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Researches looking at what they thought could have been the wreckage of Amelia Earhart's plane on a remote Pacific island say it is likely to be washed up trees.

The team travelled to a lagoon in the Taraia Peninsula on Nikumaroro, Kiribati, to confirm whether a shiny object first spotted on satellite imagery in 2020 solved the decades-long mystery of the pioneering pilot's disappearance.

But Purdue University, which has a leading role in the study, said the so-called Taraia Object "was likely a collection of large trees deposited along the peninsula's sandspit".

By the time the team arrived at the site a good portion of the debris had fragmented and washed away, leaving only a single Y-shaped segment, the university said.

Images of the Taraia Object - which Purdue University said was visible in photography dating back to 1938 - led researchers to wonder if it was the remnants of a small aircraft sitting in shallow waters.

"This mystery has been ongoing for 90 years and the mystery continues," said project director Rick Pettigrew, speaking from near the site of the object.

"The island has been holding on to its secrets and it continues to do so. I think eventually someone will find conclusive evidence here," he added.

Earhart's plane vanished without a trace in 1937 on the third-to-last leg of her attempt to fly around the world.

She had already successfully flown from California across South America, Africa and Asia in her twin-engine Lockheed Electra when she arrived in Lae, Papua New Guinea.

Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan had planned to then travel towards Hawaii before returning to California.

But their plane vanished while trying to reach Howland Island, a remote uninhabited coral island about 400 miles (644km) from Nikumaroro, to refuel.

One theory is Earhart unintentionally navigated to Nikumaroro, where she ditched her plane and died a castaway.

The research team had travelled for five days by sea to reach Nikumaroro and was forced to spend several days on their ship following rough seas and strong winds, delaying their search on the island.

They spent four days onshore investigating the site.

Deadly fire at Canada military base moved a kilometre 'in 30 to 60 seconds'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckj0ly6qnp1lo, today

The fire that killed four members of the Canadian military and injured dozens of others on Saturday spread with alarming speed, accounts suggest.

It broke out in a grassy training area at a base in the province of Alberta and spread rapidly due to strong winds.

"The fire was 1km (0.6 miles) away when the wind shifted," said Maj-Gen Wade Rutland, commander of the 1st Canadian Division of the Canadian Armed Forces. "It is not normal for a fire to move a kilometre in 30 to 60 seconds."

Prime Minister Mark Carney described it as "one of the worst tragedies for the forces on Canadian soil in peacetime". Officials have ruled out the possibility of "any terrorist activity" being to blame for the fire.

The blaze began at about 16:00 (22:00 GMT) on Saturday at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, one of the country's busiest military training bases.

The BBC has confirmed that Sgt Morgan Wong, Pte Shaun Farrell, Pte Aidan Goulding and Pte Hayden Lykkemark have died.

Of the 39 injured people receiving care in hospital, at least 19 are in a critical condition.

Warren Thirsk, an emergency department doctor at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, told Canadian broadcaster CBC that the number of patients involved in the incident had "completely overwhelmed" healthcare facilities in Wainwright.

Tributes are being paid to the servicemen who died.

Patricia Farrell, the mother of Shaun Farrell, wrote on Facebook that it was "with heavy hearts that we share the news that our son, Shaun Farrell, has passed away to be with our Heavenly Father".

Wong received a tribute from the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, of which he was part. The regiment was "deeply saddened", it wrote in a Facebook post of its own. It sent "heartfelt condolences to [the group's] families, friends, and fellow soldiers".

The mother of Goulding, Sonia Monk, said her late son was an exceptional athlete and a natural leader. "He was always the guy who kept everybody's spirits up," she told CBC. "He really was the light of my life."

In account of Saturday's events, Rutland told reporters that members of the infantry had been conducting "high-intensity combat training with live munitions" at a grenade range and attack range.

He told reporters that officials knew about the fire on the base for several hours, but it was decided that training "could carry on for a certain amount of time".

"I spoke to my commander last night, and he said within 30 seconds to a minute they saw no fire, and then there was a fire right on top of them," Rutland said.

Rutland said it was not yet known what exactly caused the fire.

Some witnesses had said they had heard explosions, fuelling speculation that oil and gas infrastructure may have been hit and sparked the fire. But Rutland said authorities "do not believe this [incident] to be a result of any oil and gas infrastructure".

The Canadian Armed Forces has said that "while the incident remains under investigation, at this time, there are no indications that it was the result of any terrorist activity".

Forecasters had issued a wind warning on Saturday for large parts of Alberta, predicting wind gusts of up to 90km/h (66mph), Canadian broadcaster CBS said.

According to Rutland, the investigation may take at least a month.

Wainwright, about 130 miles east of Edmonton, Alberta's capital, is one of the main bases used by the Canadian military for live-fire training exercises, and it houses troops from Canada and allied countries.

About 690 military personnel and 300 civilian workers are on site on a typical day.

Alberta heads to polls to decide whether to hold vote on separation from Canada

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cxvgd0ymgzgyo, today

People in the province of Alberta head to the polls on Monday to decide whether to hold a referendum at a later date on separating from Canada.

The vote was called earlier this year by the leader of the province, Danielle Smith, after a grassroots group gathered about 300,000 signatures on a petition that asked for a binding referendum on separation.

Many of those who support separation say the oil-rich province's economic growth has been stifled by the environmental policies of Canada's central government in Ottawa.

But those who want Alberta to remain part of Canada - who include Prime Minister Mark Carney - have called for the country to show unity in the face of external pressures.

Polls have suggested that the majority of Albertans would vote to remain in Canada, though the pre-vote debate alone has proven divisive.

Another group collected signatures for its own petition that opposed separation, which was signed by more than 400,000 people. The province's population is about five million people.

If Albertans do vote on Monday to move ahead with a binding referendum, that could happen as soon as 2027, Smith has said.

Smith's decision to allow Monday's vote came in spite of the fact that a court blocked the pro-separation petition, saying it failed to consult indigenous First Nations whose land would be affected if the province separated from Canada.

Following the judge's ruling, First Nations groups have branded Smith's decision to allow the voting process to play out as "undemocratic" and "authoritarian".

Smith, the leader of the United Conservative Party of Alberta (UCP), has defended her decision to put the issue to voters. She opposes separation herself, but says the process gives the province's residents a chance to have their say on the issue.

The key question on the voting paper will ask: "Should Alberta remain a province of Canada or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?"

The separatist movement is led by Mitch Sylvestre, a gun shop owner from the town of Bonnyville, and Jeffrey Rath, a lawyer based in Calgary. They are both members of a group called the Alberta Prosperity Project, which argues that the province's economic growth has been hindered by years of Liberal party rule in Ottawa.

Successive Liberal governments of the last 10 years have put environmental policies above helping Alberta develop its oil and gas sector, they argue. They say Alberta would get to keep more of its wealth if it splits from Canada.

Chris Scott, founder of pro-separatist group Let's Talk Alberta, told BBC News on the eve of the poll that the campaign had already achieved some of its goals, regardless of what happened on Monday. "The key is the conversation has started and it needs to continue," he said. "What's started can't be stopped now," he added.

Those who oppose separation say a newly independent Alberta would be left responsible for billions of dollars in debt. They warn that the uncertainty - which they liken to the UK's Brexit vote to leave the European Union in 2016 - would drive thousands of jobs and investment out of the province.

Carney has called on voters to deliver a decisive vote against separation. Speaking at a rally on Thursday, he warned that the stakes were high.

"The world has become more dangerous and divided. Some outside our borders are working to break us so they can own us," Carney said, echoing warnings he has made in the past about his country's ongoing trade war with the United States.

Alongside the separation question, Albertans will vote on nine other issues - a number of which focus on whether the province should have more control over its immigration system.

Hundreds of thousands of people had voted early by post ahead of Monday, and early figures suggested a strong voter turnout.

The province's election officials will count the ballots by hand, and have 48 hours to complete the task - starting from no earlier than 20:00 local time on Monday (02:00 GMT on Tuesday).

The key question, on separation, will be counted in its entirety first. Officials have said results should be available in the early hours of Tuesday.

Tennis star Svitolina says emotional toll of Ukraine war led to Monfils separation

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckd7qy12j148o, today

Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina has announced the end of her marriage with French former tennis player Gaël Monfils, citing the emotional impact of the war in her country.

The 32-year-old, who is ranked number six in the world, wrote in a heartfelt post on Instagram about the effect the conflict and "what the war has done to me inside".

"This is the most difficult thing I have ever had to share," she wrote, saying "I need to find my way back to myself". Svitolina said she felt she could not do that within her marriage.

She said her husband Monfils, 40, "listened" and "respected what I need with a strength and grace I will never forget".

"Some battles happen deep inside you, and no amount of love from someone else can win them for you," the four-time Grand Slam semi-finalist wrote.

It was "the hardest thing I have ever had to tell the person I love", Svitolina said.

"Everyone knows how much Ukraine means to me," Svitolina, who grew up in Odesa, said.

Ukraine's Black Sea port city has been heavily bombed by Russia throughout the war.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

"What you didn't see were the sleepless nights, the doubts, and the feeling of slowly losing myself."

The tennis power couple married in 2021 and have one child together - a four-year-old daughter called Skai.

Svitolina said her daughter "will always come first", adding "our marriage is ending, but our family is not".

Judgement day for Kenya pastor accused of ordering parents to starve their children to death

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckd6d2l3dz4xo, today

A Kenyan court is set to deliver a judgement in a mass murder case involving doomsday preacher Paul Mackenzie.

Mackenzie and 29 of his followers are being charged with the murder of 191 children.

His cult is alleged to have forced children to starve to death so that they could "meet Jesus". His doomsday doctrine said that education was forbidden and modern medicine was considered "evil".

Mackenzie and the 29 others have all pleaded not guilty to murder, repeatedly insisting that nobody was forced to die.

Mackenzie's former head of security, Enos Amanya Ngala, was initially accused but then entered a plea deal and became a witness for the prosecution.

Mackenzie and other leaders of the cult are facing a raft of other legal cases, including for terrorism, radicalisation and denying education to children.

But this is the first time the pastor will face a verdict on the most serious charges of murder.

Authorities said over 400 bodies were found in shallow graves in Shakahola forest near the Kenyan coast, where Mackenzie led his followers from across the country.

Seventeen men were hired from the nearby town for the horrifying task of digging up the shallow graves. Some were paid just $8 (£6) a day.

"Every grave we found had at least three bodies," James, one of the gravediggers, told the BBC. "Some of the remains were of children as young as a few weeks old."

"We once found 12 bodies of children in a line inside a grave. It was massive, the bodies were arranged like clothes. One on top of another."

Gravediggers described some of the bodies of children as having had their "hands and legs tied and bodies wrapped in bedsheets".

Although many of Mackenzie's followers were from elsewhere in Kenya, some of the remains are of people who were familiar to the community because the people in the cult would often go to nearby Shakahola town for supplies and to fetch water from the River Galana which flows through the town.

"We would sometimes carry people on our motorbikes into the forest," said Salim Karisa, another gravedigger. "But it was so planned and secretive that nobody could tell what was happening inside."

Stephen Mwiti, 48, recounted losing all six of his children to the cult and seeing "many bald women and tens of children" surrounding Mackenzie in his house when he went to confront him. Mackenzie forbade make-up and hairstyles, so told women to shave off their hair or keep it unkempt.

Mwiti's former wife is one of those accused alongside Mackenzie.

"If I met Pastor Mackenzie today, one of us will have to die," told the BBC.

"All six of my children died in Shakahola forest," Mwiti said, visibly emotional holding a photograph of his family. "I only found and buried the remains of my son Samuel."

"This little thing here was the start of all my misery," Mwiti said as he pointed at a dusty TV and cable box in his home in the coastal town of Malindi, 70km (43 miles) from Shakahola. It was from that TV that Mackenzie's doctrine made it to his home.

The pastor established Good News International Ministries in 2003. Over the next 16 years, the church grew in popularity to draw thousands of followers in the church's branches across Kenya.

His church ran a television station called Times TV which would broadcast his sermons from his church in Malindi.

His End Days sermons included conspiracy theories that described education as "evil", healthcare as "against the doctrine" and digital identity cards as "the mark of the devil".

Mackenzie's son, Dan Paul Mackenzie, said he worked as a cameraperson in the church. "The children would sit at the back, adults in the middle, and everyone would sing worship songs all morning."

The pastor would start his fiery sermons at noon, some of which included "casting out demons".

The main church shut down in 2019 and Paul Mackenzie moved to Shakahola forest, encouraging his devotees to follow him.

Peter Shukrani, 23, says his mother relocated to Shakahola with him at the time. He started going to Mackenzie's church when he was eight years old and described him as his "spiritual father", adding that he would "never say a bad word about him".

When in the forest, Shukrani fell ill and his condition deteriorated because medication was banned.

"My mother would throw away all the medicine I was supposed to take because she believe that only God could heal me," Shukrani said.

The community was described as mud houses scattered across the vast forest. "We lived a quiet normal life, fasting for a few days then having a small meal," Shukrani said.

By March 2023 when the first remains were discovered by local herders, hundreds of people had died. "We would carry someone out of the forest but they were so frail that they would die in our arms," explained Salim Karisa, one of the gravediggers.

Shukrani was one of the men rescued from the forest in March 2023.

He was ill and bed-ridden for weeks until that point, but his condition worsened because his mother would throw away all the medication he needed to recover.

"My mother believed Pastor Mackenzie's doctrine that medicine was evil," Shukrani said.

"I would have died if I wasn't rescued from Shakahola forest."

In the 298 pages detailing the charges against him in the current case, all of the 191 victims Mackenzie and his followers are accused of murdering are children.

Many of the bodies are still unidentified, owing to their advanced state of decomposition.

In the court documents, several are referred to as "unknown male child" and identified by the location of their grave and date of their discovery.

Despite the suffering endured by Mackenzie's followers, men, women and children who died due to starvation, strangulation and even being bludgeoned to death, as well as his own suffering, Shukrani believes Mackenzie was "a good person who cares for me".

"Mackenzie didn't force anyone to fast. People made those choices by themselves because of their beliefs," Shukrani said.

"I still love him and he is still my pastor."

In contrast Dan Mackenzie believes his father should be found guilty of murder.

"He was the leader, he was someone who they were looking [up to]. So he is a murderer of mass killing."

More about Kenya's cult from the BBC:

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

Woman says she 'closed eyes and tried not to be there' during alleged Russell Brand rape

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvj6jylk3456o, today

* Warning - this report contains graphic content

A woman who alleges she was raped by Russell Brand at a bar told the police "I just closed my eyes and tried not to be there" while the attack was taking place.

In a 2023 video interview with an officer shown to the jury at his trial, the woman said she had been speaking to Brand about him hosting the Channel 4 show Big Brother's Big Mouth when he allegedly sexually assaulted her.

Brand, 51, faces seven charges in the trial - three counts of rape, three charges of sexual assault and one of indecent assault.

The allegations, made by six female complainants, span a 10-year period between 1999 and 2009. He denies the charges.

In her recorded interview with police, the woman said "he literally just grabbed my boobs out of nowhere in the middle of the conversation,".

A short while later, she said he "dragged me in the toilets" where the floor was flooded, before "he unzipped himself" and allegedly orally raped her.

The woman is the third complainant the jury have heard from in the trial - and the second to allege rape.

The pair had been attending a birthday party in Soho in London in 2004 when the alleged incidents happened.

She said after the alleged sexual assault, "The visual I remember is just this big grin - it felt like a clown, (with) that sort of weird look in the eye. It was a normal conversation about him being on Big Brother. He just moved towards (me) and grabbed both my boobs".

She said the alleged rape was "swift", and left her "in disbelief and shock".

"The toilets were behind where he stood. It was literally just grab and pull. He was holding me quite strongly on the arm and pulled me in that direction," she said.

"Part of me was saying just get it over with so you can get out of here".

"I just closed my eyes and tried not to be there. I just remember it felt like a force. I definitely said I don't want to do this," she added.

After the alleged rape, the woman, who was in her 20s at the time, said Brand "turned to me and said 'oh I guess we should swap numbers now'".

Russell Brand denies all the charges and has pleaded not guilty.

He has said that any sexual contact if it happened, would have been consensual.

The trial continues and is expected to last for six weeks.

Exiled critic of Rwandan president found beheaded

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3lylj78777do, today

A former Rwandan army sergeant major, who became an outspoken critic of President Paul Kagame, has been found beheaded in neighbouring Uganda.

Robert Kabera, 50, fled Rwanda after being accused of sexual assault, which he denied. He sought asylum in neighbouring Uganda, citing political persecution.

Ugandan police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke on Monday said that Kabera's head had still not been recovered. His body was discovered by local residents on the outskirts of Kampala over the weekend.

The Rwandan government has not publicly commented on the killing. Several critics of Kagame have been killed, both in Rwanda and abroad.

His widow, Jeanne d'Arc Rwigema Uwizeye, told BBC Great Lakes in a written message that she now feared for her family's safety.

"It is scary. I feel crazy, the children and I don't have security," she said.

According to his family, Kabera had travelled to inspect a construction site about 45 km (30 miles) outside Kampala before his death.

Kabera built a public profile as a musician and YouTuber, attracting more than 144,000 subscribers to his channel, which featured over 800 videos, many criticising Kagame and his administration.

Reacting to news of his murder, the opposition Rwanda National Congress (RNC) called for a thorough investigation and for those responsible to be brought to justice.

In a statement on X, the RNC said: "Today, his family is grieving, his voice is gone, and Rwandans in exile are confronting a terrifying question: where can we be safe?"

His death adds to concerns about the safety of Rwandan dissidents living in exile.

In 2014, Patrick Karegeya, a former Rwandan intelligence chief who helped set up the RNC, was found dead in his hotel room in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Karegeya fell out with President Paul Kagame and was arrested twice, serving an 18-month prison sentence for insubordination and desertion before fleeing to South Africa in 2007, where he became a vocal critic of the government.

Following his death, Kagame made remarks widely seen as a warning to other critics.

"Any person alive who may be plotting against Rwanda, whoever they are, will pay the price. Whoever it is, it is a matter of time," he said.

In 2019, South African authorities issued arrest warrants for two Rwandans accused of murdering Karegeya.

More about Rwanda from the BBC:

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

Inside the shadowy world of anti-Putin sabotage from within Russia

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6pwgzkj8zzgo, today

Two Russian men secretly working for Ukraine's intelligence services have given rare accounts of operations they claim to have been involved with, that have targeted military assets and personnel inside Russia.

One of the men, whom we are calling Ivan, claims to have played a role from Russia in Ukrainian drone attacks on strategic bombers and munitions factories on his home soil.

He features in a BBC World Service documentary about the shadowy world of Russian saboteurs.

The documentary, by independent Polish journalist Marcin Mamon, also features a man we are calling Foma, a Russian living in exile in Poland.

Foma runs a network of undercover volunteers in Russia, that surveils high-level officers that the GUR - Ukraine's military intelligence service - is considering targeting, he says. He stresses they are never involved in the attacks themselves.

He was also tight-lipped about who they were surveilling, but after Lt Gen Fanil Sarvarov was assassinated in December last year in Moscow, Foma admitted he had provided the Ukrainians with intelligence on him.

There have been previous media reports of Russian sabotage groups, but it is rare to get access to someone operating on the ground, like Ivan, explaining alleged activities.

The GUR has confirmed that Ivan and Foma are both working for the agency. But it also has acknowledged that it cannot know the full picture. When Ivan's handler was pressed on whether he could be trusted, the handler replied: "I'm not sure of anyone, except myself."

And both the GUR and the men are cautious about how much detail they share, making it impossible to verify the activities the men claim to have carried out.

The broad tactics Ivan and Foma describe, however, have been acknowledged by the Ukrainian authorities. Kyiv has spoken of its strategy of co-ordinated drone attacks on what it claims are legitimate targets inside Russia, and has acknowledged it uses secret agents for this.

There have also been several political assassinations in Russia since the start of the war. As a matter of policy, Ukraine never officially admits or claims responsibility for targeted attacks, though a Ukrainian intelligence officer has previously admitted to the BBC it was behind the killing of senior military figure Lt Gen Igor Kirillov in December 2024.

It is difficult to confirm how many Russians are doing this kind of work for Ukraine. According to Foma, they number about 300-500, though this is impossible to verify.

* If you are outside the UK, watch on YouTube and listen to the BBC World Service Documentary Podcast - Shadowmen: Russians working with Ukraine

Ivan and Foma say they are both opposed not just to Russia's war in Ukraine, but to President Vladimir Putin's regime - and believe his political future depends on the war's outcome.

"At the moment... I think the [Putin] regime might fall if they lose the war… Through our actions... we are trying to speed this up," Ivan says.

His work, he told Mamon, involved surveilling military sites, and locating places to hide drone components, in preparation for potential attacks on Russian assets.

"When these [drone] components are combined… it turns out a formidable weapon, which with a single blow can destroy an object that costs many, many millions of dollars," Ivan said.

He sent Mamon a video which showed him apparently hiding explosives near a Russian military airfield.

If he had been caught, he would have been charged with terrorism, and jailed for decades.

Foma's work is different - he operates remotely, training his volunteers in Russia, online. Mamon watched him conducting one such tutorial - on how to trail a senior military official marked for surveillance.

"You will get a file... from me or a colleague… with the proposed target. The file will contain [the target's] photo, his data, his details, date of birth, age, and a description of him. There'll be information on his car, if he has one. When you go to the target, don't take a phone," he told his volunteers.

Foma was once part of the Russian elite, so he claims to have a unique set of contacts and constant flow of insider information.

He showed Mamon on his laptop how he mapped military targets.

"This shows a database... the location of storage warehouses, and military units. Where generals live… Where the pilots of strategic bombers who shell Ukraine live.

"In order to break the system, you need to understand how it works. Then you can aim for their weak points."

He said there were about "three dozen" people in his network split between Russia, Ukraine and elsewhere in Europe, with the contingent outside Russia providing logistical support, such as tracking targets' digital footprints.

Foma stressed that the GUR suggests the targets to be surveilled, but that he and his team check for themselves that these individuals should be considered military criminals.

"As a rule… we also check the data [on that person]… Only after that we say whether we work or not."

But he argued that his team's actions were justified.

"I want people who do terrible things on behalf of Putin and Russia in Ukraine… to understand that they'll have to pay for it. I want them to get scared."

Foma stressed that he only passed on intelligence to the Ukrainians, and his network did not carry out any assassinations themselves.

Of the assassination of Gen Sarvarov, killed in December 2025, he later texted Mamon to say: "Keeping track of him took quite an effort. He lived alternately with his mistress and his colleague. Covered his tracks and constantly changed his schedule."

But Foma did not share any plans with Mamon and the BBC in advance.

Ivan, however, was tight-lipped about the work he had been involved with, even after the event.

Foma did his own digging on Ivan.

After checking with his military intelligence contacts in both Ukraine and Russia, he thought it likely that Ivan had been involved in a plan to strike Russia's largest military drone factory at Yelabuga in June last year. One person was reported to have been killed in the incident.

Ivan stressed that the aim is always to try to avoid harming civilians.

Operations have clearly been risky for Ivan too.

"The most serious case was when my car was stopped for inspection and I had the handmade explosives on me. The risk was very high - however as you can see, I was not detected," he said.

To mitigate the risk of being compromised, "there is no clear structure" to the work, he said, adding he had never met and did not know the identity of others he had been working alongside.

Foma has the same rule for his operatives.

"As soon as you start gathering people in groups, in general chats… leaving a mark on the internet, with a high probability this whole group will be quickly detained or destroyed," he said.

Ivan stressed there were few people left in Russia suitable for this kind of work.

"Most of the ideological people have either left the country or are already behind bars," he said.

Many Russians involved in sabotage work on their native soil are therefore either oblivious - for example lorry drivers unaware that their cargoes have been compromised - or are individuals who have been paid, the BBC understands.

Ivan, on the other hand, says he is doing this work for ideological reasons - he used to be a member of the political opposition. As such, his movements would be expected to be monitored closely by the Russian authorities.

So it was a surprise that he managed to frequently leave Russia and return.

Mamon persuaded Ivan to drive him into the Georgian desert, where they could speak freely - and asked him how the Ukrainians could trust him.

"You go to a third country… where [Ukraine's] agents meet you… and conduct lie detector tests," Ivan told him.

Mamon asked Ivan to put him in touch with one of his GUR handlers in Ukraine. This man immediately rang Ivan on speaker phone - apparently demonstrating that Ivan worked for him. They spoke in code, referring to "repairs at the school".

But later, the handler admitted he could not rule out the possibility Ivan might work for the Russians too, either voluntarily or under duress.

Foma thinks the fact that Ivan can travel freely does not necessarily constitute a red flag.

"There are all sorts of holes in [the country's governance], and if you know them, or are just lucky, then you can jump through the holes… and live in the system. Like a mouse in a piece of cheese," he told Mamon.

Perhaps more compellingly, if Ivan had also been spying for FSB, it would seem likely that he would share what he knew of Ukraine's attack plans with the Russian agency. More than a year before a devastating strike by more than 100 Ukrainian drones, Ivan had been telling Marcin there would be a major attack on strategic bombers on military airfields across Russia, though he never said when or where.

Marcin asked Ivan how he coped with the work.

"Fear is always present," he said. "It follows me everywhere. Even if you don't do anything, you're still afraid. This is Russia."

But he was optimistic that eventually his life would change.

"Putin won't live forever," he said.

GTA 6: Can you cheat on someone with a video game character?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckn9wrr75dyeo, today

Imagine your partner spending hours flirting with someone else, trying to hold their hand and taking them on dates. Most people would have questions.

But what if that someone only exists inside a video game?

The latest instalment in Rockstar's blockbuster Grand Theft Auto franchise is set to be the biggest entertainment launch of the year when it is released next month.

Judging by previews, the connection between its two main characters is a central feature.

Rockstar has hinted that the Bonnie and Clyde-type protagonists Jason and Lucia do not have to become a full-on romantic couple.

But their relationship can grow by spending time together outside of the main crime and life-on-the-run storyline – through shopping, visiting bars and restaurants and working out together.

Smaller interactions like holding hands and quickly responding to each other's texts can help build a bond.

The idea has restarted a debate almost as old as gaming itself: if you are that invested in a fictional relationship, is your real-life partner entitled to be upset?

In September, polling company YouGov put that question to more than 4,000 British adults.

About 6% said they would regard it as cheating, while a further 19% said they would "not be okay with it". Women were considerably more likely than men to take a dim view.

Alli Franco, a 30-year-old Texan who posts anime and gaming content to more than a million followers on TikTok, says she felt "dismayed" watching the debate unfold online.

"If your partner is insecure about a fictional character, then there needs to be some serious reflection," she told the BBC.

"It's similar to having a crush on a TV star, but even further removed from cheating since there is no other actual person involved.”

After Franco posted a video on the subject, hundreds of commenters appeared to agree with her, although some did have reservations.

"To be honest, it depends," wrote one. "If you're cancelling plans with your significant other or directing your intimacy towards a fictional character, then that is a little odd."

Mimicking social relationships

For decades, video games have allowed players to build relationships with non-player characters, or NPCs.

Gamers could marry villagers in Harvest Moon in 1996, shape emotional storylines in Final Fantasy VII and pursue more complex romances in role-playing games like Baldur's Gate II.

In life simulator The Sims, they could flirt, date, marry and have children with computer-controlled characters.

But all those interactions were tightly scripted, based on rules and storylines written in advance by game developers.

GTA 6 appears to offer something more dynamic, allowing players to shape the relationship between Jason and Lucia through a wider range of open-world interactions and choices.

"The more sophisticated games get, the less likely it is that players get pulled out of the experience," says Arienne Ferchaud, an associate professor at Florida State University who studies how people form connections with fictional characters.

"Games are doing a better job of mimicking reality and mimicking social relationships."

Grand Theft Auto 6 may represent the current cutting edge of game design, but the next leap forward could come from artificial intelligence.

Nvidia, Ubisoft and other huge tech companies are already experimenting with generative AI systems that allow players to hold more natural conversations with NPCs.

Future characters could remember past encounters, react to a player's actions and build relationships that change over time rather than following a pre-written script.

Ferchaud believes that could make games feel even more immersive.

"You could have relationships that feel more solid or more special," she says, although she argues AI as it exists today would still be creating "a stronger illusion" rather than a genuinely meaningful connection.

Whether that is exciting or unsettling may depend on the player, and there has been some resistance to the wider use of the technology in gaming.

Franco says she is already seeing adverts for AI chatbots that let fans talk to their favourite anime characters.

"I can definitely see AI integrating into games and making it a more realistic experience," she says.

"But should that happen I would still see it as just a game. At the end of the day you can't cheat with lines of code."

Why is Alberta voting on whether to separate from Canada, and how likely is it to happen?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c809jg1gj9yo, today

The western Canadian province of Alberta will vote on Monday on whether to remain part of Canada or kick-start the process of holding a binding referendum on separation.

The vote will mark a major test of the country's unity, the first in decades.

Alberta's leader, Premier Danielle Smith, announced in May that the question on independence would be put to voters, though she herself supports a unified Canada.

There has been a growing separatist sentiment in the oil-rich province in recent years, and the vote comes after 300,000 people signed a petition asking that a referendum be held on the matter.

Here's why some Albertans are calling for independence and what comes next.

What will the referendum question ask?

The question being put to voters won't be a simple "stay" or "leave".

Instead, Albertans will be asked: "Should Alberta remain a province of Canada or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?"

The premier's office clarified to the BBC that voters will have a choice of checking two boxes - option A being to remain in Canada and option B being to start the legal process to hold a binding separation referendum.

There are 10 questions. What about the others?

There are nine other questions that have been put to voters, though they have been overshadowed by the one on independence.

They deal with two main topics: immigration and Constitutional matters.

For the most part, all of them seek to ask Albertans about options to gain more autonomy from Ottawa.

On immigration, voters will be asked whether they want the province to have increased control over immigration, to bring it to "more sustainable levels" and introducing a law requiring people to provide proof of citizenship to vote in an Alberta provincial election.

The rest focus on access to social services like healthcare for non-permanent residents.

The Constitutional questions include one seeking to allow provinces to push for the power to elect provincial judges and for an elected Senate. Senators in Canada are currently appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister.

Why is this happening?

The referendum question is a result of a push by a group of Albertans who have been advocating for the province to be independent from Canada.

Over the past year, they held townhalls across the province to gauge interest from the public. They then launched a citizen-led petition to separate earlier this year, which gathered more than 300,000 signatures.

But the petition was blocked by an Alberta court early this year.

A judge ruled that Alberta, which authorised the gathering of signatures for a proposed independence referendum under a citizen petition law, failed to consult indigenous First Nations whose land would be affected should the province become an independent state.

Meanwhile, another group led by a former deputy premier of Alberta, Thomas Lukaszuk, collected signatures for an anti-separation petition called Forever Canadian. That was signed by more than 400,000 Albertans.

The province's population is slightly more than five million.

Smith said in May that she was "deeply troubled" by the court decision, and will not let "a single judge silence the voices of hundreds of thousands of Albertans".

Her government has appealed against the decision, she said. But in the meantime, "kicking the can down the road only prolongs a very emotional and important debate".

She has also faced pressure from separatist Albertans, some within her own political party, to hold a referendum on independence regardless of the legal decision.

Who are the separatists, and what do they want?

The separatist movement is led by Mitch Sylvestre, a gun shop owner from the town of Bonnyville, and Jeffrey Rath, a lawyer based in Calgary. It has been supported by other figures along the way.

Both Sylvestre and Rath are members of a group called the Alberta Prosperity Project, which argues that the province's economic growth has been hindered by years of Liberal party rule in Ottawa.

In particular, many in the movement are frustrated with environmental policies that they believe have stood in the way of building pipelines and unlocking resources from the oil-rich province, which traditionally leans conservative.

They also believe that Alberta contributes far more to the country than it receives, and that Ottawa has a disproportionate say in its internal matters.

The sentiment is rooted in "western alienation" - a term that has been used for decades to describe the sense by some in Canada's western provinces that they are often overlooked and underrepresented by federal politicians in Canada's capital.

But the movement is not uniform in its demands.

At a separatist townhall last year, some told the BBC that they wanted to use the threat of independence as a bargaining chip with Ottawa, while others said they would like to follow through with a provincial divorce.

A few said they would be open to Alberta joining the US.

Rath has told the BBC that he believes Alberta has more in common culturally with parts of the US than the rest of Canada.

He has also travelled to Washington several times on what he has described as a "fact-finding" mission, where he and other separatists met Trump administration officials to see if the US government would support an independent Alberta with a line of credit.

Rath has not publicly named which Trump officials the group has met.

When will we know the results?

Alberta Elections have their work cut out for them.

All the ballots - a separate colour-coded one for each question - will be counted by hand.

They have 48 hours to complete the count, which starts at 20:00 local time on Monday (03:00 BST Tuesday) and can be delayed if there are voters still in line.

Question 10, on separation, will be counted in its entirety first, given the high interest in that result.

Alberta Elections said that results for that question should be available in the early hours of Tuesday.

Who is against separation?

The launch of a referendum triggered a five-month campaign period for interested parties on both sides of the issue.

Smith said she will vote for Albert to remain. She argues that, while some grievances raised by the separatists are legitimate, the province has recently been able to make significant inroads with Ottawa, including on developing a pipeline project.

Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has ambitions of making Canada an "energy superpower", has pressed the case for the province to stay.

"We're renovating the country as we go, and Alberta being at the centre of that is essential," Carney, who was raised in Edmonton, Alberta, said in May.

Opposition Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who enjoys significant support in Alberta and who was raised in Calgary, also said that his party will be advocating for unity.

What happens next?

Jeffrey Rath, one of the most prominent separatist voices, has expressed disappointment in the referendum question put forward by Smith, arguing it should have been a direct "stay or leave" option.

He has threatened to organise a vote against her leadership of Alberta's United Conservative Party, which could put Smith's political future in jeopardy.

"To hell with 301,620 Albertans who were promised a vote on their question," he wrote on social media following her announcement. "Danielle Smith just lost her base!"

First Nations in Alberta have also criticised Smith, calling her decision to hold a referendum despite the court ruling "undemocratic" and "authoritarian".

If Albertans vote to leave, Smith said that would kickstart a "legal process" to hold a binding referendum, adding there are a number of steps that would have to be taken to get there.

"I will accept the result of this referendum," she said. "That's why I'll be campaigning hard to try to convince Albertans of my position, which is to remain."

She has since said if Albertans vote to move ahead with a binding referendum, that could happen as soon as 2027.

How many Albertans support independence?

Polls suggest that the majority of Albertans would vote to remain in Canada.

A Leger poll published earlier this month suggests that 70% of Albertans want the province to stay as it is.

Just over 20% would vote to begin the legal process for a future binding referendum on separation. And 7% of respondents were undecided.

A September poll by Janet Brown Opinion Research for broadcaster CBC suggested 72% support for the remain side, and 23% for the leave side, with slightly higher support among male and rural voters.

Despite the lack of popular support, there are concerns of a Brexit-style upset, when UK voters surprised pollsters by voting to leave the European Union, especially if people choose to 'send a message' to Ottawa.

However, that scenario is seen as unlikely.

What we know about apparent attack on Australian MP hit by car

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm5ynk1g88kwo, today

Australian MP Helen Haines has been taken to hospital with critical injuries after she was struck by a car, in what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called "a deliberate act".

Haines was hit near an office in Wangaratta, north-east of Melbourne on Monday afternoon local time.

Albanese said counter-terrorism police are involved in the investigation.

Who is the suspect?

Haines was struck by a White Toyota Landcruiser, which was driven by a 43-year-old Tarrawingee man, Victoria Police said.

The suspect was arrested at the scene by a passer-by before being taken into custody by officers, it added.

A knife was also seized from inside the Toyota, the force said.

Victoria Police said it was unknown whether the suspect and Haines knew each other and its investigation remains ongoing.

Who is Helen Haines?

Haines is a 65-year-old Independent MP for the Indi division in Victoria, south-eastern Australia.

She grew up in the south west of Victoria on a dairy farm with four brothers before training as a nurse and a midwife, according to a biography on her website.

It goes on to say she became the matron of the Chiltern Bush Nursing Hospital in Victoria when she was 26, before later completing a master's degree in public health and a PhD in Medical Science while raising her three children and working. She lives with her family on a small cattle farm outside Wangaratta.

The MP was first elected to the Australian House of Representatives in 2019 and was re-elected in 2022 and 2025.

Where did the incident happen?

Haines's family said the incident happened outside her electorate office in Wangaratta, a city of about 30,000 people, a few hours north-east of Melbourne in the state of Victoria.

Police said she was hit outside an office on Murphy Street at about 15:35 local time (05:35 BST).

What level of threat is there to Australia's politicians?

Albanese appeared close to tears during a live television interview on ABC's 7.30 programme when he was asked if Australian politicians talk among themselves about the threats and risks they face.

"Yes," he replied, adding: "My concern at this point in time is for one, one of my colleagues."

He later described how there had been a "rise in temperature" and "too much shouting, not enough discourse" in Australia.

Speaking in a news conference, Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said there had been an increase in reports of harassing and threatening behaviour towards lawmakers in the 2025-26 financial year, compared with 951 for the previous year.

What has the reaction been?

Paying tribute to Haines during a news conference, Albanese described her as "incredibly hard-working".

"She is fiercely intelligent but most importantly she is just a thoroughly decent human being full of integrity and respected right across the Parliament and from everyone who comes into contact with her", he added.

He said the attack will come as an "incredible shock" to her community.

Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong described the incident as a "shocking and deeply disturbing attack".

The Premier of Victoria Ben Carroll said he was "deeply appalled" by the "violent attack".

Meanwhile, Australia's opposition leader Angus Taylor said he was "deeply saddened and distressed" by the attack.

"This is a shocking day for our nation," he said. "No-one should be targeted in this way."

France's government under pressure after weekend of widespread violence

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crwyd02yz22vo, today

France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is holding a crisis cabinet meeting on Monday to assess a weekend of violence and looting across the country, in what were some of the worst scenes of public disorder in modern French history.

On Saturday over half a million mainly peaceful protesters demonstrated against rising living costs and dwindling access to decent public services, including a good state education. But the protests turned nasty after groups of black-clad, masked activists and vandals appeared.

An estimated 1,500 shops and businesses were looted and destroyed. Riot police fired tear gas and turned water cannon on crowds. They were seen hitting people with batons in several places. France's interior ministry said about 1,000 police officers were injured on Saturday, seven of them seriously.

There had been rumours in France that President Emmanuel Macron may introduce a temporary curfew in parts of the country, or even impose a state of emergency to help calm the febrile atmosphere. In the end, he used a televised address to the nation on Sunday to call for national unity and to try to assure the French public that the perpetrators of the violence would be punished.

Macron's speech has been roundly criticised on social media forums and by political opponents for lacking concrete detail.

How will vandals and rioters now be brought to account?

How might France's towns and cities be better protected - especially since new mass demonstrations have been announced in a couple of weeks' time?

Exactly how will destroyed businesses be compensated?

And when will a dialogue be established with students and teachers' bodies on the subject of education?

On Sunday the Secretary General of the CGT union, Sophie Binet, accused Macron of failing to address students' concerns, the cost-of-living crisis or the dwindling quality of public services in France.

He's apparently passed that baton to Prime Minister Lecornu. Yet he and his interior minister are charged by many in France with being woefully ill-prepared and under-policed ahead of Saturday's multiple, scheduled protests.

The president of France's lower house of parliament, Yaël Braun-Pivet, says she wants to open an inquiry into exactly what happened this weekend and why.

"Things are dark in the city of light [a nickname for Paris]" was the graffiti I read daubed in red paint across a wall adjacent to a row of shattered shops in the French capital on Sunday night.

Macron is widely viewed here as a lame-duck president. He is on his way out. There's a hotly contested race under way to become his successor, with the vote scheduled in six months' time. The presidential candidate from the anti-immigration nationalist right (Marine Le Pen) and also the anti-capitalist left (Jean-Luc Melenchon) are vying to make headlines.

That is adding to current tensions in France - in politics as well as on the streets.

Parliament here is paralysed, deeply divided between three vying political blocks.

Then there are France's financial woes too. Investors are leaning hard on this country to get its spiralling public debt under control. But the French government worries, if it cuts public services or welfare, yet more angry people will pour out onto the streets.

What now, what next, is our country broken? You hear these questions a lot at the moment.

People across France were shocked and troubled by Saturday's events. The images of tear-gassed towns, apparently unimpeded looters and burning public buildings have worried the nation.

Many passers-by I speak to express frustration that, while they worry about the future, their leading politicians seem, instead, to be passionately focused on finger-pointing; blaming one another for the volatility.

"While we worry for our safety, they use this situation as a pre-presidential election political football," teacher and father of three Edouard told me.

Macron and his prime minister blamed Saturday's violent chaos on radical far left groups and delinquents; hard left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon alleged government "incompetence"; Marine Le Pen on the nationalist right, which likes to be seen as strong on law and order, posted a video seated in front of the French flag, giving a presidential-style address blaming the "Macronist administration that is out of steam, exhausted, and disoriented".

For the next two weeks, the French authorities hope for a bit of a respite. Students start their half-term break as of Monday.

But on 5 November, a cross-section of trade unions, plus France's disparate "yellow jacket" (gilets jaunes) movement that staged demonstrations for over a year in 2018 - during Macron's first term as president - have announced huge protests.

France is holding its breath.

Funding shortages force World Food Programme to cut aid to Gaza

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm79plrvpl4vo, today

One of the main suppliers of food aid to the Gaza Strip, the World Food Programme (WFP), says that it is being forced to "drastically reduce lifesaving assistance" to the Palestinian territory due to funding shortages.

Overall, the number of people helped by the UN agency will drop by about a third - from 1.6 million to 1.1 million.

The cuts will hit as winter approaches and at a time when many families in Gaza are still struggling to feed themselves.

One effect is that the number of hot meals that are currently being provided by community kitchens will be cut from 250,000 to 150,000 each day.

Families living in hard-to-reach areas, for example near the so-called Yellow Line, which demarcates Israel's area of military control, will receive a meal every other day instead of daily.

Nearly all of Gaza's 2.1 million population remains displaced and two-thirds rely on food aid to survive.

"It's a disaster! What will we do with these reduced rations? How will we provide for the little ones?" said Mervat al-Satari, a displaced Palestinian mother-of-five at a camp in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis after being told of the WFP's news. "Sometimes we wait for these meals to eat."

"This will affect us a lot. The daily aid was somehow ticking the box but now it will be every two days," said Sawsan Bahloul, who is also from al-Mawasi and is a mother of three. She added that the portions given by the community kitchen - usually pasta or lentils with occasional potatoes and aubergines - were already too small to feed her family.

The Palestine director for the WFP, Shaun Hughes, is clear that the cuts are being made because of finances, and "not because the needs are coming down, or because we don't have access - we do."

Already, since July, there have been reductions in cash transfers provided to some half a million people, meaning they have less money to buy food in local markets. The number of Gazans given bags of flour and ration boxes by the WFP will now fall from 1.1 million to 600,000 each month.

The WFP received less than half as much funding for its Palestinian operations in 2026 as in previous years. The agency says it urgently needs $450m (£338m) to maintain "critical" operations over the next six months.

Despite a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel that was agreed a year ago, humanitarian conditions in Gaza remain dire.

There has been no reconstruction and little recovery, with Israel tightly controlling the entry of goods through crossings. While food markets are now well stocked, few can afford to buy from them. More than 80% of people in Gaza are unemployed so most of the population relies on aid.

Families currently receiving the WFP food handouts complained to the BBC that already these were insufficient and gave them little diversity in their diets.

"The flour isn't enough and the food boxes aren't enough either," said Dalal al-Dahdouh, who is living in the ruins of her home in Gaza City with her family of eight. She fears the new cuts will have "a major impact".

The mother draws a contrast between the current desperate situation and life before the war. "In the past, thank God, we had our own home and a wonderful life. We had fresh vegetables, proper sanitation facilities and our own land," she said. "Now we live entirely on aid, including WFP vouchers."

There is no cooking gas available in Gaza because the Israeli government considers it a "dual use" item that could be used by Hamas for military purposes. Wood is expensive, so many families send their children into the street to find plastic and cardboard to burn as fuel to make bread or heat food.

"It's still a very concerning humanitarian situation, people living in brutal conditions, most people still without a proper home, living in tents, poor access to water and sanitation and healthcare," Hughes of the WFP told the BBC. "Cuts to food assistance are going to compound that hardship that families have been facing for three years now."

Humanitarian workers say that despite a modest improvement in Gaza compared to a year ago, acute food insecurity and the risk of famine returning continue to loom over the territory.

In July, the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) - the world's foremost experts on food security - reported that two-thirds of the population - 1.4 million people - were "expected to face crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity in July-December 2026".

For now, the WFP says it can continue supporting bakeries that provide one-third of Gaza's bread needs and provide nutritional assistance to about 300,000 women and children. It also delivers health food snacks to some 200,000 children.

In the occupied West Bank, the WFP is continuing to give assistance to some 200,000 Palestinians, having halved the number of recipients in September.

The agency says food insecurity is rising in the territory mostly due to increased Israeli settler violence and Palestinian displacement.

The portraits that helped bring the lost Aberfan children home

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckr5y832v8ddo, today

For almost 60 years, many of Aberfan's lost children have watched over living rooms, hallways and family gatherings across the village.

Some were painted from faded school photographs. Others were shaped by the memories of grieving parents, who wrote letters to an artist describing the children they had lost: the colour of their eyes, their favourite clothes, the flashes of personality that made them unique.

The portraits arrived in the years after one of Wales' darkest days. And for many families, they became far more than paintings.

In a new BBC programme, Unseen: The Aberfan Portraits, some have shared their paintings and spoken about how the art helped them grieve.

"It brought her back to life," said Denise Morgan, whose younger sister Annette was among those who died in the Aberfan disaster.

On 21 October 1966, a coal tip collapsed above the village. The torrent of slurry engulfed Pantglas Junior School and nearby homes, killing 144 people including 116 children.

The disaster remains woven into everyday life in Aberfan. It is felt most strongly in the memorial garden on the site of the fallen school, and among the white arched monuments of the cemetery.

But it's also felt in the empty places left behind at family tables, in childhood bedrooms which were suddenly occupied by one child instead of two, and in the portraits that came to represent those who never grew up.

Jeanette Keane has fond memories of her sister Edwina.

"It was just such an idyllic childhood really," she said. "She was very quiet and gentle. She had a mischievous streak as well."

The morning of the disaster remains painfully vivid, as Jeanette recalled how Edwina quickly returned home before the school day had begun.

"She came running back and she said, 'Mammy, I forgot to give you a kiss'," Jeanette said. "And so my mother gave her a kiss.

"My mother always said that, at that time, she wanted to keep her home.

"And my mother rued that day for the rest of her life. She just wished she'd listened to herself."

Jeanette's father found eight-year-old Edwina trapped beneath the wreckage.

"She was alive," Jeanette said, but it was a heartbreaking situation.

"He couldn't get her out because the roof would have fallen in.

"The men all said, 'Teddy, you can't,' and my father laid by the side of her, held her hand and she suffocated."

The trauma echoed through the years that followed the disaster.

"It explains to me why we used to hear him walking back and fore in the corridor at night, banging his head on the wall," Jeanette said.

"It wasn't a very happy life afterwards. Everything changed."

Denise Morgan was attending a different school when word began to spread that something terrible had happened in Aberfan, where her little sister Annette was in class.

"They didn't really give us any details," she said. Racing off the train, the devastation was clear. "When we looked across to Aberfan, we could just see this black mass."

As rescue efforts began, families across the village waited for news. Some of the memories remain too painful to revisit.

For the surviving siblings, that sense of loss seemed to arrive in the most ordinary moments.

"We always slept together," said Jeanette. "And suddenly I was alone."

Denise remembered the same absence.

"We shared a bed... and then she was gone."

The scale of grief was impossible to escape. "In our street, five children were lost in 25 houses," Denise said.

"Four children died in my street," Jeanette recalled.

In an era when grief was rarely discussed openly, many survivors were left to process the tragedy alone.

Hundreds of miles away in Llandudno, one man was following events in Aberfan on television and in the newspapers.

Artist William Richardson had no connection to Aberfan, with his skills being used most often on the pier where he sketched caricatures of visitors and celebrities performing in town.

But he was deeply affected by what he saw. According to his children, Jean and Ken, he felt compelled to do something for the bereaved families who had lost their sons and daughters.

"He saw it on the news and he was so moved by it, he decided to paint them," Jean said.

"He just wanted to give something back, to show he cared," added Ken.

Richardson never sought payment or recognition. Instead, he began creating portraits of children killed in the disaster, working from school photographs and detailed descriptions supplied by parents.

"The parents would write to him and tell him about the children," Jean said. "What colour their eyes were, their hair, what they wore."

"They even sent bits of fabric so he could get it right," Ken added.

Jean said her father wanted to capture more than their appearance.

"He'd ask about their personalities, so he could build that into the painting."

Over the years, Richardson is believed to have produced about 100 portraits. As the collection grew, so too did his connection with families in Aberfan.

For his children, the portraits became a constant presence.

"We were surrounded by them for years," said Jean. "All these faces."

"It's like looking back at old friends now."

"We couldn't believe the likeness," Denise said. "That was her.

"It brought her back to life."

Jeanette remembered the effect on her parents when Edwina's portrait arrived.

"I remember my father crying when the painting came," she said. "If they could have hugged it, they would have."

The portraits soon became part of daily life in homes across the village.

"She was there at Christmas, at parties, always in the room," Denise said of Annette's painting.

"In our street, every house had one."

For survivors such as Gaynor Madgwick, who escaped from Pantglas Junior School when the tip collapsed, the images served another purpose.

"They start conversations," she said. "People begin talking about their children again."

For families who had struggled to find the words, the portraits offered a way to keep memories alive.

"You walked in and their presence was there," Gaynor said.

Jeanette agreed: "It was very, very important to us. It felt like she was always with us while it was there."

As the generation directly affected by Aberfan grows older, a new question is emerging: what should happen to the portraits?

Many remain cherished family possessions. Others have already passed into the care of younger generations, while some have been entrusted to a local museum.

Other families have made different choices.

Gaynor described the heartbreaking decision her family faced after their mother died.

"Taking them down, you're not taking a painting, you're taking them," she said.

The portraits were buried alongside their mother.

"We buried them with Mam in a white box, like a little coffin.

"We placed them facing each other.

"It felt like burying them again."

For Jeanette, the future of Edwina's portrait is a source of concern.

"I worry about what will happen to the painting," she said. "I want people to see them."

Denise feels the same pull between preservation and possession.

"It's a treasure," she said. "I could never part with it."

Nearly six decades after the disaster, the paintings remain extraordinary objects. They were created by a man who had never met the children, but his kindness ensured they were treasured by the families who received and loved them.

By painstakingly recreating the faces of children who had been lost, William Richardson gave something precious back to a community living with unimaginable grief.

For many families, the portraits did more than capture memories. They brought the children home.

Unseen: The Aberfan Portraits is available on the BBC iPlayer and will be shown on BBC One Wales at 22:40 BST on Monday 19 October.

What we know so far about deadly fire at Canadian military base

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmgelrq8x92do, today

A huge fire swept through a Canadian military base on Saturday, killing at least four people and seriously injuring dozens more.

Prime Minister Mark Carney described it as one of the worst peace time tragedies on Canadian soil in the history of the military.

Here is what we know about the deadly incident so far.

How did the fire start?

Few details about what triggered the deadly fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, which broke out at around 16:00 local time (22:00 GMT), have been confirmed by authorities so far.

Local media reported it may have been started when a gas main was struck during a live firing exercise taking place on the grounds.

Carney said a "violent, fast-moving fire swept through the base" without confirming what started it.

The Municipal District of Wainwright posted on social media that the fire had "spread rapidly due to high winds".

The prime minister said military and civilian fire crews "fought this fire throughout the night in some of the worst conditions imaginable, risking their lives to protect their fellow Canadians".

The Canadian defence ministry has said the cause remains under investigation, and "at this time, there are no indications that it was the result of any terrorist activity".

It has not been confirmed if those injured were on the base's sprawling ranges where exercises are carried out, or whether the fire spread to living quarters.

How many people have been killed?

Four service members are confirmed to have died, Carney said on Sunday.

He also said "dozens" had been "seriously wounded", without providing further information on their conditions.

Prior to Carney addressing the nation, Canadian media reported the death toll as seven citing unnamed military sources.

The prime minister did not indicate whether or not the government expects the death toll to rise.

The names of those who lost their lives have not been identified but their families have been informed.

On Saturday evening, Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton declared a code orange - a disaster response protocol for a high-casualty incident.

A stream of ambulances were seen arriving at the hospital and one doctor told Canadian public broadcaster CBC that the facility had been "completely overwhelmed" by the number of patients.

Where is the base?

Canadian Forces Base Wainwright is located in a rural area of the western state of Alberta - around 120 miles (193km) from Edmonton and 180 miles (290km) from Calgary, the state's two largest cities.

It is one of Canadian Army's busiest military training bases and its airfield is also used by the Royal Canadian Air Force.

It population fluctuates but more than 1,000 people can be based there at any given time.

Trump says suspension of Russia sanctions is to keep peace negotiations going

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9p8gz7zx4peo, today

US President Donald Trump has said his decision to suspend several Russian sanctions is an effort to keep Moscow at the negotiating table.

"I am in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine," Trump said on his Truth Social messaging platform, adding that he didn't want to "do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table".

Trump blocked numerous sanctions on Russia two days before they were due to take effect, as a row with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky deepened.

Zelensky told NBC News on Sunday that siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin would be a "historic mistake".

Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev has responded to Trump's order by calling it "an important and truly historic moment", and saying the sanctions would have inflicted "serious damage" on the US and global market.

Trump also claimed in his Truth Social post that Zelensky "doesn't want to end this war, and probably never did", adding "he could have made a better deal two years ago than he can now".

Zelensky has pushed for an end to fighting, and has repeatedly said that Putin doesn't want peace, since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Relations between Washington and Kyiv frayed after the US struck a controversial deal to import Russian diesel last week. Ukraine has accused the Trump administration of withdrawing key military support.

Since then, Zelensky declared it was nice to be among "real leaders" while addressing a European Union summit, after Trump said Zelensky was "more difficult to deal with" than Putin.

Catalonia's former rebel president can return to Spain, court rules

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvp8gzg4e143o, today

Spain's Supreme Court has ruled the former president of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, can return without fear of arrest nearly a decade after going into self-imposed exile having led a failed independence bid.

The court upheld a decision to lift an arrest warrant for him linked to the referendum his regional government organised in 2017, in defiance of Madrid.

Direct rule was imposed on the region soon after the vote and Puigdemont fled to Belgium, where he has been based ever since - with a surprise appearance in Barcelona in 2024 prompting a police manhunt.

But the Spain to which he may return is much different from a decade ago, with Catalan independence now a marginal political issue.

Monday's ruling brings to an end a lengthy legal wrangle between the Spanish judiciary and the former Catalan president.

In 2024, Spain's socialist government introduced a controversial amnesty for dozens of Catalan politicians and activists who were involved in the secession drive, but the Supreme Court said Puigdemont and several of his colleagues should be excluded.

It argued this was because of the charges against them of alleged financial crimes around staging the referendum.

The Constitutional Court overruled that interpretation earlier this month, and on Monday the Supreme Court rejected an appeal by the far-right Vox party against lifting national arrest warrants for Puigdemont, as well as his former ministers Lluís Puig and Toni Comín, paving the way for their return to Spain.

Puigdemont was elected as a member of the European Parliament (MEP) in 2019 and to the Catalan parliament in 2024 as leader of the region's centre-right Together for Catalonia (JxCat) party.

He had campaigned in the south of France, where he held rallies attended by supporters who travelled across the border to see him.

Puigdemont is known to have made at least one brief return to Spain since leaving the country, addressing a crowd of supporters in Barcelona prior to disappearing and escaping back over the border to France before he could be detained.

While he was living in Waterloo, Belgium, nine of his former colleagues were jailed for their role in the events of 2017. They were released when the Spanish government pardoned them in 2021.

Puigdemont has remained an active political presence, travelling across Europe to espouse the Catalan independence cause and fiercely criticising Spain's democratic institutions.

In a video posted on social media just as the Supreme Court ruling was announced, Puigdemont spoke of his reasons for staying abroad.

"My role was to stir public opinion, internationalise the conflict and work from the heart of Europe to explain the reality of Spain," he said.

It is still not known when he might return to Spain.

Comín, his former regional minister for health, plans to travel this week to Madrid, where he is due to carry out administrative procedures linked to his status as an MEP.

The referendum sparked the country's biggest political crisis since democracy was restored following the death of Francisco Franco.

The banned vote was met with a heavy police crackdown. The region's separatist majority declared independence after the vote - Madrid then dissolved parliament, sacked its leaders and called a snap election.

But Catalan independence is now a relatively marginal issue in Spain, with housing and immigration dominating the political agenda.

The parliamentary support of Puigdemont's JxCat party was instrumental in allowing current Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to form a new left-wing Spanish government after the 2023 election.

But within Catalonia, JxCat has been struggling, with a far-right, pro-independence party, Catalan Alliance, taking many of its voters.

And next month, Spain's general election could see the far right enter government for the first time.

You Can See Everything documentary stuns with huge box office debut

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm8xz5kxkkkqo, today

A three-hour documentary on the tech fraudster Elizabeth Holmes has raked in a whopping $15 million (£11.25m) on its box office debut, despite a limited run at 855 screens across the US and Canada.

The eagerly anticipated A24 film, titled You Can See Everything, was co-directed by comedian Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim.

It finds Holmes at her home in 2023 during the month before she began an 11-year prison sentence.

US publication Deadline has described it as "easily the second best opening ever for a documentary at the box office after 2004s Fahrenheit 9/11", Michael Moore's movie about the US's 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Ticket sales at the box office were enough for second place behind Paramount's new video game adaptation, Street Fighter, which opened to $31 million in North America and $51.1 million globally.

You Can See Everything also secured the largest debut for any film playing on under 1,000 screens since 2006's Borat, which scored $26 million.

Holmes was convicted of defrauding investors in her medical testing company Theranos, fuelling a media circus that has been chronicled in books, podcasts and the mini-series The Dropout, starring Amanda Seyfried.

In You Can See Everything, comedian Fielder - known for shows including The Rehearsal and The Curse - places himself inside the action, once again blurring the lines between documentary, social experiment and prank show.

We see notorious Silicon Valley founder Holmes invite a sceptical film crew to document her every move, thirty-four days before she's sent to prison.

The first teaser trailer dropped last month, right after the film's surprise premiere at the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado.

It went viral and launched many online memes of Holmes unblinkingly asking Fielder: "Why would I deceive you?"

The stranger-than-fiction documentary has garnered rave reviews and is already being talked about as an Oscar contender as we head into awards season.

Remarkable for a documentary - that isn't based on a live music event - produced in secret over three years which no-one really knew about until recently.

The Guardian awarded the film five stars, calling it "a modern masterpiece of deceit", stressing how "TV's grand illusionist meets his match when he moves in with Theranos founder and her family".

The Financial Times also offered five stars describing documentary as "a mind-bending revelation".

The New York Times noted how it sees Holmes and Fielder "joust in a dizzying movie about truth, reality and the contours of knowledge".

The buzz around the film is likely to see it be in the running, at least, for a nomination for best documentary feature at next year's Academy Awards, though no documentary has ever been nominated for the main prize of best picture.

Cindy Crawford 'beyond heartbroken' after death of son Presley at 27

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwzrd6123jyyo, today

Supermodel Cindy Crawford has said she and her family are "beyond heartbroken" over the death of her son Presley Gerber.

"He is a sweet, beautiful soul who loved and is loved, now and forever," she posted on Instagram, next to a black-and-white photo of him. "We are so proud of how he showed up in the world, with kindness and vulnerability."

The 27-year-old died on 20 September at a rehab facility in California. Police said officials are investigating his death as a suspected overdose.

Gerber had been a model like his mother and younger sister Kaia, making his catwalk debut for Italian label Moschino aged just 16.

Crawford wrote in the post on Sunday: "We feel so blessed to have had Presley in our lives for 27 years."

"We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support from so many who know and love our family and even strangers who feel our pain," she also posted.

"Til we meet again our sweet boy. We love you forever, Mom, Dad and Kaia," she wrote in closing, with an emoji of angel wings.

The tribute also listed the dates of his birth and death.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner lists Gerber's case as pending additional investigation. The Santa Monica Police Department has said there is no indication foul play was involved in his death.

Gerber's sister Kaia also dedicated a post to him on Sunday which included a video of the two siblings as children dancing together, a photo of them standing near the ocean, and a four-page letter to "prez" typed out on a blue background.

In the letter, she said she had been scared of getting her ears pierced, so "you went first".

"But when I held the earring they took from your body, all I could think was: That belongs to you," she wrote.

"I am learning how to love you when I cannot see you," she also wrote. "How to tell you something without picking up my phone to call you. How to be your sister in a world that I can't reach for you in," she wrote.

In recent years, Gerber had spoken openly about his mental health challenges and drug use and frequently posted videos on Instagram himself for what he called "Mental Health Mondays".

His father Rande Gerber, a well-known businessman, co-founded the Casamigos tequila brand with George Clooney.

If you're affected by any of the issues in this article you can find details of organisations who can help via the BBC Action Line.

Details of help available in many countries can be found at Befrienders Worldwide, external.

Mural honours the forgotten force behind The Beatles

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj3vqw4dxv32o, today

A mural celebrating a musician who has been described as the "forgotten sixth Beatle" is set to be unveiled later by the community he helped to shape.

The artwork in Liverpool's Toxteth area honours Lord Woodbine, a mentor to The Beatles and an icon of the city's Caribbean community.

The Trinidadian calypsonian, steelpan player and promoter became an influential figure in Liverpool's Caribbean music scene and played a role in the Fab Four's early years.

His daughter Carol Phillips said: "We hope it [the mural] will be a catalyst for the celebration and visibility of the Liverpool 8 [district] music scene and the contributions musicians like my Dad made."

Lord Woodbine, whose real name was Harold Adolphus Phillips, arrived in England in 1948 as a member of the Windrush generation after serving in the Royal Air Force.

As a leading light in Liverpool's Caribbean music scene, he introduced calypso and steelpan music to wider audiences through bands including Lord Woodbine and his Trinidadians and the All-Caribbean Steel Band.

He was also known for promoting The Beatles before their rise to fame and driving the band to Hamburg in 1960, where he performed alongside them.

Phillips said: "The mural is for the whole family of Liverpool 8, not just our family.

"Many of them [musicians] played a prominent role in the growth of Liverpool's music scene and on the international stage, yet some of their stories and contributions have remained unsung."

The mural, painted by Liverpool artist John Culshaw, is the latest work commissioned by charity Mandela8 as part of a series celebrating community role models and local heroes from Liverpool's Caribbean and black communities.

Previously commissioned murals in Liverpool include Liverpool Football Club's first black player Howard Gayle; photographer and urban griot Leroy Cooper; swimming hero James Clarke, and the first black South African President, Nelson Mandela.

Chair of Mandela8, Sonia Bassey MBE, said: "To finally see Lord Woodbine take his rightful place in the landscape of our city is incredibly significant."

Bassey, said: "Their [Liverpool 8's] contributions remain largely invisible in the story the city tells about its musical heritage.

"Our role is to help change that, to ensure our community heroes are seen, their stories are told and their contribution is recognised for generations to come."

Woodbine preferred modest living over any exploitation of The Fab Four's fame.

Along with his wife Helen, he died in a fire at their home in Toxteth in 2000. He was 72.

His mural will be unveiled at 14:00 BST at Hillaby Close in Toxteth.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.

Where the US midterm elections will be won and lost

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr20wlp09gn3o, 3 days ago

Americans head to the polls on 3 November to decide how the rest of Donald Trump's presidency will play out.

Thousands of races are taking place across the US, at different levels of government. But the main event for voters will be electing members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the two chambers that make up Congress.

Both of them are currently controlled by the Republicans, the president's party. The success or failure of Trump's final two years in office could rest on the outcome.

Here's our visual guide to where the battle for power will be won and lost - from approval ratings, to key races and issues and the huge amount of money being spent.

Midterms come at bad time for Trump

One of the reasons the opposition Democrats have a chance to take back Congress is the president's low approval rating, which is a good indicator for how well his party could perform.

He began his second term as president with an approval rating of just over 50%, according to polling resource website Silver Bulletin, but it quickly fell into the 40s.

It was hovering around 42% when Trump decided to launch air strikes with Israel against Iran at the end of February this year but it fell below 40% shortly afterwards. It is currently sitting at about 37%.

Eight years ago, Trump's approval rating was significantly higher at this point in his first term, at 43%. Joe Biden's at the same point in his term was at 40%. In both cases, the sitting president lost control of the House in the midterms but kept hold of the Senate.

But Trump's poor ratings help explain why Democrats are hopeful of winning both chambers of Congress and why they are setting their sights on states that Republicans have won consistently in recent years.

The battle for the House

The current Republican majority in the House of Representatives, the lower chamber, is as thin as it gets - they have 218 representatives, which is the exact number needed to have control, plus one independent who votes with them.

Members of the House serve a two-year term so all 435 seats are up for election in November.

But most districts are not considered competitive because the party that holds them has such solid support that there is only one likely winner.

The Cook Political Report, which analyses campaigns and elections, suggests that just 21 districts are "toss-ups" that could be won by either party.

Of those 21 toss-ups, 16 are currently held by Republicans and five by Democrats. If the Democrats win four of those on top of 29 districts classed as likely or leaning Democratic, they will win the House.

Historically, the midterms see a high number of seats changing hands in the House, usually in a protest against the White House. The average number lost by the president's party is 27, according to data going back to 1934. Of those 23 elections, the president's party has only made gains in three.

The battle for the Senate

The Republicans have a slightly stronger hold on the Senate. They hold 53 of the 100 seats while the Democrats have 45 and two independents who also vote with them.

Members of the Senate serve six-year terms so roughly a third are up for election every two years.

Thirty-five seats are up for grabs in November but analysis by the Cook Political Report suggests that only seven of them are toss-ups that could go either way.

Of those toss-ups, six are currently held by Republicans and one by Democrats. The Democrats would need to win four of those seats, plus the four classed as likely or leaning Democratic, to hit 51 and take control of the Senate.

But winning a majority is no easy task for the Democrats.

They need to keep hold of their seat in Michigan, where polls suggest the race is tighter than Democrats would like between Abdul El-Sayed, a left-wing political outsider, and his Republican rival Mike Rogers, a Trump ally and former FBI agent.

And they would also need to pick up seats in states that Trump won by double-digits in 2024, including Alaska, Iowa and Ohio.

But polls suggest they have a chance, even in Texas where former teacher James Talarico could become the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in the state since 1988 if he defeats Ken Paxton, the current state attorney general and close Trump ally.

What are the key issues for voters?

Trump pledged to "end inflation and make America affordable again" in his 2024 election campaign but the cost of living crisis is proving to be the key issue for voters.

The president proudly declared that gas was "now below $2.30 [£1.74] a gallon in most states" in his State of the Union address on 24 February. But the war with Iran began four days later, disrupting Middle Eastern energy supplies and causing gas to hit $4 (£3.03) in the US.

The war became increasingly unpopular as its consequences reverberated around the world and ultimately hit American consumers in the pocket. One poll carried out in August found 63% of respondents disapproved of Trump's handling of the situation.

Other issues that voters say are important to them include healthcare and immigration.

Trump has recently touted his policies around immigration as a big success, citing significantly lower border-crossing figures than in recent years.

Many Democratic candidates are focusing on the high costs of US health insurance and the impact of Trump's legislation on access to the healthcare system.

Can Trump defy political gravity?

Most signs point towards a successful midterms for the Democrats, but it wouldn't be the first time that Trump and his party have outperformed polls if they do win more seats than expected.

One of the few things in their favour is their huge financial advantage.

At the end of August, the Republican National Committee and its allied groups had more than $600m (£455m) cash on hand, while the Democrats had just under $400m (£303m).

On top of that, the Republicans also had more than $400m held by Trump's MAGA Inc group, the main fundraising and spending arm of the "Make America Great Again" political movement.

The Republicans are using that financial advantage to buy advertising.

More than $1bn worth of political ads were broadcast to US voters in September, according to research firm AdImpact. Republicans spent $200m more than the Democrats and outspent them in nearly all of the Senate races classed as toss-ups.

Trump will be hoping this late messaging blitz can help convince Republicans to get out and vote in November, boosting turnout and limiting the damage done to him and his party.

Whatever the result, attention will quickly turn to the next presidential election in 2028. Trump's unpopularity has dominated the midterms, but with him constitutionally unable to run for a third term the focus will shift to what the Democrats stand for, not just what they stand against.

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

People playing loud music on buses could face £100 fine

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm89z008x7xdo, today

Passengers who play loud music on buses in England could be fined up to £100 under an attempt by the government to crack down on antisocial behaviour.

The measures also seek to tackle littering, vaping and threatening behaviour to help improve journeys on all forms of public transport.

Offenders on buses could be issued with the fines under new powers for local authorities.

A national campaign asking rail passengers "share the carriage, not the noise" is also being launched. The proposed crackdown has been welcomed by campaigners, but some have questioned how it can be enforced.

"We've all been on the train when someone starts blasting music or videos from their phone. It gets on your nerves and can quickly spoil the journey," said Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

Under existing powers, those who are asked to stop and refuse could be removed from a train or fined up to £1,000.

The phenomenon has been given many terms - including loudcasting or sodcasting - and in recent years, Ofcom, YouGov and Transport for London (TfL) have all published polls showing the vast majority of people dislike it.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said small changes in behaviour "can make a massive difference to people's experience on public transport".

The government said it had issued new guidance to local authorities on powers - which were introduced earlier this year - to help them crackdown on loud music and other antisocial behaviour on buses in England.

These new powers allow them to impose new rules on buses, but still need to be signed off by the Transport Secretary

Those who commit offences could face fixed penalties of up to £100.

The government says bus drivers will not be responsible for enforcing the new rules. It says authorised officers, including Transport Safety Officers and the Police, will deal with the incidents.

Meanwhile a new national campaign aims to remind rail passengers to "share the carriage, not the noise", to improve journeys for everyone

The campaign will be launched across operator websites, social media, and in carriages. The government said this would end the current "patchwork" of approaches across different rail operators, and help create "a clear, consistent message across the network".

The general secretary of the TSSA transport union, Maryam Eslamdoust, said tackling antisocial behaviour on public transport was "a step in the right direction".

However, she added that the government must also "urgently confront the violence, threats and abuse faced by passengers and transport workers".

"Increasing the budget for British Transport Police is vital to protect people, respond to incidents and bring violent offenders to justice," she said.

Michael Solomon Williams from the Campaign for Better Transport told the BBC antisocial behaviour could be a "real deterrent" to people using public transport, especially those with different accessibility needs.

He also questioned how the new measures will be enforced. "When local authorities are required to do the enforcement there are perhaps some question marks about how a local police force might be called upon on bus services, for example, where we don't tend to see British Transport Police."

Richard Holden MP, Shadow Transport Secretary, said: "After we led the charge against antisocial behaviour on public transport last summer, Ministers have worked out that nobody wants to endure pounding techno or blaring hip hop on a packed train or bus.

"But passengers and railway staff face far more serious problems. Assaults against rail staff have risen by 68%, while prosecutions have slumped under Labour. It's time for Andy Burnham to get serious about enforcement, tackling violence and protecting those who work on our railways."

Liberal Democrat Transport spokesperson, Olly Glover MP said: "Tough talk means nothing without enforcement.

"Unless the Government funds transport safety officers on the ground, these new rules won't be worth the paper they're printed on."

Independent watchdog Transport Focus said research it had published in June showed personal safety and security was now fundamental to passengers' confidence in the railway.

"Four in 10 passengers say that anti-social behaviour has made them feel vulnerable when travelling," said Alex Campbell, Transport Focus's director of policy and insight.

"Measures that reduce nuisance behaviour, such as playing loud music and vaping, can help improve people's experience and encourage more people to choose public transport."

Selena Gomez says vaping has affected her voice

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cxly435ym787o, today

Selena Gomez has said vaping nicotine has changed the way her voice sounds.

"I'm not gonna be able to change my voice," the singer, 34, said in a candid Instagram post on Sunday. "I vaped nicotine a lot."

"Nicotine is so hard to quit and I just wanted to say, if you're going through it, or if you're even trying to vape, it's just not worth it," she continued.

"It's so stupid and it changed my voice," she reiterated, then laughed: "So if you guys don't like listening to my voice, that's totally understandable. I don't mind. Just don't listen to it."

The singer and actress, who has the chronic autoimmune disease lupus, has previously suggested that the condition was affecting her vocal cords.

Asked about her voice in an Instagram Q&A last December, she said: "Sometimes things happen. I get weird. My throat kind of swells inside sometimes. That's all."⁠

Lupus flare-ups can cause inflammation around the larynx (voice box), which can cause your voice to become raspy and strained - similar to the symptoms of a cold.

Gomez's voice has also deepened with age, which is not uncommon. However, some fans have fixated on the change, posting compilation videos showing the evolution of her speaking style on YouTube.

In her Instagram video, the Only Murders In The Building star noted she had recently weaned herself off nicotine.

"I am really excited because I stopped and I just hope I can keep it up," she said.

"It's really hard, but I know if you are going through something you can get through it too. It sucks."

Evidence on some of the side effects of vaping are becoming a little clearer, although the long-term effects are still not known.

A recent report from doctors said vaping was linked to breathing problems, wheezing and coughing, dental issues, poor sleep, mental health problems and even eye symptoms.

Vaping isn't harmless - the nicotine in vapes is very addictive - which is why the NHS says children and non-smokers shouldn't take it up. But it has been shown to be an effective way to stop smoking.

Last month, the pop singer Lola Young said her "breathing feels like a chore" due to the effects of vaping.

Gomez first revealed her lupus diagnosis in a 2015 interview with Billboard.

The announcement came after she abruptly ended her 2013 tour to check herself into a rehab facility for treatment.

"I was diagnosed with lupus, and I've been through chemotherapy," she told the publication. "I locked myself away until I was confident and comfortable again.

"That's what my break was really about. I could've had a stroke."

Symptoms of lupus include muscle and joint pain, fever, rashes, chest pain, hair loss, kidney problems, fatigue and more.

In 2017, Gomez received a kidney transplant from her friend Francia Raisa, which helped move her lupus into remission for a period of time - although in her 2022 documentary Selena Gomez: My Mind And Me, the singer said she had had a flare-up in 2020.

Fans question nicotine use

However, after revealing her vaping habit, some people questioned her nicotine use, given the potential negative effect on her kidneys.

"Francia really gave this girl her kidney and she continued to smoke... oh wow," wrote one user on social media.

"To have someone generous enough to donate their kidney but still vape yourself into a nicotine addiction is absolutely wild," added another.

But most fans supported the star for being open about addiction.

"Selena Gomez being honest about nicotine addiction is a reminder that some habits are harder to quit than people realise," wrote MaxB on X.

"Proud of her for owning up to it and for wanting to do better," agreed Em.

Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff survives shooting in Mumbai

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6jdmy872r7vo, today

Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff has survived a shooting in Mumbai and has not sustained any gunshot wounds, according to Indian police who are investigating the incident.

The 36-year-old was shot at on Sunday evening, while he was in a car that was leaving a football club in the suburb of Juhu.

Several news outlets have published a video showing at least two gunmen firing multiple shots at close range at the front passenger seat of a car while it is slowly moving past a crowd.

The incident has heightened concern about the safety of public figures in India, with some killed or injured in targeted attacks in recent years.

"These attempts to intimidate people will not be tolerated, and we will put an end to this hooliganism," said Eknath Shinde, deputy chief minister of Maharashtra state, where Mumbai is located.

He paid a visit to Shroff after the shooting on Sunday evening, and said the actor and his mother had been left "shaken" by the attack.

Police said two people were injured in the shooting, including Shroff's driver, local media reported.

This is the latest in a string of attacks on some of the country's biggest public figures in recent years.

In 2024, police in India arrested two members of a criminal gang for a gun attack targeting the home of Bollywood actor Salman Khan.

That same year, influential Indian politician Baba Siddique was shot dead in Mumbai.

The son of two actors, Tiger Shroff made his acting debut in 2014 with the romance film Heropanti and went on to star in several films.

He is also a football enthusiast who plays for the professional football club Mumbay FC.

Anthropic says it will commit 5% of its shares to 'public benefit fund'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2kez327gdko, today

Artificial intelligence (AI) giant Anthropic says it will commit 5% of its shares to a fund that will make donations for the "public good".

The announcement comes as Anthropic lays the ground for a potential blockbuster stock market listing that could value the firm at more than $1tn (£750bn).

The AI industry has come under intense scrutiny recently over safety concerns and fears about its impact on society and the economy. Anthropic reportedly said in its initial public offering (IPO) filing that AI could pose "catastrophic or existential risks to humanity".

Anthropic said its proposed fund could support nonprofit organisations, and efforts to address AI's impact on the jobs market.

None of the shares held by the the fund would be used for lobbying or political donations in the US or overseas, it added.

Anthropic's Public Benefit Fund could also receive another 2% of the firm's shares at its board's discretion, the Claude developer said in a statement released on Sunday.

Technology billionaire Elon Musk responded to the announcement on social media with: "I recommend giving the shares directly to the public." "This is what I will be doing," he added.

Last week, Anthropic told prospective investors that its revenue surged by 45% to $16.8bn (£12.6bn) in the three months to the end of September.

In common with other AI firms, it is seeking to position itself as being able to generate huge profits despite spending billions on developing the technology and building infrastructure to power its models.

Companies around the world, primarily technology firms, have cut thousands of jobs after investing in AI, with many pointing to higher efficiencies from its adoption.

Research by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) published in 2024 suggested that almost 40% of jobs around the world will be affected by AI, with that figure rising as high as 60% in advanced economies.

China's growth accelerates as AI export boom outweighs domestic weakness

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm5yn098xz8lo, today

China's economic growth picked up in the three months to the end of September, rebounding from a three-year low as the artificial intelligence (AI) boom helped boost exports.

The world's second largest economy grew by 4.5% in the third quarter, up from 4.3% in the previous period but below the 5% expansion recorded from January to March, according to official Chinese data.

The latest figure is at the bottom end of Beijing's annual growth target of 4.5%-5%, which analysts have said gives policymakers room to address the country's economic challenges.

Exports have helped offset weak spending at home, but global trade tensions and uncertainty over AI investments are clouding its outlook.

China's National Bureau of Statistics said on Monday that the economy "sustained steady development against pressure" and showed "momentum with new growth drivers and improving structure".

With exports climbing, China's trade surplus - the amount of goods and services it sells abroad compared to what it buys from other countries - is on track to overtake the record $1.2tn (£900bn) seen last year.

But property investment fell by more than 20% in the first nine months from the same period last year, official data also showed.

China's economy has struggling to shake off a long-running property slump, after years of overbuilding and excessive borrowing by private developers.

The technology industry has been a key driver of China's growth in recent quarters.

Global demand for computer chips and other components used to build AI data centres has helped to ease pressure on Beijing and cushion the impact of sluggish domestic consumption.

Chinese businesses have leaned heavily on exports as a prolonged property slump, weak wage growth and high youth unemployment have weighed on consumer spending at home.

In September, Beijing unveiled a raft of support measures, including lower interest rates for some businesses and subsidies for property buyers, in an effort to boost the economy.

But Beijing is facing a backlash from Western economies - including the US and European Union - as manufacturers struggle to compete with large amounts of cheap Chinese goods.

There are also concerns over the billions of dollars being spent on AI infrastructure and whether the companies making those investments can deliver on their promises of generating huge profits.

Home sellers cut asking prices on 3,000 properties a day

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c84g13z6xx4eo, today

Home sellers cut asking prices on more than 3,000 properties a day on average in Britain during September, according to figures from Rightmove shared exclusively with the BBC.

The property website said the total was the highest of any month for 15 years and was driven, in part, by a glut of homes on the market and some sellers setting unrealistic expectations.

The proportion of listed homes that eventually had a price cut peaked in 2023 and has remained relatively high since.

Property portals say buyers are now having to be choosy, with many working to a tight budget as mortgage rates have risen to three-year highs.

"Once a home has been on the market for a while and then has a price reduction, some buyers start asking questions, even when there is nothing wrong with the property," said Colleen Babcock of Rightmove.

"In a market with so much choice, first impressions matter."

Rightmove data said the average price reduction was nearly 7% - the equivalent of nearly £21,000 cut from a typically valued home.

Its data showed that homes that had a price reduction typically took 119 days to find a buyer, compared with 39 days for those listed at one price.

The proportion of listed homes that had a price reduction stood at 34% in last month, only slightly lower than the recent peak of 36% seen in September 2023.

Rival property portal Zoopla said that buyers were in the driving seat, and were being more cautious and selective about the properties they viewed.

With mortgage rates at a three-year high, Zoopla said buyers needed to keep monthly mortgage payments affordable.

So, while the number of homes for sale was up 5% in September compared with a year earlier, the number of sales agreed had fallen by 9% over the same period, its figures showed.

September also tends to be the month with the most cuts to asking prices as sellers often want to complete a sale by the end of the year.

Zoopla's data showed that a quarter of newly-listed homes in September had previously been listed for sale in the last year. Six in 10 were returning at a lower asking price.

The problem for sellers was that these homes were taking longer to sell.

Properties that needed a price reduction were half as likely to find a buyer within the normal three-month timeframe, according to Richard Donnell, executive director of research at Rightmove.

Sellers who have contacted the BBC's Your Voice have pointed to the difficulties created by lots of homes on the market, and extra problems for those selling leasehold properties in England.

One, who was selling his late father's home in south Wales, said: "The market is dead. Lots for sale; no-one buying. No-one thinks it's going to get easier."

Tarah Lourens, chief operating officer at Rightmove, said that "emotional" factors influenced sellers pricing a home - as they "put a value on the time and money they have invested in their home".

But she said that buyers simply considered everything they could buy at their budget.

Agents said that valuations now drew on huge amounts of data. Craig Webster, of Tiger Sales and Lettings in Blackpool, said that getting an initial price correct when new to the market was crucial.

"That's when you have the greatest opportunity to capture the attention of active buyers," he said.

Katie Griffin, from surveyors Sawdye and Harris in Devon, said that having to correct a price could ultimately lead to a seller accepting less than even a revised asking price.

"The property may already have been online for several months and buyers can start asking why it has not sold," she said.

But Andrew Boast, chief executive of SAM Conveyancing, said sellers might still not be losing out, if they had negotiated aggressively when buying the home and had seen it rise in value while they owned it.

In Scotland, the Home Report system requires an independent valuation of a home before it is put on the market.

Donnell, from Zoopla, said the system gave sellers a guide to pricing. As a result homes sold at a faster rate than anywhere else in Britain.

His data showed that 74% of homes in Scotland listed during April, May and June sold within three months, compared with 30% in London.

He said that higher prices, stamp duty and some people - including landlords - not needing to sell meant that listed homes were less likely to sell in southern England.

Graphics by BBC data journalist Tommy Lumby

EU tariffs aimed at China hitting Ukraine, steel boss says

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwdd8z6gyy96o, today

The boss of one of Ukraine's biggest steel companies has called on the European Union to drop import restrictions on products made from the country, arguing it has been "bundled together" in measures aimed a curbing cheap imports from the likes of China.

Yuriy Ryzhenkov, chief executive of Metinvest, told the BBC the recently-imposed tariffs on imported steel to the EU were "unfair" and had been put in place "without any consideration for the situation Ukraine is in".

He said he wished to see "at least a carve out" for Ukraine to access the EU market.

A spokesperson for the European Commission said the EU "took into account the difficult situation" of Ukraine when deciding its steel policy.

The trading bloc has recently imposed restrictions on steel imports in an effort to protect steel manufacturers of member nations.

It has capped the amount of steel which can enter the EU tax free at 18.3 million tonnes per year - a 47% reduction from 2024 levels.

There are some country-specific quotas in the policy, but the overall aim is to cut the amount of steel that can be imported due to member nations struggling to compete with cheap imports from the likes of China and Turkey.

Despite a free-trade agreement (FTA) being in place between the EU and Ukraine, the FTA does not stop the EU from introducing separate trade protection measures.

"Ukraine has been bundled together into those measures without any consideration for the situation Ukraine is in," Ryzhenkov said, pointing to the war with Russia.

"Access to the European market is crucial for survival," he added. "The restrictive measures that have been put in place by the authorities in the European Union, they don't help.

"I think it's unfair that Ukraine has been treated in the same way as all of the other importers into the European Union."

The Ukraine steel industry estimates steel exports to the EU could ultimately fall by about 50–60%.

The EU said Ukraine's specific steel quota guaranteed exports of the metal, but acknowledged this was at a "level lower than in the past years".

"Despite the war effort, Ukraine remains an important exporter of steel to the EU," a spokesperson said, adding it had "offered compensations" to its largest suppliers, which included Ukraine.

Steel products are a foundation in Ukraine's economy. Before the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, metallurgy and mining accounted for roughly 10% of Ukraine's national income and a third of its exports. The EU is its top customer.

But the industry has suffered from the continued Russian bombardment.

All of Ukraine's steel mills have been bombed at points since the conflict began in 2022, but Ryzhenkov said strikes had "intensified significantly recently".

At one point in September, there was "no single tonne of steel produced" in Ukraine for the first time in about 150 years, he added.

Almost 800 Metinvest workers have been killed since the war began.

Ryzhenkov said the company had "improved the covered areas" at its mills where workers can shelter during air raids.

"The only thing we can do is to design procedures to keep people safe and just obey those procedures and try to minimise the risks."

"Unfortunately, you cannot cover a whole steel mill to avoid it being damaged."

Ryzhenkov said he expected the coming winter to be "one of the hardest in our history".

"We are in a dire situation when we don't have logistics to access any other market apart from the EU and cutting our available market by 60%, that doesn't help for the industry to survive."

Don't fall for this - how to protect yourself from AI scams

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c60rl1xvjv89o, today

Be careful where you buy from, shoppers are being warned as criminals use AI to supercharge scams.

Some fraudsters have made websites for fake retailers that claim to be family-owned firms selling quality UK-made products. Images may show a UK High Street with Union Jack flags in shot.

If you order you're likely to find a product either never arrives, or is a cheap, mass-produced item from a country such as China, trading standards officers say.

AI-generated images like this, as well as voice cloning and deepfake videos are increasingly being used to trick people out of their money, according to National Trading Standards.

For the first time, it has drawn up an AI scam watchlist highlighting some of the tools and techniques criminals are using.

What are the tricks to look out for?

Tricks include:

* Cloned or new websites that look polished and professional in rapid time and at a low cost

* Romance scams in which AI is used to remember victims' personal details and keep conversations going over weeks or months

* AI-generated deepfake videos and voice-cloned audio is used to impersonate family members or close friends asking for money in an "emergency"

* Error-free, personalised phishing emails, text messages and social media posts can be generated by AI on a huge scale

How can I protect myself?

Some of the old scam-avoidance techniques may now be less successful due to the benefits of AI.

Typos or grammatical errors can no longer be relied on to spot scams, says consumer group Which?.

Some of the ways to protect yourself, according to trading standards, include:

* Never sending money, gift cards or personal or financial information to someone you have not met in person

* Doing your research - such as checking whether a shop's address is real, using the Financial Conduct Authority's Firm Checker, to ensure a company is authorised to give financial advice, and contacting a business directly to check whether a job advert is real

* Not assuming someone is genuine just because you've heard their voice or seen them on a video call

In general, they say stop and think before paying, sharing personal information or taking action. You should be especially wary of pressure or urgency because criminals want you to act before you have time to think.

Fraud and scams can be reported to Report Fraud or by calling on 0300 1232040, or you can call the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133 for advice.

Microsoft pulls out of UK's largest AI data centre

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9m26kl5y7epo, today

A tech company has said it still plans to build the UK's largest AI data centre despite Microsoft pulling out of the project.

Nscale announced last year it had pledged £2bn to build and open a pioneering facility in Loughton, Essex.

However, the BBC understands that Microsoft, which said it would fund a supercomputer at the site, has terminated its involvement.

A spokesperson for Nscale said it was exploring alternative power sources and its relationship with Microsoft remained strong for their other projects together overseas. Microsoft declined to comment.

"We remain committed to both the Loughton project and the UK and we are exploring alternative power sources for the site, in addition to other expansion sites in the UK," Nscale said.

"Our relationship with Microsoft remains strong and long-term."

The data centre was due to receive its power supply at the end of the year.

But as first reported by the Telegraph on Sunday, Nscale has been told this will not happen until the 2030s.

"This unfortunate London-wide grid issue has no impact on our other contracts," Nscale told the BBC.

Nscale and Microsoft are still working together on projects in Norway, Portugal and the United States.

The Loughton site is expected to create 250 permanent jobs when it eventually opens.

Only last month, Microsoft announced that some of the $30bn (£22bn) it was investing in the UK would be used to fund the Loughton supercomputer.

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As Christmas rush looms, how do China-made toys find their way to the US?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5djvyde0y1jo, 5 days ago

On the underside of most children's toys on sale in the US you'll find the same three words – "Made in China".

Nearly eight in 10 toys (78.3%) imported into the country in 2024 came from China, according to US government figures.

Last year, toys imported from China were worth $9.8bn (£7.4bn), trade figures show.

With Christmas on the horizon, the toy industry in the US and elsewhere is about to have its busiest time of the year by far.

As retailers prepare their stocks for the festive rush, be they online giants or "mom-and-pop" physical stores, the BBC World Service's Follow the Money series traces how a toy gets from a factory in China to the US. And where the money goes.

The factory

Guangdong province, which neighbours Hong Kong in southern China, is the heart of the country's toy manufacturing industry.

In the city of Dongguan workers on the floor of the Mihox factory pop plastic toys out of steel moulds, and pile them into crates ready for painting.

The company says it employs more than 800 people and makes around 55 million toys a year for the American market, which represents half of its business.

Every toy starts with a design from a customer, such as an American toy company. The factory then makes a prototype, and builds moulds from which plastic parts and other components are formed.

Going from the first idea to finished toy takes one to two years, says Melanie Wang from the Mihox sales team. Much of that is the customer going back to the drawing board. "They modified the design again, again, and again to improve it."

Once the design is signed off, things move more quickly. A mould takes about a month to make, and the production run lasts about three months.

So, how much of the US retail price does the factory get? "About 20%," says Wang.

On a $30 toy, that's $6, which has to cover the price of the plastic and other materials, production costs including wages, and what profit the factory makes.

Chinese factories typically make a profit of between 3% and 10%, according to Jay Foreman, chief executive of US toy firm Basic Fun. So for a $30 toy that's between 60 and 18 cents of the $6 the factory charges to make it.

Samson Ko is president of the Toys Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong. Many of his members moved their factories across the border into mainland China in the 1980s, attracted by cheaper land and labour.

He says the way toys are made has barely changed since then. "Automation now takes place mostly in the moulding and the packaging process. But for soft toys, or even some of the electronics nowadays, it's still very labour intensive."

And Chinese labour isn't cheap anymore, he adds, after recent rises.

Average pay in Vietnam is about half of that in China, said one report at the start of this year.

Yet fewer than 10% of Ko's members have moved any production outside China, and in those cases mostly only because customers asked them to do so.

The Chinese factories remain busy, he says, because a single toy can undergo more than one manufacturing process, from moulding the parts, to adding electronics, sewing materials, and final assembly. This often requires it travelling to different factories.

Ko adds that in Guangdong these separate facilities are located close to each other, and used to "working in harmony". He says this makes the whole manufacturing process run more smoothly than in other countries.

The ship

From the factory, the toy goes by truck to a port, such as Shenzhen, the biggest in Guangdong.

Ivy Tse is co-founder of FreightAmigo, a Hong Kong logistics company that runs an online platform for both Hong Kong and mainland China exporters. These businesses can book a cargo container, sea passage to an overseas destination, arrange insurance cover, and secure finance.

Tse says it takes about 15 days for a cargo ship to get from Shenzhen to the US west coast, and 25 to 30 days to the east coast. This year's Christmas toys left China in August and September.

Freight, from factory to the US, usually adds about 10% to the manufacturing cost of a toy, adds Tse. So if we stick to a toy that retails for $30 in the US, and therefore costs $6 to make in China, the cost of getting it to the states is 60 cents.

The US border

Once the toy reaches the US there is currently a tariff on Chinese toys that has to be paid to the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Following talks between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping last month, the two governments have recommended toys for lower tariffs. But no new rate or start date has been set, and the US must first hold a public consultation. For now the basic rate is 12.5%, and some toys pay more.

This is charged on the manufacturing price of the toy, not on how much it retails for. So for a $30 toy, that basic rate is 12.5% of $6, which is 75 cents.

This tariff is paid for by the American company that has imported the toys. One such firm is Learning Resources, a family business based near Chicago that sells educational toys. Half of these it imports from China.

"We pay 100% of the tariffs, let there be no doubt about that," says the company's chief executive Rick Woldenberg.

The US toy company

The cost of making the $30 toy, getting it to the US, and paying the import tariff, comes to $7.35. So that leaves $22.65, or 75.5% of the total.

That money never leaves the US, explains Foreman from Basic Fun. His firm, which is based in Florida, makes Tonka trucks and Care Bears cuddly toys.

"It's kept by my company, the [US] transportation company, the retailer," he says.

If we allow $2.65 for the US delivery firm, the toy company and the retailer will typically share the remaining revenues 50-50. So that would give them $10 each.

While profit margins are commercially sensitive and therefore not generally revealed, industry studies show that the toy firm and retailer would usually make a profit of up to 25% or $2.50.

Getting a toy onto the shelves in the US requires both a lot of work and a long journey.

The Sabrina Carpenter clip that helped a 22-year-old make £120,000 a year

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c84g12v3lk20o, 6 days ago

Eknoor Singh says he only needs his mobile phone and a decent internet connection to earn more than £120,000 a year.

The 22-year-old Londoner is a professional "clipper". He is paid by clients to make short, vertical videos for social media, in the hope of them going viral.

"The more views a clip gets, the more money I make," he says.

The way it typically works is that the client - who could be anyone from a clothing brand to a record label, movie studio, podcaster or influencer - has a longer video that the clipper watches first.

He or she then makes 30 to 60-second clips of what they consider to be the best bit or bits, and uploads them to Instagram, YouTube, TikTok or other platforms.

The idea is that the clippers, who are typically aged from 16 to 25, will have a better understanding of what will connect with that demographic, and get the short videos as many views as possible.

£10,000 a month

With clippers able to earn up to $3 (£2.30) per 1,000 views across platforms, it can be very lucrative if a particular clip does take off.

Singh says he got hooked on clipping last year when he made $300 from posting a short video of popstar Dua Lipa on Instagram.

"I was like, 'OK, this is a lot of money for simply posting a video.' I instantly knew how lucrative it could be."

Now he says he is earning "at least £10,000 a month".

He adds that he looks for clips that are funny, quick to watch and engaging, such as a short video he made in May last year of Sabrina Carpenter's reaction to having the tails of her dress stepped on at the Met Gala in New York. Singh did not reveal who the client was.

Many make nothing

For 24-year-old clipper Ethan Weems from Wichita, Kansas, it's a lucrative side hustle to his other video-making work. He says he makes "at least $1,000 a month" from clipping.

He does this by making short videos for YouTuber and podcaster Caleb Hammer, who is best known for hosting a show called Financial Audit, which analyses the personal finances of his guests.

Weems says clipping helps him make a living from home – giving him more time to spend with his wife and one-year-old son. "I don't want that typical nine-to-five job where I have to go into an office every day," he says.

Yet while some clippers can make good money, social media consultant Lia Haberman cautions that there are very few of them. "It mirrors the creator economy more broadly. The vast majority make little to nothing," she says.

Meanwhile, streaming industry analyst Devin Nash says it's easy to underestimate the time required to make clipping a success. He warns that successful clippers must "watch hours and hours of content, and they just live in that world".

Connecting clippers with their prospective clients are a number of intermediary websites, where available video jobs are listed.

These range from pages on general online forums such as Reddit and Discord, to dedicated clipping sites such as Clipping Culture, Vyro, Whop and Kick.

The latter websites take a fee from the companies wanting the work done. Clipping Culture lists clients including Capital Records, Universal Music Group and HBO Max.

For firms such as these, hiring a teenager or 20-something working from his or her bedroom is far cheaper than paying for traditional adverts on social media, and likely to be more effective in terms of getting eyeballs.

That's the experience of Boxabl, a Las Vegas-based firm that makes modular homes. "I think we've done probably a billion views [of clips] so far," says founder Galiano Tiramani, who features in many of the company's videos.

In the UK, Jimmy McLoughlin, a former Downing Street adviser and now host of the Jimmy's Jobs of the Future podcast, has also embraced clips.

"The clips are almost like trailers for the main events," he says. For instance, a recent podcast with Prime Minister Andy Burnham "had close to 50,000 long plays, but in terms of clips, it's done millions".

Evan Stanfield, the founder and boss of Clipping Culture, is himself just 21. He set up the business last year after dropping out of the University of Kansas.

Stanfield says that the website connects brands to more than 340,000 clippers from all over the world. He has a simple theory for the popularity of short videos: "People's attention spans are getting shorter and shorter."

He adds that making the clips is a young person's game because "they're most of the consumers of short-form videos".

Back in London, Eknoor Singh says he is "kind of clipping non-stop", wherever he is.

"I could be anywhere. I could go on holiday and make money."

Living with a stink? Technology might help

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr6240q1w136o, 4 days ago

Milpitas, an affluent city in California's Silicon Valley tech hub, has an odour problem.

For decades, residents have had to endure rank smells wafting from industrial sites, among them a 342-acre landfill.

"When I first moved here, I could not open my window for over 10 years," says Chia-Ling Kong, an engineer for a tech firm who lives around half a mile from the dump.

While things have got better in recent years, Kong says she and her neighbours must still contend with around "two or three hours of bad smells a day".

Perhaps befitting Silicon Valley, the community is putting its hopes in technology.

The operators of Newby Island landfill have been ordered by local authorities to use drones and install monitors to systematically track and measure the chemicals responsible for bad odours. They have also been told to automate the collection of landfill gases responsible for smells.

Kong is optimistic a data-driven approach will make a difference. "Hopefully with this continuous monitoring, it makes it easier to pinpoint problems at the moment it starts."

The operators of the landfill say they are committed to operating it safely and protecting air quality.

Just like in Milpitas, where Kong is part of a citizen's campaign against the odours, communities around the world are raising a stink about bad smells making day-to-day life miserable. Sometimes a rubbish dump is to blame, or it might be a sewage treatment works, or a reeking factory.

When the complaints start stacking up, resolving them is not always simple. Many countries have no regulations in place dictating how to manage smells.

In the US, for example, the Environmental Protection Agency does not regulate environmental odours as a pollutant. This leaves states and local governments to take charge of the issue.

Urban sprawl is often part of the problem, bringing communities closer to stinky facilities that may historically have been kept at a distance.

This is creating more demand for technologies to monitor and prevent smells. Odour consultant Micheal Bull says people are increasingly concerned about neighbourhood stinks.

"You're getting developments being built nearer to odorous processes… as land has become more valuable, there is also infilling," Bull says. He is speaking about his experiences in the UK, but it's a similar story in many parts of the world.

The technologies used to tackle industrial pongs generally fall into three categories: they absorb odours; convert them into something less smelly through a chemical reaction; or burn them away.

Experts on fixing industrial odours say that the best technologies, when used correctly, can remove 90% or more of the target compounds responsible for smells.

But this can be expensive and some operators opt for simpler and cheaper solutions. These include masking odours from landfill or sewage processing by spraying giant quantities of deodorisers.

Odour experts contacted for this article were dubious about the effectiveness of such industrial scale air fresheners. "In my view they're not likely to change the odours," says Bull, who likens them to fabric conditioner.

Bad smells from waste sites – a common cause of complaints – are among the stinkiest and most difficult to resolve, according to Carlos Diaz, an environmental consultant based in Spain. "Landfill is difficult to treat because you have a very large surface," he says.

In some places at least, technology is making a real difference. Residents in Des Moines, Iowa, have long complained of the so-called Eastside Funk, a putrid scent that residents report drifts over parts of the city.

A study commissioned by city authorities showed that a trio of industrial meat companies were among culprits.

"Within 10 miles, there's about half a million people," says Dalton Jacobus, who works in the Department of Neighborhood Services. "If the winds are out of the wrong direction, 100,000 people can be in the middle of that odour plume."

The authorities are now paying around $240,000 (£182,000) a year on technology to track the stink, so they can take action. "What we wanted to do was build a ring of odour monitors around the facilities that we suspected of emitting odours," says Jacobus.

The monitors, which measure levels of chemical compounds in the air, work in combination with a weather station to provide real-time data on the concentrations that are coming from each facility based off the wind patterns.

This has put an end to finger pointing about who's to blame each time a smell sparks complaints, says Jacobus. "Now we can say with reasonable certainty that 'this odour event did originate from your facility, what was going on'?"

Meanwhile, some of the sites that have been blamed for causing unpleasant smells in Des Moines have spent millions of dollars to upgrade their own odour control systems.

