Datasets:

chan030609

/

MUSE-News

like 0

A woman from Falkirk has died while undergoing gastric band surgery in Turkey. Shannon Bowe died during the procedure, where a band is used to reduce the size of the stomach, on Saturday. Tributes have been paid to the 28-year-old, who lived in Denny, on social media. A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesman said they were supporting the family of a British national who died in Turkey. Shannon's boyfriend, Ross Stirling, has led tributes on Facebook. He wrote: "Sleep tight my angel, love you forever and always." Another friend wrote: "No words, absolutely devastated. Life is so cruel. You will be forever in our hearts Shannon Bowe." A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: "We are supporting the family of a British national who died in Turkey and are in contact with the local authorities."

Secret Garden Party is due to take place 20-23 July Glastonbury, Leeds and Reading Festivals have said they'll have drug safety tests this year. There were fears the service wouldn't be at UK festivals in 2023 after it was missing from Manchester's Parklife. But Glastonbury and Festival Republic, which runs events including Leeds and Reading, say they'll have "back-of-house" testing as usual. The picture for smaller events which previously relied on a charity to carry out their tests isn't so clear. Independent festival organisers have told Newsbeat that last-minute changes by the government mean they can't check drugs this year. One event that says it definitely won't have drug testing in 2023 is the Secret Garden Party (SGP). The boutique festival in Cambridgeshire was the first in the UK to offer public access front-of-house testing in 2016. This is where people can have drugs checked to make sure they're safe - but the last time it happened at UK festivals was in 2018. Since then, events have used back-of-house testing - where confiscated or surrendered drugs are checked behind the scenes and alerts sent out if problems are found. SGP boss Freddie Fellowes tells BBC Newsbeat it was due to return to his festival this year, but now that won't be happening. The situation is similar to Parklife, which had planned to have tests in place but ditched them 48 hours before the event. Founder of the Manchester event, Sacha Lord, said he was told a special licence would be needed this year, and blamed a government "u-turn". But the Home Office, which is in charge of policing and drugs policy, insists nothing has changed. Warnings about troubling substances - like this one from Secret Garden Party last year - are often circulated Glastonbury Festival says it will be carrying out back-of-house testing "on drugs which have been surrendered or seized" this year, as they normally do. "The results of these tests are used to inform appropriate healthcare messaging," it told Newsbeat. And Festival Republic Boss Melvin Benn told BBC Radio Berkshire he was "confident" Leeds and Reading's testing arrangements "meet all the government requirements". Newsbeat's been told that bigger festivals with corporate backing are able to employ private companies to do their testing. But smaller festivals have previously used The Loop - a drugs charity - to perform theirs. The bosses of Parklife and SGP both told BBC Newsbeat that they'd been able to do this through agreements with police and local councils. Regulations in place since 2001 state that drug testing providers need to have a licence. But the Home Office has previously said it "wouldn't stand in the way" of arrangements with local authorities. However, festivals say this is the first year that they've been told at short notice they'll need a separate permit - and that getting one could take three months. Freddie says this isn't enough time for SGP - which is being held from 20 to 23 July. Glastonbury Festival say they will have drug testing this year "We are now in a position where harm reduction has been set back by over 10 years," says Freddie. "Let's just be really honest, people do take recreational drugs. And there's nothing that I as a festival organiser can do to change that." Freddie says the lack of testing at SGP this year means the festival "will be responding by upping the amount of eyes and ears we have out on welfare". He feels there's a lack of clear guidance and a "complete unwillingness from the Home Office to engage" in the conversation with anyone on the front lines. A Home Office spokesperson says: "Our position hasn't changed. Drug testing providers must have a licence to test for controlled drugs, including at festivals. "We have consistently made this condition clear, and law enforcement have always had a responsibility to uphold this legal requirement. "We continue to keep an open dialogue with any potential applicants. "Festivals aiming to test drugs off their site this summer must work with the police and a Home Office-licensed drug-testing provider". Sacha Lord's told Newsbeat he's meeting lawyers and other festival bosses to discuss taking the Home Office to court. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A man has been been sentenced to a whole-life prison term for murdering Met Police sergeant Matiu Ratana. Sgt Ratana, 54, was shot in the chest and leg at Croydon custody centre by Louis De Zoysa, who had smuggled an antique gun into the building following his arrest on 25 September 2020. He was found guilty of murder, having claimed diminished responsibility. Sgt Ratana's partner Su Bushby said her grief was "tormenting" and spoke of an "intense" feeling of emptiness. De Zoysa, 26, of Banstead, Surrey, shot himself after the attack and was left with brain damage. The defendant, who communicated in court using a whiteboard, remained impassive as the whole-life order was handed down. Louis De Zoysa was found guilty of murder in June Sentencing at Northampton Crown Court, Mr Justice Jeremy Johnson said De Zoysa's autism and the impact on his family were not sufficient mitigating factors for a lesser term. He said: "You acted in cold blood. You intended to kill Sgt Ratana. You aimed the gun at his chest at near point-blank range. "Even as he fell you re-aimed and fired a second shot at him. The aggravating factors outweigh the mitigating factors." De Zoysa, who will serve his sentence at Belmarsh prison, becomes the 65th person in jail in England and Wales under a whole-life order During a three-week trial, the jury was shown video footage of the New Zealand-born sergeant being hit in the chest by the first of three shots discharged by De Zoysa. A second bullet struck him in his thigh before De Zoysa was wrestled to the ground by other officers. Sgt Ratana, who was known as Matt, died of his injuries in hospital. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Footage of the shooting was shown to the jury In the hours before Mr Ratana's death, De Zoysa was arrested while walking along London Road in Norbury, south London. He told the two arresting officers he was carrying cannabis. However, in a holster hidden under his left arm he was also found to be carrying an antique Colt revolver. His waistband was checked and he was frisked, but the officers missed the gun. They had no metal detector in their patrol car. De Zoysa was then taken to Croydon custody centre in the back of a police van. Detectives believe it was during this journey he moved the gun from the holster to his hands, still cuffed behind his back. There was also no metal detector at the entrance to the custody area, so the gun was not found as he entered. Once inside the custody suite, Sgt Ratana told De Zoysa he would need to be searched again. As another officer pulled him to his feet, De Zoysa brought his still-cuffed hands from behind his back and shot Sgt Ratana in the heart. Ms Bushy told the court she had "lost her soulmate" and had been "in a state of limbo" ever since. She said: "I just sat there, waiting and willing him to walk through the door. I still do to this day. "I am hoping that one day it will get easier but at the moment the nightmare continues. "At this moment in time, I cannot forgive him for what he has done; the person who shot Matt and ripped my life apart, my life as I once knew it." The court also heard victim impact statements from other members of Sgt Ratana's family. His sister Jessica Williams said: "The cruel and senseless actions of one man have left me and my family broken. "The impact of what this person has done has left me shattered... I feel like I could drown in the amount of grief I carry each day." Sgt Ratana's brother James William Young said he had felt "hatred and anger" but "most of all pain and sorrow" since the shooting. "The loss of my brother has been the hardest event in my life." Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley described Sgt Ratana as an outstanding officer who "treated everyone with respect, with compassion and with good humour". He said: "Whether it was on the streets or in the custody centre, as a uniformed police officer, on the rugby field or later as a coach, it's clear that he was someone who made an enduring impact wherever he went." You can watch the full story of the case on BBC iPlayer. Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. "She had half my heart and I had half of hers" - Chloe Mitchell's sister pays tribute to her The family of Chloe Mitchell have been going through a "living hell" following the murder of the 21-year-old Ballymena woman, her older brother has said. Philip Mitchell told BBC News NI his family was "devastated," but he also thanked people in the County Antrim town for the support they have shown. Ms Mitchell went missing in Ballymena on 2 June and just over a week later a man was charged with her murder. Hundreds of people attended vigils in Ballymena and Belfast on Wednesday. "I think its amazing the way the community - not just the Ballymena and Harryville community - but every community and further afield has come together in memory of my wee sister Chloe," Philip Mitchell said. "And the flowers and respect they've had is absolutely outstanding. It's completely respected by our family and will always be remembered." There were emotional scenes at a vigil near where Chloe grew up Asked how the family was coping, Mr Mitchell said: "I wouldn't want any family to go through this, it's just a living hell really and there's no words." Speaking beside her brother, Nadine Mitchell said: "I've not only lost my sister but I've lost my best friend." Describing Chloe, she said she "was special because she touched so many hearts". "My sister will always be living, while I am, because she had half of my heart and I currently have half of hers." Chloe Mitchell's brother and uncle viewing floral tributes ahead of the vigil in Ballymena Chloe Mitchell was the youngest of her family and is survived by her parents, two older sisters and two older brothers. Chloe's uncle Billy McDowell said the family's grief was "unbearable". "It's so hard for them to cope with at the minute," he added, explaining that the immediate Mitchell family had asked for privacy when in their own home. But he said they appreciated the public's help during the searches and their support at the vigils. Mourners released balloons into the air in Chloe's memory Hundreds of people attended a vigil in King George V park in Ballymena, organised by a mental health charity, Turning Point NI. Speaking at the event Philip Mitchell thanked the charity for hosting the vigil and paid tribute to police for "every thing they had done for my wee sister". It feels like all of Harryville has turned out to this vigil, within sight of where Chloe Mitchell grew up. Many were in tears as they hugged and comforted each other. There is a growing pile of floral tributes in the park, many bearing the words: "Forever 21". This is a tight knit community and people are gathering tonight to remember Chloe and comfort her family. There was a round of applause for members of the Community Search and Rescue team who searched for her. A vigil in Belfast was also held at City Hall, organised by the socialist feminist movement Rosa NI. The father of Natalie McNally, who was murdered in Lurgan in December, attended the Belfast event to show solidarity with the Mitchell family. "Our family knows exactly what [they're] going through, you wouldn't wish it on your worst enemy," Noel McNally said. "Everyone has to stick together to stop this violence against women…stop treating women like second-class citizens, everybody has to be treated equally." Ann Orr from Rosa said she organised the vigil to give people an opportunity to express their grief and sorrow as well as a show of support for Chloe's family and friends. She said there was a "collective grief" over Ms Mitchell's death, highlighting she is the 18th woman to be murdered in Northern Ireland since 2020. Crowds gathered in front of Belfast city hall this evening holding banners with different words but the same message - to end violence against women and girls. Among the banners were posters featuring the face of 21-year-old Chloe Mitchell as well as other women murdered in Northern Ireland including Natalie McNally and Hollie Thomson. Some of those posters were held by members of those women's families who were there to show solidarity with the Mitchell family. A one minute silence was held in honour of Chloe - a stark contrast to the chants lead by organisers before that silence. On Monday, police investigating the murder appealed for people to stop sharing and commenting on graphic videos and texts circulating on social media platforms. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said the material contained inaccuracies and was "also causing significant distress to Chloe's family and friends". Flowers have been spread across King George's Park, Harryville, Ballymena Det Ch Insp Millar added: "I am also aware of commentary in the media speculating about the recovery of human remains at specific locations. "We would ask people not to comment and share such matters as they are likely to be incorrect, inaccurate and very hurtful to Chloe's family."

Mr Feijóo said it was his duty to try to form a government, but his chances look very slim Spain has entered a phase of political uncertainty that could see the country return to the polls in just a few months. The conservative People's Party (PP) won the most seats but fell short of a parliamentary majority, even with the support of the far-right Vox party. Now, the conservatives and the incumbent Socialists will both separately try to form coalitions. PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo and his rival, Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, will each begin negotiations on Monday to try to head off a fresh vote, which might take place by the end of 2023. As the leader of the party that won the most votes, Mr Feijóo will be invited by King Felipe VI to try to form a government. If Mr Feijóo declines on the grounds that he cannot muster enough support - as former PP leader Mariano Rajoy did in a similar situation in 2015 - the king may turn to Mr Sánchez. If the candidate accepts the king's invitation, he then has two months to secure a majority. Failing that, new elections must be held. PP official Borja Sémper said Mr Sánchez is the first person Mr Feijóo will call to ask him to agree to support the PP in forming a "solo government with specific agreements" - a request the Socialist prime minister is unlikely to agree to. Despite the inconclusive results, Mr Feijóo told cheering conservative supporters that it was now his duty to try to form a government. "Spaniards know we have gone from being the second force to the party with the most votes," he said, adding: "I hope this doesn't start a period of uncertainty in Spain." But that is what Spain is facing. Because with far-right party Vox on 33 seats and Mr Feijóo's PP on 136, they would be seven seats short of an absolute majority of 176 in parliament. That is why Mr Sánchez's Socialists and his far-left allies Sumar appeared happiest in the wake of the results. "The reactionary bloc of regression, which set out a complete reversal of all the advances that we've achieved over the past four years, has failed," he told supporters. Socialist supporters in Madrid were delighted with leader Pedro Sánchez's performance One Spanish website, El Español, said that despite the PP's victory, Mr Sánchez still had a chance of forming a government. But those very slim chances would require going even further than before in securing separatist support. Mr Sanchez would need the support of hardline, pro-independence party Together for Catalonia (Junts). But its leader, Carles Puigdemont, who has been living in self-imposed exile in Belgium since Catalonia's failed independence bid in 2017, said earlier this month that Junts would not support either the Socialists or the PP. On Monday, the party's general secretary Jordi Turull seemed to indicate the party could use its new kingmaker status as a bargaining chip to advance the cause of Catalan independence. But although Mr Sánchez has taken steps to normalise relations with the separatists by pardoning jailed pro-independence leaders and downgrading the crime of secession, he has repeatedly and firmly said that he would not allow Catalonia to hold a referendum on self-determination. While PP leader Mr Feijóo declared victory after the results were announced, one of the few leaders who showed no sign of celebrating was far-right Vox leader Santiago Abascal. "It's a day of concern," he said on Sunday night. Political analyst Iago Moreno said the far right blamed the conservative PP for "complicity in the demonisation of Vox", seeing Sunday's result as the beginning of a journey to a "second round" which could come by Christmas. "We have not achieved our objectives to kick Pedro Sanchez out... There will probably be another election where we can make this happen," Mr Abascal said. While the Socialist leader and Sumar put on a show of unity in a TV debate last week, conservative leader Mr Feijóo was conspicuously absent, giving the impression that Vox was on its own. But Vox voters did come out in force, backing Mr Abascal's platform of anti-immigration and anti-feminism. Many saw him as their best hope of defending Spain's traditional values. Turnout topped 70% on Sunday, as voters sensed the importance of this rare mid-summer election. That was partly due to almost 2.5 million postal votes being cast, but polling stations were busiest in the morning before the heat took hold. Vox remains the third biggest party, with the support of three million of Spain's 37 million voters, but not significantly ahead of Sumar and with a big drop in seat numbers. Voting numbers were buoyed on Sunday by 1.6 million young voters having the right to take part in the election for the first time. An estimated 10 million Spaniards are already on holiday and one man at a coastal polling station made a point of wearing a snorkel and flippers. Many voters said they felt there was too much at stake in this election, even if it was being held in mid-summer. One father of three, called Sergio, told the BBC that many people he knew were anxious and angry that an extreme-right party might end up in government. I support Vox because I see it as the only party that can radically change all the left-wing policies that have been approved little by little

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: How the Hollywood strike affects you in 75 seconds Jason Sudeikis, Susan Sarandon and thousands of other actors have joined screenwriters for Hollywood's biggest strike in more than six decades. Actors will not appear in films or even promote movies during the stoppage. Major films in production, including the Avatar and Gladiator sequels, may be affected by the shutdown. The actors are joining writers who walked out in May, concerned about pay, working conditions and the industry's use of artificial intelligence (AI). Brian Cox, the lead actor on HBO's Succession, told the BBC the strike could last "until the end of the year". "The whole streaming thing has shifted the paradigm," the Scottish star told BBC Newscast. "They are trying to freeze us out and beat us into the ground, because there's a lot of money to be made in streaming and the desire is not to share it with the writers or the performers." This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Talks for a new contract with studios and streaming giants broke down on Thursday, with the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) accusing the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) of being "unwilling to offer a fair deal". About 160,000 performers stopped work at midnight, joining the 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA), who walked out on 2 May. By noon on Friday, union members and their supporters had gathered outside the offices of major studios and streaming services in Los Angeles, New York and other cities. The demonstrations have received support from some of the biggest celebrities in the movie and television business, including the stars of the upcoming Oppenheimer movie, who walked off the red carpet on Thursday night. The two guilds want studios and streaming services to offer better pay, increased royalties, higher contributions to their pension and health plans, and safeguards on the use of AI in the industry. Productions likely to be affected include sequels to the Avatar, Deadpool and Gladiator franchises, as well as upcoming seasons of shows such as Stranger Things, Family Guy and The Simpsons. Red-carpet premieres, promotional interviews and events including the Emmys and Comic-Con, have already been halted, rescheduled or scaled back. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: The famous faces out and about on the picket line supporting the Hollywood strike The strike action is driven in part by an uncomfortable transition to the era of digital streaming, as well as by broader technological changes. "AI will affect everybody," Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon told the BBC from a picket line in New York. "There's definitely always been the feeling that if it isn't solved now, how do we ever solve it in the future?" she said. "If you don't have the foresight to put something in place for the future, then you're screwed. It's clear that nothing is going to change from the top down, it's going to be up to us at the bottom." Both writers and actors have complained that they make far less money than they used to make and that contracts have been undercut by inflation. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Susan Sarandon on the dangers of AI in film industry For actors, pay for individual roles has declined, forcing them to seek several more roles to make the same amount of money as they did a few years ago. Writing contracts have become shorter and more perilous, with payment often not included for writers' work on revisions or new material. "We are being victimised by a very greedy entity," Fran Drescher, the current SAG president, said on Thursday. "I am shocked by the way the people that we have been in business with are treating us." The failed negotiations between the unions and the AMPTP marks the first tandem strike in the industry since 1960. The last actors' strike, in 1980, lasted 10 weeks. A third union, the Directors Guild of America (DGA), is not participating in the strike after successfully negotiating its own contract in June, but the group has said it "strongly supports" those who are picketing. With the prospect that the strike could roll on for months, cinemas could face problems, and viewers may be left with nothing new to watch bar reality TV and live sport. In a statement on Friday, the White House said President Joe Biden "believes all workers - including actors - deserve fair pay and benefits". "The President supports workers' right to strike and hopes the parties can reach a mutually beneficial agreement," spokeswoman Robyn Patterson said. Actors represented by SAG's sister union in the UK - Equity - must continue to work as normal, due to UK employment laws. That includes stars of HBO's House of the Dragon. The union has however told US companies it will be keeping a "very close eye" on any attempts to move US productions to the UK.

Grimes' music often lives on the threshold between humanity and machines Grimes has invited musicians to clone her voice using Artificial Intelligence in order to create new songs. The pop singer, whose real name is Claire Boucher, said she would "split 50% royalties on any successful AI-generated song that uses my voice". "Same deal as I would with any artist I collab[orate] with. Feel free to use my voice without penalty," she tweeted. Her declaration comes as the music industry scrambles to react to a spate of AI songs trained on artist's voices Last week, Universal Music successfully petitioned streaming services to remove a song called Heart On My Sleeve, which used deep-faked vocals from their artists Drake and The Weeknd. In a statement, the label said "the training of generative AI using our artists' music" was "a violation of copyright law". However, that position has not been tested in court, and remains a legal grey area. A report by The Verge discovered that Universal managed to get the track pulled from YouTube because it contained an unlicensed sample of the producer Metro Boomin' saying his name, which was protected by copyright, rather than any claims over the song itself, which appears to be an original composition. For context: Copyright law is very much based on the idea of making a copy - whether it's of a melody or a lyric, by the use of a sample, or making a derivative work like a remix. Heart On My Sleeve did not, it seems, directly lift elements from Drake's previous songs. Drake and The Weeknd are not thought to have been involved in the creation of Heart On My Sleeve - although some critics have suggested the song was released by Drake as a stunt Further to this, the US Copyright Office recently ruled that AI art, including music, can't be copyrighted as it is "not the product of human authorship". It is still unclear whether art that is created by a human, but which contains AI elements, can be copyrighted. On Twitter, Grimes said she was energised by the "idea of open sourcing all art and killing copyright". The musician said she was already working on a programme "that should simulate my voice well", but would also consider releasing a capella tracks for people to train their own software on.. After her announcement, fans immediately posted links to songs they had created featuring her vocals. The Canadian artist said she was looking forward to being a "guinea pig" for the technology, adding: "I think it's cool to be fused w[ith] a machine". 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 𝔊𝔯𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰 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. Asked how she would react if people used her voice to make graphic, racist or violent content, the singer replied that she "may do copyright takedowns ONLY for rly rly toxic lyrics". "That's the only rule... [I] don't wanna be responsible for a Nazi anthem unless it's somehow in jest, a la Producers I guess," she said, referring to Mel Brooks' infamous satire. She suggested she would also remove songs that were "anti-abortion or [something] like that". But in a later tweet, Grimes said she wasn't sure she had the legal right to ask for songs using her voice to be taken down. "Curious what the actual legality is," she wrote. "I think I chose not to copyright my name and likeness back when that was a convo." Grimes has two children with Elon Musk, but the couple split last year As an artist, Grimes has long explored the relationship between humans and machines, with songs like We Appreciate Power and Flesh Without Blood exploring the ethical quandaries surrounding Artificial Intelligence. In 2020, she also teamed up with the mood music company Endel to create an AI-generated lullaby for her first child, named X Æ A-12, with SpaceX founder and Twitter CEO Elon Musk. (The character Æ itself represents "the Elven spelling of AI", according to Grimes.) In an interview with the New York Times, she said she was inspired to create "a better baby sleeping situation" for their son using the software. "I think AI is great," she said in the interview. "Creatively, I think AI can replace humans. "And so I think at some point, we will want to, as a species, have a discussion about how involved AI will be in art."

Hun Sen has ensured that his party faces no strong challenge in the polls Voting is under way in Cambodia, where the country's long-term leader is virtually certain to extend his party's rule in an election where there are no serious challengers. People turning up to the polls in Phnom Penh told the BBC they expected the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) to sweep all 125 seats in parliament again. Hun Sen, who has been in power for 38 years, faces no real challenge after the only credible opposition party was disqualified in May. "It's a rigged election because there are no real strong opposition parties," one voter, an aid worker in Phnom Penh, told the BBC earlier this week. Western nations, including the US, have also expressed concerns about the integrity of the vote. To ensure the highest possible turnout when people are being offered no real choice, the government has criminalised any attempt to boycott the election or spoil the ballot papers. Opposition lawmakers this year have reported violent attacks, with Human Rights Watch reporting the government stepped up intimidation and arbitrary arrests of political opposition in the run-up to the poll. In May, the government barred the country's main opposition party, the Candlelight Party, on a technicality. The National Election Commission said the party was missing paperwork, which it had not needed for the local elections last year. Candlelight had won 22% of the vote in local elections last year - and analysts say Hun Sen saw them as a potential threat to his rule. But the poll comes as Hun Sen, who cast his vote in the capital early on Sunday morning, shows the clearest signals yet that he's planning to hand power to his eldest son, Hun Manet - possibly within weeks. The military chief has led the CPP's campaign alongside his father. Hun Sen has become increasingly authoritarian in his rule, political analysts say. It is the second election in a row where Hun Sen has targeted democratic institutions and crippled the opposition before voting day, analysts say. In 2018, his Cambodian People's Party won every single seat in the 125-seat National Assembly after the main opposition alliance was dissolved by the politically controlled courts. Seventeen other parties are participating in this year's election, but almost all are too small, new or are aligned with the ruling party to be considered credible challengers. The vote comes at an uncertain time for Cambodia's economy - with locals reporting struggles with rising fuel prices, stagnant wages and growing debts. Hun Manet is expected to take over from his father While Hun Sen is campaigning for re-election, he has flagged that this may be his last term. In 2021, he said would hand over control to his eldest son who currently commands the Royal Cambodian Army. Han Manet is a first-time candidate for a parliament seat this election and led the final day of party rallies in Phnom Penh on Friday. No timeframe had been given for the transition of power until Thursday, when Hun Sen signalled his son "could be" prime minister in three or four weeks. Hun Sen's party has won all six of the national elections held every five years since the 1990s, when the UN helped the Southeast Asian nation of 16 million people become a functioning democracy post decades of civil war and the murderous Khmer Rouge regime. Over four decades, he has consolidated power through control of the military, police and moneyed interests. Observers say he has dispatched opponents through co-opting, jailing or exiling them.

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Thousands of street parties and lunches are due to take place on Sunday ahead of a star-studded concert on the second day of events for the Coronation. Members of the Royal Family will attend community events during the day before seeing Katy Perry and Take That perform at Windsor Castle later. The more relaxed nature of Sunday's events come after King Charles and Queen Camilla were crowned on Saturday. The couple sent good wishes to those taking part in celebratory lunches. In a message posted on the Royal Family's official Instagram account, the King and Queen said they hoped it would be a "truly enjoyable event for everyone". The post also included a photo of the Coronation quiche, which has been declared the official party food of the event. Staff prepare for The Big Lunch event on Downing Street The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will attend a Coronation Big Lunch in Cranleigh, Surrey, while the Princess Royal and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence will join a community street party in Swindon. The Duke of York's daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie will also attend a big lunch in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire. Meanwhile at Downing Street, the prime minister and his wife are hosting their own lunch for community figures, Ukrainian families and youth groups. Some 50,000 Coronation lunches are expected to take place on Sunday in the UK and across the world. Later at 20:00 BST, the Coronation Concert takes place at Windsor Castle and will be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC Radio 2. The Duke of Edinburgh will attend a big lunch event on Sunday As well as performances from big names including Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Take That, Olly Murs and Paloma Faith, a world-class orchestra will play an array of musical favourites. There will also be a joint performance from The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera House, the Royal Shakespeare Company, The Royal College of Music and The Royal College of Art. People have already started queuing for the concert, including Olly Murs fans Jess, 24, from Manchester and Rachel, 21, from Essex, who won tickets through a public ballot. The pair got up at 04:30 BST to travel to Windsor, finding themselves at the front of the queue on the Long Walk. "We've come to see Olly today - he's our King," they told BBC Breakfast. More than 2,000 people including 90 foreign leaders came to Westminster Abbey in central London on Saturday to see the coronation of the King and Queen. As well as overseas dignitaries including President Emmanuel Macron of France and US First Lady Jill Biden, the congregation included celebrities, everyday heroes and family and friends of Charles and Camilla. The two-hour service saw the King pledge "not to be served, but to serve" before receiving the orb and sceptre which are symbolic of his regal power. Well-wishers filled The Mall in central London to see the flypast by the Red Arrows After he and Queen Camilla were crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, they returned to Buckingham Palace to take their places on the balcony with other members of the Royal Family for a reduced flypast by British military helicopters and the jets of the RAF Red Arrows aerobatic team. The armed forces staged the biggest ceremonial military operation since Queen Elizabeth's II 1953 coronation, with 4,000 servicemen and women from across the world taking part in the procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Then and now: Watch two coronations 70 years apart The King's youngest the Duke of Sussex was not among members of the Royal Family on the palace balcony, as the BBC understands he was not invited. Prince Harry, who travelled alone to London from his home in California - where his wife Meghan stayed with their two young children, sat two rows from his brother Prince William, the Prince of Wales, at Westminster Abbey. It is the first time he has been seen publicly with his family since his controversial memoir Spare came out, in which he revealed tensions and disagreements with other members of his family. He left the abbey shortly after the end of the service to catch a plane back to the US, where his son Archie was celebrating his fourth birthday. Will you be going to a street party and/or lunch today? Have you organised a coronation gathering? Tell us by emailing: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.

About 14,000 people were prevented from voting because they could not show an accepted form of photo ID during England's local elections, according to the Electoral Commission. Ethnic minorities and unemployed voters were more likely to be turned away, research by the watchdog suggests. "Significantly more" were put off voting by the requirement to show ID at polling stations, the report found. The policy was rolled out for the first time in Britain in May's elections. Data collected at polling station showed 0.25% of those who went to a polling station were not able to vote as a result of not being able to show ID, approximately 14,000 voters in total. The true figure is thought to be higher as some of those who wanted to vote at polling stations might have turned away after reading the requirements at the entrance but were not formally recorded, the Commission said. The figures are also based on incomplete data received from 226 of the 230 councils where polls were held this year. The policy will be widened to cover all UK elections, meaning it will apply to voters in the by-elections to replace Boris Johnson, Nigel Adams and David Warburton on 20 July. It is also set to be in force for the next general election, expected next year. Data collected by the Electoral Commission, the independent body that oversees elections, found "some correlation" between the numbers turned away and "specific socio-demographic factors, such as ethnicity and unemployment". Craig Westwood, director of communications at the commission, said "it is too soon to draw conclusions", but added "some of the emerging evidence is concerning". No cases of personation - where someone pretends to be another person, in order to vote - were reported during this year's elections. In 2022, there were 13 cases recorded by police, including seven at polling stations, none of which led to prosecutions. Research published by the commission on Friday found 0.7% of voters were initially turned away from polling stations in May. Around two-thirds of these returned later in the day and were able to vote. Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said the rules were having a "chilling effect on democracy". But Labour have stopped short of saying they would scrap the policy, with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer calling for a "wide review" into the impact of Voter ID. "This is the first piece of evidence coming through, so we need to look at everything in the round," he said. Lib Dem spokesperson Helen Morgan said the policy "looks like a transparent attempt at voter suppression by Conservative ministers who are desperate to stop people from holding them to account". "It is an outrage that thousands of people were denied a voice at the local elections because of the Conservative Party's Voter ID rules," she added. The government announced the voter ID move in 2021, arguing it would tackle voter fraud and boost public confidence in elections. Passports, driving licences and blue badges are among the IDs permitted. Only 25,000 of the 90,000 free Voter Authority Certificates applied for before May's election were used as a form of ID. There have been only a handful of convictions for electoral fraud in recent years - but ministers argue a lack of evidence could be masking the true level. They also point out that voter ID has been a requirement in Northern Ireland since 2003, as well as in many other European countries. Opposition parties voted against it, arguing it was unnecessary and would hit turnout among marginalised groups. Conservative MP Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, who was in the Cabinet when the measure was introduced, recently said the voter ID policy had been an attempt at gerrymandering - fixing rules to gain electoral advantage. He said the measure had come "back to bite them," claiming his party's vote had been hit because older people, who were more likely to vote Tory, were also more likely to lack an accepted form of identity. Before the election, 87% of people in England were aware that they needed to show photo ID to vote at a polling station, according to a survey carried on behalf of the commission. The polling excluded London, which did not hold local elections in May. Mr Westwood said: "The evidence suggests that the vast majority of voters were able to present an accepted form of ID at the May elections. "But it also shows that some people were prevented from voting in polling stations due to the requirement, and significantly more did not attempt to because they lacked the required ID. "Overall awareness was high and achieved in a matter of months, but we can see that people who lacked ID were less likely to know they needed to show it. The commission plans to publish its full election report in September.

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Owain Emanuel brings the characters of Bluey to life Originally from Bridgend but now a professional designer in Melbourne, Australia, Owain Emanuel has been working on children's cartoon series Bluey since 2016. The show has become a sensation across the world, including in the UK since its first appeared on our screens two years ago. But what is it like to work in the world of animation? And how does Owain help bring the characters to life? Owain knew since he was very young that he wanted to draw, in some form, when he was older. "I'm drawing all the time, and people sometimes ask, what would I do if I wasn't drawing or working like an animator, and I don't have a clue… I've loved drawing my whole life," he said. "I went to the University of South Wales in Cardiff and studied animation. After that I moved to London to work on the Mr Bean cartoon. That was my first animation job." Gone are the days of using paper and pencil to draw; now Owain creates using a computer Even though he was happy in London and had no plans to move, in 2016 two huge moments changed Owain's life. Joe Brumm, an animator in Australia, emailed Owain asking if he would like to go over there to work on his idea for a cartoon. Then Owain met his partner, Kristen, an Australian. Joe's idea, about a cartoon family of dogs, was given the green light and a year later Owain found himself working on Bluey as the series' chief designer in Brisbane. Owain and Kristen now have a daughter called Nia Bluey has since become a phenomenon. It has won awards galore in Australia and has become a firm favourite with children in countries including the UK. But even Owain admits "nobody knew how big the show was going to become". How does his work as designer and rigger fit in with the whole process of bringing the cartoon to life on-screen? Bluey has become a sensation across the world "My role is to take the props and the characters the art director designs and construct them using special software, ready for the animators," Owain explained. "If the character needs to talk, walk, hold props, turn 360 degrees… we need to design everything, from the shape of the mouth to the shape of the hand, until you've created everything the character needs to do. "You're like a mechanic building the inside. The lower part of the body needs to move the top of the head, and the top of the arm needs to be able to move the lower part, which then moves the hand. Then, the animators work to bring the characters to life. "It's a big job because every character on Bluey has over 150 mouth shapes, over 200 hands, and 40 feet." Each episode lasts seven minutes, but every finished programme requires four months of work from start to finish. As well as working on Bluey, Owain has also worked on other children's cartoons in Australia. But, he says it can be quite hard to get a job as a designer in the world of animation. Of course even though you need talent there is an element of luck and who you know. "I was lucky, I did well in university, so they sent me to London for an industry night, and I met with a person who was working on the Mr Bean cartoon. And with luck, my final project looked like the style of Mr Bean, so I was asked to work on the series. "Every job I've worked on since has been through people I know." Owain and the rest of the crew that work on the third series of Bluey Owain has now been in Australia for six years and has a young daughter Nia with Kristen. The Bluey production team is waiting to see if there will be a fourth series of the cartoon. In the meantime, Owain has set up an animation company with a co-worker and they are looking for new projects. But he said he also wanted to work on something that reminds him of Wales. "I've never done anything in the Welsh language," he said. "I'm so far from home - my family are all back in Wales and I miss Wales so much. "I try and read to Nia in Welsh so I want to draw Welsh-language books. I don't have to come up with the idea, I just want, 'designed by Owain Emanuel' on it. "And a Welsh-language cartoon would be great. But one step at a time…" You can watch Bluey on BBC iPlayer or the BBC CBeebies TV channel.

Ukraine and Russia have reported inflicting heavy losses as the battle for Bakhmut rages on. Moscow has been trying to take the eastern Ukrainian city for months in a grinding war of attrition. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces had suffered more than 1,100 deaths in the past few days, with many more seriously injured. Russia said it had killed more than 220 Ukrainian service members over the past 24 hours. The BBC is unable to verify the numbers given by either side. Analysts say Bakhmut has little strategic value, but has become a focal point for Russian commanders who have struggled to deliver any positive news to the Kremlin. Capture of the city would bring Russia slightly closer to its goal of controlling the whole of Donetsk region, one of four regions in eastern and southern Ukraine annexed by Russia last September following referendums widely condemned outside Russia as a sham. Ukrainian commanders, who have committed significant resources to defending the city, say their strategy aims to tie Russia's forces down and prevent Moscow from launching any further offensives in the coming months. "In less than a week, starting from 6 March, we managed to kill more than 1,100 enemy soldiers in the Bakhmut sector alone, Russia's irreversible loss, right there, near Bakhmut," Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address. He added that 1,500 Russian soldiers were wounded badly enough to keep them out of further action. Russia's defence ministry said Russian forces had killed "more than 220 Ukrainian servicemen". The commander of Ukraine's ground forces, Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, said the Russian mercenary Wagner Group was attacking his troops from several directions in a bid to break through defences and advance to the central districts of the town. The paramilitary organisation is at the heart of the Russian assault on Bakhmut. Its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has staked his reputation, and that of his private army, on seizing Bakhmut. He said on Sunday that the situation in the city was "difficult, very difficult, the enemy is fighting for every metre". "And the closer to the city centre, the fiercer the fighting," he said in a voice recording published on Telegram. After his envisioned capture of Bakhmut, "we will begin to reboot" and "will start recruiting new people from the regions", he said. And on Saturday, the Institute for the Study of War - a US think tank - reported that Moscow's offence was stalling. "Wagner Group fighters are likely becoming increasingly pinned in urban areas... and are therefore finding it difficult to make significant advances," it said. There were about 70,000 people living in Bakhmut before the invasion, but only a few thousand remain. The city was once best known for its salt and gypsum mines and huge winery. Those who remain in the city risk a hazardous existence, with four people injured in Bakhmut on Monday, Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said. Like Russia, Ukraine has also given Bakhmut political significance, with President Zelensky making the city an emblem of resistance. When he visited Washington in December, he called it "the fortress of our morale" and gave a Bakhmut flag to the US Congress. Western officials estimate between 20,000 and 30,000 Russian troops have been killed or injured so far in and around Bakhmut. A draft law introduced in the Russian parliament on Monday aims to push back the age bracket for compulsory military service, from the current 18-27 years to 21-30. Reuters reported that, due to the transition period between the old legislation and the new, 2024 and 2025 would see the conscription age span 10 or 11 years rather than the usual nine - meaning more men would be eligible to fight. Russia's previous attempt to draft thousands of new recruits into the Ukraine war met with some resistance. In September the announcement of a partial military mobilisation saw long queues form at border crossings as men of draft age sought to flee the call-up. The Kremlin said reports of fighting-age men fleeing had been exaggerated. Besides the Bakhmut fighting, seven residents were injured elsewhere in Donetsk region on Monday, governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said. Further east in Luhansk, regional governor Serhiy Haidai said the Russians had "significantly intensified shelling" on the front line. He added that Russia was bringing more and more equipment and troops to the area. Elsewhere in eastern Ukraine, there were 47 attacks on Ukrainian troops in Zaporizhzhia, according to the regional administration.

