Meta warned Wednesday that European users could face a "materially worse" experience following a key regulatory decision by the European Commission.

Meta recently introduced a "consent or pay" model which leaves users to choose between paying for a monthly subscription or letting Meta combine data it has collected on Facebook and Instagram.

Last week, the European Commision - the EU's executive - announced it had decided that the model does not comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and fined Meta €200m (£171m).

"Based on feedback from the EC in connection with the DMA, we expect we will need to make some modifications to our model," Meta said in its quarterly earnings statement.

Meta said it expected those modifications "could result in a materially worse user experience for European users and a significant impact" to its European business and revenue.

The company said those impacts could kick in as soon as the third quarter of this year, and may be in effect while it appeals the decision.

Eric Seufert, analyst at Mobile Dev Memo, said Meta may be trying to strategically turn European users into "vocal cheerleaders" for its products amid a regulatory clampdown.

"What they ultimately want to do is turn public opinion against this regulatory regime which will demonstrably degrade the product offerings that are available to EU residents," Seufert told the BBC in a phone interview after the announcement.

Meta, formerly known as Facebook, includes the social media network in addition to the photo sharing app Instagram and the messaging service WhatsApp.

The Commission has said that Meta's consent-or-pay model does not allow users to freely consent to how their data is used.

The body is currently assessing another option Meta introduced last year, which the company says uses less personal data to display advertisements.

Meta was given 60 days to comply with the DMA's recent decision, or risk further fines.

Apple was also issued a €500m (£428m) fine over its App Store practices last week.

Meta's announcement comes as it released quarterly earnings that beat Wall Street expectations.

The results showed Meta continues to bring in significant advertising revenue.

The company touted its AI tools on Wednesday.

"We're making good progress on AI glasses and Meta AI, which now has almost 1 billion monthly actives," Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement.

"Our community continues to grow and our business is performing very well," he said.

Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown said the results showed that Meta has gone "full throttle on investments in AI" and notes

Britzman also noted the 6% jump in daily active users.

"There had been some concerns that we might see a slowdown in new users this year, but this was a very strong start and a signal to investors that Meta's family of apps has a grip on users that's hard to displace," Britzman said.

The EC fine comes amid what Meta called "an active regulatory landscape" in its earnings report.

The company is currently defending itself at trial in a case brought by the US Federal Trade Commission which alleges that Meta runs a social media monopoly.

The FTC, the top antitrust watchdog in the US, says Meta cemented its monopoly by purchasing Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014.

Both the US and Ukraine have said they are broadly ready to sign a deal which would give American firms access to Ukraine's minerals.

"We are ready to sign this afternoon if they are," US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday, adding that Ukraine "decided to make last minute changes" to the agreement.

Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko was flying to Washington on Wednesday after an apparent breakthrough in negotiations.

Earlier, BBC News saw a draft copy of the deal, which provides for the creation of a joint Ukrainian-US investment fund to search for minerals in Ukraine, and set outs how revenues would be split.

On Wednesday afternoon a US source familiar with the talks criticised Ukraine for seeking to re-open some terms that had already been agreed upon over the weekend.

Both US and Ukrainian teams worked through the night on Friday into Saturday to finalise the documents, as well as into the early morning on Wednesday, the source told the BBC.

They added that the sticking points include governance of the fund, the transparency mechanism, and steps to ensure that all funds are fully traceable.

Despite these last minute negotiations, the signing could still happen by the end of Wednesday if the US side believes that Ukraine is complying with already agreed upon terms, the source said.

"Nothing's been removed," Bessent said when asked about any changes to the deal. "It's the same agreement that we agreed to on the weekend. No changes on our side."

Technical documents were signed last week by representatives of both countries.

In Kyiv, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that Ukraine expected the deal to be signed within "the next 24 hours".

"This is truly a good, equal and beneficial international agreement on joint investments in the development and recovery of Ukraine," Shmyhal said.

Since returning to the White House, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly pushed for an agreement as a prerequisite to offering any future security guarantees to Kyiv, as Ukraine continues to fight against invading Russian forces.

Ukraine is believed to have vast reserves of critical rare minerals like graphite, titanium and lithium beneath its soil. They are highly sought after because of their use in renewable energy, military applications and industrial infrastructure.

The Trump administration's push for access to another country's mineral wealth comes amid a growing trade war with China, where 90% of the world's current stocks are sourced from.

The draft deal also appears to give the US sweeping access to Ukrainian industries beyond minerals.

While it does not specify security support that Washington is willing to provide in return, it states that the deal is "a tangible demonstration of the United States of America's support for Ukraine's security".

