Thousands of Afghans whose personal details were leaked but who were not evacuated to Britain are not expected to receive any compensation.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) will "robustly defend against any legal action or compensation", a spokesperson told the BBC, adding that these were "hypothetical claims".

The MoD will also not proactively give small payouts to people whose lives were put in danger after the February 2022 leak, the Times reported.

The names and details of more than 19,000 people were leaked, with many Afghans now saying they fear retribution from the Taliban.

The spokesperson added that an independent review, known as the Rimmer review, commissioned by the Defence Secretary John Healey found: "It is highly unlikely that merely being on the spreadsheet would be grounds for an individual to be targeted."

This week, Healey announced the lifting of a super-injunction that made it illegal to both publicise the leak and refer to the existence of the court order.

That came after the completion of the Rimmer review, which concluded: "There is little evidence of intent by the Taliban to conduct a campaign of retribution against former officials."

The largest lawsuit is being prepared by Barings Law, a firm that has more than 1,000 Afghan clients, according to The Times.

It is unclear how many of those clients are currently in Afghanistan.

The leak occurred when an unnamed official emailed the spreadsheet outside of the government team processing Afghan relocation applications and it made its way into the public domain.

Knowledge of the leak only emerged in August 2023, when the names of nine people who had applied to move to the UK appeared on Facebook.

The Taliban leadership continues to face international isolation due to its human rights abuses, especially those targeting women. Russia is the only country that recognises the current Afghan government, and the British embassy to Kabul has remained close since the Taliban takeover in 2021.

An Afghan man who had been turned down for relocation was responsible for sharing the names on Facebook, and was offered an expedited review of his application in return for taking it down, the BBC reported last week.

More than 100 British officials, including members of the special forces and MI6, were compromised in the same data breach.

Since the withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan, more than 36,000 Afghans have moved to the UK. Of those, more than 16,000 individuals were deemed to have been at risk from the leak, the MoD confirmed to the BBC.

The government has so far spent £400m on the scheme to relocate Afghans.

But the total cost of relocating all Afghans is expected to rise to around £5.5-£6bn, according to the government.

President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal's parent company, its owner and two reporters, over a report claiming Trump wrote a "bawdy" personal note to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein in 2003.

The lawsuit, filed in Miami, names Dow Jones, News Corp and conservative media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, claiming the paper slandered him and violated libel laws.

Earlier, Trump had threatened that he would force Murdoch "to testify in my lawsuit against him and his 'pile of garbage' newspaper".

Trump says the note, which the paper reported he'd sent for Epstein's 50th birthday, is "fake". It comes amid a backlash from his supporters over his handling of the Epstein case files.

Trump acknowledged that he and members of his staff attempted to halt publication of the story. He said the newspaper and Murdoch "were warned directly" they would be sued if they printed the article, describing it as "false, malicious, and defamatory".

The lawsuit also names the two reporters who wrote the story, Khadeeja Safdar and Joseph Palazzolo.

Earlier on Friday, Trump took to his Truth Social platform, writing: "I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his 'pile of garbage' newspaper, the WSJ. That will be an interesting experience!!!"

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), a letter bearing Trump's name "contained several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker".

"Inside the outline of the naked woman was a typewritten note styled as an imaginary conversation between Trump and Epstein, written in the third person," the paper reports.

It reportedly contains a joking reference that "Enigmas never age" and allegedly ends with the words: "A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret."

Trump denied writing the note after the article was published on Thursday, posting: "These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don't draw pictures."

On Friday, Trump declined to answer reporters' questions about his relationship with Epstein, and why he had not ordered the release of more documents.

Instead, he asked the Attorney General to produce documents related to secretive grand jury testimony, which could prove to be a lengthy court process. It's unclear when or if those documents will be released, or if they contain the details Trump's supporters have been demanding be released publicly.

Trump's order concerning grand jury testimony came after days of sustained pressure from some of his most loyal supporters demanding further disclosures in the Epstein case.

Some Trump loyalists have called for Attorney General Pam Bondi to resign after she reversed course on releasing certain documents related to Epstein.

In February, Bondi said that a "client list" belonging to Epstein was "sitting on my desk right now". Then last week, her office announced that there is no such "client list".

Chad Bianco, a Republican sheriff running for California governor, told BBC News that Trump's handling of the Epstein files was "not what I was expecting" and that "millions" of his followers are disappointed.

"We feel like we're being talked down to like stupid children."

Trump and Murdoch have a relationship that goes back decades.

The 94-year-old media tycoon's media empire, which includes Fox News, is often credited with helping propel Trump to the White House.

But the two grew more distant over the years and their relationship started to collapse following Trump's loss at the ballot box in 2020 to Joe Biden.

"We want to make Trump a non-person," Murdoch wrote in an email that emerged during court battles over Fox's role spreading misinformation in the 2020 election.

Trump's more recent victory in 2024 appeared to bring the two together again. During a February visit to the White House, Trump referred to Murdoch as "a class by himself" and "an amazing guy".

On Sunday, the two men were pictured together attending the Fifa World Cup in New Jersey.

Attorney General Bondi was also seen watching the match from the president's private box.

Meanwhile, members of Congress are pushing to pass a "discharge petition" that would force Bondi to "make publicly available in a searchable and downloadable format all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in the possession of the Department of Justice, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Attorneys' Offices" relating to Epstein.

The effort has brought together some of Congress's fiercest opponents, including Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene and Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who are both signed on as supporters.

President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal's parent company, its owner and two reporters, over a report claiming Trump wrote a "bawdy" personal note to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein in 2003.

The lawsuit, filed in Miami, names Dow Jones, News Corp and conservative media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, claiming the paper slandered him and violated libel laws.

Earlier, Trump had threatened that he would force Murdoch "to testify in my lawsuit against him and his 'pile of garbage' newspaper".

Trump says the note, which the paper reported he'd sent for Epstein's 50th birthday, is "fake". It comes amid a backlash from his supporters over his handling of the Epstein case files.

Trump acknowledged that he and members of his staff attempted to halt publication of the story. He said the newspaper and Murdoch "were warned directly" they would be sued if they printed the article, describing it as "false, malicious, and defamatory".

The lawsuit also names the two reporters who wrote the story, Khadeeja Safdar and Joseph Palazzolo.

Earlier on Friday, Trump took to his Truth Social platform, writing: "I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his 'pile of garbage' newspaper, the WSJ. That will be an interesting experience!!!"

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), a letter bearing Trump's name "contained several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker".

"Inside the outline of the naked woman was a typewritten note styled as an imaginary conversation between Trump and Epstein, written in the third person," the paper reports.

It reportedly contains a joking reference that "Enigmas never age" and allegedly ends with the words: "A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret."

Trump denied writing the note after the article was published on Thursday, posting: "These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don't draw pictures."

On Friday, Trump declined to answer reporters' questions about his relationship with Epstein, and why he had not ordered the release of more documents.

Instead, he asked the Attorney General to produce documents related to secretive grand jury testimony, which could prove to be a lengthy court process. It's unclear when or if those documents will be released, or if they contain the details Trump's supporters have been demanding be released publicly.

Trump's order concerning grand jury testimony came after days of sustained pressure from some of his most loyal supporters demanding further disclosures in the Epstein case.

Some Trump loyalists have called for Attorney General Pam Bondi to resign after she reversed course on releasing certain documents related to Epstein.

In February, Bondi said that a "client list" belonging to Epstein was "sitting on my desk right now". Then last week, her office announced that there is no such "client list".

Chad Bianco, a Republican sheriff running for California governor, told BBC News that Trump's handling of the Epstein files was "not what I was expecting" and that "millions" of his followers are disappointed.

"We feel like we're being talked down to like stupid children."

Trump and Murdoch have a relationship that goes back decades.

The 94-year-old media tycoon's media empire, which includes Fox News, is often credited with helping propel Trump to the White House.

But the two grew more distant over the years and their relationship started to collapse following Trump's loss at the ballot box in 2020 to Joe Biden.

"We want to make Trump a non-person," Murdoch wrote in an email that emerged during court battles over Fox's role spreading misinformation in the 2020 election.

Trump's more recent victory in 2024 appeared to bring the two together again. During a February visit to the White House, Trump referred to Murdoch as "a class by himself" and "an amazing guy".

On Sunday, the two men were pictured together attending the Fifa World Cup in New Jersey.

Attorney General Bondi was also seen watching the match from the president's private box.

Meanwhile, members of Congress are pushing to pass a "discharge petition" that would force Bondi to "make publicly available in a searchable and downloadable format all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in the possession of the Department of Justice, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Attorneys' Offices" relating to Epstein.

The effort has brought together some of Congress's fiercest opponents, including Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene and Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who are both signed on as supporters.

