Normal view

There are new articles available, click to refresh the page.
Today — 30 May 2025BBC | Top Stories

Paul Doyle appears in court over Liverpool parade crash

30 May 2025 at 18:51
BBC Paul Doyle wears a black t-shirt and sunglasses on his head. BBC
Paul Doyle appeared at Liverpool Magistrates' Court on Friday

Paul Doyle has made his first appearance in court accused of driving his car into a crowd of people after Liverpool FC's trophy parade.

The former Royal Marine, 53, faces seven charges including wounding with intent, causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, attempting to cause GBH with intent and dangerous driving.

A total of 79 people were injured on Water Street in the city centre just before 18:00 BST on Monday.

The father-of-three of Burghill Road in West Derby, Liverpool, was escorted into the dock at Liverpool Magistrates' Court wearing a black suit, grey tie and white shirt.

Mr Doyle appeared visibly emotional as he spoke quietly only to confirm his date of birth and age.

For much of the hearing, the 53-year-old sat in the dock with his head down, listening to proceedings.

District Judge Paul Healey has retired to allow for legal discussions to take place. Mr Doyle has been removed from the dock.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.

Related internet links

Russell Brand pleads not guilty to rape and assault

30 May 2025 at 18:26
EPA Russell Brand arriving at court in dark sunglassesEPA

Russell Brand has arrived at court for a hearing at which he is expected to enter his plea on charges of rape, sexual assault and indecent assault.

The broadcaster, comedian and actor did not speak to reporters and looked straight ahead as he entered Southwark Crown Court wearing a dark suit and unbuttoned shirt.

He faces one allegation of rape, one of indecent assault, one of oral rape and two further counts of sexual assault. The offences are alleged to have taken place between 1999 and 2005, and relate to four women.

Friday's one-day plea and trial preparation hearing is being held in advance of a possible trial at a later date.

EPA Russell Brand (R) arrives at Southwark Crown Court to enter his plea on charges of rape and sexual assault in London, Britain, 30 May 2025EPA

After being charged in April, Mr Brand, 49, released a video saying he was not a rapist and had never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity.

"I'm now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court and I'm incredibly grateful for that," he told followers at the time.

Mr Brand, who was born in Essex, rose to fame as a stand-up comedian and became a household name as host of TV shows like Big Brother's Big Mouth, and with his own radio programmes on stations including BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music.

He went on to establish a Hollywood career, starring in films like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him To The Greek.

New Banksy mystery location revealed

30 May 2025 at 18:32
Banksy/Instagram A photo of the Banksy piece of art. A metal bollard is in the foreground on the pavement, while a painting of a lighthouse is on the wall superimposed with a quote "I want to be what you saw in me". Banksy/Instagram
Online speculation suggests the new artwork may be in Marseille, France

Banksy's latest piece of grafitti art has been revealed to the world - but where it was painted remains a mystery for now.

Images posted on the elusive artist's Instagram depict a lighthouse stencilled on a drab, beige wall, along with the words: "I want to be what you saw in me".

A false shadow appears to have been drawn on the pavement from a nearby bollard, giving the illusion that the lighthouse is itself a silhouette of the mundane street furniture.

But unlike a lighthouse, the post gives little away as to the artwork's location. A second, wider shot showing two people walking their dogs offers little more.

Geoguessers on social media have speculated that the street art may lurk in Marseille, in the south of France, while others debate how to interpret the work's meaning.

Another image of the art circulating online shows a blurred person riding a scooter in front of the piece, with a graffiti tag seemingly reading "Yaze" further along the wall.

The tag matches that used by a Canadian graffiti artist Marco The Polo, whose Instagram account features photos of his own work but who has called Banksy an inspiration.

Banksy has kept his true identity a secret throughout his career, and it is only through the Instagram account that works are identified as genuine.

Often imbuing his works with a political message, his previous pieces have alluded to immigration, the war in Ukraine and homelessness, among other things.

The meaning of some of his works, though, is less clear - such as his motivation behind the series of animals painted in various locations across London last summer.

Prior to the lighthouse, in December, Banksy posted another piece, depicting a Madonna and child with a fixture in the wall appearing like a bullet wound in her chest.

Russian captain of ship in North Sea oil tanker crash denies manslaughter

30 May 2025 at 18:30
Julia Quenzler Court artist picture of Vladimir Motin he has short dark hair and beard and is wearing glasses and a grey topJulia Quenzler
Vladimir Motin will remain in custody until his trial

The captain of a cargo ship that crashed into an oil tanker in the North Sea has pleaded not guilty to gross negligence manslaughter.

Vladimir Motin was captain of the Portuguese-flagged cargo ship Solong which crashed into the US tanker Stena Immaculate off the East Yorkshire coast on 10 March.

Mark Angelo Pernia, 38, a Filipino crew member on the Solong, is missing presumed dead.

Mr Motin, 59, and from Primorsky in St Petersburg, Russia, was remanded in custody until trial. A further case management hearing has been set for 10 September.

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

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.

Tiara belonging to first female MP to take seat expected to fetch £250,000

30 May 2025 at 18:29
Bonhams The tiara from the front showing the turquoise plumage and large diamond at the centre. Bonhams
The tiara could sell for more than £250,000

A Cartier turquoise and diamond tiara owned by the first woman to take a seat in the House of Commons is expected to fetch more than £250,000 at auction.

American-born Nancy Astor was elected in 1919 to represent Plymouth Sutton in Parliament and held the seat until she stood down in 1945.

London Auctioneers Bonhams said the auction in June would see the tiara on the market for the first time since it was bought by her husband Lord Waldorf Astor in 1930.

Global head of jewellery at Bonhams Jean Ghika said the "exceptionally rare" tiara with "impeccable provenance" dates from when Cartier London was at the "height of its creative prowess".

Bonhams The diamond and turquoise tiara from the side showing its floral patterns and diamonds. Bonhams
Bonhams said Lady Astor wore the tiara to a movie premiere in 1931

The tiara features single, rose-cut and brilliant-cut diamonds and three fluted turquoise plumes set with diamond stems, according to Bonhams.

The auction house said it was worn by Lady Astor to the film premiere of City Lights at the Dominion Theatre in London in 1931.

Bonhams estimates the tiara could sell for between £250,000 and £350,000.

Ms Ghika said: "With impeccable provenance and a compelling marriage of Western and Eastern influences in the design, the tiara is exceptionally rare."

She added that the auction house felt "honoured to have the opportunity to present it for sale for the first time in nearly a century".

PA Media Waldorf Astor, the 2nd Viscount Astor, and his wife Nancy Astor. Nancy is sitting behind a desk and Waldorf is standing up behind her. The photo is black and white and both are wearing period clothing. PA Media
Nancy Astor married Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor, in 1906

Nancy Astor was born Nancy Witcher Langhorne in Danville, Virginia, in 1879.

In 1905 she moved to England and met the American-born Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor, on the same voyage across the Atlantic from America.

The couple were married in 1906 and after Lord Astor relinquished his seat in the House of Commons in 1919, Nancy Astor was elected by substantial majority in his place.

During her time in government she pushed for the Intoxicating Liquor Act, known as Lady Astor's Bill, which passed in 1923, raising the legal drinking age from 14 to 18.

She also argued for the rights of women and successfully saw the female voting age lowered from 30 to 21 in 1928.

She was successfully re-elected seven times during her 26 years in the House of Commons and retired in 1945.

Campaigners have accused Lady Astor of being anti-Semitic, anti-Catholic and a Nazi sympathiser but supporters say she was a victim of misogyny and was "opposed to Nazism".

She died in Lincolnshire in 1964 at the age of 84.

The auction is due to take place at Bonhams in New Bond Street, London, on 5 June.

Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk.

Related internet links

Hawk that terrorised village given forever home

30 May 2025 at 15:25
Kian Boyle/BBC Wayne Housden is standing outside holding the Harris hawk. He is wearing a beige coat and is looking directly at the camera and stroking the bird.Kian Boyle/BBC
Wayne Housden said even if he had not been able to keep the bird himself, he would have wanted to stay in contact

A Harris's hawk which terrorised a village for at least a month has found a forever home with a local falconer.

Nicknamed Bomber Harris, the hawk was captured in Flamstead, Hertfordshire, in April, and falconer Wayne Housden has been training him.

The bird of prey was blamed for attacks on about 50 people including one incident where a man was taken to hospital.

Mr Housden said the story had reached "a happy ending".

After working with birds for about 30 years, he said his first priority was to stabilise his new feathered friend.

"He has calmed right down," said Mr Housden, who said he had spent about £1,000 building him an aviary.

The falconer said he would take Bomber Harris to the Flamstead Scarecrow Festival in August and aimed to let him loose in the autumn.

The hawk's "unusual" behaviour was likely hormonal or territorial and he was "not nasty at all", Wayne said.

Justin Dealey/BBC A close-up of the hawk sitting on a glove on a man's hand. Its face is seen from the side with a curved, sharp beak that is yellow and silver. It has a brown eye.Justin Dealey/BBC
Wayne Housden said he had spent about £1,000 building the Harris's hawk an aviary

"I am keeping him full-time... that wasn't the plan and that isn't why I tried to catch him," he explained.

Mr Housden said Bomber Harris - a non-native South American species - was likely a captive-bred bird that had lost its falconer. He said the dried-out leather tags on its feet suggested it had been loose for more than a year.

He had not been contacted by anyone claiming to be its owner, Mr Housden said.

"If I was to let someone else have him, I would have wanted to stay in contact with him," he added.

"He's been failed once and he is not going to be failed again and the only way that I can make sure of that is by me keeping him myself."

Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

Gaza subjected to forced starvation, top UN official tells BBC

30 May 2025 at 14:49
Reuters Dozens of Palestinians walking at an aid distribution centre in Gaza. Some are carrying supplies. Reuters
Palestinians desperate for food have massed at distribution centres run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation since the blockade was eased

The UN's humanitarian chief has said people in Gaza are being subjected to forced starvation by Israel.

In an interview with the BBC, Tom Fletcher said he believed this had led to a change in the international response to Gaza.

Asked if his assessment of forced starvation amounted to a war crime, he said: "Yeah, it is. It is classified as a war crime. Obviously, these are issues for the courts to take the judgement on, and ultimately for history to take a judgement on."

Mr Fletcher also expressed regret for saying recently that 14,000 babies could die within 48 hours in Gaza if aid was not allowed in - a claim the UN later drew back - and acknowledged a need to be "precise" with language.

Israel began to allow limited aid into Gaza last week, after an almost three-month blockade had halted the delivery of supplies such as food, medicine, fuel and shelter.

It also resumed its military offensive two weeks after imposing the blockade, ending a two-month ceasefire with Hamas.

Israel said the steps were intended to put pressure on the armed group to release the 58 hostages still held in Gaza, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive.

Since the easing of the blockade, scenes of chaos have broken out at aid distribution centres run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation - a US- and Israeli-backed group.

The UN, which refuses to cooperate with the GHF, said 47 people were injured earlier this week after crowds overwhelmed one of the centres.

Mr Fletcher said: "We're seeing food set on the borders and not being allowed in when there is a population on the other side of the border that is starving, and we're hearing Israeli ministers say that is to put pressure on the population of Gaza."

He said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should "absolutely" disavow a statement made by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich - who had said people in Gaza would be "totally despairing understanding that there's no hope and nothing to look for", and would be looking to relocate to begin a "new life in other places".

"We would expect governments all over the world to stand for international humanitarian law, the international community is very, very clear on that," Mr Fletcher said.

He called on Netanyahu to ensure that "this language, and ultimately, this policy... of forced displacement, isn't enacted".

Israel has faced growing international criticism over its conduct of the war.

On Tuesday, the EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said: "Israeli strikes in Gaza go beyond what is necessary to fight Hamas."

Her remarks followed an intervention by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who declared he "no longer understands" Israel's objectives.

Earlier this month, the leaders of the UK, France and Canada called on the Israeli government to "stop its military operations" and "immediately allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza". In response, Netanyahu accused them of siding with Hamas.

On 14 May, Mr Fletcher called on the UN Security Council to act to prevent genocide in Gaza.

Asked why he had made that statement, he referred to reporting from colleagues on the ground in Gaza.

"What they're reporting is forced displacement. They're reporting starvation, they're reporting torture, and they're reporting deaths on a massive scale," he said.

