The UK's first "super-university", stretching across an entire region, is to be created through the merger of the universities of Kent and Greenwich, the BBC has learnt.

Under the proposed name of London and South East University Group, the single institution will have one vice-chancellor from the academic year starting in autumn 2026.

The Office for Students (OfS), England's higher education regulator, welcomed the move and suggested more universities may explore similar options as they battle economic challenges, with 40% of English universities now believed to be in financial deficit.

The Department for Education (DfE) said ministers "welcome innovative approaches such as this one".

The new university will operate across the existing campuses, including in Medway, where students from both Greenwich and Kent already share facilities, including the library.

Kent has one other campus, in Canterbury, about 30 miles (48km) from Medway.

Greenwich has two other campuses, one on the banks of the River Thames in Greenwich itself about 28 miles (45km) from Medway, and the other in Avery Hill, south-east London, about 24 miles (38km) from Medway.

The universities said the combined institution will provide a strong financial foundation to weather the economic challenges facing universities now and in the future.

Speaking exclusively to the BBC, the vice-chancellors of both universities insisted the move was not a takeover, nor driven by a financial crisis for either, although they argued the new university model would be "resilient and financially viable".

Prof Georgina Randsley de Moura will remain the interim leader of Kent until the merger, when Prof Jane Harrington, who runs Greenwich, will become the vice-chancellor of the new institution.

Prof Randsley de Moura said the "trailblazing model" would enable the universities within the new group to retain their name, identity and campuses.

Prof Harrington said the universities had worked together on the Medway campus for 20 years and now wanted to go further to contribute to the economy across London and the South East.

"This is about taking the best of both universities and saying what do we want to offer to our communities," she said.

For students, there will be no visible change, with applications continuing as normal to each institution and degrees awarded in the name of Kent or Greenwich.

Prof Harrington said she could tell students "absolutely categorically" they could complete any course they are already enrolled on, including those starting university this autumn.

The universities said there are no immediate plans for job losses, but both have had to make recent cuts.

In May, Greenwich confirmed it was cutting the equivalent of 15 full-time posts by August.

Kent has already started winding down some courses to reduce costs as it posted a deficit for another year in 2024.

The planned merger is likely to provoke anxiety about long-term prospects among staff.

Prof Harrington said she recognised there would be concern about posts, and said they would be saving costs by reducing senior roles.

Across England, job losses at many institutions over the last couple of years have been adding up, with the University and College Union (UCU) estimating the overall number of posts cut is about 5,000.

Mergers, once rare, have become more common, with City St George's created from two separate parts of the University of London last year.

Most others have involved smaller or specialist institutions.

The plans unveiled on Wednesday are on a bigger scale, with two universities offering a full range of courses and spread over a wider geographical area.

The merger will be watched with interest by other universities looking at ways to collaborate to stabilise their finances.

Tuition fees have increased to £9,535 this academic year, but the real value to universities has fallen because of rising costs since the big uplift 13 years ago increased fees from just over £3,000 to £9,000 a year.

In the last academic year, the number of applications from international students, who pay higher fees, was 16% lower than universities had hoped.

It followed visa restrictions introduced in 2024 which prevented international students bringing family members.

Vivienne Stern, from Universities UK, said the merger was significant, and a sign of how universities were thinking differently.

She said the "slow erosion" of university finances needed to be stopped and the government "was needed on the pitch pretty fast" with longer-term solutions.

Those government plans for the future funding of universities in England are expected later this autumn.

Ministers have already said they are looking at applying a 6% tax on income from international students.

A DfE spokesperson said: "This collaboration shows how strong partnerships in higher education can help enable delivery of world-class teaching and research whilst maintaining the best interests of students."

Any change on this scale has to be overseen by the OfS, which regulates universities in England, and makes sure students' studies are not disrupted.

"In any merger, effective communication with students will be crucial," a spokesperson said.

"Current students will continue to study for the courses they signed up for, and should continue to expect excellent teaching and support."

The UK's ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson has said he feels "a tremendous sense of regret" over his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, and a "tremendous sense of sympathy" for his victims.

Speaking to the You Tube channel Harry Cole Saves the West, he likened his association with Epstein to "an albatross around my neck", adding that he felt "profoundly upset that I was taken in" by a "charismatic criminal liar".

On Tuesday, US lawmakers released a number of documents which included a letter from Lord Mandelson in which he called Epstein his "best pal".

The diplomat said it was "very embarrassing" to see the words published but added they were written "over 20 years ago".

He said he believed more "embarrassing" material including letters and emails would be released.

On Tuesday, a Downing Street spokesperson has said that the prime minister still has confidence in Lord Mandelson and said he has "played a key part" strengthening trade and investment with the US, which had secured jobs in the UK.

The birthday message from Mandelson was one of a number of documents in an alleged "birthday book" given to Epstein in 2023 to celebrate his 50th birthday.

The book contained messages, cards and photos sent by Epstein's friends, including a letter carrying a signature resembling US President Donald Trump. Trump has denied writing the note.

Epstein had been a well-connected financier who was convicted for soliciting prostitution from a person under the age of 18 in 2008. He died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Asked why he continued his association with Epstein, Mandelson said he "fell for his lies".

"I accepted assurances he had given me about his original indictment, his original criminal case. Like very many people I took at face value what he said."

He said he never saw wrongdoing at any point while with Epstein and he "never sought, nor did [Epstein] offer introductions to women in the way that he did to others, perhaps it is because I am a gay man".

He said he couldn't "rewrite history" adding: "What I can do, what I can do is express my profound sympathy for those who were badly treated by him."

Contactless card payments are set to exceed £100 and potentially become unlimited under new proposals to allow banks and other providers to set limits.

The proposals from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) mean entering a four-digit PIN to make a card payment could become even more of a rarity for shoppers.

If approved, purchases which can cost more than £100 - such as a big supermarket shop, or large family meal in a restaurant - could be made with a tap of a card.

The move would bring cards in line with payments made through digital wallets on smartphones which have no restriction, and reflects the ongoing changes in the way people pay.

When contactless card payments were introduced in 2007, the transaction limit was set at £10. The limit was raised gradually, to £15 in 2010, to £20 in 2012, then to £30 in 2015, before the Covid pandemic prompted a jump to £45 in 2020, then to £100 in October 2021.

If approved, the latest plan could be put in place early next year.

Every rise has been met with concerns about theft and fraud, and the FCA said card providers would only permit higher-value contactless payments for low-risk transactions and would carry the burden if things went wrong.

However, the freedom for banks to raise or even scrap the contactless limit suggests the four-digit PIN could soon become relatively redundant.

The FCA has proposed the changes, despite the majority of consumers and industry respondents to a consultation favouring the current rules.

Some 78% of consumers who responded said they did not want any change to the limits.

The FCA said it did not expect any quick changes, but providers would welcome the flexibility over time when prices rise and technology advances. They could also give customers the option to set their own limits.

Fraud and theft fears

The idea of high-value payments being made with a tap of a card will raise concern that thieves and fraudsters will target cards.

Various protections are already in place. In addition to the £100 single payment limit, consumers are often required to enter a PIN if a series of contactless transactions totals more than £300, or five consecutive contactless payments are made.

The FCA's own analysis suggests raising the limits would increase fraud losses, but said detection was improving and would continue to get better.

It said any change would be reliant on providers ensuring payments were low-risk, through their fraud prevention systems.

Consumers would still get their money back if money was stolen by fraudsters, according to David Geale, from the FCA.

"People are still protected. Even with contactless, firms will refund your money if your card is used fraudulently," he said.

Many banks already allow cardholders to set a contactless limit of lower than £100, or switch it off completely, and the FCA expected this option to be made widely available.

It argued that time savings, less "payment friction", and a reflection of rising prices over time would make changes in the limits worthwhile.

Payment terminals would also need to be altered, as most are programmed to automatically refuse payments of more than £100 by card.

'I only use my phone to pay'

Smartphones already have an extra layer of security, through thumbprints or face ID. That allows people to pay without limits.

Nearly three-quarters of 16 to 24-year-olds regularly use mobile payments, according to industry research.

Near the appropriately named Bank Street in Sevenoaks, 24-year-old Demi Grady said she rarely bothered carrying her cards around anymore because she used her phone for everything.

"I was in London the other day, my phone died and I couldn't pay for stuff because I couldn't remember my card details," she said.

Her mum, Carrie, in contrast, uses her card when shopping.

"It would worry me more than be of benefit if they were to lose the limit of £100," she said.

Robert Ryan, who had just bought a "winter-ish jacket" at a Harveys Menswear on Bank Street said he did not regard entering a four-digit number when paying as a hassle. Instead it could be a useful budgeting tool.

"I feel more secure in what I'm buying and it does give me a bit of a prompt to make sure I'm not overspending on my tap-and-go," he said.

Richard Staplehurst, the owner of the store, said the majority of his customers were paying via a device.

He said that removing any obstacles to payment was great, but he did not want to be landed with a bill if a card was used fraudulently.

Stimulating the UK economy

The idea of removing the contactless limit was highlighted as one way the FCA was responding to the prime minister's call to regulators to remove restrictions to create more economic growth.

The government has been striving to improve the UK's economic performance, which has been slow for some time.

Other countries, such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand allow industry to set contactless card limits.

The FCA will consult on its proposals until 15 October.

Non-crime hate incidents should stop being recorded by the police, the policing watchdog has said.

Sir Andy Cooke, His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary, said current legislation places police in an "invidious position" with "discretion and common sense" not always prevailing.

"I think we need to separate the offensive from the criminal," he added.

The head of the Metropolitan Police, speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, agreed with Sir Andy's call and highlighted the "limited" levels of discretion available for officers, adding: "We need more flexibility."

The comments follow recent police activity which has sparked public debate - including a police visit to Daily Telegraph columnist Allison Pearson last year to arrange an interview over a social media post.

The visit attracted a lot of online comment at the time. Essex Police since clarified "at no stage" did its officers tell her the investigation was related to a "non-crime hate incident" while Ms Pearson said she was left "dumbstruck" by the visit.

