Donald Trump has said his administration is now exploring the possibility of normalising relations with Syria - his comments coming shortly after he met Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose forces ended the decades-long dictatorship of the Assad family.

The extraordinary encounter, unthinkable just months ago, was short but significant.

"I think he has got the potential," Trump remarked after his meeting in Riyadh, 37 minutes long, with the former Syrian fighter formerly linked to Al-Qaeda.

The $10m US bounty on his head was only lifted in December.

Video footage of their conversation in a lavish Saudi royal palace showed some initial awkwardness as they spoke through a translator.

A beaming Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammad bin Salman, sat next to them. The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined them by telephone.

Trump acknowledged it was these two leaders who had convinced him to also lift the US's punishing Syria sanctions.

His sudden announcement on Tuesday night at a major US-Saudi investment forum in Riyadh won him a standing ovation. It was a volte-face after his many previous posts on social media that the US had "no interest in Syria".

"Tough guy, very strong past," is how Trump later described Sharaa to journalists travelling with his high-powered American delegation on his first official four-day tour.

It was a very Trump gloss about Sharaa's old links to al-Qaeda. His Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), was al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria until he severed ties in 2016. HTS is still designated as a terrorist organisation by the UN, US and UK.

Since assuming power in December, Sharaa has been wearing Western business suits and trying to present himself as a president for all Syrians.

"It's a new light at the end of this tunnel," exclaimed Hind Kabawat, minister of social affairs and labour, in the interim government.

She told the BBC's Newshour programme they had been calling for sanctions relief ever since their "Liberation Day".

The US decision sparked celebrations across a county where 90% of Syrians are said to be living in poverty, after more than a decade of civil war and profound suffering.

Removing restrictions which cut Syria off from the international financial system will enable greater engagement by aid agencies and encourage foreign investment and trade.

• Trump pledges to lift Syria sanctions as he seals $142bn arms deal on Saudi visit

"We are the North Korea of the Middle East," a hotel receptionist in Damascus told me last December when I asked for another electronic hotel key.

He tearfully lamented that "we don't have enough cards, we have shortages of everything".

It may also help convince some of the millions of Syrians living in exile to think more seriously about returning home. And it could help a fledgling government to pay salaries, begin to rebuild, and address the growing discontent over the privations of daily life.

But dismantling the vast web of sanctions now strangling Syria will take time.

"Some sanctions can be removed immediately using presidential waivers," commented Dina Esfandiary of Bloomberg Economics.

"But lifting the multi-layered sanctions won't be easy and will require real commitment by the Trump administration."

I remember travelling to Tehran in the wake of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and the Obama administration's commitment to ease sanctions there.

At the news conference with the visiting EU's high representative for foreign policy, Iranian journalists kept asking, with palpable anguish, why it was still impossible for them even to open a bank account.

Syria's new friends, including regional powers like Saudi Arabia and Turkey, now positioning themselves to shape the new Syria, will need to ensure Trump and his team stay interested.

But he's made it clear he expects something in return if there is to be a full normalisation of relations. The first item on his list is "join the Abraham Accords".

The US president regards this process of normalisation with Israel, which several Arab states including the United Arab Emirates has joined, as one of his foreign policy achievements in his first term.

Sharaa, praised by his friends as pragmatic, has already signalled that he understand the importance of building a working relationship with his neighbour, even though Israel continues to bomb what it calls "terrorist targets" – air bases, military installations and weapons depots – insisting they could "fall into the wrong hands".

Last month, the Syrian leader reportedly told a visiting US congressman, Cory Mills, that Syria was prepared to normalise ties with Israel and join the Abraham Accords under "the right conditions".

Israeli media have reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had urged President Trump not to lift sanctions. He remains suspicious of Sharaa and his HTS forces, as well other groups which include foreign fighters in their ranks.

Removing foreign fighters is another of Washington's demands; it's one of the very many challenges now facing Syria's leader.

President Trump hailed this moment as "a chance at greatness". Millions of Syrians just welcome a greater chance that their lives will finally start changing for the better.

Seven-year-old Archie York was killed in a blast in Newcastle caused by his neighbour's illegal attempts to make cannabis sweets. As one of his killers is jailed, Archie's mother says her son's death should serve as a warning to other criminals.

Shortly before 01:00 BST on 16 October, the slumbering streets of Benwell were rent by the roar of an enormous explosion.

Katherine Errington had been asleep in her bedroom with her seven-week-old son Finley, when the pair were suddenly bombarded with and buried beneath the walls and contents of their flat.

She initially thought she was having a nightmare, but the taste of blood in her mouth quickly confirmed this was all too real. The utter panic and confusion was replaced by a realisation she was trapped beneath the debris of her home.

She could hear her baby son crying but could not find him in the darkness and destruction - his cries soon gave way to a chilling silence.

"I closed my eyes," Katherine recalls. "I thought 'if my son's gone, as in unalive, I'll close my eyes and whatever happens I'll not remember it, I'll be asleep'."

Then she heard the shouts of her partner Robbie, desperately searching for her and their baby, and she called back to him so he could zero in on her voice.

Katherine managed to push her foot through the bricks into the dust-filled air, Robbie seizing it gratefully and starting to frantically dig her out, also, miraculously, finding Finley alive and pulling him to safety.

"I got out and looked at where my flat was supposed to be," she says. "There was nothing left of it."

The street outside had rapidly filled with neighbours and emergency services, with Katherine and her baby quickly rushed away for medical treatment.

It was at the hospital where police officers told her the explosion had been even more devastating than she had imagined. Her eldest son, Archie, was "gone".

The last time she had seen him, her "perfect little boy" and Robbie had been asleep on the living room settee.

Seven-year-old Archie had been the dictionary definition of a "mischievous cheeky boy", his mum says. "He was just a normal, happy little boy."

He loved superheroes, computer games and school, where "everybody loved him", Katherine says.

Archie had been overjoyed at the arrival of Finley almost two months earlier, wanting to feed him and change his nappies, maturing overnight into a proper big brother.

"It was just how a family should be," Katherine recalls. "It was the best seven weeks of my life."

Within seconds, several houses on Violet Close were practically demolished and a huge fire was raging, with more than 100 people having to be evacuated from their homes.

Initial suspicions were that it was a gas leak, a faulty boiler somewhere, but investigators quickly honed in on the activities of Katherine and Robbie's downstairs neighbour, 35-year-old Jason Laws, who was also killed in the blast, and his associate Reece Galbraith.

"The scene was hell for almost two months," Det Ch Insp Katie Smith of Northumbria Police says, detailing the "harrowing" finger-tip searches officers had to make in the rubble in the days and weeks after the blast.

A suspiciously large number of butane cannisters were discovered scattered throughout the debris which, along with other industrial items such as a vacuum oven, indicated a factory making so-called shatter - a glassy-type substance used to form cannabis sweets - was operating in one of the flats.

The blast was caused by a build-up of the highly flammable butane, the gas used in the production process, which was taking place while the neighbours all slept peacefully nearby.

"The dangers go without saying," Det Ch Insp Smith says. "[Galbraith and his associates] knew about the risks that night, it says on the side of the gas cannister how highly flammable it is.

"They disregarded that to make some money from drugs.

"It caused utter devastation."

For Katherine, finding out her son had been killed because of the illegal activities of a criminal neighbour only worsened her grief.

"It sickens me that it could have been prevented," she says. "You are supposed to trust your neighbours.

"This is more upsetting for us because someone chose to do that, it was their choice, not ours."

The day she was burying her boy, 33-year-old Galbraith was in court denying being responsible for his death.

It was only later, when confronted with the wealth of prosecution evidence against him including DNA, finger prints and mobile phone data, that Galbraith changed his plea and admitted manslaughter.

His initial denials caused further pain and consternation for Katherine.

"He's got no compassion whatsoever, no remorse for anything he has done," she says.

She says her life now is indescribable, the shock and grief at the loss of Archie still all-consuming.

Katherine never would have thought the routine of kissing her son goodnight and laying out his school clothes for the next morning would be obliterated in such a violent manner.

But she is also keen to ensure he is remembered for being the "funny little cheeky boy" who "touched so many hearts" rather than for the way he was killed.

Katherine is also keen other criminals heed what happened.

"This should be enough to stop anyone trying to do any illegal activities," she says.

"[Galbraith] has now got a seven-year-old's death on his hands from his choice."

Neither Katherine nor Robbie ever saw a future without Archie.

Their son was going to be a rock for Finley, but the baby is now an only child with no memory of the brother who doted on him.

"I don't think we will ever move on from this," Katherine says.

"That day is going to haunt us to the day we die."

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Evri will merge with DHL's UK parcel delivery businesses to create a combined courier firm handling more than a billion parcels and a billion letters a year.

DHL focuses on faster, secure higher-value deliveries of items such as computers or phones, whereas Evri handles much larger volumes of lower-value goods such as clothing.

Evri's deliveries are handled by self-employed couriers using their own vehicles, while DHL's parcels are delivered by a combination of couriers and the company's own fleet of vehicles.

The companies hope that combining the two operations will offer "greater choice" and "cost-competitive solutions" in the UK.

Evri said the deal will also expand its international delivery capacity by giving it access to DHL's global network.

DHL's e-commerce business will be renamed "Evri Premium – a network of DHL eCommerce".

DHL delivers a billion letters a year in the UK, mainly for businesses sending out bulk mail to clients – and the merger will see Evri offer a letter service for the first time.

It hopes to use this service to handle deliveries of smaller items as well as letters.

The group said its combined operation will have access to a network of 15,000 out-of-home delivery points in shops and lockers.

With about a billion parcels a year, the merged business would get closer to Royal Mail's parcel volumes. It delivered 1.3 billion parcels and 6.7 billion letters last year, according to its annual report.

