Singer Liam Payne's medical cause of death has been confirmed in a UK inquest opening as "polytrauma".

The One Direction star died on 16 October after falling from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires.

Polytrauma is a term for multiple traumatic injuries which have been sustained to a person's body and organ systems.

The hearing, which was held at Buckinghamshire Coroner's Court on 17 December, was told it may take "some time" to formally ascertain how the 31-year-old died.

The inquest into Payne's death in the UK has been adjourned until a pre-inquest review on 6 November, the coroner's court said.

His medical cause of death was confirmed by Dr Roberto Victor Cohen as "polytrauma"

The hearing was also told Payne was formally identified "with the assistance of the funeral directors in Buckinghamshire".

Senior Coroner Crispin Butler said during the hearing: "Whilst there are ongoing investigations in Argentina into the circumstances of Liam's death, over which I have no legal jurisdiction, it is anticipated that procuring the relevant information to address particularly how Liam came by his death may take some time through the formal channel of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office."

Five people in Argentina have been charged in connection with the death of the 31-year-old star.

The hotel's manager, Gilda Martin, and its receptionist, Esteban Grassi, as well as Payne's friend Roger Nores have been charged with manslaughter, Argentina's prosecutor's office says.

Ezequiel Pereyra - who also worked at the hotel - and Braian Paiz, a waiter, have been charged with supplying drugs.

'Multiple trauma'

In November, the prosecutor's office in Argentina said toxicology tests revealed traces of alcohol, cocaine and a prescription antidepressant in Payne's body.

A post-mortem examination determined his cause of death as "multiple trauma" and "internal and external haemorrhage", as a result of the fall from the hotel balcony.

According to the prosecutor's office, medical reports also suggested Payne may have fallen in a state of semi or total unconsciousness.

The prosecutor's office said this ruled out the possibility of a conscious or voluntary act by Payne, and they had concluded the singer did not know what he was doing nor have any comprehension of his actions.

Payne became one of the most recognisable names in pop after appearing on The X Factor and rising to fame with the boyband One Direction in the 2010s before the band went on an indefinite hiatus in January 2016.

The singer's funeral was held in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, in November.

His former bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik were among the mourners, alongside Payne's girlfriend Kate Cassidy and his former partner Cheryl, with whom he shares a son.

Wintry weather is forecast to tighten its grip in many parts of the UK this week with sub-zero temperatures plunging even lower than during the heavy snowfall of the past weekend.

Weather forecasters predict the coldest nights of the year so far on Wednesday and Thursday, and temperatures are expected to fall as low as -20 C in some areas.

A series of yellow weather warnings covering the next few days have already become active - with the latest warnng of the danger of ice in parts of northern Wales, as well as areas in central and northern England, until 12:00 GMT on Wednesday.

The cold weather comes after another day of flooding causing havoc in central England but, with no further rainfall expected in flood-hit areas in the coming days, flood waters are likely to begin subsiding.

Travel disruption continued on Tuesday, with flights delayed, roads closed and railways impacted by the poor weather.

People continued to grapple with the impact of the severe flooding that has affected homes and businesses across the Midlands in England and a man had to be rescued from a flooded caravan park in Leicestershire's Barrow upon Soar.

There were 114 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, and 205 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible, in place across England on Tuesday afternoon.

One flood warning and six flood alerts were active in Wales.

Looking ahead, weather forecasters expect the flood waters and warnings to begin to subside, with no significant rain predicted in the areas currently experiencing flooding.

But by then the focus will have switched back to how far temperatures are likely to fall, particularly during the night.

The ice warning covering Tuesday night and Wednesday morning is accompanied by another, also up to 12:00 on Wednesday, which tells people to be aware of the likelihood of snow and ice in Northern Ireland and parts of northern and western Scotland.

A separate yellow warning for snow in some southern counties of England will come into force at 09:00 on Wednesday, and will last until midnight.

The wintry conditions have caused significant disruption across the UK since snow swept many parts of the country at the weekend.

Hundreds of schools were closed in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, including schools in Yorkshire, Merseyside, the Midlands and Aberdeenshire.

Most flights are running again after they were temporarily halted at airports in Liverpool, Bristol, Aberdeen and Manchester – but operators have warned some delays are still likely.

Some major roads were shut because of poor weather conditions, including the A1 in Lincolnshire which was still closed on Tuesday afternoon due to extensive flooding.

Worst since 2021?

Bitter cold is expected in many parts of the UK in the coming days, with the likelihood of sharp overnight frosts.

Temperatures are expected to drop well below freezing on Wednesday and Thursday night, with forecasters expecting many parts of the UK to experience a hard frost and lows of between -3C and -10C.

In places that are still experiencing snow cover, it could be as cold as -14C to -16C on Wednesday night, and on Thursday the Pennines and snow fields of Scotland could register temperatures as low as -16C to -20C.

That would actually be far colder than was experienced at the weekend when a low of -13.3 C was recorded at Loch Glascarnoch in the Highlands.

It is also significantly lower than anything seen last winter when a particularly bitter night in Dalwhinnie in the Highlands saw a mark of -14C being recorded.

The last time the UK had any temperature that below -20C was in February 2021 when Braemar in Aberdeenshire was measured at -23C.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has told Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer he risks fuelling accusations of "a cover up" by refusing to hold a national inquiry into grooming gangs.

She also accused the PM of not wanting questions asked "of Labour politicians who may be complicit".

Sir Keir argued that several inquires had already been held into abuse carried out by gangs of men, predominantly of Pakistani heritage, and that a new probe would only delay the action the victims wanted.

And he said he would "call out" anyone who prevented victims of sexual abuse from coming forward.

The Conservatives have tabled an amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill which calls for a national inquiry.

In the unlikely event the amendment is approved the bill, which includes measures aimed at protecting children and tougher rules around home-schooling, as well as changes to academies, would be scuppered.

Sir Keir said it was "shocking" Conservative MPs would try to block a bill aimed at helping vulnerable children by voting for the Tory amendment and accused Badenoch of "weak leadership".

Making her argument for a fresh inquiry, Badenoch said "no one has joined the dots, no one has the total picture".

She noted that the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, which lasted for seven years and concluded in 2022, had not had a specific focus on grooming gangs.

"We don't need to repeat the work that has already been done. Let's look at new areas."

She said a new inquiry could explore "if there was a racial and cultural motivation to some of these crimes".

Sir Keir said "reasonable people could agree or disagree" on whether there should be a fresh probe and acknowledged that there were mixed views among victims and survivors.

However, he accused Badenoch of only recently taking an interest in the subject and said she had failed to take action when she was in government.

"I can't recall her once raising this issue in the House, once calling for a national inquiry," he said.

Work is under way to create one of the largest energy storage facilities in Europe at Coalburn in South Lanarkshire.

Developers say the two huge neighbouring battery farms - one at the site of a former opencast coal mine - will store enough electricity to power three million homes.

The one gigawatt facility is being constructed in two phases with the first due to be operational later this year.

It will be charged using excess power from wind farms with the electricity being discharged when demand is high or renewable generation is low.

The giant batteries will operate for two hours at a time before being depleted.