Amy Jones hit a superb unbeaten 92 to lead England to a four-wicket win over New Zealand in the first one-day international. Needing 208 to win, the tourists slumped to 79-6 in Wellington before being rescued by a record unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 130 between Jones and Charlie Dean. Jones took the lead, playing a perfectly paced counter-attacking innings, with Dean keeping her cool in a valuable supporting knock of 42 as England got over the line with 8.4 overs to spare. Dean had earlier taken three wickets to become the fastest woman to 50 ODI scalps in only her 26th game. The off-spinner made the initial breakthrough after an opening partnership of 90 between Suzie Bates and Bernadine Bezuidenhout. Bates was dropped twice in the first seven balls of the match and was also fortunate to escape lbw and stumping shouts which would have been overturned had they been reviewed. She made the most of that good fortune to hit her 34th ODI fifty, but was stumped next ball as the White Ferns subsided to 207 all out. That looked eminently chaseable at the halfway point but England quickly found themselves in trouble and, when Danni Wyatt was bowled by Amelia Kerr in the 17th over, the visitors were six down and facing defeat. But Jones and Dean went about rectifying the situation to give Heather Knight's side a 1-0 series lead as the teams head to Hamilton for the second ODI, beginning at 23:00 BST on Wednesday. Having failed to reach double figures in four innings during the T20 series, this was an impressive return to form for Jones after England found themselves in a sizeable hole. The visitors would have been confident starting the chase but lost Tammy Beaumont - bowled by a Jess Kerr full toss just below waist height - without a run on the board. While they recovered from that early blow, the loss of five wickets in eight overs - including three for only four runs - left England on the brink. Maia Bouchier was bounced out by the fiery Lea Tahuhu, Alice Capsey was plumb lbw after missing a reverse sweep and Nat Sciver-Brunt was run out trying to sneak a second run on a misfield. All the hallmarks of an England collapse were there and New Zealand sensed that one more wicket would bring the match to a swift conclusion. But the wicket never arrived as Jones went to work. While she and Dean were happy to tick over with ones and twos, Jones was also able to put the pressure back on the Kiwi bowlers with a number of bold shots over the top. New Zealand continued to push for a breakthrough until the last, but the England pair were increasingly comfortable and offered little in the way of encouragement. As the required runs ticked down, Jones kicked for home with a flurry of eye-catching boundaries before it was left to Dean to seal the win with one of her own. In her first international white-ball game since September, Kate Cross was England's standout bowler at the Basin Reserve. The seamer should have had a wicket with her second ball when Bates chipped to mid-on, only for Sophie Ecclestone to dive over the ball. When Bates was dropped again off Lauren Bell to start the next over and survived after England opted not to take an lbw review soon after, frustration could have begun to creep in for the visitors. But Cross continued to calmly probe away, getting the ball to shape away nicely while also making the most of a green-tinged surface to nibble the ball around off the seam. Despite beating the bat countless times, she had to wait until her second spell for her reward as New Zealand's openers battled through against the new ball. Bates and Bezuidenhout had been tied down by the England quicks and, although the runs came easier with the introduction of spin, it also proved their downfall as Dean made the breakthrough and Ecclestone quickly took the second New Zealand wicket. New Zealand regrouped through Amelia Kerr, captaining the side for the first time in ODIs, and Georgia Plimmer. However, Cross returned to remove them both lbw in an exceptional spell that sparked a New Zealand collapse of eight wickets for 68 runs. Even after a collapse of their own, the efforts of Jones and Dean ensured the work of England's bowlers did not go to waste. 'Jones and Dean give lesson for us all' - reaction Player of the match Amy Jones on TNT Sports: "I was just trying to keep it as simple as possible and focus on one ball at a time. It sounds simple but I knew that if I did that then Deano and I would build a good partnership. "I tried to be as positive as possible and, when the ball was in my areas, back myself. Then respect the good balls when they bowled in good areas as well. "I've done a bit of work on mindset going into run-chases. It's an area I've felt I could do better in so I'm pleased that that work has paid off today." England captain Heather Knight: "I felt like we were in a really good position [at the halfway stage]. The seamers, in particular, bowled really well. "The way [Jones and Dean] soaked up pressure to build a partnership and then put the pressure back on the Kiwis was a lesson for us all." New Zealand captain Amelia Kerr: "Kate Cross bowled very well on that wicket. We didn't really have any answers to their changes of pace and variation. "We were in a position to get 250-plus, but then you look at the bowling side of things and one more wicket and maybe we could have defended 200."

Texas Republican Chip Roy tried and failed to stall the bill on Tuesday Despite a revolt among a handful of hard-line Republicans, a bipartisan deal to raise the US debt ceiling is set to reach the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote on Wednesday evening. If a majority of legislators in the chamber approve, the bill will move on to the US Senate. Here's how the drama is playing out on Capitol Hill and a guide to what comes next. After months of negotiations, President Joe Biden and Republican Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy finally reached a deal to raise the amount of money the US can borrow, avoid a default on the national debt, and limit federal spending for the next two years. Now the pair are busy selling their weekend agreement to Congress. First up is the US House of Representatives, which is scheduled to hold a vote on the agreement on Wednesday evening. Republican and Democratic leaders there believe that even with some defections on the left and right, they have the votes to pass a bill - perhaps by a comfortable margin. The legislation then moves to the Senate, which will pose new challenges to the agreement. Unlike the Republican-majority House, Democrats control the upper chamber with 51 out of its 100 seats. According to parliamentary rules, 60 votes are required to approve most bills - so some combination of Democratic and Republican votes will be needed. Those rules also offer individual senators broad powers to slow consideration of legislation for days. With the date when the US will hit its borrowing limit estimated by the US Treasury to be Monday 5 June, that leaves little margin for error or delay. One conservative Republican, Mike Lee of Utah, has threatened to use "every procedural tool" to slow consideration of the deal. He, and other recalcitrant Republicans, may be mollified if Senate leadership allows the chamber to vote on changes to the deal. If any of those changes are approved, however, it could threaten the carefully negotiated balance in the legislation and would almost certainly push final approval past 5 June. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: The debt ceiling explained - in under 90 seconds Both Democratic and Republican leaders in the Senate are on board with the deal as it has been negotiated, and will be working to ensure that a final vote is taken quickly and the debt-limit deal reaches Mr Biden's desk for signature into law before a default can occur. For the moment financial markets appear to have calmed as the prospect recedes of the global economic chaos that would result from the world's biggest economy defaulting on its $31.4 trillion (£25tn) debt. That could change, however, the closer the US approaches that Monday debt-limit deadline without significant progress in Congress. In 2011, the credit rating agency Standard & Poor's downgraded the US credit rating when similar brinksmanship pushed the nation close to its borrowing limit. The path to selling the deal has been a rocky one so far. It became clear on Tuesday that some conservative hard-liners in the House would oppose the agreement. At a press conference held on the steps of the US Capitol earlier on Tuesday, 11 members of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus railed against what they viewed as insufficient spending cuts and budget limitations in the compromise legislation. "This deal fails completely," said congressman Scott Perry, the leader of the group. He said those who stood with him "will be absolutely opposed to the deal and will do everything in our power to stop it". They also dodged when asked whether they would call for Mr McCarthy's removal - a step that would escalate the rift forming among Republicans in the House. "No matter what happens, there's going to be a reckoning for what just occurred unless we stop this bill by tomorrow," congressman Chip Roy of Texas, another Freedom Caucus member, warned. There may also be some defections in both the House and the Senate from left-wing Democrats, who have complained about how the proposed budget cuts fall exclusively on social programmes and objected to the new work requirements on some recipients of low-income aid. The Democratic hard-liners, however, have been less organised - and less vocal in their objections - than their conservative counterparts.

A Sheriff's office in Wisconsin responded to an unusual call by a driver, after a bobcat got stuck in a car grille. Officials say the animal was unharmed and eventually set free back at the location where it entered the car.

An eyewitness has captured the moment a large funnel cloud tore through a neighbourhood in the city of Greenwood, Indiana. Destructive weather has killed one person and injured another, and caused extensive damage to homes in counties south of the capital Indianapolis.

HMS Unicorn was moved to Dundee in 1873 HMS Unicorn, Scotland's oldest ship, has received £1.11m in funding towards its continued restoration and preservation. The preservation work is restoring strength and robustness to the hull to improve resilience ahead of a planned move to a nearby dry dock. The ship, which was moved to Dundee in 1873, will be the centrepiece of a new maritime heritage centre. The donation comes from the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF). The Unicorn Preservation Society said the money provided 95.69% of the total financial investment needed for immediate conservation repairs to the ship, which launched in 1824. The restoration work includes replacing rotten timbers in the hull of the ship and retaining as much of the original fabric as possible. This work follows recently-completed £100,000 repairs to the ship's original roof to help prevent rainwater causing further internal damage. Ray Macfarlane from the NHMF said: "It is not only the oldest ship in Scotland but one of the oldest in the world, and incredibly one of the last remaining warships from the age of sail, still afloat." HMS Unicorn is the third-oldest ship in the world and has been under the care of the Unicorn Preservation Society since 1968. The latest preservation work is expected to be completed in about 18 months. The ship will remain open to visitors while the work is carried out. HMS Unicorn is the third-oldest ship in the world Museum director, Matthew Bellhouse Moran, said: "This is an absolute game changer for us as a charity as it allows us to press on with the critical preservation work which desperately needs to take place and is long overdue. "This work is essential to preserve the historic fabric of this much-loved ship, replacing rotten and missing timbers which is causing rapidly accelerating structural damage and strain." A £20,000 donation by American entrepreneur John Paul DeJoria, in November 2022 and a £100,000 grant received from the Headley Trust in February provided the remaining funds required to carry out the immediate conversation work. • None Scotland's oldest ship goes under the microscope

Greg James and Chris Smith are known for writing children's book series Kid Normal BBC Radio 1 DJ Greg James has said he and former newsreader Chris Smith are "so sorry to have caused offence" with a comment about a glass eye in a video to announce their new children's book. In the clip, the duo discussed ideas to make the characters, inspired by Roald Dahl's The Twits, "more revolting". When illustrator Emily Jones suggested a glass eye, Smith replied: "That's it. What a disgusting pair of Twits!" That sparked criticism for a "negative representation" of disability. James and Smith, who write the popular Kid Normal books, have co-authored The Twits Next Door - part of a new series commissioned by the Roald Dahl Story Company. In the video, the pair came up with ways to make the characters look "really gross" and "horrible". James posted on X that it was "absolutely not our intention" to cause offence "and we apologise unreservedly". A host of modern authors will put a new spin on Roald Dahl's books He wrote: "We understand that words matter and we pride ourselves on championing and welcoming everyone into the magical world of children's books. We would never dream of deliberately setting out to exclude anyone." James added that with the glass eye comment, "we were attempting to pay homage to one of the Twit's most famous pranks involving a glass of beer in order to remind people of Dahl's infamous terrible two". He said it does not form part of the plot of the new story, "nor was it our intention to suggest that it was in any way disgusting". "It's unfortunate that the word disgusting appears to be a direct comment on that. That's an error on our part. "We are devastated that it's come across like this but completely understand why there is anger. And we appreciate everyone rightly calling it out. "We hear that fully, we're so upset that we made a mistake but we're still incredibly proud of this book and we're excited to get out there and share it with young readers all over the world x." The response to the video included The Royal National Institute of Blind People saying: "When there's positive representation of disabilities in children's books, children with disabilities feel seen and heard, and their friends and classmates treat everyone the same. "There is nothing at all revolting about prosthetic eyes, we think they're brilliant." The sight loss charity encouraged James and Smith to "talk to us about encouraging acceptance and understanding of disabilities". Charity Scope posted on X: "Positive disability representation in kid's books help improve attitudes and inclusion. So what can we expect of negative representation like this?" They also posted a video saying: "Greg and Chris, we know you can do better. The disabled community wants to help you get there." 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 Scope 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. Paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson, who is also a crossbench peer in the House of Lords, posted: "Thanks. Thanks very much. #sarcasm. I'd hoped the world had moved on." The backlash follows an announcement earlier on Friday that James and Smith were among a number of current authors who are writing new stories based on classic Dahl books. Their novel will see a new family called the Lovelies move in next door to The Twits, prompting the Twits to hatch a plan to rid themselves of their horribly nice new neighbours. The Twits Next Door will be published in August. Elsewhere, TV presenter Konnie Huq, The Last Leg comedian Adam Hills and author Adam Kay will contribute to a short story collection, Charlie and the Christmas Factory. The move follows Netflix's purchase of the rights to Dahl's children's books in 2021. The streaming giant now owns the Roald Dahl Story Company, giving it ultimate control of what happens to Dahl's stories in publishing, as well as TV and film.

It was tense, uncomfortable, and not just because the room was swelteringly warm. The committee’s grilling didn’t last the full five hours some anticipated, but it was still extensive - and long. So how did Johnson do? Well, we won’t know just yet whether or not his evidence was enough to convince MPs that when - as he’s admitted - he misled Parliament, he did not do so intentionally or recklessly, and corrected the record at the earliest opportunity. Johnson seemed at his most confident when he was able to draw on facts that suggest rule breaking wouldn’t have been obvious to him - like that official photographers were present at times and that his birthday gathering was briefed to the Times newspaper. He looked more at ease here. It got trickier for him when he started having his own social distancing guidance cited back at him. The photographic evidence here became difficult for him as he was forced to explain how drinks gatherings demonstrated social distancing being followed “wherever possible.” Here he relied mostly on his belief these gatherings were “essential” for work. Will that wash with the committee? We’ll need to wait and see. He was most visibly rattled - as were some of the supportive Tory MPs sat behind him - when they grilled him on whether he had adequate assurances that rules were followed, as he claimed to Parliament. Many watching at home may have made up their minds already about whether or not they back his defence. But it could be a while still before we know how all this has landed with the people who really matter now - the MPs who have his fate in their hands.

Apple has unveiled a much-anticipated augmented reality headset, Apple Vision Pro, in its first major hardware launch for almost a decade. Apple chief executive Tim Cook said the new headset "seamlessly blends the real world and the virtual world". The tech firm also announced its latest iPhone operating system, as well as updates to MacBook Air. The headset has a two-hour battery life, costs $3,499 (£2,849) and will be released early next year in the US. The cost is considerably higher than virtual reality headsets currently on the market. Last week Meta announced its Quest 3 - which costs $499. Apple said little about generative artificial intelligence - the buzzy technology that is the talk of Silicon Valley. The company's share price fell slightly during the announcement, made at a developer's conference at Apple Park, the company's headquarters, in Cupertino, California. The BBC was among the media outlets at the event, and technology editor Zoe Kleinman was one of the first people in the world to try out the headset. "Since current boss Tim Cook took over in 2011, with the possible exception of the Watch, Apple has been unable to come up with the kind of world-changing product of the past," she said. "Have they done it here?" Apple Vision Pro looks different to similar headsets on the market - and is more reminiscent of a pair of ski goggles than a virtual reality headset. Apple used the phrase "augmented reality" to describe what the new device does. Augmented reality, also known as mixed reality, superimposes virtual objects in the world around us - enabling us to mix reality with virtual reality by looking through a screen. "It's like your phone but right in front of you - big, bright and bold, wherever you are," Ms Kleinman said. In letting you do things like watch videos of your family blowing out birthday candles or immerse yourself in your photography by making your panoramic photos life-size, she says it is pitched as a device which is "very much about being part of your daily life", unlike many other headsets on the market geared primarily towards immersive gaming. How the Vision Pro's new app store will appear for headset users Users can access apps, watch movies, and write documents in a virtual world. But so far, there is little evidence of a big market for this kind of wearable tech. "It's still at the end of the day a VR headset," said Ms Kleinman. "Apple is going to have to have an awful lot of content to throw at this when it ships early next year. "And of course the other thing is the price point - $3,499 is a lot of money." Hartley Charlton, senior editor of MacRumors, was unsure how much the headset would appeal to the general public. "It won't appeal to mainstream consumers at first on account of its extremely high price point and immediate shortcomings as a first-generation device, such as its separate wired battery pack," he said. But he said Apple has a track record of "overcoming scepticism" about new devices, and has historically encouraged people to "part with their cash to add a new gadget to their repertoire". Journalists and developers at Monday's conference saw a glimpse of the headset In his sales pitch, Mr Cook said the headset allows users to "see, hear and interact with digital content just like it's in your physical space". It is controlled by using a combination of your hands, eyes and voice - such as tapping your fingers together to select, and flicking them to scroll. The announcement comes a week after Meta and Lenovo announced new iterations of their pre-existing virtual reality headsets, that do not superimpose objects on to a view of the real world. Meta has also invested heavily in mixed reality - but right now the sector is struggling. The headset market saw a 54% drop in global sales last year, according to the International Data Corporation. Apple's last major hardware release was for the Apple Watch device in 2015. Thomas Husson, of Forrester Research, told BBC News it may take time for Apple's new headset to take off. "The overall AR/VR space has been a bit overhyped over the past few years with the metaverse and that kind of experience," he said. "That's the reason why I think it will take a bit more time. "Having said that, if I told you 10 to 15 years ago that people would be ready to pay almost $2,000 for a mobile phone, I don't think many people would have said they would be willing to pay that." Aside from the Vision Pro announcement, Apple also unveiled iOS17, the latest version of its iPhone operating system. Updates include "contact posters" - a picture or image of yourself that will appear on a person's phone when you call them - and "live voicemail" - which provides a real-time transcription of an answerphone message being left to you. This transcription will also apply to audio messages left using Apple Messages. And Apple has introduced a system called Check-In - which will automatically tell a friend or family member when you have arrived home. If your journey is substantially delayed, it has the power to tell others that you have not made it home safely yet. The new operating system will be available this autumn.

David Boyd will be sentenced on 23 May for murdering Nikki Allan A convicted child abuser has been found guilty of brutally murdering a seven-year-old girl more than 30 years ago. Nikki Allan was repeatedly hit with a brick and stabbed dozens of times before her body was abandoned in a derelict building near her home in Sunderland in October 1992. David Boyd, 55, from Stockton-on-Tees, was convicted at Newcastle Crown Court after a three-week trial. Nikki's mother said the "evil man" had "slipped through the net" for decades. He will be sentenced on 23 May. Boyd, then aged 25, was a neighbour of Nikki's at the Wear Garth flats in the east end of Sunderland and his partner had been the girl's babysitter. However, he avoided suspicion in the initial Northumbria Police investigation because detectives were focussed on another man - also a neighbour - 24-year-old George Heron. He was prosecuted but acquitted at a trial in 1993 after a judge ruled police had used "oppressive" tactics when questioning him and said his confession had been obtained under duress. Boyd was familiar with the abandoned Old Exchange building about 300 yards from where he and Nikki lived, and knew how to get inside through a broken, boarded-up window. DNA matching his was found on Nikki's clothes and he bore a "striking resemblance" to a man seen with Nikki shortly before her death, prosecutors said. The trial heard Boyd, of Chesterton Court in Norton, confessed to having sexual fantasies about young girls and was convicted of indecently assaulting a nine-year-old girl in 1999. He also had a conviction for indecent exposure in 1997 when he flashed three young girls in a park and one for breaching the peace in 1986 when he grabbed a 10-year-old girl and asked her for a kiss. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Prosecutor Richard Wright KC previously told jurors Nikki was lured to the building by someone she knew and the "irresistible conclusion" was it was done for a "sinister purpose" even though there was no evidence of a sexual assault. He said the case against Boyd was "circumstantial but compelling" but if he was not the murderer then Nikki must have been killed by a "phantom" who had left no evidence behind. The jury of 10 women and two men in Boyd's trial reached their verdict after two-and-a-half hours of deliberation. The public gallery erupted with raucous cheers and cries of "thank you" when the verdict was read out. Police officers had to be summoned into the court to restore order. Boyd, dressed in a white T-shirt, did not visibly react and was remanded into custody. Nikki Allan was killed in the Old Exchange building in the Hendon area of Sunderland Outside court, Nikki's mother Sharon Henderson, who campaigned tirelessly to keep her daughter's case in the public consciousness, spoke of the "injustice" her family had lived with for three decades. Addressing the botched police investigation in 1992, she told reporters: "This evil man slipped through the net to murder Nikki when he was on their files in the first place. "Three doors down from Nikki's grandparents [where Boyd had been living]. They should have investigated him straight away." Asked how she had managed to keep fighting for justice, she replied: "Because Nikki's my daughter and I love her." Speaking after the verdict, Assistant Chief Constable Brad Howe of Northumbria Police praised Nikki's family's "patience and strength over the last 30 years", adding: "Today is about justice for Nikki and her family." "David Boyd hid his crime, lying about his involvement and prolonging the family's suffering, knowing all along that he had taken the life of their little girl," he said. He said the investigation had been one of the "most complex and comprehensive ever conducted" by the force. Det Ch Supt Lisa Theaker, the senior investigating officer in the case, added: "Nikki would have been 37 now and who knows what her life could have been. "But her future was cruelly taken away from her by David Boyd. The pain and suffering that he has caused, and to so many people, is immeasurable." Christopher Atkinson, head of the Complex Casework Unit at Crown Prosecution Service North East, said: "Despite the unimaginable grief endured by Nikki's family, Boyd continued to pretend that he was not involved in the killing for 30 years." Follow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

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.

Richard Micklewright says the experience was "extremely difficult" An ex-independent member forced to resign from a health board described the actions of Health Minister Eluned Morgan as "tantamount to bullying". Richard Micklewright said he and his fellow independent members at Betsi Cadwaladr health board (BCUHB) were treated as "expendables to be used, abused and discarded at her whim". At the time, Eluned Morgan she had to address the health board's performance. BCUHB said it could not comment "on the status of any employees at this stage". Meanwhile the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has said he was "deeply worried" following stories about the health board, and allegations made by a leaked finance report should be "investigated properly". A Conservative MP told the Commons the report "revealed serious misconduct on the part of several senior board executives, including a conspiracy to falsify accounts". Welsh Health Minister Eluned Morgan told the Senedd on Wednesday that people named in the report by EY have been suspended. Speaking for the first time to Wales Live since the 11 independent members were made to quit. Mr Micklewright said it was "tantamount to bullying" and had come out of the blue. "There'd been no communication from her or her officials to indicate there was dissatisfaction in what we were doing. We just felt that we had been completely let down and treated badly. "We had no options about what we were going to do. We were just dismissed. "It was an extremely difficult, traumatic experience." As a former vice chair of Betsi Cadwaladr's audit committee he believes "there needs to be a criminal investigation" into financial matters at the health board. A leaked report by accountancy firm Ernst and Young (EY), alleged finance officials made deliberately wrong entries in accounts. The report said Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, which serves north Wales, wrongly accounted for millions of pounds. It alleged EY's work was "hindered" by the alteration of a document and the deletion of a recording of a meeting. Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor is one of the hospitals administered by the health board NHS Counter Fraud Wales, which is part of an NHS Wales organisation, concluded in April that no further action was needed. But Mr Micklewright said that he and his former colleagues believe that "crimes have occurred, and they need to be dealt with". "The Ernst and Young report found quite serious examples of actual criminality. "They found false accounting, which is a crime. "They found misconduct in public office, which is a crime. "And it was suggested by the counter fraud people possibly also conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, which is a much more serious crime," he said. On Wednesday, at Prime Minister's Questions, Conservative MP David Jones told the Commons the EY report "revealed serious misconduct on the part of several senior board executives, including a conspiracy to falsify accounts". Rishi Sunak replied: "I am deeply worried about the Betsi Cadwaladr hospital in labour run north Wales. It has been, as he said, in special measures for six of the last eight years and, as he remarked, the official audit said there was worrying dysfunctionality. "I do hope this issue is investigated properly, and I believe my honourable friend is in contract with the secretary of state for Wales to take this further." In the Senedd Conservative politician Darren Millar said the report had wider implications for the Welsh NHS. He said its findings "include false accounts and the manipulation of documents, which amounts to fraud". "These were done in the knowledge of senior members of staff at the health board." "The junior staff who pushed back against these appalling practices were overruled by their superiors. "There were deliberate efforts to hide those actions from Audit Wales and Forensic investigators from Ernst and Young. It absolutely stinks. "The report still isn't the public domain. It should be published." Eluned Morgan, health minister, told the Senedd the report "did make extremely sobering reading, which absolutely needs to be acted upon". "As has been said in this chamber on a number of occasions this is not our report, so I can't ask for it to be published." She said "key individuals named in the report have been suspended. Clearly they have legal employment rights. The key thing for me is that we've got to follow the right process". She added that she had asked a senior civil servant to see if there were broader implications for the Welsh government. North Wales Police have said they are looking into the claims in the EY report. Det Ch Supt Gareth Evans said: "We are aware of media reports regarding financial matters at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and have also had concerns raised with us by individuals. "We are liaising with colleagues in other agencies regarding enquiries already undertaken in order to make an assessment and will issue an update in due course." A Welsh government spokesperson said: "We do not comment on leaked documents, particularly when, as in this case, internal procedures are still proceeding at the Health Board." They did not want to comment on the specific allegations but said that independent board members were offered counselling at the time. The 11 former independent members of the board have questioned the focus on them after a damning audit report called the executive team dysfunctional. Executives are responsible for the day-to-day operation of health services while independent board members are there to scrutinise the executives' decisions. The executives are still in their place and Richard Micklewright believes that "something does need to be done about the executive". "The minister was quite clear that she didn't have the ability to deal with the executives, which is true up to a point. She doesn't have the power to hire and fire so she couldn't fire the executive directors. "She did however, have the ability to take them off the board so they could be removed from the position where they were making decisions that were detrimental to Betsi going forward." An accountant, who has worked for a number of other public sector organisations, Mr Micklewright said that he had never been treated like this before "it was something that I've never experienced before and my colleagues haven't either". He also accused the health minister of a lack of duty of care, saying some of the other members were "suffering from stress and upset" but there had been "nothing from Eluned Morgan's team to indicate any awareness of that or any concern for us after the event". "Somebody needs to take responsibility and I can only see two people in the frame potentially - Mark Drakeford and Eluned Morgan," he said. A spokesperson for BCUHB said: "The management of the issues raised in the EY report is progressing in line with existing procedures and policies. "This follows the conclusion of the NHS Counter Fraud Wales investigation connected to the Auditor General's qualified opinion of the Health Board's 2021-22 financial accounts. "It is inappropriate to comment on the status of any employees at this stage. "We currently have six independent board members in place, alongside two associate independent members. Two further independent board members are in the process of being appointed and these will be announced in due course."

The withdrawal of support will add hundreds of pounds to some household bills Energy bills for most households in Northern Ireland will increase by hundreds of pounds a year from Saturday as government support comes to an end. The Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) Scheme was introduced in November 2022, applying a discount to the unit rate of electricity and gas prices. But the discount no longer applies from Saturday, having been gradually reduced from since January. A reduction in April meant bills rose despite price cuts by suppliers. Deirdre McCausland, a single mother-of-two from west Belfast, who is with Budget Energy, said she was in shock at the increase in bills. She said it was "the worst timing ever" and that "something needs to be done about it". "I just keep thinking how much more pressure are families - not just single people like me - the working poor [under]. How much more are we going to be able to tolerate all this?" she told BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra. "I only found out about the rise through an email. Deirdre McCausland, a single mother from west Belfast, said she was in shock at the increase in bills "It is the worst timing ever. This is just before the summer - my children got off today, it is their last day of school, and then we are being hit with all these costs. "I am just wondering, when is it going to stop? "I have a 14-year-old and a nine-year-old. When I was young growing up my parents protected me from poverty; I can't protect my children [and] because of social media they are more aware than ever of what lies ahead. "That is an absolute shambles and something needs to be done about it." What will this mean for bills? The majority of customers will see the tariffs charged by their supplier frozen or cut but the withdrawal of the EPG support will mean that their bills actually increase. Raymond Gormley of the Consumer Council described the move as "unfortunate" as he said prices remained at about double the pre-Covid pandemic norm. He said the government would review the need for the scheme every three months until next spring. "So if energy prices increase significantly in the winter, the Consumer Council will make the argument to government that they should reinstate a subsidy". Falling electricity prices have been offset by a reduction in government support Power NI is the largest electricity supplier in Northern Ireland, with about 479,000 domestic electricity customers. It announced a 7.1% decrease in its standard tariff but the end of the government discount means customers will see an increase of about £49 a year. That means a typical annual bill will rise from £966 in June to £1,015 from July. SSE Airtricity, Electric Ireland and Budget Energy are not changing their tariffs - customers will see their average bills rise by about £127 a year. Click Energy is reducing its standard tariff by 10.36% and other tariffs also also being cut to offset the reduction of government support - customers will see no change in their typical yearly bills. It is the smallest of the five Northern Irish electricity suppliers, with about 24,000 customers. SSE Airtricity provides gas to about 195,000 customers in the Greater Belfast area SSE Airtricity announced a decrease of 12.2% effective from July but customers will actually see their gas bills increase by about £134 a year because of the loss of government support. That means a typical customer's annual bill will rise from £1,266 in June to £1,399 in July. SSE Airtricity serves about 195,000 customers in the Greater Belfast area and 3,200 customers in the Gas to the West area. Bills for Firmus Energy customers will increase by about £328 in both the Ten Towns gas network and the Greater Belfast gas network areas. For those in the Ten Towns gas network area, a typical annual bill will rise from £1,147 in June to £1,475 in July. A typical bill for customers in the Greater Belfast area will rise from £1,190 in June to £1,518 in July. From January to March this year energy bills in Northern Ireland were being discounted by up to 13.6p a unit for electricity and 3.9p a unit for gas. That support was reduced from April to June 2023 - bills were discounted by up to 3.8p per unit for electricity and 2.6p per unit for gas. The EPG will drop from about £454 a year in discount for the average household to nothing from 1 July 2023. In Northern Ireland, the Utility Regulator imposes price controls on the major suppliers: electricity firm Power NI, SSE Airtricity gas in greater Belfast and Firmus Energy gas in the so-called Ten Towns network. The regulator approves the maximum tariffs based on the costs for providing the service and a small profit margin.

The NHS is set to miss a key cancer treatment target laid out in the Covid recovery plan, the national cancer director for England has said. The NHS had committed to cutting the backlog of people waiting more than two months to be diagnosed and begin cancer treatment to pre-pandemic levels. But Dame Cally Palmer told MPs a spike in demand meant NHS England would miss the March 2023 target. She said a new target of March 2024 was now being discussed with ministers. In its Covid recovery plan published in February 2022, NHS England committed to tackling the substantial backlog of people with suspected cancer who are facing long waits to either start treatment, or be tested and receive the all-clear. It set a target to cut the total number of patients having to wait more than two months - or 62 days - to the pre-pandemic level of 14,000 by the end of March 2023. "We've made very significant progress, the backlog was at an all-time high of around 34,000 last summer," Dame Cally told the Health and Social Care Committee. "Last week it was 23,500, so we've dropped by about 10,000 but there's still further to go." Most of the patients on that waiting list will ultimately be told they do not have cancer but, giving evidence to the committee, NHS officials said that long waits for a diagnosis create "a lot of anxiety for people". Professor Peter Johnson, national clinical director for cancer at NHS England, told MPs: "I don't think anybody is comfortable with the fact that we have a large number of people who are waiting too long to get their diagnosis and start their treatment. "What we need to do is contend with a very large number of referrals - between 200,000 to 260,000 people every month are referred for investigation of possible cancer, [of] whom only about 6% will have cancer." Dame Deborah James raised millions for cancer research before she died aged 40 Dame Cally said the spike in referrals from GPs has been linked to a number of factors including a rise in cancer rates in the population; more people putting off care during the pandemic who are now coming forward; and a wider increase in awareness attributed to publicity campaigns and high-profile cancer cases. She said there was a "big surge" in people coming forward with possible bowel cancer after the death of Dame Deborah James in June 2022. The NHS in England has been struggling to meet every one of its nine cancer care targets since the the start of the Covid pandemic in February 2020. Under the NHS constitution, 85% of patients diagnosed with cancer should start treatment within two months of an urgent referral, although that level of performance has not been achieved since 2015. The latest figures show that, in December 2022, 61.8% of patients started treatment within 62-days, up slightly from 61% the previous month. Other parts of the UK have been under similar pressure: "What we're seeing across cancer services right now is devastating," said Minesh Patel, head of policy at the cancer support charity Macmillan. "While we welcome recent efforts to improve the numbers of people referred and diagnosed early, waiting times in England still reached record highs in 2022. "Behind these unacceptable figures are real people who are having to put their lives on hold whilst they face anxious waits."

Maya Forstater found herself out of a job after tweeting "gender-critical" views A woman who lost out on a job after tweeting gender-critical views is to get a £100,000 payout after a decision from an employment tribunal. Tax expert Maya Forstater did not have her contract renewed in March 2019 after writing tweets saying people could not change their biological sex. She was found to have experienced discrimination while working for the Centre for Global Development (CGD). The think tank said it would continue to try to build an inclusive workplace. In their decision on Friday, three London judges said Ms Forstater should receive compensation of £91,500 and interest of £14,904.31. The sum is to reflect lost earnings, injury to feelings and aggravated damages after the CGD's decision not to renew her contract or fellowship. Ms Forstater, the founder of campaign group Sex Matters, believes biological sex is immutable and not to be conflated with gender identity. She told The Times on Friday that the ruling "sends a message to employers that this is discrimination like any other discrimination". Ms Forstater was congratulated in a tweet by Harry Potter author JK Rowling, who has courted controversy with her own statements on trans issues. The contentious and high-profile case even proved divisive in the courts. Ms Forstater lost her original case in 2019, when she was told by a tribunal judge that her approach was "not worthy of respect in a democratic society". But she appealed, and won the backing two years later of a High Court judge - who said her views were protected by the Equality Act 2010. A fresh tribunal was ordered, and ruled last year that Ms Forstater experienced "direct discrimination" related to her beliefs. Commenting on the July 2022 ruling, charity Stonewall said the decision did not "change the reality of trans people's workplace protection". It added: "No-one has the right to discriminate against, or harass, trans people simply because they disagree with their existence and participation in society." Responding to Friday's tribunal decision, a CGD representative said the organisation "has and will continue to strive to maintain a workplace that is welcoming, safe and inclusive to all" and would now be able "once again to focus exclusively on our mission - reducing global poverty and inequality through economic research that drives better policy and practice".

