Patients are being told to expect disruption as doctors start their five-day strike in England, with NHS bosses saying they are struggling to keep as many services going as they have done in recent walkouts.

NHS England said with a wave of flu placing pressure on hospitals, non-urgent services would be affected by the strike which begins at 07:00 Wednesday.

This is the 14th walkout by resident doctors, the new name for junior doctors, in the long-running pay dispute.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the strike had been timed to inflict most damage on the NHS and put patients at risk, but the British Medical Association said it would work with NHS bosses to ensure patient safety.

The strike is being held after the two sides held last-minute talks on Tuesday afternoon.

The talks were described as "constructive" by the government, but not enough progress had been made to call off the strike.

Resident doctors represent nearly half of the doctors working in the NHS. They will walk out of both emergency and non-urgent care with senior doctors drafted in to provide cover.

In the two most recent strikes – in July and November – NHS England said it was able to keep the majority of non-urgent operations and treatments, such as hip and knee replacements, going.

But NHS England said it expected more disruption this time. Concern has also been expressed that hospitals may struggle to discharge patients in time for Christmas as the doctors who are working concentrate on providing strike cover.

Medical director Prof Meghana Pandit said: "These strikes come at an immensely challenging time for the NHS, with record numbers of patients in hospital with flu for this time of year.

"Staff will come together as they always do, going above and beyond to provide safe care for patients and limit disruption.

"But sadly more patients are likely to feel the impact of this round of strikes than in the previous two – and staff who are covering will not get the Christmas break they deserve with their families."

Streeting added: "We have been working right up to today to try and avert these strike actions.

"Everyone knows the period leading up to Christmas and into the New Year are always the busiest for the NHS. With super flu, this year is harder.

"And that double whammy of flu plus strikes means that there is an additional burden now on other NHS staff."

NHS England said GP practices will continue to be open and urgent and emergency care services will be available for those who need them.

But even then there is likely to be some disruption. Cheltenham General Hospital's emergency department is closing for emergencies during the strike - it will remain open for minor injuries - with patients advised to use nearby Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.

NHS England said the public should use 111 online as the first port of call for urgent, but not life-threatening issues during the strike.

Patients who need emergency medical care should continue to use 999 or come forward to A&E as normal, it added.

The strike is going ahead despite a new offer from the government being made last week, which included increasing the number of speciality training posts and covering out-of-pocket expenses like exam fees.

Getting job is 'nightmare'

The speciality training jobs, which resident doctors start in year three of their training after completing medical school, have become highly competitive.

This year 30,000 applicants went for 10,000 jobs – although some of the applicants were doctors from abroad.

Dr Tom Twentyman is one of those who lost out after trying to secure an emergency medicine post. He says finding a job is an "absolute nightmare".

Since then he has been struggling to find work, juggling a handful of locum shifts each month at the same time as applying for more than 40 short-term contracts at hospitals across the country – one of which he now secured.

But this will not count towards his training, so he will now look to reapply next year.

"Some of the job adverts were coming down within two hours of going up after they received 650 applications, which is clearly an enormous number to shortlist," he says.

On Monday the BMA announced its members had voted to continue with the strike – effectively rejecting the offer in the process – after the union agreed to hold an online poll of members.

BMA resident doctor leader Dr Jack Fletcher described it as a "resounding response" and said the government needed to go further on jobs as well as pay.

Streeting has maintained he will not discuss pay as doctors have received pay rises totalling nearly 30% over the past three years.

The BMA argues that, despite the pay rises, resident doctors' pay is still a fifth lower than it was in 2008, once inflation is taken into account.

Dr Fletcher added: "It is well past the time for ministers to come up with a genuinely long-term plan.

"If they can simply provide a clear route to responsibly raise pay over a number of years and enough genuinely new jobs instead of recycled ones, then there need not be any more strikes for the remainder of this government."

But the BMA said it was committed to ensuring patient safety.

"We will be in close contact with NHS England throughout the strikes to address safety concerns if they arise," the union added.

The Prime Minister has said Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich must "pay up now" to victims of the war in Ukraine or face court action.

Mr Abramovich, the former owner of Chelsea Football Club, pledged in 2022 that money from the sale of the club would go to benefit victims of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The money has been frozen in a British bank account since the sale after he was sanctioned following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking in the Commons, Sir Keir Starmer said the UK had issued a licence "to transfer £2.5bn from the sale of Chelsea Football Club that's been frozen since 2022."

Sir Keir said: "My message of Abramovich is clear: the clock is ticking.

"Honour the commitment that you made and pay up now, and if you don't we're prepared to go to court and ensure that every penny reaches those whose lives have been torn apart by Putin's illegal war."

The Treasury said that under the terms of the licence, the money must go to "humanitarian causes" in Ukraine and cannot benefit Mr Abramovich or any other sanctioned individual.

On the face of it, there is relatively little festive cheer for your finances in the latest inflation figures.

Prices have risen by 3.2% compared with a year ago. If you filled your virtual shopping bag with goods and services at a cost of £100 a year ago, the same selection will now cost £103.20.

The rate of rising prices is well above the Bank of England's target of 2%, and some items are still rocketing up in price. Chocolate, arguably central to the family diet at Christmas, is 17% more expensive than a year ago.

But, crucially, there are now clear signs that prices are going up at a slower rate. That bodes well for next year, and more immediately for the cost of borrowing.

And, with essentials driving the slowdown, the latest data will be welcomed by those who feel particularly stretched by the cost of living.

Pasta, sugar and flour prices fall

The rate of inflation, which charts the rising cost of living, has overcome its recent mini-peak, according to analysts.

The mountainous height of inflation was in October 2022 when the rate hit 11.1%. The rate then fell, but there was an uptick in the late summer of 2025, reaching 3.8%.

And it was the price of food - an essential for consumers - driving November's drop in inflation.

Food and non-alcoholic drinks rose by 4.2% in the year to November, compared to 4.9% in October. Alcohol and tobacco were up 4% compared to 5.9% in October.