The Syrian presidency says it will deploy a new force to halt the deadly sectarian clashes between Bedouin and Druze fighters in the south of the country.

Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa's office urged "all parties to exercise restraint", amid reports of renewed fighting near the city of Suweida on Friday.

Almost 600 people are reported to have been killed since the violence erupted on Sunday. Government troops deployed to the area were accused by residents of killing Druze civilians and carrying out extrajudicial executions.

Israel later struck targets in Syria to force the troops to withdraw from Suweida province. On Friday, the US ambassador to Turkey said that Israel and Syria had agreed a ceasefire.

In a post on X, ambassador Tom Barrack said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Sharaa "have agreed to a ceasefire" embraced by Syria's neighbours Turkey and Jordan.

"We call upon Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to put down their weapons and together with other minorities build a new and united Syrian identity in peace and prosperity with its neighbours," the envoy said.

Israel and Syria have not publicly commented on the reported ceasefire agreement.

Shortly before Sharaa's office announced its planned military deployment to the south, an Israeli official said Israel had agreed to allow the limited entry of Syrian Internal Security Forces personnel into Suweida for 48 hours to protect Druze civilians "in light of the ongoing instability".

Suweida's predominantly Druze community follows a secretive, unique faith derived from Shia Islam, and distrusts the current jihadist-led government in Damascus.

The BBC correspondent in the Syrian capital says that sectarian hatred of the Druze is now spreading across the country.

The Druze are a minority in Syria, as well as in neighbouring Lebanon and Israel.

Earlier this week, the UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, said his office had received credible reports indicating widespread violations and abuses, including summary executions and arbitrary killings in Suweida.

Among the alleged perpetrators were members of the security forces and individuals affiliated with the interim government, as well as local Druze and Bedouin armed elements, Türk said in a statement.

"This bloodshed and the violence must stop," he warned, adding that "those responsible must be held to account".

The BBC has contacted the Syrian government and security forces about allegations of summary killings and other violations.

In a televised address early on Thursday, Sharaa vowed to hold the perpetrators accountable and promised to make protecting the Druze a "priority".

"We are eager to hold accountable those who transgressed and abused our Druze people because they are under the protection and responsibility of the state," he said.

He went on to blame "outlaw groups", saying their leaders "rejected dialogue for many months".

Hundreds of people have taken part in protests near a hotel used to house asylum seekers in a town.

Protesters from far-right and pro-refugee groups gathered in Epping, Essex, on Thursday.

BBC Essex political reporter Simon Dedman, who was at the scene, estimated there were about 40 pro-refugee protesters and about 400 members of far-right groups.

Essex Police said a man had been arrested on suspicion of affray at the protest.

"Our officers have been at a planned protest in Epping throughout the afternoon today, and are now aware of some protestors using fireworks and eggs in the crowds," said a police spokesperson.

"We have closed a section of High Road, Epping, for the safety of the public and those protesting."

The spokesperson added: "One man has already been arrested at today's protest on suspicion of affray."

Chris Whitbread, the Conservative leader of Epping Forest District Council, had called for an end to a hotel in the area being used to house asylum seekers.

He was joined by two local Conservative MPs - Epping Forest's Neil Hudson and Alex Burghart, who represents Brentwood and Ongar. They claimed the Home Office did not understand the "seriousness of this situation".

It followed the arrest of an asylum seeker on suspicion of alleged sexual assaults in the town.

Weyman Bennett, a member of Stand Up To Racism who attended the rally, said: "Britain is a peaceful country in which people should be allowed to go about their business without being attacked."

Millie Smith, who lives in Epping and attended the rally, said: "There has been a lot of misinterpretation of who is here and why they are here."

Ch Supt Simon Anslow said: "Disruption and offending is never an appropriate response, no matter the strength of feeling in this case, and on this issue."

The Home Office said it has "begun to restore order [to the asylum system], with a rapid increase in asylum decision-making and the removal of more than 24,000 people with no right to be in the UK".

Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

A US tech company announced that it has launched an investigation after a big screen embrace at a Coldplay concert - rumoured to involve two of its employees, including its CEO - went viral.

In the clip, which initially appeared on a giant screen at the Boston concert, two people are seen with their arms wrapped around each other.

When their faces appear for thousands to see, the man and woman abruptly duck and hide from the camera.

Reports that both are executives at the company Astronomer and rumours of an affair sparked by the band leader's comment, then spread online, but the information remains unverified by the company.

The video of the pair swaying to music, then quickly trying to hide exploded on the internet after the concert on Wednesday night.

Chris Martin, lead singer of Coldplay, after seeing the pair hide, said to the crowd: "Either they're having an affair, or they're just very shy."

The initial video posted to TikTok received millions of views. It was then shared across platforms, turned into memes and made fun of on television programs.

Two days after the internet became inundated with chatter about the embrace, Astronomer put out its own statement announcing an investigation into the matter, without specifying the video.

"Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding," the statement read. "Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability. The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly."

The man in the video is rumoured in multiple reports to be Astronomer CEO Andy Byron, who has been with the company since July 2023. Mr Byron himself has not confirmed his identity in the video. The woman was identified online as Kristin Cabot, the company's chief people officer, who has been with Astronomer since November 2024.

She has not confirmed her identity either. The BBC has been unable to confirm the identities of the people in the video.

The Astronomer statement added that Mr Byron had not released a personal statement, and that reports otherwise were incorrect. It also said no other employees were in the video.

Fake statements from Mr Byron went viral on Thursday.

President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal's parent company, its owner and two reporters, over a report claiming Trump wrote a "bawdy" personal note to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein in 2003.

The lawsuit, filed in Miami, names Dow Jones, News Corp and conservative media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, claiming the paper slandered him and violated libel laws.

Earlier, Trump had threatened that he would force Murdoch "to testify in my lawsuit against him and his 'pile of garbage' newspaper".

Trump says the note, which the paper reported he'd sent for Epstein's 50th birthday, is "fake". It comes amid a backlash from his supporters over his handling of the Epstein case files.

Trump acknowledged that he and members of his staff attempted to halt publication of the story. He said the newspaper and Murdoch "were warned directly" they would be sued if they printed the article, describing it as "false, malicious, and defamatory".

The lawsuit also names the two reporters who wrote the story, Khadeeja Safdar and Joseph Palazzolo.

Earlier on Friday, Trump took to his Truth Social platform, writing: "I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his 'pile of garbage' newspaper, the WSJ. That will be an interesting experience!!!"

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), a letter bearing Trump's name "contained several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker".

"Inside the outline of the naked woman was a typewritten note styled as an imaginary conversation between Trump and Epstein, written in the third person," the paper reports.

It reportedly contains a joking reference that "Enigmas never age" and allegedly ends with the words: "A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret."

Trump denied writing the note after the article was published on Thursday, posting: "These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don't draw pictures."

On Friday, Trump declined to answer reporters' questions about his relationship with Epstein, and why he had not ordered the release of more documents.

Instead, he asked the Attorney General to produce documents related to secretive grand jury testimony, which could prove to be a lengthy court process. It's unclear when or if those documents will be released, or if they contain the details Trump's supporters have been demanding be released publicly.

Trump's order concerning grand jury testimony came after days of sustained pressure from some of his most loyal supporters demanding further disclosures in the Epstein case.

Some Trump loyalists have called for Attorney General Pam Bondi to resign after she reversed course on releasing certain documents related to Epstein.

In February, Bondi said that a "client list" belonging to Epstein was "sitting on my desk right now". Then last week, her office announced that there is no such "client list".

Chad Bianco, a Republican sheriff running for California governor, told BBC News that Trump's handling of the Epstein files was "not what I was expecting" and that "millions" of his followers are disappointed.

"We feel like we're being talked down to like stupid children."

Trump and Murdoch have a relationship that goes back decades.

The 94-year-old media tycoon's media empire, which includes Fox News, is often credited with helping propel Trump to the White House.

But the two grew more distant over the years and their relationship started to collapse following Trump's loss at the ballot box in 2020 to Joe Biden.

"We want to make Trump a non-person," Murdoch wrote in an email that emerged during court battles over Fox's role spreading misinformation in the 2020 election.

Trump's more recent victory in 2024 appeared to bring the two together again. During a February visit to the White House, Trump referred to Murdoch as "a class by himself" and "an amazing guy".

On Sunday, the two men were pictured together attending the Fifa World Cup in New Jersey.

Attorney General Bondi was also seen watching the match from the president's private box.

Meanwhile, members of Congress are pushing to pass a "discharge petition" that would force Bondi to "make publicly available in a searchable and downloadable format all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in the possession of the Department of Justice, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Attorneys' Offices" relating to Epstein.

The effort has brought together some of Congress's fiercest opponents, including Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene and Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who are both signed on as supporters.