Ms Carroll smiled to reporters as she left the courthouse A jury in a civil case has found former President Donald Trump sexually abused a magazine columnist in a New York department store in the 1990s. But Mr Trump was found not liable for raping E Jean Carroll in the dressing room of Bergdorf Goodman. The jury also found Mr Trump liable for defamation for calling the writer's accusations "a hoax and a lie". It is the first time Mr Trump has been found legally responsible for a sexual assault. The Manhattan jury ordered Mr Trump to pay her about $5m (£4m) in damages. The jury of six men and three women reached their decision after less than three hours of deliberations on Tuesday. "Today, the world finally knows the truth," Ms Carroll said in a written statement following the verdict. "This victory is not just for me but for every woman who has suffered because she was not believed." Mr Trump's lawyer said the former president plans to appeal against the decision. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Because the trial was in civil court rather than criminal, Mr Trump will not be required to register as a sex offender. The former president - who has denied Ms Carroll's accusations - did not attend the two-week civil trial in the Manhattan federal court. Ms Carroll, 79, held the hands of both her lawyers as the verdict was read in court and smiled as she was awarded damages by the jury. Mr Trump's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, shook her hand as the trial ended, telling her: "Congratulations and good luck." Roberta Kaplan, a lawyer for the plaintiff said in a statement: "This is a victory not only for E Jean Carroll, but for democracy itself, and for all survivors everywhere." After the verdict, Mr Trump, 76, posted on his social media platform Truth Social in all capital letters: "I have absolutely no idea who this woman is. "This verdict is a disgrace - a continuation of the greatest witch hunt of all time!" The standard of proof in civil cases is lower than in criminal cases, meaning that jurors were only required to find that it was more likely than not that Mr Trump assaulted Ms Carroll. While the jury found Mr Trump liable for sexual battery and defamation of Ms Carroll, they did not find Mr Trump liable of raping her. To do so, the jury would have needed to have been convinced that Mr Trump had engaged in non-consensual sexual intercourse with Ms Carroll. The trial saw a tense cross-examination between Ms Carroll and Mr Trump's attorneys. Her legal team called 11 witnesses to corroborate her claims that Mr Trump had assaulted her in the lingerie department of the luxury store in 1995 or 1996. They included two women who also say they were sexually assaulted by Mr Trump decades ago. One woman told jurors that Mr Trump groped her during a flight in the 1970s. Another woman said that Mr Trump had forcibly kissed her while she was interviewing him for an article she was writing in 2005. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Two long-time friends of Ms Carroll testified that she told them about the encounter shortly after it occurred. On the stand, Ms Carroll described in graphic detail what she alleges happened in the store and the trauma she says she has endured as a result. "I'm here because Donald Trump raped me and when I wrote about it, he lied and said it didn't happen," she told the court. Mr Trump called no witnesses and appeared only in a video of a deposition that was played for jurors in which he denied rape. "It's the most ridiculous, disgusting story," Mr Trump said in the footage. "It's just made up." Ms Carroll's lawsuit also argued that Mr Trump had defamed her in an October 2022 post on his social media site in which he called her claims a "complete con job" and "a Hoax and a lie". Her legal team argued Mr Trump had acted as a "witness against himself" during the deposition when he doubled down on comments he made in a 2005 recording. In the audio, known as the Access Hollywood tape and leaked in 2016, Mr Trump suggested women let stars "do anything" to them, including grabbing their genitals. That's what he did to Ms Carroll, her lawyer argued. In the recorded video deposition, Mr Trump at one point confused Ms Carroll for his ex-wife, Marla Maples, which Ms Carroll's lawyers argued undermined his claim that she was "not his type". Mr Tacopina sought to cast doubt on Ms Carroll's story, which he called "a work of fiction". He questioned why Ms Carroll could not specify the date of the attack, arguing that it stripped Mr Trump of the chance to provide an alibi. "With no date, no month, no year, you can't present an alibi, you can't call witnesses," Mr Tacopina said. "What they want is for you to hate him enough to ignore the facts." Mr Tacopina also pressed her on why she did not report a crime to police or scream while it occurred. The former Elle magazine columnist was able to bring the civil case against Mr Trump after New York passed the Adult Survivors Act in 2022. The law allowed a one-year period for victims to file sexual assault lawsuits in the state involving claims that would have normally exceeded statute limitations.

"We pray together, we cry together," says community representative Michael Tsifidaris In a brightly lit hall on an industrial estate, rows of empty chairs are arranged in front of a plain wooden lectern. Hamburg's Jehovah's witnesses have cancelled all services following Thursday's deadly shooting in another meeting hall in the city which claimed seven lives, including that of an unborn child. The attack took place shortly after worshippers finished their service. Police have told them that they cannot rule out the possibility of a so-called copycat attack, says Michael Tsifidaris, who speaks for the community here. He's smartly dressed in a business suit, but looks exhausted. It's clear that he's still deeply shaken. Two of his friends were killed in the attack. He tells us he spent Thursday night with survivors in hospital, and at the police station. But he also comforted relatives as they waited in a hastily arranged emergency centre for news of their loved ones. "It's hard to imagine - a group of people are sitting together during an evening in the church, reading the Bible, singing, praying together. Then they spend a couple of minutes together to talk to each other after the meeting, Then, all of a sudden, a scene of love becomes a scene of hate and death." The fact that the killer was a former member of the Jehovah's Witness community here makes the tragedy particularly hard to bear. There are about 4,000 Jehovah's Witnesses in and around Hamburg. The community is divided into smaller congregations, each with their own meeting place, known as a Kingdom Hall. Detectives investigating the mass shooting have said the killer left the Jehovah's Witnesses on terms which were "not good". Mr Tsifidaris says he doesn't know why the man left, didn't know him personally, and appears reluctant to talk about him. Those who leave the Jehovah's Witnesses are often "disassociated" or cut off by most members of the community; a practice sometimes referred to as "shunning". The police have revealed they recently received an anonymous letter, in which the author warned the attacker had a gun, was mentally unstable and harboured anger against religious groups, including the Jehovah's Witnesses. "He left the community two years ago and now, all of a sudden, he's showing up and is acting against all the principles we stand for," says Mr Tsifidaris. "What we know is that in the religious context, there is a community he knows, there is a community he was part of, so this is a community he focused his hate on. He knew the premises, he knew the arrangements." For now, the community is meeting online. Mr Tsifidaris, who refers to his fellow members as brothers and sisters, speaks often of the comfort to be found in supporting one another. "We pray together, we cry together." Uppermost in their thoughts are those who remain seriously injured in hospital. He's adamant that their treatment is not compromised by a refusal to accept blood transfusions - Jehovah's Witnesses believe that God forbids this. They are not yet out of danger, he tells us, but the doctors say there's a fair chance most will survive. For now, the focus is on supporting the bereaved and the traumatised. No one, he says, is left alone in their grief. This attack has left a city in mourning and a community in shock and horror. It will, says Mr Tsifidaris, take years to heal. Jehovah's Witnesses services were cancelled after the mass shooting

The government is committed to new oil and gas licences in the North Sea The prime minister will emphasise the need to strengthen Britain's energy security when he meets industry leaders this week. Rishi Sunak is to set out details of the government's plans for the UK's fossil fuel and green industries. The Sunday Times says he will announce multimillion-pound funding for a carbon capture project in Scotland. The Tories are facing internal divisions over their green policies, with some MPs calling for a rethink. Environmental groups have expressed "deep alarm" at reports the government may water down its green commitments. Anger over London Mayor Sadiq Khan's plans to extend the capital's ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) was widely seen as helping Conservatives seal a narrow victory in the Uxbridge by-election. Both Mr Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer have urged Mr Khan to reflect on the Ulez rollout as people struggle with cost-of-living pressures. Mr Sunak is now setting out his position as being on the side of drivers. In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, he said he has ordered a review of low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) because he supports people to "use their cars to do all the things that matter to them". With intense heatwaves worldwide this month prompting climate change warnings, the backlash against Ulez has propelled the UK's net zero target to the top of the political agenda. The PM and his Energy Security Secretary, Grant Shapps, will meet senior representatives from the oil and gas, renewable and nuclear industries over the week. The government said it hoped the meetings would ensure the UK was making the most of opportunities to boost its energy infrastructure and help it to press ahead with safeguarding energy security and reducing reliance on "hostile states". According to the Sunday Times, Mr Sunak will start the week in Aberdeenshire where he will announce funding for the Acorn carbon capture project, a joint venture between Shell UK and other companies. The project would see harmful greenhouse gas emissions piped under the North Sea. This would prevent carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere, by capturing it at the point where the fossil fuel is being burnt. The technology is seen by policy makers as a vital tool in reaching net-zero emissions by the middle of the century and could create up to 21,000 jobs, the Sunday Times reported. Some environmentalists, however, are against it because they consider it a distraction from the urgent need to cut emissions. The Acorn Project has been under development in various forms for more than a decade. It had hoped to be one of the first projects of its kind to receive government backing in 2021, but lost out to two projects in the north of England around the Humber and the Mersey. If given the go ahead this week, it would become Scotland's first carbon capture and storage facility. Mr Sunak will vow to "put powering up Britain from Britain first", making the most of the UK's resources, reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels and investing in renewables technologies. The government, despite alarm from climate campaigners, is also committed to new oil and gas licences in the North Sea. In its energy security strategy, published in March, the government said it was committed to further oil and gas exploration to "minimise our reliance on overseas imports". Calling energy security "national security", Mr Shapps said: "Since Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine the government has driven Putin from our energy market, paid around half of a typical family's energy bill and grown our economy by driving forward major energy projects. "This week we will go even further. Forging ahead with critical measures to power up Britain from Britain, including supporting our invaluable oil and gas industry, making the most of our home-grown energy sources and backing British innovation in renewables." Shadow climate secretary Ed Miliband said families and businesses were paying the price, in higher energy bills, of "13 years of failed Tory energy policy". "Labour will take no lessons from the party that banned onshore wind, crashed the market for solar, stalled energy efficiency, haven't got any new nuclear plants started, and left us at the mercy of tyrants across the world." Jamie Peters, climate coordinator at Friends of the Earth, said ending the UK's "reliance" on fossil fuels was the "only sensible and effective way" of increasing energy security. "The UK is blessed with huge renewable energy resources, offshore and onshore, and we should be making better use of these for long-term security and economic prosperity."

The Prince of Wales has met a road crash survivor who he helped save while working as an air ambulance pilot. Jack Beeton was in a van driven by his uncle when it crashed with a lorry near Cambridge in October 2015, killing his uncle and leaving Mr Beeton with life-threatening injuries. Prince William invited Mr Beeton to Windsor Castle after receiving a letter from his girlfriend. "I was saved by these guys and everyone else on the shift," said Mr Beeton. "It's been lovely to see William, be able to shake his hand and thank him for what he did for me that day." Prince William worked for the East Anglian Air Ambulance for two years Prince William joined the East Anglian Air Ambulance as a helicopter pilot in March 2015 and began his first operational missions four months later. Upon finishing his job in July 2017, he wrote a public letter singling out the day when his crewmates saved Mr Beeton's life following the collision on the A10. Jack Beeton got the chance to meet Prince William after his girlfriend sent the palace a letter Prince William's crew were the first on scene at the collision aftermath in October 2015 The prince wrote at the time: "We were first on scene and in such circumstances we all had to pitch in to fight to save the young man's life. "It is days like this, when you know you have made a difference, that give you the determination to keep going." Mr Beeton's girlfriend wrote to Prince William to say her partner had managed to thank all the crew from that day, apart from him. Other members of the crew joined Mr Beeton to reunite once again at Windsor Castle. Follow East of England news on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Got a story? Email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp on 0800 169 1830 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

The former prime minister, Theresa May, argued the bill would "consign more people to slavery" Some senior Tory MPs have criticised the government's asylum reforms as MPs overturned changes made by the House of Lords to the Illegal Migration Bill. Former PM Theresa May was among more than a dozen Tories arguing for a different approach from ministers. But their calls did not stop MPs voting to reject revisions peers had made to the bill in the Lords. The bill is central to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's pledge to stop small boats crossing the English Channel. The Illegal Migration Bill seeks to deter people from making the crossing by toughening up the rules and conditions around seeking asylum. As it was debated in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Mr Sunak said he was "throwing absolutely everything" at tackling Channel crossings. But the passage of the bill has not been easy, with peers voting for 20 changes and campaigners calling on MPs to reject the government's proposals. The amendments voted for by the Lords have been overturned by MPs in a series of 18 votes, although ahead of the debate, the Home Office offered several concessions, including on time limits for the detention of children and pregnant women. The bill now heads to the Lords again, for peers to consider the changes made by MPs. In a Commons debate, Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick accused peers of "wrecking" the government's asylum reforms by trying to make amendments. Mr Jenrick said it was "vital" that the bill was passed quickly and described amendments made by the Lords as being "riddled with exceptions and get-out clauses". The government's concessions were not enough to win the backing of some Tory MPs, who raised concerns over how the bill treats unaccompanied children and the victims of modern slavery. Mrs May said the bill "will consign more people to slavery", adding she would have to "persist in disagreeing with the government" on this issue. The former prime minister told MPs: "I know that ministers have said this bill will enable more perpetrators to be stopped, but on modern slavery I genuinely believe it will do the opposite. "It will enable more slave-drivers to operate and make money out of human misery." She was among 16 Conservatives who voted against the government's rejection of protections for people claiming to be victims of modern slavery. There were also rebellions from Conservative MPs connected to the limits and conditions of detaining unaccompanied children. One of the rebels, former Conservative minister Tim Loughton, said the "assurances that we were promised have not materialised or, if they have, I am afraid nobody understands them". He complained about the timing of the concessions and said "more work needs to be done" on scrutinising the bill before it becomes law. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Robert Jenrick says cartoons in an asylum reception centre were painted over as they were not "age appropriate" for teenagers. One of the most controversial aspects of the bill would place a legal duty on the government to detain and remove migrants arriving in the UK illegally, either to Rwanda or another "safe" third country. Stephen Kinnock, Labour's shadow immigration minister, said the government's Rwanda plan was "fundamentally flawed", and he accused Mr Jenrick of "pettiness" for painting over Mickey Mouse cartoons in an immigration centre. Mr Kinnock said the bill would "only make a terrible situation worse" by increasing the asylum backlog, and "ensure people smugglers are laughing all the way to the bank". With Parliament due to break for summer at the end of next week, the bill faces a prolonged stand-off between peers and the government during so-called parliamentary ping-pong, when legislation is batted between the Lords and Commons until agreement on the wording can be reached. The latest figures show more than 13,000 migrants have made the crossing so far this year, including more than 1,600 in the last four days. The government's efforts to curb the number of small boats crossing the Channel have been hampered in Parliament and the courts. A plan to house asylum seekers on a barge moored in Dorset has been delayed. And the government's policy of sending migrants to Rwanda is set for a legal battle in the Supreme Court. On Monday, a senior Home Office official confirmed the department was paying to keep nearly 5,000 beds empty across the country, in case a sudden influx of migrants caused overcrowding at detention centres. The government has stressed it remains committed to its plan to remove migrants to Rwanda, and has said it will challenge a Court of Appeal ruling last week that this was unlawful.

Junior doctors in Scotland have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a three-day strike amid a pay dispute with the Scottish government. In a ballot of BMA Scotland members 97% voted for 72-hour walkout over calls for a 23.5% increase above inflation. It follows a strikes by junior doctors in England, who walked out for three days in March and four days in April. Health Secretary Michael Matheson said he was "disappointed" but that further talks on pay were taking place. The ballot, which was open for more than five weeks, closed at noon. More than 71% of the eligible 5,000 junior doctors voted, with 97% in favour of industrial action. A strike would impact planned operations, clinics and GP appointments. Junior doctors - fully-qualified medics who are not specialty staff doctors, consultants or GPs - make up 44% of the doctors in the NHS in Scotland. The union said previous pay awards for junior doctors in Scotland had delivered real-terms pay cuts of 23.5% since 2008. It added that, with rises in inflation, this year's 4.5% uplift was "again being outstripped and the position on pay erosion will be worse by the end of the year". The BMA has asked for a 23.5% increase on top of inflation, arguing that it is needed to make up for 15 years of "pay erosion". The union said it would begin preparations for a 72-hour walkout if the Scottish government did not put forward a credible offer. Dates for the strike have not been confirmed. Committee chairman Dr Chris Smith said some junior doctors in Scotland were earning a basic salary that equated to about £14 an hour. He told BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime programme 44% of junior doctors in the BMA were "actively considering leaving the NHS". "That's just because of the low pay driving people away, which means there are gaps in the rotas, which means the work becomes harder, which drives people into burnout - it's just a self-perpetuating cycle," he said. "What we need to do now is put a stop to that, and to do that we need a good pay offer from the Scottish government." Dr Smith said the historic strike would be "vital" to protect the NHS. "This ballot result shows, beyond doubt, that junior doctors in Scotland have had enough," he said, adding that the pay erosion since 2008 was "simply unacceptable". "We have made, and continue to make, progress with Scottish government in formal negotiations on pay, but there is still some work to do before there is an offer that we believe could be credibly put to members." Health Secretary Michael Matheson said negotiations were under way The Scottish government previously said the BMA demands were "simply unaffordable" unless cuts were made to the NHS and other public services. First Minister Humza Yousaf will be under pressure to avert the strike having often pointed out during the SNP leadership campaign his record as health secretary on avoiding NHS strikes in Scotland. Health Secretary Michael Matheson said he was "disappointed" by the result of the ballot. "I will continue to do all I can to avert industrial action in NHS Scotland," he said. "Negotiations to agree a pay uplift are already under way. "As these negotiations are held in confidence, it would be inappropriate to offer any further details at this time." Junior doctors had already been awarded a 4.5% pay uplift recommended by the independent Doctors' and Dentists' Pay Review Body, the Scottish government said. It wrote to the body earlier in the year asking for a "separate and specific" recommendation for junior doctor pay. Dr Tiffany Li, from BMA's Scottish junior doctors committee, told BBC Radio Scotland's Lunchtime Live the drop in pay in real terms over the past 15 years was the "equivalent of working three months of the year for free". "What we're simply asking the Scottish government to do is help us to reverse that pay cut and actually bring it back to cost neutral level," she said. Dr Li said many doctors were leaving the NHS to work abroad where pay and conditions were better. "Patient care is the centre of what we strike for," she said. "On a daily basis we are seeing that patients are not getting the care that they need. We're seeing surgeries being cancelled because of a lack of staff an outpatient clinics being cancelled, again because of a lack of doctors." Strikes would cause disruption to patient care but in a "safe, controlled environment", she added. Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said it was clear that junior doctors were "at the end of their tether". "Patients will naturally be alarmed at the impact strike action will have on already unacceptable waiting times," he said. Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour health spokesperson, said: "This result has not come out of the blue - it is the product of years of SNP failure to support junior doctors and reward them for their work." Other NHS Scotland staff previously agreed to pay settlements without their threatened strike action, with nurses, midwives and allied health professionals accepting a 6.5% increase from April on top of a 7.5% pay rise imposed for 2022/23. Junior doctors in England, who are asking for a 35% pay rise, staged strikes between 13 and 15 March and 11 and 15 April. UK Health Secretary Steve Barclay described their pay claim as unaffordable, but earlier this week a government spokesman said discussions with the BMA were "constructive" and both parties would meet again in the coming days.

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Drone shot down over Kyiv leaves trail of fire and smoke in sky Ukraine's air force has shot down one of its own drones which it says had lost control above central Kyiv. There were explosions for around 15 to 20 minutes on Thursday evening as air defence attempted to shoot it down in an area near the president's office. Ukraine presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak initially said it was an enemy drone that had been shot down. But the air force later admitted it was Ukrainian and had been destroyed to avoid "undesirable circumstances". In a statement, it said the Bayraktar TB2 UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] had lost control around at 20:00 (17:00 GMT) in the Kyiv region, during a scheduled flight. It added that it had taken a decision to shoot it down "since the uncontrolled presence of UAVs in the sky of the capital could lead to undesirable consequences". There were no casualties or injuries from the falling drone, it said. "It's a pity, but this is technology, and such cases happen," the statement said. "It is probably a technical malfunction, the reasons are being established." Videos of efforts to shoot down the drone had been shared widely on social media. Cheers could be heard when the drone was finally taken down. City military administration head Serhiy Popko said a fire was brought under control in a building where the drone was brought down in Solomyanskyi district, west of the city centre. The incident comes after Russia accused Ukraine of carrying out an alleged drone attack on the Kremlin on Wednesday aimed at assassinating President Vladimir Putin, who was not in the building at the time. On Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the US was "undoubtedly" behind the alleged attack, without providing evidence. Ukraine has said it had nothing to do with the alleged attack on the Kremlin, and has accused Moscow of staging the incident in order to escalate the war.

Thirty-two teams will compete in this year's Women's World Cup The world's top women footballers are being put at risk because of a lack of pay, medical supervision and suitable training facilities, according to a new report. The players' union Fifpro says conditions are a "barrier to performance" at the world's six continental championships. All, except Europe's, are used as qualifying rounds for the World Cup. The BBC has asked world football's governing body Fifa for comment. Fifpro are warning that inadequate playing and support conditions are having a big impact on the health and wellbeing of international football players. A previous Fifpro study suggested that more than one in three footballers experience depressive symptoms. Earlier this year, Fifa announced equal conditions - but not equal prize money - for its women's and men's World Cup tournaments, including better travel provisions and private hotel rooms for each player. Now Fifpro are calling for equal conditions when it comes to the pathways to the World Cup as well. "The obligations and pressures have increased with the upward trajectory of professionalisation but the conditions and wellbeing of players has either stayed the same or actually decreased," Dr Alex Culvin, Fifpro's head of research for women's football told the BBC's 100 Women. For her, its crucial that the right care is offered to the more than half of players who reported either not receiving, or not being aware of, mental health support. Fifpro says almost one in three players surveyed said they are not paid by their national team for these matches. More than half said they didn't get a pre-tournament medical examination. "It is not an environment that supports players to be at their best all of the time," says Sarah Gregorius, Fifpro's director of strategic relations for women's football. When it comes to pre-tournament medicals, she says, "the numbers on their own are quite shocking and dangerous". She wants to see all players offered one and anything less is "completely unacceptable". Many countries have a long history of men's professional football and experts say this established infrastructure is partly why medical care for male players is more consistent compared to women's football. "Because of the limited number of [women's] professional clubs who offer professional standards... the need for women players to have these tests done at the international level is greater," says Dr Culvin. She points to the Confederation of African Football (Caf) as an example of what can be achieved - its players reported a much higher likelihood of receiving adequate health checks compared to players at other confederation championships. "Caf had made a real effort to give a medical and an ECG [electrocardiogram - to check heart rhythms] to all of the players... so when confederations make it a priority, the data can shift," she says. Nearly all of those who took part in the Fifpro research said that pay and prize money needed to be improved. Almost one third of those surveyed said they had to take unpaid leave from other employment to take part in qualifying rounds. "Players have to make a choice between competing for their national team in international tournaments or maintaining their second job and another source of income. A choice players should not have to make," says Fifpro in its report. As part of Fifa's recent commitment to minimum conditions for this year's Women's World Cup tournament - taking place in Australia and New Zealand - it promised a share of prize money for players. Each individual player from the squad of up to 23 players will be given an amount of money depending on their team's achievement in the competition, from $30,000 (£23,476) for those exiting at the group stage, up to $270,000 (£211,286) for each player in the winning team. Qualifying for the Women's World Cup has made Zambia pay attention to women's football, says Evarine Katongo This year will be the first time a team from Zambia - men's or women's - will appear in a football World Cup competition. It has made everyone in the country pay attention to women's football, says Evarine Katongo, a midfielder on the qualifying team. She thinks Fifa's promise is a step in the right direction for footballers who come from challenging backgrounds or low incomes. "It really will make an impact, especially to the African players," she says. "It will really help them to do good for their family and probably it will help them make ends meet." Although she sees women's football becoming more popular in Zambia, when it comes to pursuing her own dreams, Evarine says success lies abroad, where there is more money and opportunity. "My dream for myself at the World Cup is to be scouted by another team," she says. "I don't see myself playing for the local league in Zambia again after the World Cup." One player who has achieved success with a bigger club is Colombian international Leicy Santos, who moved to Spain to play professionally for Atletico Madrid in 2019. Earlier in her career, she faced immense financial hardship in order to pursue her dream. "I come from a very humble family," she says of her time growing up in rural Colombia. Leicy Santos will be playing in her second World Cup this year, after first appearing for Colombia in 2015 "Until I joined the Colombian national team in 2012, I didn't have any financial support. Then I started to earn a small amount of money every time I went to training, they [the national team] paid my travel expenses," she says. "At that point I stopped asking my parents for money and rather helped them as much as I could, but what they [the national team] paid me wasn't much either." Despite being part of the national team, it still wasn't possible for her to make a living only from football, and Leicy says she cleaned houses with her mother to help contribute towards the family's income. "The reality is that you don't have a constant support that allows you to make a living from football and focus only on the sport," she says. In 2019, Atletico Madrid signed Leicy and that's when she noticed a huge change in her professional experience. "I am in a club that offers me everything - training facilities, medical services, a salary," she says. "I know that I am privileged; there are clubs that even in my same league here in Spain do not provide any of this and [the players] have a very bad time." Organisers are hoping a record two billion people will watch the Women's World Cup this year, nearly double the 1.12 billion viewers for the 2019 tournament in France. "I just think it's an incredible way to smash the stereotypes that have persisted," says Jennifer Cooper, UN Women's sport lead. "It shows that women are capable. It provides role models and dreams for girls and... it normalises that men and women both play football." The BBC contacted Fifa, the six confederations and the national teams for Colombia and Zambia to make a statement but none were provided.

A major blaze near Mudgee, New South Wales, has burned more than 2,000 hectares since Sunday Dozens of bushfires burning across Australia's east coast could get worse as a severe heatwave continues, fire services have warned. After two years of rains and floods, a return to warmer conditions has sparked New South Wales state's worst fires since the 2019/2020 "Black Summer". A blaze 250km (155 miles) north-west of Sydney triggered the region's first emergency fire warning in two years. Residents in affected areas across New South Wales - Australia's most populous state - have been urged to evacuate, and there are reports of damage to some properties. Temperatures in some parts of the state also hit 40C (104F) on Monday, for the first time since January 2021. On Tuesday, 33 fires were still burning across the state, 10 of which were not under control, fire authorities said. The NSW Rural Fire Service said strong winds had driven the fires' rapid spread. "It's going to be another tough day for firefighters and potentially even into tomorrow before we get some reprieve," RFS Commissioner Rob Rogers told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (Bom) also warned that dry thunderstorms were possible across eastern NSW, which could spark new fires. RFS Inspector Ben Shepherd told the BBC a number of other fires in western NSW were "likely to be problematic". The hot and dry conditions are expected to last until Wednesday. Eastern Australia has experienced three consecutive summers of La Niña conditions, with above-average rainfall causing widespread flooding. In 2022, Sydney recorded its wettest year since records began. But last week, the Bom said its models suggested La Niña was "likely near its end", with a return to neutral conditions or even the hot and dry El Niño phenomenon, likely in the southern hemisphere's autumn. At least 33 people and an estimated 3 billion animals and birds died in 2019-20 Black Summer fires, one of Australia's worst-ever natural disasters. Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.

The Nikolay Zubov LNG tanker, docking in the UK in 2021 Shell is still trading Russian gas more than a year after pledging to withdraw from the Russian energy market. The company was involved in nearly an eighth of Russia's shipborne gas exports in 2022, according to analysis from campaign group Global Witness. Oleg Ustenko, an adviser to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, accused Shell of accepting "blood money". Shell said the trades were the result of "long-term contractual commitments" and do not violate laws or sanctions. As recently as 9 May, a vast tanker capable of carrying more than 160,000 cubic metres of gas compressed into liquid form - liquefied natural gas or LNG - pulled out of the port of Sabetta, on the Yamal peninsula in Russia's far north. That cargo was purchased by Shell before heading onwards to its ultimate destination, Hong Kong. It is one of eight LNG cargoes that Shell has bought from Yamal this year, according to data from the Kpler database analysed by Global Witness. Last year Shell accounted for 12% of Russia's seaborne LNG trade, Global Witness calculates, and was among the top five traders of Russian-originated LNG that year. In March 2022, in the weeks following the invasion of Ukraine, Shell apologised for buying a cargo of Russian oil, and said it intended to withdraw from Russian oil and gas. It said that it would stop buying Russian oil, sell its service stations and other businesses in Russia, which it has done. It has also ended its joint ventures with the state energy giant Gazprom. And it said it would start a "phased withdrawal from Russian petroleum products, pipeline gas and LNG". But it warned that it would be a "complex challenge". Shell said last year it would close all its service stations in Russia Since then, it has kept taking cargoes of LNG from two Russian ports, the one at Yamal and one at Sakhalin in the far east. Shell used to be a minority investor in the Sakhalin gas project, but abandoned that claim in September last year after the Russian government transferred its shares to a local business - and since then has taken no gas from Sakhalin. But it still honours the contract with the Russian LNG company Novatek, which obliges it to buy 900,000 tonnes a year from Yamal until the 2030s, according to the Reuters news agency. Novatek is Russia's second biggest gas company, and the taxes it pays are a significant contributor to the Russian government's budget. Oleg Ustenko, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, said: "It is quite simple: by continuing to trade in Russian gas Shell is putting money into Putin's pockets and helping to fund Russia's brutal aggression against the people of Ukraine. "The vast sums that Shell and the whole oil industry have made in Russia should be used to help fund the reconstruction of Ukraine, rather than lining the pockets of their shareholders." A spokesman for Shell said: "Shell has stopped buying Russian LNG on the spot market, but still has some long-term contractual commitments. This is in full compliance with sanctions, applicable laws and regulations of the countries in which we operate. "There is a dilemma between putting pressure on the Russian government over its atrocities in Ukraine and ensuring stable, secure energy supplies. It is for governments to decide on the incredibly difficult trade-offs that must be made." Shell is the world's largest trader of LNG, which is not subject to European sanctions, making billions of dollars in profits trading oil and gas last year. Russia massively reduced its deliveries of gas by pipeline last year, but it has increased the amount of gas it supplies by ship, including to Europe. The UK has not imported any Russian gas for over a year, while EU politicians are trying to reduce the amount of Russian LNG the bloc imports. In March, the EU's Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson called on countries and firms to stop buying Russian gas, and not to sign new contracts. "It's long overdue that the trading of Russian LNG is looked at with the same disgust as Russian oil trading. Targeting Putin's energy income cannot be about symbolic measures but must concretely put a stop to the huge fossil fuel sums that cement his power," said Jonathan Noronha-Gant, senior campaigner at Global Witness. The France-based energy company TotalEnergies is a minority shareholder in the Yamal project, and was also a major trader in Russian LNG, the Global Witness analysis reported. The BBC has approached TotalEnergies for comment.

Katie Boulter won her first WTA title with a dominant victory in Nottingham over Jodie Burrage in the first all-British tour-level final in 46 years. The British women's number one ranking was also on the line as Boulter outplayed her good friend 6-3 6-3. "I'm definitely going to be sleeping with this trophy tonight," Boulter said in her on-court interview. Earlier, Andy Murray won the men's event as Britons find form on grass before next month's Wimbledon. Boulter and Burrage were contesting the first all-British WTA final since Sue Barker beat Virginia Wade in San Francisco on 28 February 1977. Both players were also appearing in their first WTA finals after excellent performances in Nottingham this week but it was Boulter who took control from the start. The day's order of play had been changed because of the forecast of rain, and with dark clouds hanging heavy, Boulter stormed into a 5-1 lead with a double break in the opening set. But she then failed to serve it out at the first opportunity as Burrage's forehand clicked. That was the only blip for the 26-year-old though as she immediately broke back to seal the set. She barely paused for breath at the start of the second, taking the first two games to love and faced her only real challenge at 3-1 when she had to fend off break point with a stunning backhand winner. Boulter delivered her first ace of the match when she was serving for victory but she missed her first match point when she sent a backhand narrowly wide - Burrage's puff of the cheeks a big indication of just how close that had been. But she was soon celebrating victory when 24-year-old Burrage sent a forehand long. The pair shared a warm hug at the net and then sat next to each other chatting and laughing while they waited for the trophy presentation at the end of a memorable week for both of them. "I dreamed of this moment, to win this tournament, as a little girl when I was four years old," said an emotional Boulter, who considers this her home tournament after growing up in Leicester. "Having come here as a fan and now as a player and somehow finding a way to win it means more than everything to me." Boulter, who took over as British number one from the injured Emma Raducanu last week, is now set to rise into the world's top 80 on Monday for the first time in a career that has been disrupted by injuries over the years. The home success at the British grass-court tournaments this year has come just a few weeks after criticism of the state of tennis in the country when no British women appeared in the main draw of the singles at the French Open and only three men did. British player Dan Evans had suggested that Raducanu's 2021 US Open victory had "papered over the cracks" in British tennis. Less than four weeks after those comments, Murray has won back-to-back tournaments here and at Surbiton last week, while three of the women's semi-finalists at Nottingham were British. There were also Britons in the women's doubles final, where Heather Watson and Harriet Dart lost to Norway's Ulrikke Eikeri and Estonia's Ingrid Neel, while on Saturday Jacob Fearnley and Johannus Monday won an all-British men's doubles final against Liam Broady and Jonny O'Mara. There are far stronger fields at some of the next grass-court tournaments before Wimbledon at Eastbourne, Queen's and Birmingham but there will also be a new sense of confidence among some of the Britons who have enjoyed their best tournaments, including Boulter and Burrage. Burrage said it had been "such a positive week" and that she had proven "a lot of things" to herself, while Boulter added: "I've played so many British players, we appreciate an all-British final and what an incredible achievement it is. "I don't doubt we [Burrage and I] will be back here playing more finals." • None Alerts: Get tennis news sent to your phone

Five days into the worst fighting in months between Israel and militant groups in Gaza, concern is mounting about the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory. It is estimated that more than 200 patients, mostly with cancer, are unable to leave for urgently needed treatment. They include children. Israel controls two crossings with Gaza - used for people and goods - which have been closed since the start of its military operation on Tuesday. Operators of the sole power plant in the impoverished strip - which relies on Israeli fuel imports - say it will be forced to close in three days. A spokesman told the BBC this would "lead to an exacerbation of the humanitarian problems". The plant supplies about half of the electricity in the territory, where some 2.3 million Palestinians live. Dina el-Dhani, a Palestinian cancer patient in Gaza City, says she missed her scheduled treatment in Jerusalem A British surgeon who is among an estimated 140 humanitarian workers currently stranded in Gaza says cancer patients are facing potentially life-threatening delays. Prof Nick Maynard, a consultant surgeon at Oxford University Hospitals, arrived in Gaza City last week as part of an aid programme teaching advanced cancer surgery to Palestinian doctors. "The doctors I work with here have got multiple examples of people who are in desperate need of cancer treatment," Prof Maynard told the BBC. "These treatments are undoubtedly being delayed and potentially leading to deaths because of the delays now," he added. Prof Maynard said he was one of about a dozen non-resident British nationals stuck in Gaza. Ziyad al-Za'noun, 70, has cancer of the spinal cord and is treated every week at Istishari Hospital in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank. "I have been suffering from cancer for three years and there is no treatment for it here in Gaza," he said. "On Tuesday, I was scheduled to go for a chemotherapy session in Ramallah, but we were surprised by the closure of Erez crossing. "My health condition is getting worse, and I am using painkillers to overcome the pain, and my psychological condition is also deteriorating," Ziyad al-Za'noun added. Israel tightened its blockade of Gaza in 2007 after it was taken over by the Islamist militant group Hamas, citing security concerns. Hamas does not recognise Israel's right to exist and is designated as a terrorist group by Israel and many other countries. Gaza's hospitals face severe shortages of medical equipment and medicines largely due to the blockade, but also because of internal Palestinian political divisions. Many cancer patients need to leave for medical treatment; they have to apply for Israeli permits to exit via the Erez crossing. Most of those who get these are transferred to Augusta Victoria Hospital in occupied East Jerusalem. More than 90 patients - six of them children with cancer - were due to arrive there in the past week but could not travel, according to Dr Fadi al-Atrash, the hospital's chief executive. "There is always a need to refer patients primarily to Augusta Victoria and even other hospitals in the West Bank," Dr Fadi said. "It's because of the lack of services in Gaza, lack of drugs, human resources and appropriate infrastructure." When the current hostilities end, patients and relatives accompanying them will have to apply for new Israeli permits to leave Gaza. "When the checkpoints are open, there will be another process for permits. More time will be taken to arrange their exit from Gaza to the hospital and that will add to the delay in their treatment that they have suffered from in the past week," Dr Fadi said. Already Gaza's power plant is reducing the amount of electricity it generates, to try to save its fuel reserves. If it shuts down, this will have an impact on many different services. "Preventing the entry of fuel shipments threatens it with a complete stop and will prevent the Gaza Electricity Distribution Company from supplying vital facilities such as hospitals, waste pumps and treatment plants, potable water wells and desalination plants," said Muhammad Thabet, a spokesman for the company. Normally, some 300 lorryloads of goods enter Gaza each day through the Kerem Shalom commercial crossing with Israel. In past conflicts, there would have been serious food shortages after several days of closure. However, recently Egypt has eased its tight restrictions on the Palestinian territory, which means food and other goods are continuing to enter. For now, supermarkets still have stocks of basic items - but many shelves are empty, prompting shoppers to form long queues as they start stockpiling. Israel's military-run authority that controls entry into Gaza said its crossings had been under the constant threat of rocket fire and remained shut this week. The Israeli defence ministry said on Saturday that Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) militants had fired dozens of mortars at Erez and Kerem Shalom since Tuesday. It also posted what it said was security camera footage showing a blast caused by a mortar fired at Erez. 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 משרד הביטחון 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. But the first day of Israel's airstrikes witnessed no Palestinian fire and there have also been several lulls in the fighting. While Egypt is continuing to try to mediate a ceasefire, the intense barrages of Palestinian rockets and Israeli air strikes and shelling have brought normal life to a halt for millions of ordinary people. In Israel, some 1.5 million people have been told to stay close to or in a bomb shelter. Schools and many businesses in the south of the country are closed. In Ashkelon, one self-employed resident said she had had no income in the past week and nor had her husband, a shop owner whose store has been closed. Israeli air defence systems have not been able to intercept all of the hundreds of rockets fired. One woman has been killed and several people have been injured. A number of buildings have been damaged. In Gaza, some 33 people have been killed - about half of them civilians - including women and children. Houses and apartments have been destroyed or damaged. On Friday, the UN said 417 people from about 73 families had been internally displaced. The UN has raised concerns about how the fighting is worsening the humanitarian situation in Gaza - where more than half the population lives in poverty.