Moving in the opposite direction to chocolate, and beef and veal (which rose by nearly 28% in a year), were olive oil (down 16%) as well as drops in price for flours, pasta and sugar.

Importantly, food is essential spending. When the price rises slow, this is much better news for those on lower incomes who see a bigger proportion of their income spent on things that it is impossible to do without.

Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at investment firm Hargreaves Lansdown, said this was also helpign the overall inflation rate drop faster than expected: "It has been following the path the Bank of England had forecast - peaking in September and gradually moving south."

Will the good news last?

The reasons for slowing price riese are often specific to individual items.

For example, the drop in the price of olive oil is primarily the result of a recovery in harvests after some particularly bad years of heatwaves and drought in Greece and Turkey.

Clothing and footwear prices fell by 0.6% in the year to November compared to a rise of 0.3% in October.

This has been linked to shops bringing forward Black Friday discounts due to weak sales as shoppers struggle with the cost of living pressures.

Consumers, too, have changed their habits owing to the financial climate of recent years.

Lucy Fairs, who helps run a cake-sharing social club, called Band of Bakers in Camberwell, London, said that, over the last five years, they had started using what they already had in their cupboards, rather than buying extra special ingredients.

"When I chose a recipe for today, I thought of the theme - but, more so, I thought of what I already had in my pantry," said club member Costa Christou.

Impact on borrowing and saving

The rising cost of goods and services has an impact on the money you save or earn. Inflation erodes the spending power of money you've got saved and - unless you get a pay rise - of your salary.

Analysts say the latest inflation data strengthens the likelihood of a cut in interest rates by the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee on Thursday.

That should make it cheaper for consumers to borrow money, but bring lower returns for savers.

"Lower inflation is good news for household budgets, but it is a different story for savers," said Sally Conway, savings commentator at Shawbrook Bank.

"Some savings will inevitably take a hit over Christmas. The key is what happens next. Once the dust settles, it's worth checking whether remaining cash is working hard enough."

Policymakers are trying to encourage more people to invest their money in stocks and shares - which they say is likely to bring higher returns over time than cash savings.

It is why the Financial Conduct Authority has given the go-ahead for targeted support - a scheme that, for the first time, allows banks and financial firms to give suggestions about where to invest your money.

Additional reporting by Josh McMinn

The Metropolitan and Greater Manchester police forces have said they will arrest people holding placards and chanting the phrase 'globalise the intifada' - an Arabic word for uprising.

In a statement following Sunday's mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, they said: "Violent acts have taken place, the context has changed - words have meaning and consequence. We will act decisively and make arrests".

The two forces also referenced the Manchester synagogue attack in October.

The UK's chief rabbi told the BBC this week that chants of 'globalise the intifada' had helped lead to the two attacks.

The police forces said: "We know communities are concerned about placards and chants such as 'globalise the intifada' and those using it at future protests or in a targeted way should expect" the two forces "to take action".

"Frontline officers will be briefed on this enhanced approach. We will also use powers under the Public Order Act, including conditions around London synagogues during services," the statement said.

Visible patrols and protective security measures around synagogues, schools, and community venues have been stepped up in London and Greater Manchester.

Fifteen people were killed and dozens of others were injured in Sunday's Bondi attack, which targeted Australia's Jewish community at an event celebrating the first night of Hanukkah.

Two people died in the knife attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue on 2 October.

The term intifada came into popular use during the Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1987.

It was a largely unarmed and popular uprising that continued until the early 1990s. The intifada also saw the development of groups outside the control of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) – notably Hamas.

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Warner Bros Discovery will urge its shareholders to reject Paramount Skydance's $108.4bn (£80.75bn) takeover bid as soon as Wednesday, according to reports.

Paramount has said its offer is "superior" to a $72bn deal that Warner Bros struck with Netflix for its film and streaming businesses.

At the same time, a key backer of Paramount's attempt to buy Warner Bros, Affinity Partners, has reportedly pulled out of the bid, citing the involvement of "two strong competitors". Affinity was founded by US businessman and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Warner Bros declined to comment when contacted by the BBC. Paramount and Affinity have also been asked for a response to the reports.

Warner Bros will advise its shareholders to reject Paramount's offer for a number of reasons including concerns over how the deal would be financed, according to the Financial Times.

The media giant put itself up for sale in October after receiving "multiple" expressions of interest from potential buyers, including approaches from Paramount Skydance.

On 5 December, Warner Bros Discovery said it had agreed to sell its film and streaming businesses to Netflix.

The following week, Paramount Skydance launched a new offer for the whole company, including its television networks.

Paramount is backed by the billionaire Ellison family, which has close ties to the president.

A takeover of Warner Bros is expected to face scrutiny from competition regulators in the US and Europe.

A new owner of Warner Bros would gain a significant edge in the highly competitive streaming market. It would get a huge library of films and TV shows, including Harry Potter, Friends and the HBO Max streaming service.

Some in the film industry have criticised the deal. The Writers Guild of America's East and West branches called for the merger to be blocked, arguing that it would result in lower wages and job cuts.

The volume of content for viewers would also be reduced, it said.

An 86-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the murders of a couple at their farmhouse more than 30 years ago.

Harry and Megan Tooze were both found dead with gunshot wounds at their Ty Ar y Waun rural home in Llanharry, Rhondda Cynon Taf, on 26 July 1993.

South Wales Police undertook a forensic review of the case in 2023 and detectives have now made an arrest for the unsolved murders of 64-year-old Harry and 67-year-old Megan.

The man was arrested earlier and is currently in police custody.

Senior investigating officer Det Supt Mark Lewis said: "While this arrest is clearly a significant development in the investigation, our enquiries are very much ongoing.

"This case has affected many people over the years and our aim is to find the answers to the unanswered questions which remain about their deaths over 30 years on.

"Even with this passage of time I appeal to anyone who has any information about the murders to come forward and speak to police."

Harry and Megan Tooze had left their farm on the morning of Monday 26 July 1993 to collect their pensions in Llanharry and were seen arriving back at 11:00 GMT.

