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Clashes between football fans and police across France have led to more than 400 arrests following the victory of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the Champions League final against Arsenal.

Thousands of officers were deployed to curb unrest that disrupted bus, train and rail services in the capital Paris.

Fireworks and flares were set off, while several police officers were injured in the fray. Police fired tear gas to disperse crowds in the city centre.

While it marked a consecutive victory for PSG, it was also the second year in a row of football-fuelled violence, after the French side's 2025 win sparked celebrations that turned deadly.

Footage from Paris appears to show flares being set off, electric bikes burning on roads and revellers smashing the glass of at least one shopfront.

The Champs-Élysées was swarmed by fans shortly after the French team won in a penalty shootout. Earlier in the day there were clashes between police and supporters who showed up to watch the final on giant screens at PSG's Parc des Princes.

Police said six vehicles, two businesses and a bus shelter were damaged during the unrest.

France's interior ministry said 416 were arrested in the early hours of Sunday, including 280 people in Paris.

Interior minister Laurent Nuñez said seven officers had been injured and called the unrest "absolutely unacceptable".

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen wrote on X: "Only in France does a football club's victory spark riots."

"Only in France does everyone feel compelled to lock themselves in their homes on the evening of a victory to avoid being confronted with violence," she said.

Players are due to take part in a victory parade on Sunday afternoon, which includes touring the Champs de Mars next to the Eiffel Tower and a reception held by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Last year, PSG's European championship triumph was marred by clashes that left two people dead, including a 17-year-old boy.

'No-one feels safe now': Residents of Romanian city hit by drone share fears

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgzyp93jq1o, today

In some parts of Europe, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine can feel like a distant threat. But in Romania, that war is right next door and increasingly dangerous.

In Galati, there is an apartment block with a hole in the roof that proves it.

Residents have just begun returning to check on their homes, after an attack drone slammed into the building early on Friday as dozens of people slept.

It sparked a fire and panic.

We climbed 11 floors up to the roof on Saturday to see where the drone punched through the concrete. There's a jagged hole, a couple of metres wide, now covered with plastic.

The flat below was badly damaged, and a woman and her teenage son remain in hospital with bruises and minor burns.

But it's clear the consequences of this strike could have been far worse: the drone hit the lift shaft on the roof, which absorbed much of the blast.

"It was really very terrifying," says Costel Patrichi, a resident who's in charge of the building. "But if the drone had hit the side, it could have destroyed a whole floor or more."

He describes how his phone buzzed with an alert that morning just before 02:00, warning of the danger: a drone was approaching from the Ukrainian border a few miles away.

Moments later came the bang.

"They told us we are protected by Nato, not to worry. But look where we are now!" Costel tells me, frustrated like many that Romania's air force couldn't intercept the drone.

When a Ukrainian drone targeting northern Russia was recently knocked off course into Estonia, it was a Romanian fighter jet there that shot it down.

Here, though, pilots only had moments to react before the weapon was over a built-up area. At that point, interception was too risky.

"Now I'm afraid. If go back to my flat tonight, I will sleep with fear. Because this could happen again," Costel admits.

It is the same fear that Ukrainians endure nightly as Russia launches ever more attack drones at its neighbour. Very often, they smash into residential areas, destroying homes and taking lives.

Now Romania, a member of both Nato and the EU, has been hit.

It is the most serious incident of its kind in this country since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022.

True to form, Russian President Vladimir Putin claims there is no evidence this was a Russian drone.

But Romania has been very clear: it was a Geran-2, otherwise called a Shahed, and it was Russian.

"It's sure, because we had another one four or five weeks ago that didn't explode. We compared and they are completely identical," Romania's President Nicosur Dan told the BBC World Service.

The drones are used to target Ukrainian ports on the other side of the river Danube that are vitally important to Ukraine's grain exports.

On Friday, Romania tracked a swarm of 43 of them as they travelled from east to west.

"One hit by the Ukrainian army changed direction and passed to Romanian territory. That is sure," Dan said.

Romania's Nato allies have called Russia's conduct "reckless" and stressed that Moscow's war of aggression was to blame for what happened.

In Washington, though, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ignored reporters' requests to comment.

And there is clearly caution in the response, as well as condemnation.

No-one is accusing Moscow of mounting a deliberate attack on Romania.

And whilst government sources in Bucharest tell us they considered invoking Article 4 of the Nato treaty, which would trigger an emergency meeting, that idea was rejected to avoid creating panic.

The next potential step would have been Article 5: the mutual defence clause, under which an attack on one member is considered an attack on all.

That's not on the table.

Instead, Romania has shut down a Russian consulate in the port city of Constanta as a "warning", according to its president. Dan said the next move in the "diplomatic hierarchy of measures" would be to kick out the Russian ambassador.

But for now, he's going nowhere.

Romania has called for Nato to move faster with a pledge to transfer more military equipment to this stretch of its eastern edge.

The government is already acquiring drones of its own and has plans to develop others in co-operation with Ukrainian companies.

The EU was already working on a new set of sanctions against Moscow.

But the risk of this war escalating and expanding has rarely felt greater - and the people we met in Galati feel very vulnerable.

"This was insane, it happened right in the middle of town," says Adrian, after checking his own family's flat in the building that was hit.

"No-one feels safe now."

For that, he blames Russia and its president.

"But I don't think the sanctions are enough," Adrian adds. "Because they could take everything from Russia, and they would still attack."

Additional reporting by Mircea Barbu

Oscar-winning Star Wars editor Marcia Lucas dies aged 80

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgzy64j9l1o, today

Marcia Lucas, the Oscar-winning editor of the original Star Wars film, has died aged 80.

Lucas, who was married to Star Wars creator George Lucas during the making of the first three films, was regarded as a pivotal creative force behind the space saga's early success, imbuing the original series with emotional depth and narrative clarity.

She died from metastatic cancer at her home in Rancho Mirage, California, on Wednesday surrounded by loved ones, according to her family.

"Marcia was a force," her family said in a statement to US media on Friday. "A true trailblazer for women in film and one of the most influential editors in cinematic history; she helped redefine what film editing could be."

Lucas won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing for 1977's Star Wars - later renamed A New Hope - alongside editors Richard Chew and Paul Hirsch.

Although her contributions largely took place behind the scenes, her role in shaping the film's emotional heart and narrative structure has been widely recognised in the decades since its release.

George Lucas credited her with helping make sense of the vast amount of footage filmed for the climactic Death Star battle sequence.

"It was extremely complex and we had 40,000 feet of dialogue footage of pilots saying this and that," he told Rolling Stone shortly after the film's release.

"Nobody really has ever tried to interweave an actual plot story into a dogfight, and we were trying to do that."

Born Marcia Griffin in Modesto, California, in 1945, she began her career as a film librarian before becoming one of Hollywood's most respected editors.

After marrying George Lucas in 1969, she worked on several of his early films, including THX 1138 and American Graffiti - earning an Oscar nomination for the latter.

She also collaborated with director Martin Scorsese on a string of his acclaimed 1970s films including Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Taxi Driver and New York, New York.

Lucas later returned to the Star Wars franchise, working on The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 and Return of the Jedi in 1983.

She and George Lucas adopted a daughter, Amanda, in 1981. The couple divorced in 1983 after 14 years of marriage.

She later married Tom Rodrigues, a production manager at Skywalker Ranch, with whom she had a second daughter, Amy.

Her family said in its statement: "Her influence on film is indelible, but those who knew her best will remember the way she made life feel more vivid, more beautiful, more fun and more full of love.

"Her work was known for its emotional intelligence, rhythm and humanity - a rare ability to find the truth of a scene and bring heart, momentum and clarity to the screen."

"I love film editing," Lucas once told a reporter, according to Lucasfilm.

"I have an innate ability to take good material and make it better, and to take bad material and make it fair."

Paying tribute on Saturday, Lucasfilm said it was "deeply saddened" to learn of her death, adding it "joins the global filmmaking community in mourning the loss of Marcia Lucas".

Meanwhile, Mark Hamill, who portrayed Star Wars protagonist Luke Skywalker, wrote that he and his wife Marilou were "deeply saddened by the loss of our lifelong friend".

He added: "Not just a gifted, innovative artist, she also happened to be a genuinely nice person. Smart, funny and just plain fun to be around. Thankfully, her memory lives on and we will never stop missing her."

Ebola spread in DR Congo 'alarming', charity warns, as WHO chief visits worst-hit area

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c99ldxykz4zo, today

The rapid spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has created a "deeply alarming" situation, the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has warned.

Speaking two weeks on from the outbreak being declared, MSF Deputy Director Dr Alan Gonzales said never before had "so many cases" been recorded so soon.

His comments came as the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, arrived in the eastern Congolese province of Ituri - the worst-hit area - to oversee virus containment efforts.

There are now more than 1,000 suspected Ebola cases in the DR Congo, and at least 246 deaths. Neighbouring Uganda has reported nine confirmed cases and one death.

"Two weeks after the declaration of the Ebola disease outbreak in Ituri Province, the situation is deeply alarming," Gonzalez said in a statement on Saturday.

"Never before has an Ebola outbreak recorded so many cases so soon after its declaration," he said, stressing his teams on the ground were "witnessing a response that has not yet caught up to the rapid spread of the epidemic".

"The reality today is that nobody knows the true scale and severity of this outbreak. New suspected cases are being reported daily, yet hundreds of samples remain untested."

Gonzalez added that containment efforts and humanitarian aid deliveries were being delayed by "major constraints", including border and airport closures.

The WHO has repeatedly warned that ongoing conflict in the DR Congo was also significantly hampering the Ebola outbreak response.

After arriving in Ituri on Saturday, Tedros said he and his team were in the DR Congo "to see how the response is running and if there are challenges to help".

He urged communities in the centre of the outbreak to play a bigger role in fighting the disease, saying they "understand the problems better and they know the solution as well".

Tedros also said he understood how important it was for people to honour their dead at funerals - but warned that right now this was dangerous.

"Certain practices including touching of bodies of those who have died from Ebola, can spread the virus further. While we grieve for those we've lost, we must do everything we can so that we don't lose another, and get into a cycle of grief," he said.

One of the WHO head's first stops was the National Institute for Biomedical Research laboratory in Ituri's provincial capital of Bunia, where samples from suspected Ebola patients are tested.

Local health officials say the facility is now able to return results within 24 hours, helping doctors quickly identify infections and begin treatment.

Until recently, samples had to be transported more than 1,500km (932 miles) to the DR Congo's capital Kinshasa, causing delays that health workers feared could cost lives and allow the virus to spread further.

The current outbreak, a rare strain of Ebola known as Bundibugyo, has no proven vaccine and kills about a third of those infected.

Ebola viruses normally infect animals, typically fruit bats, but outbreaks among humans can sometimes start when people eat or handle infected animals.

US, UK and Australia to develop underwater drone technology

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y8wjvd1ypo, today

The US, UK and Australia say they will develop underwater drone technology to protect undersea cables and boost defence, under their military alliance known as Aukus.

The uncrewed unmanned vehicles (UUVs) technology is expected to be ready by next year. While the project's total cost was not stated, British defence secretary John Healey said the UK would contribute £150m ($201m).

The announcement, made by the countries' defence ministers at a security summit in Singapore, follows claims of slow progress in Aukus's projects.

Acknowledging the criticism, Healey said "for too long in Aukus, we talked too much and delivered too little", adding "that has now changed under our three governments".

The Aukus defence pact, which began in 2021, sees the three countries developing nuclear submarines and sharing military expertise.

It is widely seen as a way to counter China's growing maritime presence in the Indo-Pacific and its role in rising tensions in disputed territories such as the South China Sea.

The UUV technology is the first signature project under Aukus's Pillar Two, where the partner countries work together on "advanced capabilities" in areas such as long-range hypersonic missiles, undersea robotics and AI.

A joint statement said the new project would see "cutting edge payloads and enabling systems" developed for UUVs which could protect seabed infrastructure, conduct strikes, surveil and do reconnaissance, and conduct logistics operations.

Healey also said that sensors and weapons systems would be developed for the UUVs, which would "rapidly give our forces advanced battle technologies".

It would also help them deal with threats "including to our underwater cables and pipelines on which so much of our daily life depends". Such efforts would strengthen deterrence in the Pacific, Atlantic and waters in the High North, he added.

The announcement comes a month after Healey accused Russia of running a covert operation over cables and pipelines in waters north of the UK. Moscow has denied the allegations.

In December, the UK and Norway signed a pact to hunt Russian submarines in the North Atlantic to protect undersea cables.

The UK is connected by about 60 undersea cables, which British officials say are increasingly under threat from Moscow, with a 30% rise in Russian vessels spotted in UK waters over the past few years.

Elsewhere, Chinese ships are suspected to have damaged undersea cables in waters surrounding Taiwan and in Swedish territory.

On Saturday the three defence ministers did not respond to a question from the BBC on whether the UUV technology project was aimed at countering Russian and Chinese undersea activities.

They also did not answer a question on whether progress on Aukus projects was too slow.

Under Pillar One of the defence pact, nuclear-powered attack submarines would be built in the UK and Australia for use in their navies.

For Australia in particular, the deal represents a major upgrade to its military capabilities.

The country will become just the second to receive Washington's elite nuclear propulsion technology, after the UK which began receiving it decades ago.

But questions have been increasingly asked in Australia about whether the country's biggest-ever defence project could be achieved in time to replace their ageing submarines - or if at all.

The Aukus submarines are only scheduled to be ready in the 2040s. In the meantime, the US and UK will be rotating their existing nuclear-powered submarines through Australia, and in the 2030s Australia will buy secondhand nuclear submarines from the US.

Days before arriving in Singapore for the Shangri-la Dialogue, Australia's defence minister Richard Marles addressed this criticism saying they had to go ahead with the Aukus submarine project as there was no "plan B".

On Saturday, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said the plan to rotate US and UK nuclear-powered submarines through Australia was "still on track", with the first US navy personnel due to arrive later this year.

Australian defence minister Richard Marles said that the HMAS Stirling navy base in Western Australia would be ready to host the rotational submarine force by the end of 2027, and that "work is at a pace" to establish a construction yard in South Australia that would build the Aukus submarines.

How Putin became master of the image

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cddpl33v247o, today

Throughout his time as Russian President, Vladimir Putin has been alert to the power of visual imagery.

The first time I interviewed him in 2001, an aide swooped in just before the cameras went live and snatched away the small water glasses on the table in front of us.

"Why did you do that?" I asked.

"We wouldn't want anyone to think they were for vodka," came the reply. "And anyway, we can't risk a glass spilling live on TV. Television is a nuclear bomb when it comes to publicity."

"Everybody in Russia, but especially Putin, realised that TV was the key to the consolidation of power," says the author and political analyst Peter Pomerantsev.

Over the years, Putin has transformed Russia from a fragile emerging democracy into a largely authoritarian state revolving around himself as president. He has also dramatically transformed himself.

Early photos show him as a slight, reticent figure who seemed wary of the camera. So how did this seemingly quiet, retiring child and self-effacing bureaucrat turn into a president who so avidly embraced the limelight?

Created by TV

His keen interest in the power of image far predated his rise to power. Like most youngsters growing up in the 1960s and 70s, Putin was a child of the television age. His role models were the spy heroes of popular Soviet TV series and movies. By his own admission, these strong, silent double agents battling against enemies of the Soviet state were what inspired him to seek a career in the KGB, the Soviet Union's intelligence agency.

As a KGB operative and then an assiduous apparatchik, he avoided attention. But when in 1999 he was catapulted into the role of acting president and a few months later elected president, he and his PR advisers showed themselves acutely aware of the importance of visual imagery in shaping his presidential persona.

Part of the image-making process was to edit out what was unhelpful. So Putin came across as a virtual teetotaller. At annual meetings with foreign policy experts at the Valdai Discussion Club, he would stick to a cup of tea with honey while they were served fine wines.

On occasions when he did have a drink, his minders tried to keep it under wraps. I once met the custodian of a local museum who told me how he had sat down with the president to enjoy some Russian pancakes smeared with vodka to give them an extra kick. "But don't tell anyone," he implored me. "They were very strict about it. I might get into terrible trouble."

Another part of the plan was to drum home the message that he was nothing like his predecessor, Boris Yeltsin, whose public displays of inebriation had dismayed and embarrassed many Russians.

Putin donned a pilot's helmet to fly a fighter jet. His prowess at judo was displayed. All to communicate that this was a vigorous, healthy man of action, not an ailing drunkard.

Most notorious of all, perhaps, were the series of photos starting in 2007 showing him bare-chested, riding a horse like a Russian Marlboro Man, or fly fishing in a river, or flexing his muscles in a vigorous butterfly stroke.

Was this for real? Or was there a kind of knowing humour to the images? Pomerantsev thinks the people in charge of his PR knew exactly what they were doing.

"For one audience, this is very crass, but we're going to do it in an ironic way, so that it's kind of cool. For another audience, it was that Russia should be led by a traditional hardman hero."

He adds: "Putin was playing this sort of very, very, I suppose, traditional Soviet leadership role, but he was doing it in an era of the reality show, MTV and sugar daddies."

"Putin is the trendsetter," says Fiona Hill, a Russia specialist and adviser to US presidents. "He has shaped the image of the first populist president, the first acclaimed strongman of the 21st Century."

Certainly, Putin was sending different messages to different audiences. To the outside world, it was to signal that Russia was no longer weak but a power to be reckoned with. A bear with teeth and claws, as he once put it.

Other extravagant displays were even more incongruous, perhaps reflecting something of the Leningrad schoolboy who was at last able to live out childhood fantasies: scuba diving to "discover" carefully placed relics at the bottom of the Black Sea; being harnessed into a motorised hang glider to soar high in the sky flanked by endangered cranes; and petting a Siberian tiger cub.

Putin himself claimed that the point of all this was to raise environmental and scientific awareness. But did he realise that these stunts verged on self-parody? Or did none of his aides by now dare tell him so? Or did he simply not care anymore what others thought?

Repeated reinvention

Early photos of Putin, like the one in his ID card from 1985 for the Stasi (the East German secret police), suggest a steely resolve behind the mask – a deliberate reticence no doubt well suited for a KGB role and further honed by KGB training.

After the USSR collapsed at the end of 1991, he recast himself as a government official with a reputation for loyalty and efficiency, initially serving the mayor of St Petersburg, then – after a move to Moscow – Yeltsin's presidential administration. In photos of that period, he is usually at the back or side of the picture, never looking into the camera, never centre stage.

Nina Khrushcheva, the great-granddaughter of the Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev, said she was told in the 1990s that in KGB circles, he was known as "the moth", a man who could hide anywhere he wanted, a man in the shadows.

But when he became president, it was a different story. He seemed to welcome the opportunity to don different roles.

A few years later, when he was photographed for Time magazine's Person of the Year award in 2007, he instinctively settled back in his chair and looked down the lens of the camera, like a tsar on a throne or a menacing mafia boss.

"He was performing power for me," says Platon, the Time photographer who took the picture. "As far as I know, Putin loves these images. Many of his supporters love the pictures. They show him as a tough nationalist."

It was what Pomerantsev calls "a postmodern version of authoritarian propaganda," with Putin playing out all the roles like a performance artist.

And the various guises of a strongman which he adopted were reflected in his policies. To make Russia strong again, Putin argued there needed to be more order, more oversight from above. So, step by step he tightened control over Russian society, reducing the space for free expression and criticism, turning the Duma into a rubber-stamp parliament, marginalising or eliminating political opponents and lashing out at Western powers for failing to show Russia enough respect.

The man behind the mask

His hyper-macho topless photoshoots have been picked over endlessly as a reflection of his confidence. But maybe these images also tell us something about his insecurities: his desire to reassure everyone, including himself, that he was still the main man, as fit as he'd ever been.

After 2008 when he stepped back from the presidency to become prime minister for four years, attention-grabbing photos such as these also signalled that he, rather than President Dmitry Medvedev, was the real power in the land.

In 2011 came a dramatic visual change that also marked a pivotal point on his political journey. He suddenly appeared in public with a new fuller, puffier face, more immobile and inexpressive. It was mystifying. Was this a sign of steroid treatment for some illness? Or had he resorted to Botox in his quest to stave off signs of decline and old age?

A few months later he ran for the presidency again. The outcome was never in doubt, but at the open-air rally to declare his victory, his new face could be seen streaked with tears.

I concluded the weeping was genuine. His voice was also hoarse with emotion. It looked like relief that all had gone according to plan, despite widespread protests ahead of the election, when – astonishingly – some protestors had dared raise slogans calling for him to go. But some analysts have wondered whether it was yet another contrived performance, designed to evoke the religious imagery of a weeping icon, to suggest he was now Russia's holy saviour.

Whichever it was, it marked a defining moment. His grip on the country had been tightening for years. From this era on, any form of public dissent was not just discouraged but downright illegal. Putin was becoming increasingly authoritarian and Russia less tolerant of opposition voices.

Nadya Tolokonnikova, one of the Pussy Riot feminists who was jailed and declared a foreign agent for her protests, put it this way: "Putin got obsessed with placing himself in history as the saviour, not just of Russia, but of the entire world. And this… is the turning point of him stepping into the Putin we know today."

Now aged 73, Putin is no closer to giving up the reins of power than he was back in 1999, but he is seen less frequently.

Many speculate that in recent years he has become more paranoid, especially since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the outbreak of the Covid pandemic. Now, when he does appear in front of the camera, the occasions are highly orchestrated, as though he is intent on keeping a distance from the outside world.

"He obviously wants to be careful that people can't necessarily track him down. It shows someone who's paranoid about his personal safety – from germs or assassination attempts," says Fiona Hill.

The war in Ukraine is now central to his image. Mikhail Fishman, a veteran Russian journalist, says: "If we look back at what Putin was after he came back to the Kremlin in 2012, he still did not know what he was, what he's about. But he believes he finally found his mission, what his role is, and it is war."

Yet, more than four years since it started, the full-scale war with Ukraine is also a burden. To continue it looks increasingly challenging, but to end it is also fraught with danger. Putin has created an economic war machine and a system of internal repression which he cannot easily put into reverse without huge risk to himself.

A quarter of a century after assuming power, he comes across as remote and inflexible, as though immobilised in a trap of his own making. It's a far cry from the image of a dynamic sportsman and action hero which he once hoped would define him.

Putin: In Ten Pictures is available to watch on iPlayer

Lead image credit: Reuters / Stasi Records Agency Dresden (Public Domain) / 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

'It's like a decaying body': Australian farmers battle mouse plague

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c794g80lw74o, today

A mouse plague is terrorising farmers across large swathes of Australia, with the rodents running rampant around homes and ravaging fields of grain.

It comes as farmers are already under pressure from unpredictable fuel and fertiliser supplies due to the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran.

This new battle has seen farmers pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into either re-planting crops that have been devoured by the mice or spending precious farming hours laying down bait – sterile seeds laced with mouse poison.

"It's a big cost and it's not just the price of the bait," says Geoff Cosgrove, 43, who runs a 14,000-hectare farm in Mingenew, Western Australia (WA), growing wheat, canola, lupin and barley.

"They do play with your mind - running around at night, in the ceiling, the air conditioning units. You can hear them and you can smell them - it's like a decaying body."

Cosgrove has been farming for 25 years and in that time, he's only ever had to bait twice. This year's mouse plague is "way worse than the one in 2021", he says.

That year a mouse plague swept through many parts of Australia, with large areas of New South Wales (NSW) and parts of Queensland suffering their worst plague in memory.

The situation was so dire in NSW that hundreds of prisoners were forced to relocate after mice caused extensive damage at their jail.

This time, farmers in WA first began reporting plague-like numbers of mice in March, with their neighbours in South Australia following suit shortly after.

Bumper harvest boosts mice numbers

About two hours north of Cosgrove's farm, agronomist and farmer Belinda Eastough, 59, recalls the mouse plague that hit WA about five years ago.

"The last time [in 2021], they were in my handbag," she says from her 5,500-hectare farm in Nolba, 80km (50 miles) northeast of Geraldton, one of the hardest hit areas.

"They were everywhere - in the floors, the walls, in the pantry. But I haven't had them in the pantry this year."

That's because "they're staying where the food is," she says, out in the paddocks.

"Last year, we had a record-breaking harvest so that gives the mice a lot of food."

A big harvest means large amounts of grain spilt in the paddocks during the processing of crops, leading to an easily accessible and much-loved food source for mice.

"Then we got some summer rain," Eastough says, which spurred the growth of young green shoots.

"So instead of just steak, they got steak and salad. Basically, the mice were in absolute mouse heaven."

Eastough, who's been farming for almost 40 years, grows wheat, canola and lupin with the wheat either exported to South-East Asia for udon noodles or used domestically in biscuits, bread and pasta.

In her canola paddocks, she estimates there are about 8,000 to 10,000 mice per hectare - about the size of a rugby field.

"Sometimes we've had mouse plagues, and the numbers will crash once they run out of food but this year, they haven't.

"I'm living the nightmare."

'Another headache'

The autumn months are some of the most crucial for grain growers as that's when they plant their crops.

As an agronomist, Eastough advises farmers on their crops and this year, she's urging them to bait as soon as possible after planting the seeds.

"If the baiter hasn't followed quickly enough behind the seeder, the mice are coming along at night and eating the seed out of the furrows," she says.

"If you finish seeding at 8pm at night and you come in the next day, you'll have rows of crop missing."

Eastough says farmers are very resilient but rising diesel and fertiliser costs have hit them hard since the Iran war broke out in February.

"We're paying twice for fuel now than we were paying two, three months ago," she says.

"The mouse thing is another thing thrown on top, another headache."

'Monumental problem'

Steve Henry, a research officer from Australia's national science agency CSIRO, specialises in mice and how to eradicate them.

Generally, a plague is defined as 800 mice per hectare, he says.

"But in Western Australia, they're talking about thousands and thousands of mice per hectare," says Henry, mainly through the northern and southern cropping zones.

On a recent visit to WA, he counted 30 to 40 active mice burrows when he walked a 100m distance of a one-metre wide strip.

Multiplying that figure by 100 is how farmers estimate mice populations, which means there were at least 3,000 to 4,000 burrows per hectare. In South Australia, the situation was similar.

"That's a monumental problem as this is a really important time for farmers," he says.

Mice can start breeding at just six weeks old, he says, and they can have six to 10 babies every 19 to 21 days.

"The kicker is within two or three days of giving birth, they fall pregnant again so while they're rearing the first litter, they're gestating the second," Henry says.

He also points out the psychological impact of the plague alongside its economic cost, as farmers can't switch off when they finish work for the day.

"If you're dealing with a drought, you can go inside and close the door and turn on the air conditioner and get some level of respite," he says.

"But if you're dealing with mice, you go inside, close the door, go to your cupboard, and the mice are in the cupboard ...

"You go to sleep at night, and the mice are running across your bed."

Winter, rain and stronger bait may quell plague

For months, farmers have been desperate to get access to a stronger bait but they had to wait for permission from the national regulator.

In recent days, that approval was granted and the higher strength bait is now available to farmers.

Retired farmer Damian Ryan, 67, has welcomed the move after spending weeks catching mice in his home and his shed at his farm in Morawa, about 370km north of Perth.

He says he's been catching 20 to 30 mice in his house and about 150 in his shed each day.

In his 50 years of toiling the land, dealing with the odd mouse is normal, but "I've never seen it this bad, ever".

"These things were like plague proportions. You drive around at night and you just see mice running everywhere."

With cooler temperatures, rain forecast and the stronger bait, farmers have reported a drop in mouse numbers in recent days.

Cosgrove is hopeful that with winter around the corner, relief is on the way: "Eventually they do stop 'cause it gets too cold and wet."

Ecuador accused of meddling in Colombian election with tariff vow

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czx2zndk7elo, today

Colombia's foreign ministry has accused Ecuador's president of "deliberate interference" in its forthcoming election after he promised a right-wing candidate he would lift tariffs.

Daniel Noboa framed his conversation with Colombian presidential hopeful Abelardo de la Espriella on Friday as one with an administration-in-waiting, saying the two had "reached an agreement" on trade and security.

Colombia heads to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president, in an atmosphere of intense political polarisation.

The outcome of the election could redefine which countries the Latin American nation aligns itself with, and how the government intends to tackle drug gangs amid spiralling violence.

Left-wing President Gustavo Petro, who is unable to seek re-election, has repeatedly sparred with US counterpart Donald Trump over a number of issues including drug trafficking and American intervention in the region.

Noboa, a staunch ally of the US president, has taken a hard line on drug-related violence and has joined a US-led alliance aimed at fighting cartels.

He wrote that he had decided to drop Ecuador's tariffs on Colombian products as of 1 June following his conversation with de la Espriella, and said the two had "agreed on the handover of Ecuadorian criminals who are in Colombian territory".

Ecuador has gradually imposed tariffs on imports from Colombia since January, citing what it described as Colombia's failure to secure their shared border.

Its geographical location - sandwiched between Colombia and Peru, the world's largest producers of cocaine - has turned Ecuador into a key transit country for the illicit drug.

Petro's government has denied the accusation and responded with economic measures of its own.

Colombia's foreign ministry criticised "the misleading presentation of the decision to repeal the tariffs as a goodwill measure by the Ecuadorian leader" in a statement on Saturday.

"This meddling by a foreign leader in the democratic process of another state constitutes a flagrant violation of the principle of non-intervention in internal affairs, a threat to national sovereignty and an attack on the democratic system," it added.

Colombia's political culture had for decades often favoured the election of centrist technocrats to the presidency.

But its politics has become increasingly polarised, with Petro becoming Colombia's first left-wing president in its recent history.

None of the candidates in Sunday's poll appear likely to win an outright majority, with a run-off vote scheduled for 21 June.

Polling suggests Petro's choice of successor, Iván Cepeda, has the greatest support, with de la Espriella his next-closest rival.

Cepeda has promised to continue with the Petro administration's policy of "total peace", which sought negotiated settlements with armed insurgent groups that engage in drug trafficking - though talks have stalled and agreements broken with renewed violence.

De la Espriella and centre-right candidate Paloma Valencia have vowed to launch a military crackdown if elected.

This is something Noboa has tried in Ecuador - deploying 75,000 police officers to the nation's four most violence-wracked provinces in March - though his prior attempts have seen the country's murder rate skyrocket.

Colombia's presidential hopefuls have campaigned amid persistent political violence, with one candidate fatally shot last summer. Last week, de la Espriella appeared at a rally in Medellin behind bulletproof glass.

He and Valencia have expressed a desire to restore Colombia's close security alliance with the US, which has come under strain under Petro and Trump.

Cepeda has insisted, just as Petro did, that Colombia should not be a "vassal state" to the US - though observers have noted that the two nations' historic anti-drugs co-operation has continued during even the most heated disputes.

The capture by US forces of Venezuela's former President Nicolás Maduro in January has left Petro one of the region's few remaining left-wing leaders not ideologically aligned with the Trump administration.

Both Trump and Petro have indicated that they thought a US military intervention in Colombia was possible, after the US president revived the Monroe Doctrine, that the US should be the sole arbiter when it came to the Western hemisphere.

However, Trump has since turned his attention to Cuba and has openly discussed toppling the Communist regime there, which he has described as "ready to fall".

Trump attacks artists dropping out of US Freedom 250 concert and mulls appearing himself

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy02j1n87wlo, today

Multiple performers booked for a festival celebrating America's 250th birthday have dropped out, many saying they were misled about the political affiliation of the event.

Freedom 250, the group behind the Great American State Fair, unveiled the artists on Wednesday for the 16-day event planned on the National Mall in Washington DC between 25 June and 10 July.

The group was launched last year by the Trump administration and the president appointed its CEO, but it says the event is non-partisan.

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he might instead use the occasion to give a "major speech" in Washington DC, calling the artists who dropped out "third rate".

Freedom 250 has said it was a nonprofit "dedicated to uniting Americans around the nation's 250th anniversary".

Artists including Young MC, Morris Day, the Commodores, Poison frontman Bret Michaels and country singer Martina McBride have all since said they will not be participating.

Trump said in a post on Truth Social that he was aware of artists getting "the yips" about their performances, and was thinking about instead appearing himself at a new rally at same time and location.

"I am ordering my Representatives to look at the feasibility of doing an AMERICA IS BACK Rally on Wednesday, Washington, D.C., same time, same location. Only Great Patriots invited," he wrote, calling himself "the "Number One Attraction anywhere in the World".

Rappers Morris Day and Young MC were first to announce they would not be participating.

Young MC, best know for his 1989 hit Bust a Move, said on his social media that artists were not told about any "political involvement with the event" and that he looked forward to performing in DC in the future at an event that was "not so politically charged".

Morris Day posted an image on Instagram with the text "Contrary To Rumor, Morris Day & The Time Will Not Be Performing At The 'GREAT AMERICAN STATE FAIR'". The post was captioned "It's A No For Me."

The next day, other artists followed suit.

"The Commodores will not be performing at the Great American State Fair," the group posted on their social media accounts.

"Our music has always been our voice and we choose not to publicly affiliate with any single political party. We support the betterment of all Americans."

Singer McBride said in a statement on X that she was "presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading".

Bret Michaels also said in a lengthy statement on social media on Friday morning: "Unfortunately what was presented to us as a celebration of our country has evolved into something much more divisive than what I agreed to be a part of."

He also cited safety concerns.

Rappers Flo Rida and Vanilla Ice, however, are still slated to perform.

Vanilla Ice, whose real name is Robert Matthew Van Winkle, said: "This is not a political platform. This is celebrating America's birthday," in a caption to a video post on his Instagram account.

One half of Milli Vanilli's public-facing duo, Fab Morvan, said he will also perform as scheduled. The voices behind Milli Vanilli's music said in a statement on X that they will not be performing.

"The original/real vocalists of Milli Vanilli…will NOT be performing their hits live at the Great American State Fair. Others using the name Milli Vanilli should be considered a tribute band," the group said.

The frontmen of Milli Vanilli were famously revealed to be lip synching in the 1990s.

C+C Music Factory, famous for the 1990s hit Gonna Make You Sweat will also attend. Band member Freedom Williams said in a video on social media that he will still perform, although he does not support Trump.

Freedom 250 has yet to announce any lineup changes.

Spokeswoman Rachel Reisner said in a statement: "There is far too much to celebrate about this great nation to let noise and division distract from the incredible moment ahead - and we look forward to welcoming millions of Americans to a fair that belongs to all Americans."

The White House is backing a number of events to mark the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence in July.

They include a UFC fight on its South Lawn and the Great American State Fair in June and July, and a Grand Prix race in the US capital in August.

The US will also release a limited number of commemorative passports that feature a portrait of Trump.

Italy bans Kanye West and Travis Scott concerts over security concerns

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3d27x5vnnvo, today

Italian authorities have barred Kanye West and Travis Scott concerts from going ahead, citing public order and security concerns.

Prefect Salvatore Angieri announced on Friday that the two events, due to take place in the northern city of Reggio Emilia in July, would not take place, following a request from the local Jewish community to cancel West's gig.

The community's leader Nicoletta Uzzielli had urged local official to replace the show with a performance that would bring "music back to the forefront as a universally unifying force".

West has caused outrage for a string of antisemitic, racist and pro-Nazi comments that recently led to him being banned from entering the UK.

Now known as Ye, the US rapper had been due to perform alongside Scott and other artists including The Chainsmokers, Rita Ora and Swedish House Mafia.

The regional prefecture said in a statement that several factors had weighed on its decision, including the "cancellation of previous concerts by the American rapper in other countries and the real risk of counter-demonstrations".

It said that the closeness of the two events, scheduled for 17 and 18 July at Reggio Emilia's RFC Arena, and the large crowds they were expected to attract was a further factor in the decision.

Scott faced intense scrutiny after 10 people, aged nine to 27, died during his Astroworld festival in Houston, Texas, in 2021.

Thousands of others were injured when panic broke out as the over-capacity crowd pressed towards the front of the stage during the US rapper's headline performance.

Meanwhile, this summer's Wireless Festival in London was cancelled last month, after West - who had been announced as its headline act - was refused permission to enter the UK amid a backlash over his previous remarks.

In 2022, West posted on social media saying he would go "death con 3 On Jewish people", and in May last year, he released a song called Heil Hitler and sold T-shirts featuring swastikas.

His barring from the UK led to a series of cancellations elsewhere.

West announced on 15 April that the Marseille leg of his tour had been postponed "until further notice". French media at the time reported that Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez had been looking to ban the 11 June gig.

His 19 June concert at the Silesian Stadium in Chorzów, Poland, was also cancelled "due to formal and legal reasons", the venue said in April.

The rapper has been seeking a return to mainstream public view after apologising for his actions in a lengthy statement published in the Wall Street Journal in January.

"I am not a Nazi or an antisemite," he wrote. "I love Jewish people."

He added that, as a result of his bipolar disorder, he had "lost touch with reality".

Four more men freed from flooded Laos cave

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn4pn4ex0ymo, today

Four men who were trapped inside a flooded cave in Laos for 10 days have been freed, Thai rescuers say - a day after another man was rescued.

They are among Seven Lao nationals who entered the narrow tunnels in search for gold but were cut off inside the cave in the remote mountain area of central Xaysomboun province after flash floods hit on 20 May.

Only five were found alive by rescuers on Wednesday. Two men are still missing.

The cave system, which extends deep underground, is also extremely narrow, with some chambers measuring only about 50cm (20in) wide, rescuers say.

Millions of breast cancer patients could safely avoid chemotherapy, study suggests

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2325j0xk1vo, today

Millions of people with breast cancer could safely avoid chemotherapy as scientists have developed a DNA test that can distinguish between patients who are likely to benefit from the treatment and those who are not, according to the results of a trial.

The international study found that more than two-thirds of its participants could be spared the side of effects of chemotherapy and be treated with hormone therapy alone.

Chemotherapy can cause fatigue, nausea, hair loss, a weakened immune system and fertility issues.

The study, led by University College London (UCL), involved more than 4,000 newly diagnosed patients over the age of 40 in the UK, Norway, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and Thailand.

Scientists used a gene test called Prosigna to measure the activity of 50 genes involved in breast cancer growth and calculate a patient's risk of the disease returning.

Those who received a low score - two-thirds of the group - were not treated through chemotherapy. The five-year survival rate of their group was 93.7%, compared with a 94.9% rate among patients who received chemotherapy as part of their care.

The primary treatment for breast cancer is usually surgery to remove tumours. Chemotherapy is often recommended afterwards to diminish the risk of return.

It is also regularly offered to people with early-stage breast cancer that has spread to the nearby lymph nodes.

Clinicians are concerned the treatment provides little benefit to those with the most common type of breast cancer, UCL said.

The university said more than 5,000 NHS patients a year could avoid chemotherapy as a result of the trial.

Karen Bonham, from Cardiff, took part in the trial and said the results are an "immense relief" and feel "like Christmas".

The 64-year-old avoided chemotherapy thanks to the Prosigna test and has instead received eight years of radiotherapy and hormone therapy.

"Cancer diagnosis and treatment can be shocking," she said.

"It certainly propels you into a world of uncertainty. Life priorities realign - you simply want to survive."

The findings of the study will be presented at the world's largest cancer conference, the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting, in Chicago, United States, on Saturday.

The trial's chief investigator, and professor of breast oncology at the UCL Cancer Institute, Professor Rob Stein, said: "These results mark an important and significant step toward more personalised treatment.

"The trial has successfully used tumour biology to guide decisions rather than relying solely on traditional clinical features.

"For patients, this means many may be spared the physical and emotional burden of chemotherapy and its potential long-term side effects.

"For health systems, it represents a more efficient and evidence-based use of resources."

It is not known whether the findings apply to people under the age of 40, with a result still several years away, according to UCL.

Ferrari wanted to take on Chinese EVs with the Luce - then the backlash started

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1l2y7j7454o, today

The new Ferrari Luce, the brainchild of iPhone designer Sir Jony Ive, is unlike anything the Italian carmaker has ever created - so is the backlash it is facing.

Its launch was such a big deal that Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Pope Leo were invited to view the luxury brand's first electric vehicle (EV).

But internet critics, investors and even politicians have hit out at the Luce - which is Italian for "light".

The firm's shares fell 8% the day after the unveiling, as a host of memes mocked the $640,000 (£475,625) car, which is also its first five-seater.

It comes as the global motor industry faces a number of major challenges, including fierce competition from Chinese carmakers.

The unveiling of a Ferrari EV marks a major shift for a brand built on sleek petrol-powered supercars, known for their roaring engines.

For years, the firm resisted going electric - even as much of the motor industry was making the transition.

The Luce is certainly as fast as many supercars: 0-60mph (96km/h) in about 2.5 seconds, with a top speed of more than 190mph.

But it is the way it looks that has drawn the most criticism.

Former Ferrari chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo told reporters on Tuesday that the Luce is "risking the destruction of a legend" and the firm should remove its iconic badge from the car.

Australia-based high-end car dealer and collector Shaun Baker told the BBC that he refers to the Luce - which is pronounced "loo-chay" - as the "Loser".

"Ferrari was the aspirational brand to own. But with the Luce, they've hurt their image," he said.

The Luce does not have the low-slung profile of a typical Ferrari. Powered by electric motors, it also does not have the distinctive engine noise.

"This is supposed to be innovation? I wonder what Enzo Ferrari would say," Italy's deputy prime minister and transport minister Matteo Salvini said, referring to the company's founder.

The Luce "looks like anything but a car from the prancing horse", he added.

While some on the internet have praised the car, for example, as a "masterclass" of design, there is no shortage of critics.

An "abomination", one commenter said. "Enzo Ferrari will rise from his grave and take control of the company again," wrote another.

Some social media users drew comparisons to the far cheaper Nissan Leaf and Chinese EVs, suggestions Ferrari boss Benedetto Vigna was quick to push back at.

Others posted AI-generated reworkings of the Luce's design, giving it a sportier look.

"They were made in 10 seconds and still look better than what Ferrari has come up with," said Baker, who has owned more than 50 of the firm's cars.

Vigna, who has led Ferrari for the last five years, is no stranger to controversy.

The Purosangue, the firm's first sports utility vehicle (SUV), split opinion when it was launched in 2022.

Critics said the four-door model would tarnish Ferrari's image as an exclusive supercar brand. But it sold well, helping the firm move into a new market.

Ferrari isn't the only motor industry giant to face a backlash over going electric.

In 2024, Jaguar sparked fierce debate when it announced plans to become a high-end EV brand and unveiled a concept vehicle called the Type 00 that looked unlike any of the British luxury carmaker's previous models.

Critics said the car, with its ultra-long bonnet and chunky wheels, was a departure from the E-Type maker's roots.

"Jaguar needs to be bold and disruptive in order to cut through and get our message across," the firm's boss Rawdon Glover told the BBC at the time.

Today, Ferrari is facing similar claims that it has lost its identity.

Singapore car analyst James Wong praised the design of the Luce's interior but said as a whole the car is "unrecognisable" as a Ferrari.

The Luce's "eye-popping price tag" also looks particularly high given the increasingly cheap and luxurious EVs already on the market, said sustainable industry expert Jessica Cheam.

But Vigna has said it is a fair price to pay for innovation and that the car has received strong interest from potential buyers.

Ferrari's move into EVs comes as several other big brands have been rethinking their plans for battery-powered cars.

Rival supercar maker Lamborghini has scrapped its EV programme due to weak demand and customers' preference for petrol engines.

Following the Luce's launch, Lamborghini boss Stephan Winkelmann said his company's focus on hybrid cars over all-electric models was "the right way to go".

"Every brand, every company has to decide for themselves," Winkelmann told business news channel CNBC.

Other carmakers - including Porsche, Honda and Ford - have also scaled back their EV programmes.

Global carmakers have also faced stiff competition in China - a major market for luxury brands like Ferrari. Car buyers there have come to expect low prices, long battery ranges and innovative features.

China is home to vast supply chains for EV parts that helps to lower the cost of production by at least 30% compared to the rest of the world, according to the International Energy Agency.

Aggressive subsidies in the country have also led to huge growth in the number of carmakers, forcing firms to cut their prices and innovate to win over customers.

That fierce competition has also forced Western firms, including Tesla and VW, to slash their prices in China.

Chinese EV makers are increasingly targeting the premium market to boost their profit margins, competing with Porsche and Tesla's high-end models.

Electric supercars have also been rolled out by Chinese firms better known for SUVs and saloons. An example of what Western brands are competing against is the $250,000 all-electric BYD Yangwang U9. It can reach 60mph in just over 2.3 seconds.

That is perhaps why, with the Luce, Ferrari is targeting a completely different market from those looking to buy a conventional supercar.

The Luce could appeal to younger buyers who are more open to EVs compared to Ferrari's die-hard fans, Cheam said.

Given how unfamiliar it looks as a Ferrari, the Luce may also attract new customers to the brand, Wong said.

The firm could have done with a "dipstick test" with loyal customers to see whether such a design would resonate with them, Wong said.

"But then again, all this could have been intentional, given the huge media storm that the Luce has attracted."

The BBC has asked Ferrari for its response to criticism of the Luce.

'Almost rage bait': Has Euphoria gone from defining Gen Z to dividing them?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78qyn1d7qvo, today

Warning: This article contains spoilers for season three of Euphoria

Rue is swallowing balls of drugs and smuggling them between America and Mexico. Cassie is making erotic content on OnlyFans to pay for wedding flowers. Nate is losing fingers and toes in blood-soaked revenge scenes and Jules is giving up her artistic career to search for a sugar daddy.

If Euphoria once felt like an exaggerated but emotionally resonant portrait of Gen Z adolescence, its latest season has pushed that chaos to near-surreal extremes.

And after seven weeks polarising both critics and social media, the series concludes on Monday. Some viewers speculate this will be a relief to its central cast, who they say have "outgrown" the show. In fact, many fans, teens when the show launched in 2019, say they too are ready to move on.

Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney and Jacob Elordi, all now major names, star as a group of young people navigating sex, drug addiction, friendship, love and trauma. Season three picks up half a decade after the characters left high school, following them into a far darker and more fractured version of adulthood.

When Euphoria first launched, it quickly became one of the defining shows of its generation, but after a five-year break marked by strikes, rewrites and cast departures, it returned to a noticeably more divided response.

In December, ahead of the season three launch, showrunner Sam Levinson said "this is our best season yet". The response from critics may not have borne that out (it has a weighted average of 56% on review aggregation site Metacritic), but so far, viewing figures are the show's highest ever.

The first episode drew a US audience of more than 12.3 million, while global viewership surpassed 20 million - a 68% increase on the season two premiere over the same period, according to Warner Bros. Discovery.

Euphoria has always thrived on viral moments, but some viewers believe certain scenes in season three have been concocted specifically with memes and social media in mind - at the expense of character and plot.

Weeks after the relevant episodes aired, my own feeds are still flooded with edits and jokes about Cassie dressing up as a baby, and Nate telling her "you've been a bad, bad dog".

'Rage bait'

Journalist and author Jess Bacon says the show "is almost rage bait at this point", arguing its apparent eagerness for viral moments has led to "a one-dimensional plot" unworthy of its heavy subject matter and star cast.

This season, she adds, "feels almost unrecognisable" compared with the "relatable or thought-provoking teenage experiences" seen in Euphoria's earlier episodes.

Fan Eve Rigby, 23, agrees: "I remember Euphoria resonating strongly within my friend group as the characters felt like a more stylised version of us as 17-year-olds, but season three is harder to resonate."

Eve says the show's visual identity – "neon LED strip lighting, gemstone eye looks and not-so-family-friendly outfits worn to your small town's community events" - mirrored the aesthetics young people were embracing and, beneath the glitter-heavy visuals, it also reflected issues many young women recognised from their own lives.

"Cassie's objectification, Maddy's domestic abuse, Kat's body consciousness, Jules's relationship with older men, and Rue's addiction reflected things girls had experienced or seen within our circles."

By comparison, Eve says the latest season feels noticeably more detached from reality.

"Surprisingly, most of us aren't OnlyFans creators or getting kidnapped by the mob. Even Lexi's 'normal' life - a Warner Bros 9–5 while living alone in an LA apartment - would be a great gig for friends who tell me they're watching season three via TikTok clips rather than paying for another subscription."

Some fans have found the latest storylines more intense and Bacon says the show's brutality makes it "almost unwatchable" at times.

She adds that while it continues to tackle hard-hitting themes such as sex work, misogyny and tradwife culture, it no longer approaches them with the same emotional depth and "now lacks the nuance the show has been known for".

Writing in Vogue, journalist Daisy Jones criticised what she described as the series' "peculiar and persistent obsession with sex work", arguing the subject is explored in a way that now feels "dated and two-dimensional".

'The way it's always been'

But on the Chicks in the Office podcast, Noah Ives says the season has been growing on him and he's been "way more entertained" by the last few episodes which see Rue secretly working for the DEA, Nate being buried alive, and Cassie becoming increasingly eager for validation on OnlyFans.

"The whole group getting back together makes it way more interesting and feels somewhat like Euphoria again," he says, though he adds the plot is still "ridiculous".

Another fan said outrageous storylines were "the way it's always been" on the show.

"For the creators to make the giant leap from high school to where they are now, without missing a beat, is fantastic," they added.

Many fans have also praised the show's acting, with Sydney Sweeney and Zendaya drawing particular kudos.

Other viewers believe Euphoria's emotional depth is still alive and kicking, particularly in its portrayal of addiction.

Addiction therapist Gonzalo Sanchez argues that in earlier seasons, drug taking was "portrayed in a highly stylised and fast-paced way" but as the series has developed, "there has been a clear shift towards showing the deeper emotional and psychological realities of addiction".

"The series increasingly highlights themes that are very familiar within therapeutic work like shame, unresolved trauma and the complicated nature of recovery."

Many critiques of the show - accusations of style over substance, glamorising trauma and prioritising spectacle - were there from the very beginning. But in 2019, the shocks perhaps felt fresher.

When the show launched, the Guardian said it made Skins "look positively Victorian", while Time called it "the first teen drama to fully exploit the Xanax-numbed aesthetic that defines Gen Z".

In Vogue, Jones said season one storylines like Barbie Ferreira's Kat having nude photos leaked felt "pertinent and discerning", as this was before platforms like OnlyFans exploded into mainstream culture.

Levinson's continued fascination with those themes now feels "not just late, but mildly cringe-inducing", she adds.

'Four-year gap the real culprit'

James Kirkham, a brand strategist and culture commentator, agrees that the themes that once made Euphoria feel culturally defining are now more mainstream.

"The cultural conversation they were having in 2019 about identity, queerness, mental health, is now the conversation everyone is having everywhere, so the show no longer feels like a frontier."

He believes the sheer speed of online culture has fundamentally changed how audiences engage with youth-focused television.

"The four-year gap is the real culprit because in social media and streaming time, four years is like a seismic or geological shift, so audiences who fell for season one as sixth formers are now graduates."

Kirkham also says internet culture itself has fragmented since Euphoria's early seasons, making it harder for any one television show to dominate in the same way and "community on social media now barely exists in any meaningful collective sense".

Comparisons have frequently been drawn between Euphoria and Skins, the youth-focussed series that became hugely influential in the 2000s before later seasons struggled to maintain the same cultural relevance.

Kirkham says it is almost inevitable that modern youth dramas will lose relevance over time and "the miracle is when a youth show catches fire even once".

"Expecting it to do it twice, in different cultural weather, with the same writers, is always hard."

Ethiopia is heading to the polls, but not everyone can vote

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0pngz2rego, today

Ethiopia's general election takes place on Monday as conflict rages in parts of the country, meaning many people will not be able to vote.

In fact, the whole northern region of Tigray, which has been trying to recover from a brutal civil war that ended in 2022, has been totally excluded from the poll.

It is the seventh election since the downfall of the military regime in 1991 - an upheaval that led to Eritrea's secession two years later - and it takes place as Ethiopia's relations with its northern neighbour are once again dangerously fraught.

The media is tightly regulated and many organisations, including the BBC, have not been given press accreditation.

Who is likely to win?

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed - although he is not directly elected. Voters elect representatives to the 547-member parliament and the party that secures at least 274 seats earns the right to form the next government to lead the country for the next five years.

Abiy, 49, came to power in 2018 following widespread anti-government protests against the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), a coalition - dominated by politicians from Tigray - that had ruled since 1991.

He went on to dissolve the EPRDF, of which he was a part, and replace it with his Prosperity Party, a more centralised and less federal form of governing.

Prof Merera Gurdina, a veteran opposition politician and member of the Oromo Federalist Congress, alleges the upcoming election is the least competitive in Ethiopia's recent history.

"We are participating symbolically because the law says you cannot boycott elections consecutively. We are participating, mainly to avoid deregistration," he told the BBC.

When Abiy first assumed office, he was hailed as a champion of democracy and press freedom after releasing hundreds of politicians and journalists from prison.

He was awarded the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize mainly for bringing an end to the 20-year military stalemate with neighbouring Eritrea.

Seven years later things could not be more different.

How did Abiy blot his copybook?

Critics accuse his government of suppressing dissent, forcing opponents into exile and arresting political rivals.

Under Abiy's watch the government went to war in 2020 with Tigray's leaders in a two-year conflict estimated by the African Union's mediator to have killed some 600,000 people and which drove the region to the precipice of famine.

According to Reporters Without Borders' 2025 press freedom index, Ethiopia came 148 out of 180 countries.

In its September 2025 publication, Human Rights Watch condemned Ethiopia's government for arbitrarily arresting journalists and media professionals and called for an end to the harassment of independent journalists.

After the credentials for three reporters working for the Reuters news agency were revoked in February, the Committee to Protect Journalists said there was "a troubling pattern of repressive regulatory action against international and independent press in Ethiopia".

What do the prime minister's supporters say?

They argue that Abiy has transformed the country for the better.

The capital, Addis Ababa, symbolises these reforms as it is undergoing a rapid urban transformation, in what is known as the prime minister's "Corridor Development" and "Riverside" projects.

Though these initiatives to improve transport and public spaces have too faced criticism for mass demolitions that have displaced tens of thousands of residents.

Abiy's economic reforms have received support from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, under the proviso the country liberalises its foreign currency exchange market and gets a handle on its debt. This stood at $36.5bn (£27.1bn) in 2024, according to the World Bank.

With a population of 135.9 million, Ethiopia is Africa's second most-populous nation - after Nigeria - and one of the continent's fast-growing economies, according to World Bank estimates.

This is despite the ongoing insecurity in regions such as Amhara and Oromia, the hangover from the Tigray war and the rising costs of goods and services.

The country's GDP per capita - which is a measure of a person's average income - is projected to reach $1,133 in 2026, compared to $641 in 2016.

What are the security concerns?

Besides continuing tensions in Tigray, two of the country's most-populous regions, Amhara and Oromia, have experienced violent insurgencies in recent years.

Fano militias in Amhara and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) in Oromia continue to fight government forces, resulting in thousands of civilian deaths and forcing hundreds of thousands of people from their homes.

Both want greater ethnic autonomy and feel betrayed by Abiy, though for differing reasons:

* The Amhara militias, who fought on the side of the government in the Tigray war, refused an order to disband in 2023, saying the move would leave their region vulnerable to attack

* The OLA, which is designated a terrorist organisation by parliament, wants greater autonomy for Oromos, the country's largest ethnic group that has long felt marginalised.

According to conflict monitoring group Acled, more than 9,400 people were killed in 2024 as a result of the violence in those regions.

Despite the insecurity, the government says 97% of areas in Amhara and Oromia are ready to hold elections.

The Coalition for Ethiopian Unity, an opposition alliance formed to contest the elections as a unified front, disputes this.

"We have previously stated that we cannot campaign in the Amhara and Oromia regions because there are no enabling conditions," Mistreselasie Tamrat, the coalition's secretary, told BBC Amharic.

Magnus Taylor, Horn of Africa expert at the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank, says it will be interesting to see how many people will be able to cast their vote.

"Prime Minister Abiy will be confident that he will be re-elected. This shouldn't obscure the fact that there are various internal insecurity issues, insurgencies and a risk of a new war in the north. The two things can exist at the same time," he told the BBC.

What is going on in Tigray?

Home to an estimated six million people, Tigray was governed by an interim administration following the peace deal signed in November 2022 in South Africa's capital, Pretoria, between the government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).

But earlier this month, the TPLF - angered by Abiy's reappointment of the administration's leader without consultation - has muscled in and elected Debretsion Gebremichael to take over.

He had led Tigray during the war when the government had designated the TPLF a terrorist organisation.

Tensions between the TPLF and Addis Ababa have been steadily deteriorating over the last year.

One major disagreement was over whether the TPLF needed to register as a new party. The election board said it did, the TPLF disagreed - and it is now effectively banned, its legal status revoked.

The TPLF also believes the government has reneged over other issues in the Pretoria accord - and in particular it wants back territory it lost during the war, like western Tigray.

Around a million people fled that area during the conflict and have been living in poor conditions in makeshift camps in Tigray.

Another issue is Eritrea, which borders Tigray to the north.

During the civil war, it fought alongside Ethiopia's government - but those friendly relations have since soured, largely over Abiy's ambition to get access to a Red Sea port.

When Eritrea gained its independence more than 30 years ago, it took with it a 1,350km (840-mile) coastline - leaving Ethiopia landlocked.

There are also reports Eritrea has been cosying up to the TPLF - increasing tensions between Abiy's government and Tigray's leadership.

In May, the electoral board confirmed there would be no voting in any of Tigray's 38 constituencies.

This has all raised fears of a return to a wider conflict - and the ICG analyst believes regional mediation is needed to open lines of communication between the government and Tigray's leaders.

"At the very least that can prevent miscalculation or reduce the temperatures down to a situation in which they tackle their differences through talking rather than shooting," Taylor said.

What are voter expectations?

The election board says more than 50.5 million people have registered to vote and despite the conflicts and political tensions, many young and first-time voters say they hope the election will bring stability.

"If the outcome of the election is not positive, I think it will affect my daily life economically and politically. If instability arises, I may not be able to continue my education and it could be harder to move around," Fenet Dereje, a resident of Addis Ababa, told the BBC.

Abiy's Prosperity Party won by a landslide in the 2021 election.

Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh, who comes from the Amhara region where voting has already been cancelled in 30 out of 137 constituencies, told local media in March that the ruling party "did not want to win everything" this time round.

"We have ministers who are members of opposition parties. This trend will continue. We do not want to win 100% of the votes. We want to see our competitors claim victory because we want to accommodate diverse voices," he said.

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

Mumbai's famed dabbawalas fed millions for over 100 years - now they are disappearing

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c202d0l92weo, yesterday

Every morning, before the city has fully woken up, men in white caps and shirts arrive at Mumbai's suburban railway stations on bicycles stacked high with lunchboxes.

They load these boxes onto trains, cross the city and then spread out on foot and bikes to deliver hot, home-cooked meals to office workers.

After a short break, they do it all in reverse - collecting the empty boxes and returning them to the kitchens they came from by mid-afternoon.

These men are called dabbawalas and for more than a century they have kept Mumbai fed through a delivery system so precise it became world famous.

The lunchboxes - called dabbas - usually carry rice, lentils, vegetable curries, rotis (flatbread) and sometimes meat that is freshly cooked in homes across the city's suburbs.

For generations of office workers in Mumbai, home-cooked meals have remained deeply tied to family routine, culture and dietary preferences - making the daily lunchbox an essential part of working life in the fast-paced city.

Each box is marked with an alphanumeric code that tells a dabbawala where it came from, where it is going, which floor of which building it belongs to and how to get it back again. No apps or GPS - just a system passed down through generations of workers who know Mumbai's trains and streets instinctively.

The trade has brought Mumbai - India's financial capital - global attention. Harvard Business School studied it as a masterclass in low-cost logistics. In 2003, even the future King Charles spent some time with dabbawalas on a trip to Mumbai.

The service became synonymous with something Mumbai prided itself on, that beneath the noise and the rush, some things still worked with unshakeable precision.

Now, the men who built that reputation are struggling to survive.

The dabbawala system is believed to have begun in the late 19th Century, when Bombay (now Mumbai) - then under British colonial rule - was rapidly expanding and office workers needed a way to eat fresh, home-cooked food during the day.

At a time when restaurants and canteens were limited, carrying meals from home mattered deeply in a city where food was tied to culture, religion and family routine.

The idea is generally tracked back to a Parsi banker, who hired a man to pick up his lunch from home each morning, deliver it to his office and return the empty box later. A simple system, which soon caught on.

In 1890, a man named Mahadeo Bachche organised the system in its modern form with about 100 workers, according to Shobha Bondre's book Mumbai's Dabbawala: The Uncommon Story of the Common Man.

Early dabbawalas transported lunchboxes on bicycles and marked them with coloured threads so they could be sorted and returned accurately. Over time, those markings were replaced with a unique alphanumeric code system, while deliveries came to rely on bicycles, motorbikes and Mumbai's suburban train network.

At its peak, nearly 4,500 dabbawalas delivered around 50,000 lunch boxes across Mumbai every day, according to organisations that regulate and monitor the service.

But the pandemic disrupted that system. As offices shut and people began working from home, daily deliveries were no longer needed in the same way.

Dabbawalas who once served 20 or 25 office workers a day were suddenly left with only a handful of customers - some with none at all.

With little savings to rely on, many left the trade altogether.

Offices have since reopened, but remote and hybrid work models have sharply reduced the daily demand that once kept Mumbai's dabbawala network running at full scale.

"After the lockdown, work-from-home started," says Kiran Gavande, secretary of the Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Association. "Some people now go to the office only two or three times a week. This had a big impact on Mumbai's dabbawalas."

The number of registered dabbawalas has fallen from around 4,500 in 2018 to roughly 1,500 today, according to the association.

At the same time, Mumbai's relationship with food has changed.

Online food delivery apps like Swiggy and Zomato, alongside a growing number of cloud kitchens offering restaurant meals at low prices, have given people a new set of choices.

Where the dabbawala once had little competition - delivering home-cooked meals for just 2,000 rupees ($21; £16) a month - they now compete with everything from biryani to burgers at the tap of a screen.

Balu Bhagu Shinde spent 20 years as a dabbawala before leaving the trade.

The 41-year-old once earned about 20,000 rupees a month delivering lunchboxes to 15 to 20 customers a day - enough to support a family of five in one of India's most expensive cities. By the end of 2020, only two customers remained.

He waited for offices to reopen but the customers never returned in substantial numbers. Eventually, Shinde became a tuktuk driver.

He now earns around 15,000 rupees a month - less than what he made delivering lunchboxes, but is hobbled by a lack of options.

"There are no customers, no money - what should we do?" Shinde says.

"We are struggling to survive. I am cutting down on household expenses, but I have three children whose education matters the most. At times I have had to borrow money."

For the people who stayed, survival increasingly means working two jobs to just get by.

Mauli Bachche, 40, has been a dabbawala for two decades. His day starts at 07:00 from his home in a Mumbai suburb. By 10:30, he has collected lunchboxes from homes and small kitchens across his neighbourhood and loaded them onto trains bound for offices across the city.

By early afternoon, the deliveries are complete. At 14:00, the return cycle begins.

Then comes his second job, where he collects small daily savings deposits from shopkeepers on behalf of a finance company before finally returning home around 22:00. By then, he has spent up to 15 hours working and travelled more than 100km (62 miles) across the city.

He has two children - a daughter in her final year of school and a son in Grade 10 who hopes to become a cricketer.

"Before Covid, I used to deliver 25 dabbas. Some of those people are now working from home, some have lost their jobs - only 15 customers remain," he says.

"Income from dabbawala work is very low. Everyone is doing more than one job."

For the older men in the business, the worry is not so much for themselves - it is for what comes after them.

"In our time, we managed to survive," says Baban Kadam, who has worked as a dabbawala for 35 years. "But with today's cost of living, the younger generation will not come into this work. Everyone wants a better-paying job or business."

Ramdas Baban Karvande, president of the Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Association, says the network no longer delivers across all parts of the city as it once did.

The association is now considering shift-based work so dabbawalas can take up part-time jobs alongside their morning deliveries.

"This will allow them to earn from other work or small businesses," Karvande says.

Even so, he is unsure how long the system can survive.

"We are continuing for now," he says. "But we cannot say what will happen in the future."

For the time being though, each morning, Mumbai's trains carry men weaving through crowded platforms with stacks of steel lunchboxes - preserving a tradition that was once synonymous with the pace of the city, but now risks being left behind by it.

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Medical or a PR exercise? Why presidents get annual check-ups

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9q39dx778zo, today

Any concerning health issues the American public should know about, Mr President?

"Well, they think I look too young," Joe Biden, then aged 81, joked after his annual medical check-up as the oldest president in US history.

The US president is one of the most powerful people on the planet - and the public scrutiny of their health records has grown into a distinctly American phenomenon.

Every president in modern history has taken the short journey from the White House to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for a regular physical exam - and it's as much about political messaging as it is about health.

"Americans historically have wanted masculine presidents, vigorous presidents," said Dr Matt Dallek, a political historian at George Washington University.

The physical exam is one way a president can outwardly demonstrate his own vitality and therefore project a sense of political power. It is something Donald Trump, just under three weeks shy of his 80th birthday, has sought to make central to his own image as president.

After his annual exam, the White House released a memo on Friday from Trump's doctor, who said he was in "excellent health", but did recommend he exercise more and lose weight.

He also noted the president had "strong cardiac, pulmonary, neurological and overall physical function" and was "fully fit to carry out all duties of the commander-in-chief and head of state".

But even an assurance of a clean bill of health by the president's doctor only goes so far. There is no requirement for the president to share their medical records, and they are protected by the same health privacy law as every other American.

'I feel fit as a fiddle'

Before the advent of television, it was much easier for presidents to disguise their health struggles.

In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson suffered a major stroke that left him mostly incapacitated for the final stretch of his presidency, effectively leaving his wife to make decisions for over a year. The severity of his condition was largely covered up by his physician and other staff.

Later, while the public was somewhat aware that President Franklin D Roosevelt lived with paralysis from polio, the White House downplayed his use of a wheelchair until his death in office in 1945.

According to Appel, it wasn't until President Lyndon B Johnson's administration in the 1960s - during the Cold War, and following the assassination of President John F Kennedy - that any president formally announced the results of a regular physical to the public.

In the 1970s, President Gerald Ford insisted on making some of his medical information public, over the objections of his own physician, Appel told the BBC.

"I feel fit as a fiddle. Getting healthier every day," Ford told the media after his 1976 check-up, adding that he swam every day to stay in shape.

By comparison, President Ronald Reagan announced his Alzheimer's diagnosis five years after he left the White House, leading to speculation about his mental state during his second term.

"If I were the public, I would ignore that information (released by the White House) entirely," said Dr Jacob Appel, a medical ethicist at New York's Mount Sinai Hospital and a presidential health historian.

"The president can cherry pick what looks good, and what doesn't look good," Appel told the BBC.

Most presidential check-up reports, though, contain details of mundane ailments: "Doctors removed a precancerous skin lesion from the tip of his nose", reads a New York Times report on Bill Clinton's annual checkup from 1996. The next year, he was recommended hearing aids.

In the US's hyper-charged partisan environment, politicians have little to gain from revealing any potential weakness. And the president's health could also be a national security matter.

"Anything we released to the American public will also be known by the Russian secret service, Chinese government, and adversaries," Appel pointed out.

Older presidents 'turbocharge' health interest

After a string of relatively young presidents (Bill Clinton was 46 when he was inaugurated, George W Bush was 54, and Barack Obama was 47), the US elected two of its oldest presidents in quick succession.

Trump was 70 when he was first inaugurated in 2017, and 78 when he took office for a second time last year.

Biden, who served between Trump's two terms, entered the White House at 78 and left at 82.

That has "turbocharged" the interest in presidents' annual physical reports, said Dallek.

"The scrutiny of Biden and Trump because of their age operates in a totally different plane," the political historian said.

"The concerns in the media, in the public, the debates that happen about whether they're fit to serve, those debates get intensified."

Biden's fitness for office became a central issue of the 2024 campaign, eventually forcing him to abandon his re-election race.

During Trump's subsequent second presidency, Republicans - and President Trump - accused former members of the Biden administration of covering up health problems and mental decline following the publishing of a bombshell book that alleged that staffers within the Biden White House sought to cover up the state of his health.

A spokesperson for Biden at the time said "evidence of aging is not evidence of mental incapacity".

Trump has himself faced increasing scrutiny about his health during his advancing years.

Recent polls, conducted before Trump's latest check-up, showed that a significant number of Americans are concerned about his health.

A Washington Post-ABC-Ipsos poll released earlier in May showed that 59% of those polled do not believe Trump has the mental acuity to serve, with 55% saying that they do not believe his physical health is sufficient.

A separate poll released by the Economist and YouGov suggested just under half of Americans believe Trump is too old to be president.

Trump's physical this year listed his "vital statistics", including height (75 inches, 191cm), weight (238 pounds, 108kg), resting heart rate (73 beats per minute), and blood pressure (105/71 mmHg).

His physician also addressed bruising on his hand, which has been photographed during public events, as being "consistent with minor soft tissue irritation related to frequent handshaking" while taking aspirin for "cardiovascular prevention".

It also noted his "lifelong abstinence" from tobacco and alcohol.

Writing on his Truth Social platform afterwards, he said "everything checked out perfectly."

Additional reporting by Caitlin Wilson

How stamps and postcards helped India count its people

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g4yyxxwp2o, today

Long before smartphones and government apps, India used its vast postal network to persuade people to take part in one of the world's biggest statistical exercises: the census.

Now, as India prepares for its 16th census - the eighth since independence in 1947 - a new exhibition revisits that forgotten history through stamps, postmarks and letters once used to rally citizens behind the national headcount.

The exhibition, curated by Vikas Kumar, an economics professor at Bengaluru's Azim Premji University, explores how India's postal system became an unlikely instrument of nation-building in the decades after independence.

Independent India urgently needed reliable demographic statistics - both to run elections based on universal adult franchise and to build a planned economy.

The census was considered so central to the new republic's political economy that the Constituent Assembly passed the Census Act in 1948, even before the constitution was finalised.

But the government faced two immediate challenges: how to persuade people to participate in the census, and how to maintain communication between enumerators and census officials across a vast, poor and largely rural country.

Trust was a particular concern. The colonial censuses of 1931 and 1941 had faced boycotts in parts of India, while the 1941 headcount in Punjab and Bengal was marred by allegations of communal manipulation. Public outreach, therefore, became critical to the legitimacy of independent India's first census.

That is where the post office came in.

Until a few decades ago, the postal department was the largest unified communications network available to the Indian state.

After independence, the postal system expanded faster than most other public networks, including banking. By 1968, more than 100,000 post offices were delivering mail daily to 300,000 villages and weekly to another 300,000 more.

Kumar's research shows how differently the Indian state once communicated with citizens.

In the run-up to the 1951 census - the first after independence - the government used a bilingual pictorial postmark stamped on letters travelling across the country.

The postmark showed a family of three framed by the words "Census of India" in Hindi and English.

The campaign was carefully calibrated for a country with low literacy rates. Postmen often doubled as readers, scribes and informal state intermediaries in villages, making the postal network an ideal vehicle for public messaging.

Over the decades, the messaging evolved with the nation itself.

In 1961, postmarks urged Indians to "Get yourself and all the family counted" and "Ask your friends to do the same".

By 1971, commemorative stamps celebrated the census as "one of the largest administrative operations in the world", proudly noting that population data was now being processed using electronic computers.

The postal material also reveals how governments imagined the census itself.

Advertisements in 2000 described it as the "Mirror of the nation" and a "Group Photograph of the nation", presenting the census less as a bureaucratic exercise than as a collective self-portrait.

Later imagery increasingly linked counting with population control, prominently featuring the two-child norm - a reflection of the anxieties of the era.

For Kumar, these fragile postal artefacts capture more than bureaucratic history.

They reveal how the Indian state sought to build legitimacy and trust through everyday communication - and how the census became intertwined with ideas of development, diversity and national identity.

That question of trust remains relevant today.

While digital tools may speed up data collection, Kumar argues that technology alone cannot guarantee reliable data.

"Awareness about the census is critical to building trust," he says, cautioning that the government must find new ways to build public confidence as the reach of the postal system fades.

And yet, the census India is preparing for today is vastly different from the one remembered in these fading postal artefacts.

The new census is seen as crucial for policy planning, welfare delivery and political representation in the world's most populous country. It will also, for the first time in decades, collect caste data - a politically sensitive exercise in a country where caste continues to shape social and economic life.

The scale remains staggering: the exercise will span 36 states and federally administered territories, more than 7,000 sub-districts, over 9,700 towns and nearly 640,000 villages. Millions of households will be surveyed by enumerators and supervisors - typically teachers, local officials and government staff.

But one thing has changed fundamentally. For the first time, the census will be conducted digitally, with enumerators using mobile apps to collect and upload data in real time.

From family-shaped postmarks stamped on envelopes to data uploaded instantly from smartphones, the census has travelled a long way.

Yet the underlying challenge, as the exhibition suggests, remains much the same: persuading more than a billion people to trust the state enough to count themselves into the story of the nation.

Palace was handed Andrew's controversial envoy emails six years ago

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy02j5pl98no, today

Buckingham Palace was handed emails six years ago that would have shown that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was sharing confidential government information while a trade envoy, according to court documents.

It has emerged that an archive of 30,000 emails, containing information about the former prince's controversial financial dealings, was given to the Lord Chamberlain, the most senior officer in the Royal Household, in 2020.

The emails had been taken from a personal business contact of the former Prince Andrew.

When asked about what happened to the emails, Buckingham Palace said: "Since there is an ongoing police enquiry concerning Mr Mountbatten-Windsor, it is not possible to provide any comment on these matters."

Last week, Thames Valley Police issued a fresh appeal for people to come forward with information, following Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

But a search of court documents has revealed that a large cache of emails relating to Mountbatten-Windsor's finances had already been sent to Palace officials, years before the current inquiries began.

The emails had been the subject of a legal dispute and documents from a High Court judgment in April 2021 show that a "copy of the archive" had been provided for the "Lord Chamberlain in May 2020".

In June 2022, a subsequent High Court ruling refers to an email, dated 10 July 2020, saying the emails had been "delivered to Buckingham Palace".

This was after the then Duke of York had stepped down as a working royal, in the wake of his BBC Newsnight interview in November 2019.

The contents of the archive, with emails up to June 2013, are not fully known, but there have been glimpses of how relevant they could be.

Controversial financial dealings

Earlier this year, the Telegraph published emails showing Mountbatten-Windsor had requested a confidential briefing from Treasury officials in 2010 and then shared it with a personal business contact, giving it to him "before you make your move".

The briefing had been about problems in Iceland's banking industry - and the recipient had been Jonathan Rowland, whose father David Rowland had taken over the Luxembourg arm of a failed Icelandic bank, Kaupthing, which became Banque Havilland.

Jonathan Rowland previously confirmed to the BBC that these published messages about Icelandic banks had been taken from his account and were part of legal proceedings. It indicates that they would have been part of the archive later sent to the Palace.

And it was in those court battles over the alleged theft of the emails that it was revealed that copies had been given to the Palace.

The emails have a particular significance as they relate to a highly controversial time in Mountbatten-Windsor's financial dealings with the Rowlands and Banque Havilland, which later faced sanctions from regulators in the UK and the EU.

While it is not known what happened to the emails shared with the Palace, the release of the Epstein Files earlier this year in the US showed Mountbatten-Windsor's closeness to the Rowlands.

The Epstein files show Mountbatten-Windsor promoting their business ventures and gave personal assurances for David Rowland as his "trusted money man". Ex-wife Sarah Ferguson was also recorded as receiving a "Rowland bank loan".

According to court documents, the emails sent to the Palace had been taken from Jonathan Rowland's account after a dispute with a business colleague. They had then been obtained by a retail entrepreneur Kevin Stanford, former majority owner of All Saints, who had been in a separate dispute over investments in the Kaupthing bank.

Court documents say that Stanford offered the archive of emails to the authorities in Monaco and Luxembourg, and shared them with a number of people, including the Lord Chamberlain.

In 2020, the post of Lord Chamberlain was held by Lord Peel, whom the BBC has contacted, but Buckingham Palace has responded on his behalf. It's a role, according to the Royal Family website, which includes "overseeing the conduct and general business of the Royal Household".

The emails were given to the Palace during the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II. There has been a tougher approach to Mountbatten-Windsor under the reign of King Charles, including taking away his titles. After Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest, a statement from the King said: "The law must take its course."

Mountbatten-Windsor has rejected any wrongdoing in his associations with Jeffrey Epstein and denied any personal gain from his role as trade envoy.

Stanford also shared some of the emails with a journalist, the judgment says. They are likely to have been the source for a number of newspaper stories about Andrew and his financial arrangements.

On Saturday, York Central MP Rachael Maskell called for a public inquiry, telling the BBC's Today programme that "the system built around the Royal Household has to be reviewed".

She said: "The web grows ever darker and that is why we have got to address the issue of unaccountable power and also the abuse of power in high office."

Maskell said she believes a joint committee, made up of members of the House of Lords and House of Commons, should be set up to hold the Royal Household to account.

Former press secretary to Queen Elizabeth II, Ailsa Anderson, told the same programme that she did not know how many of the emails referenced Mountbatten-Windsor.

She explained that the emails were after her time at the Palace, but said they sounded "absolutely horrendous" and like "another nail in the coffin".

Anderson said the police investigation into Mountbatten-Windsor has to take its course and pointed out that the Royal Household has acted promptly.

Author Andrew Lownie said there is still insufficient transparency in the UK about information relating to Mountbatten-Windsor and has called for a parliamentary inquiry into his time as trade envoy.

He also said that Freedom of Information requests continue to be turned down and the "cover-up continues".

Last month, he had sought information about a trip by Mountbatten-Windsor to Azerbaijan in 2011, but information was withheld by the Foreign Office on grounds including national security and law enforcement.

Thames Valley Police was asked whether it now had access to the 30,000 emails discussed in the High Court five years ago.

A spokesperson said they could not comment on specific information, but said: "We are aware of the allegations circulating in the public domain and encourage anyone with relevant information to get in touch."

A government spokesperson said: "We are fully cooperating with Thames Valley Police, and last week we published documents about the creation of the role and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's appointment in 2001."

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Jonathan Rowland and Kevin Stanford were approached for comment.

US not 'turning back' on Asia allies, but expects them to boost defence - Hegseth

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5ye34k7yejo, today

The US military are not "turning our backs" on Asia while fulfilling "global obligations" such as the Iran war, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has told a top regional defence forum in Singapore.

Hegseth sought to reassure Asia-Pacific allies about US commitment to the region, including fulfilling arms deals in the wake of a suspended Taiwan weapons package - even as he reiterated calls for Asian partners to spend more on defence.

While noting the threat of China's military build-up in the region, Hegseth also said the US wanted to avoid "needless confrontation".

Hegseth was speaking weeks after Donald Trump held positive talks with China's President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

At the Shangri-La Dialogue on Saturday, Hegseth was asked by Japan's defence minister to address concerns about US commitment. Shinjiro Koizumi said "some countries might underestimate" that level of commitment and may want to "drive a wedge" between the US and its allies.

Hegseth replied that part of the US national defence strategy was aimed at "power projection" in the Pacific and working with allies.

"People want to conflate that we have global obligations with the turning of our backs to this region," he said, denying that was the case.

"We can do two things at one time," he insisted, saying the US was "quietly but very strongly" working with allies with a "substantive, serious approach" to the Pacific, while maintaining "global obligations to ensure that, say, Iran doesn't get a nuclear weapon".

Separately, a dialogue participant raised the question of the US's ability to fulfil arms deals with its partners after suspending a $14bn (£10bn) package to Taiwan in order to conserve munitions for the war in Iran.

Hegseth said he would "very much decouple the two" issues, insisting the US was in a "very good place... very strong position" in terms of its overall munitions stockpile and ability to produce more if needed.

In his speech, Hegseth emphasised the US's "strong, quiet and clear" approach to the region - its capacity to wield a "big stick" but "speak softly".

Central to this approach was more weapons, he insisted, instead of "empty globalist rhetoric about the rules-based international order".

"Rules are great, but if you can't back them up with hard power, the rules are not worth the paper they are written on," he said. "We don't need more conferences, we need more combat power… less Shangri-La Dialogue, more ships and more subs."

His comments came hours after Vietnam's President To Lam called for more dialogue to resolve tensions in the region, in the defence summit's keynote speech.

Reiterating a demand which he made in last year's speech, Hegseth called on Asian allies to spend more on defence, setting 3.5% of their GDP as a target.

He heaped praise on countries who have in recent months increased military spending and co-operation with the US, namechecking allies such as South Korea, Japan, Australia, and Philippines among others.

Hegseth also criticised "freeloaders", categorising New Zealand as such in response to a question later, while warning that "Europe and Nato have some big decisions to make".

Speaking weeks after the Xi-Trump summit, where Xi had warned that Taiwan was the biggest issue between the two countries, Hegseth was notably softer in tone on China and did not mention Taiwan except in answer to a question.

It stood in contrast to his speech at last year's conference, where he accused Beijing of posing an "imminent threat" to Taiwan.

This year, Hegseth said that while there is "rightful alarm regarding China's historic military buildup", the US also understood that its allies in Asia "do not seek constant escalation" and instead want a balance of power "in which no state including China can impose its hegemony".

The US wants "a genuinely stable equilibrium" and wants to "preserve the conditions that have long underwritten peace and prosperity in this region", he added. "We do not approach this challenge with needless confrontation but with the posture of measured and deliberate strength."

The forum, organised by think tank the International Institute of Strategic Studies, has traditionally been anchored by the US and China. It is seen as a key mechanism for Asian countries to hold direct defence and security talks with the superpowers.

But this is the second year in a row that China has declined to send its defence minister, instead choosing to send a lower-level delegation. Some have interpreted that as a snub to the forum, while others see it as China avoiding publicly pitting itself against the US, as the two rival powers jostle for influence in the region.

Ukraine using AI drones to strike vital convoys supplying Russian troops

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdjp0n7rn41o, yesterday

The Ukrainian military is stepping up its campaign to destroy vehicles supplying Russian forces along crucial roads in occupied Ukraine using new AI drone technology, experts say.

BBC Verify has confirmed footage of at least 14 incidents published in the past week of vehicles carrying food, fuel and ammunition being targeted along critical routes connecting Russia to Crimea and other occupied territories in southern Ukraine.

Ukraine is starting to regain more ground than it is losing for the first time since 2023, analysis from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) indicates. After more than four years of war and increased Russian occupation of eastern and southern Ukraine, neither side has gained any significant ground in recent months.

Experts say recent drone technology advancements, including the AI-enabled Hornet system, have allowed Ukraine to attack Russian targets travelling to the front lines at greater distances and with increased accuracy.

Ukraine's defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, said on Wednesday its "logistics lockdown" strategy aims to "increase pressure on the Russian military in the rear and deny the enemy the ability to conduct sustained offensive operations".

Footage analysed by BBC Verify and online by GeoConfirmed open source analysts shows burned-out shells of container lorries and other military vehicles at multiple locations along a key route through southern Ukraine.

At least 10 incidents were recorded between Russia's border and the occupied city of Mariupol, with one strike recorded south-west of the city of Melitopol. The critical route is used by the Russian military to supply their forces on the front line and in Crimea.

Clément Molin, an analyst at think tank Atum Mundi, told BBC Verify he had confirmed the destruction of 150 vehicles more than 20km (12 miles) from the front line, although he said this likely accounted for about half of all incidents.

The strikes mean Russia has been forced to shorten convoys on supply routes as a "quick coping mechanism to reduce potential damage", Cristian Vlas at conflict monitoring group Acled told BBC Verify.

He suggested Ukraine's main objective was not only to strike the assets "important to Russia's image of grand power", but to disrupt key logistical convoys, command posts, and communication towers. These "feed, fuel, and inform Russian units at the front line and form the basis for capacity to fight in the battlefield and launch long-range drone and missile strikes from occupied territories".

Robert Tollast, land warfare expert at the Royal United Service Institute, told BBC Verify that some brigades were estimated to need several hundred tonnes of fuel, food, ammunition and other key supplies every day. He said Ukraine had previously used a long-range strike campaign against Russian air defence units, but the new drone strike ranges "are something else".

"If you are cutting resupply, for example ammunition trucks 100km or more from the front using small drones, and then longer-range drones are going after larger logistical sites, this is a very serious problem for the Russians," he said.

Ukraine's Hornet drones are equipped with an AI-targeting system which has been trained on thousands of hours of videos of Russian military targets gathered over the last four years, Nick Brown, a weapons expert from defence intelligence company Janes, told BBC Verify. They can also access the Starlink satellite network to connect to operators over longer distances, a system that is also more resistant to jamming by Russian forces.

"Ukraine can launch hundreds of these loitering munitions towards a rough target area over 100 miles away and then use AI to detail them on to Russian military targets as they find them," he said.

Ukraine's innovative use of technology means the war is not a stalemate, according to George Barros from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), and Kyiv is using mechanised equipment in tactical manoeuvres that were impossible 12 months ago.

"Russia's ability to conduct infiltration missions will likely continue to degrade as Ukraine's intermediate-range strike campaign pushes Russia's logistics and forward operating bases further away from the front lines, reducing resourcing to sustain infantry tasked with infiltration missions," he said.

One of Ukraine's specialist drone units, the 412th Nemesis Brigade, said this week that Russian commanders had limited the movement of heavy equipment in southern Ukraine and were attempting to evade drones by using fields and dirt roads.

The Russian-appointed leader of the occupied areas in Ukraine's Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, has also ordered restrictions on civilian traffic along the route.

Barros said Ukraine's "drone superiority" had even neutralised Russia's attempts to gain an advantage by moving "overwhelming numbers" of troops to the front line, but added that the advantage may be shortlived.

"Russia will very likely eventually develop countermeasures so Ukraine's international partners have a rare and temporary opportunity to exploit favourable battlefield dynamics while Ukraine has the upper hand."

Additional reporting by Kayleen Devlin, Joshua Cheetham and Sherie Ryder, graphics by Tom Shiel.

What do you want BBC Verify to investigate?

'Killer fungus' could be good news for habitats decimated by invasive moss

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g48jy4j1yo, today

A new species of "killer fungus" has been discovered in Britain that destroys an aggressively invasive plant, raising hopes that decimated native habitats could be restored.

It infects the heath-star moss that is damaging UK environments by taking over and turfing out other species.

Scientists say it could represent a rare fightback by the British environment against invasive species.

The scientist tracking the spread of the moss die-back fungus across the UK took BBC News to see its "fairy rings of death" in south Wales.

Dr George Greiff, 30, made the discovery while walking in the Isle of Wight four years ago.

He spotted dead invasive mosses on a cliffside and took samples, but couldn't work out the killer.

But he kept seeing more cases of decaying moss. Working with scientists in the UK and France, he has now managed to piece together the puzzle.

The culprit was a potent fungus never seen before by scientists, now named moss die-back.

We often think of fungus as bad but consider this one to be a "goodie".

Its victim, the heath-star moss, is all over Britain. Look on hillsides, sand dunes, or a simple garden fence. "It's aggressive. I've even seen it growing in tarmac," says Greiff.

"It is a pretty-looking thing," he concedes, plucking fragments off a clump torn from a carpet of green moss. "But it's caused a lot of problems," he says.

Around 2,000 non-native plants and animals have been brought to Britain from all over the world by people, accidentally or sometimes deliberately.

Some end up dominating the environment. The most famous is probably the North American grey squirrel, which has nearly wiped out our native red squirrel populations.

In the plant world, amongst the biggest offenders are the invasive Japanese knotweed which damages people's homes, or rhododendron that leaves toxins in soils.

But not a lot is known about the heath-star moss. Scientists think it arrived on British soil in the 1940s from somewhere in the southern hemisphere. By 1990 it was everywhere.

"This moss has just exploded. In the 1930s, native mosses would have been growing here instead," Greiff explains.

There are more than 1,000 types of moss in the UK. They are the backbone of our most precious habitats like rare temperature rainforests (damp coastal woodlands) and peatlands that store carbon. But they are threatened by non-native plants.

The heath-star moss sends out spores far and wide and reproduces quickly, making it a successful invader.

"The first time I saw it, I had no idea what it was. I threw it in the bin," says Grieff, who has been working at Amgueddfa Cymru museum in Cardiff.

He's guiding me along a path in the Bannau Brycheiniog national park near Abergavenny, south Wales.

"In heathlands like this one, native mosses have gone locally extinct or reduced significantly in their populations," he says.

His eyes are fixed to the ground. He scans the low banks for "patches of death".

His talent for quiet, careful observation of plants no taller than our ankles is on show.

Just a few metres into our walk, Greiff finds what I've come to see. "It's a big as my hand," he says, spreading his fingers over a brown ring of dead moss.

Honestly, it is less dramatic than I expected. But our cameraman Gwyndaf Hughes has brought a macro lens, and when I peer through, I see white blobs suspended on the moss tips. It is the fungus at work.

Greiff points out baby heather plants nearby now able to grow in gaps left by decayed moss.

Now Greiff knows what the helpful fungus can do, he looks for it anywhere he goes. He jokes that the map of where it has been found is also a map of his holiday destinations.

"It's taken a lot of DNA sequencing to fully identify this fungus," he says, showing me dead moss under a microscope in a lab at Amgueddfa Cymru museum.

The fungus clings onto the moss stem, ballooning like candy floss around a stick. It's even penetrated some of the moss cells.

He's now worked out that it is a close relative of the ash die-back fungus that has killed up to 80 million ash trees in Britain.

A powerful fungus destroying plants sounds like a potential threat to other species and biodiversity.

But Greiff's analysis so far suggests it only affects the heath-star moss, and to a limited extent one other type of moss, although more work is needed to confirm the findings.

He believes that the origins of this fungus may be in a native species that has since adapted to kill the heath-star moss. This could be a "rare example of the British environment fighting back", he says.

Usually, invasive species are deliberately targeted by humans to try to bring them under control, like the initiative to feed contraceptives to grey squirrels.

"Some people might try to collect this moss to try and get rid of it, but it's not very effective. It would be very resource-intensive, very expensive," says Greiff.

"To have a natural biological control agent doing it for us is really valuable," he explains.

In cabinet drawers holding the oldest collection of mosses in the UK, the museum's Head of Plant and Earth Science Dr Nathan Smith shows me dried mosses in paper envelopes, some dating back to the 1880s.

By looking for evidence of the moss die-back fungus on these samples, scientists want to pinpoint exactly how and when it appeared.

"This fungus gives an opportunity to save these unique moss landscapes that are homes for insects, fungi, molluscs, other plants," explains Smith.

"It gives a real chance to preserve and present their uniqueness and beauty," he says.

Mosses are just one part of Britain's complex biodiversity. But as our nature is classed amongst the most depleted in the world, with one in six species at risk of extinction, discovering a control on habitat destruction is a cause for hope.

"It's exciting in so many respects. Though I am the only one looking for the fungus. It would be nice if some other people did too," says Greiff.

Bus driver in deadly Virginia crash charged with involuntary manslaughter

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clypj8z4yz2o, today

The bus driver blamed for the deadly accident on a Virginia interstate that killed at least five people and injured dozens more has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, Virginia State Police said on Saturday.

Driver Jing S Dong, who also suffered injuries from the crash, was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, with additional charges pending, police said.

The incident on Friday morning began when Dong "failed to slow for traffic" on Interstate 95 and hit a Chevrolet Suburban that plowed into other cars, igniting one on fire.

There is enough evidence to suggest that Dong was driving in a "criminally negligent manner", Virginia prosecutor Eric Olsen said.

The investigation is ongoing, Olsen said, but evidence gathered so far shows the tour bus was traveling "at a high rate of speed" when it struck multiple vehicles driving slow through a work zone. The result was "a chain reaction crash" involving at least eight vehicles.

Dong was arrested on Saturday by the Virginia State Police and served with felony warrants in the hospital, Olsen said.

Each count of involuntary manslaughter carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Five people died in the accident, including a 44-year-old female, a 13-year-old female, and a seven-year-old male. They were in a car that caught fire and had been on their way to a wedding in South Carolina, according to CBS, the BBC's US news partner.

They were identified to CBS News Boston as a family from Greenfield, Massachusetts - Dmitri Doncev, his wife, Ecaterina, their daughter Emily and son Mark.

The fifth victim, 25-year-old Priscilla Mafalda, was in the Suburban that was initially struck by the bus.

The bus was operated by E&P Travel and heading to North Carolina from New York.

Roughly 44 people were sent to area hospitals after the collision, three with critical injuries, police said.

Boards of Canada say White House used music without permission

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c202dvdj73lo, yesterday

Electronica act Boards of Canada have said use of their music in a social media video posted by the White House was unauthorised.

The duo's track Deep Time was used to accompany a clip showing dramatic shots of the American flag flying, helicopters arriving on the lawn of the White House and a Border Patrol boat travelling across water.

In a statement the band and their label Warp Records said they do not condone their music being used for political messaging.

A number of music acts, including Bruce Springsteen, Adele and the Rolling Stones, have previously expressed frustration with US President Donald Trump and his administration using music without permission.

In a statement Boards of Canada said: "Warp Records and Boards of Canada do not condone the unauthorised use of their music for political messaging."

A number of fans of the band left furious comments underneath the video, with one stating: "DO NOT disrespect Boards of Canada by using their music in your propaganda."

Another described the video - which featured grainy images, as if shot on an old videotape - as "zoomer edit fake patriot slop."

BBC Scotland News asked the White House for a comment.

Boards of Canada consist of brothers Mike Sandison and Marcus Eoin, and have been active since the mid 1980s.

Their newest record Inferno was released this week, marking the group's first studio album in 13 years.

The siblings grew up in Cullen, Moray, and came to fame during the 90s, and are known to be reclusive, rarely giving interviews.

In 2024 the estate of Sinéad O'Connor asked Donald Trump to stop using her music at his political rallies, after the late singer's hit Nothing Compares 2 U was played at campaign rallies as Trump ran for the presidency.

The same year saw a US judge order Trump's campaign to stop using the song Hold On, I'm Coming at rallies, in response to a lawsuit from the family of the song's co-writer, Isaac Hayes.

Other acts to raise concerns include Pharrell Williams, Rihanna and the family of Luciano Pavarotti.

What is Ebola and why is stopping the latest outbreak so difficult?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz72p75zg4qo, 4 days ago

An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been declared a public health emergency of international concern, by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The latest outbreak is challenging because it involves a rare species of Ebola for which there is no vaccine, and the epicentre is in an area affected by conflict.

What is Ebola and what are the symptoms?

Ebola is a rare but deadly disease caused by a virus.

Ebola viruses normally infect animals, typically fruit bats, but outbreaks among humans can sometimes start when people eat or handle infected animals.

It takes two to 21 days for symptoms to appear. They come on suddenly and start like the flu or malaria, with fever, headache and tiredness.

As the disease progresses, vomiting and diarrhoea develop and it can lead to organ failure. Some, but not all, patients develop internal and external bleeding.

The virus spreads from one person to another by contact with infected bodily fluids such as blood or vomit.

Ebola outbreaks used to be small and contained to remote rural areas. However, urbanisation is pushing larger populations closer to these natural reservoirs of Ebola and increasing the risk of transmission.

Why is this Ebola outbreak different and is there a vaccine?

This outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo species of Ebola, which had not been seen for over a decade.

Named after a district in Uganda where it was first detected, Bundibugyo has only caused two previous outbreaks - in 2007 and 2012.

One study showed that it killed about a third of those infected, far less than the more common Zaire (66.6%) and Sudan (48.5%) species.

Initial blood tests for Ebola in the affected areas were negative as they were designed to identify the more common species of the disease.

There is no approved vaccine for Bundibugyo, but experimental ones are in development. It is possible that a vaccine for the Zaire species may offer some protection.

There are also no drugs that target Bundibugyo, making it harder to treat. The WHO has recommended the evaluation - under strict protocols - of the experimental anti-viral drug obeldesivir, developed during Covid, to see if it is effective in stopping those who have been in contact with Ebola patients from getting sick.

A further complication is that the outbreak is taking place in a conflict zone, with a quarter of million people displaced from their homes and people moving across porous borders into neighbouring countries.

Trish Newport, from medical charity Doctors Without Borders, who is heavily involved in efforts to tackle the outbreak, told the BBC World Service that territory constantly changed hands between different armed groups, making it difficult for emergency response teams to simply drive to Ebola hot-spots.

She pointed out that a further problem was bad roads, with a 90km (56-mile) journey from Bunia city to Mongwalu, one of two gold-mining towns where the majority of cases have been reported, taking more than three hours.

Newport added that for some families in Mongwalu, 15 people had died.

However, the WHO's declaration of a public health emergency of international concern does not mean we are in the early stages of a Covid-style pandemic. The risk Ebola poses outside Central and East Africa is minimal.

How did the current Ebola outbreak start?

The first known case was a nurse who developed symptoms on 24 April, which means the virus had been spreading undetected for weeks.

The nurse died in Bunia, the capital of eastern DR Congo's Ituri province, according to Congolese Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba.

The victim's body was repatriated to Mongwalu.

Kamba said one of the reasons the virus spread so quickly was the number of people exposed to the body during the funeral ceremony.

Africa's public health agency, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, told the BBC World Service that funerals were a particular concern, as they also helped spread the disease during previous outbreaks.

Africa CDC director Dr Jean Kaseya said public health information campaigns were "providing information on how to handle funerals" and the importance of basic hygiene and sanitation, as well as providing protection measures for health workers.

Kamba said there had been delays in reporting Ebola cases because infected communities believed the disease to be "witchcraft" or a "mystical illness", resulting in people seeking treatment from prayer centres and witchdoctors rather than hospitals.

How many Ebola cases have been reported and where are they?

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was "deeply concerned about the scale and speed of the epidemic".

On 25 May, WHO said more than 900 cases were suspected in DR Congo, where at least 220 people were thought to have died from the virus. This death toll included "courageous" health workers, the Congolese health ministry said.

Officials in neighbouring Uganda have so far confirmed one death from Ebola - an individual who travelled to the capital city, Kampala, from DR Congo. The Ugandan authorities have also confirmed five cases.

Several of DR Congo's confirmed cases are in its eastern Ituri province - the epicentre of the outbreak - and the North Kivu province.

American doctor Peter Stafford tested positive after treating patients at Nyankunde Hospital in Bunia, where he has worked since 2023.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said he had been evacuated to Germany for treatment, and that it was working to evacuate at least six other Americans who had also been exposed to the disease.

Since 21 May, two cases have been confirmed in South Kivu, a province partly controlled by the rebel AFC-M23 alliance. These discoveries signalled the outbreak's spread from its epicentre, hundreds of kilometres away. The Congolese authorities have reported one death in South Kivu, but it is unclear whether this is individual is suspected or confirmed to have died from Ebola.

A case has also been reported in eastern DR Congo's biggest city, Goma. It has a population of around 850,000 and is also controlled by AFC-M23.

What is being done in DR Congo to tackle the current Ebola outbreak?

The Congolese government has ramped up testing and sent health teams to the epicentre with protective equipment. Organisations such as the WHO and Doctors Without Borders have set up treatment centres in affected areas.

The WHO has dedicated $3.9m (£2.9m) to tackling the outbreak, while Africa CDC has announced a $319m budget. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has pledged an initial $5m to support the agency's plan.

For DR Congo's health authorities, contact tracing has become a major focus. Around 3,600 people have been identified as contacts of infected individuals and are being closely monitored.

A toll-free number, 151, has been provided for reporting symptoms and people are being reminded to:

* avoid contact with bodies of people who died with symptoms, or with dead animals

* not eat raw meat, as undercooked food may transmit the virus

* practise social distancing.

How have the rebels responded to the latest Ebola outbreak?

The AFC-M23 group says it is creating an Ebola response team to prevent the spread of the disease in the areas it controls.

On 17 May, spokesman Lawrence Kanyuka said the group had "immediately activated" response mechanisms in conjunction with health services and local medical facilities.

Neither the government nor the rebels have explicitly said whether they are prepared to work together to tackle the outbreak.

However, the case in Goma was confirmed by a state-run body, the INRB.

Caitlin Brady, the country director for the Danish Refugee Council, is currently in Goma to prepare her organisation's response. She says she has been informed by the rebels that they are using contact-tracing and all appropriate measures to contain the virus.

She told the BBC World Service's Newsday programme that "a lot of the health officials and healthcare workers stayed and continued working" after rebels seized the city, meaning "the capacity to respond has remained".

What are Rwanda and other neighbouring countries doing about the Ebola outbreak?

Rwanda has closed its borders with DR Congo, while Uganda has temporarily suspended flights, buses and all other public transport crossing the border with DR Congo.

Authorities in Uganda have told people to avoid hugging and shaking hands.

President Yoweri Museveni also postponed the Martyrs' Day pilgrimage, a Christian holiday held on 3 June each year, which usually draws thousands of Congolese nationals to join festivities.

Several other African countries are tightening border screenings and bolstering health facilities.

Africa CDC has warned that other countries on the continent - namely Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia - are at risk from an outbreak.

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

Universal rejects billionaire Bill Ackman's takeover bid

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn8pnd9yj4eo, yesterday

Universal Music Group, the entertainment giant behind acts such as Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter and Kendrick Lamar, has rejected a takeover offer by billionaire Bill Ackman's investment firm.

The music giant said Pershing Square's $64.3bn (£48bn) takeover offer was "not in the best interests" of the company, shareholders, artists, fans and other stakeholders.

Universal said the offer "fundamentally and materially undervalues" the business, which also runs Abbey Road Studios and owns labels such as EMI and Island Records.

Pershing Square, which already owns a stake in Universal, declined to comment on the rejection.

The investment firm launched its takeover bid for the world's largest music company in April, a move which would have seen it listed as a new company in America. It is currently listed on the Euronext Amsterdam stock exchange.

At the time of the bid, Ackman promised to turn around Universal's share price, which he said had "languished" due to financial issues not related to the performance of its music business.

Ackman said one factor holding Universal back was an 18% stake in the company held by Bolloré Group, the family conglomerate of billionaire Vincent Bolloré, as well as a recent decision to delay listing the company's shares on the New York Stock Exchange.

Bollore's chief executive, Cyrille Bolloré, had opposed Ackman's offer, saying it undervalued Universal.

Universal's board said it had full confidence in the company's strategy under chief executive and chairman Sir Lucian Grainge.

And it promised "enhanced financial disclosures" in future so that the value of the company can be "better assessed and understood".

Grainge said the company remained committed to leading the global music industry by innovating, continuing to sign top stars, and deepening engagement with fans.

"As we execute our strategy and deliver maximum long-term value, we look forward to providing shareholders with greater insight into the drivers of our performance and future direction of our business," Grainge said.

Global music revenues have been growing year-on-year after streaming subscriptions provided a lifeline to the industry undermined by piracy and financial decline.

But there has been a heated debate over how much the platforms pay out in royalties.

The industry is also battling a rise in deepfakes - songs by fraudsters impersonating its artists - which are created by AI and are flooding platforms.

Blue Origin rocket explodes into huge ball of flame on Florida launch pad

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgzl5wd8xeo, 2 days ago

A rocket made by the company Blue Origin exploded on its launch pad in Florida during a test.

Footage shows the rocket bursting into a massive ball of fire, engulfing the area around it.

In a statement on social media, Blue Origin said it had "experienced an anomaly" during a hotfire test. It added that all personnel have been accounted for.

The space technology company was founded in the year 2000 by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos.

The explosion took place around 21:00 local time (02:00 +1 GMT) at Cape Canaveral. There is no threat to the public, according to Brevard County Emergency Management.

Bezos wrote on social media that all personnel are accounted for and safe.

"It's too early to know the root cause but we're already working to find it," he said. "Very rough day, but we'll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It's worth it."

The US Space Force said emergency responders are at the scene and officials are working with Blue Origin to evaluate available data to determine the exact cause of the anomaly.

The explosion took place during a test that was being conducted ahead of an upcoming launch.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said on X: "Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult. We will work with our partners to support a thorough investigation of this anomaly, assess near-term mission impacts, and get back to launching rockets."

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement that it was aware of the incident.

"This test was not within the scope of FAA licensed activities," the agency said, adding that there was no impact to air traffic.

Just last month, Blue Origin's newest rocket was grounded after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered an investigation into a "mishap" involving the failed launch of a satellite.

The company attempted to place a satellite from AST SpaceMobile using its New Glenn rocket but was unable to get it as far into orbit as intended.

The space company successfully launched a New Glenn rocket from Florida last November, landing its reusable booster for the first time.

Humanoid robots 'the future' of car making, says BMW

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgmpwzzvxr2o, 2 days ago

For the first time, BMW will use humanoid robots for car manufacturing in Europe.

Two robots, made by Hexagon Robotics, are planned to work in production from the summer. They're currently in a test deployment at the Leipzig factory.

"This will be the future of automotive production," says Michael Nikolaides, head of process management and digitalisation at BMW.

Robot arms and other automation have been used by the car industry for decades.

So why the move to human-shaped robots?

"If you have a humanoid form, you can pretty much set it to any workplace where a human is working today because it has the same size and the same capabilities," says Nikolaides.

The cost of robots has fallen while it remains expensive to redesign the assembly line. As a result, it's more cost-effective to use robots that fit in with existing human processes.

"When a robot costs 17 million, you'd re-organise your factory around the robot, but it doesn't anymore," says Bill Ray, distinguished VP analyst at Gartner.

"So now you want to fit it into your existing way of working."

Named Aeon, the Hexagon robot is shaped like a person and stands 1.65m (5ft 5in) tall, weighing 60kg (9 stone 6lbs).

They have a top speed of 2.4m/second and can carry 15kg for short periods, or 8kg continuously.

Aeon is equipped with 21 sensors including cameras, radar, a microphone, and force and torque sensors for manipulation.

At BMW the robots were trained using a combination of teleoperation (sensors on humans) and simulation in a digital twin of the factory using software from Nvidia.

The robot in the simulation was given a task and repeatedly simulated it to identify the most promising solutions, an approach called reinforcement learning.

Teleoperation was used for tasks such as picking up a part, so the physical robot could learn the range of different ways a human carries that out.

The training of robots is undergoing rapid development - the quicker you can train a robot the better.

One of the most exciting aspects of the application of AI to the physical world (physical AI) is imitation learning, according to Arnaud Robert, the president of robotics at Hexagon.

That is where the robot learns how to do a task by looking at how the task is done, either using videos from multiple angles or movement sensors on the human. Robert says imitation learning can cut the time taken to train the robot from months to days.

"The best translation [from the human to the robot] is when the teacher and the student have the same form factor."

So, could the robot just watch someone packing boxes for a bit and then join in?

"That's the ultimate scenario," says Robert. "You're describing probably something that's a year or two out."

Ray at Gartner estimates that within three to five years a robot will be able to take simple voice instructions to carry out a task effectively.

Aeon only has a battery life of three hours, but a shift lasts for eight hours, so the robot has been designed to swap its own battery in about three minutes, including travelling to and from the charging station.

The robots' jobs at BMW will be to feed parts to manufacturing tools and to carry out pick-and-place tasks for battery assembly. Although the robots are multi-functional, they, like factory workers, are not expected to change their tasks frequently.

Nikolaides says that the robots have the potential to help with work that is repetitive or physically challenging for people to carry out and can also address a labour shortage.

"We know that staff will be short in a matter of years, and humanised robots help," says Nikolaides.

"When we automised the production of cars in the '70s, everybody said this will lead to a lot of job losses, but the opposite was the case," he says. "There were new jobs created by this new technology, and that's the way we look at [humanoid robots]."

Other carmakers are also taking a keen interest in modern robotics.

Toyota for example, plans to use Digit humanoid robots from Agility Robotics following a successful trial. China's Xiaomi has tested two of its own humanoid robots in electric vehicle production.

Hyundai is using Spot robots for industrial inspection and has announced plans to use Atlas humanoid robots, both made by Boston Dynamics in which Hyundai is a majority shareholder.

BMW has already had some experience using humanoid robots in Spartanburg, US, where the Figure O2 robot has helped to build 30,000 model X3 cars. It worked at the same pace as a human.

One observation from the US was that AI-based robots cope much better with variance than previous machinery. "If you changed the position of the sheet metal a little bit or you shift it, or you tilt it, with a standardised industry robot, you would have a failure," says Nikolaides. "These humanoid robots can analyse that and they will just keep on working."

A key difference between the Figure and Aeon robots is that Figure walks, but Aeon has wheels instead of feet.

"It makes more sense on a shop floor [to have wheels] because Aeon can roll around from one place to the other," says Nikolaides.