Martijn de Lange, the chief executive of Evri, said that over the last decade Evri had "grown ten-fold in size".

He added the merger would "further expand our access into the European and global e-commerce markets".

After the merger DHL will acquire a minority stake in Evri - financial terms have not been disclosed.

DHL's other services in the UK, such as the DHL Express international delivery service are not included in the deal.

The merger is still subject to approval from the Competition and Markets Authority.

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced limits on how long some offenders can be returned to prison, under plans to ease prison overcrowding.

Under the shake-up, offenders recalled for breaching their licences will be released after a fixed 28-day period.

The change is intended to bypass lengthy waits for a parole board assessment before they can be released again.

Mahmood warned that despite promised new prisons, it would not be possible to "build our way out of this crisis".

She said the change would not apply to those who commit a serious further offence – or are deemed to pose a high risk.

She announced that work would start on three new prisons later this year, but the government currently faced running out of spaces for male offenders by November.

Changes from an upcoming review of sentencing, led by former Conservative minister David Gauke, were only likely to be felt from spring next year, she added.

The prison population is 88,087 from a useable operational capacity 89,442, according to the latest official weekly figures.

It is estimated to increase to between 95,700 and 105,200 by March 2029, according to a government analysis released last year.

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The line-up for UK's celebrity edition of The Traitors has finally been revealed - with enough star power to rival Graham Norton's chat show sofa.

The 19-strong roundtable of stars joining Claudia Winkleman at Ardross Castle in Scotland boasts household names across sport and the arts.

Among them are comedians Stephen Fry and Alan Carr, chat show host Jonathan Ross and Olympic diver Tom Daley - all vying to win the game of deception.

Singers Paloma Faith, Cat Burns and Charlotte Church will also be there, alongside others including historian David Olusoga, broadcaster Clare Balding, actress Celia Imrie and Ted Lasso star Nick Mohammed.

The third series of The Traitors, which aired in January, attracted more than 10 million viewers with its opening episode and 7.4m for its live finale.

The show's format is deceptively simple. A handful of contestants, known as traitors, pick off their castmates, the faithful, with nightly "murders" - while the faithful try to work out their identity. If any traitors remain at the end, they nab the cash prize (though this time the money goes to a charity of the winner's choosing).

The celebrity season, which airs this autumn, will bring a unique mix of fame, ego and public image to the popular format. BBC News speaks to psychologists to uncover likely faithfuls, traitors and frontrunners.

The comedians

Alan Carr, Jonathan Ross, Stephen Fry, Joe Wilkinson and Lucy Beaumont

Comedians are likely to be "the obvious frontrunners to go the distance", says Susie Masterson, a psychotherapist registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

Humour can be a highly adapted defence mechanism, she says, which can make comedians more opaque than other contestants.

Comics are also quick on their feet, used to presenting a persona and masking in public - this makes them well-equipped traitors, notes Masterson.

"I think Alan Carr could well be a frontrunner," she says. "There is an affability about him, but he's also not afraid of stirring the pot. He's very authentic and has a big personality without necessarily dominating the space."

But fame could disadvantage the high-profile names in the group, like Jonathan Ross. Status, explains consultant counselling psychologist Dr Ritika Suk Birah, can create a power imbalance.

"It can make others feel threatened or suspicious of their motives, even when there's no evidence," she says.

This may be a particular challenge for those understood as both intelligent and articulate, like Stephen Fry.

This perception can lead others to assume strategic manipulation, potentially forcing early elimination out of fear rather than logic, adds Dr Birah.

Unfortunately, Masterson also believes Fry could fit into the category of contestants who "struggle with criticism or scrutiny".

"He might struggle with banishing people as well as any potential heat he might receive," she says.

The singers

Paloma Faith, Cat Burns and Charlotte Church

Stage performers like Cat Burns are used to high-pressure situations, interacting with a variety of people in a live environment. "This could help at the round table," says Masterson.

She adds that Paloma Faith and Charlotte Church are both "big personalities and have direct communication styles". While this may make them good motivators, Masterson is unsure whether they can appear contained or measured enough to endure as traitors.

The sports stars

Tom Daley, Joe Marler and Clare Balding

Sports people will likely make good faithfuls, says Masterson, as strong physical types tend to do better in most of the challenges and can also both lead and motivate the rest of the group. They are also usually goal-driven and able to handle pressure.

"They are quite different personalities in this group, and I'm interested to see how it might play out," says Masterson.

"Clare Balding is very practical and pragmatic, but we have also seen her emotional side on TV recently".

She feels Tom Daley, and to a lesser extent Balding, could well be "golden retriever types" - loyal and supportive - whereas rugby star Joe Marler may be less likely to want to talk things through.

As for the in-built competitive edge, she says success depends on whether they can "play as a team rather than against each other."

The actors

Nick Mohammad, Mark Bonnar, Tameka Empson, Ruth Codd, Celia Imrie

Actors, like comics, may also face distrust depending on how much their castmates expect them to be naturally deceptive.

However, among the group of actors, there is a good mix of ages, types of acting and levels of fame - from soap star Tameka Empson to established film names like Mark Bonnar and Celia Imrie. This could "balance out this superficial disadvantage" by muddying the threat level, says Masterson.

She says cast members with lesser-known personalities, like Ruth Codd and Nick Mohammed, might be harder to read.

The media personalities

David Olusoga, Niko Omilana and Kate Garraway

Presenters like Kate Garraway will be used to live interactions, giving them a potential advantage at the roundtable, notes Masterson.

Historian David Olusoga, as a heavyweight intellect, will likely face the same preconception struggle as Fry, she says.

Masterson also adds that quiet people can struggle to go the distance on the show, as they can either be perceived as threatening or unsupportive by the group.

But the show's history has shown this isn't always the case. Last year's contestant Francesca was hardly visible in the first few episodes, even prompting memes about her supposed irrelevancy, before growing into the show and making it to the final.

One dark horse is YouTube prankster Niko Omilana, says author Eloise Skinner, who holds a diploma in psychotherapy.

His career in social media and online content might offer an edge in the game, as someone fluent in an online world that is hyper-aware of perception.

French police have charged a taxi driver with stealing luggage and cash from UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and his wife Nicola Green.

The driver allegedly sped off with the couple's luggage after a row over a fare for the 360-mile journey from Forli, in Italy, to the French ski resort of Flaine, in Haute-Savoie.

The driver insisted he was owed 700 euros (£590) in cash for part of the journey not covered by an upfront payment to a booking service.

But the Foreign Office said in a statement the fare had been paid in full before they set off on their private holiday.

The taxi driver had a row with Ms Green before driving off with their luggage to a police station, where he made a complaint.

According to French newspaper la Provence, an investigation into a "commercial dispute" was opened by the Bonneville prosecutor's office in Haute-Savoie.

A member of the foreign secretary's office contacted the driver to get the luggage back, and it was allegedly deposited at a police station with a "considerable" sum of money missing from Ms Green's bag, prompting her to make a statement to officers.

Bonneville prosecutor Boris Duffau told the BBC the taxi driver was now being charged with theft.

"An investigation has been opened following a disagreement regarding the payment of a taxi ride between Italy and France," said Mr Duffau.

"After an investigation by French police, the Bonneville prosecutor's office has decided to prosecute the taxi driver who has been summoned to appear at the Bonneville court on 3 November 2025.

"He has been charged with theft (of luggage and cash) to the detriment of Nicola Green and David Lindon Lammy."

The couple had decided to take a private holiday in France after spending three days on a state visit to Italy with King Charles and Queen Camilla.

Sources say they arranged their own transport, at their own expense, through booking company getTransfer.com.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) told the BBC there were no sensitive documents or laptops in the car and the foreign secretary had been travelling on his own personal passport, rather than a diplomatic one.

The FCDO strongly disputes the taxi driver's version of events.

A spokesperson said: "The fare was paid in full.

"The foreign secretary and his wife are named as victims in this matter and the driver has been charged with theft.

"As there is an ongoing legal process, it would be inappropriate to comment further."

The UK's rivers are forecast to hit exceptionally low levels in some parts of the country in the next three months, according to the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH), raising questions over supplies to households, farmers and businesses.

The warning comes after the driest spring in England since 1961, with northern regions experiencing the driest start to the year in nearly a century.

Almost all of the UK is expected to have below normal or low river levels in May, apart from the south-west of England.

The Environment Agency has said that the UK is at medium risk of drought and warned households of the risk of water restrictions.

The next 2-3 weeks will be "crucial" in determining if drought will happen, says Mark Owen, head of fisheries for the Angling Trust and a member of the National Drought Group.

That is the group led by the government that can declare if drought is officially underway.

The country is not now in drought, but the impacts of the exceptionally dry weather are already being felt.

Some farmers are being forced to water their crops instead of relying on rainfall, which is something that normally happens later in the year.

"We are having a drought now from an agricultural point of view," arable farmer Nick Deane told BBC News from his farm in Norfolk.

He had to start irrigating his fields in March.

"We have to ration our water and decide which areas we are going to put that water on in order to keep the crops growing," he said.

He warned that an extremely long drought would mean farmers struggle to produce food and more produce would need to be imported.

The dry and sunny weather this year has led to a larger area of the UK burned by wildfires this year compared to in any other entire year.

The last drought was in June-August 2022, which was the joint hottest summer (with 2018) and fifth driest since the 1890s.

Five companies introduced hosepipe bans, affecting 19 million people, and waterways had restricted navigation.

That drought was preceded by six months of very dry weather.

However, the wet summer in 2024 and moderately-wet winter means water supplies are in a better place now and water companies have larger reserves to rely on.

But dry weather earlier in the year has risks. It does "potentially pose a greater risk to water resources later on in the year, particularly if the dry weather continues," says Stephen Turner, hydrologist at the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.