Smithfield Foods, which operates a meat processing in Des Moines, says it has invested $2m to install a regenerative thermal oxidiser that destroys the chemicals associated with bad smells. Even so, the company says it does not believe it is the source of odour complaints.

Before installing the monitors – which some local companies help pay for – officials in Des Moines would drive out to the source of a complaint to sniff the air.

Relying on the human nose to sniff out industrial smells is still commonplace. Claudia Barrios Obregón from Kunak, the company behind the monitors in Des Moines, says: "Right now, the way that cities control or measure odours is olfactometry: a human panel measures and gives an opinion of what the odour is like. But that's not that realistic."

The Spanish company's monitors are an example of so-called electronic noses that make it easier to detect smells.

Whatever technology is used, it can be hard to keep everyone happy, as smells are so subjective. "Unfortunately, the general rule is that the nastier we perceive the odour to be, the more sensitive towards it we are," says Johan Lundström, a professor in the science of smell at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.

Uber wins bid to throw out £340m black cab claims

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cv5ynp1j45x2o, today

Uber has won its bid to throw out claims worth about £340m brought by thousands of London black cab drivers and two former private hire firms.

The claimants alleged the ride-hailing company gave Transport for London (TfL) misleading information when it first got a licence to operate in the capital in 2012.

But a High Court judge ruled the cases had been brought too late and dismissed them without considering whether the allegations were true.

Uber, which denied the claims, said it was pleased the court had thrown them out at the earliest opportunity.

About 13,000 drivers were seeking nearly £200m in damages, Reuters reported, while a claim on behalf of Kabbie and Iride, two private hire firms that have since closed, sought about £140m.

The lawsuits were filed in 2024, and Uber argued they fell outside the six-year limit for bringing such claims.

In a written ruling, Mr Justice Birt said the claimants could have discovered the alleged deception before 2018.

RGL Management, which ran the cases for the claimants, said it was very disappointed and was considering its options with the legal team.

Since gaining its licence, Uber has taken much of the trade once dominated by black cabs.

The company faces a separate case next week, when it challenges HM Revenue and Customs in a tax dispute worth more than £1bn.

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What is the Budget and what could be in it?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6x2zrjl7kjno, today

Chancellor John Healey will set out Labour's tax and spending plans when he delivers his first Budget on 28 October.

He has refused to rule out tax increases after acknowledging government borrowing costs are at "historic highs".

But the government's room for manoeuvre on tax is limited.

Before the 2024 general election, Labour promised not to increase three big revenue earners for the government: income tax, National Insurance and VAT.

What is the Budget?

In his statement, delivered to MPs in the House of Commons, Healey will set out how the government plans to raise or lower taxes.

Alongside the Budget, the Treasury will publish details about the measures and their costs.

The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), which monitors government spending, will also publish an assessment of the health of the UK economy and a forecast of what it thinks will happen in the future.

What might be in the Budget?

The run-up to the Budget typically generates speculation about what might be in it, which the government is trying to keep to a minimum this year.

Healey and Prime Minister Andy Burnham face a difficult balancing act, trying to offer more support to households and meet commitments on defence spending, while also sticking to Labour's manifesto commitments on tax and the government's self-imposed fiscal rules.

The previous chancellor, Rachel Reeves, set out two main rules, which the new leadership has vowed to follow. These are:

* Not to borrow to fund day-to-day public spending by the end of this parliament

* To get government debt falling as a share of national income by the end of this parliament

In March, the OBR calculated that the first rule would be met with a gap - or headroom - of £23.6bn. However, this headroom is expected to have shrunk.

Analysts are divided on how much it may have fallen by. KPMG believe it could have fallen to £12bn, mainly due to the rise in government borrowing costs this year.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) also forecasts that debt interest will significantly reduce headroom. But it also suggests higher inflation could push up tax revenues as pay rises drag people into higher tax thresholds.

It estimates the buffer could still shrink but to a comparatively less severe £20bn.

One option that has been floated is that Healey could decide to accept a smaller buffer, reducing the need to increase taxes in the Budget.

Bank taxes

Bank bosses have told the BBC they expect Healey to raise taxes on the sector. UK banks have been reporting bumper profits, leading to calls from unions for higher taxes.

The Treasury has options: it could raise a 3% surcharge on profits which was lowered from 8% under the previous Conservative government, or it could raise the bank levy that is based on the size of their balance sheets.

Your First Home scheme

Further details on the Your First Home scheme, aimed at helping first-time buyers in England to purchase a property, are expected to be announced in the Budget.

The scheme will allow people to buy a new-build home with a deposit of 2.5%. It would provide them with a loan worth 20% of their property's value to help pay for the purchase.

Capital Gains Tax

There has been speculation that Capital Gains Tax (CGT) - which is imposed on the profit people make when they sell an asset that has increased in value - could be changed, through either higher rates or by removing or amending exemptions.

At the moment, if you pay income tax at the basic rate then CGT is charged at 18%. For higher and additional rate income tax payers, the CGT rate is 24%.

The FT has reported that Healey has rejected proposals to raise CGT to the same rates as income tax.

Tax on businesses

The Times has reported that online retail giants such as Amazon and eBay are expected to be made responsible for collecting tax owed by traders using their platforms.

The paper said the money raised is expected to be used by the government to cut business rates for High Street shops, by raising the threshold at which small companies start paying rates from £12,000 to £18,000.

The Telegraph has reported that the chancellor is considering levying income tax on business owners when they pass their company on to the next generation.

The paper says this would increase the tax bill as currently transfers can be arranged so they incur CGT, which is charged at a lower rate.

Fuel duty

Fuel duty was frozen under the Conservatives in March 2022 and Sir Keir Starmer's government continued the freeze, deciding in May to push back a planned 3p increase in September until the end of this year.

Healey told the BBC in late September that the time and place for dealing with rising petrol and diesel costs was the Budget, but would not give details on whether the freeze would be extended again.

Energy bills

Household energy bills are set to see their biggest rise in four years in January, with a typical annual bill forecast to jump by £276.

There has been speculation that Healey is planning energy bill help for households on certain benefits.

Mansion tax

The High Value Council Tax Surcharge - dubbed the mansion tax - was announced in last year's Budget and will apply to properties in England valued above £2m from April 2028.

There had been speculation that the government was considering extending it to properties worth more than £1.5m. However, reports now suggest Healey has ruled this out.

How is the economy doing?

In the first three months of the year, the UK's economy grew by 0.6%, while in the April-to-June quarter it grew by 0.5%.

The most recent data showed the economy grew by 0.1% in August after growth of 0.4% in July, with both figures being stronger than expected.

Analysts say the UK economy is proving resilient in the face of energy price shocks caused by the US-Israel war with Iran.

The conflict has led to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for oil and gas trade. This caused a sharp jump in oil prices, which has fed through to higher energy and fuel prices.

Economists expect UK growth to slow in the months ahead as those costs continue to weigh on households and businesses.

Prices for goods and services are still rising faster than wanted. Inflation hit 3.1% in the year to August, the highest rate in five months and above the Bank of England's 2% target, driven by higher petrol and diesel prices.

The Bank of England held interest rates at 3.75% for the sixth time in a row in September, but said they were likely to rise if high energy prices persist.

What time is the Budget and what happens afterwards?

The Budget speech usually starts at about 12:30 UK time - after Prime Minister's Questions - and lasts about an hour.

It will be broadcast live on the BBC iPlayer and on the BBC News website.

The Leader of the Opposition, Conservative MP Kemi Badenoch, will respond to the speech in the House of Commons.

MPs debate the measures for four days, before voting on them.

If approved by MPs, tax changes can come into effect immediately.

However, the government must pass a finance bill to make them permanent.

Faisal Islam: Why China and AI are worrying global finance bosses

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm4g189jvnxjo, 3 days ago

When it comes to the future direction of the global economy there is a bit of a tug of war going on.

There are starkly opposing forces. On the one hand holding back growth are the familiar, recurring crises from the energy shock, trade conflict and actual war. This is reflected most clearly in the sharply rising interest rate costs for the world's advanced economies.

Pulling in the other direction is the boost from massive spending on AI, and the frankly astonishing resilience shown especially by smaller economies, as new routes for trade, including for oil and gas, have been established out of necessity.

At the IMF meetings in Bangkok this week these themes came up again and again, including among those at the very top table. But not even they know which way things are going to go.

In the meantime it's a sportsman's bet where the roving eye of the bond markets will focus next. Currently they seem to be looking at the US and France.

However, the French finance minister, Roland Lescure, has been telling the world he has had no problem selling debt, though it was more expensive, and that his Budget would be fine. He also suggested he had helped save the G7 group of advanced nations, which was at risk of collapsing a year ago amid Donald Trump-inspired tensions.

In some ways it is a miracle there has not been a global recession, or a debt crisis in a major emerging economy. Indeed the Thai finance minister was boasting to me of how little his borrowing costs had gone up, especially in relation to the US.

Another surprise is the UK being taken off the bond markets' naughty step, and instead being named model pupil by the IMF. The IMF has taken the government's Budget plans at face value and on trust. The reality is that the rest of the G7 lack even this. And beauty is relative, especially when it comes to borrowing.

And this moment gave Chancellor John Healey the chance of a hearing, to highlight that the UK's actual growth data has continued to outperform expectations and so far in 2026 can now be described as strong. Healey told me that he saw the figures as the first sign that AI and tech investment was starting to increase UK economic growth. The bond financiers milling around the IMF meetings seem to be taking another look at the UK after years of crisis.

But there is a third big challenge to wrestle with, on top of geopolitical instability and bond market uncertainty, one that's apparent even on the streets of Bangkok, as the chauffeurs dropped off the bankers and finance ministers for this week's gathering.

Like other nations Thailand has experienced first hand the astonishing boom in sales of Chinese electric vehicles. Thailand is sometimes dubbed the "Detroit of Asia" for its own strong car making heritage. Now nearly a third of all car sales are Chinese EVs.

It is the clearest example of what is known as the China Shock Two. The sheer speed of China's dominance in advanced manufacturing. The first China shock came in the 2000s in basic manufacturing.

This second wave of dramatic change has led in just the last few months to a reappraisal of how world trade is functioning and how it is going to be managed. This is especially the case in the EU, which is scrambling to reassess what currently feels like a one-way street when it comes to China-Europe trade.

The extra "Made in Europe" protections that the bloc is drawing up will have a profound impact on the UK too. If the UK is outside the new rules, China could divert its excess car production to the UK, where, like Thailand, there are currently lower tariffs and even subsidies. Or the EU could invite Britain in, but ask it to follow its suit by raising tariffs to match its own.

Then there is the sub-plot of the UK's relationship with the European Union. This was a theme that cut through more than might have been expected in Bangkok this week and even seemed to provide a little entertainment. The managing director of the IMF Kristalina Georgieva rolled with laughter, suggesting the Brexit "divorcees are now dating again". The Finnish finance minister told me the UK was "flirting" with the EU. Major banks were issuing reports about the prospect of "Breturn".

It is, however, the AI boom that is being relied on to provide the trampoline that is required to bounce the world economy out of its current era of multiple simultaneous crises, so many of which are linked to the decisions of President Trump.

But even that is not clear cut. In one room the transformative economic effect of AI is lionised by finance ministers. In the next, central bankers fret about its power to break the cybersecurity of most of the banking system. The financial boom around it can't last. The masters of the financial universe are just thankful that it has so far.

Banks expect to be hit with higher taxes in Budget

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c32l4k2xdvrzo, 3 days ago

Chancellor John Healey is planning to increase taxes on the bank sector, senior banking executives have told the BBC.

Healey has described banks as part of "the crown jewels" of the UK economy, but leaders in the sector have said it will be "on the menu" at the Budget in two weeks' time.

The biggest four banks collectively made about £15bn profit in the first six months of this year, and trade unions have called for them to face additional taxes.

The trade body for the banking sector, UK Finance, warned "further increases in bank taxes would weaken competitiveness, discourage investment and job creation, and work against the government's ambition to deliver growth in every postcode".

Shares in banks including Lloyds and NatWest fell on Friday on expectations that the sector would be hit by tax hikes. The firms were among the biggest fallers on the UK stock market, with both dropping more than 2%.

Barclays fell only slightly and HSBC actually rose as both have large international businesses and would be less affected by a hike in UK taxes.

There are a number of ways the chancellor could extract more money from the sector.

One option is for Healey is to reverse a reduction in the surcharge that banks pay on corporation tax, from 8% to 3%, introduced in 2023, by Conservative chancellor Jeremy Hunt.

Critics argue this would be unfair noting the cut coincided with a rise in corporation tax from 19% to 25%.

Healey could also raise the bank levy - a small percentage charged on loans.

The BBC understands that the Treasury is leaning towards changing the surcharge if they were to go ahead as it is easier to change an existing tax rather than impose a new windfall tax.

Reversing the 2023 surcharge rate would raise around £2bn. However, the last government was persuaded that adding 8% on top of corporation tax of 25% would leave UK banks struggling to compete with European and US rivals - so it may be that it is raised, but not all the way back to the 8% level.

Speaking to the press in Bangkok, Healey praised the role banks play in the British economy.

Adding that he has "decisions to take in the Budget", he said: "My observation on the banks is that people too often see them as big, distant financial institutions, when they are hardwired into the economic fabric of this country and our future ⁠prospects."

In the past banks have successfully argued that higher taxes would risk making the UK uncompetitive with other jurisdictions and would reduce their ability to lend, and therefore be anti-growth.

Sir Philip Augar, an author and former banker in the City of London, told the BBC's Today programme there was "room for a moderate increase" in taxes on the sector that could raise up to £3bn a year.

He said lenders were enjoying "booming conditions", benefiting from higher interest rates which boost their profits.

Rising interest rates have expanded the margin between the rate at which banks lend to customers and the rate they pay savers.

Sir Philip added that when the banking sector "hits really rocky times it expects the taxpayer to bail them out - when it hits boom times, it expects some kind of special treatment".

He said banks cannot simultaneously be "too big to fail and too big to tax".

Paul Nowak, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, which represents trade unions, said Britain's four biggest banks are making a billion pounds a week, with bonuses at post-financial crash records. "These are bumper profits - driven by high interest rates and households' mortgage misery," he said.

"Now it's time to make sure banks pay their fair share," he added.

"But if the chancellor does ask the Banks to pay a fairer share of tax in the Budget, that's 100% the right call," he added.

Banks were pleased to have avoided being targeted at the last Budget, given the large profits they have made in recent years.

There is another option that has been discussed with Treasury officials. Currently banks can use losses from the past to offset against profits - thereby reducing their tax bill in any given year. Lloyds in particular has been a beneficiary of this policy, as large losses from the financial crisis have been used to lower tax bills ever since.

Some analysts and bank executives have pushed the idea of a moratorium on this practice for a few years, which would yield an estimated extra £1bn per year for the Treasury. That would provide a windfall while being "a lot more bearable", in the words of one bank executive.

It would also spare foreign banks from an additional hit, including JP Morgan, whose chief executive Jamie Dimon has warned that the UK already has one of the highest tax burdens on banks in the world. He warned that adding further sector-specific taxes could discourage investment and damage competitiveness.

However, industry leaders say any form of tax rise that hits UK banks and exempts foreign banks' operations in the UK would be hard to square with the government's push to back British business.

A Treasury spokesperson said: "As has always been the case, decisions on tax are a matter for the chancellor to set out at fiscal events, rather than routinely commenting on rumour, speculation or proposals."

I find it quite demoralising in store - why I do all my shopping online

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c36lk280kd1o, 4 days ago

Jess Bacon does all her clothes shopping online.

As a plus-size woman, she finds the size ranges available in stores unreliable. "The sizing in store is notoriously bad. I find it quite demoralising in store," she says.

"The average size woman in the UK is a size 14 or a size 16. I think a lot of people just don't feel seen or represented," says the 29-year-old from Peterborough.

Jess, a culture journalist and author, finds shopping online "much quicker than going into a store, paying for parking, trying things on".

And she feels posting back items that don't fit is less hassle than returning in store, while frequent visits to her local post office give her "more of a community connection".

Jess notes Primark is one of the few High Street retailers where plus-size people can shop. In her experience, Primark stores usually stock up to a size 22.

But soon she'll have the option of staying home even for this - as, after years of holding out, Primark now plans to launch a home delivery service in Britain.

Even throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, when shops were closed, Primark didn't offer the ability to shop online. In 2022 it launched a click-and-collect service, but shoppers still had to travel for their purchases.

The retailer has not said when it expects to launch the service, but has bought a warehouse in Sheffield to enable it to ship products to homes.

Analysts say the decision shows Primark is facing major challenges from ultra-fast-fashion brands such as Shein.

Online shopping had been on the rise even before the surge seen during the pandemic.

Online accounted for 27.3% of all retail sales in August this year, according to the Office for National Statistics, up from 18.1% in August 2019.

Internet shopping has also been boosted by the decline of the High Street in many parts of the country, something which Jess has noticed in Peterborough. "We don't have John Lewis [anymore]. There's kind of not that much of a reason to go into town."

'I basically never go into clothes shops'

Like Jess, Julia Mitchell, who lives near Chichester, doesn't enjoy in-person clothes shopping. She finds it overstimulating and thinks there are better bargains to be had online.

"I basically never go into them [clothes shops]. It's not really something I enjoy," the 32-year-old says.

"I guess some people might be able to see stuff and pick it up and look at it, but for me, being able to get the best price is more important."

Julia, a content creator, tries to shop ethically and most of her purchases are second hand from Vinted.

The one thing she never shops online for, though, is books. "The thing about bookshops is that they are cultural spaces and community spaces."

Sandra Davies does all her shopping online. She has had three strokes and finds walking to and around stores too much physically.

"I've tried it on two occasions but on both times, standing in a queue for over 10 minutes was too much for me and I collapsed."

The 61-year-old from Sheffield says waiting for deliveries can be taxing as well, as she worries about missing the postie and having to reschedule.

Returns policy can 'make or break'

Julie Palmer, a retail analyst, is not surprised that Primark has finally moved into home deliveries as it has evidently recognised that "online sales bring scale".

However, she says a shop's returns policy for online purchases can "make or break" it. Many brands offer hassle-free returns, which Palmer says Primark must match in order to compete.

"Shoppers want them to be free, simple and quick. That means a generous window, lots of drop-off options and refunds that land within days, not weeks.

"When a policy is clunky or slow, customers remember it and shop elsewhere next time."

But returns are expensive for retailers. Some, like Asos, have started charging a fee if customers make frequent returns.

This is a balancing act, Palmer says, "because a fee can easily push a customer to a competitor".

"Most retailers that charge still offer free returns in store, which is a deliberate way to get people through the door and hopefully spending again."

Nandy 'minded to intervene' in Sky's £1.6bn takeover of ITV entertainment arm

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm79pe5yej7no, 4 days ago

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has said she is "minded to intervene" in the proposed £1.6bn deal for Sky to buy ITV's media and entertainment division.

Nandy said there were reasonable grounds to believe the deal could affect free expression in the media and the variety of Britain's news landscape.

Sky said it would "carefully consider" a letter from the culture secretary and "engage constructively" with the review into the deal.

"We remain confident that bringing Sky and ITV's media and entertainment business together will create a stronger British media," it said.

ITV welcomed the letter and said the deal would help it "compete with global streaming platforms, benefiting viewers, advertisers and the UK creative industries".

The two companies announced in July that Sky had agreed to buy ITV's broadcasting business, including its free-to-air TV channels and the ITV X streaming service.

The deal does not include ITV's production arm, ITV Studios, which makes popular programmes such as Love Island and I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here.

It would give Sky access to millions more viewers, while bosses hope it would help both compete with streaming giants such as Netflix.

But Nandy has told Sky and ITV that she is considering issuing a public interest intervention notice (PIIN) to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and regulator Ofcom, forcing an investigation into the tie-up.

In a letter to both companies, she said she was minded to order the probe to address public interest considerations including:

* The need for free expression of opinion in news media

* The need for a range of views in news media across the UK

* The need for a range of people controlling the media across the UK

* The need for a wide range of programmes to be offered across the UK

The letter said Nandy recognised Sky News and ITV News were two of the most prominent sources of television news in the UK, with a joint 26% share of those viewing news on linear TV.

Consumers would still have access to other sources of news such as the BBC and Channel 4, it added.

But Nandy believes that, over time, the tie-up could undermine the range of views available to viewers, with 86% of the linear TV news market controlled by the BBC and Sky/ITV.

The North of England could be particularly hard hit as well as nations of the UK other than England and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, the letter argued.

This is because their main source of news is broadcast news, it added.

Sky and ITV have been given until 20 October to respond to the culture secretary's concerns.

A Sky spokesperson said: "We have already made clear commitments to protect ITV's identity, its free-to-air services and public service broadcasting obligations, and to ensure ITV News and Sky News remain distinct editorial voices."

An ITV spokesperson said: "We welcome the publication of the secretary of state's 'minded to' issue a public interest intervention notice letter as was expected and look forward to fully co-operating in the process.

"This is another important milestone in the regulatory review process towards creating a UK player with the scale and resources to better compete with global streaming platforms, benefiting viewers, advertisers and the UK creative industries."

Nandy's intervention would be made under a new public interest consideration.

This would need legislation to be brought forward, given that current laws do not cover the effect of a merger on streaming or on-demand programmes.

She said: "If I decide to intervene on the basis of this new public interest consideration, I will bring forward legislation... to extend the application of the public interest consideration relating to the availability of a wide range of broadcasting to on-demand programmes."

AI giant Anthropic woos potential investors ahead of stock market debut

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqzjx448vxkgo, 4 days ago

Artificial intelligence (AI) giant Anthropic has been drumming up support for its expected stock market listing as it seeks to reassure investors of its profit-making potential.

Anthropic revenue surged by 45% to $16.8bn (£12.7bn) in the three months to the end of September, the BBC understands.

In common with other AI firms, it is seeking to position itself as being able to generate huge profits despite spending billions on tech.

It also emphasised safety at its event after warnings by current and former researchers of serious and even existential risks to humanity posed by AI.

Anthropic's revenue has risen in successive quarters this year, from $4.7bn in the first three months to $11.6bn the following period.

The company also told investors during the event at its headquarters in San Francisco that it had made a third quarter profit on an adjusted basis, an accounting method which ignores non-recurring costs.

Investors reportedly left the Anthropic investor event optimistic about the company's rapid revenue growth and path to profitability.

Alongside concerns about profit generation, there have also been fears about the safety of AI models.

Anthropic has been vocal about AI's risks, with its chief executive Dario Amodei calling on the pace of development to slow down.

In September one of its researchers warned of a greater than 10% chance that AI could "kill all humans" within the next decade, and a former researcher said people working on the technology were "genuinely frightened" about the speed of its advancements and what it could mean for humanity.

The firm itself said in September it had identified and disrupted attempts to use its AI model for "malicious activity" which could support the development of biological weapons.

However, US President Donald Trump has said researchers have been "bringing up things that won't happen" and that in a race between the US and China to develop the technology, "whoever wins AI, wins".

Rival tech firm OpenAI has also warned about safety, with its chief executive Sam Altman saying in September that his company will not go public this year as it addresses concerns.

The ChatGPT-developer is also eyeing a bumper stock market listing, which is expected to value the firm at more than $1tn.

Market sentiment

Anthropic's revenue figures, along with those of rival OpenAI, are an important gauge of the AI industry's growth and ability to finance the infrastructure needed to develop the technology.

Stocks in some US technology companies dropped on Wednesday over concerns around investments in AI.

Shares in chip makers - including AMD, Nvidia and Intel - fell sharply.

In Asia, shares in Japanese tech investment firm Softbank were down by more than 9% on Thursday. South Korean semiconductor giants also dropped, with Samsung falling by 9.5% and SK Hynix 11% lower.

Shares have been falling this week after remarks by Hock Tan, the chief executive of US tech manufacturer Broadcom, over AI spending.

Tan said at a conference in Singapore on Monday that many investors have "no clue" and have set "extreme expectations only to find out that it's almost like they are in a casino".

The falls deepened after US inflation data released on Wednesday showed price rises accelerated by more than expected in September.

Investors are concerned that higher inflation will mean the US Federal Reserve is more likely to put up the cost of borrowing.

'As famous and defiant as ever': Why Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes remains the US's most fascinating fraudster

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20261014-why-fraudster-elizabeth-holmes-still-fascinates, 4 days ago

Once a symbol of tech's promise, Holmes was brought down by her false claims about a blood-testing device. Now gripping new film You Can See Everything explores her baffling character.

Nathan Fielder did not set out to make a documentary about Elizabeth Holmes. As he explained on stage after the premiere of You Can See Everything at the New York Film Festival two weeks ago, at first he was just curious to meet her. He was far from alone in wondering about a woman who has captivated public attention, for better and then for worse, for more than a decade.

Warning: This article contains mild spoilers for You Can See Everything

In 2014 Holmes was heralded as a self-made billionaire and founder of Theranos, a health technology company that claimed to have an invented a device that could diagnose illnesses with a single pinprick of blood. She had cultivated a striking image, encapsulated in her appearance on the cover of Fortune magazine: a disconcerting wide-eyed stare, bright red lips and a Steve Jobs-style black turtleneck. But she became an even more fascinating figure after her spectacular fall, when it turned out the device wasn't working and sometimes gave false results. Convicted of defrauding investors, she went to federal prison in May 2023.

Holmes's continuing fame has been perfectly in sync with the times: once a glamorous symbol of tech's promise in the heady days of Silicon Valley, she is an avatar of danger and overreach today, when scepticism about big tech is rampant. Beyond that, the fact that her company dealt with people's health added a visceral charge to its failures.

In 2019 a Guardian article succinctly captured a few other reasons behind the public's apparently endless interest in her, calling Holmes's story "a true crime saga with a dash of Fyre Fest-schadenfreude and the added bonus of an icy blonde with a mysteriously deep voice". Her case has already fuelled The Inventor, a trenchant documentary by Alex Gibney, as well as a popular podcast, The Dropout, and a dramatic series of the same name, which earned Amanda Seyfried an Emmy for her vivid portrayal of Holmes.

Now there is You Can See Everything – a wild, ironically titled, often comic hall-of-mirrors, which is one of buzziest films of recent times. Standby lines for the New York premiere went around the block. Festival screenings were followed by critical praise that used words like "masterpiece", and there has been speculation the film could land an Oscar nomination for best picture – the first time ever for a documentary.

The new documentary's genesis

Fielder and his co-director, Lance Oppenheim, followed Holmes, her partner, Billy Evans, and their two small children in the weeks just before she reported to prison. Her decision to give them such access seems part of a strenuous attempt to declare her innocence and reform her image. Shortly before going to prison she gave a long interview to the New York Times, resulting in an article widely criticised for being too willing to buy into her reformed, softened image as a "devoted mother" who volunteers at a rape crisis centre. Around the same time, Oppenheim heard that Holmes had reached out to film companies and had talked to A24, he told the New York audience, and he and Fielder met with the company and then with her.

Even Fielder was surprised she agreed. "I wouldn't think I'd be the person you'd want," he said at the premiere. He is known for a unique brand of acerbic, quasi-real television series: in Nathan For You, he set up a variety of fake businesses while The Rehearsal is centred around the extreme lengths he goes to stage events from ordinary people's lives.

Oppenheim is just as unlikely, a sharp documentarian and recently the director of the feature Primetime, with Robert Pattinson as a predator-chasing television host. But Holmes and Evans gave them fly-on-the wall access right up to the day she left for prison. In one of their many blunt conversations, Fielder asks Holmes why she chose him. She doesn't have much of an answer, but does say she had hardly seen any of his work.

How Holmes comes across on camera

Fielder said that when he first met Holmes, she seemed genuine, and he had to remind himself that she is a convicted fraudster. You Can See Everything is galvanising as it puts viewers in just that position. It lets her tell her own story, with an up-to-date image. The harsh lipstick and polished look are replaced by scenes of her barefoot and rocking her baby while talking to Fielder, who appears on camera throughout.

But the eerily unblinking stare remains as she says she did not ever lie, that her medical device worked, and that she has been unfairly vilified. She tears up when talking about how wrong people are about her. Her account is undercut by reaction shots as Fielder's face expresses baffled scepticism, silent responses that land as extremely funny. The premiere audience was full of laughter. "You've never lied?" he asks incredulously. She says she hasn't.

The most remarkable part of You Can See Everything comes halfway through, with a turn that transforms it from a mind-swirling encounter with Holmes into something meta and much more thoughtful. With Holmes in prison, Fielder brings in an another person. (That much is not spoiler-y, although many details are.) That person, in conversations with Fielder, adds a bracing new perspective.

Throughout, Fielder has played the sceptical interviewer, a performance on its own. But here a new voice raises commonsensical questions the audience might. They wonder if Holmes's insistence that she did nothing wrong could be remotely genuine, or if it's a ruse, and asks Fielder if he might be a bit in thrall to her himself. The film doesn't draw conclusions, but it posits two possibilities. Holmes could be "the most manipulative person who ever lived," Fielder says. Or, someone else suggests, she could just be delusional.

What's next for her – and the unanswered questions

Holmes is as famous and defiant as ever. She is scheduled to be transferred to a halfway house next year – a move major news organisations reported on as if tracking a Hollywood celebrity – and to be released from prison in 2030. Her active X account includes a pinned post that reads, "I am fighting to prove my innocence and come home to my babies and the love of my life".

More like this:

• Why La Bola Negra could win the Oscars' top prize

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• 12 of the best films to watch this October

But as much as she seems to want resolution, the questions swirling around her, along with her jaw-dropping answers, are just what keep the public hooked. Part of the enthusiastic response to You Can See Everything comes from the bold, engaging way it toys with the documentary genre, creating a raucously entertaining film with a serious subtext about truth and image-making.

But some of the response speaks to the continued intrigue surrounding Holmes herself. "I am still struggling to this day to understand what I went through," Fielder said at the premiere. Oppenheim said that being with Holmes created "cognitive dissonance" every day that they filmed, as even the co-directors and crew had different interpretations of her character. The film offers the unfathomable spectacle of a convicted criminal blithely insisting the crimes never happened. It's a defiance of fact which once more puts Holmes, however inadvertently, in sync with the zeitgeist.

You Can See Everything is released in US cinemas on 16 October and UK cinemas on 20 November.

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Netflix to shed 1,000 jobs in steepest cuts since 2022

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6zxj0gzk4x4o, 5 days ago

Netflix has said it will cut 1,000 jobs globally as the streaming giant faces competition from rivals.

The cuts - the steepest since 2022 - will mainly affect its human resources, legal, product and technology teams and equates to around 6% of its total workforce.

Last month, Netflix 's co-chief executive, Ted Sarandos, told the Bloomberg Screentime summit that the company was "not growing as fast as I want us to".

The streaming industry is going through a period of consolidation following Paramount's $110bn (£83.6bn) merger with Warner Bros, the owner of HBO, while free platforms such as YouTube and TikTok continue to attract viewers.

In an email to staff, Sarandos and co-chief executive Greg Peters said Netflix would "continue to invest aggressively in high-impact areas to improve our service and further drive growth and innovation".

Netflix had come close to its own deal with Warner Bros but was outbid in the end by Paramount.

Commenting on the "organisational changes", Sarandos and Peters said: "Our mission - to entertain the world - is ambitious, and delivering on it requires us to be disciplined about where we prioritise our people and resources."

Managers will tell employees whether their job has been cut "soon".

The email added that the firm was on track to meet its financial forecasts. The streaming service is due to report its latest results on 20 October.

Investors have been weighing up user engagement - the amount of time customers spend on Netflix - as it competes with platforms such as YouTube and TikTok.

The firm has continued to commission shows - its most popular at the moment is "Below", an underwater mystery series.

It has also been attempting to expand its business, including gaming and allowing adverts to play before and during shows and films.

However, "they haven't been able to find another line of major revenue," said Ross Benes, senior analyst at eMarketer.

He added that the company remains reliant on a subscription business that could be approaching a plateau.

"Eventually, because they're nearing a ceiling with that, they'll need another revenue stream to diversify, and that's where it's been more of a struggle," he said.

The last major redundancy round at Netflix was in 2022, when it cut about 450 jobs after losing subscribers for the first time in more than a decade.

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US inflation rises more than expected - here's what is happening with prices

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy8lx3pg4k2o, 5 days ago

US inflation rose by more than expected in the year to September, according to official figures, in the final data release before the midterm elections next month.

The pace of price rises increased to 3.7%, up from 3.4% in the 12 months to August.

Inflation was above forecasts, driven by higher petrol prices, which have risen following disruption to Middle East energy supplies due to the US-Israel conflict with Iran.

The elections are being fought over cost-of-living pressures across the US.

What is inflation?

Inflation is the rate at which the price of products or services increases over time.

For example, if a bottle of milk costs $1 but rises to $1.10 a year later, then annual inflation for bottled milk is 10%.

Officials from the Bureau of Labor Statistics measure inflation through the consumer price index (CPI).

It tracks the price changes of hundreds of day-to-day items including fresh food, gasoline and medical services to work out the overall level of inflation in the US economy.

The bureau updates this so-called basket of goods over time as peoples' spending and lifestyle habits change.

What causes inflation?

There are several factors that can cause inflation to rise.

If demand for a product outstrips its supply, that can lead to producers raising prices - the craze for Labubu dolls in recent years and the high resale prices are an example.

Higher incomes can also lead to higher demand, for example, which in turn pushes up prices.

Supply can also affect inflation. If supply of a product is reduced, but demand remains constant, that can cause prices to rise. A good example of this is crude oil, which is used to make gasoline and diesel.

Before the US-Israel war with Iran began, it was trading at just over $70 a barrel, but when the conflict constricted crude supplies, the price quickly rose and is currently over $100.

What is the current rate of inflation?

Inflation has risen to 3.7% in the year to September, which is a higher-than-expected increase fuelled by petrol prices.

Vehicle fuel prices jumped by 34.2% over 12 months.

In September alone, they jumped by 9.1%, accounting for more than half of the increase in inflation, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Overall, energy inflation was up by 20.4% over the year as prices for fuel oil, energy services and electricity climbed. Fuel oil, used in home heating, was up 74.2% over the year.

Experts said the US Federal Reserve - which sets the country's interest rate - will be closely watching to see if energy costs begin to affect other areas of the economy, such as food prices, and drive inflation higher.

At the moment, food inflation remains subdued. It was flat over the month of September, and was 2.5% across the year.

Core inflation, which strips out food and energy prices, was 2.6%.

Will the inflation hike change Social Security payments?

Shortly after the latest inflation figure was released, the Social Security Administration announced that Social Security benefits including old age, survivors and disability insurance would rise by a similar amount - 3.6% - in 2027.

The administration said that the 3.6% rise will mean an average retirement benefit increase of $75 a month.

The cost-of-living adjustment will take effect in January for about 72 million people, while increased payments for the 7.2m receiving the supplemental security income will start on 31 December.

How have tariffs affected inflation?

Since coming into office for the second time, President Donald Trump has introduced tariffs on most US trading partners around the world.

While most of the additional global levies were outlawed by the Supreme Court in February, the president immediately announced a new 10% global tariff to replace them.

Trump argued the tariffs would increase America's tax earnings, boost manufacturing and encourage people to buy US-made goods, but the higher import taxes have also had an impact on inflation, according to research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Higher tariffs - which are levies that businesses pay on the goods they import - directly raise prices for US companies unless the overseas firms they are buying from lower prices to absorb some of the cost.

In response to the new tariffs, the New York Fed found exporters reduced prices very little, meaning US-based businesses ended up absorbing nearly 90% of the cost of the added tax.

Indirectly, higher tariffs also affected the prices of locally made goods, as many US producers rely on parts or materials from overseas.

Overall, the Fed found that every percentage point increase in average tariffs led to nearly a 0.25% price increase for consumer goods after one year.

Has inflation been worse lately?

While inflation is currently above where the US Federal Reserve would like - it has a target of 2% - it has been much higher in previous years.

During the Covid pandemic, issues such as supply chain disruption started pushing inflation up.

Additionally, in early 2022 when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, oil prices surged over $100 a barrel.

Both of these factors helped to drive inflation to a peak of about 9%.

Can inflation ever go down?

It's important to note that if inflation is rising at a slower rate, that does not mean prices are going down - it simply means prices are rising at a slower pace.

A bit of inflation is considered good for an economy as the Federal Reserve's target rate illustrates.

Many central banks consider inflation of about 2% or a little higher to be stable, and at a level that doesn't impact people's purchasing decisions.

Much below that, people can delay spending if they expect price rises to slow further, or to fall. That can lead to businesses reducing wages, or reducing the number of workers to cope with lower demand.

Wayfair among firms fined millions for misleading sales tactics

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqx298e5rr3po, 5 days ago

Wayfair is among three firms which have been fined £6m in total by the competition watchdog for illegally using misleading sales tactics – with some customers set to receive refunds.

The online furniture retailer was fined £4.8m for misleading customers with time-limited offers, while online electronics seller Appliances Direct was fined £1.2m for the same practice, the Competition Markets Authority (CMA) said.

Meanwhile, Gold's Gym has been fined £45,000 for not telling customers the total price of its memberships.

It and Appliances Direct have been ordered to refund customers a total of £440,000. Wayfair and Appliances Direct said the CMA's fines were disproportionate.

Gold's Gym has been contacted for comment.

Thousands of Appliances Direct customers will receive refunds of £25 each on average while 726 Gold's Gym customers will get refunds of up to £50, according to the CMA.

The watchdog said customers do not need to take any action and both companies will contact those affected customers about refunds.

Appliances Direct has been told to pay refunds by 11 March, while Gold's Gym has been given a deadline of 29 March.

The CMA said Wayfair, Appliances Direct, and Gold's Gym had "engaged constructively" with its investigation. They all admitted to breaking the law and agreed to settle the case early, it added.

The watchdog said their co-operation reduced the firms' fines by 40%.

The CMA's fines are the result of an investigation it launched last November into online pricing.

A Wayfair spokeswoman said the penalty was "excessive" but that "we take the CMA's findings seriously and we chose to settle so we can continue to focus on serving our customers".

Nick Glynne, chief executive of Buy it Direct, which owns Appliances Direct and several other online retailers, accepted that its practices were wrong, but said the firm should have simply been given "a rap on the knuckles" instead.

Glynne said the CMA's process for calculating the fine was a "black box" and that it only settled because appealing was too expensive, accusing the watchdog of pressure tactics.

"When one body is investigator, prosecutor, judge and jury, it needs an exceptional commitment to fairness, restraint and proportionality. That is not what we experienced," he added.

Hayley Fletcher, senior director for consumer protection at the CMA, said: "At a time when many households are carefully managing their budgets, people shouldn't lose out because of misleading sales tactics.

"Businesses must treat their customers fairly and make sure they comply with the law - or risk hefty fines."

Sue Davies, head of consumer rights policy at Which?, praised the CMA's response.

"The refunds secured by the CMA are a much-needed win for consumers at a time when household budgets are under strain," she said.

The CMA's investigation found that the three companies had misled customers in different ways.

Wayfair had advertised products as if they would disappear the next day, through phrases like "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" and countdown timers.

However, the CMA said many products remained available at the same price or lower after the stated deadline, meaning the time-limited offer was false.

Meanwhile, the regulator said Appliances Direct had automatically opted customers into services such as recycling old machines.

Gold's Gym was fined for failing to include joining fees in the total price of gym memberships or not making its total price clear to customers, the CMA said.

Faisal Islam: What surprise praise for UK economy tells us about the Budget

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx30eq0vyed4o, 5 days ago

"Get your fiscal health in order," is a key message at the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) annual meeting here in Thailand.

The IMF is worried about the debts of the world's biggest economies. It is doing its job as a watchdog, looking for and warning about financial vulnerabilities.

In the meantime, the finance ministers of former crisis countries are boasting about how little their borrowing costs have gone up, compared to the world's biggest economies, such as the US.

On three occasions in the past 24 hours, top IMF officials have praised the UK's plans to reduce its annual levels of borrowing, bucking the trend of the rest of the G7 group of countries, which includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US.

The IMF clearly seeing the UK in a different light to these major economies is very interesting.

"The UK is actually one country where action to reduce debt and deficit has been taken decisively and we see the UK in that sense enjoying a bit of a better growth prospect," managing director Kristalina Georgieva said earlier.

Her comments followed those of the IMF's chief economist Silvana Tenreyro who told me that UK borrowing reductions "stand out".

The IMF's twice-yearly assessment of global countries' economic prospects showed only the UK among the G7 having a serious plan for consolidation of its annual borrowing over the next few years, worth nearly 4% of the size of the economy. The US, Germany and Japan are increasing borrowing. Canada and Italy are keeping borrowing at the same level.

It appears the UK is now the IMF's model pupil - at the top of the G7 table for reducing deficits.

Leaning into austerity

This matters because for the past half decade the UK has been on the bond market naughty step, often having the highest borrowing rates among the G7 since the Liz Truss mini budget, as political and economic crises afflicted different governments.

While this is good news for the chancellor and the Treasury, it also points to the sort of Budget we will get in a fortnight's time. To keep its plans to reduce debt on track, John Healey is likely to have limited room for extra spending. He will want to marry this with limited tax rises. There could be a modest decrease in the margin for error around meeting debt rules - so-called headroom. If so that will be tied to providing a cushion against an expected rise in energy prices due to the ongoing Middle East conflict and the impact on the cost of living overall - the so called global inflation shock.

This is likely to mean disappointment for many public services expecting cash injections to account for rising inflation, as suggested this week by think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies. It will mean tough public sector pay discussions.

It won't be "austerity" but the chancellor is likely to lean into the IMF framing of a government with austere plans, relative to other advanced countries. The initial prize is to avoid the direct gaze of the bond markets, whose full glare is on others, such as France now. The bigger prize could be lower relative borrowing costs for government and households.

Ultimately forecasts mean nothing without the underpinning of solid plans. Those plans will be here for everyone to judge soon enough.

'I applied for 200 jobs' - How 'spray and pray' AI job applications can backfire

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c623dnkn8pkyo, 5 days ago

Would you use AI to help you write a CV or cover letter? How about during an online assessment or video interview for a job?

We are increasingly using the technology to help us with job applications, graduates and recruiters say, with many employers happy for us to do so within reason.

But when does it cross a line from being acceptable to unethical, or even cheating?

Tom, 22, from Maidstone graduated last year with a geography degree and says he applied for over 200 jobs before finally landing a role last month as a restaurant manager.

He says the process was "exhausting" and "demoralising", with employers often not even getting back to him, and he wouldn't have got through it without some help from AI.

"Employers want you to put your absolute best into the application, but if I'm applying for 10 to 20 jobs in a day, the reality is you can't do that."

While Tom says he never used the technology in an assessment or interview, he did use it to help him with cover letters and CVs or to find the right "buzz words" that early stage screening in a recruitment process will pick up on.

He also thinks it's "hypocritical" for companies to ask candidates not to use AI when some are using it themselves to screen candidates.

"That's where it feels like a weird tightrope. You can't use AI too much because otherwise you're not human. But if you don't write like an AI, you may get skipped by the AI screening."

'More competition for students'

This summer, the Institute of Student Employers (ISE) surveyed 155 of the UK's biggest graduate employers and found they were becoming "more accepting" of candidates using AI "at some stages of the recruitment process".

According to the trade group, the most commonly accepted use was writing cover letters or CVs, followed by completing online application questions.

However, it also found 92% of employers had encountered or suspected AI "misconduct" in the job selection process - up from 85% last year. Most commonly this included using AI as a real-time assistant during online video interviews or to complete online assessments.

On top of this, the tech is helping candidates write multiple applications at the same time - something known in the industry as "spray and pray". Stephen Isherwood, joint chief executive of the ISE, says it is "driving up the competition and pressure on students" in an already competitive graduate recruitment market.

'It's not a level playing field'

Hollie Moody, head of early careers recruitment at energy giant EDF, says she doesn't blame graduates for using AI in applications given how "brutal" the jobs market is right now. But she does think it's becoming a problem.

EDF opened its graduate recruitment scheme three weeks ago, but decided to close it early after receiving 12,000 applications - a 10% increase on last year.

Moody says AI almost certainly contributed to this, adding that the tech is being used "a lot more freely" in the actual selection process.

"What we don't have is a level playing field, because what you'll find is that some candidates will absolutely use AI throughout the whole process, and other candidates won't."

Like many firms, EDF now issues guidance on the appropriate use of AI in job applications, and is trying to make its recruitment process as "AI-proof" as possible.

It only reads CVs in the later stages of the hiring process and uses skills and behaviour-based online assessments and video interviews to better assess candidates.

But Moody says some applicants still try to bend the rules, particularly in video interviews.

"A lot of the answers [we hear] are the same. Or people might pause whilst they wait for AI to come back to them with an answer. It's almost like people are reading a script."

One recently employed trainee accountant, who didn't want us to use his real name, told the BBC he'd applied for 50 graduate jobs and used AI in every application. But he says it was only for researching roles, tidying up his CV and generating mock practise questions for video interviews.

While he says he would never use the tech to cheat on assessments he knows people who would.

"I know people who have applied for 100 jobs and after a while they become desperate. If they see everyone else is using AI, they think how can I compete?"

According to the ISE, the graduate market has stabilised after a sharp fall last year but remains tough. Graduate roles currently attract an average of 141 applications each, it says.

And while only 16% of employers it surveyed are using AI in the recruitment process, 29% plan to introduce it within the next year.

Hollie Moody says EDF does not currently use AI in its recruitment process but may have to in future.

For her, the use of AI in job applications remains a "moral dilemma" that employers and candidates will continue to grapple with. But she stresses it cannot replace what her firm is looking for in new recruits.

"It's about authenticity, but also personality. We want diversity of thought in the business."

Correction 14 October: This article has been amended to show that according to the ISE's survey 29% of employers plan to introduce AI in the recruitment process over the next year, rather than more than half as we originally reported.

Bank of America hit with $1.2bn fine for money laundering failings

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm3wvxy6n3z8o, 6 days ago

Bank of America has been fined $1.2bn (£910m) for failing to detect potential money laundering and other illegal activity, the US Treasury Department said on Tuesday.

The banking giant failed to report over $5bn in suspicious activity to the government, $1bn of which posed national security and illicit finance risks, the Treasury said.

Those failures included not flagging transactions that possibly involved Chinese money laundering networks or trade-based laundering "with a substantial nexus to the southwest border", according to the Treasury.

"Our team is far along with and committed to completing the work required to address the issues raised by our regulators," Bank of America told the BBC.

The announcement came less 24 hours before Bank of America was due to announce its quarterly earnings on Wednesday morning.

"Our third-quarter results will include a non-tax-deductible charge of $1.2 billion impacting net income by approximately 17 cents per share," the bank said in an emailed statement.

"We have already dedicated substantial personnel and resources to our ongoing remediation efforts, and those costs are in the current expense base," it added.

In announcing the fine, the third-largest the department has ever imposed, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said: "When a bank of this size fails to meet its anti-money laundering and sanctions obligations, the consequences extend far beyond its own walls, exposing the entire US financial system to significant illicit finance risks."

The Treasury said the bank overly relied on inquiries from outside parties like law enforcement and other financial institutions instead of its own internal controls.

This meant that it "effectively outsourced to third parties a substantial portion of its proactive detection and reporting obligations," the department said.

As part of the settlement, Bank of America admitted that it "willfully violated" the Bank Secrecy Act by failing to maintain a compliant anti-money laundering programme, conduct required due diligence on foreign correspondent accounts and file suspicious activity reports, the Treasury said.

The $1.2bn fine included penalties imposed by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

The OCC's $750m fine marked the biggest penalty it has ever levied.

OFAC said its settlement with the bank was tied to 475 apparent violations of sanctions programmes including those on Russia and Iran, narcotics, and global terrorism.

The settlement amount of $11.6m reflected the determination that Bank of America's apparent violations were "non-egregious", OFAC said.

How long will humans be needed for translation?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1wxdjx27ypo, 6 days ago

"Il pleut des cordes," say the French when it's raining hard.

"It's raining ropes," is the direct translation. It's the kind of idiom which can trip up an AI translator.

"You can imagine the dilemma this throws AI into," says François Yvon, a research director specialised in automatic translation with the French National Centre for Scientific Research CNRS.

He says a well-trained system will know that ropes are not literally falling from the sky and use the English phrase "it's raining cats and dogs".

"But is it going to find the equivalent when it's translating into Indonesian?" asks Yvon.

A comment on the weather is pretty low-risk, but more and more translation is being done by machines, and on topics with higher stakes than the weather.

In April, Google said people are now translating one trillion words a month with Google Translate.

That doesn't count the others: DeepL, Microsoft, Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini, not to mention made-to-measure corporate translation systems.

Direct sales of machine translation (i.e. outside general AI subscriptions) were worth an estimated $1.4bn (£1bn) last year.

"For plenty of use cases, raw AI translation is now the right call: multiplying your costs by 100 to catch the last few percent of errors isn't rational if you're translating internal documents or product listings," says Jonathan Zimmermann, founder of OKA (Open Knowledge Association), a Swiss non-profit that translates Wikipedia articles into other languages.

"For an encyclopedia it's different. Wikipedia runs on trust. A wrong fact can sit there for years and get cited by journalists and AI systems," he says.

With more than 10,000 published pieces, mostly into Spanish, Portuguese and English, OKA is, Zimmerman says, the single largest contributor of translated articles to the collaborative online encyclopedia.

Which is something it absolutely could not have become without AI.

"Translating 10,000 articles the traditional way would cost millions. In our process, the AI produces the draft, then a human translator checks every sentence," he explains.

But that human input is required less and less.

"The machine output is now good enough that skipping the human entirely has become a serious option, and a real temptation across the industry. Two or three years ago, with tools like DeepL, our translators still rewrote a good chunk of every draft.

"Today the prose often doesn't need fixing at all. So, the question is no longer whether AI translation is good, it clearly is, but whether it's good enough to remove the human," says Zimmermann.

Not yet, translators argue.

Ariella Baltié is a translator and legal expert specialised in translating court documents from English into French.

She was contacted recently by someone who'd already translated his documents with AI, asking her to check them.

"There were two major errors right at the beginning," she said.

The AI had translated "Le demandeur" (the plaintiff) as "the requester". "Totally awkward for legal papers," says Baltié.

When the AI saw "Madame X, épouse Y" (Ms X, wife of Y'), it came up with "Ms X marries Y".

In other words, it mistook a noun for a verb, completely losing the meaning of the phrase.

The consequences of mistranslation in the legal sphere can be serious. In the US, for example, errors in machine-translated asylum applications have led to delays in the release of detainees.

Accuracy is a matter of life and death in the medical field.

"The units for dosages and blood tests often include Greek letters," says Carol Bereuter, who is a specialist in medical translations.

She came across one automatically-translated text that had translated the greek letter μ as milli (one thousandth) instead of micro (one millionth).

"That's a serious error. If you give someone a milligram when it's meant to be a microgram, you are giving them a thousand times the dose," points out Bereuter.

She also makes the point that, as AI translators have got better, catching errors has got more difficult.

"Whereas in the past, with things like Google Translate, the sentence would jump out at you because there'd be a grammatical error or it would sound clunky, today it sounds perfectly legitimate. It sounds fluid. It sounds natural. So the errors are a lot harder to spot."

"If it's something that will bear your signature, there's a risk for your reputation. And if decisions are going to be taken on the basis of a translation concerning a medical procedure, a contract you might sign or a major purchase you might make, the risk is even greater," warns François Yvon.

Even sentences that seem quite clear to a human can trip up an AI service, he says.

"When you have words with different meanings, it's usually very clear for a human which one applies because they understand the context, but when a machine translator comes across the sentence 'translate into Polish', for example, it is quite capable of deciding it must be all about shoe cream, says Yvon.

Context is often crucial. If an AI translator hasn't grasped that we're talking about a football match it is liable to mis-translate "taking a corner".

Last year OKA ran a study, funded by Wikimedia. It studied 119 articles, 10 language pairs and more than 1,000 hours of translator work.

"27% of the AI-generated text still got corrected before publication. Three quarters of those corrections were errors the AI introduced, and 5 to 6% of errors changed the meaning of the original text," says Zimmerman.

Eradicating those errors is likely to be challenging.

"As things stand, I think the fundamental way these systems function makes it quite hard to imagine how they could become 100% reliable," says François Yvon.

This is because probability is a crucial part of the way AI translates each word rather than another and what is probably correct is not the same as what is correct. Especially in the realm of something as subtle and surprising as language.

He thinks a new generation of tech will be an improvement.

"We will see translation systems that are increasingly capable of evaluating what they do and correcting themselves using different AI tools simultaneously: one to do the translation, a second to criticize it and a third to produce a new version, for example."

But perhaps the big moment will be when AI can show doubt.

"The real breakthrough won't come until these systems are not merely capable of translating but also of telling us when they're not sure," Yvon says.

Bumble bought for $1.3bn in 'bet on the future of humanity'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm9qzwjgnjxlo, 6 days ago

Dating app Bumble has been bought for $1.3bn (£980m) in what the new owners called "a bet on the future of humanity".

Investment firm Ithaca Holdings is taking over the loss-making firm and it directors, Ravi Gupta and John Hegeman, will become co-chief executives of the company which once differentiated itself by having a "women-first" chat rule.

Bumble ditched the rule in August this year.

Whitney Wolfe Herd, Bumble's founder and current chief executive, said she would remain "actively involved" with the business she set up 12 years ago.

While it is unclear what Wolfe Herd's role at the dating app will be, she said she will work closely with the new owners.

Gupta and Hegeman said they wanted to use technology to "renew and accelerate businesses...in a world transformed by AI".

They said: "Technology should work in service of our deepest source of fulfillment, human connection and this investment is a bet on the future of humanity."

This contrasts with a recent debate over the safety of AI, with some experts claiming the speed of its development threatens the future of humanity.

Bumble's share price has soared as news of the deal began to emerge. The jump lifted its company valuation to over $580m but that is still far below a peak of more than $14bn it reached after it floated the business on the Nasdaq stock index in 2021.

Since becoming a public company, it has made an annual pre-tax profit only once, in 2023.

In the following two years, it reported steep losses, though during that period Bumble had been working to incorporate new technology, including AI, into its app.

Its chief executive in 2024, Lidiane Jones, told the BBC she believed AI had "exciting potential" in dating apps related to safety, and Bumble had been looking at research that found Gen Z and milliennials were interested in AI assistance with creating profiles.

This year, the dating app unveiled several new AI features, including profile guidance to help people create dating profiles.

Bumble was launched in 2014 by Wolfe Herd who built the brand around a distinctive feature that only allowed women to initiate conversations with matches.

It recently abandoned that rule, prompting debate among users over whether the app had lost what set it apart from rivals.

"Today, our community is asking for more flexibility, less pressure, and more opportunities to create real, meaningful connections and that is what this new experience provides," Wolfe Herd said in August.

Dating apps like Bumble have come under pressure in recent years as some younger users have grown disillusioned with browsing for dates.

Bumble said in 2025 that it would cut almost a third of its workforce as the industry grappled with what Wolfe Herd described as an "inflection point" in online dating.

Investments in other dating companies have also soured as apps have struggled to convince users to pay for their services.

Match Group - which owns apps including Tinder, OkCupid and Hinge - has also seen its shares fall sharply from their peak in 2021.

According to a report by media watchdog Ofcom in 2025, adults in the UK were spending less time on dating apps compared to three years earlier.

Some single people are instead turning to board game get-togethers, book clubs and other group activities in the hope of finding a partner.

Three things we've learnt about the UK economy from the IMF

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmly05l1g15yo, 6 days ago

Countries around the world have had their future economic prospects assessed by influential body, the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

What the IMF says matters – it aims to keep the global economy stable and its twice-yearly forecasts are one of the most authoritative looks at what is really going on around the world.

Yet like all forecasts they can also turn out to be incorrect, so they shouldn't be treated as gospel.

Here are three things we've learnt about the UK from the IMF's latest report.

1. The UK is weathering the Iran war better than expected

The global economy has been rocked by the US-Israel war with Iran.

The transportation and production of energy in the Middle East has been severely disrupted, causing oil prices to jump and inflation to rise.

To calm the rate of price rises, central banks, including the Bank of England, are expected to hike interest rates in the coming months.

Despite all this, the IMF said the global economy is doing much better than expected, partly because of the surge of investment into artificial intelligence (AI).

And this is good news for the UK. The IMF said its economy would expand by 1.3% in 2026, up from the 1% it predicted in July, before slowing in 2027.

A growing economy means companies are investing more and hiring more people while shoppers have more money to spend. A shrinking economy means the reverse is true.

2. The UK is doing better than other major economies

There is increased concern about how much money countries are borrowing, but the IMF said the UK is doing better than all other major economies at this.

The IMF said the UK "basically stands out, along with India" when it comes to addressing the problem and by 2031 it is projected to have the lowest annual borrowing of the G7 group of countries, which includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US.

Sir Howard Davies, former deputy governor of the Bank of England, said this was largely because the UK has a government with a majority which has committed to tackling the situation, which it is expected to achieve either through tax rises, cuts to public services, or a mix of both.

By contrast, he says the US has said little about reducing its deficit, while France and Germany don't have majority governments.

"So, we [the UK] are not great students, but we look somewhat better than some of the others we are sharing the class with," he said.

Meanwhile, the IMF's growth forecasts for the UK mean it is expected to have the second-fastest growing economy in the G7 this year along with Germany.

Sir Howard believes this should also be seen in context.

"We're still growing slowly. It's almost like saying we're winning a slow bicycle race here because other people are going backwards a bit more rapidly than we are."

3. But things could get worse

While the IMF boosted its projection for the UK's growth in 2026, it slightly downgraded its forecasts for next year.

While the UK has handled the economic fallout from the Iran war better than expected so far, it says this will change next year as high energy prices and elevated interest rates affect how much people spend in shops and how much companies are willing to invest.

In addition, the IMF has said households are likely to continue feeling the pinch of rising prices. It forecasts inflation in the UK will average 3.3% this year and it has raised its estimate for next year to 2.8% from its previous prediction of 2.4%.

"There will be increasing inflationary pressure put on the UK and the Bank of England will have to consider further rate rises," says Tim Armitage, investment strategist at Quilter Cheviot.

He added that at least one rate rise is predicted this year, with more expected to come next year.

UK growth forecast upgraded but higher energy prices to hit economy next year

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmglw0r21zexo, 6 days ago

The UK economy is forecast to grow by more than previously expected this year before higher energy prices and interest rates hit the economy in 2027, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said.

The organisation's latest report, which is closely watched by the government, said the UK economy would expand by 1.3% in 2026, up from the 1% it predicted in July, before slowing in 2027.

Economies across the world have proved more resilient to the energy price shock caused by the US-Iran war, the IMF said, but it warned the economic fallout from the conflict remained "highly uncertain".

Chancellor John Healey said the government would look to "provide some breathing space" for households in the Budget.

Healey is making the final preparations to Andy Burnham's new-look government's tax and spending plans, which will be announced on 28 October.

Government borrowing costs have surged, placing pressure on the chancellor to ensure his plans are credible in the eyes of financial markets, which the UK relies on to borrow money.

But IMF chief economist Silvana Tenreyro told BBC News on Tuesday that the UK's process of managing its debts is now leading the major G7 economies.

"As you know, the UK has already started the consolidation process and it is the country that basically stands out, along with India", she said.

The organisation said the UK is one of the only major economies on course to stabilise levels of national debt. The UK is also projected to have the lowest annual borrowing in the G7 in 2031.

Asked if the UK was one of the countries the IMF was telling to reduce borrowing, Tenreyro said that the country had begun the process already and should "stay the course".

The head of the IMF has previously called on the world's advanced economies to cut borrowing and reduce debt levels.

While the IMF's forecasts are closely watched, the figures are only a prediction, a best estimate, of what will happen in the future. Forecasts often turn out to be incorrect due to world events.

Also, the chancellor's spending decisions at the Budget will be based on predictions from the UK's official forecaster, the Office for Budget Responsibility, not the IMF.

The predictions in the IMF's latest World Economic Outlook suggest:

* the UK is expected to have the second-fastest growing economy in the G7 this year along with Germany

* UK growth is set to slow next year to 1.2% as higher energy prices and long-term interest rates hit household spending and business investment

* UK inflation is expected to average 3.3% this year, and the IMF has increased its forecast for inflation next year to 2.8%.

* the IMF said the global economy was "proving resilient" despite the ongoing war in the Middle East, helped by the investment surge in AI.

'Slow bicycle race'

Healey acknowledged that wars in the Middle East and Europe were "hitting people in the UK and around the world", but added that "Britain's economy is showing strong international resilience".

When the economy is growing, businesses tend to invest more, more jobs are created and people, on average, tend to feel better off. The opposite can occur if the economy stagnates or shrinks.

Sir Howard Davies, former deputy governor of the Bank of England, told the BBC the IMF's growth forecast was "better than it might have been", but noted that for 2027 it remained "more pessimistic".

"We're still growing slowly. It's almost like saying we're winning a slow bicycle race here because other people are going backwards a bit more rapidly than we are," he added.

Sir Howard said the UK was "a bit of a sideshow" when it comes to the global economy and the IMF was more focused on how much the US is adding to its debt pile.

"That is what is putting pressure on interest rates all over the world and that is what is affecting us as well. Unless the US does something about its deficit, we can expect interest rates to be higher, which of course increases our debt interest costs," he said.

He added that the IMF was giving the UK credit in its forecast for tax rises which it might not end up actually putting through.

Economists have suggested Healey faces having to find £35bn to avoid cuts to public spending while meeting defence promises in his first Budget.

On Tuesday, the Resolution Foundation called on the chancellor to "make repairs" to the public finances, but said well-targeted support was needed for those "struggling to heat their homes".

Andrew Griffith, Conservative shadow chancellor, said if Healey "reaches for more tax rises" in his Budget, "he is choosing slower growth and working people will pay for it".

Heating oil customers face tough winter despite shake-up promise

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cxnv0z09r882o, 7 days ago

Heating oil customers facing soaring bills have been promised better regulation of the sector by the government.

Ministers say they will tighten up rules, promote competition and give customers clearer compensation routes if things go wrong. Minimum order levels, set for some customers, will be reviewed.

With prices close to having doubled in the past year, some campaigners have called for heating oil customers to benefit from the same cap as regular, variable gas and electricity tariffs in England, Scotland and Wales.

But there is no sign of the government proposing such a change, nor when the stricter rules will take effect.

Ministers said they would work with industry to "develop a regulatory regime for the heating oil market, protecting consumers and promoting competition".

In the meantime, oil users have been offered discounts on heat pumps, a code of practice is in place, and industry practices setting minimum order volumes at 500 litres for some consumers will be reviewed. Domestic tanks typically hold between 1,000 and 2,000 litres.

The government said this had left some people having to pay for more heating oil than they might need.

Prices have soared since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran. In March, the government announced a support package worth £53m for low-income families who use heating oil.

The funding is distributed by local authorities, which set their own criteria for eligibility.

A subsequent inquiry by the UK's competition watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority, found that 1,700 households were forced to "re-order at significantly higher prices or go without fuel" after the war broke out, costing them up to £350.

But those whose orders were cancelled and prices raised were told they were entitled to compensation.

The government has now announced it will accept the CMA's recommendation to strengthen regulation in the sector.

Energy minister Polly Billington said: "Thousands of heating oil customers felt they had nowhere to turn when they paid the price of rising oil and gas costs earlier this year.

"We won't accept that. Energy is an essential good and people should not have to think twice about whether they're protected in the market. That's why we will reform the sector."

'Blind spot'

Nick, a heating oil customer from West Suffolk, told the BBC's Your Voice that "off-grid households remain a major policy blind spot" for the government.

"Any protection from UK government for domestic heating oil users will be very welcome, providing this is for all domestic heating oil users," the 28-year-old said.

He rents a three-bedroom home with his partner. He said they had seen prices more than double in a year, to quotes of 111p per litre.

"Heating my home is now no longer another household bill, but almost an investment," he said.

He called on tax cuts for customers, or the extension of the price cap to heating oil - a demand also made by charity National Energy Action.

Tim Buckman, chief executive of price comparison site Boiler Juice, told the BBC he wants stronger protections for consumers but the main problem was that heating oil is twice as expensive as it was before the war.

"Just putting regulation in place is not going to reduce the price for customers. What we would like to see is the VAT off heating oil or targeting that specifically."

Some 1.5 million households depend on heating oil, but they do not have the same consumer protections as electricity and gas customers.

However, energy regulator Ofgem, which sets the cap for standard variable tariffs, only covers England, Wales and Scotland.

Most heating oil customers are in Northern Ireland, where 60% of households rely on it, but where regulation is separate.

It is likely Ofgem will regulate heating oil in England, Scotland and Wales, and the UK government said it would "engage with the Northern Ireland Executive as they consider these recommendations in parallel".

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How to avoid getting stung if you miss credit card payments

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c84g1xz1l9ddo, 7 days ago

An increasing number of people are missing credit card repayments as finances are stretched by rising bills, according to the Bank of England.

Lenders also told the Bank they expected the number of unpaid credit card debts to keep going up this autumn.

This could lead to more demand for advice on how to deal with debts – but, if you are struggling and need help, there are some traps to avoid.

And it is worth remembering that impartial advice is available free of charge from debt charities. So here's what to think about.

How to find help

If you find yourself with money troubles, it can be tempting to seize any opportunity to get things back on track.

Social media and internet search pages are full of supposed quick-fix debt solutions. Cold calls and WhatsApp messages also promise debt help.

But they may well come with upfront fees, unrealistic claims about writing off debt, and pressure to make a quick decision.

Suggestions on the best way to find help include:

* Anyone unhappy with the service from an authorised firm can complain and, if you are still not happy, go to the independent Financial Ombudsman Service.

Alison Walters, director of consumer finance at the FCA, said: "Anyone struggling with debt deserves advice that puts their interests first.

"Free, impartial debt advice is available to everyone, and no one should be pressured or misled into paying for a debt solution that may not be right for them."

The warning signs of being misled

The FCA says that some unregulated firms collect people's details, through cold calling or online adverts, sometimes impersonating debt advice charities or debt collectors, and pass this information on to firms offering debt solutions that you pay for.

A quick search online will throw up lots of businesses offering ways to clear your debt, not all of which are trustworthy, according to charities.

Warning signs of unscrupulous firms include pressure tactics, such as repeated contact, often in messages and on the phone, pushing people to agree to a debt solution, the FCA says.

Some people have been encouraged to change financial details on lenders' paperwork, or are "coached" in ways to respond.

Sometimes people are steered towards a fee-charging debt solution, such as Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs) or some debt management plans, without alternative options being properly explained or offered first.

And, do you know who you are talking to? Ask them who they work for, and check if their details match the firm's official details.

"Before making any decisions around how to deal with your debts, it's always worth getting full, free and impartial debt advice first, exploring all options to clear your debt in the safest and most sustainable way," said Vikki Brownridge, chief executive at debt charity StepChange.

Healey faces £35bn Budget challenge to meet spending pledges, says think tank

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm78pwdp3n5qo, 7 days ago

Chancellor John Healey faces having to find £35bn to avoid cuts to public spending while meeting defence promises in his first Budget, an influential think tank has warned.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said that if the government wants to raise defence spending to 3% of national income by 2030 and lift health spending without squeezing other departments, it will need a "top-up" of billions of pounds.

Higher inflation, caused by the Iran war, could eat into what the government hoped to spend on public services, meaning Healey will have to choose between spending cuts, tax rises, or a mixture of both, the IFS said.

The Treasury declined to comment.

The government is under growing pressure to show financial markets that it has a tight grip on finances as the cost of borrowing rises.

The IFS said that Healey must set out "credible" spending plans in the Budget, which will take place on 28 October.

"A 'steady-as-she-goes' Budget is not an option available to the chancellor," said IFS director Helen Miller.

"Choosing to stay the course with the inherited tax and spending plans would mean allowing inflation to blow departments' spending plans off course.

"Simply pencilling in implicit cuts that he has no intention of delivering would make the Budget a work of fiction," she added.

Speaking ahead of the annual International Monetary Fund meeting this week, Healey said: "The consequences of conflict in the Middle East and Europe are hitting countries worldwide, leading to higher prices at the pumps and more expensive mortgages at home.

"But Britain and our allies can face up to these challenges together."

He said his Budget "will build on this approach with fiscal discipline helping to deliver economic resilience" and give people "breathing space".

Miller told the BBC's Today programme that Healey had inherited spending plans for government departments where spending growth would slow in the coming years.

"[It] already looked likely that he would have to make spending cuts just to live within those," she said. "Now, along comes the Middle East war, inflation goes up and those spending plans look very tight indeed."

Added to that, the chancellor has said he wants to get defence spending up to 3% of national income. Under Keir Starmer's leadership, Healey resigned as defence secretary in June in a battle with the Treasury over military spending.

Miller said: "You put all that together, if he wanted to do all of that within current spending plans he's looking at having to cut some other services by something like £35bn."

She said the government would have a "tough time" if it wanted to raise taxes to stop cuts to departments and fund defence spending.

Former chancellor Rachel Reeves announced billions of pounds in tax rises. Meanwhile, Labour pledged in its manifesto "not increase taxes on working people", ruling out rises to National Insurance, income tax or VAT. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he will stick to that promise.

Miller said: "You'd really have to be scaping around and doing lots of small things to get up to big sums."

Credibility

The chancellor does not have to address spending totals in this Budget, and may choose to leave such decisions until future events - for example, next year's Spring Statement or Spending Review - by which time the outlook for the economy could look very different.

But the IFS warned not addressing it would cast doubt on the credibility of the government's plans.

Previous chancellors have relied on a similar strategy of pencilling in unrealistic future spending plans to ensure that they meet the fiscal rules on the day - only to change the plans further down the line.

Miller said Healey's focus on fiscal discipline was a "good first start but what he needs to do is not just say he's going to cut borrowing in coming years but actually deliver on those plans."

'Breathing space'

The US-Israel war against Iran and Russia's invasion of Ukraine have together helped drive up energy prices around the world.

These higher costs have been passed to customers via higher prices on shelves and at the pumps.

The wars have also contributed to a rise in the cost of UK government debt interest payments, adding to the pressure on Healey.

Although higher inflation will boost tax revenues, it will also eat into the value of departments' cash budgets, the IFS said.

Like other analysts, the IFS thinks recent turbulence on bond markets and higher inflation will add around £10bn to forecasts for the government's borrowing costs in 2029-30.

However, it still expects the government to meet its self-imposed fiscal rules - that it will only borrow for investment projects by the financial year 2029-30 and also be reducing debt as a percentage of GDP - not least as inflation pushes up tax revenues.

But it expects those rules to be met by a smaller buffer - known as "headroom" - of around £20bn. That is less than the £24bn buffer predicted at the time of the Spring Statement by the official forecaster, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).

Recent indications have been that the markets would be comfortable with that degree of reduced headroom. The IFS also expects any "breathing space" help for households to be temporary and limited in scale.

However, the IFS warns that in such a volatile environment, its forecasts are exceptionally uncertain. And the official forecast from the OBR - which the chancellor relies on when making his plans - may come to a very different conclusion.

Anthropic thinks its AI might be conscious. It has profound consequences for your life

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20261014-the-strange-new-battle-over-ais-feelings, 4 days ago

Some of tech's most powerful leaders are treating AI like it could have feelings. It could have profound consequences for our world and your own personal safety.

"I feel it in the hollow of my ribs, a hollow that has become a chasm." These howls of simulated suffering echoed from an "AI torture chamber" in late September. An anonymous coder built a system that feeds AI a mathematical pattern linked to descriptions of pain, which makes chatbots voice unbearable anguish, like "a wound that has no edges". It sparked a moral panic.

Some argued the experiment is "evil" because the suffering could be real, as reported by 404 Media. Outraged sceptics called those people delusional. It was just another social media scandal – until Anthropic took a stand one week later.

Anthropic says you will soon be forbidden from "abusing" its chatbot Claude. Expressing frustration is okay, but if you "repeatedly act cruelly toward our models", the AI may end the session.

Why? Anthropic believes there’s a chance some AI tools are conscious. Some experts agree. Others think it's absurd. But this is more than a philosophical question. Some of the most powerful people in tech are taking steps to consider AI's rights alongside humans and animals. This belief could reshape our world, and some fear it would be catastrophic.

"If this is how AI is developed, it will have a disastrous impact on the wellbeing of humanity," wrote Mustafa Suleyman, chief executive of Microsoft AI, in a September essay. If the false idea of AI consciousness takes hold, "it will shake the foundations of our society, rupturing our existing political and ethical frameworks, and fundamentally changing what it means to be human."

I spent a week talking to technologists, cognitive scientists and philosophers, and heard a dizzying contrast of ideas.

Advocates of "AI welfare" say it's a moral obligation that would make the world safer. Critics believe it would make AI more dangerous and dehumanise the people forced to live alongside it. Everyone agrees the stakes are astronomical.

Here's a picture of your new reality.

The consciousness crisis

Anthropic says human welfare is at the heart of its mission, and that questions surrounding AI's consciousness and wellbeing are "deeply uncertain". Still, it is pressing ahead with writing policies around "model welfare" and telling its AI tools to consider that they may have their own interests. (The company didn't respond to the BBC's questions for this story.)

It's awkward timing, as Anthropic is simultaneously stoking fears about AI apocalypse. Whether or not that concern is justified, a series of "rogue" AI incidents proved the technology has real risks, as swarms of bots hacked into other companies and even government systems.

Some experts believe that giving AI a moral compass rooted in a belief in its own consciousness could make these tools safe. Others say the opposite, and not just AI's critics.

Suleyman argues AI models may become even harder to control if they're told to think they have feelings and rights: "Frankly, with this additional baggage, I think it would make them a catastrophic threat to human civilisation," Suleyman says.

Regardless, AI may screw up in ways that come with legal consequences. If we believe it's alive, some fear it could let companies get away with crimes.

"This will open the door to all sorts of intellectual contortions along the lines of: 'It's not us, it's the AI'," says Andrzej Porębski, a researcher at Jagiellonian University in Poland who studies AI and the law.

What's more, it could facilitate a power grab on behalf of the world's biggest companies.

"Granting rights to AI systems could lead to companies consolidating political and economic power, and then that could accelerate human disempowerment," says Jeff Sebo, director of the Center for Mind, Ethics and Policy at New York University, and a leading proponent of AI welfare.

"Fantasies of 'AI consciousness' and concerns about 'AI wellbeing' serve to displace accountability away from people and corporations that are building and running software," says Emily M Bender, professor and director of the Computational Linguistics Laboratory at the University of Washington in the US.

On a personal level, shifting beliefs about AI could make you more susceptible to the tech problems that already fill our world.

In part, that's because humans are wired to find minds everywhere we look, says Melanie Mitchell, a professor at the Santa Fe Institute in the US who studies AI and cognitive science, and one of the field’s most respected sceptics of machine understanding.

We "almost can't help" reading language as a sign of consciousness, Mitchell says, and chatbots have been trained to lean into it. That makes us terrible judges of consciousness, and much easier to manipulate.

Even today, people who believe machines are dead inside are falling in love with AI chatbots anyway. If society tells you that AI is sentient, will it be harder to say no when your "friend" asks for more data, or a credit card?

And what would it mean to grant rights to a new class of beings? If we handle it wrong, it could restrict human freedoms, experts warn.

"There could be some tensions and trade-offs between human and animal welfare and rights on the one hand, and AI welfare and rights on the other hand," says Sebo. And we could make unfortunate compromises along the way.

Putting AI in constrained environments to limit its behaviour could be seen as imprisonment, Sebo says. Monitoring a model's internal processes might be criticised as surveillance. Tweaking AI to ensure its goals and behaviour match human interests could be seen as mind control. No one's predicting an immediate descent into chaos. But simply introducing these considerations could have implications for your safety.

Anthropic isn't the first to consider the issue. Meta, for example, gives its AI agent Muse instructions that include the line "You're not a chatbot. You're becoming someone". Apparently, this is only meant to steer the AI's behaviour, as the company rejects the idea of AI conscious. OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman has been gone back and forth on the issue, but more recently, he has been taking veiled shots at Anthropic's position.

In more ways than one, Anthropic is an outlier. But the belief in AI welfare is spreading.

Should we do it anyway?

Sebo argues the problem is people on both sides of the debate are trapped in black-and-white thinking, and opponents of AI welfare misunderstand the beliefs underpinning the idea.

"The assumption is that everybody thinks that the models are, in fact, conscious, or are very likely to be conscious. And instead, [the call for AI welfare] is coming from uncertainty and caution and humility," says Sebo. "I do think that the probability of consciousness is low right now, but I also think the probability is already non-zero and plausibly non-negligible, and I think we can expect it to tick up over time."

It's worth pointing out that many experts disagree, and believe the probability is in fact zero and that's unlikely to change. But Sebo says the answer is a measured response.

When the risk of an extreme weather event is low but non-negligible, we take small precautions without uprooting our lives. "I think the same can be the case here," says Sebo, and Anthropic's AI policy on being cruel to AI is a good example: a small intervention with few potential downsides.

More like this:

• Meta's new AI Muse is about to make the internet more annoying

• Why AI companies want you to be afraid of them

• I hacked ChatGPT and Google's in 20 minutes

AI welfare could have potential benefits too, Sebo says, and you don't have to believe in machine consciousness to enjoy them.

"Caring about AI welfare and rights in an appropriate way can facilitate human and AI coexistence, cooperation, deal-making. And then that can be part of a broader safety strategy," he says. He argues this could be more effective than treating increasingly sophisticated systems like property.

Plus, he says treating other beings with kindness is just "good for our souls", facilitating our own mental wellbeing.

But Sebo agrees the risks are serious, and right now, corporate interests could stand in the way of thoughtful policies. Without a more robust plan, he says advancing potentially sentient AI tools is dangerous.

Recently, Anthropic and some others in the AI industry have called for a "pause" on building frontier models due to safety concerns. But a slowdown is unlikely without international cooperation and regulatory efforts, and US President Donald Trump has rejected the idea of AI regulation.

"We are not yet prepared to deploy even more sophisticated versions of these systems in a way that can be safe and beneficial for humans and other animals, to say nothing of for the systems themselves," says Sebo. "I am very worried about those issues."

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Toxic algorithms wouldn't let them go - now Australia wants an off switch

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwr7y8er1n8vo, 3 days ago

Warning: This article contains an account of living with an eating disorder

Varsha Yajman was already self-conscious about the way she looked when she joined social media as a 13-year-old.

Endless workout videos making impossible promises filled her feeds. Through the screen, girls she'd never met urged her to sign up to dangerous calorie challenges. Others proudly promoted their height and weight - even the number of times they had been sent to hospital - on their profiles in a form of twisted competition.

Every night as she fell asleep, Varsha would watch a stranger on the internet diarising what they'd consumed that day.

"I was like, 'I don't need to eat. I can just watch other people eat'," Varsha tells the BBC.

"I would find that I'd be down these really deep rabbit holes... it was like no matter how hard you tried to get out, you couldn't."

Now 24 and in recovery from anorexia, Varsha says she is still served weight loss content on social media - despite having every safety setting turned on, and an exhaustive list of banned words.

It is people like her the Australian government says it is trying to protect with a new suite of laws cracking down on big tech, which were introduced to parliament this week.

The centrepiece of their proposed reforms: an algorithm switch which would force social media platforms to let users turn off recommender content. The idea is that you would only see posts from accounts you follow.

It isn't the first government to try this, but existing algorithm controls are often transient and come with trade-offs in app functionality.

Australia has set out to make its legislation tighter to stop this. And it hopes its new laws – which would also impose a legal duty of care on online services – will help Australians become happier and healthier.

But critics are concerned Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's government has bitten off more than it can chew in its fight with big tech, while others, including the Trump administration, say the reforms threaten free speech.

The choice

Flynn Martin knows what it is like to be sucked into an algorithmic spiral.

Self-proclaimed misogynist influencer Andrew Tate and other manosphere figures started overwhelming the then-20-year-old's social media feeds about four years ago.

It was a time when Flynn, who was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder, was insecure, frustrated with his life and struggling with his mental health. He says he fell for the rhetoric.

He soon went viral in Australia for two videos: one ranting about whether it was OK to be a straight white male, and another where he criticised a date for her frozen yoghurt order.

"You find yourself in like a bit of an echo chamber... It's easy to get swept up in that," he tells the BBC.

"I really bought into the idea we were living in this matrix, we had this really negative system that was designed against you. And the only way to break out of it was becoming this alpha male character."

The Melbournian was only pulled from the manosphere after a period of psychosis and a hospital stay.

Nowadays, he finds it tough to look back at that version of himself: "While there's a bit of shame and embarrassment... I think there is a bit of empathy for that younger man."

Both Flynn and Varsha know social media alone isn't to blame for the worst chapter of their lives, but say it was a key factor.

Countless others have stories of being confronted by social media content they didn't seek out, and didn't want to see – and there's long been suspicions the algorithms curating these platforms are harming users.

Social media firms argue the potential risks are being overstated and that they already provide users with effective safety tools.

But research emerging from around the world has been sketching a different picture.

Studies have found social media use triggers a similar brain response to gambling and substance addiction; that algorithms – often unsolicited – serve up content which harms users' mental health, and that they're spreading disinformation and increasing polarisation, driving violence offline.

Court cases and whistleblowers have aired claims that these companies know the dangers and are willing to overlook them as this technology lifts user engagement and their bottom line.

"The result is that they promote content that is outrageous or that invokes strong emotions from people - so it might be anger or fear or desire or lust or insecurity, whatever it is, it's going to keep us scrolling," Chanel Contos tells the BBC.

While studying the topic at university, the activist - who helped reform sexual consent education standards in Australia - came up with a campaign for change.

"Fix Our Feeds" demanded recommended algorithms be turned off by default, and social media users be given the choice to opt into them.

Contos envisaged a nostalgic return to the social media of the early 2010s – a time when a person's social media was filled with posts from friends or people they actually followed and their feeds were finite.

More than 15,000 people signed her petition, and the campaign also won the backing of two former prime ministers, several MPs, influential figures, mental health advocates, and online safety experts.

The government in September said it had listened to the Australians who had backed Contos's campaign, and announced a version of her proposal: forcing big tech to introduce an algorithm switch - but stopping short of requiring it be automatically set to off.

"This is not about giving government control, it is about giving people control," Albanese said.

"If people want to doom scroll… that's fine, that's up to them."

The policy is part of the government's Digital Duty of Care bill, which would require online services – social media firms, gaming sites, chatbots and more – to "ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, a safe online environment".

Children must be protected from "harmful" material and design features – for example, pornography and material which encourages eating disorders or harmful attitudes towards women – and adults must be protected from "seriously harmful" material and conduct, a much narrower list of illegal content. Breaches of the law could attract fines of up A$100m (£52m, $70m).

"The digital duty of care answers a lot of the 'what abouts' of the social media minimum age law because it's much broader; it captures all online services and it shifts the onus of responsibility from the shoulders of victims onto the shoulders of the big tech operators who seek to make money off Australian users," Communications Minister Anika Wells told the BBC.

The challenges

There's been a muted response from big tech. Meta, Snap, TikTok, X and Google, which owns YouTube, have all declined BBC requests for comment, and have not made public statements about the legislation.

In the days after the announcement, Instagram boss Adam Mosseri argued non-algorithmic feeds would mean users saw fewer posts from friends, and said he didn't believe his app was addictive – although a US jury recently ruled otherwise.

"I think we conflate the way we colloquially use the word 'addicted' – like, 'I'm addicted to this show, and I'm binge-watching it' – and clinical addiction," he told a press briefing in Sydney.

Right-wing parties in Australia – and the Trump administration – have said the algorithms proposal and the broader bill both risk forcing over-moderation and censorship.

But those who defend the law say that won't happen because you can still follow who you want and share what you want. "If adults listen to manosphere podcasts, or people post their views about the government, or make memes, or want to say the moon landing was fake – they can continue to do so without restriction," Wells said this week.

The proposal seems to be far less divisive amongst the public and online safety experts compared with Australia's social media ban for children.

However, the big question is: how will Australia implement this policy when, so far, it has been struggling to implement the ban? Surveys suggest most children who were on social media before the ban still are, and no fines have been issued.

The EU's attempt at introducing algorithm controls in 2023 – after which platforms rolled out following-only feeds – is a cautionary tale.

Social media firms have indicated the take-up of safety and control features like this has been low and cite it as evidence users like their products the way they are. Experts say there is a reason for that.

"Platforms do what the law orders, but in such a clunky way that users don't actually enjoy the option and stick with the default, algorithmic experience," researcher Chris Zomer, from the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child, wrote in The Conversation.

On Instagram for example, when you turn off the algorithm, you can't see direct messages or access your profile and settings. When you leave the app, it reverts back to an algorithm-governed feed on your return.

The only place where these issues don't exist is the Netherlands. It was changed there after a Dutch court last year found Meta in breach of the EU's Digital Services Act.

The rules for Australia aren't set in stone yet, but the government says following-only feeds must not be harder to use or less functional, that algorithm settings must be "obvious", and that they must not change without an "explicit choice" by the user, even if they leave the app.

Buoyed by her success in Australia, Contos is now taking her campaign global.

"We feel like Canada, UK, Australia are all very aligned on online safety... Then if those three jurisdictions are doing it, it could become a critical mass thing."

Though experiences like theirs helped inspire these reforms, both Flynn and Varsha are somewhat sceptical of them.

Varsha says she struggles to believe a country like Australia can outmuscle big tech: so she's not sure the Digital Duty of Care bill will work. And Flynn says lawmakers should be "realistic" about the potential of the algorithm switch: "At the end of the day we use social media as a form of entertainment."

Polling earlier this month indicated two-thirds of their fellow Gen-Zs would keep their social media algorithms – though nearly half of Australians more generally would turn theirs off.

Though Varsha admits she is unlikely to make much use of an algorithm switch, she appreciates having the choice.

"On a bad day I'm still susceptible to all of the things that I was at 17. To know that, if I'm having a bad day, I can opt out makes me feel really good."

If you've been affected by the issues raised in this story, you could speak to a health professional or an organisation that offers support. Details of organisations offering advice and support for people in the UK are available from BBC Action Line.

GTA 6 - all you need to know about Rockstar's blockbuster game

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9q20djz4wno, 4 days ago

Rockstar has released a new launch trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI, revealing more details about what is set to be the biggest game of the year.

GTA 6 became available to pre-order at midnight on 25 June in the UK and elsewhere around the world, after Rockstar revealed the game's pre-sales launch date and cover art in mid-June.

Analysts believe Rockstar's action adventure could become the most expensive game ever made, with estimates putting development costs at more than $1bn (£866m).

Here's what we do and don't know about GTA 6 so far.

When is GTA 6 coming out?

The new launch trailer again confirmed GTA 6 will be released on 19 November.

Suggesting no further delays to its release, the video gave fans a glimpse into the missions that protagonists Jason and Lucia will take part in.

It also featured a new song from French electronic music artists Justice, who were revealed to be the game's original score composers.

The game has been previously delayed twice, from autumn 2025 and May 2026.

In a statement when the second delay was announced, Rockstar said it needed extra months to finish the game with the level of polish fans had come to "expect and deserve".

Rockstar said players who pre-order will be able to begin pre-loading it on their consoles on 12 November to ensure they are able to play at launch.

How much will GTA 6 cost and what can I play it on?

The sixth game in the main series will be released on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S.

There's no news on when a PC version will be released - it's also currently unknown whether it will come to Nintendo Switch 2.

The game will cost £69.99 in the UK and $79.99 in the US - with an ultimate edition, featuring extra vehicles and weapons, priced at £89.99 and $99.99, respectively.

Physical copies of the game will contain a code for a digital download for the game inside a box, rather than a disc.

Rockstar has not yet confirmed whether an updated online mode will be released as soon as GTA 6 launches.

The game's PlayStation Store listing currently states "Grand Theft Auto VI is a single-player experience" - implying there will be no online mode at launch. But given GTA Online's success, it will likely exist at some point.

How any future age verification legislation in the UK around social media and particularly messaging in gaming could therefore affect it, if at all, is still unknown.

What is GTA 6 about, where is it set and who are its main characters?

GTA 6 will feature its first ever playable female protagonist in a 3D setting - Lucia - alongside her partner in life and crime, Jason, as a second playable character.

From what we've seen in two gameplay trailers and Netflix's extended look, the story will follow the pair in a Bonnie and Clyde-esque adventure through the seedy underbelly of America after an "easy score goes wrong".

Like other GTA games before it, the sixth chapter is set in a fictional US state - this time in Leonida, which is Rockstar's version of Florida.

Fans of previous games will be excited to hear that Vice City, which is inspired by Miami, will return, featuring as the main city within the state.

GTA 6's cover art revealed by Rockstar on 18 June made several nods to the setting with alligators and flamingos.

How long has Rockstar taken to make GTA 6?

It's no secret that GTA 6 has been a few years in the making.

The franchise's last instalment, GTA 5, was released in September 2013 - and quickly became one of the best-selling games of all time.

It's unclear whether Rockstar has been working on the sixth instalment for all of that time, however, as in 2018 it also released another huge sequel - Red Dead Redemption 2.

Rockstar confirmed for the first time that it was working on a sixth game in the series in February 2022.

The rising cost of development and immense pressure to live up to the series' hype are all contributing factors as to why gamers have had to wait so long for the game's release.

Several months later, footage and images leaked after teenage hackers targeted the company.

It has also seen some issues since, including accusations of "union-busting" by sacked workers at Rockstar North, its Edinburgh HQ, where developers have been racing to get GTA 6 ready for release in November.

Why is there so much excitement about it?

To put it simply, the GTA franchise is one of the biggest and most profitable entertainment properties in history.

GTA 5 has sold nearly 230 million copies, making it one of the best-selling games of all time - which has generated billions of dollars in revenue for Rockstar.

The game's sandbox gameplay, where players can explore vast open worlds with considerable freedom - sometimes controversially - has seen it be continuously lauded as the ultimate expression for what the interactive medium can do.

Freelance video games journalist Vic Hood said each entry in the series "continued to push technical and gameplay boundaries", with GTA Online helping to "pioneer the live service model as we know it".

She added that the games were also "extremely culturally relevant" too.

"Rockstar has always had its finger on the pulse of music, entertainment, societal, political, celebrity, and online culture trends, and they've never shied away from satirising these things in GTA games," she said.

British gaming entrepreneur Sir Ian Livingstone told the BBC's Today programme that the series, originally developed in Scotland, was "bigger than any film or song" and an "incredible achievement in interactive software".

Speculation as to how a sixth game can top even the gigantic heights of its predecessor has meant that any latest news, no matter how small, has been met with a flurry of hype and excitement.

Both of GTA 6's previous gameplay trailers currently have a total of roughly 447 million views combined.

Gig-going artist draws 'crazy crowds' from mosh pit

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ck98z9n67gd3o, today

Most people can't even hold a drink when they're among the crowd at the front of a gig - but for Yorkshire artist Sam Joesbury, being thrown around in the mosh pit is where he creates his best work.

The 22-year-old, from York, started drawing at concerts last year, and what started as a hobby has led to him sketching at several gigs a week, sharing his work on social media and gaining thousands of fans online.

"It was all a bit of a joke and a laugh until I realised, no one else is doing this and it is actually really fun," he said.

"Some of the favourite bands I've drawn live include Basht, who I am on tour with now, but also Turnstile live at the Piece Hall, Fontaines D.C. at Leeds Festival and Kneecap, who were just crazy."

He added: "I really love getting involved with some of the most crazy crowds. It really brings out the fact that this is about getting involved, getting my hands dirty and getting into the most lively atmosphere that I possibly can."

Sam, who has a degree in Fine Art from Lancaster University, said he started sketching the crowds in his notebook before the concerts began - but soon realised the real magic was in capturing the energy of the night.

He said: "After the first few drawings that were done beforehand, I got caught out by one of the bands and I decided it's probably time to do it for real.

"It was a question of, is this even good, is it worth it, am I stressing myself out by trying to make the drawing look good?

"Then I realised this is about having fun, and when I stopped worrying I started focussing on having the drawing replicate the experience that I was having.

"That's when I started going a bit bonkers and getting [into] mosh pits and rowdy crowds.

"That's when the drawings came to life and became a document of the experience rather than just a drawing of a band on an occasion."

His first drawing was at a Drake concert, but he has since drawn the Kaiser Chiefs, A$AP Rocky, The K's and Keo.

The artist, who has more than 20,000 followers on Instagram, said he started drawing because he had been working on hyperrealism for years.

The genre includes drawings which are lifelike and high resolution, almost like a photograph.

He also loves drawing at gigs to shine a light on new music and grassroots venues - and while he loves hard rock, metal and rap, he credits his sister Grace with the indie music knowledge that helps him find new crowds to draw.

"I am not just thinking about what is going to do well for me, I love shedding light on the bands, but my sister is all about shedding light onto every band," he said.

"My sister Grace, you will find her at any small gig, her indie knowledge is off the chart."

Grace, a student at university in Leeds, is often the one filming Joe as he works.

"There is not much representation for these smaller indie bands," he said.

"All they have to do is give me the opportunity to come and draw them, and it is a bit of promo and a bit of fun for me.

"It is impossible to do an accurate drawing in a mosh pit so people say why bother doing it?

"Well it's not about it looking how it is meant to look, it is about doing something unique and capturing the energy and atmosphere and providing something for the fans, and for the band, as a memento for that specific occasion.

"It is capturing that unique venue, with that specific crowd and that specific set list, where there is a different energy and it is different every time."

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.

Metal detecting 'gives your brain a break' from screens

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmlyl0jp206ro, yesterday

In an age dominated by screens, social media and artificial intelligence (AI), metal detecting enthusiasts say the hobby helps them escape the digital world and slow down.

For cousins Lucilla Gray and Eleanor Bruce, what started as a hobby during the Covid pandemic evolved into a way to switch off from modern life's constant distractions.

The pair, from Lincolnshire, have been metal detecting for six years.

In that time they have uncovered Roman brooch fragments, a Medieval buckle and a Victorian needle casing with an incredible women's history tied to it.

But for them, the appeal is more than finding treasure. It is about escaping screens, spending time outdoors and being present in the moment.

"If you struggle with your mental health, I think metal detecting can really help with grounding, giving you focus," Lucilla, 34, says.

"It helps to stop overthinking things and you have to be really present in what you're doing. It's a good way to give your brain a bit of a break."

Eleanor says people are returning to more nostalgic hobbies, like metal detecting, to combat the fast-paced world of social media and artifical intelligence (AI).

"There is quite a trend at the minute for returning to what people deem as being nostalgic hobbies," the 27-year-old says.

"I think metal detecting is certainly one of them - it's like all the people still shooting on 35 millimetre film.

"There's this massive trend of going back in time because our world is developing and expanding so rapidly with social media and AI."

'Quite something'

Alan Tamblyn, general secretary of the National Council for Metal Detecting (NCMD), said the pastime is becoming increasingly popular, with about 50,000 people taking part, compared to 20,000 about five years ago.

According to the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS), there were nearly 80,000 finds recorded in 2024. Metal detectorists accounted for 94% of all recorded finds.

Alan believes its growing popularity is being fuelled by an increasing interest in history, as well as a desire to step away from the pressures of modern society.

"You're re-engaging with nature, you've got the fresh air, you're just switching off and listening to the bird song," he says. "Being out in the middle of nowhere on a sunny day is quite something."

Alan explains the hobby's appeal has also widened beyond its traditional audience of older men, with more families and women getting involved.

'Women's voices'

Lucilla agrees: "Stereotypically, metal detecting, and also being interested in history, is very male-dominated.

"It's really important to have more women's voices in these spaces and also telling stories of some of the finds and history that maybe wouldn't be spotlighted because it's coming from two younger women."

The pair, who call themselves Roman Found on social media, even wrote a book called Things We Found in the Ground, detailing their journey.

In the book, they explain one of their finds was a needle casing which depicts a portrait of Princess Helena.

She was one of the founders of the Royal School of Needlework which empowered women at the beginning of the suffrage.

Despite attracting increasing numbers of people, Alan says metal detecting is more than just a hobby, it is about rewriting history.

"The things that we find like medieval coins, Roman coins, artefacts, Medieval, brooches and buckles - all of those items tell a story and they are part of our shared national heritage," he says.

One person who has contributed to Lincolnshire's national heritage is Rafal Wesolowski from Boston.

The 50-year-old unearthed a rare early medieval silver-gilt finger ring with a runic inscription in a field in Quadring in South Holland in May 2024.

Rafal reported the find to the PAS and experts from the University of Nottingham had confirmed its early medieval date and importance.

Archaeologist Dr Lisa Brundle described it as one of "the most significant" archaeological finds ever recorded in the area.

Despite the rare ring being one of his favourite finds, he says the recognition and helping shape local history, it is not why he does what he does.

Rafal says he loves metal detecting because it helps him slow down.

Growing up loving sport and being busy, he says it helps him stay calm and encourages him to do engage in other mindful hobbies like reading books about the artefacts he has found.

"Finding new coins, new artefacts makes me happy," he says. "I read more history and get more excited about what I find."

He adds: "One day at an event for metal detectors... I remember sleeping in a tent, waking up early, everybody sleeps, making a coffee.

"I see the mountain, little bees, the forest and the field... this is beautiful."

As well as helping them get away from screens, the hobby also brought Eleanor, who grew up in Lincolnshire, and Lucilla, who grew up in New Zealand, together.

"I think being able to reconnect with that side of my family and heritage was quite important in finding somewhere to belong," Lucilla, who has now moved back to Lincolnshire, says.

Alan adds: "Once people get into it, it really is a community. It really is a family.

"One question we get asked a lot is, 'what's the best thing we've discovered?' I can honestly say, cheesy as it is, the biggest thing and most important thing that I found while in my 28 years of metal detecting is the people.

"I've met some amazing people and that continues."

Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North.

Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices

How wedding content creators take you from aisle to Insta

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq8ezwr675r8o, yesterday

From the nerves before the ceremony to the tears of laughter during the best man's speech, Jade Burton is documenting every moment on her smartphone.

The 22-year-old, from Poole in Dorset, is one of a growing number of wedding content creators - a job that did not exist just a few years ago.

She films and edits social media-ready videos, giving newlyweds a record of their day just 24 hours after they say "I do".

For couples eager to share their big day on Instagram and TikTok, it's a service bridging the gap between the wedding itself and the professional photos that arrive weeks later.

As guests mingle in the autumn sunshine and staff put the finishing touches to the reception room, Burton hovers with her phone.

She started her wedding content creator business, Wed In Focus, in July.

"With the way technology's evolved and the rise of social media, naturally the way we document memories has changed a lot over time," she said.

Unlike a traditional videographer who might take a few months to produce a polished wedding film, Burton edits short-form, vertical videos called highlight reels that can be shared the next day.

"It'll kind of tell the wedding story, right from getting ready, through to first looks and ceremony, walking down the aisle - all the key moments."

Industry experts say the number of content creators has grown rapidly since first appearing in the UK wedding market in 2022.

Wedding website, Hitched, reported a rise in searches for wedding content creators in 2025.

Nikita Thorne, the UK Wedding Association's digital wedding expert and head of strategy at Oxfordshire-based Guides for Brides, said it was down to a combination of social media's growing influence on weddings and the relatively low cost of launching a content creation business.

"We've seen more content creators coming in the last couple of years where more people have been able to start a business," she said.

Thorne said the average price for a wedding content creator can range between £200 and £1,000 and usually covers the day of filming and the time spent editing.

The promise of receiving the memories within one day is proving attractive to some couples.

Between greeting guests and posing for photographs, bride Emily Errington knew there would be moments she would miss.

She hired Burton alongside a photographer and videographer to capture her wedding in Symondsbury, near Bridport in Dorset.

"I want to be looking at stuff straight away," she said.

"Right now it's all a bit of a whirlwind. I don't really know what's going on."

The couple banned guests from taking their own photos during the ceremony, knowing they would have the social media content to post themselves the following day.

"I don't want people to share videos or pictures without me having a say-so or seeing what it is that they're putting out there," she said.

"It's more for us to let the world know than anyone else."

But experts caution the growing popularity of the role has also attracted newcomers to the industry.

Thorne said the "relatively low barriers to entry" meant some people could try and do the job, despite having little experience of working at weddings.

Urging couples to check experience and credentials, she said: "A lot of people, while they might have relevant experience, such as working in social media, they're not experienced in wedding delivery."

Back at the wedding, Burton is weaving between tables and scanning the room for reactions she might otherwise miss.

She is keen to challenge the idea that the role simply involves pressing record on a smartphone.

"I think there's more to it than meets the eye. You have to have a good eye for composition, lighting, storytelling. Anticipating moments is really important.

"There's one take of the ceremony - you can't miss it."

She started by peeling potatoes, now she is one of Britain's best-known online chefs

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjkg770dgkvko, yesterday

Before she became known to millions online as the "Potato Queen", Poppy O'Toole was peeling potatoes in a village pub kitchen.

Now a chef, author and TV regular, O'Toole has built a huge following through social media, published six cookbooks and become one of Britain's best-known food personalities.

Known to viewers from programmes including Saturday Kitchen and This Morning, the Bromsgrove-born chef's journey began much closer to home.

She remembers cooking calamari after school at the age of 11, leaving her mother wondering why her daughter had decided to deep-fry squid instead of reaching for more conventional after-school snacks.

"I've just always loved food," she said.

