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Today — 16 August 2025BBC | Top Stories

'Next time in Moscow?': Five takeaways after Trump and Putin's Alaska summit

16 August 2025 at 12:31
Watch: How the Trump-Putin summit unfolded... in under 2 minutes

Putin welcomed back on world stage with red carpet

When President Vladimir Putin landed back onto the world stage on Friday, the skies in Alaska were cloudy. Waiting with a red carpet spread across the tarmac of the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson was US President Donald Trump.

As Putin approached, Trump clapped. The two leaders warmly shook hands and smiled.

It was a remarkable moment for Putin – a leader who most Western nations have shunned since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. His international travel has since been largely limited to nations friendly to the Russian Federation, such as North Korea and Belarus.

The fact that the Alaska summit happened at all was a victory for Putin. But this welcome would have surpassed the Kremlin's wildest dreams. In a short six months Putin went from being a pariah in the eyes of the West to being welcomed on US soil like a partner and friend.

To cap it off, in an apparently unscripted moment, Putin decided to accept a lift to the airbase in Trump's armoured limousine instead of driving in his own Moscow-plated presidential state car.

As the vehicle pulled away, the cameras zoomed in on Putin, sitting in the backseat and laughing.

Getty Images Donald Trump greets Vladimir Putin as he arrives at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on 15 August 2025 in Anchorage, Alaska.Getty Images

Putin faced with questions he never gets asked

In his 25 years as Russian president, Putin has achieved complete control over the media, crushing journalistic freedoms and replacing information with propaganda. Within Russia he doesn't often – if ever – come up against unfriendly reporters.

Yet it was only minutes after landing in Alaska that one journalist shouted in his direction: "Will you stop killing civilians?" If the question bothered him, he didn't show it, appearing instead to shrug and diverting his gaze.

During a brief and somewhat chaotic photo op, more questions were shouted, including one in Russian about whether Putin would be ready to meet President Zelensky for a trilateral summit. Again, there was no obvious reaction from the Russian president beyond a cryptic smirk.

What was said when talks ended earlier than expected

The world's media gathered in the room with Putin and Trump had been led to expect a press conference; instead, the two leaders gave statements and took no questions from reporters.

Unusually, Putin was the first to speak. He praised the "constructive atmosphere of mutual respect" of the "neighbourly" talks, and then launching into a condensed history of Alaska's past as a Russian territory.

As Putin spoke, Trump stood in silence. It was several minutes before the Russian president mentioned what he called the "situation in Ukraine" – ostensibly the catalyst for the summit. When he did, it was to state that although an unspecified "agreement" had been reached, the "root causes" of the conflict had to be eliminated before peace could be achieved.

The phrase will have set off alarm bells in Kyiv and beyond. Since the start of the war it has become shorthand for a series of intractable and maximalist demands that Putin say stand in the way of a ceasefire.

They include recognition of Russian sovereignty over the Ukrainian regions of Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson as well as Ukraine agreeing to demilitarisation, neutrality, no foreign military involvement and new elections. Essentially, they amount to capitulation – unacceptable to Kyiv, but clearly – even after three and a half years of bloody conflict – still paramount to Moscow.

With this, it was clear that there was no deal.

Getty Images Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin shake hands after their joint press conference in Anchorage, Alaska on 15 August 2025.Getty Images

And what was not said

Extraordinarily – given the context and the premise for the summit – when it was Trump's turn to speak he did not mention Ukraine or the possibility of a ceasefire once. The closest he came to referencing the conflict was saying that "five, six, seven thousand people a week" are killed and noting that Putin too wanted to see an end to the bloodshed.

The usually loquacious Trump seemed to have less to say than Putin. His statement was notable for its relative, and unusual, brevity – but primarily for its vagueness. "There were many, many points that we agreed on," Trump said, adding that "great progress" had been made in an "extremely productive meeting".

But he did not share any details and it did not appear that any concrete steps taken towards a resolution of the Ukrainian conflict. No major agreements or a trilateral meeting with President Zelensky were announced.

And – to Moscow's relief – there was no mention of any "severe consequences" that Trump threatened would follow if a ceasefire wasn't reached.

"We didn't get there," Trump admitted.

Then, optimistically though vaguely, he added: "But we have a very good chance of getting there."

Watch: 'A long way for nothing?' Anthony Zurcher and Steve Rosenberg assess what the summit achieved

'Next time in Moscow' - Putin makes rare aside in English

The summit may have failed to yield any tangible progress towards peace in Ukraine, but it cemented the rapprochement between Russia and the US.

Pictures of the two presidents repeatedly shaking hands and grinning travelled far and wide on social media – as did images of American servicemen kneeling as they rolled out the red carpet at the foot of Putin's plane.

Before wrapping up his statement, Putin referenced one of the US president's frequent talking points – that the conflict in Ukraine would have never started had Trump been in power.

Despite Trump's assertion of "great progress", nothing of substance was unveiled at the Alaska summit – yet the two leaders left the door open for another meeting, this time on Russian soil. "I'll probably see you again very soon," Trump said.

Rounding off a joint statement where he had to make no promises, no concessions and no compromises, Putin may have felt at ease enough to break into English – a rare occurrence. Chuckling, he looked at Trump and said: "Next time in Moscow."

"Oh, that's an interesting one," Trump said. "I'll get a little heat on that one, but I – I could see it possibly happening."

No ceasefire, no deal. What summit means for Trump, Putin and Ukraine

16 August 2025 at 09:50
Watch: How the Trump-Putin summit unfolded in 82 seconds

US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have left Alaska without reaching an agreement for a ceasefire in Ukraine.

After an almost three-hour meeting, the leaders delivered a joint statement to the media before leaving without taking questions.

Three BBC correspondents who are in Anchorage for the summit assess what it means for the US and Russian leaders as well as what happens next in the war in Ukraine.

Meeting dents Trump's reputation as a dealmaker

By North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher

"There's no deal until there's a deal," Donald Trump said early in his post-summit remarks here in Anchorage.

It was a roundabout way of conceding that after several hours of talks, there's no deal. No ceasefire. Nothing tangible to report.

The president said that he and Vladimir Putin made "some great progress", but with little details about what that might be, it's left to the world's imagination.

"We didn't get there," he later said, before exiting the room without taking any questions from the hundreds of gathered reporters.

Trump travelled a long way to only produce such vagaries, even if America's European allies and Ukrainian officials may be relieved he did not offer unilateral concessions or agreements that could have undermined future negotiations.

For the man who likes to tout himself as a peacemaker and a dealmaker, it appears that Trump will leave Alaska with neither.

There are also no indications that a future summit that includes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is forthcoming, Putin's "next time in Moscow" quip about their next meeting notwithstanding.

While Trump had less at stake during these negotiations than Ukraine or Russia, it still will put a dent in his domestic and international prestige after earlier promises that this meeting had only a 25% chance of failure.

What's more, the president had to suffer the apparent indignity of standing silent as Putin started off the press-conference-that-wasn't with extensive opening remarks. It was a marked difference than the normal routine in the Oval Office, when the US president typically holds court while his foreign counterpart looks on without comment.

While Alaska is American territory, Putin seemed more at home in what his officials like to note was once "Russian America" before its 19th Century sale to the US. That may eat at the American president over the comings days, as will press coverage that will present this summit as a flop.

The big question now - one reporters were unable to ask on Friday - is whether Trump will decide to impose his much-threatened new sanctions on Russia as punishment.

The president partially addressed that in the friendly confines of a Fox News interview before flying out, saying that he would consider such a move "maybe in two weeks, three weeks". But given the president promised "severe consequences" if Russia did not move towards a ceasefire, such a unspecific answer may prompt more questions than it answers.

Putin gets his moment in the global spotlight

By Steve Rosenberg, Russia editor

When is a "press conference" not a press conference?

When there are no questions.

There was palpable surprise in the hall when Presidents Putin and Trump left the podium as soon as they'd delivered their statements – without taking any questions.

Members of the Russian delegation, too, left the room swiftly without answering any of the questions journalists were shouting at them.

Clear signs that when it comes to the war in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump still have a major difference of opinion.

Donald Trump has been pushing for a Russian ceasefire. Vladimir Putin didn't give it to him.

There was a very different vibe earlier in the day. President Trump had rolled out the red carpet for Vladimir Putin, treating the Kremlin leader as an honoured guest.

Today the Russian president got his moment in the geo-political limelight, sharing the stage with the leader of the world's most powerful country.

But how will Trump react to what happened? He still hasn't managed to persuade Putin to end Russia's war in Ukraine.

Previously he'd threatened a tougher approach to Russia, with ultimatums, deadlines and warnings of more sanctions if Moscow ignored calls for a ceasefire.

He hasn't followed through.

Will he?

Watch: 'If Trump was the president back then there would be no war', says Putin

A sigh of relief from Ukraine - but fear for what's next

By Vitaliy Shevchenko, Russia Editor BBC Monitoring

What just happened in Anchorage may feel anti-climactic for many, but in Kyiv there will be sighs of relief that no "deal" has been announced that would cost Ukraine territory.

People of Ukraine will also know that all of their key deals with Russia have ended up broken, so even if one had been announced here in Anchorage, they would have been sceptical.

Ukrainians will be alarmed, however, that at the joint appearance in front of the media Vladimir Putin yet again spoke of the "root causes" of the conflict and said only their removal would lead to lasting peace.

Translated from Kremlin-speak, this means he is still determined to pursue the original objective of his "special military operation" - which is to dismantle Ukraine as an independent state. Three-and-a-half years of Western efforts have failed to make him change his mind, and that now includes the Alaska summit.

The uncertainty that persists after the meeting is also worrying. What happens next? Will Russia's attacks continue unabated?

The past few months have seen a succession of Western deadlines that came and went without consequences, and threats that were never carried out. Ukrainians see this as an invitation for Putin to continue his attacks. They may see the apparent lack of progress achieved Anchorage in the same light.

Blackpink: K-pop band make 'epic Wembley dream' come true

16 August 2025 at 09:20
Live Nation Blackpink pose during a concert on their Deadline world tourLive Nation
Blackpink are the first K-pop girl band to sell a million albums, and the first to headline Wembley Stadium.

South Korean pop band Blackpink reasserted their position as the world's biggest girl group, with a riotous two-and-a-half hour show at Wembley Stadium.

The quartet – comprised of members Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa – became the first K-pop girl band to headline the venue, following in the footsteps of Michael Jackson, Taylor Swift, BTS and Oasis.

They rewarded fans with a high-voltage set, full of delirious hooks and crisp choreography, while highlighting their sisterly bond.

"What an absolute honour to be performing here at Wembley Stadium," said Lisa, dedicating the concert to the 70,000-strong audience. "We're absolutely in awe at all of you guys [for] rocking up and making this possible."

"It's an epic dream," added her bandmate Jennie. "And it still feels a little unreal."

"The last time we were here [in London] was insane but this was just a whole other level," concluded Rosé.

"We're really grateful that you guys stuck around and supported us."

YG Entertainment Blackpink in a promotional photo for the song JumpYG Entertainment
The band recently released their rave-flavoured comeback single, Jump

The show was the first of two nights at Wembley Stadium, wrapping up the European leg of the band's Deadline tour, which will see them play 31 dates in 16 cities worldwide.

The trek began in Seoul last month, shrewdly accompanied by a new single, Jump - which set a new milestone on YouTube for the most-watched video in a single day, with 26 million views.

By the end of the run, the band are expected to break their own record for the highest-grossing tour by a female group. They previously snatched that title from the Spice Girls, during their 2022-2023 Born Pink world tour.

Killer choreography

The London show opened in a blaze of laser light and pyrotechnics, with three muscle-flexing pop anthems in a row: Kill This Love, How You Like That and Pink Venom.

The stadium was immediately awash with pink, as the audience flew to their feet and waved lightsticks that flashed in time with the pounding beats.

On stage, the dance moves were intricate and precise. Blackpink lined up in formation, peeling off as each member took a vocal line, before recombining like a 16-limbed pop colossus.

During Playing With Fire, the massive video wall at the back of the stage split into four, allowing for close-ups for all of the members, each followed by their own camera, as they danced around the circular catwalk for the first time.

That segued perfectly into Shut Down (complete with a sample of Paganini's second violin concerto, La Campanella), with killer choreography mirrored flawlessly by hundreds of hardcore fans.

Blackpink on stage at Wembley Stadium in London
The innovative staging allowed fans to focus on their favourite member, with each receiving their own follow-cam

Deadline is billed as a reunion tour, even though it's only two years since Blackpink last played in London.