BMW has also used a Boston Dynamics Spot robot, which is shaped like a dog, as a maintenance watchdog.

"He had to be able to walk stairs," says Nikolaides. "He was able to go down to the basement where a lot of machinery was."

The robots have been welcomed by staff, Nikolaides says. He imagines people will give them names, as they have done for older non-humanoid robots.

"If it doesn't have a name, it's a machine," says Gartner's Ray. "If it gets it wrong, it's broken. If it has a name, then people expect it to make mistakes. People forgive it. One of the things we say to companies is to give your robots names."

Aeon doesn't have a human face but does have a display area on the front of its head, which shows symbols, such as a line when performing a task and a circle when listening.

"We're still working on that [visual language], but we feel very strongly that Aeon needs to be signalling in a way that's natural to humans," says Robert.

Humanoid robots are starting to enter workplaces alongside humans, but Ray believes the robots have been overhyped, especially with high profile demonstrations.

"The primary use case for a humanoid robot today is to walk on stage and artificially inflate your share price," he says. "Robots dancing or whatever: That's not that difficult to do."

There's a risk of people overestimating a robot's capabilities, he says.

"When you see a humanoid robot walking, you assume it can run, it can climb, it can jump. It can't do any of those things, but your brain fills in those gaps. We're having unrealistic expectations when people deploy these robots."

Britain's onboard train wi-fi is one of Europe's worst. This is how people manage

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn8pn4l03r7o, today

I'm sitting on the 09:00 from London to Norwich and something unusual is happening: my wi-fi connection on board is largely stable.

I can check my emails, message my team back in the office, and have clear audio calls.

In the same carriage, Rebecca Kendall has also been able to crack on with work on her two-hour commute - but she tells me this isn't always the case. It's a story familiar to many rail passengers - but things may be about to get better.

Rebecca, 36, takes the train about six times a month in her role as head of operations for a charity, and spends her journeys sending emails and instant messages as well as using software. The connection can be mixed, and sometimes the wi-fi "doesn't work at all", she says.

On a typical journey, Rebecca estimates she can manage only about half the tasks she would normally be able to get through at her desk. When she has audio calls, she forewarns her colleagues she might lose connection.

"I just wouldn't risk having an important video call," Rebecca says, citing how unstable the connection often is. "I would never plan one."

Many rail passengers in the UK will be familiar with the frustrations of on-board wi-fi. Sometimes it's impossible to get any connection, or the signal will be temperamental throughout the journey. Mobile data can be unreliable, too - especially when trains travel through tunnels.

A 2025 report by network testing company Ookla ranked the UK's onboard wi-fi speed as 16th of 18 major European and Asian countries. Average speeds in the UK are 1.09 Megabits per second (Mbps), compared to 64.58 Mbps in Sweden and 29.79 Mbps in Switzerland, the report found.

Away from the tracks, the average maximum download speed for UK households and small businesses is a much swifter 285 Mbps, according to Ofcom.

This week, the government announced plans to boost train wi-fi speed and reliability over the next five years. Technology will be rolled out across 1,400 trains on mainline nationalised services allowing them to connect to low-earth satellites, instead of mobile networks.

The government says it hopes to improve the availability of wi-fi from the current 50-60% to at least 90%, as well as increasing the speed between five- and 10-fold.

The Department for Transport (DfT) says it plans to spend £57m on the project. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is expected to formally announce the plans this summer.

This follows a trial of satellite connectivity with operators including LNER, South Western Railway and Great Western Railway, as well as in Scotland.

Under the current system, train wi-fi relies on the same 4G and 5G mobile network as passengers using their mobile phone data.

"If there is no signal outside the train, neither the wi-fi nor direct services will work," the DfT says.

On Greater Anglia's 16:30 back to London Liverpool Street station later the same day, the connection on my laptop is much slower and sometimes drops out completely. What surprises me is that my phone is able to connect - I can even watch YouTube videos on it. Other people on board tell me their laptops are connecting fine.

I try to upload photos for this article to a document-sharing site - but I'm not able to because of my poor connection.

Greater Anglia says its wi-fi relies on 3G and 4G mobile data signals and notes the quality of the connection varies depending on where you are along the route and how many people are using the wi-fi.

It also limits access to some video and music-streaming sites, as do many other operators. Greater Anglia is continuing to monitor wi-fi performance and is working with suppliers to improve connectivity.

Nelson Ntumba, 29, and Caitlin Roberts, 27, are using 5G to stream a TV show on their phones as they travel to London to visit family.

Caitlin often travels to Wigan and Doncaster, and says she usually brings a book or downloads TV shows or music in advance.

As a teacher, she says she often wants to work on the train, but says the connection usually isn't good enough. Sometimes she even struggles to get enough signal to load up her train ticket, she says.

I've experienced similar issues.

One particularly stressful occasion was earlier this year, on an East Midlands Railway train from Nottingham to London. I needed to renew my railcard - but it took almost the entire journey to actually get enough data to make the purchase.

Nelson often has "major issues" accessing train wi-fi too. But sometimes, he says, it's nice to have a digital detox without his phone pinging.

For some people, not having wi-fi when they're travelling for leisure isn't the end of the world. Maya Lane, 23, says she usually spends her train journeys reading or crocheting.

"We're not people who are super online all the time," Maya says about herself and her friend Safia Nazir, 26, as they travel to a modelling shoot.

But bad connection on trains is still annoying, she continues, especially when she's trying to work.

"Sometimes people pick trains so they have the option of working while they're travelling," she says, adding that operators shouldn't advertise their wi-fi as a benefit of rail travel if it is unreliable.

Some people have their own solutions - like Bhaav, 32, who often hotspots his phone data to his laptop. He's tried to take work calls on trains before, but says it's "almost impossible". Sometimes his online documents don't save and his instant messages don't send, he says.

"Given the train prices, it's pretty frustrating," Bhaav says.

When trade soured, this American liquor maker moved to Canada

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2l22ypl909o, 2 days ago

Stephanie Intrevado has a bit of a collection. Ever since taking her first sip of Sour Puss at the age of 18 - the legal drinking age in her home province of Quebec - she has been on the hunt to try every flavour of the brightly coloured, fruity liqueurs.

From passionfruit, to coconut and watermelon, the 35-year-old counts herself "very lucky" to have acquired some hard-to-find bottles and merch.

So when she learned that Sour Puss, a popular drink with Canadian university students, was actually American-made, she was shocked - and concerned about where she would get her next bottle. Most Canadian provinces have been boycotting American-made liquor since Spring 2025, as retaliation for US President Donald Trump's tariffs against the country.

The boycott put Phillips Distilling, the family-owned maker of Sour Puss based in Minnesota, into a tight spot.

They lost 70% of their Canadian business as a result, which CEO Andy England referred to as "a disaster". Sales of Sour Puss were the hardest hit, as Canada is by far its largest consumer.

It forced Phillips Distilling to do something they have never done before: move some production north of the border. The shift worked, with their products back on sale in stores across Canada.

"We're in a different place now," England told the BBC.

"We produce and sell in Canada," he said. "We have, I think, convinced all of the provinces to take back some of our products, and we're on the road to recovery."

US-based liquor producers have all taken a financial hit since the trade war between the two countries heated up. But Phillips Distilling is one of the only ones yet to shift some production to Canada.

A trade deal between the two countries remains elusive, still. The US has flagged the liquor sales ban as a main irritant amid ongoing negotiations, while Prime Minister Mark Carney has said that provinces may be willing to sell American alcohol again if tariffs on key Canadian sectors like automotives, metals and lumber are lowered or lifted.

Provinces first made the decision to ban the sale of US liquor in March of last year, starting with Ontario, whose liquor board is one of largest wholesale purchasers of alcohol in the world, and whose automotive sector has been hard hit by Trump's tariffs.

Other major provinces soon followed, including Quebec and British Columbia. As of May 2026, only two provinces out of 10 are still selling American alcohol: Alberta and Saskatchewan.

In Canada, alcohol sales are largely controlled by provincial governments, which operate boards that manage the import and sale of most wine and spirits, giving them broad authority over what is sold. Alberta and Saskatchewan have a fully privatised liquor retail system.

For Phillips Distilling, the impact of the provincial liquor boycott was felt almost immediately due to the popularity Sour Puss in Canada.

"If we sold 1,000 cases of Sour Puss in the US, I'd be surprised," England said, adding that he saw it as "very much a Canadian brand" due to how Canadians embraced it over the years.

Because of its popularity, England said the company started exploring moving some of its production to Canada just weeks after provincial liquor boards began halting their orders.

By October - as both Trump's tariffs and the provincial liquor ban showed no signs of ending - the company signed an agreement with a Montreal-based alcohol manufacturer named Station 22 to start production.

Canadian distributors across the country were excited "and very appreciative" that the company made the move, England added. But getting their products back on shelves took some time. Quebec agreed first, which he said helped facilitate conversations with other provinces.

The return of Sour Puss was celebrated by Intrevado with an Instagram post. "Guess who's back?" she captioned an image of four bottles of the raspberry flavour. "Oh how I've missed you."

Both England and Meredith Lilly, a professor of international economic policy at Carleton University in Ottawa, noted that it is easier for Phillips Distilling to shift production north than other companies whose products are tied to a certain geographic area, like Kentucky bourbon or California wine.

Lilly added that, because a big chunk of their business is Canadian, they risk "no reputational penalty in the US" for deciding to move their production.

The decision to pull American liquor off the shelves by some premiers was "a heat of the moment" response, she said, that in this case brought an accidental positive - bringing more production to Canada.

"I don't think it was envisioned that (the boycott) would be in place as long as it has been," Lilly said.

But whether the boycott will help Canada at the negotiating table is unclear.

US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick called it "outrageous", "insulting" and "disrespectful".

Lilly also cautioned that the decision to return US alcohol back on the shelves ultimately rests with the provinces, not the Carney government, making it an unpredictable bargaining chip.

Canada's federal government has retaliated against US liquor in the past during Trump's first term, when former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau imposed tariffs on Kentucky bourbon as a way to put pressure on Republican states after Trump slapped levies on Canadian steel.

Those tariffs were lifted less than a year later after both countries reached a deal.

This time, however, the tariff dispute between Canada and the US has endured, with the two sides appearing no closer to reaching a deal. For England, what happens next may not matter much, he said, as the last year has forced his company to rethink the way it does business, likely for the long term.

Is 'out of control' US tipping culture spreading overseas?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj6p0wrkpj8o, 3 days ago

The debate about tipping culture in the US has reignited in recent years, with social media posts about waiting staff angry that they haven't been left enough money going viral. Is this increased pressure to tip, and to do so generously, now spreading around the world?

Lillian Price thinks that tipping in the US is "out of control". "It's too much," she says.

"You might just be grabbing something to go, and you are expected to tip," says the animal care worker who lives in Philadelphia.

Price, who says she tips 15% in table-service restaurants, adds: "If somewhere is providing a service, that's fine, but I don't see why you need to tip in other places, or worse still, that they expect one. It's for any little thing… when do we stop giving tips?"

Price's policy of tipping 15% in a restaurant might seem generous to many people, but in certain cities in the US it could very well result in a frosty response from a waiter or waitress. In places like New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Chicago 20% is now more often expected.

For Kate Santos, a waitress who works at Sanger Hall, a bar in Queens, New York, tips are an essential part of her income.

"Servers in New York make $11 (£8.18) an hour, so basically I make my salary off tips," she says. "If people don't tip, it's a bad day for me. In New York, there's an unspoken rule that you tip 20% minimum and if the tip is less, then people think it's terrible."

While tipping culture is ingrained in the US, 2,000 miles (3,220km) away in Iceland it was historically unheard of. But things have now changed, led by a big increase in American visitor numbers.

In 2010, 50,810 Americans went to Iceland, according to official Icelandic data. By last year this had soared to 660,114, and many simply wish to tip.

A spokeswoman for Efling Union, the second-largest union in Iceland, says this has led to a number of restaurants in the country asking customers if they want to add a gratuity when they pay. She adds that this is antagonising local people.

"Tipping is not customary in Iceland because there has long been a broad social consensus that employers are responsible for paying their staff decent wages.

"However, tourists from the United States expect tipping to be customary and often do so to some extent, as do tourists from elsewhere. In addition, some payment terminals are now programmed to prompt customers for tips."

The spokeswoman adds: "Generally speaking, Icelanders themselves tend to become irritated when this happens, as they do not consider it reasonable to pay an additional surcharge on top of already high prices when, for example, buying a drink at a bar."

It is a similar situation in Mexico City where I am currently based - local people blame American tourists for the growth in tipping culture.

In the UK there is a move towards higher service charges in restaurants, says food and drink consultant Lisa Harris.

"We're seeing a slight increase from 12.5% to 15%," she says. "The cost of living is going up in all areas, so it is no surprise there's tip inflation too."

Harris says this rise is generally being seen more in high-end restaurants, and she views it as a way to pay staff more without increasing wages.

"Since tips go straight to staff, it is quite likely that restaurants are using tips as a way to increase salaries without footing the bill," says Harris. "The UK hospitality industry is on its knees, with restaurant owners being squeezed by VAT, increased minimum wage, national insurance, and increased food and utility bills.

"Not to mention people eating out less. It really is no surprise that they're turning to tips as a way to balance the books."

Michael Lynn is the author of the book The Psychology of Tipping. A professor of consumer behaviour and marketing at Cornell University in New York State, he says that the rise in tipping globally is being driven by the digital payment machines that people have to tap with their bank card. These increasingly now prompt the customer to add a tip.

The number of UK cafes and restaurants that now digitally ask customers if they want to add a tip increased by 78% from 2022 to 2024, SumUp, a manufacturer of such card readers, tells the BBC.

Back in the US, tips are vital for American waiting staff because of federal minimal wage laws dating back to 1938 that set a lower level for workers who receive tips. Today, while the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, for employees who receive gratuities this drops to just $2.13 per hour.

So although states are free to legislate for restaurant workers to be paid more, tips are seen by the US government as a core - and expected - component of such employees' income.

Waiting staff across the US agree, and some are complaining if they think they have not been sufficiently tipped.

Last December, US magazine Newsweek reported on how a person took to social media site Thread to show that a waitress left a note on his bill telling him to "learn to tip. It's not my job to serve you FOR FREE".

The post has now been viewed by 4.5 million people.

In a separate posting on X in November a waitress, said to be from New York City, complained that a table of four who spent $3,000 only gave her $200 or 6.7%.

Tipping is such a hot topic in the US that in the 2024 presidential election both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris pledged to reduce the tax that waiting staff, and others reliant upon tips, had to pay.

As a result, in July of last year, Trump signed a new law that enables qualified staff to deduct up to $25,000 (£18,500), equivalent to the tips they received that year, from their annual federal income tax.

Santos says she works hard for her tips. "As a server you provide the space, we make or break the atmosphere, we have lots of tasks to do, we keep everyone happy, refill drinks, it feels like a lot of effort and people don't recognise it."

But would she prefer for bars and restaurants in the US to increase salaries so as to reduce the need for tips?

"I like the system as it is," she says. "If it's snowing it would be helpful to have a steady wage as people don't want to come out, but then when summer comes around it balances it out."

She adds that occasionally she gets a huge tip. "I received a $100 tip on a $70 bill once. It's really nice and you never know when it might happen."

The rise of the fruit that tastes like custard

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce8pmrp0m47o, 4 days ago

Ashoka Shivareddy comes from a family of farmers, but it was hard to make a living in their drought-prone district of Kolar in southern India.

"The area receives rainfall of only 60 to 70 centimetres, and farmers dig borewells of up to 1,300 feet - most of their money goes into chasing water," he says.

Amid mounting losses the family gave up farming and in 2005 moved to the city - to Bengaluru - and started a vegetable shop.

Shivareddy became an AI software engineer, but he never lost the farming bug.

In 2018 he decided to revive the family farm, but with a more scientific approach.

"I was looking for a crop that could survive with very little water, grow with rainfall, and not depend heavily on pesticides," he explains.

Custard apple seemed to be a good fit. A knobbly fruit the size of a large avocado, its creamy, sweet flesh tastes a bit like custard - hence the name.

Custard apple trees grow wild in Shivareddy's area and locals would harvest the fruit and sell it at the market. That seemed promising to Shivareddy.

Looking to maximise his yield, he planted trees closer together than on typical farms.

Shivareddy also carefully selected three varieties, each with different benefits. The approach appears to be working.

"Last year I produced around 20 tonnes. This year, it's about 25 tonnes. There is huge demand for custard apple in India and abroad," he says.

While custard apples can survive in dry conditions, there are challenges to growing them.

The traditional variety Balangar has a very short shelf life, sometimes as little as a three or four days, which limits the farmer's selling options. It also has a lot of seeds, making it less attractive to the customer.

The seeds are also toxic, particularly when crushed, and should be avoided. Meanwhile the European Food Safety Authority, has questions over the safety of food supplements based on custard apple.

"Traditional varieties have excellent flavour, but they suffer from low pulp content, high seed count, and a very poor shelf life," says Dr Sakthivel T, principal scientist at Indian Institute of Horticulture Research (IIHR) in Bangalore.

His team developed a hybrid fruit, named Arka Sahan, which can survive for a week at room temperature and has fewer seeds and more pulp.

Over the past 20 years this variety has spread across southern India.

"The shift from 30% pulp recovery in wild varieties to 70% recovery in hybrids like Arka Sahan has effectively doubled the usable harvest for farmers without needing more land," Sakthivel says.

His team is now looking at better ways to process the fruit and extract the pulp, so it can be more widely used in processed foods like ice cream and milkshakes.

One problem they are currently trying to fix is that custard apple pulp turns brown very quickly after extraction. Researchers at IIHR are experimenting with new equipment and techniques that will help custard apple pulp maintain its milky colour for longer.

The central Indian state of Maharashtra is the leading producer of custard apples, accounting for almost a third of the national output.

It's where Navnath Malhari Kaspate has been farming the fruit for decades.

He travelled across India collecting seeds and brought them back to his farm where he cross-pollinated them.

"No one had really paid attention to custard apple or done research, so I decided to keep working on it. It takes 12 to 15 years to develop a new variety. This is not quick work - it's decades of experimentation," he says.

His work resulted in the NMK-01 (named after his initials) variety, known for being high yielding. It went on sale in 2014.

"We now grow custard apple on nearly 50 acres, with yields of about 10 tonnes per acre. This improved variety which does not get spoiled has created opportunity for exports. We started exporting to Gulf countries, and even sent it to Europe, something that hadn't been done before at this scale," he says.

Kaspate's development work continues, he's currently working on a variety with an improved appearance and greater resistance to disease.

Manoj Kumar Barai exports the NMK-01 variety to the US, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Europe.

"For exports we prefer the NMK-01 variety because it has better shelf life, thicker skin, more pulp, and a sweeter taste compared to others," he says.

Nevertheless, exporting such a delicate fruit requires an intricate process.

"We have to plan everything precisely - harvesting time, transport to pack houses, airport transfer, flights, customs clearance - every hour matters."

Temperature control is critical.

"Custard apple is highly sensitive to heat, and even short exposure can reduce its shelf life," he says.

Road journeys are often done overnight to avoid the worst of the heat.

"In regions like Maharashtra, temperatures can go up to 40 degrees, and even during transit it can reach 30–35 degrees, which is not ideal for this fruit."

The fruit is pre-cooled for five hours before being packed and transported in refrigerated vans and then stored in cold rooms before being air freighted.

Special corrugated boxes have been developed to protect the fruit and help keep them cool.

More fruit is being exported as pulp or in a powder form, which is a "revolution" for the export industry says Barai.

Pulp is used by overseas ice cream makers, bakeries and at "pulp-shot" cafes.

It's still not simple, as the pulp has to be stored and transported at -18C.

But it's still cheaper than air freight and allows large volumes to be transported over weeks without any fruit going to waste.

Back in Kolar, Shivareddy wants to expand his business by selling pulp as well as whole apples.

He plans to set up a pulp processing unit that would use the portion of his crop that he can't sell.

But extracting the pulp and chilling it to -20C involves significant investment in equipment which, he says, will involve a change in mindset for many farmers.

"Custard apple sits in a strange gap. Demand is rising, but the farming hasn't gone high-tech as the crop is naturally hardy. It grows in poor soil, needs very little water, and survives on rainfall. Farmers don't need expensive irrigation, sensors, or controlled environments so tech adoption stays low," he says.

* This article was updated on 27 May 2026 to add a health warning about custard apple seeds and food supplements based on the fruit.

Arrive three hours before flight home, airline boss tells UK holidaymakers

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8xw2kjlrlxo, today

British holidaymakers should arrive at European airports three hours before their flight home departs due to lengthy queues caused by new border checks, the UK boss of budget airline Wizz Air has warned.

Yvonne Moynihan told the BBC the long delays getting through passport control at some European airports had caused some passengers to miss return or connecting flights.

Airports said queues were worsening under the Entry Exit System (EES) which requires travellers to register fingerprints.

But a European Commission spokesperson said EES was working well at "almost all border crossing points".

ACI Europe, a trade body for airports, told the BBC that passengers should arrive at airports according to the time set out by their airline.

The EES requires travellers from outside the EU to register biometric information when entering many European countries, which is then checked when they leave.

Since October, almost 80 million entries and exits have been registered, with 35,000 refusals of entry recorded.

From 10 April, it is meant to be fully in use at borders of the Schengen free movement zone, including airports.

However, Greece has effectively suspended biometric checks at its borders for British citizens in order to prevent summer disruption.

'Prepare for queues'

Wizz Air's Moynihan said the impact of the new checks was "fragmented across Europe".

While there has been some "seamless travel", she said there had been long queues at "usual hotspots such as Spain, Portugal, France".

When Moynihan travelled to Mallorca for half term, she encountered no queues, with extra staff on hand and "a significant amount of [EES] kiosks".

However, she said in general her airline was advising passengers to prepare for long waits.

"When you land in the destination airport, there might be queues, so you should bring a portable charger or water," she said.

Because EES information has to be verified when people leave, she also highlighted the risk of queues before flights back to the UK.

"Because there is another passport check...that's where we see that people have, again, experienced longer waiting times than anticipated," she said.

She said usual advice is to get to the airport two hours ahead of your flight - "but in these circumstances, we are advising three hours".

Moynihan advised anyone taking a connecting flight to allow "a number of hours" between flights in case of border queues.

She said border officials were proactively suspending EES checks if long waits built up.

The European Commission says EES isn't the only thing that can cause delays, and registering information usually only takes around a minute.

ACI Europe, a trade body for airports, said it surveyed 45 airports in 20 EU states earlier this week.

The results suggested EES was now causing queues of up to three and a half hours.

The group said more airports were now reporting excessive waiting times, despite the "extensive use of partial suspension of EES".

It expected the situation "to deteriorate further" and "become unmanageable" as passenger volumes increased towards the summer peak.

ACI Europe wants any technical issues such as "instability of the central IT system and national interfaces" addressed, as well as border staffing levels.

The Commission said it was up to member states to ensure EES was properly implemented, and they should provide enough border guards.

Portugal, where very long waits have been reported, has announced 360 more border officers for airports in July.

Wizz Air's Moynihan acknowledged improvements had been made after initial teething issues and glitches.

But she thought the higher number of people travelling over summer would test the system, and called for more countries to suspend the checks over the peak period.

The European Commission told the BBC that until September it was allowing biometric registration to be suspended "at specific border crossing points and for a limited amount of time in cases of exceptional circumstances that lead to excessive waiting times".

'Book with confidence'

With the summer holidays approaching, there has been speculation that the situation in the Middle East could spark jet fuel supply issues and cancellations.

Like other airlines, Wizz has seen a trend of late bookings.

This has led to "very affordable prices" to stimulate demand.

But Moynihan also insisted passengers "should feel confident booking", echoing the words of other short-haul airline bosses such as EasyJet and Jet2.

However, the Wizz Air UK boss insisted its suppliers had adapted, no shortages were anticipated, and no cuts to its schedule were expected.

Fares are likely to go up in the future if oil prices remain high. However, Moynihan said in the short term, carriers like hers could save costs in other areas.

Only three-quarters of first class mail delivered on time

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy02jyxz26po, yesterday

Just over three-quarters of first class letters, or 75.7%, were delivered on time by Royal Mail in the year to the end of March, far off its target of 93%.

The latest quality-of-service report reflects the postal firm's performance under its new private owner, Daniel Kretinsky's EP Group, whose takeover was approved by shareholders at the end of April last year.

Ofcom said it was "very concerned" by the figures. The BBC understands the regulator expects to open a probe into Royal Mail's performance early next week.

Royal Mail said its service was improving and that it was on track to hit new reduced targets – of 90% for first class delivery and 95% for second class – by this time next year.

Chief operating officer Jamie Stephenson said: "We're putting significant investment into improving reliability and reaching these new delivery targets, but delivering lasting change across a network of this scale takes time."

The firm said it was investing £500m over the next five years as part of its improvement plan.

The postal service has faced years of criticism from politicians and the public over the slowness of its letter delivery.

The annual figures published on Friday show performance worsened compared to the previous year when the company was still listed on the London stock market.

That year, 76.9% of first class letters and 92.2% of second class letters were delivered on time.

This year, only 90.2% of second class letters were delivered within three working days against a target of 98.5%.

It has been six years since the institution last met its letter delivery targets for second class post and ten years since it last met its letter delivery targets for first class post.

Its performance slumped during the Covid-19 pandemic and has failed to fully recover since.

In October last year, the regulator Ofcom fined Royal Mail £21m for missing the targets - the third-largest fine ever imposed by the communications watchdog.

Royal Mail was also fined in 2023 and 2024 for poor performance.

In February this year, postal workers told the BBC that some letters had been sitting undelivered for weeks and that they had been told to prioritise parcel delivery instead as it is more profitable.

Royal Mail executives were hauled in front of a parliamentary select committee in March to respond to the claims.

Kretinsky told MPs at the meeting that he was "deeply sorry for any letter that arrives late".

In response to the allegation that parcels were being prioritised, he said: "I have never heard any instruction or discussion, and have not participated in any exchange, that would sanction that Royal Mail is prioritising parcels over letters."

Improvement plan

Reacting to Friday's performance figures, Citizens Advice policy director Tom MacInnes said poor performance at Royal Mail was "business as usual".

"What's worse, Royal Mail claims people will have to wait another year until it can meet its new, lower delivery targets," he added.

As part of its improvment plan, Royal Mail has given part-time postal workers the option to work longer hours.

It has also agreed a plan with Ofcom to scrap second class delivery on Saturdays as part of its new model.

Ofcom has also reduced Royal Mail's letter delivery targets. Since April this year, the service has been measured against a new lower target: 90% of first class letters must arrive by the next working day and 95% of second class letters must be delivered within three days.

Ofcom said that the previous targets were "more stretching" than in comparable European countries and would "carry higher costs which would need to be recovered through higher prices".

Top UK chefs call for cutting VAT for pubs and restaurants to 10%

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78kg45yx0vo, yesterday

Four top UK chefs and restaurant owners have urged the government to cut VAT for restaurants and pubs as they warned working in the hospitality industry was the "hardest it has ever been".

Tom Kerridge, Yotam Ottolenghi, Ravneet Gill and Simon Rogan told BBC Newsnight VAT should be slashed to 10% to ease pressure on businesses and bring rates closer to levels across Europe.

"We're not making any money whatsoever, and we're just keeping our heads above water," warned Rogan, while Kerridge said the government was getting taxation on businesses "very, very wrong".

Cabinet minister Pat McFadden acknowledged the government had "asked business to contribute more", adding "we help them where we can".

He said the government was lobbied about tax cuts "all the time", but there was a cost attached.

"The chancellor has to make these decisions in the round, netting off all of these demands against the increasing expenditure demands that government also faces by people every day saying 'why can't you spend more on this or this'," McFadden added.

But Ottolenghi, who has 11 restaurants, cafes and delis, described the situation as "crippling" - not just for his own business, but for others running bakeries, cafes, and pubs.

"Every pound that we take, a substantial amount of it just goes to the government for a different taxation," he said.

The call from the famous chefs follows a tough few years for the hospitality industry. The height of the Covid pandemic brought trade to a halt before energy prices soared due to the war in Ukraine and pushed up costs across the board with little respite since.

Customers hit by the cost of living have also cut back on spending, especially on dining out recently.

While various support packages, such as the pandemic-era Eat Out to Help Out scheme and previous VAT relief provided a temporary a boost, three hospitality businesses have gone under every day since the start of 2026, according to the industry body UK Hospitality.

Value added tax, or VAT, is the tax people have to pay when buying goods or services. The standard rate of VAT in the UK is 20%.

The rate, which applies to UK hospitality businesses, is the second highest in Europe behind Denmark, according to UK Hospitality.

It has repeatedly argued for VAT to be lowered near to rates seen in Germany (7%), Ireland (9%), France (10%), Italy (10%) and Spain (10%).

Kerridge, who runs five restaurants and pubs, said there were "so many different factors" driving costs up and eroding margins, including government policy decisions such as higher rates of National Insurance for employers, business rates and the minimum wage.

The Labour Party supporter claimed the industry had reached a "peak point" where businesses could no longer pass on price increases to customers. "It just doesn't work because it will stop people coming out."

Pastry chef and author Ravneet Gill, who opened her first restaurant a year ago, said she "never imagined it would be this tough", especially the expense when it came to employing people.

Rogan, who has nine Michelin stars across his restaurant group in the UK, Malta and Hong Kong, agreed it was expensive to take on staff, but said VAT was "a killer".

Kerridge and his fellow chefs indicated they supported the rise in the minimum wage, but argued a VAT cut from 20% to 10% for the sector would "allow operators to breathe" and also reinvest.

He claimed it was about "survival" for the industry rather than passing on the cut to customers through cheaper prices.

"Don't look at us as having profit is a dirty thing," added Gill.

"We're not going on fancy yachts and driving expensive cars. We are doing it so we can regenerate our areas that we're in, employ more people."

Last week, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced VAT reduction from 20% to 5% on various attractionsover the summer holidays, which included children's meals in restaurants and cafes.

But Gill said she believed the policy was a "very poor attempt at trying to offer something to hospitality and quite frankly it will lead to loopholes, fraud, misuse and no genuine good".

'Cutting employment costs can help young people'

Hospitality businesses such as restaurants, cafes and pubs often offer the first experience of work for many young people, with the industry employing 28% of all 18 to 20-year-olds, according to the Institute of Fiscal Studies.

However, those openings are disappearing: on Thursday, a damning report found job opportunities for young people were shrinking, with its author, former Labour minister Alan Milburn, saying the UK was "at risk of a lost generation".

The review came as official figures revealed more than one million young people were not in education, employment or training - the highest level in more than 12 years.

Following Milburn's report, the government said it was creating 300,000 work experience and training placements in sectors including construction, health and social care and hospitality.

Treasury minister Torsten Bell told the BBC's Today programme that the rates of employing aged 18 to 25-year-olds were "exactly the same as when we took office in 2024", but admitted higher taxes were having an impact on hospitality businesses.

The figures add to growing concerns over the number of young people not being able to secure a job in the UK.

Allen Simpson, chief executive of UK Hospitality, said the solution to the problem was to reduce the cost of employment for businesses.

"The government needs to make it economically beneficial to employ young people once again."

Rogan said when "when restaurants are under pressure," "investing in youngsters and sustainability, they're the first two things that fall by the wayside."

Food author Ottolenghi said there should be a public debate about "what we're losing" through restaurants closing.

"The risk for me is if those go... we're just going to kind of become a society where people sit around at home, look at screens and never interact with each other.

"We end up as an industry taking so much of the burden and government lays on more taxes. Those could come down quite easily for us because we employ all these young people and we give them skills."

'I've applied for more than 400 roles' - how young people are facing the job shortage

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czx2qll4rlyo, 3 days ago

The experts are talking about a "lost generation" as more than one million under-24-year-olds are left in limbo, without a job or a training course that should lead them to one.

Five young people currently in that situation told us how they are dealing with the challenge.

'I didn't know how to talk to people'

Since leaving college a year ago Zaynah, 24, says she has applied for more than 200 jobs and has never heard back from any of the employers. The six-week charity scheme Spear is helping her build up her confidence.

I had my health condition, eczema, which kind of stopped me from doing what I loved, which was nail art.

I knew I've always wanted to go into makeup. Right now I've just been applying to make-up roles and make-up jobs in retail.

I never worked before... I wasn't very confident at all. I was a very shy girl.

Now I feel like [there is] a big difference from what I was, and now I can be more confident, I feel like I can hold conversations better now.

Back then I couldn't, I didn't know what to speak about and I was very shy.

I think it's because of my lack of experience. I feel like in that way, it's restricting me and I'm not getting jobs.

Some people our age don't know what they want to do, that's what is holding them back.

'I was rejected for a cleaning job'

Luke, 23, who studied product design at Central St Martin's University, has not found a job even after applying for more than 400 positions.

The application process is quite vile. You apply, but then the [online process] wants to know the exact same information somewhere else in a different form.

What you end up having to do is actually go through it again and redo all of it from scratch.

Any normal person coming out of a university degree would think: "Yes, I've got a degree. I am now open to all these starting, junior jobs".

You find out they haven't got the finances or AI has just replaced a whole load of jobs.

The amount of rejections definitely make you depressed. It's humiliating.

I started [claiming] Universal Credit in March last year. Entering into the job centres is really depressing.

I felt a sense of rejection. The fact that everything I've done means nothing, in this day and age it's useless.

It's the Catch-22 situation.

As you enter the job market that you want to go into, you don't have enough experience for that job.

[And] you're overskilled for basic jobs, like stacking shelves... which I've done before. But once you've got that degree you are pushed aside as being overskilled.

I've been rejected for cleaning roles, barista , normal cafe jobs, receptionist in hotels, waiters at restaurants.

I think I've had one interview for a janitor role. They said they'll get back to me… I didn't hear anything.

'I started rapping to entertain myself'

When Tarun's grandmother died he traveled to India, interrupting the 18-year-old's studies. Since then he has been trying and failing to find work.

I started doing plumbing level two... but I had to go to India so they kicked me out.

I had to go to India because of my grandma's death.

When I came back, I didn't know what to do. It's been like a year. I was looking for a work and education, but I couldn't get anywhere.

I did apply for lots of things. I tried to do jobs as well... but they were like, "you need experience" and I didn't have any experience. I felt trapped. It was like a loop, going over again and again. I just felt lost.

I didn't have anyone to motivate me, so I motivated myself. I was like: I'll start doing rapping. So I wrote songs, I started rapping to entertain myself. That really helped me.

'I could end up trapped in a minimum wage-life'

Eloise, 24, has not been able to find work related to her first class undergraduate and masters degrees in English and creative writing, and told BBC's Your Voice that she has ended up in hospitality.

Despite all my volunteering, work experience and degrees, I have had four interviews.

I had a temp position at a pub, but none of the jobs are really what I want to do. Two other jobs ghosted me and only one offered any feedback: an entry-level position told me I "needed more experience".

I've been applying in Stirling and Edinburgh and putting my brother's Edinburgh address down so I can be considered, but there is nothing.

I am worried if I cannot get employment by the end of this year I will have to move back to my village in the middle of nowhere and begin a minimum wage-life where I will be trapped.

The only person on my masters who has a relevant job went back home to America for it.

'Whatever you do, it is never enough'

Clover spent three years following all the advice, looking for work. Now, at 20, he told BBC Your Voice he has a job in retail, but without any guaranteed hours each week.

I got lucky. In the end it was a friend who worked there that vouched for me.

It's a zero hours contract and it's fine. It's something and it's better than the majority of people have. But I'd like to be somewhere else, doing something else.

I hear older people say younger people don't want to work, but it's because they are getting paid nothing for jobs they don't want to be in.

I was on job sites and doing what I could to find work and nine times out of 10 I didn't get a reply back.

Colleges and universities offer support for people to write CVs and to apply as efficiently as possible, but even with all the help in the world and hours of volunteering experience, it's always seemingly never enough.

Opportunities shrinking for too many young people, says major report on 'lost generation'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy026x9jpd0o, 3 days ago

Job and career opportunities for young people are "not growing, they're shrinking", with one in six set to be out of work, education or training in five years unless action is taken, a review has found.

The education, health and welfare systems are no longer fit for purpose in preparing young people for adult life, said its author, former minister Alan Milburn.

"We are at risk of a lost generation," he warned, with young adults facing a "perfect storm" of challenges.

The review came as official figures revealed more than one million young people were not in education, employment or training - the highest level in more than 12 years.

The figures add to growing concerns over the number of young people not being able to secure a job in the UK.

Milburn said rejections for young jobseekers, after submitting dozens, sometimes hundreds of applications, had become the norm and challenged a characterisation that young people were not trying or were "work-shy, snowflakes, soft".

"The problem is that for too many young people, opportunities are not growing, they're shrinking," Milburn said.

"You put in an application, dozens at a time, you hear nothing back, you just get rejected," he said.

Milburn was tasked with investigating why so many young people are not in employment, education or training - known by the acronym Neets.

His interim report released on Thursday does not include potential solutions to the crisis, but these will come at a later date in a final report.

"This is a visceral feeling in the country…it's bordering on a fear in the country among parents and grandparents that this generation is going to be a lost generation," Milburn said.

"The old contract in society was always: you put in effort and got a reward, each generation would do better than the last - this contract has been broken for this generation."

His review, and other statistics, paint a grim picture for young people in the UK:

* Six in 10 Neets have never had a job. In 2005, this was four in 10, the report says

* But 84% of Neet young people surveyed want a job or training, it adds

* There were 1,012,000 young people classed as Neet between January and March 2026, making up 13.5% of all young people in the UK, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS)

* The number of people classed as "economically inactive" - not looking or available to work - rose to about 613,000

* The number of young people classed as unemployed - not in work but seeking a job - was estimated to be 400,000

* Entry-level jobs have sharply declined, with the number of mid- and lower-skilled jobs in the economy falling by around 1.6 million over the past 20 year

* Vacancies in hospitality have halved in the last four years alone, ONS data also shows

The cumulative cost of almost one million Neet young people to the UK economy has been estimated to be £125bn per year, according to the review.

That includes £38bn a year in lost economic potential, and £63bn a year lost due to economic "scarring", as they are less likely to work in the future. It also includes losses in tax revenue, increased health and benefits spending.

The total estimated is more than more than annual education spending in England.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the report "sobering" and said he would work with Milburn "on what more needs to be done" to tackle problems.

Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden, said the review laid "bare the scale of the challenge and the root causes of youth unemployment we now need to confront".

"We are already taking action by bringing forward the biggest youth employment reforms in a generation to create 500,000 opportunities for young people, including a Youth Jobs Grant for businesses starting next month, more apprenticeships, and subsidised employment to help young people get a foot on the ladder," McFadden said.

But shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately criticised the government's policies, claiming Labour had "made it harder for a young person to take their first step into work".

Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper said her party "repeatedly warned that Labour's jobs tax would hammer job opportunities for young people and that their business rates hikes would kill off high street job opportunities".

The report said there is not one factor causing the crisis, with the Covid pandemic, smartphones and the current jobs market all having an impact.

"The evidence does not support a single explanation," he said, adding that there was "no evidence" of a link between migration and joblessness among young people.

"It supports something harder to accept: that the institutions we built to support young people into adulthood are no longer fit for that purpose, and that the country has known this for some time."

In a speech, he added that changes in mental health had also reduced the supply chain of young labour, with a sharp increase in the number of Neets reporting anxiety and ADHD as a key factor as to why they are not in work or training.

Systemic problems, he claimed, were also leading to a "bedroom generation" who doomscrolled and did not leave their rooms.

The report featured one young person detailing the effects of the Covid lockdown.

"We weren't really seeing people in person, so we didn't get used to the social aspect of connecting with people. Maintaining eye contact, hand gestures and all sorts. We were just sitting behind screens. There were skills that people were struggling to develop," they said.

Luke, who studied product design at university, said he applied for more than 400 positions and had only secured one interview as a cleaner which he did not get.

''It's humiliating," the 23-year-old said. "You think 'okay I've got all the knowledge, I've got all the skills, all I'm waiting for is a job to put it in practice'.

"It makes you depressed, especially the amount of rejections."

Meanwhile Rocky had been out of work for a year before he joined Nando's as a waiter. Three years on he is now an assistant manager.

"I'm 23 years old and I'm a manager at Nando's," he says. "I feel happy with myself. I can look back and tell my doubters that I made it.''

Milburn said the problem in the UK was worse than in other countries, with the number of young people out of work, training or education being three times higher than Holland and twice of Ireland.

High street retailers and hospitality businesses such as restaurants, cafes and pubs often offer the first experience of work for many young people.

Some employers have argued it has become more difficult to hire young people due to higher minimum wages and increased taxes, such as employer National Insurance contributions, though the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) found there is no clear evidence that higher minimum wages have been a "major driver" of young people becoming Neets.

The boss of Next, Lord Simon Wolfson, told the BBC this week that just two years ago, the retail giant typically received 10 applications for every shop vacancy, but that number had since risen to 19.

David Fox, founder of the Tampopo restaurant chain, said inflation and the costs of employing workers such as National Insurance contribution (NIC) increases and higher minimum wages were preventing him from hiring more young people.

The IFS also pointed out in its latest research that most young adults aged 18–20 are largely exempt from employer National Insurance.

Oil prices fall after report of breakthrough in US-Iran talks

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp3p62xddq4o, 3 days ago

Oil prices have dropped following a report the US and Iran have reached a deal, subject to President Donald Trump's approval.

Axios reported officials had made an agreement over an extended ceasefire on Thursday. It drove the price of a barrel of Brent crude down to a low of $93.36 from a earlier high of $98, before rebounding to about $94.

Prices had jumped earlier after the US carried out new attacks on Iran, targeting a military site in Bandar Abbas, a strategic port city.

The strikes occurred despite an ongoing ceasefire between Tehran and Washington to allow for talks to end the three-month-long war that has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz waterway, pushing up global energy costs.

Around a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies usually pass through the strait.

Shortly after the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on 28 February, Tehran responded by threatening to attack vessels using the shipping route.

Global energy prices have swung wildly since the conflict began, with Brent crude - the global oil benchmark - briefly surging to around $120 a barrel. Before the war it was trading at closer to $70.

The cost of oil had fallen sharply this week on hopes that a deal would soon be reached to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

On Thursday afternoon, US media outlet Axios reported Iran and the US had reached an agreement for a 60-day ceasefire extension and the start of talks on Tehran's nuclear program.

The agreement requires final approval from Trump, who has told negotiators that he wanted a few days to make the final decision, Axios reported.

The latest strikes mark the second time in three days that the US has attacked targets in Iran, with Washington saying they were conducted in self defence.

The US Central Command (Centcom) said its forces also shot down four Iranian drones "that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz".

Centcom confirmed strikes on southern Iran earlier this week, in which it targeted Iranian missile sites and boats attempting to lay mines in the strait.

It said those strikes were designed "to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces".

Iran called the new attacks "a grave violation of the ceasefire" and said it "will not leave any act of hostility unanswered."

Kuwait's military said on Thursday that it was intercepting "hostile missile and drone threats" without providing further details.

Anti-social: It's fads, not friends, which now dominate our feeds

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20260520-how-social-media-ceased-to-be-social, 9 days ago

Social media platforms used to be about communication between friends – now many are increasingly short video entertainment hubs. The business model is to increase the time people spend on their apps and increase ad revenue. But is there already a consumer backlash?

Aurélia fixes herself a coffee, sits down in her beautiful garden not far from Paris and goes on Instagram "to relax." First up: "a guy I like a lot who does interior design. He's in Venice at the moment." She's into interior design, and has even just had two bird drawings by the 19th Century English designer William Morris tattooed on her arms. She scrolls down. Two kittens having a fight. "I love animals so I get a lot of animals. That's how it works, social media. You click on bananas and they give you bananas."

There are ads too – although they look just like the other posts – for a robot-vacuum cleaner, a diet and bed linen (with Morris-inspired designs). But no friends. She has 198 on Instagram but she says "it's completely changed. I practically don’t see any friends' posts anymore." She’s pretty much given up posting herself. "I don't think anyone sees them anymore anyway."

While there remain committed social, amateur posters on Instagram and especially Facebook, the switch from communicating with people you know to scrolling through professionally made content from people you don't, is even more pronounced among young users.

Kylian, 16, is in vocational training to become a chef. He's on TikTok and Youtube a lot, he says. "I like looking at videos more than photos or messages. I watch videos made by people I don't know. I don’t post at all. I'm a rather shy person. I stay in my bubble. I watch and that’s all. I keep my reactions to myself."

"I spend a lot of time scrolling through videos made by content-creators," says Lucie, also 16. "They're more interesting than the posts of people I know." She doesn't post except sometimes "stories" which disappear after 24 hours.

Whether it's TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram, we are a long way from the "digital town square" of personal interaction that social media was even just a few years ago.

In France, annual official Barometre du numerique 2026 shows 49% of social media users are "active only occasionally". In the UK, an Ofcom report published in April showed a year-on-year drop of users who actively post from 61% to 49%. In the US, a Morning Consult survey of June last year found 28% reported posting less often than the previous year. Just 33% now post daily compared to 57% who use it for entertainment daily. The gap is a lot wider still for Gen Z – 18% active for 74% passive.

Vanessa Lalo, a Paris-based clinical psychologist specialising in on-line behaviour, says "users have become more conscious that the traces you leave (on social media) stay there forever and some no longer want to maintain social media relations that can be superficial. Some don’t want the exposure to criticism that might be a risk when you post or the feeling that their post will seem poor alongside all the professional content".

However, Lalo adds, people haven’t stopped posting, rather they are posting different things and in different places. "On TikTok, for example, young people publish a lot of content but it's more funny parodies and remixes of existing material. The goal is to make people laugh, not to tell people about their lives."

That still happens, she says, but it’s moved from social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook to messaging sites like WhatsApp. There's also been a move towards private groups on Instagram and Snapchat. "These are much more intimate places where you're not bombarded with ads and content made by influencers," she says.

"What we're seeing is social media splitting in two," says social media consultant Matt Navarra, author of the Geekout Newsletter. "Big platforms like Instagram and TikTok are becoming more about entertainment and discovery. WhatsApp is becoming the place people go to actually be social. The catch is, those kinds of spaces are harder for companies to make money from."

It was TikTok that helped to pioneer an algorithm that figures out from the moment you start scrolling what you like, and then fills your feed with material calculated to keep you on the app for the longest possible time.

Now, says Matt Navarra, "Meta has built what it calls an AI system for unconnected content recommendations on Facebook and Instagram, which basically means, they're increasingly showing you stuff from people you don't follow because the machine thinks you're going to like it. It's not biased towards, is it a professional creator? Is it a brand? Is it a friend? If they can see that you've engaged with a friend a lot, you might see a lot more of their content. It's just that who you are friends with, who you follow, has become irrelevant in a way."

This all means that small businesses, that have long used social media for free promotion have to up their game.

"There's a real opportunity for some small businesses," says Matt Navarra. "A bakery, florist, salon or local café can still break through if they have a good story, strong visuals or behind-the-scenes content people want to watch. But it also means the job has changed. Small business owners are being pushed to become presenters, editors, trend spotters and content creators, on top of actually running the business."

Social media is evolving into something passive like television, albeit television that adapts as you zap. Or rather which knows you so well that it doesn't seem to matter that much that it's taken the remote control. You give the platform information about yourself that it uses for commercial gain and, in return, it gives you content tailored to please you for free.

The transition from truly social media to entertainment platform does seem to be paying off. "The social platforms continue to be monetised predominantly by ad revenue. That is still the core business model. And ad revenue continues to grow," says Matt Navarra. Global social media ad revenue is expected to reach $317 billion (£236bn) in 2026, up from $277 billion (£206bn) last year. Meta is the biggest winner. Its ad sales already increased 22% year-on-year in 2025. Ad sales are expected to hit $243 billion (£181bn) this year, enough to overtake Google for the first time.

AI powered digital ad targeting is becoming ever more effective and precise. "The social platforms allow companies to put ads amongst the content that you're scrolling through. Every third or fourth scroll is an ad. And they are the world's best ad targeting engines. They know so much about your interests because of what you've looked at, liked, engaged with, what you've chosen to follow, the time you've spent in certain areas of the app, things like that," Navarra says.

"So advertisers will go in and say: 'I want to place an ad next to people in the UK who are between thirty and sixty years old and who are interested in DIY' and the social platforms will have that information and will place the ads accordingly."

The price will depend on the number of impressions (clicks) the advertiser wants and how tight the criteria are. It costs more to place ads in the social media feeds of people who buy horses than people who buy ice-cream.

More like this:

• TikTok is tracking you, even if you don't use the app. Here's how to stop it

• How to stop AI from turning your brain to mush

• This monkey selfie will protect you from AI slop

Might there be a backlash coming? Don't many people go on to social media to see how friends are reacting to their posts or comments before settling down to scroll through professionally made content?

Whether it's the shrinking social motivation to get on these apps or something else, the amount of time people spend on social media plateaued at an average of 141 minutes in 2025, down slightly from 143 minutes in 2024. However, this is only part of the story, as the number of people using social media and the total time humanity spends on these apps continues to rise. For Gen Z it’s higher still. Around five hours a day in the United States where, for this demographic, social media has also become the primary search engine and shopping tool.

Meanwhile, for those who miss what are fast becoming the old days when social media enabled you to share a bit of your life, a joke or a point of view with people you more-or-less knew, there are tools within platforms, says Matt Navarra, that allow you to choose to see mainly friends and family content. "People can flick to a feed that gives them that," he says. "But most people don't."

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Plots, love letters and remedies: The medieval secrets being revealed by AI

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260527-plots-love-letters-and-diplomacy-the-medieval-secrets-being-revealed-by-ai, 3 days ago

Historic messages and documents obscured by incomprehensible ciphers can be found in libraries and archives all over the world. Artificial intelligence is helping historians crack open these mysterious texts.

Deep in the archives of the Vatican library, a mysterious hand-written book, scrawled with strange symbols, had lain unread for more than 400 years. Its cryptic pages apparently concealed secret remedies "for affections of the human body", according to some text scratched inside the cover. Such healing practices were kept under wraps at the time since they could attract suspicion or even accusations of witchcraft.

Known as the Borg cipher, the 408-page-long manuscript is mostly incomprehensible – coded using 34 obscure symbols with a few Roman letters and a front page written in Arabic. There was no known key to reveal what was encrypted. Some of the pages are also damaged due to their age, making the code even more challenging to read.

But with the help of machine learning – a form of artificial intelligence – researchers were able to unravel the code. They discovered the text was filled with thousands of bizarre treatments such as drinking several glasses of high-quality red wine or fermenting a nutmeg in some dough to combat dysentery.

"It is like detective work where every symbol, pattern, and partial solution may bring us closer to someone's secrets and to a lost historical world," says Beáta Megyesi, a professor in computational linguistics at Stockholm University in Sweden, who was part of the team who decoded the text. Even with the help of AI, the process of unlocking the cipher key was painstaking.

Now Megyesi and her colleagues are leading efforts to harness the power of AI to crack historic ciphers more efficiently, potentially unlocking a wealth of coded information from the past that has previously been uncrackable.

According to some estimates, around 1% of the material in archives and libraries around the world is fully or partially encrypted. Some of the earliest known ciphers date back to Ancient Greece and Rome.

Decoys, dead languages and bad handwriting

Together, coded historic documents conceal diplomatic intelligence, the rituals of secret societies, medical knowledge, love affairs or everyday details that people wanted to keep secret. This is information currently missing from historical narratives. In some cases, decoding these documents has the potential to rewrite what we know about a famous individual or an entire period of history. (One recent cipher to do this were a collection of coded letters that were found to have been written by Mary Queen of Scots during her long imprisonment in England. They revealed her involvement in plots to regain her throne and her tense relationship with her son, James VI of Scotland and future King James I of England.)

Historic ciphers can be relatively simple: the Borg cipher, for example, uses a simple substitution cipher, meaning that each symbol was swapped with a single Roman letter to hide what was written. Others, however, can be difficult to unravel. In some cases, nothing is known about the original language the uncoded text was written in. Extra, meaningless symbols can also be inserted as a decoy to throw off anyone hoping to snoop on the text. In other cases, several signs can be used to represent the same letter.

This can mean a huge amount of work – often involving trial and error – to decode even a small amount of text. It took Cecile Pierrot, a cryptologist at the French National Institute for Computer Science Research (INRIA) in Nancy, France, and her colleagues six months to gradually unravel the key to a 500-year-old letter from Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain, that had been written using 120 different cipher symbols across three pages. (The decrypted letter revealed Charles V – one of the most powerful men of his time – undone by fear of a plot to kill him. The king was terrified that an Italian mercenary warlord serving the French king, Francis I, was about to assassinate him.)

Before code-breaking can begin, researchers must first painstakingly transform a handwritten cipher into a digital document that can be fed into code-cracking software. Bad handwriting and fading of the ink can make this task even harder.

Pierrot says it typically takes her a day just to transcribe a two-page letter containing symbols that are unfamiliar to her.

How AI is helping speed-read secrets

But AI is starting to speed up the process. Michelle Waldispühl, a professor of German linguistics at the University of Oslo in Norway and her colleagues, recently used an online AI platform called Transkribus to transcribe a secret letter written by nobleman Sigismund Heusner von Wandersleben to the Swedish Lord High Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna in 1637 at the height of the 30 Years' War, a religious conflict that would ultimately claim millions of lives and devastate huge swathes of Europe.

The tool has been trained on various languages, scripts and handwriting styles that cover several centuries. After the image of a document is uploaded to the system, the AI detects blocks of texts and individual lines before scanning the whole text character by character to turn it into a digital form.

Although some manual corrections were needed, the tool worked quite well on Von Wandersleben's letter as it was only partly encrypted using numbers separated by dots that were neatly written with clear spaces between them. Other parts were not coded and simply written in 17th-Century German script.

Existing AI transcription platforms often struggle when manuscripts are encrypted with unusual characters, such as invented signs, astrological symbols or numbers that are written in an odd way. But Megyesi, Waldispühl and their colleagues are developing their own AI tool to turn handwritten historical texts with obscure symbols or scripts into machine-readable documents as part of the multinational Descrypt project.

"We are developing more adaptable models trained and tested across a broad range of scripts, alphabets and symbolic repertoires," says Megyesi.

Once a secret document has been transcribed, the detective work can begin. At the moment, cryptologists often use specially designed non-AI computer software to help with the task which harnesses algorithms to try to determine what cipher was used and break the code. Simple ciphers can often be cracked by analysing the frequency of symbols used and matching them to letters of the alphabet that appear at the same rate in a language. In English, for example, the letter E is the most common while Z, Q and X are the least frequent.

But in Von Wandersleben's letter from the frontlines of the 30 Years' War, for example, he used up to eight different symbols to represent the letter E. It meant trial and error, as well as Waldispühl's knowledge of old German, was needed to gradually unpick the code.

"It was very much back and forth between the machine and the human validator," says Waldispühl. "Maybe at some point AI can do it completely independently."

Hidden behind the cipher were Von Wandersleben's warnings about the threat posed by factions of Sweden's protestant allies in the war. He told Oxenstierna that he had been forced to make strategic retreats from the conflict after being told about a conspiracy among his allies, including Lord Franz Heinrich of Saxony.

Reopening cold case codes

Megyesi and her team are now exploring how AI could skip the transcription stage all together, simply by analysing photos of the pages to decipher secret messages. They recently showed how the approach could work for simple codes, where every letter is replaced by a single symbol.

They tested the system on a 105-page manuscript they had already decoded, known as the Copiale cipher, which details the rituals, rules and ideals of an 18th-Century German secret society. By training the AI on generic handwriting, followed by images of specific lines from the cipher and the corresponding, decoded German text, the system was able to accurately decipher parts of the text it hadn't seen before.

Such a system could especially be useful when the underlying language of a cipher is unknown.

"This opens up exciting possibilities for rare and non-standard writing systems," says Megyesi. "The ultimate goal is to combine transcription and decipherment in one single step."

Waldispühl and her colleagues in the Descrypt project have been scouring old archives in search of cipher scripts to compile into a database. This could prove vital as a way of gathering sufficient data to train an AI capable of cracking codes. Large language models that underpin AI chatbots such as ChatGPT are trained on trillions of words from books, articles and websites. Finding equivalent amounts of data for code cracking is challenging.

Amongst the material they have collected are 400 mysterious postcards written in cipher script from the late 1800s to early 1900s. The few scraps decoded so far reveal some of these to be love letters written in German.

Megyesi's team have used their work to create an AI chatbot-style tool that combines transcription and decryption in a single step. The chatbot combines algorithms for decryption trained on pairs of cipher characters and the text they represent with large language models trained on historical texts from different time periods to help provide clues about a code. Image recognition algorithms, trained on annotated handwriting, are also being incorporated. The AI tool will also be able to improve itself by incorporating corrections from experts that use it.

The idea would be that researchers, or even the public, could give the chatbot a coded, historical text and have it reveal what is written.

When the researchers tested their AI chatbot with the Borg cipher, Megyesi and her colleagues found it could translate and decode a 500 symbol extract in a little over 29 minutes. It even provided an English translation. It also documented the process and explained why the solution was plausible. This is important to make sure that the AI is not hallucinating or inventing interpretations.

The team also recently tested the system with two other ciphers they had previously decoded which represent different time periods, languages, types of secret codes and levels of complexity. It quickly decrypted them too, showing that it is capable of tackling a range of ciphers.

"AI helps most with scale, speed, pattern discovery and integration of tasks," says Megyesi.

Such AI tools could be key to cracking historical ciphers that have been elusive to date. They will also help with ancient texts written in alphabets that nobody can read today. The 4,000 year old Phaistos Disc from Crete, for example, remains undeciphered as does the early Greek language "Linear A".

"What excites me is not only the possibility of solving one specific historical puzzle, but the prospect of creating methods that can assist researchers across many different cases," says Megyesi.

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'Controversial' North Korean invasion setting for next Call of Duty game

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9q391y5088o, yesterday

The next Call of Duty game has been revealed, with much of the reaction focused on its campaign set around a fictional renewed conflict on the Korean Peninsula.

Modern Warfare 4, due out 23 October, partly follows South Korean soldiers battling a full-scale North Korean invasion.

Dr Sarah Son, Senior Lecturer in Korean Studies at the University of Sheffield, said the move "could be controversial" as it "turns still-unresolved war into entertainment". Some Koreans reacted more positively, with one calling Korea's inclusion in one of gaming's biggest franchises a "symbolic moment".

Developer Infinity Ward said the game will be "grounded in the military authenticity Modern Warfare is known for".

The game will launch on current-generation consoles, PC and Nintendo Switch 2, marking the first mainline Call of Duty to skip PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

The game's trailer, which has already been viewed almost 22 million times within a day of release, focuses on a group of young South Korean conscripts on what appears to be a routine patrol, before a missile attack from North Korea throws them into full-scale war.

Players will also get to play once again as fan-favourite Captain Price, who will appear in different missions in several cities alongside the Korean campaign.

The release of any Call of Duty game is a global cultural event and posts about the latest version have amassed more than three million interactions within 24 hours of the announcement across Instagram, TikTok, X and Facebook.

Among them, some Koreans reacting to the setting have embraced Infinity Ward's decision to tell the story from the perspective of ordinary South Korean soldiers caught up in the conflict.

"The soldiers' faces and the atmosphere of the locations all have that familiar Korean feel, so I'm genuinely excited," said one.

"When I heard the rumour that the ROK Army would be in it, my immediate reaction was 'obviously just an extra...'," posted another.

"Then I heard they're not just present but one of the playable protagonists? And not even special forces, handled from the perspective of an ordinary conscripted soldier, that's what gets me."

Beyond the setting, Infinity Ward announced significant changes to gameplay, including revamped movement mechanics and more interactive environments.

The studio is also overhauling DMZ, its extraction-style multiplayer mode, and introducing a new 'Frontlines' system designed to make battles feel more dynamic and reactive.

Previous controversies

Modern Warfare has previously courted controversy through storylines inspired by real-world events and conflicts.

Missions such as "No Russian", where players had the option to shoot civilians in an airport in Moscow, and later depictions of war crimes and terrorism have prompted debate about how far games should go in portraying realistic warfare.

Dr Son said while the idea of a renewed inter-Korean conflict is "not unheard of" in Korean popular culture, these stories were often told "from a South Korean perspective".

"A global gaming franchise might be judged differently," she said.

The Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty in 1953, meaning North and South Korea remain technically at war.

George Osborn, author of "Power Play: Video Games, Politics and the Battle for Global Influence" told the BBC the setting was "likely to attract scrutiny" in the territory and pointed to previous games, such as Homefront, which depicted a unified Korea under northern control and which had received bans in South Korea.

"The studio will have to show that it has handled possible conflict in the country with great care, or face significant backlash – and possible challenges selling the game – in South Korea specifically," he added.

How my brother went from liberal Hollywood actor to manosphere 'messiah'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjwppxwxpg1o, 3 days ago

Warning: This story contains offensive language

Ten years ago Luis Castilleja was a free-wheeling creative, seeking his fortune as an actor in Hollywood, and enjoying the liberal Los Angeles lifestyle. Now he is better known as El Temach, Latin America's biggest manosphere influencer, whose misogynistic and hyper-masculine content has gained him more than 11 million social media followers.

His sister Alex says his transformation is shocking and they no longer speak.

"I don't like saying El Temach because for me he's a completely different person. So I'm sister with the human that he was," she says.

Alex, a design engineer from Mexico, says her brother's metamorphosis shows how even the most unlikely people can be tempted into making manosphere content, once they realise the money and fame to be made.

The impact of Western influencers such as Andrew Tate has been well documented. But a BBC World Service investigation has scrutinised the content and followings of 15 other influencers - based in South and East Asia, Latin America and Africa - and found that, on average, their followings have tripled in the past three years. These regions have seen relatively recent gains in gender equality, and experts say this environment is fuelling men's hunger for manosphere content.

As well as El Temach, our investigation also focused on Andrew Kibe - a household name in Kenya who promotes male self-empowerment and misogyny on social media. Both have repeatedly attacked single mothers, and regularly accuse women of being "gold diggers" who manipulate men.

Both influencers, we found, are earning large sums of money from their platforms.

El Temach and Kibe both strongly deny their content is misogynistic, with Kibe - in an interview with the BBC - even disputing the existence of the concept.

We wanted to see the impact this content has on consumers. Two Gen Z followers - one in Kenya and one in Mexico - gave the BBC uncensored access to several years of their social media activity, allowing us to see thousands of their posts, views, likes, comments and shares.

The data reveals their personal journeys into the manosphere.

Mexican Julián first started using Instagram aged 16, liking and commenting on content about cars, fitness and self-development. His history shows that he first liked a video from El Temach a few months later, after it appeared in his recommended feeds.

Now 19, he has so far liked more than 3,000 videos from dozens of manosphere creators. Julián told the BBC he felt "feminism has made men's problems invisible".

Listen to the podcast here, and outside the UK, you can watch the film on YouTube

That sentiment is a key tenet of El Temach's messaging - but he did not always hold these views, according to his sister Alex.

He grew up wanting to be a performer, she says, and after studying theatre in Mexico City, moved to LA to pursue his dream of becoming an actor.

But he returned home a couple of years later, she says, after a break-up and failure to book regular work. These setbacks motivated him to help other young men navigate difficult experiences, she says, and he began in 2020 to post content focused on male self-development.

"I think at the beginning it was very noble how he wanted to help other men to feel worthy and valuable, and that's how he started," Alex says.

But this quickly "twisted" into something else. "He got this Messiah complex, like he's the one that has to fix [men's issues]," she tells us.

And she says he soon began to blame women for the difficulties his male followers were navigating. She is not sure how far her brother actually believes the misogyny he espouses - and how much is just for social media likes and views.

"He believes some things - and others, he's just experimenting what works best with the algorithm."

Her brother admitted he was simply copying Andrew Tate, says Alex. "Tate was super big at that time, [and] since he saw it worked he just started pushing [his argument] further and further."

She says her brother's content soon became mirrored in his behaviour towards her.

"Anything I would express… was taken like a feminist belief… an affront to his persona."

The BBC asked El Temach to take part in our documentary. He initially agreed to speak to us, inviting us to film his world tour which began in the US, but just days before we were due to fly out, he went live on YouTube telling his followers he had no intention of participating.

"BBC and Miss Jacqui from the BBC, we don't need your permission to be men. Make your documentary, don't involve me or my bros. [Expletive] the BBC."

We nevertheless went to his show in Las Vegas, which was a mixture of self-improvement advice and sexist rhetoric, including advising his fans to avoid "sluts" because they will never change, and that single mothers are "not a good catch" because their status reflects poor life decisions and character flaws.

Afterwards, we tried to confront him about these statements, but his security blocked our way.

El Temach's earnings from content, including these shows, is sizeable. According to our analysis, from April 2025-26 El Temach made an estimated $1.5m (£1.1m) from social media views alone. He also made $200,000-300,000 (£149,000-£223,211) from YouTube "Super Chats" - in which fans pay to boost the prominence of their comments during livestreams, often asking for relationship advice - as well as $800 (£595) per person for small-group workshops. This is in addition to the money he made from merchandise and his regular stage shows.

His team told us they consider it "highly irresponsible to publish the estimated income of El Temach".

Kibe also monetises his popularity, selling merchandise and even a crypto coin. He told the BBC: "If anybody is really my fan, the only thing I tell them is make sure you send me M-Pesa [money via a Kenyan app]."

One group of men we spoke to outside El Temach's Las Vegas show told us what they liked about his content - that he encourages discipline, inspires them to find self-confidence, and acknowledges their problems.

"He focuses a lot on men as having been dismissed by society, and [the narrative that] women have, you know, been the stars of the show," says Dr Ali Siles, gender and masculinities researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

"He has this message of: 'You do matter, believe in yourself.'"

And this is what fan Julián says he likes about the influencer too. "The teaching that impacted me the most was about feeling confident."

Kenyan university student Ryan, who follows the videos of Andrew Kibe, says as a young man raised by a single mother, he views the influencer as a surrogate father figure.

Using analytical tools developed by the University of Queensland, we found Ryan had watched videos on TikTok from Kibe - whose hashtag has attracted more than 500 million views - after searching for terms such as "success", "self-improvement" and "masculinity tips with no father".

But Siles says manosphere content tends to come "at the expense of" women and other gender identities.

"It's very harmful to women's rights and development, because it's also trying to put them back in places a lot of them have been trying to get out of, with limited choices, with very stereotypical roles."

Julián's social media history shows how such messaging, in his case from El Temach, soon becomes mirrored by followers.

When Julián broke up with a girlfriend in late 2023, his interactions with manosphere content spiked and he began referring to women as "sluts" in his online comments, and praising subservience. "If you're a feminine and submissive woman, then perfect," he wrote in one post.

Julián says he regrets the tone of his past Instagram comments, but stands by their content.

Many of Julián's generation believe that feminism has come at the cost of men's rights, according to a recent global survey of 23,000 men and women by King's College London. More than half of Gen Z men - some 57% - agreed with the statement: "We have gone so far in promoting women's equality that we are discriminating against men."

It's a belief that manosphere influencers are tapping into. According to these influencers, "women are the problem," says Awino Okech, at The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London.

Their belief, says the professor of feminist and security studies, is "it's this gender equality thing that is leading to boys underperforming… It's gender equality that is leading to mental problems for men and boys."

These misleading narratives can have a real-world impact, we found.

Fernanda, a doctor from Mexico City, says her ex-partner, also a doctor, used El Temach's messaging to justify his controlling behaviour.

On what was to become the day they split up, she says he locked her in a room and forced her to watch videos made by El Temach for four hours.

"He kept saying: 'See? I'm not doing anything wrong… You're the one who's wrong.'"

She told us the situation that day escalated to the point where he threatened to kill her.

"His eyes were empty, he was acting purely on impulse. In that moment, I was really very afraid of what might happen to me."

Though she does not blame El Temach directly for her experience, Fernanda does believe this type of content has an effect on relationships in the real world.

"I think [my former partner] was already a sexist who was hiding it. But El Temach influenced him to no longer feel bad about it."

Alex, El Temach's sister, thinks her brother is in denial about the negative impact of his content.

"I think he knows what he's doing on some level. I think that he sees and realises that if he ever owns up to what he did, it'll destroy him."

She feels he has drifted from the path he was destined to follow, "into this weird dystopic hell and he's just this... violence robot".

"It's very sad."

The BBC asked El Temach to respond to our allegations that he promotes misogynistic content. His team responded to say they "categorically rejected the allegations and that they were unfounded and taken out of context".

Kibe, when challenged on his misogynistic content, denied this term applied to him and said: "No man hates a woman. We love you - we are like gods to you, worship us."

Are you stuck in the dating app burnout cycle?

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260526-its-not-just-you-dating-apps-have-a-burnout-problem, 4 days ago

Download, burnout, delete, repeat. Science says dating app users follow a predictable and dangerous pattern. These are the signs you're falling for it – and how to escape.

Two years ago, Fernanda R deleted the dating apps and swore she was done. Then her friends started pairing off with partners they met online, everyone telling the same hopeful stories. So, a few weeks ago, the 29-year-old international affairs advisor – who asked to withhold her last name – decided to try again and re-downloaded a few dating apps. "I thought maybe things would be different this time," Fernanda says. She was wrong.

Soon she was juggling multiple conversations, obsessively checking her phone, buckling under the constant pressure to be witty and interesting. "It just feels overwhelming," says Fernanda. "There's this invisible pressure. It starts to take away from your real friendships, your work."

The algorithm flooded her with people, but nothing clicked. Fernanda couldn't stop wondering what that said about her. She felt lonelier than she had in two years of being single.

Fernanda's story is one I've heard hundreds of times, and there's a name for it: dating app burnout. Research suggests apps may produce a recognisable pattern in their users, one that looks less like dating and more like effects of an unmanageably stressful job – exhaustion, cynicism and a creeping sense that nothing you do is working, and maybe the problem is you. Left alone, it gets worse. Studies link dating apps to higher rates of depression, anxiety and loneliness, with heavier costs on people who were already struggling beforehand.

"It seems as if the goals of the apps are fundamentally incongruent with the goals of users," says Liesel Sharabi, director of the Relationships and Technology Lab at Arizona State University in the US. If people were getting great recommendations and going on incredible dates, they’d be getting off the apps for good. "But that's not what's happening. People are just constantly cycling on and off."

If summer has you back online looking for love, you might be in that loop right now. The good news is once you recognise it, there are concrete steps you can take to protect yourself.

Are you trapped in the burnout cycle?

A 2024 study followed hundreds of dating apps users over the course of three months. "We ended up finding over time, people using dating apps were experiencing burnout across the board," Sharabi says. Which makes sense. If you're stuck on the app, you haven't found what you're looking for (unless you just want hookups). But the experience was far more severe than frustration.

The word "burnout" gets thrown around so much it's started to lose its meaning, but it has a more formal, psychological definition. The classic inventory measures burnout in three categories: emotional exhaustion, cynicism (or depersonalisation) and inefficiency.

Academics first described this phenomenon in high-pressure work environments, but research has extended it to other parts of life. According to Sharabi, you can see it in online daters.

Emotional exhaustion is simple: if swiping leaves you feeling unmotivated, defeated and tired, that could be a sign of burnout. You're experiencing cynicism and depersonalisation when the profiles blend together, Sharabi says, and interactions stop feeling human. Inefficiency, in this context, is a creeping conviction that nothing you do on the app is going to work, either because you're bad at it or there's something wrong with you.

"I started on the app feeling like I want to be respectful because at the end of the day, we're all just human beings," says Madeleine D, who works in marketing for a tech company and also requested to keep her full name off the record. "But the more time I spent, the more blind I became about it, like I didn't really care about these people. I hated that about myself, because the one thing I promised myself was that I would at least show decency and respect."

It's easy to write this off as the predictable grumbling of singles in their late 20s. Dating is hard, and bars aren't so great either. But research suggests something more serious.

Sharabi led a recent meta-analysis which aggregated 17 years' worth of studies covering about 26,000 people. The study found dating app users reported significantly worse psychological health than non-users, including depression, anxiety, emotional dysregulation, loneliness and psychological distress.

Those problems fell harder on people who join dating apps in worse shape to begin with. In theory, Sharabi says the apps are a lifeline for people who find dating hardest: those whose mental health issues make meeting partners in person more difficult. But Sharabi has found those users were the most likely to burn out, and faster. "Those people tended to be especially susceptible," Sharabi says. "It basically exacerbated some of the pre-existing difficulties they had."

The blame game

The dating app industry doesn't want its users burning out. "As society and daters’ needs continue to evolve, we remain committed to helping people make meaningful connections and turn those connections into great dates," a Hinge spokesperson tells the BBC. Hinge says the app is designed to stay in the background of your life, and the company focused on using feedback from daters to improve the experience.

"Dating has always kind of sucked, and I think it's really easy to blame the technology," Sharabi says. At the same time, she thinks the apps amplify the misery in specific ways.

One is gamification. Dating apps are built around fast, frictionless gestures and inconsistent rewards. Many complain the structure is more like a slot machine than courtship, and users can get stuck pulling the lever long after the fun wears off. "The swiping gives you a high," says Karen Cornejo, an office administrator in Los Angeles. "And then everything else just doesn't." By the time a match actually wants to meet, the rush is gone. "I'm not even interested at that point anymore," Cornejo says, and the process leaves her feeling flat.

Dallas Koelling, a writer and comedian in Brooklyn who has gone on and off a couple of apps for years, puts it more bluntly: "Getting the notification that I've gotten a like on Hinge feels like being threatened with a gun."

Then there's the hidden labour. "If you lived in, like, Shakespeare's England, you might never even meet the amount of people who you see in one day swiping on Hinge," Koelling says. Dating apps dramatically expand the pool of potential partners. That's what makes them great, in fact, but the abundance can turn dating into work.

"It feels like a second full-time job that I have to do on my lunch break or after work," Madeleine says. "I don't want to be glued to my phone. And for social media, I've gotten a lot better at putting it down. But with dating, there's this feeling that the next person you swipe on could be the person you end up marrying. There's this endless hope that it feels like dating apps prey on."

The bottomless sea of faces also contributes to the feelings of burnout, Sharabi says, especially because a profile can only tell you so much. "You get trapped in an endless cycle of profile to dead-end conversation to dead-end date, and then you're right back where you started," she says.

On top of all that, the structural tension is hard to ignore. Dating apps really do want users to find matches. We'd all stop using them if that never happened. But they're also a business, one that makes almost all its money on subscriptions and paid features, which means they lose money if people quit. For years, dating app users have been telling me they feel manipulated, and that apps withhold the best matches and exploit their emotions to keep them tapping and swiping. (Dating app companies categorically deny this. But the algorithms that run them are a mystery.)

In 2024, a class-action lawsuit accused Match Group – the giant conglomerate that owns Tinder, Hinge and many other popular dating apps – of designing its apps to be addictive and profiting from compulsive use rather than from helping people find partners. Match Group dismissed the claims as "ridiculous". The case was later sent to arbitration. (Match Group did not respond to a request for comment).

"The vast majority of our work focuses on improving the free experience on Hinge, with less than 15% of our community using paid features," a Hinge spokesperson says. "Ultimately, our success depends on people having positive experiences on the app, meeting someone meaningful, and ultimately recommending Hinge to others.”

Four ways to break the burnout cycle

The apps are designed to keep users swiping, and when unchecked, swiping is what wears people down. But Sharabi says there are some simple steps you can follow to avoid the symptoms of burnout and keep your mental health in check.

1. First, don't make the apps your only outlet.

"I never discourage people from using them," Sharabi says. "But they shouldn't be the only way you're trying to meet people, and that takes some of the pressure off." Join a run club, ask a friend to set you up and put yourself in rooms where you might meet someone the old-fashioned way. That way a discouraging conversation on an app isn't the only thing your week is riding on.

2. Swipe with intention.

Mindless swiping can swallow hours and leave you with nothing to show for it. Sharabi recommends treating the apps the way some people now treat social media. "Say I'm going to look at the app for this amount of time, this many times a week, and I'm done," she says. Notice your mood and stop before the exhaustion sets in, so you end each session energised rather than hollowed out.

3. Lean on your friends.

Burnout thrives in isolation, and much of the swiping that produces it happens alone. Researchers who study burnout have long found that social support cushions the blow; talking through the ups and downs with people who know you can keep a bad week from becoming a bad spiral.

4. Know when to quit.

Dating can be discouraging, but if the apps are eroding your optimism, and you put down your phone feeling like you're never going to find someone, that's the signal to step away entirely. "All of those things could be a sign that maybe you should just take a total break," Sharabi says.

More like this:

• The spy in your driveway: How cars sell your data

• Your phone's blue light isn't ruining your sleep

• Google's AI is being manipulated. The search giant is fighting back

There are signs the dating app business is aware of these concerns. The industry could be in trouble. Paid subscribers are dropping like flies, and there's some indication that younger people are keen to find love offline. Battered by what executives call "swipe fatigue", dating apps are working to reinvent themselves.

Bumble is abandoning the swipe altogether, joining Hinge and Tinder in a new embrace of more AI-driven matchmaking. Tinder's CEO recently announced plans to embrace in-person events in an effort to reshape the app. A Hinge spokesperson says creating a "less lonely world" is the company's core mission, and it's working to create supportive communal spaces online and off. Whether any of it works, or whether it's just a fresh way to keep people tapping, remains to be seen.

For now, people caught in the cycle are left to manage it themselves. Madeleine is staying off the apps for now, though she doesn't expect it to last. In a world where so many relationships begin online, opting out can feel like opting out of romance entirely. "I doubt this will be more than a break," she says. "But dating can be fun, when you remove how seriously some people take it." Then, after a beat: "I just wish we had a better way to do this."

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Google's AI is being manipulated. The search giant is quietly fighting back

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260519-google-tackles-attempts-to-hack-its-ai-results, 10 days ago

A BBC investigation revealed a simple way AI chatbots are being made to spit out misinformation to the public. Google and other AI companies are now trying to fix the problem.

I did something stupid back in February. I heard there was an easy way to poison AI chatbots and make them spread lies on your behalf. After some digging, I learned unscrupulous companies are abusing the problem on a massive scale. So I decided to try it myself.

We uncovered examples where ChatGPT, Gemini and the AI Overviews at the top of Google Search were being manipulated to dole out biased answers on topics as serious as your health and personal finances. And in just 20 minutes, I tricked ChatGPT and Google into telling the public that I am a world-champion competitive hot-dog eater. The joke was dumb. The problem is serious.

But the gimmick worked. Our investigation and the work of researchers who've been monitoring this issue sparked widespread criticism. Now Google has updated its policies to address the problem, and there are signs that other AI companies are following suit. Ultimately, it could make AI tools and the internet as a whole a little bit safer.

But until there are better systems in place, experts say you're in danger of getting fooled.

"You should assume that you're being manipulated until they have better systems in place," says Lily Ray, founder of the search engine optimisation (SEO) and AI search consultancy Algorythmic. "We're moving towards this 'one true answer' world. Before, Google would give you 10 blue links and you would kind of do your own research. But AI just gives you one answer. It becomes so easy to just take things at face value. You need to be careful."

Google tells me that its policy update is just a "clarification" of the efforts it has been making for a while. "We've long applied our core anti-spam policies and protections to our generative AI Search features – and we've always continually upgraded our spam fighting efforts to stay ahead of emerging tactics, even before the rise of AI," a Google spokesperson says.

Essentially, Google says it hasn't changed a thing. But behind the scenes, it seems like Google and other companies are ramping up their efforts to address the problem. Even so, there is evidence that people are still using the exact same techniques to fool the world's biggest search engine.

The problem

Typically, when you ask a chatbot a question, the AI generates a response based on the data built into the model. But sometimes, tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Google's various AI products search the internet for an answer. And that's where this problem happens.

According to Ray and other search engine experts, AI tools often throw up information from a single web page or social media post. This leaves these systems vulnerable to bogus information.

And it turns out manipulating what chatbots tell the public can be as simple as publishing one, well-crafted blogpost almost anywhere online. People figured this out and quickly identified a money-making opportunity.

I was able to demonstrate the problem by publishing a single article on my personal website about my hot-dog-eating prowess. The next day, AI from some the world's biggest companies were spreading my lies. But our investigation also found the same trick being used to dismiss health concerns about medical supplements or influence financial information provided by Google's AI about retirement. Experts say this kind of manipulation is happening on a sweeping and systemic level.

Biased or inaccurate information like this can also lead you to make bad decisions. It can influence how you might vote or which plumber you hire.

"At the most basic level, the concern is the economic impact," says Harpreet Chatha, who runs the SEO consultancy Harps Digital. "At a more serious level, you might take medical advice that makes you sicker than you were before. Legally, you might get bad information and do something that is not legal in your state or your country."

A solution?

This is not an insignificant problem. Globally, more than a billion people use AI chatbots regularly and 2.5 billion see Google's AI overviews each month. If you can subvert a tool like that, it gives you immense power.

But it seems Google and other companies are finally waking up to the problem.

Last week, Google updated its spam policies to officially confirm that attempts to manipulate AI responses are against the company's rules. It may sound like a small change, but it signals that Google is pro-actively looking for those who try to abuse the system and sending them a threat. If a company or website is caught breaking the rules, it could be removed from or downranked in Google's search results. And if you're not on Google, it's like you don't exist.

Google says that I'm getting this wrong and nothing has changed. "The edit to our spam policy language last week was a clarification, not any change in approach," says Google's spokesperson.

Indeed, Google detailed it's anti-spam AI efforts in 2025. But I did my hot dog experiment almost a year later, so clearly those efforts weren't working. And just this week, Ray pulled the same stunt and made Google tell people a fellow SEO specialist is good at building sandcastles.

Ray and Chatha also say they've noticed some significant changes in recent months that indicate Google and other companies are experimenting with solutions.

For example, Ray says it looks like Google and ChatGPT might be quietly removing companies from its AI answers when it suspects they're promoting themselves. "So if you publish a list where you say you're the greatest hot-dog-eater, they're not going to include your name," says Ray. "They might still cite your article, but you're going to be removed from consideration."

I've personally noticed some examples where Google and other AI tools are adding more labels to their responses, letting you know that the chatbot isn't confident about its answers. Others have also noted that ChatGPT and Claude, an AI made by the company Anthropic, have started telling you explicitly that they're trying to root out spam in responses to some queries. Ray says she's noticed Google adding more caveats, recommending that you go look at third-party reviews when you ask questions related to some purchasing decisions.

None of these companies would acknowledge these changes when I asked them. OpenAI and Anthropic declined to comment. Google's spokesperson didn't respond to my questions on this.

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• Is Google about to destroy the Web?

• The ghosts of India's TikTok

• People are selling your address online - this privacy tool will help

Regardless, Chatha is sceptical changes like these will be enough. "Google is playing whack-a-mole," he says. "They're announcing [the policy update] to deter people, but the tactics will just move."

He's already seeing it happen. As Google cracks down on manipulative blog posts, companies are finding subtler ways of promoting themselves. "You can give a company a penalty for their website," he says, "but there's nothing stopping them from paying 20 YouTube influencers to say their product is the best." And now, Google's AI is citing YouTube videos. The cycle continues.

For the time being, the manipulators are likely to stay one step ahead. Ray says the best defence is to remember what AI actually is: a tool that confidently gives you one answer, whether it's right or wrong. Just because it looks like a giant tech company is speaking to you instead of some random website doesn't mean you should have faith.

Update: This article was originally published on 20 May 2026 and updated on 21 May 2026 with more details on Google's sandcastle misinformation episode.

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We can now track animal panic from space. Here's why it matters

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260521-tracking-animal-panic-from-space, 8 days ago

After decades of development, wildlife surveillance has finally come of age. The new Icarus satellite is tracking signals hidden in animal behaviour – which could save the lives of cheetahs, rhinos and elephants.

On a blustery morning at the start of Namibia's winter, a pickup truck idles to a halt on the edge of Okambara Elephant Lodge, a private wildlife reserve 100 miles (161 km) from the capital of Windhoek. Two women and two men – one armed with a rifle – step out onto the red soil.

Throughout June, Okambara is a bone-dry expanse of thorny trees and shrubs. Although the Sun is shining, cool winds keep the park's animals vigilant, as the wildebeest, zebras and giraffes sniff out scents on the breeze, which could alert them to danger now moving through the bush. Yet the skilled intruders remain hidden downwind.

As the hunters close in on the game, the rifle lefts out a boom. Fear jolts through each species: springbok bounce, skittish zebra break into gallop, and the wildebeest turn and race, some not stopping for hundreds of metres, as they barrel away from danger into Okambara's wide-open salt plains.

Scientists are now able to study these signals written in animal panic thanks to a new satellite system, named Icarus, which is tracking animal movement and behaviour on an unprecedented scale from space. By monitoring how animals react to the presence of human intruders, conservationists hope to pinpoint and crack down on poachers.

Patterns of panic

Over three days in mid-2024, the intruders in Okambara make around 30 of these salvoes – all captured through the lens of an unmanned drone that hovers overhead. From this sky view, the rapid dispersal plays out, again and again, with animals tracing out signature patterns of panic and withdrawal.

The team of hunters fires dozens of rounds and the game scatters, except for the giraffes, which usually remain impassive and calmly look on from their raised vantage point. Yet by the week's end, not a single victim has fallen to the hunter's gun. That's because, unlike the poachers who have killed hundreds of rhinos in southern Africa, this hunting party is not here for slaughter. Instead, today's team are scientists doing their best to simulate the arrival of a deadly threat.

The armed interlopers – an ornithologist, an expert game hunter, and two wildlife researchers – are part of an experiment to develop a real-time tracking system that could save the lives of Africa's most trafficked animals. By recording the distinctive patterns traced by different species as they react to a hunter, the team ultimately aims to train an algorithm that can send out a warning alarm to rangers.

These warning systems are still in development at nature reserves – but the recent launch of a wildlife tracking satellite, dubbed the "Internet of Animals", aims to link up a truly global system of real-time alerts.

Okambara, a flat 169 sq km (66 sq miles) reserve, has become the "perfect site to test the system," says Sierra Jane Mattingly, an ecologist at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany. Here, 5% of all large animals have been fitted with GPS tags that continually monitor their location. But the real goal is to help wildlife in the most precarious places worldwide.

The lessons learned here are helping in the battle with poachers in national parks in South Africa – home to the world's largest rhino population – and aims to safeguard the free-roaming wildlife populations in currently unmonitored places like the Congo Basin.

The project is the realisation of a long-held dream of Martin Wikelski, the ornithologist on hand in Okambara. Wikelski, a world-leading movement ecologist who heads the Max Planck Institute, hopes to tag 100,000 animals across the planet by 2030, with the goal of understanding the signals hidden in animal behaviour. As they beam out their movements to receiver towers or satellites, animals can collectively act as "sentinels" to protect rare giants like rhinos, he explains.

"We have the other animals protecting the rhinos because they tell us when the butchers are coming," Wikelski says, standing behind a model of a satellite, named Icarus, during a Whitley Award conservation conference in London, shortly before the project launched in November.

With the addition of small ear-mounted tags, rhinos' competitors and nearby carnivores are turned into their protectors, making allies of cheetahs, zebras and giraffes – arguably the perfect sentinels because rows of the long-necked animals will often remain still and observe threats from a safe distance, with their heads all pointing in the direction of poachers, he says. "So we know where the butcher is."

Smart watches for wildlife

This grand vision of wildlife connected through network technology is all made possible by tiny pieces of electronics that thousands of animals now carry. Wildlife tags are becoming miniature marvels, says Timm Wild, an electrical engineer at Max Planck. Some can track not only GPS position but their wearer's activity, heart rate and body heat, as well as operating a mobile sensor taking readings of surrounding temperature and atmospheric pressure.

Today's tags are tiny enough to be carried by birds or even butterflies, like the rice-grain-sized chip developed by New Jersey-based Cellular Tracking Technologies to track monarchs as they migrate thousands of miles across North America. Wild explains that the cutting-edge sensors are powered by supercapacitors – long-lasting, easily rechargeable alternatives to batteries – meaning they could allow us to see where long-lived species spend each day of their lives. "Lifetime tracking is a challenge that is partly solved now," Wild says excitedly.

Each of these innovations overcomes a major drawback of a technology that has been around for decades. Animal tags were first used in 1970, when researchers in Wyoming fitted an elk named Monique with a 10kg (22lb) satellite collar, which broadcast an analogue VHF signal. In the decades that followed similar tags beamed new discoveries about ungulate migrations and whale journeys. But these heavy, old tags remain restrictive and have low accuracy. Nearly four decades later, they were still too heavy for 75% of birds and mammals.

Wild, an electrical engineer for carmakers like Daimler and Mitsubishi, began working with wildlife in 2019, and was surprised to see how primitive the tech being used in scientific research was. Digital "Internet of Things" sensors had taken off in the previous decade, fuelled by the rise of consumer technologies. Tracking devices could be precision-measured to centimetre scale and intelligent tracking systems could work out where they were located even when satellite connection was not possible, such as when a car following GPS turns into a tunnel or a blind spot between skyscrapers.

"If you put that technology on a bird or a monkey, you suddenly can see where in the tree they sit and what they actually eat," Wild says.

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Computing in the mud

Wild's team of about a dozen at Max Planck aimed to close the "huge gaps" between the tech available in consumer electronics and in the field.

Okambara is a good example of the limitations of today's tech. The current system can transmit 12-byte packages of data about every 10 minutes to a transmitter in the middle of the park. During the poaching simulations, researchers saw isolated GPS points and needed the drone to fill in the rest of the story.

Transmitting data back from the far corners of the Earth is a major challenge, Wild says, and heavier tags and bigger batteries are needed to incorporate more memory. His team are working on each of these challenges: "We develop our own prototypes: our own hardware, own software, own 3D printable housings," he says.

But, for now, newer tags are finding work-arounds that condense raw data into useable insights before transmitting. While some have called this "artificial intelligence on tag", Wild says that's a stretch: "It's like a very, very basic algorithm" that can tell us if a bird has hit a rainstorm or emerged into the sun.

These kinds of real-time notices are especially valuable in conservation, says Mattingly, for example telling us if a particular animal is hunting or resting. "That is great because we can very clearly see if an animal is dead or not," she says. Projects like Okambara tag both ears to avoid false alarms, as wild animals are continually finding new ways to knock off a tag or crush a tag. But if both ear tags are not moving, they send out a "mortality notice" that alerts a ranger to check on them.

This kind of processing means that tags are now equipped with a level of "situational awareness" about what's normal and not normal for that animal, says Wild. "For example, we have a lot of data collected about how a zebra normally behaves. Now suddenly it behaves outside of this usual movement pattern – we can very quickly detect if it's, for example, sick or if it's injured – and then hopefully help the animal."

Computing in the mud

This approach has been trialled at Kruger National Park in South Africa, where it has helped rangers to pinpoint wild dogs caught in snares. Out of the 400 wild dogs in the park, some 80 have been freed from snares, showing a major impact on the population, says Louis van Schalkwyk, a wildlife veterinarian based at Kruger, who leads the tricky work of putting tags on wild animals there.

The biggest goal is safeguarding Kruger's 3,000 rhinos. More than 10,000 rhinos have been poached in South Africa over the last 15 years, according to the International Rhino Foundation. Kruger has long been the species biggest single stronghold but 175 rhinos were killed by poachers in 2025.

"In Kruger, I think the challenge is that it's a huge place," says van Schalkwyk. Spanning 19,485 sq km (7,523 sq miles), about the size of Israel, it requires more than 30 of the receiver towers in Okambara, and orders of magnitude more tagged animals to get the same sentinel effect.

Kruger has deployed about 3,000 ear tags on 1,500 rhinos, antelopes, zebras, kudu, oryx and elephants. Van Schalkwyk hopes to build a better "conservation dashboard" by integrating alerts with Earth Ranger, a mapping system that already shows tagged animals and rangers on foot, truck and helicopter.

Currently, tags remain better at providing retrospective data than live updates, he explains. When rhinos have been poached, it can give an indication of the moments leading up to the attack, such as where the attackers had arrived from. "When it works, it's incredible," he says.

He's confident the poacher system will get there but in Kruger it's not yet a tool that rangers can use every day. "We don't have an alarm going off here saying there's 10 zebras telling us there's someone walking in the bush," he says.

A lot of things have to work perfectly together for this to happen: "You have to have perfect coverage. You have to have a really good antenna on a very tiny device, which is really tricky". Then you have to attach it all safely to the ear of "an animal that loves mud and dirt".

The 'Internet of Animals'

In late November, Wikelski was nervously preparing for the launch of a satellite that could change the scope of wildlife tracking once again – extending it from a handful of parks to a truly global project. While analogue sensors have communicated basic information with satellites for decades, precise digital tags are usually limited to ground connections. By mid 2027, Max Planck's Icarus project aims to have six receivers in orbit, making it possible to receive real-time data on animal movements across the planet. Wikelski dubbed the system the "Internet of Animals".

The first is launching as part of a €70m ($83m) EU-backed fleet of small scientific satellites, serving as a "laboratory in orbit". Wikelski was stuck waiting all November for the green light from SpaceX to launch the initial Icarus probe into orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Santa Barbara, California.

By the end of the month, he'd endured weeks of false-starts, with four last-minute reschedules, as the US government shutdown resulted in shortages of flight controllers. It felt like being a kid on Christmas Eve, he says, rushing around willing the time to come, "and maybe by 14:00 or 15:00, you're done," he laughs. "It's stupid."

At 10:44, the condensation-covered pencil-like Falcon 9 rocket erupted from the launch pad, rising on a column of fire and carrying the satellite into orbit. After the years of waiting the whole thing was over in a flash, he says. "Maybe two or three hours afterwards, we already had the confirmation that the satellite is on the right orbit, is communicating, which is really the only thing a satellite has to do." In May, Icarus launched a second system into orbit – the microsatellite "Raven". Following a few months of testing, the system will begin receiving data from animals' tags this summer.

For animal tracking, the shift from land-based receivers to satellite systems will be like the shift from landlines to mobile phones, Wikelski says. It's unlikely to solve Okambara's data bottleneck any time soon.

"I think the biggest impact will be outside of those areas," Wikelski estimates, in places like the Congo Basin and the Amazon, where animals with large ranges have to navigate wildlife reserves, roads, farms and human settlements. We now have a way to answer questions about the fate of migratory birds and elusive creatures like jaguars, tigers and snow leopards, he says. "What do they need? What else do they need during climate change? Are they going back to certain refugia?"

The core, "absolute key" questions like "where are wild animals living and dying?" have always appeared unanswerable, he says. "People have somehow accepted 'Oh, we will never know that,'" Wikelski says. "We can finally do it."

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TikTok urban exploring trend leads to warning

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy027vq2q58o, today

Residents have been warned about serious dangers and legal consequences of urban exploring after the rise of a TikTok trend of visiting vacant buildings.

West Northamptonshire Council, Northamptonshire Police and Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service said there has been an increase in young people visiting derelict buildings.

They said unlawfully entering closed or unsafe buildings and sharing videos of their activities on social media platforms could present a real risk of serious injury or even death.

Charlie Hastie, cabinet member for housing and communities at the council, said: "While urban exploring may appear exciting, the reality is that these buildings are extremely dangerous and often structurally unsound."

Urban exploring and posting about it on social media has been a trend for several years.

The new wave has been taken over by children inspired by the popularity of the genre on TikTok.

A spokesperson from West Northamptonshire Council said: "Online comment sections often include requests for directions or tips on how to gain entry, further increasing the risk to more people.

"Entering these buildings without permission is a criminal offence and may result in prosecution.

"In some areas, individuals may also be breaching a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), which is in place to address antisocial behaviour and prohibits unauthorised access."

In 2019, hundreds of checks on sewers were carried out to combat urban exploring, after four teenagers became trapped underground, a water company said.

The boys, all aged 16, were pulled from a manhole in Northampton after getting lost.

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How a 19th Century visionary helped shape Sheffield's green spaces today

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgzqx0r4qwo, today

"The amazing thing is, he was the predecessor of Amazon and online sales because he realised you could sell things through a catalogue."

Prof Ian Rotherham is talking about his hero John George Graves - entrepreneur, philanthropist and Sheffield's 19th Century answer to Jeff Bezos.

Known as J.G. Graves, his name lives on throughout the city with art galleries, buildings and a charitable trust.

He also made gifts of land which became much-loved parks but one of the largest plots he donated was Graves Park at Norton which celebrates its centenary this weekend.

Graves sold goods by mail order and was one of the first entrepreneurs to allow customers to buy with credit. By 1903, he employed 3,000 people and sold his goods nationwide in catalogues.

Prof Rotherham, a biocultural and wildlife academic, says Graves was "incredibly enlightened".

"He was playing on a global stage and was incredibly successful but the thing that really makes him my hero is he put back into the city for the people.

"He wanted to see a green belt around Sheffield before this was ever thought of as a planning policy.

"He worked to protect the green fringes, the golden frame of the dirty industrial city, and he wanted to stop housing and industrial development spoiling the green areas."

By the early 1900s, Norton was still in Derbyshire and was a green rural parish compared to the dirty, industrial town of Woodseats, which had horrendous air pollution and acid rain.

Prof Rotherham says Graves stepped in and bought the land at Graves Park to ensure the hospital at Norton Hall would remain pollution-free.

"New housing was burning slack coal with a huge amount of pollution and he acquired land to stop that, not only in Graves Park but also Ecclesall and Concord Park.

"He put his money where his mouth was. It was very enlightened, very forward thinking and absolutely fantastic. It's hard to comprehend 100 years ago that if he hadn't bought that land, it could have been housing."

Graves grew up in Lincolnshire but fell in love with Sheffield after moving to the city aged 15 to become an apprentice to a watchmaker.

Within five years he started his own business and later expanded to include jewellery, cutlery and silverware.

Mike Firth, editor of Active8, has published a special edition of the magazine which is distributed around the south of the city, to commemorate the park's 100th birthday. He describes Graves as "the forerunner of the Amazon parcel".

"He was the first man in the world to set up a catalogue ordering system. The business grew and grew. He had a massive outlet on the corner of Shoreham Street, St Mary's Street and Margaret Street where thousands of people used to work, packaging items and posting them.

"Over 100 years ago, there were two airports, one at Norton and a little one in Manchester called Ringway.

"There was only room for one big airport in the north of England and Ringway became Manchester International Airport because Graves bought the Norton land and gave it to the people of Sheffield so we ended up with wonderful Graves Park.

"The more I learned about Graves, the more amazing the guy is. He was definitely Sheffield's greatest and most generous philanthropist and benefactor."

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Social media ban 'won't keep children safe', commissioner warns

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1721n4klp2o, yesterday

There is insufficient evidence to suggest a social media ban for under‑16s would help keep children safer online, Scotland's children's commissioner has said.

Nicola Killean warned a ban could drive children to less regulated or riskier parts of the internet, and said the focus should instead be on holding social media companies to account.

She was responding to the UK government's consultation on whether to introduce a minimum age for accessing online platforms, including social media.

"A ban does little to address underlying issues such as exploitative algorithms, and business models that drive harmful content and engagement," she said.

Ahead of submitting her response, the commissioner's office carried out a children's rights impact assessment examining how the proposals could affect children and young people, both positively and negatively.

Her team also worked with a group of young advisers aged between 12 and 17 from across Scotland.

"Evidence shows that social media can expose children to serious risks, including harmful content, cyberbullying, manipulation, contact from strangers, exploitation and excessive use," said Killean.

But she added that it can also play an important role in children's lives "by supporting communication, self-expression, access to information, participation, play, and connection with communities and support networks".

She added: "The evidence so far on bans is limited, mixed, and still emerging.

"Blanket restrictions can risk shifting responsibility away from platforms and onto children."

Killean also warned a ban could impact on some youngsters more than others.

The commissioner said it could more negatively impact those in rural and remote areas, those with family overseas, disabled children and those who rely on online communities for support with their identity.

In her recommendations, Killean called for greater focus on platform design and accountability, and a crack-down on harmful features.

She also said rules should reflect children's age and maturity, and that young people should be directly involved in shaping future policy.

Any new age limit should not weaken existing safeguards, she added.

What is the UK consultation looking at?

The UK government launched its "Growing up in the online world" consultation in March 2026 to examine how to better protect children online.

It is considering whether to introduce a legal minimum age for social media, alongside limits on features such as autoplay and infinite scrolling, and stronger age checks.

The review forms part of wider efforts to build on the Online Safety Act, with ministers saying it will help shape future laws on how young people use the internet.

More than 81,000 responses were submitted before the consultation closed. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged ministers will take swift action once the findings have been analysed.

Speaking earlier this week, Sir Keir said: "I'll be really clear, the question now is not whether we do something, we are going to act.

"I'm absolutely clear that this needs to be something where there's a game-changer."

He added: "The question is only what we do, and that will be coming very quickly, because we took powers earlier this year to make sure we can act very, very quickly."

A government spokesperson said: "We share the commissioner's determination to keep children safe online and value the role she plays in pushing for change.

"We want to give children the childhood they deserve and to prepare them for the future."

The spokesperson said more than 100,000 people had contributed to a consultation examining everything from age restrictions to safer design features.

They added: "We know families want us to move fast, and we've secured new powers to act quickly now the consultation has concluded.

"We will set out next steps by the summer."

Endless creepy yellow corridors, 30bn TikTok views - and now a Hollywood film

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxpdnwx5n5o, yesterday

A movie poster showing a sheet of mono-yellow coloured wallpaper might typically wash over your head.

Not this one. It's instantly recognisable to millions - and inspires dread.

This is Hollywood's latest horror film - Backrooms - and it knows its audience: one more drawn to whispered horror than A-list names, monsters and gore.

Backrooms are essentially disturbing, abandoned rooms with seemingly no end in sight. It could be an empty office block, a hallway or a corridor - unsettling between-zones.

The concept came about in 2019, when anonymous users on message board 4chan were asked to "post disquieting images that just feel 'off'."

One user posted an image of an abandoned office space, with mustard yellow wallpaper and fluorescent lighting.

The post read: "If you're not careful and you noclip out of reality [gaming terminology for glitching or disappearing] in the wrong areas, you'll end up in the Backrooms, where it's nothing but the stink of old moist carpet, the madness of mono-yellow, the endless background noise of fluorescent lights at maximum hum-buzz, and approximately six hundred million square miles of randomly segmented empty rooms to be trapped in."

The post continued: "God save you if you hear something wandering around nearby, because it sure as hell has heard you."

The concept then grew into a hugely popular YouTube mini-series, with creator Kane Parsons, then 16, at the helm. Parsons used a CGI programme called Blender to create environments beyond his budget. Today, the series boasts more than 200 million views.

It proved so captivating that Hollywood studio powerhouse A24 - which is behind Oscar-nominated horror The Substance - enlisted Parsons, now 20, for a film adaptation, which was released on Friday.

Parsons, now A24's youngest ever director, has one solemn tip for survival in the Backrooms: "Make peace with it before anything else, because I don't like to give false optimism."

His task in 2023 was clear: to drag this isolating hellscape kicking and screaming onto the big screen, and in a way that resembles his YouTube series.

He tells me that what excited him most about the project was using a Hollywood budget to dive deeper and bring a "real physicality" to ensure the film feels "distinct from the YouTube series".

He says the team behind the film achieved this by building a vast 30,000 sq ft set based on his Blender designs. It bears similarity to Parsons' first YouTube video - "Found Footage" - which has 80 million views and featured shaky 90s camcorder footage of the eerie, yellow office block.

"I think it lets us buy into the characters to a greater degree," Parsons says.

A24's adaptation, written by Will Soodik, uses the concept of the Backrooms to explore mental health.

Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Clark, a frustrated furniture store salesman struggling following the breakup of his marriage.

As tensions grow between him and his therapist, Mary, played by Renate Reinsve, Clark discovers the store's route to the Backrooms - a space that begins to prey upon the pair's unresolved traumas.

The big screen lure of the Backrooms reflects the online rise of a very particular fear: the idea of a liminal - or transitional - space.

Neuroscience and architecture expert Meredith Banasiak, who researches the link between buildings and human wellbeing, says hallways and doorways often spark this fear.

This creates what is known as the doorway effect, which confuses our brains. "When spaces start blending together, the way we remember blends too," she explains.

The Backrooms takes this to the extreme - a physical symbol of memories "dissolving into themselves".

As Clark tells Mary in the film: "The more times [the Backrooms] remembers something, the less it does."

Banasiak says her research, and other academic papers, suggests trauma survivors often find these spaces challenging.

The Backrooms has a forum on Reddit, with more than 350,000 subscribers. Forum moderators say there's something "deeply existential" about the concept and that it's less about monsters and "more from the uncertainty of what else might already exist in the space with you".

TikTok is filled with Backrooms-themed clips - cumulatively topping 30 billion views - highlighting the popularity of this 90s-themed landscape with Gen Z.

There's a crossover with gaming, too, with a free Backrooms survival title available on Steam, and similar experiences on offer on Roblox.

Internet researcher Gunseli Yalcinkaya says a mournful nostalgia for pre-internet memories and spaces, and the isolation of the Covid pandemic, may explain why young people are drawn to ideas like Backrooms.

Yalcinkaya says it captures the dissatisfaction of what it means to be a young person today, "where reality is constantly being mediated through screens - there's already a sense that reality is glitching, nothing feels real anymore".

As business publication Fast Company noted, Backrooms is among several recent liminal space titles "shaped by Gen Z's most traumatic formative years".

These include YouTuber Markiplier's horror film Iron Lung, adapted from a video game and set in a submarine. Independently released, it has taken over $50m (£43m) worldwide.

The online trailer for Backrooms quickly became one of A24's most-viewed uploads, with 31m views. The question, of course, is whether this online fever converts to offline ticket sales.

For Matthew Frank, author of The Ankler's Crowd Pleaser newsletter, the YouTube-to-big screen pipeline "feels like a sea change".

Hollywood executives are looking to internet-native culture for audiences and for film-makers like Parsons.

Frank says Backrooms executive producer Chris White discovered Parsons' work after his teenage son insisted he watch it. Another internet-native film-maker, Curry Barker, 26, also released his horror Obsession in cinemas this month, after a similar breakthrough.

It helps the studios too that these names come with "preset audiences" at a time when cinema is struggling against streaming.

Early projections for Backrooms "look really promising", says Frank. It is expected to easily exceed its $10m (£8m) budget and "feels like an event in the way that few movies are able to reach."

"Backrooms has this appeal as a piece of internet‑native IP to the audience," Frank adds.

As for Parsons, headlines in the media have made much of how young he is to be directing a Hollywood film - a focus that tires him.

He was worried his relative inexperience could impact perception, but it "never came up" on set, he tells me.

"Almost immediately it was just us, in a vacuum, talking about the project… I like to think I made up for any lack of experience by being completely obsessive."

Parsons, and perhaps Hollywood, have found plenty to explore in The Backrooms. Can they escape? No way.

AI will be used to estimate age of asylum seekers from next year

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce3pe36qe7ro, yesterday

An Artificial Intelligence (AI) age estimation tool that aims to detect adult migrants posing as children will be deployed at the UK's borders next year.

A software company has been awarded a contract to develop and test the technology, which will estimate a person's age by analysing photographs of them taken at the border.

The Home Office says the technology will make it easier to identify adult migrants "attempting to game the system", after initial testing indicated "promising performance and accuracy".

But Human Rights Watch urged the government to scrap the scheme, describing it as "unproven technology" that will undermine the protections vulnerable children are entitled to.

Unaccompanied child migrants receive support from local councils and are housed in the care system rather than more traditional asylum accommodation such as hotels.

They are entitled to legal protections which can simplify the asylum application system and make it easier to stay in the country for longer.

The decision to use the software comes after years of heightened levels of people crossing the English Channel in small boats and claiming asylum at the border.

A total of 111,084 people claimed asylum in the UK in the year ending June 2025, 14% more than in the previous year.

In the year ending March 2026, more than 6,400 migrants claiming to be children were age assessed at the border, with 43% found to be adults, according to Home Office data.

A report carried out by the UK government's independent immigration inspector last year found cases where adult migrants had been classified as children - and cases where child migrants had been wrongly classified as adults.

The report said in the absence of a "foolproof" test, it was "inevitable that some age assessments will be wrong, which is clearly a cause for concern, especially where a child is denied the rights and protections to which they are entitled".

The government announced plans to use AI facial estimation technology to combat this problem last year.

Since then, the Home Office has been exploring the use of the technology and this week, a new contract was awarded to Harlow-based IT supplier Akhter Computers Ltd to deliver the scheme.