Last week, Richard Thompson, chair of the National Drought Group, warned that water companies may need to bring in water restrictions to protect supplies if the dry weather continues.

At the moment the key questions are when will it next rain and when it does, how much will there be.

There are some signs that some rain is on the horizon, with unsettled weather from the west at the end of next week.

Drinking water comes from different places depending on the geography and geology of regions.

Roughly speaking, the south of England takes a long time to get into drought but a long time to leave. That's because a lot of rainfall is stored in rocks underground and takes a long time to reach rivers and water supplies.

By contrast, the north of England quickly enters drought and quickly gets out because reservoirs are more heavily used for water supplies.

Water Companies introduce hosepipe bans when water supplies reach a certain low in their areas.

If drought conditions become severe, the government can restrict irrigation of farms, reduce boats' movement on waterways, and limit water available to non-essential businesses like car washes.

In an extreme scenario, it could ration the amount of water available to homes and businesses but that has not happened since 1976.

Water industry bosses and the National Farmers' Union (NFU) are calling on the government to do more to ensure the driest parts of the UK have secure water supplies in the face of any future drought.

Water UK, which represents the water industry, is calling for a new national water grid of pipes, canals and reservoirs to be set up in England to move water from the wettest regions to where it is most needed.

And farmers say they need more government funding and less planning red tape to build their own reservoirs to supply their farms.

Mr Deane came together with five other farmers, including fruit growers, to build their own reservoir. It took four years and cost more than £1m.

It has proved vital, they say, with 15% of the stored water already used this year in the dry conditions.

But the group said obtaining planning permission was costly and difficult.

A government spokesman said it was working with the agricultural sector to improve its water supply resilience and establish more groups of farmers who could work together to develop their own reservoirs.

He added: "Over £104bn of private sector investment has been secured to fund essential infrastructure, including nine new reservoirs, to help secure our future water supply for farmers."

Are the dry conditions linked to climate change?

The prolonged dry weather is linked to what are called "blocking highs" when a high pressure weather system becomes stuck.

Scientists do not know if this blocked pattern is linked to climate change.

Global warming is expected to cause more extreme weather events globally.

Studies about our future climate suggest more and longer periods of dry weather as well as periods of less rainfall in the UK. Winters are likely to be wetter and warmer.

That could exacerbate other forms of drought like hydrological or agricultural drought, according to the Met Office.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said Canadians were not "impressed" by the UK government's invitation to US President Donald Trump for a second state visit.

The newly elected Carney told Sky News that the UK's invitation earlier this year did not help Canadians, who were facing repeat comments from Trump about making Canada the 51st US state.

"To be frank, [Canadians] weren't impressed by that gesture... given the circumstance," he said. "It was at a time when we were being quite clear about the issues around sovereignty."

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer invited Trump to come to the UK for a visit during a meeting at the White House in February.

Asked whether the invitation was "appropriate", Carney said that was a decision for the government of the UK and Buckingham Palace.

"I leave the diplomacy to the UK government," he said.

The BBC has contacted the Carney's office and No 10 for comment.

Buckingham Palace declined to respond.

The criticism from Carney comes as the Canadians prepare to welcome King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the end of this month for a royal visit.

During the Sky News interview, Carney said his invitation for the King - Canada's head of state - to attend the opening of Canada's Parliament "is not coincidental".

"It is also a reaffirming moment, will be a reaffirming," Carney said, saying issues around Canada's sovereignty "have been accentuated by the president".

During his visit, the King will also read the Speech from the Throne - a function usually carried out by the governor general.

The last time this happened was in October 1977 when Queen Elizabeth II read the speech for the second time in Canada's history. The first was in 1957.

Since returning to the White House, Trump has made repeated comments undermining Canada's sovereignty, including that the Canadian border is an "artificially drawn line".

Meanwhile, Carney has firmly said Canada is "not for sale, ever".

Carney - who said he would only meet the US president "until we get the respect we deserve" - sat down with Trump in Washington DC last week to begin negotiations on a new trade and security relationship.

During the visit, Trump repeated his 51st state comments.

Pressed on that, Carney told Sky News that Trump has shifted his tone from "expectation to a desire for that to happen".

"He also came from a place where he recognised that was not going to happen."

There's a vast empty space in the middle of the factory floor in Foshan in southern China where workers should be welding high-end air fryers for the US market.

Derek Wang says his American customers were wowed by his air fryer models - which are controlled via smartphones and can also bake, roast and grill.

But then on 2 April, Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs hit all Chinese goods entering the US, eventually reaching 145% - and his clients asked him to pause production.

"I tried to keep smiling through my anxiety for the sake of my 40 workers," he told the BBC.

On Wednesday, as a deal to ease the trade war came into effect, Mr Wang said his US buyers were back on the phone.

Both countries still face some tariffs. There is at least a 30% tax on all Chinese goods entering the US and Beijing has kept a 10% levy on American goods coming into the country, down from 125%.

But this surprise agreement after a weekend of negotiations in Switzerland has given factories and businesses some breathing room.

"At this time, our US client is willing to pay for the tariffs. Of course, we had to bargain with them as they asked us to lower some of our costs," he said.

Mr Wang, who studied engineering in Delaware in the US, spent three years helping develop the air fryer model. It cost him $500,000 to set up his company and he said the tariffs came as a shock.

"It felt like my parents were getting a divorce. China and US are the most important economic and cultural powers in the world. Their sudden separation would lead to a world that we cannot imagine. Tariffs as high as 145% would mean we have to say goodbye to one another.

But he adds, "there's a saying in Chinese: good fortune comes out of bad".

Mr Wang believes his "good fortune" is that this trade war has accelerated his plan to diversify away from doing business with America.

This is one of the reasons why Beijing believes it has the upper hand in its negotiations with Washington. China has choices and officials have been actively encouraging the country's firms to do more business in places like Africa, South America and South East Asia.

Many other Chinese businesses have also told the BBC that they are looking to diversify away from the US to reduce their reliance on the market - suggesting in the long-term there could be more of a separation between the US and China, rather than a divorce.

Donald Trump has suggested that he may speak to Chinese President Xi Jinping by the end of this week. The world's two largest economies will now enter talks after agreeing to a ceasefire in their economic war for 90 days.

Beijing has framed this deal as a win - not just for China but for all countries facing US tariffs.

But it has come at a cost.

A short walk through Shunde district - known as the "capital of home appliances" - presents a sobering assessment of a struggling manufacturing sector.

Factory workers use the cooler evenings in Foshan to let off a little steam. They spill out into every corner of the local park.

During the day they pack, mould and assemble nearly everything that you would find in your kitchen - from gas stoves and washing machines to kettles and fridges.

At night, after leaving work, one group line dances in one corner of the small park, while a heated basketball match takes place in another part.

Posters lining the walls of the streets tout "stable work and easy" jobs involving packing and screwing products for 30 days in a home appliance factory for 16 yuan an hour, to assembling air conditioning units for 20 yuan an hour.

But agents told us that several factories had stopped hiring, especially those linked to the US - some had even shut down parts of their production line.

The BBC was told that several of these workers will sleep in the park to save money. Many of them travel to Foshan from their home towns, which can be hundreds of kilometres away.

Several nearby hostels offer rooms for 20 yuan a night, which can be at least an hour's pay. Many will want to pocket whatever they earn to send it back to their families.

This is the picture of China that President Trump's team have tried to present – one of sluggish growth, rising unemployment and a chronic housing crisis.

"We're not looking to hurt China," Mr Trump said after the trade agreement was announced, while adding that China was "being hurt very badly".

"They were closing up factories. They were having a lot of unrest, and they were very happy to be able to do something with us."

This may be overstating Beijing's economic woes. This country is still leading the world when it comes to the production of electric vehicles and solar panels, and it is making significant headway in artificial intelligence technology.

Officials in China have also continued to stress this country can take the pain of an economic war. But it is being keenly felt by some on the frontline and that may be part of why Beijing has started talking to the US.

This latest "ceasefire" has prompted a rush of orders between the two countries as businesses wonder if it can last.

He Ke, or HK to his American clients, has called his workers back from their home towns to restart his sofa business, Gongyuan Furniture.

It ground to a halt even before Mr Trump's tariffs hit 145%.

"We had a day off straightaway," said Mr He. "Once the tariffs hit 50%, we had already come to a standstill. When they hit 145%, we certainly could not do business. It was just not possible."

His production line with around 200 workers once took up all four floors of the building.

Since the Covid pandemic, he has only needed one floor and around 40 staff. But he still has the odd high-profile client – he claims Elon Musk sits on one of his sofas.

Some workers have already returned and are lifting a soft chair onto a compressor machine to get it ready to box and ship.

Sewing machines hum in the background as workers stitch fabric into the right shape to cover memory foam cushions.

Mr He says he has seen many changes in Foshan since he started making sofas in 2013.

"We feel that the global economy is not good. The domestic economy has also been hit and this affects the life of people here. In the past, when we went out to spend money, we spent a lot of money. We did not think about whether the price was high or cheap. We will buy it as long as we like it. Now, when we want to buy a relatively expensive things, we have to think twice, because the money is not easy to earn."

Like Mr Wang and his air fryers, Mr He also says he is looking at diversifying his sales away from the US, but he has hope that the world's two biggest economies can come to an agreement in the next 90 days.

"I am just a small businessman. But I do understand that the game between these two countries is temporary. I think if they want to survive with each other for a long time, they will definitely sit down and talk things over."

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced limits on how long some offenders can be returned to prison, under plans to ease prison overcrowding.

Under the shake-up, offenders recalled for breaching their licences will be released after a fixed 28-day period.

The change is intended to bypass lengthy waits for a parole board assessment before they can be released again.