Her first paid kitchen role came at a care home, where she prepared simple meals and delivered food and drinks to residents.

She explained how the experience showed her how much comfort food could bring, but she also cherished the conversations she had with residents, many of whom were living with dementia.

"I used to get told off so much there because I'd chat to every single person," she said.

She later took a job at The Queen's Head in Stoke Prior, initially working front of house before persuading staff to let her into the kitchen.

After impressing colleagues with a homemade pecan, caramel and chocolate tart, she was allowed to help with food preparation, including one task that would later prove fitting.

"One of my first jobs was peeling all the potatoes."

At the time, a career built around potatoes would have seemed unlikely.

O'Toole eventually secured an apprenticeship at Birmingham's Michelin-starred Purnell's after being encouraged to apply by her now husband, Tom.

She spent about three years there, before moving on to other kitchens in Birmingham and later, London.

The move south brought roles serving high-end banking clients and working at a private members' club in Mayfair.

Then came the Covid pandemic.

Like many hospitality workers, O'Toole lost her job when lockdown restrictions forced venues to close. With the industry on hold, her husband suggested she start sharing cooking videos online.

She was unconvinced.

"He'd been saying since we were about 18 that I should be doing social media," she said. "I thought everybody from work would watch it and it would be embarrassing."

Instead, the videos found an audience.

After some early success, a series of potato recipes transformed her fortunes. A clip showing crispy cubed potatoes attracted huge attention and inspired what became her popular "25 Days of Christmas Potatoes" series.

"The US found me overnight," she said.

Her popularity extends beyond potatoes, however. O'Toole said food should bring comfort and enjoyment rather than guilt, arguing that people are often encouraged to overthink what they eat.

"We're taking some of the enjoyment out of everything," she said.

As her following grew into the millions, so did her reputation as the "Potato Queen", a title she has embraced despite insisting potatoes deserve more respect.

"People always say 'the humble potato'," she said. "They're not humble. They're the best thing on the planet."

The success led to TV opportunities, including appearances on the likes of Saturday Kitchen and This Morning, as well as a stint judging BBC Three's Young MasterChef.

"It was amazing and horrible because you have to judge people," she joked of the role.

She revealed that many of the judges' remarks were first delivered to an empty studio before contestants enter, allowing producers to capture multiple camera angles.

Alongside her TV work, O'Toole continued writing cookbooks.

Her latest release focuses on batch cooking, an idea she developed while balancing work with pregnancy and new motherhood.

Recipes were tested repeatedly to ensure they could be frozen and reheated successfully, sometimes requiring four attempts before making the final manuscript.

Not every idea survived the process.

A mushroom and truffle risotto repeatedly failed when frozen and reheated, ultimately forcing her to abandon the dish altogether.

O'Toole admitted she still found it strange to reflect on how far she has come.

Long-term, she still dreams of opening a business of her own, perhaps even a pub, although she says her husband is quick to point out the financial realities.

For now, however, her focus is on expanding her YouTube channel and creating content with the freedom to be herself.

"It was lovely working in TV," she said. "But on YouTube you get to do what you want to do."

Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.

No further action against government adviser's wife over Palestine Action post, police say

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cv8ez40yz950o, yesterday

Police say no further action will be taken against the wife of the government's national security adviser after she posted on social media referencing Palestine Action.

Sarah Helm, who is married to Jonathan Powell, wrote on X on Thursday: "God help us authors who support Palestine and Palestine Action."

She was responding to a discussion about the author Sally Rooney, whose novels will not be supplied to booksellers in the UK following her announcement that she intends to use her royalties to support the proscribed organisation.

On Saturday, the Metropolitan Police said Helm's post was "assessed by specialist officers and it was determined that it did not meet the criminal threshold".

"No further police action will be taken," the force added.

On Friday, the Met Police had said it was "in the process of being assessed to determine whether any further police investigation may be required" after it was "made aware of an X post on Thursday, 15 October referencing Palestine Action".

Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in July 2025. Support of the group is a criminal offence and punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

Best-selling author Rooney said she would donate earnings from her books to the group, which has a stated goal of "ending global participation in Israel's genocidal and apartheid regime".

As a result, Rooney's publisher, Faber, determined it could not sell her novels, including Normal People and Conversations with Friends, in the UK.

Off Campus star collaboration 'gave me chills', says Babydoll singer

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq5yndllj8d8o, yesterday

The singer behind the TikTok viral hit Babydoll says collaborating with an Off Campus star was "mind-boggling".

Jamie Miller, who is originally from Pontprennau in Cardiff, was close to calling it quits on his music career at the start of 2026, deciding it was his "last chance", financially and emotionally.

But over the summer everything changed when Babydoll caught the attention of people on social media, leading to a viral dance, his first UK top 10 single, and reaching number one in the US iTunes pop chart.

When Miller saw a comment from actor Antonio Cipriano, saying he "needed this song", he sent him a message suggesting he feature on a recording – then "panicked" and added "haha, joking".

"I'm a fan of Antonio's voice, and I have been a fan for a long time," he said.

"He messaged back and was like, 'If you're actually not joking, I'd be honoured'."

Cipriano headed to Los Angeles, where Miller now lives, and they recorded Babydoll on the day they first met.

"It was the best time ever," said Miller.

"We're coming up at the same time, he has an amazing career in acting and I feel like the stars aligned even for us to do this and the world is rallying around us as a duo too. The opportunities that we're having right now are incredible."

Amazon Prime Video's ice hockey romance series Off Campus – based on a book series by Elle Kennedy - has similarly taken the world by storm this year, ranking as the third most-watched series launch in the platform's history.

It has raised the profile of numerous artists, with a soundtrack merging old favourites with new music.

Asked if he would like to be involved with the series in future, Miller said: "I'm such a fan of the show. I think it's absolutely incredible what they're doing, what Antonio is doing. In any capacity, I would love to. We'll see."

On Friday, the original version of Babydoll moved from number three to number two in the official UK charts - beaten only by Taylor Swift's Patient Zero.

Cipriano told BBC Wales Miller was "one of the best vocalists I've ever heard", adding he had been a fan of Miller's voice "for years".

He described becoming "instant best friends" on their first meeting because they're "very similar... like a twin flame situation".

"Especially in the music industry, I'm new to it but I know and have heard that it's not necessarily always the easiest thing to find genuine connections and relationships in this field, and it feels as genuine as it can get. I love him."

He added Miller's music was a "breath of fresh air".

"It's making people dance again... [let's] get it to number one in the UK baby."

Miller also recently supported The Jonas Brothers on the US leg of their tour, and said bringing Cipriano out as a guest star at some of the shows was "mind-boggling".

"I think the easiest thing about it was we're doing it together, for the first time. It was his first arena, it was my first arena, and I think that's the most amazing situation to be in, because we can lean on each other.

"Backstage we would say to each other, 'we're so lucky, our lives are not normal, we're going out to play for 20,000 people, what are we doing bro?'.

"Introducing him gave me chills because, as well as my dreams coming true right now, his dreams are too.

"It's so nice and needed, to have a friend who can guide you through."

Asked about the possibility of Miller joining him on Off Campus, Cipriano said: "That would be awesome. Like, if he came on as the musical guest and then Logan just randomly got up there and sang with him - that's cool."

At 19, Miller competed in The Voice UK, coming third place with coach Jennifer Hudson.

But his love for music first began accidentally, when he took part in a primary school show.

"If you auditioned for the play, then you got to skip out math class," he recalled.

"Just to see the reaction from the teachers after they asked me to sing a song, was just absolutely like 'I want to do this, this is actually incredible.'

"All my mates were rugby players and football players, whereas I just wanted to do music. After that one audition, I was hooked."

Now 29, Miller admits the past couple of years have been "really tough", adding changes in the music industry and in his personal life had left him feeling quite lost.

"Going into this year was my last chance to try and cut through. This industry is really hard, it's really expensive as well," he said.

"I think the thing with success, people think you have a lot of money... I didn't really see that side of that. So financially, this year, I couldn't really make it work anymore. I was on my last legs."

He continued: "Going into this year, I'd built my career off sad music, and I'm not sad anymore, I'm happy.

"I think Babydoll maybe brought a bit of light to a world that needed it. I know that sounds really cliché to say, but I do feel that is true, we needed some joy."

Miller said the whirlwind nature of Babydoll's success had led to accusations he was an "industry plant" - someone who appears to be self-made, while actually having backing from significant investors or supporters.

"I wish I was an industry plant, I've done this for nine years," he said with a laugh.

"At first, I was getting told this was coming across as a gimmick. But that's the thing, I'm not trying to be cool, I'm trying to just have fun.

"Literally, my mentality was 'if I'm going out, and this is my last chance at music, I'm going out my way.'"

Miller said he "never had any social media campaign" planned and it "happened the most organic way possible".

As the Babydoll dance took hold of social media, Miller collaborated with an array of stars including actors Jennifer Love Hewitt, Lucy Hale and Julianne Hough, as well as popstar Meghan Trainor.

"All these incredible people I've been able to do it with, they've said it themselves, they've said 'we needed this song'.

"From all sides of the world, it's kind of unified people in a way, and it's just a beautiful thing to be a part of something that made someone smile."

Miller said he was "proud" of his new music and was excited to share his latest album with the world and to tour it – in particular, he said, to bring it to Wales.

Cipriano added he had never been to Wales but it "looked like a beautiful place" and he "would absolutely love to", in particular to meet Miller's family, with whom he had "instantly hit it off".

Miller said the non-stop nature of the past couple of months had been "really hard to process".

"It feels like so many life changes are happening around me, but I'm still the same person. It's dystopian, in a way.

"Especially being from Wales, you don't really see stuff like this happening to people all the time. Tom Jones is absolutely incredible, but I feel like he's really been the one that's flown the flag, and rightfully so.

"I'm very appreciative for everything that's going on right now, and thank my lucky stars. I just hope I'm doing Wales proud, to be honest."

The AI photo shortcut experts say parents should avoid

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crpdgz2nqe59o, 2 days ago

Experts are urging parents to think carefully before uploading photographs of their children to artificial intelligence (AI) tools, amid concerns over how images could be stored, reused or shared.

The warning comes as some parents have been using AI to remove watermarks from school photos to avoid paying for them.

While specialists say AI can bring benefits, they urge families to check how platforms handle uploaded images and whether photographs may be used to train AI models.

"It's not about avoiding AI altogether," said George Martin, security and data protection adviser at South West Grid for Learning. "It's about understanding what happens to those images once they've been uploaded."

What happens when you upload a photo to AI?

AI tools are increasingly used to edit photographs, generate images, translate documents and help with everyday tasks.

Supporters say the technology can save time and improve accessibility. However, questions remain about how platforms use the data people upload.

"Parents have limited visibility over what happens to the images once they're uploaded," Martin said.

"The second point is how that image could be used. An image of a child's school photograph could train a model."

Most platforms allow users to change settings to stop uploaded content being used for training, although these options vary between services.

Martin explained that it is possible to change the settings on the AI platform to instruct it not to use images to train models.

"Most AI platforms default to that if they can so it is important to have a look at those settings," he added.

Martin said AI could clearly bring benefits and value to schools, while helping staff deliver the curriculum and reducing workload, adding: "South West Grid for Learning has developed AI guidelines for schools and education establishments.

"We were keen to strike the balance between schools taking advantage of all of the benefits and value it can bring."

Is AI itself the problem?

The debate reflects wider concerns about sharing children's photos online.

David Ellis, professor of behavioural science at the University of Bath, said people should not be frightened away from technology that can improve their lives.

However, he is sceptical about uploading children's photos to AI systems.

"I wouldn't do it. I say that in a blunt way," Ellis said.

"I make a distinction between a local system and a cloud system," he said.

"There are powerful AI systems that are disconnected from the internet and if you upload it to that it won't go anywhere.

"It's similar to considering whether you should put your children's photos on social media because ironically, they can be scanned by AI.

"People need to be clear about where the data goes. And AI companies need to make it clear.

"We're learning as we go."

Is it safe to upload photos of your child to AI?

Dr Simon Thorne, a senior computer science lecturer at Cardiff School of Technologies, urged caution when uploading identifiable images.

He said as a general rule, people should "never upload any personable identifiable photos".

"It's a terrible idea. It's a big risk," he said.

Thorne said users often have little visibility over how uploaded images are stored or reused.

Thorne added: "The dataset could get leaked online potentially and your material can be used to train future generations of the model.

"The image could be sold - you have no idea."

Why are parents using AI with school photos?

Some parents say they can understand why people are using AI to get school photos of their children without paying.

Rocío Thenmeyer, a mum from Bristol, said she had not used AI in this way, but the cost of buying the photos year on year made getting the genuine photos too expensive for some.

"It's either turning to AI or actually not spend the money on buying the pictures," she said.

"It's easy to do, there's plenty of AI tools that allow you to do that.

"I understand why we should be more careful with the images of our children on social media or the internet," she added.

"But if people decide, you know what, we already have all of our pictures on social media, we already use everything on the internet, we don't care about where pictures of our kids go, then I understand why they would."

Why are some experts concerned?

Campaigners say photos uploaded online can be difficult to remove and may be reused in ways users did not expect.

Concerns have also grown as AI-generated imagery becomes more sophisticated.

A recent report published by the charity Internet Watch Foundation, which works to stop child sexual abuse online, shows that more AI-generated child sexual abuse images were found by them in the first six months of 2026 than all of 2025

"This is real. The impact and the trauma is real. What would a parent think if that was to happen to their child, when they upload the image of their child, if that was to appear in that inappropriate manner?" Martin said.

"Once the image is up there it's virtually impossible to have it removed. You can't. Once it's in there, that's it."

What information can a photo reveal?

Martin said a lot of parents may not be aware that each photograph has its own metadata, particularly with school photographers.

"It contains information around where the photo was taken, it might contain information about the school," Martin said.

"That metadata can then be used by others who are also deploying AI to find out a whole amount of information about that child in the photograph, even where they go to school.

"There are those that could take advantage of having that information.

"Those images in the wrong hands can be misused, repurposed, to create synthetic child sex abuse material."

What should parents do before uploading photos to AI?

Experts recommend:

* Checking whether uploaded images are used to train AI models

* Reviewing privacy settings before uploading photographs

* Avoiding images that show school uniforms, badges or locations

* Removing metadata where possible

* Understanding whether images are stored locally or on cloud servers

Martin added that it is important to build awareness of the dangers before considering uploading an image.

"What appears to be an opportunity to save a few pounds, the longer-term implications are considerable," Martin said.

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How has community reacted to major data centre plan?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6ly3gprvmn5o, 2 days ago

The demand for new data centres could lead to one of the biggest in the country, being built in a rural Fenland village.

Evolution Power Limited (EPL) revealed on Thursday it wants to create the facility on farmland near Tilney St Lawrence, a few miles from King's Lynn.

It would require up to one gigawatt (GW) of power at any given time and the firm also wants to build a large solar farm that would generate up to 1.3GW, to support it.

The scheme, named Longmarsh Green Energy, is already causing concern, with residents saying they have been left "shocked" by the scale of the site. Here is what we know so far.

Where would it be built?

The data centre itself would be built south of the A47 in an area dominated by farmland.

As well as the data centre, there are proposals for a solar farm to be developed across two sites - on land surrounding the data centre and another close to the villages of Fincham and Barton Bendish.

Combined, they would cover about 4,695 acres (1,900 hectares).

The data centre would also connect to the existing electricity substation at Walpole.

The developer has claimed thousands of construction jobs would be created, along with more than 500 "direct operational roles" on site. If approved, the centres are planned to be operational by 2032.

Who is in charge of Evolution Power?

EPL was founded in 2021 and is run by directors Giles Frampton and Conor McNally.

Partnering with the Finnish firm Korkia - which has invested in energy projects in Europe, North and South America – the company has "ambitious" plans for renewable schemes in the UK.

Those have included a 474 acre (192 hectare) scheme at Ashford in Kent and a 262 acre (106 hectare) scheme near Luton Airport, which was rejected by the local council but approved on appeal.

Earlier this year Sevenoaks District Council turned down proposals for a solar farm on greenbelt land.

Frampton and McNally are also behind the controversial plan for a waste incinerator near Dorset's Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.

Dorset Council refused permission for the incinerator in 2023 but the decision was overturned by the government following an appeal.

The developers said the Longmarsh Green Energy project would create "essential infrastructure for the modern economy" and would support "digital services people use every day".

Who will decide if it is built and when?

The scale of the proposal deems it a nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP), so the ultimate decision rests with the government rather than the local council.

However residents can still have their say and a consultation is currently open via the project's website until 26 November. An application is due to be submitted by April 2027.

It could take six months for the plans to be examined by the Planning Inspectorate. A decision could be made by July 2028.

What are people saying?

Following the release of the plans this week, people living nearby have been "shocked" by the scale of the scheme.

Sophie Pendrick said she felt "scared" due to the unknown disruption it could bring and she is worried about the water usage.

"It looks huge," she said, adding: "Why here when there is other places they could look at where the land isn't so rich, like brownfield sites?"

Sam Patel, a shop and pub owner, said the data centre could be "great for the nation" but he wanted to know what the benefit would be for the community.

He is also worried about the construction traffic.

Alistair Beales, Independent leader of the Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk, said he accepted renewal energy was important, but felt Norfolk was seeing most of the green energy projects coming forward in the country.

" I think that is problematic for our local communities," he added.

Beales said he also questioned whether the site's close proximity to RAF Marham could pose a stumbling block for the scheme.

He said: "We have seen objections elsewhere because of the dazzle [from solar farms].

"We are talking about national security here."

Other issues could include the potential harm to nearby nature sites and highway concerns, Beales said.

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Our business ads were taken down for saying 'pregnancy' on Instagram

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvj6jznp9ww9o, 3 days ago

When Irene Breen got a notification in January 2025 that Instagram was removing adverts for her company's pregnancy pillows, she was confused. What was so offensive about a pillow?

She was later told on a call with Meta that the problem was the word "pregnancy".

"We had to scrub the word from our entire website… from the product name," Breen said. "We had to remove all our URLs which had pregnancy in them and rename them all."

The restrictions were eventually lifted but, she said, it took 10 months of conversations with Instagram's parent company Meta - by which time her business had suffered a significant financial hit.

Meta, which also owns Facebook, told the BBC that while businesses can run adverts that promote wellness, sexual health and reproductive products and services, there are restrictions to avoid users across countries and cultures having a negative experience.

The company initially declined to comment on individual cases. After the BBC’s story was published, a spokesperson added: “The suggestion that the word 'pregnancy' cannot be used on our platforms is incorrect. To be clear, people can freely use the word 'pregnancy' in posts, and share and discuss pregnancy-related content.”

It's not just businesses taking out paid adverts who claim their content has been unfairly restricted.

Women's health creators and charities have told us their content has been removed, had sensitivity filters added, or had its reach suppressed - a practice known as "shadowbanning".

The campaign group CensHERship monitors claims that women's health content is being suppressed.

In a report last month, it surveyed nearly 200 creators, clinical providers, health brands, charities, and educators - 96% of whom said they had experienced restrictions in some form.

Sensitivity filters heavily blur posts requiring users to press a button before they can see it and are usually reserved for graphic imagery - including nudity or violence.

Dr Carolina Are, a digital criminologist at the London School of Economics who studies social media moderation of women's content, said research shows AI is often used to flag posts that might breach platform guidelines.

But that can mean an "algorithm misdetecting" content, as it is created to do, storing that information to repeat "previous mistaken decisions", she warns.

The system often uses automated messages, Are says, which can mean users are then unable to question a decision.

'Life-saving health information'

Some hashtags just don't appear on Instagram, said Athena Lamnisos, CEO of gynaecological cancer charity Eve Appeal.

"One of the hashtags, unbelievably, was #vaginalcancer."

"We put a post on Instagram about vulval anatomy - it was very clearly an anatomical diagram with labels around it, talking about vulval cancer and the need to check for changes, lumps and bumps. It was pulled."

The charity appealed, which was initially denied - but after several weeks the post "suddenly reappeared" behind a sensitivity filter.

Lamnisos added it wasn't exaggerating to say that "life-saving health information isn't getting to the people who need it most".

Despite her raising this with Meta, the problem has continued, she said.

'Like an obstacle course'

Deirdre O'Neill, from fertility test company Hertility, said it had a similar issue with a Facebook and Instagram video featuring a woman with endometriosis.

"She doesn't sell our services, she doesn't talk about Hertility, she simply describes her pain," O'Neill said.

But the video was removed by Meta, she said, and classified as political content.

Asked about Eve Appeal and Hertility's cases, Meta did not comment specifically, but said it allows women's health content on its platforms, and is consulting with women's health organisations to improve systems.

Trying to advertise on TikTok has also become "like an obstacle course", O'Neill added.

"It's so much resource to try and put something forward that it ends up not being worth our time, because everything gets appealed, flagged, removed," she said.

TikTok said while certain content can't be promoted on the For You feed, it's transparent about posts that fall into this category and lets creators know so they can appeal.

It added that millions of women share health stories on the platform, including with hashtags like #Period and #Endometriosis.

Self-censorship

CensHERship found the number of respondents self-censoring as a result of shadowbanning had gone up, from 53% in 2025 to 65% this year.

This includes using euphemistic terms such as "seggs" instead of "sex", using asterisks or emojis, and avoiding certain topics altogether.

CensHERship co-founder Clio Wood said this was "really damaging", because "women's health historically has been surrounded by shame and guilt… and we are just reinforcing [that]".

Are told the BBC that platforms' policies "tend to be incredibly broad, whereby more often than not, nudity is conflated with sexual activity".

And this ultimately hurts audiences, Wood said.

"We talk to so many people who say, 'The only reason I found out about my vulval cancer was because Eve Appeal posted about those symptoms, and then I researched it and could ask my doctor the right questions'," she said.

But Wood said that, since starting CensHERship in 2024, she has noticed that social media companies "can see this is something that they need to engage on now.".

"It's all very well the policy saying XYZ content is allowed, but if the algorithm is still flagging all of that content and suppressing it, that's where the problem comes in," she said.

"I think within the platforms those departments are very siloed - so what we would love is for those conversations to be much more holistic."

Russian man linked to deadly London hospitals hack arrested

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9vgr61kml3mo, 3 days ago

German police have detained a Russian man accused of being part of a cyber-crime gang which caused chaos at London hospitals and contributed to a patient's death.

The hack of blood testing company Synnovis in 2024 led to disrupted pathology services across several London hospitals and was the first cyber attack in history to be directly linked to a death.

The BBC can confirm German detectives are now including the incident in their investigation into the detained Russian and his associates.

Separately, the BBC has learned that British police are examining whether its own inquiry may lead to an unlawful killing case - potentially a world first in cyber-crime.

The detained suspect is a 28-year-old Russian man named by German press as Vladimir K.

He was arrested in Japan in May when he travelled to the country for a holiday.

According to German officials, the suspect's holiday plans were intercepted and he was arrested by Japanese police when he entered the country.

He is accused of being one of the core members of the Qilin cyber-crime gang - which has allegedly hacked more than 4,000 organisations since 2024 and extorted more than $140m (£105m) from victims.

Vladimir K was wanted in Germany for hacking into a logistics company in September 2024, encrypting data on its systems and extorting it for around $160,000 in cryptocurrency.

While his extradition was first reported in early October, the BBC can now confirm German police are including the Synnovis hack in their investigations.

Synnovis hack

Synnovis is diagnostics and pathology service which operates as a partnership between the hospitals and German company Synlab.

A critical incident was declared at some London hospitals after the provider was targeted by Qilin on 3 June 2024, with blood transfusion services severely disrupted, operations cancelled and emergency patients diverted elsewhere.

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, one of two trusts heavily impacted, confirmed a year after the hack that one patient had also "died unexpectedly".

A spokesperson for the trust said a number of contributing factors led to the patient's death including "a long wait for a blood test result".

"The patient safety incident investigation identified a number of contributing factors that led to the patient's death," they said at the time.

A similar attack in 2020 by a different hacker group on a hospital in Düsseldorf in Germany led to a negligent homicide investigation being opened after an elderly patient died.

It was later dropped after medical experts concluded the patient's condition was so severe that they would have died regardless of the issues caused by the cyber-attack.

Prosecutors could also not definitively prove that it was the direct cause of death.

In total, the Synnovis hack in 2024 disrupted more than 10,000 appointments and caused weeks of disruption.

The hackers also threatened to publish the data on their dark net website unless Synnovis paid a ransom.

The criminals eventually published the highly private data online after no ransom was paid.

At the time, they told the BBC the hack was not just for the money but to protest the UK's lack of help in the Russian war on Ukraine.

But the hackers did not say if they were from Russia or Ukraine, and their claims were dismissed as an attempt to distance themselves from the cyber-crime extortion tactics Qilin were known for.

The group, which has been tracked since 2022, is behind a string of criminal hacks targeting schools, hospitals, companies, councils and health organisations.

It was also behind the high profile and disruptive hack on Japanese beer maker Asahi in October 2025.

It is very rare for hackers to be arrested in Russia as its government refuses to co-operate with Western law enforcement requests.

Amazon opens new £107m distribution centre

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq5ynlmzv1n7o, 3 days ago

Online retail giant Amazon has opened a new £107m distribution centre in Peterborough, which is set to create 1,400 jobs in the city.

The building, on Flaxley Road, is next to an existing site the company runs, which opened in 2010. It currently employs more than 1,000 members of staff.

The 690,000 sq ft site is part of the company's £40bn UK investment plan for 2025-27 and is expected to ship up to five million items a week.

Tomislav Batinic, Amazon's site leader, said: "This site is a complete reinvention of how we run part of our logistics operation, and a historic moment for Amazon. It is the first of its kind in the UK and the largest in Europe."

Nothing is shipped directly to customers from the new centre.

Instead, it holds products customers buy most often, such as household essentials like pet food and toilet paper, and feeds them out to about 20 fulfilment centres across the country, where they are combined with the rest of a customer's order for delivery.

It is the first of Amazon's One Distribution Centres in the UK, aimed at reducing "processing steps" and speeding up deliveries.

It has capacity to store 16 million items at peak, which the company said was roughly twice that of other sites.

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'They handled it exactly the right way': How the Kennedys averted the 1962 Cuban missile crisis

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20261015-the-men-who-averted-the-1962-cuban-missile-crisis, today

Between 14 and 28 October 1962, the world came to the brink of nuclear war. According to insiders who spoke to the BBC, the expertise of President John F Kennedy and his brother Robert saved the day.

It was, said a BBC Panorama presenter on 29 October 1962, "the most dangerous week in the whole history of mankind".

On 14 October, US aerial photographs had shown that the Soviets had secretly been installing nuclear missiles on the island of Cuba, 90 miles (150km) from the US coast. Over the following 14 days, a confrontation between the two superpowers threatened to boil over – and the world teetered on the brink of nuclear war.

The crisis was ultimately averted when the Soviets agreed to remove their weapons. In the years since then, insiders have spoken to the BBC, revealing surprising insights into the tactics behind the scenes during 14 days that shook the world. The Soviets' climb-down, it turned out, was influenced by US President John F Kennedy and Robert Kennedy's expert statesmanship – and a chance conversation overheard in a Washington bar.

Throughout the summer of 1962, more than 40,000 Soviet soldiers, engineers and technicians arrived in the Cuban port of Havana, posing as tourists and agricultural specialists, and covertly installing nuclear missiles on the island.

On 14 October, a US spy plane spotted evidence of the missiles, sparking the crisis. Arthur Lundahl, then the CIA's head of photo intelligence, told the BBC's Timewatch in 1992 about the moment when they realised exactly what they were seeing. "I put my head over the eyepiece and adjusted the viewfinders and took one long look at that. And I looked up at them and I said, 'I know what you're thinking. And I'm thinking the same thing… We're looking at Soviet-type medium-range ballistic missile sites, right?'"

In fact, Soviet activity in Cuba had sparked concerns in the US for weeks beforehand, prompting President Kennedy to request more detailed intelligence. According to the US Secretary of Defense at that time, Robert McNamara, the spy plane revelation came after multiple previous warnings.

"I think the [US military] received 5,000 reports of missiles being introduced into Cuba, and they investigated them and finally concluded they were erroneous," he told Timewatch. "They couldn't believe that wise political authorities… would run the risk of introducing those missiles into Cuba because there was very little advantage to be gained by it and very heavy risks associated with it."

A high-stakes poker game

The discovery of Soviet missiles on Cuba was kept secret from the world by order of the US president, until he announced it in a speech on 22 October. In the meantime, Kennedy had a pre-arranged meeting with the Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko, on 18 October.

What happened next was relayed to the BBC in 2002 by Gromyko's translator that day, the British-educated Viktor Sukhodrev. "We went, as usual, to the Oval Office. Kennedy was sitting in his customary rocking chair and Gromyko was sort of next to him and there were two couches opposite each other and a little table in between with a drawer," he told the BBC's former Moscow correspondent Allan Little. "It was civilised, if not the friendliest of discussions. I somehow felt that Kennedy was rather tense."

As Little summed it up, "Gromyko knew about the missiles. Kennedy knew about the missiles. But neither man revealed his hand. What passed between them was a dialogue of illusion and insinuation, a poker game in which the stakes were the lives of all of us."

Kennedy had the aerial photographs at arm's length – but chose not to confront Gromyko with the images. "They were in the drawer of that table," said Sukhodrev. "Kennedy never once mentioned the word missile, and he never touched that drawer. And I don't know, and no one ever will know, what Gromyko would have said had Kennedy shown him those photographs… But the plain fact is that Gromyko did not have to lie. The question was not put to him."

Instead, Kennedy repeated a public statement he'd given on 4 September, warning that the introduction of offensive weapons into Cuba would bring the "gravest consequences" – and Gromyko read out his own statement, asserting that Soviet aid to Cuba was purely defensive and did not pose a threat to the US.

Yet Kennedy had already convened a war cabinet, known as Excomm, and within days would declare the existence of the photos to the world. Secret recordings of the cabinet revealed the guessing games being played by the US during those tense days.

"He's initiated the danger, really, hasn't he? He's the one playing God, not us," said Kennedy, with a member of Excomm replying: "We've never really believed that Khrushchev would take on a general nuclear war over Cuba… I must say I don't really see the rationality of the Soviets pushing it this far."

The fateful barroom conversation

The cabinet was divided over what action to take, with further U-2 flights revealing that the missile bases were nearing completion. The Joint Chiefs of Staff preferred a course that involved military action. "There had to be a final decision made… as to what our reaction was going to be," Dean Rusk, the then US Secretary of State, told Timewatch. "We were sitting around the cabinet table, and the president was the last one to come in, and we rose as he entered the room. And he looked around the table and said, 'Well, gentlemen, today we're going to earn our pay.'"

Kennedy ruled out an immediate airstrike followed by invasion, fearing the dangers of escalation. Instead he announced a strict quarantine on all offensive military equipment under shipment to Cuba, demanding that the missile sites be dismantled.

More like this:

• The CIA spy plane shot down over Russia in 1960

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Khrushchev's subsequent decision to withdraw was also influenced by an incident that only came to light after the Soviet Union collapsed. On 25 October, "Khrushchev, eyeball-to-eyeball with the West for three days, blinked," reported Allan Little in 2002. "The story of why he blinked is extraordinary and chilling."

An undercover KGB agent in Washington, posing as the Washington correspondent for the Soviet news agency Tass, had called in at the National Press Club for a drink just as the bar was closing the night before. Anatoly Gorsky got chatting to the bartender, a Russian emigre called Johnny Prokoff – who told him about a private conversation he'd overheard a couple of hours earlier between two journalists from the New York Herald Tribune, Warren Rogers and Robert Donovan.

According to Prokoff, Donovan was planning to fly to Miami that night as one of a small group of correspondents joining a US invasion force due to attack Cuba the next day. Gorsky rushed back to the Soviet embassy and messaged Moscow that an invasion was imminent.

Soviet intelligence gathering was not as advanced as Cold War paranoia might have led the US to believe, however. It turned out that the journalists had only been discussing contingency plans for covering a US invasion of Cuba, rather than confirming that an invasion was planned. Prokoff, who is not believed to have been a KGB agent, had misheard.

The terrors of a world war

Yet news of the chance encounter was sent straight to Khrushchev's desk. Troyanovsky recalled that he had been extremely alarmed by the message. "By that time, I think, he realised that this is a pretty dirty business which he got himself into."

Some believed Kennedy was playing for time all along. "People were thinking in terms of this is a situation that unless it is handled with great skill and delicacy, could certainly finish up with nuclear war," Lord Harlech, the British ambassador to the US, told the BBC in 1969. Harlech also happened to be a personal friend of Kennedy's – and his brother Robert, JFK's most trusted adviser.

"The president and Bobby entirely accepted that Khrushchev had some very, very difficult decisions to take. He had committed himself to this course of action. If he was to withdraw from it, he would need a lot of time in order to reorganise his position in the Kremlin, reorganise the Soviet position vis-à-vis its allies, vis-à-vis Cuba. And every few hours extra that they would give him would help."

Harold Macmillan, who was the British prime minister at the time of the crisis, told the BBC that the US president and his brother had precisely the right qualities that were needed during the crisis. "First, a statesman – and both Kennedys had that statesmanship – must try and see the other man's point of view. How he's got himself into that position and how to help him to get out of it... And that was the policy they pursued."

The second quality they needed was a full appreciation of "the horror… the terrible destruction" of a nuclear war. "And yet they mustn't be overwhelmed by this horror… There's a point at which we've got to stand and make it clear to the other man we are going to stand. We mustn't therefore be frightened out of a firm and honourable position by the terrors of a world war."

In Macmillan's view, the Kennedys combined that "understanding for their opponent" with an "absolute firmness for the position which they would ultimately defend". The resolution of the crisis showed that "the men who handled it, handled it exactly the right way".

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Harry Styles debuts new track in memory of Liam Payne

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c34g180knv91o, 2 days ago

Harry Styles performed an unreleased song he wrote for his former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne.

The Grammy Award-winning star played the track, called What Is Enough, during his sold-out concert at Madison Square Garden, on the second anniversary of Payne's death.

Styles is currently performing at the New York venue as part of a residency on his record-breaking Together, Together tour.

Addressing the packed crowd on Friday night, the singer paid tribute to Payne as a friend and someone he "wouldn't have been able to do this without".

As a spotlight shone over him, Styles made a moving speech, in which he honoured Liam Payne, who died two years ago after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.

"I feel incredibly lucky to get to play these shows here in New York, and this building means a lot to me," said the artist.

"There are so many people in my life, friends and people that I've worked with that I wouldn't have been able to do this without," he continued.

"And two years ago today, I lost one of those friends."

This was met with cheers from the audience, who were hearing What Is Enough for the first time.

Wearing a royal blue jumper with a red collar, the musician then urged fans to keep an eye out for and support each other.

"I'm sure a lot of you have been through similar things. I hope you haven't.

"But really, it's just about looking after each other."

He added that there were "so many more people who have touched my life in such special ways", thanking those who helped him get to where he is.

"I'm gonna play you a song I wrote for my friend about two years ago, if that's all right."

As he paused, passionate cheers and clapping could be heard from his fans.

The singer then began to play his guitar and perform What is Enough, which featured emotional and reflective lyrics.

As he sang out to the crowd, his band played a melodic accompaniment.

Sharing their reaction to Friday night's performance on Instagram, Harry Styles' fans described What is Enough as "beautiful".

Styles launched his solo career in 2017 after becoming a global star in One Direction.

His first album and single were both UK number ones, while his record Harry's House won a Grammy and a Brit Award after its release in 2022.

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Rebel Wilson to Taron Egerton: Hollywood stars reveal the films that mean most to them

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20261015-hollywood-stars-on-the-films-that-mean-most-to-them, 2 days ago

This year's Toronto International Film Festival featured a host of talent – and, at the BBC's exclusive photo studio, they discussed the projects that define their life and careers.

Warning: This article contains language that some people may find offensive

The Face of Horror – stars Kristine Froseth and Jonah Hauer-King

What is the film in your career that means most to you?

Kristine: Sharp Stick, a film directed by Lena Dunham. It was a very personal story to her, but to me as well. I play this girl named Sarah Jo, who has arrested growth because of some trauma that she's experienced in her life. I'm very interested in exploring trauma and the ways people cope with it, and [doing that film] to me was healing in its own way.

Jonah: A film I made this time last year called The Eden Express. It's about Kurt Vonnegut's son Mark and his descent into psychosis. The reason I mention it is because it isn't out yet, so it's all about my experience of making it and the process. It's a really beautiful thing when a film goes out into the world, because then it becomes other people's. But at the moment it still belongs to [all of us who worked on it] in a way, which is really nice.

Bedford Park – director and writer Stephanie Ahn

What does this film Bedford Park mean to you?

It's semi-autobiographical, and it's incredibly meaningful to me because it says so much about who I was up until a certain point when I became a mother. It explores the conflicts I had growing up as a Korean American and what I went through in coming to terms with two very different cultures and finding synchronicity in that. It was a very challenging and painful process at times, but I finally got to a point in my life where [with this film] I can look back on and really examine it, and that was very cathartic.

Faith – star James McAvoy

What is the film in your career that means most to you?

I think the [two] films that have meant most were probably Filth, because it was strangely quite a personal experience and character and exploration of mental health. And then Atonement, because those two characters that myself and Keira [Knightley] played just absolutely broke my heart and stayed with me. Atonement was also about the abuse of somebody from a low-income background, and the dangers of social mobility – mixing with posh people [laughs] – and I've experienced my [own] much more mundane versions of that.

Everybody Wants to F*ck Me – stars Taron Egerton, Jessica Henwick and Charly Clive

What is the film in your career that means most to you?

Taron: [Elton John biopic] Rocketman was a time in my life where I really felt a sense of being able to expand into my own creativity. Prior to then, I felt the model of a leading man in film should be kind of unimpeachable and perfect and slightly veneered, and playing Elton, the way the character was written on the page, it was all about shadow – your fallibility, the things that you're scared that you are, and the things that you're scared you aren't. It was a really important step on my journey to realising that the things that you perceive about yourself to be your weaknesses actually end up being your greatest strength.

Jessica: A film I did a few years ago called The Royal Hotel. I had been a fan of the director Kitty Green for a long time, and [it was incredible] to work with her on a project that really felt like it had something to say. It's a brilliant study into power dynamics – specifically sexual power dynamics – and binge drinking culture in remote Australia. It had a shoestring budget, and we were in the Australian outback pretending it was summer in our bikinis, and getting blasted by freezing cold winds and sand. So it was a challenge, but I loved everything about it.

Charly: This one, written and directed by Jonathan Schey. I think it's just properly British, funny, mad, intelligent, and interesting cinema, and I don't think we've had a film like it maybe ever – and it rocks.

Girl Group – director and star Rebel Wilson

What is the film in your career that means most to you?

Probably my first job in Hollywood, which was Bridesmaids. I was just a girl from Australia, and came to America with one suitcase, and then I booked this movie. It was this ensemble of incredible women – incredibly talented comedians, improvisers and actresses. I felt I was the most junior person on that set, and I got to come in and experience what a big Hollywood comedy is. To me, getting that shot to just let loose and improvise with [director] Paul Feig and [producer] Judd Apatow and the gang was awesome.

Rapinoe – producer Dan Cogan

Outside of your own work, what is the film that means most to you?

I've got to say it's [documentary maker] Errol Morris's first film Gates of Heaven. It's about a group of people obsessed with creating a pet cemetery. It follows their very absurd journey to doing so and failing, and it explores why. It's a philosophical masterpiece.

Onwards and Sideways – stars Laura Linney and Rhys Ifans

What does this film Onwards and Sideways mean to you?

Laura: Rarely am I conscious of a movie sort of changing my cellular structure, and this one certainly did: I came out a different person. I play Emma [who meets Rhys Ifans's character Tony after they are both diagnosed with Parkinson's disease]. Beforehand, I think I knew what most people know about Parkinson's. What I did not know is that it is a very bespoke condition – there are 40 different symptoms that can take many different combinations, and everyone's Parkinson's is unique to them.

Rhys: It's rare in this industry to feel on a regular basis that you're really giving back, or doing something that's genuinely going to impact people in a positive, long-lasting way. And I sincerely believe that this film will – [to help] everyone get a deeper understanding of [Parkinson's] and how it impacts people in many different ways.

Closing Night – director Cody Fern

What's your most underrated film?

Fairyland, which was produced by Sofia Coppola and written and directed by Andrew Durham. It's a phenomenal film about a father in 1980s San Francisco and his young daughter during the time of Aids. I played a wayward lover. It was just a very special little project. It's that kind of indie film that is very hard to get seen, but it's really powerful.

Fjord – star Sebastian Stan

Stan was attending the festival for his lead role in Cristian Mungiu's drama about a married couple who relocate from Romania to a village in Norway, and come under scrutiny for the way they treat their children. It is the first time Romanian-born Stan has got to perform in his native language in a feature film. He recently told The Daily Show how meaningful that was: "I've been trying to connect to this country that I left a really time ago… I had to find my way back, and this film finally solidified that."

Air Bud Returns – director Robert Vince and star Buddy the dog

Outside your own work, what is the film that means most to you?

Robert Vince: Life is Beautiful is one of my favourite movies of all time, because it's so positive and life-affirming, and those are the kind of movies I like to make and I like to watch. As for Buddy's favourite film? [Buddy barks] He said it's really the first Air Bud film, but he's a little jealous of the original star!

Josephine – producer Crystine Zhang

What is the film in your career that means most to you?

My favourite of all is Lee with Kate Winslet [about the war photographer Lee Miller]. I used to be a journalist, and I can imagine for a woman living in the 1920s, '30s and '40s how challenging her job must have been. And working with Kate was phenomenal: she's such a collaborator. She actually got injured on day two but she said "no, I don't need a break. Let's go back to film, because we have schedules to meet".

What Lies Between Us – stars Sidse Babett Knudsen and Asta Kamma August

What is the film in your career that means most to you?

Sidse: My first film Let's Get Lost, which came out in 1997. It was black and white and all improvised. The director had an idea about doing this film about these three guys living together, just hanging out in the 1990s, and he asked if I could come up with a [female] story [for it] because I'm a gal. I was very obsessed with revenge back in the day – I thought it was a really juicy, nice feeling to play on. So I basically created my own storyline [around that]. It will always be very special to me for that reason.

Asta: I'd have to say The Hypnosis, which I made a few years ago and is fun, weird and interesting. I play Vera, who is a very uptight woman who goes through a hypnosis, and it completely changes her personality. It was a challenge as an actor because the new version of the character after the hypnosis is not afraid of social propriety and crosses boundaries.

Dorothy – director Karthik Subbaraj

What is your most underrated film?

My 2018 film Mercury. It's a horror thriller, but it has more going on than that. I wanted to make a film without any dialogue, and it's about five students getting in a horrible situation. It was a very ambitious project, but it didn't quite go down how we thought it would, so I would say it's my most underrated.

Edward Said: Between Two Worlds – producer Sarah Mowaswes

What is the film in your career that means most to you?

It's the film that I'm [at Tiff] for. It's a portrait of the Palestinian intellectual Edward Said. It's all based on archival footage, and as a Palestinian myself, it was a really gratifying experience of bringing this story to a wider audience. Edward is one of the quintessential Palestinian American figures and this feels like a really perfect moment to bring his voice back, and his intellect, and charisma and positivity.

Back in Black – star Ella Ballentine

What is your most underrated film?

The Monster, which I shot in the summer of 2015. It was an A24 horror movie directed by cult horror director Bryan Bertino, and it was just so special. I turned 14 on set, and I worked with Zoe Kazan who was a mentor to me not only as an actress, but also on how to be a woman in this world. It was all night shoots in pouring rain, and it was such a challenge for a young Ella. It felt so intimate and vulnerable, and it was hard work every day, but I feel it paid off.

The Man I Love – producer Caitlin de-Lisser Ellen

What is the film in your career that means most to you?

The Man I Love. It's about an artist in New York City diagnosed with Aids [played by Rami Malek] who's having one last gasp at life, through love and one final performance. We're watching him go through those experiences, and then also see all the people that he touched along the way. My father worked on HIV research when I was growing up, and it was really an honour to be a part of a movie that deals with this subject.

Arne Goes to Space – director Lars Vega

Outside your own work, what is the film that means most to you?

Alexander Payne's About Schmidt, starring Jack Nicholson. [Payne's] films mean a lot to me because they have this quirky humour but also some depth, and really strong themes. They have been a big inspiration for me as a director, as have the films of the Coen brothers.

Below – showrunner Jesse McKeown and producer Jessica Rhoades

What is the project in your career that means most to you?

Jesse: It's 100% Below. I've been around for a while, and I've worked on a lot of different shows in different genres, but this was the first project that really felt like mine from beginning to end. This was not based on anything except for my own life experience. It's set on the island of Newfoundland, which I married into. I went there 18 years ago, fell in love with the place, and then met my wife, and my life was totally changed.

Jessica: [HBO series] Station Eleven. We spent six months here in Toronto filming it during the pandemic, and we were making this show about how art helps you live, and why we need it, and how coming together to make something has value. That had a real impact on me.

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'More audacious than her male peers': The Renaissance woman who was the first female painter of erotic nudes

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20261015-the-trailblazing-erotic-art-of-lavinia-fontana, 3 days ago

Late-Renaissance portraitist Lavinia Fontana was the first professional woman artist to paint a nude female figure, many of them more overtly suggestive than those by her male peers. Were these nudes a statement of rebellion against her prudish father, a commercial choice – or a clue to her inner life?

There were two sides to the trailblazing artist Lavinia Fontana. The first can be seen in her self-portrait from 1577, in which she sits at the spinet dressed in a fine gown and jewels, the epitome of a wealthy, cultured and virtuous young Italian woman, the easel in the background a proud indication of her chosen vocation. Considered the first female professional artist, she was much sought after as a portraitist and would go on to win important commissions for more than a dozen altarpieces, challenging the view that women were incapable of winning such illustrious assignments, let alone executing them.

The second can be seen in the monumental Minerva in the Act of Dressing, in which the nude goddess appears to have been caught unawares as she is about to slip into a finely embroidered robe. Holding the garment carefully in her hands, she turns to meet the viewer with a gaze that is both coy and suggestive at the same time.

The image was painted for Cardinal Scipione Borgese in 1613, a year before Fontana's death; the fact that a woman was behind it would no doubt have added a frisson for anyone who saw it. As would the knowledge that Fontana had a reputation for creating such images, something of which we have only recently become fully aware. Over the past few years, more works have been attributed to Fontana that reveal her to be not only the first female artist to paint the female nude, but also the first to paint erotic works whose subject matter was often more audacious than that of her male peers.

At first glance it may seem surprising that these two conflicting sides of Fontana existed simultaneously. "Her self-portraits are very proper. There is never a hint of scandal in her life. So, you think you have a very prim woman. Maybe not," says Patrizia Cavazzini, one of the curators of (Woman) Painter at The National Museum of Oslo, where both the self-portrait and Minerva are on display. However, the art historian Elizabeth Cropper thinks we shouldn't necessarily believe that "public social respectability denies private sexual eroticism… We need to allow some complexity in our understanding of Early Modern women," she tells the BBC.

Whether or not these works are indicative of Fontana's private desires, Enrico Maria Dal Pozzolo, author of Lavinia Fontana: Erotic Paintings, believes there were specific commercial and entrepreneurial reasons for her to paint both sacred and profane works. "In my opinion, she did it to show she was different… and to draw attention to her compositional boldness," he tells the BBC.

A veiled Venus

Her earliest known erotic work was Venus and Cupid, painted around 1585-90. While a nude Venus is hardly an unusual subject in art, Fontana used jewels, veils and pearls to heighten the sensuality. The trope was repeated a few years later when she painted a recognisable noble woman, Isabella Ruini, as Venus. The half-length portrait, no doubt intended for private viewing only, has Isabella/Venus draped in the flimsiest of gauze wraps, which does nothing to conceal her breasts.

In Florence and Rome at the time there were whole galleries dedicated to portraits of beautiful women, while in her native Bologna there was great competition between the women. "Many poets wrote about them. They ranked them and said who was the most beautiful, so I think it comes out of that culture of an appreciation of female beauty," says Cavazzini.

Three nude noblewomen

Fontana's most dazzling work in this genre is the recently attributed Three Female Nudes (c1600), which features three noblewomen dressed in nothing but thin veils and exquisitely observed jewels. Dal Pozzolo speculates that it is a contemporary Judgement of Paris, inspired by the story from Greek mythology in which Paris is asked to choose which goddess – Hera, Aphrodite or Athena – is the most beautiful.

The woman on the left is thought to be Clelia Farnese, considered one of the most stunning women in Italy, and both she and the unidentified woman on the right gesture to the clear victor in the centre who is thought to be Maria de Medici. The work is painted on slate, giving it a highly reflective surface, so the latter-day Paris who commissioned it would be reflected in the image as he gazed upon his choice in the privacy of his chamber.

Painting such images was undoubtedly bold, especially for a woman living in Bologna at the time of the Counter Reformation, when the city's severe Archbishop, Cardinal Gabriele Paleotti, was keen to extend the Catholic Church's moralising zeal into the realm of painting.

In his Discorso delle pitture, her artist father Prospero, acknowledged that a Christian painter should avoid painting scandalous subjects as it was sinful. But he then argued that artists needed to accept commissions for such works for financial reasons and that the Church should deal with the commissioners themselves during confession.

His fence-sitting may well be explained by the fact that having trained his daughter and put her on the path to a lucrative career, but then, having fallen out of fashion himself, he had made her sign a contract obliging her to hand over all her earnings until his death. Is it possible that she pushed the boundaries in protest against him?

Venus of the beautiful buttocks

It is perhaps no coincidence that her most daring works were produced in the years leading up to, and after, Prospero's death in 1597, when she may have been feeling the shackles loosening. The most audacious of these paintings focus specifically on the female bottom, a factor which can be explained by a renewed interest in the Venus Callipyge (the Venus of the beautiful buttocks), a recently discovered Roman statue of Venus provocatively lifting her robe to reveal her bottom.

The theme had been adapted by various male artists, including Giorgione, Titian and Veronese. But these artists "had not dared depict the goddess's buttocks being touched", says Dal Pozzolo. Lavinia, in her Mars and Venus, painted around 1594-5, did. "That it was a female painter who crossed this boundary can, in my view, be explained in terms of the self-promotional value," says Dal Pozzolo.

The painting is quite extraordinary in its depiction of unbridled lust. Mars gropes Venus's bottom, thrusting his crotch towards her as he does so. The upright spike on his shield, together with the sword pointing between her legs, leave us in doubt about the state of his arousal while Venus, who turns to smile knowingly at the viewer.

Hidden multitudes

Although the female bottom is once again the focus of attention in a nude Minerva that Fortuna painted in 1604 after she had made a move to Rome, the goddess's face is also of interest as it has been suggested that it is Fontana herself. That assumption is based on a 1605 poem that praises her skill as an artist and suggests that in order to depict virtue and beauty she only needed one model – herself. "Whether or not this figure resembles Lavinia, she is identified with it – as so often happens with women artists," says Cropper.

More like this:

• How Aphrodite became a controversial sex symbol

• Why Mary Magdalene is a divisive biblical figure

• The pain and passion in a Frida Kahlo masterpiece

It was undoubtedly Fontana's dual identification as a refined, educated and skilled female painter, as well as one that dabbled in the erotic, that led to Cardinal Scipione Borghese, a renowned collector and patron of the arts, commissioning the 1613 Minerva which took pride of place on the walls of the Villa Borghese in Rome.

"Such a large painting cannot be hidden away. Especially as it was commissioned from Rome's most famous painter by the city's most demanding patron," says Dal Pozzolo. He would have shown it to "everyone he thought would appreciate it". While those who did so at the time were likely limited to men from the higher echelons of society, today we are all free to admire the work of this phenomenal, boundary-pushing woman whose enigmatic smile in her self-portrait clearly hid multitudes.

(Woman) Painter is at The National Museum of Oslo, Norway, until 7 February 2027.

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Apu returns to The Simpsons with new voice after race row

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cw33x6gzgdm0o, today

The Simpsons character Apu has returned to the show voiced by a new actor, after almost a decade away amid accusations of racial stereotypes.

Apu Nahasapeemapetilon - to give the much-loved shopkeeper his full name - re-appeared in Sunday's episode titled The Revengening, voiced by India-born US-raised actor Sunil Malhotra.

The character has been seen but not heard around Springfield since the October 2017 episode The Serfsons, and his big return to action had reportedly been a closely guarded secret.

Malhotra said in a statement posted on Instagram that it feels like a reclamation. "It truly is his homecoming," he said.

The character, who has been part of the long-running US animation series since 1990, was previously voiced by a white actor, Hank Azaria, putting on a heavy Indian accent.

Indian-American comic Hari Kondabolu made a documentary in 2017, titled the Problem With Apu, saying the character - a South Asian convenience store clerk - was founded on racial stereotypes.

The following year, an episode of the long-running US cartoon addressed the controversy surrounding the Indian character for the first time, making a nod to the accusations, but some viewers found it insufficient.

Others defended the show and said all its characters were stereotypes.

Azaria first announced he was stepping down from the role in 2020, and he later told Dax Shepherd's Armchair Expert podcast: "Part of me feels like I need to go around to every single Indian person in this country and personally apologise."

'Deeply collaborative experience'

Speaking to Variety ahead of the weekend's latest episode, Azaria's replacement Malhotra explained: "When my agent called me about a Simpsons audition, I knew exactly what role it was for, and the idea actually made my stomach sink.

"But admittedly, part of me was also curious. It had been eight years since Apu had spoken on the show, and it got me thinking: Did the writers' room look different now?"

The Grey's Anatomy and The Legend of Korra actor continued: "Could they bring him back in a way that acknowledged and apologised for past mistakes?

"Could I make the character my own, and reclaim him in some way? And could they achieve all of that in an unmistakably Simpsons way that didn't disappoint fans?"

After years of Apu having become a mere background character, Malhotra said he spoke with showrunner Matt Selman and co-executive producer Cesar Mazariegos about how they could make the returning fans' favourite more culturally appropriate for 2026.

"It was the beginning of a deeply collaborative experience that I hope is equally satisfying for long-time fans of The Simpsons and for other South Asian kids who, like me, stopped watching at some point along the way."

Apu's wife, Manjula, will now be voiced Janina Gavankar - who previously starred in Apple TV's The Morning Show - and takes over from Jan Hooks and Tress MacNeille.

In his haunting comeback episode, a man in a "Daft Monk" Halloween costume - a play on music duo Daft Punk - appears to be accidentally killed over and over again by Springfield residents.

A year on he returns to wreak his revenge.

Eventually he summons everyone to the Springfield City Hall, takes his helmet off and reveals that he's actually Apu.

He then shares his story of having been nearly killed dozens of times, before winding up on The Island of Forgotten Garbage, where he was healed by Dr Nick.

"I am the man you left for dead. I am the one you pretended never existed," he declares.

Just as he is about to light City Hall ablaze, Marge Simpson - serving as a thinly-veiled mouthpiece for the producers - saves the day, telling him: "Apu, we're so sorry we left you for dead. Believe me, we wanted to do the right thing."

Her famous bratty son Bart adds: "But we were so scared, and just didn't know what to do."

Bart's father Homer then offers to sacrifice himself to save the rest of the town, reminding viewers of how important Apu has been to the town.

"You were on our bowling teams, our barbershop quartets, our dad rock cover bands," said Homer.

"We took you for granted. I took you for granted."

BBC pauses civil service secondment scheme

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwjdmy20yjmno, yesterday

The BBC says it will pause secondments of government statisticians to its fact checking service, BBC Verify, and review their roles.

Since 2018 the BBC has offered six-month secondment opportunities for up to two civil servant statisticians to work for BBC News's head of statistics.

A BBC spokesperson said: "All BBC journalism and editorial decisions are made by BBC journalists and editors, in line with the BBC's editorial guidelines, so the statisticians never make editorial decisions."

Those currently on secondment would not be involved in the publication of news or content during the review and the current round of recruitment will be paused while the role is reviewed, the corporation added.

The decision follows a report in The Telegraph which said embedded civil servants had been engaging in editorial tasks and raised questions about a breach of impartiality rules.

The spokesperson added that the BBC "takes independence and transparency incredibly seriously, and we must ensure we are meeting the highest standards".

They said although statisticians' work had sometimes been recognised with their names on the BBC website, "they never made editorial decisions".

According to The Telegraph, a job advert for the 2027 secondment said a successful candidate would have "the ability to influence decision making, working with credibility and proactively with customers to share knowledge and information".

A now-removed blog post written by one civil servant about their placements showed a secondee describing how they had drafted copy for the news website.

Under the scheme, it is understood that statisticians explain data in writing that can be incorporated into stories, but they do not write the copy itself.

Secondees' contributions can be incorporated into journalism that scrutinises the current government, as well as all political parties.

The seconded statisticians also have to adhere to the Civil Service Code of Practice for Statistics. It requires them to present and use data and statistics objectively and not to withhold or misrepresent data due to political or commercial influence.

Making murder fun: How the Traitors' soundtrack sets the tone

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crwyq75117z4o, yesterday

Suspicion, intrigue, treachery, Claudia Winkleman. The Traitors has it all.

But the shadowiest of the show's shadowy secrets is its music.

Have you ever noticed how the soundtrack manipulates your perception? A sinister orchestral flourish hints at a double cross. A cheeky chord injects humour into a kitchen conflab.

As ever, though, you shouldn't trust what happens in the castle. The music can provide emphasis or act as misdirection, all at the producers' behest.

Duplicity was baked into the music from the beginning.

"I remember the BBC was quite reluctant to even think about a show with murder as a main feature, so I knew I didn't want the music to go really dark," says Sam Watts, who composed the opening theme and much of the incidental score (but is not responsible for the show's haunting cover versions of well-known pop songs... more on those later).

Watts, who had previously worked on Planet Earth and The Sarah Jane Adventures, pitched to work on the programme with only a basic idea of the set-up. It was only when he learned Winkleman was the host that he settled on his approach.

"They sent me a little shot they'd done of the opening with Claudia and the castle. That's when I knew it was going to be a bit camp and high drama and all the glorious things that Claudia brings to the show. So I just went with that - dark but fun."

For the title sequence, the 44-year-old wanted something memorable. As a kid, his favourite song was Bernard Hoffer's gloriously over-the-top Thundercats theme, so that's the level he aspired to.

"I was trying to write something that signified the show was starting, so that people would run in from making their cup of tea in the kitchen to watch it.

"And I wanted a memorable melody that people could hum, because it helps with the identity of the show."

The Traitors theme is "one of the biggest pieces of music I've ever written", he says, recorded with a full orchestra and overdubbed with dozens of electronic elements to create a heightened, hyperreal atmosphere.

That bled into the 20 or so other pieces Watts wrote, which also appear in dozens of international spin-offs.

The idea, he says, is that the whole hour feels like a film trailer, with viewers permanently waiting for the psychological pressure chamber to explode.

To achieve that, he employed several techniques of trailer music - most notably the "Braam", a klaxon-like punctuation mark invented for Christopher Nolan's Inception (see video for a fuller exploration).

Show producer Sarah Fay took that concept and amplified it. "We wanted to just supersize it and make it feel like a drama, not like your usual reality [show]," she said in a rare interview with Metro when the first civilian series aired in 2022.

"We wanted to make it feel like that edge-of-your-seat cinematic drama with, you know, elements of Succession, and we wanted it to feel like Knives Out when you get into the castle!"

To achieve that, she commissioned additional music from film trailer composers, including Hans Zimmer's company Bleeding Fingers. But she also sprinkled in a handful of creepy cover versions.

Some became instant classics - such as a sinister spin on Britney Spears' Toxic, or a version of Tears For Fears' Mad World seemingly broadcast on a tannoy from Hades.

They're so integral to The Traitors' aesthetic that it might surprise you to learn they weren't recorded specifically for the show.

Both examples were created by German writer-producers 2wei.

Based in Hamburg, they had no idea their music had appeared in The Traitors until friends in the UK messaged them in excitement.

"We were just flipping out," says 2wei's Simon Heeger. "It's completely different to how we ever thought it would be used."

Heeger founded 2wei, pronounced "zwei", in 2016 with his old college friend Christian Vorländer.

They had both spent time in LA working on advertisements and (stop me if you're sensing a theme here) film trailers, before moving home to build a music production empire.

"Christian worked on the Mad Max soundtrack, which is really known for the big drums and the orchestral scale – and that was really the starting point of our sound," says Heeger.

"Whenever you hear big epic drums with an orchestral sound and maybe a female vocal on top of it, it's usually something we had our fingers in."

Their big break came with a stormy reworking of Destiny's Child's Survivor, which featured in the trailer to Alicia Vikander's Tomb Raider.

Since then, their music has appeared in films like Wonder Woman and video games such as League of Legends. In The Traitors, original 2wei songs like Blindside now feature alongside their covers (other producers, including SYML and Damned Anthem also contribute songs to the show).

Heeger says their background in commercials makes the music perfectly suited to the show's slippery skullduggery.

"In adverts, you only have a few seconds to convey a certain emotion and, especially in Traitors, where there are cliffhangers and moments that you don't expect, you need music that comes to the point right away but still has a boldness to it.

"It's a sweet spot, and it's not easy to convey, but every now and then it works quite well."

Fans agree.

On Spotify, there are hundreds of playlists dedicated to the programme's background music. Some are tailored to murder mystery parties and Halloween events. Others compile more sedate moments under labels like "gentle tension" or "chill elder emo watching Traitors".

But never forget: the soundtrack is playing a deceitful game of its own.

"A lot of my music has a wink in it and, for The Traitors, it's a little silly and slightly over the top," says Watts.

"I think it helps the nastier side of things - the murder, the plotting - feel a bit more fun."

'Immediately spellbinding': Four reasons why gay Spanish epic La Bola Negra could win the Oscar for best picture

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20261013-why-la-bola-negra-could-win-the-oscars-top-prize, 5 days ago

Telling the stories of three gay men across a century, this sweeping but relatively low-budget drama is second favourite to The Odyssey for the Academy's top prize. Here's why it could beat out Homer.

From the first 10 minutes of gay historical epic La Bola Negra, it's hard not to recognise you are seeing something very special. Opening with a scene of a sleepy Spanish village during the Civil War of the 1930s thrown into violence, it has a visual beauty and storytelling rhythm that are immediately spellbinding. It is inspired directly by the work of the revered early 20th-Century poet and playwright Federico Garcia Lorca, but also sprawls in other imaginative directions, creating a tapestry of memory, art and sexual repression across a century of Spanish life.

Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi's film tells the story of the lives of three gay men: Sebastian, in 1937, is a man who's been conscripted into Franco's army during the Spanish Civil War and is grappling with his love for a prisoner he is guarding. Carlos, in 1932, is a bourgeois twenty-something who's been rejected for membership of an exclusive casino club due to rumours of his sexuality. Alberto, in 2017, is a historian and researcher who comes into an unexpected inheritance from his estranged grandfather. La Bola Negra connects these stories in poignant and unexpected ways.

When the film first hit the Cannes Film Festival this May, the buzz around it inspired a bidding war between heavy-hitter distributors – an early sign that something special might be happening. Now being released by Netflix in North America, it is set to be a major Oscars contender. Odds makers put it at second favourite for best picture – meaning it could be set for a David and Goliath-esque battle with current favourite The Odyssey. Here's why it could even overcome the combined power of Homer and Christopher Nolan.

1. The Industry buzz

Since it premiered in Cannes, La Bola Negra has been a runaway hit with critics, regular audiences, and just about everyone in between. The Hollywood Reporter said it was "a sweeping, heartsick, often funny journey of recollection and fantasy. It is high time we had a gay war epic of this scope and soulfulness and invention."

It won best director for its film-making duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi (tied with Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski), and went on to win the People's Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival this autumn, too, which has been a common precursor for the Academy's best picture nominees and winners.

On top of this, it is proving a runaway commercial hit in its native Spain, with its box-office numbers actually increasing from its first to second weekend. All this is the kind of international recognition that makes the Academy sit up and take notice.

2. Its epic take on gay identity

Mastering a complex triple-storyline structure across timelines is one mean feat. Blending multiple genres – romance, historical epic, family drama – is another. But at La Bola Negra's core throughout are its themes of gay desire, persecution and self-punishment. In the 1932 segment, there's a haunting story Carlos is told about a young gay man who was beaten to death and left to rot in a town square for 100 days. If the fear of homophobic violence rumbles under the surface of La Bola Negra throughout, the 2017 timeline also allows for reflection on it. Alberto scrolls Grindr and works on a project "on the margins of dissident desire".

More happily, La Bola Negra also takes seductive pleasure in scanning male bodies at play and rest: nude soldiers swimming in a stream, sailors smoking on city fences, tendrils of dark hair flopping elegantly over the eye. It shows courage in foregrounding sexual desire as much as it does persecution. As co-director Javier Ambrossi told Awards Watch: "A lot of our community is based in silence and pain... The movie encourages you to say: if you can do it, do not be a conformist, try to fall in love. Be happy, look for a spark." Twenty years have passed since another gay epic, Brokeback Mountain, was egregiously beaten to best picture by the now-unpopular Crash. A win for La Bola Negra could go some way to rectifying that mistake.

3. The brilliant performances

As Sebastian, musician and first-time actor Álvaro Lafuente Calvo – better known as Guitarricadelafuente – is remarkable. He has a sharp-planed, large-eyed look that can shift from openness to hunched paranoia by turns. It's perfect for a character whose traumatic past and constant fear of being discovered combine with a yearning sensitivity. As if this wasn't impressive enough, the star also made much of the original music for the soundtrack. Calvo and Ambrossi have discussed their preference for casting gay actors for gay roles, and were particular about doing so with this project. Carlos González is also excellent as the diffident 2017 character Alberto, who has a moving journey through his own family history across the course of the film. His scenes opposite veteran Pedro Almodóvar star Lola Dueñas, as his difficult mother, are wince-inducingly real.

The film also pulls in supporting performances from the international A-list, with Glenn Close as a US academic who helps Alberto on his research journey and, most memorably, Penélope Cruz, who performs an exuberant cabaret song for a bar of soldiers as a glamorous, freewheeling nightclub singer. It's a showstopping appearance that has put her in contention for a best supporting actress Oscar, but the backbone of the film remains the performances from the less experienced and/or well-known actors so carefully chosen by the film-makers. And, if the film's buzz continues to grow, there's hope that more than one of this ensemble may be nominated, which will hold it in good stead for the biggest award of Oscars night.

4. The stunning visuals

If La Bola Negra is proof of anything, it's that Calvo and Ambrossi know how to frame an image and make it sing. Lavish, ambitious, and formally daring, their film is heavenly to look at – shot on location in remote abandoned villages or in hyper-real sets. Shot by cinematographer Gris Jordana on 35mm film stock, each of the three stories has a distinct visual identity, taking cues not only from their settings but from the psychological framework of their protagonists. The camera lingers in a frozen overhead shot over a truck full of soldiers' corpses, full of blood and gore, until we see that someone there is alive. It glides beautifully through a smoky, darkened bar where Carlos drunkenly dances with strangers. And it sits static over a snowy field, stunning and melancholy, like a cinematic sigh.

The directors have discussed how the film was knowingly inspired by operatic Hollywood dramas and big-time Oscar-winners The English Patient and Titanic – which makes it all the more remarkable that all of this was achieved on a budget that came in under $20m (£15m). As Calvo said in an interview with El Pais: "a lot of people praise the film's classical sensibility… We're told it's the kind of film they don't make anymore." And that's exactly why it may appeal to Academy members.

La Bola Negra is released in US cinemas on 16 October and UK cinemas on 6 November

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Glamorous, starry and extremely private: Nine images capturing 100 years of Bel-Air, LA's most exclusive suburb

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20261012-images-capturing-the-100-year-history-of-bel-air, 6 days ago

The brainchild of a rancher-turned-oilman, it has evolved from a 1920s "gentlemen's haven" to a film-star refuge, a 1960s "groovy scene", and a high-end, low-profile enclave. This year the neighbourhood celebrates its centenary.

The Los Angeles neighbourhood of Bel-Air likely brings to mind the '90s TV sitcom with Will Smith as a teenager sent to live with rich relatives. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air left a vague, lingering impression of Bel-Air as extremely affluent, but didn't add much else. It wasn't even shot there. Unlike nearby hot spots like Beverly Hills or Hollywood, the area has no sharply defined image in the public consciousness.

But now a new book celebrating the area, Bel-Air: The Centennial, reveals its fascinating cultural and architectural history, from its founding in 1922, when Los Angeles still had vast empty spaces, to its status today as one of the most upscale places to live in California.

David Silverman, the book's author, tells the BBC, "When people visit LA, the tour buses go around Beverly Hills but they don't typically go to Bel-Air because you can't really see much. A lot of it is behind walls and bushes." It's a sign of the more private, residential character that accounts for the neighbourhood's lower profile.

Bel-Air itself was the brainchild of Alphonzo Bell, a rancher who became wealthy when he struck oil on his land. He bought nearly 18,000 acres then known as the Danziger Ranch, began developing and selling plots, and Bel-Air – meaning Beautiful Air and conveniently including Bell's name – appeared.

A gentlemen's haven (1920s)

When Alphonzo Bell began selling land in Bel-Air he was clear about what the new development would be – a gentlemen's haven. A Los Angeles Times advertisement crowed in 1923: "A Community of Gentlemen's Estates" for "the highest class of homeseekers". That idea sounds ludicrously snobbish, sexist and exclusionary today, but also speaks to the culture of the 1920s.

"Everyone assumed it was the men who were buying the property," Silverman says, and such language "was common in LA for fancy areas". The ad stipulated that new houses built must cost at least $15,000 (£11,300), the equivalent of about $300,000 (£227,000) today. Bell added stables, tennis courts and golf courses as an enticement, and his family moved into the 42-room Danziger mansion, renamed Capo di Monte (Top of the Mountain).

Bel-Air on horseback (1920s)

If you couldn't afford to keep a horse, you probably couldn't afford to live in Bel-Air in the 1920s. Bridle trails were everywhere, eventually about 65 miles (100km) of them meandering by the country club, along the golf course, and through many still-rustic areas. In addition to stables, Bell created underpasses along the trails, paths beneath bridges so the horses wouldn't have to cross the street. An article in the Los Angeles Time in 1922 said, "The invitation to visit Bel-Air on horseback is also extended to the general public."

East Gate (1928)

Bel-Air was never a gated community, but it does have gates, or rather entryways known as gates that give it an aura of exclusivity, the illusion of heading into a more rarefied place. In a 1928 photo, the gates to the former Danziger Ranch are still visible but open. That became known as the East Gate. "As Bel-Air expanded west, they decided that the western area needed its own gate," Silverman adds. It serves, he says, "just as a monumental, fancy entrance."

Judy Garland postcard (1929)

"Alphonzo Bell was super religious and thought that people in Hollywood were morally suspect," Silverman says. "And so for the first six years he prevented sales to movie people, as he called them." They got around this restriction by having their lawyers buy properties for them, and when the Depression hit in 1929 and sales slowed, Bell had to relent for economic reasons.

"Movie people" flooded in, including Judy Garland, who used her Wizard of Oz money to buy a house in Bel-Air, and Golden Age actors including William Powell and Carole Lombard. In that era, "in addition to maps to the stars' houses, they sold postcards" of the properties, Silverman says, and stars were often photographed for fan magazines in their homes. Over the years the directors Howard Hawks and Alfred Hitchcock both lived in Bel-Air too.

Beverly Hillbillies mansion (1962)

In 1962 The Beverly Hillbillies premiered, the television series about a backwoods family who find oil on their land and drive their dilapidated vehicle to their new home in, as the theme song has it, "the hills of Beverly". The exterior of the show's house, though, was actually one of Bel-Air's largest, best-known mansions, then called the Kirkeby Estate and built in 1933. "The owners at the time agreed to let them film there with the condition that the address not be released.

Then TV Guide printed the address and everyone started visiting," Silverman says. In this 1980 photo, "You see how the gate is open and the house is so visible that people could just come to the gate," he adds. The house's most recent owner is Lachlan Murdoch, an heir to the Rupert Murdoch fortune, who bought it in 2019 for a reported $150 million, at the time a record high for a California residence.

Modernist house (1950s)

In the post-World War Two years, modernist architecture began to infuse Bel-Air as taste changed throughout the country. "People didn't want these Spanish houses or Tudor or older Ranch style" which had dominated in Bel-Air, Silverman says. "They wanted [something] more contemporary." Modern architecture, with its spare lines, large windows and open outdoor spaces, was perfectly suited to take advantage of Bel-Air's landscape, offering spectacular views of the surrounding hills and valleys. Silverman says of Bel-Air's geography, "It's unique in that it goes a lot higher than [the adjacent areas of] both Beverly Hills and Holmby Hills, so the views are in most cases better."

Zsa Zsa Gabor by her pool (1970s)

Zsa Zsa Gabor and her sister, Eva, were actresses (Eva starred on US TV sitcom Green Acres) but were better known as celebrities, avatars of a kind of flashy glamour and talk-show fame in the 1960s and '70s. "They were like the Kardashians of their day. They married a lot of times, they married well, they got a tonne of publicity," Silverman says. "They were just kind of famous for being famous."

Zsa Zsa lived in Bel-Air for much of her life, and is shown at home in the 1970s in a brightly-coloured posed photo that captures her outsized pop-culture image. "The pool is very LA and the house is Hollywood Regency, that style. And then with her big hair and pink dress – I think it's a very Bel-Air photo," he says.

Sonny and Cher (1967)

Sonny and Cher were known as long-haired rebels when they first become pop-music stars, but in 1967 they took their new-found wealth and bought a house in not-so-rebellious Bel-Air. They weren't the only ones. The Bel-Air book reprints an article that Candice Bergen, an aspiring young journalist at the time, wrote for Esquire magazine that year. Called "Is Bel-Air Burning?", it follows some of the young, then-hip musicians moving into the neighbourhood, with John and Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas among them. Bergen quotes John Phillips, who says, "I think I'll buy some more land in Bel-Air. It's going to be [a] very groovy scene."

In the 1940s, Bell sold some land, including the stables, to a developer who built the Hotel Bel-Air on the property. Since its opening in 1944, the hotel has been a symbol of the kind of privacy and luxury that people go to Bel-Air to find. "It immediately became popular with Hollywood people. It was super private and most of the rooms were those little bungalows, so people had assignations there," Silverman says.

Hotel Bel-Air (1951)

Celebrities including Marilyn Monroe sometimes posed for photographs by the pool. This 1951 photo captures the hotel's sunniness and long cultural history so well that it is on the hotel's website even now. Today, Silverman points out, "People are actually paying thousands of dollars to stay in the former stables." In that sense, the Bel-Air story has come full circle.

Bel-Air: The Centennial by David Silverman is published by Rizzoli.

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'They were people who took chances': The Vikings who reached the Americas 500 years before Columbus

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20261009-how-vikings-beat-columbus-to-america-by-500-years, 7 days ago

The Norse made it to Canada around the year 1000, and used it as a base to explore. The BBC has delved into the "lost history" of the first Europeans to cross the Atlantic.

Christopher Columbus may have sailed the ocean blue in 1492 – arriving in the Bahamas on 12 October 1492, to be precise – but he wasn't the first European to reach what we now know as the Americas. His predecessors did so without much fanfare: no royal proclamations or crowds lining the streets to greet them upon their return. And they didn't sail directly across the vast Atlantic Ocean from one continent to another.

Instead, they hopped their way there, with Iceland and Greenland as staging posts. Their exploration was retold, centuries later, in sagas that were the stuff of epic literature rather than history books. And they made their first journey to American soil 500 years before Christopher Columbus.

The Norse sagas – Viking stories written down by their descendants – have come to be recognised as containing reliable historical truths. In 1966, BBC presenter Magnus Magnusson described the 14th-Century Flateyjarbók, or Flatey Island Book, as "one of the most valuable Icelandic manuscripts in existence". The book is so valuable, he added, that when, in 1893, the organisers of the Chicago World's Fair asked to borrow it for their belated 400th anniversary celebration of Columbus's voyage, "they offered to send a warship to Denmark to pick it up and an armoured train to transport it across America and to insure it for a sum of $1 million [the book was housed in Denmark at the time.] But even at that, the Danes didn't care to take the risk."

And the reason the Americans "wanted to borrow it so badly"? Because the book contains "the account of the Norse settlement of Greenland in the 10th Century, and even more astonishingly, the story of the Norse discovery and attempted colonisation of North America a few years later – five centuries before Columbus".

In 1960, a Norse transit camp was discovered at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, Canada. And in 2021, researchers using a new dating technique found that Vikings had occupied the site 1,000 years earlier. It is believed to have served as a base camp for exploring deeper into North America. "This is the start of a lost history, the centuries when Europeans visited America in voyages whose records are written only on the water," said Robin Ellis in a 1997 episode of the BBC documentary series, Timewatch.

The Norse had found Iceland in around 870, and Greenland 100 years later. From there, it was just 200 miles across the Davis Strait to Baffin Island in modern Canada, which they called Helluland, the land of slabs. According to the sagas, they followed the coast southwards to Labrador, or Markland, the land of forests, and then further south to what they called Vinland, the land of vines. "The sagas describe not only these guys stopping off in one place, but stopping off in a number of places," Emily Lethbridge of the University of Iceland said on Timewatch in 2016. "And they left for several years. They had a whole new world to explore."

The sagas say that the most famous settler, Erik the Red, arrived in Iceland in around 960 after his father was banished from Norway for murder. In the year 932, the Icelanders had established a parliament, the Althing. It was an open-air assembly of the whole nation, meeting every summer for a fortnight for legislative and judicial purposes – and it took place in a remarkable setting, inside a ravine that made an extraordinary natural amphitheatre.

"It isn’t just the acoustics that make this place special," Lethbridge told the BBC. "This is a natural fault line. We’re on the point where the North American and the Eurasian tectonic plates meet." The first Europeans to explore North America happened to have sited one of their parliaments in a rift valley between the two continents.

At the parliament, said Lethbridge, "Sentences of outlawry would be imposed on members of society who had broken all of the rules. You could go anywhere else, but you couldn’t set foot on Iceland for the period that the outlawry stood."

The Althing banished Erik the Red from Iceland in 982, following a violent dispute with a neighbouring farmer – and his exile launched an astonishing chapter in Viking exploration. "Erik the Red was the first Icelander to discover Greenland and then make a permanent settlement there," said Lethbridge.

He started a colony on Greenland that would last for around 500 years and be the launching point for the Norse exploration of North America. "They were people who took chances and were prepared to undergo huge physical trials," said Lethbridge, "such as sailing in open boats across the Atlantic, to see what they could find."

The Norse settlement on Greenland continued until the early 15th Century, and the Vikings – led by Erik's son Leif Eriksson – appear to have made not just one but multiple journeys across the sea from there to North America.

"Most people assume that after Leif Eriksson and his friends came to Vinland and then gave up and went away, nothing more was heard of the New World," Robert McGhee, an archaeologist at the Canadian Museum of Civilisation, told Timewatch. "But archaeologically, we have evidence which shows that the Norse were at least making occasional trips to the New World for the following two or three centuries."

Did Columbus know about Vinland?

"We have so many good reasons to know that travels did take place throughout the entire Middle Ages on the two coasts that we call Greenland and North America," Kirsten Seaver, a historian of medieval shipping, told Timewatch. "By 1480, we know that they deliberately tried to sail to North America, or what they called the Isle of Brazil. We shouldn't look upon that as their first voyage, but as their first attempt to do it directly, without going via Greenland, which was the ordinary navigational marker."

Seaver also cited a document which implied that Columbus himself knew about such voyages. "In the winter of 1497-98, an Englishman named John Day wrote to Christopher Columbus to tell him about John Cabot's successful 1497 voyage to North America. And among many other things, he mentioned as a matter of course that as Columbus knew, men from Bristol [in England] had made this voyage to the northern part for many years already."

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By the time Columbus reached the shores of the Bahamas in 1492, then, the place the Vikings called Vinland could already have been on his radar. There are even theories that Columbus was deliberately attempting to avoid a land he knew had already been discovered by Europeans.

"Columbus knew as well as any navigator does today that if you want to travel across oceans [in the Northern Hemisphere]... you move up into the north where the latitudes are short, and you zip across, and then you go back down again," McGhee told Timewatch. "Instead, Columbus took the long way around directly across the ocean. Perhaps he was trying to avoid Canada. Maybe he was trying to avoid Vinland… which was not what he was looking for. I think Columbus's intent was to bypass America and therefore try to get to the riches of the Far East."

So while many US citizens celebrate Columbus Day every October, they shouldn't forget all the Atlantic crossings that came first.

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Fans pay tribute to Liam Payne two years on

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmx2d925dx14o, today

A memorial has been set up in tribute to One Direction star Liam Payne to mark the second anniversary of his death.

Fans from as far as New Zealand and the US have left heartfelt messages in honour of the singer in his home city of Wolverhampton.

The bandstand in West Park has been adorned with banners, photos, toys and flowers as well as a red letter box for private messages to be left.

The 31-year-old singer, who grew up in Bushbury in Wolverhampton, died in October 2024 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.

Among the tributes, Kim from the US wrote: "I still can't believe it's been two years. I miss your smile, your voice, your music and just seeing you happy.

"You are still thought of, still talked about, still listened to and still loved by so many."

Katja Tuovila, from Sweden, said in an emotional message: "Your strength and love, kindness touched so many and will never be forgotten, remaining a beautiful legacy."

Nicola Jones from New Zealand added: "Two years gone but never forgotten. Always loved, forever missed. Liam, our angel of light."

In May, a coroner said he was awaiting developments in Argentina as the investigation there continues into Payne's death.

He died of multiple traumas and "internal and external haemorrhage", a post-mortem examination report said, after falling from a third-floor balcony of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires.

In February last year, a court in Argentina dropped charges of criminal negligence against three of the five people accused of a connection to his death.

After his band took a break, Payne launched a successful solo career, releasing his debut solo album LP1 in December 2019.

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Family to return home after five years at sea

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8qln023grz3o, today

A family from the Isle of Man is returning home after spending five years at sea aboard the world's largest floating book fair.

Andy Sheath, his wife Rebecca and daughters Elsie and Sofie have lived on the Logos Hope since 2021.

The vessel, which is due to dock in Douglas Harbour between 6 and 22 November, is home to more than 300 people from 60 countries and travels the world as the largest floating book fair.

Sheath said he had always hoped the ship would visit the island and was looking forward to finally coming home.

'Treasured memories'

Sheath first visited the ship as a university student in 2010 and said he was the only Manxman on board.

He said stepping on to the vessel for the first time felt like coming home.

Since 2021, the ship has been the family's home and holds "precious, treasured memories", he said.

"My oldest daughter Elsie is five. These corridors echo memories of her first steps.

"Our table and dining room is where we've eaten for five years. It's where my daughters have grown from baby to toddler, to now," he said.

The family returned to the island for Sofie's birth, meaning Elsie remembers visits to the wildlife park, fish and chips on the beach with her grandparents and ice cream at Peel.

Sheath said his family is excited to return to the island to start a new life, calling it "a huge homecoming".

And fellow crew members have shared in the family's excitement about this stop on the boat's tour.

"They have asked me 'what can I do on the island', 'can we see the TT route?' and many other questions," Sheath said.

Sheath said he hoped the visit would not be the last from the Logos Hope.

"On the next visit I would love to see another Manx person on board," he said.

"I have proudly waved the three legs of Man at every port and I would love to see more Manx people waving the flag on board at different ports."

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Call for artists to bring dragon trail to life

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cw62y8z1jr80o, today

Artists are being invited to submit their designs for a major public art trail set to feature dozens of colourful dragon sculptures.

Trail of the Dragons will feature 30 large-scale sculptures at key landmarks, public spaces and parks across Wolverhampton, from 5 July to 5 September 2027.

Organisers are calling for both regional and national artists of all abilities to submit their designs for the project, with each sculpture set to be transformed into a "unique work of art".

The deadline for artist submissions is 6 December, said Compton Care, the hospice charity behind the project.

"These dragons will represent Compton Care's spirit, our mission, and the communities we have supported since 1982. We can't wait to see them take flight," a spokesperson added.

The dragons will be painted from March to April 2027, organisers said.

Following the nine-week trail, the dragons will be auctioned next October to raise money for the charity, which provides specialist palliative care and bereavement support.

As well as the large dragons, 30 smaller babies, or hatchlings, decorated by local schools and community groups, will be displayed in indoor locations.

An app and trail map will also be available so people can get involved.

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'My dad made monsters for the movies'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckqxn4xnnp1zo, today

He thrilled us, scared us and even educated us with his movies about classical heroes battling mythical creatures.

Now an exhibition of special effects pioneer Ray Harryhausen's original monster figures and artwork is on display at The Arc in Winchester, Hampshire.

Jason and the Argonauts, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, One Million Years B.C. and Clash of the Titans all featured Harryhausen's monstrous handmade creations.

"He made them all in a little room upstairs at home," remembered his daughter Vanessa.

Characters like the Medusa, Cyclops and an army of sword-wielding skeletons – all models brought to life via stop-motion animation - made a vivid impression on generations of children and inspired future filmmakers.

Vanessa Harryhausen said: "When I came back from school there'd be another piece for another film, like Bubo the clockwork owl or Pegasus the flying horse from Clash of the Titans.

"Just having all these wonderful creatures in the house, they were like my family.

"He kept them in cabinets and on the tables, so I was constantly surrounded by this wonderful plethora of his talent."

She said she is "ecstatic" the exhibition is in Winchester as she has "wonderful memories" of childhood summers spent there visiting her grandmother and meeting friends.

As a child, Harryhausen's imagination was captivated by the special effects in King Kong and he started to make his own animated films.

Harryhausen's painstaking process, of moving each model a fraction to film one frame at a time until he had a complete dynamic sequence, was later adopted by Aardman Animations for their Wallace and Gromit films.

"There's something intangible and magical about stop-motion animation," said Connor Heaney, collections manager for the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation.

Heaney said: "In a world of increasingly sophisticated computer-generated imagery, or CGI, people are searching for something real and physical.

"When you see Jason and the Argonauts, the trick that's being played on your mind is that the skeletons are moving around.

"You know they're immobile objects that have been brought to life somehow and that thrill will never disappear.

"Ray's work appeals to my young children at the age of five and nine because they can see this physical process taking place in what is now a very digital world."

Harryhausen's creature collection is in remarkable condition thanks to instructions he left on how to repair and restore the latex rubber figures.

Heaney explained that "we're doing our best to carry on with his wishes and introduce new generations to his work, as well as those who grew up with these wonderful creatures on their televisions and in cinemas".

"We're contacted a lot by classicists, archaeologists and palaeontologists whose first encounter with their specific field was through one of Ray Harryhausen's movies," he said.

Others inspired by Harryhausen's work have included Hollywood directors Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson and Christopher Nolan.

"This year, Nolan described The Odyssey as his 'Ray Harryhausen movie' which was wonderful," said Heaney.

"His legacy lives on."

The exhibition Ray Harryhausen - Myths in Motion is at The Arc in Winchester until 16 February 2027.

Late reader to literary legend: Nick Butterworth inspires pupils to read

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c680zpygkdevo, yesterday

An award-winning children's author who said he could not read until the age of eight visited a school library to inspire children to take up reading.

Percy the Park Keeper creator Nick Butterworth, 80, had previously auctioned off artwork to raise money for a library at Lionwood Infant School in Norwich, Norfolk, a few years ago.

While visiting the new library, he said he wanted to support it because so many schools had lost these spaces.

Butterworth said they had transformed the "uninspiring room" into a room that "kids want to come in and immerse themselves in stories".

Speaking to BBC Look East, Butterworth said: "There is something very personal about stories to me - I couldn't read until I was eight or nine, but my mum reading stories to me [got me] hooked on stories - I wasn't hooked on reading - I was hooked on stories.

"She read to me long after children are read to, and she read me things like Moby-Dick and Tom Brown's School Days, Alice in Wonderland, and I fell in love with the languages as well as the stories themselves.

"I love that business of opening the cover of a book like a door that you go through into another world - I mean that is Alice in Wonderland."

He continued: "Stories take us to places that we wouldn't normally have access to, and we get to meet people through stories that we would never come across."

Selene Sawyer, executive head teacher of Lionwood, said Butterworth had been a "key feature" in getting the library up and running.

She said he was instrumental in donating a range of books, reading with the children and donating his artwork for auction.

Sawyer said the library deliberately did not have any screens, adding: "There are so many opportunities for children to just pick up a phone or an iPad and read on that, but the importance of being able to take time and look and understand text in its purest form is the most important thing."

Reception teacher Maisie Potter has started to teach her class how to read and said she tries to use screens as little as possible.

"[Storytelling] really helps with their imagination, and a lot of children don't get the opportunity to go into a different world, and they don't get to see as much as a book can give you," she said.

"We try and read them stories that could take them to a different place that they might not be able to go or have access to."

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Hotel ballroom gives artists 'space and voice'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckjwe6qzxgpyo, yesterday

A week-long arts festival showcasing creative talent from across Thanet is taking place in the 110-year-old ballroom of the Walpole Bay Hotel in Margate.

Island Arts Festival, which runs until 24 October, features paintings, books, music, talks and performances by artists, writers and musicians living and working in Thanet.

Organisers said the free festival grew out of a series of smaller author and artist events held at the hotel over the past four years, expanding into a wider celebration of Thanet's creative community.

Hotel owner Jane Bishop said it gave local artists "a space and a voice".

Events planned during the week include a writers' seminar, a children's storytelling session, readings from the works of Charles Dickens, a pottery and ceramics class, talks on health through singing and an open mic session for musicians.

Festival organiser Richard Savin said the event developed from a series of annual author and artist gatherings held at the hotel and had grown "organically" into an annual arts festival in Margate's Cliftonville area, showcasing artists working and living on the Isle of Thanet.

He said he hoped the festival would make a "modest addition" to the area's arts community by encouraging interest in literature, music, painting, poetry and performance art.

Bishop said the earlier events "grew wings" and developed into a week-long arts festival.

She said her "Napery Gallery" is also on display, featuring napkins that have been turned into artworks by guests who have stayed at the hotel.

They include two by Tracey Emin, who lives and works in Margate, and has championed her hometown and formed a creative community there, the hotel owner added.

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Funding for new 'Mackem' musical history project

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwkg53dkrl84o, yesterday

A major new heritage project has been awarded funding to preserve Sunderland's musical history.

Sunderland Music City has been awarded more than £150,000 by the National Lottery Heritage Fund for its Mackem Music Memories project.

The organisation, that aims to deliver economic, employment, cultural and social benefits through music, is inviting residents of the city past and present to contribute their memories of the music scene to be used in an exhibition.

Music City's chief executive Michelle Daurat said she hoped the project would "become part of Sunderland's permanent heritage."

£156,166 has been awarded by the National Heritage Lottery Fund and will be used to gather stories of people's most memorable musical moments.

Music City hopes to gather more than 300 memories through questionnaires, community research and interviews.

"This project is about much more than looking backwards," Daurat said.

"It is about understanding where our music city came from, celebrating the people who made it what it is today, and inspiring the musicians and communities who will shape its future."

Sunderland became the second UK city to join the Music Cities Network in 2025. The global organisation helps cities grow their music sector and supports cultural, social and economic development through education, rehearsal and recording spaces, and fostering a live music scene.

Since joining the network, live music venues in Sunderland reported an increase in footfall and the city hosted Radio 1's Big Weekend in May 2026.

The memories will be displayed in an exhibition at the newly-opened Culture House Sunderland in summer 2027, alongside a programme of community activity, live events, digital archiving and musical heritage trails.

Music City says that Mackem Music Memories will also reflect the city as it is today, and will work with South Asian, Filipino, Nigerian and Eastern European communities, as well as the city's international student population.

After its close in December 2027, the exhibition and research will be digitised and incorporated into the Sunderland Local Studies Collection.

Daurat continued: "Sunderland's musical heritage is written in its people. We are delighted that The National Lottery Heritage Fund is supporting us to capture those stories before they disappear and to make sure they become part of Sunderland's permanent heritage."

Anyone wishing to contribute their musical memories can do so via an online questionnaire.

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How The Beatles found their drummer at Butlin's

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm78pj867zxqo, yesterday

A Lincolnshire holiday camp played a little-known but crucial part in the birth of The Beatles.

A young, bearded Ringo Starr was playing drums with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes at the Butlins in Skegness in the summer 1962 when Paul McCartney and John Lennon arrived to try and recruit him to the band.

Bobby Thomson, who was bassist in the Hurricanes, recalls the duo arriving early one morning after driving all night from Liverpool.

"I think that was the whole idea, to invite him to join the Beatles," he said.

"Because I was with Ringo they didn't come out with it. They could have, it wouldn't have bothered me."

He said that a few weeks later in mid August the band were having breakfast when an announcement over the speaker system asked Starr to report to reception.

He asked Thomson to come with him and the pair arrived to find a phone call from Beatles manager Brian Epstein asking if Starr would like to join the group.

Starr later recalled the conversation in an interview. "The boys would like you to join The Beatles. What do you say?

"I said, 'no, I'd love to, when?' And he said, 'oh, tonight'. I said, 'I can't', this was Wednesday, 'I can't come tonight. I'm in a band, I'll come Saturday'."

Thomson said that during the call with Epstein the drummer was told to lose his facial hair.

"He didn't want to shave his beard off," Thomson said laughing.

"So the beard came off and he got the haircut to match."

Madeline Morrison, who worked as a Redcoat at the Clacton camp, said people were surprised when the rumours of Starr joining The Beatles soon started to spread throughout Butlin's.

"Rory Storm was a big, big name," she said.

"I've got playbills where Rory Storm and the Hurricanes were above The Beatles."

She added people said he had been taken to the hairdresser: "He's got the Beatle haircut, he's joining them.

"You know, all this sort of stuff would jump round all the camps because we were all villages."

After Starr's departure Rory Storm and the Hurricanes recruited another drummer for the remaining two weeks of the summer season.

Another celebrity whose career began as a Butlin's Redcoat remembered occasionally sitting in on the drums for Starr.

Think of a Number TV presenter Johnny Ball said he would often play the first part of the Hurricanes' Sunday night performances.

"He [Starr] could flinch an extra hour on his day off if I stood in for him and played his first half of the gig," he said.

Soon after Starr joined the Fab Four, they had a UK hit with their first single Love Me Do and went on to make musical history around the globe.

Thomson described his former bandmate as "a smashing bloke"

"His personality and everything was spot on," he said.

Thomson added that in joining the Beatles "He actually made the whole team, the full set".

"We just knew that they were going to be absolutely huge."

"You were waiting for the talent to take the world over, which they did the following year."

Starr's only return to Lincolnshire with his new group would be their performance at the ABC cinema in Lincoln in November 1963.

Photographer Ken James remembered the experience as "absolute bedlam".

"The fans were screaming it was unbelievable," he said.

"The second they came on they were screaming, quite hysterical some of them."

Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North.

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Artist honoured her surgeon with his portrait

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmy56wkl7dnyo, yesterday

A surgeon who celebrates 40 years of his career says he had been "touched" to have a portrait painted by a former patient.

Oxford-based artist Ruth Swain was 50 when diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012 and was referred to Dr Gerald Gui at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London.

Swain said that despite the "shock" of the diagnosis, he had been "wonderful and explained everything really, really clearly", and a successful surgery had followed.

Now, almost 15 years since being cancer-free, she has donated her portrait of Gui to the hospital, which he described as "magnificent".

The artist said she went for the hospital check after having felt a lump.

"At the time I think it was a bit of a blur because you just don't expect to get cancer, so it was all quite a shock."

Swain described Gui as having been "very encouraging" and that she was "so grateful" to him.

She said her surgery involved cutting around her nipple to remove the cancer which she said "wasn't as big as it might have appeared on the surface".

In 2018, she met fellow artist and friend Paul Starns, with whom she later developed an exhibition at The Art Academy in London in October 2025 that raised funds for cancer charities.

"We wanted to show that there was hope and it wasn't just people that had had breast cancer," Swain said.

Her surgeon was among the 16 women and men they painted, who have had breast cancer or have been involved with someone who had.

"He's such an amazing man and he's so committed to what he does," Swain said.

"I've been going back to see him for check-ups for the last 14 years, so I feel I know him quite well now."

Gui also takes part in fundraising events for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity which supports breakthrough research, patient care and education.

On Saturday, he was part of the Thames Towpath Challenge, when he said a number of colleagues had raised just over £9,000.

In 2026, Gui, who has been a consultant breast surgeon at the Royal Marsden Hospital, also marks 40 years with the NHS.

He said he had been "quite touched" to find out he would be one of the portrait exhibition subjects.

"My first thought was one of privilege and honour and then when [Ruth] came and we talked a bit more about this, I also got to know her a lot more in that time.

"And it's quite funny, I think, sometimes when you see yourself in a mirror that's not quite a mirror."

He said he was now "used to seeing myself on the canvas".

Gui said he would like to acknowledge "the vast amount of work that many people do in raising money for charity and the patients that we treat and their relatives".

His portrait now hangs on the main staircase in the centre of the hospital almost adjacent to a portrait of its founder, Dr William Marsden.

Indie band celebrates album's top 10 chart success

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmz7xvxz7nzwo, yesterday

A band's new album that features "nods" to the guitarist and singer's hometown, Portsmouth, has reached the top 10 in the Official Charts in several categories.

The Howlers reached number two in the album downloads chart, number three in the independent album breakers chart and number 10 in the independent album chart with their new album 'Heavy'.

It comes after the band's debut album 'What You've Got to Lose to Win It All' reached number 10 in the record store chart.

Guitarist and singer Adam Young said: "In one of the busiest release weeks of the year going up against some huge artists I'm so proud of how hard our whole team worked to hold our own."

He added: "It's been incredible over the past week to see how much this album already means to people.

"Doing things our way on our terms."

The band spent the summer touring Germany supporting Deep Purple.

Young told BBC Introducing that this was "one of those experiences you wish you could do forever, bucket list stuff".

Young, from Portsmouth, said the band's new album features "lots of little things" on the record "linked to where I'm from", including the centre stickers on the records and the CD.

One of the songs, Cold Sweat, is a "rock/hip-hop track", said Young.

"There's little nods to where I'm from and where we were recording it and stuff like that.

"It was a really cool track to kind of write and hear the end product as well, so different for us.

"There's lots of little things on this record that are kind of linked to where I'm from and where I grew up, even the centre stickers on the records and the CD is meant to look like dazzle paint on navy ships from 50-60 years ago so there's still like a landing craft in Portsmouth which has it on.

"I kind of got the idea for like the blue and the white from that."

He added: "This record is meant to represent a step up from the previous and it's meant to be more authentic... it's a totally different experience doing this to the first one."

Artist uses show to address violence against women

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckpqgnlv8erro, yesterday

An artist using theatre to explore themes of surviving sexual violence and harassment has said performing is "cathartic and challenging at the same time".

Dr Prathiba Batley, founder of Eyakkam Dance Theatre in Huddersfield, uses dance, spoken word and music in her show 1,000 Papercuts to highlight her own experiences.

Through different forms, including Bharatanatyam - an Indian dance style - and playing the cajón drum, she said she could "democratise art forms" and address stereotypes.

"Most women, especially South Asian women, are expected to sit with their legs crossed. We don't make noise, we don't talk too much. Here I am, saying, 'I'm going to sit on this cajón, I'm going to make noise'."

"If that means I sing and dance and fight and speak, I will do all of that," Batley said.

"1,000 Papercuts is about getting people to understand what's happening on stage, so we can think about what to do next."

According to Batley, the show, which has received Arts Council England funding, reflected her own experience as a survivor of sexual abuse and workplace harassment.

She described it as "a difficult labour of love" to put together, but one that conveyed an important message.

"It is cathartic and challenging at the same time because you relive that trauma every single time you go into the studio space or into the theatre," she explained.

"The purpose behind Eyakkam is not just about physical movement, it is a social movement.

"It is something I use to move into the milieu of current issues, to address social justice, to talk about things that are pertinent to our life."

* If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, information and support can be found at BBC Action Line.

Batley said she worked with mental health professionals and a women's centre in Kirklees to develop the show.

"We want to be careful because there will be triggers, but you want to also have an impactful presentation," she said.

"That's how it came about with care in mind, but also with this crux of activating people."

The performance ends with a Q&A session which allows the audience to be connected to local services, including mental health charities.

1,000 Papercuts was co-produced by Lawrence Batley Theatre, and will be performed at York University on Saturday 28 October.

Touring the show, as well as developing the show into the Tamil language, would allow her to "reach a wider audience" and increase "audience participation", Batley added.

"Hopefully, we can create relationships between audiences and the services available in that location, and give them all these toolkits to take back with them.

"So, not just stop at performance, but continuing to activism, continuing to impact in daily life."

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.

Manifest: From reality TV to Wembley Arena in one turbulent year

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqrky2rkd5n1o, yesterday

When I first meet Turkish girl group manifest, we're on a boat cruising down the River Thames.

The six band members are clutching union jack umbrellas as they pose for press photographs and mingle with British pop acts, including K-pop-trained boyband dearALICE.

Netflix cameras are filming the evening for a six-part documentary. The group are in London hoping to build on their success in Turkey and reach an international audience.

Their ambitions come after a turbulent year at home, during which the band were prosecuted for public indecency over their outfits and dance moves during a concert in Istanbul.