Leicestershire Police officers were called to Hopyard Close on Monday night A man and five-year-old boy have been found dead in a house in Leicester. Police were called to an address in Hopyard Close at 21:00 BST on Monday after the man, 41, and boy were found unconscious. East Midlands Ambulance Service and an air ambulance also attended but the pair were pronounced dead at the scene. Leicestershire Police is carrying out an investigation into the deaths, but officers are not looking for anyone else at this stage. Det Ch Insp Mark Sinski, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit major crime team, said: "Detectives are working to understand what happened inside the address last night. "I can reassure people that there is no risk to the public." He added the families of the man and boy were being supported by officers. Alan Potter said many residents in the area were in tears Alan Potter, 75, who lives next door, told the BBC he heard the boy "running about" - as he normally would before bed - at about 18:00 or 19:00. He said emergency services arrived from about 20:30, "dashing in and out of the house". Mr Potter added the man's cousin also lived at the address. "It's awful - I wish it hadn't [happened], but can't turn the clock back," he said. He paid tribute to the five-year-old's "beautiful" personality, adding that he used to buy him presents at Easter and Christmas. Carole Potter said the news was "tragic" Mr Potter's wife Carole, 70, said they were "great friends" with the boy's mother, adding that they treated him "like he was my grandson". "I didn't know anything until his mum came knocking on the door really loud," she said. "I'm just so upset about it. It's tragic. I just can't believe that's happened on our doorstep." Wayne Hurst said the deaths left him "shocked" Neighbour Wayne Hurst, 51, described seeing a "load of ambulances" and police cars on Monday night. "I'm a bit shocked and scared, I can't say no more, really. I'm just shocked," he said. Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Louis Jourdan as Dracula in the 1977 film adaptation The great-nephew of Dracula author Bram Stoker is visiting Scotland to research an almost-forgotten writer credited with inspiring the story. Born near Jedburgh in 1849, Emily Gerard's fascination with vampires began after moving to Transylvania in the 1880s. Dacre Stoker learned of Ms Gerard's influence from a rare interview his great uncle gave following the publication of Dracula, as well as the books Bram borrowed from the London Library during his research. He is now being joined by researchers, including an academic from the University of Glasgow, to explore her writing and her legacy. Dacre said: "Dracula is a cottage industry around the world, and Emily Gerard is due some of the credit for this." Dacre Stoker is in Scotland to discover more about Emily Gerard Although Dracula was not the first novel to be written about vampires, Bram Stoker's treatment of superstitions and myths lifted it above what had gone before. The 1897 novel shaped how audiences would view vampires in the future with countless theatrical and film adaptations made in the decades that followed. Bram wrote sections of Dracula during his summer holidays in the Aberdeenshire coastal village of Cruden Bay. Nearby Slain Castle is credited with his inspiration for the count's castle. Slain Castle is credited with his inspiration for the Dracula's castle Dacre, an author and lecturer who has written both a prequel and a sequel to Dracula, believes Ms Gerard was behind much of the superstitions which featured in his great-uncle's book. He said she was also responsible for the novel being set in Transylvania. "Emily Gerard wrote an essay for the 19th Century magazine called Transylvanian Superstitions and followed it up with her book, Land Beyond the Forest. "It gave my great-uncle a tremendous insight into the superstitions of vampires and the folklore involved with the undead - the nosferatu," he said. "All of this, Bram got from Emily Gerard, and he was able to insert it into the book he was working on. "She even helped him set the story in Transylvania, as he was originally setting it in Austria." Christopher Lee in the film role of Dracula Ms Gerard - the eldest daughter of Colonel Archibald Gerard and Euphemia Erskine - is believed to have been born at Chesters estate, outside Jedburgh, in 1849. The family had moved to Lanarkshire during her childhood before relocating to Austria. Along with her younger sister, Dorothea, she collaboratively wrote at least four published novels, while individually writing essays and reviews for several periodicals. After her marriage to Polish cavalry officer Ritter Miecislaus von Laszowski in 1869, she continued to carve out a career as an essayist and novelist. But it was when her husband was posted to Transylvania, in the early 1880s, that Emily's writing turned towards the myths and superstitions she encountered in and around the Carpathian mountain villages. Dacre explained: "She is a bit of a mystery. "I want to find out what gave her the courage and passion to explore, on her own, the superstitions and beliefs of the locals. "These were delicate issues - pagan beliefs - that must have been difficult for her to investigate. "I want to find out the roots of Emily Gerard here in Scotland that gave her the passion and courage to do what she did." Over the coming months Dacre and other researchers hope to discover more about Emily Gerard while also raising her profile. Gloria Anderson, who runs Experience Transylvania tours, said: "It is amazing how I recognize so much about Transylvania in Emily Gerard's writings, although it was almost 150 years ago when she wrote it all. "Her language and approach are very modern - it almost feels like you are reading a modern travel blog from nowadays - and she had a great humour. "It is interesting that so little is known about Emily, both in Scotland, and in Transylvania." Emily Gerard died in Vienna, at the age of 55.

People in Ullapool are facing a 100-mile round trip for dental care after the village's only dentist retired. NHS Highland has been unable to recruit a replacement and has suggested patients register with private practices in Gairloch or Inverness. Those unable to afford private dental care have been unable to find NHS dentists taking on new patients. Earlier this week the British Dental Association (BDA) warned of a crisis facing dentistry in Scotland. NHS Highland blamed a national shortage of dentists for the situation in Ullapool. Sue Pomeroy, from Little Loch Broom, is among local people "desperately" trying to find an NHS dentist. Sue Pomeroy says her children need to be able to access NHS dentists "I've phoned everywhere, practices as far as Easter Ross, but no-one is taking on NHS patients. "One dentist told me I could be added to their waiting list but it's a year-and-a-half long. My friend has contacted 20 different dentists. "I've got children who need regular check-ups, and I need follow-up treatment after dental surgery." Her former dentist served the town, which has a population of 1,500, and its outlying areas. Some have signed up for private care but Ms Pomeroy said this may not be affordable for people with families, or accessible for older people. Inverness and Gairloch are both more than an hour's drive away from Ullapool. Jonathan Miller, 66 has lived just outside Ullapool for the last 30 years. He told BBC Scotland that the cost of private dental care as well as fuel costs could put him off attending the dentist. He said: "It's a round trip of around 110 miles, which is a couple of hours there and back, you can't just nip out to the dentist. "If it's going to cost me upwards of £78 to go to Inverness just for a check-up, I'm not going to bother." He has concerns that the lack of preventative care may lead to bigger dental issues in the future, which will end up costing him even more money. Mr Miller said he felt people were being "forced to go private", adding: "It starts with teeth, but where does it end?" He said it was the latest in a line of cuts that was making it "increasingly difficult and expensive to live in rural areas." Jonathan Miller is concerned about the costs of private dental care A spokesperson for NHS Highland said patients affected by the Ullapool surgery's closure had been given the option to access private dental care. Children have been offered access to NHS dentistry. Earlier this week the professional body for dentists warned that NHS dental staffing problems could get worse. Speaking to the BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland, BDA Scotland director Charlotte Waite warned that 80% of dentists planned to reduce their NHS commitment this year, with 30% saying they would leave the profession or seek early retirement. She said dentists were struggling with patient backlogs and soaring running costs, meaning the fees they were paid to offer NHS services were no longer covering the cost of carrying out the services. This means many dentists are operating at a loss. The BDA has asked the Scottish government to bring payment reform forward. Ms Waite said: "If they don't sort out and reform the funding of this system there is a real risk that they will lose even more dentists from the NHS service." A Scottish government spokesperson said NHS Highland had now received expressions of interest for opening new dental practices, and the government would work with the health board to provide funding support if the applications were successful. The government is also continuing to work "apace" on payment reform. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

The Ireland women's rugby team has chosen to swap their traditional white shorts and make a permanent switch to navy because of period concerns. The move comes as a response to feedback from players about playing in white rugby kit during their period. The new Ireland kit will be seen for the first time at the Women's Six Nations launch in London on Wednesday and throughout the tournament. Ireland will begin their campaign against Wales on Saturday 25 March. Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster in January, Gillian McDarby, the head of Women's Performance at IRFU, said the organisation were in talks about the change with kit supplier Canterbury of New Zeland after consulting the players. They say they will give other rugby players and teams at all levels who have purchased white women's Canterbury shorts the opportunity to claim a free pair in a different colour. Ireland International Enya Breen, said: "The top way to ensure we perform to our best on the field is by removing any unnecessary distractions. Wearing navy shorts instead of white is such a small thing, but for us it's a big step. "Our hope is that it will help women at all levels of rugby feel more comfortable on the field so they can get on with performing at their best in the game that they love."

More than 12% of physiotherapy positions are currently vacant in Northern Ireland Training places at Ulster University for degree courses in physiotherapy and other health specialities are to be cut, BBC News NI understands. The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy in NI said it was expecting training places to be reduced after a budget briefing from the Department of Health. The society expressed extreme concern, saying more than 12% of physiotherapy positions are currently vacant. The Department of Health said the move is part of its attempts to save money. In a statement, the department said it was making decisions on spending reductions with "great regret". It added that it is in the impossible position of "having to fulfil conflicting responsibilities". The department said it was "living within the budget, acting in the public interest and safeguarding services". Civil servants have been tasked with running Stormont departments and managing public services in the absence of a devolved government, but they must stick to the budget published last month by Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris. The Department of Health received the biggest allocation, but its budget of £7.25bn was similar to the amount it got last year. That has been viewed as a difficult settlement because of the high rate of inflation and outstanding pay disputes involving nurses and other health workers. The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy in Northern Ireland said: "The current political hiatus has created an intolerable situation for public services here and will add to the significant pressures already facing the health and social care system." It added that although it did not yet have exact figures, it was "extremely concerned" by the anticipated cuts to number of physiotherapy undergraduate training places at Ulster University (UU). The number of nursing training places is to be cut from September "The health and social care service in Northern Ireland already has record numbers of workforce vacancies," the society said. "Last year saw approximately 900 applications for roughly 100 training places for the physiotherapy course in [UU] Magee." On Monday, the BBC revealed that the number of nursing training places is to be cut in September from 1,325 to 1,025. The Royal College of Nursing's Northern Ireland director, Rita Devlin, described the move as an "act of destruction". The department said it recognised the importance of staffing and was committed to 1,025 new nursing places. This was the level in place before the New Decade, New Approach deal, which included provision for an extra 300 nurse training places each year to address staff shortages and concerns over safety. But Ms Devlin said the news of cuts had left members "bewildered" with almost 3,000 vacant nursing posts in Northern Ireland. "It is unimaginable that the Department of Health has been put in the position of having to cut the number of student nursing places for 2023-2024 because of the political and financial crisis in Northern Ireland," she explained.

By September 2025, working parents of children from the age of nine months will be eligible for 30 hours of government-funded childcare during term time The government's plan to expand funded childcare for working parents "will not work" unless the amount paid to providers is right, MPs have warned. Underfunding had left the sector "straining to provide" enough places for children, the Education Committee report found. Early-years charities have welcomed the inquiry's focus on the challenges facing the sector. The government says it is increasing the amount it pays childcare providers. Working parents of three- and four-year-olds are eligible for 30 hours of government-funded childcare during term time - but by September 2025, this will be extended to cover children aged nine months and above. Robin Walker, who chairs the committee, said the childcare market faced significant challenges in "affordability and availability" and "simply extending the number of hours that the government calls 'free' will not work unless the funding rates accurately reflect the costs of providing high-quality early education and childcare". The report warns it is vital the government "gets this right, or the already struggling childcare market will see even more closures" and the sector needs "radically more financial and regulatory reform". The MPs also want better evidence of the effects of formal childcare on under-twos and say there should be more support for parents who choose to stay at home to look after their children. Nursery owner Nicola Fluery says parents are booking nursery places "well in advance" Many settings currently charged children not on funded hours more, to compensate for the hours government paid for, the inquiry heard. Nicola Fluery, who owns the Kidzrus Nursery Group, in Salford, Greater Manchester, said funding had been an issue "for many years" and she had had to supplement the amount the government paid for those children eligible for funded hours, in other ways, "for example, bank loans". In April, the government's planned rollout of the extension of funded childcare for working parents will begin, starting with 15 hours for two-year-olds. And Kidzrus nurseries are already receiving calls from parents keen not to miss out. Demand "will far outweigh the number of places available", Ms Fleury fears. National Day Nurseries Association chief executive Purnima Tanuku agrees "the policy could fail" if it fails to tackle underfunding. From September, the average hourly rate the government will pay will rise from: It is also consulting on proposals to increase the rates for next year. But also from September, the number of two-year-olds a staff member is expected to look after will rise, which the report said was deeply concerning and should be closely monitored and "reversed if quality and education outcomes suffer". The wide-ranging report had a number of recommendations, with the committee calling for: Parents in training or education should also be able to access government-funded hours, the report recommends. The Department for Education said it was rolling out "the single biggest investment in childcare in England ever, set to save a working parent using 30 hours of childcare up to an average of £6,500 per year and give children the best quality early-years education". "To make sure that we are supporting our fantastic early-years workforce, we will be investing hundreds of millions of pounds each year to increase the amounts we pay childcare providers," an official said. "We also are consulting on how we distribute funding to make sure it is fair." Are you affected by issues covered in this story? You can share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.

European flights during the summer holiday period could be affected by strike action by air traffic managers. Eurocontrol, which manages flights over Europe, has said one of its unions could take industrial action, although no dates have been announced yet. Negotiations are continuing with the union and other unions, Eurocontrol said. Industry group Airlines UK urged Eurocontrol "to reach agreement as soon as possible". Another industry body, Airlines for Europe, said the possible impact of any strike action "remains to be determined". Eurocontrol said it was "making every effort to keep negotiations open and to find a constructive way forward". One of its trade unions, Union Syndicale Bruxelles, has "announced a period of six months during which industrial action could take place". It said the action could affect its Network Manager Operations Centre, which handles more than 10 million flights a year. Prior to the pandemic, it had daily peaks managing more than 37,000 flights, and Eurocontrol said the centre played a pivotal role in managing, streamlining and improving air traffic. Eurocontrol stressed that it was in "ongoing dialogue" with the union. "As no notice of specific industrial action has been received, it is premature to speculate on any potential impact," it said. Airlines for Europe said any strike action would not affect Eurocontrol's air traffic control services and "therefore its impact on passengers could be limited". The BBC has approached Union Syndicale Bruxelles for comment. Aviation in Europe is facing a particular set of challenges this summer. Demand for flights is returning to pre-Covid pandemic levels, and European airspace is being constricted by Russia's war in Ukraine. But there is a shortage of air traffic controllers, and some strikes are already planned - for example, there is an air traffic strike in Italy on Saturday 15 July. Airlines UK said its members were "looking forward to a busy summer, meeting growing demand for travel and carrying millions of people on holidays". It said airlines have "made huge efforts since the pandemic to build resilience into operations". An agreement between Eurocontrol and union members would "avoid any potential disruption for airlines and their customers", it said. It added that air traffic controllers were already having to work within "a more constrained European airspace" due to Russia's Ukraine war. Travel expert Simon Calder said the union involved did not have a reputation for militancy, and that instead this was a "cry for help" over staffing levels. During the height of the Covid pandemic in 2020, many older air traffic controllers retired, and have yet to be replaced, he said. He said he expected this potential dispute to be resolved before it reached the stage of a strike. But a more pressing concern was a lack of air traffic controllers in general, with impacts already being felt through "a series of cancellations every day in the UK". This comes as demand for air travel rebounds after the pandemic, he added, with Friday being the busiest day for air travel since 2019. Last summer, holidaymakers were affected by sustained disruption to flights due to staff shortages, and across 2022 as a whole more than a third of UK flights were delayed. Having axed thousands of jobs during the worst of the Covid pandemic, many aviation businesses including airports could not get new staff in place quickly enough. But at Easter this year, airports and airlines told the BBC they were confident they had enough staff to avoid any travel chaos. This summer, having raised staffing levels, disruption instead could come from industrial action. Travel to France from the UK has already been affected this year by some strikes.

Fourth LV= Insurance Ashes Test, Emirates Old Trafford (day four of five): England dodged the rain to take the vital wicket of Marnus Labuschagne but their Ashes hopes remain in the balance going into the final day of the fourth Test against Australia. On a fourth day that could have been entirely lost to rain, a period of dry weather allowed 30 overs of play from 14:45 BST at Old Trafford. England were frustrated for a long period by Labuschagne, who made only his second overseas Test hundred and shared a stubborn partnership of 103 with Mitchell Marsh. As the light faded, England were ordered to bowl spin and Joe Root's off-breaks provided an unlikely source of inspiration. He had Labuschagne caught behind by juggling wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow for 111 and almost had Marsh held at short leg. Rain arrived at the scheduled tea break of 17:00, preventing any further action and leaving Australia on 214-5, still 61 short of making England bat again. Marsh has 31 and Cameron Green three. With more bad weather forecast for Sunday, England are left hoping for enough time to force the win that would level the series at 2-2 and turn the fifth Test at The Oval into a decider. Though victory is now almost out of the question for Australia, a draw would be enough for them to retain the urn. • None How day four at Old Trafford unfolded • None England will win 3-2 if they win fourth Test - Vaughan This series has produced three thrilling Tests, with the drama in the fourth now coming through England's battle with the weather. It would be a huge anti-climax if the rain has a decisive say in the destination of the Ashes urn. England were fortunate to get any play on Saturday. Overnight rain persisted into the morning and early afternoon, but the ground was readied at a remarkable speed. The empty stands filled rapidly as news of a start filtered through. Though the overheads were ideal and the crowd expectant, England were blocked by an unresponsive surface - there was no sign of the uneven bounce from earlier in the match - and the determination of Labuschagne and Marsh. The reverse swing of Friday evening also disappeared as the ball became wet. When England persuaded the umpires to change it and looked to bring Mark Wood into the attack, they were told the light was not fit enough for pace. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as Root proved to be the most threatening bowler. England will return on Sunday wishing for the weather to be kind. There is the possibility of 98 overs of play and second new ball available nine overs into the day. For Australia, they will not only be looking to repel England, but also build a lead to make the hosts' route to victory longer. Their inclusion of both Marsh and Green in this Test, extending the batting line-up, was done partly with this scenario in mind. Labuschagne delivers when Australia need it most This has been a difficult series for Labuschagne. Beginning ranked as the world's number one Test batter, he had not managed a half-century before this match. He hinted at a return to form with 51 in the first innings and then delivered what could yet prove to be an Ashes-saving hundred. With Australia 113-4 overnight, Labuschagne began on 44 and Marsh one. Though Labuschagne took a painful blow on the finger from a Wood bouncer, he was largely untroubled by England's short-ball plan. Marsh, usually so aggressive, was a calm foil. He has struck only four fours in a 107-ball stay and two of those came in successive deliveries from Chris Woakes, who spent time off the field suffering from stiffness. When Root came on, Labuschagne lofted two sixes over long-on, but also flashed an edge off an arm-ball past slip Zak Crawley when he was on 93. He went to his 11th Test ton by pinching a single off Moeen Ali before making an error attempting to cut Root and was given out on review. Given the stakes and urgency of the situation, this was a curiously flat performance from England's seamers. They got little movement from the ball or the pitch and chewed up precious time as they deliberated over field placings and tactics. A bouncer plan achieved little other than knocking the ball out of shape, after which came the stroke of luck with Wood being denied the chance to bowl, resulting in the call to Moeen and Root. While Moeen mixed some dangerous bounce with regular loose deliveries, Root constantly made things happen. He was convinced on-field umpire Nitin Menon had made a mistake for the Labuschagne wicket, celebrating towards the Party Stand even before the review was complete. In the same over, an inside edge off Marsh went in and out of the fingers of bat-pad fielder Harry Brook. Green survived a review off Moeen from the final ball before the tea break. England would have been happy to bowl more spin after the interval, only to be denied the opportunity. Australia batter Marnus Labuschagne, speaking to BBC Sport: "It's always very special getting a Test hundred. It doesn't happen too often but I'm disappointed I couldn't get us to tea. "We were so close to having a tremendous day there. For us, this is about saving this Test match and retaining the Ashes." England batting coach Marcus Trescothick: "We got more play than we expected. It looked like a complete washout so it's a bonus. We're one wicket closer but it's still frustrating. "It really does depend on the weather. We wanted to get two or three wickets today and we'll take any play we can tomorrow." BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew: "England were a bit flat. There wasn't much of their usual chatter and the noise from the players you get when you are going for a win."

Ch Supt Richard North said they are "using all resources available to us" to investigate the attack Counter-terror police are involved in an investigation into a man being set alight as he walked home from a mosque. A man has been held on suspicion of attempted murder after the attack in Edgbaston, Birmingham, on Monday. The West Midlands and Metropolitan forces are looking into whether there is a link to a similar attack in Ealing, west London last month. The Birmingham victim, in his 70s, was approached, sprayed with a substance and had his jacket set on fire. Neighbours told the BBC they helped to put the flames out and carry the victim to his home where he was treated by paramedics. His son said his father was "very badly burned" and they were praying for his recovery. He was taken to hospital with burns to his face which are serious but not thought to be life-threatening. Police said he remained in a stable condition. Tayyab Riaz, the victim's nephew, said everyone was "very upset" at the "shocking news". "For 35 years he's been going to that mosque to pray and there's never been a problem," he said. "Suddenly this happens. His hair, beard and eyebrows are badly burnt. We're praying he's OK." A video of an attack shared on social media which shows a man being set alight is under investigation by police. Downing Street described the incident as a "concerning case". This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Residents filmed the moment police arrived in the street The suspect was arrested in Dudley Road, the street where the Birmingham mosque is, on Tuesday after being identified by officers carrying out inquiries. The attack happened just after 19:00 GMT in nearby Shenstone Road. Members of the mosque told Channel 4 news they had spotted a man in the congregation on Monday who stood out because "he wasn't praying and was sitting in the wrong direction". Sahir Aziz Adam said he approached him and said the traditional Arabic greeting to him - "as-salamu alaykum", which means peace be upon you, but the man didn't respond, which set alarm bells ringing. He left the building and Mr Adam said he called the police. In Ealing, an 82-year-old man was set on fire as he left the West London Islamic Centre on Singapore Road, at about 20:00 on 27 February. Ch Supt Richard North, commander at Birmingham police, said: "We are aware of the incident that happened in London. "We are actively working with the Metropolitan Police to see if those two incidents are connected. That's a major part of our inquiry. "I have had meetings today with colleagues from the Metropolitan Police and they are engaged in the inquiry. We are working very much closely together." He said officers had been "working through the night to establish what happened and who is responsible". "We are taking this matter extremely seriously and are using all resources available to us," he said. "We are keeping an open mind to the motive of the attacker and we won't speculate further at this stage." He added: "Our investigation continues with support from Counter Terrorism Policing West Midlands who have access to specialist capabilities to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident." Monsur Alam said the attack was "very scary" Officers are aware of a video posted on social media "showing a man being set alight, and we're examining it as part of our investigations", the force said. Father of four Monsur Alam, aged 60, has lived in the road where the attack happened for the past five years. "I heard screaming and my daughter was screaming as well," he said. "My wife ran outside with a bucket of water and a man poured over him (the victim)." "It was very scary," he added. Mohammed Abbasim, from Dudley Road Mosque, said: "It's shocking to see that someone that you know has been targeted in this way." "When things like this happen, it's an opportunity for the local people to come together rather than divide further," he said. Scorch marks are on the pavement in Edgbaston where the attack happened Residents said a lot of doorbell footage in the area had been handed in to police. Extra officers will be in the area to speak to the community and provide reassurance. In a joint statement, the city council's leader Ian Ward, cabinet member for community safety John Cotton and ward councillors Sharon Thompson and Marcus Bernasconi called it a "horrific attack". They also said they would be talking with community groups and local mosques "to offer support to the wider community". "We would urge the community to work with the police and to avoid any speculation at this stage," they added. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk • None Image issued after man set on fire outside mosque The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Charlotte Mills-Murray said there had been "a lot of tears" after repeated setbacks in returning home A woman who may only have months to live has told the BBC she is "angry and frustrated" at being in hospital five months after being cleared to go home. Charlotte Mills-Murray, 34, said attempts to organise care at her family home had been repeatedly delayed. Her NHS care teams said getting complex patients home "can take much longer". The BBC has found a 16% rise over the past year in the number of patients in England who are in hospital despite being well enough to leave. In January, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called delayed discharge "the number one problem" facing the NHS. Charlotte told the BBC there had been "a lot of tears" following numerous setbacks and broken promises over her return home. "When the hospital says, 'are you ready to go home?' You get excited. And then everything just changes again." Charlotte lives with intestinal failure caused by a severe form of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which weakens her body's connective tissue. She was admitted to St James's Hospital in Leeds in June 2022 following an infection, and a new Hickman line - a tube that allows feeding and the administering of pain relief - was inserted. By November, Charlotte was told she was well enough to be cared for at home, but she remains in hospital following delays in the hiring and training of staff able to support her. With limited access to a hoist which would enable her to use her wheelchair, Charlotte said she had spent 10 months "stuck in bed". Charlotte celebrated her birthday in her hospital bed Because of the complexity of her condition, Charlotte only has months to live. She believes her situation merits greater urgency because of the increased risk of infection in hospital. Each time one of the Hickman lines becomes infected, the choice available for adding a new line reduces. Charlotte's family worry that with the limited options remaining, in addition to the ongoing pain she lives with, Charlotte may soon have to decide to move to an end-of-life pathway. This would imply she only has weeks left to live. Charlotte qualifies for 24-hour home care support through the NHS Continuing Healthcare scheme, but she said decisions over how this would be put in place had been slow and unclear. She said she was initially told to hire care workers from a company whose staff members were not qualified to meet her complex needs, causing weeks of delays. Her local NHS Trust later agreed that if she hired personal assistants (PAs) it would train them in specialist pain relief techniques. But by the time Charlotte and her family found people for the role, the trust said the training could no longer be provided. It has now been agreed that Charlotte can train her own PAs, but there have been subsequent delays caused by issues obtaining the necessary pain relief equipment. Charlotte's mother, Denise, says time together as a family has been lost "We've gone round in circles, and the time-wasting is Charlotte's life. We can't get that back. "She has such little energy, [and it's] being used, not on quality time, but on fighting to get out of hospital." Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust and West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, the NHS bodies responsible for Charlotte's care, said they were "very sorry that Ms Mills-Murray has been unable to go home for such a long time". They added that "the vast majority of people are discharged quickly", but that some needed to stay in hospital for longer periods of time "because we need to arrange care at home or further support from other services". It said in cases where specialised care was required "this can take much longer". Charlotte has worked as a British Sign Language interpreter for many years Charlotte's circumstances are more complex than most cases signed off for home discharge. But during the past winter, one in seven hospital beds in England was taken up by someone medically well enough to leave. The BBC has found that the average number of adult patients well enough to be discharged at the end of the day has risen 16% in a year: from 11,661 over the winter months of 2021-22 to 13,494 in the same period of 2022-23. Sally Warren, director of policy at the King's Fund think tank, said this was "the most visible" sign of a health and care system under pressure. "Because of delayed discharges, you're seeing waiting lists, and queues at A&E and with ambulances. "You're also seeing people not being able to get the operations they want." Difficulties in finding local care home places was one cause, she said, but there were also issues in arranging support for those who want to return to their own homes. "There is a huge workforce crisis," she explained, with low pay being a factor. At the same time there is "an ageing population and more people needing social care". In 2021, the government pledged "at least" £500m for reforms aimed at plugging staff shortages in England, but on Tuesday it announced that figure has now been halved. The Department of Health and Social Care said it was "fully committed to speeding up the safe discharge of patients who no longer need to be in hospital" and was making £1.6bn available in England over the next two years to support this, on top of £700m of extra funding in 2022 to ease NHS pressures over the winter. Are you or a family member affected by hospital discharge delays? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.

People gathered at bus stations around Khartoum on Monday in a bid to escape the capital The UK is believed to have among the highest number of foreign citizens in Sudan - up to 4,000 according to Britain's international development minister. For more than a week they've been among the thousands confined to their homes, trapped by intense fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Hundreds of foreign nationals have already been evacuated, but the UK has faced growing criticism from many of its citizens who say they have been essentially abandoned. While the UK Foreign Office said over the weekend that it had managed to evacuate embassy staff from the capital Khartoum, it is feared that hundreds of other citizens remain trapped. In dozens of conversations with the BBC, those stuck on the ground have complained of poor communication from the Foreign Office's crisis centre. A small British military reconnaissance team is in Sudan to assess evacuation options, BBC News understands. And on Monday, Foreign Office minister Andrew Mitchell warned that movement in Khartoum "remains extremely dangerous and no evacuation option comes without grave risk to life". He said a member of the French special forces was "gravely ill" after being shot while trying to evacuate French diplomats. But some UK citizens say they have waited too long for help. One British citizen - William - told the BBC he had received virtually no assistance from government officials since the conflict began more than a week ago. He was forced to brave the street fighting to flee Khartoum after his situation became "intolerable". "We've had absolutely nothing but nonsense from the government," he told the Today programme on Monday. "Not even nonsense, we've had nothing. The last communication was that the government itself is going to do nothing, so we had to take this option." His story mirrored that of other British citizens - who have watched on in dismay as their international counterparts have been evacuated by other governments. "We feel abandoned," Edinburgh native Fatima Osman, who was visiting family when the violence began, told the BBC from Khartoum. "It's very traumatising here and the situation is very bad, it's getting worse. The clashes, the fighting, and there are dead bodies everywhere. And everyone is trying to escape and flee the country, and you can see the country is really getting into a civil war." Her husband, Amar Osman, said their experience of trying to get advice from the Foreign Office had left him infuriated. "I filled the location form on the [Foreign Office] website and I received an email saying they've received my form," he told the Today programme as the sound of gunfire echoed nearby. "But nothing else. It's auto reply after you submit your form and that's it." This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. As British nationals have tried - often in vain - to get instructions from the Foreign Office's crisis centre and the embassy in Khartoum, a host of other nations have managed to evacuate their citizens. On Monday, India's Foreign Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar tweeted that more than 500 Indian citizens had reached Port Sudan on the Red Sea, about 850km (528 miles) and 13 hours drive east of Khartoum. Two air force planes and a naval vessel were on standby to evacuate the group. And long queues of United Nations vehicles and buses were seen leaving Khartoum on Sunday, also heading east towards Port Sudan and carrying "citizens from all over the world", a Sierra Leonean evacuee told AFP news agency. One of the first nations to evacuate citizens was Saudi Arabia. On Sunday, 91 of the Kingdom's citizens and 66 nationals of 12 other "friendly countries" were flown from Port Sudan to the city of Jeddah across the Red Sea. Stefano Rebora - president of Italian NGO Music for Peace - was evacuated on an emergency flight by the Italian embassy on Sunday. "At 12.30am we got the call from the crisis unit [of the Italian foreign ministry]," he told the BBC. "They said they would attempt an airlift the next day and told us to go to a meeting point." After meeting other Italian nationals at the embassy, Mr Rebora travelled in a convoy to an airfield about 20km (12 miles) away from Khartoum. "It took us four hours to cover 20km," he recalled. "On the way we saw bodies everywhere - there's no security whatsoever so nobody dares go collect them - but there's utter destruction too." Elizabeth Boughey, a British teacher at Khartoum American School, was evacuated by the French embassy to Djibouti, alongside 200 other people of various nationalities. She said the group - which included a number of UK nationals - was taken to an airfield in northern Khartoum and flown out on two specially chartered military planes. Meanwhile, satellite photos appeared to show a Hercules C-130 transport plane on the ground at Port Sudan airfield on Sunday at 08:04 local time (10:04 BST). Reports online suggested the plane may have been either a Jordanian or a South Korean aircraft known to have been in the area at the time. Some UK nationals have turned down alternative offers of evacuation from friends, family and other nations, as they believed they had assurances of evacuations from UK officials. Dr Javid Abdelmoneim told the BBC that his elderly father has spent the past week trapped in his apartment in Garden City near Khartoum where he was observing the month of Ramadan. During a conversation with Foreign Office officials, Dr Abdelmoneim's family were told his father would be placed "high on the evacuation list given that he is elderly and lives alone". But he said Sunday's announcement that the UK embassy in Khartoum had been evacuated took the family by surprise. "We have been dutifully waiting and said no to cousins leaving [in a convoy] to Port Sudan and Egypt. Our working assumption was Dad was going with the British embassy," Dr Abdelmoneim said. "My sister called the crisis cell after Sunday's announcement. She asked them directly whether they were planning evacuation for British citizens and they didn't answer the question. "All they (the FCDO) had to do is tweet out that British citizens are not being evacuated. Their communication has increased his chance of coming to harm and decreased his chance of leaving safely." Amar Osman told the BBC that as confusion reigned and the fighting continued on Monday, he was considering taking the dangerous route out of Khartoum by road himself. Thousands of Sudanese have already taken this perilous route out of the capital. Last week, the BBC witnessed hundreds of people boarding buses and flatbed trucks at bus stations across the city. But that option is fraught with danger. The RSF is said to have set up roadblocks on major roads around Khartoum. Ms Boughey told the BBC her group was stopped and robbed of around $500 (£402) by RSF troops while moving around the city last Wednesday. Nonetheless, the risk hasn't stopped people trying to leave by road. One British woman - who asked not to be named - told the BBC that she and her relatives had rented a bus and driven to the Egyptian border after not hearing back from the British embassy in Khartoum. "British citizens have not been given any information, the power to the mobile networks and the internet has now gone down to people won't be able to receive any information," she said. "Meanwhile Dutch nationals, Greek nationals, Italian nationals, people we know are being flown from airstrips just outside of Khartoum to safety. That is citizens, not even embassy people. "And because there's been such a breakdown in communication it turns out British citizens would have been able to get on those flights but they were advised to stay in by the British government." Yousra - a London based accountant who was in Khartoum for her wedding - fled the capital by bus. She managed to find transportation from the adjoining city of Omdurman to the northern city of Dongola, before waiting 24 hours in the searing heat to cross the Egyptian border. Speaking to the BBC on Monday, the chair of the UK Parliament's foreign affairs committee, Alicia Kearns MP, accused the government of learning "no lessons" from the chaotic evacuation of Afghanistan in 2021. "The reality is we have to get British nationals out," she told the Today programme. "If however, there was to be no evacuation because it is too dangerous... then we have a moral obligation to tell British nationals as soon as possible that that is the judgement that has been made, because they then need to be able to make their own decision." In a statement to the BBC, a government spokesperson defended the Foreign Office's efforts, and said that officials were "working alongside international partners and doing all we can to ensure the safe passage of our citizens in what remains a very challenging context". Mr Mitchell told parliament that the situation on the ground remained "extremely grave", but promised to look at every possibility to get British nationals out of Sudan. But the overwhelming sentiments expressed to the BBC on Monday were anger and frustration. "We got nothing other than the government update every day which still says shelter in place, which is a joke," Ms Boughey told the BBC. "In comparison with what we've seen other embassies doing, including some much smaller embassies, I don't know what the Brits did do except get some of their own out." Kayleen Devlin, Laura Gozzi, Chris Bell, Olga Robinson and Natasha Booty also contributed to reporting for this story. Are you a British national who has been evacuated from Sudan? Are you still inside the country? If it is safe to do so, share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.