In the interim, the band have negotiated a new contract with South Korean agency YG Entertainment (reportedly the most lucrative record deal of 2023), received honorary MBEs from King Charles, and spent a year pursuing solo endeavours.

Rosé teamed up with Bruno Mars for the global smash APT, Lisa starred in The White Lotus, Jennie went viral for her self-referential club hit Like Jennie and Jisoo took the lead role on K-drama Snowdrop.

As a result, the tour alternates between group and solo sections - with British pop star FKA Twigs making a brief cameo eating a scone during a backstage prelude Rosé's set, for some reason.

But if fans feared that time apart would weaken the band, the tour is proving them wrong.

If anything, the singers' personalities come through stronger now that they've had the opportunity to spread their wings.

Lisa is the rabble-rousing rock star, responsible for Blackpink's signature attitude, which she undercuts with a few well-timed winks to the camera.

New Zealand-born Rosé is the cheerleader, handling most of the on-stage chat, while harbouring secret ambitions to be Taylor Swift, judging by the semi-acoustic ballads she belts out during her solo set.

Jennie could be your cool older sister, all dark sunglasses and leather jackets, as she swats away her choreography like a pesky house fly.

Jisoo, meanwhile, is the most reserved member, saying precious few words but taking the lion's share of the high notes and tricky vocal lines.

Like all the best girl groups, every fan can pick a favourite - or bias, in K-pop parlance - who aligns with their own personality.

So while each solo set has a stand-out moment (Like Jennie is so dynamic it could power a small city; and Rosé's APT is built for a stadium-sized singalong), it's when they come together as the "One True 4" that Blackpink really shine.

"All gas, no brakes," as they put it in their comeback single.

Jisoo / Instagram Candid photo of Blackpink backstage on the Deadline world tourJisoo / Instagram
Jisoo has been posting candid photographs from behind the scenes of the tour on her Instagram page

Early hits like Whistle and DDU-DU-DDU-DU are treated with the same energy and focus as recent favourites such as Lovesick Girls.

Pretty Savage has some of the night's best staging, with the four singers floating in and out of picture frames, before ending the song at a golden ballet barre; while an effervescent Forever Young feels like a hymn to their friendship.

The band's chemistry is particularly evident during Don't Know What To Do, as Lisa and Rosé deliberately bump into each other on the catwalk and collapse in a fit of giggles.

When the song ends, the band spend several minutes chaotically ad libbing to the crowd as Rosé struggles to tie an errant shoelace.

Then, during a reprise of Jump (surely a contender for song of the summer?) the band ditch their prescribed dance moves and toss their heads back and forth like they're in a Wayne's World parody.

And when Rosé asks Jisoo for her verdict on the night, Blackpink's most reticent member simply holds aloft her thumbs.

"Two thumbs up? That's huge!" her bandmates laugh – then squeeze together for a hug, with all eight of their thumbs raised skywards.

In that moment, Blackpink promise this is more than just a comeback. It's the start of a new chapter.

YG Entertainment Blackpink are showered in confetti as they play a concert on their Deadline World TourYG Entertainment
The tour will conclude next year in Hong Kong

Setlist

  • Kill This Love
  • Pink Venom
  • How You Like That
  • Playing With Fire
  • Shut Down
  • Earthquake (Jisoo)
  • Your Love (Jisoo)
  • Thunder (Lisa)
  • Lifestyle (Lisa)
  • Rockstar (Lisa)
  • Pretty Savage
  • Don't Know What To Do
  • Whistle
  • Stay
  • Lovesick Girls
  • Handlebars (Jennie)
  • With the IE (Jennie)
  • Like Jennie (Jennie)
  • Dance All Night (Rosé)
  • Toxic Till the End (Rosé)
  • APT (Rosé)
  • Jump
  • Boombayah
  • DDU-DU DDU-DU
  • As If It's Your Last
  • Forever Young

Encore:

  • JUMP (reprise)
  • Yeah Yeah Yeah
  • Kick It

Afghans resettled in UK hit by new data breach

16 August 2025 at 05:53
Getty Images Five soldiers stand silhouetted in black with the orange sun behind them. Getty Images

Thousands of Afghans brought to safety in the UK have had their personal data exposed, after a Ministry of Defence (MoD) sub-contractor suffered a data breach.

The names, passport information and Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) details of up to 3,700 Afghans have potentially been compromised after Inflite The Jet Centre, which provides ground-handling services for flights at London Stansted airport, suffered a cyber-security incident.

It comes just a month after it was a revealed another major data breach in 2022 revealed the details of almost 19,000 people who had asked to come to the UK in order to flee the Taliban.

The government said the incident "has not posed any threat to individuals' safety, nor compromised any government systems".

There is currently no evidence to suggest that any data has been released publicly.

The Afghans affected are believed to have travelled to the UK between January and March 2024, under a resettlement scheme for those who worked with British troops.

An email sent out by the Afghan resettlement team on Friday afternoon warned their families that personal information may have been exposed.

"This may include passport details (including name, date of birth, and passport number) and Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) reference numbers," it said.

Those affected also include British military personnel and former Conservative government ministers, the BBC understands.

A government spokesperson said: "We were recently notified that a third party sub-contractor to a supplier experienced a cyber security incident involving unauthorised access to a small number of its emails that contained basic personal information.

"We take data security extremely seriously and are going above and beyond our legal duties in informing all potentially affected individuals."

Inflite The Jet Centre said in a statement it believes "the scope of the incident was limited to email accounts only" and has reported it to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

The BBC has contacted the ICO for comment.

The incident follows a February 2022 incident in which the personal data of nearly 19,000 Afghans who had applied to move to the UK under the Arap scheme was mistakenly leaked by a British official, leading to thousands of Afghans being secretly relocated to the UK.

The leaked spreadsheet contained the names, contact details and some family information of the people potentially at risk of harm from the Taliban.

That incident was made public for the first time in July.

UK trade envoy resigns over northern Cyprus visit

16 August 2025 at 08:31
House of Commons Official portrait of Afzal Khan, a middle aged man wearing a blazer and checked red tieHouse of Commons
Afzal Khan, the UK's trade envoy to Turkey, has resigned after visiting northern Cyprus

Labour MP Afzal Khan has resigned as the UK's trade envoy to Turkey following criticism of his visit last week to the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

The territory isn't recognised by the UK government as Turkish troops have occupied Cyprus' northern third since the 1974 invasion.

Mr Khan, the MP for Manchester Rusholme, also met with Turkish-Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar - a move which the Cypriot government described as "absolutely condemnable and unacceptable".

Mr Khan told the BBC he paid for the trip himself and was visiting his nephew, alongside receiving an honorary degree from an academic institution.

In a letter to the prime minister today, Mr Khan said he felt it was "best to stand down at this time so not to distract from the hard work the government is doing to secure the best possible trade deals for this country".

But he insisted his visit had been "in a personal capacity during the parliamentary recess" and was "unrelated" to his role as a trade envoy.

He also suggested that 20 British parliamentarians had visited northern Cyprus without attracting similar criticism.

The shadow foreign minister Wendy Morton welcomed the resignation, but said Sir Keir Starmer should have sacked Mr Khan sooner.

Dame Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary, also called for the MP's resignation earlier this week.

Christos Karaolis, President of the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK, said that Mr Khan's position "was clearly untenable following his deeply inappropriate and unacceptable visit to occupied northern Cyprus".

A Government spokesperson confirmed Mr Khan has left his position as Trade Envoy to the Republic of Türkiye.

The 104-year-old WW2 veteran who moved the Queen to tears

16 August 2025 at 07:06
PA Media Yavar Abbas (left) smiles as he shakes hands with Queen Camilla (right)PA Media
Yavar Abbas (left) shakes hands with Quen Camilla at the VJ Day 80th anniversary service

When Capt Yavar Abbas stood on stage in front of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on Friday, he wasn't expecting to make headlines.

He was at the official commemoration for the 80th anniversary of VJ - Victory over Japan - Day in Staffordshire as one of the last remaining veterans. Yavar was about to give a short address about his experience on the Asian front. But he decided to go off script.

He told the audience he wished "to salute my brave King who is here with his beloved Queen in spite of the fact that he's under treatment for cancer".

The King and Queen became visibly emotional. Yavar went on to tell the crowd he had been free of cancer too for the past 25 years, receiving a round of applause.

Yavar is 104, and his journey to this moment, which he told to me when I met him earlier this year, is extraordinary.

Getty Images King Charles III and Queen Camilla are seated, with the Queen dabbing her eyes, apparently tearful, and the King visibly emotional. The King is dressed in military uniform, while the Queen wears white clothing and a hatGetty Images

He was born in Charkhari, a state in British India, in what he describes as a "one-horse town". Officially his birth date is registered in 1921, but Yavar says he was born on 15 December 1920. He was a student when Britain declared war on Nazi Germany on behalf of India in 1939.

From early December 1941, there was a new enemy and a new front. Japan had attacked the US naval base at Pearl Harbor. Hours later, Japanese forces targeted British colonies in South East Asia. And in just a few months, Japan had taken territory that had been part of the British Empire for more than a century, including Malaya (now Malaysia), Singapore and Burma (now Myanmar).

By mid-1942 Yavar had to make an important decision - fight for the British or for Indian independence. He could not believe how quickly parts of the British Empire had fallen to Japan. There was a palpable fear that India could be next.

"I was not a supporter of British imperialism, in fact I detested it," Yavar tells me. At the time, there was a growing pro-independence movement calling for the British to "Quit India," which was brutally suppressed.

Yavar was aware fighting for the British would mean fighting a war in the name of freedom - while Indians were not free from colonial rule. But, like many Indian nationalists, he did not want Nazism and fascism to prevail.

"I had to choose and hope that if I joined the [British Indian] army, after the war, as they had been promising, I would get independence."

Yavar Abbas/Handout A black and white picture of Yavar as a young man, with a serious expression Yavar Abbas/Handout
Yavar as a young man

So Yavar enlisted - and became one of around 2.5 million Indian soldiers to sign up. Initially he joined the 11th Sikh regiment and was posted to a "God-forsaken place" in a remote part of East Bengal, where he spent his days guarding a strategic site - and felt disappointed at the lack of action.

Attitudes among the British officers frustrated him too.

"I found myself in a version of Dad's Army, in the company of white, middle-aged men as my fellow officers, who still considered India to be a crown colony on which they'll have continuing control for the foreseeable future."

One day in the mess, Yavar spotted an advert in The Army Gazette for officers to be trained as combat cameramen. He applied and was soon accepted.

In this role he joined the newly formed British 14th Army, whose aim was to win back territory lost to Japan. The troops of this army were well-trained for jungle warfare, and had better equipment. A multi-national force, in time it would number up to a million soldiers - mostly Indian, but also from other parts of the British Empire - including West and East Africa.

This army felt completely different to Yavar: "It was wonderful camaraderie. There were British and Indians mixing with each other."

Yavar would go on to film on the front lines at many major Allied-Japanese battles of the Burma campaign from 1944. He would travel in his jeep with an assistant, armed with a pistol and a Vinten film camera, a tripod, and many rolls of film. He sent his rushes to Calcutta (now Kolkata), along with dope sheets explaining what the shots were. There they were edited, and the film distributed for propaganda or newsreels.

Yavar was at the siege of Imphal and the battle of Kohima when Japan invaded the strategic north-eastern Indian towns. Japan's aim was to cut off the Allied supply line to China. ​​Repelling Japanese forces at Imphal and Kohima was hugely significant, because success in taking these towns could allow Japan to progress deeper into India and expand its empire.

These battles have been described by some historians as among the most significant of World War Two. British, Gurkha, Indian and African troops decisively halted the offensive into India. Tens of thousands of Japanese forces died. Many killed themselves rather than being taken prisoner in defeat.

Archive Photos/Getty Images Indian troops of the 26th Indian Brigade, 36th Indian Infantry Division of the British 14th Army unloading ammunition boxes and supplies from pack mules climb the riverbank after crossing the Nammeiit River at Myitson, Burma (Myanmar) during the Burma Campaign against the occupying Imperial Japanese Army, circa March 1945Archive Photos/Getty Images
The objective of the 14th Army was to win back British territory lost to Japan

Yavar cannot forget the aftermath of the battles. "It was a horrible sight, Japanese with swords sticking out of their bodies, instead of falling into enemy hands." The British advance to re-take Burma began afterwards.

Yavar was around 30 miles (50km) from Mandalay when he had a brush with death. He tells me how the Japanese put up stiff resistance, and the Allies couldn't advance, so they took cover in shallow trenches. He was in one with a Gurkha unit, but continued to film. He thinks a sniper saw his camera and shot towards him. The Gurkha beside him was hit in the temple and died. Yavar's camera shattered.

