsu. It's in this warehouse-y cement building; it's like you're walking through a store, but with a bathroom installation in front of you while you try things. Everything is technology-driven; you can get customised lip treatments, customised foundation. I could spend hours there."
Lim adds: "There's also the Sulwhasoo flagship store, which is just beautiful in itself."
Sulwhasoo, a luxury skin line, is headquartered in Seoul's upscale shopping district Sinsa-dong, in a modular structure channelling a golden lantern. "The shopping is great, and it looks like you're entering an installation," says Lim. "It has two spas. You could have, like, a foot scrub [or] a therapist with the singing bowl around your abdomen."
Lim also enjoys shopping for her favourite Korean brands at Olive Young. "It's the Sephora of Korea," she says. "They're on every corner. But the key thing is to know which one to go to. There's one in Myeongdong, which is the largest. Then the newest one is in Seongsu and it's a lot more tech-driven." Apart from beauty shopping, the five-storey Olive Young in Seongsu houses a cafe and a skin and scalp clinic as well as professional makeup services and a "trend pod" showroom. "Olive Young can be slightly outdated depending which one you go to," says Lim. "But this one feels like the future of what Olive Young will be."
Website: https://www.apgroup.com/int/en/our-culture/amorepacific-space/amorepacific-headquarters/amorepacific-headquarters.html (Amorepacific World Headquarters)
Address: 100 Hangang-daero, Yongsan District, Seoul
Phone: +82-2-604-05114
Instagram: @amorepacificgroup.official/
Website: https://www.amoremall.com/kr/ko/store/display?storeCode=001 (Amorepacific Seongsu)
Address: 7 Achasan-ro 11-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
Phone: +82-2-469-8600
Website: https://www.sulwhasoo.com/int/en/flagship/dosan/index.html (Sulwhasoo flagship)
Address: 18 Dosan-daero 45-gil, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam District, Seoul
Phone: +82 2-541-9270
Instagram: @sulwhasoo.official/
Website: https://global.oliveyoung.com/ (Olive Young Seongsu)
Address: 300-65 Seongsu-dong 2(i)-ga, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
Phone: +82 2-461-5290
Instagram: @oliveyoung_global/
5. Best after a day of beauty: ABYBOM in Gangnam and Nudake Café
To cap off a day of beauty, Lim heads straight for the hair salon. "This is actually quite common in Korea," she says. "After you get all your skin treatments, you go get your hair done."
Lim favours ABYBOM, a massive, three-storey salon on Seolleung-ro that boasts a client roster of Korean celebs like Sandara Park. "A lot of people that go to events get the full service of hair and makeup done," says Lim. "They do amazing cuts. They style, they detoxify your scalp, if needed. They're incredible."
Afterwards, Lim always likes to visit a café. "Café life in Korea is so major," she says. "Between cafés and skin, you will never see the end of day." One of her favourite stops is inside the Dosan Park Gentle Monster branch; 35 minutes outside of Seoul proper. "Gentle Monster is a sunglass brand; they have the coolest shops ever," says Lim. "It's like an art installation. Then downstairs, there is a cafe called Nudake; they have conceptual coffees and baked goods."
Nudake Café proffers its coffees and whimsical pastries on stark countertops, like modern art displays. "It sounds so ridiculous, but they have these tiny, tiny, tiny, miniature croissants," says Lim. "They're literally the size of your pinky nail bed, but it's so good, and it's just so fun to take a photo with. [And] they have incredible coffee. It's actually quite hard to find non-dairy milks, but they have non-dairy milk there. So that's personally the reason why I like to go to that café, to just get my lattes without dairy milk."
"There's a lot of things that we have been doing in Korea that I feel like the world is finally noticing," adds Lim. "It's something that I'm very proud of."
Website: www.abybom.com/
Address: 3층, 40 Seolleung-ro 152-gil, Gangnam District, Seoul
Phone: + 82-2-516-8765
Instagram: @abybom__official/reels/
Website: https://nudake.com/en
Address: 26 Seongsui-ro 7-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
Phone: +82-7-041-284408
Instagram: @nu_dake/
BBC Travel's The SpeciaList is a series of guides to popular and emerging destinations around the world, as seen through the eyes of local experts and tastemakers.
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The baba is often served at Easter in Poland, with the most extraordinary version – the muslin baba – made from a rich dough of flour, yeast, butter and quite a lot of egg yolks.
Depending on where it's baked, the baba or babka takes on many different forms. In the US, it's a braided brioche-like bread that often has chocolate, nuts or other ingredients mixed in. Europeans might be more familiar with baba au rhum, a desert popular in France and Italy that is soaked in liqueur and served in individual portions.
But in Poland, the word "baba" can refer to a variety of baked goods. Some are made in Bundt pans, while others are loaf shaped. Some are more bread-like and use yeast while others more closely resemble pound cake, like the lemon baba I made for my son's birthday. And some, like the potato babka so popular in Poland's Podlasie region, are savoury instead of sweet.
[jump to recipe]
The typical yeasted baba is often served at Easter and added to the Easter basket brought to church to be blessed, with the most extraordinary version being the muslin baba named for muslin cloth because of its lightness. It's made from a rich dough that contains flour, butter, yeast and a lot of egg yolks – 96 of them for every kilogram of flour.
One food website says to "take a deep breath", as the home version of the muslin baba recipe calls for just 250g of flour, so you will only need 24 egg yolks. By contrast, the Easter baba recipe I usually make contains six egg yolks for 500g of flour (or 12 egg yolks per kilogram), and I already consider that to be a lot.
The original recipe for muslin baba is often credited to the 19th-Century food writer and journalist Lucyna Ćwierczakiewiczowa, an extremely popular and successful cookbook writer at the time. I came across the recipe in two other cookbooks: Jak Gotować (How to Cook) by Maria Disslowa, first published in 1931, and then again in Old Polish Traditions in the Kitchen and at the Table (published in 1979) by Maria Lemnis and Henryk Vitry, both pseudonyms of Polish musicologist Tadeusz Żakiej, which provides fascinating insights into the life and traditions of pre-war Poland.
"The cook, the lady of the house and all the women locked themselves up in the kitchen," Żakiej writes. "They sieved the whitest of flours, mixed hundreds of egg yolks with sugar in clay bowls, dissolved saffron in vodka."
This is not the easiest of recipes. It requires long mixing and rising times and keeping an eye on the oven during baking to prevent burning (not to mention having to crack so many eggs). In other words, making baba was serious business.
Some say that the name "baba" (the word for "woman" in Polish) referred to the fact that the dough was finnicky and moody, "just like a woman's temperament". And men weren't allowed into the kitchen during baking as it was thought their presence could lead to a failed, undercooked cake. While the dough was rising, it would be covered in a linen tablecloth and doors and windows were sealed to prevent drafts. After baking, the baba rested on cushions, and because it was thought to be so sensitive until it fully cooled, everyone would whisper because it was believed loud noises would cause it to collapse. Sometimes, after taking the baba out of the oven, the kitchen would be filled with sobbing: "A burned or collapsed baba was a terrible faux pas," Żakiej writes.
But one question remains, why the extreme amount of egg yolks?
"Egg yolks contain lecithin, which acts as natural leavening agent," says Jacek Malarski, the co-founder of Lukullus, a Warsaw-based bakery that sells the 96-egg yolk baba (or as they call it, Baba 96). "Adding a large amount of yolks results in a tender and fluffy texture, and adding an extreme amount of egg yolks results in an extremely fluffy texture, like a cloud."
Because of their high fat content and emulsifying properties, the egg yolks also make the baba last for longer without having to add any preservatives and give the finished product a beautiful golden-yellow colour.
In the past, serving such a rich pastry was a status symbol. "Fat was more expensive than even the most expensive of meats," says Jarosław Dumanowski, a food historian at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. The recipe also calls for 400g of butter for every kilogram of flour, which acts as carrier for the vanilla flavour. Some households even added saffron, one of the most expensive spices. "These were exotic things from far away so that rich people could distinguish themselves from the rest," Dumanowski says.
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When Malarski and his partner, Albert Judycki, decided to offer a baba at Lukullus bakery, they tested several dozens of versions, both old and modern, before deciding on a clear winner: the muslin baba. "The muslin baba was beyond compare. It melted in your mouth and remained fresh for longest," Malarski says. They use bourbon vanilla from Madagascar and cover the Baba 96 in homemade lemon glaze. The muslin baba has been making a regular appearance at Lukullus at Easter ever since.
When I ask Malarski about the popularity of this particular baba despite it being so rich and labour-intensive, he replied: "It's the best. If someone tries it, they never want to go back. They miss it too much."
Muslin baba recipe
Adapted from Old Polish Traditions in the Kitchen and at the Table
Method
Step 1
In a heated bain-marie, beat the egg yolks and sugar (what remains after separating out 1 tsp) until white and fluffy. The original recipe calls for half an hour by hand with a whisk but with an electric mixer, 10 minutes should be enough. Set aside to cool.
Step 2
Heat up the milk until lukewarm and add the yeast, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp flour. Let rest until bubbly, around 5 minutes.
Step 3
Add this mixture, with the remaining flour and vanilla bean seeds or vanilla extract to the egg yolks and sugar and beat for another 10 minutes.
Step 4
Add the melted (but not hot) butter, beat for another 10 minutes, then leave the dough to rest in a warm place until doubled in size. The dough will be loose, more like a cake batter than yeast dough. (You won't be able to knead it, not by hand and not with the dough hook. Even the stretch-and-fold technique, typically used when handling wetter doughs, will fail here.)
Step 5
When it has doubled in size, carefully transfer it to a buttered 4-liter-sized Bundt pan.
Step 6
Allow it to rest in a warm spot until the dough has risen out of the form. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 170C/340F.
Step 7
Carefully transfer the baba to the hot oven and bake for 35-40 minutes but keep a good eye on it as the high amount of egg yolk and sugar may cause it to burn easily. A toothpick inserted into the baba should come out clean. Allow to cool.
Remove from the pan, then decorate with lemon glaze (a mix of lemon juice and powdered sugar to taste), or candied orange peel if you wish.
Notes
* If 24 yolks seems excessive to you, you can halve the recipe and make a smaller baba.
** Some people online have suggested decreasing the amount of yeast to 45g.
This story was originally published in 2024.
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In a quiet corner of North Carolina, bees produce a violet-hued honey so rare and unpredictable that even experts can't explain it – and that's what makes it magical.
In the Sandhills region of North Carolina, between the capital of Raleigh and the Nascar Hall of Fame in the sport-mad town of Charlotte, visitors may not even realise what a rare ecological niche they're stepping into. This is where the Atlantic once met the venerable Uwharrie Mountains, 145km inland; when the ocean pulled away, it left behind the grit that gave the region its name.
The region is one of the last homes for unique flora and fauna like the southern hognose snake and the Carolina gopher frog, both of which are endangered. What it's also known for, though, is something that has university researchers, foodies and conspiracy theorists all scratching their heads. It's a rare and coveted honey in a deep shade of aubergine-purple, and no one knows for sure what gives it the hue.
People largely travel to the Sandhills region for open-air adrenaline pursuits and laid-back rural charm – think corn mazes, trout fishing and country fair-style Americana.
The prestigious Pinehurst Golf Resort, commonly referred to as the "cradle of American golf", is here (don't miss its celebrated No 2 course), as is the horse riding hub Southern Pines and its abundance of equestrian trails and backcountry trekking. Kayakers and canoers flock to Drowning Creek, drawn by the scenic 13-mile route from Turnpike Road to Highway 401.
Hunting classic Southern game like white-tailed deer, wild turkey and wood ducks is popular in these parts, with extensive land preserves designated for conservation to support the pursuit. The longleaf pine forests are themselves a thing of simple beauty, and twitchers come here to search for northern bobwhite quails, bald eagles and – the star attraction – imperilled red-cockaded woodpeckers with their binoculars.
But travellers also come to the region to seek out something even more extraordinary than threatened species and unique biomes. Here, if the conditions are exactly right (a mystery even to the experts) and the timing is perfect (a secret only the bees know), apiarists will visit their hives and find not just frames brimming with a slow and sultry river of liquid gold, but perhaps one that gleams with deep violet treasure.
"It is true that nobody knows what causes purple honey," says Paige Burns, who has a degree in horticulture and works with farmers and foresters in her role as the Richmond County Extension Director. Theories abound, both of the folklore and pseudo-scientific variety, and much like a porch swing, everybody here has one.
Burns tells me a few of the more popular speculations: that it's the alkalinity of the soil changing the honey's colour as it does hydrangeas from blue to pink; that it's wild berries surrounding the bee's territory; and, the one that sparks the most vociferous debate among locals, that it's the deep violet flower of the invasive (and wildly reviled) kudzu vine. Beekeepers in the area have reported finding the jewel-hued honey in their hives for years, but even so, its appearance is so sporadic and at the whim of chance, it continues to be a surprise when it does appear.
Don Dees, who owns and operates Dees Bees Apiary in nearby Aberdeen, North Carolina, has purple honey on his website, but it's sold out. It's impossible to pre-sale for this year's harvest since no one knows how much, or even if, the bees will deign to colour the combs in plum or in the customary amber. Instead, he invites people to check his Facebook page for updates from mid-July. His pure raw honey costs $16.50 (£13) for 900g. Purple honey, when he has it, goes for $75 (about £58) for an 85g glass jar. Talk about finding treasure; this is a limited edition in every sense of the word.
Dees' take on the phenomenon? He refutes the lore that aluminium in the terrain plays a factor and insists that kudzu isn't part of the equation, reasoning his apiary would produce it every season if so. Purple honey is most likely to arise under drought-like conditions, he says, and Dees believes that blue-black huckleberries that grow on shrubs rooted in thirst-tolerant clay feed the hard-up-for-food bees that can't locate traditional more water-dependent blooms.
However, Rusty Burlew, a master beekeeper who directs the Native Bee Conservancy of Washington State, says that a lot of circumstantial evidence points to the inky-violet flower of the kudzu, and she doubts that bees have the jaws necessary to pierce fruit for nectar. Flavour-wise, she says, "to my untrained palate, the honey really does taste purple, in a grape-y sort of way".
Burns tells me that she's never been one of the lucky ones to harvest the jammy-sweet treasure. "One of the beekeepers I work with, she's probably, as the crow flies, two miles from me. I'm on the creek; she's on the creek. Obviously, we're in a very similar environment. She regularly gets purple honey; I've never gotten it." Laughing, she adds that it's a surprise even to the bee farmers when they open the hive and find it. "Some years you get it, and then 10 years you don't."
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And here I am, a native to the state, with no idea such a wild-foraged wonder existed. Turns out some mysteries aren't just hidden; they're hidden in plain sight. That's the beauty of travel: not just the landscapes that render you speechless or the food that rewrites the rules, but the stories you stumble into along the way. The ones that don't come with tidy explanations or easy answers. There aren't many of those left.
There's something incredible about standing under a sky unbothered by city lights, surrounded by the literal hum of a place still untamed, knowing that not even the beekeepers – who spend their days elbow-deep in the stuff – can tell you why this honey defies nature's colour wheel. Maybe we'll never know. And perhaps that's the point. Some places keep their secrets – and that's precisely what makes them worth the trip.
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The sweltering heat during Buddhist New Year calls for Thailand's cooling khao chae, a fragrant and refreshing bowl of rice delicately scented with flowers.
By the time Songkran, Thailand's new year based on the Buddhist calendar, arrives in April, the temperatures in the Southeast Asian country are soaring. The sky is typically blue and spotless, so reprieve under the shade of a passing cloud is non-existent while the humidity is as thick as a fleece blanket. One way to cool off is in the country-wide water fights that take place during the annual celebrations (this year from 13-15 April), which include water guns, buckets and coloured powder smeared onto the face like war paint. Another way to celebrate and cool off is to eat khao chae.
Khao chae (soaked rice) is an icy, seasonal treat that marks the beginning of summer in Thailand. The history of the dish can be traced back hundreds of years to the Mon people, an ethnic group that originated throughout Myanmar and Thailand and integrated into what was then Siamese society in the 16th Century.
[jump to recipe]
"The form of khao chae that we're looking at right now, especially in Bangkok, has very little resemblance to the Mon khao chae," says Leela Punyaratabandhu, a Thai scholar and the author of the 2017 cookbook Bangkok, which includes a recipe for khao chae. In the 16th Century, the soaked rice porridge was served in terracotta pots to keep the dish cold because ice wasn't readily available. The accompanying side dishes were also not nearly as intricate as they would eventually become.
It was within the kingdom of Siam's royal family, dating back to King Rama IV's rule in the 19th Century, that the dish blossomed into something far more complex – a metamorphosis of its humble origins. A lot of effort was made to ensure that khao chae looked visually beautiful, so side dishes included delicately carved vegetables shaped into flowers. In addition, ice, which was impossible for commoners to get at the time, distinguished kaho chae as an exclusively royal dish.
The recipe that exists now has been passed down through generations of royal cooks and aristocratic families. The dish starts by vigorously washing jasmine rice to remove all the starch. "You have to wash the rice more than regular steamed rice so it doesn't stick together when cooked," explains Max Wittawat, the executive chef of New York City's Bangkok Supper Club. Wittawat grew up in Bangkok and was taught to make khao chae by culinary artist and teacher Jantararat Hemvej, who is known in Bangkok for having perfected khao chae.
Since the rice also needs to withstand being soaked for long periods without falling apart, which would render the dish cloudy, washing it is especially important. After it's steamed, the rice is submerged in ice water that's perfumed with the scent of flowers, ranging from jasmine, ylang ylang, damask roses and bread flowers. "It's a mark of summer when the flowers bloom," adds Wittawat.
Punyaratabandhu has childhood memories of her grandfather using a spreadsheet to track the specific times that the flowers bloomed in his garden. "All of this was very systematic," she says. It's important to pick the flowers at the precise time – typically the evening before preparing khao chae – in order to achieve the optimal fragrance. From there, the flowers are submerged in water for at least two hours to imbue their aroma.
Even the process of soaking the flowers is very intentional. If the flowers are left in the water for too long, they will bruise and go bad, leaving the water with a pungent and off-putting flavour. If they aren't steeped long enough, the bouquet will not be impactful enough to stand up to the side dishes served alongside khao chae. To enhance the dish's fragrance even further, a Thai culinary candle known as tian op may be used to smoke the flowery water.
And that's just the base of the dish. Khao chae is an experience that includes many elaborate accoutrements. "It's not only hard to make, but it's hard to eat as well," says Punyaratabandhu. This is because there are a lot of pungent, salty and fishy flavours that could be unfamiliar to some. "Shrimp paste balls mixed with fish and then dipped in egg and fried? It's a far cry from pad see ew [stir-fried noodles]."
When Punyaratabandhu began writing her cookbook, she struggled with whether or not she should include a recipe for khao chae, knowing how impractical and challenging the dish can be to prepare at home. "I knew it was going to be a tough sell, but also it's a part of Bangkok," she explains. "My job was to be faithful to whatever is happening in Bangkok."
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Even Wittawat admits that khao chae, outside of the aristocratic society of Bangkok, was not really in Thailand's zeitgeist until the past 10 years, when many chefs began reflecting on their Thai heritage and exploring culturally significant and historical dishes. "Before that, it was very old school and not common in restaurants," he says. "But nowadays, with technology, the flowers can bloom throughout the year, and it has risen so much in popularity."
Recently, khao chae has become a social media darling due to its myriad side dishes, like shrimp paste dumplings, elaborately carved vegetables, stuffed shallots and peppers, sweetened beef and pork jerky and delicate egg nests. It's visually stunning, especially when served in traditional Thai pots or tiffins. "Sometimes, it's too pretty to eat," Wittawat says.
There is a particular way to enjoy the dish to avoid muddying the crystal-clear flower-scented water. "You're not supposed to put all the condiments with the rice," Wittawat says. Instead, you should alternate eating the rice and side dishes. Vegetables and pickles can cut through the heavier flavours of sweetened beef and salty shrimp paste. "This is the fun thing about khao chae," Wittawat says, acknowledging that the various flavours work in tandem to keep the meal fresh and exciting. "You can continue eating more and more."
Wittawat is happy that khao chae, once exclusive to the royal family and upper echelon of Thai society, is now more readily available and accessible to everyone – especially during Songkran, when Thailand is so hot. "Thai people are returning to their roots," he says. "They're appreciating their history and culture.
Khao chae recipe
by Max Wittawat
Serves 8
This is a general overview of how to make the rice for khao chae, along with two side dishes. Feel free to include additional sides to your liking.
