Negotiations for a deal between the UK and EU are still ongoing hours before the prime minister hosts a UK-EU summit on Monday.

Sir Keir Starmer will meet European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for the second time in four days as he aims to strike a deal with the EU on a range of issues.

This could include a youth mobility scheme, allowing UK passport holders to use EU airport e-gates, and announcements on trade, security, and fishing rights.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage have already described the deal as a "surrender" despite the contents not being known.

As the talks continue into the night, the BBC understands, there is no deadline for when they will conclude.

Negotiations for the UK are being led by the minister for UK-EU relations, Nick Thomas-Symonds, who told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that he was driven by "ruthless pragmatism" and was focused on jobs, lower household bills, and stronger borders.

But he declined to give specific details of any deal, saying: "Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed."

Announcements around trade and security have been expected to include British access to a 150 billion euro (£125 billion) EU defence fund, which could be a boost for UK defence companies.

Fishing could also be part of a deal, with a post-Brexit deal on fishing rights set to expire at the end of June 2026.

The Conservatives have warned that the government must "make it clear that giving up any rights to UK waters and natural resources would represent a betrayal to British fishermen".

Reports have circulated that a youth mobility scheme with the EU could be set up - something that Sir Keir told the Times on Saturday would be a "reciprocal" arrangement in which young people would be able to move abroad for up to two years.

No specific details about the ages of those who could be eligible and whether there would be a cap on numbers were given, and it has received mixed responses from opposition parties.

Badenoch described the possible scheme as "free movement through the back door" while Reform's deputy leader Richard Tice said earlier this week that such a scheme would be "the thin end" of EU free movement.

The Liberal Democrats have backed the idea of a "capped mobility scheme", although the party's Europe spokesperson James MacCleary has accused the government of "dragging their heels when it comes to properly negotiating on the issue".

Reports have also suggested there could be agreements on British travellers using EU e-gates at European airports and cutting red tape on food exports and imports.

Thomas-Symonds said he was "pushing for people to be able to go through" European airports "far more quickly" and that he was confident about a deal on food.

He added: "We know we've had lorries waiting for 16 hours, fresh food in the back not able to be exported because frankly it's just going off, red tape, all the certifications that are required, we absolutely want to reduce that."

Conservative MP Alex Burghart told the BBC on Sunday he was concerned the government was signing up to EU standards and becoming "a rule taker - one of the things we specifically left behind when we left the EU".

There was much fanfare - and then lunch on the Thames - to mark the "reset" of the relationship between the UK and the EU with claims of a "huge" potential boost to growth.

The deal does represent a significant breakthrough in deepening ties in the UK's most important trading relationship and paves the way for more gains while still allowing scope for pursuing other trade deals.

But ultimately what has been agreed so far only dismantles a fraction of the trade barriers erected post-Brexit.

Those producing and selling foodstuffs between Britain and the EU, in particular, are celebrating a reduction in red tape and checks.

The agreement on plant and animal health, or sanitary and phytosanitary standards (SPS), goes further than envisaged a few months ago. By agreeing to follow EU rules, the government has faced accusations of selling out on sovereignty. But it will smooth the path for over 1,500 products crossing borders.

For more than four years, those selling agricultural products from Britain to the EU have had to comply with extra certification and checks, intended to prevent the spread of disease and ensure food safety.

Amid frequent complaints of forms stretching to dozens of pages and fish and other perishables rotting in transit, the Food & Drink Federation claims that exports of such items to the EU have dropped by a third since 2019.

Small companies were particularly likely to conclude it wasn't worth the effort; the variety of products being exported was reduced as costs increased. Formalities on items coming into the UK, too, have been ramped up, albeit more gradually

By doing away with some of the paperwork and inspections, the government claims this agreement - and the one centred on energy - will be worth £8.9bn to the UK by 2040.

Those predictions are always uncertain but that's roughly equivalent to 0.3% of GDP - helpful but not quite the "huge" boost to growth it claims. And that would recoup only a small fraction of the 4% of GDP the government's own independent forecasters reckon has been foregone as a result of Brexit.

What about prices?

Some studies suggest that greater red tape has contributed to higher prices for foodstuffs imported from the EU in recent years.

And while retailers are among those welcoming this deal, it's not guaranteed that any savings in costs will be passed on, although the deal could limit the degree of future increases in the price of - that depends on suppliers passing on savings.

The key concession made by the UK was an extension to the agreement on fisheries by 12 years. That sector represents just 0.04% of GDP, but clearly this will be a big disappointment to some fishing communities, concerned by an encroachment of rights. However, exports of fish to the EU have fallen by 29% over the course of just a few years - the SPS agreement is likely to help reverse that loss.

What's been agreed in detail so far may not provide the "huge" boost to growth the government wants, but there is more that should be ahead.

The youth mobility scheme could deliver significant gains, depending on the details that are hammered out, as could the mutual recognition of professional qualifications.

But even those are unlikely to repair even the majority of the damage to growth some economists reckon Brexit has caused.

The independent Office for Budget Responsibility, the official forecasters, had reckoned that as a result of Brexit GDP will be the equivalent of 4% lower than it could have been. That's the equivalent of costing the economy £100bn per year.

Fully compensating for that, analysts reckon, would involve the UK rejoining the single market and customs union and allowing freedom of movement - all of which the government reiterated today are "red lines" it's not prepared to cross.

But there is still a very significant triumph the government can claim. In a short period of time, it has tied up trade agreements with India and the US - and struck this improved deal with the EU.

The latter, in particular, may have been given added impetus by President Trump's trade hostility.

Knowing it perhaps could rely less on that traditional ally across the Atlantic may not have driven the EU and UK into each others arms, but it likely added a new focus on working to break down barriers previously thought insurmountable.

Moreover, the UK has achieved something many commentators thought not possible in the early years of Brexit, securing a deal (albeit limited) with the US without lowering food standards and so managing to align with EU rules.

This deal may not be a huge growth gamechanger. But it paves the way for reaching more common ground with the EU while allowing the UK to strengthen ties with the US on services, in particular financial services, and technology - areas of growing importance for British firms doing business with America.

And that strategic focus on building on our economic strength is not to be sniffed at, particularly at a time of geopolitical uncertainty

Gary Lineker has confirmed he will leave the BBC after presenting his final episode of Match of the Day on Sunday.

The 64-year-old had been expected to front future coverage of the FA Cup and World Cup, but was criticised last week after sharing a social media post about Zionism that included an illustration of a rat, historically used as an antisemitic insult.

In a statement on Monday, Lineker reiterated that he didn't know about the post's antisemitic connotations, adding that he "recognises the error and upset that I caused, and reiterate how sorry I am".

He added: "Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action."

The presenter has previously attracted criticism for his social media posts, but the latest example was thought to be the last straw for bosses, who considered his position untenable, the BBC's culture and media editor Katie Razzall said.

The BBC's director general Tim Davie, said in a statement: "Gary has acknowledged the mistake he made. Accordingly, we have agreed he will step back from further presenting after this season.

"Gary has been a defining voice in football coverage for the BBC for over two decades. His passion and knowledge have shaped our sports journalism and earned him the respect of sports fans across the UK and beyond. We want to thank him for the contribution he has made."

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Lineker said: "Football has been at the heart of my life for as long as I can remember – both on the pitch and in the studio.

"I care deeply about the game, and about the work I've done with the BBC over many years. As I've said, I would never consciously repost anything antisemitic – it goes against everything I stand for.

"However, I recognise the error and upset that I caused, and reiterate how sorry I am. Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action."

In addition to the written statement, the former footballer also posted a video on Instagram.

He said he would "never, ever have shared" the post if he had seen the emoji, which he said "has awful connotations".

"I would like once again to say I'm sorry unreservedly for the hurt and upset caused. It was a genuine mistake and oversight," he continued. "But I should have been more diligent. I know that."

Lineker said he had "stood up for minorities and humanitarian issues, and against all forms of racism all of my life, including, of course, antisemitism, which I absolutely abhor".

He told his followers it was "best for all concerned" that he "step down from BBC presenting duties altogether".

Lineker described his 30 years at the BBC as a "pleasure and a huge privilege", adding that Match of the Day had become "an integral part of my life".

The presenter concluded by saying his relationship with the BBC had been "long and wonderful", but that it was "time for the organisation and myself to go our separate ways".

'Difficult and emotional week'

Writing to staff, BBC Sport director Alex Kay-Jelski said he "appreciated the last week has been difficult and emotional for many of you".

He said it was "sad to be saying goodbye to such a brilliant broadcaster" and thanked Lineker "for his years of service".

He concluded: "Let's finish the season strongly with Gary's final show, enjoy an incredible summer of sport and look forward with excitement to what lies ahead."

Lineker and the BBC had announced last year that he would leave Match of the Day at the end of this season, which concludes on Sunday.

But he had been due to remain at the forefront of the BBC coverage of the men's FA Cup and the World Cup in 2026.

The former England striker replaced Des Lynam as the corporation's main presenter of Match of the Day in 1999.

In a recent interview with the BBC's Amol Rajan he said he had a sense during his latest contract negotiations that the BBC wanted him to step down from the Premier League highlights show.

Roger Mosey, former director of BBC Sport and ex-head of BBC television news, told Radio 4's Today programme on Monday he believed the "difficulty" was that "you can't both be the highest paid presenter and be a social media activist".

"I think it's always been a problem that allowing Gary to do the amount of social media he did and also be the BBC's highest-paid presenter was never going to be easy," he said.

This is a sorry end to a long BBC career. Gary Lineker was among the corporation's highest-paid presenters for a reason - he is popular with audiences, knowledgeable and brilliant at his job.

But it's an understatement to suggest he has also caused problems for his BBC bosses over the years, as their high-profile football host began to morph into a presenter with opinions that he voiced on social media.

In the end, those two things were increasingly in conflict.

This has always been about reputation management for the BBC. Lineker had already, in the eyes of BBC bosses, caused the corporation damage with previous social media posts. Mistakenly sharing a video about Zionism which included a rat emoji was the final straw.

• Live updates and reaction to Lineker's departure
• Lineker to leave BBC after social media 'error'
• From football sensation to headline-hitting presenter

It was difficult to see how he could continue presenting for the corporation, particularly at a time when the BBC is enmeshed in another controversy surrounding a documentary about Gaza, which it pulled after discovering the child narrator was the son of a Hamas official.