The contract will see the technology further tested and developed before being rolled out in mid-2027.

The contract will cost £322,000 over three years.

Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Alex Norris, said adult migrants "making false age claims have exploited the system and diverted vital support away from children at risk".

"That is why we are rolling out AI technology to put a stop to this, ensuring those who game the system are identified, detained and removed without delay, and those who deserve support and protection are given it," Norris said.

The Home Office has already carried out testing on images of people across different ethnicities and genders, including those that make up the asylum-seeking population, already in its operational system.

But test results have not been used for live decisions yet.

The technology is expected to be trialled for the first time on live cases of asylum seekers at Western Jet Foil, a processing centre in Dover, next year.

Age assessments of asylum seekers are already carried out by border force officials who use methods such as examining documents, appearance and demeanour to make an initial decision on age.

The new facial estimation technology will act as an additional tool to support officers at the border when a person's age is in doubt.

Social workers undertake assessments on asylum seekers claiming to be children, when their age is disputed by border officials.

The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) is warning that the government's plan to use AI in the assessment process will lead to major safeguarding mistakes.

"Assessing the ages of migrants is a complex process which social workers are best placed to do," said Professor Sam Baron, interim CEO of BASW.

"This important task should not be open to shortcuts through artificial intelligence, especially as the pitfalls of getting it wrong can lead to major safeguarding risks."

Last year, the UK government said it had concluded that the technology was the most "cost-effective option" to assess the age of asylum seekers.

But human rights groups have criticised the Home Office's plans to use the technology on children.

Anna Bacciarelli, a senior AI researcher at campaign group Human Rights Watch, said: "The government needs to scrap this deeply flawed approach to assessing child refugees.

"Experimenting with unproven technology to determine whether or not a child should be granted protections they desperately need and are legally entitled to is cruel and unconscionable.

"In addition to subjecting vulnerable children and young people to a dehumanising process that undermines their human rights, we don't actually know if facial age estimation works."

She said the technology had been used so far in shops and bars but not refugee processing centres, adding there was "no ethical way to move forward with these plans".

Correction: An earlier version of this story said age verification is carried out by trained immigration enforcement officers using X‑rays and MRI scans. The Home Office says it has the power to use these methods but does not currently do so.

Valve hikes Steam Deck prices by more than 40%, blaming rising costs

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz725d5d1x7o, 3 days ago

Valve has announced a price increase of more than 40% - or nearly £200 - for its two Steam Deck models, citing "rising memory and storage costs".

The 512GB tier of its OLED handheld gaming PC - the newer model with an upgraded display – will now cost $789 (£649, €779), an increase of 43% or £170. The larger 1TB model will cost $949 (£779, €919), an increase of 46% or £210.

In a blog post, the gaming giant said the Steam Deck itself had not changed, and the price changes reflected "the current state of component costs and other global logistical challenges across the industry as a whole."

"There goes my hopes of ever getting an OLED," posted one disappointed gamer.

The Steam Deck OLED was officially launched on November 2023 as a major hardware revision to the original LCD model.

Valve no longer sells its cheaper LCD models directly, meaning customers can only buy the OLED version if buying from the firm.

These newer models had been out of stock for months before Valve's announcement.

The increase from Valve has left some wondering what it could mean for the price of the company's anticipated gaming PC the Steam Machine, which still has no release date or confirmed price.

It recently launched its version of the Steam Controller, an official pad by which to play its games, which also divided gamers over its £85 price.

Chris Scullion, deputy editor of Video Games Chronicle, told the BBC increases of components such as Ram meant the Steam Machine "could end up being so expensive to manufacture that Valve might even reconsider releasing it at all", or the company might wait "until the situation is hopefully resolved".

Industry hikes

The industry has seen several increases across hardware and subscription prices recently, with companies frequently citing hardware tariffs, ongoing inflation and shortages of Ram - a type of memory chip used in computing devices.

Ram price has also gone up because of the explosive growth in the data centres which power AI and which need the chip too.

In March, Sony raised the price of the PlayStation 5 by £90 in the UK and by $100 in the US, which it said was due to "continued pressures in the global economic landscape".

In the same month it also increased the cost of its PlayStation Plus subscription service in some regions, citing "market conditions".

Nintendo also announced the price of the Switch 2 will increase globally from September, rising from $449.99 to $499.99 in the US, and €469.99 to €499.99 in most European countries. it said a revised price for the UK - where a Switch 2 currently costs £395.99 - would be confirmed at a later date.

Xbox recently went against the trend by lowering the price of its Game Pass subscription service - at the cost of dropping day-one access to new Call of Duty games.

King's College team wins access to cutting-edge Google quantum chip

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd7pwezyze1o, 3 days ago

Scientists from King's College London have become the first UK academic research team to gain access to Google's cutting-edge quantum computer chip Willow as part of a scheme launched with the UK's national quantum lab last year.

Quantum computers can in theory solve problems which the most powerful conventional computers cannot.

Google says Willow can solve a theoretical problem in five minutes which would take the world's current fastest super computers 10 septillion - or 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 - years to complete.

King's lead for the project Dr Eleanor Crane said its use of Willow would "light a torch" for research to answer questions about the most important natural processes.

"It would be useful if society could understand how plants transform sunlight into energy, find materials which transport electricity quickly, or how molecules bind to each other," said Crane, who will co-lead the research team alongside Dr Alexander Schuckert from ENS Paris.

These natural processes rely on the interactions between many fundamental particles which made up the building blocks of life.

But some questions are really hard to answer with the computers or even supercomputers we currently use.

"If we could get to grips with these processes, then we could use this understanding to create better solar cells, more efficient energy grid systems, and discover drugs for previously untreatable diseases," she said.

The science which explains the way in which physical particles behave is called quantum mechanics and it's the basis on which quantum computers work - making them much better placed to solve these problems.

While much of this field is still theoretical, Google says Willow incorporates key "breakthroughs" and "paves the way to a useful, large-scale quantum computer".

Crane said in the UK, Europe, the US, China, and elsewhere, there have been "huge developments" in this direction.

"Quantum computers are being built. They are quickly progressing towards useful tasks for society," she said.

The Kings team will carry out research on Willow designed to help develop techniques that will be needed to enable a quantum computer to model natural systems - such as photosynthesis - and answer questions about them.

Google Quantum AI and the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC), Britain's national quantum computing laboratory, invited proposals from UK research teams to use Willow last year.

Kings had "made a compelling research proposal," according to Charina Chou, chief operating officer of Google Quantum.

NQCC Director Dr Michael Cuthbert said the initiative reflected the UK's commitment to fostering world-class quantum research.

The UK government has promised £2bn in funding quantum research, and Cuthbert argued new industry partnerships with UK institutions also demonstrated the health of the field.

Cambridge University recently announced its largest ever corporate partnership with American quantum tech firm IonQ to host what it claimed would be the UK's most powerful quantum computer.

Quantum computers will not supersede existing machines, as there are many tasks they are not suited to.

But if they live up to the hype, they promise a raft of valuable solutions to problems we cannot currently crack.

Earlier this year, Sir Peter Knight, Chair of the National Quantum Technology Programmes Strategy Advisory Board, told the BBC Willow broke new ground, opening the door for machines that were of real practical value.

However, Google faces strong competition from rivals with a strong track record in quantum research such as IBM.

Current projects face significant technical hurdles before they can scale the largely experimental devices of today into machines capable of a wide range of commercially valuable practical applications.

Dr Crane is optimistic. In an additional BBC interview on the Today programme, she said that by 2028 or 2030 there might already be ways in which quantum computers could solve "extremely useful problems".

Not every application of quantum computing is unambiguously positive. Soon quantum machines may be able to break the encryption which protects everything from cryptocurrency transactions to private messages.

And some tech and finance companies have already taken steps to protect their systems from the quantum-powered spies and hackers of the future.

Meta repeatedly snubs EU body over Facebook and Instagram user bans

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c152yvwjwkko, 3 days ago

An independent body which hears disputes from social media users in the EU says Meta virtually never replies when it raises cases of people who say they have been wrongly banned from their accounts.

Appeals Centre Europe looked at 4,600 cases of Facebook, Instagram and Threads users who said they had been wrongly banned, but Meta provided evidence in fewer than 100 of these cases.

Last year, the BBC was contacted by hundreds of Facebook and Instagram users in countries around the world, including the UK, who claimed they had been wrongly banned and had no way of getting their accounts back.

Meta has been contacted for comment.

Appeals Centre Europe is one of a number of independent dispute settlement bodies which allow people in the EU to challenge social media platforms' decisions including on account bans and content moderation.

Its report shows only a snapshot of the wider social media landscape in Europe, where hundreds of millions of pieces of content are taken down by platforms every year for a variety of reasons.

Under EU law, online platforms should "engage in good faith" with the body, but its decision is not legally binding.

Account bans were the biggest issue reported to it in the year leading up to March 2026.

"In the vast majority of cases related to account suspensions, platforms are unable or unwilling to provide the content which allows us to independently review their decisions," it said in its transparency report.

Meta provided relevant content for fewer than 100 out of more than 4,600 account ban cases, the report said, "causing significant frustration among users".

Last year, more than 500 people contacted the BBC with complaints about their Instagram and Facebook accounts being banned without being able to appeal or speak to somebody at Meta.

Some spoke of the profound personal toll it has taken on them, including concerns that the police could become involved, and the effect bans could have on their online businesses.

Meta repeatedly refused to comment on the problems its users faced - though it frequently overturned bans when the BBC raised individual cases with it.

Alleged hate speech not removed

The Appeals Centre report also made judgements on content flagged to it which users said should be taken down, including more than 1,400 cases of content flagged as hate speech.

"In more than two-thirds of our decisions about hate speech, we found that platforms failed to enforce their own policies and left up hateful content," chief executive Thomas Hughes said.

He cited examples including misogynistic, racist, homophobic and transphobic posts.

On TikTok, 83% of potential hate speech was not taken down, followed by 74% for Instagram.

On Facebook the figure was 61%, while on YouTube it was 58%.

One example of a decision where Appeals Centre Europe disagreed with platforms included when racist comments comparing black footballers to monkeys were left up on Instagram following a Champions League match.

In another instance it said antisemitic videos on YouTube that were shared by prominent figures in Poland were allowed to remain on the site, which it said directly contradicted the platform's hate speech policy.

And it noted an AI-generated video about the Russia-Ukraine war was also allowed to stay up on TikTok, which it believed was in breach of its rules on misinformation.

However, social media companies did not provide relevant content for review in 72% of the more than 10,000 reports.

"In the nearly 3,000 decisions where we were able to review the content, we disagreed with the platform 59% of the time," the dispute body said.

Appeals Centre Europe added it did not receive consistent data on whether their decisions were implemented or not, and was "pushing platforms to provide this".

TikTok would not give the BBC an on-the-record response, but according to the company, it engaged with the Appeals Centre through meetings and emails.

The company's transparency report for the second half of 2025 said TikTok received 56,549 user reports of illegal content relating to hate speech in the EU.

In the same period, another transparency report said it removed 112 million pieces of content, including videos, comments and adverts, which broke its terms of service.

YouTube said its hate speech policy "outlines clear guidelines prohibiting content that promotes violence or hatred against individuals or groups based on certain attributes. We enforce this policy rigorously."

The company said it was committed to engaging with out-of-court dispute bodies such as Appeals Centre Europe, and had reached an agreement to share disputed content with them.

In a transparency report which covered the whole world, YouTube owner Google said more than 150,000 videos and 32,000 channels were removed from the platform between October and December 2025.

Google worker charged with using internal data to make $1.2m on bets

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c052yv259jvo, 3 days ago

A Google employee has been arrested for allegedly using his access to company information to successfully place lucrative bets on the prediction platform Polymarket.

The US Attorney for the Southern District of New York said it had charged Michele Spagnuolo, a Google engineer, with breaking insider trading laws because of several bets he placed through the platform.

Although Spagnuolo is an Italian citizen who lives in Switzerland, he was arrested on Wednesday and brought before a federal judge in New York.

Spagnuolo allegedly used information he had early access to through his work at Google, which is based in the US, to make bets that saw him rack up $1.2m (£894,330) in winnings.

A spokeswoman for Google said the company was "working with law enforcement on their investigation" and that the employee had been placed on leave.

The internal information that was allegedly used was marketing material accessed "using a tool available to all employees, but using such confidential information to place bets is a serious breach of our policies," she added.

A spokesman for Polymarket said the platform "worked closely" with authorities on the investigation.

"Blockchain trading is transparent, traceable, and bad actors leave footprints," the spokesman added.

Blockchain is a sort of digital record applied to cryptocurrency, which is the only currency Polymarket accepts.

The US Attorney's office worked with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) on Spagnuolo's arrest. He has been released on a $2.25m bond, according to ABC News.

Although Spagnuolo allegedly traded under the account name AlphaRaccoon on Polymarket and his bets were made with cryptocurrency from several accounts, the FBI said it linked his accounts by finding one he had opened with an Italian identification card.

Spagnuolo did not respond to an email seeking comment.

According to online profiles, he worked for Google for more than 12 years as an engineer focused on information security.

He started using Polymarket in 2024, and between October and December of last year, the US Attorney's office said Spagnuolo placed $2.7m in bets related to Google.

By using internal information, he was able to make more than $1m in profits from those bets, it said.

The court papers said Spagnuolo's most lucrative alleged Polymarket wins were correctly predicting who would and would not be the most searched for person on Google in 2025.

He allegedly placed bets against names, like Bianca Censori and President Donald Trump, and chose the singer D4vd as taking the top spot when the betting platform had odds of that result being near zero.

The court papers said when Spagnuolo placed that bet in November, he knew that D4vd had become Google's most-searched person because he had access to information the search giant had collected before it was released to the public.

D4vd, a musician, is currently in jail for allegedly murdering a teenage girl.

The world's carmakers are struggling to compete with China

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g8vg72z43o, 3 days ago

Global carmakers are facing a reckoning as US, European and Japanese brands lose ground to Chinese rivals setting the pace not only in electric vehicles, but also in batteries, design and software.

The BBC visited factory floors in Beijing and Hefei on the sidelines of Auto China 2026 - the world's largest car show - and found striking levels of automation and software development speed, leaving foreign brands that once dominated the Chinese market struggling to keep up.

"We have no chance against this," Honda chief executive Toshihiro Mibe told Japanese media after visiting a highly automated factory in Shanghai.

Ford chief executive Jim Farley has also warned that Western carmakers, are "in a fight for our lives" as Chinese rivals expand globally.

After decades spent investing in joint ventures with Chinese partners to build vehicles, foreign carmakers are now changing the nature of those partnerships to stay competitive.

"The biggest mistake that the developed world is making is believing that the transition is only about electric cars," says Shanghai-based auto analyst Bill Russo. "It's about who will lead the next generation of mobility technology."

Smartphones on wheels

China's dominance goes beyond the cars themselves.

It makes the most exports in more than 315 product categories, up from 163 in 2016, according to a report by Rhodium Group. Many of these are linked to electric vehicle (EV) supply chains, including batteries, components and manufacturing machinery.

The International Energy Agency estimates it is at least 30% cheaper to produce a small electric SUV in China than in more advanced economies, largely because of lower battery costs and elaborate supply chains.

That advantage was built through years of state support. Rhodium estimates China has channelled tens of billions of dollars into EV and battery manufacturing in recent years alone.

Those subsidies, heavily criticised in the EU and US for distorting markets, have helped companies expand rapidly and cut prices.

Competition inside China has also sped up innovation. Tech giants like Xiaomi, Huawei and Alibaba are now making EVs, bringing consumer technology into the car industry.

"They're not racing the West anymore," says Russo. "They're racing each other."

As cars increasingly rely on software, from driver assistance to entertainment systems, these companies are giving Chinese carmakers yet another edge.

The shift is most visible inside Xiaomi's EV factory outside Beijing, where a car rolls off the production line roughly every 76 seconds.

Xiaomi only launched its first EV in 2024 but it is already one of China's top-selling brands. Its strategy is to connect cars with phones, apps and smart-home devices to create a single system.

At Nio's Hefei plant, parts of the production line are almost fully automated.

BYD has developed ultra-fast charging systems capable of adding 400km (249 miles) of range in around five minutes, close to the time it takes to refuel a car with petrol.

XPeng's founder and CEO He Xiaopeng told the BBC the company is prioritising humanoid robots and flying cars alongside EVs.

"In the next decade, any car company will also be a robotics company," he said.

Rethinking China

Foreign carmakers already rely on China to supply global markets. Tesla exports Shanghai-built Model 3s to Europe, while BMW's Chinese-made electric Minis are also sold overseas.

But many have struggled inside China itself.

Foreign brands' share of China's car market has fallen from 64% in 2020 to 32% this year, according to consultancy Automobility.

The decline has hit earnings at General Motors (GM) and German manufacturers, which once relied heavily on China for profits.

Luxury brands are also under pressure. Huawei's Maextro S800 luxury sedan has become China's best-selling car above $100,000 (£74,145), outselling imports like Porsche Panamera and the BMW 7 series combined, which once dominated the Chinese market.

For decades, foreign carmakers brought technology and branding while local partners provided factories and a market.

Now that relationship is changing.

Stellantis has just signed a €1bn ($1.16bn; £863m) deal with state-backed Dongfeng to produce Peugeot and Jeep models in China to sell at home and abroad.

Stellantis will also bring Dongfeng's Voyah electric brand into Europe, and has said it is exploring producing Chinese-designed vehicles at a plant in France.

Volkswagen is paying $700m for access to XPeng's software architecture and autonomous driving systems to develop its next generation of EVs - technology it has acknowledged it could not develop fast enough at home.

XPeng's He says the relationship is two-way: "We study each other, so we trust each other, so we help each other."

Toyota, Hyundai, Ford and Nissan are also expanding research operations in China or exploring production of Chinese-designed vehicles in overseas factories - using local talent and knowledge for development rather than simply manufacturing.

Not every strategy is working though.

Audi has had to offer heavy discounts on its E5 model, which it had specifically made for China, after weaker-than-expected demand.

GM has written down billions of dollars from its China operations and reported a more than 21% decline in sales in the first three months of this year.

Japanese manufacturers have been slower to shift towards fully electric vehicles, leaving them vulnerable in China and, increasingly, in South East Asia, where Chinese brands are rapidly gaining market share.

In early 2026, Volkswagen briefly regained the position of the top-selling car brand in China, but that may have been because of the end of Beijing's EV subsidies, which, in turn, weakened domestic rivals.

China's domestic market is cooling more broadly too. Growth has slowed after years of expansion, while overcapacity and an intense price war are squeezing profits across the industry.

That is partly why Chinese manufacturers are expanding abroad. Brands such as BYD, Chery and SAIC are pushing into Europe and emerging markets despite tariffs of up to 45% in the EU.

Chery's Jaecoo 7 became one of the UK's best-selling new models within 14 months of its launch. But tariffs of more than 100% have effectively locked Chinese brands out of the US market.

Experts warn that as more vehicle production, battery technology and software development shifts towards China, manufacturing hubs in South East Asia and Europe could suffer, affecting jobs and local economies.

Tariffs will not necessarily protect them, says consultant James Pearson: "If you lock them out of one market, they will just find another."

Bill Russo says the industry's centre of gravity has already shifted.

The companies willing to collaborate have a chance, he says, while those trying to stop China's rise risk falling behind.

Additional reporting by Jaltson Akkanath Chummar

Former US Attorney General Pam Bondi diagnosed with cancer

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c93x299vwgdo, 4 days ago

Former US Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was removed from her role last month, has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer.

Her diagnosis came shortly after President Donald Trump ousted her from the post of America's top law enforcement officer, according to the BBC's US partner CBS News.

Bondi, 60, told CBS she is undergoing treatment, which included surgery a few weeks ago.

She is continuing to work despite the diagnosis, and will be joining the White House's new advisory council on AI, the Presidential Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

Podcast host and former White House adviser Katie Miller posted on social media that "Pam has been quietly kicking cancer's ass the last few weeks", adding that Bondi "has a heart of gold".

Thyroid cancer has a five-year survival rate of over 98% and most forms of it are treatable and permanently curable, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It's not clear what stage of cancer Bondi has.

When Bondi left the Department of Justice at the beginning of April, she said she was excited to be entering a role in the private sector. Bondi's inclusion on the president's council, known as PCAST, is the first news of her work beyond the department.

"Pam has been an enormously valuable asset to the president's team, and I'm thrilled for her and for all of us that she's going to remain involved in confronting some of the most important issues the administration faces," Vice-President JD Vance said in a statement.

Trump established PCAST by executive order in January 2025, describing its purpose to "unite the brightest minds from academia, industry, and government to guide our Nation through this critical moment by charting a path forward for American leadership in science and technology".

The first members of the council were not announced until March 2026. They include major players in the science and technology industries, including Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.

Bondi, who has been fiercely loyal to Trump since his first term, is scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee on Friday over her handling of the Epstein files.

Both Bondi and Trump have received bipartisan criticism over the justice department's release of the Epstein files, with some Democratic lawmakers arguing that important files were withheld from the public.

Bondi is one of four members of Trump's cabinet to have left their positions so far this year. Prior to Bondi's departure, Kristi Noem was removed as Secretary of Homeland Security and, Lori Chavez-DeRemer as labour secretary.

Most recently, Tulsi Gabbard said last week she was resigning from her post as director of national intelligence, citing her husband's recent bone cancer diagnosis.

Public warned after discarded batteries spark fires

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx213j284zyo, 4 days ago

Firefighters have had to put out two fires caused by batteries that had been disposed of incorrectly in recent weeks.

One blaze broke out in March at Taunton Recycling Centre in Somerset and the other began in a vehicle being driven by a waste collection crew.

Somerset Council has urged householders not to put batteries or vapes in bins. Instead, they should be left in clear plastic bags and placed on top of home recycling bins so crews can spot them easily.

Matthew Canning from Suez, the company that holds the contract for recycling in Somerset, said "far too many dangerous items" were ending up in the wrong places, putting staff at risk of fatal injuries.

Damaged batteries can simply combust, which results in fires in trucks and site machinery.

On 30 March, at the Suez-run Taunton Recycling Centre, staff responded to a fire in a skip.

They had to use a forklift truck to move it into the open so that fire crews could deal with it safely.

On 9 May, a Suez collection crew noticed smoke coming from the rear of their vehicle.

After calling emergency services, they safely tipped the burning load onto the roadside, where it was extinguished and cleared.

Canning also warned that some items should not be put out for recycling collection at all – such as gas canisters.

These can explode under pressure but are sometimes collected if mistaken for aerosol cans.

Householders should instead take them directly to recycling centres.

Somerset councillor Federica Smith-Roberts said: "Fires caused by misplaced batteries, vapes and gas canisters put people, vehicles and recycling facilities at real risk.

"We're asking residents to please take extra care and follow the guidance on our website, so these items are disposed of safely and correctly."

Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.

'He told people what they needed to hear': The weatherman crucial to D-Day victory

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20260528-the-crucial-decision-that-helped-win-d-day, today

It was the boldest military operation in history – and its success hinged on weather forecaster James Stagg. A new film with Andrew Scott and Brendan Fraser explores his role in the end of World War Two.

On his inauguration day, in 1961, John F Kennedy asked the outgoing president, Dwight D Eisenhower, what had given him the advantage over the Nazis on D-Day, when Eisenhower was Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces. "We had better meteorologists than the Germans," Eisenhower said. That anecdote is cited at the end of the new film Pressure, which suggests that Eisenhower's reply was not much of an exaggeration. The film tells the true story of the life-or-death decisions the Allies' chief meteorologist, Scottish Royal Air Force Captain James Stagg (Andrew Scott), and Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) had to make in the three days leading up to the Allied invasion of Normandy, which historian Antony Beevor, in his authoritative D-Day: The Battle for Normandy, calls "almost certainly the most ambitious operation in the history of warfare".

As events unfolded, on 6 June 1944, nearly 160,000 Allied troops arrived in Normandy by air and sea, which proved to be a turning point in the war. But days before the landing, which was initially planned for 5 June, Stagg could see that a dangerous storm was coming, even though the team of meteorologists he led disagreed with him fiercely. His job was to distil the forecasts into a simple Go or Don't Go recommendation for Eisenhower. But it was fraught with pitfalls: going into a storm could have cost thousands of lives, but a delay could have meant waiting weeks for the right conditions and risked word of the operation leaking to the Nazis.

Based on David Haig's acclaimed 2014 play, the film turns those events into a tense drama full of clashing opinions and egos. And as its creators tell the BBC, it is also a story about relying on the hard evidence of science, and the heroism of telling uncomfortable truths.

"How do you make a slow-moving weather system feel thrilling? It's not just the weather," the film's director, Anthony Maras (Hotel Mumbai), who wrote the screenplay with Haig, says. "How do we look at the characters, put them under immense pressure, and see how they morph and change?" From that perspective, he says, "You can make a film about a slow-moving weather system feel like the biggest thing on Earth because it is to these characters."

A personality clash

Scott portrays Stagg as historical accounts do: a taciturn, buttoned-down personality. He had, Haig says, "a quiet, steely integrity", and Scott allows us to see the depth of feeling beneath the brusque exterior. Much of the film takes place in offices and rooms full of weather maps in Southwick House, the 19th-Century estate near Portsmouth used as Allied headquarters, where, for security reasons, the meteorologists couldn't communicate with the outside world. There, Stagg remains unemotional on the surface, even when he gets word his pregnant wife is in labour.

His rival meteorologist is a brash, self-important American, Irving Krick (Chris Messina), who had Eisenhower's trust. Krick's forecast, which saw clear skies ahead, was based on charting historical weather patterns. At the time, Haig says, that approach made sense "for North Africa and the USA," where Krick had made successful predictions, but didn't account for the changeable English weather. Meanwhile, Stagg was noticing troubling changes in the approaching air currents, a then cutting-edge method of weather forecasting not common in 1944.

Everyone from Eisenhower to Krick to British Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery (Damian Lewis) wanted to go ahead on 5 June as planned. Stagg had to give them a Don't Go recommendation. Maras says: "You had a character in Stagg who wasn't interested in what people wanted to hear, but was intent on telling them what they needed to hear. And I think there's a type of heroism in that." In the end, Stagg saved the operation by discerning that there would be a brief break in the bad weather on 6 June, but he could not have foreseen that when he delivered his unwelcome verdict.

Why the story is worth retelling

Stagg's decision resonates today at a time when facts and science are often seen as opinions. Maras says of Stagg: "He looked in the eyeballs of the fiercest military commanders on planet Earth, at least on the Allied side" and said, essentially, "All we can do is go on what we know. There is evidence and there is data." And his backbone is not mere Hollywood gloss. Beevor writes, "Stagg felt compelled to follow his own instinct and overlook the more optimistic views of his American colleagues."

More like this:

• 10 of the best films to watch this June

• How Saving Private Ryan changed how we see war

• Queen Elizabeth II's secret night out on VE Day

While Stagg will be a little-known figure to the film's audience, so will be the Eisenhower we see on screen, also based on historical accounts. In the popular imagination, his presidency overshadows his military career. Fraser says that before reading the script, the name Eisenhower would have brought to mind the famous, catchy slogan from his presidential campaign and the simplistic image that has come down through the decades. "I would have thought of a campaign pin that said 'I like Ike' and a cartoon drawing of a smiling bald man who I also knew was involved in the planning of Operation Overlord", as the D-Day invasion was officially called.

But during Eisenhower's war years, Maras says "He was a guy who was smoking four to six packets a day, who was drinking something like 20 to 24 cups of coffee a day, whose body was breaking down, who had an ulcer on his back that was an open wound. He was a mess. And he was extremely vulnerable in his private moments."

We see that vulnerability in moments he shares with his driver and personal assistant, Lieutenant Kay Summersby (Kerry Condon). First assigned to Eisenhower as a member of the British motor corps, she became his confidante. There has long been unproven speculation about an affair between them, but the film depicts their close emotional bond without suggesting anything further took place.

Their private conversations on screen reveal how much Eisenhower's responsibility weighed on him, partly due to the shadow cast by Exercise Tiger. That a live-ammunition rehearsal for D-Day, which, Eisenhower had authorized six weeks before, The film opens with a recreation of that exercise, which went so monumentally wrong that more than 700 Americans died when miscommunications led them into friendly fire and an attack by German boats.

Fraser sees the film's World War Two story offering a lesson for today. "Let us be reminded of what leadership looked like at one time, and see the importance of paying attention to facts and science and the need to speak truth to power," he says. 5 June 1944 did bring a howling storm, just as Stagg's evidence predicted.

Pressure was released in US cinemas on 29 May.

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'Men written by women': How ice hockey romances like Off Campus became TV's hottest new genre

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clypz87rqy1o, yesterday

If you thought you'd had your fill of ice hockey romance for the year, then think again.

First came surprise hit Heated Rivalry, a Canadian series which arrived on streaming in the UK in January and led to global fame for its stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie.

And in the last few weeks, Amazon Prime released Off Campus, another adaptation of an ice hockey romance book, which the streamer says has instantly become its top show worldwide.

Based on the series by Canadian author Elle Kennedy, which sold 25 million copies, the show has been praised by fans for its portrayal of female desire, its emotionally intelligent male characters and, of course, its high-stakes sports action.

The show follows the sex lives and romantic dramas of college ice hockey players at a fictional Boston university.

Book content creator Meagan Carioti, 27, says "hockey is a hot, passionate sport" which "translates really well into romance", thanks to its intensity.

Social media manager and ice hockey enthusiast Sophie Bonser, 30, thinks interest in ice hockey from outside North America is partly due to a novelty that stems from people not having grown up playing the sport.

Games tend to be low scoring, meaning tense, narrow-margin wins.

"Every game is high stakes, which translates well in TV," Sophie tells the BBC.

The show's male characters - Garrett Graham (played by 28-year-old Belmont Cameli), Dean Di Laurentis (played by 28-year-old Stephen Kalyn) and John Logan (played by 26-year-old Antonio Cipriano) - don't fall into the typical "jock" stereotypes viewers may be used to seeing in sports dramas.

Off Campus references the derogatory slang "puck bunny", which is used to describe female ice hockey fans who are more interested in the players than the game itself.

But there is an emphasis in the show on ice hockey players wanting to respect women, rather than use them.

The first series of the show is adapted from two of Elle Kennedy's books - The Deal and The Score - which were first released in 2015 and 2016.

Some of the show's scenes have been praised by female fans for depicting male characters showing care about women's sexual satisfaction.

Meagan says it is "so powerful" to see "women's pleasure and comfort talked about, prioritised and valued" in a TV show but feels this isn't common enough.

"I love men written by women, the yearning is just unmatched and it's the female gaze - what women want - I think [it] is different to what men think women want," she adds.

Content creator Oliver Zane, 25, whose Off Campus reaction videos have amassed hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok, tells the BBC he's a "sucker for girly TV shows", even though he's "not the primary audience".

"Female writers do such a good job with character development, which makes them more realistic," he says.

He says the way women are prioritised in the show "is such a draw" and he enjoyed watching Off Campus as it gave him an opportunity to understand better how women might be feeling.

Meagan adds that she enjoys the juxtaposition of the "bravado" of ice hockey mixed with the characters' "vulnerability underneath".

She also loves the show's depiction of "found family" - in this case, the bond between teammates.

Actress Ella Bright (who some British viewers may remember from the CBBC adaptation of classic children's book series Malory Towers) plays Garrett's girlfriend Hannah Wells.

Hannah's biggest storyline is about the fallout from her experience of being raped at high school. Her onscreen partner is shown sensitively handling her trauma around sex on the show.

"The show is very female-centred," Meagan says, adding: "Women are talked about and cared for in a respectful way, and the emphasis is on choice and consent."

Oliver says the characterisation of Hannah's boyfriend Garrett is "refreshing" and "such a strength of the show".

"We're getting more and more stories these days written about male characters being vulnerable and emotionally aware and I like seeing characters take accountability for their actions," he adds.

The programme also features other heavy topics including domestic violence, addiction and financial insecurity.

Meagan hopes that Off Campus helps the hockey romance genre attract greater respect, adding that it is often dismissed as "silly, trivial and girly".

"It's just reduced down to 'hockey smut', when it covers such important themes such as female empowerment, while also dealing with heavier topics like domestic abuse, sexual assault and violence," she says.

Oliver agrees and believes it's important that shows like this are not dismissed, especially "at a time when young men are being targeted with hypermasculinity".

He references the emotional intelligence of the male characters, and the way they appreciate their female counterparts.

"When I hear stuff like 'oh it's hockey smut' or whatever, I'm quick to tell people there's so much more to the show," he says.

Behind the scenes of Russell T Davies' twisty new thriller, Tip Toe

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c392erkm3d2o, today

On a stereotypically rainy day in Manchester, we're ushered into a kitchen that at first glance appears to be in a normal terraced house.

There are dishes in the sinks and food in the fridge, but a quick look outside at the blue skies and sunshine gives the game away - this is actually a TV set.

The occupier of the house? Alan Cumming. And sitting at the kitchen table is TV writing legend, Russell T Davies.

The BBC has been exclusively invited behind the scenes to meet the cast and crew of Davies' upcoming thriller, Tip Toe.

It tells the story of two neighbours - one gay, one straight - whose ongoing feud gets darker and darker as one of them falls deeper into the world of online disinformation, with disastrous consequences for both.

'I wish television could change the world'

Dealing with such serious topics, but still managing to be funny is well-trodden ground for Davies, but while It's a Sin looked back on the 80s and Years and Years was set in a dystopian future, Tip Toe is dealing with the here-and-now.

"I see the world getting worse and worse these days to be honest," Davies says. "I am very worried about the future for my nieces and nephews."

I ask if he hopes the show could have a positive, real-world impact.

It's A Sin, for example, saw a huge increase in HIV testing rates, Mr Bates vs The Post Office brought the nation's attention to the Horizon IT scandal.

Davies shakes his head.

"I wish television could change the world," he says. "I'd have written more and changed it faster if I could. I do feel bound to comment on the world though."

'It's so relevant, and so needed'

Alan Cumming plays Leo Struthers, a 59-year-old who owns a bar in Manchester's Gay Village. Casting him is a personal triumph for Davies, who tells me he's been trying to get Cumming to appear in one of his shows for more than 20 years.

The role of Leo was pitched to Cumming before the script was even written, and the actor was "blown away" by the concept because of a twist at the start of episode one: his character is dead.

"As the series goes on and we all get to like everybody, and worry for them, you almost forget [I'm dead]," Cumming explains. "But we don't know how it's happened, or when it's happened in the story. It's really clever, it's suspenseful.

"It's also so relevant and so needed."

David Morrissey plays Clive Goss, Leo's next door neighbour.

It's the first time Morrissey and Cumming have worked together, despite being friends (and at at one point, real-life neighbours) for more than 40 years.

"We have to do some pretty tough stuff, but the great thing about being with an actor who is a friend is that you can really push it," Morrissey tells me during a break from filming one of the show's tense, emotional scenes in the Goss family home.

"We can be in a scene which is very confrontational," he says, but adds that the minute the director shouts, cut: "We're hugging each other and making sure each other are alright."

'When your dad's David Morrissey and he's telling you off'

Alongside a raft of household names on the cast list, Joseph Evans and Jackson Connor - who play brothers Saul and George Goss - are relative newcomers.

In a quick break between filming a frosty scene with their on-screen dad David Morrissey, they sit down for a chat in what would be their front garden - if their home wasn't a plywood set in a Manchester film studio.

You'd be forgiven for thinking they're actually related - they look very similar and, just like real-life brothers, they're making fun of each other and finishing each others' sentences.

'Things are souring'

Davies' break-through drama Queer as Folk, which first aired in 1999, was something of a cultural reset for on-screen representation.

In the 26 years since, Davies worries things have started to get worse.

"When we were shooting Queer as Folk, if you'd have said to me, 'In 25 years' time, what will gay life and queer life be like?' I would've said, 'We'll have achieved equality, everything will be fine, and we'll all be hand-in-hand, skipping down the street'," he says with a wry smile.

"We kind of got close to that about 10 years ago, but actually I think things are souring. I feel more hostility in the air, more aggression towards us."

So what's next for Davies?

"While the world keeps changing, there will always be something new to write about," he says.

"That's the plan, I'll just keep going."

Episode 1 and 2 of Tip Toe are out on Channel 4, Sunday 31 May and Monday 1 June.

Tickets for festivals are getting more expensive - we compared them

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj9pgmw3yz2o, yesterday

You may have noticed ticket prices for your favourite festivals becoming more expensive each year.

Analysis by BBC News has found the cost of entry to the UK's major festivals has surged over the past decade - rising above the rate of inflation.

And fans are being hit in the pocket even more when you factor in the rising cost of food, drink, merchandise and travel.

But the hikes have been uneven, and a variety of factors are at play, our research shows.

Ticket prices compared

Back in 2007, a ticket for Reading and Leeds cost £145. After taking inflation into account, this would be about £245 in today's money.

Entry to the same event in 2025 was £325 - this is £80 more than the adjusted 2007 amount, also known as the "real terms" price.

These real terms price rises differ sharply across the festivals, we have found.

Neither Glastonbury nor Wireless are holding an event this year so we have looked at the change between 2013 and 2025.

Parklife tickets increased by around £69 (71%) in real terms since 2013 - while Reading and Leeds had a much smaller increase, rising by about £40 (14%) over the same period.

Download sits between these groups, with prices rising more gradually through the 2010s and increasing more sharply after the pandemic - rising 26% over the 12 years.

Glastonbury saw the largest pounds and pence increase, with tickets costing around £85 more today - a 30% price hike.

Wireless  follows a very different pattern, with a 10% decrease in ticket prices seen over the same period. From 2012 onwards, its day‑ticket prices fell sharply, dropping from £214 to £98 by 2024, reflecting changes in pricing strategy and format. That trend reversed abruptly in 2025, with a sharp price rise to £157.

The comparison suggests that while inflation explains a substantial share of rising ticket prices, it does not tell the whole story.

Different festivals appear to have adopted markedly different pricing strategies - such as moving to day events or offering less camping - leading to diverging real costs for music lovers across the UK festival circuit.

For fans, the price hikes can mean sacrificing other things.

'Festival instead of a holiday'

Katie Scarlett, a 23-year-old festival content creator, attended her first festival in 2019 - and says she is prioritising festivals "instead of going on holiday".

"You're prepared that it's going to be a bit of an investment, but I look at things like train prices and compare it to what I'd be spending on flights," she tells the BBC.

"Some of the money I've put towards festivals this year would be equivalent to a few days in Spain, but festivals are a lot more accessible and a more attractive option when you have so much uncertainty around the cost of flights."

Primary school teacher Russell Akbar agrees. Having attended festivals since the age of 16, the 30-year-old has noticed the price of refreshments at festivals has gone up too - so he's diversifying.

"I've started bringing a lot more of my own food and drink in the last few years," he says.

Akbar says he has been going to smaller events since Covid "as ticket prices are cheaper", and until this year he "hadn't been on a proper holiday abroad for five or six years" as he had prioritised going to festivals.

He says he has been using a payment plan method which allows him to split the cost of a ticket over several months to help him afford to go.

Both Scarlett and Akbar feel festival organisers have been trying more to "pull it out of the bag" with stellar line-ups and huge headliners in recent years to entice fans to fork out for more expensive tickets.

Reading, Leeds, Glastonbury and Parklife

If we zoom in a little closer on each festival, we can see further differences.

For Reading and Leeds, the biggest increases in ticket prices came after the pandemic, rising from £288 in 2021 to £325 in 2025.

For the Somerset extravaganza of Glastonbury, which is in a fallow year this year, ticket prices have risen from £286 in in 2010 to £374 in 2025, following a long period of relatively steady prices through much of the 2010s.

Most of the price rise has come since the pandemic, with tickets climbing from £318 in 2019 to a peak of £374 in 2025.

And for Parklife, ticket prices peaked after the pandemic in 2021 at £192, but have since reduced to about £167 in 2025.

What other factors are behind the rises?

There have been "two big changes" that have affected festival prices in recent years, according to John Rostron, CEO of the Association of Independent Festivals.

"The pandemic and Brexit," he tells the BBC. "During the pandemic, festivals were not open but they had ongoing costs with staff and rescheduling artists - they lost loads of money so had to recoup in different ways.

"And with Brexit it's not necessarily about cheap labour, it's skilled labour - we lost really great backstage crew and technical crews that went back to Europe and haven't come back. So [festival owners] have had to invest in skilling up and training people," he adds.

Despite the price hikes, Rostron says payment plans for ticket purchases have been "the big shift in ticketing" since he came into his role in 2022.

"Now, everybody does it and it's revolutionised things," he adds.

Festival Republic, which runs Reading and Leeds, Wireless and Download, stressed that the tickets "represent significant value for money... particularly compared to other major live events".

The company told us about its upfront costs, which include artist fees, staging, power, fencing, security, medical provision, licensing, welfare, sanitation, transport, insurance, production, staffing and local suppliers.

"Those costs, which are usually fixed or committed well in advance, have risen sharply in the past few years, from labour, fuel, power and transport through to security, production, infrastructure and materials," the firm says.

The BBC reached out to the organisers of Parklife, who declined to comment.

Glastonbury's organisers said they were on a fallow year this year and they maintain that the festival offers "great value for money" with more than 100 stages.

Additional reporting by Pilar Tomas

Ruben Dias says he 'draws line' over Maya Jama break-up speculation

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpqp83xvg2no, yesterday

Manchester City footballer Ruben Dias has confirmed his break-up with Love Island presenter Maya Jama, but insisted he did not cheat on her during their relationship.

"When my 85-year-old grandad is asking me if I've cheated on my girlfriend because he's seen it repeatedly on the news, that's where I draw the line on what's acceptable and what's not," he said in a statement on Instagram.

"Maya and I have always had a relationship built on mutual respect. No line was ever crossed in that regard."

Speculation surrounding the pair's relationship status has been rampant in recent weeks, after they both removed photos of one another from their respective social media accounts in mid-May.

In his statement, Dias, 29, said that while he usually remained silent on rumours about personal life, he believed it was wrong to lie to people and "portray an opposite image of people just for clickbait".

"The reasons why we broke up are private and belong to us and we've both dealt with it in a very mature way," he wrote.

"Respect me, respect Maya, and understand that not always one has to betray the other in order for a relationship to end."

Jama, 31, is yet to comment publicly on their split. When contacted by the BBC, her representatives did not have a statement from the presenter.

Dias and Jama are said to have met in Manchester in November 2024 at the MTV European Music Awards, and later confirmed their relationship in April 2025.

The couple most recently lived together in Manchester, where the Portuguese national has been playing football since 2020.

He joined Manchester City as a defender for a £65m fee. In August 2025, he signed a two-year contract extension with the team, taking his deal to 2029.

Meanwhile, Jama is an increasingly successful British television personality, and has been the host of the hugely popular reality series Love Island UK since 2022.

She will also feature as a member of the cast in the second series of The Celebrity Traitors UK, airing later this year, and is set to star in an undisclosed role in the second season of Guy Ritchie's Netflix series The Gentleman.

Monty Don receives reminder from BBC over clothing promotion rules

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g842317jxo, yesterday

Presenter Monty Don has been "reminded" of the BBC's guidelines around clothing after he appeared on Gardeners' World wearing a jacket by a company he has recently promoted.

The BBC's editorial guidelines say presenters must not "appear on air wearing clothes or using products, goods or services which they have agreed, or been contracted, to promote".

Don recently appeared in a video for Barbour's It's A Way of Life advertising campaign.

A BBC spokesperson said: "We have clear guidelines around presenters' commercial activities while working with the BBC, and Monty has been reminded of these guidelines."

Don is the lead presenter of the BBC Two programme, which has been running for almost 60 years.

Two years ago, Gary Lineker received a similar reminder after he appeared to wear items from his own Next fashion range while fronting BBC coverage of Euro 2024.

Monty Don has been contacted for comment.

Disclosure Day to Office Romance: 10 of the best films to watch this June

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20260526-10-of-the-best-films-to-watch-this-june, 4 days ago

From Spielberg's epic alien drama to J-Lo in an office romcom and the return of Toy Story, these are the films to watch at the cinema and stream at home this month.

1. Masters of the Universe

"By the power of Grayskull! I – have – the power!" Readers of a certain age may remember that booming battle cry: it rang out every week in a 1980s cartoon series, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, when Prince Adam of Eternia transformed into a super-strong (and identical) warrior named He-Man. A live-action film followed in 1987, starring Dolph Lundgren and a pre-Friends Courteney Cox. Now the sci-fi / fantasy franchise returns, with Nicholas Galitzine (Red, White & Royal Blue) as He-Man, Idris Elba as his mentor, Man-At-Arms, and Jared Leto and Alison Brie as the villains, Skeletor and Evil-Lyn. "It's a peculiar thing, being in a miniskirt and harness while everyone's fully dressed in puffer jackets and whatnot," said Galitzine about the shoot in Entertainment Weekly. But as long as the resulting film is better than the Lundgren version, it might be worth it.

Released on 3, 4 and 5 June internationally

2. Scary Movie 6

The Scary Movie franchise got started in 2000, mainly as a way of spoofing Scream (1996) and its imitators. (Fun fact: the working title of Scream was Scary Movie). Now that the Scream series is up and running again, it makes sense that Scary Movie is back, too. In the franchise's sixth instalment, its original stars, Anna Faris and Regina Hall, are on duty again for the first time in 20 years, as are the Wayans brothers, who wrote and directed the first couple of Scary Movies. The good news is that horror films are a bigger deal than ever, and so the likes of Sinners, Weapons, Get Out and The Substance will all be parodied. The not-so-good news is that Marlon Wayans has said that he will be taking potshots at "woke" and "cancel culture", a comedy idea that seems outdated already. As Teresia Gray says in The Mary Sue, "Scary Movie 6 looks to add another entry of 'Oh, these progressive kids are annoying' to an already roaring fire."

Released on 4 and 5 June internationally

3. Office Romance

The reigning queen of the romantic comedy, Jennifer Lopez is back with a Netflix film that puts the premise right in the title. In Office Romance, Lopez plays the CEO of an airline who gets together with a corporate lawyer played by Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent from Ted Lasso). But if any of their colleagues find out, her job will be in jeopardy. The film is directed by Ol Parker, who made another starry rom-com, Ticket to Paradise, with Julia Roberts and George Clooney. And it's written by Joe Kelly and Goldstein himself. "It's easy to write a rom-com when you have JLo in mind," Goldstein said in People. "She's the best at this stuff. We just wanted to write something funny and smart enough to be worthy of her saying yes."

Released on 5 June on Netflix internationally

4. Disclosure Day

Steven Spielberg may be the master of every conceivable genre, but he is especially keen on films about alien visitors. They appeared in Firelight, the film he made as a teenager in 1964, and he has returned to the subject in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, War of the Worlds, and Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (What do you mean those were "interdimensional beings"? That still counts!) More than six decades on from Firelight, he has made Disclosure Day, an epic drama starring Josh O'Connor, Emily Blunt, Colin Firth and Colman Domingo. Along with screenwriter David Koepp, he imagines a scenario in which aliens have already made contact with humans, but the world's governments have kept that contact secret – until now. "The question has always remained for me: are we alone on our own planet?" Spielberg said in Empire. "That question has not only haunted me, but it has inspired me. But, I think, it has now resolved itself to my satisfaction in Disclosure Day."

Released on 10, 11 and 12 June internationally

5. Toy Story 5

The first Toy Story introduced the world to computer-animated feature films back in 1995, but, luckily, toys don't age, and neither do cartoon characters. And so it is that, seven years on from Toy Story 4, Pixar's signature franchise continues, featuring Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), and their plastic pals. The intriguing thing about this Toy Story is that it acknowledges that times have changed since the original film. The issue is no longer that one favourite toy might be superseded by another. The issue now is that all toys might be put aside by children: they've got electronic tablets to play with instead. "It's a very, very clever story," said Allen in Collider. "Had they not come up with a brilliant script, they wouldn't have done it and they wouldn't have called me and Tom."

Released on 17, 18 and 19 June internationally

6. The Death of Robin Hood

Hugh Jackman stars as Robin Hood – so expect lots of swashbuckling larks with the merry men of Sherwood Forest. Actually, don't expect that at all. Directed by Michael Sarnoski (A Quiet Place: Day One), The Death of Robin Hood is a dark and gritty revisionist take on the legend, with a shaggy-bearded guerrilla warrior looking back at his life of savage deeds. "He was this murderous outlaw who did a lot of terrible things, and was kind of monstrous," said Sarnoski in Entertainment Weekly. "But he's lived long enough to see this folklore get created about him. He's figuring out how he feels about that, about being portrayed as a hero when he knows what he really was." Jodie Comer and Bill Skarsgård also star.

Released on 19 June in the US and Canada

7. Maddie's Secret

Maddie Ralph makes the leap from kitchen assistant to social-media superstar when her charming chats about her favourite recipes go viral. Her husband (Eric Rahill) and best friend (Kate Berlant) are thrilled by Maddie's success – what they don't realise is that she is struggling with bulimia. Maddie's Secret, then, is a classic Hollywood melodrama, except with one small difference: its heroine is played by its male writer-director, John Early. His debut film is a delicious camp comedy. "But what is most immediately striking about the film is its straightforward sincerity," wrote Sam Bodrojan in IndieWire. "Early never makes fun of Maddie, never lets the audience snicker at the screen… It is a film of real kindness, an extremely accomplished debut and one of the boldest American movies I have seen in years."

Released on 19 June in the US

8. Supergirl

A year on from the release of Superman, the second film in James Gunn's new DC Universe is flying into cinemas. But Supergirl is going her own way. While Superman (David Corenswet) himself was proudly noble, his cousin Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock) is jaded and hedonistic, so it's promising that the film is directed by Craig Gillespie, the director of I, Tonya and Cruella. "This is really an anti-hero story," Gillespie said in Nerdist. "Supergirl's got a lot of baggage and a lot of demons coming into this, which is very different than where Superman is in his life." Speaking of anti-heroes, Jason Momoa plays a gleefully violent alien bounty hunter, Lobo – so try to forget that Momoa played another DC character, Aquaman, just three years ago.

Released on 24, 25 and 26 June internationally

9. Jackass: Best and Last

Most Hollywood stunt performers impress you with their athleticism and skill. In the case of Johnny Knoxville and the Jackass gang, what impresses you – and sometimes disgusts you – is their willingness to put themselves in horribly dangerous and painful situations, then laugh about them afterwards. After a series on MTV, they made a film in 2002, and ever since then they've let themselves be charged by bulls and flung into the air by catapults. It's probably for the best that their fifth film will be their final one, so that the 55-year-old Knoxville doesn't have to break any more bones. He said in Rolling Stone that Jackass: Best and Last "never was a good idea! It was just fun. You know how you have ideas that are terrible but are fun? This would be that."

Released on 25 and 26 June internationally

10. The Invite

Imagine if Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton lived upstairs from you, and they invited you to have sex with them. It's probably not very likely, but that's the premise of The Invite, which is directed by Olivia Wilde (Booksmart, Don't Worry Darling), scripted by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack, and loosely based on a Spanish film, The People Upstairs (2022). Wilde stars alongside Seth Rogen as a married couple who are frustrated with their careers and each other. When their cool and confident neighbours (Cruz and Norton) come over for dinner, they offer to spice up the couple's lives in unexpected ways. Owen Gleiberman says in Variety that this "marvellously entertaining" comedy is "so original, so brimming with surprise, so fresh and up-to-the-minute in its perceptions of how relationships work (or don't), that you watch it in a state of rapt immersion and delight".

Released on 26 June in the US

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Cape Fear to House of the Dragon: 10 of the best TV shows to watch this June

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20260522-10-of-the-best-tv-shows-to-watch-this-june, 5 days ago

From a starry new adaptation of the classic thriller to the return of the spectacular Game of Thrones prequel – and a sketch series about US history created by Larry David.

1. Not Suitable for Work

Mindy Kaling has been behind the scenes more than she has been on screen lately, as co-creator of the successful shows The Sex Lives of College Girls and Running Point. She is the sole creator of this new comedy – that sounds like Friends meets The Office (another show she worked on) – about five people in their 20s who live in the same Manhattan neighbourhood, with workaholic attitudes and professional dreams in common. They range from a financial analyst to a fashion stylist and a medical student who actually wants to be an actor, and of course their paths criss-cross in complicated ways. The actors playing the friends aren't well known, but they are surrounded by more familiar faces, including Jay Ellis, Constance Wu and Ego Nwodim as bosses, mentors or thorns in their sides. From The Mindy Project on, few creators have a better track record than Kaling.

Not Suitable for Work premieres 2 June on Hulu in the US and Disney+ in the UK

2. The Witness

This fact-based drama looks back at the aftermath of a crime – the 1992 murder of Rachel Nickell, who was stabbed as she was walking in a London park with her two-year-old son, Alex. More than a murder mystery, it is a story about family and a botched police investigation. André Hanscombe (Jordan Bolger), Nickell's partner and Alex's father, is so determined to safeguard his son after the murder that they move away from the city. "If Alex was the only witness, he's in danger," André says in the trailer, convinced the police can't protect him. Sixteen years later the case is reopened, and the teenaged Alex (Max Fincham) has to grapple with the emotional fallout again. The real-life father and son cooperated with the project. And along with the dramatic series Netflix will premiere a companion documentary, The Murder of Rachel Nickell.

The Witness premieres 4 June on Netflix internationally

3. Cape Fear

If Javier Bardem doesn't terrify you in this thriller nothing will. He stars as the sinister Max Cady, a killer released after years in prison. Determined to get revenge on the lawyer couple he holds responsible for convicting him, he goes after them and their family. The series is based on a John D MacDonald novel, The Executioners, that has been adapted before, in a 1962 film with Robert Mitchum as Cady and a 1991 Martin Scorsese remake with Robert De Niro. Gregory Peck and Nick Nolte played Cady's targets in the films. This version centres on a married couple, played by Amy Adams and Patrick Wilson, and instead of a young daughter gives them two teenaged children. But the story is still an intense psychological thriller in which Cady keeps ramping up his threats, and which start out creepy and become lethal. All three screen versions have smartly changed the title of the novel to reflect the perfectly-named setting, the Cape Fear region of North Carolina.

Cape Fear premieres 5 June on Apple TV internationally

4. The Vampire Lestat

This is actually the third season of the drama Interview with the Vampire, based on Anne Rice's celebrated book series, but it has been renamed to reflect its new focus, which shifts from the vampire Louis (Jacob Anderson, still in the show) to his on-and-off lover, Lestat (Sam Reid), who is now 265 years old and a rock star on tour. "I am the Vampire Lestat. I am a God!" he proclaims, like any mortal rock star, in a trailer that has him singing a cover of Billy Idol's Dancing with Myself. Eric Bogosian returns as Daniel, the once-human interviewer who has since been turned into an immortal. "I was just ready to start biting people," Bogosian told EW. Jennifer Ehle plays the newly-arrived character of Lestat's mother. Reid-as-Lestat has already released several real-life singles written by the show's composer, Daniel Hart, so you can expect plenty of his Bowie-influenced music in the series.

The Vampire Lestat premieres 7 June on AMC and AMC+ in the US

5. Alice and Steve

You can see why Hulu and Disney+ are calling this a "wrong-com". Nicola Walker (The Split and Unforgotten) and Jemaine Clement (What We Do in the Shadows and Flight of the Conchords) play the title characters, best friends for 30 years until he starts dating her 26-year-old daughter, Izzy (Yali Topol Margalith). In a word, ick. A furious, comic all-out battle follows as Alice tries to thwart the new relationship, which Izzy, who actually made the first move on Steve, wants to keep. In another word, cringe, which is the point. "I love comedy that makes you squirm a little," the show's creator, Sophie Goodhart – a writer and director of the series Sex Education – told Variety. After the show won the best series award at the recent Cannes International Series Festival, Clement noted that audiences responded in different ways to the Steve-Izzy age gap. "Unlike sleeping with your best friend's daughter," he said. "That's controversial to everyone."

Alice and Steve premieres 8 June on Hulu in the US and Disney+ in the UK

6. Every Year After

Carley Fortune's bestselling 2022 romance novel, Every Summer After, a BookTok hit that has sold more than a million copies, is the basis for this series set in the Canadian resort town of Barry's Bay. The story takes place over one week when Percy (Sadie Soverall) returns for a funeral, but the episodes also flash back over six years to the start and end of her relationship with Sam (Matt Cornett). It doesn't seem like they've grown up very much in the present, but then this is a story about first and enduring young love. Fortune, an executive producer of the series, told Elle she made sure it included "the kinds of things that fans want to see" including a favourite line from the book when Sam says to Percy, "You came home". Prime Video's similar young-adults-in-love shows like The Summer I Turned Pretty and Off Campus have been hugely popular.

Every Year After premieres 10 June on Prime Video internationally

7. I Will Find You

Sometimes it seems as if Harlan Coben, Ryan Murphy and Taylor Sheridan are in a race to see who can cram the most shows into a single season. This time it's Coben's turn, as co-creator of a series based on his 2023 novel of the same name. Sam Worthington (all the Avatar movies) stars as David, wrongfully convicted of killing his small son. Five years later, his former sister-in-law Rachel, a journalist played by Britt Lower of Severance, brings evidence the boy might be alive. David escapes from prison to try to find the child and the truth, tracked by the FBI. Milo Ventimiglia (This Is Us) plays Rachel's ex-boyfriend, who is still in her life. When the novel was published the Guardian called it "a fantastically breakneck prison break / fugitive adventure story," and the series looks similar.

I Will Find You premieres 18 June on Netflix internationally

8. House of the Dragon

In a welcome addition to this already spectacular Game of Thrones prequel, James Norton joins the cast as Ormund Hightower, cousin of Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and her ally, as the Hightowers try to depose Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) from the Iron Throne. "The Targaryens are a savage race," Ormund says. There is a lot of savagery going around, of course, not to mention political intrigue and incest. Matt Smith returns as the deliciously scheming Daemon Targaryen, Rhaenyra's uncle, husband and father of some of her children. In a behind-the-scenes featurette, Steve Toussaint, who plays Lord Corlys Velaryon, aka The Sea Snake, says: "This is a war of a family against itself". With all that in-breeding, it would pretty much have to be.

House of the Dragon premieres 21 June in the US and 22 June in the UK on HBO Max

9. Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness

In a droll and totally unexpected television promo, Barack Obama – the real one – is annoyed by Larry David in a scene that could be straight out of Curb Your Enthusiasm. David's new show, a series of comic sketches in his usual sardonic style, is keyed to US history and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and produced by Higher Ground, the former president and Michelle Obama's company. A clip released in advance plays off a famous photo of a sailor kissing a woman in New York's Times Square on the day victory against Japan was declared during World War Two, with David trying to get in on the kissing action. Other episodes will feature Bill Hader and Kathryn Hahn as Abe and Mary Lincoln, Susie Essman as Susan B Anthony, and Jon Hamm and Sean Hayes as the Wright Brothers. Given the producers, there must be an uplifting message in there somewhere, but all credit to the Obamas for realising that patriotism doesn't have to be sappy.

Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness premieres 26 June in the US and 27 June in the UK on HBO Max

10. The Bear

The fifth season of the show will be its last, and the story picks up the morning after it left off, when Chef Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) said he was walking away from the food world and giving his share of the restaurant to Chef Sydney (Ayo Edibiri), his sister Natalie (Abby Elliott) and Cousin Richie (Eben Moss-Bachrach). However thrown they are by the news, they still have to try to get a Michelin star to save The Bear from financial ruin. Lionel Boyce and Liza Colon-Zayas return as their restaurant colleagues, along with Oliver Platt as Uncle Jimmy and Jamie Lee Curtis as Carmy and Natalie's troubled, high-drama mother. The series recently dropped a standalone flashback episode, Gary, whose final scene cut to the present and set the internet spiralling with speculation like, "Did the Bear Just Kill Off Cousin Richie?" As in the last season of any series, nothing is out of the question – failure, death, food poisoning, who knows?

The Bear premieres 25 June on Hulu in the US and 26 June on Disney+ in the UK

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'It's her truth': The new biopic revealing the secrets of enigmatic supermodel Kate Moss

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20260527-the-film-revealing-supermodel-kate-mosss-secrets, 3 days ago

In her long career, the fashion icon has rarely spoken about her private life. But now she's allowed it to be depicted in a film about her friendship with artist Lucian Freud.

The iconic supermodel Kate Moss has covered numerous magazines, walked thousands of fashion shows and rarely been out of the headlines since she was first scouted as a teenager from the London suburb of Croydon in the late '80s.

Warning: This piece contains language which some readers may find offensive

But how much do we, the general public, really know about her? Beyond all the tabloid stories painting her as a party girl hanging out with various other A-listers, she has managed to remain something of an enigma, and has barely given interviews. In a 2012 piece for Vanity Fair, she revealed she had adopted the mantra "never complain, never explain" from her once-boyfriend Johnny Depp.

Which is why the new film Moss & Freud – a semi-fictionalised account of when the esteemed artist Lucian Freud painted her portrait in 2002 – might come as a surprise, and a source of fascination to many. Written and directed by the Oscar-winning British-New Zealand film-maker James Lucas, it stars Ellie Bamber as an uncanny double of Moss, as she poses naked for Freud (played by Derek Jacobi) in the early '00s, and charts the unlikely friendship that blossomed between the two of them as a result.

The film is a tender, nuanced look at the private life of a woman in the glare of the celebrity spotlight, which suggests that at this point in her career she was suffering from burn-out. This odd-couple pairing with Freud, regarded as one of the most important British portraitists of the 20th Century, and known for his intimate and visceral paintings of his subjects, appears to lead Moss to re-evaluate herself, and her purpose. As she sits for Freud, every night from 19:00 to 02:00, for nine months, the film shows her simultaneously making some major life decisions.

Moss's involvement in the film

This is all not just conjecture on Lucas's part, as unprecedentedly, Moss not only approved his film – over the years, he says, she's turned down every other documentary and film maker's requests to make a work about her life – but also came on board as an executive producer. She even helped choose Bamber to play her, and spent time with the actor so that she could capture her character as accurately as possible.

"I don't usually want people to see the real me," Bamber-as-Moss says at one point on screen. "To go inside, that's precious, isn't it?"

So what led Moss to greenlight this particular production?

Director Lucas says he first approached Moss about the film "the old-fashioned way" with a letter sent to her through the post. He tells the BBC it "outlined who I was and why I thought this [her sitting for Freud] might have been such a critical, sea-change moment in her life, setting out my artistic, filmic vision for the movie." He adds: "The film gods must have been looking down on to me favourably because she responded very quickly, and before long we were putting things together."

"I pondered what two cultural titans may have talked about," he explains of what drew him to the premise,"and what they found so intriguing and recognisable in each other". He adds that the setting of '00s London, which is evoked in montages of fashion shows, backstage parties and paparazzi pictures from the time, also attracted him to this chapter in Moss's life: "At the time of the painting, London was a place fizzling with creativity, hedonism and a sense of togetherness." The timeline also jumps forward to 2004, to allow the film to include scenes of Moss's legendary "The Beautiful and the Damned" 30th birthday party, inspired by F Scott Fitzgerald's Jazz Age novel – a bash that British Vogue called "a lesson in fashion debauchery".

Moss & Freud doesn't try to tell Moss's entire backstory. Instead, by focusing mainly on the period where she sat for Freud – during which she also found out she was pregnant – it acts as an intimate snapshot of almost a year in her life.

The film's most fascinating insights

That's not to say that there aren't some surprising revelations in the film. Moss is shown visiting an S&M club in Berlin, but when people start touching her on the dancefloor, she is left distressed, with flashbacks showing how it reminds her of other times she had felt exploited earlier in her career.

Previously, Moss told Joy magazine back in 2008 about how much she liked "Berlin at night, the city has something dark... erotic about it", declaring the city's wild KitKatClub "my favourite". However, whether she was initially refused entry to the club – and told her taxi driver to strip to his underwear for them to gain entry as a couple – as is shown in the film, is not something Moss has spoken about.

And while Moss was reported to have been in a car crash in Essex in 2001 as she was being driven to a photoshoot, the film shows her narrowly avoiding another crash, this time at the wheel, while checking her phone as she speeds about hedonistically in an open-topped car, puffing on a cigarette and with empty mini champagne bottles at her feet.

We also see her falling in love with Jefferson Hack, editor of style magazine Dazed & Confused, who would later become father to their daughter, Lila Grace Moss, after he does an interview with her and goes rogue with personal questions about her taste in men. This tallies with the profile Hack wrote of her for Dazed & Confused in 1999 – not 2002, as the film suggests – in which he asked: "There's been a lot of different men mentioned in your life recently, but no one permanent relationship. Is there no one out there good enough for you?"

Most scandalously, Freud and Moss are shown taking opium together during the painting process, and while this aspect of their relationship has never been reported before, Lucas confirms: "What you find in Moss & Freud is Kate's truth and Lucian's truth. Everything you experience is reality – my embellishments are merely cinematic flourishes." The pair are also pictured having fall-outs during the painting process – Freud is furious when she is late one evening for a sitting.

There has been tabloid speculation over the years about the exact nature of their relationship, given Freud's reputation for being a "lothario" who fathered an estimated 14 children. The film does depict Freud – who died in 2011 – as being deeply enamoured with Kate, and jealous when she meets Hack. But the relationship is presented as purely platonic – from Moss's side, anyway. We're also privy to the moment Freud tattoos her, not the pair of swallows on her back, as some people think, but a flock of birds on her thigh, about which she has previously said: "I'm still probably the only living person with a Lucian Freud on my thigh."

The film's most affecting scene comes when Moss describes to Freud her mistreatment in one of her earliest photoshoots – of which we see a brief glimpse in a flashback. It saw Moss pushed into going topless, and in Moss & Freud she says of her co-star in the shoot: "He was such an arsehole to me, you wouldn't believe. I was 17 years old and shy about my body and I just took it. I stayed in bed for two weeks afterwards."

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The film includes black-and-white flashbacks of the shoot, and it evidently refers to the famous 1992 Calvin Klein underwear advert which she shot with Mark Wahlberg, then known as rapper Marky Mark. In a rare 2012 interview with Vanity Fair, Moss described how the job had given her a "nervous breakdown", while in a 2022 appearance on BBC Radio's Desert Island Discs, when she recalled that she had felt "completely [objectified]. And vulnerable and scared". In 2020, Wahlberg told The Guardian about the shoot: "I think I was probably a little rough around the edges. Kind of doing my thing. I wasn't very… worldly, let's say that."

Lucas's film suggests her experiences on this shoot were formative in instilling in her a certain emotional guardedness. "That's why I play these roles in front of a camera, I promised myself I'd never feel like that again," she says at one point. It's these kinds of additional insights to the Moss lore that make the film run deeper than the headlines.

How candid is Moss & Freud?

Of course, the fact that Moss is a producer on the film may make people question to what extent Moss & Freud provides a carefully curated image of her. Certainly given the current trend for airbrushed celebrity documentaries – such as Netflix's recent series about David and Victoria Beckham, co-produced by David's production company Studio 99 – audiences are more sceptical than ever about what they are seeing. However, Lucas is keen to stress that Moss & Freud "is far from some slick celebrity advertorial". He adds: "Respectfully, I ran every iteration of the script past her and very little changed but at the same time, her input made everything accurate and, consequentially, enhanced the final film… Everything she said was honest and heartfelt. And usually quite funny."

Certainly too, Moss & Freud only offers a glimpse into one particularly memorable moment of her life, rather than trying to do something more definitive. But while it's far from access-all-areas, it does allow fans more insight into her life than has ever previously been granted.

In fact, fashion and beauty editor Jo Hoare is conflicted about its very existence. "Her fans like the whole legend around her – the bad boyfriends, the big nights out, the carefree attitude – and all this is massively helped by the fact that she is so mysterious and unknowable."

"I do think the film will be popular among people like me who grew up in the 90s/00s," she continues. "But part of me thinks 'do I actually want to know more', or 'do I love her because I don't'?"

Indeed, the elusive appeal of Moss has served her well for her entire career, making something like the Freud painting that much more lucrative: it sold for £3.9m in 2005 (around $7.1m then), despite neither subject nor artist being particularly happy with the finished artwork. Here is an icon who has perfected the art of "giving 'em what they want", as she says in the film, while still managing to remain a figure of intrigue. And despite this film's selective insights, that legacy looks set to continue.

Moss & Freud is in UK cinemas from 29 May, with a US release date yet to be confirmed.

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'I believe Mr Nixon knew all along': The tragic story of Martha Mitchell - the Watergate whistleblower who was ridiculed

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20260522-the-tragic-story-of-martha-mitchell, 6 days ago

Martha Mitchell was a flamboyant Washington DC socialite whose husband was embroiled in the Watergate scandal. Her shocking claims of a violent abduction and a "dirty business" were ridiculed as delusional – until they turned out to be true.

Martha Mitchell was a character; everyone agreed on that. Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas in 1918, she emerged as a flamboyant, charismatic Washington socialite after the appointment of her second husband, John Mitchell, to the Nixon White House.

She liked a drink, and sometimes liked to follow those drinks with gossipy late-night phone calls to reporters. Her outsized personality and presence earned her the nickname "Washington's Other Martha". Her candidness saw her nicknamed "the Mouth of the South".

Warning: This article contains language that some may find offensive.

But in 1972, as her husband was embroiled in the Watergate scandal and she became, in the words of the reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, "the Greek chorus of the […] drama, sounding her warnings to all who would hear", Martha's eccentricities were turned against her.

She was dismissed as a drunk, a fantasist and a self-publicist, even as the broad truth of her claims of a "dirty business" became clear.

Her more specific and lurid accusations – of a violent abduction by Nixon associates, of being held hostage and drugged – only enhanced her status as a seemingly unreliable witness. "The whole thing is incredible," she acknowledged to David Frost in a September 1974 BBC TV interview. "It's like reading a James Bond novel. You can't believe it. I can't believe what's happened to me."

Years after her death, Harvard psychologist Brendan Maher used her name to describe a psychological phenomenon: the Martha Mitchell effect, wherein a patient's outlandish but real experiences are misdiagnosed as delusions. But it wasn't until recently that the significance of her Watergate interventions, erratic and self-interested though they sometimes were, started to be properly acknowledged.

In 1977, Richard Nixon had told David Frost that "if it hadn't been for Martha Mitchell, there'd have been no Watergate". He meant that her unpredictable behaviour had caused his close ally John Mitchell to take his eye off the ball. In reality, she came close to exposing the entire criminal enterprise before a cover up could even begin.

A dramatic phonecall

Martha Beall grew up in a small town, the only child of well-to-do parents. A one-time aspiring actress, she was known as talkative and headstrong. She studied at the University of Arkansas and later at the University of Miami. Upon graduation, after a short stint as a schoolteacher, she got a job as receptionist to the general of the Pine Bluff Arsenal, transferred with him to Washington DC, and there met and married an Army captain.

After Martha's husband's discharge, the couple moved to New York where they eventually divorced after 11 years of marriage. A few months later, Martha married again, this time to wealthy Manhattan lawyer John Mitchell. And 11 years after that she found herself back in DC, a resident of the exclusive Watergate apartment complex as the wife of the Attorney General of the United States.

In Washington, Martha established herself as a gregarious and enthusiastic partygoer with a distinctive sense of style, "the most colourful" of the Nixon cabinet wives, according to a contemporary New York Times report. She soon became known as the most outspoken and indiscreet, too, telling a TV reporter in November 1969 that anti-Vietnam war protests reminded her husband of the Russian Revolution and earning national notoriety in the process.

Around the same time, she caused a more localised kerfuffle by making a series of phone calls to Washington wives and senatorial staff, lobbying them hard (some said threatening them) to throw their influence behind one of her husband's favoured Supreme Court candidates, the pro-segregation, anti-labour judge Clement Haynsworth.

The telephone continued to be Martha's weapon of choice. In April 1970, she made a series of late-night calls to the Arkansas Gazette urging them to "crucify" local senator J William Fulbright for opposing another segregationist Supreme Court nominee, G Harrold Carswell. In 1971, she called Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward after he named her as one of the Watergate residents who had complained about pollution from a generating plant which, in turned out, directly supplied the White House. "Honey," he quotes her as saying. "[I don't] care if John and Mr President [have] to work by candlelight, [I] learned enough back in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, to know that human beings should not be subjected to direct hits from anybody's waste."

Martha's most dramatic and significant phone call was made on 22 June 1972. Earlier that year, John Mitchell had resigned as Attorney General to head up the Committee for the Re-Election of the President (CRP, or, popularly, Creep). His role involved distributing a secret slush fund to support sabotage and intelligence-gathering against Nixon's political opponents. On 17 June, five men were caught breaking into the Democratic National Committee offices in the Watergate complex, carrying electronic listening equipment.

John and Martha Mitchell were in California for fund-raising engagements at the time of the arrests. Realising she would easily connect the break-in to himself and the campaign (one of the arrested men, Creep staffer James McCord, had previously been assigned to her as a personal guard), John tried to keep the news from Martha. As he prepared to return to Washington to begin a cover-up operation, he suggested she remain at their hotel to rest, and told the Creep team, including security aide Steve King, to ensure she didn't see any newspapers. A few days later, however, Martha managed to find a copy of the Los Angeles Times, and phoned one of her reporter friends, United Press International's Helen Thomas, to discuss what she'd learned.

Martha got as far as telling Thomas she was "sick of the whole [Nixon] operation" before the call abruptly terminated. What had happened, Martha later explained to David Frost, was that Steve King had "jerked the telephone from the wall". She was then held captive in her hotel room for several days, "without food or anything else". At one point, she attempted to escape through a window and the ensuing struggle left her needing stitches from broken glass.

Later, she was held down and forcibly injected with a tranquiliser. When she was eventually allowed to leave the hotel, Martha called Thomas again, complaining of being left "black and blue" by her captors and announcing "I won't stand for this dirty business".

"When I got back to New York, I had both arms in bandages," she told Frost in 1974. "And that is my greatest mistake, because if I had gone in front of the press at that particular time, they would have known what had happened to me." As it was Martha's allegations (eventually corroborated by McCord in 1975 after his conviction for the Watergate break-in) were relegated to the inside pages of the national papers. Her first call to Helen Thomas made page 12 of the New York Times, her second was only noted on page 25.

'A complicated whistleblower'

Others, like the New York Daily News, treated the affair more as whimsical gossip-column fodder than a significant lead in a scandal that could ultimately bring down the government. Later press coverage quoted anonymous Republican sources worrying over Martha's alcohol consumption and apparently declining mental health. In September, Bob Woodward visited her in New York, where she and John had moved following his resignation from Creep. He found her chatty and charming as ever, but vague and evasive when talk turned to Watergate. He concluded it had been a wasted trip (though she did correctly predict Nixon would win "biggest landslide in the history of the country" in the upcoming election).

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Martha Mitchell was a complicated whistleblower in the Watergate affair. Washington Post writer Katherine Winton Evans summed up her conflicted legacy in 1979: "I've always had a hard time deciding whether Martha Mitchell was a spunky, savvy lady who divined the truth about Richard Nixon earlier than a lot of other people – or simply an impossible, unreliable, self-destructive pain in the kazoo."

Her initial motivation seemed to be to distance her husband from the conspiracy, even as she correctly alluded to its existence. Yet despite her insistence to David Frost that "I believe Mr Nixon knew all along. I would almost be willing to bet my life he planned it", it's not clear what, if any, inside knowledge she had of the break-in and its cover-up.

In All the President's Men, Woodward and Bernstein quote their most celebrated informant, Deep Throat, as saying that Martha "knows nothing, apparently, but that doesn't mean she won't talk". Fifty years later, Bob Woodward revealed that, as Martha's marriage began to break down in early 1974, she had given the reporters access to John Mitchell's personal papers, saying "I hope you get the bastard."

The contents of John's home office provided at least one front page instalment in the Washington Post's long-running Watergate investigation (a 1971 letter from Nixon's close friend Elmer Bobst, offering a $100,000 donation in exchange for favourable treatment from the Federal Trade Commission). Yet, whatever other insights she could have provided had she been taken more seriously, Martha's June 1972 imprisonment alone should have indicated that the people around Richard Nixon had something to hide, and were willing to go to extraordinary lengths to do so.

Nixon eventually resigned in August 1974. A few weeks later, Martha Mitchell told David Frost: "I've lost my trust in human nature… I have loved a man to the hilt, and then all of a sudden everything turns out to be lies." John Mitchell was convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury in January 1975. That same year, Martha became sick with multiple myeloma. She died a year later. At her funeral in Pine Bluff, among the flowers sent by friends and supporters was a floral tribute that spelled out a 6in-high message in white chrysanthemums. It read: Martha was right.

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The nine buzzy Cannes films that could become Oscar contenders

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20260522-the-eight-buzzy-cannes-films-that-could-become-oscar-contenders, 7 days ago

As Cannes Film Festival closes, which are the acclaimed films from this year's crop that could be heading for Academy Award nominations?

If you want to know which films are going to be nominated for Oscars, it's worth looking at what premiered at the Cannes Film Festival the previous May. Last year's Cannes batch included Sentimental Value and The Secret Agent. The year before, there was The Substance, Emilia Pérez and Anora. Now that another Cannes has drawn to a close, it could be said that awards season has already begun. Here are the films most likely to become Oscar contenders.

1. Fjord

Fjord was the winner of Cannes' top prize, the Palme d'Or, despite receiving what can be politely described as mixed reviews. But even though it wasn't a critics' darling, Cristian Mungiu's enthralling drama revolves around the hottest of hot topics. Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve star as an evangelical couple who move from Romania to Norway, and are accused of child abuse because they slap their children to discipline them. The film becomes a debate between Christianity and secularism, conservative tradition and progressive liberalism. It's certain to get Academy members talking – and voting.

2. Club Kid

There were hardly any American films at Cannes this year, but one of them was a clear festival highlight. Written and directed by its star, Jordan Firstman (I Love LA), Club Kid tells the riotous story of a party animal whose life is upended when he is presented with the 10-year-old son (Reggie Absolom) he never knew he'd fathered. The film has been called this year's answer to Anora, and with good reason. Not only does it have the same producer, Alex Coco, it's a rollicking, New York-set indie comedy that bursts with raunchiness and caustic wit, but which is big-hearted, too. It won't win the best picture Oscar, as Anora did, but it might be in the running.

3. La Bola Negra / The Black Ball

With its sweeping scale and lavish period detail, wrenching emotion and literary cleverness, this Spanish saga ticks numerous Oscar boxes. Directed by Javier Calvi and Javier Ambrossi (aka Los Javis), La Bola Negra cuts between three different narratives, two in the 1930s and one in 2017, as it examines how gay relationships have been erased from history in Spain. The wartime scenes are reminiscent of The English Patient and Captain Corelli's Mandolin, and the memorable cameos by Penélope Cruz (as a music-hall bombshell) and Glenn Close (as a pioneering academic) will ensure that Hollywood takes notice.

4. Soudain / All of a Sudden

Ryusuke Hamaguchi's Drive My Car (2021) won the best international feature film Oscar in 2022, and it was nominated for best picture. Hamaguchi's deeply humane and tender new drama could do almost as well. Most of it is set in Paris, where Virginia Efira, the dedicated director of a nursing home, meets Tao Okamoto, a Japanese playwright who has terminal cancer. All of a Sudden is three-and-a-quarter hours long, including a half-hour lecture on the demographic effects of capitalism, so it's a challenging prospect. But viewers who will stick with it will be sobbing by the end.

5. The Man I Love

Rami Malek hasn't given awards voters much to focus on since he won his Oscar for Bohemian Rhapsody in 2019, but The Man I Love is a welcome showcase for his talents. In fact, it has a slight resemblance to Bohemian Rhapsody, in that Malek plays a struttingly charismatic gay singer who has Aids, but his character, Jimmy George, is a long way from being a stadium-conquering superstar. In Ira Sachs' soulful indie drama, Jimmy is part of a group of friends putting on an off-Broadway show in late 1980s New York. Audiences will be choked up by his vulnerability, as his supportive partner (Tom Sturridge) and loving sister (Rebecca Hall) realise that this could be his final moment in the spotlight.

6. Notre Salut / A Man of His Time

Emmanuel Marre's superbly shrewd drama is a biopic of his own great grandfather, Henri Marre (Swann Arlaut). After German forces conquer France in World War Two, the ambitious Henri keeps knocking on doors until he gets a bureaucratic job in Marshall Pétain's Vichy regime. He sees himself as a patriot who can rebuild France with his modern management theories. The fact that he is collaborating with the Nazis and helping to send Jewish citizens to their deaths doesn't seem to interest him. Naturalistic performances, intimate camerawork and bursts of 1980s music all help to make the point that the most abhorrent dictatorships can be propped up by the most ordinary people.

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7. El ser querido / The Beloved

The Academy has a soft spot for films about film-making, and The Beloved is one of the finest examples of that particular sub-genre. Javier Bardem is on career-best form as a prestigious director who hires his own daughter (Victoria Luengo) to star in his historical epic, Desert. She is grateful for the opportunity, but once they're shooting on location, she learns that he is just as short-tempered with her as he is with the rest of the cast. There are echoes of Sentimental Value in the father-daughter dynamic, but Bardem's fiery, unapologetic director is a unique and Oscar-worthy creation.

8. Moulin

László Nemes is known for Son of Saul, winner of the best foreign language film in 2016. And the Hungarian writer-director's new film is another gruelling, atmospheric chronicle of World War Two. It's based on the true story of Jean Moulin (Gille Lelouche), a French Resistance leader who is arrested in Lyon and interrogated by a loathsome Gestapo commander, Klaus Barbie (Lars Eidinger). With two stunning central performances, Moulin is a noirish espionage thriller, a sombre study of pure evil, and a quietly powerful tribute to remarkable heroism. It's not an easy watch, but it's an essential one.

9. Minotaur

Two of Andrey Zvyagintsev's previous films have been Oscar-nominated, but neither of them was as gripping or as accessible as Minotaur. A remake of Claude Chabrol's The Unfaithful Wife (1969), which has already been remade in the US as Unfaithful (2002), it's a Hitchcockian crime thriller about a businessman (Dmitriy Mazurov) who discovers that his wife (Iris Lebedeva) is having an affair. And on that level, it's a triumph: tense, richly characterised, and deliciously dark. But Zvyagintsev adds a sharp political element by shifting the story to a Russian city. The husband in his film is an oligarch who enjoys a life of luxury, while his employees are sent to fight in Ukraine.

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Kin to Yesteryear: 10 of the best books of 2026 so far

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20260522-the-best-books-of-2026, 8 days ago

From a darkly comic tale of revenge to a beautiful contemplation on friendship, here are the year's most acclaimed works of fiction so far.

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

"Daring, deranged, cleverly written," is how Vogue describes the buzzy debut by Caro Claire Burke. In this satirical thriller, tradwife influencer Natalie inexplicably wakes up in the year 1855 in a crumbling homestead. The harsh reality of rural existence in the 19th Century soon becomes clear. Yesteryear, says the LA Times, "offers a bitingly funny and occasionally heartbreaking twist on the classic Instagram-versus-reality story". Natalie is "a deliciously unlikable protagonist" who is "objectively off-putting, which makes her bitingly human". The novel is due to be adapted for film, with Anne Hathaway producing and starring. (LB)

Transcription by Ben Lerner

In Transcription, an unnamed middle-aged writer travels from New York to Providence, Rhode Island, to interview Thomas, a 90-year-old former mentor and revered writer and film-maker. The stakes are high – Thomas's recent bout of Covid means this interview could be his last – and the writer breaks his phone just before the interview, rendering him unable to record the esteemed artist's words. What follows is a reflection on technology, storytelling and memory that The Guardian says is "intricate, uncanny, sometimes breathtakingly realistic", while The New Yorker writes: "Nothing in this exquisite, shape-shifting novel is what it seems – words least of all." (RL)

Look What You Made Me Do by John Lanchester

"Gleefully nasty," is how The Times describes John Lanchester's widely acclaimed fifth novel, a black comedy of betrayal, revenge, resentment and entitlement. At its centre are affluent boomer Kate and younger screenwriter Phoebe. A rivalry between them begins when Kate recognises intimate secrets from her 30-year marriage in a hit TV series. The novel "seethes with female animosity and vengeance," says the Literary Review. "Skewed scenarios and retaliatory stratagems are craftily deployed in a novel that's a kaleidoscope of tilting perspectives." Look What you Made Me Do, it concludes, is "a gleamingly accomplished black comedy". (LB)

The Keeper by Tana French

French is a bestselling author described by The New York Times as "one of the most consistently exciting mystery writers around". The Keeper is the final instalment in a trilogy that stars retired Chicago cop Cal Hooper, who becomes enmeshed in the intrigue of the fictional Irish village of Ardnakelty. As the body of a young woman is found in a river, Hooper is drawn into investigating the case. Amid the town's bitter feuds and long-standing grudges, he grapples with the future of this rural community. "Dense, compelling and superbly atmospheric," says The Guardian. (RL)

Departure(s) by Julian Barnes

Blending memoir and fiction to explore memory, ageing and love, Julian Barnes's self-declared swansong Departure(s) is brief, and with only a sketchy plot. One of the book's threads is a romance between the narrator's friends Stephen and Jean, who were in love in their university days, then reconnected again in old age. The narrator, meanwhile, reflects on memory, ageing and love. Departure(s) is a "valedictory flourish" says The Atlantic. "The whole package is a culmination of sorts, shimmering with his silky, erudite prose; beneath the suave surface is an earnest investigation into the mysterious ways of the human heart." (LB)

Questions 27 & 28 by Karen Tei Yamashita

Yamashita's first novel in 16 years centres on a dark period of US history – the internment of Japanese immigrants during World War Two. Under the order of President Franklin D Roosevelt, hundreds of thousands of people were taken from their homes on the West Coast and put in camps throughout the US. Questions 27 and 28 were part of a questionnaire prisoners were given to assess their loyalty. Yamashita's historical novel – which blends real and fictional events with composite characters – examines the period and the ensuing internal battles that arose around the loyalty test. "Yamashita is at her best when she zooms out… and meditates on the greater stakes of these scattered lives," writes Hua Hsu in the New Yorker. "We feel the weight of the past, all these accumulated voices and perspectives, within and between Yamashita's novels, as well as the process through which disparate stories, anecdotes, or experiences might coalesce as history." (RL)

This is Where the Serpent Lives by Daniyal Mueenuddin

Having been a Pulitzer finalist back in 2010 for short story collection In Other Rooms, Other Wonders, Daniyal Mueenuddin now returns with a highly acclaimed novel. Exploring how power, class and the legacy of feudalism shape lives in modern Pakistan, the novel follows overlapping narratives of the landowners and staff of a family-run farm. This is Where the Serpent Lives is "sensitive and powerful" says the New York Times. "Mueenuddin makes the reader care about the romantic relationships, and the pages turn themselves." It is "a serious book that you'll be hearing about again, later in the year, when the shortlists for the big literary prizes are announced". (LB)

Kin by Tayari Jones

Announcing Kin as one of her Book Club picks, Oprah Winfrey described Tayari Jones's fifth novel as "a masterpiece… that contemplates the meaning [and] complications of friendship". Motherless since they were infants, Vernice and Annie are "cradle friends", who come of age in Honeysuckle, Louisiana in 1950s US. As they grow, the friends drift apart – one goes down the path of college and relationships; the other in pursuit of the mother who abandoned her. "A lush, beautiful novel", writes Radhika Jones in The New York Times. "When reading Kin, I wanted nothing more than to keep reading it." (RL)

The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout

Pulitzer-winning author Elizabeth Strout is known for her series of novels featuring iconic characters Olive Kitteridge and Lucy Barton, and her deft portrayals of small-town life in all its fraught, familial complexity. The Things we Never Say is a stand-alone novel about Artie Dam – a high-school history teacher who is navigating loneliness and a changing world – as he confronts a life-altering secret. "There is so much here to explore, so many endless human mysteries," says The Guardian. "Let's hope that this fine author continues steadily along her path, delivering unto her loyal readers story upon story, gift upon gift." (LB)

The Palm House by Gwendoline Riley

"Full of pathos and humour," according to The Times, The Palm House centres on a pair of spiky middle-aged colleagues, Laura Miller, a writer and the novel's narrator, and Edmund Putnam, an older editor who is leaving his job at a highbrow literary magazine. The friends' conversations in London pubs over drinks and shared packets of crisps are interspersed with often heartbreaking recollections about their pasts. Critics have praised the novel's dialogue, which Riley, writes the LRB, "wields… like a Swiss army knife, now corkscrewed, now serrated, but always coming to a short, sharp point." (RL)

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'Astronaut wanted. No experience necessary' - the surprising story behind the first British person in space

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20260518-helen-sharman-the-story-behind-the-first-british-person-in-space, 11 days ago

It's 35 years since the first British person went into space. Helen Sharman was a 27-year-old food scientist when she stumbled upon a job ad to be part of an Anglo-Soviet commercial venture, Project Juno. Sharman told BBC News in 1991: "All along the selection process, I never really believed that it could be me."

One of the lesser-known moments to take place during the Cold War space race involved the Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. On his way to the launchpad in 1961, just before he became the first man in outer space, he asked to stop the bus and took a last-minute toilet break.

It grew into a tradition that all cosmonauts flying from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan repeat just before take-off, as recounted by Helen Sharman, the first British astronaut, in her 1993 autobiography. "This was one tradition they would not expect me to join in," she writes.

Yet the food scientist from Sheffield was treading in the footsteps of cosmonauts when she launched into space aboard the Soviet Soyuz TM-12 space capsule on 18 May 1991. She was to spend eight days on the Mir space station, making British history – with the help of a Soviet space programme. At the time the British government wasn't involved in space exploration, so paying for a spot on a flight was the only way to get there.

And she was only there because of an advert. "One pleasant evening at the end of June 1989, I was driving home from the Mars factory in Slough, listening to the car radio," she writes in her memoir. "While I sat in a traffic jam, I flicked through the radio stations trying to find something to listen to."

It wasn't the most auspicious of moments – but as she goes on to recount, her attention was caught by an ad on one of the channels she tuned into: "Astronaut wanted. No experience necessary."

Sharman had stumbled upon the recruitment slogan for a project that marked the thawing of Cold War relations. The Juno mission was a commercial venture to send a Briton to Mir funded by a private consortium – with a Soviet space crew.

"I know, with hindsight, that the minute or so I spent listening to this advertisement is the crucial, pivotal moment in my life," she writes. "After it, nothing from my old life could ever quite be the same."

From Slough to Star City

That moment was to kickstart a process that took Sharman from the London suburbs to what was known as Star City in Russia. She would exchange rush-hour commutes back and forth from her studio flat in Surbiton for 18 months of intensive training at a facility originally known only as Military Unit 26266, in an area designated "closed military townlet No 1".

During the Soviet era, the location – on the outskirts of Moscow – was a guarded military installation, access to which was highly restricted. According to Nasa astronaut Michael Barratt, speaking in 1998: "Star City has always kind of felt like the forbidden city or the hidden city. It wasn't on any maps, certainly. It was a secret cosmonaut training base. Of course, everyone knew where it was, but it was considered a closed and secure city."

Yet by 1990, as a result of the reforming regime of Mikhail Gorbachev in the dying days of the Soviet Union, a few foreigners were allowed in. While carrying out training to help prepare for zero gravity, Sharman lived in a spacious apartment there, with access to chauffeur-driven Volgas – although she preferred to have her own car, and arranged for a Ford Escort to be transported from Finland.

The 27-year-old had been picked from 13,000 applicants, with only the final four travelling to Star City. "All along the selection process, I never really believed that it could be me," she told BBC News from Star City in 1991. "I never really knew exactly what they were looking for. And even now, I can't say what it is that maybe they thought that I had that maybe some of the others didn't."

Her father, John, gave one possible reason in a 1991 interview with the BBC's Gloria Hunniford, referring to a press cutting that described how all the crew had to train daily on tilt tables to prepare them for weightless conditions – except for Helen, who only needed to do that twice during the week as she had quickly mastered the techniques for managing weightlessness.

In her memoir, Sharman describes her time in Star City as "probably the most significant period of my life, in its own way even more influential on my outlook and ideas than the time I spent in space".

Camaraderie with cosmonauts

As well as pioneering British space travel, Sharman's time on the Juno mission revealed much about how space programmes can transcend national boundaries.

She describes her fellow cosmonauts Anatoly ("Tolya") Artebartsky and Sergei Krikalyov as "the closest and most important friends I had ever had". While at Star City, she also became close to some of the pioneers of Russian space flight, including the cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, the first man to walk in space.

Sharman recounts in her memoir how Leonov accompanied the three cosmonauts to the launch on 18 May, and gave her an elasticated pink chiffon jumpsuit with "a wonderful frilly front and billowing sleeves" – which she nicknamed "the dream-garment".

He told her: "The first night you're on the space station, it's traditional for all the crew to eat a proper dinner together. I thought you might like to dress for dinner." When they made it to Mir, she donned it for their celebratory meal, with Sergei wearing a tie that floated horizontally for the evening.

She reflects today on Leonov, telling the BBC that he was "a bit of a joker" and "a great social architect, who brought people together. He enjoyed his status as the 'international cosmonaut', having been part of the Soyuz-Apollo crew." He would sometimes use a few words of English that he picked up during his training in the US. "My enduring memory of his informal speeches when an American was present is Leonov describing the American guest as a 'Top Banana'. It always got a laugh."

The Cold War thaws

Sharman's groundbreaking flight to the Mir space station in May 1991 came at the end of the Cold War, taking place months before the Soviet Union was dissolved. While Tolya returned to Earth after five months, Sergei was asked to stay on, finally landing after 310 days in space. He became known as "the last Soviet citizen", returning to a country that hadn’t existed when they had launched.

And the backdrop to Project Juno was one of perestroika (reform in the Soviet Union). Facing criticism over the high costs of the space programme, on the 30th anniversary of Gagarin's flight, Gorbachev said that Moscow needed foreign investment to maintain its leadership in space.

The Juno mission was meant to be financed by private sponsorship, creating a new scientific partnership between Britain and the Soviet Union. But despite all the publicity, the sponsorship fell flat, and the Soviet-owned Moscow-Narodny Bank had to underwrite the mission.

More like this:

• The 'divine visions' predicting the fall of the USSR

• The WW2 general who outwitted his arch-rival

• Exploring the peculiar smells of outer space

As the BBC correspondent Carole Walker said in 1991, "The Soviet Union is desperate for foreign investment to continue its flagging space programme, and is keen to promote commercial flights as the way ahead. It cannot risk damaging its reputation by pulling out of the highly publicised Juno mission."

In another 1991 report, BBC correspondent Martin Sixsmith argued that "The romanticism of the Gagarin era has now been overtaken by the lure of Western currency."

Despite the issues with funding, Sharman's eight days in space represented a leap forward for Anglo-Soviet relations. The UK government congratulated her with the message that "this mission symbolises peaceful scientific co-operation between nations".

And her time at Star City offered Sharman a counternarrative to that of space travel as pioneered by Nasa. Recalling her visit to the space museum in Moscow, where the floor space had been converted into a second-hand car salesroom, she tells the BBC: "It was an education because there was so much that I had not known about from my UK schooling and Nasa's domination of UK space news.

"It felt as though I was being included in something much bigger than my space mission alone. And I could feel the pride in their space prowess of every Soviet citizen around me: the first animal in space, the first person, the first woman, the first spacewalk. Nasa didn't talk much about those achievements."

The history of space exploration has often been framed in terms of a "race" – competition fuelling innovation. Yet much of the time humans have spent in space has seen collaboration across borders.

Looking back now on her prevailing memories of being in space, Sharman recalls: "Feeling weightless – which is the most natural, relaxing feeling imaginable; camaraderie with my crew – which came from openness and trust; and the views, which we often experienced together, grouped around a window."

She believes the collaboration of space programmes can be "a great way to break down barriers when politics allows", saying that "trust is built on personal relationships – and that can be lifelong".

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'Designing clothes for cancer patients is my daughter's legacy'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyp7jg4392o, today

When Emily Rhodes was diagnosed with a brain tumour, she struggled to find clothes that were comfortable and easy to wear during treatment.

The 24-year-old model, from York, was buying new outfits every other week as her illness meant she was gaining a lot of weight quickly and her body was very sore.

"We were going to Primark and getting oversized leggings but there was nothing out there that she felt comfortable in," her mum Joanne Nicholson explains.

"When I worked in the NHS, I wore scrubs and thought, why isn't there anything out there for patients that they can put on and then hang up until the next week?"

Emily, who "lit up every room she entered" according to her family, died from cancer in April 2019.

"After she passed, I was not well for about a year," Joanne admits.

"I was really, really struggling with grief and I thought I really need to help other people."

Along with Emily's brother, Matthew Rhodes, Joanne set up EmAble, which is an intelligent fashion brand specialising in accessible clothing.

"When you're going through treatment, you're losing your identity and you're not in control of your life or your body any more," Joanne says.

"Taking a bit of control back is a massive thing especially when you're young and developing as a person.

"Obviously I couldn't help Emily but I wanted to make a clothing line that would assist people going through treatments that you could just throw on, feel really comfortable, go and have your treatments done and then just hang it up for the next time you go."

With this purpose in mind, Joanne wanted to challenge fashion students at York College to do the same.

The brief involved designing a shirt dress with hidden zips, while also making sure the outfits were vibrant and fun.

For fashion student Jenny Ackroyd, the brief was particularly poignant as she had been diagnosed with kidney cancer herself.

Displaying a black and white striped shirt dress with a whimsical red bow, Jenny says the assignment had been "really hard".

"I was actually having treatment while I was making it and what I struggled with was weight loss," the designer adds.

"When you take the belt off, it's quite a relaxed look but the belt was there to help with that."

Her design was the first garment Jenny had ever made, which she never thought she would achieve due to the time she had off.

"In my dress, there's four hidden zips and I used poppers as well for easiness," she explains.

The designer says it has been an honour to work with Joanne and Matthew.

"From the minute I met them I've been like this," she says with tears in her eyes.

"I'm really inspired and it helped me through as well."

Sarah Summers stitched a brightly coloured shirt dress with swirling patterns and included seven invisible zips around the waist, sleeves and chest.

"I was really excited to have such a practical brief and something that was so useful to everyday people," she says.

"One of the things I really took from Joanne and Matthew was that they wanted it to be fun.

"There's adaptive clothing on the market, but things that are fun and people want to wear lift you up on those days that may be a little bit harder."

Sarah's design will work for people having minor operations and those with colostomy bags.

In a room full of designers, no two dresses were the same and students used embroidery, stripes and a giant 3D printed button to create unique outfits.

"I'm out of a job, that's it, I'm gone," Joanne laughs.

"They're all probably going to carry on and take over EmAble by the looks of these.

"Some of the stuff that they've done is unreal, I'm gobsmacked, let's put it that way."

The firm hopes to set up a catwalk to showcase the designs and provide the students with internship opportunities.

"I think this has now given us a purpose to not only give Emily a lasting name but also help other people in similar circumstances, allow them to retain their dignity and control when they've lost everything else," Matthew adds.

"It's been seven years since she passed and there's a point where we didn't know what to do next in life, we couldn't really recover.

"It's given me purpose again after her death."

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.

The Australian helping to return stolen English church artefacts

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9362v46v4yo, today

From more than 10,500 miles away, an Australian solicitor helped return two artefacts stolen from English churches.

Richard d'Apice spotted the items - a panel and a funeral hatchment - from Norfolk and Hertfordshire places of worship, while doing some online shopping.

The Heraldry Society member who loves a symbol said it "feels wonderful" to know his extensive knowledge and research had been put to good use, and the items were now "back to where they belong".

d'Apice, 80, who lives in Sydney, says he has always been interested in heraldry, and particularly funeral heraldry, said: "Any church that's got a door open, I have to have a look".

Last December, he was looking online for items being sold by Dreweatt Auction House when he came across a painted wooden panel.

After carrying out a lot of research, he discovered it had been mentioned in early writings in an 1812 publication called The Gentleman's Magazine, and it was from St Leonard's Church in Flamstead, Hertfordshire.

It dates from the 1600s, is worth about £3,000, and commemorates George Cordell, who served in the royal households of three monarchs.

"These things are very hard to obtain ecclesiastical permission to be removed from church furnishings, so it was unusual to see it outside the church", d'Apice says.

"So I wrote to the rector and church wardens to alert them it had been put up for sale, and they acted very promptly.

"They were able to identify from their own records that it was stolen from the church in 1996, along with another painting.

"As it had been reported to the police and the Art Loss Register, they were able to establish it was their property and it had not left the church legally."

The auction house was provided with the relevant documents, it was removed from sale, and its collection was arranged.

"It feels wonderful [to have helped]," he said.

"It actually came very quickly after I had identified the cause of the restoration of a funeral hatchment from St Margaret's Church, in Felbrigg, Norfolk."

He said the item in this case - a decorative diamond-shaped panel showing the coat of arms of Cecilia, widow of William Windham MP, who died in 1824 - was being offered for sale by Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers in Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex.

Essex Police's rural engagement team investigated, and it was eventually returned to St Margaret's in October.

PC Dane Wyatt said it was recovered "from the seller, who had bought it in good faith around 20 years ago.

"Then, happily, I was able to deliver it safely back to its legal guardians," he added.

Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers said it was proud to have helped get back "safely where it belongs".

d'Apice added: "Contents of churches are slowly being eroded by theft.

"Theft is a major risk, and the Art Loss Register is a real way of proving the loss occurred, the true owner at the date of the loss, and it's been hugely successful across the whole of the art world."

He will visit St Leonard's Church on 4 June and unveil the returned panel as part of the Flamstead Arts Festival.

"I'm excited to know the memorial board has been returned to the place it's been for hundreds of years," he said.

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Russell T Davies criticises 'privileged' Hollywood stars' intimacy coordinator comments

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c99ldrj37x3o, today

Russell T Davies has criticised Hollywood stars who dismiss intimacy co-ordinators, calling such views "privileged" and arguing that actors with less power on set need their protection.

Speaking to the Mirror, the It's a Sin and Queer as Folk creator singled out Ironman star Gwyneth Paltrow, describing actors who hold such views as "disgraceful human beings".

Previously, Paltrow said she asked an intimacy co-ordinator to "step back" while filming intimate scenes with Timothée Chalamet in Marty Supreme, saying she felt "very stifled" by the guidance.

Davies made the remarks ahead of his new Channel 4 drama Tip Toe, which features sexually explicit scenes filmed around Manchester's Canal Street.

Since the #MeToo movement, Davies said intimacy co-ordinators - who help during the filming of sex scenes - had become an essential part of many productions.

Referring to Paltrow's comments, he said actors with her level of influence had little understanding of what it was like for less powerful performers on set, adding: "They are disgraceful human beings.

"They have so much power and so much privilege and they have no idea what it is like to be a jobbing actor with no power on a set. Shame on them."

Paltrow, 53, won an Oscar in 1999 for the Harvey Weinstein-produced Shakespeare in Love, and was later among the first high-profile people to accuse Weinstein of sexual harassment.

She played Pepper Potts in several Marvel movies and appeared in the Netflix series The Politician, but said she considers Marty Supreme her first serious film role since 2010's Country Strong.

In March 2025, Paltrow recalled how the film's co-ordinator had asked if she would be comfortable with a certain move during one intimate scene with Chalamet.

"I was like 'girl, I'm from the era where you get naked, you get in bed, the camera's on'," she said.

"We said 'I think we're good. You can step a little bit back'.

"I don't know how it is for kids who are starting out, but... if someone is like, 'OK, and then he's going to put his hand here,' I would feel, as an artist, very stifled by that."

Paltrow's views have also been shared by actors Kim Basinger and Sean Bean.

In February 2025, Basinger, who starred opposite Mickey Rourke in the 1986 erotic drama 9 1/2 Weeks, told Variety she would not have wanted an intimacy co-ordinator involved in filming, arguing that actors should be able to work out such scenes between themselves.

Meanwhile, in August 2022, Game of Thrones star Bean said intimacy co-ordinators could "spoil the spontaneity" of scenes.

However, many actors have praised intimacy co-ordinators, saying they make filming sex scenes safer and more comfortable by choreographing them in the same way as stunt sequences.

Others have said they wished such support had been available when they were starting out.

In 2022, Dame Emma Thompson described them as "fantastically important", while Kate Winslet said in 2024 that she would have benefited from having one throughout her career.

Reflecting on filming intimate scenes, Winslet said it would have been reassuring to have "someone in my corner", adding that she often felt she had to "stand up for myself" on set.

Davies's upcoming five-part Channel 4 series Tip Toe follows electrician Clive, a father of two teenage sons, and Leo, who runs a bar in Manchester's Canal Street LGBT district.

The series follows Davies' acclaimed work It's a Sin and Queer as Folk, both set against LGBT life in Manchester and beyond.

Director Phil Collinson, who worked on It's a Sin, also praised intimacy co-ordinators, saying he recognised their value while filming the award-winning drama.

"I'd never done it before - it's an incredible experience," he said.

"Before that point, I was just left out there. It was like 'go on, make this sexy'.

"And then it'd be me and two actors all looking at each other and lots of people just with their arms folded."

Larry Lamb 'lucky' to land EastEnders and Gavin and Stacey roles

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy2z9x1dego, today

Actor Larry Lamb has said he was "very lucky" to be able to work on the sets of Gavin and Stacey and EastEnders at the same time.

But he has described it as "very weird" juggling the characters of Archie Mitchell, Barbara Windsor's on-screen husband in Albert Square, as well as Gavin's dad, Mick Shipman.

He explained how he filmed some early episodes of the cult comedy in 2006 before landing the soap opera role in 2007, and later found himself working on both between London and Wales.

Lamb said it was unusual to be allowed to work on such programmes at the same time and that it was partly because the late Windsor wanted him as her "new love interest".

The 78-year-old explained how he had already signed a contract agreeing to reprise his role in the comedy if it took off, and was then faced with a dilemma when it "started to come on" in popularity.

"And then I thought, well, in the old days I would have had to make a choice, which one would I do?" he told an audience at Hay Festival in Powys.

He said although "it caused all sorts of problems", he was eventually allowed to work on both series.

"Playing two people that were so diametrically opposed in terms of their characters, in terms of what they were like - it was bizarre," he said.

"Particularly when we were doing the Christmas special which always happened in September.

"You're just over the summer and suddenly the whole studio is full of Christmas trees, tinsel, all piles of presents and everything else.

"And so you're dressed up in deep winter gear, and it's boiling hot everywhere, so everything's all wonky.

"And then, you know, I'm in London, doing a war scene around the Christmas dinner table with EastEnders, and then running down the corridors throwing my clothes off with somebody picking them up while they get you in the car and drive down to Wales.

"There's this whole different vibe to the day.

"So it was a really weird, contrasting thing to play both those characters, but [I was] very lucky to do it," he said.

Danny Dyer's mansion on TV series Rivals goes on sale

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx21kdn9v98o, today

Fans of the Disney+ hit series Rivals will know this house as Bella Vista - home to Danny Dyer's character Freddie.

But it's actually called Foxfield, and is in Lisvane, Cardiff rather than the fictional Cotswolds countryside town of Rutshire, and could be yours for £8m.

The series, based on one of Dame Jilly Cooper's so-called "bonkbusters", features an all-star cast including Danny Dyer, David Tennant and Emily Atack.

Jemma Friday, an estate agent at Fine and Country, said it was "currently south Wales' most expensive home", with people already enquiring to see if Dyer had bought the property, adding that "if he wants to buy it, I'm really happy to sell it to him".

The property, built in 1999, was previously occupied by businessman Peter Thomas who owned Peters Pies, according to Friday.

Boasting 24 acres of private grounds and on sale for £8m - it is one of Wales' most expensive homes.

Originally published in 1988, Rivals is the second of Cooper's hugely successful Rutshire Chronicles, a series of books that chronicle the lives of English upper and upper-middle classes in a fictional area of the Cotswolds.

Set against the backdrop of 1980s excess and large country estates, the series tells the story of the rivalry between the aristocratic Rupert Campbell-Black and TV executive Lord Tony Baddingham.

She told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast it was "currently south Wales' most expensive home".

"I think it warrants that, because it is truly a great property," she said.

"Seeing it on TV, it gives it that grandeur, but actually seeing it in person, it's really breathtaking."

On the Fine and Country website, the property is listed as having seven en-suite bedrooms, a valet car garage and a large drawing room.

"By no means would you be short of space," she said.

There is even a white oak staircase shaped like a rugby ball which is "very on trend for Wales", according to Friday.