Mahmood warned that despite promised new prisons, it would not be possible to "build our way out of this crisis".

She said the change would not apply to those who commit a serious further offence – or are deemed to pose a high risk.

She announced that work would start on three new prisons later this year, but the government currently faced running out of spaces for male offenders by November.

Changes from an upcoming review of sentencing, led by former Conservative minister David Gauke, were only likely to be felt from spring next year, she added.

The prison population is 88,087 from a useable operational capacity 89,442, according to the latest official weekly figures.

It is estimated to increase to between 95,700 and 105,200 by March 2029, according to a government analysis released last year.

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The BBC's boss has reminded stars to follow the corporation's rules and avoid damaging "mistakes", after Gary Lineker attracted renewed criticism for his use of social media.

On Tuesday, the Match of the Day host deleted an Instagram story post he shared from the group Palestine Lobby, which said: "Zionism explained in two minutes" and featured an illustration of a rat.

A rat has historically been used as an antisemitic insult, referring to language used by Nazi Germany to characterise Jews. His representatives said he was not aware of the connection.

Asked whether the post had broken BBC guidelines, director general Tim Davie said: "The BBC's reputation is held by everyone, and when someone makes a mistake, it costs us."

He added: "I think we absolutely need people to be exemplars of the BBC values and follow our social media policy. It's as simple as that."

The Campaign Against Antisemitism said it was submitting a complaint to the BBC, adding that Lineker's "continued association with the BBC is untenable".

The charity posted on X: "Nothing to see here. Just Gary Lineker's Instagram account sharing an anti-Israel video misrepresenting Zionism, complete with a rat emoji."

A spokesperson for the Board of Deputies of British Jews said "the BBC should ask him to leave now rather than allowing him to dictate his own terms".

"He has caused great offence with this video – particularly with his egregious use of a rat emoji to illustrate Zionists."

Lineker's agent said: "Whilst viewing and reposting a video, Gary did not notice a rodent emoticon added by the author of the post. Although if he had, he would not have made any connection. The repost has been removed."

Zionism refers to the movement to create a Jewish state in the Middle East, roughly corresponding to the historical land of Israel, and thus support for the modern state of Israel.

The BBC, when asked on Tuesday if it had any comment on Lineker's now-removed post, responded by referring to its guidance on personal use of social media.

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

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

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

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

The UK's rivers are forecast to hit exceptionally low levels in some parts of the country in the next three months, according to the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH), raising questions over supplies to households, farmers and businesses.

The warning comes after the driest spring in England since 1961, with northern regions experiencing the driest start to the year in nearly a century.

Almost all of the UK is expected to have below normal or low river levels in May, apart from the south-west of England.

The Environment Agency has said that the UK is at medium risk of drought and warned households of the risk of water restrictions.

The next 2-3 weeks will be "crucial" in determining if drought will happen, says Mark Owen, head of fisheries for the Angling Trust and a member of the National Drought Group.

That is the group led by the government that can declare if drought is officially underway.

The country is not now in drought, but the impacts of the exceptionally dry weather are already being felt.

Some farmers are being forced to water their crops instead of relying on rainfall, which is something that normally happens later in the year.

"We are having a drought now from an agricultural point of view," arable farmer Nick Deane told BBC News from his farm in Norfolk.

He had to start irrigating his fields in March.

"We have to ration our water and decide which areas we are going to put that water on in order to keep the crops growing," he said.

He warned that an extremely long drought would mean farmers struggle to produce food and more produce would need to be imported.

The dry and sunny weather this year has led to a larger area of the UK burned by wildfires this year compared to in any other entire year.

The last drought was in June-August 2022, which was the joint hottest summer (with 2018) and fifth driest since the 1890s.

Five companies introduced hosepipe bans, affecting 19 million people, and waterways had restricted navigation.

That drought was preceded by six months of very dry weather.

However, the wet summer in 2024 and moderately-wet winter means water supplies are in a better place now and water companies have larger reserves to rely on.

But dry weather earlier in the year has risks. It does "potentially pose a greater risk to water resources later on in the year, particularly if the dry weather continues," says Stephen Turner, hydrologist at the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.

Last week, Richard Thompson, chair of the National Drought Group, warned that water companies may need to bring in water restrictions to protect supplies if the dry weather continues.

At the moment the key questions are when will it next rain and when it does, how much will there be.

There are some signs that some rain is on the horizon, with unsettled weather from the west at the end of next week.

Drinking water comes from different places depending on the geography and geology of regions.

Roughly speaking, the south of England takes a long time to get into drought but a long time to leave. That's because a lot of rainfall is stored in rocks underground and takes a long time to reach rivers and water supplies.

By contrast, the north of England quickly enters drought and quickly gets out because reservoirs are more heavily used for water supplies.

Water Companies introduce hosepipe bans when water supplies reach a certain low in their areas.

If drought conditions become severe, the government can restrict irrigation of farms, reduce boats' movement on waterways, and limit water available to non-essential businesses like car washes.

In an extreme scenario, it could ration the amount of water available to homes and businesses but that has not happened since 1976.

Water industry bosses and the National Farmers' Union (NFU) are calling on the government to do more to ensure the driest parts of the UK have secure water supplies in the face of any future drought.

Water UK, which represents the water industry, is calling for a new national water grid of pipes, canals and reservoirs to be set up in England to move water from the wettest regions to where it is most needed.

And farmers say they need more government funding and less planning red tape to build their own reservoirs to supply their farms.

Mr Deane came together with five other farmers, including fruit growers, to build their own reservoir. It took four years and cost more than £1m.

It has proved vital, they say, with 15% of the stored water already used this year in the dry conditions.

But the group said obtaining planning permission was costly and difficult.

A government spokesman said it was working with the agricultural sector to improve its water supply resilience and establish more groups of farmers who could work together to develop their own reservoirs.

He added: "Over £104bn of private sector investment has been secured to fund essential infrastructure, including nine new reservoirs, to help secure our future water supply for farmers."

Are the dry conditions linked to climate change?

The prolonged dry weather is linked to what are called "blocking highs" when a high pressure weather system becomes stuck.

Scientists do not know if this blocked pattern is linked to climate change.

Global warming is expected to cause more extreme weather events globally.

Studies about our future climate suggest more and longer periods of dry weather as well as periods of less rainfall in the UK. Winters are likely to be wetter and warmer.

That could exacerbate other forms of drought like hydrological or agricultural drought, according to the Met Office.

A British teenager has been arrested in Tbilisi, Georgia, on suspicion of drug offences.

Bella Culley, 18, from Billingham, who is understood to have gone missing in Thailand, is accused of illegally buying, possessing and importing large quantities of narcotics including marijuana.

Georgian Police have said, if found guilty, she could face up to 20 years in jail or life imprisonment.

The Foreign Office have confirmed that they are "supporting the family of a British woman who is detained in Georgia".

Georgian Police said it had seized up to 12kg (26lbs) of marijuana and just over 2kg (4.4lbs) of the narcotic drug hashish in a travel bag at Tbilisi International Airport.

A spokesperson said: "As a result of joint operational measures and investigative actions, officers of the Main Directorate for Combating Illicit Drug Trafficking of the Central Criminal Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Customs Department of the Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance arrested a British citizen on charges of drug trafficking.

The woman "is charged with the illegal purchase and possession of a particularly large amount of narcotics, the illegal purchase and possession of the narcotic drug marijuana, and the illegal importation of the drug into Georgia", they said.

Cleveland Police has confirmed an 18-year-old woman from Billingham has been arrested in Georgia "on suspicion of drugs offences" and remains in custody.

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At least 48 Palestinians have been killed in a series of Israeli air strikes in northern Gaza overnight, a local hospital says.

The Indonesian hospital reported that 22 children and 15 women were among the dead after a number of homes in Jabalia town and refugee camp were hit. A video shared online appeared to show at least a dozen bodies on the floor there.

The Israeli military said it was looking into the reports. It had warned residents of Jabalia and neighbouring areas to evacuate on Tuesday night after a Palestinian armed group launched rockets into Israel.

It came as the UN's humanitarian affairs chief urged members of the UN Security Council to take action to "prevent genocide" in Gaza.

Speaking at a meeting in New York on Tuesday, Tom Fletcher accused Israel of "deliberately and unashamedly imposing inhumane conditions on civilians".

He called on Israel to lift its 10-week blockade on Gaza and criticised the Israeli-US plan to take over the distribution of humanitarian aid in the territory.

The Israeli ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, told the council that foreign aid was being used to help Hamas's war effort.

Meanwhile, US Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Adam Boehler said they would travel to Qatar for fresh negotiations on a possible ceasefire and hostage release deal.

Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has threatened to expand its military offensive in Gaza this week unless Hamas agrees to release the 58 hostages it is still holding.

On Tuesday, a massive Israeli air strike on the European hospital's compound in southern Gaza killed at least 28 people, according to local officials.

Israeli media reports said the target was Mohammed Sinwar, who is believed to have become the leader of Hamas in Gaza after his brother Yahya was killed by Israeli forces last October.

The Israeli military described it as "a precise strike on Hamas terrorists who were operating in a command-and-control centre" underneath the hospital.

The Israeli military launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 52,908 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

Sir Keir Starmer has told MPs suspected arson attacks on properties linked to him are "an attack on all of us, on democracy and the values that we stand for".

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch condemned the attacks as "completely unacceptable" at the beginning of their weekly Prime Minister's Questions clash.

Police are continuing their investigation into the fires at north London properties and a car linked to Sir Keir.

A 21-year-old man was arrested at an address in Sydenham, south-east London, in the early hours of Tuesday on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and remains in custody.

Counter-terrorism officers are working "at pace" to establish the cause of the fires and "any potential motivation", Scotland Yard said.