Work on the first phase started in November 2023 with the developers - Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) - confirming that construction would begin shortly on stage two.

Nischal Agarwal from CIP said the projects would enhance the the country's energy security.

He added said it would support the UK's pursuit of a clean power system by 2030 and deliver a net-zero carbon economy by 2050.

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are being built across the UK to help balance the electricity grid, which is becoming increasingly powered by renewables.

Almost 90% of the electricity generated in Scotland last year was from low carbon sources like wind, solar or nuclear, according to figures from the Scottish government.

To help balance the peaks and troughs of renewables, the National Grid estimates that the UK would need to see BESS provision grow almost six times over by the end of the decade.

Alongside the final investment decision for the Coalburn 2 site, CIP has also confirmed that work will begin soon on a similar sized battery farm near Kincardine in Fife.

The Devilla site will take the company's storage capacity up to 1.5GW.

Visiting the Coalburn 1 site, first minister John Swinney said the investment would deliver a significant contribution to the growth of Scotland's energy transition infrastructure.

"By helping to supply reliable and secure power to our homes and businesses, well-located storage systems, such as batteries and pumped hydro storage, can move us closer to net zero and directly support the communities around them."

The second phase of the Coalburn development is being built on the former Broken Cross open cast workings about four miles south of Lesmahagow.

Owner Hargreaves Services announced in 2016 that it was ending mining there along with five other sites in Scotland.

A nine turbine wind farm is being constructed on the site, with work due to begin this year on the second phase of the Coalburn 2 battery storage site.

The project is expected to reach full capacity by the end of 2027.

A body believed to be one of two British men has been found after they went missing in the Dolomites, Italy's alpine rescue service has said.

Aziz Ziriat, 36, and Samuel Harris, 35, from London, were last heard from on 1 January after sending messages home from the Trentino region in northern Italy. They did not check into their flight home on 6 January.

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High winds and lack of rain are the main factors driving the Southern California fires, but climate change is altering the background conditions, increasing the likelihood of these conflagrations, say experts.

Researchers have shown that a warming world increases the number of "fire weather" days, when conditions are more suited to outbreaks of fire.

California is particularly vulnerable right now because of a lack of rain in recent months, following a very warm summer.

The powerful Santa Ana winds that naturally occur at this time of year, combined with the dry conditions, can result in fast moving and dangerous fire outbreaks.

Reaching 60-70 mph, these strong, dry winds blow from the interior of Southern California towards the coast and this month has seen the worst high wind event in the area in over a decade.

The winds are drying out the lands, and researchers say that while the strongest winds will occur at the start of this outbreak, the driest vegetation will come at the end, meaning these fires could drag on for quite some time.

The high wind speeds are also altering the location of the fires. Many outbreaks occur high up on mountains, but these recent fires have rapidly moved down into the valleys and into areas where more people live.

"That's where there are more potential ignition sources," said climate researcher Daniel Swain from UCLA in a social media post.

"It's also where it's harder to turn off the power pre-emptively than it is in other locations where these public safety power shut offs are more common and are prepped for at a more regular basis. So there's going to be some potential challenges there."

The impact of a changing climate is evident in the bigger picture for the state.

California has experienced a decades-long drought that ended just two years ago. The resulting wet conditions since then have seen the rapid growth of shrubs and trees, the perfect fuel for fires.

However last summer was very hot and was followed by dry autumn and winter season - downtown Los Angeles has only received 0.16 inches of rain since October, more than 4 inches below average.

Researchers believe that a warming world is increasing the conditions that are conducive to wildland fire, including low relative humidity.

These "fire weather" days are increasing in many parts of the world, with climate change making these conditions more severe and the fire season lasting longer in many parts of the world, scientists have shown.

In California, the situation has been made worse by the topography with fires burning more intensely and moving more rapidly in steep terrain. This area of California is also dominated by naturally very fire-prone shrub vegetation.

"While fires are common and natural in this region, California has seen some of the most significant increases in the length and extremity of the fire weather season globally in recent decades, driven largely climate change," said Professor Stefan Doerr, Director of the Centre for Wildfire Research, at Swansea University.

"That said, it is too early to say to what degree climate change has made these specific fires more extreme. This will need to be evaluated in a more detailed attribution analysis."

A 14-year-old boy who was stabbed to death on a bus in south-east London loved music and cared about the people around him, his mother said in a tearful tribute.

Kelyan Bokassa died shortly after being attacked on a 472 double-decker bus on Woolwich Church Street at about 14:30 GMT on Tuesday.

He was also "kind" and was talented at drawing, his mother Mary Bokassa told the BBC.

No arrests have been made, but detectives say they are working "at pace" to find those responsible.

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France has said the European Union will not allow other nations to attack its "sovereign borders", after US President-Elect Donald Trump refused to rule out using military force to seize Greenland.

On Tuesday, Trump reiterated his desire to acquire the autonomous Danish territory, saying it was "critical" for national and economic security.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told French radio "there is obviously no question that the European Union would let other nations of the world attack its sovereign borders, whoever they are".

Barrot said he did not believe the US was going to invade the vast Arctic island, but he was clear the EU should not let itself be intimidated.

Denmark, a long-time US ally, has repeatedly made clear that Greenland is not for sale and that it belongs to its inhabitants.

Greenland's prime minister, Mute Egede, is pushing for independence and has also made clear the territory is not for sale. He was visiting Copenhagen on Wednesday.

Trump made the remarks at a free-wheeling news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, less than two weeks before he is sworn in for his second term as president.

Asked if he would rule out using military or economic force in order to take over Greenland or the Panama Canal, Trump said: "No, I can't assure you on either of those two.

"But I can say this, we need them for economic security."

• Panama Canal will stay in our hands, minister tells Trump

Greenland has been home to a US radar base since the Cold War and has long been strategically important for Washington.

Trump suggested the island was crucial to military efforts to track Chinese and Russian ships, which he said are "all over the place".

"I'm talking about protecting the free world," he told reporters.

Speaking to France Inter radio, Barrot said: "If you're asking me whether I think the United States will invade Greenland, my answer is no.

"Have we entered into an era that sees the return of the survival of the fittest? Then the answer is yes.

"So, should we allow ourselves to be intimidated and overcome with worry, clearly not. We must wake up, build up our strength."

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told Danish TV on Tuesday that "Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders" and that only the local population could determine its future.

However, she stressed Denmark needed close co-operation with the US, a Nato ally.

• Trump's eyeing Greenland - but other Arctic investment is frozen
• When does Donald Trump take office as US president?

Greenland, which is the largest island in the world but has a population of just 57,000, has wide-ranging autonomy, although its economy is largely dependent on subsidies from Copenhagen and it remains part of the kingdom of Denmark.

It also has some of the largest deposits of rare earth minerals, which are crucial in the manufacture of batteries and high-tech devices.

Danish Broadcasting Corporation senior international correspondent Steffen Kretz, who has been reporting in Greenland's capital, Nuuk, said most of the people he had spoken to were "shocked" by Trump's suggestion he could use military force to take control of the territory.

While a majority of people in Greenland hoped for independence in the future, he said there was widespread acknowledgment that it needed a partner who could provide public services, defence and an economic foundation, as Denmark did now.