Non-crime hate incidents are alleged acts perceived to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards people with certain characteristics, such as race or gender.

They are recorded to collect data on "hate incidents that could escalate into more serious harm" but do not amount to a criminal offence, according to Home Office guidance.

Police guidance on the recording of NCHIs was first published in 2005, following recommendations by an inquiry into the murder of Stephen Lawrence.

Speaking to journalists ahead of the publication on Wednesday of the annual State of Policing in England and Wales assessment, Sir Andy said: "I'm a firm believer that non-crime hate incidents are no longer required, and that intelligence can be gathered in a different way, which would cause less concern to the public and would make recording of such issues much easier for policing."

He added: "We need, at times, to allow people to speak openly without the fear that their opinion will put them on the wrong side of the law."

He underlined that the role of the police is to deal with criminality "across the board" which at times means dealing with issues that occur online.

"It can be a fine line, and that's one of the reasons why we need to look again at the policy and the legislation that sits around this because it places the police in an invidious position and, as we know, discretion and common sense don't always win out in these issues."

In April, the Conservatives called for the recording of such incidents to be scrapped in all but a few cases. Kemi Badenoch said they have "wasted police time chasing ideology and grievance instead of justice".

At the time, the government's then-Policing Minister Diana Johnson said the plan was "unworkable" and "would prevent the police monitoring serious antisemitism and other racist incidents".

Metropolitan Police chief Sir Mark reiterated on Wednesday calls he made last week for the government to "change or clarify" the law after the arrest of Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan.

Linehan was arrested on suspicion of an alleged criminal offence of inciting violence in relation to posts on X – police were not seeking to record a non-crime hate incident.

The situation sparked a backlash with public figures and politicians weighing in and reignited a wider debate about the policing of comments made on social media.

Linehan has since said he does not regret any of his posts - adding he would be suing the police "for wrongful arrest and false imprisonment".

Sir Mark defended the officers involved, although said "perhaps some things could have been done differently".

He added that he recognised "concern caused by such incidents, given differing perspectives on the balance between free speech and the risks of inciting violence in the real world".

"The policies that lead officers to make these decisions are wrong.

"We need to pull those policies back to give officers more discretion to make different decisions in these circumstances."

Asked by media about this arrest, Sir Andy added: "Was it a great public optic? No, it wasn't. Is there individual criticism from me in relation to the officers who were there? No, there isn't.

"Lessons I'm sure will be learned in relation to it, but it does make policing's job harder when these things occur, because this becomes the focus of attention."

The State of Policing annual report was published on Wednesday with the chief inspector saying this constitutes a "once in a lifetime opportunity" to start the reform that policing needs.

"It will be a missed opportunity if it's not properly funded from the start," he added.

Among Sir Andy's findings were:

• Police forces and the government are "working hard to rebuild public confidence"
• The service continues to face "significant" workforce challenges
• Forces need better co-ordination and collaboration.

The maker of Wegovy and Ozempic, Novo Nordisk, has announced it will cut 9,000 jobs weeks after warning that profits will fall as more "knock-off" weight-loss drugs emerge.

The redundancies make up 11% of the Danish company's workforce and mark the first major step by new chief executive Mike Doustdar as Novo Nordisk faces mounting pressures in the rapidly expanding weight-loss sector.

Demand for weight-loss drugs has increased in recent years, in particular after Covid-related lockdowns forced people to stay in their homes.

Mr Doustdar said: "Our markets are evolving, particularly in obesity, as it has become more competitive and consumer-driven. Our company must evolve as well."

Novo Nordisk has faced increased competition from rivals such as Eli Lilly which makes Mounjaro.

Eli Lilly recently hiked the price of Mounjaro in the UK, leading to some patients warning they were unable to get hold of the medicine as pharmacies stockpiled the drug before the rise came into force.

The company announced Mounjaro's price will rise by up to 170%, meaning a month's supply of the highest dose will go up from £122 to £330.

At Novo Nordisk, the firm warned in July that its full-year sales and profits would not grow as quickly as expected.

The company aims to cut costs by 8 billion Danish kroner (£927m) by the end of next year.

In July, Novo Nordisk warned that its full-year sales and profits would not grow as quickly as expected.

Mr Doustdar said that while "it is always difficult to see talented and valued colleagues go, but we are convinced that this is the right thing to do for the long-term success of Novo Nordisk".

The company says it will begin discussions with employees in the coming months, in line with local labour laws.

Australian authorities are investigating a US influencer who has sparked controversy by filming himself trapping wild crocodiles in Queensland.

Mike Holston is under fire for two videos posted for his millions of followers online - one showing him wrestling a freshwater crocodile, and another showing him manhandling a saltwater crocodile, one of the planet's deadliest creatures.

Mr Holston says he made the videos for "educational purposes", but wildlife experts say his behaviour is cruel and he's been labelled a "goose" by the state's leader.

Queensland officials say the influencer's actions, which can attract fines of up to A$37,500 (£18,300, $24,776), are "extremely dangerous and illegal".

In a video posted last week to his Instagram, Mr Holston - who goes by "The Real Tarzann" on social media - can be seen jumping into shallow water to chase a freshwater crocodile.

The animal draws blood before Mr Holston secures it, and can be heard calling out in the video.

"This is what dreams are made of," the influencer says in the footage, adding that he had wanted to come to Australia since he was a child.

A second video shows Mr Holston heading into marshland to capture a juvenile saltwater crocodile. Usually one of the world's most aggressive reptiles, the animal is largely limp as he holds it by the neck and lifts it for the camera.

In both videos, he can be seen releasing the animals back to the wild.

A spokesperson for Queensland's environment department confirmed officials were investigating the incidents, which appear to have been filmed on the Lockhart River in Cape York.

"Let us be clear: people should not attempt to capture freshwater or saltwater crocodiles in Queensland, unless they are trained and licensed to do so," the statement said.

On-the-spot fines of A$8,345 apply for anyone found to be interfering with a saltwater crocodile in Queensland, but penalties can climb to more than four times that in some cases.

The state government also introduced new legislation last year aimed at cracking down on dangerous crocodile interactions, which included making it an offence to unintentionally feed a crocodile by dumping food that attracts the reptiles to a public space.

While Mr Holston's videos have been viewed - and liked - by masses of people online, there has also been growing condemnation of his actions.

Crocodile experts have expressed concern about the saltwater crocodile pictured in particular, saying it is unusual that it wasn't thrashing about, trying to escape.

The father of the late Australian naturalist Steve Irwin has also weighed in, suggesting people like Mr Holston should be "booted out the door" if they don't respect Australia's wildlife.

Mr Irwin stressed the behaviour was far removed from the activities of his own son - who died in 2006 - aged 44.

"This isn't a Steve Irwin issue. This is about an individual illegally interfering with protected fauna," Mr Irwin said in a statement.

"Anyone who actually knows how to handle crocodiles knows they don't respond well to capture. It's a specialised skill to do it without causing dangerous stress and lactic acid build-up - and this bloke clearly had no clue."

He said social media is playing a huge role in "glorifying" harmful wildlife interactions, and called for greater penalties for such behaviour - adding the current ones are "laughable" compared to the money that can be made off it online.

"These posts can have disastrous consequences for both people and wildlife."

Mr Holston, though, has defended his actions, in a comment on the video of him handling the saltwater crocodile. "The croc was released after a few up-close looks and photos where [sic] taken.

"I don't encourage anyone to try to recreate or re-enact [sic] these videos!"

The outrage over Mr Holston's videos comes just a few months after another US influencer was widely condemned for posting a video of her taking a baby wombat from the side of a road. She appeared to be laughing and running away from the distraught mother wombat.

Even Prime Minister Anthony Albanese waded into the discussion back in March, suggesting the woman, Sam Jones, do the same with animals that "can actually fight back".

"Take a baby crocodile from its mother and see how you go there," he said to her.

She left the country soon after anger erupted.

The US has said Israel's strike on Hamas targets in Qatar "does not advance Israel or America's goals", adding that President Donald Trump "feels very badly" about the attack.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt read a statement from Trump at a briefing on Tuesday. It said the US was notified of Israel's attack on Hamas, with a strike "very unfortunately" taking place in the capital Doha.

It described Qatar as "a sovereign nation and close ally of the United States that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker peace".

Six people were killed in the strike, Hamas said, including one member of the Qatari security forces, but the group said its leadership team survived.

The Israeli military said it conducted a "precise strike" targeted at Hamas senior leaders using "precise munitions". Israeli media reported the operation involved 15 Israeli fighter jets, which fired 10 munitions against a single target.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he authorised the strike and there would be "no immunity" for Hamas leaders.

At the White House briefing on Tuesday, Leavitt said: "President Trump immediately directed Special Envoy [Steve] Witkoff to inform the Qataris of the impending attack, which he did. The president views Qatar as a strong ally and friend of the United States."

"The president also spoke to the emir and prime minister of Qatar and thanked them for their support and friendship to our country. He assured them that such a thing will not happen again on their soil," she added.

Leavitt said "eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal" and reiterated that Trump "wants all of the hostages in Gaza and the bodies of the dead released in this war to end now".

The attack took place on early Tuesday afternoon, with footage showing a badly damaged building in Doha.

Qatar's foreign ministry condemned the strike "in the strongest possible terms," and said the attack was a "blatant violation" of international law.

It later said that Qatari officials were not notified of the Israeli strike ahead of time, contradicting the US statement.

"The communication received from one of the US officials came during the sound of explosions," said Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari in a post on X.

Leavitt did not specify when the US notified the Qataris of the attack.

Qatar has hosted Hamas's political bureau since 2012 and played a key role in facilitating indirect negotiations between the group and Israel since the 7 October attacks.

It has also been a close ally of the US. Around 10,000 American troops are stationed at a US airbase in al-Udeid, just outside Doha. In May, Trump announced a "historic" economic agreement signed between the two countries that he said is valued at least $1.2 trillion (£890bn).