Method
Step 1
Rinse the jasmine rice in water 4 to 5 times. Cook the rice in boiling water until half-cooked, then strain. Wash the rice in water again, using your hands to rub the rice; rinse and repeat until the water becomes clear. Transfer the rice to a steamer and steam until fully cooked. Let cool.
Step 2
To make the shrimp balls, blend all the ingredients (except the eggs and oil) in a blender until smooth. Pour into a large nonstick frying pan and cook until thick paste forms. Let cool slightly, then roll into small balls.
Step 3
Heat the oil in a medium pot. Dip the shrimp balls into beaten eggs, then deep-fry until golden brown. Set aside. (Reserve the oil for the green peppers.)
Step 4
Pound the coriander, garlic and peppercorns in a mortar with a pestle until smooth, then mix with the minced pork and shrimp. Season with sugar and salt. Stuff the mixture into the green peppers. Set the peppers into a steamer and steam for 10mins.
Step 5
To make the egg net, reheat the oil in the pot. Beat all the eggs together and strain through a sieve. Dip 5 fingers in the beaten eggs and shake into the pot of heated oil left to right, then up and down to form an egg net. When the eggs turn golden brown, transfer the egg net to a kitchen towel and place the steamed stuffed peppers on top, then roll the egg net around the peppers. Repeat with the remaining peppers.
Step 6
Spoon the steamed rice into bowls and pour the cold scented over it. Enjoy the khao chae with the shrimp balls and stuffed peppers, as well as sliced cucumber, green mango, scallion and lesser ginger.
Note
To make the scented water, steep jasmine, ylang-ylang (กระดังงา) and chommanard (ชมนาด) flowers with drinking water and (if using) smoke with a Thai aromatic candle (เทียนหอม) overnight. Once the water is infused, strain it, then chill thoroughly.
This story was originally published in 2024.
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For 16 generations, master gardeners in this one family have dedicated their lives to preserving one of the nation's most cherished – and highly sought-out – symbols.
Each spring during sakura (cherry blossom) season, the Ninna-ji and Daikaku-ji temples in Kyoto's leafy Ukyo ward are overwhelmed by busloads of tourists who come to snap photos of the temples' blooming cherry trees. But little do they know that only a few kilometres away, there's a secret sakura garden hiding in plain sight.
This 1.5-hectare public plot, known as the Sano family garden, is an oasis of calm; found just off an unassuming street near traditional wooden machiya townhouses. But this isn't just any ordinary cherry blossom tree grove; it's also the domain of 97-year-old Tōemon Sano: Japan's most renowned sakuramori (cherry blossom guardian).
For more than a millennium, Japanese people have admired the delicate sakura petals as a symbol of transience and beauty. Today, this national pastime has blossomed into an international obsession, with millions of tourists from across the world descending on Japan to sip seasonal sakura-themed Starbucks drinks and participate in hanami (cherry blossom viewing) picnics and festivals from March to May. But while the world waits with bated breath for the cotton candy-coloured blossoms to burst each spring, one of the most important and least understood roles in the trees' maintenance lies with their behind-the-scenes caretakers.
According to Naoko Abe, cherry blossom expert and author of The Sakura Obsession, skilled sakura arborists have existed in Japan since time immemorial. But thanks to the popularity of the 1970s novel Sakuramori about a sakura-infatuated tree expert, communities began bestowing this title to deserving specialists in the years that followed. Typically a professional gardener or tree surgeon, a sakuramori is a combination of Lorax, botanist and spiritual guide dedicated to studying sakura and promoting their preservation.
As Asada Nobuyuki, the secretary general of the Japan Sakura Association, explained, there are roughly 100 sakuramori in Japan today, but one stands out. "It can be said that Tōemon Sano is most deserving of the title sakuramori," said Nobuyuki, crediting the breadth of Sano's long, productive career and his family's generational wisdom.
On a Friday morning earlier this month, I crunched through gravel at this historic sanctuary to meet Sano himself. He is the 16th generation in a distinguished line of farmers who began cultivating the nearby land (known for its late-blooming dwarf cherry trees) in the mid-1600s. When his father died in 1981, he assumed the first name Tōemon, per family tradition, and took the reins of Uetō Zōen, the landscaping firm his family started in 1832 that is headquartered in the garden.
For more than 80 years,Sano has utilised his specialised knowledge to steward the survival of sakura trees in gardens throughout Japan and the world – including at the Isamu Noguchi-designed Japanese garden at the Unesco headquarters in Paris. Sakura Taikan, his most famous book, is the definitive tome on the trees and the culmination of research begun by his grandfather during the Taishō period (1912–1926).
But just before our visit, the nonagenarian became ill and was rushed to hospital. Still, he arranged for me to meet his son, Shinichi Sano, who oversees operations at Uetō Zōen and who will one day succeed his father and carry on the family legacy as the next Tōemon and sakuramori.
As we strolled through the garden, Shinichi paused at an umbrella-like shidarezakura (weeping cherry), its swooping branches covered in geisha-blush blossoms. Shinichi said this 40-year-old tree was grown from the seeds of the most iconic sakura in Kyoto: the dramatic weeping cherry tree in Maruyama Park, which was originally grown in the Sano family garden and replanted in its current public spot by Tōemon's father, the 15th Tōemon Sano.
Though sakura have attracted hanami lovers for generations, Shinichi said a major threat now looms over them: climate change. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, cherry blossoms have started to bloom 1.2 days earlier per decade since 1953. A recent study found that the peak bloom of Kyoto's cherry blossoms in 2020, 2021 and 2023 were the earliest in more than 1,200 years.
"If global warming continues at this rate, I believe there will eventually be regions in Japan where cherry trees no longer bloom," Shinichi said, noting that winters with elevated temperatures could nip blooms in the bud entirely, as trees require a sustained chill to initiate the blossoming process. If this happens, a major part of Japan's springtime tourism appeal would be jeopardised – as well as an integral part of the nation's cultural identity.
"The reason Japanese people are fond of cherry blossoms is because, after enduring a harsh winter, the vivid flowers bloom in the monochrome landscape as if to herald the long-awaited arrival of spring. This quiet presence is what draws people in and resonates deeply in our hearts," Tōemon later told me over email after being released from hospital. "Out of 365 days a year, the cherry blossoms endure wind and snow for 360 days, only to bloom gloriously for five days before gracefully scattering. I believe this fleeting yet dignified cycle reflects the Japanese perspective on life. There may be a sense of personification in the way we view the cherry blossom, as if it embodies a spiritual or moral belief that, through patience and perseverance, one will eventually bloom."
More than just trees
Cherry blossoms are integral to the Japanese psyche and soul. In ancient Japan, kami (deities) were said to reside in the trees. Beginning in the 800s, Emperor Saga (whose former residence is up the road from the Sano family garden at Daikaku-ji) ushered in the practice of hanami with official cherry blossom viewing parties. For samurai during the Kamakura period (1185-1333), sakura became a unifying military symbol for the warriors to fall with dignity and grace – a message echoed during World War Two for kamikaze pilots. In light of this national importance, protecting sakura and ensuring their sustainability is something Japan takes seriously.
Today, according to Abe, many of the most famous places travellers go to see sakura in Japan, such as Mount Yoshino in Nara and Matsumae Park in Hokkaido, each have a dedicated sakuramori. Interestingly, Tōemon and his family's unbroken line of Japanese gardeners may not have risen to the level of sakuramori were it not for a British botanist.
In 1902, English naturalist Collingwood "Cherry" Ingram became fascinated by Japanese cherry trees during his first visit to the nation, but he lamented how industrialisation and cloning had led to a decline in their diversity. In an effort to protect them, he sent 50 endangered varieties back to England and planted them in his garden. When he eventually tried to propagate the varieties back in Japan come the 1930s, including the rare Taihaku cherry that had ceased to be cultivated in Japan, the trees didn't survive long.
Given the Sano family's generational expertise, Ingram sought out Tōemon's grandfather, who developed a way to transport the trees successfully so they wouldn't sprout before arriving in Japan. From that little shipment of Taihaku trees, it is thought that tens of thousands of Tahihaku now flourish across Japan and were saved from national extinction.
Tōemon's grandfather became something of a Johnny Appleseed for sakura – taking grafts and growing saplings, venturing to far-flung places like the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin before he died in 1934. Tōemon's father then took up the mantle while training his son to continue the family legacy.
Today, travellers enjoying the mesmerising weeping cherry in Maruyama Park have Tōemon to thank, as the city asks him to care for the tree throughout the year. Visitors can also admire Tōemon's work at the Ruriko-in estate, where sakura stand in stunning harmony on the property close to the Golden Pavilion of Kinkakuji; the Katsura Imperial Villa; the Shukaguin Imperial Villa; Ninna-ji Temple garden; and, of course, at the nearby Sano family property.
Even at 97, Tōemon still collects information on different types of sakura and makes detailed drawings of the blossoms' anatomy from the stamen and pistils to the bracts and peduncles – all to better understand how to help sakura flourish.
"My feelings toward cherry blossoms are something that has been ingrained in my daily life," Tōemon said. "My daily life follows the old Japanese way of life seikō-udoku, 'working in the fields when it's sunny and reading when it rains'… If I am asked to preserve rare cherry blossoms, I respond by grafting or sowing seeds."
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To that end, he has successfully propagated cherry trees in the atomic bomb-ravaged soil of Hiroshima and saved a 150-year-old Oshima cherry tree in Yokohama that was destined to be cut down. In that instance, when the local community enlisted him to relocate the storied sakura 100m away to preserve an iconic view of Mt Fuji, he took careful stock of the three layers of soil surrounding the tree. Before digging, Tōemon ceremonially placed sake and rice crackers in the dirt as an apology for the disruption, added charcoal and provided an octopus offering. Also known to hug trees, Tōemon embraced the trunk tightly upon its successful replanting.
Rooted in the future
As I toured the Sano family garden, falling cherry petals fluttered to the ground like snowflakes, a phenomenon called sakura fubuki. In addition to kami, the souls of ancestors are also said to reside in the flowering cherry blossoms, connecting the Sano family to their forebearers and representing the fleeting nature of each generation. Amid this transient beauty, the Japanese concept of "mono no aware" (the wistful recognition of life's ephemerality and the beauty in that impermanence) feels especially present.
"Cherry blossoms reflect the way of life of the samurai in the old days: beautiful in the way they fall with grace and dignity," Shinichi said. Shinichi's 38-year-old son, Tomoaki, who has started to take over day-to-day responsibilities in the family business, has one child – a daughter. It would then be possible to have the first female sakuramori in this line.
"It will depend on her decision," Shinichi said.
For now, though, the family is allowing the 16th Tōemon Sano to focus his attentions on what he does best.
"While my father is healthy, he will be the one to take care of the sakura," Shinichi said. I then asked if he felt he would one day be ready to assume the role of Tōemon Sano and sakuramori.
"I won't really know until I actually become the 17th generation," Shinichi said. "I think I will truly feel the responsibility for the first time when I actually inherit the name… I'll do what I'm asked to."
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He had tea with the Queen, was blessed by the Pope and spread Hawaiian culture across the globe. More than a century later, a festival dubbed the "Olympics of hula" honours his legacy.
Silence engulfed the audience at Edith Kanaka'ole Stadium in Hilo, Hawai'i, as a group of hula dancers appeared on stage. They moved gracefully in unison, rhythmically depicting a scene of an ancient Hawaiian myth as they bellowed mele (chants). The hula performance, which was part of the annual Merrie Monarch Festival, wasn't a mere spectacle; it was a powerful celebration of Hawaiian culture – and for years, it was banned.
The week-long Merrie Monarch Festival (which takes place 20-26 April 2025 and is celebrating its 62nd anniversary) has been called the "Olympics of hula" and perpetuates the sacred, centuries-old practice of dancing and chanting that preserves and portrays our native Hawaiian language, history, religion and culture. Every year, thousands of Hawaiians descend on the Big Island to attend the event, while thousands more watch live broadcasts of Hawai'i's 23 best hālau (hula groups) compete on TV. Yet, the festival is more than just a hula contest; its dance performances, arts and craft exhibitions, and a royal parade through downtown Hilo is considered the biggest display of Hawaiian culture in the world.
"It's the one week out of the year where we celebrate being Hawaiian," said Kū Kahakalau, a Hawaiian language and culture expert. "And it's all thanks to the undertakings of King Kalākaua."
Fondly dubbed "The Merrie Monarch", King David La'amea Kalākaua was the last king of Hawai'i. He ruled the Kingdom of Hawai'i from 1874 until his death in 1891, but his ascension to the throne was nothing short of contentious. Shortly after the death of King Kamehameha IV, whose family had ruled the kingdom since 1795, Hawai'i's legislature decided to elect a native ali'i (noble chief) instead of the king's widow. The decision incited a full-blown riot. As the queen's supporters stormed the Honolulu courthouse, British and American sailors stationed at Honolulu harbour were called in to quell the fighting and Kalākaua took the oath of office the following day.
By the time of Kalākaua's reign, Native Hawaiian heritage was at great risk. Christian missionaries had begun arriving on the islands in 1820, introducing diseases that killed Native Hawaiians, converting islanders away from our traditional polytheistic religion and infiltrating the political system to suppress local culture and beliefs. One of the most significant ways they did this was by banning public performances of the hula, a dance missionaries deemed "vile heathen chants".
Kalākaua sought to restore a unified sense of national pride among Hawaiians, and his reign marked a period of cultural renaissance across the islands. He lived by the motto Ho'oulu Lāhui (Increase the Nation) and sought to remake Hawai'i for Hawaiians – all of which resulted in the revival of traditional customs such as language, music, arts and traditional medicines that had long been suppressed during the missionary-influenced era of his predecessors. One of his crowning achievements was preserving the hula. As Kalākaua famously proclaimed: "Hula is the language of the heart, and therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people."
To many people around the world, "hula" may conjure images of tiki bars, plastic dancers shaking their hips on car dashboards or something that only happens at beachside resorts. But long before hula was commodified and appropriated, it was a sacred dance among Native Hawaiians – an ancient practice that served as an archive of our stories, beliefs and way of life. Prior to the arrival of Captain James Cook in 1778, there was no written language in Hawai'i. Instead, ancient Hawaiians used oral tradition and hula to pass on their identity and culture from one generation to the next. Even when practice was prohibited, Hawaiians took hula underground, continuing to teach the forbidden dance in secret in caves and far-flung areas.
As part of Kalākaua's Ho'oulu Lāhui policy, hula experienced a resurgence. In fact, the king's lavish two-week coronation ceremony was essentially a celebration of Native Hawaiian culture, featuring traditional music, hula and lū'au – all of which had previously been banned. To commemorate his 50th birthday three years later, ho'opa'a (chanters) and 'ōlapa (dancers) performed in public for the first time in years, while a parade wound its way through downtown Honolulu. Today, the Merrie Monarch Festival pays tribute to the proud sense of Hawaiian identity Kalākaua revived.
[Kalākaua] was deeply committed, proud and knowledgeable about his Hawaiian heritage," said Kahakalau, noting that the king was also the first person to have the Kumulipo (a creation chant that also includes the genealogy of Hawaiian royalty) written down.
Yet, Kalākaua wasn't just content to revive Hawaiian customs in Hawai'i; he wanted to share the Kingdom's culture around the world. So, in 1881, the "Merrie Monarch" continued the proud Hawaiian tradition of long-distance seafaring by spending 281 days circumnavigating the globe, becoming the first head of state to travel around the world.
During Kalākaua's international diplomacy tour, he was greeted by the Emperor of Japan to the sounds of Hawai'i Pono'ī (the Kingdom's national anthem, which Kalākaua had written); he proposed immigration policies with Chinese politicians; he toured the Great Sphinx with the Khedive of Egypt; he was blessed by Pope Leo XIII in Rome; he had tea with Queen Victoria of England, and he boarded a train that was struck by a bull in Spain. In New York, Kalākaua met with Thomas Edison to discuss the possibility of getting electricity to Honolulu. In 1886, the king's wish came true. 'Iolani Palace (which is now a museum and the only royal residence in the United States), became illuminated with electric lights – five years before the White House did.
"He was able to build important relationships, create liaisons, and sign treaties with multiple countries [that benefitted our people]," said Kenneth "Aloha" Victor, a kumu hula (master hula teacher) and designer of Kaulua'e, a made-in-Hawai'i clothing and lifestyle brand. In addition to sending envoys to Europe and Asia, Kalākaua maintained consulates and legations in more than 130 cities across the globe. The Kingdom had 13 consulates in Great Britain alone.
Back at home, during an era of increased literacy, Kalākaua met with traditional na kahuna (priests) and na kapuna (elders) to compile many of the ancient Hawaiian myths and chants that are portrayed through hula and mele and write them in Hawaiian. In 1888, he took things one step further and translated these stories into English for the first time in the book, Legends and Myths of Hawai'i, which he often presented as gifts to foreign dignitaries so they'd get a better understanding of Hawai'i, its culture and its people.
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Kalākaua's mission to integrate Hawai'i with the rest of the world also resulted in the creation of the Hawaiian Youths Abroad Program, in which the king selected young Hawaiians whom he felt could become future leaders of the Kingdom and sent them abroad to study things like medicine, law, engineering, foreign languages and art. More than 100 years later, the programme's legacy still echoes across the islands: Princess Abigail Kawānanakoa, the granddaughter of one of the students the king sent abroad, played an instrumental role in restoring 'Iolani Palace and was a staunch supporter of native Hawaiian rights until her death in 2022.
A multi-hyphenate in every sense of the word, Kalākaua embraced modernity just as much as he valued Hawaiian culture. He was a voracious inventor, designing blueprints for tornado-proof ships, fish-shaped torpedoes, sealed bottle caps and rangefinder scopes. He even had a telephone installed that connected 'Iolani Palace where he lived and worked to his private boathouse less than a mile away, where he'd often be found hosting royal lū'aus for foreign dignitaries and heads of state.
For Hawaiians today, Kalākaua is much more than just a Renaissance man. "When Kalākaua travelled [abroad], he promoted and shared our culture with the world," said Ana Kon, a Hawaiian cultural specialist based in Hilo. "It's why, more than a century later, we continue to honour his legacy today at the Merrie Monarch Festival."
For those unable to snag tickets to the Merrie Monarch Festival's highly coveted hula competitions, there are still plenty of opportunities to participate in the festivities. Hilo's Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium and Butler Buildings host a vibrant arts and crafts fair featuring the creations of more than 150 local artisans and brands from across Hawai'i. "Our 'aloha wear' is a celebration of hula," said Victor, of his clothing, which he said honours the people, places and movements in Hawaiian culture.
Of course, Kalākaua's legacy lives on beyond the festival. In many ways, every hula step, lū'au gathering and Hawaiian-language phrase is a nod back to our last king's efforts to revive our customs at home and introduce them around the world. Visitors can experience this first hand at O'ahu's Polynesian Cultural Center, which hosts a traditional Hawaiian lū'au paying homage to Queen Lili'uokalani (Kalākaua's sister, who succeeded him until white businessmen overthrew the Kingdom in 1893), while the Queen Emma Summer Palace in Honolulu offers contemporary hula lessons for adults.
On Maui, immersive experiences at the Grand Wailea include an E Ala E oli (chant) in the mornings on the beach, while interactive language lessons teach guests how to pronounce words in ʻŌlelo Hawai'i (Hawaiian). Beachside resorts like Outrigger Reef in Waikiki Beach are adopting a regenerative tourism approach at its A'o Cultural Center by allowing guests to meet traditional Hawaiian navigators and canoe builders, teaching them how to use traditional Hawaiian tools and – yes – participate in hula lessons.
"It all spawns back to [King Kalākaua's] creed," said Victor. "That hula is the heartbeat of our Hawaiian people."
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story stated that US sugar planters overthrew the Kingdom of Hawai'i. This statement has been corrected.
This article has been updated from its original 2023 publication.
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As the UK celebrates the writer's 250th birthday, there's never been a better time to explore the dramatic bluffs and picture-perfect villages connected to her most famous novel.
"There is not a finer county in England than Derbyshire," wrote 19th-Century novelist Jane Austen in Pride and Prejudice, arguably her most famous novel. Indeed, its idyllic stone villages and towns, verdant valleys, deep caverns, towering gritstone edges and windswept moorlands make the East Midlands county one of the best places to enjoy England's great outdoors.