Mr Fletcher said in the cases of Rwanda, Srebrenica and Sri Lanka, "the world had told us afterwards that we didn't act in time, that we didn't sound a warning".

"And that's my call to the [UN] Security Council and the world right now, 'will you act to prevent genocide?'"

Mr Fletcher came under strong criticism from Israel after he claimed 14,000 babies in Gaza would die in 48 hours if aid was not allowed into the Strip.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry accused Mr Fletcher of ignoring Hamas's atrocities and echoing their propaganda. "It's not humanitarian work, it's blood libel," the ministry said at the time.

Mr Fletcher said: "At the point when I made those comments, we were desperately trying to get that aid in.

"We were being told we couldn't get it in, and we knew that we'd probably have a couple of days, a window to get as much aid in as possible, and that was being denied, and we were desperate to get that in. And so yes, we've got to be utterly precise with our language, and we've clarified that."

Asked about his claim – repudiated by Israel - that thousands of lorries were waiting on the border to enter Gaza, Mr Fletcher repeated that he especially needed to be "careful and really precise".

He agreed there was a risk of being seen to hype the situation, but he added: "I'm not going to stop speaking up for the need to save these lives in Gaza, to save as many survivors as possible. That's my job, and I've got to do it better, and I will do it."

He said mediation and negotiation was the way to resolve the crisis in Gaza and repeated his call for Hamas to release the Israeli hostages being held by the militant group.

"We all want to see those hostages freed and back with their with their families," he said.

"I don't know now what the aim of this war is anymore. I think it has clearly gone beyond just the hostage releases. There's a lot of talk about finishing off Hamas.

"And clearly, as many people have said, there can't be a part for Hamas in the new equation, the new governance of Gaza and the Palestinian territories."

Mr Fletcher rejected Israeli claims Hamas was stealing large amounts of food aid.

"I don't want to see any of that aid getting to Hamas. That matters to us because these are our principles, neutral, impartial, independent. Its in our interest to stop that aid getting to Hamas and ensure it gets to civilians."

"As a humanitarian, my interest is just in getting as much of that aid in as possible, as quickly as possible, and saving as many lives as we're allowed to do in the time we have."

Mr Fletcher is also dealing with crises in Ukraine, Sudan and Syria, among others, and said the world was facing a "profoundly dangerous" moment.

"The Security Council is polarized, divided," he said.

"That means it makes it much harder for us to end conflicts; the conflicts we're dealing with are more ferocious, there's more impunity, and they're lasting longer.

"It's getting harder and harder to end wars and we humanitarians... deal with the consequences."

Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas's cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 54,249 people have been killed in Gaza since then, including 3,986 since Israel resumed its offensive, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

With additional reporting by Olivia Lace-Evans and Maarten Lernout.

Mr Fletcher's full interview will be broadcast on the BBC News Channel at 00:30BST and 16:30BST on Saturday.

Security breaks down in Gaza as desperate people search for food

30 May 2025 at 04:29
Reuters Displaced children queue for food at a charity kitchen in Gaza CityReuters
Displaced children queue for food at a charity kitchen in Gaza City

There is a state of chaos, a breakdown of security, and looting in north Gaza's main city, where Palestinians are desperately searching for food and where aid is difficult to access.

The Hamas-run interior ministry said seven of its police officers deployed to a market in Gaza City on Thursday were killed by an Israeli air strike as they attempted to restore order and confront what it called "looters".

The Israeli military has not commented on the incident, but it did say it had struck "dozens of terror targets" throughout Gaza over the past day.

Local medics and rescuers said at least 44 people were killed across the territory on Thursday, including 23 at the central Bureij refugee camp.

It comes a day after the UN's World Food programme (WFP) said at least two people were shot dead as what it described as "hordes of hungry people" broke into its warehouse in the central town of Deir al-Balah in search of food after 11 weeks of a total Israeli blockade. It was not clear who opened fire.

Almost 50 people were also reportedly shot and injured when thousands overran a new aid distribution centre run by the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in the southern city of Rafah on Tuesday, according to a senior UN official in Gaza. The Israeli military said troops fired warning shots into the air but not at the crowds.

Watch: AFP footage appears to show people removing sacks from UN warehouse in Gaza

On Thursday, interior ministry police officers armed with Kalashnikov-style rifles and handguns went to a market near Gaza City's central al-Saraya junction, which houses a number of small stalls selling canned food and vegetables.

Videos circulating on social media, too graphic to share, show bodies, blood, and scattered remains lying on the ground following what the ministry said was an Israeli attack.

"Israeli occupation aircraft targeted a number of police officers... while they were performing their duty in confronting a group of looters earlier today, leading to the martyrdom of several officers and civilians in yet another massacre," a statement said.

The BBC sought comment from the Israeli military about the incident.

A statement from the military on Thursday afternoon said aircraft had struck dozens of targets over the past day, including "terrorists, military structures, observation and sniper posts that posed a threat to [Israeli] troops in the area, tunnels, and additional terrorist infrastructure sites".

There has been increased lawlessness in Gaza since Israel began targeting the Gaza interior ministry's police officers last year, citing their role in Hamas governance.

After the territory's police chief and his deputy were killed in a strike in January, the ministry insisted the force was a "civilian protection agency". The Israeli military accused the force of "violating human rights and suppressing dissent".

There were reports of a breakdown of order elsewhere in Gaza on Thursday, as desperate people searched for food and other supplies.

One witness who had gone to a GHF aid distribution centre near Rafah told the BBC that thousands of people had gathered in the area from dawn, and that they ended up breaking through the site's gate to try to obtain supplies.

At 08:00 local time, the witness said, the Israeli military issued a warning via a quadcopter drone instructing people to head to the distribution centre, and that they began moving in an orderly way towards the area.

"For exactly 10 minutes, things were organised but then the crowd broke through the gate and rushed into the courtyard."

"People grabbed boxes and sacks of flour and left, all under the surveillance of the Israeli quadcopter," they added.

Footage from near the GHF site shows thousands of Palestinians walking near the centre on Thursday morning. Some are in horse-drawn carts, while others wheel bicycles covered with goods.

Young men, for the most part, can be seen carrying sacks of flour on their heads and backs. One exhausted woman appears to struggle to walk among the crowd.

Abu Fawzi Faroukh, a 60-year-old Palestinian man who was at the site on Thursday morning, told AFP news agency that aid supplies were more difficult for the elderly and vulnerable to obtain.

"The young men are the ones who have received aid first, yesterday and today, because they are young and can carry loads. But the old people and women cannot enter due to the crowding."

"We have been humiliated, the Palestinian people are humiliated," he added.

People described similar scenes at the newly opened GHF distribution site in central Gaza, with a number telling the BBC they had come away empty-handed.

Umm Mohammed Abu Hajar said she had heard there was aid being distributed in the area, so took her ID and went to see what she could get.

"I found all the people hungry," she said. "So, I couldn't get anything. I left like this... empty-handed."

She said more organisation was needed in order to distribute aid "fairly", adding that currently, "some people eat and some people don't".

Reuters Crowds walk around damaged buildings to receive aid supplies from a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution centre near an area of Gaza known as the Netzarim Corridor in central GazaReuters
Crowds search for aid at a US-backed GHF distribution point in central Gaza

Another man, Hani Abed, who was at the same distribution centre, said he'd failed to get any aid for him and his 10 family members.

"I came empty-handed and I left empty-handed," he said. "I will take dirt for my children to eat."

The GHF said approximately 17,280 food boxes, containing the equivalent of 997,920 meals, were handed out to Gazans at its three operational distribution sites on Thursday.

"Operations will continue scaling, with plans to build additional sites across Gaza, including in the northern region, in the weeks ahead," it added.

It also rejected the reports of Palestinians being shot at while trying to obtain aid at its centres. "No shots have ever been fired," it said.

The GHF's new aid system bypasses the UN and requires Palestinians to collect food parcels from distribution sites protected by US security contractors in areas controlled by the Israeli military in southern and central Gaza.

The UN has refused to co-operate with the system, saying it is unethical and workable.

The head of the UN's humanitarian office in Gaza, Jonathan Whittall, said on Wednesday that GHF could not possibly meet the needs of the 2.1 million population and was "essentially engineering scarcity".

The US and Israeli governments have said the new system is preventing aid from being stolen by Hamas, which the armed group denies doing.

Map of Gaza showing locations of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid distribution sites and the IPC's assessment of the number of people facing "catastrophic" levels of food insecurity in the coming months

Israel imposed a total blockade on humanitarian aid and commercial supplies to Gaza on 2 March and resumed its military offensive two weeks later, ending a two-month ceasefire with Hamas.

It said the steps put pressure on the armed group to release the 58 hostages still held in Gaza, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive.

On 19 May, the Israeli military launched an expanded offensive that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said would "take control of all areas" of Gaza. The following day, he said Israel would also temporarily ease the blockade and allow a "basic" amount of food in.

The families of the remaining hostages have urged Netanyahu to agree a new ceasefire with Hamas to secure their release.

On Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Israeli government "supported" a new ceasefire proposal that was sent to Hamas by US special envoy Steve Witkoff.

"Israel signed off on this proposal before it was sent to Hamas," she said.

However, a senior Hamas official later told the BBC that the group rejected the proposal because it contradicted the discussions that it had with Witkoff.

The official said it did not include guarantees that the temporary ceasefire would lead to a permanent end to the fighting or that Israeli troops would withdraw to the positions they held before 2 March.

Israeli and US media cited Israeli officials as saying Witkoff's proposal included releasing 10 living hostages and the remains of dead hostages in two phases in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of a number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response Hamas' cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 54,249 people have been killed in Gaza since then, including 3,986 since Israel resumed its offensive, according to the territory's health ministry.

Liverpool parade crash suspect to appear in court

30 May 2025 at 12:08
PA Media Paul Doyle has short dark greying hair with sunglasses on his head and is wearing a white T-shirtPA Media
Paul Doyle has been named by Merseyside Police and will appear at Liverpool Magistrates' Court in the morning

A father-of-three and former Royal Marine has been charged following the Liverpool parade crash in which 79 people were injured.

Paul Doyle, 53, from Burghill Road in West Derby, was arrested on Monday, when a car ploughed into football fans attending Liverpool's Premier League victory celebration, Merseyside Police confirmed.

A nine-year-old was among those injured when the car Mr Doyle is alleged to have been driving crashed into supporters at 18:00 BST on Water Street.

The local businessman faces multiple counts of causing, and attempting to cause, unlawful and malicious grievous bodily harm as well as one of dangerous driving and two counts of unlawful and malicious wounding with intent.

Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims, of Merseyside Police, told a news conference seven people remain in hospital after the incident.

Mr Doyle is set to appear at Liverpool Magistrates' Court on Friday.

The BBC has spoken to the suspect's neighbours, who said they were shocked and in "disbelief".

They said that Burghill Road was swarming with police in the hours after the crash.

One said: "I came out late on Monday night and there's police everywhere. Looking around all the houses, so I had a thought - imagine if it was him?"

Reuters A woman walks across Water Street after it was cleaned following an incident where a car plowed into a crowd of Liverpool fans during a paradeReuters
Water Street reopened on Wednesday after the crash

Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims said detectives were reviewing a "huge volume" of CCTV and mobile phone footage.

Sarah Hammond, Chief Crown Prosecutor for Crown Prosecution Service in the Mersey-Cheshire region, said this included footage from CCTV, mobile phones, businesses and dashcams, along with witness statements.

She said the charges "will be kept under review" while the investigation progresses.

"It is important to ensure every victim gets the justice they deserve," she added.

PA Media Two women are seated in front of microphones with a blue background behind them. The woman on the left is wearing black clothing with a beige trim. She had short, dyed red hair and looks at the camera from the side. The woman on the right is dressed in a police unform and has glasses. She has brown hair and looks off camera towards the gathering of reportersPA Media
Chief Crown Prosecutor Sarah Hammond (left) and Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims spoke at a news conference on Thursday

Mr Doyle has been charged with seven offences, which can be broken down into four groups.

The first includes two counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) – one of these is an alleged offence against one child.

The second is two counts of causing unlawful and malicious GBH with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

According to the Sentencing Council, it relates to the nature of the injury allegedly caused.

GBH does not require an open wound to have been suffered. Wounding requires the victim's skin to have been broken.

Mr Doyle also faces two charges of attempted unlawful and malicious GBH with intent to cause GBH, and again one of these alleged offences relates to a child.

The final count is dangerous driving.