Qatar has also recently gifted Trump a plane - valued at $400m - as an "unconditional gift" to be used as the new Air Force One, the official aircraft of the US president.

Hamas said their negotiating team in Doha survived Tuesday's attack, adding that the action "confirms beyond doubt that Netanyahu and his government do not want to reach any agreement" for peace.

It said it holds the US administration "jointly responsible" due to its ongoing support of Israel.

The office for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu put out a statement shortly after the strike, which said the attack was "a wholly independent Israeli operation".

"Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility," the statement said.

A few days prior to the attack, Hamas said it welcomed "some ideas" from the US on how to reach a Gaza ceasefire, and that it was discussing how to turn them "into a comprehensive agreement".

In its statement, the White House said Trump believes the "unfortunate" attack "could serve as an opportunity for peace," and that Netanyahu had expressed to him after the attack that "he wants to make peace and quickly".

Israel carried out a strike on senior Hamas leaders in Qatar's capital, Doha, on Tuesday afternoon.

Qatar quickly accused Israel of "reckless" behaviour and breaking international law after the attack on a residential premises in the city.

The Israel Defense Forces claimed to have targeted those "directly responsible for the brutal October 7 massacre".

Here is what we know so far.

• Latest updates on Doha strike

How and where was attack carried out?

Explosions were heard and smoke was seen rising above the Qatari capital Doha early on Tuesday afternoon.

Verified footage showed smoke rising from a heavily damaged section of a complex next to Woqod petrol station on Wadi Rawdan Street, close to the West Bay Lagoon district north of central Doha.

According to the Israeli military, it conducted a "precise strike" targeted at Hamas senior leaders in Qatar using "precise munitions".

Israeli media says the operation involved 15 Israeli fighter jets, firing 10 munitions against a single target.

Qatar has hosted Hamas's political bureau since 2012 and played a key role in facilitating indirect negotiations between the group and Israel since the 7 October attacks.

Who was hit in the attack?

According to a Hamas official, members of the Hamas negotiating delegation were targeted during a meeting.

The IDF has said the strike was carried out on the group's "senior leadership", although it is not yet clear exactly which individuals were targeted.

What did the US know and did Trump give a 'green light'?

The office for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu put out a statement shortly after the strike, claiming the attack was "a wholly independent Israeli operation".

"Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility," it said in a statement.

The White House also quickly confirmed it was informed of the operation, almost certainly because of the proximity of the huge US airbase at al-Udeid, just outside Doha.

This means that Donald Trump had a chance to say no to Israel but chose to give a green light instead.

Given this was an attack on sovereign Qatari territory, questions remain over how this will affect the massive US airbase at al-Udeid and how it will affect US relations with all its Gulf Arab allies.

What were Hamas leaders doing in Qatar?

Qatar has acted as a mediator between Israel and Hamas and has hosted negotiations between them since October 2023.

A couple of days ago, Hamas said it welcomed "some ideas" from the US about how to reach a Gaza ceasefire agreement that it received through mediators. It said it was in discussion about how to turn them "into a comprehensive agreement that meets the needs of our people".

It's thought likely the targeted Hamas leaders were in the middle of discussing their formal response to the US ideas.

A Palestinian official earlier told the BBC the US plan would see the 48 remaining hostages in Gaza freed in the first 48 hours of a 60-day truce in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and good-faith negotiations on a permanent ceasefire.

The firm guarding sites where aid is distributed in Gaza has been using members of a US biker gang with a history of hostility to Islam to run its armed security, a BBC investigation has found.

BBC News has confirmed the identities of 10 members of the Infidels Motorcycle Club working in Gaza for UG Solutions - a private contractor providing security at Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites, where hundreds of civilians seeking food have been killed in scenes of chaos and gunfire.

We can reveal that seven members of the gang are in senior positions overseeing sites at the controversial aid operation backed by Israel and US President Donald Trump.

UG Solutions (UGS) defended its employees' qualifications for the job, saying it does not screen people out for "personal hobbies or affiliations unrelated to job performance".

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said it has "a zero-tolerance policy for any hateful, discriminatory biases or conduct".

Infidels MC was set up by US military veterans of the Iraq war in 2006 and members see themselves as modern Crusaders, using the Crusader cross as their symbol - a reference to the medieval Christians who fought Muslims for control of Jerusalem.

The gang is currently hosting anti-Muslim hate speech on its Facebook page and has previously held a pig roast "in defiance of" the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

"Putting the Infidels biker club in charge of delivering humanitarian aid in Gaza is like putting the KKK in charge of delivering humanitarian aid in Sudan. It makes no sense whatsoever," said Edward Ahmed Mitchell, deputy director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a leading Muslim civil rights organisation in the US.

"It's bound to lead to violence, and that's exactly what we've seen happen in Gaza."

The gang's leader, Johnny "Taz" Mulford, is a former sergeant in the US Army who was punished for conspiracy to commit bribery, theft and making false statements to military authorities. He is now the "country team leader" running UG Solutions' contract in Gaza.

We emailed Infidels MC for comment. In response, Mr Mulford instructed fellow leaders of the biker gang not to reply but included the BBC when he clicked "reply all" - inadvertently disclosing email addresses and names of fellow Infidels MC members, some of whom were working in Gaza.

By matching up names with public information about Infidels MC's leadership, and evidence from UG Solutions insiders who worked with them, we have identified 10 members of Infidels MC who Mr Mulford recruited to work with him in Gaza.

In addition to Mr Mulford, we have identified three leading members of Infidels MC who also have senior roles at UGS's Gaza operation:

• Larry "J-Rod" Jarrett, who has been publicly named as the Infidels MC vice-president, and is in charge of logistics
• The gang's national treasurer, Bill "Saint" Siebe, who leads the security team for one of GHF's four "safe distribution sites"
• One of the gang's founding members, Richard "A-Tracker" Lofton, a team leader at another distribution site

Confidential documents, open-source information and former UGS contractors have enabled us to confirm the identities of a further six Infidels bikers hired to work in Gaza. Three of them are leaders or deputy leaders of the firm's armed security teams.

Mr Jarrett, Mr Siebe and Mr Lofton did not respond to requests for comment.

UGS told the BBC it conducts comprehensive background checks and only deploys vetted individuals. However, news reports indicate Mr Jarrett was arrested two years ago in the US for drunk driving and has a previous charge of driving under the influence from about a decade earlier. It is not known whether either case resulted in a conviction.

The founder and chief executive of UG Solutions, Jameson Govoni, was arrested earlier this year in North Carolina for his alleged involvement in a hit-and-run incident and for fleeing from police to evade arrest, according to court documents. Mr Govoni, who is based in the US and is not a member of Infidels MC, declined to comment.

Until now Mr Mulford was the only UG Solutions contractor to have been identified as a member of the Infidels. The BBC's investigation reveals how widespread his hiring of members of the biker gang has been, notably to better-paid jobs leading the UGS armed security teams.

Social media posts show that in May, just two weeks before travelling to Gaza, Mr Mulford sought to recruit US military veterans who follow him on Facebook, inviting anyone who "can still shoot, move and communicate" to apply.

In total, at least 40 of about 320 people hired to work for UG Solutions in Gaza were recruited from Infidels MC, according to an estimate by a former contractor.

UG Solutions is paying each contractor $980 (£720) per day including expenses, rising to $1,580 (£1,160) per day for team leaders at GHF's "safe distribution sites", documents seen by the BBC show.

One leader of a team in Gaza overseeing site security, Josh Miller, posted a photo of a group of contractors in Gaza with a banner reading "Make Gaza Great Again".

The banner advertises the logo of a company he owns which sells T-shirts and other clothing, including one which has the slogan "embrace violence" and another which says: "Surf all day, rockets all night. Gaza summer 25."

His company also posted a video online showing scenes of gun violence and advocating the shooting of criminals, with the caption: "Remember, always shoot until they're no longer a threat!"

Mr Miller has the word "Crusader" tattooed across his fingers and "1095" on his thumbs. This is the year when the leader of the Catholic church, Pope Urban II, launched the first crusade, attacking Muslims as a "vile race". Mr Miller did not respond to requests for comment.

A post on the Infidels MC Facebook page selling "1095" hats says it signifies the start of the Crusades, "a military campaign by western European forces to recapture Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Muslim control". The "Holy Land" refers to the area mostly covered by modern-day Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Johnny Mulford, who in addition to leading the gang is listed as the registered agent of a Florida company called Infidels MC, has the date 1095 tattooed across his chest. He has a Crusader cross tattooed on his right forearm and another on his left upper arm along with the word "Infidels".

"When you see anti-Muslim bigots today celebrating 1095, celebrating the Crusades, they are celebrating the wholesale massacre of Muslims - the erasure of Muslims and Jews from the holy city of Jerusalem," said Mr Mitchell from the US Muslim civil rights organisation CAIR.

He said the gang had the hallmarks of anti-Muslim hate groups which for decades have used the name "Infidels".

Anti-Islamic views expressed by the gang include a flyer for the pig roast during Ramadan, which the BBC found on an archived web page. It says: "In defiance of the Islamic holiday of Ramadan… we invite you to attend the Infidels MC Colorado Springs Chapter open bike party & pig roast."

The flyer also shows a woman wearing a burka that has been torn off from the neck down, exposing her chest.

The Infidels MC Facebook page has hosted clearly Islamophobic discussions. In 2020 the club shared a link to a false, satirical article claiming four US Democratic politicians, two of them Muslim, wanted the Bible to be deemed hate speech.

Comments from members of the Facebook group included: "Filling my magazine to the max. Would not be the first time we were at odds with muslims"; "Deport these pathetic skanks to a pathetic third world crap hole where they won't be offended by the Holy Bible"; and a comment dismissing "them and their Mohammad" with an expletive.

As of Wednesday, the comments remain on the Infidels MC Facebook page.

The Infidels MC website also used to show the skull logo of the violent Marvel comic book character Punisher, a symbol appropriated by white supremacist groups, inscribed with "kafir" in Arabic script - which translates as "unbeliever" (or "infidel").