A US tech company announced that it has launched an investigation after a big screen embrace at a Coldplay concert - rumoured to involve two of its employees, including its CEO - went viral.

In the clip, which initially appeared on a giant screen at the Boston concert, two people are seen with their arms wrapped around each other.

When their faces appear for thousands to see, the man and woman abruptly duck and hide from the camera.

Reports that both are executives at the company Astronomer and rumours of an affair sparked by the band leader's comment, then spread online, but the information remains unverified by the company.

The video of the pair swaying to music, then quickly trying to hide exploded on the internet after the concert on Wednesday night.

Chris Martin, lead singer of Coldplay, after seeing the pair hide, said to the crowd: "Either they're having an affair, or they're just very shy."

The initial video posted to TikTok received millions of views. It was then shared across platforms, turned into memes and made fun of on television programs.

Two days after the internet became inundated with chatter about the embrace, Astronomer put out its own statement announcing an investigation into the matter, without specifying the video.

"Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding," the statement read. "Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability. The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly."

The man in the video is rumoured in multiple reports to be Astronomer CEO Andy Byron, who has been with the company since July 2023. Mr Byron himself has not confirmed his identity in the video. The woman was identified online as Kristin Cabot, the company's chief people officer, who has been with Astronomer since November 2024.

She has not confirmed her identity either. The BBC has been unable to confirm the identities of the people in the video.

The Astronomer statement added that Mr Byron had not released a personal statement, and that reports otherwise were incorrect. It also said no other employees were in the video.

Fake statements from Mr Byron went viral on Thursday.

The Syrian presidency says it will deploy a new force to halt the deadly sectarian clashes between Bedouin and Druze fighters in the south of the country.

Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa's office urged "all parties to exercise restraint", amid reports of renewed fighting near the city of Suweida on Friday.

Almost 600 people are reported to have been killed since the violence erupted on Sunday. Government troops deployed to the area were accused by residents of killing Druze civilians and carrying out extrajudicial executions.

Israel later struck targets in Syria to force the troops to withdraw from Suweida province. On Friday, the US ambassador to Turkey said that Israel and Syria had agreed a ceasefire.

In a post on X, ambassador Tom Barrack said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Sharaa "have agreed to a ceasefire" embraced by Syria's neighbours Turkey and Jordan.

"We call upon Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to put down their weapons and together with other minorities build a new and united Syrian identity in peace and prosperity with its neighbours," the envoy said.

Israel and Syria have not publicly commented on the reported ceasefire agreement.

Shortly before Sharaa's office announced its planned military deployment to the south, an Israeli official said Israel had agreed to allow the limited entry of Syrian Internal Security Forces personnel into Suweida for 48 hours to protect Druze civilians "in light of the ongoing instability".

Suweida's predominantly Druze community follows a secretive, unique faith derived from Shia Islam, and distrusts the current jihadist-led government in Damascus.

The BBC correspondent in the Syrian capital says that sectarian hatred of the Druze is now spreading across the country.

The Druze are a minority in Syria, as well as in neighbouring Lebanon and Israel.

Earlier this week, the UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, said his office had received credible reports indicating widespread violations and abuses, including summary executions and arbitrary killings in Suweida.

Among the alleged perpetrators were members of the security forces and individuals affiliated with the interim government, as well as local Druze and Bedouin armed elements, Türk said in a statement.

"This bloodshed and the violence must stop," he warned, adding that "those responsible must be held to account".

The BBC has contacted the Syrian government and security forces about allegations of summary killings and other violations.

In a televised address early on Thursday, Sharaa vowed to hold the perpetrators accountable and promised to make protecting the Druze a "priority".

"We are eager to hold accountable those who transgressed and abused our Druze people because they are under the protection and responsibility of the state," he said.

He went on to blame "outlaw groups", saying their leaders "rejected dialogue for many months".

A highly respected police officer has shaken South Africa's government - and won the admiration of many ordinary people - with his explosive allegations that organised crime groups have penetrated the upper echelons of President Cyril Ramaphosa's administration.

Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi did it in dramatic style - dressed in military-like uniform and surrounded by masked police officers with automatic weapons, he called a press conference to accuse Police Minister Senzo Mchunu of having ties to criminal gangs.

He also said his boss had closed down an elite unit investigating political murders after it uncovered a drug cartel with tentacles in the business sector, prison department, prosecution service and judiciary.

"We are on combat mode, I am taking on the criminals directly," he declared, in an address broadcast live on national TV earlier this month.

South Africans have long been concerned about organised crime, which, leading crime expert Dr Johan Burger pointed out, was at a "very serious level".

One of the most notorious cases was that of South Africa's longest-serving police chief, Jackie Selebi, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2010 after being convicted of taking bribes from an Italian drug lord, Glen Agliotti, in exchange for turning a blind eye to his criminal activity.

But Gen Mkhwanazi's intervention was unprecedented - the first time that a police officer had publicly accused a cabinet member, let alone the one in charge of policing, of having links to criminal gangs.

The reaction was instantaneous. Mchunu dismissed the allegations as "wild and baseless" and said he "stood ready to respond to the accusations", but the public rallied around Gen Mkhwanazi - the police commissioner in KwaZulu-Natal - despite the province also being Mchunu's political turf.

#HandsoffNhlanhlaMkhwanazi topped the trends list on X, in a warning shot to the government not to touch the 52-year-old officer.

"He's [seen as] a no-nonsense person who takes the bull by the horn," Calvin Rafadi, a crime expert based at South Africa's University of Johannesburg, told the BBC.

Gen Mkhwanazi first earned public admiration almost 15 years ago when, in his capacity as South Africa's acting police chief, he suspended crime intelligence boss Richard Mdluli, a close ally of then-President Jacob Zuma.

Mdluli was later sentenced to five years in jail for kidnapping, assault, and intimidation, vindicating Gen Mkhwanazi's view that he was a rotten apple within the police service.

Gen Mkhwanazi faced enormous pressure to shield Mdluli, with his political bosses assuming that the officer, aged only 38 at the time, would be "open to manipulation [but] they were grossly mistaken", said Dr Burger.

Not only did he push ahead with Mdluli's suspension, he also made claims of political interference during an appearance in Parliament.

While this move earned him brownie points with citizens, his public outburst did him no favours and he was axed barely a year into the job and shunted back into obscurity for a number of years.

He made a dramatic comeback in 2018 when then-Police Minister Bheki Cele appointed him to the provincial police chief post, with one of his major tasks being to investigate killings in a province where competition for political power - and lucrative state tenders - is fierce.

It would be the disbandment of this investigative unit by Mr Mchunu that led to Gen Mkhwanazi's explosive briefing a fortnight ago, complaining that 121 case dockets were "gathering dust" at the national police headquarters.

"I will die for this [police] badge. I will not back down," Gen Mkhwanazi said, in line with his reputation of being a brave and selfless officer who cannot be captured by a corrupt political and business elite.

A survey by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSCRC) shows that public trust in the police stands at an all-time low of 22%,

The police force has long been plagued by issues of political interference, corruption and a seeming inability to effectively tackle the high crime levels.

The crisis has also reached the force's upper structures, with about 10 different police chiefs since 2000 - one has been convicted of corruption and another currently faces criminal charges.

"The dysfunction is across all levels," Gareth Newham of the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies (ISS) think-tank told the BBC, adding that "there are many dynamics within the police service that need to be fixed".

• South Africa's police minister accused of links to criminal gangs
• Caught in the crossfire - the victims of Cape Town's gang warfare

But Gen Mkhwanazi's tenure has not been without controversy. He was the subject of an investigation by the police watchdog, following a complaint that he interfered in a criminal investigation into a senior prisons official.

However, he was cleared of the charge last month, with the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) saying the complaint was "designed to derail a committed officer who has been unrelenting in his fight against crime and corruption".

Gen Mkhwanazi's team has also faced criticism for their heavy-handed approach towards criminal suspects, who are sometimes shot dead in confrontations with officers under his command.

Mr Newham said that with Gen Mkhwanazi seen as the "cop's cop", the public was willing to turn a blind eye to his officers' alleged abuses because "they want to have a hero in the police".

With Mchunu sent packing, South Africa will have a new acting police minister from next month - Firoz Cachalia, a law professor who comes from a renowned family of anti-apartheid activists, and served as minister of Community Safety in Gauteng, South Africa's economic heartland, from 2004 to 2009.

In an interview with local TV station Newzroom Afrika, Cachalia said that Gen Mkhwanazi's decision to go public with his explosive allegations was "highly unusual", but if they turned out to be true then "we will be able to see in retrospect that he was perfectly justified in doing what he did".

So Gen Mkhwanazi's credibility is on the line - either he proves his allegations against Mchunu or he could fall on his sword.