Police confirmed the ages of those injured in the incident ranged from nine to 78 and all 79.

Assistant Chief Constable Sims, said she understood many have questions about the incident, and detectives were "working tirelessly, with diligence and professionalism, to seek the answer to all of those questions".

"When we are able to, we will provide further information," she added.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.

Related internet links

Trump tariffs can stay in place for now, appeals court rules

30 May 2025 at 09:41
Watch: "We will win this battle in court" - White House on tariff ruling

The Trump administration has said it will take its tariffs case to the Supreme Court Friday, unless an order that struck down many of President Donald Trump's new import taxes is put on hold.

In a filing on Thursday, lawyers for the White House asked the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to block that decision, issued late on Wednesday, from going into effect.

That response came as a second court ruled that Trump had overstepped his power in imposing the tariffs.

The decisions, victories for small businesses and states that have challenged the measures, took aim at policies at the heart of Trump's economic and international agendas.

They drew fury from Trump officials, who said they were examples of judicial overreach.

"America cannot function if President Trump, or any other president, for that matter, has their sensitive diplomatic or trade negotiations railroaded by activist judges," White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said at a press briefing.

In its appeal, the Trump administration said the decision issued Wednesday by a lower trade court had improperly second-guessed the president and threatened to unravel months of hard-fought trade negotiations.

"The political branches, not courts, make foreign policy and chart economic policy," it said in the filing.

"Absent at least interim relief from this Court, the United States plans to seek emergency relief from the Supreme Court tomorrow to avoid the irreparable national-security and economic harms at stake."

The eruption of the legal battle raised new questions about the fate of the tariffs, which have rattled the global economy since the White House started threatening the measures earlier this year.

In February, Trump ordered tariffs on goods from China, Mexico and Canada, saying the move was intended to help address a fentanyl crisis.

Then last month, he unveiled a blanket 10% tariff on goods from most countries around the world, with higher duties on products from certain trade partners, including the European Union and China, that it called "bad actors".

The White House has since suspended parts of many of those orders, while it pursues trade negotiations.

'Power grab'

To impose the tariffs in question, Trump used the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a law more typically applied in cases of trade sanctions, such as those on Iran.

Those challenging the case said the law did not grant him such sweeping power over trade and tax policy, traditionally the responsibility of Congress.

It put a spotlight on questions of the limit of presidential power, which Trump has tested repeatedly since re-entering office in January.

Lawyer Ilya Somin, who helped work on the case brought by businesses before the trade court, said he was "guardedly optimistic" that the ruling would be upheld on appeal, noting that the trade court order came from justices appointed by both Democratic and Republican presidents, including one by Trump himself.

"It's not normal for the president of the United States to make such an enormous power grab and start the biggest trade war since the Great Depression," he said.

But Terry Haines, founder of the Pangaea Policy, which advises firms on Washington policies, said he thought the decision may not ultimately make a difference once higher courts take the case.

"All these things are going to be litigated through and the president is probably going to be given the benefit of the doubt," he said.

AFP/Getty US President Donald Trump arrives to deliver remarks at the National Memorial Day Observance at the Memorial Amphitheatre in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on May 26, 2025.AFP/Getty

Analysts at Goldman Sachs and other firms said Trump was likely to look for other ways to justify tariffs, if the administration loses this case.

Business owners, while expressing relief, said they did not yet feel like the situation was resolved.

"I was incredibly happy and relieved but I'm also still very cautious," said Kara Dyer, the owner of Boston-based Story Time Toys, which makes toys in China and imports them to the US for sale.

"It's just been so chaotic and so impossible to plan as a business," she said.

"I want this to work its way through our court system so we have a little bit more certainty about what tariffs will be in the future."

However the process plays out, Dmitry Grozoubinski, a former trade negotiator who represented Australia at the World Trade Organization, said the decision would make it more difficult for the White House to suddenly impose tariffs, weakening Trump's ability to use the duties for leverage over other countries.

"It will be a lot harder for him to raise tariffs in the future," he said. "This was ultimately a negotiation in which President Trump was threatening other countries with a big stick and that stick just got considerably more ephemeral."

With reporting from the BBC's World Business Report and Opening Bell.

Where does court ruling leave Trump's tariff agenda?

30 May 2025 at 07:10
Getty Images Donald Trump holding up his signed order that introduces tariffs. Getty Images

The US Court of International Trade on Wednesday struck down President Donald Trump's tariffs imposed under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

The court ruled IEEPA did not give the president the authority to impose certain tariffs.

This affects the "fentanyl" tariffs imposed by the White House on Canada, Mexico, China since Trump returned to the White House. These tariffs were brought in to curb smuggling of the narcotic into the US.

It also affects the so-called "Liberation Day" tariffs announced on 2 April, including the universal 10% baseline tariff on all imports to the US.

However, the ruling does not affect the Trump administration's 25% "sectoral" tariffs on steel and aluminium imports and also his 25% additional tariffs on cars and car part imports, as these were implemented under a different legal justification.

A US federal appeals court decided on Thursday night that Trump's global tariffs can temporarily stay in place while it considers the White House's appeal against the trade court's judgement - but the future of the President's tariff agenda remains in the balance.

How much impact could this have on US trade?

Data from US Customs shows the amount of revenue collected in the 2025 financial year to date (ie between 1 October 2024 and 30 April) under various tariffs.

The data gives an approximate sense of the proportion of tariffs struck down and unaffected by the trade court's ruling.

It shows the tariffs imposed under IEEPA on China, Mexico and Canada in relation to the fentanyl smuggling had brought in $11.8bn (£8.7bn) since February 2025.

The 10% reciprocal tariffs - also justified under IEEPA - implemented in April had brought in $1.2bn (£890m).

On the other side of the ledger, the tariffs on metals and car parts - which are unaffected by this ruling - brought in around $3.3bn (£2.4bn), based on rounded figures.

And the biggest source of tariff revenue for the US in the period was from tariffs imposed on China dating back to Trump's first term in office, which raised $23.4bn (£17.3bn). These are also not affected by the court ruling, as they were not justified by IEEPA.

However, this is a backward looking picture - and the new tariffs were expected to raise considerably more revenue over a full financial year.

Analysts at the investment bank Goldman Sachs have estimated that the tariffs the trade court has struck down were likely to have raised almost $200bn (£148bn) on an annual basis.

In terms of the overall impact on Donald Trump's tariff agenda, the consultancy Capital Economics estimates the court ruling would reduce the US's average external tariff this year from 15% to 6.5%.

A line chart showing that tariffs will still be high even after the court ruling. The line chart shows customs duty revenue as a percentage of goods before and after the court ruling. Before it was due to reach 15%, now it will be 6.5%

This would still be a considerable increase on the 2.5% level of 2024 and would be the highest since 1970.

Yet 15% would have been the highest since the late 1930s.

What does this mean for any trade deals?

Trump had been using his tariffs as negotiating leverage in talks with countries hit by his 2 April tariffs.

Some analysts believe this trade court ruling will mean countries will now be less likely to rush to secure deals with the US.

The European Union (EU) intensified negotiations with the White House last weekend after Trump threatened to increase the tariff on the bloc to 50% under IEEPA.

The EU - and others, such as Japan and Australia - might now judge it would be more prudent to wait to see what happens to the White House's appeal against the trade court ruling before making any trade concessions to the US to secure a deal.

What does it mean for global trade?

The response of stock markets around the world to the trade court ruling on Wednesday suggested it would be positive.

But it also means greater uncertainty.

Some analysts say Trump could attempt to reimpose the tariffs under different legal justifications.

For instance, Trump could attempt to re-implement the tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which empowers the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to address foreign practices that violate trade agreements or are deemed "discriminatory".

And Trump has also threatened other sectoral tariffs, including on pharmaceuticals and semiconductors. Those could still go into effect if they are not justified by IEEPA.

Last month the World Trade Organization (WTO) said that the outlook for global trade had "deteriorated sharply" due to Trump's tariffs.

The WTO said it expected global merchandise trade to decline by 0.2% in 2025 as a result, having previously projected it would grow by 2.7 per cent this year.

The trade court ruling - if it holds - might help global trade perform somewhat better than this.

But the dampening impact of uncertainty regarding whether US tariffs will materialise or not remains.

The bottom line is that many economists think trade will still be very badly affected this year.

"Trump's trade war is not over – not by a long shot," is the verdict of Grace Fan of the consultancy TS Lombard.

BBC Verify logo

How the West is helping Russia to fund its war on Ukraine

30 May 2025 at 07:01
Getty Images Kneeling Ukrainian soldiers mourn a comrade killed in Russia's full-scale invasionGetty Images
In the fourth year of its full-scale invasion, Russia is still making billions for its war on Ukraine by selling fossil fuels abroad

Russia has continued to make billions from fossil fuel exports to the West, data shows, helping to finance its full-scale invasion of Ukraine – now in its fourth year.

Since the start of that invasion in February 2022, Russia has made more than three times as much money by exporting hydrocarbons than Ukraine has received in aid allocated by its allies.

Data analysed by the BBC show that Ukraine's Western allies have paid Russia more for its hydrocarbons than they have given Ukraine in aid.

Campaigners say governments in Europe and North America need to do more to stop Russian oil and gas from fuelling the war with Ukraine.

How much is Russia still making?

Proceeds made from selling oil and gas are key to keeping Russia's war machine going.

Oil and gas account for almost a third of Russia's state revenue and more than 60% of its exports.

In the wake of the February 2022 invasion, Ukraine's allies imposed sanctions on Russian hydrocarbons. The US and UK banned Russian oil and gas, while the EU banned Russian seaborne crude imports, but not gas.

Despite this, by 29 May, Russia had made more than €883bn ($973bn; £740bn) in revenue from fossil fuel exports since the start of the full-scale invasion, including €228bn from the sanctioning countries, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).

The lion's share of that amount, €209bn, came from EU member states.

EU states continued importing pipeline gas directly from Russia until Ukraine cut the transit in January 2025, and Russian crude oil is still piped to Hungary and Slovakia.

Russian gas is still piped to Europe in increasing quantities via Turkey: CREA's data shows that its volume rose by 26.77% in January and February 2025 over the same period in 2024.

Hungary and Slovakia are also still receiving Russian pipeline gas via Turkey.

Despite the West's efforts, in 2024 Russian revenues from fossil fuels fell by a mere 5% compared with 2023, along with a similar 6% drop in the volumes of exports, according to CREA. Last year also saw a 6% increase in Russian revenues from crude oil exports, and a 9% year-on-year increase in revenues from pipeline gas.

Russian estimates say gas exports to Europe rose by up to 20% in 2024, with liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports reaching record levels. Currently, half of Russia's LNG exports go the EU, CREA says.

The EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, says the alliance has not imposed "the strongest sanctions" on Russian oil and gas because some member states fear an escalation in the conflict and because buying them is "cheaper in the short term".

LNG imports have not been included in the latest, 17th package of sanctions on Russia approved by the EU, but it has adopted a road map towards ending all Russian gas imports by the end of 2027.

Data shows that money made by Russia from selling fossil fuels has consistently surpassed the amount of aid Ukraine receives from its allies.

The thirst for fuel can get in the way of the West's efforts to limit Russia's ability to fund its war.

Mai Rosner, a senior campaigner from the pressure group Global Witness, says many Western policymakers fear that cutting imports of Russian fuels will lead to higher energy prices.

"There's no real desire in many governments to actually limit Russia's ability to produce and sell oil. There is way too much fear about what that would mean for global energy markets. There's a line drawn under where energy markets would be too undermined or too thrown off kilter," she told the BBC.

'Refining loophole'

In addition to direct sales, some of the oil exported by Russia ends up in the West after being processed into fuel products in third countries via what is known as "the refining loophole". Sometimes it gets diluted with crude from other countries, too.

CREA says it has identified three "laundromat refineries" in Turkey and three in India processing Russian crude and selling the resulting fuel on to sanctioning countries. It says they have used €6.1bn worth of Russian crude to make products for sanctioning countries.

India's petroleum ministry criticised CREA's report as "a deceptive effort to tarnish India's image".

Getty Images Protesters in Poland demand an end to all fossil fuel imports from Russia, 2022Getty Images
Western nations, including the UK, are importing Russian fossil fuels from "laundromat refineries"

"[These countries] know that sanctioning countries are willing to accept this. This is a loophole. It's entirely legal. Everyone's aware of it, but nobody is doing much to actually tackle it in a big way," says Vaibhav Raghunandan, an analyst at CREA.