At around 13:30, two gun shots were heard by neighbours, but this was not considered unusual on a farm.

The couple's daughter Cheryl raised the alarm when her phone calls went unanswered. Officers went to the farm and found the couple's bodies in the cow shed.

They had both been shot in the head with a shotgun and covered in carpet.

Their daughter's boyfriend Jonathan Jones was found guilty of their murders and sentenced to life in prison in 1995, but was later freed on appeal.

Mr Jones, who was a self-employed recruitment consultant, had told police he had taken the day off work on the day the Toozes were killed.

He said he had gone to Orpington, Greater London, to look for office space to rent, but police could not find anybody who had seen him that day.

His partial thumbprint was also on a cup and saucer that had been found in the couple's living room.

He was arrested that December, five months after the murders.

Cheryl Tooze stood by him, moving in with his family in Caerphilly after his arrest.

A year after his conviction he was released on appeal. Three appeal court judges took five minutes to reach their decision.

The original trial judge was criticised and it emerged police had failed to seal the crime scene properly.

Ben Shelton - big serve & 'big ego'

Taylor Fritz - aggressive & 'looking to improve'

Jack Draper - 'leftie' weapons

Felix Auger-Aliassime - maturing & has firepower

Novak Djokovic - the third wheel

Anyone else?

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  16 August

  

The Prime Minister has said Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich must "pay up now" to victims of the war in Ukraine or face court action.

Mr Abramovich, the former owner of Chelsea Football Club, pledged in 2022 that money from the sale of the club would go to benefit victims of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The money has been frozen in a British bank account since the sale after he was sanctioned following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking in the Commons, Sir Keir Starmer said the UK had issued a licence "to transfer £2.5bn from the sale of Chelsea Football Club that's been frozen since 2022."

Sir Keir said: "My message of Abramovich is clear: the clock is ticking.

"Honour the commitment that you made and pay up now, and if you don't we're prepared to go to court and ensure that every penny reaches those whose lives have been torn apart by Putin's illegal war."

The Treasury said that under the terms of the licence, the money must go to "humanitarian causes" in Ukraine and cannot benefit Mr Abramovich or any other sanctioned individual.

A 15-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe.

Aria was found dead at a house in Lime Close, Weston-super-Mare, shortly after 18:00 GMT on Monday.

A post-mortem examination found the preliminary cause of her death was a single stab wound, Avon and Somerset Police said.

The teenage suspect, who cannot be named due to his age, remains in custody and is due to appear at Bristol Magistrates' Court later.

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The Duke of Marlborough has been charged with intentional strangulation.

The 70-year-old is accused of attacking the same person in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, three times over an 18-month period.

Charles James Spencer-Churchill, formerly known as Jamie Blandford, is a relative of Sir Winston Churchill and Diana, Princess of Wales.

He is due to appear before Oxford magistrates on Thursday.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between November 2022 and May 2024, Thames Valley Police said.

Spencer-Churchill, the former Marquess of Blandford, was arrested on 13 May 2024.

The twice-married aristocrat inherited his dukedom in 2014, following the death of his father, the 11th Duke of Marlborough.

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Patients are being told to expect disruption as doctors start their five-day strike in England, with NHS bosses saying they are struggling to keep as many services going as they have done in recent walkouts.

NHS England said with a wave of flu placing pressure on hospitals, non-urgent services would be affected by the strike which begins at 07:00 Wednesday.

This is the 14th walkout by resident doctors, the new name for junior doctors, in the long-running pay dispute.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the strike had been timed to inflict most damage on the NHS and put patients at risk, but the British Medical Association said it would work with NHS bosses to ensure patient safety.

The strike is being held after the two sides held last-minute talks on Tuesday afternoon.

The talks were described as "constructive" by the government, but not enough progress had been made to call off the strike.

Resident doctors represent nearly half of the doctors working in the NHS. They will walk out of both emergency and non-urgent care with senior doctors drafted in to provide cover.

In the two most recent strikes – in July and November – NHS England said it was able to keep the majority of non-urgent operations and treatments, such as hip and knee replacements, going.

But NHS England said it expected more disruption this time. Concern has also been expressed that hospitals may struggle to discharge patients in time for Christmas as the doctors who are working concentrate on providing strike cover.

Medical director Prof Meghana Pandit said: "These strikes come at an immensely challenging time for the NHS, with record numbers of patients in hospital with flu for this time of year.

"Staff will come together as they always do, going above and beyond to provide safe care for patients and limit disruption.

"But sadly more patients are likely to feel the impact of this round of strikes than in the previous two – and staff who are covering will not get the Christmas break they deserve with their families."

Streeting added: "We have been working right up to today to try and avert these strike actions.

"Everyone knows the period leading up to Christmas and into the New Year are always the busiest for the NHS. With super flu, this year is harder.

"And that double whammy of flu plus strikes means that there is an additional burden now on other NHS staff."

NHS England said GP practices will continue to be open and urgent and emergency care services will be available for those who need them.

But even then there is likely to be some disruption. Cheltenham General Hospital's emergency department is closing for emergencies during the strike - it will remain open for minor injuries - with patients advised to use nearby Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.

NHS England said the public should use 111 online as the first port of call for urgent, but not life-threatening issues during the strike.

Patients who need emergency medical care should continue to use 999 or come forward to A&E as normal, it added.

The strike is going ahead despite a new offer from the government being made last week, which included increasing the number of speciality training posts and covering out-of-pocket expenses like exam fees.

Getting job is 'nightmare'

The speciality training jobs, which resident doctors start in year three of their training after completing medical school, have become highly competitive.

This year 30,000 applicants went for 10,000 jobs – although some of the applicants were doctors from abroad.

Dr Tom Twentyman is one of those who lost out after trying to secure an emergency medicine post. He says finding a job is an "absolute nightmare".

Since then he has been struggling to find work, juggling a handful of locum shifts each month at the same time as applying for more than 40 short-term contracts at hospitals across the country – one of which he now secured.

But this will not count towards his training, so he will now look to reapply next year.

"Some of the job adverts were coming down within two hours of going up after they received 650 applications, which is clearly an enormous number to shortlist," he says.