But for now he has cemented his reputation as a brave police officer who took on his political bosses - twice.

More BBC stories on South Africa:

• Ramaphosa struggles to mend fences with Trump
• South Africa's political marriage of convenience avoids divorce - just
• How Ramaphosa might gain from US showdown

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

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica

President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal's parent company, its owner and two reporters, over a report claiming Trump wrote a "bawdy" personal note to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein in 2003.

The lawsuit, filed in Miami, names Dow Jones, News Corp and conservative media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, claiming the paper slandered him and violated libel laws.

Earlier, Trump had threatened that he would force Murdoch "to testify in my lawsuit against him and his 'pile of garbage' newspaper".

Trump says the note, which the paper reported he'd sent for Epstein's 50th birthday, is "fake". It comes amid a backlash from his supporters over his handling of the Epstein case files.

Trump acknowledged that he and members of his staff attempted to halt publication of the story. He said the newspaper and Murdoch "were warned directly" they would be sued if they printed the article, describing it as "false, malicious, and defamatory".

The lawsuit also names the two reporters who wrote the story, Khadeeja Safdar and Joseph Palazzolo.

Earlier on Friday, Trump took to his Truth Social platform, writing: "I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his 'pile of garbage' newspaper, the WSJ. That will be an interesting experience!!!"

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), a letter bearing Trump's name "contained several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker".

"Inside the outline of the naked woman was a typewritten note styled as an imaginary conversation between Trump and Epstein, written in the third person," the paper reports.

It reportedly contains a joking reference that "Enigmas never age" and allegedly ends with the words: "A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret."

Trump denied writing the note after the article was published on Thursday, posting: "These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don't draw pictures."

On Friday, Trump declined to answer reporters' questions about his relationship with Epstein, and why he had not ordered the release of more documents.

Instead, he asked the Attorney General to produce documents related to secretive grand jury testimony, which could prove to be a lengthy court process. It's unclear when or if those documents will be released, or if they contain the details Trump's supporters have been demanding be released publicly.

Trump's order concerning grand jury testimony came after days of sustained pressure from some of his most loyal supporters demanding further disclosures in the Epstein case.

Some Trump loyalists have called for Attorney General Pam Bondi to resign after she reversed course on releasing certain documents related to Epstein.

In February, Bondi said that a "client list" belonging to Epstein was "sitting on my desk right now". Then last week, her office announced that there is no such "client list".

Chad Bianco, a Republican sheriff running for California governor, told BBC News that Trump's handling of the Epstein files was "not what I was expecting" and that "millions" of his followers are disappointed.

"We feel like we're being talked down to like stupid children."

Trump and Murdoch have a relationship that goes back decades.

The 94-year-old media tycoon's media empire, which includes Fox News, is often credited with helping propel Trump to the White House.

But the two grew more distant over the years and their relationship started to collapse following Trump's loss at the ballot box in 2020 to Joe Biden.

"We want to make Trump a non-person," Murdoch wrote in an email that emerged during court battles over Fox's role spreading misinformation in the 2020 election.

Trump's more recent victory in 2024 appeared to bring the two together again. During a February visit to the White House, Trump referred to Murdoch as "a class by himself" and "an amazing guy".

On Sunday, the two men were pictured together attending the Fifa World Cup in New Jersey.

Attorney General Bondi was also seen watching the match from the president's private box.

Meanwhile, members of Congress are pushing to pass a "discharge petition" that would force Bondi to "make publicly available in a searchable and downloadable format all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in the possession of the Department of Justice, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Attorneys' Offices" relating to Epstein.

The effort has brought together some of Congress's fiercest opponents, including Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene and Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who are both signed on as supporters.

When Jack Posobiec walked into the Department of Justice in Washington, DC last February, he thought he would finally get some answers about Jeffrey Epstein.

But when he and other MAGA supporters were given essentially just rehashed, already-public material - and when the government put a damper on the release of any new information this July - they balked.

"We were all told more was coming. That answers were out there and would be provided. Incredible how utterly mismanaged this Epstein mess has been. And it didn't have to be," Posobiec posted on social media on 7 July.

Now, Donald Trump is finding it hard to shake loose the conspiracy theories that have animated his base since he first broke through into Republican politics a decade ago.

Posobiec, who emerged from the fringes of the internet in 2016 when he spread false rumours about a child abuse ring based in a Washington DC restaurant - a conspiracy theory that became known as Pizzagate - is just one of many MAGA die-hards who believes officials are hiding key truths about Epstein's life and death.

The disgraced financier and convicted sex offender died by suicide in a New York prison cell in 2019 while he was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

On a recent podcast hosted by Breitbart News editor Alex Marlow, Posobiec said the MAGA base see this case as shorthand for the thorough rot of the so-called "deep state".

"It's not that they care about Epstein personally," he said. "It's that they care that there's this optic that Epstein was somehow involved with a shadowy system that actually has control over our government, control over our institutions, control of our lives, and really is a ruling power over us."

Over the years, some have claimed that government officials possess files on Epstein that reveal sordid details, including that a "client lint" exists with notable names on it who may have participated in some Epstein's alleged crimes.

Trump has, in the past, played to that crowd. During last year's election campaign, he said he would have "no problem" releasing Epstein case files, and after the election directly answered a question about whether he would "declassify" the files by saying: "Yeah, yeah, I would."

Conspiratorial thinking has been a part of President Trump's movement from the outset. His entry into the once-crowded world of Republican Party politics a decade ago came as he amplified the false theory that Barack Obama wasn't born in the United States.

Now, however, the world of conspiracy is biting back.

Epstein's crimes are real and horrific, and there remains the possibility that further information could emerge about them.

But they have also become subsumed by grander narratives – Pizzagate, and later QAnon, the sprawling interactive conspiracy theory that swamped the internet during Trump's first term, pushing the idea that the highest echelons of society were controlled by a child-abusing elite cabal. The conspiracy theory spread through cryptic messages posted by a pseudonymous character called Q.

Mike Rothschild, author of several books on Trump-era conspiracies, including The Storm Is Upon Us: How QAnon Became a Movement, Cult and Conspiracy of Everything, said Epstein was mentioned in several such messages dating back to late 2017.

"Epstein is seen as one of the major players in a global 'paedo elite' that's been trafficking children for centuries, and that Q and Trump were supposed to put an end to once and for all," he told the BBC.

But after the justice department meeting in February, administration officials, including FBI director Kash Patel and his deputy Dan Bongino - who both stoked Epstein rumours for years - started to dampen talk of any major revelations.

Then, on 8 July, the Department of Justice and FBI said in a memo that Epstein's cause of death was suicide and there was no evidence he had a "client list".

The president seemed eager to move on, calling the Epstein case "sordid, but it's boring" while also blaming Democrats for continuing to make it an issue.

Many Trump supporters are happy to follow the president's lead. But a subset of extremely online MAGA supporters are still deeply passionate about the Epstein case.

• Trump orders officials to release Epstein court documents
• Prosecutor in Diddy and Epstein cases fired by justice department
• Trump's Epstein strategy could pit him against loyal supporters

Several MAGA voices, including former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, have alleged that Epstein was employed by the Israeli security services. And among more extreme elements of the movement, the conspiracy theories around Epstein sometimes veer into the antisemitic.

But Rothschild said most of the people in MAGA world are simply itching for more information – if it indeed exists – about the financier's connections with Bill Clinton and other Democrats and Trump opponents. Epstein cultivated powerful people from both major US political parties.

The long history of MAGA's Epstein obsession mean Trump is now finding it difficult to satisfy the conspiratorial elements in his base.

The story took another twist late on Thursday as The Wall Street Journal reported Trump had sent Epstein a "bawdy" birthday greeting in 2003. The pair's one-time friendship is well-known, but Trump says he cut ties with Epstein long ago and filed a lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal's parent company, its owner and two reporters following the report.

Meanwhile, Trump seemed more willing to indulge the conspiracy theorists, posting on Truth Social: "Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval."

There is no doubt that conspiracy theories clearly have the power to motivate some of the president's base. QAnon supporters were among some of the most visible participants at the January 2021 riot at the US Capitol.

In a survey conducted just before last November's election, the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) think tank found that nearly a fifth of Americans agree with QAnon-linked statements, including most pointedly: "The government, media, and financial worlds in the US are controlled by a group of Satan-worshipping paedophiles who run a global child sex trafficking operation."

Many see the Epstein case as a confirmation of those views, and the QAnon-believing population is heavily pro-Trump, the PRRI found, with 80% backing the president.

And with that support has come influence. Posobiec, the Pizzagate and Epstein conspiracy theorist who was at the DOJ meeting in February, reportedly accompanied Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on a recent trip to Europe.