I think what's different is that on this occasion, Lineker regrets his actions. He has appeared bullish about previous posts, saying that while he regretted damaging the BBC, he didn't believe, for example, that comparing the language of a Conservative asylum policy to that of 1930s Germany was wrong.

But last week he crossed the line.

Lineker is genuinely upset by what happened. He is mortified that he reposted the video. His relationship with the BBC is coming to an end in circumstances nobody would have wanted, but some might have predicted.

He seemed unable or unwilling to accept that his high profile might prevent him from voicing strongly-held views that many believed had an impact on the BBC's need for impartiality.

We live increasingly in an age when people want to express their opinions, and often do. Social media has given everyone a platform, and high-profile media figures have huge followings.

He could not keep quiet. In the end, it brought him down.

But he is a successful podcast entrepreneur, owning a third of the shares in Goalhanger, the company behind hit shows including The Rest is History and The Rest is Politics.

I would also not be surprised if he does appear in the future on TV, perhaps even as a presenter of the World Cup for another outlet.

He has shown contrition, but it has been a damaging few days.

A third man has been arrested over alleged arson attacks at properties connected to Sir Keir Starmer, the Met Police says.

The 34-year-old was arrested on Monday morning in south-west London on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life, the force said.

His arrest follows that of two other men in connection with the fires.

The arrests relate to three incidents: a vehicle fire in Kentish Town, a fire at the prime minister's private home on the same street, and a fire at an address where he previously lived in north-west London.

On Saturday, a 26-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of the same offence at Luton Airport.

A third man called Roman Lavrynovych, 21, has already been charged with three counts of arson with intent to endanger life in connection with the fires.

He appeared in court last Friday where he entered no pleas to the charges.

The BBC understands that Mr Lavrynovych, a Ukrainian builder and roofer, denied arson in a police interview.

He has been remanded in custody until the next scheduled hearing at the Old Bailey on 6 June.

Police have been given extra time to question the man who was arrested at Luton Airport. He remains in police custody and has not been named.

There are three separate incidents being investigated and these are being led by the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command because of the connection with a high-profile public figure.

Emergency services responded to a fire in the early hours of 12 May at the Kentish Town home where Sir Keir lived before becoming prime minister and moving into 10 Downing Street.

Damage was caused to the entrance of the property, which it is understood Sir Keir still owns and rents out, but nobody was hurt.

On 8 May, a car Sir Keir sold to a neighbour in 2024 caught fire on the same street.

On 11 May, firefighters dealt with a small fire at the front door of a house converted into flats in nearby Islington, which the prime minister previously lived at.

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Former US President Joe Biden expressed his gratitude for the words of support that have poured in after he announced his cancer diagnosis on Sunday.

"Cancer touches us all," Biden wrote on social media on Monday morning. "Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support."

On Sunday, Biden's office disclosed that he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones.

The news comes as fresh questions are being raised about the former president's health while he was in office.

"On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterised by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone," Biden's office said in a statement.

"While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management."

A Gleason score of nine means his illness is classified as "high-grade" and the cancer cells could spread quickly, according to Cancer Research UK.

• What we know about Biden's prostate cancer diagnosis
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Questions have been raised about how long he might have had this cancer for and if the disease was affecting him while he was still in office.

Biden said his diagnosis was made on Friday after he reported urinary symptoms which led doctors to find a small nodule on his prostate.

In the wake of the cancer diagnosis, many have offered Biden their support including President Donald Trump, former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Kamala Harris.

King Charles, who is undergoing his own treatment for an undisclosed cancer, has offered his support and sent his best wishes to Biden.

Vice-President JD Vance offered well wishes, but questioned whether the American people had a clear picture of Biden's health while the former president was in office.

"We really do need to be honest about whether the former president was capable of doing the job," Vance said on Monday. "And that's that's … you can separate the desire for him to have the right health outcome with a recognition that whether it was doctors or whether there were staffers around the former president, I don't think he was able to do a good job for the American people."

Vance also said he blamed the people around him more than Biden himself.

"This is not child's play, and we can pray for good health, but also recognize that if you're not in good enough health to do the job, you shouldn't be doing the job," he added.

The announcement comes as Biden staves off criticism from a forthcoming book that claims he and his advisers hid his deteriorating health while he was in the White House.

Details revealed last week from the book entitled, Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again, include Biden not recognising actor and frequent Democratic donor George Clooney at a fundraiser last year and aides discussing putting the former president in a wheelchair.

The book will be released on Tuesday.

Nearly a year ago, the former president was forced to drop out of the 2024 US presidential election because of concerns about his health and age.

Israel's prime minister has said his decision to allow a "minimal" amount of food into Gaza after 11 weeks of blockade followed pressure from allies in the US Senate.

"We must not reach a situation of famine, both from a practical and a diplomatic standpoint," Benjamin Netanyahu stressed in a video in response to criticism of the move in Israel.

He said food deliveries would continue only until Israel's military and American companies had set up hubs to distribute aid under US-backed plan that the UN has rejected.

Netanyahu also declared that Israeli forces would "take control of all areas" of Gaza as part of the expanded ground offensive against Hamas that the Israeli military began on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Israeli air strikes killed at least 20 people across the territory on Monday, according to first responders and hospitals.

The Israeli military said it had struck more than 160 targets over the past day.

It also ordered the evacuation of the southern city of Khan Younis and its eastern suburbs, warning residents that it was about to launch an "unprecedented attack" there.

Israel stopped all deliveries of 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 were meant to put pressure on the armed group to release the hostages still held in Gaza.

The resumed Israeli bombardment and ground operation have reportedly killed more than 3,000 people and displaced 400,000 others, and the UN says that the blockade has caused severe shortages of food, medicine and fuel.

Last week, the Hamas-run health ministry reported that 57 children had died from the effects of malnutrition over the past 11 weeks, and an assessment by the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warned that half a million people - one in five Gazans - faced starvation.

The UN said Israel was obliged under international law to ensure food and medical supplies for Gaza's population. But Israeli officials repeatedly said there was no shortage of aid because thousands of lorry loads had gone into Gaza during the ceasefire, and accused Hamas of stealing supplies.

But after pressure from its allies increased, the Israeli prime minister's office announced on Sunday night that it would "allow a basic quantity of food to be brought in for the population in order to make certain that no starvation crisis develops in the Gaza Strip".

Key members of the cabinet strongly opposed the move. Among them were far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who called it a "grave mistake" that would "fuel Hamas and give it oxygen while our hostages languish in tunnels".

In a video posted on social media on Monday, Benjamin Netanyahu defended himself from the criticism.

"Since the beginning of the war, we said that in order to achieve victory - to defeat Hamas and to free all our hostages, two missions that are intertwined - there is one necessary condition: We must not reach a situation of famine, both from a practical and a diplomatic standpoint," he said.

The prime minister said he had blocked aid deliveries via the UN and other humanitarian organisations because of looting by Hamas, and that he was now pursuing a "different method" involving American companies distributing aid from hubs secured by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

However, he warned that a "red line" was now approaching and "our best friends in the world, [US] senators whom I know as passionate supporters of Israel" had expressed concern about a looming famine.

"They come to me and say this: 'We're giving you all the support to achieve victory... But there's one thing we cannot accept. We cannot handle images of starvation.'"

"And so, in order to achieve victory, we must somehow solve this problem. Until we establish those distribution points, and until we build a sterile area under IDF control for distributing food and medicine, we need to provide a minimal, basic bridge - just enough to prevent hunger," he added.

Israeli Army Radio reported that nine lorries carrying humanitarian aid, including baby food, would cross into Gaza on Monday, but there was no immediate confirmation from Cogat, the Israeli military body that controls crossings.

The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) meanwhile said it had been "approached by Israeli authorities to resume limited aid delivery, and we are in discussions with them now on how this would take place given the conditions on the ground".

UN and other aid agencies have insisted they will not co-operate with the Israeli-US plan to distribute aid, saying it contradicted fundamental humanitarian principles.

Netanyahu also said Israeli forces were engaged in "massive fighting" in Gaza and were making progress.

"We are going to take control of all areas of the Strip, that's what we're going to do," he said.

He said the "main objective" of the expanded offensive was to defeat Hamas and that it would lead to the release of the 58 remaining hostages, up to 23 of whom are believed to be alive.

While negotiators for Israel and Hamas remain in Qatar, both sides say there has been no breakthrough in a new round of indirect talks on a ceasefire and hostage release deal.

Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response 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 53,475 people have been killed in Gaza since then, including 3,340 since the Israeli offensive resumed, according to the territory's health ministry.

A woman has won a long-running battle over a parking fine after sharing her ordeal to TikTok under her alter-ego Zoë Bread.

Zoë Bread's campaign started when she received a penalty for parking on Collier Street in Manchester and claimed confusing signs meant she bought a ticket from the wrong machine.

Manchester City Council has now backed down and Zoë wants to help other people who had been caught out in the same way

Council leader Bev Craig said the signs "could be clearer" and that some other fines issued on the street over the past year would be quashed.

After a month-long campaign that included challenging Greater Manchester metro mayor Andy Burnham on a BBC Radio Manchester phone-in, she finally won her battle.

"The only part of it that I think is bad is the amount of effort it took to get heard, which is obviously not possible for a proper person to do," she told the BBC.

She added that "their system doesn't work, but my system does," putting down her success to being "persistent and annoying".

Zoë Bread said her problems began because the 'Pay At Machine' sign on the street pointed to both a council-run car park and private one.

After unsuccessfully arguing her case, she submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the council about how many fines had been issued on the street.

But the council knocked it back.

She then scoured council documents and found there had been a significant rise in the number of penalties issued in the first year the SIP car park was open.

Opposition Liberal Democrat councillor Alan Good applauded Zoë's campaign.

But he said it "shouldn't have taken the social media pressure that was largely due to Zoë's following".

He said the council should cancel fines going back further than the last 12 months, considering the big rise in penalties in 2018, when the privately-run car park was first opened.

Council leader Craig - who directly contacted the campaign - said she thanked Zoe for drawing attention to the situation.

She said the signs on the street complied with all the rules, but that there would be changes.

Craig added: "We're going to address this as soon as possible with new signs, by relocating the metre and by asking the owners of the nearby private car park to take down their signs which have contributed to confusion.