"I'm lucky to be alive," he says.

The Battle of Mandalay was a crucial one for the Allies. If they managed to take it, the road to the capital Rangoon (now Yangon), would be open to them. Yavar was in a tank, and decided he needed a better shot of the action. "I just climbed up on top of the trunk and started filming."

The turret opened and he was told by another officer to get down for his own safety. "It was a stupid thing to do, but that's the kind of thing you do when you're young."

Kavita Puri Dope sheet describing footage Yavar Abbas shot at the fall of Fort Dufferin in MandalayKavita Puri
Dope sheet describing footage from the battle at the Japanese stronghold of Fort Dufferin

The gun battle was intense and the aim was to capture the Japanese stronghold of Fort Dufferin. Yavar filmed the enemy positions being bombed relentlessly from the air.

"They kept on pounding them, pounding them, pounding them," he recalls.

I went to the Imperial War Museum in London and found the footage that Yavar filmed that day. Even without sound, the raw, unedited, black and white images are as dramatic as Yavar described. I returned to his home to show him the footage which he had never seen.

'We didn't achieve anything really': Yavar Abbas looks back at his own film

As he watched it, the events from 80 years all come back and he points at the screen as he remembers.

"That's my shot," he tells me as the British flag is raised in victory over the strategic Fort Dufferin.

He shakes his head watching the images. "It's bizarre to be sitting here and watching all that, and to think that I was in the middle of that."

He says he cannot believe now that 80 years ago he was happy to shoot Japanese forces with his camera, as well as his gun.

"I'm not very proud of that," Yavar says, "but that's how you feel when you are on the front."

Yavar has something to show me, that he had found that morning. He takes out a faded notepad with loose leaves of paper that have yellowed with age. It's his diary from the front line. He had carried an ink pot with him in battle and written in the diary with his fountain pen. He reads out an entry from the day that Fort Dufferin fell on 20 March 1945.

"Thank goodness it is all over and that I'm still alive. I can still hear the noise of shelling not far away. Maybe it is the Japanese guns firing at the Fort. I'll find out tomorrow. Two o'clock in the morning now, and I must go to sleep."

Kavita Puri An image from Yavar's diary on 20 March 1945, the day Fort Dufferin fell. Also visible are Yavar's arms, in pinstriped shirtsleeves and his hands resting on a wooden table holding the pages Kavita Puri
Yavar shows the entry from his diary on 20 March 1945, the day Fort Dufferin fell

Yavar wonders aloud how in the midst of battle he found time to sit and write this when he had to be up again at five in the morning.

I ask him if he thinks he is brave. He looks at me as if that is a strange question. "Absolutely not," he says.

On VE Day, 8 May 1945 - when the war ended in Europe - Yavar was in Rangoon filming the recently re-taken capital. However, it was so inconsequential he didn't note it in his diary. Little had changed for him.

The war against Japan was still ongoing. But then, completely unexpectedly months later, America dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan unconditionally surrendered on 15 August 1945, the day that VJ Day is marked each year.

After the war, Yavar was posted with the 268 Indian Brigade as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces under the overall command of US Gen Douglas McArthur. He went to Hiroshima months after the bombing.

Yavar says he saw the wasteland and people with horrific injuries.

"There were no buildings, it was just one tower that was left. Otherwise the whole thing was flat."

It's the first time since we have spoken that Yavar's bearing changes - he has a look of horror as he remembers.

"It still haunts me," he says. "I couldn't believe that human beings could do this to each other. Hiroshima was a terrible experience."

The British did leave India, as Yavar had hoped. In August 1947, India was partitioned and two new states were born: Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan.

Yavar was a witness to the bloody aftermath, and was heartbroken at the decision to divide India. Two years later, he came to Britain.

He worked for many years at the BBC as a news cameraman travelling the world. He would go on to be an acclaimed independent film-maker, winning numerous awards.

Yavar Abbas A younger Yavar pictured beside his camera from his days as cameraman and film-maker. He has a moustache and looks straight into the camera with a serious expression. Yavar Abbas
Yavar worked as a BBC cameraman for many years

VJ Day - on 15 August - is not a day Yavar ever celebrates. Current events weigh heavily on him. Yavar's message, as one of the last remaining survivors of World War Two, is clear.

"War is a crime. War must be banned. I think it's mad. We didn't achieve anything really."

He says at the time he felt he was part of something worthwhile, for the sake of humanity - he doesn't feel that now.

The wars engulfing the world 80 years on - particularly Gaza - are on his mind.

"We seem to have learnt nothing, " Yavar tells me. "The killing of innocent men, women, children, and even babies goes on. And the world, with some honourable exceptions, watches in silence...

"It was all futile, because it's still happening. We haven't learned anything at all."

Why Alaska? Why now? What to expect from the summit

16 August 2025 at 05:13
Getty Images File image of a lake and mountains in AlaskaGetty Images

The US and Russia have agreed to hold a meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin on Friday 15 August, to discuss how to end the war in Ukraine.

Trump announced the meeting a week beforehand - the same day as his deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine or face more US sanctions.

Three rounds of talks between Russia and Ukraine held at Trump's behest this summer have yet to bring the two sides any closer to peace.

Here is what we know about the meeting between the two leaders, taking place in Alaska - which was once Russian territory - in Anchorage.

Why are they meeting in Alaska?

The US purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867, lending a historical resonance to the meeting. It became a US state in 1959.

Russian presidential assistant Yuri Ushakov pointed out that the two countries are neighbours, with only the Bering Strait separating them.

"It seems quite logical for our delegation simply to fly over the Bering Strait and for such an important and anticipated summit of the leaders of the two countries to be held in Alaska," Ushakov said.

The last time Alaska took centre-stage in an American diplomatic event was in March 2021, when Joe Biden's newly minted diplomatic and national security team met their Chinese counterparts in Anchorage.

The sit-down turned acrimonious, with the Chinese accusing the Americans of "condescension and hypocrisy".

Where in Alaska will Trump and Putin meet?

The meeting will be in Anchorage, the White House confirmed on Tuesday.

When announcing the bilateral, Trump said the location would be "a very popular one for a number of reasons", without disclosing it would be in the state's largest city.

The pair will be hosted at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, the largest military installation in Alaska. The 64,000 acre base is a key US site for Arctic military readiness.

Map showing Alaska, Canada, and Russia with the Bering Sea in between. Anchorage is marked in southern Alaska. The map highlights how Alaska and Russia are geographically close, separated by only a narrow stretch of water. An inset globe in the top left shows the region’s location in the northern Pacific

Why are Putin and Trump meeting?

Trump has been pushing hard - without much success - to end the war in Ukraine.

As a presidential candidate, he pledged that he could end the war within 24 hours of taking office. He has also repeatedly argued that the war "never would have happened" if he had been president at the time of Russia's invasion in 2022.

Last month, Trump told the BBC that he was "disappointed" by Putin.

Frustrations grew and Trump set an 8 August deadline for Putin to agree to an immediate ceasefire or face more severe US sanctions.

As the deadline hit, Trump instead announced he and Putin would meet in person on 15 August.

The meeting comes after US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff held "highly productive" talks with Putin in Moscow on Wednesday, according to Trump.

Ahead of the meeting, the White House sought to play down speculation that the bilateral could yield a ceasefire.

"This is a listening exercise for the president," said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. She added that Trump may travel to Russia following the Alaska trip.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump said he viewed the summit as a "feel-out meeting" aimed at urging Putin to end the war.

Is Ukraine attending?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is not expected to attend. Trump said on Monday: "I would say he could go, but he's been to a lot of meetings."

Trump did, however, say that Zelensky would be the first person he would call afterwards.

A White House official later said that Trump and Zelensky would meet virtually on Wednesday, ahead of the US president's summit with Putin. The Zelensky meeting will be joined by several European leaders.

Putin had requested that Zelensky be excluded, although the White House has previously said that Trump was willing to hold a trilateral in which all three leaders were present.

Zelensky has said any agreements without input from Ukraine would amount to "dead decisions".

What do both sides hope to get out of it?

While both Russia and Ukraine have long said that they want the war to end, both countries want things that the other harshly opposes.

Trump said on Monday he was "going to try to get some of that [Russian-occupied] territory back for Ukraine". But he also warned that there might have to be "some swapping, changes in land".

Ukraine, however, has been adamant that it will not accept Russian control of regions that Moscow has seized, including Crimea.

Zelensky pushed back this week against any idea of "swapping" territories.

"We will not reward Russia for what it has perpetrated," the Ukrainian president said.

Watch: 'We're going to change the battle lines' Trump on the war in Ukraine

Meanwhile, Putin has not budged from his territorial demands, Ukraine's neutrality and the future size of its army.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in part, over Putin's belief the Western defensive alliance, Nato, was using the neighbouring country to gain a foothold to bring its troops closer to Russia's borders.

Map showing which areas of Ukraine are under Russian military control or limited Russian control. A large section of the map, including Crimea and Donetsk are coloured in red to show that the areas are fully under Russian military control.

The Trump administration has been attempting to sway European leaders on a ceasefire deal that would hand over swathes of Ukrainian territory to Russia, the BBC's US partner CBS News has reported.

The agreement would allow Russia to keep control of the Crimean peninsula, and take the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, which is made up of Donetsk and Luhansk, according to sources familiar with the talks.

Russia illegally occupied Crimea in 2014 and its forces control the majority of the Donbas region.

Under the deal, Russia would have to give up the Ukrainian regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, where it currently has some military control.

Speaking to Fox News, US Vice-President JD Vance said any future deal was "not going to make anybody super happy".

"You've got to make peace here… you can't finger point," he said.

"The way to peace is to have a decisive leader to sit down and force people to come together."

Afghans resettled in UK hit by new MoD data breach

16 August 2025 at 05:53
Getty Images Five soldiers stand silhouetted in black with the orange sun behind them. Getty Images

Thousands of Afghans brought to safety in the UK have had their personal data exposed, after a Ministry of Defence (MoD) sub-contractor suffered a data breach.

The names, passport information and Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) details of up to 3,700 Afghans have potentially been compromised after Inflite The Jet Centre, which provides ground-handling services for flights at London Stansted airport, suffered a cyber-security incident.

It comes just a month after it was a revealed another major data breach in 2022 revealed the details of almost 19,000 people who had asked to come to the UK in order to flee the Taliban.

The government said the incident "has not posed any threat to individuals' safety, nor compromised any government systems".

There is currently no evidence to suggest that any data has been released publicly.

The Afghans affected are believed to have travelled to the UK between January and March 2024, under a resettlement scheme for those who worked with British troops.

An email sent out by the Afghan resettlement team on Friday afternoon warned their families that personal information may have been exposed.

"This may include passport details (including name, date of birth, and passport number) and Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) reference numbers," it said.

Those affected also include British military personnel and former Conservative government ministers, the BBC understands.

A government spokesperson said: "We were recently notified that a third party sub-contractor to a supplier experienced a cyber security incident involving unauthorised access to a small number of its emails that contained basic personal information.

"We take data security extremely seriously and are going above and beyond our legal duties in informing all potentially affected individuals."

Inflite The Jet Centre said in a statement it believes "the scope of the incident was limited to email accounts only" and has reported it to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

The BBC has contacted the ICO for comment.

The incident follows a February 2022 incident in which the personal data of nearly 19,000 Afghans who had applied to move to the UK under the Arap scheme was mistakenly leaked by a British official, leading to thousands of Afghans being secretly relocated to the UK.

The leaked spreadsheet contained the names, contact details and some family information of the people potentially at risk of harm from the Taliban.

That incident was made public for the first time in July.

Opening game of Premier League halted after Semenyo reports racist abuse

16 August 2025 at 06:45

'Totally unacceptable' - Semenyo reports racist abuse

Antoine Semenyo looking onImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Antoine Semenyo started Bournemouth's opening Premier League fixture away at Liverpool

  • Published

The Premier League opener between Liverpool and Bournemouth was stopped in the first half after Cherries forward Antoine Semenyo reported being racially abused by someone in the crowd.

The 25-year-old Semenyo went on to score twice in 12 second-half minutes as the Cherries briefly levelled at Anfield, before the reigning champions struck late to win 4-2.

Referee Anthony Taylor stopped play at a 29th-minute Liverpool corner before talking to both managers on the touchline.

Liverpool and Bournemouth captains Virgil van Dijk and Adam Smith were then called over to the benches to be briefed before the match resumed four minutes later, while the score was 0-0.

