Giorgio Armani, who has died at the age of 91, was the first designer since Coco Chanel to bring about a lasting change in the way people dress.

Born in a pre-war era of rigid traditions and styles, his creations followed - and helped make possible - increasing social fluidity in the latter half of the 20th Century.

Chiefly, he will be remembered for reinventing the suit - feminising it for men and popularising it for women.

Armani took away the restrictions and confinements of stiffer styles that went before him - making men feel sophisticated and women empowered in the workplace.

Newspapers hailed him the "first post-modern designer". In many ways, he was a revolutionary.

Giorgio Armani was born in Piacenza, northern Italy, on 11 July 1934.

His family's comfortable middle-class lifestyle was destroyed by the war and, with food hard to find, his earliest memory was hunger.

Armani played with unexploded artillery shells in the street, until one suddenly went off. He was severely burned and a close friend was killed.

"War," he later said, "taught me that not everything is glamorous."

As a young man, Armani drifted.

In 1956, he began a medicine degree - but dropped out after three years and joined the army.

Swiftly tiring of life in the military, he found a job as a window dresser at La Rinascente - a department store in Milan - where he moved swiftly through the ranks.

Most designers learn their trade as apprentices or at fashion school - but Armani's education took place on the shop floor.

He learned what fabrics the customers liked, and went to the textile mills to buy them. He became an expert in how the cloth was constructed, and used his knowledge to perfect the tailoring.

Soon, Armani was working for Nino Cerruti - an influential haute couture designer. Within months, Cerruti asked him to restructure the company's approach.

The 1960s middle classes could not afford haute couture, but yearned for a stylish, distinctive look of their own.

With his expertise in fabrics, Armani provided an answer. His fine cloths made possible a menswear range with neat, precise cuts that could be manufactured at scale.

Its distinctively Italian style began to influence the way the fashionable dressed.

In 1966, Armani met Sergio Galeotti, a young apprentice architect. Galeotti soon abandoned his own career and started to work at his lover's side.

With immense confidence in Giorgio's ability, he encouraged Armani to set up on his own.

Galeotti masterminded the business side of the company - and sold his Volkswagen car to raise seed capital.

They started small - their first office was so dingy that Armani took the shades off the lamps in order to see the fabrics. But their work was nothing short of a revolution in fashion.

In broad terms, Armani softened menswear and hardened womenswear.

Men's suits were made softer and more sensual.

It reflected a change in the way men saw themselves in the 1960s, but it had not yet been captured in fashion.

And with more women entering the workplace, Armani spotted an opportunity.

"I realised that they needed a way to dress that was equivalent to that of men," he said. "Something that would give them dignity in their work life."

With Armani's elegantly tailored power suits, women were offered an alternative to the stiff and stuffy dresses their mothers had worn to work. They exuded femininity, but were a powerful statement of equality.

In 1978, the company signed an agreement with clothes manufacturer GFT - which gave it the ability to produce luxury ready-to-wear clothes in volume.

At the same time, Armani pulled off a huge marketing coup.

He won a contract to dress Richard Gere in American Gigolo. In almost every scene of the 1980 film, Gere's handsome fantasy-figure form appears head-to-foot in Armani.

It was Armani's vision projected by the power of Hollywood - and publicity that money couldn't buy.

He went on to dress stars on the Oscar night red carpet, and design costumes for dozens of film and television shows: notably The Untouchables and 1980s crime series Miami Vice.

Within a decade, he had become the biggest selling European designer in the United States. As a result, Milan emerged as serious commercial and creative force in world fashion - second only to Paris.

He moved to extend his brand. He launched both Armani Jeans and Emporio Armani - and a deal with L'Oreal added fragrances to his arsenal.

He went on to introduce glasses, sportswear, cosmetics and accessories. Now, there was an entire lifestyle - under one label - to which the fashionable could aspire. GQ magazine described it as the "total look".

In 1985, Sergio Galeotti died of an Aids-related illness at the age of 40.

An intensely private man, Armani retreated into himself and considered retirement. Eventually, he decided to persevere rather than "abandon all of Sergio's hopes".

Paying tribute to his long-term personal and business partner, Armani said that "he helped me believe in my own work, in my energy".

In a rare interview in 2001, Armani was asked about the greatest failure of his career. "Not being able to stop my partner dying," he answered.

With no family to distract him, he dedicated his life to expanding his empire.

While fashion conglomerates bought up other brands, Armani resisted external investment.

Instead, he built the company into the vast global business it is today - and retained control of its finances and creativity. It made him a multi-billionaire.

In 2000, the Guggenheim Museum in New York hosted an exhibition of his work.

It recognised Armani's powerful influence on social change in the previous century - and boldly stated that "design could be art".

He stopped using models with low body mass indexes when one - Ana Carolina Reston - died of anorexia.

Hotel design was added to the portfolio with the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010. Armani himself designed the interiors.

A keen sports fan, he also designed suits for Chelsea and the England football squad - and made the uniforms for Italy's Olympic team in 2012.

He had a very public falling-out with US Vogue editor Anna Wintour when she failed to attend the launch of his new season in 2014.

She claimed a diary conflict, but was rumoured to have remarked that "the Armani era is over".

As he entered his tenth decade, Armani continued to present new ranges on the catwalks of Paris and Milan.

In March 2025, he said his Milan show aimed to pour oil on the troubled waters of global politics.

"I wanted to imagine new harmony," he said, "because I believe that is what we all need."

In person, he was trim and business-like.

New York magazine described him as "notoriously disciplined" and "dedicated to a self-control and self-containedness that can come off as coolness".

Each morning, Armani would do lengths in his swimming pool. It was 50 yards long but just one yard wide - and contained just enough water to facilitate the laps.

To some, the design of the pool encapsulated the designer's single-minded approach to life and business. It was minimalist, precise, and engineered for a purpose.

Throughout his career, his styles remained in lockstep with changing society.

The acute sense of social direction came from Armani's early experience on the shop floor of that Milanese department store.

There, it was the customers who mattered - and a good designer ensured he adapted to their changing needs.

For 65 years, Armani dedicated himself to that task. And it amassed him a fortune estimated by Forbes at $13bn (£10bn).

"I'm never satisfied," he once told a reporter.

"In fact, as someone who is forever dissatisfied and obsessive in his search for perfection, I never give up until I've achieved the results I want."

There is a palpable sense of shock on the faces of people gathering at the site of a major funicular crash in the Portuguese capital as they hear of how a three-year-old German boy was pulled alive from the wreckage - a lucky survivor of Wednesday's terrible crash which killed 16 people.

The boy's father was reportedly killed and his mother injured in the crash. It is still unclear what caused the crash, in which more than 20 other people were injured, including many foreign nationals.

The capital's public transport operator, Carris, said all funiculars would be inspected and that it had launched an independent probe into the incident.

Police and prosecutors are also investigating the crash.

One local resident told the BBC she was "still processing" what had happened as she walked past the site of the crash, where the wreckage of the funicular that had derailed and crashed into a building lay on the ground.

"It's very, very sad," she said.

Others gathered and took photos of the wreckage, or stood silently watching. Two tourists from Singapore said they had been scheduled to ride the funicular on Wednesday but had changed their plans at the last minute.

"It's scary… Who knows, we might have been on this one," one said. "It changes your perspective on life. You just don't expect something like this to happen."

'People started to jump from the windows'

Tour guide Mariana Figueiredo was among those at the scene of the crash on Wednesday evening. She said she had been traumatised by what she had witnessed.

Ms Figueiredo said she heard a large crash and rushed to the scene, close to where her TukTuk was parked.

"In five seconds I was there," she said. "People started to jump from the windows inside the funicular at the bottom of the hill. Then I saw another one [further up] that was already crushed.

"I started to climb the hill to help the people but when I got there the only thing I could hear was silence."

Ms Figueiredo said that when she and others started to pull the roof off of the funicular, they saw dead bodies inside.

She said she witnessed children being rescued, and tried to help people with broken bones and to calm those in distress.

"A lot of people were crying around me. They were very frightened. I was trying to calm them down."

A man, who was on another funicular at the bottom of the hill at the time of the crash, told reporters that he thought he was going to die.