Scenes of chaos and danger have been common at the aid distribution sites in Gaza since they opened at the end of May. Up to 2 September, 1,135 children, women and men were killed near GHF sites while seeking food, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The UN has said most of the killings appear to have been carried out by Israeli security forces. Incidents where civilians were harmed while seeking aid are "under review by the competent authorities in the IDF", the Israeli military said.

UGS has denied allegations that its security contractors also fired on civilians and that it put people seeking food in danger due to incompetent leadership. However, the company has admitted that warning shots have been used to disperse crowds.

In a statement, UG Solutions, based in North Carolina, said Johnny Mulford is a "trusted and respected figure" with more than 30 years' experience supporting the US and its allies globally. "We stand by his reputation, record, and his contributions to the success of complex missions," the company said.

"We do not screen for personal hobbies or affiliations unrelated to job performance or security standards. Every team member undergoes comprehensive background checks, and only qualified, vetted individuals are deployed on UG Solutions operations," UGS said.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said it relies on "people from all backgrounds" to provide aid in Gaza and to build trust with Gazans.

"The team providing aid at the Foundation's sites is diverse - and it is successful for that reason," the GHF said.

Rachel Reeves has told her cabinet colleagues that government departments will have their access to the Treasury's emergency funds limited ahead of the budget, BBC News understands.

The £9bn Treasury Reserve, designed to be used for "genuinely unforeseen, unaffordable and unavoidable pressures" has recently been used to fund higher public sector pay and compensation payouts.

In a letter to ministers, the chancellor said Treasury would only consider providing reserve funds to departments that have already maximised their savings.

It comes less than 11 weeks before Reeves is set to deliver Labour's Budget amid mounting pressure to boost economic growth while balancing public finances.

The aim of restricting reserve access is to help Reeves stick to her borrowing rules by reducing government borrowing and keep department spending within totals announced at the June Spending Review.

She also warned that any funds borrowed from the reserve would have to be repaid.

The chancellor will outline the government's tax and spending plans for everything from hospitals and schools to infrastructure and defence in the Budget on Wednesday 26 November.

Economists have previously warned that she will need to lift taxes or make spending cuts to meet her borrowing rules, which include having day-to-day government costs paid for through tax income instead of borrowing by 2029-30.

Head of the Confederation of British Industry Rain Newton-Smith said chancellor "must commit to tax reform, not just tax rises" in an opinion piece in the Guardian.

Businesses have faced ongoing cost pressures following April's increased employer National Insurance Contributions and the National Living Wage as well as continuing price increases.

"The chancellor cannot raid corporate coffers again so she must look elsewhere, embracing long-term strategic tax reforms rather than maintaining a slavish adherence to manifesto promises on tax or ideas based on the world as it was 18 months ago," Ms Newton-Smith said.

Reeves told her colleagues that the focus over Autumn would be on "reducing inflation, controlling spending and kickstarting growth".

She referenced recent bond market fragility "in many advanced economies" at cabinet on Tuesday saying "stability is more important than ever to underpin growth in a volatile global environment, and that means living within our means."

The chancellor told colleagues: "I do not think there is anything progressive about spending £100 billion a year on paying off debts accrued by previous governments."

Reeves added she would rather spend more of that money on "cutting hospital waiting lists, tackling illegal migration and keeping our country safe."

While the tough message was delivered to cabinet, it was also aimed at the markets and her own backbench MPs.

In the Commons on Tuesday she said she agreed that Labour backbenchers should "resist the temptation to duck tough choices on spending".

The Spending Review already reduced the amount of the Reserve back from normal levels of about £14bn a year, with the Institute for Fiscal Studies arguing that it "left little space to deal with unforeseen pressures".

Forecasts for how much money Reeves needs to find in the upcoming to meet her self-imposed borrowing rules vary widely.

Some estimates putting the figure at around £25bn while an estimate from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research put the figure at £50bn.

In an exclusive interview with the BBC last week, Reeves played down the larger figure and said she aimed to "get the balance right" at the Budget.

Reeves has two rules on government borrowing, which she has repeatedly said are "non-negotiable". These are:

• day-to-day government costs will be paid for by tax income, rather than borrowing by 2029-30

• to get debt falling as a share of national income by the end of this parliament in 2029-30

Abbey Road studios has announced the nominees for its Music Photography Awards, after considering more than 20,000 submissions from 30 different countries.

The photographs up for awards feature stars including Chappell Roan, Lana Del Rey, Charli XCX, Tyler the Creator, Pulp, The 1975, Maggie Rogers, Fontaines DC, Doja Cat, Central Cee and Burna Boy.

Fans can vote for music moment of the year on the MPA's website until 23 September and the awards ceremony will take place at London's Abbey Road on 2 October.

Mark Robertson, Abbey Road's director of marketing and creative, thanked the "incredibly gifted community of photographers who continue to impress with their work".

He added the images "prove that music photography is a genuine art to be celebrated and plays a vital role in shaping culture".

The awards include two new categories this year - portrait and festivals - with an additional guest category called club culture.

All 40 images from the eight open categories on display in Outnet's Now Pop One venue in London, where photographs by the nominees can be seen between 19 and 23 September.

Here are some of the nominees:

Category: Live Music

Photographer: Greg Noire

Image: US rapper and singer Doja Cat performing on stage with her dancers in eye-catching furry costumes

Category: Music moment of the year

Photographer: Pupat Chenaksara

Image: British singer-songwriter Charli XCX getting soaked in the rain while singing on stage

Category: Club culture

Photographer: Connor Baker

Image: Glitterbox at Hï Ibiza, with clubbers mid-dance amid the smoke effect

Category: Festivals

Photographer: Jez Pennington

Image: British rock band Enter Shikari at Download Festival, having a muddy experience

Category: Judges choice

Photographer: Phoebe Fox

Image: British rock band The Cure's lead singer Robert Smith shot in profile with his trademark hairstyle and make-up

Category: Music moment of the year

Photographer: Kirby Gladstein

Image: US singer-songwriter Lana Del Ray is wearing what looks like a black bridal ensemble

Category: Judges Choice

Photographer: Platon

Image: The crucial right hand of US musician, songwriter, guitarist and record producer Nile Rodgers, who is also the co-founder of disco band Chic

Category: Portrait

Photographer: Annie Noelker

Image: US record producer and songwriter Benny Blanco is getting his five-a-day in a restaurant

Category: Emerging photographer of the year

Photographer: Lantz Martin

Image: US rapper and record producer Ken Carson poses in profile for a black and white shot

Category: Making Music

Photographer: Jordan Curtis Hughes

Image: British rock pop band The 1975's lead singer-songwriter Matty Healy, surrounded by music instruments and snacks

Category: Underground scenes

Photographer: Jen Amelia Veitch

Image: A clubber at Hidden club night in Manchester posing on a billiards table

Israel has carried out a strike targeting the senior leadership of Hamas in Qatar's capital, Doha.

A Hamas official told the BBC that members of the Palestinian armed group's negotiating team were targeted during a meeting. It was not clear whether any of them were killed, but photos showed a badly damaged building in the northern Katara district.

The Israeli military accused the Hamas leaders of being directly responsible for the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel and of orchestrating the ensuing war in Gaza.

Qatar strongly condemned what it called the "cowardly Israeli attack that targeted residential buildings housing several members of the political bureau of Hamas".

"This criminal assault constitutes a blatant violation of all international laws and norms, and poses a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents in Qatar," a foreign ministry statement said.

The Gulf state - a key US ally in the region that is the location of a major American air base - has hosted the Hamas political bureau since 2012 and has served as a mediator in indirect negotiations between the group and Israel.

• Latest updates on Doha strike
• Israeli military orders all Gaza City residents to evacuate ahead of ground assault
• Hamas discussing US 'ideas' for Gaza ceasefire after Trump's 'last warning'

UN Secretary General António Guterres also condemned the strike, saying it was a "flagrant violation" of Qatar's sovereignty.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office stressed that what it called the "action against the top terrorist chiefs" of Hamas was a "a wholly independent Israeli operation".

"Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility," a statement said.

A senior Israeli official told Israeli media that the Hamas members targeted included Khalil al-Hayya, the chief negotiator and exiled Gaza leader, and Zaher Jabarin, the exiled West Bank leader.

"We are awaiting the results of the strike. There is a consensus among the political and security leadership," the official added.

On Monday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had warned Hamas leaders living abroad that they faced "annihilation" and Gaza would be destroyed if the group did not release its hostages and lay down its arms.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 64,605 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

More than 1,000 people across the UK with suspected dementia are to be offered a blood test for Alzheimer's disease which it is hoped could revolutionise diagnosis of the disease.

The blood test can detect biomarkers for rogue proteins which accumulate in the brains of patients with the condition and will be used in addition to pen and paper cognitive tests, which often misdiagnose it in its early stages.

Scientists leading the trial at University College London believe the blood test will improve the accuracy of diagnosis from 70% to more than 90% and want to see how that helps patients and clinicians.

Patients will be recruited at 20 memory clinics as part of the study, which aims to see how well the test works within the NHS.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and is associated with the build-up in the brain of two rogue proteins - amyloid and tau - which can accumulate for up to 20 years before symptoms emerge.

The new blood test, which costs around £100, measures a biomarker called p-tau217, which reflects the presence of both proteins.

Previously, the only way to confirm Alzheimer's was by specialist PET brain scans and lumbar punctures to extract cerebrospinal fluid.

However, these "gold standard" tests are not part of routine Alzheimer's diagnosis and only 2% of patients ever receive them.

Professor Fiona Carragher, chief policy and research officer at the Alzheimer's Society, said: "Our recent Lived Experience Survey revealed that only a third of people with dementia felt their experience of the diagnosis process was positive, while many reported being afraid of receiving a diagnosis.

"As a result, too often, dementia is diagnosed late, limiting access to support, treatment and opportunities to plan ahead."