On Monday the BMA announced its members had voted to continue with the strike – effectively rejecting the offer in the process – after the union agreed to hold an online poll of members.

BMA resident doctor leader Dr Jack Fletcher described it as a "resounding response" and said the government needed to go further on jobs as well as pay.

Streeting has maintained he will not discuss pay as doctors have received pay rises totalling nearly 30% over the past three years.

The BMA argues that, despite the pay rises, resident doctors' pay is still a fifth lower than it was in 2008, once inflation is taken into account.

Dr Fletcher added: "It is well past the time for ministers to come up with a genuinely long-term plan.

"If they can simply provide a clear route to responsibly raise pay over a number of years and enough genuinely new jobs instead of recycled ones, then there need not be any more strikes for the remainder of this government."

But the BMA said it was committed to ensuring patient safety.

"We will be in close contact with NHS England throughout the strikes to address safety concerns if they arise," the union added.

Left-wing candidate Andrea Egan has been elected as the new leader of Unison, the UK's biggest trade union, in a blow to Sir Keir Starmer.

Ms Egan, who was expelled from the Labour Party three years ago, beat the union's current general secretary Christina McAnea, an ally of the prime minister.

Following her election, Ms Egan promised to "stand up to any employer, politician or cabinet minister who acts against our interests".

During her campaign, she had pledged to hold Labour's "feet to the fire" and refuse to write the party "blank cheques".

Congratulating Ms Egan on her victory, Sir Keir said he looked forward to working with her.

The PM also praised Ms McAnea's "outstanding contribution to the Labour and trade union movement".

"She played an important role in securing the landmark Employment Rights Bill and her work has ensured this Labour government will bring in a fair pay agreement to boost the wages of social care workers," he added.

With more than 1.3 million members working in sectors providing public services, including education, local government, the NHS and the police, Unison is the UK's biggest trade union.

Ms Egan won just under 60% of the vote, although turnout was low, with fewer than 100,000 of the union's members taking part.

She will begin her five-year term in January.

In a statement following her victory, Ms Egan said: "This result means ordinary Unison members are at long last taking charge of our union.

"We will put faith in members' decisions and stand up to any employer, politician or cabinet minister who acts against our interests."

Ms Egan's election was welcomed by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his new left-wing group, Your Party.

A Your Party spokesperson said: "Andrea's victory on an anti-austerity ticket shows that working-class people won't take more cuts and more decline.

"Unison members have said no to Starmer's crumbs off the table, no to chronic low pay, no to underfunding and no to privatisation."

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Hollywood star Timothée Chalamet is compiling his list of five Brits who he considers to be all-time greats.

"Lewis Hamilton, David and Victoria," he begins, referring to the seven-time Formula One champion and the Beckhams.

"Fakemink," he continues, naming the underground London rapper who recently teamed up with EsDeeKid, the anonymous Liverpool drill artist who many have linked to Chalamet.

("No comment," is his reply when pressed on this. "All will be revealed.")

But Chalamet's final pick of someone who demonstrated British greatness comes totally out of left field.

After a long pause and some deep thought, he reveals his answer: "Susan Boyle."

Yes, it turns out that one of the biggest movie stars on the planet is an admirer of the 64-year-old former Britain's Got Talent star, who went on to have two US number one albums.

"She dreamt bigger than all of us," he explains, without any hint of irony.

"Who wasn't moved by that?" he says about the 2009 viral clip of the Scottish singer performing I Dreamed A Dream from Les Misérables on the talent show.

"I remember that like it was yesterday," the actor says. "That was like the advent of YouTube, you know."

Chalamet, 29, knows a lot about using social media to advance a career.

The reason he is selecting great Britons, is due to one of the many ways he has found to promote his new 1950s table tennis film, Marty Supreme.

For the last month, he has been presenting jackets bearing the film's title to people he deems as being a great.

Honourees so far include swimmer Michael Phelps, NFL legend Tom Brady and Barcelona's Spanish wonder kid Lamine Yamal.

Now his promotional tour has taken him to London, where he opened a pop-up store and is now sitting in a hotel bar looking out over Hyde Park.

I had asked him which Brits would be worth of receiving a jacket, resulting in the SuBo surprise.

Chalamet's frenetically entertaining performance in Marty Supreme has already landed him best actor nominations at both the Golden Globes and the Critics Choice Awards, and the Oscar race is currently seen as a head-to-head between him and Leonardo DiCaprio.

The film is based on real life post-war table tennis star, Marty Reisman. The semi-fictionalised film version Marty Mauser, however, has some dubious morals, getting involved in a heist and trying to destroy the marriage of his biggest sponsor, who he resents.

Despite his questionable on-screen actions, Chalamet is a big fan of his character.

"You know, when you're in your early twenties, you're an idiot," he laughs. "And this movie, in large part, is about being an idiot in your early twenties.

"And if on top of that, you have a passion that you're singular about, you risk looking foolish in addition to being an idiot."

Marty Mauser exudes the same confidence that Chalamet demonstrated while collecting his best actor SAG Award this year for playing Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown.

During his acceptance speech he pontificated: "I'm really in pursuit of greatness. I know people don't usually talk like that, but I want to be one of the greats," before listing Daniel Day Lewis, Marlon Brando, Viola Davis and Michael Jordan, as actors who inspired him.

I ask where his confidence comes from.

"You know, it ebbs and flows. And I feel like that's kind of what keeps me on my toes," he says, in a far more humble way that he demonstrated on stage at the SAGs, wearing a bright green suit.

"It's my New York mentality insofar as if I'm on a movie or in a social situation, if things are going well, you feel great. And if not, the world's falling apart," he says, becoming far more introspective than I had expected.

"And I think increasingly in my life, like as I approach 30 here in a couple weeks, you want to be more on your feet. You want to grow into yourself. But that is a constant learning process. And it's a huge learning curve. And I try not to be too hard on myself or those around me who are also growing."

