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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The EU has suspended all security cooperation with Niger after the country's army took power in a coup. It comes shortly after the US declared its "unflagging support" for ousted president Mohamed Bazoum - seen as a key Western ally in the fight against Islamist militants. On Friday the head of the presidential guards unit Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani declared himself Niger's new leader. He said insecurity, economic woes and corruption led him to seize power. But there are now concerns in the West about which countries the new leader will align with. Niger's neighbours, Burkina Faso and Mali, have both pivoted towards Russia since their own coups. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell joined the US and France in refusing to recognise the coup leaders and said security cooperation and budgetary aid was being suspended indefinitely. Also on Saturday France, the former colonial power which had moved its regional military headquarters to the country after being forced to leave Mali, said it had suspended all development aid and budgetary support. Meanwhile the African Union called on the Niger army to return to base within 15 days. On Friday evening US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned those detaining Mr Bazoum - Niger's first elected leader to succeed another since independence in 1960 - that "hundreds of millions of dollars of assistance" was at risk. However, the leader of Russia's Wagner mercenary group has reportedly described the coup as a triumph. "What happened in Niger is nothing other than the struggle of the people of Niger with their colonisers," Yevgeny Prigozhin was quoted as saying on a Wagner-affiliated Telegram channel. "With colonisers who are trying to foist their rules of life on them and their conditions and keep them in the state that Africa was in hundreds of years ago." He added: "Today this is effectively gaining their independence." The BBC has not been able to verify the authenticity of his reported comments. Wagner is believed to have thousands of fighters in countries including the Central African Republic (CAR) and Mali, where it has lucrative business interests but also bolsters Russia's diplomatic and economic relations. Wagner fighters have been accused of widespread human rights abuses in several African countries. Gen Tchiani, 62, has been in charge of the presidential guard since 2011 and was promoted to the rank of general in 2018 by former President Issoufou. He had also been linked to a 2015 coup attempt against the ex-president, but appeared in court to deny it. On Friday Gen Tchiani said his junta took over because of problems in Niger including insecurity, economic woes and corruption. He also addressed Niger's global allies, saying the junta would respect all of the country's international commitments, as well as human rights. But the junta has had strong words for those who oppose them, accusing members of the ousted government who have taken refuge in foreign embassies of plotting against them. They said any such attempt would lead to bloodshed, which has so far been avoided. Life in the capital Niamey has largely returned to normal with markets and shops open, but civil servants have been told to go home. Meanwhile Nigeriens have mixed feelings about the coup, with some saying insecurity in the country wasn't severe enough to justify a coup. But others have supported the junta. Niger's coup is the latest in a wave of military takeovers that have hit the West African region in recent years, toppling governments in countries including Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso. It also comes as a big blow to the leadership of regional body Ecowas. Just two weeks ago, the bloc's chairman, President Bola Tinubu, warned that terrorism and the emerging pattern of coups in West Africa had reached alarming levels and demanded urgent, concerted actions. This is the fifth coup in Niger since it gained independence from France in 1960, on top of other unsuccessful takeover attempts.

Why does the Bank of England keep raising rates? James from Norwich notes that people are spending more because of high energy and food prices. The point of raising interest rates is to reduce the amount people spend - so why does the Bank of England keep raising rates? Lots of people are asking the same question – for entirely understandable reasons. Why would the Bank of England raise rates, increasing the financial pain on those already suffering, knowing that the impact on prices could be limited? One answer is that the base rate is a blunt instrument, but pretty much the sharpest the Bank has. So, the committee has decided that a higher rate will dampen some non-essential spending, and bring down the rate of price rises (known as inflation). It may take some time. Clearly, the impact is that borrowing gets more expensive for millions of people. This may, or may not, be the end of the run of rate rises. It certainly isn’t the end of the debate over this policy.

Thames Water has seen its troubles deepen after its parent company defaulted on part of its huge debt pile. Kemble Water has formally told lenders it failed to meet a deadline to pay interest on £400m of debt due on Tuesday. The water giant has also asked lenders not to take any action as it explores its options. Thames Water's 16 million customers will not be affected. This notification confirms an announcement on 28 March that Kemble would be unable to repay its lenders as interest and principal payments - including a loan repayment of £190m due at the end of April - come up. It has issued a formal notice to its bondholders, but asked them to take "no creditor action" in order to enable a "stable platform" for negotiations. Companies sell bonds to investors to raise the funds they need, paying the money back over time with a premium. Being in default renders Kemble Water effectively insolvent but that will not affect the underlying utility business that supplies water and waste services to 1 in 4 people in the UK. The company has been engulfed by a crisis which has seen shareholders refuse to pay a £500m lifeline injection that would have shored up its finances, as well as fierce criticism over Thames Water's handling of leaks and sewage treatment. The future of Thames Water has been uncertain since fears emerged that it could collapse last June, with the latest developments raising questions around a potential restructure. The company has been struggling with debts of £14.7bn. But the new boss of Thames Water - and the regulator Ofwat - insist that the company has enough cash and overdraft facilities to see it through to May of next year. While the dominos are falling at the parent company, these will fall short of triggering a collapse. However, at some point Thames Water will need to raise new money. The current shareholders which include UK and Canadian pension funds as well as Chinese and Gulf State investors pulled the planned £500m cash injection when Ofwat rejected proposals to raise customer bills by 40% above inflation by 2030. Kemble, which is funded entirely through dividends paid out by Thames Water, said it expects it will be able to provide a further update in "the coming weeks". Regardless of what happens, water supplies to Thames Water's customers will continue as normal.

Humza Yousaf has won the race to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as leader of the SNP, and will now face a vote in the Scottish Parliament before being confirmed as the country's sixth first minister. About 50,000 of the SNP's 72,000 members took part in the leadership vote, which saw Mr Yousaf defeat Kate Forbes and Ash Regan. The leadership election was decided by the Single Transferable Vote system, with Mr Yousaf failing to win a majority in the first round of voting. But he won 52.1% of the votes after second preference votes from Ms Regan, who was eliminated after finishing third in the first round, were redistributed. Ms Forbes came second with 47.9% of the votes when second preferences were included, with Mr Yousaf receiving a total of 26,032 votes and Ms Forbes 23,890. When Ms Sturgeon announced that she was standing down, she said she would continue as first minister until her successor was chosen. It is expected that she will now formally inform the King of her intention to resign as first minister after more than eight years in the role. On Tuesday, Mr Yousaf will be nominated by MSPs to replace Ms Sturgeon as first minister. Any MSP from any party can also be nominated for the role. There were seven candidates in 2003, with Ms Sturgeon defeating then-Conservative leader Ruth Davidson in 2014, Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie in 2016 and both Mr Rennie and current Tory leader Douglas Ross in 2021. It is expected that Mr Yousaf will be up against Mr Ross, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton this time around - although none of the opposition leaders has any prospect of winning. After the nominees have all made a brief speech in parliament, MSPs will vote for their preferred candidate. A candidate must receive more votes than all of their rivals combined in order to win. If this does not happen, the contender with the least number of votes drops out and another round of voting is held. This process continues until one candidate gets a majority of the votes cast. The parliament's presiding officer, the equivalent of the Speaker in the House of Commons, will then recommend to the King that he appoints the winning candidate as first minister of Scotland. Unless something truly remarkable happens, that will be Mr Yousaf. In the unlikely event that parliament cannot elect a first minister within 28 days, an election would be held. The new first minister will be formally sworn in - probably on Wednesday - in a short ceremony at the Court of Session in Edinburgh. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Nicola Sturgeon was sworn in in a simple ceremony at the Court of Session in Edinburgh He will then take the "official declaration", or oath of office, with the court's Lord President also asking them to take a vow as Keeper of the Scottish Seal. Finally, he will also make an oath of allegiance to the King. The first minister is likely to start the process of appointing government ministers after he has been sworn in. Mr Yousaf - a republican - will also become a member of the King's Privy Council group of advisors, and is likely to be invited for a private audience with the monarch. On Thursday, he will face opposition leaders for the first time at the weekly First Minister's Questions session.

The artwork has been unveiled in Orangefield Park in east Belfast "For every dark night there's a brighter day." That's the message a group of young men in east Belfast is hoping inspires and gives comfort to people struggling with their mental health. The young men have been meeting as a group every week since the death of one of their friends last year and have now unveiled a public art piece in a local park, in his memory. Adam Woods was 21 when he died of an accidental drug overdose. The artwork is part of a project based in Orangefield Park. They hope it will also promote mental health awareness among young people who use the park. The initiative has been supported by community groups including East Belfast Alternatives and Communities in Transition as well as Belfast City Council. Adam Woods was 21 when he died last year Cameron Watson, who is part of the group, believes the opportunity to meet up each week and have a laugh with mates helps young people who may be sad or depressed. "It's brilliant because you never know, someone could be sitting in their house and they could be feeling very low, very down," he told BBC News NI. "We do it every Thursday night. Having a chat for an hour, an hour and a half, it could make somebody's week." The group said the project has been in the works for about one year Daniel Hodos also paid tribute to his friend at the art's unveiling. "Adam's just another one of those unfortunate people to have lost their lives to the mental health crisis we have in Northern Ireland," he said. Another of the group's participants, Luke Allison, hopes the project will help older generations have a better understanding about young people in the area and hear their voices. "I think there's a bit of a divide with people not understanding us and thinking maybe we're just messers, we're young lads, we're negative, we're anti-social," he added. "This just shows how much we aren't and how we're going to be the future of this place." The group hopes the artwork will change perceptions about young people Adam's mother, Lynda Woods, told BBC News NI she was overwhelmed by the effort that has gone into the project. "It's just a testament of what they think of Adam and how much he touched their lives," she said. "They're just so articulate and so passionate about mental health and helping the community." Adam's family and friends want the inscription on the art piece, "for every dark night there's a brighter day", to be an inspiration to other young people who may be struggling with their mental health. If you are affected by any of the issues in this article you can find help and advice at BBC Action Line.

A mayor of a small Mexican town has wed a caiman bride in an age-old ritual for prosperity. He could be seen kissing the reptile, whose snout had been tied shut. The seven-year-old caiman, nicknamed 'little princess', is thought to represent a deity linked with mother earth. Her marriage to the local leader symbolises the joining of humans with the divine. The tradition likely dates back centuries to Oaxaca state's Chontal and Huave indigenous communities. "It is the union of two cultures. The union of the Huaves and the Chontales," Mayor Victor Hugo Sosa told reporters.

Dune star Timothée Chalamet and Hugh Grant of Notting Hill-fame pictured in the forthcoming Wonka Hugh Grant has been pictured for the first time as an Oompa Loompa in the first official trailer for Wonka. The movie tells the backstory of eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka, played by US star Timothée Chalamet. It is set before the opening of his famous chocolate factory. At the end of the trailer, Wonka meets Grant's green-haired and orange-faced character, who is trapped in a glass jar, noting: "So you're the funny little man who's been following me?" Chalamet revealed a still image of him as Wonka in 2021 but now the new trailer shows him in full flow It is a departure for Grant, 62, who is best known for playing quintessentially English gentlemen in films like Notting Hill, Love Actually and Bridget Jones's Diary. Portraying one of the workers at Wonka's factory, he is seen responding: "I will have you know that I am a perfectly respectful size for an Oompa-Loompa." After Chalamet's Wonka appears to be unaware of the people from Loompaland, Grant's character opts to "refresh your memory" by playing him a tune and starting to dance. He follows in the footsteps of Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp in portraying the character Chalamet, 27, who rose to fame in 2017's Call Me By Your Name and went on to star in Dune, is shown in the clip complete with red coat and top hat at the start of Wonka's journey to becoming the famous confectioner. He's described as "something of a magician, inventor and chocolate maker". We are informed that the protagonist, who has "spent the past seven years traveling the world perfecting my craft", will come up against a feared "chocolate cartel". He also teams up with a young girl, played by Calah Lane, on his way to inventing a chocolate that makes those who eat it fly. This YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by Warner Bros. Pictures This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. The film, based on Roald Dahl's much-loved children's book Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, has been directed by Paddington film-maker Paul King. It also stars Oscar winner Olivia Colman, Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins and Mr Bean star Rowan Atkinson, as well as former Great British Bake Off presenter Matt Lucas. In taking on the central role, Chalamet follows in the footsteps of Gene Wilder, who starred in 1971's Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory; and Johnny Depp, who appeared in Tim Burton's 2005 adaptation. According to the on-screen captions, the forthcoming film will tell "the wondrous story of how the world's greatest inventor, magician and chocolate-maker became the beloved Willy Wonka we know today". Speaking in May, Chalamet said: "To work on something that will have an uncynical young audience, that was just a big joy. "That's why I was drawn to it. In a time and climate of intense political rhetoric, when there's so much bad news all the time, this is hopefully going to be a piece of chocolate." Filming for Wonka began in the UK in September 2021, taking place at locations including Lyme Regis, Bath, St Albans, Oxford and the Rivoli Ballroom in Brockley, London - as well as at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, near Watford. Wonka is out in UK cinemas in December.

There have been calls for Orkney to become part of Norway Orkney councillors have voted to investigate alternative methods of governance amid deep frustrations over funding and opportunities. Council leader James Stockan said the islands had been "held down" and accused the Scottish and UK governments of discrimination. His motion led to media speculation that Orkney could leave the UK or become a self-governing territory of Norway. It was supported by 15 votes to six. It means council officers have been asked to publish a report to Orkney's chief executive on options of governance. This includes looking at the "Nordic connections" of the archipelago and crown dependencies such as Jersey and Guernsey. A further change which would see the revival of a consultative group on constitutional reform for the islands was accepted without the need for a vote. On Monday, the prime minister's spokesperson rejected the suggestion the islands could loosen its ties with the union. Mr Stockan urged councillors to back his idea to find new ways to get greater financial security and economic opportunities for Orcadians. Speaking to councillors on Tuesday, he said the motion was "not about us joining Norway". He added: "I say it's time for government to take us seriously and I say it's time for us to look at all the options we've got. "There is a far bigger suite of options here - this could even be that we could get our money direct from the Treasury in London and look after our own future. "We have been held down and we all know most of what I could say today in terms of discrimination against this community from governments. We all know how much less we get compared to other island groups." Council leader James Stockan says Orkney does not get fair funding within the UK Orkney Islands Council previously voted in 2017 to look at whether the islands could have greater autonomy. While councillors wanted to have a "stronger voice", they did not back full independence for Orkney. Currently, most of the island's 21 councillors sit as independents - two are Greens. Mr Stockan has said an ageing ferry fleet is among the issues being faced by islanders. He previously told the BBC the situation was "critical" because the ferries, which are older than the Western Isles fleet, were beginning to fail. His concerns were widely shared by other councillors, however some raised issues with self-governance, such as the cost of carrying out such investigations. Cllr Steven Heddle also mentioned disadvantages including having to buy back the sea bed, and tuition fees for students wishing to study in Scotland. He called Mr Stockan's efforts "politics of grievance" and said that every council felt hard done by, citing roads in Edinburgh that were "worse" than Orkney's despite the council having far more funding. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's official spokesperson said: "First and foremost there is no mechanism for the conferral of Crown Dependency or Overseas Territory status on any part of the UK. "We have no plans to change the devolution settlement we are supporting Orkney with £50m to grow the economic prosperity of the Scottish islands, through the islands deal. "But the government's position is that the UK is stronger united." Orkney was previously held under Norwegian and Danish control until it became part of Scotland in 1472. The islands were used as security for the wedding dowry of Margaret of Denmark, the future wife of King James III of Scotland. The Scottish government said in 2023-24 Orkney Islands Council would receive £89.7m to fund services, with an extra £4.6m from an increase in council tax by 10%. A spokesperson added it was "committed to supporting island communities". The Norwegian government declined to comment on the proposals. Today's vote was never about Orkney becoming part of Norway, or any of the other headlines we've seen over recent days. Rather it was a chance for councillors to express their extreme frustration with what they see as the unfair deal they get from the Scottish and UK governments, with council leader James Stockan saying the islands had been failed by both of them. The successful passing of the motion is the first of many hurdles in Orkney gaining a degree of greater autonomy. Council officials will now be tasked with investigating options. Mr Stockan said that "nothing was off the table" - including of course the much-publicised return to Norway or Denmark. Reaction to the vote on the streets of Kirkwall has been fairly mixed. Some don't want to see any tax-payer money devoted to what one councillor described as "frankly bizarre fantasies". Others feel that the council does get a raw deal from both Holyrood and Westminster, and that anything that gets the two governments to sit up and pay attention is worth looking at. The eyes of the global media have been on Orkney for the past few days. It's now up to the islands council to capitalise on that attention.

Chinese authorities have warned of "multiple natural disasters" in the coming month, as heavy rains lash parts of the country. A weather alert is in place for large areas of central and southwestern China and thousands of people have been evacuated. A building collapsed into raging floodwaters in Chongqing. Meanwhile, in Henan province, rescuers were filmed freeing people trapped on top of a car in the middle of a torrent of water.

The former prime minister has not handed over any messages from before April 2021 - more than a year into the pandemic Boris Johnson has said he is giving unredacted WhatsApp messages dating back to May 2021 directly to the Covid inquiry, bypassing the government which has refused to hand them over. The Cabinet Office has launched a legal challenge to the inquiry's demand for texts from the former PM and officials. It argues that many of the messages are irrelevant to the investigation. However, the head of the inquiry, Baroness Hallett, has said it's her job to decide what is and is not relevant. In a letter to Baroness Hallett, Mr Johnson said that he understood why the government was taking legal action, but that he was "perfectly content" to release messages he had already sent to the Cabinet Office. Mr Johnson added he would like to send messages pre-dating April 2021, but that he had been told he could no longer access his phone from that period "safely". Security concerns were raised over the phone, after it emerged the number had been freely available on the internet for 15 years. The messages received before this date would be likely to cover discussions about the coronavirus lockdowns implemented in 2020. Mr Johnson said he wanted to "test" the advice received from the security services and had asked the Cabinet Office for assistance in turning his old phone on securely. He added he no longer had access to his contemporaneous notebooks as he had handed these to the Cabinet Office. "I have asked that the Cabinet Office pass these to you. If the government chooses not to do so, I will ask for these to be returned to my office so that I can provide them to you directly." Speaking to BBC Radio 4's World At One programme, cyber-security expert Prof Alan Woodward said the risk of turning on Mr Johnson's old phone was "minimal", adding: "It is perfectly possible to do that without exposing it to the potential threat." Earlier this week, the inquiry told the government to submit messages sent between Mr Johnson and 40 other ministers and officials during the pandemic by 16:00 BST on Thursday. Mr Johnson said he was "more than happy" to give the unredacted material to the inquiry. The Cabinet Office - which supports the prime minister in running the government - also holds communications between ministers and civil servants which do not involve Mr Johnson. On Thursday, it missed the deadline and said it would "with regret" be launching a judicial review of the demand, but promised to "continue to co-operate fully with the inquiry". Defending its decision not to hand over certain messages, the Cabinet Office argued that many of the communications were "unambiguously irrelevant", and that to submit them to the inquiry would compromise ministers' privacy and hamper future decision-making. "It represents an unwarranted intrusion into other aspects of the work of government. It also represents an intrusion into their legitimate expectations of privacy and protection of their personal information," the Cabinet Office said, in a letter to the inquiry. Speaking to the BBC One's Question Time on Thursday, science minister George Freeman said he thought the "courts will probably take the view" that Baroness Hallett was entitled to decide "what evidence she deems relevant". But he added "people's privacy is really important" and that the question of how private correspondence should be handled was a "point worth testing". "I would like to see a situation where the inquiry says: 'Listen, we will wholly respect the privacy of anything that's not related to Covid. We will redact it'," he said. Labour's deputy leader, Angela Rayner, described the government's legal action as a "desperate attempt to withhold evidence". The Liberal Democrats called it a "kick in the teeth for bereaved families". Lord Barwell, who worked as chief of staff to former Prime Minister Theresa May, told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme he thought the government was making a "bad mistake". He added: "We're having the inquiry to give people confidence we're getting to the truth. And if the government is controlling what the inquiry can and can't see, then people are not going to get confidence in the outcome."

Toby Burwell went missing from his home in Newbold-on-Avon in February The body of a missing 17-year-old boy has been recovered from a quarry in Warwickshire. Police divers found the body in Newbold Quarry, Rugby, on Thursday afternoon. He was formally identified as Toby Burwell, who had been missing from his home in Newbold-on-Avon since 20 February. His death is not currently being treated as suspicious, Warwickshire Police said. A force spokesperson added: "Our thoughts remain with Toby's family and friends at this incredibly difficult time." Police had been searching the water and land around Newbold Quarry since Toby's disappearance more than six weeks ago. The 17-year-old was known to have previously gone swimming in the quarry at night. Last week, Warwickshire Police said the evidence gathered strongly suggested Toby had got into difficulty while swimming in the quarry and never left the water. "At present, the evidence we have gathered strongly supports the conclusion that Toby went to Newbold Quarry alone for a swim and that, tragically, he got into difficulty and remains in the water," Det Insp Gareth Unett said in a statement agreed with Toby's family at the time. Specialist search officers, police divers, sonar and underwater drones had been used during the search operation, which was hampered by poor visibility and underwater hazards. A file is now being prepared for the coroner, Warwickshire Police confirmed. • None Missing teen likely never left quarry, police say

Joe Abbess, 17, was pulled from the water near Bournemouth Pier The family of a 17-year-old boy who died after being pulled from the sea in Bournemouth say they are "heartbroken and devastated" at his death. Joe Abbess and a 12-year-old girl, named locally as Sunnah Khan, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, died in the incident involving 10 swimmers on Wednesday. Joe and Sunnah both suffered critical injuries and died in hospital. Joe's parents said they had been "privileged to have him in our lives". Dorset Police said it was continuing to investigate what had happened. More than 200 people are understood to have attended Sunnah Khan's funeral on Saturday In a statement, Joe's family said they and his friends would "always love him" and were "incredibly proud of the fabulous young man he was". "He was kind and generous, loving and caring, hardworking and funny," they said. "Joe was a talented trainee chef, with a bright future ahead of him... we are so sorry he will never fulfil his dreams and ambitions." The beach was cleared as emergency services attended the incident They said Joe had been enjoying a day at the beach on Wednesday, adding: "We would like to thank his friends and all of the emergency services who helped him, when this tragedy unfolded." Emergency services were called to the scene, which was packed with people on half-term holidays, just after 16:30 BST. Eight other swimmers were rescued and treated on the beach. RNLI and Dorset Police have had an "increased presence" along the seafront over the weekend following the incident. RNLI and Dorset Police have had an "increased presence" along the seafront over the weekend More than 200 people are understood to have attended Sunnah's funeral on Saturday, held by High Wycombe Mosques. An earlier police statement confirmed there was no physical contact with a jet ski or boat and no-one jumped from the pier during the incident. A man in his 40s, who was on the water at the time of the incident, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and has since been released while inquiries continue. Follow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].

Two poultry workers in England have tested positive for bird flu, although there are no signs of human-to-human transmission, the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) has said. Both people were known to have recently worked on an infected poultry farm and have since tested negative. Neither worker experienced symptoms of avian influenza, with both cases found during screening. The risk to the general population remains very low, the UKHSA added. The UKHSA is running a programme of testing workers who have come into contact with infected birds, but is also running asymptomatic testing. The first person who tested positive is thought to have inhaled the virus. The second person is thought to be a more complicated case and it is unclear whether they have suffered a genuine infection or whether they too inhaled the virus while at work. The UKHSA says precautionary contact tracing has been undertaken for this second individual. Chief Medical Advisor at the UKHSA Professor Susan Hopkins said that globally there is "no evidence of spread of this strain from person to person, but we know that viruses evolve all the time and we remain vigilant for any evidence of changing risk to the population." "It remains critical that people avoid touching sick or dead birds, and that they follow the DEFRA advice about reporting," she added. Professor James Wood, head of veterinary medicine at the University of Cambridge, said the finding should lead to "greater attention" on asymptomatic infection and sampling. He said it was important to sequence the virus in the two workers and infected birds in order to see if there were any mutations of concern, adding that resampling the workers could indicate whether they had developed an immune response. There are various different types of avian flu that have circulated in the past - the latest one infecting birds is H5. Although none of these strains easily infect people, and they are not usually spread from person to person, small numbers of people have been infected around the world, leading to a small number of deaths. There have been very few cases of bird flu transmission to people recorded in the UK. The virus is not that well suited to humans and does not spread as easily as it does between birds. It usually requires very close contact with an infected bird, which is why experts say the risk to humans is currently considered very low. These latest cases do not change that assessment. There is no suggestion that the virus has changed to become more infectious to us or spread from person to person. A "mandatory housing order" for England and Wales was lifted on 18 April, meaning poultry and captive birds could be kept outside again. The measures were introduced during the world's biggest ever bird flu outbreak. Government guidance on the signs of bird flu and how to report it can be found here.

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Great-grandad, 111, is now the world's oldest man A great-grandfather from Merseyside has become the world's oldest living man. John Tinniswood, who is 111 years and 223 days old, puts his longevity down to a fish and chips on a Friday and having hiked regularly when he was young. Mr Tinniswood, who now lives in a care home in Southport, advises "exercising the mind" and "moderation". The previous title-holder, Juan Vicente Pérez Mora of Venezuela, died aged 114 on Tuesday. Mr Tinniswood, a Liverpool FC fan, was born in the city on 26 August 1912, and can recall standing on the terraces watching Billy Liddell and Everton's Dixie Dean. He met his wife, Blodwen, during World War Two, and they married in 1942. The couple were married for 44 years until Blodwen died in 1986. Their daughter, Susan, was born in 1943. He worked for Royal Mail, for Shell, and for BP until he retired in 1972. He said his earliest memory was his first day at school at Lawrence Road and later The Holt Secondary School, now known as Childwall Comprehensive School. He said he did not have a special diet but continues to enjoy his favourite meal, fish and chips, every Friday. He also recommended to "never over-tax your system" for a healthy life, and to get along with people. "We are all different people," he said. "It is up to us to make that difference work, otherwise everything fails." Mr Tinniswood was presented with the Guinness World Records certificate on 4 April. The world's oldest living woman, and oldest living person overall, is Spain's Maria Branyas Morera, who recently celebrated her 117th birthday. The evidence for the oldest man living was examined by Guinness World Records' Senior Consultant for Gerontology, Robert Young, and the Gerontology Research Group. Why not follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to [email protected]

This was history in the making - and you had to pinch yourself to think you were seeing it close-up, inside Westminster Abbey. Over there was the battered but rather beautiful Coronation chair, with a King about to be crowned. It looked almost fragile waiting for its royal occupant. You could feel the sense of expectation. It was really happening right here, on an altar full of candlelight, prayers and a glow of gold. The Abbey was like being inside a jewel box. The first Coronation in 70 years proved to be a sumptuous, seamless and often surreal ceremony. Before 2,300 guests, King Charles and Queen Camilla went through the ancient rituals, with a twist of modern signals about diversity. But it was also like a spectacularly lavish wedding, with friends, families and famous faces crowded into every corner of the church, playing with their phones, checking to see who else was there. And where else would international royalty, world leaders and 100 overseas heads of state get an opportunity to meet Ant and Dec? The King is crowned in the 700-year-old Coronation chair There were glamorous outfits and hats, splashes of military uniforms with epaulettes, plumes and swords, clerical robes and every shade and shape of national dress. The selfies on the way in were going to prove that they'd really been here. There were traditional roles with baffling titles such as Bluemantle Pursuivant and Rouge Dragon Pursuivant and a number of men seemed to be entirely dressed in medieval flags. Walking down the nave when he arrived, the King seemed to be pausing to take it all in. What was he thinking, after all the decades that he'd been waiting for this day? Was he thinking about his mother, his own family, the responsibility? When the Archbishop of Canterbury appeared to give the crown a couple of twists on his head, the King might have been thinking less charitable thoughts. A guest in the Abbey takes a selfie with Ant and Dec And the only person who could have stolen the King's show was possibly Penny Mordaunt, the lord president of the council, who hovered around the high altar looking like a deity who had escaped from an ancient Greek urn. But the King must have been delighted with the music, not least because he'd chosen it himself, like all of this elaborate ceremony. It was like a big work of art and he was its creator. At close quarters in the abbey, the orchestra and choir were remarkable, the music welling up like a tidal wave of sound. It was bouncing off the stained glass windows. The piece by William Byrd had all the aching melancholy and stillness that you suspect King Charles would really have enjoyed. Handel's Zadok the Priest, full of drama and anticipation, was a real spine-tingler. There was also the most eclectic collection of people in the congregation. There were hundreds of charity workers, US First Lady Jill Biden, President Macron and rows of celebrities, such as Joanna Lumley, Maggie Smith, Stephen Fry, and hello, it's Lionel Ritchie. Many of the guests had been inside the abbey for hours before it started, which meant some of the best-dressed queues ever seen for the toilets. I'd never really thought about the mechanics of such a visit for a peer in floor-length robes and ermine. It was a lavish and colourful spectacle in the Abbey There had been stories about MPs complaining about a lack of tickets for the Coronation. Part of the problem might be there are now so many ex-PMs to accommodate. Even Liz Truss got a seat. Boris Johnson arrived looking like his shirt collars were staging their own backbench rebellion. The current PM, Rishi Sunak, had a speaking part, delivering the Bible lesson. For those hoping to watch any body language between Prince Harry and his brother Prince William, there was nothing to see, as they may as well have been sitting a continent apart. Harry arrived looking relaxed and chatty, despite this being a huge transatlantic flying visit, and was seated a couple of rows behind Prince William, the Prince of Wales. Prince Harry was heading back to the US straight after the service The older brother, who must have been thinking that one day he'll face his own Coronation, was more engaged in his own role in the ceremony. There seemed to be glances exchanged too between the husband and wife at the centre of this event, who were maybe having the big public wedding they didn't have before. King Charles now has his Queen Camilla beside him. It took them about half an hour to get to the Abbey in the morning, but their journey to this point has taken them decades. It's impossible to go into Westminster Abbey without feeling the weight of history on every side. It seeps from every plaque and statue. Even the clothes had a story. The King was wearing a robe that had been his grandfather's and Catherine was wearing earrings that had been Diana's. Many guests might have been remembering being here at the late Queen's funeral, which eight months ago went out through the same doors as today's newly-crowned couple. The King and Queen left the Abbey in the Gold State Coach Such grand occasions, snapshots for the history books, are where the past, present and future overlap. With the music soaring and the guests on their feet, the King and Queen left the Abbey to step inside the crown-on-wheels that is the Gold State Coach, with umbrellas up against the rain. The carriage pulled away, past a sea of waving camera phones, and another era had begun.