At Prime Minister's Questions, Badenoch told the PM: "I think I speak for the whole house when I say that this wasn't just an attack on him, but on all of us and on our democracy."

Sir Keir thanked the opposition leader for contacting him "pretty well straight away" to lend her support.

In his first comments since the attacks, the prime minister said: "I really do appreciate that, and she's absolutely right that this is an attack on all of us, on democracy and the values that we stand for."

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: "Can I offer our support to the prime minister and his family after the appalling arson attacks on his home.

"And can I echo his thanks to our brilliant police and firefighters."

Emergency services responded to a fire at the prime minister's private home in Kentish Town, north London, early on Monday.

On Sunday, crews were called to a small fire at the front door of a house converted into flats in nearby Islington - a property Sir Keir is understood to have lived in during the 1990s.

Police are also looking at a car fire which took place on Thursday on the same street as the Kentish Town property. It is understood that the car used to belong to Sir Keir.

The prime minister is understood to still own the home in Kentish Town but lives in Downing Street. He lived there before the 2024 general election and it has been rented out since then.

Counter-terrorism police are leading the inquiry and are treating the fires as suspicious.

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Metropolitan Police's counter-terrorism command, acknowledged the probe may cause concern to MPs.

He encouraged any of them worried about their safety to get in touch with Operation Bridger, the specialist unit set up to protect MPs.

Evri will merge with DHL's UK parcel delivery businesses to create a combined courier firm handling more than a billion parcels and a billion letters a year.

DHL focuses on faster, secure higher-value deliveries of items such as computers or phones, whereas Evri handles much larger volumes of lower-value goods such as clothing.

Evri's deliveries are handled by self-employed couriers using their own vehicles, while DHL's parcels are delivered by a combination of couriers and the company's own fleet of vehicles.

The companies hope that combining the two operations will offer "greater choice" and "cost-competitive solutions" in the UK.

Evri said the deal will also expand its international delivery capacity by giving it access to DHL's global network.

DHL's e-commerce business will be renamed "Evri Premium – a network of DHL eCommerce".

DHL delivers a billion letters a year in the UK, mainly for businesses sending out bulk mail to clients – and the merger will see Evri offer a letter service for the first time.

It hopes to use this service to handle deliveries of smaller items as well as letters.

The group said its combined operation will have access to a network of 15,000 out-of-home delivery points in shops and lockers.

With about a billion parcels a year, the merged business would get closer to Royal Mail's parcel volumes. It delivered 1.3 billion parcels and 6.7 billion letters last year, according to its annual report.

Martijn de Lange, the chief executive of Evri, said that over the last decade Evri had "grown ten-fold in size".

He added the merger would "further expand our access into the European and global e-commerce markets".

After the merger DHL will acquire a minority stake in Evri - financial terms have not been disclosed.

DHL's other services in the UK, such as the DHL Express international delivery service are not included in the deal.

The merger is still subject to approval from the Competition and Markets Authority.

There's a vast empty space in the middle of the factory floor in Foshan in southern China where workers should be welding high-end air fryers for the US market.

Derek Wang says his American customers were wowed by his air fryer models - which are controlled via smartphones and can also bake, roast and grill.

But then on 2 April, Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs hit all Chinese goods entering the US, eventually reaching 145% - and his clients asked him to pause production.

"I tried to keep smiling through my anxiety for the sake of my 40 workers," he told the BBC.

On Wednesday, as a deal to ease the trade war came into effect, Mr Wang said his US buyers were back on the phone.

Both countries still face some tariffs. There is at least a 30% tax on all Chinese goods entering the US and Beijing has kept a 10% levy on American goods coming into the country, down from 125%.

But this surprise agreement after a weekend of negotiations in Switzerland has given factories and businesses some breathing room.

"At this time, our US client is willing to pay for the tariffs. Of course, we had to bargain with them as they asked us to lower some of our costs," he said.

Mr Wang, who studied engineering in Delaware in the US, spent three years helping develop the air fryer model. It cost him $500,000 to set up his company and he said the tariffs came as a shock.

"It felt like my parents were getting a divorce. China and US are the most important economic and cultural powers in the world. Their sudden separation would lead to a world that we cannot imagine. Tariffs as high as 145% would mean we have to say goodbye to one another.

But he adds, "there's a saying in Chinese: good fortune comes out of bad".

Mr Wang believes his "good fortune" is that this trade war has accelerated his plan to diversify away from doing business with America.

This is one of the reasons why Beijing believes it has the upper hand in its negotiations with Washington. China has choices and officials have been actively encouraging the country's firms to do more business in places like Africa, South America and South East Asia.

Many other Chinese businesses have also told the BBC that they are looking to diversify away from the US to reduce their reliance on the market - suggesting in the long-term there could be more of a separation between the US and China, rather than a divorce.

Donald Trump has suggested that he may speak to Chinese President Xi Jinping by the end of this week. The world's two largest economies will now enter talks after agreeing to a ceasefire in their economic war for 90 days.

Beijing has framed this deal as a win - not just for China but for all countries facing US tariffs.

But it has come at a cost.

A short walk through Shunde district - known as the "capital of home appliances" - presents a sobering assessment of a struggling manufacturing sector.

Factory workers use the cooler evenings in Foshan to let off a little steam. They spill out into every corner of the local park.

During the day they pack, mould and assemble nearly everything that you would find in your kitchen - from gas stoves and washing machines to kettles and fridges.

At night, after leaving work, one group line dances in one corner of the small park, while a heated basketball match takes place in another part.

Posters lining the walls of the streets tout "stable work and easy" jobs involving packing and screwing products for 30 days in a home appliance factory for 16 yuan an hour, to assembling air conditioning units for 20 yuan an hour.

But agents told us that several factories had stopped hiring, especially those linked to the US - some had even shut down parts of their production line.

The BBC was told that several of these workers will sleep in the park to save money. Many of them travel to Foshan from their home towns, which can be hundreds of kilometres away.

Several nearby hostels offer rooms for 20 yuan a night, which can be at least an hour's pay. Many will want to pocket whatever they earn to send it back to their families.

This is the picture of China that President Trump's team have tried to present – one of sluggish growth, rising unemployment and a chronic housing crisis.

"We're not looking to hurt China," Mr Trump said after the trade agreement was announced, while adding that China was "being hurt very badly".

"They were closing up factories. They were having a lot of unrest, and they were very happy to be able to do something with us."

This may be overstating Beijing's economic woes. This country is still leading the world when it comes to the production of electric vehicles and solar panels, and it is making significant headway in artificial intelligence technology.

Officials in China have also continued to stress this country can take the pain of an economic war. But it is being keenly felt by some on the frontline and that may be part of why Beijing has started talking to the US.

This latest "ceasefire" has prompted a rush of orders between the two countries as businesses wonder if it can last.

He Ke, or HK to his American clients, has called his workers back from their home towns to restart his sofa business, Gongyuan Furniture.

It ground to a halt even before Mr Trump's tariffs hit 145%.

"We had a day off straightaway," said Mr He. "Once the tariffs hit 50%, we had already come to a standstill. When they hit 145%, we certainly could not do business. It was just not possible."

His production line with around 200 workers once took up all four floors of the building.

Since the Covid pandemic, he has only needed one floor and around 40 staff. But he still has the odd high-profile client – he claims Elon Musk sits on one of his sofas.

Some workers have already returned and are lifting a soft chair onto a compressor machine to get it ready to box and ship.

Sewing machines hum in the background as workers stitch fabric into the right shape to cover memory foam cushions.

Mr He says he has seen many changes in Foshan since he started making sofas in 2013.

"We feel that the global economy is not good. The domestic economy has also been hit and this affects the life of people here. In the past, when we went out to spend money, we spent a lot of money. We did not think about whether the price was high or cheap. We will buy it as long as we like it. Now, when we want to buy a relatively expensive things, we have to think twice, because the money is not easy to earn."

Like Mr Wang and his air fryers, Mr He also says he is looking at diversifying his sales away from the US, but he has hope that the world's two biggest economies can come to an agreement in the next 90 days.

"I am just a small businessman. But I do understand that the game between these two countries is temporary. I think if they want to survive with each other for a long time, they will definitely sit down and talk things over."

A man whose illegal cannabis factory exploded in a block of flats, killing seven-year-old Archie York, has been jailed for 14 years.

Archie died when the blast caused by Reece Galbraith, 33, obliterated several homes in Benwell in the early hours of 16 October 2024, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

The fatal explosion was caused by a build-up of butane created in the process of making drug-infused sweets in one of the flats by Jason Laws, 35, who was also killed, and Galbraith.

Galbraith, of Gateshead, admitted two counts of manslaughter, with Archie's mother screaming at him in court that he had killed her son.

Mr Laws and Galbraith were using a ground-floor flat in the block of 12 homes on Violet Close to make so-called cannabis shatter, a brittle substance containing a high concentration of the psychoactive compound THC which is used to form sweets from, prosecutor David Brooke KC said.

• 'My son was killed by criminals making cannabis'

At about 00:40 BST, their "sophisticated" factory exploded, killing Archie, who lived upstairs with his parents and baby brother, and totally destroying six homes, the court heard.

There was then a "fierce fire" and the block ultimately had to be demolished, with dozens of people losing their homes and possessions, Mr Brooke said.

Archie had been asleep in his living room when the blast occurred and was killed instantly, while his father Robbie York, mother Katherine Errington and seven-week-old brother Finley all survived, the court heard.

Mr Brooke said there had also been an "enormous impact" on the local area, with the damage and costs to Newcastle City Council valued at £3.7m, 81 adults and 59 children from 51 homes displaced and 10 households having to be permanently rehoused.

Ms Errington told the court her son's death had "broken us in ways I didn't know possible" and the family had "lost everything", adding she felt "survivor's guilt".