"I have yet to meet a person in Greenland who is dreaming of the island becoming a colony for another outside power like the USA."

Kretz told the BBC that while the Danish government had sought to "downplay" any confrontation with Trump, "behind the scenes I sense the awareness that this conflict has the potential to be the biggest international crisis for Denmark in modern history".

The president-elect's son, Donald Trump Jr, paid a brief visit to Greenland on Tuesday, in what he described as a "personal day trip" to talk to people.

He then posted a photo with a group of Greenlanders in a bar wearing pro-Trump caps.

The co-chair of the independent body that reviews Facebook and Instagram content has said she is "very concerned" about how parent company Meta's decision to ditch fact checkers will affect minority groups.

Helle Thorning-Schmidt, from Meta's oversight board, told the BBC she welcomed aspects of the shake-up, which will see users decide about the accuracy of posts via X-style "community notes".

However speaking on Today, on BBC Radio Four, she added there were "huge problems" with what had been announced, including the potential impact on LBTQ+ and trans people, as well as gender rights.

"We are seeing many instances where hate speech can lead to real-life harm, so we will be watching that space very carefully," she said.

In a video posted alongside a blog post by the company on Tuesday, Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said the decision was motivated by "getting back to our roots around free expression".

He said third-party fact checkers currently used by the firm were "too politically biased", meaning too many users were being "censored."

The decision has prompted questions about the survival of the board - which Meta funds - and was created by then president of global affairs, Sir Nick Clegg, who announced he was leaving the company less than a week ago.

Ms Thorning-Schmidt - a former Prime Minister of Denmark - insisted the changes to fact checking meant it was needed more than ever.

"That's why it is good we have an oversight board that can discuss this in a transparent way with Meta", she said.

'Kiss up to Trump'

While Meta says the move is about free speech, others have suggested it is an attempt to get closer to the incoming Trump administration, and catch up with the access and influence enjoyed by another tech titan, Elon Musk.

The tech journalist and author Kara Swisher told the BBC it was "the most cynical move" she had seen Mr Zuckerberg make in the "many years" she had been reporting on him.

"Facebook does whatever is in its self-interest", she told Today.

"He wants to kiss up to Donald Trump, and catch up with Elon Musk in that act."

However while campaigners against hate speech online reacted with dismay to the change some advocates of free speech have welcomed the news.

The US free speech group Fire said: "Meta's announcement shows the marketplace of ideas in action. Its users want a social media platform that doesn't suppress political content or use top-down fact-checkers.

"These changes will hopefully result in less arbitrary moderation decisions and freer speech on Meta's platforms."

Speaking after the changes were announced, Trump told a news conference he was impressed by Mr Zuckerberg's decision and that Meta had "come a long way".

Asked whether Mr Zuckerberg was "directly responding" to threats Trump had made to him in the past, the incoming US president responded: "Probably".

Advertiser exodus

Mr Zuckerberg acknowledged on Tuesday there was some risk for the company in the change of strategy.

"It means we're going to catch less bad stuff, but we'll also reduce the number of innocent people's posts and accounts that we accidentally take down," he said in his video message.

X's move to a more hands-off approach to moderating content has contributed to a major fall-out with advertisers.

Jasmine Enberg, analyst at Insider Intelligence, said that was a risk for Meta too.

"Meta's massive size and powerhouse ad platform insulate it somewhat from an X-like user and advertiser exodus", she told the BBC.

"But brand safety remains a key factor in determining where advertisers spend their budgets - any major drop in engagement could hurt Meta's ad business, given the intense competition for users and ad dollars."

As firefighters in California battle three different blazes in and around Los Angeles, residents in the affluent suburb of Palisades have told the BBC how they fled the approaching flames.

Pacific Palisades resident David Latt said he and his wife had just 10 minutes to grab important documents and family photographs before being stuck in a traffic jam for two hours as they tried to escape.

Speaking to the Radio 4 Today programme Mr Latt said he had been unware of the fires until a neighbour warned him.

"I didn't know what he was even talking about until I went outside and I saw, about four blocks away up a hill, a very large plume of black smoke. And then I realised; 'oh, we need to get out of here!'"

Mr Latt said most people are aware of the need to pack a "grab-and-go bag" containing important documents like passports and other essential items. He wanted to make sure he had "all the receipts we needed to file our taxes… and we gathered more family photographs, albums, artwork, that we could get into our two cars".

After collecting their most important belongings, he took a moment to film the wildfires from his roof and check the direction of the wind. When he realised it was blowing in his direction, he knew it was time to move - just minutes after getting the warning.

With access to and from his area limited to just one road, Mr Latt said they were stuck in a traffic jam for two hours as they attempted to flee.

Bordering Malibu, Pacific Palisades is a haven of hillside streets and winding roads nestled against the Santa Monica Mountains and extending down to beaches along the Pacific Ocean.

Mr Latt is unsure of what has happened to his home, and does not believe they will know much more for at least a day; extremely high winds are forecast later on Wednesday night and into Thursday which could fan the flames to whip up more fires across Los Angeles.

"What we know from experience is that even though the firefighters are doing a remarkable job in putting out areas of fire, but some sparks remain... the wind picks it up, carries the embers which can go across the street or a mile away... That's what the concern is in LA tonight," Mr Latt said.

The speed of which he saw firefighting aircraft in the skies gave him some confidence in a "frightening situation", he added.

• Follow latest updates on the LA wildfires
• Watch: Smoke billows as thousands evacuate in LA
• 'Run for your lives!' residents abandon cars to flee fire on foot
• Timelapse shows rapid spread of Palisades wildfire
• Watch: Inside a neighbourhood totally lost in inferno
• Pacific Palisades: The celebrity LA area ravaged by wildfire

In Palisades, firefighters told people to get out of their cars as the blaze approached, fanned by gusts of winds sometimes topping 100mph (160km/h).

"The fire was right up against the cars," resident Marsha Horowitz told the BBC.

Celebrities were also among those fleeing.

Schitt's Creek actor Eugene Levy lives in the area and told local media he was forced to evacuate his home. "The smoke looked pretty black and intense over Temescal Canyon. I couldn't see any flames but the smoke was very dark," he told the Los Angeles Times.

Mr Latt and his wife made it to safety, but unease has gripped residents in the city as the three wildfires rage on its northern and western outskirts.

Whipped up by strong winds, the fires have destroyed homes, clogged roads and forced more than 30,000 people to flee.

With at least 50,000 homes without power, other people in affected neighbourhoods have been driving until they get a signal to try and make calls or connect to the internet, unsure what to do.

If they go to sleep, they worry they will not know when to evacuate. Many can see flames from their homes, but are unsure if they are close enough to leave.

Many people have have children and pets, and are unsure of where to go.

Journalist Amrita Khalid lives in coastal city of Santa Monica, which is also being evacuated.

She told the BBC World Service's Newsday radio programme that the day began like any other.

"I can't stress to you how normal this morning was in Santa Monica. It just seemed like another nice winter morning. But then, I was walking home from the gym and I just noticed big black billowing clouds of smoke."