Donald Trump is accused of pressuring an employee to delete security footage at his Florida home, in new criminal charges related to his alleged mishandling of classified files. The latest indictment adds one count of wilful retention of defence information and two of obstruction, making 40 charges in total in this case. Mr Trump denies any wrongdoing and has called the prosecutor "deranged". He is fighting multiple legal cases as he runs for president again. In a Friday morning interview, he reiterated that he would not end his 2024 campaign even if he is criminally convicted. Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty to earlier charges in the case, alongside his personal aide Walt Nauta, who also received two additional charges of obstruction on Thursday. The property manager at the former US president's Mar-a-Lago estate, Carlos de Oliveira, has also now been indicted. The revised charge-sheet outlines alleged efforts between Mr Nauta and Mr de Oliveira to obstruct the justice department's investigation. According to the court document, they conspired in an effort to delete surveillance video after the Department of Justice issued a subpoena demanding footage of the area where it said confidential documents were held. Prosecutors claim Mr de Oliveira twice told Mar-a-Lago's director of information technology that "the boss" wanted the server deleted, in a conversation he said must remain between them. The IT worker responded that he did not believe he had the authority to do so, according to the indictment. The employee, who is not named or charged in the indictment, has been identified as Yuscil Taveras. The charge-sheet also describes a scene in which Mr de Oliveira "walked through the bushes" into a property adjacent to the Mar-a-Lago resort to meet Mr Nauta. Later, the court filing adds, Mr Trump phoned Mr de Oliveira and promised him legal counsel at Mr Nauta's request. A lawyer for Mr de Oliveira has declined to comment on the allegations. The updated indictment also says that Mr Trump knowingly discussed a top-secret document with biographers visiting Mar-a-Lago to interview him. The paper Mr Trump allegedly revealed to the biographers contained possible plans to attack "Country A", which refers to Iran. "Look what I found... Isn't it amazing? I have a big pile of papers, this thing just came up. Look," Mr Trump allegedly said to one of his guests. The indictment included images of files allegedly stored in a shower The documents case is led by special prosecutor Jack Smith, who is also overseeing a separate investigation into alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Earlier on Thursday, Mr Trump's attorneys John Lauro and Todd Blanche met officials at Mr Smith's office in Washington DC. The former president said on Thursday his lawyers had received no indication of timing of when charges may be filed in the case. In an emailed statement, his presidential campaign dismissed the fresh charges as a "way to salvage their illegal witch hunt". Congressional Republicans also defended Mr Trump against what many in the party have called a "weaponised Department of Justice". Missouri Senator Josh Hawley suggested the charges had been timed to distract from the collapse of a plea deal for President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, over tax and gun offences. Mr Biden is also facing a special counsel investigation into his handling of classified documents, some of which were discovered in a garage at his home in Wilmington, Delaware. On Friday, a former Trump lawyer said "the evidence is so overwhelming" against his former client. "I think this original indictment was engineered to last a thousand years and now this superseding indictment will last an antiquity," Ty Cobb, who represented Mr Trump early in his presidency, told CNN. The latest charge against Mr Trump adds to a growing list of legal problems for the property and reality TV mogul. He currently awaits trial on 34 felony counts in a hush-money case in New York, and also faces a defamation case from writer E Jean Carroll. Georgia prosecutors are still weighing whether or not to press state charges over an alleged effort to overturn the election results there. Former Trump aide Stephen Moore told the BBC the charges against the former president would only serve to solidify his nomination in the Republican presidential race. "The more they indict him, the more his popularity goes up with Republicans", he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: How much do you know about classified documents?

Denise Gossett, her son Roman, her daughter Sabrina and Sabrina's daughter Morgana were all killed in the fire A jury has been sworn in for the trial of a man accused of causing a fire in which a family of four died in County Fermanagh. The fire happened at their rented home in Molly Road near Derrylin on 27 February 2018. Daniel Sebastian Allen, 32, denies each of their murders and one count of arson endangering life. The court was told that Mr Allen, whose address was given as Maghaberry Prison, accepted the manslaughter of Denise and Sabrina Gossett. He claim their deaths were due to "a suicide pact". Daniel Allen, pictured at a previous court appearance, denies four counts of murder The judge outlined the circumstances of the case to the jury. He said the emergency services were called to a fire in a cottage near Derrylin. When they arrived Mr Allen was standing outside and four bodies were discovered inside. The prosecution case is that Mr Allen is responsible for all four murders and the arson. He denies the four murders and claims he did not play any part in the deaths of Roman and Morgana. The judge said that if there was a suicide pact with the eldest two then it would be open to the jury to return verdicts of manslaughter rather than murder in those two cases. The jury of seven men and five women were told to return to court on Tuesday morning. The trial at Dungannon Crown Court, sitting in Craigavon, is expected to last three to four weeks.

Victory Day commemorations in Berlin saw many turn out in the German capital with differing views Russian communities across Europe have been polarised by the Ukraine war - and that threatened to spill over in Berlin this month when they marked the defeat of Nazi Germany. Given how much Vladimir Putin uses the Soviet victory over fascism in 1945 to justify Russia's ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine, there was no avoiding the war here in the German capital. Many German-based Russians clearly believe the president's reasons for the war, with some views in Berlin virtually indistinguishable from the narratives promoted by Russian state TV - but others are just as vocal in opposing it. The commemorations in Berlin started on 8 May, as Germany marked the 78th anniversary of its liberation from fascism, and groups of Russians visited the Soviet war memorial in Treptower Park. One, Alexander, who is originally from Russia but has lived in Germany for more than 20 years, said he believed Russian forces were "defending Donbas, Crimea, Kherson, and Odesa against fascists" - listing places in south-eastern Ukraine. Alexander shows personal items decorated with portraits of Putin, he says he believes Russia is fighting fascism in Ukraine "They belong to Russia! Russia is taking back what belongs to it," added Anna, another Russian living in Germany. Alexander then showed me a cigarette holder and a tobacco box he had decorated by taping portraits of President Putin to them. But the events that matter most to Russian speakers were held the following day, 9 May - marked in Russia as Victory Day. They kicked off with the Russian ambassador laying flowers to the imposing statue of a Soviet soldier in Treptower Park. Again, the event mostly attracted supporters of the Kremlin's policies and rhetoric. One of them, a young Russian called Yevgenia, told me that "the collective West, particularly America" were fanning the flames of neo-Nazism in Ukraine. Yevgenia was sporting the St George's Ribbon - a Kremlin-backed symbol often used by Russian troops fighting in Ukraine. Like many at the rally, she and her friend held aloft a Soviet flag, as Russian flags were banned. Yevgenia (right) wears a St George's Ribbon - a Kremlin-backed symbol used by Russian troops in the Ukraine war But not everyone supported such views. The monument to the grieving mother at the other end of Treptower Park was the meeting point for those who wanted to honour the victims of fascism without supporting Mr Putin's claims that he is fighting "fascists" in Ukraine. And many of the people who gathered there were Russians. One of them, Kirill, told me he fled Russia last October to avoid being drafted into the army and being sent to fight in Ukraine. "I do not want to become a murderer for Putin. I do not believe the lies I'm told by TV," he said. "I was very afraid, but I attended anti-war rallies. I did all I could do," Kirill told me, standing alongside a poster about political prisoners in Russia. Kirill, with a poster of political prisoners in Russia, says he left the country to avoid being drafted into the Russian army Kirill fled Russia after being arrested, fined and beaten for attending anti-war rallies in St Petersburg. Another young Russian in this corner of Treptower Park, an activist called Alexandra, thought President Putin had turned Victory Day into a propaganda tool. "It is an absolute sacrilege for us," she told me. Her friend Ekaterina chimed in: "It is important for me to show that not everyone from Russia supports what is happening in Ukraine or what this day has turned into. "The way it is marked now is a one big reason why this war started on 24 February last year." At another important event held by Russians in Berlin on Victory Day, dozens gathered at the Brandenburg Gate for what is known as the march of the Immortal Regiment. Even though such marches are encouraged by the Kremlin, the one held in Berlin seemed less overly political than the events in Treptower Park, with dozens of Russians solemnly carrying photographs of their ancestors who fought in World War Two. A group of anti-war Russians demonstrated against Victory Day being turned into a propaganda tool - but their event was outnumbered by the rally sporting Kremlin-encouraged symbols such as St George's ribbons or Soviet flags. Kristina attends a demonstration with a sign criticising the West's supply of weapons to Ukraine But what do Germans think of all this? I was able to find the whole spectrum of opinions among them. Many came to Treptower Park on 8-9 May to offer thanks for the Soviet army liberating Germany from fascism, and were less concerned with the present. "What Putin is doing in Ukraine now doesn't change the fact that [Russia did liberate Germany]," one of them, Wolfgang, told me. Another German demonstrator, Kristina, was against weapons deliveries to what she described as the "fascist regime" in Ukraine. But a young man, Janek, said it was "shameful" that President Putin was using the defeat of Nazism as a foreign policy tool. "They say they want to free Ukrainians from the Nazis there - but it's just not true, it's propaganda," he said.

A girl has died after a Land Rover crashed into a primary school in Wimbledon, south-west London, on Thursday morning. The driver, a woman in her 40s, has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. Police say they are not treating the crash as terror-related.

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Stephen Bear won Celebrity Big Brother in 2016 and also appeared on MTV's Ex on the Beach Reality TV contestant Stephen Bear has been jailed for 21 months for sharing a private video of him having sex with his ex-partner. Bear, 33, shared CCTV footage of himself and Love Island star Georgia Harrison, which was uploaded to OnlyFans. He had caused her "extensive humiliation and embarrassment", the judge said. Ms Harrison said she had been through "absolute hell" since 2020. "Today's sentence is a vindication of what I've been put through and sends a clear message that the police and courts take this matter very seriously," she told reporters outside Chelmsford Crown Court. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Georgia Harrison, who has appeared on The Only Way is Essex and Love Island, spoke outside court "I want to let all other victims of this crime know that I stand in solidarity with them and I have absolutely no regrets on waiving my anonymity. "I hope this puts anyone off committing this sort of crime and I hope for anyone who has been a victim of it, it gives them some sort of justice." Bear was found guilty of voyeurism and disclosing private, sexual photographs and films in December. Ahead of his sentencing, he posed for a selfie outside the court building and began to sing Lady In Red to a reporter wearing a red coat. As he was led down to the cells, he raised a hand to wave from the secure dock, and said: "Have a good evening. Enjoy the weekend everyone." The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said he had shown a "complete lack of remorse". Georgia Harrison hugs a woman outside court after the sentencing of Stephen Bear Bear was given a restraining order to not contact Ms Harrison, who has appeared on The Only Way Is Essex and Olivia Meets Her Match, for five years. He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register and will be subject to notification requirements for 10 years. Jacqueline Carey KC, prosecuting, told an earlier trial that Ms Harrison and Bear had consensual sex at his home in Loughton, Essex, but Ms Harrison did not know they were being recorded. Ms Harrison said that when Bear showed her the footage she told him "never to send" it to anyone and "made it plain how upset she would be if he did", the prosecutor said. Stephen Bear, pictured arriving at an earlier hearing, posed for selfies outside of court ahead of sentencing The victim said she saw Bear send the footage to someone on WhatsApp later that day, and later that year she was made aware it was circulating online. Ms Carey said Bear uploaded the footage "either himself or had it uploaded to OnlyFans and profited financially". Judge Christopher Morgan, sentencing, said the disgraced reality TV personality "wished to exploit the economic value of the recording", as Ms Harrison "would have been known and recognised by many people". This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Essex Police This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Following the hearing, Hannah von Dadelszen, deputy chief crown prosecutor for CPS East of England, said: "I want to commend Georgia Harrison for the bravery and determination she has shown throughout this case. "By contrast, Stephen Bear showed a complete lack of remorse by never accepting responsibility for his abusive behaviour, even going so far as to place the blame on Ms Harrison. "Although she lives a public life, Georgia Harrison has the right to privacy. "But that was taken away by Bear to make money in the most egregious way." Bear was arrested at Heathrow Airport in January 2021 Her thoughts were echoed by Det Con Brian Sitch of Essex Police, who praised Ms Harrison for her "immense bravery and patience". "This young woman stood in a court room, in front of strangers and went over the most personal details of her private life," he added. "She had to sit her family down and explain to them that this video had been leaked. "This was all because Stephen Bear thought he could secretly film his former partner and thought he could get away with appalling crimes." Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected] The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Oil and gas giant Shell has reported a stronger than expected profit of $9.6bn (£7.6bn) for the first three months of the year. The figure was higher than the same period last year despite a slide in energy prices. Fossil fuel firms have been reaping record profits due to a surge in oil and gas prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year. However, they have since fallen from the post-invasion peaks. Shell chief executive Wael Sawan said the company had delivered "strong results and robust operational performance, against a backdrop of ongoing volatility". The company also said it would be returning $4bn to shareholders, by buying back some its shares over the next three months. Despite the fall in oil prices in recent months, Shell said its profits had been boosted by strong trading in its chemicals and refined products business. Earlier this week, BP had also reported strong earnings for the first three months of the year - although they were lower than in the same period in 2022. In February, Shell reported profits of $39.9bn for 2022, double the previous year's total and the highest in its 115-year history. While the jump in oil and gas prices following the start of the war in Ukraine led to big profits for energy companies, it also fuelled a rise in energy bills for households and businesses. Last year, the UK government introduced a windfall tax on profits made from extracting UK oil and gas - called the Energy Profits Levy (EPL) - to help fund its scheme to lower gas and electricity bills. Under the government's Energy Price Guarantee, energy bills for a typical household have been limited to £2,500 a year, although this level of support is due to stop at the end of June. However, the fall in oil and gas prices on the international markets has raised hopes that bills will fall below this level in July, making the price guarantee redundant. Oil prices have dropped to around $80 a barrel from highs of nearly $128 following the invasion of Ukraine.

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Eight BBC local radio presenters are to share a broadcasting award for interviews with former Prime Minister Liz Truss last year. The hosts grilled the then prime minister days after her mini-budget sparked turmoil in the economy. The Broadcasting Press Guild said their interviews were "were game-changing for Liz Truss and her doomed government" and will award them its jury prize. It comes as BBC local radio stations in England face cuts to their programmes. Ms Truss faced tough questioning during the round of local radio interviews in September. The eight interviewers are: Grant Tucker, who chairs the Broadcasting Press Guild, said: "As an organisation of journalists, the BPG is always among the first to see the value of great interviewing - and these BBC radio interviews were game-changing for Liz Truss and her doomed government. "There is no doubt that the PM's feet were held to the fire in these eight radio sessions in a way that stood out among so much drama that was happening in British politics last summer." The BBC's controller local audio commissioning, Chris Burns, said: "It really was an iconic moment in local radio and also for how we work digitally, as the interviews were then packaged up into the most popular Newscast episode of all time for BBC Sounds. "Our presenters - as they always do - were speaking for the communities they serve, as well as the whole country when they asked those questions. That is the beauty of local audio. "We are immensely proud of everything local BBC radio does and it's fantastic to see the work acknowledged with this award." The BPG ceremony, in London later, comes a week after staff on the BBC's regional TV bulletins and local radio and online output in England staged a 24-hour strike over the corporation's plan for its 39 local radio stations in England to broadcast more merged shows in the afternoons, evenings and at weekends. The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has said it will "undermine already hollowed out local-radio content across England". But the BBC has said its proposal will "modernise local services across England - including more news journalists and a stronger local online service - which will see no overall reduction in staffing levels or local funding".

The Vietnamese migrants travelled by ferry from Belgium to Purfleet, before the trailer was opened in Grays A Romanian man has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese migrants who were found suffocated in a sealed lorry trailer. The victims, including 10 teenagers, were discovered in Essex in 2019. Marius Mihai Draghici also admitted one count of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration at a hearing at the Old Bailey. The 50-year-old was remanded in custody and Judge Richard Marks KC said he would be sentenced at a later date. Draghici was detained in Romania last August following the execution of a European Arrest Warrant and was extradited to the UK. The 39 people who died in the back of a trailer as it crossed the North Sea between Zeebrugge and the UK The bodies of the 39 people were found in Grays on 23 October 2019, after the lorry had travelled by boat from Zeebrugge in Belgium to Purfleet on the Thames estuary. An inquest heard their medical cause of death was asphyxia and hyperthermia, as temperatures rose in the back of the sealed lorry container and oxygen levels dropped. Each of the lorry victims, and their families, had paid significant sums of money to an organised criminal group that promised a better life and safe passage to the UK. Det Ch Insp Louise Metcalfe said it was "the most complex investigation ever undertaken by Essex Police". "We have always maintained that the actions we believed Draghici was responsible for could never go unpunished. We now know they will not," she added. Police said Draghici's role was to be involved in the onward transportation of the migrants once they arrived in the UK. Four men have been previously jailed over the deaths. Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected] The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

A selection of your pictures of Scotland sent in between 16 and 23 June. Send your photos to [email protected]. Please ensure you adhere to the BBC's rules regarding photographs that can be found here. Please also ensure you take your pictures safely and responsibly. Conditions of use: If you submit an image, you do so in accordance with the BBC's terms and conditions. Elaine Wilson, of Lasswade, took this picture of the Dalkeith Arts Moos by artist M Bitici. Sally Williams said of this shot: "Here’s a photo taken from our front door today, looking towards Kilmaluag. The rain finally arrives in style after weeks of sunny weather on the Isle of Skye." Richard McKay, of Tornagrain, said heather provided the perfect foreground for her picture overlooking Loch Nevis in Knoydart. Hazel Thomson, of Elgin, said of her picture: "A warm summer’s evening and a gorgeous sunset over Portmahomack harbour." Allan Masson said he made an early ascent of Sgùrr nan Eag to avoid the heat of the day and to capture morning mist on the hills of Kintail. Bob Smart, of Dunfermline, said his family had a great day out at Thirlistane Castle for a Borders Vintage Automobile Club meeting. Bob said the event's cycle stunt team was "awesome". Morag Cordiner, of Peterhead, said: "I saw these sheep on the rocks at Fionnphort when I was waiting for the ferry to Iona. It's almost as if the big one is shouting 'Hurry up or we'll miss the ferry' to his pals lower down." George Carson, who lives in Greenock, said of his picture: "While out on a cruise on an old school friend's boat I took a few photos of the Cloch Lighthouse at Gourock. It is lovely to see the Lighthouse from the Clyde." Graham Paton's image was taken from South Queensferry. He said: "These long sunny evenings make for some great sunsets." Graham Ferguson took a ramble across the long rickety bridge through Aberlady nature reserve on his way to locating the wrecks of World War Two XT midget submarines on Gullane sands. "Anyone for chess by the pond in the grounds of Glenapp Castle?" asks Helen Baird, of Greenock. Kenny Bray, from Bearsden, said he came across this beautiful display of lupins with Crathes Castle in the background while on a road trip of NTS properties in Aberdeenshire. Laura Hynes, of Amsterdam, took this picture of a geological feature called a hexagonal basalt wheel at Mull's Ardmeanach Peninsula. Laura said: "My partner and I visited Mull and were hiking to the fossil tree just further along the peninsula." Gavin Blainey, of Oban, sent in this shot. Gavin said: "This tree sits on the Ganavan Road, near Oban. It's fantastically striking during the right conditions." Pat Christie captured this picture of Noctilucent clouds over North Berwick harbour at 02:00 in the morning. Pat said: "So beautiful." Lorna Donaldson's photo of perfect reflections of Dumyat on Airthrey Loch, Stirling. Derek McEwan took this shot. He said: "Looking into Sgarasta Mhòr Beach from Harris Golf Club on the Isle of Harris." A picture from Michaela Cunningham, of Ayr, looking down Loch Leven. Gillian Leary took this image while doing steps for a charity fundraising effort. She said: "I chose to go up Berwick Law as part of my challenge. It was made all the more easier when I caught sight of the ponies." Johnny MacLeod's shot of Summer Solstice dawn at St Abbs Head Lighthouse. Johnny said the view was well worth a 02:00 alarm call and two-hour drive from Kennoway, Fife. Alex Leddy came across this tree washed up on Blackdog beach, near Aberdeen. Alex said: "I think It looks like the skeleton of a whale or another large creature." Calum Goodfellow, from Elgin, said of his picture: "A view of the Torridon Hills from the summit of Maol Chean-Dearg." Graham Christie said of this shot: "The view over Arrochar Jetty and Loch Long looking north." Gemma Brown, from Insch, took this picture on a camping trip to Beauly. She said the level of the River Farrar was really low. Lauren McKinnon's picture of mist rising under the sunset from South Calder Water after the downpour that delayed Tuesday's Scotland vs Georgia game at Hampden. Looking at Bridgend over the Perth Old Bridge in a picture taken by Brian Johnston while he walked along Tay Street. Derek Bremner's picture of the Whaligoe Steps, south of Wick. Ollie, a golden retriever from Inverkip, concludes the latest gallery. He was on his holidays in Skipness and was pictured by Lorraine Watters. Please ensure that the photograph you send is your own and if you are submitting photographs of children, we must have written permission from a parent or guardian of every child featured (a grandparent, auntie or friend will not suffice). In contributing to BBC News you agree to grant us a royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to publish and otherwise use the material in any way, including in any media worldwide. However, you will still own the copyright to everything you contribute to BBC News. At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe the law. You can find more information here. All photos are subject to copyright.

A sense of limbo. The prime minister deciding not to decide, yet, about the future of his deputy, Dominic Raab. The judgement call is binary: keep him, or sack him. The prime minister has seen the report from Adam Tolley KC. The deputy prime minister has too. Rishi Sunak and Dominic Raab did not speak on Thursday. Mr Raab has said for some time that he would resign if it was concluded he was a bully. But Mr Raab has not resigned. It seems reasonable, therefore, to conclude the deputy prime minister does not think the evidence in the report amounts to bullying. So the decision over his future is down to the prime minister. The government had created an expectation Mr Sunak's verdict would be quick. Those participants in this process had been told to expect its outcome on Thursday, but it didn't come. Equally, we should add a bit of context: when Boris Johnson was prime minister, he waited several months to publish and offer his verdict on an inquiry into his Home Secretary, Priti Patel. That inquiry, by his standards adviser Sir Alex Allan, concluded Ms Patel had broken the Ministerial Code, but Mr Johnson ignored it. Talking to us on BBC Newscast, Sir Alex said of Rishi Sunak's quandary now: "You can understand, if it's a huge report, the prime minister may want time to consider it. But as far as I can see it probably cannot be completely clear cut. Otherwise he would have come out with a decision one way or the other." But the waiting is having consequences. Mr Raab knows the names of those in his department, the Ministry of Justice, who were complainants. Those complainants fear he might keep his job. "The prime minister's prevarication makes it feel more likely that the whole thing, the last five months of agony for Raab's subordinates, will end in a whitewash," somebody who advised Mr Raab in a senior role in one department told the BBC. Are resignations possible from the civil service if Mr Raab keeps his job? "I think so," Dave Penman of the civil servants' union the FDA said. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Very few people have seen Adam Tolley's report, and next to nothing has leaked from it. We should reserve judgement until we see it. Mr Sunak faces turbulence whatever he decides to do. Sack the man who loyally campaigned for him to become prime minister and create a big vacancy at the top of government and a big question about whether he should have appointed him in the first place. Keep him and face potential mutiny inside the Ministry of Justice and the prospect of alleged victims of Mr Raab's behaviour resigning, demanding a move and maybe talking publicly. "Either outcome gives him a management problem," one senior Conservative MP reflected to me. A friend of Mr Raab told me the deputy prime minister has long been "moderately optimistic" the report might be less than clear cut. Mr Raab is facing a moment of jeopardy over his job. Rishi Sunak is facing a moment of jeopardy over his judgement.

Police in Australia have revealed details of an undercover operation that stopped nearly $700m worth of cocaine (around 1bn AUD, £570m) linked to a Mexican drug cartel from reaching the country. It is reported to be the biggest drug bust in Australia's history. Operation Beech began in November when narcotics officers seized 2.4 tonnes of the drug off the coast of South America.

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Russian President Vladimir Putin has paid a surprise visit to Mariupol, a Ukrainian port captured by Russia after its forces pounded much of it to ruins. An official video shows Mr Putin driving a car through streets at night and speaking to people. The Kremlin says it happened late on Saturday. It is believed to be his first trip to a newly-occupied Ukrainian territory. Mariupol's exiled mayor told BBC News that Mr Putin was a "criminal" who had "returned to the scene of the crime". "He has come in person to see what he has done," Vadym Boychenko said. "He's come to see what he will be punished for." Other exiled Ukrainian city officials said Mr Putin had visited at night so he would not see the destroyed city in daylight. Tass news agency says he travelled to Mariupol by helicopter. In the video he is in the car with Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin, who explains how the city is being rebuilt. The Kremlin has said the decision to drive round the city was made spontaneously by the Russian leader. Putin also visits the city's Philharmonic Hall, which had been due to be used for trials of captured Ukrainian forces before they were released in a prisoner swap instead. The Russian leader is also reported to have met top military commanders in Rostov-on-Don, a Russian city just east of Mariupol. Mariupol has been under Russian occupation for more than 10 months after being devastated in one of the longest and bloodiest battles of the conflict. Ukraine says more than 20,000 people were killed there. UN analysis estimates that 90% of the buildings were damaged and around 350,000 people were forced to leave, out of a pre-war population of about 500,000. Mr Putin was filmed looking at maps near residential buildings A group of locals have told the BBC that Russia is conducting an expensive campaign to rebuild the city and win over the hearts and minds of its people. The purpose is to assimilate Mariupol and make it Russia's own. Russian authorities say 300,000 people are now living there. The fighting saw Russia strike a Mariupol theatre where hundreds of civilians were sheltering. The building collapsed, and at least 300 are believed to have died there. Ukraine and human rights groups say the attack amounted to a war crime. It is among incidents for which Mr Putin and his regime could be held legally responsible, the United Nations has said. The International Criminal Court said on Friday it had issued a warrant for the arrest of Mr Putin over involving the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. It means he could now be arrested if he sets foot in any of the court's 123 member states. On Saturday Mr Putin made an unannounced visit to Crimea, to mark the ninth anniversary of Russia's annexation of the territory from Ukraine. He visited a new Russian arts school, a children's summer camp and future cultural projects, such as the New Russia museum and museum of Christianity, Russian state media reported. The Kyiv authorities have vowed to liberate all Russian-occupied territories, including Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.