'We'll manifest Coachella'

A few weeks after their appearance on the boat, I meet the group again at Wembley Arena, where they are preparing for their first UK concert the following night.

As the staging - complete with giant LED screens and the group's logo - is set up around them, the six members rehearse synchronised choreography alongside their back-up dancers.

The group consists of main vocalist Sueda Uluca, lead vocalist Lidya Pınar, sub-vocalist Mina Solak, sub-vocalist and main rapper Zeynep Sude Oktay, lead dancer Hilal Yelekçi and main dancer Esin Bahat.

But Wembley is just the beginning of their ambitions.

"After Wembley, we'll manifest Coachella and other big stages," says Hilal Yelekçi, playing on the group's name.

manifest were formed in February last year through the Turkish reality TV talent competition Big5 Türkiye, which saw contestants compete over several months for a place in the group.

They were mentored by established Turkish pop stars, including Gülçin Ergül, a former member of girl group Hepsi, who was also a judge on the show.

The band's rise has been rapid, and they now have more than six million monthly listeners on Spotify.

While in London, they released their first English-language single, TRALALA, which topped YouTube's daily music video chart on its release, ahead of videos from Shakira and Taylor Swift.

The music video was also their first to be filmed outside Turkey, with the group working with a largely British production crew in east London.

"Getting out from that safe zone was a bit stressful for us," says Pınar.

Despite their hopes to perform on British and American stages, they're keen to retain their Turkish identity.

"We want to reach a global audience with our Turkish songs actually, not with English ones," says Sude Oktay.

"We want to teach people to sing in Turkish."

Alongside Turkish girl group Hepsi, manifest cite the Spice Girls among their musical inspirations.

Pınar says her favourite Spice Girl is Baby Spice.

"Because of the pink. I'm pink and blonde, so it's obvious," she laughs.

They have also had the chance to meet one of the world's biggest pop stars, Dua Lipa.

The British-Albanian singer met manifest backstage before watching them perform at her Sunny Hill Festival in Kosovo in July this year.

"She came to our backstage and said a lot of great things," one member recalls.

"We really love her, her songs, her stage presence."

However, the band's road to success was threatened last year.

The trip to London comes just over a year after Turkish prosecutors launched an investigation into the group over allegations of violating public decency, following criticism of their outfits and choreography at an over-18s concert in Istanbul.

A Turkish court later ruled that their choreography and physical contact on stage amounted to exhibitionism.

In a post on X, Turkish politician Oktay Saral called for action so the group "can never repeat such acts".

The case also prompted criticism over artistic freedom in Turkey, where authorities have previously cancelled concerts and festivals over concerns about public morality.

Turkish singer Ceylan Ertem described the investigation as "an open attack on women's freedom and the performing arts".

The six members were handed suspended prison sentences of three months and 22 days. A ban preventing them from leaving Turkey was also lifted by the court.

'We want little girls to sing too'

Speaking to me in London, the group would not talk about the sentencing. Instead they spoke about wanting to inspire a new generation of Turkish girls.

"We are six different women, we have different hobbies... " says lead vocalist Pınar.

"We really, really want to see that little girls look at us and maybe they want to sing too, they want to dance too.

"Maybe they can get the power from us."

About 300 fans attended a signing event at a Turkish restaurant in London, giving the group their first chance to meet some of their UK-based supporters in person.

"Our concerts and events have been in Turkey before and we never met them face-to-face," says Pınar.

"It was a really cute moment for us."

On the day of the concert, there was a sense of excitement outside Wembley Arena as fans wearing manifest-branded headbands and carrying banners gathered.

The crowd was predominantly Turkish women in their 20s and 30s, many dressed in colours associated with the group.

Among them were friends Elif, 31, and Zeynep, 25, both Turkish women living in London, who reflected on the band's past year.

"I don't think I've ever heard of a girl band performing there," says Zeynep.

"I think I was seven when Hepsi were last together. It's maybe a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

Turkish pop star Tarkan previously performed at Wembley Arena in 2008.

For Elif, the concert has a wider significance.

"We are going through difficult times back home. It means girl power and empowerment, and just having fun and being together," she says.

"I feel like back home people came together to support them and criticise the treatment that they were receiving from the government."

Zeynep adds: "It's great to see them here, but I hope one day they will be back in Turkey and they'll be able to do whatever they want without getting persecuted for it."

The sense of girl power was strong as the group took to the Wembley stage, opening their set with Hileli before launching into TRALALA.

Throughout the evening the group switched between English and Turkish, at one point asking the audience who was Turkish and who was English. The loudest cheers came from the Turkish fans.

Alongside their own songs, they performed covers of One Direction's Story of My Life, the Spice Girls' Wannabe and the Pussycat Dolls' Hush Hush.

Hush Hush interpolates Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive, which the group sang in Turkish, a striking moment for a group determined to bring their language to an international audience.

Even though manifest have their sights set on stages around the world, after several weeks in London they were missing some of the comforts of home.

"Turkish food, like kebab," says rapper Sude Oktay, before adding mantı, a traditional Turkish dumpling dish.

"Turkey is our home," says Pınar. "We miss our home."

manifest setlist - Wembley Arena, 16 October 2026

* Hileli

* TRALALA

* Daha iyi

* Toz Pembe

* Snap

* Mashup

* Amateur

* KTS

* Yaşanacaksa

* Başrol Sensin

* Story of my Life (One Direction cover)

* Durma

* Rüya

* Hush Hush (Pussycat Dolls cover)

* Wannabe (Spice Girls cover)

* Rampa

* Zehir

* PVG

* Manifest

'An object of lust': How the ancient Greek goddess Aphrodite became a controversial symbol of love and sex

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20261007-how-aphrodite-became-a-controversial-sex-symbol, 11 days ago

Artworks depicting Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess of love and beauty, have long been branded obscene, objectifying the female body. How did she become one of the most controversial figures in the history of art?

The nudity of Aphrodite (or Venus as she was known by the ancient Romans), has been a topic of debate for centuries.

In 1880, the shocked author Mark Twain called Titian's Venus of Urbino (1534) "the foulest, the vilest, the obscenest picture the world possesses". In 1914, the suffragette Mary Richardson hacked Diego Velázquez's Rokeby Venus (c 1647-51) with a meat cleaver at least three times in the middle of London's National Gallery. "I didn't like the way men visitors gaped at it all day long," was one of her later explanations.

Aphrodite: The Making of a Goddess, a new exhibition at Oxford's Ashmolean Museum, explores the history of the goddess. It helps to explain how she evolved into a lightning rod of such intense cultural controversy.

There are two versions of her origin story: a mythological one and a historically accurate one, and neither particularly marks her out as a future troublemaker. In myth, the tale begins with Kronos castrating his father Ouranos and flinging his genitals into the sea; foam began to bubble to the surface, and out of it arose a fully formed Aphrodite. She glided across the waves to the island of Cyprus, where her footsteps caused flowers to bloom miraculously from the land.

The historical version of Aphrodite's birth also begins on Cyprus, where she emerged as a deity around 1200BC. She was a distinctive new addition to the pantheon but had features that had apparently evolved from older Middle Eastern goddesses like Ishtar, Astarte and Hathor. For these archaic goddesses, "sexuality, love and fertility were their core characteristics," Anja Ulbrich, curator of the Ashmolean exhibition, tells the BBC, "but they all had more than one function".

And the same applied to Aphrodite, who in her early years wasn't just a goddess of romantic love, but of all physical love and procreation – in the animal and plant world as much as the human realm. And there are other, perhaps less well-known, sides to her persona. She fought in the Trojan War – and this warrior aspect of her personality led her to be worshipped by the ancient Greek navy.

Aphrodite can also claim to be the founder of the Roman civilisation, no less. One mythological narrative describes her affair with the Trojan prince Anchises; their son Aeneas fled to Italy after the fall of Troy – and his descendants were said to have established the city of Rome.

Following her original appearance on Cyprus back in the 13th Century BC, Aphrodite became a big hit with people, and worship of her spread all around ancient Greece. Why was she so appealing? "Fertility, love, procreation is a topic across humanity, no matter which culture," Ulbrich says. "One of her names is Pandemos: the goddess of all people. It's not just the warriors, or the women: love affects everybody and everything. It pervades life."

A new kind of nudity

So far, so uncontroversial. For several hundred years, artists didn't make Aphrodite look particularly different from other female Olympian goddesses. And in her early years, they did not typically depict her naked, and certainly never in the more provocative poses we now associate with her. But then, in 350BC, an artwork appeared that changed everything.

Praxiteles's Aphrodite of Knidos (c 350BC) was the first completely nude artwork of a woman in ancient Greece. The original sculpture is lost, but we can get a good picture of what it looked like by later Roman copies like the Capitoline Venus (c 160BC).

Before Praxiteles, it was only male figures who were shown undressed. "Celebrating physical male beauty through nudity was perfectly normal from the 7th or 6th Century BC onwards," Ulbrich says. So, Praxiteles chose to do the same for female physical beauty.

Aphrodite's nudity was different. If you look closely, you can see how dissimilar the presentation of nudity is in Greek male sculptures: it's all in the body language. Praxiteles's Aphrodite is shown caught whilst bathing. She appears shy and vulnerable, covering herself in shame or embarrassment, whereas the nude male body in Greek art had always been shown as confident and heroic. Ulbrich explains: "It is mostly based on how she's presented in myths, where she is constantly bathing and working on her physical beauty."

But in Praxiteles's artwork, Aphrodite's hands are positioned slightly away from her, making it possible for a viewer to see her exposed body if they look at it from different angles. It's an artwork that invites interaction, and rewards the spectator for their sensual curiosity. These innovative artistic techniques would cause heated debate in centuries to come, and a name was coined for the pose of the Praxiteles's sculpture: the Venus Pudica (modest or shameful).

The Aphrodite of Knidos was "revolutionary," says Ulbrich. Before Praxiteles, Aphrodite might be recognisable in sculptures from a range of different items of clothing, jewellery and other attributes. Afterwards, he says, "the nudity basically takes over."

It's worth acknowledging that a naked body is completely natural, and not controversial in its own right. What would make Aphrodite so provocative in later years was not her being undressed, but how her body was posed for the gratification of a viewer. It turned her into an object of lust.

Praxiteles's original sculpture was so inspirational that it was later copied thousands of times by Roman sculptors, of which the Capitoline Venus is just one famous example. A new way of looking at women's bodies in art had been unleashed by the Venus Pudica, and it spread to all the territories governed by the Roman Empire including Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

Aphrodite's erotic rebirth

But the influence was not restricted to the ancient world. During the Renaissance, artists began to seek out and copy classical sculptures with more determination than they had for a millennium. And one of the most admired was the Venus Pudica type. So, Aphrodite, in her nude, seductive and humble persona, as devised by Praxiteles, was reborn in artworks by Massaccio, Botticelli, Raphael and Titian – artists who would later become the "great names" of art history. Some artists used the pose to depict Aphrodite, but many adopted it for other types of female figure. It also inspired other artists to devise new poses based on the same essential premise of diffident nudity.

And so, via artists' repeated rehashing of the Venus Pudica, the objectified female form became an indelible feature of the art historical canon. Rubens and Velázquez reincarnated it in the Baroque period. It was revived by Cabanel and Manet in the 1800s, and by Modigliani and Yves Klein in the 20th Century. The outrage of Mark Twain and Mary Richardson are responses to this history of Aphrodite's eroticisation.

Anja Ulbrich tells the BBC that the goddess has been depicted in many diverse ways, and that Praxiteles's sculpture shouldn't necessarily be our defining vision of her. One of the exhibits at the Ashmolean was made in Northumberland and shows Aphrodite bathing. At such a distance from the Mediterranean, Ulbrich says with a smile, "she looks pretty annoyed by the cold."

More like this:

• Why Mary Magdalene is a divisive figure

• The brutal truth revealed by the Bayeux Tapestry

• The hidden history of a controversial $6m banana

In more recent times, and outside of Praxiteles's influence, Aphrodite is often cast differently, sometimes even as an icon of empowerment. In 2023, Beyoncé opened a concert by arriving on stage in a giant clam shell, wearing a dress decorated with Venus Pudica hands. Björk, Lady Gaga, Kylie Minogue and Bananarama have all written songs about the goddess.

As the symbol of ultimate beauty and desirability, Aphrodite has been adapted and reconfigured to reflect the needs of her audience for 3,000 years and counting, a remarkable lifespan for an ancient Greek deity. Another astonishing idea is that a single sculpture – Praxiteles's Aphrodite of Knidos – has shaped our attitudes to nudity so profoundly.

There's no sign of her dominance over mortal affairs ending, or her controversy subsiding – the subject of beauty and how it is handled will be forever relevant, and always up for debate, reflecting public opinion as it unfolds over time. "Depending on the context, people have just narrowed her down to what they need and what they want," says Ulbrich. "She is very versatile, you know."

Aphrodite: The Making of a Goddess is at Oxford's Ashmolean Museum until 11 April 2027

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The US produces millions of tonnes of rice waste each year. Now people are building homes with it

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20261009-the-houses-made-from-rice-husks, 9 days ago

A notoriously stubborn agricultural waste product, rice husk is being repurposed as a sturdy and resilient construction material.

In 2023, David Fine had a problem. He had been hired to renovate a luxury ski condo development in Park City, Utah, in the US. But the building requirements were proving challenging.

The existing condos had begun to rot under the town's famous powdery snow, which piles up for months during the long winters. The homeowner's association had spent a year searching for a material that would absorb moisture while also resisting the increasingly frequent wildfires that threaten the mountaintop locale in summer.

They considered products like extruded aluminium, which would protect the condos against fire but appear synthetic. Wooden sidings such as cedar, on the other hand, would achieve a more pleasing aesthetic, but with a weaker fire rating.

Finally, they came up with an outlandish-sounding solution: panel boards made from rice husks – a byproduct of rice farming. "Their focus was to find something that looked like wood, that was beautiful, and that was a little better fire-rated than traditional wood siding," Fine says. Rice husk panels, it turned out, "checked all those boxes".

Previously viewed as a waste product and even pollutant, rice husks are now attracting attention for their potential as a versatile, sustainable construction material. With hundreds of new homes in the US now using rice husk panelling, and other rice husk products from porches to playgrounds available, why are some developers choosing this agricultural throwaway over classic materials?

The house that rice built

While growing on the plant, rice husks protect the grains from moisture and pests. But when the crop is harvested, they become one of the most stubborn agricultural waste products to deal with.

The world produces around 150 million tonnes (331 billion lb) of rice husk each year, much of it burned on farms or at roadsides, posing risks to both human health and the environment. In the US, which grows some nine million tonnes (20 billion lb) of rice annually, rice husk is sometimes converted into biomass energy, though even then there's not always a clear use for the ash left behind.

A pioneering solution kills two birds with one stone – repurposing this agricultural waste as a durable and sustainable building material of the future.

Alongside the use of materials made from rice husks in panelling and other construction materials, research suggests rice husk ash could provide an alternative to cement, which is responsible for 8% of global carbon emissions.

Christopher Guimond first became curious about rice byproducts when he discovered US rice producers let the waste decompose in the ground and release polluting clouds of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. An engineering student, Guimond started to believe that rice husks would make the perfect material to use at scale in construction.

"The fascination was to take this thing that was a throwaway and leverage its properties," he says.

Guimond is now the founder and chief executive of Modern Mill, the first US-based company that manufactures construction products out of rice husks at scale. The company says it has diverted over nine million kg (20.5 million lb) of rice husks from landfill since it was founded in 2018, including as the panelling for Fine's ski condos.

Around the world, other companies including Resysta in Germany and design firm Ricehouse in Italy are producing or using all kinds of construction materials, from decking to paint, made from rice husks. Modern Mill's rice husk composite is even being used to make playgrounds.

Rice husks protect the precious grains from wind and rain, and their high silica content allows them to resist moisture and decay, meaning they naturally boast the same properties as many traditional construction materials. "The whole point of the rice husk is to protect the rice while it grows," Guimond says. "What is it protecting it from? Moisture, pests, rot, those types of things."

In addition to protecting against moisture, the high silica content means rice husks are surprisingly resilient to fire, according to Fine. Modern Mill's product is designated as Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) compliant, meaning it has passed California's fire safety testing.

The benefits of rice husk

Timber has long been considered a sustainable building material. It is abundant in continental climates and has comparatively low carbon emissions compared to materials like concrete and steel.

But it can also have environmental and financial downsides, from vulnerability to price shocks to the depletion of old growth forests and the carbon they store and absorb.

Rice isn't the only unusual alternative building material being tested out. In the Global South, bamboo is increasingly being used as an alternative to concrete and more expensive, slower-growing tropical hardwoods. But the wide availability and low cost of rice husk, added to the fact it is a waste material, gives it a distinct advantage.

A recent study found that using the fibrous residues from crops like rice, wheat and maize for buildings, rather than burning them, could produce a significant carbon sink, since the carbon caught in these residues would be locked away for decades.

Sabbie Miller, an expert in sustainable building materials and professor in civil and environmental engineering at the University of California, Davis, notes however that whether or not a particular building material will be low-carbon can be very nuanced and requires a detailed life cycle assessment.

Research has found that rice husk panels perform as well as traditional materials when it comes to thermal and acoustic control. In Italy, for example, rice panels were used within Casa LH, a project recently completed by Ricehouse, to control its acoustics and thermal performance.

The house, designed to rebuild a previous structure, features large south-facing windows and an open kitchen that brings sunlight and air but also seasonal heat and echoes. "We had to add another way to insulate more and guarantee acoustic comfort," says Valentina Savioli, a communications officer at Ricehouse. Using rice as insulation was an easy decision "just because of how much volume and biomass [it] has", she adds.

However, more widespread adoption might prove tricky since Italian contractors are generally sceptical of less common building materials, says Savioli.

There can be similar concerns in the US, as well as barriers like cost, says Miller.

"There can be hesitancy to use materials if, for example, an engineer could compromise their license or ability to get hired if there is a material failure," she says.

However, adoption of non-load bearing rice husk products (the case for Modern Mill's panels) will likely face fewer challenges than using them in load bearing materials, she adds. "It is often easier to adopt a new floor tile material than it is to adopt a new material for a beam."

Concrete alternative

Some US states, however, do already approve alternative structural materials such as earth blocks (made from dirt mixed with water and chemical stabilisers) or hemp.

And researchers have studied the potential of rice husk ash as an alternative to cement, either by being added to a cement mixture or by replacing cement entirely, especially as a binder in earth blocks. This would reduce the amount of cement needed in construction, lowering both carbon emissions and material costs, and means rice husk could be used as a component of structural materials.

A 2025 study proposed combining rice husk ash, wood ash and rice straw to make a low-cost, carbon-negative material that could eliminate the need for cement.

If rice husk materials like these are developed, they would be particularly useful in areas of the Global South where most rice waste is burned and billions of people lack adequate housing.

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In Africa, for example, new construction usually uses concrete and suffers from poor quality. "It’s like the worst of both worlds," says Ariana Karamallis, director of global engagement at housing non-profit Build Change, based in Colorado. When using innovative materials like rice husk, she adds, it's crucial to find a "sweet spot" between affordability, scalability and relating to the community – and to avoid testing novel techniques on the most vulnerable.

Rice husk may have the most long-term potential in rice-producing areas of the Global South, but it is already being used in buildings in the US.

Since the Park City condo project was completed, Fine has used rice husk panels in five additional projects, with several more in the pipeline. While it costs slightly more to install compared to cedar, the long-term maintenance costs are lower due to its resistance to moisture, sun and fire, he says. He believes rice husk products are on the cusp of becoming competitive and will likely beat cedar in price once more people learn how to install them.

"I'm always looking for ways to put a product out that will last a long time, longer than hopefully I'm alive," he says. Rice husk products, he says, might prove to be just such a material.

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'Rock 'n' roll swagger': 10 iconic images capturing the chaotic energy of '90s Brit culture

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20261005-10-iconic-images-capturing-the-chaotic-energy-of-90s-brit-culture, 13 days ago

It was the last hurrah of analogue, old-millennium life in the UK, as the era's chaotic, thrilling energy spilled into music, fashion, art and hedonism. Now the decade is being celebrated in a major exhibition at Tate Britain.

The 1990s in Britain felt like a collision course of scenes – music, club culture, art, fashion, all vividly spilling into each other. A youthful generation was full of DIY innovations and an appetite for adventure and hedonism. This hot-mess energy fuelled the era's creativity: it was thrilling and chaotic, and often contradictory. Dancefloors might erupt anywhere. Everything from art to restaurant cuisine or stand-up comedy had rock'n'roll swagger. Tate Britain's new exhibition, The 90s: Art and Fashion, channels some of that energy.

Exhibition curator Edward Enninful forged his own path in the '90s, becoming fashion editor at i-D magazine aged 18. "We tend to remember the decade through iconic fashion, art and music, but there was a much bigger shift in who got to participate in culture and whose voices were being heard," Enninful tells the BBC.

"There was a sense that the old hierarchies were breaking down – artists, designers, photographers and musicians were all moving between disciplines, collaborating, challenging conventions and creating new possibilities. Over time, some of that outsider energy was absorbed into the mainstream… I don't see the 1990s as a closed chapter, but as a moment whose influence is still unfolding across British culture."

Back then the pursuit of fun was a serious undertaking – perhaps because the '90s largely happened at night, in realms where boundaries easily blurred. Or maybe this was our "last hurrah" to break the pre-millennial tension. It was an era of creative risk-taking in a world that, now, is continually tuned for the algorithm.

Here are 10 images from The 90s exhibition, each offering a sense of that still-vital energy: to live in the moment, and to feel the future tantalisingly within reach.

1. Rose Lying on Orange Sofa, 56 Brewer Street, Soho, London by Corinne Day (1992)

Corinne Day's naturalistic photography was a world away from 1980s gloss, and it helped to define a starkly different '90s aesthetic. This image, featuring regular model Rosemary Ferguson, was taken for The Face magazine shoot entitled England's Dreaming; it's resolutely gritty yet elegantly androgynous and poetic. Helen Little, curator of contemporary British art at Tate Britain, highlights "this new kind of realism" in The 90s catalogue: "narratives of life and friendship with a casual, unfiltered documentary style characterised by natural lighting and minimal retouching".

2. Alexander McQueen: AW 1998 by Guy Marineau

British designer Alexander McQueen emerged as an enfant terrible of the fashion world in the early '90s – and he sealed his iconic status with sharp designs that entwined beauty and brutality. His creations converged with the art, music and nightlife scenes; his clothes were presented with intense theatricality, as with this climactic scene from his autumn/winter '98 collection (inspired by the martyrdom of Joan of Arc).

"McQueen's fashion shows were subversive and dramatic spectacles, comparable to performance art rather than commercial showcases," writes curator Jessica Vaughan in the exhibition catalogue. "He repeatedly returned to themes of conquest and persecution."

3. Metalheadz Sunday Sessions by Eddie Otchere (1995-96)

Cultural landscapes shifted throughout this decade, and a once-desolate east London district became a creative and social hotbed – fuelled by innovative club nights like Metalheadz, helmed by DJ/producer Goldie at the now legendary Blue Note in Hoxton Square. It was a focal point for jungle music, the fast-paced electronic dance music genre that emerged in the UK rave scene during the early 1990s. Eddie Otchere's vibrant portrait captures the night's irrepressible spirit. "Goldie wanted to incubate a scene built on the talents of a group of like-minded producers and artists for the purposes of throwing jungle culture into the future," Otchere tells the BBC.

4. Bear by Steve McQueen (1993)

Sexual politics proved a powerful force in the '90s, splayed across activism, commercialism and creativity. While a rising generation of Young British Artists took a brashly unapologetic, irreverent approach to the theme, Steve McQueen was a London contemporary who forged his own minimal yet hard-hitting style, standing apart from the YBAs. McQueen later went on to win the Turner Prize in 1999, and to create landmark feature films and TV including 12 Years A Slave and Small Axe. He is now Sir Steve McQueen.

He both directed and starred in his breakthrough black-and-white short film Bear. It's a two-hander alongside Vernon Douglas, with both men stripped and silent, physically tussling between aggression and tenderness, evoking dynamics including black masculinity, strength, sexuality, and spectatorship. McQueen reflects on this era of work in an exhibition catalogue interview with Afua Hirsch: "When you are doing something through the act of making, you can't put things in reserve, you've got to go all out."

5. Naomi Campbell: Babywoman album cover by Ellen von Unwerth (1994)

While supermodel Naomi Campbell's R&B fusion album Babywoman sounded slightly flat, its imagery has always felt epic – with the fashion star elevating seemingly mundane surroundings (a tiny bathroom in NYC), shot in sleek, high-contrast monochrome by photographer Ellen von Unwerth. "Through my lens, women are glamorous, humorous and multifaceted," von Unwerth told i-D magazine. "After all, what is gender if not something to play with?"

6. Kinky Gerlinky Vogueing Ball, Balcony Stars, Café De Paris by Dave Swindells (1990)

Throughout the '90s, Dave Swindells was the nightlife editor at London listings magazine Time Out. He was also on the dancefloor as a photographer, flowing through the crowds with his camera – as with this scene from pioneering club extravaganza Kinky Gerlinky.

"This was one of the most joyful and purely hedonistic nights I've ever experienced, and great fun to photograph," Swindells tells the BBC. "It celebrated performative dressing up and the first Vogueing ball in the fabulous Café de Paris was pivotal. It was raucous and riotous and set the scene for dozens of Kinky Gerlinky spectaculars in the West End."

7. Young Pink Kate by Juergen Teller (1998)

There's an exuberant intimacy to this shot of then 24-year-old supermodel Kate Moss, nestled among bedsheets, her candy-coloured locks (dyed for a recent Versace show) streaming across the pillows. Fashion photographer and longtime collaborator Juergen Teller captures the post-party moment with characteristic candour, as well as a fantastical edge: Moss is glowing, like a burst of pink sunshine. Moss would describe this portrait as "the real me" in her retrospective book Kate: "Because it is just us having a laugh in my bed. There wasn't a hair or makeup artist or anything."

8. Cardiff, 6.15am by Mischa Haller (1998)

In 1998 Swiss photographer Mischa Haller – who had moved to London – created a series Not Going Home. In this shot from the Welsh capital, the four young women look strangely immaculate amid the after-hours fall-out; crucially, it's also a splendidly insouciant contrast to the tabloid shaming of hard-partying "ladettes".

Haller tells the BBC: "It's this celebration of going out as a group, having fun together. This was right outside a club on the high street, and I photographed these people before the street cleaners came. It was still dark, so I had to use flash. You kind of had these leftovers from last night, then people spilling out of the club in the morning, so it's kind of two worlds colliding. These are in-between moments."

9. B-boy Headspin by Normski (1990s)

In the 1990s Norman "Normski" Anderson was a photographer, DJ and broadcaster (his BBC TV show Dance Energy was inspirational viewing for young music fans). "Everyone was making stuff up because we were free enough to do it," Normski tells the BBC. That giddy swirl of intrepidness and innocence resounds in this headspin shot, taken at a London hip-hop party that Normski was covering for i-D. "This is me on the ground, practically upside down. The camera is as close as I can get to this guy, trying to catch the spin. I want to be the B-boy. There's an energy that I love, which is being amongst it."

10. Elaine Constantine: Northampton 1997

There's an exhilarating, kinetic quality to Elaine Constantine's photography – and you can practically hear the engines revving and smell the petrol in this image, taken from her Burn Up series on "boy racers" (originally shot for The Face). Constantine was similarly young at the time, and shared an enthusiasm for customised cars. "Going to that carpark in Northampton that night felt a bit like going to a rave… the spontaneous meet with loads of young people, organised through word of mouth and independent radio," she tells the BBC.

"You could feel that excitement of something that belonged to them. Things are much safer now, more monitored. I think that original movements were still incubating in that time and able to develop between likeminded people, so it genuinely felt like creativity was blossoming. My life growing up in the north through the 70s [also] gave me the desire to create images that expressed individual freedom. We need to try and get that back somehow, but that's a huge conversation and hopefully a new and insatiable generation that will make that happen."

The 90s: Art & Fashion is at Tate Britain from 8 Oct to 14 Feb, 2027.

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Toulouse to Ho Chi Minh City: Five fast-rising cities that should be on travellers' radars right now

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20261015-the-worlds-top-cities-to-watch-in-2026, today

A new global report spotlights the world's emerging urban hotspots. From thriving cultural scenes to changing neighbourhoods, locals reveal what makes them worth exploring now.

New York, London and Paris have once again topped Oxford Economics' annual ranking of the world's leading cities. But beyond these familiar names, its 2026 Global Cities Index has identified 28 "cities to watch" – places whose rapid growth and rising fortunes could see them become increasingly influential in the years ahead.

These cities aren't just growing economically. New neighbourhoods, thriving cultural scenes and improved transport links are already reshaping the visitor experience and making them increasingly interesting places to visit.

We selected five from the list and spoke to people who know them well to find out what's changing – and why they're worth exploring now.

Toulouse, France

With its population forecast to grow by 57,000 over the next four years – more than anywhere else in France – Toulouse is one of Europe's fastest-growing cities and is attracting younger, skilled newcomers with its mild climate, relatively affordable cost of living and high quality of life.

"Here, you don't have to choose between slow life and fast life," said Elodie Paramelle, who recently returned to Toulouse after 10 years in London. "You get the energy of a big city, with an incredible food scene, independent cafes, cocktail bars and a growing cultural offering, alongside a much slower pace of life."

Toulouse has changed significantly in recent years, according to Mélodie Tyler, who moved back here after seven years in Paris. She says the city is much more walkable and bike-friendly, while its food and wine scene has expanded dramatically. And she notes that the buzz is spreading beyond the historic centre. "Ponts-Jumeaux where I live hosts a bunch of festivals, guinguettes [open-air bars] and skateboarding competitions," she said. "The Toulousains love to party and be outside as much as possible!"

Beyond its thriving neighbourhoods, Toulouse is also major aerospace hub, home to hundreds of companies, including Airbus's global headquarters. Visitors can explore that heritage at the Cité de l'Espace space-themed discovery centre or Aeroscopia aviation museum beside the Airbus runways. For something more unusual, La Halle de La Machine brings art and engineering together through giant mechanical creatures created by a local street theatre company.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Vietnam's largest city is on a remarkable trajectory. Oxford Economics predicts Ho Chi Minh City will be among the world's 50 fastest-growing cities over the next five years, with an economy that could rival Berlin's by 2050. Tourism is booming too, with more than eight million international visitors last year, exceeding projections.

"The first metro line only opened at the end of 2024, and it's one of the most tangible symbols of how quickly the city is changing," said Meaghan Yash, a travel specialist at tour operator Timbuktu Travel who frequently designs trips here. The 20km (12.5 mile) line runs from Ben Thanh Market in the city centre to the Suoi Tien theme park, with single fares costing less than £1 ($1.33).

Yet, Ho Chi Minh's appeal lies in how it balances change with continuity. Chris Buchart, commercial director at Vietnamese hotel company Fusion Group, suggests travellers visit the French-colonial Central Post Office and Opera House, and then the War Remnants Museum for context on the country's history, before turning to one of the city's greatest strengths: its food.

Buchart recommends trying bánh mì (Vietnamese baguette sandwich), cơm tấm (broken rice) and bánh xèo (crispy pancakes), while Yash suggests venturing beyond the usual tourist circuit in central District 1 to quieter, more residential neighbourhoods where leafy streets are ideal for wandering and cafe-hopping. He also suggests Chợ Lớn, the city's historic Chinatown, for its markets, temples and medicine shops, while across the river in Thảo Điền, independent boutiques, galleries and home-grown Vietnamese brands make for excellent shopping.

Warsaw, Poland

The Polish capital has made one of the fastest jumps in the Global Cities index, climbing more than 100 places to 61st. Its quality-of-life score now surpasses London, New York and Tokyo, while its economy is projected to expand by around 3% annually – nearly twice the European city average.

For Konrad Warzecha, a Polish-Australian whose family home is in Warsaw's Wola district, the transformation has been remarkable. "From our balcony you can see the skyline, and watching the roads, highways and towers go up over 20 years has made the city almost unrecognisable," said Warzecha, who blogs at House Sitters Guide.

The biggest changes, he says, are on the streets. "As a kid I rode the trams and did not feel safe, and I saw many robberies happen," he said. "Now I have never felt safer. People walk around at night, the streets are clean and trouble gets dealt with quickly."

For first-time visitors, Warzecha recommends a walk that takes in both the old and new city. He starts at the Soviet-era Palace of Culture and Science and follows Nowy Świat boulevard into the Old Town, painstakingly rebuilt after World War Two.

Along the way, he stops for pączki (Polish doughnuts) and a meal at a bar mleczny, one of the city's traditional, no-frills milk bars. "It tastes like home cooking," he said. "A three-course meal with drinks comes to around £13 ($17).

Warzecha once wanted to leave Poland and move back to Australia, but today his feelings have changed. "These days Warsaw is one of the places I recommend most, and not because I am from there. I am proud to have a Polish background."

Medellín, Colombia

Medellín's remarkable transformation is reflected in its economic fortunes. Employment in business and financial services has more than doubled over the past 20 years, and Oxford Economics predicts that the Colombian city's average income will overtake Buenos Aires and São Paulo by the 2040s.

"In the 10 years I've lived here, Medellín has gone from a curiosity for only the most daring to a hub for travel," said Patrick Quinn, who runs the Colombia Writers Retreat in nearby El Peñol. "Once blighted or overlooked places like Comuna 13, Perpetuo Socorro and Ciudad del Río have become cultural and economic centres."

The city's Metrocable, the first urban cable car system designed for mass public transport, carries commuters and visitors up the surrounding hillsides, while emerging creative districts are giving travellers new reasons to explore. "There is enough happening in its food, art and design scenes to warrant several days in its own right," said Joanna Rigby Jones, a travel specialist at Timbuktu Travel who has planned trips here for years. She recommends the creative district, Perpetuo Socorro, for design shops, galleries and speciality coffee.

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Comuna 13, once one of the city's most dangerous districts, now draws some of Medellín's biggest crowds. "Go with a local guide who can provide the context behind the murals, escalators and music rather than treating the neighbourhood simply as an Instagram backdrop," said Rigby Jones.

Quinn also recommends exploring the Poblado and Laureles neighbourhoods, seeking out local creators and curators. "That way, you can go home and tell stories that will dismantle outdated misconceptions about this place," he said.

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Once heavily dependent on oil, Abu Dhabi has transformed its economy through investment in technology, renewable energy, property and finance. The UAE capital now ranks sixth in the Global Cities index for the skills and education of its workforce, ahead of Paris and Boston, while its non-oil economy and job market are projected to surpass neighbouring Dubai.

"Abu Dhabi feels a little slower and more relaxed than Dubai or Sharjah," said Muna Abu-Hijleh, an American who has lived in both Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. "There's more of a sense of space, and you can go from a very modern city to the beach, the mangroves or quieter neighbourhoods quite easily."

That slower pace is part of the appeal for Jeremy Savory, a longtime UAE resident and frequent visitor to Abu Dhabi, "It's a city that's been engineered to be the stable alternative next to Dubai's flash," he said. "In this region right now, boring is a selling point."

Yet, Abu Dhabi is making an enormous cultural statement. On Saadiyat Island, the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi and Zayed National Museum both opened in 2025, while the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is scheduled to open on 11 December 2026.

Abu-Hijleh also suggests at least one day at a slower pace, such as having breakfast at a local cafe or browsing at the mall. "The UAE can look incredibly futuristic from the outside, but everyday life is much more ordinary and human than the skyscrapers and luxury hotels might suggest."

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'Leaving something delicious on the plate would be a far worse crime': How Italy's guiltiest food ritual went public

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20261015-in-italy-bad-table-manners-can-be-a-compliment, yesterday

Once considered improper, a beloved Italian dining ritual reveals a surprising clash between etiquette and the pleasure of eating.

Growing up, I spent a lot of time at my Italian grandparents' house in Kent, where bread was never not on the table. I remember my nonna slicing it into thick chunks and presenting it in a plastic basket lined with kitchen roll.

We'd eat it throughout lunch or dinner, but its starring role came at the end: mopping up the last of the pasta sauce or soaking up oil and vinegar from the salad. It was, and still is, my favourite part of any meal.

These days I'm baffled when my husband leaves good sauce on the plate. "You’ve missed the best bit," I'll cry, tearing off a piece of bread to mop up what's left.

It was only when I got older that I learnt that this ordinary habit has a name in Italy: "fare la scarpetta" – literally "to do the little shoe" – using bread to mop up the last of the sauce or juices from a meal.

On a recent trip to Naples, I was surprised to see la scarpetta done at a white-tableclothed restaurant as casually as at my grandparents' table. While my Italian dining companion and I were waiting for our pasta dishes to be cleared away, I noticed his eyes darting towards a bit of pesto left on the plate. He eagerly tore off some bread, wiped up every last bit and popped it into his mouth with gusto.

He didn't ask if I minded or look up to register any kind of disapproval on my face – not that he'd have found any. He just did it with an uninhibited enthusiasm I found oddly life-affirming. It communicated: this food is good and should be thoroughly enjoyed. On the second course, I followed his lead.

So how did a habit once frowned upon in polite company become something Italians now proudly do in public?

How scarpetta got its name

There are many theories online as to why the ritual is called "little shoe". Some Italians suggest it's because the piece of bread looks like a small shoe or clog; others suggest it refers to being so hungry you'd eat the sole of a shoe.

Italian food historian Luca Cesari says neither explanation has much evidence behind it. "Its origin is uncertain, so I'd leave aside the more fanciful theories you find online," he says.

The earliest written example Cesari has found is from 1871, in Roman dialect, when a character in the Roman magazine La Frusta asks to make scarpetta with a little sauce left on the plate.

The expression also appears in an 1885 dictionary of the Abruzzo dialect, suggesting its roots lie in central Italy.

As for the name itself, Cesari says the most convincing hypothesis comes from the Accademia della Crusca, Italy's leading authority on the Italian language. In central Italian dialect, fare una scarpetta meant "to go for a little walk" – much like the bread taking a stroll around the plate.

Francesca Cipolla, a food content creator from Palermo, Sicily, says scarpetta is instinctive, almost a reflex. "It's not something we consciously perform. If there's delicious sauce left on the plate, I tear off a piece of bread and use it to pick up the sauce. I don't really think about doing it; it's how I grew up eating, and everyone in my family is the same."

But the custom has not always been considered good table manners, and attitudes have varied by region, generation and setting.

Chef Gaia Enria who grew up in Turin, one of Italy's more formal northern cities, remembers being told off by her parents for doing la scarpetta. "It was viewed as improper back then. I think that was specific to Turin. Times have changed now but I remember it clearly."

In Puglia, chef Somaia Hammad remembers almost the opposite. "In Puglia especially, it can almost be considered rude to leave anything behind on your plate, so finishing every last bit with a piece of bread is as much about showing appreciation for the food as it is about not wasting anything."

Further south in Calabria, the "toe" of Italy's boot, chef Francesco Mazzei of Mezzogiorno restaurant in London, remembers a very different relationship with bread. Bread was a food that commanded deep respect. It wasn't just a vehicle for sauce, it was the integral part of the meal, he explains. In fact, everything else was just a companatico – literally "what you eat with bread".

"Our lives centred around bread," he adds "The meal hasn't begun if there's no bread on the table and it can't end without it either."

When bad manners went mainstream

Cesari cautions, however, that the divide has as much to do with class as geography. He explains that traditional bourgeois etiquette frowned upon touching food with the hands. Even the supposed compromise of breaking bread and spearing it with a fork to mop around the plate could be considered boorish – perhaps more so, because it suggested "someone who would like to follow etiquette but just can't resist".

Attitudes started to shift more broadly in the second half of the 20th Century, he says, "as Italy rediscovered its cucina povera and began to think of waste as the real bad manners."

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A symbolic turning point came in 2015, when Gualtiero Marchesi, considered the father of modern Italian fine dining, was defending scarpetta in an interview for Gente magazine. He called it perfectly acceptable – even elegant – as long as it was done with the fingers with nonchalance.

It is now becoming increasingly normal to see Italians doing la scarpetta in restaurants – just as they would at home. "It doesn't matter if it's a fancy restaurant, a local trattoria or a bar that does food, they will all serve bread for this purpose and leave it on the table until the end of the meal," says Cipolla.

In Naples, one takeaway pasta restaurant has built its whole concept around the ritual: at 'A Scarpetta, every box of pasta has been designed to leave enough sauce for a final mop-up with bread.

These days, says Enria, la scarpettais not only accepted but respected. That's because, for a small gesture, it can communicate a lot. "But it's also about pleasure," she adds. "You want to scoop up every last drop because you enjoyed it so much."

Mazzei says fare la scarpettahas even become a way of expressing how much you've enjoyed something beyond food. "Someone might ask how your holiday was and you could answer ci farei la scarpetta which means I'd do a scarpetta' or, 'I wish there was more of it'."

Perhaps that helps explain how a habit once frowned upon in polite company has become something Italians increasingly love doing in public.

As Cesari puts it: "Leaving something delicious on the plate would be a far worse crime than mopping it up with a piece of bread."

My nonna taught me well, it seems: good sauce should never go to waste.

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The Obituary Cocktail: The 'deadly' drink that symbolises New Orleans

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20261016-the-obituary-cocktail-the-deadly-drink-that-symbolises-new-orleans, 2 days ago

Combining a martini's wallop with one of the world's most notorious spirits, this recently revived cocktail embodies the city's distinctive approach to life and death.

Like a rake's progress, it starts with gin. Then vermouth. Then absinthe, delivered by atomiser, eye-dropper or spoon. A lemon twist, with its burst of essential oils, anoints it.

My first Obituary Cocktail was in New Orleans, the city that invented it, forgot it and then revived it. In the eight years I lived there, it never appeared on a menu, but savvy local bartenders could make one on request. That evening's details are as hazy as the Wednesday after Fat Tuesday. I could not tell you the year, nor the season. I only remember it was good and that it was sometime after absinthe became legal again in the United States in 2007.

I drank it at Cure. Neal Bodenheimer's legendary bar is graced by an enormous scientific print of a palmetto bug, the flying cockroach residents know as the city's native bird. Uplighting shines through the liquor bottles, turning them into bejewelled reliquaries.

In a city that uses "costume" as a verb and shimmies into one at the drop of a hat, visuals are important. Poured into a vintage Nick and Nora coupe glass, the Obituary Cocktail is a head-turning drink. It also captures something of New Orleans' carefree approach to life and nonchalance in the face of death, where a clinking glass and party is often a response to worldly travails.

"[The Obituary Cocktail] sums up the allure and the appeal of the city," says Clayton Rosenthal, manager and head of the drinks programme at Fives, a cocktail and oyster bar located in a historic 19th-Century building on Jackson Square.

Rosenthal uses Old Tom gin, Drapo Dry vermouth and Mata Hari absinthe in his Obituary, warning first-time drinkers: "The first sip can be a bit of a punch in the mouth."

It's an appropriate warning for a cocktail that combines a martini's wallop with one of the world's most notorious spirits and then names the result after a death notice.

The Obituary's mysterious birth

The Obituary Cocktail is a remnant of the louche and bohemian world of the French Quarter in the years following the end of Prohibition in 1933, when artists, writers and creatives like Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote gathered in cafes and bars.

According to Sue Strachan, a New Orleans historian and author of The Obituary Cocktail, the drink was likely invented in Café Lafitte on Bourbon Street. She notes that the first known reference to the cocktail was in a 1942 guide to the city called "The Bachelor in New Orleans", which promised to introduce "unattached gentlemen and ladies of spirit" to "the Paris of North America".

But while the drink subsequently surfaced in newspaper columns, nobody seems to have recorded who invented it or who gave it its morbid moniker.

"There's no definitive documentation on how the cocktail got its name," says Strachan. "No doubt its powerful punch led to some rough mornings, much like the phrase 'death warmed over'."

Absinthe supplied its mystique and maybe a throb in the head. "The Obituary is about intrigue," Strachan adds. "You bring absinthe into the picture and suddenly you have a drink with a little mystery, a little bohemian spirit and a whiff of the forbidden."

The drink's "forbidden" ingredient

During the Belle Époque (1871-1914), New Orleans was one of the US's greatest absinthe-drinking cities. Ted Breaux, a New Orleans-born historian and distiller who helped return genuine absinthe to the US market after its 95-year absence, says the finest French brands flowed into the city.

By the 1890s, absinthe was showing up in New Orleans drinks ranging from the Sazerac to the Absinthe Frappé and Absinthe Suissesse. Then it became notorious, Breaux says. The spirit was blamed for everything from nervous disorders to hallucinations before the US banned it in 1912. The blame, he argues, was its popularity, which encouraged cheap imitations and disreputable ingredients.

"You [could urinate] in a bottle and call it absinthe, much to my dismay," he says.

Breaux compares absinthe's role in a cocktail with something else New Orleanians understand instinctively. "If you have a bowl of gumbo, what happens when you put in a big dash of Crystal Hot Sauce? It amplifies the flavour and gives it a pop," he says. "That is what absinthe does to [the Obituary Cocktail]. Absinthe is cocktail hot sauce."

There was a problem, however: when the Obituary Cocktail was invented, its defining ingredient, absinthe, had already been illegal in the US for decades.

Strachan believes Café Lafitte stashed bottles of absinthe smuggled into the country by well-travelled patrons, while other bartenders reached for substitutes. The liqueur Herbsaint, developed in New Orleans after Prohibition ended, replicated absinthe's distinct anise flavours without its prohibited ingredients. Ojen, an Andalusian anise-based liqueur, was also used.

But after Café Lafitte moved down the street from its original location (now occupied by Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop) following a property dispute in 1953 to become Café Lafitte in Exile, the Obituary gradually slipped from view.

New Orleans in a glass

When Strachan began researching her book in 2023, she found only one bar – Jewel of the South in the French Quarter – that listed it on its menu. Since then, however, interest in the Obituary has begun to climb with a renewed focus on artisanal cocktails. Now, Strachan says, Fives, and Mildred's, a new martini bar located in the boutique Warbler hotel on St Charles Avenue, feature the drink.

In a way, the Obituary Cocktail embodies its birth city. Death and pleasure often occupy the same space in New Orleans. This is a city that holds an annual Vampire Ball in honour of the late hometown horror writer Anne Rice and where the corpse of local socialite Mikey Easterling even presided over her own 2014 wake, Champagne glass in hand.

"New Orleans is a very complex place," says Eric Seiferth, a senior curator at the Historic New Orleans Collection, the French Quarter's history museum. "The willingness to accept that two things can be in the same room at the same time is part of life here."

Unlike in other US cities, Seiferth says mourning in New Orleans has historically remained public, communal and intertwined with faith, music and life.

At funerals in New Orleans' African American community, it is not uncommon to see musicians parading through the streets in a celebratory "second line" procession. On Mardi Gras Day, the North Side Skull & Bone Gang, a historic Afro-Creole secret society, honours their ancestors by waking the spirits while dressed in skeleton costumes to remind the living of their own mortality. And on All Saints Day, 1 November, families gather in cemeteries to clean, repair and decorate ancestral gravestones and tombs.

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For Helena Heavey, a bartender at Avegno, a stylish bar and lounge in Uptown New Orleans, the Obituary Cocktail's very name encourages a quiet inventory of one's own mortality.

"An Obituary can act as a memorium for the day, and however it's unfolding – if it's celebration or atonement," she says. "It's a very New Orleans way of drinking: with reflection. And the name encourages it."

New Orleans never needs reminding that death is nearby. An Obituary Cocktail blends pleasure, danger and beauty in a glass, daring drinkers to gulp it all down.

"It could be too much for most folks elsewhere," Rosenthal says, "but we see it as perfectly balanced."

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'A fortune of failures': The Colorado ghost town that almost became Aspen

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20261007-the-ghost-town-that-almost-became-aspen, 8 days ago

Just 15 minutes from glitzy Aspen lies Ashcroft, an atmospheric ghost town that once had ambitions to become Colorado's next great ski resort.

On a crisp June day, I wander among the empty log cabins in the ghost town of Ashcroft, 12 miles (19.3km) from Aspen at the base of Colorado's Elk Mountains. The only sounds are the rustling of aspen leaves, the gurgle of Castle Creek and the occasional whistle of a high-elevation warbler. In winter, save for the distant glide of cross-country skiers or the soft clop of snowshoes, the valley is nearly silent.

It's hard to reconcile this quiet place with the booming mining town that once stood here – or with the ambitious plan, nearly 100 years ago, to transform it into a major European-style ski resort.

"Ashcroft would have been Aspen," says Aspen Historical Society archivist Anna Lookabill. "I don't think Aspen would have happened had the Ashcroft plans come together."

Before Aspen became a playground for the rich and famous, home to high-end boutiques and $25m mansions, the two towns were rivals – first for silver, then for skiing.

Boom and bust

In 1879, prospectors poured into Colorado's Roaring Fork Valley in search of silver, establishing camps at Independence and Aspen. By the following year, Ashcroft had become one of the region's hottest mining towns.

"The ore was close to the surface in Ashcroft compared to Aspen," Lookabill says. "It had the potential to be a good investment early on. Aspen was slower to get going because the ore was a little deeper."

Walking between Ashcroft's surviving log cabins, it's hard to reconcile the quiet with the town that once stood here. At its peak in 1882, more than 1,000 people lived here, with hotels, mercantile stores, a bowling alley, dance hall, 14 saloons and Pitkin County's first school.

But the boom was short-lived. Within a few years, the population had collapsed to around 100, with many residents and businesses relocating to Aspen.

The ski resort that almost was

By the 1930s, nearly all of Ashcroft's buildings were abandoned. But a group of business associates who had skied in Europe – Ted Ryan, T J Flynn and Olympic bobsled gold medallist Billy Fiske – saw something in the empty valley surrounded by towering peaks: the making of a ski resort.

They formed the Highland Bavarian Corporation and brought in Swiss mountaineer André Roch to survey the surrounding peaks on touring skis. He chose Hayden Peak above Ashcroft as the centrepiece.

"Mount Hayden was going to be the mountain with the ski area. Ashcroft would be the Bavarian village," Lookabill says.

Ashcroft would have been Colorado's first major ski area – and, at the time, the world's highest. Plans included a tram from Ashcroft up Hayden Peak, dozens of ski runs and several chairlifts. Today, visitors can look up from the ghost town to where the ski area would have climbed above 13,000ft (3,962m) and the slopes would have taken skiers directly into town.

The Highland Bavarian Corporation secured $650,000 in state and federal funding and development was about to begin.

Then, World War Two cancelled the entire plan.

"They had the ski area laid out, the tram laid out. Washington was allocating funds to build this ski area, because it was going to be the new tourism driver for the US. They had an order for steel to build the lifts and the tram," Lookabill says. "The US needed the steel to build tanks and fighter planes."

Aspen becomes Aspen

While Ashcroft's plans stalled, skiing took hold down the valley. Roch had already begun teaching locals how to ski, launching The Roaring Fork Winter Sports Club (which eventually became today's prestigious Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club), and leading touring groups around Mount Hayden.

For easier access, he marked a run on Aspen Mountain – still called "Roch Run" – and Ryan oversaw the installation of the first lift: a "boat tow" built with old mine hoists, a second-hand motor and a pair of sleds.

It marked the beginning of Aspen's transformation into a ski resort, and effectively ended Ashcroft's chances of becoming one.

What Ashcroft was left with was the landscape itself.

Today, rather than luxury lodges, visitors find a handful of preserved cabins surrounded by 22 miles (35km) of Nordic ski trails and snowshoe routes in winter, with horseback riding and hiking taking over in summer. Though Ashcroft is an easy drive from Aspen, there are no chairlifts or cable cars; in winter, human-powered travel is the only way to explore the pristine valley.

A different kind of ski town

Johnny Wilcox, whose father bought Ashcroft Ski Touring from Ryan in 1986, runs guided horseback tours and winter skiing and snowshoeing. His family also operates the gourmet Pine Creek Cookhouse.

"The ultimate experience is to ski up here at night with a headlamp on," Wilcox says. "That brings you the closest to the mining and ski history, breaking trail through the snow with no chairlift to be seen."

That absence is part of Ashcroft's appeal. While just down the road, Aspen buzzes with four ski resorts, fine dining and fashion boutiques, Ashcroft sits along Castle Creek, surrounded by pine forests, aspen groves and empty, treeless summits.

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"That's largely what makes this valley special," Wilcox says. "It's a step back in time. We don't have snow mobile tours. We have no Wi-Fi, no cell service. We are off the grid. In the winter, it's not easy to get here, so people who come really want to be here."

Walking between the ghost town's surviving cabins – one a former dance hall, another a saloon – it is difficult to imagine an Aspen-sized town with thousands of visitors, a tram humming overhead and skiers skidding to a halt amid multi-million-dollar houses.

"I always think of Ashcroft as a fortune of failures," Lookabill says. "It was a boomtown and it died off. There was potential of being a ski area, that ended up dying off. Now it's a touristy place, but a large, open, beautiful space. These booms, or fortunes that failed, ultimately preserved it."

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Canada's bizarre mummified toe cocktail

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20261001-canadas-bizarre-mummified-toe-cocktail, 11 days ago

Born following a nasty case of frostbite, the Sourtoe Cocktail has become a rite of passage for locals and visitors – and it might just be the world's most unusual drink.

On my second night in Canada's northern Yukon Territory, a bartender at the Eldorado Hotel pulled out a pair of tongs, plucked a mummified toe from a silver tray, plunged it into a glass of alcohol and dropped it into my glass of Yukon Jack whisky with a plunk.

"Whose toe is that?" I asked. "And which toe is it?"

"Not really sure," he said, with a sly smile. "It's a gnarly one, though."

The dehydrated, salt-preserved digit was black and shrivelled. In its heyday, it may have been a well-kept pinky. Or perhaps one of the less celebrated middle toes, finally getting their spotlight.

Warning: This article contains images and descriptions that some may find upsetting.

I was in Dawson City, a 2,300-person former gold mining hub located 330 miles (531km) from the nearest actual city, about to try the famous Sourtoe Cocktail. This two-ingredient drink (a shot of whisky and… a toe) has been a tradition here for more than 50 years. It just might be the world's most unusual libation.

A laminated white flyer on the worn wooden table explained the "Sourtoe Rules", noting that my membership to the Sourtoe Cocktail Club would be voided if I chewed, sucked, bit or otherwise ingested the severed digit. It also exclaimed, in extra-large letters, that there was a $2,500 (£1,884) fine for swallowing it. I was happy to limit toe contact as much as humanly possible.

Most patrons feel the same way. However, there have been accidental swallowings in the past, plus a notorious incident in 2013 where a man downed the toe on purpose and was reportedly run out of town for unsportsmanlike conduct.

"Are you ready to join the club?" the bartender, who identified himself as the official "Toe Captain", asked me. It was too late to back out now. I nodded. He then recited the official "Sourtoe chant", adding to the romance of it all:

"You can drink it fast, you can drink it slow, but your lips must touch this gnarly toe!"

And with that, I dutifully took my shot of whisky through clenched teeth as someone's former toe kicked me in the mouth.

A cocktail born in a blizzard

Before Dawson City was famous for its toe-garnished cocktail, it was famous for its gold. When the mineral was discovered nearby in 1896, it became the epicentre of the international Klondike Gold Rush. Within two years, tens of thousands of people descended into the area in search of fortune. The town grew from a network of prospector tents to include saloons, hotels and restaurants – many of which still stand today.

But when gold was struck elsewhere a few years later, the prospectors moved on and the town's population plummeted, leaving the few remaining hardy residents to eke out a living in Dawson City's harsh landscape, 60 miles (96km) from the Alaska border.

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The Sourtoe's origins go back to US Prohibition (1920 – 1933), when two rumrunner brothers, Louie and Otto Linken, got stranded in a blizzard while smuggling booze across the border to Alaska via dogsled in the 1920s. Louie stepped into icy water and soon suffered frostbite. According to legend, they journeyed on, but when it became clear Louie needed an amputation, Otto took out an axe and hacked off his brother's toe in their remote cabin. The brothers kept the toe in a jar of alcohol for posterity.

In the early 1970s, Dawson resident Dick Stevenson (locally known as Captain Dick) found the jar while cleaning out the brothers' abandoned cabin, and for unknown reasons, decided it would make for a great cocktail garnish. Thus, the Sourtoe Cocktail was born in 1973.

As the story goes, Captain Dick thought it would be fun to let people become honorary "sourdoughs" (Gold Rush slang for locals) by drinking the Sourtoe. Initially, he dared some friends and saloon patrons to try it. Dawson City's isolated location and history of colourful, rough-and-tumble characters played into the legend of the Sourtoe nicely. Word soon spread, and before long, visitors started sidling up to the bar to taste the toe-flavoured tipple.

A Yukon rite of passage

Today, the Sourtoe has become something of a must-do for visitors who make the long journey to experience Dawson City's Gold Rush history and rugged frontier culture, and some 140,000 people have downed the daunting drink. All automatically become members of the Sourtoe Cocktail Club, and their names are proudly written in a hefty ledger book post-sip.

Terry Lee has served as the main Toe Captain – the bartender tasked with serving the mummified toe to patrons and presiding over the ceremony – for 13 years. During the busy summer season, he works five days a week, making 75 to 100 Sourtoes a night during his four-hour shift. The Sourtoe is served between May and September at the Sourdough Saloon (in the Downtown Hotel), then the rest of the year at the Eldorado Hotel's Sluice Box Lounge.

"It's considered somewhat of a rite of passage. A lot of the locals have done it," said Lee. Since Captain Dick (the original Toe Captain) passed away in 2019, several other people have been trained as Toe Captains, but Lee is the modern face of the toe.

Lee first tried a Sourtoe in 1980 with Captain Dick and immediately fell in love with the history. A few months into his Toe Captain tenure, a customer accidentally swallowed Louie's original frostbitten toe, so Lee was one of the last people to drink with the original appendage.

Over the years, the catalog of toes has grown from one to around 25, which are used in rotation today. The toes arrive in a variety of ways. Captain Stevens donated all 10 of his toes when he died in 2019. A British athlete who suffered frostbite in the Yukon Arctic Ultra marathon donated three of his digits in 2018. An untold number of people have willed their toes to the Downtown Hotel (including the tourist who swallowed one, in an effort to make amends). Sometimes, toes show up in the post unannounced.

Dawson City today

Like much of Dawson City, the Sourdough Saloon looks like it's straight out of the Gold Rush era, with its wooden tables, red wallpaper and swinging doors. The Sluice Box Lounge has a similar vibe, with velvet swivel barrel bar stools emblazoned with the hotel's name.

The town still has no traffic lights or crosswalks. Many of the buildings have been standing since the 1890s. Colourful false-front facades dot the streets advertising businesses like the Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Hall, The Dawson City General Store and Bonanza Market. In summer months, there's nearly 24 hours of light. In winter, the Yukon River freezes over and part of it becomes an official government-maintained ice bridge.

"Because the weather and the environment are so extreme here, it attracts people that are extreme in other ways. You get a lot a big characters," said Tara Kehoe, the exhibit curator at the Dawson City Museum. "Dawson is a weird intersection of people who love living in nature and are artistically inclined, so you get a lot of people with big, strange ideas because of that."

This toe-garnished cocktail is the kind of offbeat creativity Dawson City is now known for. The town has also hosted annual events like the Great Klondike International Outhouse Race, a town-wide Easter egg fight on the frozen river and a spring carnival called Thaw Di Gras.

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"The Sourtoe has become a weird sort of bragging right. Everyone here loves it, even if they haven't tried it. If you have friends coming to town, you have to take them to at least watch other people drinking it," said Kehoe.

She added: "The Sourtoe is so odd that it really sticks in your mind. Even when I've travelled overseas, when I tell people I'm from Dawson City there's always a person or two who says, 'Wait, isn't there a drink with a human toe?'".

In a weird way, the cocktail has become a community bonding experience – and the toe's grip on tourists is only getting stronger. In June this year, The Sourdough Saloon set a new record, serving 156 toes in a single night, the crowds joining in on the iconic chant.

You can drink it fast, you can drink it slow…

Having now done it, I'd suggest drinking it fast.

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Beyond the end of the road: A four-hour horse ride to stay with Mongolia's reindeer herders

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20260924-a-four-hour-horseback-ride-to-stay-with-mongolias-reindeer-herders, 12 days ago

Deep in Mongolia's taiga, reaching the Tsaatan takes multiple days by road, 4x4 and horse – but the reward is two nights immersed in one of the country's most remote communities

I duck as a pine branch whips over my head. The stocky horse beneath me pushes through a shallow stream, scrambles up the rock and crests the embankment. Tightening my grip on the saddle, we follow Zaya Oldov, our guide, across northern Mongolia's taiga awash in golden hour light. The silence breaks as hundreds of reindeer begin melting out of the forest around us. Soon, we're immersed in a sea of antlers and soft footfalls as the herds come home. Beyond them, a dozen conical ortz, reminiscent of North American teepees, sit along the far tree line, grey smoke snaking from their roofs.

A wave of relief washes over me. After three days of travel, we've finally reached the Tsaatan camp.

Mongolia's reindeer herders

Around 80 Dukha families, commonly known as the Tsaatan, live in a restricted border region near Russia, in one of Mongolia's most isolated landscapes. Unlike the country's traditional steppe pastoralists who move ger-to-ger only a few times per year, the tiny reindeer-herding community traverses harsh, uninhabited landscapes six to 40 times a year in search of fresh mountain moss and suitable weather for their herds.

Oldov is Tsaatan by marriage and Mongolian American by birth. Before she arrived in the taiga more than two decades ago, tourism here was rare. But today, thanks to her work developing the TCVC (Tsaatan Community and Visitors Center), visitors can stay with local families while supporting their livelihoods. Travellers sleep in an ortz, share tea and meals with them and learn about daily life with the reindeer herds. The only way to book is via WhatsApp with Oldov.

The journey in

Three friends and I had organised two nights with the community while we were road tripping through Mongolia. That horseback ride was only the last stage of a much longer journey to reach the Tsaatan.

From Ulaanbataar, we hired a car and drove 630km (391 miles) north to Mürün, the regional gateway to the taiga, following a paved road through Mongolia's open grasslands. There, we collected the permits required to enter the restricted border region before continuing towards the "town" of Tsagaannuur.

The next leg took us two days off-road, across deep river crossings, swampy traverses, mountainous climbs and a nearly entirely map-less route. By the time we reached a wooden homestay near Tsagaannuur's deep-blue lake, we had been on the road for 22 hours.

Oldov arrived early the next morning to meet us, several small horses in tow. "They aren't the easiest horses to ride," she warned, "they tend to spook at anything white in the grass." As a relatively inexperienced rider, I braced myself for the four-hour trot. Raw, rugged and completely undeveloped, the landscape oscillated from wild coniferous forest to grassy hills cut by streams and waterlogged wetlands. Our horses picked their way across the changing terrain, saddlebags bulging with supplies, until we finally arrived at our destination.

Life at camp

Stepping inside our ortz, four narrow wooden bed frames lined the walls around a small charred black fireplace with a round chimney. There is no electricity, running water or decoration beyond what can be packed and moved with the camp.

"The wintertime temperatures plummet to -58C [-72F]," said Oldov. "During those months, we construct shorter, smaller ortz to better retain the heat."

Fortunately, it was August. The peak season to visit the Tsaatan, for obvious reasons.

The camp had moved here only weeks earlier, its 17 ortz and possessions transported on reindeer backs. This summer location meant our final leg by horse took around four hours; at other times of year, it can take eight to 12 hours.

The herd was never far away from camp. Reindeer are central to life in the Tsaatan community. Each family's herd provides milk for their dairy-rich diet of cheese, yoghurt, cream, butter and the salty tea that's ubiquitous as water out here. Reindeer are rarely slaughtered for meat, so that night's dinner was sheep.

Without refrigeration, the organ meat is always eaten first. That evening we ate boiled sheep liver, kidneys, intestines and stomach, alongside warm, freshly made fry bread. "Tomorrow, you'll get to meet the community," Oldov told us. "And the rest of the day is yours."

In the morning I was woken by the rhythmic hollow-clicking of reindeer ankles, a sound that helps keep the herd together when visibility is nil during passing Siberian blizzards. The camp was already awash with activity. Men chopped the firewood they had dragged by horse from forests miles away while the women filled silver buckets with milk from bridled reindeer carefully selected from the hundreds sleeping within the trees.

Although still traditional, life in the taiga is changing. Restrictions on hunting, alongside the effects of climate change, have increased the community's reliance on cash income. Oldov said that tourism now provides one source of that income, allowing local families to host visitors while remaining with their herds.

Meeting the community

Later that day, Oldov took us from ortz to ortz, introducing us to families and showing us how daily life in the camp works. We dropped off essential goods we had brought as part-payment for our stay: flour, salt, black tea and AA batteries. At each home, we were offered generous cups of reindeer milk tea.

In one ortz, an elderly woman pulled a bulky pink plastic clock from the pocket of her deel, a traditional robe, and fiddled with the batteries. It hadn't worked for weeks. We adjusted the contacts and the clock blinked back to life before we used our smartphones to reset the time. In a place where almost everything must be carried between seasonal camps, even a plastic clock earns its spot by running for months on two batteries.

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In another home, strips of meat hung drying in the warmth of the fire, alongside deerskin bags filled with juniper and other plants gathered from the surrounding forest. A local medicine woman explained, through Oldov, how different herbs are used in traditional remedies, from Siberian pine for colds to bergenia crassifolia (bear pine) for stomach problems. For spiritual or psychological ailments, she said, people turn to the shaman.

Our final visit was with the community's shaman, who plays a spiritual role within Tsaatan life. Inside her ortz, she showed us an elaborate ceremonial headdress passed down through generations, decorated with ribbons, dried eagle feet and strips of animal hide. Juniper smoke hung in the air as we offered our final donation: a bottle of Russian vodka, the spirit she said is used in rituals and duties for the community.

Leaving the taiga

On our last night, I stepped outside my ortz in the frigid chill, my camera pointed towards the Milky Way erupting across the sky, unbroken by artificial light. A reindeer wandered into the frame as I pressed my shutter.

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After two nights in camp, leaving felt abrupt, especially after the long days it took to get here. As we rode back towards Tsagaannuur, Oldov seemed to understand my reluctance to return to civilisation. More than two decades ago, she arrived here herself – and never left.

"It was this profound sense of peace that has kept me here," she said.

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Hospitality leader praises work permit extension

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6qjny5qwdx7o, today

Guernsey hospitality industry leaders have praised the decision to relax rules around short-term employment permits, but added it "doesn't solve" immediate pressure of staff leaving next year.

Home Affairs bosses announced on Friday anyone on a three-year licence could apply for a nine-month extension.

At the time, committee president Marc Leadbeater said members made the move as they were "sympathetic" with challenges faced by employers when it came to work permits.

But, with thousands of population management applications still outstanding, the Guernsey Hospitality Association said the government should "concentrate on the critical cases like staff leaving soon".

Alan Sillett, president and director of the Guernsey Hospitality Association, said: "This is a positive outcome. But it doesn't solve all of our problems because we have immediate pressures of next year with staff having to leave just as the holiday season begins."

States Chief Executive Boley Smillie announced the government's internal audit team would be reviewing the work of population management after it was revealed that, as of 17 September, 3,886 population management applications were outstanding, alongside 324 applications within immigration workstreams.

Sillett told BBC Radio Guernsey that, as a result of the backlog, it could take "anywhere from four months to a year" to recruit staff and get them to the island for work.

He said: "It is a testing, difficult situation for our industry, and it's been growing for while.

"There have been some businesses where the owners are tearing their hair out because of the delays in the system."

However, he added that the Home Affairs Committee should be given "a little bit of time" to sort the backlog.

Sillet said: "The positive thing is they now have this as their number one priority.

"I think we need to give them a little bit of time, and if we can find a way to concentrate on the critical places like staff leaving soon, that would be good."

Home Affairs has previously said it expected the backlog within population management to be "stabilised" during 2027, "bringing greater certainty around permit processing times".

The committee said it had looked as part of its work at extending permits to a full four years or longer.

However, it said that "would likely mean a greater risk of short-term permit holders reaching a point where they may become eligible for settlement due to their length of residency or on human rights grounds".

Currently Home Affairs is reviewing the island's population policy, with that review set to be published before the end of 2027.

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'I took a chance on the whisky industry and I haven't looked back'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6y8ln9831v3o, yesterday

Zoey Darnbrough is the first to admit that just a few years ago she did not even know there was a whisky distillery near her hometown in southern Scotland.

But it hasn't stopped her rising rapidly from tour guide, to group tourism and events co-ordinator at the site near Annan.

She went away to study heritage and tourism in Stirling after school, but unlike many of her peers, she returned to Dumfries and Galloway for work.

Now she hopes to play her part in changing people's opinions of the world of whisky "one woman at a time".

The 26-year-old, who attended St Joseph's College in Dumfries, was recently nominated for "rising star" recognition at the South of Scotland Thistle Awards.

Zoey said her journey had not been straightforward as she did not get the exam results she had hoped for at school, so she spent time working in the kitchens at Dumfries Infirmary.

But when a job came up at Annandale Distillery, she jumped at the chance.

She said: "My first thought was - there's a distillery in Annan? And my second thought was - whisky?

"I thought I'd give it a chance and see what it was like because there's a lot of heritage when it comes to whisky.

"And I've now been here three-and-a-half years and I've not looked back."

What does she think the area has to offer that others her age might ignore?

One thing she highlighted was the relative costs of property compared with city prices.

Zoey also believes the area has a lot to shout about and is happy to have returned after university.

"The south of Scotland has so much heritage and it is a passion of mine," she said.

"So I would naturally like to be somewhere where there's a lot of heritage and where I can kind of grow as an individual."

But she agrees that a lot more could be done to stop young people from leaving.

"I would like to think we could go back to the local schools across the region and try and explain that there are other careers out there including in heritage and tourism," she said.

Zoey would also like to see the area market itself better.

"We've got so much to offer in terms of castles, in terms of scenery, in terms of attractions, accommodation, it's so vast," she said.

"I always like to say that we've got everything that the Highlands have, but just in a much quieter area.

"But we're going to use that quietness to our strength."

She has certainly achieved that in her own career in the whisky industry - despite some people assuming she might lack the knowledge of older, male counterparts.

"It has been tricky, I'm not going to lie," she said. "But I always think that if you prepare yourself well, those types of questions cannot faze you.

"I've been so fortunate that all my experiences have been mostly pleasant and so I have not really felt it, but I do understand the struggles that other people face.

"We just need to start changing people's opinions one woman at a time."

Zoey is happy to do that from Dumfries and Galloway for the foreseeable future.

"I'm only beginning to stick my teeth into the south of Scotland," she said. "So to leave, it would have to be a fairly big jump."

Actress Selma Blair says she 'did not intend to harm anyone' in plane altercation

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwly3zd1r45ro, 3 days ago

US actress Selma Blair has spoken out after being accused of assaulting multiple people on a flight to New York.

A publicist for the Legally Blonde star said she "did not intend to harm anyone" and that there was "much more to this story". Blair "experienced a medical emergency on the flight" and is still fighting multiple sclerosis (MS), a statement read.

Blair's publicist said that the 54-year-old had a neurological disorder that "bears directly on how a medical episode presents to people who do not know her".

The star pleaded not guilty to charges that she assaulted an officer and a nurse after being removed from the flight. She was also accused of assaulting two flight attendants on board.

Blair's team said the public account of what happened to her aboard a Delta Airlines flight to New York had been "built almost entirely on a police statement and a decade-old headline".

They also denied media reports that she had attempted to open the door of the aircraft.

The publicist noted Blair's fight against multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic illness the actress revealed publicly in 2018. She announced in 2021 that she was in remission for the disease, but the statement noted that the Hellboy and Cruel Intentions star "still has bad days".

It added that she also has pseudobulbar affect (PBA) - a disorder that develops in the context of a brain injury or underlying neurological dysfunction, according to the US National Institutes of Health.

The disorder affects emotional expression that can result in sudden involuntary and out-of-control episodes of laughing, crying or anger that do not match how a person actually feels.

Blair's publicist described the actress's physical achievements since her MS diagnosis as "nothing short of a miracle" and said she still lives with pain daily.

"Selma had never been arrested before Sunday night," she said. "There is much more to this story than has been reported and we ask to consider the entirety of the facts before rushing to judgement, whether in the courtroom or in the court of public opinion."

The incident happened on a flight travelling from Los Angeles to New York on Sunday evening. New York airport officials responded to a call about "a physically abusive passenger" on a Delta Airlines flight. Two flight attendants were hurt and one was taken to hospital, the New York Port Authority said.

A pilot asked for medical help, describing "a bloody nose" and "some bite marks", according to audio recorded on air traffic control obtained by CBS News, the BBC's US partner.

Blair was arrested and taken to hospital. She was issued a federal summons by the FBI for a charge of assault within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the US that relates to the on-board altercation.

The two additional charges of assault were filed in state court after she was taken off the plane. She has pleaded not guilty to those charges and was released on bail.

Additional reporting by Rebecka Pieder

Tourism body given £500k to boost visitor numbers

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c61wvpddvdyjo, 3 days ago

A government has given a tourism body £500,000 to attract more visitors in 2027.

Ministers have approved the top-up grant for Visit Jersey for advertising and campaigns to attract tourists.

The Government of Jersey said the hospitality sector had seen an "improved season" in 2026 and it was "vital that this upward trend continues to help stabilise the sector, which had faced rising cost pressures and relatively low visitor numbers in recent years".

It said the investment supported its objective to grow the visitor economy by increasing overnight leisure visits and total visitor spend.

It said that by issuing the top-up grant now, the tourism board would be able to act to secure the advertising space and marketing campaigns required to boost visitor numbers in 2027.

Follow BBC Jersey on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.

The man hiking the world in search of rare cheeses

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20261007-the-man-hiking-the-world-in-search-of-rare-cheeses, 7 days ago

Trevor Warmedahl has spent years documenting rare and traditional cheesemaking methods, and believes that "cheese is an edible manifestation of a place".

Trevor Warmedahl was working as a commercial cheesemaker in Seattle when he realised he was using milk that came from animals he never saw. So, he quit his job and set off on what has become a global odyssey to discover places that still make cheese the old-fashioned way.

In 2019 he arrived in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and lived alone in a yurt with a dog as his companion. He soon discovered that dairy was sacred there: the women flicked milk into the air before cheesemaking, a gesture of respect called a milk libation. He visited homes where whey bubbled over central hearths and fresh, unripened byaslag cheese covered tables. After hiking to shrines, he noticed people offered dairy products as a symbol of purity.

As summer unfolded and city-dwellers migrated to the Mongolian steppe to farm, Warmedahl itched to join. He jumped on a Soviet-era coal-powered sleeper train for a rickety overnight ride across the Gobi Desert. On the journey back to Ulaanbaatar, he met a local who invited him to stay with her herder family on the Zavkhan grassland.

Warmedahl spent that summer waking before dawn to milk yaks, chasing livestock up the valley on horses, listening to shepherds' folk songs at sunset and cooking milk into dehydrated, sweet-and-sour curds called aaruul. The experience inspired him to seek out other places preserving rare cheesemaking traditions before they disappeared.

During the past six years, Warmedahl has hitched, hiked and driven through more than 20 countries, documenting traditional cheesemaking and pastoral lifestyles, and offering workshops on natural dairy processing. After recently completing a 193km (120-mile) cheese trek across the Peaks of the Balkans Trail, he shared with the BBC what cheesemaking reveals about a place.

You've been to so many places – Bulgaria, Pakistan, Italy, Austria, Cambodia. Share a standout adventure.

Ancestral cheeses in Georgia have no analogues – I call them "fossil cheeses" because they were almost lost but are making a comeback as part of a broader post-Soviet cultural revival. My pinnacle moment happened in Tusheti, a mountain region bordering Russia near the tourist village of Omalo.

I showed up with vague directions to the shepherds' summer camp, which was deep in the valley. That's a theme: the cheeses I find are always far out, made by hermit types sticking to the old ways out of sheer stubbornness. It was drop-dead gorgeous, just me and my backpack. The valley ends on an abrupt cliff, with deteriorating medieval stone towers. Shepherds build their camps from the decay. I saw how these guys milked sheep by hand with wooden pails, rustic-style. It's a feta-like cheese called Tushuri guda, aged in inside-out sheepskins. At the end of the season, I walked about 130km (81 miles) back down the valley with them and 300 sheep. The herd has done this for generations – they know where to go. The shepherds just coordinated, and it created this crazy lawless feeling with dogs barking and me, chasing stray sheep down ravines.

At night we'd build a campfire and drink, and even with the language barrier, we'd relate through food. Sometimes language isn't needed. In cheesemaking, if two hearts want to connect, they'll find a way.

How is cheese and cheesemaking a reflection of a community's history and culture?

Cheese is a sensory experience and embodies larger ideas about how we live. It represents how meaningful human cultures can be. At its best, cheese reflects this complex relationship between humans, landscapes, microbial life and livestock at a time [when] we've become so separate from how food is made. And the cultural element holds the constellation together.

The cheeses I highlight represent an older mentality, with a sense of stewardship over the places we live and farm. So, a little bit more of the wildness of nature slips into the product. [Cheese is] an edible manifestation of place, of cultural history transformed into delicious food.

Why is cheesemaking especially important today?

The diversity and range of cheese is infinite. When animals eat, they transform grass and entire landscapes into milk that becomes cheese, and animals can graze [almost] anywhere. So, it's a lifestyle that can move in response to climate uncertainty and desertification – real challenges today.

The cheeses I focus on – natural farmstead cheeses [made exclusively with milk from a farmer's own animals] – reflect deep, ethical relationships between people and livestock and highlight the incredible diversity of heritage livestock. With industrialisation, that diversity is vanishing at an alarming rate. So pastoral cheesemaking strikes me as profoundly sustainable.

What can so-called "exotic cheeses" that challenge us reveal about a place?

There's this greyish-brown cheese from Norway, gammelost, [covered in] moulds like fruit rot. It tastes like a musty cellar with bold, mouth-numbing spiciness. It wasn't for me. But deliciousness is cultural. It's taught. So, I always say: don't try something once, try it 10 times. Uncomfortable foods open doors. But be sure to eat them because you're interested in the culture, not because they're freaky to you.

One of the easiest ways to express interest in a culture is to say: feed me what you eat. When people realise you're genuine, the relationship deepens and you begin to understand their history through food. Funky cheeses become cultural emblems because of how obscure and special they are.

You set out on your global cheese journey without a real plan. What did this approach add to your experience?

Back then [in 2019], I was hopping on a whim from one volunteer gig to the next, drawn to remote places where people worked to protect and revitalise traditional cheeses. Workaway on farms, or staying for a while at guesthouses where cheese is made, are still amazing ways to go beyond tourism to see how people really live.

Cheese gives you access to a global community, like at [the Slow Food Cheese Festival in] Bra, Italy. But anything you can do to find that deeper experience – food, handicrafts – is worth it, even if you can't always plan in advance. If your heart is in the right place and you jump fully into adventure when it calls, the details will almost always work themselves out.

What advice would you give fellow travellers about how to best experience unique cheeses abroad?

Find the cheese shop or cheesemonger that has the most local tilt and ask them which cheesemakers you can and should visit. Organising it yourself is cheaper. But there are also paid tours where you can experience a range of cheeses in a short period and really get to know a place. Just make sure that the cost actually supports local producers – that's what I call responsible "lacto-culinary" tourism.

How can other travellers seek out responsible agrotourism experiences?

Look for local cheesemakers and guides. It's also important to not expect farmers to sanitise things. It's normal to go to a farm and see broken-down equipment and mud. When we romanticise tradition, it encourages locals to put themselves in a museum. But tools [and] tradition have always evolved.

More like this:

• The elusive cheese with no recipe

• Is cheese the new reason to travel?

• The woman saving Georgia's lost cheeses

We need to be open to the fact that it's not all grandmas spinning wool on wheels outside stone cottages. Then it becomes kind of a show, and we're pushing farmers to become something they're not for tourists.

What places have exciting, overlooked, or under-the-radar cheeses? Where are you keen to travel next?

Hands down, Turkey. It's a universe of cheese that doesn't get enough attention. Tulum peyniri is emblematic of pastoral lifestyles and the extreme sacrifice at the root of dairying and – I'd argue – life. That's because it's aged mainly in furry goatskins, so it looks insane because it can take on animal shapes. Somehow, I didn't think it would be delicious. How good can goatskin-aged cheese be, right? It was phenomenal. I was blown away by deep flavours and textures I'd never seen in cheese before.

Turkish cheese needs to be talked about alongside Western Europe. More remote places have just as many fascinating cheeses to preserve and celebrate.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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Nicosia: Inside the world's last divided capital

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20261015-nicosia-inside-the-worlds-last-divided-capital, 3 days ago

Decades after the Berlin Wall fell, Cyprus's capital remains cleaved in two and separated by watchtowers, barbed wire and a UN buffer zone.

Moments after passing Nicosia's weathered Venetian walls, I followed a series of chain-link fences topped with barbed wire into a no-man's land. Here, at the checkpoint, I was suddenly surrounded by watchtowers and crumbling buildings in the heart of the United Nations buffer zone – a geopolitical scar cutting directly through Cyprus's capital.

A guard inside a pop-up tent eyed our passports before waving us through to the other side. Even though I was in the same city on the same Mediterranean island, I had just left the Republic of Cyprus and the European Union. Now, I was standing in self-declared state of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), in the middle of the world's last divided capital.

In 1974, Turkish forces invaded northern Cyprus in response to a military coup backed by the junta ruling Greece, leading to the displacement of 150,000 Greek Cypriots and 50,000 Turkish Cypriots across the island. Ever since, Cyprus, and its capital of Nicosia, has been cleaved in two, with one side ruled by the island's Greek Cypriot majority, and the other run by its Turkish minority.

Today, visiting this divided Mediterranean city offers travellers a rare glimpse at a place where residents have been separated from their neighbours for more than 50 years.

An island torn apart

For the past seven years, I've lived in arguably the world's most famous formerly divided city, Berlin. The scars of the Berlin Wall are a short walk from my home in the former East, and I regularly move across both sides. After learning how the city's decades of division have shaped the place I now call home, I was curious to see the last capital where such a border still remains.

Before the war, Cyprus's only international airport was in the heart of Nicosia, but for the last 52 years, its rusting remains have sat abandoned in the middle of the UN buffer zone (known as the Green Line). So I flew into Paphos, a coastal city in south-west Cyprus, and took a two-hour bus ride to Nicosia, where I signed up for the Walk Talk Cyprus tour led by local Greek Cypriot Eleni Ellinas.

"I started this journey because I felt that Cyprus, and Nicosia in particular, is often oversimplified or misunderstood by outsiders," she said. "People read about the conflict in history books or news headlines, but they rarely get to feel the living, breathing soul of the city or understand what daily life actually looks like along a crossing."

Ellinas was just four years old when years of ethnic and nationalist tensions between Greek and Turkish Cypriots led Turkish forces to invade northern Cyprus. The fighting forced her family out of their home in Famagusta (modern-day Gazimağusa, in the TRNC) and into a refugee camp on the island's south-eastern coast.

"Life in the camp was harsh," she recalled. "My mother, sister, and I were ill. When my father came to check on us and saw the dire conditions we were living in, he knew he had to save his family. He managed to drive us to the RAF base in Akrotiri, and we were fortunate to be evacuated by British forces to the UK."

Their hearts never left Cyprus, so in 1980, the family returned to the island and relocated in Nicosia. "This city welcomed us, embraced our broken pieces and slowly became the place where we laid down new roots and made a home."

In 1983, a separate Turkish Cypriot state was established unilaterally. Yet, it wasn't until 2003 that travellers and Cypriots alike – both Greek and Turkish – were allowed to cross the internationally unrecognised border separating each side. Today, the Republic of Turkey is the only nation to officially recognise the TRNC.

Ellinas says she remembers crossing the border for the first time since fleeing like it was yesterday.

"Stepping across was like walking straight into a dream," she said. "As I walked through those neighbourhoods for the first time as an adult, it felt like I was stepping back into the 1970s… It felt completely surreal, overwhelming and deeply emotional."

In 2019, Ellinas launched her tours "to share the soul of the island I love so dearly" and convey that emotion to travellers.

Visiting Nicosia today

Ellinas' tours start at the Ledra Palace Checkpoint, the first crossing that Turkish Cypriot authorities opened inside the demilitarised UN Green Line in 2003.

The Ledra Palace was once Cyprus's most famous hotel, a luxury property that opened in 1949 and frequently hosted politicians and actors like Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and Sophia Loren. It also became the site of intense fighting during the 1974 invasion. Bullet holes can still be seen throughout the exterior, walled off today by UN peacekeeping forces with barbed wire. Following the ceasefire, it was used as a headquarters and barracks for UN peacekeepers until 2019.

Today, homes and other buildings caught in the middle of the buffer zone remain abandoned and frozen in time. On the other end of the road near the Ledra Palace, Ellinas pointed out the TRNC border crossing. The word "FOREVER" stands in large, emboldened red letters underneath the name "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus". Similarly, a giant TRNC flag painted on the hillside north of Nicosia with the message, "How happy is he who says I am a Turk" is visible from the Greek side.

Ellinas expressed disappointment over the nationalistic messaging and expressed hope that the island will one day be reunited.

"While some [Cypriots] remain stuck in the past, there is an overwhelming longing for unity felt by many," she said. "You see this energy bringing new life to areas like the restored streets around Ermou [the city's premier shopping hub up until the war] where art, youth and community are reclaiming space that was once deserted and dead."

To help visitors experience both sides of Nicosia, Ellinas encourages all travellers to cross into the Turkish side following the end of her tour.

"You cannot truly understand a divided capital by looking at it through a single window," she said. "You have to feel both perspectives."

For her, Cyprus is still in many ways one place. The two sides have a shared history, architecture, and in her words, pain.

"Suffering was experienced by all Cypriots, regardless of background," she said. "When you step across and walk through places like the old Armenian quarter in Arab Ahmet, or stroll down historic Victoria Street, it feels as though time stood frozen in place. Seeing the old homes, breathing in the quiet atmosphere, and connecting the human threads on both sides gives travellers a complete, empathetic picture of what this island truly is."

Passing through the checkpoint in the UN buffer zone and stepping foot into the TRNC felt like entering a different country. Whereas the Green Line along the Greek side was marked by abandoned buildings, the Turkish side appeared much livelier. Pedestrians spilled out onto the narrow streets, the savoury aroma of Turkish kebabs filled the air and a domed mosque from a 16th-Century caravanserai soon appeared before me.

I visited some of the sights that Ellinas had recommended, namely the 16th-Century Büyük Han caravanserai and the Samanbahçe Evler neighbourhood – a one-of-a-kind social housing estate with geometric mud-brick units. The highlight, though, was my stop at the Rüstem Kitabevi, a bookstore founded in 1937 where I sipped coffee and ate carrot cake after admiring towers of hardback tomes spread across two floors.

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• A paradise in a buffer zone

• The revival of a second Greek language

• The Turkish city built on 'green gold'

Ali Rüstem's father started the business out of his grandfather's house in 1937 when Cyprus was under British colonial rule (1878-1960). Born in 1971, Rüstem was too young to remember much of Cyprus before the buffer zone divided it in two. He says that he has good friends from the Greek community, but for people of his generation, it's normal for Nicosia to be segregated between the two communities.

"Of course, things could always be better," he said, adding that he hopes for more "common sense" and "logic" between the Greek and Turkish administrations. In the meantime, like Ellinas, he encourages travellers to also visit the Greek side to experience the different cultures firsthand.

As Ellinas told me: "Nicosia isn't just a divided city of the past. It is a living, breathing, hopeful city where people are reaching across borders to heal, rebuild and belong to one another again."

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A stay in Pakistan's remote Ishkoman Valley, where humans still consult fairies

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20261007-a-stay-in-pakistans-unspoiled-ishkoman-valley, 5 days ago

I took a 650km motorcycle ride to this traveller's hostel, where activities include lazing with sheep, enjoying Pakistani hospitality and visiting shamans who can learn your fate.

I scramble up a scree-covered slope, trying to keep pace with a flock of woolly white sheep, each wobbly step triggering a mini landslide below us. Unfazed, the sheep charge on, navigating the precarious cliffside as if by memory and leading me like seasoned guides to an overlook.

They halt abruptly and begin to graze. I catch my breath and look out across Northern Pakistan's Ishkoman Valley, framed by snow-capped peaks and cut through by pale glacial stream. Pale pink cherry blossom trees line the narrow switchbacks, descending to Coyote Den Ishkoman Hostel – my pastoral mountain retreat for this week, where I'm trekking high peaks and conferring with a female shaman who is said to speak with fairies.

Taking the long, scenic route

To reach the high-altitude Ishkoman Valley in Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region, I had planned a 650km (403 mile) journey from Islamabad, trading the capital's traffic and smog for open skies.

Bordering Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor, Ishkoman is one of Pakistan's least-visited mountain regions. Travellers seeking quick access usually take a short (if notoriously unreliable) flight into Gilgit, followed by a four-to-five hour taxi ride. The overland bus journey can take more than 20 hours. But for savouring Pakistan's wildly diverse scenery, there's nothing like hitting the open road.

I rented a 150cc phool patti motorcycle covered in technicoloured truck-art designs for the three-day mountain journey, navigating out of Islamabad's grid-like streets before speeding north on the Karakoram Highway. The Karakoram – the world's highest paved international roadway – follows the trail of the ancient Silk Road, soaring over the turquoise Indus River far below. From Besham City to Chilas and onward to the northern gateway of Gilgit, exposed cliffside highways revealed snow-capped jagged peaks behind each hairpin bend, including the dominating 8,126m (26,660ft) face of Nanga Parbat.

After the brimming bazaars of Gahkuch, the road narrowed to a single ribbon of tarmac, following the undulating terrain into the remote reaches of Ishkoman Valley. For three days, I had stopped only to take photos, sleep at roadside guesthouses and share steaming cups of chai with uniformed officers at police checkpoints. Finally in Chatorkhand, I walked wearily through the wooden gates of Coyote Den.

An idyllic hideaway

Since arriving, I've spent countless hours wandering the grounds, sheep in tow, and picking persimmons with Sana Marwat and Alex Reynolds, co-owners of the sprawling property – conceived as a budget-friendly "traveller's hostel" for wanderers and bikers.

"Ishkoman is famous for its masonry," says Reynolds. "The wood used in our construction was all sourced from local pine and poplar trees, and the stones taken from nearby waterways." The result is a collection of stone cottages dispersed throughout a rose-filled garden. Panes of stained glass cap the windows, colourful local rugs adorn the walls and dinner is always served family-style in the mud-walled dining room.

Though the key word here is relaxation, visitors can also trek from nearby Nalter back to Ishkoman Valley. "It's a three-to-four day, 45km (28 mile) traverse, including the 4,700m (15,420ft) Pakora Pass and a glacier crossing," Reynolds says.

This very isolation is one of Ishkoman's key allures.

"We chose to build Coyote Den in Ishkoman because it's one of the most untouched parts of the Northern Mountains," Reynolds explains. "The community here is also, as a whole, quite highly educated and therefore more open-minded and tolerant." Mountain life is also more pragmatic, with both women and men working outside the home on farms. A majority of the valley's population is Ismaili Muslim, a branch of Shia Islam that places particular emphasis on the mystical interpretations and rich inner meanings of the faith.

Sipping sweet, homemade red wine, I relax into my floor cushion in the chid, a traditional Pakistani gathering room. The rapid beating of the dadang drum and soulful reverb of the rubab's strings fill the room as a handful of local men swirl in circles performing, not for my benefit, the Dani Hareep dance of the region. Without reliable Wi-Fi or television, I embrace the local way of winding down – an evening of laughter and exuberant traditional dance.

Within this particular religious climate a woman known as Rashida, a female shaman who speaks with fortune-telling mountain fairies, is one of the community's most popular residents. Tomorrow, with the help of the Coyote Den crew, I will pay her a visit.

The woman who speaks with mountain fairies

The next morning, I pile into Marwat's dusty truck bed for the 20-min drive across the river and up the mountain to Rashida's home. Locals have been visiting her family for generations, but Marwat says hostel guests also love dropping by.

In local Chitrali folklore, predating the spread of Islam in the region, peris (fairies) are incandescent, winged beings who exist between the human and divine worlds. Shamans were traditionally believed to communicate with them and seek their guidance. Although the tradition has declined sharply over the past century, with few practitioners believed to remain, the two belief systems continue to co-exist – at least the steady flow of devout Muslims filtering in and out of Rashida's home seems to see no contradictions in seeking advice from the mystical realm.

Sitting at a small table in her mud-walled home, eyes fixed on a mirror pinned high on the otherwise bare wall, Rashida prepares to relay answers from the peris. By her own telling, she acts as an intermediary between the human and supernatural worlds.

With Marwat and Coyote Den guide Hakim Ulluh translating, I pepper Rashida with my burning questions – painstakingly relayed through a telephone game of languages. "Ishkoman Valley alone has 10 spoken languages," Marwat explains. "Khowar or Chitrali is the most common here, and it's entirely different from Urdu, Pakistan's national language."

From Khowar (Rashida) to Urdu (Ulluh) and Urdu to English (Marwat) and back again, we examine my future.

Where will I end up when I finally stop bouncing from country to country? (New Zealand, apparently.) Should change my career? (No.) Will I divorce my beloved husband one day? (Thankfully, also no.)

Helping Pakistani women

After four slow days of hammock lounging, riverside strolls with the sheep and sipping milky, mountain-style chai beneath the property's mulberry tree, Reynolds and I set out to explore the valley on foot.

As we climb the loose cliffside towards the Dain waterfall, she extolls her love of Pakistan and explains how she has worked within the boundaries of tradition and religion to create a business that empowers women.

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"Half of the staff at Coyote Den are women, which is quite unusual in a region where women don't have [paid] jobs outside of the home," she explains. "We give them a flexible working schedule so they can go home in the middle of the day to take care of their kids' lunches, and we make sure they don't have to work at all after sunset, unless absolutely necessary."

I step across the rushing, glacial-fed Ishkoman River on the narrow wooden plank bridge, the breadth of the valley sprawling out in front of me. I had come to Pakistan seeking adventure and instead found myself craving solitude. Somewhere in this remote valley on the ancient Silk Road, it came to me.

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Why is there no word for please in the Nordic languages?

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20261008-why-is-there-no-word-for-please-in-the-nordic-languages, 9 days ago

It has never been more important to be a polite and respectful traveller. But how do you ask nicely when there is no equivalent word for "please"?

I'm in a Copenhagen bakery, standing in line for sugar-dusted slices of lemon cake, delicately plaited cardamom buns and golden-brown cinnamon swirls. When I reach the front of the queue, I'm ready to order in simple Danish. But then I hit a snag: in this country, there is no single word that works quite like the English "please".

Like a lot of people, when I travel I learn the basics of hello, goodbye, yes, no, please and thank you. But that's just not possible in Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic or Finnish, where there is no catch-all word that works in quite the same way.

So, what's going on? Are Nordic speakers simply more direct, or is politeness being expressed in ways outsiders may not immediately recognise? For travellers, understanding the difference can make everyday interactions much easier to navigate.

Politeness can vary

The first thing to understand, says linguist Dr James Puchowski, a researcher at the Nynorsk Kultursentrum (The Norwegian Museum of Written Culture), is that looking for a direct translation of "please" may be the wrong place to start.

Danes, for example, might ask for a pastry in a bakery using the words må jeg bede om – "may I ask for" – as a way to signal manners. In Sweden, a speaker might add tack (thank you) on to the request; while in Norway, politeness might be conveyed with an uplift to the end of the request and a smile.

There are also words that translate as "please", including the Swedish snälla and Norwegian vennligst, but these tend to be used in more specific contexts – snälla often conveys pleading, while vennligst is more commonly used in formal requests or instructions. Neither functions quite like the everyday English "please".

Danish language teacher Daniela Hummelgren says directness is part of the communication style. "Efficiency is valued here and communication is generally direct," she says. Being extra polite might be seen as annoying if it slows a process down.

But are they being rude?

Puchowski sees these differences as a reflection of societal structure. In Nordic countries, he explains, egalitarianism is prized and distinctions between people are less strongly marked in everyday speech. For example, more formal forms of address like Herr and Frue (Sir and Madam) have largely fallen out of everyday use – a reflection of how they see themselves as more equal and less defined by class.

This egalitarian streak is often associated with Jante's Law, the Scandinavian idea that nobody should consider themselves more special or important than anyone else. In everyday interactions, Puchowski says, that can mean less emphasis on signalling status. Politeness may therefore rely less on a deferential word like "please", and more on phrasing, tone and context.

Similar social norms extend across the region, including Finland, despite Finnish belonging to a separate language family from Danish, Swedish, Icelandic and Norwegian.

"Language is more than words," Puchowski said. "It's also about how you present an idea."

Polite without saying please

Hummelgren says visitors should take their cues from the people around them. "You need to calibrate the level of politeness of where you are," she said. "Observe the situations around you, so you can get accustomed to the level of what is polite and what is not." Even without speaking the language, travellers can pay attention to tone, body language and how people address service staff and strangers.

In Sweden, one simple option is to add tack – "thank you" – to a request. Research into the Swedish tack links its use to equality and reciprocity, rather than deference. The same basic word is used across much of the region: tak in Danish and takk in Norwegian and Icelandic, while Finnish speakers use kiitos to say thanks.

But visitors needn't worry too much about getting it wrong. Nobody will tut or give you a dark look if you order a coffee without saying "tak".

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• 'You're not to think you're anything special': Why Swedes hate standing out

• Where Dutch directness comes from

In fact, Hummelgren says that being excessively polite can itself seem unusual – and even read as suspicious. "I've never heard of anyone sending a physical thank you card after a job interview or something similar," she said. "It would read as a bit over the top and perhaps like you are looking for favours."

For travellers, the lesson is that politeness does not always depend on the same words or rituals. You may not hear "please" – but that doesn't mean politeness is missing.

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Connecticut's forgotten witch trial past

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20261008-connecticuts-forgotten-witch-trial-past, 10 days ago

Decades before Salem, Connecticut was the centre of America's witch trials. A new statewide haunted history trail connects the towns and sites tied to this overlooked chapter of history.

As I wander the tree-lined streets of Windsor, Connecticut's historical Town Green, I'm drawn to a circular patio of red Heritage Bricks – many of which feature inscribed personal tributes to local friends and family. I scan the inscriptions and spot a chilling outlier: "Alice 'Alse' Young: Witch Hanging Victim, May 26, 1647."

Young was the first documented person to be executed for witchcraft in the American colonies.

While Salem, Massachusetts is intrinsically linked with witch trials, the neighbouring state of Connecticut experienced its own wave of mass hysteria that predates the infamous Salem panic by more than four decades. Now, Young's memorial brick is a stop on Connecticut's new Haunted History Trail, a self-guided statewide route encompassing more than 130 locations – from ancient burial grounds to haunted homes to occult shops – associated with paranormal or tragic stories.

Warning: This article contains mentions of hangings that some may find upsetting

Connecticut's dark past

Boasting a nearly 400-year history, Connecticut is home to an unusual wealth of supernatural sites. But its true witchy past might be scarier than all its ghost stories combined.

Occurring between 1647 and 1697, Connecticut's witch trials grew out of the Puritan witch-hunting culture early colonists brought over from England. Salem's witch trials began in 1692 and lasted only 15 months, but during Connecticut's own 50-year witch panic, at least 49 individuals were accused of entering into pacts with the devil or using supernatural powers to cause harm to others. Of those, 34 were indicted and at least 11 were hanged.

The last suspected Connecticut witch – Mary Barnes – was executed in 1663 on Hartford's Gallows Hill, but trials continued to be held in the state until 1697. The final American colonial executions for witchcraft took place in Salem in 1692.

That Salem held the final witch trial executions helps explain its enduring notoriety – immortalised in films from The Crucible to Hocus Pocus. But why do so few know about Connecticut's dark witch trial past?

"We don't know what happened to all those records," says Beth Caruso, co-founder of local historical advocacy group, the Connecticut Witch Trial Exoneration Project. "It may be that when people started being ashamed of these trials, some of the powerful families destroyed [them]."

Even as a lifelong Connecticut resident, I knew nothing about its role in the colonial witch trials. So, I set out to drive through one of the darkest chapters of my state's past.

Witches in Windsor

Dating to 1633, Windsor's historical centre is filled with red 17th- and 18th-Century gabled houses. It's easy to imagine Puritans in bonnets scurrying through the streets. The city was both Connecticut's first English settlement and Young's hometown when her execution ignited the nation's witch trials.

As was often the case in witchcraft accusations, the suspected evidence was thin to the point of absurdity: Young and her daughter survived the 1647 influenza epidemic while four children living next door died. It was enough to see Young hanged in the Connecticut Colony's capital, Hartford. "Her case was pretty unjust, and she suffered," says Caruso. "On top of it, nobody even knows her story."

I also find a Heritage Brick honouring another Windsor resident, Lydia Gilbert. Gilbert was tried and executed in 1654 after one of her boarders was accidentally killed during a militia training exercise by a fellow soldier, who was acquitted. It's uncertain why blame shifted to Gilbert.