The actor's landmark birthday presents the perfect chance to ask him how he looks back at his twenties, a decade in which he has twice been nominated for best actor at the Oscars, and starred in huge box office hits including Dune and Wonka.

A huge smile comes over his face as he says: "It's been great. You know, it's been awesome.

"I feel like I'm living in a dream. I'm on top of a fancy hotel in London and talking about a film I'm deeply passionate about.

"And, you know, I got to offend somebody from Scotland the second they walked in with my English shirt," he jokes, referencing my barely disguised displeasure at his choice of interview garb.

Chalamet's dedication to roles is part of his success. He spent five years learning to play the guitar to play Bob Dylan; for Marty Supreme he embarked on seven years of table tennis lessons.

"I got approached with this project in 2018. So that basically gave me six, seven years to prepare on and off. In all my downtime, I would train as much as possible," he enthuses.

"I think the responsibility in this movie, like in the Bob Dylan movie, if you were a Dylan fan or a guitar player, that that looks real to you on screen. Similarly here, if you're a ping-pong aficionado, that that looks believable to you."

His dedication included taking his table tennis table into the desert during Dune and it was oompah-loompah ping-pong between takes on Wonka.

And he's already learning skills for film roles way in the future.

"I can't give anything away, but I do have a couple of white rabbits up my sleeve."

One thing that is totally clear, is his love of the big screen.

In the same month that Netflix has announced its intention to buy one of the major film studios, Warner Bros, Marty Supreme is a film which will have a wide cinema release and has not been made for any streaming service.

It has been produced by A24, the independent film company behind recent Oscar favourites Moonlight, Past Lives and The Brutalist.

"That is an intense question," Chalamet muses after I ask him if he thinks cinemas will actually survive the length of his career.

"I do think with streaming stuff, there's less incentive for these streaming companies to try to put things in theatres, which is dangerous.

"But equally, I do think cinemas will survive and thrive. And that's not to be a false optimist."

And he wants to play his part.

"I feel like my responsibility as a young actor especially, is less to go, 'Hey, how do we get people to revisit this traditional form?' And rather to go, "Hey, how do we take this traditional form and bring it to people?"

Chalamet sincerely believes that Marty Supreme will, in its own way, help cinemas be saved.

"This is an original film at a time where a lot of original films aren't made.

"And there's no part of me that's a salesman that's saying this, but I've never been more confident in saying, "Hey, if you bring yourself to see this movie, you won't be let down. It's really like a slingshot."

Timothée Chalamet – about to turn 30 and more than ready to channel his inner Susan Boyle and dream his dream.

Marty Supreme is released on Boxing Day.

Finland's delegate to last month's Miss Universe pageant held in Thailand has sparked a racism firestorm over a viral photo that showed her pulling the corners of her eyes.

Sarah Dzafce, who has been dethroned, uploaded the photo with the caption "eating with a Chinese". The slanted-eyes pose is often seen as disrespectful to East Asians.

The post drew backlash in Japan, South Korea and China against the 22-year-old and even against her country's flag carrier, Finnair.

Back home in Finland, the prime minister said on Monday making such gestures was "thoughtless and stupid" and that the controversy that ensued was "damaging" to the country.

Ms Dzafce claimed the gesture was her reaction to a headache during dinner. She said a friend added the offensive caption to the 11 December post without her consent, according to local tabloid Ilta-Sanomat.

Ms Dzafce has apologised for the photo, noting it has "caused ill will in many people".

"That was not my intention in any way... One of the most important things for me is respect for people, their backgrounds and differences," she wrote on an Instagram post.

The apology still drew criticism, with some calling it "insincere" given it was written in Finnish.

"Not sure Chinese outside of Finland would understand it. Such considerate and sincere apology," one wrote in a comment on her post.

Another wrote: "That was uncalled for, Asian people didn't do anything to you... We [are] still disappointed in you."

Two right-wing MPs in Finland, Juho Eerola and Kaisa Garedew, posted photos of themselves mimicking Ms Dzafce's gesture to show their support for the beauty queen.

The posts were taken down after backlash. Eerola apologised adding he felt Ms Dzafce was given "disproportionately harsh punishment".

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo condemned the MPs' actions as "childish", adding that lawmakers should set an example of proper conduct.

The Finns Party is deliberating whether the MPs should face any sanctions for their actions, local media reported.

Finland's flag carrier Finnair told public broadcaster Yle that the controversy had affected the company, and that there had been calls for tourists to boycott Finland.

"The statements or posts mentioned by some Finnish members of parliament do not represent the values of Finnair," the airline wrote on its Japanese X account on Tuesday.

"As an airline supported by employees from diverse backgrounds and customers around the world, we promise to welcome everyone with respect," it wrote.

The debacle has also drawn attention in Japan, South Korea and China, among other East Asian countries.

A Japanese man living in Finland launched an petition calling for an investigation into anti-Asian discrimination, which had gathered more than 7,000 signatures as of Sunday evening, the Asahi Shimbun reported.

The Finnish embassy in Japan said it had received "numerous opinions and questions" on Finland's efforts to address racism.

"Racism remains a challenge in Finnish society, and its resolution requires continuous and resolute efforts," it acknowledged in an X post early this week.

The controversy around Ms Dzafce is a postscript to a chaotic Miss Universe audition hosted in Thailand that had been hounded by walkouts and allegations of rigging.

The Miss Finland Organisation said dethroning Ms Dzafce was a "difficult but necessary" move.

"Miss Finland holds a position of role-model status, which requires respecting all people regardless of their origin, background, or appearance," the organisation said in a statement.

"We are deeply sorry for the harm these events have caused. Especially to the Asian community, but also to everyone affected. Racism is never acceptable in any form," it wrote.

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  16 August

  

The second season of Fallout - Prime Video's mega-hit based on the popular video game series - has landed.

Set in a post-apocalyptic future where Earth has been ravaged by nuclear war, the first series was a commercial and critical hit, impressing long-time fans and viewers who'd never played before.

Its surprising success had a huge impact on Bethesda Softworks, the developer of its source material, bringing back lapsed players and creating new ones along the way.