Derbyshire played a starring role in Austen's novel, shining particularly in the latter half when its heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, travels north from Hertfordshire to the Peak District and is reunited with the book's romantic hero, Mr Darcy. Joe Wright's 2005 film adaptation brought the stunning scenery to the big screen, leading travellers to flock to Derbyshire and see the sights through their own eyes.
Yet, according to Hazel Jones, editor of the Jane Austen Society's Annual Report, there is no evidence that Austen actually ever visited Derbyshire. Instead, Austen would have read romanticised descriptions in contemporary journals of the county, which experienced a Georgian period boom in tourism, and completed "scrupulous research", says Jones.
"We just have to trust Jane Austen's instinct that Derbyshire is the perfect county for Pemberley [Mr Darcy's home] says Jones. "It is, after all, far enough away from Mrs Bennet."
This year not only marks the 250th anniversary of Austen's birth but also the 30th anniversary of the adapted BBC miniseries and the 20th anniversary of the four-time Oscar-nominated film – which will be re-released in select cinemas in the UK, US and Australia starting 20 April. As the weather warms and wildflowers blanket the region, it's an opportune time to explore the many landmarks and filming locations connected to one of the world's great love stories.
Pemberley
Any tour of Austen's Derbyshire should begin at Chatsworth House. Fittingly, the opulent Grade I-listed estate and stables were transformed into Pemberley, the home of Pride and Prejudice's wealthy suitor, Mr Darcy, in the 2005 film.
Chatsworth sits on 1,822 manicured acres on the banks of the Derwent river, and it is home to herds of deer and sheep as well as wild animals. Owned and lived in by 17 generations of the Devonshire family, it opened its doors to the public in 1708.
Today, visitors can tour the stately home to admire one of Europe's most significant private art collections, whose paintings, rare books and historical documents span more than four centuries. Visitors will eventually come to the sculpture gallery, which fans of the film will recognise – particularly the Veiled Vestal. Keep your eyes peeled in the gift shop for a bust of Darcy's head, though, unfortunately, it's not available to purchase – or kiss!
While you could easily spend a day exploring Chatsworth's 105-acre garden, dipping your toes into the 300-year-old Cascade waterfall, winding through the giant maze or running around the Willow Tree Fountain (a brass tree that might just soak you when standing underneath it), there are plenty of free walks you can take around the estate too.
Medieval manors
Derbyshire is home to many of England's finest aristocratic houses – including Sudbury Hall, which was used for the interior shots of Pemberley in the BBC adaption. And just a five-minute drive south of the town of Bakewell is Haddon Hall, which has been owned by the Manners family for the last 900 years. There's something magical about this country house, especially when the pale pink and red roses adorn the walls in the summer months. Wandering through the Elizabethan gardens feels like you're stepping back in time.
Film location scouts agree. Haddon Hall's medieval and Tudor architecture was also featured in Franco Zeffirelli's adaptation of Jane Eyre, The Princess Bride film, and more recently, Firebrand. Fans of the Pride & Prejudice film may recognise the wood-panelled banqueting hall, which served as the interiors of the fictional Inn at Lambton; and the parlour, which became Elizabeth Bennet's bedroom.
"There's a palpable magic at Haddon Hall, where centuries-old architecture meets the vibrant hues of summer," says Julie Mellor, filming coordinator at Haddon. "Beyond its visual splendour, Haddon offers a sanctuary of learning and culture."
Haddon runs a specialist film tour with experts who have been on the film sets, as well as variety of workshops and events ranging from art and craft sessions to ecological walks. "It's an idyllic setting that encourages reflection and discovery, making summer 2025 an ideal time to experience the romance and elegance that define it," says Mellor.
Bakewell
According to local lore, Austen stayed in Bakewell at the Rutland Arms Hotel and wrote much of Pride and Prejudice here. Some Austen experts dispute this claim, yet she does reference the market town in the novel as Elizabeth travels through it on her way to Pemberley.
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Set on the banks of the river Wye, bustling Bakewell is ideally situated between Chatsworth House and Haddon Hall. It's also the start of the 8.5-mile walking, jogging, cycling and wheelchair-accessible Monsal Trail, built atop a former Manchester-to-London railway line.
Bakewell is home to two traditional English sweet treats: the Bakewell pudding and Bakewell tart. For an authentic taste of both, head to The Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop, which has sold the former since the 1800s (made with their secret recipe), and now sells tarts too.
Stanage Edge
In the film adaptation, Bennet's arrival in Derbyshire is marked with an iconic shot of actress Keira Knightley standing atop the four-mile-long gritstone ridge of Stanage Edge, looking out onto the vast and dramatic Hope Valley beneath her. Two decades later, many Pride and Prejudice fans scour the Edge to find the exact spot where the actress stood – so much so it's often called "Keira Knightley rock".
The windswept landmark's rugged terrain attracts climbers and hikers from across the country. Geologist Rob Donnelly tells the BBC that Stanage Edge's millstone grit is emblematic of the Peak District National Park (you will spot the circular stones as you travel around). "The gritstone edges form part of the Peak District's unique landscape," he says. "They are an iconic rock type in the region, having been laid down roughly 300 million years ago."
The Edge overlooks the village of Hathersage (reached via a six-mile walk through trails and woodland or a short drive), whose heated 30m outdoor pool makes for a scenic swim.
Matlock and Matlock Bath
Set in the Peak District's south-eastern side and characterised as "celebrated beauties" by Austen are the twin towns of Matlock and Matlock Bath. Bennet travels through both locales on her way to Pemberley, and these namesake neighbours (Matlock is slightly bigger and lies about one mile north), are great bases for a stay in Derbyshire, with good transport connections, independent shops and cafes.
The spa resort of Matlock Bath is frequently described as a seaside town without the sea. It has attracted visitors since the late 17th Century, when its thermal springs (which had previously been discovered and mined by the Romans) became used for medicinal purposes. Today, there is a historic outdoor swimming pool fed by mineral-rich natural spring water tucked around the back of the New Matlock Bath Hotel & Spa.
Austen was likely well aware of the town's famed thermal waters. When Bennet enters Derbyshire with apprehension about seeing Darcy, she says, "But surely … I may enter his county without impunity and rob it of a few petrified spars without his perceiving me." Austen might have been referring to Matlock Bath's petrifying well – where the mineral-rich thermal water, turns objects into stone.
Matlock is also popular with walkers as it lies in a valley of the River Derwent. Pride and Prejudice fans may opt to explore the fittingly named Lovers' Walks, a series of footpaths along the riverside, or if you'd prefer something more challenging, there are also trails that go up and over the wooded cliffs. But perhaps the most famous tourist attraction is the Heights of Abraham, where you can take a mountain cable car to the top of Masson Hill, a 60-acre hilltop estate with a panoramic view of the surrounding valley and town below.
It is remarkable to think that an author who may not have set foot in Derbyshire cast such a bright light on the county. By intertwining real places into her narrative, Austen masterfully carried the reader along with Bennet on her journey through Derbyshire to reconcile with Darcy. As Jones says in her book Jane Austen's Journeys, "What should be a truth universally acknowledged is that Jane Austen knew exactly what she was doing when she sent her liveliest heroine on the road north to Pemberley."
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Finland has topped the World Happiness Rankings for the eighth year running – but the real appeal for travellers lies in the country's deeply-lived values of balance, nature and everyday contentment.
Finns tend to accept the accolade of supreme happiness, bestowed on them by the UN's World Happiness Report in March 2025 for the eighth time in a row, with a collective shrug and eye roll. But Finnish travel operators are celebrating as travellers increasingly make the connection between Finland and happiness, hoping to come and experience that Finnish brand of happiness for themselves.
However, don't expect to be greeted with howls of laughter and cheerful quips when you land at Helsinki Airport or disembark from one of the Baltic ferries in the capital's harbour. There is some truth in the perception of Finland being a no-nonsense, down-to-earth kind of nation. Generally, Finns are flattered – happy, even – to be honoured by the report's conclusions, but while graciously accepting them, they feel "happiness" isn't really the right word. Instead, "contentment", "fulfilment" or "life satisfaction" are widely considered more appropriate terms. As Finnish President Alexander Stubb recently posted on Facebook: "No one can be happy all the time, and sometimes circumstance makes it difficult. But getting the basics right – security, freedom and equality – is a good start."
But while the concept of happiness in Finland may be nuanced and culturally specific, it is deeply embedded in the fabric of daily life. Rather than seeking constant highs, the Finnish approach is rooted in balance, connection and quiet contentment – qualities that increasingly resonate with visitors. And for travellers, this state of being is not just something to observe but one to get involved with first-hand, through embracing the country's nature, sauna culture, food, sustainable design and lifestyle.
"We see Finnish happiness as a summary of these five elements," says Teemu Ahola, director of international operations at Visit Finland, "but we don't measure or collect data to evaluate happiness as a single attraction in itself".
To experience these tangible, authentic aspects of Finnish life that underpin its consistent happiness ranking, Ahola suggests Finnish sauna culture as an increasingly popular, most globally identifiable attraction; and stresses that Finland is a safe country, naming the risk of bumping into free-roaming reindeer in northern Lapland as one of the few potential hazards for visiting tourists. Meanwhile, he adds, a new and confident generation of Finnish chefs has earned international respect for and interest in the Finnish culinary scene.
Finland is home to the world's northernmost Michelin star restaurant, Tapio, in Ruka-Kuusamo; and the Saimaa Lakeland region was named a European Region of Gastronomy in 2024. Many restaurants across Helsinki celebrate the edible riches – mushrooms, berries, fish and game – that are accessible to all in the country's endless forests, coastal archipelagos and inland waterways through Finland's Jokaisenoikeudet or "Everyman's Right", a law that grants everyone the freedom to roam and forage.
Connect with nature
Helsinki, where most visitors start or end their trip, offers a first-hand glimpse of this national contentment. This is a seaside city, spread over a beautiful natural archipelago and reclaimed land. It's easy to grab a city bike from one of the dozens of stands around town and head off to explore the coast-hugging cycling routes or disappear into Central Park, a belt of forest that stretches from the city centre to its northern periphery.
The endorphin boost experienced by this kind of freewheeling adventure and access to plentiful natural resources ties directly into the UN's happiness metrics of life expectancy, freedom and positive emotions. This connection can be found at the heart of SaimaaLife, a nature and wellness company in eastern Finland's sprawling Saimaa Lakeland region, run by mental health expert and guide Mari Ahonen.
Ahonen is an enthusiastic advocate of the mental balance that Finnish nature and lifestyle have to offer and leads her guests through shinrin-yoku (forest bathing), traditional lakeside saunas, wild swimming, foraging trips for mushrooms and berries and cooking over an open fire.
"We Finns can be too modest," she says. "We should notice the World Happiness status in a positive way. I'm a living example of having been able to develop a business with the support that has been available for my entrepreneurship. Some people say it's a lottery win to be born in Finland."
A lottery win, that is, in the form of life satisfaction and balance; of living comfortably and having "enough" in a material sense. This ceiling of expectation shouldn't be confused with a lack of ambition or resourcefulness. After all, this is the birthplace of mobile communications pioneer Nokia, the distinctive garden tool and scissor brand Fiskars and textile and clothing icon Marimekko.
Stoic and stubborn
Finland isn't immune from economic pressure or controversies, however, and the long, dark winters can put a strain on mental health. The Finnish idea of happiness also includes a dose of sisu: a hard-to-translate concept of resilience, fortitude, courage and grit. Finnish-Canadian author Katja Pantzar, who has written extensively about this perceived national quality, explains that it's "a mindset that allows people and communities to work together in the face of challenges rather than give up or blame and attack others".
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She notes that the top four nations in the World Happiness Report are all Nordic countries with strong welfare systems designed to support the collective good. "Happiness is very culturally specific," she said. "In Finland, there are many examples of everyday happiness that are available and accessible to everyone, whether it's nature – every person in Finland is on average about 200m from the nearest forest, park, seashore or natural body of water – saunas, public libraries, safe and efficient public transport, free clean drinking water, education or healthcare."
Pantzar also highlights the mood-boosting properties of contrast therapy – hot saunas followed by cold dips – as an accessible, every-day mood booster. "It's incredibly easy to do in Helsinki, surrounded by the sea," she says. "When you don't need to travel great distances or pay large fees to have a quick dip, it's easier to do more regularly, before or after work or on your lunch break."
And while some Finns remain sceptical of the "happiest nation" label, most seem to appreciate what they have. "I don't find it easy to think of Finland as the happiest country in the world," says pensioner Juha Roiha. "In poorer countries like Thailand and Nepal, people seem relaxed in spite of any hardship. In Finland, you might sometimes hear people say that they'd be happier somewhere else. But within ourselves, with what we have, we're happy."
Happy Land - Finding the Inner Finn, a travel memoir by Tim Bird, will be published by Eye Books in the UK in January 2026. It takes a "sideways" look at Finland's happiness status.
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For three days every year, Thailand transforms into a wet and wild party. But this ancient festival is far more than just a raucous good time.
Every year from 13-15 April, Thais across the country cool off and celebrate new beginnings with what is arguably the nation's largest and most important festival: Songkran. Tied to the Thai New Year and the close of the annual rice harvest season, this annual celebration is all about purification, honouring elders and fostering a sense of renewal. However, it's most well-known among travellers as a raucous country-wide splash fest.
"The most famous part of the festival is the massive water fights," explained Worapa Angkhasirisap,director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. "People of all ages take to the streets armed with water guns and buckets."
Viewers of the latest season of The White Lotus recently got a glimpse of this when three unaware travellers were dropped in the middle of a town-wide Songkran celebration. "Why is everyone carrying those guns?" one of the women asked. Within moments, the trio were being chased through the streets by water gun-wielding children and smiling revellers before seeking refuge in a convenience store, bewildered and soaked to the gills.
Despite its White Lotus portrayal, these water fights are generally a friendly and joyous part of the festivities that visitors are welcome to take part in. In fact, hordes of travellers now descend on Thailand each year to take part in what is commonly called "the world's biggest water fight". Yet, the festival's modern popularity among international travellers belies Songkran's deep roots.
Meaning "to enter" or "move forward" in Sanskrit, Songkran occurs when the Sun moves to the Aries constellation – the first sign of the Zodiac. Some scholars believe the Unesco-inscribed festival harks back to an ancient Hindu festival called Makar Sankranti and was adopted by the Khmer Empire that ruled Thailand in the 11th Century. Today, Songkran is all about making a fresh start, with water symbolising the washing away of the previous year and purification.
During the three-day festival, scented water is often poured atop images of the Buddha to represent renewal. It is also common for Thais to wash the hands of their elders and ask for their blessings, splash water on family and friends and give offerings to temples. "Since most Thai people practice Buddhism, Songkran is also a spiritual time," explained Kharitthakorn Sakulsupapong, sales and marketing managerof the Thailand-based Tropical Vacation travel agency.
Despite being a three-day national holiday, some Thai communities – such as the popular beach resort town of Pattaya – extend the party for as many as 10 days.
Because April is often Thailand's hottest month, cooling foods are typically on the menu during Songkran. "Since April is the peak of mango season, you'll find plenty of mango sticky rice, one of Thailand's most beloved desserts," Angkhasirisap told the BBC. "Another seasonal favourite is khao chae, a refreshing dish of rice soaked in jasmine-scented iced water, served with savoury side dishes – perfect for cooling down in the summer heat."
Visitors who find themselves in the country during Songkran are more than welcome to join in on the festivities. "Thai people are always very happy to teach tourists about their cultural traditions and will be delighted to answer any questions visitors may have [about the festival]," said Jurairat Mongkolwongsiri, vice president of sales at Centara Hotels & Resorts in Bangkok. As with any religious festival, Mongkolwongsiri noted that it's also important to be respectful.
"Songkran is very inclusive – the water splashing is open to everyone, although it's always important to understand and respect the cultural boundaries," Mongkolwongsiri cautioned. "For example, visitors must avoid throwing water on monks or elders and try not to spray water directly in anyone’s face."
While Thailand's cities attract the biggest Songkran crowds, Angkhasirisap says travellers venturing away from the nation's main tourist hotspots are also likely to encounter the festival.
"Bangkok and Chiang Mai are well-known hotspots, attracting huge crowds and hosting grand celebrations," she explained. "[However], in recent years, Thailand has made an effort to promote celebrations in all regions, [including] lesser-known provinces."
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• Measuring the 'White Lotus effect': How TV and film locations impact travel
According to Angkhasirisap, smaller destinations have their own special twist to the holiday, with beach destinations like Songkhla and Surat Thani, being much more laidback than the party vibes found in larger cities, while provinces like Phrae, Lamphun, and Ubon Ratchathani incorporate cultural parades into the traditional festivities.
"Wherever you go, you’ll find a warm and welcoming atmosphere," said Angkhasirisap. "It's a truly unforgettable festival!"
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Iceland is one of the few places in the world where happiness is rising. Locals say the secret lies in nature, gender equality and a deep-rooted sense of resilience.
For the third year in a row, Finland has topped the 2025 World Happiness Report. While the Nordic countries traditionally fare well in the rankings, Denmark (ranked second), Sweden (fourth), and Norway (seventh) have all reported a net lower total happiness score since the survey started, measuring a slight decline in happiness over time. In fact, out of the top 20, only seven countries have been getting happier year on year – and Iceland stands out as having one of the biggest increases of them all, seeing a 9.1% boost since its measure on the first index in 2008.
Ranked the third-happiest country in the world this year (compared to 18th in 2008), Iceland scores the highest out of all countries in social support, with impressive scores in the freedom and generosity measures as well (third and fifth respectively). Despite its relatively small population – numbering just under 400,000 – the country continues to invest in infrastructure, progressive social policies and tourism.
But the thing that makes many Icelanders the happiest is something that the government has relatively little control over: the nation's otherworldly landscapes.
"From home, from work, it's very easy to get to a national park or open spaces where we can hike, walk by the river, coast or lakes," says Hrund Gunnsteinsdóttir, author of forthcoming book InnSæi: Heal, Revive and Reset with the Icelandic Art of Intuition. She especially loves the landscape's variations and stark contrasts, from green and lush to barren and black sands.
As a geologist originally from the US, Jessica Poteet moved to Iceland specifically to be closer to nature. "Being somewhere with volcanoes and Northern Lights and cotton candy-pink skies with snow-capped mountains in winter is a dream," she says. "I never take it for granted. It's one of the key things contributing to my happiness."
That said, residents note that winters can be long and dark, which can be a challenge – but that the summer's midnight Sun more than makes up for it. Poteet notes that on particularly sunny days, employers will often offer a "Sun holiday" so people can enjoy a day of hiking or skiing, depending on the season.
The country's strong social safety net also lends residents a sense of stability and ease. "During Covid, I lost my job. I was able to go on unemployment until I found a new job," says Brenna Elizabeth Scheving, another US expat living in Iceland. She also was able to take advantage of the country's generous parental leave policy, where both parents are entitled to share 12 months parental leave, up to six months each, with six weeks transferrable to the other parent. The policy applies to both adoptive and biological parents, regardless of marital status or sexuality.
Kindergarten is also available to children as young as two, which enables parents to work and generate income, knowing that childcare and education are provided for.
In fact, equitable gender policies have been built into the country's DNA for decades, with the world's smallest gender gap for 15 years running, according to the 2024 World Economic Forum. This no doubt leads to a sense of happiness as well, say residents.
"The government is run by women," says Gunnsteinsdóttir, noting that Iceland had the world's first democratically elected female president in 1980. "I was six years old when she was elected a president, and I didn't necessarily conceive of a man being a president."
Those gender equality gains were hard fought. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Women's Day Off, when Icelandic women went on strike for a day to underscore the lack of equal representation in politics and the labour force. "I'm truly grateful to these women and the men who supported them," says Gunnsteinsdóttir. "Where you have gender equality, the social, economic and political aspects tend to be more stable and better for people and the natural surroundings. In countries with greater gender equality, people are healthier, happier and have better wellbeing."
That's not to say Iceland hasn't had its own share of growing pains in recent years. Costs, particularly in the capital city of Reykjavík, have grown particularly high. "The cost of living is steep, especially housing, which can be a struggle for both locals and expats," said Kevin Mercier, a French photographer who has lived in Iceland the past six years and chronicles his travels at Kevmrc Travel.
The high cost of short-term rentals has been partially blamed for this rise in housing expense, and tourism in general has put some pressures on the small island. The nation has been transformed by tourism over the past decade, welcoming around 2.3 million international visitors in 2024 – nearly double the 2015 numbers) and around six times the number of residents. That said, the benefits of tourism have outweighed the costs, say many residents, and as visitor numbers continue to grow, the country is adopting new initiatives to manage the impact and protect its natural resources.