"No matter how many more years I live, I'll never take the funicular again," he said.

Police have not officially named any of the dead or injured, but said at a news conference on Thursday that they believed two Canadians, one German and one Ukrainian national were thought to be among the dead.

This followed from an earlier update in which police said they believed five Portuguese, two South Korean and one Swiss national had been identified.

The Portuguese transport union said funicular brake guard André Jorge Gonçalves Marques was among those killed.

Charity Santa Casa da Misericórdia, whose employees used the funicular for their work commute, confirmed that four of their workers were killed in the accident.

One employee, Valdemar Bastos, told the BBC that staff at the charity, located on top of a steep hill, often used the funicular along with tourists and elderly people.

"I have always felt safe," he said. "I never thought this could happen."

On Thursday, the head of Lisbon's public transport operator, Carris, said that all funiculars in the city would be closed until technical inspections had been carried out.

Pedro Gonçalo de Brito Aleixo Bogas told reporters that the Gloria line would reopen in the future with a new carriage.

He said the company had increased its spending on maintaining funiculars - which had operated correctly since 2007 - but added that the cost of maintaining them had more than doubled over the past 10 years.

The findings from the investigation would be released soon, Dr De Brito Bogas said, but declined to say when this would happen.

Footage shared on social media showed the crumpled yellow funicular overturned on the cobblestone street and people running from the area as smoke filled the air.

Several passengers trapped in the wreckage had to be freed by emergency responders, local authorities said.

Officials in Lisbon had initially put the death toll at 17, however that number was later revised down to 16 after they discovered a person who died in hospital overnight had been counted twice.

A funicular is a type of railway system that allows travel up and down steep slopes, and in Lisbon they are a crucial means of navigating the city's steep, cobbled streets.

The city's funicular railways - Glória, Lavra, Bica and Graça - are a popular tourist attraction, as the bright yellow tram-like vehicles snake through the often-narrow, hilly streets.

Glória was opened in 1885 and electrified three decades later.

It travels some 275m (900ft) from Restauradores, a central city square, up to the picturesque streets of Bairro Alto. The journey takes just three minutes.

The two carriages on the Glória route are attached to opposite ends of a haulage cable, which is pulled by electric motors.

As one carriage travels downhill, its weight lifts the other, allowing them to ascend and descend simultaneously, reducing the energy needed to transport them.

The second, intact carriage could be seen just metres from the wreckage at the bottom of the hill.

Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr defended his oversight of US health agencies in a fiery hearing on Thursday as lawmakers grilled him over his vaccine policies and other sweeping agency changes.

During three hours of testimony, Democrats accused Kennedy of lying and restricting Americans' access to vaccines, while several Republican senators also raised concerns.

The hearing comes a week after Kennedy fired the leader of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in a clash over his vaccine policies.

Since taking the helm at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in February, Kennedy has made a number of changes that have alarmed health experts.

In June, he fired every member of a panel of independent vaccine experts that issues recommendations for immunisations.

Public health experts raised concerns about the qualifications of the members - several of whom are vaccine critics - appointed in their place.

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed published on Thursday, Susan Monarez, the former head of the CDC, said she was fired because she refused to rubber-stamp vaccine recommendations from the panel.

During Thursday's hearing, the Senate Finance Committee's ranking member, Democratic Senator Ron Wyden, pressed Kennedy on her accusations.

The health secretary denied her allegation, saying he told Ms Monarez to resign after asking her if she was a "trustworthy" person. He said she responded "no".

The vaccine advisory panel was one of several of Kennedy's policy changes that lawmakers brought up during the hearing, leading to clashes.

As Senator Maggie Hassan accused the health secretary of restricting access to vaccines, Kennedy angrily responded: "You're just making stuff up."

"Sometimes when you make an accusation, it's kind of a confession, Mr Kennedy," Hassan said.

Lawmakers repeatedly questioned Kennedy over his stance on the Covid-19 vaccine, including Senator Mark Warner, who asked the health leader how many lives the shots had saved during the pandemic.

Kennedy said he did not know because of "data chaos" under the Biden administration.

"You've had this job for eight months, and you don't know the data about whether vaccines saved lives?" Warner asked.

Kennedy later said the vaccine saved "quite a few" lives.

Republicans took a more measured tone with Kennedy, with some praising his leadership and others asking him to clarify what they described as contradictory remarks.

Senator Thom Tillis - who said before the hearing that he planned to ask Kennedy why his actions weren't "matching up" with his promises - gave him a list of questions to answer at a later time.

The Republican lawmaker noted that Kennedy had accused some scientists of lying in his responses during the hearing.

"I'd just like to see the scientific evidence of that," he said.

The toughest Republican questioning came from Senator Bill Cassidy, a doctor who gave a key vote to confirm Kennedy only after he gave him assurances that he would uphold several US vaccine policies.

Cassidy pressed Kennedy on his stance on Covid-19 immunisations, accusing him of restricting access to the shots because of conflicting recommendations from health agencies.

Under Kennedy's leadership, the US Food and Drug Administration recently approved a round of Covid booster shots for fewer groups, only for adults 65 and older and people with medical conditions.

"Effectively, we are denying people vaccines," Cassidy said.

"You're wrong," Kennedy responded.

Kennedy's hearing comes a week after he fired 600 CDC employees in addition to Ms Monarez.

Just weeks before, a gunman fired 500 rounds at the CDC's headquarters in Atlanta, killing a police officer. Investigators say the shooter blamed the Covid-19 vaccine for making him suicidal.

Afterwards, hundreds of HHS officials wrote a letter to Kennedy, accusing him of fueling mistrust in public health officials by spreading misinformation.

They pointed to his statements about vaccines, including the Covid-19 shot and the immunisation against measles.

This year, the US has seen its worst outbreak of measles in decades.

While Kennedy has endorsed the vaccine as the best way to prevent the spread of measles, he has also made false claims about the safety and efficacy of the shot.

Sir Keir Starmer has repeatedly refused to say if he will sack Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner if his standards adviser concludes she broke the ministerial code.

Rayner referred herself to Sir Laurie Magnus after she admitted underpaying stamp duty on an £800,000 flat in Hove.

She has said the "mistake" was the result of incorrect legal advice which failed to "properly take account" of her circumstances.

Speaking to the BBC, Sir Keir said he would "of course act" on the conclusions of Sir Laurie's report which he expected to be "comprehensive" and delivered quickly but would not be drawn on whether Rayner would be fired.

Sir Keir rejected a comparison with Boris Johnson, who as prime minister did not sack Priti Patel as his home secretary despite the then-adviser, Sir Alex Allen, saying she had broken the ministerial code.

The prime minister said he had strengthened the ministerial code and the role of the adviser since taking office.

The code sets out the standards ministers are expected to uphold including honesty and integrity.

Sir Laurie can advise on whether ministers have adhered to the code, but the prime minister decides what if any action to take.

Asked about the forthcoming report, Sir Keir said: "I do think in the end we need to establish the facts, which the independent advisor will do and come to a conclusion.

"I don't think it'll take long now for that bit of process to conclude and then, of course, it does fall to me.

"I completely accept that, to make a decision based on what I see in that report."

Sir Keir said he knew on Monday that Rayner was taking further advice on her tax payments.

Rayner's team initially said she had paid the right amount of stamp duty on Thursday in response to a report in the Daily Telegraph.

However, on Friday evening she asked a lawyer to review her situation. On Wednesday morning the KC offered their final advice which concluded she had not paid the right amount.

Acknowledging the underpayment, Rayner said: "I deeply regret the error that has been made. I am committed to resolving this matter fully and providing the transparency that public service demands."

The prime minister - along with other cabinet ministers - has backed Rayner, telling MPs he was "very proud to sit alongside" her.

Both the Conservative and Reform UK have called on Rayner to resign.

Tory Party chair Kevin Hollinrake told BBC Breakfast: "If this was a Conservative member of Parliament, who was in the same situation, I think Angela Rayner would be calling for that person to step down."

"You cannot be hypocritical in these matters, you've got to be consistent."

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A man whose arrest led to protests outside a hotel in Epping has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman.