Bournemouth skipper Smith said he was "shocked" by the incident and "something needs to be done".

"Totally unacceptable," he told Sky Sports. "Kind of in shock it happened in this day and age. I don't know how Ant has carried on playing and come up with these goals.

"He's a little bit down - something needs to be done. Taking a knee has taken no effect. We've supported him and hopefully he'll be OK.

"I wanted him to react [after scoring] - that's what I'd have done. I'd have gone straight over there. It shows what kind of man he is to report it to the ref and carry on. Fair play to Ant."

When asked to describe his feelings, Smith said "it's more anger" and he had called for immediate action against the culprit.

"I said to the ref I wanted him removed immediately but the police went and sorted it," added the defender. "The Liverpool players were very supportive to Ant and the rest of the team. Just so angry.

"We've had discussions with the Premier League about it so they have been taking it seriously. I don't know what else we can do.

"We've been doing it for a long time now and no-one is getting it. I just feel sorry for Ant and he's had to take that. The whole country is watching and it's shocking."

An anti-discrimination message was read out to the crowd inside Anfield once the half-time whistle had blown.

In a statement issued at full-time, the Football Association said: "We are very concerned about the allegation of discrimination from an area of the crowd, which was reported to the match officials during the Premier League fixture between Liverpool and Bournemouth.

"Incidents of this nature have no place in our game, and we will work closely with the match officials, the clubs and the relevant authorities to establish the facts and ensure the appropriate action is taken."

Premier League Match Centre, external during the match: "Tonight's match between Liverpool Football Club and AFC Bournemouth was temporarily paused during the first half after a report of discriminatory abuse from the crowd, directed at Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo.

"This is in line with the Premier League's on-field anti-discrimination protocol. The incident at Anfield will now be fully investigated. We offer our full support to the player and both clubs.

"Racism has no place in our game, or anywhere in society. We will continue to work with stakeholders and authorities to ensure our stadiums are an inclusive and welcoming environment for all."

Kick It Out said they "stand in solidarity" with Semenyo and added: "Thirty minutes into the first Premier League game of the season, and Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo is racially abused by someone in the crowd.

"Two nights ago, Tottenham's Mathys Tel was racially abused online. This is a stark reminder of an ugly reality: black players are facing this every week.

"We stand in solidarity with Antoine and can't praise him enough for his courage in calling this out after such a distressing episode before going on to score twice.

"Anthony Taylor and his refereeing team also deserve credit for acting swiftly and decisively. We will keep pushing to kick this disgusting behaviour out of the game through punishments, accountability and education, but football still has a long way to go."

The incident came after Tottenham forward Mathys Tel was the subject of racist abuse on social media after being one of two Spurs players to miss in their Super Cup penalty shootout defeat by Paris St-Germain on Wednesday.

England defender Jess Carter was also the target of racist abuse during Euro 2025 last month.

England internationals Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka were subjected to racism too in the aftermath of the Euro 2020 final, held in July 2021, after all three missed penalties in the shootout loss to Italy.

Flash floods kill nearly 200 in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir

15 August 2025 at 23:04
AFP via Getty Images People gathered at the site of a flash flood in Salarzai Tehsil of Pakistan's Bajaur district on August 15, 2025.AFP via Getty Images
Flash flooding killed several in the village of Salarzai Tehsil, in Bajaur

At least 164 people have died in the last 24 hours in heavy monsoon floods and landslides in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

Most of the deaths, 150, were recorded by disaster authorities in the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in northern Pakistan. At least 30 homes were destroyed and a rescue helicopter has also crashed during operations, killing its five crew.

Nine more people were killed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, while five died in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, it said.

Government forecasters said heavy rainfall was expected until 21 August and there is a heavy rain alert for the northwest of the country. Several regions have been declared disaster zones.

The chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gadapur, said that the M-17 helicopter crashed due to bad weather while flying to Bajaur, a region bordering Afghanistan .

In Bajaur, a crowd amassed around an excavator trawling a mud-soaked hill, AFP photos showed. Funeral prayers began in a paddock nearby, with people grieving in front of several bodies covered by blankets.

In the Indian-administered part of Kashmir, rescuers pulled bodies from mud and rubble on Friday after a flood crashed through a Himalayan village, killing at least 60 people and washing away dozens more.

Monsoon rains between June and September deliver about three-quarters of South Asia's annual rainfall. Landslides and flooding are common and than 300 people have died in this year's season.

In July, Punjab, home to nearly half of Pakistan's 255 million people, recorded 73% more rainfall than the previous year and more deaths than in the entire previous monsoon.

Scientists say that climate change has made weather events more extreme and more frequent.

Watch: The moment Trump and Putin meet on the red carpet

16 August 2025 at 03:48
Watch: Moment Trump and Putin meet in Alaska for summit

This is the moment US President Trump and Russia's President Putin simultaneously disembarked their planes in Alaska to meet for talks about the Ukraine war.

They shook hands on a red carpet and had what appeared to be a friendly but animated conversation before walking together to a nearby car.

Ukraine's President Zelensky, who is not invited to the summit, says his country is "counting on America" and there's "no indication" Russia is preparing to end the war.

In maps: The war-ravaged Ukrainian territories at the heart of the summit

15 August 2025 at 15:30
BBC Map of Ukraine overlaid with the national flag colours - blue on top and yellow on the bottom. Stylised black-and-white headshots of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, both in suits and looking serious, are on either side of the map.BBC
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will meet in Alaska on Friday

Speculation has swirled over whether the Trump-Putin summit will result in the map of Ukraine being forcibly – and fundamentally – altered.

Russia has laid claim to vast parts of Ukraine since 2014, when President Vladimir Putin made his first move.

At the time, in the space of a short few months, Moscow carried out the relatively bloodless occupation and annexation of the Crimean peninsula.

But that was followed by a Russian-backed separatist movement in the eastern Donbas region – specifically the two regions, or "oblasts", known as Donetsk and Luhansk.

A war simmered there for eight years.

Map of Ukraine before the war, showing Ukraine and Russia. Key areas highlighted are Crimea which was wholly annexed by Russia in 2014, Luhansk and Donetsk are labelled and a large patch on the east of the two regions is shaded purple and labelled as areas held by Russian-backed separatists. The capital Kyiv is also labelled and an inset showing Ukraine's location in Europe.
Ukraine after 2014 and before the start of the 2022 full-scale invasion

Ukraine lost around 14,000 soldiers and civilians during this period.

But in February 2022, Putin launched his full-scale invasion. Russian troops quickly reached the outskirts of Kyiv and seized huge swathes of the south, including big chunks of two more oblasts, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.

The war has ebbed and flowed ever since. Russia now controls rather less territory - down from about 27% in the spring of 2022 to around 20% now. In the east, Russian forces are advancing, but very slowly and at great cost.

Map showing Russian military control in Ukraine one month into the war. Solid red areas indicate full Russian control and stretch up to 100km from the Russian border in eastern Ukraine; red diagonal lines show limited control and almost reaches the capital of Kyiv – it shows the regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in the south east. Source: ISW (March 2022)
Ukraine in 2022 - one month into the full-scale invasion

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine says an unconditional ceasefire is needed now. European allies also insist on on a halt in fighting. US President Donald Trump says that is what he has been trying to achieve.

But in the run-up to his Alaska summit with Putin, Trump has started talking, instead about territorial swaps. That has sent shockwaves across Kyiv and Europe.

It is not at all clear what land Trump is referring to, or what those swaps could look like, given that all the territory in question legally belongs to Ukraine.

As of August 2025, the territory of Ukraine looks as follows:

Map showing the front line in Ukraine as of 12 August 2025. Areas under Russian military control are shaded pink, limited control areas have red stripes, and claimed Russian control areas are shaded yellow – it shows Russia has lost control of almost all the areas outside of the four regions to the east of the country and Crimea. Key cities marked include Kyiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. Source: ISW

Russia would dearly love to expand its control over the entirety of Luhansk and Donetsk.

Some reports suggest that Putin is demanding that Ukraine hand over the remaining territory it controls in both oblasts.

But that would mean Kyiv giving up on places which tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have died trying to protect - cities like Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, and a fortified line protecting Ukrainian territory to the north and west.

Map highlighting the Donbas area in yellow. The Donetsk towns of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk are labelled inside the area on the Ukrainian side of the front line, which is marked in red. Source: ISW, dated 12 August 2025.

For Kyiv, such a concession would be a bitter pill to swallow. For Moscow, whose losses have been even more catastrophic, it would be seen as victory.

Zelensky said on Tuesday that Ukraine "could not" leave the Donbas as Moscow would use the region as a springboard to attack the rest of the country.

In recent days, Russian forces appear to be pushing hard, and making progress, near the town of Dobropillya. But it's not yet clear whether this marks a significant strategic move or just an effort to show Trump that Moscow has the upper hand.

What about Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, captured in 2022?

Here, it's reported, Russia is offering to halt its offensive and freeze the lines.

Map highlighting Zaporizhzhia and Kherson areas in yellow. The front line between Ukrainian and Russian forces is marked in red. Key locations labelled include Kyiv, Mariupol, Crimea, the Black Sea, and the Sea of Azov. Source: ISW, dated 12 August 2025.

But would Russia be prepared to give any of it back?

On Monday, Trump talked vaguely about "ocean-front property" – presumably a reference to some of this shoreline, along the Sea of Azov or Black Sea.

But this is all part of Putin's strategically vital land bridge connecting Russia to occupied Crimea.

It's hard to see the Russian leader agreeing to give any of it up. Like Donetsk and Luhansk, Putin regards these places as part of Russia, and illegally annexed them three years ago in four referendums widely regarded as a sham.

For Ukraine, and Europe, territorial swaps – at this very early stage of the talks – are a non-starter.

A discussion about future borders may eventually come, but only when the war has stopped and Ukraine's security has been guaranteed.

Sidelined Ukrainians look on with deep scepticism

15 August 2025 at 21:38
EPA Ukrainians, including families of prisoners of war (POWs) and missing persons, participate in a rally called 'No land swap! We demand POW swap all-for-all' in front of the US embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine - a medium sized group of people are visible, all holding up signs, some in English and some in Ukrainian - one woman holds a sign saying 'No Trust to Putin as International Criminal!' - many of the protesters are holding up Ukrainian flags EPA

Five thousand miles from Alaska, and feeling left out, Ukrainians were bracing themselves on Friday for the outcome of negotiations to which they were not invited.

The talks, between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, will begin later in the day with no seat for the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

Trump signalled earlier this week that "land swaps" could be on the table - largely interpreted to mean the surrender of Ukrainian land to Russia.

In Ukraine, where polls consistently show that about 95% of the population distrusts Putin, there is a uneasy mix of deep scepticism about the talks and deep fatigue with the war.

"This question touches me directly," said Tetyana Bessonova, 30, from Pokrovsk - one of the eastern cities whose future is in question if land were surrendered to Russia.

"My hometown is on the line of fire. If active fighting stops, would I be able to return?" she said.

Questions of negotiations, of land swaps, of the redrawing of boundaries were deeply painful to those who grew up in the affected regions, Bessonova said.

"This is the place I was born, my homeland," she said. "These decisions might mean I could never go home again. That I and many others will lose all hope of return."

The French President, Emmanuel Macron, said on Wednesday that Trump had agreed on a call with European leaders that no territorial concessions would be made without Ukraine's approval. And Trump has said he intends to hold a second summit with Zelensky present, before anything is agreed.

But Trump can be unpredictable. He is often said to favour the views of the person he spoke to most recently. So there is little faith in Ukraine that he won't be swayed by Putin, particularly in a one-on-one meeting.

The very fact of the closed door meeting was bad for Ukraine, said Oleksandr Merezhko, a Ukrainian MP and chair of the country's parliamentary committee on foreign affairs. "Knowing Trump, he can change his opinion very quickly. There is great danger in that for us."

Merezhko said he feared that, such was Trump's desire to be seen as a dealmaker, he may have privately made advance agreements with the Russians. "Trump doesn't want embarrassment, and if nothing is achieved, he will be embarrassed," the MP said. "The question is, what could be in those agreements?"

Various possibilities have been suggested for arrangements that could lead to a ceasefire, from a freezing of the current frontlines - with no formal recognition of the seized territory as Russian - to a maximalist position of Russia annexing four entire regions in eastern and southern Ukraine.

Polls suggest that about 54% of Ukrainians support some form of land compromise in order to hasten the end of the war, but only with security guarantees from Ukraine's international partners. So deep and widespread is the distrust of Russia, that many believe an agreement to freeze the frontlines without security guarantees would simply be an invitation to Russia to rest, rearm, and reattack.