"The movement around making tourism more responsible has been very grassroots and run by Iceland Tourism in collaboration with local and central authorities and private companies," says Gunnsteinsdóttir.
Iceland's infrastructure has also seen a boost from tourism. "Finishing The Ring Road [the looped highway around Iceland that was fully paved in 2019] was great for everyone, making sometimes isolated communities now easily accessible," said Poteet. "Also, the amount of tourists to the Fagradalsfjall volcano meant the government built trails in the area almost immediately. So impressive!"
Accommodations are pushing to educate visitors about sustainability and the Icelandic way of life. Family-owned property Hotel Ranga on the south coast offers a "Live Like an Icelander" programme, where a local guide takes guests through ancient farmsteads and lets them drink from a well that is said to promote longevity. ION Hotels, owned by female entrepreneur Sigurlaug Sverrisdóttir, has committed to having a female-majority staff across its two properties, ION City Hotel in Reykjavík and the ION Adventure Hotel on Lake Thingvellir, the largest lake in Iceland.
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The number of restaurants, bars and cafes has also grown to meet tourist demand, leading to more vibrant urban centres. "When I was growing up, you would walk the streets in Reykjavík and there was hardly anyone walking around in most of the year," said Gunnsteinsdóttir. "I personally quite like having people around."
Regardless of the external factors, it may be an internal sense of adaptability and resilience that leads to Icelanders' ultimate happiness. Gunnsteinsdóttir points to the ancient Icelandic word for intuition, innsæi, which translates to the "the sea within".
"It's the world beyond words – of vision, feelings, imagination and things that brew before they come to the surface of our attention," she explains. "It also means 'to see from the inside out', which refers to having a strong inner compass that enables us to navigate the ocean of life and the world we live in."
Gunnsteinsdóttir theorises that this sense of direction comes directly from living alongside an often-unpredictable natural environment and fast-changing weather conditions. "In recent years, we've had multiple eruptions and earthquakes. When you constantly feel the earth is shaking, it really reminds you that things can change quite rapidly," she says. "When it comes to happiness, it encourages us to make the best out of what we have when things don't go according to plan."
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Donald Trump has signed a controversial executive order aimed at stepping up deep-sea mining within US and in international waters.
Thursday's order is the latest issued by the US president to try to increase America's access to minerals used by the aerospace, green technology and healthcare sectors.
The deep sea contains billions of tonnes of potato-shaped rocks, called polymetallic nodules, which are rich in critical minerals like cobalt and rare earths.
Many other countries and environmental groups oppose deep-sea mining in international waters without further research.
The latest US executive order was issued to "establish the United States as a global leader in responsible seabed mineral exploration", it reads.
The move appears to bypass a long-running round of UN negotiations on mining in international waters.
"The US authorisation... violates international law and harms the overall interests of the international community," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Friday.
China dominates the production of rare earths and critical metals like cobalt and lithium.
Trump has been frustrated by this relative weakness of the US position, analysts say.
"We want the US to get ahead of China in this resource space under the ocean, on the ocean bottom," a US official said on Thursday.
To achieve this, the order says the US will speed up the process of issuing exploration licences and recovery permits both in its own waters and in "areas beyond national jurisdiction".
The administration estimates that deep-sea mining could boost the country's GDP by $300bn (£225bn) over 10 years and create 100,000 jobs
The EU, the UK and others support a moratorium on the practice until further scientific research is carried out.
Environmentalists and scientists are concerned that undiscovered species living in the deep sea could be harmed by the process.
"Deep-sea mining is a deeply dangerous endeavour for our ocean," said Jeff Watters of Ocean Conservancy, a US-based environmental group.
"The harm caused by deep-sea mining isn't restricted to the ocean floor: it will impact the entire water column, top to bottom, and everyone and everything relying on it," he added in a statement released on Friday.
It is not clear how quickly deep-sea mining could begin but one mining company, The Metals Company (TMC), has already applied for permits in international waters.
TMC's CEO Gerard Barron has previously said he hopes to begin mining by the end of the year.
Along with others in the mining industry, he disputes the environmental claims made and has argued that the abyssal zone - 3,000m to 6,000m below sea level - has very low concentrations of life.
"Here there's zero flora. And if we measure the amount of fauna [animal life], in the form of biomass, there is around 10g per square metre. That compares with more than 30kg of biomass where the world is pushing more nickel extraction, which is our equatorial rainforests," he previously told the BBC.
Two wildlife charities are recruiting volunteers to help spot glow-in-the-dark caterpillars at night using ultraviolet lights.
It is hoped the technique will make surveying butterflies and moths quicker and reveal secrets about their behaviour and evolution.
The surveys are part of a conservation project covering Bernwood Forest, the River Ray and Otmoor Basin near Oxford.
A conservation manager for the Dorset-based Butterfly Conservation, Steven Lofting, said the new method "has the potential to change our understanding of their biology, distribution, abundance and ecology. It's really exciting."
Training in the technique is part of a project led by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT), which has been given £512,182 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The first group of volunteers were trained at the Trust's Finemere Wood nature reserve between Bicester and Aylesbury.
They were looking for caterpillars of the UK's five species of hairstreak butterfly.
The black hairstreak is endangered, the brown hairstreak and white-letter hairstreak are both vulnerable, and green hairstreak and purple hairstreak have also declined in abundance and distribution since the 1970s.
BBOWT will now apply for a total of £3.6m for the Reconnecting Bernwood, Otmoor and the Ray project, of which Butterfly Conservation is a key partner.
The scheme involves working with communities, farmers and landowners to restore habitats for threatened species on the Oxfordshire-Buckinghamshire border.
Emily Coulam, from the trust, said the data gathered by the volunteers would help them "develop projects which hope to increase abundance and range of the hairstreak butterflies through habitat creation and restoration".
Butterfly Conservation and BBOWT have surveyed hairstreaks for decades, but the techniques have been slow and painstaking.
For the brown hairstreak, both charities rely on volunteers going out in the middle of winter to look for tiny, pinhead-sized eggs on twigs using magnifying glasses.
Mr Lofting said: "If we can just shine a light in the bushes and these caterpillars suddenly glow at us like an electric lightbulb, it could make it so much easier and quicker to do surveys of these species."
Surveys of butterflies are important for conservation because they are known as indicator species, meaning rises and falls in their populations can predict the health of the wider ecosystem.
Official figures from the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme revealed 2024 was the fifth worst year for UK butterflies since the scheme began in 1976.
More than half of the UK's butterfly species have populations in long-term decline, a survey has found.
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Plans to install nearly 900 solar panels in a field next to a hotel in Staffordshire have been given the go-ahead.
Bosses at The Tawny hotel in Consall, near Wetley Rocks, said the solar farm would produce enough renewable electricity to meet the estate's energy needs.
They will be required to plant hedges around the solar farm to screen it from nearby properties.
Local authority planning officers said the scheme's environmental benefits would outweigh any impact on the countryside.
The estate - which includes the hotel, wedding venue and camping pods – is situated within the greenbelt.
A total of 887 solar panels will be installed in a field next to the hotel's car park, along with a battery storage facility in a service yard.
According to the application, the solar panels will save around 50 tonnes of carbon emissions per year, the equivalent of planting 2,282 trees.
Local resident Sheila Penfold, whose home overlooks the estate, spoke in support of the plans but called for the council to ensure that effective screening was provided.
"The Tawny is not a sustainable development, and we would support any improvement in their environmental performance," she said.
"There's a high demand for energy, at present sourced from oil and gas."
She added: "We've suffered intrusive lighting and noise despite some planting to screen the row of camping pods which is directly in our line of sight.
"But we would not object to any measures that would improve the environmental performance of the property, which undoubtedly a solar array will provide."
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council's planning committee welcomed the proposals, saying the solar farm would be a "massive improvement" on a noisy diesel generator that they had seen during a site visit.
Councillor Keith Hoptroff said: "I'm in full support of this. I'd like to see more businesses do similar projects to this.
"[It] will probably reduce the need for large-scale solar farms and the controversy that comes with them."
This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.
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Areas hit hard by flooding last year should be prioritised for prevention work, a council has been told.
West Berkshire Council said it had worked with consultants and other agencies to determine 10 potential improvements following flooding last summer, which was the third wettest in the county since 1918.
A resident whose home near Reading flooded in January 2024 said she wanted authorities to act more quickly.
The councillor in charge of the authority's flood prevention work said more money needed to be invested by the government to help mitigate problems.
Felicity Becker was forced to put furniture on the ground floor on breeze blocks when her home was inundated in January 2024.
She said flood water reached about 1ft (30cm) high in her house, kitchen units were ruined and there was also damage caused to her garden.
But she said the flooding also caused emotional turmoil.
"Once the flood has gone, when we get heavy rain - and there are massive puddles on the roads because the drains haven't been sorted - then the kids get anxious, as do we all, thinking 'is this our house next?'" she added.
She said it took more than a year to arrange a meeting involving the various agencies involved and the local community to discuss potential measures.
From early January to late March, West Berkshire was badly affected by flooding when it was hit by Storms Henk, Isha and Jocelyn.
West Berkshire Council said it had liaised with Thames Water, the Environment Agency (EA), dozens of landowners as well as other groups, including the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust, to get a clearer picture of where the main problems were.
Consultants WSP submitted recommendations to the council following the flooding, including looking into who is responsible for keeping ditches in Pingewood clear of debris.
There should also be upgrades to some of the roads on the Membury Industrial Estate, they said.
An entire section of surface water drainage in Paices Hill, between Aldermaston and Baughurst, must be replaced after a failure which caused flooding for residents and businesses.
Stuart Gourley, the council's executive portfolio holder for environment and highways, said authorities could only "mitigate as much as possible".
"There will always be that risk because this area is in the highest flood risk zone that there is for ground and for river flooding," he said.
Thames Water spokesperson said responding to flooding required "a multi-agency approach across a range of organisations" and it would continue to work with others collaboratively.
The EA was approached to comment.
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A week of events is set to take place on the Isle of Man to "draw attention" to the valuable work done by Manx conservation groups, one of the programme's organisers has said.
The annual Manx Wildlife Week, which began in 2017, will this year run from Saturday until 5 May and feature 40 events across the island.
Organised by Manx National Heritage (MNH), activities include bat walks, dolphin watching at the Sound, peat restoration, and the removal of the invasive Pacific oyster species.
Laura McCoy, curator of natural history at the MNH, said the week was a "great opportunity to meet experts" and gain "insight" into the island's wildlife.
'Unsung heroes'
Having a "closer connection to where we live can always add something to our day-to-day lives", she said.
The week, which is run in partnership with Manx Wildlife Trust and Unesco Biosphere Isle of Man, aims to enable the public to learn more about the island's wildlife, landscapes and biodiversity.
Most of the week's activities are free to attend. While some are "drop-in" events, others have to be booked in advance.
The 40 events include guided walks, evening talks, and practical workshops from a variety of the island's wildlife and conservation organisations.
Many who work on nature projects on the island are "unsung heroes", said Ms McCoy, who said it was "important to draw attention to all the wonderful work carried out by conservation groups that support the island's biodiversity".
She added: "We truly appreciate everyone getting involved and hope you will join us in exploring, discovering and supporting our wonderful Manx nature."
Some of the weeks events are drop-in while others need to be booked.
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A woman who tried to sell her "nightmare" home that has been flooded dozens of times says she has to take anxiety medicine due to stress.
Patricia Clarke and Peter Clarke, who have lived in their Swindon home for three years, say they have spent around £8,000 on protecting it from a "river" of water, which they say is caused by a nearby pond owned by Swindon Borough Council.
The local authority has said it is "incredibly sympathetic" to the couple's situation and is looking at ways to "mitigate the problems" affecting them.
But Mr Clarke said he remains angry at the council for not taking action and is worried for his wife, who spends sleepless nights making sure the water does not enter their home.
"It makes me feel angry," he said. "I get worried for Trish, for her mental health, it's terrible."
The couple has built dams, bought sandbags, installed drainage, replaced floors and installed gravel boards around the house in an attempt to protect it from water that often contains sewage.
"I sit up at night to make sure it's not coming into the house and I take anxiety meds now," Mrs Clarke said.
"It's like a river running through our garden up to our conservatory.
"We've had to learn to live with it because the council will not do anything, they just call it a run-off and say it's our responsibility."
The council has said it would "assist" Mrs Clarke "by providing sandbags and support where needed".
"[But] would encourage Mrs Clarke to look at what she can do herself from within her own property boundary to help prevent flooding," the council added.
"We are incredibly sympathetic to the situation and looking at ways to mitigate the problems affecting Mrs Clarke."
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Swathes of scientific data deletions are sweeping across US government websites – with decades of health, climate change and extreme weather research at risk. Now, scientists are racing to save their work before it's lost.
Some of them are in the US. Others are scattered around the world. There are hundreds, many even thousands of people involved across multiple networks. And they keep a damn close eye on their phones.
No one knows when the next alert or request to save a chunk of US government-held climate data will come in. Such data, long available online, keeps getting taken down by US President Donald Trump's administration. For the last six months or so, Cathy Richards has been entrenched in the response. She works for one of several organisations bent on downloading and archiving public data before it disappears.
"You get a message at 11 o'clock at night saying, 'This is going down tomorrow'," she says. "You try to enjoy your day and then everything goes wrong. You just spend the night downloading data."
Richards is a data and inclusion specialist, and civic science fellow at the Open Environmental Data Project (OEDP), a non-profit based in Hudson, New York. Her organisation is a founding member of the Public Environmental Data Project (PEDP), which emerged in 2024 to safeguard data under the Trump administration.
Some of the messages are "heart-breaking", says Richards. Scientists sometimes get in touch, desperate to know that data they have spent their professional lives collecting will be rescued. "You hear the urgency," she says. "You understand that this is someone's X amount of years of research and this is their baby. That's probably why we snap into action."
In recent weeks, Richards and her colleagues have archived datasets packed with information on US flood hazards, greenhouse gas emissions, energy production and environmental justice, among other subjects. Other researchers have recreated a tool that forecasts the risk of future climate hazards around the US.
This rush to safeguard vital environmental data is part of a broader movement to rescue all kinds of scientific data published online by the US government. Biomedical and health researchers working with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for example, have been frantically searching for ways to back up important data following executive orders issued by Trump about what information on gender and diversity may be published by federal bodies.
Scientists have expressed fears about a wide range of resources that might go next – from historical weather records to data gathered by Nasa satellites. On 16 April, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) announced that a list of datasets regarding ocean monitoring were now scheduled to be removed in early May.
Multiple organisations including the Internet Archive, a non-profit, Safeguarding Research and Culture, and the Data Rescue Project, are now engaged in activities alongside the OEDP to rescue this data from oblivion. Many of the individuals involved in these efforts have pitched in voluntarily. "It's our library," says Richards. "You gotta save the books, you have to keep it for the future."
Shortly after President Trump's inauguration on 25 January 2025, his administration announced sweeping changes to federal departments and agencies, in a bid to reduce what it called "waste" and "inefficiencies". But many of the programmes and resources currently disappearing are critically important, scientists say. Climate researchers who spoke to the BBC pointed out that some deleted datasets have supported important research on climate change and life-threatening weather extremes, for example.
While government officials also removed information during Trump's first term, meaning scientists had expected similar deletions during his second term, the scale and scope of recent deletions has taken researchers by surprise. One scientist rushed to their university with a plea: "I said, 'I need disk space, I need it fast, I can't really go through the normal processes [of getting] a grant'," they recall. Their university quietly made 20 terabytes of storage available, the researcher told the BBC.
The scramble to rescue at-risk data before it's too late continues apace. Richards says her organisation has received messages from around 400 would-be volunteers and they are currently "on-boarding" around 100 of them. Their work could help preserve data on everything from air quality to coral reefs.
Among the tools that the PEDP has replicated on its website is EJScreen, an environmental justice mapping service that reveals communities in the US that may be at heightened risk from environmental hazards such as air pollution. It was removed from the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) website in early February.
Climate data is often particularly challenging to work with given the huge size of certain datasets – vast stores of information about our planet that underpin climate models, or weather forecasting systems, for example. But this doesn't deter Richards. "This is taxpayer-funded research that was already paid for," she says. The BBC contacted the White House for a comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Watching all of this unfold – in many cases in disbelief – are the scientists who worked to collect this data in the first place.
"I have never seen anything like this in nearly 40 years of doing science," says Paul Bierman, a geomorphologist at the University of Vermont. "I think it's an unmitigated disaster." Bierman studies landscape change and human interaction with landscapes. He has researched the history of the Greenland ice sheet, showing, for example, that during the Pleistocene epoch 2.6 million to 11,700 years ago, Greenland was covered in tundra and vegetation, rather than a thick ice sheet. It suggests that the ice in Greenland is more vulnerable to a changing climate than we previously understood.
Bierman explains that all of the data that he and his colleagues have collected on National Science Foundation-funded studies gets submitted to data repositories supported by that same US government agency. "Now I'm wondering, 'Is that the safest place for my data?'," he says.
Scientists are also worried that efforts to gather new climate data will fall by the wayside. A government report in March suggested that the Trump administration was considering cancelling the lease of the support office for a major carbon dioxide (CO2) monitoring research station in Hawaii. The Mauna Loa observatory has been tracking atmospheric CO2 concentrations since 1958 and just last year recorded the largest jump in such levels since records began.
"Climate science is only possible because of long-term datasets," says Lilian Dove, a US Noaa climate and global change research fellow at Brown University. "Without continuing to collect that data, preserve that data, our field is in really big trouble."
Both Bierman and Dove say they have made multiple copies of their scientific data, including in offline stores, as a precaution – to ensure its survival.
Eric Nost, a geographer at the University of Guelph in Canada, says that the data deletions have far exceeded the many revisions of US government-published information that occurred during Trump's first term, from early 2017 to early 2021. "We saw the removal of many [web] pages," he says. "We didn't really see datasets removed."
Rachel Santarsiero, director of the Climate Change Transparency Project at the National Security Archive, a non-governmental and non-profit organisation, agrees. She adds that, during that first term, mentions of "climate change" were often deleted from government websites but scientific data generally remained intact and accessible.
Santarsiero also notes, however, that – in principle – the removal of environmental data resources from public-facing government websites is neither new nor exclusive to the Trump administration. The EPA announced plans to remove its online archive in 2022 while President Joe Biden was in power, for instance. "Their rationale was it was too costly to keep the archive," says Santarsiero.
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Another organisation that is currently working to gather and archive US government data, including climate data, is Safegaur.de. It is run largely by researchers outside the US. William Waites, a computer scientist at the University of Southampton in the UK, is among them. The pace of data deletions in recent months and weeks has been frantic, he says, with some "scares" over datasets that were rumoured to be earmarked for removal.
In March, word went round that information published by Noaa would disappear within days. Waites and his colleagues swung into action and started downloading multiple terabytes of data. But the rumoured deadline for the deletion came and went. Waites describes the episode as "a good exercise for getting used to doing this" and adds: "It's getting a little bit easier, though, as we become more established and known for doing this – and have contacts in various organisations".
A raft of Noaa programmes are currently at risk as the Trump administration is reportedly considering cutting the agency's funding by 25%. This would remove all funding for research on the impact of climate change on weather, for example.
The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, which captures screenshots of web pages to record what they looked like in the past, is also working to cache government data. This is part of the End of Term Archive project, which records the state of US government websites at the end of presidential administrations. Mark Graham, director of the Wayback Machine, highlights a live public spreadsheet that his colleagues are using to log such captures. The content ranges from information about LGBTQ+ equality matters to geopolitics. Plus, references to vaccines and sexually transmitted diseases were also removed from federal websites shortly after Trump's inauguration.
Many of the preserved web pages feature climate or environmental information. "We've seen, by scope and scale, an increase in the material removed from US government websites that is without precedent," says Graham.
Downloading and archiving data in private or non-governmental repositories is something of a double-edged sword, however. On the one hand, it allows archivists to make multiple copies of that data. "That limits its potential for being destroyed," says Lourdes Vera, a sociologist at the University at Buffalo. But Vera, who was arrested in 2020 for stealing and vandalising Trump campaign signs, points out that saving such data on platforms owned by US-based tech companies could be risky, if those companies are later compelled by the government to delete the data.
Multiple people involved in archiving initiatives expressed a motivation to store the most important information outside of the US. Though many were hesitant to discuss details. When asked whether this is something the Internet Archive is doing, for example, Graham only says: "The Internet Archive is always looking for responsible ways to help ensure the integrity of data".