Covid testing is being scaled back even further in England from April. It is part of the "living with Covid" approach that relies on vaccines to keep people safe. Most staff and patients in hospitals and care homes will no longer be given swab tests, even if they have symptoms. Some will though, such as staff working with severely immunocompromised patients or if there is an outbreak on a ward or in a hospice or prison, for example. The long-running Office for National Statistics Covid infection survey that estimated how many people in the community had the virus each week - based on nose and throat swabs from volunteers - has already come to an end. The final one suggested 1.7 million people - about one out of every 35 (2.7%) - had Covid in the week ending 13 March, a14% rise on the previous week. But the UK Health Security Agency says thanks to the continuing success of the vaccination programme, testing in England can now become more like the approach used for other common respiratory infections such as flu. Although, it can quickly be scaled up again if another big wave of Covid, or a new variant, starts putting pressure on the NHS. And scientists will keep checking some of the swabs tests that are given, to see how the virus is mutating and whether there are fresh concerns. The testing that is ending includes: UKHSA chief executive Dr Dame Jenny Harries said: "Fewer people now experience severe illness due to Covid - due to vaccinations, infection-related immunity and treatments for those who need them - and the risk of hospitalisation has decreased overall. "This means we are now able to further bring our testing programmes in line with management of other viral infections whilst still maintaining focus on those at highest risk, to protect them from the virus. "Covid and other respiratory illnesses haven't gone away - and simple actions like washing your hands and staying at home and avoiding vulnerable people when unwell can make a big difference. "For those at highest risk of severe illness, the spring booster programme also provides an opportunity to keep immunity topped up." Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: "Testing was crucial to our response during the height of the pandemic - and our successful vaccination programme has protected the most vulnerable, saved thousands of lives and has helped us all to live with Covid. "Thankfully, we are now able to scale back our testing programme while remaining committed to ensuring those at highest risk and more prone to severe illness get the protection they need." The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

The China-registered bulk carrier detained for anchoring illegally in Malaysia's waters Malaysia has detained a Chinese-registered vessel suspected of looting two British World War Two shipwrecks. The bulk carrier was seized on Sunday for anchoring illegally at the site in the South China Sea. Ammunition believed to be from the HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse, which were sunk by Japanese forces more than 80 years ago, was then found on board. The UK Ministry of Defence had earlier condemned the alleged raid as a "desecration" of maritime war graves. Old shipwrecks are targeted by scavengers for their rare low-background steel, also known as "pre-war steel". The low radiation in the steel makes it a rare and valuable resource for use in medical and scientific equipment. The British vessels, on the bed of the ocean some 100km (60 miles) off the east coast of Malaysia, had been targeted for decades. The Royal Navy battleships were dispatched to Singapore during the war to shore up the defence of Malaya. They were sunk by Japanese torpedoes on 10 December 1941. The strike - which occurred just three days after the attack on the US fleet in Pearl Harbour - killed some 842 sailors and is considered one of the worst disasters in British naval history. The HMS Repulse was sunk by Japanese forces in 1941 Fishermen and divers first reported the presence of the foreign vessel to Malaysia authorities last month. Local maritime police detained the Chinese ship on Sunday. The ship, registered in Fuzhou, had 32 crew on board, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said in a statement. Cannon shells "suspected to be from World War Two" were uncovered during a search of the vessel. Malaysian agencies are also investigating the provenance of the ammunition. The MMEA added that it is linked to a cache of unexploded artillery, said to be from the two sunken vessels, that police seized from a private scrap yard in the southern state of Johor earlier this month. In 2017, during a tour of Malaysia, a local diver showed the then Prince Charles images that documented damage to the HMS Prince of Wales inflicted by scavengers. The Defence Secretary at the time responded by saying the UK would work with Malaysian and Indonesian governments to investigate claims that up to six British warships had been plundered in their waters.

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. "Patients paying the price" for strikes, NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard says The head of NHS England has warned that July's planned strikes in the health service could be the worst yet for patients. Amanda Pritchard said industrial action across the NHS had already caused "significant" disruption - and that patients were paying the price. This month's consultant strike will bring a "different level of challenge" than previous strikes, she said. Junior doctors and consultants will strike for a combined seven days. Ms Pritchard told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme that the work of consultants - who are striking for the first time in a decade - cannot be covered "in the same way" as junior doctors. "The hard truth is that it is patients that are paying the price for the fact that all sides have not yet managed to reach a resolution," she said. Last month, junior doctors in England voted for five days of strikes in mid-July - their longest strike yet. They will walk out between Thursday 13 July and Tuesday 18 July after rejecting a government pay offer. A few days after that strike ends, on 20 and 21 July, hospital consultants in England will strike over pay. Negotiators for consultants and junior doctors have been asking for a 35% pay increase to make up for what they say are 15 years of below-inflation rises - a figure Health Secretary Steve Barclay called unaffordable. Instead, junior doctors have been offered a 5% rise this year, which was rejected, while there has been no offer so far for consultants. Consultants are also calling for reforms to the doctors' pay review body to ensure the issue is "fixed for the future". Mr Barclay told Laura Kuenssberg he is "ready to have discussions" on other issues, such as how consultants' pay progresses over time. Health Secretary Steve Barclay said he was prepared to negotiate with consultants "There's things we're open to discussing, but we need to get the balance right," he said. The health service has been plagued by strike action throughout this year, with doctors, nurses, ambulance workers, porters and others walking out in disputes, mainly over pay. A breakthrough came in May, when unions representing all NHS staff except doctors and dentists backed a deal to receive a 5% pay rise. However, junior doctors and hospital consultants have still not reached an agreement with the government. Health is a devolved issue, meaning this only relates to the NHS in England. Ms Pritchard acknowledged that it would be several years before the situation in the health sector returned to anything like good enough, and stressed that the service was doing all it could to bring waiting lists down. NHS England says more than 600,000 appointments have been cancelled in previous strikes. The ongoing failure of the government and some of the medical unions to find agreement is only going to crank the pressure up still further. Ms Pritchard called for the industrial action to be brought to an end as soon as possible, saying it cannot become "business as usual in the NHS". She also discussed NHS England's new 15-year workforce plan, which she introduced alongside Prime Minister Rishi Sunak earlier this week. The NHS currently has one out of every 10 posts unfilled, creating major pressure on staff and leading to long waiting times for patients. The new plan is focused on training and retaining more staff. Ms Pritchard said the plan is not an "overnight" fix , but that it is part of efforts to "treat people as quickly as possible, without delay". Also on the show was former Conservative health minister Lord Bethell who described the current approach to treatment in the NHS as "rationing". "If someone has a need for an operation and you simply don't have the resources to give them what they need then you are going beyond the important protocols of allocating scarce resources in the best way possible and you are being defined by the amount of resources that you have available," he said. "I think that there is a difference between reasonable allocation of resources and making tough decision which is part of every day life, and having to cope with a system as overwhelmed with illness."

Canon Patrick McAntee has been told not to have contact with anyone under 16 A County Tyrone priest has appeared in court charged with indecent assault against two males. Canon Patrick McEntee, 69, from Esker Road in Dromore, is a former teacher, governor and college president at St Michael's College in Enniskillen. He is charged with indecently assaulting one male between 1980 and 1981. He is further accused of indecently assaulting a second male between 1988 and 1989. Canon McEntee appeared at Enniskillen Magistrates' Court where he was asked if he understood the charges and he replied: "I do, yes." A police officer confirmed she could connect him to the charges. The court was told that the prosecution file is at an early stage. Canon McEntee was released on his own bail of £500. The district judge told him that he must have no contact directly or indirectly with the injured parties. He was also told not to have contact with any young person under the age of 16. Originally from County Monaghan, Canon McEntee taught religious studies at St Michael's and was college president from 1994 until 2000. He has been a priest for more than 45 years and since 2001 has served as the parish priest of St Davog's in Dromore. In March the Diocese of Clogher announced he had been granted a leave of absence while an alleged safeguarding issue was investigated. A diocesan spokesperson said: "Canon Patrick McEntee is on leave while a safeguarding matter is dealt with and will continue to be on leave from ministry until all due processes have been completed." The case was adjourned until 21 August.

A Donald Trump fan dresses up as the former president at the rally In his first public appearance since speculating a week ago that he would soon be arrested, Donald Trump lashed out against the multiple criminal inquiries that have bedevilled him since he left office in January 2021. At an airfield rally in Waco, Texas, in front of thousands of supporters, the former president called the New York City investigation into hush-money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels an expletive. "The district attorney of New York under the auspices and direction of the 'department of injustice' in Washington, DC, is investigating me for something that is not a crime, not a misdemeanour, not an affair," he said, before belittling Ms Daniels' personal appearance. Every piece of his personal, financial and business life, he said, has been "turned upside down and dissected" - but professed that he was "the most innocent man in the history of our country". For the past week, Mr Trump has been posting increasingly menacing statements about "death and destruction" if he were to be indicted on his social media website, but he avoided any such dire warnings during his speech. And earlier on a sunny afternoon in Waco, Texas, the gathering felt more like the carnival-atmosphere campaign rallies of Mr Trump's 2016 presidential bid. Thousands of the former president's supporters wandered through Trump merchandise tents, where they bought t-shirts emblazoned with "God, guns and Trump" and "Trump won". Then they packed onto the asphalt tarmac of the local airport hours before Mr Trump's private jet was scheduled to land. Thousands of supporters wore the shirts emblazoned with 'God, Guns, Trump' They waited in the heat as songs by Abba, Frank Sinatra and Bon Jovi blared on the loudspeakers and cheered as a litany of familiar Trump supporters took turns warming-up the crowd. Rock star Ted Nugent played what was billed as a "fire-breathing" rendition of the US national anthem on his electric guitar, interrupted by an obscenity-laced diatribe that included attacks on the "jack-booted thugs" in the federal government who he said have been wrongfully imprisoning Trump supporters who stormed the US Capitol on 6 January, 2021. Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida and Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia also had their moment on the stage, lobbing pointed attacks on New York City District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who will decide in the days ahead whether to indict Mr Trump. "This attack is an egregious weaponisation of our justice system designed to influence the 2024 presidential race," Greene said. "This is nothing but a witch hunt against President Trump, and he is completely innocent." Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene had a moment on stage, using it to attack New York City District Attorney Alvin Bragg The crowd - which the Trump campaign estimated will reach 15,000 - offered some boos when Mr Bragg's name was mentioned, but few seemed all that concerned by the New York investigation. "I don't listen to the negative stuff," said Debbie Harvey of Midlothian, Texas, a town near Dallas. "I'm praying that he doesn't get indicted. God still answers prayers." "There doesn't seem to be much to it," said Brian Novie, who lives in nearby Copperas Cove. "And now they seem to be struggling with whether prosecute at all." Novie and his friend Richard Tarner, who like Harvey were attending their first Trump rally, bought commemorative t-shirts that read "Trump in Texas: I was there - where were you?" They said that, even with what is likely to be a range of choices in the 2024 Republican primaries, they were sticking with Mr Trump. "He's proven he can get things done," Tarner said, noting that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Mr Trump's most formidable rival, had yet to demonstrate that he could perform on the national stage. In the run-up to the Waco rally, a number of media outlets and Trump critics had questioned why the former president was holding his first mega-rally of the 2024 campaign in Waco, where 30 years earlier federal and state authorities engaged in an armed standoff with the Branch Davidian religious cult that ended with the death of 86 people. It was an incident that helped fuel an anti-government movement in the US, as terms like Nugent's "jack-booted thugs" were frequently used to describe federal law officers. Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick told the crowd that such connections were an expletive and "fake news". "I picked Waco," he said. "The president called me several weeks ago and said: 'I'm coming to Texas. I want you to pick a great town.' The former president's plane arrived early evening in the kind of dramatic airfield landing he made a signature of his campaigns in 2016 and 2020. The new "Trump Force One" circled the airfield as the song Danger Zone, made popular by the film Top Gun, blared on the loudspeakers. Meanwhile, a speed-artist painted a scowling portrait of the former president on the stage. The work turned out to be an accurately foreshadowing of the mood the embattled former president brought to his appearance. While he would eventually tout his record and make promises about a bright future for America if he is elected, it was clear that his legal troubles - and possible impending arrest - were foremost in his mind.

The ruins of the village have been preserved just as they were after the massacre An 88-year-old German man has been charged with involvement in one of the most infamous World War Two massacres. The charges relate to Oradour-sur-Glane in central France, where 642 people were murdered by SS troops in 1944. Many were herded into a local church into which hand grenades were thrown before it was set on fire. Prosecutors in Dortmund said the man had been charged over the murder of 25 people and with aiding and abetting the murder of several hundred. The ruins of the village have been preserved just as they were after the massacre, as a permanent memorial. French leader General Charles de Gaulle said it should be a reminder of the cruelty of the Nazi occupation. Some 60 soldiers were brought to trial in the 1950s. Twenty of them were convicted but all were later released. German investigators said last year they had opened a new inquiry into the massacre. On Wednesday, the regional court in Cologne said: "The prosecutor's office in Dortmund has charged an 88-year-old from Cologne over the murder of 25 people committed by a group, and with aiding and abetting the murder of several hundred people." The man was named in documents as Werner C, a former member of an SS armoured division who was 19 at the time. His lawyer, Rainer Pohlen, told the Associated Press news agency his client was at the village but had nothing to do with the massacre. Dortmund state prosecutor Andreas Brendel said the accused was among six men still facing possible prosecution. On 10 June 1944, a detachment of SS troops had surrounded the tiny hamlet in the Limousin region. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Oradour-sur-Glane was left untouched following the 1944 massacre It is believed by some that they were seeking retribution for the kidnap of a German officer but some say that resistance members were based in a different, nearby village. Most of the victims were women and children. The men had been locked in a barn. Machine-gunners shot at their legs, then doused them in petrol and set them alight. The landmark 1970s documentary series, The World at War, both begins and ends with references to Oradour-sur-Glane. Last September German President Joachim Gauck travelled to the village and joined hands with one of the survivors and with French President Francois Hollande, as a sign of reconciliation. General Charles de Gaulle said the village should be a reminder of the cruelty of the Nazi occupation Some 60 soldiers were brought to trial in the 1950s Francois Hollande (left) with German counterpart Joachim Gauck (right) and survivor Robert Hebras in September 2013 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Recep Tayyip Erdogan's supporters are celebrating after Turkey's long-time president won Sunday's vote, securing another five years in power. "The entire nation of 85 million won," he told cheering crowds outside his enormous palace on the edge of Ankara. But his call for unity sounded hollow as he ridiculed his opponent Kemal Kilicdaroglu - and took aim at a jailed Kurdish leader and the LGBT community. The opposition leader denounced "the most unfair election in recent years". Mr Kilicdaroglu said the president's political party had mobilised all the means of the state against him and he did not explicitly admit defeat. International observers said on Monday that, as with the first round on 14 May, media bias and limits to freedom of expression had "created an unlevel playing field, and contributed to an unjustified advantage" for Mr Erdogan. President Erdogan ended with just over 52% of the vote, based on near-complete unofficial results. Almost half the electorate in this deeply polarised country did not back his authoritarian vision of Turkey. Ultimately, Mr Kilicdaroglu was no match for the well-drilled Erdogan campaign, even if he took the president to a run-off second round for the first time since the post was made directly elected in 2014. But he barely dented his rival's first-round lead, falling more than two million votes behind. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The president made the most of his victory, with an initial speech to supporters atop a bus in Turkey's biggest city, Istanbul, followed after dark by a balcony address from his palace to an adoring crowd that he numbered at 320,000 people. "It is not just us who won, Turkey won," he declared, calling it one of the most important elections in Turkish history. He taunted his opponent's defeat with the words "Bye, bye, Kemal" - a chant that was also taken up by his supporters in Ankara. Mr Erdogan poured scorn on the main opposition party's increase in its number of MPs in the parliamentary vote two weeks earlier. The true number had fallen to 129, he said, because the party had handed over dozens of seats to its allies. He also condemned the opposition alliance's pro-LGBT policies, which he said were in contrast with his own focus on families. The run-up to the vote had become increasingly rancorous and in one incident late on Sunday, an opposition Good party official was fatally stabbed in front of a party office in the northern coastal town of Ordu. The motive for Erhan Kurt's killing was not clear, but a leading opposition official blamed youths celebrating the election result. Although the final results were not confirmed, the Supreme Election Council said there was no doubt who had won. It is highly unusual for the palace complex to be opened to the public - but so was this result, extending his period in power to a quarter of a century. Supporters came from all over Ankara to taste the victory. There were Islamic chants, while some laid Turkish flags on the grass to pray. For a night, Turkey's economic crisis was forgotten. One supporter, Seyhan, said it was all a lie: "Nobody is hungry. We are very happy with his economy policies. He will do even better in the next five years." But the president admitted that tackling inflation was Turkey's most urgent issue. The question is whether he is prepared to take the necessary measures to do so. At an annual rate of almost 44%, inflation seeps into everyone's lives. The cost of food, rent and other everyday goods has soared, exacerbated by Mr Erdogan's refusal to observe orthodox economic policy and raise interest rates. The Turkish lira has hit record lows against the dollar and the central bank has struggled to meet surging demand for foreign currency. "If they continue with low interest rates, as Erdogan has signalled, the only other option is stricter capital controls," warns Selva Demiralp, professor of economics at Koc university in Istanbul. Economics was far from the minds of Erdogan supporters, who spoke of their pride at his powerful position in the world and his hard line on fighting "terrorists", by which they meant Kurdish militants. President Erdogan has accused his opposite number of siding with terrorists, and criticised him for promising to free a former co-leader of Turkey's second largest opposition party, the pro-Kurdish HDP. Selahattin Demirtas has been languishing in jail since 2016, despite the European Court of Human Rights ordering his release. Mr Erdogan said while he was in power, Mr Demirtas would stay behind bars. He also promised to prioritise rebuilding in areas hit by February's twin earthquakes and bring about the "voluntary" return of a million Syrian refugees. Crowds flocked to Istanbul's Taksim Square, with many coming from the Middle East and the Gulf. Supporters gathered outside the palace from all over Ankara to hear Mr Erdogan Palestinians from Jordan wrapped Turkish flags around their shoulders. A Tunisian visitor, Alaa Nassar, said Mr Erdogan had not just made improvements to his own country, "he is also supporting Arabs and the Muslim world". For all the celebrations, the idea of unity in this polarised country seems farther away than ever. Since a failed coup in 2016, Mr Erdogan has abolished the post of prime minister and amassed extensive powers, which his opponent had pledged to roll back. One voter outside an Ankara polling station on Sunday said he wanted to see an end to the brain drain that began with the post-coup purge. There is a risk that it may now intensify. Turkey's defeated opposition will now have to regroup ahead of local elections in 2024. Ekrem Imamoglu won the race for mayor in Istanbul in 2019 and is seen as leading opposition figure Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a high-profile favourite among opposition supporters, appealed to them not to despair and said it was time for change. His video message on social media was immediately seen as a veiled hint that the opposition needed a new leader. He reminded them on Monday that he had won in Istanbul and another opposition figure had won in Ankara in 2019, only nine months after their previous presidential election defeat. "We will never expect different results by doing the same things," he said.

The US will support the delivery of advanced fighter jets to Ukraine by allowing Western allies to supply American-made F-16s, and by training Ukrainian pilots to use the jets. It would certainly be a military boost for Kyiv - but the devil is in the detail. The crucial questions are: how many, how quickly, and what weapons will the jets come supplied with? No-one doubts the ability of the F-16, which has more than proved itself in conflicts around the world. They will be a step up from Ukraine's Soviet era Mig-29s and Su-27s, which fly comparable missions. The F-16 radar can see further, allowing hostile aircraft to be engaged at longer ranges. They typically come with missiles that do not require the aircraft to maintain a radar lock to hit their target - a capability that Russia currently has, but Ukraine does not. F-16s can also launch precision bombs guided by laser, GPS, and advanced targeting systems, and are better at targeting and destroying enemy ground-based radars than Ukraine's current fighter jets. But it is not yet clear which of these capabilities would be made available to Ukraine if the delivery of the jets goes ahead. Training and delivery will also be a challenge for Ukraine. The computer systems on board - such as the avionics - operate in a very different way to Soviet aircraft. In combat, pilots need to instinctively select multiple, correct modes in complex scenarios where they are at risk of being overwhelmed by rapidly developing events - a situation known as task-saturation. Imagine as a car driver switching from a Renault to a Mercedes, and having to instantly know the position of the headlight switches, the wipers and the fog lights - all on a hugely more complicated level. It takes time and practice. Ukrainian pilots will receive training on bespoke simulators. But it is also highly likely they would have been practising on commercially available software, which delivers a very close representation of the workflow required to operate an F-16. Numbers are also key. It is little use sending half a dozen jets which on their own might be vulnerable to the mighty Su-35s operated by Russia. Combat aircraft are most effective in packages where jets are grouped together for certain roles - all to carry out one specific mission. For example, if the mission is to neutralise an enemy radar installation, you might want a "four-ship" comprising four jets to carry the missiles or the bombs to destroy that structure. That role is called a Suppression of Enemy Air Defences (SEAD) strike. But you do not want that critical flight itself to be vulnerable to attack. So you might have another four aircraft flying ahead in a "SEAD escort" role, armed with air-to-air weapons, to protect the SEAD strike from enemy planes. The point is all this requires many aircraft, and they need to be supported by other assets. That would include surveillance planes to warn about enemy fighters in the area, ground maintenance crews to ensure the upkeep of the jets and having, of course, the necessary infrastructure to take off and land safely. So the US decision to give the OK to other nations to supply F-16s marks the start of a complicated process and much work will be required to get to delivery. • None Biden to let allies supply F-16s in boost for Kyiv

The last of the Ukrainian refugees are due to leave the MS Victoria next month Edinburgh's council leader says Home Office plans to commission a cruise ship in Leith to house asylum seekers could turn it into a "floating prison". Cammy Day said the city council had not been consulted on proposals to move asylum seekers onto the MS Victoria. The ship has previously housed more than 1,000 Ukrainian refugees, with the last due to leave the ship on 11 July. The Home Office said it had a "statutory obligation to provide accommodation for asylum seekers". But a spokesman added: "Individuals are not detained and are free to come and go therefore to describe such accommodation as a prison is wrong." Meanwhile, Forth Ports said it had no plans to house an asylum seeker vessel at the Port of Leith. Mr Day said the potential consequences for the city and pressures on services were "severe". He said the council was "extremely surprised" to be contacted by the Home Office about their intentions to commission the ship to house asylum seekers, adding that it was "all the more surprising given their previous advice that it would be impossible for it to remain". Mr Day told BBC Scotland the plan was to send 700 single men to the capital, which has already has 4,000 people in temporary accommodation. He added that the council had shown solidarity and support for thousands of Ukrainian refugees, along with those from Syria, Afghanistan and Sudan, and remained "absolutely committed to supporting them in any way we can". But he said asylum seekers needed recognition, rights and support, not an "unknown future". The council has now agreed to write to the UK government about its decision. "We were not consulted on this and urgently require further details from the UK government on their plans," Mr Day said. "I know the Scottish government and Cosla are in the same position and, having written jointly to the minister of state for immigration, Robert Jenrick MP, we've yet to receive a satisfactory response to our questions and concerns." Refugees first started living on the MS Victoria in July 2022 He added: "The potential consequences for the council in terms of the pressures on our services - and the city as a whole - are severe and, barring robust partnership discussions involving NHS, police and other colleagues, we will continue to oppose these plans in the strongest terms." He said the council believed that Forth Ports was also opposed to the proposals. "Many of these people have risked their lives to make it to Europe and what they need is recognition and rights, not an unknown future without the support they so desperately need," he added. "While the MS Victoria has been a place of refuge for many Ukrainian families arriving in Edinburgh, until we have adequate reassurances from the UK government regarding the welfare and ongoing engagement and support, we cannot allow it to become a floating prison for asylum seekers." Forth Ports said it has had no contact from the UK or Scottish government on the matter. Chief executive Charles Hammond said: "We would not be able to accommodate this facility at the Port of Leith as we continue to create our bespoke offshore renewables hub. "We believe that the MS Victoria, which is currently berthed in Leith as a refuge for Ukrainian people, is due to depart in July. "Forth Ports has no plans to house an asylum seeker vessel at the Port of Leith." Graham O'Neill, of the Scottish Refugee Council, called on ministers to adopt a "more sensible and humane" policy Graham O'Neill, of the Scottish Refugee Council, said asylum seekers would face "huge challenges" if they were moved onto the ship. He told BBC Scotland they would not be allowed to work or access social security and would have to exist on £1.30 a day. Mr O'Neill said: "We think people will be highly isolated, carrying a lot of trauma and seeing no ability to get out of it. "It is also important to remember that most people coming to the UK seeking asylum are not only coming from countries like Afghanistan, Sudan and Iran and fleeing very oppressive regimes but they are also stuck in a very long asylum backlog, often for years and years." He said the figure was currently in the region of 170,000. Mr O'Neill said: "We anticipate that if people were put onto this ship, like in other ships, barges and ex-hotels across the UK, they are basically being institutionalised." He also urged UK ministers to implement a "much more sensible and humane" policy. The Scottish government's migration and refugees minister Emma Roddick said: "We have made clear to the UK government that vessels are not suitable accommodation for people seeking asylum. "Housing asylum seekers in vessels cannot be compared with their use to temporarily accommodate displaced people from Ukraine because of fundamental differences in terms of their rights and agency." She said that while people were waiting for a decision on their asylum application there were strict restrictions on the right to work and no access to most mainstream benefits. She added: "If the UK government chooses to impose the use of the Ms Victoria to accommodate people in Edinburgh it must provide suitable funding for the council and other local devolved services like health and policing, and ensure services are provided so that people can be supported appropriately." A Home Office spokesperson said: "The Home Office has a statutory obligation to provide accommodation for asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute while we consider their claim. "The significant increase in illegal, unnecessary and dangerous Channel crossings has put our asylum system under incredible strain and made it necessary to continue to use hotels to accommodate some asylum seekers. "We are committed to making every effort to reduce hotel use and continue to engage with local authorities as early as possible whenever sites are used for asylum accommodation."

A manager at Brown's Food Company allegedly assembled female workers to find out who threw a used sanitary towel in the wrong bin Three people have been arrested after employees at a Kenyan cheese factory were allegedly forced to undress to check who was on their period. A manager at Brown's Food Company assembled female workers to find out who had thrown a used sanitary towel in an incorrect bin, an official said. She made the women strip after attempts to get a confession were unsuccessful. Brown's says it has suspended the accused manager pending an investigation. Three people were facing indecent assault charges over the incident, police in Limuru told local media. In a video posted to Facebook, Senator Gloria Orwoba said she had received a "distress call" about what happened on Monday night. A manager "had found a used sanitary towel in one of the bins, and from what I gather, that dustbin was not meant for the disposal of sanitary towels," she said. The manager initially gathered the women to ask who was responsible, and when she did not receive an answer, she "needed to find out who was on their period so that she could punish the person that threw the sanitary towel in that bin," added Senator Orwoba, who campaigns against period shaming. She said that despite her attempts to intervene in the issue, the company was unable to resolve the issue with their employees. In a statement on its website, Brown's Food Company said it was "saddened" and that the matter "does not reflect the procedures of the company as a whole". "We are further engaging a women's health expert to help sensitise staff, improve communication, and strengthen our existing policies and procedures," the statement read, adding that they are arranging for an independent investigation to take place. Police told local media that officers "conducted a thorough investigation and recorded statements from the victims before arresting three suspects." They also said similar incidents had taken place in other companies in the area. "We have reliably gathered that the demeaning and shaming vice has been going on for a long time. I want to warn any such employers that justice will soon be served to all their victims," local police chief Philip Mwania said. Campaigners say that period shaming is a major problem in Kenya. In February, Senator Orwoba was ordered to leave parliament because of an apparent blood stain on her trousers.

Songmi Park, now 21, is among the most recent North Korean escapees to make it to Seoul Songmi Park dug her toes into the edge of the riverbank as she prepared to cross. She knew she was supposed to be afraid. The river was deep, and the current looked strong. If she was caught she would certainly be punished, perhaps even shot. But she felt a pull far stronger than her fear. She was leaving North Korea to find her mother, who had left her behind as a child. As Songmi waded through the icy water at dusk, she felt as if she was flying. It was 31 May 2019. "How can I forget the best and worst day of my life?" she says. Escaping North Korea is a dangerous and difficult feat. In recent years Kim Jong Un has clamped down harder on those trying to flee. Then, at the outset of the pandemic, he sealed the country's borders, making Songmi, then 17, one of the last known people to make it out. This was the second time Songmi had crossed the Yalu River, which separates North Korea from China, providing escapees with their easiest route out. The first time she left she was strapped to her mother's back as a child. Those memories are still as piercing as if they were yesterday . She remembers hiding at a relative's pig farm in China, when the state police came looking for them. She remembers her mother and father pleading not to be sent back. "Send me instead," the relative had cried. The police beat him until his face bled. Back in North Korea, she remembers her father with his hands cuffed behind his back. And she remembers standing on the train station platform, watching both her parents be transported to one of North Korea's infamous prison camps. She was four years old. Songmi was sent to live with her father's parents on their farm in Musan, a North Korean town half-an-hour from the Chinese border. Going to school was not an option, they told her. Education is free in Communist North Korea, but families are often expected to bribe teachers, and Songmi's grandparents could not afford to. Instead she spent her childhood roaming the countryside, hunting for clovers to feed the rabbits on the farm. She was often sick, even during summer. "I didn't eat much and so my immunity was low," she says. "But when I woke up from my sickness my grandmother would always have left me a snack on the windowsill." Songmi with her mother as a toddler One evening, five years after the train rolled out of the station bound for the prison camp, her father slipped softly into bed behind her, wrapping her in his arms. She buzzed with excitement. Life could begin again. But three days later, he died. His time in prison had chipped away at his health. When Songmi's mother, Myung-hui, arrived home the following week to find her husband dead, she was distraught. She made an unthinkable decision. She would try to escape North Korea again. Alone. On the morning her mother left, Songmi says she could sense something was different. Her mother had dressed strangely, in her grandmother's clothes. "I didn't know what she was planning but I knew that if she left, I wouldn't see her for a long time," she says. As her mother walked out of the house, Songmi curled under her bedsheet and cried. The next 10 years were to be her toughest. Within two years her grandfather had died. Now she was alone at the age of 10, caring for her bed-ridden grandmother, with no source of income: "One by one my family were disappearing. It was so scary." In times of desperation, if you know what to look for, the dense mountains of North Korea can provide meagre sustenance. Every morning Songmi began the two-hour walk up into the mountains, hunting for plants to eat and sell. Certain herbs could be sold as medicine at her local market, but first they needed to be washed, trimmed, and dried by hand, meaning she worked late into the night. "I couldn't work or plan for tomorrow. Every day I was trying not to starve, to survive the day." Just 300 miles away, as the crow flies, Myung-hui had arrived in South Korea. Having journeyed for a year through China and then into neighbouring Laos, then Thailand, she reached a South Korean embassy. The South Korean government, which has an agreement to resettle North Korean escapees, flew her to Seoul. She settled in the industrial town of Ulsan on the south coast. Desperate to earn money that could pay for her daughter's escape, she cleaned the inside of ships at a ship-building factory every day without rest. Escaping from North Korea is expensive. It requires a middleman who can help to navigate the hurdles, and money to bribe anyone who gets in the way. At night Myung-hui would sit alone in the dark and think about her daughter, about what she was doing, and what she looked like. Songmi's birthdays were the hardest. She would take a doll from the cupboard and talk to it, pretending it was her daughter, looking for some way to keep their connection alive. As Songmi's mother recounts their time apart, from the safety of her kitchen table, she starts to cry. Her daughter strokes her arm. "Stop crying, all your pretty make-up is getting ruined," she says. After paying a broker £17,000 ($20,400), Myung-hui was finally able to arrange her daughter's escape. Suddenly, Songmi's decade of waiting, with dwindling hope, was over. After crossing the Yalu River into China, she kept herself hidden, stealthily moving between locations at night, afraid of being caught once more. She rode a bus over the mountains and into Laos, where she took shelter in a church, before making it to the South Korean embassy. She slept at the embassy for another three months, before being flown to South Korea. When she arrived, she spent months in a resettlement facility, which is typical for North Korean escapees. The whole journey took one year but, to Songmi, it felt like 10. Finally reunited, she and her mother sit eating bowls of Myung-hui's homemade noodles in a spicy, cold broth. The classic North Korean dish is Songmi's favourite. In contrast to her mother's guilt, Songmi radiates an infectious energy. She laughs and jokes as she comforts her mother, concealing any sign of her childhood trauma. "The day before I was released from the resettlement centre, I was so nervous. I wasn't sure what I would say to my mother," she says. "I wanted to look pretty in front of her, but I'd gained so much weight during my defection and my hair was a mess." "I was really nervous too," Myung-hui admits. In fact Myung-hui didn't recognise her daughter, whom she had last seen when she was eight. Now she was meeting an 18-year-old. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'Why did you leave me behind?' Songmi asks her mother "Here she was in front of me, so I just accepted this must be her," Myung-hui says. "There was so much I wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come out. I just hugged her and said, 'Well done, you've gone through so much to get here'". Songmi says her mind went blank. "We just cried and hugged for 15 minutes. The whole process felt like a dream". As Songmi and her mother work to build their relationship from scratch, there is one question Songmi has never mustered the courage to ask. It is a question she has asked herself every day since she was eight years old. Now, as they slurp the remainders of their lunch, she cautiously allows the words to escape. Nervously, Myung-hui starts to explain. Their first escape had been her idea. How could she then return home from prison to live with her in-laws, reminding them every day that she had survived, when their son had died? She had no money, and could not see a way for her and Songmi to survive alone. "I wanted to bring you, but the broker said no children," she says. "And, if we got caught again, we would both suffer. So I asked your grandmother to watch you for a year." "I see," Songmi says, her eyes cast down. "Only one year became 10." "That morning I left, my feet wouldn't move, but your grandfather hurried me along. He told me to get out. I want you to know, I didn't abandon you. I wanted to provide you with a better life. This seemed like the right choice." This choice might seem unthinkable to anyone living outside North Korea. But these are the gut-wrenching decisions and risks people must take in order to escape - and it is getting tougher. The government, under the leadership of Kim Jong Un, has increased security along the border and imposed harsher punishments on those who are caught trying to escape. Before 2020 more than 1,000 North Koreans would make it to South Korea every year. In 2020, the year Songmi arrived, the number had fallen to 229. When the pandemic broke out early that year, North Korea sealed its borders and banned people from travelling around the country. Soldiers along the border were ordered to shoot and kill anyone they spotted trying to escape. Last year just 67 North Koreans arrived in the South, most of whom had left the North before the pandemic. Songmi was one of the last to make it out before the borders closed. Her memories are therefore valuable, as they offer a recent and an increasingly rare insight into life inside the world's most secretive state. She recalls how the summers were getting hotter. By 2017, the crops started to dry out and die, leaving nothing to eat between autumn and spring. But farmers were still expected to hand over the same crop yield to the government each year, which meant being left with less, sometimes nothing, to eat. They began to forage in the mountains for food. Some eventually chose to give up farming. Those who worked in the mine, the other main source of employment in her hometown of Musan, fared worse, she says. The international sanctions imposed on North Korea in 2017, after it tested nuclear weapons, meant no-one could buy the mine's iron ore. The mine almost ceased to operate, and workers stopped receiving their wages. They would sneak into the mine at night, she says, to steal parts, which they could flog. They didn't know how to find food in the wild, like those working the land did. Songmi spent much of her life in North Korea in Musan But by 2019, the biggest fear, other than finding enough food to survive was being caught watching foreign films and TV programmes. These have long been smuggled into the North, and provide citizens with a glimpse of the enticing world that exists beyond their borders. Images of glamourous modern-day South Korea, portrayed in K-dramas, pose the biggest threat to the government. "Watching a South Korean film would have got you a fine or perhaps sent to a regular prison for two or three years, but by 2019 watching the same movie would get you sent to a political prison camp," Songmi says. She was found with an Indian film on a USB stick, but managed to convince the security officer that she hadn't known the film was on there, and escaped with a fine. Her friend was not so fortunate. One day, in June 2022, after arriving in South Korea, Songmi received a call from her friend's mother. "She told me my friend had been caught with a copy of Squid Game, and because she was the one who had been distributing it, she had been executed," Songmi says. Songmi's account tallies with recent reports from North Korea of people being executed for distributing foreign shows. "It seems the situation is even scarier than when I was there. People are being shot or sent to camps for having South Korean media, regardless of their age," she says. Adjusting to life in capitalist, free-wheeling South Korea is often a struggle for North Koreans. It is alienatingly different to anything they have experienced. But Songmi is taking it remarkably in her stride. She misses her friends, who she could not tell she was leaving. She misses dancing with them, and the games they used to play with rocks in the dirt. "When you meet friends in South Korea you just go shopping or drink coffee," she says, a little disparagingly. What has helped Songmi to integrate is her steadfast belief that she is no different to her South Korean peers. "After travelling for months through China and Laos, I felt as though I was an orphan, being sent off to live in a foreign country," she says. But when she landed at the airport in Seoul the ground staff greeted her with a familiar "an-nyeong-ha-say-yo". The word for hello, used in both North and South Korea, blew her away: "I realised we are the same people in the same land. I hadn't come to a different country. I had just travelled south." She sat in the airport and cried for 10 minutes. Songmi says she has now found her purpose - to advocate for the two Koreas to be reunited. This is the future that South Koreans are told to dream of, but many do not buy into the dream. The more time passes since the country was divided, the fewer people, particularly the young, see the need for it to come back together. Songmi visits schools to teach students about the North. She asks who among them has thought about reunification, and typically only a few hands go up. But when she asks them to draw a map of Korea, most sketch the outline of the entire peninsula, including the North and South. This gives her hope. As Songmi settles into her relationship with her mother, there are only small glimpses of strain. The pair frequently laugh and hug, and Songmi dries her mother's tears as they explore the painful details of each other's past. Her mother's choice was the right one, Songmi says, because they are both now living happily in South Korea. Myung-hui may not have been able to recognise her daughter initially, but the pair look strikingly alike. Now she can see her 19-year-old self in her daughter. Their relationship is more like a friendship or one of sisters. Songmi enjoys telling Myung-hui all the details of her dates. It is only when they argue that it hits her. "Then I'm like, wow, I really am living with my mother," she says, laughing.