Last updated on .From the section Football Wrexham beat 10-man Manchester United 3-1 but the newly promoted League Two club's victory was overshadowed by an injury to talisman Paul Mullin. Mullin, 28, suffered a punctured lung in a collision with goalkeeper Nathan Bishop, part of a United side mostly comprised of Under-21 players. Boss Phil Parkinson subsequently warned Bishop to "steer clear" of Wrexham following the "reckless" challenge. Spanish 19-year-old Marc Jurado scored in first-half injury time for United, who had Dan Gore, 18, sent-off shortly after the restart. Ryan Reynolds was unable to attend but Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney was present to see his side earned a memorable win in front of a sold-out 34,248 crowd at Snapdragon Stadium in California. United boss Erik ten Hag, whose senior players have travelled on to Texas before tomorrow's match against Real Madrid, watched his youthful side's performance from the bench. The Premier League club's starting line-up also featured the experienced Jonny Evans, who has returned on a short-term deal after leaving Leicester City at the end of last season. Bishop apologises but is warned to 'steer clear' of Wrexham Mullin scored 46 goals in all competitions as Wrexham ended a 15-year absence from the football league last season. But the striker will now miss the start of the campaign following his collision with 23-year-old Bishop, who received a yellow card for the foul. Mullin required lengthy treatment before walking off the field with an oxygen mask around his neck early in the first half. Manager Parkinson expressed his anger after the match: "It is a real blow for us, you can't hide away from that. I thought it was a clumsy challenge from the goalkeeper and it should have been a straight red." He added: "It was a dangerous challenge and Mulls is our talisman. I'm fuming with it, I have to be honest about that. It was a clumsy, reckless challenge in a pre-season game. "I haven't seen the goalie and he's probably best steering clear of us for the time being because we're not very happy." Bishop sent an apology to Mullin on Twitter: "Just wanted to share my sincerest apologies to Paul Mullin. A complete misjudgement and a genuine accident with no malicious intent at all! "Wishing you the speediest recovery and hope to see you back scoring goals as soon as possible!" Lee opened the scoring after 29 minutes and Hayden headed in a second seven minutes later - but Jurado's side-footed finish halved the deficit. United's Gore was dismissed after receiving a straight red for a tackle on Andy Cannon early in the second half, before Dalby headed in Wrexham's third from close range. • None Our coverage of your Premier League club is bigger and better than ever before - follow your team and sign up for notifications in the BBC Sport app to make sure you never miss a moment

Stormont has been without a functioning executive or assembly since last February Stormont parties have said they will need at least £1bn of extra funding to manage budget pressures in a future executive. They were speaking after meeting the head of the civil service to discuss the ongoing governance gap. There is no functioning executive or assembly because of the DUP's protest against post-Brexit trade arrangements. The party needs to "get off the fence" and return to government immediately, Sinn Féin's vice-president has said. Michelle O'Neill was among party leaders who met Jayne Brady to discuss Northern Ireland's budget crisis and lack of government. Her party is now the largest party in local government and the assembly having made gains in last week's council elections. That result showed voters wanted power sharing to resume, said Ms O'Neill, saying suggestion that the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) might return to power-sharing this autumn was "not an acceptable timeframe". In an earlier letter to the largest parties, Northern Ireland Civil Service boss Jayne Brady said Northern Ireland's budgetary pressures had been compounded by a "governance gap". Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill was joined by party colleague and former Finance Minister Conor Murphy at Stormont Castle DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson described Thursday's meeting as productive, adding he was committed to working with other parties in asking for extra finances from Westminster. "Our current funding formula for Northern Ireland doesn't work, what we need is a needs-based approach to our budget," he said. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said Northern Ireland's funding model needed to be reformed Stephen Farry from Stormont's third-largest party, the cross-community Alliance party, agreed it was a constructive meeting with parties committing themselves to work towards the restoration of Stormont. He said a key aspect of that had to be requesting an extra £1bn from the Westminster government to "stem the bleeding" and stabilise public finances. It's worth bearing in mind that the £1bn figure now being openly floated is a rough ballpark. The parties haven't yet actually agreed on any final ask. But Stormont sources say it reflects the scale of what is necessary to cover the £800m shortfall this year, plus outstanding pay deals for public sector workers, not to mention the t-word - transformation of services which already seems to be on the long finger. Ultimately it will be up to the Treasury to agree to a collective ask put forward by the parties. And we are told there are likely to be hefty strings attached. Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie said it was a sombre meeting because of the predicament of Northern Ireland's governance and fiscal position, but he welcomed the "workman-like" attitude from all parties. Stormont officials believe they will need to find £800m in cuts and revenue-raising measures in the wake of last month's budget announcement which was set by Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris. The task fell to Mr Heaton-Harris in the absence of a functioning Northern Ireland Executive. Mr Heaton-Harris, who has denied setting a "punishment budget", has warned that government departments face difficult decisions "in order to live within the funding available". The NI secretary said he was in close contact with parties about doing everything possible to lead to the restoration of the executive. However, speaking after meeting with him on Wednesday, Michelle O'Neill said she didn't believe there was any urgency on his part. Mr Heaton-Harris has refused to be drawn on a claim a restored Northern Ireland Executive needs an extra £1.1bn. However, he said he was "very pleased to hear the parties are talking about the future". He also said Ms O'Neill was "completely wrong" to claim he was showing no urgency to get devolved government restored. On Thursday, Mr Heaton-Harris State met with the joint secretaries of the health trade unions to discuss the Northern Ireland budget for this financial year and the impact on the health service. Chris Heaton-Harris has been accused of having "no urgency" on restoring Stormont The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) said he also offered clarity on the pay offer that was made to health workers in England and Wales earlier this month. "Ultimately this is a matter for the trade unions and the Department of Health in Northern Ireland," a NIO spokesperson said. "The Secretary of State has no authority to negotiate pay in Northern Ireland. "Stable and accountable local government is the best way of delivering on the issues that matter most to the people of Northern Ireland, such as the health service. "That is why the government's focus remains on restoring the Executive." On Thursday, it was announced that a shortage of consultants at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry means delivering inpatient care in general medicine is no longer sustainable. The Southern Health Trust said it was working with other trusts in Northern Ireland and the Department of Health "to help us through this situation". In her letter to Sinn Féin, the DUP, the Alliance Party and the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) Ms Brady wrote that only elected ministers can take "major policy decisions", some of which are required for departments to make savings in the budget for 2023-24. Civil service boss Jayne Brady says Stormont's spending trajectory currently exceeds the budget Her letter warned that "leaves the accounting officer in the invidious position of having no lawful means to ensure full compliance with the duty to remain within budget limits". "As a result, the spending trajectory currently exceeds the budget, and this will remain the case until and unless ministerial decision-making is restored," it added. Ms Brady went on to emphasise that even if an executive was formed and accompanied by an additional financial package from Westminster, it was still "highly likely" that the budgetary position will remain very challenging. "An incoming executive would be faced with a series of choices, made all the more challenging because they would fall to be taken part way through the financial year," she added. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mary Lou McDonald (left) says many voters are frustrated that Michelle O'Neill has been blocked from becoming first minister Following the council election Michelle O'Neill said the onus was on the British and Irish governments to focus efforts on the immediate restoration of the assembly. Party leader Mary Lou McDonald said the election result was a "monumental endorsement" for Sinn Féin and the party now had a "huge mandate". You can listen to the BBC's 5 Questions On, where Ireland Correspondent Chris Page explains the significance of the 2023 council election.

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Police in major US cities are preparing for potential unrest in case ex-President Donald Trump is arrested this week as part of a hush-money inquiry. Authorities in New York, Washington DC and Los Angeles have ramped up their law enforcement presence. A Manhattan prosecutor may charge Mr Trump over how he declared a payment to a porn star to keep quiet about an alleged affair. It would be the first criminal case brought against a former US president. Steel barricades were erected on Monday outside the prosecutor's office and the Manhattan Criminal Court, where Mr Trump could be charged, fingerprinted and photographed if charges are filed this week, as US media widely anticipate. Increased police presence and barricades have also been seen outside Manhattan's Trump Tower. Every member of the New York Police Department (NYPD), including plainclothes detectives, has been ordered to wear their full uniform on Tuesday and is being placed on standby to mobilise. As of Tuesday morning, however, dozens of camera crews and reporters had taken over city sidewalks in the vicinity of the courthouse, outnumbering by far the handful of demonstrators who had shown up to voice their opinions on the potential indictment. The NYPD and the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force have been in touch with the US Secret Service, whose job it is to protect presidents and former presidents, about how a potential arrest might take place. The Secret Service agents assigned to protect Mr Trump are expected to stay with him in the event of an arrest. US media reports there will be no "perp walk" - when an arrested suspect is walked through a public place by officers, typically an opportunity for media to take photos and videos. More police units were visible at Washington DC's Capitol Hill on Monday The US Capitol Police, who protect lawmakers on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, has deployed bike rack fencing around the perimeter of the Capitol complex and will beef up staffing. The Capitol Police plan to issue an emergency declaration on Tuesday, a congressional source told CBS. The order aims to increase co-ordination with other law enforcement agencies. More civil disturbance officers will also be on standby, though the congressional source said there was no specific threat and that the order was proactive. In Los Angeles, the LAPD and federal officials were preparing for a pro-Trump protest on Tuesday outside a federal building, the LA Times newspaper reports. Police erect barricades outside the Manhattan court on Monday US intelligence officials have detected an uptick in online threats against legal and government officials since Mr Trump wrote online on Saturday that he expected to be arrested on Tuesday. Most of the threats were against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the man widely expected to file charges against Mr Trump. On Saturday, the same day Mr Trump posted that his supporters should protest, Mr Bragg sent an email to staff. "We do not tolerate attempts to intimidate our office or threaten the rule of law in New York," the prosecutor wrote. Mr Bragg's case centres on a $130,000 payment from Mr Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to porn star Stormy Daniels weeks before the 2016 presidential election to keep her quiet about an alleged affair with Mr Trump years earlier. His office is evaluating how the former president reimbursed Cohen. The record for the payment describes it as "legal fees" and prosecutors could argue this amounts to Mr Trump falsifying business records. That is a misdemeanour in New York, typically resolved with a fine. But legal analysts say it could be upgraded to a more serious felony charge, which carries prison time, if prosecutors argue the lie was used in order to violate campaign laws. The former president denies any wrongdoing and says he never had an affair with Ms Daniels. A grand jury was convened in January to determine whether there is enough evidence to indict Mr Trump. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. On Monday, the grand jury heard from a Trump ally named Robert Costello who was called by the Trump team to undermine the prosecution's star witness, Cohen. Mr Costello told reporters after emerging from two hours of testimony: "I told the grand jury that this guy [Cohen] couldn't tell the truth if you put a gun to his head." He claimed Cohen, whom he used to work with, had once told him that Mr Trump was not aware of the payment to Ms Daniels. After Mr Costello's testimony on Monday, Cohen hit back, saying that Mr Costello "lacks any sense of veracity". Cohen was jailed in 2018 for multiple offences including violating campaign finance laws by not declaring the payment to Ms Daniels. Mr Trump has said he only learned of the payment much later. In a post on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, Mr Trump said: "In the history of our Country there cannot have been a more damaged or less credible witness at trial than fully disbarred lawyer and felon, Michael Cohen." The jury is expected to hear from at least one more witness on Wednesday before any charges are filed. Mr Trump has vowed to continue his campaign for the 2024 presidential nomination even if he is indicted. But 44% of Republicans said he should drop out of the presidential race if charged, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found on Monday. Trump supporters have held protests outside his New York and Florida homes

The "Barry Award" had been named in honour of Barry Humphries One of the world's top comedy festivals will no longer use comedian Barry Humphries' name for its chief prize, after he was accused of transphobia. The Melbourne International Comedy Festival said its prestigious Barry Award for best show would be renamed. Humphries, best known for his character Dame Edna Everage, has repeatedly drawn anger for his comments on transgender people - and later defended himself. His remarks had "definitely played a part" in the change, the festival said. Humphries, 85, has not responded to the festival's decision. Last year, he drew criticism for describing being transgender as "a fashion". In another controversy, he claimed to have been speaking in character when he referred to gender-reassignment surgery as "self-mutilation" in a 2016 interview with The Telegraph. He also described Caitlyn Jenner as a "publicity-seeking rat-bag". He has previously said his comments were misinterpreted, but they have been criticised by other high-profile comedians - including former Barry Award winner Hannah Gadsby. Barry Humphries claimed he was in character as Dame Edna in a 2016 interview Humphries co-founded the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 1987, and it is now one of the world's premier comedy events. Its top prize has been named in his honour since 2000. On Tuesday, festival director Susan Provan said in a statement: "It is time for the award for most outstanding show to be in our name to celebrate the city that inspired the growth of our festival and its outstanding artists." She told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that Humphries' recent comments were "not helpful" and had helped instigate the decision. Gadsby criticised Humphries when she accepted the award in 2017 for her show Nanette, now a worldwide success on Netflix. "I don't agree with a lot of the things Barry Humphries has said recently," she said at the time. "It is not something I will walk past. With full respect, I would like to accept this award just for me." Previous winners of the award include Ross Noble, The Mighty Boosh, Demetri Martin and Nina Conti.

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Criminal charges have been dropped against Alec Baldwin over a fatal on-set shooting in October 2021. The Emmy-award winning actor was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter over the incident during the filming of Rust in New Mexico. Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed by a live bullet fired from a prop gun that was being used by Baldwin. The development comes less than two weeks before a trial was set to begin. A statement released by New Mexico special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis said that "over the last few days... new facts were revealed" in the case, requiring further investigation. "This decision does not absolve Mr Baldwin of criminal culpability and charges may be refiled," the statement continued, adding: "Our follow-up investigation will remain active and ongoing." A lawyer for Mr Baldwin praised the move by prosecutors. "We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident," his lawyer, Luke Nikas, told the BBC in a statement. Mr Baldwin had been practising firing the gun on set at a ranch near Santa Fe when it went off, fatally striking 42-year-old Ukrainian-born Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. The actor denied pulling the trigger, although an FBI report later concluded that the gun could not have been fired without the trigger being pulled. He had been due in court for a preliminary hearing on 3 May. The film's armourer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, is also facing two counts of involuntary manslaughter. The statement from the special prosecutors says the charges against her remain unchanged. A lawyer for Ms Gutierrez-Reed told BBC News that they "fully expect at the end of this process that Hannah will also be exonerated". According to the LA Times, prosecutors had recently learned that the gun used in the shooting, a .45 Colt revolver, had been modified with a new trigger in a way that could have made a misfire more likely. Thursday's statement by prosecutors made no mention of the gun, but said that the newly revealed facts "demand further investigation and forensic analysis". Prosecutors had accused Mr Baldwin, 65, of showing a "reckless" disregard for the safety of his colleagues. Mr Nikas, a lawyer for the star of The Hunt for Red October, previously called the initial decision to charge his client "a terrible miscarriage of justice". "Mr Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun - or anywhere on the movie set," Mr Nikas said. "He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds." In an Instagram post after the announcement was made, the 30 Rock actor thanked his lawyer and his wife, Hilaria Baldwin. "I owe everything I have to this woman. (and to you, Luke)," he posted. In order to have been found guilty prosecutors would have had to convince a jury that he had acted with "criminal negligence". If convicted, he could have faced up to 18 months in prison. The Santa Fe district attorney had initially added a firearm enhancement charge, which could have added five years to his sentence. But it was dropped after prosecutors determined that the enhancement law was not in place at the time of the shooting. The decision to drop the charges comes on the same day that Rust resumed filming - 18 months after the shooting. Melina Spadone, a lawyer for Rust Movie Productions, said new rules on the set "will bar any use of working weapons and any form of ammunition". "Live ammunition is - and always was - prohibited on set." According to Variety magazine, Mr Baldwin is currently filming Rust on location in Montana. Hutchins' widower, Matthew, will be an executive producer. Baldwin last October reached a settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit brought by her family. Rust Movie productions, which Baldwin is part of, said in February the scene that was being rehearsed when Hutchins was shot has now been rewritten.

The stark, emotional video for Nothing Compares 2 U was an MTV staple in 1990 In 1990, Sinéad O'Connor scored a worldwide hit with Nothing Compares 2 U, a song of unspeakable loss and heartbreak. It was the defining moment of her career - one that thrust her unwillingly into the mainstream. But the story of the video, and how she came to record it, is full of surprising twists and turns. After her death at the age of 56, here's a closer look at how she recorded her most famous song. It's 15 July, 1984 and Prince has just flown back from Dallas, where he watched the Jacksons' Victory tour. As soon as he steps off the plane, he heads to the recording studio. There, with only his engineer Susan Rogers in attendance, he writes and records the initial version of Nothing Compares 2 U in a matter of hours. "I was amazed at how beautiful it was," Rogers told Duane Tudahl, in his book Prince & The Purple Rain studio sessions. "He took his notebook and he went off to the bedroom, wrote the lyrics very quickly, came back out and sang it. I was very impressed with it." Rogers theorised that the song was written about Prince's housekeeper, Sandy Scipioni, who had been forced to quit when her father died unexpectedly of a heart attack. "Sandy was the person who made sure he had his favourite beverage, which was Five Alive, and she made sure the house was clean, and that there were fresh flowers on the piano, and that the socks and underwear were washed," Rogers told BBC 6 Music in 2018. "She had been gone and Prince's mood was getting darker and darker. He would just ask, 'When is Sandy coming back?' That might have been the inspiration for the song." Prince's friend, Jerome Benton, had a different story - saying Prince wrote the song for him after he split up with his fiancée. Either way, the musician felt the song didn't suit his public image at the time. He decided to give it away to The Family, a band he'd formed around his then-girlfriend Susannah Melvoin, and the singer Paul Peterson. Prince removed his vocals, added some orchestral overdubs and handed the song over. It was released on The Family's sole album in 1985, which promptly tanked, and the group split up. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Prince's engineer Susan Rogers and The Family's St Paul Peterson speak to BBC 6 Music Nothing Compares 2 U was never released as a single, and seemed destined for obscurity until Sinéad O'Connor's manager, Fachtna O'Ceallaigh, remembered it and suggested she cover it for her second album, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got. Other accounts suggest she was introduced to the song by Steve Fargnoli, who had looked after Prince in the Purple Rain era, and took over as O'Connor's manager around the time of the recording. Either way, O'Connor immediately connected with the track. She and O'Ceallaigh were a couple, but their relationship was on the rocks. Prince's lovelorn lyrics matched her own state of mind. If he was gone, she could do whatever she wanted, she could see whomever she chose - but nothing would compare to him. "They were in the process of breaking up when we recorded Nothing Compares 2 U," said Chris Birkett, who co-produced and engineered the song, in an interview with Sound On Sound. "That's probably why she did such a good vocal. She came into the studio, did it in one take, double-tracked it straight away and it was perfect because she was totally into the song. It mirrored her situation." At this point, it's a good idea to go and listen to The Family's original recording or Prince's demo, which was released in 2018. The song is there, but it's all dressed up in Paisley finery. Every line ends with a baroque piano figure, the bridge is drowning in syrupy strings, there's even a saxophone solo. Whatever emotion Prince was channelling, he did his best to hide it. O'Connor did the opposite. Working with Japanese jazz virtuoso Gota Yashiki and Soul II Soul producer Nellee Hooper, she put a line through all the ornate R&B flourishes and pared the song back its bare essentials. The arrangement is simple - a drum loop, some gauzy strings and a haunting choir of backing vocals. They're pushed and pulled by the tidal wave of her voice, like sand on a beach, as she wrestles with various stages of devastation. She starts quietly, almost cowering as she sings: "It's been seven hours and 15 days since you took your love away." Then she's defiant: "Since you been gone, I can do whatever I want" but her bravado collapses into anguish once she realises that "nothing will take away these blues". By the chorus, she's face to face with grief. Her voice strives for power, but it cracks again. Then, In a change to Prince's melody, she shifts the pitch of the final "to you" to a despondent monotone, the dissonance illustrating her pain. It's one of the all-time great vocal performances. O'Connor's other hits include Mandinka, I Am Stretched On Your Grave and Thank You For Hearing Me In O'Connor's hands, Nothing Compares 2 U was always going to be a hit, but the video made it a phenomenon. Director John Maybury shot several hours of footage of the singer walking through a washed-out Paris. You can see glimpses of it in the finished promo - O'Connor dressed in black, reflected in the Seine, walking through the stunning Parc de Saint-Cloud. But once she'd performed the song to the camera, Maybury knew her close-up had to be the focus. From the beginning, O'Connor stares straight at us, her pale green eyes peering out of the screen, searching for connection. But as she sings, she breaks eye contact, glancing down, as though she's unable to keep her emotions in check. At the end, famously, two tears roll down her cheeks. Those tears were genuine, and they represented a loss Prince could never have imagined when he wrote Nothing Compares 2 U in the middle of his Purple Rain hot streak. O'Connor's mother had died in a car crash in 1986, when the singer was still a teenager. They had not had an easy relationship. O'Connor later accused her of being mentally and physically abusive. But when she sang Prince's final verse, all that grief came flooding back. "All the flowers that you planted, mama, in the back yard / All died when you went away/ I know that living with you, baby, was sometimes hard / But I'm willing to give it another try." That's the moment that prompted those tears. "I didn't know I was going to cry when I sang in the video because I didn't cry in the studio recording it," she later recalled. "[But] every time I sing that song I think of my mother. I never stop crying for my mother. I couldn't face being in Ireland for 13 years because of it." This YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by SineadOConnorVEVO This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Prince reportedly didn't like O'Connor's version - maybe because it outsold all of his own songs in the UK and the US. When O'Connor finally met him, the animosity seemed real. In her 2021 memoir, she said he told her off for swearing in interviews, then challenged her to a pillow fight, only to bash her with something hard he'd slipped into his pillowcase. Despite that, she still held Nothing Compares 2U in great reverence, "It's really about emotions, it's not about notes," she told BBC 6 Music in 2016. "I think I'm probably similar to millions of people who loved the song, and we're all people who associated the song with a loss of some kind."

The High Court ruled that some lawsuits had been submitted too late to proceed Hugh Grant is set to take the Sun newspaper on in court over claims it used illegal methods to gather stories about him. The actor believes private investigators working for the Sun tapped his phone, bugged his house and car, and burgled his home. The Sun's publisher News Group Newspapers (NGN) unsuccessfully argued his action should be blocked because he waited too long to launch it. NGN denies the claims against it. A judge was asked to rule on whether Mr Grant's lawsuit should be allowed to proceed because it dates back further than six years, the cut-off point for legal action of this kind in civil courts. This time limitation has become a major legal battleground in cases against newspapers, because allegations of wrongdoing often go back 30 years. Publishers attempt to argue that cases should not go to trial because alleged victims of unlawful newsgathering delayed their legal action. But Mr Grant argued he should be allowed to bring the case now because material he and his lawyers will rely on only came to light in recent years. Some of the evidence against the newspaper was contained in a 2021 witness statement made by private investigator Gavin Burrows. It was only when NGN disclosed invoices for their payments to Mr Burrows around the same time that Mr Grant had access to potential evidence which could help him win his case in court. In his judgement, Mr Justice Fancourt acknowledged that the 62-year-old actor and privacy campaigner had long believed that private investigators had been paid to look into his affairs. The judge said there was a realistic chance Mr Grant would establish at trial that, before seeing the 2021 evidence, "he could not reasonably have believed with sufficient confidence that he may have been targeted by [private investigators] instructed by the Sun". This judgment does not mean the issue of whether Mr Grant's claim is too late has been decided, but it will now be considered at the trial next year. In a statement released through his lawyer, Mr Grant said: "I am pleased that my case will be allowed to go to trial, which is what I have always wanted - because it is necessary that the truth comes out about the activities of the Sun. "As my case makes clear, the allegations go far wider and deeper than voicemail interception." Mr Grant's statement in the case claims that for years newspaper published News UK lied about its involvement in phone hacking and illegal information gathering. He said the company had a "vast, long-lasting and deliberate policy strategy plan of false denials and other concealment in relation to the Sun, to prevent me, and others in a similar position, from bringing claims against them". This included, he said, false denials to the Leveson Inquiry into Press Standards, a press complaints body, and in public statements. While the actor was successful in securing his day in court on part of his claim, the court refused Mr Grant permission to sue NGN for allegedly hacking his phone voicemails, as the judge ruled he could have brought a case much earlier. NGN said it was "pleased that, following our application, the High Court has ruled that Mr Grant is statute-barred from bringing a phone hacking claim against The Sun." "NGN strongly denies the various historical allegations of unlawful information gathering contained in what remains of Mr Grant's claim." A similar legal argument centred on the claims of the Duke of Sussex is due to be heard by the High Court in July.

Taylor Swift will be performing in Cardiff next June Tickets for Taylor Swift's 2024 Cardiff gig are already being listed for £3,352 on resale websites. Labour MP Kevin Brennan expressed his shock in the Parliament, saying his daughter was a "Swiftie". He asked Commons leader Penny Mordaunt why the UK government "hasn't done more to protect our daughters from this sort of rip-off merchants". Ms Mordaunt encouraged him to "raise that matter with the Secretary of State" before the summer recess. The US superstar will perform at the Principality Stadium on 18 June 2024 as part of her Eras Tour. The MP may avoid a cruel summer as Ms Mordaunt told him there was one further Department for Culture, Media and Sport questions before the recess. This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Kevin Brennan MP This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. During business questions, he asked for a debate on the practice, saying more should be done to protect young people. The MP for Cardiff West said: "Could we have a debate on secondary ticketing because, as a father of a Swiftie, and I know the deputy shadow leader is also a mother of a Swiftie, I was appalled to see that within an hour of tickets going on sale for the Taylor Swift concert at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, a ticket was on sale in the lower tier for £3,352 on Viagogo. "Why hasn't the government done more to protect our daughters from this sort of rip-off merchants?"

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has been arrested by Dutch police at a protest in The Hague. The 21-year-old joined hundreds of protesters in a march against fossil fuel subsidies on Saturday. The protest devolved into a standoff as dozens of police officers, some on horseback, attempted to stop protesters from blocking a main road. Local police put Ms Thunberg on a bus full of demonstrators and she was driven away from the scene. Protesters had planned to block The Hague's A12 highway for what Extinction Rebellion (XR) organisers say was the 37th time. The road has been subject to regular blockades since 2022. The demonstration was called to denounce the Dutch government's tax concessions for companies connected to the fossil fuel industry, including the energy firm, Shell, and the airline, KLM. Activists hoped to pile pressure on the government ahead of a planned debate about fossil fuel subsidies in June. Extinction Rebellion organisers say this is the 37th time they have protested on the A12 highway Flanked by fellow activists, Ms Thunberg marched towards the designated protest spot behind a banner with the words, STOP FOSSIL SUBSIDIES. The world's most recognizable climate activist tried to blend in with the crowd, but her star-power meant this demonstration attracted more attention than previous XR blockades of the A12 highway. A brass band played and the protesters sang traditional Dutch songs given a modern climate-conscious twist. Some newspapers had claimed local residents were annoyed the climate protest was taking place on the hottest day of the year so far, potentially making it harder for people to reach the beach in The Hague. A group of activists then marched from the city centre to a field next to the highway, where a wall of local police officers was waiting for them. A few demonstrators broke through police lines but were quickly picked up and handcuffed. "It's important to demonstrate today because we are living in a state of planetary emergency," Ms Thunberg told AFP news agency. "We must do everything to avoid that crisis and to save human lives." Asked whether she was concerned about police action, she said: "Why should I be?" Ms Thunberg was among a small group of climate activists who broke away and managed to reach the road. More than a hundred of them were placed in police-commandeered minibuses. The Swedish activist described her arrest as 'peaceful'. She sat at the back and chatted before being driven away. At previous protests in The Hague, police have driven detainees away from a protest's epicentre and released them without further consequences. Those, including Ms Thunberg, who managed to separate from the colourful crowd and sit down cross-legged on the A12 highway, were first asked by police if they wanted to cooperate by boarding the buses. Those who refused were hoisted up by arms and rucksacks and deposited in the vehicles. Greta Thunberg was loaded into a bus and driven away from the protest, along with fellow detainees Later on Saturday, reports emerged that Ms Thunberg had returned to the protest and been arrested for a second time. Police told the BBC some people who were arrested and released were then arrested again. They did not confirm if Ms Thunberg was among them. As of about 14:00 local time (12:00 GMT), traffic was still flowing on the A12, according to the Netherlands' Algemeen Dagblad newspaper. The Hague's local police told the BBC: "While we can't comment on individual cases, we can confirm that all of the people who were picked up by police and put on to minibuses were officially arrested, because they were blocking the highway and that is against the law." Ms Thunberg has been a leading climate campaigner since she was 15 years old. In February, she and four co-defendants were found not guilty of breaking the law when they refused to follow police instructions during a climate demonstration in London.

Timothy Schofield has been found guilty of 11 sexual offences involving a child The brother of television presenter Phillip Schofield has been found guilty of sexually abusing a boy. Timothy Schofield, 54, from Bath denied 11 sexual offences involving a child between October 2016 and October 2019. Schofield, who was a civilian worker for Avon and Somerset Police at the time of the offences, was found guilty of all charges. Phillip Schofield said after the verdict: "As far as I am concerned, I no longer have a brother." The jury at Exeter Crown Court found him guilty with a majority of 10-2 after more than five-and-a-half hours' deliberating. In a statement released by his lawyer, Phillip Schofield said his brother had committed a "despicable" crime. "My overwhelming concern is and has always been for the wellbeing of the victim and his family. I hope that their privacy will now be respected." Schofield arrived each day in court covering his head During the trial, Timothy Schofield denied performing sexual acts on the boy but admitted he had watched pornography with the teenager and they had masturbated while sitting apart. The jury previously heard how he had confessed to his TV star brother in September 2021 about watching pornography with the teenager on one occasion, claiming it had happened after the boy was 16, the age of consent. Phillip Schofield described in a written statement read to the court how his brother had phoned him in an agitated and upset state, and Mr Schofield had invited him to drive to his home in London. He told how his brother said "You are going to hate me for what I am about to say", with him assuring him there was nothing he could say that would do that. Mr Schofield said in the statement: "Then he said that he and [the boy] had time together and that last year they had watched porn ... and [masturbated]". "I turned and said, 'What did you just say?' He said it was last year and we were alone together. Tim said it was just this once. I told him it should never happen again. He then started to tell me about [the boy's] body. "I said, 'F***, stop'. I shouted at Tim that he had to stop. I didn't want to know any of the details but he made it sound like a one-off. "I said, 'I don't want you to tell me any more'. I said, 'You've got to stop, just never do it again. Regardless how that happened, it must never happen again'." The This Morning presenter's statement issued after the guilty verdict on Monday said: "If any crime had ever been confessed to me by my brother, I would have acted immediately to protect the victim and their family," adding that he welcomed the guilty verdicts. Robin Shellard, prosecuting, told the court the boy's evidence showed the abuse in fact began when he was aged 13. Timothy Schofield has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on 19 May. His employer, Avon & Somerset Police, said it would now start misconduct proceedings against him. Schofield was suspended from duty in December 2021 when the criminal proceedings started. Senior Investigating Officer Det Insp Keith Smith said: "[Schofield] has exploited and abused the victim by carrying out a sickening series of offences over a significant period of time." "Although the defendant does not work in a public-facing role, and the offences are not linked to his employment, we know the fact he works for the police will be a matter of public concern," he added. Schofield was convicted of three counts of causing a child to watch sexual activity, three of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, three of causing a child to engage in sexual activity and two of sexual activity with a child. The victim told the jury he felt "emotionally blackmailed" by Timothy Schofield and "forced" to participate in sexual activity. He said: "I felt that emotionally there was no escape from what we had to do and I felt that there was a tremendous amount of pressure and expectation for me to fulfil what was being asked and wanted." An NSPCC spokesperson said Schofield's actions were "deeply harmful". They added: "Child sexual abuse can have devastating and long-lasting impact on a person's life. We hope that the young man he targeted is receiving all the support he needs to move forward with his life." Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]

George Gilbey appeared on Gogglebox with his mother Linda Gilbey and stepfather Pete McGarry The mother of Gogglebox star George Gilbey, who died after a fall at work, has paid tribute to her "generous, funny and kind" son. Gilbey, who appeared on the show with his mum Linda McGarry and stepdad Pete, died on 27 March after a fall in Shoeburyness, Southend-on-Sea. McGarry told the Clacton Gazette he was a "devoted father" who had "buckets of personality". A man has been arrested in connection with the death. Flowers could be seen at the gates to EGL Homecare the morning after Gilbey's death McGarry said the electrician and roofer had only been back at work for three days when he died. She said: "I'm devastated - he was like my best friend. "He had the best heart in the world - he was generous, funny and kind, with bundles of charm and buckets of personality." Gilbey "did more in his 40 years than people do in 90", she said. His stepfather died in 2021 after a short illness. "He just couldn't get over the death of Pete," said McGarry. "I have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and he took it worse than me. He was a mummy's boy. George Gilbey, his mother Linda and late stepfather, Pete, were fixtures on the Channel 4 show between 2013 and 2018 "George was a real contradiction - he was so funny and so intelligent. A lot of people don't know how intelligent George was. "He was smart, which allowed him to be quick-witted, and he was loud and outgoing, but at the same time very sensitive. He helped others, but he struggled himself." Gilbey featured in eight series of the Channel 4 show between 2013 and 2018. He also appeared in Celebrity Big Brother in 2014. A man arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter has been released under investigation. Follow East of England news on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a story? Email [email protected] or WhatsApp 0800 169 1830 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Shares in several regional banks in the US have dropped sharply, as investors fear the banking crisis that has gripped financial markets is not over. The falls come a day after the collapse of First Republic, which was seized by regulators and sold after worried customers withdrew more than $100bn. It was the second biggest bank failure in US history and the third since March. Shareholders were wiped out - and are now eyeing risks at other banks. California-based PacWest Bancorp, which has been under scrutiny for its lending to firms backed by venture capital, saw shares plunge 28%. The turmoil comes as the banking sector is adjusting to a sharp rise in interest rates. The US central bank has raised its benchmark rate from near zero last March to more than 4.75%. It is expected to announce another 0.25% increase this week. The moves are impacting the US economy, which could hurt banks as businesses and households start to struggle to make debt payments. Many analysts are worried about risks to banks lurking in the commercial property sector, which has been hit by a fall in demand for office space due to the expansion of remote work. The rise in interest rates has put some banks in a bind, as higher rates hurt the market value of some debts issued when borrowing costs were lower. The fears intensified in March, when panic sparked by the sudden collapse of Silicon Valley Bank - then the US's 16th largest lender - prompted global sell-offs of bank shares and led many US bank customers to shift their money to firms seen as safer. Bigger banks proved to be the winners, while regional firms came under pressure. The fears claimed Signature Bank and ultimately First Republic, which could not survive the loss of funds. PacWest reported last month that its deposits shrunk 16% from the end of December to the end of March, while Western Alliance shares fell 11%. Both banks said they had seen deposits start to increase again more recently as the fears subsided. Jamie Dimon, chief executive of JP Morgan Chase, which bought First Republic from the government, said on Monday that he thought the fall of First Republic marked the end to "this part" of the crisis. "This part of the crisis is over," he said. "Down the road, there are rates going way up, real estate, recession - that's a whole different issue, but for now, everyone should just take a deep breath." Analysts have said the US banking system - which has more than 4,000 banks - could be poised for a wave of consolidation as the economy weakens. They have compared the situation to the 1980s, when hundreds of lenders closed after being caught off guard by a sharp rise in interest rates and bad commercial property loans. "It's primarily been an interest rate problem but if we slide into a recession, it could be a double whammy," said banking consultant Bert Ely. "I think maybe heads are screwed on a little bit better than they were in the 80s but there's still lots of uncertainty that's out there."