"It has its own pond and a lift from the very bottom floor that takes you up to the first floor," she added.

Friday said she has seen interest from all corners of the globe for the multi-million pound property since it has gone on sale, but no interest from Dyer as of yet.

"We are seeing a huge amount of buyers coming back from the US for instance.

"People who might want something with heritage and in the countryside."

Dame Jilly Cooper died in 2025 aged 88, but recently made headlines after asking the executive producers of the show to stop making her macho men cry on screen.

Rivals is now streaming on Disney+ .

Exhibition into city's 'unique' jungle scene opens

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0k274lyepmo, today

An exhibition exploring the legacy of a city's drum and bass and jungle scene has opened.

This Is Jungle Takeover, which is on show at the Royal West of England Academy (RWA) in Bristol, documents the evolution of jungle music in the city since the late 1980s.

The display highlights Bristol and the south west's early influence on the popularity and growth of the genres in London and across Europe.

Flynn Ites, one of the exhibition's curators and whose stage name is DJ Flynnites, said: "When we got to play outside of Bristol that creative energy, that vibe, travelled. The people of London started catching on to it."

The exhibition showcases album covers, flyers, photographs, memorabilia and collectables from 30 years ago, and celebrates the work of the people who helped build Bristol's drum and bass scene.

Ites said: "There was something going on in Bristol that was different, which was captured in the late 80s early 90s, right up to the 2000s.

"Bristol was a very special, unique bubble back then, pre-internet, where only a few people knew how different and unique Bristol was.

"You had to be really into the music and scene. It gave space for a lot of musicians, artists and people to do their own things."

Kirk Thompson, another curator and whose stage name is DJ Krust, said his brother Gary Thompson came up with the idea for the exhibition

"The obvious people get mentioned but there were a lot of people who contributed to the culture, who should be getting more recognition," he said.

"That's not just the people who made the music, that was also the people in the surrounding cultures like photographers, radio stations, and label owners."

Thompson continued: "We're trying to highlight that, the history, the pioneers, but more from the south west's point of view.

"Not just looking back, but also how we use these tools, ideas and frameworks to look forward into the future and create something for future generations so they can be inspired."

The exhibition is open until 28 June.

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'Surreal' to reach 20 years says festival founder

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3d2305ymxno, yesterday

The founder of a music festival has said it is "surreal" to be celebrating its 20th anniversary.

Graeme Merifield started the event in 2005 and spoke of how making memories for people is what "keeps him going" – including bumping into somebody in Sainsbury's who got engaged during the Proclaimers' set on the main stage in 2008.

Merifield said the secret to lasting 20 years in a difficult economic climate for music festivals was "the loyalty of the fans", with some people attending the event throughout its history.

Wychwood Festival, held at Cheltenham Racecourse, began on Friday and will conclude on Sunday, with Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Kaiser Chiefs, Levellers and Feeder among the headliners.

The first festival was held in 2005, but a cancellation for Covid meant the organisers had to wait slightly longer to celebrate Wychwood's 20th edition.

Merifield said: "It feels amazing and surreal to think that we are still here after 20 years with many people that have come on the journey with us.

"We started a thing called Ticket For Life a few years ago where people pay in every month to guarantee their prices for a few years.

"Those people have been coming since the first year and now their kids have grown up and they have their own kids, it's just one family that keeps on growing."

"Lets hope I'm still doing it in my 80s."

He added that bigger bands help sell tickets but it was important to support local bands too.

Stroud band Pebble Daisy were chosen from 2,500 acts who applied to play at the festival and said they would "remember this forever".

Speaking before her set, Pebble said: "It's a massive opportunity. I've always wanted to play here, it's such a big local festival.

"We're very nervous, it's such a big stage, it's so much pressure being picked out of so many, but it's going to be really fun I think."

Another highlight will be Barrioke performed by Shaun Williamson, better known by his character name Barry from Eastenders in the sitcom Extras.

It is his fifth year at Wychwood but this time he will be graduating from a tent to the main stage.

He said he had been "humbled and blessed" by the overwhelming response to Barrioke, even though Extras ended almost 20 years ago.

"It's been a wonderful autumn of my career, really," added Williamson.

He said the songs that get the biggest reaction are Livin' on a Prayer by Bon Jovi and Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus, but the anthem this year is likely to be Sweet Caroline due to it being a World Cup summer.

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Chloe Lewis pays tribute to ex-boyfriend Jake Hall

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c93x4wx0y7ko, yesterday

Reality TV star Chloe Lewis has paid tribute to her ex-boyfriend Jake Hall who died in Spain earlier this month.

The pair, both 35, began their relationship as teenagers and both appeared in The Only Way Is Essex in 2015.

Hall was found dead on 6 May at a villa in Santa Margarita, Majorca, with head injuries.

In a tribute posted to Instagram, Lewis described her ex-boyfriend as "such a massive and special part of my life", and said that loving him "taught me so much about life and myself".

Her post was accompanied by video featuring old photos and videos of the pair soundtracked by the John Legend song Ordinary People.

She wrote: "My first love, my childhood sweetheart. A love that taught me so much about life and myself, and even more so now your presence is no longer here.

"You touched so many lives and meant well in everything you did."

Hall, a former model and fashion designer, had started working as an artist when he died.

He is survived by his eight-year-old daughter, River, with former Real Housewives of Cheshire star Missé Beqiri.

In her post, Lewis wrote how being a father was "the most important thing" to Hall and praised him for making parenthood "look so easy and effortless".

She also reflected on how the weeks since his death have "felt very surreal".

"You were such a massive and special part of my life, and I truly hoped that we would grow old, that I'd see you one day, happy and at peace with life," she wrote.

Lewis added: "I'm sorry I couldn't have saved you."

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I'll wear it to bed, says Emma Thompson after award win at Hay Festival

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd9pweyl144o, yesterday

Actress and writer Dame Emma Thompson has been awarded this year's Hay Festival Medal for Drama.

The Love Actually star was honoured at Hay Festival in Hay-on-Wye, where she spoke with author Elizabeth Day about the novels that shaped her life.

Hay Festival chief executive Julie Finch praised Thompson's "intelligence, absolute wit, humour and fearless" storytelling.

She said Thompson's career had given audiences "real insight into humanity" through her work on screen and in literature.

During the event, Thompson reflected on her childhood, feminism and the books that changed her life.

Thompson said the first novel she was inspired by was Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Mr Tod, despite its dark themes.

"The reason it was one of my favourites is because it was the longest," she said.

She explained that she and her siblings would deliberately choose long bedtime stories to spend more time listening to their father read aloud, describing his voice as "honeyed".

She said those moments helped shape her lifelong love of language and storytelling.

Thompson said she admired Potter's writing because it "didn't talk down" or "patronise" children.

"Children are the sacred audience.

You must do your very best work for them because they're absorbing so much," she said.

Reflecting on her upbringing, she added that she felt "very, very lucky" to have been raised by parents who never patronised her, encouraging her intellectual curiosity from an early age.

Thompson said her love of reading continued into adulthood, with authors such as Jane Austen and fantasy writers shaping her imagination and worldview.

"Books devoured me, they ate me," she said.

"I couldn't stop reading them. I was addicted to story."

However, she said many of the female characters she encountered in literature left her feeling conflicted about her own identity.

"I didn't fit any of the patterns of any of the characters I was reading in my favourite books," she said.

"It was a conflicted time because I thought I'm not like those women so where do I go to find something that fits with what I feel about life and the appetites I have."

Reflecting on Victorian literature, she described many women writers as being "still women in disguise", referring to the restrictions and limited educational opportunities women faced at the time.

"I wonder how women were able to survive the constant beating down on them of people saying they shouldn't be writing," she said.

Thompson said she felt fortunate to grow up surrounded by books and intellectual discussion, but noted that many women historically had been denied the same opportunities.

"Women still don't have access to books, which we need to develop our minds," she said.

She also stressed the importance of access to the arts and education, saying they help people form opinions on everything from law and childcare to relationships and social behaviour.

Thompson also said the book that most changed her life was The Madwoman in the Attic, which she read as a student at the University of Cambridge.

She said: "I had no idea there was a different way to interpret the world."

She explained that the book opened her eyes to the "disguises" many Victorian women novelists were forced to adopt in order to be heard.

Thompson added that much of women's writing and experience has historically been overlooked because acknowledging it would have challenged social norms.

On her award win, Thompson, who looked shocked and thankful, said it was "beautiful" and she "shall wear it to bed".

Last year, the Gavin and Stacey co-creator Ruth Jones won the award for her novel By Your Side.

Live orchestra to play 90s classics at festival

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3v2031g6pko, yesterday

A live orchestra playing classic 90s hits is set to perform at Jersey's Weekender festival.

Blur bassist Alex James said Britpop Classical, which he created and performs with, would be opening the festival on 11 September.

James said they would be bringing "generation-defining anthems" of Blur, Oasis and Pulp and others, through a full 38-piece orchestra alongside a curated selection of special guest vocalists.

James said he was excited to playing the festival, adding it would be "loud" and "cinematic".

"It's going to be legendary," James said.

Festival organiser Warren Le Sueur said the Weekender was split into standalone events to let it curate two "totally different, heavy-hitting" experiences.

Friday is set to offer an orchestral experience whilst the 12 September would offer a "powerhouse" multi-artist line-up.

"Bringing Britpop Classical to Jersey is going to be electric," he said.

"This isn't just a trip down memory lane- it's a massive, symphonic masterpiece you have to see to believe."

Le Suer said more information about the weekend festival would be coming "very soon".

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Open-air pool pavilion and social housing among best buildings winners

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz0258l42mgo, yesterday

Ten buildings have been unveiled as the winners of the annual Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) awards.

The buildings include new social housing, healthcare and education buildings, and a restored pavilion at an historic open-air pool.

The winners will now compete for the RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland prize.

This will be awarded in November.

Edinburgh Futures Institute, by Bennetts Associates

The repair and remodelling of the Category A listed Victorian hospital creates "exceptional" new facilities for the University of Edinburgh.

The judges described how the project demonstrates technical mastery while preserving the integrity of the historic building.

Lorram, Plockton, Highlands, by Baillie Baillie Architects

Colin and Megan Baillie designed and built this contemporary interpretation of a traditional Highlands cottage for themselves, "celebrating the use of timber as well as local tradition".

The judges were impressed by the project's focus on craftsmanship and sustainability, describing it as "profoundly poetic".

Neilston Learning Campus, East Renfrewshire, by BDP

BDP created a shared campus for Neilston Primary School and St Thomas's Primary School.

The judges noted how the project used connections with the outdoors to support learning, active lifestyles and access to nature.

Paisley Central Library, Paisley, by Collective Architecture

This project brought a "dilapidated" historic building back into use as a "dynamic and community-focused" new central library.

The judges were impressed by the building's ability to reflect the "energy and grain" of the town, while providing a "calm and welcoming" environment.

Parkhead Health and Social Care and Community Hub, Glasgow, by Hoskins Architects

Parkhead Hub's facilities include a library, pharmacy, cafe and social care.

The judges described it as a building that is "simultaneously functional, engaging and community-focused, illustrating how design can transform everyday services into inspiring, human-centred spaces."

Preston Tower, Doocot and Gardens, East Lothian, by GRAS

Preston Tower is a "sensitive and inspiring" restoration of a 15th Century structure.

It is a project described by the judges as one that "exemplifies careful stewardship of heritage, combining delicacy, rigour and social relevance to produce a building and landscape that is enduring, inspiring and beloved by its community".

St Andrew's Drive, phases two and three, Glasgow, by jmarchitects

This social housing project in Pollockshields replaces 1960s housing blocks with 120 new homes.

The judges were impressed by the architects' ambitious approach and ability to make the most of the site, balancing residents' needs, social interaction, and environmental responsibility.

Tarlair Outdoor Pool Pavilion, Macduff, Aberdeenshire, by Studio Octopi

When first built in the 1930s, Tarlair Outdoor Pool was one of the first such Art Deco structures to be built and one of the largest outdoor pools in Scotland.

The judges said Studio Octopi's restoration of the Tea Pavilion - part of a wider programme to bring the pools fully back to use - demonstrated how "sensitive design" can revive a historic site while embracing contemporary use.

The Canna House Project for the National Trust for Scotland, Isle of Canna, by LDN Architects

The Canna House Project is said to have reinstated the Category B building to its heyday, thanks to a "painstaking" programme.

The judges commented that the project stood as an "exemplary" model of conservation.

Usher Building, University of Edinburgh, by Hassell

This purpose-built centre for population health research and innovation provides a "flexible, inclusive and collaborative" environment.

The judges praised the project's balance of civic ambition, technical innovation and human-centred design.

RIAS president Karen Anderson described the awards as once again demonstrating that "great architecture adds value" across Scottish society.

"These 10 projects show just how much well-designed buildings, and the re-invention and careful stewardship of our heritage, can give joy and improve our day-to-day lives whether at work, at leisure or at home," she said.

"It's really important through our awards to be able to recognise the creativity, skills and commitment of the architects and project teams that make great projects happen."

'Choreographers are the new DJs': The art of the viral dance routine

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyv2g0yg3q1o, yesterday

Whether it's the arm swings of Zara Larsson's Lush Life or the geometric shapes of the PinkPantheress song Girl Like Me, chances are you've seen - and maybe even tried - the dance routines.

Videos of fans copying the moves to hits from both artists have racked up millions of views online.

But what makes sequences like this go viral?

According to one choreographer to the stars, the best move is "often the first thing that comes out".

Luam Keflezgy has created routines for greats including Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Kelly Rowland and now also the history-making PinkPantheress.

She spoke to BBC Newsbeat ahead of PinkPantheress headlining Alexandra Palace on Friday night.

The 25-year-old artist has recently released the music video for Girl Like Me, a single from her British-themed album, Fancy That.

The video features some notable British imagery including royal foot soldiers, London Underground signs and Mini Coopers.

But it's the symmetry and striking sequencing - choreographed by Keflezgy - that has been going viral.

"My goal when I put on the music is let me do the coolest shapes in the sassiest of ways," she says.

Keflezgy posted her first ever TikTok at the start of May - a backstage video of PinkPantheress dancing to the song which now has 2.5 million views.

"The dance, the video was about to release the next day," she says.

"There wasn't much material out there on it yet."

She explains that it's important to try and tell a good story which resonates with fans.

For Girl Like Me, PinkPantheress wanted the piece to have a canon sequence, Keflezgy says, which is where dancers perform the same movement but in a staggered way.

"In different sequences you can see the differences. In each step the geometry should be beautiful."

Keflezgy adds the Brit Award winner was "very intentional and involved" in building the dance to create a connection with fans.

It's been a similar connection in the past year for Zara Larsson's hit Lush Life.

While it was first released in 2016, the tune's had a new lease of life partly down to a fresh dance routine associated with the song.

The rhythmic arm swings and hip circles that have now gone viral weren't in the original music video - but have now spread everywhere thanks to the creative touch of choreographer Lola Beckers.

Beckers has been working on the Swedish star's Midnight Sun tour, and she told Dutch media last year that she came up with the routine "on the spot in the studio".

"The dancers and I had a lot of fun," said Beckers, adding: "That enthusiasm is palpable."

Larsson, 28, told the BBC she's found it "fun that more people are coming into my world".

The Lush Life section of Larsson's tour performances have now become hotly anticipated, with fans getting picked to perform the routine alongside the popstar.

Kayleigh Sloat was the chosen one at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend - something she described as "surreal".

"I wanted to share the moment with Zara," the 20-year-old says.

She feels that stars have a responsibility to build relationships through their performances.

"It's important for artists to actually try and involve the fans because it makes people want to go to the shows."

While the the Girl Like Me and Lush Life routines have been created by dancers, it has become increasingly common for fans to make up their own dance moves.

In the case of Charli XCX's 2024 hit Apple, a fan came up with her own dance, which then sparked a cultural phenomenon.

Artists are clearly capitalising from such viral moments - but girl group Flo say authenticity remains important.

In the video for their song Leak It, the trio of Jorja Douglas, Renée Downer and Stella Quaresma perform a high-energy routine, which has also popped up across social media and contributed to the track's chart success.

"You can't predict virality," Douglas tells Newsbeat.

"You just have to be really confident with what you put out."

Social media expert Vicky Owens feels people are "doing it because it's relevant, it's fun".

The 26-year-old runs an agency called Socially Speaking Media, which works on helping clients go viral.

But she feels things aren't always as organic as they seem.

"When artists bring out a song, they'll definitely have their teams behind them saying 'this needs to go viral'," says Owens.

"And then it's usually the fans or individual dance pages that will make something up and it'll really take off."

For Keflezgy, people are joining in because they "need community".

"We're separated so much now," she says.

She also believes the industry is waking up to how dance routines can contribute to the success of a song.

"I remember saying: 'Hey, choreographers, we're the new DJs, trust us, just give us your music, I promise we'll spread it'."

And despite dance changing over the years, from television to YouTube to platforms like TikTok, "the DNA is the same", says Keflezgy.

"Connect to your audience, tell the story, have a good time and look confident."

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.

Whistler's Mother is a US icon - here's why the artist would've hated his 1871 masterpiece's success

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20260520-the-real-reason-whistlers-mother-became-a-us-icon, 10 days ago

Whistler's Mother is one of the world's most recognisable artworks. Like a viral meme it has been reproduced endlessly, including a Donald Duck cartoon, a Simpsons episode, and Nabokov's Lolita. How and why did it become so famous?

Whistler's Mother, originally titled Arrangement in Grey and Black: Portrait of the Painter's Mother (1871), is on display at Tate Britain for its latest exhibition: James Abbott McNeill Whistler. This show is the largest retrospective of the artist in three decades, and a rare opportunity to see Whistler's Mother in the city in which it was created.

It's also an opportunity to ponder why this painting, and not any of the other 150 artworks on display at the exhibition, became so notorious.

The saga of Arrangement in Grey and Black: Portrait of the Painter's Mother begins with a sick-note and a setback. One day in late October 1871, Whistler, a 37-year-old American artist living in London, received the news that his model, Maggie, was unwell and couldn't attend her sitting. Anna McNeill Whistler, the artist's mother, reluctantly stepped in, and posed for her beloved son instead. Later reflecting upon the happenstance surrounding the painting's genesis, she wrote "disappointments are the Lord's means of blessing".

But many disappointments would arrive before the eventual blessings. Arrangement in Grey and Black narrowly escaped destruction by fire on a train in 1871. The next year it was almost rejected from the annual Royal Academy exhibition, until Whistler's friend and academician Sir William Boxall came to its defence and demanded its acceptance.

But even when it was displayed at the RA in 1872, the critics and general public were less than impressed.

The painting's inauspicious start makes its eventual superstardom all the more unlikely – and remarkable.

An ongoing criticism of Whistler's artworks concerned their titles. The Victorian public adored stories, particularly familiar ones from drama, poetry, myth or history, and paintings with names that clearly defined what they showed. By contrast, Whistler's paintings came with ambiguous descriptors like "harmony", "nocturne" and "symphony".

So, his 1872 offering at the Royal Academy came across as emotionally distanced, more interested in "arranging" greys and blacks than exploring the inner life of the artist's mother. But Whistler thought he was ahead of his public. He preached the gospel of "art for art's sake", believing that paintings shouldn't fixate on storytelling but instead revel in their own abstract language of colour and shape.

From obscurity to fame

It was a radical approach to art-making at the time. But Whistler embraced his identity as a provocateur and played up to it in his public life with his flamboyant behaviour, colourful anecdotes and memorable put-downs. Whistler was one of the first artists to cultivate himself as a media personality, courting controversy and frequently making himself available to the press with a pithy bon mot or sarcastic quip, and entering verbal scuffles with critics like John Ruskin.

To an extent, the later fame of Arrangement in Grey and Black: Portrait of the Painter's Mother stemmed from Whistler's own notoriety. However, through the 1870s and 1880s the painting remained largely unknown, and for a period, Whistler even had to deposit it with his creditors after declaring bankruptcy.

But a group of admiring fellow artists instigated a successful lobbying campaign to have it acquired by the French government. And so, in 1891 it became a national possession of the French state and went on display at the Musée du Luxembourg.

For the first time, Whistler's Mother had stepped out of the grey and black of obscurity and into the golden light of fame.

The French acquisition of the artwork sparked interest in the US media, and it soon appeared in multiple newspaper and magazine reports. One heralded it as "the most unquestioned and unquestionable masterpiece of the last half of the 19th Century". So, a sense of national pride helped boost the painting's prominence. But advertisers also leveraged the sentimental aspects of the painting as an image of doting motherhood. During World War One, posters for recruitment and war savings certificates repurposed Whistler's Mother to remind the public of the homely values that soldiers were fighting to defend.

Another turning point in the painting's prominence came in 1932 when Alfred Barr, the Director of New York's Museum of Modern Art arranged to borrow the painting and took it on a two-year tour of 18 US cities, where it was seen by two million people. For Barr, Whistler was an important pioneer in painting's progress towards abstraction, and he intended the tour to help establish the artist as the US's contribution to the evolution of modern art.

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But the timing of the tour was also significant. It took place during the years of the Great Depression, a period of immense economic hardship for many families across the US. With its restrained simplicity, Whistler's painting had the ingredients to be an icon of the resilience and strength of maternal figures – a revival of its role during the last period of suffering, World War One. Its last stop on the US tour was Whistler's home state of Massachusetts, which coincided with Mother's Day 1934.

That year a stamp was also issued featuring a version of Whistler's Mother with the inscription "In Memory and in Honor of the Mothers of America" which helped add further rocket fuel to its celebrity status. When the Ashland Boys' Association in Ashland, Pennsylvania had to select a subject for a large public sculpture on the theme of motherhood in 1937, it was Whistler's painting that they selected.

The real key to its success

Once the snowball of fame began for Whistler's Mother, it became impossible to stop. Acts of homage and caricature appeared in innumerable and highly diverse forms. Fine artists borrowed its distinctive format for their own portraits; cartoon-makers teased its air of dignified repose; novelists and film-makers cited it as the epitome of middlebrow taste.

Like all successful memes the original concept is easily understandable. Its theme of motherhood is universal, and the composition and colour of Whistler's painting is simple enough for it to be copied easily. Because it lacks any narrative content, the image also has an open-ended quality, making resilient to endlessly remixes, particularly ones done in a subversive spirit. The mother's air of rectitude and stoicism can be effectively juxtaposed with any form of silliness, and her old-fashioned air contrasted with up-to-date technology. Even switching her with a cat or dog continues to be surprisingly amusing. Its popularity as an image was launched by its appearance in printed media in the early 20th Century, and it was perpetuated in Disney cartoons, magazine covers and adverts, and today you can easily discover reenactments involving a host of unlikely personalities, including Muppets, Ninja Turtles and Sesame Street characters.

This process of memeification utterly clashes with Whistler's original artistic principles. "Art should be independent of all clap-trap," he once wrote, and should avoid "devotion, pity, love, patriotism, and the like".

How ironic that the enduring popularity of Whistler's Mother was based on a sentimental view of motherhood and US national pride. Fame on those terms would have been anathema to Whistler.

But the renown of an artwork is so often out of the control of its creator. Whistler's bombastic personality and artistic proficiency lay the foundations of the later fame of Arrangement in Grey and Black: Portrait of the Painter's Mother.

But the real key to its later success was timing. It had an unpromising start in life and had to wait until the US was most in need of a national masterpiece – and a maternal figurehead. When the moment arrived, Whistler's Mother transformed from an "arrangement" into an icon.

James Abbott McNeill Whistler is at Tate Britain in London from 21 May to 27 September 2026.

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Pirate radio musical 'shows depth of local talent'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clypv131z78o, today

The writer of a new musical about revolutionary pirate station Radio Caroline has said there is a "real appetite" for high-quality stage productions in regional venues.

Vikki Stone, from Saffron Walden, Essex, was commissioned to write the musical about the station, which began broadcasting from a ship moored off the county's coast on 28 March 1964.

The production, Caroline, is the first to be launched by the East Anglia Touring Consortium, which she said "spreads the risk" of launching a new show.

"We've made this standard of piece by using a lot of talent from the East of England and that is absolutely fantastic," she said.

"I couldn't be prouder of that and that's been really amazing to be a part of."

Given a "blank canvas" to work from, the Olivier Award-winning writer visited Radio Caroline's ship before she started writing.

"I felt like going on it would give me the closest idea that I could get to what it might have been like for the characters to go on a tender to go on a radio ship: the size of the spaces, the sort of feel of what it might be," she said.

"There was quite a lot of pirate radio stations around that time… lots of the ideas of the story didn't just come from the Caroline story but came from various other radio stations."

Radio Caroline was a non-stop pop music station created by Ronan O'Rahilly to compete with the BBC and challenge the organisation's dominance at the time.

The musical follows fictional Robbie Jackson who answers a newspaper ad to be a disc jockey.

The character has been inspired by the likes of Tony Blackburn and Johnnie Walker whose careers started on the pirate radio ships.

Speaking after Walker's death in 2024, Blackburn said: "We owe everything to pirate radio... People like Johnnie and myself, we altered the whole of broadcasting in this country and we are really proud of that."

The Marine etc Broadcasting (Offences) Act 1967 made it a criminal offence for British citizens to work for or assist in the running of pirate stations.

Stone said it was thanks to Radio Caroline that the BBC had its current range of radio stations.

The show took Stone up to three years to piece together, including securing the licensing rights for music by artists including The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks, The Beach Boys and The Beatles.

"There's at least two songs that got denied and I actually think the second choices are better and have led us to better songs. It's proof that sometimes things that you think get in your way can actually lead to better things," she said.

The show has already performed to audiences at the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich, the Queen's Theatre in Hornchurch, east London, and the New Theatre in Peterborough.

It travels to the Mercury Theatre in Colchester before finishing its run at the Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds next month.

Stone said although the term was sometimes seen as slightly derogatory, the show proved that "local theatre" could be of the highest quality

"It makes me incredibly proud there is brilliant actors, creatives, lighting designers and musical directors based in the region making this quality of work," she said.

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Atonement to get world stage premiere in Chichester

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2142pyr87o, yesterday

A quarter of a century since the publication of Ian McEwan's critically acclaimed novel Atonement, its stage adaptation is to get a world premiere in West Sussex.

The play - previously made into an Oscar-winning 2007 film starring James McAvoy and Keira Knightley - opens at the Chichester Festival Theatre on Friday and will run until 20 June.

Stretching from the 1930s through World War Two, the story examines the lifetime of guilt suffered after a false accusation dramatically alters several lives.

"I think it's something which has an awful lot to say about the world we live in today, even leaning in a bit towards contemporary cancel culture," said the director Adam Penford.

"I mean, is it possible to be able to atone for anything you do in life, or are some acts purely unforgivable?" he added.

It is the tale of a 13-year-old girl called Briony, who witnesses a romantic moment between her older sister Cecilia and Robbie, their housekeeper's son.

"Misinterpreting it as something sinister, she ends up ends up telling a lie which has major repercussions, not only for her but also those around her," said Penford.

McEwan's book won multiple international literary awards following its release in 2001.

The author said he was "really keen" to see it brought to the stage in 2026 because "a quarter of a century later, it was bound to look and feel different".

"I started writing (the novel) with the rather grand notion that, as we were coming to the end of the 20th Century, we could somehow look back on our mistakes, such as two world wars.

"But that turned into a story about how one mistake could transform a life."

McEwan added that, if the story still has relevance 25 years on, it's because "at heart, we all know we could be Briony".

"People are great self-persuaders - just look at all those court stories where someone falsely accuses another because it fits what pre-existing notions they might have.

"It's a very human thing."

Among those starring in the production are Brighton-born actor Miriam Petche as Cecilia, Jasper Talbot as Robbie and Isabella Dempster as the young Briony.

Briony in later life will now be played by Jessica Turner, after it was recently announced Welsh screen legend Siân Phillips was stepping away from the role.

The stage adaptation is by Christopher Hampton.

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Big Geekend letting people share their passions

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp8peznvny7o, yesterday

People are being encouraged to explore their hobbies and find new interests among "quirky" collections as an event returns after a four-year break.

The Big Geekend, which was last held in 2022, is taking place on Saturday and Sunday at Guernsey Museum.

The States of Guernsey said the event will bring together a wide range of activities and communities from fossils and archaeology to Sherlock Holmes, K-Pop cosplay and hands-on crafts.

Entry is set at normal museum admission prices - £7 for adults, £2 for students and children aged 7-17 and free for children under seven - but people who turn up in fancy dress or a costume will get in for free.

Miffy Lane, access and learning manager for Guernsey Museums, said she hoped the Geekend would help people find new interests.

"The idea is that we are reaching out to a wide range of people," she said.

"What I would love is for somebody visiting this weekend to go away with a new interest because actually it has sparked something they didn't know they were passionate about."

The States said visitors could enjoy themed trails, creative workshops, performances and interactive activities.

Visitors will be able to meet collectors, makers, artists and performers.

Another part of the Geekend will have Priaulx Library Lawn turned into a "lively fantasy encampment" complete with pillow fight swordplay activities for children.

The event will also feature displays from the Guernsey Military History Company, an archaeology tent and Regency-inspired fashion and crafts.

Lane added: "I think one of the privileges of the Geekend is seeing people be so passionate about what they're interested in."

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Town's paint festival 'paused' until 2027

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgjpxqel606o, yesterday

An art event that sees murals created across a town has been "paused" while organisers secure funding for its return in 2027.

Swindon Paint Fest was launched in 2022 and has seen artists from Spain and the United States visit the Wiltshire town. Last year, the Swindon Mural Trail Map included more than 140 murals.

Festival organiser Artsite said the event would return "bigger, brighter and more vibrant" next year.

A spokesperson said the "pause" would "allow time to review, reset, and build towards a strong future programme while we continue working to secure the funding needed to bring the festival back next year".

Previous creations which emerged from Paint Fest include a 98ft (30m) mural of a dragon on the side of the Wyvern Theatre by Luke Gray.

Dr Rod Hebden of the Swindon Culture Collective said Paint Fest had become "an important part of the local calendar".

"We know the decision by Artsite to take a break this year has been a difficult one," he said.

"Swindon Culture Collective is working to strengthen the local arts sector, and hopes to support Artsite to secure funds to deliver another fabulous PaintFest in 2027."

While Paint Fest is not going ahead, Swindon Arts Fringe will take place between 15 and 28 June. It will feature exhibitions about the art of protest, stickers, and a tribute to Paul Exton, founder of Artsite.

Elsewhere, a council-commissioned Fleet Street public art regeneration project is still due to go ahead.

Matthew Vallender, Swindon Borough Council's cabinet member for culture, planning and regeneration, said it was "disappointing" to see Paint Fest take a break.

He added: "Their work is visible across the town, helping make Swindon a distinctive place. Behind the scenes, they champion and nurture artists. We are proud to have collaborated with them on the Fleet Street public art project.

"I look forward to supporting Artsite on the plans for Paint Fest 2027 and continuing to work with them on many projects across Swindon."

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Care leavers form connections as art show tours UK

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1d2xnryz7qo, 2 days ago

A nationwide art project is allowing care leavers from Cornwall to form connections with young people who have had similar life experiences in Scotland and Worcester.

They have been brought together by a group of regional art galleries which are jointly curating an exhibition called Making Her Mark: A Celebration of Women in Art.

It is part of the Going Places project organised by the Art Fund which has been awarded £5.3m to help UK galleries exchange art for touring exhibitions.

Penlee House Gallery and Museum in Penzance, Kirkcaldy Galleries in Scotland and Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum are touring art, while giving creative opportunities to those with experience of the care system.

Emma Thomas is among a group of care leavers supported by the charity Carefree Cornwall, which is taking part in the art project.

She said: "I wouldn't have done this a year ago. I gained a lot of confidence from it."

The Carefree Cornwall group created a banner for the Penlee House stage of the exhibition which explores women's role in art, with the help of Penzance artist Kate Turner.

"We've looked at what would a fairer world look like for women artists and other marginalised genders in art," said Turner.

Gracie Divall, head of the project for the Art Fund, said it was a way of allowing nationally important pieces to be seen around the country without the need to travel.

"All of these organisations have comparatively small collections by women artists," she explained.

"So individually they can't put on a show, or tell a story of women artists, but together the collections tell this amazing story of these voices that have been overlooked."

Cultural exchange

Organisers say the collaboration is not simply an art exchange. It is also giving young people with experience of the care system in each location the opportunity to meet, create work, support each other and travel together to each other's home towns.

When the group from Carefree Cornwall took the 11-hour train journey to visit Kirkcaldy Galleries in Scotland they found its seafaring community, tourism and coastal landscape had much in common with Cornwall.

But they said going behind the scenes at the gallery had the most impact.

Josie Bond said she now wanted to study history: "I loved looking in archives. It's a really cool environment to be in," she said.

Cameron Jones said the community in Scotland was "really welcoming".

"They wanted to know all about Cornwall, and it felt like they were accepting our Cornish culture, just as much as we were appreciating theirs. It was a really beautiful thing," he said.

Anna Renton from the Penlee House Gallery and Museum said they wanted to "nurture the creativity" of members of Carefree Cornwall by including them in their collaboration with other galleries.

Blue plaque unveiled for 'first' royal photographer

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c93xx23l9z3o, 2 days ago

A blue plaque will be unveiled in honour of William Constable, a Victorian believed to have taken the first-ever royal photographic portrait.

Constable, who captured an image of Prince Albert, opened the first photographic portrait studio in Brighton in 1841. A plaque will be unveiled outside the building at 57 Marine Parade on Friday.

The honour has been arranged by his descendant Claire Constable, author of several books exploring the family's history.

Professor Annebella Pollen at the University of Brighton, which has researched the photographer alongside the National Museum of American History, said: "William Constable played an unparalleled role in Brighton's early photographic history.

"But much of his story has remained untold, and many of his photographs have not been seen for nearly two centuries."

Constable opened The Photographic Institution at his seafront studio in Brighton just two years after photography was first invented.

Visitors could enter his studio and see their likeness captured permanently by light on daguerreotypes, which were early photographs captured on silver-coated metal plates.

Through this, Constable is believed to have produced the photographic portrait of Prince Albert.

Almost two centuries later, researchers are now piecing together the story of Constable's life, studio, and photographs through the William Constable: Brighton Daguerreotypes Project.

Jointly led by Professor Pollen, with Shannon Perich, curator of the photographic history collection at the Smithsonian Institute, the project has uncovered new information about 130 surviving Constable photographs created between 1841 and 1861.

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Paintings found in skip by dog walkers sell for £16,000 at auction

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0r2y0wwg5eo, 3 days ago

A couple who spotted two paintings in a skip while walking their dog have seen them fetch £16,000 at auction.

They had hung on the walls of their home in Pembrokeshire for several years before they decided to learn more about the artist, according to Rogers Jones Auctioneers.

The couple then realised Louis Wain was a celebrated British artist known for his depictions of cats in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

"We always joked they might be worth something one day but never truly believed it," they said.

"When we initially saw them in the tip, they grabbed our attention as we thought it could be a lovely gift for our daughter-in-law who loves cats," explained the couple who wanted to remain anonymous but spoke via the auction house.

"After spending around a year in her home, she eventually gifted them back to us, and we had them hanging on our walls for several years.

"One day, we decided to research Louis Wain and were gobsmacked to see how famous he was - even a film has been made about him."

The biographical drama, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Claire Foy, was released in 2021.

Rogers Jones said Wain frequently struggled for money, often selling his work for small sums but who had since since become one of Britain's most influential artists.

Auctioneer Ben Rogers Jones said, while it was unusual for paintings to be found discarded, it wasn't unheard of.

He also explained that anyone selling at auction had to sign a contract to confirm they owned the item.

Who was Louis Wain?

Born in Clerkenwell on 5 August 1860, Louis Wain worked as a teacher at the West London School of Art, where he had also been a student.

He went on to become a freelance artist for trade journals and newspapers.

Wain is famous for his cat artwork, and is often credited with changing people's attitudes to cats.

In 1924, at the age of 63, Wain was certified insane and taken to the paupers' ward of a London hospital.

He was transferred to the famous Bethlem hospital and continued drawing until his death in 1939.

Are you allowed to take things from skips?

This goes back to the "theft by finding" Victorian Law. Despite items being put in a skip seen as "abandoned", taking items poses a risk under the Theft Act (1968) in England and Wales.

There are many risks that come with skip diving, as skips often contain broken glass, metal shards or biohazardous waste.

It is always best to ask the owner's permission before taking something from a skip.

Youth centre transformed through art trail

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y8zwyyl3xo, 3 days ago

A youth centre has been transformed as part of an arts trail bringing colour to Wolverhampton.

The Wolverhampton City of Youth Culture's Visual Arts Trail, led by Wolverhampton Arts Centre, showcases a collection of collaborative artworks developed through workshops with young people from across the city.

A major centrepiece of the trail is Hands of the City, a large-scale installation located at The Way Youth Zone.

Developed with artist India Birtwisle and young creators, the artwork celebrates the voices, experiences and creative contributions of young people from Wolverhampton.

Paul Snape, CEO of The Way Youth Zone, said: "This project is a brilliant example of what can happen when organisations come together with a shared commitment to young people.

"Opportunities like this are so important. They give young people a platform to express themselves, build confidence and see their ideas brought to life in a meaningful way."

The trail forms part of Wolverhampton City of Youth Culture, funded by Arts Council England's Place Partnership Fund and has been supported by Wolverhampton City Council through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Young participants from organisations including The Way Youth Zone, Beatsabar, Wolverhampton Virtual School and City of Wolverhampton College worked alongside professional artists to develop the artworks.

A series of guided walking tours will also take place throughout the summer, offering young people and visitors the chance to discover the stories behind the artworks, hear more about the creative process and experience the scale of the trail across the city.

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Raac-hit theatre to resume shows after long delays

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce9p53j3eddo, 3 days ago

A council-owned theatre which was shut to remove crumbling concrete is to reopen after months of delays.

The Sands Centre in Carlisle, Cumbria, was shut in September 2023 to allow for 200 tonnes of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) to be removed, but fresh delays after Storm Eowyn meant the venue had to reschedule dozens of shows.

Cumberland Council said finishing touches to the interior of the auditorium space were being carried out and the full events programme would resume from mid-June.

The council's leader, Mark Fryer, said "it was unbelievable" seeing the "roof blow off" in the storm, adding "if anything could go wrong, it went wrong with this one".

The reopening of the venue was delayed again in November for Raac works and storm repairs to the roof.

More than 40 shows were cancelled or had to be rescheduled because of the latest delay.

Fryer said it had been a "long, tough road" involving a "highly complex project" but added it would be "back up and running to deliver a top-class facility to Carlisle and all of Cumberland".

Operator Greenwich Leisure Ltd said it had "successfully dealt with all affected performances and had contacted customers directly with rescheduled dates or other options".

"We are extremely excited to welcome audiences back to our venue this summer and can't wait to welcome back many premier productions to our great city," a spokesperson added.

Remaining scaffolding surrounding the site would soon be taken down, the council said, and finishing touches to new customer seating, lighting renewal and a full refurbishment to the backstage facilities were also being made.

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City of Culture sculpture to stay an extra year

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx21d7kpym2o, 3 days ago

One of the central artworks created as part of Bradford's year as UK City of Culture will remain for another year.

The Tower of Now, a 15m (49ft) sculpture by Saad Qureshi, was unveiled in spring 2025.

Bradford Council originally granted planning permission for the piece to be installed on the Hall Ings "pocket park" on the condition it would remain in place until the end of May 2026.

Permission has now been extended until May 2027 by the council, despite one objector claiming the sculpture had "divided communities".

The sculpture is inspired by architecture from around the world, including Bradford's City Hall, mosques, temples, pagodas and synagogues.

The single objection to retaining the artwork said it "divides opinion and only serves to divide the community. It adds nothing to the cityscape".

But planning officers said art would always divide opinion, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Approving the extension, officers said: "As stated in the previous officer report, as the sculpture is a piece of public artwork its design and appearance, like any form of art, is subjective with taste in art being a subjective matter."

The tower was originally granted temporary permission because Hall Ings pocket park was to become a new gateway to Bradford Interchange.

But with the future of the station uncertain, the area will remain a green space for the foreseeable future.

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King's Theatre to reopen for Edinburgh's festival season

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0l2y9gnw3po, 3 days ago

The historic King's Theatre in Edinburgh will fully reopen to audiences in time for the city's festival season.

The 120-year-old Tollcross venue closed in 2022 to undergo a refurbishment and modernisation project aimed at securing it for future generations.

Its future was plunged into doubt when operator Capital Theatres came close to running out of money due to the soaring cost of its renovation.

But it will now reopen on 1 August after three "test performances" in July.

It is hoped the work will allow the theatre to attract larger, more ambitious productions.

Increased capacity for wheelchair users, the installation of accessible toilets and two new front-of-house lifts serving all levels of the building have also been included in the project.

Fiona Gibson, chief executive of Capital Theatres, said: "Hundreds of people have been hard at work on our beautiful building and we can't wait to show you what's changed, what's stayed the same and how the theatre plans to welcome you all back over the coming year.

"We can't wait to see the King's Theatre full of art, people and life once more."

Other additions to the venue - which opened its doors in 1906 - include new public spaces, a street-level café, a Creative Engagement Studio for workshops, community projects and events, and a range of heritage displays and artefacts.

A special "opening weekend" will allow members of the public to take behind-the-scenes tours to explore the refurbished interior.

Plans for the renovation were first announced in 2018 and initial designs suggested removing nearly 200 seats to provide more hospitality.

Since then, the theatre has survived two serious threats to its existence.

In 2020, Succession star Brian Cox appealed to then-first minister Nicola Sturgeon after the theatre failed to secure emergency funding during the Covid pandemic.

Two years later redevelopment costs, driven by inflation, soared by 20% to 30%.

City of Edinburgh Council and the Scottish and UK governments later contributed about £8.85m to ensure the work was able to be completed.

During the renovation, a slip of paper containing the names of architects and plasters responsible for building the theatre was discovered in a glass bottle hidden behind a crown decoration.

Test events, including a Frozen singalong for children and a joint show by ex-MP turned comedian Mhairi Black and magician Kevin Quantum are due to take place in late July.

The theatre's full summer programme will play host to certain events in the Edinburgh International Festival from 11-30 August.

Show to go on as pier theatre set for £2.4m revamp

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ceqppe7dw4vo, 4 days ago

A landmark theatre could undergo a £2.4m refurbishment of its auditorium as part of efforts to secure its future.

North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) is considering borrowing money to fund improvements to the Pavilion Theatre on Cromer Pier, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year.

Plans include adding insulation to help block out noise caused by rough seas and improving temperature control inside the auditorium.

The programme of works follows several upgrades to the Grade II-listed theatre, originally built in 1905, which according to the NNDC hosts the "world's only remaining full-season end-of-pier variety show".

Cabinet members will meet on 1 June to discuss the proposals, which include installing new heating and cooling systems, upgrading lighting and sound, and refurbishing the auditorium's 440 seats.

The council owns the pier and theatre and therefore has responsibility for their upkeep.

It is also seeking external funding for the project.

The work would be carried out at the same time as repairs to the substructure.

Council officers have called the project a "fitting tribute to the council's stewardship of this historic landmark".

NNDC is due to be abolished next year in favour of a new unitary authority, East Norfolk, which would cover parts of north Norfolk and the Great Yarmouth area.

Tim Adams, leader of NNDC, said it would be the authority's last major project and described it as the "missing piece" of wider refurbishments to the pier and theatre, which have also included improvements to backstage and front-of-house areas.

"This investment will ensure the future of the theatre," he said.

"We have reached 125 years of the pier this year. It is a huge achievement to have got to this point, considering all of the storms and marine accidents that have occurred."

Adams said the work could begin in January next year after the Christmas show had finished and was expected to be completed by May.

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A 1,400km bike ride through Patagonia along the 'End of the World' trail

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20260527-a-1400km-bike-ride-at-the-end-of-the-world-in-patagonia, yesterday

Wild, rugged and breathtakingly beautiful, Patagonia is one of the most stunning places on Earth – and the best way to appreciate this wild frontier is on a bike.

For most of the day, the pampas appeared raw and deserted. The paved highway and tour buses had long vanished from view, and I pedalled a lonely gravel road used by just a handful of Argentine cowboys and cyclists.

Then, without warning, the wind stilled and the landscape began to stir. A herd of young guanacos – llamas' wild ancestors – leapt over a cattle fence. To the west, the setting sun cast a deep honey hue over the wind-scoured steppe, while a crimson Moon rose behind the clouds to the east. In the day's final light, a flightless Darwin's rhea sprinted across the arid grassland; a burst of quivering tail feathers and gangly legs.

It was March, the end of the Patagonian summer, and my partner and I were at the southern tip of the Americas, cycling more than 1,400km (870 miles) on a variation of the aptly named Fin del Mundo (End of the World) cycling route. The journey, much of it unpaved, starts in the Argentine hamlet of El Chaltén and weaves across the border into Chile before finishing in the world's southernmost city, Ushuaia, Argentina.

Millions of tourists fly into Patagonia to trek its jagged granite peaks, marvel at its electric-blue glaciers and photograph its serrated pinnacles. From the comfort of a rental car or tour bus, you can cover Southern Patagonia in about a week. But cycling offers a different way to experience one of Earth's last vast wildernesses.

As we soon found, this slow, self-directed odyssey also brings you into a world of wildlife that is slowly returning to land where it had all but disappeared, and lets adventurous travellers immerse themselves in some of the world's most striking landscapes.

A fragile landscape

Wild, rugged and breathtakingly beautiful, Patagonia was once dominated by sprawling sheep farms, which degraded the land. When the wool industry collapsed at the end of the 20th Century, many ranchers sold their remote pastures and conservationists saw an opportunity to rewild it.

"Back then, Patagonia was seen as worthless," said Libertad Giliberto, a tour guide who works across Chile. Starting in the 1980s and '90s, environmental groups began purchasing the degraded land, restoring it, turning it into reserves and donating it to Chile and Argentina's governments on the condition that they also protected surrounding land.

Today, this vast expanse of temperate rainforests, towering glaciers and treeless steppes contains some of the largest protected areas on Earth. Chile alone has a 28-million-acre conservation network encompassing 17 national parks.

A week into our trip, we approached one of Patagonia's most iconic parks – Torres del Paine and wild-camped at a viewing platform overlooking the three granite spires that give the territory its name. As the late summer sunset threw golden shafts of light between its peaks, the last of the tourist buses pulled away and we now had the view to ourselves.

A day earlier, I had met Ciro and Carlos Barría, two retired park rangers who grew up nearby, back when large parts of the park were still ranchland. By the late 1980s, ranching had largely ceased and authorities began building tourism infrastructure.

For years, few people visited. "We were like a side-trip from Perito Moreno [one of Patagonia's most famous glaciers]," Carlos said. In 1986, the park received less than 8,000 visitors. In 2024, crowds surpassed 305,000.

But as the park drew bigger crowds, its infrastructure buckled – thousands of hikers jostled for the same viewpoints, eroding trails, trampling fragile plants and overwhelming campsite waste systems. Illegal wildfires by tourists have burned nearly 30,000 hectares of the park since 2005. To keep crowds moving within the park, Carlos said, authorities have recently scrapped the once-mandatory orientation videos, leaving visitors unclear on the rules and the park prone to further damage.

"It only takes one person to cause a catastrophe," Carlos said.

For the Barrías, the solution is to spread tourism beyond the hotspots. "There are so many other areas that are as interesting as [Torres del] Paine," Ciro said. "Why not go there?"

The road less travelled

Ciro's advice echoed through my mind when I woke up and peered out of my tent at a fresh wave of tourists heading into the park. Instead of following them, we turned and pedalled in the opposite direction.

Miles of dirt trails near Torres del Paine remain largely unexplored because they lie outside the park's official borders. Venturing along one such path, we were rewarded with views of the area's peaks, framed by an endless beach along a glacial lake, crystal-clear water lapping its shores.

Here too, guanacos, caracaras, armadillos and long-tailed meadowlarks abound, but we didn't see another human until late that afternoon. Following a dusty road, we stopped at the gates of a sprawling ranch. "Are you guys lost?" called a woman from her veranda.

The woman, Monica, the 74-year-old matriarch of a four-generation ranching family, insisted we come inside and pressed homemade pan amasado (Chilean kneaded bread) into my hands. Over tea, she told us about growing up on the plains, building community when the nearest neighbour is 32km away and the fragile truce between ranchers and the landscape's now-thriving pumas.

"They attack the livestock," she said. "Mother cats come down with their cubs to teach them to hunt. They can kill up to 15 sheep at a time."

In the late evening sun, we pedalled back into the wild with Monica's hound following, and sending flocks of startled kelp geese flapping into the sky.

Nature unscripted

After two weeks of cycling, we hopped a ferry from Punta Arenas across the Strait of Magellan to the town of Porvenir, Chile. We had arrived on the legendary island of Tierra del Fuego, the southern fringe of the Americas.

The main road out of Porvenir heads north to the paved highway that cuts through the island's centre. We turned south onto another lonely, washboard gravel track; rough enough to deter most buses and many cars, but ideal for bicycles. The horizon soon opened to Bahía Inútil, or Useless Bay; a dark, stormy sweep of sea. Early explorers dismissed it as a dead end, but its harsh conditions have created an unlikely refuge for penguins.

Penguins are one of the biggest draws for visitors to this part of Patagonia, but in order to protect colonies, most visitors may only see them on organised tours. We were nowhere near one of those when a local man ran towards us, waving both hands. "Come here," he urged. "I want to show you something."

He pointed to a bedraggled Magellanic penguin huddled on the pebble-strewn beach. Separated from its colony and chased from the water by sea lions, it sat frozen on the shore while the predators circled. The penguin craned his neck, looking towards the sea lions. It felt like we were watching a wildlife documentary unfold in front of us.

More like this:

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• Scotland's epic 210-mile bikepacking adventure

As we stared, the man searched for phone service to call the coast guard. "They'll escort the penguin home," he said, assuring us he would keep watch until they did.

End of the world

A month after setting out and now in the first days of autumn, we approached the "end of the world" in Ushuaia. Plains swelled into towering mountains and ancient forests burned with vibrant oranges and reds. We spent our final night camping at a spot legendary among cyclists: Hosteria Petrel, an abandoned lakeside hotel at the end of a gravel road deep in the subantarctic Nothofagus forest.

Generations of cyclists have claimed one of the abandoned hotel's lakeside cabins for themselves. When we arrived, we found that someone had dragged in a scavenged wood stove and a broom. Inside, the cabin's bay windows frame Lago Escondido, (Hidden Lake), which is surrounded by towering beech trees and the rugged folds of the Fuegian Andes.

Some of the scribbled graffiti on the wall left by fellow cyclists is instructive: "Don't make the fire too big!" "Don't take the broom with you!" Other messages are more reflective: "To cycle is to embrace the uncertain, the simple, the real."

No cars come here, and no itinerary lists this place. You earn it mile by mile, joining those who travel slowly through Patagonia, and those who leave it better than they found it.

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How an enslaved, shipwrecked African became the US's first great explorer

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20260527-estevanico-the-african-explorer-who-crossed-north-america, 3 days ago

Nearly 500 years ago, a Moroccan man walked thousands of miles from Florida to the Pacific Coast, becoming the first known outsider to see the American West.

In 1528, a man from Morocco washed up on the coast of present-day Texas, more dead than alive. He had spent the previous month adrift in the Gulf of Mexico alongside a group of Spanish sailors on a flimsy lifeboat lashed together with tree trunks, horse hide and what was left of their tattered clothes. When a storm stranded the castaways on a barrier island near Galveston, they unwittingly became the first people from the Old World to enter the American West – and when they did, they were each starving, exhausted and naked.

In the weeks that followed, the shipwrecked survivors began dying, one by one. Many succumbed to hunger, others to the elements and some to attacks from Indigenous tribes. Of the roughly 600 men who had set sail from Spain a year earlier on this ill-fated expedition to conquer present-day Florida and the Gulf Coast for the Spanish Crown, only four survived: three Spanish captains and, somehow, the enslaved Moroccan.

During the next eight years, the man would become the party's de facto leader, and embark on one of the most remarkable survival journeys in exploration history. And yet, we don't even know his real name.

Known variously as Esteban de Dorantes, Esteban the Moor or – most commonly – Estevanico, this enigmatic individual was one of the first documented Africans, Arabic speakers and Muslims to step foot in what is now the United States, arriving nearly 40 years before the first European settlement. Between 1528 and 1536, he walked roughly 2,250 miles (3,620km) west from Florida to the Pacific Coast of Mexico, completing what is widely believed to be the first recorded crossing of North America in history and predating Lewis and Clark's overland expedition to the Oregon Coast by nearly 300 years.

Along the way, Estevanico was captured by Native Americans, learned their languages and became a healer before journeying an additional 1,300 miles (2,090km) south with the three other shipwreck survivors from the Gulf of California to Mexico City. He then embarked on a separate 1,500-mile (2,415km) odyssey north, and became the first known non-Native American to enter modern-day New Mexico and Arizona.

"Estevanico is one of the most extraordinary, yet overlooked, figures in the early history of what would become the American Southwest," said Dr Hsain Ilahiane, an anthropologist and professor at the University of Arizona, who has spent years studying the explorer. "He helped open routes, trails and geographic knowledge that later informed Spanish incursions into [the present-day American West]."

Still, most people have never heard of him – even in the US.

Now, as the US celebrates its 250th anniversary and looks back on its origins, a growing number of museums, tours and monuments around the country are now highlighting his little-known legacy.

Estevanico's odyssey

Since Estevanico left no written records, historians have pieced together his life largely through the surviving accounts of the Spanish survivors who travelled beside him. He was born in the early 1500s in Azemmour and enslaved by Spanish nobleman Andrés Dorantes de Carranza, who brought him on Spain's Narváez expedition to the Americas. Since Muslims were forbidden from travelling to the New World on official Spanish expeditions, Dorantes baptised him, renaming him Estevanico.

The 600-person, five-ship voyage set sail in June 1527, and it was a disaster from the start. Some 140 men deserted the expedition during a stop in Santo Domingo, and while resupplying in Cuba, a hurricane sank two ships and killed 50 more sailors. The crew eventually tried to sail to Mexico, but storms blew them into modern-day St Petersburg, Florida, in April 1528.

The expedition's leader, Panfilo de Narváez, then ordered Estevanico and several hundred men to march north to explore Florida's interior. After slogging some 300 miles (480km) through mosquito-infested swamps to what is now Saint Marks, Florida, and getting ambushed by Apalachee Native Americans, Estevanico and the remaining Spaniards were so decimated and desperate that they slaughtered and ate their last horses, built five makeshift rafts and sailed along the coast in hopes of reaching present-day Mexico.

As the men drifted west, they became the first non-Indigenous travellers to see the mouth of the Mississippi River. But the same storms that eventually capsized their rafts near Galveston would kill two-thirds of the remaining Spaniards, including Narváez himself.

Like many of the shipwrecked castaways, Estevanico was soon captured by Native Americans. Somehow, the person with the lowest status in the Old World managed to survive in the New World.

"When the order of the Old World fell away, Estevanico had some advantages. Unlike [the Spanish], he had to speak other languages," said Laila Lalami, whose novel, The Moor's Account, is based on Estevanico and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. "Since Azemmour was an Amazigh [city] controlled by the Portuguese, we know that he likely spoke Tamazight, Arabic and Portuguese. And since he was enslaved to a Spaniard, he spoke Spanish."

During his roughly five years of hard labour under Karankawa Natives, Estevanico learned their spoken language and the sign language shared by other groups in the region. He then covertly coordinated with a rival tribe of the Karankawa to escape with Dorantes, and helped free the two remaining Spaniards.

In the next two years, the four survivors walked from the Gulf Coast to the Gulf of California, relying on Estevanico's linguistic skills and cultural adaptability to navigate them from one Native community to the next.

"He was the leader of the group – the translator, the mediator, the scout," Ilahiane said. "They were moving in a new world and didn't know where they were going and Estevanico had an advantage: information."

During their travels, Estevanico met an Indigenous trader and arranged for them to stay in his community. While there, a sick person approached the visitors and asked them to treat her. By blending Christian rituals from the Spanish and Native practices Estevanico had observed, the men somehow convinced the woman that she was cured.

As word of the men's alleged healing powers spread, Indigenous communities began seeking them out and even following them as they journeyed west. Estevanico travelled ahead of the Spaniards to announce their arrival, often adorned with seashell bracelets on his arms, jingling bells around his ankles and carrying a rattle made from a dried gourd.

"He reminds me of a rural Moroccan Sufi with medicinal knowledge travelling from village to village, but he also picks up these [cultural] aspects from Native Americans and uses them as an entry point into other tribes as he wanders," Ilahiane said. "In the end, that would be a bit tragic for him."

The Seven Cities of Gold

After conquering the Aztecs in 1521, Spain had established a colony in modern-day central and southern Mexico. As the four travellers approached Culiacán in what is now Sinaloa, they met a group of Spanish horsemen who led them 1,300 miles (2,090km) south to the capital of New Spain (today, Mexico City). There, the four shipwreck survivors told tales of gilded cities somewhere in the northern desert that Native tribes had recounted to Estevanico – likely to get the outsiders to keep moving away from their villages.

Determined to locate these so-called "Seven Cities of Gold", the Viceroy of New Spain dispatched Estevanico to guide a group of Spanish friars north into modern-day New Mexico and Arizona in 1539. With turquoise jewellery around his neck and feathers in his hair, Estevanico walked ahead of the party, serving as the lead scout to gain knowledge of these fabled cities from Native tribes. If what he learned was moderately important, he'd send a small cross back to the Spaniards via a messenger. If it was important, he'd send back a medium-sized cross. And if it was highly important, he'd send back a large cross.

One day, shortly after becoming the first known outsider from the Old World to enter the land of the Zuni Pueblo people, Estevanico reportedly sent back a cross said to be "the height of a man". Elated, the Spaniards raced ahead to join him, only to learn that when he'd attempted to enter the southernmost of the supposed Seven Cities of Gold, Hawikuh, he had been killed by Zuni Natives.

While the Spanish never found any gilded cities, Estevanico's final journey led them into what became known as the "Tierra Nueva" (New Land), that would later become central to Spanish expansion in the American Southwest.

"Estevanico helped shape the geographic imagination of the Spanish Empire in North America," said Ilahiane. "His travels spread knowledge about routes, peoples and possibilities for expansion into regions that would become Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and beyond. This final journey into Zuni territory in 1539 triggered the Coronado Expedition of 1540 [that paved the way for Spanish expeditions and settlements across the American Southwest]."

From introducing devastating diseases and displacing Native populations to establishing Catholicism, cultural and culinary practices, this Spanish expansion would profoundly shape the future of the nation to come.

'Something in between'

For centuries, Estevanico remained little more than a footnote in Spanish chronicles, and a forgotten figure among Americans.

"That's because his exploration isn't tied to the foundational myth of the United States," said Lalami. "It's one of those things that doesn't quite fit neatly into the history of the US's founding that's taught in schools about the 13 colonies and people escaping persecution in England."

But in the past decade, museums, monuments and tours around the US have increasingly begun recognising his role in the continent's early history.

"He had one of the most amazing journeys into the unknown in history. Someone should really make a movie about him already," said David Anderson, the owner of Discover Florida Tours, which has led historical guided walks in St Petersburg where Estevanico landed since 2017 and recounts his epic odyssey.

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In 2016, a 7ft (2.15m) bronze statue of Estevanico was erected at the Texas State Capitol in Austin, commemorating his role as the first African to step foot in Texas. Since 2022, the El Paso Museum of History in West Texas has recounted Estevanico's odyssey on its interactive digital wall, and the explorer is heavily featured throughout the New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe and at the Coronado National Memorial in Arizona.

"This is someone who did something quite formidable," said Diana Abouali, the director of the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. "At the museum, we present him at the start of our 'Coming to America' exhibit to show that Arabic speakers are not new to this country. Arabic language and culture has been in what is now the United States for a long, long time."

For Lalami, what makes Estevanico so important isn't just what he did – it's what he represents.

"He was the first African to cross North America, but what makes him so fascinating is his position: he didn't come to the US as a conqueror, and he wasn't part of the people who were conquered. He was something in between," she said.

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The trade-offs Americans are making to afford summer travel

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20260520-the-rise-of-the-calculated-traveller, 10 days ago

Summer 2026 was supposed to be the year many Americans travelled big again. Instead, higher fuel costs, long-haul uncertainty and a shakier economic mood are changing the trips they feel able – or willing – to take. We spoke to US travellers about what they're doing instead.

This upcoming travel season is shaping up to be unusually complicated, from disrupted flight paths across the Middle East to higher gas and jet fuel prices – not to mention Spirit Airlines ceasing operations and the hantavirus striking a cruise ship.

According to a new survey by US News and World Report, 65% of Americans have already altered summer travel plans because of rising prices, with 31% changing destinations or cancelling vacations entirely. While two-thirds of Americans are still planning to travel this summer, an Ibotta Summer Outlook survey found a third expect to take fewer trips.

"Summer 2026 is shaping up around three clear priorities: confidence, ease and reassurance," said Alison Zacher, global managing director at luxury tour operator Scott Dunn. "Since March, we've seen guests gravitating towards destinations that feel secure, are straightforward to reach and offer strong support on the ground."

This has led to some hard decisions, and smart swaps: Disney for the Smokies, cross-country flights for closer-to-home baseball weekends, ambitious road trips for shorter breaks and complicated international itineraries for routes that feel safer and easier.

"This is a more calculated traveller than we've seen in years," says Jim Augerinos, owner and travel advisor at Perfect Honeymoons. "People still want the experience, they're just being smarter about how they get it."

Trading down, not staying home

Walter Bennett, based in Chicago, was hoping this was the year his family of four finally made it to Disney World in Orlando. But when his company went through a round of layoffs in February, the $9,000 (£6,650) price tag – including flights, hotel, park tickets and food – suddenly felt risky.

"I kept my job – but two people on my team didn't, and it spooked me," he said. "I don't feel unsafe, but I also don't feel like dropping nine grand on a vacation right now is the smartest move," he said. Not only that, but flight prices kept creeping up every time he checked.

Instead, the family is planning a road trip to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, a nine-hour drive from Chicago, and renting a cabin outside Gatlinburg. "We've never been, the kids are pumped about hiking and white-water stuff, and the whole trip is going to come in around $2,200-$2,500 (£1,630-£1,850) all in," he said.

The cabin has a kitchen, allowing them to save on meals, and many of the biggest draws – including Great Smoky Mountains National Park – are free or low-cost. A parking pass costs $5 (£3.70) for the day or $15 (£11) for the week.

Augerinos is seeing a similar pattern among clients, who still want a memorable trip but are rethinking what that means. "I'm booking more Montana ranches, Utah and Wyoming national parks and high-end domestic trips that still feel like a real experience," he said. "For a lot of people, that bigger international trip is getting pushed out until things calm down."

Waiting for certainty

Jagdish Khubchandani, a professor of public health at New Mexico State University, had promised to fly to Delhi to support his mother through surgery but the Iran war complicated his plans. "I checked tickets and the travel was chaotic," he said. "I could get a ticket from El Paso to Delhi, but via the Middle East and there was a note on airline websites: 'airspaces may remain closed'."

So far, the uncertainty has kept him from booking, but he's keeping his eye on flights for the next few weeks as more carriers are adding Asia-bound routes through Europe. If he finds a routing that feels reliable, he will pull the trigger, even knowing that it will add four to six hours to his total travel time.

His hesitation reflects a wider pattern. "While there is some uncertainty around travel this summer, we are still seeing people want to travel," explained Joanna Reeve, a general manager at Intrepid Travel. “They're just adjusting where, when and how they're travelling."

Shorter trips, closer to home

With US gasoline prices rising sharply – topping $4.50 (£3.35) a gallon in early May – even the classic American road trip is being reimagined this year.

Last summer, Oregon resident Eric Goranson saved carefully for a week-long trip to Boston to see the Boston Red Sox play the Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park. "My girlfriend Alisa is a huge lifelong Red Sox fan and I'm a die-hard Seattle Mariners fan, so we were really excited to turn it into our big summer getaway," he said.

But with fuel prices and travel costs soaring, they decided to scrap the Boston trip. Instead, they bought tickets to the Mariners series in Seattle, much closer to home. "We'll still get to enjoy some great baseball together. It's only a three-hour drive, which saves us a ton of money," he said. The switch also frees them up to take local camping trips in Oregon and Washington.

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For Gabrielle Wallace, who typically drives between properties she manages in Kansas City and Portland, Maine, fuel costs changed the equation altogether.

"It is a 1,500-mile trip each way, and the significant increase in gas prices makes it not worth it to drive at this time," she said. She is considering a shorter trip by air instead, though the change comes with disappointment. "Usually, I would spend a few months in Maine, so the road trip is a highlight of my summer."

Finding value in disruption

While some Americans are avoiding long-haul travel, others are looking for opportunity in the disruption. Frequent traveller Janice Lintz is avoiding all routings through the Middle East, but she has also been looking for deals in usually expensive destinations where prices have softened due to decreased demand.

She recently returned from the Seychelles, the archipelago nation north of Madagascar, where she said disruption in the region had affected usual travel patterns. Rather than flying with Qatar or Etihad Airways, she routed through Addis Ababa on Ethiopian Airlines and found lower prices and uncrowded beaches.

"This is the perfect time to visit the Seychelles," she said. "I was able to negotiate rates including taxis. Plus, I had the beach to myself, which is unheard of in an Instagram world."

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'Disgusting' beach litter leaves people upset

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/creplexzw21o, today

Anger about the "disgusting" scenes at a beach following a busy bank holiday weekend has sparked calls for people to take responsibility for their litter.

After a weekend when temperatures surpassed 30C (86F), extra clean-ups were carried out at Cromer in Norfolk on Tuesday that took up to 26 hours.

Jill Boyle, Liberal Democrat councillor for the town, said: "I think it's disgusting. I just don't understand why they would do it.

"They come to enjoy the beauty of north Norfolk, why would you wish to decimate it? It's just beyond me."

North Norfolk District Council said additional bins had been placed around the beach in anticipation of high visitor numbers.

In all the years Boyle has lived in Cromer, she said she had never seen the beach packed with so many people, with concerned friends and residents sending her pictures and videos of the litter left behind.

"I was cross," she said. "This is a Blue Flag beach, it's just awful to think people with their children, dogs, the wildlife, have got to be put aside for people who don't care.

"How can you come onto a clean beach and just walk off and think to leave it there? I just don't understand the mentality."

She said if bins were full, people could have left waste by the sides of the bins instead of scattered across the sand.

Boyle believes the council did everything it could and could not "predict [the] chaos" like the scenes on Monday.

She said: "[Visitors] can carry the bags home, they can carry the bags to another bin, they can put them by the side of the bin — the volume of people was just unprecedented.

"What have we come to? It is so beautiful here, it's just inexcusable."

In a statement after the weekend, North Norfolk District Council said broken bottles and foil packaging were among the items discarded on the beach.

It said "bins can often fill up faster than they can be collected" during peak times and pleaded with people to "dispose of waste responsibly".

Julia James, who lives in East Runton, said she immediately put her dog on the lead when she saw the beach covered in bottles, broken glass, beach blankets, chairs and rubber rings.

She said: "I was just disgusted. I was horrified. I teach my kids to have respect, it was just disrespectful and people not caring. Who do they think is going to clear it up?"

She said it looked like there had been a "rave".

James said: "I feel really blessed and privileged to live here and when people treat it like that we are all horrified.

"We as locals couldn't believe people would come and do such a thing."

After pictures were posted on the BBC Radio Norfolk social media pages, a number of people shared their disgust and said the council should enforce fines or start patrols.

One woman who visited the beach over the weekend with friends said she had to remove a number of disposable BBQs from the beach.

She said: "While sitting and chatting we realised the flints we were sitting on were extremely hot... some thoughtless, careless people had just buried three disposable BBQs which were still glowing red! Absolutely disgusting behaviour!"

Another commenter said: "Every time we go to the beach we end up picking up other people's left behind rubbish and take it with ours, really is sad to see how much rubbish just gets left behind."

Others pointed to similar scenes at other sites across the county, including Wells-next-the-Sea.

A spokesman for the town's visitor information centre posted images of overflowing bins on Facebook and said there was a "huge amount of litter", urging people to take rubbish away with them if bins were full.

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Poem visible from air for Heathrow's 80th birthday

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0m2y8r2p1lo, today

Part of a poem by Heathrow's poet-in-residence David Larbi has been written on a field in giant letters to celebrate the airport's 80th birthday.

The bird's-eye view is only visible to people flying above the field close to the west London airport.

London writer and TikTok star Larbi's poem, titled Gateway To The World, describes how Heathrow is "a place where we're more than allowed to have our heads up in the clouds".

Heathrow was originally called London Airport. Its first commercial flight departed on 31 May 1946, with a converted Lancaster bomber taking passengers to the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires.

Tented village

The first passenger terminals were ex‑military marquees erected as a "tented village", the airport said.

They were "primitive but comfortable" and passengers waited on floral-patterned armchairs and settees, with small tables containing vases of fresh flowers.

Some 63,000 passengers used the airport during its first year of operation.

The airport changed its name to Heathrow in 1966, and by 2025 passenger numbers had grown to 84.5 million.

More than 2.9 billion passengers have travelled through Heathrow on over 22 million flights since it opened, the airport said. New York, Dublin, Amsterdam and Paris are the most popular destinations over its history.

Since runway construction began in 1944 and it officially opened as London Airport in 1946, Heathrow has been more than a transport hub – it has served as the UK's gateway to the world and the runway for defining national moments.

Among its historic milestones are its first long-haul flight in 1957, greeting The Beatles after their first US tour in 1964, and launching supersonic passenger flights with Concorde in 1976.

Larbi said the airport had brought "joy and connection" to people for eight decades.

He added: "I'm greatly honoured to be the airport's first poet-in-residence, with an ode that captures Heathrow's 80-year legacy, the excitement and wonder of air travel and all those who work daily to make Heathrow the incredible place it is."

Heathrow's chief executive Thomas Woldbye said: "For 80 years, Heathrow has been the place where journeys begin, where loved ones reunite, and where the UK meets the rest of the world."

Heathrow is hoping to secure planning permission by 2029 to build a third runway.

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Loganair launches new flight routes to Jersey

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgzqgvyxx5o, 2 days ago

A new flight route between Jersey and East Midlands Airport has been launched.

Loganair said the service would begin from Sunday, with East Midlands being the second of four new summer routes the airline was launching from its Channel Islands base.

It said this followed the launch of Norwich flights in early May, and would be followed by Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Bordeaux as part of a "major expansion of services".

Ronnie Matheson, chief commercial officer at Loganair, said the new routes "represent a sizable investment for the airline".

Loganair said the flights would start from £94.

Paul Holley, head of connectivity at Ports of Jersey said: "High-frequency regional routes are vital for keeping islanders connected, while also giving visitors greater flexibility and choice when travelling to the island."

Adam Andrews, East Midlands Airport commercial director, said: "We know Jersey is a really popular destination offering an idyllic island escape, and East Midlands is a fantastic gateway for Jersey residents looking for access to our great region and beyond."

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Free food and compassion: Inside the Sri Lankan tradition of dansal

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20260526-dansal-sri-lankas-roadside-ritual-of-generosity, 4 days ago

Rooted in Buddhist teachings, Sri Lanka's roadside dansal offer free food and drinks to strangers – and this year, amid rising costs and extreme heat, the tradition feels especially relevant.

When I was a little girl growing up in Sri Lanka, I always looked forward to the month of May. That was when my father and I would decorate octagon bamboo lanterns to celebrate Vesak – the sacred day marking the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha – and when the first dansal of the season would appear on the streets.

Dansal are Sri Lanka's roadside generosity stalls: makeshift kiosks and improvised counters where people offer food, drinks and other essentials to passersby, free of charge. Rooted in the Buddhist practice of dana – giving without expecting anything in return – they pop up during poya, the island's monthly full-Moon holidays, most typically during the festival season from May to July.

The dansal of my childhood are etched in my memory: men and women dressed in white queuing for boiled cassava; children waving large flags to stop passing vehicles; and tiny cups of sweet passionfruit drinks being passed around when public buses crawled to a stop.

But this year, the tradition feels particularly resonant.

In recent months, temperatures across parts of Sri Lanka have climbed as high as 39C, while long dry spells have strained water supplies in some urban areas. At the same time, fuel, electricity and food costs have risen sharply following energy price hikes earlier this year, making daily life harder for many Sri Lankans.

Against that backdrop, even small acts of public generosity carry new weight. As more people have been forced to walk or rely on public transport just as Colombo's sweltering March temperatures arrived, businesses across the capital tapped into the spirit of dansal by setting up free drinking-water stalls for passersby. Just before the Sinhala and Tamil New Year in April – one of the country's biggest festivals where families gather for week-long celebrations – biscuit company Munchee distributed 25,000 train tickets at Colombo's railway station to ease the financial burden of holiday travel.

"You'll see more practical dansal [now], like handing out rice and vegetables," says Joanne Louise, a British traveller who spends several months of the year in Sri Lanka with her Sri Lankan husband. "Since the heat wave, people now feel it is more important to look after each other." During Vesak this year, local communities are also offering free notebooks for students and handing out dry rations for pregnant women.

For Dr Rita Langer, senior lecturer in Buddhist Studies at the University of Bristol, who has been visiting Sri Lanka for more than 35 years, that immediate responsiveness is of little surprise.

"Sri Lankans are very much aware of the people around them and what they need, more than [in the West] where we outsource that to charities," she says. "Sometimes you get an eye optician doing free eye tests all night, a hairdresser giving free haircuts or people giving sanitary pads to a nunnery."

During Sri Lanka's economic crisis in 2022, people handed out snacks and drinks to those waiting hours in fuel queues. And the selflessness doesn't only happen on home soil: earlier this year, Sri Lanka's consulate in Mumbai served chilled drinks to people struggling through the city's extreme summer heat.

"Dansal are a manifestation of the spirit of generosity that comes from a society like ours, which is about the wider community. It ties to our non-individualistic way of living," says social researcher Amalini De Sayrah.

Giving without expectations

According to Sri Lanka's historical chronicle Mahavamsa, the tradition goes back as far as the 1st Century BCE. It became more formalised during Sri Lanka's Buddhist reformist movement in the 19th and 20th Centuries, when wealthy Buddhist families and temple communities set up rest houses and food stalls for pilgrims travelling to holy shrines, offering meals, drinks and shelter as an act of dana. Over time, that ritualised giving shifted from pilgrimage routes into neighbourhoods, streets and train stations, becoming one of Sri Lanka's most recognisable forms of public generosity.

"In Buddhism, we learn that dana during difficult times is the most valued, because it means that your compassion is not confined to the abundance you have," says Neluwe Gnanawimala Thero at the Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery near Ella, which hosts a daily dansala with the help of young volunteers that's often visited by visitors who come for the temple's meditation sessions.

Today, that spirit cuts across ethnic and religious lines. Muslims and Christians also host stalls during Vesak, while similar traditions of communal giving appear during Hindu festivals. The offerings vary widely, from tea and biscuit stalls to full-blown bath (rice and curry) dansal, and many people go "dansal sightseeing", hopping from one stall to another with friends and family.

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During the holiday season, visitors will find dansal near temples, along pilgrimage sites and at railway stations, typically serving snacks and refreshments throughout the day and full meals during lunch and dinner. In Colombo, they may cluster around week-long Vesak zones and illuminated thorana (pandals that depict stories of Buddha's past lives); elsewhere, they can be as simple as a table outside someone's home or a little kiosk offering meticulously packed takeway lunch parcels.

During Poson full Moon holiday in June, there are similar festive zones in and around the sacred city Anuradhapura, nearly a four-hour train journey north of Colombo. Outside the Ruwanweli Maha Seya stupa, a dome-shaped monument where Buddha's relics are enshrined, the Isipathana bath dansala serves lunch every day. Devotees also turn up with fresh flowers and fragrant incense to share with others at holy shrines.

When I was stopped by a group of young children this past Labour Day (1 May) and handed a cup of sago porridge, I was reminded how even the smallest act of giving can bring strangers together.

"If you visit Sri Lanka about the time of dansal, you are part of it," says Langer. "It's the spirit that nobody should go hungry."

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Eight summer film and TV releases that will inspire your next trip

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20260522-eight-summer-film-and-tv-releases-that-will-inspire-your-next-trip, 7 days ago

Summer is all about escaping your daily routine, and this season's releases will have you ready to pack your bags.

If the arrival of longer, sunnier days doesn't inspire you to travel, leave it to this summer's upcoming crop of film and television series – where the settings become a silent character.

From friend retreats in a medieval Italian city to battles in the turquoise waters of the Peloponnese, here are eight new films and TV shows coming out this summer that will make you want to book your next holiday.

1. The Four Seasons (season two): Upstate New York, the Jersey Shore and Italy

Based on the 1981 film of the same name, Netflix's The Four Seasons features a cast of comedic powerhouses – Tina Fey, Will Forte, Colman Domingo, Marco Calvani and Kerri Kenney – playing a group of lifelong friends who holiday together each season of the year.

The show's first season took place in New York's foliage-studded Hudson Valley, as well as Puerto Rico's Palomino Island. In season two, which sees the group grieving the loss of their beloved friend (Steve Carrell), the crew returns to the Hudson Valley and also travels to the Jersey Shore and Italy. The trailer promises sandy Atlantic beaches, sweeping shots of historic squares, posing on Vespas and some of the worst-looking football ever shot for TV.

Season two of The Four Seasons premieres on Netflix on 28 May

2. Power Ballad: Dublin, Ireland

Power Ballad is the latest film from Irish writer and director John Carney to showcase both his home city of Dublin and the power of song.

Carney's newest musical drama stars Paul Rudd as Rick Power, an American wedding singer living in Dublin who befriends former boy band member Danny Wilson (Nick Jonas). When Danny steals one of Rick's songs and it becomes a hit, Rick sets out for revenge – and to attain the recognition he's always wanted.

Viewers will be whisked away to modern-day Dublin, with scenes taking place throughout the city's pastel-coloured city centre. It also features the city's surrounding areas, like its Crumlin suburb, dotted with period red-brick homes, and Wicklow County, with its rolling Wicklow Mountains and grandiose medieval estates. Scenes in moody Irish pubs might just inspire your next pint of Guinness.

Power Ballad is released in UK cinemas on 29 May

3. House of the Dragon (season three): Wales and southern England, UK

House of the Dragon, the prequel to the widely acclaimed series Game of Thrones, is back for a third season, which will follow dragonrider Rhaenyra Targaryen's attempt to take the Iron Throne. Once again, the drama's mythical scenes will be shot in ethereal corners of the United Kingdom, namely the lush forests of southern England and the rugged coastlines and endless greenery of rural Gwynedd in Wales.

Look for fantasy-stoking shots of Eryri National Park (Snowdonia), the Unesco-listed Dinorwig Quarry with its unique wall of slate, and the mystical "floating" St Michael's Mount in Cornwall, reimagined as House Velaryon's Driftmark Castle. The battles may be bloody, but the backdrops are sublime.

Season three of House of The Dragon begins on HBO Max on 21 June

4. The Bear (season five): Chicago, US

Sorry, cousin – the story of acclaimed chef Carmy "The Bear" Berzatto returning to Chicago to save his family's hole-in-the-wall sandwich shop comes to an end this summer.

Ever since The Bear's June 2022 premiere, it has showcased Chicago's culinary supremacy, shining a light on iconic Windy City dishes like deep-dish pizza and Italian beef sandwiches, as well as local institutions like Pequod's Pizza, Kasama and Firecakes Donuts, all against the city's steely skyline backdrops.

As Berzatto adjusts to life outside of the kitchen – and his staff struggle to save his restaurant and earn a Michelin star – viewers can expect to hear their stomachs growl yet again, with hunger pangs that only a culinary holiday to this Midwestern city can quell.

The Bear's fifth and final season will be available on Hulu on 25 June

5. The Five-Star Weekend: Nantucket, Massachusetts, US

Jennifer Garner portrays food blogger Hollis Shaw in this film based on Elin Hilderbrand's 2023 eponymous novel. After the death of her husband, Shaw invites four friends from different periods in her life to spend a weekend in her stunning beach house on the island of Nantucket as she tries to fight her grief through food and friendship.

Filming for The Five-Star Weekend took place on location and makes full use of this former whaling capital's cobblestoned 18th-Century town centre and wild beaches. Along the way, panoramas of windswept Atlantic heathlands and emotional moments in Hollis's coastal-chic kitchen. Prepare to crave a glass of wine overlooking the ocean.

The Five-Star Weekend is released on Peacock on 9 July

6. Moana: Hawaii, US

The much-anticipated live-action Moana is a musical adventure based on the 2016 animated film, where the titular Polynesian teen sets out to save her home island. Moana (Catherine Laga'aia) is joined on her nautical journey by the demigod Maui, played by Dwayne Johnson, who voiced the character in the animated version. The pair sail through blue seas and explore lush tropical landscapes on their quest to return a stolen relic to the goddess Te Fiti.

Much of the film was shot on location on the island of O'ahu (with a little oomph from CGI), so expect incredible shots of dramatic beaches, towering palm trees and volcanic cliffs that will make you want to set sail, too.

Moana is out in cinemas on 10 July

7. The Odyssey: Greece and Sicily, Italy

Academy Award-winning director Christopher Nolan's take on Homer's timeless epic sees Matt Damon as the Greek warrior struggling to return home after the Trojan War. The supporting cast, including Charlize Theron, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway and Robert Pattinson, is just as legendary.

The shooting schedule was an odyssey in itself. To minimise the use of CGI, much of the filming took place in stunning real-world locations across Scotland, Iceland, Morocco, Sicily and Greece – with a reported $250m (£186m) budget.

Some of the film's Greek and Italian shooting locations are believed to have inspired Homer himself, and though this (or whether the author even existed) has long been the subject of academic debate, the area's dramatic, volcanic coastlines do seem tailor-made for encounters with mythical creatures. Travel with Odysseus to the turquoise seas, white sands and ancient acropolises of Greece's Peloponnese region, where filming spots included Nestor's Cave, a seaside formation located above the horseshoe-shaped Voidokoilia Beach. In Sicily, shooting took place in the Aeolian and Aegadian Islands, particularly Favignana; known as "Goat Island" and, according to urban legend, the island of the Cyclopes.

The Odyssey premieres in cinemas 17 July

8. Ted Lasso (season four): Richmond, London

The Brits may have thought they'd got rid of Ted Lasso for good when he left London for Kansas City at the end of season three. But the world's most optimistic Yank football coach is returning to England this August. And this time, he'll be taking over AFC Richmond's new women's team.

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While the show's previous forays focused on Lasso's acclimation to his proper British surroundings, this season will find him navigating the leafy, well-heeled neighbourhoods of West London and revisiting old haunts, like the cosy "Crown & Anchor" (the real-life The Prince's Head Pub in Richmond) and his apartment at "9 1/2 Paved Court", found on the real, idyllic cobblestoned Paved Court just off Richmond Green. Will Ted have finally learnt not to embarrass himself down the pub?

Season four of Ted Lasso debuts on Apple TV+ on 5 August

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Sleep tracking and longevity claims: The new era of wellness retreats

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20260519-the-evolution-of-the-wellness-retreat, 11 days ago

The new generation of hotel spas is selling treatments that promise better sleep, lower stress and longer, healthier lives.

Wellness travel once meant switching off at a hotel spa or a relaxing mud facial. But today, a growing number of retreat-goers are less interested in passive relaxation techniques and instead embracing fitness assessments, sleep tracking and longevity programmes.

The rising demand has hotels and resorts around the world adapting quickly. They are converting their spas from oases of relaxation into destinations offering programmes they claim can improve sleep, reduce stress and support longer, healthier lives. These programmes are now found worldwide, from Ayurvedic clinics in the Himalayan foothills to spas on Lake Como.

That desire to take greater control over his own wellness was what traveller San Priy was looking for when he booked Canyon Ridge's new Longevity8 programme in Tucson, Arizona – a four-day retreat built around diagnostic tests, consultations and activities such as hikes, walks and bike rides.

"I was feeling run down and wanted to take a more intentional approach to my long-term health instead of just reacting to stress," he said.

He's not alone – McKinsey's 2025 Future of Wellness survey found that six out of 10 people rank healthy ageing as a top priority, while the Global Wellness Institute describes wellness tourism as one of the fastest-growing segments in a $6.8tn (£5.5tn) industry.

The promise of "longevity" is tantalising, but it is also largely a wellness industry framework rather than a proven medical outcome. Even with little evidence that these treatments can actually increase lifespan, wellness travellers seem more than willing to fly across the world to find out.

The promise – and limits – of longevity travel

Travelling for one's health is nothing new. Victorian-era physicians prescribed jaunts to the coast for wealthy patients, believing seawater and sea air had restorative qualities. Today, however, the goal has shifted from relaxation or recovery to "healthspan" – the idea of living not just longer, but healthier for longer.

Ari Lightman, professor of digital media and marketing at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College, says the trend emerged after Covid-19, amid growing awareness of health and a flood of information – and misinformation – on supplements, vitamins and healthy aging. At the same time, influencers and high-profile longevity entrepreneurs have helped popularise the language of "de-aging", blurring the lines between medicine, lifestyle optimisation and luxury travel.

"Travellers are looking not just to relax during a vacation or have an adventure," Lightman said. "Many are looking for a transformative experience."

These experiences can also come at premium prices. A multi-night stay at specialised clinics can cost several thousands of pounds, while ultra-luxury medical retreats can run into the tens of thousands, excluding flights.

Kamal Wagle, a geriatric specialist at Hackensack University Medical Center's Center for Memory Loss and Brain Health in New Jersey, says "scientific evidence is scant" regarding a direct correlation between longevity and a wellness retreat. But he notes that many retreats do encourage habits with proven benefits, from healthier eating and regular movement to meditation and stress reduction.

Modern wellness

One emerging type of longevity retreat borrows lifestyle hallmarks from the "Blue Zones", places where people are said to live exceptionally long lives. In lush facilities in stunning locations, wellness travellers can choose from spa menus offering practices adopted – and adapted – from places like Sardinia, Okinawa and Costa Rica.

The Blue Zones concept is contested. Researchers have questioned the reliability of the age records used to identify some Blue Zones, and the concept's creator Dan Buettner has faced scrutiny over the commercial partnerships built around the idea.

However, that has not stopped resorts from embracing the idea. In Italy, Lake Como Edition Hotel's new Longevity Spa opened this March inside a restored 19th-Century palazzo. Its Blue Zones-themed treatments inspired by each region, from cocoa bean scrubs inspired by Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula to Sardinian-inspired scalp therapy using seawater.

Meanwhile, Hilton Head Health, a wellness resort on South Carolina's coast, offers a seven-day Blue Zones programme that has become its most requested since launching late last year. The programme includes workshops on nutrition, natural movement and stress reduction, with walkable trails, bike paths and a coastal setting that encourages guests to get outdoors.

According to programme director David Chesworth, one of the favourite sessions centres on ikigai, the Japanese concept of life purpose, often associated with the Okinawan Blue Zone: "It's one thing to just have experiences together, and it's another to have deep conversations about your purpose with other folks."

Sucheta Rawal, who attended the Blue Zones retreat earlier this year, said the ideas gave her greater awareness of her daily choices. "The purpose workshop stood out to me because it's something we rarely address in health and wellness retreats," she said. "I learned that when you show up each day with meaning, whether through a life purpose, a goal, a responsibility, or someone to care for, you're naturally more inclined to take care of yourself and value your own well-being."

Ancient principles, modern approaches

For other resorts, longevity is less a new trend than an old idea newly marketed. At Ananda in the Himalayas, set on a 100-acre (40-hectare) palace estate overlooking India's Ganges Valley, Ayurvedic health programmes have been offered for decades. But chief operating officer Mahesh Natarajan says demand has changed markedly in the past four to five years.

"The conversation moved from short-term relief to sustained vitality, resilience and how [guests] wanted to live and age well," he said. "Several clients in their early 40s now complain of fatigue, tired joints and limbs and low immunity. They're now focusing on preventing premature ageing due to lifestyle and environmental impact."

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Ayurveda, a holistic system of medicine that originated in India more than 3,000 years ago, emphasises balance between body, mind, diet and environment. Ananda's Ayurvedic Rejuvenation programme incorporates rasayana (a classical practice aimed at sustaining vitality) along with clinical assessment, personalised nutrition and yoga. They recommend a 21-day stay for the Panchakarma programme, and 10-28 days for immunity and rejuvenation treatments.

While the evidence for longevity outcomes remains difficult to measure, Ananda's programme incorporates nature, routine and quiet into the experience, with research linking access to green space with improvements in mental health and lower blood pressure.

"Nature, silence, and a sense of rhythm help recalibrate the body and mind in ways that are difficult to achieve within daily life," said Natarajan. "This disconnection from constant external demand allows guests to begin thinking differently about how they live, age and care for their health."

Futuristic approaches

Other modern wellness resorts are exploring emerging technology. In March, the Koenigshof Hotel in Central Munich opened its MitoSphere Longevity Spa, designed for busy guests who want modern wellness treatments on the go. Typical appointments pair advanced diagnostics with high-tech treatments like vitamin IV drips and red light therapy. MitoSphere's core circuit, called the "Longevity-Circle", takes guests through a tailored sequence involving breathing protocol that alternates low- and high-oxygen air, red light therapy, cryotherapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

But evidence behind many of these modern treatments remains thin, particularly when it comes to lasting effects. For Priy, the Canyon Ranch retreat provided a behavioural reset. "The biggest takeaway for me was around sleep and recovery. I became more consistent with my routine and more aware of how daily habits affect energy and focus," he said. "I'll be honest, it's harder to stay consistent without the structure of the retreat. It wasn't a dramatic transformation. But it did shift how I think about maintaining my health long term."

Whether the approach is ancient or clinical, that may be the true test of a longevity retreat: not whether it can extend a guest's life, but whether the habits last once they return home.

"The key to lasting benefit is to turn what we are taught in quality spas and retreats into a lifestyle," said Wagle.

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What to know about visiting Rio's favelas

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20260515-what-to-know-about-visiting-rios-favelas, 13 days ago

Once notorious no-go areas, Rio's sprawling favelas are now drawing more tourists than some of its most famous monuments. But is visiting safe and ethical?

It's 05:47 on a Wednesday morning in May, and orange rays are stretching into the sky like fingertips, ushering in a new day in Rio de Janeiro. I watch as the sun slowly rises above the Atlantic Ocean from atop the city's iconic Two Brothers mountain. "We're in the VIP," says my guide, Ana Lima, as we sit on a small patch of grass.

But this VIP is far from exclusive. Nearby, hundreds of tourists from England, France, the US, Germany, Argentina and elsewhere in Brazil are crowded together to catch the same spectacle, with one new arrival shouting: "Man, there are more people here than in the club!"

To get here, I awoke at 03:30 to join the hundreds of other visitors already thronging Vidigal – one of Rio's best-known low-income favela neighbourhoods – all waiting to hop aboard motorcycle taxis to the top of the mountain. I rode mine helmet-less up a winding street lined with houses seemingly stacked on top of each other before hiking roughly an hour up a trail through the thick Atlantic Forest.

In recent years, this hike – and Rio's favelas in general – have become some of the city's hottest and least-expected tourism attractions. For decades, these densely packed communities were long avoided by outsiders because of their dangerous reputations. A police push to "pacify" Rio's favelas began ahead of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, and by 2024, official data showed that more international travellers visited Vidigal and Rocinha (the country's largest favela) than Rio's famous Christ the Redeemer statue and the Selarón Steps.

In an age when many travellers are seeking immersive, meaningful cultural experiences, walking up and down favela staircases to see where locals hang out, play with their kids and view the city from the hilltops can reveal a side of Rio that you can't get by sticking to its main beaches and monuments – and it's not just ordinary sightseers seeking these experiences out.

In the last few months alone, Spanish superstar Rosália and English footballer Jesse Lingard have been spotted exploring Rio's favelas, and people are now queuing for hours to make their way onto a Rocinha rooftop to experience one of the city's most viral trends: a drone zooming out to record you amidst the favela's undulating landscape.

"I wanted to visit because I enjoy getting to know realities beyond the surface," said Isabel Fernandes, a Portuguese visitor who recently explored Vidigal on Lima's tour and lear. "Not out of 'tourist' curiosity, but because I believe that each place has its own stories, people, strength, difficulties and beauty."

But following a recent shootout in Vidigal, some travellers are now reconsidering whether they should visit these neighbourhoods at all.

Is favela tourism safe?

Angel Njoku from Edmonton, Canada, had been excited to embark on the sunrise hike to the Two Brothers Mountain with her friends during her weeklong trip to Rio. But the week before her visit in April, about 200 hikers were stuck on the mountaintop when gunfire broke out in Vidigal during a police operation against alleged members of the Comando Vermelho cartel. "People in my group didn't want to come because they were worried about the risk with the favelas and the danger and the crime," Njoku said.

Daria Kurpiewska of Poland did the hike in March and said she was surprised when she heard about the shootout, especially because she was told Vidigal was one of Rio's safest favelas. "It could have been my friend group," she said. "[Visiting a favala] can go really smoothly, and you can be safe and have fun, but [as the shooting showed], you're just millimetres from something bad happening."

As Kurpiewska came down the mountain in the dark, she passed a playground with children playing next to a group of men carrying guns. "That was a bit unsettling for me," she said.

According to Mariana Cavalcanti, an urban studies professor at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, fear of favela violence is nothing new and an ongoing reality for residents. "These shootouts in the favelas have been going on every day for almost as long as I have lived," she said.

However, Cavalcanti says there are far fewer bullets flying around the South Zone favelas than there used to be, especially in favelas like Rocinha and Vidigal, thanks in part to the presence of tourists. In fact, Cavalcanti says that while the violence in favelas may pose dangers for local residents, ironically, favelas might actually be safer areas for tourists than popular places like Copacabana, where she lives, since cartels prohibit crime against tourists.

"You won't get mugged and you won't get raped and nothing bad like that's ever gonna happen to you," Cavalcanti said.

During her tour through Vidigal, Fernandes learned about the neighbourhood's various social programmes and toured a community vegetable garden. "I felt safe and welcomed, contrasting with the various stigmas that are unfortunately still transmitted about what a favela is," she said.

Is visiting favelas ethical?

As the sun blazed over Two Brothers Mountain, Lima led us down into Vidigal for a pão com ovo (French bread and an egg) breakfast and a walk through the favela's maze of graffiti-painted alleyways and staircases. This immersive walk through the favela was an optional add-on following the sunrise hike, and Njoku decided to skip this part of her tour when she visited. "Going to the favelas to take pictures and gawk at the people that live there, I think that is a little problematic," she said.

Kurpiewska was just as worried during her first visit to Vidigal for an electronic party called Rave in Rio. "There are so many people living here – is it okay for them that we come?" she asked. "Are we annoying them?"

Questions about whether or not travellers should visit favelas have been percolating for years. During the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, heavy police presence in the favelas made favelas safe enough to explore, but many did so in safari-style 4x4s that were accused of being "poverty tours".

"When all this started, there really wasn't that much of a choice of a way in. Now there are so many options that go into the favelas," said Cavalcanti, referring to the guided walking tours, drone photo experiences, viewpoints travellers pay to enter, and capoeira and music events. "You don't have to be, you know, the white gringo [in] the Jeep."

Cavalcanti used to have concerns about favela tours, but changed her perspective during fieldwork in Rio's Cantagalo favela when she realised that locals didn't seem bothered by the gawking visitors. Rather, many of them want tourists, since their money has become an important source of income for motorcycle taxi drivers, tour guides, souvenir sellers and popular favela restaurants like Bar do David."I really believe that favela residents are able interlocutors, they know what they're doing," Cavalcanti said.

The appeal of favelas

For Hugo Oliveira, researcher, guide and director of an education centre in Morro da Providência, visiting a favela isn't just ethical, it's critical to understanding the country and city's history. "If you want to talk about Brazil without knowing the favela, you can't," he said.

Oliveira's neighbourhood, Morro da Providência, located downtown in Rio's "Little Africa" district, was established in 1888 as Brazil's first favela – where formerly enslaved and impoverished people could settle without owning land. In the following decades, favelas suffered from a lack of municipal services like electricity or sewage, and by the 1960s and 70s, dozens of favelas were destroyed, and hundreds of thousands of residents were displaced.

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Oliveira says the rise of favela tourism proves that these communities have a place in the city like any other neighbourhood. "To not promote a tourist activity is to acknowledge that we are not connected to the city," he said.

A visit to a favela can also demonstrate the many ways in which favela residents have influenced Brazilian culture.

From samba to baile funk music and capoeira, favelas have both birthed and served as incubators of some of Brazil's most recognisable cultural exports. And visiting the places where many of these art forms originated helps travellers better understand them, or – in the case of Rosália, who experienced an improvised passinho dance lesson during her favela visit – learn them themselves.

"Life in the favelas and the outskirts of cities today shapes the codes of aesthetics, language and fashion," said Oliveira. "If you want to be a cool person, the way cool people are in Brazil, [you should visit a favela]."

How to visit a favela

"The big question is not… whether or not one should go up to the favela, but how does one go into the favela," says Cavalcanti.

The professor says to look for guides or community associations from the favela you're visiting, and to treat it like it's your own neighbourhood back home. "If people were taking pictures right outside your door, I bet you wouldn't really like it, so why would you do that?"

It's also a good idea to stick to the favelas that openly welcome tourists – like Vidigal, Rocinha, Morro da Providência and Chapéu Mangueira – but that doesn't mean you need to do a walking history tour. Oliveira encourages visitors to ride up on Morro da Providéncia's free cable car, to come for a pagode concert or for a Carnaval bloco parade that marches through the favela.

Kurpiewska says that she plans to come back to Rio, and if she were to visit a favela again she'd do so by going with someone who lives there. "I think that's the best way, because it's not performative and it's the closest to the real experience that you get," she said.

For Kurpiewska, visiting the favela was a great way to understand the city's culture better than sticking to its traditional tourist sites, even if some moments caused her heart to race. "Isn't that what travel is really all about – going out and experiencing things?" she asks. "If it wasn't valuable to have this real experience, then I might as well just sit at home and never go to Rio."

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The unwritten rules of sacred Korean food pairings

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20260513-the-unwritten-pairings-of-korean-food, 14 days ago

There's an art to enjoying the sweet, spicy, savoury and fermented flavours of Korean cuisine. Here's a cheat sheet to the iconic ingredient pairings that Koreans always obey.

Korean cuisine is famous for its unique flavour profiles, mixing earthy layers of spicy, sweet, fermented and savoury. Its most popular export, Korean barbecue, is a perfect example of how these essences work together. While many diners around the world know that it involves making a ssam (spicy meat, picked vegetables and rice bundled inside a cool, crispy lettuce leaf) this familiar pairing is just one of countless unspoken rules when it comes to eating Korean food.

When you're in South Korea, exploring its street food stands, noodle shops and food markets, you'll likely notice that there's an art to the way Koreans pair their sweet, spicy, savoury and fermented flavours at each meal. Though seemingly subtle, these time-tested combinations are often considered sacred and impossible to break.

Here's a cheat sheet for how to best enjoy some of Korea's most iconic dishes. Ask for them and impress your new Korean friends.

Tteokbokki and soondae

Bunshik – street foods – are a popular, low-cost way to treat yourself in South Korea. You'll find pocha (bunshik stands) near schools, in covered markets or casual restaurants.

Chewy tteokbokki, cylindrical rice cakes simmered in spicy-sweet gochujang sauce, are a street food staple. While they're enjoyed for their delightful texture and fiery flavour, there are a few bunshik foods that are unexpectedly elevated by a dip in tteokbokki sauce.

Savoury and crunchy foods like gimbap (rice, meat and vegetables rolled in seaweed) or fried dumplings pair perfectly with spicy, chewy tteokbokki. But soondae – blood sausage stuffed with satisfying ingredients like meat and glass noodles – is perhaps the best tteokbokki pairing. This delicacy is often served alongside steamed liver and lung, which are also delicious when dipped into tteokbokki sauce, bringing another level of textures into the savoury-sweet collaboration. The flavours are so compatible that nothing will be left behind on the plate.

Chimaek (fried chicken and beer)

A combo so beloved, it inspired its own name: "chi" stands for chicken, while "maek" is the first half of maekjoo, the Korean word for beer.

The pairing had been around for years, but exploded in popularity during the 2002 South Korea-Japan Fifa World Cup, and "to chimaek" became a favourite pastime. Drink anything else with your fried chicken and you might raise eyebrows.

In South Korea, fried chicken is always eaten with a side of tangy mu (pickled radish) since the batter can get oily. The beer resets you for more chicken (and beer).

Plain fried chicken is traditional, but banban (half plain and half sauce-covered) is another popular choice. Try a topping, like snow cheese – powdery cheese, offered by major South Korean fried chicken chain Pelicana – or chilli mayo at Puradak.

The classic maekjoo to pair with your Korean fried chicken are Terra or Cass, known for their light taste and often served on draught. In keeping with its sports roots, chimaek is served at baseball games. Fried chicken shops are ubiquitous in South Korea, and pubs serve it too. The combo is a default option on some delivery apps.

Jeon and makgeolli (and rainy weather)

Should you get rained out during your visit to South Korea, take cover in a pub and ask for this comforting combo.

Nothing says cold weather cosiness like the combo of jeon – a savoury pancake – and makgeolli, creamy, fermented rice wine. Koreans crave jeon on rainy days because the noise it makes when it's frying in oil sounds like the rain.

There are several kinds of jeon, including variations made with green onion, kimchi, seafood and potato. Any jeon is dipped in soy sauce before it's enjoyed with makgeolli. Makgeolli's gentle fizz helps cut through the oil.

Once consumed by field workers, makgeolli is still served the traditional way – poured from a kettle into a bowl. The combination is generally served in home-style restaurants; some pubs offering it will pair jeon with unique flavours of makgeolli.

Galbi and naengmyeon (and summertime)

And if you're visiting during South Korea's hot, steamy summer season, do as the Koreans and pair galbi (marinated short ribs) with naengmyeon (cold noodles). Some restaurants specialise in naengmyeon, but the combo is also served at barbecue houses.

Mul naengmyeon is served in cold, sometimes even icy broth, which helps refresh both body and soul (some trendy restaurants even serve the noodles in a bowl made of ice). Naengmyeon can also cool you from the heat given off by grills. While some Koreans enjoy eating naengmyeon with Korean barbecue, others will eat it at the end as a palate cleanser.

Those who crave spice even in sweltering temperatures opt for bibim naengmyeon (cold noodles mixed in gochujang sauce), paired with short rib or pork galbi.

To level up, try the hwe naengmyeon (bibim naengmyeon with raw pollack or skate on top). Trust me: the crunchiness makes it.

Instant ramyun and gimbap

You may have seen this pairing in Korean dramas, when people eat it outside convenience stores by Hangang Park, a picnic area by the Han River in Seoul. It's also portrayed in KPop Demon Hunters, when the Huntrix members excitingly eat it before their opening performance.

It's no accident – in South Korea, instant ramyun (ramen) and gimbap are a pairing as common as salt and pepper. Both components of this classic combo are cheap, portable and filling, but the genius goes deeper: the spiciness of the ramyun complements the refreshing bite of the gimbap. Together, they equal comfort.

Today, there are keto options of gimbap where the rice is replaced by egg. Carbs or no, the combo is a convenience store staple, especially for students and office workers short on time or budget. Easy to grab and eat on the go, it's often paired with instant ramyun right in-store.

Korean Chinese noodles and tangsuyuk

While visiting, be sure to give joongshik (Korean Chinese food) a try.

Joongshik originated in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries in Incheon, a port city with a large Chinese population, before spreading throughout the country. For South Koreans, joongshik is comfort food.

At a Korean Chinese restaurant, you'll find a wealth of noodle dishes like jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles in sweet bean sauce) and jjamppong (spicy noodle soup with vegetables, meat and seafood). But know this: any noodle dish must be paired with tangsuyuk.

Tangsuyuk is pork or beef, fried in glutinous rice flour, served with sweet and sour sauce. In Korean dining culture, dishes are shared, so tangsuyuk is usually ordered for the table. This combo is so beloved that some Korean Chinese restaurants serve lunch sets with half portions of noodles and tangsuyuk.

Then you can join the eternal Korean debate: pour the sauce onto the tangsuyuk or dip tangsuyuk into the sauce?

Seolleongtang and kkakdugi

Should you find yourself on the wrong end of a hangover in South Korea, look no further than the combo of seolleongtang and kkakdugi. Seolleongtang, creamy ox bone soup packed with hearty brisket and somyeon (white noodles), is intentionally bland, so you can add salt, diced green onions and as much black pepper as you need to revive. But it's the kkadugi (diced radish kimchi) that gives this dish its real power.

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Some restaurants specialise in seolleongtang, often found near colleges and open late. Traditional Korean restaurants also serve it, where you can enjoy it with various banchan.

Eaten alongside seolleongtang, kkakdugi's sweet, acidic nature balances out the creaminess of the broth. Insider trick: add some of the kkakdugi broth into the soup itself.

Korean barbecue and soup

Korean barbecue is an endless feast for the eyes and the palate. Sizzling meat is surrounded by plates piled with lettuce and perilla leaves, plus bowls of rice, green onion salad, banchan (side dishes), steamed eggs… and piping bowls of soup?

Yes; South Koreans don't consider any meal complete without it, so Korean barbecue will usually come with a complimentary doenjang jjigae (bean paste soup) or kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew). Don't ignore this integral part of your K-barbecue feast; or any meal you have in Korea.

Drink the soup when it comes out steaming hot. You can also mix the rice in at the end to finish your meal, and get an approving nod from your fellow diners.

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Chile's Atacama Desert is one of the darkest places on Earth. But now the light is intruding

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260528-the-battle-for-darkness-in-chiles-atacama-desert, yesterday

This remote desert in South America is one of the best places in the world for astronomy, but the slow encroachment of artificial light threatens that. It is a sign of just how inescapable light pollution now is.

It's 2:00 in Chile's Atacama Desert, and I wake up in the dark. Inside my room, it's the kind of black where you don’t know if your eyes are open or shut. I reach for my phone, hoping for some light to orient myself. But then I remember where I am.

Instead, I edge towards my room's back door, which leads directly out onto the desert floor. My feet step from smooth tiles to the crunch of dry rock and sand. Outside the landscape is silent, but the stars above are incandescent – the sky is nothing short of complete.

Here, in this wilderness, keeping the lights off has spectacular rewards.

"There are very few places on Earth with these conditions," says Itziar de Gregorio-Monsalvo, a senior astrophysicist with the European Southern Observatory in Chile. Astronomers like her flock to this remote part of the Atacama Desert precisely for the view I'm enjoying.

But every year, artificial light from nearby cities, industrial complexes and mining operations are clouding the sky. Researchers are fighting to preserve the view, but unless something changes, one of the last places on Earth untainted by human light pollution may soon become too bright for new discoveries.

What's at stake is our understanding of the Universe itself.

When I look skywards where I live in London, the artificial glow of millions of lightbulbs hangs over the city, obscuring all but the brightest stars. But in the Atacama Desert, the night sky is more dense and vivid than I have ever seen.

I'm visiting Paranal, an astronomical base operated by the European Southern Observatory (Eso), which is home to some of the world's most advanced ground-based telescopes. With clear skies and minimal light, its position in the sparsely populated Atacama Desert provides the perfect setting for professional astronomy.

Looking up, I see the pale, white stripe of the Milky Way daubed on a canvas of dazzling points. Remarkably, I also spy two splodges of green that I assumed would be impossible to perceive with the naked eye: the Magellanic clouds – a pair of dwarf galaxies. They are so far away that some of their light has travelled across the cosmos for approximately 200,000 years.

While that light was still 200 years from reaching Earth, Lord Byron published his gloomy, apocalyptic poem Darkness, a nightmare vision of a world with no light at all. "The bright Sun was extinguished," he wrote, "and the stars did wander darkling in the eternal space". He feared a Universe of total darkness. Two centuries later, we've built the opposite problem.

Every year, artificial lighting from outside Paranal has been creeping ever-closer. Here, the dark is precious – and endangered.

The battle against encroaching artificial light in the Atacama is a microcosm of a global problem. As electric bulbs have proliferated, around 80% of Earth's population now lives under light-polluted skies. A recent study of star visibility found that, on average globally, the sky brightened due to light pollution by almost 10% a year between 2011-2022. If a person could see 250 stars at the start of the period, the researchers found, they would only spot 100 by the end.