She then decided to leave her home for a safer location and says a photo of her neighbourhood that was shared with her affirmed her decision to leave.

"It looks like Mars, it looks bright red," she said. "So I'm kind of glad I left. I think better be safe than sorry."

What causes Santa Ana winds and where do they come from?

Why are they linked to wildfires in southern California?

How strong are the Santa Ana winds?

Why are the winds called Santa Ana?

A wildfire that started in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles on Tuesday morning has spread across the west of the city at an alarming rate throughout Tuesday and overnight.

High winds and very dry conditions further fuelled the flames, causing the blaze to rip through neighbourhoods at alarming speeds. The fires reportedly spread from a size of 10 acres to nearly 3,000 in a matter of hours.

Firefighters have been battling the flames throughout the night, as residents were forced to flee amid evacuation orders affecting tens of thousands of people.

Photographers have captured dramatic scenes across the west of the city as firefighters work to control the fires.

The BBC's Regan Morris reported on fires raging out of control, leaving those without power and phone signal unable to receive updates on the latest evacuation alerts.

Meanwhile, CBS reporter Jonathan Vigliotti said firefighters were no longer "trying to save" houses in the Palisades, "they're trying to prevent these flames from jumping to other neighbourhoods".

A well-known high school in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles has reportedly fallen victim to a wildfire raging in the US city.

Parts of Palisades Charter High School - which counts celebrities including Will.i.am and Forest Whitaker among its alumni and has itself been a Hollywood filming location - have caught fire, local media say. The extent of the damage is unclear.

As well as the Palisades Fire - which has quickly spread to cover nearly 3,000 acres - two nearby blazes ignited on Tuesday. Thousands of people have been evacuated.

The school's website says it has closed - and urged pupils and their families to avoid the area. The BBC has asked for further comment.

The school, which educates children aged 14-18, says its students come from a broad area of western Los Angeles. Its buildings are known as a location for films including Carrie, Teen Wolf and Freaky Friday.

Los Angeles is in a state of emergency, and an interactive map managed by fire officials confirms that the fast-moving fires have affected a swathe of land on which the school is located.

The map notes that the Palisades Fire - like the two other blazes - is totally uncontained. About 30,000 people have been told to leave their homes.

• Follow live updates on this story
• 'Run for your lives!' Locals abandon cars to flee fires

The new school term had yet to begin on Tuesday, although a small number of students and staff were on site, according to the LA Times. They were rapidly evacuated, and no injuries have been reported.

The newspaper said the school's sporting facilities had been damaged, but that the extent to which buildings had been impacted was unclear. Firefighters were on the scene, the newspaper added.

A reporter for the BBC's US partner, CBS News, confirmed that flames could be seen coming from the premises - but said it was not clear what was burning. An evacuee speaking at the scene described the fires as "armageddon".

The separate Palisades Charter Elementary School nearby has also reportedly been caught up in the blaze.

• Pacific Palisades: The celebrity LA area ravaged by wildfire
• The weird wind that can supercharge heatwaves and wildfire

The wider Pacific Palisades neighbourhood is known as an upscale celebrity haunt. Schitt's Creek actor Eugene Levy is among those who have been forced to leave their homes - and others, including Tom Hanks and Jennifer Aniston, have reportedly had to do the same.

The other two fires are burning above Altadena, near the Eaton Canyon, and in the Sylmar suburb, where a mandatory evacuation has been ordered as flames spread rapidly.

More than 1,400 firefighters have been deployed to combat the "unprecedented" blazes, California Governor Gavin Newsom said earlier.

Fire ecologist Chad Hanson predicted "a rough night" for fire crews, with the most extreme conditions expected from 02:00-06:00 local time (10:00-14:00 GMT).

Mr Hanson said January was still considered to be wildfire season in this part of California, and that the biggest influence were the Santa Ana winds.

"These winds are unique to southern California," he said, explaining that they result in" extreme, sustained wind events with pretty dramatic gusts."

Additional reporting by Thomas Mackintosh

Are you having to evacuate due to the fires? If it is safe to do so, get in touch.

Two complaints against the Metropolitan Police over its handling of allegations against Mohamed Al Fayed are to be investigated by the force under the direction of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

The Met is currently reviewing a total of 21 allegations made before the former Harrods boss died in 2023. It referred two of these to the IOPC in November.

On Wednesday, the police watchdog said that the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards will continue to investigate those two complaints, but will do so under the IOPC's direction.

Claims of sexual offences by Al Fayed arose in a BBC documentary, after his death, which revealed the extent of his predatory behaviour.

It was only after the BBC broadcast in September that the Met revealed it had been approached by 21 women before Al Fayed's death who accused him of sexual offences including rape, sexual assault and trafficking. Despite this, he was never charged with any offences.

Dozens more have since contacted the force, with allegations stretching as far back as 1977. A wider investigation by the Met into the claims against Al Fayed is ongoing.

Two of the women, whose allegations were investigated in 2008 and 2013, complained after the documentary about how the force had handled their claims.

The complaints relate to "concerns about the quality of police response and how details came to be disclosed publicly", a previous statement from the Met said.

IOPC director of operations Steve Noonan said: "There is widespread public concern around this case, with a significant number of allegations reported over many years while Mr Al Fayed was still alive.

"It's important that an investigation is carried out into these complaints to identify if there were any missed opportunities or failures by officers to properly investigate these reports."

A body believed to be one of two British men has been found after they went missing in the Dolomites, Italy's alpine rescue service has said.

Aziz Ziriat, 36, and Samuel Harris, 35, from London, were last heard from on 1 January after sending messages home from the Trentino region in northern Italy. They did not check into their flight home on 6 January.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

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A large UK study has found further evidence that people with more calcium in their diet - equivalent to a glass of milk a day - can help reduce their risk of bowel cancer.

The researchers analysed the diets of more than half a million women over 16 years and found dark leafy greens, bread and non-dairy milks containing calcium also had a protective effect.

They also found more evidence that consuming too much alcohol and processed meat has the opposite effect, increasing the risk of the disease.

Cancer charities say having a healthy, balanced diet, being a healthy weight and stopping smoking were the best ways to lower your risk of bowel cancer.

How big is the effect?

A recent review found dairy products "probably" decreased the risk of colorectal (bowel) cancer.

This study, from Oxford University and Cancer Research UK, suggests that is down to calcium, from dairy or non-dairy foods.

• an extra 300mg of calcium a day in the diet, or a large glass of milk, lowers your risk by 17%

"It highlights the potential protective role of dairy, largely due to calcium, in the development of bowel cancer," said lead researcher Dr Keren Papier, from Oxford.

Breakfast cereal, fruit, wholegrains, carbohydrates, fibre and vitamin C also showed they lowered the risk of the cancer, but only slightly.

It is already well-known that eating too much processed meat and red meat probably increases your risk of bowel cancer, as does alcohol.

This study provides more evidence of that link:

• drinking an additional large glass of wine a day, or 0.7oz (20g) of alcohol, increases your risk by 15%
• eating 1oz more red and processed meat a day, such as a slice of ham, increases your risk by 8%

Quantifying exactly what those percentages mean is tricky, because everyone's risk of bowel cancer is different depending on their lifestyle, diet, habits and genetics.