There's another problem, though. When data goes missing from centralised – and well-known – government web pages, it's not always obvious to casual internet users that there are organisations out there working to republish it.
"You kind of have to know what you're looking for now whereas, in the past, you would have been able to more easily come by [that data] by navigating centralised data systems," says Nost.
It means an increasing burden not just in terms of safeguarding climate data – but also in ensuring that the public knows it is still there. And that it matters.
Given the relatively small window that humans have to act on climate change, in order to prevent its worst effects, Bierman finds the present situation incomprehensible.
"It's stunning to me that, at a time when we're seeing more intense hurricanes, greater rainfall extremities, more drought, more wildfires – why at that point would we ever imagine cutting the science that is key to addressing those issues, and keeping people safe?"
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Decades of industrialisation have polluted the waters of Italy's Mar Piccolo and brought mussel farming to its knees. Can harnessing the power of plants bring back a traditional way of life?
Adriano Lippo grips the tiller of his small boat, staring out over the dark blue waters of the Mar Piccolo. "I don't think it will happen this year," he says, shaking his head. "Everything is dead." The air carries a scent of salt, heat, and the bittersweet nostalgia of summer's end.
For the past decade, Lippo has made the same journey at the end of every summer, steering his boat between the port and the looming smokestacks of Taranto, southern Italy. His task: to transfer mussels from one inlet to the other across the Mar Piccolo, a semi-enclosed bay located between the city and the open sea. The narrow strait connecting the Mar Piccolo's two inlets has always been a lifeline for mussel farmers – a vital passage to shield their harvests from the contamination that has plagued the first inlet after years of relentless industrial growth.
The first inlet has historically been the best site for collecting larvae, and mussel farmers have passed down this knowledge over the generations, explains Giovanni Fanelli, a researcher working with mussel farmers at the National Research Council in the Istituto di Ricerca Sulle Acque (CNR-IRSA). "The first inlet is closer to the open sea, allowing cooler water to stream in. But for years, it has not been possible to complete mussel growth in that area," says Fanelli, as he bends from his boat to collect a submarine data logger, a device used to record and store environmental data underwater.
When mussels reach a certain size, farmers must transfer them to the second inlet, which lies further from the sources of pollution, to complete their growth. This allows the mussels to purge any toxins they may have absorbed during their early growth phase in the first inlet. But last year, rising temperatures killed the mussels before they could even make the trip. Ninety per cent of mussels were lost in the final weeks of September, devastating current yields and jeopardising future harvests.
Once the lifeblood of a centuries-old tradition, the Mar Piccolo supported generations of mussel farmers, producing an impressive 60,000 tonnes of mussels annually at the sector's peak in the early 2000s. Since then, mussel farming has been in decline, with pollution and heatwaves exerting ever greater pressure on an already precarious sector.
Now, researchers and mussel farmers are pinning their hopes on a plan to restore the contaminated Mar Piccolo through phytoremediation, a process where plants are used to absorb harmful toxins. While the approach holds promise for both the environment and the livelihoods of mussel farmers, its implementation faces significant hurdles, including logistical challenges, funding constraints and the ongoing impact of heavy industry in the region.
The toll of heavy industry
Known as "the city of the two seas" because of its location between the Mar Grande – the open sea – and the Mar Piccolo, Taranto has long wrestled with the impacts of industrial development. Since 1889, it has hosted Italy's largest naval base and military shipyard, and a major oil refinery and cement plant have been operating since the second half of the 20th Century. More recently, the city has been home to one of the biggest steel factories in Europe, Acciaierie d'Italia – still referred to locally by the name of its former owners, the state-owned Ilva Group.
Operational since 1965, at its peak, the factory produced more than 11 million tonnes of steel every year. Over the years, various scientific studies have identified alarmingly high levels of heavy metals and organic pollutants in marine sediments, alongside elevated cancer rates in the areas closest to the factory.
A trial in 2021 convicted 37 people and three companies for allowing the steelworks plant to emit deadly pollution, which the trial found had caused a surge in cancer in Taranto. However the verdicts were overturned by an appeals court in 2024. New legal proceedings are now underway.
A resilient ecosystem struggles to survive
A vibrant ecosystem home to seahorses, rare seaweeds and endangered fan mussels, the Mar Piccolo's low salinity levels create an ideal environment for mussel cultivation. "What should be, according to human logic, practically a putrid pond is instead a sea rich in biodiversity," says Giovanni De Vincentis, President of the Taranto branch of the World Wildlife Fund. The vitality of this ecosystem is largely attributed to the citri – submarine springs that help maintain relatively stable temperatures, ranging between 15C (59F) and 18C (64F) throughout the year. "This unique feature acts as a natural temperature regulator for the Mar Piccolo, supporting its rich biodiversity and fostering the growth of the Taranto black mussel," explains De Vincentis.
As filter-feeding organisms, mussels can accumulate toxic contaminants in their tissues. In 2011, concentrations of dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, that exceeded European Union standards were found in mussels grown in Mar Piccolo's first inlet, leading to a temporary ban on mussel farming in the area. Since then, stringent pollution controls have been implemented. "The local health authority takes samples to analyse. If the product is free of PCBs, dioxins, and other contaminants, they approve us to transfer the mussels from the first inlet to the second," explains Lippo.
For Lippo and other mussel farmers, the need to relocate their entire mussel crop to the second inlet is increasingly jeopardising their harvest. "From the moment all this started, mussel farming has been brought to its knees, and the mussel farmers have paid the price. The climate crisis has further accentuated these problems," says Fanelli. This past July, the temperature in the second inlet climbed to 31.5C (89F), reports Fanelli – a level that scientific research indicates can be fatal to mussels. An estimated 9,000 tonnes of mussels, valued at €8m (£6.72m, $9.07m), perished last year.
The restoration plans
Environmental remediation in Taranto has a long and complex history. "An endless story," says Vera Corbelli, the former special commissioner for Taranto's remediation efforts. Corbelli was appointed in 2014 with a mandate to lead targeted interventions to deal with the contamination. During her six-year tenure, she oversaw remediation projects and carried out extensive research covering an area of 564 sq km (218 sq miles), which includes the Mar Piccolo. "We realised that much of the Mar Piccolo had been used as a dumping ground," says Corbelli. "We found everything – cars, hospital equipment, washing machines, refrigerators. Removing this debris was our first step." Yet further progress on the ground remained frustratingly slow.
It wasn't until early 2024, when geologist Vito Felice Uricchio became the new special commissioner for Taranto's remediation efforts, that significant progress began to take shape. Although Uricchio had been working on environmental solutions for years, his efforts are only now translating into tangible policy actions.
"It started over 15 years ago," Uricchio recalls, of his environmental work in the area. "There was not only an environmental need but also a social one." At the time, Uricchio served as a researcher and coordinator. Alongside Reverend Nicola Preziuso, a priest in the Tamburi district which lies adjacent to the factory, Uricchio and his team of researchers launched a pilot project aimed at providing both ecological restoration and employment opportunities for workers who had lost their jobs. The initiative focused on decontaminating one hectare of polluted land using plants such as the Monviso clone, a species known for promoting PCB biodegradation through its root system.
"The first 600 [poplars] were planted, then another 600," Preziuso says. "We kept planting and planting. At first, the plants ranged from 50cm (20in) to 60cm (24in) in height. Over time, they've grown to about 12 to 13m (40 to 43ft), with strong, consistent trunks – a beautiful sight on a terrain condemned to be contaminated."
After a year of planting, chemical analyses revealed significant improvements, demonstrating the method's ability to address both organic and inorganic contamination. Inspired by this success, Uricchio now aims to deploy the technology on a larger scale, targeting the heavily polluted first inlet of the Mar Piccolo.
The process can treat soil up to 5m (16.5ft) deep – the reach of the plant roots – at a fraction of the cost of traditional remediation methods. "Traditional soil removal, or 'scarification', involves excavating contaminated soil and sending it to landfills, which is both wasteful and harmful," Uricchio explains. "It takes thousands of years to form just one centimetre of soil from bedrock. Discarding that is criminal."
Cleaning up contaminants with plants
The idea of using living organisms to clean up toxic areas is not new. Early research primarily focused on the use of microbes to break down waste materials and pollutants. Over time, scientists expanded their studies to include plants capable of performing similar functions. In the 1990s, Rutgers University biologist Ilya Raskin, who first coined the term "phytoremediation", demonstrated the technique's potential by using mustard seeds to extract heavy metals from contaminated soil around Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
While many plants can absorb organic compounds such as dioxins and PCBs, only certain types, known as hyperaccumulators, are capable of effectively absorbing and tolerating high concentrations of heavy metals. This group includes poplar trees, used in Uricchio's research, as well as other species like sunflowers, some types of grass, and hemp.
Though current research so far shows promise, Werther Guidi Nissim, an assistant professor at the University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy, says phytoremediation alone is unlikely to fully decontaminate an area as large as the Mar Piccolo. The long timeframes needed – from a few years for the easiest pollutants to centuries for some metal and organic compounds – are another bottleneck, according to Nissim.
Instead, the technique should be combined with other more traditional remediation methods like excavation and soil removal, he says. "Since, in most cases, sites are polluted by different contaminants, an integration between conventional and green approaches such as phytoremediation could be an interesting idea to explore."
Acknowledging these limitations, the remediation plan for Taranto encompasses both typical remediation approaches alongside more innovative approaches, says Uricchio. "Phyto-assisted bioremediation will be used in cases where contamination affects the most superficial soil layers or depths compatible with the root systems of the species intended for use," he explains.
In addition, most phytoremediation projects have so far focused on the use of terrestrial plants on land, says Nissim. In saline environments, salt-tolerant species of plants, known as halophytes, must be used, and while research is still ongoing, they also form part of Uricchio's plan for the Mar Piccolo. Algae species, such as sea lettuce, can also play a role. According to Uricchio, these algae not only help restore ecosystems but also have valuable industrial applications, including in bioethanol production.
Hope despite the barriers
Taranto is one of 42 contaminated areas in Italy designated a "site of national interest" because of the urgent need for remediation. The sixth Sentieri Report – an epidemiological study of communities living in industrially contaminated areas in Italy – highlights the severe health risks associated with living in polluted environments. It also warns that even the most well-executed remediation efforts risk being compromised by ongoing or future recontamination.
"In places like Taranto, even if we managed to carry out the best possible remediation, the benefits would be completely nullified by the continuation of polluting activities," says Agostino di Ciaula, a doctor and researcher of the effects of pollution on human health.
Despite a ruling by the European Court of Justice last year stating that the heavily indebted steel plant should be shut down if it continues to pose environmental and health risks, it remains operational. Under state ownership since 2020, the plant plans to produce 3.5 million tonnes of steel in 2025, as the Italian government searches for new owners.
In a joint statement, Giovanni Fiori, Davide Tabarelli and Giancarlo Quaranta, the current commissioners of Acciaierie d'Italia, tell the BBC investments in maintenance have improved efficiency and sustainability, and emissions reductions have been achieved through upgrades to cooling and gas purification systems. "These efforts are driven by the determination to lift Acciaierie d'Italia out of a period of decline, ensure production continuity, and create the conditions for a more sustainable future."
Meanwhile, Uricchio's broader vision to restore Mar Piccolo faces significant hurdles. Securing full operational permission from the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security took nearly a year, and he is still waiting for the necessary funding. Of the estimated €500m (£423m, $566m) needed for Taranto's decontamination, only €52m (£44m, $58m) is currently available. The Ministry has acknowledged the uphill battle. "The funds available in the Special Accounting [funds allocated for sites that have yet to be remediated] are partially being used to settle debts left by previous commissioners. Soon additional resources will be unlocked," a spokesperson tells the BBC.
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A significant portion of funding was expected from the Contratti Istituzionali di Sviluppo (CIS) – a government-led instrument aimed at accelerating strategic projects in regions facing economic or environmental challenges, using EU and national funding. In a move criticised by trade unions and environmental groups, a decision about CIS funding for the remediation of the Mar Piccolo was effectively halted in December 2020.
Substantial funding is expected this year from the Just Transition Fund, a European Union fund aimed at supporting economic diversification and the energy transition, and the EU Fund for Development and Cohesion. Uricchio has submitted seven funding proposals on green supply chains that the Just Transition Fund could potentially support. These initiatives focus on soil and surface water decontamination and reducing particulate matter. However, Uricchio fears these funds might be insufficient, even if they are approved. "For this reason, I am advocating for the exploration of additional funding channels," he says.
With promises of action and new funding on the horizon, the question remains: will it be enough to restore Taranto's future and protect the livelihoods of mussel farmers and citizens?
The embattled Uricchio remains full of fight. "I want to act; I want to remediate as much as possible."
* The travel for this article was supported by a grant from Journalismfund Europe.
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Katarina Zimmer put vinegar to the test as a cleaning product and discovered a wide range of benefits, for people and the planet.
A few months ago in my new Berlin apartment, my toilet and I were at war. No amount of scrubbing or toilet cleaner would evict the limescale coating inside. Frustrated, I turned to Google and stumbled across a page recommending vinegar – something that the previous inhabitant had left behind in abundance. After dropping two tablespoons full of "Essigessenz" – essentially concentrated vinegar – into the toilet and waiting for half an hour, I scrubbed and the limescale came off in a moment.
Since then, I've enthusiastically used vinegar to rid my world of limescale. I've found it even more effective than my regular kitchen spray cleaner for getting my sink sparkling. That includes the faucet, which I wrapped in a vinegar-soaked kitchen tissue – whereas my regular cleaning spray dribbled off. And rather than having to buy special tablets to clean my limescale-smothered glass kettle, I simply poured two tablespoons of concentrated vinegar inside and boiled it. As the limescale crackled off, it made a satisfying sizzling sound.
I wondered if vinegar had other advantages. Did it also kill off bacteria and other germs? And, importantly, was this simple, natural product better for the environment and for my health than regular cleaning products?
The internet is full of sustainability influencers and green cleaning blogs that advertise vinegar as a jack-of-all-trades and a safer and "greener" alternative to "toxic" cleaning products. These claims make sense on the surface; vinegar is after all just fermented alcohol and has long been used as a food preservative, in salad dressings, as well as a household cleaner – but I wanted evidence. After interviewing three experts, I learned that while some of these claims are true, the benefits of vinegar depend a lot on how it's used and the kind of grime you're trying to get rid of.
Reassuringly, Eric Beckman, a chemical engineer and emeritus professor at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, told me that the best cleaning use for acetic acid – the main component of vinegar – is exactly what I had been using it for: as a descaler. Limescale – and rust, for that matter – consists of certain ions that dissolve more easily in acidic fluids like vinegar, he says. Beckman uses vinegar himself to get limescale off mirrors, while the microbiologist Dirk Bockmühl of Germany's Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences prefers using lemon juice, which contains citric acid, which he says is a more effective descaler and smells better. (Read more about why vinegar is such an effective cleaner.)
That said, vinegar doesn't work on everything. Beckman says that soap does a better job at removing oily films on dishes, while baking soda is effective against processed oils that have stuck onto surfaces while cooking. (Read more about whether baking soda is environmentally friendly).
However, Beckman expresses exasperation about a popular remedy of mixing vinegar together with baking soda. The mixture is chemically quite useless, he says, as the acid of vinegar and the base of baking soda effectively cancel each other out. "I use both, but not together," says Beckman. "Together, they give you nothing."
And while vinegar is often touted as a powerful antimicrobial, Bockmühl says, the truth is more nuanced. In a 2020 study, Bockmühl and his colleagues put vinegar to the test against a selection of disease-causing bacteria, viruses and fungi. While many internet recommendations suggest adding a dash of vinegar into a bucket of water for cleaning, Bockmühl found that its anti-microbial effects only kick in at an acetic acid concentration of 5% – its concentration in pure vinegar. And it was only fully effective at distilled concentrations of 10% – to which the researchers added a dash of citric acid – in killing off five common bacteria, including Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, as well as a mould, a yeast and a weakened strain of the vaccinia virus. Other studies have found that similar concentrations also work against Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.
But even these concentrations didn't work against the MRSA bacterium, an especially stubborn strain of Staphylococcus aureus that's resistant to certain antibiotics, while countless bacteria remain untested. Many bacteria – including the ones that ferment alcohol into vinegar – thrive in acids, Beckman adds: "Then they'll be like, 'ooh, yay, vinegar.'" Some moulds, too, are resistant to acetic acid while some viruses – like norovirus – might be, too, Bockmühl suspects. Beckman says that soaps are more effective against bacteria, while standard disinfectants work better against viruses and moulds. Harsh treatments like bleach will definitely kill everything, Beckman says – although bleach can be unsafe if used incorrectly.
Bockmühl stresses that, even for the germs that vinegar does kill, a relatively high concentration is needed. The concentration won't be adequate "if you just put a teaspoon of vinegar into your cleaning solution", Bockmühl says.
However, the higher the dose of acetic acid, the more irritating it can be on the skin, he adds. It is harmful if it gets into your eyes. Surfaces can suffer, too: vinegar corrodes natural stone and metals like copper, bronze and brass, according to the Italian chemist Dario Bressanini's book The Science of Cleaning. And in dishwashers or washing machines, it can harm the rubber gaskets used to seal them, while it could also damage coffee machines and strip away the coating on tiles and grout, Bressanini writes. But Bockmühl assures me that it's fine to use vinegar on glass and ceramic surfaces – like my toilet – and stainless steel sinks.
The trouble that Bockmühl sees with using homemade cleaning products is that they don't come with instructions or safety recommendations. "They might be safe if you know what you're doing," he says, "but there are a lot of really stupid and absurd recommendations on the internet".
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To learn more about how the health risks of vinegar compare with those of conventional cleaners, I called up Nicola Carslaw, professor of indoor air chemistry at the University of York in the UK. Her concern is how cleaners disrupt the air in our homes and buildings. It's known that professional domestic cleaners tend to have higher rates of asthma than other occupational groups, although it's proven difficult to pin that on any single product or ingredient.
In a recent study, Carslaw and her colleagues tested 23 different cleaning products including dishwasher fluid, washing up liquid and spray products, and found that many of them released volatile chemical compounds (VOCs). Some of these compounds, like terpenes, are often added to give pleasant aromas, such as lavender or pine oil, but they're highly reactive in the atmosphere. Terpenes for instance, easily react with ozone in the air, creating miniscule particles. In general, inhaling particles of this size has been linked to lung and heart disease.
"Your nose is a really good filter for the big particles, but the smaller ones can get all the way into your lungs [and] into the bloodstream," Carslaw says. Interestingly, in her study she found that cleaning products marketed as "natural" or "green" didn't seem any healthier in this regard. "The natural/green ones had as many, if not more VOCs as the standard cleaners, and in many cases they were more reactive," she says.
But vinegar, by contrast, only consists of water and acetic acid (and a few other substances that make the difference between red and wine vinegar, for instance). As such, "it's just not going to be chemically reactive in the same way", Carslaw says. Another advantage of vinegar is that it's usually applied on a cloth to wipe surfaces rather than used as a spray, Carslaw adds. Research shows that cleaning products applied in spray form have more harmful effects on the respiratory system than liquids and wipes. (Read more about the health risks associated with cleaning products in Jessica Bradley's story).
"When you spray something, you're turning the chemical into a form that's much easier to breathe [in] than if you have the liquid," Carslaw says. That said, she always advises gloves when there's risk of skin contact, good ventilation and avoiding excessive cleaning, whatever product is used. (Read more about whether we're cleaning too much for our own good).
This all left me with one remaining question: is using vinegar more environmentally friendly than conventional cleaners?
That's a hard question to answer, says Beckman. Ideally, there would be life cycle analyses for cleaning products which track impacts from cradle to grave, tracing each ingredient back to its source, how it's produced, transported, packaged and eventually disposed of. But very few companies do that thoroughly, even if they do brand their products as "green", Beckman says.
"But I will say this about vinegar. [Its] strength is its simplicity," Beckman says. Conventional cleaners can consist of more than a dozen different ingredients, many of them industrially manufactured in energy-consuming processes, he says. Acetic acid is born through the natural, yeast-driven fermentation of alcohol, which itself comes from the natural fermentation of sugar. The biggest environmental impact of vinegar-making is where the sugar came from – whether it's grapes, apples, grains, potatoes, or rice – which are largely renewable resources. Bockmühl cautions that this only applies to naturally fermented vinegars, the ones typically sold as food products; there are also synthetic vinegars which are derived from fossil fuels, meaning they come with all the environmentally harmful impacts of oil and gas extraction.