Campaigners and experts argue that Western governments have the tools and means available to stem the flow of oil and gas revenue into the Kremlin's coffers.

According to former Russian deputy energy minister Vladimir Milov, who is now a diehard opponent of Vladimir Putin, sanctions imposed on trade in Russian hydrocarbons should be better enforced - particularly the oil price cap adopted by the G7 group of nations, which Mr Milov says "is not working".

He is fearful, though, that the US government shake-up launched by President Donald Trump will hamper agencies such as the US Treasury or the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which are key for sanctions enforcement.

Another avenue is continued pressure on Russia's "shadow fleet" of tankers involved in dodging the sanctions.

"That is a complex surgery operation. You need to periodically release batches of new sanctioned vessels, shell companies, traders, insurers etc. every several weeks," Mr Milov says. According to him, this is an area where Western governments have been much more effective, particularly with the introduction of new sanctions by Joe Biden's outgoing administration in January 2025.

Mai says that banning Russian LNG exports to Europe and closing the refining loophole in Western jurisdictions would be "important steps in finishing the decoupling of the West from Russian hydrocarbons".

According to Mr Raghunandan from CREA, it would be relatively easy for the EU to give up Russian LNG imports.

"Fifty percent of their LNG exports are directed towards the European Union, and only 5% of the EU's total [LNG] gas consumption in 2024 was from Russia. So if the EU decides to completely cut off Russian gas, it's going to hurt Russia way more then it's going to hurt consumers in the European Union," he told the BBC.

Trump's oil-price plan to end war

Experts interviewed by the BBC have dismissed Donald Trump's idea that the war with Ukraine will end if Opec brings oil prices down.

"People in Moscow are laughing at this idea, because the party which will suffer the most… is the American shale oil industry, the least cost-competitive oil industry in the world," Mr Milov told the BBC.

Mr Raghunandan says that Russia's cost of producing crude is also lower than in Opec countries like Saudi Arabia, so they would be hurt by lower oil prices before Russia.

"There is no way that Saudi Arabia is going to agree to that. This has been tried before. This has led to conflict between Saudi Arabia and the US," he says.

Ms Rosner says there are both moral and practical issues with the West buying Russian hydrocarbons while supporting Ukraine.

"We now have a situation in which we are funding the aggressor in a war that we're condemning and also funding the resistance to the war," she says. "This dependence on fossil fuels means that we are really at the whims of energy markets, global energy producers and hostile dictators."

Banksy reveals lighthouse artwork - but keeps fans in dark about location

30 May 2025 at 03:11
Banksy/Instagram A photo of the Banksy piece of art. A metal bollard is in the foreground on the pavement, while a painting of a lighthouse is on the wall superimposed with a quote "I want to be what you saw in me". Banksy/Instagram
Online speculation suggests the new artwork may be in Marseille, France

Banksy's latest piece of grafitti art has been revealed to the world - but where it was painted remains a mystery for now.

Images posted on the elusive artist's Instagram depict a lighthouse stencilled on a drab, beige wall, along with the words: "I want to be what you saw in me".

A false shadow appears to have been drawn on the pavement from a nearby bollard, giving the illusion that the lighthouse is itself a silhouette of the mundane street furniture.

But unlike a lighthouse, the post gives little away as to the artwork's location. A second, wider shot showing two people walking their dogs offers little more.

Geoguessers on social media have speculated that the street art may lurk in Marseille, in the south of France, while others debate how to interpret the work's meaning.

Another image of the art circulating online shows a blurred person riding a scooter in front of the piece, with a graffiti tag seemingly reading "Yaze" further along the wall.

The tag matches that used by a Canadian graffiti artist Marco The Polo, whose Instagram account features photos of his own work but who has called Banksy an inspiration.

Banksy has kept his true identity a secret throughout his career, and it is only through the Instagram account that works are identified as genuine.

Often imbuing his works with a political message, his previous pieces have alluded to immigration, the war in Ukraine and homelessness, among other things.

The meaning of some of his works, though, is less clear - such as his motivation behind the series of animals painted in various locations across London last summer.

Prior to the lighthouse, in December, Banksy posted another piece, depicting a Madonna and child with a fixture in the wall appearing like a bullet wound in her chest.

UK's muddy saltmarshes vital to tackle climate change, report finds

30 May 2025 at 14:10
WWF The image shows a saltmarsh from above. Channels of tidal water flow through an uneven, green landscape of marshland grasses and other plants. WWF
Saltmarshes are buffer zones between the land and the sea and act as natural flood defences

The UK's saltmarshes are vital "sinks" that lock away climate-warming greenhouse gases in layers of mud, according to a new report from WWF.

Much of the UK's saltmarshes have been lost to agriculture but the charity says they are unsung heroes in nature's fight against climate change.

It is now calling for these muddy, tidal habitats to be added to the official UK inventory of how much carbon is emitted and how much is removed from our atmosphere every year.

This formal recognition could, it hopes, provide more of an incentive to restore and protect more of these sites.

Victoria Gill/BBC The image shows a yellow tower built of scaffolding poles that sits in a green carpet of marshland grass. The tower is fitted with analytical equipment that is measuring gases in the atmosphere around the saltmarsh Victoria Gill/BBC
The greenhouse gas monitoring station was installed on a tower to protect it from the saltwater and debris

Working with researchers from the UK's Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, a WWF team installed solar-powered greenhouse gas monitoring stations on Hesketh Out Marsh, a saltmarsh in North-West England that has been restored and is managed by the RSPB.

Analysing gases in the air flowing around the marsh - over the course of a year - revealed how plants there "breathe in" more carbon dioxide in the summer than they release in winter.

These new findings build on previous studies that have measured the amount of carbon in the marshland's mud.

To carry it out, the team fixed analytical equipment to a sturdy 2.5m tall tower made of scaffolding poles. The site is regularly flooded by the tide, so the tower has kept their kit safe from salt water and debris.

With WWF's ocean conservation specialist, Tom Brook as our guide, we waded through the thigh-high grass to visit the site of the experiment.

RSPB The image shows an avocet - a distinctively-patterned black and white wading bird with a long up-curved beakRSPB
Wading bird like avocets have specially evolved bills for skimming food off the tidal mud and lagoons

At low tide, the sea is not visible beyond the expanse of grassland, but the area is littered with driftwood, some plastic waste and there is even a small, upturned boat nearby.

"The plants grow so quickly here in spring and summer that they almost grow on top of each other - layering and decomposing," Tom said. "That captures carbon in the soils. So while we're typically taught about how trees breathe in carbon and store that in the wood, here salt marshes are doing that as mud.

"So the mud here is just as important for climate mitigation as trees are."

WWF has published its first year of findings in a report called The Importance of UK Saltmarshes. Unusually, this been co-published with an insurance company that is interested in understanding the role these sites have in protecting homes from coastal flooding.

The UK has lost about 85% of its saltmarshes since 1860. They were seen as useless land and many were drained for agriculture.

Victoria Gill/BBC News The image shows a sunny view over Hesketh Out Marsh, near Preston, in North-West England. The water levels in the tidal stream is low, revealing layers of uneven mud. There are long grasses and flowering plants growing across the marsh and the sky is bright blue. Victoria Gill/BBC News
Carbon is locked away in layers of marshland mud

Hesketh Out Marsh has been restored - bought by the wildlife charity RSPB and re-flooded by tide. Now, in late spring, it is teeming with bird life. A variety of species, including avocets, oyster catchers and black-tailed godwits, probe the mud for food and nest on the land between lagoons and streams.

The researchers hope the findings will help make the case to restore and protect more of these muddy bufferzones between the land and the sea.

"The mud here is so important," explained Alex Pigott, the RSPB warden at Hesketh Out Marsh. "It's is like a service station for birds."

With their differently shaped bills - some ideal for scooping and some for probing - marshland birds feed in the tidal mud.

"We know these sites act as a natural flood defences, too and that they store carbon," said Ms Pigott. "Any any of these habitats that we can restore will be a big win for nature."

Andrew and Tristan Tate will return to UK to face charges, lawyers say

30 May 2025 at 04:33
EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock Andrew and Tristan Tate, both wearing black suits, walk in front of trees and tall buildings, with Andrew smiling and wearing sunglasses.EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Andrew and Tristan Tate will return to the UK to face 21 criminal charges once proceedings against them in Romania have concluded, their lawyers have said.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said on Wednesday that it had authorised charges including rape, actual bodily harm and human trafficking against the brothers in 2024, before an extradition warrant was issued to bring them back from Romania.

Authorities in Romania are investigating the two British-Americans in a separate case, in relation to a number of charges which they deny.

In a statement on Thursday, lawyers for the Tates said that "once those proceedings are concluded in their entirety then they will return to face UK allegations".

Previously, the brothers' legal representatives said that UK allegations dated back to between 2012 and 2015.

At the time of an arrest warrant obtained by Bedfordshire Police in March 2024, the Tates said they "categorically reject all charges" and were "very innocent men".

A Romanian court has already ruled that the brothers could be extradited to UK following the end of any trial there, for which there is no clear timescale currently, and the CPS said "domestic criminal matters in Romania must be settled first".

The CPS said Andrew Tate, a 38-year-old influencer and former kickboxer, faces 10 charges connected to three alleged victims, including rape, actual bodily harm, human trafficking and controlling prostitution for gain.

Tristan Tate, 36, faces 11 charges connected to one alleged victim, including rape, actual bodily harm and human trafficking.

Responding to the allegations on the Tates's behalf, their solicitors said there had been a "vast amount of misinformation in the media regarding the allegations faced by our clients".

A statement added: "Regardless of your views, it must be the case that everyone that is tried in England and Wales has the expectation of a fair trial."

France to ban smoking on beaches, parks and near schools

30 May 2025 at 01:48
Getty Images A woman smokesGetty Images

France will ban smoking in all outdoor places that can be frequented by children, health and family minister Catherine Vautrin has said.

The ban will come into force on 1 July and will include beaches, parks, public gardens, outside schools, bus stops and sports venues.

"Tobacco must disappear where there are children," Vautrin said in an interview published by Ouest-France daily.

Vautrin added that "the freedom to smoke must end where the freedom of children to breathe fresh air begins".

The outdoor areas of cafes and bar - known as terrasses - will be exempt from the ban, she said.

Vautrin explained that breaking the rules would incur a €135 (£113; $153) fine.

She said regular police would enforce the ban but also added that she was a great believer in the "self-regulation".

Although electronic cigarettes are exempt, Vautrin said that she was working to introduce limits on the amounts of nicotine they contain.

According to the French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, 23.1% of the French population smokes on a daily basis - the lowest percentage ever recorded, and a fall of over five points since 2014.

France's National Committee Against Smoking says more than 75,000 smokers die each year of tobacco-related illnesses - 13% of all deaths.

Smoking in establishments like restaurants and nightclubs has been banned in France since 2008.

Widespread measures to ban smoking on beaches, parks and other public places were meant to kick in in 2024, but the decree needed to was never adopted.

However, more than 1,500 municipalities have already voluntarily banned smoking in public places, and hundreds of beaches across France have been non-smoking for severeal years.

A recent report by France cancer association La Ligue Contre le Cancer shows almost 80% of French people are in favour of a ban on smoking in public places like woodland, beach, parks and terrasses.

Jack Draper edges past home favourite Monfils in late-night French Open thriller

30 May 2025 at 06:30

Draper edges past Monfils in late-night French Open thriller

Jack Draper stretches his arms out towards the French Open crowdImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Jack Draper had not won a French Open match until this year's tournament

  • Published

Jack Draper ensured there will be three British men in the French Open third round for the first time since 1968 by seeing off home favourite Gael Monfils in a memorable late-night thriller.

With the Parisian crowd willing on 38-year-old Monfils, fifth seed Draper stayed focused and regrouped to win 6-3 4-6 6-3 7-5 on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Former world number six Monfils threatened to force a decider in an absorbing contest - full of high-quality rallies and entertainment - but could not serve out at 5-3 or take two set points at 5-4.

Draper, 23, maintained his composure superbly to record the finest Roland Garros win of his fledgling career.

"My brain was fried out here," Draper said afterwards.

"I'm not sure if I am going to go to sleep tonight because my brain is just all over the place with what [Gael] was doing out here.

"That's why he has had such a successful career and is loved by all the fans. The players love to watch him play as well but not to play against him."