Police moved to arrest a group of protesters in Piccadilly as the annual Pride parade got under way Five Just Stop Oil protesters have been charged over demonstrations which briefly led to London's annual Pride parade being delayed. Images on social media on Saturday showed police removing demonstrators who managed to briefly stop the march. Seven people were arrested by the Metropolitan Police. Five have since been charged and two have been bailed. The five people, aged between 20 and 68, have been charged with Public Order offences. They are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday. Police said the five charged are Ben Plumpton, 68, of Underbank Ave, Charlestown, Calderdale; Zosia Lewis, 22, of Melbourne Street, Newcastle upon Tyne; Oliver Clegg, 20, of Olney Street, Manchester; Gosse Bootsma, 25, of no fixed address, and Callum Goode, 23, of Ashbourne, Derbyshire. Organisers estimated about 30,000 participants from across 600 organisations took part in the parade In addition, two males, aged 19 and 22 have been released on bail pending further enquiries, the Met added. This year's Pride procession started at midday at Hyde Park Corner and people peacefully made their way through Westminster's streets before it finished at Whitehall Place. A number of stages hosted performances from LGBTQ+ acts as part of the celebrations. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Taylor Swift has joined Elon Musk as ranking among the world's wealthiest people, according to a new rich list. The American pop star entered the Forbes World's Billionaires List for the first time with $1.1bn (£877m), along with Sam Altman, creator of the AI chatbot ChatGPT on $1bn (£800m). LVMH French luxury goods titan Bernard Arnault and his family topped the chart with an estimated $233bn (£185bn). Forbes said there were a record 2,781 billionaires for 2024. The figure is 141 more than last year and 26 more than the previous record set in 2021. Forbes added the elite were richer than ever - with a collective wealth of $14.2tn (£11.3tn). Singer-songwriter Swift entered the rich list after achieving megastar status. She stole the show at this year's Grammy Awards, becoming the first performer to win the prize for album of the year four times. Her album 1989 (Taylor's Version) was also the best-selling vinyl LP of last year. Swift's success is not just confined to the world of music. Her mere presence at American football games to watch her boyfriend Travis Kelce has been credited with raising NFL viewing figures. When it comes to the top 10 richest people on the planet, eight listed were from the US - six of whom had made their money in technology industries. After Frenchman Mr Arnault and his family, Mr Musk, the owner of Tesla and X, formerly Twitter, is listed second, with an estimated net worth of $195bn (£155bn). He is followed in third by Amazon owner Jeff Bezos. Mr Musk's riches are up 8% from last year but down on his net worth in November 2021, when he became the first person ever to be worth $300bn (£239bn). Also joining Forbes's list is basketball legend Magic Johnson with wealth of $1.2bn (£950m) and TV producer Dick Wolf, behind the US Law and Order and Chicago PD series, also on $1.2bn. Chase Peterson-Withorn, senior editor on wealth for Forbes, said it had been an "amazing" year for the world's richest people. "A record-breaking 14 centi-billionaires have 12-figure fortunes. Even during times of financial uncertainty for many, the super-rich continue to thrive," he added. Forbes said the class of billionaires for 2024 were 255% richer than a decade ago, now worth $2tn (£1.59tn) in all, meaning just 0.5% of the world's 2,781 billionaires hold 14% of all billionaire wealth. Geographically, the US still has more billionaires than any other country, with a record 813 on the list. China remains second, followed by India. In the UK, hedge fund manager Michael Platt is the richest person, followed by part-owner of Manchester United Sir Jim Ratcliffe and inventor Sir James Dyson. Forbes said 189 people had fallen off the list including 129 from mainland China, where weak consumer spending and a collapse in the real estate market wiped billions off portfolios. Another 32 billionaires died, including Egyptian tycoon Mohamed Al-Fayed, former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, former Chilean President Sebastián Piñera and Margaritaville singer Jimmy Buffett.

One care home in Scotland is closing every week on average, industry leaders have warned. Scottish Care, which represents private operators, said the industry was in an "incredibly difficult" position due to funding and staffing challenges. And smaller, family-run homes in rural areas are the most vulnerable to closure, the body added. A new funding deal between care homes and council umbrella body Cosla has been agreed. But care homes argue the 6% uplift does not go far enough to cover increased energy and recruitment costs. Speaking to the BBC Scotland Sunday Show, Karen Hedge, deputy chief executive of Scottish Care, said the deal was the best Cosla could realistically offer but still "doesn't cut it". She said: "It is incredibly difficult right now, I'm having phone calls from our members in tears who are having to close what has been a family business for them for many years. "What we are seeing as a result of that is the impact on the residents and their loved ones, who in some places are having to drive up to two hours to go to another care home in a different community." As well as more homes closing, Ms Hedge said care at home packages were also being impacted by private operators not being able to meet the increased costs in what she described as another example of "the way social care is a Cinderella service compared to the NHS". Adam Stachura, head of policy and communications at Age Scotland, said the care home closure figures "should be setting alarm bells ringing across the country". He added: "Social care is critical to the lives of hundreds of thousands of people - it is incredibly worrying and I actually don't understand how it will get better. "The vast majority of care homes are provided by private organisations, there are very few council-run care homes any more. "So one closing every week is devastating because where on earth do these people go?" The National Care Home Contract (NCHC) was set up about 15 years ago in response to disputes over rates between care homes, local and central government. Those fees are now set through annual negotiation between Scottish Care and Cosla, which represents local authorities. A 6% uplift has been agreed but some in the industry say this was borne out of sheer desperation for more funding to keep going. Plans for a new national care service in Scotland, which would see a series of regional care boards set up that would operate in the same way as health boards, have been postponed. The new service would see Scottish government ministers directly responsible for social care services instead of local councils. However, uncertainty about the costs involved in setting up and running the new service and the implications for local decision-making remain. A Scottish government spokesman said: "The national care home rate is not set by the Scottish government and is negotiated by Cosla and Scottish Care. "We are pleased that Scottish Care members have agreed to accept the 6% uplift offer from Cosla to agree the national care home contract."

Activists on both sides of the abortion debate outside the Supreme Court Less than a year after its landmark decision reversing constitutional abortion protections, a majority of the nine justices of the US Supreme Court seem reluctant to jump back into the politically charged subject anytime soon. The court was reviewing a decision by a federal judge in Texas that suspended approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the abortion drug mifepristone, one of the most commonly used methods of terminating a pregnancy in America. The court threw out that decision, as well as a ruling by a federal appeals court that would have limited use of the drug to women less than seven weeks pregnant, and required three in-person physician visits for those seeking the drug, and prevented its availability by post. The court's ruling was short and to the point. The current rules governing mifepristone remain in effect until the Supreme Court eventually does decide on the merits of the original Texas order, or (less likely) lets whatever the appeals court decides stand without review. This effectively kicks the can down the road months and possibly well into 2024, when a final court decision could come down in the shadow of the next presidential election. Two justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, openly dissented from the majority. The latter went into detail on why he would have let the Fifth Circuit's appeal court's ruling stand. He wrote that the circuit court's stay would not have caused "irreparable harm" to the FDA or to Danco Laboratories, which manufactures the drug. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Why anti-abortion campaigners still march after Roe was overturned Neither Mr Alito nor the majority decision expressed any opinion about mifepristone's ultimate fate. Given the conservative-leaning court's abortion ruling last year, however, its final decision in the case could very well anger the abortion-rights groups that on Friday were celebrating. The case is now back in the hands of the Fifth Circuit appeals court, where six of its 16 judges were appointed by Donald Trump and only four by Democratic presidents. Last week, two Trump-selected judges on that court issued a lengthy opinion that, among other things, said it was "unlikely" that the challenge to at least some of the FDA's decisions authorising mifepristone would fail. A third judge (appointed by former Republican President George W Bush) disagreed. Those three judges will hear oral arguments in the case in May and could issue a decision weeks or even months later. That ruling could then be reviewed by the full 15-judge circuit before the losing side has the opportunity to appeal to the US Supreme Court. There is a likelihood that when this case once again lands on the steps of the high court, it will do so with a ruling that curtails the availability of the abortion drug. Even that, however, could be just the beginning. This current legal battle is just over a temporary hold on the FDA's mifepristone approval. Once this round of appeals has concluded, the case will head back to the Texas court for a trial on the merits of the case, possibly with witness testimony. After that court issues its final decision, the appeals process will start all over again. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Meanwhile, the opinion of the general public continues to land heavily in favour of existing policies relating to the abortion pill. A recent Ipsos poll found 68% of Americans opposed overturning approval of the abortion drug versus only 28% in favour. Republican voters were split, with 53% in favour and 46% opposed. A majority of Americans view the Supreme Court sceptically when it comes to abortion, with 57% saying the chamber is politically motivated on the topic, while only 37% trust that the justices will remain "neutral and impartial". Friday's order may allow some of those emotions, and attitudes towards the court, to cool in the coming months. But the court's abortion ruling last June has opened the door to numerous legal challenges to state-level abortion rights and restrictions, as well as to federal policies like the mifepristone rules. Mr Alito, in his opinion last June, wrote that "it is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people's elected representatives", but this is far from the last time the nine justices will have to weigh in on the matter.

More seasonal workers will be allowed into the UK if needed, the prime minister has said after the home secretary said migration must fall. Rishi Sunak told a gathering of farmers and other food producers an extra 10,000 visas will be made available for the agriculture sector. This would be on top of the current 45,000 allocated. But on Monday, Suella Braverman said there was no reason the UK could not train its own fruit pickers. At a speech, the home secretary said it was "not racist" to want to control borders and her aim was to reduce net migration. On Tuesday, Mr Sunak said the government was responding to the needs of farmers by offering the extra visas. Asked by Farming Today on BBC Radio 4 why the number of visas was not higher, Mr Sunak said: "I think the number is appropriate. "We haven't used the 45,000 allocation last year. Before we start saying we need more it's reasonable to extend the current numbers." The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the extra visa numbers were also offered to the agricultural sector last year. Around 70 leading members of the food industry, including farmers and supermarket bosses, met with the prime minister and his colleagues to talk about how the UK can improve the way it produces and sells food. It comes against a backdrop of continued high prices, and new research from the consumer group Which? that said the price of some goods had jumped by as much as 25% in April, compared with the same month last year. Dairy products such as cheese saw the biggest rise, the group said. Overall, in a survey of the UK's eight largest supermarkets looking at 26,000 products, it said food prices rose more than 17%. Supermarkets are starting to bring down the prices of bread and butter but Which? said prices remained at "shockingly high levels" compared with last year. It also found supermarket own-label budget items were up 25% in April compared with the same period 12 months ago. The consumer group said it was "concerned the voices of millions of people" struggling with soaring food inflation had not been heard at the summit. "Families up and down the country are facing a daily struggle to put food on the table and it's clear the big supermarkets could...make available a range of healthy budget foods available in all shops," it said. Earlier on Tuesday, Tesco announced that it was cutting prices of vegetable and sunflower oil, as well as pasta by 15p. But a 500g bag of penne pasta is still 80p - in 2021, it was 50p. However, Bill Grimsey, the former boss of frozen food chain Iceland, warned: "If anybody thinks prices are going to come down quickly anytime soon, well they're not." Farmers and businesses have been hit by rising operating costs, in part caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Other expenses such as shipping costs - which soared during the Covid pandemic - have since fallen but Mr Grimsey said shoppers are unlikely to see the impact of this on the prices they pay. The government also pledged to put greater emphasis on farmers' interests in future trade deals and said it would review horticulture and egg supply chains to "ensure farmers get a fair price for their produce". Many farmers have argued that supermarkets are not giving them a fair deal for certain goods, such as eggs. Ash Amirahmadi, managing director of the UK's largest dairy producer Arla Foods, attended the summit and told the BBC the meeting was a "good start", but added that the government needed to "follow through" on its commitment to prioritise the UK's food industry. Arla managing director Ash Amirahmadi said high food price inflation was being felt across the world Mr Amirahmadi said burgeoning costs in the sector were not unique to the UK and were about 40% up before inflation first started rising, though he cautioned against a return to the days of cheap milk. "I expect when we fully come out of this prices will be higher than they were before," he added. The British Retail Consortium (BRC), which represents retailers, has said they are "doing all they can to keep food prices as low as possible" and called on the government to streamline regulation around recycling, packaging and Brexit to try to bring down prices for consumers.

The number of people living with major illnesses in England will rise nine times faster than the healthy working age population, projections show. By 2040 nearly one in five will have health conditions such as dementia and cancer, up from one in six in 2019. The Health Foundation, which did the analysis, said the population shift would have a major impact on the NHS. The think tank said it would require a radical shift, with more care in the community, rather than hospitals. The projections suggest there will be 9.1 million people with a major health condition by 2040, a 37% rise in the latest data from 2019. By comparison, the number of healthy working-age people will increase by just 4%. Most of the increase is being driven by the ageing population, but there will be growing numbers of young people living in ill health too, the report said. There will be particularly big increases in people living with anxiety and depression, chronic pain and diabetes. Obesity is one of the major factors that will drive rises in illnesses. This will more than offset the gains made by fewer people smoking, and lower cholesterol levels. Lead researcher Anita Charlesworth said: "The challenge of an ageing population with rising levels of major illness is not unique to the NHS. "Countries across the globe face the same pressures. How well prepared we are to meet the challenge is what will set us apart. "Over the next two decades, the growth in major illness will place additional demand on all parts of the NHS. "But the impact will extend well beyond the health service too - and has significant implications for other public services, the labour market and the public finances." She said while living with a major health condition would not necessarily exclude everyone from the workforce, many would be excluded. Dr Layla McCay, of the NHS Confederation, which represents health managers, said the projections were "worrying" given the increased pressure and demand on the NHS which the changes would lead to. She said there needed to be a greater focus on prevention to reduce the numbers living in ill health. And she added that investment in social care to support older people would also be needed: "We know that investment in health will support our ageing population to live well with illness, as well as support economic growth."

Stephanie Duthie and her 18-year-old daughter Bryony (right) The family of a teenager put in a coma after developing pneumonia while on holiday in Spain have booked a £33,000 medical flight to bring her home. Bryony Duthie, who suffers from a rare chronic kidney condition, fell ill on 16 July on the Costa Del Sol. The 18-year-old stirred from her coma on Friday but slipped back into unconsciousness. Doctors at Vithas Xanit International Hospital Benalmadena have so far been unable to remove her from life support. Her family hope she can be flown from Malaga to Dundee on Thursday on an IAS Medical plane. It will be equipped like an intensive care unit to keep her alive during the journey. Her mother, Stephanie Duthie, 37, from Dundee, said: "I'm just in a million pieces. We just need to get her home. "The hospital have told us that they want her to be ventilated when she flies. "We found a flight company who are willing to fly her home for £33,000 but it's not until next Thursday." Ms Duthie, who recently completed a degree in social work, said the pilot plans to fly to Dundee, their nearest airport, provided there is no rain. If not, a longer runway at Aberdeen, Edinburgh or Glasgow will be used, although this would complicate the journey. The family is also facing a second estimated medical bill of 27,000 euro (£23,400) for another nine days of private healthcare in Spain after already being charged more than £13,000 for her first two nights in hospital and initial treatment. The cost was not covered by their travel insurance policy. They have set up a fundraising page which has surpassed £50,000. The Duthie family thought Bryony, who lost her father when she was three, had become ill because of her chronic kidney problems. But a CT scan later revealed she had pneumonia. While doctors have been trying to cautiously bring her out of the coma, they fear she could suffer another seizure at any time. Ms Duthie added: "She's starting to wake up but when I say that, I mean she's opening her eyes, she's not compos mentis. "She can't follow commands, like squeeze my finger or anything like that. "They have now put her back into a coma. It's really horrible to watch." Ms Duthie is also concerned that her daughter will have to be moved to a state hospital in Spain if she cannot be flown home because the family cannot afford to keep her in private care. She said: "I'm scared to move her now but it's three grand a day just to be there. "Her condition, renal tubular acidosis, is so rare and unique that it's taken them so long to get her stable. "We just need to get her home." Ms Duthie thanked the public for their generosity and kind wishes. She added: "From the bottom of my heart, I just want to say thank you to everybody who has sent anything, from a penny to £100, to those who have shared, who have retweeted. "We are forever indebted to these people who have donated, we could never say thank you enough."

UK nationals have to make their own way to an airstrip near Sudanese capital Khartoum to be evacuated This is a race against time, circumstances and numbers. And all three are bleak. Time is ticking down to the ceasefire ending. The circumstances are grim: unpredictable, volatile and dangerous. And the latest numbers published by the Foreign Office make it look, on the face of it, like it will be very difficult to get every Brit out in time before the fighting resumes. The Foreign Office have said 536 people have now been evacuated from Sudan on six UK flights as of 21:00 GMT on Wednesday evening. Estimates as to how many British passport holders there are in Sudan vary considerably, but it is widely expected to be a few thousand at least. And the Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, has candidly spelt out that the ceasefire ends on Thursday night and "we cannot guarantee how many further flights will depart once the ceasefire ends". But, having spoken to people across government, they feel things are going as well as could be hoped. A phrase I keep hearing is the "calibration of risk." Rolling risk assessments of what is possible. How to help, without jeopardising the safety of the rescuers or the rescued. It should not be a "race to get it wrong", as one figure put it. But being the last to get it right is not a prize anyone wants either. You can hear the exhaustion and sleep deprivation in the voices of those working on this. There is talk of people sleeping on sofas in between long stints in the Foreign Office's Crisis Centre. Sources tell me there is the capacity to increase the frequency of flights out of Khartoum, if needs be. There is also the option of taking people out by ship from Port Sudan. But the focus is on those flights, for now. Contingency planning is under way for what to do when the ceasefire ends. All this, as the government faces criticism from some that they have been too slow. Some of those flown out of Sudan have expressed gratitude at being rescued in their first sentence, and criticism at its lack of pace in their second. And there have been comparisons with how other countries have managed things. France, for instance, collected some of its people who wanted to leave, rather than asking them to make their own way to the airfield. One of their soldiers was seriously injured in the process. UK Special Forces were used to extract British diplomats. But the government argues it would be hugely dangerous to provide what would amount to an armed taxi service to take people to the airport, as it would risk drawing the UK into the conflict. And the numbers of citizens it is attempting to help is far greater than other comparable countries. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the UK can not guarantee how many more flights will depart Sudan when the ceasefire ends Incidentally, as my colleague, the BBC Berlin correspondent Jenny Hill, has reported, there has been something of a spat between the German government and the UK government, with Berlin accusing London of delaying the evacuation of its own citizens by landing in Sudan without permission at the weekend. There is private shock here that Germany went public with this and a desire not to be drawn into a diplomatic tit for tat over it. The Foreign Office and Ministry of Defence are denying the allegation. It is worth mentioning too that there is not a domestic political row here at Westminster about how the government is handling things. Privately some Labour figures think it has been too slow. But they are not leaping to criticise ministers - perhaps conscious any critique would, by extension, be seen as undermining the armed forces, diplomats and others doing all they can in very difficult circumstances. The political argument may, of course, change, as that race against time, circumstances and numbers continues with the prospect it gets considerably more difficult.

The film's marketing campaign has been huge - and hugely successful - with debut takings worldwide of $337m (£293m) 'Barbenheimer' fever took hold in the UK as Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwig's Barbie took £30m on their opening box office weekend. According to the UK Cinema Association, that makes it the most successful weekend for UK cinema-going since 2019. That year, Disney blockbuster Avengers: Endgame opened with takings of £43.7m. The Vue cinema chain said this weekend marked the second biggest in its history by admissions. Barbie is now on track to become the biggest film released so far this year, ahead of Super Mario Bros. A more detailed breakdown of the weekend's UK box office figures will be published later on Monday. Barbie's marketing campaign has been huge - and hugely successful - with debut takings worldwide of $337m (£293m). US and Canada takings were enough to make it the biggest opener of 2023 so far in that region. The film took an estimated $155m (£120m) according to distributor Warner Bros, while Oppenheimer made $93.7m (£72m), Universal Pictures said. The North American box office figure broke the opening weekend record for a female director, easily overtaking the $103.3m opening of Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman. Both films have been a welcome relief for cinemas who are battling against the juggernaut of streaming. Oppenheimer's plot is centred on the development of the first atomic bomb, starring Cillian Murphy and directed by Christopher Nolan. Barbie tells a coming-of-age story of the children's character where she explores her identity and encourages friend Ken to establish individuality. According to Billboard, film polling service PostTrak reported that women made up 65% of the Barbie audience, while 40% of ticket-buyers were under the age of 25. It wasn't all plain sailing for Barbie, however. In China, the world's second biggest movie market, the film opened in fifth place. Indian cinemagoers were in for a surprise at one screening of Nolan's film Oppenheimer starring Cillian Murphy It took just $8.2 million in its opening three days, according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway, although it's not unusual for Chinese audiences to favour homegrown cinema over Hollywood and some analysts considered that hitting the $8m mark was above expectations. Meanwhile, Indian cinemagoers were in for a surprise at one screening of Nolan's film, which was reportedly accompanied by Barbie subtitles. "Friend of my cousin posted on insta that a cinema played Oppenheimer with Barbie subtitles," wrote Twitter user Sapun. Barbie's release was delayed in Pakistan's Punjab province on Friday over "objectionable content", officials said. Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan's interview with BBC Culture editor Katie Razzall is on the BBC iPlayer for 11 months.

In the Iranian capital, Tehran, protesters have taken to the streets to condemn the strike on their consulate in Damascus. "We know that this act is done out of desperation and the regime [Israeli government] is in a serious predicament and is caught in an internal crisis and the war in Gaza," said demonstrator Mohammad Razavi to Reuters news agency. "It is natural that, in line with the crisis-solving strategy, it tries to transfer the crisis from the inside to the outside to free itself a little, so this rude action can make it easier for them. Quote Message: We must have a serious answer to this action, like the answer we gave during the assassination of General Soleimani and this answer must reach the whole world. from Mohammad Razavi We must have a serious answer to this action, like the answer we gave during the assassination of General Soleimani and this answer must reach the whole world. Another protester, a woman called Kosar Adhami, said: "The embassy is considered part of a country's territory. There should definitely be a firm response to this action. For us to sit quietly is not the right thing to do at all because [Israel] would dare to target more positions and may tell itself why not Tehran next time? "Fitting revenge must be taken."

People use boats on Chidorigafuchi, one of the moats around the Imperial Palace, to view the cherry blossoms as they reach full bloom, in Tokyo, Japan

Last updated on .From the section Leicester Leicester City have sacked manager Brendan Rodgers after Saturday's 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace, with the club's board "compelled to take alternative action" to stay in the Premier League. A fifth defeat in six league games dropped them into the relegation zone. Rodgers, appointed in February 2019, won Leicester's first FA Cup in 2021. But chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha said performances and results this season had been "below our shared expectations". In a statement, he added: "It had been our belief that continuity and stability would be key to correcting our course, particularly given our previous achievements under Brendan's management. "Regrettably, the desired improvement has not been forthcoming and, with 10 games of the season remaining, the board is compelled to take alternative action to protect our Premier League status. "The task ahead of us in our final 10 games is clear. We now need to come together - fans, players and staff - and show the poise, quality and fight to secure our position as a Premier League club." There have now been 12 managerial departures in the Premier League this season, and of the bottom nine teams in the league, only West Ham and Nottingham Forest have not made a change. Speaking on Radio 5 Live, former Leicester midfielder Robbie Savage said: "Brendan has been unbelievable at Leicester. He had options to go elsewhere but stayed loyal. Results haven't been good enough, though. So is it the right thing? Inevitably the manager takes responsibility. The big question is: Do they have a plan?"The short-termism in management is remarkable. If you have an chance to move to bigger clubs but stay loyal to the club, where is the reward in that? The inevitability is you will be sacked. "It's not a decision the board will have taken lightly. You do it with the best interests of the club at heart. If they stay up, it would be the right decision." 'His place in Leicester history is assured' Rodgers, 50, led Leicester to consecutive fifth-place finishes in his first two full seasons, and they also beat Chelsea to lift the FA Cup in 2021. But his side began the 2022-23 campaign with seven defeats from their opening 10 Premier League games, slumping to the bottom of the table before a run of four wins from five games going into the World Cup break. They have struggled since the season resumed, collecting just seven points from 33 available. Leicester exited the Carabao Cup against Newcastle and the FA Cup against Blackburn during that run. The Foxes rallied in January when a 2-2 draw with Brighton was followed by impressive wins over Aston Villa and Tottenham - scoring four goals in both of those victories. But results again dipped, with the club failing to win in eight games in all competitions since the victory over Spurs on 11 February. Rodgers won 92 of his 204 games in charge - a win percentage of 45.1%. Srivaddhanaprabha added: "The achievements of the team under Brendan's management speak for themselves - we've experienced some of our finest footballing moments under his guidance and will always be grateful to him and his staff for the heights they helped us to reach on the pitch. "Off the pitch, Brendan embraced the culture of the club and helped cultivate an outstanding developmental environment, particularly during the transition to Seagrave, and provided strong leadership during the unprecedented challenge of the coronavirus pandemic. His place in Leicester City history is assured." Club have had to balance the books Earlier in the season, Rodgers said Leicester was not the club "that it was a couple of years ago" after a frustrating summer transfer window. Only defender Wout Faes and goalkeeper Alex Smithies were brought in during the summer, with Rodgers saying the club had to balance the books. In January, they signed defender Harry Souttar from Stoke City, left-back Victor Kristiansen from Copenhagen and brought in winger Tete from Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk on loan. In March, Leicester announced pre-tax losses of £92.5m for the year up to 31 May 2022 - an increase of £61.3m compared to the previous 12 months. There have been some high-profile departures, with defender Wesley Fofana joining Chelsea for about £70m last summer and goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, a key figure in their title-winning side, leaving for Nice. Reaction - 'Panic stations among so many teams' Former England winger Chris Waddle on BBC Radio 5 Live: "No-one expected Leicester to be near the bottom three. It is a surprise. They have had problems, key players have left - Schmeichel was a massive loss. "They have had financial problems, and have brought players in perhaps not to the standard they wanted. He's done a very good job with the players he has to work with. But a lot of teams have pressed the panic button and you can't afford to drop out of this league." Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp on Sky Sports: "He hasn't had that spark this season. Something wasn't right. I'm a big fan of Brendan and no doubt he will get back in football. Look at what Crystal Palace have done - it is panic stations among so many teams." Former Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given on Sky Sports: "I feel for Brendan. In the past two years, he has not been backed by the owners and that is not Brendan's problem. He got the rug pulled from under his feet. He is a top manager and will get another top job. It shows the stakes are getting higher and higher." Who will be relegated with Saints? Predict who will be the Premier League's bottom three this season • None Visit our Leicester City page for all the latest Foxes news, analysis and fan views • None You can now get Leicester news notifications in the BBC Sport app - find out more • None Podcast: When You're Smiling - listen to the latest episode on BBC Sounds • None Our coverage of Leicester City is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment • None Everything Leicester - go straight to all the best content

What do the Pope's crazy puffa jacket, a student avoiding a parking ticket, a dry government document and Elon Musk warning the robots might come for us have in common? This is not an April Fool's joke but a genuine question. The answer is AI - artificial intelligence - two words we are going to hear a lot about in the coming months. The picture of the Pope in a Michelin-man style white coat was everywhere online but was made using AI by a computer user from Chicago. In Yorkshire, 22-year-old Millie Houlton asked AI chatbot ChatGPT to "please help me write a letter to the council, they gave me a parking ticket" and sent it off. The computer's version of her appeal successfully got her out of a £60 fine. Also this week, without much fanfare, the government published draft proposals on how to regulate this emerging technology, while a letter signed by more than 1,000 tech experts including Tesla boss Elon Musk called on the world to press pause on the development of more advanced AI because it poses "profound risks to humanity". You are not alone if you don't understand all the terms being bandied about: It's the speed at which the technology is progressing that led those tech entrepreneurs to intervene, with one AI leader even writing in a US magazine this week: "Shut it down." Twitter, Tesla and SpaceX mogul Elon Musk is one of those calling for a pause to the development of advanced AI Estonian billionaire Jaan Tallinn is one of them. He was one of the brains behind internet communication app Skype but is now one of the leading voices trying to put the brakes on. I asked him, in an interview for this Sunday's show, to explain the threat as simply as he could. "Imagine if you substitute human civilisation with AI civilisation," he told me. "Civilisation that could potentially run millions of times faster than humans... so like, imagine global warming was sped up a million times. "One big vector of existential risk is that we are going to lose control over our environment. "Once we have AIs that we a) cannot stop and b) are smart enough to do things like geoengineering, build their own structures, build their own AIs, then, what's going to happen to their environment, the environment that we critically need for our survival? It's up in the air." And if governments don't act? Mr Tallinn thinks it's possible to "apply the existing technology, regulation, knowledge and regulatory frameworks" to the current generation of AI, but says the "big worry" is letting the technology race ahead without society adapting: "Then we are in a lot of trouble." It's worth noting they are not saying they want to put a stop to the lot but pause the high-end work that is training computers to be ever smarter and more like us. The pace of change and its potential presents an almighty challenge to governments around the world. Westminster and technology are not always a happy mix and while politics moves pretty fast these days, compared to developments in Silicon Valley, it's a snail versus an F1 car. There are efforts to put up some guard rails in other countries. On Friday Italy banned ChatGPT while the EU is working on an Artificial Intelligence Act. China is bringing in laws and a "registry" for algorithms - the step-by-step instructions used in programming that tell computers what to do. But the UK government's set of draft proposals this week proposed no new laws, and no new watchdog or regulator to take it on. Even though the White Paper is an effort to manage one of the biggest technological changes in history, blink and you might have missed it. The government wants, for now, to give existing regulators like the Health and Safety Executive the responsibility of keeping an eye on what is going on. The argument is that AI will potentially have a role in every aspect of our lives, in endless ways, so to create one new big referee is the wrong approach. One minister told me that "it's a whole revolution" so "identifying it as one technology is wrong". Ministers also want the UK to make the most of its undoubted expertise in the field because AI is big business with huge potential benefits. The government is reluctant to introduce tight regulation that could strangle innovation. The challenge according to the minister is to be "very, very tough on the bad stuff", but "harness the seriously beneficial bits" too. That approach hasn't persuaded Labour's shadow digital secretary Lucy Powell, who says the government "hasn't grappled with the scale of the problem" and we are "running to catch up". Are existing regulators really up to the task? The Health and Safety Executive wouldn't say how many staff it had ready to work on the issue or are being trained. "We will work with the government and other regulators as AI develops and explore the challenges and opportunities it brings using our scientific expertise," they told me. Should we be as worried about AI as clerics were about the printing press in the 15th Century? How on earth can any government strike the right balance? Predictions about the potential of technology are often wildly wrong. One MP familiar with the field reckons: "The tech bros have all watched a bit too much Terminator - how does this technology go from a computer program to removing oxygen from the atmosphere?" The MP believes heavier regulation won't be required for a few years. One tech firm has told us there is no need to panic: "There are harms we're already aware of, like deep fake videos impersonating people or students cheating on tests, but that's quite a leap to then say we should all be terrified of a sentient machine taking control or killing humanity." Another senior MP, whose been studying the UK's proposals, says the risks are not yet "catastrophic" and it's better to take a careful and gradual approach to any new laws than "take a running jump, and splash into the unknown". But to worry about big changes is part of human nature. Clerics worried the printing press would make monks lazy in the 15th Century. Weavers smashed up machines in the 19th Century fearing they'd lose their livelihood. Even your author snubbed the offer of a mobile phone in 1997 convinced they'd only be for "show-offs" and would never really catch on. What is certain, is that this generation of politicians and those who follow will increasingly have to spend their time grappling with this emerging frontier of technology.