What does calcium do? What foods contain it?

Calcium is an important mineral for strengthening bones and keeping your teeth healthy, but there is growing evidence it also protects against some cancers.

There is lots of calcium in milk, yoghurt and cheese. Dairy products are one of the main sources of it in the UK diet (we love our cereals in the morning).

It is also present in other foods like soya and rice drinks, white bread, nuts, seeds and fruits like dried figs, curly kale and canned sardines, and it is also in lactose-free milk.

The study says calcium may protect against bowel cancer "because it is able to bind to bile acids and free fatty acids in the colon, lowering their potentially carcinogenic effects".

Why is bowel cancer so common?

There are about 44,000 cases of bowel cancer every year in the UK, making it the fourth most common cancer.

Although most cases are in older people, rates of the cancer are rising among younger adults - but there is no clear reason why.

Experts say poor diet and obesity may be among the factors involved.

Symptoms of bowel cancer include:

• a change in your bowel habits, such as looser poo, pooing more often or constipation
• bleeding from your bottom or finding blood in your poo
• losing weight when you have not been trying to
• unexplained tiredness or breathlessness

Advice is to talk to your doctor if you notice any one of them.

What do other experts say?

This was an observational study, not a trial, so it cannot prove categorically that calcium or any other food product protects against cancer or makes it more likely.

However, the researchers say the study is "the largest on diet and bowel cancer to date", which gives them confidence they are on the right track. The findings are also in line with previous studies' conclusions.

More than 12,000 women in the study developed bowel cancer, and nearly 100 food products and nutrients in their diets were investigated to assess potential links.

Nutrition expert Prof Janet Cade, from the University of Leeds, said the paper "provides important evidence showing that overall diet can influence risk of colorectal cancer".

Prof Andrew Prentice, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, wonders whether, in the light of the study results, calcium supplements might be protective although he says "the jury is out on this".

The take-home message for Prof Tom Sanders, from King's College London, is that "drinking above the safe limits of alcohol intake (more than 14 units per week) increases [the] risk of colorectal cancer in women, but that drinking about half a pint of cows' milk a day is probably protective".

Dr Lisa Wilde, from charity Bowel Cancer UK, says someone is diagnosed with bowel cancer "every 12 minutes" and half of all bowel cancers could be prevented with healthier lifestyles.

"If you don't drink dairy milk there are other ways you can get calcium, for example from broccoli or tofu, and still reduce your bowel cancer risk," she says.

Pushing for a new national inquiry into grooming gangs by halting the progress of a bill aimed at bolstering child safety is "utterly sickening", the education secretary has said.

Bridget Phillipson told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the Tory Party's plan to bring forward an amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill "would kill it stone dead".

She said it was "the single biggest piece of children safeguarding legislation in a generation", which the Conservatives intended to block "on the altar of political opportunism".

The Conservatives have joined calls by Elon Musk for a new UK-wide inquiry into child sexual abuse, despite a wide-ranging independent probe having concluded its work in 2022.

The Conservatives will bring forward an amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill on Wednesday, which is expected to call for ministers to establish a "national statutory inquiry into historical child sexual exploitation, focused on grooming gangs".

The amendment is unlikely to be supported by a majority in the Commons, as the government wants to roll out the recommendations of the inquiry led by Prof Alexis Jay, rather than open a new inquiry.

The non-binding amendment also calls for the Commons to halt the progress of the bill, which includes measures aimed at bolstering safeguarding for children.

Phillipson said the government backed local inquiries into grooming gangs and said the row over calls for a new national probe had "lost sight" of victims.

The time of day you drink a cup of coffee may lower the risk of an early death, new research suggests.

The study found that people who drank coffee in the morning had a lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and had a lower mortality risk than all-day coffee consumers - but the research could not prove whether coffee was the sole cause.

Dr Lu Qi, lead researcher and director of Tulane University Obesity Research Center, said while the study does not show why drinking coffee in the morning reduces the risk, but one explanation could be that consumption later in the day may disrupt a person's internal body clock.

The study was published on Wednesday in the European Heart Journal.

Dr Qi said further studies are needed to see if their findings could also be observed in other populations, adding: "We need clinical trials to test the potential impact of changing the time of day when people drink coffee."

"This study doesn't tell us why drinking coffee in the morning reduces the risk of death from cardiovascular disease," he explained.

"A possible explanation is that consuming coffee in the afternoon or evening may disrupt circadian rhythms [our bodies 24-hour cycle of physical, mental and behavioural changes] and levels of hormones such as melatonin.

"This, in turn, leads to changes in cardiovascular risk factors such as inflammation and blood pressure."

The researchers from Tulane University in New Orleans, looked at 40,725 adults who had taken part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in the US between 1999 and 2018.

They were asked about their daily food and drink consumption, and whether they drank coffee, how much and when.

"Given the effects that caffeine has on our bodies, we wanted to see if the time of day when you drink coffee has any impact on heart health," explained Dr Qi.

While past research has found moderate coffee drinking can have health benefits, this was the "first study testing coffee drinking timing patterns and health outcomes", he added.

According to the research, 36% of those taking part were morning coffee drinkers, and 14% were all-day drinkers.

Dr Qi and his team tracked the participants for nearly a decade, looking at their information records and causes of death during that time period.

During the follow-up after almost 10 years, 4,295 people died, including 1,268 cardiovascular disease- related deaths.

The researchers found that morning coffee drinkers were 16% less likely to have died compared to those who did not drink coffee, and 31% less likely to have died from heart disease.

They also saw no reduction in risk for all-day coffee drinkers compared to non-coffee drinkers.

"Drinking coffee in the morning may be more strongly associated with a lower risk of mortality than drinking coffee later in the day," they wrote in the research paper.

The researchers said higher coffee intake amounts were "significantly" associated with a lower risk of death, but only among people who drank coffee in the morning compared with those who drank coffee all day.

In an accompanying editorial, Prof Thomas F Luscher from Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals in London, asked: "Why would time of the day matter?

"In the morning hours there is commonly a marked increase in sympathetic activity [activity that puts your body systems on alert] as we wake up and get out of bed, an effect that fades away during the day and reaches its lowest level during sleep."

Prof Luscher said that - like the researchers suggest - it is "possible" that coffee drinking later in the day could disrupt out bodies internal clock at a time we should be resting.

"Indeed, many all-day drinkers suffer from sleep disturbances," he explained, adding that "in this context, it is of interest that coffee seems to suppress melatonin, an important sleep-inducing mediator in the brain."

The study also suggested that among coffee drinkers, participants who consumed it in the morning were more likely to consume tea and caffeinated soda but consume less coffee - both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee - compared with those who drank coffee all day.

OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman's sister, Ann Altman, has filed a lawsuit alleging that he regularly sexually abused her between 1997 and 2006.

The lawsuit, which was filed on 6 January in a US District Court in the Eastern District of Missouri, alleges that the abuse started when she was three and Mr Altman was 12.

In a joint statement on X, with his mother and two brothers, Mr Altman denied the allegations, saying "all of these claims are utterly untrue."

"Caring for a family member who faces mental health challenges is incredibly difficult," the statement added.