Hadush Kebatu, from Ethiopia, touched the girl and said he "wanted to have a baby" with her during one of two encounters in Epping, Essex, on 7 and 8 July.

His arrest led to a wave of demonstrations outside The Bell Hotel, where Kebatu was staying as an asylum seeker.

A judge also found him guilty of harassing the girl, inciting her to engage in sexual activity and an attempted sexual assault, and warned him to expect a prison sentence.

Kebatu attempted to kiss the girl and placed his hand on her thigh, as well as asking her to kiss another child in front of him, the court heard.

When a woman intervened he also placed his hand on her thigh, which she said made her feel "shocked and uncomfortable", before she called the police.

Kebatu told the judge he had been living at The Bell Hotel for about a week before his arrest, having travelled through Sudan, Libya, Italy and France to get to the UK.

He insisted during his three-day trial he was "not a wild animal", adding: "I can't do these kind of things, this is anti-Christian – these are just children, innocent children."

But District Judge Christopher Williams said Kebatu created "a version of events he'd only decided upon when he took the witness stand".

During the trial, one witness told the court he heard Kebatu telling the girls "come back to Africa, you would be a good wife" on 7 July.

They had been eating pizza in Epping town centre when they were propositioned by the defendant, who invited them back to The Bell Hotel.

"Out of nowhere, he said: 'I want one baby from you and one baby from your friend'," the girl told police.

Kebatu was then seen telling her she was pretty and attempting to kiss her on a bench the following day, before placing his hand on her thigh.

She told detectives she "froze" during the encounter and told Kebatu "no, I'm 14", but claimed he responded "age did not matter".

"I felt sick to my stomach. I didn't think a fully grown man would think it was OK to do that," she added.

'Shocked and uncomfortable'

Kebatu was overheard telling the girls he was from Africa and paid €2,500 (£2,155) to arrive in the UK on a "rubber dinghy", the court heard.

At the trial, he gave his date of birth as December 1986, making him 38, but court records suggested he was 41.

At an earlier hearing Judge Williams heard Kebatu had arrived in the UK by boat.

Kebatu told the judge he was a "teacher of sports" in his home country and described children as "the future of tomorrow, the new generation".

However, the judge said the Kebatu became "visibly aroused" when he asked the girl to kiss another child in front of him on 8 July.

He was stopped from talking to the group by a woman who intervened, who engaged him in conversation about his CV.

She told the court of feeling "shocked, uncomfortable" when Kebatu then put his hand on her thigh, before calling the police.

Her 999 call was played to the court, in which she could be heard screaming: "Get away from them kids."

Delivering his verdict, Judge Williams said: "You knew that she was only 14 years old," he said to the defendant about his victim, adding she was wearing her school uniform on the second encounter.

Kebatu was warned he faced an "immediate custodial sentence" when he returned to court on 23 September.

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Former Conservative minister Nadine Dorries has defected to Reform UK.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, the ex-MP for Mid-Bedfordshire said: "The Tory Party is dead. Its members now need to think the unthinkable and look to the future."

Dorries served as culture secretary and as a health minister under Boris Johnson, of whom she was a close ally.

She is the latest in a string of defections from the Conservatives to Reform UK, including former Welsh Secretary David Jones and ex-Tory Chairman Sir Jake Berry.

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The leaders of about 30 Western countries are taking part in a summit in Paris with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, with the aim of giving Kyiv security assurances if a ceasefire is agreed, and persuading the US to provide support.

Hopes of a deal to end the fighting have receded since Russia's Vladimir Putin met Donald Trump in Alaska, although the US president said on the eve of Thursday's talks that "we're going to get it done".

Trump was due to talk to leaders of the "Coalition of the Willing" by phone after the Paris summit, and French officials said it was important for many European partners that any military guarantees for Kyiv involved an "American safety net".

Last month he said the US was willing to help "probably" with air support, and Western allies are keen for Trump to confirm that.

The summit opened on Thursday, chaired by France's Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and many of the leaders took part remotely.

Nato chief Mark Rutte said the aim was to have "clarity" on what the coalition could deliver so they could discuss what the Americans could provide.

Air support could include help with air defence or intelligence, but details so far are vague.

A source at the Élysée Palace said there were three aims behind the security guarantees: to strengthen Ukraine's armed forces; to support them by deploying a separate force to make it clear to Russia that Ukraine has Western backing; and to have a US safety net, which the Americans would obviously have to maintain.

Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky said ahead of the talks that Kyiv had received "signals" from the Americans that they would provide a backstop.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Paris ahead of the summit and reports said he was due to meet Zelensky.

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More than 40 months after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Putin has said this week that there is "a certain light at the end of the tunnel" and that "there are options for ensuring Ukraine's security in the event the conflict ends".

However, Russia has made clear that no Western forces should be deployed to Ukraine and it has insisted that it should be one of the countries acting as "guarantors" - an idea rejected by Kyiv and its allies.

Putin has also raised the unrealistic prospect of Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky coming to Moscow for talks.

Mark Rutte said on Thursday that Russia had no veto on Western troops being deployed to Ukraine: "Why are we interested in what Russia thinks about troops in Ukraine? It's a sovereign country. It's not for them to decide."

President Trump told CBS News on Wednesday that he remained committed to reaching a deal to end the war and said he continued to have a good relationship with both Putin and Zelensky.

"I think we're going to get it all straightened out," he said.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey has praised Trump, who he says "brought Putin into talks" and "not closed off any options".

Ukraine is looking to the Coalition of the Willing to come up with a reassurance force involving British, French and other European troops. Germany has said it is too soon to make that kind of commitment.

The Russian leader, who spent Wednesday with China's Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, claims that his country's military is pushing forward on all fronts in Ukraine.

He warned that without a deal Moscow was prepared to "resolve all our tasks militarily".

While Ukraine and its allies say a ceasefire should be agreed initially, Russia has insisted its campaign will not end before a full peace deal.

The source at the Élysée Palace said it had already become clear that Russia had no intention of having a ceasefire as part of a peace deal.

The source pointed to the demarcation line between North and South Korea, where a ceasefire had lasted for years with a powerfully armed, allied American deployment serving as a signal to North Korea. That concept was extremely important for the Ukrainians, the source added.

Universities in England might in future have to charge different levels of tuition fees depending on the quality of their teaching, the higher education regulator has suggested.

The Office for Students (OfS) has said "differential fee levels" could offer an incentive to higher quality teaching.

Currently, all universities in England and Wales charge a fee of £9,535 for an undergraduate degree and the regulator stressed that any changes over fees were for government to decide. Skills Minister Jacqui Smith said funding plans would be set out this autumn.

The OfS ranks universities into four categories - gold, silver, bronze and "requires improvement".

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The annual cost of an undergraduate degree rose to £9,535 in England and Wales this year, and vice chancellors who gathered at the Universities UK conference in Exeter this week were keen to know whether or not there will be more increases to come.

Any fee increases in England would be announced by the Department for Education, which is due to publish its higher education white paper this autumn.

But the suggestion that fees could be linked to teaching quality means there will also be a focus on the Office for Students and its Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).

An OfS spokesman said the regulator would be consulting on proposed changes to the TEF.

"Decisions about fee limits are rightly for ministers and parliament. Differential fee levels would offer one possible way to incentivise high quality teaching," he said.

What "differential fee levels" could look like is yet to be determined.

It is not clear, for example, whether the cap would remain £9,535 for some and be lowered for others, or whether the cap would rise for some - even in line with inflation each year - but stay at at £9,535 for others.

More than four in 10 universities in England expected to be in a financial deficit by this summer.

Vivienne Stern, the chief executive of Universities UK, told the BBC there would be "a debate over the course of the next few months" as to which universities would be able to charge which rates.

She said universities had a "shared objective" with the OfS to uphold standards but it was "quite difficult" for universities to improve quality "with less resources".

"We've already got a system that's under quite a lot of financial strain. But having said that, I don't think we would disagree that there should be regulatory bite where institutions are falling below expected standards," she said.

"I think the the discussion we're going to have is really about where do you set the bar?"