In a fury, she angrily told Galbraith he "took risks for profit" before screaming at him: "You killed my son."

"This was your choice," Ms Errington said. "We will never forgive you for what you did to our beautiful boy."

The court heard Archie's beloved dog Chase had also been killed in the blast.

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Sir Keir Starmer has told MPs suspected arson attacks on properties linked to him are "an attack on all of us, on democracy and the values that we stand for".

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch condemned the attacks as "completely unacceptable" at the beginning of their weekly Prime Minister's Questions clash.

Police are continuing their investigation into the fires at north London properties and a car linked to Sir Keir.

A 21-year-old man was arrested at an address in Sydenham, south-east London, in the early hours of Tuesday on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and remains in custody.

Counter-terrorism officers are working "at pace" to establish the cause of the fires and "any potential motivation", Scotland Yard said.

At Prime Minister's Questions, Badenoch told the PM: "I think I speak for the whole house when I say that this wasn't just an attack on him, but on all of us and on our democracy."

Sir Keir thanked the opposition leader for contacting him "pretty well straight away" to lend her support.

In his first comments since the attacks, the prime minister said: "I really do appreciate that, and she's absolutely right that this is an attack on all of us, on democracy and the values that we stand for."

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: "Can I offer our support to the prime minister and his family after the appalling arson attacks on his home.

"And can I echo his thanks to our brilliant police and firefighters."

Emergency services responded to a fire at the prime minister's private home in Kentish Town, north London, early on Monday.

On Sunday, crews were called to a small fire at the front door of a house converted into flats in nearby Islington - a property Sir Keir is understood to have lived in during the 1990s.

Police are also looking at a car fire which took place on Thursday on the same street as the Kentish Town property. It is understood that the car used to belong to Sir Keir.

The prime minister is understood to still own the home in Kentish Town but lives in Downing Street. He lived there before the 2024 general election and it has been rented out since then.

Counter-terrorism police are leading the inquiry and are treating the fires as suspicious.

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Metropolitan Police's counter-terrorism command, acknowledged the probe may cause concern to MPs.

He encouraged any of them worried about their safety to get in touch with Operation Bridger, the specialist unit set up to protect MPs.

In 1989, brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez killed their parents by shooting them multiple times at close range at their mansion in Beverly Hills.

They were found guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to murder in 1996, and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

On Tuesday, a Los Angeles judge reduced their sentence, making them eligible for parole.

There has been renewed public interest in the case after a new Netflix drama, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, was released in September.

Why was there a hearing to resentence the brothers?

Last year, the previous district attorney of Los Angeles, George Gascón, requested a change to the brothers' sentence from life without the possibility of parole to 50 years to life.

The hearing was put to Los Angeles County superior court Judge Michael Jesic on Tuesday who resentenced the brothers.

"I do believe they've done enough in the past 35 years that they should get that chance," he said, concluding a day-long hearing.

• Menendez sentences reduced, given them chance of freedom

The brothers are eligible for parole under California's youthful offender law which allows individuals who committed crimes before the age of 26 to seek a reduced sentence.

The siblings were aged 18 and 21 at the time. They are now aged 54 and 57.

What happened at the hearing?

During the hearing, family members and a former fellow inmate were among those who testified in support of the resentencing.

People who worked with the brothers in prison spoke about the educational courses they had completed and how they created a hospice initiative for the elderly and sick.

The district attorney's office, which fiercely opposes a lower sentence, said the brothers have continued to "make excuses" for their conduct instead of taking full responsibility and were not rehabilitated.

The brothers spoke to the court via video and apologised for their actions.

They also spoke about their hopes of working with sex abuse victims and helping those incarcerated if they were given a second chance outside prison.

What happens next?

The California parole board will now decide whether to release the brothers from prison.

Separately, the state's governor, Gavin Newsom, is considering a request from the brothers for clemency. If approved, it could lead to a reduced sentence or a pardon.

Governor Newsom requested that the parole board conduct a risk assessment that examines whether the brothers pose a risk to the general public if released.

The full report has not been released, but the district attorney said it indicated a "moderate risk of violence".

The parole board hearing on the clemency petition is set to take place on 13 June.

It is unclear whether the board will also consider the possibility of parole based on Judge Jesic's resentencing at the same hearing.

What did the Menendez brothers do?

Lyle and Erik Menendez killed their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, on 20 August 1989 at their home in Beverly Hills.

Their father, a 45-year-old Hollywood executive, was shot six times with a shotgun the brothers had purchased days before the attack.

Their mother died after suffering 10 shotgun blasts to several parts of her body.

The brothers initially told police they found their parents dead when they arrived home.

They were arrested after the girlfriend of a psychologist that had been treating Erik Menendez went to police to say that he had physically threatened the doctor.

Why did the Menendez brothers kill their parents?

The brothers claimed they committed the murders in self defence after years of alleged physical, emotional and sexual abuse, although no molestation was ever proven in court.

They said they feared their father would kill them after they threatened to expose him.

However, prosecutors argued that the young men had killed their successful parents to inherit their multi-million-dollar estate.

What happened during the Menendez trial?

The brothers were taken into custody in 1990 and in 1993 they were tried for the murders, first individually, with one jury for each brother.

However, both juries were deadlocked in 1994, resulting in a mistrial, and the pair were later tried again together in 1995.

During their joint trial the judge excluded apparent evidence of abuse from their defence case. Taped sessions with a doctor, in which the killings were discussed, were ruled admissible in court by the judge.

A jury found them guilty and the pair were convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to murder in 1996.

The brothers, who were separated during their detention after a detective who investigated the slayings said they may conspire to escape if housed together, reunited in jail in 2018.

What impact has the Netflix drama had on the case?

The case was thrust back into the spotlight after Netflix released a drama series about the brothers in September.

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, shot to the top of the platform's streaming chart and was reported to have had 12.3 million views in its first weekend of release.

It explores what might have led the siblings to kill their parents and it presents the murders from different perspectives.

Its creators said the series was based on extensive research and it follows the events surrounding the murders.

It includes the brothers' claims of abuse as well as showing things from the parents' point of view.

The show introduced the case to a new generation and garnered attention from celebrities - including Kim Kardashian and Rosie O'Donnell - who called for the brothers to be released.

The series was a follow-up to the controversial first Monsters series about US serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer.

What have the Menendez brothers said about the Netflix series?

Following its release, Erik Menendez shared a statement, released on X by his wife.

He said the show was "disheartening slander" and he "believed we had moved beyond the lies and ruinous character portrayals of Lyle".

"It is sad for me to know that Netflix's dishonest portrayal of the tragedies surrounding our crime have taken the painful truths several steps backward - back through time to an era when the prosecution built a narrative on a belief system that males were not sexually abused, and that males experienced rape trauma differently than women," he added.

Members of the family also spoke out and said the brothers had been "victimised by this grotesque shockadrama," and the show was "riddled with mistruths".

Ryan Murphy, who created the show, told Variety that the comments were "predictable at best".

He added that the family's response was "interesting because I would like specifics about what they think is shocking or not shocking. It's not like we're making any of this stuff up. It's all been presented before".

A man whose illegal cannabis factory exploded in a block of flats, killing seven-year-old Archie York, has been jailed for 14 years.

Archie died when the blast caused by Reece Galbraith, 33, obliterated several homes in Benwell in the early hours of 16 October 2024, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

The fatal explosion was caused by a build-up of butane created in the process of making drug-infused sweets in one of the flats by Jason Laws, 35, who was also killed, and Galbraith.

Galbraith, of Gateshead, admitted two counts of manslaughter, with Archie's mother screaming at him in court that he had killed her son.

Mr Laws and Galbraith were using a ground-floor flat in the block of 12 homes on Violet Close to make so-called cannabis shatter, a brittle substance containing a high concentration of the psychoactive compound THC which is used to form sweets from, prosecutor David Brooke KC said.

• 'My son was killed by criminals making cannabis'

At about 00:40 BST, their "sophisticated" factory exploded, killing Archie, who lived upstairs with his parents and baby brother, and totally destroying six homes, the court heard.

There was then a "fierce fire" and the block ultimately had to be demolished, with dozens of people losing their homes and possessions, Mr Brooke said.

Archie had been asleep in his living room when the blast occurred and was killed instantly, while his father Robbie York, mother Katherine Errington and seven-week-old brother Finley all survived, the court heard.

Mr Brooke said there had also been an "enormous impact" on the local area, with the damage and costs to Newcastle City Council valued at £3.7m, 81 adults and 59 children from 51 homes displaced and 10 households having to be permanently rehoused.

Ms Errington told the court her son's death had "broken us in ways I didn't know possible" and the family had "lost everything", adding she felt "survivor's guilt".

In a fury, she angrily told Galbraith he "took risks for profit" before screaming at him: "You killed my son."

"This was your choice," Ms Errington said. "We will never forgive you for what you did to our beautiful boy."

The court heard Archie's beloved dog Chase had also been killed in the blast.

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Detectives have said there is a "very real chance" the true killer of a young woman murdered in 1986 is still on the streets after a man wrongfully convicted of the frenzied sexual attack was freed.

Peter Sullivan had spent the last 38 years behind bars for the murder of 21-year-old Diane Sindall in Birkenhead, Merseyside, before he was dramatically acquitted by the Court of Appeal on Tuesday.

Now 68, Mr Sullivan was released from prison after judges heard a DNA profile pointing to an unknown attacker was found after new testing on semen samples preserved from the crime scene.

Det Ch Supt Karen Jaundrill, head of investigations at Merseyside Police, said the force has since made contact with every man identified in the original investigation and "had not met with any resistance" to DNA screening.

The detective said more than 260 men had been tested and eliminated as a suspect.