"This situation causes immense pain to our entire family."

In the filing, which has been seen by the BBC, Ms Altman alleged that the abuse, which took place over many years, included rape.

The lawsuit added the last instance of the alleged abuse took place when Mr Altman was an adult but she was still a minor.

The lawsuit requested a jury trial and damages in excess of $75,000 ($60,100).

Ms Altman has previously made similar allegations against her brother on social media platforms such as X.

Mr Altman is one of the technology world's most high profile figures.

In late 2022, OpenAi launched the ChatGPT generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot.

Additional reporting by Lily Jamali

Luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce will expand its Goodwood factory and global headquarters to meet the growing demand for bespoke models.

It will invest more than £300 million so it can build more highly-customised versions of its cars for its super-rich clientele.

The 120-year old British brand came under full control of German carmaker BMW in 2003 and officially opened the site in West Sussex the same year. Rolls Royce says this expansion secures its future in the UK.

Rolls-Royce sold 5,712 cars in 2024, the third highest total in its history.

While that number may seem tiny compared with the millions of cars delivered each year by mainstream manufacturers, Rolls-Royce operates in a highly rarefied market.

The brand said it "does not disclose prices" but it is understood its cheapest model, the Ghost saloon, sells from about £250,000 upwards. Its Cullinan sports utility vehicle and electric Spectre models are thought to start at around £340,000.

In comparison, the average UK house price was £297,000 last year, according to Halifax.

The price of bespoke models can vary widely. When it comes to the most elaborate creations, the final product can cost several times the base price of the car.

There are relatively few buyers who can afford to pay so much for a car. Among those who can are celebrities, who often do not mind flaunting their wealth.

Among them are US stars Kim Kardashian and Nicki Minaj, as well as British rapper Stormzy who was banned from driving after being caught using a mobile phone behind the wheel of his Wraith in London.

'Holographic paint and one-off artworks'

For some customers, simply owning a Rolls-Royce isn't exclusive enough. In recent years, the company has increasingly focused on building highly-customised versions of its cars, which can then be sold at even higher prices.

Rolls-Royce describes this strategy as "creating value for clients through individualised products and experiences and providing opportunities for meaningful personal expression".

In practice, this has included cars with holographic paint, containing one-off artworks, or featuring intricate hand-stitched embroidery. One model, designed as a homage to the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger, includes features made out of solid 18-carat gold.

Rolls-Royce is not alone in this. Other high-end manufacturers such as Bentley, McLaren and Ferrari also offer detailed customisation.

But making individually tailored cars, while profitable, is a labour-intensive process that requires time and space. At the same time, like other manufacturers the company is preparing for a future in which conventional cars will be phased out and replaced by electric models.

Rolls-Royce said the extension of its factory would "create additional space for the increasingly complex and high value bespoke and coachbuild projects sought by clients who define luxury as something deeply personal to them".

It added that the plan would "also ready the manufacturing facility for the marque's transition to an all-battery electric vehicle future".

The carmaker has already been granted planning permission for the expansion of the Goodwood plant, which was built in 2003 and initially housed 300 workers. There are currently more than 2,500 people working on the site.

"This represents our most substantial financial commitment to Goodwood since its opening," said the Rolls Royce chief executive, Chris Brownridge.

"It is a significant vote of confidence in the Rolls-Royce marque, securing our future in the UK," he added.

As a luxury carmaker focused on export markets, Rolls-Royce is insulated from many of the challenges currently facing the wider European motor industry. However, it has been affected by a fall in demand in China, one of its most important markets.

Earlier this year, Mr Brownridge said rising demand for personalised vehicles was helping to offset that decline.

The announcement comes weeks after another famous British brand generated controversy while setting out its own plans for the future.

Jaguar – a part of Jaguar Land Rover – is to be relaunched as an all-electric marque and moved sharply upmarket as part of a major restructuring at the company.

In December, it unveiled a dramatically styled concept car, which together with a new logo and a divisive online advert sparked a social media storm – and generated plenty of column inches.

The affluent Los Angeles neighbourhood of Pacific Palisades typically has strangers walking around, trying to catch a glimpse of celebrities' houses.

Now, though, its streets are filled with firefighters battling a 3,000-acre wildfire that is ravaging the area.

Across the city, more than 30,000 have been forced to evacuate their homes as winds stoke three fires. A state of emergency has been declared, leaving roads gridlocked as people flee.

Among them, a number of famous faces have been forced to flee their usually idyllic California homes, including Star Wars' Mark Hamill and Schitt's Creek actor Eugene Levy.

James Woods, who has starred in films including Nixon and Casino, described evacuating his home on social media, and said he was not sure if it was still standing.

"It feels like losing a loved one," he wrote.

Pacific Palisades is known for being exclusive, with a house costing $4.5m (£3.6m) on average as of November 2024, according to Realtor.com.

The north LA neighbourhood is bordered on the south with a three-mile (4.8km) stretch of beaches on the Pacific Ocean, nestled between Malibu and Santa Monica.

It is a hub for trendy shops, cafes and a farmers' market.

But the Palisades fire - which grew from 10 acres to over 2,900 in a matter of hours - has shattered they area's idyllic nature.

Mark Hamill, of Star Wars fame, called the blaze the "most horrific fire since '93" - which burned 18,000 acres and destroyed 323 homes in nearby Malibu - in a post on Instagram.

He said he evacuated his home in Malibu "so last-minute there [were] small fires on both sides of the road".

Levy, who rose to fame for his role in film series American Pie, told local media he was forced to evacuate his home.

"The smoke looked pretty black and intense over Temescal Canyon. I couldn't see any flames but the smoke was very dark," he recounted to the Los Angeles Times.

Reality star's Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag lost their family home in the fire, his sister wrote on Instagram.

"I am beyond heartbroken for my brother, Heidi and the kids," she said. "Even the fire station in the Palisades has burned down."

Miles Teller, best known for his role in Top Gun: Maverick, and his wife Keleigh, also live in the area.

Posting on Instagram, Mrs Teller shared a picture of the fires and a heart-break emoji. She urged people to leave bowls of water for animals as they evacuate their homes.

Meanwhile, Actor Steve Guttenberg, known for Police Academy, stayed to help firefighters by moving cars in order to make room for incoming fire trucks.

He urged residents to leave the keys to their abandoned cars so they could be moved out the way of firefighters.

"We really need people to move their cars," he told news outlet KTLA: "This is not a parking lot."

It is not just famous residents affected by the wildfire - notable buildings in the area are under threat as well.

The Palisades Charter High School - which has served as a set for movies and counts several notable people as former students - has been damaged by fire, local media reports.

The fire-stricken school has been used in films including 1976 horror classic Carrie and Project X, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Former students include director JJ Abrams, musician Will.i.am, and actors Forest Whitaker and Katey Sagal.

The Getty Villa is an art museum in the Palisades that has a large collection of artworks and artefacts, including works by Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet.

The museum confirmed on Tuesday that it had closed to the public and that some trees and vegetation on site had burned - but said that "no structures are on fire, and staff and the collection remain safe".

Star studded events due to take place in the area have also been cancelled.