"As a goodwill gesture, we will also quash any pending or unpaid tickets relating to Collier Street - including Zoe's - and review our records of fines for the last 12 months in that location.

"We will refund anyone who said at the time that they believed they had paid for their parking."

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Greggs will move its self-serve food and drinks to behind the counter to stamp out shoplifting at the High Street bakery.

The company is trialling the measure at a handful of stores which, it said, are "exposed to higher levels of anti-social behaviour".

These include Whitechapel in east London which is one of five shops that will try out the new policy - the others are in Peckham and Ilford.

It is not expected that the change will be implemented across all Greggs' 2,600 bakeries in the UK, but it may be rolled out to sites where there are high levels of theft.

In 2024, shoplifting offences recorded by the police rose by 20% to 516,971, according the Office for National Statistics.

But the number of thefts recorded by retailers was far higher - for the year to last September shops saw a 3.7 million rise to 20.4 million.

Greggs said customers can expect to see its full range behind its counters but added: "The safety of our colleagues and customers remains our number one priority."

The organisers of a female empowerment conference have welcomed an apology from the communities minister after he said the "good-looking" attendees had been seated at the front.

Gordon Lyons was speaking at a leadership event for women in business and sport.

Headline speakers at the event included sports broadcaster Gabby Logan, and Larne Olympian Danielle Hill.

Lyons said he recognised his comments had offended members of the audience and "for that I apologise unreservedly".

'Did he really just say that?'

His comments at the Impact Players event prompted groans from the crowd, with one audience member telling BBC News NI, many asked themselves, "did he really just say that?"

First reported in the Belfast Telegraph, Lyons is understood to have said he could not see the back of the hall to see all the guests but said the "good-looking ones" must have been seated at the front.

Organiser Lisa Strutt told BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme: "I'm glad that he's apologised."

She said it angered people in the audience and it overshadowed the good work that the department is doing.

Ms Strutt said: "I think it's a shame that we're even having to talk about this because it's ironic, organising a conference with really big plans, big ambitions to elevate women in business and sport, to bring some of the biggest names that we can think of to Belfast, to have these conversations to talk about high performance."

She said women encounter "this sort of thing in sport and business all the time".

Sinead Sharkey-Steenson, also an event organiser, said it was one moment in a day full of "magic moments where so many brilliant voices were heard".

"Let's not let the voice of one man over shadow the voice of 20 powerful women that spoke on that day and lifted the audience," she said.

Discussions over 2026 invite

Asked if Lyons will be invited to next year's event, they said those discussions will be had.

After Lyons spoke at the event, a panel followed and included leadership consultant Tony McGaharan.

He said the minister's comments were "absolutely inappropriate".

"When someone puts their foot in it, I think it's important to call it out in order for everyone to move on and take value from the event," he said.

Mr McGaharan told the audience, "don't worry I won't be making any comments about your appearances".

'Apologise unreservedly'

In a statement released through the minister's Department for Communities, Lyons, said: "At the event, a host asked me if I agreed that everyone was looking well and I recognise that my response has offended some of the audience members and for that I apologise unreservedly.

"I hope it does not detract from my message and support that day for women who are leading the way in business and sport.

"I will continue this work in my capacity as minister, ensuring we increase the visibility of female leaders and role models who help to inspire the next generation of girls to get involved and become the leaders of tomorrow."

The UK and the EU have reached a new deal setting out post-Brexit relations on areas including fishing rights, trade and defence.

The full details will be set out later.

But here's a look at what we know is in the deal.

Fishing

• A new deal will keep the current status quo giving EU boats continued access to UK waters until 2038, the BBC understands
• The 2020 Brexit deal, which saw the UK regain 25% EU fishing quotas, was due to run out next year
• The UK will continue to agree yearly quotas with the EU and Norway and issue licences to control who fishes in its waters
• Later, the government is due to unveil a £360m "fishing and coastal growth fund" to invest in coastal communities

Farming exports

• In return for extending current fishing rules, the UK has secured a deal to reduce checks on food exports to the EU
• Officials will drop some routine border checks on animal and plant shipments to and from the EU
• The new sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement means the UK can sell burgers and sausages back into the EU for the first time since Brexit

Security

• A formal UK-EU defence and security pact has been established
• Both sides have been pushing for closer cooperation and information-sharing since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Donald Trump has re-entered the White House
• The government says the agreement "paves the way" for UK-based arms firms to access the Security Action for Europe (Safe) - a £150bn EU fund providing loans for defence projects

Carbon tax

• The UK and EU will link their carbon markets to avoid taxes on carbon-intensive goods like steel and cement travelling between the UK and EU
• The UK launched its own carbon system after exiting the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
• The government says it will save £800m in taxes and shield British steel from EU tariffs, thanks to a UK-only deal worth £25m a year

Passport e-gates

• British holidaymakers will be able to use e-gates at more European airports
• When Brexit ended freedom of movement, it changed the rules for people travelling to European countries. Now, British passport holders can't use "EU/EEA/CH" lanes at EU border crossings
• A new passport system will make it easier for UK pets to travel, ending the need for repeat vet certificates

Still up for negotiation

• The BBC understands some key aspects are still subject to further negotiation – such as the idea of a youth mobility scheme
• What finally makes it into this package will set the agenda for the next set of post-Brexit negotiations early next year

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A deal to "reset" relations between the UK and the EU following Brexit has been agreed at a summit in London.

The agreement covers a range of issues, including defence, fishing, the trade in food products and the ability of young people to move freely between the UK and the EU.

BBC Verify has gone through the deal, picking out the potential winners and losers.

Food

Winner: UK food exporters to the EU who could see fewer checks

Loser: People who don't want the UK to follow EU rules, as there are strings attached

Since Brexit, UK goods travelling to the EU – including food products – have faced new checks and extra paperwork.

Some items, such as UK exports of raw burgers and sausages, have been banned from entering the EU because they do not meet its strict import rules.

UK food exports to the EU have fallen – with volumes in 2024 down 34% compared with 2019 – and the industry blames this partly on the added red tape.

Now, both sides have agreed to work on a joint food safety agreement that could remove many of the current barriers.

If signed and fully implemented, it would reduce paperwork, ease checks, and could even lift bans on products like raw meats.

Food and drink exports to the EU in 2023 were worth £14bn, accounting for 57% of all the sector's overseas sales.

But the deal comes with conditions. The UK will need to follow future EU food standards – a system known as "dynamic alignment" – and accept that the European Court of Justice will have the final say in any disputes in this area.

The UK will be also required to make a financial contribution. However is it currently unknown how much the payment would be and when it would be required.

Fishing

Winner: The EU - fishing vessels get 12 more years of access to UK waters

Loser: UK fishermen who wanted annual negotiations on fishing access

Although fishing accounts for a very small part of the UK economy - just 0.04% of GDP in 2024 - it is politically sensitive.

The "reset" document notes "political agreements leading to full reciprocal access to waters to fish until 30 June 2038" - a 12-year extension to the current deal negotiated by Boris Johnson's Conservative government - and much longer than expected.

Under the existing agreement (due to expire in 2026), EU vessels get access to UK waters to fish - in return for transferring 25% of their fishing quota - the amount they are allowed to catch - to UK fleets.

Some UK fishing groups have criticised the existing deal and do not want to see it extended.

Elspeth Macdonald, who represents 450 fishing boats as chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation says: "This deal is a horror show for Scottish fishermen, far worse than Boris Johnson's botched Brexit agreement."

She says the long-term deal takes away the industry's bargaining power in future talks and would prefer annual negotiations with the EU.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says there will be "no increase in the amount that the EU vessels can catch in British waters" and says it will now be easier for UK fishermen to export their products.

In 2023, the UK exported £1.2bn of fish to the EU, around 70% of all fish exports.

Tavish Scott from Salmon Scotland, which represents salmon farming in Scotland, says the agreement to reduce checks would "speed up the delivery of our premium salmon to market".

Youth mobility

Winner: Young people in the UK and EU who should - if this is confirmed - be able to work and study more freely between the two

Loser: Those who oppose an increase in net migration to the UK will point out that any mobility scheme could affect immigration figures, although this effect may be temporary

The details here are still to be confirmed, but the winners would be those young people from both the UK and EU who would be able to work and study more easily across Europe and Great Britain. Other youth mobility schemes have focused on people aged 18 to 30.

However, the impact of what is being called a "youth experience scheme" could be uneven.

Before Brexit more young people from the EU came to the UK than went the other way.

And, remember, Sir Keir has pledged to "significantly" reduce immigration levels in the coming years. So there's a big question mark on what impact a UK-EU scheme could have on UK immigration levels.

Madeleine Sumption from Oxford University's Migration Observatory told BBC Verify that a scheme would likely increase net migration in the short term, as new participants arrive.

However, she adds that if everyone left the UK when their visa expired, the long-term impact on migration levels would be minimal.

"If the UK is worried about the impact, it could phase in the scheme, where it gradually increases the quota. So as people leave, the quota could be raised rather than a big bang all come at once," she said.

eGates

Winner: British tourists may be able to use eGates at EU airports but we do not know which ones and from when

Loser: Those expecting to escape long queues this summer

As part of the agreement, UK nationals will be able to use eGates at EU airports, rather than having their passport manually checked by a border officer.

The government claims: "British holidaymakers will be able to use more eGates in Europe, ending the dreaded queues at border control."

However the text of the EU-UK agreement is less clear, only referring to the "potential use of eGates where appropriate".

It is unlikely any change will be implemented by the summer, travel organisation Abta told BBC Verify.

Abta believes the deal clarifies that the EU countries can offer eGates to UK nationals once a new Entry/Exit System (EES) comes into effect in October.

EES is an automated IT system for registering all non-EU travellers for a short stay, each time they cross the EU's external borders.

Whether UK passengers will avoid a border guard altogether will depend on the technology at each border crossing, Abta says.

Defence

Winner: UK defence firms may get contracts from new EU rearmament fund

Loser: EU defence firms which hoped to get more of these revenues

The EU has established a Security Action for Europe fund (SAFE) with €150bn (£126bn) of loans, backed by the EU budget, to enable its member states to rearm.