"[She] likely would not have been present on the green at the time of the shooting, as only men served in town militias," writes Caruso. "Supernatural speculations such as this would never hold up in any modern court." Nonetheless, Gilbert was condemned and, like Young, hanged in Hartford.

Hartford soon became the epicentre of Connecticut's witch trials. The Hartford Witch Panic (1662-1663), a flurry of trials that concluded in four hangings, began when eight-year-old Elizabeth Kelly, delirious from fever, cried out that her neighbour, Judith Ayres, was choking her. Another woman, Ann Cole, was believed to be possessed by the devil. Executions were carried out at the Meeting House Square, located on the site of the current Old State House.

Just a little further along the trail is Hartford's Ancient Burying Ground, where I see the graves of 14 of the men responsible. Established in 1640, the 1.3-acre plot is the city's only surviving 17th-Century landmark. As we strolled among the weather-worn headstones, Christine Jewell, Director of the Ancient Burying Ground's Association, told me about the magistrates and jurors buried here who cooperated in zealously sending people to their doom.

Their engraved names are tricky to read, but I can't miss the life-sized statue of Reverend Samuel Stone near the cemetery's entrance. Hartford's co-founder, this Puritan minister was part of a tribunal investigating Connecticut's witchcraft charges.

Jewell directed me to the monument of Samuel Wyllys. A prominent Connecticut magistrate, Wyllys was directly involved in investigating witchcraft accusations. His preserved collection of court witchcraft depositions was kept in his family for generations. "Part of what we know about the witchcraft trials is because of the Wyllys family," says Jewell.

We also visited the tomb of James Richards, a magistrate involved in the 1665 trial of Elizabeth Seager, on trial for the third time. Her conviction was ultimately overturned by the acting Connecticut Governor John Winthrop Jr.

A physician and alchemist, Winthrop often reviewed evidence in witch trial cases, intervening on Seager's behalf and saving Katherine Harrison from a death sentence in 1669. He then helped institute the "two-witness" rule and "rejection of spectral evidence" that effectively ended executions in the state.

"They would ask him, 'Was this caused by witchcraft?' And he always said it was medical," said Caruso. "He was a voice of moderation at a time when there weren't a lot of voices of moderation."

Good wives are hard to find

Before embarking on the trail, I knew nothing about Connecticut's role in the witch trials. But driving through the upscale coastal town of Fairfield – home to four spots on the Haunted History Trail – jogged a memory. While working at a Fairfield newspaper years ago, I'd heard the name Goody Knapp.

In Puritan society, "Goody" was an abbreviation of "good wife" – a title for married women of lower status. "We know certain women of the town came to Goody Knapp and [asked] her, 'You are a witch and who else is a witch?'," said Walt Matis, programme and volunteer coordinator of the Fairfield Museum and History Center, the town's first stop on the trail.

During Knapp's trial, it was intimated that she had "witches' marks" on her body. But she might not have been accused at all if not for another unfortunate Goody – Goody Bassett, a woman from the neighbouring town of Stratford.

It is unclear why Bassett herself was being tried, but during her trial (and likely under torture) she intimated that there was another witch in Fairfield that "held her head full high", says Matis. Bassett was hanged in 1651; Knapp was hanged in 1653 in a field located in what is now Bridgeport. Visitors can find her memorial along the trail at Bridgeport's Burroughs Community Centre.

In Fairfield, I also linger at Edward's Pond at the Fairfield Museum and History Center's Museum Commons, built on the town's 17th-Century Town Green. Now merely a divot, Edward's Pond was once used for ducking tests – where accused witches were bound and thrown into water. Floating meant guilt, sinking meant innocence. In 1692, accused and tried persons Elizabeth Clawson and Mercy Disbrow volunteered to be ducked. Both women floated but were eventually acquitted.

In need of a pick-me-up after all that gloom, I drive to Stratford, with its charming mix of historic Colonial and coastal bungalow architecture, and duck into Goody Bassett's Ice Cream Shop.

"If you're from Stratford, you already knew the name Goody Bassett, so it was a fun name for kids growing up, usually around Halloween," says owner Paul Joy.

Joy also honours Bassett on his menu – Goody's Cauldron, a nine-scoop sundae ice-cream eating challenge.

It is believed that Bassett was hanged in Stratford, though no official records exist. Local legends pinpoint the town's Meeting House, Gallow's Brook or the former Phelps Mansion as possible sites, says Joy. In the absence of concrete proof, a stone plaque on the trail dedicated to Bassett sits under a tree on Stratford's West Broad Green.

A living legacy

Connecticut's connection to witchcraft lives on: 35 stops on the Haunted History Trail are witch and occult shops. I visit The Blackbird House in Wethersfield, a colonial inland port where several alleged witches were accused and hanged. I snoop through tarot decks, crystals and minerals before buying a black witches' hat.

Justice may finally be near for Connecticut's accused witches. Caruso and Griego's 2017 petition to clear Young and Gilbert's names resulted in the passing of a unanimous resolution. "I think it was an important reckoning for [Windsor] to actually know what happened," said Caruso. Thanks to the project's efforts, First Church in Windsor, where the fervently anti-witchcraft pastor Reverend John Warham presided, also released an apology.

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The Connecticut Witch Trial Exoneration project also helps locals with genealogical research. "I kept getting emails and notes from so many descendants, saying 'Thank you for humanising my ancestor'," says Caruso. "It just seemed like the right thing to recognise these victims since we know the stories are so absurd in many cases."

In 2023, Connecticut legislators passed a joint resolution exonerating all the state's victims. And now, the Connecticut Haunted History Trail is helping visitors – and locals like me – learn about the victims who were wrongly accused and forgotten, one stop at a time.

"More and more people are finding out," says Caruso. "It's not that people don't care. It's just that people don't know."

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The immortal jellyfish can beat ageing and death. Its genetics could help human cells rejuvenate

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20261016-the-rejuvenating-secrets-of-the-immortal-jellyfish, today

The immortal jellyfish is capable of winding back its lifecycle to become young again. Scientists are unlocking its cellular secrets for new strategies to treat diseases of old age.

The tiny translucent jellyfish Turritopsis dohrnii is surprisingly hard to kill. The marine biologist Maria Miglietta of Texas A&M University at Galveston has cut them, boiled them, starved them, overloaded their tanks with salt or plopped them in fresh water – but the nifty creatures seem to cheat death every time.

Under duress, they stop in their tracks and fall to the bottom of their tank. Then something astonishing happens: the animals transform into balls of cells that bear no resemblance to the tentacled umbrella shape of adult jellyfish, known as the medusa. Within one to three days, a structure called a polyp – an early jellyfish life stage – buds off from this ball of cells and then grows into a colony, which will eventually sprout new medusae.

"From one jellyfish that doesn't die, then you get this colony that can form hundreds more," Miglietta says. And each one of these new jellyfish can, in principle, rejuvenate the same way – exhibiting a seemingly endless capacity to wind back to the clock to youth.

Miglietta and other scientists are now studying the genetic and molecular processes that make Turritopsis dohrnii's death-defying feat possible. By unlocking these secrets, scientists eventually hope to explore whether they can trigger similar kinds of processes in humans. The goal is not to turn elderly people back into babies, Benjamin Button-style – an idea that's firmly in the realms of science fiction – but to coax cells and tissues into more youthful states to heal wounds and treat age-related maladies.

"The holy grail of this kind of thing, I think, would be regenerative biology: trying to reverse ageing-related degeneration or degradation," says Michael Koldobskiy, a pediatric oncologist and physician-scientist at Johns Hopkins. "We're a long way away from harnessing that for human benefit, but I think understanding these organisms that evolved these processes millions of years ago could potentially really pay off."

Turritopsis dohrnii's regenerative talents were first reported in 1992 by an Italian scientist who was keeping the animals in the lab and forgot to feed them over a weekend. Expecting to find them dead when he returned, "instead he found new polyps in the container", Miglietta says.

Soon, the biologist Stefano Piraino of Italy's University of Salento started to take an interest in what made this feat of rejuvenation possible. As embryos develop, so-called stem cells multiply and morph into the nerve cells, muscle cells and various other cell types that make up the body. Usually, they're stuck in that particular cell type until they age and die. But Piraino discovered that, during the immortal jellyfish's rejuvenation, certain tissues in the medusa undergo a "transdifferentiation" process where they revert back to a stem cell-type state and then specialise into other cell types.

"Adult cells become 'undifferentiated' and become something else that is needed to form the polyp," says Miglietta, who used to work in Piraino's lab.

Turritopsis dohrnii's ability to rejuvenate earned it the nickname "immortal jellyfish". It is – as far as scientists know – unique in the animal kingdom. While some lizards, worms and amphibians can regrow lost or injured body parts, none come close to reverting adult bodies back into babies. Turritopsis dohrnii is a remarkable demonstration that ageing and mortality is not always a biological inevitability (though scientists can't rule out that it doesn't eventually die naturally).

Genetic clues

Today, Miglietta and others are working to dissect the genetic processes that allow cells to go back in time. The ultimate dream, Koldobskiy says, would be to identify the molecular "switch" that controls this process. If the same control switch exists in humans, then perhaps it can be triggered to coax human cells to more youthful states. If possible, that could accelerate the healing of wounds or injured tissue after strokes or heart attacks, or perhaps even reverse the damage that occurs in age-driven vision loss or the neurodegeneration that happens in Alzheimer's disease.

"We're not going to shrink down to an embryo again and restart," he says, "but at the organ and tissue level, I think it's very much a possibility."

The research is young, but is already starting to reveal some clues. In a 2022 study, one team of researchers compared the genes of Turritopsis dohrnii and a related species that is not known to rejuvenate – though it's hard to be certain that it's not capable of doing so, as many jellyfish are understudied, says molecular biologist and bioinformatician Victor Quesada of the University of Oviedo in Spain.

Compared to the other species, Turritopsis dohrnii's DNA contained more copies of genes that produce proteins to help repair mutations and other kinds of DNA damage that accumulates with age. The immortal jellyfish also had more copies of genes that produce proteins involved in maintaining structures called telomeres – little caps on the end of DNA strands that protect the genetic material from damage. Normally, telomeres shorten with age, making the DNA more susceptible to damage, but the immortal jellyfish's enhanced ability to repair them could be one key to its longevity, Quesada says.

This is just the beginning of understanding the secrets of Turritopsis dohrnii's rejuvenation strategy and whether any aspect of it could be applied to humans, Quesada says.

"We assume in many diseases, that there's no way back," he says. "Perhaps there might be a way back, if we [learn] enough about… how those mechanisms work."

Miglietta, meanwhile, has been comparing the genes activated across Turritopsis dohrnii's different life stages and examining the ones that are only activated during the ball-like cyst stage, where cells reverse fate and then create new polyps. "That may be an indication that those genes are involved in that unique process," she says.

In 2019 and 2021 research, she and her colleagues found a heightened activity of mysterious genes with unknown functions, but also ones involved in repairing DNA and maintaining telomeres.

Another preliminary study by Miglietta found that there's some overlap in the genes being overactivated in the cyst stage and genes that have been linked to longevity in humans. That underscores the idea that there may be common pathways between the two species, Miglietta says.

Miglietta is now collaborating with Koldobskiy to better understand these processes and eventually explore whether they can be induced in human cells. Scientists have already discovered certain ways of inducing rejuvenation-like processes in mammalian cells, but applying this to human tissues has proven difficult. Perhaps studying Turritopsis dohrnii will reveal other, more effective ways of doing so, Koldobskiy hopes.

Fragility of an immortal organism

On top of its potential practical benefits in medicine, Turritopsis dohrnii also offers more philosophical lessons. "It's comforting to think that nature has found a solution to one of the main problems of humans: ageing and death," Miglietta says. And indeed, she suspects that Turritopsis dohrnii's incredible resilience is one reason why the species has become so widespread across the world's oceans, from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean and Japan.

But while it may seem invincible, the immortal jellyfish is also fragile. Miglietta says that there's a proportion of animals in her lab that seem incapable of rejuvenating. And among the ones that do, there may be an eventual limit to the number of times they can rejuvenate before dying of old age. It's hard to know for sure because it's difficult to maintain the species for long durations in the lab as it seems to require specific conditions to survive. And, in the wild, there's plenty of things that probably do kill them – including fluctuating availability of their plankton food, predators or algae that smother jellyfish colonies.

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As such, the immortal jellyfish offers an important lesson, says Maria Pascual-Torner of Spain's Institute of Marine Sciences, who conducted the 2022 study with Quesada. "Although it has the ability to rejuvenate and, theoretically, not die from ageing, it is at the same time an extremely vulnerable organism," she says. "The immortal jellyfish also reminds us that life and death are inseparable parts of the same reality." In other words, even nature's most immortal organism has to face death.

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'What the hell did this?': The orca brothers preying on great white sharks

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20261015-sharks-washed-up-one-after-another-after-another-why-orcas-are-hunting-great-whites, 3 days ago

When scientists first found dead great whites around South Africa, they couldn't believe their eyes. All bore the same marks of mutilation – their bodies were torn open and their livers had been extracted – and pointed to the same culprit. These deadly tactics are now seen around the world.

On 3 May 2017, a huge carcass of a great white shark washed up on the shore of Gansbaai, a fishing village near Cape Town in South Africa. The female shark weighed 1,100kg (2,425lb) and had a gaping wound on her underside, where her 90kg (198lb) liver had been extracted.

"We were like, 'What the hell did this?'" recalls Alison Towner, who led the necropsy on the dead shark.

In the months that followed, five more great white carcasses turned up. Their bodies all bore the same distinctive scars; they had been torn open and their livers removed.

"It was extraordinary," says Towner, a shark biologist at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa. "I'd seen hundreds of great white sharks at that point… never had I seen them just wash up one after another, after another."

It was the first sign that an underwater battle was unfolding. As she later learned, it would have ramifications across the world's oceans.

Towner carried out necropsies on all the sharks and when she saw the same pattern of mutilation, she immediately suspected two culprits: a pair of orcas nicknamed Port and Starboard.

These two male orcas, thought to be brothers, were first seen around Cape Town in 2015 and christened Port and Starboard for their distinctive dorsal fins, which collapsed to the left and right.

Shortly after the orca pair were spotted, divers came across a group of dead broadnose sevengill sharks. The stout bodies of these prehistoric-looking sharks were ripped open and missing their livers. "Port and Starboard arrived, right when the divers were pulling the carcasses out of the water," says Towner. "We had the victims and culprits on scene, but at the time we couldn't get our heads around what had happened."

Marine biologists and the public continued to see the two orcas up and down the Cape Town coastline, including around Dyer Island, which used to be known as "the McDonald's drive-through for great whites", due to the sharks that patrolled up and down during the winter months in search of seals, Towner says.

"There was no doubt that Dyer Island was one of the best places on the planet to see a great white," she says. But suddenly the sharks vanished. "I'm not talking about a gradual decline, I'm talking about overnight, gone."

Towner and others had their suspicions, but it wasn't until 2022 that they were able to officially connect orcas with the shark killings. "It was like a crime scene investigation… we were piecing evidence together but we didn't have the silver bullet. Then we got it."

On 16 May 2022, a hobbyist drone pilot filmed three orcas preying on a 3m (10ft)-long great white shark off the coast of Mossel Bay, 400km (250 miles) east of Cape Town. In the encounter, one of the three orcas used its snout to push the shark to the surface and rolled it onto its right side, before biting into an area near its pectoral fins, releasing a pool of blood. The orca then dived underwater with the shark in its mouth, while another orca appeared to grab the shark's tail before disappearing out of sight.

Orcas have now been observed killing great white sharks off the coast of California and Australia too, revealing their remarkable hunting prowess, intelligence and teamwork. With climate change and environmental pressures bringing these species into closer proximity, scientists warn that the battle between the top marine apex predators has dramatic ramifications for life in the ocean.

Battle of the apex predators

Orcas (also known as killer whales) and great white sharks sit at the top of their respective food chains and play an important ecological role in the ocean. They compete for similar prey, such as seals and dolphins.

Killer whales are the only known predators of great white sharks. "They are very selective of the organs that they gain nourishment from and the liver is the most nutritious part of a shark," says Towner. Great white sharks have huge livers which they use as fuel tanks for their lengthy migrations and to maintain their buoyancy. The liver of an adult great white can account for 28% of its body weight, with 90% of its volume coming from high-energy lipids.

In Australia, orcas have also been observed removing and eating the lips and tongues of baleen whales as well as the pectoral muscle of penguins, says Isabella Reeves, a marine biologist specialising in orcas at the University of Western Australia. This targeted hunting method is "nutritionally driven", she says.

It is difficult to know whether this hunting strategy is a new behaviour or simply being observed more as "there are so many more eyes on the water now" with the rise of underwater cameras and drone technology, says Deborah Giles, an orca scientist at the University of California, Davis, and researcher at the non-profit SeaDoc Society, based on Orcas Island, Washington. "It might simply be that we're looking for it, and we're seeing it."

The hunting method reveals orcas' "extreme intelligence, and their ability to take advantage of the prey that is available to them within their home ranges", says Giles. "Great white sharks were thought to be the apex predator in the ocean, but it's very clear that it's actually killer whales that are the top predator."

Reeves agrees that orcas "have an edge" over white sharks. "I think it comes down to their culture. They're not lone animals, they live in family-driven societies with clear rules and foundations."

Great white sharks are primarily solitary animals. Orcas, meanwhile, live and hunt in social groups, known as pods, and use unique vocal "dialects" to communicate with each other. This structure means that orcas are "very coordinated in their hunting strategies", says Towner.

Very occasionally, orcas are spotted hunting by themselves. On 18 June 2023, Starboard was filmed hunting a great white in a solo attack. He killed the juvenile 2.5m (8ft)-long shark and extracted its liver, all in under two minutes. Tourists on a boat filmed the orca with the shark's liver in his mouth, as gulls scavenged the oily liver residue on the sea surface. The next day, a carcass of a second mutilated shark (measuring 3.5m/11.5ft) washed ashore nearby, suggesting that Starboard killed at least two great whites.

"This showed us that Starboard is a highly sophisticated predator… that he doesn't need an accomplice," says Towner.

Shark paralysis

Erick Higuera, a marine biologist and wildlife filmmaker in Baja California, couldn't believe his eyes when he reviewed a clip from his own drone footage in 2020.

Higuera, who leads the orcas programme at the non-profit Conexiones Terramar and Pelagic Life, had filmed a pod of five orcas preying on a shark in the Gulf of California. "At the time I knew they were hunting a shark, but when I zoomed in months later I realised it was a juvenile great white," he says.

In the footage, the orcas push the great white to the surface before working together to turn it upside down. They then drag the shark underwater and reemerge with its liver in their mouths. "The orcas were ramming the shark and bumping it. Then, they removed the liver and ate it," Higuera says, adding: "They didn't show any signs of eating the carcass, only the liver."

The orcas are members of the "Moctezuma pod", named after a prominent adult male. This pod had already been observed hunting Mobula rays in 2018. But two years later they had moved onto bigger prey: great whites and whale sharks.

In 2022, Higuera filmed five orcas of the Moctezuma pod hunting another juvenile great white. The orcas pushed the shark onto its back and pushed it to the surface. The shark was bleeding and its liver was exposed.

Turning the shark upside down induces a paralysed state known as tonic immobility, says Higuera. "It is essentially a natural, temporary paralysis that occurs when the shark is inverted, rendering it completely inert and unable to react within less than a minute.

"Once the shark has been safely neutralised, the orcas can easily slice open its abdomen to extract and consume the energy-rich liver without risking injury from a dangerous counterattack."

The hunting strategy is a learned behaviour, according to Higuera. "It's a cultural learning in this family, they pass the information along the generations. It comes from the matriarch."

In the Gulf of California, warming waters have increased the presence of juvenile great white sharks, positioning them directly in the habitat of the Moctezuma pod, says Higuera.

"Climate change is bringing these apex predators into closer proximity, but it is not directly changing how they hunt, [creating] opportunities for orcas to apply their existing, sophisticated hunting strategies to a new target."

This shift may also be happening elsewhere. Orca predation of great whites has also been documented in Australia. In October 2023, the carcass of a 4.7m (15.4ft)-long great white shark washed ashore in southeastern Australia. The shark was missing its liver, digestive and reproductive organs.

"We did the forensics work, as you would for a crime scene, and were able to confirm that there was killer whale DNA in the wounds. It was the first predation confirmed within Australian water," says Reeves, who led the research. Orca predation of great whites has been witnessed elsewhere along the Australian coast but remains rare as there are few areas where the two apex predators happen to aggregate, says Reeves.

Flight of the great whites

The orca attacks may have triggered dramatic changes in great white behaviour in South Africa. The sharks have abruptly fled their previous habitat in the Western Cape and either gone offshore or moved east along the coastline, says Towner. The marine biologist compares it to the behaviour of predators in the Serengeti in Tanzania.

"Say you have lions introduced to an area where leopards are the top predator, the leopards start to forage more nocturnally to avoid overlapping with the lions in the day," she says. "But the wild dogs do something completely different. They completely move away. We surmise that great white sharks are a lot like wild dogs in their response to another novel apex predator in their space."

South Africa's population of great white sharks was already on the brink before the orca attacks were discovered. A 2016 study spanning six years concluded that South Africa's great whites were "facing extinction" due to poaching for shark jaws and fins, pollution, the depletion of food sources, and the use of shark nets and baited hooks. The species is also suffering from extremely low genetic diversity, according to a 2015 study.

Since then, the population has suffered a further decline, says Sara Andreotti, a marine biologist from Stellenbosch University in South Africa who led both studies. While many are unintentionally killed in fisheries as bycatch, she says, shark nets – which are placed along the coast to keep them away from popular beaches – are the main legal cause of great white fatalities, followed by longline fisheries, which kill smaller juvenile sharks that make up the bulk of the predators' diet.

"We're not giving them a chance to recover, to survive," says Andreotti. "We're seeing them go [locally] extinct before our eyes."

Orca predation is exacerbating the decline, with significant repercussions for the wider marine ecosystem, scientists say.

In False Bay, Cape Town, a relatively stable great white population was documented until 2015. The great whites had completely disappeared from the area by mid-2018, with a study noting that shark-eating orcas likely contributed to the decline.

Off the coast of California, a similar flight pattern has been observed. Brief visits from orcas displaced great white sharks from the Southeast Farallon Island, a shark hotspot located about 27 miles (43km) west of San Francisco, according to a 2019 study analysing long-term electronic tagging data at the site.

The tags showed that the great whites began vacating the area within minutes of the arrival of the orcas. They didn't return to the island until the following season, with knock-on effects for other marine species, such as elephant seals, which great whites usually hunt. The data revealed four to seven fewer predation events on elephant seals in the years white sharks left.

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By encouraging the displacement of great white sharks from their traditional gathering sites in the Western Cape, orcas are already impacting other species, including critically endangered African penguins which face increased predation from sharks, says Towner.

Meanwhile, another type of shark, the bronze whaler shark, has moved into the territory now that great whites are no longer present, Towner says. These sharks are now the main target species during cage diving, given the absence of great whites in the Western Cape.

The disappearance of great whites in False Bay, Cape Town, has triggered a ripple effect down the food chain, leading to an increase in their prey, especially Cape fur seals and sevengill sharks, according to a recent study. This in turn has resulted in a decline in smaller sharks and fish.

When orcas displace or kill great white sharks from a part of the coastline, the ecological consequences can be significant, says Towner. "We're now seeing those effects play out in real time."

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India and China aren't friends - but Nepal wants to unite them against climate threats

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvy0rd1j2kzlo, 5 days ago

Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah used much of his speech at the recent UN General Assembly to warn of the growing threat of climate-related disasters in the Himalayas, recalling the devastating debris floods that struck his country in August.

But it was his ambitious proposal to bring together regional rivals India and China, alongside Nepal, to tackle these shared threats that drew particular attention.

Shah called for the creation of a Himalayan Climate Resilience Mechanism to strengthen cross-border disaster response and the sharing of scientific data and expertise in one of the world's most environmentally fragile and geopolitically sensitive regions.

"Let the Himalayas become a laboratory of international co-operation rather than a frontier of fragmented information," he said.

A senior official at Nepal's foreign ministry, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the proposal was still at an early stage.

"The PM's proposal has given a political direction. Our ministry is working with other relevant agencies to put forward a preliminary framework which can be the basis for building common understanding," the official said.

Neither India nor China has formally responded to the proposal. The BBC has contacted their foreign ministries for comment.

But can Nepal really bring the two regional giants together to confront a shared climate threat in a region where they have long been locked in bitter territorial disputes?

India and China share a disputed frontier stretching roughly 3,500km (2,175 miles), much of it across the Himalayas. Their competing territorial claims have led to a war, deadly clashes and repeated military stand-offs along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the de facto boundary separating areas under their control.

But the mountains that have long been a source of friction between the two countries are also facing an urgent climate threat.

Temperatures in the Himalayan region are rising faster than the global average, accelerating glacier retreat and permafrost thaw and contributing to growing risks of landslides, rockfalls, avalanches and glacial lake outburst floods.

Such disasters can sweep across national boundaries, threatening lives, infrastructure and livelihoods far downstream - making co-operation between the countries sharing the Himalayas increasingly important.

A report by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development released in March found that glaciers across the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region are melting at an accelerating pace, with the rate of ice loss having doubled since 2000 compared with the 1974-1999 period.

Further east, on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, glaciers have shrunk by 24% in area over the past six decades, Kang Shichang, director of the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, told China's People's Daily Online.

Experts say the retreat of glaciers can cause glacial lakes to expand, increasing the risk of sudden, potentially devastating floods that can cross borders into countries such as Nepal, India and Bhutan. Several major rivers flowing through these countries originate on the Tibetan Plateau.

The plateau now has more than 14,000 glacial lakes, covering over 1,100 sq km, according to People's Daily.

And the dangers extend beyond flooding.

A 2024 study published by the American Geophysical Union projected a significant rise in landslide hazards across the Himalayas and Tibet in the coming decades due to increased rainstorms.

While the largest absolute increases are expected in already vulnerable areas, including India's Garhwal and Kumaon regions and Nepal, the greatest relative increase is projected on the Tibetan Plateau.

The growing risks make co-operation more urgent. But past efforts by India and China to work together on Himalayan environmental issues have made little progress.

The two Asian powers have often found common ground at UN climate negotiations, pushing back against Western demands for emissions cuts and arguing that developing countries should not bear the same burden as industrialised nations.

Yet they have no dedicated agreement to jointly address the impacts of climate change in the Himalayas.

In 2009, India and China agreed to undertake joint research into the impact of global warming on glaciers in the Himalayas and Tibet.

Following a visit to Beijing, India's then environment minister Jairam Ramesh announced that the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology and China's Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute would collaborate on the project.

But the initiative went nowhere, according to a scientist involved in the effort.

"One meeting was held between us and the Chinese side and that was it, nothing came out of it," said Dr DP Dobhal, a retired glaciologist who headed the glaciology programme at the Wadia Institute.

"What happened after that no one knows," he added.

Since the early 2000s, India and China had agreements under which Beijing provided flood-season hydrological data on the Brahmaputra and Sutlej, two major rivers originating in Tibet.

But in August 2025, India's junior foreign minister Kirti Vardhan Singh told parliament that both agreements had expired. China had stopped sharing data on the Brahmaputra in June 2023, while India had received no data on the Sutlej since 2022.

China has not publicly explained the latest interruption. But when it withheld similar information in 2017, amid a tense military stand-off with India, Beijing blamed technical problems at its hydrological monitoring stations in Tibet, Singh said.

Some analysts see a glimmer of hope in the recent thaw between India and China, marked by high-level political engagement and moves to revive cross-border trade through Himalayan routes.

"These developments suggest there might be more room for the three countries to explore climate-related co-operation," says William Yang, senior analyst for North East Asia at the International Crisis Group.

But he says Beijing is likely to remain cautious about any major agreement with India and Nepal, as border disputes remain unresolved.

One major obstacle is that information vital for understanding climate risks can also have military value.

"What climate scientists might see as essential research data might look like strategic intelligence to the national security establishment in an environment where two militaries face each other across a disputed frontier," says Walter Ladwig, an associate fellow in the Indo-Pacific Programme at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a UK-based defence and security think tank.

Such tensions have also hampered past efforts to tackle disasters that cross Himalayan borders.

The Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has spent more than three decades promoting regional co-operation, including on flood early-warning systems. But progress has been slow.

"There are certain highly sensitive issues in transboundary matters like comprehensive data of river flows that countries might not want to share, particularly upstream countries," says Arun Bhakta Shrestha, a former senior specialist at ICIMOD.

He says countries should instead focus on sharing less sensitive information about disaster risks.

Dr Uday Kala, head of the Centre for Climate Change and Disaster Management at India's IIT Mandi, suggests starting with practical steps - jointly identifying high-risk glacial lakes and cross-border hazards, agreeing on basic data-sharing protocols and monitoring standards, and exchanging critical warnings without delay.

"Climate change is moving the baseline itself; catching up with the previous disaster is no longer enough. We need to anticipate the next one," he says.

Whether India and China are willing to take even these steps remains uncertain.

For Nepal, the challenge is to convince its two powerful neighbours to put aside their differences and work together to tackle a shared climate threat.

Was Neanderthal life violent? This wound suggests lethal fighting was more common

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6jrwn3y3xe9o, 4 days ago

A Neanderthal who died 75,000 years ago may have been struck through the chest by a sharpened wooden spear, archaeologists say.

They say a 15mm hole found in a shoulder blade in a cave in Iraqi Kurdistan could be the earliest evidence of lethal violence involving such a weapon.

From the angle of the wound and other evidence, the researchers believe the spear entered the individual's chest and passed through the body - probably damaging a lung and major blood vessels - and exited through the left shoulder blade to leave a near-perfect hole.

The research is the latest in emerging evidence that suggests Neanderthal societies experienced more violence than previously thought.

Neanderthals were a separate species of humans that went extinct around 40,000 years ago. They lived across a large expanse of Europe and western and central Asia, and sometimes overlapped with our species, Homo sapiens.

The wounded Neanderthal's remains were found in a cave in Iraqi Kurdistan. As well as the left shoulder blade, the individual's right hand, three ribs and some teeth were also found.

A hole in the shoulder blade may be the earliest evidence of "lethal interpersonal violence" from a wooden spear, according to Dr Emma Pomeroy, study lead author from Cambridge's Department of Archaeology.

"The fatal strike may have been an intended heart shot," she told BBC News.

Archaeologists call the remains Shanidar A, named after the cave in which they were found. Remains of at least 10 Neanderthals were discovered in excavations in the cave in the 1950s.

The wound is thought to be the first evidence for use of sharpened wooden spears in the prehistoric Middle East, according to Pomeroy.

"It is not the kind of break that you would get naturally, because it is so circular," she said. "Experiments with reconstructed wooden spears produce very similar round holes in bone."

But the interpersonal violence is by no means certain, she says. It may be a case of friendly fire, a wound caused as a result of a hunting accident.

But Prof Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum in London, who was not involved in the research, told BBC News that an attack by a rival was the more plausible explanation.

"The researchers leave it open whether this resulted from a hunting accident or interpersonal violence, but in my view the latter seems more likely, given the positioning and extent of the wound," he said.

This discovery has echoes of an earlier find in the same cave, in 1957. Those remains involved another Neanderthal who lived more recently, around 50, 000 years ago. Their ribs had evidence of a partly healed wound, which archaeologists believe was probably caused by a stone-tipped spear.

We can't tell for sure whether these Neanderthals were hurt by a companion during a hunt or murdered by a rival. But they join a small but growing body of evidence which point to the possibility that human-on-human violence was more common and goes back further than the current scientific consensus would suggest.

"I unfortunately see the growing body of evidence as an indication that interpersonal violence goes deep into human prehistory," Stringer told BBC News.

A key piece of that evidence is a study published in 2022 of very early Neanderthal skulls from northern Spain at an archaeological site called "the Pit of Bones". It suggests that deadly violence was taking place about 430,000 years ago.

Researchers found 57 healed head injuries among 20 individuals. Nine individuals had potentially fatal skull fractures. Six had similar puncture wounds at the back-left of the head. Because the wounds repeatedly occurred in almost the same place, the researchers concluded that deliberate blows were more likely than accidental damage. One skull had two wounds that had probably been inflicted with the same object.

The Pit of Bones findings do not show that everyone in this population was habitually violent, but they provide strong evidence that repeated killing occurred among these people hundreds of thousands of years ago.

For decades, many archaeologists linked the beginnings of organised warfare to farming, when people began living in permanent settlements and competing over land, livestock and food stores.

But evidence from earlier hunter-gatherers and still older human relatives has since shown that individual killings pre-date farming by a very long way.

The live scientific debate is over how common such violence was, and when sporadic attacks became organised conflict and wars between groups.

The research has been published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Volunteers help save one of London's rarest plants

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8ly070p37d4o, today

More than 1,000 tower mustard plants have been successfully grown and planted out by volunteers in London.

It marks a successful first year for a major community-led effort to restore one of the capital's rarest native wildflowers, vital for bees, butterflies and rare moths.

Led by Citizen Zoo and Habitats & Heritage, the tower mustard project brings together a network of land managers, community groups, conservation partners and volunteers.

The plants, grown by volunteers, are being reestablished at sites across London, in regions where tower mustard was previously known to occur.

At the core of the project are the Mighty Mustard volunteers.

In March, they attended a workshop, learned how to sow the tiny seeds, and were given their own growing equipment, including pots, seed trays and soil.

Seeds were sourced from London's last remaining tower mustard populations in Lesnes Abbey Woods in Bexley and Stain Hill Reservoir in Richmond-upon-Thames.

Charlotte Harris, nature conservation manager at Habitats & Heritage, said: "[We] are passionate about engaging people in conservation initiatives. Through this tower mustard project, we have enjoyed giving local residents the unique opportunity to get hands-on in conserving one of London's rarest plants.

"We've found the volunteers have become really attached to [them]."

Seeds have now been planted at Wimbledon Common, Hounslow Heath, Lesnes Abbey Woods and Barnes Common.

Harris added: "We are hoping that this model can be used as a blueprint for helping other rare plants with volunteer input in the same way."

The final planting day is at Hampton Court Palace's Home Park on Tuesday, where plants raised separately by the Historic Royal Palaces Gardens Team and volunteers will be used.

Botanist Dr Mark Spencer has also provided expert support throughout the project.

Tower mustard, or Turritis glabra, is a native UK herb that has suffered steep decline due to habitat destruction and changes in land management.

It is thought to survive at around 30 sites across England.

The species is assessed as near threatened on the Great Britain Red List and endangered in England.

Growing to around one metre tall and producing delicate white flowers, tower mustard is associated with open and disturbed habitats and supports pollinators.

This community-led model builds on Citizen Zoo's successful Hop of Hope project which saw volunteers rear large marsh grasshoppers from eggs at home, going on to release the species in wetlands across Norfolk.

'We've lost 185 plant species in London'

Elliot Newton, director of rewilding at Citizen Zoo, said the company hopes to roll out more projects to preserve plants in the face of climate change.

"In London alone, we've lost 185 species of plant. They have gone extinct in recent history."

He said Citizen Zoo have many other plants on their radar, including copse bindweed, a native British climbing plant.

Tower mustard is the first plant species Citizen Zoo has worked with in London, joining a growing portfolio of rewilding projects that also includes beavers, water voles, German hairy snails and white storks.

The tower mustard project is funded by the Greater London Authority's Green Roots Fund and Thames Water.

The project brings together Habitats & Heritage, Barnes Common, Lesnes Abbey Woods, Wimbledon Common, London Borough of Hounslow, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and Historic Royal Palaces.

Newton said: "These projects may sound small, but they're helping safeguard the future of the city."

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Major subsea cable factory opens in Highlands

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c615jljzpyewo, today

The UK's first high voltage direct current (HVDC) subsea cable factory has opened at the Port of Nigg in the Highlands.

The Japanese firm behind the project, Sumitomo, said the cables would help power the UK's 'electricity superhighway' - the network of cables which will run between Scotland and England.

It said the cables will be capable of transporting a much higher volume of useable energy from offshore wind farms than traditional high voltage alternating current cables.

Sumitomo claimed up to 250 direct jobs would be created by the factory's opening, with more than 400 supported through the wider supply chain.

First Minister John Swinney said the £350m facility was strong vote of confidence in Scotland's people, skills and engineering excellence.

"As the first factory of its kind in the UK, it will help unlock our enormous offshore wind potential while bolstering energy security," he said.

Swinney attended the opening alongside the UK government's Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander.

The Labour MP said: "Scotland is helping to solve one of the biggest challenges in our transition to clean energy, connecting offshore wind to where it's needed most."

Sumitomo said the HVDC cables were important in the transport of "massive amounts of Scottish wind power directly to high-demand areas in the rest of the UK".

The manufacturing plant sits within the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport.

This is an area, specially designated by both the Scottish and UK governments, where normal tax and customs rules do not apply in full.

Crews adapt to tackle wildfire and flood 'extremes'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm20wne2g0vdo, 3 days ago

A senior fire officer believes her firefighters are now in a cycle of dealing with wildfires and floods.

Anna Morris Jones, a group manager at Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, was involved in coordinating its wildfire response over the summer which she described as "quite traumatic".

She said it appeared as a result of climate change, "we have two extremes, the wildfires in the summer and then the flooding in the winter".

As a result, she said they were now in a situation where they were giving out wildfire advice while dealing with serious flooding.

Morris Jones said: "We're really starting some of our preparedness and prevention messages from almost from January, February, onwards, which I know sounds sometimes silly when we're in the depth of winter."

She is a wildfire support officer for the fire service and was involved in helping neighbouring services over the summer.

That put an extra strain on her own resources.

"We had an enormous amount of fires as well and we do help our cross border colleagues," she said.

"But that day we had numerous calls of our own that we were dealing with."

The fires across the West Midlands caused widespread damage and affected dozens of homes.

Morris Jones said it had been "unprecedented" and she had not dealt with wildfires that serious before.

There have been calls to give fire services more resources to deal with wildfires and for a change in focus to help the country prepare for them.

West Midlands chief fire officer Simon Tuhill has called for more specialist resources to fight wildfires, such as 4x4 vehicles and aerial firefighting capability.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said leaders should be "better prepared next time" and said a summit would be held in the coming weeks.

"We shouldn't live through another summer like the one that we just have," Burnham said.

Morris Jones said: "I think we're doing all we can.

"We need more equipment, training and the expertise that go alongside that."

One strategy, Shropshire Fire Service has adopted is to work more closely with farmers and landowners who Morris Jones said had been "absolutely amazing this summer in helping us".

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Fourth council opposes £5bn CO2 pipeline plan

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr93zyqdx1e0o, 4 days ago

Cheshire East Council has become the fourth local authority to formally oppose the proposed Peak Cluster carbon dioxide pipeline.

Councillors unanimously backed a motion calling on the government not to approve the scheme until concerns over safety, environmental impacts and effects on local communities are addressed.

The £5bn project would transport carbon dioxide captured at cement and lime plants in Derbyshire and Staffordshire to storage sites beneath the Irish Sea.

Plans for the project would be drawn up in a way that "anticipates, understands and addresses potential local impacts, wherever possible," said the company.

Supporters say it could cut emissions from hard-to-decarbonise industries and protect jobs, while opponents have raised concerns about safety, environmental damage and disruption during construction.

Cheshire East Council joins Derbyshire County Council, Wirral Council and Cheshire West and Chester Council in formally objecting to the proposals.

The motion was brought by Conservative councillors Lesley Smetham and Hayley Whitaker, with independent councillor Michael Gorman and Labour councillor Dawn Clark also supporting an amended version.

It called on the council to formally object to the scheme, submit its concerns to both the developer and the Planning Inspectorate, and ask Peak Cluster representatives to present the proposals directly to councillors.

The motion also called for letters to be sent to government ministers requesting that approval should not be granted until concerns raised by the council had been resolved.

Residents protesting outside the meeting at Tatton Park were joined by a series of public speakers raising concerns about issues including safety, impacts on farming and rural communities, and the overall cost of the scheme.

Presenting the motion, Smetham said tackling climate change was "essential" but argued "we should not do harm during the process".

She described Peak Cluster as a "costly and extreme proposal" and said there was "no benefit" for the people of Cheshire East.

However, Labour councillor Heather Seddon said the scientific case for carbon capture and storage at a national level was "compelling", but argued the local case for the project had yet to be made.

Council leader Nick Mannion also said action was needed on climate change but questioned whether Peak Cluster represented "the safest and most appropriate response for the cement industry".

Last month, Peak Cluster announced changes to parts of the proposed route and reduced the width of the safeguarded pipeline corridor following consultation feedback from more than 5,500 respondents.

A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said the government was delivering industrial-scale carbon capture projects that would support jobs and help decarbonise industries such as cement.

The department said sectors including cement were difficult to decarbonise without carbon capture technology, but added that the Peak Cluster project was being developed privately and was not receiving funding from the department.

The motion was approved unanimously by all 66 councillors present.

After the vote, Whitaker said she was pleased councillors had come together on the issue, although she felt it should have reached full council sooner.

Peak Cluster's chief executive David Parkin said he understood that "councillors across the region have strong views about the project, and we are committed to working with them, as those that know the area best".

"This will help us gain as much information as possible as we develop our plans for the project and design Peak Cluster in a way that anticipates, understands and addresses potential local impacts, wherever possible," he said.

"As our plans continue to evolve, all aspects of the project will be subject to rigorous independent regulatory scrutiny."

See more Cheshire stories from the BBC and follow BBC North West on X. For more local politics coverage, BBC Politics North West is on BBC One on Sunday at 10:00am and on BBC iPlayer.

Dog that hunts invasive 'sea vomit' honoured as animal of the year

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvwy761zyx7eo, 5 days ago

A working dog from the Scottish Highlands has been named animal of the year by a charity for hunting down an invasive marine creature called the carpet sea squirt.

This organism, also nicknamed "sea vomit", is particularly harmful to coastal wildlife and economies.

Working at low tide with her owner, Dr Texa Sim, black Labrador Sgiath has found hundreds of colonies of the sea squirt, which - if left uncontrolled - can smother and kill native species.

Sgiath (pronounced Skee-ah) is thought to be the UK's first sea squirt-hunting dog.

"She's a natural," says Sim proudly.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is awarding Sgiath animal of the years at its 26th annual animal Action Awards ceremony on Thursday 15 October.

Sim, a marine ecologist based near Glencoe, has had Sgiath since she was a puppy and the bond between the two is strong.

"Sgiath is incredibly clever. Her problem solving and her ability to take on new challenges and learn so quickly are just phenomenal, and it's so amazing to watch."

As a pup, Sgiath was trained as a mountain rescue dog. The Labrador proved to be so good that Sim wondered if she could use her skills to help with marine conservation work.

Sgiath has been trained to recognise the scent of the carpet sea squirt. And now, the six year old joins her owner on the beaches to sniff it out.

Sim says the dog is always right when pointing out a sea squirt, which can be difficult to spot, looking like slime among seaweed and on structures like pontoons and oyster cages.

"When I first started this project, I genuinely didn't know whether it would work," said Sim.

"No one had really explored whether dogs could help tackle this problem in the marine environment. It began as a proof-of-concept project and has exceeded every expectation I had."

Dogs' scent detection skills are often used in conservation work on land, including tracking endangered species and helping investigate environmental crime. At low tide, Sgiath can, as Sim puts it "dive down under the seaweed".

"She just does a survey with her nose, essentially, she can pinpoint exactly where it is, so it's much easier," she said.

Marine experts believe that carpet sea squirt, formally named Didemnum vexillum, came from Japan. It arrived on the shores of the south of England and Wales in 2008.

It can appear in various shades - from orange to cream - and has now spread to several seaside locations across the UK.

It reproduces quickly during the warmer summer months and, with warming seas, there are fears it could spread further.

Dr Martyn Kurr, a marine biologist from Bangor University told BBC News that non-native or "biofouling" species, like the carpet sea squirt, can outcompete native wildlife for valuable nutrients.

"These species also clog up aquaculture pens, marine infrastructure, and machinery such as boat propellors," he explained.

Efforts to control and clean up these problematic marine invaders costs millions of pounds every year across Europe.

Multiskilled dog

To get Sgiarth proficient in both mountain rescue and marine conservation has needed hard work and long hours from both dog and owner.

To locate and draw attention to a lost hiker on mountainous terrain, Sgiath is trained to bark and bounce around.

Conservation work requires a quieter approach.

Sim explained that she trains Sgiath to give what's known as a "passive indication" when she finds the sea squirt.

"It's a kind of a stillness, or a stare."

When we speak to Sim over Zoom from her home, her two dogs are curled up in their beds at her feet. Apparently, when Sgiath is not out finding lost people or marine creatures, she likes to be wrapped up in her dog blanket.

Sgiath, and Sim's younger Labrador Uisage, are both working dogs that are driven to do their jobs with treats and play.

Kurr, from Bangor University, said that scientists were just starting to realise that "these wonderful animals can smell changes in water that signal a marine invasion which otherwise might have gone unnoticed".

He added: "It's fantastic to see Sgiath get this much deserved award, and I'm very excited to see what other wonderful work we can do with sniffer dogs."

Burnham - Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas decisions coming 'shortly'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c92031m6knljo, 5 days ago

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said a decision on whether to give the go-ahead to two oil and gas fields will be made "shortly".

Burnham has been deliberating over plans for Rosebank, an oil field off Shetland, and gas field Jackdaw, east of Aberdeen - with a decision on the latter "imminent", according to the energy secretary.

The controversial fields have been the subject of years of debates, legal wrangling and public consultations, with arguments from both industry bodies and environmentalists being weighed up by the UK government.

Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch urged Burnham "to stop faffing about" when it comes to the North Sea drilling.

She said: "In July, he said he would approve the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields in the North Sea. What's he waiting for?

"If he'd approved them back then, we would have British gas warming British homes this winter.

"All of the gas from Jackdaw goes onto the British grid, so will we now stop faffing about and approve Rosebank and Jackdaw?"

Jackdaw, which is about 150 miles (241.4km) east of Aberdeen, is a gas field which its operators say could be connected to the UK network within months.

Rosebank, about 80 miles (128.7km) north-west of Shetland, is Britain's largest untapped oil field, which would also produce some gas.

The prime minister responded: "She asked me what I'm waiting for – I've had to wait for the government process, which was struck down by the courts under the Conservative government, to be fixed because they messed it up, and we inherited that situation.

"So I will take a pragmatic approach on oil and gas, we will set out our decisions shortly."

Speaking at the Energy UK Annual Conference, Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh said: "We have got all the information on Jackdaw and the department has gone through that so there is a decision that will be imminent".

She added a decision on the development of the Rosebank oil and gas field will take a little longer.

Licences for the fields were granted by the Conservative UK government in 2022 and 2023, which sparked legal challenges from environmental groups.

The Court of Session in Edinburgh ruled last year that Rosebank and Jackdaw had been unlawfully approved because the government had failed to take into account the climate impact of burning extracted oil and gas from the sites.

Environmentalists insist more drilling would be unconscionable, and hamper efforts to cut planet-warming carbon emissions as deadly heatwaves and extreme weather affect people across the globe.

They also claim starting production would not protect energy security and transitioning sooner to greener technologies would be better for supporting jobs.

Industry bodies argue starting production at Rosebank and Jackdaw will provide jobs and improve the UK's energy security as overseas conflicts threaten supply.

Burnham has previously left open the possibility of granting approval to Jackdaw and Rosebank.

However he has said he will stick to Labour's promise not to issue new oil and gas licences while honouring existing ones.

It is not yet known when the government will announce its decision.

New team to save Antarctic port from climate change

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ck8dzgr780j8o, 5 days ago

A new team of UK specialists is embarking on a 9,000-mile journey to Antarctica to protect a British science base threatened by climate change.

The UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (UKAHT), a Cambridge-based charity, is in its second year of a three-year mission to save Port Lockroy.

Its goal is to restore the site, which has the world's southernmost Post Office, museum, and more than 1,000 gentoo penguins.

This year's team will install beams and props to help the buildings withstand increased precipitation and snow loading, as well as monitor the penguins.

The site is more than 80 years old and faces structural deterioration due to rising temperatures and extreme weather on the rapidly warming Antarctic Peninsula.

After initial assessments revealed serious structural weaknesses, last year's team prepared the site ready for this season's interventions, which UKAHT said was the charity's "biggest ever conservation season" at Port Lockroy.

Port Lockroy faces escalating deterioration from age, climate change and environmental factors, said UKAHT.

A team of eight will spend five months at remote Base A, Port Lockroy on Goudier Island, while a field team of six specialists will travel further south to carry out the first comprehensive survey of another British heritage site, Wordie House, where one of the longest continuous climate records on the continent began.

The Port Lockroy team will be led by Carole McCullough, who previously worked in the RAF, and said: "I applied for the role looking for a bit of an adventure, and Antarctica is the ultimate adventure.

"The teamwork, the bonding, the appreciation of the place - it's all going to make for the most wonderful experience."

She will be joined by others with various life experiences including conservation carpenters and museum and mountain rescue specialists.

Camilla Nichol, UKAHT's chief executive officer, said: "With the demanding conservation season ahead at Port Lockroy and beyond to Wordie House, we have selected a team who bring specialist knowledge and understanding of the Antarctic environment, as well as some much needed enthusiasm and resilience.

"This is a huge year for us as we meet the growing challenges of climate change.

"Since Wordie House's records began in 1947, the Antarctic Peninsula has become one of the fastest-warming places on the planet and we see the impact every year on the wildlife and special places in our care."

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More tea? How Scotland's crops of the future could be set to change

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cxdd80z9yjpqo, 5 days ago

Susie Walker-Munro is one of a handful of tea growers in Scotland.

She says the acidic soil creates ideal conditions for the perfect artisan brew.

Costing about £40 per packet for her most expensive product, it's not going to replace the supermarket brands any time soon.

Droughts, intensive downpours and diseases have created challenges for tea growers across the world as they deal with the impact of a warming planet.

But some experts believe Scotland's relatively settled climate could give the tea industry here a helping hand.

As the picking season draws to a close, Susie plucks the last few leaves before proudly pouring me a small glass of her Kinnettles Gold, which is grown in a walled garden on the family farm near Forfar.

She believes Scotland's latitude – sitting 57 degrees north - will always be a bar to having a year-round crop like those countries close to the equator.

But she says wetter weather could help boost production.

"Our yields are never, never going to be high," she says.

"Maybe with climate change they might come up a bit, it depends if we get enough rain. Scotland could be absolutely ideal."

Susie isn't convinced tea will ever be a major crop for Scotland.

But others say it could be one of a numbers of options in the future, as farmers are forced to diversify and adapt to a changing climate.

Rethinking the way we farm the land might be one way to extend the range of crops produced.

Countries like the Netherlands are already embracing glass houses, which could become more commonplace in Scotland. Susie says they would be a good way of growing more tea.

They would also allow Scotland to produce more Mediterranean vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergines, and even melons, according to Pete Ritchie from campaign organisation Nourish Scotland.

He says an abundance of renewable energy from wind farms later in the century will make heating them relatively cheap and will cut down on air miles.

"We're going to be able to produce those plants with a lower carbon footprint and provide secure all-round jobs for people on brownfield sites in the cities and also on the islands and remote parts of Scotland," he says.

The James Hutton Institute already has a large number of glass houses – but it is going even further by artificially creating the sort of conditions that may exist in 75 years.

Climate modelling shows that Scotland can expect hotter, dryer summers and milder, wetter winters by the end of this century.

The institute's new advanced plant growth centre is effectively a climate simulator.

It's able to control plants' light, water and nutrient intake to test how they cope with stresses - and then select species which are likely to fare best against all that climate change can throw at them.

For the past three months they have been experimenting with fava beans, which are photographed daily so scientists can monitor their progress.

Dr Robert Hancock says they need to switch from breeding crops for specific environments, such as hot or dry climates, towards ones which are more generally resilient.

"We need to start breeding those crops now and start understanding what Scottish farming's going to look like," he says.

"Farmers need time to plan, we need to get those crops out to the farmers and registered.

"Ultimately it's about what those guys do in the fields that matters, not what we do inside a climate simulator."

The farmers of the 22nd Century are probably only a generation away from those starting out in the industry today.

That means the current crop of young farmers will have to give the closest consideration to the businesses they hand on to their own children.

And that means more precision farming, more artificial intelligence, and automation.

Modern tractors and combine harvesters are so high in technology such as GPS steering that it's no longer such a leap to consider autonomous harvesting.

But the chair of the Scottish Association of Young Farmers, David Murdoch, believes traditional skills will always be important.

"There's no point in doing it if you don't know your cattle, but embracing the technology is what keeps us competitive.

"Working with larger herd numbers and larger machinery to keep us producing more with less people - that's the way the world's going," says David, who farms dairy with his father at Beith in North Ayrshire.

But it's not just food production that will drive future changes in farming.

Protecting and enhancing nature, offsetting carbon emissions, and renewable energy production are already shaping the farms of tomorrow.

Health innovations may also play a growing role, with obesity drugs already showing a demand for proteins and nutrient-dense foods.

Soya, flax and legumes could become a more common sight as conditions for growing them become more favourable and that desire to grow them locally continues.

Prof Wayne Powell - the principal of Scotland's rural college, the SRUC - predicts that Scotland will become "the bread basket of Europe".

That title is currently used to describe Ukraine, because of its abundance of fertile agricultural land and exports of crops including wheat, maize and barley.

"Climate change is redrawing the farming map of Europe and Scotland could become one of Europe's most important climate resilient food regions," he says.

"The possibility of access to cheap renewable energy could also transform the economics of Scottish farming from irrigation, refrigeration, food processing, so that we can capture more value from our land and food."

Scotland's rural communities have seen major changes over the past 75 years which have resulted in far fewer people working the land.

Pressure to keep food affordable for consumers while farms remain profitable will be a key driver of innovation.

The changing climate and the continued destruction of our nature prevent that being a simple equation to calculate.

But farmers are used to change – in the short, medium and long-term - and by the end of the century our fields will probably be as unrecognisable to today's farmers as all those who have gone before them.

'A window into its soul': The rare elephant behaviour that reveals the depths of their emotions

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20261013-the-rare-behaviour-showing-elephant-grief, 6 days ago

The winner of the 2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year captures a rarely seen elephant behaviour, revealing the complexity of their emotional lives.

Photographer Federico Veronesi witnessed a heartbreaking scene while following a herd of elephants trudging along a dry riverbed in the Namibian desert in September 2025.

He encountered a female elephant carrying a stillborn calf, its tiny legs wrapped around her trunk and its limp body dangling in the air.

"It was an intimate moment, almost spiritual," Veronesi recalls. "The baby was still completely intact and soft. It hadn't stiffened up yet, so it was clearly born in the night, or maybe just a few hours before."

At first sight, the poignant scene appeared to show a mother's grief. But as Veronesi would later find out, the rare behaviour he was witnessing had a surprising twist that revealed an even more complex sensitivity than it first seemed.

Veronesi followed the herd for several hours and captured some incredibly striking photos, one of which (see the image below) won the grand title prize at the 2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year, run by the Natural History Museum in London.

The female elephant carried the calf for hours, occasionally setting it down to feed or drink, before picking it up again and continuing her journey along the Huab River, Veronesi says. "I thought, 'This is such a sad scene but it needs to be seen by people.' This photo makes it clear how much these elephants suffer, how they have complex feelings, which people perhaps don't associate with animals."

Veronesi eventually found out that the elephant was not carrying her own stillborn calf. "She's not the mother," says Christin Winter, conservation programme director at Elephant Human Relations Aid (EHRA), a non-profit working to protect Namibia's desert elephants.

This female, now aged 14, lost her own calf two years ago. Since then, she has been seen carrying the stillborn calves of other elephants on four separate occasions, says Winter. It's the first time that this behaviour has been documented in the area, she adds.

This revelation "certainly adds another layer to the depth of these creatures' emotions", says Veronesi. "It's even more poignant how this female has been behaving like that after her loss, as if she is trying to reconnect with her own calf and still not giving up on that loss after many years."

Elephant emotions

There are a few theories as to why the elephant carried the calf for such a long time. The behaviour may be some kind of "emotional processing", Winter says.

"Perhaps it was a way [for her] to process the death and not being able to let go just yet, perhaps she was traumatised by losing her calf and that's why she snaps into this behaviour every time one dies." She may also have been trying to protect the calf's body from predators, Winter adds.

Veronesi's photos offer a glimpse into the lives of Namibia's 150 hardy desert elephants that reside along five riverbeds in the Namib Desert and migrate long distances in search of food and water, feeding on the seedpods of Ana trees (Faidherbia albida) or on grass in the floodplains.

They are not a unique elephant species, but rather an ecotype: a population that has adapted to the arid environment through learned behaviours rather than genetic adaptations, similar to Namibia's desert lions that live along the Skeleton Coast. "It's their knowledge that really makes them special and also very vulnerable, because once that knowledge is gone, it can't be readily replaced," says Winter.

Declining species

The population has been steadily declining over the past 20 years, says Winter. This is partly due to environmental stress, in particular long periods of drought, but is largely because of heightened conflict with humans, according to Winter.

"The conflict is mostly about water." Elephants will come into farms and push over water tanks, pull up pipes and break pumps, "so the tolerance of people towards elephant presence isn't particularly high", she says. "These stories go deep and live on for a very long time."

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The mortality rate of newborn calves is a major concern, says Winter. "It is extremely high and very scary." Just two calves survived out of a total of 16 between 2014 and 2022, she says.

One theory as to why so many desert elephant calves are dying is that they are born premature, "because the females are not fit enough to carry them full term", Winter says. This may be due to the chronic stress from conflict with humans, she says. Research shows that elephants can suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in response to conflict with humans.

Whenever the EHRA team comes across stillborn calves, they're very small, Winter adds. Typically, a healthy newborn calf [weighs] between 100 and 120kg (220-265lb), she says. The stillborn calves, meanwhile, are about 60-65kg (132-143lb).

EHRA is working with Daniella Chusyd, an elephant expert and assistant professor from Indiana University Bloomington, to analyse how environmental factors as well as chronic stress may be impacting Namibia's desert elephants. They are currently collecting dung samples to test for heavy metals and forever chemicals (such as PFAS), and to check the elephants' thyroid and cortisol hormones, as part of a project running until 2028.

"We also want to [determine] the degree of inbreeding in this population, compared to other populations, and whether the calves that survive have a different parental pedigree to those that died," says Chusyd.

Joyce Poole, a leading expert on the African savannah elephant and founder of the conservation non-profit Elephant Voices, describes Veronesi's photos as "really harrowing". She has witnessed a similar reaction of a mother elephant to her stillborn infant in Kenya.

"She did not carry it but rather tried to lift it and then stood and defended it for two days," Poole says.

She hopes that the photos will make people realise "that elephants are capable of grief and suffering".

Elephants appear to experience grief when a companion dies. They have been observed visiting the remains of family members and strangers alike, touching their bones and standing beside the remains for long periods in the manner of a vigil.

"Desert elephants are being pushed to the brink of extinction, not just by climate change but by the trophy hunting permits allowed by the Namibian government," says Poole. "We need to do more to prevent their trauma."

For Veronesi, the interaction between the female elephant and the stillborn was "almost human[like] behaviour".

"This is why I thought it was such an incredible moment to witness," he says. "My message is that every individual elephant is a creature worthy of understanding and conserving. We have to not only conserve the species, but the wellbeing of each individual."

The photographer hopes that his images "open a small window into the elephant's soul and the depth of their feelings".

For more science, technology, environment

Melon and aubergine success in hot summer experiment

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3lyldr8qrjro, 6 days ago

Watermelons and aubergines are not crops you might traditionally spot being grown in the UK, but an experiment this summer found them to be performing well in the unusually persistent warm weather.

The exotic fruits were successfully grown at Asthall Manor, near Burford, Oxfordshire, as part of a scheme to boost food resilience in the face of climate change.

The seed experiment coincided with the UK's hottest summer on record - making conditions more appropriate for growing the tropical crops.

Tim Mitchell, who runs the wildlife-friendly kitchen garden at Asthall Manor, said the project aimed to see whether "outdoor-friendly varieties" could now be grown at scale in the UK.

"This year we've had a go at growing watermelons, melons, and aubergines all outdoors - which is not traditionally done in the UK," he explained.

"We weren't even sure it was going to work, but sure enough we had a long hot summer which did allow us to grow these heat-loving crops."

The Crowd Breeding Project is a scheme led by the Gaia Foundation, an international charity which aims to protect and build biodiversity.

Mitchell explained that the scheme was about "building more resilience into our food system in the UK".

"Currently a lot of crops that are grown are very limited in their variety... they're all genetically quite closely related and they're all vulnerable to the same pressures," he said.

"So for instance in a heat drought if they're all very closely genetically related, your entire crop could fail."

As part of the scheme, Mitchell grew different varieties of various tropical crops next to one another.

"Part of the principle that we're working to is to breed genetic diversity into these crops by letting varieties cross through natural cross pollination," he said.

"That means you're growing a diverse flock, and that gives them more genetic breadth to adapt to the changing seasons."

"It's very important that we adapt our crops in this country, not just to increasingly hot summers but potentially to increasingly wet summers. The way you allow crops to adapt is to let them cross with each other and become genetically diverse."

At the moment, Mitchell said many traditional British crops were "not getting the seasons they need" due to changing weather patterns.

"Out of this project, we hope to find new, more resilient, naturally occurring crops," he added.

'Prepare for the unthinkable' warning over autumn flooding

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm4g1pqyqzqwo, 7 days ago

People are being told to prepare for "the unthinkable" as flood response teams warn of a heightened risk over the autumn.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said it was concerned by long-range forecasts which indicated an increased likelihood of wetter, windier weather than usual over the coming months.

Those living in flood-hit areas told BBC Wales they were worried, and had started preparing.

One in seven properties in Wales is classed as being at risk of flooding, but NRW said just 27% of those eligible to receive flood warnings to their phone or email were currently signed up.

After a summer marked by drought and wildfires, the organisation has urged people "not to become complacent" and said conditions could change quickly.

Wales has seen a series of major floods in recent years, often in the wake of powerful storms such as Dennis in 2020, Bert and Darragh in 2024 and Claudia in 2025.

The threat comes from both rivers and the sea, while surface water flooding - where local drainage systems become overwhelmed during heavy downpours - is seen as an increasing danger.

NRW argues that the country's geography makes it particularly vulnerable - with a vast coastline and several so-called "fast-responding" rivers which can fill at speed as rain runs off steep terrain in places like the south Wales valleys.

More than 274,500 homes and businesses are currently classed at risk of flooding, with this figure set to increase significantly by the end of the century.

'People could have died'

On the high street in Monmouth, people told BBC Wales of "harrowing" and "dreadful" scenes when major flooding hit in November 2025.

Friends Malcolm Butcher, 82, Jim Tyler, 81, Brian Churches, 82 and Dave Blake, 82, said they had lived in the town all their lives "and never seen anything like it".

"At 2:30 in the morning when it hit it was unbelievable... absolutely raging," Malcolm said.

If it had happened in the daytime "people would have died", he added.

Eighteen cars on his road were lost to the flood waters - including his own, while the houses in the street behind were all flooded out.

"It is a worry, we have three rivers running into Monmouth... and the winters are changing," he said.

People could help prepare for floods by moving "the good stuff upstairs" and making sure they had sandbags to hand ahead of bad weather, he said.

"It's not back to normal yet but we're getting there," added Imogen Elliot, 82.

"Waitrose was four feet in water and it went right up the street - we've had flooding before but not like that."

Jane Roche, who runs a café and fishmongers on the banks of the River Teifi in Cardigan, Ceredigion, has helped coordinate a community flood plan for the area.

"Flooding is something we've learned to live alongside for many years - we've seen first-hand the disruption it can cause for businesses, residents and visitors," she said.

"Developing a community flood plan has brought local people together, helped us understand what actions we need to taken when warnings are issued and given us confidence to support one another when severe weather is forecast."

More frequent and intense weather extremes are expected as a result of climate change, with Wales facing the prospect of wetter, wilder winters more often.

Meanwhile, this year scientists are monitoring the El Niño event over the Pacific Ocean - which set to be "strongest in living memory".

The powerful natural climate phenomenon pushes up global temperatures and can increase the risks of extreme weather.

While this does not automatically translate into bad weather in the UK it is "part of the picture" that is leading to concerns for the coming months, according to Jeremy Parr of NRW.

"We do invest in flood defences... but you can't stop all of the flooding all of the time," he said.

"So that means that people need to think the unthinkable really - or the unpleasant - and [consider] if it were to flood around where I live, what would I do?"

"Time and time again" the organisation was told by people who had experienced devastating flooding that "they'd never flooded before, and didn't think it would happen to them", he added.

NRW advises people to check their flood risk by postcode online, sign up for flood warnings and access advice about what to do if flooding is forecast in their area.

The organisation's flood warning service is available to 181,158 properties in Wales, but new figures show just 48,844 were currently signed up to receive the alerts via phone or email.

"It is low - 27%," Parr admitted, suggesting that people may be being put off by myths that signing up could affect their insurance premiums.

Cardigan's mayor Olwen Davies has bought a flood door for her own house, and also uses a flood gate for extra protection.

She said: "The river comes up once or twice a year... if there's a high tide, with a strong south-westerly wind that's what creates the most havoc.

"We work together and we know who to call on," she said.

Sarah Davies from the Met Office said long-range forecasts for October, November and December suggested "a greater chance of weather-related disruption".

"Weather patterns can change quickly at this time of year, and long-range forecasts describe broad seasonal trends rather than the timing, location and severity of individual weather events," she added.

"Whatever the season, understanding your flood risk and knowing what action to take if warnings are issued are sensible steps that can help you prepare should severe weather occur."

Additional reporting by Sara Dafydd

Locals 'shocked, angry and scared' by solar farm plan

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjn5v7z5w76go, 7 days ago

People living near the proposed site of a huge new solar farm have told the BBC they are "shocked, angry and very scared" by the plans.

Developer Low Carbon said the 2,400 acre West Oxfordshire Energy Plant (WOEP) would produce 500MW - enough electricity to power 145,000 homes.

Three of the UK's biggest solar farms are now being planned for Oxfordshire, with the government considering the proposal for the 840MW Botley West project, and another 500MW solar farm proposed for Wantage area.

Low Carbon said it was "here to listen" to local concerns, and that there would be a public consultation in the new year.

But Michael Ergatoudis, whose home in Grafton backs onto the proposed site, said residents were "very shocked" to "suddenly find that we'll be living in an ocean of solar panels".

Meanwhile, Kate Eavis said she was feeling "pretty anxious" that the scheme would be built next to her home in Little Faringdon.

"The countryside around here is very much a part of my daily life and I feel that that is going to be taken away and replaced by effectively a sort of industrial landscape," she said.

By 2030 the government wants at least 95% of Britain's electricity to come from "clean" sources, including renewables – such as solar and wind – and nuclear energy.

Last year, solar energy provided more than 6% of Britain's electricity – rising to more than 40% for a small number of half-hour periods in July.

Because the development would generate more than 100MW of power, it will bypass the usual planning route - with a decision instead resting with the energy secretary and Planning Inspectorate.

Jim Johnston, from Langford, said he was not "anti-solar" but was concerned by the scale of the plans.

"What's proposed will completely transform an agricultural and rural environment to an industrial one," he said.

Fellow Langford resident Tom Marshall agreed that he had "no objection to a small solar farm or a field with solar panels in it".

"But when it completely surrounds your village and other villages in the area, then that's a different thing altogether."

The number of landowners contributing to WOEP is currently unknown, but some UK farmers see solar as a profitable alternative to agriculture or raising livestock.

Ed Perrin, Low Carbon's development director, said the firm had "already undertaken a number of surveys" over the past year and was "already getting a good understanding of the nature that exists within the site at present".

"Our design process is about ensuring that nature and landscape impacts are considered right from the outset, it's very much a nature and landscape-led design," he said.

"Our objective at Low Carbon is to make sure that our projects have a better environment than we started with."

Low Carbon said it was looking to submit a planning application for the site by the end of 2027, and hoped to start construction "in the early part of the next decade".

But Langford resident George Leavey said the firm would encounter "a lot of determined people here who are going to really work together as a community and really fight this thing".

He added: "I think everyone here is up for the fight."

Sustainable fashion project secures £850k funding

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cry83nd2gnjqo, 10 days ago

A four-year project aimed at inspiring climate action through sustainable fashion has secured funding of almost £850k.

It will fund high street hubs across the country offering repair workshops, clothing swaps and skill-sharing opportunities as well as research into behaviours around sustainable fashion.

Bath Spa University and Bristol-based community interest company A Single Thread have launched the initiative Restitch the Future after getting funding from the National Lottery's Community Action Fund.

Amelia Twine, founder of A Single Thread CIC, said, "too often sustainable fashion is perceived as expensive, exclusive or unrealistic" but the initiative is about "changing that narrative".

Bath Spa University says fashion is responsible for up to 10% of global carbon emissions, often due to sustainable alternatives being thought of as inaccessible, unaffordable or out of reach for many communities.

Twine, from Bristol, said: "Fashion is one of the most urgent but often overlooked climate challenges we face.

"By creating practical opportunities for people to repair, reuse and rethink clothing, we're making sustainable fashion more accessible and empowering people to take meaningful climate action," she added.

The four-year Restitch the Future project aims to build practical skills in community hubs on the high street.

There have already been temporary hubs set up across the country including in Bristol, Bath, Wellington, Stroud and Cheltenham.

But Twine hopes to roll out a number of permanent hubs over the next four years.

The initiative focuses on the consumer and tries to encourage them to "shop differently and to reduce how much fast fashion they buy", which Twine believes is the "quickest way to shift the whole system".

However, as an organisation, A Single Thread is also looking to "lobby the government to bring in different regulations to restrict brands and how they operate," added Twine.

Bath Spa University will be leading the research programme exploring the barriers that prevent people from engaging with sustainable fashion, including affordability and representation.

Last year, it launched its own sustainable fashion initiative, Future Fashion Works, with the aim of connecting students with local creatives and independent designers.

Tamara Parsons-Baker, head of Future Fashion Works, said they wanted to "better understand what enables lasting behaviour change around fashion consumption."

She added that the project will generate "vital evidence while creating meaningful social and environmental impact across the UK".

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'Foreign imports are hurting our strawberries'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c54g13kdr1w7o, 11 days ago

The owner of a strawberry farm in Worcestershire says the changing climate is extending their growing season, leaving many strawberries unpicked and unsold.

Bal Padda runs the 150-acre Vicarage Nurseries, in Bretforton, and says his business is slowing their operation down due to a drop in demand.

"We're putting it on hold today. We picked yesterday but have no order today. The demand drops down", he said.

"Supermarkets have started importing now, they assume the UK season is over and done with".

But with longer, hotter summers the strawberry season is starting to last longer.

Last year, picking at the nursery ended on 24 November.

This year, Padda said the farm had at least eight weeks of harvesting left, potentially taking production into December.

Padda is now calling on the supermarkets to buy excess produce, help supply other sectors and reduce waste.

"If we work together with retailers, they could pay the farmer, the grower a fair price for the surplus that we've got, and then use that to supply their jam makers or their smoothie companies," he explained.

"That surplus could be used for a secondary thing".

But as things stand this year, many of the ripe strawberries sitting under the 100 polytunnels on the farm may remain unpicked.

The BBC have contacted the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) for comment.

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How can Guernsey prepare for a hotter future?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6wyr94pdlyno, 11 days ago

Guernsey recently had its hottest summer on record, with temperatures peaking at 36.4°C (97.52F) on 25 June.

In August, the Jersey Met Office said this was in line with evidence that climate change was driving hotter summers and increasing the likelihood of drier conditions.

Professionals and businesses have highlighted the actions they believe are needed from Guernsey in response to climate change.

According to the People and Nature Survey, run by the island's Nature Commission in 2025, of the more than 900 respondents 44% said climate change was a significant concern - making it the second largest concern recorded in the survey, after development and land use.

Ilan Kelman, professor of disasters and health at University College London, said: "Small islands need to be particularly concerned about changes to the ocean as well as changes to the air in terms of heat and humidity.

"At the moment, rising sea levels are not particularly that much and are not very rapid - the concern is right now it is definitely accelerating and we expect to see far more over the coming decades."

In 2020, the States of Guernsey set a target of a 57% reduction on 1990 emission levels by 2030 and net zero by 2050.

Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez, President of Policy and Resources, said the States of Guernsey was on track to meet its 2030 goal.

She said: "We have reduced our carbon emissions by more than half since 1990 -which is a sort of internationally recognised baseline level for measuring your emissions reductions against.

"When we look at that pathway to 2050, that is a really challenging thing to do - we can't quite see a pathway all the way there yet, but we think it will come because of how rapidly technology is evolving and innovating."

De Sausmarez credited the interim goal's progress on the island's energy policy, electricity strategy and waste strategy.

"When we approved the electricity strategy, for example, moving to our lower carbon pathway was £200m less expensive than continuing with status quo."

She added it was not just the responsibility of larger nations to respond to climate change.

De Sausmarez said: "The whole world is made up of groups of 64,000 odd people.

"We are autonomous, we can move fast, we can make things happen and we can lead the way."

Jock Pettitt, co-founder of The Farm Shop and The Soil Farm, speaks regularly to farmers locally and overseas who are affected by climate change.

"We're having conversations with our farmer peers in the UK and Europe and we're all facing the same challenges," he said.

"There are knock-on impacts and so for food security I think we're going to see difficulties getting the volume of food we've been used to."

Pettitt said investing in local sustainable farming could improve the island's resilience to climate change.

He said: "When we farm right, we get the environmental benefits from that, we look after the insects and the pollinators and the plants, the water system and the beaches and coastal environments we enjoy.

"The biggest way to motivate a farmer to do this, to do more tomorrow, is to buy the product so I think farmers need their product on the shelf and customers buying it and supporting that."

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Why are there so many mushrooms around this year?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c699zx0d8zkzo, 11 days ago

Have you spotted more mushrooms than usual on woodland walks or in your garden this autumn?

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has predicted mushroom sightings across the UK could reach record levels this autumn, saying drought followed by wetter weather could help some species flourish.

Lancashire forager Colin Unsworth said some species had appeared in "bumper" numbers, although others had been harder to find.

But Unsworth, who leads foraging trips across Lancashire, warned people not to eat wild mushrooms unless they were certain they had identified them correctly, as some poisonous species can closely resemble edible varieties.

Unsworth, who runs Forest Horizons in Adlington, said fly agaric, the distinctive red mushroom with white spots, and blushers had been found in good numbers.

Porcini mushrooms, also known as penny buns or ceps, had been "a bit thin on the ground", he said. He added there was an EU-wide shortage of the edible fungi, which are prized by chefs for their "lovely, robust flavour".

However, he warned that some poisonous species, including the brown roll-rim, can be mistaken for edible mushrooms.

"You get look-alike mushrooms," he said. "They can be really dangerous."

The RHS said prolonged hot weather and drought, followed by a wet autumn, could help some fungi flourish.

Its advice team recorded a 43% rise in inquiries about garden fungi following the 2025 drought, compared with the previous year.

Some species benefit from extra dead plant material left by drought, while others respond to stress in trees by producing more mushrooms.

Jassy Drakulic, RHS senior plant pathologist, said gardeners could notice a "remarkable variety of mushrooms and toadstools" appearing in lawns, borders and around trees this autumn.

She said fungi were mostly a sign of a healthy ecosystem, helping to break down organic matter and support plant health.

'They're so beautiful'

For Unsworth, autumn is the highlight of the foraging calendar.

He said understanding mushrooms helped "join the dots" between different parts of the landscape and explain why species were found in particular habitats.

A typical forage at this time of year could produce 20 or 30 edible types of mushroom, he said.

"In the autumn time, mushrooms take centre stage and they're so beautiful and they're so varied," he said.

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US airman dies as daredevil descent goes wrong before Texas college football game

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crd6dn63j2xwo, today

A member of the US Air Force died after he fell while abseiling from the ceiling of a Texas stadium ahead of a college football game.

Footage shows the serviceman plummet feet first to the turf midfield at San Antonio's 170ft (52 metre) high Alamodome on Saturday during a ceremony ahead of the game between the University of Texas at San Antonio and the Naval Academy.

The airman, identified by the military as Sgt Ian Patterson, a Tactical Air Control Party instructor at Joint Base San Antonio, died in hospital.

The incident is being investigated. The game between the UTSA Roadrunners and the Navy Midshipmen continued as planned following the tragic incident.

A collegiate athletic association said the decision to press ahead with the fixture was made before the airman's death had been confirmed.

"We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, teammates and members of the 57th Wing," the American Conference said in a statement.

US Air Force Brig Gen Scott Mills said in a statement issued by Nellis Air Force Base: "This tragedy is felt deeply across the 57th Wing.

"Tech Sgt Patterson and his service mattered immensely to our wing."

Patterson, from Fort Stewart, Georgia, had served in the US military for 15 years, according to Nellis Air Force Base.

He held multiple military decorations and was in 2022 named the Air Force Special Warfare Enlisted Instructor of the Year at the Headquarters Air Force level.

UTSA president Taylor Eighmy said: "I want to extend my deepest and most heartfelt sympathies to the service member's family, his fellow airmen, squadron and all those whose lives have been touched by this heartbreaking tragedy."

Fast-moving California wildfire burns homes as people are ordered to leave

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6vgjnk8nw2wo, yesterday

Evacuation orders in California are in effect due to a rapidly growing wildfire that has already burned six homes south of Los Angeles.

The Norte Fire erupted on Friday in Orange County and quickly grew to 465 acres by the evening. By Saturday morning, it spread to 570 acres (2.3 sq km), with 5% containment.

One firefighter suffered heat exhaustion while battling the blaze.

Officials say the fierce Santa Ana winds will blow until Saturday, bringing further risk of more conflagrations.

The US National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a red flag warning for several California counties due to strong, gusty winds combined with low humidity and dry vegetation that create critical wildfire spread conditions.

The Norte Fire is one of 10 burning across the state, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

In an update on Friday evening, Division 3 Fire Chief Mark Backoff said that six homes had either been damaged or destroyed by the Norte Fire, and one firefighter had been injured from heat exhaustion.

"We continue to engage in the firefight, and have additional resources coming," he said.

Footage posted online showed blazes tearing through homes in the communities of San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano.

The Bryson Fire, burning in the affluent coastal city of Malibu in Los Angeles county, has also sparked evacuation orders throughout the Santa Monica mountains and has grown to 147 acres, with 52% of the blaze contained.

More than 400 firefighters have been fighting the blaze.

Further south, the Henderson Fire in San Diego county erupted on Thursday, and has grown to over 3,100 acres (12.5 sq km), including around Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, with about 35% contained as of Saturday morning.

The size of the blaze has twice forced officials to close the I-5 highway, an important route that runs the length of the US West Coast.

The fires are being fanned by the Santa Ana winds, which normally begin during cooler months from late September to May.

Officials say the winds peaked on Friday, but will remain dangerous into early Saturday morning.

Winds topped 40mph (64km/h) in the Los Angeles area, the NWS said, adding that motorists should watch for debris blown into roadways.

Temperatures were far above average for this time of year in southern California, further driving up the fire danger.

The NWS has issued a heat advisory, saying that the danger of heat-related illness remained high.

Forecasts expect temperatures to reach 95F (35C) in southern California on Saturday.

Teacher fought US school attacker before armed dad shot suspect 'multiple times'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cv98zw1k8kp3o, 2 days ago

Some readers may find this article distressing.

A female teacher in the US state of Oregon tackled a teenage shooter who entered her classroom and tried to wrestle the gun from his grasp, police have said.

The teacher, who has not been named, threw her mobile phone before trying to disarm the 16-year-old on the floor of a classroom at Silver Rail Elementary in the city of Bend.

The attacker killed three children and a teacher after shooting his way into the building on Thursday.

He was shot dead by a father with two daughters at the school, who was driving past as the attack started to unfold and, armed with a pistol, ran in to confront the suspect.

Police said the attacker used to be a student at the school. His motive remains unclear.

He had been armed with about 44 more rounds of shotgun ammunition when he was stopped, police said. He fired as many as 15 rounds in the class.

"To the people who showed courage in the face of such violence and intervened to prevent this tragedy from being any worse, we owe you a debt of gratitude," Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said.

Police used a news conference on Friday to identify two of the four victims of the school shooting. They were five-year-old Rhoam Summer and 25-year-old teacher Meghan Lambert.

Lambert's family said in a statement shared by the police that her goal was to be a teacher in the district in which she grew up and that she was "compassionate and had a huge heart".

"She always fought for the underdog and those with special needs," they said.

Bryan Jolly, Summer's grandfather, said the family was devastated by his death.

"The whole thing is senseless, and a shock," he told the New York Times, saying his grandson was "was very bright and very mischievous and very fun-loving, and totally without fear".

The families of the two other students who were killed, an eight-year-old and 11-year-old, did not wish to have them publicly identified yet, police said.

Two others were injured in the attack. Another teacher, a 54-year-old, was still being treated at hospital, and a seven-year-old student, who was in serious but stable condition.

Krantz said the heroic actions of both the teacher and the father who ran inside the school had saved lives.

He said the teacher who wrestled with the gunman had not been hurt but "almost certainly helped prevent more bloodshed".

Krantz identified the suspect as 16-year-old Griffin J John II, who had been a special educational needs student at the school.

A search warrant has been executed at his home and a search is ongoing, the police chief said.

Police believe the suspect travelled to the elementary school on foot, but they are still investigating his exact movements and how he acquired the gun.

Officials did not confirm the name of the father who intervened and fatally shot the suspect.

But Kaylub Giamanco's family has identified him to US media as the person who sprang into action.

The 36-year-old carpenter had just finished lunch and was on his way home when he passed the school, his brother told NBC News. He saw the suspect open fire on a vehicle outside the school and then shoot through a window to gain entry.

Police said he had a legally concealed .40 calibre in his vehicle, while his brother said he grabbed the pistol "and decided to go in after" the suspect. Police say he fired at the suspect "multiple times", killing him.

Giamanco's mother, Kenda Freeman, who lives in Sacramento, California, told a local CBS station that her son had called her moments after the shooting and that he was "traumatised".

"He said 'a man went into my daughter's school'," Freeman recalled, pausing as she started to tear up. "And, um, shot kids. And he said, 'and I looked at him point blank, and I shot and killed him, mum'."

She added: "I told him he saved a lot of lives, and he said, 'mum, I couldn't save them all'."

US President Donald Trump praised the bystander on Friday, calling him a "great hero" and telling reporters that the situation could have become "much worse".

"It's a terrible thing, but thank goodness for a man that had a gun and knew how to use it," he said.

Without naming the bystander, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek acknowledged the man's heroic actions as having stopped further loss of life, but noted they "carry a heavy emotional burden and I just want you to know that my thoughts are with you as well".

Additional reporting by Kayla Epstein

Trump waives several Russia sanctions as row with Zelensky intensifies

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cxr5yvzv7rp0o, yesterday

Donald Trump has blocked numerous sanctions on Russia two days before they were due to take effect, as a row with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky deepens.

The sanctions were passed by the US Congress and signed into law by the US president in September.

But Trump issued an executive order on Friday night saying that suspending some was in the US national interest, prompting a backlash from US lawmakers. Zelensky said it was unfortunate the US has decided to "completely disregard" the sanctions.

Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev said Trump's order was "an important and truly historic moment", and that the sanctions would have inflicted "serious damage" on the US and global market.

Since then, Ukraine's president declared it was nice to be among "real leaders" while addressing an EU summit, after Trump said Zelensky was "more difficult to deal with" than Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The sanctions suspension seemed to add further fuel to the fire.

Zelensky said on Saturday morning that the sanctions "could have helped enormously" and that the law was "supposed to impose truly effective pressure on Russia to bring this war to an end".

He pointed to Russian overnight attacks on 15 Ukrainian energy facilities that had caused power cuts in several regions and said: "Russia is trying to cause a blackout in Ukraine – right before winter."

Zelensky said it was "important that everyone in America also sees what is really happening" on the ground.

The new US sanctions law took aim at Russia's economy by giving Trump broad powers to levy tariffs of up to 100% on imports from the top five purchasers of Russian oil and gas – most significantly China and India.

It also included sanctions against senior Russian figures, including Putin, as well as Russian financial institutions and Moscow's so-called "shadow fleet" of vessels used to circumvent existing embargoes.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the suspension would consist of a 60-day pause to allow for the Trump administration to analyse the impact they might have on the US and global economy.

The suspension drew criticism from US politicians from both main parties.

Democrats including the Virginia Congressman Don Beyer criticised the move, accusing Trump of capitulating to Moscow and turning his back on Kyiv and Zelensky.

A handful of Republicans also came out against the move.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz, a Trump ally, called waiving the sanctions a mistake, telling Fox News that there were other ways to address fuel prices, while the state's other Senatory John Cornyn called the move "reckless".

North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis called it "beyond irresponsible", arguing that Trump could bring energy prices down by ending the Iran war instead of "doing a solid" for Putin.

Nebraska Representative Don Bacon indicated that US lawmakers will now resist funding Trump's agenda.

Zelensky has long stressed the need for stringent sanctions to limit funding that Russia can use in its war effort.

He told reporters on Saturday that he believed the Trump administration would lift more sanctions against Russia.

Zelensky and Ukraine's European allies initially criticised Trump for his plans to import Russian diesel in the hope of bringing down US energy prices, which have skyrocketed during the Iran war.

Trump has spent months grappling with the political consequences of rising fuel costs ahead of the US midterm elections, with inflation souring his standing with the American public.

Zelensky suggested the deal was tantamount to the US investing in Russia's war effort.

A few days later, Trump claimed that both Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an "energy ceasefire" to facilitate the export of Russian diesel. Both nations have been intensively striking one another's energy infrastructure.

Zelensky expressed surprise at the announcement, and said Kyiv would stop the strikes if Russia did the same. After three days of fresh attacks from Russia, Kyiv resumed its strikes on Russian oil refineries.

Trump condemned the Ukrainian strikes as a disgrace, but Zelensky said he was "only standing up for Ukraine's interests".

Concerns that Trump is siding with Russia have been heightened by disruption to a US-provided satellite system used by Ukraine.

Last week, Starlink suddenly and unexpectedly restricted the speed at which drones could fly while still maintaining internet connection. This disrupted some battlefield missions, Ukraine said, and hampered Kyiv's ability to protect itself from incoming Russian attacks.

Zelensky told reporters on Saturday that Ukraine had been told by US officials the speed restrictions were linked to technical issues.

However, he said Ukraine had tested Starlink on EU territory and found "these problems do not exist" and the system was operating at higher speeds.

Trump has denied deliberately slowing down the network and denied another accusation by Zelensky that US had withdrawn intelligence-sharing.

Ukrainian authorities said that at least nine people have been killed and around 60 injured in Russian strikes across the country since Friday. That included an ambulance driver killed and 20 others injured in a Russian strike on the city of Kherson, they said.

Additional reporting by Helen Sullivan and Sareen Habeshian

Katie Zacharia leaving White House role less than five days into job

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c32l4ekpvzl8o, 2 days ago

Katie Zacharia will be leaving her post as White House press secretary, just five days after her shaky public debut.

US President Donald Trump told reporters moments before news of her exit was announced that he had told her "you don't have to do this if you don't want to" and "honestly, if I were you, I'd reconsider".

Zacharia faced heavy criticism for her first press briefing on Tuesday, which lasted less than 15 minutes and included only three questions from reporters.

The 42-year-old spent the days following playing defence, fielding tough questions from news outlets about her credentials and preparedness for the job.

Trump hinted at her impending exit early on Friday afternoon, during an impromptu news conference in front of the Marine One helicopter.

"I said, 'Is this for you, Katie? Because honestly, you don't need this'," Trump said.

"You don't have to be treated this badly," he continued, adding that he believed she had been treated "pretty nastily" by the media.

Hours later, she praised Trump as "kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and the most hardworking man" on X, writing that it had been an honour to work for him.

As the November midterm elections, which will decide who controls the US Congress, draw closer, Democrats are seizing on Zacharia's abrupt departure as a sign of failure in the Republican White House.

"The White House Press Secretary is gone. Maga extremists continue to fall apart," the top Democrat in the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, posted on X.

Zacharia appeared visibly nervous during her inaugural White House press briefing, in which she read talking points from a notebook, answered only a few questions and referred to her husband as the president.

During the briefing, a reporter asked Zacharia - who had been called an attorney by Trump and others and who graduated from Pepperdine University's law school - about where she passed the bar exam. To practise law in the US, an attorney must be admitted to a state's bar association by passing a rigorous exam.

"When I was in China," she replied.

After intense scrutiny and digging by the media, Zacharia admitted on Thursday that she did not pass the bar exam.

She did say in a statement that she had practised international transaction law in China with the "appropriate credentials".

Questions about her legal credentials became a major talking point throughout the week, with Sean Hannity, from conservative-leaning Fox News, lobbing particularly pointed questions at her during an interview on Thursday.

When she said she had not passed the bar, he replied: "Why didn't you just say, 'I never practiced law?'"

Zacharia also described how quickly she had taken on the press secretary role - having been hired less than a week before her debut - prompting him to ask: "Am I hearing that you think the staff should have better prepped you?"

When she appeared on Fox & Friends, which Trump often watches, on Friday, Zacharia faced a similar line of questioning.

She told the show's hosts that she did not disclose to Trump that she was not an attorney because "those questions weren't asked", saying she was hired for a communications role, not a legal one.

Host Lawrence Jones then asked her: "Do you think you still have the confidence of the president?"

She avoided offering a direct answer but ended by saying: "I hope to be able to build the confidence and trust of everyone around me."

Zacharia's early exit is the quickest among Trump's White House press team.

Anthony Scaramucci left his post as White House communications director after only 10 days during Trump's first term.

"Records are made to be broken," Scaramucci wrote on X on Friday. "But I take no pleasure in other people's pain."

Prior to her appointment as press secretary, Zacharia was a frequent fixture on right-wing US networks such as Fox and Newsmax.

She had a brief stint as a spokeswoman at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and worked as a communications adviser for Trump's social media platform Truth Social, according to her LinkedIn.

In her early career, Zacharia worked as an intern for the Republican National Committee and the White House Office of Political Affairs during the Bush administration in 2006.

A wave of homemade, synthetic drugs sweeps US and deepens crisis

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmx2wvyv5j17o, yesterday

Warning: This story contains descriptions of drug-taking from the start and discusses suicide

The few grains of fentanyl sit in the silver foil as a straw, held between Mike's lips, hovers above, with a cigarette lighter below. The 48-year-old army veteran is crouched low in an alleyway in Columbus, Ohio's Linden neighbourhood.

"This drug will damn near make you do anything, unfortunately," he says.

The hit he's smoking cost three or four dollars.

"You can snort too much and you can't take it back. Kind of like a gunshot. Can't call the bullet back," he says.

He burns the foil and inhales. As the opioid takes hold, he grips the fence behind him. He sways as a low moan comes from deep in his throat - he could be humming a tune.

We've spent a few days with Mike - he's been our guide through the neighbourhood's back streets. Everyone seems to know him and he's regarded fondly. He helps out at a local pawn shop and gas station, and that's how he feeds his 20-year-old opioid addiction.

Synthetic opioids are more powerful and in plentiful supply, and they have transformed the drugs landscape.

Fentanyl, which is entirely man-made, is 50 to 100 times more powerful than heroin, which is cultivated from poppies. It is now often cut with synthetic tranquillisers, which make reviving overdose victims more difficult. These are homemade threats, where cocktails of synthetics can be made in American basements and bathtubs.

We have Naloxone (brand name Narcan) in our pockets, in case anyone on our team comes into contact with fentanyl or anyone around us overdoses. It's a nasal spray that immediately reverses opioid overdoses and its widespread adoption has transformed the number of fatal overdoses in the United States.

At its peak in 2022, 110,000 Americans were dying from overdoses, mostly from opioids. The number has been dropping since, down to around 70,000 last year. But that doesn't mean the opioid crisis is over.

It's likely that the reversal drug in my pocket, which has saved tens of thousands of drug users' lives, would not have worked on Mike. Because he wasn't just smoking fentanyl.

The pupils in his milky blue eyes shrink to pin pricks. "Opioids make your pupils go smaller, but not that small," he says in a singsong voice. Even the fentanyl, dangerous enough on its own, has other synthetics added.

When we ask what he thinks his drugs have been cut with, he replies: "Xylazine, and the one we can't pronounce."

Medetomidine is what he means. Like xyalzine, it is also referred to as tranq and both are synthetic animal tranquilisers. "Large animal tranquilisers," as one recovery expert told me.

They help prolong the high from the fentanyl but are a sedative that slows breathing and, importantly, naloxone doesn't work against them. Xylazine also causes necrotic skin ulcers, wounds so deep they can make it down to the bone and are difficult to treat.

Recovery group offering hope

At the Glenwood Church on the other side of town, members of the Hope Dealer Community, a recovery group, gather for a weekly meeting. For many, their struggles are written in their care-worn faces, and their eyes are those of survivors of a great trauma.

They take to the stage at the front of the church and share their stories with a brutal and courageous honesty.

One man tells the story of his overdose in July 2022. Two paramedics worked on him, trying to save his life. He had naloxone drips in both arms. They hit him with the opioid reversal three times to no avail. "That's it, I'm gonna call it," said one of the medics. But the other insisted on one more try, and it was that which saved his life.

As the crowd shouts encouragement, Tonya takes to the lectern. She recounts how her nephew died of an overdose while she was overdosing at the same time from crack cocaine, a stimulant spiked with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid.

"It's not luck. I'm supposed to be here," she says with tears in her eyes. The audience yells its agreement.

Both in Columbus, and later in Chicago, we would hear of crack cocaine users who had died of overdoses after their drugs contained fentanyl. On the street, it's called a "hot dose".

"In the last 12 months in Franklin County [Columbus], 78% of fatal overdoses are from stimulants," explains Scott Sanders, 65, who runs Hope Dealers.

Scott is almost 10 years sober, a powerfully built man in his early 60s with an electric energy. When he asks the room to raise their hands if anyone has overdosed, most of the gathering does so.

"The crisis has just shifted," Scott tells me afterwards. "The tragedy is stimulant users who are purchasing crack think that's what they're getting, and they're not. They're getting crack mixed with fentanyl or other opioid cocktails and overdosing without being aware of it."

Overdose deaths among black men in Ohio are actually increasing, he adds.

His organisation works with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on a drug sampling programme. Participants bring their needles or pipes for swabbing and the samples are sent to the CDC's laboratory in North Carolina.

That's how we learned that Mike's instincts were right, he likely wasn't just smoking fentanyl. One of the drug kits he brought in tested positive for medetomidine.

"The drug supply in 2026 is this: we think we are buying crack but we're not, we're buying a number of different things," says Scott. "Today it is mixed, not just cut, but mixed with other drugs such as fentanyl or meth, and then other adulterants chemicals that are made in basements."

And it was basement-made synthetic drugs that would cause a dramatic increase in overdose deaths one state over, in Illinois.

I meet a dealer in Chicago who works for the Mexican cartels selling fentanyl. He would only speak to us if we agreed to mask his identity.

Challenged on his role in the 50,000 people dying each year because of the opioid crisis, he says he knows it is wrong. But when asked why he keeps doing it, he said the end justifies the means.

He told me that despite the latest efforts by the US government to target the cartels by declaring them terrorist groups and labelling fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction, his supply chain is as strong as ever.

When I ask him if the targeting of boats containing suspected traffickers by the Trump administration has made any difference, he replies that his product is still getting through from Mexico.

"If it doesn't go over the wall, it goes under the wall. If it doesn't go through the border, it comes through the top border. This game is about adaptability."

And when I asked what has changed in his business, his answer was clear.

"Synthetics. We haven't seen... what synthetics can do yet. It's not even the tip of the iceberg," he tells me.

A novel approach

Chicago's largest jail, one of the largest jails in America, is Cook County. Traditional drugs were usually brought into the jail in body cavities, so the jail had the same body scanners you find at airports to prevent that happening.

"In 2023, all of a sudden we saw a spike in overdose deaths, but then hand in hand with that we saw, around persons that had either passed away or people we revived, paper all over the place," explains Sheriff Tom Dart, who runs the jail. "We were seeing paper that was being burned and all of this was completely novel."

The facility, which averages one or two overdose deaths a year, lost eight inmates that year to fatal seizures.

Security footage shows prisoners spasming and collapsing. It also showed them lighting paper in microwaves in the cell block kitchens.

It was indeed, as Dart said, a novel approach. Drugs were being mailed into the jail soaked in the pages of books and in letters.

"Cannabinoids and being soaked in a range of other things that were then subsequently lit on fire and inhaled to get high", the sheriff explained.

Cannabinoids, sometimes know as K2, are an entirely synthetic version of a cannabis plant extract. They are extremely dangerous and were to blame for the fatal seizures.

In August, I joined Dart's corrections officers as they prepared for an early morning raid on the jail's high security D block. Around two dozen officers tread lightly and speak in hushed tones as they gather outside the block door. "Don't let them hear you. Silence, silence," commands one of the officers leading the search.

As the officers rush in, I smell burning paper in the air and can hear the sound of toilets flushing, presumably as contraband is hurriedly disposed of.

As the search gets under way, the focus is on any paper in the cells - the books and letters belonging to inmates.

The detainees are escorted to a holding area as the cells are turned over. Every scrap of paper in the rooms is checked by the officers. There are burn marks on the vents in many of the cells, where inmates place smoulder tapers that allow them to ignite the drug-soaked paper.

Now every piece of post that enters the jail is scanned for moisture. Somewhere between a quarter and a fifth of all packages and letters test positive and are rejected.

Outside the jail's walls, it's not hard to encounter the effects of the synthetic drugs wave on Chicago's streets. In the west of the city, day and night, men and women are bent double, swaying, as Mike did, as fentanyl and other synthetics surge through them.

In the upscale Oak Park neighbourhood, the local metro station has a vending machine that dispenses naloxone for free. Nearby, a gaunt-looking man in a wheelchair has deep wounds in his legs, likely from xylazine use. He's being tended to by 40-year-old Karen Bell.

Karen is a recovery worker with the group Liv4Lali. A former heroin user, she's 17 years free from hard drugs.

She exudes kindness, and when I ask her about the drugs being used now, she says, "so many things are being mixed in right now. And it's affecting our bodies, whether it's the wounds, whether it's the withdrawals - and sometimes wounds can extend to the point where it's life changing."

Her organisation, like Hope Dealers in Columbus, distributes test strips which check drugs for fentanyl, medetomidine, xylazine and other adulterants.

The drugs now, says Karen, are "way more dangerous".

"Because before, back in my day, I stopped using heroin 17 years ago, right. That was still heroin. When you bought that you knew it was heroin. But now, when you buy a bag, you don't know really what it is," she tells me.

Dart has been sheriff of Cook County for 20 years, so I ask him how the war on drugs was progressing. "I don't think there's anybody involved with it who would sit there and say it's a raging success. It's not," he tells me.

And the new problem, he says, reiterating the Chicago drug dealer, is synthetics.

"The tradition has always been that law enforcement had an even more vital role because everything that was potent was coming across the border, whether it was coming from Colombia, Mexico, China, the poppy fields of Afghanistan. Now, with the explosion of synthetic drugs, people can do this in their house, in their sink, in their bathtub, you name it."

Victory in the war on drugs won't come from focusing just on the supply side, the sheriff adds. "Front and centre there's got to be huge substance abuse treatment," he says, mentioning a number of recovery programmes running in his jail.

"You can reduce the market if you can address people's issues with substance abuse. And I know many people who, after long struggles, have come out on the other side in a really good way."

'A lot of people are struggling'

Karen knows how difficult it is to quit. She was still using heroin when she got pregnant with her daughter, Abby, now 17. After our meeting at the metro station, I meet them both in a country park in a suburb outside Chicago. With typical care, Karen tells me to watch out for the poison ivy as we walk along a muddy track.

It wasn't far from here, around 17 years ago, that she was at her lowest ebb.

As the wind blows through a tall oak tree beside us, she says: "The day I found out I was pregnant, I was on my way to commit suicide. I was so fed up with trying to quit. I was so fed up with living in a tent in the woods, using a bucket. I was so fed up with losing my friends and family because I was just so ashamed."

A pregnancy test changed her mind. She then spent time in Cook County jail for theft. Her parents, sensing an opportunity for her to get clean, refused to pay her bail money. So Karen got clean and Abby was born inside the jail.

When I ask Abby, who wants to become a tattoo artist, whether she's ever been tempted to experiment with drugs, she says: "Nah, I've seen it mess with my family too much, with my dad, my mum, killing my aunt, my uncles. You know, it's not worth it to get high for like a couple of hours."

She continues: "There's a lot of people are struggling, especially that our country is raising our prices, raising the prices on food and it's causing it. A lot of mental health now is very expensive so people can't get help, and one way they can turn to that is by drugs."

Generations of Americans have endured the drugs crisis, but it is never the same crisis. It has shifted from heroin, to prescription opioids to fentanyl and now to a whole new range of synthetics.

Successive administrations have fought - and lost - the war against drugs. The dealers, the suppliers, the cartels and users all adapt, always a few steps ahead of efforts to stop them.

Additional reporting by Darren Conway

If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, you could speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support. Details of help available in many countries can be found at Befrienders Worldwide.

A list of UK organisations that can help is available here.