Film premiers for Unstoppable, Better Man and Wolfman have been called off, as has the Screen Actors Guild Awards live nominations event.

Pushing for a new national inquiry into grooming gangs by halting the progress of a bill aimed at bolstering child safety is "utterly sickening", the education secretary has said.

Bridget Phillipson told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the Tory Party's plan to bring forward an amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill "would kill it stone dead".

She said it was "the single biggest piece of children safeguarding legislation in a generation", which the Conservatives intended to block "on the altar of political opportunism".

The Conservatives have joined calls by Elon Musk for a new UK-wide inquiry into child sexual abuse, despite a wide-ranging independent probe having concluded its work in 2022.

The Conservatives will bring forward an amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill on Wednesday, which is expected to call for ministers to establish a "national statutory inquiry into historical child sexual exploitation, focused on grooming gangs".

The amendment is unlikely to be supported by a majority in the Commons, as the government wants to roll out the recommendations of the inquiry led by Prof Alexis Jay, rather than open a new inquiry.

The non-binding amendment also calls for the Commons to halt the progress of the bill, which includes measures aimed at bolstering safeguarding for children.

Phillipson said the government backed local inquiries into grooming gangs and said the row over calls for a new national probe had "lost sight" of victims.

OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman's sister, Ann Altman, has filed a lawsuit alleging that he regularly sexually abused her between 1997 and 2006.

The lawsuit, which was filed on 6 January in a US District Court in the Eastern District of Missouri, alleges that the abuse started when she was three and Mr Altman was 12.

In a joint statement on X, with his mother and two brothers, Mr Altman denied the allegations, saying "all of these claims are utterly untrue."

"Caring for a family member who faces mental health challenges is incredibly difficult," the statement added.

"This situation causes immense pain to our entire family."

In the filing, which has been seen by the BBC, Ms Altman alleged that the abuse, which took place over many years, included rape.

The lawsuit added the last instance of the alleged abuse took place when Mr Altman was an adult but she was still a minor.

The lawsuit requested a jury trial and damages in excess of $75,000 ($60,100).

Ms Altman has previously made similar allegations against her brother on social media platforms such as X.

Mr Altman is one of the technology world's most high profile figures.

In late 2022, OpenAi launched the ChatGPT generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot.

Additional reporting by Lily Jamali

Screaming Los Angeles residents left their cars behind to flee a fast-moving wildfire as it closed in on a picturesque celebrity enclave, eyewitnesses said, describing scenes straight out of a Hollywood disaster movie.

A windstorm whipped a seemingly typical brush fire into a raging inferno within a matter of hours on Tuesday, sending the blaze racing towards the Pacific Palisades area.

Thirty thousand people were ordered to evacuate as the conflagration surrounded the neighbourhood in the west of the city, exploding rapidly from 10 acres to several thousand in size.

Bordering Malibu, Pacific Palisades is a haven of hillside streets and winding roads nestled against the Santa Monica Mountains and extending down to beaches along the Pacific Ocean.

But the Pacific Coast Highway, the main route in - or out - quickly became gridlocked, leading many motorists to ditch their vehicles near Sunset Boulevard as the flames drew near.

One resident, Marsha Horowitz, said firefighters told people to get out of their cars as the blaze, fanned by gusts sometimes topping 100mph (160km/h) in the mountains and foothills, approached.

"The fire was right up against the cars," she said.

• Latest updates from the wildfire

Another Pacific Palisades resident told ABC News that she rushed home from her job in Hollywood once she heard about the evacuations.

After abandoning her car, she went home to grab her cat. While running to safety, flaming pieces of palm tree fell on her.

"I'm getting hit with palm leaves on fire, I ran into a car," said the woman, who did not give her name.

"It's terrifying. It's like a horror movie. I'm screaming and crying going down the street."

Some evacuees described seeing homes burn as they fled.

Hollywood actor James Woods was among celebrities forced to flee their properties.

Actor Steve Guttenberg, also a Pacific Palisades resident, urged people who abandoned their cars to leave their keys inside so the vehicles could be moved to make way for fire trucks.

"This is not a parking lot," Guttenberg told KTLA. "I have friends up there and they can't evacuate."

Bulldozers later cleared abandoned vehicles to open the route for emergency vehicles.

Jennifer Aniston, Bradley Cooper, Tom Hanks, Reese Witherspoon, Adam Sandler and Michael Keaton also have homes in the Pacific Palisades, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

People fled wildfire flames in the nearby Los Angeles suburb of Topanga Canyon, where Ewan McGregor has a home.

One resident named Melanie told KTLA she tried to get out, but the path was engulfed by flames and she was forced back home.

She was trying to take Palisades Drive down to the Pacific Coast Highway and said had to make "a very fast U-turn because there were flames coming down the hill to the road".

"I would have been driving right into the fire," she said. "We're stuck up here. I don't see any flames but I know they're close by."

Residents in Venice Beach, some six miles (10km) away, reported seeing the flames, too.

Kelsey Trainor said ash fell all around as the fire jumped from one side of the road to the other.

"People were getting out of the cars with their dogs and babies and bags, they were crying and screaming," she told the Associated Press news agency.

"The road was just blocked, like full-on blocked for an hour."

Ellen Delosh-Bacher told the Los Angeles Times how she rushed from downtown Los Angeles to her home, where her 95-year-old mother and their two dogs live.

She, too, hit gridlock at Sunset Boulevard and Palisades Drive.

Ms Delosh-Bacher described fire exploding behind a nearby Starbucks and police rushing down the road shouting to stuck motorists: "Run for your lives!"

She left her car, keys still in the ignition and ran half a mile down to the beach.

"This is like an apocalypse," she said.

Wintry weather is forecast to tighten its grip in many parts of the UK this week with sub-zero temperatures plunging even lower than during the heavy snowfall of the past weekend.

Weather forecasters predict the coldest nights of the year so far on Wednesday and Thursday, and temperatures are expected to fall as low as -20 C in some areas.

A series of yellow weather warnings covering the next few days have already become active - with the latest warnng of the danger of ice in parts of northern Wales, as well as areas in central and northern England, until 12:00 GMT on Wednesday.

The cold weather comes after another day of flooding causing havoc in central England but, with no further rainfall expected in flood-hit areas in the coming days, flood waters are likely to begin subsiding.

Travel disruption continued on Tuesday, with flights delayed, roads closed and railways impacted by the poor weather.

People continued to grapple with the impact of the severe flooding that has affected homes and businesses across the Midlands in England and a man had to be rescued from a flooded caravan park in Leicestershire's Barrow upon Soar.

There were 114 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, and 205 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible, in place across England on Tuesday afternoon.

One flood warning and six flood alerts were active in Wales.

Looking ahead, weather forecasters expect the flood waters and warnings to begin to subside, with no significant rain predicted in the areas currently experiencing flooding.

But by then the focus will have switched back to how far temperatures are likely to fall, particularly during the night.

The ice warning covering Tuesday night and Wednesday morning is accompanied by another, also up to 12:00 on Wednesday, which tells people to be aware of the likelihood of snow and ice in Northern Ireland and parts of northern and western Scotland.