Now, the Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis and Plasma p-tau217 (ADAPT) trial has begun recruitment at a memory clinic in Essex, with 19 additional specialist NHS centres planned to be involved across the UK.

The study is being led by scientists at University College London, and is supported by Alzheimer's Research UK, the Alzheimer's Society, with funding from the People's Postcode Lottery.

Jonathan Schott, professor of neurology at University College London and chief medical officer at Alzheimer's Research UK said he was "thrilled" to welcome participants onto the ADAPT trial.

He described the trial as "a critical part of the Blood Biomarker Challenge, which we hope will take us a step forward in revolutionising the way we diagnose dementia."

Half the participants in the study will receive their blood tests results within three months while the others will be told after 12 months.

The study team will establish whether providing results earlier helps speed up diagnosis, guides decisions about further investigations, and influences how both patients and doctors interpret and respond to the results.

The impact of blood test results on quality of life will also be measured.

If the trial is deemed successful, the blood test could become a standard part of Alzheimer's diagnosis. This will be crucial in years to come as a raft of new drugs to combat early-stage disease are in the final stages of clinical trials.

'Gamechanger'

Steven Pidwell, 71, from north London, says an accurate, rapid blood test for Alzheimer's, combined with new treatments, would be a "gamechanger" for families affected by the condition.

His partner of more than 50 years, Rachel Hawley, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease almost a decade ago.

Steven told the BBC: "I think it would mean everybody's idea of Alzheimer's would change. We would treat Alzheimer's more like having a disability, rather than sort of a curse, and something we can't talk about."

A diagnosis of Alzheimer's can be devastating but the couple say they refuse to let the disease spoil their time together.

Rachel, 72, said: "I think I still have a very happy life, and am very lucky in all sorts of ways."

The couple were part of a group of patients with lived experience of Alzheimer's, who helped researchers at UCL design the trial and the feedback to potential volunteers.

The team at UCL expect to have results in around three years.

For the first time, there are more children in the world who are obese than underweight, according to a major study by children's charity Unicef.

Around one in 10 of those aged between five and 19 years old - around 188 million children and young people - are now thought to be affected by obesity.

Researchers blame a shift from traditional diets to ones heavily reliant on ultra-processed foods that are relatively cheap and high in calories.

Unicef, an agency of the United Nations, is urging governments to protect children's diets from unhealthy ingredients and stop the ultra-processed food industry from interfering in policy decisions.

Overweight and malnourished

When health experts used to refer to malnourished children, that was often read as those who were underweight.

Not any more – that term now also refers to the impact of obesity on the health and development of children. Even in poorer countries that is now a real concern.

Children are considered overweight when they are significantly heavier than a healthy weight for their age, sex and height.

Obesity is a severe form of being overweight, and is linked to a higher risk of type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers, in later life.

Throughout childhood, good nutrition, including plenty of fruit, vegetables and protein, plays a vital role in growth, cognitive development and mental health.

But many traditional diets are being displaced by ultra-processed foods, often high in sugar, starch, salt, unhealthy fats and additives.

Unicef executive director Catherine Russell says the challenges posed by obesity should not be under-estimated. She said it's "a growing concern" that can affect the health and development of children.

1 in 10 are now obese

Undernutrition - which can manifest itself as wasting and stunting - remains a significant problem in the under-fives in many low and middle income countries.

But the latest data from Unicef - a study that draws on data from more than 190 countries - finds the prevalence of underweight children aged 5-19 has declined since 2000, from nearly 13% to 9.2%.

Obesity rates however have increased from 3% to 9.4%, meaning that almost one in 10 children are now obese.

The number of overweight children - which includes those who are obese - has also increased to the extent that now 1 in five school-age children and adolescents are overweight.

That's roughly 391 million children across the globe, the study estimates.

Obesity now exceeds underweight in all regions of the world, except sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

The highest rates of obesity among children and young people are found in some of the Pacific Island states, including Niue (38%), the Cook Islands (37%), and Nauru (33%).

But many high-income countries also face a serious obesity problem. Among 5-19 year olds, 27% are obese in Chile, 21% in the United States, and 21% in the United Arab Emirates.

Unicef's Catherine Russell says: "In many countries we are seeing the double burden of malnutrition – the existence of stunting and obesity.

"This requires targeted interventions.

"Nutritious and affordable food must be available to every child to support their growth and development.

"We urgently need policies that support parents and caretakers to access nutritious and healthy foods for their children."

Call to action

Unicef warns that the health impacts and economic costs of doing nothing are potentially enormous.

The report estimates that by 2035, the global economic impact of overweight and obesity is expected to surpass US$4 trillion (£2.95 trillion) annually.

It urges governments to take action, including on the labelling and marketing of food.

That might include legal measures to protect children's diets by removing ultra-processed foods from school canteens, introducing taxes on unhealthy foods and drinks and encouraging food producers to make changes to products - known as reformulation - to limit unhealthy ingredients and harmful substitutes.

The report also calls for policy making to be protected from interference by the ultra-processed food industry.

Ultra-processed food and drink producers could be banned from involvement in developing and implementing policy and any industry political lobbying would have to be officially reported.

People accused of child abuse could receive significantly larger payments than their alleged victims under plans to share the fortune of a disgraced evangelical sect.

The organisation, known as the Jesus Army, has already paid out compensation to hundreds of people as part of a damages scheme.

Legal submissions, seen by the BBC, reveal it has £25m left which it intends to divide among loyal members. Survivors described the proposals as sickening.

A spokesperson for the Jesus Fellowship Community Trust (JFCT), which is winding up the affairs of the group, insisted the trustees had acted "in accordance with the trust deed".

One of the UK's largest and most abusive cults, the Jesus Army, or Jesus Fellowship Church, was founded by Noel Stanton, the late pastor of Bugbrooke Chapel, in Northamptonshire in 1969.

In 2017, three years prior to the group disbanding, documents seen by the BBC showed the estimated total value of its assets was £58.6m.

These included businesses and 55 large houses throughout England, which have since been sold.

Last year, under a redress scheme organised by the JFCT trustees, a compensation payment of £7.7m was shared among 601 individuals who said they suffered sexual, physical and emotional abuse in the fellowship's strict communal houses.

But claimants, most of whom were child victims, have criticised the scheme as ungenerous given it was almost entirely funded by insurers and is understood to have cost the trust about 5% of the total value of its assets.

"I don't think it followed any Christian code whatsoever," says Graham Lewis, 66, who worked as a nurse practitioner for the sect.

He left in 1996 because gay relationships were forbidden.

Mr Lewis says he believes those who remained members of the fellowship until the end have been "trying to protect themselves and feather their own nests".

As a victim of emotional and sexual abuse, he was paid £25,000 under the redress scheme.

"It doesn't compensate for the harm I suffered, and it also doesn't cover the financial losses I incurred; the 15 years I couldn't pay into a pension for example," he said.

Hardcore members of the Jesus Army gave all their wealth, income and possessions to a common purse, and unspent contributions went into the trust.

However, only 172 people who remained members until a decision to close in May 2020 are guaranteed to benefit from the assets.

As part of the winding up process, these so-called beneficiaries will vote on whether to expand the group of potential recipients.

The trustees said this created the possibility of other former members benefitting but added they had "no power to determine the vote".

Mr Lewis says he is concerned people accused of child abuse or covering-up offences could be among the listed beneficiaries.

"They're in line for huge payouts, perhaps ten times what survivors were awarded in damages. It's horrible and makes me sick to my stomach."

The BBC asked the JFCT how many alleged perpetrators of abuse or cover-up were among the listed beneficiaries.

A spokesperson said confidentiality considerations meant it was not appropriate to disclose their identities, adding many of the accusations during the redress scheme were made in strict confidence.

A review of compensation claims identified 539 alleged perpetrators of abuse in the Jesus Fellowship Church (about one sixth of the total membership), including 162 former leaders.

Given their loyalty to the movement, it is likely some former leaders are among the listed beneficiaries.

The BBC understands they have already received more than £20m in returns on capital investments, cash advances and other payments.

Northamptonshire Police said it was engaging with the allegations in the redress scheme but no new prosecutions had been started yet.

To date, at least 10 people have been convicted of indecent assaults or other offences committed while living in Jesus Army communities. Several others were acquitted.

Becky Ayres says she still remembers feeling trapped as a child who spent eight years in a community, before leaving to live with her grandmother in 1984 when she was 15.

"Part of the advice given to households was children should be beaten with a stick, and so anyone could decide when my baby sister or I was disciplined.

"The beatings were horrible and hurt and were always for the most trivial things like fidgeting during worship sessions."

Becky received £14,000 under the redress scheme.

"People didn't receive much for emotional abuse, but as many survivors have said, the worst of it was the control; it was not feeling safe as a child; not feeling important.

"I don't think the trust really considered that."

Becky said she urged the trustees to be generous when the redress scheme was being developed, and to consider the younger members who left with no support.

"To discover the trust has got £25m left over, it's massively insulting.

"We think the majority of the remaining funds should go to the survivors, rather than the people who were enjoying themselves and stuck around until the end."

Last month, the trustees asked a High Court judge to approve a procedure, which would prevent any further victims from making claims and so delaying the final distributions.

Acting for the trustees, Paul Adams read out a comment from an interested party: "Among the beneficiaries and claimants, are many people who paid their money in for years... They are now waiting for the payment to decide their future."

Chancery Master Karen Shuman ordered victims or others with unresolved claims to make themselves known by 16 October, after which time they would permanently lose the ability to claim.

Once the management of any remaining claims is concluded, the trust has been directed it can proceed to the final stages of winding up and dissolving the trust.

Since the broadcast of a new BBC documentary Inside the Cult of the Jesus Army, the Jesus Fellowship Survivors Association says dozens more potential victims have come forward.

A spokesperson for the JFCT said: "The Trustees have been acutely conscious of the traumatic, abusive and adverse experiences suffered in the church and community.

"They have also recognised the importance of engaging with not just the listed beneficiaries, but with others who have an interest in the winding up.