Ataf Nabhan was told he had five minutes to evacuate his house - before a missile blew it apart Kamal Nabhan was screaming as he thrust the phone into his cousin's hands, unable to believe what the anonymous caller was telling him. The men had just got ready to go to afternoon prayers in Jabalia refugee camp. But the routine patterns of life were about to give way to violent destruction, wrought from above with a warning call. Kamal's cousin Ataf reached out to his relative. "I took the phone from him and talked to the person on the line," says Ataf. "He said he was from Israeli intelligence, and you have five minutes to evacuate the house." They began to rush back, telling the Israeli caller he must be mistaken because the building "was full" of disabled people. "[The intelligence officer] said: 'No, immediately evacuate the house,'" says Ataf. It was day five of the fiercest Israeli air strikes on Gaza in nine months. The campaign of so-called targeted assassinations killed at least six leading figures in Islamic Jihad, the Palestinian territory's second most powerful militant organisation. But the attacks also killed 10 civilians on the first night alone - including wives and children of some of the men targeted as they slept. The group retaliated with waves of rocket attacks on Israeli cities, forcing tens of thousands to take cover in bomb shelters. Israel said it was acting after repeated rounds of rocket fire by Islamic Jihad, which in turn said it had fired because of police raids against Palestinians at al-Aqsa mosque in occupied east Jerusalem, and the recent death in Israeli jail of hunger striker Khader Adnan. Last week's fighting killed 33 Palestinians in Gaza and two people in Israel - an Israeli and a Palestinian. It left more than 1,200 Palestinians displaced, according to the UN. At the Nabhan family's building, Israel delivered on its warning. A single missile blew the block apart. The blast blew the Nabhan family's home apart Just before a ceasefire deal was agreed late on Saturday, Israel destroyed several other residential blocks in similar circumstances - giving warnings to evacuate residents before bombing the buildings. These strikes that bring down whole apartment blocks are a well-worn tactic in its attacks on Gaza. Israel says the buildings it hit were used as "command and control centres" by Islamic Jihad to direct rocket launches. It said its warning calls were meant to prevent harm to uninvolved civilians. Local sources believe a militant lived in the building but not that it was an operational centre. Human rights groups condemn such attacks destroying entire residential blocks as a violation of international law. Another resident who received a warning call was filmed pleading with Israeli forces to limit any attack "to the apartment of the guilty". The building in Jabalia has collapsed into its own foundations. An entire staircase that provided the escape route for several families lies horizontally, jutting into a smashed wall section. The remains of the roof are a few metres above the earth, providing the only shade for the former residents. Neighbours managed to get everyone out - nearly 50 people from eight families. There were five people in the building with disabilities including muscular dystrophy, say support groups. Some had wheelchairs, specially modified beds and medicines destroyed in the air strike, they add. Jamal al-Rozzi, executive director of the Gaza-based Society for Rehabilitation, who came to help the families, says his group will provide aid including food and medical devices. "I feel angry and I feel pain because this should not happen, at least not for the civilians, especially not disabled people," he says. Also sheltering among the rubble is another of Kamal Nabhan's relatives. Rahma Nabhan and her husband Yasser are sitting under a fractured roof slab, passing their baby daughter Jori to each other to soothe her cries. Rahma Nabhan and her family are now sleeping outside their destroyed home "My sisters-in-law are disabled - they were not able even to cover their heads [when they were rescued], their wheelchairs were buried under the house," says Rahma. "Everyone saw the disabled people fleeing. They were asking: 'Why did the house have to be destroyed? Have these disabled people fired rockets?' We have nothing to do with what's going on," she says. Rahma walks me around the remnants, still clutching Jori as we navigate the rubble. Her flat was on the top floor. Now there are only cardboard signs the residents have hoisted over the concrete remains, showing the names of each former inhabitant. "We are not going anywhere, we will stay in the sun, sleep in the sun, we are not leaving the house," says Rahma. "We call on the international organisations and [Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas] to stand with us and rebuild this house because we have no place to go," she says. The ceasefire reached on Saturday night, mediated by Egypt, has largely held. But tensions remain extremely high, after months of spiralling violence in the occupied West Bank which has spilt over into Gaza on three major occasions since an all-out war between Israel and Hamas in May 2021. Last week's attacks have left Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu politically emboldened. They could easily have ignited a far bigger confrontation - in fact they still could despite the truce. But he has used the fighting to burnish his reputation for security in the face of unprecedented domestic unrest and growing pressure from religious-ultranationalist extremists in his coalition. Despite its losses, Islamic Jihad has used the escalation to promote its appeal as the current face of armed resistance against Israel while Hamas - the dominant militant group in Gaza - stayed on the sidelines in terms of military action. It publicly backed the rocket fire as part of a "unified" position by Palestinian factions but effectively restrained itself, thereby limiting the round of fighting. It also has to keep services running for Gaza's population under a crippling Israeli-Egyptian blockade. A larger war could swing popular opinion further against it. Since 2021, the Israeli government has given permits to thousands of workers to cross into Israel, boosting Gaza's economy and bolstering tax revenues for Hamas. However, the group has warned against annual plans for an ultranationalist Israeli flag march through Muslim areas of occupied east Jerusalem on Thursday, keeping tensions boiling. Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad are listed by Israel and the West as terrorist organisations. However, many Palestinians here feel abandoned by an international community that still talks about a political future for the region - a two-state solution - which is outright rejected by both Israel's nationalist government and the Palestinian armed groups. At the Nabhans' house, neighbours and other Gaza-based charities arrive for a gathering in solidarity with the residents. It comes on the same day Palestinians mark the 75th anniversary of the Nakba, when 700,000 people fled or were forced from their homes in the conflicts surrounding Israel's creation. The homeless residents hold up signs saying "Protect us" and "We call for help". Ataf Nabhan, who took the warning call from the Israeli intelligence officer, gestures to the rubble and tells me his plea is simple. "This family needs a shelter," he says. "We just ask the human rights organisations - take care of this family."

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. An enforcement notice telling the firm to end operations came into effect on Tuesday Letting a huge mine keep digging months after planning permission ran out is potentially unlawful and sets a terrible precedent, lawyers have said. An enforcement notice giving Ffos-y-Fran opencast mine in Merthyr Tydfil 28 days to stop extracting coal came into effect on Tuesday. Barristers for climate activists argued the Welsh government and Merthyr council could have stepped in sooner. But the council said it had a "contrary legal view of the situation". It said it would not comment further due to "potential litigation", while the Welsh government said it wanted to bring "a managed end to the extraction and use of coal". Mine operator Merthyr (South Wales) Ltd has been asked to comment. The UK's largest - and now last - opencast coal mine at Ffos-y-Fran has a long and controversial history, and its closure is also turning into a drawn-out saga. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. An animated map showing Ffos-y-Fran opencast site near Merthyr Tydfil and villages at the top of the Rhymney valley Merthyr (South Wales) Ltd has until the end of July to stop all coal extraction, after its application for more time was refused in April on climate grounds. It means the mine - the size of about 400 football pitches - will have been able to continue operating for at least 10 months past the expiry of its planning permission in September 2022. Figures show that between 7 September 2022 and 31 March 2023, 199,307 tonnes of coal were dug up at the site. In an open letter of legal advice, barristers working with the campaign group Coal Action Network said the situation brought the planning system "into disrepute". Matthew McFeeley of environmental law firm Richard Buxton Solicitors said: "It certainly sends a signal to other operators who may be considering whether to shut down their coal mine or oil well - do they need to do that? "They may get away with a significant period of extraction without planning control." Residents and campaigners have been protesting against the situation for months, sending in photos, video and drone footage of alleged mining. Chris Austin, 67, who lives near the site, said it had been "incredibly frustrating". "The local authority could have acted almost immediately but they've dragged their heels on this," he added. People living near the site complained that their lives were being blighted by coal dust and noise Dr Neil Harris, senior lecturer in statutory planning at Cardiff University, said the fact an application to extend the mine's life was received just days before planning permission ran out was crucial to the "elongated process" that has followed. While the council could be seen as being "a little cautious" this was down to wanting to get the decision right in a "really complicated case" and not leaving itself open to legal challenge, he suggested. Merthyr (South Wales) Ltd, previously said it was in "active discussion" with the council about ensuring "a safe cessation of coaling" and ongoing restoration. The site employs about 180 staff, and supplies the steelworks in nearby Port Talbot, as well as the UK's heritage steam railways. A Merthyr council spokeswoman said: "We have a contrary legal view of the situation. It is not appropriate to comment any further in light of potential litigation." A Welsh government spokeswoman said: "Our position is clear - we want to bring a managed end to the extraction and use of coal. "We are in a climate and nature emergency and the response must be swift and serious, so we can pass on a Wales we are proud of to future generations."

President Biden told reporters "they can't keep me out" US President Joe Biden has said he still plans to visit Northern Ireland despite MI5's decision to increase the terrorism threat level to "severe". The move follows a rise in dissident republican activity, including a recent gun attack on a top police officer. Mr Biden was asked by reporters on Tuesday if it would affect his upcoming visit to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. "No. They can't keep me out," he said. President Biden has been a vocal supporter of the peace deal signed on 10 April 1998, which was designed to bring an end to three decades of conflict in Northern Ireland. Following a meeting with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in March, Mr Biden said he intended to visit both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland as part of the anniversary celebrations. Full details of Mr Biden's visit are yet to be confirmed, but the White House has said the increased threat level "does not have any potential implications for future travel". Former US President Bill Clinton, ex-British Prime Minister Tony Blair and former Taoiseach (Irish PM) Bertie Ahern are among those expected to visit Northern Ireland for commemorative events. Former PM, Tony Blair, and then taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern are also due to visit MI5, rather than the PSNI or the government, is responsible for setting the Northern Ireland terrorism threat level, which it has been publishing since 2010. The move reverses a downgrade in Northern Ireland's terror threat level last March - its first change for 12 years. On Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said the rise in the threat level was "disappointing". However, Mr Raab said it is worth nothing that the number of dissident republican attacks has been in significant decline since its peak in 2009 and 2010. He was responding to a question from DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson who asked for assurance the government would provide the PSNI and the security services with the resources they need to counter the threat. MI5, the UK's Security Service, is believed to review the threat level every six months. The terrorism threat level remains substantial in the rest of the UK, meaning an attack is a strong possibility. In a written statement to MPs, Mr Heaton-Harris said: "The public should remain vigilant, but not be alarmed, and continue to report any concerns they have to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI)." Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met with Joe Biden in California earlier this month and invited him to Northern Ireland for Good Friday Agreement anniversary events Deputy Chief Constable Mark Hamilton said dissident republicans were focused on attacking police officers, not the public. "You should be worried for your police service," he said. "I wouldn't encourage people to be hugely concerned about their own safety broader than that." In February Det Ch Insp John Caldwell was shot several times by two gunmen as he was putting footballs into his car boot having been coaching a youth training session in Omagh. On Tuesday, police said the 48-year-old father-of-one had been moved out of intensive care for the first time but remained in a serious condition. Det Ch Insp John Caldwell was moved out of intensive care for the first time on Tuesday but remains in a serious condition The attack on him was admitted by the New IRA, the biggest and most active group dissident group, whose main areas of operations are in Londonderry and County Tyrone. The group was formed in 2012 and previous security assessments estimated it had about 500 supporters, some 100 of whom are prepared to commit acts of terrorism. Although tensions within loyalist groups have led to attacks in parts of County Down in the past few days, the change to the threat level is not related to this flare up. Several loyalist paramilitary groups - the largest being the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Ulster Defence Association - are active in Northern Ireland but are not considered a threat to national security and therefore are not a factor in MI5's assessment.

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Phil Dowdell's sister, Alexis, describes the scene after the shooting The birthday girl at an Alabama party where four people were shot dead was saved by her brother, she has told the BBC. He later died in her arms. Alexis Dowdell was celebrating her 16th birthday at a dance studio in rural Dadeville when her 18-year-old brother Phil Dowdell came to get her after hearing that someone at the party had a gun. Her mother, LaTonya Allen, had also heard the rumours. She said that she turned on the lights, went to the DJ booth, and asked whoever had a firearm to leave the party. But when no-one spoke up, she turned the lights back off. The gunfire erupted shortly after. "All of a sudden you hear gunshots and you just see everybody running towards the door and people falling and screaming," Alexis told the BBC. Her brother Phil pushed her to the ground, she said, before the two became separated in the chaos. She was able to escape the venue and took cover outside before someone came to help her up. Alexis said she hid behind another building in case the attacker was still on the loose. When she eventually went back inside, she discovered that her brother had been shot. He had lost a lot of blood. She stayed with him as he drifted in and out of consciousness. He was unable to talk, though he opened his eyes and raised his eyebrows as she cradled him in her arms. "The last thing I told him was to stay strong," she said. She added that her birthday would never be the same. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Girl survives being shot three times in Alabama Thirty-two others were injured in Saturday night's attack at the party in Dadeville, a small, close-knit town of roughly 3,000. Police have yet to name a suspect or a motive and have urged the public to come forward with information. Alexis and her mother said they did not know what had led to the shooting. The city's local pastor told the BBC the gunman was still at large. Jimmy Frank Goodman Sr, the mayor of Dadeville, told the BBC that the scene at the hospital after the shooting was chaotic, even worse than what he had witnessed during his time serving in the Vietnam War. "There were people crying, bodies going into the emergency room and bloody clothes on the ground," he said. A vigil was held for the victims on Sunday The oldest of three siblings, Phil Dowdell was remembered by members of his community as a star athlete and a loyal friend. He had been due to go to Jacksonville State University on a sports scholarship. Alexis said she had enjoyed watching her brother play football and sharing laughs with him. He always used to open the door for others and come into her room to apologise whenever the two of them had fought, she said. Ms Allen said her son made her proud "in every way". "A piece of my heart is ripped out," she said. "He was supposed to graduate next month. Instead of me going to graduation I'll be going to the cemetery to see my son." Shaunkivia Smith, 17, Marsiah Collins, 19, and Corbin Holston, 23, were also killed. Relatives and friends of Ms Smith said she had been about to graduate from high school. Mr Collins was a varsity football player who hoped to become a lawyer. Mr Holston came to the party to check on a family member once he heard trouble was brewing, his family said. The flags outside Dadeville High School have been lowered to half-mast. A vigil was held on Sunday for all four victims. Hundreds of people, including some who were injured in the shooting, attended. Casey Davis, a deputy superintendent at the local board of education, said clergy and grief counsellors would be available to the community. The US has seen more than 160 mass shootings so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines such events as ones in which four or more people are shot.

Facebook's owner, Meta, has been fined €1.2bn (£1bn) for mishandling people's data when transferring it between Europe and the United States. Issued by Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC), it is the largest fine imposed under the EU's General Data Protection Regulation privacy law. GDPR sets out rules companies must follow to transfer user data outside of the EU. Meta says it will appeal against the "unjustified and unnecessary" ruling. At the crux of this decision is the use of standard contractual clauses (SCCs) to move European Union data to the US. These legal contracts, prepared by the European Commission, contain safeguards to ensure personal data continues to be protected when transferred outside Europe. But there are concerns these data flows still expose Europeans to the US's weaker privacy laws - and US intelligence could access the data. This decision does not affect Facebook in the UK. The Information Commissioner's Office told the BBC that the decision "does not apply in the UK" but said it had "noted the decision and will review the details in due course". Most large companies have complex webs of data transfers - which can include email addresses, phone numbers and financial information - to overseas recipients, many of which depend on SCCs. And Meta says their broad use makes the fine unfair. Facebook president Nick Clegg said: "We are therefore disappointed to have been singled out when using the same legal mechanism as thousands of other companies looking to provide services in Europe. "This decision is flawed, unjustified and sets a dangerous precedent for the countless other companies transferring data between the EU and US." But privacy groups have welcomed that precedent. Caitlin Fennessy, of the International Association of Privacy Professionals, said: "The size of this record-breaking fine is matched by the significance of the signal it sends. "Today's decision signals that companies have a whole lot of risk on the table." It could make EU companies demand US partners stored data within Europe - or switch to domestic alternatives, she added. In 2013, former US National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden disclosed American authorities had repeatedly accessed people's information via technology companies such as Facebook and Google. And Austrian privacy campaigner Max Schrems filed a legal challenge against Facebook for failing to protect his privacy rights, setting off a decade-long battle over the legality of moving EU data to the US. Europe's highest court, the European Court of Justice (ECJ), has repeatedly said Washington has insufficient checks in place to protect Europeans' information. And in 2020, the ECJ, ruled an EU-to-US data transfer agreement invalid. But the ECJ left the door open for companies to use SCCs, saying the transfer of data to any other third country was valid as long as it ensured an "adequate level of data protection". It is that test Meta has been found to have failed. Asked about the €1.2bn fine, Mr Schrems said he was "happy to see this decision after 10 years of litigation" but it could have been much higher. "Unless US surveillance laws get fixed, Meta will have to fundamentally restructure its systems," he added. Despite the record-breaking size of the fine, experts have said they think Meta's privacy practices will not change. "A billion-euro parking ticket is of no consequence to a company that earns many more billions by parking illegally," Johnny Ryan, a senior fellow at the Irish Council for Civil Liberties. The US recently updated its internal legal protections to give the EU greater assurances American intelligence agencies would follow new rules governing such data access. In 2021, Amazon was fined for similarly flouting the EU's privacy standard. Ireland's DPC has also fined WhatsApp, another Meta-owned business, for breaching stringent regulations relating to the transparency of data shared with its other subsidiaries.

Edward Gaines was supported by charity Blind Veterans UK in his later years One of the last surviving D-Day veterans who transported dynamite to Omaha beach has died aged 98. Edward Gaines, known as Eddie, died at his home in Poole, Dorset, on 21 April. Mr Gaines, who had four children and 16 grandchildren, had previously told the BBC about his experience of preparing for the Normandy landings in June 1944. Blind Veterans UK, which supported Mr Gaines in his later years, said he left "a legacy of service to his family, his country and the veteran community". Mr Gaines left school aged 16 to take up an engineering apprenticeship He was born in 1925 and left school at the age of 16 to take up an engineering apprenticeship, although a bomb blast destroyed the firm and he went on to join the Royal Navy in 1943. After initially training on motor gun boats at Portland, Mr Gaines transferred to become a petrol stoker on landing craft. He and the other four crew of his landing barge vehicle set off from Poole on 4 June 1944 in preparation for the Normandy landings and they transported 35 tonnes of explosives and a bulldozer to land at Omaha beach on D-Day. They continued to work on the beach, transporting ammunition, equipment and men, for several months and he served in Normandy until Christmas Eve 1944. Mr Gaines spoke to the BBC about his experiences and being supported by Blind Veterans UK in 2017 After leaving the Navy when the war ended, he worked in a mill in Battersea before helping his parents build their dream bungalow and then becoming self-employed as a bricklayer until his retirement aged 60. Mr Gaines first received support from Blind Veterans UK in 2016 after losing his sight much later in life due to age-related macular degeneration. His family said: "Eddie was so passionate about his support for Blind Veterans UK that he flew the charity's flag outside his home for the last years of his life." The charity also arranged for Mr Gaines to be presented with the Chevalier de l'Ordre National de la Legion D'Honneur in recognition of his part in the liberation of France. Follow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Campaigners Julie Devey and Carole Gould welcomed the new laws but want the government to go further Murderers with a history of coercive behaviour towards their victims or who use extreme violence could face tougher sentences under new government plans. As part of the proposals, judges would have to consider these as aggravating factors when jailing killers. Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said this would mean "longer jail sentences for those who kill women in the home". Campaigners called for the government to go further by introducing a 25-year sentencing starting point. Carole Gould and Julie Devey, whose daughters were both murdered by ex-partners, welcomed the changes but told the BBC they would wait to see what weight the aggravating factors were actually given in court. The proposals come after recommendations made in a review into domestic homicide sentencing by barrister Clare Wade. Full details of the new laws are yet to be revealed but Mr Raab said tougher sentences would be given by taking into account specific factors involved including "controlling and coercive behaviour or cases involving particular savagery known as 'overkill'". It is unclear when the changes will come into force. The government is due to set out a full response to the review "in the summer" and legislation "will be introduced as soon as Parliamentary time allows". Ms Wade, who was the defence barrister for Sally Challen - the first woman to have her murder conviction quashed under coercive control laws - found the current sentencing framework did not reflect that many domestic killings are preceded by years of abuse. As well as ensuring that judges take coercive control and extreme violence into account, the government will also: Controlling or coercive behaviour became an offence under the Serious Crime Act 2015 and includes economic, emotional or psychological abuse and threats alongside physical or sexual violence. More than half of the murder cases looked at in the Wade Review involved controlling or coercive behaviour. Ms Gould told the BBC she would like to see a 25-year starting point for jail sentences where overkill - cases where massive injuries are inflicted on the victim, more than would be needed to kill them - was a factor, which she said would have doubled her daughter's killer's sentence. Ellie Gould, from Wiltshire, was stabbed to death by Thomas Griffiths, then 17, in 2019. He was jailed for 12-and-a-half years, with his age a factor in his sentence. "In Ellie's case she was strangled and then she was stabbed 13 times. So these murders are particularly violent and brutal and I think we need to push to make sure that's recognised in the sentencing," she said. Poppy Devey Waterhouse and Ellie Gould were murdered by their ex-boyfriends Ms Devey, whose daughter Poppy Devey Waterhouse was stabbed 49 times in 2018, said the problem would be how much extra time was added on for the new aggravating factors. "It's our view that these are very dangerous people and they are as dangerous as people who take a weapon to the scene of the crime and are given 25 years," she said. The government will launch a public consultation to determine if a 25-year minimum sentence should be applied to murder cases with a history of coercive or controlling behaviour. Patrick Ryan, chief executive of domestic abuse support service Hestia, said he welcomed the recognition of other forms of violence including coercive control. "Survivors often tell us that they have endured years of abuse before physical violence escalates and it's right that we take this into account when sentencing," he said. The Sentencing Council has also been asked to review the manslaughter guidelines to explain to judges that there should be longer jail terms in cases where deaths occur during rough sex. Conservative MP Laura Farris, who had called for ministers to introduce a minimum 12-year sentence for sexually motivated manslaughter, said she was "delighted" by the news. "The last few years have seen some appalling cases where men have received derisory sentences for brutal killings including strangulation. The announcement recognises the gendered nature of these crimes, and the fact they are often part of wider patterns of domestic abuse," she said. The announcement comes two days after the High Court ruled Mr Raab unlawfully issued a policy banning prison and probation staff from recommending whether prisoners were suitable for release to the Parole Board, which may have led to people being wrongly freed. On Wednesday, senior judges upheld a legal challenge brought by two serving prisoners who were awaiting parole hearings over whether they could be released on licence. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said the result was "disappointing" and the department was considering its legal options.

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How the Royal children enjoyed the Coronation The prospect of a two-hour church service, full of ceremony and importance, is a daunting prospect for most, let alone if you've just turned five. But luckily for Prince Louis, the youngest royal at the Coronation had his sister Princess Charlotte to hold his hand, physically and metaphorically. Their older brother Prince George had a formal part to play as one of their grandfather King Charles' pages of honour. But Louis and Charlotte ended up taking a starring role too thanks to their antics during the day. They arrived with their parents the Prince and Princess of Wales, with Charlotte in a matching Alexander McQueen outfit to her mother, down to a miniature version of Catherine's silver leaf headdress. Louis, meanwhile, wore a dark blue tunic by Savile Row tailors Dege and Skinner. Perhaps offering reassurance, or making sure he went the right way, eight-year-old Charlotte held Louis' hand as they processed through the abbey behind their parents. Once the Coronation proper started, they took their front row seats alongside their parents. The solemn, religious ceremony elicited a yawn or two from the young prince - and he could also at times be seen pointing things out to Charlotte from their seats near the high altar. His age is no doubt why a break was arranged, with viewers noticing Louis had disappeared from his seat, returning in time to sing God Save the King. He had not attended the last major royal event, the funeral of his great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II in September, when he was just four, as he was felt to be too young. The siblings followed along with the order of service during the Coronation But that wasn't enough to stop Louis from yawning during the two-hour event After the King was crowned and the formal part of the day was over, the Wales family met up with Prince George as he completed his duties. They took their places in the royal procession to Buckingham Palace, in the first carriage behind the Gold State Coach. Louis pressed his face close to the glass on one side of the bench, sat opposite his parents, as he waved at the waiting crowds. Louis gave the crowds a smile and a wave as they made their way to Buckingham Palace Louis made headlines himself at last summer's Jubilee celebrations when he was seen pulling faces on the Buckingham Palace balcony and appearing to scream when the flypast went overhead. Anyone hoping for similar scenes after the Coronation would not have been disappointed. He drummed his fingers on the balcony railing at one point, and showed his own version of the royal wave. The two-handed wave, not dissimilar to the motion of windscreen wipers, was perhaps apt for a rainy day. The children were seen pointing at the sky during the flypast before returning inside the palace after their long day.

Poultry and captive birds can be kept outside again starting next week as the risk from bird flu eases, the government said on Tuesday. The Chief Veterinary Officer said the "mandatory housing order" for England and Wales would lift at 00:01 on Tuesday, April 18. The measures were introduced during the world's biggest ever bird flu outbreak. The UK has seen more than 330 cases confirmed and 4 million birds culled over the past year. The decision means that eggs laid by hens with access to outdoor areas can be marketed as "free-range" again. The UK's Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Christine Middlemiss, still warned that "scrupulous standards" of biosecurity will need to be maintained as avian flu is expected to still be circulating in the environment for several weeks. Ms Middlemiss said: "Whilst the lifting of the mandatory housing measures will be welcome news... the unprecedented nature of this outbreak has proved it's more important than ever for bird keepers to remain vigilant." Figures released to the BBC showed that 208 million birds around the world have died from this latest outbreak and there have been 200 recorded cases of the flu spilling over into mammals. But the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said that the risk to the public is very low. The British Free Range Egg Producers Association (Bfrepa) chief executive Robert Gooch said: "Free-range egg producers will be relieved to see their hens outside again. "While on the range, hens like to scratch, dust bathe and forage for additional food, displaying the natural behaviours that consumers associated with free-range and organic egg production." Birds in Northern Ireland remain under lockdown but in Scotland the housing order was never implemented after the country's chief vet said the evidence did not justify such a move. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

We are now back in court, but Lucy Letby is in the dock, rather than being in the witness box. The jury has just come back in. The judge, Mr Justice Goss, apologises to them for the delay. He tells them that for reasons with which they should not concern themselves, we are not going to continue with the hearing for the rest of today. He tells the jury that they will not be needed back at court until it's next scheduled to sit on Wednesday next week. He reminds them not to research the case themselves, away from the evidence they hear at court. That is the end of proceedings for today. The trial will continue next Wednesday.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said the country has to start "investing in defence properly" as he defended the UK military's readiness for war. He said the army had been "hollowed out" over 30 years and the Ukraine war had "exposed our vulnerabilities". Mr Wallace said he wanted a bigger budget, amid reports he is asking for a £10bn rise. UK and European officials have raised concerns over the state of the British armed forces. Malcolm Chalmers, a British defence expert who advises MPs on national security, told the BBC the UK military "would run out of ammunition in days if we faced a war, such as the ones the Ukrainians are facing right now". When asked his reaction to those concerns, Mr Wallace said the UK government was going to spend £34bn on modernising the army. The defence secretary said the UK military was "not any less ready than others", but added: "We just need to make sure we get back to spending on our defence properly." Mr Wallace spoke to the BBC from Brussels, where he is meeting Nato defence ministers for a summit at which Ukraine will top the agenda. Calls for increased spending on defence have been growing ahead of an expected spring offensive by Russia in Ukraine, and warnings about the threat from China after a suspected spy balloon was shot down over the US. When asked if he was requesting £10bn more in the upcoming budget, Mr Wallace said the Ministry of Defence - like all other departments - had been affected by rising costs. But he said he would "make the case to the Treasury that I will need some money to insulate myself". Despite inflation and military budget cuts in the past, the UK has been one of the biggest supplier of arms to Ukraine in its war against President Vladimir Putin's invading forces. The UK is set to become the first nation to start training Ukrainian pilots on Nato-standard aircraft, but the government has indicated that lending jets to Kyiv is a long-term prospect. At the end of this year, the UK will be taking over the leadership of Nato's Response Force (NRF) from Germany. Mr Wallace rubbished reports about Nato chiefs asking Germany to stay in charge of the organisation's rapid-reaction force. The defence secretary said: "I mean, to be honest, the simple reality is Nato leadership did not approach anybody. We are taking over the NRF as scheduled and it's interesting that story is based on a source on a German website I've never heard of." Downing Street has confirmed that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will travel to Munich this weekend, joining fellow world leaders for a conference on international security. Last year's conference, held just before Russia invaded Ukraine, was dominated by concerns over the prospect of conflict in the region.

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: "I've never hacked a phone, I wouldn't even know how" - Piers Morgan (interview filmed in March) Piers Morgan says he is not aware of phone hacking taking place while he was editor of the Daily Mirror. A High Court case against its owners, Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), brought by Prince Harry and several other high-profile figures, began on Wednesday. Lawyers argue that executives at the publisher knew about widespread phone hacking, but failed to act. Speaking before the trial, Mr Morgan said: "I've never hacked a phone. I've never told anybody to hack a phone." The long-awaited case involves allegations that the publisher of the Mirror illegally gathered information about the Duke of Sussex and a number of other celebrities to generate stories. In written arguments put before the court, the barrister representing Prince Harry said it was "inconceivable" that Mr Morgan and other editors did not know about MGN journalists instructing private investigators to obtain information. Mr Morgan has always denied any knowledge of phone hacking or illegal activity at the Daily Mirror when he was editor. He was editor of the Daily Mirror from 1995 to 2004 He was interviewed by the BBC's Amol Rajan before the trial began. In it, Mr Morgan said he thought phone hacking - the interception of mobile phone voicemail messages - was completely wrong. He added it "shouldn't have been happening" and said it was "lazy journalists being lazy". He said there was no evidence that he knew anything about it. Asked in the interview whether it stretched credulity that, as a hands-on editor, he didn't know what was going on, Mr Morgan replied: "I didn't. So I don't care whether it stretches people's credulity, or not." The former editor pointed out that although there were civil cases happening, none of the journalists who worked with him at the Daily Mirror have been arrested in connection with phone hacking. Mr Morgan worked at the Daily Mirror for nearly a decade, but he said none of the civil cases had anything to do with him. "I've not been called to give evidence, I know nothing about it," he told BBC News. Asked if he was worried about Prince Harry's legal action, he said he "couldn't give a monkey's cuss". "I don't give a damn what actions he wants to take," he said. Piers Morgan told Amol Rajan he wasn't aware of any phone hacking while he was at the Daily Mirror In 2015, MGN, which publishes the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People, paid out £1.2m in damages to eight phone hacking victims who refused to settle out of court, including Paul Gascoigne and the actor Sadie Frost. Other cases have been settled out of court so damages to individuals remain unknown. On Wednesday, MGN apologised to Prince Harry for one instance of unlawful information gathering in relation to a story which appeared in the Sunday People in 2004, but it denied allegations of voicemail interception in all the cases being examined. Mr Morgan pointed out he only worked for the Daily Mirror and had no responsibility for the Sunday Mirror or Sunday People, or other titles. A MGN spokesman said: "Where historical wrongdoing has taken place we have made admissions, take full responsibility and apologise unreservedly, but we will vigorously defend against allegations of wrongdoing where our journalists acted lawfully. "MGN is now part of a very different company. We are committed to acting with integrity and our objective in this trial is to allow both the business and our journalists to move forward from events that took place many years ago." Mr Morgan presents a show on TalkTV following his controversial exit from ITV's Good Morning Britain. He left in March 2021, after saying he "didn't believe a word" the Duchess of Sussex had said in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. Media figure Piers Morgan answers questions on everything from phone hacking to Meghan Markle. Watch now on BBC iPlayer (UK Only) or on BBC Two at 19:00 BST.