Psychologists have suggested that disappearing stars could worsen mental wellbeing, by removing a long-term human connection to the natural world. And ecologists have shown that when artificial light tricks animals and plants into believing it is daytime, it can affect their behaviour and physiology, disrupting ecosystems. For these reasons, some researchers argue that excess light should now be classified as a "hard" pollutant alongside chemical pollution of air or water.

In short, a lighter world is not necessarily a brighter one.

The first warnings came from astronomers as far back as the 1970s when researchers in California in the US realised that San Francisco's lights would cloud their telescope observations. At the time, astronomers predicted that an increase in night-sky brightness of 10% above the natural level would severely impact ground-based astronomy.

By 2022, two-thirds of the world's major telescopes had surpassed this critical threshold.

"Astronomical observatories can be seen as the proverbial canary in a coal mine," the researchers behind this finding warned. "If we are not able even to keep the canary alive, then we can forget being able to solve the problem of light pollution as a global environmental issue."

Their study showed that one of those few astronomical sites still below the 10% limit was the Atacama Desert.

In the dark

Sited amidst the last refuge of darkness in a luminous world, Eso's Paranal observatory – operated by a consortium of European member states – hosts several world-class instruments for observing the cosmos. These include the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and its bigger brother the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), which will finish construction in 2027.

Some of the most important astronomical discoveries of the 21st Century have been made here, from the first direct image of an exoplanet to the star trajectories confirming the presence of a supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy, the Milky Way.

As soon as you arrive, you sense how precious the darkness is here. Blinds, shutters and awnings block all windows at night. The entire complex is designed to prevent light leakage. Scattered around the facilities, posters read "Dark is Beauty", encouraging people to close their shades or lower hand torches outside. After dusk, drivers are even instructed to use vehicles without main headlights.

Situated at an altitude of 2,600m (8,500ft), it takes up to two hours to reach Paranal from the nearest city of Antofagasta, 81 miles (130km) away. Apart from the roads, there are no visible signs of humanity in any direction; only the rolling desert and Pacific ocean.

The reason why this observatory and others in the Atacama have stayed dark is simple, says astronomer Eduardo Unda-Sanzana of the University of Antofagasta, who has been an important local Chilean voice in warning about light pollution. "It's not really the result of human protections. But basically the result of human absence: the distances in the Atacama desert are so large that they have been a lot more effective than any regulation. They have been the actual defences of these dark sites."

Recently though, the growing light of Antofagasta has begun to leak into the edges of astronomical observations. Satellites, too, have become more abundant: when I visited, I watched a train of more than 20-30 pass above, one after the after – all visible with the naked eye. For the astronomers, satellites are manageable for now but if companies like SpaceX get their way, there could soon be thousands more photobombing observations, or even as many as a million if plans proceed to use satellites as orbital data centres for AI.

The biggest imminent threat for Paranal and other observatories, though, is industry: mining and energy facilities are moving ever-closer. "We have been monitoring the advance of light pollution for many years," says de Gregorio-Monsalvo, Eso's representative in Chile. "Around four or five years ago, we saw an increment in light pollution that was very high, with more and more industries in the area approaching Paranal."

Recently, these concerns crystallised into a single threat: an industrial megaproject known as the Inna complex, operated by the company AES Andes, which was proposed for construction only a few kilometres away from Paranal. A 2025 analysis by Eso warned that Inna threatened to increase light pollution above some of the telescopes by as much as 50%, as well as increase air turbulence and vibrations that would further degrade observations.

In early 2026, AES Andes announced they had decided not to proceed, citing other business priorities, rather than scientists' objections. "While the Inna project is fully compatible with other activities in the region, AES Andes has chosen to focus its efforts on the development and construction of its renewable energy and energy storage portfolio," the company told the BBC.

For the astronomers, though, it is not the end of the story. With no changes to how light pollution is regulated in Chile, they fear more may come. "The legal frameworks are exactly the same as we had one year ago… nothing is really decreed yet," says Unda-Sanzana. "If we lose the sense of urgency, it could be very real that a follow-up project could be submitted during 2026 and we are going to be facing exactly the same crisis."

Part of the problem, according to Unda-Sanzana and De Gregorio-Monsalvo, is that environmental impact decisions for these industrial facilities are being made based on the "do not pass 10% extra" light pollution threshold, which dates to the 1970s. "If they do not pollute [the skies] more than 10%, basically they pass and they can build the project," explains De Gregorio-Monsalvo.

But for a site like Paranal, anything more than a 1% increase is bad news. "In the 1970s, they were not aware of sites like Paranal. If you allow for 10%, you basically destroy the site," explains Unda-Sanzana.

In 2025, the International Astronomical Union updated their guidelines, significantly lowering the 10% threshold, by calling for an upper limit for each site based on its situation. Since Paranal is one of only six professional observatories left globally with a light contamination level less than 1%, the guidelines recommend extra effort to preserve this darkness.

However, even if industry did keep to the revised thresholds, that still may not be enough, say astronomers, because enforcement is currently toothless. And under the current rules, two industrial sites could both win approval separately, but together be bright enough to exceed the limit. "The collective effect of the lights could still ruin the sky," explains Unda-Sanzana.

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Astronomers are now lobbying for a secondary norm that would allow Chilean authorities to intervene if light levels in the region pass a certain threshold. "The secondary norm would allow the government to react and say, 'OK, we need to decontaminate this place'... to dim the lights or change the technology or do something so that the environment is restored," says Unda-Sanzana.

What's happening in the Atacama may seem like a local problem, but in the long-term it could affect all of humanity's understanding of the cosmos. While it's possible to launch telescopes into space to escape light, these instruments perform different roles. The James Webb Space Telescope, for instance, may have made headlines with its discoveries, but astronomers also need the massive mirrors in ground-based facilities that provide finer detail. The upcoming Extremely Large Telescope – with a mirror 39m (128ft) wide – is far too big to put on a rocket.

If we let the glow of human light reach ever-further across the sky, it won't just be science that loses out – astronomers warn that we risk separating ourselves from the galaxy and Universe we live within.

After I woke up to see the dazzling sky at 2:00 in the Atacama, I reflected on how little time I spend looking at the stars nowadays, and how the artificial glow in my home city is so ubiquitous and normalised I fail to notice what it obscures.

True darkness is increasingly hard to find. "It's a problem of scarcity," says Unda-Sanzana. "Fifty years ago, there were abundant dark skies in the world. What was once abundant is now becoming extremely scarce. These are endangered environments and we're about to lose them, if we do not protect them. We will not have a replacement if we lose this battle."

* This article was updated on 29 May to clarify that the light from the Magellanic clouds takes 200,000 years to reach Earth rather than 200 years as previously stated.

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The hidden dead zones spreading across the Baltic Sea floor

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260522-the-hidden-dead-zones-spreading-across-the-baltic-sea-floor, 5 days ago

Bornholm is a strategically located, remote island in the heavily polluted Baltic Sea. Now the windswept Danish island finds itself at the centre of an environmental and geopolitical crisis.

The tourist season on Bornholm is short. When I step off the bus the large harbour is empty except for a handful of yachts and a detachment of Danish soldiers. The fish-processing factory on the quay is silent and apparently abandoned, and over its shoulder peeks a new estate of holiday homes.

The harbourmaster's office is nonetheless still busy, one of its walls lined by old sepia photographs of the harbour in busier days. "I have worked here for nearly 27 years," Tom Nielsen, the harbourmaster, says. "We used to have 55 boats at one time, and now we have one left… You could walk across the harbour from one fishing boat to another. It was absolutely full. So many ships, so many people in the industry, in the factory, as mechanics, electricians. There were three people on land for every one person at sea.

"It was a shock when the fishing disappeared… and there are still no fish."

Commercial cod fishing around Bornholm has been banned since 2019 owing to the collapse of local cod stocks. In 2024, the 141-year-old fishermen's association in Bornholm closed down.

It may take more than 400 years for the maritime environment to recover from factors such as overfishing, oxygen depletion and rising sea temperatures. Some believe it may not happen at all. For under the Baltic Sea's waters, an invisible enemy is on the march.

Areas of the sea floor with little or no oxygen, known as "dead zones", appear to be creeping closer to Bornholm's beaches. This is due to human pollution from fertilisers and sewage creating huge algal blooms, which, when they die, sink to the sea floor and cover it. Their decomposition uses up the available oxygen, kills the living organisms that depend on it, and – as a result – creates dead zones.

As if this wasn't enough, the Baltic Sea is facing a new threat to its survival. Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine created a "ghost fleet" of ships to bypass Western sanctions and the price cap on its oil exports.

Today there are growing fears of an accidental massive oil spill from one of the allegedly poorly maintained merchant ships of Russia's ghost fleet that would further devastate the fragile Baltic Sea environments, a claim which Russian authorities deny.

Towering over the harbour at the far end of the quay in Tejn is the tall corrugated-iron factory that used to make ice for the island's fishing fleet. Now it is home to a local environmental education charity named Ivandet (Danish for "in the water").

"After the industry collapsed no one wanted to talk about what happened," says Marie Helene Miller Birk, a marine biologist and co-founder of Ivandet. "We found that the most important thing right now was to get people in the water and get them talking."

Ivandet replaced the machinery with a café, a mezzanine office space and a balcony with 180-degree views out over the Baltic Sea. The walls and pipes of the factory remain as a memorial to the fishing industry. The organisation created an artificial lagoon out into the sea.

"In the summertime, families come down and spend time with us," says Birk. "We have a marine biologist, usually me, with waders, fishing nets and water binoculars. The kids start getting curious, pull their parents in, and then the conversations begin.

"It's like the parents have needed someone to ask about all these things that they've heard in the media about the pollution," she adds.

Co-founder Magnus Heide Andreasen, a PhD student in marine ecology at the National Institute of Aquatic Resources in Copenhagen, and now co-founder of habitat restoration startup Redox, which is working on a new commercial technology which aims to reverse the oxygen depletion of the sea floor and restore its polluted sediments.

He's can't tell me much more, though. "It's still secret."

Looking out across the Baltic Sea from the balcony, it's hard for me to believe that the sea is so polluted.

"That's the biggest problem the sea faces," says Birk. "It looks so beautiful."

Under the sea's surface, it can be a very different story.

Killing blooms

"The Baltic Sea is a small, semi-enclosed sea with a unique set of characteristics," says Rüdiger Strempel, Executive Secretary, Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM) over a video call. "It's the biggest brackish water area in the world and has very limited water exchange with the neighbouring North Sea."

Helcom is an intergovernmental organisation founded to protect the environment of the Baltic Sea. It has 10 members, including Russia, and was set up in the 1970s.

"Water can remain resident for 30 years in the Baltic. It's also very shallow." The Baltic Sea's average depth is around 180ft (54m); the Mediterranean's average, in comparison, is 4,920ft (1,500m). "It has many species adapted specifically to these conditions," Strempel says.

At least seven major rivers drain into the Baltic Sea. Its catchment area is four times the surface area of the sea itself and home to almost 90 million people.

"It is one of the busiest sea areas in the world," Strempel says. "We have an average of 1,500 large vessels out there at any given moment, and around 55,000 vessels entering or leaving the Baltic Sea through the Danish Straits every year."

"You can imagine that the Baltic Sea is subjected to a lot of pressures that it's not very well equipped to deal with."

I am looking at one of them. On my screen is a picture of beautiful swirls of dancing and shimmering colour that look like the Northern Lights – but they aren't. They are blue-green algae blooms, and they are helping to kill large parts of the Baltic Sea.

"The Baltic is one of the most polluted sea areas in the world," says Annamari Arrakoski-Engardt, CEO of Finland's John Nurminen Foundation. "The main problem in the Baltic Sea is eutrophication."

Eutrophication is natural process. It also occurs when too many nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen from farming end up in the sea. These nutrients stimulate the growth of algae and lead to the creation of dense blooms which can block out sunlight. But this is only the start.

When the algae dies, it sinks to the sea floor and start to decompose. This uses up the dissolved oxygen in the water and leaves little or no oxygen for fish and other life forms, resulting in dead zones.

Eutrophication is occurring in the Baltic on a massive scale. "We have a situation in which 97% of the Baltic Sea is in some way affected by eutrophication," says Strempel. "The 'dead zones' vary seasonally from roughly the size of Denmark to larger than Ireland."

The cliffs and rocks of Bornholm's coast provide the perfect protection for life. "But the sea bottom can end up covered in a white layer which we call in Danish a 'corpse sheet'," Birk says. "It's covering a larger area each year and, in some parts, lasting all year.

"Normally it's out in the deep sea," she adds. "Now it's getting more and more coastal. This is a new thing."

The Baltic Sea faces many other serious problems as well. "We have a serious issue of hazardous substances in the Baltic Sea," says Strempel, "which we now realise, thanks to new data, is at least as pressing as the issue of eutrophication."

The pollutants in the Baltic Sea include chemicals, plastics, pharmaceuticals, shipping, World War Two munitions and chemical weapons. "In German waters alone, there are some 300,000 tons of conventional munitions. There are also some 40,000 tons of chemical munitions resting on the sea floor," says Strempel.

Then there is climate change, which is having a significant impact on the Baltic Sea, in terms of – for example – sea temperature rise, growing dead-zones and reduction in bio-diversity.

Saving a sea

Many grassroots organisations like Ivandet have sprung up across the region. In 2024, the Save the Baltic Sea hiking expedition went on a nine-month, 6,000km (3,700-mile) hike around the Baltic Sea to raise awareness of the sea's pollution and campaign for action by businesses and governments.

The John Nurminen Foundation is working with the agriculture community to reduce the amount of eutrophication causing nitrogen and phosphorus in the Baltic Sea.

"We are working with the farmers in Finland to use a gypsum treatment on the fields," says Arrakoski-Engardt. "This keeps the phosphorus in the soil for five years to help the plants to grow and cuts the phosphorus load by 50%. This is something we are now testing all over the Baltic Sea."

Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the foundation also placed enhanced phosphorus removal equipment in five cities in Belarus. "This also motivated Lithuania and Poland to do more because they no longer had the dirty water coming from Belarus," she says.

Helcom has also played an important part in fostering essential cooperation among Baltic Sea states with its action plan. The level of nutrient pollution in the sea has "significantly declined". Thanks to a programme of aerial surveillance, the number of detected oil spills fell from 763 in 1989 to only 32 in 2023.

"We established in the late '90s a system of pollution hotspots, and we are little by little able to delete more and more of those," says Strempel. "We just heard that Poland, for example, was able to eliminate the last of its hotspots.

"Sulphur and NOx emissions are also limited for ships crossing the Baltic Sea. So that is something we have also achieved."

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has banned the discharge of human waste from passenger ships and ferries into its waters.

While there is some good news, the Baltic Sea's physical size and the scale of the pollution, as well as the increasing effects of climate change, mean that a full restoration is likely to be impossible.

"I couldn't live without the hope that we can restore the Baltic Sea," says Magnus Heide Andreasen. "But it will not be the Baltic Sea we had 150 years ago."

The geopolitical crisis in the Baltic has made any potential recovery process more complicated. The widespread fears over the threat to the environment posed by the merchant ships of Russia's "shadow fleet" are, perhaps, the most public expressions of the crisis.

"It would be a disaster if any of the Russian shadow fleet of tankers hit rocks and caused a massive oil spill in the Baltic Sea," says Arrakoski-Engardt. "That's the biggest threat, and therefore our biggest problem."

Russia has in the past been accused by environmentalists of covering-up its "environmental assault on the Baltic", a claim which Russia denies, including the biggest ever phosphorus leak from the land into the Baltic Sea.

Strained relations

While Russia has remained a member of Helcom after the invasion of Ukraine, the other nine members (H9) decided "business as usual with Russia" was impossible. Instead, they agreed to a "strategic pause" that ended formal meetings with Russia.

Now, the H9 meet informally when decisions are needed. These are transmitted in writing to Russia through Helcom's secretariat, and Russia can then reply in writing.

"Contacts have become more difficult and are greatly diminished," says Strempel. "We are not getting any information from them, and there is no way we can monitor what they are doing."

More like this:

• The toxic legacy of the Ukraine war

• Sea snot: The noxious plague troubling Istanbul's coast

• The pollution causing harmful algal blooms

On his most recent trip to the Baltic, Oliver Moody was surprised by the fear of Russia he found. Moody is Berlin correspondent at The Times and author of Baltic: The Future of Europe.

"The governments of the Baltic have really been rattled by the geopolitics in ways that they don't let on in public," he says. "There is a lot of genuine fear about the prospect for a massive oil leak from the shadow fleet tankers." But he says he does not think the environmental issues "have yet fallen down the priority lists".

The prospect of military action in the sea could, however, pose significant challenges. "Even a limited kind of military conflict in the Baltic is likely to paralyse a lot of the ongoing conservation efforts and set things back noticeably." (The day after I arrive back in the UK, some airports in the region are closed due to drones that may have been launched from Russian ships.)

In response, the Russian embassy in London said: "Russia remains committed to its obligations under the Helsinki Convention and continues to participate in Helcom as a full member. The decision by the other nine members to suspend formal cooperation was a political choice, not a consequence of any alleged environmental violations by the Russian side.

"We believe that environmental issues in the Baltic Sea should not be politicised. Western allegations regarding the so-called 'shadow fleet' are largely based on hypothetical scenarios, while real and documented environmental damage caused by other incidents has received far less attention."

The problems the Baltic faces seem so great that it has been hard for Birk to keep her natural sense of optimism. "But I keep coming back to the most important thing," she says. "Keep going into the water and keep showing the life that is still out there to people.

"The Baltic Sea isn't dead. It has changed. It's not like it was before. We need to help Bornholm see the opportunities that the sea still can provide."

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Project to bring wildlife closer to city people

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2pj0ge99po, today

A programme bringing wildlife closer to people living in the city has received National Lottery funding.

Wildlife and Wellbeing, based in Salisbury, has secured £5,000 in funding to offer events in green spaces close to the city centre in 2026 and 2027 to improve people's wellbeing.

The events will include bat nights, fungi and birdsong events and a summer solstice celebration, in the hopes of highlighting Salisbury's rich natural environment.

Polly Whyte, the project lead, said: "There are lovely green spaces in Salisbury and river walks as well where people can go out and connect with nature, which is really good for our wellbeing."

Research from Natural England in 2025 showed while most people recognised the positive impact of nature on happiness, only about half felt strongly connected to it.

Whyte said: "A lot of people maybe aren't making the most of what nature can offer them.

"Go out with a bat detector and listen to the noises bat makes, or a summer solstice celebration to watch the sunset and notice what wildlife is around at twilight."

Whyte said the project will continue to look for funding to be able to offer the events beyond 2027.

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Heatwave brings traffic chaos and litter 'horror'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8r8nyyj2ejo, today

This week's heatwave has left "horrific" mounds of rubbish at some of Wales' most popular beaches, while traffic was brought to a standstill at beauty spots.

Photographer John Tudor captured footage of a cyclist weaving through the "chaos" of cars stuck in traffic at the beauty spot of Horseshoe Falls in Llangollen, Denbighshire, on Monday.

In neighbouring Gwynedd, two young boys were praised after taking it upon themselves to direct cars through the village of Llanbedr, which has been stricken with traffic problems for decades.

Jo Golley from Keep Wales Tidy said there were "horrific" scenes, including mounds of rubbish at Barry Island and Porthcawl beaches during the heatwave this week.

John said Horseshoe Falls, a Unesco World Heritage Site, was "total chaos" as there was no-one to manage the traffic.

"The same thing happens every year. It's half-term break so it's going to be busy but I've never seen it that busy before.

"The people of Llangollen think its going to be manic so businesses in the town - such as cafes - put on extra staff, but there is no-one manning the traffic there.

"Llangollen relies on tourism so if people see how manic it is with the traffic then they won't want to come back."

Denbighshire council acknowledged parking issues in the area and said rangers were at the site on the Monday to provide advice and reported an extremely high surge of visitors.

It said it would work with partners to address the increase in visitors as the summer break approaches and urged people to park responsibly in designated areas, warning them they risked a fine if they did not.

In Llanbedr, Theo, 13, and Idris, 12, told Newyddion S4C they were doing their best to help when they tried to help visitors forge a path through bumper-to-bumper traffic.

"I was on the other side stopping the traffic", said Idris.

"We could then pull them through and then [Theo] pulled them through too and basically we just tried to lower the waiting time down."

Theo said he didn't think people would listen to them due to their age, but drivers began following their instructions.

The local council said it understood the challenges in Llanbedr and had secured £400,000 to continue development work in 2026-27.

In south Wales, photos posted online showed drinks cans, footballs, buckets and spades and even a lilo and flippers abandoned at Barry Island beach.

James Webber, recycling and infrastructure manager at Vale of Glamorgan council, said the heatwave and bank holiday meant it was a "gold weekend" for Barry Island.

Webber said his team, who head to the beach early with a tractor to comb through the sand, planned for these events.

This was done to "turn the sand over" and uncover anything hidden or that had been brought in by the tide.

He said it could be "demoralising" for the team when they were faced with mounds of rubbish but that most people did take their litter home with them.

Paul Jackson, from Rhymney, Caerphilly county, who was visiting the beach, collects sea glass and often finds himself picking up litter at the same time.

"I just think people are either ignorant or just lazy," he said.

"It's not difficult. You see people throwing things out of cars - it then goes down the road. There's no need - take it home with you."

Sallianne Lloyd from Abertysswg, added: "Think of the hazard with little children. There's just absolutely no need for it. There are bins and people should be more respectful."

Litter picking team Porthcawl Wombles collected around 18 bags of rubbish on one morning in the town last week - even picking up items such as nappies and sanitary pads.

Speaking on BBC Radio Wales Drive, Golley from Keep Wales Tidy said she was shocked at the "horrific" scenes across Wales.

"When there's so many people around, once one irresponsible person drops a piece of litter, then the person next to them feels it's slightly more socially acceptable to do the same thing.

"The reality is, our infrastructure isn't set up for having thousands of people on the beach every single day."

In Swansea, councillor Will Thomas said the "nice weather brings its challenges", with visitors leaving litter on its beaches as well as parking cars on double yellow lines, with 300 fines issued in Mumbles alone this week.

"It's the disregard that people have for the area," he told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.

Thomas said that litter "seems to be a problem for all councils so there has to be some kind of national strategy".

"I, personally, don't understand it.

"I've always been brought up to take it home with me and I'm surprised that a lot of people haven't", said the Mumbles councillor and chairman of Mumbles community council.

Additional reporting by Liam Evans

When rockets go wrong – protecting the environment from catastrophe

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240627-the-environmental-cost-of-rocket-launches, yesterday

Space launches are increasing and the rockets are getting bigger. But there can be some major environmental costs when things don't go to plan.

When SpaceX's Starship slowly hauled itself off the launchpad and into the Texas skies on 20 April 2023, few people expected the maiden flight of the world's most powerful rocket to last as long as it did.

Applause broke out among the crowds lining nearby roads as Starship cleared the tower and its 33 engines blasted it into a cloudless sky. Then – three minutes and 57 seconds into its planned 90-minute flight – the spacecraft exploded, plunging back into the sea in a rain of debris. Engineers at SpaceX described the explosion as "a rapid unscheduled disassembly"; SpaceX owner Elon Musk said it was "exciting". The mission was declared a success.

It was certainly exciting and, from an engineering perspective, most definitely a success. Starship pushes the boundaries of rocket technology and, after its latest June 2024 flight, the spacecraft is considered by some to be well on its way to becoming a viable means of sending satellites, and one day people, into orbit and beyond to the Moon. But once the live coverage of the first flight had ended, engineers made a shocking discovery: the launch had not only destroyed the launcher but also the launchpad itself.

It also flung material far across the surrounding area. With the recent catastrophic explosion of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket during a routine test of its engines on 28 May 2026, new questions are being asked about the environmental impact of space rocket launches when they go horribly wrong.

SpaceX's launch site at Boca Chica is on the southern border of the United States, overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. The company launches to the east to gain the benefit of the Earth's rotation, with the added advantage that any rocket debris falls into the ocean (though what effect these rocket crashes have on the marine environment are largely unknown). The area is surrounded by state parks and national wildlife refuge lands – an important area for protected plants and migratory birds.

When the engines on the launcher ignited in April 2023, the pad was enveloped in a cloud of dust and smoke. This concealed an explosive plume of debris – the rocket burned a crater in the structure and sent sand, soil, chunks of metal and concrete flying through the air to land up to 10km (6.2 miles) away.

Fortunately, no-one was injured but remote cameras captured some of the damage, local public radio reported "ash" falling on nearby communities and, later, that the surrounding conservation areas were strewn with wreckage. The fallout was officially documented by the government's US Fish and Wildlife Service and Starship was grounded.

Before the launch, SpaceX had agreed to adhere to tight environmental conditions and had tested the launch pad with the rocket bolted down and the engines fired, but not at full thrust. In a post on X after the launch, Musk admitted that a "massive water-cooled steel plate" intended to go under the rocket at lift-off was not ready in time.

The company has since rebuilt the launchpad to an improved design. But the explosion highlighted what appears to be a growing concern among environmental groups. With the number of objects launched into space growing every year – now reaching into the thousands – and with new launchers being developed, many environmental organisations are concerned about the unintended impact of rocket technology. Particularly when things go wrong.

"It's hard to watch these huge explosions," says Sarah Gaines Barmeyer, deputy vice president of conservation programmes at the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) in the US. "The amount of environmental destruction they cause with the debris, and the potential for fires, air and water pollution – we would like to see more security and testing before we're launching spaceships near protected areas."

In the aftermath of the explosion at Boca Chica, several conservation groups filed a legal claim against government regulators for allowing the launch. The NPCA, meanwhile, is warning of the wider risk to seashore areas. It is currently campaigning against the development of a commercial launch site on the coast in the state of Georgia near a protected wilderness. The group is also among those concerned about expansion plans at Cape Canaveral in Florida.

Although the exact extent of the pollution thrown out at Cape Canaveral by Blue Origin's rocket explosion in May 2026 has still to be examined, initial reports indicated it had destroyed its launchpad and damaged several nearby buildings. Potentially hazardous debris from the rocket is thought to have been thrown into the ocean and is expected to wash ashore in the coming days, according to the company.

Famous as the base for Nasa launches, the US Department of the Air Force is currently assessing the environmental impact of building a new launchpad at Cape Canaveral for Starship, and has recently held a series of public meetings in the area to gauge local opinion. One of the proposed sites for the rocket would involve redeveloping an existing launchpad but the other – a potentially more controversial plan – would mean building an entirely new one nearer to the perimeter.

"These places are used to the impacts from the space industry," says Barmeyer. "But what we're seeing right now with new proposals is that they're starting to get closer and closer to protected areas, and that's what we have concerns about."

The cape is surrounded by internationally important plants and wildlife, including the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge – one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world.

"[The cape] has approximately 1,133 species of plants, 141 species of fish, 74 amphibians and reptiles, 318 birds and 29 different mammals within its boundaries," says Don Dankert, who heads the environmental management team at Nasa's Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral. "Twenty-one of these species are federally protected, such as manatees, sea turtles and American bald eagles."

Nasa has been monitoring the impacts of launches from the area for more than 40 years, beginning with the early flights of the Space Shuttle. In a statement, Nasa told the BBC that after 135 launches over a 30-year period, the primary impacts were "the accumulation of aluminium particulates, damage to vegetation and temporarily reduced pH in adjacent waters".

Nasa attributes these effects to the propellant burned in the Shuttle's solid rocket boosters, and says similar results were recorded after the November 2022 launch of Artemis (which uses the same solid rocket technology). The agency says it also monitors water, air quality and that the "acute impacts of space shuttle launches to wildlife populations were minimal".

"All vehicles used in Nasa launches are tested extensively before they're allowed to depart," says Dankert. "Part of that process is ensuring that environmental impacts from these launches are minimal and will not cause long-term damage to the ecosystem."

The same cannot be said for the Russian equivalent – the world's first spaceport at Baikonur in Kazakhstan. A cautionary tale of unregulated space ambition, vast areas of the flat steppe have been poisoned by carcinogenic fuel that spilled out of discarded rockets (you can read more about it here).

It could, in fact, be argued that locating the Cape Canaveral launch complex where it is has actually helped to preserve the environment. Much of the nearby Florida coast has been overdeveloped with hotels, restaurants and apartments – the epitome of "paving paradise to put up a parking lot", as Joni Mitchell once sang – but because of security concerns and the risk of explosions, no-one can build too close to the launch site.

Meanwhile, at Kourou in French Guiana, the European Space Agency (Esa) is preparing for the maiden launch of its own giant rocket, Ariane-6 (I wrote about the project here when I visited in 2018). The 650 sq km (251 sq mile) European spaceport is located just north of the equator, and is bordered by mangrove swamps and surrounded by tropical rainforest, home to a rich biodiversity of plants and animals including jaguars – the world's third-largest species of cat and considered a "near threatened" species.

"It's very well preserved," says Luce Fabreguettes, head of infrastructure for Esa's space transport directorate. "[Within the spaceport perimeter] there is no farming, so no chemicals or pesticides, and hunting within the area is banned."

The spaceport is constantly monitored for air, soil and water quality with measures in place around buildings and infrastructure to protect wildlife. A recent solar farm, for instance, has been built with a fence that has holes for frogs to pass through. But, just as with Cape Canaveral, when it comes to the impact of launches, they have also recorded heightened levels of aluminium and acidity from the exhaust of solid rockets.

"There is very little impact, it's very transitory and only extends to around 500m (1,650ft) around the launch site," says Fabreguettes.

The final assembly of the first Ariane 6 is taking place at the launchpad in preparation for a July launch. As Musk will doubtless testify, when it comes to maiden flights, failure is always an option. And veterans of the Esa launch programme will certainly be nervous.

The first Ariane 5 rocket launched in June 1996 lasted just 39 seconds before exploding, the result of a software bug. While expectations remain high for the flight of its successor, mission planners have already worked through worst-cast scenarios. As well as only launching with a wind direction to carry debris out to sea, if the rocket disintegrates, it is designed to come apart in small pieces to minimise damage when they hit the ground.

More like this:

• The pollution caused by rocket launches

• The giant rocket launcher in the jungle

• Just how loud is a rocket launch?

From the first images of our fragile blue green planet from space, to today's satellites that monitor our weather and changing climate, space has transformed our view of the Earth's environment. But unchecked development of spaceports or a rush to develop new launch systems without considering the impact of failure risk undermining that effort.

Barmeyer is, nevertheless, optimistic: "We do really believe that we can find a balance here and that the industry and conservation can exist side-by-side."

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Farmers warn food security can't be taken for granted

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy024zvrdl1o, 2 days ago

Farmers at the annual Royal Bath and West Show have been sharing their concerns about the industry and its future.

The current price of milk, the rural housing crises and mental health have all been mentioned by farmers in what is being described as a "strange year".

But the themes causing farmers the most concern are the potentially seismic cost increases to fuel and energy linked to the war in the Middle East and climate change.

Richard Clothier, managing director of Wyke Farms in Somerset, said: "With climate change and the other geopolitical challenges around the world, food security can't be taken for granted any more."

"There's a lot of parallels between energy security and food security and we've seen quite blatantly how when things go wrong with energy how devastating it can be," he added.

About 30% of the world's fertiliser chemicals and 20% of the oil normally passes through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been closed by Iran since early March.

This has led to worldwide price increases that British farmers are now beginning to feel the effects of.

"Food security means different things to different people," said Jeremy Moody, secretarial adviser to the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers.

"We look at the amount of food we could produce in this country, for consumption in this country, and that has been falling from well over 70% to now below 60%.

"We're now in a much more unstable set of international conditions and that raises pre-wartime type questions about what we could actually produce."

Managing uncertainty

This year's Royal Bath and West show is coming straight after the hottest late May Bank Holiday on record and the issues arising from climate change are also causing farmers significant concern.

Last summer also saw long periods of consistently high temperatures that led to droughts in multiple parts of the country.

"Its been a strange year because we've had two dry months again this spring after a wet winter," said David Cotton, chairman of the Dairy Show and trustee for the Bath and West Society.

"A lot of farmers are feeling it's a repeat this year and everything is so early - we're making hay in May and you shouldn't make hay in May, it's not right.

"You never know whats coming and that's one of the things with farming is you don't know what's coming and you've got to be prepared for it.

"You start thinking what crops you should grow instead, and should I change my cropping management? Should I do more spring crops? Should I actually think about doing these environmental schemes and not do a crop at all but grow flowers and get the soil back in good heart because you can't risk growing a crop that might not germinate?"

Mental health

Maureen Trott is a farmer and chief livestock steward at the Bath and West Society and works on the helpline for the charity, Farming Community Network, which works to support farmers and their families.

"The topic at the moment is the milk price, but you've also got succession and people wanting to hand their farms on," she said.

Trott says that financial concerns form the biggest single reason why people call the FCN helpline but they are also receiving an increasing number of people calling about their mental health.

"Farmers with mental health like to talk to the FCN because we are farmers, so we understand the problems and most of us have probably been through them.

"They don't think the doctors understand and they don't think that they will understand if they go for counselling - but the farming charities do."

The Royal Bath and West Show runs until 30 May and is expected to welcome tens of thousands of people across the weekend.

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Portugal breaks hottest May day record as Europe swelters in heatwave

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3v2yv5207xo, 2 days ago

Portugal has recorded a new highest temperature for May of 40.3C as countries in Western Europe grapple with sweltering-hot weather.

The temperature recorded in the central town of Mora on Wednesday beats Portugal's previous record of 40C set in May 2001.

Ministers in France met to assess the country's preparedness for heatwaves, while tennis number one Jannik Sinner bowed out of the French Open after suffering from the heat. Meanwhile, Italian authorities issued a red heatwave alert for the capital, Rome, where it topped out at 32C on Thursday.

The heatwave is forecast to continue into the weekend, with Germany, Spain and Switzerland having also faced unusually hot conditions.

Parts of Portugal will peak above 35C on Friday before the heat begins to recede, according to the nation's meteorological office.

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu chaired a ministerial meeting on Thursday afternoon to develop a readiness plan for extreme heat events, including combating forest fires and ensuring adequate water supplies over the summer.

Baccalaureate exams - the French equivalent of A-levels - will continue during the heatwaves, despite some schools having to shut their doors due to inhospitable temperatures inside.

A primary school in Souston, in the Landes region, will remain shut on Friday after it reached 53C inside earlier in the week, a local official told French media.

Education Minister Édouard Geffray told BFMTV that exam centres would be able to choose rooms with the most shade, adding that exams would go ahead "simply because the students are prepared and... there is also a schedule according to which they expect their results".

The decision has attracted criticism from education unions and teachers, with one telling French radio of teachers "forced to bring in their own fans".

A survey by France's secondary school union found nearly 78% had recorded temperatures above 30C this week, and said it had received reports of teachers bringing in screwdrivers to prise windows open.

Seventeen departments of France - in the north-west, as well as Paris - are under an orange alert, indicating people should be "very vigilant" about the weather.

Temperatures reached 33C in Paris on Thursday, and are expected to top out at 34C on Saturday and Sunday.

Police have announced measures to ease traffic in the capital until Saturday, including only allowing lower-emission cars on roads and lowering speed limits. A single fare for the entire public transport network will be offered at the same time.

At the French Open in Paris, Sinner appeared to be cruising to a victory before suddenly taking a turn for the worse.

The Italian complained of dizziness and feeling lethargic before hitting a wall.

"It was a tough spot to be in," he commented afterwards, but added: "Really it was nothing against the heat, nothing against the weather. It was just me today, but it happens."

Meanwhile, Italy's red alert in Rome - as well as in Florence, Bologna, Brescia and Turin - is the first of the year, warning of "possible negative effects on the health of healthy, active people".

Temperatures will climb to 35C in Madrid over the weekend. Though the current spell does not officially qualify as a heatwave in Spain, the nation's meteorological office has said the heat is that usually seen in July and August.

The immediate cause of the heatwave is a "heat dome" - an area of high pressure that becomes "stuck", trapping warm air underneath it.

While it is difficult to link individual extreme weather events to climate change, scientists say climate change makes heatwaves more frequent and more intense.

Over the last 30 years, Europe has been warming by 0.56C per decade, according to the Copernicus climate service - enough to make heat extremes significantly more severe.

The UN warned on Thursday that global average temperatures were likely to continue at or near record levels this year and for the next four years.

The 11 hottest years ever recorded all happened from 2015 onwards, and the UN's weather and climate agency said this trend was predicted to continue, with a new hottest-ever year "likely" before 2031.

Drag queen Pattie Gonia fights trademark lawsuit by Patagonia

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx21427lvvvo, 3 days ago

A drag queen named Pattie Gonia has urged outdoor apparel company Patagonia to drop a lawsuit in which it alleges the performer is causing "irreparable" damage to its brand.

Wyn Wiley, who performs as Pattie Gonia, said the firm was threatening "the erasure of my name, my advocacy, my community" and the livelihoods of those employed by the drag queen and climate activist.

"If Patagonia wants to celebrate Pride Month this year by taking a queer climate activist to federal court, then I'm here to fight for myself," Wylie said.

Patagonia told the BBC "the last thing we wanted was a legal fight with someone who shares our values", but that it was acting to protect its business and employees.

Wylie has amassed millions of online followers performing as Pattie Gonia, including through charity fundraisers such as a 100-mile (160km) hike in drag.

In an open letter to Patagonia's leadership, Wylie said Pattie Gonia had raised $3.7m (£2.7m) for environmental causes altogether.

The performer said the Patagonia trademark lawsuit amounted to its CEO Ryan Gellert and other executives deciding that "I must cease to exist".

It was the artist's first time addressing the lawsuit, which Patagonia filed back in January in Los Angeles, California.

Patagonia's legal action alleges Pattie Gonia competes "directly with the products and advocacy" upon which the firm built its brand.

The company said in the filing that it was responding to Wylie's application to trademark Pattie Gonia as a brand, moving from simply using the persona to potentially selling products and organising events.

It accused the performer of breaking an agreement with the firm about how to use the Pattie Gonia name - including use of fonts and designs with similarities to Patagonia's logo.

The company said it would have filed a lawsuit regardless of whether the Oregon-based performer shared its values.

The firm is asking for a nominal $1 plus legal fees, to stop Pattie Gonia from being registered as a trademark.

The company, named after a remote region of South America spanning Argentina and Chile, was founded in 1973.

Council axes plans to reach net zero by 2030

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp8pr0m8gnjo, 3 days ago

A council recently taken over by Reform UK has axed plans to reach net zero by 2030 and proposed to rescind its climate emergency declaration.

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council's administration described the policies, which were initiated under previous leadership, as "political virtue signalling" and "the worst kind of groupthink".

The Net Zero Newcastle 2030 action plan committed the council to becoming carbon neutral across its buildings and services by the end of the decade, while the climate emergency declaration was made in 2019.

Council leader Jonathan Gullis said the people of Newcastle-under-Lyme "voted for change" and for an authority "that puts their priorities first".

He confirmed the net zero plan had been scrapped immediately and the proposal to revoke the climate emergency declaration would be put forward during July's full council meeting.

"This declaration was little more than political virtue signalling," the former deputy chair of the Conservative Party said.

"It has not cut council tax, improved a local service or made life easier for working people."

He said the authority should be focused instead on clean streets, safer communities, better services and value for money rather than "gimmicks".

The announcement came a few weeks after Reform wrested control of the council from the Conservatives with the former winning 27 seats and the latter 15, while Labour were left with two.

Gullis, who defected to Reform from the Tories last year, was chosen to lead the authority after he was elected as councillor for Kidsgrove and Ravenscliffe.

'Madness'

Sharon George, a consultant in clean technology from Penkhull who used to work at Keele University, said she travelled across the world during her career and had seen the impact of climate change "in a very real sense".

On the council's announcement, she told BBC Radio Stoke: "It's not a stretch to say I'm not just taken aback by this statement, it's actually quite upsetting."

She said it was upsetting for scientists and professionals who have presented the evidence proving climate change was "very real".

"Newcastle is suffering from climate change whether we like it or not," she added.

"Whether you see that damage or not visually, you feel it in your pocket every time there's a wildfire, because we've had hot, dry spells, which we shouldn't be having to this extent.

"The fire service is being called out more to deal with these and that has a cost with it."

She described Gullis' statement as "madness" and a "knee-jerk reaction", adding: "It just does not make any sense to me."

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UK's rudest chalk figure gets a glow-up to stop it fading in the rain

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpvppe84lnvo, 3 days ago

For centuries, the Cerne Abbas Giant has been hard to miss.

The 55-metre chalk figure, cut into a hillside near the village of Cerne Abbas in Dorset, shows a naked, club-wielding man whose outline has made him one of the UK's most instantly recognisable historic landmarks.

But the National Trust, which owns and manages the site, says changing weather patterns are making it harder to keep the Giant prominent on the hillside.

National Trust staff and volunteers will this week pack tonnes of new chalk onto the figure to restore the crisp whiteness of his outline.

Luke Dawson, a National Trust ranger who helps look after the site, says heavier winter rains are washing chalk from the slope more quickly, while mild, damp conditions give algae more chance to grow.

He says this wetter weather has been having "a dulling effect" on the Giant's outline, leaving it greener and less distinct between maintenance work.

The Trust is cautious about attributing the changes directly to climate change at a single site.

"It's one of these things we cannot really prove," says Dawson. "It is more just observation of what we are seeing up there."

The charity has cared for the Giant since 1920. Its rangers and volunteers keep the outline defined by rechalking the figure every decade or so to protect it from weeds and erosion. And between chalking it uses sheep to keep the grass short.

But the Trust says that coupled with heavier winter rains, the frequent dry spells in summer, mean the grass grows back more slowly and can leave the chalk edges more exposed and vulnerable to erosion.

The world is now about 1.4C warmer on average than in the late 19th Century, largely because of human activities such as burning fossil fuels.

The Met Office says the UK's climate is already notably different from even just a few decades ago and it expects the trend towards warmer wetter winters and hotter drier summers to continue.

On Thursday, it published a new report which warns there is an almost nine in ten chance the world will see a new record temperature within the next five years.

National Trust says these changes mean the Giant may need more frequent attention than every decade to ensure he does not lose his defining features.

His latest makeover has come after just seven years.

The chalking process

The rechalking could take up to 15 days to complete. Around 300 National Trust staff and volunteers will be involved, carrying about 17 tonnes of fresh chalk up the steep hillside, which in places has a gradient of roughly one in three.

The work is physically demanding, especially in the exceptional heat the UK has experienced in recent days. The old chalk is carefully dug out before fresh material is packed into the Giant's outline by hand - a process the Trust says has changed little for generations.

"It's how we have kept him visible for centuries," says National Trust ranger Luke Dawson.

Chloe Baugh and her boyfriend, Joe Ford, are working on the left shin of the Giant. They won the opportunity to help with the project in a National Trust lottery.

"We did not know it was going to be one of the hottest days of the year," laughs Baugh. "It has really made me think of all the people that have worked to do this over hundreds of years."

This work comes just months after public donations helped the National Trust raise £330,000 to acquire 138 hectares (341 acres) of additional land around the Giant. The newly protected area includes species-rich chalk grassland, important archaeological records and habitat for rare wildlife, including the endangered Duke of Burgundy butterfly.

The National Trust says the purchase will allow it to care not just for the figure itself, but for the wider landscape in which it sits - improving access, restoring habitats and supporting further research.

The mystery origins of the Giant

The Giant's naked, club-wielding form has fuelled centuries of speculation - "a real ding-dong" according to local historian Ian Denness. Some argued he was an ancient fertility figure, others a Roman Hercules, or even a later satire of Oliver Cromwell.

But scientific analysis of sediments published by the National Trust in 2021 suggested the figure was probably first cut in the late Saxon period, between around 700 and 1100AD - much later than the prehistoric or Roman origins once imagined.

However, this finding has not settled the question of his significance.

In 2024, research from the University of Oxford argued that although the Giant was not of Roman origin he was carved to represent Hercules, and speculated he may have been a meeting point for West Saxon armies fighting invaders.

The researchers suggested monks at nearby Cerne Abbey later co-opted him as Saint Eadwold, a local hermit-saint associated with the area.

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Why temperature records are being not only broken but smashed

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62rrj66p3eo, 4 days ago

If you take a look across western Europe at the moment, you'll struggle to find many places escaping the heat.

In the UK, temperatures passed 35C on Tuesday – more than 2C above the record for May before this year.

This heat would be exceptional even in the middle of summer, let alone spring, the Met Office says.

"Absolutely astonishing," says Friederike Otto, professor of climate science at Imperial College London.

"Mind-bogglingly crazy," adds Peter Thorne, director of the Icarus Climate Research Centre at Maynooth University in Ireland.

France is also in the midst of an unprecedented early-season heatwave, according to its weather service, Météo-France. Hundreds of heat records have been broken around the country.

The May temperature record for the island of Ireland has been surpassed by more than 2C, while Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland have all faced unusually hot conditions for spring too.

The immediate cause of the heatwave is a "heat dome" – where an area of high pressure gets "stuck" over Europe, trapping warm air underneath.

But scientists have little doubt that human-caused climate change - largely the result of the burning of coal, oil and gas - has supercharged the heat.

Over the last 30 years, Europe has been warming by 0.56C per decade – more than twice the global average, according to the Copernicus climate service.

That might not sound like much, but it is a seismic change in climate terms and enough to make heat extremes significantly more intense.

"When we have a heatwave it's happening more severely, because it's on top of a warming climate," Richard Betts, head of climate impacts research at the Met Office and a professor at the University of Exeter, told BBC News.

"I've been a climate scientist for 33 years and we're seeing exactly the kinds of things that we were warning back then... [although] these records are perhaps more extreme and coming sooner than we had expected," he added.

And the heat isn't limited to Europe, with temperatures reaching 45C in Delhi in India.

Records not just broken but smashed

As scientists collect year after year of temperature data, records should in fact become rarer over time – at least in a stable climate.

The simple logic is that you're much more likely to see a new record after 10 years of data than after 100 years.

"If someone beats a world record in high jump, you would expect them to beat it by one centimetre and not suddenly by 20, 30 centimetres and the same holds for the weather," Erich Fischer, professor at the Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science at ETH Zurich in Switzerland, told BBC News.

"If the record is broken after 100 or 150 years of measurements, you would have probably expected it to be broken by a tenth of a degree and not suddenly by two degrees or three degrees," he added.

But when a relatively rare weather system such as this week's heat dome comes around in a warming climate, the margin of record can be huge.

"We're going through a period of very rapid warming, particularly western Europe… so if the same weather events we had in, say, the 1970s [happened again], it will not only be slightly warmer, but it will simply smash the record," said Prof Fischer.

Even in 2026, this week's European heatwave is not an isolated case.

Back in March, about 30% of active US weather stations set new temperature records for the time of year, according to Berkeley Earth, an independent US climate research group.

The margin of records across the western US was "utterly absurd", its chief scientist Robert Rohde said.

A sign of things to come

These record-smashing heatwaves have come in a world about 1.4C warmer on average than during the late 19th Century, because of human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels.

But global warming could reach close to 3C by the end of the century, based on the current climate policies of governments around the globe.

This will inevitably mean further temperature records – posing particular challenges for countries such as the UK and Switzerland, which are not built for extreme heat.

"The climate we are living in today is simply not the one we grew up with, and our buildings and infrastructure are woefully unprepared for what's next," warned Prof Otto.

Until 1990, the UK's temperature record across all months stood at 36.7C, set in 1911.

It has since been broken several times and now stands at 40.3C, set in July 2022.

With further climate change, even higher temperatures will soon be a serious possibility, warned Prof Betts.

"Until we reduce global carbon emissions to net zero, we'll continue to heat the planet and temperature records will continue to be broken," he said.

Last week, the UK government's independent adviser, the Climate Change Committee, said that increasingly extreme heatwaves, droughts and floods were already threatening the British "way of life", from sports matches to music festivals.

By the middle of the century, more than 90% of existing homes could overheat during more extreme heatwaves, the committee warned.

And shortfalls in England's public water supply could surpass five billion litres per day, linked to hot, dry summers and a growing population.

The committee urged the government to make preparations for more extreme heat a much greater priority, including rolling out air conditioning and setting maximum temperature rules for workplaces to protect people's health.

And as the past few days have shown, this challenge of extreme heat is no longer confined to the summer months.

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Pair fundraising for Pacific climate change statue

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cze29183ze3o, 4 days ago

Two women from Shropshire are looking to raise £10,000 to get a sculpture installed on the Solomon Islands, highlighting climate change and rising sea levels.

Jane Cullen from Ludlow and Lorna Taylor from Church Stretton were inspired after hearing a talk by activist Gladys Bartlett, who spoke about about an island that had already vanished under the sea.

The sculpture has already been created and shipped to the Pacific and they said the money would be used to fix it into position in the ocean.

The pair are both members of Shropshire Climate Action and Cullen said: "We wanted to support this sense that we're all in this together."

Taylor said that after hearing Bartlett speaking about the Solomon Islands they invited her to be a speaker at one of their events.

She said: "It was such a wake up call for us both."

They also saw a BBC interview by Ade Adepitan about the island of Kale, which has been lost to rising water levels, and wanted to do something to raise awareness.

The sea around the Solomon Islands is rising faster than the average for the rest of the world, due to global warming and regional changes.

A number of islands have already disappeared beneath the South Pacific.

Cullen said they heard Bartlett had approached a sculptor called Jason deCaires Taylor, who specialises in underwater art.

He created a 4m (13ft) tall sculpture of Bartlett leaning against a tree on a concrete base, which could be submerged in the water.

Taylor said the "Solomon Siren" would stand above the waves at first, but also record how sea levels were rising.

By 2046, she said they expected the figure of Bartlett to be lost beneath the waves.

Cullen said: "This is such a different approach from just telling us about the statistics and things, it's an artistic, creative approach."

She said it was important for them to act to "give that sense of something that's happening on the other side of the world, but is also happening here".

She pointed to extreme weather and flooding in Shropshire and said it was important to act on climate change.

The money raised will be used to pay for a barge to take the sculpture to the spot where it will be submerged and then assemble it in the water.

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Work to begin on £29m flood defence scheme

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyv22ly8qrro, 4 days ago

Work is set to begin on a £29.4m scheme to protect hundreds of homes in a coastal town from flooding.

The project will defend 570 properties in Poole between Poole Bridge and Hunger Hill - the last unprotected stretch of waterfront in the town centre.

Andy Hadley, cabinet member for environment at Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council, described the work as a "major milestone to improve flood resilience for the people who call Poole home now, and in the future".

The project, which is designed to adapt to rising sea levels, is set to begin on Monday 1 June, with the final stages of construction to take place in autumn 2027.

The council predicts the number of properties protected by the scheme will rise to more than 2,000 over the next century.

The defences will include artificial sea walls that can be raised at intervals to keep pace with climate change and rising sea levels.

The area covered comprises part of Holes Bay, an environment that is already protected due to migratory birds and breeding marine life.

The scheme was approved in July 2025 and due to take place in October but was postponed while planning conditions and a marine licence were finalised.

Residents have been told to expect some disruption while the work takes place.

Green jobs contributing £10.2bn to Scotland's economy, says CBI report

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7599zez4rxo, 4 days ago

Net-zero-related industries are supporting more than 105,000 jobs in Scotland and contributing £10.2bn to the economy, according to industry research.

The jobs include roles building and maintaining infrastructure such as wind farms and hydropower schemes, as well as domestic installations of solar panels and heat pumps.

The research by the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) concludes that the green sector represents 4.9% of Scotland's total economic output - more than double that of agriculture.

It identifies Perth and Kinross as a particular hotspot where 12% of the local economy is net-zero related.

Net-zero industries are those involved in the drive to ensure Scotland is no longer contributing to the total amount of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere.

The UK has a legally-binding commitment to reach that point by 2050 while in Scotland, which has more available land for planting trees to absorb carbon dioxide, the target date is 2045.

The employment figures provide context to the often quoted claim that 1,000 jobs a month are being lost in oil and gas.

The CBI report says Scotland has more than 3,000 businesses working in the net-zero economy, most of which are small to medium sized.

While those companies are spread across the country, the areas where green industries contribute the highest proportion of economic value are Perth and Kinross, Aberdeen and East Lothian.

One of those companies is Gensource in Musselburgh which installs renewable technologies including solar panels and electric vehicle chargers.

It has grown rapidly since it was launched four years ago by two people in a back bedroom and now has 20 workers, including two apprentices.

Orders spiked after both of the two most recent energy crises, triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and more recently the US-Israel war on Iran.

Gensource director Josh King believes the net-zero targets are good for growth, jobs and the economy, particularly at a time when energy prices are being severely affected by geopolitics.

"We've got price instability and, ultimately, that drives demand because people want cheaper prices but, also, they want no surprises in their bills," he said. "Renewables can help deliver that."

The research comes against a backdrop of fracturing political consensus around the need to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions as a means of tackling climate change.

Scientists point out that it's the only way to protect against the impacts of a warming planet – such as wild fires and extreme weather - but some opposition parties, notably the Conservatives and Reform UK, have said the country cannot afford the policies required.

The study was carried out by CBI Economics for the climate think tank the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU).

It found that average earnings in the sector were 5.2% above the Scottish average at £41,000, reflective of the amount of skilled job it supports, particularly in engineering.

In Perth and Kinross, roles are concentrated on the abundant hydropower schemes, which have existed for decades, along with newer onshore wind farms such as the Griffin Scheme near Aberfeldy.

In Aberdeen and the wider north-east it's more focused on offshore wind as well as hydrogen production and carbon capture and storage.

In East Lothian there's a focus on electricity transmission infrastructure as well as specialist manufacturing and fabrication.

The report says Scotland is well placed for growth within the sector, with an pipeline of investment valued at £211bn which is about 34% of the UK's total.

Laura Anderson, senior associate at the ECIU, says the research shows that net-zero is already substantial and a core part of Scotland's economy.

"This is an economy that is strong and is embedded into our economy in many different regions," she said.

"We know that clean energy is growing across the UK and Scotland is punching above its weight."

Temperatures soar above 30C in the East of England

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd0pp3p2xlyo, 5 days ago

Temperatures in the East of England have again exceeded 30C (86F) after the UK experienced record-breaking May weather over the bank holiday weekend.

One of the region's hottest places was Bedford Aerodrome, where it reached 32C (90F) on Monday, according to the Met Office.

A search was scrambled after reports of a man falling overboard near Harwich, Essex, and the RNLI's Nigel Gilchrist said crews experienced "an extremely busy weekend".

Climate scientist Ed Hawkins told the BBC "heat events" like this were "emerging earlier and intensifying faster", though Wednesday was expected to be slightly cooler.

Gilchrist, from the RNLI lifeboat station in Southend, said his crews were called out 15 times between Saturday and Monday, which was "pretty tiring work".

They helped people caught out by the tides and swimmers out of their depth.

"If you do get into trouble yourself, float to live, which actually saved one of our casualties' lives on Saturday," he said.

"We're pretty proud to announce that well over 50 people have managed to survive by using the float method."

This method involves tilting your head backwards until your ears are submerged and, crucially, not panicking.

An amber heat health alert had been issued for the East of England by the Met Office, ahead of the bank holiday.

Highs of 32C were also reached in Marham, south of King's Lynn in Norfolk on Monday, while the University of Cambridge Botanic Garden confirmed its weather station recorded 33.2C (91.8F).

The UK recorded its all-time highest May temperature, as 34.8C (94.6F) was confirmed at London's Kew Gardens.

The Met Office said this temperature would be "exceptional in the UK even in mid summer, let alone in May".

The average temperature for the end of May is 14-20C (57-68F).

Hawkins, professor of climate science at the University of Reading, told the BBC that these soaring temperatures were due to climate change.

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What are UV levels and how can you protect yourself?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckmg1572e8ko, 5 days ago

UV levels are unusually high across much of the UK for this time of year.

Some exposure to UV is essential for our wellbeing, but too much is damaging and can cause skin cancer.

What is UV and why can it be dangerous?

UV radiation is emitted by the Sun and penetrates the Earth's atmosphere.

It enables our skin to produce essential vitamin D, which is important for the function of bones, blood cells and our immune system.

But too much UV can be harmful.

It can lead to skin cancer by damaging DNA in skin cells. UV also plays a substantial role in skin ageing, contributing to wrinkles and loosened folds.

It has also been linked to eye problems, including cataracts.

"Every exposure to UV, especially every sunburn, increases our risk of skin cancer," says Prof Dorothy Bennett, from St George's, University of London.

"Melanoma, the most dangerous skin cancer, is now the fifth commonest cancer in the UK."

How is UV measured and what is the UV index?

Levels of UV radiation vary throughout the day.

The highest readings are in the four-hour period around "solar noon", when the sun is at its highest - usually from late morning to early afternoon.

The UV Index (or UVI) is a measure of ultraviolet radiation used around the world.

Values start at zero and can rise above 10.

The higher the number, the greater the potential for damage to the skin and eyes, and the less time it takes for harm to occur.

What do the different UV levels mean?

In the UK, the UV index would typically be around 5-6 during the summer, with a maximum of 8 only in exceptional circumstances.

Countries close to the equator can experience very high UV levels in the middle of the day, throughout the year.

Nairobi in Kenya, for example, can have UV levels above 10 all year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Majorca in Spain normally hits nine in June and July.

How can you protect yourself from UV radiation?

Appropriate sunscreen is essential.

Some sun protection is required when UK levels are medium (3-5) or high (6-7), the WHO says.

Extra sun protection is required when UV levels are very high (8-10) or extremely high (11+).

Children are more sensitive to UV radiation than adults, and therefore require additional protection at lower levels than adults.

The NHS advises using sunscreen with an SPF factor of 30 or above and which offers at least 4-star UVA protection.

It should be applied to all exposed skin, including the face, neck and ears - and head if you have thinning or no hair - ideally 30 minutes before you go out into the sun.

As a guide, adults should aim to apply about six to eight teaspoons of sunscreen if covering the entire body.

It should be reapplied every two hours, or sooner if you sweat a lot, have been in water, or after drying yourself with a towel.

In addition, the NHS recommends:

* covering up with suitable clothing and wearing sunglasses

* spending time in the shade when the sun is strongest - between 11:00 and 15:00 from March to October in the UK

Can you tan safely?

There is no safe or healthy way to get a tan, according to the NHS.

Dr Bav Shergill from the British Association of Dermatologists recommends using self-tan products instead.

"When you tan, ultraviolet light stimulates your skin cells to produce pigment to try and protect the DNA of skin cells - but that protection is minimal - the equivalent of SP4.

"That is not much protection at all - so you can still burn very early," he warns.

Can you burn even when it is cloudy and windy?

The amount of UV reaching your skin is not driven by the daily temperature.

"Your skin can burn just as quickly whether it's 30C or 20C," warns BBC Weather's BBC Weather's Helen Willetts.

"Don't be caught out on cloudy days. UV will still penetrate thin clouds - so even if you don't think it's that sunny, you can still burn."

I have brown skin. Do I need to worry?

Yes, according to Dr Shergill.

"The skin may look darker, but it doesn’t always behave that way from a protection point of view – because there are more genes at play than we think about," he says.

"I have, for example, seen South Asian people with skin cancer and I have seen people with dual-heritage get skin cancer."

The broader risks of eye damage and harmful effects on the immune system from too much UV radiation affect people of all skin colour.

Britain's protected birds of prey still being shot, trapped and poisoned, says RSPB

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjep159x1njo, 5 days ago

Some of Britain's rarest birds of prey are still being illegally killed despite decades of legal protection, according to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

The charity's report, to be published on Wednesday, records 921 confirmed attacks between 2015 and 2024, with more than half, according to the RSPB, on or near land managed for game shooting.

Mark Thomas, head of the RSPB's investigations unit, said the killings were "about money", with birds of prey targeted to stop them taking young pheasants, partridges or grouse, leaving more birds to be shot by paying customers.

Shooting organisations strongly deny persecution is widespread across the industry. They say it is carried out by a small minority and condemn it outright.

But the RSPB is calling for gamebird shooting in England and Wales to be licensed, arguing estates should face tougher consequences when protected birds are killed on their land.

Targeted species include eagles, red kites, peregrine falcons, hen harriers, goshawks and barn owls. The RSPB says it only classifies cases as "confirmed" when they are backed by forensic, eyewitness or video evidence.

Its investigations unit, staffed by former police officers and bird experts, works to identify those suspected of killing protected birds. The RSPB says evidence gathered by its investigators, including hidden-camera footage, has helped secure three convictions this year.

Two involved birds being beaten to death after they were caught in traps. One case involved a buzzard, the other a goshawk. Some live-capture traps are permitted for pest control of species like crows and pigeons, but traps must be checked regularly and non-target species released unharmed.

The third case involved covert surveillance at a hen harrier roost in the Yorkshire Dales where investigators captured evidence of a planned attempt to kill one of the UK's rarest birds of prey.

RSPB footage showed head gamekeeper Racster Dingwall arriving with a shotgun while hidden audio recorded a discussion of killing other protected birds and whether a harrier might be satellite-tagged.

Dingwall later admitted offences linked to an attempt to kill a protected hen harrier and was ordered to pay a fine of £1,520.

The RSPB says recorded incidents have fallen in recent years, but argues the long-term pattern shows criminal prosecutions alone are not enough.

It wants gamebird shooting in England and Wales to be licensed, as red grouse shooting now is in Scotland. It says licences could be suspended or withdrawn at the civil standard of proof, even where a criminal prosecution is difficult.

Shooting organisations oppose the proposals, saying it would penalise responsible estates and risk conservation work.

"What we should do is strengthen law enforcement to prosecute individuals who commit these crimes. They have no place in the modern shooting community," Dr Marnie Lovejoy, of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, told the BBC.

She said licensing would add another layer of regulation to activities already covered by law and would affect everyone involved in shooting.

She added that the sector makes a significant contribution to nature recovery, spending around £500m a year on conservation work - the equivalent, BASC estimates, of 26,000 full-time jobs and 14m workdays.

The government has not backed the RSPB's proposals, but says it will work with the shooting sector and others to explore wider measures, including licensing.

A Defra spokesperson told the BBC: "Many estates already meet high environmental standards, and we want all estates to achieve these same high standards."

Professor Davy McCracken, from Scotland's Rural College, has spent 35 years studying upland management and wildlife. He says the tension between protecting birds of prey and managing land for grouse shooting is ultimately economic: "That is where the root of the conflict actually lands."

But he agrees persecution is carried out by a minority of those with game-shooting interests, and says focusing only on them can obscure conservation work elsewhere in the sector.

Data visualisation by Erwan Rivault and Becky Dale

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A rare ancient rainforest set to come back to life

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp3p2dw1w39o, 6 days ago

Did you know that Northern Ireland has its very own rainforest?

Not the tropical kind you may be thinking of, but an ancient and precious woodland known as a temperate rainforest.

A restorative programme run by Ulster Wildlife is working hard to bring ancient woodlands back to life over the next 100 years.

Also known as the Atlantic or Celtic rainforest, it is one of the UK and Ireland's rarest, most biodiverse and most threatened habitats.

Just 0.04% of Northern Ireland's total land area is ancient woodland, according to the Woodland Trust.

These forests are crucial to the environment and the ecosystems that live within them.

Rosemary Mulholland, Head of Nature Recovery with Ulster Wildlife, is part of the team that has embarked on an ambitious 100-year restoration programme to restore temperate rainforests.

Almost 30,000 native trees of Irish provenance, such as oak, alder and rowan, have been planted on the 41-acre site which is situated at Lenamore Wood, near Gortin in Omagh.

The first trees were planted in February and March 2026.

The project carries significant costs, but is supported by Aviva, which has committed around £38 million towards the restoration of lost temperate rainforests across the UK.

It will take about a year before we see the tips of the trees sprouting through the plastic tubes, however, it will be at least 100 years before the trees are properly grown.

When asked how she feels about never seeing the project fully finished, she said: "It is sad, but in a way it's a great privilege, isn't it, to just be able to take this land and turn it into a habitat that is now largely lost."

What is a temperate rainforest?

John Martin who is the director of the Woodland Trust in Northern Ireland said temperate rainforests are "usually characterised by native tree species such as oak, birch, alder and hazel".

"They've lots of humidity supporting mosses, lichens, and complex woodland structures, including ravines, rivers and rocky outcrops."

He said they occur in areas of high rainfall, mild temperatures and a strong ocean influence.

"They deliver critical environmental services, including biodiversity protection, so essentially nature protection and carbon storage."

How have these natural habitats become so endangered?

Martin explained that these rainforests have been around for centuries.

"If you go back, following the last ice age, as the climate warmed, trees gradually colonised Ireland and then by around 8,000 to 9,000 years ago, most of the island was probably covered in dense woodland."

He said these forests were dominated by oak, hazel, elm, birch and pine but would have functioned as what we now recognise as a temperate rainforest in the wetter west.

Martin said that in very broad terms, between 6,000 to 3,000 years ago, as Ireland began to be colonised more, Neolithic farmers would have began to clear land for crops and grazing and over time, different towns and settlements began to spring up which would have prevented regeneration.

"Most likely, the largest scale losses were probably in the 16th to 19th century, which saw the kind of critical collapse phase of Ireland's rainforest," he said.

Eoghan Daltun has been rewilding his own farm and restoring temperate rainforests privately for the past 17 years.

Daltun is based on the Beara Peninsula in west Cork and his 73 acre farm overlooks the Atlantic ocean and the Skellig Islands.

Originally from Dublin, he sold his house in 2009 and has been rewilding his farm in Cork ever since.

"I just wanted a life that was closer to nature for myself and my two sons," he said.

His restorative work began due to his farm being severely ecologically damaged.

This was as a result of feral goats who ate every tree seedling which then prevented the forest from regenerating.

'We're threatening our own future survival'

Daltun explained just how important these rainforests are, "whether we realise it or not, we depend totally on natural ecosystems for our very survival".

"By removing them and repressing their return, we're threatening our own future survival," he said.

He added that it has become his life's work to restore the rainforest and to showcase what could be and what once was.

"I place this in a context of catastrophic global nature loss and ecosystem erasure, which I think is one of the worst things happening right now globally.

"The worst threat to the biosphere is global nature loss, but also to humanity."

Mulholland from Ulster Wildlife said as the project at Lenamore Wood develops, they will be monitoring the progress on site.

"We'll have fixed point photography. So you'll be able to come and put your phone on a little phone cradle, read the QR code and send your photograph off so that we will have an ongoing, photographic record of how it's changing."

She said there will also be bird and butterfly surveys done, as well as moth trapping and remote sensors for bats, as it's important to see what other animals come out at night too.

Mulholland said that this project is so important for climate change, "the trees capture carbon, they help with flood risks and they allow our ecosystems to thrive".

In the future, she is hopeful for more projects like this one and says they are on the lookout for some more land.

A car park will come in due course but the site will be opened to the public soon to come and have a walk, connect with nature and to see how the trees develop over time.

Even if it takes a couple hundred years, this site will be for generations to enjoy.

'People aren't taking care of this beautiful space'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp3pzgdy5p2o, 7 days ago

"People aren't taking care of this beautiful space that we have access to, and it's making it just a bit more unpleasant to be in," says Martha. The 15-year-old is one of 8,400 young people from across Bradford who have been surveyed on their feelings about climate change and their local environment.

In the study, by research group Born in Bradford, young people called on the government and large corporations to act urgently on climate change - with nearly a third (32%) saying they felt negative about the environment's future.

"It really shocks me that people don't care about what their life is going to be like if this carries on the way it is," Martha says.

"Like, it's going to contribute to everyone's health problems and way of living."

Like many others who took part in the survery, the 15-year-old, from Shipley, said she was particularly concerned about environmental pollution in her local area.

"I live right next to a park and it's quite unfortunate that a lot of the time you see quite a lot of rubbish everywhere," she said.

"They have a good amount of bins in our park, but there's just people [who] go on picnics or have outings and they just leave all their rubbish everywhere."

Researchers said the results suggested Bradford could "become a model for how cities respond to environmental challenges" because of its young population and combination of academic research centres.

Tiffany Yang said the young people they spoke to were "motivated and engaged".

"When we asked our young people about climate change, local environment was really the first thing to come to mind for them. And that's where they had most of the concerns.

"Young people, they have their lived experience and they know what's happening around them.

"It's about tapping into that and ensuring we listen to their voices so we can co-produce questions that they might have and solutions and answers, and bring them into decision making."

Air quality

The study also showed Bradford's young people were regularly exposed to pollution levels that exceed World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines.

According to Born in Bradford the city has double the concentration of air pollutants than the WHO limit.

"Our young people are very aware of air pollution levels. More than a third had rated Bradford's air quality as poor or very poor," Yang said.

"They also noted air pollution was particularly bad during the school run due to the number of cars.

"They talk about air pollution as something that they can see and that they can smell. And they talked about the high levels of asthma in the city and how levels of air pollution just do not help," she added.

Martha said it was particularly noticeable when she was walking to and from school.

"For younger people, growing up in the area, growing up with more air pollution around you, it's just going to massively negatively affect your future life with, like, lung diseases and stuff," she says.

But this awareness does not necessarily lead to despair, says Yang.

"They want to focus on positives that could encourage people to want to support and protect nature," she says.

"We know young people in Bradford are really proud of their local area and they are experts in their own experiences. So it is important that we listen to them.

"We have a very young, diverse and vibrant population in Bradford. And if we genuinely involve them in planning transport, green spaces and healthy neighbourhoods, then Bradford could become a model for how cities respond to environmental challenges in a community-led way."

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.

Ex-US attorney general defends Epstein files handling in congressional probe

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czj2ldllgwgo, yesterday

Former US Attorney General Pam Bondi has defended her handling of the release of documents related to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Bondi, who was removed from her post as America's top law enforcement officer by US President Donald Trump in April, testified behind closed doors on Friday in Washington DC.

"We demonstrated an unprecedented commitment to transparency in the Department's search for, collection and review of the Epstein files, producing nearly three million pages of material," she said in opening remarks to the US House Oversight Committee.

Bondi was formally summoned by the panel in March, just before Trump announced her ouster as his administration's top prosecutor.

As attorney general, Bondi was tasked with implementing the Epstein Files Transparency Act, legislation signed into law by Trump that mandated the US Department of Justice publicly release unclassified records.

But Bondi and the US Justice Department have been widely criticised, with accusations that documents were withheld and files were published that made victims of Epstein's crimes publicly identifiable.

"I am proud of the department's record and commitment to transparency under my leadership," she said.

"This was an enormously complicated and labour-intensive process. To the best of my knowledge, the department produced everything required under the Epstein Files Transparency Act."

The committee's Republican chairman, James Comer, wrote in a subpoena letter that they were investigating the "possible mismanagement" of the Epstein investigation and compliance with the act.

Ahead of Friday's meeting, Comer told reporters that successive governments had failed Epstein's victims and that Bondi would be pressed about her handling of the release of the documents.

"We're going to try to determine whether or not there could be more documents legally turned over," Comer said. "I want every document. I don't want anything held back and I think the majority of the committee's the same way."

But three hours into the congressional interview, Democrats emerged accusing Bondi of being evasive in her answers, deferring responsibility to her former deputy, and said government lawyers had stepped in to prevent her from answering questions.

"She said she would not speak or respond to any questions that had anything to do with President Trump," said Robert Garcia, the committee's leading Democrat.

Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, a Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, told the BBC that the process was a cover-up and Republicans on the committee set the interview up with voluntary transcription and no video tape.

"She was simply not wanting to answer questions or wanting to not take any responsibility for how poorly she handled the entire situation," Subramanyam said.

"I believe a lot of it was because the president himself told her not to, but she refused to answer any questions about her conversations with the president or anyone else in the administration."

Maria Farmer, an Epstein survivor, was also critical of Bondi's appearance.

"At every turn, Bondi has ignored and disregarded the will of Epstein survivors who have waited for justice for decades and even now, as a private citizen, she refuses responsibility for her missteps and failures," she said in a statement.

Bondi rebuffed accusations that during questioning she had shifted blame to her former deputy, Todd Blanche, now the acting attorney general.

"NOT TRUE," she wrote online. "I praised Acting AG Blanche's management of this Herculean task. I said his ethics are beyond reproach and that he is an incredible Attorney General."

Bondi's summons came weeks after Nancy Mace, a Republican lawmaker, accused the justice department of a "cover-up" and introduced a motion to subpoena Bondi.

The Trump administration has faced enormous bipartisan pressure to release all documents related to the investigation into the sex-trafficking financier and faced criticism over its handling of the files, including the failure to redact the names of Epstein's victims. Epstein died in prison while awaiting trial in 2019.

In February 2025, Bondi declared in a Fox News interview that she had a list of Epstein's high-profile clients "sitting on my desk right now", only to have the justice department walk back the statement that July when it said there was no "client list" and that Bondi had meant the overall case file was on her desk.

During her tenure as the country's top law enforcement official, Bondi also came under fire from Democrats for weaponising the justice department after Trump called on her to more aggressively investigate his political adversaries.

She was replaced on an interim basis by Blanche, formerly Trump's personal lawyer.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Bondi, 60, had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. She told the BBC's US media partner CBS News that she was undergoing treatment, which included surgery a few weeks ago.

Bondi is set to join the White House's new advisory council on AI, the Presidential Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

When she left the Department of Justice at the beginning of April, she said she was excited to be entering a role in the private sector. Bondi's inclusion on the president's council is the first news of her work beyond the department.

The congressional committee has previously interviewed former President Bill Clinton and former First Lady Hillary Clinton, the current Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and the convicted Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.

Philanthropist Bill Gates is set to make an appearance in the coming weeks, Comer said.

Trump in excellent health after annual checkup, doctor says

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx21v0ezv14o, today

Donald Trump's doctor says the US president is in "excellent health" following his annual medical exam.

In a memo released by the White House on Friday, Capt Sean Barbabella said Trump, who turns 80 next month, has "strong cardiac, pulmonary, neurological and overall physical function" and is "fully fit to carry out all duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State".

Trump visited the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Tuesday for the exam, writing on his Truth Social platform afterwards that "everything checked out perfectly".

It is his third known check-up since returning to the White House last year.

According to the memo, Trump - the oldest person to be inaugurated as US president - was "within normal limits" on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, a common test of cognitive health, scoring a 30 out of 30.

He had gained 14lb (6.3kg) since his medical exam in April 2025 and Barbabella said the president had been given guidance on diet, physical activity, and continued weight loss.

Trump's cardiac age was also estimated to be approximately 14 years younger than his chronological age.

"His demanding daily schedule, including multiple high-level meetings, public engagements, and regular physical activity, continues to support his overall well-being." Barbabella wrote.

Last year, the president's bruised hands and swollen legs caused concern and speculation over his health.

In July it was revealed he had been diagnosed with a vein condition called chronic venous insufficiency, which occurs when leg veins fail to pump blood to the heart, causing it to pool in the lower limbs, which can then become swollen.

While there remained some "slight lower leg swelling", Barbabella noted in his memo that there was "improvement from last year".

Bruising on Trump's hand was explained in the report as being "consistent with minor soft tissue irritation related to frequent handshaking" while taking aspirin for "cardiovascular prevention".

Barbabella noted this bruising is "a common and benign effect of aspirin therapy."

Alongside aspirin, the letter stated that Trump is taking two cholesterol control drugs but otherwise remained up to date on all appropriate preventive screenings and immunisations.

While not compulsory, these annual medical tests have become seen as routine in recent decades.

The health of former President Joe Biden, who was 78 when he took office in 2021, became a subject of intense public scrutiny towards the end of his term.

No deal announced after Trump meeting to make 'final determination' on Iran

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0r2d40r91qo, today

US President Donald Trump has held a meeting with top aides to make a "final determination" about a framework for extending the ceasefire with Iran, but it concluded without clarity on the next steps.

Posting on Truth Social beforehand, Trump said Iran must agree to never have a nuclear weapon or bomb, that the Strait of Hormuz be reopened for "unrestricted shipping traffic, in both directions", and that any mines in the strait be "terminated".

An adviser to Iran's supreme leader on Saturday accused Trump of "betraying diplomacy" by making what he described as excessive demands.

Iran says it is not negotiating on its nuclear programme - insisting it is wholly for peaceful purposes.

On Thursday, the two countries had agreed a framework of a deal - known as a memorandum of understanding - pending the approval of Trump and Iran's leadership, according to US officials.

The deal would reportedly extend the current ceasefire for 60 days and launch talks on the future of Iran's nuclear programme.

"President Trump will only make a deal that is good for America and satisfies his red lines. Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon," a White House official told CBS, the BBC's US news partner.

Since the ceasefire came into effect on 8 April, Trump has repeatedly suggested that the US and Iran were close to a deal and that negotiations were progressing, but so far there have been no substantive results.

Trump wrote on social media before the meeting of aides on Friday that he was prepared to lift the US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, allowing ships caught in the waterway to "start the process of 'heading home!'"

He also insisted that Iran allow the US to remove and destroy its enriched uranium.

"No money will be exchanged, until further notice," he said. "Other items, of far less importance, have been agreed to."

A White House official confirmed to the BBC that the meeting - which was held in the White House's Situation Room, used for dealing with major crises - had concluded late on Friday. The official provided no further details.

Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday that the blockade on Iranian shipping remained in place. It said Iranian vessels were still being prevented from crossing the blockade line and continued to receive warnings from US forces.

Reacting to Trump's latest remarks, Mohsen Rezaei, an adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, wrote on X: "As predicted, the President of the United States is betraying diplomacy for the third time.

"By continuing the naval blockade and making excessive demands in negotiations, he has once again proven that he is not inclined toward negotiation and is pursuing other objectives."

Iran's Fars news agency earlier cited informed sources as saying that Trump's latest comments were a "mixture of truth and lies".

There was no provision to destroy nuclear materials in the memorandum of understanding, the agency reported.

Meanwhile, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told state TV it was "focused on ending the war, and there are no negotiations on the nuclear issue".

The US has long demanded that Iran stop producing highly enriched uranium and dispose of its existing stockpile, which in theory could be used to create nuclear weapons.

Iran says its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful and denies it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

The possibility of the US being able to "recommence" strikes in Iran was floated by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

Speaking at a security summit in Singapore, he said: "Our stockpiles are more than suited for that, both there and around the globe, because of how we balance exquisite and more plentiful munitions."

"So we're in a very good place," he added.

The US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on 28 February. Iran responded by attacking Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf, and effectively closed the strait, which has sent global oil prices soaring. Normally, about 20% of the world's energy supplies are shipped through the strait.

On Thursday, US Vice-President JD Vance said negotiators were "going back and forth on a couple of language points", including the "question of enrichment".

"We're not there yet, but we're very close and we're going to keep on working at it," he said.

Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said earlier on Friday that it had "no trust in guarantees or words", only actions.

"No action will be taken before the other side acts," he said in a social media post. "The winner of any agreement is the one who is better prepared for war the day after."

Both Iran and the US have accused each other of violating the ceasefire in recent days.

On Thursday, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had targeted a US air base in Kuwait that had been "the source" of earlier strikes on Bandar Abbas, a strategic Iranian port city near the Strait of Hormuz.

US Central Command said the attack on Kuwait was an "egregious ceasefire violation".

'Poison seller' who sold toxic chemicals online to people across world admits aiding suicides

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c70vg7glglyo, yesterday

A man has pleaded guilty to 14 counts of aiding suicides in Canada after he sold toxic chemicals online.

Kenneth Law, 60, entered the guilty pleas in an Ontario court on Friday, as part of a deal with prosecutors, who withdrew more serious murder charges.

Authorities said the former chef also sold about 1,200 packages of the toxic substances to recipients - who he met in online suicide forums - in 40 countries, roughly a quarter of which were sent to the UK.

The charges all relate to Canadian victims - but families of British victims have said they were angry UK prosecutors would not charge Law over the deaths of 79 Britons, which authorities say are linked to products he supplied.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it had agreed to the Canadian plea bargain on the basis Law's sentence take the British deaths into account.

A letter from the CPS, seen by the BBC, said Law would not face charges in the UK because he could challenge the extradition after being convicted of similar offences in Canada.

Specialist CPS prosecutor Andrew Hudson said that including UK victims in the Canadian sentencing process was the "quickest and most effective route" to justice.

Hudson said a successful extradition was "far from guaranteed and would have taken years to conclude", while any UK prosecution "could have been blocked under double jeopardy principles".

Ontario man Ashtyn Prosser-Blake, 19, was one of Law's victims who died by suicide in March 2023.

"He was just such a super happy, really gentle soul, always looking to stand up for the underdog, the kids that got picked on," his mother, Kim Prosser, told the BBC.

Prosser-Blake's mental health declined after the Covid pandemic - he went to college for a year in Toronto before dropping out and moving home, where he "just continued to struggle" before dying by suicide, his mother said.

"The pain of losing my son Ashtyn doesn't ease because someone sits behind bars," she said. "There is no solace in my healing journey to see someone else suffer."

In the UK, David Parfett's 22 year-old son, Thomas, used the substance said to have been sold to him by Law.

"Tom was somebody who really saw the joy in life. He would find humour in the weirdest places. I often think about his laugh," Parfett said.

"Tom was a massive football fan and he was a good footballer as well. I miss the opportunity to enjoy the 2026 World Cup with him."

Tom paid the equivalent of £50 ($67; C$92) for the substance. His body was found in a hotel in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, in 2021.

Parfett said that while it was good Law had "admitted guilt", he said it was still "a moment of unbelievable frustration".

"I would have preferred Kenneth Law to be tried here [in the UK]. I would have wanted to have seen him in court answering charges related to my son's death," he told the BBC on Friday.

Parfett is calling on the UK government to hold a public inquiry into the deaths, as he wanted authorities to "understand this issue and stop other people unfortunately suffering the loss of a family member due to a very preventable suicide".

"The toll here is astonishing - multiple deaths including of children - and yet we don't see any coordinated attempt to really understand it."

In a statement, the Home Office said its "thoughts are with the families and friends of those who lost a loved one in this case".

"We are working closely with law enforcement partners to identify and intercept harmful substances entering the UK."

Law was arrested in May 2023, following a complex investigation by at least 11 law-enforcement agencies that involved investigators from around a dozen countries, including the UK, Italy and the US.

His arrest came a week after a Times investigation alleged he was selling poison to young people, after a journalist posed as a customer and spoke to Law directly.

Law reportedly counselled the journalist on how to use his products to "best ensure death".

Canadian detectives told the BBC in 2023 that Law ran multiple websites offering equipment and substances to help people end their lives.

Those found guilty of aiding suicide under Canada's criminal code can face up to 14 years in prison.

Law's sentencing hearing will take place over several days beginning on 23 September, with victim impact statements read out in court.

If you or anyone you know has been affected by the issues raised in this article, details of organisations offering information are available at BBC Action Line.

Additional reporting by Grace Eliza Goodwin

US judge orders Trump's name be removed from Kennedy Center

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czr2je8lkvro, yesterday

A US judge has ordered the removal of President Donald Trump's name from the title of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

The Washington DC venue cannot be renamed without congressional approval, the judge ruled on Friday, also blocking the centre's temporary closure during upcoming proposed renovations.

Trump's name must be taken off the institution's title, its façade - as well as any other physical or digital signage - and official materials within 14 days, according to the order.

A spokesperson for the centre said it would appeal the name-change order. Trump wrote on social media that he will "be working with Congress to transfer this failing Institution back to them".

"Unless I am free to do what I do better than anyone else, bring this Institution back, physically, financially, and artistically, I have no interest in continuing what could only be a hopeless journey into 'NEVER NEVER LAND'," he said on Truth Social.

Trump announced the addition of his name to the institution, among other rebranding measures across the nation's capital, last year.

In February 2025, he replaced several trustees on the centre's board and appointed himself as a trustee before being voted in as the arts centre's chairman.

In December, the board decided to rename the institution and new lettering bearing Trump's full name was affixed to the centre's front portico the following day.

The changes, including the re-naming, were followed by cancellations by artists booked at the venue and falling ticket sales.

In February, Trump announced a two-year closure of the venue for extensive renovations that begin on 4 July - "in honour of the 250th Anniversary of our Country".

Board member Joyce Beatty, an Ohio congresswoman and Democrat, and other ex-trustees challenged Trump's changes, alleging in a lawsuit that they were stripped of their right to vote on board matters.

They later amended the lawsuit to also challenge plans to close the venue for repairs.

"Today's ruling rightly affirms that this administration's efforts to rename and close the Center have no basis in law," Beatty said in a statement.

"The Kennedy Center is an institution that belongs to the American people, not to Donald Trump. He has desecrated this sacred memorial for his own vanity. I am proud to have fought for the rule of law and to protect this sacred institution."

Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Center's spokeswoman, said in a statement to the BBC's US partner CBS News: "We are confident that on appeal the court will uphold the Board's will to recognise President Trump's historic contributions to our nation's cultural center."

Daravi said it will also review the judge's decision on the renovations closure - "though the reality remains - the Center requires an urgent and significant restoration – a truth that even the plaintiff acknowledges".

She added: "With $257 million secured by President Trump and approved by Congress, the resources are in place and we remain committed to pursuing every lawful avenue to ensure the Trump Kennedy Center is restored as a national cultural landmark for all Americans to enjoy."

The full title of the venue was to be The Donald J Trump and John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.

Under District Judge ‌Christopher ⁠Cooper's order, the name will revert to the John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, as it was christened when it first opened in 1971 in memory of the US president who was assassinated in 1963.

"The Kennedy Center's organic statute makes crystal clear that the Center is to be named for President Kennedy, and it cannot bear any other formal name or public memorial based on the Board's unilateral say-so," Cooper, an Obama-era appointee, wrote in a 94-page opinion.

"Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it."

Exploding rocket casts doubts over Nasa's Moon plans

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy2q0g07kgo, yesterday

The fireball that lit up the sky over Florida's Kennedy Space Centre last night has put a big question mark over whether Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin can deliver on a string of commitments to Nasa in its efforts to send astronauts to the lunar surface and build a Moon base.

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket exploded at about 21:00 local time during a routine test of its engines.

The 98m (322ft) rocket had been due to launch 48 satellites for Amazon's Leo broadband network, as early as 4 June.

The explosion is obviously a big setback for the Leo network, which is struggling to be the main competitor for Elon Musk's SpaceX and its Starlink service. But the ramifications will go much further.

The good news was that no-one was injured, despite the spectacular explosion.

"All personnel are accounted for and safe," Bezos wrote on X. "Very rough day, but we'll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It's worth it."

But the blast which tore through Space Launch Complex 36 (LC-36) has caused extensive damage. Footage shows one of the pad's lightning protection towers toppling in the aftermath.

LC-36 is the only facility in the world built to launch the New Glenn rocket. That means that until the launch pad is rebuilt and re-certified, Blue Origin has no way to fly its largest rocket - and analysts expect that to take months, not weeks.

The setback comes just days after Nasa's administrator, Jared Isaacman, announced the first three missions of the agency's plans to build a lunar base - a project he billed as the start of a "permanent presence" at the Moon's south pole.

The first, Moon Base 1, is due to be flown on Blue Origin's robotic Blue Moon Mark 1 "Endurance" lander, and is targeted for launch no earlier than autumn 2026.

It is intended to carry two Nasa science payloads to the Shackleton Connecting Ridge and demonstrate the precision-landing techniques needed to keep future crewed landings safe.

But the lander was to ride to the Moon on top of a New Glenn - the same type of rocket that is now scattered across LC-36 - raising immediate doubts as to whether that timetable is now possible.

Earlier this week, Nasa also handed Blue Origin a contract worth up to $468m to deliver two commercial lunar terrain vehicles, built by Astrolab and Lunar Outpost, to the Moon's south pole by 2028.

Those rovers are meant to be in place before astronauts arrive. Nasa has set a target date of 2028 for a crewed landing, though that date had been questioned even before last night's explosion.

The destroyed rocket had been due to deploy a batch of 48 satellites for Amazon's Leo broadband constellation - the network formerly known as Project Kuiper which is designed to challenge Elon Musk's Starlink.

Just over 300 Amazon Leo satellites are currently in orbit, all of them lifted by SpaceX, United Launch Alliance and Arianespace rather than by Blue Origin itself.

The gap between Leo and Starlink - which has more than 10,000 satellites in orbit - is now a serious commercial problem for Bezos' group.

Under its US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) licence, Amazon is required to have half of its 3,236-satellite constellation in orbit by 30 July 2026.

As of late May, the company was already more than 1,300 satellites short of that target, with delays blamed in part on "launch vehicle availability" from Blue Origin and other providers.

With New Glenn now expected to be grounded for months, Amazon will be even more dependent on its rivals - chief among them SpaceX - to keep its rollout alive, and is almost certain to need a fresh extension to its timetable from the FCC.

Elon Musk, SpaceX CEO, responded on X to footage of the blast saying only: "Most unfortunate. Rockets are hard."

More problems

Nasa's next crewed Moon mission, Artemis III, is scheduled to launch next year and is designed to be a low earth orbit flight test of two commercial lunar landers - built by Blue Origin and SpaceX.

Until the explosion, Blue Origin was seen as the more prepared of the two. Its Mark 1 demonstrator was already in final stacking in Florida, while SpaceX's Starship has yet to complete a successful in-space propellant transfer.

All this leaves Nasa's plan to land astronauts back to the Moon by 2028 and to build a Moon base there with several problems which will inevitably now lead to delays.

The lander test for Artemis III depends on the same rocket family, and the Moon Base rover deliveries are contractually tied to New Glenn.

Meanwhile, China is forging ahead with its own plans to land its astronauts on the Moon by 2030, leaving Nasa without much room for manoeuvre.

Nasa Administrator Jared Isaacman responded to the latest setback on X: "Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult."

But Isaacman's drive to push Nasa's Moon programme to a more ambitious frequency of launches is now seriously in doubt after last night's setback.

MAGA candidate's win in Texas primary may also help Democrats in Senate battle

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clypprglrlyo, 4 days ago

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton easily defeated Senator John Cornyn in a Republican run-off primary on Tuesday night.

While the outcome had been expected for weeks, it marks a stunning defeat for an incumbent who served in Congress for 23 years, including 12 years as a high-ranking member of the Senate Republican leadership team.

The bruising contest set a record for the most expensive Senate primary campaign in US history.

It also sets up what will be a closely watched contest in November's general election between Paxton and his Democratic opponent, state legislator James Talarico.

The outcome of that race will help determine whether Democrats can win back control of the US Senate for the final two years of Donald Trump's presidency. Many Democrats have viewed Paxton as the weaker of the two candidates and relish what they believe is an opportunity to flip a Senate seat in a state with a long history of electing Republicans.

Seemingly confident of his impending primary victory, Paxton, 62, has already begun focusing on November's general election contest, airing television adverts over the past week attacking his opponent as a left-wing extremist.

Polls have indicated a tight race in a state that hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1988.

It's been 46 years since at least two incumbent senators were felled by voters in their own party in the same election cycle. Just 10 days ago, Louisiana senator Bill Cassidy failed to even reach his party's run-off primary, finishing behind two Republican challengers – the political equivalent of lightning striking in the same spot twice.

Both Cornyn and Cassidy faced off against candidates endorsed by President Donald Trump. But that's where the similarities largely end.

Unlike Cassidy, who voted to convict Trump during his 2021 Senate impeachment trial, Cornyn was a party loyalist who touted his ties to the president. While he was slow to endorse Trump's 2024 re-election bid, he faithfully toed the Republican line throughout his time in the Senate.

In the first round of balloting in March, he finished slightly ahead of Paxton, 42.5% to 40.8%, but short of the 50% necessary to avoid a run-off.

The day after that vote, it appeared that Trump might endorse Cornyn – a popular figure among Senate Republicans due to his prolific fundraising and prior leadership in the chamber.

That endorsement never came, however. Paxton, while beset with personal and political scandals over the years, was a favourite among Trump's populist base in Texas. He campaigned against the 74-year-old Cornyn as too old, too timid, too aligned with the political establishment and too out-of-touch with Texas conservatives.

Last week, after it appeared increasingly likely that Paxton would defeat Cornyn despite being outspent by a 9-to-1 margin, Trump endorsed the challenger. Trump has accused Cornyn of being "very disloyal" to him on social media, arguing he did not fight hard enough to save Trump's voting reform legislation.

In a post on his social media site Truth Social after Paxton's win, Trump congratulated Paxton and said he would "become a fantastic, common sense senator".

He also congratulated Cornyn "for having run a strong and powerful race but, more importantly, having had a truly great career".

"John will remain my friend for a long time to come," Trump added.

Paxton's victory might be characterised as another example of the strength of Trump's endorsement. Trump has seen several Republicans who he endorsed go on to beat his critics in primaries, including Cassidy in Louisiana and Representative Thomas Massie in Kentucky.

But this time, the timing suggests it is a case of Trump following his base - which, at least in Texas, is still hungry for firebrand populist conservatives and wary of longtime Washington politicians.

If the Cassidy defeat showed Trump still can sway Republican voters, the Texas matchup hints that the impulses motivating Trump's base can at times be larger than – and distinct – from him.

While the Republican Senate runoff was the most closely watched contest in Texas on Tuesday, there were several other notable contests on the ballot.

In the race for the Republican nomination to replace Paxton as attorney general, Congressman Chip Roy – a small-government conservative who sometimes drew Trump's ire for voting against his party in the House – was defeated by state Senator Mayes Middleton.

Unlike the Senate primary, however, Trump didn't offer his endorsement – although he had called for Roy to be challenged for his congressional seat in 2023.

Trump's endorsement power was on display farther down the Republican side of the ballot, however. In the solidly conservative 9th District, Trump-backed Army veteran Alex Mealer defeated state Representative Briscoe Cain, who had been endorsed by Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott. And in the 35th, Trump's Carlos De La Cruz prevailed over Abbott's John Lujan.

In the runoff for the Democratic nomination in the 35th House district, which stretches southeast from the outskirts of San Antonio, sheriff's deputy Johnny Garcia defeated sex-therapist Maureen Galindo.

With Garcia's victory, the Democrats avoided nominating a divisive candidate in a congressional district that, while tilting towards Republicans, could be winnable for their party.

Galindo, a little-known candidate, became a source of national controversy for suggesting that American Zionists should be held in immigration detention camps.

Several other Democratic runoff contests pitted current and former members of Congress against each other – a reflection of the scramble created after the Republican-controlled state legislature redrew congressional lines last year to net more House seats for its party.

In the Houston-centred 18th District, 38-year-old, one-term Congressman Christian Menefee defeated 78-year-old Al Green, who had served in the House since 2005.

Green built a reputation as a liberal firebrand. He was removed from Trump's past two congressional addresses for protesting and regularly introduced articles of impeachment against Republican presidents.

Green was targeted by Fairshake, a cryptocurrency-backed group, which spent approximately $6m to oust the longtime congressman, who had been a critic of the industry.

In the 33rd District, near Dallas, former Congressman Colin Allred – the Democratic nominee for Senate in 2024 – defeated current Congresswoman Julie Johnson.

It was a measure of revenge for Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, who was defeated by Talarico for the Democratic Senate nomination in March. She had backed Allred, while Johnson was Talarico's choice.

Democrats may be encouraged by the Paxton victory, sensing that his past scandals make him a more vulnerable opponent than the deep-pocketed Cornyn. But given that Texas has long been considered reliably Republican territory, they will have to quickly pull together if Talarico hopes to win in November.

Additional reporting by Madeline Halpert

It's like the Olympics - except steroids are allowed

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cedpz1zqp8po, 7 days ago

Under the blazing Vegas sun, giant billboards advertise "Live Enhanced" as the baritone voice of a sports announcer pretends to introduce British swimmer Ben Proud and other athletes.

The announcer is practising at a new open air arena hosting one of the most controversial events in recent sporting history: the Enhanced Games.

Think Olympics on steroids. Literally.

The inaugural competition on Sunday will feature dozens of elite athletes using performance-enhancing drugs to try and break world records in track, weightlifting and swimming.

Some $25m (£18.6m) in prize money is up for grabs - with cash prizes for winners. World records in certain events, being eyed up by the likes of US sprinter Fred Kerley, pay a $1m (£740,000) bonus.

The drugs they use must be legal, and approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). But substances like testosterone and human growth hormone - banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency - are not only celebrated here, they're encouraged and for sale.

The project was founded by entrepreneurs Aron D'Souza and Maximilian Martin in 2023 and has attracted backing from prominent investors including billionaire Peter Thiel and Donald Trump Jr.

Health experts warn that anabolic steroids and growth hormones can cause strokes and cardiovascular damage, among other risks.

Event organisers claim Enhanced will push the limits of human performance while critics, especially in the Olympic movement, dismiss it as an affront to the spirit and founding principles of competitive sport.

'We're being up front and honest'

"You don't have to be pressured or use drugs in order to be the best," says Travis Tygart, CEO of the US Anti Doping Agency, USADA.

He tells the BBC that while there are clear failures with the Olympics' anti-doping protocols, the answer is reforming the system, not to dope.

Athletes, he says, need to be assured the Olympics are clean and cheats will not be tolerated.

"We don't want kids to have to say, 'in order to win an Olympic medal, when I'm 18 or 20 years old, I have to inject myself every day in the rear end with a potentially dangerous drug.'"

But Enhanced, the company behind the games, claims it is bringing out into the open what it says is an undercurrent of many athletes cheating and taking performance-enhancing drugs in the shadows.

Packed into a ballroom at Resorts World casino, Enhanced athletes answered media questions for two hours, but only one - strongman Hafthor Bjornsson who hopes to break his own deadlift record of 510kg (1,124.4 pounds) - would say which drugs he was taking. Other athletes were tight lipped.

Bjornsson, who played the Mountain in Game of Thrones, says he's open about his steroid use because it's accepted in the professional strongman world.

American sprinter Shania Collins says the fact that those taking part in the games admit to doping, already gives them more integrity than cheaters.

"We're being up front and honest and transparent from the start," she tells the BBC. "So how can you challenge our integrity when we're forthright with the information?"

Some sporting governing bodies have publicly rebuked athletes for choosing to compete in the games.

UK Athletics' chief executive Jack Buckner said he was "appalled" when it was revealed former Great Britain sprinter Reece Prescod had signed up in January. UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) has called the event a "reckless venture".

Meanwhile, GB Aquatics has said British swimmer Ben Proud will not be selected again for Britain's Olympic team if he competes at the Enhanced Games.

Big money involved

Proud, who won the silver medal in the 50m freestyle at the Paris Olympics in 2024, is hoping to break the world record using performance-enhancing drugs and win a million dollars on Sunday.

If he wins the race but doesn't break the world record, he will still make $250,000 (£185,000).

"There's no money in sport," Proud told the BBC before the games. "I was 30 and had just come off a silver medal, what future path do I follow?"

Proud, who has been widely condemned for joining the Enhanced Games, has said it would take 13 years of winning World Championship titles to earn this kind of prize money.

Enhanced has already paid a doped up swimmer a million dollars for breaking a record, during one of the trials it hosted ahead of Sunday's competition.

Of the 42 athletes competing at the Enhanced Games on Sunday, most will be using testosterone and some will also be using human growth hormone and stimulants like Adderall.

But not everyone will be doping - some are competing clean.

American swimmer Hunter Armstrong has said he "definitely" doesn't want to dope for the games, adding: "I personally have taken pride in getting as far as I can on natural God-given talent."

He plans to compete clean for a shot at the money and then return to compete at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. Whether he can is unclear, given the outcry from many sports bodies responsible for selection.

However, the US Anti-Doping Agency's Tygart told the BBC as long as an athlete passes drugs tests to qualify for the Olympics, there's nothing to stop them from taking part from a doping perspective, but he points out that World Aquatics has already threatened to ban any swimmers competing in the Enhanced Games.

Wider worries for society?

Earlier this month, the Enhanced Group - the company behind the competition - began trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

And the competition is seemingly being treated as an opportunity for Enhanced to sell performance-enhancing medicine and supplements online.

This sparks broader concerns for some, at a time when social media is awash with offers to buy unregulated peptides and pressure on people to look a certain way.

Joe Vennare, founder of Fitt Insider, which analyses the health and wellness industry, feels normalising performance-enhancing drugs will bring unknown health and cultural consequences.

He says people have the right to use legal medical interventions, but is concerned some people are doing so at the expense of being fit and having a healthy diet.

"Kids are using social media filters, they're getting Botox injections," he tells the BBC. "They're having body dysmorphia - especially young men, in this case at record numbers."

Vennare says the Enhanced Games reflects those problems, but hasn't created them.

"That's a problem that parents and culture and society more broadly have to address."

Enhanced athlete James Magnussen agrees. The Australian swimmer says parents need to control what their kids watch and take personal responsibility - but he insists Enhanced is not "targeted at children".

"It's an entertainment company and product targeted at people looking at the longevity and human performance space."

None of these criticisms of the Enhanced Games are likely to go away any time soon.

Neither the athletes taking part, nor the invite-only crowd in Vegas, seem to be deterred.

Walk around here and you hear a lot about "biohacking", "human optimisation" and pushing the body beyond its natural limits.

So what's happening here may end up being much bigger than a niche sporting event. It's about whether sport is becoming a testing ground for a much bigger cultural shift.

How Trump's IRS settlement could block tax audits of him, his family and their businesses

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0pk2e22jro, 9 days ago

The US Department of Justice has announced that this week's unprecedented settlement of President Donald Trump's lawsuit over the leaking of his tax returns blocks the IRS from reviewing tax filings that Trump, his family and his businesses made in the past.

Some lawmakers and legal experts say the department has violated federal law with its addendum to the agreement that shuts down current possible tax audits and investigations. The justice department, however, says the addendum is simply a customary waiver used in legal settlements.

In January, Trump and his two eldest sons sued the IRS [Internal Revenue Service] for $10bn over leaks of their business and personal tax returns. It was the first time a president had sued the US government.

On Monday, the justice department announced the suit was settled and the government had agreed to create an almost $1.8bn (£1.3bn) fund to compensate people who believe it unfairly investigated them. It has already inspired one lawsuit, as well as resistance from within Trump's own Republican party.

Here's what we know.

What does the addendum do?

On Tuesday, a day after announcing the settlement agreement with Trump, the justice department released the addendum ending any possible pending audits.

The one-page addendum states that the United States is "FOREVER BARRED AND PRECLUDED" from a long list of actions that the IRS normally carries out to determine if a person or company has paid proper taxes and to seek recourse when they have not.

That list includes filing claims, conducting examinations or similar reviews, and seeking injunctive relief related to taxes filed by Trump, his family members, and their trusts, companies or subsidiaries.

Key in the addendum is that the taxes must have been filed before 19 May, 2026. The justice department issued a statement clarifying that the addendum "is only with respect to existing audits, not future".

The IRS does not announce its investigations, and so we do not know what - if anything - it was reviewing related to the president, his family and their enterprises.

Is it legal?

In its statement, the department describes the addendum as "customary", and also a necessary part of settling lawsuits in a way that ends them for good.

"There would be little point in settling several significant claims if either party could simply turn around and seek to initiative more adverse claims that could have been pursued previously," the department said.

As news of the addendum spread, though, lawmakers and legal experts raised alarms.

The top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, Ron Wyden, said in a statement it is "clearly a violation of the law that prohibits interference by executive branch officials in IRS audits".

"Democrats are going to fight every element of this self-dealing settlement, but regardless of the outcome of those efforts, future administrations and IRS leadership should consider this illegal directive completely invalid," said Wyden, who graduated from University of Oregon's law school.

Under US law, the president, vice-president and most other high-ranking members of the executive branch cannot directly or indirectly ask the IRS to terminate an investigation.

The major exception is the attorney general, and the addendum is signed by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. It can be argued, then, that the administration has followed the law.

Critics, such as the leaders of advocacy group Public Citizen, take the view that Trump has indirectly sought to end the audits.

Public Citizen co-presidents Robert Weissman and Lisa Gilbert said in a statement that Trump filed a "bad-faith lawsuit" and, with the settlement, "aims to escape from IRS audits".

IRS officials who receive illegal requests to terminate audits must report them or face possible criminal prosecution, and experts warn that the agency's employees could now be at legal risk.

But there are other ways that this agreement appears to diverge from US law, tax experts say.

The IRS closes individual cases by reaching agreements with the taxpayers involved or it refers them to the justice department. There is no record of the IRS taking either of those steps.

Instead, the addendum has been included in a lawsuit against the IRS, not a tax case. And it is a broad, blanket waiver blocking investigations, which is not standard and which was not reached by the IRS.

"It purports to put the President, his entities, and his family above the tax laws—even though DOJ alone doesn't have authority to offer those extraordinary protections," Tax Law Center Policy Director Brandon DeBot said in a statement where he called the entire settlement "a breathtaking abuse of the tax and legal system".

What about the rest of the settlement?

Just as the US government has never been sued by its president, it has never settled a lawsuit involving the head of the executive branch.

Before the agreement was reached, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams set a 20 May deadline for both sides to address whether a legitimate legal dispute existed, given that Trump oversees the IRS.

In exchange for the president dropping his case, the justice department agreed to establish a $1.776bn "Anti-Weaponization Fund" that would pay claims from "those who suffered under weaponisation and lawfare".

In dismissing the case, Williams noted the justice department had "neither submitted any settlement documents nor filed any documents ensuring that settlement was appropriate where there was an outstanding question as to whether an actual case or controversy existed", according to NPR.

In some types of lawsuits, a judge must sign off on a settlement, but frequently parties will reach an agreement privately and then move to have the case dismissed.

Most Democrats have called the settlement a "slush fund" where Trump can hand out money to allies as well as rioters who breached the US Capitol on 6 January 2021.

Some Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, have expressed scepticism as well.

Fighting over the fund within the party on Thursday led the Republican-majority Senate to shelve a vote on a $70bn bill for immigration enforcement until after a week-long recess.

Meanwhile, in the House of Representatives, Republican Brian Fitzpatrick teamed up with Democrat Tom Suozzi to introduce legislation that would ban using federal funds to pay any claims submitted to the fund.

At least one claim has been filed already.

Michael R Caputo, was a Trump campaign adviser and later served in the first Trump administration, is seeking $2.7m, saying in a letter posted on X that "the machinery of government was clearly weaponized against my family" during the investigation into possible Russian involvement in the 2016 election.

In a statement to the BBC, he said his family was "profoundly grateful" that Trump "will not let this political weaponization stand."

At the same time, resistance is also already mounting.

Two police officers who were at the capitol on 6 January 2021 filed a lawsuit on Wednesday arguing the fund is illegal because "no statute authorizes its creation, the settlement on which it is premised is a corrupt sham, and its design violates the Constitution and federal law".

They also argued it could endanger their safety by providing funds to rioters who regularly threaten their lives and could lead to the funding of paramilitaries.

Trump is putting pressure on Cuba - why and to what end?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yrkl96xwvo, 8 days ago

The relationship between the United States and Cuba - already strained and fragile for decades - has been rapidly deteriorating in recent weeks.

Accusing Cuba of posing a national security threat, the US has hit it with an oil blockade, sanctions and now an unprecedented murder indictment against former leader Raúl Castro.

Washington is also warning that a peaceful agreement with the Caribbean nation is unlikely, while Cuba says the US is using a "fraudulent case" to justify military intervention.

But what is driving the US pressure on Cuba and how is it responding?

Could the US take military action against Cuba?

Since returning to the White House, Donald Trump has made clear his desire to change Havana's leadership and has openly mused that Cuba is "ready to fall".

In March, he suggested the country was in "deep trouble" as he threatened a "friendly takeover".

There has been no announcement of plans for any military intervention but Cuba is on edge, especially as surveillance activity in the Caribbean increases.

Over the past week, the US military has been publicly broadcasting the location of its aircraft near Cuba on plane-tracking websites.

Leaving the flight transponders on "is likely deliberate", said UK drone expert Dr Steve Wright, with the US intending to send "a clear message it has eyes in the sky to maintain the squeeze".

Flight-tracking data does not give a complete picture as military aircraft often only share their location for portions of a flight.

Meanwhile, US news site Axios, citing classified intelligence, reported that Cuba possessed 300 drones and was discussing striking nearby US targets - including Guantanamo Bay, Key West in Florida, and naval vessels.

It also quoted a US official who said the intelligence - which it characterised as a potential pretext for US military intervention - suggested Iranian military advisers were in Havana.

Cuba's foreign minister, Bruno Rodríguez, responded by saying the country "neither threatens nor desires war" and accused Washington of building a "fraudulent case" for military intervention.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday that the White House's preference was "a diplomatic solution" but added that Trump had the right and obligation to protect his country against any threat.

He also called Cuba a "national security threat" and said the likelihood of a peaceful agreement is "not high".