This was going to be spent on EU-based defence firms. The fund also allows for the involvement of a number of non-EU countries and could now be opened up to UK defence companies too. This would potentially allow EU firms to use the fund to buy kit from the UK.

The UK has a large defence manufacturing industry relative to many EU states and this sector directly employs about164,00 people in the UK.

Between 2020 and 2024, the UK was estimated by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute to have accounted for around 3.6% of total global annual arms exports, making the UK the seventh largest national exporter.

Again, the detail is still being worked out here and we do not know when and exactly how the UK will participate in the fund.

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This is undeniably a significant deal. In a funny way, though, for Sir Keir Starmer to succeed he needs it to seem as insignificant and uncontroversial as possible.

For many in politics, wading through the details of this agreement will be an act of nostalgia – or perhaps deeply triggering.

Dynamic alignment. Sanitary and phytosanitary checks. Fishing quotas. Jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.

These are concepts, institutions and trade-offs which came to dominate British politics for much of the past decade. And with good reason: as the UK navigated its divorce with the EU, these technical questions became deeply political as they shaped the post-Brexit relationship.

Sir Keir's big bet is that nobody really cares any more. The view at the top of government is that there is no public clamour to reopen the biggest questions of Brexit – membership of the single market and customs union – but that making the relationship smoother within those parameters is mere pragmatic common sense.

Of course pragmatism lies in the eyes of the beholder. The Conservatives have lambasted the deal as "surrender", attacking both the 12-year extension to existing fishing quotas and the commitment for the UK to follow EU rules on agriculture.

Reform UK, in many ways the successor to the Brexit Party and UKIP, are unsurprisingly making a similar argument.

On the other side of the equation, the Liberal Democrats welcomed "some positive first steps" but urged the prime minister to "be more ambitious".

Their position is that the UK should rejoin the EU's customs union - an agreement between member states not to charge tariffs on each other's goods.

What will prove revealing over the coming days, weeks, and months is not just those opposition parties' positions but how much they campaign on them.

If opposition to today's deal becomes a significant part of these parties' platforms, it will tell us that they believe there is in fact plenty of controversy yet in the decades-long debate over the UK's relationship with the EU.

If that's right, then today's main significance may prove to have been thrusting questions about Brexit right back to the centre of political life.

But if Sir Keir is right that the bulk of the public simply wants as little friction with the EU as possible, then he could prove to be our first truly post-Brexit prime minister.

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The UK and the European Union have agreed a major new deal covering areas including trade, defence, fishing and energy.

However, negotiations are still taking place on a number of key issues - leaving some important questions unanswered.

How much will the UK pay?

The deal makes several references to a "financial contribution" from the UK to access certain benefits, notably an agreement to reduce checks on food exports to the EU.

The prime minister's official spokesman said these were "administrative costs".

He insisted they would not be "big" but refused to put a figure on how much the UK would pay.

In other areas, terms are still being negotiated so the cost to the UK isn't known yet.

For example, the two sides are working towards the UK rejoining the Erasmus+ exchange programme, which allows students to study or do work placements abroad.

Rather than simply covering administrative costs, the UK would be expecting to get direct benefits in return and the government has said it will only take part "on significantly improved financial terms".

How many people will benefit from youth visa scheme?

The UK has agreed to work towards a "youth experience scheme" with the EU, which would allow young people from the bloc to apply for a visa to live and work in the UK and vice versa.

The government has said any such deal would be "capped and time-limited" but it has not specified how many visas could be issued annually and how long they would be valid for.

These details will be the subject of future negotiations.

The UK already has similar schemes with 11 countries including Australia, New Zealand and Japan, with people able to stay for up to three years depending on which country they are from.

Last year, just over 24,000 youth mobility visas were issued by the UK.

When can British travellers use e-gates?

Since Brexit, British travellers at EU airports have generally been forced to have their passport stamped at manned desks, rather than use automatic gates with facial recognition technology.

Some airports already allow British passport-holders to use e-gates - but for those that don't the only alternative is often a lengthy queue.

The deal states that there will be "no legal barriers" to Britons using e-gates when travelling to and from EU countries after the introduction of the European Union Entry-Exit System.

The long-awaited digital border checks system is due to replace passport stamping for travellers from outside the EU in October.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said UK holidaymakers will want to get away "without delay" this summer and he wants them to be able to use e-gates "as soon as possible".

But it is up to individual EU countries to decide whether British passport holders can use e-gates at their airports.

So whether this will be possible in more countries by the summer holidays is unclear.

Will it be easier for British bands to tour Europe?

Since Brexit, British musicians have faced extra costs and red tape when touring Europe - and stars have long called for action to tackle this.

Labour's general election manifesto last year pledged to "help our touring artists" as part of negotiations with the EU.

But the deal agreed on Monday only recognises the "value" of touring artists and promises to continue efforts "to support travel and cultural exchange".

The UK says it will explore "how best to improve arrangements for touring across the European continent".

Tom Kiehl, chief executive of UK Music, which represents the industry, welcomed this as "an important first step" but said the sector was seeking "more concrete commitments".

Will UK qualifications be recognised in the EU?

Another promise in Labour's manifesto was to "secure a mutual recognition agreement for professional qualifications to help open up markets for UK service exporters".

This would mean professionals - such as doctors, lawyers, accountants and architects - who qualified in one country could practice in another with minimal extra bureaucracy.

EU citizens already have the right to do this across the bloc.

Such an agreement would make it easier for British companies to move staff between the UK and EU and undertake short-term work in Europe.

However, there may be less incentive for the EU to reach a deal on this, given that the current situation makes it harder for UK firms to compete for business in Europe.

Monday's deal only promises to set up "dedicated dialogues" on the recognition of professional qualifications.

A full agreement in this area could take much longer to negotiate, if the EU will sign up to one at all.

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The UK and the EU have reached a new deal setting out post-Brexit relations on areas including fishing rights, trade and defence.

The full details will be set out later.

But here's a look at what we know is in the deal.

Fishing

• A new deal will keep the current status quo giving EU boats continued access to UK waters until 2038, the BBC understands
• The 2020 Brexit deal, which saw the UK regain 25% EU fishing quotas, was due to run out next year
• The UK will continue to agree yearly quotas with the EU and Norway and issue licences to control who fishes in its waters
• Later, the government is due to unveil a £360m "fishing and coastal growth fund" to invest in coastal communities

Farming exports

• In return for extending current fishing rules, the UK has secured a deal to reduce checks on food exports to the EU
• Officials will drop some routine border checks on animal and plant shipments to and from the EU
• The new sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement means the UK can sell burgers and sausages back into the EU for the first time since Brexit

Security

• A formal UK-EU defence and security pact has been established
• Both sides have been pushing for closer cooperation and information-sharing since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Donald Trump has re-entered the White House
• The government says the agreement "paves the way" for UK-based arms firms to access the Security Action for Europe (Safe) - a £150bn EU fund providing loans for defence projects

Carbon tax

• The UK and EU will link their carbon markets to avoid taxes on carbon-intensive goods like steel and cement travelling between the UK and EU
• The UK launched its own carbon system after exiting the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
• The government says it will save £800m in taxes and shield British steel from EU tariffs, thanks to a UK-only deal worth £25m a year

Passport e-gates

• British holidaymakers will be able to use e-gates at more European airports
• When Brexit ended freedom of movement, it changed the rules for people travelling to European countries. Now, British passport holders can't use "EU/EEA/CH" lanes at EU border crossings
• A new passport system will make it easier for UK pets to travel, ending the need for repeat vet certificates

Still up for negotiation

• The BBC understands some key aspects are still subject to further negotiation – such as the idea of a youth mobility scheme
• What finally makes it into this package will set the agenda for the next set of post-Brexit negotiations early next year

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France will build a new high-security prison in its overseas department of French Guiana to house drug traffickers and radical Islamists, the country's justice minister announced during a visit to the territory.

Gérald Darmanin told Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD) newspaper that the prison would target organised crime "at all levels" of the drug supply chain.

The €400m (£337m) facility, which could open as early as 2028, will be built in an isolated location deep in the Amazon jungle in the northwestern region of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni.

The plan was announced after a series of violent incidents linked to criminal gangs which saw prisons and staff targeted across France in recent months.

The prison will hold up to 500 people, with a separate wing designed to house the most dangerous criminals.

In an interview with JDD, the minister said the new prison would be governed by an "extremely strict carceral regime" designed to "incapacitate the most dangerous drug traffickers".

Darmanin said the facility would be used to detain people "at the beginning of the drug trail", as well as serving as a "lasting means of removing the heads of the drug trafficking networks" in mainland France.

French Guiana is a region of France on the north-east coast of South America. Its residents are eligible to vote in French elections and have access to the French social security system, as well as other subsidies.

Its distance from the French mainland means drug lords "will no longer be able to have any contact with their criminal networks", Darmanin told JDD.

French authorities have long struggled to control the infiltration of mobile phones into the prison network. Tens of thousands are known to circulate through French jails.

Earlier this year, the French government announced new legislation designed to crack down on the activity of criminal gangs.

The measures will create a dedicated branch of the prosecutors' office to deal with organised crime. It will also introduce extra powers for investigators, and a special protected status for informers.

It will also see the creation of new high-security prisons - including the facility in French Guiana - to hold the most powerful drugs barons, with stricter rules governing visits and communication with the outside world.

France has seen a series of attacks on prisons in recent months, which Darmanin has described as "terrorist" incidents that come in response to the government's new legislation.

The perpetrators of these attacks have set vehicles outside prisons alight, while Toulon's La Farlede prison was hit by gunfire.

In some incidents the perpetrators of these attacks have styled themselves as defenders of prisoners' rights.

The proposed new facility in French Guiana is to be built at a "strategic crossroads" for drugs mules, particularly from Brazil and Suriname, according to AFP news agency.

Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni is the former port of entry to the infamous Devil's Island penal colony, where 70,000 convicts from mainland France were sent between 1852 and 1954.

The penal colony was the setting of French writer Henri Charrière's book Papillon, which was later made into a Hollywood film starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman.

The BBC has contacted the French justice ministry for comment.

A "significant amount" of private data including criminal records has been hacked from the Legal Aid online system, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has said.

The MoJ said said it became aware of a cyber-attack on the Legal Aid Agency's online digital services on April 23 of data dating back to 2010. It then became aware the incident was "more extensive than originally understood".