The British number one, who plays Brazilian teenage sensation Joao Fonseca next, moved into the last 32 alongside Jacob Fearnley and Cameron Norrie, who play each other in an all-British meeting.

Fearnley, 23, progressed when his French opponent Ugo Humbert retired following a nasty fall.

Fearnley, who replaced Norrie as the British number two earlier this year, was leading 6-3 4-4 when 22nd seed Humbert quit.

Norrie, 29, booked his place earlier on Thursday with a 7-6 (9-7) 6-2 6-1 win over Argentine qualifier Federico Gomez.

It will be the first time in the Open era - which started in 1968 when professionalism was ushered in - that two British players have met beyond the first round in Paris.

Draper shows maturity to quell Paris crowd

Over the past year, Draper has developed into a leading player with genuine ambitions of landing the biggest prizes in the sport.

The way the Englishman overcame Monfils was another example of his growing maturity.

After two chastening previous experiences on the Paris clay, Draper has returned with a point to prove.

Patience was required as he battled from a set down against Italian opponent Mattia Bellucci on Tuesday to earn his first career win at Roland Garros.

It was a similar theme against the popular Monfils, who can whip up the crowd with his talented shot-making and infectious character.

The French fans have a reputation for being boisterous and, with one of their favourite sons playing in the twilight of his career, created an energetic atmosphere which Draper had to block out.

Crucially, he remained calm for the majority of the entertaining contest.

Despite having his errors enthusiastically cheered, with spectators implored to stop shouting out, Draper stayed locked in to retake the lead after Monfils levelled.

Signs of agitation did show in the fourth set, though.

Gael Monfils and Jack Draper share a warm embrace after their French Open matchImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Draper shared a warm embrace with Monfils at the net after completing victory

An outburst towards his box released some tension - and drew whistles from the home fans - but could not prevent Draper from losing serve for 4-2.

After not converting five break-back points in a 13-minute seventh game, Draper took his chance in the ninth - but the drama continued as Monfils had two set points in the 10th.

Draper, though, is a different beast these days.

Having won three consecutive five-setters at the Australian Open in January, he proved again that he can come through moments of adversity deep into Grand Slam matches - even though he avoided a decider this time.

Draper managed to keep playing with clarity of mind, winning the final five games of the match and sealing a three-hour victory at 11:44pm local time.

"There were times where I was very frustrated but I reminded myself that this is why I put in the hard work to play on courts like this," said Draper.

"It is something I enjoyed while I was playing even though it didn't look like it."

Nasty fall helps Fearnley set up Norrie meeting

For Edinburgh's Fearnley, becoming British number two earlier this year was another notable landmark.

Having graduated from university in the United States last April, Fearnley was ranked outside of the world's top 500 just 12 months ago.

Since then he has made one of the fastest climbs in ATP Tour history and broke new ground at the Grand Slam tournaments.

The eye-catching draws continued when he was paired against Swiss former champion Stan Wawrinka last week at Roland Garros.

The manner in which he quietened the pro-Wawrinka crowd in an efficient victory stood him in good stead for facing Humbert.

Fearnley, whose background in the trash-talking US college game helps ensure he does not get fazed, sapped some energy from the home fans in a confident start.

He did trail by a break in the second set, but ultimately progressed in the way which no player wishes to win.

Humbert tumbled as he stretched for a return at 40-40 in the eighth game and clutched his right leg.

After receiving treatment, he tried to continue wearing heavy strapping and lost serve before deciding it would not be sensible to carry on.

Ugo Humbert sits on the court after fallingImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Humbert was aiming to reach the third round of the French Open for the first time

As a result, Fearnley - now 55th in the world - moved into the last 32 on his French Open debut.

Now he will switch his attention to Norrie, who also learned his craft playing for Texas Christian University.

Norrie has slipped to 81st in the rankings, but has rediscovered his form on clay and earned one of the most satisfying wins of his career when he beat former world number one Daniil Medvedev at Roland Garros earlier this week.

Facing 114th-ranked Gomez in a match he was expected to win presented a different challenge.

"I had to get up for this match - I was the favourite to win it," Norrie told BBC Sport.

"I was able to bring a 6/7 out of 10 performance, I was happy with that."

Related topics

Why Succession creator Jesse Armstrong is writing about rich people again

30 May 2025 at 04:21
Getty Images Jesse Armstrong wearing black glasses and a light blue denim shirtGetty Images

Jesse Armstrong, one of the UK's most successful screenwriters, is not one to rest on his laurels.

Hot off the back of his hit show Succession, which followed the twists and turns in the lives of media mogul Logan Roy, played by Brian Cox, and his four children, Armstrong is back with his first feature-length film, Mountainhead.

It's a satire film about a group of four tech billionaire friends who go away to a mountain resort for the weekend but find themselves and their social media companies under scrutiny as social unrest spreads across the globe.

Speaking at the Hay Festival, Armstrong says: "People start by saying, 'Why are you doing these rich people again? And it's a fair question. They're tech billionaires. Succession was about a big media family. And I think it's because I'm interested in power, I don't think it's about just wealth.

"Succession was very clearly about why is the world like it is, who has power?"

HBO's Mountainhead, starring Steve Carrell and Ramy Youssef, was made very quickly.

"We did it at great speed. I pitched it in December and wrote it in January... carried on re-writing it through pre-production and then shot it in 22 days, then edited it.

"We only finished (editing) about a week ago and it's on TV this weekend!"

Armstrong, 54, wanted to do a quick turnaround on the film to try to capture the feeling and pace of technological developments and society's fear about keeping up.

"The anxieties that we have about technology, especially AI, feel very present and move quite fast. And I wanted to try and write it in the same mood as you might be when you're watching it, so I was keen to do it quickly," he says.

"Another attraction for me was that I've never directed anything before and it made me feel less anxious to run at it and do it really, really quickly."

HBO Steve Carrell and Ramy Youssef star in Mountainhead - Carrell is on the left and is wearing a grey cardigan, Youssef has a beige top and light brown waistcoat on.HBO
Steve Carrell and Ramy Youssef star in Mountainhead

Armstrong, who cut his teeth in children's TV before writing for shows such as The Thick of It and going on to co-create series like Peep Show and Fresh Meat, said the inspiration for Mountainhead came from listening to podcasts.

"I wrote a book review about Sam-Bankman-Fried, the crypto fraudster, and then I read more and more about tech, and I started listening to podcasts of senior tech figures, from Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg and Sam Altman, but also the mid-level people and even lower level - it's an ecosphere.

"I couldn't stop thinking about the voice of these people. I do love getting the vocabulary right. For me, that opens the door, once I can hear them talking. And since it seems like the AI companies are scraping so much of our hard work to train their models, I thought I would scrape them back [using their podcasts]!"

Armstrong told the Hay audience that while he knew his job was to engage viewers, writing the film "was a way of expressing a load of feelings about that world and about those men - they're almost all men in that world - and it's cathartic".

His shows are known for their dark humour and Armstrong says if he had to write his job description in his passport application, he would put down "comedy writer", adding that he doesn't think of himself as a storyteller.

"I'm trying to make a story engaging that will probably involve people laughing. And the bit that I find most challenging is finding a story because people remember jokes, but you just won't make it through that half hour or hour unless that story is is compelling enough to make an audience follow along."

'More fearful'

Many writers and showrunners end up directing episodes of the series that they have created but Armstrong says he couldn't do that on Succession, which won multiple awards including 14 primetime Emmys.

"I always felt like the people who did it were so good at it that it was rather rude of me to suggest I could just come in and do it just as well."

Armstrong doesn't appear to be your stereotypical confident showrunner, coming across as quite shy and humble, despite his success.

"Sometimes very creative people have a real 'screw you' attitude to authority, and I don't have that. Maybe I'm a bit more fearful, a bit more amenable. I like everyone to be happy. I want to to give people what they want in quite a decent and humane way.

"I don't have a confrontational attitude to people I work with, unless someone's a jerk - I hope I can stand up for myself and the work."

Mountainhead is released on HBO and Max on 31 May

Badenoch accuses Starmer and Farage of 'fantasy economics'

30 May 2025 at 10:23
Getty Images Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch visits Bridlington Harbour to meet with members of the fishing community in Bridlington, England on 23 May 2025.Getty Images

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has accused Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage of indulging in "fantasy economics" over their approaches to welfare policies.

Writing in the Daily Mail, Badenoch says both leaders believe in getting struggling taxpayers to "fund unlimited child support for others".

Her commentary comes after the Labour government indicated that it was looking at the possibility of scrapping the two-child benefit cap.

Farage said earlier this week that his party would also get rid of the policy and back more generous tax breaks for married people.

Badenoch added the country could not "afford their fantasy economics" and that Britain deserved leaders who did not "treat economics like a branch of showbiz".

"This week we have seen Labour and Reform in a race to the bottom to scrap the two-child benefit cap," she wrote.

"Starmer and Farage now believe in getting taxpayers - many of whom are struggling to raise their own children or choosing not to have them in the first place - to fund unlimited child support for others."

The Conservatives have said the policy - which they introduced - of limiting means-tested benefits to just two children in most families should not be scrapped.

Reform UK have pledged to remove the cap if they win power, but have not detailed how they would fund the billions it, and all their other pledges, would cost.

In a speech this week, Farage said he wanted to lift the cap "not because we support a benefits culture" but because it would ease the burden on lower-paid workers.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said the government is looking at scrapping the two-child benefit cap but warned it would "cost a lot of money".

Speaking on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show last week, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner refused to confirm whether the government would remove the policy.

Pressure has also grown from Labour backbenchers over the issue since the party's poor performance at the local elections earlier this year.

Badenoch's attack comes after Farage said this week the Conservatives had become an "irrelevance".

For his part, Sir Keir said the Conservatives had "run out of road", were in "decline" and "sliding into the abyss".

Badenoch argued her party was now "the only major political party to take a serious look at the welfare state".

Tariffs court fight threatens Trump's power to wield his favourite economic weapon

30 May 2025 at 10:34
Getty Images Trump is shown in a blue suit and red tie, with a sceptical look on his face, during a cabinet meeting, seated next to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth Getty Images

Since returning to power, US President Donald Trump has wielded tariffs – or the threat of them - as his economic weapon of choice.

He has slapped import duties against allies and adversaries alike, and raised their rates to staggeringly high levels, only to change his mind and abruptly pause or reduce the charges.

Markets and global leaders have scrambled trying to guess his next moves, while major retailers have warned of rising prices for American consumers and potentially empty shelves in shops.

The president has claimed this power to impose tariffs unilaterally. He says that as president he is responding to a national economic emergency - and he cannot wait for Congress to pass legislation.

In effect, this meant his finger was constantly poised on one of the most effective triggers of US economic policy. Firing off a threatening missive to a country playing hardball was as easy as posting on Truth Social (just ask the European Union, which he called "very difficult to deal with" in negotiations last week).

However, late on Wednesday, the US Court of International Trade ruled that he had exceeded the authority of the emergency powers he was using. The court gave the White House 10 days to remove almost all tariffs, which it says have been imposed illegally.

The White House appealed, and a federal appeals court has stayed the trade court's ruling, which means that those tariffs will stay in place - for now.

The administration argued in its appeal that a ruling against Trump "would kneecap the president on the world stage, cripple his ability to negotiate trade deals, imperil the government's ability to respond to these and future national emergencies".

On Thursday night, Trump was back on Truth Social, rebuking the lower court judges who had ruled against him, calling their decision "wrong" and "horrible".

Until now, the power to make or break the economy has rested on his shoulders, as the tariff rates levelled against other countries keep going up and down – seemingly according to Trump's mood.

He raised the tariffs on imported Chinese goods all the way up to 145% before dropping them down to 30%. A few weeks later he used a social media post to threaten the EU with 50% tariffs, before backing down a couple of days later.

Wall Street analysts have even reportedly now coined the phrase "Taco trade", referring to their belief that Trump Always Chickens Out from imposing steep import taxes. He looked furious when asked about the acronym in the Oval Office on Wednesday.

"That's a nasty question" he said, arguing that it was only by making these threats that he got the EU to the negotiating table.

Watch: Trump slams "Taco" acronym given to tariff flip-flops

Trump's ambassador to the EU during his first term, Gordon Sondland, told the BBC this so-called wishy-washy-ness was by design.

"What Trump is doing is exactly what he would do as a business person. He would immediately find a point of leverage to get someone's attention today. Not next month, not next year... he wants to have these conversations now," he said earlier this week, before the latest legal twists.