He also has been photographed meeting with neo-Nazi's, although he denies being a white nationalist himself.

He did not respond to the BBC's request for comment.

He is adamant that Epstein's case is connected to the wider conspiracy world.

"It ties to Covid, it ties to lockdowns, it ties to vaccines," Posobiec said, on the Alex Marlow podcast, which was recorded at a conference last week where multiple speakers brought up Epstein and demanded further revelations.

"It ties to so many different buckets of the anger people are feeling."

Rich Logis, a former longtime Trump supporter who broke ranks and started an organisation called Leaving MAGA, said that these outlandish theories serve "as ties that bind many within the MAGA community", even amongst those who doubt them.

Logis says Trump's dismissal this week of their concerns this left some supporters "feeling confused and stunned".

"They expected Trump to keep his promise and reveal those who allegedly aided and abetted Epstein," he said.

If the Epstein case presents a political quagmire for Trump, there is also a problem for his supporters, particularly the vocal influencer class, in figuring out where to funnel their rage. Targeting the president could backfire when it comes to their own followers.

"Many of the major influencers are furious," Rothschild said, "and while they might not take it out on Trump, they might take it out on the GOP (Republican Party) in general."

Trump has so far stood by Pam Bondi, his attorney general. But she, Patel and Bongino may increasingly feel the pressure if MAGA's conspiracy wing continues to demand more files - whether or not they actually exist.

"Everyone is reeling."

With his voice cracking, one MasterChef worker describes the drama of the past fortnight, which has seen both its presenters sacked in quick succession - first Gregg Wallace, and then John Torode.

"I'm in shock with it all. It's raw, and fresh," adds the member of production staff - who wants to remain anonymous.

After months of near silence, recent events have moved at speed.

BBC News has been speaking to people who have worked on the show, as well as insiders to the tense backroom discussions of recent weeks, and can reveal:

• Torode had nine complaints against him, including racist language, abusive language to junior production staff and sexual language

• Only one was upheld, for an incident on the set of MasterChef in 2018 when he used a severely offensive racist term

• Insiders reveal how a "defensive" production team tried to ride out the storm against Wallace to save his career

• The relationship between Wallace and Torode broke down and insiders say Wallace was briefing against Torode

• Tension between how production company Banijay and the BBC interpreted the findings

• The BBC intends to air the new series of MasterChef despite both presenters being sacked

There was a long wait for the report into Wallace's conduct. The full version has not been made public, but an executive summary was published on Monday.

It revealed more than 40 claims against Wallace had been upheld, including one of unwelcome physical contact.

Later that night, Torode revealed an allegation that he had used "an extremely offensive racist term" had also been upheld.

He insisted he had "no recollection" of any of it, but by 5pm on Tuesday, he was gone.

Those at the top will claim action was taken swiftly and decisively. But behind the scenes, we can reveal there have been lengthy, pained discussions and extended tussles between the BBC and the show's production company Banijay over what to do, specifically about Torode.

It was hoped the report's publication would put an end to the crisis - but the events of this week have left both the BBC and Banijay facing even more questions.

MasterChef team wanted to save Wallace

For me, this all started a year ago, when I got a tip-off about a BBC presenter said to have been behaving badly - Gregg Wallace.

When I mentioned his name to people in the industry, I was told it was "the biggest open secret in TV".

After some digging and winning the trust of the people coming forward - mainly young female freelancers - BBC News revealed the allegations in November.

I've been told by insiders that when the story broke, there was a sense that the MasterChef production team were defensive and wanted to ride out the storm.

Many who had worked with Wallace for years felt that responding would make it worse, hoping BBC News was just stirring up trouble and the story would go away.

There was a view that Wallace's career could be saved, and his worst behaviour was in the past. Others in the production team were in disbelief.

A significant section of the report focuses on how few formal complaints were made, I have been told. This tallies with what freelancers said - they were worried about the repercussions of speaking up.

But the BBC corporate team, which has weathered many crises recently, could see what was brewing. They started to "get heavy" and demand action, and Banijay's leadership also realised they needed to get a grip.

Wallace was suspended and a law firm, Lewis Silkin, was hired to investigate. Attention then turned to the shows already in production. Could they carry on being filmed?

There is a lesson here for the BBC, a source said. A long-running show with a close-knit team is both a strength and weakness.

"They know how to produce TV gold, year in and year out. But on the flip side, bad behaviour gets normalised and no one challenges it," they said.

In response, a Banijay spokesperson said that 94% of allegations upheld by the inquiry related to behaviour before 2018. They added that Banijay acquired Endemol Shine, which makes MasterChef, in 2020, and ways of reporting concerns "have improved exponentially in recent years".

While Lewis Silkin carried out its inquiry, dozens more people approached BBC News with fresh claims about Wallace. BBC News is editorially independent from the wider corporation when it covers stories about the BBC.

One of those who came forward was a former MasterChef worker we are calling Alice, who says Wallace took his trousers down in front of her in a dressing room.

She contributed to the inquiry and says spending two hours with the lawyer, answering difficult questions, made things even harder.

There was "no follow-up, no duty of care" from Banijay, she added. It is understood the production company disputes this.

Last week, she and others who gave evidence received an email from Lewis Silkin, which BBC News has seen, telling them the inquiry was complete.

The email also said it would not be providing individual feedback on specific allegations.

Alice said it was "deeply unsatisfactory" that she didn't find out whether her complaint had been upheld.

"I feel it's more than within our right to understand more about the investigation than what's shared in the news," she said.

Torode faced complaints about behaviour on set

The report into Wallace's conduct - which has taken eight months to compile - was widely expected back two Thursdays ago, but that day came and went.

Behind the scenes, frantic negotiations were under way.

We understand the BBC saw the findings and started asking questions, specifically on the other unnamed individuals referenced in it.

One of those was Torode. As we now know, an allegation he had used a severely offensive racist slur had been upheld.

It has been reported that Torode used the N-word at a season filming wrap party in 2019 while singing along to Gold Digger by Kayne West.

It is believed a debate started after he used the word among those present. However, the claim which was upheld against him relates to the previous year when he allegedly used the same word on set following the end of filming, and it was directed at a member of staff.

• John Torode sacked as Masterchef presenter
• Gregg Wallace sacked as 50 more people make claims
• Wallace 'sorry' after 45 claims against him upheld

Only one claim was upheld against him. But BBC News understands that of the 10 additional complaints against other individuals mentioned in the report, nine were about Torode, including other allegations of racist language, abusive language towards junior production staff and sexual language which were unsubstantiated because of a lack of evidence or witnesses. We have not spoken to the people making those allegations.

Torode has said any racist language is "wholly unacceptable". And Banijay, it appears, was not initially planning to sack Torode.

But the BBC's director general Tim Davie has insisted it is drawing "a line in the sand".

Torode had been "caught up in the new 'first strike and you're out' policy by the powers-that-be at the BBC," Max Goldbart, international TV editor at Deadline, said. "I wouldn't say Torode was collateral damage, I'd say that's offensive to the people who came forward," he said.

But he added it was likely the BBC wanted to "reset" after the scandal.

We put these latest developments to the BBC, but it did not comment.

Earlier this week, a BBC spokesperson described the allegation as "an extremely offensive racist term," adding: "We will not tolerate racist language of any kind."

Meanwhile, the role of a senior executive on MasterChef is also under the spotlight. It is thought they are the other person who had a complaint upheld against them for swearing.

BBC News has contacted that executive but has not heard back.

A Banijay spokesperson said that in relation to the swearing allegation, "we are handling appropriately internally".

Wallace and Torode were 'never friends'

The relationship between Wallace and Torode, meanwhile, is believed to have broken down.

It's notable that over the past year, Torode never backed Wallace. In an Instagram post in December, he appeared to be trying to position himself as separate from his co-host, describing the allegations against Wallace as "truly upsetting".

And in his now-deleted Instagram post last week, where he leaked some findings from the report, Wallace seemed to hint at more to come for his co-host.

"What really concerns me about the short summary is others who have been found guilty of serious allegations have been erased from the published version of events. I, and I'm sure the public, would like to know why?"

Insiders have told me that Wallace was briefing against his former co-presenter.

And they were "never friends," a former MasterChef worker told me.

"Clearly they had a good chemistry when the cameras were rolling. But you rarely saw them interact when the cameras were off," he said.

He says he heard Wallace make crude comments, such as a describing that a dish "tasted like his aunt's vagina".

"And when Gregg was saying inappropriate things like that, John held his counsel. I never saw him step in."

Another former MasterChef worker says the dynamic between the two presenters "seemed off", although she could never pinpoint why.

She also says Torode didn't ever call out his co-host when Wallace made inappropriate jokes. "John would eye roll but not say anything," she said.