"If we freeze the frontlines and cede territories it will only serve as a platform for a new offensive," said Volodymyr, a Ukrainian sniper serving in the east of the country. In accordance with military protocol, he asked to be identified only by his first name.

A map showing areas of control in Ukraine.

"Many soldiers gave their lives for these territories, for the protection of our country," Volodymyr said. "A freeze would mean demobilization would begin, wounded and exhausted soldiers would be discharged, the army would shrink, and during one of these rotations the Russians would strike again. But this time, it would be the end of our country."

Across Ukraine, people from all walks of life were making very tough decisions about the reality of their future, said Anton Grushetsky, the director of the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, which regularly polls the population about the war.

One of the toughest decisions was whether to accept the idea of giving de facto control of some Ukrainian soil to Russia, he said. "It's 20% of our land and these are our people. But Ukrainians are showing us that they are flexible, they are telling us that they will accept various forms of security guarantees."

According to the institute's polling, 75% of Ukrainians are totally opposed to giving Russia formal ownership of any territory. Among the remaining 25%, there were some people who were pro-Russian, Grushetsky said, and some who were simply so fatigued by the war that they felt hard compromises were necessary.

"My belief is that the war should be stopped in any way possible," said Luibov Nazarenko, 70, a retired factory worker from Donetsk region, in Ukraine's east.

"The further it goes, the worse it becomes," she said. "The Russians have already occupied the Kherson region and they want Odesa. All this must be stopped, so the youth do not die."

Nazarenko has a son who is not yet fighting but could be called up. She said she believed that three years into the war, with hundreds of thousands of dead and wounded on the Ukrainian side alone, the preservation of life superseded all concerns over land.

"I just don't want people to die," she said. "Not the youth, not the old people, not the civilians who live on the frontline."

On Friday, as the clock ticked down to the beginning of the talks in Alaska, Ukrainians were celebrating a holy day - the day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is the day when she is believed to listen to the prayers of all who need her.

A picture showing the inside of St Michael's Monastery where a number of candles are being lit and a number of people are seen inside the ornate, gold lined church interior
Priest Oleksandr Beskrovniy said it was hard to find words to describe the unfairness of the talks

At St Michael's Monastery, a church in central Kyiv, priest Oleksandr Beskrovniy was leading a prayer service for several dozen people. Afterwards, he said it was hard to find words to describe the unfairness of the coming talks, but called it a "great injustice and madness" to leave Zelensky out.

Like others, the priest recognised the grim reality facing Ukraine, he said - that it was not in a position to recapture its stolen territory by force. So some deal needed to be made. But it should be thought of less in terms of land, Beskrovniy said, and more in terms of people.

"If we are forced to cede territory - if the world allows this - the most important thing is that we gather all of our people. The world must help us get our people out."

In his prayers on Friday, the priest did not refer directly to the talks in Alaska, he said - "no names or places of meetings".

But he prayed for the future strength of Ukraine, he said. "On the frontline, and in the diplomatic space."

One dead and several injured as Danish train hits tanker and derails

16 August 2025 at 02:05
Reuters Danish police direct people involved near the the derailmentReuters
Danish police direct people involved near the the derailment

At least one person has died and several others injured after a train collided with a slurry tanker and derailed in southern Denmark, officials said.

Police said the crash happened between the towns of Tinglev and Kliplev in southern Jutland, and that officers were at the site.

Local outlet TV2 reported helicopters had been sent to the scene and quoted local rail officials as saying the train had "hit a slurry tanker" at a level crossing.

The country's rail operator DSB said that it had shut down services between Tinglev and Sønderborg near the German border.

Pictures from the scene showed a carriage lying on its side, with passengers stood around the train tracks.

Police said 95 passengers were on board, including pupils from a school in Sønderborg. Two of the injured were carried away by helicopter.

The national rail agency Banedanmark wrote on X that the collision happened at a railway crossing. According to local media, at least two of the train carriages were derailed.

King hails veterans' courage and sacrifice on VJ Day

15 August 2025 at 23:49
Watch: Royals and veterans mark VJ Day 80 years on

The King, Queen and prime minister have joined World War Two veterans for a remembrance service to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.

Some 33 men now aged between 96 and 105, who served in military in the Far East and Pacific, were the guests of honour at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

Wreaths were laid by the royal couple before a flypast featuring the RAF's Red Arrows and a national two-minute silence.

Those gathered for the event heard moving accounts and memories from personnel and civilians about their experiences during the war. A reception in which the King and Queen will meet the veterans and their families is also taking place.

VJ Day, or Victory over Japan Day, is commemorated on 15 August each year and marks the date in 1945 when Japan surrendered to Allied forces, bringing World War Two to an end after nearly six years.

An estimated 71,000 soldiers from the UK and the Commonwealth died fighting in the war against Japan, including upwards of 12,000 prisoners of war held in Japanese captivity.

Events to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VJ Day will conclude with a reception for veterans at Windsor Castle later in the Autumn.

PA Media King Charles III (right) and Queen Camilla stand (second right) as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer lays a wreath during the national Service of Remembrance to mark the 80th Anniversary of VJ Day at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, StaffordshirePA Media
Sir Keir Starmer laid a wreath while the King and Queen watched on

Actress Celia Imrie narrated the story of the war in the Far East at the service, as the experiences of those who took part in it were told in person and on screen.

Royal Navy veteran Alfred Conway, from Lincolnshire, watched as his great-grandchildren laid a wreath on the Burma Thailand Railway memorial at the Arboretum.

And George Durrant, who served in the intelligence corps, appeared on stage with his great-granddaughter as he urged people not to forget the sacrifices made by his comrades.

There was also a tribute from poet Sir Ben Okri focusing on the contributions of soldiers who had enlisted from countries in the British Commonwealth to fight in Burma (now Myanmar).

The event concluded with a flypast by historic World War Two-era aircraft including the Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster bomber.

Reuters Britain's King Charles talks to Yavar Abbas as they attend a Service of Remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of VJ Day Reuters
King Charles spoke to veteran Yavar Abbas at the service
PA Media Second World War veteran Alfred Conway (right) from Lincolnshire, who served with the Royal Navy, watches on as his great-grandchildren, Sarah-Jayne Carpenter (left) and James Carpenter (second left) lay a wreath on the Burma Thailand Railway memorial at the National Memorial ArboretumPA Media
Veteran Alfred Conway watched on as his great-grandchildren laid a wreath

In a six-minute audio message released before the service, the King vowed that those who fought and died in the Pacific and Far East "shall never be forgotten".

He started by reflecting on the moment 80 years ago that his grandfather, King George VI, announced to the nation and Commonwealth that the war was over.

"For the millions of families gathered around their wireless sets, and for their loved ones still serving far from home, it was the message a battle-weary world had long prayed for," the King said.

He said he was speaking in the "same spirit of commemoration and celebration as we honour anew all those whose service and sacrifice saw the forces of liberty prevail".

The King also spoke of the British, Commonwealth and Allied forces who continued to fight for months after the war in Europe had ended.

The soldiers became known as the "Forgotten Army", because people in Britain were more focused on events in Europe, where fighting had ended in May.

He talked about the prisoners of war who endured horrific conditions in Japanese captivity - and all the "grievous hardships" faced by innocent civilians of occupied territories.

"Their experience reminds us that war's true cost extends beyond battlefields, touching every aspect of life - a tragedy all-too vividly demonstrated by conflicts around the world today."

The King also acknowledged the "immense price" paid by the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where more than 200,000 people died as a result of the US atomic bombings in August 1945 - some from the immediate blast and others from radiation sickness and burns afterwards.

He said it was a "price we pray no nation need ever pay again".

The King added: "But in recalling so much suffering, we must not lose sight of how great was the cause and how sweet the victory."

He also cited the collaboration across faiths and cultural divides, saying: "Together they proved that, in times of war and in times of peace, the greatest weapons of all are not the arms you bear, but the arms you link.

"That remains a vital lesson for our times."

He said the "courage and camaraderie displayed in humanity's darkest hour is a flame that shall blaze for eternity - a beacon that honours our past and guides our future".

The Prince and Princess of Wales also praised the "courage, sacrifice, and resilience" of those who fought in the Pacific and Far East in a message posted on social media, adding: "We owe an enduring debt to the generation who gave so much."

King Charles marks 80 years since VJ Day in speech to nation

VJ Day commemorations began on Thursday with a sunset ceremony at the Memorial Gates in Green Park, in central London, which paid tribute to Commonwealth personnel who served and died in the Far East.

As dawn broke on Friday, British military bagpipers played the lament Battle's O'er in the Far East section of the National Memorial Arboretum and at Edinburgh Castle - as well as in Nepal, Brunei, New Zealand, Japan and aboard HMS Prince of Wales, currently at sea in the Far East.

A piper also performed at a Japanese peace garden in west London to reflect the reconciliation which has taken place between the UK and Japan in the decades since the war ended.

Far-right Israeli minister taunts prominent Palestinian prisoner in his cell

15 August 2025 at 20:16
Itamar Ben Gvir X Itamar Ben Gvir, wearing glasses and a dark shirt, is seen talking to Marwan Barghouti, wearing a white shirt, who appears gaunt and aged. A police officer stands next to them with his head down. Sunlight pours through a window into the room, the walls painted off-white.Itamar Ben Gvir X
A screenshot from the video of the interaction, posted on Ben Gvir's X account

New footage shared on social media shows the far-right Israeli minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, taunting the most prominent Palestinian prisoner, Marwan Barghouti in his cell.

The Palestinian Authority has condemned the video. Its Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh described it as "the epitome of psychological, moral and physical terrorism."

The 13-second-long video clip is the first time that Barghouti has been publicly seen in years. He appears aged and gaunt.

Israel's national security minister, Ben Gvir tells him: "You will not win. He who messes with the people of Israel, he who will murder our children, he who will murder our women, we will wipe him out".

As Barghouti tries to interject, Ben Gvir adds: "You need to know this, throughout history."

Marwan Barghouti, 66, was jailed by Israel more than 20 years ago after he was convicted of planning attacks that led to five civilians being killed. He is serving five life sentences plus 40 years.

Opinion polls have consistently indicated that he remains the most popular Palestinian leader, and that Palestinians would vote for him in a presidential election ahead of the current Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas or Hamas leaders.

He remains a senior figure in the Fatah faction, which dominates the Palestinian Authority (PA). He was targeted by Israel due to his leading role in the Second Palestinian Intifada or uprising from 2000-05.

The video originally surfaced on messaging groups for Ben Gvir's supporters on Thursday but has now been reposted on his X account.

The minister says that having read how "all sorts of "senior officials"" in the PA did not like what he said, he will "repeat it again and again without apologising."

Palestinian prisoner rights organisations say that Barghouti has been placed in solitary confinement since the deadly Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023. Last year they accused guards of "brutally assaulting" him in his cell which the Israeli prison service denied.

In response to the new video, the head of the Palestinian Prisoners' Club, Abdullah al-Zaghari accused Israel of seeking "to eliminate him and assassinate the leaders languishing in its prisons."

Barghouti is one of the prisoners whose release Hamas is believed to have sought as part of an exchange deal for the remaining hostages it is holding. However, it is thought very unlikely that Israel would free him.

In the video, as Ben Gvir speaks, Barghouti – who is fluent in Hebrew – can be seen nodding and trying to break in, but the short clip ends before he does.

His wife, Fadwa, recommended to her husband's followers that only one still be used from the video which she believed showed his strength.

Palestinians widely see Barghouti as the leader who could best unify different political factions and negotiate peace with Israel.

Epping hotel given temporary ban on taking new asylum seekers

16 August 2025 at 00:05
PA Media A group of police officers in fluorescent tabards speaking into talkback devices and holding riot helmets - there is a large police van in the background at the entrance to a building with a Bell Hotel signPA Media
Hundreds of protesters have attended demonstrations at The Bell Hotel during the summer

Housing asylum seekers at a hotel is causing an "unacceptable" risk to public safety, the High Court has been told.

Epping Forest District Council has applied for a temporary injunction to block asylum seekers from being housed at The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex.

Protests began outside the hotel last month and Essex Police said at one point up to 2,000 people were demonstrating near the hotel and 16 people have been charged with offences relating to the disturbances.

Philip Coppel KC, representing the authority at the Royal Courts of Justice, said: "The protests have unfortunately been attended by violence and disorder."

Mr Justice Eyre is hearing submissions from the hotel's owners into Friday afternoon and it is not clear at this stage when he will rule on the injunction.