"How do you get someone as intransigent and as slow moving as the EU to do something now? You slap a 50% tariff on them and all of a sudden the phone start ringing."

If Trump's tariffs plan continues to meet resistance in the courts, one option at his disposal is asking Congress to legislate the taxes instead. But that would eliminate one of his biggest tools - the element of surprise.

For decades, Trump has been convinced that trade tariffs are the answer to many of America's economic problems. He has appeared to welcome the prospect of global trade war sparked by his tariff agenda, insisting that it is by raising the price of imported goods and reviving the US manufacturing sector that he will "Make America Great Again".

Trump touts the money - billions of dollars, not trillions, as he says - that tariffs have already brought in to US government coffers.

The president argues they will help to revive American manufacturing by persuading firms to move their factories to the US to avoid import duties.

However, University of Michigan economics professor Justin Wolfers described Trump's methods as "madness".

"If you believe in tariffs, what you want is for businesses to understand that the tariffs are going to... be permanent so that they can make investments around that and that's what would lead the factories to come to the United States," he told the BBC.

Watch: Trump tariff agenda "alive and well", says Trump adviser Peter Navarro

He said that whatever happens with this court challenge, Trump has already transformed the global economic order.

Prof Wolfers said while Trump "chickens out from the very worst mistakes" - citing his original 'Liberation Day' levies and the threat of 50% tariffs on the EU - he doesn't backflip on everything.

The president wants to keep 10% reciprocal tariffs on most countries and 25% tariffs on cars, steel and aluminium.

"Yes, he backs off the madness, but even the stuff he left in meant that we had the highest tariff rate yesterday than we'd had since 1934," Prof Wolfers said.

All signs point to this being a fight that the Republican president won't give up easily.

"You can assume that even if we lose, we will do it another way," Trump's trade advisor Peter Navarro said after Thursday's appeals court ruling.

While the litigation plays out, America's trade partners will be left guessing about Trump's next move, which is exactly how he likes it.

From £1 tickets to super fences and hip-hop - Glastonbury through the years

30 May 2025 at 13:22
Getty Images Crowds gathered around Glastonbury's Pyramid stage at night time. There are fireworks shooting up into the air and some people are waving flags around.Getty Images
Glastonbury Festival has become a world famous event

Glastonbury Festival has evolved significantly from its humble beginnings in 1970.

Back then, tickets cost £1 and included camping and a free pint of milk from the farm.

More than 50 years later, Glastonbury Festival has become a global phenomenon, showcasing some of the biggest names in music.

So how has the festival changed over the years?

Getty Images An orange poster advertising the Pilton Pop, Folk and Blues Festival. The poster says "Worthy Farm Pop Fesitval, Pilton, Shepton Mallet, Som.
Saturday, 19th September, 1970
Commencing 10 a.m Week-end Camp."
The Kinks and Wayne Fonta are billed on the lineup. The poster says that tickets cost £1 and the compere is D.J Mad MickGetty Images
Tickets sold for £1 in 1970

1970 - £1 tickets and free milk

Attendance: 1,500. Tickets: £1

The first Glastonbury Festival, which was known then as the Pilton Pop, Folk and Blues Festival, took place in September 1970, coincidentally a day after Jimi Hendrix died.

Festival organisers Michael and Jean Eavis were inspired by the Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music and by the success of the Isle of Wight Festival and Woodstock in the USA.

For just £1 a ticket included camping and a pint of milk from the farm and approximately 1,500 people attended the event.

That year, recent chart-toppers The Kinks and Wayne Fontana were advertised on the tickets as the headline acts, although both pulled out.

They were replaced by a band called Tyrannosaurus Rex, who were one of the biggest groups in the UK in the early 1970s.

Daily Express/Archive Photos/Getty Images A black and white photo showing the first Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury festival. Crowds are gathered around the stage and people can be seen inside of the stage.Daily Express/Archive Photos/Getty Images
The first Pyramid stage was built in 1971

1971 - The birth of the Pyramid stage

Attendance: estimated at 12,000. Price: Free

The following year, the festival was held in June to coincide with the summer solstice. Re-named Glastonbury Fair, entry was free and the number of visitors increased to 12,000.

The festival's famous Pyramid stage also made its first appearance.

Constructed from metal and plastic sheeting, the stage was deliberately placed on the Glastonbury-Stonehenge ley line (a network of lines which are said to connect sites with spiritual and cultural significance).

1979 - 'Year of the Child'

Attendance: 12,000. Tickets: £5

In 1979, the festival was held over three days and officially known as 'Glastonbury Fayre'. The theme for 1979 was the 'Year of the Child'.

Special provision and entertainment was provided for children and it was at this event that the concept of the Children's World charity was born, which still exists today and works in special schools throughout Somerset and Avon.

Despite the numbers attending, organisers suffered a financial loss and no one wanted to risk another festival in 1980.

It was also this summer that Michael Eavis' youngest daughter, Emily was born.

1981 - Glastonbury Festival

Attendance: 18,000. Tickets: £8

The festival returned after a year's break, now officially named 'Glastonbury Festival'.

Organisers partnered with Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). CND was involved with promotion, ticket sales, and received a donation of £20,000 from the festival.

It was in this year that it was decided to build a new sturdier version of the Pyramid stage - one that could be used all year round.

When famous acts weren't performing on it, it could be used as a cowshed and a store for animal food.

Using telegraph poles and Ministry of Defence metal sheeting as core materials, the new stage took two months to build.

Martyn Goodacre/Getty Images Crowds gathered around the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival. A white peace symbol can be seen on top of the Pyramid stage. There are several tents pitched up in the foreground of the photo.Martyn Goodacre/Getty Images
The famous Pyramid stage burnt down in 1994

1994 - Pyramid stage burns down

Attendance: 80,000. Tickets: £59

On 13 June 1994 the famous Pyramid stage burnt down in the early hours of the morning - just two days before the festival.

Fortunately, a replacement was provided by the local company who also provided the stages for the NME and Jazz stages.

It was also the first year that Glastonbury was televised. Channel 4 covered the event over the weekend. In 1997, the BBC took over broadcasting the festival.

Pete Still/Redferns Three festival goers covered from head to toe in mud.Pete Still/Redferns
Mud-spattered rock festival goers in the crowd at the Glastonbury Festival

1997 - 'Year of the mud'

Attendance: 90,000. Tickets: £75 including official programme.

Torrential rain just before the festival weekend resulted in 1997 being dubbed the "year of the mud".

The festival covered 800 acres by this point and many revellers were photographed dancing to the acts in their wellington boots rather than the latest fancy footwear.

Getty Images David Bowie singing into a camera with his arms outstretched above him. He is wearing an embroidered suit jacket.Getty Images
David Bowie performed on the Pyramid Stage in 2000

2000 - Return of the Pyramid Stage

Attendance: Official estimate, 100,000. Unofficial estimate, 200,000. Tickets: £87 including programme

This year saw the return of the Pyramid stage (the third to be built) – it was 100 ft (30.4 metres) high and clad in dazzling silver.

There was also more camping space with the introduction of a special family campsite. However, this year saw a huge influx of gate crashers. People climbed fences and crawled through ditches to join the party.

David Bowie headlined the festival with a two hour show which was shown in full for the first time on television.

PA Media Part of a large fence that surrounds the Glastonbury Festival site. PA Media
Michael Eavis said it was clear they had to be able to control the numbers and keep the festival safe

2002 - 'Super fence' installed

Attendees: 140,000. Tickets £97, including programme

During the 1990s, when the festival's popularity was rapidly increasing, break-ins were particularly rife at the festival site and after a high influx of gatecrashers in 2000, Michael Eavis was fined for breaching licensing conditions.

As a result his team built a £1m "super fence" when the festival returned in 2002, putting an end to mass break-ins.

The ring of steel repelled all non ticket holders and 140,000 legitimate festival goers attended that year.

Jim Dyson/Getty Images Hundreds of tents on a campsite that has been submerged in water, The water is brown with mud and there is litter floating in the water.Jim Dyson/Getty Images
Biblical rain fell on Glastonbury in 2005

2005 - Extreme flooding

Attendance: 153,000. Tickets: £125 including programme

In 2005, a storm caused chaos at Glastonbury. Almost a month's worth of water fell in a few hours on the festival's opening day, washing tents down the hills and flooding campsites. More than 400 tents were submerged in floodwater.

There were reports of people having to swim to their tents to retrieve their belongings - and some people were spotted canoeing around the campsite.

Fire services pumped three million litres of water from the area, leaving it strewn with litter, sleeping bags, tent poles and mud-covered tents.

In the years that followed it was reported that Mr Eavis spent £750,000 on flood prevention measures.

Jim Dyson/Getty Images Two men canoe across a flooded campsite at Glastonbury Festival in 2005. Litter and plastic can be seen in the floodwater.Jim Dyson/Getty Images
People had to canoe or swim to their tents to retrieve their belongings

2007 - New stage introduced

Attendance: 135,000. Tickets: £145 including programme

This year saw the introduction of Emily Eavis' Park Stage, bringing a whole new section of the Festival site to life, whilst the Dance Village cemented its reputation in its second year.

The Unsigned Bands competition became the Emerging Talent Competition, which generated thousands of entries and a host of worthy winners playing on many of the Festival stages.

Getty Images Jay Z on the Pyramid Stage. He is wearing dark sunglasses, a black and yellow checked scarf and a black hooded jacket.Getty Images
Jay Z became the first hip-hop artist to headline Glastonbury in 2008

2008 - First hip-hop headliner

Attendance: 134,000. Tickets: £155 including programme

There was quite a stir in the lead-up to 2008's Glastonbury after rap megastar Jay-Z was announced as Saturday night's headline act.

Jay-Z's headlining slot was controversial due to the festival's traditional focus on guitar-based rock and pop music.

However, Jay-Z defied the doubters and became the first major hip-hop artist to headline Glastonbury, marking a turning point for the festival's line-up.

2019 - Last before Covid

PA Media Stormzy performing on Glastonbury's Pyramid stage while wearing a Union Jack stab-proof vestPA Media
Stormzy performed at Glastonbury in 2019 wearing a Union Jack stab-proof vest

Capacity: 203,000. Ticket price: £248

Jay-Z's performance in 2008 carved out a path for more hip-hop and rap headliners.

Stormzy dominated Glastonbury's Pyramid stage in 2019. While wearing a stab-proof Union Jack vest, he used his set to highlight inequality in the justice system and the arts.

This year's Glastonbury Festival would be the last for the next two years due to Covid-19 pandemic.

2022 - Glasto returns

Ticket price: £280 Capacity: 210,000

Thousands of music lovers welcomed the return of the Glastonbury Festival in 2022, after a forced hiatus due to Covid-19.

This year's festival also featured its youngest-ever solo headliner in Billie Eilish and Sir Paul McCartney as the oldest.

As well as the music, climate activist Greta Thunberg also made a surprise appearance, telling festival goers the earth's biosphere is "not just changing, it is breaking down".

PA Media Crowds sit on a field at Glastonbury Festival. They are wearing a variety of colourful summer clothes as the sun appears to be going down. There are some white tipis pitched on the grass in the background.PA Media
Music lovers welcomed the festival's return in 2022 after a forced hiatus

2025 - Last before fallow year

Capacity: 210,000. Tickets: £373.50 + £5 booking fee

Glastonbury Festival will return on 25 June this year.

Festival organisers have announced British band The 1975, rock legend Neil Young and US pop star Olivia Rodrigo will be headlining.

Rod Stewart will also perform on Sunday afternoon in the "legend slot" - 23 years after his last appearance at the festival.

This year will be last festival before the 2026 fallow year to let the field recover.

If you were unable to get yourself a ticket for the world's biggest music festival - don't worry - the BBC will have extensive coverage throughout Glastonbury 2025.

Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.