Legal Aid Agency chief executive Jane Harbottle apologised for the breach, saying she understood the news "will be shocking and upsetting for people".

The group that carried out the attack claimed it accessed 2.1 million pieces of data, according to the PA news agency. The MoJ has not verified that figure, however.

The ministry urged members of the public who have applied for legal aid in this time period to take steps to safeguard themselves.

"This data may have included contact details and addresses of applicants, their dates of birth, national ID numbers, criminal history, employment status and financial data such as contribution amounts, debts and payments," it said.

It also warned the public to be alert for any suspicious activity, including unknown messages or phone calls, and to update any potentially exposed passwords.

"If you are in doubt about anyone you are communicating with online or over the phone you should verify their identity independently before providing any information to them," it said.

The ministry said it was working with the National Crime Agency and the National Cyber Security Centre, and has informed the Information Commissioner.

The Legal Aid Agency's online digital services, which are used by legal aid providers to log their work and get paid by the government, have been taken offline.

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Uber has said it is "ready to go" now with driverless taxis in the UK - but the government has put back the date it expects to approve fully self-driving vehicles.

The previous administration said fully autonomous cars were "set to be on roads by 2026", but the new government says it is now more likely to happen in the second half of 2027.

While limited self-driving technology is already permitted on UK roads, a human driver must be at the wheel and responsible for the vehicle, even if automated technology is being used.

With some companies trialling more advanced tech on British streets, I took an automated car ride across central London in a car using a system developed by UK AI firm Wayve.

"We're ready to launch robotaxis in the UK as soon as the regulatory environment is ready for us," said Andrew Macdonald, senior vice president of mobility at Uber, who joined me for the ride.

The ride-hailing firm is working with 18 automated car tech companies including Wayve.

It is one of several companies which already offers robotaxis in the US.

They are also on the roads in China, the UAE and Singapore.

But Mr Macdonald disagreed that the UK was behind the rest of the world, arguing that the US and China were ahead largely because that is where the majority of the tech had been developed.

"We are working quickly and will implement self-driving vehicle legislation in the second half of 2027", the Department for Transport said in a statement.

"We are also exploring options for short-term trials and pilots to create the right conditions for a thriving self-driving sector," it added.

'Hands-off' experience

In the US, Mr Macdonald said robotaxis typically operate for 20 hours per day, seven days per week.

Even though there is no driver to pay, Uber says the fare is currently the same as a ride with a human behind the wheel.

The option to take one appears on the app if one is available, and customers can opt in or out.

That's partly because, aside from the regulatory environment, another potential barrier to their uptake is the public's reticence about travelling in a self-driving vehicle.

A poll by YouGov in 2024 suggested that 37% of Brits would feel "very unsafe" travelling in a car without a driver.

But Mr Macdonald insisted new customers' initial nervousness was short-lived and the experience soon "becomes the new normal".

That was certainly my experience during our ride.

I was in a Ford Mach-e, fitted with Wayve's autonomous driving sensors and software.

It uses a radar and seven cameras. In the boot there's is a computer which is running the AI-driven software that processes all that sensor data in real time and controls the car's responses.

The automated tech handled every scenario without a hitch, including pedestrians in the road, parked cars, heavy traffic, temporary traffic lights and delivery bikes.

George, our safety driver, did not touch the controls once and a big red button, which shuts off the automated system immediately, was not deployed.

If anything the robo-ride was a far more patient city driver than I am – and has no voice, making it a lot less chatty.

Whether autonomous vehicles are more or less safe than human-driven ones is still being investigated.

But numerous studies suggest that automated vehicles are less accident-prone than human drivers, based on US data.

But there have been a number of incidents involving robotaxis in the countries where they operate, ranging from road accidents to passengers being locked in.

In January, a man in Arizona, in the US, documented how his robotaxi drove round in circles in an airport carpark, with him trapped in the vehicle, unable to stop the car or get help.

General Motors paused its driverless taxi service Cruise in San Francisco in 2023 because of safety concerns.

"The reality is that one accident is too many," said Uber's Mr Macdonald.

"That said, with EV (electric vehicles), human drivers… we operate in the real world and stuff happens."

In the UK there are also practical questions around insurance, ownership and liability when a self-driving vehicle is involved in an accident. Mr Macdonald said they were all still being worked out.

Tom Leggett, vehicle technology manager at Thatcham Research - an independent car safety centre - said robotaxis would have to be "safety-led" in the UK.

"Secondly, they will have to make sure the data is available to those who need it – insurers and those investigating incidents when they occur."

The government says self-driving vehicles have the potential "to build an industry worth £42bn and provide 38,000 jobs by 2035."

But of course they are source of concern for people who earn a living driving.

Andy Prendergast, GMB national secretary, said the "significant social implications" driverless cars and taxis could have - such as potential less work or unemployment - for workers and the public must be fully considered.

Uber's Mr Macdonald meanwhile believes automated vehicles will transform the way many people travel in the near future.

"I've got young kids," he said.

"Do I think my daughters will necessarily get their drivers licences when they turn 16?" [the legal age in his home country, Canada].

"No – I think the world is changing a lot."

Additional reporting by Liv McMahon

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Gas and electricity bills are expected to fall in July, when a new price cap takes effect.

It is likely to reverse the increase for millions of households on 1 April, under the current cap.

The annual bill for a household using a typical amount of gas and electricity rose to £1,849 per year, an increase of £111, in April.

The energy price cap sets the maximum amount customers can be charged for each unit of energy, but actual bills depend on how much gas and electricity you use.

What is the energy price cap and how is it changing?

The energy price cap covers around 22 million households in England, Wales and Scotland and is set every three months by Ofgem.

It fixes the maximum price that can be charged for each unit of energy on a standard - or default - variable tariff for a typical dual-fuel household which pays by direct debit.

Between 1 April and 30 June 2025, gas prices are capped at 6.99p per kilowatt hour (kWh), and electricity at 27.03p per kWh.

This means the annual bill for a dual-fuel direct debit household using a typical amount of energy is £1,849 per year.

However, analysts at consultancy Cornwall Insight have predicted that from 1 July this annual bill will fall to £1,720.

Those who pay their bills every three months by cash or cheque pay £1,969.

The cap does not apply in Northern Ireland, which has its own energy market.

What is a typical household?

Your energy bill depends on the overall amount of gas and electricity you use, and how you pay for it.

The type of property you live in, how energy efficient it is, how many people live there and the weather all make a difference.

The Ofgem cap is based on a "typical household" using 11,500 kWh of gas and 2,700 kWh of electricity a year with a single bill for gas and electricity, settled by direct debit.

The vast majority of people pay their bill this way to help spread payments across the year. Those who pay every three months by cash or cheque are charged more.

Should I take a meter reading when the energy cap changes?

Submitting a meter reading when the cap changes means you will not be charged for estimated usage at the wrong rate.

This is especially important when prices go up.

Customers with working smart meters do not need to submit a reading as their bill is calculated automatically.

What is happening to prepayment customers?

Between April and June, households on prepayment meters are paying slightly less than those on direct debit, with a typical bill of £1,803, a rise of £113 from the previous quarter.

About four million households had prepayment meters in January 2025, according to Ofgem.

Many have been in place for years, but some were installed more recently after customers struggled to pay higher bills.

Rules introduced in November 2023 mean suppliers must give customers more opportunity to clear their debts before switching them to a meter. They cannot be installed at all in certain households.

Can I fix my energy prices?

Fixed-price deals are not affected by the energy price cap, which changes every three months and can go up or down.

They offer certainty for a set period - often a year, or longer - but if energy prices drop when you are on the deal, you could be stuck at a higher price. You may also have to pay a penalty to leave a fixed deal early.

Ofgem, the energy regulator, says customers who want the security of knowing what their bill will be should consider moving to a fixed deal. However, it says they should make sure they understand all the costs.

Martin Lewis, founder of Money Saving Expert, recommends checking whole-of-market energy price comparison sites to help find the best deal.

What are standing charges and how are they changing?

Standing charges are a fixed daily fee to cover the costs of connecting to gas and electricity supplies. They vary slightly by region.

On 1 April, the average electricity standing charge fell from 60.97p to 53.8p but the average gas standing charge increased from 31.65p to 32.67p

Some customers in London and the North Wales and Mersey region saw larger increases.

Campaigners argue standing charges are unfair because they make up a bigger proportion of the bill of low energy users.

In response, Ofgem has said that energy firms must provide a choice of price-capped tariffs from winter 2025.

One would have a standing charge and unit rate - as is the case now - and another no standing charge but a higher unit rate. However, the proposals have been criticised as being too complicated.

What help can I get with energy bills?

The Household Support Fund, which was introduced in September 2021 to help vulnerable customers, has been extended until March 2026.

The Warm Home Discount scheme continues to offer a discount to eligible pensioners and low income households.

The government's Fuel Direct Scheme can help people to repay an energy debt directly from their benefit payments.

In addition, suppliers must offer customers affordable payment plans or repayment holidays if they are struggling with bills.

Most suppliers also offer hardship grants.

Changes to the winter fuel payment mean more than 10 million pensioners have not received the money this winter.

• Ofgem: Help with bills

Gary Lineker is set to leave the BBC with an announcement expected on Monday.

Speculation is mounting the 64-year-old will step down after he presents his final Match of the Day next weekend.

Lineker, listed as the highest-paid BBC presenter, had been due to remain at the forefront of the BBC's coverage of next season's FA Cup and the World Cup in 2026, despite previously announcing he will leave Match of the Day at the end of this season.

But last week he had to apologise after sharing a social media post about Zionism that included an illustration of a rat, historically used as an antisemitic insult.

Lineker said he very much regretted the references, adding he would never knowingly share anything antisemitic.

Last week, BBC Director General Tim Davie said: "The BBC's reputation is held by everyone, and when someone makes a mistake, it costs us."

It is understood that BBC bosses considered Lineker's position untenable.

The former England striker has attracted criticism before for his posts on social media in the past.

He was temporarily suspended from the BBC in March 2023 after an impartiality row over a post in which he said language used to promote a government asylum policy was "not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s".

The BBC's social media rules were then rewritten to say presenters of flagship programmes outside news and current affairs - including Match of the Day - have "a particular responsibility to respect the BBC's impartiality, because of their profile on the BBC".