"They have sought to do so sensitively, meaningfully, and with a genuine willingness to listen and a desire to work collaboratively with interested parties."

• If you have been affected by this story or would like support then you can find organisations which offer help and information at the BBC Action Line.

For 13 terrifying seconds on 23 April this year, Turkey's largest city was shaken by a 6.2 magnitude earthquake. It was so strong that 151 people leapt from buildings in Istanbul in panic causing injuries, but no deaths.

But the Mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, could not lift a finger to help the city he was first elected to run in 2019.

He was behind bars in a high-security prison complex in the district of Silivri, on the western edge of the city – ironically close to the epicentre.

Imamoglu is accused of a raft of corruption charges, which he strongly denies – "Kafkaesque charges" in his words.

Supporters say his only crime is being the greatest threat to Turkey's leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in presidential elections due by 2028.

Many of his fellow prisoners in Marmara jail - on the day of the earthquake - had also fallen foul of President Erdogan during his 22 years in power, some of them as peaceful protesters.

The jail is still widely known by its former name of Silivri. Hence the household phrase to explain why the speaker might be wary of criticising Erdogan: "Silivri is cold now."

Critics say that after Erdogan's early years as a Western-facing reformer, he has become a latter-day Sultan, dismantling human rights, cracking down on dissent and weaponising the courts.

The jailed mayor, leaders of his Republican People's Party (CHP), veteran lawyers, and student protesters are all appearing in the dock this month in separate cases.

"Erdogan has taken a huge step towards turning Turkey into a Russia-style autocracy," argues Gonul Tol, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute (MEI) in Washington, who is from Turkey and now lives in the US.

"What he has in mind is a Turkey where the ballot box has no meaning… where he hand-picks his opponents."

In all, more than 500 people linked to the CHP have been arrested since last October.

Prosecutors accuse the mayor and his associates of taking bribes, rigging tenders, extortion, and having links to terrorism.

But the CHP - which is centrist and secular - argues that the detentions are politically motivated and aimed at silencing the opposition. The party denies the charges.

Some are asking why, as Turkish democracy comes under fire in full view, has the international community said little and done even less? Could it be that Erdogan has fingers in too many pies - including Russia, Ukraine, Syria, and Nato - for European leaders to want to pick a fight?

And is US President Donald Trump's willingness to look the other way on human rights giving Erdogan a freer hand?

'Overstepping the boundaries of justice'

Moments before his arrest in March, with hundreds of police on his doorstep, Mayor Imamoglu calmly carried on knotting his tie, while making a social media video for his supporters.

"We are facing great tyranny," he said, "but… I will not be discouraged."

He was composed and defiant - and "a mortal threat to Erdogan", according to Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish research programme at the Washington Institute in the US.

"He's charismatic, he's relatable, he's conservative like Erdogan, but also secular. He ticks so many boxes."

But he can tick far fewer in jail.

His arrest came just as the CHP – Turkey's largest opposition party - was poised to nominate him as their candidate for the presidency. (They did it anyway, after he was detained.)

Locking up Imamoglu sparked the biggest anti-government protests in more than a decade. It was mostly the young who surged onto the streets, members of Generation Erdogan who have known no other leader.

"It has reached the breaking point for most people," said one 21-year-old in Istanbul. "They have overstepped the boundaries of justice."

Another said this was "a direct attack on our democracy".

The government banned the demonstrations – which were largely peaceful - but could not stop them.

The turmoil in Istanbul played out in the shadow of a Roman aqueduct. Erdogan's legions of riot police took up positions under the arches, armed with batons, tear gas and rubber bullets.

One photo made front pages around the world: a lone protester dressed as a whirling dervish - in traditional costume plus gas mask – being pepper-sprayed by the police.

Hours after it was taken, the photographer, Yasin Akgul of the AFP news agency, was detained at home, his hands still stinging from tear gas. Several other leading photojournalists were also arrested.

Some 2,000 people were rounded up after the protests – many in pre-dawn raids. More than 800 of them were charged with taking part in "unauthorised demonstrations".

These days, getting arrested is "the easiest thing", according to Gonul Tol. "You just have to like a tweet or a Facebook post criticising Erdogan."

Student protester Esila Ayia, 22, was detained after holding up a poster calling the Turkish leader a dictator. (Insulting the president is a crime in Turkey.) If convicted, she could get four years in jail.

The arrests keep coming

Many Turks are feeling the chill, according to Berk Esen, associate professor of political science at Istanbul's Sabanci University, which has a liberal reputation. He claims there is "rampant pressure and oppression" of opposition figures in politics, civil society, academia and the media.

But he adds that Turkey is "not yet a fully fledged authoritarian regime… there is still some room for dissent".

Yet the arrests keep coming. More than 100 CHP members remain behind bars.

The president claims the CHP is "mired in corruption" with a network like "an octopus whose arms stretch to other parts of Turkey and abroad".

But Emma Sinclair-Webb of the campaign group Human Rights Watch sees a different octopus - the government itself.

It has "many, many, many, tentacles that go everywhere", she says. "There is a clear-sighted attempt by the government to go after critics and to go after the opposition.

"There is a complete loss of trust in the justice system. It's perceived more and more as highly politicised, and detention is being used to muzzle critics."

Members of the judiciary, prosecutors and judges themselves are "all the time looking up for instructions from above", she says.

The government says the judiciary is independent and impartial.

'He's a tough guy - very smart'

As Istanbul's mayor remains behind bars in Silivri, the international community remains focused elsewhere - chiefly on Israel's war in Gaza, and Russia's war in Ukraine.

The latter gives President Erdogan an edge, according to analysts.

He enjoys relatively good relations with Vladimir Putin, and Volodymyr Zelensky as well as Trump.

"I can't think of many other leaders who are in this position," says Berk Esen of Sabanci University. "I think in the international arena he likes to present himself as a dealmaker, in the room, shaking hands."

President Erdogan has had some success – for instance, helping to broker an agreement for Ukraine to resume grain exports through the Black Sea in July 2022, after they were halted by Russia's invasion five months earlier. And this year he hosted negotiators from Kyiv and Moscow for their first face-to-face talks since 2022.

"Everyone is praising his role in Russia and Ukraine," says Dr Tol. "Western leaders are looking to him to build European defence. And Trump doesn't care [what Erdogan does domestically], so he understands he can get away with it. "

She says Trump's return to the White House "has created an international context where regional autocrats feel empowered".

Dr Cagaptay, of the Washington Institute, says Erdogan has a freer hand because Trump has turned inwards, and the two leaders have "a special chemistry, going back to Trump's first term in office".

"I happen to like him, and he likes me," Trump has said of Erdogan. "He's a tough guy and he's very smart."

Erdogan is also well-placed geopolitically. Turkey's land mass lies partly in Asia, and partly in Europe, a bridge between two continents.

He holds plenty of other cards too - not least his leverage in neighbouring Syria. He backed the winning side there, supporting the Islamist rebels who overthrew President Bashar al-Assad in December.

He also leads the only Muslim nation in Nato, with the second largest army in the alliance, and a population of 85.6 million people. What happens here matters, for East and West.

"What Turkey is doing under Erdogan is leveraging its multiple identities very successfully," says Dr Cagaptay. "With the EU, I think Turkey is playing a middle power game very well…. whether it's about stabilising Syria or stabilising Ukraine after a ceasefire."

The sanctity of the ballot

Erdogan may be empowered - and enabled - but there is a limit, according to some analysts.

What he won't do is cancel the next presidential elections, according to Onur Isci, professor of history and international affairs at Kadir Has University in Istanbul.

"Historically the Turkish people have been acutely sensitive about the sanctity of the ballot and attempts to curtail it would provoke serious consequences," he says.

Turkish elections are generally free on the day, though far from fair beforehand.

The playing field is not level. Most mainstream media outlets are pro-government. Those that are not, come under strong pressure from the authorities.

During the last election in 2023, Erdogan hung on to power narrowly, winning 52.18% of the vote against the opposition candidate, Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

Recent polls have suggested he could be beaten next time by Imamoglu. But the mayor remains behind bars, facing several different trials, and the opposition will probably be forced to choose a different candidate.

As a two-term president, Erdogan, 71, is barred from running again, but he can solve that problem by calling early elections or bringing in a new constitution.

"I have no interest in being re-elected or running for office again," he said in May.

Mr Esen thinks otherwise. "He will run for the presidency as long as he is alive."

As the longest-serving leader in modern Turkey, he has a loyal base who want him to. Many conservative voters are grateful for the development brought by his Justice and Development Party (AKP) and for his promotion of Islam, in this secular republic.

Plenty of devotion was visible at a rally of the president's supporters before the last election.

One supporter, Ayse Ozdogan, had gone there early to hear her leader's every word, a crutch by her side.

"Erdoğan is everything to me," she said, with a broad smile. "We couldn't get to hospitals before, now we have transportation. He has improved roads. He has built mosques."

But what of his impact on Turkish democracy?

"It's hugely eroded but not dead," according to Ms Sinclair-Webb. "There is a very vibrant democracy, wedded to democratic principles and to elections."

The opposition too is very robust, she says.

Soner Cagaptay cites the example of a doner kebab seller, slicing meat on a spit.

"To me, that's like Turkish democracy under Erdogan. He's taken really thin slices over the past 20 years, and there's very little meat left."

But he says there is a lesson to take from the Erdogan era: "It takes a long time to kill a democracy."

We contacted the president's communication office for an official response but did not receive one.

In a report to the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here said that Turkey has "stood firm to protect and promote human rights... and has continued its efforts at further compliance with international standards in law."

The report adds that they country "spares no effort to create favourable conditions for civil society, including human rights defenders".

That may ring hollow in the cells in Silivri.

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Contactless card payments are set to exceed £100 and potentially become unlimited under new proposals to allow banks and other providers to set limits.

The proposals from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) mean entering a four-digit PIN to make a card payment could become even more of a rarity for shoppers.