Even at the very end of its life, vinegar has little impact. While many ingredients in soaps are tough molecules and don't easily biodegrade, sometimes continuing to kill organisms once they're in the environment, vinegar quickly breaks down, Beckman says. "Vinegar passes muster on any sustainability scale because it's simple and it's degradable," he says.
After discovering all of this, I felt even better about using vinegar. I probably won't rely on it for ridding my surfaces of germs, but I'll keep using it to remove limescale and look forward to trying it out on the next rusty item I find. I'm happy to put up with the smell, knowing that I'm using a sustainable product that's likely better for my health.
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Icebergs as large as cities, potentially tens of kilometres wide, once roved the coasts of the UK, according to scientists.
Researchers found distinctive scratch marks left by the drifting icebergs as they gouged deep tracks into the North Sea floor more than 18,000 years ago.
It's the first hard evidence that the ice sheet formerly covering Britain and Ireland produced such large bergs.
The findings could provide vital clues in understanding how climate change is affecting Antarctica today.
The scientists searched for fingerprints of giant icebergs using very detailed 3D seismic data, collected by oil and gas companies or wind turbine projects doing ocean surveys.
This is a bit like doing an MRI scan of the sediment layers beneath the present-day seafloor, going back millions of years.
The researchers found deep, comb-like grooves, interpreted to have been created by the keels of large icebergs that broke off the British-Irish ice sheet more than 18,000 years ago.
Some of these scratch marks are as close as 90 miles (145km) to Scotland's present-day east coast.
"We found [evidence of] these gigantic tabular icebergs, which basically means the shape of a table, with incredibly wide and flat tops," said James Kirkham, marine geophysicist at the British Antarctic Survey and lead author of the new study, published in the journal Nature Communications.
"These have not been seen before and it shows definitively that the UK had ice shelves, because that's the only way to produce these gigantic tabular icebergs."
Ice shelves are floating platforms of ice where glaciers extend out into the ocean.
By analysing the size of the grooves, the scientists estimate that these icebergs could be five to tens of kilometres wide and 50-180m thick, although it's difficult to be exact.
That means they would have covered an area roughly as big as medium-sized UK cities like Norwich or Cambridge.
The icebergs are comparable in size to some of the smaller icebergs found off present-day Antarctica, such as blocks that calved from the Larsen B ice shelf in 2002.
Dr Kirkham described seeing such an iceberg when working in Antarctica two years ago.
"Those of us working on this paper were standing together, gazing out onto this iceberg and thinking, 'Wow, that's probably a similar size iceberg to what was found off the shore of Scotland 18,000 years ago, right in front of us in Antarctica today.'"
Clues for Antarctica?
Hundreds of ice shelves surround about three-quarters of today's Antarctic ice sheet, helping to hold back its vast glaciers.
But if ice shelves are lost, the glaciers behind can speed up, depositing more and more ice into the ocean and raising sea levels worldwide.
Exactly how this plays out, though, is "one of the largest sources of uncertainty in our models of sea level rise", Dr Kirkham told BBC News.
That's partly because scientists have only been able to use satellites for a few decades to observe about 10 cases of ice shelves collapsing - hence the desire to look for examples further back in time.
No ice shelf setting is the same, but the researchers say their findings from the former British-Irish ice sheet could help understand how Antarctica might respond to today's rapidly warming climate.
By looking at the changing scratch marks on the seafloor, the researchers discovered an abrupt shift in Britain's icebergs about 18,000 years ago, a time when the planet was gradually warming from a very cold period.
The occasional production of giant bergs ceased. Instead, smaller ones were produced much more frequently.
That indicates that the ice shelves suddenly disintegrated; without these massive floating platforms, such large icebergs could no longer be produced.
And it's potentially important because this coincides with the time when the glaciers behind began to retreat faster and faster.
The crucial, but unresolved, question is whether the disintegration of Britain's former ice shelves was merely a symptom of a quickly melting ice sheet - or whether the loss of these shelves directly triggered the runaway retreat of ice.
Resolving this chicken-and-egg dilemma, as Dr Kirkham put it, would shed light on how serious the impacts of losing today's Antarctic ice shelves might be.
"These ocean records are fascinating and have implications for Antarctica, as they illustrate the fundamental role of ice shelves in buttressing [holding back] the flow of continental ice into the ocean," said Prof Eric Rignot, glaciologist at the University of California, Irvine, who was not involved in the study.
"But the argument that the collapse of ice shelves triggered ice sheet collapse is only part of the story; the main forcing is warmer air temperature and warmer ocean temperature," he argued.
Graphics by Erwan Rivault
The "Blue Marble" was the first photograph of the whole Earth and the only one ever taken by a human. Fifty years on, new images of the planet reveal visible changes to the Earth's surface.
"I'll tell you," said astronaut Harrison Schmitt as the Apollo 17 hurtled towards the Moon, "if there ever was a fragile-appearing piece of blue in space, it's the Earth right now".
It was Thursday 7 December 1972, that humanity got its first look at our planet as a whole. In that moment, the photograph "The Blue Marble" was taken – one which changed the way we saw our world.
"I can see the lights of southern California, Bob," said Schmitt to ground control about one and a half hours into the flight. "Man's field of stars on the Earth is competing with the heavens."
The crew of the Apollo 17 – commander Eugene Cernan, command module pilot Ronald Evans and lunar module pilot Harrison "Jack" Schmitt – were watching their home recede into the distance as they journeyed into space for the last manned mission to the Moon.
Looking back towards the Earth, Cernan commented: "the clouds seem to be very artistic, very picturesque. Some in clockwise rotating fashion… but appear to be… very thin where you can… see through those clouds to the blue water below."
It is an enduring image of the beauty but also the vulnerability of our planet – adrift as it is in the vastness of the Universe, which hosts no other signs of life that we have been able to detect to date. But ours is also a planet of great change. The tectonic movements that shift the landmasses move too slow for our eyes to notice. Yet another force – humanity itself – has been reshaping our planet at a pace that we can see. Urbanisation, deforestation, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions are altering the way the Earth looks. So how, over the 50 years since that iconic image was taken, has the Blue Marble changed?
Those first images of the Blue Marble were taken by the crew, who passed the onboard camera – a hand-held analogue Hasselblad 500 EL loaded with 70mm Kodak film – between them, captivated by the sight of the Earth from space.
"All the images captured with Hasselblads are spectacularly clear and bright," says Jennifer Levasseur, curator at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC.
The camera was specially modified for use in space, she adds. Glues, lubricants, moving parts and batteries could all cause problems or fail when exposed to the extremes of hot and cold in space. It was also given a large square shutter-release button so the crew could use it while wearing their cumbersome spacesuits.
"The other major modification, was the removal of the viewing screen – because it's extra glass," Levasseur says, The astronauts, "had to learn how to take pictures without being able to see anything", she says. "Without a viewfinder, you can't see what you're taking."
Taking photos, says Levasseur, was planned meticulously and written into the mission plan. "They had known previous launches wouldn't give them whole Earth, but on this one the whole Earth would be entirely illuminated by the light of the Sun."
It was around five hours and 20 minutes into the flight that the crew got their first glimpse of the entire planet. The crew were starting to get ready for bed, zipping into their sleeping bags. It was their first moment of downtime since the launch.
"I suppose we're seeing as 100% full Earth as we'll ever see," said Cernan. "Bob, it's these kind of views that stick with you forever… There's no strings holding it up either. It's out there all by itself."
The Blue Marble image was captured at around 29,000km (18,000 miles) from Earth, as the Sun lit up the globe from behind the Apollo 17.
Almost six hours into the flight, Schmitt laughed. "The problem with looking at the Earth, particularly Antarctica, is it's too bright," he said, "And so I'm using my sunglasses through the monocular".
Back home, it was nearing 05:00 at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and ground control was quiet. "I'm not keeping you awake, am I, Bob?" asked Schmitt. "Just keep talking. We're listening," came the voice from the capsule communicator. And so the conversation continued long into the flight, the crew describing the clouds drifting over the ocean and the continents of home.
Previous Apollo missions had snapped the Earth partly hidden by shadow. The hugely influential, Earthrise, for instance, shows the planet as it rises behind the Moon. Up until this point, our view of home had been fragmented, with no real way to visualise the planet in its entirety. (Read more about how Earthrise sparked an environmental movement.)
Suddenly, glowing in the light of the Sun, the Earth was revealed as a beautiful shining blue orb, full of life and alone in the vastness of space. As a result, the Blue Marble is thought to have had more influence on humanity than any other photograph in history.
"If you can't see something, it's hard to visualise that it exists," says Nick Pepin, a climate scientist at the University of Portsmouth in the UK. "I think all of us who have been brought up with that [image] from a young age probably find it difficult to imagine a time when we didn't know what the Earth looked like. This was the first time that we could actually look back from space and see our home – and people suddenly realised it was an amazing thing, but also a fixed system that we live on."
The image offers a view of the Earth from the Mediterranean Sea area to the Antarctica South polar ice cap. Heavy cloud hangs over the Southern Hemisphere, and almost the entire coastline of Africa can be seen.
Nasa officially credits the image to the entire crew. We may never know which of them actually took it but today it is reported to be one of the most reproduced images of all time.
At 07.39 GMT on 7 December 2022 – 50 years later to the minute since the original was taken – a new "Blue Marble" was captured by a satellite orbiting a million miles away. This time, a set of 12 images taken 15 minutes apart, reveal noticeable changes to our planet's surface, the result of 50 years of global warming.
In the 50 years that separates these two snapshots in time, one of the most striking differences is the visible reduction in the size of the Antarctic ice sheet. "You can see the shrinking cryosphere – the shrinking ice sheet and the loss of the snow," says Pepin says. This, he says, is a major indicator of climate change.
The Sahara Desert has also grown while the rainforest "is retreating further south", he adds. Research has shown that tree cover in the vast Sahel region that borders the Sahara Desert has been in significant decline. "The dominant thing that you can see on the [new] image is deforestation and the loss of vegetation", as the Earth's land cover switches from greenery to desert.
The pictures were taken by Nasa's Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (Epic), which has been imaging the sunlit side of Earth between 13 and 22 times a day since 2015. The satellite sits at the first Lagrange point, a point of equilibrium between the Sun and Earth, a million miles from Earth.
From mid-April to mid-October, one photograph is taken of the Earth roughly every hour, and for the rest of the year it takes an image every two hours, says Alexander Marshak, deputy project scientist for Nasa's Deep Space Climate Observatory (Dscovr) satellite mission, which the camera is carried aboard.
"With respect to the Blue Marble, on the 50th anniversary, we decided to take the same images at 15 minute intervals. So, in 15 minutes [the Earth] rotates around maybe 100km (62 miles)," says Marshak. And, thanks to advances in technology, he adds, "we can see the same images, but with much better quality", even from a million miles away.
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"And we can see much more than that," Marshak adds. "We take images in 10 wavelengths, from UV [ultraviolet] to near infrared. From these images we can retrieve the property of ozone, of clouds, of water. The height of clouds, the location of clouds. We can look at the property of aerosols, the size of particles, the amount of particles. We retrieve even the shape of ice crystals [in the clouds], using the Sun's glint. We can [see] whether they're horizontally or randomly oriented."
"We retrieve [data on] the amount of leaves on Earth, and not only that but also the amount of leaves that are directly illuminated by the Sun," says Marshak. This data, combined with observations of ocean surface colour, can allow researchers to determine the rate of all photosynthetic activity on Earth.
The Dscovr programme hasn't been running long enough to draw any definitive conclusions, says Marshak, but they are starting to gather data that will provide new insights into how the world is changing – such as changes in cloud cover and height, reflectivity, and vegetation cover.
Among the other changes that have occurred since that first image of the entire Earth 50 years ago is the amount of human development and activity on our planet's surface. Although not visible in these images of the daylight side of the Earth, other satellites monitor for lights visible on the dark side of our planet. These show dramatic expansions in the urban sprawl across the continents alongside the activity of shipping on the Earth's oceans. Wildfires also glow across large swathes of the land at night, doubling in frequency in just the past 20 years.
Back in 1972, the Blue Marble prompted a mass-reconsideration of our place in the Universe. Astronauts viewing Earth from space have reported a profound feeling of awe, a sense of interconnectedness and environmental awareness, and of self-transcendence. This is called the "overview effect".
In the utter vastness of space, the beauty of Earth can be overwhelming. This feeling of intense awe has been found to elicit a fundamental change in thinking, a kind of cognitive realignment also called the "need for accommodation", as the person attempts to this process new perceptual information.
"Gobsmackingly – just – wow" is how Helen Sharman, the UK's first astronaut, described her first view of the Earth from space. It was 1991 and the 27-year-old chemist had just launched from Kazakhstan, to begin her journey to the Soviet Mir space station.
"We had two windows on the Soyuz spacecraft," she says. "The commander, who sits in the middle, doesn't get a window. But the research cosmonaut, which was my job, and the flight engineer – we both had one. I had the right seat and flight engineer had the left seat. As we were launching, the spacecraft tipped my side very slightly towards the Earth. Immediately, the light streamed through that window."
Sharman describes her view of the curvature of the Earth, the "gorgeous blue seas", white clouds, and black space above. The Earth, she says, appeared as if it had its own glow. "The Sun was at quite a low angle, so it would reflect off the sea, and then back up to the clouds – and off the clouds underneath to the Earth. Then [the light] came up so it felt as though the Earth had its own light source."
She compares the colour to the "ultramarine of renaissance paintings". "It's quite unlike the rest of nature. It's that brightness against the blackness of space, you just see the Earth as this great big gorgeous blue dot."
Then, as her eyes began to adjust to the darkness of space, the stars appeared in their billions. "We know there are probably billions of stars just in one small section of the Milky Way, maybe even trillions. And we think maybe there could be up to a couple of trillion galaxies in the Universe. That [makes you] realise the insignificance of Earth."
Sharman experienced these conflicting thoughts all at once. "Our atmosphere is so thin. How easily that whole top layer, where most of life is, could just be wiped away." But, conversely, she adds, "Earth is not the focal point of the Universe."
To this day Sharman dreams of "floating along inside one of the modules and stopping by a window, looking out with the other crew". The experience of viewing the Earth from space, she says, "definitely changed my life's priorities". "The most important thing is the people. And of course, the environment and ecology that's required to keep this Earth going."
The overview effect, say experts, is long-lasting and more powerful than other instances of awe. For the first time, the Blue Marble gave all of humanity the chance to experience the phenomenon to some degree. In fact, research shows that you can experience the overview effect with both feet firmly on the ground.
Like Earthrise, the Blue Marble image became an emblem of the environmental movement. It showed a planet requiring stewardship at the global scale.
The Blue Marble was used to illustrate the Gaia hypothesis, developed in the 1960s and '70s, which proposes that Earth and its biological systems act as a huge single entity, that exists in a delicate state of balance. And, although controversial among scientists, the theory kickstarted a holistic approach to Earth Science.
The image became a symbol of unity, too, as for the first time we could see the Earth without any human-imagined boundaries that divide us as they do on maps. The Blue Marble was adopted by activist groups like Friends of the Earth and events like Earth Day. Prior to this, environmental campaign images had often focused on pollution or endangered species.
The photograph appeared on postage stamps, and in the opening sequence of former US vice president Al Gore's documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, and inspired research into Earth systems with the establishment of climate research institutions such as the Max-Planck Institut, based in Munich, Germany.
Looking at the 1972 and 2022 Blue Marble images side-by-side, Pepin describes the Earth's "restless atmosphere". Visible in both images, are clouds formed above the green areas of rainforest, demonstrating the inextricable link between the forests and the rain. "If you look at [central] Africa, you can see that most of the cloud, particularly on the earlier [image] is quite spotty, that indicates thunderstorms. Whereas if you go further north, and look at the Sahara desert, you can see there are no clouds.
"When you look from above you see all the connections, the overall relationships between areas," says Pepin. "For example, Kilimanjaro rises from grassland, with snow on top. If you lived on the slopes you might not know there was snow on top and the importance of the connection between those areas."
Looking at the Earth from space like this, he says, "makes you appreciate the interlinkages between different parts of the ecosystems". "If you can only see your bit, you might think that environmental problems are only happening somewhere else and assume that 'it's not my problem'," says Pepin.
However, the limitation, he says, is scale. "You lose the detail. You need both. You need ground truthing [validating the information in the field] too."
There is a "huge fundamental difference" between these two images though, says Levasseur. "One is captured by a human – and one is not. It doesn't have the same impact. And that's really because of the fact that there's no person there."
Levasseur is looking forward to the photographs that will be brought home from the next manned mission to go as far as the Moon: Artemis II, planned for 2026. "There's not going to be another whole Earth image in the way I think of it until humans go out away from Earth again. I wasn't alive in 1972. This is going to be a huge moment to know that people are looking at us from that far away."
"As much as we like to think of satellites as sort of our surrogates," she says, "I know that there is a person behind that camera, so there is something different about it, and there always will be."
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The Everglades' eclectic alligators are surprisingly diverse builders, bodyguards, commuters, and health-bringing engineers.
From the edge of the Miccosukee Indian Reservation, in the north of the Florida Everglades, it is a short fan-boat ride through grassy swamp to get to an island that 18-year-old Hector Tigertail's family visit each year. For decades, this family "hammock" – as the tree-covered islands that poke out from the Everglades are known – has been their retreat; a place where the family can camp, cook and hunt. But they share this particular island with at least one permanent resident: an American alligator that, at around 7ft (2.1m) from nose to tail, is the largest female he's ever seen.
Tigertail's family, members of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, and this powerful reptile, which locals refer to as Mama Gator, have lived side by side for much of the 60-year-old animal's life, he explains. This intimate coexistence provides a chance to observe how alligators meticulously shape their surroundings. Through the dry season between December and May, she excavates a "gator pond" with her snout, claws and tail, a depression where water pools and she can wallow, keep cool and mate. At the start of the rainy season (from June to November), she builds a raised nest for her clutch of eggs, from mud, grass and twigs – a time when the humans know to keep a respectful distance from the protective mother. In return, for the next few years, they are often rewarded with the sight of Mama and her baby gators in tow.
"We like to call her Mama Gator because she's everybody's grandma," says Tigertail.
In recent years, scientific research is adding support to something Florida's Miccosukee Tribe have long known: alligators like Mama play vital roles as "guardians of the Everglades" and engineer their environment in ways that protect freshwater ecosystems. Alligators carry around nutrients that feed ecosystem webs, and their ponds and nests provide refuges where plants, fish and frogs live. New data hints that that alligators may also benefit us.
"Apex predator or not, alligators are actually very helpful and they can change the ecosystem significantly," says Tigertail, who researches alligators for the Miccosukee Tribe's Fish and Wildlife Department. "During the dry season, a lot of animals – deer, fish, otters, turtles, birds – follow the alligators."
For those like biologist Christopher Murray who has spent decades closely studying alligators, it's high time to move past their reputation as cold-hearted killers and recognise the varied roles they're playing as caring and constructive ecosystem engineers. While the cute, herbivorous beaver is widely celebrated for stewarding temperate wetlands, it is the "gnarly swamp monsters" who deserve plaudits in the southeastern United States and many other places, says Murray, associate professor at Southeastern Louisiana University. "I think we're just beginning to understand that crocodilians, in general, and specifically alligators, do a lot more good than we think."
From near-extinction to mass appreciation
Alligators are often called "living fossils", relatively untouched by major evolutionary changes for at least eight million years, with remarkably similar ancestors already hunting swamps alongside the dinosaurs. Yet, beginning in the 1850s, the arrival of rifle-wielding European settlers into the wetlands of Florida and Louisiana drove this evolutionary line to the verge of extinction.
More than 10 million alligators were killed by commercial hunting up to the 1960s, driven by the popularity of their hides for bags, belts and boots, with others shot for sport or "just for fun" according to historical accounts. In 1967, American alligators were placed on endangered species lists, leading to nationwide hunting bans that allowed populations to recover. Today, the species is recognised as a standout conservation success story, as the population has rebounded to more than three million alligators estimated to live in the wild in the states of Florida and Louisiana, and thousands more spread across the south-eastern United States.
Just as conservationists began fighting to save the species from extinction in the 1960s and 1970s, researchers began documenting their important ecological roles. In the wet season, the raised ridges around the edge of these nests are relatively dry land where some plants can escape flooding and provide platforms where smaller reptiles build their own nests. Meanwhile wading birds build their own nests above alligators, which act as "bodyguards", keeping raccoons and other predators away from the birds' eggs. (More recent research has shown that this is a macabre but overall mutually beneficial arrangement with alligators being rewarded with snacks from chicks that fall from the nests.)