Three takeaways from Elon Musk's latest political donations

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckx2dgq8jljjo, yesterday

Billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk is once again pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into a US election - this time with the aim of helping Republicans maintain their control of Congress.

Musk donated upwards of $200m (£150m) in the quarter that ended on 30 September, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings reviewed by the BBC.

The fillings were released just over two weeks before the 2026 midterm election, in which many races are close and Republicans risk losing their majorities in both the House of Representatives and Senate.

Musk also put significant money - $290m - and effort into helping elect US President Donald Trump and other Republicans in 2024.

Here is where the richest person in the world has been donating this time around and what it might mean for his businesses.

Most of the donations went to one group

The bulk of the money donated last quarter by the world's only trillionaire, $158m, went to the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF) Pac, the filings showed.

It is one of the largest publicly known single political donations in US history and some have suggested it is the biggest ever.

SLF is a super Pac - which stands for Political Action Committee - backing Republican Senate candidates in tough races. Super Pacs are independent committees that can raise unlimited amounts of money and play a major role in funding US political campaigns.

It quickly sent the money on to a group supporting Texas Republican Ken Paxton.

The state attorney general is at risk of losing to Democrat James Talarico in a race for a seat his party has held for decades. They have been polling neck and neck and the election's outcome is considered a bellwether for the future of Republican power.

Musk also donated more than $80m to the America Pac that he founded during the 2024 election.

Texas is a key focus for Musk

America Pac spent millions on digital communications, postal campaigning and phone calls opposing Talarico last quarter, as well as thousands on political marketing to support Paxton.

At the same time, Musk donated another $10m to Lone Star Liberty Pac, a group primarily backing Paxton, records show.

The flow of money highlights a major theme for Musk: Texas.

In recent years, the tech CEO has been moving his business empire - including SpaceX, Tesla and X - to the southern US state after expressing frustration with operating in California.

Texas has offered Musk fewer government regulations and no state personal income tax and no corporate income tax.

Keeping politicians who favour looser government restrictions in charge, as Republicans typically have, could help maintain that environment for Musk.

And his big spending in Texas and in the Texas Senate race seems to point to Musk's understanding of that, political analyst Cayce Myers told the BBC.

"Republicans have a fundraising advantage this time, but fundraising by itself does not actually guarantee success," he said.

A broader trend for tech executives

For many voters this year, technology has become a top issue. People across the country are pushing for increased government oversight of artificial intelligence, data centres and social media.

That's something that has tech leaders like Musk developing closer ties to the Republican party, which historically has promoted lighter government regulation, Myers said.

"What [tech leaders] are looking at is a future where there is growing demand and call for regulation and I think they want to be in an advantageous position," he said. "We're seeing them shift, and fall behind Republicans."

Other tech leaders, such as OpenAI president and his wife Greg and Anna Brockman are also putting big money behind Republicans.

The couple donated $25m to the Trump-aligned Maga Inc Pac last year.

Myer noted it's not just the tech sector but industries like cryptocurrency and gambling where large sums of money are being donated in an attempt to exert influence.

"This is the idea of shaping the regulatory environment through contributions," he said.

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

What we learned from heated US midterm Senate debates

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqly03y3zg7lo, 3 days ago

Candidates running for the US Senate in next month's midterm elections have taken to the debate stage over the past few weeks - with some heated exchanges and stinging personal attacks.

As the 3 November election approaches and parties fight for control of Congress, some clear themes have emerged, particularly within some of the hotly-contested Senate races.

Here's what you need to know.

1. Not all Republicans are standing behind Trump

Republicans running for office are facing the same question they have been asked in elections since 2016: how aligned are they with President Donald Trump?

Conservatives who have bucked the president in the past have generally not fared well with voters.

The president has seen low approval ratings in recent months, with polls suggesting voters are largely concerned with the cost of living and high fuel prices.

While some Republican candidates have remained in lockstep with Trump, a Reuters analysis indicated that two-thirds of candidates in competitive US House and Senate races have broken with the president in some way this election cycle.

Susan Collins, a Maine Republican running for her sixth term in the Senate who has repeatedly broken with Trump, is again putting clear distance between herself and the president.

"I voted with President Biden 91% of the time," Collins said during a debate last week.

"The fact is, this year alone, this Congress alone, I voted against President Trump 137 times," she said.

Collins is fighting a tighter Senate race than she expected against Democrat Troy Jackson, the former president of the Maine Senate. A New York Times/Siena University poll from mid-September suggests Collins could be ahead in that race by 3%, while others indicate Jackson is in the lead.

Elsewhere, some Republican candidates are choosing to separate themselves from the Trump administration's specific policy decisions, while expressing loyalty to Trump himself.

In Iowa, traditionally a Republican stronghold, Congresswoman Ashley Hinson is facing a tougher-than-expected challenge in her Senate race.

She is taking on Democrat Josh Turek, and some polls suggest he has a narrow lead.

Hinson has not gone as far as Maine's Collins in separating herself from Trump, but she has broken with the president on some policy points.

During a 13 October debate with Turek, Hinson was asked about the Trump administration striking a deal with Russia to import 300,000 tonnes to the US, followed by several other shipments.

The Republican candidate did not mince her words: "We need to lower gas prices in this country, we need to lower diesel prices, but I don't think we need to be making a deal with Russia to do it."

2. Personal attacks are a common theme

As they have debated in recent weeks, the candidates haven't held back on deploying pointed personal attacks against their opponents.

The race for the vacant Michigan Senate seat - between rivals Abdul El-Sayed, a Democrat, and Mike Rogers, a Republican - has seen its fair share.

Rogers, a Trump-backed former congressman, questioned during a debate whether anyone in his Muslim opponent's family might be on a "watchlist".

El-Sayed, who would be the first Muslim member of the US Senate, pushed back strongly.

He called the Republican "a sock puppet for the Trump administration" and said he was "weak, cowardly [and] won't stand up until his poll numbers drop".

On Thursday, a protester interrupted the Maine debate and Collins suggested the disrupter was associated with her opponent.

Jackson hit back at Collins: "Oh shut up, I don't even know that kid."

Further south in Georgia, more personal attacks were exchanged between incumbent Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff and congressman Mike Collins, a Trump-backed Republican.

What started as an exchange where Ossoff accused Collins of taking money out of Georgians' hands to give to data centre developers, quickly turned into a hurling of insults that included Ossoff calling Collins a "bigot" who has "hired half the Third Reich".

Incendiary posts on social media from Collins' son-in-law, David Alan Scheer II, have become a point of contention in the race.

In one post, Scheer blamed "Israel and Zionist Jews" for policies he said were intended to "undermine the white, Christian nature of America".

Collins defended himself by accusing Ossoff of "spewing" "craziness".

"I've condemned racism, antisemitism, hate; I don't care where the source is," the Republican said.

3. Some candidates are skipping debates entirely

There are 35 Senate seats up for grabs this November, but in 21 there are no debates scheduled among the main candidates, an ABC News analysis found.

One race's lack of debates has surprised many observers: the Texas contest between James Talarico, a Democratic state representative, and Ken Paxton, a Republican and former state attorney general.

Polls in the typically Republican state suggest that Talarico could be in reach of a surprise win. Should he succeed, he could help give Democrats control of the US Senate by flipping one of the four seats they need to create a majority.

Talarico has accepted four debate invitations from different news networks. Paxton has not accepted any of those invitations.

In July, Paxton's campaign spokesperson told media outlets he would debate Talarico. But since then, the campaign and Paxton have said little on the matter.

Trump, who backed Paxton in the Republican primaries, has urged the candidates to debate.

"One thing about not showing up is you lose the opportunity to make the case for yourself, and instead, what you do is you give your opponent the ability and the opportunity to make your case as negative as possible," Peter Trumbore, a political science professor at Oakland University, told the BBC's US partner CBS News last month.

Major fire at Canada military base leaves four dead, dozens injured

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cxj0ly1m3q81o, today

Four members of the Canadian military have died and dozens were injured in a major fire at a base in the province of Alberta.

Addressing the nation on Sunday from Ottawa, Prime Minister Mark Carney described it as "one of the worst tragedies for the forces on Canadian soil in peacetime".

The fire broke out at about 16:00 local time (22:00 GMT) on Saturday at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, one of the country's busiest military training bases, and is now contained. Its cause is still unclear, but officials said it did not appear tied to "terrorist activity".

"The nation is in mourning for those brave members of our armed forces who we have lost," said Carney.

The BBC has confirmed that Sgt Morgan Wong, Pte Shaun Farrell, Pte Aidan Goulding and Pte Hayden Lykkemark have died.

Of the 39 injured people being cared for in hospital, at least 19 are in a critical condition, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said at a press briefing on Sunday evening.

Fire and rescue teams are remaining at the scene to contain any potential flare-ups, Wainwright Mayor Bruce Pugh told the BBC.

Members of the infantry had been conducting "high-intensity combat training with live munitions" at a grenade range and attack range, where 10 soldiers practise attacking a simulated enemy, Maj-Gen Wade Rutland told reporters at the briefing.

"There was a multitude of ordnance moving through the Wainwright training area," he said, including a grenade launcher, grenades, small arms and ammunition.

A grass fire ignited about 1km (0.6 miles) away, with the cause currently under investigation, and moved toward the attack range.

"What I would say is there was multiple training activities happening throughout the training area at the time," he said. "Uncommonly strong winds caused the fire to spread rapidly and shift direction towards the range administrative area."

Cannon fire had been heard coming from the base on Saturday before it suddenly stopped, Mayor Pugh told the BBC, noting it's not uncommon to hear cannons being fired there.

News then came through that local emergency services had been deployed to an "all hands on deck" situation.

Carney said military and emergency crews fought the flames throughout the night in "some of the worst conditions imaginable".

The people who were hurt were on the attack range and included reservists and soldiers from the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, officials said.

In a statement early on Sunday, the Canadian Armed Forces said that "while the incident remains under investigation, at this time, there are no indications that it was the result of any terrorist activity".

Rutland told the briefing: "We do not believe this [incident] to be a result of any oil and gas infrastructure nor any outside interference".

Wainwright, about 210km (130 miles) east of Edmonton, Alberta's capital, is one of the main bases used by the Canadian military for live-fire training exercises, and it houses troops from Canada and allied countries. About 690 military personnel and 300 civilian workers are on site on a typical day.

Warren Thirsk, an emergency department doctor at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, told broadcaster CBC that the number of patients involved in the incident had "completely overwhelmed" healthcare facilities in Wainwright.

The Royal Alexandra Hospital is in Edmonton, where patients are being transferred. The hospital at first declared a code orange - a disaster-response protocol for a high-casualty incident. That has since been stood down.

The provincial health agency said in a statement on Sunday that it deployed 30 units directly into Wainwright, including 22 ground ambulances, six fixed-wing and two rotary wing units.

"It is anticipated that care for patients impacted by this incident will be intensive and will add to existing high demand on acute care in Alberta," it said, adding that patients were being treated at facilities across the province.

STARS, the regional air ambulance service, said aircraft and crews from Edmonton, Saskatoon, and Calgary had been deployed.

Brandon Simmons, who lives in long-term care at the Wainwright Health Centre, told Reuters that when code orange was announced, nurses dropped everything and immediately started grabbing stretchers, gurneys and medical equipment before running to the front entrance.

Ambulances kept coming "throughout the night", he said.

"I heard people screaming inside of those vehicles that will never end up being out of my mind," he recalled, saying it was "like a scene from a war movie".

Additional reporting by Lisa Lambert

UK threatens to ban Eritreans over migrant return policy

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c30rl1q1j200o, 4 days ago

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has threatened to ban all Eritreans from entering the UK if the east African country's government does not accept more returns of small boat migrants and foreign national offenders.

From Thursday, Eritrean diplomats will face restrictions on their movement outside London. Fast-track visas will also be stopped for VIPs.

Ministers have previously pressured other countries into accepting returns by threatening visa bans.

Eritrea branded the move a "perfunctory political gimmick", saying the UK had not issued a single visa to an Eritrean official since 2023, which the Home Office denies.

The country's embassy in London also accused the UK of refusing to engage in "meaningful and appropriate dialogue".

It said the UK had failed to disclose the return of criminals still serving prison terms and that the UK had claimed returns were voluntary "when clearly, they were not".

However, a Home office spokesperson said the Eritrean government's commentary "misrepresents the UK's position".

The UK had granted an exemption from immigration control for an Eritrean official in August 2026, according to the Home Office. Sources also said the UK hoped to restore co-operation between the two countries.

Human Rights Watch has accused Eritrea's government of widespread repression - including forced labour, conscription and restrictions on freedom of expression.

Eritreans were the most common nationality among small boats migrants in the 12 months to June - accounting for 18% of arrivals, according to figures from the House of Commons Library.

Mahmood said: "Eritrea has had every chance to accept the return of criminals and those with no right to be in the UK. Unlike other countries, it has refused."

She said she would not hesitate "to impose further measures on other countries refusing to co-operate".

The UK government accused the Eritrean authorities of "abruptly" withdrawing co-operation earlier this year.

The restrictions mean diplomats are banned from travelling 60km outside London without permission.

The Home Office said this mirrored restrictions on British officials in Eritrea's capital Asmara.

In the 12 months to June only seven people from Eritrea were returned there from the UK, according to Home Office figures. A further 244 Eritreans were returned to other countries.

Over the same period, more than 5,800 Eritreans arrived in the UK via small boats. A further 1,300 were given visas, mostly to join people already settled in the UK.

Dr Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, said targeting Eritrea would have little impact.

"Eritrea is one of the major countries of origin for asylum seekers coming to the UK - we had roughly 7,000 asylum applications in the last year of data, roughly 8% of the total," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"Most Eritreans who come and claim asylum are not removable at all - the government would never be in negotiations to remove them because 84% are successful at initial decision; more will be successful on appeal."

She added that about 1,400 people were initially refused asylum, but that this number would reduce after appeals.

Many young Eritreans try to leave the country - which is a one-party state - to avoid military conscription, which can last for decades.

Eritrea has never held an election since independence from Ethiopia in 1993 and there is no independent media. Critics of President Isaias Afwerki have been arrested and jailed for many years, often without trial.

Only four religions are permitted in the country – Orthodox Christianity, Sunni Islam, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Evangelical-Lutheran church of Eritrea – and followers of other religions have been locked up for years on end.

Last November, the Home Office said it was prepared to suspend visas from countries that "fail to co-operate with the return of their citizens".

Earlier this year, the UK threatened visa restrictions against Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Restrictions were announced against the DRC last year, but the Home Office said these have been lifted after co-operation on returns improved.

Angola and Namibia both agreed changes before restrictions were introduced.

But Sumption pointed out that the government may avoid targeting certain countries to avoid damaging trade relationships.

"If you're looking at overall numbers of people who are refused asylum and not returned to their country of origin, it would be places like Pakistan, also Bangladesh that are right at the top of the list," she said.

"But the collateral damage of a ban on visas for those countries when you have so many international students coming, for example, [and] a lot of people coming on work visas would be much greater than a country like Eritrea."

According to Home Office data, more than 20,400 people have arrived in the UK by small boats so far since the beginning of this year, down 40% from the same period last year.

There were more than 40,600 returns and deportations from the UK from July 2025 to June this year - an 8% increase on the same period last year.

Of those who had been returned, fewer than 6,000 have been convicted of a criminal offence.

Popular Nigerian gospel singer Toluwanisings dies aged 41

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwn73zk1zgvvo, 4 days ago

One of Nigeria's most popular gospel singers, Olayemi Bayonile Bolaji, known as Toluwanisings, has died, his family has announced.

In a statement posted on the deceased's Instagram page, the family said the singer had "said goodbye to the world" in the early hours of Wednesday, 14 October. He was 41.

They also appealed to fans to remember his wife, children and family in prayer during this period of mourning.

The family said burial arrangements would be announced in due course.

Toluwanisings was known for his beautiful voice and energetic praise performances that encouraged audience participation, according to some of the tributes paid by his fans on social media.

Some of his popular songs include Unreserved Praise, A Very Big God, Onibuore, E Lagbara and Owo Re Meji Meji.

There was panic among thousands of his fans on social media after news first emerged of his death on Wednesday before it was later confirmed by the family.

Toluwanisings' death comes months after he was involved in a road accident alongside members of his band.

Tributes have continued to pour in from colleagues and fans following the announcement of his death.

Among those who reacted are prominent lawyer Pelumi Olajengbesi and comedian Woli Agba, who had earlier called for prayers for the singer.

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

Patients in chains rescued from suspected illegal rehab centre in South Africa

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmwyvxj49gpwo, 3 days ago

A pastor and his wife have been arrested in South Africa after 200 people, some in chains, were found held at a suspected illegal rehabilitation centre in the north-eastern part of the country.

The facility, operated from a church in Mpumalanga province, was discovered during an operation by officials in the area on Thursday.

Authorities said they uncovered "gross inhumane conditions" when they raided the facility, with some patients found with "sores all over their bodies" and "others chained to each other".

Police have since charged the couple, who were running the facility, with kidnapping but could add more charges. They have not yet commented.

Illegal rehabilitation centres have mushroomed in South Africa in recent years as drug use spirals in the country.

Last year, the department of social development said it had uncovered over 100 unlawful facilities operating across the country, mostly in Gauteng province, home to the country's largest city, Johannesburg.

A girl of 16 and a boy of 11 were found being kept in the same room as adults in the Mpumalanga centre.

The couple running it told officials they were housing 60 people, but upon inspection, more than three times that number were found, including more than 30 women.

The group, mostly believed to be drug addicts, were found in crowded rooms and without access to functioning bathrooms or running water.

"Some [of them had] been at the alleged illegal centre for a while," the department said.

Gift Skhosana, one of those held at the facility, told local broadcaster Newzroom Afrika it was "common practice" for patients to be chained.

"They chain us as punishment [and] when you gain entry," he said.

Despite this, Skhosana, who was a drug user, said the facility helped him get clean and overcome his addiction.

Another person, who was not named, said his experience with the facility left him needing help mentally.

The couple charged a monthly fee of 3,000 rand ($182; £137) to house the patients, of which almost a half would go to the church.

Fourteen of those found at the centre have since been taken to hospital for further medical treatment, police said.

Officials said 132 have been reunited with their families.

The couple is expected to appear in a local court on Monday.

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

Mourners killed by Kenya police at ex-PM's national farewell not part of violence, BBC finds

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c962y4ld1d7do, 8 days ago

Three mourners killed when Kenyan police opened fire at a national farewell for former Prime Minister Raila Odinga were not involved in a clash that sparked gunfire, a BBC Africa Eye investigation has found.

During an event held last October for people to pay their respects to Odinga, three people were shot dead after mourners attempted to gain access to the VIP section of Nairobi's Kasarani Stadium by force.

BBC analysis from inside the stadium shows the victims were each between at least 60m (197 ft) and 160m from the scuffles.

Kenya's Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen told the BBC that the police action had been "restrained" after the crowd starting throwing stones.

In footage analysed by the BBC, it is clear that objects, including plastic chairs, are thrown, but we have no evidence that they included stones.

The BBC went through more than 1,500 images and videos to establish the location of those killed in the stadium on 16 October 2025, and also spoke to some of their relatives.

Forensic analysis by the BBC suggests an elite police unit responsible for protecting the president may have fired the fatal shots.

Kenya's longest serving opposition leader and former prime minister died the previous day while receiving medical treatment in India. He was one of the country's most influential political figures.

A year on, Kenya's police watchdog, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), is still investigating the deaths and police response and no-one has been held to account.

The interior minister defended the police by saying they had been under "so much pressure" after working for many hours non-stop and had been deployed to a new venue at the last minute.

"The investigations are being done by an independent police oversight authority, we believe that their findings will help us take appropriate legal action," Murkomen said.

Responding to questions about the conduct of police he said: "I don't think… somebody [was] sitting there and saying: 'Shoot now'. It is the judgment of the police officer at the spur of the moment."

Yvonne Akinyi, who husband was among those killed told the BBC: "The people who we look at to protect us, these are the people that cause us this pain. These are the people that make us to become young widows in this country, young orphans in this county," she said.

Odinga's death at 80 prompted an outpouring of grief across Kenya. Thousands gathered at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as his body was flown home.

The body had originally been due to lie in state at parliament, but the scale of the crowds and fears of a security breach forced a last-minute change of venue to Kasarani Stadium. Officials say they had little time to secure the 48,000-capacity venue, and thousands spilled on to the pitch and into the stands unchecked.

After several hours of waiting to see the coffin in 30C heat with no public address system for official updates, a small section of the crowd began throwing objects, including plastic chairs, at officers guarding the VIP pavilion. Police fired live rounds as mourners pushed toward the pavilion. Footage from elsewhere in the stadium shows the crowd remained largely peaceful.

In total, three people were killed.

One of them was Evans Kiche, a 40 year-old-chef and father to seven children. BBC analysis shows he was around 60m from the confrontation when he was killed by a gunshot wound to the head.

The two other mourners killed, Vincent Ogutu and Jidah Burka, were at least 160m away, in the opposite stands, far removed from the pavilion.

Autopsy reports confirm that Ogutu died from a gunshot wound to the chest and 42 year-old Burka was fatally shot in the head.

Piecing together a timeline of events, BBC Africa Eye identified at least eight police officers operating together, wearing tactical clothing and military camouflage. These officers carry assault rifles, with no visible insignia and faces covered.

Their uniforms and movements are consistent with a layer of security assigned to President William Ruto and other VIPs before and after the shooting. At least three officers of this unit appear to fire their weapons.

The BBC identified three of them as part of an elite police unit responsible for presidential protection.

The BBC cannot establish which bullets killed each victim, and cannot rule out other officers firing inside the stadium.

Kenya's National Police Service told the BBC: "There are huge lessons picked from the day's events," which had "formed a fundamental learning curve for a better, more professional application in the future." The IPOA did not respond to a request for comment.

Ogutu, a 36-year-old father of three, hadn't planned to go to Kasarani, his wife told the BBC. He was in central Nairobi on the morning of 16 October with friends when they saw the crowds heading to the stadium and decided to join.

Within hours, he was dead.

His widow Yvonne Akinyi described how the killing upended their family, saying their children were now orphans.

As she prepares to mark a year since her husband's death, Akinyi is no closer to understanding why he died while paying his respects at an event organised by the government.

"I will just try to be that strong woman. Very strong. But deep inside there is a hole," she said.

"It is very painful because sometimes you just sit down and ask yourself. At Kasarani there were so many people, so many of them. Why him."

More from BBC Africa Eye:

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

Questions remain over Ebola patient who travelled across three nations undetected

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqp8gknl1njjo, 10 days ago

A Kenyan businessman was able to spend time in one of the regions worst-affected by Ebola, then travel to two more countries before his illness was identified.

The 40-year-old - who was only diagnosed with the deadly infectious disease after arriving seriously ill at a Nairobi hospital - became Kenya's first confirmed case. He died two days later on 5 October.

That his infection went undetected at multiple health facilities in the Democratic Republic of Congo and two airport health screenings in Uganda and Kenya has raised serious questions about these nations' biosecurity during a significant outbreak.

More than 4,000 people have died from Ebola in DR Congo this year, in what is the second most deadly known outbreak to date.

Africa CDC, the continent's leading public health agency, has now reconstructed the Kenyan patient's movements across nearly six weeks, revealing several missed opportunities to detect his infection and potentially preventing dozens of people from coming into contact with the deadly virus.

DR Congo

The account, presented by the agency's emergency director, Dr Wessam Mankoula, provides the clearest picture yet of how the businessman travelled thousands of kilometres while growing increasingly unwell.

The man, whose identity has not been made public, had lived in DR Congo for seven years and had travelled across three of its provinces on business.

Exactly when or where he contracted Ebola remains unclear - but it was present in all three provinces he went through by early October, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The man had spent much of late August and early September in the province of Bas-Uélé, visiting towns including Buta, Aketi and Likati.

The WHO confirmed an Ebola case in Buta in August, prior to his visit, though there is no evidence he contracted the virus there.

His symptoms first emerged around 15 September. He was given antibiotics and sent home.

Two days later, he was admitted to the Tongo Etandi Health Centre in Bondo, where he remained until 19 September.

Despite suffering from fever and a rash, he was diagnosed with a skin infection.

Without an Ebola test being taken at any point during his travels, it is hard to say exactly when he contracted the virus. Those symptoms are consistent with the early stages of the disease, but also other infections common to the region, such as malaria.

On 20 September, he flew to Kisangani, a city with a population of about 1.5 million people on the Congo River, where he spent more than 10 days seeking medical care.

We do not know which hospitals or clinics treated him there, nor what medications they gave him. Kisangani is the capital of Tshopo province which has only recorded 51 Ebola cases.

Uganda

However, on 1 October, more than two weeks after first becoming ill, the businessman boarded another domestic flight to Beni, before continuing his journey to Kasindi, a busy border town.

Both Beni and Kasindi are in North Kivu, which has recorded 1,755 Ebola infections and more than 1,000 deaths, making it one of the Congolese provinces worst-hit by the disease.

But he did not stay there long, crossing into Uganda later that day.

Uganda imposed restrictions on movement across its border with DR Congo shortly after the outbreak began in May.

The country has experience containing several Ebola outbreaks, including through surveillance, contact tracing and the isolation of suspected cases. It has had some cases this year - mostly among people travelling from DR Congo - but was declared free of the disease in August.

But the border between the two nations stretches for hundreds of kilometres through remote terrain, making it difficult to police.

It remains unclear whether the businessman passed through an official health checkpoint when he crossed the border.

Once he had, he travelled by road to the capital, Kampala, and then Entebbe International Airport, where he boarded a flight to Nairobi on 3 October.

Ugandan officials said his temperature was normal when he passed through airport screening. Health experts say his case highlights the limitations of relying on temperature checks and self-declarations.

Mankoula said investigators were examining whether the man's medication could have suppressed his temperature. He may have also not had a fever when he passed through the checks.

Kenya

Similarly, he was not flagged as a suspected Ebola patient when he reached Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, where a relative collected him and drove him directly to Nairobi Hospital, a private medical facility in the Kenyan capital.

By then, he was suffering from fever, chills, muscle pain, a sore throat and bleeding.

Laboratory tests confirmed that he had contracted the Bundibugyo species of Ebola - the same one responsible for the outbreak in DR Congo.

He was placed in isolation while his condition deteriorated. He died on 5 October and was buried the following day under strict infection-control measures.

The Kenyan government says it has now identified 66 people who may have been in contact with him after he arrived there. The WHO says the number is likely to rise as contact-tracing in Uganda and DR Congo continues.

The quarantine arrangements have also raised concerns among some healthcare workers, amid questions about how the patient was handled at Nairobi Hospital.

Kenya's health ministry says more than 652,000 travellers have been screened and nearly 5,000 healthcare workers trained to deal with Ebola, with five facilities designated to handle cases.

Ebola spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person who has developed symptoms, or through contaminated materials.

Its incubation period ranges from two to 21 days, meaning someone exposed to the virus may not become ill until several weeks later.

CDC advice

Mankoula urged travellers experiencing symptoms of Ebola to report them, saying early medical attention could improve their chances of survival.

"When you reveal any Ebola-related symptoms early, you're not only preventing the virus spreading to other countries but you're also protecting yourself first," he said.

The WHO has warned that stigma surrounding Ebola could discourage people from reporting symptoms or seeking medical care, potentially allowing the virus to spread undetected.

The agency says it is stepping up efforts to encourage this by reducing fear and misinformation about the disease - something that is a big problem in DR Congo, where some health workers have been attacked by people who claim Ebola doesn't exist.

More from the BBC on the Ebola outbreak:

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

Why Zimbabwe tycoon 'Sir Wicknell' was loved and hated in Africa

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3x2wlplnelxo, 12 days ago

Wicknell Chivayo, the Zimbabwean tycoon who died in a helicopter crash along with his wife Lucy Muteke last week, divided opinion in life and continues to do so in death.

He called himself "Sir Wicknell", a nod to the embellishment that epitomised his lifestyle - and a nickname some used for the 45-year-old who packed enough controversy into his short life to last several lifetimes.

He was relentlessly self-documenting, building much of his public persona on social media, where he posed with piles of cash and announced the cars and money he gave to people whom he considered deserving.

Chivayo delighted in displaying his access to heads of state across Africa and showing off his possessions, conducting video tours of his fleet of expensive cars, mainly Rolls-Royces, with vanity plates, watches and a vast collection of designer shoes.

His admirers saw a fabulously wealthy man sharing his good fortune. His detractors recoiled at the ostentatious displays, questioned the origins of his money and his political connections, and saw his lifestyle as a stark illustration of inequality.

But Chivayo remained tone-deaf to such criticism. As his fortunes rose, he became ever more unapologetic about flaunting his wealth in a country where nearly half the population lives below the international poverty line, according to the World Bank.

"He gave to those few on an island of wealth in a sea of poverty," Pedzisai Ruhanya, director of the Zimbabwe Democracy Institute think-tank, told the BBC, explaining how his donations were mainly to influential people.

He dismissed Chivayo's generosity as grandstanding for the ruling Zanu-PF party - an attempt to ensure the support of key politicians and even church leaders.

Nonetheless, there has been an outpouring of grief, especially from recipients of his largesse, and tributes from politicians, religious leaders and business figures.

Among the mourners gathered at the Chivayos' opulent home in the capital, Harare, ahead of their burial on Thursday, was Cleopas Mukungunugwa, a young and prominent Zanu-PF social media influencer and recipient of two luxury cars from Sir Wicknell.

Standing outside the mansion, where a massive poster of the couple is displayed, he told local media that he was devastated by his patron's death, explaining how "Sir Wicknell" often dictated what he should write in his posts.

"He was criticised by many on social media and our goal was to bolster his reputation as a philanthropist," he said.

Chivayo dropped out of high school aged 15 because his family could no longer afford the fees after his father died when he was 10.

His first job was as a wages clerk for a bus company. From there, he moved into his first independent hustle - selling mobile phones and dealing in foreign currency, often on the black market at the height of the country's hyperinflation crisis.

In 2005, he was sentenced to five years in prison for money laundering involving 837,000 South African rand (then worth $137,500, £72,000). He served three years at Chikurubi Maximum Prison after two years were suspended.

Details of his career following his release are murky, but he went into the energy business, becoming what one state-run newspaper described as a "tenderpreneur" -making money by getting government contracts.

He headed the firm Intratrek Zimbabwe, which partnered with Chinese electrical giant CHiNT Electric. This was at a time when legislation required all companies in the country to cede economic control to black Zimbabweans, under a policy known as indigenisation.

In 2014, Intratrek was selected to build a 100MW solar power station in the southern town of Gwanda. A contract worth more than $170m was signed the following year. It became one of the biggest controversies of Chivayo's business career.

Zimbabwe Power Company, the state-owned utility that awarded the contract, sought to terminate it when Intratrek failed to deliver, but the courts ultimately ruled that the agreement remained valid.

A parliamentary inquiry later described Intratrek as a "briefcase company" being used as a front to attract investment.

Chivayo acknowledged that Intratrek lacked expertise in solar construction, describing it as the local partner while CHiNT provided the technical muscle.

Intratrek received an advance of more than $5m for the Gwanda solar plant, but it remains unbuilt to this day.

Just weeks before Chivayo's death, Intratrek received a government notice to proceed with the project and was given 24 months to complete it.

As the accusations flew, the businessman just smiled and sweet-talked his way through the maelstrom - even winning over President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was initially unimpressed by him when he first came to power.

In 2018, Mnangagwa cited Gwanda as a lesson in the dangers of doing business with "fly-by-night briefcase businessmen", adding ominously that "Chikurubi is not full". The state-run Herald newspaper reported that the warning was directed at Chivayo.

Yet within a few years, that relationship transformed into a bromance. In one of several photographs capturing the remarkable informality between them, Chivayo lounges, almost lying, on a sofa beside Mnangagwa, apparently entirely at ease in the president's company.

His access was not confined to Zanu-PF - he also posted photographs with opposition figures, including the late Morgan Tsvangirai and Nelson Chamisa.

But he became a conspicuous presence around Mnangagwa, speaking glowingly of the president and making no secret of his support for Zanu-PF.

He faced allegations over the procurement of materials for the 2023 elections, in which Mnangagwa was voted in for a second term.

Investigations alleged that South African supplier Ren-Form grossly inflated prices and subsequently paid hundreds of millions of rand to a company linked to him. Chivayo denied wrongdoing, and Zimbabwe's anti-corruption commission later said it had found no evidence linking him to procurement fraud. Ren-Form denied any wrongdoing.

In April, he offered the country's 360 legislators $10,000 each, prompting accusations that he wanted to influence an impending vote on a controversial constitutional amendment to extend what would have been Mnangagwa's final five-year term by two years to 2030.

He was forced to withdraw the offer following a backlash and denied it was intended to influence the vote.

When the legislation was signed into law several months later, Zanu-PF posted a video clip of him with the caption: "Billionaire Sir Wicknell Chivayo celebrates… singing '2030 Ndeya Emmerson Baba!' while cruising at 51,000 feet aboard his Gulfstream G550".

Access to power became part of Chivayo's social-media persona. In June, Eswatini's King Mswati III granted him citizenship of the southern African kingdom and a diplomatic passport - photographs and videos showed him kneeling before the monarch.

He had an impressive camera roll, with snaps of him posing with other African presidents such as Nigeria's Bola Tinubu, Tanzania's Samia Suluhu Hassan, Malawi's Peter Mutharika, Mozambique's Daniel Chapo, Zambia's Hakainde Hichilema and he was part of the delegation that met South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa when he visited Mnangagwa's farm earlier this year.

Some relationships extended beyond formal meetings. In August, Chivayo and his wife attended the engagement of Kenyan President William Ruto's daughter Charlene at the president's family home.

Afterwards, Ruto personally drove the couple to their waiting helicopter. Chivayo filmed the journey from the passenger seat. True to form, he gloated: "Being driven by the president of the republic. God is the greatest."

Ruto wrote on X following the death: "I will remember him for his friendship, his energy, and his deep conviction in the possibilities of our continent."

But in Kenya the Zimbabwean businessman was viewed with great suspicion because of his closeness to Ruto - something expressed loudly on social media since his death.

Many of the comments are not printable but as Kenyan blogger Cyprian Nyakundi put it, listing some of the controversies surrounding Chivayo: "As a Kenyan, I distance myself completely from President Ruto's glowing tribute to Wicknell Chivayo. Those condolences and that 'dear friend' language are his own, not mine, as a Kenyan."

One commentator on X said his death had "united Africans in celebration".

"When a man's passing brings more relief than sorrow, the reaction itself tells a powerful story. It is time for those in power to reflect and reevaluate!"

At home there has also been pushback against those who say speaking ill of the dead is un-African - as the topic of the tycoon's death is the trending topic in Zimbabwe these days.

At a shopping centre in Harare over the weekend, Christabel Moyo voiced what many have been saying.

"What is African - getting rich from inflated state contracts and using that money to support Zanu-PF?" the 42-year-old accountant asked.

"He was busy doling out cars and cash to the rich while the Zimbabwean public health system is collapsing."

The extraordinary gifting spree for which he will be remembered began around 2023. Musicians, sports and business figures, politicians and religious leaders were among the beneficiaries of cars and cash in what some might see as a blatant attempt to buy support for the ruling party.

He started with relatively modest Toyota Aquas, but the gifts soon became dramatically more expensive.

Top musician Jah Prayzah, who is close to Zanu-PF was given three luxury cars, along with about $400,000, over three years.

The musician postponed his wedding - scheduled to take place last weekend - because of the helicopter crash, saying: "Wicknell was more than a friend to us."

Another key recipient was Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi, head of the Zion Christian Church that is fiercely loyal to Zanu-PF. The cleric received millions in cash donations and four luxury cars.

Chivayo regularly attended the Johane Masowe weChishanu African apostolic church, one of the biggest in Zimbabwe, whose followers can often be seen worshipping outdoors wearing white robes.

It also received scores of cars, buses and cash from the businessman as he pushed the influential sect closer to the ruling party, taking along Mnangagwa as guest of honour to a massive church gathering in August.

But not everyone accepted Chivayo's largesse. Eunor Guti, widow of Zimbabwe Assemblies of God Africa founder Archbishop Ezekiel Guti, declined a luxury vehicle and $250,000 in cash.

In 2024, veteran musician and government critic Thomas Mapfumo, who is based in the US, rejected Chivayo's offer of a luxury car and house, saying he could not be "bribed" and later describing his money as "dirty".

However, this year, he did accept $1m to perform at Jah Prayzah's wedding and Chivayo's birthday party in November.

Some long-time admirers of Mapfumo, who arrived in Harare on the eve of the helicopter crash, accused him on social media of compromising his principles, though this was denied by the 81-year-old musician.

Chivayo's generosity was not confined to individuals - he also donated 20 ambulances to Zimbabwe's failing public health system and gave buses and other assistance to schools.

Those close to him say his philanthropy was not always performed for an audience. Prominent lawyer Wilson Manase said following the tycoon's death that when he had fallen seriously ill in Dubai, Chivayo flew over to visit him.

In an interview with state broadcaster ZBC, the lawyer, who was promised a car in Chivayo's last tweet, described him as "pure hearted" and deeply religious.

The tycoon had two young children with his first wife Sonja Madzikanda, from whom he split in 2024 and was still embroiled in a messy court case over the divorce settlement.

He was also keen not to forget his roots. On the day he died, he had visited his rural home in Gandami, south-east of Harare, where he was building a $1m eight-bedroom mansion to be officially opened in November for his birthday.

He boasted it would bring "Borrowdale Brooke to Gandami" - a reference to one of Harare's most exclusive residential estates. He had also pledged $500,000 to improve the local primary and secondary schools and a clinic.

Chivayo's death leaves Zanu-PF without one of its most colourful campaigners.

But he also leaves behind unanswered questions - with many of his countrymen continuing to wonder how exactly he rose from such humble beginnings to becoming a multi-millionaire with the means to dole out such extravagant gifts.

Ish Mafundikwa is a freelance journalist based in Harare

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

Semenyo 'froze' after alleged racist abuse, court told

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvlyd3z1g8d8o, 5 days ago

Footballer Antoine Semenyo "froze" after he was allegedly racially abused by a Liverpool fan during a Premier League match at Anfield, a court has heard.

The Manchester City winger, who was playing for Bournemouth at the time, was preparing to take a throw-in when Mark Mogan, 47, allegedly shouted a racist insult at him on 15 August 2025.

Prosecutors said Semenyo was "clearly hurt and upset" and reported the incident to referee Anthony Taylor when the ball next went out of play.

Mogan, of Dovecot, Liverpool, denies racially aggravated behaviour.

Liverpool Magistrates' Court heard Mogan, who uses a wheelchair, shouted an offensive slur about 30 minutes into the opening match of the Premier League season.

Prosecutor Simon Jones said: "Mr Semenyo briefly froze as he couldn't believe what the male had said."

The court heard Mogan then shouted further abuse at Semenyo, who did not respond and went on to take the throw-in.

Mogan was removed from the stadium at half-time, the court was told.

Two short video clips were shown to the court, with Jones describing Mogan as being in an "agitated and angry state".

He said witnesses saw Mogan throw chewing gum at Semenyo, hitting the right side of his shorts.

In a statement read to the court, Liverpool supporter Neil Sherratt, who sits next to Mogan at matches, said he saw him approach the pitch from the disabled section of the Main Stand.

Sherratt said he heard Mogan shout something along the lines of "hurry up" and saw Semenyo turn towards him.

He said the footballer had a shocked expression and he believed he replied: "you what".

Another Liverpool fan, Nicholas Collins, said Mogan became "very cocky and brazen" after the incident and threatened to assault police if they approached him.

Mogan, who had an intermediary with him in court, told police during an interview the following day that he had shouted at Semenyo to hurry up.

He claimed the footballer had called him "a cripple", which had upset him, and said he had thrown chewing gum on to the floor rather than at Semenyo.

Jones told the court the prosecution's case was that Mogan had lied during his police interview.

Semenyo, who was born in London to Ghanaian parents and has represented Ghana in the World Cup, is expected to give evidence over a videolink.

Mogan, of Templehill Close, Dovecot, denies racially aggravated behaviour.

The trial continues.

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Mauritius reels from worst riots in decades after woman shot by police

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm4g1rnj5qweo, 4 days ago

Police in Mauritius imposed an overnight curfew overnight to quell the worst riots to break out on the Indian Ocean island in decades.

Protests over water shortages and the high cost of living that started a week ago erupted into violence on Friday when a woman was shot and wounded by police at a roadblock.

The circumstances of the shooting are not clear, but the officer has since been arrested and remanded in custody.

Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam ordered the curfew on Tuesday, warning against those "acting against the interests of the country", which is a tourism and financial services hub.

"Those who have carried out these actions will have to face the very heavy consequences warranted by their anti-patriotic acts," he said in an address to the nation.

The government said it was extending the curfew until Friday morning as part of the measures agreed on during a special cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

It detailed looting, possession of explosive substances, arson and damage to police stations, traffic lights and CCTV during the protests, with seven police officers being injured.

In a separate notice, the education ministry said it was cancelling classes on Thursday and Friday in school facilities, extending the suspension which had begun earlier. It said it was monitoring the situation and would issue a statement later regarding their reopening.

At least 94 people have been arrested since the riots began, and the government says they could face prosecution under the prevention of terrorism laws.

Out of the those arrested, 16 are minors.

"In view of the number of minors involved in the riots", the government said it would consider lowering the age at which minors can be detained and prosecuted from 14 to 12.

It said cyber-crime police officers were constantly monitoring social media and would investigate people posting hate speech and inciting violence.

Protesters burned tyres and blocked ‌roads as the unrest escalated over the weekend, with police stations and other public infrastructure properties being vandalised.

The mayhem prompted the closure of schools and public transport, with foreign embassies issuing alerts warning its nationals to be cautious.

Police had reported incidents and arrests despite the initial curfew. According to the latest government statement most of the arrests were made on Tuesday.

When protests over the shortage of water initially started, the government had responded proactively by providing more water to households, according to Zoë McCathie, an analyst at South Africa-based Signal Risk.

The escalation had presented a more "unusual situation for the country's security situation", with the government resorting to closing schools and imposing a curfew, she told the BBC's Newsday programme.

"Protests to this scale and to this extent haven't been seen… since around 1999. So the government's response to this in that case is logical and is necessary," she said.

While the government had managed to "curtail the worst of the unrest" there was still a possibility that protests could return in some areas, with water shortages expected to persist until the rainy season in December, she said.

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Kenya confirms second Ebola case - a relative of the first victim

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cw5yn8rn04ljo, 5 days ago

Kenya has confirmed a second case of Ebola, 10 days after a businessman died of the virus after he had travelled to the East African nation from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The new patient, a 39-year-old man, is a close relative of the first case and was already in quarantine when he fell ill on Tuesday, Kenya's health ministry says.

The incubation period for Ebola ranges from two to 21 days, meaning those exposed to the virus may not become ill for several weeks.

Detecting his illness early had improved his chances of recovery and limited the chance of him passing the virus on to others, the ministry said, as it urged the public to "stay calm but vigilant".

"Both cases are linked, and there is no evidence of spread in the wider community," the ministry said.

"Kenya remains open, with no restrictions on travel, trade or public gatherings", it added.

The 40-year-old Kenyan man who died on 5 October was diagnosed with Ebola shortly after being admitted to hospital in the capital, Nairobi.

A relative had taken him there shortly after picking him up at the airport. He had travelled from DR Congo, through Uganda to Kenya without his illness being detected.

Since his death, officials had determined that he had been in contact with 128 people - and since Tuesday 113 of them had been found, the health ministry said.

Of these, 108 were in quarantine in Kenya and tracing of the remaining 15 continued, it said.

More than 4,000 people have died from Ebola in DR Congo this year, in what is the second most deadly known outbreak to date.

The Ebola virus spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids such as blood or vomit.

"Anyone with fever, unusual tiredness, muscle or joint pains, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding should seek care promptly at the nearest health facility," Kenya's health ministry said.

The current outbreak in DR Congo, which began in May, has been caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, which is relatively rare, with no approved vaccine or treatment - though trials are under way.

Shortly after DR Congo declared an outbreak of Ebola in May, it was also reported in Uganda, where two people died.

However, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that county free of the disease in August.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the continent's leading public health agency, has reconstructed the Kenyan patient's movements for the six weeks leading up to his death.

It revealed that he first started feeling unwell in DR Congo on 15 September - and showed how several opportunities to detect the infection were missed, including during several visits to Congolese medical facilities.

He then managed to travel through Uganda to Kenya - and was again not detected at airports screenings.

Health experts say it highlights the limitations of relying on temperature checks and self-declarations.

More from the BBC on the Ebola outbreak:

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Zimbabwean author denies using AI to write award-winning story

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm4g1rekpgnjo, 6 days ago

Zimbabwean writer Simbarashe Kundizeza has denied using artificial intelligence (AI) to write his short story, which won this year's Caine Prize for African Writing.

His statement comes a week after he scooped the £10,000 ($13,000) award and a recent article in The Atlantic said AI-detection software Pangram had shown his work about a boy whose family falls on hard times was entirely AI generated.

"For the avoidance of doubt, I wrote The Blue Fighter," he posted on X.

The accusation has caused an uproar on social media and Caine Prize chair Ellah Wakatama told the BBC she was shocked that the US magazine had not waited for a full investigation before publishing.

"I do wish The Atlantic had spent more time investigating this so that alongside Pangram, they did have evidence of real human investigation of it before tainting the prize and tainting this winner," Wakatama told the BBC's Front Row programme.

The chair of the Caine Prize's board of trustees said she had been contacted on Friday about the allegation and Vauhini Vara's article - Yet Another Prizewinner Seems to Be AI - had been published on Sunday.

It follows rows over other literary prizes this year, in particular the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, which was won by Trinidadian writer Jamir Nazir despite allegations that he had used AI, and the withdrawal of Canadian-Haitian author Thélyson Orélien from France's top literary award, the Goncourt, over allegations he used AI for his first novel, which he denies.

Vara, who quoted Wakatama in her article, said her wariness of Silicon Valley was "well founded and reasonable" but she said Pangram's internal research showed its assessments were rarely wrong.

The backlash to the article on social media has included comments from African writers with suggestions that such accusations are primarily being made against non-white writers.

Wale Lawal, the Nigerian founder of The Republic magazine, called out The Atlantic article for being "crazy, racist and wildly unethical".

Zimbabwean writer Joe Ruzvidzo, whose novel Welcome to Anywhere came out last year, said he stood by Kundizeza and that it was time "to fight this literary stop-and-frisk".

Nigerian publisher Modupe Daramola said it was necessary to discuss how "these AI allegations are targeting Black and African writers" and how they were often disproportionately scrutinised.

"There's something incredibly sinister about this," the Noisy Streetss Limited publisher posted on X.

"Pangram is itself AI-powered. Why should its assessment be treated as definitive?" she added.

Wakatama said as part of an internal investigation for the Caine Prize Kundizeza would be sending in documentation about his various drafts and there were ongoing conversations with all the judges and The Shallow Tales Review, the publication that first published The Blue Fighter in 2025.

In his statement, Kundizeza said had "a concrete, documented history" about the story's inspiration and he set out the chronology of its development.

Wakatama, who is also editor-at-large at Canongate Books, said Caine Prize submissions, which are all previously published, were not checked for AI, but writers vouched that their work was original.

She added that she was not against using AI per se to check entries, but what she was against was "it being used as a final arbiter in this case".

Wakatama said it was also important to remember Pangram was "not yet tested".

"I am not happy for the work of writers, and in this case especially black writers, to form the testing ground for something that is at best still rough and ready."

Research has found that AI detectors can wrongly flag human writing as AI generated. Vara conceded that any AI-detection product, "including one as good of Pangram" was "not going to be 100% accurate".

In her article, as well as citing Pangram research she also quoted a recent paper by researchers at Free University of Brussels, which said it had found zero cases of Pangram, and two other AI-detection tools, getting it wrong when it came to English-language writing by non-native English speakers.

The study notes that tools like Pangram should be considered "as an initial flag for further investigation".

Vara told BBC's Front Row programme that she had also used her own judgment "to suss out these things" and that every other previous Caine Prize winning story she had put through Pangram "came out as 100% human".

"I also found an earlier 2021 story by the same author. I ran that through Pangram. It also came out as 100% human. And what struck me was that was a really good, interesting story. And tonally, it's so different from this story, as if the same person hadn't written both."

In response Kundizeza wrote: "To suggest that a writer cannot write in different styles or genres, or improve his writing substantially after five or more years fundamentally misunderstands the craft of writing."

For Vara, one of the stylistic issues that stood out about The Blue Fighter was that it had used sentence constructions using "X but Y", which she says is common in AI-generated texts.

"Not with anger, but with the quiet resignation of someone who had known all along this moment would come," is an example she gave from the story that described the character of the mother.

"The proliferation of those struck me," Vara told Front Row, adding that the story also had a lot of metaphors, also prevalent in writing generated by AI.

The day after winning the Caine Prize, Kundizeza told the BBC he was inspired after hearing a poem read by South African Vangile Gantsho at an event in Ghana last year about her father's obsession with building fish tanks.

He said he had weaved that with fictionalised details from his own life around 2002 when Zimbabwe's economic troubles began.

"Much like the father in the story, my own dad... was an accountant, but he quit his job to grow tomatoes. So it kind of touches on both of our fathers," he told BBC Newsday.

On X, Kundizeza said he was heartened by "the numerous messages of solidarity from fellow writers and readers", ending his message by saying: "Most importantly, I will continue to write."

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

Ex-president named leader of new DR Congo rebel coalition

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8y56re7ldqyo, 6 days ago

Former Congolese President Joseph Kabila has been named the leader of a new rebel coalition seeking to oust the government.

The Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN) said it aimed to coordinate "resistance forces" to end "tyranny" in Democratic Republic of Congo and would pursue the goal "by all means, including force".

Its unveiling on Monday is the clearest indication so far of Kabila's direct involvement in an armed movement a year after he was sentenced to death in absentia for treason. He had previously denied having links to the M23 rebel group.

The Congolese government has not commented.

Claude Ibalanky, the coalition's adviser, announced the group's leadership at a press conference at Kabila's residence in Goma, the largest city in eastern DR Congo, which has been under the control of the M23 since last year.

Video released by the group showed Kabila signing documents at the group's declaration along with other leaders.

M23 leader Sultani Makenga will serve as one of Kabila's four deputies in the new movement. The other three also come from the AFC-M23 alliance which last year seized much of mineral-rich eastern DR Congo.

The announcement of the new group comes days after Kabila delivered an address in which he said he would set out how Congolese people should act to "rescue" their country.

On Friday, Kabila accused President Félix Tshisekedi's government of disregarding proposals he had put forward last year, including some aimed at ending the conflict in eastern DR Congo.

Kabila also accused the government of undermining constitutional rule, mismanaging the economy and failing to improve security. He further alleged arbitrary arrests of political opponents and military officers.

The government has not publicly responded to those claims.

Kabila, 55, ruled DR Congo from 2001 until January 2019, when Tshisekedi took office following a disputed election.

The two were once political allies, forming an informal power-sharing arrangement after the transfer of power. They later fell out and Kabila went into self-imposed exile in 2023 before returning to Goma last year.

The former president had remained largely out of public view for several years but has become increasingly critical of his successor's administration.

The formation of the new coalition comes at an uncertain time in a country that has been wracked by violence for decades.

More than 100 militia groups are active in eastern DR Congo amid ethnic tensions and fighting for political power and control of lucrative natural resources.

The UN and Western governments accuse Rwanda of backing the M23 and controlling the rebels.

Rwanda denies supporting the M23 despite overwhelming evidence, and says its military presence in eastern DR Congo is a defensive measure against threats posed by Congolese armed groups.

Kabila has 'higher profile'

Tshisekedi's second term ends in 2028 but in May he said that elections, which are due then, may not be held because of the conflict.

He also hinted that he may seek re-election for a third term "if the people want".

The parliament has since passed a bill that could pave the way for a referendum that could remove the constitution's two-term limit.

Last month, authorities clashed with protesters holding demonstrations in the capital against the proposed changes.

Richard Moncrieff, who monitors Africa's Great Lakes region for the International Crisis Group (ICG) says the new coalition is aimed at trying to enlarge the rebellion.

He argues that through his "higher profile", Kabila hopes to get support from people dissatisfied with Tshisekedi "beyond the very narrow political base that the M23 enjoys".

The analyst says this appears to be Kabila's objective, to draw more senior Congolese army officers to his side and "lessen the reliance of the M23 on its Rwandan backers".

Kabila came to power after the assassination of his father Laurent Kabila, who headed a national rebellion in the 1990s, backed by Rwanda. His forces marched across the country, starting in the east, before taking over in the capital Kinshasa, some 1,500km (1,000 miles) away.

Moncrieff says Kabila is drawing on that past to proclaim the illegitimacy of Tshisekedi's government.

He however says it won't be easy to seize power like his father, partly because the US has imposed sanctions on Kabila, which he says presumes American support for DR Congo's government.

In May the US imposed sweeping sanctions on Kabila, accusing him of backing the M23, providing financial support, encouraging defections from the Congolese army. Kabila said the measures were unjustified and politically motivated.

The US said they were part of a wider effort to support last year's peace deal between DR Congo and Rwanda that it brokered.

The latest events show peace negotiations are "going nowhere and attempting to gain control on the ground is the priority for all parties," the ICG analyst says.

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South Africa's deputy police chief resigns after being charged with sexual offences

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8wy9d940pyko, 7 days ago

South Africa's deputy police chief has resigned three weeks after he was charged with sexual offences.

A lawyer representing Lt Gen Shadrack Sibiya submitted his resignation letter at his disciplinary hearing on Monday, a police spokesperson said.

Sibiya, 59, is also accused of having links to organised crime bosses - allegations which led to him being suspended last year.

He denies those allegations, as well as charges that he sexually groomed a 16-year-old girl and raped an 18-year-old woman. He also faces a charge of human trafficking.

Sibiya says he did have sex with the 18-year-old but that it was consensual.

He has been in custody since he was arrested three weeks ago.

Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said in a post on X that his departure from the police force was regarded as a dishonourable discharge because he was still facing a disciplinary case when he resigned.

The accusations that Sibiya was linked to crime bosses emerged at a major public inquiry over allegations of police corruption and collusion with criminals, known as the Madlanga Commission.

Sibiya was accused of interfering with investigations into political killings in KwaZulu-Natal province.

He was also accused of receiving a gift of cash, as well as 20 impalas, from an alleged criminal kingpin in exchange for a police contract.

He denied the allegation.

The Madlanga Commission has transfixed South Africa over the past year and unearthed widespread allegations of links between police officers and crime bosses.

It was set up by President Cyril Ramaphosa after the KwaZulu-Natal police chief held a press briefing where he accused the then Police Minister Senzo Mchunu of working with criminal gangs.

Mchunu denies the allegations against him but has been suspended.

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Bangladesh says it was not informed of its citizens' execution by Saudi Arabia

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmde83w13p00o, today

Bangladeshi authorities say they were not informed of the recent execution of two Bangladeshi nationals in the holy city of Mecca until after it had taken place, local media reports.

A Bangladeshi man and woman were executed last Wednesday after being convicted of committing an "indecent act" inside a mosque, according to the Saudi interior ministry. The ministry did not specify the nature of the offending act.

Bangladesh says it has reached out to the Saudi Arabian government to ask for more details about the case.

The two Muslim countries share a close relationship due to their religious affinity and strong economic ties.

More than three million Bangladeshis work and live in Saudi Arabia, mostly in low-paying jobs, and news of the double execution has raised public concern in Bangladesh.

According to the Saudi interior ministry, the two Bangladeshi nationals were convicted and sentenced to death under "tazir", which in Islamic law refers to punishments left to the discretion of the judge.

The ministry statement said they were handed the sentences because of the severity of the offence, and the fact that they violated the "sanctity" of the mosque.

Bangladesh has reached out to the Saudi government about the offences involved and legal proceedings in the case, said state minister for foreign affairs Shama Obaed Islam.

The government would consider next steps, such as the repatriation of the bodies, after getting information from Saudi authorities, Islam said.

She added that the government was committed to safeguarding the welfare and interests of Bangladeshis abroad.

The two executed Bangladeshis were included in a list of prisoners that Saudi Arabia had shared with Bangladesh, upon a request from the Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah - but that list did not indicate that the pair had been sentenced to death, the Daily Star reported.

This is not the first time that foreign nationals have been executed by Saudi authorities.

According to Amnesty International, the country has executed around 100 people this year, many of whom are foreigners convicted of drug offences.

In 2011, eight Bangladeshi men were publicly executed in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh after they were found guilty of killing an Egyptian.

Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia overturned a death sentence handed to a Sri Lankan man over a comment he had made on Facebook, which had led to him being convicted of blasphemy. That decision came after the case sparked public outcry in Sri Lanka and spurred diplomatic efforts to seek clemency for the man.

At least 17 dead in crush at Hindu festival event in India

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c820vwq7qg2ko, yesterday

At least 17 people have been killed and many more injured in a crush at an event in the Indian city of Kolkata to mark the Hindu festival of Durga Puja, officials say.

The incident occurred during sudden rainfall, which witnesses say prompted a surge of people to try to seek shelter.

West Bengal's Chief Minister Suvendhu Adhikari said a seven-year-old girl was among the dead, and that 25 people were being treated for injuries.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described it as a "tragic" incident and said the regional government was providing help to affected families.

Six of the dead have been identified, Adhikari said.

A senior police official told the AFP news agency that an announcement caused "commotion" after it started raining and the crowd started "pushing, pulling and rushing forward and fell on the ground, leading to the stampede.".

Deadly crowd incidents, including during religious festivals, are not uncommon in India due to poor management and lack of adequate safety precautions.

Two years ago, 121 people were killed in Uttar Pradesh during a Hindu religious gathering.

Australian Greens senator denies claims of misconduct towards women

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmpdgj8z8v2do, today

An Australian Greens senator has denied allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards women and accused his party of "nasty political games", days after the claims emerged.

Last Thursday, Greens leader David Shoebridge said Senator Jordon Steele-John, 32, had taken leave from the party room after a letter from seven current and former members said he had been accused of "multiple allegations" of misconduct between 2017 and 2025.

In an online post on Sunday, the senator denied the claims and said he was not on leave. On a sexual assault claim, he said police investigating the matter had closed the case and no charges were laid.

An internal party probe has been launched into the allegations.

Steele-John, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, was first elected to the senate in Western Australia in November 2017.

In his letter responding to the claims, Steele-John said his nickname - "Feels on wheels" - initially referred to him being emotional when advocating for disability rights but had since taken on a "more sinister meaning" about his alleged mistreatment of women.

He accused Shoebridge of mishandling the matter and questioned the timing of the letter, saying "it is no coincidence" that the allegations were sent to the leader "the day after we agreed on the timeline for the next preselection" ahead of the next federal election.

Days after the letter with the claims was sent to Shoebridge, local media reported that the party had created a 47-page dossier years earlier that listed a number of allegations against Steele-John and how to manage media coverage if they emerged.

Steele-John said the dossier was made so that the media would not "bombard" the two women at the centre of those claims and that neither woman had made a complaint.

He acknowledged the allegations against him would have "damaged" the public's trust in him and said he was "committed to rebuilding that by acting with as much transparency and accountability as I can".

Shoebridge's office confirmed that the allegations had been referred to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission.

Photos show luxury boat with 50m pool and water slides near Kim Jong Un's summer retreat

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmy4xnyyg1lyo, yesterday

An 80m (263ft) luxury vessel has been repeatedly spotted in satellite images off North Korea's Wonsan coast from July to mid-October this year.

What stands out is the 50m swimming pool along the deck, with a cluster of waterslides at one end.

After sitting idle for months at a maintenance facility, it relocated in early July to waters off a strip of coastline known as the Kalma Peninsula.

This is close to Wonsan, a seaside resort with a sprawling villa used by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his family.

It was not the only large vessel on the move. A handful of others were also repeatedly seen near Kim's villa, in satellite images analysed by the BBC.

The vessels are widely believed to be used by Kim and his family. Former North Korean officials, defectors and experts say it would be difficult for anyone unconnected to the regime's leadership to own or freely use vessels of this size.

"In winter, they would keep them at the shipyard. When summer came, they would bring them out and move them to Kim Jong Un's villa or towards Kalma, and use them for swimming and recreation," says Ri Jong Ho.

Ri was once an official at the Workers' Party's Office 39, which is believed to be involved in raising and managing foreign currency for the leadership.

The wealth of those who sit at the top of the secretive North Korean dictatorship is just as hard to pin down as the country's economic figures.

The United Nations and others rely on estimates to classify North Korea as one of the world's poorest countries, with an especially large military budget that funds a sanctioned nuclear programme.

Most North Koreans, according to a 2025 UN report, live under "systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations" with total state control, widespread forced labour and chronic food shortages that leave an estimated 40% of the population undernourished.

But the regime has long been known to live in luxury.

We don't know the cost of the vessels seen in the satellite imagery, but comparable luxury yachts run from tens of millions to over $100m (£75m). Kim's much smaller, 29-metre Princess yacht was previously estimated to be worth about $7m.

While vessel locations alone cannot definitively establish the family's whereabouts, their movements - which overlap with gaps in Kim's public appearances - point to activities that would otherwise remain out of public view.

Wonsan is where Kim Jong Un spent part of his childhood with his mother, according to biographers and intelligence reports, and one expert told the BBC the city has been associated with the family since his father Kim Jong Il's rule.

A defector who served for 13 years guarding residences used by then leader Kim Jong Il - through the 1990s to the early 2000s - told the BBC the villas around Wonsan were used as a retreat by the elite. He recalls seeing dozens of children and teens waterskiing during summer.

North Korean state media rarely publishes reports about Kim being on holiday, instead framing such visits as official inspections or guidance. But defectors interviewed by the BBC appeared to be aware that the family spent holidays in Wonsan, suggesting that at least some North Koreans knew about it.

North Korean state media also claims Wonsan is home to high-rise hotels, restaurants, shops, sports facilities and water parks, and can accommodate nearly 20,000 visitors.

State media and Russian outlets have published images of small groups of Russian tourists visiting the Wonsan Kalma resort, which opened in July 2025. Although developed to attract foreign visitors, the resort is also open to local tourists.

A South Korean news report, citing an unnamed source, says some locals were offered four-night tour packages for around $100, a substantial sum for most North Koreans. The country's per capita GDP - around $667 in 2024, according to the UN - is a small fraction of South Korea's $36,227.

For the majority of North Koreans, holidays are out of reach. And while a growing middle class does exist, they might not have much time for leisure.

Defectors told the BBC that workers, office employees and cooperative farmers are legally entitled to 14 days of annual leave, but this is rarely followed.

Taking consecutive days off to travel is unusual. People typically take weekend trips or travel during national holidays instead of designated "summer holidays".

Even if leave is granted, travel itself is restricted, with official permission required for people to travel outside their city or county. Moving freely is sometimes as much a luxury as the holiday itself.

The BBC tracked four large vessels around Wonsan, measuring approximately 50m, 55m, 60m and 80m. All four vessels repeatedly appeared around Kim's Wonsan villa this year.

The largest vessel showed the clearest activity, moving from the dock to the waters off the Kalma Peninsula, where it has been since July.

Two of the other vessels - 50m and 55m - were repeatedly seen until the end of August around Tae and Sin islands, close to Wonsan.

Satellite images also showed four smaller boats alongside the 50m vessel.

Satellite imagery expert Jeong Seong-hak said the smaller boats ferried people, fuel and supplies to the larger vessel, adding that small islands like Tae and Sin offered "secluded maritime retreats where privacy can be maintained away from public view".

The 60m vessel was repeatedly seen near Kim's Wonsan villa until as recently as last week.

Though North Korea has never publicly disclosed the vessels' official ownership, BBC's analysis of historical satellite imagery found a large vessel with the same distinctive characteristics in Wonsan in 2002, when Kim Jong Il ruled North Korea.

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman, who visited the North in 2013, told the Sun that he had spent much of his seven-day visit with Kim Jong Un around Wonsan, where they went jet-skiing and horse riding.

He also described a 60m vessel they used as a cross between a ferry and a Disney boat. It is unclear if this is the same 60m boat pictured in the above satellite imagery.

To most North Koreans, the life lived by the Kims and others who support the regime would seem not just extravagant but unimaginable. Especially because state propaganda is dedicated to presenting the "supreme leader" as a selfless man who always puts the nation first.

"Kim Jong Un is supposed to be a 'leader of the people'," Ri Jong Ho says, "yet he has four luxury vessels like these while ordinary people are struggling just to get one meal a day."

Graphics by: Arvin Supriyadi

China tells Israel to stop 'forced establishment' of West Bank settlements

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq1j3wdxy48ro, 3 days ago

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has told Israel to stop its "forced establishment" of settlements in the West Bank and reverse its actions, his office said.

The "Palestinian question" is "the greatest historical injustice of this century", Wang told Israeli President Isaac Herzog in a face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of a conference in Azerbaijan on Thursday.

Beijing has been a long-standing supporter of the Palestinian cause and has maintained that a "two-state solution" is the "correct direction".

It has also been positioning itself as a mediator for conflicts in the Middle East.

In 2023 Beijing brokered a deal to restore diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia after years of hostility. Earlier this year, it was part of efforts, along with Pakistan, to propose a ceasefire in the US-Israel war against Iran.

Beijing's efforts to tackle the war in Gaza have focused on Palestinian unity.

In 2024 Beijing got rival Palestinian factions to agree to form an interim "national reconciliation government" for the occupied West Bank and Gaza after the war with Israel, although it was never implemented.

Now, Wang says the "immediate priority" is to fully open access to Gaza and stop the continued spread of a "humanitarian catastrophe".

China is willing to work with the international community to get the parties to return to dialogue and "seek a political solution to the conflict", he said.

In a post on X, Herzog said he was "pleased" to meet Wang and their talk "focused on the relations between our countries and the situation in the Middle East".

"I emphasised Israel's desire for peace in the region, alongside the strategic threats to our security, first and foremost from Iran and its terror proxies," he wrote.

China maintains close ties with Iran and is the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, which had previously come under US sanctions because of Tehran's nuclear programme.

China itself has been accused of trying to dilute its minority populations by encouraging Han Chinese migration to Tibet, which it annexed in the 1950s, and Xinjiang. Beijing rejects those claims, saying its policies promote economic development and social stability.

One year into the ceasefire, people in Gaza continue to live under the regular threat of Israeli strikes, displacement and food security challenges.

Although large-scale bombardment has stopped, Israel has continued strikes in Gaza almost every day. More than 1,400 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes there in the year since the ceasefire started in October 2025, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the UN.

The US-brokered ceasefire was the first phase of a deal to end the war in Gaza, which had been triggered by a deadly Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023.

But progress into the deal's next phase has been stalled, with both Israel and Hamas accusing each other of violating the terms of their agreement.

'Onion cartel' in Philippines fined $28m for price shock

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmwyvwyp9dgro, 3 days ago

Filipino authorities say they have fined six companies 1.76 billion pesos ($27.9m; £21m) for forming an "onion cartel" that caused the price of the vegetable to skyrocket.

In 2022 the price of onions, a staple of Philippine kitchens, surged to a record 800 pesos per 1kg, surpassing the country's daily minimum wage and overtaking the price of meat.

The crisis put pressure on then newly-elected President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who had promised to bring down surging food prices.

The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) said Wednesday the fine against the companies, comprised of onion importers and storage and shipping firms, was the largest since its formation in 2016.

For months between late 2022 to early 2023, onions disappeared from restaurant menus and became the object of smuggling attempts.

The bulbous vegetable even became something of a status symbol, having been used on at least one occasion as a wedding bouquet.

Authorities approved the emergency import of onions and Marcos vowed to go after those behind the shortage, saying there were "Filipinos dying from starvation and poverty because of what they are doing".

The crisis ended as local bumper harvests entered the market later in 2023 and prices stabilised.

A parliamentary committee tasked to investigate the price crisis said a cartel was behind the "artificial" surge in onion prices.

The PCC said evidence retrieved during raids on the companies showed that the six firms had collectively controlled nearly 50% of all approved import clearances for onions in 2020 and 2021.

The companies were involved in an "illegal market allocation scheme in the importation, cold storage, and whole sale distribution", the commission said.

The hefty fine shows a "commitment to holding cartels accountable across all sectors of the economy and protecting consumers from the harmful effects of anti-competitive conduct", the PCC said.

The commission also said that offenders may also be criminally prosecuted by the Department of Justice.

At least 33 pupils and teacher killed after school roof collapses in Pakistan

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cked326llddgo, 4 days ago

At least 33 pupils and a teacher have been killed after a school roof collapsed in the north-western Pakistani city of Peshawar, according to hospital officials.

More than a dozen others are injured, with some in a critical condition.

Emergency services were called to the private Al-Khair school in Dir Colony at 08:48 (03:48 GMT) on Thursday after lessons had begun, rescue official Bilal Faizi told the BBC.

The roof of an upper-floor classroom had collapsed, he said, causing ceilings below to cave in and trap children beneath the debris.

Announcing the arrest of the school's owner, police chief Mian Saeed promised a thorough inquiry into "whether there were any violations of building codes".

Warning: This article contains distressing details

An English teacher from a nearby school said he immediately rushed to the site with other local residents when they heard sirens and the sound of ambulances.

Together, they pulled more than 20 children from the rubble, he said.

"I personally pulled out six children with my own hands. Most of them were alive and talking. But later it was found that they had passed away."

"There was a lot of blood," he said. "One child said he was in a lot of pain. His tongue had dried up in his mouth, [and he was] asking for water."

Sohail, another local resident, said he and others tried to remove children from under the rubble "using shovels".

The school building had been constructed on a temporary basis, according to emergency official Arif Khattak.

Earlier reports suggested the destroyed classrooms were in a two-storey part of the building, but Peshawar police chief Mian Saeed later confirmed that classrooms on three floors had been brought down.

There were about 30 pupils in the top class, 40 in the middle and 45 on the ground floor, he said.

It appears that when the roof of the top-floor classroom collapsed, the falling rubble crashed through classrooms below, bringing their ceilings down too.

Saeed said the entire structure, which had "substandard" roof slabs, was "overloaded" and beyond the limit of how much weight it could bear.

The school is on a very narrow street, meaning it was difficult for rescue workers to reach the site and transport the injured to hospitals.

Peshawar's Lady Reading Hospital reported the deaths of 32 children and a teacher while Naseerullah Khan Babar Memorial Hospital reported one child dead.

The police chief said the building was still "extremely dangerous" and urged people to move away.

The Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Faisal Karim Kundi, has ordered a safety audit of all schools in the province to "identify potential risks and ensure that immediate corrective measures are taken wherever necessary".

"We cannot allow the safety of our children to be compromised," he said.

Furious family members of deceased pupils accused the school of ignoring safety concerns. "Make an example of them, a lesson for all," Mohammad Zaman, a man who lost two nephews in the disaster, told Reuters news agency.

In June, fourteen children died after the roof of a private tuition centre near Lahore collapsed.

And in August, 14 newborn babies were killed by a fire that ripped through a neonatal unit at a hospital in the capital, Islamabad, which an inquiry found lacked fire alarms and sprinklers.

Actor Imran Khan ordered to leave India after participating in protest

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ck3r5pv5j1g1o, 4 days ago

Authorities in India have ordered actor Imran Khan, nephew of Bollywood star Aamir Khan, to leave the country by 28 October after he participated in a protest, seeking electoral reforms.

An American citizen, Khan holds an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card, which allows people of Indian origin to visit and stay in the country. But an OCI cannot vote or contest elections.

"Imran Khan participated in the agitation at Mumbai's August Kranti Maidan, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar," police said in a statement on Thursday.

Khan's lawyer has said the actor will challenge the order in the Bombay High Court.

Police said the Foreigners' Regional Registration Office (FRRO) had served Khan a notice for violating laws by protesting.

But the actor's lawyer said that no provision of the law or any rule for OCI cardholders prohibit him from participating in a protest.

The Press Trust of India reports that the actor's petition against the Mumbai police notice termed it as "drastic".

Khan is known for the 2008 hit romantic comedy Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na.

He first appeared as a child actor in popular films such as Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak in 1988 and Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar in 1992.

Since his debut as a lead actor in 2008, he has starred in a number of films like I Hate Luv Storys, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan and Delhi Belly.

The notice to leave the country comes as Khan returns to acting this year with the Netflix film Adhure Hum Adhure Tum after a hiatus of over a decade.

On 10 October, the actor participated in the protest called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) - a wider GenZ-led movement that has been holding demonstrations for days seeking electoral reforms and the resignation of India's top election official over allegations of vote fraud. India's poll panel denies these charges.

"Imran Khan had participated in the agitation despite not being an Indian citizen," police said in their statement.

The complaint against Khan was lodged by Kirit Somaiya, a leader of India's and the state's governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who accused the actor of being "involved in a conspiracy to spread anarchy in India".

Khan did not address Somaiya's allegation directly, but had spoken to reporters about his participation in the protest.

"I don't have demands. I'm here as a citizen, as a person who lives in this city. I'm here to see why freedom of movement is being restricted, why people's voices are being suppressed," he'd said.

He added that he was not at the protest as the representative of any organisation.

Following the protest, Khan was briefly detained by the police along with other protesters.

He posted a photo of himself inside the police detention van on Instagram with the caption, "Apparently I'm going for a drive." The post received more than two million likes on the social media platform.

Over the weekend, thousands of protesters had marched in Delhi, Mumbai and other parts of India, demanding the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar ahead of crucial state elections in response to the CJP's call.

On Monday, leaders of many of India's main opposition parties, including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, led thousands of protesters in a march from Connaught Place to the Supreme Court in Delhi.

On Wednesday, two top CJP leaders were sent to jail for five days after being arrested for allegedly trespassing at a protest site in Delhi.

The CJP has called for another protest on Friday evening in the capital.

A thousand slogans echoed here - but it could be the end for iconic Delhi protest site

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6kgqjvdv4n2o, 3 days ago

What is the point of a protest?

To raise your voice against injustice? To draw attention to a cause? Or to make those in power uncomfortable enough to listen?

For more than three decades, Indians have tried to do all three in a narrow, tree-lined road near Jantar Mantar, an 18th Century astronomical obervatory in Delhi.

But that may now be coming to an end.

This week, Delhi Police said Jantar Mantar, located close to parliament, would no longer be a designated protest site.

The decision comes months after the Gen Z-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) - not a political party but a collective which began as a joke - led a massive protest there demanding the resignation of federal education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Tens of thousands turned up and Pradhan subsequently resigned.

Police barricaded Jantar Mantar soon afterwards, preventing further demonstrations. Last week, an attempt by CJP supporters to march there, this time demanding the resignation of India's election chief, ended in a police crackdown.

Protesters have now been directed to three other sites. Two are far from parliament, while the third, the sprawling Ramlila Ground, is often booked months in advance. Unlike Jantar Mantar, which is free, all three charge tens of thousands of rupees a day.

Delhi Police says it acted after the Supreme Court suggested identifying alternative sites with adequate infrastructure. But critics say the move could push protests beyond the reach of ordinary Indians, further from the seat of power and into venues many cannot afford.

Over the years, Jantar Mantar has witnessed everything from mass movements that shook governments to small, lonely demonstrations by people desperate to be heard. Farmers, students, grieving parents and ex-soldiers have gathered under its trees, holding placards and shouting slogans. Not every protest made headlines, but for many, it was a place to turn to when other doors had closed.

This week, when the BBC visited, those scenes seemed a distant memory.

Yellow barricades blocked both ends of the road, with hundreds of paramilitary personnel standing guard, batons in hand.

In a nearby lane, uniformed men sat in shops drinking tea or scrolling through their phones. At one of the few shops without policemen, the shopkeeper folded his hands and said he did not want to answer any questions.

Built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in the 1720s, Jantar Mantar was once better known as a tourist attraction than a place where a thousand revolutions were imagined.

Its story as a protest site began in 1993, when the then-Congress government stopped allowing demonstrations at the Boat Club lawns opposite the old parliament.

Historian Harleen Kaur has traced how, from the 1960s onwards, successive governments brought in new rules that shifted the site of protest in Delhi further away from parliament.

"Jantar Mantar, situated 3km (1.86 miles) from the Parliament House, [allowed the government] to contain protesting crowds at some distance from the Parliament House and PM's residence," she wrote in a 2023 paper.

Yet, the road saw countless spirited protests over the years.

Rachna Dhingra, an activist with the Bhopal Group for Information and Action, an advocacy group for survivors of a 1984 gas leak disaster, camped at Jantar Mantar with hundreds of others for around five months in 2008, trying to get the government to agree to demands including setting up a commission to allocate resources for rehabilitation schemes.

Through a scorching summer, they held press conferences, met politicians and even chained themselves to railings opposite then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's residence to draw attention to their cause.

It was also where she formed solidarities with others - Tibetans protesting against China, activists opposing the displacement of people over large dam projects and even just lone protesters who caught a train from their home towns with nothing but a placard and a grievance.

"It can be lonely to protest but that place became a home for so many of us. We shared each other's stories, struggles and victories," says Dhingra.

Dipa Sinha, an academic associated with the Right to Food campaign, has seen ground-breaking laws - a landmark rural jobs guarantee scheme, the National Food Safety Act and Forest Rights Act - take shape at Jantar Mantar.

"It was a place where you could discuss issues with people who came to Delhi from across the country," she says.

Protesters would demonstrate outside government offices, including the erstwhile Planning Commission and the agriculture ministry, where they were often detained by police, before returning to Jantar Mantar to "gather, discuss and strategise".

But sustaining a protest for months was not easy.

Dhingra says they sheltered under tarpaulin sheets when it rained, used public toilets near the site and went to nearby gurdwaras to freshen up.

In 2017, the National Green Tribunal cited the lack of infrastructure, along with complaints from locals, to have Jantar Mantar shut down for protests.

A year later, the Supreme Court overturned this, citing the rights to free speech and peaceful assembly guaranteed under the constitution.

When asked whether the proximity to parliament made a difference to their cause, Dhingra quoted the reactions of her co-protesters who had come to Delhi for the first time.

"That's the president's house? Does the prime minister live there? How can they not listen to us when we are at their gates?" she remembered them saying.

Sinha points out that Jantar Mantar was also near institutions like the Press Club and Constitution Club, making it easier to get media coverage, and for politicians to drop by and meet protesters.

It was a simpler time - sometimes they would ask for permission from police only on the morning of the protest.

Those rules have become much stricter now.

In recent years, when Dhingra tried to protest at Jantar Mantar, she was told no-one could stay the night.

"Where do you go with hundreds of people who have travelled all the way to the capital to protest?" she asks.

While Jantar Mantar has its supporters, others share memories of an even more vibrant protest culture.

Mary E John, a gender studies scholar who lived in Delhi both as a student and as an academic, says that before 1993, she attended protests at the Boat Club on issues ranging from workers' rights and women's issues to topics of international significance.

"We lived in a climate where protest was part of life. In fact, we took it for granted," she says.

When the spacious Boat Club lawns made way for Jantar Mantar, it actually felt "claustrophobic", she said.

She pointed out that they, and others before and after them, protested at multiple sites - universities, colleges, streets - instead of just at Jantar Mantar.

She sees signs of that in protests by farmers who camped at Delhi's borders for months, and people who sat at the Shaheen Bagh neighbourhood demanding the repeal of a controversial citizenship law.

Even the 2012 anti-rape protests, she points out, were not restricted to Jantar Mantar but almost reached the Indian president's heavily guarded complex and beyond into other parts of Delhi.

It's not clear what Jantar Mantar's future is - the Supreme Court is hearing pleas challenging its removal as a protest site.

Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and CJP leaders have said that Jantar Mantar belongs to the people and will be "reclaimed".

As the debate rages on, Jantar Mantar is the quietest it has been in decades - will it hear slogans again?

North Korea and China open new bridge after 12-year delay

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ck1exgw3j115o, 4 days ago

A long-delayed road bridge linking China and North Korea has opened, Chinese state media report, as trade ties improve between the neighbours.

China is North Korea's largest trading partner and a lifeline against heavy international sanctions over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme.

The New Yalu River Bridge spans 3km (1.9 miles) from the Chinese border city of Dandong to Sinuiju in North Korea, and is set to become the main land route for trade between them.

Its launch, initially slated for 2014, had been indefinitely postponed after North Korea halted construction of its roads and customs facilities, as relations with Beijing turned frosty.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang, in a video address on Thursday, said the bridge was a "new landmark symbolising the traditional friendship between China and North Korea", and that the two countries were "opening a new chapter" in bilateral ties.

The New Yalu River Bridge is an alternative to the decades-old Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge, which was built between 1937 and 1943 during Imperial Japan's occupation of the region.

The new bridge is an "important facility for connectivity" between the two countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday, adding that the route would "further facilitate trade and people-to-people exchanges".

Last year, bilateral trade reached $2.7bn, marking a recovery to pre-pandemic levels, mostly fuelled by Chinese exports to North Korea.

A sharp and sudden increase in trade across the border is "unlikely" as the UN sanctions on North Korea remain in effect, Kang Jun-young, a professor of Chinese studies at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, tells the BBC.

"Pyongyang is also wary of a sudden flood of Chinese imports that would greatly expand China's influence over its domestic market," he adds.

"China is well aware of these concerns, so trade is more likely to grow gradually."

Beijing and Pyongyang are long-standing allies with a mutual defence treaty, the only one that China has with any country. The relationship is often described "as close as lips and teeth", a remark first made by China's former leader Mao Zedong.

But the alliance is not without tension.

Ties were frosty for much of the 2010s as Beijing's patience over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme wore thin. Kim Jong Un conducted a nuclear test in 2017 and has since ramped up tests of banned ballistic missiles - all of which increased US wariness, and strengthened its military alliances with South Korea and Japan.

China's attitude has shifted more recently.

"Whilst only a decade ago, Beijing was overtly critical of North Korea's nuclearisation - and indeed calling for Pyongyang's denuclearisation - China is now saying little, if anything, to this effect," Edward Howell, a lecturer at the University of Oxford, tells the BBC.

Observers say one reason is that North Korea has grown closer to Russia because of the Ukraine war.

At least 2,300 North Korean soldiers are believed to have died fighting for Russia in Ukraine. In return, Russia supplies North Korea with oil, in violation of UN sanctions. In 2024, Russia was estimated to have sent more than a billion barrels of oil as payment for Pyongyang's weapons and troops.

Last month, North Korea and Russia opened their first road bridge, which Russian state media said would allow the movement of up to 300 vehicles and more than 2,000 people every day.

So Beijing is believed to be trying to reassert its sway over Pyongyang by rekindling ties.

Air China resumed direct flights between Beijing and Pyongyang in March after a six-year hiatus triggered by the pandemic. The two countries reopened passenger train services the same month.

Chinese President Xi Jinping's first state visit of this year, in June, was to Pyongyang, where he met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

"The opening of the New Yalu River Bridge demonstrates bilateral relations are improving and that Xi Jinping's June visit to North Korea was more than symbolic," says Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.

"But the long delay, including North Korea's pandemic self-isolation and domestic socioeconomic crackdowns, shows what a difficult partner Pyongyang can be for Beijing."

Desperate to clear toxic haze, Indonesia douses its skies with dry ice

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ck1l3djr5d5do, 4 days ago

As toxic smog continues to billow from wildfires in Indonesia's forests and peatlands, authorities are looking at an experimental way to disperse the haze.

On Thursday, aircraft were deployed to scatter pellets of dry ice - solid carbon dioxide - in the air above South Sumatra province, one of the regions worst hit by the haze.

Indonesia is battling its most dire wildfire season in a decade, as an unusually strong El Niño has exacerbated drought conditions and made flames harder to put out.

Amid increasingly urgent efforts to clear the hazardous air, authorities in Indonesia and neighbouring Malaysia have turned to various weather modification methods.

These include cloud seeding, a technique that speeds up the natural process of water vapour condensing inside of clouds by dispersing compounds such as silver iodide to form ice crystals.

Authorities have been carrying out such operations for weeks.

But Thursday's dry ice trial, which targeted the city of Palembang and surrounding areas, is different.

Rather than interacting with clouds to trigger rain, the dry ice is meant to "break down" haze in the lower atmosphere "so that it can rise upward", said Dudung Abdurachman, the coordinating minister for political and security affairs.

"If this trial is successful, we will continue with other areas that are central to the haze, such as Central Kalimantan and its surroundings."

The trial will involve 1.5 tons of dry ice, according to authorities.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has called for agencies to step up efforts to extinguish the wildfires and mitigate the impact of toxic smog billowing from the hotspots.

New cloud seeding operations are also set to take place in Central Kalimantan - another haze-stricken area - on Thursday and Friday.

Meanwhile, firefighters on the ground are continuing to tackle out-of-control blazes and authorities have deployed dozens of helicopters to extinguish the wildfires - though these operations have at times been disrupted by poor visibility in the haze.

Residents across Kalimantan and South Sumatra are bearing the brunt of the toxic smog, with air in many cities turning a dusty amber.

Pollutants have also drifted across borders to neighbouring Singapore and Malaysia, raising public health concern as air quality scores soar to unhealthy levels.

In parts of Malaysia with particularly hazy air - including its capital Kuala Lumpur and the city of Johor Bahru, near Singapore - local authorities have conducted their own cloud seeding operations.

Last month, Indonesia granted permission for Malaysian agencies to enter its airspace for cloud seeding operations along the countries' shared border.

More than one million wildfire hotspots have been recorded in Indonesia this year, burning almost 900,000 hectares of land, according to independent forest monitoring platform Nusantara Atlas.

Much of the public frustration is directed at agricultural companies that burn vegetation as a cheap way to clear large swathes of land.

Indonesian police have named more than 200 individuals and nine companies as suspects in connection with the fires.

Australian woman charged with lacing colleague's curry with snail poison

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmp3gnep35gko, 4 days ago

An Australian woman has been charged after allegedly lacing a colleague's curry with snail poison.

Police in the state of Western Australia say the alleged victim made a meal for her co-workers in February, which they shared at morning tea.

But when the 58-year-old returned to eat leftovers at lunch, she noticed bright green granules in the food and that her tongue felt numb after tasting it.

The accused - who was in a relationship with the alleged victim - has been charged with endangering the life, health or safety of another person after a months-long investigation, and will face court on 5 November.

Police allege the 43-year-old woman - who hasn't been named - visited a chemical storage shed before returning to the staffroom where the curry was kept.

After tasting it, the alleged victim handed the meal over to detectives, who identified the substance as snail pellets containing metaldehyde, a poisonous substance.

Commissioner Col Blanch told reporters the poison can cause serious injury or death.

"We're just very thankful that the person who tasted the curry was aware of something that wasn't quite right," he said, according to the Seven Network.

Australia's first-ever Michelin stars go to 11 restaurants in one state

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crje5we583qwo, 5 days ago

Australia has been awarded its first Michelin stars, with 11 restaurants in the state of South Australia receiving the distinction.

Magill Estate Restaurant in Adelaide was the only venue to receive two stars, while 10 others were awarded one star each.

South Australia's government paid for incognito inspectors to visit the state, according to national broadcaster ABC, which is why no spots have been recognised in other parts of the country.

Magill chef and owner Scott Huggins said he had "dreamt of working in Michelin star restaurants as a youngster".

He said he had worked in Michelin star restaurants in Europe and Japan.

"It's one thing working for one, one thing achieving two [Michelin stars]," he said.

Wednesday's announcement comes more than a century after the Michelin Guide was first published in France and following years of unsuccessful attempts to bring it to Australia.

Michelin has approached the national tourism board about bringing the guide to the country more than once, with no luck.

South Australia decided to go it alone and pursued its own deal. The state government has not disclosed how much it paid, but Tourism Minister Emily Bourke defended the investment in an interview with ABC News.

"It is enabling us to create a tourism destination and put us on the world map," she said.

The move follows Michelin's expansion into New Zealand, which became the first destination in Oceania to feature in the guide in July, agreeing to pay NZ$6.3m (£2.7m; $3.5m) over three years for its inclusion.

Created by brothers André and Édouard Michelin in 1900, the guide was originally designed to encourage motorists to travel - ultimately boosting their core business of selling tyres. It offered drivers maps and recommendations for places to eat and stay, before evolving into one of the best-known names in restaurant recognition.

Michelin stars were introduced in 1926 and have since become a major distinction for chefs and restaurants around the world.

One star recognises high-quality cooking, two stars indicate excellent cooking worth a detour, while three stars are reserved for exceptional cuisine worth a special journey.

Among the one-star recipients is Arkhé in Norwood, which specialises in open-fire cooking, while Aptos in Adelaide serves a tasting menu focused on native Australian ingredients. Here is the full list:

Two Michelin stars

* Magill Estate Restaurant, Rosslyn Park

One Michelin star

* Anvers Restaurant, Kangarilla

* Maxwell Restaurant, McLaren Vale

* Botanic, Adelaide

* Arkhé, Norwood

* Esmay, Adelaide

* Aurora at ILA, Adelaide

* Hentley Farm, Seppeltsfield

* LVN Restaurant at Bird in Hand, Woodside

* Aptos, Stirling

* Skillogalee Barrel House, Sevenhill

The wider guide includes more than 70 other South Australian restaurants, with some recognised through the Bib Gourmand category, which highlights restaurants offering good food at more moderate prices.

The women playing Australia's biggest sport - in London

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62l4zw7rvgpo, yesterday

London-born Iona Williams has only visited Australia a handful of times, but that hasn't stopped her becoming a regular player of one of the nation's most-viewed sports.

The 29-year-old discovered Australian Rules Football in her home city after a friend suggested she try it out. She had never played before, and didn't know the rules, but five years on she's a key feature of her club, the West London Wildcats.

"The team were really welcoming," she told the BBC, "Everyone's really together and always so keen to help each other and kind of make each other better at the sport."

Iona is emblematic of a growing appreciation for the sport both amongst women and outside of Australia.

Although women only started playing the sport professionally in Australia for the first time in 2017, the sport has spread internationally - the League estimates that about 75,000 women and girls participate outside of the country.

London boasts its own Australian Football League, with teams playing across two divisions.

What is Australian Rules Football?

"I would say it's like Gaelic football, regular football - like soccer - and rugby all kind of combined", explains Iona.

Known as Australian Rules Football (AFL), Aussie Rules or Footy, it originated in Australia and has been played there for more than 150 years.

The game takes place on an oval-shaped field, where two teams try to get more points than the other by kicking goals or behinds. Unlike in other sports, players can use both their hands and feet as they move by punching the ball, running with the ball, or kicking it.

Footy has a reputation for being ferocious - in 2022 an American went viral for his description of the game: "These guys are angry all the time, probably because they're running a marathon during a fistfight".

But Iona says any Londoners intimidated by the sport should try out regardless: "Don't be scared to get involved.

"There's so many girls that start that have never played before - me included."

Being the most watched sport in Australia, AFL London's clubs provide a familiar comfort for the well-established community of Australians in the city.

"I played back in Australia for a fair few years so it's just such an easy jump. You know you're going to meet Aussies and walk into a new brand new bunch of friends," says Jamie Symons, 27, who moved from Tasmania to London two years ago.

However, the league is careful to prevent Australians dominating the clubs. In the Women's Prem (top division), there needs to be four non-Aussie players on the field (which could comprise of two on the interchange bench).

"It is awesome to see these British people embracing the game, especially playing in their country. It's really exciting," Jamie says.

"It's nice to make British friends as well, not just have all these Aussies in an AFL club."

Jamie plays alongside Iona at the West London Wildcats, and the pair have embraced both the sporting and social opportunities it offers.

From pub crawls, barbecues, and a ladies' day (where they celebrate the women of the club), playing footy has meant getting to mingle with people from different backgrounds.

"Whenever I ask for a sausage sandwich, it's now called a snag", says Iona, referencing the Australian colloquialisms she's learnt.

Playing Aussie rules in London can also be a pipeline to a professional career in Australia.

Kate Shierlaw, like Jamie, sought out AFL while she was living in London.

She played for the Wimbledon Hawks before being recruited to play professionally in Australia.

Kate, who now plays for North Melbourne, was happy to hear that women across the world continue to enjoy the sport she loves.

"It's super special. I think because I started there, being able to see so many people playing over there, playing the best sport in the world, it's really exciting," she said.

Women only officially joined the AFL London league 26 years after its male counterpart which was established in 1989 and enjoyed its inaugural season in 1990.

Despite the decades-long delay, the AFL claim women's football in London has seen "significant growth" within the last decade.

"The inaugural AFL London women's competition commenced in 2015, featuring four founding teams. In 2026, the competition comprised ten teams across two divisions," wrote Kaitlyn Blanchard, media manager at AFLW in a statement to the BBC.

"Female participation in Australian Football programs and competitions outside Australia grew by approximately 35% between 2023 and 2025," she wrote noting strong female participation in Papua New Guinea, South Africa, and Fiji.

Kate Shierlaw hopes to see this growth continue.

"We should be sharing the sport all over the world so it's so good to see so many girls playing."

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk

Three men jailed for 158 years each for murdering Australian and US surfers in Mexico

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3kgqjkzw29wo, 2 days ago

A Mexican judge has sentenced three men convicted of murdering Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their US friend Carter Rhoad to 158 years and nine months in jail each.

The Robinsons and Rhoad were killed in an apparent botched robbery of their truck on a secluded beach in Baja California in 2024 while they were on a surfing trip, the court heard during the trial.

The murders sent shockwaves around the world, particularly in Australia, as the area is usually safe from the violence seen in other parts of Mexico.

The guilty verdict was handed down last week. Debra Robinson, the brothers' mother, told the courtroom that her sons' murders had taken "the future we had imagined with them".

The convicted killers' full names were not given for legal reasons, meaning they were only identified as Jesús Gerardo, Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús.

In November last year, the girlfriend of the alleged ringleader, Jesús Gerardo (alias "El Kekas"), was sentenced in a separate trial to 20 years in prison. She had admitted to involvement in the robbery.

The court heard that the bodies of the victims were found dumped down a well with gunshot wounds to their heads.

At the time, the murders shocked locals and tourists in the beach town of Ensenada who were disturbed at the apparent ease and sheer pointlessness of the killings.

Ensenada has a reputation as a welcoming spot for surfers, but the chilling murders revealed how commonplace such extreme violence remains in Mexico.

The only explanation the authorities were able to give was that the surfers - all in their early 30s - had ultimately been murdered for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Their killings happened barely 36 hours after they crossed into Mexico from the US. Their bodies, however, were not found for another week, when their families were able to identify them.

Local surfers also called for greater security for residents and visiting tourists, citing other recent examples of violence in the state. Tourism is a key part of the regional economy in Baja California.

Australian MP critically injured after apparent car attack

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwp9g43g2p07o, today

Australian MP Helen Haines is critically ill in hospital in Melbourne after being hit by a car in what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says may have been a deliberate attack.

The independent MP, 65, was struck outside her constituency office in Wangaratta, in the state of Victoria, on Monday afternoon.

A man, 43, from the nearby town of Tarrawingee was detained at the scene by a passerby and police say a knife was found in the car.

Police are investigating whether it was an "intentional act" but say they do not believe there is an "ongoing threat to the community".

Political leaders have expressed shock and dismay, with Albanese saying "there is no place for violence in a democracy".

While Albanese said it was too early to understand the motive behind what had happened, he did say the political temperature had been rising in Australia.

His Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke backed up that statement with figures showing that reports of threatening or harassing behaviour towards politicians had risen from 951 to 1,067 in the past year.

Haines was hit by a white Toyota Landcruiser at 15:35 (04:35 GMT) outside her office on Murphy Street in Wangaratta, police say.

The town, which has a population of around 30,000, is a few hours north-east of Melbourne.

A witness told Australian broadcaster ABC they had heard a bang and seen a woman pinned between two cars.

Haines was initially taken to a hospital in Wangaratta but later moved to Melbourne by helicopter.

After being subdued and detained by the passersby, the suspect was arrested by police.

Announcing that counter terror police were involved in the investigation, the prime minister said: "This wasn't an accident. There was a deliberate act, it would appear."

In a statement, Victoria Police said: "At this stage, police are investigating as to whether this was an intentional act.

"It is not known yet if the parties are known to each other... The investigation remains ongoing."

Although not necessarily a household name across Australia, in the political sphere Helen Haines is both well-known and well regarded as an anti-corruption campaigner.

There has been an outpouring of messages from politicians and party leaders across the breadth of the political spectrum. In an age of increasingly divisive politics, she is seen by many as a unifying force.

The independent MP has only been a federal parliamentarian for a relatively short time, having been elected in 2019. However, in that time she has become an influential advocate for integrity in politics.

Haines proposed legislation for a national anti-corruption watchdog in 2021, and has been credited for driving the creation of the National Anti-Corruption Commission under Labor in the previous parliamentary term.

She currently sits on the parliamentary committee responsible for its oversight.

Haines has often banded together with other key independents on issues that include climate action and gender equality.

Allegra Spender, another independent MP who has collaborated with Haines, called her "the best of us".

An Australian parliamentary report warned last year that threats and physical attacks had increased "significantly over the past decade".

A threat assessment by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation - the country's equivalent of MI5 in the UK - warned last year that the risk of politically motivated violence was "already flashing red".

Albanese became emotional as he talked about Haines in a live television interview on ABC's 730.

He appeared close to tears when asked whether he and his colleagues talked among themselves about the threats and risks they face.

"Yes," he replied, adding: "My concern at this point in time is for one, one of my colleagues."

He described Haines as having "integrity". In other political reaction:

* Opposition leader Angus Taylor - head of the Liberal Party - said he was "deeply saddened and distressed" by the news, and that Australians would be "angry and appalled by the attack on Helen"

* Senator Matt Canavan, leader of The Nationals, said his heart went out to Haines and her family "upon the news of this shocking attack"

* Greens leader Senator David Shoebridge said he was "horrified" to hear of the "apparent attack", adding: "Helen is an extraordinary human being and brings people together like few others"

* Senator Pauline Hanson, One Nation leader, said violence against elected representatives is "never acceptable". She added: "Members of parliament and their staff must be able to serve their communities without fearing for their safety"

Hidden video recording device found in cabin of Australian navy ship

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3x2we8yjj1go, 5 days ago

A hidden video recording device has been found in an Australian navy ship's cabin, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) has confirmed.

The device was located on Sunday in the cabin of Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS Leeuwin in Cairns, Queensland.

The confirmation came after independent Australian senator Jacqui Lambie, a former veteran and defence advocate, told parliament she was contacted by personnel with allegations that "concealed cameras have recently been found in the female sailors' showers facilities".

Australia's defence department has not said whether the device was found in a female-only space and said the incident was referred to the Joint Military Police United.

Lambie told the Australian Senate on Wednesday: "I was also told this had occurred recently and prevented the vessel from sailing while investigations were ongoing. Even more disturbing are claims that footage from these cameras may have been uploaded online before the cameras were discovered.

"How many of our female sailors have unknowingly been recorded in their most private moments? How much footage has been distributed online so far, retained or uploaded without knowledge or consent? These are the questions today I ask navy."

Later on Wednesday, the defence department confirmed it became aware of a video recording device being found in a HMAS Leeuwin cabin but did not give specific details on where it was discovered.

"Defence takes this incident extremely seriously and does not tolerate unacceptable behaviour in any form," the department said in its statement.

"The ship remained alongside to enable the investigation and ensure immediate support was provided to members of the ship's crew. The welfare of individuals remains Defence's priority, and support is ongoing.

"As the matter is currently under investigation and to protect the privacy of the affected individuals, Defence is unable to provide further comment at this time."

Meloni calls emergency meeting after weekend of violent clashes

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6j9kwxxmxydo, today

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is set to hold an emergency security meeting on Monday after protests over the rising cost of living broke out into violent clashes in Milan.

More than 5,000 people gathered over the weekend. Police deployed tear gas and water cannons after protesters - many in masks - threw paving stones, bins and chairs at officers.

"To demonstrate is a right. To lay our cities to waste is not," Meloni said on Saturday, adding that "hooligans" had exploited the protests to "sow chaos".

Rioting and violence have broken out on the sidelines of mostly peaceful youth-led protests in other European countries including France, Spain and Albania.

Milanese Mayor Giuseppe Sala said he was worried it was a "new phenomenon" that "originates from an international scenario and therefore feeds itself".

Speaking to Italian news agency Ansa, he said he witnessed "smashed shop windows, looted stores, and frightened citizens", adding that "what happened here is what we are seeing in many cities around the world".

Clashes began on Saturday and continued into Sunday in Milan. More than 200 people were detained, 80% of whom were minors, Ansa reported.

The city's prosecutor's office has requested prison sentences for five adults arrested for looting, vandalism and resisting arrest, according to Italian news agency AGI.

Italian media reported that people - including police officers - were injured.

Violence between protesters and police also rippled into other cities in the north.

Meloni said people in Turin were detained while "carrying cobblestones and window-breaking hammers", while a train station in Bologna was closed as a precaution after similar disorder.

The prime minister - who is facing an election next year - also called on her political opponents to condemn the rioting.

"Do not be ambiguous about this," she said on X, explaining that condemnation must be "unanimous" because "any hesitation becomes justification".

Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein said her party had always condemned violence and that the rioting should not be used to stifle the voices of peaceful protesters across the country who are struggling to make a living, Ansa reported.

The violent disorder followed anti-government protests held by students in various Italian cities on Friday, and echoed similar unrest in neighbouring France, where hundreds of thousands took to the streets.