The agreement comes days after Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of Pope Francis' funeral, and as talks between Moscow and Washington over a possible ceasefire in Ukraine continue.

The latest Trump-Zelensky talks appeared to be far more amicable than their meeting at the White House in February, and have led to a softening in tone from the US president towards his Ukrainian counterpart in the days that followed, as well as an increased level of criticism of Russia's attacks.

Speaking on Wednesday, Trump said: "As you know, we're looking for rare earth [minerals] all the time.

"They have a lot, and we made a deal, so we can start digging and doing what we have to do. It's also good for them."

The initial agreement was due to be signed in February, but fell apart following the heated exchange between the two leaders, when Trump accused Zelensky of "gambling with World War Three".

Three more concerts by Irish rap band Kneecap have been cancelled in Germany.

It comes after news that footage of the band allegedly calling for MPs to be killed is being assessed by counter-terrorism police.

A ticket site for the gigs in Hamburg, Berlin and Cologne states that the summer shows are no longer going ahead.

A number of politicians have been calling for the band to be uninvited from some UK gigs, with Tory MP Mark Francois saying the group should not be allowed to play Glastonbury in light of the ongoing police investigation.

Speaking on RTÉ's Prime Time on Tuesday, the band's manager said "moral hysteria" had taken hold and that the band are being held to a higher moral standard than politicians.

Daniel Lambert claimed a "concerted campaign" against the group is "solely about de-platforming artists".

"It's about telling the next young band, both through the music industry and through the political class, that you cannot speak about Palestine," he said.

On having gigs cancelled, the band's manager said: "It's not for us to worry, it's for us to have the strength of conviction that we did the right thing."

He added that going to Coachella was the right thing to do, and "all of this has emerged from that".

TV personality Sharon Osbourne called for the band's US work visas to be revoked after their performance at the Coachella music festival in California earlier this month, where they described Israel's military action in Gaza as a US-funded genocide.

Which Kneecap gigs have been cancelled?

Scheduled appearances at Hurricane and Southside festivals, also in Germany, were cancelled last week.

A gig at the Eden Project in Cornwall has also been cancelled.

On Tuesday, an Eden Sessions Limited spokesperson said: "Ticket purchasers will be contacted directly and will be fully refunded."

The band are set to support Fontaines DC at Boucher Playing Fields, Belfast, in August.

Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster's The Nolan Show, councillor Jim Rodgers said "serious consideration should be given" on whether the concert should go ahead.

"I've already spoken to some of the council officers and I'm hoping that the necessary action will be taken. We have to lead by example," he said.

"We would be sending out the wrong message if we were to allow this group to go ahead with their event."

A Belfast City Council spokesperson said: "Use of the venue for these events is managed via a legal agreement between the council and the promoter. Events programming remains a matter for the organisers.

"Any matter that an elected member wishes to raise would be considered by the relevant committee and full council."

Who are Kneecap?

Kneecap are an Irish-speaking rap trio who have courted controversy with their provocative lyrics and merchandise.

The group was formed in 2017 by three friends who go by the stage names of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí.

Their rise to fame inspired a semi-fictionalised film starring Oscar-nominated actor Michael Fassbender.

The film won a British Academy of Film Award (Bafta) in February 2025.

'Smear campaign'

Last week, a video emerged of the west Belfast trio at a November 2023 gig appearing to show one person from the band saying: "The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP."

The daughter of the Conservative MP David Amess whose father was stabbed to death at a constituency surgery called for Kneecap to apologise.

In a statement on X, the band said that "an extract of footage, deliberately taken out of all context, is now being exploited and weaponised, as if it were a call to action".

They also called some of the backlash a "smear campaign" and said it was "a transparent effort to derail the real conversation" away from their messages of "love" and support for Palestine.

They added: "To the Amess and Cox families, we send our heartfelt apologies, we never intended to cause you hurt."

On Tuesday, the husband of murdered MP Jo Cox called on Kneecap to give a "real apology".

Brendan Cox, whose wife was killed in June 2016, said this was "only half an apology".

None of the members of Kneecap have been charged with any offences.

The sale of Royal Mail's parent company to a Czech billionaire has been cleared by shareholders.

The approval of the £3.6bn deal, first proposed a year ago, will see the 500-year institution taken over by Daniel Kretinsky's EP Group.

Just over 80% of the shareholders of International Distribution Services (IDS), Royal Mail's owner, voted in favour of the takeover on Wednesday afternoon.

Mr Kretinksy said "the pathway to success for IDS lies in taking a truly long-term view of the future".

While the government of Canada may not have changed hands, the federal election results are anything but business as usual.