A joint funeral service has taken place for brother and sister Dan and Christine McKane who died in the collision The hearts of a community have been "torn apart" by the deaths of two siblings in a crash in Strabane, County Tyrone, a priest has said. Brother and sister Christine and and Dan McKane died along with their aunt Julia McSorley, 75, in the collision on the A5 last Thursday, The minibus they were travelling in was in a collision with a lorry. Mourners have heard how Dan McKane was "a big-hearted" man who lived for his family. Christine McKane was described as "small in stature but big of heart". Fr Declan Boland told mourners in The Church of The Immaculate Conception, she was "a pocket rocket" whose children and grandchildren were "everything to her". Brother and sister Dan and Christine McKane died in the collision The mother-of-three was described as a "chocoholic" who was "so proud of her two wonderful little grandchildren". "Her wonderful children and beautiful grandchildren, they were everything to Christine. She just lived for them," Fr Boland said. He added: "As long as they were all happy and okay, she was happy". Nothing, the parish priest said, "was a bother to Dan McKane". A father of two daughters, he was the "go-to person" in times of need. A lorry driver for a living, Fr Boland said it was "in his blood". Fr Boland said local hearts "are sad and broken" following the crash on Thursday. A single piper led a procession of hundreds into The Church of The Immaculate Conception "Events of last week remind us we are fragile. We never know the day or hour, that has been brought home so forcibly in recent days. "Our community's hearts have been torn apart by this terrible loss". He thanked Commandant Brian Walsh, aide-de-camp to President Michael D Higgins, for his message of support. He also thanked Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill, who was among the mourners. Earlier, a single piper led a procession of hundreds into the church. As the coffins entered the church grounds side-by-side, four lorries beeped their horns in unison. Naomh Eoghan GAA formed a guard of honour outside the church, as the service took place. Requiem Mass was held for Ms McSorley on Sunday. She was described as "selfless, smiling, kind and bubbly". Julia McSorley's funeral has taken place in Glenock, near Strabane, County Tyrone Thursday's fatal crash was the latest to happen on the A5 road, which forms part of the main route between Londonderry and Dublin. Four other people were injured in the incident. Campaigners from Enough Is Enough, a group calling for urgent improvements to the route, previously said 44 people have died on the road since plans to upgrade it were first announced in 2007.

Celebrities and fans have paid tribute to Tina Turner, the soul star behind hits like The Best and What's Love Got to Do With It, who has died aged 83. Beyoncé said she was the "epitome of passion and power", while Sir Mick Jagger called her a "wonderful friend" and "enormously talented" performer. Turner was also praised by Mariah Carey and Oprah Winfrey as a "survivor" who overcame years of domestic abuse. The Obamas praised her for "singing her truth through joy and pain". They were joined by current US President Joe Biden, who noted that Turner had started life as a farmer's daughter and hailed her "once-in-a-generation talent". Beyoncé performed with Turner at the 2008 Grammy Awards The singer's death was announced on Wednesday by her publicist. No cause was given, but she had suffered a number of health issues in recent years, including a stroke and kidney disease. Known as the Queen of Rock and Roll, she was a firebrand on the stage, and one of the most unforgettable vocalists of her generation. She embarked on her singing career in the 1950s and found fame with the Ike Turner Revue, before re-emerging as a solo star in the 1980s. US singer Gloria Gaynor said Turner "paved the way for so many women in rock music, black and white". "She did with great dignity and success what very few would even have dared to do in her time and in that genre of music. " Another contemporary, Diana Ross, said she was "shocked" and "saddened" by Turner's death; while Dionne Warwick remembered her as an "eternal ball of energy". Mick Jagger, who often collaborated with Turner, wrote on Twitter: "I'm so saddened by the passing of my wonderful friend Tina Turner. "She was truly an enormously talented performer and singer. She was inspiring, warm, funny and generous. She helped me so much when I was young and I will never forget her." Turner and Jagger performed together at Live Aid in 1985 Sir Elton John called Turner a "total legend on record and on stage". He said: "We have lost one of the world's most exciting and electric performers... She was untouchable." Welsh star Dame Shirley Bassey recalled how Turner "really gave it her everything and was a fantastic performer", and US Government space agency Nasa added: Simply the best. Music legend Tina Turner sparkled across the stage and into millions of hearts as the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll. Her legacy will forever live among the stars." Born in Tennessee and raised in the church, Turner basically elbowed her way into rock 'n' roll and rose to fame in the 1960s. When Ike Turner refused to give her an audition, she waited for the intermission in his show, grabbed a drummer's microphone and let rip. She sang with the band for the rest of the night, and soon got equal billing with Ike - later marrying her co-star. "When Ike heard me, he said, 'My God!'" she told People magazine in 1981. "He couldn't believe that voice coming out of this frail little body." They became one of the most watchable, combustible bands on the soul circuit; and many of their hits were covers of other people's material. From Proud Mary to Get Back, via Whole Lotta Love, Turner made the songs her own, bringing an unforgettable rasp and a powerful female perspective to those rock and roll standards. John Fogerty, the former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman who wrote Proud Mary, tweeted: "So deeply sad to hear about Tina Turner's passing… I loved her version of Proud Mary! It was different and fantastic. I was also so happy because she chose my song and it was her breakthrough record." The star was left penniless after divorcing Ike Turner in the 1970s, but she went on to achieve even greater success as a solo artist, with hits including What's Love Got To Do With It, Let's Stay Together, The Best Steamy Windows, Private Dancer and James Bond theme GoldenEye. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A number of Wednesday night's tributes referred to her escape from her husband's abuse. The charity Women's Aid was among those to quote one of Turner's songs, saying: "She will always be simply the best." TV presenter Oprah Winfrey cited Turner's "courage", adding: "Her life became a clarion call for triumph." In an effusive message, singer Mariah Carey called Turner not only an "incredible performer" but also a "survivor and an inspiration to women everywhere". Tributes are being paid around the world Beyoncé, another younger star who was influenced by Turner, wrote on her website: "My beloved queen. I love you endlessly. "I am so grateful for your inspiration, and all the ways you have paved the way. You are strength and resilience. You are the epitome of passion and power. "We are all so fortunate to have witnessed your kindness and beautiful spirit that will forever remain. Thank you for all you have done." Singer PP Arnold - who performed alongside Turner - told the BBC that the two women's relationship had "changed my life" and saved her from an abusive teen marriage. Numerous other musicians including Janelle Monáe, Dolly Parton, Blondie's Debbie Harry and Sir Tom Jones were quick to hail the late performer's achievements. She won eight Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 2021 as a solo artist, having earlier been inducted alongside Ike. Her glittering career also saw her make film appearances; while the 1993 biopic What's Love Got To Do With It told the story of her own life. Angela Bassett, who memorably earned an Oscar nomination for playing Turner, said the star had "showed others who lived in fear what a beautiful future filled with love, compassion, and freedom should look like". In a lengthy statement to Deadline, she added: "Her final words to me - for me - were 'You never mimicked me. Instead, you reached deep into your soul, found your inner Tina, and showed her to the world.' "I shall hold these words close to my heart for the rest of my days. I am honoured to have known Tina Turner." Fans left flowers at locations including Turner's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Fans around the world paid their own respects - with flowers laid on Turner's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, and candles lit outside her home in Küsnacht, near Zurich. Bouquets were left outside London's Aldwych Theatre - the current home of a musical named Tina, about the late singer's life. The show's star Kristina Love addressed the news on stage, recalling the time she met Turner, who had made her "feel comfortable with the mammoth task ahead in playing her". West End theatres announced they would dim their lights for two minutes from 19:00 BST on Thursday in her memory. The BBC also heard reactions from members of the public outside Washington DC's National Museum of African American History and Culture. Turner was the "epitome of resilience and starting again", said one woman named Marlene. Ernest Lawrence, a T-shirt seller, said he planned to make a design with Turner on it - explaining that the performer had "one of the most successful legacies in music in my lifetime". He hailed the late star as a "great black female" and a "positive image for any woman", having overcome "hard times" in her personal life.

At least 11 people - including a two-year-old child - have been killed in Russian shelling of Slovyansk in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said around 21 others had been wounded in the attack on a residential district of the city. Gov Kyrylenko added that several more were missing, warning that they could be trapped beneath the rubble. In a post to social media, President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned what he called a brutal and evil attack. "The evil state once again demonstrates its essence," he wrote on Telegram. "Just killing people in broad daylight. Ruining, destroying all life." Officials confirmed that one of those killed was a two-year-old child. A senior adviser to Mr Zelensky said the child had been pulled alive from the rubble, but died in an ambulance while being taken to hospital. Gov Kyrylenko said five houses and five blocks of flats were hit in the strike, while businesses and shops were also damaged in the blasts, which took place at around 18:00 local time (16:00 BST). He added that the strike had likely been carried out using repurposed S-300 missiles. The system was originally designed as a surface-to-air defence system, but Russia has increasingly used it to strike ground targets in Ukraine as the war has progressed and Moscow's stores of munitions have been depleted. Reporters from the AFP news agency witnessed rescue workers digging for survivors at the scene of one of the blasts, as black smoke billowed from another building across the street. They added that the street, which included a playground, was littered with debris that included torn pages from school books and children's drawings. Earlier, Andriy Yermak - the head of Mr Zelensky's private office - said seven explosions had been heard in the city, some of which took place near a school. While Ukraine still controls Slovyansk, the city lies just 27 miles (45km) north-west of Bakhmut, which has been the centre of an extensive Russian assault for several months. Russia has been trying to capture the city since last summer, and on Friday defence officials in Moscow said mercenaries from the Wagner group were continuing to attack the city. Russian airborne troops were "providing support to assault squads and halting the enemy's attempts to deliver ammunition to the city and bring in reserves," the statement added. Ukraine insists that it will continue to defend Bakhmut, which military analysists say has limited strategic value. But Russia is believed to have suffered extremely high casualties trying to capture the city. An analysis of open sources conducted by the BBC's Russian service established the identities of at least 20,451 Russian soldiers killed since the war began. Some 1,820 of those deaths came in the last two weeks, the analysis found.

Sacha Baron Cohen is planning to revive Ali G, the infamous spoof wannabe gangster who became a comedy star 25 years ago, for a new stand-up tour. Ali G became a hit thanks to his prank interviews with unsuspecting experts on his TV show in the early 2000s. He then starred in his own film, and has made occasional appearances in recent years. Variety reported that Baron Cohen has been working on a stand-up tour in which Ali G will feature. BBC News has confirmed the report, but there are no further details of the tour. In 2021, Baron Cohen brought back Ali G for a sketch at the MTV Movie & TV Awards, and for a one-off routine at a Sydney comedy club. "I just wanted to get on stage and muck around and see what Ali G would be like with a crowd," the comedian told GQ afterwards. "It was really good fun." In the early days, Ali G got laughs by duping an array of interviewees into going along with his persona, while also lampooning white people from the suburbs who posed as the urban youth. But the act was criticised by some, who saw it as adopting and ridiculing black street culture. Baron Cohen, now 51, also found success by playing similar pranks as his Kazakh reporter Borat, and played flamboyant Austrian fashionista Bruno.

Samantha Mulcahy (left) and Kimberley Sampson died weeks apart after being operated on by the same surgeon The mother of a young woman who died with herpes said she was "disgusted" with an NHS trust which "lied" about the potential cause of the virus. Kim Sampson and Samantha Mulcahy died with herpes after the same obstetrician at the East Kent Hospitals University NHS Trust carried out their Caesareans. Yvette Sampson's daughter had been "fit and healthy" until she gave birth on 3 May 2018, an inquest has heard. She said the trust had lied about links between the two mothers' deaths. They were treated by the same surgeon and midwife six weeks apart, neither of whom were tested for herpes, the inquest in Maidstone was told. Ms Sampson said her daughter had been "in agony" from 3 May when she gave birth to her second child, until she died on 22 May. She told the inquest she had received "poor treatment" by midwives at the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM) in Margate, which she felt also "contributed" to her daughter's death. Ms Sampson was initially denied a Caesarean and instead told to push for almost three hours, despite repeatedly telling midwives that "something wasn't right" and "clinging to the bed in agony", her mother said. One midwife refused to transfer her to surgeons, who later admitted that she should have had the operation sooner, she said. Ms Sampson lost almost four pints of blood after the baby's position meant an artery was torn. "I could not understand why no-one was listening to Kim or acting on her concerns when she said something wasn't right. The midwives didn't seem to take notice of her pain." In the following days, Ms Sampson was unable to walk, and her stomach had not deflated, but two midwives who visited their home said they had "no concerns", her mother said. It was not until 10 May that she was taken to A&E at the QEQM and treated for sepsis. After four operations to drain fluid from her abdomen, surgeons told the family that "Kim's liver was black and she was unlikely to live". In July 2018, first-time mother Mrs Mulcahy died from an infection caused by the same virus at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford. Ms Sampson said the trust had "lied" to the family about a known link between her daughter's death and Ms Mulcahy's following an investigation. She said emails from the East Kent trust to Public Health England exposed how they had never tested the surgeon and midwife common to both cases for herpes. "I am disgusted with the trust and how our family has been treated," she said. In March, the Mid Kent and Medway Coroner, Catherine Wood, accepted an application from the trust to give anonymity to the surgeon common to both cases. Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Rasmus Paludan had threatened to burn a copy of the Quran in Wakefield A Danish far-right politician has been barred from the UK after threatening to burn a copy of the Quran in Wakefield. Security minister Tom Tugendhat said Rasmus Paludan, founder of the anti-Islam party Stram Kurs, had been added to the UK's immigration watchlist. Mr Paludan had said he planned to burn the religious text in a public square in the West Yorkshire city this week. It comes after four pupils at a Wakefield school were suspended over damage to a copy of the Quran. In a video posted to Twitter on Sunday, Mr Paludan said he would travel to the city to "fight back" against "undemocratic forces". He claimed he intended to burn the Quran on Wednesday to coincide with the start of Ramadan. Mr Paludan has held several previous protests in which the Islamic text was burned, with some leading to violent counter-demonstrations. In January he burned a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm. That protest became part of a diplomatic row between Turkey and Sweden - with Turkey now holding up Sweden's application to join Nato. The security minister told the House of Commons about his intervention after Simon Lightwood, the Labour MP for Wakefield, raised concerns on Monday about Mr Paludan's potential visit. Mr Lightwood said: "Far-right Islamophic Danish politician Rasmus Paludan said he is going to travel from Denmark to Wakefield for the sole purpose of burning a Quran in a public place. "Mr Paludan was previously jailed in Denmark for his hateful and racist statements. He is a dangerous man that should not be allowed into this country. "Can the home secretary assure me and my community that the government is taking action to prevent this?" Mr Tugendhat said Mr Paludan had been added to to the UK's warnings index. He added: "His travel to the United Kingdom would not be conducive with the public good and he will not be allowed access." Four pupils were suspended from Wakefield's Kettlethorpe High School in February after a Year 10 student brought in a Quran, reportedly as part of a dare. The cover of the Islamic text had been torn and some pages scuffed, but police concluded no offences were committed and the school's headteacher said she was satisfied there was "no malicious intent by those involved". Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Suella Braverman says she is "confident nothing untoward happened", but has refused to be drawn over whether she asked civil servants to arrange a one-to-one speed awareness course for her. The home secretary was caught speeding in 2022 and, according to reports, asked the civil service for advice on arranging a private course. The PM is under pressure to investigate whether she broke the ministerial code. Rishi Sunak has asked his ethics adviser about the case. He has also spoken to the home secretary, and Downing Street said he still had confidence in the home secretary. Mrs Braverman is under scrutiny not over the speeding offence itself, but over whether she acted properly in relation to the civil service, by asking officials to assist with a private matter, over a one-to-one speed awareness course. After being caught speeding, Ms Braverman faced getting three points on her licence and a fine, or a course as part of a group. A government source told the BBC the senior minister had been "concerned" about her insurance premiums, and favoured doing a course. She is reported to have asked civil servants about a one-on-one course, citing security concerns about doing one as part of a group. She was told it was not a matter for the civil service. She then asked a special adviser to try to arrange a private course. When the speed course provider said there was no option to do this, Mrs Braverman opted to pay the fine and accept the points, because she was "very busy" a source told the BBC. By this point she had been reappointed as home secretary in Mr Sunak's government. The same government source refused to say whether Mrs Braverman's motivation to do the course in private was to reduce the chances of her being recognised by members of the public. Speeding awareness course providers are contracted by individual police forces. According to UK Road Offender Education, the not-for-profit organisation responsible, these contracts make "no provision for private one-to-one courses" at the request of the driver. The ministerial code requires ministers to ensure "no conflict arises" between their public duties and their private interests. Repeatedly asked in an interview whether she instructed officials to arrange a one-on-one speeding course, Mrs Braverman said: "Last summer, I was speeding, I regret that, I paid the fine and I took the points." Asked whether she would welcome an investigation into what happened or if she had spoken to the prime minister about it, Ms Braverman said: "I am focussed on working as the home secretary." This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Yvette Cooper claims Suella Braverman is "not answering basic factual questions" about her 2022 speeding fine Speaking to the Westminster Hour on BBC Radio 4, former senior civil servant Sir Philip Rycroft said Mrs Braverman's reported actions appeared to be a "real lapse of judgement". "Obviously, there's still investigations to be done and so on but the code is very clear. Ministers must ensure that no conflict arises or appears to arise between their public duties and their private interests. "Even asking a question of a civil servant as to how she might go on one of these courses puts them in an impossible position." The ministerial code sets standards of conduct expected of ministers, including that they must uphold the political impartiality of the civil service. Former business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg told Radio 4's World at One, he was confident Ms Braverman had not broken any rules. "What goes on in private offices is a minister is busy and has many things to do and sometimes will ask for something the civil servants can't do," he said. "As soon as once they say no, and you accept it, you haven't done anything wrong." In the Commons, Mr Sunak told MPs he has "asked for further information" and will update MPs "on the appropriate course of action in due course". The prime minister's official spokesman said Mr Sunak "wants to avail himself of all the information before he makes a decision". The prime minister still has confidence in the home secretary, the spokesman added. Mrs Braverman was in Downing Street on Monday lunchtime, and afterwards headed to the House of Commons for a scheduled question session from MPs on Home Office issues. During the session, Mrs Braverman was repeatedly pressed on whether she had asked civil servants to arrange a private speed awareness course. Labour's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: "If the home secretary can't grip on her own rule-breaking behaviour how can she get a grip on anything else." The home secretary told MPs she had paid the speeding fine and had not sought to avoid any sanction. Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer said the prime minister should order his adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, to investigate whether ministerial rules were broken. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Sir Keir said it looked like "inappropriate action took place" from the home secretary that "needs to be fully investigated". "The usual consequence of breaking the ministerial code is that you'll go," he added. The Liberal Democrats are also calling for an investigation and said Mr Sunak needed to make a statement in Parliament about the claims. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. "Did you have any questions about the summit?" Rishi Sunak asks the BBC's Chris Mason Answering questions at the G7 summit over the weekend, Mr Sunak apparently did not know anything about the story the until it was first reported in the Sunday Times. and he declined to say whether he would be ordering an investigation. Speaking at a news conference, he also declined to say he backed Mrs Braverman - but a Downing Street source later said that "of course" he did. After serving as attorney general between February 2020 and September 2022, Mrs Braverman was promoted to home secretary under Liz Truss. She resigned on 19 October after sending an official document from a personal email to a backbench MP - describing it as a "technical infringement of the rules". But she was reappointed to the same role by Mr Sunak six days later following the collapse of Liz Truss's government.

The whales stranded on Lewis will be moved to a landfill in Stornoway for post-mortem examinations Scientists are carrying out a "monumental" post-mortem investigation on a pod of 55 whales that became stranded in the Western Isles. Only 15 were alive after they washed on to Traigh Mhor beach at North Tolsta on the Isle of Lewis on Sunday morning. One is believed to have been successfully refloated, but the rest were euthanised on welfare grounds. It is the highest number of deaths following a mass stranding of animals in the UK for at least 70 years. Leading veterinary pathologist Dr Andrew Brownlow said the investigation would be a "monumental task". He is director of the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS), whose team will carry out the post-mortem examinations. Attempts were made to give surviving whales first aid on Sunday They will gather data from a select number of the whales as they would be unable to examine all 55. Weather could also impede the process though Dr Brownlow said conditions had improved since Sunday. He told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "It's going to be a monumental task. "There are more animals sadly which are awaiting necropsy now than all of the mass strandings put together for the last decade. "What we will try and do is triage these animals - we will select those animals that we think best represent the rest of the pod and make sure that we take samples and as much data that we can. "Then it's simply a race against time, energy and weather. We will do the most that we possibly can to find out what's been going on here." Pilot whales are known for their strong social bonds, so often when one whale gets into difficulty and strands, the rest follow. Between 60-70 of the animals came into shallow waters in Sutherland in 2011 while 21 died during a stranding at Pittenweem in 2012. According to the Natural History Museum, the largest UK stranding took place in 1927 when 126 out of more than 130 false killer whales died in the Dornoch Firth in the Highlands. There are also accounts of a mass stranding of pilot whales at Dunbar, East Lothian, in May 1950 with some reports saying 147 were found on the beach. Marine charity British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) said the pod on Lewis could have followed a female on to the beach when she became unwell while giving birth - as happened at Staffin on Skye in 2015. However Dr Brownlow said there are a number of reasons behind strandings and his team will be looking to rule out human impact. He said: "Pilot whale strandings have happened for centuries - it's not necessarily the case that it's because of human impact. "But that's one of the things we want to try and investigate and rule out - to see whether or not some of the things that can affect these animals such as underwater noise, interaction with fishing gear, accumulation of toxins or disease may have played a part." This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. About 55 whales were stranded on Sunday morning On Sunday attempts were made to give the surviving whales first aid. BDMLR attempted to refloat two of the more active whales - one successfully got away but another was later found further down the beach. The whales are now being moved to a landfill in Stornoway where they will be buried after investigations take place. Dr Brownlow said whales can be left to decompose on beaches as they form part of the natural nutrient cycle - but it the decision to move them was "understandable" as Traigh Mhor is one of the more popular beaches on the island. Western Isles Council - Comhairle nan Eilean Siar - has asked people to avoid the area as the operation to remove the whales takes place. Last year more than 200 of the same species of whales were found stranded on a remote beach on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia. Dr Brownlow said although 55 whales was a large stranding for Scotland, it was "not unprecedented" - but had nevertheless attracted interest from scientists around the world. "Although this is pretty grim and a relatively challenging thing to do, you can actually learn a lot from these animals," he said. "There is interest from all over the world - we've been contacted from the guys in Tasmania who have offered us support and best wishes but are also very interested to know what we find out. "From the process of examining these animals we can learn a lot about the threats and pressures that affect not just the animals in our waters but globally. So I think there is some value in doing this."

Angus Cloud, who starred on HBO hit series Euphoria has died, aged 25. Cloud, who played drug dealer Fezco "Fez" O'Neill on the teen drama, died on Monday at his family home in Oakland, California, said a publicist. "It is with the heaviest heart that we had to say goodbye to an incredible human today," said a statement from Cloud's family. Cloud buried his father last week, according to family, and was in a "battle with mental health". "The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend," the statement read. "We hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence." The cause of death has not been given. "We are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Angus Cloud. He was immensely talented and a beloved part of the HBO and Euphoria family," HBO said in a statement. "We extend our deepest condolences to his friends and family during this difficult time." Cloud had minor acting credits in two films, North Hollywood and The Line. He had also appeared in music videos for artists including Becky G, Karol G and Juice WRLD. But his career really took off after he won the part of Fez, a high school drug dealer in Euphoria. The role turned Cloud into a breakout star, according to the Hollywood Reporter, and his character was expanded in the second season. According to a 2019 interview with GQ, Cloud had no real aspirations to become a star, or even an actor. He used to work at a chicken and waffle joint, according to the magazine, and one day was unexpectedly stopped by an agent from a casting company. "I was confused and I didn't want to give her my phone number," Cloud told GQ. "I thought it was a scam." After first airing in June 2019, Euphoria quickly became a hit and by 2022 was the most tweeted-about TV show of the decade in the US. The main character, played by Zendaya, is a 17-year-old who struggles with drug abuse, seen on screen taking the deadly opioid fentanyl and injecting morphine. In 2022, Cloud defended accusations during an interview with TMZ that the show glorified drug use. His Euphoria co-star, Javon "Wanna" Walton, known in the show as Cloud's adoptive brother, Ashtray, wrote on Instagram about Cloud's death: "Rest easy brother." On X, formerly known as Twitter, California congresswoman Barbara Lee lamented the loss of "Oakland's own". "His immense talent touched the lives of countless people. His work & legacy will forever live on and make Oakland proud," she posted. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised you can visit the BBC's Action Line pages, or contact Samaritans. If you're in the US, call 988, or contact Lifeline.

The King and Queen met eight-year-olds Camilla Nowawakowska and Charles Murray outside St Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh The King and Queen met another Charles and Camilla as they concluded their two-day visit to Northern Ireland in counties Armagh and Fermanagh. The royal couple greeted primary school children who had been waiting outside St Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh. Among them was Camilla Nowawakowska, wearing a crepe-paper replica of her own crown. Standing next to Camilla was Charles Murray, who was sporting a purple paper crown decorated with shiny stickers. When the two children told the Queen their first names, she said: "Goodness me, isn't that funny. "You've got very smart crowns on, they're a little bit lighter than the one I had on. "They look pretty cool with all the jewels." Charles was then called over and shook hands with the two children. The royal couple, who have since left Northern Ireland, had just met the main Christian denominations at the Anglican St Patrick's Cathedral. Queen Camilla also met children at Armagh Robinson Library as part of her campaign to encourage reading. Later, they met local community groups many of whom had taken part in the Coronation Big Help Out. King Charles with the Dean of Armagh, the Very Revd Shane Forster, during his visit to St Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh Among those to give readings at the cathedral service were Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland Rev John McDowell and Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland Rev Eamon Martin. The other denominations represented at the service were the Presbyterian Church and the Methodist Church. At the library, the Queen viewed Jonathan Swift's own, annotated, copy of his book Gulliver's Travels, during her visit to the library. Children from Drelincourt primary school, volunteers from the library and representatives from Dementia NI, all of whom use the library regularly, were among those meeting the Queen. She said they were lucky to have access to the historical books in the library. The royal couple then made their way to Market Theatre Square to see a celebration of culture. The Queen got up close with the legendary characters associated with Armagh Ulster-Scots, Irish, Chinese and South Asian cultures featured their traditional music, song and dance. The King and Queen also met characters representing legendary and historical characters associated with Armagh, sampled local delicacies and met artisanal food producers, as well as speaking to the crowds gathered. As the couple joined the Lord Mayor of Armagh Paul Greenfield on stage, King Charles addressed the crowd and thanked the community for its hospitality. "I did just want to say before we leave that it's been the greatest pleasure to join you here today," he said. This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by The Royal Family This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by The Royal Family "I realise it was 23 years ago since I was last here, and I think opened The Market Place building, which I'm so pleased to see is still going strong and I hope making a huge difference to Armagh. "But if I may say so it's been particularly special to meet so many of you today, also a large number of school children whose exams, I suspect, we have totally disrupted." In the afternoon, the pair made their way to Enniskillen Castle where they met representatives from across the community, voluntary and heritage sectors in Fermanagh in celebration of the Coronation. All smiles as the King greets schoolchildren at Enniskillen Castle They were entertained by a special joint performance of Irish and Scottish dancers accompanied by traditional musicians. The King and Queen were presented with a Coronation Basket made by Belleek Pottery. Around a thousand people who had gathered outside the castle were rewarded by a royal walkabout with the King and Queen spending time shaking hands and talking to the crowd. The King and Queen also went to Lough Erne's waterfront where they met representatives of the RNLI who marked their 200th anniversary.