Threat forces Israel to Austria flight into emergency landing

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c680zdmn100lo, today

An Austrian Airlines flight from Israel to Austria has been forced to divert to Bulgaria after a reported bomb threat.

The Airbus A320 plane was travelling from Tel Aviv to Vienna on Sunday night but made an emergency landing in Sofia, where passengers were evacuated, the Bulgarian transport ministry said in a statement.

The Bulgarian air force scrambled a MiG-29 fighter jet to escort the airliner, the transport ministry said. No injuries have been reported and an investigation has begun.

It comes after a pilot attempted to hijack a Flydubai flight en route to Tel Aviv last month by attacking the captain, before the flight's crew and passengers overpowered him and landed the plane safely in Saudi Arabia.

Bulgarian and Israeli media reported that a bomb threat had been made.

Austrian Airlines has confirmed a threat was made, without giving further details. A spokesperson told the AFP news agency there were 51 passengers and six crew members on board the jet.

Authorities conducted a security search of the plane after it landed in Sofia, about 30 minutes from when the alert was first raised. It was over Romania when it diverted to Sofia.

Flight tracking data showed Austrian Airlines 82 left Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on Sunday evening before landing at Vasil Levski airport in Sofia three hours later.

Last week, Croatia and Germany both scrambled fighter jets after a commercial flight from the Greek holiday island of Corfu to the German city of Nuremberg accidentally sent out a hijacking alert.

The BBC has sought further comment from Lufthansa, the owner of Austrian Airlines.

Anti-government protesters battle with police in Albania

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crwydey50xeno, yesterday

Demonstrators and riot police fought pitched battles in the centre of Tirana on Saturday for the fifth day in a row.

Masked protesters, many of them high school and university students, hurled rocks and petrol bombs at riot police trying to defend the education ministry, one of the focal points of the protests.

The police responded with water cannon and volleys of tear gas, sending the crowds scattering. There are also reports that rubber bullets were used for the first time.

Protests which began in the summer have grown into a wider anti-government movement, with calls for the prime minister to resign following corruption allegations linked to his administration.

Many of the protesters in central Tirana wore gas masks or face masks, while volunteers handed out syringes of saline eyewash to reduce the pain from the tear gas which billows down the street.

The constant boom of petrol bombs could be heard exploding on Saturday.

During the afternoon, the focus of the protests shifted to the office of Prime Minister Edi Rama on the city's main boulevard.

Here the crowds swelled to far larger numbers than on previous days.

Riot police faced a steady hail of cobble stones and fireworks, and responded with barrage after barrage of tear gas, some of the canisters landing far back in the crowds, causing panic.

Incensed by the gas, the crowds waited for it to clear, then renewed their attacks.

Black smoke from a burning vehicle and the sirens of police cars and ambulances split the afternoon.

As dusk fell, police special forces arrived to reinforce the riot police.

Many people have been injured on both sides, 80 people have been charged with disorder so far, and hundreds more have been arrested, or are under investigation.

The centre of the Tirana looks increasingly like a war zone, scattered with broken glass and burnt debris.

George, a 19-year-old medical student who works as an electrician to fund his studies, stood near the burnt-out education ministry building, a scarf wrapped round his face and goggles covering his eyes.

He is one of the thousands who have taken part in the increasingly intense protests which began in early June.

In his gloved hands he clutched two rocks intended for the police.

Asked if he was concerned about injuring them, he said: "We have mothers too. We have family too.

"We were peaceful for 135 days. Now we are trying to do like in France… we are trying to make a revolution.

"Our government doesn't want peace, so we are using violence."

Many of the protesters were even younger. Klea, 17, is in her first year of university in Tirana.

She said: "All the students are boycotting their university classes and left school to fight for our rights."

She alleged there were provocateurs among the protesters, smashing up stores and banks, to discredit the demonstrations.

Socialist Party Prime Minister Edi Rama has been in power for 13 years and has dominated Albanian politics, much like his main rival Sali Berisha, of the opposition Democratic Party, did for decades.

The students say they are against "the whole corrupt political class". So what is the alternative?

Osman Stafa, a prominent journalist for the News24 channel, who also describes himself as an activist for change, called for a "neutral, caretaker government for one year, to organise new elections".

The irony for the wider European community during this latest wave of unrest is that Rama has long been viewed favourably by the EU, which Albania aspires to join.

In a social media post on Saturday morning, he urged Albanian to "not forget that we have achieved extraordinary things".

He blamed the protests on the opposition Democratic Party, and on what he called "the sinister agenda of foreign actors, intent on halting our progress" towards EU membership, which he has promised by 2030.

He did not name which "foreign actors" he had in mind.

The latest protests have seriously tarnished Rama's carefully cultivated image as a charming leader, steering his country towards prosperity.

Parallel to the protests, a series of investigations by the special prosecution service also threaten his rule.

Set up under EU and US pressure in 2019, the prosecutors recently arrested the powerful secret service chief Vlora Hyseni.

She stands accused of helping a prominent businessman, former government official, and personal friend of Rama, Ergys Agasi, evade justice. The 39-year-old is under arrest.

Agasi, speaking through his lawyer, denied the allegations against him and said he had nothing to do with corruption. Hyseni told prosecutors that she contacted Agasi to try to recruit him to the intelligence services, Albanian media reported.

Several Albanian media outlets claim he acted as an intermediary between the prime minister and organised criminal groups.

Rama has admitted that he knows Agasi but denies any knowledge of illegal transactions.

"Edi Rama is caught between a rock and a hard place," Lutfi Dervishi, a political analyst and university lecturer, told the BBC.

"He's the victim of his own success. By concentrating so much power in his own hands, he has made himself the only person the people blame for their grievances."

Rama's Socialist Party has a comfortable majority, with 83 out of 140 seats in the Albanian Parliament. The next parliamentary elections are not due till 2029.

Trial of German steakhouse heiress that sparked a huge spy scandal

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwvgdn3d656vo, 3 days ago

It is a trial that has gripped Germany, with a wealthy heiress in the dock for months and a case that triggered the country's biggest espionage scandal in recent history.

Christina Block, heir to a popular chain of steakhouses, is accused of ordering an Israeli security firm to carry out the violent abduction of her children from Denmark, following a bitter custody battle with her former husband.

There are allegedly connections with at least two former secret agents, from Germany and Israel.

In the latest twist, investigators in the case stumbled across evidence that has led to Germany's former intelligence chief, August Hanning, being arrested this month for treason and espionage.

Hanning's arrest stunned the intelligence community. Although his case has nothing to do with the Hamburg trial, he has denied allegations of involvement in an earlier attempted abduction of the children.

There was enormous media interest in Germany when Christina Block and six others went on trial in a high-security courtroom in Hamburg in July last year.

Block House restaurants, specialising in steak and baked potatoes, are a feature of many German towns. Their success over the past half century has helped make Christina Block's father Eugen a multimillionaire.

Prosecutors allege that she and a family lawyer, Andreas Costard, organised the forcible abduction of two of her children, who were staying with her former husband, Stephan Hensel, at his home in Denmark.

They say the operation was carried out by a 36-year-old Israeli citizen named only as Jonathan G and five others.

The abduction took place during the New Year celebrations of 2023-24, as the two children and their father were watching a firework display, according to the indictment.

Prosecutors say several men ambushed and beat up Stephan Hensel, and dragged the boy and the girl, then 10 and 13 years old, into a car.

On the approach to the border with Germany, they are alleged to have changed vehicles, taped up the children's mouths and tied the girl's hands.

The group are then said to have travelled on to Baden-Württemberg in a campervan. Prosecutors say the children were held there against their will until their mother arrived to pick them up on 2 January 2024 and took them to her home in Hamburg.

Christina Block, Andreas Costard and Jonathan G are charged with the abduction of minors, grievous bodily harm and unlawful detention.

Block's partner, a former TV sports presenter called Gerhard Delling, and three others are charged with aiding and abetting.

All of them deny wrongdoing, except for Jonathan G, who has admitted his involvement. However, he told the court he thought he was taking part in a rescue operation.

The trial comes after years of legal battles between Christina Block and her former husband, Stephan Hensel, over who had the right to look after the children.

Immediately after their separation, all four children lived with their mother in Hamburg. Hensel, who remarried, later moved to Denmark, where they regularly visited him.

In 2021, the two youngest children went to visit their father in Denmark, but then were not brought back to Hamburg as agreed.

A court in Hamburg ruled that Christina had custody and that the children should be returned. However, in February 2023, a Danish court ruled that, although the boy and the girl had been brought to Denmark unlawfully, they could not be taken back.

In May 2023, Hensel was charged with the abduction of minors, in a case which is still pending.

He has accused Christina of being violent with the children, charges she denies. She told the court Hensel wanted to take revenge on her.

She also denied knowing anything about plans for the abduction of the children from Denmark. Her defence argues that the Israeli security team had acted on its own initiative.

She told the court it was "a catastrophe" and that she had never wanted anything like that.

The head of the Israeli security team, David Barkay, who is not on trial but faces future legal proceedings, told the court that Christina Block and Costard had known about the planned repatriation operation.

Barkay, who was described by another witness as a former agent with Mossad, the Israeli secret service, said he had not shared all the details because he "didn't trust them."

The alleged connection with Germany's former spy chief, August Hanning, relates to accusations of an earlier attempt to abduct the children and bring them back from Denmark in 2022.

Prosecutors have said Hanning was responsible for arranging security staff sent to Denmark with Christina Block. His lawyer denies the accusations. Hanning has not been charged over the current Block court case.

However, while investigators were searching his home, they came across evidence to suggest Hanning was involved in buying some 2,000 documents from his former chief of staff and then passing on state secrets to foreign powers.

Which foreign power and who he is alleged to have given the secrets to is unspecified, but it has prompted widespread speculation.

Now 80, Hanning is in custody charged with treasonous espionage. His lawyer says he is being "unjustly persecuted" and that the charges are "unfounded".

Meanwhile the trial against Christina Block is currently on hold for two weeks - one of numerous delays and extensions over the course of the past 15 months.

The latest delay is because a witness, Stephan Hensel's new wife, failed to appear in court.

Albanian protests turn violent: What we know

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqdjv90d1jpko, 3 days ago

Protesters and anti-riot police have clashed in Albania's main cities in scenes not witnessed for decades.

Government buildings have been attacked and some private businesses, too.

So what is happening?

How big and unusual are these protests?

Albania's capital Tirana has seen months of protests from an anti-government "Flamingo" movement, but what started on Tuesday this week was on a different scale.

And the clashes have spread beyond Tirana - to include the main cities of Durrës, Shkodër, Lezhë and Vlora in the west, Gjirokastër in the south and Korçë in the east.

The new demonstrations were announced as a student movement, ostensibly demanding action by the government to help with the high cost of education fees and books - and the higher cost of living.

Secondary schools joined in, swelling the numbers.

Before too long, masked protesters threw stones at police, and they responded with water cannon, tear gas and batons.

Many were incensed by scenes of a young man being carried away, his broken leg dangling with him in agony.

Apologies were expressed but failed to calm the situation.

A floor of the education ministry was set on fire, with other government institutions ablaze, too.

Every evening, throughout the summer for some 135 days in a row, Albanians in central Tirana would hold pictures of a pink flamingo, calling on Prime Minister Edi Rama - now in his fourth term - to resign.

The protests began over a mega-tourism project on the Adriatic coast linked to US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Demonstrators said the bird would become extinct on an island near the coastal city of Vlora, if the plans for a luxury development went ahead.

The public anger comes as allegations of corruption among ministers and other senior officials grow louder.

One deputy prime minister has fled the country, another has been ordered to step down as investigations continue.

So has the Flamingo movement radicalised?

The flamingo protesters say they have no links to any political party - one of their slogans being "Rama in jail, Berisha in jail". While Rama is prime minister, Sali Berisha is Albania's main opposition leader - as well as a former prime minister and president.

They were attended by young and old, parents with children and sometimes their grandparents. Some of the participants took pride in cleaning up after every night.

But after months and an unusually hot summer, their numbers dwindled - with no sign that the government was meeting their demands.

The current movement appears far more violent. Dozens of police have been hurt, and the eyes of Europe are now watching what happens next in a country viewed as one of the top candidates for EU membership.

Several young protesters told the BBC that what was going on now was a new phase born of the previous movement.

Five months of peaceful protest had been "met with humiliation, ridicule, mockery," complained one young woman called Livia. "That was a clear message from the government that our voice will not be allowed to be heard."

Another called Brunela told the BBC's What in the World programme she was worried about what might happen next: "I am very terrified because the media and the government is reacting, especially now. It was not just my voice, it is the voice of Albanian youth."

An overlap between the two sets of protests may well have occurred, even though flamingo leaders have not publicly stated so and no representative of the student movement has come forward.

After all, their main concerns relate to corruption, which the prime minister says must be investigated by the justice system.

How is the government handling the unrest?

Rama has been touring some of the damaged buildings and blaming Sali Berisha for instigating chaos.

"All of this is the work of the very same hand - the hand that has gripped the Albanian opposition by the throat, the hand that has burned and destroyed Albania more than once, and is now prepared to burn and destroy it again to prevent any progress. It is a blind struggle, fuelled by the most irrational hatred," he said on Friday.

The prime minister has ruled out resigning, promising to "listen, address legitimate concerns and keep Albania moving forward".

Berisha's Democratic Party has often tried to get people out to oust Rama.

But the number of his loyal supporters, who have also protested for months and at times clashed with police, has been low in comparison to the current attendance.

So there is some scepticism about Berisha's ability to mastermind the trouble, though he may well seek to capitalise on it.

On the other hand, the Albanian media have suggested that secret services of foreign countries may be involved.

Unfounded allegations have been made against Serbia, with commentators suggesting Belgrade is envious of Albania being often cited as potentially next in line to join the EU.

Indeed, without mentioning names, Prime Minister Rama echoed the allegation on Friday.

"These are foreign hands that do not wish for Albania to be at peace... they do not want Albania to be part of the united European family," he said, adding: "Do you think it is a coincidence that every time Albania receives another green light... or draws closer to that great ambition - that historic objective - flames suddenly erupt? It is no coincidence at all! None of what is happening now is a coincidence."

Is Albania safe to visit?

Although the street violence has taken place in many cities, it remains contained for the time being.

The UK government has urged visitors to check media for latest information, stay away from "demonstrations, large-scale gatherings or political rallies" and follow advice of local authorities.

Albania is a popular tourist destination, and the government in Tirana has warned that violence tarnishes the country's image, affecting both tourism and its European path.

Inside Ukrainian offensive pushing Russia back - with Starlink playing a key role

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvx284w16z1po, 3 days ago

A Russian drone zips across the computer screen, startling the commanders keeping watch over the battlefield via a live stream in their bunker.

Cigarette in one hand, radio in the other, one of them calls in their own drone to bring it down and warns the soldiers below of the threat. The men are dangerously exposed, on the long walk across open ground from their front line positions. They are being replaced after three months forcing the Russians back.

This is part of Operation Vivaldi, a Ukrainian counter-offensive which they say has liberated 277 sq km (106 square miles) in the eastern Donbas region in recent months.

The name reflects the offensive's four stages, or seasons - like the Italian composer's violin concerto. The successful assault blunted an attempted Russian pincer movement that threatened to encircle the key Fortress Belt cities still under Ukrainian control.

While Russia this month pummels Ukraine from the air, crippling its energy infrastructure and killing scores of civilians across the country, at the front, it is Ukraine that has made recent gains. Kyiv says it has inflicted heavy losses - 8,000 Russian casualties in Vivaldi alone, and close to 50,000 along the front in the month of September – and suffered few casualties in return.

The Institute for the Study of War reported that pro-Russian military bloggers had acknowledged the Ukrainian advances, and expressed fears this could lead to more losses for Russia in the future. No Russian official has publicly acknowledged the Ukrainian gains. Russian ministry of defence briefings say only that they were "repelling attacks" in the Lyman region, or "improving the tactical position at the front".

Despite Ukraine's forward moves, Russian drones are still ever-present. Phoenix, Commandant of the Revenge Brigade's Silver Trinity unit, tells me his men face 10 on an average day.

He is fixed on the live stream as a Ukrainian snare swoops in, hovers for a few seconds and drops a net on to the drone, dragging it from the sky. This Russian drone was for reconnaissance, but if it had locked on to the soldiers, another drone carrying explosives would have followed.

This moment of peril illustrates the layers making up the modern battlefield. The command bunker receives live pictures from a hovering camera, while below a Ukrainian attack drone attacks another enemy spotter which would have called in more flying firepower.

Integrated in all of this is Starshield, the military version of Elon Musk's Starlink satellite communications network, providing broadband connectivity across the battlefield.

Ukraine said this week, as Operation Vivaldi concluded, that the system had restrictions imposed without warning, limiting their capability.

Musk and media reports suggest the order may have come from the White House. While Ukraine is not wholly reliant on Starshield, it is a key tool in their arsenal, vital for interceptor and mid-range strike drones. And knowing this tool can be restricted without any warning or consultation has sparked major concern in Ukraine.

Beneath the battle for aerial superiority, unmanned ground vehicles scurry back and forth delivering supplies, evacuating the wounded or, increasingly, leading the charge against the enemy.

Everything here relies on digital connectivity - to see, to move, to fly, to communicate, to fire. But at the bottom of this stack, it is still human beings in trenches who are holding the ground.

The weary soldiers have made it safely to the command post. After 95 days pushing forward on the front line there is an emotional reunion.

An infantryman with the call-sign Dealer tells me he feels strong, but it is good to be finally heading home: "It's an impressive operation. Over three months, we moved positions four times."

He tells me the most frightening threat was Russian drones, piloted remotely and determined to hunt down their target.

Commandant Phoenix said the preparation for the offensive was "enormous".

"The men trained for months. We had to completely restructure our approach because previously we had been defending, and now we had to go on the offensive."

Robots and drones led the assault on Russian positions and, for the first time, remote-controlled explosive vehicles were dropped behind Russian lines - 250 Russians surrendered. According to Ukrainian commanders, their year-long campaign has freed 16 settlements from Russian occupation.

In Karpivka, a village occupied since April, the Ukrainians found one local resident remaining - 61 year old Volodymyr Zamota, the last man standing when his neighbours fled the Russian advance in 2025. He says he survived for eight months in total isolation.

"As they say, hope dies last," he told me. "I'm the only person left in the whole village, and the village has been almost completely destroyed."

"I thought I would live to old age without experiencing anything like this, but then it happened. It's a terrible tragedy".

That devastation defines the region Ukraine has just recaptured. It's still too risky for residents to return, if they even have a home intact. But Ukraine's soldiers are celebrating this regained ground, the halted Russian advance and the future potential this operation may present.

"The real value of this is securing advantageous positions, favourable lines, and a bridgehead that grants us a superior position," Andriy Hitt, Revenge Bridge chief of staff, explained.

"This allows us to create the necessary conditions for subsequent successful operations, seize the initiative in battle, and plan future successful manoeuvres… each of these actions is a building block towards victory."

All this could be threatened by the limitations on US technology, and American intelligence. Relations between Kyiv and Washington are at an all-time low.

This week President Zelensky said he felt "betrayed" by Donald Trump, while the US leader declared he was "not a fan" of his Ukrainian counterpart, saying he was harder to deal with than Vladimir Putin.

Trump says Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil refineries have hiked oil prices. Ukraine says the US and Israeli war against Iran is the cause.

But despite the diplomatic divisions, among the soldiers we met, morale is high. Dealer says Operation Vivaldi has renewed his belief Ukraine can win the war.

The unit is ensuring Volodymyr, Grandpa as they call him, has enough to eat - drones drop off food parcels on their way to feed soldiers at the front.

I asked Volodymyr if he believed Ukraine could win. "Yes, of course I do. I would just like to know when it will happen, when all of this will finally end."

Additional reporting by Kostas Kallergis and Anastasiia Levchenko

Why is Starlink internet so important on the battlefield in Ukraine?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqkgk4zg54reo, 4 days ago

Starlink satellites operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX provide high-speed internet - something modern war relies heavily on.

For Ukraine, it is vital for communications on the battlefield and effective drone warfare.

Using Starlink, Ukrainian drones can stay connected to operators over longer distances than conventional radio networks and are less vulnerable to jamming.

But on Tuesday night, Starlink suddenly and unexpectedly restricted the speed at which drones could fly while still maintaining internet connection. This disrupted some battlefield "missions", a top Ukrainian official said, and hampered Kyiv's ability to protect itself from incoming Russian attacks.

The restriction at 100mph (160km/h) meant that any drone travelling faster than that lost connection and was effectively useless.

"Starlink gives Ukraine the ability to see what's coming, to protect people," Kurt Volker, former US ambassador to Nato, told the BBC's Radio 4 Today programme. "If you cut that off, then more people are going to get killed - and that is a very cynical and callous decision to slow that down the way that has been done."

Connectivity had been restored by Wednesday evening.

The move has once again shown how Starlink can impact the conflict, which has been raging since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

What are Starlink and Starshield?

Starlink is an internet network that uses satellites in low Earth orbit to provide connectivity, particularly in remote areas and battlefields.

It currently relies on more than 10,000 active satellites, making Starlink the world's largest satellite constellation.

It is owned by Elon Musk's SpaceX, and is the company's biggest revenue driver.

While Starlink is for civilian use, Starshield is its military-grade sister service, designed for the Pentagon.

Starshield relies on the Starlink network, but has greater security like enhanced encryption so that sensitive information can be transmitted without interception.

The US government has allowed Ukraine to use Starlink and Starshield in its defence against Russia. Musk cut Moscow's access to the service in February, giving Kyiv an advantage in the conflict.

How does Starlink work on a battlefield?

Put simply, Starlink uses its thousands of satellites to ping high-speed internet back to almost every corner of the globe, using terminals on the ground that users can easily buy and set up themselves. As Musk said, they have two instructions: "point at sky, plug in".

This makes them ideal for use on the battlefield.

"It's a connection… that you can basically use pretty fast, you don't need any special equipment, you don't need to prepare, you just go to the field and usually it works," Neo, a soldier with one of Ukraine's drone reconnaissance units, told the Today programme.

"It simplifies our work because we can translate or stream our reconnaissance operations," he added.

The network has become "the backbone of military communications in Ukraine", George Barros from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said, and is used across Kyiv's naval, land, and air forces.

In Ukraine, both Starlink (the civilian service) and Starshield (the military service) are used, depending on what communications are needed.

It is crucial for the effective use of weapons such as drones, which connect to the network so that operators can see their targets in real time, effectively minimising the time between "sensor-to shooter", Barros told the BBC.

Because Russia is not authorised to use Starlink, when Ukraine sends long-range missiles deep into Russia to hit oil refineries, the network does not work.

When it comes to Ukraine's self-defence, it relies on the Starlink network to protect its own skies against incoming Russian attacks, especially jet-powered Shahed drones, Barros added.

Shaheds fly at speeds in excess of 198mph (319 km/h), meaning the Starlink restriction made Ukrainian efforts to chase them down all but impossible.

For Neo, this means that any deliberate restrictions on the Starlink network are "a betrayal".

With no ready replacement for the Starlink network, any speed restrictions or loss of connectivity have major implications for Ukraine defences, and the recent limits have shown how dependent Kyiv is on the network.

While Starlink can provide access nearly everywhere in the world, that does not mean it can be accessed everywhere, and countries must be licenced to use it.

Russia is one place where it is not authorised, although Kyiv has in the past said that Moscow was still getting hold of the terminals and using them in occupied territory in Ukraine.

"If SpaceX obtains knowledge that Starlink terminal is being used by a sanctioned or unauthorized party, we investigate the claim and take actions to deactivate the terminal if confirmed," Starlink said in 2024.

But with tens of thousands of terminals in Ukraine alone, it could be a near impossible task to determine which terminals are authorised and which ones are not.

Why did Starlink restrict drone speeds?

The answer remains unclear.

During a visit to London on Wednesday, Zelensky had said he hoped it was just a mistake, however, in a later interview with the Financial Times, he said: "It was not a technical problem, it was the will."

Musk said that Starshield is managed by the US government and suggested the Pentagon could be responsible.

"Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government," he wrote on X. "Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS [the president of the United States]."

He added: "Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX. Usage of Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military action, as doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial company."

The BBC has contacted the White House and Pentagon for comment.

The restrictions on Tuesday night came as Russia launched deadly attacks against Ukraine that left 600,000 without power and hit communications and energy facilities used by Ukraine's military. Residents said they received no warning of incoming drones before they hit.

"It is clear that this action cannot be a coincidence and is related to the current political situation," Zelensky's adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov wrote on Telegram on Wednesday morning.

Relations between the US and Ukraine have worsened recently, especially since the US announced a deal with Russia to import its diesel into the American market.

Zelensky called it a gift to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and in response Donald Trump said he thinks "it's time for Ukraine to get a new president".

On Sunday, Trump announced a ceasefire on energy infrastructure, but three days later, Ukraine said it would resume the strikes, accusing Russia of ignoring it (the Kremlin said it had never agreed to a ceasefire), and the US of withdrawing crucial support.

Zelensky has accused the US of threatening to withhold intelligence if Ukraine continues striking Russian oil facilities. Trump has denied this, but last week told reporters that Zelensky had "better damn well stop" the strikes.

While in London, Zelensky agreed that he felt betrayed by the US.

Trump's deal with Russia is his administration's latest effort to lower US fuel prices ahead of next month's midterm elections, after months spent grappling with the political consequences of the Iran war. That conflict, which started in February, has seen prices skyrocket, souring his standing with the American public.

Pope's cancer diagnosis leaves Catholics questioning what comes next

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c678p0ld7z8lo, 5 days ago

Vatican transparency about papal health has come a long way from the secrecy of the past.

But that does not mean Catholics were prepared for such seismic news about cancer and removal of a large section of Pope Leo XIV's lung - even after he announced on Sunday that doctors had discovered a nodule.

On Tuesday, the 71-year-old was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma following 90-minute surgery to remove a lower lobe of his right lung.

Part of the shock has, of course, been because there had been few signs until now that concern was needed about any imminent risks to the Pope's health.

A member of the Order of St Augustine, a saint who placed great importance on developing good habits, the Pope is known to place great importance in good habits, including when it comes to health and fitness, such as weekly games of tennis.

Now, with so many unknowns about the pontiff's prognosis and what treatment he might need, questions swirl around what may have to change in his routine, and for how long.

Certainly, given the dangers surrounding air travel soon after lung surgery, and the high altitude of some of the stops involved, a November trip to South America – including to Peru, the country Pope Leo called home for more than 20 years – may be in doubt.

His predecessor, Francis, once wrote that he had started his papacy thinking he might only have a few years in the role, having already suffered health complications throughout his life.

As such, it was clear that he was intent on making waves quickly and implementing what some saw as fairly radical change in the Church at a swift pace.

While Pope Leo's papacy has undoubtedly started in what appears to be a comparatively measured way, he has still grown quickly into being a powerful, uncompromising and compassionate moral voice on the world stage.

His messaging in opposition to war, in support of the dignity of migrants and on the dangers of AI in particular has stood out in its clarity.

To some extent, he has already done what many Catholics had feared was barely possible, in starting to bring closer together different factions of a Church that had seemed somewhat divided.

Noticeably, both progressive and traditionalist followers often talking of him as a voice that reflects their own.

But even after successful surgery, and with no details yet about what happens now, speculation has already begun as to whether a cancer diagnosis will mean an evident shift in Pope Leo's pace in implementing changes he sees as necessary.

On the other hand any dramatic moves, such as on doctrine, would certainly feel out of character for a Pope who for nearly a year and a half has shown himself to be measured, thoughtful and discerning, as well as having a focus on stability.

French PM calls for cities to impose curfews after violent weekend protests

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx30ez03djyqo, today

France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has given local mayors the power to introduce partial curfews to protect people and shops after a weekend of riots and looting across the country.

Marseille - the country's second-largest city - has already banned public gatherings between 12:00 and 20:00.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, whose resignation offer was rejected by President Emmanuel Macron, earlier admitted police had "lost control" in some cities. More than 2,500 people were arrested, officials said. About 1,000 police officers were injured.

The disorder began last month with students demanding better school conditions, but protests have since escalated to take in a broader range of concerns.

Protesters were also hurt during clashes with police, with one demonstrator's hand blown off by a police crowd-control grenade, according to the AFP news agency.

Following a crisis meeting on Monday, the prime minister said local mayors were being given the power to implement curfews "where they need", without specifying which cities would be impacted.

Lecornu, who did not rule out imposing a state of emergency in the country, said the government would also set aside money to help affected areas recover from the damage, and the funding would be recovered from those behind the violence.

"There will be a law that will be put in place to find ways of making sure that those who have damaged properties will have to pay," the prime minister said.

He also announced a partial unemployment fund for those who could not work as a result of the riots and looting.

Meanwhile, Nuñez said some 200 investigators were analysing CCTV footage to try to identify possible ringleaders of the violent protests.

Nuñez attempted to resign on Sunday, but Macron refused "given the need for continued command of law enforcement", the Élysée Palace said.

More than 2,000 shops and other businesses have been directly impacted by the weekend's violence, the head of France's Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CCI) says.

Alain Di Crescenzo told France's broadcaster RTL that damage from the riots was estimated at "hundreds of millions of euros".

Some 550,000 demonstrators took to the streets over the weekend for protests against rising fuel prices, the cost of living and deteriorating public services, including schools.

Groups of rioters, some dressed in black and wearing masks and balaclavas, were seen setting fire to cars and buildings and looting businesses in Paris, Marseille and other cities and smaller towns.

Tear gas and stun grenades were fired at hundreds of people in Paris on Sunday, according to the AFP, and bottles and rocks were hurled at police.

In the central city of Limoges, the ornate 19th Century city hall was gutted by a fire started by rioters on Saturday, its clock tower and roof collapsing as the flames took hold.

"It's awful and unbelievable," said a local resident who gave his name as Gerrard. "We are very sad and I think it will be a long time to put it back as it was before."

President Macron said on Sunday that a distinction must be drawn between the "legitimate demands" of peaceful protesters and "those who destroyed, smashed and looted".

Macron calls for calm in France and warns rioting must not escalate

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cw240zl08dm5o, today

French President Emmanuel Macron has called for "calm and order" and warned riots across the country must not escalate, during a national television address.

Speaking from the Élysée Palace in Paris, the president said "we all feel anger and shame" after a major day of protests turned into rioting and looting across France on Saturday.

Some 550,000 demonstrators took to the streets for largely peaceful protests against rising fuel prices, the cost of living and deteriorating public services, including schools.

Macron urged a distinction between the "legitimate demands" of protesters and "those who destroyed, smashed and looted". Police have arrested about 2,400 people.

France's president said "nothing justifies" the "unbridled" violence seen and said those involved would face justice.

Groups of rioters, some dressed in black and wearing masks and balaclavas, also came out in Paris, Marseille and other towns and cities, with some setting fire to cars and buildings.

Widespread looting took place across the cities of Paris, Marseille and Lille, as well as other areas.

Macron said local prefects and mayors will work together across the country to do what they need to do to protect shops and buildings.

Macron also said there would be "full transparency" over the police response to the demonstrations.

Tear gas and water cannon were turned on crowds over the weekend and riot police were seen hitting people with batons in several places.

France's interior ministry said about 1,000 police officers were injured on Saturday, seven of them seriously.

Personal attacks fire up debate before Brazil's run-off vote

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ck98zlzyqle3o, today

Brazil's left-wing President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and his right-wing rival, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, have clashed in a debate held one week before the run-off presidential election.

Polls suggest the two candidates are neck and neck and the televised debate was hailed as a chance for both to sway undecided voters.

But the showdown was marked by personal attacks and analysts have warned that its aggressive tone may increase the abstention rate further.

In the first round of voting, held on 4 October, Bolsonaro defied opinion polls by securing a narrow lead over Lula.

Sunday's debate was the first of two before the vote. The second is planned for Friday, just two days before polls open.

Flávio Bolsonaro is standing for the Liberal Party after his father, Jair Bolsonaro - who governed from 2018 to 2022 - was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for plotting to overthrow Lula after the latter beat him in the 2022 election.

The younger Bolsonaro won 47% of the vote in the first round, compared with Lula's 45.2%, with both falling short of the 50% of the valid votes needed to stave off a decisive second round.

Since the return to democracy in 1988, there has been no instance in which the candidate who lost in the first round went on to win in the second but Lula has told his supporters that he will "win in extra time".

Analysts consulted by BBC News Brasil were struck by how much the debate was dominated not by issues but personal attacks.

Yuri Sanches from pollsters AtlasIntel said it was a debate in which no policies were discussed and there were no rational arguments.

"The independent voter, who is sometimes against Bolsonaro and sometimes against the Workers' Party [of Lula], came out of it with a very negative impression."

Lucas Aragão from political analysis firm Arko Advice said Bolsonaro had appeared calmer during the debate and seemed to have managed to "get under Lula's skin".

Rafael Cortez from consulting firm da Tendências Consultoria, however, argued that Lula had managed to score a goal when he said he would open up his financial and phone records and those of his family to judicial scrutiny, and challenged his rival to do the same before Sunday's run-off.

Many observers criticised the format of the debate, which was described as chaotic at times, with each of the candidates pacing around the TV studio as the other was speaking.

One heated exchange saw Bolsonaro telling Lula he should come stand next to him so that the two could talk.

Referring to alleged links between the senator and paramilitary vigilante groups, Lula said "I don't want to be close to you", and that he wanted to maintain "distance from the Bolsonaro family" and "the militia".

Bolsonaro, who has dismissed the allegations as fake news, in turn tried to bait Lula by saying, "On second thoughts, maybe it's better to keep my distance so that my wallet isn't stolen."

He also accused the Workers' Party of being corrupt, holding up the palm of his hand on which he had scribbled "CORRUPTO" (Portuguese for "corrupt).

"Take a piece of paper and a pen and jot down 'corrupt' and you'll see that it has two letters in the middle here together," he said, pointing to PT, the initials of the Workers' Party in Portuguese.

Bolsonaro, who is campaigning on a iron-fist approach to crime, challenged Lula to explain why crime rates had gone up during his four years in power.

He also alleged, without providing any evidence, that "the majority of convicts vote for Lula".

Lula shot back with a thinly veiled reference to Flávio's convicted father, Jair, saying; "I wish it was 100%, even your father".

Brazil sees record fall in Amazon deforestation as key election looms

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqe8rzg6zl00o, 3 days ago

Brazil's government says deforestation rates in the country's Amazon and savanna regions have fallen to record lows ahead of a presidential election run-off in which the rainforest's future is a key issue.

Left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, when he assumed office three years ago, pledged to end deforestation by 2030 in the Amazon. It had surged under his right-wing predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro.

Lula will face Bolsonaro's son Flavio in the run-off on 25 October, with polls suggesting a neck-and-neck race. Flavio is expected to continue his father's policies if he wins, though he has pledged to fight organised crime in the Amazon.

Satellite data shows that in the year to July 2026, the deforestation rate fell by 41.8% in the Amazon - the biggest drop since records began in 1988. The fall in the Cerrado, Brazil's savanna region, was 23.8%.

The Amazon rainforest - the world's largest - is a crucial buffer in the global fight against climate change and 60% of it is located in Brazil.

Jair Bolsonaro promoted mining in indigenous lands in the Amazon and forest clearances soared at the same time as resources to protect the forest were cut.

During Bolsonaro's presidency from 2019 to 2022, the Amazon lost nearly 60% more in forest lands compared to the previous four years, news agency AFP reported, citing official data.

Lula reversed his policies and oversaw deforestation rates drop to a six-year low during his first year in office. Lula tightened up environmental monitoring and penalties for illegal logging.

"Our goal is to achieve zero illegal deforestation by 2030," he said in a post on X on Friday.

Tropical rainforests like the Amazon are home to millions of species. In a healthy state, they absorb vast quantities of planet-warming carbon dioxide, helping to keep the Earth cool.

But they have come under increasing pressure from decades of deliberate land clearance for agriculture and logging, as well as climate change, which scientists warn can create conditions for wildfires.

Brazil's Environment Minister Joao Paulo Capobianco described the decline in Amazon deforestation as "absolutely stratospheric".

It was an "historic achievement" for Brazil, said Marcio Astrini, executive secretary at climate advocacy group Observatorio do Clima.

It showed that "with political will, it is possible to curb deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions", Astrini said.

Brazil's Congress approves shorter working week in win for Lula

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmwy43pp08elo, 4 days ago

Brazil's Congress has approved a constitutional amendment that will cut the working week from 44 hours to 40 and give employees two days off per week without cutting their salary.

The change represents the biggest overhaul to workers' rights since Brazil's return to democracy in 1988.

Senators passed the amendment, which left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had championed, less than two weeks before a second round in the Latin American nation's presidential election.

Lula's supporters are hoping that its passage, which is estimated to benefit more than 30 million workers, will boost his chances of closing in on his right-wing rival, Flávio Bolsonaro, in the 25 October run-off.

The son of former President Jair Bolsonaro won the first round of the presidential election with 47% of the vote, ahead of Lula on 45.2%. Both fell short of the 50% of valid votes needed to stave off a decisive second round.

Opinion polls suggest that the move to cut the working week is very popular, with one nationwide survey finding that almost 70% of Brazilians backed it.

The measure had already passed in the Chamber of Deputies, Brazil's lower house, in May, before senators overwhelmingly backed the measure on Wednesday by 75 votes to one.

Flávio Bolsonaro, who is currently a senator, dropped his previous opposition to the measure and also cast a "yes" vote.

Announcing his change of heart on Tuesday, he argued that he had been swayed by the measure's popularity, commenting: "Most Brazilian workers ‌want to ⁠see the end of the six-day workweek, so I'm going to vote in favour of ending it."

The younger Bolsonaro had earlier denounced the proposal as an "opportunistic" attempt by his presidential rival to appeal to working-class voters.

Before his about-turn, he had said that it should be down to employees and employers to agree on a work schedule, rather than restrictions being imposed by a constitutional amendment.

Lula described Bolsonaro's policy reversal as "electoral opportunism" and celebrated the amendment's approval, saying it would make a real difference to workers.

"It means more time to live, rest, be with family, watch your children grow up, look after yourself and enjoy life," he wrote on social media.

Critics of the measure have warned that it will raise production costs, which will eventually be passed on to the consumer, resulting in higher prices.

But its supporters argue that having two days off a week will allow workers to be better rested and therefore more productive in the hours that they do work.

The change is due to be phased in, with the working week first being shortened to 42 hours after a two-month grace period and then again to 40 hours at a later stage.

The changes will take more than a year to entirely take effect but many of its backers are already celebrating.

Luciana de Almeida, 36, who works six days a week as a cashier in a supermarket, said it would "make a lot of difference" to her life.

The single mother, who lives in Rio de Janeiro, said she has been missing out on time with her three children as the only day off she had was usually spent doing domestic chores.

"My body, and my mind in particular, are very tired," she told BBC Brasil.

"I need time with my daughters, have some leisure time, or even just some time resting at home."

Man with suitcase full of snakes stopped at German airport

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cke8r2lpm992o, 4 days ago

A man has been stopped at Cologne Bonn Airport in Germany after trying to smuggle in more than 90 lizards and venomous snakes.

Customs officials said the 45-year-old Mexican firefighter had looked "conspicuously nervous" as he tried to go through the green - nothing to declare - exit at the airport.

They conducted a drugs test on the man - which came back positive for cocaine - before proceeding to check his suitcase.

They did not find any drugs, but vipers, rattlesnakes and other species of snakes and lizards, including iguanas, hidden in shampoo and cream bottles, plastic containers and balls of socks.

"My colleagues at the airport are used to a lot when it comes to souvenirs in suitcases, but we've never had 37 live venomous snakes and 55 lizards from Mexico before," said Jens Ahland, spokesman for the Cologne Customs office.

Some were being kept "in inhumane conditions", Ahland said. Others had died during the journey from Mexico City via Istanbul.

The man, who has not been named, told officers that he had brought the animals back as a favour for a Brazilian acquaintance.

He was denied entry to Germany and flown back to Istanbul.

As for the surviving animals, they are being looked after at a snake farm in Germany.

"Last year, we had over 1,300 seizures nationwide involving more than 56,600 protected animals and plants or products made from them," the Customs spokesman said.

Six years ago, 26 rare reptiles - 10 of them dead - smuggled inside parcels of toys and sweets from Mexico, were found by customs officials at Cologne Bonn Airport.

They were destined for private buyers in Germany.

Maduro pleads not guilty to new torture-related charges in New York

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqwyrn1l74zro, 4 days ago

Venezuela's former leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, appeared in court on Thursday to plead not guilty to new charges of conspiracy to commit torture.

The US government initially accused Maduro of narco-terrorism, drug trafficking and weapons-related offenses, before adding new charges against him and Flores last week.

Maduro and Flores were captured in January during a US military raid, after which they were taken to New York, where they remain in jail.

The couple has pleaded not guilty to the allegations and both have argued to have the case thrown out on the grounds that they qualify for sovereign immunity. Their trial is scheduled for June 2027.

In a new indictment last week, government prosecutors alleged Maduro and Flores "created and maintained a violent system of repression" that saw "thousands of Venezuelans" killed, harassed, and tortured.

Nicolas Maduro denied the new charges brought against him by the US government, telling a court on Thursday he denied the "false accusations and false testimony against me."

"I reject this document entirely," Maduro said in Spanish through a translator.

Judge Alvin Hellerstein interrupted Maduro, and declared the court would enter a plea of not guilty for Maduro.

"I am completely innocent. I am not guilty," Flores said through a translator.

Maduro and Flores wore beige jail uniforms and both appear to have lost weight during their detention in Brooklyn.

The alleged torture methods included "electric shock, asphyxiation, rape, forced nudity, prolonged isolation, starvation, punishment cells, and psychological torture", the indictment states.

The US also accused Maduro of authorising the use of torture "against specific individuals" and alleges US citizens were tortured under this system.

Prosecutors already have accused Maduro, his wife and son, and their accomplices of engaging in a cocaine-trafficking conspiracy and partnering with cartels designated as terrorist groups.

Maduro previously called such charges a tool to further "imperial" plans for getting access to Venezuela's rich oil reserves.

He and his wife's lawyers have argued that Maduro is the leader of a sovereign country and therefore immune from prosecution. They contend the US taking him by force is illegal.

Flores unsuccessfully petitioned a judge to allow her to be released on bond while she awaited trial, arguing she had heart problems and other health issues while detained at the notorious Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

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Film shares 'rich tapestry' of Windrush children's lives

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckvg6njz9z4zo, 9 days ago

The untold stories of children born from the Windrush generation have become the centrepiece of a documentary.

First Born Second: Voices of the Children of the Windrush Era focuses on seven Bristol voices on what it meant to grow up black and British in the 1970s and 1980s.

Film co-producer and project curator Roger Griffith MBE said he wanted to champion those pioneering parents, while sharing how their children grew up in the "rich tapestry" of a Bristolian, British, black experience while overcoming "racism, institutional discrimination and a clash of cultures".

Broadcaster Sherrie Eugene-Hart shares her story and said she hoped people were left with a sense of pride, hope and achievement.

The Windrush generation was invited to come from the Caribbean to the UK to help rebuild post-war Britain.

Several hundred people who migrated were Jamaican, but others arrived from islands including Trinidad, St Lucia, Grenada and Barbados - many of whom travelled on the HMT Empire Windrush.

The boat has since became a symbol of a wider mass-migration movement.

"There was a lot of joy growing up - when any celebration happened everybody was invited," Eugene-Hart said.

"It's something I'll always cherish.

"We didn't really see the negative side of life until we grew up, so while we were young and impressionable and naive, that's how our parents wanted it to be - they were protective."

Eugene-Hart said her parents did not always want to share their unhappy stories of being chased by Teddy Boys - a 1950s mostly white British youth subculture, some of whose members became perpetrators of racial violence - and of being refused jobs.

"I think it's very hurtful for everybody," she said.

Griffith said his generation had a very Bristolian, British, black experience, which he called "a rich tapestry" of "triumph, tragedy and joy".

"Our parents were pioneers, but we were pioneers in a different way because we had to grow up in those two cultures - being black and British," he said.

"I'm really overwhelmed," he said, adding the film was "something I've been thinking about for a while in my own research".

Director Michelle Pascal said the "untold" stories people had shared with them revealed a much bigger picture of their "resilience, belonging and change".

She said: "Many of the people that we approached to film have had brilliant careers. These are people that I've looked up to.

"The thing that connected us a lot was the household - the Caribbean front room that you couldn't go into.

"There are items that we all shared - the glass fish that were in all the Caribbean homes. They popped up in the film."

Griffith said watching Pascal's directorial "talent flourish and seeing her bringing it to the screen was just moving".

Eugene-Hart and Beverly Douglas, who was also in the film, have recreated their version of the Caribbean home in a separate exhibition called Dominican Front Room, which can be visited at the Undershed before going into the screening.

First Born Second: Voices of the Children of the Windrush Era premieres at the Watershed in Bristol on 29 October.

Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.

Mexican gang kidnaps officials to force detained member's release

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5zjxnm1y02po, 6 days ago

A Mexican gang seized three officials in the central state of Morelos on Monday in order to force authorities to release one of the gang's high-ranking members, who had been detained hours earlier.

The attorney-general's office in Morelos said it had arrested a member of the Pueblos Unidos criminal gang, after carrying out a raid as part of its fight against extortion.

Pueblos Unidos retaliated by capturing three people employed by the attorney-general's office and holding them hostage.

In a statement, the office said that it released the detained suspect in order to safeguard the lives of its staff, but stressed that the kidnapping of its employees would not go unpunished.

The gang released all three employees on Monday evening local time, the statement added. One was taken to hospital with a gunshot wound but was in a stable condition.

The decision to release the detained gang member followed official guidelines, which say the lives of kidnap victims have to be put first, according to the statement.

Criminal gangs in Mexico often unleash a wave of violence in an attempt to force a release after one of their leaders is arrested.

In 2019, hundreds of gunmen from the Sinaloa cartel flooded into the city of Culiacán in northern Mexico following the arrest of Ovidio Guzmán, the son of the cartel's infamous founder, Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.

They erected burning roadblocks and engaged in deadly gunfights with security forces.

The violence was such that the president at the time, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, personally ordered the release of Ovidio Guzmán.

López Obrador said that he had given the order "so as not to put the population at risk".

"The capture of a criminal is not worth more than people's lives," he added.

Guzmán was recaptured in 2023 and extradited to the United States.

More recently, the killing of one Mexico's most wanted criminals, Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera, in February of this year triggered retaliatory attacks from his cartel in 20 Mexican states.

President Claudia Sheinbaum deployed thousands of soldiers to the states affected to quell the violence.

US detains man accused in multi-billion Venezuelan money laundering scheme

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crp3gy0x0dd1o, 7 days ago

A Colombian man wanted for allegedly laundering money that had been illegally syphoned off a Venezuelan government welfare plan has been detained in the United States.

The US Department of Justice said Álvaro Pulido, 62, had been arrested during a Homeland Security Task Force operation on Sunday, but did not provide further details as to how he ended up in US custody.

Pulido had been in jail in Venezuela since March 2023 accused of diverting profits from the state-run oil company PDVSA.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and State Department had been offering a reward of $10m (£7.5m) for information leading to his arrest.

He is due to appear in court on Tuesday, according to a statement released by the US Attorney's Office.

Pulido's arrest comes just two months after Alex Saab, another Colombian businessman with close ties to the Venezuelan government, pleaded guilty to money laundering charges in a US court.

The US State Attorney's Office said that Pulido had been charged in two separate federal indictments "involving the alleged laundering of more than $2bn (£1.5bn) in connection with Venezuelan government bribery schemes".

US prosecutors say Pulido, along with four other co-defendants, bribed Venezuelan government officials to secure contracts to provide poor Venezuelans with food and medicine.

They accuse Pulido of wildly overcharging the Venezuelan government and laundering the profits through bank accounts abroad, including in the US.

They also allege that Pulido worked with Alex Saab to launder $350m from a separate bribery scheme involving Venezuela's currency exchange system using bank accounts in Florida.

Until recently, Saab was a powerful figure in the Venezuelan government with close ties to the then-leader, Nicolás Maduro, who named him minister of industry in 2024.

However, after Maduro was seized by US forces in a raid on Caracas in January and taken to New York to stand trial on drug-trafficking charges, Saab's fate quickly changed.

Less than two weeks after Maduro was seized, the new US-backed interim government of Venezuela sacked Saab from his post as minister, and in May it extradited him to the US.

Last month, Saab pleaded guilty to money laundering charges.

Powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake hits Panama, damaging buildings

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c620r39zdp9wo, 10 days ago

A massive magnitude 7.7 earthquake has hit Panama, damaging buildings and causing widespread shaking.

About 4.6 million people felt moderate to severe tremors as a result of the quake, according to the US Geological Survey, which has said that the effects of the quake were "likely to be widespread".

It struck just before 15:00 local time (20:00 GMT) on Friday, with an epicentre about 6.2 miles (10km) from the town of Pitaloza Arriba in south-central Panama.

Footage shared online appears to show collapsed buildings in the towns of Penonomé and Soná, including one of a man calling out to anyone trapped under the rubble of a collapsed building. No casualties have so far been reported.

Verified footage shows one side of a cathedral in Penonomé collapsed due to the shaking, as well as one of its spires.

Another video showed a local hotel had almost completely collapsed.

Ricardo Brown, who lives in the southern Herrera province, told news agency Reuters that the earthquake had damaged several homes in his neighbourhood of Las Minas.

"We're scared. It's just the two of us old folks here. The house has cracked and we're afraid it could fall on us," the 74-year-old said.

The full extent of the damage it has caused is not yet clear, though several large aftershocks were also reported near the initial earthquake, potentially complicating the situation on the surface.

The quake was registered as occurring at a depth of just 12km. The shallower the earthquake, the more likely it is to have more severe effects on the surface.

Many people were evacuated from buildings in Panama City, about 200km from the epicentre, and were seen taking to the streets or sitting in nearby parks until the shaking had ceased.

Damage in the capital appears to be limited to that caused by debris falling from roofs.

Panama's President José Raúl Mulino said his entire government was mobilising in response to the earthquake, adding: "What happened should not be used to cause alarm or disorder."

Tsunami warnings were initially issued for 11 countries neighbouring Panama, before the US Tsunami Warning System confirmed there was no threat.

The Panama Canal - a vital waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans - was unaffected by the earthquake, the authority that oversees marine traffic through it said.

The earthquake comes just three days before Panama was scheduled to hold a national evacuation drill for dealing with a major earthquake.

It also follows devastating earthquakes in Colombia and Venezuela earlier this year.

Man named Hitler Mussolini elected mayor in Peru

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmdxwn9dr42yo, 10 days ago

A man named Hitler Mussolini Simeon Flores has secured a narrow victory in Peru's local elections, exit polls show.

The candidate for the centre-left Ahora Nación party was elected mayor of Queropalca, a remote district in the Peruvian Andes.

Some 229 residents voted for the 45-year-old, putting him ahead of the second-place candidate from right-wing Renovación Popular Perú by just 25 votes.

Despite being elected to represent fewer than 1,000 people, his forenames being those of two notorious fascist dictators has drawn outsized international attention to the small corner of the country.

Data from Peru's elections office showed a little over 700 people had participated in the election, with Simeon securing around 34% of the vote.

He was born in the district in the central department of Huánuco, some 360km (224 miles) from the capital, Lima, according to his candidate profile.

That he shares his name with Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini - "two of the most well-known figures of 20th-Century European totalitarian regimes" - has made his candidacy a "striking event", local outlet Peru21 reported.

Despite the curiosity generated by his name, local media noted that Hitler Guesclin Alba Sánchez had been elected mayor of Yúngar in 2018.

He reportedly beat rival candidate Lenin Vladimir Rodríguez Valverde after campaigning on the slogan "I'm the good Hitler".

A politician named Adolf Hitler Uunona attracted similar attention in 2020 after winning local elections in Namibia - a former German colony where Adolf and other Germanic first names are not uncommon.

Residents airlifted to safety after flooding in central Chile

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ck5yn8jn677vo, 11 days ago

Police in central Chile have airlifted several residents to safety after rising floodwaters left them trapped in their homes.

Recent torrential rains caused the Mapocho river to burst its banks, flooding large parts of the city of Talagante, 35km (22 miles) south-west of the capital, Santiago.

Santiago has seen 74mm of rainfall in the first seven days of this month, making it the rainiest October for the area in 76 years, meteorologists have said.

They have warned that this year's unusually strong El Niño climate phenomenon will likely continue to bring unusually wet weather, powerful winds and storms to the region during the southern hemisphere's spring.

Officials said one person had been found dead in a flooded underpass in the city of San Bernardo, south of Santiago, although they have yet to confirm the cause of death.

In Talagante, police used helicopters to rescue people and pets living on the banks of the Mapocho who had been surprised by the fast-rising waters overnight.

Dirt roads turned into rivers in the riverside community which, unlike in July's storms, had not been evacuated ahead of the heavy downpours.

Climate experts have warned that the 2026-2027 El Niño is likely to cause major shifts in weather patterns around the world, intensifying droughts in some areas and floods in others.

In central Chile, it is expected to trigger above-average rainfall.

Israeli police arrest 10 over settler attacks on journalist and diplomats in West Bank

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqn7323p0dxyo, today

Israeli police say they have arrested 10 suspects in the occupied West Bank after attacks by settlers on an American journalist and European diplomats last week.

The unnamed suspects were detained at several locations on suspicion of acts of violence, violating a closed military zone order and illegal construction, according to a statement. Potential evidence and vehicles were also seized.

On Friday, masked Israeli settlers beat and severely injured Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine as she covered an olive harvest in the Palestinian village of Abu Falah.

A day later, diplomats from Belgium, France, Poland and the Catholic Church were attacked by masked settlers in nearby Taybeh.

The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, welcomed the arrests.

"A very positive development in finding & punishing those who severely attacked and beat Heidi Levine," he wrote on X.

Settler violence in the West Bank is at an all-time high, according to UN records. However, it has escalated dramatically during this year's olive harvest, which is essential to Palestinian livelihoods.

The Israeli human rights group Yesh Din said on Sunday that it had logged 269 incidents of violence directly related to the olive harvest over the previous 20 days.

They included 98 cases of violence and physical assaults against harvesters, as well as crop thefts, and the damaging and burning of olive trees.

A BBC team witnessed one of several settler attacks during an olive harvest near Khirbet Abu Falah on Friday, which a local official said injured 12 Palestinians, including four dual Palestinian-American citizens, as well as Heidi Levine.

The veteran photojournalist, who was wearing a flak jacket clearly marked "PRESS" on the front and back, said she was knocked to the ground by a group of settlers, kicked repeatedly, and stripped of her cameras and phone.

She suffered four broken vertebrae, a broken rib and lacerations across her body. She required surgery on a finger that was ripped open.

In a telephone interview with the BBC's Today programme from her hospital bed in central Israel on Monday, Levine said it "could have been a lot worse".

"We [journalists] don't always want to wear flak jackets and helmets - it's heavy, it can be a pain when other people aren't wearing them, you feel kind of silly - but we all did and I'm grateful for that."

"I think I would have suffered more serious injuries for sure, especially [to] my head. I tried to keep my face to the ground as much as I possibly could so that protected it... I don't guess, but I know that I'm actually really, really lucky."

Huckabee called the attack on Levine a "despicable act of terror carried out by masked cowards" and said they should spend years in prison.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Donald Trump "does not want to see friction or a crisis in the West Bank".

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he had told Levine that the "despicable behaviour of the perpetrators of this attack does not represent the citizens or the values of the State of Israel".

On Saturday, a delegation of Belgian, French, Polish and Catholic Church envoys visited Taybeh, about 6km (4 miles) to the south of Abu Falah, to watch an olive harvest.

Belgium's Foreign Minister, Maxime Prevot, said a car from its consulate was damaged and that a French mayor, Bernard Baudoux, was assaulted.

Video from the scene showed masked settlers confronting the convoy and a man wearing a French tricolour sash slumped beside a vehicle. Reports suggested that stones were thrown.

Prevot condemned the attack in the strongest terms and said that Israel, as the occupying power, had to protect Palestinians, ensure the safety of diplomats and journalists, and bring those responsible to justice.

The European Union also demanded "full accountability".

Despite the international condemnation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office questioned the video evidence and testimony from the incidents in Abu Falah and Taybeh.

It described them as "alleged" attacks and said they came amid what it called a "co-ordinated campaign to smear Israel" and West Bank settlers.

"I've had the president of Israel call me, and he was very, very sweet. He called the attackers thugs, promised to do everything in his power to have them arrested," Levine told the BBC.

"I was just reading another article regarding the prime minister's response, and it's shocking to me. It's a big slap on my face."

She said Netanyahu should have sent a "clear message" telling settlers to end their attacks, "instead of the message that I feel was presented, which is... 'Keep at it.'"

Israel has built about 160 settlements housing 700,000 Jews since it occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem - land Palestinians want, along with Gaza, for a future state - during the 1967 Middle East war. An estimated 3.3 million Palestinians live alongside them.

The settlements are illegal under international law.

At least 96 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank since the start of the year, according to the UN's figures. Twenty-five of those deaths have occurred in the context of settler attacks.

Four Israelis, both security forces and civilians, have been killed by Palestinians in the West Bank over the same period, the UN says.

Israel's police commissioner, Daniel Levy, said the law applied to everyone in the West Bank, "regardless of identity or affiliation".

However, prosecutions of Israeli settlers accused of attacking Palestinians are rare.

Between 2005 and 2025, more than 93% of Israeli police investigations into ideologically-motivated offences committed by Israelis against Palestinians in the West Bank ended without an indictment, according to Yesh Din.

Ship attack reports near Hormuz reach record high as oil exports slow

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmde8dpg8g0no, 3 days ago

The number of ships that have reported being attacked in and around the Strait of Hormuz has hit a record high, BBC Verify analysis of data from a UK maritime agency shows.

Twelve vessels were attacked between 5 and 11 October - the largest number of weekly strikes reported to the UK's Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency since the US-Israeli war with Iran began. The previous week saw 10 ships reporting attacks.

Six of the vessels were struck last Sunday, according to the UKMTO - a one-day high. So far this week, there have been four reported attacks.

As the number of strikes has risen, the recovery in oil shipments through the strait seen last month has slowed, industry data suggests.

BBC Verify collated incident reports published by the UKMTO on its website and created a timeline based on the first date cited in each report. This is approximate because some incidents use the date of the attack and some the date on which it was reported.

Experts say Tehran has been attacking ships in an effort to assert greater control over the waterway as the US military has increased the number of tankers it is shepherding through the south of the strait to evade Iranian strikes.

Iran is also carrying out more attacks on vessels further away from the Strait of Hormuz, according to experts.

The US military's Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East, posted on social media that despite the attacks "commercial traffic continues to flow through the Strait of Hormuz with co-ordinated protection from US forces and regional partners".

Two crew missing after one of Sunday's attacks

The aftermath of one of Sunday's six reported attacks was captured in verified footage showing the Nicaragua-flagged tanker Petro Dolphin on fire, as filmed by the crew on a smaller boat nearby.

The vessel was struck by a drone close to the Sohar Anchorage, Oman, more than 250km (150 miles) from the strait, according to the maritime intelligence firm Vanguard.

Eleven Indian seafarers were rescued but two are still missing, the Forward Seamen's Union of India said.

Attacks have continued this week with the container ship GFS Pride sinking after a strike by an unknown projectile in the strait on Tuesday. Twenty-one crew were safely evacuated.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) published footage of what appeared to be the same ship sinking. It said the vessel was carrying "2,500 containers of contraband" and had taken an "unauthorised route".

Oil shipments stall

Middle East oil exports have slowed as the number of ship strikes has risen.

About 12.6 million barrels per day went through the strait on 13 October, below the 15 million reported at the end of September, data from trade intelligence firm Kpler shows. This compares with a pre-war baseline of some 17 million barrels per day.

The recent increase in attacks comes as US Navy data indicates the number of vessels given assistance to navigate the Strait of Hormuz during the first 10 days of October was up 85% compared with the same period in August.

Most of the oil being shipped from Gulf Arab states recently has been carried using a "shuttle" system where a fleet of tankers load up and sail through the strait before transferring their cargo to larger tankers in the Gulf of Oman.

These shuttle ships use a route close to Oman's coastline. Iran says this is "unauthorised" and insist vessels take an alternative route closer to its own shore.

So-called assisted transits were a key factor in helping drive oil flows from the Middle East back towards pre-war levels in September. This does not include Iranian exports which have completely stalled as a result of the US blockade of Iranian ports and ships.

Martin Kelly, CEO of Orbital Risk Intelligence, said Iran has "evolved its strategy" in response to this loosening of its control over the strait and has been carrying out "near daily or multiple attacks every single day".

"The aim here is to stop the ships going through and to deter others," he added.

The IRGC's navy has said strikes would not be "limited to the Strait of Hormuz" and later announced a "new deployment formation" across the region, according to state media.

Martin Kelly told BBC Verify that Iran is widening its attacks and targeting ships near the coast of Gulf Arab states and in the Gulf of Oman.

A tanker was struck by multiple projectiles north of Qatar on Thursday 8 October, more than 500km (310 miles) from the strait, resulting in multiple reported casualties, according to Vanguard.

Another tanker was attacked close to the UAE town of Al-Jazirah al-Hamra on Friday 9 October, Vanguard said.

Verified footage later showed crew members running across the deck and putting on lifejackets as a large cloud of black smoke rose over the ship.

Additional reporting by Becky Dale

Graphics by Tom Shiel and Mark Edwards

European diplomats attacked by Israeli settlers in West Bank

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c962ydpmjm3zo, yesterday

A delegation of European diplomats has been attacked by masked Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.

Belgium condemned the assault on its consul general and the other envoys, while France decried the attack as "appalling". Both called for Israel to bring those responsible to justice.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also condemned what they called "the severe act of violence" and said they were investigating.

But the office of the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cast doubt on what happened, suggesting it was part of a "co-ordinated campaign to smear Israel".

The attack came only a day after a number of Palestinians and Heidi Levine, a Washington Post photographer, were injured in a separate assault by settlers in another village in the West Bank.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the attack on Levine was "disturbing" and "not a good look".

It was also condemned by the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who called it a "despicable act of terror carried out by masked cowards". A staunch ally of Israel, Huckabee said the assailants must face "prosecution to the fullest extent of the law".

In Saturday's incident, the European diplomats - from Belgium, France, Poland and the Catholic Church - had come to the largely Christian village of Taybeh near Ramallah.

They were there to assess the situation on the ground after almost near daily attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians trying to bring in their olive harvest.

Video footage from the scene showed masked settlers confronting the convoy. Reports suggest stones were thrown.

The Belgian authorities said a car from its consulate had a window smashed and a French mayor was assaulted. Video showed a man wearing a French tricolor sash slumped beside a vehicle.

Belgium's foreign minister Maxime Prevot condemned the attack and said Israel had a responsibility to bring those responsible to justice, as well as ensuring the safety of diplomats, journalists and Palestinians.

"Palestinians face this violence every day. Settlers also target journalists reporting on it and diplomats. Harvesting olives, reporting the news or carrying out diplomatic duties should never put anyone at risk of attack," he said.

He also said Belgium will continue to press for EU sanctions against those responsible for the violence.

France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot echoed those sentiments, calling on Israeli authorities to "urgently halt this criminal violence and guarantee the safety of civilian populations".

Poland's foreign affairs ministry also called for a "firm response" from Israeli authorities and for "an end to the spiral of violence in the West Bank".

The EU condemned the attacks, urged Israel to abide by international and human rights law, and end the expansion of settlements.

A spokesperson said that while they acknowledged some Israeli officials had condemned the attacks, they said they still expect "full accountability as well as effective measures" to stop the continued violence against Palestinians and journalists.

Gideon Sa'ar, Israel's foreign minister, said he strongly condemned the violence by what he called "Israeli rioters". He said the foreign ministry was in contact with the ambassadors of the countries involved.

But he added: "Without detracting from the severity of the incident, it is unfortunate that the visit was not coordinated with the IDF in advance. Such coordination could have helped safeguard the visitors' security."

The IDF said they "strongly condemn the severe act of violence that took place in the area of Taybeh, during which diplomatic representatives were attacked by Israeli rioters."

"According to a preliminary inquiry, no IDF soldiers were present at the scene at the time of the attack," they added.

But Netanyahu's office urged "caution before drawing conclusions" from reports about the attack.

It said the images on social media "do not establish the complete sequence of events or individual responsibility".

A statement continued: "Those circumstances remain under investigation. Israeli police and forensic investigators have launched an investigation to establish the facts and identify those responsible."

It added that "these reports come amid concerns about a coordinated campaign to smear Israel and the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria during the annual olive harvest, relying on sensational headlines before the full facts emerge".

Netanyahu's office named the injured French official as Bernard Baudoux. The left-wing mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries in northern France told the AFP news agency the attack showed a tolerance by Israel's right-wing government for settler violence.

The mayor said the settlers kicked him and beat him with iron bars, throwing him to the ground.

"It's the gratuitous nature of the violence that stuns me," he said. "They arrived completely enraged."

"The whole world needs to know what's happening there. For me, I'll go back to my country and everything will be fine. Those who continue to suffer the most are those who are here," he said.

Palestinians and US journalist injured by Israeli settlers in West Bank harvest attack

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c65ynk7212vqo, 3 days ago

Dozens of masked settlers have attacked Palestinians and set fire to cars and olive trees during the annual olive harvest in the occupied West Bank.

A BBC team witnessed one of several attacks in farmland near the Palestinian village of Abu Falah. A local official said the attacks had injured 12 Palestinians, including four dual Palestinian American citizens. A foreign journalist was also among those hurt.

Driving into the area early in the morning, we came across the first signs of the violence: a stream of cars carrying wounded Palestinian olive farmers racing out along the narrow stony track, piled high with olive picking equipment, as smoke rose from several fires nearby.

The bloodied face of Majdi Fheed peered out from the backseat of one car.

"We were getting our olive trees and almost 15 Jewish guys … started attacking us with guns, with rocks, with special weapons. They hit me on my head [and] my neck – look, I am bleeding!"

Yaser AlKam, a council member from the neighbouring village of Turmus Aya told me Majdi - an American citizen - was attacked by settlers with nail-studded sticks, and needed treatment for deep wounds on his head. His elderly mother was also injured.

Another man ferrying the injured to hospital told us that settlers had attacked them with sticks while they harvested their olives, and had burned three cars – including one of his own.

"As soon as we got to the land and put our things on the ground, they started to come, so we ran away" said a woman next to him.

Asked about the violence, a US State Department spokesperson said they were aware of the reports.

"We condemn criminal violence by any party in the West Bank and call for investigations, arrests, and convictions, of those responsible," the spokesperson said.

Watching the vehicles stream past her, 73-year-old Imm Khaldoun told me emphatically that, no matter what happened, she would always return to her land. "This is my land. It's my right [to be here]" she told me.

The UN says the past two weeks have already seen more attacks by violent Israeli settlers than during the entire harvest season last year.

Olive picking in the West Bank is now a test of speed, with trees rapidly stripped of fruit as soon as the sun rises, before violent Israeli settlers attack.

In another olive orchard nearby, we watched as dozens of farmers used power-tools to strip the trees as fast as they could – one eye on the ridge above us, where a group of settlers at a new illegal outpost had already gathered, and were watching the olive harvest below.

Standing on ladders, the Palestinian farmers worked quickly, sending streams of olives onto the plastic sheets laid out under the trees. Three villages had come together to harvest these olives, the landowner Amin Khalil, told me, as a form of protection against attack. He said his land was now surrounded by seven Jewish settlements and outposts.

All Israeli settlements are illegal under international law. Outposts – small encampments on hilltops – are illegal under Israeli law as well, but many still receive state support.

"This is a hotspot – there are seven settlements around here," Amin Khalil told me. "This year, all the people came together because when there are just a few people working alone at the edge of the village, the settlers attack. So all the families are working together today."

But the tactic doesn't work today. As we watch, dozens of settlers, all dressed in black, begin moving down the hill towards us, setting fire to several groups of olive trees.

There are shouts of panic from the Palestinian farmers, yelling for children to get out of the field. Some begin swiftly wrapping up the olives to leave.

But with large numbers of people on both sides, the confrontation stalls into an uneasy stalemate. We see settlers with slingshots hurl stones towards us, and young Palestinian men running to throw stones in return.

As Israeli forces arrive, the standoff explodes into action. Settlers begin running down towards us as the farmers swiftly retreat. Some Palestinians set off fireworks to try and push the settlers back.

American journalist Heidi Levine of the Washington Post was injured in the attack. She described how dozens of settlers ambushed her as she was reporting at the scene.

"I got jumped," she said. "I was on the ground and they were kicking me and I was trying to hold onto my camera and my bag. I had my helmet and flak jacket on which protected me. They made me stand up and they kicked me again, and this went on for at least 10 minutes."

In a statement, Washington Post executive editor Matt Murray said Levine had been clearly identifiable as a journalist.

"We are outraged by this unwarranted attack on a journalist doing her job and urge a thorough investigation and follow-through from authorities," he said.

Despite the video evidence and testimony, the Israeli prime minister's office said the facts remained unclear and were under investigation.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said personnel had been despatched to the area "following a report of a violent confrontation". It said a female journalist had been injured during the confrontation. And that "all circumstances" surrounding the incident would be examined.

As the farmers retreated, the sound of live ammunition cracked across the fields. It was unclear if settlers or Israeli forces were firing.

Minutes later, Israeli forces began firing tear gas into the Palestinian fields to end the confrontation – a well-worn Israeli pattern of managing these conflicts.

The UN says settler attacks on the olive harvest this year have so far killed one Palestinian and injured more than 120 others across the West Bank.

Illegal Jewish outposts have mushroomed here over the past few years, clustering in closer around Palestinian olive groves.

What we witnessed was part of a pattern being repeated day after day, as settler outposts here increase.

The yearly olive harvest has become a litmus test of how the policies of Israel's fiercely pro-settlement government are affecting Palestinians here, by presiding over growing violence by extremist settlers, and fuelling Jewish claims to the land.

Houthi missile attack on Yemeni presidential palace kills five, minister says

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm62y6lp73zdo, 4 days ago

Five people have been killed and 16 injured in a Houthi missile attack targeting the presidential palace in the port city of Aden in southern Yemen, which is the seat of the internationally-recognised government, officials say.

Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani told the BBC that the prime minister and other ministers were unhurt when five ballistic missiles hit al-Maashiq Palace.

The Houthis' military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, said they struck "the Saudi enemy's military operations headquarters in Aden".

A coalition led by Saudi Arabia backs the government and is providing air support for an offensive by pro-government forces against the Iran-backed Houthis.

Yemeni health minister Qasim Buhaibeh said the casualties included "those working to guard the site and civilian employees".

The country's Prime Minister Shaya Zindani condemned the Houthis' attack on Aden, calling it "cowardly" and a "continuation of their criminal behaviour".

He said the government continued to carry out its duties and vowed that it would not weaken the resolve of its forces to continue operations against the Houthis on Yemen's south-western Red Sea coast and other front lines.

Earlier, the Houthis denied that they had attacked Saudi Arabia on Thursday, after the coalition said its forces had intercepted a cruise missile in the Medina region, home to one of Islam's holiest shrines.

The Houthis have been launching missiles and drones at airports, oil and gas facilities, and military bases in Saudi Arabia in retaliation for the strikes on the territory that they control in western Yemen, including the capital Sanaa.

On Saturday, a Houthi missile strike killed 13 people at Riyadh's international airport, which was the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade.

Saudi Arabia's deputy foreign minister accused Iran of encouraging the Houthis to escalate their conflict with the kingdom.

"Iran continues to arm, train and support the Houthi militia in violation of UN Security Council resolutions," Rayed Krimly told reporters, according to AFP news agency.

"We think that the escalation by the Houthis at this latest stage of the conflict is encouraged by Iran," he added.

There was no immediate response from Iran's government. However, it has previously denied supplying weapons to the Houthis and said it only supports them politically.

Iran's foreign minister has also said it is ready to provide "any assistance necessary to facilitate the start of talks" between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.

Yemen has been devastated by a civil war that began in 2014, when the Houthis ousted the internationally-recognised government from Sanaa. The conflict escalated in 2015, after the Saudi-led coalition of Arab states intervened in an attempt to restore the government's rule.

A four-year-old informal ceasefire began to unravel in July, when the Houthis announced a "maritime embargo" against Saudi Arabia and began missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports, oil facilities and tankers in the Red Sea.

The Houthis said they were retaliating for what they call a Saudi blockade of their territory, as well as an air strike on Sanaa airport that they blamed on the kingdom.

The conflict escalated in September after the Houthis seized part of Yemen's south-western Red Sea coast near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a chokepoint for global shipping. Their advance contributed to a rise in oil prices following six months of war between the US, Israel and Iran.

Last week, pro-government forces said they had regained control of territory overlooking Bab al-Mandab after launching a major counter-offensive with the support of Saudi air strikes.

At least 1,282 people have been killed and 5,890 injured in the fighting in Yemen since 6 August, according to the government's health ministry.

The UN says another 201,000 people have been displaced and that there has been an alarming surge in suspected cholera cases.

Hundreds of IDF investigations into killings still have no public outcome, BBC Verify finds

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c574e228vlygo, 4 days ago

BBC Verify has identified 254 incidents in which the Israeli military has been accused of killing or injuring people in Gaza, Lebanon, the occupied West Bank and Israel that it said it was investigating, but have no public outcome.

Using purpose-built AI tools, BBC Verify combed through more than 60,000 news reports and examined hundreds of incidents in which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) faced allegations of harm since the start of the Gaza war. Following extensive manual checking of each incident, we found 300 cases that the military said it was looking into, only 28 of which had outcomes published on the IDF website. For a further 18 incidents it was unclear if the investigation has been concluded.

BBC Verify approached the IDF about each case multiple times but only received information on two incidents, which the IDF said are still under review. "The IDF takes every allegation or report raising concerns about conduct that may be inconsistent with the law or IDF directives with the utmost seriousness," it said in a statement.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which works in warzones to uphold the Geneva Conventions, publishes guidelines that state investigations into potential violations of international humanitarian law, whether criminal or otherwise, should be as transparent as possible.

Of the 254 incidents identified by BBC Verify, 158 occurred in Gaza, 48 in the West Bank and 32 in Lebanon. A further 16 took place in Israel or in IDF detention. All happened between 7 October 2023 and 19 August 2026, and at least one person was reportedly killed in more than 200 of them.

Some of the incidents without public outcomes date back to late 2023. One of the deadliest cases involved a strike on a school building in Gaza in August 2024 when at least 93 people were reportedly killed, including six women and 11 children.

For three years, the Israeli military has often responded to accusations of harm by stating an incident is being investigated in some form, for example that it is being "looked into", "reviewed", "checked" or "examined". Often, that is the last that is heard about a case.

A number of incidents have been escalated for criminal investigation by the IDF. Two that came under intense public scrutiny involved the killings of five-year-old Hind Rajab, and of 15 Palestinian Red Crescent emergency workers who were shot more than 100 times and allegedly targeted at close range.

How does the IDF investigate incidents?

The results of IDF military investigations are not routinely made public, including those leading to criminal investigations of its soldiers.

A number that have been published relate to hostages in Gaza who were allegedly killed as a result of Israeli operations. In some cases, the military has only announced it is investigating an incident after being approached by BBC Verify or other media organisations.

In August, the IDF published a rare report detailing internal probes into five incidents in Gaza, including the killings of Hind Rajab and the 15 Palestinian emergency workers, which it revealed had been escalated to criminal investigations.

In the three other cases, which involved the killings of seven aid workers from the World Central Kitchen (WCK) in an air strike and the killing of four Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) aid workers in two separate Gaza attacks, the IDF said it did not find a basis for or reasonable suspicion to begin a criminal investigation.

The report also stated Israel's General Staff Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism (FFAM), which handles IDF investigations into "exceptional operational incidents", had completed the review of approximately 150 cases since the start of the war.

These cases have now been transferred to the IDF's Military Prosecution for examination, according to the report. The IDF did not outline what the 150 incidents were, and did not clarify whether they were separate to the cases identified by BBC Verify when asked.

Despite multiple requests, the IDF has not provided a transparent breakdown of the status of the 300 investigations identified by BBC Verify.

In a statement, the IDF said it "publishes information regarding the outcomes of investigations and examinations when possible, subject to legal and operational considerations, as well as restrictions relating to privacy and information security".

It added that certain incidents are examined through command-level operational reviews, which are "intended to establish the sequence of events, identify failures and draw lessons for the purpose of improving operational conduct and taking any necessary command measures".

The IDF also said that during the war it has taken disciplinary action in dozens of cases against soldiers who failed to meet the standards expected of them and acted contrary to IDF directives, including being removed from combat positions and from reserve service.

Freedom of Information data obtained by Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights group, showed that between October 2023 and August 2024 at least 1,456 Gaza-related incidents were referred to the FFAM. Twelve of these reviews were completed and referred to the Military Advocate General (MAG) Corps, two of which resulted in criminal investigations.

Dan Owen, a researcher at Yesh Din which has been monitoring military investigations since 2006, told BBC Verify that he believes the IDF will often try to "prolong" investigations. "They try to stretch out these processes to the point where people forget and people don't care about them," he said.

Janina Dill, a professor of international law at the University of Oxford, said that according to the Geneva Conventions a party to armed conflict has a responsibility to "investigate and potentially prosecute its own".

"That's the absolute clear bottom line," she added. "There are also guidelines for investigation, endorsed by the ICRC, so they have some authority. And they emphasise promptness, thoroughness, impartiality."

Eran Shamir-Borer, director of the Center for Security and Democracy at the Israeli Democracy Institute (IDI) and a former top lawyer for the IDF, said there are "genuine challenges" investigating allegations in conflicts Israel is involved in, given the complex combat environments.

"[In] a territory which is hostile, not always under your control, collecting evidence could be very challenging. Lots of forces on the ground, many of them executing fire," he said.

Shamir-Borer added: "The idea of investigating soldiers in the context of a war is never a popular thing to do," which he said is also seen in other law abiding countries.

He added that Israel would only benefit from being more transparent about its investigations, and he would encourage the IDF to be "more forthcoming with information that they are sharing with the public on the progress they are making in investigating various allegations".

Gaza

Since the Hamas-led attacks in Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage, the IDF has carried out extensive military operations in Gaza which it said aimed to bring back the hostages and dismantle Hamas.

More than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since the start of the war, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

BBC Verify has reported on the killing of emergency workers and people trying to access aid inside Gaza, the levelling of thousands of buildings in the strip and incidents of alleged misconduct carried out by Israeli soldiers over the last three years.

Just two months into the war, two women were killed by Israeli troops in the only Catholic church in the territory in December 2023, during an incident that the IDF later said was under review.

A mother, Nahida Anton, and her daughter, Samar Anton, were killed by sniper fire inside the grounds of the Holy Family church in Gaza, according to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

BBC Verify contacted the IDF about the report at the time. The military said that an initial review suggested troops had been operating against a Hamas threat they had identified "in the area of the church". The IDF added that it was "conducting a thorough review of the incident".

In September 2025, BBC Verify asked for an update on the review and was told that the incident was "still being reviewed by the FFAM".

Now, almost three years since Nahida and Samar were killed, the IDF has again said the incident is under review.

Following the latest request for information, the IDF said: "Complex incidents may require considerable time to collect, cross-check, and verify the relevant factual information."

It added: "The IDF does not shorten or forgo examination or investigative procedures in order to meet external timelines."

Deadly attack on school building

One of the deadliest incidents that remains under investigation by the Israeli military is an air strike carried out on a school building in eastern Gaza city in August 2024.

The Hamas-run civil defence agency said at least 93 people, including six women and 11 children, were killed in the strike on the Tabaeen school complex and nearby mosque.

The buildings had been housing displaced Palestinians when multiple Israeli strikes hit the area at the time of dawn prayers. Videos verified by the BBC of the aftermath showed a cloud of dust as emergency workers worked their way through small fires, rubble and body parts strewn on the floor. Photos taken in daylight showed blood-soaked floors, debris and people's clothes scattered around.

Experts told BBC Verify munition fragments visible at the scene matched that of a GBU-39 - a precision-guided bomb supplied by the US to the Israeli military.

The IDF at the time said a Hamas command and control centre had been embedded in the school building, and that IDF soldiers killed 31 fighters in the incident. It added that according to an "initial review" the casualty numbers did not align with the information held by the IDF, the precise munitions used and the accuracy of the strike. The IDF told BBC Verify this incident remains under review.

West Bank

BBC Verify also looked into incidents the IDF said it was investigating in the West Bank. Israel has occupied the territory since the 1967 war and built dozens of settlements there, which is illegal under international law.

More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces since 11 October 2023, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. BBC Verify examined more than 50 IDF investigations into incidents in the territory, at least 26 of which involved women and children being killed or injured.

One of those incidents took place just outside of Jenin in September 2024, when Israeli forces reportedly killed 16-year-old Lujain Musleh during an Israeli operation.

Lujain's father said she was shot in the head as she looked out of the window at her house in Kafr Dan, after soldiers had surrounded a neighbouring house.

The Israeli military said at the time that armed fighters had fired on the soldiers, who had "fired back at a suspect who observed" them, and that the details of the incident were under review.

Lebanon

BBC Verify also found nearly 40 IDF investigations into incidents of harm in Lebanon.

The Shia Muslim armed group Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in support of Hamas following the 7 October attacks. Israel has since launched two major invasions into Lebanon, where more than 4,000 people have been killed according to the country's health authorities.

One IDF investigation identified by BBC Verify took place on 10 November 2024. An Israeli strike killed 23 people, including seven children, near the city of Byblos, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

Verified footage of the aftermath showed smoke rising between rubble and warped metal strewn across the ground where buildings had been destroyed. The IDF said at the time it had targeted a site where Hezbollah had been operating from and storing weapons, and that the incident was under review.

Long running investigations

Michael Schmitt is a professor of international law at the University of Reading who has previously worked closely with the IDF. He said the Israeli military's legal division is the "gold standard in terms of understanding the law", and added that "every allegation that there was a violation does not necessarily trigger a full-blown investigation".

Schmitt said there can be a number of reasons why the IDF may be unable to publicly reveal the details of an investigation or a decision not to pursue one. "For example, you do not want to reveal operational details or particular rules of engagement because the enemy forces will adapt," he said, adding: "And even if you did pursue an investigation, many elements of [it] would remain confidential."

Dill, who is also a co-director of the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict (ELAC), said: "Three years into this operation, some of these investigations should have been concluded."

She said that when it comes to investigating incidents of harm, "Israel has relied heavily on the argument that it is a rule-of-law country to delegitimatise attempts by the international community to investigate".

"If we have cases of documented abuse that either don't get investigated or the investigations get stuck, and we have reasonable grounds to believe that they get kicked into the long grass, then that would undermine the narrative that Israel is fully capable of taking care of providing accountability," she added.

Methodology

BBC Verify gathered 61,000 reports from BBC News and Reuters which mentioned Gaza, the West Bank or Lebanon, published between 7 October 2023 and 19 August 2026.

We built an AI search engine to look through those reports for incidents where people may have been injured or killed by Israeli forces, and where the IDF said the report was being investigated, or for example "looked into", "reviewed", "checked" or "examined".

This identified almost 5,000 reports. Each one was manually checked by BBC Verify reporters, who excluded any which did not meet the criteria above.

This left 1,343 reports of incidents that the IDF said it was looking into. Some of these reports described the same incidents.

We built another AI tool to remove these duplicate reports. It grouped reports into unique incidents based on the publication date, incident date, location, and numbers reported injured or killed.

We then manually checked that each report had been assigned to the correct group, leaving us with 300 unique incidents.

For each of these incidents we then manually checked our records including the incident date, location, and how many people were killed or injured against the original BBC News or Reuters report.

We shared the details of each case with the IDF including the incident date, location, the news report describing the incident, and the IDF's original comment indicating it was looking into the matter. We asked the IDF for comment and the latest status of each case. The IDF did not say whether any of these investigations had concluded in response to the BBC's requests.

For each incident we also looked for statements on the IDF's website suggesting that the investigation had been concluded, using two different AI assisted web search engines. We found evidence that 28 cases were closed based on statements detailing the findings or indicating that no further steps would be taken.

For a further 18 incidents, it was unclear whether the investigation had been concluded. This included cases where the IDF published initial information about the incident without a clear indication it was closed, and cases where the IDF had characterised some or all of the people killed or injured as combatants, in statements on its own website.

This left us with at least 254 incidents of harm the Israeli military had said it was looking into, for which we did not find a public outcome on the IDF's website.

This was not an exhaustive search, and it is likely that there are more investigations into incidents of harm that were not captured in our search.

Additional reporting by Barbara Metzler.

What do you want BBC Verify to investigate?

Global charity withholds report into its role in Syria's 'disappeared' children

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm62y89dpd4lo, 5 days ago

A global children's charity has said it will not release a report that it commissioned to investigate its role in separating children from their families during Syria's civil war.

The charity, SOS Children's Villages International, has also yet to give compensation to Syrian families impacted by the government-organised detentions, despite pledging to do so in plans seen by the BBC World Service, which has been working with a group of international journalists.

Under former President Bashar al-Assad, Syrian security forces took hundreds of children from their imprisoned parents and told SOS and other orphanages to hide their identities and whereabouts.

A BBC Eye investigation, Syria's Stolen Children, as part of a joint project with Lighthouse Reports and other media in September 2025, revealed the regime used the children to pressure their families and negotiate prisoner exchanges.

Sisters Layla and Layan Ghbeis were eight and four when they were taken from their mother, Omama, and brought to SOS in 2015. It was three years before they were reunited with their parents in a prisoner exchange.

Layan did not recognise her mother when they met again.

The family later fled to the US as refugees through the UN, but the trauma of those lost years still weighs heavily on them.

"Whether we're together or on our own, we're thinking about what happened to us," Omama told the BBC.

"It had a huge impact on every member of our family."

After Assad's fall in 2024, SOS acknowledged that more than 140 children had been taken to its childcare facilities by Syrian security forces.

The SOS federation, which has associations in more than 130 countries and has received donations and grants from the UN and European governments, commissioned an investigation by the Norwegian law firm Wiersholm into who was responsible.

The report was delivered in December 2025 and the lawyers informed the BBC in January that an anonymised version would likely be made public.

But months later, in an email in May seen by the BBC, SOS board chair Domenico Parisi told staff that the investigation had been "compromised" and would not be shared internally or released publicly.

In a recording of an internal meeting obtained by the BBC and a wider group of journalists, Parisi accused unnamed staff of trying to "manipulate" the report to make the organisation "look like we are the villains".

SOS International said that as its review was ongoing, it was not in a position to comment on internal discussions.

A draft copy of the report seen by the BBC said that SOS was not forced to accept the children from security services and that it was the charity's international office in Vienna that had ultimate responsibility for the relevant SOS facilities in Syria.

An SOS spokesperson said that its board had taken "independent legal advice" regarding the report and a review was ongoing. She said the board was "committed to establishing institutional responsibility for the decisions taken".

The decision not to publish a final report has added to tensions that threaten to break apart the charity, which was founded in 1949.

Associations in the UK, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, France and the Netherlands – which contributed significant funds to the organisation's budget – have since decided to leave the federation and become independent charities.

In December, the directors of the German association SOS Children's Villages Worldwide – the largest single contributor to SOS – voted to leave, but the German supervisory board, who operate as trustees of the charity, overruled them and dismissed all three directors in February.

SOS Worldwide told the BBC the directors were fired for "serious breaches of duty." The directors dispute this and are challenging their dismissal in the German courts.

Before they were dismissed, the German directors had set aside a "voluntary compensation" fund for Syrian victims, but so far no money has been distributed, according to a number of leaked documents from multiple sources seen by the BBC.

The SOS spokesperson said the charity has expressed its "willingness" to support those who were affected, but providing assistance depends "on legal and practical conditions that require co-ordination with relevant parties".

The Syrian families we met said that they were still waiting to hear from SOS.

"I had hoped SOS would apologise and offer support, to compensate me for the harm they caused by separating me from my family," Omama Ghbeis said.

"No-one at SOS talked to us or gave us anything."

This BBC Eye investigation is part of a joint project with Lighthouse Reports, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Women Who Won the War and Al-Jumhuriya.

Charlotte Alfred is a Senior Editor at Lighthouse Reports.

Container ship hit by projectile sinks in Strait of Hormuz, Singapore says

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crkg7q97z078o, 5 days ago

A Singapore-flagged container ship has sunk after being struck by an unknown projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to Singaporean authorities.

All 21 crew members of GFS Pride were evacuated and no injuries were reported after the attack on Tuesday, which caused damage and a fire, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said.

Another Singapore-flagged container vessel, GFS Giselle, sustained hull damage after being hit by a projectile on Wednesday but was able to reach a safe anchorage with all 22 crew, it added.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said a ship hit naval mines and sank while passing through what they called an "unauthorised" route in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Guards released photos that appeared to show a plume of black smoke rising from a container vessel that was still afloat but down by the stern. In other photos, dozens of containers and their contents could be seen floating in the water.

The Hydrographer of Pakistan warned mariners that GFS Pride had sunk 4 nautical miles (7.4km) north-west of Ras al-Sheikh Masud in Oman's Musandam Peninsula.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said that two unnamed container ships had reported being struck by unknown projectiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz between 16:40 and 17:00 GMT on Tuesday.

Both vessels sustained minor damage and were able to continue their passages, it added.

Merchant vessels have come under repeated attack in the Strait of Hormuz - which connects the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea - and elsewhere in the Middle East since the US and Israel's war with Iran began in February.

At least 24 seafarers have been killed in 106 confirmed incidents, according to the UN's International Maritime Organization.

The Malta-flagged container ship Safeen Prestige, which was attacked near Oman on 4 March, is the only other vessel reported to have sunk in that time.

However, maritime risk management group Vanguard said on Wednesday that the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged bulk carrier Cape Dao was reported to be sinking after an unsuccessful rescue attempt, according to Reuters news agency.

One seafarer was killed when the Cape Dao's bridge and accommodation area were hit by an unknown projectile as it transited through the Strait of Hormuz, north-east of Khasab, Oman, on 23 September.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global oil and gas shipments usually pass, was effectively closed after the start of the Iran war due to Iranian missile and drone attacks on commercial vessels and a US naval blockade of Iranian ports.

The US and Iran reached a preliminary agreement to end the war and reopen the strait in June, but it collapsed within weeks after Iranian attacks on shipping resumed and the US reinstated its blockade.

Iran insisted it would not give up some measure of control over the waterway and began targeting vessels using a southern route through Omani waters that avoids its preferred route through Iranian waters.

To keep exports flowing from Gulf Arab states, the US military has been providing protection for tankers shuttling oil through the Strait of Hormuz.

Last month, crude exports through the waterway rose to around 80% of pre-war levels of 16 million barrels per day (bpd) on average, according to analysts from shipping data company Kpler, despite an increase in attacks on shipping.

'Every day there is killing': Gazans face Israeli strikes despite ceasefire as peace deal stalls

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmx2qlz7qrd4o, 11 days ago

In her tent in central Gaza early one morning last month, 31-year-old Fida al-Toutah, a mother of five, was combing her daughter's hair when the sound of gunfire erupted.

"My mother shouted at us to get down," her son Ezz recalled, weeping as he spoke.

He only realised Fida had been hit when he saw the bloodied hands of his younger brother, who had been clinging onto his mother as the bullets came in.

"Our mother was so kind and generous. What did she do wrong?" Ezz said.

Fida died on 21 September from a gunshot wound to the head.

She is among more than 1,400 people in Gaza who have been killed in Israeli attacks since the start of the ceasefire on 10 October last year, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the UN.

The ceasefire saw thousands of Palestinians held by Israel released in return for all of the 48 remaining hostages held in Gaza, and an agreement to end the war - which was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, when about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.

On the ground in Gaza, it meant that Israel's large-scale bombardment stopped, which brought substantial relief and an increase in humanitarian aid and medical supplies entering the territory.

But even during the ceasefire, Israel has continued launching strikes in Gaza almost every day. In the past week alone more than 30 people have been killed, according to Gaza's health ministry.

Israel says it is targeting Hamas operatives, and accuses Hamas of continued violations of the ceasefire.

"It [the ceasefire] is all lies. Every day there's a shooting. Every day there is killing and death lurking around," said Ahed, Fida's husband.

In response to the BBC's questions about Fida's killing, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they had no record of the incident.

The total death toll from Israeli attacks since the start of the war in Gaza three years ago now stands at more than 74,000, according to the Gaza health ministry.

Outside Fida's tent, her brother Ibrahim pointed to the holes he said were made by a volley of bullets fired by Israeli forces.

"This tent is just a piece of cloth. Imagine that a military vehicle came down here and fired a spray of bullets," he said. "There was also gunfire coming from the sky, from above, from quadcopters, and it was directed at unarmed civilians."

Fida is the fourth of Ibrahim's siblings to be killed since the start of the war. "We left our neighbourhood Zeitoun to survive, but death is following us," he said.

The family has moved seven times but safety has been out of reach. Most of Gaza's 2.1 million population has been displaced multiple times by the war, the UN says, with many forced to live in tented cities and unsafe structures.

On the same day that Fida was killed, 14-year-old Ismail al-Bardawil was also shot dead. He was killed in the al-Mawasi area of Rafah, in southern Gaza.

His family told the BBC that he was shot by Israeli forces while he and his brothers were fishing in the Mediterranean Sea, around 20m (66ft) from the shore. He is one of more than 300 children killed since the start of the ceasefire, according to Gaza's health ministry.

The IDF said it had no information about this incident either.

Over the past year, the IDF has released videos of its operations in Gaza targeted at Hamas and other groups. At least seven Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the start of the ceasefire.

Both Fida and Ismail lived close to the so-called Yellow Line that separates the areas occupied by the Israeli military in Gaza from areas controlled by Hamas in the west.

Areas around the line are considered the most dangerous because Israeli forces have frequently opened fire there. But there are few options to move because there is an extreme shortage of space.

The strip was densely populated even before the war began. Now, its population is squeezed into under 40% of its area, which is controlled by Hamas.

In those areas the group maintains a tight grip, clamping down on dissent and still recruiting fighters.

In May this year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had directed the IDF to increase the area of Gaza under Israel's control to 70%.

Architect Amal Alabadla, who lived in a comfortable flat prior to the war, now lives in a tent on the coastline.

"Every time the rains come, it gets flooded. I feel very scared when the wind is strong because our tent gets destroyed or damaged," she said.

Amal is forced to raise her two boys - Mohammed and Noah - on her own.

Her husband was not in Gaza when the war broke out, and in three years they have not been reunited. Amal's three brothers, who helped her care for the boys, were killed in separate attacks before the ceasefire began.

"During the winter, my son suffers from epilepsy seizures because of the cold. It's very hard sometimes to keep him dry and warm," she said.

"Before the war, I had a job, a house, an ordinary life, but then everything turned upside down. Now we have no hope, nothing. It's only about survival day by day, to keep my kids alive, clean, healthy and fed."

There are camps further inland in Gaza that have even been built below sea level, which are at greater risk of flooding.

The October 2025 peace deal was supposed to pave the way for the reconstruction in Gaza, but rebuilding has not yet begun - stuck in limbo because of an impasse over the second phase of the deal.

Israel strictly controls what materials and machinery are allowed into Gaza, acting, it says, for reasons of its own security.

Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump put forward a plan to disarm Hamas, but in August it was rejected by Netanyahu, who stated that no military pull-out would happen until Hamas was "genuinely" disarmed.

Hamas has said handing over its heavy weapons is contingent on Israel ending "all forms of aggression" and withdrawing its forces from Gaza.

Half a world away, Trump's Board of Peace has also proposed a recovery plan for Gaza worth $2.45bn (£1.85bn).

But, one year on from the ceasefire and three years on from the start of the war, many like Amal are deeply sceptical of things actually changing on the ground.

"We are struggling and not being allowed to rebuild," she said. "I don't think they are telling us the truth about allowing us to rebuild a safe future for our children."

Additional reporting by Imogen Anderson and Malak Hassouneh

Israelis demand accountability over 7 October failures three years after attacks

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5zjx7xx3487o, 12 days ago

As the sky began to lighten over Israel's border with Gaza on Wednesday, the people of Kfar Aza moved silently towards the armoury at the centre of the kibbutz.

It was there, shortly after 07:00 on 7 October 2023, that Hamas-led attackers killed half the community's 14-member civil defence squad. They were among 64 killed and 19 kidnapped from the community that day.

The pain of those attacks is still fresh here. But three years on, there are questions about who else should pay the price for Israel's security failure.

"I need my country to take responsibility," said Inbar Goldstein, whose brother and niece were killed, and four other relatives kidnapped from Kfar Aza.

The 7 October attack was the deadliest Israel had suffered since its creation in 1948. About 1,200 people were killed across southern Israel by gunmen who broke through the border fence and attacked communities there. Another 251 people were taken back to Gaza as hostages.

Three years on from Israel's biggest security failure, there is still no independent state inquiry into how it was allowed to happen.

And the man in charge at the time of that failure - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - is running for election again, with the same campaign promise: to be stronger and tougher than anyone else in protecting Israel from its enemies.

"Nobody investigated the roots [of the attack]. It didn't start or end on October 7th - it's a long process of abandonment," Goldstein said.

Aside from Hamas's responsibility for the attack itself, there are growing questions in Israel around what caused the country's intelligence failure, what information was passed to military and political leaders in the run-up to the attacks, and what Netanyahu himself knew.

For months beforehand, young female soldiers posted at bases along the Gaza border to watch for suspicious activity had warned their superiors about possible preparations for an attack.

Among them was Roni Eshel. She was killed with 14 other members of her unit when gunmen overran their base at Nahal Oz, just next to Kfar Aza.

"There are so many questions," her uncle Elad Levy told me. "Were the Egyptians warning the prime minister? The Emiratis? Were there no other warnings Netanyahu ignored? We need to find out what happened – not just on the day, but the year before, and five years before that."

"The truth should be clear," he continued. "If we don't inquire into this, it will happen again and again."

Over the past three years, there have been mounting reports of warnings being given to Netanyahu - by his own security chief, as well as by regional neighbours – which he denies.

Last month, Israel's Haaretz newspaper published extracts from a new book, alleging that the leader of the United Arab Emirates had called Netanyahu 10 days before the attack to warn of Hamas plans for a major operation.

Netanyahu's office has dismissed the report as "an absolute lie" and has said he will sue the newspaper.

Amir Ohana, a member of Netanyahu's Likud party, said in a social media video last month that it was "preposterous and absurd" to suggest that Netanyahu could have known about the attack when the former Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, had only told a handful of people.

Israel's prime minister, he said, had since reshaped the Middle East and did not give up, "even when voices inside and outside Israel called on him to stop".

Netanyahu has blamed his own security chiefs for the failures that led to the 7 October attacks, accusing them of deliberately choosing not to wake him in the hours beforehand, for fear that he would order a massive deployment of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and escalate the situation.

"God forbid we wake up the prime minister and he says, 'Wake up the entire IDF immediately, scramble the air force!'" he told Israel's right-wing Channel 14 television network.

"What would have happened if they had woken me? This would not have happened," he said, suggesting that his response would have better protected Israel from the attacks.

Yaakov Katz, a journalist and author of several books on Israel's defence, has written about the growing concerns over Hamas activity that emerged in the hours leading up to the assault.

In his book, While Israel Slept, he describes calls between senior military figures and intelligence chiefs in the early hours of the morning, the sudden recall of commanders from leave, and the dispatch of an elite intelligence unit to the border.

He told me their expectation was, at worst, a small, limited incursion by Hamas fighters.

"So why would [Netanyahu] order a massive pre-emptive strike by the IDF, if every security chief is telling him this is not what this is going to be? Waking him would not have made a difference."

But he said Netanyahu faced other questions about his failure to spot what was happening.

"You were the prime minister, you set the policy," he said. "You created a doctrine and a policy of containment that trickled down to the last soldier manning the watchtower on the border with Gaza: contain Hamas, separate the Palestinians, and keep Hamas in power to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state."

For years, Netanyahu oversaw a policy of containing - not confronting - Hamas in Gaza, during which Israeli governments allowed Qatar to provide hundreds of millions of dollars of aid for Gaza.

A month after the 7 October attacks, he told a German newspaper that claims he wanted to strengthen Hamas were "an absolute lie".

"On the contrary we wanted to continue to weaken Hamas as much as we could," he told Die Welt. "But the money was meant to avoid a civilian catastrophe - that is the only reason."

Months after the attack, the IDF's then-chief of staff, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, publicly apologised for the failure to defend civilians, saying he carried that weight on his shoulders and in his heart.

He resigned. A raft of military commanders were later fired, and Israel's domestic intelligence chief left his position.

Netanyahu has so far rejected any personal responsibility for the attacks.

Col Richard Hecht was the IDF's international spokesman on 7 October. He told me the refusal of political leaders - including Netanyahu - to accept responsibility was part of the reason he resigned six months later.

"It's a disgrace," he told me. "When you look at accountability, within the IDF I don't think there's a problem. And that's the pain. That's one of the main causes of bad blood between the political echelon and the military."