Neither Wallace nor Torode responded to requests for comment.

MasterChef is 'bigger than individuals'

Away from the intrigue and allegations surrounding the presenters, many may simply be wondering whether one of their favourite shows will survive.

Speaking to BBC News this week, Tim Davie said MasterChef "absolutely" has a future, insisting the show is "bigger than individuals".

It has a new base in Birmingham, and all the signs are that executives are fully committed to that.

On Monday - the day the report dropped - Shine TV (owned by Banijay) posted a job advert for an "experienced Midlands-based production secretary" to work on the next series of the show, starting this August.

And the MasterChef insider I spoke to said that despite all the drama of the past week, they are still working to "make the best MasterChef ever".

Unlike many BBC shows, MasterChef is not an in-house production. In addition to the core show, it has the Professionals, Celebrities, and Christmas specials and is adapted in 65 territories worldwide.

Its viewing figures on linear TV have held up reasonably well, with 3.5 million people on average tuning in to the last series, unchanged from the year before.

Such successful formats are hard to come by, particularly in the face of increasing pressure from streaming, which is why the corporation is so keen to hang onto it.

The dilemma, rather, is what to do with the series that have already been filmed.

Last week, it was just amateurs, fronted by Wallace, that looked at risk. Now, with Torode also gone, that puts MasterChef Celebrities, filmed with Torode and Grace Dent, in jeopardy too.

The producer I spoke to said his greater concern was for the amateur chefs who have taken part in the series.

BBC News has not managed to speak to any of the chefs. A copy of the contestants' guidelines, leaked to us, shows they are forbidden from speaking until the show goes out.

But a former chef on the show told me it would be "awful" if it was scrapped, for contestants who "gave up their time, had sleepless nights, dreamt only of recipes".

The chefs are not given any compensation for lost time or income, just travel expenses, accommodation in a "fairly grim hotel" and a £20-a-day meal allowance, she added.

Whether the contestants can sue for lost income in the event of a series being filmed but not aired, is unclear.

Tim Davie indicated that Banijay is speaking to the chefs involved, and is working with them to come to a resolution. He insisted no decision has yet been made.

But some of the women who made claims about inappropriate behaviour by Wallace have asked why no-one is consulting them.

"They should not run the series," one said. Another said it would "make a mockery" of the people who have spoken out.

Unanswered questions

So, after a bruising week, there are still many unanswered questions.

We still don't know who will replace Wallace and Torode. Names being floated include Grace Dent - who has already stepped in on Celebrity MasterChef - and Matt Tebbutt, from Saturday Kitchen.

Executives will clearly be hoping for a fresh start - a palate cleanser if you like - for the show as well as for the wider TV industry.

Whether viewers would bond with new presenters remains to be seen. But unlike other shows, such as Top Gear, which are centred around their presenters, MasterChef was never really about Wallace and Torode.

Readers may also wonder what the men may do next.

For now, Torode's weekend programme is still in ITV's schedule, due to air on Saturday morning. But he will no longer be headlining a food festival next month, with Durham County Council saying he had "decided to take some time out".

Meanwhile, Wallace has posted on Instagram offering his services as a weight loss expert for £200 per session.

More details may emerge about the swearing incident - and the unsubstantiated allegations - prompting further investigations and recriminations about who knew what, when.

The producer I spoke to says what's been reported, "doesn't feel like the show we've been working on over the years".

He said it was a relief to know the show he loves will continue, adding, "I didn't want to see it go down this way."

Additional reporting by Insaf Abbas.

Sylvanian Families has become embroiled in a legal battle with a TikTok creator who makes comedic videos of the children's toys in dark and debauched storylines.

The fluffy creatures, launched in 1985, have become a childhood classic. But the Sylvanian Drama TikTok account sees them acting out adult sketches involving drink, drugs, cheating, violence and even murder.

The Japanese maker of the toys, Epoch Company Ltd, filed a copyright infringement case in the US saying the videos are causing "irreparable injury" to its reputation.

The owner of the TikTok account, Thea Von Engelbrechten, from Ireland, filed a counternotice claiming her works were "parody".

The skits are such a hit that the account has 2.5 million followers and the videos have racked up 68 million likes. Sylvanian Drama also has accounts on Instagram, YouTube, X and Facebook.

It has partnered with major brands including Marc Jacobs, Burberry, Netflix and Hilton for advertising posts.

Sylvanian Families are marketed as "an adorable range of distinctive animal characters with charming and beautiful homes, furniture and accessories".

They live in stylish houses surrounded by luscious greenery, woodland, a meadow and a river.

Characters have names like Freya the Chocolate Rabbit girl, Ambrose the Walnut Squirrel baby and Pino the Latte Cat baby.

They usually have wholesome adventures with stories entitled Picnic by the sea, Surprise shopping trip and Ice cream for everyone.

'Insecure people, diet culture, toxic men'

But the SylvanianDrama TikTok account sees the creatures in costumes and fake eyelashes, with captions saying things like "My marriage is falling apart" and "My boyfriend won't post me on Instagram".

Court documents filed by Epoch with the Southern District of New York on 4 July and seen by the BBC accuse Ms Von Engelbrechten of infringing the company's copyright without its permission, causing irreparable injury to its goodwill and reputation.

The court document states that in an interview with influencer marketing company Fohr, Ms Von Engelbrechten said her inspiration for the storylines came from "cringey TV shows and early 2000s comedy".

She went on: "I'm also really inspired by my cats because they are extremely sassy and self-obsessed and can be so cute, but they also have no morals when it comes to killing other animals. I try to embody that with the Sylvanians."

Asked why she thought her videos were so popular she told Fohr: "Maybe it's because it's coming from the voice of a 22-year-old who struggles with the same things as [they do]. I have a lot of storylines about insecure people, diet culture, toxic men, and sustainability, which I think other girls my age are also thinking a lot about."

A date has been set for 14 August for a pre-trial conference. This is when legal teams from both sides meet to explore settlement options or prepare the case for trial.

Epoch Company Ltd and Ms Von Engelbrechten did not respond to the BBC's requests for comment.

A vaccination programme to tackle respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is to be extended to cover premature babies born in Northern Ireland.

A long-acting injection is to be offered for eligible children from this autumn.

RSV is a common, but highly infectious, respiratory virus that affects the breathing system, particularly in young children and older adults.

It infects 90% of children by the age of two and is one of the leading causes of hospitalisation in the first year of life.

An RSV vaccine has been available to pregnant women in Northern Ireland since last September and is offered from 28 weeks of pregnancy.

The new programme will cover those infants born very prematurely and too early to benefit from the RSV vaccination given to their mothers.

The single Nirsevimab injection offers about 80% protection and replaces Palivizumab, which gives 55% protection and is administered up to five times.

It follows advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.

Chief Medical Officer Sir Michael McBride said: "Vaccinations have been extremely effective in eradicating diseases and protecting children and other vulnerable groups from serious illness and death.

"Worryingly, we are now seeing a decline in the uptake of childhood immunisations.

"Vaccinations offer children the very best start in life. Quite simply, if children aren't vaccinated, they're not protected."

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said the new vaccine would strengthen winter preparedness in the health service and reduce pressures on GPs, emergency departments and hospital admissions.

Once upon a time in a land far, far away (well, Liverpool), there was a heroic warrior called Wayne and a beautiful princess named Coleen... That, anyway, is the story of a new spoof fairytale fantasy show by one of the writers of TV's Motherland, who says it's her homage to the Rooneys.

Wayne and Coleen Rooney's life story has some elements of an epic saga - they have stuck together through thick and thin, and have both vanquished some formidable foes (him on the football pitch, her in court).

So creating a stage show that makes them characters in a fantasy world loosely inspired by The Lord of the Rings - with added jokes and songs - might just have a bizarre but brilliant logic.

The Legend of Rooney's Ring opened at the Royal Court theatre in Liverpool on Friday, and has its basis in a famous if not-necessarily-accurate myth from the couple's origin story.

In 2004, a tabloid newspaper claimed that Coleen had thrown her £25,000 engagement ring out of a car window at a red squirrel reserve after reports about Wayne's behaviour.

That attracted a flock of treasure hunters. "The next day everyone came out," says the play's writer Helen Serafinowicz, who's from Liverpool.

"The rumour had spread, and everyone was looking for it with their metal detectors and stuff. I've always just thought that was such a Liverpool story, whether it's true [or not]. I've heard lots of different versions of it."

Coleen addressed the incident in her 2007 autobiography, saying she and Wayne were "going through a rough patch" but that "you shouldn't always believe what you read".

Serafinowicz, one of the creators of hit sitcoms Motherland and Amandaland, saw comic value in merging the urban myth of Coleen's supposedly missing engagement band with JRR Tolkien's classic ring quest.