A 10m humpback whale has been rescued after becoming entangled in a shark net off Australia’s Gold Coast. Workers used delicate equipment to cut the whale free during the early morning operation. Environmental groups have pushed for the removal of nets during the whale migration season, which sees tens of thousands of the mammals pass Australia’s east coast.

Coverage: Follow live text & radio coverage on the BBC Sport website & app; watch highlights on Sportscene Kyogo Furuhashi doesn't need to don the cloak and scythe of the grim reaper when he fetches up at Ibrox on Sunday. The bare numbers of his story versus Rangers reveal how much of a bogey man he's been to the Ibrox club. In the December meeting at Celtic Park, Kyogo had two shots on target and scored with one of them, which turned out to be the decisive goal. In September at Ibrox, he had just nine touches of the ball in 76 minutes, one of them being the match-winner. Last April, in a 3-2 win, he had two shots on target and two goals from only 17 touches. A few months earlier, just when it looked like Rangers were going to win 2-1 at Ibrox, Kyogo poked in the equaliser with two minutes left. It was his only attempt on target. He had 15 touches and was largely anonymous, until he wasn't. This time last year he was on 26 goals. Now he's on 16. • None Rodgers has no issue with 'top referee' Beaton • None What do the numbers tell us about derby? He's had those Old Firm highs, but it's not been a vintage season for Kyogo. He's missed the service of Jota on one side and Liel Abada on the other, the holy trinity of the Ange Postecoglou years. He's playing deeper under Rodgers and has suffered from the musical chairs on either side of him, the constant changing of the wide players and the lack of fluency it has brought at times. Some of that has been down to injury. He'll still occupy the every waking thought of the Rangers defence in the build-up to Sunday. They all know about his stealth, they've all been burned by his capacity to appear under the thumb for large parts of a game before, metaphorically, breaking free and thumping them in the face. In Kyogo, Celtic will continue to trust. If Kyogo has inflicted pain on Rangers, then Brendan Rodgers has really been torturer-in-chief. Fifteen games with 12 victories and only one defeat. A 4-0, a 5-0 and a 5-1. A total of 34 goals scored and only eight conceded. 1,350 minutes played and behind for only 108 of those. Eight clean sheets to Rangers' two. Even when his team have looked shaky, they've still done the job. Going into the first meeting of the season, Celtic had drawn with St Johnstone and had lost to Kilmarnock in their previous two games. Rangers smelt blood at Ibrox that day. Celtic won 1-0. Earlier in December, they lost to Kilmarnock and Hearts before facing Rangers. Philippe Clement's side had gone unbeaten in 16 matches, winning 13, one of which was away to Real Betis in the Europa League. A Betis team who five days before had drawn 1-1 with the Real Madrid of Jude Bellingham, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Federico Valverde. 'It wasn't supposed to be like this for prodigal son' Rodgers' dominance has entered the history books. With an 80% win rate, he has the highest win return of any Old Firm manager in major competitions. Doubt from the outside world accompanied all the way to kick-off in both of his games against Rangers this season but Rodgers - and Kyogo - came up with the solutions. But there's doubt again now. This season has not been the Celtic procession that some might have thought it was going to be. Rangers have got their act together while Celtic have bobbed along on choppy waters. A poor summer transfer window followed by a poor January transfer window. The sound of booing at Celtic Park. The sound of Rodgers having a go at those booing. The endless grief with the Green Brigade. The "good girl" saga that saw Rodgers slammed by a women's campaigning group. The Scottish FA charge - and subsequent touchline ban - for accusing officials of incompetence. It's been a grind. Five draws and three defeats. Ninetieth-minute wins against Hibs and Motherwell twice. It wasn't supposed to be like this for the prodigal son. And yet, they're still top of the league, albeit with Rangers having a game in hand. They've scored more goals than their city rivals, have a higher expected goals count and have created more big chances. They've not been fluent nearly as often as Rodgers would have liked - he's had some harsh words to say about their negativity and their lack of speed of thought and movement along the way - but they're still there. And if they win, or even draw, on Sunday you'd make them favourites to win the title because they'll have Rangers at Celtic Park post-split, a Celtic Park that will be heaving to the sound of 60,000 fans getting on the backs of visiting players, many of whom have never closed a deal as big as this one. Rangers will be encouraged by Callum McGregor's absence since the end of February and hopeful that, even if he is ready to play, then he won't be at his totemic best. For Rodgers, it's bigger this time. He has never faced this kind of game in Scotland before, a game that if lost could - and most probably would - cost him the title. That's alien territory for the Celtic manager. In his previous incarnation they'd have been organising the party by now. It's what makes Sunday so intoxicating. Rodgers, and how he will be viewed by Celtic fans in victory or in defeat, is a drama unto itself. Given their complicated feelings about him, it's a love-in or a pile-on balanced on a knife edge. All 15 of his Old Firm games have been important, but this one holds more peril than any of the others. Have your say on Rodgers & Celtic If the form doesn't load properly, go straight to it here... • Celtic is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment • None Everything Celtic - go straight to all the best content

The co-founder and guitarist of Irish rock band The Script, Mark Sheehan, has died. The 46-year-old died in hospital on Friday following a brief illness, the band announced. Sheehan formed the group in 2001 alongside vocalist Danny O'Donoghue and drummer Glen Power. A statement on the band's social media pages said Sheehan was a "much loved husband, father, brother, band mate and friend". It asked fans to respect the privacy of his family and bandmates. Ireland's president Michael D Higgins said Sheehan was an "outstanding" example of Irish musical success on the world stage. "It was a mark of the originality and excellence that Mark and his bandmates in The Script sought that they saw such success across the world, including six number one albums in the UK and a number three album in the United States - a truly remarkable achievement," he said. Contemporaries of Sheehan's in the entertainment industry were quick to honour his memory. In a statement posted on Instagram, Irish presenter Laura Whitmore wrote: "Thinking of you all at this time. "Mark was one of the nicest and most talented men you could meet." Fellow Irish rock band Kodaline have also paid tribute, posting on Twitter: "So sorry to hear (of) the passing of Mark Sheehan." In an Instagram tribute, Irish pop duo Jedward said: "Everyone in the Irish music industry and worldwide mourn your loss RIP Mark such a talented musician from The Script one of the most iconic Irish groups of our generation." Fellow musicians and celebrities have come forward to pay tribute to Mark Sheehan Sheehan was born on 29 October 1976 in Dublin in Mount Brown in The Liberties area, and was married to Reena Sheehan with whom he had three children. He was a singer, songwriter and guitarist, and passionate about music from a young age. From 1996-2001 he was a member of the band Mytown, alongside The Script's frontman O'Donoghue. The Script started in Dublin in 2001 with Sheehan as guitarist, O'Donoghue as singer songwriter and Power as drummer. The band moved to London after signing a record contract with Sony Music Group. It was there that they released their first full album, "We Cry", which went on to reach number one in both Ireland and the UK. After that their next three albums Science & Faith, #3 and No Sound Without Silence, all topped the album charts in both countries. Science & Faith reached number three in the United States and number two in Australia. Since then the band have continued to tour the world and release original music albums, combining Irish themes with pop-rock nuances. They have been known for their writing from the heart, including "If You Could See Me Now", addressing the death of vocalist O'Donoghue's father and both of Sheehan's parents. Fans over the last year have wondered why Sheehan had a short break from the stage. In 2022, Sheehan missed the US leg of the band's tour. O'Donoghue told the media that his bandmate had taken a break to spend time with his family. He explained to Sunday World that the group were supportive of Sheehan's decision and described them as a "a band of brothers" who "stick together no matter what". In 2013, The Script had a brush with royalty, when the Queen visited the BBC's Broadcasting House and watched a performance by The Script, briefly chatting with singer O'Donoghue. Sheehan said when he was told about the royal engagement, he thought "people were playing a joke on us". The Script are scheduled to support the American artist P!nk during her European tour later this year.

Three people have been arrested by detectives investigating the murder of a woman outside a Merseyside pub on Christmas Eve. Elle Edwards, 26, was shot in the head while celebrating with friends at The Lighthouse pub in Wallasey Village. A man and a woman, both 23, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder, Merseyside Police said. Thomas Waring, 20, was charged with possession of a prohibited weapon and assisting an offender. Mr Waring, of Private Drive, Barnston, Wirral, is due to appear at Wirral Adult Remand Court on Thursday. The man, from Heswall, and woman, from Tranmere, have been released on bail. Connor Chapman, 22, has already been charged with murdering Ms Edwards and is due to go on trial on 7 June. Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to [email protected]

British Airways is cancelling around 32 flights a day to and from Heathrow Airport at the start of the Easter holidays. The move is due to a planned 10-day strike by 1,400 Heathrow security workers in the Unite union, who are taking action in a dispute over pay. BA said it had offered a range of options to affected customers. Heathrow says contingency plans will be put in place to ensure it can "operate as normal". Workers at Terminal 5, which is used by British Airways, will take part in the action, as will those who check cargo. The walkout is due to start on 31 March and end on 9 April. Talks last week failed to avert the action. BA has been told by the airport to reduce its schedule on those days by 5% and has stopped selling tickets. In a statement, the airline said: "We've regrettably had to make a small number of adjustments to our schedule. "We've apologised to customers whose travel plans have been affected and have offered them a range of options, including rebooking onto a new flight with us or another airline, or requesting a full refund." A Heathrow spokesperson said: "We will not let these unnecessary strikes impact the hard-earned holidays of our passengers." The airport said it was deploying 1,000 additional staff, together with its management team, who will be in the terminals providing assistance to passengers over the Easter break. It said it may take "a little longer than usual to get through security", and advised passengers to help ensure a smooth departure by checking their flight status before travelling to the airport, and by having their liquids and electronics ready for security. Sharon Graham, general secretary of the Unite union, said "our members are simply unable to make ends meet due to the low wages paid by Heathrow. They are being forced to take strike action due to need not greed." Heathrow says it has offered a 10% pay rise. Strike action in other countries, notably France, has already caused a number of airlines to cancel flights this year. Monday's strike in Germany has also caused cancellations. How will the Heathrow strike affect your plans? You can get in touch by emailing [email protected]. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways: If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. • None Strike action: What do rail workers, nurses and others want?

Fellow Welshman Barry John (left) playing for the Lions with JPR Williams (right) against New Zealand in 1971 Wales rugby legend JPR Williams has called on the sport's chiefs to pay more attention to the links between concussion and the impact on players. The 1970s star and surgeon spoke as researchers found a link between repeat rugby concussions and reduced blood and oxygen flow to the brain in later life. The study said it may show why memory, thought processes and co-ordination declined in some ex-players tested. World Rugby has said it welcomes new research into players' welfare. Williams, a British and Irish Lion renowned for his toughness on the field in the Welsh game's 1970s golden era, said governing bodies must take more notice of research. "There is no doubt the generations after us are going to be left worse off than we were," said Williams, 74. Commenting on the findings of the study, in which he was involved, he said: "I'm not pleased, but it backs up what we felt was the problem." A separate legal case is ongoing where former players are suing the WRU, RFU and World Rugby, previously known as the International Rugby Board. The players say they sustained permanent brain injuries in the game. JPR Williams says the research "backs up what we felt was the problem" The case will be decided by a judge based on the evidence presented in court. Thomas Owens, co-lead investigator on the University of South Wales (USW) study, said research found that retired players with a history of concussion had mild cognitive impairment. "This is a state whereby the cognitive function of these individuals, in term of the way someone thinks, remembers information, processes that information and co-ordinates the body's movements declines over time, and particularly throughout ageing". He said this put them at "increased risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases later in life". But the researchers said not everyone who played contact sports would go on to develop cognitive decline. Williams said he had no concerns for his health but his generation was worried about neurodegenerative diseases. Former Bridgend captain Meredydd James has undergone tests as part of the research He is particularly concerned about the generations that came after him, especially given the intensity of the game now. Williams said: "I had been an orthopaedic surgeon for 35 years. I thought it was good to get involved because of the concern about lots of sports having problems with concussion". He cited "serious worries, particularly with the laws of the game now, where they stand right on top of each other". "There seems to be a bit of a conflict between the laws, and the early onset of cognitive degeneration," he said. He said cognitive health was not really known about when he played, but much less time was spent training. "The game was amateur, we only probably had physical contact once a week. Now they have it every day, the brain needs time to recover, it's like any organ in the body, it is quite a worry, it's repetitive, not even huge bangs but repetitive small injuries to the brain can be a problem in later life." The 55-cap full-back wants the game to return to how it was in the 1970s, with more space for players, "to decrease the ferocity of the hits". He also wants reduced tackling and contact in training. He urged governing bodies "to take more notice than they do" of studies such as this. Williams reflected on an infamous moment of his career when he was stamped on by New Zealand prop John Ashworth while playing for Bridgend against the All Blacks in 1978. Knowing what he knows now, he probably would not have returned to the field after having his face stitched up by his father at the side of the pitch. Scientists at USW's neurovascular research laboratory analysed the brain health of 20 retired players aged between 60 and 80 who had suffered concussions. For the first time, researchers found they had reduced blood and oxygen flow to the brain due to less nitric oxide, which helps blood vessels regulate blood around the body. Some exhibited signs of mild cognitive impairment and all were outperformed by the control group in cognitive function tests. The researchers said this was the first study to determine mechanisms that may cause cognitive decline and has implications for other contact sports. It is hoped the research may contribute to improving protection for players and help with the introduction of pitch-side blood or saliva tests for concussion. JPR Williams (third from right) with fellow ex-rugby stars at the launch of BBC Wales series Slammed Mr Owens said: "It's important to note that we don't want to stop players playing rugby, but we want to make them inherently aware of the risks associated with forms of brain trauma and concussion. "Make them aware, improve the way that we detect concussion at the pitchside and then improve the way we care for players following retirement." Former Bridgend RFC captain Meredydd James also took part in the study, and said there was no knowledge about the dangers of concussion in his era, but he started to feel the effects later in life. "Initially you have some aches and pains, I used to have a bit of back trouble," he said. "I think for the first 20, 30 years you just go along with it and you can't say it was definitely related to rugby. "But I think when you get to 55-plus, a little bit of memory loss, perhaps the recall, perhaps balance, those are some things starting to kick in, and you think: 'Concussion, dementia could it be something like that'?" There are other studies taking place investigating the health of former players. Lifestyle changes, including poor diet, alcohol dependency and lack of exercise may also accelerate the cognitive decline of former athletes. USW researchers said they recognised this study had limitations in the relatively small sample size and it relies on participants remembering past concussions. But they are aiming to carry out a larger study and investigate the potential differences in brain health between male and female athletes in contact sports. World Rugby previously said it "welcomes all research that can inform and support our recently launched strategy to cement rugby as the most progressive sport on player welfare" and undertook "a wide-ranging evaluation of contact training". In 2021 it said: "It is at the heart of everything that we say and do as a sport. World Rugby recently committed to double our investment in player welfare and new concussion research and initiatives." The WRU has been asked to comment.

A ban on fees to get rid of DIY waste in England will push up costs for all households, councils have warned. Currently around a third of local authorities charge to dispose of DIY waste at recycling centres. The government said the ban, which is expected to come into force later this year, aims to deter fly-tipping. But the Local Government Association (LGA) said the costs would still be passed on, for example through higher council tax. The organisation, which represents councils in England, said the change would cost many councils more than £1m a year. Suffolk County Council said scrapping the charges would cost an estimated £500,000 a year, while Norfolk County Council said the cost would be more than £1m a year. Charges to dispose of materials like paving slabs, plasterboard and bricks can be up to £10 an item. The LGA's environment spokesman, Darren Rodwell, said: "Where councils are no longer able to charge for DIY waste at recycling centres the cost will be passed to all householders, including households that do not have a car and those with no possibility of carrying out building works, for example people living in rented accommodation." He added: "Manufacturers should also contribute to the costs to councils of clear up, by providing more take-back services so people can hand in sofas, old furniture and mattresses when they buy new ones." The government said the change was part of its wider action to tackle fly-tipping, which costs the economy an estimated £924m a year in England. However, Mr Rodwell said evidence from councils and recycling campaign group Wrap did not show a link between charges and fly-tipping. Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said: "We want to make it as easy as possible for people to dispose of their waste properly and that's why we are removing the financial burden on doing the right thing with DIY trash." Jacob Hayler, executive director of the Environmental Services Association, which represents the waste management industry, said: "We welcome any measures that make it easier for householders to dispose of waste correctly and responsibly at their local Household Waste Recycling Centre, which in turn reduces the chance of it falling into the hands of criminals or being fly-tipped." In 2015, the government banned charges on local residents disposing of household rubbish at household waste centres. Guidance made clear this includes DIY household waste. But some local authorities were still able to charge for certain types of DIY material, under rules designed for construction waste. Sign up for our UK morning newsletter and get BBC News in your inbox.

University of Edinburgh student Romy Ulvestad died at her parents' London home four days after her 21st birthday. She had killed herself after staff failed to provide additional support, despite repeated warnings that she was struggling with her mental health. Now her mother is adding her support to a campaign for the UK government to create legal duty of care for students. The university, which apologised for failing Romy, said it had improved the support it offers since her death. Libby Kitson, Romy's mother, has joined calls for Westminster to change the law to better protect students, and hopes the Scottish government will follow suit. The petition to the UK government is being supported by 25 bereaved families, who have come together and set up The LEARN Network. It reached more than 127,000 signatures before the deadline at midnight on Mothers' Day, meaning Parliament will consider the subject for debate. Speaking to BBC Scotland, Ms Kitson said she did not know that her daughter was struggling with her mental health when she returned to London during the Covid lockdown in 2020. "Her father and I had no idea about her mental health struggles but they had been well-flagged to people at the University of Edinburgh who could have done something about it," she said. "I sent Romy to off to university to study classics, which would be a pivotal point for the rest of her life. What I didn't expect to do was send her off to university to die." Romy, a classics student and part-time model, died in April 2020, more than a year after she communicated with the university about her struggles by requesting a "special circumstances" application to resit her exams without penalty. Ms Kitson said: "We want there to be a legal duty of care within all higher education institutions, and I think some people, including our government, seem to think there is some legal requirement in place but there really isn't. "You want to know that if your child is suffering with any kind of mental health issues, or is overwhelmed by university life, there are people there who are trained and skilled to help deal with it. "And if they really, really are in a state of crisis you would want to be informed." Libby Kitson hopes the Scottish government will legislate after the UK government Campaigners from ForThe100 want a change in law to ensure higher education institutions have a legal duty of care towards their students, as schools already do. The Department of Education has said creating a legally enforced duty of care "would be a disproportionate response". Ms Kitson said the campaign was not looking to provide a means for families to sue universities, but to prevent similar deaths. She said she did not want any other parent to have to go through the same situation. "We would hope that the Scottish Parliament would look at England and Wales and think 'they've led by example, we should follow suit'," she said. "A Scottish student's life is no less important." A University of Edinburgh spokeswoman said it had been "shocked and deeply saddened by what happened" to Romy and "deeply sorry" for the gaps in support given to her. "Supporting our students' mental health and ensuring their wellbeing is our absolute priority," she said. "Our support policies and practices are under regular review as we continue to focus and improve upon our mental health support provision and provide the best possible environment for our students." Students at the university now have access to a "named-contact relationship" with staff trained in wellbeing and mental health, alongside other support services. The spokeswoman added: "We continue to engage with students through both the Students' Association and the Sports Union to identify how best we can shape and develop our services to support students most effectively. "We work closely with the three other universities in Edinburgh and NHS mental health colleagues to improve pathways into specialist mental health services for students." The Department for Education previously responded to the petition by saying that higher education providers already had a "general duty of care not to cause harm to their students through their own actions". A spokesperson said: "We acknowledge the profound and lasting impact a young person's suicide has upon their family and friends, and know among the petitioners there are those who have personal experience of these devastating, tragic events. "[However] we... feel further legislation to create a statutory duty of care, where such a duty already exists, would be a disproportionate response." In a response to the petition, the Scottish government said: ''We are determined to support the mental health of all students. Over the last three years we have invested £11.5m to introduce additional counsellors in colleges and universities''. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Right, we'll be back here at 10:45 BST for day four at Wimbledon. It's going to be a classic with Briton Liam Broady, playing Casper Ruud, first up on Centre Court. And then, tomorrow evening, two-time winner Andy Murray takes on fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round. We'll see you then, take care!

Levi Davis was last seen in Barcelona on 29 October - witnesses say they saw a man in the water of the city's port the next morning Spanish police have said they are investigating the possibility that missing British rugby player Levi Davis drowned. Levi was 24 years old when he disappeared in Barcelona shortly after arriving in the city from Ibiza by boat. He has not been heard from since the last confirmed sighting on 29 October. Mossos d'Esquadra - Catalan Police - told the BBC its main theory is that Levi fell into the sea. Police divers can be seen in the clip entering the waters close to where Levi is thought to have disappeared. The force previously confirmed it had received reports from cruise ship staff who said they saw a man in the water on the morning of 30 October. Levi's mobile phone was last located in the port area that morning, and his passport was found there in November after his disappearance was reported. Detectives previously said they were trying to establish whether there was any criminal involvement in Levi's disappearance. In its latest statement, Mossos d'Esquadra said the new search was trying to find "any evidence that could confirm the theory of a possible accidental death". However, it said the case remained open and the latest developments were in response to new information. A spokesperson said the force was keeping in "constant" contact with Levi's family. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Levi's mum has shared the last video message from him sent just hours before he disappeared Levi, who had played rugby for Bath and Worthing, appeared on Celebrity X-Factor in 2019. He'd signed a record deal and was due to release his second single last November. Before his disappearance, he'd spent about two weeks staying with a friend in Ibiza before heading to Barcelona. He was recorded on CCTV outside the Old Irish Pub in the city centre, and sent several voice notes and messages before contact was lost the next morning. Levi's mum Julie Davis, from Solihull in the West Midlands, has previously criticised the speed of the investigation. More recently, she has urged people not to spread conspiracy theories about his disappearance online. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.

Alberta has declared a state of emergency after wildfires spread across the western Canadian province, driving nearly 25,000 people from their homes. Faced with more than 100 wildfires, Alberta's Premier Danielle Smith called the situation "unprecedented". Residents of Edson, a town of more than 8,000, were told to leave immediately. Ms Smith said a hot, dry spring had created "so much kindling" and some 122,000 hectares (301,000 acres) had burned so far. Many of the fires are burning out of control, fanned by strong winds. The worst-hit areas include Drayton Valley, about 140km (87 miles) west of the provincial capital Edmonton, and Fox Lake, some 550km north of the city, where 20 homes were consumed by fire. Firefighting helicopters and air tankers have been brought in and the federal government has offered assistance from Ottawa. Edmonton Expo Centre is accommodating more than 1,000 evacuees and in the town of High Level a curling rink is being turned into a temporary shelter. Alberta is a major oil-producing region, but so far oil facilities do not appear to be in immediate danger. • None Are wildfires happening more often?

Artian Lushaku died four days after he was struck by a car in the north of Glasgow A 13-year-old boy has died four days after being hit by a car in Glasgow. Artian Lushaku was critically injured when he was struck by a Toyota Aygo on Balmore Road, in the city's Lambhill area, at about 17:55 on Wednesday. Police Scotland said he died from his injuries at the Royal Hospital for Children on Sunday. Officers urged anyone who witnessed the incident to come forward and said they were particularly keen to speak to the driver of a white van. Sgt Nicholas Twigg said: "This is a deeply distressing time for Artian's family as they try to come to terms with his death. "It's imperative we establish the full circumstances of the collision and our investigation remains ongoing. "We are keen to hear from the driver of a white van who was in the area around the time of the incident and we would ask them to get in touch with us as we believe they could assist with our ongoing investigation." Artian had been a pupil at Cleveden Secondary School for two years. Headteacher Claire Wilson said the school community was devastated by his death and said the 13-year-old was loved by everyone who knew him. She said: "He has left such a mark on our school with his confident, outgoing, friendly, caring and enthusiastic nature. Artian brought a sense of fun to anything he set his mind to. "He will also be remembered for his sporting talents, and we will all miss him. "The awful events of last week have been a shock to everyone and our thoughts and loving prayers are with Artian's family and friends at this deeply distressing time. "We will do everything we can to support our school community over the coming days and months." • None Boy, 13, critical after being hit by car

The closing speeches of the Agreement 25 conference hailed the renewal of relationships between London, Dublin and Brussels. Rishi Sunak described his Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar as “my friend”, and paid tribute to the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for helping create the “breakthrough moment” of the Windsor Framework. Von der Leyen underlined the improvement of UK-EU relations since Sunak became prime minister, saying “we agreed to focus on the road ahead, rather than past disagreements”. Varadkar noted an observation made by many involved in the peace process in recent weeks - that “Northern Ireland works best when the British and Irish governments work together”. Varadkar and Sunak echoed each other in referring to the late David Trimble’s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech - referring to hills ahead, but mountains behind. The theme was clear - the difficult relations in the years following the Brexit referendum were now in the past. The strengthening of bonds between international leaders may help increase the pressure for a restoration of Northern Ireland’s devolved government. But ultimately Sunak, Varadkar and von der Leyen do not have the power to bring back power-sharing in Belfast. The rules of cross-community consensus in the peace settlement mean a Stormont Executive can be formed only when unionists and nationalists agree to take part together - and there is no imminent sign the Democratic Unionist Party is planning to lift its veto.

Aldi, Lidl and Asda have joined rival supermarkets Sainsbury's and Tesco in cutting the price of milk by at least 5p. The retailers are reducing the price of a pint to 90p, in order to match other grocers. While the drop will be welcomed by people struggling with higher living costs, milk still costs more than double the average price before Covid. In March 2020, a pint of milk was around 43p, according to official data. All five supermarkets have confirmed the reductions in price will not affect how much they pay farmers. Tesco said it made the decision because its costs for buying in milk had fallen. Asda said that it had taken "swift action to reduce the price of milk as commodity prices have eased". Arla, the UK's largest dairy producer, said in March that the wholesale price of milk was already expected to fall by around 5.3p per litre this month because of rising supplies and falling demand from cost-conscious shoppers. The move comes at a time when food inflation is at its highest level since 1978. The latest official data shows that food prices increased by 18.2% in the year to February. Milk alone has risen by 43% in price over the same period, one of many staples, including cheese and eggs, which have surged in cost and squeezed household budgets. Some analysts have suggested that supermarkets reducing their prices is a possible sign that hikes in the cost of a weekly shop could be starting to ease. Arthur Fearnall, a farmer and board director at Arla Foods, said: "While some prices for dairy categories are seeing early signs of levelling out, the severity of the on-going cost of living crisis and volatile economic environment is continuing to negatively impact consumer demand for both conventional and organic milk." Paul Savage, agriculture director at Arla, said milk supplies in the UK rose by 3.2% in March compared to the same month last year. "When coupled with a decline in dairy consumption and an overall decline in shopping spending, with 75% of people cutting expenditure on food, this is creating a change in the supply and demand of milk," he said. Sainsbury's said with "costs going up, we are working hard to keep prices low, especially on the everyday essentials people buy the most". Recent research revealed nine out of 10 shoppers reported feeling concerned about rising food prices, according to Barclays. Around 62% said they were finding ways to reduce the cost of their weekly shop, a report showed. On Thursday, Tesco announced its full-year results and admitted that customers had faced "an incredibly tough year" with prices soaring. Tesco's chief executive Ken Murphy said that he expected prices to keep rising throughout the first half of this year but they would then "moderate". Tesco said that while its full-year sales had risen by 7% to £66bn, pre-tax profits dropped 51% to £1bn. It said it had faced "unprecedented" rises in prices charged by its suppliers. Separately, Sainsbury's has announced a major restructuring of how its logistics operations work, affecting around 7,000 staff throughout the country. The company said that no one would lose their job or get moved to worse contractual terms.