She has now appealed for people in the community to come forward if they can think of anyone whose "behaviour they were not happy with" at the time, admitting there was a "very real chance" the killer was still at large.

• Who is Peter Sullivan and why was he jailed?
• Why was Peter Sullivan not freed earlier?

Miss Sindall was dragged into an alley and beaten to death on 2 August 1986 in an attack detectives at the time described as the worst they had ever been involved in.

Merseyside Police said it had immediately reopened Miss Sindall's case after being told there was a new DNA profile in 2023, despite Mr Sullivan's appeal still being in progress at the time.

Det Ch Supt Jaundrill said that while the DNA was the main focus of investigative efforts, her team will rely heavily on people who lived in Birkenhead at the time for answers.

"I'm really hopeful with the work that we are doing but we really are relying on the community, particularly Birkenhead, just to really think about the nature of that investigation at the time," she said.

"Try and reflect on any individuals that you weren't happy with at the time.

"It may be that somebody has passed away and you weren't happy with their behaviour at the time and you think they were linked.

"My ask would be please contact us, regardless of how insignificant you think the information is, and let us judge where that fits into our investigation."

Miss Sindall, who worked as a florist, had also been doing part-time bar work at the Wellington Pub in Bebington to save up for her upcoming wedding to her fiancé, David Beattie.

She began driving to her home in Seacombe in her blue Fiat van but seemingly ran out of petrol, and began walking to what police believe was either a bus stop or an all night garage shortly after 00:00 BST.

Her semi-naked body was discovered partially concealed in an alleyway by a woman walking her dog at about 12:30 BST that day.

She had suffered severe injuries and her death was found to have been caused by repeated blows to the head.

Det Ch Supt Jaundrill said Miss Sindall's family and fiancé were "fully supportive" of the new investigation and "very much want us" to find her real killer.

Asked about the chances of the true attacker still being on the streets nearly four decades later, she added: "There is a very real chance.

"That's where I reiterate our dedicated team of investigators are working tirelessly.

"We're exploiting every opportunity to try and identify who the person is in relation to that DNA sample, but it does come back to that point - we are reliant on the communities, particularly Birkenhead to provide information."

The force has defended how it investigated the original case, and highlighted that the technology to extract a DNA profile from the semen samples recovered from Miss Sindall's body was still many years away at the time of her murder.

It has also pointed to the fact that two other grounds of appeal, related to how Mr Sullivan was interrogated and the admissibility of bite mark evidence, were rejected by appeal court judges.

Det Ch Supt Jaundrill said: "Nobody at Merseyside Police underestimates the impact on Peter Sullivan and I am grateful that the outcome at court will allow him to go out and rebuild his life.

"Our focus remains on finding justice for Diane."

Mr Sullivan's solicitor Sarah Myatt said her client was a "private man" and wanted to be "left in peace" to rebuild his life.

Mr Sullivan, in a statement read to the media by Ms Myatt outside the Court of Appeal, had said he was not "angry or bitter" and expressed his wish that the Sindall family get justice.

Ms Myatt, who has represented Mr Sullivan for 20 years, said she had been "honoured" to read those words on his behalf.

"The comments he made about wanting the family to get a resolution, to find peace, that is a true reflection on the man that he is," she said.

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The BBC can help tackle a "crisis of trust" in UK society, the broadcaster's director general is expected say in a speech later.

Tim Davie will set out measures he says will allow the broadcaster to play a leading role in reversing a breakdown in trust in information and institutions, as well as combating division and disconnection between people.

They include expanding fact-checking service BBC Verify, doing more to counter disinformation, and enhancing its local journalism.

"The BBC is ready to play its full part – not to defend the past, but to help shape the future," he is expected to say, according to advance extracts of the speech.

"A future where trusted information strengthens democracy, where every child has a fair start, where creativity fuels growth and social capital, and where no-one is left behind in the digital age."

The speech in Salford will set out Mr Davie's vision for the corporation's future.

The BBC's current royal charter, which sets out the terms and purposes of its existence, expires in 2027, and negotiations with the government about its renewal are ramping up.

He will argue that the BBC can play a key part in making the UK a "global leader in trusted information", support democracy, boost education and economic growth, and improve digital access.

"The future of our civilised, cohesive, democratic society is, for the first time in my life, at risk," Mr Davie will say.

"I have no doubt that we face a crisis. It is a crisis that has been well documented and debated. The dramatic rise of people who feel more lonely in a connected world, who don't feel involved and who feel others are benefitting from a changed world.

"We see profound changes in people's trust in the information that they are receiving, and their associated faith that those who have information are acting in their interests."

The BBC says it is the most trusted news provider in the UK, with 45% of the population naming it as the source they trusted the most in 2024. That is down from 57% a decade ago.

Other proposed measures include using artificial intelligence "for good" in its Bitesize educational service by giving every child an automated "personal learning companion".

Mr Davie will also call for a national plan to switch off traditional broadcast transmissions in the 2030s, and ensure a "smooth" transition to internet-only delivery of programmes.

The BBC could launch its own device aimed at people who haven't switched to streaming, based on the existing Freely online service, Mr Davie said.

"We want to double down on Freely as a universal free service to deliver live TV over broadband.

"And we want to consider developing and launching a streaming media device with Freely capabilities built in, with a radically simplified user interface specifically designed to help those yet to benefit from IP services."

Rupert Lowe, the MP for Great Yarmouth, will not face criminal charges in relation to an allegation of threats, the Crown Prosecution Service has said.

Malcolm Mc Haffie, head of the CPS, said it made the decision "following a thorough and detailed review of the evidence".

Lowe was elected as a Reform MP in last year's general election but was later suspended by the party.

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Seven-year-old Archie York was killed in a blast in Newcastle caused by his neighbour's illegal attempts to make cannabis sweets. As one of his killers is jailed, Archie's mother says her son's death should serve as a warning to other criminals.

Shortly before 01:00 BST on 16 October, the slumbering streets of Benwell were rent by the roar of an enormous explosion.

Katherine Errington had been asleep in her bedroom with her seven-week-old son Finley, when the pair were suddenly bombarded with and buried beneath the walls and contents of their flat.

She initially thought she was having a nightmare, but the taste of blood in her mouth quickly confirmed this was all too real. The utter panic and confusion was replaced by a realisation she was trapped beneath the debris of her home.

She could hear her baby son crying but could not find him in the darkness and destruction - his cries soon gave way to a chilling silence.

"I closed my eyes," Katherine recalls. "I thought 'if my son's gone, as in unalive, I'll close my eyes and whatever happens I'll not remember it, I'll be asleep'."

Then she heard the shouts of her partner Robbie, desperately searching for her and their baby, and she called back to him so he could zero in on her voice.

Katherine managed to push her foot through the bricks into the dust-filled air, Robbie seizing it gratefully and starting to frantically dig her out, also, miraculously, finding Finley alive and pulling him to safety.

"I got out and looked at where my flat was supposed to be," she says. "There was nothing left of it."

The street outside had rapidly filled with neighbours and emergency services, with Katherine and her baby quickly rushed away for medical treatment.

It was at the hospital where police officers told her the explosion had been even more devastating than she had imagined. Her eldest son, Archie, was "gone".

The last time she had seen him, her "perfect little boy" and Robbie had been asleep on the living room settee.

Seven-year-old Archie had been the dictionary definition of a "mischievous cheeky boy", his mum says. "He was just a normal, happy little boy."

He loved superheroes, computer games and school, where "everybody loved him", Katherine says.

Archie had been overjoyed at the arrival of Finley almost two months earlier, wanting to feed him and change his nappies, maturing overnight into a proper big brother.

"It was just how a family should be," Katherine recalls. "It was the best seven weeks of my life."

Within seconds, several houses on Violet Close were practically demolished and a huge fire was raging, with more than 100 people having to be evacuated from their homes.

Initial suspicions were that it was a gas leak, a faulty boiler somewhere, but investigators quickly honed in on the activities of Katherine and Robbie's downstairs neighbour, 35-year-old Jason Laws, who was also killed in the blast, and his associate Reece Galbraith.

"The scene was hell for almost two months," Det Ch Insp Katie Smith of Northumbria Police says, detailing the "harrowing" finger-tip searches officers had to make in the rubble in the days and weeks after the blast.

A suspiciously large number of butane cannisters were discovered scattered throughout the debris which, along with other industrial items such as a vacuum oven, indicated a factory making so-called shatter - a glassy-type substance used to form cannabis sweets - was operating in one of the flats.

The blast was caused by a build-up of the highly flammable butane, the gas used in the production process, which was taking place while the neighbours all slept peacefully nearby.

"The dangers go without saying," Det Ch Insp Smith says. "[Galbraith and his associates] knew about the risks that night, it says on the side of the gas cannister how highly flammable it is.

"They disregarded that to make some money from drugs.

"It caused utter devastation."

For Katherine, finding out her son had been killed because of the illegal activities of a criminal neighbour only worsened her grief.

"It sickens me that it could have been prevented," she says. "You are supposed to trust your neighbours.

"This is more upsetting for us because someone chose to do that, it was their choice, not ours."

The day she was burying her boy, 33-year-old Galbraith was in court denying being responsible for his death.

It was only later, when confronted with the wealth of prosecution evidence against him including DNA, finger prints and mobile phone data, that Galbraith changed his plea and admitted manslaughter.

His initial denials caused further pain and consternation for Katherine.

"He's got no compassion whatsoever, no remorse for anything he has done," she says.

She says her life now is indescribable, the shock and grief at the loss of Archie still all-consuming.

Katherine never would have thought the routine of kissing her son goodnight and laying out his school clothes for the next morning would be obliterated in such a violent manner.

But she is also keen to ensure he is remembered for being the "funny little cheeky boy" who "touched so many hearts" rather than for the way he was killed.