So she has written "a Game of Thrones-y, Lord of the Rings-type of medieval caper".

"What I wanted to avoid is targeting the Rooneys," she stresses. "They are an easy target, and I don't want this to be like dragging them through the mud, because that's easy and they've already had that.

"I mean, I just think they're great. I've always just thought Coleen was so cool and a great role model.

"So it's just a silly fantasy tale, loosely based on this ring."

In the show, the football legend is portrayed by Liverpool comedian John May. "I'm dressed like He-Man, let's put it that way," he says of Wayne's makeover to resemble the macho, scantily-clad, sword-wielding 1980s cartoon hero.

It's all deliberately over-the-top and tongue-in-cheek, but the cast insist any ridicule is entirely affectionate. The couple have arguably earned respect by surviving various highs and lows in the public eye, which began with intense press scrutiny when they were childhood sweethearts.

"They were only kids, and that wasn't on," adds May. "So it's created two really strong characters, because they've had to be.

Emma Grace Arends is playing Coleen on stage, and can hardly contain her excitement.

"I've listened to her autobiography about two or three times now. She's got the documentary on Disney. I've really done my research on her," the actress says.

"It just made me love her even more, and we all do. She's brilliant, she really is, and she's a true Scouser.

"But also, they aren't actually Wayne and Coleen in it. It is fantasy, it is Lord of the Rings."

The Legend of Rooney's Ring is typical of the homegrown comedies that come thick and fast at the Royal Court, which probably has a closer connection with its local crowd than any comparable theatre in the UK.

The venue aims to stage only original crowd-pleasing plays, often using sport-related stories to attract audiences in the football-mad city.

Recent shows have included Red or Dead, starring Peter Mullan as former Liverpool manager Bill Shankly; and Speedo Mick The Musical, about the Everton-supporting charity hero.

"That audience want to be entertained and they like things that are relevant to them," says executive producer Kevin Fearon.

"We focus on comedy and musical comedy. We focus on stories that relate to people in Liverpool, and we put characters on stage that relate to those people - people they could recognise, even if they are larger than life."

The theatre is making its mark beyond Liverpool, too - it staged the premiere of a stage adaptation of 1980s TV show Boys From the Blackstuff, which transferred to the National Theatre and West End.

Otherwise, old classics are out, though. "Our audience wants to see things they know on stage. So giving them an Ibsen or a Shakespeare or an Alan Bennett doesn't really work," Fearon says.

He really got the message when the venue revived Michael Frayn's 1982 farce Noises Off in 2014 – and he had to plead with a group of 10 women to stay for the second half.

"Ten minutes into act two, one of them stood up, then another, and then all of them stood up. One of them turned around and saw me at the back and gave me two fingers as they left the auditorium.

"They were watching a bunch of middle-class actors being daft, and that's not real enough for them.

"So our work has to connect with those people who will walk out, will go to the pub."

Lindzi Germain plays Queen Colette, Coleen's mum, in The Legend of Rooney's Ring, and has starred in many Royal Court shows. "We're not sitting you there for two hours being serious, taking you on a journey where you've got to think about something," she says.

"You haven't got to think of anything. Just sit down, have a drink, relax and have a laugh and escape for two hours."

The theatre's informal atmosphere is helped by having tables in the stalls where food is served. For many people, the venue has taken the place of social clubs that have shut down, Germain says.

"They come in at half six, get their tea, meet all their mates and watch two hours.

"Some people get absolutely hammered. Some people just have a few drinks, but also have a great night out and a laugh."

The Legend of Rooney's Ring is at the Liverpool Royal Court until 23 August

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Stephen Colbert took viewers by surprise this week when he announced The Late Show would be heading for the big TV schedule in the sky.

The long-running series, which he has hosted since 2015, will leave screens next May. And not because Colbert is being replaced by a new presenter - the show is ending altogether.

Given the way the broadcasting winds are blowing, this cancellation is unlikely to be the last. Viewers will now be wondering whether Seth Meyers or one of the Jimmys - Fallon and Kimmel - might soon follow.

TV critic Emma Bullimore notes the late-night chat show format has historically thrived in the US in a way that other countries, including the UK, have always "admired but struggled to emulate".

"Late night shows are a staple of American TV in the same way British television would look odd without soaps or afternoon quizzes," she says. "This cancellation certainly comes as a surprise, both in the decision itself and the way it has been delivered."

Some viewers were similarly taken aback. "I'm not big into late night TV anymore," wrote one, "but this feels weird. The Late Show is an institution." Another described the news as "really, really bad, not just for the state of late TV but also in a general sense for the state of media".

But the traditional chat show format, which was created decades ago, finds itself facing several issues in the current television landscape.

For one thing, the kind of content they produce is arguably no longer compatible with audience appetite.

"These types of programmes are generally not a genre people will stream or watch via catch-up," says Frances Taylor, TV Previews Editor at Radio Times. "They're nightly and they're topical and are therefore pretty much out of date just 24 hours later.

"It's tricky for them to have life outside of that nightly broadcast, whereas dramas, documentaries and sitcoms don't suffer from that problem."

Added to which, it can be increasingly difficult for bookers to get good guests, and not just because they have four shows a week to fill.

Chat shows used to be one of the first places for publicists to offer their stars, but the huge number of competitors that have sprung up over the last 15 years has changed that.

Appearing on popular social media or YouTube formats such as Chicken Shop Date or Snack Wars arguably now hold more appeal, both for the celebrity, who can goof around and not reveal as much of much of themselves, and for their PR teams, who feel safer if they can keep their talent away from potentially more difficult questions.

That's not to say viral moments can't come from traditional TV. Chat shows have done their best to adapt to the times over the last decade.

Segments such as James Corden's Carpool Karaoke and Fallon's Wheel of Musical Impressions reflected a new blueprint, where features were invented with online appeal front of mind.

And it worked, too. Audiences love clips based on "bits" rather than chat. Graham Norton's best performing YouTube clip, with more than 100m views, is the time Will Smith broke away from the sofa for an all-star musical performance.

Colbert has 10m YouTube subscribers - a healthy number for sure, but a weaker figure than Kimmel's 20m and Fallon's 32m.

It's worth noting that, even before the invention of streaming, the world of US chat shows was always a competitive, dog-eat-dog world.

But the big TV advertising bucks that kept so many of them afloat have vanished, having gone down with the terrestrial TV ship.

Fundamentally, the format's raison d'être is now under question. Taylor notes that, by the time chat shows are broadcast, "most people will already be across all of the major stories from the day".

"Not only that, but their social feeds will be full of social creators feeding that appetite for topical, satirical content, be it with impressions of the US President or having an irreverent take on Elon Musk's latest venture."

She references John Mulaney's recent attempt to bring a live chat show to Netflix, with mixed results.

Its future now looks uncertain, and Mulaney recently said he and the team were "figuring out" what their next move would be, stopping short of committing to a second season.

"That doesn't exactly sound as though it was a runaway success," Taylor says.

Political pressure?

Colbert told viewers The Late Show's cancellation was ultimately a financial decision - which is certainly a credible explanation.

Television is expensive to make, with huge teams of producers, directors, camera operators and other technical staff, not to mention the large fee for the presenter.

And while YouTubers can now offer an increasingly professional operation themselves, they can do so at a fraction of the cost.

But the cancellation still puzzled some. The Late Show was one of CBS's top shows, attracting an average audience of 2.57m viewers in 2024.

Its ratings actually improved under Colbert, particularly after it began skewering the Trump administration - the host is one of the president's most vocal critics.

As a result, some have questioned whether the show's cancellation has anything to do with political pressure.

Its closure comes after CBS parent company Paramount settled with US President Donald Trump over the editing of a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris.

President Trump said the way his presidential rival's answer to a question about Israel was presented on two different platforms made her look more favourable to viewers.

CBS noted at the time its settlement did not include a statement of apology or regret. Business commentators said the deal was made partly so as to not affect Paramount's planned merger with Skydance Media, which Trump had the power to halt.

Speaking after the The Late Show's cancellation was announced, Democratic Senator Adam Schiff said: "If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better."

The sentiment was echoed by Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, who noted the show's cancellation came three days after Colbert's criticism of the Paramount settlement.

There is no evidence that this was a factor - but it highlights the political climate in which this decision has been made.

In their statement announcing the end of The Late Show, CBS said it was a "purely financial decision" and "not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount".

It's not clear what will be next for Colbert himself. He may be snapped up by a streamer, or try to move his current show online.

Piers Morgan's Uncensored provides a potential model - a programme which started on television and still looks like a TV show, but later moved, successfully, to YouTube.

The Late Show brand is "strong, storied and irreplaceable, and no host is funnier and more thoughtful - soulful - than Stephen Colbert", said John Avlon, a media executive and former Democratic congressional nominee.