The Duke of Sussex has blamed alleged illegal intrusion into his private life by journalists for the break-up of his relationship with Chelsy Davy. In a witness statement, Prince Harry claimed Ms Davy decided that "a royal life was not for her" following repeated acts of harassment. The claims emerged in a High Court case against Mirror Group Newspapers brought by several high profile figures. MGN denies allegations of voicemail interception in the cases. It also claimed some of the cases being brought are beyond a legal time limit. Ms Davy and Prince Harry were in an on-off relationship between 2004 and 2010. In a summary of his witness statement, the duke's lawyers alleged unlawful activity "caused great challenges" in the relationship, and led Ms Davy to decide that "a Royal life was not for her". This included journalists booking into a hotel in Bazaruto, a small island off the coast of Mozambique, where Harry and Ms Davy had tried to escape to in order to "enjoy some peace and quiet", the document reads. The lawyers also said that mobile phonecalling data to be used in the trial shows that Ms Davy was targeted for voicemail interception between 2007 and 2009. The activities caused him "huge distress" and "presented very real security concerns for not only me but also everyone around me", he said, adding that they also created "a huge amount of paranoia" in future relationships. "Every time he was in a relationship, or even a rumoured relationship, that whole person's family, and often their friends, would be 'dragged into the chaos' and find themselves the subject of unlawful activity on the part of MGN," lawyers said. Prince Harry's lawyers allege that his mobile phone number was recorded in a handheld device belonging to "prolific hacker and head of news at the Sunday Mirror" Nick Buckley. The prince is also expected to allege that he experienced what was, in hindsight, voicemail interception in relation to 30 people with whom he had a close relationship. He is expected to give evidence in June - the first time a senior royal will be a witness in court in modern times. MGN has not admitted to any of the charges, although it said it "unreservedly apologises" for a separate instance of unlawful information-gathering against Harry and said that the legal challenge brought by the prince "warrants compensation". The article that incident referred to - regarding an MGN journalist instructing a private investigator to unlawfully gather information about Harry's activities at the Chinawhite nightclub on one night in February 2004 - is not one of the claims being brought by the prince. MGN said it would never be repeated. In written submissions, MGN's barrister, Andrew Green KC, said the publisher denied that 28 of the 33 articles in Harry's claim involved phone hacking or other unlawful information gathering. He said that stories came from a variety of other sources - including other members of the Royal Family. Mr Green added that it was "not admitted" that five of the 33 articles contained unlawful information gathering. Other celebrities have brought claims against MGN, with "test cases" - including Prince Harry's - selected to go to trial from the wider group of claimants. They include that of former Coronation Street actress Nikki Sanderson, comedian Paul Whitehouse's ex-wife Fiona Wightman and actor Michael Turner - who played Kevin Webster in Coronation Street and goes by his stage name Michael Le Vell. All are expected to give evidence during the six- to seven-week trial. The court heard that Ms Sanderson felt like she was "public property" and experienced abuse in the street following "false insinuations" in articles published by MGN. "[She had] people shouting at her in the street calling her a 'whore', 'slag' or 'slut' and even being physically assaulted on numerous occasions," barrister David Sherborne said. Mr Turner was accused by fellow cast members of being a "mole" amid alleged phone hacking, the court heard. The hearing is focusing on what senior executives at MGN knew about alleged phone hacking - including TV host Piers Morgan, who was editor of the Daily Mirror between 1995 and 2004. Mr Sherborne told the court that unlawful information gathering was both habitual and widespread at three papers - the Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People - between 1991 and 2011. He described "a flood of illegality", adding that "this flood was being authorised and approved of" by senior executives. The barrister also accused executives of misleading the Leveson inquiry - the inquiry into the practices, culture and ethics of the press - something it denies. In written arguments, Mr Sherborne said it was "inconceivable" that Mr Morgan and other editors did not know about MGN journalists instructing private investigators to obtain information. "The systemic and widespread use of PIs [private investigators] by MGN journalists to unlawfully obtain private information was authorised at senior levels," Mr Sherborne, who is also representing the duke, said. Mr Morgan has repeatedly denied any knowledge of phone hacking or illegal activity at the Daily Mirror when he was editor. "I've never hacked a phone. I've never told anybody to hack a phone," he told the BBC's Amol Rajan in an interview conducted before the trial began. MGN has previously settled a number of claims against it in relation to stories obtained through unlawful means. Read the latest from our royal correspondent Sean Coughlan - sign up here.

"See you there, love bugs," said the singer US singer Pink has announced she will kick off her 2024 UK tour in Cardiff. The Grammy-winning star announced on Tuesday that she is to play Principality Stadium on 11 June next year. The gig will mark five years since she last played there. The 44-year-old said she was excited to be back in Wales during the month that the stadium celebrates its quarter-century. "Starting the tour in Cardiff is going to be so fun," said Pink. "It's been way too long since I've been in Wales and to celebrate the 25th anniversary of this amazing venue is going to make it even more special. The announcement means it is going to be a busy few months for the stadium "See you there, love bugs," she added. Tickets for the Cardiff leg of Pink's Summer Carnival tour will go on pre-sale from Monday 27 November at 10:00 GMT and then on general sale from Thursday, 30 November at the same time. The announcement means 2024 is already shaping up as a busy year for the Principality Stadium, with concerts by Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift and Foo Fighters all taking place throughout May and June.

Last updated on .From the section Millwall Millwall's owner and chairman John Berylson died from injuries sustained after his car overturned and hit a tree in the United States. Police in Falmouth, Massachusetts, say no other vehicle was involved in the crash on Tuesday. Emergency services responded shortly before 08:00 local time and found Berylson, the sole occupant, trapped inside the car. The 70-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of the crash - described by Millwall as a "tragic accident" - remains under investigation. American businessman Berylson became a significant shareholder of Millwall in 2007 after he led a consortium which invested in the south-east London club, then in League One, and became chairman in October that year. The Championship side hailed him as "a person of such remarkable generosity, warmth, and kindness", while former players and rival clubs have also paid tribute. Falmouth Police Department said preliminary investigations into the crash showed that Berylson was driving his Range Rover south on Sippewissett Road in Falmouth, a coastal town on Cape Cod, when it lost control on a curve and left the road. The car then rolled over into a ravine and came to rest against a tree. Berylson was trapped inside the vehicle and was "extricated by mechanical means". He subsequently "succumbed to injuries received in the crash". The crash is being investigated by the Falmouth Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police. Berylson, who lived in Wellesley Hills in Greater Boston, is survived by wife Amy and children Jennifer, James, and Elizabeth.

A US policeman who saved a driver from a fiery crash has been hailed a hero. Sergeant Ashley Taylor was called to Highway 46 in southern Georgia after reports a car had veered off the road. Bodycam footage shows him running to the scene of the crash, smashing the car windows and pulling a woman to safety despite the growing flames. Local media reported the driver was having a medical emergency and is expected to make a full recovery.

Kathleen Poole faces deportation from Sweden despite living in the country for nearly two decades A pensioner with Alzheimer's faces being split from her family and deported to the UK from Sweden, after nearly two decades in the country. Sweden has ordered British-born Kathleen Poole, 74, to leave after her application to remain in the country post-Brexit was not accepted, her family told the BBC. They said it was "disgraceful" Sweden wants to deport the grandmother. The Swedish government said authorities are in contact with the family. Mrs Poole - who moved from Macclesfield, Cheshire, nearly two decades ago to Sweden to be closer to her family - is currently bedbound and receives round-the-clock care in a home where she has been living for the last 10 years. The grandmother-of-four's family was told in September 2022 she would be deported, despite making her application for Swedish residence status before the December 2021 deadline brought about by the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement. Her family said her application was rejected because she did not have a valid British passport - which they said she did not need as she could not travel due to her poor health - and despite sick notes from doctors. Speaking to the BBC, daughter-in-law Angelica said: "I sent six doctors' notes. I sent personal letters explaining the situation and it wasn't good enough. "In the end they said 'sorry' you have to leave the country. "Then they wanted us to book her a flight to the UK, which we refused. So now the British embassy are having to look for accommodation and the police are on their backs. "I think it's disgraceful really how you can deport somebody who is sick and take her from her family. She's one of the nicest people you will ever meet." The family are now hoping a sick note from a doctor, who has visited Mrs Poole in person at her care home, will persuade the Swedish Migration Agency to reopen the case. But in the meantime, Angelica said her children remain worried sick that the grandmother may be sent away from them. "It's not human to split somebody bedridden from her family," Angelica added. "All this is due to Brexit. The way I see it she's lived here for 19 years this year." The grandmother-of-four has been living in a care home in Sweden for the last ten years MP Hilary Benn, former Brexit Select Committee chair, has urged the UK foreign secretary, James Cleverly, to intervene in the case. He said: "The continuing threat by the Swedish authorities to deport this frail elderly woman is heartless and inexplicable. "It is also in clear breach of the EU/UK Withdrawal Agreement which promised to protect citizens' rights." The follow-on legislation from Brexit, which ended freedom of movement, allowed EU citizens resident in Britain to apply to permanently live in the UK. Some EU nations also opted for this system to allow Britons to remain resident in their country. David Milstead, part of the British in Sweden campaign group, told the BBC he was disappointed but not surprised by Mrs Poole's case and that the UK and European Commission needed to look at the wider issue in the Scandinavian nation. He said: "Sweden's approach to implementing the Withdrawal Agreement has led to a lot of long-standing residents being forced out of their homes. "Sweden has issued more deportation notices to UK nationals during 2021-2022 than any other EU country. "This is in spite of the Withdrawal Agreement containing protections that should ensure that people like Mrs Poole get to stay. These protections clearly aren't working." Sweden has expelled 1,100 British nationals since Brexit, according to the Guardian, which first reported Mrs Poole's case. Jane Golding, chair of the British in Europe group and a Berlin-based lawyer, has written to the European Commission about Mrs Poole and said she understands they are following up the case with Swedish authorities. She told the BBC: "The problem that Kathleen Poole's family has come up against is that the UK and some EU countries including Sweden, decided to go for a system where citizens had to reapply for their status post-Brexit. "We warned that it would be vulnerable and elderly people who would suffer as a result. People like Kathleen Poole - someone who has lived in another country for years and whose residence now depends on a successful application and is not capable of making the application herself. "Each EU country implements the Withdrawal Agreement nationally and there are differences in approach. That is why guidance across the EU on cases involving the vulnerable and elderly who have problems applying would help." In a statement, Sweden's Minister of Migration Maria Malmer Stenergard said: "Decisions related to residence applications are applied directly by the Swedish state agencies and courts in line with the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement. "As laid down in the constitution, the Swedish government is not permitted to interfere in or comment on individual decisions taken by these independent state bodies. "With regard to the case in question, I have been informed that the Swedish Migration Agency is in contact with the family concerning additional information." A UK Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are supporting a British woman and her family in Sweden."

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Biden spells out new path for student loan relief The US Supreme Court has struck down US President Joe Biden's proposal to wipe out billions in student debt. The 6-3 ruling effectively cancels the plan, which would have forgiven about $10,000 (£7,800) per borrower - and up to $20,000 in some cases. The decision affects the loans of more than 40 million Americans. It has left the US public "angry," Mr Biden said. He pledged to put in place new measures to reduce university debt using other existing laws. The loan forgiveness plan has been in limbo since some conservative states sued, arguing the president overstepped his authority. The Supreme Court agreed. In the wake of the decision, Mr Biden spoke from the White House, saying: "I know there are millions of Americans in this country who feel disappointed and discouraged or even a little bit angry. I must admit I do too." But he vowed to work with the Department of Education to find other means to help people ease the financial burden. "Today's decision has closed one path. Now we're going to start another," he said. The total federal student debt has more than tripled over the past 15 years, rising from about $500bn in 2007 to $1.6tn today. Last year, the US Treasury took a $430bn charge to cover $300m in costs associated with the loan forgiveness programme, as well as additional costs associated with an extension of a Covid-era moratorium on payments through the end of the year. The Biden administration faced plaintiffs in two separate cases, one involving six Republican-led states - Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas and South Carolina - and the other involving two individual student loan borrowers. In both cases, plaintiffs argued the executive branch did not have the power to so broadly cancel student debt. The Supreme Court ruled the two individual borrowers did not persuasively argue they would be harmed by the loan forgiveness plan, effectively ruling that they had no legal standing to challenge the Biden administration's proposal. During arguments in February, the Biden administration said that under a 2003 law known as the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act, or Heroes Act, it had the power to "waive or modify" loan provisions to protect borrowers affected by "a war or other military operation or national emergency". In its ruling, the Supreme Court ruled that while the act allows Mr Biden's education secretary, Miguel Cardona, to "make modest adjustments and additions to existing provisions, not transform them". Justice John Roberts wrote that the modifications made by the Biden administration "created a novel and fundamentally different" loan forgiveness programme that "expanded forgiveness to nearly every borrower" in the US. He added that the administration's use of the Heroes Act "does not remotely resemble how it has been used on prior occasions". The high court's ruling fell along ideological lines, with its three liberal judges dissenting. In her dissent, Justice Elena Kagan wrote that "the result here is that the court substitutes itself for Congress and the Executive Branch in making national policy about student-loan forgiveness". "Congress authorised the forgiveness plan... the [education secretary] put it in place; and the president would have been accountable for its success or failure," she wrote. "But this court today decides that some 40 million Americans will not receive the benefits of the plan (so says the court) that assistance is too 'significant'". This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The White House had previously estimated that almost 90% of US student borrowers would have qualified for relief under the plan. "This decision is going to impact a lot of people in this country. But it's disproportionately going to impact people who are already historically marginalised," Ranen Miao, a 22-year-old recent graduate told BBC News outside the Supreme Court. "The people who take out student loans are not the children of millionaires and billionaires. They're the children of working families," added Mr Miao, who declined to disclose how much student debt he has. Clegg Ivey told CBS, the BBC's US partner, the Supreme Court had "made the right decision" and that he disagreed with the Biden administration's approach to the issue. "I have student loans and I certainly would have benefited," he said. "But if that's what we want, let's talk to our congressman. Congress... should actually do its job." Polling data shows that support for the student loan forgiveness proposal largely fell along political lines. One poll conducted by Marquette Law School in May found that 31% of Republicans favoured the proposal, compared to 69% of independents and 87% of Democrats. The Supreme Court's ruling on Friday was swiftly applauded by senior Republican lawmakers. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said the loan initiative is "unlawful" and would mean that Americans without student loans "are no longer forced" to pay for those who do. In total, approximately 43 million people in the US owe money for student loans - or about one-in-six US adults with at least some post-secondary education. Federal reserve data shows that the median student loan is about $17,000. About 17% of borrowers owe less than $10,000, while about 7% owe over $100,000. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Among those on the high end of the debt spectrum is Satra Taylor, a part-time student and campaigner for the group Young Invincibles who owes about $103,000. She told the BBC she expects the figure to grow as she continues a doctoral programme. "My family does not come from generational wealth. I had no other option but to take out student loans to ensure I could put food on my table and pay my rent," she said. "I'm deeply saddened by this decision... but I'm also hopeful that President Biden will ensure student debt cancellation happens."

Tim Westwood worked for BBC Radio 1 for nearly 20 years Former Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood has been questioned for a third time under police caution over alleged sex offences, BBC News understands. In a statement, the Metropolitan Police confirmed they are investigating five accusations of non-recent sexual offences, alleged to have taken place in London between 1982 and 2016. Detectives say they interviewed a 65-year-old man under caution on 15 March, 4 April, and 11 July this year. There has been no arrest. This comes after BBC News and Guardian investigations uncovered multiple allegations from 18 women of serious sexual misconduct and abuse by Tim Westwood. He denied those allegations. In April 2022, a number of women accused Mr Westwood, who also worked as a DJ on BBC Radio 1Xtra, of predatory and unwanted sexual behaviour and touching, in incidents between 1992 and 2017. They also accused him of abusing his position in the music industry. Some of the women told BBC News they encountered Mr Westwood when they were under 18. One said that she was only 14 when Mr Westwood first had sex with her. The DJ stepped down from his Capital Xtra radio show in April last year. An external report, by KC Gemma White, looking at what the BBC did and did not know about Mr Westwood's conduct during his near 20-year employment with the corporation, is due to be published this year. BBC News has tried to contact Mr Westwood for comment.

Stephen Tompkinson told his trial he had acted in self-defence Actor Stephen Tompkinson has been found not guilty of causing grievous bodily harm to a drunken man making noise outside his home. The 57-year-old actor was accused of punching the man in the early hours of 30 May 2021 in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside. Newcastle Crown Court had heard Mr Tompkinson's actions caused Karl Poole to fall and fracture his skull. The DCI Banks star said he acted in self-defence. Prosecutors claimed he had "snapped" and "lashed out" at Mr Poole in "disgust" at his behaviour. But Mr Tompkinson told jurors the contact "wasn't enough to knock a sober man off his feet". Mr Tompkinson nodded but showed no visible emotion when the verdict was announced following just under two hours of jury deliberations. Asked for his reaction as he was leaving court, he told reporters: "I just want to go home." The trial heard Mr Poole and his friend Andrew Hall had been drinking since midnight that bank holiday Sunday and had gone to the beach before walking back. Mr Tompkinson, who was living with his partner and her seven-year-old son at the time, heard "strange noises" at about 05:30 BST. Jurors were told he called 999 after seeing the two men try to stand up and fall several times while drinking from a bottle of Jagermeister at the bottom of the driveway. While waiting to be connected, Mr Tompkinson went outside wearing pyjamas and a dressing gown and told the "heavily intoxicated" men who he was calling. He said the pair "took great objection to me complaining about them being there" and had started to move towards him. Karl Poole had told the court he suffered a brain injury after his head hit the pavement Neighbour Caroline Davidson, who was watching from her bedroom window, told the court she saw Mr Tompkinson slap and punch Mr Poole, causing him to stumble and fall backwards, hitting his head on the ground. However, Mr Tompkinson, who was born in Stockton-on-Tees, said he could not have punched him because he was holding his phone. "I didn't want to hurt him, I wanted to stop him to change his mind about coming towards me and further on to my property," he said giving evidence. He told jurors punching a drunk man would have been "career suicide" and that he had already lost acting work since being charged. He told the court he was "not responsible" for the brain injuries Mr Poole sustained but that he accepted some accountability. In his closing speech, prosecutor Michael Bunch had said the actor was "an expert in playing a part" and his "obvious talent makes him convincing in putting across a story". Speaking after the jury delivered its verdict, Mr Poole said he was shocked and disappointed. Follow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Local Mississippi TV station WAPT spoke to Rolling Fork resident Shanta Howard who said it was a fight for life. “We had to help dead bodies out of the house, so that is very disturbing,” she told WAPT. Another resident Andy Anderson said he and his wife ran to take shelter. “Ran down to the tub in the bathroom with my wife (and) threw pillows on top of us,” he said. Meanwhile, local news station WTVA 9 News is reporting that the Mayor of Amory, Corey Glenn has announced a temporary curfew for residents and told them to boil their water after the city water department was struck by the twister. The curfew will be in effect from 8pm until 6am.

Last updated on .From the section Chelsea Chelsea have signed France striker Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig for £52m. The 25-year-old scored 16 goals in 25 games in the Bundesliga last season. Nkunku, who has won 10 caps for France, is manager Mauricio Pochettino's first signing since he took charge in May. "I am incredibly happy to be joining Chelsea. A big effort was made to bring me to the club. I am very excited for this challenge and will be proud to wear the Chelsea shirt," Nkunku said. "Having played in Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga, I now want to play in the Premier League, one of the strongest leagues in the world. "I am looking forward to meeting my new coach and team-mates and showing the Chelsea supporters what I can do on the pitch." • None Check out all the latest transfers Nkunku, whose Chelsea contract starts on 1 July, won three Ligue 1 titles and two French Cups during four years at Paris St-Germain before joining Leipzig in 2019. He was named Bundesliga player of the season and German PFA player of the season in 2021-22 after scoring 20 goals and contributing 15 assists in the league. Nkunku scored in the final of the German Cup this month as Leipzig won the competition for the second successive year. They finished third in the Bundesliga last season. Nkunku made his France debut last year but missed the World Cup campaign because of a leg injury. Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, Chelsea's co-sporting directors, said: "Christopher has proved himself one of the standout attacking players in European football over the past two seasons and will add quality, creativity and versatility to our squad."

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Gary Lineker says he stands by tweets criticising government's asylum policy Gary Lineker has said he does not fear BBC suspension in an impartiality row over a tweet criticising the government's asylum policy. The Match of the Day host has tweeted that he is "looking forward to presenting" the show on Saturday. Lineker had compared the language the government used to set out asylum plans to "that used by Germany in the 30s". Speaking to the BBC, the home secretary said the comment "diminishes the unspeakable tragedy" of the Holocaust. Despite the intense criticism, Lineker expects to be retained as a presenter. The BBC has not commented. He wrote on social media: "Happy that this ridiculously out of proportion story seems to be abating and very much looking forward to presenting [Match of the Day] on Saturday. Thanks again for all your incredible support. It's been overwhelming." Suella Braverman told the BBC's Political Thinking podcast the Nazi comparison used by Lineker was "lazy and unhelpful". The home secretary said her family "feel very keenly the impact of the Holocaust" as her husband is Jewish and said it was "offensive" to draw the comparison. When it was put to her by host Nick Robinson that Lineker was passionate about the rights of asylum seekers, she said the Germany comment was an "unhelpful way to frame the debate". The BBC said on Wednesday it was having a "frank conversation" with Lineker about the BBC's guidelines on remaining impartial following his Twitter remark. Asked by a reporter if he regretted the post, the host answered: "No". Pressed on whether he had spoken to the BBC director general, he said he had and that they "chat often". Asked if he stood by the tweet, he said: "Course". Speaking in the Commons earlier on Thursday, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said Lineker's remark was "disappointing and inappropriate" and referenced her grandmother who escaped Nazi Germany. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Suella Braverman says Gary Lineker's tweet about immigration policy is "a lazy and unhelpful comparison to make". Ms Frazer said it was "important for the BBC to retain impartiality if it is to retain the trust of the public who pay the licence fee" but that the broadcaster is "operationally independent" of the government. Former culture secretary Sir John Whittingdale urged the government to ensure "all those who are presenters on the BBC" - including freelancers like Lineker - were covered by impartiality rules when the charter was reviewed. But Richard Sambrook, the BBC's former director of global news, said on Twitter it had "become unsustainable for the BBC to force freelance presenters to fall in line with BBC policies in their non-BBC activities". He added that the policy was "full of fudge" and the BBC needed to clarify "to what extent impartiality rules extend beyond news". On Tuesday, Suella Braverman outlined the government's plans to ban people arriving in the UK illegally from ever claiming asylum, in a bid to address a rise in the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats. Opposition MPs and charities have strongly objected to the proposals, but the PM and home secretary have defended the plan, saying stopping the crossings is a priority for the British people. Lineker's remarks have been widely criticised by Conservative MPs but he has received support by many on social media who oppose the government's proposals. In response to some of the criticism, Lineker tweeted on Wednesday: "I'll continue to try and speak up for those poor souls that have no choice." Lineker, 62, who has presented Match of the Day since 1999 also works for LaLiga TV. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The corporation's former editorial policy controller Richard Ayre said the presenter had a choice to make over his role at the BBC. He said Lineker must consider whether to stay or to leave and "become a social media influencer". Mr Ayre, a former member of the broadcasting regulator Ofcom's content board, said it was "unacceptable" to have someone who works for the BBC "comparing Suella Braverman to the third Reich". Asked whether BBC director general Tim Davie may have to let the sports presenter go, Mr Ayre told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I don't think he is going to have any choice but to let him go unless he can be certain that this is the end of it." The former BBC trustee was also asked about BBC chairman Richard Sharp, who is facing criticism over his role in facilitating a £800,000 loan for then-prime minister Boris Johnson. Mr Ayre said the BBC's chairman was "hanging by an absolute thread", adding: "It is quite likely that, within the next few days or weeks, we'll perhaps see two heads roll - one from the left and one from the right, the chairman and Gary Lineker. "And then, maybe, once each side has scored a goal, we can get back to normal business."

Stradey Park Hotel is set to house up to 241 asylum seekers A legal bid for an injunction to stop a hotel being used to house asylum seekers has failed. Up to 241 people are now set to be housed in Stradey Park Hotel in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, despite opposition. The council took the action against a number of associated companies and business directors. The Home Office said the plans were necessary and that the asylum system was under "incredible" strain. The local authority argued using the hotel for asylum seekers would be a breach of planning conditions. At a High Court hearing on Friday, Carmarthenshire council failed to get an interim order stopping migrants being sent to the hotel while their asylum claims are processed by the Home Office. The local authority claimed sending them to the 77-bed site was a change of use from hotel to hostel and a breach of planning rules. It said the change, which is set to take effect from Monday, would "undoubtedly" harm the economy. This included potentially losing more than 25% of the town's hotel rooms, job losses, cancelled weddings and an impact on tourism, a High Court judge in London heard. Last month 50 full-time and 45 part-time staff at the hotel were told that their jobs would be terminated on 10 July, the same day asylum seekers are due to move in. The hotel has seen faced local opposition since it first announced the plans A lawyer for Stradey Park's owner, Gryphon Leisure, said there was an "urgent" need for asylum seeker accommodation, arguing there would be no planning breach. The court was told Gryphon director Robert Horwood had warned there was a "serious" risk the hotel would shut without its contract with accommodation provider Clearsprings Ready Homes. Craig Howell Williams KC, for the council, said there were "good reasons" to doubt Mr Horwood's claims the business could face closure. The barrister said the former Edwardian stately home played a "fundamental" role in tourism. The court was told there was limited information about how the site would be operated for migrants. The use of bodyguards and perimeter patrols would be "alien" in the neighbourhood, Mr Howell Williams said. He added there were "concerns" about community feeling, including the "potential for unrest". Jenny Wigley KC, for Clearsprings, Gryphon, Mr Horwood and co-director Gareth Street, said in written arguments using the hotel was "a temporary solution of last resort". She said if people were not accommodated asylum seekers were at risk of being kept in sub-standard conditions or being made homeless. Police were called to the hotel on Friday after protesters blocked vehicles entering the site Judge Gavin Mansfield KC will give his reasons for dismissing the injunction bid at a hearing on Monday. After the hearing, Carmarthenshire council leader Darren Price said he was "disappointed" and that the authority would consider the judge's reasons on Monday. In May, West Lindsey District Council lost its attempt to get an injunction against work to prepare RAF Scampton, in Lincolnshire, for asylum seekers. And in June Braintree council lost a High Court appeal over Home Office plans to house asylum seekers at a former airbase. A successful legal action pursued by Great Yarmouth Borough Council, in Norfolk, saw a High Court judge rule that seafront hotels there could not be used to house migrants. On Friday, police were called to Stradey Park Hotel as protesters stopping cars from accessing the site clashed with security personnel who were pulling down fences erected by demonstrators previously. The Home Office said the number of people arriving in the UK in need of accommodation had reached record levels. "The Home Office is committed to making every effort to reduce hotel use and limit the burden on the taxpayer," a spokesman added.

Crowds have lined the streets to celebrate West Ham football club's Europa Conference League final victory over Fiorentina. The win meant that West Ham achieved the club's first major trophy for 43 years. Fans of David Moyes' team gathered to watch the trophy parade through the streets of London.

Dr Susan Gilby said she faced "offensively sexist comments" in meetings A former NHS chief executive is suing her employer, saying she was "bullied, harassed, intimidated and undermined" by the hospital trust's chairman. In legal papers, seen by BBC News, Dr Susan Gilby alleges she was effectively unfairly dismissed by the Countess of Chester NHS Foundation Trust, after she made a formal complaint. She has also accused the chairman of putting finance above patient safety. In a statement, the trust said it denied all the allegations. Dr Gilby, a consultant in anaesthesia and intensive care, was appointed as medical director and assistant chief executive of the NHS trust, in August 2018. Her arrival came a month after nurse Lucy Letby was arrested on suspicion of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill 10 others at one of the trust's hospitals in Cheshire. Ms Letby's trial is ongoing and she denies the charges. When the chief executive resigned in September that year, Dr Gilby was promoted to the role. According to documents prepared for a forthcoming employment tribunal, Dr Gilby alleges the problems began when a new chairman, Ian Haythornthwaite, was appointed in late 2021. She claims that soon after joining the trust, Mr Haythornthwaite - a former BBC accountant - sought to "intervene and influence, and ultimately to control, many operational matters" beyond the scope of his job. Dr Gilby's claim alleges that the chairman had an "extremely and unnecessarily aggressive" approach, with subordinates "increasingly frightened of crossing him". She also accuses him of appointing friends to the trust's board and putting finance above patient safety. Dr Gilby claims the chairman was "highly aggressive and intimidatory" in meetings, that he banged his hand on a desk to emphasise his point, and oversaw a climate where "offensively sexist comments and ferocious and repetitive criticisms" were made by either him or his associates. Dr Gilby's complaint accuses the chairman of putting finance above patient safety at the hospital trust She made a formal whistle-blowing complaint against the chairman in July 2022, raising her concerns about his behaviour to both the trust and NHS England. The trust responded to her concerns, Dr Gilby claims, by proposing that she be seconded to a senior advisory role within NHS England on the condition she withdrew her allegations. NHS England also contacted her about a role. Dr Gilby responded to the offer in November saying she was not willing to withdraw her allegations; she was suspended by the trust on 2 December. On 5 December, she gave the trust six months' notice of her intention to resign. Dr Gilby is suing the trust and Mr Haythornthwaite for constructive unfair dismissal. In a statement, the Countess of Chester NHS Trust said: "There are significant points of dispute between Dr Gilby and the trust and the trust denies all allegations that she has raised. A number of active internal investigations are in train and the trust will not provide any further comment whilst those investigations are ongoing." Mr Haythornthwaite said he had "nothing to add at this time" to the trust's statement.