Party leaders lost their own seats, the New Democratic Party (NDP) now faces the possibility of life on the sidelines and the Liberal Party pulled off a dramatic turnaround in fortunes, all while led by a prime minister who wasn't even a member of Parliament (MP).

Preliminary results from Elections Canada show that 17% of seats - 59 out of 343 - changed hands in this election, up from just 7% - 22 out of 338 - in 2021.

The rise in the number of available seats in the House of Commons, from 338 to 343, reflects a new political map which accounts for changes in population.

Leaders from three of the five parties represented in the House of Commons failed to win their seats.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre - who was on course to become prime minister three months ago when his party held a double-digit lead in the polls - lost his seat in Carleton, Ontario to the Liberals.

Jagmeet Singh resigned as NDP leader after finishing third in his British Columbia seat of Burnaby Central, while the Green Party's co-leader Jonathan Pedneault came fifth in Outremont, Quebec.

Only Yves-François Blanchet of the Bloc Québécois and Elizabeth May, the other Green co-leader, retained their seats while Mark Carney became an MP for the first time.

All 59 seats that flipped went to either the Liberals or Conservatives.

The NDP lost 17 of the 24 seats they were defending - 10 to the Conservatives and seven to the Liberals - and fell short of the 12 seats required for official party status.

This means the loss of parliamentary funding for things like office budgets and technology equipment, as well as fewer chances to ask questions of the government and sit on committees.

NDP losses were part of a wider shift away from Canada's smaller parties.

The Bloc Québécois had 35 seats going into Monday's vote, taking into consideration the impact of boundary changes on 2021 results - calculated by Elections Canada - and last year's victory in the LaSalle-Émard-Verdun by-election.

It lost 13 of them in Quebec, with all but one going to the Liberals.

Terrebonne, a suburb of Montreal, flipped from the Bloc to the Liberals by just a few dozen votes.

Meanwhile, the Greens lost their Kitchener Centre riding, the first Ontario seat in their history, to the Liberals.

Despite making overall gains it was still a turbulent night for incumbents in the two largest parties.

The Liberals gave up 16 seats - all to the Conservatives - which was twice as many as the eight they lost in 2021.

Nine of the 16 losses came in Toronto and the surrounding "905" - places that all share the same area code.

The Conservatives saw 12 of their MPs suffer defeat including Poilievre, up from nine four years ago.

All 12 were won by Liberals, including Toronto St Paul's which the Conservatives previously flipped in a 2024 by-election.

• RESULTS: How Canada voted - in charts
• ANALYSIS: Why Carney's Liberals won - and the Conservatives lost
• WATCH: How Canada’s election night unfolded
• PROFILE: Who is Mark Carney, Canada's new PM?
• VOTERS: How I decided who gets my vote
• US VIEW: A turnaround victory made possible by Trump

King Charles has sent a personal message to fellow cancer patients, speaking of the "daunting and at times frightening experience" for cancer sufferers and their loved ones.

In a heartfelt message to guests at a Buckingham Palace reception for cancer charities, the King spoke about becoming a cancer "statistic" - referencing the more than 1,000 new cases recorded in the UK every day.

He said his experience of living with cancer had shown that "the darkest moments of illness can be illuminated by the greatest compassion".

The message doesn't provide an update on the progress of the King's own cancer treatment, but royal sources say he is continuing in a positive direction.

The King was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February 2024 and continues to receive regular treatment, which is said to be successful and that he is getting better.

There was a brief hospital stay for the King in March after he suffered side effects, but he was well enough in April for a state visit to Italy with a busy schedule and is said to have plans for further overseas trips.

There has been an attempt to be more open about his health problems - and this latest message reflects his sense of a shared experience with the many other families affected by cancer.

The King's statement continued: "But as one among those statistics myself, I can vouch for the fact that it can also be an experience that brings into sharp focus the very best of humanity."

He praised the "community of care" of those who helped cancer patients, for their humanity as well as their expertise.

The King highlighted "the profound impact of human connection - whether in the careful explanation from a specialist nurse, the hand held by a hospice volunteer, or the shared experience in a support group".

"While every patient's journey may be different, together you are ensuring that a cancer diagnosis need never mean facing the future without hope and support," said the King.

He quoted Dame Deborah James, who died of bowel cancer in 2022 and whose parents are guests at the reception, who said: "Have no regrets; and always, always have rebellious hope."

The reception at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday evening, attended by the King and Queen Camilla, is in honour of community projects helping people who are living with cancer and for health groups trying to prevent cancer.

Among the guests will be representatives of cancer charities including Macmillan Cancer Support, Breast Cancer Now, Maggie's and Children's Hospice South West.