She pointed out that the OfS considered universities in the "bronze" category and above to meet minimum quality requirements, as opposed to those that "required improvement"

"It's not unreasonable to apply [regulatory bite] below that threshold where an institution might require improvement," she said.

"There are no universities in our membership that are in that category, but that's where the discussion is going to be and I think that's going to be a debate over the course of the next few months."

Earlier, Baroness Smith told vice chancellors she recognised "the need to ensure that there is a sustainable financial settlement" for universities and the government would publish its white paper "reasonably soon".

She also cautioned university leaders against taking a "defensive approach" in discussions about their funding, adding: "While an enormous amount of wisdom exists in higher education, that's not all the wisdom in the world."

Additional reporting by Branwen Jeffreys

Canadian police say one person has died and at least six were injured in a mass stabbing attack in a First Nations community in the province of Manitoba.

On Thursday, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said the suspect in the stabbing had also died.

The incident, described by police as a "mass casualty" event, took place in Hollow Water First Nation, about 200km (124 miles) northeast of the city of Winnipeg.

Eight people were transported by either air or ambulance to local hospitals, Shared Health, the provincial health authority, said in a statement to the BBC.

They arrived with varying injuries, a spokesman said.

Stars air ambulance confirmed that it responded to an emergency on the Hollow Water First Nation on Thursday morning and flew two patients to Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg.

Few details on the incident are available at this time.

On Thursday morning, Manitoba RCMP warned Hollow Water First Nation residents that they should expect a heavy police presence in the community throughout the day.

They said there was no current risk to public safety.

"Our sincere condolences to everyone within the community of Hollow Water First Nation and to everyone who has been affected by this senseless act of violence," the RCMP said.

The RCMP major crimes unit will the lead the investigation.

In a letter to residents posted online, the Hollow River chief and council offered their condolences those "affected by this tragedy".

The Anishinaabe community has a small population of a few hundred people.

The government is considering a digital ID scheme in a bid to tackle illegal immigration, Sir Keir Starmer has told the BBC.

The prime minister said a new identity programme could play an "important part" in reducing the incentive to enter the UK without permission.

The last Labour government started issuing ID cards to UK citizens, but the scheme was scrapped by the Tory-Liberal Democrat coalition over privacy concerns.

But Sir Keir said he felt the debate had "moved on in the last 20 years".

Speaking to political editor Chris Mason, Sir Keir said: "We all carry a lot more digital ID now than we did twenty years ago, and I think that psychologically, it plays a different part."

Asked whether a new scheme could play a role in reducing the attractiveness of the UK as a destination for illegal migrants, he added: "My instinct is it can play an important part. Obviously we need to look through some of the detail."

He added that, two decades on from the row over New Labour's physical ID card scheme, the public was likely to "look differently" at a digital-based scheme.

He did not confirm who would be obliged to acquire a digital ID if the government does go ahead with the scheme.

The comments are the most positive remarks yet by the prime minister about the idea, which is likely to reignite a debate over civil liberties.

The government has previously rejected a digital ID proposal suggested by former Labour Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair, whose government legislated for compulsory identity cards when he was in office.

Around 15,000 were in circulation when the scheme was scrapped by the coalition government in 2011, and the database destroyed.

Angela Rayner is fighting for her political future after admitting she should have paid more stamp duty when she bought a flat in Hove earlier this year.

The deputy prime minister has denied trying to dodge the extra tax, but faces a probe into whether she broke ministerial rules.

Here is a breakdown of how the story unfolded.

Rayner buys a house in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, with her then-husband Mark, which becomes their family home.

A court orders that a trust be set up to manage a financial award made to her severely disabled son, reportedly from the NHS, linked to his premature birth.

During their divorce, the couple each decide to transfer some of their share in the family home to the trust set up for their son.

Rayner sells her remaining stake in the house to the trust, receiving a lump sum thought to be £162,500.

The deputy prime minister uses the sum, along with a mortgage, to buy a three-bedroom flat in Hove, East Sussex, for £800,000.

According to Rayner, she was advised she would only need to pay the standard rate of stamp duty on the purchase.

The Mail on Sunday and Sun on Sunday report her purchase of the Hove flat, with the Tories calling on her to clarify where she pays council tax.

The Daily Telegraph reports Rayner saved £40,000 in stamp duty by not paying the higher rate reserved for additional home purchases.

In the story, published on its website late in the evening, the newspaper quotes a spokesperson for Rayner saying she paid the "correct duty" on the purchase.

The Tories announce they have written to Sir Laurie Magnus, the prime minister's ethics adviser, asking him to investigate Rayner's tax affairs.

Rayner instructs a senior lawyer to review her tax position that evening.

Downing Street tells reporters Rayner cannot give further details of her situation due to a court order, which she is "urgently" trying to lift.

Shortly afterwards, Sir Keir Starmer rallies round Rayner during a BBC interview, saying he is "proud" of his deputy.

The senior lawyer commissioned by Rayner gives a draft opinion on her situation in the evening, whilst seeking further information.

The court order is lifted late in the evening.

The senior lawyer's final legal opinion is received in the morning, with Rayner contacting HMRC and referring herself for investigation by Sir Laurie.

Shortly before Sir Keir is due to appear at Prime Minister's Questions, Rayner releases a statement admitting she should have paid the higher rate of stamp duty when purchasing the Hove flat.

She denies she tried to dodge the extra tax, saying the initial legal advice she received failed to "properly take account" of her tax liability resulting from the nature of her son's trust.

Sir Keir again backs his deputy, but the Conservatives and Reform UK call for her to resign.

Sir Keir repeatedly refuses to say if he will sack Rayner if the standards adviser concludes she broke the ministerial code.

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The Italian fashion designer and billionaire brand owner Giorgio Armani has died at the age of 91.

He was the archetype of Italian style and elegance, reimagining men's and women's suits for a modern audience.

Armani, which began as a fashion company, expanded into beauty, music, sport and even luxury hotels.

He was also a revered businessman, with his company bringing in more than £2bn a year.

• Armani: The legendary designer who revolutionised fashion

In a statement on the brand's Instagram page, it said Armani " worked until his final days, dedicating himself to the company, the collections and the many ongoing future projects".

It also said he was "indefatigable to the end" and "driven by relentless curiosity and a deep attention to the present and to people".

The designer was seen as a pioneer in many ways, elevating red carpet fashion to what we see today.

He was also the first designer to ban underweight models from the runway, after the death of model Ana Carolina Reston in 2006 from anorexia nervosa.

In a profile in The Financial Times, in one of the designer's last interviews, Alexander Fury wrote: "He put women into a uniform of suits just as radical as Chanel's, creating forceful, confident clothing that helped to power the working woman's social revolution of the 1980s.

"By contrast, he relaxed menswear, deconstructing traditional tailoring in a manner that has affected how just about every suit in the world is made."

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The Prince and Princess of Wales have visited the Natural History Museum in their first official engagement since the summer.

Catherine, who is patron of the museum, and William were shown the gardens, which are used recreationally as well as for research and teaching, by the institution's director Doug Gurr.

The visit comes as the new school term starts for their three children, George, Charlotte and Louis.

The young family was last seen in public driving to church close to Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, last month.

• 'A fresh start': William and Kate to move to new Windsor home
• Princess Kate helped me through mental health crisis, says brother

In August, the BBC was told that the family will be moving into the eight-bedroom Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park.

They currently live in Adelaide Cottage in the castle grounds, where they have been since August 2022, but have decided to make a change after a challenging 18 months, during which the princess was dealing with a cancer diagnosis.

Thursday's visit saw the royal couple meet children participating in educational programmes in the museum gardens, designed to help them connect with nature and boost biodiversity.

The Natural History Museum's gardens opened in 2024, and features grassland, wetland and woodland habitats, and are described as a living laboratory where visitors and scientists can identify and monitor wildlife in an urban environment.

The princess has previously spoken about how important it is for children to spend time in nature. In 2019, she helped create the back to nature play garden that exhibited in the Chelsea Flower Show.

Earlier this year, she urged people to "reconnect to nature and celebrate a new dawn within our hearts" in Spring, her social media video series on seasons.