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: How to keep safe from wildfire smoke Washington DC and Philadelphia experienced their worst air quality in years as intense wildfires in Canada continue to impact millions. The poor conditions have forced event cancellations and grounded flights across the US. Nearly 100 million people are experiencing very poor air quality in North America. US President Joe Biden described the fires as a "stark reminder of the impacts of climate change". Data from the US Environmental Protection Agency's Air Quality Index (AQI) shows that cities in North America had the worst air quality in the world on Thursday morning. Cities including Washington DC, Philadelphia and New York had significantly worse air quality than cities abroad such as Lahore, Dhaka and Hanoi. The smoke has caused the cancellation of school outings and sporting events, and, in the capitol, the White House's planned pride celebrations. The National Zoo was also closed, with its animals, including three giant pandas, taken indoors to shelter. In nearby Baltimore, residents were wearing masks as they went about their day-to-day activities. One local, Sean Montague, said people "have to put your health first and be cautious". At the city's Inner Harbour, friends Sharifah and Sheila disembarked from a water taxi, eager to hurry indoors. They said they originally planned to spend the day in Baltimore's Fells Point, a waterside neighbourhood known for its galleries, shops and outdoor seafood restaurants. But once on the water, their eyes stung and the smoke was so thick, so they agreed the ride was "miserable" and decided to return home. Much of the smoke is coming from Quebec, where 150 fires are burning. It is already Quebec's worst fire season on record. Some areas of Canada continued to experience very high levels of contamination on Thursday. The city of Janvier in Alberta, for example, had an AQI of 338, far above Washington DC's 293. Mr Biden said he spoke to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday and deployed more than 600 firefighters to help battle the blazes in Canada. On a typical Thursday, Washington DC's Union Market would usually be packed with customers, dining al fresco in the afternoon sun. But with smoke thick in the air, dozens of tables and chairs sat empty. A nearby rooftop bar was completely deserted except for a small group of Canadian tourists, who jokingly apologised for the disruption. One customer, Tori, sat back in a lone Adirondack chair, with a mask tied around her wrist having just travelled from West Virginia. "As I was driving, I noticed it was more hazy, and I just feel a little bit different too. I had a headache," she said. "It's very scary, if you think about it." Environment Canada said conditions were worsening in Toronto on Thursday, as more smoke poured in. The agency has recommended that anyone outdoors wear a mask. "These fine particles generally pose the greatest risk to health. However, respirators do not reduce exposure to the gases in wildfire smoke," the Environment Canada statement said. In New York, an orange haze blanketed the city's skyline and shrouded landmarks including the Statue of Liberty. Public health officials have cautioned people not to exercise outside and to minimise their exposure to the smoke as much as possible, as the air poses immediate and long-term health risks. Canadian officials say the country is shaping up for its worst wildfire season on record. Experts have pointed to a warmer and drier spring than normal as the reason behind the trend. These conditions are projected to continue throughout the summer. Fires across Canada have already burned an area that's 12 times the 10-year average for this time of year. Climate change increases the risk of the hot, dry weather that is likely to fuel wildfires. The world has already warmed by about 1.2C since the industrial era began, and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions. Experts say exposure to wildfire smoke can cause a litany of health issues, such as an elevated pulse, chest pain, and inflammation in the eyes, nose and throat. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. BBC Weather forecaster Chris Fawkes looks at when the wildfire smoke might clear How have you been affected by the wildfires or air quality? What precautions are you taking? Share your experiences by emailing [email protected]. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways: If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay says next week's strike "threatens to cause significantly more disruption" than previous walkouts The junior doctors' union appears "intent on maintaining a militant stance" which "hampers serious talks over pay", the health secretary says. Writing in the Telegraph, Steve Barclay said pay demands by the British Medical Association (BMA) were "unrealistic". Junior doctors in England are set to stage a four-day strike from Tuesday. The BMA wants a 35% pay rise to make up for 15 years of below-inflation wage rises, It says falling pay has caused a recruitment and retention crisis. Dr Vivek Trivedi, co-director of the junior doctors' committee at the BMA, said on Saturday that Mr Barclay is yet to put a serious offer on the table. "All we're asking for is a credible offer that shows us he's serious, that we can start a path of negotiations to try to address the real-terms pay cut," he said. The strike is due to take place from 07:00 BST on Tuesday until 07:00 BST on Saturday. The NHS national medical director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, is warning that the strike will cause "unparalleled levels of disruption" as it is longer than previous strikes and comes after the bank holiday when many staff are "taking much-needed holiday". Up to quarter of a million operations and appointments could be postponed because of it, the NHS Confederation - the body which represents health service trusts - has warned, and health bosses are more concerned about this than they have been about any other strike. Th BMA has refused to exempt any services but says it has plans to protect patients. Mr Barclay said the walkout - just after the bank holiday and which "coincides with school holidays, Ramadan and Passover", has been timed to "cause maximum disruption". Mr Barclay said pay demands by junior doctors were "out of step with pay settlements in other parts of the public sector" and claimed some doctors could receive an extra £20,000 a year if wage demands were met. He said he wanted to "see a fair deal that increases their pay" but could see "no prospect of getting into serious and constructive talks" unless the strike action was cancelled and the BMA changed its pay demands. The BMA says junior doctors' pay has fallen by 26% since 2008, once inflation is taken into account. Junior doctors represent more than 40% of the medical workforce and include those fresh out of university through to experienced medics with more than 10 years of experience. Around two-thirds are BMA members. In a ballot issued in February, 98% of eligible BMA members backed strike action, on a turnout of 77% Deputy chairman of the BMA junior doctors' committee Dr Mike Greenhalgh said falling pay had caused "a real recruitment and retention crisis" in the health service. He told the BBC on Saturday: "It's hard to negotiate when only one side is doing it, and we're not getting anything back from the government on that front." He added: "We're happy to meet at any time. We would still meet [Mr Barclay] over the bank holiday weekend before the industrial action next week. "And if he was to bring a credible offer to us, it could still, even at this late stage, avert action." During last month's strike, hospitals drafted in consultants to provide cover but it is estimated a quarter of them are on leave due to the Easter holidays. The BMA says it will not exempt any services but that there are plans to protect patients, which could involve pulling junior doctors off the picket line if individual hospitals report lives are in immediate danger. The Department of Health and Social Care has said the government is working with NHS England to put contingency plans in place to protect patient safety during the strike. "The NHS will prioritise resources to protect emergency treatment, critical care, maternity and neonatal care, and trauma," a spokesman said. Are you a junior doctor with a view on the strike? Are you a patient affected? Share your experiences by emailing [email protected]. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways: If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: All sides should be responsible and protect civilians - UK PM Rishi Sunak has urged all sides in Russia to "be responsible and to protect civilians", as mercenaries from the Wagner group seize military sites from Russia and Vladimir Putin vows to "punish" those involved in the move against his government. In the UK, a meeting of the emergency committee, Cobra, was chaired by Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on Saturday afternoon. We don't get to hear much about what is said in those meetings, but the government says Mr Cleverly received all the latest information and particular attention was paid to the situation of British nationals still in Russia. Mr Sunak has also spoken to US President Biden, French President Macron and German Chancellor Scholz about the situation. Speaking exclusively to Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Sunak suggested the government has been watching the internal threats to Vladimir Putin for some time. He told me: "We have been monitoring for a while the potentially destabilising impacts of Russia's illegal war in Ukraine." And he said the situation was "evolving on the ground as we speak". But he urged calm on all sides, saying: "The most important thing I'd say is for all parties to be responsible and to protect civilians", a clear hint that the UK is concerned about how conflict inside Russia's borders could spiral, when for months the focus has naturally been on fighting in Ukraine. The prime minister did not repeat a more candid assessment from the Ministry of Defence, which said on its official Twitter feed that "this represents the most significant challenge to the Russian state in recent times". But Mr Sunak did not deny that was the case. With so much unclear, it is evident that Number 10 does not yet want to give an official verdict on what is happening. Yet it is clear from the Ministry of Defence's comments that the government sees the action taking place as a potential game changer. The situation is volatile and no-one in Westminster would predict with any certainty what will happen next. It is not clear exactly what Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's motives are. Nor is it certain how many resources and men Wagner really has at their disposal. But one of the questions being asked in Westminster this afternoon is how Ukraine can make the most of what seems like disarray inside Russia to make progress in what is now a long-running conflict. Our politicians, like the rest of us, are watching events and wondering what on earth is going on, and unable to be sure what will happen next. But they are watching with eager attention. The war in Ukraine has had such enormous implications for politicians in the UK, because it has indirectly affected every family, every firm, and every household in the country by driving up the cost of energy. That's one of the biggest factors in high inflation the prime minister describes as the "number one enemy". We talk to the prime minister about that, his plans for the NHS and Boris Johnson in an exclusive interview you can watch on Sunday morning. But as events unfold in Russia, remember that the actions of one man, Vladimir Putin, upended so much here. Moscow may be nearly 2,000 miles away, but what happens in the next few days to stability in Russia matters hugely to our politicians in Westminster, and to us all.

Formal identification of the boy who died has yet to take place An 18-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 17-year-old boy was stabbed following a birthday party in north-west London. Police and London Ambulance Service were called to Granville Road, Kilburn, at 23:22 BST on Friday following reports of a fight and a stabbing. A 17-year-old boy was pronounced dead at the scene. Another teenage boy and a woman in her early 20s were treated at the scene before being taken to hospital. Formal identification of the boy who died has yet to take place. Det Ch Insp Mark Rogers said: "We believe that there was a fight following a birthday party, which would have been attended by a number of people. "I would urge anyone who was there, and who has not yet spoken with officers, to please come forward. "It is vital that we establish what happened." Ch Supt Dan Knowles, in charge of the North West Command Unit which polices Kilburn, said: "I know that the community will be shocked by this incident in which a young man has lost his life." Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Last updated on .From the section National League Notts County had missed out on automatic promotion by just four points to title winners Wrexham Notts County twice battled back from a goal down before beating Chesterfield on penalties in an astonishing National League promotion final at Wembley to reclaim their status as 'world's oldest football league club'. Substitute goalkeeper Archie Mair, brought on to replace Sam Slocombe in the 120th minute, crucially saved spot-kicks from Darren Oldaker and Jeff King before Cedwyn Scott sealed a dramatic 4-3 shootout triumph. Victory for the 161-year-old Magpies, who were founder members of the Football League in 1888, ended their four-year non-league exile while defeat consigned Chesterfield to a sixth season in the National League. Ruben Rodrigues had bounced a volley off the turf and over goalkeeper Ross Fitzsimons to level at 2-2 in the second half of extra time to ensure the showdown would be decided from the spot. Armando Dobra's curled finish had restored Chesterfield's lead in the first period of 15 additional minutes after an enthralling game ended 1-1 at the end of normal time. A calamitous start from Notts goalkeeper Slocombe - which had the Magpies defending a rare indirect free-kick inside the box after just two minutes - cost them dearly as his challenge on Andrew Dallas allowed the striker to put Chesterfield ahead from the spot. The Spireites had Notts scrambling to stay in touch at the break as the side that won a club-record 32 league games during the regular season struggled to muster a meaningful response. Sam Austin sent a shot over the bar from the edge of the area and Connell Rawlinson wastefully steered a header wide for a much-improved Notts after the break. Liam Mandeville squandered a late chance to seal victory moments before experienced Notts midfielder John Bostock caught Fitzsimons out with a set-piece that skipped in at the near post. Dobra edged the Derbyshire club back ahead three minutes after the restart and, after Macaulay Langstaff and Rawlinson went close to again restoring parity, it was Rodrigues who sent the final to a shootout. • None Relive the National League promotion final as it happened After four years and three failed play-off attempts - including defeat by Harrogate in a 2020 promotion final played behind closed doors at Wembley during the Covid-19 pandemic - Notts finally secured their English Football League (EFL) return at the end of a record-breaking season. Luke Williams' side were pipped for automatic promotion and the title by Hollywood-funded Wrexham, who topped the table with an all-time high 111 points. The 107 points the Magpies collected to finish second would have got them straight up as champions in every other season before this one. The club-record wins total and 117 goals in a campaign - which included a record 25-game unbeaten league run between September and February - would have counted for nothing if they had lost at the national stadium. Chesterfield finished one spot below Notts in the table, but the gap between the two was 23 points. They were the only side, other than Wrexham and Notts, to have a spell at the top of the table after the first month of the season - and they pushed Notts to their limits at Wembley in an incredible energy-sapping game. Chesterfield were presented with a bizarre chance almost immediately after kick-off when County conceded an indirect free-kick in the penalty area. Notts set their entire side up a yard in front of the goalline to block King's effort from the left of the penalty spot, but the uncertain start by the Magpies quickly got worse. Slocombe raced out to try shut Dallas down on the edge of the area, but caught the Spireites forward as he tried to lift the ball beyond the keeper. Dallas collected himself and went straight down the middle to beat Slocombe from the spot to put Chesterfield ahead after five chaotic minutes. Nervy Notts struggled to match frenetic Chesterfield for much of the first half, but Austin had a chance to level from close range in the 17th minute when he stretched to meet a lofted cross from Aaron Nemane. Dallas continued to torment Notts' backline down the left, calling Slocombe into action as the forward attempted pull a dangerous ball back across goal. It was not until the 37th minute that Notts managed to register a shot on goal with Nemane sending an effort directly into Fitzsimons' hands. Austin and Rawlinson were off target in search of a second-half equaliser, only for Bostock to deliver with a clever free-kick after a Slocombe error at the other end almost gifted Chesterfield the win in normal time. Dobra had Chesterfield ahead again in extra time and while Langstaff went close to adding to his National League record 42 goals and Rawlinson also flashed a chance wide, it was Rodrigues who salvaged Notts' hopes. On-loan keeper Mair, in just his fifth game for Notts, played an instrumental role off the bench with his penalty saves and, after Bostock made a mess of his spot-kick to seal it, Scott kept his cool to secure victory. • None Penalty missed! Still Chesterfield 2(2), Notts County 2(3). John Bostock (Notts County) hits the woodwork with a. • None Penalty saved! Jeff King (Chesterfield) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, saved. • None Penalty saved! Darren Oldaker (Chesterfield) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, saved. • None Jeff King (Chesterfield) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page • None Examine the seven men who attempted to kill Queen Victoria • None Where were the Tudors from? Find out about the origins of the most famous ruling dynasty in British history

The actor and former Californian governor tweeted that he'd had enough of the pothole in his Los Angeles neighbourhood, so he had decided to take action. At least one neighbour was thankful.

Allister Brown has twice before broken the world record for longest drumming marathon by an individual A Lisburn man has smashed the world record for the length of time spent drumming. Allister Brown, who is 45, surpassed his previous record of 134 hours and five minutes, by drumming for more than 150 hours. He finished his "drumathon" on Saturday afternoon, after starting last Sunday. Mr Brown took on the challenge in memory of his late partner Sharon Deegan, who passed away from pancreatic cancer in January 2021, aged 49. Speaking on Saturday afternoon, at the Lisburn Music Centre where he secured his third world record, Mr Brown said it had been a "massive undertaking". He said that the memory of Ms Deegan, as well as the support of his friends, kept him going during the attempt. "Thank you to everyone who has supported me," he said. "I always had it in my mind I wanted to do this in Sharon's memory." Mr Brown has twice before broken the world record for longest drumming marathon by an individual, first in 2003 when he drummed for 58 hours, and again in 2008 when he lasted just shy of 103 hours. He said that his previous attempts had prepared him well for this latest marathon. "The experience has been absolutely phenomenal for me; to have that knowledge of how to prepare, how to deal with certain situations during the marathon," he told BBC News NI. "This one has ran really well and I'm so thankful to the team that I've had that wanted to help me out." The Guinness World Records rules state that for every hour of drumming Mr Brown is allowed a five-minute break. He was able to save up these breaks, allowing him to take slightly longer periods of respite. Allister Brown (right), had support including from his friend and event coordinator Duncan Campbell But by Friday morning, five days into his record attempt, Mr Brown's friend, and event coordinator, Duncan Campbell, said the drummer had only slept for about two hours during the attempt. "Certainly this is a challenge where you are doing an endurance against the mind," said Mr Brown. "At certain points I'm going to be hallucinating and the team are there to help me out. "My body will maybe want to try and make me sleep in the early hours of the morning, so the team again will be trying to keep me awake and make sure that my breaks are allocated correctly and that I'll be able to get the rest when needed." The attempt was livestreamed and held in aid of charity. "With Sharon passing away from pancreatic cancer I'm raising money for [pancreatic cancer charity] NIPANC, and I'm also raising money for Mind, a charity which is for mental health, because I suffered a bit with mental health issues after Sharon's passing so I thought it would be best to coincide the two together in this event," he said. Over the past two decades the world record for longest drumming marathon by an individual has been traded between Mr Brown and a few other drummers around the world. While his latest total is impressive, he does not think it is unbeatable. "Nothing is impossible if you have the right mindset and people around you. If anyone wants to try and beat the record, I'm willing to help them," he said. As for his plans on completing the marathon, he said: "The first thing I'll be looking to do is find somewhere comfortable to sit down and probably just fall asleep."

All except the shortest wars have times when killing is an unchanging, grim routine. There are also moments, like the last few days in the Middle East, when events leave belligerents and their allies at a crossroads with big decisions to make. Choices are confronting leaders in the governments and armed forces in Israel and Tehran, at Hezbollah's HQ in the southern suburbs of Beirut and further afield in the Gulf, Europe and America. The killing of foreign aid workers in Gaza might finally exhaust the considerable patience of Israel's allies, led by the United States. Israel and Egypt have banned foreign journalists from entering Gaza, except on occasional, highly controlled and brief visits with the Israeli military. Belligerents need to win the media battle in an age of asymmetric warfare where victory or defeat can rely on perceptions as much as the realities of battle. Journalists are also denied access to a war when the parties fighting it have something to hide. But even without foreign reporters on the scene, evidence is piling up that Israel is not, as it claims, respecting its obligations under the laws of war to respect civilian lives, or allowing the free movement of aid in a famine created by Israel's own actions. After the World Central Kitchen team was killed in Gaza, President Biden used his strongest language yet in public statements to condemn Israel's actions. The president and his aides have now to decide whether words are enough. So far, they have resisted calls to put conditions on the use of American weapons in Gaza, or even to turn off the supply line. While the weapons still arrive, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who depends on hardline Jewish ultranationalists to stay in office, might feel he can still afford to defy President Biden. A major test will be the offensive Israel wants to attack Hamas in Rafah, plans the US believes would compound the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. American interests and Joe Biden's political prospects in an election year have already been damaged by what is seen in many countries as complicity with Israel. In another change this week, Mr Netanyahu has come back to work after two days off for hernia surgery to huge demonstrations demanding his resignation and early elections for a new parliament. Deep cultural and political fissures between Israelis that were put to one side after 7 October are wide open again and being shouted about in the streets. The prime minister is in political trouble, blamed by his opponents for letting down Israel's guard so badly that Hamas detected a chance to attack. Millions of Israelis who believe they are fighting a just war against Hamas have no confidence in Mr Netanyahu. Their charge sheet includes prolonging the war to put off the moment when he is held accountable for his mistakes, failing to bring Israel's hostages home safely, and alienating vital allies starting with President Biden. Add to that the fact that after a huge onslaught over six months Hamas is still fighting, and its senior leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar is still alive somewhere in the Strip. Another new set of calculations about the next stages of the crisis in the Middle East arise from the assassination of a senior Iranian general in Damascus, widely assumed in Israel to be the work of its air force. It was a coup for intelligence services that missed or ignored the Hamas attacks six months ago. It was also an escalation in the wider war in the region that will have consequences. Some of them may happen close to where I'm writing this, looking across the Sea of Galilee towards the Golan Heights, the large swathe of southern Syria that Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed. As the crow flies, Damascus is less than 50 miles from here. The border with Lebanon is close by. At night, especially, there is constant Israeli air activity, with the roar of jets on patrol, or heading off to bomb Lebanon or Syria. A shadow war has been fought here in parallel with the war in Gaza since last October. It started with Hezbollah, the powerful Lebanese militia and political movement attacking Israel, in support of Hamas in Gaza. It was not the onslaught that the Hamas leadership was hoping for - neither Hezbollah or its patrons in Tehran wanted an all-out war with Israel and, indirectly, its American backers. The Americans did not want that either and restrained Israel's instinct to respond in full force. But Hezbollah still tied down thousands of Israeli troops and forced the evacuation of something like 80,000 civilians from the border areas. Israel's response, limited compared to earlier border wars, forced the displacement of at least as many civilians on the Lebanese side. Since the start of this year it has been different. Israel has been setting the pace, bombing its enemies deeper inside Lebanon and Syria. The biggest leap up the ladder of escalation came on Monday with the assassination by air strike on the Iranian diplomatic compound in the Syrian capital. Iran accuses Israel of carrying out the deadly air strike on its consular building in Damascus In interviews here in northern Israel local officials and residents have expressed strong support not just for the assassination but for an invasion of south Lebanon to destroy Hezbollah and force them back from the border. They were not put off by Israel's experience in the last two decades of the 20th Century, when it occupied a broad strip of South Lebanon to try to protect northern Israel. It even created its own Lebanese militia to help with the fighting. The Israelis pulled out in 2000, under constant military harassment from Hezbollah, after prime minister Ehud Barak, a former head of the army, decided that occupying south Lebanon (Israel called it the "security zone") did not make Israelis any safer and wasted the lives of its troops. I walked through the ruins of the Avivim winery, which is right on the border wire. It was destroyed in a Hezbollah strike last week. Its owner Shlomi Biton showed me through the wreck of his business. He is 47 and was born in Avivim, which like the rest of northern Israel has become a ghost town after the evacuations. Shlomi fought in Lebanon during his military service, and now believes that the only way to restore a decent and safe life is for Israel to return to Lebanon for a decisive battle with Hezbollah. "There's no other choice," he told me next his burnt-out business. "Otherwise, the community won't return to live here, maybe just a few crazy guys like me - the children won't come back." In Kiryat Shmona, a border town where 25,000 Israelis lived, no more than 3,000 people, mostly soldiers and essential workers, are left. The Mayor, Avichai Stern, showed me deserted districts and wrecked buildings. He believes that Israel can remove Hezbollah's threat to the north with a decisive and destructive invasion on the lines of the Gaza war. The Mayor of Kyriat Shmona, Avichai Stern shows fragment of shrapnel from a Hezbollah strike on residential buildings in the town Mayor Stern said last year 10,000 Hezbollah fighters practised taking over northern Israel. "It can happen here" he told me, "just like Gaza. They weren't training to direct traffic in Beirut. The only way to stop it is to go into Lebanon eliminate this threat as soon as possible." Exactly six months ago, in deadly secrecy, Hamas was putting the finishing touches to the battle plan it called Operation al-Aqsa flood. The killing on 7 October and everything that has followed destroyed lazy, wishful thinking that it was possible to manage the century-long conflict between Arabs and Jews for control of the land between the river Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea. Hamas thrust the conflict back to the top of the world's agenda when it killed around 1,200 people, mostly Israeli civilians, and took more than 250 Israelis and foreign citizens into Gaza as hostages. Many of the 134 Israelis still there are thought to be dead. It was Israel's worst single day since it won its independence war in 1948. The "mighty vengeance" that Mr Netanyahu promised has so far killed more than 32,000 Palestinians, a majority of whom were civilians. Israel's American-supplied firepower has flattened most of Gaza. The war has spread across the Middle East. It might now be entering a new phase. The borderlands between Israel and Lebanon are deceptively beautiful in the first few weeks of spring. Wild flowers and pinecones, not shrapnel, were underfoot as I walked along a stretch of the border with Israeli military officers. Any sense of peace was, of course, an illusion on one of the most dangerous borders in the Middle East. Iran and Hezbollah are making decisions about how to respond to the assassinations in the Damascus and the way Israel is increasing the military pressure in Lebanon. The two allies will want to calibrate their response to avoid a wider, devastating war that neither want. Israel does not want that war either. But the audacious assassination at the Iranian diplomatic compound in Damascus could be a sign that Israel believes Iran and the network it calls its axis of resistance might blink first. If so, it is a risky strategy. Iran will want to restore its ability to deter Israel, which is clearly not working. It will try to respond in a way that will catch Israel by surprise. The empty overgrown border communities are not likely to be Iran's first choice for retaliation. They could try an Israeli target in another country, or cyber-attacks rather than missiles. Or intensify their nuclear programme. An American envoy, Amos Hochstein, is trying to find a way to revive the UN Security Council resolution that ended the last big war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006. Neither side has respected it, but it provides a framework for negotiation. At this crossroads, neither Israel, Iran nor Hezbollah wants an all-out war that would have terrible consequence for all of them. But no side seems ready to stop the slide towards it.

Don't trust anyone who tells you they know the political implications of this indictment. I certainly don't, and nor do they. We don't know the charges, we don't know the evidence and we don't know how the trial will unfold. Since the indictment was announced, I've heard from people close to the former president who've told me this is bad news for Democrats because this is a weak case, the weakest of all the potential cases against Trump. I've also heard from Democrats who say the spectacle of Trump on trial is bound to weaken him as he runs for the White House, and the reminder of his alleged affair with a former porn star will turn off evangelical Christians who once supported him. Two things can be true at once. The political question will be in the raw numbers: does it win him more voters or lose him voters? The more important question for America is whether this trial, whenever it occurs, can be removed from the political realm and be seen as a fair legal process. You can catch Katty on Americast here

Last updated on .From the section Women's Football Domestic women's football could become a "billion pound industry" in 10 years' time says former Lionesses midfielder Karen Carney - the chair of a major review into the sport. Her 126-page report recommends the top two tiers of women's football in England being fully professional. It also calls for a new regular broadcast slot for women's football to be made available on television. "It is what needs to be done, to move the sport forward," Carney said. The ex-Birmingham and Chelsea player added: "Full-time is full-time. Go for it. Realistically the biggest issue we need to go after is professionalising the women's game and bringing standards up because that is a big problem." • None The Sports Desk podcast: Can women's football be a billion pound industry? Describing women's football as a "start-up business", Carney said everyone involved from sponsors, broadcasters and the Football Association "has a responsibility to invest in the game and move it to the next level". She added: "If you are starting something you have to have an influx of money and I really do believe that in 10 years' time this sport could be a billion pound industry. "But these standards and investment are the foundations that lead us to this point. I really do think we will make it [money] back." An independently club-owned, club-run body is poised to take over the Women's Super League and the Women's Championship next year as the English women's game looks to capitalise on its rapid rise, accelerated by the Lionesses' success at Euro 2022. A recent report by Deloitte showed Women's Super League club revenues rose by 60% in the 2021-22 season, showing signs of growth before even England's historic Euro 2022 victory. Combined revenue for the WSL clubs was £32m, an increase of £12m on the previous season thanks in part to a new broadcast deal, however clubs still recorded an aggregate pre-tax loss of £14m. Carney's findings have focused on several areas including audience reach and growth, the financial health of the game, its long-term financial sustainability and its existing structures - leading to 10 major recommendations, that include: • None World leading standards for players, fans, staff, and everyone in the women's game. • None To restore the talent pathway needed to create future generations of Lionesses. • None Professionalisation across the top two tiers to attract and develop the best players in the world. • None To address the lack of diversity across the women's game - in on- and off-pitch roles. • None The game's governing bodies to work with broadcasters to create a new dedicated time slot. • None More investment in grassroots facilities and better access for females. Carney, who has worked in the media since her retirement from playing in 2019, was asked to examine issues affecting the game at elite and grassroots levels in September 2022. by the UK government. The women's game has made huge progress in recent years and, at grassroots level, has become the most played team sport for women and girls in England, with three million registered players and over 12,000 registered teams. However, both the Covid-19 pandemic and the men's game fan-led review highlighted the shallow resources within women's elite football. She appointed a number of experts from across sport and business, including a senior NFL executive, with the UK Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer calling it an opportunity to "revolutionise the game" in a positive and sustainable way. In a statement the chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Maheta Molango called the report a "brave, ambitious and detailed plan for the future of women's game". An FA spokeswoman said they would help "address the challenges and opportunities in the report" to "deliver the changes needed". They said: "These are exciting times for the development of the women's game and we share Karen's vision of creating world leading standards for players, fans, and everyone involved in women's football." While the 12-club WSL is fully professional that does not extend to English women's football's second tier. A significant drop in broadcast fees and FA central funding means that turnovers can be as high as around £7m in the WSL but as low as £150,000 in the Women's Championship, where player wages can be below £5,000 per year. Reading's recent relegation from the WSL saw them revert to part-time football due to the financial implications. When it was put to Carney that more than £10m would be required to redress some of that balance, she passionately defended the need to attract additional income to the game. "Do I want players to have to go on the NHS [for treatment of injuries]? No. Do I want players to have to use bin bags for curtains? No," she said. "I don't want any of this situation any more. There was a lot of evidence in the review of the marketing strategy in place not being able to help the revenues grow. "It is what is needed. It is not a negative to invest in women's sport, we have to change the mindset. I understand there is a reality to it." On proposals to provide one source of funding from levelling FA Cup prize money across the men's and women's game, she added: "I'd hope there would not be a backlash. "There are so many issues and women's sport has struggled for so long I'd hope there'd be an understanding but with anything there'll always be someone who will challenge it. "I could have said equalise prize money right now but that would have taken down the pyramid of men's football. We should absolutely be going for equal prize money [in the future] from the FA Cup and the FA should be putting a timescale on that." 'Five weeks out can turn into five months' - injury improvements A long-standing issue that Carney is keen to see addressed urgently is the relative lack of medical support offered to female players in comparison to their male counterparts. A Fifa report in 2021 showed that a quarter of top-division women's clubs around the world do not employ a physio or team doctor and while there have been improvements Carney says there are still issues around the quality and continuity of care provided. "There was a player who should have been out for five weeks and was out five months," Carney said. "We've seen players pretty much say we are going to have to go into early retirement because of the medical situation. It is a systemic issue about women's health not just in sport but outside, it has to be better. "Don't forget in the Championship there are players working three of four jobs. They are never going to be able to compete and it is not because they don't have the ability, it is the resources. "Are they hydrated? Are they getting the right nutrients to perform? Are they fatigued? That is why we want minimum standards to come in to keep that competitive nature. "We want all our players to be fit, available and playing because then the product is at its best because that's what the fans, broadcasters and players want." Football's governing bodies have talked of exploring whether WSL fixtures can be televised on Saturday afternoons to help grow the audience. Last term, WSL matches consistently kicked off at 11.30am on Saturdays and 6.45pm on Sundays to avoid scheduling clashes with men's games. No matches are currently shown during the '3pm blackout' slot in order to encourage attendance at games. However, Carney believes there is no simplistic solution: "It's very clear we need to find a slot specific for women's football. "Men's football is really easily signposted, it is really difficult for women's football to have a slot and stand out. "We have to look at it, it is a really saturated market and this is what we are up against." 'We need to keep pushing' - improving diversity Carney's 'raising the bar' review also identifies the need to create a workforce strategy for the women's game and the need to create greater diversity on and off the pitch. Former Brighton defender Fern Whelan, who is now an equalities executive at the PFA, echoed those comments in response to the report. "We can all see that there is a lack of representation across the women's game," Whelan said. "That isn't by design, or something the game needs to be defensive about. It's something where we've acknowledged there is an issue and begun to take action, but we need to keep pushing. "It's positive that the review has highlighted the lack of diversity across the women's game as something that needs to be urgently addressed. "Are we doing enough to encourage girls and young women from diverse backgrounds into the game? Are we making the professional pathway accessible enough? It's often about practicalities as well as culture." This is a highly significant moment in English women's football. The report has strong backing from the PFA and FifPro, who have worked closely with the review board to ensure players from all backgrounds have been able to share their experiences in confidence. There is a range of issues which will need long-term vision and patience to adapt to, but there are also clear short-term recommendations. Among the most crucial are improved medical support, calls for fully funded union representation, better prize money and a dedicated WSL broadcast spot - all of which can be addressed immediately. There are no legal enforcements given its an independent report, but the simple fact so many have come together to provide a detailed review suggests it will be hard for the likes of the FA - and the WSL takeover company - to ignore.