In November 2024, Lineker announced his departure from Match of the Day, but said he would remain with the BBC to front FA Cup and World Cup coverage.

In an interview earlier this year about leaving, Lineker said he believed the BBC wanted him to leave Match of the Day as he was negotiating a new contract last year, saying: "Well, perhaps they want me to leave. There was the sense of that."

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A "significant amount" of private data including criminal records has been hacked from the Legal Aid online system, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has said.

The MoJ said said it became aware of a cyber-attack on the Legal Aid Agency's online digital services on April 23 of data dating back to 2010. It then became aware the incident was "more extensive than originally understood".

Legal Aid Agency chief executive Jane Harbottle apologised for the breach, saying she understood the news "will be shocking and upsetting for people".

The group that carried out the attack claimed it accessed 2.1 million pieces of data, according to the PA news agency. The MoJ has not verified that figure, however.

The ministry urged members of the public who have applied for legal aid in this time period to take steps to safeguard themselves.

"This data may have included contact details and addresses of applicants, their dates of birth, national ID numbers, criminal history, employment status and financial data such as contribution amounts, debts and payments," it said.

It also warned the public to be alert for any suspicious activity, including unknown messages or phone calls, and to update any potentially exposed passwords.

"If you are in doubt about anyone you are communicating with online or over the phone you should verify their identity independently before providing any information to them," it said.

The ministry said it was working with the National Crime Agency and the National Cyber Security Centre, and has informed the Information Commissioner.

The Legal Aid Agency's online digital services, which are used by legal aid providers to log their work and get paid by the government, have been taken offline.

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.

Uber has said it is "ready to go" now with driverless taxis in the UK - but the government has put back the date it expects to approve fully self-driving vehicles.

The previous administration said fully autonomous cars were "set to be on roads by 2026", but the new government says it is now more likely to happen in the second half of 2027.

While limited self-driving technology is already permitted on UK roads, a human driver must be at the wheel and responsible for the vehicle, even if automated technology is being used.

With some companies trialling more advanced tech on British streets, I took an automated car ride across central London in a car using a system developed by UK AI firm Wayve.

"We're ready to launch robotaxis in the UK as soon as the regulatory environment is ready for us," said Andrew Macdonald, senior vice president of mobility at Uber, who joined me for the ride.

The ride-hailing firm is working with 18 automated car tech companies including Wayve.

It is one of several companies which already offers robotaxis in the US.

They are also on the roads in China, the UAE and Singapore.

But Mr Macdonald disagreed that the UK was behind the rest of the world, arguing that the US and China were ahead largely because that is where the majority of the tech had been developed.

"We are working quickly and will implement self-driving vehicle legislation in the second half of 2027", the Department for Transport said in a statement.

"We are also exploring options for short-term trials and pilots to create the right conditions for a thriving self-driving sector," it added.

'Hands-off' experience

In the US, Mr Macdonald said robotaxis typically operate for 20 hours per day, seven days per week.

Even though there is no driver to pay, Uber says the fare is currently the same as a ride with a human behind the wheel.

The option to take one appears on the app if one is available, and customers can opt in or out.

That's partly because, aside from the regulatory environment, another potential barrier to their uptake is the public's reticence about travelling in a self-driving vehicle.

A poll by YouGov in 2024 suggested that 37% of Brits would feel "very unsafe" travelling in a car without a driver.

But Mr Macdonald insisted new customers' initial nervousness was short-lived and the experience soon "becomes the new normal".

That was certainly my experience during our ride.

I was in a Ford Mach-e, fitted with Wayve's autonomous driving sensors and software.

It uses a radar and seven cameras. In the boot there's is a computer which is running the AI-driven software that processes all that sensor data in real time and controls the car's responses.

The automated tech handled every scenario without a hitch, including pedestrians in the road, parked cars, heavy traffic, temporary traffic lights and delivery bikes.

George, our safety driver, did not touch the controls once and a big red button, which shuts off the automated system immediately, was not deployed.

If anything the robo-ride was a far more patient city driver than I am – and has no voice, making it a lot less chatty.

Whether autonomous vehicles are more or less safe than human-driven ones is still being investigated.

But numerous studies suggest that automated vehicles are less accident-prone than human drivers, based on US data.

But there have been a number of incidents involving robotaxis in the countries where they operate, ranging from road accidents to passengers being locked in.

In January, a man in Arizona, in the US, documented how his robotaxi drove round in circles in an airport carpark, with him trapped in the vehicle, unable to stop the car or get help.

General Motors paused its driverless taxi service Cruise in San Francisco in 2023 because of safety concerns.

"The reality is that one accident is too many," said Uber's Mr Macdonald.

"That said, with EV (electric vehicles), human drivers… we operate in the real world and stuff happens."

In the UK there are also practical questions around insurance, ownership and liability when a self-driving vehicle is involved in an accident. Mr Macdonald said they were all still being worked out.

Tom Leggett, vehicle technology manager at Thatcham Research - an independent car safety centre - said robotaxis would have to be "safety-led" in the UK.

"Secondly, they will have to make sure the data is available to those who need it – insurers and those investigating incidents when they occur."

The government says self-driving vehicles have the potential "to build an industry worth £42bn and provide 38,000 jobs by 2035."

But of course they are source of concern for people who earn a living driving.

Andy Prendergast, GMB national secretary, said the "significant social implications" driverless cars and taxis could have - such as potential less work or unemployment - for workers and the public must be fully considered.

Uber's Mr Macdonald meanwhile believes automated vehicles will transform the way many people travel in the near future.

"I've got young kids," he said.

"Do I think my daughters will necessarily get their drivers licences when they turn 16?" [the legal age in his home country, Canada].

"No – I think the world is changing a lot."

Additional reporting by Liv McMahon

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Hidden beneath the slopes of a lush forest in Alberta, Canada, is a mass grave on a monumental scale.

Thousands of dinosaurs were buried here, killed in an instant on a day of utter devastation.

Now, a group of palaeontologists have come to Pipestone Creek - appropriately nicknamed the "River of Death" - to help solve a 72-million-year-old enigma: how did they die?

Trying to work out exactly what happened here starts with the hefty strike of a sledgehammer.

Brute force is needed to crack open the thick layer of rock that covers what Professor Emily Bamforth, who's leading the dig, describes as "palaeo gold".

As her team begins the more delicate job of removing the layers of dirt and dust, a jumble of fossilised bones slowly begins to emerge.

"That big blob of bone right there is, we think, part of a hip," Prof Bamforth says, watched on by her dog Aster - whose job today is to bark if she spots any nearby bears.

"Then here, we have all of these long, skinny bones. These are all ribs. And this is a neat one - it's part of a toe bone. This one here, we have no idea what it is - it's a great example of a Pipestone Creek mystery."

BBC News has come to Pipestone Creek to witness the sheer scale of this prehistoric graveyard and see how researchers are piecing together the clues.

Thousands of fossils have been collected from the site, and are constantly generating new discoveries.

The bones all belong to a dinosaur called Pachyrhinosaurus. The species, and Prof Bamforth's excavation, feature in a new landmark BBC series - Walking With Dinosaurs - which uses visual effects and science to bring this prehistoric world to life.

These animals, which lived during the Late Cretaceous period, were a relative of the Triceratops. Measuring about five metres long and weighing two tonnes, the four-legged beasts had large heads, adorned with a distinctive bony frill and three horns. Their defining feature was a big bump on the nose called a boss.

The dig season has just started and lasts each year until autumn. The fossils in the small patch of ground that the team are working on are incredibly tightly packed; Prof Bamforth estimates there are up to 300 bones in every square metre.

So far, her team has excavated an area the size of a tennis court, but the bed of bones extends for a kilometre into the hillside.

"It's jaw dropping in terms of its density," she tells us.

"It is, we believe, one of the largest bone beds in North America.

"More than half of the known dinosaur species in the world are described from a single specimen. We have thousands of Pachyrhinosaurus here."

Palaeontologists believe the dinosaurs were migrating together in a colossal herd for hundreds of miles from the south - where they had spent the winter - to the north for the summer.

The area, which had a much warmer climate than it does today, would have been covered in rich vegetation, providing abundant food for this enormous group of plant-eating animals.

"It is a single community of a single species of animal from a snapshot in time, and it's a huge sample size. That almost never happens in the fossil record," says Prof Bamforth.

Bigger beasts offering clues

And this patch of north-western Alberta wasn't just home to Pachyrhinosaurus. Even bigger dinosaurs roamed this land, and studying them is essential to try and understand this ancient ecosystem.

Two hours drive away, we reach the Deadfall Hills. Getting there involves a hike through dense forest, wading - or doggy-paddling in the case of Aster - across a fast-running river, and clambering over slippery rocks.

No digging is required here; super-sized bones lie next to the shoreline, washed out from the rock and cleaned by the flowing water, just waiting to be picked up.

A huge vertebra is quickly spotted, as are bits of ribs and teeth scattered across the mud.

Palaeontologist Jackson Sweder is particularly interested in what looks like a chunk of dinosaur skull. "Most of what we find here is a duck-billed dinosaur called Edmontosaurus. If this is a skull bone, this is a dinosaur that's large - probably 30ft (10m) long," he says.

The Edmontosaurus, another herbivore, roamed the forests like the Pachyrhinosaurus - and is helping palaeontologists build up a picture of this ancient land.

Sweder is the collection manager at the Philip J Currie Dinosaur Museum in nearby Grande Prairie, where the bones from both of these giants are taken to be cleaned up and analysed. He is currently working on a huge Pachyrhinosaurus skull that's about 1.5m long and has been nicknamed "Big Sam".

He points to where the three horns should be at the top of the frill, but the one in the middle is missing. "All the skulls that are decently complete have a spike in that spot," he says. "But its nice little unicorn spike doesn't seem to be there."

Throughout years working at the extraordinary site, the museum team has collected 8,000 dinosaur bones, and the surfaces of the lab are covered in fossils; there are bones from Pachyrhinosaurus of every size, from young to old.

Having material from so many animals allows researchers to learn about dinosaur biology, answering questions about how the species grows and the make-up of the community. They can also look at individual variations, to see how one Pachyrhinosaurus could stand out from the herd – as may be the case with Big Sam and his missing spike.

A sudden devastating event

All of this detailed research, in the museum and at the two sites, is helping the team to answer the vital question: how did so many animals in Pipestone Creek die at the same time?