Catherine and William will also be shown how technology is being used to inform the Natural History Museum's research diversity projects and conservation.

Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan has gone on trial in London on charges of harassment and criminal damage against a transgender woman.

The Irish comedy writer, who also created The IT Crowd and Black Books, has pleaded not guilty to the two charges.

Before going into Westminster Magistrates' Court, the 57-year-old did not speak to the media but did pose with a supporter's sign saying "There's no such thing as a 'transgender child"' on one side and "Keep men out of women's sports" on the other.

This trial is not connected to the allegations that led to his much-publicised arrest at Heathrow Airport on Monday.

He said he was met by five armed officers over messages he had previously posted about trans people on X, sparking a backlash from some public figures and politicians, and inflaming a fierce debate about policing and free speech.

In that case, he was arrested on suspicion of inciting violence, and has been bailed "pending further investigation".

Meanwhile, the trial that opened on Thursday is hearing allegations that he harassed Sophia Brooks, 18, a transgender activist, on social media last October, and damaged her phone.

He is accused of posting abusive comments on social media, and of causing damage to a phone to the value of £369 during the Battle of Ideas conference in London.

He appeared in the dock and spoke to confirm his identity.

Julia Faure Walker, prosecuting, said: "The defendant, Graham Linehan, faces two charges, one harassment of Sophia Brooks between 11 October 2024 and 27 October 2024," PA Media reported.

"The second charge is criminal damage of Ms Brooks' mobile phone on 19 October 2024.

"There are some matters that are not in dispute. It's not in dispute that the defendant sent the relevant social media posts between 11 October and 27 October, and it's not in dispute that the defendant seized and threw the phone of the complainant.

"Ms Brooks is now 18 but at the time of these events she was 17."

The first trailer for Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights is full of longing stares, sexual tension and even some bread kneading.

Fennell, whose film Promising Young Woman won her an Oscar for best original screenplay in 2021, also directed the 2023 thriller Saltburn, which went viral with scenes involving bathtubs and graveyards.

She has now turned her attention to adapting Emily Brontë's 1847 classic novel, which stars Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi and Adolescence star Owen Cooper.

Those who have seen Saltburn won't be surprised by some of Fennell's artistic choices in the short clip, which appears to be more erotic and sexually charged than the 1847 gothic novel.

The trailer includes a topless Elordi toiling outdoors, bread being suggestively kneaded and broken eggs being handled. It is arguably more outwardly erotic than fans of the novel may expect.

The footage also suggests at suppressed sexual urges, with corsets being tightened, lingering shots of the main characters and brooding images of the Yorkshire Dales.

A story of passion and revenge, it is based on the original story of the destructive, obsessive love between Catherine Earnshaw and the foundling Heathcliff.

The story also explores the relationship between the Earnshaws and the Lintons, two wealthy land-owning Yorkshire families.

Fennell's project was subject to a bidding war last year, with Netflix reportedly offering $150m (£111m) for it, according to Variety.

Eventually the rights were won by Warner Bros, who are believed to have paid $80m (£59m) but with the promise of a cinema release and extensive marketing.

The film isn't being released until Valentine's Day next year, but already billboards promoting the film have appeared in the UK and the US with the tagline "drive me mad", which also features in the trailer.

Music for the film will include original songs by Charli XCX and a score by Anthony Willis.

During a promotional tour for another project, actor Jacob Elordi, who also starred in Saltburn, told Deadline, "It's an incredible romance, it's a true epic, it's visually beautiful. The script is beautiful, the costumes are incredible".

"The performances from everyone - it's breathtaking," he also added.

There has been some backlash over Elordi's casting as Heathcliff - who is described as having dark skin in the book.

Casting director Kharmel Cochrane defended the decision, and told Deadline: "You really don't need to be accurate. It's just a book. That is not based on real life. It's all art."

Wuthering Heights, which has been adapted twice before in 1939 and 2011, featured a white actor as Heathcliff in the 1939 film and a black actor in the 2011 version.

This has formed part of the social media discourse on the trailer, with others highlighting how the book hinges on its lack of sexual contact.

The original book also inspired Kate Bush's song of the same name, which topped the charts in 1978 when she was just 18.

An investigation has been launched after a grandfather mistakenly took home the wrong child from a daycare centre in Sydney, Australia.

The man arrived to collect his grandchild from First Steps Learning Academy in the southern suburb of Bangor, on Monday afternoon.

But he accidentally took home a different child, who was asleep in a dark room.

The mistake only became clear when the mother of the child arrived at the centre to find that her one-year-old was not there, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

"I can't explain the feeling," she told the newspaper.

"They couldn't tell me his [the man's] name, they couldn't tell me who he was, they couldn't tell me who he was meant to pick up. They couldn't tell me what he looked like, apart from that he was wearing shorts and he was an older gentleman," the mother, who asked not to be named, explained.

As part of safety protocols, childcare centres do not allow children to be collected by anyone else except recognised parents, guardians or carers

But she also said the grandfather is not to blame.

"We are not angry with him. We are not upset at him – we blame the day care."

The grandfather's wife told the Sydney Morning Herald that her husband is "devastated" and has "owned the mistake".

"When he realised, he raced that child back so fast," she said.

First Steps told the BBC that the educator involved in the incident has been stood down.

"We sincerely apologise to the families directly involved in this deeply upsetting and isolated incident," nursery director Trisha Hastie said.

She added that has never happened before at any of First Steps' nurseries, and it has strengthened procedures to "ensure this never happens again".

An investigation is underway into the "deeply concerning and serious incident", the New South Wales Early Childhood Education and Care Regulatory Authority said.

The incident comes at a time of heightened awareness surrounding safety at Australia's childcare centres, and last month, new legislative changes were announced aimed at improving safety standards in the sector.

An NHS vascular surgeon who had his own legs removed has admitted two counts of insurance fraud and three of possessing extreme pornography.

Neil Hopper, 49, of Truro, Cornwall, carried out hundreds of amputation operations before having his own legs removed in 2019.

Truro Crown Court heard he lied to insurers by claiming that injuries to his legs were the result of sepsis and not self-inflicted.

It heard that in May 2019 Hopper had below knee amputations after a "mysterious illness". In fact he had used ice and dry ice to freeze his own legs so they had to be removed, the court heard.

Tempted by 'greed'

It heard Hopper had a "sexual interest in amputation".

Hopper had both legs amputated in May 2019 after complaining that his feet were in pain.

He was treated for suspected sepsis before he was told by surgeons that he should have amputations and he was operated on.

He did not tell the medics the real cause of his injuries, the court heard.

The fraudulent insurance claims from two firms totalled more than £466,000 the court heard.

He was tempted by "greed" the court was told.

He had messaged a friend about the claims saying he should "milk it".

More than £50,000 of insurance money was sent to wife, £22,000 on a camper van, another £255,000 on building works and home improvements and a hot tub.

He "enjoyed" the interest from the media in his case, prosecutors told the court.

"His motivations were a combination of obsession with removing parts of his own body and a sexual interest in doing so," the court was told.

"It seems to have been a long-standing ambition of his," the court heard.

Hopper, who is originally from Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, had been employed by the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust from 2013 until he was arrested in March 2023.

After Hopper was charged, the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust released a statement.

A spokesperson said: "The charges do not relate to Mr Hopper's professional conduct and there has been no evidence to suggest any risk to patients.

"Mr Hopper worked in at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals from 2013 until he was suspended from duty in March 2023, following his initial arrest."

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Giorgio Armani, who has died at the age of 91, was the first designer since Coco Chanel to bring about a lasting change in the way people dress.

Born in a pre-war era of rigid traditions and styles, his creations followed - and helped make possible - increasing social fluidity in the latter half of the 20th Century.

Chiefly, he will be remembered for reinventing the suit - feminising it for men and popularising it for women.

Armani took away the restrictions and confinements of stiffer styles that went before him - making men feel sophisticated and women empowered in the workplace.

Newspapers hailed him the "first post-modern designer". In many ways, he was a revolutionary.

Giorgio Armani was born in Piacenza, northern Italy, on 11 July 1934.

His family's comfortable middle-class lifestyle was destroyed by the war and, with food hard to find, his earliest memory was hunger.