Key creatives from the company have told BBC Newsbeat about working with the show's producers, and what the success of the programme means for the future of the games.

The first season of Fallout arrived at a turning point for Hollywood video game adaptations.

Often far-removed from their source material, and often just a bit rubbish, they'd gained a reputation as low-quality cash grabs.

Then The Last of Us came along.

The 2023 adaptation of the PlayStation blockbuster, released ten years earlier, was a smash hit.

It impressed fans of the games, as well as winning over critics and viewers who'd never picked up a controller.

But there were those who argued the show's creators were running on easy mode.

Because the post-apocalyptic story of bounty hunter Joel and his adoptive daughter Ellie drew heavy influences from prestige TV shows, there was an obvious road map for bringing it to the screen.

The drama's story closely followed the game's, with a few deviations, and fans pointed out shot-for-shot comparisons where sequences were almost identical to their pixelated inspiration.

While The Last of Us was wowing audiences, the producers of Fallout were putting the finishing touches to the first season of their adaptation, one which took a different approach to its source material.

Unlike The Last of Us, which guides the player through a linear story experience, the Fallout games drop them into a more freeform world.

The branching narratives, full of side quests and incidental characters, offer plenty of material to draw from, but deciding what to bring to the screen is a mammoth task.

Todd Howard, director of developer Bethesda Game Studios, tells Newsbeat he was first approached about a filmed version of the game in 2009.

He was agreeable to the idea, he says, but didn't push ahead until meeting executive producer Jonathan Nolan.

Todd says he was a fan of the Briton's work on HBO's Westworld, and impressed by his co-writer credits on films such as The Dark Knight and Interstellar directed by his brother, Christopher Nolan.

The feeling was mutual.

"It turned out he was a huge fan of Fallout," says Todd.

He says the two have become "very close friends" while working on the show together, and he believes it's helped to create trust between the TV and gaming side.

"Everyone involved is on the same page with how they want to treat it with authenticity," he says.

'TV's an entirely different medium'

One of the people in charge of keeping the TV show authentic was studio design director Emil Pagliarulo, a Bethesda veteran who's been closely involved with the Fallout series since its breakout third instalment, released in 2008.

He tells Newsbeat there was an early decision to keep the TV show "canon" - that would become a guiding principle.

That meant "everything that happens in the show happened in the games, or will happen in the games," says Emil.

Fallout, first launched in 1997, has a deep well of established lore the series' biggest fans know well and feel protective of.

Emil admits there was some "back-and-forth" between the TV and gaming sides, especially earlier on.

"It's difficult because TV's an entirely different medium," he says.

"It's really about getting the tone right, but they were very respectful of where we wanted to take it."

He says the strict adherence to the video games' timeline did result in the "occasional late-night text" from the TV show's set.

"Hey, we're filming tomorrow, we had this question," recalls Emil.

"Is this… canonically right?"

"It was always a back-and-forth. It's really fun."

For all the thrill of seeing world you dreamed up realised in another medium, there's a less romantic reason for TV and game studios to get behind adaptations.

As the first season of Fallout was released, prices on most of the games in the series were slashed, appealing to curious new players, and content updates and upgrades aimed at enticing lapsed players were also launched.

It had the desired effect - Fallout 4, the most recent big title, topped sales charts nine years after its original release.

But one of the most significant bumps came to Fallout 76, an online multiplayer spin-off launched in 2018.

The game was poorly received when it first came out, with players complaining of technical issues and a lack of activities in the world.

Bethesda's spent time since addressing those complaints, and managed to attract a healthy number of regular players.

When the first season of Fallout dropped, those numbers skyrocketed to an all-time high.

"We always knew that players would come in after seeing the show," production director Bill Lacoste tells Newsbeat.

But, creative director Jon Rush says "it's safe to say the amount of players that we saw come in, that was… a fun surprise."

With game-makers becoming more directly involved in adaptation work, fans often wonder what impact it has on future game instalments.

Jon says some new Fallout 76 players have stuck around, and it would be "impossible" for them to not have influenced the decisions developers make about regular updates and tweaks.

"Exactly which ways that is, I can't really say. It's kind of an organic process," says Jon.

"We don't make the game in a vacuum. We make it hand-in-hand with the folks that are playing it."

The big question for fans awaiting Fallout 5 - which is likely to still be years away from release - is whether the TV show will have an impact on the game.

"In short, yes," says Todd.

"Fallout 5 will be existing in a world where the stories and events of the show happened or are happening.

"We are taking that into account."

As for whether he's expecting a similar surge in new players in the wake of season two, Todd's not so sure.

"There's still so many people that won't play a game - I think that's getting better but there's still people who are intimidated," he says.

"They still get to experience Fallout and I think that's really important because they're now equal fans of the world."

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.

In a further escalation of tension between the United States and Venezuela, President Donald Trump has ordered a naval blockade to stop sanctioned oil tankers from entering and leaving the South American country.

Venezuela - which has the world's largest proven oil reserves - is highly dependent on revenues from its oil exports to finance its government spending.

But US sanctions targeting Venezuela's state-run oil company PDVSA have made exporting oil difficult for the Venezuelan government, leading them to resort to a fleet of "ghost ships".

So what do we know about these vessels and how they operate?

'Total and complete blockade'

As of last week, more than 30 of the 80 ships in Venezuelan waters or approaching the country were under US sanctions, according to data compiled by TankerTrackers.com.

It is these vessels President Trump is targeting with the "total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into, and out of, Venezuela" he announced on his Truth Social account on 16 December.

The post came less than a week after the US seized an oil tanker believed to be part of the "ghost fleet" off the coast of Venezuela, which used various strategies to conceal its work.

Trump imposed sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry as far back as 2019, during his first term as president.

That year, Venezuelan crude exports fell by more than half from roughly 1.1 million barrels per day in January to about 495,000 by the end of 2019, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

Six years later, the sanctions remain in place but Venezuela's oil exports have grown again to around 920,000 barrels per day as of November, according to the news agency Reuters.