"We believe that this was a herd on a seasonal migration that got tangled up in some catastrophic event that effectively wiped out, if not the entire herd, then a good proportion of it," Prof Bamforth says.

All the evidence suggests that this catastrophic event was a flash flood - perhaps a storm over the mountains that sent an unstoppable torrent of water towards the herd, ripping trees from their roots and shifting boulders.

Prof Bamforth says the Pachyrhinosaurus wouldn't have stood a chance. "These animals are not able to move very fast because of their sheer numbers, and they're very top heavy - and really not very good at swimming at all."

Rocks found at the site show the swirls of sediment from the fast-flowing water churning everything up. It's as if the destruction is frozen in time as a wave in the stone.

But this nightmare day for the dinosaurs is now a dream for palaeontologists.

"We know, every time we come here, it's 100% guaranteed we'll find bones. And every year we discover something new about the species," says Prof Bamforth.

"That's why we keep coming back, because we're still finding new things."

As the team packs up their tools ready to return another day, they know there's a lot of work ahead. They've only just scratched the surface of what's here - and there are many more prehistoric secrets just waiting to be revealed.

The new series of Walking With Dinosaurs starts on Sunday 25 May at 18:25 BST on BBC One, with all episodes available on BBC iPlayer.

Police in India have arrested a local YouTuber on suspicions of spying for Pakistan.

Jyoti Malhotra, a travel influencer from the northern Indian state of Haryana, allegedly travelled to the neighbouring country several times - her last trip was in March 2025.

Police in Haryana allege that she was in touch with a Pakistan High Commission official, who was expelled from India earlier this month.

The YouTuber's father has denied allegations that she was a spy, saying she went to Pakistan after acquiring necessary permissions.

Ms Malhotra describes herself on social media as a "modern girl with old ideas", and has 377,000 subscribers on YouTube and 133,000 followers on Instagram.

But officers have questioned how she financed her travel around the globe, with her videos documenting visits to places like Bangladesh, China, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Indonesia. She has also visited several Indian destinations and religious places. Police say it defies her known source of income.

Police claim Ms Malhotra was in touch with "Pakistani intelligence operatives" and had continuous contact with a Pakistani citizen.

Ms Malhotra is also being investigated for any links with the Pahalgam attack, Shashank Kumar Sawan, the superintendent of police in Haryana's Hisar district, told ANI news agency.

They say they have leads on others who may have collaborated with the influencer, who does not have direct access to any military or defence information.

"She was in touch with other YouTube influencers... She used to go to Pakistan on sponsored trips," Mr Sawan added.

Her arrest comes after the Indian government asked Ahsan-ur-Rahim, the Pakistan High Commission official with whom the YouTuber was alleged to have been in contact, to leave the country on 13 May, alleging he had indulged in activities "not in keeping with his official status in India".

Pakistan also asked an Indian embassy staff member in Islamabad to leave for indulging in activities "incompatible" with his privileged status.

According to a complaint registered by the police, Ms Malhotra met Ahsan-ur-Rahim for the first time in 2023 when she had visited the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi, seeking a visa to visit the neighbouring country.

Her last video on Pakistan was uploaded in March, in which she was seen in the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi attending a Ramadan dinner.

In other videos from Pakistan, she is seen visiting Hindu and Sikh temples, famous local markets, and interacting with locals.

Arrests in India and Pakistan over allegations of spying are not uncommon.

Ms Malhotra's arrest comes following days of military tensions between the neighbours earlier this month.

On 7 May, India struck what it calls "terror infrastructure" inside Pakistan, days after a deadly militant attack on tourists in Pahalgam, a picturesque valley in Indian-administered Kashmir. Pakistan has denied any involvement in the attacks.

After four tense days of deadly clashes between the nuclear-armed neighbours, both countries agreed to a ceasefire on 10 May, announced by US President Donald Trump.

Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, X and Facebook

British mountaineer Kenton Cool has scaled Mount Everest for the 19th time, breaking his own record for the most climbs up the world's tallest mountain for a non-sherpa.

The 51-year-old, who was accompanied by Nepali sherpa Dorji Gyaljen, reached the 8,849m (29,000ft) high summit at 11:00 local time (04:15 GMT) on Sunday.

Mr Cool first climbed Everest in 2004 and has summited it almost yearly since.

Mr Gyaljen logged his 23rd climb up Everest. Another Nepali sherpa, Kami Rita, holds the record for making the most number of Everest summits at 30, and is also currently on the mountain attempting to set a new record.

Mr Cool's record-setting feat comes after at least two climbers - Subrata Ghosh from India and Philipp "PJ" Santiago II from the Philippines - died on Mount Everest this week.

After his 16th Everest ascent in 2022, Mr Cool appeared to play down his record, noting that many Nepali climbers have surpassed it.

"I'm really surprised by the interest... considering that so many of the sherpas have so many more ascents," he told AFP in an interview then.

Four days before the latest feat, Mr Cool told his Instagram followers that he "finally [had] a positive forecast" that will allow him to go ahead with the attempt.

"Let's hope that we manage to thread the needle with regard to numbers of climbers and we have a safe and enjoyable time up high," he wrote.

Fellow climbers hailed the achievement.

Mr Cool is a "great person to share stories from two decades on the mountain", American adventurer Adrian Ballinger told Reuters news agency.

"His experience, charisma, and strength make him a valuable part of the Everest community," says Mr Ballinger, who is currently guiding a team up Everest.

"Amazing, Kenton," wrote Jordanian mountaineer Mostafa Salameh, who is one of only 20 people to complete the climb the highest mountains on all seven continents and conquer the North and South Poles.

Mr Cool is also a mountain guide who has lead British explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, among others, on several notable climbs including Everest.

Endangered water voles in Wales are being fed edible glitter in a bid to save them from extinction.

Once commonly found across south Wales, water voles are now effectively extinct in all but a few locations, according to the Wildlife Trust.

With their future hanging in the balance, conservationists have been looking for new ways to track the naturally shy individuals in the wild - which is where the glitter comes in.

Nature Conservation Cymru hopes that by offering the animals something sparkly to eat, the sparkle should come out the other end - providing some much-needed answers.

Rob Parry, chief executive of Nature Conservation Cymru, said his team had consulted with vets to ensure the edible and biodegradable glitter - the type used to decorate cakes - would not be harmful to the semi-aquatic creatures.

"It's something that we've done in nature conservation before for other species, for badgers in particular where we use pellets to put in with peanuts, which badgers love," said Mr Parry.

"So we've taken that idea and scaled it down to water vole size, which means using glitter."

The hope is that if the water voles are willing to consume the glitter then it will come out in their poo, allowing the small mammals - which are often mistaken for brown rats - to be tracked by conservationists.

Different colours of glitter could be used to allow conservationists to track different families of water voles and how far they range.

It might sound like a fun idea, but Mr Parry and his team could not be more serious.

If they can track where water voles are located in the wild, they can make adjustments to the environment - like removing invasive conifers from wetland habitats or fencing off certain riverbanks to stop sheep grazing.

Measures like this could help the species to disperse through the landscape undisturbed and potentially be a life-saving intervention.

"We'll be able to see the types of territory, the size and where they go in," said Mr Parry.

"Are they just using the linear features, the ditches, or are they spreading out into the bog and the molinia grassland habitat?

"That will be really crucial for when it comes to planning for our upland habitats."

The team is first testing out their theory on some captive-bred water voles which are part of a wider Natural Resources Wales (NRW) project to reintroduce colonies into the wild.

The glitter is spread onto chunks of apple, not part of their normal diet in the wild, but a food the animals love and do well on in captivity, according to Richard Davies from NRW.

"They get everything they need from apples, carrots, and some dried rabbit food as well," he said.

He has successfully bred hundreds of water voles which have been reintroduced into the wild, though he said their release was no guarantee of survival.

"Most predators in the UK would quite happily take a water vole. They need to be able to cope with this heavy predation and replace themselves a lot," he said.

With a BBC News camera present, the glittery purple apple was placed on top of the straw bedding which covered the water voles' pen.

After 20 minutes, the food remained untouched, but an hour later most of it had disappeared.

The success of the project, however, does not just depend on the appetite of the water voles, but how well the glitter can retain its shine from end to end.

Mr Parry said without interventions like this, the future for water voles was uncertain.

"It's been a perfect storm of bad things that's happened to water voles in the last few decades," he said.

"We have drained an awful lot of their wetland habitat, forced them into linear ditches where we find them now, and then the biggest problem is the American mink, an invasive species that was let out and released from pens and they just turned out to be the perfect water vole predators. The water voles don't stand a chance, really."

But now, at least, he is more hopeful.

The water voles, known for being nervous about any changes to to their environment, had not rejected the glitter.

So, did the experiment work?

Just 24 hours later, a tiny glittery poo was spotted.

The conservation team was elated.

This story contains details, including a video, that some people may find distressing.

The most shocking thing for Jonathan, who had endured six gruelling months living and working underground in an abandoned South African gold mine, was the abuse he witnessed being meted out to children.

Some are recruited for cheap labour, but others are brought in specifically for sex, campaigners say.

Jonathan, now in his late 20s, had migrated to South Africa from a nearby country on the promise of making easy money working in one of its dozens of disused mines, closed by multinationals because they were no longer commercially viable.

We are protecting his full identity as he fears reprisals from the vicious criminal gangs that run the illegal mining industry for speaking to the media.

Details of what the young people were going though emerged after the death of dozens of illegal miners near the town of Stilfontein late last year when the mine was blockaded by police.

In a calm and steady voice, Jonathan describes the heat, long hours and limited food and sleeping options which took a toll on his body.

But an enduring memory is what happened to the underage miners in the shaft where he worked.

"I used to see these kids in the mine - teenagers actually, 15, 17-year-olds.

"Others used to take advantage of them sometimes. It was a little bit scary, and I wasn't comfortable with it."

He said they were raped by adult miners who promised to give them some of the gold they found in exchange for sex.

"If that kid is desperate for money, he will take the risk."

Jonathan describes how the children would approach teams of miners for protection but "that team would have conditions".

Sex was also used as punishment if the teenagers failed to complete a task for their team.

Jonathan says the children in the mine where he worked were all foreign and did not realise what they were getting themselves into.