Mike Heithaus, professor of biological sciences at Florida International University, explains that, despite its lush appearances, the Everglades can be a nutrient poor environment. A largely flat wetland, dominated by grass-like plants, many key nutrients are carried out to sea by great slow-flowing seasonal rivers, some kilometres wide.
In the dry season, when the water level falls, research since the mid-20th Century has shown that alligators' habit of excavating holes created variety in the otherwise monotonous landscape, with unique communities of plants, animals and algae around ponds. These holes can be architecturally diverse – created by one alligator or up to a dozen together – incorporating eclectic "burrows and hidey-holes", says Heithaus, including underwater caverns, where the alligator can stay submerged for hours. These aquatic environments form refuges in which fish like juvenile largemouth bass survive the dry season but can also be "death traps" which lure birds in search of a snack, he adds.
We're now learning these are surprisingly dynamic systems. Research in 2023 showed that it was not only the construction of the ponds that counted "but actively being in the pond matters", says Heithaus. As the alligators move, they continually stir up the sediment to keep those nutrients in the water. "The alligators are moving around; they're pooping in there. That's providing nutrients which algae – that form the base of the food web – rely on. So, you kind of prime the pump: you feed the bottom of the food chain and [the nutrients] come all the way up."
Without alligators, there would be much less nutrients circulated in the water, says Heithaus. "You put alligators there, and you get food and water, and that's happy times for most critters in the Everglades."
Eclectic alligators
This research also reveals a lesser-seen side of alligators, spotlighting them as remarkably sophisticated and adaptable creatures. The alligator's reputation as a "man-eating monster" was inspired long ago by accounts like William Bartram's widely reproduced (and wildly inaccurate) stories of encountering alligators in Florida swamps with "clouds of smoke" erupting from their nostrils. Although attacks on humans are very rare, these cold-blooded animals remain feared by many as killers or "weird swamp things", says Murray, who has worked with alligators for more than two decades.
Those who live up close with alligators see other qualities. One alligator in the state of Georgia, named Wally, was even docile enough to be domesticated as an "emotional support alligator", providing comfort and "hugs" to help alleviate his owner's depression.
Despite the reported gentleness of some individuals, it is recommended to stay at least 9m (30ft) away from alligators in the wild. Alligators are carnivores, powerful enough to bring down a wild deer or feral boar but "naturally they're going to be more of a flighty, non-confrontational animal," says Kendall Osceola, who worked at the Miccosukee Indian Village, the tribe's cultural centre. The Miccosukee learn a strict set of rules from a young age for sharing their coastal homes with gators. "We were always told if there's a body of water in Florida, there's going to be an alligator in there. So, keep a careful eye on any pets or anything small around the water line," she says. Yet Miccosukee stories depict them as "benevolent creatures", she says.
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Today, alligators have adapted to live in the urbanised environments of golf courses, canals and sewers. Researchers have been surprised by how varied and flexible alligators are, explains Heithaus, yet research in 2011 found behaviours that have shocked even those who study them. Near Miccosukee village, in an area where alligators live in mangrove forests alongside a fast-flowing river, Heithaus and Adam Rosenblatt fitted trackers to alligators, finding that similar alligators lived very different lives – some were "couch potatoes" who remain close to home, while others were "commuters" who travel long distances to coastal areas. "Tag two alligators – same size, both males, 20m (65.6ft) apart on the shore – and one will not move more than 7km (4.3 miles) in total in three months, and the other might do 800km (497 miles)," says Heithaus.
While American alligators have been spotted swimming out in the ocean in the past, prior to this research this behaviour was believed to be extremely rare, says Heithaus. Unlike crocodiles, alligators lack specialised glands to process salt, yet this monitoring showed that some alligators frequently venture out into the ocean when there are abundant saltwater fish and crabs to feast on. "When we first got some data suggesting the alligators were down in these saltwater environments for maybe 18 hours at a time, we were looked at like we had two heads – people didn't believe it at all," says Heithaus. "And I think it's one of the cool things we're finding across sharks, alligators, and lots of animals – that there's a lot more behavioural adaptability and individual specialisation than we would have thought – bold individuals, shy individuals; exploratory individuals, stay-at-home individuals."
Carbon-consuming monsters
Heithaus is aiming to figure out what causes these different behaviours – whether genetic or influenced by environmental factors – as well as what role "commuting" plays in cycling nutrients around wetland environments. Already, studies have shown that alligator ponds are richer in key nutrients like phosphorus and commuters are carrying nutrients up into the wetlands from coastal areas, by eating in the oceans and excreting upstream. "We know that they're moving these nutrients upstream," says Heithaus. His team at the Florida Coastal Everglades Long Term Ecological Research Program is seeking a more granular understanding of how this affects the overall "nutrient budget" of the ecosystem, where nutrients are deposited, and how it affects the overall system.
Crucially, at a time when the Gulf Coast is being hard hit by the impacts of climate change, we are also learning that alligators may affect their environments' ability to capture carbon. By analysing soil samples across Louisiana, Murray was recently able to demonstrate in a study that areas with high numbers of alligators are rich carbon stores. "What this paper says to me is: look, we rescued the American alligator from extinction," he says, "but what we didn't realise, back then, was that maybe we were actually doing a lot more for the environment – in the context of carbon sequestration and the battle against climate change – than we previously thought."
The next step, says Murray, is to show that alligators are actively contributing to higher carbon storage in these areas – and how. We have good reason to think alligators, as apex predators, may be playing a similar "top-down" role to the famed wolves of Yellowstone, whose return has reduced herbivore grazing on small trees and helped forests to regrow. The theory of trophic cascades developed by Utah State University ecologist Trisha Atwood has shown that apex predators are not only vital for ecosystem health but could have big impacts on CO2 dynamics. This could be particularly important in freshwater ecosystems like Louisiana's tidally inundated wetlands, which store enormous amounts of carbon, says Murray, but can turn into a carbon source when they dry out.
Murray hopes his forthcoming research can provide further evidence about the value of supporting healthy alligator populations. Although hunting bans were the most important step to save the species from extinction, efforts to protect and restore populations are ongoing and involve groups who are often less recognised, he says. Among them are commercial alligator ranchers who retrieve eggs from the wild, incubate them and raise them through the first few years of life in enclosed or semi-wild environments, safeguarding them when they are most vulnerable to predation and disease. This form of early-years care, known as "head-starting", is common in conservation initiatives that aim to help endangered animals – from Eastern indigo snakes to burrowing owls. But, in Louisiana, this is a "self-funded" system driven by ranchers, says Murray. These ranchers are required to release 5% of alligators they raise into the wild, while the rest are treated as livestock that can be butchered for meat and hides.
In the Everglades, head-starting is also carried out by the Miccosukee, who rescue eggs in years when water levels in the Everglades rise, threatening to drown eggs, or temperatures fall to levels that can harm baby alligators. "Sometimes I would be at home and my uncle would tell me: 'Hey, the temperature is dropping really fast. It's going to be a really cold night. So get on the airboat and we have to go out there before the cold weather kills them'," says Tigertail.
Despite their fearsome reputation, all this hints at a future where humans and alligators coexist, with these reptiles recognised as "helpful participants" in solutions to the challenges we both face, says Murray. "If you think historically, alligators and other crocodilians have been revered as a sacred entity in cultures around the world. Do they command respect? Yes. But are they monsters? Are they to be feared? No."
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Rice is a staple food for billions of people around the planet, but a new study suggests climate change may increase arsenic levels contained within the grain.
Rice is a staple food for more than half of the global population. It is consumed on a daily basis by more people than either wheat or maize, also known as corn.
So it is with some concern that scientists have unveiled a recent finding: that as carbon emissions rise and the Earth continues to warm, so too will arsenic levels in rice.
The presence of arsenic in rice has long been known as a problem. Almost all rice contains arsenic. The harmful, naturally occurring chemical can accumulate in the soil of paddy fields, leaching into the grains of rice grown there. But the amounts found in rice grains can vary considerably from well below the recommended limits set by regulatory bodies to several times higher.
Yet, consuming even low amounts of inorganic arsenic through food or drinking water can lead to cancers and a range of other health problems, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Researchers around the world have been working on ways to reduce the levels of arsenic in rice – and in the meantime, there are ways of cooking it that can extract some of this harmful element from grains (see the box further down the story for more).
But a new study of inorganic arsenic accumulation has found it may become a greater problem due to climate change. The researchers grew 28 different strains of paddy rice at four different locations in China in experimental conditions over a 10-year period.
They found that arsenic levels in the rice increased as carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere and temperatures rise. Then epidemiologists modelled how, at current rice consumption levels, these arsenic levels could affect people's health. They estimated that the corresponding increases in arsenic levels in rice could contribute approximately 19.3 million more cancer cases in China alone.
"Inorganic arsenic has been shown in more studies than I can throw a stick at to be a carcinogen, to have adverse effects with respect to pulmonary health, with respect to cardiovascular health – it's a long laundry list," says Lewis Ziska, associate professor of environmental health science at Columbia University in New York, who co-authored the study. "And two metrics of climate change – the increase in CO2 and the increase in temperatures – are resulting in greater amounts."
It's worth noting that the researchers' worst-case scenario is beyond the high emissions "business as usual" scenario used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the United Nations body on climate change. The most dire predictions assume temperatures rise by 2C, and CO2 levels increase by an additional 200 parts per million between 2025 and 2050. But it does provide a snapshot of what may happen to rice crops in the future if carbon emissions are not reduced.
While the researchers focused on locations in China for their experiments, they say such impacts are likely to be seen in rice grown in regions including Europe and the US too, as inorganic arsenic is common in rice grown around the world.
"We're not the first ones to look at CO2, we're not the first ones to do temperature – but we're the first ones to put them together in the field. And that's what stunned us," says Ziska.
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Of course, the study has limitations, aside from the metrics chosen for the 2050 scenario. For one, it assumed that people will continue to consume the same amount of rice per person in 2050 that they were eating in 2021, even though, as countries get wealthier, their rice consumption tends to drop. On the other hand, it also assumed that people would continue to eat far more white rice than brown rice, like they do now. Because of how it is processed, white rice contains less inorganic arsenic than brown rice – so a shift in the other direction could make numbers even worse.
Still, this is "one of the most comprehensive studies" ever done on the topic, says Andrew Meharg, professor at the school of biological sciences at Queen's University Belfast, and a long-time researcher of rice and arsenic, who was not involved in the study. "This is as robust as you’re ever likely to get."
Humans have known for hundreds of years that arsenic is toxic. Its tasteless, colourless, odourless nature even made it a preferred method for dispatching enemies in the courts of ancient Rome and medieval Europe. But in single doses at trace amounts, it does not cause poisoning.
Over the last few decades scientists have discovered that even lower amounts of arsenic can cause health impacts when exposure happens chronically over a lifetime.
This is particularly true of inorganic arsenic, which is more readily able to attach to biomolecules in the human body where it can cause harm. While naturally occurring in rocks and soils, inorganic arsenic can be a byproduct of activities like mining, coal burning and other industrial processes. (Read more about why "natural" doesn’t always mean better).
This means inorganic arsenic is particularly prevalent in the groundwater in a number of regions, including South America and parts of southern and central Asia. But people elsewhere are vulnerable too: in the US, for example, more than 7% of private well owners, or 2.1 million people, are drinking dangerous levels of inorganic arsenic. Worldwide, some 140 million people drink water with arsenic levels above the WHO-recommended guidelines.
And, outside of drinking water, the main source of dietary exposure to arsenic worldwide is rice. In regions that tend to have little arsenic in their groundwater, like Europe, rice is the single biggest source of dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic.
The problem comes down to how around 75% of the world's supply of rice is grown, says Ziska – in irrigated paddy fields.
Rice tends to be choked out by weeds. But rice can grow in water, while weeds cannot. "That gives rice a big advantage over weeds, and you don't have to spray, you don't have to hoe," Ziska says. "But there's a downside. The downside is, because it's flooded, there's no oxygen in the soil." In these conditions, anaerobic bacteria in the soil then turn to arsenic as an alternative to oxygen to accept electrons as they respire. These bacteria then facilitate reactions with other minerals in the soil that make the arsenic more bioavailable and easier for the rice plants to absorb through their root systems.
"When you shift the soil by making it less having less oxygen, arsenic comes into its own," Ziska says. It changes the microbiome of the soil in such a way that arsenic-loving bacteria become more prolific.
And this is what he and his fellow researchers predict will get worse as temperature and carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere rise. "This bacteria in the soil is getting more carbon. It's getting warmer. And it's being more active," Ziska says. "It really is a synergistic effect. You're making the little bacteria happier with warm, warmer temperatures, but you're also giving them more carbon, and they just go crazy."
Ziska and his team found that this effect played out for about 90% of the 28 different types of rice that they grew over their 10-year study.
What worries public health experts is that the more research is done on inorganic arsenic, the worse its effect on humans appears to be. In January 2025, the US's Environmental Protection Administration updated their assessment of inorganic arsenic's "cancer potency factor", taking into account all new research on arsenic and disease. Their latest assessment found that "arsenic is a lot more potent of a carcinogen than we previously believed", says Keeve Nachman, professor of environmental health and engineering at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a co-author of the rice and arsenic study. In particular, there is now good evidence that arsenic not only raises the risk of skin cancer, but lung and bladder cancers.
Aside from cancer, inorganic arsenic raises the risk of heart disease and diabetes. When consumed by pregnant women, it also makes foetal or infant mortality more likely, as well as raises the risk that the infant will be born low birth weight – which can have lifelong health impacts such as cardiovascular disease – or have developmental neurocognitive effects.
For individuals, the risks are slight. For example, the latest EPA review found that consuming 0.13 micrograms per kg of body weight of inorganic arsenic per day – or 7.8 micrograms for a 60kg person – would raise the risk of developing bladder cancer by about 3% and diabetes by about 1%.
But across populations, particularly those that eat a lot of rice, these small risks can add up. And, if the predictions made by Ziska and his colleagues turn out to be correct, this could significantly impact disease in populations that depend on rice as a staple over the decades to come.
So, aside from cutting emissions and keeping temperature rise as low as possible, what can be done?
"We can't pretend that we're going to take rice off the table. That's not feasible," says Nachman. As well as an important food tradition, rice is important to people living in poverty, some of whom get up to half of their daily calories from rice alone. "But we need to do something differently."
Researchers have also been experimenting with whether different types of water management could reduce arsenic levels. One process – where, instead of flooding a field continuously, the field is partly flooded, drained and then flooded again – does seem to reduce the amount of inorganic arsenic. "But that just increases cadmium," Marham says. "And cadmium is perceived as an even bigger threat." Cadmium can cause breast, lung, prostate, pancreatic and kidney cancers, as well as liver and kidney disease.
There is also interest in trying to breed varieties of rice that take up less inorganic arsenic, but this hasn't yet panned out, researchers say.
Because some types of rice accumulate less inorganic arsenic, there is interest in exploring their cultivation. Another solution might be adding sulphur to water, which can absorb electrons, like arsenic. Another way to shift the microbiome of fields could be adding certain types of fertiliser – one combination found to decrease arsenic content has been a mix of mountain thyme and bird manure. But more research on any of these approaches is needed.
Another approach may be to grow rice under rainwater-fed conditions, or where both the soil and irrigation water are lower in arsenic. Rice from East Africa, which tends to be rainwater- rather than irrigation-fed, has been found to be particularly low in inorganic arsenic, as has rice in Indonesia. Rice grown in the US, Central and South America, south-east Asia, Europe and Australia all have been found to have higher amounts of arsenic.
There also needs to be better monitoring and regulation of arsenic exposures in food, researchers say. "Policymakers have been dragging their feet for decades on this," says Marham.
Currently, the US Food and Drug Administration does not regulate arsenic levels in rice but has set a limit of 0.1mg/kg of rice intended for consumption by children. In 2023, the EU set new limits on inorganic arsenic in rice at 0.2mg/kg of rice while China has proposed introducing similar limits. But these recommendations don't take into account the fact that some communities eat far more rice than others.
"There are ways in which to reduce the amount of inorganic arsenic, but it will require a fundamental change in management of how rice is currently being grown," Ziska says. "It really needs attention, because it affects so many individuals globally."
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A ground-breaking project to suck carbon out of the sea has started operating on England's south coast.
The small pilot scheme, known as SeaCURE, is funded by the UK government as part of its search for technologies that fight climate change.
There's broad consensus among climate scientists that the overwhelming priority is to cut greenhouse gas emissions, the chief cause of global warming.
But many scientists also believe that part of the solution will have to involve capturing some of the gases that have already been released.
These projects, known as carbon capture, usually focus either on capturing emissions at source or pulling them from the air.
What makes SeaCure interesting is that it is testing whether it might be more efficient to pull planet-warming carbon from the sea, since it is present in greater concentrations in water than in the air.
To reach the project's entrance you have to go round the back of the Weymouth Sealife Centre and walk past a sign that says "Caution: Moray Eels may Bite".
There's a reason this ground-breaking project has been placed here.
It's a pipe that snakes under the stony beach and out into the English Channel, sucking up seawater and bringing it onshore.
The project is trying to find whether removing carbon from the water might be a cost effective way of reducing the amount of the climate warming gas CO2 in the atmosphere.
SeaCURE processes the seawater to remove the carbon before pumping it back out to sea where it absorbs more CO2.
We're the first broadcast journalists to visit and Professor Tom Bell from Plymouth Marine Laboratory is tasked with showing us around.
He explains that the process begins by treating some of the seawater to make it more acidic. This encourages the carbon that's dissolved in the seawater to turn into a gas and be released into the atmosphere as CO2.
"This is the seawater stripper" Prof Bell says with a smile as we turn a corner.
The "stripper" is a large stainless steel tank which maximises the amount of contact between the acidic seawater and the air.
"When you open a fizzy drink it froths, that's the CO2 coming out." Prof Bell says. "What we're doing by spreading the seawater on a large surface area. It's a bit like pouring a drink on the floor and allowing the CO2 to come out of the seawater really quickly."
The CO2 that emerges into the air is sucked away and then concentrated using charred coconut husks ready to be stored.
The low-carbon seawater then has alkali added to it – to neutralise the acid that was added – and is then pumped back out into a stream that flows into the sea.
Once back in the sea it immediately starts to absorb more CO2 from the atmosphere contributing in a very small way to reducing greenhouse gases.
There are already much more developed carbon capture technologies which take carbon directly out of the air – but Dr Paul Halloran who leads the SeaCURE project tells me that using water instead has its advantages.
"Seawater has got loads of carbon in it compared to the air, about 150 times more," says Dr Halloran.
"But it has got different challenges, the energy requirements to generate the products that we require to do this from seawater are huge."
At present the amount of CO2 this pilot project is removing is tiny – at most 100 metric tonnes per year – that's less CO2 than a commercial plane emits crossing the Atlantic. But given the size of the world's oceans those behind SeaCURE think it has potential.
In its submission to the UK government SeaCURE said the technology had the potential to be massively scaled up to remove 14 billion tonnes of CO2 a year if 1% of the world's seawater on the ocean's surface was processed.
For that to be plausible the entire process for stripping the carbon – would have to be powered by renewable energy. Possibly by solar panels in a floating installation at sea.
"Carbon removal is necessary. If you want to reach net zero emissions and net zero emissions is needed to halt further warming," says Dr Oliver Geden who's part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and an expert in carbon capture.
"Capturing directly from seawater is one of the options. Directly capturing it from the air is another one. There are basically 15 to 20 options, and in the end the question of what to use, of course, will depend on the cost."
The Seacure project has £3m of funding from the government and is one of 15 pilot projects being backed in the UK as part of efforts to develop technologies that capture and store greenhouse gases.
"Removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere is essential in helping us achieve net zero," says energy minister Kerry McCarthy. "Innovative projects like SeaCURE at the University of Exeter play an important role in creating the green technologies needed to make this happen, while supporting skilled jobs and boosting growth."
'Some impact on environment'
There's also the question of what a large quantity of low-carbon water would do to the sea and the things that live in it. In Weymouth it dribbles out of a pipe in such small quantities it is unlikely to have any impact.
Guy Hooper is a PhD student at Exeter University and is researching the possible impacts of the project. He's been exposing marine creatures to low-carbon water under laboratory conditions.
"Marine organisms rely on carbon to do certain things," he says. "So phytoplankton use carbon to photosynthesize while things like mussels also use carbon to build their shells."