"That's why he is loved by a loyal audience and they will follow him to whatever he does next."

Other TV chat show hosts have found new formats in order to stay relevant. Colbert's predecessor David Letterman was able to still attract A-list guests when he moved to Netflix in 2018 for a new series, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction.

If all else fails, there's one other option available to Colbert. He is currently one of the only existing celebrities without his own podcast.

John Horsley was gardening when he felt a wasp crawl down his T-shirt.

"That stung me a few times in the back," he says. "It wasn't a pleasant experience."

Part of the British Pest Control Association, John is well-versed in the problems wasps can cause gate-crashing picnics or beer gardens on a summer's day, and building bothersome nests.

After a downtick in wasp callouts in recent summers, his industry has been busier than usual tackling problems caused by wasps this year, he says. These can include large nests appearing earlier in the season.

Wasps are currently still raising their young, but later in the summer they tend to congregate in public areas seeking a sugary snack before they die.

So is this shaping up to be a summer of the wasp? "We don't have plagues of insects," Mr Horsley explains. "But it seems that every few years, wasps will have a strong year and that commonly coincides with particular weather patterns – this year it's been very warm and very dry – it's been a very good year for them."

The Met Office says we have had the warmest spring in more than 50 years. Last year, the UK had its coolest summer for nine years.

One of the world's leading wasp experts, Prof Seirian Sumner of University College London, cautions that scientific data on wasp numbers will not be released for a while.

But her gut feeling is that "all the signs are, based on the weather and other insect populations, it is going to be a good year for wasps".

The UK has about 9,000 species of wasps - most of them solitary, meaning they don't live in large colonies and are generally not a nuisance to humans.

Only a small number are social wasps, such as the common wasp, Vespula vulgaris, which is most common for interacting with humans. According to a 2021 YouGov poll, they are the second most disliked insect in the UK, after the spider.

But Prof Sumner and other wasp experts point out that wasps are not all bad.

"They are really important parts of the ecosystem – they're apex predators," she says.

"Take a top predator out of any system – like the lion out of Serengeti – it has knock-on effects in the prey populations that will then go unchecked by their predator.

"And wasps are free, natural pest controllers – so they are doing jobs in our gardens, in our wild landscapes, in our farming landscapes. They are helping keep pests at bay."

Living alongside wasps - without being stung

Nikki Banfield, of the insect charity Buglife, says we need to look after wasps.

"A lot of people don't like wasps, they class them as angry bees, but they have a really valid purpose in the natural world," she says.

In that wider natural world, recent studies show widespread declines in global insect populations, with some insect species being pushed towards extinction.

Insect loss is linked to intensive agriculture, pesticides and climate change, with far-reaching consequences for the many birds, amphibians, bats and reptiles that rely on insects for food.

But the common wasp appears to be bucking this trend – its population remaining stable over the past 100 years – along with houseflies, cockroaches and the European hornet, which is increasing across the UK and moving northward as the climate warms.

Sightings of the invading Asian or yellow-legged hornet, which arrived in the UK in 2016, are also on the rise.

​​And after a poor year for butterflies in 2024, naturalists say many common species, such as the Large White, also appear to be flourishing this summer.

​​Ladybirds too, seem to be enjoying the warmer temperatures, according to experts.

So, luckily for the ecosystem – but perhaps unluckily for our picnics – wasps appear to be thriving here in the UK.

How can we live alongside each other happily then?

Ms Banfield suggests we leave something sweet, such as a small cap of jam or orange juice, a short distance from the picnic area to distract the insects.

Other practical tips include not screaming, flapping your arms or swatting at wasps, as this will agitate them and make them more aggressive.

Wasp stings can pose a public health risk – they can cause anaphylactic shock - Mr Horsley points out, so he has a word of advice.

"Don't disturb them. Try and stay away from them where possible, and, if it needs to be treated then speak to a professional," he says.

President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal's parent company, its owner and two reporters, over a report claiming Trump wrote a "bawdy" personal note to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein in 2003.

The lawsuit, filed in Miami, names Dow Jones, News Corp and conservative media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, claiming the paper slandered him and violated libel laws.

Earlier, Trump had threatened that he would force Murdoch "to testify in my lawsuit against him and his 'pile of garbage' newspaper".

Trump says the note, which the paper reported he'd sent for Epstein's 50th birthday, is "fake". It comes amid a backlash from his supporters over his handling of the Epstein case files.

Trump acknowledged that he and members of his staff attempted to halt publication of the story. He said the newspaper and Murdoch "were warned directly" they would be sued if they printed the article, describing it as "false, malicious, and defamatory".

The lawsuit also names the two reporters who wrote the story, Khadeeja Safdar and Joseph Palazzolo.

Earlier on Friday, Trump took to his Truth Social platform, writing: "I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his 'pile of garbage' newspaper, the WSJ. That will be an interesting experience!!!"

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), a letter bearing Trump's name "contained several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker".

"Inside the outline of the naked woman was a typewritten note styled as an imaginary conversation between Trump and Epstein, written in the third person," the paper reports.

It reportedly contains a joking reference that "Enigmas never age" and allegedly ends with the words: "A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret."

Trump denied writing the note after the article was published on Thursday, posting: "These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don't draw pictures."

On Friday, Trump declined to answer reporters' questions about his relationship with Epstein, and why he had not ordered the release of more documents.

Instead, he asked the Attorney General to produce documents related to secretive grand jury testimony, which could prove to be a lengthy court process. It's unclear when or if those documents will be released, or if they contain the details Trump's supporters have been demanding be released publicly.

Trump's order concerning grand jury testimony came after days of sustained pressure from some of his most loyal supporters demanding further disclosures in the Epstein case.

Some Trump loyalists have called for Attorney General Pam Bondi to resign after she reversed course on releasing certain documents related to Epstein.

In February, Bondi said that a "client list" belonging to Epstein was "sitting on my desk right now". Then last week, her office announced that there is no such "client list".

Chad Bianco, a Republican sheriff running for California governor, told BBC News that Trump's handling of the Epstein files was "not what I was expecting" and that "millions" of his followers are disappointed.

"We feel like we're being talked down to like stupid children."

Trump and Murdoch have a relationship that goes back decades.

The 94-year-old media tycoon's media empire, which includes Fox News, is often credited with helping propel Trump to the White House.

But the two grew more distant over the years and their relationship started to collapse following Trump's loss at the ballot box in 2020 to Joe Biden.

"We want to make Trump a non-person," Murdoch wrote in an email that emerged during court battles over Fox's role spreading misinformation in the 2020 election.

Trump's more recent victory in 2024 appeared to bring the two together again. During a February visit to the White House, Trump referred to Murdoch as "a class by himself" and "an amazing guy".

On Sunday, the two men were pictured together attending the Fifa World Cup in New Jersey.

Attorney General Bondi was also seen watching the match from the president's private box.

Meanwhile, members of Congress are pushing to pass a "discharge petition" that would force Bondi to "make publicly available in a searchable and downloadable format all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in the possession of the Department of Justice, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Attorneys' Offices" relating to Epstein.

The effort has brought together some of Congress's fiercest opponents, including Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene and Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who are both signed on as supporters.

A US tech company announced that it has launched an investigation after a big screen embrace at a Coldplay concert - rumoured to involve two of its employees, including its CEO - went viral.

In the clip, which initially appeared on a giant screen at the Boston concert, two people are seen with their arms wrapped around each other.

When their faces appear for thousands to see, the man and woman abruptly duck and hide from the camera.

Reports that both are executives at the company Astronomer and rumours of an affair sparked by the band leader's comment, then spread online, but the information remains unverified by the company.

The video of the pair swaying to music, then quickly trying to hide exploded on the internet after the concert on Wednesday night.

Chris Martin, lead singer of Coldplay, after seeing the pair hide, said to the crowd: "Either they're having an affair, or they're just very shy."

The initial video posted to TikTok received millions of views. It was then shared across platforms, turned into memes and made fun of on television programs.

Two days after the internet became inundated with chatter about the embrace, Astronomer put out its own statement announcing an investigation into the matter, without specifying the video.

"Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding," the statement read. "Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability. The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly."

The man in the video is rumoured in multiple reports to be Astronomer CEO Andy Byron, who has been with the company since July 2023. Mr Byron himself has not confirmed his identity in the video. The woman was identified online as Kristin Cabot, the company's chief people officer, who has been with Astronomer since November 2024.

She has not confirmed her identity either. The BBC has been unable to confirm the identities of the people in the video.

The Astronomer statement added that Mr Byron had not released a personal statement, and that reports otherwise were incorrect. It also said no other employees were in the video.

Fake statements from Mr Byron went viral on Thursday.