A separate yellow warning for snow in some southern counties of England will come into force at 09:00 on Wednesday, and will last until midnight.

The wintry conditions have caused significant disruption across the UK since snow swept many parts of the country at the weekend.

Hundreds of schools were closed in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, including schools in Yorkshire, Merseyside, the Midlands and Aberdeenshire.

Most flights are running again after they were temporarily halted at airports in Liverpool, Bristol, Aberdeen and Manchester – but operators have warned some delays are still likely.

Some major roads were shut because of poor weather conditions, including the A1 in Lincolnshire which was still closed on Tuesday afternoon due to extensive flooding.

Worst since 2021?

Bitter cold is expected in many parts of the UK in the coming days, with the likelihood of sharp overnight frosts.

Temperatures are expected to drop well below freezing on Wednesday and Thursday night, with forecasters expecting many parts of the UK to experience a hard frost and lows of between -3C and -10C.

In places that are still experiencing snow cover, it could be as cold as -14C to -16C on Wednesday night, and on Thursday the Pennines and snow fields of Scotland could register temperatures as low as -16C to -20C.

That would actually be far colder than was experienced at the weekend when a low of -13.3 C was recorded at Loch Glascarnoch in the Highlands.

It is also significantly lower than anything seen last winter when a particularly bitter night in Dalwhinnie in the Highlands saw a mark of -14C being recorded.

The last time the UK had any temperature that below -20C was in February 2021 when Braemar in Aberdeenshire was measured at -23C.

The Duchess of Sussex has said she is "devastated" following the death of her dog, Guy.

In a post on Instagram, Meghan said had "cried too many tears to count" over the dog's passing and thanked him for "so many years of unconditional love".

The duchess said she had adopted the beagle from an animal rescue in Canada in 2015 and that he had been "with me for everything" ever since.

She did not say when the dog had died or its cause of death.

The post was accompanied by a montage of photos and video showing the duchess and her family playing with Guy.

In one, she is seen boiling fruit on a stove to make jam and telling the dog, "We're jamming, Guy". In another her husband, the Duke of Sussex, is seen running along a beach with him.

At the end, Meghan can be heard with one of the couple's children singing: "We love you Guy, yes we do".

The duchess said staff at the shelter from where she had adopted the dog "referred to him as 'the little guy' because he was so small and frail".

"So I named him 'Guy'. And he was the best guy any girl could have asked for," she said.

"He was with me at Suits, when I got engaged, (and then married), when I became a mom….

"He was with me for everything: the quiet, the chaos, the calm, the comfort."

The duchess added that Guy would feature in her upcoming Netflix series, titled With Love, Meghan.

"I hope you'll come to understand why I am so devastated by his loss. I think you may fall a little bit in love too," she said.

"I have cried too many tears to count - the type of tears that make you get in the shower with the absurd hope that the running water on your face will somehow make you not feel them, or pretend they're not there. But they are. And that's okay too.

"Thank you for so many years of unconditional love, my sweet Guy. You filled my life in ways you'll never know."

Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips has told BBC's Newsnight that "disinformation" spread by Elon Musk was "endangering" her but that it was "nothing" compared to the experiences of victims of abuse.

The tech billionaire and adviser to US President-elect Donald Trump labelled Phillips a "rape genocide apologist" and said she should be jailed.

Asked if the threat to her own safety had gone up since his social media posts and whether protections were in place for her safety, Phillips replied "yes".

She said the experience had been "very, very, very tiring" but that she was "resigned to the lot in life that you get as a woman who fights violence against women and girls".

She added: "I'm no stranger to people who don't know what they're talking about trying to silence women like me."

Musk's intervention came in response to Phillips rejecting a request for the government to lead a public inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Oldham - which sparked calls from the Conservatives and Reform UK for a national inquiry into grooming gangs.

Her decision was taken in October but first reported by GB News at the start of the year and then picked up by Musk on his social media platform X.

Phillips defended the government's decision not to hold a national inquiry, arguing that local inquiries, such as one held in Telford, were more effective at leading to change.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has hit back at Donald Trump's threat to use "economic force" to absorb Canada into the US saying there isn't "a snowball's chance in hell" to join the two.

On Tuesday, President-elect Trump reiterated his threat to bring in a 25% tariff on Canadian goods unless the country took steps to increase security on the shared US border.

Trump has in recent weeks repeatedly needled Canada about it becoming the 51st US state.

"You get rid of that artificially drawn line, and you take a look at what that looks like, and it would also be much better for national security," Trump said.

"Canada and the United States, that would really be something," he said at a press conference at his Florida residence of Mar-a Lago.

The ongoing tariff threat comes at a politically challenging time for Canada.

On Monday, an embattled Trudeau announced he was resigning, though he will stay on as prime minister until the governing Liberals elect a new leader, expected sometime by late March.

Canada's parliament has been prorogued - or suspended - until 24 March to allow time for the leadership race.

Economists warn that if Trump follows through on imposing the tariffs after he is inaugurated on 20 January, it would significantly hurt Canada's economy.

Almost C$3.6bn ($2.5bn) worth of goods and services crossed the border daily in 2023, according to Canadian government figures.

The Trudeau government has said it is considering imposing counter-tariffs if Trump follows through on the threat.

The prime minister also said on X that: "Workers and communities in both our countries benefit from being each other's biggest trading and security partner."

On Tuesday, Trump reiterated his concerns he has expressed about drugs crossing the borders of Mexico and Canada into the US.

Like Canada, Mexico faces a 25% tariff threat.

The amount of fentanyl seized at the US-Canada border is significantly lower than at the southern border, according to US data.

Canada has promised to implement a set of sweeping new security measures along the border, including strengthened surveillance and adding a joint "strike force" to target transnational organised crime.

Trump said on Tuesday he was not considering using military force to make Canada part of the United States, but raised concerns about its neighbour's military spending.

"They have a very small military. They rely on our military. It's all fine, but, you know, they got to pay for that. It's very unfair," he said.

Canada has been under pressure to increase its military spending as it continues to fall short of the target set out for Nato members.

Its defence budget currently stands at C$27bn ($19.8bn, £15.5bn), though the Trudeau government has promised that it will boost spending to almost C$50bn by 2030.

On Monday, Doug Ford, the leader of Canada's most populous province Ontario, said Trudeau must spend his remaining weeks in office working with the provinces to address Trump's threat.

"The premiers are leading the country right now," he said.

• What happens next for Canada?
• When will Donald Trump take office as US president?

Ontario has a deep reliance on trade with the US. The province is at the heart of the highly integrated auto industry in Canada, and trade between Ontario and the US totalled more than C$493bn ($350bn) in 2023.

"My message is let's work together, let's build a stronger trade relationship - not weaken it," he said.

The premier warned "we will retaliate hard" if the Trump administration follows through, and highlighted the close economic ties between the two nations, including on energy.

The US relies "on Ontario for their electricity. We keep the lights on to a million and a half homes and businesses in the US", he said.

At a press conference early this week, Ford also pushed back on Trump's 51st state comments.

"I'll make him a counter-offer. How about if we buy Alaska and we throw in Minneapolis and Minnesota at the same time?" Ford said.