While this falls far short of the country's peak level of oil exports of 3 million barrels per day in 1998, this partial recovery indicates that the sanctions against Venezuela are not working as the US hoped.

It indicates that the government of Nicolás Maduro has found new ways to sell Venezuelan oil with the "ghost fleet" at their centre.

Not unique to Venezuela

Ghost fleets are a growing phenomenon, used not just by Venezuela but also by two other oil-producing countries under Western sanctions - Russia and Iran.

Financial intelligence firm S&P Global estimates that one in five oil tankers worldwide are used to smuggle oil from sanctioned countries.

Of these, 10% carry only Venezuelan oil, 20% carry Iranian oil, while 50% are exclusively dedicated to Russian oil. The remaining 20% are not tied to any particular country and can transport oil from more than one of these nations.

Oil sanctions aim to discourage countries or companies from buying or dealing with crude oil from sanctioned nations.

Companies and nations caught buying oil from sanctioned countries like Venezuela risk being sanctioned themselves by the US.

Sanctioned countries offer their oil at steep discounts so that companies or nations are willing to take the risk of buying it whilst applying tricks to disguise its origin.

False flags and name changes

One of the most common strategies ghost tankers use is to frequently change their name or flag - sometimes several times in a month.

For example, the tanker seized this Wednesday is called The Skipper, according to CBS News, the BBC's US partner.

The ship has been sanctioned by the US Treasury since 2022 for its alleged role in an oil-smuggling network that helps finance Iran's Revolutionary Guard and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, according to CBS.

At that time, the tanker was named Adisa, but it was originally called Toyo. It was one of the vessels linked to Russian oil tycoon Viktor Artemov, who is also under sanctions.

The Skipper is a 20-year-old vessel - another common trait among ghost fleet tankers. Major shipping companies usually dispose of ships after 15 years of service, and after 25 years they are typically scrapped.

'Zombie ships'

Another trick these ships use is to steal the identity of scrapped vessels by using their unique registration numbers assigned by the International Maritime Organization – similar to criminals using the identity of a dead person.

These are known as "zombie ships".

Last April, a ship called Varada arrived in Malaysian waters after a two-month journey from Venezuela.

It raised suspicions because it was a 32-year-old boat and flew the flag of the Comoros, an island nation off east Africa, which is a popular choice among ships that want to avoid detection.

According to a Bloomberg investigation, it was a zombie ship, as the real Varada had been scrapped in Bangladesh in 2017.

The news agency compared satellite images with historical photos to detect four zombie ships carrying Venezuelan crude oil.

Other common tactics include disguising the origin of crude oil by transferring it in international waters to legally compliant tankers with other flags.

These then deliver the oil to its destination, presenting it as coming from a country that is not sanctioned.

This happened with Venezuelan oil exports to China during Trump's first term when sanctions were tightened.

Another common trick among these tankers is disabling the Automatic Identification System, which transmits data including the vessel's name, flag, position, speed or route.

This allows ships to hide their identity and location.

Maritime risk company Vanguard Tech says it believes The Skipper was "spoofing its position for a long time" - that is, transmitting a false signal, making it appear to be in a different location.

According to a report in October by the anti-corruption NGO Transparencia Venezuela, there were 71 foreign tankers at the ports of Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA - of which 15 are under sanctions and nine are linked to ghost fleets.

It found that 24 tankers were operating under stealth, with their mandatory location signals deactivated.

The NGO says it detected six ship-to-ship cargo transfers in waters off western Venezuela.

Most of the ships flew flags of countries considered regulatory havens with lax oversight of sanctions, including Panama, Comoros and Malta.

Many spent more than 20 days without docking at an oil terminal, unlike the Chevron-operated ships that the US has authorised in Venezuela, which load and leave within six days.

"The extended stay in port areas without directly reaching oil terminals raises serious doubts about the type of operations these vessels are conducting," said Transparencia Venezuela in its report.

Given that the operation to seize the ship on 10 December came from the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier - the largest in the world - which is now part of the massive US military deployment in Caribbean waters, Maduro's ability to rely on the ghost fleet is likely to be significantly curtailed.

Nativity play nerves, Santa's grotto queues and Christmas lights crowds can make the festive season a sensory overload for children even before the big day arrives.

And their mini-meltdowns only add to the stresses of parents dashing between school plays, present shopping and masterminding the family feast.

Comedian and dad-of-three George Lewis tells CBeebies Parenting Download that while his children "love the thought of Christmas", the disruption in routine can make December "a real inner conflict" for them.

Parenting and child behaviour specialist San Mehra explains the mismatch of high excitement layered with unpredictability is the perfect recipe for "Christmas overwhelm". George and San share four ways to create a calmer Christmas for your children.

1. Stick to some routine

Christmas disrupts normal routines, but San stresses that keeping anchor points like wake-ups, mealtimes and bedtimes the same helps children feel grounded.

"Chaos all day is hard for kids to cope with," she says. "If one part of the routine changes, it's manageable but if everything changes, overwhelm builds quickly."

She recommends putting up a calendar and marking on events like relatives arriving or a trip to see Santa so children can see what's coming up and ask questions.

"If you've got a child who's got anxiety around change you can have conversations around that and talk about any worries," she says.

And crucially, she adds, parents should schedule downtime as deliberately as activities as it will help you anticipate if you do or don't have time for certain events.

2. Build your own traditions

George once clung to an idealised, movie-style Christmas - perfectly wrapped presents, big meals and a bustling house.

But two of his children have autism and the unpredictability and crowds quickly became overwhelming.

"I always had this version of the perfect Christmas in my head," he says. "But when my son spent an entire family gathering standing alone at the end of the garden, I thought: if this isn't for him, then who is it for?"

Now he builds Christmas around comfort and predictability: staying at home, keeping numbers low and spreading activities out.

One major change was the meal itself.

"We've stopped having Christmas dinner on Christmas Day," he explains and instead they cook it on Christmas Eve or Boxing Day.

"Then on the day itself we're not stressing about a big project and we just play with the kids and order a curry in the evening."