Katherine is also keen other criminals heed what happened.

"This should be enough to stop anyone trying to do any illegal activities," she says.

"[Galbraith] has now got a seven-year-old's death on his hands from his choice."

Neither Katherine nor Robbie ever saw a future without Archie.

Their son was going to be a rock for Finley, but the baby is now an only child with no memory of the brother who doted on him.

"I don't think we will ever move on from this," Katherine says.

"That day is going to haunt us to the day we die."

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At least 48 Palestinians have been killed in a series of Israeli air strikes in northern Gaza overnight, a local hospital says.

The Indonesian hospital reported that 22 children and 15 women were among the dead after a number of homes in Jabalia town and refugee camp were hit. A video shared online appeared to show at least a dozen bodies on the floor there.

The Israeli military said it was looking into the reports. It had warned residents of Jabalia and neighbouring areas to evacuate on Tuesday night after a Palestinian armed group launched rockets into Israel.

It came as the UN's humanitarian affairs chief urged members of the UN Security Council to take action to "prevent genocide" in Gaza.

Speaking at a meeting in New York on Tuesday, Tom Fletcher accused Israel of "deliberately and unashamedly imposing inhumane conditions on civilians".

He called on Israel to lift its 10-week blockade on Gaza and criticised the Israeli-US plan to take over the distribution of humanitarian aid in the territory.

The Israeli ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, told the council that foreign aid was being used to help Hamas's war effort.

Meanwhile, US Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Adam Boehler said they would travel to Qatar for fresh negotiations on a possible ceasefire and hostage release deal.

Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has threatened to expand its military offensive in Gaza this week unless Hamas agrees to release the 58 hostages it is still holding.

On Tuesday, a massive Israeli air strike on the European hospital's compound in southern Gaza killed at least 28 people, according to local officials.

Israeli media reports said the target was Mohammed Sinwar, who is believed to have become the leader of Hamas in Gaza after his brother Yahya was killed by Israeli forces last October.

The Israeli military described it as "a precise strike on Hamas terrorists who were operating in a command-and-control centre" underneath the hospital.

The Israeli military launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 52,908 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

A Los Angeles judge has resentenced two brothers who are serving life in prison for the 1989 murders of their parents in a Beverly Hills mansion, making them eligible for parole.

Judge Michael Jesic gave Erik and Lyle Menendez a new sentence of 50 years to life. A decision on their potential release will be made at a parole hearing in June.

The pair have acknowledged killing Kitty and Jose Menendez, but said they acted out of self-defence after years of abuse and have since been rehabilitated.

Prosecutors have argued the brothers meticulously planned the shotgun killings to access their parents' fortune, are yet to take responsibility and should not be released.

The notorious case, which has prompted books, documentaries and dramas, still divides America.

The brothers gave an emotional statement - via video - to the court at Tuesday's hearing.

The court heard relatives detail how the case affected their family, and pleading for the judge to allow the siblings' release from prison.

The brothers' cousin, Anamaria Baralt, who has been close with them since they were children, told the judge they deserved a "second chance at life".

"It's been a nightmare," she said. "I am desperate for this process to be over."

At times, both Erik and Lyle appeared emotional as family recounted how their crimes have impacted them. Both wiped their eyes at times, with Erik covering his mouth or putting his head in his hands at other moments.

Ms Baralt speaks with Erik and Lyle frequently, she told the court, and testified that they've taken "ownership of their actions".

She said they admitted they tried to steer their previous trial - with Lyle telling her he'd asked a witness to lie when testifying.

"They are very different men from the boys they were," she said.

Chimpanzees in Uganda have been observed using medicinal plants - in multiple ways - to treat open wounds and other injuries.

University of Oxford scientists, working with a local team in the Budongo Forest, filmed and recorded incidents of the animals using plants for first aid, both on themselves and occasionally on each other.

Their research builds on the discovery last year that chimps seek out and eat certain plants to self-medicate.

The scientists also compiled decades of scientific observations to create a catalogue of the different ways in which chimpanzees use "forest first aid".

Researchers say the study, which is published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, adds to a growing body of evidence that primates, including chimps, orangutans and gorillas, use natural medicines in a number of ways to stay healthy in the wild.

• Chimpanzees ‘self-medicate’ with healing plants
• Wounded orangutan seen using plant as medicine

Lead researcher Elodie Freymann explained there was "a whole behavioural repertoire that chimpanzees use when they're sick or injured in the wild - to treat themselves and to maintain hygiene".

"Some of these include the use of plants that can be found here," she explained. "The chimpanzees dab them on their wounds or chew the plants up, and then apply the chewed material to the open injury."

The researchers studied footage of a very young, female chimpanzee chewing plant material and applying it to an injury on its mother's body.

They also found records of chimpanzees tending to the wounds of other animals they weren't related to. This is particularly exciting, explained Dr Freymann, "because it adds to the evidence that wild chimpanzees have the capacity for empathy".

Some of the hundreds of written observations that Dr Freymann and her colleagues studied came from a log book at the field station in the forest site, which is northwest of the capital, Kampala.

This record of anecdotal evidence dates back to the 1990s – local field staff, researchers and visitors have written in, describing any interesting behaviour they have observed.

There are stories in that book of leaf-dabbing on injuries and chimps helping other chimps to remove snares from their limbs.

There are some surprisingly human-like hygiene habits: One note describes a chimpanzee using leaves to wipe itself after defecating.

This team of researchers has previously identified some of the plants that chimpanzees sought out and ate when they were injured. The scientists took samples of those plants, tested them and discovered most had antibacterial properties.

Chimpanzees are not the only non-human apes with apparent knowledge of plant-based medicine. A recent study showed a wild oranguatan using chewed leaf material to heal a facial wound.

Scientists think studying this wild ape behaviour - and understanding more about the plants the chimps use when they are sick or injured - could help in the search for new medicines.

"The more we learn about chimpanzee behaviour and intelligence, the more I think we come to understand how little we as humans actually know about the natural world," Dr Freymann told BBC News.

"If I were plopped down here in this forest with no food and no medicine, I doubt that I'd be able to survive very long, especially if I were injured or sick."

"But chimpanzees thrive here because they know how to access the secrets of this place, and how to find all they need to survive from their surroundings."

Gary Lineker has deleted an Instagram story post he shared from the group Palestine Lobby, which said: "Zionism explained in two minutes" and featured an illustration of a rat.

A rat has historically been used as an antisemitic insult, referring to language used by Nazi Germany to characterise Jews.

Lineker's agent told the BBC the presenter immediately deleted the post when he learned about the image's symbolism.

The charity Campaign Against Antisemitism said it was submitting a complaint to the BBC.

Lineker's agent said: "Whilst viewing and reposting a video, Gary did not notice a rodent emoticon added by the author of the post. Although if he had, he would not have made any connection. The repost has been removed."

In response to Lineker's post, Campaign Against Antisemitism posted on X: "Nothing to see here. Just Gary Lineker's Instagram account sharing an anti-Israel video misrepresenting Zionism, complete with a rat emoji."

The group added that his "continued association with the BBC is untenable. He must go".

The BBC, when asked if it had any comment on Lineker's now-removed post, responded by referring to its guidance on personal use of social media.

Zionism refers to the movement to create a Jewish state in the Middle East, roughly corresponding to the historical land of Israel, and thus support for the modern state of Israel.

A spokesperson for the Board of Deputies of British Jews said they felt "the BBC should ask him to leave now rather than allowing him to dictate his own terms", according to the Daily Mail.

"He has caused great offence with this video – particularly with his egregious use of a rat emoji to illustrate Zionists."

BBC News has asked the body about its comments and if it has anything further to add.

Barrister Simon Myerson KC, who chairs the Leeds Jewish Representative Council, posted a message to the outgoing Match of the Day presenter, which said: "Posting racism - bad. Deleting racist post - good. Not acknowledging error when paid enormous amount of public money pa by BBC - pathetic."

'I know where I stand'

Last month, Lineker spoke to BBC presenter Amol Rajan about his views on the Middle East.

The sports presenter said: "I know where I stand on this... What's going on there [Gaza], the mass murder of thousands of children is probably something we should have a little opinion on."

The war in Gaza was triggered by the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken hostage.

Israel launched a mass military offensive on Gaza in response which has killed 52,908 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Rajan responded to Lineker's comment that the BBC "as a whole needs to be impartial about it", to which Lineker replied: "Why? It needs to be factual."

The journalist said the BBC, as a public broadcaster, needs to be "impartial about conflict", to which Lineker replied: "It wasn't impartial about Ukraine and Russia... I think facts are the most important thing."

Lineker hitting headlines

Lineker was temporarily suspended from the BBC in March 2023 after an impartiality row over comments he made criticising the then-government's new asylum policy.

Reflecting on his tweets in the interview with Rajan, Lineker said he did not regret taking the position he did, but that he would not do it again because of the "damage" it did to the BBC.

In February, Lineker made headlines when he was among 500 other high-profile figures who signed an open letter urging the BBC to reinstate a documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone, to BBC iPlayer.

The documentary was pulled from the streaming service in February after it emerged its 13-year-old narrator was the son of a Hamas official.

After concerns were raised, the BBC took down the film while it carried out further due diligence. The corporation has apologised and admitted "serious flaws" in the making of the film and the matter is still subject to an internal investigation.

Lineker and the BBC jointly announced in November that he would be stepping down from the flagship football programme, although he will still host World Cup and FA Cup coverage.

On top of his presenting roles, Lineker is also the co-founder of Goalhanger Podcasts, which make the successful The Rest is History series and its spin-offs about Politics, Football, Entertainment and Money.

The Rest is Football podcast, featuring Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, is also on BBC Sounds.