Armani played with unexploded artillery shells in the street, until one suddenly went off. He was severely burned and a close friend was killed.

"War," he later said, "taught me that not everything is glamorous."

As a young man, Armani drifted.

In 1956, he began a medicine degree - but dropped out after three years and joined the army.

Swiftly tiring of life in the military, he found a job as a window dresser at La Rinascente - a department store in Milan - where he moved swiftly through the ranks.

Most designers learn their trade as apprentices or at fashion school - but Armani's education took place on the shop floor.

He learned what fabrics the customers liked, and went to the textile mills to buy them. He became an expert in how the cloth was constructed, and used his knowledge to perfect the tailoring.

Soon, Armani was working for Nino Cerruti - an influential haute couture designer. Within months, Cerruti asked him to restructure the company's approach.

The 1960s middle classes could not afford haute couture, but yearned for a stylish, distinctive look of their own.

With his expertise in fabrics, Armani provided an answer. His fine cloths made possible a menswear range with neat, precise cuts that could be manufactured at scale.

Its distinctively Italian style began to influence the way the fashionable dressed.

In 1966, Armani met Sergio Galeotti, a young apprentice architect. Galeotti soon abandoned his own career and started to work at his lover's side.

With immense confidence in Giorgio's ability, he encouraged Armani to set up on his own.

Galeotti masterminded the business side of the company - and sold his Volkswagen car to raise seed capital.

They started small - their first office was so dingy that Armani took the shades off the lamps in order to see the fabrics. But their work was nothing short of a revolution in fashion.

In broad terms, Armani softened menswear and hardened womenswear.

Men's suits were made softer and more sensual.

It reflected a change in the way men saw themselves in the 1960s, but it had not yet been captured in fashion.

And with more women entering the workplace, Armani spotted an opportunity.

"I realised that they needed a way to dress that was equivalent to that of men," he said. "Something that would give them dignity in their work life."

With Armani's elegantly tailored power suits, women were offered an alternative to the stiff and stuffy dresses their mothers had worn to work. They exuded femininity, but were a powerful statement of equality.

In 1978, the company signed an agreement with clothes manufacturer GFT - which gave it the ability to produce luxury ready-to-wear clothes in volume.

At the same time, Armani pulled off a huge marketing coup.

He won a contract to dress Richard Gere in American Gigolo. In almost every scene of the 1980 film, Gere's handsome fantasy-figure form appears head-to-foot in Armani.

It was Armani's vision projected by the power of Hollywood - and publicity that money couldn't buy.

He went on to dress stars on the Oscar night red carpet, and design costumes for dozens of film and television shows: notably The Untouchables and 1980s crime series Miami Vice.

Within a decade, he had become the biggest selling European designer in the United States. As a result, Milan emerged as serious commercial and creative force in world fashion - second only to Paris.

He moved to extend his brand. He launched both Armani Jeans and Emporio Armani - and a deal with L'Oreal added fragrances to his arsenal.

He went on to introduce glasses, sportswear, cosmetics and accessories. Now, there was an entire lifestyle - under one label - to which the fashionable could aspire. GQ magazine described it as the "total look".

In 1985, Sergio Galeotti died of an Aids-related illness at the age of 40.

An intensely private man, Armani retreated into himself and considered retirement. Eventually, he decided to persevere rather than "abandon all of Sergio's hopes".

Paying tribute to his long-term personal and business partner, Armani said that "he helped me believe in my own work, in my energy".

In a rare interview in 2001, Armani was asked about the greatest failure of his career. "Not being able to stop my partner dying," he answered.

With no family to distract him, he dedicated his life to expanding his empire.

While fashion conglomerates bought up other brands, Armani resisted external investment.

Instead, he built the company into the vast global business it is today - and retained control of its finances and creativity. It made him a multi-billionaire.

In 2000, the Guggenheim Museum in New York hosted an exhibition of his work.

It recognised Armani's powerful influence on social change in the previous century - and boldly stated that "design could be art".

He stopped using models with low body mass indexes when one - Ana Carolina Reston - died of anorexia.

Hotel design was added to the portfolio with the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010. Armani himself designed the interiors.

A keen sports fan, he also designed suits for Chelsea and the England football squad - and made the uniforms for Italy's Olympic team in 2012.

He had a very public falling-out with US Vogue editor Anna Wintour when she failed to attend the launch of his new season in 2014.

She claimed a diary conflict, but was rumoured to have remarked that "the Armani era is over".

As he entered his tenth decade, Armani continued to present new ranges on the catwalks of Paris and Milan.

In March 2025, he said his Milan show aimed to pour oil on the troubled waters of global politics.

"I wanted to imagine new harmony," he said, "because I believe that is what we all need."

In person, he was trim and business-like.

New York magazine described him as "notoriously disciplined" and "dedicated to a self-control and self-containedness that can come off as coolness".

Each morning, Armani would do lengths in his swimming pool. It was 50 yards long but just one yard wide - and contained just enough water to facilitate the laps.

To some, the design of the pool encapsulated the designer's single-minded approach to life and business. It was minimalist, precise, and engineered for a purpose.

Throughout his career, his styles remained in lockstep with changing society.

The acute sense of social direction came from Armani's early experience on the shop floor of that Milanese department store.

There, it was the customers who mattered - and a good designer ensured he adapted to their changing needs.

For 65 years, Armani dedicated himself to that task. And it amassed him a fortune estimated by Forbes at $13bn (£10bn).

"I'm never satisfied," he once told a reporter.

"In fact, as someone who is forever dissatisfied and obsessive in his search for perfection, I never give up until I've achieved the results I want."

The Prince and Princess of Wales have visited the Natural History Museum in their first official engagement since the summer.

Catherine, who is patron of the museum, and William were shown the gardens, which are used recreationally as well as for research and teaching, by the institution's director Doug Gurr.

The visit comes as the new school term starts for their three children, George, Charlotte and Louis.

The young family was last seen in public driving to church close to Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, last month.

• 'A fresh start': William and Kate to move to new Windsor home
• Princess Kate helped me through mental health crisis, says brother

In August, the BBC was told that the family will be moving into the eight-bedroom Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park.

They currently live in Adelaide Cottage in the castle grounds, where they have been since August 2022, but have decided to make a change after a challenging 18 months, during which the princess was dealing with a cancer diagnosis.

Thursday's visit saw the royal couple meet children participating in educational programmes in the museum gardens, designed to help them connect with nature and boost biodiversity.

The Natural History Museum's gardens opened in 2024, and features grassland, wetland and woodland habitats, and are described as a living laboratory where visitors and scientists can identify and monitor wildlife in an urban environment.

The princess has previously spoken about how important it is for children to spend time in nature. In 2019, she helped create the back to nature play garden that exhibited in the Chelsea Flower Show.

Earlier this year, she urged people to "reconnect to nature and celebrate a new dawn within our hearts" in Spring, her social media video series on seasons.

Catherine and William will also be shown how technology is being used to inform the Natural History Museum's research diversity projects and conservation.

The jobs of thousands of Lloyds Banking Group staff are at risk as part of a performance shake-up at the financial firm.

The banking group is set to tell those it deems are among the weakest performing 5% that they could be made redundant unless their work improves.

It marks the second time in less than two years that thousands of Lloyds' employees have faced job losses, after it cut 1,600 roles in January last year.

The BTU union warned of staff being "hounded out of the business", but Lloyds spokesperson said it was "striving to embed a high-performance culture in the organisation".

"To achieve this, and in line with wider industry practice, we continuously look for ways to help our colleagues perform at their best," the Lloyds spokesperson added.

"We know that change can be uncomfortable, but we are excited about the opportunities ahead as we propel forward to achieve our growth ambitions and delivering exceptional customer experiences."

About 3,000 people deemed by Lloyds to be underperforming will be told their jobs are risk, with roughly 1,500 expected to lose their jobs, according to the Financial Times, which first reported the story.

Bosses at the company will be reviewing data from a HR software programme to monitor progress, the newspaper said.

The firm is not understood to be looking to cut a specific number of jobs but to solve an issue with low numbers of people leaving the banking group over time.