Mining researcher and activist Makhotla Sefuli backs this up.

He says criminal gangs specifically target children to work in illegal mines across South Africa.

Many of them are abducted from neighbouring countries and trafficked. They are enticed by baseless promises of finding them employment in the formal mining industry.

"Their passports are confiscated when they get to South Africa… It is common knowledge that these young boys are being abused," Mr Sefuli says.

The BBC has spoken to miners who worked in at least two other illegal mines who told us they saw children being abused in the shafts where they were working.

Tshepo, not his real name, says he saw older men forcing young boys to have sex with them underground.

"In some instances, they did it for the money. Some are recruited solely for that purpose, because of the financial incentives that will come with the practice of maybe trading sex underground."

He adds that the abuse deeply affected the children.

"They change their behaviour patterns and have trust issues. They don't want you to get close to them, because they feel that they can no longer trust anyone."

South Africa's illegal mining industry made global headlines last year following a standoff between police and miners at the Buffelsfontein gold mine, near the town of Stilfontein in the North West Province.

• Trapped underground with decaying bodies, miners faced a dark reality
• Inside South Africa's 'ruthless' gang-controlled gold mines

The authorities had been trying to curb illegal mining, which the government said cost South Africa's economy $3.2bn (£2.6bn) in lost revenue last year.

They launched an operation called Vala Umgodi, or seal the hole, in December 2023, promising to take a tough stance on the gangs.

As part of the operation, the police limited the amount of food and water that went down the Stilfontein mine to, as one minister put it, "smoke out" the illegal miners. Officials said the men were refusing to come out for fear of being arrested.

Soon footage began to emerge from within the mine showing dozens of emaciated men begging to be rescued, as well as rows of body bags. Eventually a court ordered the authorities to save the men.

Among those brought up were many who said they were underage, but as a number of them were migrants without documents confirming how old they were, the authorities carried out medical tests to get an estimate.

Through this, the Department of Social Development (DSD) confirmed that 31 of the rescued Stilfontein miners were found to be children. They were all Mozambicans nationals and in November, 27 of them were repatriated.

Save the Children South Africa helped translate some of the interviews between the underage miners and the rescue workers.

"They went through trauma, because some of them also saw others being sexually exploited," the charity's CEO Gugu Xaba tells the BBC.

"Just the feeling that they may not come out of there destroyed those children mentally.

"The adult miners would start by grooming them, by acting like they like them."

She says the children were then made to perform sexual acts on the adults and they were then raped, days after day.

"You find that the adult will have three or four of them that they are doing the same thing to."

Ms Xaba says mining gangs recruit children because they are easier to manipulate and cheaper.

"Children don't understand when you say: 'I'll pay you 20 rands ($1; £0.80) per day.' The adults sometimes refuse to work, but children find themselves with no choice. So it's easier to use a child to do the work. It's easier to take a child who's kind of voiceless and to bring them down there."

Beyond being exploited financially, she says there are gangs that recruit children specifically for sex.

Many illegal miners spend months underground, rarely going up to the surface. Markets spring up underground to provide them with anything they need.

"Most children are trafficked in order to be used as sex slaves. And you've got a pimp who is taking the money, and it means every day this child is used as a commercial sex worker."

The BBC asked the police and the DSD whether anyone would be charged over the sexual abuse allegations. They did not respond to our requests.

A source working on the Stilfontein miners' cases said many of the children did not want to testify.

Meanwhile, the illegal mining industry continues to thrive.

And with an estimated 6,000 vacant mines potentially available to explore, it is a business that is unlikely to end anytime soon, leaving thousands of vulnerable children at risk.

More South Africa stories from the BBC:

• Racially charged row between Musk and South Africa over Starlink
• The expelled envoy at the heart of the latest US-South Africa row
• Race policies or Israel - what's really driving Trump's fury with South Africa?
• Even in his final seconds of life, first gay imam pushed boundaries

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

"It's a cold world out there. We need to huddle together."

So said a European Union diplomat to me, confident of the magnetising effect on both the EU and the UK of the world having changed so significantly since the original Brexit deal.

Both sides privately talk up what is seen as the remorseless logic of closer defence and security ties.

The British government, in trying to ensure it has the political space to justify a (partial) re-writing or tweaking of the relationship, talks of now being in "the mid 2020s" as a reminder of the time that has elapsed, and events that have unfolded, since all the noise, negotiations, anger and elections that leaving the EU provoked.

Without question, Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine and President Trump's overt reluctance to subsidise European security as he sees it have changed the conversation about defence.

Whatever your views about Brexit, a word of warning: the next 24 hours or so might be triggering if the kind of headlines and phrases that made the news for years on end became mildly off-putting roughly between 2016 and 2020.

There will be talk of haggling, of fish, of sovereignty, of cash and of courts. And we have already had senior figures on both sides talking about last-minute tweaks and that old favourite in the phraseology of EU negotiations: "Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed."

It feels like a landmark moment. After the years of Brexit noise, there were the years of (relative) Brexit silence. Now, it is returning to the news again.

What will change is actually relatively narrowly defined – the government has promised it won't take the UK back into three of the biggest pillars of the EU: its customs union, single market or the freedom of movement of people around the bloc.

But that much accepted, there is plenty that is being talked about.

Over the weekend, the negotiations rumbled on, led on the UK side by Nick Thomas Symonds, the minister in charge of the UK's relations with the EU.

Alongside him has been Michael Ellam, who returned to government in January to lea, at an officials-level, the negotiations with the EU. Ellam was previously director of communications in Downing Street when Gordon Brown was prime minister.

In the last hours, the talks took place virtually.

At various points in recent months they have happened face to face.

So what can, or should, we expect?

The Labour manifesto from last year's general election is worth a look as both both a guide to what the government wants, and a tool to scrutinise what they manage to pull off.

Here is what it says:

On page 117, the party wrote that it wanted "an improved and ambitious relationship with the European Union" which would "deepen ties."

On the following page, it promises to "improve the UK's trade and investment relationship with the European Union" and remove "unnecessary barriers to trade."

It adds that they want a "veterinary agreement," which is diplomatic-speak for making it easier to move food around, an arrangement to make it easier for touring artists such as bands to travel, the mutual recognition of professional qualifications and a security pact.

So, when we get the details, we can measure what has already been achieved, where there is broad agreement but not yet agreement on the specifics, where there is no agreement at all and where things have been signed up to that were not in the manifesto.

We can expect both sides to herald the importance of improved defence and security cooperation.

Ministers have also been talking up the removal of queues for Brits visiting EU countries.

What does the EU want?

It is very keen on a youth mobility scheme, allowing young people from the UK and EU to travel more easily.

After months of denying it had any plans for such a scheme, the government has in recent weeks been acknowledging publicly that one is being discussed and has started to sell what they see as its merits.

The government is keenly aware that some will see it as freedom of movement by the back door.

Let's see precisely what, if any, details have been agreed and what the scheme is called.

Then there is fish, never far away when the EU negotiates.

And then two Brexit perennials: cash and courts.

What is the UK willing to pay to access various EU schemes and what role will the European Union's court have in settling any disputes?

Some of those who long argued for Brexit and would now see themselves as custodians of the deal Boris Johnson negotiated worry that the government will sign up to what is known as "dynamic alignment" - an acceptance not just of EU rules now in a certain area, but an agreement to accept them if they change in the future.

They would see this as a fundamental dilution of a key tenet of Brexit and, critics point out, it was not in the Labour manifesto.

So again, detail will be key here when we see what has been agreed.

Sir Keir Starmer will argue his manifesto and his majority gives him a mandate for closer ties and can point to opinion polls that also suggest support for negotiating a closer relationship.

He will argue that a deal with the EU, alongside the ones with India and the United States announced this month, show a willingness to both leverage the freedoms of Brexit while getting what he will see as a better relationship with Brussels.

But it is also true that he risks inflaming all those old Brexit rows, angering Brexiteers and doing little to pacify those who have long hated Brexit.

Negotiations for a deal between the UK and EU are still ongoing hours before the prime minister hosts a UK-EU summit on Monday.

Sir Keir Starmer will meet European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for the second time in four days as he aims to strike a deal with the EU on a range of issues.

This could include a youth mobility scheme, allowing UK passport holders to use EU airport e-gates, and announcements on trade, security, and fishing rights.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage have already described the deal as a "surrender" despite the contents not being known.

As the talks continue into the night, the BBC understands, there is no deadline for when they will conclude.

Negotiations for the UK are being led by the minister for UK-EU relations, Nick Thomas-Symonds, who told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that he was driven by "ruthless pragmatism" and was focused on jobs, lower household bills, and stronger borders.

But he declined to give specific details of any deal, saying: "Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed."

Announcements around trade and security have been expected to include British access to a 150 billion euro (£125 billion) EU defence fund, which could be a boost for UK defence companies.

Fishing could also be part of a deal, with a post-Brexit deal on fishing rights set to expire at the end of June 2026.

The Conservatives have warned that the government must "make it clear that giving up any rights to UK waters and natural resources would represent a betrayal to British fishermen".

Reports have circulated that a youth mobility scheme with the EU could be set up - something that Sir Keir told the Times on Saturday would be a "reciprocal" arrangement in which young people would be able to move abroad for up to two years.

No specific details about the ages of those who could be eligible and whether there would be a cap on numbers were given, and it has received mixed responses from opposition parties.

Badenoch described the possible scheme as "free movement through the back door" while Reform's deputy leader Richard Tice said earlier this week that such a scheme would be "the thin end" of EU free movement.

The Liberal Democrats have backed the idea of a "capped mobility scheme", although the party's Europe spokesperson James MacCleary has accused the government of "dragging their heels when it comes to properly negotiating on the issue".

Reports have also suggested there could be agreements on British travellers using EU e-gates at European airports and cutting red tape on food exports and imports.

Thomas-Symonds said he was "pushing for people to be able to go through" European airports "far more quickly" and that he was confident about a deal on food.

He added: "We know we've had lorries waiting for 16 hours, fresh food in the back not able to be exported because frankly it's just going off, red tape, all the certifications that are required, we absolutely want to reduce that."

Conservative MP Alex Burghart told the BBC on Sunday he was concerned the government was signing up to EU standards and becoming "a rule taker - one of the things we specifically left behind when we left the EU".