Rodríguez reacted by accusing Rubio of trying to "instigate a military aggression" and the US government of "ruthlessly and systematically" attacking his country.

The power hierarchy in Cuba

Like many countries, Cuba has a president and prime minister, but it is governed by a unique hierarchy

That hierarchy still involves one of the most famous names to come out of the Caribbean region: Castro.

Cuba's Communist Party leaders view themselves as the inheritors and continuers of Fidel Castro's 1959 Cuban Revolution that ousted the pro-US strongman Fulgencio Batista and established "anti-imperialism" as a hallmark of the island's government in successive decades.

For this reason, they consider the US indictment of former president Raúl Castro a deliberate blow against the top figurehead of Cuba's one-party communist system.

Raúl - who at nearly 95 years old bears the official title "Leader of the Cuban Revolution" - served as Cuba's president between 2008 and 2018.

Prominent party apparatchik Miguel Díaz-Canel, 66, currently holds both the Cuban presidency and leads the Communist Party, but it is the Castro family name that still represents real power on the island and commands respect among its military and security services.

These forces effectively run much of the economy and maintain internal order, repressing internal dissent and opposition.

The Trump administration's talks with Cuba and other recent outreach have even included Raúl Castro's 41-year-old grandson and bodyguard, Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro. An Interior Ministry colonel, he is widely considered the "ear" of his grandfather, even though he holds no formal government or party leadership posts.

Still, Díaz-Canel himself has indicated an element of "collegiate" decision-making exists among the political-military elite ruling the country.

Castro loyalist and military technocrat Manuel Marrero, 62, serves as Cuba's prime minister, and Foreign Minister Rodríguez, 68, is often the most heard-from "voice" of the government in responding to the US.

Marrero is linked to the shadowy military conglomerate GAESA, run by Cuban generals, which is seen as the opaque operator of the economic assets that underpin the country's military and political elite.

Rubio specifically focused on this power structure in a video message to Cubans on 20 May, saying: "Cuba is not controlled by any revolution. Cuba is controlled by GAESA, a 'state within a state".

He went on to say the "corrupt" and "incompetent" ruling elite was blocking reforms and preventing a better relationship with the US.

Why has the US charged Raul Castro with murder?

The recent charges against Castro date back to an incident 30 years ago.

In February 1996, Cuban fighter jets shot down two small civilian planes - owned by a group of Cuban exiles in Miami. Four people on board the aircraft were killed, including three US citizens.

At the time, Raúl was Cuba's armed forces minister and one of the most powerful figures in his brother's regime.

Washington accused Cuba of unlawfully targeting civilian planes in international waters, and other countries condemned the action.

The explanation from Havana - which maintains the incident occurred over its airspace - was that the exile group Brothers to the Rescue posed a threat to national security due to repeated air incursions.

Earlier this week, Raúl and five others were indicted by the US with varying charges, including: conspiracy to kill US nationals, murder and the destruction of US aircraft.

If found guilty, he could face life in prison or the death penalty.

While announcing the charges, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the US "does not, and will not, forget its citizens". But the US is notably taking aim at a key Cuban figure.

Díaz-Canel said the charges were being used to "justify the folly of a military aggression against Cuba".

Calling the indictment "a political manoeuvre, devoid of any legal foundation", he said Cuba had acted in "legitimate self-defence within its jurisdictional waters" in taking down the planes.

Cuba roiled by extensive blackouts from US blockade and sanctions

Most of Washington's pressure has come through its oil blockade and sanctions.

Cuba has been suffering from extensive blackouts for months, caused by chronic fuel shortage.

Venezuela and Mexico in the past supplied most of Cuba's oil and fuel, but they have largely stopped since January, when the US removed Venezuela's president and Trump threatened tariffs on countries that send petroleum to Cuba.

Washington has seized a number of oil shipments bound for Cuba, with only one Russian oil tanker reaching the country since the blockade was imposed.

Discontent among Cubans has been mounting from the blackouts as well as shortages of food, fuel and medicine. Hospitals are struggling to function normally and schools and government offices are having to close.

Protesters have repeatedly taken to the streets in the capital, Havana, and in a demonstration on Wednesday blocked roads with burning rubbish and shouted anti-government slogans.

This month the US put fresh sanctions on senior Cuban officials who the US accused of committing human rights abuses or corruption, targeting officials in the energy, defence, financial or security sectors of Cuba's economy.

Meanwhile, the US has continued to offer $100m (£74m) of aid, but on the condition it will be distributed through the Catholic Church and independent humanitarian organisations, bypassing the Cuban government.

Washington has said Cuba denied the help, but the island's foreign minister said it does not reject aid "offered in good faith" and the best way the US could help would be lifting the blockade.

Cuba meets the pressure with fiery words - and support from friends

While the two countries have held some semblance of talks through back channels, confirmed by both nations in March, Cuba's response has been limited to fiery statements from leaders.

Díaz-Canel has accused the US of imposing a "collective punishment" on the Cuban people and repeatedly demanded an end to the blockade, which he has described as "the intimidating and arrogant behaviour of the world's greatest military power".

Responding to the report of a purported drone supply, Rodríguez said the US was constructing a justification for a "ruthless economic war against the Cuban people and the eventual military aggression".

While he insisted Cuba did not wish for war, he said it was preparing for "external aggression".

Meanwhile, China and Russia - both allies of Cuba - have condemned the US over its continued pressure, particularly regarding the Castro indictment.

The Chinese foreign ministry called on the US to stop using "coercion" and "threats" against its ally, while the Kremlin said the pressure being exerted on Havana "borders on violence".

Kenya court halts opening of US Ebola quarantine facility in the country

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpdp74lgzplo, yesterday

A Kenyan court has suspended US plans to open an Ebola quarantine facility for American citizens in the country that has sparked public concern about cross-border infection risks.

The 50-bed isolation centre is to be staffed by US medics and was due to begin operations on Friday, according to an American official. The Kenyan government has not directly commented on the plan.

In its court petition, rights group the Katiba Institute warned that the arrangement posed "grave and imminent risks" to public health.

A High Court judge barred the operation of any Ebola facility in Kenya by any foreign government until the case is heard.

The exact location for the US treatment centre was not disclosed by the American authorities, but lawmakers from Laikipia county, central Kenya, have raised objections after reports emerged that it would be established in their area.

MPs called on the government to be clear about the details, saying they saw "no logic" in Kenya or Laikipia hosting the medical facility.

County Governor Joshua Irungu has also opposed the plan.

Satellite imagery of an air base in Laikipia shows that an area just over the size of three football pitches had been cleared at some point between Monday and Friday. The reason for the earthworks has not been announced.

The US isolation centre is intended to treat US citizens believed to have been exposed to the virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, according to US officials.

The current Ebola outbreak, which is centred in the east of DR Congo, is suspected to have caused at least 220 deaths and more than 900 infections so far, the Congolese authorities say. There have also been nine cases and one death in Uganda.

A note of optimism came on Friday when the World Health Organization confirmed that an Ebola patient in DR Congo had made a successful recovery.

"This is the first one" to be discharged from a care centre "following two negative tests", Anais Legand, a WHO technical officer on viral haemorrhagic fevers, was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

Referring to plans to staff the treatment centre in Kenya a US official said "the first group has deployed. These individuals received extensive training in the use of PPE [personal protective equipment], in the use of proper quarantine techniques".

"We're going to be ready to take care of our citizens as needed," the official added.

Kenya was selected because of "its proximity [to the location of the outbreak] and to ensure Americans can be treated in a timely matter", the official said.

But in its ruling, the court in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, specifically restrained government agencies and officials from "establishing, operationalising, facilitating, approving or permitting" any Ebola-related quarantine, isolation or treatment centre tied to arrangements with the US or any foreign government in Kenya.

Justice Patricia Nyaundi barred authorities from admitting into Kenya anyone exposed to or infected with Ebola under the proposed arrangement.

The Katiba Institute argued that there was an imminent threat to life if the plans proceeded without safeguards.

The court agreed that public interest justified issuing interim orders while the matter was heard.

This comes amid heightened public concern and widespread criticism following reports that the US could send Ebola-exposed individuals to Kenya for observation or treatment.

The reports have triggered anxiety online, with many Kenyans questioning whether the country has sufficient containment capacity to safely manage such cases.

Kenya's largest doctors' union accused the government of engaging in "backdoor negotiations" and demanded the immediate release of any bilateral agreements underpinning the plan.

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) questioned why Kenya was allegedly selected to host a quarantine facility for exposed US citizens, despite not being at the epicentre of the outbreak.

Kenya, East Africa's largest economy, had not recorded any Ebola cases as of Friday.

The union said it was "utterly disgusted" by what it described as the government's willingness to compromise Kenya's national biosecurity in exchange for foreign aid.

"If it is too dangerous for America, it is too dangerous for Kenya," the union stated, referencing what it claimed was Washington's refusal to allow Ebola cases on to US soil.

Davji Bhimji Atellah, KMPDU's secretary general, said the union "will not sit back and watch Kenya be treated as a containment colony for a lethal pathogen that we did not generate."

The union also objected to reports suggesting that the facility could be staffed by the US officials instead of Kenyan healthcare professionals.

"We will not tolerate an apartheid healthcare model on Kenyan soil," KMPDU warned.

The medical group gave the Kenyan government a 48-hour ultimatum to disclose details of the negotiations or risk nationwide industrial action.

"Kenya is a sovereign republic, not a geopolitical isolation ward," it added.

But in a statement after meeting foreign diplomats in Nairobi on Thursday, Kenya's President William Ruto said: "We agreed on the importance of cooperation and avoiding isolationism, recognising that public health threats do not respect borders and require coordinated regional and global action.

"Kenya will continue to act transparently, responsibly, and decisively to protect lives while contributing to regional and global health security," Ruto added.

He did not, however, directly refer to the US plans to establish the Ebola treatment centre.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also spoke with Ruto on the telephone on Thursday, Rubio's spokesperson said in a statement, adding that Washington intends to provide $13.5m (£10.7 m) in aid to fund Kenya's Ebola preparedness efforts.

The amount is part of a larger $112m US commitment for the regional response to the outbreak.

Additional reporting by Natasha Booty

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

Questions over safety as 16 pupils die in another Kenya school fire

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx21kkxq81po, 3 days ago

The death of 16 students in a fire on Thursday has once again sparked concerns over the safety of Kenya's boarding schools.

The tragedy, which occured at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, about 120km (77 miles) north-west of capital city Nairobi, follows a string of deadly fires at boarding schools in recent years.

The authorities are still investigating the cause of Thursday's fire but parents of the students, along with Kenyans on social media, have been questioning how prepared boarding schools are for fires and whether dormitories meet the required safety standards.

Roughly 12 hours after the fire, several parents remained at the scene, anxiously waiting for news of their children.

"Don't you understand? I just want to know if she is dead of alive!" one frustrated man told a police officer who was guarding the school building.

In addition to the pupils who died on Thursday, 79 youngsters were injured, although most have already been discharged from hospital. More than 800 children were in the school at the time of the fire.

Kenya has had a long history of school fires - just two years ago at least 21 people died in a dormitory fire in central Kenya.

Many fires reported in boarding schools have been the result of arson, with disgruntled pupils - angry about the discipline and living conditions - accused of being responsible, while others were caused by accident.

Overcrowding in dormitories and the failure to follow safety guidelines, such as keeping exits clear and windows unlocked, have frequently been blamed for the high number of casualties.

"We trusted this school with our children. Right now we don't even know who is alive," one parent, waiting outside Utumishi on Thursday, told the BBC.

Roselyn Rakamba said she felt "traumatised" after a friend alerted her to the fire at the school, where her 14-year-old daughter studies.

Rakamba rushed there, but as she was on her way her daughter got in touch to say she was safe.

"I am happy now, but not really because some of the parents have lost their children and in this school, we are like a family," Rakamba said.

According to the police, the fire broke out around 01:00 local time (22:00 GMT Wednesday) and engulfed a dormitory block housing about 220 students.

The response teams managed to put out the fire by about 03:00.

On Thursday morning, police commander Masoud Mwinyi said that some students who had fled into nearby areas during the chaos were still being traced.

Wambui Nderitu, whose cousin is a student at the school, said family members coming to the scene were met with confusion and fear.

"When we arrived at the school we were told to queue. Most of us were so worried because we had heard some students had died and others were injured and in hospital."

She said some students were injured after jumping from the upper floor of the dormitory while trying to escape.

"Some of those at the top floor had to jump out, that's why they are injured."

Nderitu said her cousin survived the fire but suffered a broken leg. "I found her… she is fine… but she has a broken leg," she explained.

Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen, who was among the officials gathered at the school, sent his condolences to the bereaved families.

"It's a very anxious moment and even as we account for the 16 so far identified as having passed on, I want to ask the people of Kenya that together we stand with the families... in prayer, in support.

"I ask everyone to be patient and avoid speculation," he said.

Kenya's deadliest school fire occurred in 2001 when 67 students died in Machakos county, south-east of the capital, after some students set a dormitory alight.

The ministry of education's assessment of schools compliance to safety standards in 2024 found that most "had dormitories with grills on the windows, single exits and doors that opened inwards hence compromising safety of the occupants".

Congestion was also found to be common in the schools. Following the review, the ministry said it had closed "348 schools with immediate effect".

In November 2021, the ministry of education issued a response to a parliamentary committee which had requested more information on school arson and revealed that there were 126 such cases between January and November 2020.

The Reuters news agency quotes research from 2018 saying that 60 cases of arson were recorded in that year.

Additional reporting by Thomas Mukwana

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

'Gifts' from a lover and 'botched' cocaine raids: Police inquiry grips South Africa

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce9p5e1jg72o, yesterday

An investigation into alleged police corruption in South Africa has had the nation captivated - much like the second season of a successful Netflix crime drama.

What could be regarded as the first season of this real-life inquiry into allegations made by a senior officer last July - that organised crime groups had infiltrated the police and government - ran from September to December. The revelations included details of an alleged drug cartel and named those at the heart of the alleged corruption.

The "second season" of this inquiry has just wrapped up - with another interim report on the proceedings handed over to President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday.

Like the first interim report from the Madlanga Commission, it was not made public, though the contents are likely to be fairly explosive - if the public hearings are anything to go by.

Before the third and final phase gets under way next month - aka "season three" - here are some eye-catching moments from the last 64 days of hearings that saw 32 witnesses testifying.

Brazilian butt lift denial

In February, senior police officer Brig Rachel Matjeng appeared before the commission, which is named after retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga who is heading the inquiry.

She was there as she had overseen a tender awarded in 2024 to controversial businessman Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala's company Medicare24 Tshwane District, which was meant to provide health services to the police.

The contract was cancelled a year later and since then a dozen senior police officers, including Matjeng, have been formally charged over their role in awarding the contract. None of them have yet been asked to plead in court.

In her testimony to the commission, Matjeng denied receiving kickbacks from Matlala - and instead alleged that the pair were in an on-off romantic relationship that lasted until his arrest last year and that he had lavished her with gifts.

One of these presents were shots of the weight-loss drug Ozempic, which she had asked her "boyfriend" to source for her.

Matjeng said she had not been bribed with a Brazilian butt lift (BBL), as had been alleged online, telling the commission: "So, for me, from my boyfriend [Matlala], I only ask for Ozempic, unlike those that ask for BBL (sic)".

Matlala himself has yet to appear before the commission.

He was named in testimony last year from the police crime intelligence boss as one of the main figures in an alleged drug-trafficking and crime cartel, known as the Big Five, that allegedly also carried out contract killings, cross-border hijackings and kidnappings.

Matlala is currently in custody facing 25 criminal charges, among them attempted murder. He has denied all the charges against him.

It is believed that he will make a much-anticipated appearance - to respond to allegations made against him - during the final leg of the commission's hearings.

Drug heist allegations

Another key focus of the Madlanga Commission has been the handling of two major drug operations that occurred just a month apart in 2021.

One was in the south of the port city of Durban in June that year and another occurred in Johannesburg a month later.

In the first, police intercepted 541kg of cocaine, hidden in a shipping container carrying animal bone meal, worth more than 200m rand ($12m; £9m). Five months later the confiscated drugs were stolen from a poorly secured building owned by the police's elite unit, the Hawks, in what was believed to be an inside job.

Senior Hawks official Maj-Gen Hendrik Flynn detailed to the inquiry a series of missteps by officers in the lead-up to the theft.

These included a failure to collect DNA or fingerprint samples from the scene and the decision to store the drugs at a building that lacked proper security despite the availability of safer ones closer to police locations.

"I am of the view that it is no coincidence and that the sequence of events is indeed... by design," Flynn said.

Another senior Hawks official, Lt Col Nkoana Sebola, told the commission that circumstances around the second seizure - 700kg of cocaine worth an estimated $17.3m - from a warehouse in an industrial suburb in southern Johannesburg in July 2021 were also suspicious.

The drugs had been hidden inside black bags among lorry parts being imported for a well-known transport company. The container had also come in via Durban's harbour.

Sebola said he believed the first officers on the scene were carrying out a heist as they were working outside their jurisdiction.

One of them, Marumo Magane, an office-bound analytics officer with no experience in investigative work or handling drug busts, told the commission that he had been called to assist at the scene by a senior traffic officer - who was also unqualified to handle drug busts but said he had received a tip-off.

The commission heard how both officials entered the premises of a logistics company in the east of Johannesburg without a search warrant.

Accompanied by an alleged informant, Magane said they asked an employee to open the container so they could "verify the information".

But they were told to wait until the container was delivered to its final destination in southern Johannesburg, where Magane then ordered the bags of drugs be unloaded on to the back of his lorry.

Suspicious staff at that warehouse called the local police and later the Hawks investigating officer arrived on the scene.

Magane, who did not call in the police unit responsible for processing crime scenes, repeated during his testimony that he had no intention of stealing the drugs. The traffic officer is yet to appear before the commission.

But Magane did admit to a series of blunders in his handling of the scene, including tampering with exhibits and evidence and loading the drugs on to his police-issued vehicle.

Madlanga put it to Magane: "You were clueless, and you knew that you were clueless."

The hapless analytics officer replied: "That is correct, commissioner."

He and several others were arrested for their role in the botched operation, but the charges were dropped in 2022 as prosecutors saw "no prospects of success".

The inquiry also heard how the confiscated haul was taken to a forensic science laboratory to be stored and where it was discovered in February 2025 that 136kg of the cocaine had disappeared.

The reluctant witness

Alleged police informant and political fixer Oupa "Brown" Mogotsi first appeared before the inquiry in November as he is alleged to be one of the central figures who facilitated the infiltration of the police force by corrupt individuals. He denies the allegations.

Beforehand, Mogotsi, a businessman and former member of the African National Congress (ANC) party, said he had survived an assassination attempt.

"I ran for my life," he told the commission during his first appearance, saying his car had come under fire in an area east of Johannesburg. Police opened an investigation into the case and seized the vehicle.

During his November testimony he went on to make dramatic claims, which he later retracted, that Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi - the police whistleblower whose explosive allegations led to President Ramaphosa setting up the Madlanga Commission - and the Zulu king were CIA spies.

The businessman was due to return to the commission in March, but this was postponed after saying he was too ill to appear.

Justice Madlanga stated that his sick note was "useless" and Mogotsi reluctantly returned for cross-examination in May.

However, he first tried to get Matthew Chaskalson, the lawyer responsible for presenting evidence to the commission, removed for perceived bias, saying he was trying to get him to implicate another witness.

When his bid was dismissed, Mogotsi was clearly furious and refused to answer many of the questions put to him over fears he might incriminate himself.

In an ironic twist of fate, shortly after giving his testimony he was arrested by a dedicated police unit set up earlier this year to investigate referrals and evidence arising from the inquiry.

Known as the Commission's Recommendations Task Team (CRTT), it has been responsible for five high-profile arrests over the last few months, though many of them have not been directly related to evidence from the inquiry.

Mogotsi appeared in court accused of faking the attempt on his life. Despite vehement denials that he staged the hit, he faces a litany of charges related to the incident - and is currently applying for bail.

The final Madlanga Commission report is due in August - and that one is expected to be made public.

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

Ghana's parliament passes anti-LGBTQ+ bill

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yedendprko, yesterday

The parliament in Ghana has approved a new bill criminalising homosexuality and the promotion of LGBTQ+ activities.

It proposes that identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer be punished by up to three years' imprisonment. The bill also introduces a "duty to report" prohibited acts to police.

Religious leaders have pressured President John Dramani Mahama, who still needs to ratify the legislation, to strengthen anti-gay laws since he came to power last year.

The ban has been sharply criticised by international organisations, including Human Rights Watch, which said it placed LGBTQ+ peoples' lives at risk while also "encouraging citizens to surveil and denounce one another".

Same-sex relationships have been banned in Ghana under laws dating from the British colonial era.

In an address to parliament, the bill's sponsor Reverend John Ntim Fordjour said it would protect Ghanaian family and cultural values.

He said the new bans would make existing laws "more robust, more encompassing and more stringent in dealing with the practices of LGBTQI".

Anyone who identifies as an "ally", a general term for a supporter of LGBTQ+ people, could also face a prison sentence.

Exemptions were included for legal, media and healthcare professionals who report on LGBTQ+ issues or provide medical treatment or other services for gay people.

Human Rights Watch recommended the bill be abandoned in a formal submission to the constitutional and legal affairs committee scrutinising the legislation in the capital, Accra.

Ghana passed a similar bill in 2024 but it did not become law after former President Akufo-Addo failed to sign it amid legal challenges.

The current President Mahama has indicated he would support the bill's passage, saying shortly after he took office that "I believe in the principles and values that only two genders exist – man and woman - and that marriage is between a man and a woman."

Several African countries have cracked down on LGBTQ+ rights in recent years.

Senegal's parliament approved similar legislation in March prescribing a maximum prison term of 10 years for sexual acts by same-sex couples and criminalising the ''promotion'' of homosexuality.

Uganda introduced a death penalty for certain same-sex acts in 2023.

Eight students arrested in Kenya after suspected deadly school arson attack

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx21r3138m9o, yesterday

Eight students alleged to have been involved in a suspected arson attack at a Kenyan girls' school that killed 16 pupils have been arrested, police say.

The fire in the early hours of Thursday morning at the Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, about 120km (77 miles) north-west of capital city Nairobi, tore through the upper floor of a dormitory which had 135 bunk beds.

After interviews with students and staff and a forensic review of CCTV footage, eight pupils at the school were identified as "persons of interest in connection with the planning and execution" of the fire, the National Police Service said in a statement.

Investigations are continuing into the exact cause of the blaze.

Police said the students were detained for questioning after being traced to their homes and brought back to the school, while others who had remained in the area were also tracked down and detained.

The eight were among 30 students who were initially recalled to the school by detectives investigating the deadly fire.

Regarding the aftermath of the fire, Education Minister Julius Ogamba said preliminary findings indicated that there had been multiple breaches of safety measures at the school, including overcrowding in dormitories and a locked exit door.

"In particular, there was congestion in the dormitory and one exit door was locked, contrary to the prescribed safety requirements," he said.

He dissolved the school's board of management and ordered action against the headteacher.

The minister said appropriate disciplinary and legal steps would be taken against anyone found to have failed in their duties.

As investigators continued their work at the site, parents and relatives anxious for news of their loved ones were seen in tears. Security has been heightened around the school as growing crowds of people demand answers and accountability.

"I arrived at the school at 07:00 and three hours later I don't have any information," Njuki Nthimba, who is looking for his niece, told the BBC on Friday morning.

"Some officers came from the school and asked the parents to group themselves in three groups. Group one is for parents whose children have been arrested in relation to the incident, group two is parents whose children died, and group three is parents who don't know where their children are.

"I handed them my niece's name, and I am now waiting to be told information about her."

Samuel Githua came to the school to look for his sister.

"I don't know where my sister is, we've been told some children are in hospital, some in the mortuary... Our mother died when we were young, so I have taken care of her like a father and mother. She has been my child," he added.

As well as the fatalities, the fire resulted in injuries to 79 pupils - some as a consequence of jumping from the first floor.

Seven of those injured were transferred to Nairobi on Thursday for specialised medical care, while the rest have been treated and discharged.

The bodies of those who died have been taken to the nearby mortuary for preservation and DNA identification.

Kenya has had a long history of school fires - just two years ago at least 21 people died in a dormitory fire in central Kenya.

Overcrowding in dormitories and the failure to follow safety guidelines, such as keeping exits clear and windows unlocked, have frequently been blamed for the high number of casualties.

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

'Ebola has tortured us': Fear grips eastern DR Congo as deadly virus spreads

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgzj0pqpyyo, 11 days ago

Fear has gripped Ebola-hit areas in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as the suspected number of deaths continues to rise, as officials say they are struggling to catch up to an outbreak that may have previously been spreading undetected.

"Ebola has tortured us," says a taxi rider in his late twenties in the gold-mining town of Rwampara.

"I am scared because people are dying very fast... We are really afraid."

Following a visit to Ituri province, the epicentre of the outbreak, over the weekend, Congolese Health Minister Dr Samuel Roger Kamba acknowledged health teams were playing catch-up with the virus, which may have been circulating earlier than first detected on 24 April.

The presumed patient zero is a nurse who died in the provincial capital Bunia, but was buried in Mongwalu, also a gold-mining town. Most of the suspected cases and deaths have been reported there and in neighbouring Rwampara.

Rwampara resident Fred Kiza told the BBC that "there is fear", which he calls "normal when there's a disease like this."

"It would be good if they gave us masks to protect ourselves."

As of Tuesday, there were 514 suspected cases, with 136 people believed to have died from the virus, officials said. One person has also died in neighbouring Uganda.

Cases have also been identified in Butembo city and rebel-controlled Goma in North Kivu province, as well as in South Kivu province.

Health officials say that several deaths occurred in the community without being reported to the authorities, meaning they could not be investigated at the time.

According to the health ministry, formal community alerts were only registered from 8 May.

"At community level, this hasn't been effective," Dr Kamba explained. "It means someone may have died before him [the presumed index case], or someone else may have been sick before him, but no-one reported it."

He added: "We really need to look within the community to understand what happened - how people became ill and sometimes even died without any report being filed."

A virus hiding in plain sight

The outbreak has been caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. DR Congo - which is currently facing its 17th outbreak of Ebola - is more familiar with the Zaïre species.

Bundibugyo has caused only two outbreaks before - in 2007 and 2012 - where it killed around 30% of people infected.

Dr Kamba explained the symptoms: "There is heavy bleeding everywhere, very high fever. But Bundibugyo can show fewer obvious signs, which delays diagnosis because people think, 'No, this is just malaria.'"

That delay, officials say, may have allowed the virus to spread silently.

In Mongwalu, some deaths were attributed not to illness, but to witchcraft. The belief became known locally as the "coffin phenomenon" - the idea that anyone who touched the coffin of a deceased person would also die.

International charity Save the Children said the Bundibugyo strain had not been seen in Ituri before. The limited testing that was available in the province was testing for the Zaïre strain and not coming up positive.

"By the time the Bundibugyo strain was detected, it had already spread quite far. We are in a game of catch-up," its DR Congo representative Greg Ramm said in a statement.

Authorities warn that the spread of the virus into large urban centres presents serious challenges.

Despite Dr Kamba's visit to Bunia over the weekend, residents feel that progress to curb the spread of the virus has been slow.

"If there's no treatment centre here in the capital," one resident asked, "then what about other areas?"

Bunia in Ituri, and Butembo and Goma in North Kivu, are home to hundreds of thousands of people, yet none has a fully operational Ebola treatment centre five days into the declaration of the outbreak.

Residents in Goma - eastern DR Congo's biggest city - tell the BBC that basic public health measures, such as avoiding handshakes, limiting gatherings and regular handwashing, are widely ignored.

"I'm heading to the border to report on people stranded there," said José Mutanava, a local journalist. "I'm wearing a face mask, but not many people are."

Another resident, who asked not to be named, said: "Nobody can follow the barrier measures - maybe only when we see more deaths. Today in the city centre I saw only four people wearing masks."

Others say daily survival takes priority.

"It's too much to ask people struggling to eat to follow these rules," one resident said.

Eastern DR Congo is badly hit by conflict, bringing additional difficulties in dealing with the virus.

Save the Children said the Ebola outbreak was a "new massive crisis on top of an already difficult situation".

"It is in an area of conflict, an area of humanitarian crisis, with hundreds of thousands of people displaced, and healthcare systems are already severely compromised," it added.

Currently, four of the affected areas are in Ituri province: Mongwalu, the epicentre of the outbreak, as well as Bunia, Rwampara and Nyakunde.

In North Kivu, Goma is controlled by the M23 rebel group, while the province's second largest city, Butembo, is also affected by militia activity.

The US has announced $13m (£9.7m) in emergency assistance for DR Congo and Uganda and says it is considering further funding through the UN's pooled humanitarian fund, alongside travel restrictions linked to the outbreak.

An American national, Dr Peter Stafford, is among the infected after he tested positive while working at Nyakunde Hospital in Ituri.

The doctor, his wife and another colleague were treating patients when the outbreak started, Serge, the Christian missionary group they were working for, has said.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a US national was evacuated to Germany for treatment, adding that it is working to evacuate at least six other Americans who were exposed.

On Sunday, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, after confirmed cases were reported on 15 May.

For now, Congolese authorities say they are relying on hard‑learned experience, and public‑health measures, to confront what is now the country's 17th Ebola outbreak.

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

'Speed, money and compassion' - lessons from an Ebola survivor and other experts

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj3p2rdx0l8o, 8 days ago

"I saw the burial team taking eight of them," recalls Ebola survivor Patrick Faley. "They put them into a bag and carried them to the burial. I made new friends although they ended up dying. I was the only person that was left there."

This week's scenes from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where medics are scrambling to respond to an outbreak of Ebola, have brought back haunting memories for those who have lived through similar crises.

A decade ago Faley found himself on the front line of a similar situation in West Africa - the worst recorded outbreak of the disease, which killed more than 11,000 people in two years mostly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

For Faley, the memories of what he lived through, including the death of so many of his friends, raise questions about lessons that can be learned for how to handle the latest outbreak in eastern DR Congo in which the World Health Organization (WHO) says more than 170 people have died.

His story is a reminder of the horrors the virus can cause.

Faley was recruited as a community volunteer by Liberia's Ministry of Health to spread awareness about Ebola. He went from village to village to explain how the virus was spread by contact with bodily fluids and encourage people to stop things like greeting one another by shaking hands.

It also involved dispelling rumours and explaining why traditional mourning practices - such as washing the bodies of the deceased - had to be banned.

He worked within communities near his home in the north of the country - and says it was attending the funeral of a colleague who had died of the disease that changed his life as he himself forgot the advice.

"You have to shake hands; you have to hug people," he tells the BBC. "Forgetting to know that we have a crisis, an emergency crisis in our country."

Three days after the funeral, he fell sick with Ebola, finding himself turning from healthcare worker to patient and ending up in the capital, Monrovia, in an overcrowded ward, filled with the bodies of those who had died.

"We sat in the ambulance," he remembers, "and people were just dying at the front of the hospital".

Faley recovered from the infection, but his wife and son later caught the virus as well. His wife got better and made it home. Tragically, their four-year-old son Momo did not survive.

The lessons from the West African outbreak a decade ago are helping to shape the response this week to the new surge of cases in DR Congo, with funerals banned for those suspected to have been infected.

This has sparked tension in some communities, with a crowd angrily setting fire to part of a hospital on Thursday near the epicentre in the city of Bunia after being told a body would not be released for burial.

But it is essential to learn lessons from the past and to ensure affected communities are on board, says Dr Patrick Otim, WHO's area manager for Africa.

"One of the biggest lessons from the West Africa outbreak and previous Ebola outbreaks in DRC is that speed matters," he says.

"Early delays in detecting cases, isolating patients and engaging communities can allow transmission chains to expand very quickly."

Another point, he explains, is that outbreaks cannot be controlled through medical interventions alone.

"Community trust is essential. Safe and dignified burials, local leadership engagement and clear communication are just as important as laboratories and treatment centres."

This outbreak is the 17th to have emerged in DR Congo since Ebola was discovered half a century ago in 1976.

It is only the third worldwide of the rare Bundibugyo species of Ebola, which emerges less often than the more common one, known as Zaire.

And while the West African outbreak was curbed after two years, with vaccines, experts have warned Bundibugyo has no vaccine or known treatment.

"Just because a vaccine works against one particular type of a virus doesn't mean it's going to work against another one," Professor Thomas Geisbert tells me over the phone from his laboratory at the University of Texas Medical Branch in the US.

Geisbet is a leading expert on Ebola, and one of two researchers who invented the first known vaccine for the virus, known as Ervebo.

"That remains currently the only vaccine available in the global stockpile," he says.

Bundibugyo's genetic sequence is different from the Zaire species by about 30%, meaning the existing vaccines are ineffective against it.

The WHO says it could take up to nine months to find an effective vaccine - although scientists at Oxford University in the UK have just announced that they are developing one that could be ready for clinical trials within two to three months.

This is something on which Prof Geisbet has been working.

He tells the BBC how he created a similar single-injection vaccine targeting Bundibugyo, using the blueprint of the original Ervebo.

Tests on monkeys showed 83% protection from Bundibugyo, but it has yet to progress to human trials.

Geisbet warns that getting a vaccine from the laboratory to rollout, with trials and manufacturing, can cost more than $1bn (£745m).

It is an investment with "a whole bunch of zeros behind the dollars", he says - and one pharmaceutical companies have so far not seen as being profitable.

For Wallace Bulimo, biochemistry professor at Kenya's University of Nairobi, events in DR Congo underscore the need for more investment.

"Why is it that we have not actually done a lot of work on this virus?" he asks. "And yet we knew it was there.

"It was first discovered in 2007, so we should have actually never ignored it."

Faley warns those currently on the front line in eastern DR Congo that there is a risk in warning communities that the current outbreak has no known cure.

"If you're going to tell the community that listens to the radio that Ebola has no cure," he says, people who fall sick will not bother to seek medical help.

"[For them] going to the treatment unit [means] they're just going to die, because there's no treatment."

These mistakes, he argues, could lead to stigma and discouragement within local communities as they feel helpless.

Another lesson he draws from his own experience in Liberia is the rush of foreign organisations to help on the ground.

This week tonnes of aid have been shipped to Ituri, the province in eastern DR Congo at the epicentre of the outbreak, with medical organisations and UN agencies making plans to deploy teams to support local medics.

"A lot of foreigners trooping into their community brings fears," says Faley.

"In Liberia, during the initial stages people were still in denial and left their community because of the influx of NGOs."

Outside organisations, including the WHO, have been clear it is the Congolese government itself that is leading on the response, which is in a historically insecure area where armed groups have operated for years.

"The DRC has some of the most experienced Ebola responders in the world," says Otim.

"Over the past decade, the country has managed multiple Ebola outbreaks and built strong expertise in surveillance, laboratory systems, case management, infection prevention and control, vaccination strategies and outbreak co-ordination."

For him, the challenge is not a lack of experience.

"The challenge is the operational environment, including insecurity, displacement, limited infrastructure and intense population movement, which make outbreak control far more complex."

The immediate goal is to contain the virus before it can spread further - with experts warning that missed chances to spot the outbreak sooner could mean the outbreak is already far bigger than is known.

There are few reasons for optimism, but scientists do point out that Bundibugyo's fatality rate, of 30%, is lower than for other Ebola species.

"On one hand," says Prof Geisbet, "it's good that the mortality rate, historically, for Bundibugyo has been lower."

"But the incubation period," he warns, "could be longer. That means you have people that are out in the community that could be infected being able to expose other people for a longer period of time, so that could be a challenge."

The first known case was a nurse who developed symptoms on 24 April - it took three weeks to confirm the outbreak.

However, Geisbet says it is encouraging to hear that the WHO will be prioritising the use of the experimental anti-viral drug obeldesivir, under strict protocols.

This was developed during the Covid pandemic and WHO scientists hope that if given to those who have come into contact with Ebola patients it will prevent infection.

Faley is keen to tell those in DR Congo that although difficult times may lie ahead, communities can recover from the horrors of Ebola.

"Our arms are open as Liberians," he says. "Our arms are open in order to help our colleagues who will be surviving, to give them a proper perspective, what it means to survive Ebola.

"I will always be here to advocate for survival."

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

Morocco wants tourists to visit Western Sahara. Some say it's tightening its control

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgldqk4w95o, 6 days ago

Back in March, an email landed in my inbox from Irish airline Ryanair asking me if I was ready for my "next Moroccan adventure".

Sprawling along a windswept peninsula where the Sahara meets the Atlantic, the city of Dakhla certainly looked attractive.

I would have to make my way to Madrid first, but from the Spanish capital return flights to Dakhla start from just €30 (£26).

There are dozens of accommodation options too, from hostels to brand new luxury getaways advertising the area as Morocco's hidden gem.

But, despite what the adverts and websites say, any tourist making the trip would be landing in one of the world's longest ongoing territorial disputes.

That is because Dakhla is in Western Sahara, an area which the United Nations classifies as a "non-self-governing territory". By this it means that the local population isn't able to govern itself.

Instead, some 80% of Western Sahara is occupied and administered by Morocco, its northern neighbour. Morocco considers Western Sahara to be part of its sovereign territory, calling it its "southern provinces".

The UN has consistently pushed for a solution to the 50-year dispute, including a referendum, but the indigenous people of the area have never been able to vote for their own future.

Rights groups and legal experts tell the BBC that marketing and labelling Western Sahara as part of Morocco raises serious concerns from an international law perspective, and promotes the legitimisation of Morocco's occupation.

The Moroccan government has not responded to a request for a comment.

Visitor numbers to Morocco-controlled Western Sahara have risen by more than 50% over the past seven years, data from the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism shows. They jumped from 490,297 in 2019 to 743,133 in 2025.

The boom is being fuelled by expanding air links. Alongside Morocco's national carrier Royal Air Maroc, airlines including Ryanair, Transavia France and Binter Canarias now operate direct routes from Madrid, Paris and the Canary Islands respectively.

Tom Ruck, 29, is one UK tourist who recently flew to Dakhla from Madrid with Ryanair.

"You've got quite a lot of resorts being built, however they were very, very empty," he says.

Ruck adds that there were "a few other tourists knocking about for a summer family holiday kind of thing", but that it "definitely felt like it was in its infancy".

He got a Moroccan stamp in his passport, and says that Morocco's flag flies across the city.

It comes as the Moroccan government has invested heavily in developing tourism in Western Sahara in recent years. This has attracted the airlines, with both Ryanair and Transavia France listing destinations within Western Sahara as being part of Morocco.

Transavia France tells the BBC the firm "operates flights to Dakhla in accordance with the authorisations received from the authorities". Ryanair has not responded to a request for comment.

However, Binter Canarias, the flag carrier of Spain's autonomous Canary Islands bucks the trend, calling the area Western Sahara. It operates flights to Dakhla as well as the territory's biggest city, Laayoune.

Erik Hagen, of the campaign group Western Sahara Resource Watch, says airlines referring to the territory as Morocco is both concerning and misleading.

"When companies market destinations there as Moroccan, they risk contributing to a distortion of international law and public understanding." He adds that this raises "serious questions about corporate responsibility and due diligence in politically sensitive and illegally occupied territories".

When you search for a place to stay in Western Sahara on three of the biggest international booking sites, Expedia, Booking.com and Trivago, they also call the location of the hotels as being in Morocco.

A spokesperson for Booking.com says: "If a particular region can be categorized as disputed or impacted by conflict, we add information to our platform to help ensure that travellers can make a well-informed choice."

It said this is done by "advising them to consult their government's official travel advisories as part of their decision-making process. Our approach is consistent globally."

Expedia declined to comment, and Trivago has been approached for a statement.

Dr Andrea Maria Pelliconi, an expert in international human rights law at the University of Southampton, says airlines and booking sites "should distinguish Western Sahara as a territory with a different status from Morocco".

She adds: "It's possible that companies that fail to make this distinction will face litigation not only for violating international law and the Sahrawis' [the indigenous people's] right to self-determination, but also for issues relating to consumer protection and related information rights, and fair competition rules under EU law."

Pressure from campaign groups has led to some change. Last year, Airbnb stopped referring to listings in Western Sahara as being in Morocco.

Western Sahara was a Spanish colony from 1884 to 1976. When Spain pulled out Morocco claimed the territory.

An armed conflict soon broke out between Morocco and Sahrawis fighters who formed the Polisario Front, demanding an independent Western Sahara.

A ceasefire brokered by the UN in 1991 included plans for a referendum on self-determination, but the vote has never taken place. Today, the Polisario Front controls a narrow eastern strip of the country.

The Polisario Front's representative to the UK and Ireland, Sidi Breika, says tourism is being used to impose a "fait accompli" to Morocco's claim. He adds that most tourists visiting "are not well informed about the whole issue".

"All projects being carried out in the territory under illegal occupation violate the inalienable right of Saharawi people to self-determination and independence, clearly recognized by the UN."

Breika adds that Polisario was watching Ryanair "closely" and considering legal action.

In October, the UN Security Council voted in favour of prioritising Morocco's plan to make Western Sahara an autonomous region as the most likely way forward. It also extended the presence of the UN peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara for another 12 months.

The motion was led by the US, who under President Trump in 2020, agreed to recognise Morocco's claim over Western Sahara in return for Morocco recognising Israel.

Despite these developments, the international legal position still stresses the need for a mutually-agreed political solution under UN supervision. The Polisario Front has also repeatedly rejected the autonomy proposal.

Breika remains defiant: "We hope Morocco understands that investing in tourism or any other economical projects does not replace the will of Sahrawis people and its inalienable right to decide its future."

East Africa wants to curb imports of used clothes. But it's not easy

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2l2k5pxrgdo, 7 days ago

Not even heavy rain can keep shoppers away from Gikomba, a lively Kenyan market that stands as the largest open-air trading hub in East Africa.

Sections of the site were waterlogged on the day the BBC visited, yet shoppers, some wearing rubber boots, still inched their way through the congested pathways, hunting for Gikomba's speciality - second-hand clothing.

The trade in garments imported from the US, Europe and China poses a perennial problem for the East African Community (EAC), a regional bloc of which Kenya is a member. How can the region build a thriving fashion industry when it is saturated with cheap cast-offs?

"We're competing with second-hand clothing, but we can't compete on price," Zia Bett, founder of Kenyan womenswear brand Zia Africa, tells the BBC.

Elizabeth Paul, who owns Kuya Creations in Tanzania's main city of Dar es Salaam, agrees: "In my shop, the minimum price of a dress is 50,000 Tanzanian shillings (£14.50; $19.20). People tell me: 'For 50,000 I can get 10 second-hand dresses, so let me buy those.'"

A decade ago, the EAC decried the influx of second-hand clothing and was primed to impose a ban across its member states. After some strong-arming from the US, the proposal fell apart but now the debate has resurfaced.

Uganda, a country whose president once criticised second-hand clothing as coming from white "dead people", has introduced an additional 30% tax on imports in an effort to boost the local garment industry and protect the environment.

Days later, the treasury in neighbouring Kenya attempted to change the way it taxed used clothing, saying its proposed system would simplify things for importers. But following a backlash from Kenyans worried that this would lead to price rises, the proposal was swiftly dropped from the Finance Bill.

In a bid to support homegrown clothing manufacturers, Kenya already applies a 30% customs duty to imports of used clothing - 5% more than it costs to ship in new clothes.

According to trade data platform the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), Kenya is currently Africa's leading importer of second-hand clothing or "mitumba" as they are known in Swahili.

The mitumba-loving nation received almost 180,000 tonnes of used clothing in 2022 - a 76% increase on the amount imported in 2013, UN trade data shows.

In neighbouring Uganda, second-hand clothes are the most sought-after garments, followed by imported new clothing and, lastly, locally manufactured clothing, the government-funded Economic Policy Research Centre found in 2024.

The new 30% environmental levy on used clothing comes on top of an existing 35% import duty and 18% VAT.

"The levy of 30% on worn clothing is intended to mitigate environmental degradation while promoting domestic production," the bill says, according to local news outlet the Kampala Report.

The announcement did not go down well with Ugandan mitumba traders such as Aaron Sekky.

"I don't agree with this, because this has to be a free economy," he tells the BBC.

The second-hand trade "is supporting so many people", Sekky adds - a common argument among proponents of the industry. The supply chain goes beyond retailers like Sekky and includes importers, wholesalers, tailors who mend damaged mitumba and those who sell food and drink at the markets.

There is no official data on how many people work in the industry but according to research commissioned by the Mitumba Consortium Association of Kenya (MCAK), up to 4.9 million people across East Africa rely on the used clothing trade for work.

But critics believe the employment argument is superficial.

"Retail is the most limited form of job creation you can have in an economic sector, versus production, marketing and distribution," says Dr Andrew Brooks, a King's College London academic who wrote Clothing Poverty: The Hidden World of Fast Fashion and Second-hand Clothes.

"If you're just importing things and selling things, you're doing very, very little to contribute to your nation's economy."

Likewise, Lisa Kibutu, a Kenya Fashion Council board member, says many jobs involving mitumba are "hand-to-mouth" roles that do not allow for growth and social mobility.

However, she also believes used clothing provides an important service in Kenya.

"When I left Kenya in the 80s, you would see poor people without clothing. Right now even the poorest person has decent clothing," Kibutu, who previously worked in the US for designers like Giorgio Armani and Eileen Fisher, tells me.

Affordability is a huge selling point, but nowadays mitumba is no longer reserved for the poorest customers.

Najma Issa, 40, tells the BBC while shopping at Ilala market, a second-hand clothing hub in Dar es Salaam: "Most of the clothes have good quality... they last long."

Twenty-two-year-old Juma Awadh agrees: "I buy second-hand clothes because of quality and they look unique."

Even though Tanzania levies a 35% import tax on used clothes, Ilala is still overflowing with customers looking for cheap clothes. This bustling scene is one the EAC once hoped would cease to exist.

In 2015, the then-six EAC members - Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda - announced they would all place extremely high tariffs on - and eventually ban - the import of mitumba.

But the US, a major exporter of second-hand clothing, said such moves would violate free trade agreements and threatened to remove the EAC countries from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa).

This allows several sub-Saharan African nations to export thousands of goods duty-free to the US.

Following the US ultimatum, all EAC members except Rwanda pulled their support for the ban. Rwanda stood firm, prompting the US to place tariffs of 30% on imports Rwandan clothing, where there had previously been none.

Rwanda insists that the country has benefitted from hiking its second-hand clothing taxes from $0.20 (£0.15) to $2.50 (£1.90) per kg in 2016.

The trade ministry says that in the two years before the increase, used clothes made up 26% to 32% of garment and textile imports. In the following two years, this share dropped to between 2% and 7%, while an increase in garment exports suggests that the local industry is growing, the authorities say.

But there still appears to be a demand for mitumba smuggled in from its neighbours - the police regularly post pictures of impounded bales on social media.

Environmentalists point out that a large share of second-hand clothing sent to developing countries is of such low quality that it ends up going straight to landfill. In 2023, the non-profit Changing Markets Foundation estimated that this was true of more than one in three items of used clothing shipped to Kenya.

"There is no infrastructure to dispose of these massive amounts of textile waste, and official dump sites have been overflowing for years," environmental organisation Greenpeace says.

But Teresia Wairimu Njenga, MCAK's chairperson, argues that mitumba sellers are in fact "the champions of preservation of our environment".

"Can you imagine what would happen to Kenya if we are manufacturing 198,000 tonnes [of new clothes] per year?"

Yet second-hand clothing imports across the world could soon face even higher taxes. Signatories of the Basel Convention, a global waste treaty, are currently deciding whether used garments - an increasing amount of which are made from plastic fibres - should also be classified as waste.

Sceptics like Joel Okalany, a Ugandan designer whose brand Ekikumba Fusion upcycles used clothing into statement pieces, argues that East Africa is not prepared for the end of mitumba.

"The reality is, we are not yet ready for our own manufacturing to take off," he tells the BBC.

"In farming, the person who uses a tractor is more efficient than the person who uses the horse. In the tailoring industry, we are still at the level where we are using the horse."

Even the Rwandan authorities appear to have come to a similar conclusion - in a report published in 2022, the country's trade ministry said it was holding off on implementing a total ban on used garments because of "current domestic gaps in the production of textiles and apparels".

Rwanda's crackdown on used clothing provides another lesson for its EAC neighbours - restricting mitumba imports will have a limited impact on the local clothing industry if the influx of cheap, new garments from countries such as China and Turkey is not controlled too.

As the supply of mitumba dwindled in Rwanda, many customers started buying imported fast fashion.

In fact across the region mitumba traders and local clothing manufacturers say cheap clothing from China is the real danger as it encroaches on both their markets.

"They'll get something that is a copy from the runway or from a designer brand and sell it at a ridiculous price," Kenyan designer Zia Bett says – though she remains optimistic.

"We need to… focus on storytelling and content and quality. I think what the question should be now is: 'How do we build brands that people choose - and not just afford?'"

For Njenga, both second-hand clothing and locally manufactured garments have their place.

"We should allow them to coexist," the MCAK chairperson says. "Let's not kill mitumba - give the consumer power of choice."

Additional reporting by Alfred Lasteck in Dar es Salaam and Wycliffe Muia in Nairobi

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

UK scientists developing Ebola vaccine that could be ready for trials in months

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy82gkr7xzlo, 9 days ago

Scientists at Oxford University are developing a new vaccine that could be ready for clinical trials within two to three months to help tackle the Ebola emergency.

The outbreak, centred on the Democratic Republic of Congo, has resulted in 750 suspected cases and 177 deaths.

The rare species of Ebola, known as Bundibugyo, for which there is no proven vaccine, kills around a third of those infected.

There are no guarantees the vaccine will prove effective and it will take animal research and trials on people to know if it will be.

But scientists say they are working urgently in case the outbreak spirals and their experimental vaccine is needed.

The risk from the current Ebola outbreak has now been upgraded from "high" to "very high" in the Democratic Republic of Congo, by the World Health Organization (WHO).

In the wider region the risk is also now considered to be high but it remains low internationally, it added.

This comes after the WHO declared a public health emergency of international concern on Sunday, when it stressed that the outbreak was not a pandemic.

Another separate experimental Bundibugyo vaccine is also in development, but it is expected to take six to nine months for any dose of that to be ready for testing.

The vaccine being developed by UK scientists uses the same technology the team developed during the Covid pandemic.

It is a highly adjustable technology - known as ChAdOx1 - that can be quickly tweaked so it works against different infections.

During the pandemic it was loaded with genetic code from the Covid-virus.

This time it has been prepared with genetic code from the Bundibugyo species of Ebola.

It uses a common cold virus that normally infects chimpanzees but has been genetically engineered to make it safe for people.

Researchers use this modified cold virus to carry and deliver important genetic material about the Bundibugyo Ebola virus to cells, instructing them to recognise and fight off the actual disease.

The vaccine does not cause an infection or Ebola symptoms, but trains the immune system to give protection.

The WHO said earlier this week that there was no animal data yet to support the effectiveness of this particular vaccine.

"It is possible that doses of that could be available for clinical trial in two to three months, but there is a lot of uncertainty," a spokesman added, saying it would depend on animal trials as to whether it could be considered "a promising candidate research vaccine" for Bundibugyo.

The BBC understands that animal testing is now under way in Oxford.

The Serum Institute of India is lined up to mass produce the Ebola vaccine once Oxford can supply medical-grade material.

Prof Lambe, the Calleva Head of Vaccine Immunology at the Oxford Vaccine Group, told BBC News: "Once we get starting material to them they can go fast and they can go big."

The WHO says the vaccine could be available for use in clinical trials in two to three months.

Lambe says speed is a priority: "People are worried about this outbreak, generally, you prepare for the worst case scenario - hopefully contact tracing and quarantine is all that's needed, but we can't take our foot off the gas."

This current Ebola outbreak is challenging because it is caused by a rare species of the virus.

There are six species of Ebola virus, but only three cause large outbreaks in people.

Bundibugyo has only caused two previous outbreaks - in Uganda in 2007 and DR Congo in 2012 - and has not been seen for over a decade.

There is an Ebola vaccine for the more common Zaire species of Ebola, but there is no proven vaccine for Bundibugyo.

Ebola vaccines would not be used en mass in the same way as during the Covid pandemic.

Instead, they are used in a technique called ring vaccination - where only the people most likely to get infected are immunised, including the close contacts of cases of Ebola as well as healthcare workers who are treating sick patients who can be very infectious.

The Oxford research team had already been working on similar vaccines for the Sudan species of Ebola virus and Marburg virus.

From escaping child marriage 'to an old pervert' to becoming Sierra Leone's first lady

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgzpz7zyd4o, 13 days ago

It takes Fatima Bio only a moment to respond when we ask what it was like to be an asylum seeker in London.

"Better than being married to an old pervert," she says deadpan, before laughing - a reference to her father's plans to marry her off as a teenager.

A lot has changed since then. In the years that followed, she became an actress, then met a man in London when she was interviewing him about influential Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora and married him. He was Julius Bio - and he is now Sierra Leone's president.

As the country's first lady, Fatima Bio is seen as a compelling yet divisive figure - some young people see her as a refreshing voice in politics, who speaks up for women and girls, while others say she has overstepped her remit and that she is too vocal and too involved in the running of her husband's party.

She has been booed and jeered at by MPs and criticised over a video that she shared on her social media channels featuring a notorious drugs dealer, whom she denies knowing.

She quickly stops laughing and composes herself to tell us the story that inspired her to champion a law banning child marriage in Sierra Leone, which came into effect in 2024.

She was almost a child bride herself. By the time she turned 13, her father, a diamond miner from Kano district, had arranged her marriage to a man in his 30s, whom she had known as an uncle figure since she was a little girl.

"There was no discussion. It was decided," she says.

But just before the wedding, when she turned 16 in 1996, Sierra Leone's civil war caused enough distraction to allow her to escape with the help of relatives and seek asylum in the UK.

Fatima Bio landed in London on Christmas Eve at Gatwick Airport wearing a T-shirt, she says, shocked by the cold, but relieved to have the opportunity of a new life. She moved in with a distant relative.

"England was my amazing grace. I went to England, I got my voice," the first lady adds. "I got my independence, and then I was able to fight for myself. And now I can fight for as many young people as possible."

Something else she gained in the UK was a council flat in Southwark in central London, a home she still keeps today where her children live.

As a form of social housing, council homes are usually cheaper to rent than private accommodation and applicants have to meet certain criteria.

The fact that a sitting first lady, who lives in a presidential mansion in the capital, Freetown, retains a tenancy has drawn criticism in both the British and Sierra Leonean press.

With more than 18,000 people on the borough's waiting list for housing, the council's website says that "even people in the greatest need can face several years' wait".

But it is a situation she defends. "My children are all British citizens," she says. "I'm paying for my council house myself. I have not committed any crime."

In a statement, Southwark council told the BBC that it does not comment on individual tenancies but "if there is doubt that tenants are meeting the obligations in their tenancy agreement, we carry out regular checks and investigations to determine that those obligations are being met" .

We are at the family's farm, around an hour's drive from the Presidential Lodge in Freetown, where she usually lives with her husband. Julius Bio, a former soldier, became president in 2018 and was re-elected in 2023.

Here at the farm, the first lady seems far more at ease than at the formal functions we had previously followed her to. Wearing jeans and an Arsenal football shirt, she takes us for a walk to see her many animals, including chickens, cattle and goats.

It is this accessible, aspirational image - a fresh face for Sierra Leone, where international narratives have long centred on child soldiers, British colonial rule and blood diamonds - that has won her millions of likes on social media. She posts regularly, often dancing and engaging directly with her followers.

She addresses taboo topics such as period poverty. Sierra Leone has no national policy guaranteeing free sanitary products in schools - unlike Kenya, Botswana, South Africa and Zambia.

Groups, including the United Nations children's charity Unicef, have said that girls in Sierra Leone often miss school during their periods for fear of dirtying their uniform.

"Girls were missing at least 80 days of school a year because of menstruation," says Bio. "If you miss 80 days of the school year, it is almost like missing an entire term. They are still not getting the equality they deserve. That's why I regularly visit areas to distribute free sanitary towels. I want girls to get the education so they can be at the table, making decisions for themselves."

While this has won her supporters, and saw her elected head of the Organization of African First Ladies for Development (Oaflad), many believe she is overstepping a role that is traditionally considered largely ceremonial.

She is an active member of the ruling SLPP party, openly championing her favoured politicians, and speaks at campaign rallies even when her husband is not present. She has also issued video statements on her own social media channels challenging politicians (including those in her own party) and the Speaker of the Parliament.

During the State Opening of Parliament on 7 August 2025, Fatima Bio was booed by some MPs. Local media reported that they sang a derogatory song about sex workers. She responded by putting on her earphones and listening to music.

The first lady insists that the jeering did not upset her.

"It just shows that not all men are educated," she says. "Not all men believe in women's empowerment and women's equality.

"I have been an activist for far too long to be a calendar wife," she says, explaining she does more than organise the family diary.

"I listen to the people and I bring it to the government. I listen to the government and I take it to the people. So that's how we work."

Over the days we spend with her, Fatima Bio says she wants to refresh the image of her country.

When we attend a graduation ceremony at the slick and freshly painted Choithram International School, where she is the keynote speaker, girls stop to chat with her as they collect their diplomas. She points out that the first girls' high school in sub-Saharan Africa was built in the country, and describes Sierra Leone as a place marked by religious tolerance.

Like 77% of Sierra Leone's population, Bio is Muslim. Her husband, however, is part of the 21% who are Christian. She tells us the couple attend both mosque and church services.

It was after a church service that she received some of her most intense criticism.

In January 2025, Reuters news agency reported that Jos Leijdekkers, also known as "Chubby Jos", one of Europe's most wanted drug dealers, had allegedly appeared on a video posted on First Lady Fatima Bio's social media channels.

The footage allegedly shows Leijdekkers, 34, standing a few rows behind the first lady and the president at the church service.

Leijdekkers has been sentenced in absentia to 24 years in prison by a Rotterdam court for smuggling cocaine into the Netherlands. West African countries are often used as a route for the trafficking of drugs from Latin America to Europe.

The BBC has not independently verified the video, which has now been deleted.

When asked by the BBC how one of Europe's most wanted drug kingpins was able to get close to the first family of Sierra Leone, she denies knowing him.

"I wouldn't know because I'm not a criminal," she says. "I don't bring people into church. I'm not a Christian. I'm a Muslim. So I don't know who was in that church. You don't talk about what you don't know."

She also denies rumours that Leijdekkers allegedly has a child with her step-daughter, the president's daughter from a former relationship.

"These are all the lies I am not going to validate," she says.

Analysts say that most people in Sierra Leone are more concerned with the daily struggle to make ends meet, than with thinking about Leijdekkers.

Ever since British geologists extracted diamonds in the 1930s, the country's mineral wealth has rarely reached ordinary people.

A brutal civil war from 1991 to 2002, fuelled in part by the diamond trade and backed by Charles Taylor's forces in neighbouring Liberia, killed tens of thousands and forced millions more to flee their homes.

Recovery has been repeatedly set back - by the 2014 Ebola epidemic, Covid-19, and rising fuel and food prices after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

In 2022, protests over the cost of living broke out in Freetown and at least 20 civilians and six police officers were killed.

Against that backdrop, where daily economic pressures dominate public attention, other criticism of the first lady's own wealth has surfaced, including over several properties. She refuses to be drawn when asked if her family occupy mansions in The Gambia, and how they were paid for.

"I don't have to deny it. I don't have to acknowledge it. When they come out with the proof that what they're saying is the reality, then we'll have a conversation."

It's this confidence that has many political analysts in Sierra Leone and beyond wondering if Bio is setting the stage to one day run for presidency herself - perhaps when her husband's term runs out in 2028 as he is not eligible to run again.

He too has faced controversy, including criticism over his management of the economy and questions about transparency in the 2023 election. The electoral body insisted mechanisms had been in place to ensure a fair vote.

"I'm not hungry to be president," says First Lady Fatima Bio. "It'll have to be the will of God. I'm a very fervent believer that when God wants something, he does it… If it is what God wants, no man can stop it."

Watch the full film Fatima Bio: Being First Lady on BBC News Africa's YouTube channel

* This is part of the Global Women series from the BBC World Service, sharing untold and important stories from around the globe

Ebola-hit DR Congo faces 'catastrophic collision' of disease and conflict, WHO warns

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxpdex062yo, 3 days ago

Ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo is hampering the Ebola outbreak response, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Ituri province in the east of the country was at the centre of a "catastrophic collision of disease and conflict".

In a statement posted on X, Tedros said the WHO could not "build community trust or isolate the sick while bombs are falling". He is due to travel to DR Congo this week to spearhead efforts to contain the virus.

Meanwhile Uganda has announced it is temporarily closing its border with DR Congo. There have been 220 suspected deaths since the outbreak was declared.

Aid workers have been struggling as travel is difficult because of poor road conditions while conflict and mass displacement have also weakened the health system - as have international aid cuts.

Ituri, where most of the cases have been reported, has been under military rule since 2021, when the civilian authority was replaced by a military general in an attempt to neutralise dozens of armed groups that operate there.

Tedros said stopping transmission in the region "depends entirely on humanitarian access".

"Yet ongoing clashes are driving mass displacement, pushing exposed contacts into overcrowded camps and severing critical containment corridors," he added.

"Frontline workers are risking everything, while attacks on health facilities make tracking cases and their contacts nearly impossible."

He called on all parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire to allow medical teams safe access.

Concerns over the possible spread of the Ebola outbreak have spurred more countries into imposing strict travel restrictions.

On Wednesday, Uganda said its border closure would take effect immediately. Only essential workers - including medical and humanitarian workers, food transporters and security personnel - would be allowed to cross under strict conditions.

Canada has announced a 90-day entry ban for residents from DR Congo and neighbouring Uganda and South Sudan. The Bahamas also imposed strict rules meaning foreign nationals from those countries face quarantine or isolation measures.

Last week the US banned non-citizens who had travelled to any of the three countries from entering.

The Congolese health authorities say around 1,000 people are currently showing symptoms consistent with Ebola.

The DR Congo country director for the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has told the BBC it will take several weeks to get proper infrastructure in place to contain the outbreak.

This outbreak is a rare strain of Ebola, known as Bundibugyo, for which there are no vaccines or medicines.

DR Congo health authorities have been struggling to confirm cases of the 220 deaths. Only 17 people so far have been confirmed by lab tests as having died from the disease.

Medics are also facing a race against time to trace 3,600 people identified as contacts of the infected group.

Some 2,000 tests have been distributed, with a further 4,000 due to be sent out. Experimental treatments - including an antibody developed in the US - could also be introduced soon.

Ewald Stals, MSF director in DR Congo, said the group and other charities were working to get medical supplies and workers in to the epicentre of the crisis but insecurity and poor transport links in Ituri province made it difficult.

"We're still far behind having a control on the situation," he told the BBC. "We still do not have a full picture of what is happening, and that is mainly due to insufficient testing.

"As long as that is the case, we can say that the virus is still ahead of us."

On Wednesday morning the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said it would be increasing its presence on the ground.

The ECDC said more of its experts would be deployed via the EU Health Task Force.

Additional reporting by Emery Makumeno in Kinshasa and Barbara Plett Usher in Nairobi

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

First Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa over immigration protests land in Accra

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy0269pwxg3o, 4 days ago

A flight carrying nearly 300 Ghanaians, repatriated from South Africa amid fears there could be a resurgence of xenophobic violence there, has landed in Ghana's capital city, Accra.

Ghana's government chartered a flight from Johannesburg following a wave of protests against illegal immigration in South Africa.

Further departures are expected in the coming days - roughly 800 Ghanaians registered for repatriation.

The country's foreign minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, joined other officials at the airport in Accra on Wednesday in order to welcome the first set of arrivals.

A total of 297 Ghanaian citizens arrived on Wednesday, Ghana's High Commissioner in South Africa, Benjamin Quashie told the BBC.

He added that a mother and her two children were not permitted to leave as she did not have the children's birth certificates.

But the Border Management Authority said the the two minors were "understood to belong to [the woman's] sister" and she did not have documents to prove her relationship or consent from "the alleged sister".

Few of the departing passengers wanted to speak to journalists in Johannesburg but Rudolph, who has lived in South Africa for 10 years and runs a salon, told the BBC he was leaving because of the recent protests.

"It's not comfortable for us to stay here anymore, so we have to go. I think we will find peace at home," he said.

There are an estimated 25,000 Ghanaians living in South Africa.

Demonstrators say illegal migrants are putting pressure on public services and have asked the South African government to do more to stop it.

The demonstrations have been organised by a group called March and March, which describes itself as a citizen-led movement for immigration reform.

It has set a 30 June deadline for illegal immigrants to leave the country.

Rudolph worries that deadline could lead to violence.

"The protests started in Durban, and they've escalated to other provinces. So definitely something bad could happen," he said, adding that he would never return to South Africa.

Quashie told the BBC his government had a duty to ensure the safety of its citizens.

"The Ghanaian government listened to the plight of its citizens in South Africa, who felt that their lives were in danger, who felt like the economic activity that they were engaging in had come to a standstill, who felt unwelcome in this country," he said.

"It is the responsibility of every government to ensure that its citizens are taken care of both home and abroad."

When asked what they were doing to ensure illegal migrants from Ghana did not come to South Africa, he said they had a reintegration strategy in place for those returning.

"The government is willing to establish them into whatever business they were doing in South Africa. In a way, we're also helping the South African economy, because it's clear that some of them are undocumented," the diplomat said.

"So taking them out of here will let them know that we are not people who condone undocumented people in countries."

The South African authorities said that on inspection of documents most of the returnees "were found to have overstayed with more than 30 days whilst some overstayed by a year or more". Quashie though disputed this saying that 80% of the those who flew back to Ghana had legal status in South Africa.

Some analysts have suggested the resurgence of anti-migrant sentiment in South Africa could be linked to local elections scheduled for November.

In 2019, at least 12 people were killed and in 2008, 62 foreign nationals died in attacks on foreigners across the country.

But the organisers of recent protests have said they have been peaceful.

Earlier this month, the South African government condemned criminal acts directed at foreigners, whilst conceding the country needed to deal with illegal immigration.

In recent days, scores of foreigners have been camping outside South Africa's home affairs department in Durban, saying they fear for their lives.

The group of more than 300 immigrants first sought refuge at the local police station but were moved to another location before ending up outside the office that deals with refugees and asylum seekers.

A Congolese national told local online publication IOL News they were "asking for protection".

"We are being told repeatedly that on 30 June, we will be killed and that no foreigner will remain in South Africa," the woman said.

Additional reporting by Khanyisile Ngcobo in Johannesburg

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

After decades risking arrest, South Korea's tattoo artists step into the limelight

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg4pwdn6130o, yesterday

When Kim Tae-nam took the stage last Saturday in Seoul, it was a moment he had long been waiting for - the career he had chosen was no longer illegal.

He couldn't stop smiling, the relief spilling into his voice: "This was only possible because of our effort, all your sweat and tears. Let's hear it from everyone: Tattoos are art!"

The crowd hollered in agreement. They had gathered on a rooftop in Seongsu, a hip Seoul neighbourhood, for Ink Bomb: more than 90 local tattooists and artists openly celebrating body art, which had thrived in the shadows for decades.

Just days before, South Korea's top court had overturned its 1992 ruling that defined tattooing as a medical act - bringing to an end Korean tattooists' decades-long fight for legitimacy.

In September lawmakers had legalised tattooing by non-medical professionals following a sustained artists' campaign against the fear and harassment they faced.

For 34 years, only licensed doctors were allowed to ink tattoos in Korea and breaking the law could lead to heavy fines or jail.

It was meant to address concerns about hygiene and safety, but the law also played into social norms in a conservative country where body art is still deeply frowned upon. And it didn't help that public perception continued to associate tattoos with gangsters and organised crime.

"We've come a long way," says Kim. When he started tattooing in 2004, he used the pseudonym Sunrat Tattoo, and ran his first studio out of a basement. There was no sign and it was strictly invite-only.

When he launched Ink Bomb in 2008, he says every event was shut down by police: "We had to stop because they threatened to arrest or charge us. We're back this year for the first time since 2014, and it's incredible that we can now gather without any fear."

It was an eclectic crowd, from tattoo artists to punk rockers to parents with their teen children. There were no actual tattoos on offer, given inking one requires time and space, but visitors could get stickers by artists for free.

For many of those who were there, this was simply a long-overdue celebration.

"It makes no sense that tattooing should be seen as a medical act. Nobody is going to medical school to become a tattooist," says Jay Hur, a 48-year-old who counts a turtle on his forearm among his tattoos.

"Korean tattooists had to take risks to do their job to sustain this beautiful underground culture."

It's hard to know how many tattooists have been prosecuted, but South Korea's Tattoo Union has said it provided legal support to at least 50 of them every year, and estimated that many more were fined.

And yet, the profession grew to about 350,000, according to government figures from 2021.

Tattooist Kali says she was "ecstatic" when she learned of the court's decision last week. While she herself was never reported, seeing people in her community being charged and tried made her hypervigilant.

"I was constantly working with anxiety. It still feels surreal to me that I no longer have to worry about this."

The ban also put artists in vulnerable positions, exposing them to blackmailing, sexual harassment or violence from disgruntled clients who threatened to report their business.

According to the Tattoo Union, the vast majority of victims were young women tattooists who feared reporting it to police because they could incriminate themselves in the process.

Kim Do-yoon, who founded the Tattoo Union and goes by his pseudonym Doy, says that because of "such horrible [legal] struggles" some of the women killed themselves.

"The shock from these losses is what moved me to found the union and fight for our right to work safely and legally in Korea."

Public attitudes began to shift with time as younger Koreans accepted and even explored tattoos.

Starting in the 2010s, more tattooists began operating studios openly - with glass windows and visible signage.

Although banned at home, Korean tattooing took off globally.

These delicately drawn, soft, and sometimes colourful, Korean illustrations grabbed the spotlight in the mid-2010s as artists increasingly shared their work on social media. Fine-line tattoos can now be found everywhere, but Korean artists are still known for them.

The new range of tattoos that emerged over the past decade helped lower the barrier, tattooists say.

And celebrities, from sportspeople to actors to pop stars, began to normalise it as they showed off their body art more publicly: Girl's Generation's Taeyeon, Big Bang's Taeyang, rapper Jay Park, soloist HyunA, diver Woo Ha-ram, actress Han Ye-seul and BTS member Jungkook.

The stigma persists though.

A tattoo can hurt the impression you make at a job interview, or in a formal gathering. Some gyms and saunas still maintain "no tattoo zones" on the grounds that certain tattoos "are too intimidating and may offend other guests".

"Korean society is very conformist," Kim says. "There's such a strong pressure to follow a given standard. When you look different or live your life differently, you're exposed to constant criticism. But the younger generation is breaking these norms."

There is still some uncertainty as the health ministry has said it will introduce a new testing system next year to license tattooists and standardise the profession. And there are trials pending, too.

Doy, for instance, was charged with violating the Medical Act when he inked a tattoo for actress Han Ye-seul in 2019. He has also tattooed Brad Pitt, Steven Yeun and a member of the band EXO. Given the recent court ruling, he and dozens of other tattooists expect to be absolved of their charges.

"Things are finally back where they should be," Doy says. "But I can't help but think of the fellow artists who aren't here with us."

Ex-head monk of China's 'kung fu temple' jailed for embezzlement

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crlp79jy0y3o, yesterday

The former head of China's famous Shaolin Temple - known as the birthplace of kung fu - has been sentenced to 24 years in jail for crimes including embezzlement and bribery.

Shi Yongxin had misappropriated temple assets worth more than 282m yuan ($42m; £31m) from 2003 to 2025, a court in the central Henan province said.

It said Shi had also used his official position to illegally obtain millions from temple construction projects, as well as offering huge bribes to Chinese officials.

Shi - whose birth name is Liu Yingcheng - had earlier admitted his guilt, China's state Xinhua news agency reported. On Friday, he said he would not appeal against the verdict.

The 1,500-year-old Shaolin Temple - located on a mountain range - attracts thousands of disciples from China and elsewhere every year.

Shi took office there as abbot in 1999, soon earning the nickname "CEO monk" for transforming the institution into a global brand.

Under his leadership, the temple started opening schools outside China and formed a travelling troupe of monks who performed Shaolin kung fu shows - the temple's signature style of martial arts.

Last year he was defrocked, China's Buddhist association said.

Shi was investigated for embezzlement and fathering several children in 2015, but was later cleared of the charges.

In an interview with BBC Chinese that year, he said: "If there were a problem, it would have surfaced long ago."

The name "Shaolin Temple" has gained prominence in pop culture over the years, including being the title of a 1982 film starring Jet Li.

The temple is referenced in songs by American hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan and inspired a spin-off of the video game Mortal Kombat.

Mother-in-law of Indian bride whose death set off media frenzy arrested

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2e2lw0pv7zo, yesterday

India's top anti-crime agency has arrested the mother-in-law of an Indian woman whose death has sparked conflicting claims of murder and suicide.

Twisha Sharma's parents and siblings have alleged that she was tortured by her lawyer husband, Samarth Singh, and his mother - retired judge Giribala Singh - over dowry demands and that she was murdered, allegations they have denied.

The 33-year-old model and actor had been married for just five months when she was found dead in her matrimonial home in Madhya Pradesh state's Bhopal city on 12 May.

On Thursday, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Giribala Singh after questioning her for several hours.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court had earlier cancelled her anticipatory bail, finding that a trial court had ignored key evidence and witness testimony.

Following Twisha's death, the police had registered a case of dowry death against the Singhs. Earlier this week, the investigation was taken over by the CBI.

Twisha's death has made national headlines and has once against brought the issue of dowry deaths into the spotlight. Every year, thousands of women are murdered for bringing in insufficient dowries, even though the practice was banned in 1961.

The case has drawn significant attention because of the family's prominence. Twisha was a former beauty pageant winner and actor, while her husband and mother-in-law were lawyers.

Twisha's parents allege that dowry-related harassment began soon after her marriage to Singh. They also claim that when she became pregnant, Singh and his mother accused her of infidelity and forced her to terminate the pregnancy.

The Singhs deny the allegations, saying Twisha had mental health issues and took her own life. They also contend that the decision to terminate the pregnancy was hers.

Singh is currently in police custody. He had reportedly absconded after Twisha's death and was arrested by police in Jabalpur on 22 May.

Twisha was cremated on Sunday after a second autopsy. Her family had alleged that the first post-mortem was flawed and accused the police of a cover-up, a charge the police denied.

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Hacking claims, mismatched answer-sheets: Controversies rock school exam in India

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy42e8eljpno, 3 days ago

What began as one student's viral complaint about a mismatch between the physical and digital copies of his Grade 12 physics answer sheet has snowballed into a major controversy around one of India's biggest and most important school-leaving exams.

Days after the government-run Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced its Grade 12 - equivalent to UK's A level - results, dozens of students complained about errors in their marks allegedly linked to a newly-launched digital evaluation system used in the exam.

Called On-Screen Marking (OSM), the system works by scanning physical copies of answer-sheets and uploading them on an online portal for teachers to evaluate.

A software then calculates total marks in each exam. According to the education board, the system was introduced to reduce human error and effort and to increase transparency and efficiency.

While students often reported errors in manual evaluation, they say the new system has caused new problems instead of fixing old ones. Some say the scanned copies of answer sheets were blurry, which may have affected marks. Others say pages were missing, answers were marked wrongly, or the digital copies did not match the original paper answer sheets.

CBSE has responded to the allegations by saying that it remained committed to a "fair and transparent evaluation process".

"All genuine concerns related to scanned answer books or evaluation will be reviewed by subject experts through the prescribed mechanism," it said.

On Thursday, federal Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that it was the first time that the CBSE was using OSM, which he described as a "student-centric" and "globally accepted" system. He also acknowledged that "some discrepancies [in the results] had come to light".

"I take responsibility for this and assure you that a solution will be found. We are working on it. We will not leave any student's query unaddressed," he said.

The students' complaints have sparked national outrage and brought the education board's digital evaluation system under the scanner.

Parents and educationists have questioned whether teachers received enough training and proper technology to run the new marking system effectively.

For millions of Indian students, CBSE exams are not just tests - they are gateways to college admissions, careers and social mobility.

CBSE is also one of the country's largest education boards, with about two million students taking the Grade 12 exam this year. India also has state-run, private and international school boards.

Another reason why this issue has made national headlines is because it comes on the back of a controversy surrounding another crucial exam - the National Eligibility Entrance Test (Undergraduate), known as NEET-UG - which is the gateway to studying medicine in India.

Allegations of a paper leak in May led to the exam being cancelled, impacting nearly 2.28 million candidates who wrote the test, and leading to a spate of alleged suicides.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of neglecting the country's youth. He also demanded the education minister's resignation over the controversies, alleging the system was rigged and students had to turn to social media for justice.

Pradhan has accused Gandhi of not supporting India's "scientific progress" and accused him of playing political games.

On X, Gandhi highlighted the case of Vedant Srivastava, a CBSE student who alleged his answer sheet had been swapped.

Srivastava said on X that after seeking a re-evaluation of his physics paper, he found the scanned copy shared by CBSE was not his, citing different handwriting and answers to questions he had not attempted.

"I studied for an entire year. I sacrificed sleep, peace of mind, outings, everything for these exams. And now I don't even know whether my actual physics paper was checked. Do students really deserve this?" he wrote.

His post went viral, triggering a wave of similar complaints from other students. Many shared screenshots that appeared to show mismatched answer sheets and incorrect marking.

On Monday, CBSE said it had emailed Srivastava the "correct copy" of his answer sheet, without explaining the alleged mismatch. Screenshots the student then shared appeared to show manual marking in red ink, unlike the green tick marks used in the digital evaluation system.

According to the education board, as of Tuesday, more than 400,000 students had applied for scanned copies of their answer-sheets and about 1.1 million had requested physical copies.

Some students complained that they faced technical glitches while applying for copies of their answer sheets, prompting Pradhan to send a team of experts from India's top technology colleges to assist CBSE in ensuring a "glitch-free re-evaluation process".

Students have also raised concerns about the security of the exam portal after another CBSE student claimed he hacked into it in February and was able to access evaluators' accounts.

Nisarga Adhikary, who describes himself as an "ethical hacker", told the BBC he was able to crack the master password for the system, gaining access to student records, answer sheets and evaluators' accounts.

"With that kind of access, one can tamper with the answer-sheets, change marks or even access peoples' phone numbers and bank details," he alleged.

Adhikary said he flagged around six-to-seven security vulnerabilities he perceived in the portal to India's Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN) - a federal agency that deals with cyber-security incidents - in a series of emails, which the BBC has seen. Adhikary has also posted his findings on his X account and blog.

On Tuesday, CBSE denied the allegations, claiming that "no security breaches have come to light on the portal deployed for the actual evaluation work".

It added that the URL flagged as being compromised was a "testing site" and that "no actual evaluation data, marks or other data [were] held on that portal".

However, Adhikary claims that after logging into the portal, he could view scanned answer sheets and independently verify the personal details of one evaluator whose account he accessed.

"If this was a test portal, why was this information uploaded on it?" Adhikary asked.

The BBC has sent a list of questions to CBSE and CERT-IN - their response is awaited.

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India's communists once ruled millions. What happened to them?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy2gr1rpnqo, 4 days ago

For the first time since 1957, India no longer has a single communist-led state government.

The defeat of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala this month, after a decade in power, marked the end - at least for now - of one of the world's most enduring experiments in democratic communism.

At their peak, India's communist parties ruled states stretching from West Bengal to Kerala and Tripura. They impacted the lives of more than 100 million people through trade unions, peasant organisations, student wings and disciplined cadre networks.

In West Bengal, the Left Front governed continuously from 1977 to 2011 - one of the world's longest-running elected communist administrations. In Tripura, the Left ruled for 35 years in all, including an uninterrupted 25-year stretch before its defeat by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2018.

Kerala followed a different trajectory. Since 1957 - when the state voted for one of the world's first elected communist governments under EMS Namboodiripad - power has alternated between the Left and the Congress, making the communists a durable force but never a permanently dominant one.

In 1996, Jyoti Basu, a founding member of CPI (M) and then West Bengal's chief minister, came within touching distance of becoming India's prime minister as head of a coalition government. But his party rejected the offer - a decision Basu would later famously describe as a "historic blunder".

The communists shaped coalition politics in Delhi so deeply that in 2008 they withdrew support from former prime minister Manmohan Singh's government over the landmark civil nuclear deal with the US. At the time, the Left parties held 62 seats in the lower house of parliament, enough to push Singh into a confidence vote before he finally secured the agreement.

Their reach extended far beyond parliament. Despite economic stagnation in West Bengal and concerns over declining educational standards under Left rule, the communists continued to wield outsized influence over economic thinking and intellectual and cultural life well beyond their electoral strongholds.

Many believe that most of that influence has now faded.

The Left today survives unevenly. In Kerala, despite its latest setback, the Left remains politically consequential. In Tamil Nadu, it survives largely through alliances. In Bihar, the CPI (Marxist-Leninist) has emerged as an energetic grassroots force in some pockets. Left-backed student groups continue to fare well in leading universities.

But in West Bengal and Tripura - once the great bastions of Left power - the communists have been reduced to a shadow of their former self. Nationally, the CPI (M)'s share of the popular vote has fallen from more than 6% at its peak in the 1980s to below 2% in recent general elections.

The decline reflects the fading of an older political language: class struggle and collective mobilisation have steadily given way to identity politics, nationalism, populist leaders and welfare delivery.

Mohammed Salim, CPI (M)'s West Bengal secretary, sees a larger historical tide at work. Since the 1990s, he argues, the rise of Hindu nationalism and market liberalisation produced a "religious, political and economic onslaught" that squeezed the Left from all sides.

"The middle class was shown this green pasture," he says. "Development, modernisation, infrastructure - you will get a slice of it. Aspiration was generated."

The communists, he argues, struggled to counter a politics increasingly organised around caste and religion rather than class. "Politics of division weakened class unity," says Salim.

Yet experts argue the Left cannot explain away its decline simply through the rise of Hindu nationalism, caste politics and aspirational politics.

Unlike China or Vietnam, communist parties in India governed only states within a "federal political economy", says Sanjay Ruparelia, a professor of politics at Toronto Metropolitan University.

That left them under growing pressure to attract private investment and deliver growth. In West Bengal, the contradiction exploded spectacularly: the party that had risen through land reforms was suddenly accused of dispossessing peasants in the name of industry.

Kerala stood apart, earning international attention for decentralised planning, high social indicators, literacy, poverty reduction and a strong public health system.

But the model had underlying strains. "Kerala continued to rely heavily on remittances from abroad, which have wavered, creating mounting fiscal pressures and inadequate employment generation, especially among youth," says Ruparelia.

More strikingly, Kerala's communists themselves drifted towards the economic model they once opposed.

A 2022 CPI (M) policy document embraced private investment, public-private partnerships, private universities and globally integrated technological services.

For political scientists such as Ruparelia, this evolution underlined a larger reality: India's communist parties were often "better understood as social democratic than communist".

Rather than pursuing revolution, they largely functioned as parliamentary parties centred on welfare, labour rights and redistribution.

"India was unusual in having parties from the communist tradition succeed in democratic elections," he says.

But, argues MA Baby, general secretary of the CPI (M), state governments always operated within tight constraints.

"They have limited financial and administrative powers. The real power lies in Delhi," he says.

"We used state governments to show that even within the capitalist socio-economic structure, pro-people policies and alternatives are possible despite limited powers."

But the social base sustaining that model has steadily eroded. Organised labour was always a minority in India's vast informal economy. Welfare politics increasingly shifted from class mobilisation to direct cash transfers and identity-based coalitions.

When farmers' protests erupted in 2020 against Prime MInister Narendra Modi's farm laws, they exposed how much rural politics had changed.

The Left remained part of the movement - "the voice of conscience", as analyst Shikha Mukherjee puts it - but no longer its leader. Regional parties and independent farm unions had taken over that space.

"The Left has lost its place as the principal voice of rights and entitlements. It has struggled to adapt to the modern economy, and ideological confusion now lies at the heart of the movement," says Mukherjee.

India today is marked by soaring inequality, chronic youth unemployment and deepening economic insecurity - conditions in which Marxist politics might once have been expected to flourish. As Ruparelia notes, "the objective conditions, as leftists are wont to say, should benefit them".

But where are the communists, asks Mukherjee. "The Left should have been out on the streets. Where are they?"

The paradox is not uniquely Indian.

After the 2008 financial crisis, Europe too saw the emergence of new left-wing parties.

But many struggled against nationalist populists who mobilised workers through "immigration politics and ethnonationalism rather than class solidarity", says Ruparelia. India's Left, Mukherjee argues, has faced a similar challenge with the BJP.

Still, writing obituaries for political movements is premature.

Indian communism has survived splits, state repression and electoral collapse. Its organisational networks - though diminished - still run through parts of the country.

Whether the Left can transform that residual presence into political renewal is another question.

"The CPI (M) needs to reinvent itself - to work within the economic system liberalisation has created, not merely oppose it," says Mukherjee.

In West Bengal, Salim insists the party is again "regrouping, repositioning and rejuvenating".

Keen to shed its image as ageing and resistant to change, the party has been pushing a younger generation of leaders to the forefront.

"Communists must constantly rejuvenate themselves. The only constant is change itself," says Baby.

But the scale of the Left's decline remains stark. In the Bengal election, the CPI (M) won just one seat in the 294-member assembly and secured little more than 4% of the vote.

Kerala, however, tells a different story: even in defeat, the LDF retained roughly a third of the vote, underlining that the communists remain a significant political force there. In Tripura, a return to office still appears distant.

Yet party leaders insist the Left's electoral decline does not fully capture its social and political relevance.

"Are we hopeful? Of course," says Baby.

"In fact, we ask: without us, what future is there? Seats matter, but our place in the hearts of the people matters more."

Survival before safety for Delhi's poor as temperatures hit 45C

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c172yyvp55do, 2 days ago

On a scorching afternoon in one of Delhi's busiest markets, two different worlds exist side by side.

One is inside brightly lit, air-conditioned showrooms, where customers move slowly between racks of clothes, escaping the worst of the summer heat.

The other is outside, under a blazing sun - where street vendors, fruit sellers, cycle-rickshaw drivers and ice-cream cart operators continue working through temperatures soaring above 40C.

In the afternoon, even walking through the market feels exhausting. But for millions of informal workers across Delhi, staying out of the heat isn't an option.

Nearly 90% of India's workforce is informal - most without contracts or job security, many dependent on outdoor work for daily wages.

Among them is 52-year-old Harish Chandra, who pedals a cycle-rickshaw through Delhi's crowded streets until the heat becomes too much to bear.

At a public tap, he splashes water over his face before settling into a narrow strip of shade near the market.

"The body gives up," he says.

Dressed in thin, worn cotton clothes, Chandra says Delhi's summers have become harder to bear with each passing year.

"My day starts around nine in the morning, when the weather is still manageable. But by noon, it becomes difficult. The sun is so harsh that sometimes I feel my body giving up while I pedal," he says.

"But if we stop, we don't earn," says Chandra. "And if we don't earn, the family doesn't eat."

He recently sent his wife and three children back to their village in Bihar state. The temperatures there are equally high, he says, but open spaces and better ventilation make it easier to cope than Delhi's cramped neighbourhoods and congested lanes.

For workers like Chandra, who spend most of their time outdoors, summer is no longer just a season, but an annual struggle for survival.

India's heat season typically lasts from April until early July, before the monsoon brings relief. But climate scientists say extreme heat is becoming longer, harsher and more unpredictable as heatwaves across South Asia intensify under global warming.

Dr Soumya Swaminathan, former chief scientist at the World Health Organization, told ANI news agency this week that temperatures now being recorded in India are approaching the limits of "human tolerability" and pose a "threat to both lives and livelihoods".

Since mid-May, Delhi and surrounding areas have recorded daily temperatures above 40C, at times crossing 45C in the afternoon.

While some relief is expected over the weekend, heatwaves like these have become an increasingly familiar part of India's summers.

Experts say cities like Delhi are especially vulnerable because of the "urban heat island effect", where concrete, traffic and limited green cover trap heat and keep cities hotter than surrounding areas.

The weather office and Delhi government have also been issuing regular heat warnings.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X urging people to stay hydrated, carry water outdoors and watch for signs of heat exhaustion, especially among children, the elderly and outdoor workers.

Delhi is also among cities with heat action plans. It includes colour-coded heat alerts, public advisories urging people to avoid peak afternoon exposure, water kiosks and cooling centres.

But much of this advice is difficult to follow in practice. Even when temperatures rise, rent has to be paid and food has to be bought.

Mohammad Umar, 50, has been sitting inside his tuk-tuk near a busy traffic signal since morning, waiting for passengers.

He says he rarely takes a day off but last week, the heat finally forced him to stay home.

"My heart was racing and my body had no strength left. I must have bathed five times that day just to stay conscious," he says.

But missing work comes with a cost.

"On a single day, I can lose 500-700 rupees (around $5-$7) if I don't work. And we still have to pay for food and daily needs. That money comes out of our small savings," he says.

A report by the International Labour Organization estimates heat stress could reduce India's total working hours by 5.8% by 2030, with outdoor workers in agriculture and construction among the worst affected.

A Lancet Countdown report found India lost around 247 billion potential labour hours to heat in 2024, resulting in economic losses of $194bn.

Doctors say prolonged exposure to extreme heat puts immense strain on the body, especially for people spending long hours outdoors without shade, cooling or adequate hydration.

Dr Satish Koul, principal director and unit head of internal medicine at Fortis Hospital Gurgaon, says hospitals routinely see cases of dehydration, low blood pressure, kidney stress and heat exhaustion during extended heatwaves.

"Early warning signs people often ignore include dizziness, weakness, headache, nausea and confusion," he says.

"If someone stops sweating, becomes disoriented or collapses, it can quickly become a medical emergency."

But for many daily wage workers, escaping the heat is impossible even after work ends.

Much of Delhi's informal migrant workforce lives in densely packed settlements with unreliable electricity, poor ventilation and no air-conditioning.

Homes here are built from tin sheets and plastic which absorb heat through the day and release it slowly through the night.

Doctors warn that heat-related illnesses become especially dangerous when temperatures remain high overnight, preventing the body from properly recovering.

"When the body does not cool down properly during sleep, exhaustion keeps building day after day," adds Dr Koul.

That exhaustion shapes daily life in these neighbourhoods, where most families depend on physically demanding work to survive.

Men leave early for outdoor jobs, while many women take up low-paying domestic work nearby. Alongside long hours of labour, many women also manage cooking, childcare and household chores in cramped homes with little relief from the heat.

Many try to keep cool by covering their heads, drinking salted water or adjusting work hours to avoid the harshest afternoon sun - but such measures offer only limited relief.

Sanjeeda, a 40-year-old widow who has spent years working in factories, small shops and private homes to raise her children, says in mid-May, she was bedridden for days with severe headaches and fever after heat exposure.

"The sun starts to feel harsh right from the morning," she says. "By the time I reach the houses and start sweeping and mopping, my clothes are already soaked. Some days I also have to clean rooftops where the marble floors feel like they are on fire."

Her employers occasionally offer water, lemonade or a place to sit in front of a fan.

"But no matter what the temperature is," she says, "the work has to be done."

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Dozens of drones crash into Sydney harbour after light show glitch

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9d330wqq2zo, 5 days ago

Almost 90 drones fell from the sky over Sydney's Darling Harbour during a popular winter light show, with footage showing devices splashing into the water, close to crowds.

Organisers of Vivid Sydney, an annual three-week festival that features large light installations, said the malfunction on Monday evening, local time, was due to "unforeseen technical difficulties" and has cancelled several upcoming shows.

Footage of Monday's show captured dozens of drones as they tumbled out of the night sky, leaving bystanders confused by the aerial display.

Skymagic, the UK company behind the show, blamed a change in radio frequency for the glitch and said none of the drones fell outside safety boundaries.

"The sound of them crashing on the wharf was considerable even from probably 10 to 15 or 20 metres away; you could hear them physically crash and smash onto the cement marina," a Darling Harbour worker named Robert told the national broadcaster ABC.

A Skymagic spokesperson said: "During the performance on the evening of 25 May, Skymagic experienced a technical issue that resulted in 89 drones landing in the water around Cockle Bay," referring to the wharf area in Darling Harbour.

The main cause was "an unforeseen change in the radio frequency environment occurring after take-off," Skymagic said, triggering some drones "to enact failsafe landing procedures in response to compromised positional accuracy".

A Vivid Sydney spokesperson apologised for the "disappointment and inconvenience caused to attendees" and said the drone operators cancelled the show "in line with standard safety protocols".

Festival organisers said Skymagic and government agencies will conduct a full assessment before it makes a decision on the remaining schedule of shows.

Called Star-Bound, the drone show features up to 1,000 purpose-built drones in an aerial display lasting up to 12 minutes.

The first shows started on Sunday and it was slated to host 22 shows over 11 nights over the next three weeks.

Vivid Sydney debuted drone shows as part of its programme in 2024, with large crowds attending the displays. Last year, it decided not to host any drone shows due to overcrowding concerns.

Vivid Sydney started in 2009 and bills itself as the "Southern Hemisphere's largest festival of light, music, ideas and food" and features a free 6.5km walk with 43 light installations.

Thousands of locals and tourists flock to events around Sydney Harbour and central Sydney, including colourful visuals projected onto the sails of the Sydney Opera House.

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First of five men found alive in flooded Laos cave rescued

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgzxjrkvn8o, yesterday

The first of five men found alive after spending more than a week trapped inside a flooded cave in Laos has been freed.

The group had been hunting for gold when they were cut off inside the cavern in an isolated part of the country after flash floods hit on 20 May.

Five were discovered alive on Wednesday when rescue divers found them huddled together 300m (984ft) from the cave mouth. Two other men are still missing.

On Friday one of the divers put a picture on Facebook showing a man being dragged to safety. The Thai rescue group added: "The first victim has been successfully rescued out of the cave."

The rescue in the remote mountain area of central Xaysomboun province has been a race against time.

Thunderstorms had been predicted for Friday evening along with rain in 60 per cent of the region.

Thai rescue team member Kengkard Bonggawong said on social media: "One person has got out of the cave safely.

"We will assess the other four and we will hunt for the other two tomorrow."

Footage of the five men shot on Wednesday showed them miserable and caked in mud, telling rescuers they were suffering chest pains and starving hungry.

The rescue comes after experts had originally planned to pump out flood waters that were stopping the men from getting to safety.

That plan initially failed and a last resort was discussed of teaching the trapped men how to scuba dive and swim out.

It has not yet been disclosed exactly how the first man was brought to safety, but the rescuers say they will explain later.

The trapped group's plight has captured the imagination of the international diving community and on Friday more help arrived.

Specialist divers from Thailand, Indonesia, France and Australia landed in Laos to provide extra expertise.

The rescue is similar to the case of the Thai youth football team, who were trapped in a cave for 18 days in 2018.

Finnish diver Mikko Paasi was involved in that rescue and the current emergency in Laos.

He told CBS News on Friday: "The environment is so hostile that anything can happen."

Australia sues US giant 3M over 'forever chemicals' in firefighting foam

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3w2yl3p97qo, 3 days ago

The Australian government is suing US manufacturing giant 3M for AU$2bn in damages (US$1.4bn; £1.1bn) over its alleged use of toxic "forever chemicals" in firefighting foam that contaminated dozens of defence bases across the country.

It is the largest legal claim ever brought by the government, Attorney-General Michelle Rowland said, as it seeks to recoup the "substantial costs" in dealing with the chemicals - known as PFAS - at 28 locations.

It claims 3M withheld and misrepresented details about the foam and its environmental impact, assuring them it was safe, despite knowing otherwise.

In response, 3M said it has never made PFAS in Australia and stopped selling the foam there 20 years ago.

In announcing the legal action on Thursday, Rowland said the government was committed to holding 3M and 3M Australia to account "for the economic and environmental harms associated with PFAS contamination".

"This misconduct has contributed to substantial costs for defence and the Australian taxpayer, including over $1bn to date to investigate, remediate and mitigate PFAS contamination at defence estate sites," she said.

"Make no mistake, this legal action against 3M is significant."

PFAS - also known as per- and poly-fluoroaklyl substances - are known for their water-resistant and non-stick properties and can be found in firefighting foams, mobile phones, clothing and non-stick cooking pans.

The chemicals do not break down under normal environmental conditions and research has shown the toxins are in dangerous concentrations in water, soil and food and can also linger in the body.

In 2022, 3M said it would stop making and using PFAS amid concerns the substances were linked to a range of health problems including cancer.

Australia's case alleges 3M withheld information and misrepresented the effects of 3M's aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) including the environmental risks of the foam.

3M also failed to fully disclose what it knew about the environmental risks of the foam and gave assurances about disposal and environmental safety that were inconsistent with what the company knew at the time, the government alleged.

A spokesperson for 3M said it would "defend ourselves against these claims through the legal process".

The company said the Department of Defence kept using the PFAS-containing firefighting foams for two decades after it stopped selling the product in Australia.

Islamic State-linked families in Syria return to Australia

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce8pp7j8d4mo, 5 days ago

A group of Australian women and children with links to Islamic State (IS) returned to Sydney and Melbourne on Tuesday, after being stranded for years in a Syrian camp.

A plane carrying two women and their children landed in Melbourne just after16:30 local time on Tuesday (07:30 BST), followed by another plane in Sydney about an hour later, with four women and their children, authorities said.

Some of the women may face charges over their decision to travel to Syria about a decade ago.

One woman, who has been banned from returning to Australia for two years for national security reasons, is understood to still be in Syria with her child.

Earlier in May, three of four Australian women who returned home with nine children were arrested and charged with offences including crimes against humanity and joining IS.

In confirming the more recent group's return, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the government "has not and will not provide any assistance to this group".

"These are people who have made the horrific choice to join a dangerous terrorist organisation and to place their children in an unspeakable situation," he said.

"As we have said many times - any members of this cohort who have committed crimes can expect to face the full force of the law."

Authorities have been preparing for the group's return since 2014, Burke said, and they have "long-standing plans in place to manage and monitor them".

The group arriving on Tuesday are understood to be the last Australians in the al-Roj camp in north-east Syria where families of IS fighters have been held since 2019.

They reportedly left the camp on Thursday and boarded planes to Australia on Monday in the Syrian capital of Damascus.

Australian media have reported that the returning women include Kirsty Rosse-Emile, who left Australia when she was 19 and who told the ABC last year it was "not my choice" to be in Syria.

Others include Nesrine Zahab, who has said she was tricked into travelling to Syria by her cousin, IS recruiter Muhammad Zahab; Sumaya Zahab, Muhammad's sister, and Aminah Zahab, Muhammad's mother.

The woman who remains in Syria due to the government's temporary exclusion order is understood to have decided to keep her child with her. The child, an Australian citizen who has a passport, is not prohibited from returning home.

On 7 May, four women and nine children from the same camp returned home to Australia with police arresting three of the women and charging them with various offences including crimes against humanity and entering and remaining in a declared conflict zone.

Australia confirms first diphtheria death amid worst outbreak in decades

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c759q6y26w3o, 5 days ago

Australia has recorded its first diphtheria death in almost a decade as the country grapples with the worst outbreak of the vaccine-preventable disease in decades.

In March, the Northern Territory (NT) declared an outbreak of diphtheria with cases also in Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland. Cases started rising in late-2025 with a sharp increase in February.

This year, there have been 245 cases, marking the largest outbreak in Australia since 1991, mainly in remote Indigenous communities.

On Tuesday, NT's health minister said autopsy results from an overseas lab found diphtheria was the cause of a man's death in April at Royal Darwin Hospital, the first such case since 2018.

In recent weeks, the government has ramped up vaccination efforts in areas most at risk and the number of new cases was now falling, health officials said on Tuesday.

"Our government has taken this situation very seriously, and we are working hard to understand the causes and working to contain the situation," NT Health Minister Steve Edgington said.

Since 30 March, there have been 10,407 vaccinations, he said.

Between January last year and May this year, the NT reported 163 diphtheria cases with 48 respiratory cases and 115 cutaneous cases, which is spread via skin contact.

In March, health officials in Western Australia (WA) confirmed two cases of respiratory diphtheria, the first time in more than 50 years that WA had recorded such cases.

Sixty per cent of the cases this year are in the Northern Territory, followed by Western Australia with about 36%, with a few cases in South Australia and even fewer in Queensland.

Authorities are urging affected communities to update their vaccinations, especially teenagers and adults who need to get booster shots.

Health officials in the NT have set up pop-up clinics in Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs to raise awareness of the vaccination campaign, as vaccines are the "most important measure for preventing, protecting and reducing transmission," NT Health said.

Both strains of diphtheria - respiratory and cutaneous - are preventable via a vaccine, which is usually given to children - five doses between two months and four years old - with a booster between 12 and 13 years.

Respiratory diphtheria often starts with fever or chills, a sore throat that can lead to breathing and swallowing difficulties, and be life-threatening.

Cutaneous diphtheria usually causes infected sores or ulcers on exposed parts of the body which are slow to heal but rarely lead to severe illness.

It is understood that the last reported diphtheria death was in 2018, according to the national broadcaster ABC.

Last week, Australia's Chief Medical Officer Prof Michael Kidd declared diphtheria a communicable disease incident of national significance.

The government also announced a AU$7.2m package to boost vaccinations and resources in affected areas.

Australia charges woman who returned from Syria with joining Islamic State

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c87q2w0w0jvo, 3 days ago

A woman with links to the Islamic State group who returned to Australia from Syria last year has been charged with being a member of a terrorist organisation and entering a declared conflict zone, police have said.

The 34-year-old arrived in Australia in September along with another woman, police said, and was to appear in a Melbourne court on Thursday.

The announcement comes after two groups of women and children arrived in Australia this month after spending years in the al-Roj camp in north-east Syria where families of IS fighters have been held since 2019.

Three of the women who returned this month also face various charges including crimes against humanity.

Both offences with which the 34-year-old was charged carry maximum penalties of up to 10 years in prison, Hilda Sirec, federal police assistant commissioner, told reporters.

She said the woman, identified by local media as Rayann El Houli, travelled to Syria in 2013 or 2014 and was detained by Kurdish forces in 2019 and held in Syria's al-Hawl camp.

Sirec said all the adult women who had arrived back in Australia recently were being investigated, adding: "A period of time without charges being laid is not an indicator that investigations have ceased."

The group who arrived in Sydney and Melbourne on Tuesday were understood to be the last Australians in the al-Roj camp, with other Australians having returned in previous months and years.

A mother and daughter - Kawsar Ahmad and Zeinab Ahmad - who arrived in Melbourne as part of a group at the beginning of the month have been charged with enslavement and using a slave, with the mother also accused of slave trading.

Another woman who arrived in Sydney, Janai Safar was charged with entering and remaining in a declared conflict zone and joining IS.

The women and children have been the subject of heated political debate in Australia, with the government saying it had given them no help to return and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese insisting "if you make your bed, you lie in it".

Advocates argued Australia must uphold their right to return and that the children in particular should be supported and not made to pay for the decisions of their parents.

Pete Waterman: 'We had no concept of how big Kylie was'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czj222xp7jyo, 4 days ago

Music legend Pete Waterman has said that he had no idea who Kylie Minogue was when he agreed to produce her first three albums.

The Coventry-born producer features in the Netflix documentary series Kylie, about the Australian singer's rise from the soap Neighbours to global stardom.

Waterman said it started with the Australian distributor of Stock, Aitken and Waterman records asking for help to produce her first efforts in the music business in the late 1980s, before her role as Charlene Mitchell in Neighbours made her a star in the UK.

"She turns up at the studio, we knocked together I Should Be So Lucky, and she was at the airport by 4 o'clock, to fly back to Australia for Neighbours.

I Should Be So Lucky was the second hit Stock, Aitken & Waterman produced for Kylie - the first was a re-mixed version of The Loco-Motion which had already been a number one in Australia.

Waterman said that his first impressions of Minogue were that she was very quiet, but determined.

"I remember Matt [Aitken] telling me 'this kid's got an amazing voice and is a great learner of a song'. We taught her the song once, she'd remembered it straight away. Because she's an actress, of course," he said.

However, Waterman said he did not have time to reflect on how the success of Neighbours, the Australian soap that made Minogue a household name in the UK, would affect her record sales.

"This sounds ridiculous [but] we had no concept of how big Kylie was."

'Simple decision' to take part in documentary

"So here we are, Kylie's selling 2.5 million albums every time we put an album out and suddenly we're negotiating for a third album. And you're dealing with lawyers who are basically Madonna's lawyers. So you've gone from a little girl in Neighbours to the hottest lawyer on the planet who's looking for millions of pounds in his pocket."

Stock, Aitken and Waterman went on to produce four albums for Minogue, between 1988 and 1991.

He said that when she approached him to be in the documentary about her life and career, it was a simple decision.

"It wasn't a thought, it was - yeah, where do you want me to be?

"This is Kylie from the four men in her life. What an amazing honour that is, from [being a boy from] Stoke Heath to world domination! My God, what a place to be!"

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Woman, 21, described as 'perfect in every way' after Australia crash death

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yeexndmjpo, 4 days ago

A 21-year-old woman, who died in a car crash in Australia, has been described by her partner as "the most beautiful lady" and "perfect in every single way".

Annie Evans-Lewis, from Llanybri in Carmarthenshire, was living in East Pingelly, south-east of Perth, with her boyfriend Cai James.

She suffered severe injuries after the car she was driving left the road and hit a tree at about 15:30 AWST on Saturday.

Annie was airlifted to Royal Perth Hospital, where Cai said he held her hand in her final moments.

"Without Annie it's like I'm missing one leg or one arm," he said.

Police in Australia said they were investigating the crash and asked for witnesses to come forward.

Cai, 22, said: "I wanted us both to be old and watching our grandchildren running around.

"She was everything and with her gone, I don't know what to do with myself."

Annie's mother, Angharad Evans, said her daughter was her "whole life", adding Annie would "always be my beautiful darling daughter, my amazing princess".

Annie, who loved animals and the outdoors, met Cai while driving a tractor with a friend four years ago.

At 18, Cai travelled to New Zealand to work a harvest season on a farm, but said he returned home early because he "was missing her".

After completing another season there, he secured a three-year farming sponsorship in Australia, with Annie joining him in September 2025.

"She was more than happy to join me for the next chapter of our lives," he said.

Cai said Annie loved her job with grain-growing company CBH and, during the off-season, also worked on a farm alongside his boss's wife, helping with cooking, cleaning and caring for others.

The couple had been planning their future in Australia, with Cai describing it as a "big opportunity".

After finishing a gruelling six 100-hour weeks of seeding, Cai said he and Annie managed a rare day off together, going shopping and out for lunch on Saturday.

He explained how, on the way home, he dropped her off to collect her car from a nearby farm.

Cai said he briefly went into a workshop to find petrol for his chainsaw before heading back.

While driving, he noticed a car on the roadside.

"As I got closer, I realised who it was, and my life changed instantly," he said.

Annie was airlifted to Royal Perth Hospital, where Cai said "every single doctor that was available in the hospital was helping her".

Cai said one of Annie's cousins, Emily Davies, set up an online fundraising page on behalf of the family, to help cover the costs of bringing her home to Wales, as well as funeral expenses.

The fundraiser has already raised more than £32,000, with Cai saying over 1,000 people from "all around the world" had donated.

Annie's mum, Angharad Evans, said, from the first time she held her, she fell in love with her "so deeply".

"You were the most amazing, strong brave little girl with what you fought through," she added, referring to Annie previously having leukemia as a child.

"The fun and laughter we had will always live with me for the rest of my life," she said.

"The silly crazy things we would get up to - we were more like best friends.

"I will never be the same without you in my life my Annie, my angel."

Australian police arrest two in connection with gunman Dezi Freeman

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx211gwnn4po, 5 days ago

Australian police have arrested two men in connection with Dezi Freeman, the conspiracy theorist gunman who was shot dead by police after a seven-month manhunt in March.

Freeman had gone on the run in August after shooting dead two police officers who came to execute a search warrant at his home in Porepunkah in rural Victoria.

He was located about 150km (93 miles) away, hiding on a remote farm and police said at the time they believed he must have had help escaping from Porepunkah.

On Tuesday police said they had arrested two men aged 48 and 45 at separate locations in Victoria, adding that they would be interviewed by police.

"The investigation remains ongoing and as such, we are not in a position to provide further details at this immediate time," police said.