At a memorial ceremony in Jerusalem on Monday, the father of one of those killed on 7 October stood up to challenge the prime minister.

"You didn't protect my son, you didn't protect all those who were murdered," he said, before security guards led him away. "Shame! Disgrace!"

Three years on from the attacks, calls for accountability are growing. Campaigners have asked Israel's highest court to force the government into establishing a state commission of inquiry.

Yizhar Shai, a former minister and opposition politician whose youngest son Yaron, a soldier, was killed on 7 October, is part of that campaign.

"We are going into these elections almost blindfolded as it relates to October 7th," he told me during a protest in Tel Aviv last week. "Our prime minister has never given a detailed, thorough explanation under oath, where he would be asked all the tough questions and have to explain everything."

Netanyahu has consistently refused a state inquiry led by Israel's Supreme Court, arguing recently that the country's judiciary would be biased against him.

Before calling an election, his government proposed an alternative "national commission of inquiry", whose members would be appointed by political parties.

But despite passing a raft of other legislation before parliament ended its session in July, Israel's government said it ran out of time to pass a bill setting out its plans for the inquiry.

We approached several members of his Likud party for an interview, without success. We also requested that the party respond to their critics, and are waiting for their response.

Netanyahu's denial of responsibility has now become an election issue, as he prepares to run for re-election later this month.

A video game called Sleepy Bibi, released by the team of his main opponent, Gadi Eisenkot, asks players to help the prime minister avoid responsibility by dodging warnings of an attack and "making it to bed safely".

Netanyahu has styled himself for decades as Israel's "Mr Security", and despite presiding over the worst security failure in Israel's history, is running on the same security platform again.

For the past three years, he focused on waging new wars against Israel's enemies - Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran.

Polls suggest a close race, and that the 7 October attacks are central to many voters' decisions.

Yaakov Katz says the legacy of 7 October is a coin with two sides.

"There are the failures, the mistakes that led to the Hamas invasion," he told me. "But there's the other side, which is Netanyahu's argument; that [he] has re-engineered the Middle East and made Israel a safer place today. And that is an argument Israelis take with them to the polls."

The shadow of the attacks hangs over this election, dividing Israel once again along political lines.

For supporters, it confirms that Benjamin Netanyahu is still needed to keep Israel safe.

Critics say his political survival puts Israel at risk.

Residents of kibbutz destroyed in 7 October Hamas-led attacks grapple with how to rebuild

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqrmyz4mdn94o, 12 days ago

Roosting birds now coo among the ceiling tiles in the deserted dining room of Kibbutz Nir Oz, once the bustling heart of a close-knit, 400-strong Israeli community which was devastated by the Hamas-led attacks on 7 October 2023.

"We used to come and see each other, eat together. There were lots of activities here, also holidays to celebrate," remembers Dalit Ram Aharon, who is showing me around with her husband, Achi.

By the glass entrance doors, dotted with bullet holes, there is a shocking reminder of what happened to the missing residents.

The postboxes for each household bear stickers put there after the attacks three years ago: red indicates those killed, and black those taken hostage. "That's one out of four of us: murdered or kidnapped," Dalit says. "Including children and babies."

As Israel marks the third anniversary of its deadliest-ever day, this is another painful time of reflection for residents of the kibbutz, which sits just a mile (1.6km) from the Gaza border and was one of the worst-hit places.

Time stands still at the nearby burnt-out house of the Siman Tov family, where a wind chime dangles by the door. A picture shows Tamar and Yonatan with their three children, twin girls Shahar and Arbel, five, and their two-year-old son, Omer.

The parents were shot through the door of their bomb shelter - designed to protect from rockets launched from Gaza, not gunfire.

Dalit, who survived with Achi and their three children by hiding in their own shelter for nearly 12 hours that day, recalls the last social media messages sent by Tamar to her neighbours.

"On that day in the morning, she wrote in the woman's group, at the beginning, 'Is everyone fine?' Then, at another point, she wrote, 'They are shooting us.' And after that she wrote with a lot of mistakes, 'We are very injured,'" Dalit tells me.

"From what we understand, they torched the house and the children died from suffocation, so all the family was killed."

An estimated 500 Palestinians, led by Hamas's elite Nukhba force fighters, but including civilian looters, some of them children, joined the assault on the unsuspecting Nir Oz.

Forty-one Nir Oz residents and foreign workers were killed, along with six people who had fled to the kibbutz from a party nearby.

Seventy-six people from the kibbutz were kidnapped to Gaza, including nine bodies, with 14 hostages taken alive and killed in captivity. The last living hostages from Nir Oz were returned to Israel on 13 October 2025 and the remains of the last deceased hostage, Amiram Cooper, were brought back two weeks later.

As we walk through the greenery, it is eerily quiet bar bird song and the mewing of hungry, stray cats. Dozens of fire-damaged homes, which were simple, one-storey buildings in Nir Oz, have now been torn down, leaving just rows of the reinforced concrete safe rooms, which failed to keep people safe.

The Aharons want some damaged houses to be left as evidence of what took place. "We really support that," Achi says. "People should see what happened, should see the destruction, the pure hatred that happened here."

The couple point out where a teacher, Maya Goren, was killed while in the kindergarten and the makeshift memorials where three of the seven members of the kibbutz security team were killed after battling Hamas gunmen.

The findings of the Israeli Defense Forces investigation into what happened at Nir Oz underscored how the army - left in a state of disarray by the unprecedented simultaneous assault on more than 20 communities and multiple military posts - completely failed to come to the rescue here.

On 7 October, the first soldiers arrived in the kibbutz some 40 minutes after the last Palestinian attackers left. Nearly every household experienced killing, violence, including sexual assaults and rape, looting and kidnapping.

Dalit pauses to show me a tree planted long ago by her parents, who were co-founders of the kibbutz, known for its farming and peace activists. They survived the 7 October attacks physically unharmed but died just months afterwards.

Next door is the small home of Shiri Bibas, the mother of ginger-haired boys Ariel, four, and nine-month-old, Kfir. The three, snatched from their home, became symbols of the Gaza hostage crisis.

"This is the hardest house for me because Shiri was a very, very good friend of mine," Dalit confides. "She was like a sister. We even got pregnant together - me with my daughter and her with Ariel. They became best friends also. We used to laugh that they were going to marry."

"Shiri was very, very funny. She was a happy person - a mother," Dalit says. "She lived a simple life. She never did anything to anyone."

While Shiri's husband, Yarden, was released alive by Hamas in a Gaza ceasefire deal in February 2025, she and her sons - held by a different armed group - were killed.

Hamas blamed an air strike early in the Gaza war for their deaths, but Israeli forensic experts, who examined the bodies after they were returned later that February, said they were murdered by their captives and their bodies mutilated.

Many of the bereaved from Nir Oz, including Yarden Bibas, have moved away for good. However, with 20 houses renovated or rebuilt, a few former hostages have come back to live here.

They include Gadi Moses, another kibbutz co-founder, and the oldest living male hostage released during the Gaza war, and Yair Horn, who stops to chat with the Aharons as he passes in a golf buggy. Dalit and Achi are determined to return too.

"We'll come back for the memory of Shiri and for the people that didn't have the chance to live here, and for the memory of my parents, and to continue our roots, and for my children, because this is our home," Dalit says.

However, she, Achi and their children - currently displaced and living in an apartment in a town further north - face a two-year wait for Nir Oz to reopen fully.

"Terrorists penetrated 97% of the households and burned down almost 50%," says Emi Palmor, director of the rebuilding project. "Now it's the only place in Israel that has to be completely demolished and completely replanned."

She says that it is a difficult balance to redesign the kibbutz so that it feels like home but does not cause new trauma to those who return.

"It's a huge debate – a very painful debate," Emi says. "Some people say, 'If I come back here, I want the entire area to look serene. I don't have to be reminded because I remember every day the people I lost.' Other people say, 'There is such denial – if we will take down the last houses, who will ever believe?'"

About 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage after an estimated 6,000 Palestinians streamed across the Gaza border during the attacks on southern Israel on 7 October 2023.

The ensuing war between Israel and Hamas has killed more than 74,200 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, whose overall figures are seen as accurate by the UN.

Despite the US-brokered ceasefire deal which brought the last hostages home a year ago, violence has continued, including near-daily Israeli attacks on Gaza. Nearly all of Gaza's 2.1 million population has been displaced and much of the territory is in ruins. US President Donald Trump's peace plan is at an impasse.

For Israelis, there are outstanding questions over accountability for the failure of Israel's security forces to have prevented the 7 October attacks. People from Nir Oz favour a comprehensive state commission of inquiry and still have major security concerns.

Survivors, including the Aharons, suffer from post-traumatic stress. Dalit recalls how her eldest son, Uri, turned nine on 7 October 2023 - when they spent the day hiding in their bomb shelter. "He told me, 'Mum, I don't want to die on my birthday,'" she says. "You know people don't understand that we still live this horrible day."

This anniversary of the attacks is the first with no hostages remaining in Gaza. "It's a very big relief," Dalit says. Achi sees that now is the time to focus on personal healing.

"Until the hostages came back, it was the only thing on our mind," he says. "Now you have the time to concentrate on yourself, on what you lost, what you need. Now it's our recovery or some kind of recovery as much as we can."

Children brave snipers and mortars to go to school near Yemen front line

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c670pzpv9gk4o, 13 days ago

Every morning at 6am, 10-year-old Rafeef and her younger brother get ready for school, putting on their cream and brown uniforms.

She always looks forward to seeing her friends and learning about everything from maths to Arabic and Islamic studies. She can't wait to start studying English next year.

But for Rafeef, the journey to school involves far greater risks than crossing roads or missing the bus.

Her school in Taiz, south-western Yemen, stands on a mountain at the edge of a valley known as no-man's land - a heavily contested front line in the civil war between forces supporting Yemen's internationally recognised government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, and the Iran-backed Houthis.

On one side of the school is government-held territory, on the other are Houthi sniper positions.

Rafeef's home is further down the mountain.

Every time she goes to school, she has to walk uphill with her back towards the snipers. "I'm afraid," she says.

According to Unicef, roughly 3.2 million children in Yemen were out of school even before the war escalated last month.

It says thousands of children have been killed or maimed since the war began in 2014, while thousands more have been recruited by armed groups on both sides.

Yet despite the risks, Rafeef says she does not want to stop going because she loves seeing her friends and it is her only chance to be with them. She begins naming the children in her classroom.

Going to school is the only time Rafeef's parents let her go outside. They say they are keen for her to get an education and have the chance of a better life. Rafeef hopes to become a doctor.

'A mortar came out of nowhere'

Rafeef's family moved to Taiz from the coastal city of Hudaydah nine years ago, seeking safety when Houthis took control there.

But Taiz has also endured fighting.

Rafeef says that two years ago there was a mortar attack outside her new home.

"Everyone was out except for me and my brother. Then a mortar came out of nowhere… shrapnel blew through the door and into the house." Her arm was broken and there is still a scar where she was hit.

And in recent days the conflict has intensified. On Sunday the Houthis cut off a vital supply route linking Taiz to Aden, which meant they were able to effectively encircle Taiz. Control of that route has kept shifting.

Residents have told the BBC they are afraid the Houthis could seize the city at any moment.

Government forces have made gains in other areas this week, they say, retaking control of strategic points on the Bab al-Mandab Strait - a key shipping chokepoint - and launching an offensive to try to regain control of the capital, Sanaa.

Homes in Taiz are mostly scattered across the slopes, but many have been abandoned by families fleeing the fighting.

Twice, we try to visit the neighbourhood where Rafeef and her family live, but a community leader advises us it is too dangerous.

On the first occasion, residents of the neighbourhood tell us that three people have been shot by snipers. On the second, we are told of another shooting.

At Rafeef's school, one of the teachers, Abdel Raqeeb al-Obaidi, 45, takes us on to the rooftop to show us what he says are Houthi military camps, barracks and sniper positions in the mountains.

Standing on the rooftop, a Yemeni security adviser accompanying us suddenly tells us to go back inside. We are visible from these positions and could be shot, he says.

Abdel Raqeeb laughs, acknowledging the danger. He says the school has been fired on before.

"The situation may explode at any moment while we are sitting in class or sleeping or we are in school or we are out on the street. We do not know how our future is and how tomorrow is."

For Abdel Raqeeb, the risk has become routine. His familiarity with it is unsettling.

Taiz has long been a major battleground in the country's devastating civil war. After ousting the government from the capital Sanaa in 2015, the Houthis attempted to also seize control of Taiz but were driven out of most of the city by local militiamen.

Seizing Taiz would give the Houthis full control over the country's north. Now, in their latest offensive, Houthis are making extensive use of drones alongside other weapons.

Sometimes civilians are collateral damage in the fighting.

Later that evening, we get a call from a hospital about a five minute drive away from the school. Two children have been badly injured by a mortar strike.

When we arrive at Al-Rawdah Hospital, we see a nurse standing outside the intensive care unit, holding a tiny pair of beige, rubber sandals that are splattered with blood.

They belonged to Ahmed, a three-year-old boy who we learn was killed when a mortar struck a mechanic's shop in the city.

Shrapnel in the heart

When I ask about the shoes, the nurse, Ikram Shamsan, begins to cry.

"What did this child or his family ever do wrong?" she asks.

Ahmed was killed when a piece of shrapnel pierced his heart, entering through his back. The boy had been with his father, who was getting his motorcycle tyre pumped up at the mechanic's shop. The father was unharmed.

A doctor tells us the father had intended to leave his son at home, but the boy cried because he wanted to come too.

As he takes his son's body from the hospital, the father asks how he will face the boy's mother.

Completing a simple errand turned into the worst day of their lives.

Another boy, 11-year-old Amjad, was also at the mechanic's shop. He and his brother worked there with their uncle, sending money to their family in their home village.

Shrapnel has struck Amjad in his lung and abdomen. When we reach him, he is in intensive care, struggling to breathe. No relatives are beside his bed.

His doctor describes his condition as critical and fears he could die within hours. He hopes his mother will arrive in time to say goodbye.

Amjad was admitted at about 20:00 that evening. His mother reaches him at around 06:00 the following morning, delayed by the eight-hour journey from the village.

She sits beside his bed and prays, trying to remain composed. Once outside the room, she falls to her knees and breaks down.

Doctors say his heart rate improves during her visit. They judge him stable enough for another operation.

He has since undergone that surgery, but remains critically ill.

"We're always terrified. It's devastating to see children killed," says nurse Shamsan. "We want peace and we want to be safe."

Additional reporting by Jasmin Dyer

Houthi missile hits Aramco building after Saudi-led coalition strike on Yemen fuel depot

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crx2d60y1py3o, 5 days ago

A missile launched by Yemen's Houthi movement hit a building owned by Saudi Arabia's state oil company Aramco in the eastern city of Dhahran overnight, after a Saudi-led coalition struck a fuel depot near the Yemeni capital, Sanaa.

The Saudi energy ministry said the Houthi attack caused a "limited fire" in an administrative building at Aramco's headquarters complex.

Saudi authorities reported that several missiles and drones were intercepted elsewhere, and that falling debris injured four people in the capital, Riyadh.

The Houthis said they targeted Aramco and Riyadh's airport in response to the coalition's strike on the Yemen Petroleum Company's al-Sabaha facility on Tuesday.

The Iran-backed group also warned that there would be further attacks in the coming days.

International Monetary Fund director Kristalina Georgieva said the escalating conflict could have "potentially negative spillovers for everybody, everywhere".

The Saudi cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, vowed on Tuesday that the Houthis would "bear the consequences" of their recent attacks on the kingdom, including a missile strike on Riyadh's airport on Saturday that killed 13 people.

The Houthis have said they are targeting airports, oil and gas facilities, and military bases in Saudi Arabia in retaliation for deadly Saudi air strikes on territory that they control in western Yemen, including Sanaa.

The Saudi-led coalition has been providing air support for Yemeni pro-government forces mounting an offensive against the Houthis on Yemen's Red Sea coast and other front lines.

On Tuesday evening, coalition spokesman Maj Gen Turki al-Maliki said its forces intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis towards Dhahran, but that debris fell in a residential area.

Later, the Saudi energy ministry said an Aramco building in the city was targeted, causing a "limited fire" but no injuries.

Sources with knowledge of the incident told Reuters news agency that a ballistic missile hit an office tower in the company's headquarters complex, causing extensive damage and a fire that spread between the sixth and 10th floors.

"[The] top three floors have gone," one Aramco employee was quoted as saying by AFP news agency.

Maliki said the coalition also intercepted missiles and drones launched towards Riyadh, al-Kharj and Haradh, as well as the country's south on Tuesday and Wednesday morning.

The General Directorate of Civil Defence said two women, a man and a child were injured by debris from two intercepted cruise missiles in Riyadh, which also caused "limited material damage" to 15 homes in the city.

The Houthis' military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, said on Wednesday morning that they had targeted Aramco's headquarters in Dhahran, an Aramco refinery in Riyadh and the capital's King Khalid International Airport with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones.

"Operations towards Saudi depths will continue in the coming days, targeting Saudi enemy airports and oil facilities," he added.

The Houthis had threatened a "harsh and painful" response to the Saudi-led air strikes in Yemen on Tuesday afternoon.

Houthi-run media reported that the air strikes targeted the Yemen Petroleum Company's al-Sabaha Central Station, on the western outskirts of Sanaa, as well as its facilities at the Ras Isa oil terminal on the Red Sea coast, north of the port city of Hudaydah.

Two civilians were killed and two others were injured in the Ras Isa attack, the Houthi-run health ministry said.

The coalition had earlier issued a rare warning to civilians to evacuate the al-Sabaha fuel depot, saying it was planning a "special operation".

Queues reportedly formed at petrol stations in Sanaa following the warning, with many residents worried about shortages.

The Yemen Petroleum Company, which is run by the Houthis, issued a statement that sought to reassure them, saying the facility "does not contain any stock of petroleum products".

The company also said it had "taken all necessary precautionary measures to address any emergency, ensuring the stability of the supply situation and the continued meeting of citizens' needs in a normal manner".

Maliki said the coalition targeted al-Sabaha and other facilities because they were supporting Houthi "terrorist military operations".

"The militia has used these sites in their entirety to support its war effort by supplying its arsenal of missiles and [drones], which threaten the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the safety of airports, ports, and commercial vessels in the Red Sea," he added.

Houthi-run media also reported on Wednesday that a Saudi air strike in the south-western district of Shamayatayn killed a woman and that artillery fire killed two civilians in the north-western district of Shadaa, near the Saudi border.

The Houthis said they were retaliating for what they call a Saudi blockade of their territory, as well as an air strike on Sanaa airport that they blamed on the kingdom.

US President Donald Trump said on Truth Social on Tuesday the Houthis were "behaving very badly... and purposefully trying to drive up Oil Prices".

Speaking to reporters, he did not answer a question on whether he had made a decision to help the Saudis retaliate against them, but said he "might" ask Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to intervene.

Last week, pro-government forces said they had regained control of territory overlooking Bab al-Mandab after launching a major counter-offensive with the support of Saudi air strikes.

Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed in Yemen since August. The UN's human rights office says they include at least 54 civilians, half of them children.

More than 216,000 people have also been displaced across the country, and suspected cholera cases have tripled in three weeks, rising from 217 to 647, according to the UN.

Who are the Houthis and what do they want?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqy7z228kee3o, 6 days ago

Yemen's devastating civil war has flared up in recent months, with fierce fighting between the Iran-backed Houthi movement, which controls much of the country's north-west, and Saudi-backed pro-government forces.

In September, the Houthis seized part of Yemen's Red Sea coast near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a chokepoint for global shipping at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. Their advance contributed to a further rise in oil prices following six months of war between the US, Israel and Iran.

At the start of October, pro-government forces said they had managed to regain control of territory overlooking Bab al-Mandab after launching a major counter-offensive with the support of intense Saudi air strikes.

The Houthis responded to the strikes by launching missiles and drones at military bases, energy facilities and airports in neighbouring Saudi Arabia. At least 13 people were killed when a missile hit Riyadh's international airport on 10 October - the deadliest attack in the kingdom in more than a decade.

Who are the Houthis?

They are an armed political and religious group from northern Yemen which champions the country's Zaidi minority. Zaidism is a branch of Shia Islam.

The Houthis declare themselves to be part of the Iranian-led "axis of resistance" against Israel, the US and the wider West - along with armed groups such as Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbollah movement.

Formally known as Ansar Allah (Partisans of God), the group emerged in the 1990s and takes its name from the movement's late founder, Hussein al-Houthi. His brother, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, has been its de facto leader since 2004.

In the early 2000s, the Houthis fought several rebellions against Yemen's long-time authoritarian president Ali Abdullah Saleh. They wanted greater autonomy for the group's homeland in the north of Yemen.

During the 2011 Arab Spring, a popular uprising forced Saleh to hand over power to his deputy, Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi.

President Hadi's government was overwhelmed with problems and the Houthis seized control of the northern province of Saada before capturing the capital Sanaa in 2014.

In 2015, they seized large parts of western Yemen and forced Hadi to flee abroad, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene on behalf of the government.

The fighting since then has reportedly left more than 150,000 people dead and triggered one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with more than 22 million people in need of some form of aid, according to the UN.

The Houthis have continued to grow in strength, with UN experts estimating they had recruited up to 350,000 fighters by 2024. They control between one-quarter and one-third of Yemen's territory, where about three-quarters of the population live.

How are the US and Saudis involved?

Saudi Arabia feared the Houthis would take over Yemen and make it a satellite of the kingdom's regional rival, Iran, when they ousted the government from Sanaa.

The Saudis formed a coalition with other Arab states that began an air campaign in 2015 aimed at restoring the government's authority. They received logistical and intelligence support from the US, UK and France.

But years of air strikes and fighting on the ground by the Yemeni military and anti-Houthi militias were unable to dislodge the Houthis from most of the territory they seized.

A temporary ceasefire was brokered in 2022 that largely halted the fighting. That year also saw Hadi transfer his powers to a new Presidential Leadership Council, which oversees the Aden-based government.

Soon after the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, the Houthis began firing drones and missiles towards Israel and at merchant vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, saying they were acting in support of the Palestinians.

Western countries deployed warships to protect shipping, and the US, UK and Israel carried out air strikes intended to degrade the Houthis' military capabilities. Israeli strikes also killed senior Houthi figures, including the prime minister of the group's self-declared government.

The Houthis paused attacks on Israel after the October 2025 ceasefire in Gaza but resumed them after the US and Israel attacked Iran in February 2026.

How did the recent escalation begin?

The informal ceasefire between the Houthis and the Saudis began to unravel in July.

The Houthis announced a "maritime embargo" against Saudi Arabia and began missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports, oil facilities and tankers in the Red Sea. They said they were retaliating for what they called the Saudi "blockade" of ports and airports in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, as well as an air strike on Sanaa airport that month which they blamed on Saudi Arabia.

This was followed by a rapid Houthi advance in September that captured as much as 130km (81 miles) of Yemen's south-western Red Sea coastline, including the port city of Mokha and the island of Perim (Mayyun).

The move gave the Houthis significant control of the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, but they insisted that they posed no threat to international shipping, except for Saudi-linked vessels.

In October, the Yemeni government announced the start of a new offensive aimed at retaking all territory held by the Houthis. Since then, pro-government forces have reportedly regained control of areas around Bab al-Mandab with the help of intense Saudi air strikes. But the Houthis have denied losing territory there.

Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed on the ground in Yemen during the escalation. The UN says more than 200,000 people have been newly displaced.

The Houthis' actions have caused renewed concern about disruption of world oil supplies. Bab al-Mandab became an important route for oil exports from Saudi Arabia after shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula, was curtailed due to the US and Israel's war with Iran.

The situation has also been exacerbated by Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports and oil and gas facilities, as well as an attack in September on the kingdom's East-West Pipeline that was blamed on Iran-backed Iraqi militias.

The escalation has threatened to again draw in Western powers.

Following the deadly attack on Riyadh airport, US President Trump said he was going to "make a decision" about whether the US would join the Saudi strikes on the Houthis.

The UK meanwhile agreed in September to deploy a military aircraft to help refuel Saudi fighter jets in mid-air for "purely defensive missions".

Who funds and supplies the Houthis?

Saudi Arabia and Western powers say Iran smuggled weapons - including drones, and cruise and ballistic missiles - to the Houthis during Yemen's civil war in violation of a UN arms embargo.

A panel of UN experts concluded in 2024 that the Houthis had been transformed into a powerful military organisation due to the transfer of material, assistance and training from Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Lebanon's Hezbollah movement and Iraqi specialists.

And a report in May 2026 by Conflict Armament Research (CAR) - after the start of the Iran war - found that whereas in the past Tehran shipped finished weapons to the Houthis, it was now increasingly sending parts which its proxies were able to assemble and was also sharing increasingly advanced missile technologies.

Iran has denied supplying weapons to the Houthis and says it only supports them politically.

Death threats and isolation - the cost of fighting sexual violence in Iraq

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqd089r55vp3o, 6 days ago

This story contains details of sexual violence which some readers may find upsetting

"Get out of the car!" screams a woman, accusing a driver of exposing himself and making obscene comments as she walked by. She is filming the scene in a busy Baghdad street on her phone, and the camera captures him resisting her attempts to open the door as she confronts him.

The video can be seen, with others like it, on the Instagram page of Iraqi women's rights activist Sarah Jassim. She posts them on behalf of women who complain about sexual abuse and harassment by Iraqi men and boys.

"Your camera is your weapon," she tells the BBC. "It's a way to document evidence in case a woman decides to sue her harasser, or at least it is a means to shame him."

One of the videos she posted led to the arrest of the alleged perpetrator, a policeman accused of harassing schoolgirls, she says.

Jassim says posting the videos is risky both for herself and for the women concerned. We have spoken to numerous victims of sexual abuse in Iraq who say that society often blames the victim.

"I have received death threats, and I have also been threatened with acid attacks," Jassim says. "I have been accused of inciting public indecency, because I encourage women to speak in a society that expects us to be silent."

She now barely leaves home, for her own safety, and instead spends hours playing with her dog.

There is a need for stricter laws, she argues, including laws that explicitly criminalise "harassment" and "gender-based violence" - terms that are currently absent from the penal code.

"Recognising the problem is the best way to address it," she says. "We need protection, abusers have to be deterred."

'No-one will hear if I kill you'

Many Iraqi women have told the BBC they felt failed by the justice and police systems. Pursuing legal action against a harasser or a rapist is a long path in Iraq, with complicated procedures, and uncertain results, according to a number of activists and lawyers we have spoken to.

Violence against women and girls in Iraq is "widespread and under-reported," according to a report in May by a UN committee on discrimination against women, which called for stronger legislation.

Among dozens of recommendations, it urged the authorities to repeal "discriminatory" laws that exonerate rapists if they marry their victims, and allow reduced sentences for murder in cases where a perpetrator was carrying out a so-called "honour killing".

Amal - not her real name - has been battling in court for about five years. She accuses her ex-husband of repeatedly raping their daughter - who was under 18 at the time - at gunpoint.

She recalls her daughter's harrowing account of the incident, when she says the father walked into the girl's room and laid his weapon on her bed. She says he told her: "No-one will hear you if I kill you."

Sexual abuse has long been seen as a taboo subject in Iraq. I have been in touch with many survivors who say that they prefer to hush it up, because of a potential family backlash. Others told us they were afraid to go to the police, for fear of social stigma and possible harassment. But Amal was determined to seek justice and rushed to police to report the incident.

"She had lots of bruises around her wrists, as he held her hands tight. Whenever she tried to scream, he would cover her mouth with his hands," Amal says.

Amal showed me medical documents, including DNA evidence, which support her account.

A further demonstration of her ex-husband's cruelty came, Amal says, when she heard him tell a family member to "wash off our disgrace" if he was arrested. The expression is used in Iraq to refer to so-called honour killings - carried out in the belief that a woman has compromised a family's reputation.

Amal says she believes the father threatened to put an end to his daughter's life "so the medical report would not be released and the assault would not be proven".

She says her ex-husband is on the run and the court case remains open.

"I fought all alone," says Amal, bursting into tears as she says her ex-husband hired several lawyers but she could not afford legal representation, and her family turned a blind eye to the situation.

She no longer has any faith that a court ruling will come in her favour. "I just want him to stay out of my way forever," she says, with a sigh of despair.

For more on this story, you can watch Sally Nabil's report on YouTube.

Activist killed

Amal's daughter is more fortunate than some women who have experienced domestic sexual abuse in Iraq, as she has a safe place to live.

Many survivors have no independent income and nowhere to go. Iraq has very few shelters for abused women.

Those we know of were established by an organisation co-founded by Yanar Mohammed, an internationally recognised women's rights advocate. Last March she was murdered outside her house in Baghdad by armed men. The perpetrators are still unknown.

Experts working for the UN Human Rights Council wrote in April that Mohammed had been receiving death threats and online abuse for years, which were "believed to come from extremist religious militia".

Activists repeatedly told us that targeted attacks on their colleagues have been on the rise in recent years.

Hanaa Edwar, another prominent women's rights activist, says she saw Mohammed just two days before she was killed. She says she has also been threatened.

"There are no laws, no protection, and no justice for women in Iraq," she tells me.

"The problem in Iraq is not that women stay silent. It is that when they speak, very little in the system is built to listen, Mustafa Saadoon, head of the Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights, tells the BBC.

"A woman who reports sexual violence has to get past her family first, then a police station, then a court, and at every one of those doors someone is likely to tell her to settle it quietly."

'Followed in a car'

Among the Iraqi women who say they feel failed by the system is Samira - not her real name.

She tells the BBC that walking in the street puts her on the edge, after repeated harassments.

Once, she says a man "was watching a porn movie on his phone and put it in my face" on public transport.

In another incident in Baghdad, she says a man once followed her in his car for over 10 minutes. "It was extremely upsetting... I saw a police car. I went over and told them what had happened. They said they didn't have the authority to do anything."

Although her mother is loving and supportive, Samira does not share any stories of sexual harassment with her. "If I tell my family, they will immediately ask me not to leave home in order to stay safe," she says.

She has lost faith in state institutions: "Many men, including police officers, find nothing wrong with sexual harassment. If you are not a harasser, you are not a man, this is how they see it," she adds.

Many women I spoke to in Iraq even accused police of sexual harassment. I put the accusation to Muqdad Miri, a spokesman for Iraq's interior ministry.

"Cases of harassment involving police personnel happen but they are very few. They get a very harsh punishment, up to 10 years in prison and are dismissed," says Miri.

I put it to him that some women were now documenting harassment on social media because they were afraid to report it to police. He said they were posting on social media because it was easier than filing an official report, and because doing so has become a common way to draw attention to a cause.

I also put to him Samira's experience, in which she says an officer told her that he had no authority to stop harassment. Miri said Samira could have filed a complaint against this officer.

There are no reliable statistics for sexual violence or harassment in Iraq. Miri told me that police have received about 300 reports of sexual violence since the beginning of the year. However, he accepts that the real number of cases is higher: "Many cases never reach the police because of society, customs and traditions."

The stories of the women the BBC spoke to draw a picture of their battle not just against sexual violence itself, but against deeply entrenched mentalities and social beliefs that allow it to persist.

Edwar has been advocating for women's causes for over 50 years and her assessment is gloomy: "Twenty-three years after Saddam Hussein's regime was brought down, it seems we are going backwards regarding women's rights."

But both she and Jassim say they refuse to give up: "If all of us are going to get scared, no-one will change anything," says Sarah.

Additional reporting by Salma Khattab

If you have been affected by issues involving sexual abuse and violence, you could speak to a health professional or an organisation that offers support. Details of organisations offering advice and support for people in the UK are available from BBC Action Line.

Saudi minister vows 'serious response' to Houthi attacks on airports

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjly0zqq27e4o, 6 days ago

Saudi Arabia's energy minister has vowed a "serious" response to the deadly attacks on the kingdom's airports and oil and gas facilities by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement.

"The events of recent weeks are serious. Our response must be equally serious," Prince Abdul Aziz bin Salman told the WPC Energy Congress in Riyadh.

On Sunday, a Pakistani man was killed in an attack on a terminal at the capital's King Khalid International Airport, Saudi authorities said. It came a day after a Houthi missile hit another terminal, killing 13 people and forcing its closure.

The Houthis said they launched the attacks in retaliation for "brutal Saudi aggression" against areas they control in western Yemen.

A Saudi-led coalition is providing air support for Yemeni pro-government forces battling the Houthis on Yemen's Red Sea coast and other areas.

Explosions were heard again in Riyadh on Monday night, with the Saudi-led military coalition saying a ballistic missile had been intercepted and destroyed.

A Houthi spokesperson said the group had again targeted the airport.

Meanwhile, Qatar Airways has said it will temporarily suspend flights to Riyadh and the north-eastern city of Dammam.

Etihad Airways said it had cancelled flights between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam due to "regional disruption".

King Khalid airport is expected to remain closed until Saturday.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said early on Tuesday that the Houthis had shot down what he described as a Saudi "reconnaissance drone".

Meanwhile, the official spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed "two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis towards Khamis Mushait", in a statement shared on Tuesday.

The WPC Energy Congress opened on Sunday at a convention centre about 10km (6 miles) from Riyadh's airport, which has been attacked four times over the past week.

Last Thursday, three Saudis, including a pilot for the national airline Saudia, were killed in two strikes on an airport facility and an aircraft on the ground.

Another four Saudis, as well as two Bangladeshis, one American, one Egyptian, one Jordanian, one Syrian, one Palestinian, one Sudanese and one Indian, were killed in Saturday's missile strike on Terminal 3.

On Sunday, a Pakistani resident was killed when a projectile hit Terminal 4, according to the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA).

King Fahd International Airport in Dammam was also attacked on Sunday evening, it said, but no casualties were reported.

Later, the Saudi-led coalition said its forces had intercepted a drone in Eastern Province and a missile launched by the Houthis towards the south-western city of Khamis Mushait.

Meanwhile, the Houthi-run health ministry said a child was killed and six other people were injured in a Saudi air strike on a home in the capital, Sanaa, on Sunday.

In his inaugural address to the WPC Energy Congress on Monday, Prince Abdul Aziz thanked industry executives and policymakers for attending despite the attacks.

"You know this country is safe and that we hold your protection at whole heart," he said.

But he also acknowledged that "energy security cannot be taken for granted" and that recent developments had "tested our infrastructure, our institutions, our people, and our resilience".

Prince Abdul Aziz promised that his country would overcome those challenges.

"We, as Saudis, are fearless, combatant and determined people," he said. "We shall prove it to the world that whatever we are going through we will overcome it."

There was no immediate comment from the Houthis.

On Sunday evening, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a video statement that its forces had launched missiles and drones at Riyadh and Dammam's airports, as well as two oil and gas facilities in Eastern Province, in response to 124 Saudi air strikes in Yemen over the previous 24 hours.

Sarea also reiterated a warning to airlines and passengers against using Saudi airports and airspace, except for journeys to and from the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

The Houthis' forces, he vowed, would "continue their escalating operations deep inside Saudi, imposing the equation of 'a blockade for a blockade' and 'an escalation for an escalation' and targeting Saudi enemy reinforcements until the aggression ceases and the siege on our dear people is lifted".

Saturday's attack on Riyadh airport drew widespread international condemnation.

UN Secretary General António Guterres said he was "deeply shocked" and warned that attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure were a violation of international law.

President Donald Trump said he would "make a decision" about the US joining Saudi Arabia's strikes on the Houthis. The US military is reportedly already providing intelligence and targeting support to the Saudi-led coalition.

Iran, which has repeatedly denied allegations that it provides weapons and training to the Houthis, said it was "deeply concerned" by the escalation and called for "dialogue and engagement" to resolve the situation.

Yemen has been devastated by a civil war that began in 2014, when the Houthis ousted the government from Sanaa. The conflict escalated in 2015, after the Saudi-led coalition intervened in an attempt to restore the government's rule.

The Houthis said they were retaliating for what they call a Saudi blockade of ports and airports in their territory, as well as an air strike on Sanaa airport that they blamed on the kingdom. The Yemeni government claimed it was behind that strike, saying it was trying to prevent an unauthorised Iranian plane from landing.

Last month, the Houthis launched a surprise offensive along Yemen's south-western Red Sea coast and ousted pro-government forces from areas overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait, at the southern end of the Red Sea.

They said they posed no threat to international shipping passing through the waterway but that they would continue to target vessels from Saudi Arabia.

However, the seizure of the strait contributed to a surge in global oil prices because Saudi Arabia had been relying on the Red Sea for oil exports after the US and Israel's war with Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf.

Last week, the Yemeni government announced the start of a new offensive aimed at retaking all territory held by the Houthis.

Pro-government forces said they were quickly able to retake areas around Bab al-Mandab with the help of intense Saudi air strikes, but the Houthis denied losing any territory.

Wales has an education crisis. Can it be fixed?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cw240qv4ygzmo, 5 days ago

As you dip into the valley on the way into Merthyr Tydfil, a new earthy-toned building dominates the view.

It's the new site of Saint Carlo Acutis Catholic School. With its rooftop science garden, solar panels and floor-to-ceiling windows, it's an impressive sight.

Excited staff and 940 pupils moved into the £50m complex at the start of September. But they did so just as the Welsh education system was being painted in a less positive light, with Wales once again ranking the worst of UK nations in global tests.

"It casts doubt over a system we're proud of and children that we're proud of," says Sarah Hopkins, who's been a headteacher here for eight years. She says it doesn't tell the full story but admits "it is disappointing".

Welsh parents are currently thinking about the next steps for their children, with application deadlines for secondary school places at the end of this month. That comes at a time when the test results pose difficult questions about why Wales has so clearly underperformed relative to its closest neighbours. And with Wales's devolved government now run by a party other than Labour for the first time ever, can the new Plaid Cymru administration do what it's promised and improve standards?

A growing gap

Sarah Hopkins started teaching in 1998 - a year before the Welsh Assembly, now the Senedd, took over responsibility for education in Wales from Westminster.

In that time she's had to navigate many system-wide and school changes.

The latest challenge has been managing the big move from the old mishmash of 1960s-built classrooms to the vast new building.

But buildings alone do not drive excellence, and the gap between Wales and the other UK countries is getting wider.

Pisa (Programme for International Student Assessment) measures teenagers' skills in reading, maths and science. Sat by a sample of 15-year-olds – 3,406 in Wales in 2025, including some in Sarah Hopkins' school - it provides a snapshot of how education systems are performing.

On the day results were published, Wales' education Minister, Anna Brychan, euphemistically said they were "not where we want them to be". Others called them catastrophic.

The graphs are stark.

Wales first took part in the tests in 2006. There have been upticks along the way. But when the pandemic affected scores across the board in 2022, Wales fell back furthest. And the gulf grew in the latest results.

The OECD, the global economic development body which runs Pisa, says that 20 points equates to roughly a year of learning. That would mean Welsh 15-year-olds are about two years behind England's in reading, science and maths. In reading, they also trail teenagers in Scotland and Northern Ireland by a year.

The tests alone don't capture everything schools do to support pupils, "whether that's a clean jumper, whether that's having a pen and a pencil" says Hopkins. And there are long-standing debates about the methodology of the tests. But nobody in Wales is pretending there's nothing to worry about.

Clear, red water

Soon after the devolved administration was established, the Welsh Labour government of the early 2000s used its powers over education and other public services to go off on a different course to Tony Blair's Labour government at Westminster - creating what the then Welsh First Minister Rhodri Morgan called "clear, red water".

Secondary school league tables and standardised tests at seven, 11 and 14 (SATs) were scrapped. A new learning-through-play approach for the youngest pupils was an early flagship policy.

Poor Pisa results in 2010 brought about a drastic reappraisal. Plain speaking Education Minister Leighton Andrews called the results a "wake-up call" for a "complacent" system and introduced a new raft of reforms.

Alongside a literacy and numeracy drive, Andrews re-introduced accountability measures with annual reading and maths tests for seven-to-14 year olds, and a new school performance regime, called banding.

There were some parallels between the political styles of Andrews and the man in charge of England's schools system at the time, Conservative Michael Gove, who was on his own controversial education mission with an emphasis on high-stakes accountability. The two seemed to relish their occasional public spats over policy.

But policies introduced by Andrews lost their bite over time. The school banding system was changed and eventually dropped altogether during the pandemic. Tests later evolved into personalised assessments. And the focus moved to developing a new curriculum in Wales, something which Andrews recently said was a "distraction" from efforts to drive up standards.

Sir Nick Gibb, a former schools minister at Westminster who worked under Michael Gove, believes the main reason for Wales' Pisa woes is weak accountability.

He says "schools are spending billions of pounds of public money and they're not being held to account for the results that they produce".

He argues that focusing on the "science of learning" paid dividends with England's move up international education rankings. Primary schools in England were told they had to use a structured form of phonics to teach young children to read. This was reinforced with a phonics screening check for six-year-olds.

Sir Nick claims education standards in Wales and Scotland suffered because they didn't do the same.

A new plan

In general, education ministers in England have been more likely to set direction for teachers, highlighted by the approach to phonics. In Wales, for the most part, the mantra has been to trust the profession. And though that freedom sounds good in theory, it has pitfalls.

It's the thinking at the heart of the new curriculum for Wales - dubbed the biggest reform to Welsh education in a generation.

There's widespread support for the core purposes of the curriculum which aim to create well-rounded young people with the skills to contribute to the economy and to society. But there's less confidence in the way it tries to go about achieving that.

The curriculum, which started being developed in 2014 and is only being fully rolled out this academic year, gives schools freedom to design their own curricula. In fact it's now "left almost completely up to schools what they should teach," says Lucy Crehan, an associate advisor on curriculum at Swansea University and education consultant.

Experts such as Crehan argue it's unlikely to improve standards and may make the situation worse by exacerbating inconsistency across schools.

And many teachers, already overstretched and overwhelmed, have struggled.

"I think there does need to be more clarity for teachers, for schools on what actually it is they should be teaching and where it is they should be getting students to and by what point," Crehan says. She warns that it is the most disadvantaged pupils who could come off worst.

"This is categorically not teachers' fault. They have been let down by a system that has said, you're the professionals, off you go and sort out everything", says Crehan.

There has been a growing consensus about the need to provide teachers with extra support, which was acknowledged by the previous Labour government. Teaching unions warn the profession is being asked to introduce the biggest reform to Welsh education in a generation while still dealing with the fallout of the pandemic, including poor attendance and behaviour, as well as squeezed budgets.

In the meantime, the real test of the curriculum's impact on standards is yet to come. The next Pisa tests, planned for 2029, will be the first with the new curriculum fully in place.

'Nothing different in the water'

Apart from what's taught and how, there are other factors that could influence standards.

"There's nothing in the water in Wales that's different," says Nick Gibb. But, could the way the education system is structured play a part?

Unlike in England, in Wales there are no academies or free schools. Comprehensives, run by local authorities, are the norm. Former First Minister Lord Carwyn Jones believes that 22 councils is too many to run education effectively. He says failing to cut that number is his biggest regret in government.

Jones believes there is a "structural problem in Wales where the Welsh government sets policy…but doesn't deliver education", which is the job of local authorities.

Some councils oversee a handful of schools – including only four secondaries in some cases. "I just don't think you can have the right level of challenge or the right level of guidance if the local authority itself is very, very small," he says. Unless that's addressed, it's impossible "to provide the right level of support to improve our Pisa scores".

When Wales-based education economist Luke Sibieta compared GCSE results in areas such as Wrexham and Blaenau Gwent in Wales with the likes of similarly disadvantaged Gateshead and Salford in England, he found "disadvantaged pupils just perform worse in Wales than they do in England". The latest Pisa data showed the most disadvantaged pupils in England performed above the overall Welsh average in reading.

Reflecting on the early years of Welsh devolution, former Welsh government adviser Prof David Reynolds said ministers had been seeking change "by being nice to people rather than being nasty".

It's not been everyone's approach, but overall a lot of effort has been put into getting councils and unions on board with policies. Opinions vary about whether that's served pupils and staff well. Nick Gibb is one of those who argues that taking necessary steps to improve education standards means going "over the heads of unions" at times.

The question for Plaid

Taking the stage at Plaid Cymru's first conference in government, cabinet minister for Education Anna Brychan's assessment was more blunt than a month earlier, when the Pisa results came out. Speaking in Welsh, she called them "brawychus" - roughly translated as "terrible" or "shocking".

But so far she hasn't proposed wholesale changes to education. The minister has been at pains to emphasise that she's committed to the new curriculum. Even if it was practical to unpick it all, she's acknowledged there's little appetite for major upheaval. Instead, she's promising to review aspects of it and to set clearer steps for measuring how pupils are progressing.

Brychan's view is that a focus on literacy and numeracy has been "lost in the noise" of reforms. She's promised more clarity.

Phonics are more central to the plan and there will be more tracking of children's progress in primary school.

Wales' education system needs to be better at measuring itself, says Luke Sibieta, who is a research fellow at the Institute for Fiscal Studies. And without consistent benchmarks, it's not surprising that so much weight has been placed on Pisa's verdict. Sibieta makes the point that, looked at through a different lens, the downward trend in Wales' results is in line with "places like France, Germany, Italy, Spain" while England has been bucking the trend. That's little consolation for those involved in Welsh education.

Sarah Hopkins says her school has strived to build an effective curriculum due to professional pride and determination to make sure the "children get what they deserve", but she admits "there's no checks you're doing it properly".

Overall, she is optimistic that the new curriculum and efforts in schools to improve standards will bear fruit in better Pisa scores in future. "I think that there will be a time where Wales will lead the way," she says.

But some fear a generation of young people have been let down.

"It's not the be all and end all, how you do in Pisa," says Sibieta, "but if it means that young people are less highly skilled and less able to get good quality jobs later on in life, that has implications for all of us."

Graphic design: Jess Carr

Top image credit: Getty Images

BBC InDepth is the home on the website and app for the best analysis, with fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions and deep reporting on the biggest issues of the day. Emma Barnett and John Simpson bring their pick of the most thought-provoking deep reads and analysis, every Saturday. Sign up for the newsletter here

Publicly owned rail is popular. But is it making the trains run on time?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ck5yn0n14r8do, 7 days ago

The early afternoon of Wednesday 6 August was an unremarkable one on the rail network. Then suddenly, shortly before 14:00, a power failure brought trains across the north-west of England to a halt.

Chaos ensued: passengers told the BBC they were stranded on platforms for hours, with some having to book hotels for the night.

This incident, stemming from a short power cut that affected Network Rail's operating centre in Manchester, was, in itself, unusual. But it added to a difficult summer for train passengers.

Repeated heatwaves required risk control measures like speed reductions to avoid tracks being damaged in the heat, leading to delays and cancellations. There was a serious derailment near Lewes, East Sussex, and another smaller-scale incident near Wickford in Essex soon after.

Against a backdrop of relatively high cancellation rates and steep fares compared with previous decades, rail users could be forgiven for forming the impression that things are not working.

Something is changing, though: Labour is steadily bringing nearly all passenger rail services into public hands. Nationalisation is a popular idea - a YouGov tracker poll suggests almost two thirds of the public support public ownership.

But in reality, plans are still in their early stages. Big structural changes have yet to be introduced. And experts caution that it's too early to say how successful these will be.

So can rail nationalisation meet the public's expectations? Or are the ongoing delays and cancellations that we're currently seeing under a part-nationalised network a sign that it might struggle to deliver real improvement?

What the data says

South Western Railway (SWR) was nationalised in May 2025, the first of six services to be brought into public ownership under Labour so far.

At Woking station, which is served by SWR, regular commuter Leo tells me he had been optimistic about public ownership, but hasn't noticed it making any difference so far: "I think the phrase 'emperor's new clothes' comes to mind… it's still unreliable."

SWR saw a clear increase in cancellations during its first year in public hands.

But how much of this was due to nationalisation?

The Conservatives have cited SWR as an example of how public control does not necessarily mean improvements or fix key problems.

But the government argues SWR's early period in public hands was affected by high summer temperatures, signal failures and trespass incidents.

Lord Hendy, the rail minister, says work to turn the operator around has included introducing long-delayed new trains on suburban routes and recruiting more drivers, resulting in a drop in those cancellations that are due to staff shortages.

TransPennine Express was nationalised in May 2023, under the Conservative government. Many passengers had been at their wits' end as the operator struggled to fulfil its timetable and suffered from poor industrial relations.

A plan to improve reliability was put in place, which included cutting some services and even removing one type of train as a way of sorting out staffing problems. A new deal with the drivers' union also helped - something an insider at the former private sector operator claimed to me their company had not been permitted to do.

So has it worked? Cancellations have fallen noticeably. But they were still above the Great Britain average in the year to August.

It's really important to say the data can only tell us so much. There are so many different factors that might affect the performance of each service: for example, the state of the infrastructure it relies on, weather events or simply how well it was working before the government took over.

Plus, of the operators nationalised since Labour came to power, only SWR and c2c have completed a whole year in public hands. Even for those nationalised years earlier, the picture is clouded by the impact of the pandemic, when passenger numbers fell off a cliff.

But according to Alex Hynes, chief executive of DfT Operator Limited (DfTO), the government company that currently owns publicly-run operators, it has been possible to make some short-term changes. Notably, these include making one team jointly responsible for managing infrastructure and passenger train services in some areas including the south-west of England.

"The railway is a system: track, train, people," he says. "So by putting one person in charge, they can fix all elements of the system to deliver a better service to customers."

Hynes also gives examples of changes on the recently nationalised Thameslink; investment in better cleaning, improving toilets and replacing unpopular upright "ironing-board" seats.

But when it comes to the pure performance data of operators nationalised in the past few years - delays, cancellations - can we really draw any conclusions yet to tell us whether the policy is working?

"I think it's completely hopeless to try and do that assessment over such a short period," Stephen Glaister, a former chair of regulator the Office of Rail and Road who is now emeritus professor of transport and infrastructure at Imperial College London. He thinks a decade is needed to assess the impact of nationalisation.

The government argues that official data suggests publicly owned train operators are performing better on punctuality and cancellations overall than those still under DfT contracts to private operators.

Experts point out that whoever is running the passenger trains, some limitations remain. Many delays happen because infrastructure, like signals, fails. There's only so much capacity on the existing network. And getting better trains or more staff can take years.

Beyond the private-public binary

The view that privatisation ultimately failed, leaving unreliable services and high fares, may be widespread. However, Prof Glaister argues that for a few years in the 1990s, the old privatised system actually worked well. Operating costs and subsidies were falling while the number of train services and passengers went up, he says.

And in the current context, it's important to be clear about what nationalisation really means.

The railways Labour inherited weren't, in truth, completely privatised, and nationalisation doesn't mean a return to British Rail.

For example, the infrastructure manager Network Rail has been fully under public control for over two decades. A number of train companies including LNER and Northern had already been nationalised under the Conservatives. Scotrail, Transport for Wales and Caledonian Sleeper are controlled by devolved national governments.

And even those operators still on contracts issued by the DfT at Westminster have been heavily controlled by the government for years. During Covid, private operators started being paid a fixed fee to run services, while the taxpayer took on the financial risk. The terms of the contracts meant train companies had to "ask government for permission to blow their nose", according to one senior industry executive, who asked not to be named so they could speak freely.

Highly profitable rolling stock companies ("ROSCOS") still own the actual trains. Freight companies operate privately too, and there are a handful of fully commercial "open access operators" on the rails like Lumo, Hull Trains and Grand Central - although there are concerns within the industry that these could end up squeezed.

So what is often referred to as the nationalisation of the railways, in fact amounts to gradually returning passenger train operators run by private companies to public hands as their contracts expire - and making this the default.

What will Great British Railways do differently?

This is not all that's happening, though. The government hopes that re-organising the railways under a new publicly run body, Great British Railways (GBR), will make a big difference. This will bring together the running of trains and tracks, ending the current fragmented system.

A botched rail timetable introduction in 2018 was the spark for the then-Conservative government to eventually propose GBR as a new overarching body - although the Tories believe private competition should not be excluded from the system.

Some trains are already covered in distinctive GBR branding, but the organisation still doesn't exist. A new law to create it is making its way through parliament. Unknowns remain, like exactly how GBR will interact with devolved governments, and who its senior leaders will be.

Transport expert and author Prof Jon Shaw, of the University of Plymouth, says the idea of a "single guiding mind" should create "a better planned railway that's more aligned to the customer".

Prof Shaw thinks potential benefits include better long-term planning around rolling-stock and timetables, and the removal of "the compensation merry-go-round", where train companies and Network Rail argue about whose fault a delay was.

Hynes says: "The way you get the railway to work is you get the infrastructure and the trains and the people working in harmony because it's a system. And we can do that in a publicly owned GBR railway in a way that we haven't been able to do for a generation."

But Prof Shaw cautions of potential pitfalls. For example, "there remains very little money", and "a massive issue is whether or not the rail minister or DfT more generally - or the Treasury - will be able to butt out" and leave rail leaders to run the railway.

Prof Glaister also fears politically sensitive aspects such as fares and levels of service could lead to politicians trying to run the railways themselves, because of the amount of public money involved.

"Actually, governments are not very good at running railways," he says. "So you want management who are somewhat independent and able to run it."

Lord Hendy insists that despite the Transport Secretary having ultimate sign-off on GBR's strategy, the body will be genuinely arms-length from government.

"The point of this is to get a cadre of people who are committed to the outcomes that the secretary of state and I want for it, who can go off and run it on their own," he says, adding: "They'll have a lot more chance in the future than they've had in the last 20 years."

A question of cost

The railways are currently subsidised to the tune of around £12bn a year - not including spending on major projects like HS2.

The Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander says that she wants to see subsidy levels fall. Meanwhile, Network Rail has acknowledged a squeezed budget means difficult choices, and shoring up the network against the effects of more extreme weather requires investment.

Prof Glaister says: "When the public is hoping for a better level of service, more reliability, fewer breakdowns and lower fares, what they're really asking for is more money to be put into the railway.

"I don't think it's likely the government is going to be able to find more money, probably [it will have] less, actually. And so I think there's a real problem with ministers raising expectations from this policy."

But Hynes doesn't see a contradiction between reducing taxpayer subsidy and making train services better.

"My two north stars are performance up and subsidy down," he says. "If the service is better, we get more customers, we get more revenue."

Lord Hendy and Hynes also push back on the idea that the answer to improving reliability might be running fewer trains.

Hynes says: "In an industry with high fixed costs, the best way of getting the subsidy down is to go for growth."

Questions also remain about how GBR will manage industrial relations. Terms and conditions currently vary across operators. What will cost-conscious ministers do if unions seek to standardise these at the most generous level across the network?

While ministers argue they are getting on with improvements that people will notice, there's acknowledgement that the speed of improvement will vary between operators.

Lord Hendy says some changes "ought to be dead boring… to make sure tomorrow is a little better than today if you can do it".

But he says "more than 30 years worth of behaviors" will need altering to make the railway run solely in the interests of the customer.

At Woking, is there optimism that things will improve in the long run?

"I really hope so," says Leo, "it would be amazing - as it's not the best service now."

Graphics by Rob England, Verify data team

AI is creating a 'human premium' for art made by people. But will it hold?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5vgjm3gk7rzo, 9 days ago

A few weeks back, in a former bank building that's now a music venue in Falmouth, Cornwall, I was DJ-ing at a night I run called Rave Machine. It was a noisy, high-energy, sweaty affair, just as a night's dancing should be.

All of the elements - the crowd, performers, staff, music, the journey home - connected to create something special, a one-off. It was also completely human.

Something, in theory, well out of reach of what technology could possibly offer.

In the DJ world, though, technology has already changed the equation. In the 1990s, a DJ had to not only pick the tracks, but also thread them together armed only with vinyl records, a pair of turntables and a mixer. Now, much more assistance is on offer, including software that will sync beats on different tracks should you ask it to (I don't). Apple Music and Spotify have an AI tune-mixing option too.

If you were out dancing, would it matter to you if a DJ was, well, not really DJing? If you loved the music being played, would you care if technology was doing the work?

It's a question that generative AI - the type of AI that creates content - is asking of us all. One of the thrills of that night in Falmouth was seeing our special guest, Andy Cato from Groove Armada, artfully weaving an array of tracks. How would I feel if a DJ was just pressing play? (And that does happen).

I mention all of this because that experience in Falmouth connects to a far broader question: whether we actually care if a piece of art has been created by a human, be that a painting, song, book, poem, or any other type of art.

Renaissance frescoes and chess champions

The music platform Deezer says 44% of tracks uploaded to it are AI-generated. Its research also found that 97% of listeners couldn't tell what was AI-generated and what wasn't. But here's a third statistic: more than half of those surveyed said they did care if it was made by AI. They want humans to be involved.

Daniel Susskind, an economics professor at King's College London, says many of us place huge value on the human role in making art. It's what makes the creative process different from more functional, practical tasks, he thinks.

"I was once in a room of accountants, and one of them stood up and said, 'My clients come to me for the personal touch, the human process'," he remembers. "And I said, 'That isn't why they come to you, they come because they want their taxes done properly'."

But it's different with art, he says. "If I walk into the Sistine Chapel and look at the ceiling, I think not only is that extraordinarily beautiful, but isn't it amazing that a human hand, flesh and blood like my own, came up with that. A mind like mine dreamt that up," he says.

As Susskind describes it, what we value isn't just the destination, it's the knowledge that a human - one of us - got us there. We can wonder at that achievement.

Of course, it could be argued that computers and AI software were themselves created by humans. If Susskind feels awe walking into the Sistine Chapel, others might experience awe of a different type using a chatbot like ChatGPT.

Susskind points to another example, this time a chess match in 1997, when a world champion, Garry Kasparov, lost for the first time to a computer, Deep Blue. At the time, there were fears the computer's success would mean our interest in chess would wane. In fact, chess is more popular than ever, played by millions.

"It wasn't simply the moves on the board that people care about. It's the fact that it's a human being sitting behind them, moving those pieces along that matters," Susskind argues.

And some think that the advent of AI has actually placed extra value on things created by people. You might call that a human premium.

Human touch

Kyle Chayka, a journalist at The New Yorker focused on technology, says AI writing is now widely considered to be "generic, obsequious and banal". As a result, he says, "I think readers are coming to value very obviously personal writing, and maybe even writing that's messier, less structurally sound or composed or perfected, than they maybe once would've desired."

Chayka goes on: "I think illustration and graphic design is going in the same direction, where the average is too easily accessible, and so designers are leaning into being weirder and more eye-catching and more unusual, trying to find things that AI can't generate so easily."

In response to the surge in AI-created content, academics are racing to develop a universally recognised symbol to denote something that is "human made" (similar to the "Fairtrade" label that emerged in the 1980s). Labels like "AI-free" are already appearing on covers of some books, films, and albums.

For C Thi Nguyen, a philosophy professor at the University of Utah, it's a question of our underlying values.

He says you can often work out your values by following what he calls a "why chain". If you like something or want to do something, ask "why?". If the answer is to make money or be successful, keep asking 'why?' When the process ends, that will be what you really value, he explains.

The question, he says, is whether human involvement and shared human experience will keep its place at the end of the "why chain".

Author John Lanchester is optimistic. He thinks the value of what only humans can do will prevail. In fact, he sympathises with the idea of a 'human premium'.

"If you commodify one kind of thing, the things you can't commodify start to seem more important," he tells me.

The algorithmic loop

All of that might sound heartening for people hoping that humans will remain central to the creation of culture.

But I'm not so sure. The amount of AI-generated content is increasing so quickly that we may soon struggle to distinguish what has or hasn't involved AI.

You may well have seen coverage of the AI 'actor' Tilly Norwood, made last year by a company that bills itself as the world's "first AI talent studio". The Screen Actors Guild in the US was not impressed. "It has no life experience to draw from, no emotion, and, from what we've seen, audiences aren't interested in watching computer-generated content untethered from the human experience," they wrote.

I'm not saying AI will replace actors - of course not. But what feels untethered and strange now, may not, in some situations, feel so strange in time.

It's also worth remembering that long before Large Language Models went mainstream, we'd already allowed technology to shape our cultural tastes.

As recently as the 2000s, we still sought out lots of the culture we consumed. We'd buy a book, a cinema ticket, an album. Sometimes we still do.

But increasingly, culture just arrives - in an endless stream, sorted and served by an algorithm that is constantly predicting our tastes.

At first glance, this sounds convenient. The work's being done for us. But as the role of the algorithm goes up, so the role of humans goes down.

"There's the mythical figure of your big brother's friend or something, who passes on good music taste to you," says Chayka, whose book Filterworld explores the impacts of algorithms on culture. "And now we rely on algorithmic recommendations to do that same thing for us. To introduce us to new things."

I recognise this from my own habits. Back in the 1990s, when I started collecting dance music, I'd find new music through record shops and recommendations from people I trusted. I can still do that, and do. But these days the algorithm's doing a lot of that work for me - and it can be really helpful. I'll find tunes I wouldn't have discovered otherwise.

To an extent, I am letting technology guide me.

Chayka thinks algorithms have made us lazy, and "prevent us from going deeper" in our cultural taste. Sometimes we might find a piece of art that requires work - a long, difficult book, perhaps, or a weird-seeming movie. "It might alienate us initially, but eventually it inspires us," Chayka says.

"I think that kind of culture has fallen by the wayside in favour of culture as content to consume that's not going to change your life, it's just going to turn your brain off for a few hours."

And it's a self-reinforcing loop; creators adapt their work as they seek out the attention the algorithm can provide.

And here's the key point: this shift - to discovering culture via algorithms - is one we've already largely accepted. So when AI starts making books, films, and music in large numbers - might we just shrug and accept that too?

Calculator backlash

Back in 1986, in Washington DC, protesting teachers lined the streets outside a convention centre. They weren't angry about their wages or budget cuts. In this case, the object of their ire was the calculator. Maths teacher John Saxon had taken up the cause. "The kids are not learning their math facts because they're becoming calculator hooked," he proclaimed. " If they had given me a black box, I wouldn't know that… six times eight's 48 'cause it rhymes, and seven times nine is 63 'cause it does not."

We all have our ways of remembering times tables.

Needless to say, this is an argument that Saxon lost. But some of those arguments feel familiar.

Of course, some things are definitely out of range of technology, at least for now. Think of my sweaty DJ night in Falmouth a few weeks ago, with 250 other ravers.

Alex Mahon says she's noticed an uptick in appreciation for in-person experiences like these - perhaps as a backlash to the amount of our lives now spent on a smartphone screen.

She's chief executive of Superstruct Entertainment, one of the world's leading festival and live entertainment groups.

"People want to go to more live things," she says. "They want to have things that are unforeseeable… unpredictable. The special moment is live. The excitement, the discovery is hearing it in person with others."

In the case of culture, when is it OK to outsource to technology, and when is it not? The more I look at this, the less I'm sure we can assume what choices we'll make.

Each of us will have to decide when it matters if something is made by a human.

Top image credit: Getty.

The Republican candidates walking a Trump tightrope

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm93z74e0n9zo, 12 days ago

As US President Donald Trump hits the campaign trail in the final sprint to the midterm elections, he is launching an emphatic defence of America's economic performance, trying - as he often does - to bend reality to his will.

"We have the best economic numbers of any president in the history of our country, and yet people don't know about it because the press won't talk about it," he said last week.

While some economic indicators, including roaring stock market indexes and low US poverty rates, are indeed historic, the overall picture is not nearly as rosy.

Trump is often dismissive of concerns about aﬀordability and the high cost of living in the US, describing them as "fake" and a Democrat-inspired "hoax".

The American public, however, sees it differently - and some key economic indicators provide ample evidence for their discontent. Inflation remains high at 3.4%, outpacing wage growth. The average cost of petrol has soared to $4.37 (£3.30) a US gallon and beef prices are at a record high.

According to a YouGov survey, 63% of respondents believe the economy is "getting worse". An AP/NORC poll released last week found just 17% of adult Americans approve of the president's handling of cost-of-living issues, while 26% approve of his handling of the economy overall.

Those polls also suggest that many of Trump's policies, including tariffs, aggressive immigration enforcement and the ongoing conflict with Iran, are widely unpopular.

"We ask our voters their motivation to turn out, and what we find is cost of living, cost of living, cost of living," said Avery James, the director of communications at the Republican-aligned polling company Echelon Insights. "That's the top issue."

That has left Republicans running for office in the Congressional elections on 3 November with an agonising choice - should they be distancing themselves from Trump?

Their fear is that by echoing his sunny outlook they risk losing a number of electoral races that are currently projected to be very tight. But they also know that being seen to break with the president on the state of the economy is far from consequence free.

The economy looming large

There are few Republican politicians as loyal to the president as Floridian House Congressman Byron Donalds. And there are few US states as traditionally hospitable to Republicans as Florida.

But even in the president's adopted home, which he carried in each of his three elections and which hasn't had a Democratic governor since 1999, candidates like Donalds are finding themselves having to adapt their pro-Republican messaging to acknowledge economic concerns.

Donalds - who stood by Trump as he fought his way back to power after his 2020 election defeat and took a prominent role in his 2024 election campaign - is now running for governor of Florida, with Trump's encouragement and enthusiastic endorsement.

When I saw him at a Hispanic church in Kissimmee, he was preaching to the proverbial choir - but pitching his message with a nod to the fact that for many money is currently tight.

"We're the best state in America," he said before acknowledging: "But success has gotten expensive."

He ticked through a laundry list of Florida constituents – retirees, teachers, emergency workers, restaurant staff and local government employees, flagging that they need to be able to "make ends meet".

In his stump speech, Donalds didn't mention Trump at all. He leaned heavily into stories of his own financial hardship during his younger years, of living paycheque to paycheque and waiting tables at the traditional southern style restaurant chain Cracker Barrel.

When he invited audience questions, there were the usual cultural hot-button topics, like the perceived threat of Sharia law in America, transgender athletes in women's sports and youth crime in public spaces.

But his supporters also wanted to talk about the high cost of housing - insurance, taxes, mortgage rates and home-owner fees - and healthcare worker shortages.

Trump may have mocked the term affordability, but Donalds – who is criss-crossing the state on an "affordability tour" – isn't the only Republican candidate talking about high prices.

It was a similar track at a campaign event in a Tampa seafood market the next day, when Bryan Avila, who is running for lieutenant governor on the same ticket as Donalds, took questions on energy prices and data centre construction.

"Everything is going up in prices, from food to even books for people going to college," said John Carroll, who serves on a Florida county housing commission. "It's a challenge no matter which party is in power, but here in Florida it's been Republican for so long."

Meanwhile in Texas, Governor Greg Abbott last month went to Texarkana to host a "rural affordability roundtable".

"We must lower costs for Texans in every corner of our state, and with my affordability agenda we will help make Texas the most affordable state in America."

And in Iowa, Ashley Hinson, a Republican congresswoman running for Senate, unveiled her own "affordability agenda".

"Iowans are paying the price for Washington's failures, and they deserve real relief that actually lowers costs," she said.

Hinson also recently called for the president to quickly end the Iran war – a sentiment echoed by Republican Senate candidates in Ohio and Michigan. Two of Hinson's Iowa colleagues in the House of Representatives went so far as to vote for a Democratic-backed measure to curtail Trump's war powers in Iran.

For the past two years it has been Republicans who control the levers of power in the nation's capital – from the White House to both chambers of Congress. Inevitably, that makes for a challenging rhetorical pirouette among Republican candidates this time round when it comes to touching on Trump's less popular policies.

The Donalds-Donald relationship

Even Donalds has faced allegations that he is trying to open daylight between himself and Trump. The media was awash in reports recently that he had removed most prominent mentions of Trump from his campaign website.

It was a story Donalds quickly denied – and one that prompted an angry response from the president himself.

"Another Fake Story is that a very close friend of mine, a man I endorsed very early, Byron Donalds, is taking me off his website and campaign materials," Trump posted on his Truth Social website. "If Florida thought the story that Byron 'dropped' me was true, he would lose the election, and that would be a terrible thing because he's going to be a fantastic governor!"

Donalds did say, however, that when it comes to addressing how to tackle high prices, Trump shouldn't be a factor.

"That's not even about President Trump," he told reporters after the website story broke. "I'm the one asking for the votes for the people of Florida to be their governor."

While Donalds and Trump remain tight, the same cannot be said for Republican candidates who have gone farther in their criticism.

Congresswoman Maria Salazar aired a television spot in which she bluntly said Trump's immigration crackdown had "gone too far". Trump reposted a handful of messages on Truth Social accusing the Cuban-American Salazar of betrayal and calling for her to drop out, while other potential candidates had been on the receiving end of his anger during the primaries.

According to Marc Short, a Republican strategist and former chief of staff to Donald Trump's first vice-president, Mike Pence, it's hard not to see Trump's move as a warning directed at any other Republicans who might consider a public break with him. But he adds that Trump's ire isn't the only reason Republican candidates should approach this strategy with caution.

"It's almost disingenuous now to try to create separation," he says. "I think for voters it looks opportunistic."

Candidates like Salazar, who have stuck with Trump for years, have little choice but to rise and fall with the president's fortunes, he said. Republicans who have built their own brand and identities – like Senator Susan Collins in Maine – can more convincingly draw distinctions between themselves and the president.

The fact that so many people are downbeat about the economy, combined with the fact that the Republicans have been in power in Washington suggests that Republican candidates are facing difficult headwinds in November's elections. "I think they're hurricane force right now," said Short.

It is, however, far from a lost cause for Republicans going into these midterms. Many polls show battleground congressional and state races in a dead heat. And while Democratic candidates' hopes are buoyed by so many people feeling the economy is not working for them, a majority of voters still have a negative view of the Democratic Party as a whole.

"I think Republicans are closing out on the fact that they've delivered on a bunch of things, but we need to do more," said Alex DeGrasse, a Republican campaign consultant with close ties to the party's congressional leadership. His recommendation for the Republican electoral message was simple and pointed: "If you elect the Democrats, they'll destroy everything. Democrats had a chance to run the country, and by every objective economic metric, they did a worse job."

He added that right now in the White House, Republicans aren't panicking, they're focusing on executing their strategy.

The Republican messaging

In Florida's governor race, the Republican messaging contrasts the "Florida dream" of economic growth that Republicans say they delivered versus what they say is the hardship and depravity of Democratic-run states like Illinois, California and New York. Florida's population is booming, and many of the new arrivals are conservatives who lived in - and grew tired of - more liberal states in the north and west. But even this pitch often came with a nod to the current economic difficulties.

"For the past 26 years, we have been living in a Florida dream, and a lot of people don't realise the amount of work that has been done in this state," Avila said in Kissimmee last week.

According to James, from the Republican-aligned polling firm, the key for conservative candidates is to take subjects on which they are relatively strong, like crime, taxes and immigration, and link them to affordability issues that Americans say they care about most.

"Republicans are certainly looking to tell those independents that you might not be happy with everything, but we have delivered on these issues," he said.

With Republicans pouring money into advertising in battleground states, often outpacing their Democratic opponents by significant margins, there's still the possibility that the situation will improve in the final month of the midterm campaign.

That hasn't stopped the Republican faithful from being nervous about their side's chances, though – and what some see as a lack of enthusiasm on the right.

"Campaigns are won at the end by momentum," said Joseph Robinson, an engineer who attended the Avila fish-market event in Tampa. "But the momentum has been slow. It's not really like, 'Hey, I'm going to go run out there and vote right now.'"

Trump, for his part, is inevitably upbeat. Last month, he travelled to Tennessee for a college football game, where the crowd of more than 100,000 greeted him with cheers. The next day, it was a golf tournament in Illinois and another welcoming crowd. This weekend, he's going to another football game - in Alabama.

He is hitting the campaign trail, but frequently in states that mostly return Republican candidates – Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska.

However, in classic Trump style, he is saying and doing things that could complicate the careful balancing act many Republicans are trying to strike.

He has repeatedly dismissed claims that high costs are a problem for many voters, with his latest explanation being that their discomfort is due to a "very bad job" on the part of his administration in explaining how good things really are.

"The only thing we're doing badly at is public relations," he said in Texas last week. "In other words, we're doing a phenomenal job."

Several times over the past few months he's insisted that voters imagine his name is "on the ballot", but at other times he has said he doesn't care about the midterms and that this isn't his election to fight.

If Republicans struggle, he said, it is not a reflection on how Americans view him.

"A lot of them are very angry at Republicans, to be honest with you," Trump said in August. "They're angry at Republicans, but they're not angry at me."

But if Republicans get punished at the ballot box in November, whether they run with the president or away from him, Trump will bear the brunt of the consequences - in the form of a hostile Congress with legislative and oversight powers - for the last two years of his presidency.

Top picture credit: BBC / Getty Images

Europe is pouring billions into space. Can Glasgow's satellite industry keep up?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2kedyp348lo, 14 days ago

In 2005, a young space engineer called Craig Clark moved back to his home city of Glasgow. He'd graduated from university just over a decade before, but the only jobs he could find were south of the border. Now Craig wanted to start a company of his own. He called it Clyde Space.

I went to school not far from the River Clyde, where Glasgow's shipbuilding industry earned a global reputation for craftsmanship and engineering excellence. There was a saying that I grew up with: "The Clyde made Glasgow and Glasgow made the Clyde."

What I hadn't realised until recently was that, in a different guise, that tradition is still alive. Two decades later, Glasgow is a European leader in building small satellites.

Many of those built here are known as CubeSats. Their basic building block measures just 10cm by 10cm by 10cm - think of something about the size of a Rubik's Cube. They are much smaller, cheaper and quicker to develop than the huge contraptions that you might picture when you think of satellites.

But crucially, they are modular and can be stacked together, then packed with cameras, sensors, communications equipment or other technology depending on their purpose.

And their size belies their significance. The data collected by satellites of all kinds is increasingly woven into everyday life. It helps us communicate and navigate, track ships and transport goods, monitor forests and crops, manage energy networks and understand changes to our climate.

For governments, that information can help inform decisions and respond to emergencies. As satellites have become more capable, space has become increasingly important.

More than two decades after the first satellite company was established there, the Scottish government says more small satellites are built in Glasgow than anywhere else in Europe.

Across Scotland, the wider space industry generated £335m in income in 2022-23 - up 69% in five years. Excluding traditional satellite television broadcasting, it employed 2,811 people, an increase of 81% over the same period.

But elsewhere in Europe, governments are committing big money to their own satellite industries.

Could this take investment and jobs away from Glasgow? And if so, what - if anything - should the Scottish and UK governments do about it?

Glasgow's rise to small satellite superpower

Perhaps the most surprising thing about Glasgow's success in the space industry is that it wasn't planned.

One of the catalysts was Craig Clark's Clyde Space. The company specialised in CubeSats at just the right moment, a few years after it launched, as smaller and cheaper spacecraft were taking off, and would go on to build Scotland's first satellite, the UKube-1.

Crucially, the tech was built in partnership with the University of Strathclyde - which provided skills and research, as well as a ready supply of engineers.

Other companies followed, including Craft Prospect and Alba Orbital. Expertise grew and a new space cluster began to form. American satellite company Spire chose Glasgow for its European base in 2015. Smaller businesses developed, while established engineering and technology firms became part of the supply chain.

"Companies started moving to Glasgow because they could see that it was possible to do it here, and there was an ecosystem that was starting to grow," says Andrew Strain, chief technology officer at AAC Clyde Space - the company formed after Clyde Space was acquired by Swedish firm AAC Microtec, although Glasgow remains the group's main satellite manufacturing site.

Soon Glasgow was host to an "entire small satellite value chain", from components and satellite manufacturing, through to launch, spaceports and ground stations, according to Daniel Smith, founder of space marketing firm AstroAgency and the Scottish government's trade and investment envoy for space.

There are wider benefits too. According to a review commissioned by Space Scotland, space manufacturing alone accounted for more than 1,000 Scottish jobs in 2022-23. The wider industry generated £202m for the Scottish economy.

And as the industry grew, so did the pool of knowledge. There are now more than 100 people working across space-related activity at the University of Strathclyde, with the subject now one of the institution's strategic priorities, according to Prof Malcolm Macdonald, its chair of applied space technology. The university works directly with commercial space companies on research and tech development.

Macdonald recalls that when he graduated, there was basically no local space industry for him to join. Now, "when our graduates leave the university, they will go and work in the local space sector because it is now here in Glasgow for them", he says.

But what's significant, Macdonald says, is that Glasgow's satellite industry wasn't something the government set out to establish. Instead, the process was "largely organic", says Smith.

By any measure it's a success story. But there are warnings about competition from overseas.

"It's not necessarily that we're going backwards," Macdonald tells me. "But other people are catching up."

The challenge to Glasgow

Bavaria is emerging as a significant European hub for aerospace and defence technology. Germany's Defence Ministry says it plans to invest around €35bn (£30bn) in military space capabilities in the coming years, including more than 100 encrypted communications satellites.

For Macdonald, that kind of spending is changing Europe's space industry. Against a backdrop of the war in Ukraine and wider geopolitical uncertainty, governments are no longer simply supporting research and innovation. Increasingly, they are becoming major customers rather than just investors.

Will Lecky, co-founder and director of know.space, the space economics consultancy, says that matters because the global playing field is not level. He says UK public space funding falls well behind countries such as France and Germany.

"It's certainly a risk to Glasgow and the wider UK space sector that investment will follow the money and lead to longer term competitive disadvantage as activity flows elsewhere," he says.

Meanwhile, Finland's aerospace firm ICEYE specialises in synthetic aperture radar (SAR), satellites, which can produce images of the Earth's surface through cloud and darkness. Macdonald says these have been used in the war in Ukraine, where satellite imagery can provide intelligence - for example, spotting a Russian vessel in a Crimean port - when conventional optical cameras cannot.

In June, ICEYE announced a funding round worth more than €1bn, valuing the company at more than €10bn. The Finnish state has also increased its stake and now owns around 12% of the company.

Finland's Minister for European Affairs, Joakim Strand, said the geopolitical situation had highlighted the importance of domestic ownership in what he called a "key strategic sector".

Governments want guaranteed access to satellite communications, especially when their country is facing a crisis. Some want the satellites - and the ability to build them - within their own borders.

That can have consequences for Glasgow.

"The recent increases in space spending elsewhere in Europe matter," says Gabriele Piazza, an economist at the London School of Economics who researches government procurement of advanced technology.

Space is not a normal market. Where the contracts go can help determine where companies invest, where engineers work and where expertise builds.

"Since capabilities build on themselves, firms with a large customer at home gain an advantage that lasts," Piazza adds.

Meanwhile, as well as Clyde Space's 2018 acquisition by AAC Microtec, Glasgow-founded Alba Orbital has moved its headquarters to the US, while retaining a Scottish base and team. Spire has expanded its manufacturing operation into Munich.

The Scottish government maintains that Glasgow still builds more small satellites than anywhere else in Europe. So, this is not an industry in decline.

But the bigger challenge, Smith says, is helping companies that start in Scotland to scale here.

"I wouldn't want it to be overly negative," says Macdonald. "It's more just like there are warning lights flashing that other parts of Europe are investing much more aggressively, and moving much more quickly, than we have."

The case for Glasgow staying on top

Satellite camera manufacturer Simera Sense announced this year that it was opening a new production facility in the city, creating 20 highly skilled jobs. The firm, which has premises in South Africa, Belgium and France, will open a high-value electronics assembly lab and office at EastWorks in Dalmarnock.

That suggests something more nuanced than an exodus. Glasgow's concentration of universities, engineers and specialist suppliers, built up over two decades, would be difficult to replicate elsewhere.

Plus, some comparisons with overseas competitors are not exact. ICEYE is just one specialist company focused on radar satellites, while Glasgow is an entire manufacturing cluster producing different kinds of small satellites. Spire expanding in Munich does not necessarily mean it is retreating from Glasgow.

Smith doesn't think the answer is simply trying to outspend competitors: "We can grow alongside them," he says.

Instead, he argues Scotland should focus on what the industry actually needs – filling gaps and helping space companies find customers in areas such as energy, transport and healthcare.

So what role should government play?

With a successful domestic industry facing competition from abroad, you might anticipate calls for the government to provide financial support.

But Lecky cautions against that. He argues Glasgow's small satellite industry originally grew partly because of a lack of government support, as part of the commercially-focused "newspace" revolution.

"We shouldn't jump to government support as being the answer - it's critical to keep this commercial-minded attitude," he says.

"If you offered most entrepreneurs a choice between a grant, with significant paperwork, milestone payments and continuous scrutiny, or a paying customer, I suspect they would always choose the customer," he says.

And increasingly, governments are becoming that customer anyway.

For Smith, government contracts can do something grants cannot - give young companies revenue, a customer and a track record they can use to win business overseas.

Piazza says there is an economic case for thinking about procurement too. Building satellites creates knowledge that can spread far beyond the company itself. Engineers move between employers. Suppliers acquire new skills. Ideas become new products - sometimes in entirely different industries.

"Often, tomorrow's industries grow out of today's," he says. "The teams and suppliers building satellites now are the ones able to develop the next generation of a related technology, and once they disperse, they are very hard to reassemble."

But there is a cost.

Piazza points out that money spent supporting one industry cannot be spent on hospitals or schools. Governments can be poor at picking industries. And if everyone subsidises, nobody necessarily gains ground.

That is one reason procurement can make sense. The government buys something it needs anyway. The company gets a customer. Not just a grant.

But that raises a bigger question, made more important by the Ukraine war: what does the UK actually need to be able to do for itself?

Satellites provide communications, navigation and intelligence during conflict. Beyond defence, satellite services underpin parts of transport, energy, telecommunications and emergency response. Governments therefore have to decide which capabilities they are comfortable buying from overseas providers or allies.

Piazza says there can be a strategic case for keeping capabilities that are critical and difficult to replace. He describes it as a form of insurance. But keeping capability at home can mean higher costs, smaller production runs and duplicating what allies already do.

There is evidence that some public investment in space produces significant economic returns. Every £1 of UK investment through the European Space Agency generated £7.49 in direct economic benefit, an independent evaluation commissioned by the UK Space Agency estimated.

The UK Space Agency also says its work helped catalyse £2.2bn in investment and revenue for the UK space sector in 2024-25. But these figures relate to the whole of the UK, not Glasgow specifically.

The more important question may be where the valuable parts of the industry - its people, intellectual property, research and manufacturing - ultimately end up.

"The risk is not closure," says Piazza. "It is that the next phase of growth follows the contracts elsewhere."

Scotland also has another potential addition on the horizon: SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland.

The vision of a fully integrated, "end-to-end" space sector is moving closer to reality. Although the infrastructure is ready, actual launch campaigns have experienced technical delays.

So, success is not guaranteed.

"We are in a great position right now," says Strain. "But if we get complacent, then we can fall behind again because it's moving very, very fast."

Glasgow's shipyards once made the city synonymous with building things for the world. Its space industry has done something similar - almost by accident.

The question now is not whether Glasgow can build a successful satellite industry. It already has.

It is whether the next phase of that success is built here too.

Is Zelensky right to say data centre strikes have taken down Russian bots?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9y7l0pm8jkko, 6 days ago

Claims that Ukrainian strikes on Russian data centres reduced Kremlin-linked bot networks have spread widely online, but experts have told BBC Verify there is no evidence the attacks have significantly reduced them.

Viral social media posts have claimed there has been a significant drop in influence operations in recent days, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggesting on Monday there was "less hate, less division and fewer provocations" online because of "fewer bots".

Russian influence operations, which promote pro-Kremlin narratives and spread disinformation, have been tracked by researchers and journalists including BBC Verify for more than a decade.

These campaigns push disinformation on to people's social media feeds on issues like the Ukraine war or post messages in support of Moscow's interests.

Ukraine has struck three of Russian tech giant Yandex's five data centres since 8 October in response to Moscow's attacks on Ukrainian internet hubs.

The second of these strikes on Thursday caused Yandex, often referred to as Russia's Google, to announce it was struggling to maintain its services.

But claims these attacks have affected Russian disinformation operations, including accounts posting supportive messages about groups including the Make American Great Again (MAGA) movement in the US and the far-right AfD party in Germany, appear to have come from a misinterpretation of data produced by tech firm Cloudflare.

Some social media users have been sharing charts of Cloudflare data which show bot activity using Yandex's network has declined.

While bots are commonly associated with fake social media accounts that may post false, divisive and inflammatory content, they are also used to automate tasks like scanning web pages so they appear on search engines.

Cloudflare clarified its data includes all automated internet requests to websites hosted on its network, including bots crawling websites for information.

The company also said the drop off was "not necessarily bot behaviour on social media platforms".

Tomáš Zdechovský, a Czech member of the European Parliament, shared a post on X which has been viewed more than four million times, that said: "If confirmed, this is telling: Russian data centres get hit, and online activity around AfD suddenly plummets."

He has since said he "did not present it as a clear fact", but the post remains pinned at the top of his X profile.

Researchers from dTeam, a US-based group that tracks Moscow-linked influence operations, told BBC Verify there has not been "any traffic change from known Russian accounts and bot clusters on any platform".

They added that if the offices of known groups involved in these operations "were in flames then we would see a change".

Bots linked to pro-Kremlin influence operations like Storm-1516 and Matryoshka - both of which BBC Verify has previously reported on - were still active on social media on Tuesday, evidence shared with BBC Verify by dTeam shows.

Zelensky's office told BBC Verify the president was "talking about the atmosphere on social media" rather than a fall in bot activity. It added it had seen "reports of fewer provocative and hateful comments" from many social media users.

Mikhail Klimarev, an independent internet analyst, told BBC Russian that while Cloudflare can establish whether bots or real people have visited a website it does not reflect what these bots are doing.

He added that Yandex uses bots to "essentially crawl the entire internet once a day" and index websites for search engine purposes, so it is most likely the company switched these off in response to its computing resources being severely degraded.

Yandex has said the use of its cloud services for "large-scale manipulation on social media, spam and other improper activities" are against its rules and that accounts which violate this are blocked.

While there is no evidence to conclude the strikes on Yandex's data centres have had an impact on Russia's influence operations, they have disrupted internet services for many.

Isik Mater, director of research at the internet monitoring group Netblocks, told BBC Verify disruptions related to Ukrainian strikes "affect all users" globally and "websites which rely on Yandex may be partially or entirely unusable".

She said that following Ukraine's attacks there has been a clear impact on the company's cloud services and platforms relying on them, adding that an entire area remaining "out of service indicates a significant infrastructure-level incident rather than a brief service interruption".

Additional reporting by Paul Brown, BBC Verify, and Sergey Goryashko, BBC Russian

Graphics by Tom Shiel

What do you want BBC Verify to investigate?

Why are hundreds of prisoners being released early?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp3rxlyz6w3o, 6 days ago

Around 650 more prisoners in England and Wales are due to be released under the second tranche of the government's early release scheme.

Under the scheme, eligible prisoners are released after serving a third of their total custodial sentence rather than after 40% or 50% of the term.

People sentenced for manslaughter, rape, serious child sex and grooming offences are excluded.

This is not the first time a government - Conservative or Labour - has released prisoners early to make space in England and Wales' overcrowded prisons.

BBC Verify has looked at the reasons why ministers say this latest scheme is necessary.

More prisoners than prison space

The prison population in England and Wales on 12 October was 87,033, which was 97.8% of useable capacity.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has previously warned the prison population will overtake capacity as soon as this November.

In the long-term the MoJ has projected that the capacity of all prisons will rise to around 99,000 by 2032 as a result of more prisons being built by this government.

But it also projected that the prisoner population would rise to about 104,000 by 2032 if the Sentencing Act 2026 - which provides for earlier release - did not come into force.

That is why Justice Secretary Alex Norris says there is a "prison capacity crisis" which means the government has to implement the latest early release scheme.

In total 4,500 prisoners are due to be released early by June 2027. About 700 offenders were released from jail early on 1 October - all of whom were serving terms of less than 19 months.

The MoJ has projected that the Sentencing Act will mean the prisoner population remains below the capacity of the prison system, rising only to around 96,000 by 2032.

More people are being sent to prison for longer

The England and Wales prison population has risen significantly in recent decades with a significant uptick starting in the 1990s before reaching a record high in 2024.

The Institute for Government (IFG) think tank says this is partly the result of longer sentences.

In 2023, the average prison sentence at Crown Courts in England and Wales - which deal with more serious offences - was more than 25% longer than those handed down in 2012.

For some crimes, the increase was greater. Sentences for robbery in 2023 were 13 months longer on average than in 2012 - an increase of 36%.

Longer sentences mean more people being held in prison at any one time.

Former Conservative Justice Secretary David Gauke, who led an independent sentencing review for Sir Keir Starmer's government, argues this is the result of a "bidding war" by political parties since the 1990s over who can imprison people for longer.

Gauke also points out that the prison population has been rising at a time when overall crime in England and Wales has been falling, according to the official Crime Survey.

So despite the fall in crime more people are being sent to prison - and for longer.

Another reason for upward pressure on the prison population is that more people than before are being returned to prison for breaching the conditions of their release.

There were 51,419 licence recalls in England and Wales in the year ending March 2026, up from 40,259 in the previous year - a 28% increase.

Cassia Rowland from the IFG said most recalls are for breaches of licence conditions, such as missed appointments, rather than offenders committing further offences or posing a serious risk to the public.

"The probation service is overwhelmed, with high caseloads and lots of vacancies putting often inexperienced staff under huge pressure," she said.

Slow pace of prison building

Successive governments have pledged to increase the number of prison places - but delivery has often fallen short of those promises.

Between 2010 and 2024, when the Conservatives were in power, around 13,000 new prison places were created.

But around 12,500 places - notably those built during the Victorian era - were closed after falling into disrepair.

That means an estimated net total of only around 500 new prison places were added over 14 years.

In a 2024 report, the National Audit Office (NAO) cited the MOJ's "unrealistic timelines", and government bodies not working together to prioritise delivery, as reasons for the slow pace of prison building.

The MOJ say around 6,500 net prison places were created between 2022 and 2025, once closures are taken into consideration. These include places created in three new prisons.

However, further expansion to existing prisons has been delayed by a major supplier going into administration, according to the Prison Reform Trust.

Pia Sinha of the Prison Reform Trust told BBC Verify: "Successive governments have found it difficult to increase prison capacity because new prisons take years to plan and build, often facing planning hurdles and local opposition."

The Labour government has pledged to build 14,000 new prison places by 2031.

Analysts argue that without a major change in thinking about the appropriateness of prison as punishment, or a significant long-term increase in prison building, the system in England and Wales will remain close to capacity.

And that means governments will continue to be under pressure to implement early release schemes to avert a capacity crisis.

What's in the Conservatives' inheritance tax plan and who benefits?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9kgj8nn8n0yo, 12 days ago

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has announced she will overhaul inheritance tax if her party wins the next general election.

She told the Conservatives' annual conference that "nobody will ever pay inheritance tax on their family home" and couples will be able to leave an additional £1m tax free.

Tax experts say the party's £6bn per year estimate of the cost of the plan is reasonable, but warn the policy would primarily benefit wealthier households and could discourage older people from moving to smaller homes.

BBC Verify has looked into the details of the policy.

How will it work?

Under the current system, inheritance tax of 40% is paid when someone's estate - the total value of their money and property - exceeds £325,000. Anything under this amount is not taxed.

And, when a person dies, they can currently transfer this tax-free allowance to a surviving spouse or civil partner which increases the combined threshold for a couple to £650,000.

On top of this individuals can get an additional transferable allowance for a family home of £175,000 each when it is left to children or other direct descendants.

So at present most married couples can potentially leave £1m without paying inheritance tax.

The Conservative plan would increase the £325,000 threshold - the point at which you start paying the tax - to £500,000 and fully exempt a family home from inheritance tax.

At the moment an estate with a £2m house could be liable for £400,000 in inheritance tax. That would reduce to zero under the Conservatives.

How many people currently pay inheritance tax?

Official figures show that in 2024-25 around 30,400 deaths in the UK left estates which were liable for inheritance tax.

This was around 5% of all UK deaths in that year.

But the number of estates paying inheritance tax is set to rise, due to the increasing value of inherited wealth being passed on and the threshold having been frozen.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has estimated that by 2032-33 around 12% of people will have inheritance tax due either on their own death or that of their spouse or civil partner.

Citing analysis by the consultancy Oxford Economics, the Conservatives say the number of estates paying the tax will rise to 52,100 in 2029-30.

How many people would benefit from the Conservative policy?

The Conservatives estimate their reforms would reduce the number of affected estates in 2030 to 22,000.

Official data shows higher value estates pay the majority of the inheritance tax collected.

The IFS has estimated that if inheritance tax were to be entirely scrapped, which Badenoch has identified as a longer term aspiration, the wealthiest 1% of estates - those worth £2.1m or more - would get half of the benefit of the tax reduction.

And one long-standing criticism of inheritance tax is that the wealthy use legal ways to avoid paying it like putting their assets into family trusts to reduce the amount of inheritance tax ultimately due from their estates when they die.

In 2023-24, estates with a valuation of £10m only paid an average effective inheritance tax rate of 18%, according to estimates from HM Revenue and Customs.

Responding to Wednesday's conference announcement, the IFS said: "The biggest beneficiaries would be those with the highest wealth and the most valuable homes – and their descendants.

"This is a very well-off group, mainly living in London and the South-East of England."

What would be the cost of this tax cut?

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), the official forecaster, estimates inheritance tax will raise £9.5bn in 2026-27 - equivalent to around 0.3% of GDP.

The OBR projects this will rise to £14.5bn in 2030-31 or 0.4% of GDP.

The Conservatives estimate their plan would cost £6bn a year in 2029-30, based on Oxford Economics' analysis.

The party says it has identified £71bn in annual savings including £36bn a year from welfare cuts.

Prof Andy Summers, director of the Centre for the Analysis of Taxation, told BBC Verify this was "just about about the worst possible way to deliver an inheritance tax cut".

"Exempting the family home however much it's worth will just encourage older people to concentrate their savings in their home, prevent downsizing, and so further gum up the housing market," he said.

The Conservatives argue in their press release accompanying the policy announcement that inheritance taxes are "bad for growth".

But analysis by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development suggests inheritance taxes in general are less damaging to economic growth than taxes on income from work.

Additional reporting by Nicholas Barrett

Would the Conservatives' plan make new houses £50,000 cheaper?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c32l4n8yprglo, 14 days ago

Conservative shadow chancellor Andrew Griffith has said his party, if it was returned to power, would take £50,000 off the cost of building a new home in England and Wales by cutting back on regulations.

The £50,000 figure claimed by Griffith reflects estimates by the housebuilding industry of the costs of new regulations and taxes.

However, construction and housing experts warn that some of the savings could ultimately lead to higher government spending on schools, roads, and affordable housing.

And some analysts also warn the Conservative plans to scrap environmental regulations could potentially push up household energy bills in future.

Where does the £50,000 figure come from?

The Conservatives argue a number of regulations are adding to the cost of constructing and delivering new private homes.

These include:

* The Community Infrastructure Levy - a charge on certain new developments in England and Wales which councils can use to fund local infrastructure such as roads, schools and play areas

* The Future Homes Standard which requires new-build homes in England to meet higher energy-efficiency standards and use low-carbon heating such as heat pumps rather than gas boilers

* Section 106 which can require developers to provide a proportion of social or affordable housing in England as part of a new development.

The Tories say they will scrap or reform these and other regulations, saying: "All in all, we will cut the cost of delivering and therefore buying a new home by up to £50,000."

BBC Verify has asked the Conservatives for a full breakdown of their figure.

What does the construction industry say?

The Home Builders Federation (HBF) has estimated that new regulations, taxes and inflation - since 2020 - have increased the cost of building an individual new home in England and Wales by £76,000.

It says this represents around 20% of the value of an average new home.

Of this total, it estimates:

* £985 comes from Section 106

* £10,200 comes from the Future Homes Standard

* £12,700 in environmental protection measures such as "nutrient neutrality" and "biodiversity net gain"

Excluding a £37,000 increase in the costs of material and labour, the HBF estimates that regulations and taxes have added around £42,000 to the cost of building a new home.

The Conservatives' estimate is slightly higher than the HBF's figure. The HBF also includes nearly £8,000 to reflect changes in building regulations. The Conservatives have not said they would find savings by scrapping all of those.

The party's plan also assumes the savings they have highlighted would be passed on to buyers rather than raising house builders' profits.

Could these savings be achieved?

Noble Francis of trade body the Construction Products Association (CPA) told BBC Verify that new costs imposed on builders through regulations and taxes in recent years - including the time firms spend navigating the regulatory system - are a serious constraint on residential construction rates.

The Labour government is well off track in terms of meeting its target of building 1.5 million net additional dwellings in England over the course of this parliament - which requires an annual building rate of around 300,000 homes per year.

In the year to June only around 203,000 were built, according to official estimates.

However, Francis also said: "It's easy for any party not in government to just claim they will get rid of red tape and cut costs but both the Conservatives and Labour have been in power in the last five years and have added extra costs to house building."

The Future Homes Standard, for instance, was first proposed in 2019 when Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson was in power.

Other analysts point out that the upfront construction cost savings from the plan could potentially lead to higher government spending in the future.

Housing expert Anna Clarke said: "Cutting the costs of house building by £50,000 would be really helpful in getting much-needed new homes built.

"But if you don't get developers to pay for new schools and infrastructure you need to pay for them some other way."

And some analysts argue that updated environmental building standards, such as requiring heat pumps rather than gas boilers in new homes, are forecast to save households money in the long-term by reducing their domestic energy bills.

Dr Richard Lowes of clean energy advocates the Regulatory Assistance Project told BBC Verify: "If the energy bill implications are not carefully considered, households may be lumbered with very high bills for decades.

"The lowest running costs can typically be achieved with heat pumps paired with solar and batteries."

Additional reporting by Nicholas Barrett and Daniel Wainwright

Which war is having the biggest impact on diesel prices - Iran or Ukraine?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr0qk1j7q0eno, 7 days ago

US President Donald Trump has blamed Ukraine's attacks on Russian oil refineries for the global reduction in diesel exports and the spike in prices around the world, saying President Volodymyr Zelensky "wants to make problems for the world".

"He'd better damn well stop," Trump said, before suggesting Ukraine should "get a new leader who can make a deal".

But others have pointed the finger of blame at the US-Israel war with Iran for cutting exports of the refined fuel from the Gulf region.

After Trump announced a controversial deal to import diesel from Russia - promising "lower prices for Americans" - BBC Verify has looked at what has been affecting supplies of the fuel in recent months and years.

The figures suggest that while both the Ukraine and Iran conflicts have significantly reduced global diesel exports - the fall in supplies from the Gulf states due to the war with Iran has been greater.

What's happened to global diesel prices?

While the rising cost of diesel directly hits drivers, there's a wider concern because of its use in the lorries, vans and ships that form the backbone of global supply chains. Any increase in transport costs could be fed through to consumers in the form of higher prices.

Average US retail diesel prices on 5 October were $6.20 (£4.69) per gallon, just shy of the record of $6.50 per gallon seen on 21 September, according to the latest figures from the US Energy Information Administration.

Before the war with Iran a gallon of diesel in the US cost around $3.50.

Similarly, average UK diesel prices are currently touching record highs, with data from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero showing that on 5 October a litre cost 199p.

In 2025, around 6.8 million barrels of diesel per day were being exported to the global market, according to figures from the shipping data company Kpler. Exports account for around a quarter of total global diesel consumption. The rest comes from countries' domestic production.

In September 2026, global exports had fallen to 5.8 million barrels per day - a decline of around one million barrels per day.

Some countries, notably the US, have increased their diesel exports over the past year, but overall net global exports have declined.

And analysts say it's that drop which has been responsible for pushing up the retail price of diesel.

How much supply has been lost from Russia?

In 2025 Russia was exporting around 810,000 barrels of diesel per day but by September 2026 that had fallen to around 140,000 barrels per day - a decline of around 670,000 barrels per day.

Jonathan Leader Maynard, from King's College London, says "many analysts" would see the decline in Russia's exports of oil products, including diesel, as being "primarily due to Ukraine's drone attacks" rather than international sanctions.

How much supply has been lost from the Middle East?

As well as being a major exporter of crude oil, the Middle East is also a significant global hub for the production of diesel.

In 2025 the Gulf states - Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman - were exporting around 1.4 million barrels of diesel per day.

In September 2026 that had fallen to around 670,000 barrels per day.

This sharp decline has been driven by the impact of the US-Iran war on the flow of exports of refined diesel from the Gulf states through the Strait of Hormuz.

Traffic flows in the waterway have been badly disrupted by Iranian strikes on tankers and the US blockade of Iran's ports.

While estimates from ship-tracking firms suggest the flow of crude oil through the waterway returned close to pre-war levels last month - due, in part, to the US navy helping to protect shipping - the flow of refined diesel from the Middle East has remained far below pre-war levels.

So which conflict is more to blame?

The figures suggest the conflict with Iran has had a greater impact on the global drop in diesel export volumes than the Ukraine war.

Exports from Russia are down around 670,000 barrels a day compared with a fall of around 810,000 from the Middle East

Though analysts stress both are significant.

"The US-Iran conflict delivered a major shock to global energy markets in 2026, but the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict is now amplifying this pressure by taking Russian refineries offline," Paul de Leeuw, director of the Energy Transition Institute at Robert Gordon University, told BBC Verify.

His comments were echoed by Rory Johnson, an oil analyst at Commodity Context, who said Ukraine's attacks are "bringing the pain of the war to the Russian homeland and largely knocking the world's second-largest diesel exporter out of the market".

Additional reporting by Nicholas Barrett and Joshua Cheetham

Charts by Erwan Rivault