The council lodged the application on Tuesday and asked that it take effect within 14 days in the event it was granted.

Mr Coppel added: "Epping Forest District Council comes to this court seeking an injunction because it has a very serious problem."

"There has been what can be described as an increase in community tension, the catalyst of which has been the use of The Bell Hotel to place asylum seekers," he said.

The Bell Hotel, a white building, is on the left with an entrance to the right which says The Bell Hotel, Best Western. A tree is in front of the two-storey building with three traffic cones outside.
A High Court judge is expected to make a decision on an injunction applied for by Epping Forest District Council

Mr Coppel said that the defendant, Somani Hotels Limited, "did not advise or notify the local planning authority" to seek their views on the use of the site.

"It was not until two months later, when Epping Forest received a complaint about the use, that the matter came to the planning department's attention," he continued.

Lawyers representing Somani Hotels, the owner of the premises, told the court that an injunction would cause asylum seekers "hardship" and that the move would set "a dangerous precedent that protests justify planning injunctions".

Action has been staged at the hotel since a man living there was charged with sexual assault, harassment and inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity.

Hadush Kebatu, 41, from Ethiopia, has denied the offences and remains on remand in custody.

The Home Office previously told the BBC: "It would be inappropriate to comment while legal proceedings are ongoing."

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

Related internet links

Iceland offers £1 reward to customers for reporting shoplifters

16 August 2025 at 00:33
Getty Images An elderly couple walk outside an Iceland store with lots of posters advertising discounts in the windowGetty Images

Supermarket chain Iceland will financially reward customers who report incidents of shoplifting, as part of efforts to tackle rising levels of retail theft.

The retailer's executive chairman, Richard Walker, said that shoppers who alert staff to a theft in progress will receive a £1 credit on their Iceland Bonus Card.

The company estimates that shoplifting costs its business around £20m each year.

Mr Walker said this figure not only impacts the company's bottom line but also limits its ability to reduce prices and reinvest in staff wages.

Speaking to Channel 5 News, Mr Walker said: "Some people see this as a victimless crime, it is not. It's a cost to the business, to the hours we pay our colleagues, and it involves intimidation and violence."

He added that encouraging customers to take part in crime prevention could potentially help to reduce prices in stores.

"We'd like customers to help us lower our prices even more by pointing out shoplifters," Mr Walker said.

The announcement comes amid a steep rise in shoplifting across England and Wales.

According to the Office for National Statistics, police recorded 530,643 shoplifting offences in the year to March 2025.

That's a 20% increase from 444,022 in the previous year, and the highest figure since current recording practices began in 2002-03.

In response to the growing concerns, the government has pledged to increase neighbourhood policing, promising thousands more officers on patrol by spring 2026.

Charity boss offers Jenrick 'olive branch' over BBC row

16 August 2025 at 00:08
PA Media Robert JenrickPA Media

Charity boss and theologian Krish Kandiah has offered what he called an "olive branch" to Robert Jenrick after accusing the shadow justice secretary of "xenophobia" on BBC Radio 4 Today programme's Thought for the Day slot on Wednesday.

Objecting to the claim, Jenrick said listeners had been told that "if you're concerned about the threat of illegal migrants to your kids, you're racist".

The BBC later apologised and edited out the comment from the segment on the BBC Sounds catch-up service.

On Friday, in a message on social media to Jenrick, Kandiah said he would "love to find a way we could work together to de-escalate the fear and anger many are feeling in our country".

"I believe we need to focus on the real challenges that are making people worried – housing, jobs and the cost of living – rather than ramping up anti-immigrant sentiment.

"I worked with you when you [Jenrick] were housing minister and the UK welcomed over 200,000 people from Hong Kong. I was grateful for your support and compassion during that time."

Jenrick's team has been contacted for a response.

Kandiah runs the refugee charity Sanctuary Foundation which has previously helped refugees from Ukraine and Afghanistan.

During his Thought for the Day segment, Kandiah referenced an article in the Mail on Sunday in which Jenrick had written: "I certainly don't want my children to share a neighbourhood with men from backward countries who broke into Britain illegally, and about whom we know next to nothing."

Kandiah said: "These words echo a fear many have absorbed – fear of the stranger. The technical name for this is xenophobia. All phobias are, by definition, irrational. Nevertheless, they have a huge impact.

"It is understandable that many people are scared by the unknown, especially if they've been told illegality and unfairness are part of the story.

"However, over the past year, xenophobia has fuelled angry protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers, deepening divisions in our communities."

In response, Jenrick, who has three daughters aged 10, 12 and 14, posted: "On BBC Radio 4 this morning listeners were told that if you're concerned about the threat of illegal migrants to your kids, you're racist. Wrong. You're a good parent."

A BBC spokesperson said: "While its reflection on fear in society from a faith perspective is broadly in line with expectations of Thought for the Day, some of the language it used went beyond that and we apologise for its inclusion."

It is understood the BBC was apologising for the inclusion of an opinion in a place where it was inappropriate, not passing judgement on the rights or wrongs of the opinion.

Kingsmill owner to buy Hovis to make UK bread giant

15 August 2025 at 23:13
Getty Images A loaf of Hovis bread in the packaging sitting on a bread board with slices piled around and a knife and butter on top of one slice in the foreground Getty Images

Kingsmill's owner has said it has agreed to buy rival Hovis and plans to merge the companies in a move that would create the UK's biggest bread brand.

Associated British Foods (ABF) which also owns Primark, Ryvita and Twinings, said it would cut costs to make the two currently loss-making businesses profitable.

The Unite union represents workers at Hovis and Kingsmill and warned it would "not tolerate attacks on jobs, pay or conditions".

Warburtons is the current market leader in UK breadmaking and the deal would need approval from the competition watchdog in order to go ahead.

Sales of Kingsmill and Hovis loaves are thought to have fallen flat due to a drop in demand for basic pre-packaged bread, as speciality breads such as sourdough and ciabatta took a bigger slice of the market.

Sandwiches and toast are also off the menu for some British consumers who are cutting back on carbohydrates in favour of high-protein diets.

ABF told investors on Friday it had reached an agreement to buy historic brand Hovis from private equity owner Endless.

It said the combined business would be "better placed to compete effectively" and to create new products "as a result of changing consumer tastes and needs."

ABF's Allied Bakeries business, which makes Kingsmill and Allinson's bread, first confirmed talks over a potential deal three months ago.

Hovis, which was founded in 1890, was bought by Endless in 2020 from Premier Foods, which owns the Mr Kipling brand.

ABF said the deal would lead to "significant costs synergies and efficiencies" in an effort to create a sustainably profitable bread business.

George Weston, chief executive of ABF said: "This solution will create value for shareholders, provide greater choice for consumers and increase efficiencies for customers."

But Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "While there is still a long way to go before any buyout happens, Hovis and Kingsmill must ensure that jobs are protected."

She said Unite would be working to ensure the two brands fully involve the union in any decisions that impact its members.

The deal requires approval from the Competition and Markets Authority.

Sidelined Ukrainians look on with deep scepticism as Trump and Putin meet

15 August 2025 at 21:38
EPA Ukrainians, including families of prisoners of war (POWs) and missing persons, participate in a rally called 'No land swap! We demand POW swap all-for-all' in front of the US embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine - a medium sized group of people are visible, all holding up signs, some in English and some in Ukrainian - one woman holds a sign saying 'No Trust to Putin as International Criminal!' - many of the protesters are holding up Ukrainian flags EPA

Five thousand miles from Alaska, and feeling left out, Ukrainians were bracing themselves on Friday for the outcome of negotiations to which they were not invited.

The talks, between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, will begin later in the day with no seat for the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

Trump signalled earlier this week that "land swaps" could be on the table - largely interpreted to mean the surrender of Ukrainian land to Russia.

In Ukraine, where polls consistently show that about 95% of the population distrusts Putin, there is a uneasy mix of deep scepticism about the talks and deep fatigue with the war.

"This question touches me directly," said Tetyana Bessonova, 30, from Pokrovsk - one of the eastern cities whose future is in question if land were surrendered to Russia.

"My hometown is on the line of fire. If active fighting stops, would I be able to return?" she said.

Questions of negotiations, of land swaps, of the redrawing of boundaries were deeply painful to those who grew up in the affected regions, Bessonova said.

"This is the place I was born, my homeland," she said. "These decisions might mean I could never go home again. That I and many others will lose all hope of return."

The French President, Emmanuel Macron, said on Wednesday that Trump had agreed on a call with European leaders that no territorial concessions would be made without Ukraine's approval. And Trump has said he intends to hold a second summit with Zelensky present, before anything is agreed.

But Trump can be unpredictable. He is often said to favour the views of the person he spoke to most recently. So there is little faith in Ukraine that he won't be swayed by Putin, particularly in a one-on-one meeting.

The very fact of the closed door meeting was bad for Ukraine, said Oleksandr Merezhko, a Ukrainian MP and chair of the country's parliamentary committee on foreign affairs. "Knowing Trump, he can change his opinion very quickly. There is great danger in that for us."

Merezhko said he feared that, such was Trump's desire to be seen as a dealmaker, he may have privately made advance agreements with the Russians. "Trump doesn't want embarrassment, and if nothing is achieved, he will be embarrassed," the MP said. "The question is, what could be in those agreements?"

Various possibilities have been suggested for arrangements that could lead to a ceasefire, from a freezing of the current frontlines - with no formal recognition of the seized territory as Russian - to a maximalist position of Russia annexing four entire regions in eastern and southern Ukraine.

Polls suggest that about 54% of Ukrainians support some form of land compromise in order to hasten the end of the war, but only with security guarantees from Ukraine's international partners. So deep and widespread is the distrust of Russia, that many believe an agreement to freeze the frontlines without security guarantees would simply be an invitation to Russia to rest, rearm, and reattack.

"If we freeze the frontlines and cede territories it will only serve as a platform for a new offensive," said Volodymyr, a Ukrainian sniper serving in the east of the country. In accordance with military protocol, he asked to be identified only by his first name.

A map showing areas of control in Ukraine.

"Many soldiers gave their lives for these territories, for the protection of our country," Volodymyr said. "A freeze would mean demobilization would begin, wounded and exhausted soldiers would be discharged, the army would shrink, and during one of these rotations the Russians would strike again. But this time, it would be the end of our country."

Across Ukraine, people from all walks of life were making very tough decisions about the reality of their future, said Anton Grushetsky, the director of the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, which regularly polls the population about the war.

One of the toughest decisions was whether to accept the idea of giving de facto control of some Ukrainian soil to Russia, he said. "It's 20% of our land and these are our people. But Ukrainians are showing us that they are flexible, they are telling us that they will accept various forms of security guarantees."

According to the institute's polling, 75% of Ukrainians are totally opposed to giving Russia formal ownership of any territory. Among the remaining 25%, there were some people who were pro-Russian, Grushetsky said, and some who were simply so fatigued by the war that they felt hard compromises were necessary.

"My belief is that the war should be stopped in any way possible," said Luibov Nazarenko, 70, a retired factory worker from Donetsk region, in Ukraine's east.

"The further it goes, the worse it becomes," she said. "The Russians have already occupied the Kherson region and they want Odesa. All this must be stopped, so the youth do not die."

Nazarenko has a son who is not yet fighting but could be called up. She said she believed that three years into the war, with hundreds of thousands of dead and wounded on the Ukrainian side alone, the preservation of life superseded all concerns over land.

"I just don't want people to die," she said. "Not the youth, not the old people, not the civilians who live on the frontline."

On Friday, as the clock ticked down to the beginning of the talks in Alaska, Ukrainians were celebrating a holy day - the day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is the day when she is believed to listen to the prayers of all who need her.

A picture showing the inside of St Michael's Monastery where a number of candles are being lit and a number of people are seen inside the ornate, gold lined church interior
Priest Oleksandr Beskrovniy said it was hard to find words to describe the unfairness of the talks

At St Michael's Monastery, a church in central Kyiv, priest Oleksandr Beskrovniy was leading a prayer service for several dozen people. Afterwards, he said it was hard to find words to describe the unfairness of the coming talks, but called it a "great injustice and madness" to leave Zelensky out.

Like others, the priest recognised the grim reality facing Ukraine, he said - that it was not in a position to recapture its stolen territory by force. So some deal needed to be made. But it should be thought of less in terms of land, Beskrovniy said, and more in terms of people.

"If we are forced to cede territory - if the world allows this - the most important thing is that we gather all of our people. The world must help us get our people out."

In his prayers on Friday, the priest did not refer directly to the talks in Alaska, he said - "no names or places of meetings".