The CEO of the submersible company, a British billionaire explorer, a French diver and a father and son were all on board the Titan All five passengers on board the missing Titan submersible are dead, the US Coast Guard has confirmed. Officials say they found parts of the vessel amidst debris near the wreckage of the Titanic. The debris was consistent with the "catastrophic implosion of the vessel", Rear Admiral John Mauger said on Thursday. The CEO of the submersible company, a British billionaire explorer, a French diver and a father and son were all on board. Mr Mauger said he could not confirm whether their bodies would be recovered because of the "incredibly unforgiving environment" of the ocean. Here is what we know about them. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: OceanGate boss Stockton Rush on his passion for the seas - and for taking risks Stockton Rush was the chief executive of OceanGate, the firm which runs the Titanic voyages, and the company confirmed he was on board. He was an experienced engineer who had previously designed an experimental aircraft and worked on other small submersible vessels. Mr Rush founded the company in 2009, offering customers a chance to experience deep sea travel, and made global headlines in 2021 when it began offering trips to the site of the Titanic wreck. For $250,000 (£195,600), his company offers passengers the opportunity to get an up-close glimpse of what remains of the famous ship. Participants travel some 370 miles (595km) on a larger ship to the area above the wreck site, then do an eight-hour dive to the Titanic on a truck-sized submersible known as Titan. Speaking to the New York Times in 2022, he defended the business model, and said the ticket price was a "fraction of the cost of going to space and it's very expensive for us to get these ships and go out there". A 2017 feature written for the website of Princeton University, where he studied, reported that Mr Rush goes on every OceanGate dive. Mr Rush was married to Wendy Rush, who is the great-great-granddaughter of Isidor and Ida Straus, who died in the Titanic wreck after letting women and children escape before them. Mike Reiss, a writer and producer of The Simpsons, went on a Titanic dive in a different OceanGate submersible with Mr Rush. He said the CEO was a "magnetic man", the New York Times reported, adding that he was "the last of the American dreamers". Hamish Harding has flown to space and visited the South Pole The British adventurer ran Action Aviation, a Dubai-based private jet dealership, and completed several exploration feats. He visited the South Pole multiple times - once with former astronaut Buzz Aldrin - and flew into space in 2022 on board Blue Origin's fifth human-crewed flight. He held three Guinness World Records, including longest time spent at full ocean depth during a dive to the deepest part of the Mariana Trench. In summer 2022, he told Business Aviation Magazine that he grew up in Hong Kong, qualified as a pilot in the mid-1980s while studying at Cambridge, and set up his aircraft firm after making money in banking software. He said the Titanic dive had been meant to take place in June 2022 but was delayed because "the submersible was unfortunately damaged on its previous dive". He said no-one was injured in the incident. Asked about his appetite for exploration, he said: "My view is that these are all calculated risks and are well understood before we start." Last weekend, he said on Facebook that the mission was "likely to be the first and only in 2023" because of poor weather conditions in Newfoundland, Canada, where the missions set off from. Later, his stepson Brian Szasz said in a now-deleted post on Facebook that his stepfather "has gone missing on (the) submarine". Friend David Mearns, a marine scientist and expedition leader, described Mr Harding as a "very charming guy" who was attracted to extreme adventures. Patrick Woodhead, founder of British tour operator White Desert Antarctica, said Mr Harding was an "incredible" aviation explorer, and that his thoughts and prayers were with Mr Harding's wife, Linda, and his sons. Terry Virts, a retired Nasa astronaut, said his friend was the "quintessential British explorer" who loved adventure and exploring, but was not an adrenaline junkie. "Some people watch Netflix, some people play golf, and Hamish goes to the bottom of the ocean, or into space, and he's set world records flying around the planet," he told BBC Radio 4 Today's programme. Lucy Cosnett, Mr Harding's cousin and goddaughter, called for a full investigation into his death as she described him as a "lovely caring person". "When I read they had heard banging noises I was feeling hopeful that maybe it was coming from the submersible. But then yesterday was the worst when I heard that he didn't make it, that they all died," she said. "There should have been more safety checks done. The company OceanGate should have done more… it should be fully investigated, to see what went wrong, why it happened, why they didn't survive." Ms Cosnett added she was also feeling sad that she would not be able to wish her godfather a happy birthday as he would have turned 59 years old this weekend. Mr Harding - along with Paul-Henry Nargeolet who was also on board - was a member of the Explorers Club, a little known century-old exploration group whose members have included Sir Edmund Hillary and Amelia Earhart. Its president, Richard Garriott de Cayeux, said Mr Harding's excitement over the expedition had been palpable during a meeting at last week's Global Exploration Summit. British businessman Shahzada Dawood was from one of Pakistan's richest families. He was travelling on the sub with his son Suleman, a student. Mr Dawood lived with his wife, Christine, and other child, Alina, in Surbiton, south-west London. The family were spending a month in Canada prior to the dive. Shahzada was vice-chairman of Pakistani conglomerate Engro Corporation, which is a large fertiliser firm. He worked with his family's Dawood Foundation, as well as the SETI Institute, a California-based research organisation which searches for extra-terrestrial life. Shahzada was also a supporter of two charities founded by King Charles III - the British Asian Trust and the Prince's Trust International. A Palace spokesperson previously said the King's "thoughts and prayers" were with all those onboard. Will Straw, the chief executive officer of Prince's Trust International, said he was "deeply saddened by this terrible news". The British Asian Trust said it was an "unfathomable tragedy". "We try to find solace in the enduring legacy of humility and humanity that they have left behind and find comfort in the belief that they passed on to the next leg of their spiritual journey hand-in-hand, father and son," a spokesperson for the trust added. Shahzada's family said he was interested in "exploring different natural habitats", and had previously spoken at both the United Nations and Oxford Union. He studied in Philadelphia, in the US, and the University of Buckingham in England, where he graduated in 1998. Suleman was a student at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, where he had just completed his first year at the university's Business School. Following news of his and his father's death, Suleman's aunt told NBC News the 19-year-old had said he felt "terrified" about the trip, but wanted to please his dad. A family statement described the teenager as a "big fan of science fiction literature and learning new things", and having an interest in Rubik's cubes and playing volleyball. He recently graduated from ACS International School Cobham in Surrey, according to local media reports. The university's principal and vice-chancellor, Prof Sir Jim McDonald, wrote to students to inform them that Suleman was in the missing sub. He said the student wellbeing team was available to support those affected by the news. The plight of Suleman and his fellow passengers had been raised at First Minister's Questions in the Scottish Parliament. First Minister Humza Yousaf said: "My thoughts are very much with the families and the communities that are affected." Paul-Henry Nargeolet was a diver in the French Navy Also on board was Mr Nargeolet, a former French Navy diver. Nicknamed Mr Titanic, he reportedly spent more time at the wreck than any other explorer and was part of the first expedition to visit it in 1987, just two years after it was found. He was director of underwater research at a company that owns the rights to the Titanic wreck. According to a company profile, Mr Nargeolet supervised the recovery of thousands of Titanic artefacts, including the "big piece", a 20-tonne section of the boat's hull. Family spokesman Mathieu Johann described Mr Nargeolet as a "super-hero for us in France". "He is the world specialist on the Titanic, its conception, the shipwreck, he has dived in four corners of the world," he told Reuters. Éric Derrien, director at Genavir, a subsidiary of the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea, where Mr Nargeolet had worked for more than 10 years, said staff "shared the grief of his family and friends". "We are deeply saddened by the death of this insatiable explorer of the ocean, who left his mark on Genavir. His dives will remain engraved in the memory of French oceanography," he said. "We would also like to extend our sincerest condolences to the families of the Titan's other passengers." Shortly before boarding the sub, Mr Nargeolet said he had been looking forward to an expedition next year to recover objects from the wreck, he added. Mr Nargeolet's wife, Anne, who is French, lives in Connecticut, while his children live outside of France, according to Reuters. Sign up for our UK morning newsletter and get BBC News in your inbox. Do you know anyone involved with the Titanic submersible? Have you been or worked on a similar expedition? Share with us by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.

Despite global fame, Cormac McCarthy was said to be a very private man Tributes have been paid to US Pulitzer-Prize-winning author Cormac McCarthy, who has died at the age of 89. McCarthy's novels included The Road and No Country for Old Men, both of which were turned into successful films. Fellow author Stephen King called him "maybe the greatest American novelist of my time". Booker-Prize-winner John Banville, a friend of McCarthy's, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it was a "great loss" and he was a "giant figure". "He was unique," Banville said. "He stood out - he jutted out from the literary landscape like a monolith." Blood Meridian, McCarthy's 1985 dark epic set in the American West in the mid-19th Century, was his "masterpiece", Banville said. "Sometimes, reading Cormac's prose, especially in Blood Meridian, you say to yourself, 'This is just so far over the top that it's unreal'," he said. "And yet it was extraordinarily compelling. I mean, nobody wrote the way he did." Samuel L Jackson (left) and Tommy Lee Jones (right) starred in 2011's The Sunset Limited, written by McCarthy Many of his novels were violent tales describing the American frontier and post-apocalyptic worlds. In real life, he was said to be a very private man. Banville noted his fellow writer did have "a very bleak view of life". "You did not have many laughs with Cormac," he said. "He didn't see the world as a particularly comic place, which I do. But we got on well. I liked him enormously." In his tribute, King added: "He was full of years and created a fine body of work - but I still mourn his passing." McCarthy had died of natural causes, at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Tuesday, Penguin Random House said. The publisher's chief executive, Nihar Malaviya, said McCarthy had "changed the course of literature". "For 60 years he demonstrated an unwavering dedication to his craft and to exploring the infinite possibilities and power of the written word," Mr Malaviya said. "Millions of readers around the world embraced his characters, his mythic themes and the intimate emotional truths he laid bare on every page in brilliant novels that will remain both timely and timeless for generations to come." His UK publisher, Picador, described McCarthy as "one of the world's most influential and renowned writers". The company's boss, Mary Mount, hailed his "extraordinary body of work", saying he was "a writer of great vision and great beauty". His greatest books included The Road, McCarthy's 10th novel, which was published in 2006 and won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for fiction the following year. It describes a father and son's arduous journey as they struggle to survive in the US after the apocalypse. His 2005 novel, No Country for Old Men, a grim story of a drug deal gone wrong in the Texas desert, was adapted for the screen by Joel and Ethan Coen. Starring Javier Bardem and Tommy Lee Jones, the thriller went on to win four Oscars, including best picture. There have been a string of attempts to adapt Blood Meridian for the cinema. In April, Deadline reported The Road director John Hillcoat would become the latest to tackle it. McCarthy's "career spanned nearly six decades and several genres, including fiction and drama", publisher Pan Macmillan said in its tribute Born in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1933, in an Irish Catholic family, McCarthy was one of six siblings. He spent most of his childhood in Knoxville, Tennessee, where his father worked as a lawyer. His first novel, The Orchard Keeper, was published in 1965. McCarthy's last two books - The Passenger and Stella Maris - were published at the end of last year. As well as his novels, he also wrote screenplays and short stories. During his long career, his media interviews or appearances on the red carpet were a rarity. In 2007, McCarthy told US talk-show host Oprah Winfrey: "I don't think [interviews] are good for your head. "If you spend a lot of time thinking about how to write a book, you probably shouldn't be thinking about it, you probably should be doing it." • None The chaos and carnage in Cormac McCarthy's novels

Last updated on .From the section Horse Racing Police arrested 118 people over disruption to the Grand National that saw animal rights activists delay the start of the race by getting on to the course at Aintree. Merseyside Police held nine people who had managed to enter the track. They later said there had been a total of 118 arrests for both "criminal damage and public nuisance offences". That includes arrests before the race on Saturday and in relation to a protest that blocked the M57. The race started 14 minutes late after its scheduled start time of 17:15 BST. The 175th edition was won by Corach Rambler, ridden by Derek Fox. One horse, Hill Sixteen, died after falling at the first fence, meaning there have been three horse deaths at the 2023 meeting overall. "Just after 5pm a large number of protesters attempted to gain entry on to the course," Merseyside Police said. "The majority were prevented from breaching the boundary fencing but the nine individuals who managed to enter the course were later arrested by officers." Television pictures appeared to show some protesters making it on to the track and trying to attach themselves to a fence, before being removed by police. Dozens of others attempted to climb over or glue themselves to security fencing around the track but were led away, with police also confiscating ladders. Climate and animal rights group Animal Rising, who earlier demonstrated outside Aintree, claimed on social media their supporters entered the track to delay the race. Traffic was also blocked by protesters on the M57 motorway shortly before activists entered the track at Aintree. North West Motorway Police said there was "a number of people sat on the M57" at junction two northbound, and traffic was stopped in both directions. The road fully reopened shortly after 20:00. Merseyside Police Assistant Chief Constable Paul White said: "Today, as you've seen, there's been a significant protest in relation to the running of the Grand National. "This began earlier this morning. There's been a number of protests outside and then that resulted earlier on today at about 5pm with numerous people trying to incur onto the course, which we, in partnership with the event organisers, and members of the public as well, have managed in the main to stop and and ultimately the event took place - albeit with a slight delay." Mr White said it required "significant resource" to cover the perimeter of Aintree, with protesters attempting to access the course from a number of points around the track. He said police had a "proportionate" plan in place and were able to stop "the vast majority" from entering the course, and those who did were removed "swiftly". Mr White added: "We've had to uplift our resources significantly. Clearly we were very much aware there was a planned protest today. "We always have a proportionate policing plan in place to manage the event and support event organisers, but because of the additional information and intelligence regarding protests we had to increase resources significantly for today." After the delay was announced on the racecourse public address system, the 39 participating horses were taken back to the pre-parade ring. The jockeys were asked to re-mount their rides six minutes after the scheduled start time, with the race starting eight minutes later. Dickon White, who runs the track as North West regional director for the Jockey Club, said the delay was caused by the "reckless actions of a small number of individuals". Merseyside Police thanked the public for their "patience" while they dealt with the protests. The police had previously said they would deal "robustly" with any disruption after animal rights activists threatened to sabotage the race. Aintree Racecourse warned that the actions of protestors could "endanger the horses they purport to protect, as well as jockeys, officials and themselves". Speaking before protesters entered the track, Animal Rising spokesperson Nathan McGovern said: "Police are wasting time chasing protesters rather than addressing the climate and ecological emergency, and our broken relationship to animals. "We remain undeterred, and we will peacefully continue our actions to stop harm coming to animals at Aintree. "Today marks the first of many actions that will really take place this summer to push this conversation to the top of the agenda." Animal Rising posted photos on social media appearing to show supporters slow-marching around Aintree on Saturday afternoon. The total of 118 arrests includes three people who were earlier held in connection with potential co-ordinated disruption activities. A 25-year-old woman from London and a man were arrested outside Aintree on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance. A 33-year-old woman from the London area was arrested in Greater Manchester on suspicion of the same offence. Animal Rising claimed one of those arrested earlier on Saturday was one of its members, 25-year-old Claudia Penna Rojas. As well as the death of Hill Sixteen, Dark Raven was put down earlier on Saturday following a fall during the Turners Mersey Novices' Hurdle at Aintree, while Envoye Special suffered a fatal injury in the Foxhunters' Chase on Thursday. Two other horses in the Grand National - Recite A Prayer and Cape Gentleman - were treated on course and taken away by horse ambulance for further assessment. There have been five fatalities from 395 runners in the 10 Grand Nationals raced since safety changes were introduced in 2012. Bookmakers expected more than £150m to be wagered on the National, which takes place over 30 fences and four and a quarter miles.

Belgorod regional chief Vyacheslav Gladkov posted a video saying he had agreed to an offer to meet the fighters Fighters opposed to the government in Moscow say they have captured some Russian soldiers in Belgorod, near the border with Ukraine. Belgorod's top official replied to say he had agreed to meet the men's captors if the soldiers were still alive. But later, the fighters said that the governor "had not found the courage" to meet them and they would hand over their captives to Ukraine. Russia has blamed Ukraine for recent attacks in its border territories. The Russian army said on Sunday its artillery had hit a "terrorist" group near the village of Novaya Tavolzhanka, adding that "the enemy scattered and retreated". Earlier, a group of paramilitaries issued a message on the Telegram app, saying they had captured two men but would hand them over if Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov agreed to talks. The video purported to show both captives, although the BBC has been unable to independently verify their identities. The message was posted by the Liberty of Russia Legion (FRL) and described as a joint statement with the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK). Mr Gladkov responded with his own Telegram video, saying he had agreed to the talks if the soldiers were shown to be still alive - adding that he thought they had probably been killed. Later, the RDK posted a further video - this time appearing to show even more captives, in which they said that Mr Gladkov had failed to turn up for the meeting. "Neither the military nor the civilian leadership is interested" in the fate of the captured men, the RDK said. Meanwhile, the FRL described the Russian authorities as "rotten and cowardly". They said they would now hand over the captives to Ukraine - to be subject to an exchange with Ukrainian prisoners of war. Both groups want to topple President Vladimir Putin, and also oppose the full-scale invasion of Ukraine that he launched in February last year. Ukrainian officials say the two paramilitary organisations consist of Russian citizens who want to create a "security zone" for Ukrainians. The RDK came to prominence in March for a cross-border raid in Russia's Bryansk region. Its leader is a Russian nationalist with alleged links to neo-Nazis. The FRL is considered a different sort of organisation that fights alongside Ukrainian troops against Russian forces. The Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) came to prominence in the Bryansk region in March In his video, Mr Gladkov labelled the fighters in question "scoundrels, murderers, fascists", but promised to "guarantee safety" if the talks took place. And though they asked him to go to Novaya Tavolzhanka to meet them, he said this was too dangerous and that he would expect them at a checkpoint in the town of Shebekino. Mr Gladkov has not commented on the events since the video, but posted pictures of a meeting with regional and federal officials. Kyiv has denied having any direct involvement in such attacks. But it has painted the growing violence in Russian territory as being the inevitable consequence of Russia's invasion last year.

Companies linked to Roman Abramovich, Said Gutseriev and Oleg Deripaska have yet to comply with the new law The UK has so far failed to impose fines worth as much as £1bn on foreign companies breaking a landmark transparency law, BBC analysis reveals. Since January, overseas firms that own UK property can be fined up to £2,500 a day unless they declare their owners. Thousands are still to do so, including firms which have been linked to oligarchs such as Roman Abramovich, but no fines have yet been issued. The government said it was "building cases" against unregistered companies. The register was introduced as part of the Economic Crime Act in February 2022, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Ministers said it would reveal who ultimately owned UK property and also stop foreign criminals using UK property to launder money. ​​Although the majority of companies have submitted their details, about 5,000 firms with property in England and Wales have not, more than three months after the 31 January deadline. The government suggests the figure is likely to be lower, as some companies may no longer exist and several hundred have already transferred their property. ​​ ​​But even if there were just 4,000 firms that are not complying with the law, the total value in fines would add up to £10m per day if the maximum daily financial penalty was imposed on every company that has not supplied its information. ​​Over the entire period since the deadline, more than 100 days, this would add up to around £1bn. Some foreign companies may not be aware of the new law yet, while others could be struggling to identify and verify all their beneficial owners, according to John Barnett from the Chartered Institute of Taxation. But there may be others that have no intention of complying. They could be "burying their head in the sand" or making a deliberate decision to "take the risk of… fines, confiscation of the property", Mr Barnett told the BBC. Although no financial penalties have been issued, a spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade said it was building cases against companies who have failed to register by the deadline and working with law enforcement to "prioritise action against the most egregious offenders". The spokesperson said the UK was the first country in the world to take "this tough new approach to tackle money laundering through property", adding: "Fines are just one tool in our arsenal to crack down on non-compliance, and non-compliant companies are already unable to buy or sell unregistered land, cutting off the flow of money." But, as the government itself has acknowledged, it's a complicated business establishing which properties are owned by oligarchs with links to Vladmir Putin. When the Foreign Office announced further sanctions last month against those who knowingly assisted sanctioned Russians - including Mr Abramovich - to hide their assets, it said oligarchs had "scrambled to shield their wealth" with the help of financial fixers, offshore trusts, shell companies and family members. This west London property was reported to belong to Roman Abramovich A 15-bedroom west London mansion widely reported as Roman Abramovich's home - planning applications for the property were made in the Abramovich name - was purchased for £90m in 2011 by Cyprus-based firm A. Corp Trustee. The company appears to be among those breaching the law by failing to provide details to the register. A few miles away is a multimillion-pound City of London block that the Pandora Papers document leak revealed was owned by businessman Said Gutseriev - who was sanctioned in 2022 - via an offshore company that also does not appear to have submitted its ownership details to the corporate registry Companies House. Neither Mr Gutseriev nor Mr Abramovich responded to the BBC's requests for comment. Also apparently violating the law by not filing to the register are firms with property linked to energy and metals tycoon Oleg Deripaska, who was named in a UK court hearing as the beneficial owner of a Grade II-listed art deco mansion in Surrey and a large home in London's Belgrave Square. When last year the Belgrave Square house was occupied by demonstrators supporting housing for Ukrainian refugees, a spokesman for the billionaire said the property belonged to family members rather than the oligarch himself. Asked whether companies he was linked to were violating the new transparency law, a spokesperson for the oligarch told the BBC "none of these properties are owned by Mr Deripaska". A BBC and Transparency International investigation in February found that despite the new transparency laws, the owners of about 50,000 UK properties held by foreign companies remained hidden from public view. This included companies that either ignored the law altogether or filed information in such a way that it remained impossible for the public to find out who ultimately owned and benefited from them. Helena Wood, head of the UK Economic Crime Programme at the Royal United Services Institute think tank, said: "Although the new register is to be welcomed as a deterrent for the future, its ability to retrofit an existing system based on 30 years of turning a blind eye was always going to be limited."

The fire broke out on Sackville Close in King's Hedges, Cambridge, on Friday An e-bike was the most probable cause of a fire that killed a mother and her two children, investigators said. Gemma Germeney, 31, died at the scene on Sackville Close in King's Hedges, Cambridge, on Friday. Lilly Peden, eight, and four-year-old Oliver Peden died later in hospital. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said the blaze started accidentally and, following an investigation, it was thought the most probable cause was an electric bike that was charging. A man in his 30s remains in a critical condition. Family members who visited the scene said were "devastated" by the "tragic" deaths. Flowers and soft toys have been left at the scene since Friday The fire service's area commander Stuart Smith said a thorough investigation was carried out over the weekend by police forensic teams, special fire investigators, the fire service and a fire dog. He urged anyone with e-bikes and e-scooters to be aware of possible dangers. "We know e-bikes and e-scooters are popular modes of personal transport at the moment and we are urging anyone with one to be aware of the potential risks and follow simple precautions to reduce the likelihood of the batteries overheating," he said. Mr Smith urged people to check their homes for all potential fire risks. "It isn't just e-bikes and e-scooters, we have so many electrical gadgets these days that all require charging," he said. "People just need to be aware of the risks and put steps in place to ensure they are being charged safely." A fire safety team would be in the Sacksville Close area in the coming days to share advice and offer reassurance, he added. A e-bike that was charging was thought to be the most likely cause of the fatal fire He recommended anyone with concerns about general fire safety to speak to the team or visit the service's website. A collection of flowers and soft toys have been left at the scene since Friday. Following the fire, the East of England Ambulance Service said an infant from an adjoining property was also taken to hospital for assessment. The fire service made a number of safety recommendations related to e-bikes and scooters: Follow East of England news on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Got a story? Email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 0800 169 1830 Sign up for our morning newsletter and get BBC News in your inbox. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Colum Eastwood says the SDLP is "here to stay" despite last year's "bruising" election The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) leader has dismissed political "naysayers" and insisted his party is "here to stay". Addressing his party's annual conference, Colum Eastwood acknowledged the party had been through a "bruising electoral contest" last May. He told SDLP members in Londonderry that "the adversity we face now is nothing compared to the adversity this party has shouldered in the past". "We are a party that is ready to get back to work and we will win again," he said. The SDLP leader and MP for Foyle said last year's assembly election had "exacted a high price". He told members that those who had written off the party before should be ignored. "The people in this hall today, and the many friends and colleagues outside, the values they represent and the vision we set for this island can never be written off," he added. "We're going to embark on a long-term political strategy with the goal of reimagining our country," Mr Eastwood said, acknowledging his party's commission for a new Ireland, which he said was "shifting gear". "This is when we are at our best - when we bring together an unstoppable coalition." He also called for an end to the "poisonous politics of veto" at Stormont and accused the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of being "wreckers" of the institutions. "The DUP need to get back to work or get out of the way," Mr Eastwood said. He added sharing power was the "engine" of Stormont and not an "optional extra". The DUP has boycotted devolved government at Stormont over Northern Ireland Protocol concerns The party's conference came days after MPs including those in the SDLP voted to back the Windsor Framework agreed by the UK and EU. The framework is designed to make trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK easier. It gives the Stormont assembly more say over EU rules and has been welcomed by most Northern Ireland parties. Mr Eastwood said the DUP, which voted against the deal, was "digging its heels in". And he added that if the party held out on returning to power sharing at Stormont, the "only alternative" would be a new settlement between London and Dublin. "If we are unable to secure lasting reform of the institutions then the only alternative is a new settlement that retains power with the Irish and British traditions that share this island. "And if political parties will not work together, then there must be a new model of shared stewardship between the British and Irish governments." He told SDLP members that the choice facing the DUP is not about the Northern Ireland Protocol or framework, but whether they "can share power with their neighbours". It makes sense that the SDLP would choose its heartland of Foyle to bring its members together. There is no shying away from how hard a time the party has had recently. It lost four seats last year in May's assembly election and recent polls haven't proved any more positive. That said, the party's south Belfast MP Claire Hanna has said that since then, the SDLP has been doing some serious thinking and reflection. In other words: they may be down but they're not out, if Colum Eastwood can help it. He believes in the message he's selling but it's not the audience in Derry he needs to persuade. The next electoral test for the SDLP is just eight weeks away.

A decision to quash a Department of Health policy on paying for care costs in nursing homes has been welcomed by the NI commissioner for older people. The commissioner, Eddie Lynch, was reacting to a decision by High Court judge Mr Justice Scoffield. The judge ruled the department failed to properly consider the impact on elderly people who could potentially lose life savings to meet health costs. He said it had been responsible for a "plain dereliction in its duty". The commissioner, Mr Lynch, took a judicial review on behalf of Robin McMinnis. The 75-year-old, who is quadriplegic and has complex medical needs, has been paying for his care while living in a Belfast nursing home. The Continuing Healthcare Policy relates to the assessment of whether a person's needs can be met in a hospital which will not cost anything or is social-care related which could incur costs. The judicial review highlighted that the criteria and threshold for when a person should pay for their care is unclear and operates differently between each health trust. Eddie Lynch said the High Court ruling was a win for older people All older people with assets worth more than £23,250 have to pay for their social care. A change to the policy, introduced in February 2021, uses a single criteria question where people are asked: "Can your care needs be met properly in any other setting other than a hospital?" Those people who are placed in a nursing home have to pay, while others who say they cannot go to a nursing home instead have their care paid for while in hospital. The judge ruled that Mr McMinnis was unfairly refused the funding and ordered the Belfast Trust to reconsider his application. He said he also proposed "to quash the decision of the department to adopt the 2021 policy". Mr McMinnis said it had been "a long journey for me personally over the past six years with many setbacks". "It has been a matter of principle for me, knowing that many others have been disqualified or were unaware of the Continuing Healthcare Policy," he continued. Reacting to the judgement, Mr Lynch said he was delighted for Mr McMinnis. "This is also a win for the many older people who have contacted my office over the past number of years in relation to issues with continuing healthcare assessments, all of whom will now be entitled to receive the fair assessment they deserve," he said. On Tuesday he told BBC's Good Morning Ulster the ruling shows the system "was not fit for purpose". "The bottom line here was older people were being failed by the system," the commissioner said. "Older people whose costs should have been picked up by the NHS were paying for their care. "People were left high and dry, people who were entitled to this [financial] support because the system was not set up properly to give them a fair assessment." He said this ruling "overturns and quashes a policy that was ageist". Mr Lynch said now that the policy has been quashed, the onus is on the Department of Health to "come up with a policy that treats people fairly". The department said it "will be considering the judgement, before deciding on next steps".

We are now back in court, but Lucy Letby is in the dock, rather than being in the witness box. The jury has just come back in. The judge, Mr Justice Goss, apologises to them for the delay. He tells them that for reasons with which they should not concern themselves, we are not going to continue with the hearing for the rest of today. He tells the jury that they will not be needed back at court until it's next scheduled to sit on Wednesday next week. He reminds them not to research the case themselves, away from the evidence they hear at court. That is the end of proceedings for today. The trial will continue next Wednesday.

Alun Titford and Sarah Lloyd-Jones have been jailed The parents of a 16-year-old girl who died following "shocking" neglect have been jailed. Kaylea Titford's father Alun Titford, from Newtown, Powys, was found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence and has been jailed for seven years and six months. Kaylea's mother Sarah Lloyd-Jones admitted the same charge and was sentenced to six years. The teenager's body was found on soiled sheets at their home in October 2020. Sentencing the pair at Swansea Crown Court on Wednesday, Mr Justice Martin Griffiths said Kaylea's parents were "both equally responsible and were both equally culpable." The judge added: "This was a horrifying case. A case of sustained neglect, leading to the death of a vulnerable, bedridden child at the hands of her own parents." This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The hearing was the first time broadcasters were allowed to film a crown court hearing in Wales, following a major change in the law last year which permitted TV cameras in some courtrooms. Kaylea had spina bifida, which left her with little feeling from the waist down and limited her mobility, and had used a wheelchair from a young age. The trial heard that when she was found dead at her home on 10 October 2020 she was morbidly obese, weighing nearly 23 stone (146 kg). Her hair was dirty and matted and she was unwashed with ulcerated skin. Prosecutor Caroline Rees KC said her parents' "serious failures were hidden from the world" because of the coronavirus lockdown, which kept Kaylea at home from March 2020 onwards. This left her "trapped" in an "inhumane" environment where she lay on "filthy puppy pads", with maggots and flies on and around her body. Kaylea had been restricted to her bed for more than six months since the start of the UK's Covid lockdown when she died "Kaylea lived and died in squalor and degradation", she added. Before the lockdown, Kaylea was described as being "fiercely independent and a lovely, chatty girl", but she became less able to move using a wheelchair. Kaylea had not been seen by any medical professional in the nine months prior to her death, the court was told, and the evidence of a doctor was that the "consequences of neglect" were the worst he had seen in 30 years of practice. In the three months before her death, the household had spent a total of £1,035.76 on takeaway food. "As her condition deteriorated, the expenditure on takeaways and fast food increased," Ms Rees said. The court heard that Kaylea was "eating, sleeping and defecating" from her bed. "The last months of Kaylea Titford's life must have been horrendous," Ms Rees said. The court also heard a series of text messages between Kaylea and her mother in August and September 2020, in which she asked for help with "incontinence needs". "It shows that Sarah Lloyd-Jones was fully aware, and did not do anything about it," Ms Rees said. Ms Rees said it was not a "lapse" in care, but "repeated negligent conduct in the face of obvious suffering". She added: "Both parents had a duty of care, both were equally responsible. The fact that Alun Titford chose to absent himself from the care of Kaylea, does not give him an excuse." Kaylea was subjected to "shocking and prolonged" neglect at the hands of her parents In mitigation for Lloyd-Jones, Lewis Power KC said his client had an "epiphany of insight into her actions", leading to her guilty plea. "She accepts that she owed her daughter a duty of care, and that she did breach that duty by failing to take reasonable care for her daughter's health and welfare needs." Mr Power said that, prior to the pandemic, Lloyd-Jones was "a lady who tried her best", and added that she suffered from depression and became "gradually overwhelmed", particularly due to the "pressures of lockdown". David Elias KC, representing Titford, said his client showed "genuine remorse" and that the pair had been "good parents" up until the lockdown period. He said that Titford suffered from depression and a historic drug addiction, "lacked confidence" and was "overly reliant" on others. However, the judge said he "did not accept" that outside agencies should have been more proactive. "They never asked for help they didn't get. They never asked for help at all," he said. In a statement after the sentencing, Dean Quick of the Crown Prosecution Service said: "No child should have to endure these types of living conditions or the extensive level of suffering faced by Kaylea. "The level of neglect in this case was some of the most extreme that CPS Cymru-Wales has had to deal with." Det Ch Insp Jon Rees, of Dyfed-Powys Police, said the conditions Kaylea lived in were "incomprehensible". "While we did all we could to ensure we got justice for Kaylea, nothing will take away from the loss of a teenage girl who was so badly let down by the very people who should have been caring for her," he added. NSPCC Cymru said the case was "incredibly distressing", adding that the forthcoming safeguarding review "must leave no stone unturned" in establishing whether more could have been done to protect Kaylea. Powys council said a review would be carried out by the mid and west Wales regional safeguarding children board. A spokesman added: "The council does not feel able to comment until this process has been completed." If you have been affected by any of the issues in this story, the BBC Action Line has links to organisations which can offer support and advice

The Ukrainian mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, posted these pictures on Saturday evening of the "mad" five-hour queues to leave the evacuated area Russia has sparked a "mad panic" as it evacuates a town near the contested Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, a Ukrainian official says. Russia has told people to leave 18 settlements in the Zaporizhzhia region, including Enerhodar near the plant, ahead of Kyiv's anticipated offensive. The Ukrainian mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, said there were five-hour waits as thousands of cars left. Speaking to the BBC's Newshour programme Rafael Grossi - the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) - said the evacuation of residents near the nuclear facility indicated the possibility of heavy fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces around the plant. Although its reactors were not producing electricity they were still loaded with nuclear material, he said. Mr Grossi added that he had had to travel through a minefield when he visited the plant a few weeks ago. Earlier, the IAEA warned in a statement that situation at the Zaporizhzhia facility was "becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous". Operating staff were still at the site but there was "deep concern about the increasingly tense, stressful, and challenging conditions for personnel and their families". It said IAEA experts at the plant had "received information that the announced evacuation of residents from the nearby town of Enerhodar - where most plant staff live - has started". On Friday, the Russian-installed regional head Yevgeny Balitsky said that "in the past few days, the enemy has stepped up shelling of settlements close to the front line". "I have therefore made a decision to evacuate first of all children and parents, elderly people, disabled people and hospital patients," he wrote on social media. . The IAEA has issued warnings previously about safety at the plant - which Russia captured in the opening days of its invasion last year - after shelling caused temporary power cuts. In March the IAEA warned the plant was running on diesel generators to keep vital cooling systems going, after damage to power lines. Since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022 the number of staff at the plant has declined, the IAEA says, "but site management has stated that it has remained sufficient for the safe operation of the plant". Russian forces occupy much of the Zaporizhzhia region but not the regional capital Zaporizhzhia, which lies just north-east of Enerhodar across the Dnipro reservoir. On Sunday, the Ukrainian general staff said civilians were being evacuated to the cities of Berdyansk and Prymorsk, further inside Russian-held territory. The exiled mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, wrote on Telegram that shops in the evacuated areas had run out of goods and medicine. He also said hospitals were discharging patients into the street amid fears that electricity and water supplies could be suspended if Ukraine attacks the region. And he claimed that two-thirds of evacuation convoys - allegedly made up of civilians - consisted of retreating Russian troops. The BBC cannot verify this claim. "The partial evacuation they announced is going too fast, and there is a possibility that they may be preparing for provocations and (for that reason) focusing on civilians," Mr Fedorov added.

The head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group has announced that its forces have started withdrawing from the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. Yevgeny Prigozhin has vowed to transfer control of the city to the Russian army by 1 June, but Kyiv says it still controls pockets of the city. He said his forces were ready to return if the Russian regular army proved unable to manage the situation. The battle for the city has been the longest and bloodiest of the war. Wagner mercenaries have led the fighting there for the Russian side, and Mr Prigozhin this week said that 20,000 of its fighters had died in Bakhmut. "We are withdrawing units from Bakhmut today," Mr Prigozhin said in a video released on Telegram from the destroyed city. BBC Verify has geolocated the video to an area near a pharmacy in the east of Bakhmut. Mr Prigozhin - who announced the capture of the city on Saturday - is seen telling his men to leave ammunition for the Russian army. He adds that some Wagner fighters will stay behind to assist Russian troops. "The moment when the military are in a tough situation, they will stand up," he says, before warning two fighters to not "bully the military". The Wagner boss has repeatedly targeted top Russian military officials, criticising them publicly for not supporting his troops. Last month, he even threatened to pull his troops out of the city if they were not provided with much-needed ammunition. Despite Wagner's claims to be handing over Bakhmut, Ukraine has not conceded that the city has fallen. Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister, Hanna Maliar, said on Thursday that its forces still control part of the Litak district in the southwest of the city. "The enemy has replaced Wagner units in the suburbs with regular army troops. Inside the town proper, Wagner forces are still present," she posted on Telegram. Analysts say Bakhmut is of little strategic value to Moscow, but its capture would be a symbolic victory for Russia after the longest battle of the war in Ukraine so far. Wagner mercenaries have concentrated their efforts on the city for months and their relentless, costly tactic of sending in waves of men seems to have gradually eroded Kyiv's resistance. Mr Prigozhin has emerged as a key player in Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine launched in February 2022, in charge of the private army of mercenaries. He recruited thousands of convicted criminals from jail for his group - no matter how grave their crimes - as long as they agreed to fight for Wagner in Ukraine. Around half of the 20,000 Wagner fighters to have died in Bakhmut were convicts, Mr Prigozhin said this week. Earlier this month, the US said it believed more than 20,000 Russian soldiers had been killed in the battle for Bakhmut and another 80,000 wounded. The BBC is unable to independently verify the figures. Ukraine has not released figures on its casualties in Bakhmut, but has also sustained heavy losses. The capture of Bakhmut would bring Russia slightly closer to its goal of controlling the whole of Donetsk region, one of four regions in eastern and southern Ukraine annexed by Russia last September following referendums widely condemned outside Russia as a sham. However, when Russia fought fiercely to claim the cities of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk last summer, Ukraine soon reclaimed swathes of territory elsewhere. There were about 70,000 people living in Bakhmut before the invasion, but only a few thousand remain in the devastated city, once best known for its salt and gypsum mines and huge winery.

Kemi Badenoch discussed the upcoming gender guidance for schools on Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg Parents should be aware of what is happening with their child, the equalities minister has said ahead of gender guidance for England schools. Kemi Badenoch told the BBC she "can't go into specifics" of what will be in the new guidance, expected next week. Recent reports have suggested schools will be told to tell parents if students are questioning their gender. Ms Badenoch said "what is right is that parents know what is going on with their children at school". She told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg that the guidance would bring "clarity" for schools on "how to deal with children experiencing gender distress". She added: "There's quite a lot of confusion about what the law says and it is important that parents are aware of what's going on with their children and what's happening to them at school, so what we're doing is making sure we have robust guidance that's going to be able to stand up to scrutiny. That will be coming shortly." When asked whether trans students may feel that their teachers will be "outing" them to their parents against their wishes, Ms Badenoch warned against speculating what will be in the guidance, adding that "it's best read in totality and within context". Ms Badenoch added that the government's guidance will ensure "everyone is getting the balance right". The Department for Education is expected to publish a draft for consultation, before the final guidance is then issued. The guidance may also look at issues such as whether single-sex schools are legally obliged to allow transgender pupils.

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.