The reception includes displays showing the work of groups helping people affected by cancer, including Wigs for Heroes and Move Dance Feel, which uses dance to support women with cancer.

At the Palace there are also champions of cancer charities, people living with cancer and people who lost relatives, including radio presenter Adele Roberts, former footballer Ashley Cain and actor Richard E Grant.

"Every day we see the impact that cancer is having on people's lives and that experience is even worse for some people because of who they are or where they live, which is entirely unacceptable. We are on a mission to transform cancer care, but we cannot do it on our own," said Gemma Peters, chief executive officer at Macmillan Cancer Support.

If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this story, support and advice is available via the BBC Action Line.

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A body found in the River Thames is that of 11-year-old Kaliyah Coa who went missing in east London last month, the Metropolitan Police has confirmed.

In a statement issued through the force, her family said Kaliyah had been attending a birthday party but "never returned home".

Her body was recovered at Maritime Quay on the Isle of Dogs, east London, on 13 April. Kaliyah was reported missing on 31 March after playing near Barge House Causeway in Woolwich during a school inset day.

In their statement, Kaliyah's family said: "Our hearts are broken and our lives will never be the same. We were blessed to have Kaliyah, even if it was for such a short time. She will be missed so much."

An inquest into Kaliyah's death is due to open on Friday.

Det Supt Scott Ware, who led the Met's investigation, said: "This tragic accident took away a little girl who was loved by many."

The family thanked all those who took part in the search for Kaliyah and requested their privacy be respected.

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Chancellor Rachel Reeves is being investigated by Parliament's standards watchdog after failing to declare on time that she received free theatre tickets.

It is understood the chancellor attended an event at the National Theatre over Christmas but did not add the donation to the MPs register of interests within the specified timeframe.

The BBC has been told Reeves did declare the trip on her ministerial register, which is separate from the MPs register. The parliamentary code of conduct states that MPs must register their financial interests and update any changes within 28 days.

A spokesperson for Reeves said: "The chancellor's interests are fully declared and up to date."

One of the world's most endangered amphibians - the strange, perpetually smiling Mexican axolotl - has thrived after being released in artificial wetlands, scientists have discovered.

In a study that provides hope for the long-term future of a creature that was pushed to the brink of extinction, scientists released 18 captive-bred axolotls in restored and artificial wetland close to Mexico City.

The researchers fitted the animals with radio trackers and found that they "survived and foraged successfully at both sites" - even gaining weight.

Lead researcher Dr Alejandra Ramos from the Autonomous University of Baja California said this was an "amazing result".

The findings are published in the journal PLoS One and they suggest, the researchers say, that the axoltol can be brought back to its native habitat.

The waters of Xochimilco - shaped by traditional farming practices and flushed with spring water from the mountains - used to teem with these amphibians.

But as Mexico City grew, urbanisation, pollution and other pressures pushed axolotls to the brink of extinction, with some estimates suggesting that there were as few as 50 left in the wild.

"If we lose this species, we lose part of our Mexican identity," said co-lead researcher Dr Luis Zambrano from the National University of Mexico.

It is no exaggeration to call the axoltol an icon. Aztec legend has it that the creature is a god in salamander form - the Aztec god of fire and lightning, Xolotl, disguised as a salamander.

"If we can restore this [wetland] habitat and restore the axolotl's population in a city of more than 20 million people," Dr Zambrano continued, "I feel that we have hope for humanity."

To lay the foundations for releasing the animals, the researchers worked with local farmers and a team of volunteers to create wetland "refuges" for the axolotls. They installed natural filtering systems to clean the water,

The scientists released their captive-bred animals at two sites - one in Xochimilco and one at a disused quarry that, over decades, has turned into what they called an "artificial wetland".

Every animal was tagged with a radio tracking device.

"The amazing news is that they all survived," Dr Ramos told BBC News. "And not only that, but the ones that we recaptured had gained weight - so they're hunting."

The monitoring also revealed intriguing insights into axolotl behaviour. "We found that some spend most of their time with with one other individual - like they make these little friendships," Dr Ramos explained.

Somewhat ironically, these charismatic salamanders are found in the world's laboratories and pet aquariums in their hundreds of thousands. The species is biologically fascinating - it has the remarkable ability to regrow any part of its body that is damaged or lost. So there is research underway to understand whether that ability could be harnessed medically.

But in the murky wetlands of Mexico City, there is still a great deal of work to do to clean up and restore the habitat, and to give the wild axolotl a chance to recover.

"Many animals are losing their habitat around the world," said Dr Ramos. "And restoration projects are not easy, but they can be done - they just need a lot of people.

"You don't need to be a scientist to get involved - everybody in the world can help out."