But he prayed for the future strength of Ukraine, he said. "On the frontline, and in the diplomatic space."

King hails veterans' courage and sacrifice as nation falls silent for VJ Day

15 August 2025 at 21:20
Watch: Royals and veterans mark VJ Day 80 years on

The King, Queen and prime minister have joined World War Two veterans for a remembrance service to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.

Some 33 men now aged between 96 and 105, who served in military in the Far East and Pacific, were the guests of honour at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

Wreaths were laid by the royal couple before a flypast featuring the RAF's Red Arrows and a national two-minute silence.

Those gathered for the event heard moving accounts and memories from personnel and civilians about their experiences during the war. A reception in which the King and Queen will meet the veterans and their families is also taking place.

VJ Day, or Victory over Japan Day, is commemorated on 15 August each year and marks the date in 1945 when Japan surrendered to Allied forces, bringing World War Two to an end after nearly six years.

An estimated 71,000 soldiers from the UK and the Commonwealth died fighting in the war against Japan, including upwards of 12,000 prisoners of war held in Japanese captivity.

Events to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VJ Day will conclude with a reception for veterans at Windsor Castle later in the Autumn.

PA Media King Charles III (right) and Queen Camilla stand (second right) as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer lays a wreath during the national Service of Remembrance to mark the 80th Anniversary of VJ Day at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, StaffordshirePA Media
Sir Keir Starmer laid a wreath while the King and Queen watched on

Actress Celia Imrie narrated the story of the war in the Far East at the service, as the experiences of those who took part in it were told in person and on screen.

Royal Navy veteran Alfred Conway, from Lincolnshire, watched as his great-grandchildren laid a wreath on the Burma Thailand Railway memorial at the Arboretum.

And George Durrant, who served in the intelligence corps, appeared on stage with his great-granddaughter as he urged people not to forget the sacrifices made by his comrades.

There was also a tribute from poet Sir Ben Okri focusing on the contributions of soldiers who had enlisted from countries in the British Commonwealth to fight in Burma (now Myanmar).

The event concluded with a flypast by historic World War Two-era aircraft including the Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster bomber.

Reuters Britain's King Charles talks to Yavar Abbas as they attend a Service of Remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of VJ Day Reuters
King Charles spoke to veteran Yavar Abbas at the service
PA Media Second World War veteran Alfred Conway (right) from Lincolnshire, who served with the Royal Navy, watches on as his great-grandchildren, Sarah-Jayne Carpenter (left) and James Carpenter (second left) lay a wreath on the Burma Thailand Railway memorial at the National Memorial ArboretumPA Media
Veteran Alfred Conway watched on as his great-grandchildren laid a wreath

In a six-minute audio message released before the service, the King vowed that those who fought and died in the Pacific and Far East "shall never be forgotten".

He started by reflecting on the moment 80 years ago that his grandfather, King George VI, announced to the nation and Commonwealth that the war was over.

"For the millions of families gathered around their wireless sets, and for their loved ones still serving far from home, it was the message a battle-weary world had long prayed for," the King said.

He said he was speaking in the "same spirit of commemoration and celebration as we honour anew all those whose service and sacrifice saw the forces of liberty prevail".

The King also spoke of the British, Commonwealth and Allied forces who continued to fight for months after the war in Europe had ended.

The soldiers became known as the "Forgotten Army", because people in Britain were more focused on events in Europe, where fighting had ended in May.

He talked about the prisoners of war who endured horrific conditions in Japanese captivity - and all the "grievous hardships" faced by innocent civilians of occupied territories.

"Their experience reminds us that war's true cost extends beyond battlefields, touching every aspect of life - a tragedy all-too vividly demonstrated by conflicts around the world today."

The King also acknowledged the "immense price" paid by the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where more than 200,000 people died as a result of the US atomic bombings in August 1945 - some from the immediate blast and others from radiation sickness and burns afterwards.

He said it was a "price we pray no nation need ever pay again".

The King added: "But in recalling so much suffering, we must not lose sight of how great was the cause and how sweet the victory."

He also cited the collaboration across faiths and cultural divides, saying: "Together they proved that, in times of war and in times of peace, the greatest weapons of all are not the arms you bear, but the arms you link.

"That remains a vital lesson for our times."

He said the "courage and camaraderie displayed in humanity's darkest hour is a flame that shall blaze for eternity - a beacon that honours our past and guides our future".

The Prince and Princess of Wales also praised the "courage, sacrifice, and resilience" of those who fought in the Pacific and Far East in a message posted on social media, adding: "We owe an enduring debt to the generation who gave so much."

King Charles marks 80 years since VJ Day in speech to nation

VJ Day commemorations began on Thursday with a sunset ceremony at the Memorial Gates in Green Park, in central London, which paid tribute to Commonwealth personnel who served and died in the Far East.

As dawn broke on Friday, British military bagpipers played the lament Battle's O'er in the Far East section of the National Memorial Arboretum and at Edinburgh Castle - as well as in Nepal, Brunei, New Zealand, Japan and aboard HMS Prince of Wales, currently at sea in the Far East.

A piper also performed at a Japanese peace garden in west London to reflect the reconciliation which has taken place between the UK and Japan in the decades since the war ended.

Why did so many teens get into their first choice uni this year?

15 August 2025 at 21:55
Getty A female student with straight red shoulder-length hair is packing a pink suitcase into the boot of a car. She wears a black and white stripey top and is arranging various objects, including a teddy, a set of towels and a yellow lampshade, in the boot. Behind her is a garage with a green door.Getty

A record number of 18-year-olds woke up on Thursday morning to find they had got into their first choice of university.

More than 226,000 were accepted by their "firm" choice - 82% of all 18-year-olds with offers.

Those who didn't get a place, or wanted to switch, have had to keep cool heads amid cash incentives and offers of free accommodation from universities in the Clearing system.

It has been, as admissions experts had predicted, a "really, really good year" to be a teenager from the UK hoping to start a degree.

But underpinning the excitement is a financial backdrop that has set alarm bells ringing for universities' admissions teams - and what's happened this week could have knock-on effects later down the line.

Undergraduate tuition fees have risen to £9,535 in England and Wales this year, after universities argued that fees haven't kept up with inflation.

They have become increasingly reliant on higher fees from international students in recent years to make up for the financial shortfall. But those numbers have declined, in part because of changes to visa rules.

The result is that more than four in 10 universities are thought to be in deficit. Courses are being closed and buildings are being sold off.

Dr Jo Saxton, the chief executive of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas), said universities were keen to enrol UK undergraduates this year - even if they missed their grades - because they offered financial "stability" at a time of "uncertainty" around international student numbers.

That prediction has come true. The number of 18-year-olds accepted by their first choice of university is far higher than it was before the pandemic. It's higher even than it was in 2020 and 2021 when exams were cancelled and A-level results were based on teachers' assessments, leading to a surge in top grades and students getting into university.

A line chart showing the number of students accepted at their first choice university from 2016 to 2025. In 2025, 226,580 were accepted by their first choice university. That compares with 216,750 in 2024. The number peaked at 226,580 in 2025.

There are other factors at play. A-level results were up again this year, with 28.3% of all grades across England, Wales and Northern Ireland marked at A* or A.

These Year 13s had their GCSE grades brought down as part of an effort to tackle grade inflation in 2023, so fewer met the mark to start A-level courses. The head of Ofqual, England's exams regulator, said they were a "smaller" but "stronger" cohort as a result.

There are also more 18-year-olds in the population this year, which is why even though the proportion getting into their first choice of university has stayed the same, the actual number has grown.

But still, the financial picture is important. It could help explain why more academically selective universities - described as "higher tariff" by Ucas - have enrolled more students this year and offered many courses through Clearing.

A line chart showing the number 18-year-old UK applicants accepted at higher, medium and lower tariff universities on A-level results day since 2016. UCAS tariffs are points assigned to qualifications and grades. In 2025, higher tariff universities accepted 104,420 applicants, medium tariff universities accepted 82,610 applicants, and lower tariff universities accepted 68,100 applicants. The number of successful higher tariff applicants has grown by more than 30,000 since 2016, whereas medium and lower tariff applicants are up by around 15,000 and 5,000 respectively.

Tim Bradshaw, the chief executive of the prestigious Russell Group, said on Thursday that "many of our universities have courses available in Clearing" and that admissions teams were "ready to help students find the course that is right for them".

With more students off to Russell Group and other highly selective universities next month, there's a smaller pool for the rest to recruit from - and that could have a knock-on impact on their finances.

Many universities have been offering students incentives to apply through Clearing.

Teesside University, for example, has advertised £2,000 off accommodation for animation, games programming and visual effects students, while Goldsmiths is offering 100 accommodation bursaries worth £1,800.

Students who sign up for "VIP" Clearing at the University of Gloucestershire have the chance to win a year of free accommodation - as advertised in a series of TikTok posts.

Vanessa Wilson, chief executive of University Alliance, which represents more professional and technical universities, including Teesside, called Clearing an "amazing opportunity to find new opportunities and pathways".

And universities' offers could sway teenagers who are in two minds about whether or not to apply.

Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK, which represents more than 140 institutions, said the increase in university applications this year "confirms that people rightly recognise the value of going to university, and it is particularly positive that we have seen an increase in students going to university from the least advantaged backgrounds".

However, most 18-year-olds don't apply to university. This year, 41.2% of 18-year-olds in the UK had submitted an application through Ucas by June - down from 41.9% last year and a high of 43.6% in 2022.

Many choose other options like apprenticeships or going straight into work instead.

The cost of living can play into the decision-making process and is shifting the student experience. Recent research suggests that 68% of full-time undergraduates had paid jobs during term time - up from 45% in 2022. This year, maintenance loans have also risen to help with everyday costs.

All eyes will be on the Department for Education's higher education reforms, which are due to be set out later this year.

In the meantime, universities will be keen to make sure that students continue to come through their doors.

Washington DC sues federal government over police takeover

15 August 2025 at 22:16
Getty Images Muriel Bowser, in a blue suit, with hair pulled to the side, stands behind a podium with a serious face, in front of an American and district flag, as Police Chief Smith, wearing glasses and a white uniform shirt and tie, looks on from the sideGetty Images
DC Mayor Bowser has called Bondi's order unlawful

Washington DC is suing the federal government over its takeover of the police force, after US Attorney General Pam Bondi named the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as the district's "emergency police commissioner".

The city's attorney general, Brian Schwalb, wrote on X that the US government had illegally declared a takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and was "abusing its temporary, limited authority under the law".

The lawsuit asks a judge to void Bondi's order and stop the DEA head from "assuming any position of command within MPD".

President Donald Trump on Monday declared he would use federal law enforcement to crack down on crime in Washington.

He has since sent in hundreds of National Guard members and other federal agents to clear homeless encampments, run checkpoints and otherwise bolster law enforcement, citing a 1970s law known as the Home Rule Act that allows him to use MPD for "federal purposes" that he "may deem necessary and appropriate."

Late Thursday, Bondi wrote in an order that DEA Administrator Terry Cole would assume "all of the powers and duties" of local Police Chief Pamela Smith. The chief "must receive approval from Commissioner Cole before issuing any further directives to the MPD", according to the order.

Almost immediately, Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and Schwalb struck back, saying the order was "unlawful" and telling Smith she did not have to follow it.

In the last few days, armoured vehicles have lined up near monuments and other tourist sites, and drivers have been stopped on a popular nightlife corridor. Officials have said that, altogether, 800 troops are expected to be deployed to the district, as well as 500 federal law enforcement agents, such as the FBI.

Bowser, a Democrat, has said there is no emergency and Trump's "unnecessary and unprecedented" move is an "authoritarian push".

Speaking on Fox News on Thursday to announce her appointment of Cole, Bondi said federal officers had made 156 arrests and seized 27 firearms this week.

Trump has said crime has worsened in Washington DC, but analysis by BBC Verify suggests a different trend.

Violent offences fell after peaking in 2023, and in 2024, they hit their lowest level in 30 years, according to figures published by DC police.

They are continuing to fall, preliminary data for 2025 suggests.

Violent crime overall has fallen 26% this year compared to the same point in 2024, and robbery is down 28%, according to the police department.

Yesterday — 15 August 2025BBC | Top Stories

My family may be killed if deported, says son of Afghan caught in UK data breach

15 August 2025 at 16:22
Getty Images A female refugee covered with a veil, though her eyes and nose can still be seen, stands at a refugee camp in Afghanistan Getty Images
A large number of Afghan refugees have been deported back to Afghanistan from Pakistan in recent years

An Afghan man, whose details were accidentally leaked by the UK in a major data breach, has been detained in Pakistan for imminent deportation alongside several family members, his son told the BBC.