If approved, purchases which can cost more than £100 - such as a big supermarket shop, or large family meal in a restaurant - could be made with a tap of a card.

The move would bring cards in line with payments made through digital wallets on smartphones which have no restriction, and reflects the ongoing changes in the way people pay.

When contactless card payments were introduced in 2007, the transaction limit was set at £10. The limit was raised gradually, to £15 in 2010, to £20 in 2012, then to £30 in 2015, before the Covid pandemic prompted a jump to £45 in 2020, then to £100 in October 2021.

If approved, the latest plan could be put in place early next year.

Every rise has been met with concerns about theft and fraud, and the FCA said card providers would only permit higher-value contactless payments for low-risk transactions and would carry the burden if things went wrong.

However, the freedom for banks to raise or even scrap the contactless limit suggests the four-digit PIN could soon become relatively redundant.

The FCA has proposed the changes, despite the majority of consumers and industry respondents to a consultation favouring the current rules.

Some 78% of consumers who responded said they did not want any change to the limits.

The FCA said it did not expect any quick changes, but providers would welcome the flexibility over time when prices rise and technology advances. They could also give customers the option to set their own limits.

Fraud and theft fears

The idea of high-value payments being made with a tap of a card will raise concern that thieves and fraudsters will target cards.

Various protections are already in place. In addition to the £100 single payment limit, consumers are often required to enter a PIN if a series of contactless transactions totals more than £300, or five consecutive contactless payments are made.

The FCA's own analysis suggests raising the limits would increase fraud losses, but said detection was improving and would continue to get better.

It said any change would be reliant on providers ensuring payments were low-risk, through their fraud prevention systems.

Consumers would still get their money back if money was stolen by fraudsters, according to David Geale, from the FCA.

"People are still protected. Even with contactless, firms will refund your money if your card is used fraudulently," he said.

Many banks already allow cardholders to set a contactless limit of lower than £100, or switch it off completely, and the FCA expected this option to be made widely available.

It argued that time savings, less "payment friction", and a reflection of rising prices over time would make changes in the limits worthwhile.

Payment terminals would also need to be altered, as most are programmed to automatically refuse payments of more than £100 by card.

'I only use my phone to pay'

Smartphones already have an extra layer of security, through thumbprints or face ID. That allows people to pay without limits.

Nearly three-quarters of 16 to 24-year-olds regularly use mobile payments, according to industry research.

Near the appropriately named Bank Street in Sevenoaks, 24-year-old Demi Grady said she rarely bothered carrying her cards around anymore because she used her phone for everything.

"I was in London the other day, my phone died and I couldn't pay for stuff because I couldn't remember my card details," she said.

Her mum, Carrie, in contrast, uses her card when shopping.

"It would worry me more than be of benefit if they were to lose the limit of £100," she said.

Robert Ryan, who had just bought a "winter-ish jacket" at a Harveys Menswear on Bank Street said he did not regard entering a four-digit number when paying as a hassle. Instead it could be a useful budgeting tool.

"I feel more secure in what I'm buying and it does give me a bit of a prompt to make sure I'm not overspending on my tap-and-go," he said.

Richard Staplehurst, the owner of the store, said the majority of his customers were paying via a device.

He said that removing any obstacles to payment was great, but he did not want to be landed with a bill if a card was used fraudulently.

Stimulating the UK economy

The idea of removing the contactless limit was highlighted as one way the FCA was responding to the prime minister's call to regulators to remove restrictions to create more economic growth.

The government has been striving to improve the UK's economic performance, which has been slow for some time.

Other countries, such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand allow industry to set contactless card limits.

The FCA will consult on its proposals until 15 October.

One of the UK's top planning lawyers has said it would be "unlawful" for the government to grant planning permission for a Chinese "mega embassy" near the Tower of London.

The opinion, from Lord Banner KC, was submitted to the government on Monday, just ahead of the final deadline for those opposed to the scheme to have their say.

Opponents are stepping up their fight against China's plan to turn the historic Royal Mint Court into the largest embassy of any country in Europe.

Residents of flats forming part of the Royal Mint estate commissioned the legal document in a bid to derail the scheme, as they fear China, which is now their landlord, will ultimately force them to leave their homes.

Former housing secretary Angela Rayner called the scheme in last year, ensuring the final decision on the planning application would be taken by her and not Tower Hamlets Council.

One of the most contentious aspects of the planning application has been that sections have been 'greyed out' by China, with the intended use of the rooms in question obscured.

In August, Rayner had written to the Chinese side demanding they "explain the rationale and justification for each of the redactions".

Hong Kong dissidents, and other Chinese pro-democracy activists living in the UK, have expressed fears that these rooms could be used to hold and interrogate opponents of China's Communist regime.

China's response, given by planning consultants working on its behalf, was to clarify the use of some rooms, but to decline to do so for others saying, "the internal functional layout for embassy projects is different from other projects".

They pointed to the fact "the application for the new US embassy in Nine Elms did not disclose details of internal layouts".

In his opinion Lord Banner points to the fact that parts of Royal Mint Court are listed and says "it cannot tenably be said that the detail omitted by the redactions could have no possible planning consequences".

He gave examples of what needs to be assessed, including "the potential uses of the redacted rooms, any structural or safety (including but not limited to fire safety) implications of any physical structures".

Lord Banner also highlights that, no matter what assurances are given, the People's Republic of China (PRC) would "benefit from diplomatic immunity" for any activities occurring on that territory, giving "'carte blanche' in relation to what goes on in the rooms".

He called on Rayner's replacement, the new Housing Secretary Steve Reed, to be provided with unredacted plans, as planning permission "cannot lawfully be granted on the basis of the redacted plans".

A second area where there has been concern about the plans is that China wants to leave one section of the embassy site open to the public so people could view the ruins of a Cistercian abbey and also visit a Chinese heritage centre it hopes to build.

Earlier in the year, the Foreign Office and the Home Office had said this posed "specific public order and national security risks", because they feared that if there was a security or health alert in that paved forecourt, the emergency services would not be able to deal with it.

Any member of the public, including anti-China protestors, could walk into the area - but the police could not enter, as the land would be Chinese territory with "diplomatic inviolability".

They requested China enclose this section inside the embassy's security perimeter. Beijing has declined to do that.

Instead, it said it would agree, as a planning condition, that police or emergency services would be allowed to access the land, if necessary.

In his opinion, Lord Banner says this solution is not adequate, because it would "not be enforceable given the immunity conferred on the Embassy, the Ambassador, and other Embassy employees by virtue of... the Vienna Convention".

"In law the PRC's assurances are meaningless," he says, adding: "The PRC would be free in domestic and international law to U-turn on them at any time and there is nothing that planning conditions could do to stop this."

Despite Rayner's sudden departure, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has indicated her replacement Reed is still expected to make a decision on or before 21 October.

A MHCLG spokesperson said it would not be appropriate to provide ongoing commentary which could prejudice any final decision.

The Royal Mint Court Residents' Association said that with Lord Banner's opinion it had "shown why the Chinese Embassy at the Royal Mint cannot be approved".

They said: "The UK government should now put an end to the planning application once and for all, or face a humiliating judicial review."

Reed will have to weigh other issues alongside the planning questions, including serious security concerns.

Conservative politicians have said that if China is allowed to turn Royal Mint Court into its new embassy it could seek to tap into fibre optic cables running near the building that carry sensitive data for financial institutions in the City of London.

The Chinese Embassy in London has previously told the BBC that it "is committed to promoting understanding and the friendship between the Chinese and British peoples and the development of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

"Building the new embassy would help us better perform such responsibilities".

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Israel has carried out a strike targeting the senior leadership of Hamas in Qatar's capital, Doha.

A Hamas official told the BBC that members of the Palestinian armed group's negotiating team were targeted during a meeting. It was not clear whether any of them were killed, but photos showed a badly damaged building in the northern Katara district.

The Israeli military accused the Hamas leaders of being directly responsible for the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel and of orchestrating the ensuing war in Gaza.

Qatar strongly condemned what it called the "cowardly Israeli attack that targeted residential buildings housing several members of the political bureau of Hamas".

"This criminal assault constitutes a blatant violation of all international laws and norms, and poses a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents in Qatar," a foreign ministry statement said.

The Gulf state - a key US ally in the region that is the location of a major American air base - has hosted the Hamas political bureau since 2012 and has served as a mediator in indirect negotiations between the group and Israel.

• Latest updates on Doha strike
• Israeli military orders all Gaza City residents to evacuate ahead of ground assault
• Hamas discussing US 'ideas' for Gaza ceasefire after Trump's 'last warning'

UN Secretary General António Guterres also condemned the strike, saying it was a "flagrant violation" of Qatar's sovereignty.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office stressed that what it called the "action against the top terrorist chiefs" of Hamas was a "a wholly independent Israeli operation".

"Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility," a statement said.

A senior Israeli official told Israeli media that the Hamas members targeted included Khalil al-Hayya, the chief negotiator and exiled Gaza leader, and Zaher Jabarin, the exiled West Bank leader.

"We are awaiting the results of the strike. There is a consensus among the political and security leadership," the official added.

On Monday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had warned Hamas leaders living abroad that they faced "annihilation" and Gaza would be destroyed if the group did not release its hostages and lay down its arms.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 64,605 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

The ripple effects of the Angela Rayner saga roll on.

A cacophony of Labour voices now, via an official party process, are offering their views in public about whether the government is any good or not.

You don't need to be steeped in political strategy to grasp why some in and around Downing Street could really have done without this and want it all over as quickly as possible.

So far, we have seen a limited amount of the contenders: the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson gave a speech to trades unionists at the TUC Congress in Brighton, in which she made no reference to the contest at all.

And the left winger Bell Ribeiro-Addy has done some interviews with journalists.

Some of the others I have spoken to will be out and about before long, but are focused for now on touring the tearooms and attempting to fill their spreadsheets with the names of supporters.

Time is tight and the bar is high – cobbling together 80 people willing to back you in a handful of days isn't easy.