The performance policy has echoes of so-called "rank and yank", which was popularised in the US by the former chief executive of General Motors Jack Welch.

He supported "ranking" employees by performance and then "yanking" the worst performing out of the company.

Accord Union, which claims it represents more than 22,000 staff, said it was "asking Lloyds Banking Group to reassure its staff that it will continue to uphold the integrity of the established performance management processes".

The BTU union, which claims to represent 17,000 Lloyds staff but is not recognised as an official union and so it not consulted by Lloyds Banking Group, said it did not support the company's actions.

"In Lloyds, it will simply become a numbers game and staff will be hounded out of the business. We've seen it before," it said.

A bus driver has been taken to hospital after a collision in central London in which several passengers and pedestrians are understood to have been injured.

The Met Police, the London Ambulance Service (LAS) and London's Air Ambulance were called to Victoria Street in Westminster at about 08:20 BST, the force said.

There are no reported fatalities, the Met added.

An LAS spokesperson said the incident was ongoing and it was working with emergency services partners.

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Is it possible to become immortal with the help of organ transplants? That was the unexpected topic of discussion this week between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin when they met at a military parade in Beijing.

A translator, speaking in Mandarin on behalf of Putin, told Xi how human organs can be repeatedly transplanted "so that one can get younger and younger" in spite of age, and might even be able to stave off old age "indefinitely".

"It's predicted that in this century it might become possible to live to 150," he added.

Their smiles and laughter suggest it was a bit of banter, but might they be on to something?

Organ transplants certainly save lives - in the UK, over 100,000 people have been saved in the last 30 years, says NHS Blood and Transplant.

And continued advancements in medicine and technology mean transplanted organs are lasting far longer once in people.

Some patients have had a kidney transplant that has kept working for more than 50 years.

The lifespan of an organ depends on how healthy the donor and recipient is - plus how well they look after it.

For example, if you were to have a new kidney from a living donor, you might expect it to last 20 to 25 years.

If you get it from a deceased donor, that drops to 15 to 20 years.

The type of organ matters too.

A liver might last around 20 years, a heart 15 years and lungs nearly 10 years, according to research.

Ticket to eternal life?

Putin and Xi may be talking about having multiple organs transplanted and perhaps repeatedly.

Having surgery is a big undertaking, though, with significant risks. Each time you go under the knife you are rolling the dice.

Currently, people who get a new organ also have to take strong anti-rejection drugs called immunosuppressants for life. These can have side-effects, such as high blood pressure, and increase the risk of infections.

Rejection - when your immune system starts to attack the transplanted organ because it recognises it as coming from a different person - can sometimes still happen even if you are taking your medication.

Tailor-made organs

Scientists are working on making rejection-free organs, using genetically-altered pigs as the donors.

They use a gene editing tool know as crispr to remove some of the pig genes and add certain human genes to make the organ more compatible.

Breeding special pigs for this is ideal, say experts, since their organs are roughly the right size for people.

The science is still extremely experimental, but a heart and a kidney operation has gone ahead.

The two men who agreed to having the procedures were pioneers of this new field of transplantation medicine.

Both have since died but helped advance xenotransplantation - the transplanting of living cells, tissues or organs from one species to another.

Another avenue being explored is growing brand new organs using our own human cells.

Stem cells have the ability to grow into any type of cell or tissue found in the body.

No research group has yet been able to make fully functional, transplantable human organs, but scientists are getting closer.

In December 2020, UK researchers UCL and the Francis Crick Institute rebuilt a human thymus - an essential organ in the immune system - using human stem cells and a bioengineered scaffold.

When transplanted into mice as a test, it appeared to work.

And scientists at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London say they have grown human intestinal grafts using stem cells from patient tissue that could one day lead to personalised transplants for children with intestinal failure.

But these advances are for treating ill health, rather than keeping people alive to 150.

Tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, meanwhile, is spending millions a year trying to reduce his biological age.

He's not tried getting new organs yet - as far as we know - but has infused himself with his 17-year-old son's plasma.

He's since stopped that, after seeing no benefits and increased medical scrutiny from organisations such as the Food and Drug Administration.

Dr Julian Mutz from King's College London said beyond organ transplantation, approaches like plasma replacement are being explored, but these remain experimental.

"Whether such strategies will have a meaningful impact on lifespan, particularly maximum human lifespan, remains uncertain, though it is an area of considerable scientific interest."

Prof Neil Mabbott, an expert in immunopathology at the Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, speculates that living to 125 years old might be the upper limit.

"The verified oldest living person was a Frenchwoman, Jeanne Calment who lived for 122 years, between 1875 and1997, " he told BBC News.

And while damaged and diseased organs may be replaceable by transplants, as we age our bodies become much less resilient or able to cope with physical stressors.

"We begin to respond less effectively to infections, and our bodies become more frail, prone to injury and are less able to recover and repair.

"The stress, trauma and impact of transplant surgery, alongside the continued use of immunosuppressive drugs required to prevent rejection of the transplanted organs would be too severe in patients of such advanced age."

He says rather than focussing on extending life-span, we should instead strive for healthy years lived.

Prof Mabbott said: "Living a lot longer, but suffering from the multiple morbidities that can accompany aging, and in-and-out of hospital for another tissue transplant does not sound an attractive way to spend my retirement!"

A second man has been arrested over "disgusting" racist abuse sent on social media to England footballer Jess Carter.

Police began investigating after receiving reports the messages had been sent to the 27-year-old defender during the UEFA Women's Euros in July.

Officers from Derbyshire Constabulary have arrested a 30-year-old man from Ripley on suspicion of making malicious communications.

It follows the arrest of a 59-year-old man, from Great Harwood, Lancashire, on suspicion of the same offence last week.

Cheshire Police's Chief Constable Mark Roberts, the National Police Chief Council's lead for football policing, said: "Nobody should be subjected to such disgusting abuse, and we want to make it clear that racist abuse of this nature will not be tolerated."

Carter, from Warwick, previously said she was taking a step back from social media after she was targeted with online racism during the tournament.

Following the incident, the UK Football Policing Unit launched an investigation involving social media companies to track down those responsible for the messages.

"I would like to commend her for standing up to this abuse and assisting with our investigation," Mr Roberts added.

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An investigation has been launched after a grandfather mistakenly took home the wrong child from a daycare centre in Sydney, Australia.

The man arrived to collect his grandchild from First Steps Learning Academy in the southern suburb of Bangor, on Monday afternoon.

But he accidentally took home a different child, who was asleep in a dark room.

The mistake only became clear when the mother of the child arrived at the centre to find that her one-year-old was not there, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

"I can't explain the feeling," she told the newspaper.

"They couldn't tell me his [the man's] name, they couldn't tell me who he was, they couldn't tell me who he was meant to pick up. They couldn't tell me what he looked like, apart from that he was wearing shorts and he was an older gentleman," the mother, who asked not to be named, explained.

As part of safety protocols, childcare centres do not allow children to be collected by anyone else except recognised parents, guardians or carers

But she also said the grandfather is not to blame.

"We are not angry with him. We are not upset at him – we blame the day care."

The grandfather's wife told the Sydney Morning Herald that her husband is "devastated" and has "owned the mistake".

"When he realised, he raced that child back so fast," she said.

First Steps told the BBC that the educator involved in the incident has been stood down.

"We sincerely apologise to the families directly involved in this deeply upsetting and isolated incident," nursery director Trisha Hastie said.

She added that has never happened before at any of First Steps' nurseries, and it has strengthened procedures to "ensure this never happens again".

An investigation is underway into the "deeply concerning and serious incident", the New South Wales Early Childhood Education and Care Regulatory Authority said.

The incident comes at a time of heightened awareness surrounding safety at Australia's childcare centres, and last month, new legislative changes were announced aimed at improving safety standards in the sector.

A man accused of "using his car as a weapon" by deliberately driving into crowds of Liverpool FC fans has pleaded not guilty to 31 charges.

More than 130 people, including eight children, were injured when a Ford Galaxy car struck pedestrians on Water Street in Liverpool City Centre, as fans celebrated the club's Premier League victory parade on 26 May.