Hooper says early indications are that massively increasing the amount of low-carbon water could have some impact on the environment.
"It might be damaging but there might be ways to mitigate that – for example through pre-diluting the low-carbon water. It's important this is included in the discussion early on."
New research is showing just how much plants and crops rely on a host of darkness-dwelling creepy crawlies.
Think pollination, and you will likely picture a butterfly or bee flitting between flowers. But while these are indeed important pollinators, both the natural world and our food supplies rely on a host of other creatures, some of them decidedly less appealing.
Most of the world's 350,000 species of flowering plants rely on animal pollinators for reproduction. Pollinators and their importance for ecosystems are increasingly in the spotlight in recent years due to the dramatic decline in their numbers. Birds, bats, bees, bumblebees and butterflies have all been affected, with some populations shrinking by 80% or more. The causes include habitat loss, pesticides and climate change.
And recent research has also shown that pollinator diversity is just as vital for ecosystems and cultivated plants as the sheer numbers of pollinators, and found that this diversity is on the decline for similar reasons.
Scientists estimate that 3-5% of fruit, vegetable and nut production is lost globally as a result of inadequate pollination, affecting the availability of healthy food and threatening human health.
From cockroaches and beetles to the tiny "bees of the seas", here are some of the most unexpected, and occasionally disconcerting, pollinators the world continues to rely on – even if we don't always see them.
Cockroaches
Cockroaches are, in the words of one study, "among Earth's most despised creatures". But recent research suggests they play a beneficial and long overlooked role as plant pollinators – especially in the darker areas of forest often avoided by the world's more beloved bees and butterflies.
"Traditionally, pollination has been associated with bees, flies, moths and butterflies," says Kenji Suetsugu, a professor of biology at Kobe University in Japan. "However, emerging studies reveal that unexpected visitors such as cockroaches can play significant roles under certain conditions."
These "alternative pollinators", he adds, are often particularly important in environments where conventional pollinators are scarce, such as "in dense, shaded understories where light is limited and typical pollinators are infrequent".
In fact, a growing body of research suggests that cockroaches act as pollinators in a rich and varied range of ecosystems – a role that previously went mostly unnoticed by researchers, since the creatures are nocturnal and less obvious in their interactions with plants than bees. In recent years, cockroach pollination has been reported for plant species such as Clusia blattophila, which grows on rocky outcrops in French Guiana, and the rare and endangered Vincetoxicum hainanense in China, amongst others.
Suetsugu has studied the role of cockroaches in pollination in dense, evergreen forests on Yakushima Island, a lush, subtropical island off Japan. He was specifically interested in cockroach-assisted pollination of Balanophora tobiracola, a mushroom-shaped parasitic plant.
Since cockroaches are elusive and nocturnal, he used several tricks to better understand their interactions with this plant. For example, he set up a waterproof digital camera in front of one flowering plant which took photos of it in 50-second intervals from dusk till dawn for around three weeks. The resulting photographs – more than 34,000 shots – showed cockroaches visiting the flower at night. Suetsugu also captured cockroaches after they'd visited the plant to identify and count the pollen grains on their bodies.
To investigate how a single cockroach visit affected the plant's chance of setting fruit, he enclosed five of the plant's flowers with a fine mesh and opened it only for one visit by the Margattea satsumana cockroach (the most frequent cockroach visitor for this plant), then closed it again. He compared this with other treatments of the plant, such as covering the flowers with mesh for the entire flowering period, to exclude all pollinators.
The study, published in 2025, provides "the first direct evidence of effective cockroach pollination" in this type of plant, says Suetsugu. "In the case of a single visit [by a cockroach], nearly 40% of flowers developed pollen tubes, a strong indicator of successful pollination."
Beetles
As soon as the first ever flowers unfurled from their buds in the early Cretaceous period, they were visited by pollinators. But those first soft landings on their petals weren't by bees or butterflies – instead, it's thought that the pioneers of pollination may have had six scuttling legs and tough, shiny shells. They were beetles.
Beetles remain important pollinators to this day, often visiting flowers with the most seemingly unpromising allure – little nectar, greenish flowers, and an overpowering, possibly putrid smell, a set of traits known as "beetle pollination syndrome".
Despite millions of years of evolution, beetles remain among the most frequent pollinators of primitive flowers which emerged among the dinosaurs, such as magnolias. And unlike the more well-known modern pollinators, many beetles like to operate at night, flying or crawling towards the warmth and delectable scent emitted by certain beetle-specialised flowers, such as lowiaceae orchids in Borneo which smell strongly of faeces – a favourite of dung beetles.
Moths
As they hover above wild tobacco flowers, hawkmoths unfurl their 8cm (3in)-long proboscis to drink up its nectar – among their favourite meals. As they do this, grains of pollen are also pulled – as if by magic – across air gaps of several millimetres or even centimetres.
This happens because, incredibly, moths collect so much static electricity whilst in flight that pollen is pulled through the air towards them. The fact that they don't need to touch flowers in order to pollinate them makes them very good pollinators.
The majority of pollination research has tended to focus on day-flying insects, but researchers are now probing what is happening at night.
In 2023, researchers from the University of Sussex, UK, discovered moths may even be more efficient pollinators than bees. The team studied both daytime and nocturnal pollinator visits to bramble plants, a widespread species across Europe which is important to pollinators for its pollen and nectar. While the study found that 83% of all visits were made in the day, and just 17% made under cover of darkness (almost exclusively by moths), it also found the moths were able to pollinate the flowers more quickly than their daytime counterparts.
The authors say nocturnal pollination is understudied. As moths have been shown to transport pollen from wide variety of plant species, further research is needed to fully appreciate the role they and other nocturnal insects play in pollinating, they say.
Another recent study from the University of Sheffield, UK, found moths account for a third of all urban pollination. However, a lack of native plant species and diversity of plant life in cities, coupled with scent-stifling air pollution, is still leaving moths struggling to find their next meal. Now, experts are warning of an "alarming" global decline in moth abundance and diversity.
There are ways we can help, though, such as planting white flowers, leaving patches of scrub, rough grass and brambles to grow and turning off lights at night. Night-time pollinators such as moths, it turns out, need protecting just as much as bees.
Bats
Bats are another oft-overlooked furry night-time pollinator. While most bats eat mainly insects, at least 500 plant species in the tropics and subtropics are pollinated largely by nectar-feeding bats. Scientists say that bat pollination (chiropterophily) could have advantages: their large size means they can transfer a lot of pollen at once, and they fly long distances compared with many other pollinators. However, the large size of bats can also make pollination by them energetically expensive for plants.
One example is the endangered greater long-eared bat, native to the south-western US and Mexico. It feeds mainly on the pollen and nectar of agave (used to make mezcal and tequila) and various cacti, hovering above the plants just like a hummingbird to feed. Along with the lesser long-nosed bat, it is the main pollinator of agave.
Like agave, the pale flowers these bats feed on are often long and bell-shaped, and many bats have evolved ways to reach the nectar at the bottom of them. An extreme example is the tube-lipped nectar bat, found in the cloud forests of Ecuador. The size of a mouse, it has a tongue more than one and a half times its body length – the longest tongue-to-body ratio of any mammal and is the sole pollinator of a plant with corolla tubes of matching length. While not in use, it stows this huge tongue down in its rib cage.
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In fragmented tropical habitats, nectar bats play an important role in keeping certain plants populations healthy, but also in pollinating crops for farmers. However, researchers have warned that bats' status as a long-overlooked pollinator means there is a lack of knowledge of how dependent crops are on bats for harvest yield and quality.
A 2020 study found, for example, that bats were the main pollinators of pitayas (dragon fruit), a major crop in central Mexico – and that when bats were excluded from pollinating this crop, yields decreased by 35%. Experts have also warned that decreased populations of bats could lead to a fall in agave abundance.
Bats also play an crucial ecological role worldwide for wild plants and crops as both seed dispersers and insect eaters. Pest control by bats has been found to support many crops around the world – from coffee in Costa Rica and cacao in Indonesia to rice in Thailand and cotton in the US – sometimes to the tune of billions of dollars in avoided losses.
Like many other pollinators, bats are being impacted by environmental change around the world, with researchers warning that these changes are putting the pollination services bat species provide at risk.
'Bees of the seas'
Despite their tiny, inconspicuous flowers, seagrasses are capable of reproducing with no help from animals. Turtle grass, for example, a seagrass which grows in shallow seas across the Caribbean, has miniscule, pollen-producing male flowers and female flowers which don't produce pollen. In coordinated cycles, the female flowers open, followed by male flowers, which release pollen into the tides after sunset.
A decade ago, it was widely believed this was the only way that seagrasses pollinated, with pollinating animals only visiting flowers that bloom in the open air. But in an experiment at an aquarium in Mexico in 2016, ecologist Brigitta van Tussenbroek from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and her colleagues showed marine crustaceans were in fact playing a role.
"At the onset of the night, many small organisms that were hiding during the day from predators started swimming around," she says. The majority were barely visible crustacean larvae, which approached the male flowers to feed on the energy-rich pollen embedded in "a slimy and sticky substance".
"Some of this substance and pollen attached to their body parts when they swim around, while also being tossed to-and-fro by the water movement," says van Tussenbroek. On the receiving end, the female flowers have "tentacle-like stigmas which capture the small pollen-carrying organisms", thus depositing the pollen grains.
Mostly, these invertebrates are at the whims of ocean currents, but when waters are calm, they are able to swim purposefully, she adds, earning these bugs the nickname "the bees of the seas".
"This was a complete surprise," says van Tussenbroek, and upended the belief that small free-moving fauna played no role at all in pollinating seagrass.
But perhaps even more surprising was the discovery in 2022 that tiny Baltic isopods help transport the pollen-like "spermatia" produced by red algae. Does it count as pollination if there is no pollen? The researchers call it "animal-mediated fertilisation" and ask what this means for our understanding of pollination, which is believed to have developed around 130 million years ago when flowering plants first appeared on land.
The discovery opens the possibility that these kinds of symbiotic interactions might have developed completely separately on land and in water – and that animal-mediated fertilisation may have emerged in the sea well before plants moved ashore.
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Seasonal allergy sufferers are being hit with more pollen over a longer season due to rising temperatures, but global warming is also triggering alarming extreme allergy events, say experts.
People could see the thunderstorm, but they couldn't see what was going on inside it. Trillions of pollen particles, sucked up into the clouds as the storm formed, were now being splintered by rain, lightning and humidity into ever-smaller fragments – then cast back down to Earth for people to breathe them in.
It was around 18:00 on 21 November 2016 when the air in Melbourne, Australia, turned deadly. Emergency service phone lines lit up, people struggling to breathe began flooding into hospitals, and there was so much demand for ambulances that the vehicles were unable to reach patients stuck at home. Emergency rooms saw eight times as many people turning up with breathing problems as they would normally expect. Nearly 10 times as many people with asthma were admitted to hospital.
In total, 10 people died, including a 20-year-old law student who passed away on her lawn, waiting for an ambulance while her family tried to resuscitate her. One survivor described how he had been breathing normally and then, within 30 minutes, found himself gasping for air. "It was insane," he told reporters from his hospital bed.
Paul Beggs, an environmental health scientist and professor at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, remembers the incident well. "It was an absolutely massive event. Unprecedented. Catastrophic," he says. "The people in Melbourne, the doctors and the nurses and the people in pharmacies – they all didn't know what was happening."
It soon became clear that this was a massive case of "thunderstorm asthma", which occurs when certain types of storms break up pollen particles in the air, releasing proteins and showering them on unsuspecting people below. The widely dispersed proteins can trigger allergic reactions in some people – even among those who weren't previously asthmatic.
Thunderstorm asthma events like the one that hit Melbourne are one extreme example of how pollen from plants and the allergies it causes are being dramatically altered by climate change. As temperatures rise, many regions – especially the US, Europe and Australia – are seeing seasonal allergies affect an increasing proportion of people, over a longer season and with worse symptoms, say scientists.
This year, in the US, pollen levels are predicted to be higher than the historical average across 39 states this season. And that is only likely to get worse in the years to come, experts warn.
Pollen itself is an essential and ever-present part of our world. These microscopic particles pass between plants, enabling them to reproduce. While some plants spread their pollen with the help of insects, others rely on the wind, sending huge volumes of this powdery substance airborne. Many trees, grasses and weed species rely upon wind dispersal for their pollen. It is these that are especially likely to cause seasonal allergies, or hay fever.
This occurs when your immune system mistakenly identifies the pollen as a harmful substance, triggering a response normally reserved for pathogenic bacteria or viruses. Common symptoms can include a runny nose, itchy eyes and sneezing. In some cases, seasonal allergies can trigger breathing difficulties when inflammation in the airways leads to swelling, making it hard to get enough air into the lungs.
While Melbourne has been the unlucky epicentre of thunderstorm asthma, with seven thunderstorm asthma major events recorded since 1984, similar incidents have occurred around the world, from Birmingham in the UK to Atlanta in the US. Although these are still rare events, climate change may be increasing the likelihood of thunderstorm asthma incidents, in part because it is extending pollen seasons, but also because it is increasing the frequency of extreme weather events, including storms.
While it isn't possible to determine exactly how much climate change influenced the 2016 thunderstorm asthma incident in Melbourne, Beggs is "reasonably certain" it had some impact.
"We know that climate change is leading to greater amounts of pollen in the atmosphere," he says. "It's changing the seasonality of the pollen. It's changing the types of pollen that we're exposed to." Beggs, who has researched thunderstorm asthma extensively, published a paper in 2024 that examined the links between this phenomenon and climate change.
Thankfully, major thunderstorm asthma events remain rare. But climate change is increasing people's risk of pollen exposure in other ways, too.
For one thing, rising temperatures mean that pollen seasons – when plants emit pollen, typically during spring and summer – are starting earlier and lasting longer, says Elaine Fuertes, a public health scientist who focuses on the environment and allergic disease at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, UK. "You're going to get people who experience symptoms earlier in the year, for a longer period of time," she says.
In parts of the world, including the US and Europe, one of the key culprits is ragweed – a widespread group of flowering plants that many people consider to be weeds. There are various species of ragweed around the world but they can produce mind-bending amounts of pollen. A single plant is capable of emitting one billion pollen grains, for example. Ragweed grows in gardens and farmland but also in nooks and crannies in urban environments.
Allergies to ragweed pollen already affect some 50 million people in the US alone. A study analysing data from 11 locations in North America between 1995 to 2015 found that 10 of those locations experienced longer ragweed pollen seasons – sometimes much longer. During that 20-year period, the season lengthened by 25 days in Winnipeg, Manitoba, 21 days in Fargo, North Dakota and 18 days in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
"The winter warms, the springs are starting earlier, and the falls are being delayed, and so the time that you spend outdoors in contact with allergic pollen is definitely going up," says Lewis Ziska, associate professor of environmental health science at Columbia University, in New York, US, and one of the scientists who researched the ragweed pollen season.
These changes get more drastic in northern parts of North America, Europe and Asia, Ziska says. But also in Australia and the southern parts of South America and Africa.
Without immediate cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, the effect is likely to only get worse. One 2022 study, for example, estimated that, by the end of the century, pollen seasons will begin up to 40 days earlier and end up to 15 days later than they do now – potentially meaning an additional two months of symptoms for hay fever sufferers per year.
It isn't just that people are being exposed to allergens for longer. It is also that the amount of allergens in the air are increasing in many parts of the world. In the 2000s, the pollen season in the continental US started three days earlier than it did during the 1990s, but crucially, the amount of pollen in the air was also 46% higher.
This is partly because carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere are rising, due to emissions from human activities. And many of the most bothersome plants for hay fever sufferers thrive on CO2.
When researchers grew a certain type of grass under different CO2 levels, for example, they found that plants grown in an atmosphere containing CO2 at 800 parts per million (ppm) had flowers that produced about 50% more pollen than plants grown in air containing 400ppm. The latter mimics current levels of CO2 in Earth's atmosphere.
Similarly, other scientists have also experimented with growing different types of oak tree, the pollen from which often causes hay fever in countries such as South Korea. Under a 720ppm CO2 scenario, they found that each oak tree had an average pollen count 13 times what the trees had under a 400ppm scenario. Even at 560ppm, pollen production was 3.5 times higher than current levels.
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Ziska, who authored the 2022 book Greenhouse Planet, ran similar experiments with ragweed. His results mirror those of other researchers. "Every time we cranked up the carbon dioxide, the ragweed plants responded. They grew more. They produced more pollen," he says. "And there was some evidence that they were producing a more allergenic form of the pollen, one that could induce your immune system to respond even to a greater extent than had been in the past."
The spread of invasive species across new parts of the world is also triggering allergic reactions in new populations of people. While originally from North America, ragweed, for example, has spread across Europe, as well as into Australia, Asia and South America. Already, some 60% of people in Hungary, 20% in Denmark and 15% in the Netherlands are reportedly sensitive to the pollen from this prolific group of plants.
This makes it especially concerning that, by 2050, the concentration of ragweed pollen in the air is estimated to be about four times what it is today. Even in parts of Europe where ragweed pollen is virtually absent at present, including southern UK and Germany, "pollen loads become substantial" under both moderate or high-end climate scenarios, researchers wrote in a 2015 study.
About one-third of the increase is due to the continuing spread of the invasive species, the researchers note. The remaining two-thirds is specifically due to climate change, including the lengthening of the growing season as temperatures warm. "So it'll be an earlier season, a longer season, as well as a more intense season for those who experience allergic symptoms – and then a higher risk of new sensitisation for a previously unexposed population," Fuertes says.
Not every region in the world will see more pollen production. Some researchers have found that southern California, for example, will experience earlier but less productive pollen seasons, largely as a result of reduced rainfall.
But these predictions don't account for all the potential effects of climate change on airborne allergens. There could also be health impacts from the increased likelihood of wildfires, for example, because this raises the risk of both asthma and allergy symptoms.
Relatively speaking, the amount of pollen in the air will still vary from year to year, Fuertes points out. But that may not be of much help to hay fever sufferers. "Once you're sensitised and go on to develop allergic symptoms, you'll still likely experience symptoms during years when pollen levels may be lower than average," she says. "You'll react to the pollen that's around."
So, what can people do about this? Cutting carbon emissions would help to avert some of the worst climate impacts and other strategies might also mitigate the problem.
It might be possible to make some drastic but direct interventions, for example. A century ago, some US cities even set up commissions to tackle ragweed. "Chicago employs 1,350 in hay fever fight," blares one headline from 1932. The news story explains that men – otherwise unemployed during the Great Depression – were paid the equivalent of one week's food and lodging (and "25 cents in cash") for each day they spent cutting down the plant.
While this might sound quaint, it made a difference. A 1956 study of New York City's "Operation Ragweed" estimated that cutting down the plant in droves cut pollen production by about 50%. Today, it is in Europe where you can find coordinated action ongoing. In Berlin, workers have been dispatched to find and eliminate ragweed around the city, while Switzerland banned the import or sale of the plant in 2024 and established volunteer groups patrolling public parks to pull it out.
Other solutions lie in smarter urban design. "We should definitely green our cities," Fuertes says. "But we do need to do it thoughtfully."
Planting of exotic species, for example, can trigger new allergies. Opting for the male, pollen producing trees in some species over "messy" fruit and seed producing female ones – so-called "botanical sexism" – can also increase pollen levels in urban areas, although studies have shown the effect of this bias is relatively small in major cities such as New York.
It is also important to monitor and forecast pollen levels, scientists say. "We need to know what we're breathing in. That's a pretty fundamental thing in terms of our health," says Beggs, who points out that while most people take it for granted that they can get reliable, real-time, validated information on metrics like temperature or rainfall in their area, relatively few can say the same for airborne allergens.
But even those services that are modelling pollen counts in an extensive, detailed way – such as the Finnish Meteorological Institute – aren't monitoring or modelling airborne allergen levels, which are more accurate as each pollen grain can release different amounts of allergens and they can vary by the weather conditions. These are a different measurement, Fuertes points out, and one that she's shown is more closely linked to allergy symptoms. "Nobody is measuring allergen levels on a routine basis," Fuertes says. "We should be moving towards that."
Overall, experts say, the science is clear. Without concrete, coordinated action, climate change will continue to make hay fever worse across many regions of the world. This might include more dramatic, deadly events like thunderstorm asthma. But it might also mean more people sniffling and suffering, for a longer season, every year.
"We have the studies now to show that it's really having an impact on human health," says Beggs. "And there's more to come."
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