The BBC has seen documents which appear to confirm the man was part of Afghan special forces units who worked alongside British forces in Afghanistan, known as the Triples.

The threat of deportation comes as Pakistan continues its drive to remove what they say are "illegal foreign nationals" to their countries.

But the Afghan man's son said their case is particularly urgent, as if they are deported to Afghanistan, he fears they will be killed because of his father's Triples association.

The Taliban government claims that all Afghans can "live in the country without any fear". But a UN report titled "No safe haven" that was released last month cast doubt on their assurances about a general amnesty.

The man and his family initially applied to the UK's Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) - which was set up to relocate and protect Afghans who worked with British forces or the UK government in Afghanistan - shortly after the Taliban returned to power in August 2021.

The family were in Pakistan waiting for a final decision on the application - which was endorsed by the Ministry of Defence last year - when Pakistani authorities came to take them away.

The man's son, Rayan, whose name we are changing for his safety, told the BBC he avoided being rounded up after hiding in a hotel bathroom in the capital Islamabad with his wife and baby son as several of his family members were taken to a holding camp.

"Some of my family are just children, the youngest is only eight months old, we kept begging the police to leave them."

His brother later called from the camp to say officials informed them they would be deported, Rayan added.

"My brother told me they were kept in a room with about 90 other people, and were then singled out by name and separated," Rayan said. "I'm so scared they will suddenly be deported."

Rayan explained the family had been in limbo in Pakistan since October 2024, when the family had their biometrics recorded.

But they are still waiting.

"We have just been waiting with no explanation. They kept telling us to wait, and now it is too late," Rayan said.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said it does not comment on individual cases. "We remain fully committed to honouring our commitments to all eligible people who pass their relevant checks for relocation," the statement added.

The situation is made more worrying by the fact the family's details were among those of nearly 19,000 Afghans who had applied to resettle in the UK which were inadvertently leaked in February 2022. Families involved in the leak fear it has made them vulnerable.

Rayan is now terrified police will come back to detain him, his wife and their child next, and said he has been pleading with the British High Commission in Islamabad to be relocated to another hotel for protection.

Calvin Bailey, a Labour MP who worked alongside the Afghan Triples as an RAF commander, told the BBC that the situation is "incredibly upsetting". He said Rayan's father and the Triples were "people that we need to help and we owe a duty to and we must ensure that they receive more than the minimum protection".

Bailey went on to add that he hopes the government and the British High Commission is engaged behind the scenes, even though that work is not always public.

Getty Images Afghan refugees - including two women wearing blue and yellow headscarfs - carrying a baby, arrive at a registration centre in Kandahar ProvinceGetty Images
The Taliban government claims that all Afghans can "live in the country without any fear - but the UN disputes this

Pakistan has a long record of taking in Afghan refugees. But the government has previously said it has been frustrated by the length of time it has taken for Afghans to be relocated to other countries.

Pakistan's Interior Minister, Talal Chaudry, told the BBC it "should ask the UK authorities why they are delaying these resettlements".

"It's already been years," he said. "Do you really think they will give any leniency to Pakistani nationals who are overstaying in the UK?"

Since September 2023, the year Pakistan launched its "Illegal Foreigners' Repatriation Plan", 1,159,812 individuals have returned to Afghanistan, according to the United Nations migration agency.

The government has maintained its policy is aimed at all illegal foreign nationals.

About three million Afghans are living in Pakistan, according to the UN's refugee agency - including around 600,000 people who came after the Taliban takeover in 2021. The UN estimates that half are undocumented.

The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has called on Pakistan to "ensure that any return of Afghans to Afghanistan is voluntary, safe and dignified".

Amid police raids and deportations this summer, UNHCR has urged the government "to apply measures to exempt Afghans with continued international protection needs from involuntary return".

Additional reporting by Usman Zahid

Far-right Israeli minister taunts prominent Palestinian prisoner

15 August 2025 at 20:16
Itamar Ben Gvir X Itamar Ben Gvir, wearing glasses and a dark shirt, is seen talking to Marwan Barghouti, wearing a white shirt, who appears gaunt and aged. A police officer stands next to them with his head down. Sunlight pours through a window into the room, the walls painted off-white.Itamar Ben Gvir X
A screenshot from the video of the interaction, posted on Ben Gvir's X account

New footage shared on social media shows the far-right Israeli minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, taunting the most prominent Palestinian prisoner, Marwan Barghouti in his cell.

The Palestinian Authority has condemned the video. Its Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh described it as "the epitome of psychological, moral and physical terrorism."

The 13-second-long video clip is the first time that Barghouti has been publicly seen in years. He appears aged and gaunt.

Israel's national security minister, Ben Gvir tells him: "You will not win. He who messes with the people of Israel, he who will murder our children, he who will murder our women, we will wipe him out".

As Barghouti tries to interject, Ben Gvir adds: "You need to know this, throughout history."

Marwan Barghouti, 66, was jailed by Israel more than 20 years ago after he was convicted of planning attacks that led to five civilians being killed. He is serving five life sentences plus 40 years.

Opinion polls have consistently indicated that he remains the most popular Palestinian leader, and that Palestinians would vote for him in a presidential election ahead of the current Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas or Hamas leaders.

He remains a senior figure in the Fatah faction, which dominates the Palestinian Authority (PA). He was targeted by Israel due to his leading role in the Second Palestinian Intifada or uprising from 2000-05.

The video originally surfaced on messaging groups for Ben Gvir's supporters on Thursday but has now been reposted on his X account.

The minister says that having read how "all sorts of "senior officials"" in the PA did not like what he said, he will "repeat it again and again without apologising."

Palestinian prisoner rights organisations say that Barghouti has been placed in solitary confinement since the deadly Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023. Last year they accused guards of "brutally assaulting" him in his cell which the Israeli prison service denied.

In response to the new video, the head of the Palestinian Prisoners' Club, Abdullah al-Zaghari accused Israel of seeking "to eliminate him and assassinate the leaders languishing in its prisons."

Barghouti is one of the prisoners whose release Hamas is believed to have sought as part of an exchange deal for the remaining hostages it is holding. However, it is thought very unlikely that Israel would free him.

In the video, as Ben Gvir speaks, Barghouti – who is fluent in Hebrew – can be seen nodding and trying to break in, but the short clip ends before he does.

His wife, Fadwa, recommended to her husband's followers that only one still be used from the video which she believed showed his strength.

Palestinians widely see Barghouti as the leader who could best unify different political factions and negotiate peace with Israel.

Full Strictly line-up revealed as final contestants announced

15 August 2025 at 17:26
BBC Harry Aikines-Aryeetey wearing a Great Britain vest BBC
Aikines-Aryeetey took part in last year's Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special

Gladiators star and Olympic sprinter Harry Aikines-Aryeetey is the first celebrity contestant to be announced for the Strictly Come Dancing 2025 line-up.

Aikines-Aryeetey, known as Nitro to Gladiators fans, appeared on the BBC's Newsround on Monday to announce he will be joining the dancing show.

"I'm so excited to be part of the Strictly family this series and I'm ready to give it all I've got," he said.

Strictly Come Dancing airs on BBC One and iPlayer from September through to December.

Aikines-Aryeetey is a former Team GB sprinter and was the first athlete to win gold medals at both 100 and 200 metres at the World Youth Championships.

In 2005, aged 17, he was won the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award.

He has competed at two Olympic Games and is a three-time European champion and two-time Commonwealth champion.

In 2023, he was unveiled as Nitro in Gladiators, and took part in last year's Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special partnered with Nancy Xu.

Aikines-Aryeetey said the Christmas Special "was so nice I just had to do it twice".

On Monday, he appeared live in the Newsround studio disguised as "world-famous choreographer Nicky Trott", there to talk about a scientific study into the benefits of dancing every day.

He then revealed his real identity and told viewers how excited he was to be joining the dancing competition.

"I'll be bringing tons of energy to light up the dance floor," he said. "Let's hope I'm as quick picking up the routines as I am on the track."

The next three celebrity contestants joining the new series of Strictly will be announced on The One Show on Monday evening.

Two new professional dancers are also joining the line-up this year - Alexis Warr, who won US dance series So You Think You Can Dance in 2022, and Australian-born Julian Caillon, who has appeared as a professional dancer on three seasons of Australia's Dancing With The Stars.

The show, which has been airing since 2004, has faced multiple controversies over the past year relating to the behaviour of some of its professional dancers and celebrity guests.

Professional dancers Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima left the show last year following allegations about their behaviour towards their dance partners.

The BBC announced new welfare measures for Strictly last July. These include having chaperones in all rehearsal rooms, adding two new welfare producers and providing additional training for the professional dancers, production team and crew.

Epping hotel for migrants puts public at 'unacceptable' risk, council tells court

15 August 2025 at 19:40
PA Media A group of police officers in fluorescent tabards speaking into talkback devices and holding riot helmets - there is a large police van in the background at the entrance to a building with a Bell Hotel signPA Media
Hundreds of protesters have attended demonstrations at The Bell Hotel during the summer

Housing asylum seekers at a hotel is causing an "unacceptable" risk to public safety, the High Court has been told.

Epping Forest District Council has applied for a temporary injunction to block asylum seekers from being housed at The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex.

Protests began outside the hotel last month and Essex Police said at one point up to 2,000 people were demonstrating near the hotel and 16 people have been charged with offences relating to the disturbances.

Philip Coppel KC, representing the authority at the Royal Courts of Justice, said: "The protests have unfortunately been attended by violence and disorder."

Mr Justice Eyre is hearing submissions from the hotel's owners into Friday afternoon and it is not clear at this stage when he will rule on the injunction.

The council lodged the application on Tuesday and asked that it take effect within 14 days in the event it was granted.

Mr Coppel added: "Epping Forest District Council comes to this court seeking an injunction because it has a very serious problem."

"There has been what can be described as an increase in community tension, the catalyst of which has been the use of The Bell Hotel to place asylum seekers," he said.

The Bell Hotel, a white building, is on the left with an entrance to the right which says The Bell Hotel, Best Western. A tree is in front of the two-storey building with three traffic cones outside.
A High Court judge is expected to make a decision on an injunction applied for by Epping Forest District Council

Mr Coppel said that the defendant, Somani Hotels Limited, "did not advise or notify the local planning authority" to seek their views on the use of the site.

"It was not until two months later, when Epping Forest received a complaint about the use, that the matter came to the planning department's attention," he continued.

Lawyers representing Somani Hotels, the owner of the premises, told the court that an injunction would cause asylum seekers "hardship" and that the move would set "a dangerous precedent that protests justify planning injunctions".

Action has been staged at the hotel since a man living there was charged with sexual assault, harassment and inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity.

Hadush Kebatu, 41, from Ethiopia, has denied the offences and remains on remand in custody.

The Home Office previously told the BBC: "It would be inappropriate to comment while legal proceedings are ongoing."

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Sonic boom heard after RAF scrambled to incident

15 August 2025 at 20:46
Getty Images An RAF Typhoon jet.Getty Images
An RAF Typhoon jet like the one pictured was called to escort a civilian aircraft

A sonic boom has been reported across parts of the East and South East of England.

The loud bang was heard in Essex, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Kent and parts of London at about 11:40 BST.

The RAF confirmed Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) Typhoon fighter aircraft from RAF Coningsby were launched to escort a civilian plane that had lost contact with air traffic control.

A spokesperson said: "Communications were re-established and the aircraft was safely escorted to Stansted. The Typhoons are returning to base."

The sonic boom was recorded by security cameras in Essex

An Essex Police spokesperson said: "A flight has been escorted into Stansted Airport after it lost contact with the ground.

"Contact was re-established with the plane, which had been travelling from Nice, and was escorted into the airport by RAF aircraft.

"On the ground, our officers determined there was nothing of concern."

A sonic boom occurs when an aircraft travels faster than the speed of sound, generating shockwaves that rapidly compress and decompress the air, producing an explosive noise.

While the speed of sound varies depending on the altitude, it is about 660mph (1,060km/h) at 60,000ft (18,300m).

The sound, often described as an explosion or thunderclap, can be heard over a large area because it moves with the plane, similar to the wake of a boat spreading out behind a vessel.

The boom has been widely reported across social media.

One person in Chelmsford in Essex said: "It made the whole of the upper part of the house shake."

A woman in Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk said it "rattled" her back door, while in north Kent one person commented that it "shook the whole house - we thought there had been an explosion".

In Burwell, Cambridgeshire, another woman wrote: "Thought something blew up in my loft".

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

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