Former Royal Marine Commando Paul Doyle, 53, faces charges including causing grievous bodily harm with intent and dangerous driving.

He appeared at Liverpool Crown Court via videolink from prison where he answered "not guilty" as each of the charges were put to him.

The charges against Mr Doyle, of Burghill Road in West Derby, Liverpool, include allegations relating to two babies.

The court heard his legal team had faced significant difficulties being allowed access to their client in prison, facing weeks-long waits to visit him in person or hold conferences over videolink.

Simon Csoka, KC, defending, said: "The system just isn't working."

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram, and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.

The world's biggest destination for illegal streams of live sports events has been shut down, according to a leading anti-piracy group.

The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) said on Wednesday it had teamed up with police in Egypt to close down Streameast, which had been visited more than 1.6 billion times in the past year.

It allowed millions to access pirated streams of sports such as Premier League football matches, Formula One races and Major League Baseball games.

ACE chairman Charles Rivkin said it was a "resounding victory in its fight to detect, deter, and dismantle criminal perpetrators of digital piracy".

"With this landmark action, we have put more points on the board for sports leagues, entertainment companies, and fans worldwide," he said.

The clamp down comes after a report earlier this year found illegal sports streaming was taking place at an "industrial scale".

Sports broadcasting is big business, with the total value of media rights across the world passing the $60bn (£44bn) mark last year.

With rising costs of rights deals being passed onto to fans at home - and compounded by the need for subscriptions to multiple platforms showing different matches - some have resorted to illegal streams.

According to ACE, traffic to Streameast's various domains had originated primarily from the UK, US, Canada, Philippines and Germany.

The Athletic reported two men had been arrested in El-Sheikh Zaid, near Egypt's capital Cairo, by police on suspicion of copyright infringement.

It said authorities had seized laptops and smartphones suspected of being used to operate the sites during a raid, as well as cash and credit cards.

Police also found links to a shell company in the UAE which had allegedly been used to launder £4.9m of advertising revenue since 2010, as well as £150,000 in cryptocurrency.

Ed McCarthy, chief operating officer of sports streaming platform DAZN Group, welcomed its take-down.

"This criminal operation was siphoning value from sports at every level and putting fans across the world at risk," he said.

It comes on the eve of the US National Football League (NFL) season's opening game.

People trying to access Streameast domains or sites will now be redirected to an ACE web page suggesting channels they can "watch legally", it said.

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The five-year, £80m restoration of the Big Ben tower in London has been nominated for the UK's leading architecture award, alongside a new fashion college campus, a science laboratory and an "inventive" home extension.

The refurbishment of Big Ben - officially known as the Elizabeth Tower - is among the six nominees for the Royal Institute of British Architects' Stirling Prize.

The list also includes the London College of Fashion campus on the former Olympic Park in east London and AstraZeneca's medical research centre in Cambridge.

They are joined by the "pioneering" Appleby Blue Almshouse retirement home and the Japanese-inspired Niwa House, both in south London, and an extension to an "eccentric" home in Hastings.

The Elizabeth line - London's east-west train line - won the prestigious award last year.

The prize is given to the building judged to be "the most significant of the year for the evolution of architecture and the built environment", and is judged on criteria including design vision, innovation and originality.

It is usually given to a brand new building, but can also go to major restorations and renovations.

Other previous winners of the prize - first presented in 1996 - include Liverpool's Everyman Theatre, Hastings Pier and the Scottish Parliament building in Edinburgh.

The 2025 nominees:

• Appleby Blue Almshouse by Witherford Watson Mann Architects
• Elizabeth Tower by Purcell
• Hastings House by Hugh Strange Architects
• London College of Fashion by Allies and Morrison
• Niwa House by Takero Shimazaki Architects
• The Discovery Centre by Herzog and de Meuron/BDP

Riba president Chris Williamson said the shortlsted projects all "demonstrate architecture's unique ability to address some of the most urgent challenges of our time, responding with creativity, adaptability and care".

Each offers "a blueprint for how architecture can enrich society", and they show a "hopeful vision for the future, one where architecture strengthens communities and helps shape a more sustainable and inclusive built environment", he added.

Appleby Blue Almshouse by Witherford Watson Mann Architects

This social housing development, with 57 flats for over-65s, in Southwark, south London, replaced an abandoned care home, and is billed as a modern version of the traditional almshouse.

The design is intended to "foster community and reduce isolation among residents", Riba said, with communal areas and shared facilities including a kitchen and double-height garden room. "The result is a new standard for inclusive social housing in later life."

Elizabeth Tower by Purcell

The Elizabeth Tower is one of London's best-known landmarks and is often known as Big Ben - although that's actually the name of the bell that produces the famous bongs.

The most extensive works to the tower in its 160-year history included repairs to the clock mechanism; changes to the colour scheme on the four clock faces to put back the Victorian blue and gold; and reinstating St George's Cross flag emblems. Accessibility improvements include a new lift.

The result is described as "a veritable masterclass in conservation and craftsmanship" by the judges - although it came at a cost, going way over its original budget, which was estimated at £29m to £45m.

Hastings House by Hugh Strange Architects

This late 19th Century detached hillside house in the East Sussex town has been extended with a series of timber-framed rooms and industrial exterior features including a concrete yard and galvanised steel staircase.

"The result goes beyond a house extension, transforming the entire home and producing a lesson in restrained, inventive reuse," the judges said.

London College of Fashion by Allies and Morrison

The college previously had six buildings but the 6,000 students and staff moved to the new 17-storey headquarters in the Queen Elizabeth Park in Stratford, east London, in 2023.

Judges approvingly noted features including its "dramatic staircases unfurling through a shared 'heart space' to encourage collaboration".

Niwa House by Takero Shimazaki Architects

This home, described as a "pavilion-like oasis", was built on a previously derelict plot behind a row of terraced houses in south London for a family with a love of Japanese design. It was also designed to be accessible for a wheelchair-using resident.

"The quality of light throughout the home is breathtaking," the judges said. "Large full-height sliding doors and full-height glazed walls seamlessly blend indoors and out – opening spaces to gardens, courtyards and balconies. It is difficult to see where the building ends and the gardens begin."

The Discovery Centre by Herzog and de Meuron/BDP

Medicine giant AstraZeneca's Discovery Centre "radically redefines the research facility", according to Riba, "blending cutting-edge laboratories with welcoming public spaces".

The striking building has a curved three-sided shape, with a high, jagged exterior glass front and roof. Inside, three glass-lined labs are linked by "clever interconnecting corridors that balance stringent security with transparency, putting science on display".

Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan has gone on trial in London on charges of harassment and criminal damage against a transgender woman.

The Irish comedy writer, who also created The IT Crowd and Black Books, has pleaded not guilty to the two charges.

Before going into Westminster Magistrates' Court, the 57-year-old did not speak to the media but did pose with a supporter's sign saying "There's no such thing as a 'transgender child"' on one side and "Keep men out of women's sports" on the other.

This trial is not connected to the allegations that led to his much-publicised arrest at Heathrow Airport on Monday.

He said he was met by five armed officers over messages he had previously posted about trans people on X, sparking a backlash from some public figures and politicians, and inflaming a fierce debate about policing and free speech.

In that case, he was arrested on suspicion of inciting violence, and has been bailed "pending further investigation".

Meanwhile, the trial that opened on Thursday is hearing allegations that he harassed Sophia Brooks, 18, a transgender activist, on social media last October, and damaged her phone.

He is accused of posting abusive comments on social media, and of causing damage to a phone to the value of £369 during the Battle of Ideas conference in London.

He appeared in the dock and spoke to confirm his identity.

Julia Faure Walker, prosecuting, said: "The defendant, Graham Linehan, faces two charges, one harassment of Sophia Brooks between 11 October 2024 and 27 October 2024," PA Media reported.

"The second charge is criminal damage of Ms Brooks' mobile phone on 19 October 2024.

"There are some matters that are not in dispute. It's not in dispute that the defendant sent the relevant social media posts between 11 October and 27 October, and it's not in dispute that the defendant seized and threw the phone of the complainant.

"Ms Brooks is now 18 but at the time of these events she was 17."