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The government is committed to ending cross-Channel migrant boats despite a court ruling its Rwanda policy is unlawful, the home secretary has said. Suella Braverman told MPs she would do "whatever it takes to stop the boats." Her comments came after judges at the Court of Appeal ruled that the plan to send asylum seekers to the African country could also breach human rights. The government says it will appeal. Labour says the plan is "unethical" and Ms Braverman is "ramping up rhetoric". Asylum Aid, the charity which brought the legal challenge, said the decision taken by the court on Thursday was a "vindication of the importance of the rule of law and basic fairness". The plan to send people who arrive in the UK illegally to Rwanda was first unveiled in April 2022 in an attempt to deter crossings on the English Channel on small boats. It has been subject to several legal challenges, including the latest at the Court of Appeal where judges ruled that Rwanda had not provided enough safeguards to prove it is a "safe third country". Two out of the three judges found that there was a risk that asylum seekers sent to Rwanda could then be forced back to the country from where they were originally fleeing. This means the UK government's immigration policy contravenes the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects against torture. However Ms Braverman said this did not mean that Rwanda itself was not safe. The home secretary told MPs she respected the judgement, but added it was "disappointing" and that the government would be challenging it. Ms Braverman said that the "abuse" of the asylum system was "unfair" on local communities, taxpayers and "those who play by the rules". She added that it "incentivises mass flows of economic migration into Europe, lining the pockets of people smugglers and turning our seas into graveyards, all in the name of a phoney humanitarianism". Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the government's Rwanda scheme was "completely unravelling" and described it as "unworkable, unethical and extortionately expensive." "This is their chaos, their Tory chaos, their boats chaos and their broken asylum system," she said. She also accused the home secretary of "wasting everybody's time" on "ramping up the rhetoric rather than coming up with a serious plan". The Rwandan government insisted it was "one of the safest countries in the world" and had been recognised for its "exemplary treatment of refugees". The case was brought by Asylum Aid, which argued the policy was unlawful, as well as 10 people from countries including Syria, Iraq and Albania, who arrived in the UK in small boats. The High Court had backed the government's policy at an earlier hearing, but that decision was scrutinised by Appeal Court judges Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett, Sir Geoffrey Vos and Lord Justice Underhill in this latest stage of the process. While Lord Burnett sided with the UK government, the others concluded that the assurances from the Rwandan government were not "sufficient to ensure that there is no real risk that asylum seekers relocated under the Rwanda policy will be wrongly returned to countries where they face persecution or other inhumane treatment". They said that sending asylum seekers to Rwanda will be unlawful "unless and until the deficiencies in [its government's] asylum processes are corrected". The judges stressed that they all agreed that the Rwandan government's assurances of the policy had been made "in good faith". Tessa Gregory, a partner at law firm Leigh Day which represented Asylum Aid in the case, said: "We are delighted that the Court of Appeal has ruled that the Rwanda removals process is unlawful on grounds of safety." It acknowledged that not all of the charity's challenges had been accepted by the court, but said the ruling had affirmed there are "clear deficiencies" with the policy. Other human rights groups have welcomed the court's decision, with Freedom From Torture describing it as a "victory for reason and compassion". The PM has made "stopping the boats" a key government priority The Rwanda policy has hit several roadblocks since it was first announced last April. The first deportation flight was halted minutes before it was due to take off after a legal challenge was granted in June 2022. In December, the High Court decided that the plan did not breach the UN's Refugee Convention - which sets out the human rights of anyone seeking asylum - and ruled that it was legal. But the following month it was decided that some of the parties in that case should be allowed to appeal against elements of that decision - and have the case heard by the Court of Appeal. This week the Home Office said it expects it to cost £169,000 for every person deported and processed under the Rwanda scheme - more than it currently costs to house an asylum seeker in the UK. But the same analysis warned rising accommodation costs could mean the cost of housing an asylum claimant in the UK could be £165,000 per person within four years. The Home Office says it currently spends almost £7m a day on hotel accommodation to house asylum seekers. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said he respects the court's decision but he will do "whatever is necessary" to disrupt criminal gangs operating small boat crossings. Asked after the ruling if the government was confident the first deportation flight would take off before the next general election, a Downing Street spokesman said it could not "put a timetable on that". Sign up for our morning newsletter and get BBC News in your inbox.

The green vase is believed to be from the Ming Dynasty An £8.50 vase that "sat in the corner of a downstairs loo" has sold for £3,400 after auctioneers linked it to the Chinese Ming Dynasty. The vase belonged to Amanda Lawler, whose daughter Mary bought it for her in a charity shop in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex in 2020. Mrs Lawler said she used the ornament as "an occasional doorstop" and almost threw it away when she moved house. The piece sold at Lockdales Auctioneers near Ipswich on Thursday for £3,400. Mrs Lawler had kept the vase, saying she later saw an "identical" one on the BBC's Antiques Roadshow, valued up to £10,000. Speaking ahead of the auction, Mrs Lawler said she had tasked her daughter with finding an ornament for the WC, and was pleased when she was sent a photo of the vase in a shop with the asking price of £8.50. However, she had suggested her daughter try "offering a fiver for it... which she would not do as it was a charity shop". "It just sat in the corner of the downstairs loo for quite a while," Mrs Lawler said. Mary Lawler found the vase for her mum in a charity shop and paid £8.50 for it One day she spotted a post on social media about a Ming vase featured on an episode of Antiques Roadshow. The programme's specialist Lars Tharp had valued a vase on the show at between £5,000 and £10,000. "I looked at the pictures and thought, that looks very much like our vase," Mrs Lawler said. She showed it to auctioneers Lockdales - and their specialist Liza Machan agreed. "It was one of those 'I'm just going to sit down for a little bit' moments," said Mrs Lawler. Ms Machan said: "The vase had the provenance of having an identical one on the Antiques Roadshow - and to an extent we were relying on the provenance of the BBC programme." She said it seemed likely the Essex vase was one of a pair that had been donated to charity but split up, as they were both purchased from shops for a similar price - less than £10 each. "There was a lot of interest in it pre-auction," Ms Machan said. It was put into the auction with a guide price of between £3,000 and £4,000 - going under the hammer for £3,400. The vase is understood to have been purchased by a private collector, probably from the UK. Mrs Lawler said as her daughter Mary had found it and paid for it, she was likely to get the "lion's share" of the sale price. Her daughter's old VW Golf car needed some work, and she said the money would be used to do it up. Follow East of England news on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Got a story? Email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 0800 169 1830 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

The aftermath of an avalanche at the Armancette glacier on Sunday Six skiers, including two guides, have died after being caught in an avalanche in the French Alps on Sunday. The disaster happened at the Armancette glacier, near Mont Blanc in south-eastern France, at about midday local time. It was a sunny day and skiing conditions had been described as "good" before the avalanche struck. Another injured person was taken to hospital, while eight others swept up were unharmed. Among the victims was a couple in their 20s, a 39-year-old woman and a man in his early 40s who was "probably" her partner and two guides, local prosecutor Karline Bouisset said. The avalanche was caused by a slab of snow detaching from the top of the mountain, according to Jean-Luc Mattel, an official of the nearby Contamines-Montjoie village. Mountain rescue teams were joined by search and rescue dogs as they worked on Sunday and Monday morning to reach those who were caught. Mr Mattel said the risk level on Sunday morning was "reasonable" and the guides, both of them locals, were highly experienced. The group are all thought to have been back-country skiing - when skiers go on unmarked or unpatrolled areas. "Today, we are mourning, and there is great sadness among all of us mountaineers, friends of Les Contamines, those who died are people we knew, and all our thoughts go out to their families," he said. The mayor of Contamines-Montjoie, Francois Barbier, told the AFP news agency he thought it was the "most deadly avalanche this season". France's interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, and French President Emmanuel Macron also expressed their sympathy. Before the incident, a nearby ski resort called Les Contamines-Montjoie posted a video on social media showing a huge wall of snow moving down from the Dômes de Miage, of which the glacier is a part. It is not clear if the video shows the avalanche in which the people died. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Snow and ice cascade down from Dômes de Miage in the French Alps One eyewitness told France Television that she was hiking just in front of the Armancette glacier when she saw the avalanche happening and took out her phone to film it. "I had put the phone in front of me, but then I was looking with my eyes more than in the lens and suddenly there was a huge, huge, huge cloud that came down to the bottom, it split into two," she said. "I think of the families, I think of the people, of those who got out of it, who had the fright of their life, of those who are still there." The nearby resort urged people to be careful if they were venturing off-piste - away from the prepared ski runs. Officials have told AFP that a further avalanche could not be ruled out. Two brothers died in an avalanche on the same glacier in 2014. They were both experienced mountaineers and had been properly equipped.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's daughter has been christened at the couple's California home. Princess Lilibet Diana, who was born to Prince Harry and Meghan in June 2021, was christened on Friday. The announcement is the first time she has been publicly called a princess and confirms that Harry and Meghan will use the royal titles for their children. The couple's spokesperson said members of the Royal Family were invited to the christening. Although Lilibet was not a princess at birth, because she was not a granddaughter of the monarch, she gained the right to that title when King Charles acceded to the throne. Buckingham Palace has said the royal website - which currently lists her and brother Archie with the titles Miss and Master - will "be updated in due course" to reflect the title. Lilibet is the second child of Harry and Meghan, who relocated to the US after stepping down as working royals in 2020. Their son Archie was born in May 2019. The BBC understands members of the Royal Family were invited to the christening but it appears none were in attendance. Harry and Meghan are understood to want their children to decide for themselves whether or not to use their titles when they are older. The couple will not use the titles conversationally, the BBC understands, but Archie and Lilibet will be referred to as prince and princess in formal contexts. The children will not be able to style themselves as HRH given the right to do so comes from their father and he stopped using it when he stepped back from being a working royal. The rules governing the titles of royal children were set out by King George V in 1917. As the children of the son of a sovereign, Archie and Lilibet are automatically entitled to be called prince and princess. Right Reverend John Harvey Taylor, the Bishop of Los Angeles, presided over the christening. The ex-newspaper journalist worked in the office of former US President Richard Nixon between 1984 and 1990 prior to being ordained. Earlier this week, it emerged that Harry and Meghan were weighing up whether or not to travel to the UK for the King and Queen Consort's coronation. A statement issued on behalf of the couple said Harry had been contacted about the event on 6 May by the King's private office via email. The BBC understands some prospective guests are being asked to save the date ahead of official invitations to be sent later. Buckingham Palace has declined to comment on the guest list.

Lucille Downer suffered a fatal neck wound after the American bulldogs went into her garden A man has pleaded guilty to being in charge of two dangerously out of control dogs which killed an 85-year-old woman. Lucille Downer was fatally attacked by the American bulldogs after they got into her garden in Rowley Regis in the West Midlands in 2021. Darren Pritchard, of Merrivale Road, Smethwick, admitted an offence under the Dangerous Dogs Act at Wolverhampton Crown Court. He will be sentenced on 15 May. The 44-year-old also pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis with intent to supply and producing the drug at an address on the street where Mrs Downer was pronounced dead after suffering a neck wound. Darren Pritchard pleaded guilty to an offence under the Dangerous Dogs Act at Wolverhampton Crown Court Pritchard was granted bail by Judge Michael Chambers who told him he would receive credit for his guilty pleas. "But they are clearly serious matters which cross the custodial threshold so you should be under no illusion as to the likely sentence," he added. The dogs got into Mrs Downer's garden in Boundary Avenue through a hole in a fence on 2 April. West Midlands Police said neighbours rushed to help the retired cook, but she died from "multiple" injuries. Flowers were placed outside Mrs Downer's home after her death Her family said she was a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who had been born in Jamaica and arrived in the UK in her early 20s. "Since arriving in the UK, Rowley Regis has always been her home and her family will miss her dearly," they said in a statement at the time. The dogs, which were not a banned breed in the UK, were "humanely destroyed" as they could not be rehomed. The facts of the case were not opened by prosecutor Howard Searle during the court hearing, which was told Pritchard had been "out of trouble since 2013" at the time of Mrs Downer's death. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Mexican authorities have found 45 bags containing human remains in a ravine outside the western city of Guadalajara. Officials were searching for seven young call centre workers, who had been reported missing last week, when they found the bodies. The remains include men and women, and the number of bodies is not yet known. The search is expected to continue for several days because of difficult terrain and poor lighting. The state prosecutor's office for the western state of Jalisco said in a statement that, following a tip-off in the search for the seven people, they had begun searching at the Mirador del Bosque ravine where they found the bags that included body parts. Firefighters and civil defence were working with police and a helicopter crew to recover the remains. The first bag was found on Tuesday, but because of the difficult terrain and lack of sunlight, the investigation resumed on Wednesday and will continue until all remains are located, the prosecutor's office said. Officials said they would continue working to determine the number of dead bodies, who they were, and their causes of death. It added that it would continue trying to establish the whereabouts of the seven people reported as missing. Although it has not yet been established how the bodies ended up in the ravine, crimes of disappearance are relatively common in Mexico. More than 100,000 people are missing, government figures suggest, with many being victims of organised crime. Perpetrators are rarely punished. Government data shows that many disappearances have occurred since 2007, when then-President Felipe Calderón launched his "war on drugs". Three quarters of those reported missing were men and one fifth were under the age of 18 at the time of their disappearance. Relatives of the disappeared say that the government is not doing enough to find them, and that officials are indifferent when they report their loved ones as missing. The United Nations has called it "a human tragedy of enormous proportions". Jalisco is the heartland of a violent drug war, and some of the most powerful groups operating there include the Jalisco New Generation cartel (CJNG), and their rival, Nueva Plaza, which split from the CJNG in 2017, sparking violence across Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco state.

On Monday, thousands of junior doctors in England will start a 72-hour strike. They want a 35% pay rise. Yet doctors are among the highest paid in the public sector. So why do they have the biggest pay claim? The origins of the walkout by British Medical Association members - the biggest by doctors in the history of the NHS - can be found in a series of discussions on social media platform Reddit in late 2021. A collection of junior doctors were expressing their dissatisfaction about pay. The numbers chatting online grew quickly and by January 2022 it had led to the formation of the campaign group Doctors Vote, with the aim of restoring pay to the pre-austerity days of 2008. The group began spreading its message via social media - and, within months, its supporters had won 26 of the 69 voting seats on the BMA ruling council, and 38 of the 68 on its junior doctor committee. Dr Vivek Trivedi and Dr Rob Laurenson stood for BMA election on a Doctors Vote platform Two of those who stood on the Doctors Vote platform - Dr Rob Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi - became co-chairs of the committee. "It was simply a group of doctors connecting up the dots," Dr Laurenson says. "We reflect the vast majority of doctors," he adds, pointing to the mandate from the wider BMA junior doctor membership - 77% voted and of those, 98% backed strike action. Among some of the older BMA heads, though, there is a sense of disquiet at the new guard. One senior doctor who has now stood down from a leadership role says: "They're undoubtedly much more radical than we have seen before. But they haven't read the room - the pay claim makes them look silly." Publicly, the BMA prefers not to talk about wanting a pay rise. Instead, it uses the term "pay restoration" - to reverse cuts of 26% since 2008. This is the amount pay has fallen once inflation is taken into account. To rectify a cut of 26% requires a bigger percentage increase because the amount is lower. This is why the BMA is actually after a 35% increase - and it is a rise it is calling for to be paid immediately. The argument is more complicated than the ones put forward by most other unions - and because of that it has raised eyebrows. Firstly, no junior doctor has seen pay cut by 26% in that period. There are five core pay points in the junior doctor contract with each a springboard to the next. It means they move up the pay scale over time until they finish their training. A junior doctor in 2008 may well be a consultant now, perhaps earning four times in cash terms what they were then. Secondly, the 26% figure uses the retail price index (RPI) measure of inflation, which the Office for National Statistics says is a poor way to look at rising prices. Using the more favoured consumer price index measure, the cut is 16% - although the BMA defends its use of RPI as it takes into account housing costs. "The drop in pay is also affected by the start-year chosen," Lucina Rolewicz, of the Nuffield Trust think tank, says. A more recent start date will show a smaller decline, as would going further back in the 2000s. Another way of looking at pay is comparing it with wages across the economy by looking at where a job sits in terms of the lowest to highest earners. The past decade has not been a boom time for wage growth in many fields, as austerity and the lack of economic growth has held back incomes. Last year, the independent Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration Body looked at this. It found junior doctors had seen their pay, relative to others, fall slightly during the 2010s, but were still among the highest earners, with doctors fresh out of university immediately finding themselves in the top half of earners, while those at the end of training were just outside the top 10%. Then, of course, career prospects have to be considered. Consultants earn well more than £100,000 on average, putting them in the top 2%. GP partners earn even more. A pension of more than £60,000 a year in today's prices also awaits those reaching such positions. But while the scale of the pay claim is new, dissatisfaction with working conditions and pay pre-date the rise of the Doctors Vote movement. Studying medicine at university takes five years, meaning big debts for most. Dr Trivedi says £80,000 of student loans are often topped up by private debt. On top of that, doctors have to pay for ongoing exams and professional membership fees. Their junior doctor training can see them having to make several moves across the country and with little control over the hours they work. This lasts many years - junior doctors can commonly spend close to a decade in training. It is clearly hard work. And with services getting increasingly stretched, it is a job that doctors say is leaving them "demoralised, angry and exhausted", Dr Trivedi says, adding: "Patient care is being compromised." But while medicine is undoubtedly tough, it remains hugely attractive. Junior doctor posts in the early years are nearly always filled - it is not until doctors begin to specialise later in their training that significant gaps emerge in some specialities such as end-of-life care and sexual health. Looking at all doctor vacancy rates across the NHS around 6% of posts are unfilled - for nurses it is nearly twice that level. Many argue there is still a shortage - with not enough training places or funded doctor posts in the NHS in the first place. But the fact the problems appear more severe in other NHS roles is a key reason why the government does not seem to be in a hurry to prioritise doctors - formal pay talks to avert strikes have begun with unions representing the rest of the workforce "If we have some money to give a pay rise to NHS staff," a source close to the negotiations says, "doctors are not at the front of the queue." Are you taking part in the strike action? Has your appointment been cancelled or delayed? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.

A protester was tackled by police and security during the Derby A man has been charged after a protester ran onto the racecourse during the Epsom Derby on Saturday. The horseracing event was targeted by animal rights protesters, who attempted to breach a large security operation in order to disrupt the day's main race. Ben Newman, 32, from Hackney, east London, has been charged with causing public nuisance, Surrey Police said. He is due to appear at Guildford Magistrates' Court on Monday. A man was seen being bundled to the floor by police and security guards during the opening seconds of the prestigious race. He was quickly removed from the course while being jeered by spectators. The race was unaffected. The protest went ahead despite the Jockey Club, which runs the event, being granted a court injunction prohibiting the group Animal Rising from disrupting it. The group had publicly threatened to stop the main race going ahead, saying it wanted to raise awareness about animal rights. Mr Newman was one of 31 people arrested in connection with the planned protests, including 12 on the racecourse grounds and 19 during a pre-emptive operation in the hours before it began. Surrey Police said two women were arrested after being "quickly detained moments before they were able to get on to the track". Mr Newman is the only protester to face a charge so far. The remaining 30 people have been released on bail pending further inquiries, police said.

Moscow's mayor says "two non-residential" buildings were hit in the drone attack Russia has accused Ukraine of being behind a drone attack that damaged at least two buildings in the capital Moscow early on Monday morning. The Russian defence ministry said two drones were "suppressed and crashed", adding that there were no casualties. Russia's state-owned Tass news agency reported that one drone fell close to the defence ministry. Ukrainian officials are yet to comment, but they rarely claim responsibility for attacks inside Russia. In a separate development, Russian-installed officials ordered people to evacuate one district of Crimea - the Ukrainian southern peninsular annexed by Moscow in 2014 - after a reported overnight Ukrainian drone attack. Kremlin-appointed regional head Sergei Aksenov said an ammunition depot was hit in the northern Dzhankoi area, and residents of nearby villages were told to leave their homes. He reported no casualties. Meanwhile, Ukraine said four people were injured and a grain hangar was destroyed in an overnight Russian drone attacks on two ports on the River Danube, an alternative export route to the Black Sea, its southern Odesa region. Russia has been launching near-constant attacks on the Odesa region - where Ukraine's major Black Sea ports are located - since Russia withdrew from a landmark grain deal last week. In Moscow, the city's Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the drone strikes in the Russian capital hit "two non-residential" buildings around 04:00 local time (01:00 GMT). In a post on social media, he added that the buildings had not sustained any major damage. But state news agencies reported that some drone fragments were found just 2km (1.2 miles) away from the defence ministry's buildings. "A Kyiv regime attempt to carry out a terrorist act using two drones on objects on the territory of the city of Moscow was stopped," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement. Russian news agencies reported that drone debris was also found along the city's Komsomolsky Avenue. Moscow's transport department wrote on Telegram that traffic along the route was blocked and photos showed emergency services working at the scene. Traffic was also stopped on Likhachev Avenue, where a high-rise office building was damaged. Footage published on the military Zvezda TV channel showed missing windows at the top of the building. Moscow has accused Ukraine of a host of drone attacks on its territory in recent months. Earlier this month, Russia said Ukraine launched a drone attack on Moscow, forcing flights to be diverted from Vnukovo International Airport. Ukraine did not claim responsibility. And in May Kyiv denied carrying out a drone attack on the Kremlin, which Russia said amounted to an attempt on President Vladimir Putin's life. Monday's attack comes just a day after Russia targeted Odesa with missile strikes, destroying the historical Transfiguration Cathedral. Unesco, the UN's cultural agency, said it was "deeply dismayed and condemns in the strongest terms" the attack on the historic centre of Odesa. "They will definitely feel this," he said during his nightly address from Kyiv. "The target of all these missiles is not just cities, villages or people. Their target is humanity and the foundations of our entire European culture."

The Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) was a British Army unit that operated in Northern Ireland for 22 years from 1970. It was mainly involved in patrol and checkpoint duties. About 250 serving or former members were killed during the Troubles by the IRA and other republican groups. Many of the victims were part-time members of the regiment, murdered while off-duty either at home or at work. The UDR was overwhelmingly Protestant in make-up. UDR troops being inspected at Ballykinler in 1992 In its early days, it had up to 18% Catholic membership but suffered an early image problem with nationalists, who saw it as absorbing too many former B Specials, a largely Protestant reserve police force. About 40,000 people served in its ranks over its lifetime. A minority of its personnel - soldiers by day and paramilitaries by night - were directly involved in sectarian murders. Others provided loyalist groups with weapons and intelligence. Documents uncovered in the National Archives have revealed the government was aware of collusion from 1973. State papers that emerged in 2016 also indicated that the public image of the UDR was widely discussed by the government in the 1970s and 1980s, with arguments being made for a tougher vetting procedure.

President Erdogan's powers have increased dramatically since he first led Turkey in 2003 President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been in power for more than 20 years and he is favourite to win five more, having narrowly missed out on a first-round victory. Turkey is a Nato member state of 85 million people, so it matters who is president both to the West and to Turkey's other partners including Russia. Mr Erdogan's opponent in a second-round run-off on 28 May is Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who was backed by six opposition parties and won almost 45% of the vote - some 2.5 million votes less than his rival. Turkey has become increasingly authoritarian under President Erdogan and this was the opposition's biggest chance yet to defeat him, with Turks struggling with soaring inflation and reeling from twin earthquakes that have left more than 50,000 people dead. Whoever wins the vote on 28 May will win the presidency. His AK Party has been in power since November 2002, and he has ruled Turkey since 2003. Although Turkey's 64 million voters are deeply polarised, the 69-year-old leader has an in-built advantage over his rival. Mr Erdogan's allies control most mainstream media, to the extent that state TV gave the president 32 hours and 42 minutes of air time and his challenger just 32 minutes, at the height of the campaign in April. Monitors from the international observer group OSCE said there was an unlevel playing field and biased coverage in Turkey's vote, even if voters had genuine political alternatives. Initially Mr Erdogan was prime minister, but he then became president in 2014, running the country from a vast palace in Ankara. He responded to a failed 2016 coup by dramatically increasing his powers and cracking down on dissent. Leading Kurdish politicians have been jailed and other opposition figures threatened with a political ban. But this election was the opposition's biggest hope of unseating the president yet. Increasing numbers of Turks have blamed him for rampant inflation of 44%, and academics say the real rate is far higher than that. He and his ruling AK Party were widely criticised for their response to the double earthquakes in February that left millions of Turks homeless in 11 provinces. And yet most of the cities which are considered Erdogan strongholds still gave him 60% of the vote. His party is rooted in political Islam, but he has forged an alliance with the ultra-nationalist MHP. Kemal Kilicdaroglu, 74, is an unlikely choice of candidate to unseat the president. He is seen as a mild-mannered and bookish opponent and presided over a string of election defeats at the helm of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). He polled well in the first round, taking Mr Erdogan to his first run-off, but not as well as the opinion polls had indicated he would. Mr Kilicdaroglu secured the backing of six opposition parties, including the nationalist Good party and four smaller groups, which include two former Erdogan allies one of whom co-founded the AK Party. Kemal Kilicdaroglu has agreed that the leaders of his alliance will all share the role of vice president He also has the support of Turkey's second-biggest opposition party, the pro-Kurdish HDP, whose co-leader described the elections as "the most crucial in Turkey's history". His biggest hope of snatching victory from a president buoyant after his first-round lead lies in increasing the support of both nationalist and Kurdish voters. A difficult feat when Turkey's nationalists want the next president to take a tougher line on Kurdish militants. In the lead-up to the second round, he made a clear pitch to nationalist voters, banging his fists on the table and vowing to send home 3.5 million Syrian refugees. This was already his policy, but now he has decided to make a big point of it. Kemal Kilicdaroglu's selection was not universally popular as the mayors of Istanbul and Ankara were potentially stronger candidates. Both are party colleagues who took control of Turkey's two biggest cities in 2019 for the CHP for the first time since 1994. He is also a member of Turkey's Alevi minority, and when the opposition candidate drew attention to his roots Mr Erdogan accused him of seeking to exploit it. His Nation Alliance, also known as the Table of Six, are united in their desire to return Turkey from the presidential system created under Mr Erdogan to one led by parliament. The leaders of the other five members of the alliance have agreed to take on the roles of vice-president. But even if they were to win the presidency, the Erdogan alliance won a majority in parliament on 14 May and would make reforms very difficult. Turnout in the first round was already very high at almost 89% among voters in Turkey. If Mr Kilicdaroglu is to make up the 2.5 million votes between him and President Erdogan, he will need to win over voters who backed ultranationalist candidate Sinan Ogan who came third in the first round with 2.8 million votes. That task was made even harder when Mr Ogan endorsed the president. His demand is for a tougher stance on tackling Kurdish militants and returning Syrian refugees. Mr Kilicdaroglu had already adopted a more strident tone on Syrians since the first round, promising to "send away" all refugees as soon as he came to power. Reacting to Mr Ogan's decision to back his rival, he said the vote was now a referendum: "We are coming to save this country from terrorism and refugees." President Erdogan said he had made no deals with Mr Ogan: 450,000 refugees had already returned home and the plan was to send back another million, he said. The ruling AK Party of Recep Tayyip Erdogan has forged an alliance with the nationalist MHP and together they have secured a majority of 322 seats in the 600-seat parliament, down on five years ago. Parties tend to form alliances because they need a minimum of 7% support to enter parliament. The six-party opposition wants to change that but its Nation Alliance only managed 212 seats. The pro-Kurdish party ran under the banner of the Green Left to avoid a potential election ban, and came third with 61 seats. Under the Erdogan reforms, it is now the president who chooses the government, so there is no prime minister. Under Turkey's revamped constitution allowing only two terms as president, Mr Erdogan would have to stand down in 2028 if he won the 28 May run-off. There are currently no plans for a successor. He has already served two terms but Turkey's YSK election board ruled that his first term should be seen as starting not in 2014 but in 2018, when the new presidential system began with elections for parliament and president on the same day. Opposition politicians had earlier asked the YSK to block his candidacy. Under an Erdogan presidency, Turkey can expect increased control of state institutions and the media and a greater crackdown on dissent. Inflation is likely to remain high because of his preference for low interest rates. Internationally, he could continue to resist Sweden's bid to join Nato and will paint himself as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia. Mr Kilicdaroglu and his allies want to remove the president's right to veto legislation, cutting the post's ties to political parties and making it electable every seven years. He wants to bring inflation down to 10% and send 3.5 million Syrian refugees home. President Erdogan has promised to speed up the voluntary repatriation of a million Syrians. Mr Kilicdaroglu also wants kickstart Turkey's decades-long bid to join the European Union and restore "mutual trust" with the US, after years of fractious relations during the Erdogan years.

Elton John told his millions of fans on Saturday night that they would remain in his "head, heart and soul", concluding his marathon farewell tour in Stockholm with one of his biggest hits - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. The 76-year-old singer has won five Grammy awards in a spectacular career spanning 50 years and nearly 4,600 performances worldwide. "It's been my lifeblood to play for you guys, and you've been absolutely magnificent," he told the audience at Sweden's Tele2 Arena. Elton John paid an emotional tribute to his current band and crew, some of whom have been touring with him for many years. "They're really incredible," he said, "and they are the best, I tell you, the best." He kicked off his show with Bennie and the Jets, and went on to perform many other hits, including Philadelphia Freedom, Tiny Dancer, Rocket Man and Candle in the Wind. His Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour began in North America in 2018, and this was his second night performing in Stockholm. The tour spanned the globe - he played to more than six million fans, and one of the highlights was his headline slot at the Glastonbury Festival last month. That concert drew one of the biggest crowds in the festival's history and a British TV audience of millions. His gig in Stockholm included a video message from Coldplay, who were performing in the Swedish city of Gothenburg at the same time. The band's Chris Martin told Elton: "From all the bands and artists you've helped and inspired, we love you so much. "We are so grateful for everything you've done for the Aids Foundation, anytime you've been kind to anybody," he said. It is one of the highest-grossing concert tours ever: Billboard magazine reports that it is the first to reach ticket sales of $900m (£701m). Elton reflected on his life towards the end of this grand finale, telling the audience about his "52 years of pure joy playing music". He confirmed he would "never be touring again", but he may do a "one-off thing" in future. "I want to appreciate my family, my sons, my husband, everything. I've earned it," he said. He dedicated his song Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me to his band, crew and family. The concert lasted more than two hours. All pictures are subject to copyright.

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: After Saturday's storms, what can we expect for the next few days? Thunderstorms have hit parts of the UK as a hot weather warning remains in place for regions across England. Heavy showers followed a humid start for many areas on Saturday, with afternoon temperatures approaching 30C in parts of the south-east. A Met Office yellow thunderstorm alert, which covers most of England and Scotland, has been in place since 09:00 BST and warns of potential flooding. Rain also disrupted play at both Wimbledon and the men's Ashes. Earlier this week, the UK government's Health Security Agency and the Met Office issued a yellow heat-health alert for six regions in England: London, the South East, East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, and Yorkshire and the Humber. The alert, which is due to last until 09:00 on Sunday, was soon followed up by warnings of heavy showers, thunderstorms and potential flash flooding. The Met Office's yellow thunderstorm warning took effect in parts of England, Scotland and Wales at 09:00 on Saturday and lasts until 23:59. A separate warning has been issued for the whole of Northern Ireland for Sunday, from 10:00 until 21:00. Generally a Met Office yellow warning for thunderstorms means there is a small chance homes and businesses could be flooded quickly and communities cut off by floodwater, while public transport risks being cancelled in affected areas. At-risk areas will most likely be across east Wales, England and into south-east Scotland, according to BBC Weather's Simon King. The storms will be quite localised but "could be nasty" if you get caught up in one, the forecaster said, with torrential rain, lightning, hail, gusty winds and the risk of some localised flooding all possible. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Lincoln, in the East Midlands, York in the north-east of England and Carlisle, which sits on the border with Scotland, had all experienced thunder and rain by midday on Saturday, according to the Met Office. In Scotland, those attending the second day of TRNSMT music festival in Glasgow were warned to expect warm spells of 24C alongside high winds and thundery downpours. On Friday, it was announced the Tiree Music Festival, usually held off the west coast of the country, could not go ahead due to gale force winds. Further public events have been impacted by the weather in England - two major sporting events in particular. Showers disrupted play at Wimbledon, south-west London, but they should ease later this afternoon with increasing sunshine expected into this evening, BBC Weather's Simon King said. As the sixth day of the tennis tournament got under way, some of the early matches - which began at 11:00 - were suspended after heavy rain began to fall on the outside courts. At the men's Ashes, in Headingley, Leeds, play could only begin at 16:45 after persistent rain hampered proceedings on the third day of the cricket series. Sunday will be a drier day for most of the UK, however there will still be some showers around with sunny spells in between, BBC Weather's Stav Danaos said. There is a chance of rain across south-east England and East Anglia in the morning and some of this could be thundery as it pushes north-eastwards, he said. The forecaster added that the main focus of the heavy showers and thunderstorms on Sunday will be across Northern Ireland. It is expected to feel cooler and fresher with less humidity across the UK compared to Saturday. • None How do the new heat-health alerts work?

Liam Holden was 19 when he was arrested and convicted of a soldier's murder It happened almost 40 years ago, but Liam Holden can still recall the sensation of gasping for breath as water was slowly poured on to a towel covering his face. "That feeling will never leave me," he says. "Even talking about it now, I get a gagging sensation in my throat." He was 19 at the time and was being questioned by members of the Parachute Regiment about the murder of a soldier, Private Frank Bell. He died three days after being shot in the head as he patrolled in the Springfield Avenue area of west Belfast in September 1972. The teenage chef was taken from his home and brought to an army post at Blackmountain school, where he was held for almost five hours. By the end of his time in military custody, he had agreed to sign a statement admitting he had shot the soldier. "By the time they were finished with me I would have admitted to killing JFK," he says. So what did the Army do during that time? Liam Holden says he was subjected to sustained torture and then threatened that he would be shot if he did not confess to the killing. "I was beaten and they told me to admit I had shot the soldier, but I said that wasn't true because I didn't. "Then six soldiers came into the cubicle where I was being held and grabbed me. They held me down on the floor and one of them placed a towel over my face, and they got water and they started pouring the water through the towel all round my face, very slowly," he says. "After a while you can't get your breath but you still try to get your breath, so when you were trying to breathe in through your mouth you are sucking the water in, and if you try to breathe in through your nose, you are sniffing the water in. Liam Holden says those who forced him to sign the confession knew he was innocent "It was continual, a slow process, and at the end of it you basically feel like you are suffocating. They did not stop until I passed out, or was close to passing out. "They repeated that three or four times, but were still getting the same answer. I told them I had not shot the soldier." Mr Holden, now a father of two, said the soldiers then changed tactics and put a hood over his head and told him he was going to be shot. "They put me into a car and took me for a drive and said they were bringing me to a loyalist area," he said. "I couldn't see where I was but I was in a field somewhere. One of the soldiers put a gun to my head and said that if I didn't admit to killing the soldier that they were going to shoot me and just leave me there. "I had a hood over my head and a gun at my head in the middle of a field and was told I would be killed if I didn't admit it. There were no ifs or buts, I just said I did it. "I didn't think about going to prison or anything like that, I just confessed to make them stop." The term "waterboarding" was not in use at the time, but Mr Holden's description of what happened to him, which he outlined in court at the time, are remarkably similar to the accounts of others who claim to have been subjected to the same form of torture by the CIA in recent years. Although Mr Holden had an alibi for the time of the shooting, and the only evidence against him was the confession he said he had been forced to sign, he was convicted. "They knew I did not shoot that soldier, they knew. There was no evidence whatsoever apart from that statement that I signed," he says. He was released from prison in 1989 after serving 17 years. Since then, he has campaigned to clear his name and the Criminal Cases Review Commission, which was established to investigate possible miscarriages of justice, referred his case to the Court of Appeal. The commission took the decision based on new evidence and doubts about "the admissibility of reliability" of his confession. Some of the new material included evidence discovered by a Guardian journalist, Ian Cobain, that water torture was used by the British military at the time, despite repeated denials. The journalist was an expert witness for Mr Holden's legal team. Last month, Mr Holden was granted permission to appeal after the Public Prosecution Service said it would not oppose the move. A spokesman for the PPS said its decision was based on confidential evidence compiled by the Criminal Cases Review Commission which had not been available to prosecutors at the time of the trial. "The court of trial was therefore deprived of relevant material that might have led to a different outcome on the question of the admissibility of the incriminating statements, which were the sole basis of the conviction," the spokesman added. "In those circumstances the director concluded that it would not be appropriate to oppose the appeal." Liam Holden said he lost his family as well as his liberty during those 17 years in jail. "I have five brothers and five sisters, but I don't really know them. The older ones moved on, got married and had their own families while I was in jail. The ones who were younger than me when I was sent to prison didn't get the chance to get to know me." His mother died a year after he was released, and his father a short time later. "I'm just sorry they aren't around to see the outcome of this appeal, to see the stigma removed from my name. That is what this is about. I have never mentioned money at any stage. This is just about being found not guilty and that's all it is, that is more important than any compensation they could ever think of offering me." What about the soldiers who tortured him and forced him to sign the confession that led to his conviction? "I would just like one of them to admit it, to acknowledge that they subjected me to what I have said they did. I think that would be almost as good, in my own mind, as the judge saying 'Sorry Mr Holden but you were not guilty," he said.