Related internet links

The Papers: 'Face of Liverpool horror' and 'The end is Nige'

30 May 2025 at 07:53

The headline on the front page of the Guardian reads: "Protests as ministers prepare to sign 'values-free' Gulf states deal".
The face of the man charged in the Liverpool victory parade incident is splashed across the front pages of Friday's papers. The Guardian leads their coverage saying Paul Doyle, from West Derby, is being charged with "grievous bodily harm" after the car he is alleged to have been driving crashed into a crowd during Liverpool's Premier League victory celebrations. Sharing the top spot, Britain is "on the brink" of signing a "£1.6bn trade agreement with Gulf states", the paper reports. However, rights groups say the deal "makes no concrete provisions on human rights, modern slavery, or the environment".
The headline on the front page of the Daily Telegraph reads: "Hermer: Calls to quite ECHR like rise of Nazism".
The Daily Telegraph also shares a photo of the Liverpool parade suspect, saying he will appear at Liverpool Magistrates' Court on Friday and is charged with seven offences. The paper adds that police say the investigation is still at "an early stage" and prosecutors are "continuing to work at pace to review a huge volume of evidence". Alongside, the Telegraph reports on comments from Attorney General Lord Hermer, who compared "threats by politicians to 'abandon' international law" to "1930s Nazi Germany".
The headline on the front page of the Times reads: "Law chief in Nazi jibe at Tories and Reform".
The Times also headlines their front page with Lord Hermer's "Nazi jibe", saying the attorney general is likening "Tory and Reform politicians who want to pull Britain out of international courts to Nazis". The paper reports Lord Hermer saying Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch's "policy to disengage from the ECHR" and other bodies if they "no longer served British interests" is a "pick and mix approach similar to that pursued by Nazi Germany".
The headline on the front page of the Daily Mail reads: "Middle-class former Royal Marine charged over Liverpool parade horror" .
"Middle-class former Royal Marine charged over Liverpool parade horror", announces the Daily Mail. Also dominating the paper's front page is an exclusive on Kemi Badenoch's criticism of Nigel Farage and Sir Keir Starmer's "race to the bottom" on welfare handouts.
The headline on the front page of the Sun reads: "Ex-Royal Marine charged over parade horror".
The Sun also leads the front page with the "ex-Royal Marine" charged over the Liverpool victory parade car crash. The paper also teases a potential Spice Girls "comeback", albeit "virtually".
The headline on the front page of the Daily Star reads: "Face of Kop parade suspect".
The "face of Kop parade suspect" dominates the Daily Star. Also featured is Donald Trump's statement that he's "on a mission from God" as he vows to fight a trade court ruling blocking his global tariff regime.
The headline on the front page of the Daily Mirror reads: "Seven charges".
"Seven charges", blasts the Daily Mirror in their story of the Liverpool suspect. Also prominent is a photoshopped image of Nigel Farage in a Liz Truss-style wig as the paper covers Sir Keir's warning of "Farage and his Trusst issue".
The headline on the front page of the Financial Times reads: "Trump vows to fight on in trade war after court rules tariff blitz is illegal".
Donald Trump has pledged to "fight on" after a US trade court ruled his "Liberation Day" tariff scheme as "illegal", reports the Financial Times. The paper quotes Trump's top trade adviser Peter Navarro saying "nothing has changed" and that the administration has "a strong case" in their appeal. Elsewhere, the paper issues a "red alert" as French business schools are extending application deadlines for foreign students in "an attempt to attract some of the brightest minds in academia" after the US ordered a pause on visa applications for international students.
The headline on the front page of the Metro reads: "The end of the world is Nige!"
"The end of the world is Nige!", warns the Metro as it reports on Sir Keir's "surprise onslaught" against Farage. The paper says Sir Keir is warning that the Reform leader will "splurge billions" and "wreck Britain's economy" if he is handed power. "Can you trust him?" the prime minister asks.
The headline on the front page of the Daily Express reads: "NHS rolls out world-first cancer test".
A "revolutionary" blood test for cancer is being rolled out by the NHS in a "world-first", reports the Daily Express. The paper says the new "liquid biopsy" can deliver a diagnosis "up to two weeks earlier" than the usual tissue biopsy, "allowing doctors to select the right targeted therapy sooner".
The headline on the front page of the i Paper reads: "PIP disability claimants in key Labour areas 'at greatest risk of welfare cuts'".
Rounding out the coverage is the i Paper's lead on disability benefit claimants in Labour heartland set to be "hardest hit" by plans to restrict welfare. Analysis by the paper shows up to 90% of current claimants in some key Labour areas could face "cutbacks" under new cost-saving proposals on personal independence payments.
News Daily banner

Sign up for our morning newsletter and get BBC News in your inbox.

News Daily banner

Weekly quiz: How did this ship end up in a Norwegian garden?

30 May 2025 at 01:46

This week saw Elon Musk part ways with the White House, Gary Lineker present his final Match of the Day, and the world of television pay tribute to former BBC presenter and executive Alan Yentob.

But how much attention did you pay to what else happened in the world?

Quiz collated by Ben Fell.

Fancy testing your memory? Try last week's quiz, or have a go at something from the archives.

Before yesterdayBBC | Top Stories

UK to sign Chagos deal with Mauritius

22 May 2025 at 08:11
Reuters A thin strip of land with the ocean visible on either side.  The land is partly covered by trees, but an airstrip is also visible as well as several white cylindrical fuel tanks. A white sand beach can be seen on one side of the island. Reuters
Diego Garcia is the location of a UK-US military airstrip

Sir Keir Starmer is due to sign a deal handing the Chagos Islands to Mauritius on Thursday.

Under the terms of the deal Mauritius would gain sovereignty of the islands from the UK, but allow the US and UK to continue operating a strategically important military base on one of the islands for an initial period of 99 years in exchange for a multi-billion pound payment.

As first reported in The Telegraph newspaper, the prime minister will attend a virtual signing ceremony with representatives from the Mauritian government on Thursday.

The deal previously appeared to have stalled after a change in government in both Mauritius and the US - where aides to Donald Trump were given time to examine the plan.

The plan to hand over control of the Chagos Islands, officially known as the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), was announced last October following negotiations with then-Mauritian leader Pravind Jugnauth.

However, following elections, he was replaced by current PM Navin Ramgoolam, who expressed concerns about the deal.

Progress on the deal was also delayed after the election of Trump because negotiators wanted to give the new US administration time to examine the details of the plan.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was one of a chorus of high-profile Republicans who said the deal posed a "serious threat" to US national security, due to Mauritius' relationship with China.

However, last month Trump indicated he would back the deal.

The image shows two maps. One map shows the distance of the Chagos Islands to the UK. The other map shows the Chagos Islands in relation to the coast of Africa, India and Southeast Asia.

Under the terms of the deal, Britain is expected to give up sovereignty of the island territory to Mauritius, and lease back a crucial military base on the archipelago for 99 years.

The government is yet to spell out the estimated cost of payments the British taxpayer will make under the deal, but it is expected to run into the billions.

The Chagos Archipelago was separated from Mauritius in 1965, when Mauritius was still a British colony.

Britain purchased the islands for £3m, but Mauritius has argued that it was illegally forced to give away the Chagos Islands as part of a deal to get independence from Britain in 1968.

The UK has come under increasing international pressure to hand over control of the archipelago after various United Nations bodies sided with Mauritian sovereignty claims in recent years.

The last Conservative government opened negotiations over the legal status in late 2022, but has since criticised the Labour government for being willing to hand over the islands.

Reform UK has been strongly critical too.

Labour has argued that the best way to guarantee the future of the military base was to do a deal with Mauritius – and that that was in the interests of UK national security too, given the importance of the base.

Following the signing ceremony, MPs will be updated on the terms of the deal in the House of Commons, which could include scope for a 40-year extension to the lease of the military base, the Telegraph said.

Speaking in the House of Commons just this week, Defence Secretary John Healey insisted the base on Diego Garcia was "essential to our security", and the UK's security relationship with the US.

"We've had to act, as the previous government started to do, to deal with that jeopardy, we're completing those arrangements and we'll report to the House when we can," he added.

Thin, red banner promoting the Politics Essential newsletter with text saying, “Top political analysis in your inbox every day”. There is also an image of the Houses of Parliament.

Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.

Women with dense breasts should have extra NHS cancer scans, researchers say

22 May 2025 at 07:02
Getty Images A woman goes for a mammogram.  She is pictured alongside a female medical professional. Getty Images

Women with very dense breasts should be offered additional scans as part of the UK's NHS breast screening programme to help detect more cancers and save lives, researchers say.

A Cambridge University-led study of more than 9,000 women found using different scans from traditional mammograms could treble the number of cancers detected in this group of women.

Around one in 10 women have very dense breasts and they have a higher risk of developing breast cancer, however cancers are harder to spot in dense breasts because of the way mammograms (breast x-rays) work.

This is because they look whiter on the x-rays, the same colour as early-stage cancers.

The trial tested different scanning methods on women with very dense breasts who had been given a mammogram and told they did not have cancer.

It is only through mammograms that women and their health professionals can identify breasts that are very dense.

'Extra scan spotted my cancer'

Louise Duffield, 60, from Ely, Cambridgeshire, was one of the trial participants who had an early-stage breast cancer diagnosed.

She had surgery to have the tumour removed within weeks.

She says it was a "big shock" when she got the diagnosis.

"It's been a stressful time and it's a huge relief to have it gone. The tumour was deep in the breast so if I hadn't been on the trial, it could have gone unnoticed for years."

Other Louise Duffield, sittingOther
Louise Duffield has had surgery to remove the tumour found by additional scan

The study, published in The Lancet, found two alternative methods, an enhanced mammogram and a fast MRI scan, detected 17-19 cancers per 1,000 women screened.

Both techniques use injections to make blood vessels more visible – tumours in the breast have a lot of blood vessels.

By contrast, traditional mammograms detect eight cancers in every 1,000 women screened. This amounts to more than 20,000 cancers currently detected each year.

Women aged 50 to 71 are invited for breast screening every three years and around two thirds take up the offer.

Based on the study results and that level of uptake, using the different scanning techniques on women with very dense breasts could identify 3,500 extra cancers per year and potentially save 700 lives.

'Time to change approach'

Prof Fiona Gilbert, who led the research, said she was convinced the new approach could make a difference.

"We need to change our national screening programme so we can make sure more cancers are diagnosed early, giving many more women a much better chance of survival."

The Department of Health and Social Care said its screening advisory body had been looking at ways to improve detection rates in women with very dense breasts for a number of years.

It said it would be reviewing the findings of this trial, but it was determined to "fight cancer on all fronts" to improve survival rates.

A new national cancer plan for England is expected to be published later this year.

Scientists propose novel way of treating mosquitoes for malaria

22 May 2025 at 07:10
Getty Images Two tiny mosquitoes native to Africa rest on someone's thumbGetty Images

Mosquitoes should be given malaria drugs to clear their infection so they can no longer spread the disease, say US researchers.

Malaria parasites, which kill nearly 600,000 people a year, mostly children, are spread by female mosquitoes when they drink blood.

Current efforts aim to kill mosquitoes with insecticide rather than curing them of malaria.

But a team at Harvard University has found a pair of drugs which can successfully rid the insects of malaria when absorbed through their legs. Coating bed nets in the drug cocktail is the long-term aim.

Sleeping under a bed net has been one of the most successful ways of preventing malaria as the main malaria-spreading mosquitoes hunt at night.

Vaccines to protect children living in high-risk malaria areas are also recommended.

Nets are both a physical barrier and also contain insecticides which kill mosquitoes that land on them.

But mosquitoes have become resistant to insecticide in many countries so the chemicals no longer kill the insects as effectively as they used to.

"We haven't really tried to directly kill parasites in the mosquito before this, because we were just killing the mosquito," says researcher Dr Alexandra Probst, from Harvard.

However, she says that approach is "no longer cutting it".

The researchers analysed malaria's DNA to find possible weak spots while it is infecting mosquitoes.

They took a large library of potential drugs and narrowed it down to a shortlist of 22. These were tested when female mosquitoes were given a blood-meal contaminated with malaria.

In their article in Nature, the scientists describe two highly effective drugs that killed 100% of the parasites.

The drugs were tested on material similar to bed nets.

"Even if that mosquito survives contact with the bed net, the parasites within are killed and so it's still not transmitting malaria," said Dr Probst.

"I think this is a really exciting approach, because it's a totally new way of targeting mosquitoes themselves."

She says the malaria parasite is less likely to become resistant to the drugs as there are billions of them in each infected person, but less than five in each mosquito.

The effect of the drugs lasts for a year on the nets, potentially making it a cheap and long-lasting alternative to insecticide, the researchers say.

This approach has been proven in the laboratory. The next stage is already planned in Ethiopia to see if the anti-malarial bed nets are effective in the real world.

It will take at least six years before all the studies are completed to know if this approach will work.

But the vision is to have bed nets treated with both anti-malaria drugs and insecticide so that if one approach doesn't work, then the other will.