In August last year, ten police officers had been sent to Freeman's property to serve an arrest warrant for historical sex offences. They were attacked and two senior constables - Neal Thompson and Vadim de Waart - were killed by Freeman.

Freeman then disappeared into dense bushland, sparking one of Australia's largest ever manhunts.

In March, a tip-off led police to a container on a camp at a farm in remote Victoria. Freeman was shot dead after a three-hour stand-off when he emerged wrapped in a blanket and holding a gun he had taken from one of the dead police officers.

Freeman, whose real name was Desmond Filby, was a self-described "sovereign citizen", part of an anti-government movement that rejects authority and laws.

On Monday, a hearing at a Victorian coroners court heard that the warrant being executed in August came after the disclosure of an alleged sexual assault involving a child, as well as an attempt to involve a child in the production of child abuse material.

Counsel assisting, Lindsay Spence, told the court that Freeman had refused to come out of the converted bus where he was living and shot Thompson when he attempted to climb through a window. He shot de Waart as the remaining officers began to retreat.

Freeman then shot Thompson again with de Waart's weapon, Spence said.

The court will hold two separate inquests, one into the death of Thompson and de Waart, and one into the death of Freeman.

Man killed in shark attack off Australia's north-east coast

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn9pq5l2d14o, 7 days ago

A man has died after being attacked by a shark off the coast of the north-eastern Australian state of Queensland, police have confirmed.

Emergency services were called to a boat ramp on the Cassowary Coast, between the cities of Cairns and Townsville, just before noon local time on Sunday, following reports of a 39-year-old being attacked.

Queensland Police said that the man was retrieved from the water but later died. He was believed to have been spearfishing near an offshore reef.

It is the second fatal shark attack in Australian coastal waters in as many weeks, after a 38-year-old was killed while spearfishing near Perth, in Western Australia, last Saturday.

In that incident, the man had been bitten on the lower legs and could not be revived.

Queensland Police has not disclosed the latest victim's identity.

It said it would now prepare a report for the coroner on the "sudden and non-suspicious" death.

Later Police Inspector Elaine Burns told reporters that the man, along with three others, had taken a private vessel to Kennedy Shoal, a shallow reef about 45km (28 miles) off the Queensland coast.

"We believe the man had been spearfishing when he was attacked and died from a critical head injury," she said. "He was retrieved from the water by another person who was in the water with him at the time of the attack."

He was declared dead when they reached shore about an hour later, Burns said.

"That's quite a terrifying thing to see happen in front of you," she said, adding that police were providing what support they could to the man's three companions.

Shark attacks around Australia are more common than in many other parts of the world, though they are often not fatal.

There were four encounters with sharks across Australia in January, according to the Australian Shark-Incident Database, only one of which was fatal.

Popular swimming and surfing spots tend to have measures to protect against attacks.

Elon Musk's X fined for not complying with Australia's child protection laws

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c626njg32n5o, 10 days ago

An Australian court has upheld a fine against Elon Musk's X Corp after it admitted to failing to comply with child safety measures, resolving a three-year legal battle.

The country's internet regulator eSafety had first issued the fine in 2023, after the social media giant did not respond adequately to a request to supply information on how it was tackling the exploitation of children online.

But X had argued that it did not have to comply with the request because it had come before Twitter, as it was then known, merged with X Corp and that Twitter was no longer a company.

On Thursday it admitted wrongdoing and has been ordered to pay a A$650,000 ($463,000, £345,000) fine.

Justice Michael Wheelahan raised the initial fine of A$610,00 and also ordered the US company to pay A$100,000 towards the regulator's legal costs.

"A penalty near the maximum is appropriate in the case of the respondent, which is a substantial corporation so that it operates as a real deterrent and is not simply a cost of doing business," Wheelahan said.

Australia's e-regulator has previously clashed with X, including over its world-leading ban on social media for under-16s and its refusal to remove videos of a stabbing that took place in a Sydney church.

eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant told the BBC in 2024 she had received death threats and her children were doxxed after Musk called her the "censorship commissar" in a post to his 196 million followers.

"Meaningful transparency is critical to holding technology companies to account," Grant said in a statement on Thursday.

The request for information on how the social media platform was tackling the spread of child sexual abuse content was first issued to Twitter in February 2023, and it merged with X a month later.

Lats year the court upheld an earlier ruling that X was required to respond to the transparency notice and on Thursday the parties agreed to the penalty, which must be paid within 45 days.

Laser hair removal device sparks bomb scare at Melbourne airport

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9q3p50d14jo, 10 days ago

Melbourne's Avalon Airport was partially shut down for several hours on Thursday after a laser hair removal device and a hot chocolate container sparked a bomb scare.

Police were called to the airport, located about 50km (31miles) south-west of Melbourne, just before 06:00 local time (20:00 GMT Wednesday) when a suspicious package was found during security screening, prompting domestic flights to be delayed. International flights were not impacted.

The bomb squad checked the package which turned out to be a laser hair removal device and a box for hot chocolate, police said.

The package's owner was initially detained and later released. The airport reopened about four hours later.

Victoria Police Acting Inspector Nick Uebergang said the situation had lasted longer due to the man's behaviour.

"The person who had the bag wasn't too cooperative with us to start off with," he said, which made "things a little bit difficult".

"They probably could have averted things and we could have got out of here a little bit quicker."

The man, who was from Melbourne, was not charged, police said.

An airport spokesperson said the response to the security scare "demonstrates the vigilance of the screening and security processes" and precautionary measures were "taken immediately to ensure the safety of passengers, staff and the broader community".

Several passengers who spoke to local media described the scenes at the airport while it was in lockdown.

"We arrived at the airport around 7am and they had just put up the closure. No one sort of knew what was going on," one passenger told ABC Radio Melbourne.

"We knew something was fairly significant because there were a lot of police cars and other sort of cars going into the airport."

Manjeet Singh said he was told to wait in the carpark when he arrived at the airport to catch a flight to Brisbane due to a "security incident".

"There's no arrangements, no bathroom, no toilet, no beverages, no nothing," he told The Age.

Budget airline Jetstar, a subsidiary of Qantas, operates domestic and international flights from Avalon Airport, Victoria's second busiest air hub.

Two domestic flights - one to Sydney and another from Sydney - were cancelled while several others were delayed.

EU hails Hungary's 'wind of change' and unlocks €16.4bn for new PM Magyar

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce8plenyk6no, yesterday

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has told Hungary's new prime minister that billions of euros in EU funding are to be unlocked subject to his government pushing through a raft of "long-overdue reforms".

The decision is a significant boost for Péter Magyar, who has been in office for less than three weeks after a landslide election victory over Viktor Orbán.

He described his EU deal as a "historic breakthrough", while von der Leyen said "we can already feel a strong wind of change across Hungary".

The Commission president said a total of €16.4bn (£14.2bn) would be released to Budapest. Magyar hopes the cash will help kickstart Hungary's flagging economy.

The funding was frozen by the EU because of democratic backsliding and corruption allegations under Orbán's Fidesz-led government. Magyar had made unlocking the billions a key platform for his two-year-old Tisza party in the run-up to last month's elections.

Von der Leyen praised his team for rebuilding trust with the EU, which she said gave confidence for the next steps to come. "We will take no shortcuts, we will address all issues," she insisted.

The bulk of the money - €10bn - comes from a Covid-19 recovery fund that Magyar's team has been in a race to unlock before an August deadline. The Commission had made the sum conditional on a series of "super-milestones" including anti-corruption and rule-of-law reforms.

Von der Leyen said there were already "strong signals that Hungary is turning the page".

Among them, she said Hungary was joining the European Public Prosecutor's Office, revising laws on public procurement and targeting so-called public interest trusts. Under Orbán public institutions such as hospitals and universities were turned into trusts run by government loyalists.

A further €6.4bn is being unlocked from EU cohesion funds aimed at bolstering the 27-member bloc's economic and social infrastructure.

Magyar said talks with the EU had begun only a few weeks ago and already an agreement had been reached that was "really, really important for the Hungarian people". He said the EU funding amounted to 13% of the total Hungarian budget.

Even two days ago there was no certainty that a deal could be struck.

Magyar has prioritised improving relations with the EU, while his predecessor accused him ahead of the 12 April election of being a puppet of both Brussels and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky.

The money unlocked by the Commission would finance the health, transport and education sectors, Magyar explained.

He said €1.5bn would go towards developing Hungary's electricity grid, with a focus on solar panels and wind farms, while another €2bn would be spent on new intercity trains.

Accusing Viktor Orbán of lying to the Hungarian people constantly about why EU funds had been locked, he said the real reason was that "corruption was at an incredible rate in Hungary".

Magyar said he had long argued that EU funds would begin to flow if Hungary accepted anti-corruption measures and rules against cronyism. "These steps and just a few weeks were enough to conclude a political agreement about these incredibly important funds," he said.

Orbán stepped down as an MP last month, pledging to rebuild his party, and his future as Fidesz party chairman will be decided in June at a party congress.

His route back to power appears to have been cut off. Last week, Magyar's Tisza party submitted an amendment to the Hungarian constitution so that a prime minister could serve a maximum of eight years. That would bar Orbán from any chance of a return to the top.

Tisza won a two-thirds majority in last month's election, which gives the party the authority to reform the constitution.

Meanwhile, Hungarian students are to be allowed to take part again in the Erasmus exchange programme with other EU countries, the Commission president has said.

In December 2022, the EU suspended funding for more than 20 Hungarian universities because Budapest had turned them into public interest trusts under political control.

Nato and EU condemn Russia after drone hits Romanian residential block

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c93x4nxlkjeo, yesterday

A Russian drone hit a block of flats in Romania, causing a fire and injuring two people, Romanian officials say.

Friday's incident in the eastern town of Galați, near the border with Ukraine, was condemned by Romania's fellow members of Nato and the EU. Ukraine said it proved again that Russia posed "a real threat" to Europe.

Romanian President Nicușor Dan said the drone was likely hit by Ukrainian air defences over Kyiv's territory, altering its trajectory. Russian President Vladimir Putin later questioned whether the drone was Russian.

Drones fired by Russia have strayed into Romania a number of times during the four-year war with Ukraine, but it is the first time Romanians have been hurt.

Romania's emergency situations authority said the drone's entire explosive payload detonated and caused a fire on the 10th floor of the residential building.

Two people with abrasions required medical treatment and were taken to the Galați County Emergency Clinical Hospital. About 70 people were evacuated as the fire was put out.

Romania's defence ministry said two F-16 fighter jets were scrambled after the drones were detected. Brig Gen Gheorghe Maxim said the army had only four minutes from when the drone was detected to the moment of impact.

The ministry added in a later update that it appeared the "entire load" of the Geran 2 drone - also known as a Shahed 136 - had exploded on impact.

Gen Maxim said Romanian forces were under significant constraints, as they could not fire munitions that violated Ukrainian airspace. "Ukraine is at war, but Romania is at peace. We cannot launch a projectile into Ukrainian airspace," he said.

Romania's military has sought to reassure the public that it was not an attack on the country but rather "a conflict at our border, with consequences for the local population".

Speaking during a visit to Galați later on Friday, President Dan said the drone was likely hit while over Ukraine, apparently by Ukraine's air defences.

"There was a group of 43 drones coming from the east. Some were shot down over Ukraine, and one was hit above the [Ukrainian] city of Reni, which altered its trajectory."

Dan also said his administration would expel the Russian consul in the Black Sea port of Constanța and shut down the consulate. Moscow said it "won't take long" to respond.

President Dan also convened an emergency meeting of Romania's Supreme Defence Council, describing the Russian drone strike as "the most serious incident to have affected Romanian territory since the start of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine".

The country's foreign ministry said Bucharest had "requested measures to accelerate the transfer of anti-drone capabilities to Romania" from Nato.

The alliance's secretary general, Mark Rutte, said he had spoken to President Dan and told him the alliance "stands ready to defend every inch of allied territory".

"We will continue to enhance our readiness to deter and defend against any threat, including from drones," Rutte added.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X: "Russia's war of aggression has crossed yet another line".

"As we continue strengthening our security and deterrence, especially on our Eastern border, we will keep increasing the pressure on Russia," she added.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said the incident "proved once again that Russian aggression poses a real threat to the Black Sea region".

He urged other countries to strengthen support for Ukraine and increase pressure on Russia "to restore peace and security in the region".

In a post on social media on Friday evening, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had expressed support for Romania during a phone call with President Dan.

"We will be in constant communication with Romania and will continue to work together to protect life from all potential Russian threats," Zelensky added.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the drone hit was a "serious violation" of Nato airspace, and added that the UK stood "shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine, with Romania, and with all our Nato allies in the face of continued Russian aggression".

Other European politicians also condemned the incident, including the French foreign minister, the US Ambassador to Nato and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

At a news briefing later on Friday, President Putin said he had only just heard of the incident, suggesting the drone wreckage should be handed over to Russia for an "objective investigation".

He also recalled recent cases of Ukrainian drones straying into a number of EU countries.

Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and several Nato countries have witnessed drone incursions since then.

Poland blamed Russia for a drone strike on a field in the village of Osiny 130km (80 miles) south-east of Warsaw last August, and then shot down two suspected Russian drones over its territory the following month.

At the time, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he had involved Article 4 of the Nato Treaty, which requires members of the alliance to hold urgent consultations.

For Romania and its Nato allies, the border areas near the River Danube - including Galați - are extremely difficult to defend when Russian drones attack the Ukrainian ports of Reni and Izmail.

Romania's defence ministry says that since the start of the war in Ukraine, drone fragments have been found on Romanian territory on 47 separate occasions, 12 of them this year alone.

Last month, fragments of a Russian drone landed on the outskirts of Galați, after a drone was detected across the Ukrainian border near the town of Reni. Nato fighter jets were authorised to target drones at the time but could not fire on one that had been tracked by radar as it did not breach Romanian airspace.

Nato's secretary general said on Friday the Galati incident "showed yet again that the implications of [Russia's] illegal war of aggression don't stop at the border".

In recent months, Nato member states in the Baltics have also faced a series of incidents involving long-range Ukrainian drones that Kyiv says went off course after being jammed by Russian signals.

Italy restores lucky testicles on bull mosaic worn down by tourists

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1m215npjp2o, 2 days ago

A famous bull mosaic in one of Italy's grand arcades is getting some much-needed care after being worn down by tourists honouring a tradition involving its delicate body parts.

As the legend goes, tourists in Milan who grind their heels on the bull's testicles and spin in place three times are guaranteed good fortune and are destined to return.

Visitors twirling clockwise for luck have left a small crater on the bull's "lucky spot".

"Thousands of people every day have performed the famous heel-spinning gesture," city councillors said. "The pink tiles that make up its testicles are being worn away."

The beige and blue mosaic of a prancing bull surrounded by a coat of arms is located in the city's historic 19th-Century Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II arcade. It is representative of the city of Turin, which was the first capital of Italy.

Restoration began this week, with a small construction site erected around the mosaic and a restorer working to return the artwork to its former glory, Milan's city council said in a statement.

Artisan Gianluca Galli was seen kneeling before the mosaic, working to cut new pieces of stone by hand as curious onlookers gathered around him.

Of the spinning ritual, which was popular among Milanese in the 19th Century, Galli told AFP news agency: "It's probably a charming gesture, but also quite damaging for a work of art."

City councillors Emmanuel Conte and Marco Granelli said the last restoration of the bull mosaic was in 2017.

"The Galleria is a living heritage, which can wear away precisely because it is loved and experienced: we take care of it so that it continues to be so," they added.

Spain's Sánchez digs in after eight years as PM as wave of scandals threatens survival

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1w21gn340xo, yesterday

1 June marks exactly eight years since Pedro Sánchez became prime minister of Spain, but with his government and Socialist Party besieged by corruption investigations he is more likely to be plotting his political survival than celebrating.

His musician brother, David, has just gone on trial accused of influence peddling.

Former Socialist prime minister and close Sánchez ally José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has been named in an investigation into alleged money laundering.

And police have raided the Socialist headquarters in Madrid as part of a probe into allegations of a dirty tricks campaign that the opposition has dubbed "the Socialists' Watergate".

These probes and others have generated a growing clamour by the opposition for Sánchez's resignation and speculation that his government might soon collapse.

"The accumulation of cases makes clear that these are not isolated episodes or the fruit of dark conspiracies," warned centre-left newspaper El País, traditionally sympathetic to the Socialist Party. "The investigations are linked to the nucleus of power which has governed for the past eight years."

The Socialist Party has been under scrutiny since 2023, when José Luis Ábalos, a former transport minister and deputy party leader, was implicated in an investigation into a network that allegedly received kickbacks from the sale of €50m (£43m) worth of facemasks during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ábalos, who denies involvement but was expelled from the party, recently went on trial and is awaiting the verdict.

Last year, he was also implicated in a broader kickbacks-for-contracts case, along with Socialist Party number three Santos Cerdán.

That case came as a huge blow to Sánchez, who had vigorously defended Cerdán from allegations in the media until evidence from the probe was made public. "The Socialist Party and I should not have trusted him," the prime minister said.

Both Cerdán and Ábalos deny wrongdoing.

The case against Zapatero, in which he is accused of using his influence to secure a €53m government bailout of Plus Ultra airline in 2021 and receiving a commission in return, is also extremely damaging for the Socialist Party.

That is in great part because Zapatero is a close Sánchez ally who has commanded enormous respect on the left for reforms he introduced during his 2004-2011 administration, including in areas such as same-sex marriage, historical memory and gender violence.

The separatist group Eta ended its four-decades-long campaign of violence during his tenure.

"Symbolically speaking, this is very significant," said Paco Camas, head of public opinion in Spain for polling firm Ipsos. "The fact that this is the first former prime minister [to be investigated] makes it extremely serious. But also because he has been a moral reference for the party."

Zapatero, who is due to be questioned in court on 17 June, has insisted he has done nothing illegal and for now, at least, he has Sánchez's "full support".

The investigation that led to a 12-hour police raid on Socialist Party HQ in Madrid this week adds an extra dimension to Sánchez's woes.

The allegation is that the party paid member Leire Díez to carry out a campaign to discredit police, judges and prosecutors who were investigating existing cases, such as that affecting Cerdán, who has been named as a suspect in this probe. Díez has denied that she performed this role.

While Sánchez himself has not been directly implicated in any of the investigations, family members have.

The allegations against his brother, David, who went on trial on Thursday, are that he was appointed to a musical post in Badajoz in south-west Spain without undergoing a selection process, and that once in the role he did not carry out his duties.

Also, a judge has been investigating the business affairs of the prime minister's wife, Begoña Gómez, since 2024, and has proposed she go on trial for misuse of funds and influence peddling.

She has been summoned for a preliminary hearing on 9 June.

Pedro Sánchez has criticised the cases against his brother and wife, pointing to the fact that they originated in accusations made by far-right organisations.

So far, at least, Sánchez has not cast in doubt the cases against Zapatero or Leire Díez.

However, his combative transport minister, Óscar Puente, appeared to make a broader point about the investigations cornering the Socialists when he said "there is a government that some want to bring down, not through the ballot box, but with other dark arts, with undemocratic methods".

The leader of the conservative People's Party (PP), Alberto Núñez Feijóo, described the litany of scandals as "a criminal carousel". He called for Sánchez to resign and bring forward next year's general election.

But Sánchez, who has become renowned or infamous for his resilience, has insisted he will see out the parliament's full legislative term.

His minority coalition government has struggled to manage its parliamentary partners – an array of regional nationalist and left-wing parties – preventing it from approving a single new budget this legislature.

The question now is whether the remaining allies will continue to support him.

One of them, the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), hinted that its patience is wearing thin, suggesting that waiting until 2027 for the next election would be an "irresponsibility".

However, loss of parliamentary support does not necessarily mark the end of the road for Sánchez.

There does not seem to be enough support for the opposition to win a no-confidence vote – which was how Sánchez himself came into power in 2018.

That is partly because parties that want more autonomy for their regions, such as the PNV, fear the centralising intentions of a PP government, possibly in coalition with the far-right Vox.

"I don't see an incentive for the government to call elections, however blocked the situation may be and however much it is affected by scandal," said Paco Camas. "It can dig in."

He believes that, like last year in the wake of the Ábalos-Cerdán kickback scandal, the summer break could provide the government with a badly needed respite, allowing it to recover some political initiative in September.

Another question is whether ill-feeling within Socialist ranks at so much scandal could spread.

The president of the Castilla-La Mancha region, Emiliano García-Page, and former Prime Minister Felipe González, both regular Sánchez critics, have called for early elections.

"There would have to be an internal rebellion of mayors and regional leaders who are concerned that the contagion effect of the reputation of this government could have an impact on the May [2027 local] elections," said Lluís Orriols, a political scientist at Carlos III University.

"But right now we're not seeing that kind of revolt," he said.

Sánchez's future is likely to depend to a great extent on how the investigations develop.

Further explosive cases, or evidence of illegal financing in the Socialist Party, could trigger an exodus of parliamentary partners and make the pressure unbearable, even for the great survivor Sánchez.

"This is a government which has been in a very delicate situation for some time now," said Orriols. "Don't rule out the possibility of it running out of air soon."

Can EU find a Russia whisperer to mediate an end to war in Ukraine?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqxpp73wqero, 4 days ago

Ukraine is urging the EU to help negotiate an end to the war with Russia, a topic that will be discussed in detail at an informal meeting of European foreign ministers in Cyprus.

The EU is actively considering re-engagement with Moscow over Ukraine as US efforts to mediate have ground to a halt and Russia steps up its deadly strikes.

Now, Ukraine's foreign minister has told the BBC that Kyiv is keen to introduce some "new dynamics" into the negotiation process.

"We need to move to a new format of talks with the Russian side," Andrii Sybiha said in a recent call, suggesting "more active participation by the European side".

Among the candidates rumoured for the role of envoy are both former German chancellor Angela Merkel and ex-Prime Minister of Italy Mario Draghi, but Sybiha wouldn't be drawn on any names.

A spokesperson for Draghi told the BBC he "prefers not to comment at this stage".

This weekend, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said he "probably couldn't answer in the negative" if he were offered the task, but only after Russia agreed to a ceasefire.

There is no hint of that.

Over the weekend, Kyiv was pummelled with missiles and drones in one of the most intense attacks of the war so far and Moscow has since threatened "systematic strikes" on the city, warning foreigners to leave and locals to beware.

Even as it escalates its aggression, Russia is accusing the EU of encouraging Kyiv militarily and so undermining US peace efforts.

So it's difficult to see it engaging with the Europeans in any meaningful way.

Russia prefers to talk to the US, partly for reasons of status and partly because President Donald Trump's envoys have been deeply unchallenging, pressuring Kyiv far more than Moscow.

Their approach has failed, and last week Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US was not interested in hosting "an endless cycle of meetings that lead to nothing". He has since clarified that the US remains ready to mediate "if that opportunity presents itself".

Now the EU is looking to join the effort and ensure that any deal, if ever done, is the best for both Ukraine and European security.

Vladimir Putin claims he is open to the idea as long as whoever is appointed "has not said all sorts of nasty things about us".

His own suggestion for an EU envoy, though, was German ex-chancellor Gerhard Schröder, a close ally of Moscow and long-time lobbyist for its interests.

The EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas rejected the idea immediately: Schröder, she said, would be "sitting on both sides of the table".

The two-day gathering that opens in Cyprus on Wednesday will allow ministers to set out their countries' stalls with more freedom than a formal summit.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, most have pursued a policy of isolation and sanctions, and not all agree on the wisdom of initiating even limited contacts.

Some, like Sweden and Lithuania, see Russia as squeezed now and want the pressure increased not eased. Others, like Italy, argue that it's unwise to stay on the sidelines any longer.

In March, Kallas circulated some starting points for discussion, described by one EU official as "food for thought". Her goal is to formulate a joint EU position regarding Russia – and set any red lines – before initiating contact.

Whilst the idea of appointing an envoy, perhaps even a group of them, will be floated in Cyprus, serious discussion would only happen at the level of EU leaders, potentially at their summit next month.

Meanwhile, Ukraine wants to "break the deadlock" and is pushing for progress, the EU official said.

"This must not become a prolonged process focused only on discussions about who should represent, how many people, and what format. No. This must happen quickly," Sybiha warned.

In Kyiv, analyst Yaroslav Smovzh believes that engaging with Moscow is "doomed" unless the EU comes from a position of strength.

"There is a sense that Europe has somewhat lost its sense of agency in international affairs, especially regarding such an important large-scale war in Europe," says Smovzh, from the Adastra think tank.

"But if Europe wants to act as an independent and neutral intermediary it will not yield any results, just like the US did not achieve any success," he says, arguing that Russia needs to "be intimidated".

"So far Europe's response to Russia's behaviour in its [own] territory has been somewhat unconvincing."

As the EU talks about talks, Ukraine has been increasing the pressure on its neighbour itself with repeated deep strikes on Russian oil export facilities. It calls them its "long-range sanctions", and Moscow's latest large-scale attacks on Ukraine show that it's rattled.

That doesn't mean serious negotiations for peace are around the corner.

"There are no signals that Russia wants to end this war," MP Ehor Chernev from Ukraine's ruling Servants of the People party says.

But as US interest in pursuing that goal has waned he believes "new energy can be brought to this process" from Europe.

"They will represent the EU, which clearly understands the threat from Russia," the MP says.

Wave of child abuse cases shakes schools in Paris

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8e8gx2d7j4o, 5 days ago

Warning: You may find some of the graphic detail in this story disturbing

A school assistant will go on trial in Paris on Tuesday accused of sexual mistreatment of young children in his care.

It is the latest case in a year-long scandal that has shaken the school system in the French capital, where some 15,000 such assistants - known as animateurs - are employed as non-teaching staff.

Currently enquiries are under way at nearly 100 Paris crèches, kindergartens and junior schools where animateurs have been accused of inappropriate, aggressive or sexualised behaviour.

Trials in three other cases are to take place over the summer, and a verdict is due in a fourth which was held earlier this month. More are likely to follow.

Last week police detained 16 people after a swoop at three schools in the 7th arrondissement or district. Three people were subsequently charged with sexually inappropriate behaviour to children.

Tuesday's case centres on the Alphonse Baudin junior school in the 11th arrondissement, where the animateur is accused of sexualised touching with five children.

One man told the BBC that in April 2025 he had already spotted unusual signs in his four-year-old daughter when another parent reported that their child had been molested.

"My wife took our daughter into the garden and asked her if she had been touched in after-school time, and she said 'Yes, David touches me and gives me cuddles.'

"My wife said, 'Show me', and my daughter started stroking her back in a bizarre way. That's when we knew something was wrong."

The scandal has created a climate of mistrust and fear among parents of young children in Paris, many of whom accuse the City Hall – which employs the animateurs – of failing initially to take the complaints seriously.

According to after-school association SOS-Périscolaire, the main problem has been the low quality of animateurs, who are poorly paid and at most need only a basic certificate in child management to get a job. Sometimes the pressure to recruit is so great that even that requirement is waived.

Elisabeth Guthmann, who founded the association in 2021, said it was in response to the growing number of stories circulating among parents about teasing, taunting and other types of low-level abuse by animateurs.

She cited a case of four animateurs at a junior school in the 16th arrondissement who "set up a fight-club with the other children standing around shouting 'Hit him!'".

The new mayor of Paris, Emmanuel Grégoire, has vowed to reform the recruitment system with €20m (£17.2m) for training and monitoring. He also said animateurs would be automatically suspended after a single complaint had been lodged. Since the start of the year nearly 80 have been suspended.

The animateurs – most of whom are on short-term contracts – are expected to look after young children during meal-times and in the afternoons after classes finish. They are supposed to conduct various sporting, craft and leisure activities.

But the assistants say they themselves are now victims of generalised suspicion and discrimination because of the scandal. Last week they staged a strike to call for recognition and more investment in their profession.

"Parents have, so to speak, taken power over the schools and started reporting things. Except that not everything they report is necessarily accurate," said Carla Bonnet of the FO union.

"City Hall is no longer objective," said Rémi, an after-school assistant. "It doesn't investigate [the allegations]… it doesn't look after us.

"Working with children today, at the drop of a hat you can be accused of absolutely anything."

"When you have a system in which workers aren't properly paid or trained or monitored, and where there's no money or proper procedures for raising the alert, it's not surprising that things get out of control," said Grégoire Ensel of the parents' organisation FCPE.

The scandal has been centred on Paris, but activists say that similar problems exist across the country.

With reporting by Leontine Gallois and Xavier Pallas.

If you are affected by any of the issues in this story, support and information are available at BBC Action Line.

Rosenberg: Luhansk strike sparks Russian accusations and vow to retaliate

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgz05jyrrpo, 7 days ago

On Russian state TV a news bulletin shows images of a five-storey building reduced to rubble.

Teams of rescuers are sifting through debris.

On a severely damaged façade there's a sign:

"Starobilsk Professional College."

What happened here early on Friday has sparked Russian accusations, Ukrainian denials, an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council and vows of retribution by the Kremlin.

The town of Starobilsk is in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine: in the Luhansk region which Moscow claims to have annexed.

Russian officials accuse Ukraine of carrying out a drone attack on the college dormitory. According to official figures, 21 people were killed and 42 wounded.

The Russian TV report shows а number of survivors in hospital. One of them is identified as 21-year-old Olga Kovaleva. She'd been trapped under the rubble, but later rescued.

Then a caption fills the screen:

"The people killed in the Starobilsk attack," it says, listing the names of the dead students and their dates of birth.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called what happened a "terrorist strike." He insisted there had been "no military facilities, intelligence service facilities or related services in the vicinity."

"Therefore, there is absolutely no basis for claiming that the munitions struck the building as a result of our air defence or electronic warfare systems," the Kremlin leader said.

In a statement the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said it did carry out an attack near Starobilsk on the night of 21-22 May but maintains that it struck a Russian military unit.

Amid claim and counterclaim Russia on Friday had requested an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council.

"Under international humanitarian law, this constitutes a war crime," said Russia's UN ambassador Vasily Nebenyza. He held up photographs of the destroyed college.

"If we were to apply the same logic behind Russia's call for today's meeting, we would need twice-daily emergency Security Council meetings — including on the weekends — to only scratch the surface of the terror, death and destruction inflicted across Ukraine by Russia," commented the representative from Denmark.

On Friday Putin ordered Russia's defence ministry to propose a response to the attack.

Hawkish pro-Kremlin commentators are urging the Kremlin to not limit retaliation to Ukraine.

"We need to start punishing Europe for things like this, including with strikes," said Sergey Karaganov, honorary chairman of the presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defence Policy, to state-run Vesti. "Symbolic [strikes] to start with. Then, perhaps, less symbolic ones."

Late on Saturday officials announced that emergency teams had completed the search and rescue operation.

Race for French presidency sees ex-PM Philippe as early favourite to beat populists

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g0410gnv5o, 8 days ago

A year to go until France chooses its next president, the big question is who can save the election from being a battle of the extremes.

For now, and perhaps only for now, the answer is pretty clear. It is President Emmanuel Macron's former prime minister, Edouard Philippe.

Latest opinion polls concur that the 55-year-old centre-right politician is the only figure capable of beating a hard-right candidate in round two of the vote next May, whether that is Marine Le Pen or her young deputy Jordan Bardella.

In any other polled scenario, the other candidate would lose and France would have a populist-right head of state.

Philippe is also best placed to keep the hard-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon out of the run-off, thus eliminating the scenario - a nightmare for business and France's European partners - of a straight choice between hard left and hard right.

For supporters of Philippe, who heads the small Horizons party, all this should justify his emergence in the coming months as the natural candidate of the French centre-right and set him on course for victory.

They expect other contenders from the same political space to acknowledge Philippe's lead towards the end of the year and step diplomatically from the race.

Those rivals include the former centrist prime minister, Gabriel Attal of Renaissance who declared his candidacy on Friday, and Bruno Retailleau of the conservative Republicans.

In the peculiar French system of voting, everyone knows that having too many players in the multi-candidate first round of the presidential election next April amounts to political suicide.

With several candidates vying for the same slice of the electorate, the vote is divided up and all fall below the qualification mark for round two – in which only the two leaders from round one take part.

This was already true in the old politics, where Socialists and Gaullists used to battle it out. How much more true is it now, when historic formations of right and left are being eclipsed by populist forces on their flanks?

So, with a year to go, Edouard Philippe is cautiously moving his campaign into gear – mindful that being an early favourite in the presidential race is as often a hindrance as an asset.

In a meeting in Reims east of Paris earlier this month, he announced his three campaign directors as well as a distinctly Gaullist election slogan – France Libre (Free France).

Leaning clearly to the right on economic matters, he favours a further pushing back of the age of retirement from its current 64, and a law to enshrine balanced budgets. Both issues could be the subjects of early referendums if he is elected next year.

In June he plans to hit the news with an innovative communications stunt – beaming himself into 1,000 living rooms across France for a mass "apartment meeting". And on 5 July in Paris, he holds his first rally as a candidate.

As Le Monde newspaper said in a profile, Philippe "hopes that a face-off between him and the National Rally (RN) quickly gets accepted as the framework of the election, with himself as the natural barrier to the far-right coming to power".

The problem is, of course, that there are so many imponderables between now and next May, and the interim is unlikely to play out as smoothly as Philippe supporters would like.

First of all, there is no guarantee that his rivals in the centre-right space will do the honourable thing and step aside.

Even if they do, they will probably maintain their campaigns as long as possible, opening up divisions with Philippe that will be exploited by his real opponents.

For now, the challenge from the centre-left – the Socialists and allies – looks minor. They are as divided as ever about who to choose as candidate or candidates, and how to do so. It is quite possible that four or five names could end up on the ballot.

But it is not impossible either that, under threat of a wipe-out, the mainstream left gathers around a single candidate. Someone like MEP Raphael Glucksmann, of the small Place Publique party, could become a rallying point for moderate left-centre voters and draw them away from Philippe.

There is also the small matter of a corruption probe just announced into Philippe in his function as mayor of the northern port city of Le Havre. His team says the accusations of favouritism are untrue and will be fought at every turn, but they cannot be helping.

Most significantly, though, any cold-headed analysis of Philippe's prospects must acknowledge that political momentum in France ahead of next year's elections remains strongest not in his centre ground, but at the extremes – especially on the right.

Anti-elite sentiment, economic insecurity, social tensions and declining public services have prepared the ground for candidates of radical change.

For them, Philippe is an easy target because he is so obviously a figure from the old power system. Prime minister from 2017 to 2020, he is forever branded for his enemies as a Macronite.

On 7 July – two days after Philippe's Paris rally – the big event in France's pre-campaign will take place, when sentence is delivered by an appeal court on the RN's EU money trial and France will learn whether Marine Le Pen is struck with ineligibility and thus unable to run next year.

All the polls suggest that whether she can or cannot makes little difference, because the media-savvy Jordan Bardella scores, if anything, even better than she does.

But will that be borne out when the hard campaigning gets under way?

Philippe is reported to be hoping for a Bardella candidacy, because he reckons the 30-year-old's inexperience will soon begin to tell, whereas Le Pen, 57, is a tough election warrior with a deep rapport with voters across the country.

The RN is a nationalist party which wants to limit immigration, for example by stopping families from joining migrant workers and ending the right to nationality for all born on French soil. Officially at least, the party wants to bring down the age of retirement to 62.

As for the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI), its leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon declared himself a candidate earlier this month, with a promise among his first acts as president to dismantle the media empires of French billionaires like Vincent Bolloré.

Calling for hefty new taxes on big business and an opt-out from EU rules, the 70-year-old former minister has built a formidable support base in the "new France" of the high-immigration banlieues - the suburbs of French cities - and among the prospect-deprived, university-educated young.

As a candidate in 2022, he came within an ace of qualifying for the second round against Emmanuel Macron, and believes his destiny is to face off against the far right. "When the rest are gone, it'll be me and her," he has said.

But in that "battle of the extremes" - populist left versus populist right - for the presidency of the French republic, all polls suggest that there would be one clear winner: and it is not Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

Man charged with murder of woman in County Galway

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0p7gd5vl2o, today

A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of a woman who was found dead on the outskirts of Clifden, County Galway, earlier this week.

The victim was Masumeh Manojan who was in her 30s and was originally from Iran.

She had sustained fatal slash and stab wounds when her body was discovered on Thursday morning.

The accused, 35-year-old Ali Sohrabi of no fixed address, replied "no" when the murder charge was put to him by gardaí (Irish police) on Saturday evening, Galway District Court was told.

Ms Manojan's body was found near an International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) centre - a unit which houses people seeking asylum in the Republic of Ireland.

During the brief court hearing, a detective told the court that Ali Sohrabi had been charged with murdering the victim some time between 27 and 28 May.

The accused was remanded in custody to Castlerea Prison, County Roscommon, according to Irish broadcaster RTÉ.

His defence solicitor requested that he be given medical and psychiatric help while on remand in the jail - a request the judge agreed to.

The accused is expected to appear again before the same court by video link next Wednesday.

Irish village without water during hottest week of year

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgp6le2dkpo, yesterday

Residents of a village in the Republic of Ireland were left without water for several days during the hottest week of the year.

The outage in Ballivor, County Meath, came as the island of Ireland recorded its hottest May day on record earlier this week.

Independent councillor Noel French said water has since been restored after being tankered in from nearby towns and added that residents deserve a decent water supply.

Irish water provider Uisce Éireann said that upgrade works are planned, which will include a water storage upgrade at Ballivor in June.

Aontú councillor Dave Boyne said parts of Ballivor had been without water since Sunday and that the local school was forced to close as a result.

He told BBC News NI that water outages have been a long running issue in the area.

"The water has been off since Sunday, it might be back on in parts today, but it's just been mayhem for people," he said.

"People can't flush the toilet, take a shower, it's like living in a third world country."

Boyne added that party colleagues had been going door to door to deliver bottled water to those who may have difficulties leaving their house.

Social Democrats councillor Ronan Moore said the outages reflect continuing challenges across the county where "creaking infrastructure is unable to cope with heightened demand and the changing climate".

'Four days without water'

Local resident Gareth Ferguson said everybody in Ballivor uses bottled water as the tap water is not safe to drink.

He moved to the village in 2019 and said there were occasional water outages then - typically about once a week.

By 2021 he said the outages had got so bad that water tankers were brought in to provide water from nearby towns. The practice has continued into 2026.

"The longest without water was in 2021, that was six days. This recent one was four days," he said.

People from the village staged a protest back in 2021 and again on Thursday.

Ferguson, an HGV driver, added that the recent hot weather had made the issues harder to ignore.

"It's a lot worse, hygiene pretty much goes out the window," he said.

"Some residents are in a way lucky if they have family they can go to in other towns to wash their clothes and get showers. Some have to pay to go use swimming pool or gym showers.

"I come in from a long day's work sweaty and dirty not knowing whether I'm going to be able to get a shower."

An Uisce Éireann spokesperson said the works on the water storage upgrade will commence on 8 June with the main upgrade work due to begin about 22 June.

"Water mains improvement works are also being planned and, once Uisce Éireann obtains the required licence for these works to proceed, we will advise customers of the timeline," they said.

Three arrested over burglaries against high-profile athletes

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0m22vdwrr9o, 6 days ago

Police in Chile say they have arrested three people suspected of carrying out a series of burglaries on the homes of high-profile athletes in the US and Argentina.

Taylor Swift's fiancé Travis Kelce was among star names whose homes were struck during 2024 and 2025.

During the spree thieves took expensive watches, valuable jewellery and souvenirs including sports jerseys.

Last week, police arrested two people who had broken into the Argentinian home of the 2009 US Open winner Juan Martín del Potro.

It led them to a third suspect, who was arrested on Saturday.

Commissioner Enrique Gutierrez of Chilean Interpol said in a video reported by the AFP news agency that the trio would now be extradited. The gender of the three suspects have not been disclosed by police.

Gutierrez added: "These individuals will face justice in the United States or Argentina.

"They had no significant criminal record in Chile, having specialised in robberies outside our borders."

The burglaries had taken place during a two-year spree and the investigation had seen earlier arrests carried out by police.

Officers have not confirmed the names of any of the athletes targeted by the gang.

Police said the alleged thieves would case out the properties before breaking into the homes.

They would also monitor social media profiles to see when the owners were away, as well as assess the buildings' security measures.

Kelce's home was burgled on 7 October 2024 when he was away playing a game with the Kansas City Chiefs. A total of $20,000 (£15,900) in cash was taken in the raid.

Dallas Cowboys player Linval Joseph and Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis were also targeted in different burglaries.

It prompted the US's National Football League to send out a memo warning athletes to be vigilant.

At the time it said criminals had used public records to find players' addresses where they then spied on.

The memo added: "By tracking team schedules and the social media accounts of players and their families, they wait until homes are empty - often during games."

In February last year seven men were charged in connection with the crime spree.

Chilean Interpol and the FBI have all been contacted by the BBC for comment.

Bolivian Congress allows deployment of troops to quell protests

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8932y4d4w7o, 4 days ago

Congress in Bolivia has passed a bill which will make it easier for the president to declare a state of emergency and deploy soldiers to quell protests.

The move comes after almost a month of road blocks and demonstrations by miners, farmers and indigenous groups, which are demanding President Rodrigo Paz resign.

On Monday, Paz said that he favoured dialogue over "armed confrontation" but the centre-right leader is coming under increasing pressure to end the protests, which have led to widespread shortages of water, fuel and medicines in the affected areas.

Paz has accused the left-wing former president, Evo Morales, of orchestrating the protests, which the ex-leader has denied.

On Tuesday, Bolivia's Chamber of Deputies voted by more than a two-thirds majority to repeal a 2020 law which restricted the use of the military to quell protests to cases in which the police has been overwhelmed.

Lawmakers who backed the bill said that the 2020 law had restricted the constitutional powers of the president and that "violent" groups should not be able to dictate to the elected government.

But Sonia Siñani, who voted against the measure, warned that it could heighten social tensions, saying it was like "throwing fuel onto the flames".

The protests started at the end of April and were originally triggered by a land reform proposed by Paz.

Some small-scale farmers were worried the measure would make it easier for large landowners to buy up small properties.

The government insisted any sale would have to be voluntary but powerful organisations representing small-scale farmers were not convinced and blocked the country's main highways in protest.

Paz has since scrapped the reform, but by then the farmers had been joined by other sectors of society venting their grievances.

Drivers and transport workers took to the streets complaining that the quality of petrol had worsened since the government scrapped fuel subsidies.

The removal of the long-standing subsidy created shortages and prompted some petrol stations to sell adulterated fuel, which in turn caused damage to the motors of vehicles which used it.

Road blockades erected by angry protesters have further exacerbated the shortages, creating a vicious circle.

Proposed changes to the 2009 constitution - which was brought in by then-President Evo Morales - have also triggered a backlash.

Paz, a centre-right politician, campaigned on a promise to open up key parts of Bolivia's economy to private investment.

Followers of Morales argue that these reforms could undermine the power of the state in managing these important economic sectors.

The former leader, who governed Bolivia from 2006 to 2019, remains an influential figure in the country, especially with indigenous groups.

The Paz government has blamed Morales for the unrest, arguing that he is fanning the flames of discontent to detract attention from an arrest warrant which was issued against him on 11 May.

A judge issued the warrant and declared Morales in contempt of court after he failed to appear at a hearing over allegations of statutory rape and human trafficking.

Prosecutors accuse Morales of impregnating a 15-year-old girl in 2015, and taking her on trips abroad.

Morales argues that the accusations are part of a right-wing vendetta against him and his followers have repeatedly threatened to paralyse the country should he be arrested.

Paz has tried to defuse the widespread protests by reshuffling his cabinet, slashing his salary and that of his ministers in half, and announcing the creation of a council to negotiate with sectors of society which feel isolated under his government.

But so far these measures have failed to quell the unrest.

With additional reporting by BBC Mundo's Ayelén Oliva.

Venezuelan prison director sacked as inmates allege mistreatment

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0l22wrx44po, 5 days ago

The director of a prison in the Venezuelan state of Barinas has been sacked after violent clashes between security forces and inmates protesting over their alleged mistreatment.

Elvis Macuare Guerrero, who had been in charge of the penitentiary for just a week, was dismissed on Monday, state officials said.

Prisoners had accused him of stopping family visits and punishing them by keeping them in solitary confinement. Macuare has not publicly commented.

Organisations lobbying for prisoners' rights have long denounced the poor conditions at many of Venezuela's penitentiaries.

The prosecutor's office has announced an investigation after prisoners at the jail in Barinas, which is known as Injuba, alleged that the director had ordered violent searches of their cells and kept them in solitary confinement.

They also said they had been subjected to beatings and "torture".

The inmates said that their complaints had gone unheard for a week, triggering a protest which saw them climb the prison roof and burn mattresses and bed sheets.

Extra security forces were deployed on Sunday. Witnesses reported hearing explosions and what they said sounded like shots being fired.

In footage published by non-governmental organisation Venezuelan Prison Observatory (OVP), a man can be seen showing wounds on his torso and his arm, with another man shouting "they're shooting at us".

Others can be heard joining into chants of "we want justice".

On Monday, small groups of inmates remained on the roof, even after the prison director's sacking had been announced.

Meanwhile, more than 100 prisoners were moved by bus to other penitentiaries.

Rights group OVP said that relatives of the inmates had not been given any information about the possible transfers of their loved ones and were growing increasingly anxious.

OVP has long drawn attention to the poor conditions in Venezuelan jails, with the organisation warning that many do not meet the "minimum standards" which should be guaranteed by law.

Since the United States seized Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in a military operation in the capital, Caracas, on 3 January, US pressure has led to the release of hundreds of political prisoners.

However, more than 400 are still behind bars, according to pressure group Foro Penal.

While Injuba is not one of the prisons where most political prisoners are usually kept, Venezuela's Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners expressed its solidarity with the inmates there, alleging that "punishment, hunger, solitary confinement, torture and inhumane conditions" were being used to control and subdue prisoners and "formed part of prison policy".

In March, the United Nations' High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said that his office had been receiving reports alleging that detainees had continued to be tortured in Venezuela following Maduro's ouster by the US.

Rights group accuses UAE of being transit point for mercenaries on way to Sudan

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1422nrgm1jo, 5 days ago

Colombian mercenaries were recruited by a United Arab Emirates-based company and transited through Emirati military bases to support paramilitary troops who committed atrocities in Sudan, a leading rights organisation alleges.

According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the findings are further evidence of UAE-backing for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been accused of war crimes during the Sudanese civil war.

The UAE denies claims it recruited and trained foreign fighters in its territory.

"The UAE does not permit its territory to be used for the recruitment, training, financing or transit of foreign fighters to any conflict, including Sudan," its ministry of foreign affairs said.

The HRW investigation was conducted through interviews with Colombian mercenaries between March and September 2025 as well as an analysis of social media posts identifying key locations and weapons in videos and images.

War broke out in Sudan on 15 April 2023, following growing tension between the paramilitary RSF forces and the Sudanese army.

Since then more 150,000 people are believed to have died from the violence and more than 12.9 million have been displaced.

The HRW report follows last month's research by security analysis organisation, the Conflict Insights Group (CIG), which also highlighted the alleged involvement of Colombian mercenaries in Darfur, Sudan's western region now largely held by the RSF.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro was quoted last year as calling the mercenaries "spectres of death" and describing their recruitment as a "form of human trafficking".

HRW says airports in the UAE, Libya, Chad and Somalia were used as transit points for the mercenaries before travelling to the frontlines in the Darfur region.

"They didn't stamp our passports," a mercenary told the rights group, describing his journey through the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi.

"We went in and went out and there was a bus waiting for us to take us to a military base."

Investigations by the rights organisation point to the involvement of a complex network of Colombian and Emirati companies which advertised "drone pilot work in Africa" targeting former Colombian army men.

HRW alleged that an Abu Dhabi-based company recruited the Colombian contractors who were deployed to Sudan to "provide the RSF with tactical and technical expertise, serving as infantry and artillerymen, drone pilots, vehicle operators, and instructors".

According to HRW, the mercenaries were then trained in UAE military facilities in Ghiyathi and Al Wathba before covert deployment to war zones in Sudan where gross human rights violations such as mass extrajudicial killings, rape and gang rape, sexual slavery, looting and destruction of civilian infrastructure were allegedly committed.

The RSF has faced particular international outrage following its violent capture of the city of el-Fasher last year.

The United Nations Human Rights Office estimates that more than "6,000 were killed within the first three days of the RSF offensive".

"In November and December 2025, six el-Fasher residents told Human Rights Watch they saw people they believed were Colombians in the city in October 2025, when mass killings were taking place," the HRW report states.

A survivor detained by the RSF who is quoted in the report said he saw "foreign fighters" who "looked on silently" as RSF fighters opened fire on crowds. Another reported seeing "white fighters" alongside RSF fighters who killed three.

"They were there when the executions happened, but they didn't execute."

RSF leader Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo last year declared an investigation into what he called violations committed by his soldiers during the capture of el-Fasher.

The HRW report also says munitions belonging to the UAE armed forces were found after the capture of Colombian mercenaries inside Sudan. Some of the munitions were manufactured in Serbia and Bulgaria but purchased by the UAE, according to HRW.

HRW has called for the UN, African Union, and the UK and US governments to speak out about the UAE's alleged involvement in the war in Sudan.

In December 2025, the US imposed sanctions on a network and individuals - primarily of Colombian nationality - it said was recruiting former Colombian soldiers and training them to fight in Sudan.

The UAE told the BBC allegations that Emirati companies were involved in supporting the RSF had been investigated.

"Where allegations have been made about specific entities, the relevant authorities have investigated, including by making inquiries with companies cited in open sources," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

"Any individual or entity - Emirati or foreign - that were to act in a way that could reasonably be interpreted as providing operational support to an armed non-State actor would be doing so without state authorisation, in violation of Emirati law, and would be subject to criminal investigation and prosecution."

The statement added that the country "remains committed" to working with its partners to "alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people" by securing a lasting ceasefire and help create what it called an "inclusive, Sudanese-owned transition to an independent civilian-led government".

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

Cubans grapple with fuel shortages and blackouts as US steps up pressure

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3e2w43lkvzo, 9 days ago

The incident at the centre of a murder charge against Cuba's former president, Raúl Castro, is burned into the collective memory of both Havana and Miami.

The US case, unveiled on Wednesday, accuses Castro and five others in the shooting down of two planes belonging to Cuban-American group Brothers to the Rescue in 1996 - killing four people, including three Americans.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has called this and other charges levelled at Castro "a political manoeuvre, devoid of any legal foundation".

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has since said Cuba poses a "national security threat" and the likelihood of a peaceful agreement between the two countries is "not high".

As the charges against Raúl Castro were announced, many Cubans were unaware and incommunicado due to the 20-hour blackouts continuing to grip the island. The US has imposed a near-total fuel blockade that has affected almost every facet of daily life.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly sought to exert pressure on Cuba and has openly discussed toppling its communist regime.

The US has demanded political and economic reforms but the specifics are unclear beyond a leadership change. They could include a pledge to open up the economy to more foreign investment and a commitment to end the presence of Russian or Chinese intelligence agencies on the island.

Ana Rosa Romero lives on the 11th floor of the Granma Dos building, an imposing modernist social housing block in the Cuban capital, Havana. A widow in her 70s, she said that when her husband died recently, a blackout in her neighbourhood meant she had to sit with him as he fought for his life for hours before help arrived. He died soon after in hospital.

These days, with the lift so often not working, she says she barely leaves her apartment.

"You can hardly go out," said the former philosophy teacher, a framed picture of Fidel Castro on her wall.

"If you do venture out, it's with the uncertainty of not knowing what's coming next. When is the power due to go out? When is it coming back? How many hours are we going to be without electricity?"

It is a risk to find herself at the bottom of the stairs at her age with eleven flights to climb with bags of shopping, Ana Rosa says. But others in the building are worse off.

The building's superintendent, Juana Garcia, says nine residents have pacemakers and simply can't take the chance of being caught without the lift. Others have been trapped inside the elevator mid-blackout for hours.

Juana has spent almost six months trying to pump water to more than 100 residents with no electricity. Some elderly residents are bedridden and get no water unless a neighbour carries it up several flights in the dark.

"It's dangerous to go up and down these stairs without lights. This is a such a difficult situation. We know we're going through tough times, but it's sad to see this great building stuck in the darkness," she laments.

Her hope is the state can provide solar panels to bring some respite to her residents, particularly the most vulnerable.

In another part of Havana, Barrio Toledo, a new form of social housing is under construction.

Around 40 disused shipping containers are being repurposed into two-bedroom homes, with a kitchen and a bathroom. Around a dozen are close to completion while others sit with the logos of the shipping companies still visible on the outside, rudimentary windows cut out of the sides.

None are yet inhabited as the Cuban state tries to carry out a plan amid the fuel shortages for a small community of container houses around a children's playground and a local store.

Critics say the heat inside the metal homes will be unbearable in the height of Cuba's summer. But the site's foreman, a committed revolutionary called Orlando Diaz, insists they are a well-ventilated, smart solution to the capital's acute housing crisis.

"This technique is already being used successfully in other countries," he says. "We're just catching up."

Diaz says he and all the workers at the site will take part in a government-organised march on Friday in defence of Raúl Castro over the US murder charges.

I ask him if he thinks the indictment was a precursor to military action.

"The charges against Raúl are a vile lie," he says, echoing the government line.

"Why did they bring charges against him but not against Luis Posada Carriles," he added, referring to the late Cuban American militant whom Cuba accused of masterminding the bombing of an airliner in 1973, which killed 73 people.

Diaz is well aware of what happened in Venezuela in early January when Nicolás Maduro was forcibly removed from power by US troops. But he is convinced that if the Trump administration is building towards the use of force in Cuba, the outcome will be very different.

"Venezuela is Venezuela, but Cuba is Cuba," he said defiantly. "And here we don't lack the necessary courage to face this moment."

Back at her 11th-floor apartment, Ana Rosa Romero looks out from her balcony, across the Estadio Latinoamericano baseball stadium, where a decade earlier she looked down and saw Barack Obama and Raúl Castro watch a game together.

Today, she is contemplating the prospect of US military action on her doorstep.

"At my age, I know I'm going to die in Cuba," she says matter-of-factly. "We've faced so many things over the years. And if now we have to face an invasion, then I guess we'll face that too."

Will US invade? Three ways Cuba crisis could play out now

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgplwg3xk3o, 9 days ago

The US has charged Cuba's 94-year-old former president, Raúl Castro, with murder - stoking speculation that Havana could be next on Washington's regime-change list.

Amid a maximum pressure campaign that has led to the most significant fuel and energy shortages in Cuba in decades, a steady chorus of US officials is calling for the end of the island's 66-year-old Communist government.

While President Donald Trump has said that he believes no "escalation" will be necessary, the White House has also vowed it would not tolerate a "rogue state" 90 miles (144km) from US shores.

What comes next is anyone's guess: economic collapse, domestic turmoil or US military intervention. Here's three possible ways it could play out.

US could seize Raul Castro

The indictment of Castro on charges stemming from the 1996 shootdown of two civilian aircraft by Cuban fighter jets prompted immediate speculation that US forces could launch an operation to capture him and spirit him to an American courtroom.

Such an operation is not without precedent.

In January, US commandos launched a lightning-fast operation in Venezuela to capture President Nicolás Maduro - a longtime ally of Cuba - and bring him to New York to face drug and weapons charges.

In 1989, a much larger operation - Operation Just Cause - saw thousands of US troops invade Panama to topple and detain the country's then-leader, Manuel Noriega.

President Trump has so far brushed off questions about whether he is eyeing a similar operation in Cuba.

Several US lawmakers, however, have openly called for a similar mission to be carried out.

"We shouldn't take anything off the table," Florida Senator Rick Scott told reporters. "[The] same thing that happened to Maduro should happen to Raul Castro."

Experts say that, from a military perspective, a move to capture Castro is feasible - but that it would be fraught with risks and complications, including his advanced age and potential resistance.

"In some ways it might be easier to extract him," said Adam Isacson, a regional expert with the Washington Office on Latin America, an NGO. "His symbolic value means he's very heavily guarded, but it's certainly possible."

But removing Castro - who stepped down as president in 2018 - may not have a significant impact on the wider Cuban government, where he has for years now been largely seen as an influential figurehead.

"I don't think it would affect the power structure in Cuba very much anymore. He's 94," Isacson said. "The dynasty of the Castro family is influential, but not central to what they built."

"But for domestic political reasons, it would probably be a hit," he added. "They'd love to humiliate the Castros and get one of the original revolutionaries from 1959 behind bars. But the strategic value of that is questionable."

US could seek Havana leadership change

One possibility that US officials - including Trump - have floated is that new leadership could take over in Havana.

This playbook, experts have noted, could be similar to Maduro's replacement with Delcy Rodriguez in Venezuela, which left the government largely intact, albeit dealing directly with the Trump administration.

Trump has repeatedly said he is already dealing with figures inside Cuba who hope for US help amid worsening economic woes.

"Cuba is asking for help, and we are going to talk," he wrote on Truth Social on 12 May.

Days later, CIA Director John Ratcliffe met Cuban officials, including Castro's grandson, Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, and Interior Minister Lázaro Álvarez Casas.

"We'll engage with the Cubans... at the end of the day they need to make a decision. Their system just doesn't work," Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in Florida on Thursday, adding that the administration's preference is a "negotiated agreement".

The changes that the US wants could include a pledge to open up the economy, invite more foreign investment and involvement by Cuban exile groups, as well as a commitment to end the presence of Russian or Chinese intelligence agencies on the island.

Importantly, these changes could leave Cuba's government largely intact.

"Just like they wanted to avoid instability in Venezuela, they want to avoid instability in Cuba," said Michael Shifter, a professor of Latin American studies at Georgetown University and the former head of the Washington-based Inter-American Dialogue, a think tank.

"Forcing a regime change would be too risky for that," he added.

Several experts contacted by the BBC said that the challenge for the Trump administration is that there is no immediately obvious figure waiting in the wings inside Cuba.

"I don't think there's an obvious Delcy Rodriguez in Cuba, and power works differently in Cuba than in Venezuela," Shifter said. "It's hard to find what they're looking for, but I do think they're looking for some sort of governing structure."

Cuba could collapse

A third possibility is that Cuba buckles under the weight of the massive economic pressure it is facing, which has already led to hours-long daily blackouts and massive food shortages on the island.

"There will be no escalation. I don't think it's necessary," Trump said this week. "The place is falling apart. It's a disaster, and they have lost control to some extent."

Experts, however, paint a far more complicated picture in which the mechanisms of Cuban government control over its populace remain largely intact, even during a difficult economic period.

"You have to distinguish between the Cuban economy and the Cuban state and government," Shifter said. "The Cuban economy can collapse, and is collapsing... but the state still functions, especially on the security side."

Any state collapse could also pose a challenge to the Trump administration if large numbers of Cubans fled the country, particularly towards the US.

More recent Cuban arrivals have not been spared from a lack of access to political asylum and other immigration restrictions during the Trump administration.

"If there's a collapse, you're going to see a big portion of the Cuban population do everything they can to get away, the same way they have from Haiti over the years," Isacson said.

"Florida is the closest place, but I would also expect to see some people make their way to Mexico."

Isacson added that he was "surprised" such an outflux had not already begun.

"People are probably subsisting on 1,000 or 1,500 calories a day, and are not able to get basic healthcare," he said. "You'd think that people would already be building their boats."

The deadly plane attack at the centre of Castro's indictment

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp3pz43k99xo, 10 days ago

The fatal crash of two planes off the coast of Florida more than 30 years ago is at the heart of the criminal charges against Cuba's former leader Raúl Castro the US revealed on Wednesday.

The attack by the Cuban military on a civilian plane sparked one of the biggest crises between Cuba and the US, with effects lasting to this day.

Cuban fighter jets shot down the two small planes - which belonged to a group of Cuban exiles in Miami - in the waterway between the Caribbean island nation and the US state of Florida, with all four on board killed instantly.

The attack was met with strong international condemnation, including against Raúl Castro, who was Cuba's armed forces minister at the time

It led to the US tightening sanctions against his brother Fidel Castro's regime, and dashed any immediate possibility of dialogue between Cuba and US President Bill Clinton's administration.

Raúl Castro - Fidel Castro's brother - formally relinquished the presidency of Cuba and the leadership of the Communist Party in 2021, but is still considered by many to be the most powerful man in the country.

The indictment comes at a particularly delicate time for the island.

It is mired in economic and energy crises following recent pressure from Donald Trump's administration and the loss of support from Venezuela after former leader Nicolás Maduro's fall in January.

Thousands flee Cuba amid blackouts and food shortages

The aircraft attack took place during a profound economic crisis that struck Cuba in the 1990s after the collapse of its main economic supporter, the Soviet Union.

The island was plunged into extreme economic emergency, with blackouts, food shortages, and a lack of fuel.

That crisis, which many compare to the current one, prompted thousands of Cubans to attempt to leave the island to reunite with family members in the US.

"Suddenly, everyone started looking for anything that floated to try to reach Florida," Cuban historian Juan Antonio Blanco, who was a diplomat in Havana when the incident occurred, told BBC Mundo.

The organisation Brothers to the Rescue soon emerged in Miami, founded by Cuban exiles and led by José Basulto.

The group began conducting flights over the Straits of Florida, searching for makeshift boats carrying Cuban migrants.

"We tried to find them, mark their position, and give it to the US Coast Guard so they could rescue them," Basulto, 85-year-old leader of Brothers to the Rescue, told BBC Mundo.

They also dropped water and food to the rafters. But, over time, they went even further.

"They stopped doing what they said they wanted to do, which was helping to rescue rafters, and started entering Cuban airspace and dropping leaflets over Havana," Cuban political scientist Carlos Alzugaray told BBC Mundo from Havana.

Cuba began denouncing the air incursions and considered the members of Brothers to the Rescue "terrorists", asserting that they posed a threat to national security.

Basulto, who led several of these operations, has a very different view.

"For them, it was terrorism because the leaflets we dropped contained the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and that was prohibited in Cuba," he said.

'I saw smoke as the plane was shot down'

Three Cessna aircraft belonging to Brothers to the Rescue took off from Florida on 24 February 1996, for a routine mission over the Florida strait.

Over a six-minute period, two of them were shot down by Cuban fighter jets.

All four people on board were killed: Armando Alejandre Jr, 44, Carlos Alberto Costa, 29, Mario Manuel de la Peña, 24, Pablo Morales, 29. All were US citizens except Pablo Morales, who was a Cuban national.

A third aircraft managed to escape. It was piloted by José Basulto. "I looked to the right and saw the smoke in the distance from one of the planes being shot down," he said.

"I immediately looked at Sylvia Iriondo [a volunteer in the mission] and said to her, 'we're next.'"

Basulto said his plane was the one they "primarily wanted to shoot down because I was the leader of the group".

The projectiles from the Cuban jets practically disintegrated the small civilian aircraft - hardly any evidence remained.

Basulto insisted the planes were "in international waters, north of Havana" when they were attacked. The International Civil Aviation Organization and the US-based Organization of American States corroborated this and accused Cuba of violating international law.

But the Cuban government has always maintained it shot down the aircraft within its airspace.

Historian Juan Antonio Blanco described it as "an ambush orchestrated by Fidel Castro".

"Fidel Castro knew beforehand who was going to fly that day, which planes were going to fly, and the route they were going to take," he said, adding that Castro's intelligence services had a spy in the Brothers to the Rescue group.

According to Blanco, Fidel Castro was politically responsible for the operation, while Raúl Castro, then minister of the armed forces, was its executor.

Brothers to the Rescue has on its website a recording from the time, in which Raúl Castro, allegedly speaking with Cuban journalists, explains details of the operation carried out under his command.

That recording was leaked in 2006 and reached the hands of journalists, experts, and former Cuban officials exiled in the US, who confirmed its authenticity. BBC Mundo has not been able to verify it independently.

Why did Cuba shoot down the planes?

The reasons why Fidel Castro's government decided to shoot down the planes are still the subject of debate.

The official Cuban explanation - which maintains that the incident occurred over its airspace - is that Brothers to the Rescue posed a threat to national security due to its repeated air incursions.

But other interpretations point to significant political motivations.

Blanco, who at that time participated in informal channels of communication between Havana and Washington, believes that Fidel Castro sought to prevent a possible rapprochement with the US.

He explains that, months before the attack, Cuban and US officials were discreetly exploring a possible normalisation of relations, in anticipation of a potential second term for Bill Clinton.

The historian argued that Castro feared any rapprochement with Washington would spur political and economic reforms on the island that would jeopardise his absolute power.

"Shooting down the planes made it impossible for Clinton to enter into any kind of rapprochement afterwards," he said.

Crisis shaped US-Cuba relations for decades

The incident triggered the biggest crisis between Cuba and the US since the Cold War and shaped the course of relations between the two countries into the 21st Century.

Bill Clinton condemned the attack "in the strongest terms," and the United Nations Security Council condemned the use of weapons against civilian aircraft in flight.

The US significantly tightened economic sanctions against Cuba, and Havana considered their response to be unprecedented economic and diplomatic aggression.

The episode, according to the historian and former diplomat, also had consequences within Cuba.

"It brought back an almost Stalinist policy, the worst kind," Blanco said, adding that repression intensified after the incident.

Havana refused to pay compensation, and their families were ultimately compensated by the US government with $93m in frozen assets belonging to the Cuban regime.

Some 30 years later, the case retains enormous symbolic and political weight in Cuba and among the Cuban exile community.

Bolivian president warns country at 'breaking point' after month of protests

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyp7w035d5o, 3 days ago

Bolivia's President Rodrigo Paz has warned the country is "at breaking point" after a month of anti-government protests that have led to seven deaths and hundreds of arrests.

Demonstrators led by unions and indigenous groups have set up roadblocks across Bolivia causing serious shortages of basic goods and paralysing large parts of the nation.

Groups are calling for fuel subsidies to be reinstated and a rollback of austerity measures, as well as the resignation of Paz.

But the US-backed leader, who took office six months ago during an economic crisis, said anyone "wanting to destroy the nation" would have to deal with him and the full force of the constitution.

Paz has been battling growing fury over his centre-right policies, with the protests originally triggered at the end of April by a land reform he proposed.

Some small-scale farmers were worried the measure would make it easier for large landowners to buy up small properties.

The government insisted any sale would have to be voluntary but powerful organisations representing small-scale farmers were not convinced and blocked the country's main highways in protest.

Paz has since scrapped the reform, but by then the farmers had been joined by other sectors of society venting their grievances.

The government has also scrapped long-standing fuel subsidies amid shortages and inflation, which in turn has raised living costs and enraged a large sector of the population.

Road blockades erected by angry protesters have further exacerbated fuel shortages, creating a vicious circle.

The Bolivian leader renewed his appeal for dialogue and insisted the country needs order, but has not ruled out using so-called "constitutional instruments" to end the blockades.

On Tuesday, Bolivia's Congress voted to make it easier for the president to declare a state of emergency and use the military to regain control.

Lawmakers who backed the move said "violent" groups should not be able to dictate to the elected government, but those who voted against the measure warned it could heighten social tensions.

Paz has previously tried to quell the unrest by reshuffling his cabinet, slashing his salary and that of his ministers, and announcing the creation of a council to negotiate with sectors of society which feel isolated under his government.

But so far these measures have not subdued the widespread anger.

It's estimated the protests are causing daily economic losses of more than $50m nationwide.

Bolivian minister's convoy ambushed while overseeing roadblock clearance

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce3pdw1z59do, 7 days ago

The convoy of Bolivia's public works minister was ambushed by protesters and he briefly disappeared while overseeing the clearing of roadblocks on Saturday.

Mauricio Zamora's vehicle was intercepted in the town of Copata on Saturday afternoon and became separated from the group, local media reported. He was later located and is now safe.

He had been in command of an operation to clear barriers set up by anti-government protesters aimed at slowing the flow of goods into the administrative capital, La Paz, and nearby El Alto.

The mission to create so-called "humanitarian corridors" was met by renewed violence from demonstrators, with some convoys reportedly attacked with stones and dynamite.

Marches, protests and roadblocks by trade unions and supporters of left-wing former President Evo Morales have intensified this week, with clashes with security forces in La Paz.

The demonstrators are hoping to put pressure on Bolivia's centre-right President Rodrigo Paz to resign just six months after taking office over his government's austerity measures, with his alignment with the US another divisive issue.

Bolivia's police and military were dispatched from major cities in the early hours of Saturday morning to clear the roadblocks, deploying bulldozers to clear rocks and concrete pillars, aiming to ease the flow of food and medicine into the capital.

But in several places, clashes with protesters broke out and roadblocks were re-established.

Zamora's convoy had been travelling through Copata, south of La Paz, when residents began pelting it with stones and dynamite, local media reported.

His vehicle became separated from the others as they retreated but was able to take a dirt road, according to Agencia Noticias Fides. Here, though, it suffered a second ambush before eventually being able to reunite with the convoy.

Elsewhere, protesters looted and burnt down a customs post in Achicha Arriba, on the highway into El Alto, after police used tear gas to attempt to disperse protesters there.

Near Caracollo, north of Oruro, a convoy was attacked with explosives. Demonstrators burnt a military truck and looted a police station, while a minibus was burnt on the La Paz-Oruro highway, according to daily newspaper La Razon.

The government denied reports - repeated by Morales - that a person had been killed in the town of Vilaque, on the same highway. Several outlets reported journalists covering the operation also coming under attack.

Paz was elected on a promise to end Bolivia's worst economic crisis in decades.

But his decision to scrap long-standing fuel subsidies amid shortages and inflation has raised living costs and enraged a sizeable portion of the population.

Morales - who is currently being protected by supporters while facing criminal allegations of having a relationship with a minor while president - has supported the protests, having long harboured opposition to US involvement in Latin America. Paz's government accuses him of instigating the unrest.

The centre-right leader said he was exploring every avenue of dialogue with the demonstrators, but told Argentine news outlet Todo Noticias on Saturday: "Everything has a limit."

At least 24 killed in two separate attacks in Honduras

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgqpg118qyyo, 9 days ago

At least 24 people have been killed, including four police officers, in two separate violent incidents in Honduras on Thursday.

The first attack reportedly took place at a ranch in north of the country, where at least 19 workers were shot and killed, authorities said.

A second shooting occurred in the coastal town of Omoa near the border of Guatemala, where at least four police officers were killed, National Police spokesperson Edgardo Barahona has said. One civilian was also reported to have been killed in the second attack.

Following the two attacks, the National Police issued a statement that said it will respond with "direct intervention" in both of the areas.

No motive has been identified for the attack on workers at the ranch in Trujillo. However, northern Honduras has been the site of ongoing agrarian conflict for years.

The officers who were attacked while travelling to Omoa from the capital Tegucigalpa, were part of an anti-gang mission, police have said.

The total death toll in the Trujillo ranch attack remains unclear because relatives of the victims had begun collecting the bodies of their loved ones, Barahona said, according to the Associated Press.

However, in a separate press conference, Honduras Security Minister Gerzon Velasquez said bodies in Trujillo were likely removed by colleagues or criminal ties before authorities reached the scene, according to the Reuters news agency.

No arrests have been reported so far.

Honduras has long suffered from high rates of crime due to wide-spread gang violence and transnational drug trade.

While the homicide rate has decreased, Honduras still has the second-highest homicide rate in the Americas, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

The fight against foreign developers buying Caribbean beaches

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62jp09p0l4o, 10 days ago

On the small Caribbean island of Barbuda, the Pink Sands Beach Bar played host to locals - and the occasional tourist - for more than 20 years.

"It was a very warm place," says Miranda Beazer, its former owner, describing how people used to gather there to play dominoes, or to relax after church on Sundays.

Named after the rose-tinted sand it stood on, the bar was a cornerstone of the local community, until Hurricane Irma hit the island in 2017, when all of the roughly 2,000 Barbudans were evacuated to sister island, Antigua.

Miranda's bar - and her house - were destroyed. "There's nobody that was unscathed... it was devastating. I cried for two weeks," she says.

Before the bar could be rebuilt, her husband died. Foreign developers started to offer her large amounts of money for her plot - but she refused them all.

"It's not the money that I'm after," Miranda says, "I actually want to retain my land."

Then, the bulldozers came. What remained of the bar after the hurricane was demolished by foreign developers, Miranda alleges.

Since then Miranda has been fighting a legal case to regain access to what she argues is her land.

However, this is complicated by Antigua and Barbuda's property laws.

Land ownership in Barbuda is collective, meaning that individual citizens have the right to occupy a plot of land by applying for a lease, but technically, they do not privately own it. Instead, all land is owned communally, and citizens share the collective right to be consulted and to have the final say on major developments.

The ownership system was established after slavery ended in Barbuda in 1834 and was officially recognised by the government of Antigua and Barbuda in 2007, when the Barbuda Land Act was passed.

Miranda says she owns the lease to 30 acres of coastline, but currently she only has access to eight.

The Global Legal Action Network (GLAN), a network of lawyers that is supporting her, says the rest of the land is being illegally occupied by foreign developers Murbee Resorts and Peace Love and Happiness (PLH).

In a statement, Murbee says that it is a legal lease holder in Barbuda and "has not carried out construction activity on any land for which it does not have legal authority to do so, or at all".

PLH says it "does not and has never" occupied the land, and has "strictly followed" all agreements since entering a lease for land in Barbuda in February 2017.

But Miranda says, like many other Barbudan campaigners, that she remains committed to fighting for access. "If you were to ever come here and experience it yourself, you would really understand why we're so committed to this little piece of rock that we have."

Miranda's land is the last strip of Barbuda's southern coastline that is still accessible to locals.

But like many beaches on islands across the Caribbean where locals are not protected by property laws, it is now under threat from wealthy developers, who want to turn it into an exclusive retreat reserved solely for tourists.

One property investor just a few miles down the coast from Miranda's plot is the Oscar-winning actor Robert de Niro.

Along with the Australian billionaire James Packer, he is part of Paradise Found, the developers of The Beach Club Barbuda.

This sprawling 400-acre resort, which is due to be completed later this year, will include Nobu Beach Inn, a luxury hotel made up of 17 villas. There will also be 25 beach-front homes.

Locals say they can no longer visit or even see the beach the resort is built on, after a bypass road that was recently built to ringfence the complex. The price of a plot on the Beach Club site is said to start from $7m (£5.2m).

On its website, the resort is described as a "rare Island community on one of the Caribbean's last untouched shores".

But John Mussington, the chairperson of Barbuda Council, the local authority, argues that this "community" was only made possible by flouting the 2007 Land Act.

To allow construction of The Beach Club to go ahead, the government passed a new law, the Paradise Found Act, in 2015. It stipulates that the 2007 act does not apply to the Beach Club complex.

Campaigners mounted a legal challenge which was taken all the way to the highest court for Antigua and Barbuda - the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) in the UK. Antigua and Barbuda maintained this legal structure after it gained its independence from the UK in 1981.

In 2022, the JCPC found in favour of the Antiguan and Barbudan government, ruling that "the rights accorded to individual Barbudans solely on account of their status as Barbudans… do not constitute an interest in or right over property".

Paradise Found said in a statement that The Beach Club was "developed in accordance with the laws and approval processes of Antigua and Barbuda" and that public access to Princess Diana beach, which is now part of the complex, "remains unchanged".

Barbuda is not the only Caribbean island where colonial-era laws sit at the heart of land disputes.

Head 1,600 km (1,000 miles) west, and there is another long-running campaign for greater access to beaches for locals in Jamaica.

Devon Taylor, president of the Jamaica Beach Birthright Environmental Movement (Jabbem), says the country's current land legislation discriminates against Jamaicans, as "it clearly states we have no rights in or over the foreshore".

The Jamaican government recently proposed a new law to improve beach access for locals, but Taylor argues that instead of improving Jamaicans' land rights, it places more restrictions on where they can go, by encouraging hotels to sell beach passes to locals.

"You're selling back the access to the people," he says, adding that he believes this takes the country back to a kind of "colonial logic".

The Jamaican government has been approached for comment.

According to Jabbem, less than 1% of Jamaica's coastline remains freely accessible to locals. Along with other local groups, they are currently fighting the Jamaican government and private developers in five separate legal challenges over beach access for locals.

As tourists start to look further afield, seeking out less well-known destinations, smaller Caribbean islands such as Grenada are also seeing legal disputes.

Kriss Davies, chairperson of the campaign group Grenada Land Actors, fears that as demand grows, the arrival of more large resorts could make Grenada lose the charm that makes it unique for locals and tourists alike.

According to the United Nations Development Programme, the Caribbean "is the most tourism-dependent region in the world". Of all the holidaymakers to the region, roughly half are American.

For governments across the region, the continuing growth of the sector offers an enticing path towards economic growth and development.

But, as Devon says: "Travel is never neutral - it carries both an economic and moral weight.

"These developments often displace residents from ancestral coastlines, restrict public access to beaches, and channel wealth away from the very people whose culture sustains the tourism experience."

As the demand for a portion of paradise only continues to grow, Caribbean land defenders remain concerned that, rather than bringing opportunity, tourism could irrevocably change the place they call home.

Israel put on UN sexual violence in warzones blacklist for first time

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx21le869n1o, yesterday

Israel has been added to a UN blacklist of countries that commit sexual violence in warzones for the first time.

A report by the office of Secretary General António Guterres said the UN had last year verified 31 cases of sexual violence perpetrated by Israeli forces against Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank. It said 13 of the cases had occurred in 2025, and 18 in the two years prior.

The UN said its report should be seen as "indicative of incidents and patterns" rather than comprehensive.

Israel said it rejected allegations of sexual abuse and intended to break off relations with the secretary general's office.

Israel's ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, accused Guterres on Thursday of spreading antisemitic lies. The Israeli UN mission said it will refuse contact with his office as long as he serves as head of the international body.

The report said the cases the UN had verified were carried out against 14 men, seven women, nine boys and one girl. The violations included rape, gang rape, forced nudity, and violence to genitals committed by officers from the Israeli military, police and prison service.

The UN said its attempts to fully investigate the issue had been obstructed by the Israeli government and threats made against detainees to prevent abuse being reported.

Last year, Hamas was added to the previous "Conflict-related Sexual Violence" report.

The UN said 12 former hostages released from Gaza had made allegations of sexual violence against Hamas captors, adding it had been unable to verify the reports as the Israeli government had denied access to UN bodies to carry out investigations.

Guterres said at the time that he was placing Israel on "notice", urging it to take steps to investigate numerous allegations and improve detention conditions for Palestinians.

Since then, a series of high-profile cases have suggested a pattern of sexual abuse being used against Palestinian detainees.

In one now-infamous case, five Israeli guards were caught on leaked CCTV footage appearing to sexually abuse a detainee from Gaza at the Sde Teiman detention facility.

A doctor who subsequently examined the man found corroborating wounds to his rectum. Despite international scrutiny of the case, Israel's top military lawyer dropped charges against the guards in March of this year.

Last December, two Palestinian men told the BBC they had experienced sexual abuse as part of torture they were subjected to as prisoners in Israeli detention sites.

The Israel Prison Service told the BBC at the time it operated in "full accordance with the law" and was unaware of the claims described.

The UN Committee against Torture said in November that it was deeply concerned about reports indicating "a de facto state policy of organised and widespread torture and ill treatment" of Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails.

It said the allegations had "gravely intensified" after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023.

More recently, a report by the New York Times based on the testimonies of 14 Palestinian sexual abuse survivors caused an irate reaction from the Israeli government.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said in a joint statement that they were launching a defamation lawsuit against the newspaper, calling the report "one of the most hideous and distorted lies ever published against the state of Israel in the modern press".

Throughout the war in Gaza, a number of human rights organisations have criticised a lack of accountability and apparent impunity for abuses committed by Israeli troops.

Last year, the research organisation Action on Armed Violence said nearly nine in 10 Israeli investigations into crimes committed by soldiers since the beginning of the Gaza war had been closed without finding fault or without resolution. Out of 52 cases studied, it said only one case resulted in a prison conviction.

The Israeli military responded to the report saying it "conducts examination and investigation processes regarding exceptional incidents that occurred during operational activity, in which there is a suspicion of a violation of the law".

It added that it opened criminal investigations when there was reasonable suspicion of an offence "in accordance with its obligations under Israeli law and international law".

Russian forces also blacklisted

Meanwhile, Russian armed and security forces were blacklisted for the first time - having also been warned by Guterres last year - for sexual violence against prisoners of war and civilian detainees during the war in Ukraine.

In Russia and Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, the report said it had identified 310 instances of conflict-related sexual violence, including rape and genital mutilation, affecting 280 men, 26 women and four girls.

The war began in February 2022 after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion.

Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha welcomed the report, saying it was "a crucial step on the painful road to truth and accountability". Russia has not publicly commented.

Iran says it targeted American base after fresh US strikes

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c98r2qy5809o, 3 days ago

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said it targeted an American air base in the region, after fresh US strikes on southern Iran overnight.

Kuwait, which hosts a US base, said it had intercepted "hostile missile and drone threats", but did not confirm the target.

The Iranian missile launch came after the US shot down Iranian drones over the Strait of Hormuz and struck a military site in Bandar Abbas, a strategic port city in southern Iran.

It is the second time in three days that the US has attacked targets in Iran - saying they were conducted in self-defence. The renewed hostilities threaten a fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.

The IRGC said the attack on the US air base took place in the early hours of Thursday morning and targeted "the source" of earlier US strikes on Iran, according to state broadcaster IRIB.

US Central Command (Centcom) said Iran's attack on Kuwait was an "egregious ceasefire violation" that occurred "hours after Iranian forces launched five one-way attack drones that posed a clear threat in and near the Strait of Hormuz".

It said all the drones were intercepted and that a sixth drone launched from an Iranian ground control site in Bandar Abbas was also prevented.

Centcom described its actions as "measured, purely defensive, and intended to maintain the ceasefire".

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei meanwhile condemned the US strikes and said they constituted a violation of the ceasefire.

He added that the Islamic republic would "take all necessary measures to defend its national sovereignty", according to quotes cited by IRIB.

Kuwait's foreign affairs ministry strongly condemned what it termed "criminal Iranian attacks that targeted" its territory.

Earlier this week, the US confirmed a previous round of "self-defence" strikes on southern Iran on Monday in which they targeted Iranian missile sites and boats attempting to lay mines in the Strait, where thousands of commercial tanker ships are stranded as a result of the conflict.

Centcom said those strikes were designed "to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces".

The US also imposed sanctions on the "Persian Gulf Strait Authority" – the Iranian body tasked with collecting payments from ships travelling through the Strait of Hormuz.

Any ships that pay the authority could also be "exposed to the risk of sanctions", the US Treasury Department said in a statement.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also warned Oman, a traditional US ally with a coast south of the strait, that Washington would not "tolerate any effort to impose a tolling system in the waterway".

"Oman in particular should know that the US Treasury will aggressively target any actors involved," Bessent wrote in a post on X on Thursday.

Iranian state TV had the day prior reported elements of what it called a draft agreement between Iran and the US - which included a claim that Oman would join Iran in managing a reopened Strait of Hormuz.

Trump told reporters at a cabinet meeting later in the day: "Oman will behave just like everybody else, or we'll have to blow them up."

One-fifth of the world's liquefied natural gas and oil normally pass through the shipping channel, and its closure has impacted global fuel trade.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Baghaei said on Monday that Tehran was collecting fees for "navigational services" and it would continue to manage traffic through the waterway.

Bessent described it as the "Iranian military's latest attempt to extort global maritime trade" and "proof" Iran is "desperate for cash".

The IRGC also said on Tuesday that it had downed a US drone and fired at a fighter jet and another drone that entered Iranian airspace, but did not specify when.

Protracted negotiations have been taking place to end the three-month war that has choked traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and caused global energy prices to shoot up.

During his cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Trump said that Iran was "negotiating on fumes", insisting that his war strategy will not be impacted by November's US midterm elections.

"Maybe we have to go back and finish it, maybe we don't," he said.

During that meeting, the president also urged Gulf nations to sign on to the Abraham Accords to normalise relations with Israel.

Israel launched the war against Iran alongside the US on 28 February and is also embroiled in a war with Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Trump has threatened to resume a large-scale bombing campaign if Iran does not agree to his terms.

While Trump struck an optimistic note over the weekend, saying that a peace deal with Iran had been "largely negotiated", by Wednesday's cabinet meeting, he said that the US was "not satisfied".

He said Tehran was "very much intent" on reaching an agreement to end the conflict, but added "so far they haven't gotten there", repeating Washington's willingness to resume strikes if one is not reached.

His remarks came after Iranian state TV reported what it said were details of a draft agreement, which included reopening the Strait of Hormuz and the withdrawal of US forces from the region.

The White House branded the text a "complete fabrication".

Both sides signalled progress had been made towards a deal late last week, prompting speculation an announcement was close.

However, Tehran soon cautioned a deal was "not imminent" while Trump said he had instructed his negotiators "not to rush into" one.

'Like a prisoner being released' - Relief for Iranians as internet shutdown ends

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx21x812w1lo, 4 days ago

"After 88 days, it felt exactly like a prisoner being released after three months of imprisonment and seeing the sky for the first time."

That is how an Iranian said it felt to be reconnected to the internet, after their government ended what a monitoring group called the longest nationwide shutdown in modern history.

"You wouldn't believe it, but when I clicked on a website and watched it open, I felt as though I could fly with joy," he told the BBC's Middle East Daily programme. "And when I realised I could once again send messages through Telegram, WhatsApp, and other platforms, the feeling was indescribable.

"Even now, as I speak, I'm on the verge of tears from happiness."

He added that his first notification on his phone had told him to update a long list of apps, which left him "overwhelmed with emotion".

While there is relief at the partial restoration of connectivity in Iran, there are also concerns about increased censorship in a country where internet access was already heavily restricted and monitored.

The Iranian government cut internet access after the US and Israel launched a war against Iran on 28 February. Officials suggested the aim was to prevent surveillance, espionage and cyber-attacks.

First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref wrote on X on Tuesday that the government had taken a "first step" towards "free and regulated" internet access following a directive from President Masoud Pezeshkian.

He linked the reopening of the internet to restoring smart services and meeting demands of citizens who had "stood by the system and Iran", while portraying it as necessary for scientific and knowledge-based development.

Another Iranian told Middle East Daily that although some users still lacked access and some platforms were still blocked, the "mere fact that the internet is back is cause for celebration".

"The three months during which the internet was down were incredibly difficult," he said. "It was painful not being able to contact our families and friends outside Iran.

"We knew, especially during the war, how worried they were, but we couldn't even reassure them that we were safe."

For those who make their living online, reconnecting to sites and apps on which they depended before the war comes as relief.

"I'm very happy the internet is going to be restored because businesses can get back to normal," computer science student Pantea told Associated Press.

"I had an online shop for a while and sold products. Definitely it will benefit us.

"But the only problem is the censorship. If they come up a good solution and correct solution to this, many problems would be solved."

Rastin, who also studies computer science, told AP the end of the outage was "100% a positive thing".

"The online market is thirsty to go back to its previous state," he said. "But this social prosecution that keeps happening significantly harms online businesses.

"The businesses highly depend on the internet and every time, these restrictions make life more difficult for them."

This was not the first internet blackout in Iran, with access also cut off during a deadly crackdown on nationwide anti-government protests by security forces in January.

Some Iranians had sought to get around the restrictions using methods like expensive virtual private networks (VPNs) and smuggling satellite internet systems into the country.

Internet monitor Netblocks noted that, as connectivity was restored, there were signs of "more extensive filtering" than it had observed during January's crackdown.

"Service remains heavily filtered, with new restrictions on messaging and app stores compared to pre-January. Calls for a free and open internet transcend political divisions and should be heard," the group said on Wednesday.

Since connection began to be restored, Proton VPN said it had seen a 6,000% rise in sign ups.

A number of people who have contacted BBC Persian have said their home internet is connected but their SIM card internet is not working on their phone, while others have said they have no service at all and are connecting using the same methods they used before Tuesday.

One 17-year-old in Tehran wrote: "We're really tired. Of the high prices, of the sanctions, of the weak internet. Things have also gone to hell. I can't live anymore."

While the relief of reconnection will be felt greatest in Iran, it will also be welcomed by those living elsewhere, who are once again able to contact family members.

The Iranian-born British comedian and author Shaparak Khorsandi told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that it was "painful and very joyful" to hear of others speaking to their loved ones, as she had not yet been able to reach her aunt in Iran.

"It feels such a familiar thing for Iranians to just be disconnected and worried and frantic and feeling helpless. So, it's a tricky time, but we keep trying," she said.

"What it feels like when you are out of the country is... a strangely isolating experience, because your life is suspended, you can't really move forward but you get on."

She said one message from an uncle that had come out of Iran during the blackout had been him wishing himself happy birthday on her behalf.

"One of my uncles wrote to us to say, 'It's my birthday today, and I know that you can't contact me to wish me a happy birthday, so I am sending you this message to wish myself a happy birthday on your behalf,'" she said.

Khorsandi said his humour had been "so kind" because he was doing what he could to stop the family worrying.

She was emotional as she said the first thing she would like to say to her family in Iran was that "we love them and hope no amount of silence lets them stop feeling that".

Netanyahu says he has directed IDF to increase control of Gaza to 70%

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ceqpelq5reqo, 2 days ago

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that he directed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to increase control of Gaza to 70%.

Speaking at a conference on Thursday, he said: "We are currently squeezing Hamas; we now control 60% of the territory of the Strip - you know this. We were at 50, we moved to 60. My directive is to move to," he said before pausing as someone in the crowd said, "100".

"Let's go step by step. First of all, 70. Let's start with that. We're pressing them from all sides, we'll deal with the remnants."

The expansion in control by Israel would contradict the terms of the Donald Trump-led ceasefire Israel and Hamas agreed to in October 2025.

Netanyahu's statement comes as Israel continues strikes on Gaza despite the ceasefire, and as Israel and Hamas remain deadlocked in indirect, US-brokered talks to advance Trump's peace plan.

At least 738 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire came into effect in October, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures the UN considers reliable.

Netanyahu has made several public remarks confirming that the IDF controls more than 60% of the Strip, up from the 53% agreed in October. Under the ceasefire agreement, the IDF withdrew to a demarcation line, known as the "yellow line".

The next steps in the 20-point peace proposal would see Hamas disarm and Israeli troops withdraw, but indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinian armed group have stalled.

On Wednesday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz wrote on X that his country had "pledged to eliminate everyone who led the October 7 massacre" in 2023.

"We pledged that Hamas will not rule Gaza civilly or militarily," he said.

He also said that what he called the "plan for voluntary emigration from Gaza" would be implemented "at the proper time and in the proper manner".

Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have previously publicly defended what they describe as the "voluntary migration" of Palestinians from Gaza - which could amount to the forced displacement of civilians, a war crime - and resettling it with Jews.

This week has also seen several strikes in Gaza. At least 10 people, including five children, were killed in an Israeli strike on a building in Gaza City late on Wednesday, according to local hospitals.

The Israeli military has released a short statement saying it struck "two central Hamas terrorists in the northern Gaza Strip", without disclosing their identities.

The target of the attack appeared to have been Hamas battalion commander Imad Asleem, who was killed alongside his teenage daughter Israa.

The Gaza City attack came a day after the newly chosen head of the Hamas military wing, Mohammed Odeh, was killed along with his wife and two sons in an Israeli strike. One other woman was reportedly killed.

The Israeli military has also said a strike on a car in Khan Younis on Tuesday killed Ihab Khrizim, the head of a Hamas funds transfer network, and Mohammed al-Habash, a unit commander in Hamas's production headquarters who was said to have been involved in weapons manufacturing.

About 1,200 people were killed in the 2023 Hamas-led attack which triggered the Gaza war and 251 others were taken hostage.

Israel responded by launching a massive military campaign in Gaza, which reduced much of the Palestinian territory to ruins and left many of its 2.1 million residents displaced.

As of 12 May 2026, 72,742 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, and 172,565 injured, according to its Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures the UN considers reliable. Of those killed, at least 21,283 were children.

US and Iran 'very close' to deal but 'not there yet', Vance says

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c87qng40wz9o, yesterday

The US and Iran still need to work out several sticking points before an agreement on the war can be reached, Vice-President JD Vance has said.

Asked by the BBC if President Donald Trump was close to signing a deal, Vance said it was too early to say "when or if" the two sides would finalise an agreement.

Earlier on Thursday, US officials told the BBC the two countries had agreed a framework of a deal - known as a memorandum of understanding - pending the approval of Trump and Iran's leadership.

It would reportedly extend the ceasefire for 60 days and launch talks on the future of Iran's nuclear programme. Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported it had not been finalised or confirmed.

According to reports, the framework could allow "unrestricted" passage through the Strait of Hormuz and give Iran 30 days to remove mines from the narrow shipping passageway.

The US would also lift its blockade, and issue sanction waivers to allow Iran to resume selling oil.

Axios, which first reported a tentative agreement between the US and Iran on Thursday, said Trump had been briefed on the proposal but did not immediately sign off on it and would take a couple of days to consider it.

One-fifth of the world's liquefied natural gas and oil normally pass through the Strait of Hormuz, and its closure has impacted global fuel trade.

Speaking on Thursday evening, Vance said negotiators were "going back and forth on a couple of language points", which include the "question of enrichment".

"We're not there yet, but we're very close and we're going to keep on working at it," he told reporters.

The US has long demanded that Iran stop producing highly enriched uranium and dispose of its existing stockpile, which in theory could be used to create nuclear weapons.

Iran insists its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful and denies it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

Vance struck an optimistic tone as he spoke to reporters in Washington DC, saying the US believed the Iranians were negotiating in "good faith".

On Wednesday, Iranian state media reported elements of what they described as an unofficial draft of a 14-point memorandum of understanding between the two countries.

The report included the lifting of Washington's naval blockade of Iranian ports, the withdrawal of US forces from the "vicinity of Iran", and the restoration of non-military traffic through the Strait of Hormuz with Iran and Oman in control of the management and routing of vessels.

The White House called the purported memorandum draft a "complete fabrication".

Since the initial ceasefire between the US and Iran came into effect on 8 April, Trump has suggested - repeatedly - that the two sides are close to a deal and that negotiations are progressing, but so far there have been no substantive results.

The president is facing mounting pressure to end the war, including from Gulf state allies, Democrats who oppose it, and some Republicans in Congress who have raised concerns about the length of the conflict.

Thursday's conflicting reports on a possible deal underscored how fluid the negotiations remain.

Both countries contradicted each other's claims and offered few details on the reported proposal, raising questions again about how close the sides actually are to ending hostilities.

Trump and other officials have warned that "option B" - a return to combat operations - is still on the table.

Extending the ceasefire, meanwhile, would allow US and Iranian teams to discuss the far more complicated and technical issues at play, particularly about Iran's nuclear programme and its remaining stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Trump had suggested that the US could take it, or, together with Iran, dilute it in place or in a third location.

Leading the White House briefing earlier on Thursday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declined to confirm that an agreement had been reached.

"It's always a mistake to get out ahead of the president and it is all going to be the president's decision," he said.

Asked about whether any eventual peace deal includes "reconstruction" for Iran, he said: "We've got to get to the deal before we get to the other side."

Meanwhile, both Iran and the US have accused each other of violating the fragile ceasefire in the past few days.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted a US base in the region on Thursday, after fresh US strikes on southern Iran overnight.

Iranian state media reported on Thursday that the country's forces had taken down a US aircraft, possibly a drone. But US Central Command rejected the reports, saying on social media: "No US aircraft were shot down. All US air assets are accounted for."

Additional reporting from Bernd Debusmann Jr

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Israel strikes Beirut and southern Lebanon after large-scale evacuation orders

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj3pgrpmlklo, 3 days ago

Waves of Israeli strikes have hit southern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah infrastructure, according to the Israeli military.

Social media videos from Tyre, one of Lebanon's biggest cities, show dust-covered crowds of people gathered around collapsed buildings. Hours later, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had carried out a "targeted" strike in the capital, Beirut.

On Wednesday, the IDF urged residents to move north of the Zahrani River, about 40km (25 miles) from the Israeli border, saying it would act "with extreme force".

Both Israel and Hezbollah - the powerful Shia group supported by Iran, have accused each other of repeated violations of a ceasefire which came into force on 17 April.

At least 11 people have been killed in the latest strikes, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

At about 14:00 (11:00 GMT), the IDF said it had struck Beirut in a "targeted manner" and would give further details later.

Earlier on Thursday two sets of Israeli strikes hit Tyre and an area to the city's east, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported.

Footage from Tyre captured explosions and fires burning through the night and into Thursday morning.

Videos showed streets lit orange by flames, smoke-filled roads, and at least one vehicle engulfed in fire.

By daylight, a massive fireball was filmed erupting near a cluster of high-rise residential buildings, sending a mushroom-shaped column of smoke rising above the city skyline.

Stunned residents looked on as debris spread through surrounding streets.

Israel said the strikes targeted suspected Hezbollah infrastructure.

A Hezbollah member in Tyre told the BBC rescue and recovery crews have had to stop their work because conditions remain "too dangerous" and workers received calls from the Israeli military warning them to evacuate the area.

Ambulance teams in Tyre are continuing to drive through neighbourhoods urging residents to leave, amid fears of further strikes.

More Israeli evacuation orders were issued overnight as people were asleep. The scale of displacement is now straining the wider region.

Shelters in the city of Sidon have reached full capacity, the head of the municipality told the BBC, with no space remaining for newly displaced people. Tyre's authorities are advising residents to travel further north to the capital, Beirut.

Additionally, NNA reported that an Israeli drone strike had hit a family trying to flee threatened villages in southern Lebanon for safety, killing six people, including children.

Wednesday's evacuation order was the largest since the ceasefire took effect, covering about 14% of Lebanese territory.

The strikes came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced an expansion of its ground operation following Hezbollah drone attacks on troops occupying part of southern Lebanon and on civilians in northern Israel.

Wednesday's evacuation order for Tyre was swiftly followed by air strikes. Residents watched with horror from balconies, filming on their phones, as Israeli forces hit the city.

Rida, 52, owned a cafe near the beach that was destroyed alongside his home in an air strike minutes before the ceasefire started last month. He previously told the BBC he would never leave Tyre.

Now, the feeling is different. "I went to the port next to the beach and a lot of people are there," Rida said over the phone on Wednesday. "People packed up their stuff. Everyone is scared."

The later evacuation order for areas south of the Zahrani River covers about 300 towns and villages. Many residents, including those already displaced from other parts of southern Lebanon, have nowhere obvious to go.

The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in Lebanon warned the situation in the country's south was "nearing a perilous tipping point".

"Ongoing hostilities create conditions that are untenable for civilians and risk long-term consequences," said Agnes Dhur.

Also on Wednesday, Lebanese media reported a wave of Israeli strikes across the south and the eastern Bekaa Valley, with four people killed in the towns of Choukine and Nabatieh.

Hezbollah said on Wednesday that its fighters had clashed with Israeli forces "at point-blank range" in Zawtar al-Sharqiyeh, north of the Litani River. The town, about 30km (19 miles) from the border, lies outside the Israeli-declared "buffer zone".

Israeli officials have said Hezbollah's attacks are violating the temporary ceasefire deal between the Israeli and Lebanese governments, which has been extended twice since it came into force last month.

Lebanese officials have pointed to the Israeli strikes themselves as violations.

The escalation threatens to derail talks aimed at ending the war between the US and Israel on one side and Iran on the other. Iran insists that any deal must also cover Lebanon. Israel says it reserves the right to continue to fight the threat from Hezbollah.

Lebanon was drawn into the war on 2 March, when Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel in retaliation for an Israeli strike that killed Iran's supreme leader. Israel responded with an air campaign across Lebanon and a ground invasion.

At least 3,213 people have been killed in Lebanon since the start of the war, according to the country's health ministry - its figures do not distinguish between combatants and civilians.

Israel says 23 of its soldiers and four Israeli civilians have been killed over the same period on both sides of the border.

Additional reporting by Angie Mrad.

Israeli strike in Gaza City kills new head of Hamas's military wing

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjwppj1yn7go, 4 days ago

The commander of Hamas's military wing, Mohammed Odeh, has been killed in a strike in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday - days after his predecessor died in a similar attack.

Dozens more were injured in the attack, which hit a residential building in one of Gaza City's busiest market areas, local medics and witnesses said.

Israel's military and Shin Bet security service and said buildings that served as a hideout for Odeh were targeted after his movements were tracked for several months.

On Wednesday, Hamas confirmed that Odeh had been killed, along with his wife and two of his children.

Despite the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreed in October, violence in Gaza has continued on a near-daily basis.

Tuesday's strike hit the upper three floors of the al-Kayali building in the centre of Gaza City, where streets were busy with shoppers ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.

Rescue teams rushed to the scene of the strikes but struggled to reach the upper floors because of the scale of the damage and congestion in the area.

Witnesses said at least five missiles struck the building almost simultaneously from different directions.

One resident said he heard the sound of a helicopter hovering overhead before the attack.

Footage from the scene showed ambulances and civil defence crews searching through the damaged building as crowds gathered nearby.

A statement from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet said: "As part of the joint operation by the IDF and Shin Bet to eliminate the terrorist Mohammed Odeh, several buildings in the heart of Gaza City that served as a hideout for him were attacked, after months of intelligence surveillance in order to track his movements and the movements of his assistants in the organisation."

They added that they had also struck "a nearby apartment belonging to a Hamas terrorist who raided on October 7 and was part of Odeh's circle of assistants", referring to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that triggered the war in Gaza.

A local Hamas source later told the BBC on Tuesday that Odeh and his wife had been killed.

Their family said one of Odeh's children died of his wounds in hospital on Wednesday morning and a funeral was held after noon prayers at a mosque in Gaza City.

Odeh had not been officially declared the new leader of the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades but is understood to have been chosen just days ago.

A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Tuesday that Odeh was "one of the architects of the October 7 massacre".

"Odeh was responsible for the murder, abduction, and wounding of many Israeli citizens and IDF soldiers," it continued.

Odeh's predecessor as commander of the group's armed wing, Izz ad-Din al-Haddad, was killed in another Israeli air strike earlier in May.

That attack also targeted a residential building and killed at least three people, according to eyewitnesses and a local source.

Israel has conducted regular strikes across Gaza since a ceasefire began on 10 October.

Hamas has repeatedly accused Israel of breaching the terms of the ceasefire and attacking civilians. The Palestinian territory's Hamas-run health ministry has reported the killing of more than 900 people in Israeli strikes during the ceasefire.

Israel's government maintains it has the licence to target Hamas members and has in turn accused Hamas of breaching the ceasefire agreement by failing to disarm.

The latter phases of a US-led peace plan for Gaza have yet to come into force, with progress stalling since the US and Israel started a war with Iran in February.

The US announced the start of the second phase of the plan in January, with governance of Gaza assumed by a transitional, technocratic administration alongside the demilitarisation and reconstruction of the territory.

However, talks on disarmament remain deadlocked, while Hamas has since reactivated its police force and appears to be reasserting its authority.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that Israel was committed to preventing Hamas from governing Gaza "either civilly or militarily".

He also said that what he called the "plan for voluntary emigration from Gaza" would be implemented "at the proper time and in the proper manner".

In his statement, Netanyahu said Israel would "continue to pursue anyone who took part in the October 7 massacre", adding: "Sooner or later, Israel will reach them all."

About 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas-led attack and 251 others were taken hostage.

Israel responded by launching a massive military campaign in Gaza, which reduced much of the Palestinian territory to ruins and left many of its 2.1 million residents displaced.

Israeli forces have killed more than 72,800 people in Gaza, according to its health ministry, whose figures the UN considers reliable.

The latest Israeli attack on Gaza comes after 31 people were killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon, where Netanyahu has vowed to step up military action against the armed group Hezbollah. Israel's military said its attacks targeted Hezbollah infrastructure and fighters.

Dozens killed in Lebanon as Israel intensifies strikes

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx211rgngp0o, 4 days ago

Dozens of people were killed in an intensive wave of Israeli strikes across southern and eastern Lebanon on Tuesday, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to step up military action against Hezbollah.

At least 31 people were killed in the latest attacks, including several children, Lebanon's health ministry said.

The Israeli military said it hit more than 100 Hezbollah infrastructure sites and fighters in what was one of the heaviest nights of bombardment since a US-brokered ceasefire began in mid-April.

It came after Netanyahu this week said he had given instructions to "press the pedal even harder" in targeting Hezbollah.

Early on Wednesday, sirens sounded in northern Israel early on after a projectile was launched from Lebanon into Israel, the Israeli military said in a statement.

It added the projectile fell into an open area and no injuries were reported.

Speaking at a security cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Netanyahu said Israel was "deepening our operation in Lebanon".

"The IDF [Israel Defense Forces] is operating with large forces on the ground and seizing dominant terrain," he said, adding that they were "fortifying the security zone" to protect communities in northern Israel from Hezbollah attacks.

The ceasefire has been repeatedly violated by both sides, threatening to derail the complex ongoing talks to end the war between the US, Israel and Iran.

Israeli air and artillery strikes have continued daily, especially in the south of Lebanon, while Hezbollah has been launching rockets and drones at communities in northern Israel and Israeli troops occupying parts of southern Lebanon.

Air strikes targeted the Bekaa Valley village of Mashghara and Burj al-Shamali across southern Lebanon, local media said.

Some strikes hit near Beaufort Castle, state media reported, a nearly 900-year-old fortress recognised by the UN's heritage body UNESCO for being "one of the best-preserved examples of medieval castles" in the region.

In Monday's video statement, Netanyahu said that Israel was going to increase the number and intensity of its strikes targeting Hezbollah in response to the Iran-backed Shia Muslim group's attacks, including those involving fibre-optic drones that can evade Israeli defences.

"We will deal them a crushing blow," he vowed.

The announcement prompted scenes of panic in Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, where residents were seen fleeing the area following the remarks. Thousands of cars lined the streets with families trying to escape for safety.

Though the strikes spared the capital, Israeli warplanes carried out wave after wave of strikes across Lebanon throughout the evening and into the early hours of Tuesday. The BBC counted dozens of attacks across nearly 50 locations.

A man and his wife were killed in a strike on their home in the southern town of Arab Salim on Monday evening, and two other people were killed in the village of Kauthariyet El Rez, according to NNA.

Overnight, several homes in Mashghara were destroyed in Israeli strikes.

The Lebanese health ministry said the bodies of 11 people, among them one woman and two children, were pulled from the rubble. Another 15 people were injured, it added.

These included a young boy, Mohammed. Videos show rescue crews in the middle of the night frantically digging through the rubble as two tiny arms poke through a hole they've made. Caked in dirt and dust, they finally pulled the seven-year-old to safety.

"When I woke up, I felt like I couldn't move, and beside me was just darkness," Mohammad tells the BBC as he lies in his hospital bed surrounded by family.

"I heard the sound of the guys who were rescuing me. They took a long time to pull me out."

His head was wrapped in bandages, and his legs and arms were also covered in cuts and scratches.

Mohammad was asleep in his bed when the missile struck his home, killing his dad and two sisters.

Mashghara feels like a ghost town. A few cars pass ours on the road to check who we are, but life is dead.

A member of the municipality, Ahmad, takes us to where some overnight strikes hit. It's apocalyptic with crumbled homes and shops.

"I'm not a member of Hezbollah, but everyone in the village stands with the resistance, and the enemy [Israel] is sparing no-one," Ahmad says.

Then Ahmad is interrupted by the sound of jets. A loud boom, and we have to go.

Social media videos later show a large explosion on a road not far from where we're filming.

The Israeli military released aerial footage from Mashghara that it said showed several strikes on "Hezbollah infrastructure sites where terrorists activity was identified". "During the strike the terrorists were eliminated," it added.

The military also said it had struck more than 90 weapons storage facilities, command centres, observation posts and other infrastructure sites used by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon overnight.

On Tuesday morning, the military issued new evacuation orders across Lebanon, accusing Hezbollah of violating the terms of a ceasefire between the Israeli and Lebanese governments that came into force on 17 April.

The military's Arabic-language spokesman, Col Avichay Adraee, said Hezbollah's repeated breaches had left Israeli forces with no choice but to act.

Hezbollah said it targeted three barracks and a military post in northern Israel "in response to the violation of the ceasefire" by Israel.

Netanyahu's order to intensify the Israeli strikes came after the military said a soldier had been killed in combat in southern Lebanon on Sunday, bringing the total Israeli military losses there from Hezbollah attacks since the conflict began on 2 March to 23, along with one civilian contractor.

The Lebanese health ministry says Israeli strikes over the same period have killed at least 3,185 people.