3. Acknowledge their overwhelm

Even with careful planning, festive outings can tip into overload quickly.

And when a meltdown hits, often after a long queue or an overstimulating attraction, San says the first step for parents is to check in with yourself.

"Your first instinct is panic and you might feel embarrassed or stressed and that's okay," she says. But it's important to first make yourself calm.

Then she recommends getting down to the child's level and helping them feel understood.

A simple acknowledgement like: "You've been waiting for ages, haven't you? You're probably fed up right now" can ease the tension.

"If you can name what they are feeling, like frustration or boredom, it will reduce the intensity by 50%," she says.

George adds that his family often chooses SEND-friendly sessions with reduced noise and fewer people to help keep outings enjoyable rather than overwhelming.

4. . Teach children to navigate conflict

With routines off-kilter and excitement running high squabbles can break out between siblings as well as cousins or friends they may not see regularly.

When kids clash, San says parents don't always need to dive in immediately. But if things look like they're escalating she suggests guiding them through these stages:

• Separate the children and ask: "Do you want my help, or do you want to sort it out yourselves?"

• Set the rules: "They have to be quiet while the other person is speaking and they have to listen and empathise."

• Let each child explain what happened, then briefly clarify the sequence.

• Brainstorm solutions together and agree on one

• Check back later to see how it's working.

After a while San says that children will "start to sort it out themselves" using the same method.

The first funeral for one of the victims of the Bondi Beach shooting has taken place in Sydney, with thousands gathering to mourn Rabbi Eli Schlanger.

He was among 15 people killed when two gunmen, alleged to have been motivated by Islamic State ideology, opened fire on a festival marking the first day of Hanukkah.

Rabbi Schlanger, who was known as the "Bondi Rabbi" and had helped organise Sunday's event, was born in the UK. His wife gave birth to their fifth child just two months ago.

Rabbi Levi Wolff, who opened the service, said his death as an "unspeakable loss" for the community, the Chabad of Bondi and "the entire Jewish nation".

"Eli was ripped away from us, doing what he loved best," he said.

"Spreading love and joy and caring for his people with endless self-sacrifice in his life and in his death, he towered above as one of the highest and holiest souls."

He was mourned by his father-in-law as a person beloved by the community. The 41-year-old was "my son, my friend, my confidant," Rabbi Yehoram Ulman told the congregation at the Chabad of Bondi.

"My biggest regret was, apart from the obvious, to tell Eli more often how much we love him, how much I love him, how much we appreciate everything that he does and how proud we are of him," Rabbi Ulman said.

"I hope he knew that but I think it should have been said more often."

Ulman also urged Jewish people not to hide in the aftermath of the attack and said that on Sunday night - the final night of Hanukkah - they would continue a 31-year-old tradition, and light the final candle on Bondi Beach.

"All the rabbis together, under the banner of our Chabat house of Bondi, to which Eli dedicated his life, we are going to gather in Bondi Beach," he said.

The funeral of Rabbi Yaakov Levitan is also expected to take place on Wednesday afternoon, while the funeral of 10-year-old Matilda, the youngest victim, is to take place on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters in Bondi on Wednesday, Matilda's father praised lifesavers, bystanders and police officers who came to their assistance as they struggled to save their daughter's life, and a woman who helped their younger daughter, Summer.

"I must say the biggest thank you to the lady that saved Summer," he said. "I don't know who she was but she literally hugged her for the whole ten minutes of shooting."

Opposition leader Sussan Ley, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns, former prime minister Scott Morrison and Israeli Ambassador Amir Maimon were among those attending Schlanger's funeral.

Anthony Albanese was not present. Asked on ABC NewsRadio about his absence, the prime minister said, "I would attend anything that I'm invited to. These are funerals that are taking place to farewell people's loved ones."

The Jewish community has criticised Albanese for not taking enough action on antisemitism.

The prime minister defended himself against those accusations on Wednesday, telling ABC NewsRadio he had taken a series of measures including appointing the country's first antisemitism envoy, toughening hate speech laws and increasing funding for social cohesion projects and Jewish institutions.

He also said that one of the two men accused of carrying out Sunday's attack would be charged later on Wednesday, although NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon later said this may depend on his medical condition.

"It's important he has appropriate cognitive ability. For his fairness, we need him to understand what is exactly happening," he told reporters in Sydney.

Naveed Akram reportedly woke from a coma on Tuesday afternoon after being shot and critically injured by police in Sunday's attack. His father, 50-year-old Sajid Akram was shot dead.

The pair, who allegedly fired on people attending the Hanukkah festival for around 10 minutes, reportedly travelled to the Philippines in November and police are investigating whether they met with Islamic extremists.

Two police officers were critically injured in the shooting and police on Wednesday confirmed that one of them had lost the sight in one eye as a result.

Jack Hibbert, 22, had only been in the police force for four months when he was shot, police said in a statement. During the attack he had "responded with courage, instinct, and selflessness, continuing to protect and help others whilst injured, until he was physically no longer able to."

The second officer, constable Scott Dyson, underwent further surgery this morning and is in a critical but stable condition, Lanyon added.

Simon Atkinson contributed reporting.

US President Donald Trump has said he is ordering a "a total and complete" blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into and out of Venezuela.

In a post on Truth Social, he accused Venezuela of stealing US assets, such as oil and land, and of "Terrorism, Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking".

"Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela," he added.

His post came a week after the US seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela – a move that marked a sharp escalation Washington's pressure campaign against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro's government.

In the post, the US president said Venezuela was "completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America".

He added that it will "only get bigger" and "be like nothing they have ever seen before".

Trump also accused Maduro's government of using stolen oil to "finance themselves, Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping".

Venezuela has not yet responded to Trump's latest remarks.

The Trump administration has repeatedly accused Venezuela of drug smuggling and since September the US military has killed at least 90 people in strikes on boats it has alleged were carrying fentanyl and other illegal drugs to the US.

In recent months, the US has also moved warships into the region.

Venezuela - home to some of the world's largest proven oil reserves - has, in turn, accused Washington of seeking to steal its resources.

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