Trump ambushes S African leader with claim of Afrikaners being 'persecuted'

22 May 2025 at 03:45
Watch moment Trump confronts South Africa's president with video

US President Donald Trump seemed to ambush his South African counterpart at the White House on Wednesday, confronting him with a video that Trump said supported his claim that white farmers were being "persecuted" in the country.

The footage, shown during a news conference with Cyril Ramaphosa, purported to show the gravesites of murdered farmers. Trump did not say where it was filmed, and the footage has not been verified by the BBC.

Ramaphosa - who appeared to weigh up carefully how to respond - disputed Trump's allegation. He said black people were far more likely to be victims of violence in South Africa than white people.

Trump also said that he would seek an "explanation" from his guest on widely discredited claims of a white "genocide" in South Africa.

Ramaphosa came to the White House on Wednesday for trade talks to reset US-South African relations.

He had hoped to charm Trump with the inclusion of two of South Africa's best-known golfers in the delegation. Ramaphosa also came equipped with a gift of a huge book featuring his country's golf courses.

But after a cordial start, the mood in the Oval Office shifted as Trump asked for the lighting to be lowered so a video could be played.

The film featured the voice of leading South African opposition figure Julius Malema singing the song: "Shoot the Boer [Afrikaner], Shoot the farmer".

It also showed a field of crosses, which the US president, talking over the images, said was a burial site of white farmers.

He then handed Ramaphosa what appeared to be print-outs of stories of white people being attacked in South Africa.

"What you saw - the speeches that were made... that is not government policy," Ramaphosa responded.

"We have a multiparty democracy in South Africa that allows people to express themselves.

"Our government policy is completely against what he [Malema] was saying even in the parliament and they are a small minority party, which is allowed to exist according to our constitution."

Watch: Trump greets South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa at White House

Ramaphosa said he hoped that Trump would listen to the voices of South Africans on this issue.

The South African leader pointed out the white members of his delegation, including golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, and South Africa's richest man Johann Rupert.

"If there was a genocide, these three gentlemen would not be here," Ramaphosa said.

Trump interrupted: "But you do allow them to take land, and then when they take the land, they kill the white farmer, and when they kill the white farmer nothing happens to them."

"No," Ramaphosa responded.

Trump appeared to be referring to a controversial law signed by Ramaphosa earlier this year, which allows the government to seize privately-owned land without compensation in some circumstances. The South African government says no land has yet been seized under the act.

Speaking to Trump on Wednesday, Ramaphosa did acknowledge that there was "criminality in our country... people who do get killed through criminal activity are not only white people, the majority of them are black people".

As Trump pressed the issue, Ramaphosa stayed calm - and tried to work his charm by making a joke about offering a plane to the US.

He invoked the name of anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, saying South Africa remained committed to racial reconciliation.

Getty Images South Africa Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen speaks during a meeting between US President Donald Trump and South African President Cyril RamaphosaGetty Images
South Africa Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen was invited to speak about the experience of farmers

When a journalist asked what would happen if white farmers left South Africa, Ramaphosa deflected the question to his white agriculture minister, John Steenhuisen, who said that most farmers wanted to stay.

But Trump kept firing salvoes at Ramaphosa, who avoided entering into a shouting match with him - something that happened to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky when he met Trump in the same room in February.

Earlier this month, a group of 59 white South Africans arrived in the US, where they were granted refugee status. Ramaphosa said at the time they were "cowards".

Before Wednesday's White House meeting, South Africa's leader had stressed that improving trade relations with the US was his priority.

South African exports into the US face a 30% tariff once a pause on Trump's new import taxes ends in July.

Watch: Rubio and Kaine clash over white South African refugees

Tensions between South Africa and the US ramped up days after Trump took office for his second term in January.

It was at that point that Ramaphosa signed into law the controversial bill that allows South Africa's government to expropriate privately-owned land in cases when it is deemed "equitable and in the public interest".

The move only served to tarnish the image of Africa's biggest economy in the eyes of the Trump administration - already angered by its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

In February, the US president announced the suspension of critical aid to South Africa and offered to allow members of the Afrikaner community - who are mostly white descendants of early Dutch and French settlers - to settle in the US as refugees.

South Africa's ambassador to Washington, Ebrahim Rasool, was also expelled in March after accusing Trump of "mobilising a supremacism" and trying to "project white victimhood as a dog whistle".

Additional reporting by Khanyisile Ngcobo and Farouk Chothia

More on South African-US relations:

Getty Images/BBC A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News AfricaGetty Images/BBC

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

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

BBC Africa podcasts

‘Smash the gangs' and end asylum hotels - are government promises being met?

22 May 2025 at 05:30
Getty Images Migrants onboard a rubber boat in the ChannelGetty Images

The prime minister has made tackling illegal immigration and "restoring order" to the asylum system a priority for the government.

Sir Keir Starmer has promised to "smash the gangs". It follows predecessor Rishi Sunak's pledge to "stop the boats".

Yet small boat crossings have reached record levels for this point in the year.

Ahead of the release of the latest official numbers on Thursday, BBC Verify looks at key government pledges - from ending the use of asylum hotels to returning more failed asylum seekers.

'End the use of asylum hotels'

Labour promised to "end asylum hotels, saving the taxpayer billions of pounds" in its general election manifesto.

The government wants to fulfil this pledge by the end of this Parliament - meaning by 2029, unless an early election is called.

However, according to figures obtained by BBC Verify via a Freedom of Information request, the number of hotels used to house asylum seekers was higher in December than when Labour took office in July.

Line chart showing the number of hotels used to house asylum seekers between 2020 and December 2024. They rise from December 2020 to 2021 from about 90 to about 190. Then again in 2022 to 300 and then again in 2023 to about 400. They then lower to 218 by December 2024

In July, 212 hotels were in use. By December, there were 218 - accommodating about 38,000 people.

Once someone applies for asylum, they gain legal protections while awaiting a decision - including accommodation if they cannot support themselves financially.

Almost everyone who arrives by small boat claims asylum - they made up a third of all asylum applications last year. Another large group of claimants were people already in the UK who had overstayed their visas.

The asylum process determines whether a person can remain in the UK because they have a "well-founded fear of persecution" in their home country.

Since 2020, the government has been increasingly reliant on hotels, partly because the supply of other types of asylum accommodation has not kept up with the numbers arriving in small boats.

But using asylum hotels is expensive - costing £8m per day in 2023-24.

'Smash the gangs'

As of 14 May, 12,699 people had arrived in the UK in small boats - up by a third compared with this time last year.

To reduce the number of crossings, the government has pledged to disrupt the people-smuggling gangs behind them.

Chart showing small boat crossings totals by year between 2021 and 2025. All years tend to start with lower numbers, under 10,000 until at least June, then increase significantly between August and November. 2021 is the lowest total at about 28,000, while 2022 is the highest with more than 40,000 crossings. Figures to mid May 2025 show 12,699 crossings, which is the highest so far for that point in the year of any previous years.

But it is unclear how the government plans to measure its progress, or when the goal will be met.

The Home Office told us data on actions taken by officials to disrupt criminal gangs was "being collected and may be published in the future".

There is some information on efforts to prevent small boat crossings by French authorities - who, under a 2023 deal, are receiving £476m from the UK over three years.

They say about 17,379 people were prevented from crossing between July and December 2024. We do not know what happened to them or whether they tried to cross again.

There have been high-profile cases of UK-based smugglers being sentenced, including a man who helped smuggle more than 3,000 people and raids on the continent.

And at the recent UK-EU summit both sides pledged to work together on finding solutions to tackle illegal immigration.

Illegal migration includes people who arrive on small boats, or hidden in lorries, and people who remain in the UK after their legal visa expires.

The vast majority of UK immigration is legal - this includes people who have been granted permission to come to work, study, claim asylum or for other authorised purposes.

Last year, about 43,000 people entered the UK illegally - about 4% of the nearly one million people who came to the UK legally in 2024.

'Clear the asylum backlog'

The government has also promised "to clear the asylum backlog".

This refers to the backlog of claims by asylum seekers who are waiting to hear whether they will be granted refugee status and be allowed to remain in the UK.

Since last summer, there has been a 50% increase in decisions on asylum cases.

A line chart showing the number of decisions being made on asylum cases and the number of people applying for asylum. The number of decisions is generally lower than applications from 2020 through to late 2023. The numbers fluctuate between 5,000 and 30,000. Decisions then rapidly rise to more than 60,000 before falling back to 16,000 in early 2024. Decisions then rise in the latest quarter to about 38,000 in December 2024. Applications rise steadily throughout to about 30,000 in December 2024

But despite this, the UK saw a record number of asylum applications across the year, meaning the overall backlog has actually risen since the election.

Under Labour, 41% of asylum claims were granted between October and December 2024.

Bar chart showing the backlog of asylum cases waiting to be decided on by the government. The bars hover at about 20,000 to 40,000 for most of the 2010's, starting to rise consistently in 2018 to a peak in 2023 of about 160,000. This then drops to about 120,000 - where it is now.

Another backlog the government wants to clear is the mountain of court appeals from asylum seekers following rejected claims.

That backlog has also got worse since last summer's election, according to the latest figures.

There were about 33,000 cases at the end of June, rising to nearly 42,000 in December - the highest total since at least 2015.

Line chart showing the open asylum appeals caseload. The line starts at about 9,000 in 2015, remaining below 10,000 until 2023 where it rises rapidly to the current total of 43,000.

'Increase returns'

The government has also promised to "increase returns" of people with no legal right to be in the UK. It said it would set up a new returns and enforcement unit with 1,000 extra staff.

The number of returns rose by around 2,000 - from just under 22,000 to 24,000 - between July 2024 and March 2025, year-on-year.

The government is meeting this pledge but it is worth noting that the majority of returns were "voluntary", not "enforced".

Just 6,339 people were forcibly removed, which could involve being escorted onto a plane by an immigration official.

Previous figures, up to December, show many of those who did leave voluntarily did so without government assistance or without its knowledge at the time, as BBC Verify has previously pointed out.

Area chart showing immigration returns from the UK supported by the government and made independently. The chart starts in 2010 where about 12,000 returns were made, just over half were government supported. The number of all returns then falls dramatically from 2017 through to 2020, before beginning to rise again in both categories to December 2024. The latest totals are 5,773 government supported and 2,758 independent, with the government supported total rising consistently.

This is despite repeated claims from ministers that the government has "removed" or even "deported" this many people.

The Home Office says all returns outcomes are the result of collective efforts by the department.

BBC Verify has approached the Home Office on each of the pledges to ask how the government intends to meet them.

BBC Verify banner

M&S website completely down, leaving users unable to browse

22 May 2025 at 05:51
In Pictures via Getty Images Shop front that reads Marks & Spencer. Street sign reads Oxford Street.In Pictures via Getty Images

The Marks & Spencer website is down, leaving users unable to browse, as the retailer continues to deal with the aftermath of a cyber-attack last month.

Customers have been unable to make online orders for weeks but on Wednesday evening users were met with a screen reading: "Sorry you can't browse the site currently. We're making some updates and will be back soon."

M&S has been contacted for comment.

Earlier in the day, the retailer said it estimates that the cyber-attack will hit this year's profits by around £300. It added that its online services would continue to be disrupted until July, with a gradual return to normal.

A screengrab of what the M&S website looks like. it is split in two horizontally. Top half is white with black writing and bottom half is black
A screenshot of what the M&S website looks like

Following the cyber attack, M&S said some personal customer data was stolen in the recent cyber attack, which could include telephone numbers, home addresses and dates of birth.

The High Street giant assured customers that the data theft did not include useable payment or card details, or any account passwords, but added that online order histories could be included in the personal data stolen.

The attack took place over the Easter weekend, initially affecting click-and-collect and contactless payments. A few days later M&S put a banner on its website apologising that online ordering was not available.

M&S estimates that the cyber attack will hit this year's profits by around £300m - more than analysts had expected and the equivalent to a third of its profit - a sum that would only partly be covered by any insurance pay-out.

"Over the last few weeks, we have been managing a highly sophisticated and targeted cyber-attack, which has led to a limited period of disruption," said M&S chief executive Stuart Machin.

Police are focusing on a notorious group of English-speaking hackers, known as Scattered Spider, the BBC has learned.

The same group is believed to have been behind attacks on the Co-op and Harrods, but it was M&S that suffered the biggest impact.

❌
❌