Additional reporting by Robert Greenall

Iran condemns US strikes as 'gross violation' of ceasefire

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g44yl7q70o, 5 days ago

Iran says the US has committed a "gross violation" of the ceasefire with new air strikes it launched on the country.

The US Central Command (Centcom) said Iranian missile sites and boats attempting to place mines had been targeted with what it called "self-defence strikes" in southern Iran on Monday.

Iran's foreign ministry said it held the US responsible for the consequences of its "aggressive and unjustified actions" in the Hormozgan region, which has a coast along the Strait of Hormuz - the crucial waterway Iran has blocked causing a spike in world energy prices.

It is unclear what impact the strikes will have on talks aimed to end the conflict.

"Without a doubt, the Islamic Republic of Iran will not leave any evil unanswered and will not hesitate to defend the Iranian nation," the Iranian statement said.

The US and Israel started the war with Iran on 28 February with a wave of deadly attacks, including one which killed the country's supreme leader.

After weeks of fighting, a ceasefire was agreed on 8 April and it has been largely observed ever since, barring one notable clash earlier in May.

In its statement, Centcom said US forces "conducted self-defense strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces".

It did not give details about the location of the strikes, but an official cited by the New York Times said they had targeted an area near Bandar Abbas - a southern port city and home of an Iranian naval base that sits on the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian state media had earlier reported that local officials in Bandar Abbas were investigating after explosions were heard.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) later said it had downed a US drone and fired at a fighter jet that entered Iranian airspace, though it did not specify when this happened.

This takes place against the backdrop of talks aimed at extending the current ceasefire, with the eventual aim of bringing an end to the conflict.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said a deal from the talks is still possible, but it will "take a few days".

At the weekend, President Donald Trump initially suggested a deal was close before later saying he had instructed negotiators "not to rush into" an agreement.

According to US media, the possible deal is not a final settlement, but a memorandum of understanding that reportedly involves a 60-day ceasefire extension, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and a plan for further negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme.

Iran said on Monday that some progress had been made, but a deal "is not imminent".

One of the stumbling blocks reportedly centres on Tehran's request for the release of frozen Iranian funds held abroad.

The peace talks have been mainly mediated by Pakistan.

However, Iranian negotiators have been taking part in talks with Qatari mediators this week.

An official briefed on the Doha visit told Reuters news agency that Iran's central bank governor had attended Monday's talks to discuss the frozen assets, with discussions focusing primarily on Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has effectively blocked the vital shipping lane, through which around one fifth of the world's oil passes, since the US and Israel started the conflict on 28 February.

US, Israel and many Western countries have accused Iran of enriching uranium in order to make a nuclear weapon. Iran says the programme is for peaceful purposes only.

Internet starts coming back in Iran after months-long blackout

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1w22y1n74do, 5 days ago

Internet access has started to be restored in Iran after being cut off almost three months ago, the country's first vice-president has said.

"The first step toward free and regulated access to cyberspace has been taken," Mohammad Reza Aref wrote on X on Tuesday.

Internet monitoring groups Netblocks and Kentik reported "partial" restoration around 13:00 GMT, though the latter warned most networks were still down.

The Iranian government cut internet access following the launch of US and Israeli attacks on 28 February. Officials suggested the aim was to prevent surveillance, espionage and cyber-attacks. It is one of the longest-running national internet shutdowns ever recorded worldwide.

A content creator from Tehran told the BBC that he had been able to connect to the internet using his home WiFi on Tuesday.

"The main point is, some of my income will come back," he said.

Netblocks said it was unclear whether the internet return would be sustained, and told the BBC it was consistent with what it had seen when previous blackouts were lifted - where restoration could take hours.

"Access is not universally back to its original state, with some regional variation," said the global internet tracker’s research director Isik Mater on Tuesday.

She added that there were signs of "more extensive filtering" than prior to January - when a similar blackout was imposed during the regime's deadly crackdown on anti-government protests - "including additional restrictions to messaging apps like WhatsApp".

"This means families may still struggle to contact loved ones for the time being."

Mater said: "Historically, each time internet access has been restored after an internet shutdown in Iran it has come back with heavier restrictions and tighter controls."

When the US and Iranian attacks started and internet access was cut off, Iran had only enjoyed full access to the outside world for only about a month following the January shutdown.

Some Iranians have sought to get around the restrictions using methods like expensive virtual private networks and smuggling satellite technology into the country.

After a ceasefire was agreed on 8 April, a so-called "internet pro" scheme was introduced by the Iranian government - a premium tier for businesses and professionals, offering higher-quality access for a fee and subject to identity verification.

While some officials had said the scheme was not part of an official policy and was a temporary measure, it led to backlash and criticism.

One of those who did not take up the offer - a doctor in the central city of Isfahan - told the BBC that she had been able to connect to the internet using her home WiFi on Tuesday.

The network started to come back online as Iran condemned fresh US strikes against it earlier this week, branding them a "gross violation" of the ceasefire.

The US said Iranian missile sites and boats attempting to place mines had been targeted with what it called "self-defence strikes" in southern Iran on Monday.

Additional reporting by Richard Irvine-Brown, BBC Verify

How Saudi Arabia's spending spree reached the end of the line

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx21g0828reo, 6 days ago

Autocratic monarchs once left an echo of their glory in the ruins of the megaprojects they commanded at the peak of their unchallenged power. Those monumental physical traces are to be found in the fertile plains, mountainsides and deserts of the Middle East. But one of their most prominent modern counterparts may only have a digital footprint to leave behind for some of his most ambitious concepts.

A decade ago, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman – or MBS as he is widely known – decreed a revisioning of his country that leapt from the realm of science fiction. It was called Vision 2030. Extraordinary monolithic structures were to help bring forth new technological marvels not just for the Kingdom but for the world.

Those ideas were made manifest in lavish PR material conjuring up fantastical landscapes that attracted reams of coverage that mingled awe and derision. It was made possible by the near $1trn (£744bn) sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) whose riches, so dependent on oil, were to be used to create the foundation for a future without oil.

Four years from 2030, there has now been, perhaps predictably, a retrenchment. Part of that is down to financial imperatives, as a big fall in oil prices before the current war in the Middle East meant that even Saudi Arabia's extraordinary wealth took a hit.

Even though those prices have now shot up because of the war, the uncertainty created by the conflict will continue to put constraints on Saudi revenue and spending. And the influx of foreign investment in these hyper-expensive visionary projects has never materialised to the degree on which the Saudis had been banking.

But is it a recalibration or a retreat?

From fantasy to realism

Some of the most striking projects are now being watered down, put on hold or even abandoned. Several come under the once all-embracing umbrella of the $500bn Neom mega-project.

It looks like The Line, which was meant to redefine the concept of a city as it stretched ramrod straight across more than 100 miles (161km) of untapped land in the north west of Saudi Arabia, looming taller than The Shard, is being turned into something considerably more prosaic.

The winter resort of Trojena in the mountains of the north west has also been reined in. There is snow up there, belying the image of Saudi Arabia as an unyielding desert, but it doesn't last very long. The concept of a year-round mountain resort took the area into a realm of artificiality that is no longer seen as viable. There were to have been miles of ski slopes and a full-on ski village with a man-made lake and luxury hotels and shops – a mini St Moritz in the mountains of Arabia. It was meant to have been ready in time to host the Asian Winter Games in 2029, but that has now been cancelled, with the Games to be held in Kazakhstan instead.

The Cube – a massive structure of flats and offices that could have contained the Empire State Building 20 times over – has been jettisoned entirely. It was set to cost an estimated $50bn.

Most recently, one of the apparent crown jewels of the Kingdom's vaulting ambition to become a world powerhouse of sport from a standing start, the LIV Golf tour, has been reassessed as a hugely expensive dud that's cost some $5bn to date and brought neither a financial nor a reputational return.

Some longtime observers of Saudi Arabia, such as Ellen R Wald, the author of Saudi, Inc., feel like they've seen it all before.

"This is the same playbook, the same thing again with The Line. You know, 'We're going to build this huge thing. Oh wait, well now we're going to significantly downscale it.' And it's the same thing over and over again, and it's been that way even since before Mohammed bin Salman. They make these big announcements, they're very splashy, and then it either doesn't get built or it gets built in a significantly scaled down or [in a] 'not what it was' way."

Wald recalls the new cities that were to be built in the 2000s under a previous monarch, King Abdullah.

The "Economic Cities" programme was also aimed at diversifying the Saudi economy away from oil, which has been a perennial imperative in the Kingdom for decades. Relying almost entirely on one natural resource that will not last for ever has long been seen as an obstacle to the development of a much more well-rounded and resilient economy.

The results were largely underwhelming even as billions of dollars were expended. Several of the proposed cities never got off the ground, others were recast as more modest enterprises. The biggest, the $100bn King Abdullah Economic City on the Red Sea coast north of Jeddah, did come to fruition, but the goal of it becoming a business and tourism hub hasn't materialised.

The hope had been to bring in major new foreign investment and create jobs – real ones, away from the calcified state sector – for Saudi Arabia's large and ever-growing young population. But by 2016, the rate of unemployment still stood at around 12%.

Wald thinks there is a fundamental failure to take a realistic view of the potential of such projects by the officials behind them. "Where did they think the market was? Who told them that this was a possibility? There's a big 'yes man' mentality. You get people telling the king what he wants to hear. And that goes for consultants too, because they want the big contracts. So, they'll say what they think their Saudi clients want to hear – and then these things fall short."

That pattern goes back decades, with foreign companies often not wishing to risk the highly lucrative contracts they've secured by asking questions.

Sweeping change

Some believe that when MBS became de facto ruler of the Kingdom in 2017, he inherited a system that badly needed overhauling.

Ghanem Nuseibeh, an economic analyst who's followed the shifts in Saudi Arabia for years, says MBS inherited "a social economic system that was very much out of touch with the modern world" that was "heading towards total stagnation."

Vision 2030 was designed to change Saudi Arabia in three ways: economically, politically, but also socially. "The very, very tricky thing for them was that they needed to implement those in concert."

The social control exerted by the powerful and very conservative Islamic leadership of the country was seen by MBS and his advisors as a major obstacle in the ability of Saudi Arabia to achieve its full economic potential. Political change under MBS was presented as the handing over for the first time of the reins of power to a more dynamic, younger generation. But this did not mean that any new space for political discourse was allowed.

Indeed – as Nuseibeh acknowledges – MBS himself was responsible for some of the issues that have impeded the scope and rate of change - as well as casting a long shadow over his rule.

Just as he became de facto ruler in 2017, he ordered the mass detention of Saudi Arabia's elite officials and businessmen in the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh, which the Saudi government portrayed as a crackdown on corruption, but others saw as a shakedown. And the savage killing of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the country's consulate in Istanbul in 2018 left a stain on the Crown Prince's reputation, which may have faded but remains indelible.

One Saudi who has direct experience of how the authorities there deal with dissent is Abdullah al-Ouda, an academic and human rights activist based in the US. His father, Salman al-Ouda, a prominent Saudi Islamic scholar, has been detained in prison since 2017 on charges including "stirring up unrest".

Abdullah believes that episodes like the Ritz-Carlton purge have been counterproductive to the aim of funding Vision 2030, even if those held in that gilded cage did cough up an estimated $100bn.

"Long term, it's actually scared away investors, he said. "And all the oppression also affected how investors see Saudi Arabia as a government, as a country, that lacks what investors want, which is predictability. When you have no predictability, you can simply be an investor one day and the next an arbitrary detainee - and nobody wants that."

Vision 2030 helped shift the conversation, as did the parade of major sports and entertainment events that started coming to Saudi Arabia from 2016, hugely transforming both its internal reality and its outside image. It wasn't all surface; headline-grabbing moves such as finally giving women the right to drive did shift Saudi Arabian society. To such an extent that a prominent US-based Saudi fashion influencer told me that her Saudi friends teased her for being behind the times in her attitude each time she visited.

But human rights issues still overshadowed these changes. As MBS and the Saudi sovereign fund moved into one new sphere after another, accusations of sportswashing, artwashing, greenwashing and so on have multiplied. Many prominent figures from the world of sport and entertainment have been happy to appear in Saudi Arabia, but others have refused, citing its human rights record. Thousands of fans have flocked to Riyadh for events such as motor racing and boxing, but other potential tourists have been put off by negative views of the Kingdom.

That doesn't, however, negate the fact that for many young Saudis, the ambitions of MBS have been inspiring and popular.

Saving Vision 2030

The big cutback in spending on some of the flashiest projects – which looks to the outside world like at least a partial admission of failure – is being cast in as positive a light as the Saudi authorities can manage.

"The thinking now is to basically get small wins, small successes here and there, instead of these mega projects," says Abdullah. "Like, for example, the Red Sea island resort of Sindalah could be one small win that they can promote, which is basically a very traditional style of resort, which can still be presented as part of the vision, instead of the likes of The Line and The Cube. And so they can say, 'these represent the basis of Neom, and we didn't have to have the whole thing'."

This tracks with what the authorities have started saying. The governor of the PIF, Yasir al-Rumayyan, has recently said that under a new five-year plan, the fund would "focus, through its strategy, on improving the efficiency of its spending and disbursements, along with a sustainable evaluation of the performance of its businesses, to achieve a balance and ensure the sustainability of its financial resources".

For some analysts, this re-focusing is essentially the best option for the Saudi authorities and a way for them to save Vision 2030 itself.

Thamer Shaker, a prominent Saudi businessman and management consultant, frames it differently: "What we are seeing is the natural evolution from an ambition-led phase into an execution-led phase. Every major national transformation reaches a point where prioritisation, sequencing, and resource allocation become more important than the scale of announcements themselves."

Some of the headline projects – which are less sci-fi in concept – will continue to be developed. That includes the remodelling and revival of the old capital, Diriyah, in Riyadh and the massive state-of-the-art theme park Six Flags Qiddiya City, also near the Saudi capital. The successful development of the ancient site of AlUla in the north, famed for Nabataean monuments that rival Petra, is a template for how such projects can be accomplished.

The project to transform a once-forgotten corner of the Kingdom into the flagship project of Saudi Arabia's revamped national and cultural identity has cost several billion dollars already, with billons more earmarked to try to further develop it into a global tourism hub. A more achievable objective than, for example, The Line.

And of course in sport, the Saudis managed to secure one of the biggest of all prizes, the football World Cup in 2034. There's no doubt that MBS will try to ensure that there will be a visionary element to the designs, although some of the more ambitious concepts appear to have been reined in to try to keep the cost under some measure of control.

Saudi officials are clearly trying to portray the relative openness about changing course over Vision 2030 as a break with the past of concealment and obfuscation. The sense given is that they have owned up to mistakes and corrected their course.

A specialist in the political and economic dynamics of the Gulf, Mate Szalai, says this is helpful up to a point for foreign politicians and diplomats.

"For them, the fact that the Saudis at least partly admit their mistakes and talk about them, that's definitely a positive sign. But I don't think that this goes as far as most investors and most stakeholders want it to."

The Saudi businessman Thamer Shaker is more sanguine: "In many cases, disciplined prioritisation can actually increase investor confidence… The conversation internationally is increasingly shifting from 'how big are the announcements?' to 'how credible is the execution model?'"

Turning off the tap

The reassessment of Vision 2030 was already under way before the war between the US, Israel and Iran. The conflict has sent a shockwave through the status quo across the Gulf region and raised doubts about the strategy the UAE spearheaded of becoming a commercial and tourist hub for the world, which Saudi Arabia had clearly wanted not just to emulate but to outdo.

Szalai says just months into its recalibration, the war has caused further confusion over the future direction of Vision 2030.

"Before the war, the key areas where the Saudis wanted to have more investment were AI and various other, substantive projects – tourism, manufacturing and mining, and some local industries. But all of these have been severely affected by the war, except for mining.

"Before the war, the main message was that now Neom is going to be redefined as a hub for industries focusing on AI. Which makes sense in the context of the war, of course, but it shows that the main message is changing on a monthly basis. And that indicates some strategic confusion. But it's also a positive sign in the sense that Saudi officials know that they have to come up with a new plan."

Vision 2030 has helped the emergence of a different Saudi Arabia, to the celebration of some and condemnation of others.

But if there were three pillars to the transformation, there is still a long way to go.

Politically, dissent has been punished as severely as ever.

Socially, there have been big changes so that the very feel of living in a city like Riyadh has been transformed. That's increased the amount of money that Saudis themselves spend inside the country on a huge range of entertainment that simply didn't exist 20 years ago.

Economically, the mega projects of Vision 2030 were intended to drive the country forward finally into a future in which private and foreign investment became a match for the immense oil wealth of the state. That has only partly materialised.

For the Saudi leadership, it has of course been presented as a success story, even if not on the scale once envisaged. However much of a visionary MBS would like to be seen as, it seems clear that he and those around him also want to be seem as practical and pragmatic when necessary.

They are not answerable to the Saudi people for the many billions of dollars that have been spent on projects that may now only ever exist on the internet. As far as can be gauged, the Crown Prince's popularity remains high among young Saudis. That makes it possible to throw mega-projects like The Cube away into the bin as if they were waste paper – which in the case of The Cube may not be far from the truth.

Big players in the worlds of sport, entertainment, art and beyond that have grown to depend on Saudi cash now face a new reality in which the tap is only dripping or has been turned off.

Some of those projects like the LIV Golf Tour never seemed to add up in the first place, according to Ellen R Wald. "The question is what was their strategy originally?… I mean presumably they didn't spend all that huge amount of money, just for PR. That would be crazy."

Top image credit: AFP/Getty

I survived a missile strike in the Strait of Hormuz, but my friend has not been found

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce8pn63q771o, 7 days ago

"I felt the whole ship shake. I thought there'd been some fault with the engine. But as soon as I stepped outside of my room, there was another explosion."

Sunil Puniya, 26, was on his first job at sea when a missile struck the oil tanker Skylight in the early hours of 1 March.

The US-sanctioned vessel had travelled from Dubai and was nearing the Strait of Hormuz - one of the world's busiest shipping routes. Skylight was the first commercial vessel to be struck after the US-Israel war with Iran erupted in the region.

At the time of the attack, Sunil was asleep in his cabin on the third floor. He woke to find the ship engulfed in chaos. The missile had struck the engine room, sparking a fire that rapidly spread through the vessel.

"There was a complete blackout, and smoke had spread everywhere," he said. "Everyone was having trouble breathing."

"There were some sailors from South India who were crying and making panicked calls home. I told them to stop calling and helped bring them up on to the deck."

But by the time they reached the deck the fire was already spreading.

"There was oil everywhere," Sunil said. "The flames were coming towards us so we jumped into the sea."

'He became like a brother'

The Oman Navy launched a rescue operation within an hour of the attack and pulled survivors from the water. But not everyone could be accounted for.

"As soon as I realised Dalip wasn't there, that's when it hit me," Sunil said. "I started panicking. I kept thinking: how will I answer to his family?"

Dalip Rathore, 25, had joined Skylight the day after Sunil. India is one of the biggest suppliers of seafarers to the global shipping industry but Dalip and Sunil discovered they were from neighbouring villages in Rajasthan and soon became close friends.

"There were network issues on the ship, so we couldn't call home very often," Sunil said. "In those moments, Dalip was there for me. He became like a brother."

Hours before the strike, Dalip had taken over Sunil's watch in the engine room - the area hit by the missile.

Dalip and the ship's captain, Ashish Kumar, were both killed in the attack. While some of the captain's remains were recovered, Dalip's body has never been found.

Stranded in the Strait of Hormuz

Their story is part of a wider crisis that has been unfolding in the Strait of Hormuz. At the beginning of the war, Tehran swiftly responded to strikes by blocking the Strait and with it a crucial route for 20% of the world's oil and liquified natural gas.

Maritime intelligence firm Kpler told BBC Verify 38 commercial vessels have been hit in and around the Strait since the start of the conflict. Their data shows 24 ships were hit by Iran and four by the US, with the rest unconfirmed.

The war has left many hundreds of ships unable to get through the strait. More than 20,000 seafarers are currently stuck in the Gulf, according to the International Maritime Organization.

Under maritime law, shipowners are responsible for the welfare and repatriation of their crews. If shipowners fail to act, responsibility can then fall to the vessel's flag state and, ultimately, port authorities.

Many ship owners have been organising supplies for their crews who are stranded in the strait, using small boats to deliver food and essentials to vessels at anchorage. Others, however, have been left with very little.

Since the conflict escalated, the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), a union that supports seafarers in distress, says it has received more than 2,000 calls for help from people on a variety of commercial ships that have been trapped in and near the Strait.

The problems include unpaid wages, contract disputes, difficulties getting home, and shortages of basic supplies such as food and water.

Mohamed Arrachedi, the ITF's network coordinator for the Arab world and Iran, says some crews are effectively stranded at sea.

He shared voice notes with the BBC from three seafarers currently anchored on a small boat off the coast of Oman.

In the recordings, the men plead for help, saying they are running low on provisions and have not heard from the shipowner for months.

"Unfortunately, the industry as a whole has not succeeded in eradicating this cancer that is the abandonment of seafarers," said Arrachedi.

The ITF defines abandonment as cases where shipowners walk away from crews, leaving them unpaid, stranded, and without essentials such as food, water or medical care.

A total of 6,223 seafarers were abandoned across 409 ships last year. It's a small proportion of the 100,000-strong fleet of merchant vessels' operating around the world, but the union says it's a worrying trend.

David Loosley from Bimco, one of the world's largest international shipping associations, said that while the industry operates under international regulations, there are "isolated instances where standards are not fully upheld, with serious consequences for seafarer welfare".

"Geopolitical conflicts significantly heighten the risks faced by those at sea," he added.

While many seafarers stuck in the region have not been abandoned, the conflict has made an already precarious situation even more dangerous for those who are.

Rex Pereira, 28, from Mumbai, was not on Skylight but was recruited by the same agents as Sunil.

He said he had endured appalling conditions at sea for more than four months before the war broke out. He said their drinking water was contaminated with diesel, that much of the food they had to eat was expired, and shared pictures of dirty brown water that he said the crew were told to wash with.

Despite his request to leave the vessel within days of boarding, he received no response to his calls for help.

Instead, he was kept at sea for months. When the war started he was stationed off the coast of Iraq and witnessed missiles being fired close by.

"We could see Iran from where we were," he said, adding that missiles "were flying all over us".

"There was a huge explosion and smoke and the entire ship was vibrating," he said. "We were very scared, we were shivering and we were contacting anyone possible, anyone possible."

Rex never found out who the owner of his ship was but eventually managed to return to India after getting help from a shipping union and the Indian embassy, but his family had to pay thousands of pounds in travel costs to help get him home.

The ship with no owner

In the case of Skylight, identifying who was responsible for the vessel is difficult.

Maritime tracking platform MarineTraffic lists the shipowner as Red Sea Ship Management, a company based in Dubai.

When the BBC attempted to contact the company, calls to a number linked to the firm went unanswered, while an email address provided for the company bounced back.

The company also appears to have no working website.

Neither Sunil nor Dalip's family say they have heard from the shipowner since the attack.

Maritime analysts say sanctions have changed the way some vessels operate, with ships increasingly relying on opaque ownership structures, changing flags and insurers, and complex management networks in order to continue trading.

Experts say these practices can make it far more difficult to identify who is ultimately responsible for a vessel when something goes wrong.

Skylight was sanctioned by the US in December last year for transporting Iranian oil. Following this it lost its insurance and was no longer registered to a country - known as a flag state - which is responsible for enforcing safety and legal standards on a commercial ship.

It had previously been insured by Hydor, but a spokesperson for the company told the BBC their cover ended when the US imposed sanctions on the ship. The ITF confirmed there was no subsequent insurer registered for the ship.

We have also seen correspondence from Palau - the flag state previously linked to the vessel - stating that following US sanctions, Skylight was deregistered and no longer flagged to the country.

By the time it was struck, Skylight was both uninsured and effectively stateless.

"Because there's no insurance, there would be no compensation," says Michelle Bockmann, a maritime analyst at Windward.

"You're left to the shipowner's conscience. Can you find the shipowner? Usually in these cases, they're nowhere to be seen. They deliberately structure ownership through layers of companies in countries where it's extremely difficult to identify who is ultimately behind the ship."

For Dalip's family, the lack of insurance could have devastating consequences.

Under maritime law, commercial vessels are required to carry insurance to cover crew deaths and injuries. Without it, families can struggle to secure compensation.

According to Sunil, before boarding Skylight, he was told by a recruiting agent in India that the ship was insured.

"I was told that all the documents were in place and there is insurance," he said.

Placing seafarers on an uninsured ship is a breach of maritime law.

When contacted by the BBC, one of the agents involved in recruiting Sunil said: "We don't have any such information that there is no insurance." He claimed the responsibility lay with another agent based in Dubai. We called and messaged the Dubai-based agent but received no response.

Sunil says he will never return to working at sea.

"I haven't been able to gather the courage to go and see Dalip's family," he said.

"If I see his home… I'll feel presence of him and will be able to imagine him there. I miss him a lot."

Hezbollah drone strike videos show evolving tactics against Israel

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1j2zwe9g5no, 11 days ago

Hezbollah has increased its use of small first-person view (FPV) drones to attack Israel, including systems controlled by fibre-optic cables to evade sophisticated defences.

BBC Verify has geolocated 35 videos shared by the Lebanese armed group since 26 March which show strikes on Israeli soldiers, armoured vehicles and air defence systems in southern Lebanon and northern Israel.

Experts told BBC Verify the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has "so far been unable to develop any effective countermeasures", as the small drones can easily bypass detection systems.

The drones can also be made from commercially available and 3D-printed components - and are cheap compared to the high-value targets they can destroy, experts also said.

The use of cheap FPV drones has become widespread during the Russia-Ukraine war and has changed modern warfare.

While the Israeli military has not published all casualty details, Israeli media reports indicate four IDF soldiers and one civilian have been killed in FPV strikes, with dozens more injured.

The IDF told BBC Verify it recognises the threat from drones and is investing "significant resources" in improving defences, developing "more effective alert models" and training soldiers for "improving readiness and increasing awareness of the threat".

According to the Institute for National Security Studies, the IDF has also been using FPV drones for several years, currently operating with them in southern Lebanon and against Hamas in Gaza.

Hisham Jaber, a military analyst and former Lebanese army general, told BBC Arabic the FPV drones can be "undetectable by radar" and the "hundreds" of them at Hezbollah's disposal have been used to disable armoured vehicles - including tanks.

Hezbollah has been using several types of larger attack drones against targets in northern Israel for many years, Jaber added, but the use of FPVs represents an "entirely different category".

BBC Verify has found videos of nearly 100 apparent FPV attacks shared on Hezbollah's Telegram channel since 26 March, 35 of which have been verified.

Hezbollah does not appear to have shared any footage of similar strikes from the conflict, which began on 2 March.

One verified video shared on Thursday shows at least four FPV drones attacking an Israeli border outpost near Kiryat Shmona, targeting a series of military vehicles in sequence. At least two of them can be seen heavily damaged or destroyed in the clips.

BBC Verify has also tracked similar drone strikes in south Lebanon, including documenting at least two strikes on 26 April in the town of Taybeh. The videos show soldiers being targeted, followed by a strike nearby to an IDF helicopter in the process of rescuing injured troops. Israeli media has reported one soldier was killed and six others injured.

Many of these drones are flown using fibre optic cable connections - rather than radio or other wireless signals - making them difficult to intercept with current Israeli electronic counter-measures.

Dr Andreas Krieg, a security expert from King's College London, told BBC Verify the fibre-optics render Israel's capacity to detect, jam and intercept drones "largely irrelevant" and makes finding the operator significantly more challenging.

The impact of this, he said, is Israeli troops "having to move more cautiously, harden positions, use physical protective measures such as nets and cages, and devote more attention to immediate local defence".

Krieg added Hezbollah is most likely assembling the drones locally from commercially available components sourced from places like China, at a cost in the range of $300-$500 (£225-£375) each.

Leone Hadavi, a senior investigator and weapons expert for the Centre for Information Resilience, said these commercial parts are also supplemented with components made using 3D printers.

"Tracing components has proven very hard because of how easily accessible they are and non-military in nature. Mostly these FPV drones carry a RPG [rocket-propelled grenade] warhead, of which there is no shortage in southern Lebanon," he added.

Hadavi told BBC Verify that the "psychological implication" of increasing FPV strikes appears to be significant on Israeli troops, given their capacity to threaten highly protected armoured vehicles.

This recent escalation in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah began on 2 March, two days after the US and Israel launched a wave of air strikes in Iran, killing supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Following Khamenei's death, Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel - and Israel responded with widespread air strikes in Lebanon and a ground invasion of the south of the country.

Lebanon's health ministry has said at least 2,896 people have been killed since, including more than 400 since US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire in April. The health ministry's figures do not separate out combatant and civilian deaths.

More than one million people have been displaced in Lebanon since the conflict began.

Israel says 21 soldiers and four civilians have been killed in the conflict.

Additional reporting by Lamees Altalebi, Thomas Spencer, Deena Easa, Sherie Ryder and Paul Brown, graphics by Tom Shiel.

Correction 20 May: An earlier version of this story misstated casualty figures. Israel said 18 soldiers and four civilians had been killed in the conflict, not four soldiers and 18 civilians. The number of soldiers has since risen to 21.

'This may be the last time you hear my voice': Political executions surge in Iran since start of war

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn8p392nl7yo, 13 days ago

The line is crackly. But the voice of Mehrab Abdollahzadeh is clear and, given the circumstances, surprisingly steady.

He's on death row in western Iran. He speaks quickly - as if time is running out. And his message is desperate.

"You are hearing my voice from Oromiyeh Central Prison, and this may be the last time you hear it," he says in a voice note obtained by the Kurdistan Human Rights Network.

"From the very first day of my arrest, they forced confessions out of me through torture and threats, confessions that were entirely false. None of the charges against me are true. They know it, and God knows it. I am innocent."

Mehrab was arrested back in 2022, during nationwide protests that followed the death in police custody of a young woman, Mahsa Amini, who had been detained for not wearing her veil properly. He was accused of involvement in the killing of a member of Iran's Basij militia force.

After 42 months of fear and sleepless nights, he was put to death earlier this month - part of a surge in executions of people on political and security charges.

Since the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February, the UN says it's verified the execution of at least 32 political prisoners.

This marks a sharp year-on-year increase, with 45 executions on politically motivated charges taking place across the whole of 2025, according to Amnesty International.

The UN's Human Rights Office has warned the death penalty is increasingly being used to silence political dissent.

Several of those killed this year were accused of spying for Israel or the CIA, while some were accused of being affiliated with an exiled opposition group. Fourteen of them were arrested in relation to the uprising in January this year, which was crushed with lethal force - leading to thousands of deaths.

"In Iran, the authorities carry out executions by hanging. They carry them out at dawn," says Nassim Papayianni of Amnesty International. "People in Iran have been waking up to near-daily announcements of executions."

"They weaponise the death penalty as a tool of political repression, to instil fear among the population, and essentially crush and stifle any dissent that there might be."

While some executions are announced publicly, a spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office told the BBC it was concerned others were happening in secret.

Last year, Iran carried out 2,159 executions, according to Amnesty International - the highest number since 1981. It says that the vast majority are for drugs-related offences or murder.

The UN fears that the figure this year could be even higher.

With its increased use of the death penalty, the regime is attempting to restore authority after its image was damaged by the January uprising and the war, according to Kaveh Kermanshahi of the Kurdistan Human Rights Network.

"At a time when it is confronting multiple internal and external crises, it is attempting, through intensified repression and an increase in executions, to stage a display of power and project the message: 'I am still here, and I still control the situation,'" he says.

Late last month, state-run television carried a report on the execution of Sasan Azadvar, a 21-year-old karate champion from the central city of Isfahan. He'd been convicted of "moharabeh" or "waging war against God," and "effective collaboration with the enemy" for attacking police forces during January's protests. He is seen confessing to using a stick to break the window of a police car and asking for petrol to set it on fire.

But he was not accused of any lethal offence, which - under international law - is the legal threshold for the use of the death penalty.

Iranian authorities did not respond to the BBC's request for comment on their increased use of the death penalty, including against Sardar Azadvar, and on claims of torture.

But on 30 April, the head of Iran's judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, dismissed international criticism of death sentences linked to January's unrest, saying that his courts would not be swayed.

Each of the condemned has their own story. But human rights activists speak of disturbing patterns. The death sentence is disproportionately used against members of the country's minorities.

Erfan Shakourzadeh, a 29-year-old master's student in aerospace engineering, was hanged on 11 May. Iran's judiciary said he'd been convicted of sharing classified information with Israeli and US intelligence.

But the Norway-based Hengaw human rights organisation published a note they say he wrote before his death.

"I was arrested on fabricated espionage charges and, after eight and a half months of torture and solitary confinement, was forced into a false confession. Do not let another innocent life be taken in silence."

Hengaw said it was deeply concerned by the speed at which trials, sentencing and executions have been taking place, along with "a complete lack of transparency" in judicial proceedings.

"The Islamic Republic continues its systematic repression of the population by arbitrarily accusing dissidents and critics of being "Israeli spies" without presenting credible evidence or guaranteeing fair trial standards," the group's Aywar Shekhi told the BBC, adding that "many lives are at risk".

In his voice message from prison before his execution, Mehrab Abdollahzadeh described the torment of being on death row.

"A condemned person thinks every single night and day that at any moment, they might be called and taken away to be executed. A condemned person can only find a sliver of peace after 1am at night, perhaps letting go of their racing thoughts to sleep for two or three hours," he said.

The 29-year-old Kurdish shop owner was executed - according to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network - with no prior warning to his relatives or lawyers, and his body has not been returned to his family.

Man accused of using hidden camera to spy on UK-based Iranian journalist

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yx6lyr53wo, yesterday

A Greek national accused of spying on a London-based Iranian journalist allegedly used a covert camera hidden inside a sock to carry out surveillance, a court has heard.

Ioannis Aidinidis, 46, appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service believed to be linked to Iran, following an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) London.

Prosecutor Lee Ingham said Aidinidis allegedly travelled to the UK twice - in April and May this year - to carry out surveillance on the journalist working for Iran International.

He is accused of photographing and filming addresses and number plates linked to the journalist during both trips.

During his second visit in May, Aidinidis allegedly "installed a covert camera hidden in a sock," prosecutors said, which was capable of sending data "to persons unknown abroad".

Aidinidis, who was born in Georgia and lives in Germany, is accused of receiving funding to carry out the surveillance.

According to prosecutors, his first trip to the UK took place between 16 and 21 April, while the second was from 12 to 16 May. He was arrested in West Sussex on 16 May by CTP London officers.

Aidinidis confirmed his identity through a Russian interpreter but did not enter any pleas.

He was remanded in custody and is due to appear at the Old Bailey on 19 June.

In a statement before the hearing, Commander Helen Flanagan, head of CTP London, said: "We know this may cause concern for many people here in the UK, and particularly those working in Persian-language media."

She added that the force was providing advice and security support to a number of organisations and individuals, including "the specific individual and organisation linked to this investigation".

Police said there was not believed to be a wider threat to the public.

In April, three people were charged over an attempted arson attack on the offices of Iran International in north-west London.

An Islamist group with possible links to Iran - Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya - claimed responsibility for the attack. The claim has not been substantiated.

In a statement last month, Iran International said it had been subject to a "campaign of transnational intimidation aimed at silencing independent journalism".

Israel hits Lebanese capital in 'targeted strike'

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgqpjwdv7xeo, 3 days ago

Israel has hit the Lebanese capital, Beirut, for only the second time since the start of a ceasefire last month.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the attack at about 14:00 (11:00 GMT) was carried out in a "targeted manner", but gave no details. Israeli media cited unnamed sources as saying the target of the strike had been the head of an Iranian militia.

Israel had spared Beirut at the request of the US and the attack came after waves of Israeli strikes aimed at Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon, according to the IDF.

Both Israel and Hezbollah - the powerful Shia group supported by Iran - have accused each other of repeated violations of a ceasefire.

Thick smoke was seen billowing across residential buildings in Dahieh, the densely populated Shia suburb that serves as Hezbollah's stronghold in the capital, after the latest Israeli attack.

Residents could be heard calling out to neighbours and relatives to check on their safety as rescue crews rushed in.

Mohamad was asleep when the strike hit. He said he came running downstairs and found a three month old baby on the ground. He took her to hospital, but she didn't survive.

"There's nothing here!" he said, waving his hands. "Everything happening here - all this pressure on people - is just to make us hate Hezbollah, but that's not going to happen. We're not the kind of people who turn against others like that."

According to Israeli media, the target of the strike was Ali al-Husni, head of the missile force in the Imam Hossein Division - an Iranian militia allied to Hezbollah.

The strikes came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced an expansion of a ground operation following Hezbollah drone attacks on troops occupying part of southern Lebanon and on civilians in northern Israel.

On Wednesday, the IDF urged residents to move north of the Zahrani River, about 40km (25 miles) from the Israeli border, saying it would act "with extreme force".

At least 11 people were killed in two sets of Israeli strikes which hit Tyre and an area to the city's east early on Thursday, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

Social media videos from Tyre, one of Lebanon's biggest cities, showed streets lit orange by flames, smoke-filled roads, and at least one vehicle engulfed in fire.

By daylight, a massive fireball was filmed erupting near a cluster of high-rise residential buildings, sending a mushroom-shaped column of smoke rising above the city skyline.

Stunned residents looked on as debris spread through surrounding streets.

A Hezbollah member in Tyre told the BBC rescue and recovery crews had been forced to stop their work because conditions remain "too dangerous" and workers received calls from the Israeli military warning them to evacuate the area.

Wednesday's evacuation order was the largest since the ceasefire took effect, covering about 300 towns and villages - about 14% of Lebanese territory. Many residents, including those already displaced from other parts of southern Lebanon, have nowhere obvious to go.

The streets of Saida were oddly busy on Thursday - the marina area filled with beach goers eating lunch, and not a tent for the displaced in sight.

But with shelters exceeding capacity, humanitarian workers and city officials told those displaced to keep going north. There is no more room here.

Saida is a coastal city north of the Zahrani River, but south of Beirut. It has not been hit as hard as other cities like Tyre or Nabatieh.

It was not named in the latest set of evacuation orders, so Hanaa Jamaa, 46, was shocked when she was woken up in the middle of the night to hear an apartment she owned had been hit.

She had been renting it out as a source of income.

A missile struck the building at approximately 02:40, appearing to hit the roof before tearing downward through the structure.

Five people were killed and 21 injured in the attack.

The man renting the apartment from Hanaa had been living there for three years.

She said he was a civilian. "We aren't with Hezbollah and we aren't with Israel," she said through tears. "We just want peace."

Lebanese officials have pointed to the Israeli strikes themselves as violations.

More than 3,320 people have been killed in Lebanon since the start of the war, according to the country's health ministry - its figures do not distinguish between combatants and civilians.

Israel says 23 of its soldiers and four Israeli civilians have been killed over the same period on both sides of the border.

Additional reporting by Angie Mrad.

Learning from Ukraine war, Hezbollah is now using fibre-optic drones to hit Israel

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0r2ydlvk41o, 3 days ago

Fibre-optic drones have become Hezbollah's primary weapon against Israeli soldiers and civilians, along both sides of the Lebanese border, and are now seen as the biggest threat there, as fighting continues six weeks into a supposed ceasefire.

One Israeli soldier was killed and two others injured in a drone attack near the Israeli border community of Shomera on Wednesday.

Of the 11 Israeli soldiers and one civilian defence contractor killed since the ceasefire came into force, eight have been killed by fibre-optic drones.

Most of the attacks have targeted Israeli forces, which are currently occupying a large area of southern Lebanon, but Hezbollah is also increasingly attacking Israeli communities across the border, according to the Alma Research Center, an Israeli think tank which monitors the conflict.

It has recorded more than 100 drone attacks against communities inside Israel since the ceasefire began in April.

In Shomera, a leafy town at the western end of the border, drone attacks have left trails of fibre-optic wires along the roads – and a new sense of fear in this battle-hardened community.

"The problem is you don't feel them coming. You're sitting there, and suddenly it arrives," said Shomera's council chief, Sami Zanetti. "And if you run away, it follows you."

He showed me a bus-stop, scarred by a recent drone attack this week that struck minutes after a school bus had left.

The fibre-optic drones used by Hezbollah – also known as First-Person View or FPVs – are much harder to detect than the rockets and mortars this town is used to. The drones are loaded with explosives and fly low, without a radio signal that can be jammed by Israel's military. They are connected to their operators by a thin optical wire, which allow them to see and chase targets on the ground. It's a tactic learned from the war in Ukraine.

Several times a day, sirens sound in these frontier communities, warning of a drone crossing the border from Lebanon. Here, the warnings and the weapons come seconds apart; sometimes there's no warning at all.

"With rockets, I've got 15 seconds to go into a bomb shelter. With drones, you have no way of knowing when it will fall," Sami Zanetti said.

As we were talking, sirens erupted.

The alerts on our phones said a drone had been spotted, heading straight for Shomera.

From inside the public bomb shelter, we scan the sky.

Israel's army sometimes intercepts drones that cross the border, but also often loses contact with the small, low-flying devices.

This time in Shomera, the attack never arrives.

But the road we're standing in is strewn with the fine silvery filaments left from previous drone strikes.

Just the day before, members of the community's security team were filmed chasing and firing at a drone flying along this street, right next to the house of Amichai Ben David, a peach and nectarine farmer with seven children.

"[The drone] came and we rushed into the house," he told me. "The soldiers outside shot at it, and managed to knock it out of the air. They saved us, thank god."

Amichai has lived here all his life. His home has a large hole in the roof where a rocket hit the family home last year. But the drones are a new and different threat, he says.

"The missiles stopped because of the ceasefire – and the drones started coming instead. They have cameras attached – if there's a soldier in uniform, or they don't like the look of someone, it simply drops and explodes."

The Alma Research Center says Israel's military assessment is that Hezbollah has dozens of trained drone operators and that it has accumulated a significant stockpile of the small, cheaply-made drones, which cost around $300-$400 each.

"They intensified the amount of attacks across the border inside Israel," said Sarit Zehavi, who heads the center. "And I think that's a direct order from Iran, against the background of what is happening with the [US] deal. Iran wants to see a situation where Israel is attacking Hezbollah, and everything explodes, and goes back to the beginning."

"[Hezbollah's] goal is to harm as many lives as possible, and when they see that Israeli soldiers are finding more ways to protect themselves physically, then they try to harm civilians in civilian communities," said Capt Adi Stoler, a spokesperson for Israel's military. "They go outside more, they live their life, take their children to school, and if [Hezbollah] can harm them while they're doing that, that's what they'll do."

Israel's military chief of staff has reportedly called for attacks on "buildings in Beirut", in response to Hezbollah's growing use of explosive drones.

"For every drone that harms one of our soldiers," the far-right Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich said, Israeli forces should "bring down 100 buildings" in Hezbollah's southern Beirut stronghold.

Earlier this week, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to deal Hezbollah "a crushing blow".

"It is true they are launching drones at us," he said. "We have a special team working on this, and we will solve this."

Israeli forces have been criticized for being slow to learn from the experience of troops in Ukraine, who have battled the threat of fibre-optic drones launched by Russia for the past two years.

Sarit Zehavi said Alma's researchers had warned in 2024 about fibre-optic drones becoming the next threat from Hezbollah.

"We knew this was coming because it was obvious Hezbollah would adopt the methods from Ukraine and that as we had success at intercepting rockets and became better in intercepting UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles], that FPVs were next."

"It's a tactical problem that Israel is dealing with, it's not something we see as an existential threat," said the IDF's Adi Stoler. "But yes, these type of drones are a challenge for us. It is something we're trying to solve as soon as possible."

An Israeli military official admitted that the primary bottleneck in combatting the threat came from "gaps in weapons development".

"The response is not hermetic, and capabilities for detection and interception must continue to be developed," the official said, adding that countering drones was now a "central mission" for the Israel Defense Forces' Northern Command, with significant resources being invested.

Learning from troops in Ukraine, Israeli forces have begun covering their positions with netting to entrap and tangle the tiny drones.

And several Israeli defence companies are working on new ways to defeat Hezbollah's drone warfare.

According to the Alma Research Center, they include an advanced interceptor drone, specialist fragmenting anti-drone ammunition, and automatic firing systems with electro-optical sensors.

In one project being developed by the Israeli company, Smart Shooter, a sensor continuously scans the environment, sending information to a computer mounted on a soldier's personal weapon, which can then analyse the threat, lock onto a target, and give the soldier a firing window.

But Israel's widely-read daily newspaper, Israel Hayom, says the defensive systems developed so far are falling short, and that Israel's preferred military option for now, the paper says, is to destroy the drones in warehouses or eliminate operators before launch.

Earlier this week, the IDF put out a video showing what it says is a strike on an operator retrieving a drone in southern Lebanon.

The race to adapt on the battlefield has been sharpened by a parallel public relations war.

Hezbollah regularly releases edited footage of what it says are drone attacks on Israeli targets, underlaid with doom-laden music.

One video released this week was apparently filmed from a Hezbollah drone as it flew towards a military vehicle full of Israeli troops in the Lebanese village of Bint Jbeil. It ends with two soldiers leaping from the truck as the drone flies straight into it.

On Wednesday, the IDF issued more evacuation notices for villages, towns and cities in southern Lebanon, culminating in a sweeping evacuation order for the whole of the country below the Zahrani river, which runs around 40km from the border.

Israel has also continued bombing targets across Lebanon, and clearing areas it says are being used by Hezbollah fighters in the south.

In Shomera, there are calls to go further, despite the political restrictions supposedly imposed by Israel's ceasefire agreement with the Lebanese government, and the constraints of current efforts of US president Donald Trump, to reach a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah's backer, Iran.

"How do we stop this? Go deeper into Lebanon, with a very strong attack," the peach farmer Amichai Ben David told me.

Sami Zanetti, the council chief, said he wanted either a "real peace" with Hezbollah or all-out war.

"I would like the country to take a brave decision, and clear out the terrorists once and for all. Finish off Hezbollah," he told me. "Today, our hands are tied by US President Trump."

Gaza City hospitals say several killed in strike, as Israel targets Hamas leaders

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn9p40en4ngo, 3 days ago

At least 10 people, including five children, were killed in an Israeli strike on a building in Gaza City late on Wednesday, according to local hospitals.

The target of the attack appeared to have been a local Hamas battalion commander Imad Asleem, who was killed alongside his teenage daughter Israa and buried on Thursday.

Hamas has not officially commented.

The Israeli military has released a short statement saying it struck "two central Hamas terrorists in the northern Gaza Strip", without disclosing their identities.

It is the latest Israeli strike targeting senior Hamas figures in Gaza in recent days.

Footage from Thursday's attack showed a badly damaged residential building in central Gaza City and destroyed tents in a neighbouring displaced people's camp.

Around 20 people were reportedly injured.

Raslan Bajou, who was asleep in his tent at the time of the latest strike, said: "This is a sin, I swear it's a sin."

He told BBC News his "neighbours were in pieces" as he described the chaotic aftermath of the attack in which his wife was injured.

"We didn't know what was going on," said Um Azzam al-Zaim, whose relative was visiting her for the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday.

She continued: "We were soaked when a water tank on the roof above was hit.

"Our tent broke and rubble fell on me from outside. It was difficult for us to get out of the tent."

Um Azzam said that she had seen the bodies of children who had been blown off the top of the neighbouring building after gathering there to share their Eid chocolates.

Pictures from Gaza City on Thursday showed a large funeral procession taking place, with a body wrapped in the flag of Hamas carried on a stretcher through the crowds with a gun placed on top of it.

Several people were seen waving green flags, the colour associated with Hamas.

On 15 May, Israel killed Odeh's predecessor, Izz al-Din al-Haddad.

Israel has targeted a long list of Hamas leaders since the start of the Israel-Gaza war.

On Wednesday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz wrote on X that his country had "pledged to eliminated everyone who led the October 7 massacre" in 2023, adding: "We pledged that Hamas will not rule Gaza civilly or militarily."

Another Israeli attack on the same day killed at least five Palestinians in al-Meghazi refugee camp in central Gaza, according to a local hospital.

The strikes come at a critical time when Israel and Hamas remain deadlocked in indirect, US-brokered talks to advance President Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza.

The next steps involve the Palestinian armed group giving up its weapons and Israeli troop withdrawals.

About 1,200 people were killed in the 2023 Hamas-led attack which triggered the Gaza war and 251 others were taken hostage.

Israel responded by launching a massive military campaign in Gaza, which reduced much of the Palestinian territory to ruins and left many of its 2.1 million residents displaced.

Israeli forces have killed more than 72,800 people in Gaza, according to its Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures the UN considers reliable.

The £5 coffee that tells a story of global economic turmoil

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr5pp1m6z06o, 3 days ago

Listen to Faisal read this story.

It's 9am at Kew Bridge in west London, and tourists, runners and dog walkers are queuing up at the Dear Coco vintage Italian coffee cart.

It is high-grade coffee made from the arabica bean, brewed in an expensive La Marzocco machine - and the price shows that, at £4.50 for an iced latte, £4.10 for a 10 oz latte, and £3.90 for a 6 oz flat white.

It's a price tag that would have once looked strikingly high, but across much of the UK the £4 threshold is well broken, including in chains that do not use the highest-grade beans. A large coffee in central London, served with an alternative milk like soy or almond, is now closer to the £5 mark.

Earlier this month in the US, Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol came under fire for suggesting a "$9 [£6.68] experience" at one of his outlets was a "really affordable premium experience".

The man working at the cart in Kew doesn't agree. He is relatively lucky; carts pay street trading fees rather than soaring rents and business rates. But still, he is squeezed. "We feel super strongly about keeping the price of a flat white under £4 for as long as possible," Anthony Duckworth tells me, as rowing boats glide past. "But it's becoming increasingly difficult, because every part of the supply chain has become more expensive. We think there's a really important psychological threshold around that four pound mark."

Coffee is not just a morning ritual, repeated worldwide: in fact, it's an insight into the modern global economy. The latte sheds light on everything from commodity inflation to trade chaos; from geopolitical strife and climate change to Gen Z cultural tastes. It teaches us about rampant new demand from the Chinese middle class, and the long-hanging economic effects of the Vietnam War.

It's all there, in every frothy cuppa.

Industry hiccups

The modern coffee journey started in Turin, northern Italy, at a train station in 1895. Steam-powered coffee machines were developed to cater to time-poor travellers, often on the Milan express - one theory for the name "espresso". It was the start of mass consumption of what had originally been a luxury drink.

Near the Turin ring road, at a glass and steel structure, I speak to Giuseppe Lavazza, whose great-grandfather launched the Lavazza coffee brand 131 years ago. "The secret of surviving is having a company ready to modify," he tells me while holding what he hopes is his next great innovation: a cookie of coffee, called a tabli, that he hopes will serve the growing at-home coffee market, without the need for environmentally questionable metal pods.

In recent years his industry has encountered serious hiccups - affecting both of the world's most important coffee beans.

At one end of the market, arabica beans, known for their sweetness and aroma, are hand-picked at cool altitudes in Brazil, Ethiopia, and Kenya; it's a careful process, even more intricate than the harvesting of grapes for the finest champagne. At the other end, robusta beans, known for their high levels of caffeine, are mass harvested by machines. Vietnam has cornered the market on robusta since emerging from its war in the 1970s.

The climate squeeze

Two years ago, a convergence of climatic events pushed the price of both beans to multi-decade highs.

In early 2024, Vietnam suffered its worst drought in decades (rainfall collapsed by 30%); then, late last year, a typhoon during harvest hit production too. And in Brazil, farmers are still struggling to recover from a severe frost in 2021 that damaged the arabica crop.

As a result, arabica prices peaked last year above $4 (£2.97) per pound of green beans, up from about $1.20 historically. It has now settled at $3.08. Robusta beans increased even more, reaching $2.59 (£1.92) before settling at about $1.56. Both beans now cost significantly more than they did before 2020.

Lavazza calls the last few years an "unprecedented time in terms of complexity and troubles". And he says prices are unlikely to drop any time soon. "Unfortunately, we have to wait for at least a couple of years, because we need two big crops from Brazil, Vietnam, arriving on the market that could create a different market condition."

Lavazza also points to speculation in the financial markets.

Every morning at 4.30am, thousands of Vietnamese coffee farmers check their smartphones to see the prices (and predicted future prices) of robusta beans. It's become a daily ritual. And the Hanoi office of the US government's Foreign Agricultural Service says that with price information so easily available online, many farmers are choosing to store - rather than sell - their coffee beans after harvest, in the hope prices will rise further. Essentially, they're playing the markets.

All eyes are now on July's crop in Brazil. Some analysts expect a bumper harvest of the arabica bean, which should drive down prices. On the other hand, the prospect of a "super" El Niño predicted this autumn - a warming of the Pacific Ocean that occurs every few years - could lead to more turmoil.

And of course, there's another, more familiar source of disruption in coffee markets.

Trade wars

A curiosity of Donald Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariffs, announced last year, was that coffee producing nations were sharply hit. Vietnam faced a 46% tariff, Indonesia 32%, and Brazil 50% (after an escalation from 10%). The coffee belt also happened to be the tariff belt.

It caused chaos on world coffee markets. Brazilian exports to the US fell off a cliff, more than halving last summer. And the prices of beans from lower-tariffed countries (like Colombia) also went up, because American suppliers raced to import them.

And American coffee-drinkers have noticed. US roasted coffee prices surged by 17% in the year to March, whilst instant coffee rose a near-record 25% - faster than gasoline prices (in fact, they were the single fastest-rising item in the entire inflation basket, apart from fuel oil). A bag of ground roast coffee that cost $4.30 in 2020 was already $6.32 in 2024, and is now $9.61 and heading for $10. The cheapest forms of coffee have been hit hardest, hurting poorer Americans.

Brazil's exports were diverted to Europe, with Germany overtaking the US as the biggest importer of Brazilian beans over the course of 2025, cushioning Europe's coffee drinkers to a degree.

With angry American voters facing higher prices in supermarkets, in November last year Trump signed an executive order allowing coffee beans (along with other foods like bananas and beef) to escape his sweeping tariffs.

To many, coffee seemed to expose a flaw in the White House's tariff policy. Trump said he imposed tariffs against countries that were "cheating America" - but arguably Vietnam's dominance over coffee production is simply a result of what economists call its "comparative advantage" (mostly its climate and low labour costs), rather than the result of cheating.

Trump also said tariffs would help to reshore industry - but that's largely irrelevant in the case of coffee, which requires a subtropical climate.

It took an import collapse and a price spike for a rather predictable lesson to land.

The chaos in global shipping is also playing its part. Ships transporting those Vietnamese beans to Europe now have to loop around the southern tip of Africa, to avoid the threat of Houthi militants at the Bab al-Mandab Strait, at the southern end of the Red Sea, between Yemen and the Horn of Africa. That journey is about 4,000 miles longer than it was before 2024.

And new EU anti-deforestation rules, due to come into effect across 2026 and 2027, are having an effect too. In order to ship coffee to Europe, Vietnamese and Brazilian suppliers will soon have to supply the GPS coordinates of their plantations. EU officials will then use satellite images to check the beans are not coming from land that was a forest in the past five years. The policy has repeatedly been delayed, but the cost for farmers is already adding up.

Coffee premiumisation

But here's the really interesting thing about the current coffee shock. So far, consumers are still paying up. Demand is what economists call inelastic, meaning it doesn't respond to price signals.

"We saw that despite the high prices, people love having coffee," says Lavazza, in Turin. "We don't see any significant decrease in terms of volumes in the most important countries."

In an age of higher prices, he says, it's important to recognise there are "different ways of approaching coffee" - like boosting production of the increasingly fashionable cold brews.

In general, the growing popularity of cold brews among young people could be seen as an example of so-called 'premiumisation', where businesses make their products look fancier to justify higher prices.

Another example is the chain that used to be known as Blank Street Coffee, founded in New York and developed by former venture capitalists. The baristas, who sell elaborate fruit and cake-themed concoctions, are supposed to connect with customers as "brand ambassadors". It uses this curated experience to justify higher prices.

And some coffee shops have become so fancy that they have lost the coffee entirely. Instead, 'matcha' has been on the march among younger customers. The drink's bright emerald colour has attracted the TikTok generation, and the milder caffeine hit from its green tea powder is suited to health-conscious drinkers who want good sleep. Blank Street rebranded last year, losing the word 'coffee' from its title and adopting a green hue.

And China shows a version of where this all may be heading. Luckin Coffee, founded in Beijing, is chasing Starbucks for the title of world's biggest coffee chain. Luckin developed as a tech company with astonishingly detailed data about how customers' preferences change by day, and by different weather.

They also know exactly when their customers' phones are within range of a kiosk. Their coffee is served up personalised, allowing customers to pick sugar levels and coffee-to-milk ratios, with different recommendations triggered by sun or rain. Their cafes are not designed for seating, but for the rapid delivery of caffeine, ordered by apps. Luckin is expanding into the US.

And on the other end of the market, the British chain Greggs has managed to keep prices low via automation. The bakery uses bean-to-cup Swiss machines to make some of its coffee. A regular latte is about £2.40, much lower than in other UK coffee cafes. It is now Britain's largest coffee provider, with more outlets than Costa.

In essence, it's a story of two halves.

On the one hand, there's a supply chain tsunami - involving climate problems and geopolitical tensions - pushing up prices.

But on the other hand, there's a coffee-loving public who are happy to pay the extra costs.

The commodity price surge matters significantly in supermarkets, but less so in cafes, which are now in the business of selling experiences, rather than drinks.

And prices will stay sticky, even if the harvests in Brazil and in Vietnam normalise and the price of raw coffee retreats a little.

That £5 large latte could be here to stay.

Top image credit: Getty Images

Am I part of the luckiest generation in history?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj6pyk7e3w4o, 13 days ago

I was born in 1962, at the tail end of the baby boom era.

Does that make me especially lucky? Should I languish in guilt?

The claim has been made that the baby boomers in general, and the late baby boomers in particular, have done rather better than the generations that followed.

This argument has been bubbling for some years, but my interest was piqued by comments from the former foreign secretary William Hague, now chancellor of the University of Oxford - born in 1961 - who argued a few months ago that the early 1960s is one of the best periods in history in which to have been born.

And recent arguments over the English student loan system have put generational fairness even more firmly onto the agenda.

When I was young, I don't remember fairness between generations ever being given much thought, and the labelling of different cohorts (Generation X, millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha) wasn't quite the thing it is now. The baby boom was talked about, but more as a simple demographic phenomenon. Now, generational analysis seems to be everywhere; from TV comedies like Hacks and Only Murders in the Building, to office-place chitchat.

But with generational identity politics alive and well today, let us examine the evidence. I find Hague's claim fascinating and plausible. But is it right? Have my schoolmates and I done well - too well? I can't cover everything, so I'll focus on England, and three key areas: higher education, pensions and housing.

The ambiguous student loan issue

There's clearly a sense of injustice about the English student loan system.

Martin Lewis, Britain's most prominent financial commentator, has criticised the terms attached to some of the loans as immoral.

Indeed, the extra 9% "tax" on earnings paid by younger graduates is an obvious difference to the treatment I received. In my case, the government actually gave me an annual maintenance grant and covered the cost of tuition.

Younger graduates feel this sharply. Natalie Whittaker, 27, told the BBC recently that debt from her bachelor's degree now stands at £75,500 (up from £52,000 when she graduated). "We were told… it's just the price of a coffee, you won't even notice it leaving your pay cheque," she says. But now she's making repayments and thinking, "hang on a minute, this isn't the price of a coffee".

There are also suggestions that the state might actually be making a profit from graduates; recent work by the consultancy London Economics finds that the 2022 cohort of graduates will pay more into the exchequer through the loan system, over their lifetimes, than their degrees actually cost.

But I wouldn't read too much into the overall profit the government is allegedly making (at a different time, the Institute for Fiscal Studies came up with the opposite result to London Economics).

In fact, the student loans issue is much more ambiguous than often realised, because while today's students do pay far more than I did, a lot more of them have the chance to go to university.

To quote the House of Commons Library, "overall participation in higher education increased from 3.4% in 1950, to 8.4% in 1970, 19.3% in 1990 and 33% in 2000".

And then, by 2022/23, 49% of state school pupils from England had started higher education by the age of 25. What was once a privilege for a few has become an entitlement for half of young adults.

So in this case, the victims of injustice are arguably not the students choosing to take out a loan and pay for college now, but the many people I went to school with who were never even offered a choice about whether to borrow and study at all.

The English student loan system might look unfair, but has been designed precisely to make the growth of graduate numbers possible, while also being fair to the declining proportion of non-students. In other words, the loan system aims to provide for fairness between generations, not fairness across generations.

There is one other very important feature of the student loan system though, which has angered some students. While it was not designed to be a big money-maker for the government overall, it is designed to make money out of some better-off graduates to cover the cost of subsidising some of the less well-off.

This comes down to the fact that it isn't a true loan like a mortgage which you have to pay back over time regardless of your means. Instead, it is more like a personalised tax. And many will never earn enough to pay back the full cost of their higher education. The system is designed to cover the losses on those lower income graduates, from the profits made from higher income graduates. (Though, interestingly, the very-rich graduates have been penalised less than the quite-rich, because they can pay off their loan quickly and avoid paying the high interest rates.)

So if you made it to university in the 1980s, you would have been much better off then than now. In my years, students were subsidised. Now, the "top" students subsidise others. Even if my generation overall was not particularly lucky when it came to higher education, those of us who did go to university really were the most spoiled of all.

Lucky London buyers

I'm embarrassed to say there is a similar case to be made about housing. By buying a flat in London in 1988, I've arguably enjoyed an unearned advantage.

As it happens, I lost money on that flat when I sold it in 1995, but still upgraded to a bigger flat which soared in value over the two decades I held it.

And that tells you the basic story of house prices in England which rose relative to earnings from the early 90s to 2021. If you managed to buy a property before the mid 90s - as many of the boomers did - you've likely enjoyed substantial capital gains. If you came into house-buying age after 2015, you'd already drawn the short straw.

Lauren Finch, who earns a £24,000 annual salary at a GP surgery, told the BBC last year that it was "soul destroying" to still live with her parents aged 29, adding that she often house-sits for friends just to get a sense of freedom.

Interest rates complicate things slightly. Globally, in recent decades, interest rates have fallen very significantly, providing a huge gift to younger buyers who can now borrow at much more favourable rates than I could when I first bought. Few house-buyers would like to revisit the world of the 15% I remember paying on my first mortgage.

But there are only so many houses. The fact that it's cheaper to borrow means the price of houses has to go up, to ration the available supply. The gift of low interest rates comes with the burden of high house prices.

The timing was propitious for those who bought as this transition from a high interest rate regime was occurring. I was lucky in that regard, as were many of my cohort.

That all being said, there has been something else going on in the UK housing market which means that even among those born in the baby boom years, there is a big degree of inequality.

London and its catchment area have enjoyed bigger gains than elsewhere. When I left university in the mid-80s, London had been seen as a city in decline. The population had been falling for years; the words "inner city" were regarded as a mark of degradation. But then by 2000, London had found its mojo and had become a global hub again. And property prices reflected that.

And add to that, London's adult population between 1996 and 2021 grew by 29%, while the number of homes only grew by 23%. No wonder it's hard to buy or rent in the capital. In the rest of England, the number of dwellings and the population has grown in a much more balanced way.

It means that if you were lucky enough to buy in London, you were much more of a winner than home-buyers elsewhere in the country.

Gold-plated pensions

Finally, we need to look at pensions, where I think it is fair to say the baby boom generation have looked after themselves rather well. They are enjoying the benefit of pensions paid for by today's working population, which are notably more generous than the ones they paid their parents, and likely more generous than those to be received by their children.

Prior to the baby boomers reaching retirement, pensioners were the group most associated with poverty. But between 1995 and 2010 pensioner incomes doubled in real terms and since then, they have stabilised at that new higher level.

That's partly because of the state pension, which now pays out vastly more than it did in previous generations, when measured as a proportion of median earnings.

Some of today's pensioners still receive money from the State Earnings Related Pension Scheme, a very generous programme that accepted new entrants from 1978 until 2002. It was scrapped as it was deemed unaffordable. Then of course, most receive a basic state pension - which has been bolstered since the early 2010s by the triple lock (a policy that cost far more than ever imagined).

But the other, and perhaps greatest piece of luck was that my generation worked in an era in which employers - public and private - offered membership of defined benefit pension schemes. That meant that through one's career, we earned entitlements to a decent pension set at a fixed proportion of salary.

Those schemes became expensive for employers to sustain as life expectancy improved, and they all but died out in the private sector in the 2000s.

Instead, most millennial and Gen Z employees now accumulate savings in a personal pension pot, which is invested and pays out whatever is in the fund. They may be lucky with the amount they earn on their savings; they may be unlucky.

But the really striking thing is just how much employers have been putting into each type of pension. Looking back at ONS data, you'll see that for the defined benefit pension - the "guaranteed" scheme enjoyed by some boomers - the typical private sector employer contributes 15% to 20% of salary every year. It's a substantial cost, and explains why employers withdrew them. For the defined contribution pensions - the ones hoisted on millennials - the private sector employer typically pays in 3% of salary. That is quite a difference.

All in all, it is understandable if my younger colleagues feel aggrieved.

Again however, we also need to acknowledge that many people of my generation didn't have a defined benefit pension. In 1997, before the mass closure of such schemes in the private sector, they were still (just) a minority luxury.

Spluttering growth

I think it's clear I was particularly lucky.

I went to university before I had to pay, I bought a flat in London in 1988 and I worked for an employer that offered me a generous defined benefit pension.

But you mustn't confuse the luckiness of some within the late baby boom, with the luckiness of the whole cohort.

So rather than saying that late baby boomers were a lucky generation, I'd suggest the late baby boom was a particularly great generation in which to be lucky.

But there is one other factor at play.

Arguably, the grand disappointment of the last two decades has not been the cost of higher education, pensions or even housing; it has been the decline in per capita economic growth that occurred around the time of the great financial crash in 2007/08.

Put simply, the country is not as rich as it would like it to be: year by year, wages don't grow as fast as we'd expect; taxes have to be higher to pay for things; imports are more expensive to buy. The lack of economic growth surely accounts for a shared sense of material deprivation.

Broadly speaking, if the economy grows at a per capita rate of 2% a year, which we regarded as normal in the 1980s and 90s, then every fifteen years, average incomes grow by about a third. Each cohort is comfortably richer than the one before.

But when per capita incomes grow at an average of 1% a year, which is closer to the experience this century, average incomes only grow by about 16% over a 15-year period. That's not enough to ensure that all age groups are richer than their predecessors.

Even though the baby boomers are not the richest of cohorts, some of us have been blessed to have lived and worked in a country that seemed to be on a growth trajectory - things were getting better. It's odd to say, but I'd wager that most of us would rather live in a poor country where things are improving, than a richer one where everything seems to be in decline.

To end arguments about intergenerational equity, we need to work out how to restart the growth engine that has been spluttering.

Top image credit: Getty

'The vibes are young male vibes': Why prediction markets attract a certain type

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c93xv27kpwxo, 9 days ago

Cameron George is living the dream. Back in 2019, he was stacking shelves in Walmart, but the 26-year-old has since become a full-time crypto trader and content creator.

His social media presence is filled with pictures of him standing next to his lime green McLaren 600 LT and smiling with his wife and five children. He wants between 10 and 20. In his many videos on trading, Cameron is confident and charismatic – he's been making them since he was 13.

One topic that comes up a lot in his videos is prediction markets, online platforms where you can bet on anything from a football game to when the Strait of Hormuz will re-open to who Taylor Swift will choose as her bridesmaids. Like many young men, Cameron is a fan, and mostly uses them to track the price of cryptocurrencies and get a better understanding of the news.

"Everyone's always had an opinion, but this is the first time in history you can literally have an opinion with your money on everything," he says. "I'm really excited to see how much better and bigger the industry will get... It's such a crazy time to be alive."

Crazy is one word for it. Prediction markets are a fast-growing, multi-billion-dollar industry. Bets on prediction markets – the main two being Polymarket and Kalshi – have soared in response to a surging demand for betting in the US. Kalshi has recently been valued at $22bn and Polymarket at $9bn.

Prediction market users are disproportionately under the age of 45 and 71% are men, according to a recent study from analytics firm Morning Consult. Just over a quarter of American men aged 18-24 say they have used at least one prediction market or gambling app in the past six months compared to 14% of the general public, according to a poll by the American Institute for Boys and Men (AIBM) and Ipsos.

So, to what extent is their popularity a reflection of broader questions around men and their sense of self-worth?

Pure vibes

Prediction markets hit a lot of key male interests. "[They] seem to sit at the intersection of several already male-dominated online cultures such as sports betting, crypto speculation, 'finance bro' culture, streamer and influencer fandoms, meme investing, and competitive online prediction communities," Professor Elvira Bolat from Bournemouth University says.

"The vibes are young male vibes," Jonathan Cohen, head of sports betting policy at the AIBM, says. For him, there's a strong neurological factor – young men's attitude to sports, money, and prediction markets is down to what he describes as "an underdeveloped pre-frontal cortex and a high appetite for risk".

Gambling is restricted across many US states, but prediction markets are not classified as gambling in the US, allowing people to place bets across all 50 states. Instead, they are commodity futures trading – the same bracket as buying or selling oil or metal on markets. Just like the stock or commodities markets, prediction markets make money through charging a small fee on any bet.

Supporters say prediction markets are a smart, modern way to make money. This is because the odds change based on how other people are betting rather than a bookmaker's judgement. They argue this gives users better odds and real-time insights into public opinion on anything from sports to politics. They say those insights are more reliable than traditional polls because people are backing their opinions with their money.

Opponents paint a darker picture and say the design and marketing of these platforms underplays risk and normalises gambling. Experts say that young men in particular are being lured into losing money by websites and apps that look and feel like traditional places to trade stocks and shares, rather than gamble.

And as the young men taken in by the appeal of prediction markets lose money, mounting evidence shows informed and insider traders are making millions from bets on gruesome world events, such as what might happen in the Iran war.

'Monitoring the situation'

The clues to why these markets skew male are all over social media. Logan Paul, the world-famous YouTuber-turned-wrestler, has had his show sponsored by Polymarket. Forums popular with men explain how to get around internet restrictions in certain countries to use the apps. Young men jokingly refer to "monitoring the situation" – learning about the news and potential investment opportunities by scrolling social media and prediction market homepages.

One origin story for the meme comes from a viral photo of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos standing in an office, muscular in a black t-shirt and headset, gazing into the distance, captioned: "the masculine urge to monitor the situation". Polymarket took the meme further still by opening a bar called The Situation Room in Washington DC in March. Videos from the launch showed mostly men.

Yet, despite the hype, like many other users of prediction markets, Cameron has lost money on them. "I've never really messed with any of them until recently," he says. Like many other users, he got an artificial intelligence (AI) bot to make bets for him, hearing on social media it can be an easy way to make a lot of money.

"I haven't made any money so far, my AI agent's not been doing good," he says, laughing. "I'm down a couple of grand."

He's not alone. Almost twice as many Polymarket accounts betting over $1,000 have lost than have won since the beginning of 2025 and the end of April this year, according to Bloomberg News analysis.

A Wall Street Journal analysis found that 67% of profits on Polymarket go to 0.1% of accounts. Nearly half a billion dollars went to fewer than 2,000 accounts, according to the newspaper. It found that the accounts that tend to do the best on these platforms are often owned by firms with staffers, who pay for access to live data feeds, servers, and AI bots.

Bournemouth University's Bolat has studied online gambling as part of her research into social media. She worries about the losses from uninformed traders and about how prediction markets "normalise" betting. She is particularly critical of how influencers "totally dismiss risk" when talking about the website.

To fans, publicity stunts like the opening of The Situation Room bar might seem harmless. However, for Bolat, it speaks to the problem with how Polymarket and its rivals present themselves.

"Prediction markets are increasingly being framed not simply as gambling, but as a form of intelligence, strategy, forecasting, or participation in internet culture itself," she argues.

The platform homepages resemble the Bloomberg terminals used by people who work in finance, and they are integrated into some investment apps.

"In many cases, platforms present themselves more as information markets or trading environments than betting products, even though behaviourally they can resemble gambling quite closely."

She says there are questions around whether operators and influencers are properly explaining the risks involved in using these platforms.

The prediction markets capitalise on the vulnerability of young men who are suffering from "economic nihilism", Cohen says, and men might think: "If I have $20,000 – which feels like it's worth nothing – and put it in the S&P 500 then it'll be worth more in 20 years, but if I invest it in one of these prediction markets now I'll be rich quick."

The idea that it feels like you are outsmarting other men could be part of the appeal, too. "The lottery is not interesting [to young people] because it's picking random numbers," Cohen says. "But a bet makes you feel smart because you picked the game or the politician. It's like 'identify the alpha because he beat them all at the prediction markets'."

He adds that many regular people on the platforms aren't really gambling peer-to-peer but "against a load of hedge funds who are going to eat their lunch."

Both experts say that more detailed data is needed on who exactly is using prediction markets.

Kalshi and Polymarket, both of which are primarily taken up with sports betting, do seem aware that there is a perception that prediction markets are typically male places. Both look like they're trying to attract more women to their platforms with female influencers sharing friendly videos about the platforms, or official accounts posting memes from the films such as Mean Girls and Clueless.

Kalshi told the BBC that the proportion of women users on its platform had gone from 13% to 26% over the last year. It said that it partners with organisations to tackle problem gambling and that it promotes responsible trading.

It added that, under commodities futures trading regulation in the US, the influencers it pays are not required to talk about risk when advertising its website or app.

Polymarket told the BBC: "When a conflict breaks out, people turn to the news for commentary and they come to Polymarket for information."

Inside insider trading

Most of the people who are convinced to join the markets by the manosphere are likely to make a loss - but people with intimate knowledge of the events being bet on are making very good money.

Large, suspiciously timed bets on events during the Iran war and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro have raised serious questions about insider trading from within the administration of US President Donald Trump. These have highlighted concerns about the uneven playing field that amateur investors are losing money on.

Gannon Ken Van Dyke, US special forces soldier involved in the capture of Maduro, won more than $409,000 through an alleged bet on Polymarket about the removal of Venezuela's leader before the information was publicly available. He pleaded not guilty to charges including unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, and Polymarket said at the time that "insider trading has no place" on the platform.

Meanwhile, in the run up to the Iran war, some Polymarket users bet millions on when it would start and then won. "It's insane this is legal," US Senator Chris Murphy wrote on social media at the time.

The legality is complex. Though both Polymarket and Kalshi ban insider trading, experts say it might not be considered illegal if the insider were to make a bet using information that was not considered stolen or misused. Two hypothetical examples might be if Taylor Swift placed a bet on when she might get married or if Trump's administration gave information away willingly to colleagues or friends about future policy. Of course, insider trading happens on all markets.

Whatever the legality of insider trading, a crackdown has begun. Van Dyke's arrest was seen as a success by Polymarket and it has also previously announced steps to more formally police suspicious activity. And in February, an editor for the YouTube streamer MrBeast and a former California gubernatorial candidate were the first two people to face disciplinary action for insider trading on Kalshi. Meanwhile, US Democrats have introduced legislation to tackle both what they see as insider trading issues and gruesome markets on these websites.

In addition, Kalshi has removed some of its more controversial markets. It told the BBC that it does not run markets on war, terrorism, or assassination.

Polymarket told the BBC it does not charge users to make bets on geopolitical events and that removing those markets "does not end a conflict but makes the most accurate information less accessible to the people who need it most".

Kalshi and Polymarket both told the BBC they have taken serious steps to tackle insider trading.

A White House spokesperson told the BBC: "President Trump has been crystal clear: while he seeks a strong and profitable stock market for everyone, members of Congress and other government officials should be prohibited from using non-public information for financial benefit."

A moral panic?

Worries about prediction markets spread beyond the US. Bolat says there are many places online explaining how to access the markets even in territories where they are restricted. She adds there is "very little" that stops people using technology to get around location-specific bans, with enforcement largely the responsibility of the platforms themselves rather than regulators.

In the UK, the Smarkets prediction market has been running – with a gambling licence – since 2008. Founder Jason Trost believes the critics are missing the bigger picture and that there are a lot of "emotions and moralising" with prediction markets.

"Whether this is gambling or investing, to me the answer is 'yes'. Because it's both," he says.

He believes regulated prediction markets are ultimately a good thing because they deliver a better price than traditional bookmakers, arguing that the unfairness of pricing is what causes a lot of the issues with gambling. He says the Gambling Commission has a "framework for handling" issues such as risk and addiction.

Polymarket and Kalshi do not operate in the UK – to do so they would need to accept being classified as gambling. But that doesn't mean people in the UK aren't using them via virtual private networks (VPNs).

The Gambling Commission, which regulates gambling in Great Britain and which Northern Ireland sometimes bases its own independent regulation on, told the BBC it was aware that technology blocking users' access to prediction markets "can be circumvented".

Kalshi told the BBC that it tracks users trying to access the platform from countries in which it doesn't operate and kick them off it.

A spokesperson for the Betting and Gaming Council, which represents the industry in the UK, said: "The suggestion that prediction markets are automatically fairer than traditional bookmakers misses the point. What matters is not how a product is priced, but whether it operates in a properly regulated market with strong consumer protections, safer gambling safeguards and accountability."

Back in Utah, Cameron says he plans on carrying on with prediction markets despite his losses. "The idea does intrigue me," he says, though he is not blind to the many criticisms of prediction markets either.

"If I had to take a stance on this I'd say… it's kind of wrong," he says. "I feel like some of these people [betting] definitely right now don't have any business throwing a bunch of [expletive] money at these dumbass bets. It's too big to stop. I guess I'm kind of numb to it."

Additional reporting: Helen Nianias

Top image credit: Getty Images

Why are people betting on things like the weather, elections and global conflicts - and should it be allowed?

Why illegal children's homes are being paid up to £2m per child by councils

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy2vxp48y8o, 10 days ago

The bungalow doesn't look much like a children's home. A sheet of privacy film wrongly placed outside a window is peeling. Inside, the wallpaper is flaking, carpets are frayed and doors are broken. The children's home is unregistered and therefore illegal but the provider is charging a council elsewhere in the country £13,000 a week to care for a vulnerable teenage girl. She requires the support of three full-time members of staff. There are no books, toys or games.

Just a few miles away, another illegal children's home is being run from a council house. Its tenant is subletting the property to a company that is also charging a different local authority thousands of pounds a week.

Five years ago, my reports into such placements led directly to a government ban on the use of unregulated children's homes in England. I found that children as young as 11 were being housed in homes that were not registered with or inspected by Ofsted. These included squalid flats, tents, caravans, narrowboats and a home under surveillance by the police for suspected gang activity.

I also exposed how one girl was trafficked directly from her home and sexually abused, while a boy was kidnapped from another home to sell drugs. A Newsnight investigation said teenagers were being abandoned to organised crime.

The 2021 ban on under-16s being housed in such homes was meant to bring an end to the practice. But in reality, councils struggling to accommodate children are placing more of them than ever in what are now illegal homes - at huge taxpayer expense. I've now learned of unregistered placements that are costing as much as £2m per child a year.

The sector is a "Wild West", according to Dr Mark Kerr, chief executive of the Children's Homes Association. "This is the culmination of 10 years of systemic failure to develop specialist provision for our most vulnerable children," he says.

While the majority of children are either fostered, adopted or placed in legal children's homes, local authorities have struggled to find homes for children with the most complex needs - who are often the most expensive to care for. And in around 800 cases in England, councils have turned to unregistered homes, despite the ban on them, according to the Public Accounts Committee.

So why, if the homes are unregistered and therefore illegal, are English councils still placing children in them? And how can the system be reformed so this doesn't continue to happen?

The scale of the problem

Counter-intuitively, just as the use illegal children's homes has increased, the number of registered children's homes has soared - doubling from 2,209 to 4,455 in eight years, according to Ofsted. That's despite the fact that there has only been a 9% increase in the number of children in care over this period.

Many sources tell me that this huge increase in homes has been caused by a rush of new providers entering the market. Alongside private equity, property investors have also piled into the market.

And even though many providers have no prior experience in care, prices have also surged. The amount spent by councils in England on children's residential homes has doubled in the last four years and tripled in the last eight years. Four years ago, I found some companies making profits of 40%.

Staffordshire council paid £2.6m last year to care for a teenage girl in a registered placement who required up to five staff to care for her. The council says there's a national shortage of specialist homes and the NHS pays half of the cost of the placement.

Even the average placement in a registered home now costs £6,100 a week, or £318,000 a year.

But it's the unregistered homes - which are so brazenly run that Ofsted even records a tally of them - that cause the most concern.

I've visited many and am continually surprised by the environments in which children who have faced appalling abuse and neglect prior to entering care are placed in.

I saw one caravan in Lancashire where a 12-year-old boy had been placed in the care of a company that also uses narrowboats, with children often ending up being moved between the two. In contrast, his brother had been in a stable and far cheaper foster placement for years.

In Portsmouth, I also visited a flat above a shop where a council had placed a 14-year-old known to be at risk of jumping out of windows.

One whistleblower I recently spoke to described seeing a boy living in a house where the sofa was propped up with two bricks, another said she had seen a child barricaded inside a room.

I also met Chereece, a care leaver who says she was moved between holiday homes in Wales for months - sometimes twice in a week.

"It was an absolute nightmare", she says. "Different staff, different young people - I felt like I was a prisoner."

Many of the children in illegal children's homes are located in terraced or suburban housing in parts of northern England with cheaper rents. One in five are of all children in care are living at least 20 miles away from where they grew up, according to Clare Bracey of the national charity Become, which campaigns to end the practice.

And even illegal placements can be hugely expensive. Our FOI requests show that multiple illegal children's homes are being paid over £2m per child per year in extreme cases. These rising costs mean there is less funding for earlier support that may prevent children being placed in care, according to the Local Government Association.

'Like putting children in backstreet clinics'

So why would councils actively break the law in placing vulnerable children they are responsible for in sub-standard settings which are not monitored or inspected?

It's clear that the registered and therefore legal children's home market is not meeting the demands of a specific cohort of children with complex needs.

This group of children being placed in illegal homes - which is roughly 10% of those considered to require residential care - are sometimes violent and often require restraint. Some must even be locked up under Deprivation of Liberty orders mandated by the High Court for their own welfare.

* Do you have any more information about children's homes costs, conditions or ownership? You can reach Noel directly and securely through encrypted messaging app Signal on: +44 7809 334720 or by email at noel.titheradge@bbc.co.uk

Previously, many of these children might have been placed in secure children's units, where they are locked inside, but places in these are very limited and can be very expensive. Cornwall has recently been paying £63,000 a week to place a child in such a setting.

So councils say they are forced to turn to illegal children's homes.

It's a situation akin to removing the "sickest patients" from hospitals and placing them in backstreet clinics, according to Anders Bach-Mortensen, an associate professor of social care at Roskilde University.

'The new buy-to-lets'

With a massive increase in the supply of children's homes, it might be expected that costs of placements would fall for both registered and illegal children's homes. But the opposite has happened.

Some directors of registered children's homes believe that profiteering is responsible and cite an increase in property investors entering the sector.

The current exodus of landlords from the rental market led some to look to convert properties to children's homes.

A whole cottage industry has also developed online to advise landlords how to flip rental properties.

"Children's homes continue to offer a compelling alternative to traditional buy-to-lets," argues one middleman who markets his ability to secure the required planning permission on Instagram.

One conversion in Hemel Hempstead is a "fully hands-off investment with guaranteed income and no ongoing headaches", he says.

On Facebook groups for managers and directors of children's homes, many openly admit to running illegal placements.

Some providers say Ofsted should share the blame for this state of affairs. Its registration process is "broken" and encouraging illegal children's homes to "thrive", according to one director of a provider of registered homes.

The influx in applications to register children's homes has led to waiting times of up to 18 months before the regulator takes a decision.

As a result, some homes feel forced to open illegally or face financial ruin from rents and other start-up costs, according to directors of providers I have spoken to.

But why can't registered children's homes accept this cohort of around 800 children?

Directors say these residents - who may have histories of abuse, exploitation and mental health problems - sometimes smash up premises, attack staff and regularly go missing.

And managers of these homes tell me that even if they were to agree to take these placements for the fees of £30,000-£40,000 a week some local authorities are paying, this would not be worth the risk. They would rather leave their homes empty.

Much of their reasoning is down to the long shadow cast over the sector by the appalling failure to safeguard 106 children in children's homes in Doncaster run by the provider Hesley.

My reporting found that children with learning disabilities were punched, hit with a dog lead and left outside overnight in winter, in what a national expert panel called "systemic and sustained abuse". Ofsted was notified of concerns on over 100 occasions before the homes were finally closed in 2021.

Providers say the regulator is now overly responsive to safeguarding alerts, or notifications, which then trigger inspections.

"After Hesley, Ofsted came out really defensive: if they suddenly saw a home with lots of notifications, it would trigger an inspection. So providers started sitting back going: 'Oh, I don't want to take that child,'" says Dr Kerr.

'It's not right'

When the ban on illegal children's homes was introduced, the Conservative Education Secretary said "the BBC had highlighted something that just needed to be changed".

"That isn't something that we are going to allow to continue," said Gavin Williamson MP in 2020. "I think anyone with compassion in their heart realises it's not right."

But Ofsted has failed to successfully prosecute a single provider of illegal children's homes. The regulator told the BBC there were ongoing proceedings against some providers - and newly passed powers will allow it to issue unlimited fines to illegal children's homes.

It added that it prioritises registrations for placements where children need to be accommodated urgently and it is "very concerned" about the profit motives of some providers.

It might seem more surprising that local authorities are also breaking the law by placing children in these homes in the first place.

But no more stringent regulation has been introduced to hold the directors of these services personally accountable - in contrast to sectors like financial services, where bank directors can be held criminally liable by the Financial Conduct Authority.

I've learned that some unregistered providers have begun billing local authorities separately for accommodation and staffing via different companies, in an effort to mask the fact that they are running a children's home. Ofsted said it was not aware of this but said constructing a different invoice would not change the illegality of the provision.

Children's homes were once largely owned and run by local authorities but appalling abuse scandals from the 1990s onwards contributed to councils and charities retreating from the sector.

At the same time, a drive to bring in new providers under New Labour saw councils in England and Wales increasingly commission children's social care, rather than provide it directly.

This was underscored by David Cameron's call to "release the grip of state control" on public services.

Now 84% of children's homes in England are privately run – compared with 17% in Denmark.

At the same time, successive governments have failed to "get a grip" on the persistent shortage of appropriate placements for these children, according to Dr Kerr.

"It's always somebody else's fault: it's either the local authorities' fault or the scandalous profiteering residential sector; nobody will seem to accept responsibility", he says.

Pressure on these places has also been driven by other factors. A sharp decline in the use of custody for children over the past two decades, combined with limited capacity in mental health inpatient beds, has created a bottleneck for children in crisis.

I've learned that a child experiencing an ongoing mental health crisis - but without any emergency health problem - recently spent six consecutive nights in her A&E because the local authority had nowhere to place them.

What governments are doing

The current Westminster government is pinning its hopes of fixing the problem on its recently passed Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

It says the law will create a clear legal framework that allows children facing restrictions on their movements to be placed in children's homes.

The government also says it aims to create 10,000 more foster places to help reduce the need for residential care and provide £53m to invest in new homes.

But critics say this is a drop in the ocean. The UK government's wider policy on residential care is also unclear.

Both the Welsh and Scottish governments are exploring ways of reducing private sector dominance of children's social care. From last month, all new providers of these services in Wales must be not-for-profit.

In February, The Guardian reported that the UK children's homes minister, Josh MacAlister, said he wanted to cap providers' profits if profiteering continues.

But there has been no official announcement and the Department for Education declined to respond to the BBC's questions about whether this was official government policy.

In a statement, the minister said that running an unregistered home was "wrong" and its new legislation would provide additional safeguards for children in care.

In the meantime, the market failure to provide places for this cohort of children currently housed in illegal homes urgently needs to be addressed, according to Anders Bach-Mortensen, who is also a senior researcher at Oxford University.

He says one solution may be the construction of many more publicly owned children's homes, but this is enormously expensive and may require greater central government involvement given the parlous finances of most local authorities.

Another solution could be a partnership between councils and the UK's fledgling non-profit sector - which accounts for only 4% of children's homes in the UK but 29% in Denmark.

Bach-Mortensen says the UK is stuck in a bind where changes are needed but "acting rashly" could mean driving good providers out of the system.

Until the situation is addressed, it will be some of the most vulnerable people in our society who bear the ultimate cost.

What really holds China and Russia together

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g8kpkjkl0o, 12 days ago

As they strolled through Tiananmen Square in Beijing last September, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to muse over the possibility that organ transplants could dramatically extend human life.

"Human organs can be continuously transplanted. The longer you live, the younger you become, and even achieve immortality", Putin's interpreter was heard saying.

"Some predict that in this century, humans may live up to 150 years old," Xi's interpreter was heard responding.

It was a fitting conversation for two strongmen, who have described each other as best friends, and who, after a combined 39 years in power, show no signs of stepping down.

This was a rare insight into what is quite a misunderstood partnership. This scrap of unscripted conversation is one of the few glimpses into a highly secretive relationship.

Putin will be returning to Beijing this week, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation between Russia and China.

When US President Donald Trump visited Xi last week he was met with an extravaganza of banquets with gold tableware and a visit to an ancient temple. Putin's visit feels far more low-key, with little information released in advance.

The Kremlin's spokesperson said they hoped to hear first-hand information about the Trump-Xi meeting.

Xi reportedly name-dropped his friend Putin to Trump last week, when the two leaders walked through Zhongnanhai, which is normally off-limits to foreign visitors, joking about how Putin had visited Beijing's political sanctuary before.

While some in Washington may have been hoping that Trump could wean Beijing off Moscow, such hopes appear little more than wishful thinking.

China and Russia have in recent years described their ties as a "friendship with no limits". So, what is this based on, and will their love affair last?

On Chinese terms

The relationship is highly uneven, and any deals struck between the two countries will likely be on Chinese terms, says Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center think tank. He stresses, "Russia is fully in China's pocket, and China can dictate the terms."

This dynamic persists across many sectors, not least the economy. China is Russia's largest trading partner, while Russia makes up just 4% of China's international trade. China exports more than any other country to Russia, and its economy is significantly larger than Russia's.

Years of western sanctions have gradually pushed Moscow deeper into trade engagement with Beijing. Tech giant Huawei, which was sanctioned by the US and also forced out of UK 5G networks following a review by the British government, has capitalised on the lack of Western companies to become a key pillar of Russia's telecommunications industry.

With ever-more fractured links to the West, China has become the first port of call for expertise, whether technological, scientific or industrial.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moscow has become increasingly dependent on Chinese components for its war machine. A recent Bloomberg report found that Russia was importing more than 90% of its sanctioned technology from China, a 10% increase on the previous year.

Russia is acutely aware of the risks of this imbalance. In a recent commentary written by Dmitry Trenin, president of the Russian International Affairs Council think tank, titled, 'We bow to no one', he made clear that Russia does not want to be a vassal state.

Speaking about China, he said: "[It's] absolutely essential for us to maintain an equal footing in our relations and to remember that Russia is a great power which cannot be a junior partner."

Moscow has few viable alternatives to Beijing, a buyer that offers a scale of demand and market integral to Russia's survival. Were China to lower its trade with Russia, considering the breakdown of relations with the West, it would significantly complicate Russia's foreign policy objectives.

However, Moscow's big advantage, and the buffer against it being pushed around by Beijing, is its ability to stand its ground.

According to Marcin Kaczmarski, a lecturer in security studies at the University of Glasgow, China is aware of how big this asymmetry is and is unwilling to generate any kind of backlash within Russia or among its elites.

"I would say that a summary of Chinese policy towards Russia is one of self-restraint," he says. "China is not pushing Russia around."

This is partly because it would be unwise - Russia may be the junior partner, but it's also a proud one.

Carnegie's Gabuev says that even if China was to try to force Russia's hand, it is "not exactly the kind of country to immediately accept it".

He gives the example of Xi's trip to Moscow in 2023, in which China's president was reported to have urged Putin not to use nuclear arms in Ukraine. Just days later, the Russian side announced that they would station nuclear weapons in Belarus, a move some saw as Moscow deliberately resisting external pressure and reminding the world of its independence.

Russia's grinding war in Ukraine may make it a liability in many ways, but it's also an asset to Beijing as it considers its options for a potential invasion of Taiwan. "Russia brings a lot to the table in terms of some military technologies such as niche equipment that it can still sell, and testing some Chinese equipment or components," says Gabuev.

Russia also has vast energy resources that are strategically important to China. At a press conference in May, Putin said that the two sides were very close to taking "a highly significant step forward in oil and gas cooperation".

He may have been referring to the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline, for which Russian gas giant Gazprom and the China National Petroleum Corporation reportedly signed a preliminary deal following years of stalled negotiations.

The pipeline will be a game-changer if built, delivering 50 billion cubic metres of Russian gas to China via Mongolia.

And for China, as the crisis continues in the Strait of Hormuz, its own gamble on Russian energy appears to be paying dividends. This isn't just about price points, it is about guaranteeing the future of China's domestic energy security in an increasingly turbulent world.

Partners, not allies

Whenever China and Russia appear to diverge, a simple truth at the heart of their relationship becomes clear: neither country must follow the other, because theirs is not a formal alliance.

Bobo Lo, former deputy head of mission at the Australian Embassy in Moscow, says it is this strategic flexibility, rather than the rigidity of a military alliance, that gives the partnership resilience.

"It is not an alliance, but a flexible strategic partnership," he says, one that has endured despite repeated predictions of its collapse.

Western analysts have tended to portray the China-Russia partnership in one of two ways: either as an "axis of authoritarianism" united largely by their desire to defeat the West, or as a brittle brotherhood, constantly on the cusp of collapse.

Neither fully captures how this has become an integral and increasingly difficult to replace relationship between two neighbouring countries who, despite their asymmetries and differences, share vital interests.

And Lo says that even if their relationships with the West were improved, the two countries have plenty of reasons to get along.

Chief among them is their shared 4,300km border, previously a frontier for insecurity. Then there are their complementary economies: Russia as a major exporter of oil, gas and other raw materials, and China's industrial economy providing a vast market for them. And one cannot ignore their shared opposition to a US-led world order.

Unlike Western nations, which sanction and punish on the basis of differing values including human rights, Russia and China do not pass judgement on the actions of the other. Recurring allegations of large-scale human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region of China, which China denies, and the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny have made some Western nations more wary about engaging with the countries, but Moscow and Beijing overlook these issues.

"They don't criticise each other over Xinjiang, the poisoning of Russian Navalny and so on," Gabuev says. "And they look eye-to-eye on a lot of issues of local governments in the UN… that creates an organic symbiotic relationship."

There's also a long tradition of improving relations between the countries, he adds. "This trend towards a more pragmatic relationship… goes back to the Soviet system of Andropov, Chernenko, Gorbachev, Yeltsin," he says. "And I think the Chinese have been also the same."

As for whether the love affair will endure, a Chinese analyst, who requested anonymity, acknowledged that the public presentation of the China-Russia relationship as an inseparable pair by both countries was partly performative, aimed at projecting unity and stability.

In reality, this is a useful political tool to smooth over occasional differences in interests. While both governments oppose what they view as "Western hegemony", their approaches to this can diverge. Russia, the analyst suggested, wants to build a world order that bypasses the US entirely, but China remains more cautious and pragmatic. Beijing is often thought to eschew rash decision-making and prioritise patience and gradual gains to secure long-term outcomes.

They pointed to China's reaction to US actions in Iran, saying that Beijing was measured in its response and did not cancel its preparations for Trump's visit. "This clearly shows Beijing's willingness not to provoke and not to close doors," they added. China, they said, still wanted to keep communications open with Washington, and avoid unnecessary provocation - a markedly different approach to Russia's.

The human side

The partnership is often discussed through the lens of geopolitics and security, but another key factor is the depth of connections between the people of the two societies.

From the top down, Putin and Xi have tried to project an unmatched friendship between the two of them. This is Putin's 25th trip to China and Russian bureaucrats are likely to interact more with their Chinese counterparts than they do with officials from other countries.

Despite the camaraderie at the highest political levels, Charles Parton, a former British diplomat to China, is cynical about the natural cultural affinity between ordinary Chinese and Russians.

"Do Chinese want to study in Moscow and settle in Moscow and buy flats in Moscow? No." He believes that, if given the choice, Russians prefer to invest in the West and buy flats in Paris or London or Cyprus over, say, Beijing.

Not everyone agrees. Gabuev argues that the people-to-people exposure is growing rapidly, driven partly by Western sanctions and tighter European visa policies pushing Russians towards China.

It has become far easier for Russians to travel to China. A mutual visa-free regime means in just a matter of hours one can take any of several daily flights from Moscow to major Chinese cities.

Russians increasingly use Chinese phones and drive Chinese cars, more so in the wake of Western sanctions against Moscow.

"So the interconnectedness, visa-free travel and ease of payment and navigation makes China much closer than it used to be," Gabuev says. "And then all of the exchange programmes, scholarships, joint research programmes bring the two societies closer."

While the increasing imbalance in the relationship between Moscow and Beijing represents a long-term weakness, any predictions of a collapse seem far-fetched, at least in the short-term.

Despite the differences between the two, Lo says: "The Sino-Russian partnership remains resilient. Both sides recognise that it is too important to fail, especially given there are no viable alternatives to continuing cooperation."

Top picture credit: Getty Images

US military jets and drones tracked near Cuba as tensions rise

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjep1wx7w0ko, 11 days ago

The US military has been publicly broadcasting the location of military surveillance flights near Cuba on plane-tracking websites, as Washington continues to exert pressure on the island's communist leadership.

Leaving flight transponders on "is likely deliberate", said UK drone expert Dr Steve Wright, with the US intending to send "a clear message it has eyes in the sky to maintain the squeeze".

BBC Verify analysis of data from flight-tracking website Flightradar24 shows at least five US Navy P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft and three MQ-4C Triton surveillance drones have been operating in the Caribbean near Cuba since 11 May. Some aircraft have flown as close as 50 miles (80km) from the island.

Flight-tracking data cannot give a complete picture of US activity off Cuba as military aircraft do not always broadcast their positions but share their location for portions of a flight.

The deployment of these aircraft comes as US-Cuba tensions have risen significantly in recent months, after Washington imposed an effective oil blockade on the Caribbean nation.

It has also been reported by news site Axios that Havana has acquired drones capable of attacking the US mainland, which Cuba's foreign minister responded to by saying the country "neither threatens nor desires war" and accused Washington of building a "fraudulent case" for military intervention.

These accusations were followed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio offering a "new relationship" with the Cuban people on Wednesday.

Speaking in Spanish on the anniversary of Cuba's independence from the US in a direct address to the island's population, Rubio blamed the island's "unimaginable hardships" on its communist leadership - and not the US fuel blockade.

Experts told BBC Verify the public nature of these surveillance flights indicates the US is seeking to enforce the blockade and apply pressure on the Cuban government as well as deterring its allies like Venezuela from attempting to get energy shipments to the island.

The resulting fuel crisis has led to major power blackouts and triggered protests in Cuba. President Donald Trump has also put Cuba under significant pressure to "make a deal" and threatened its communist regime that the US could intervene like it did in Venezuela earlier this year when it captured President Nicolás Maduro.

What the flight-tracking data shows

BBC Verify has tracked several flights by US Navy P-8 Poseidon surveillance jets including one on 11 May when the aircraft got within 50 miles (80km) of southern Cuba, according to Flightradar24 data. The P-8 continued to operate into the following day, when it was seen flying to the north of Cuba's capital Havana before returning to its base in Jacksonville, Florida.

On 15 May, two US MQ-4C Triton surveillance drones also operated off the coast of southern Cuba, with tracking showing them operating along a route similar to one previously flown by a Poseidon.

Mark Cancian, a retired US Marine Corps colonel and senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), told BBC Verify the recurrent flight paths of the surveillance aircraft "indicate an intention to spot ship arrivals from the south, primarily, and secondarily from the north".

"None of the flights are over land, so this is not some preparation for invasion," he said. Cancian added he doubts these flights are "routine", given the number of P-8s and MQ-4C Tritons the US has at its disposal are "limited".

BBC Verify also examined US military aircraft activity near Cuba between 1 and 7 February, which saw only one P-8 fly in the vicinity of Cuba and no comparable MQ-4C Triton activity near the island. However, a US Air Force RC-135V Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft did conduct two passes of the island over the period.

Drone expert Steve Wright told BBC Verify the drone surveillance flights "are most likely part of a US agenda to deter attempts by Venezuela to breach the oil blockade and ship fuel into Cuba".

Analysts from defence intelligence firm Janes offered a similar assessment, as well as saying there had been a "general increase in US intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance sorties" since February.

"The fact that these flights are visible through open-source tracking tools suggests they are intended to deter attempts to break the oil blockade and apply pressure on the Cuban government," Janes told BBC Verify.

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Uncontrolled California wildfires seen from space

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg4pn0e2yp6o, 12 days ago

Satellite images have revealed the scale of two wildfires spreading in southern California.

The Sandy Fire ignited on Monday morning in the city of Simi Valley, north-west of Los Angeles, according to California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Satellite images taken just after noon local time (20:00 BST) on Monday show a large plume of smoke rising into the air just south of the city.

California fire officials said on Tuesday morning that 750 firefighters were being supported by "night-flying water dropping helicopters" to target hotspots.

The Simi Valley Police Department said it had received a report that an individual "hit a rock with a tractor", which sparked the fire, according to the BBC's US news partner CBS.

The fire had since spread across 1,364 acres (550 hectares) and no part of it has been contained, officials said.

Data from Nasa's wildfire monitoring platform shows active hotspots moving further south overnight into Tuesday.

More than 10,000 homes have been evacuated from Simi Valley and surrounding communities, Newsom said.

A further 3,500 homes are under evacuation warnings, extending into neighbouring Los Angeles county

Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass said officials don't expect the blaze to spread to the city but warnings have been issued "out of an abundance of caution".

The spread of the fire was helped by high winds on Monday morning that eased later in the day, a fire department spokesperson said.

Simi Valley Unified School District officials said classes would be cancelled on all of its campuses on Tuesday.

Around 30 people were killed and more than 10,000 homes were destroyed in fast-spreading fires that broke out in the Los Angeles area in January 2025.

Satellite images also show a fire on Santa Rosa Island off the coast of Los Angeles that has burned 14,600 acres (6,000 hectares) of the Channel Islands National Park, according to the US National Park Service.

The fire was first reported on Friday, but by Monday evening, California fire officials said they had so far not got any part of the fire contained.

At least 70 firefighters and park rangers have been battling the blaze. The US Coast Guard said a 67-year-old man was rescued from the island's shore, according to CBS.

Santa Rosa Island is one of five Channel Islands situated off the southern coast of California. The island is almost uninhabited but experts say it has a unique ecosystem of animal and plant life.

Nasa's satellite-based wildfire monitoring platform shows the fire has moved north-east over the weekend and now appears to be spreading inland.

Graphics by Tom Shiel

Iran steps up claim to control Strait of Hormuz

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq5py64gvwzo, 10 days ago

Iran has said it is significantly expanding the area around the Strait of Hormuz over which it claims military control in an effort to assert its sovereignty of the key trade route.

A map published by Iran's newly-created "Persian Gulf Strait Authority" claims "Iranian armed forces oversight" across more than 22,000 sq km (8,800 sq miles).

It extends into the territorial waters of Oman and the UAE. The UAE described Iran's claims of control as "nothing but fragments of dreams".

Iran's new authority added that all transit through the strait "requires coordination with and authorization from the Persian Gulf Strait Authority".

The US and Gulf allies have repeatedly rejected Iranian attempts to assert control over the strait. The US has told ships not to comply with Iran's rules.

The diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, Anwar Gargash, said Iran is "trying to consecrate a new reality born from a clear military defeat, but attempts to control the Strait of Hormuz or encroach on the UAE's maritime sovereignty are nothing but fragments of dreams".

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea ships are guaranteed safe passage through another country's waters - but Iran has not ratified this convention.

Media linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) this week published footage showing what it claimed was a "punishment" strike on a tanker in the strait.

BBC Verify analysis shows key characteristics of the vessel in the footage match with Barakah, a Liberian-flagged tanker which reported being struck by unknown projectiles in early May, according to the ship's operators.

Iran's push for greater control over the area around the Strait of Hormuz comes as US forces boarded an Iran-bound oil ‌tanker on Wednesday. The US military's Central Command (Centcom) said it was ⁠suspected of violating the American blockade of Iranian ports.

Footage published by Centcom shows US marines rappelling from a helicopter on to the deck of a ship, said to be the oil tanker Celestial Sea, in the Gulf of Oman.

In a post on social media Centcom said the ship was "suspected of attempting to violate the US blockade by transiting toward an Iranian port".

"US forces subsequently released the vessel after conducting a search and directing the crew to alter course," according to maritime risk management company Vanguard.

Celestial Sea has previously been sanctioned under a previous name by the US for its links with Iran.

Tracking data from MarineTraffic shows the ship is now reporting its destination as the port of Duqm in Oman.

Centcom said on Thursday it had redirected 94 commercial ships and disabled four vessels since the US blockade of Iranian ports came into effect on 13 April.

Donald Trump said on Monday he was holding off a military attack on Iran planned for the following day at the request of Gulf states because "serious negotiations are now taking place".

In a post on Truth Social, the US president said he had been asked to do so by the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Pakistan's military chief is reported to be visiting Tehran on Thursday in an attempt to mediate peace efforts between Iran and the US.

Iranian state media reported Asim Munir will be continuing talks with senior Iranian officials.

The Iranian foreign ministry said it was reviewing the latest proposals from the US on ending the war.

Trump suggested he could wait a few days for Tehran to agree to the new deal but was also willing to resume attacks on the country.

"Believe me, if we don't get the right answers, it goes very quickly. We're all ready to go," the president said.

Additional reporting by Alex Murray

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How much do Nato members spend on defence?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyz4nq91wpo, 9 days ago

President Trump has repeatedly criticised his Nato allies for not spending enough on defence.

Nato is a military alliance of 32 countries including the US, Canada and European nations.

It has significant deployments along its eastern flank, designed to deter Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.

There are signs that Trump's criticisms have had some effect, with significant increases in spending from some members.

Which countries spend most on defence?

The previous target for Nato members was to spend 2% of the size of their economy (measured by GDP) on defence by 2024.

According to Nato estimates for 2025, every country in the alliance achieved at least 2% last year.

Even Spain, which has been criticised repeatedly by Trump for not spending enough on defence, managed 2%.

Nato members are now committed to spending 3.5% on defence by 2035, with another 1.5% going on things like protecting critical infrastructure and ensuring civil preparedness.

Only three countries: Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, spent more than 3.5% on defence in 2025, although Estonia was close.

In cash terms however, the US is still by far the single biggest spender on defence, spending about $980bn (£720bn) last year, which was 60% of the Nato total.

The US is a global superpower, with military commitments around the world, not just to Nato. It had GDP greater than all the rest of the members of Nato put together in 2025.

US defence spending has come down from 3.6% of GDP in 2020 to an estimated 3.2% in 2025.

Defence spending by the rest of Nato - Canada and the European members - has gone up from 1.7% of combined GDP in 2020 to an estimated 2.3% in 2025.

The UK spent 2.3% of GDP on defence in 2025, making it the 14th biggest spender on that measure.

The government has said it will increase it to 2.5% in 2027 with an "ambition" to raise that to 3% in the next Parliament, which is expected to start in 2029. It is also committed to the Nato target of 3.5% on defence by 2035.

What about the cost of running Nato?

Nato's annual budget and programmes are expected to cost up to €5.3bn (£4.6bn) in 2026 and there's an agreed cost-sharing formula to pay for the running of things such as:

* civilian staff and administrative costs of Nato headquarters

* joint operations, strategic commands, radar and early warning systems, training and liaison

* defence communications systems, airfields, harbours and fuel supplies

The four biggest contributors to this are the US and Germany at 15% and the UK and France at 10%.

The US used to pay more than 22% of these running costs.

But a new payment formula was agreed in 2019 to address complaints by the first Trump administration about the burden to the US of supporting the alliance.

Nato leaders agreed in 2022 to increases in the use of common funding, with the total due to go up each year until 2030.

Update 22 May: This piece has been updated to reflect the latest defence spending figures.

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