Already, though, we have had an insight into how awkward this race could prove for the government, depending on who makes it through the early stages.

Take Emily Thornberry. She served in Sir Keir Starmer's shadow cabinet before the general election and expected to be offered a cabinet job in his government after Labour had won.

No such offer came.

Now she is running to be deputy leader of the party. It is a story line with a certain soap opera appeal.

And already Thornberry has been punchily critical of the government, in just one post on social media.

"We've made mistakes and must listen. Welfare. Gaza. Wealth tax," she wrote, adding, archly that she wouldn't "just nod along," a line seemingly aimed at Phillipson and Alison McGovern, the other candidate who is also a government minister.

Imagine Labour's deputy leader, were Thornberry to win, spending the autumn talking up a wealth tax, in the weeks before the Budget in November.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Firstly, she has a lot of MPs to find to back her.

Attempting to do that, and in just a few days, led Ribeiro-Addy to publicly complain about the process being anti democratic.

She has also criticised the government for not scrapping the two-child benefit cap, she wants a full arms embargo and sanctions to be imposed on Israel, and the ban on Palestine Action to be removed.

Of course, hers is a campaign that may only last a few days. Let's see.

So, how many of the candidates are serious contenders here, and who are they?

Bridget Phillipson is well on the way to 80 MPs backing her already, with 44.

Lucy Powell isn't far behind with 35.

The others are all in single figures.

But hundreds of Labour MPs are yet to endorse anyone.

The key question now is which candidates clear this first hurdle, and how many of them are not in government and so more free to criticise it as the race heads to its next stage?

This is likely to be a key factor in shaping the tenor and tone of the debate that follows – and the eventual winner.

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Rachel Reeves has told her cabinet colleagues that government departments will have their access to the Treasury's emergency funds limited ahead of the budget, BBC News understands.

The £9bn Treasury Reserve, designed to be used for "genuinely unforeseen, unaffordable and unavoidable pressures" has recently been used to fund higher public sector pay and compensation payouts.

In a letter to ministers, the chancellor said Treasury would only consider providing reserve funds to departments that have already maximised their savings.

It comes less than 11 weeks before Reeves is set to deliver Labour's Budget amid mounting pressure to boost economic growth while balancing public finances.

The aim of restricting reserve access is to help Reeves stick to her borrowing rules by reducing government borrowing and keep department spending within totals announced at the June Spending Review.

She also warned that any funds borrowed from the reserve would have to be repaid.

The chancellor will outline the government's tax and spending plans for everything from hospitals and schools to infrastructure and defence in the Budget on Wednesday 26 November.

Economists have previously warned that she will need to lift taxes or make spending cuts to meet her borrowing rules, which include having day-to-day government costs paid for through tax income instead of borrowing by 2029-30.

Head of the Confederation of British Industry Rain Newton-Smith said chancellor "must commit to tax reform, not just tax rises" in an opinion piece in the Guardian.

Businesses have faced ongoing cost pressures following April's increased employer National Insurance Contributions and the National Living Wage as well as continuing price increases.

"The chancellor cannot raid corporate coffers again so she must look elsewhere, embracing long-term strategic tax reforms rather than maintaining a slavish adherence to manifesto promises on tax or ideas based on the world as it was 18 months ago," Ms Newton-Smith said.

Reeves told her colleagues that the focus over Autumn would be on "reducing inflation, controlling spending and kickstarting growth".

She referenced recent bond market fragility "in many advanced economies" at cabinet on Tuesday saying "stability is more important than ever to underpin growth in a volatile global environment, and that means living within our means."

The chancellor told colleagues: "I do not think there is anything progressive about spending £100 billion a year on paying off debts accrued by previous governments."

Reeves added she would rather spend more of that money on "cutting hospital waiting lists, tackling illegal migration and keeping our country safe."

While the tough message was delivered to cabinet, it was also aimed at the markets and her own backbench MPs.

In the Commons on Tuesday she said she agreed that Labour backbenchers should "resist the temptation to duck tough choices on spending".

The Spending Review already reduced the amount of the Reserve back from normal levels of about £14bn a year, with the Institute for Fiscal Studies arguing that it "left little space to deal with unforeseen pressures".

Forecasts for how much money Reeves needs to find in the upcoming to meet her self-imposed borrowing rules vary widely.

Some estimates putting the figure at around £25bn while an estimate from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research put the figure at £50bn.

In an exclusive interview with the BBC last week, Reeves played down the larger figure and said she aimed to "get the balance right" at the Budget.

Reeves has two rules on government borrowing, which she has repeatedly said are "non-negotiable". These are:

• day-to-day government costs will be paid for by tax income, rather than borrowing by 2029-30

• to get debt falling as a share of national income by the end of this parliament in 2029-30

An Israeli-Russian researcher has been released after "being tortured for many months" by her Iraqi militia abductors, US President Donald Trump has announced.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said: "I am pleased to report that Elizabeth Tsurkov, a Princeton student, whose sister is an American citizen, was just released by Kataib Hezbollah, and is now safely in the American embassy in Iraq".

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani confirmed Ms Tsurkov's release shortly afterwards.

She had gone missing in Iraq during a research trip in March 2023 - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said several months later that she was being held by the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah.

In a post on X, Sudani said Ms Tsurkov's release was "a culmination of extensive efforts exerted by our security services over the course of many months".

He added that the security services on Tuesday were able to "uncover" the place the student had been held, before handing her over to the US embassy.

Ms Tsurkov entered Iraq on her Russian passport, Netanyahu's office said at the time.

According to Ms Tsurkov's website, her research focuses on the Levant - a historical term that refers to a large geographical region including present-day Israel, Syria and other areas - and "the Syrian uprising and civil war".

Kataib Hezbollah (Brigades of the Party of God) is a powerful Iraqi Shia militia that gets financial and military support from Iran. It was designated by the US as a terrorist organisation in 2009.

In Tuesday's post on Truth Social, Trump also said: "I will always fight for justice and never give up.

"Hamas, release the hostages, now!" he added, in a reference to those people seized by the Palestinian group during its deadly attack on Israel on 7 October 2023.

The US has said Israel's strike on Hamas targets in Qatar "does not advance Israel or America's goals", adding that President Donald Trump "feels very badly" about the attack.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt read a statement from Trump at a briefing on Tuesday. It said the US was notified of Israel's attack on Hamas, with a strike "very unfortunately" taking place in the capital Doha.

It described Qatar as "a sovereign nation and close ally of the United States that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker peace".

Six people were killed in the strike, Hamas said, including one member of the Qatari security forces, but the group said its leadership team survived.

The Israeli military said it conducted a "precise strike" targeted at Hamas senior leaders using "precise munitions". Israeli media reported the operation involved 15 Israeli fighter jets, which fired 10 munitions against a single target.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he authorised the strike and there would be "no immunity" for Hamas leaders.

At the White House briefing on Tuesday, Leavitt said: "President Trump immediately directed Special Envoy [Steve] Witkoff to inform the Qataris of the impending attack, which he did. The president views Qatar as a strong ally and friend of the United States."

"The president also spoke to the emir and prime minister of Qatar and thanked them for their support and friendship to our country. He assured them that such a thing will not happen again on their soil," she added.

Leavitt said "eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal" and reiterated that Trump "wants all of the hostages in Gaza and the bodies of the dead released in this war to end now".

The attack took place on early Tuesday afternoon, with footage showing a badly damaged building in Doha.

Qatar's foreign ministry condemned the strike "in the strongest possible terms," and said the attack was a "blatant violation" of international law.

It later said that Qatari officials were not notified of the Israeli strike ahead of time, contradicting the US statement.

"The communication received from one of the US officials came during the sound of explosions," said Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari in a post on X.

Leavitt did not specify when the US notified the Qataris of the attack.

Qatar has hosted Hamas's political bureau since 2012 and played a key role in facilitating indirect negotiations between the group and Israel since the 7 October attacks.

It has also been a close ally of the US. Around 10,000 American troops are stationed at a US airbase in al-Udeid, just outside Doha. In May, Trump announced a "historic" economic agreement signed between the two countries that he said is valued at least $1.2 trillion (£890bn).

Qatar has also recently gifted Trump a plane - valued at $400m - as an "unconditional gift" to be used as the new Air Force One, the official aircraft of the US president.

Hamas said their negotiating team in Doha survived Tuesday's attack, adding that the action "confirms beyond doubt that Netanyahu and his government do not want to reach any agreement" for peace.

It said it holds the US administration "jointly responsible" due to its ongoing support of Israel.

The office for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu put out a statement shortly after the strike, which said the attack was "a wholly independent Israeli operation".

"Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility," the statement said.

A few days prior to the attack, Hamas said it welcomed "some ideas" from the US on how to reach a Gaza ceasefire, and that it was discussing how to turn them "into a comprehensive agreement".

In its statement, the White House said Trump believes the "unfortunate" attack "could serve as an opportunity for peace," and that Netanyahu had expressed to him after the attack that "he wants to make peace and quickly".

Almost exactly a year ago I interviewed the Hamas leader and chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya in Doha. I met him in a house not far from the building that Israel attacked on Tuesday afternoon.

From the beginning of the war in Gaza, al-Hayya had been the chief Hamas negotiator, sending and receiving messages to the Israelis and Americans via Qatari and Egyptian intermediaries.

At moments where ceasefires were thought likely, al-Hayya, along with the men who were also targeted this afternoon, were only a short distance from the Israeli and American delegations. When they were attacked, al-Hayya and the other top Hamas leaders were discussing the latest American diplomatic proposals to end the war in Gaza and free the remaining Israeli hostages.

Israel's swift declaration of what it had done immediately fuelled speculation on social media that the latest American proposals were simply a ruse to get the Hamas leadership in one place where they could be targeted.

• Follow live: Israel strikes Qatar's capital
• What do we know about Israel's attack in Doha?

On 3rd October last year, as Khalil al-Hayya walked into the venue for our meeting in a modest, low-rise villa, I was surprised that he had so little security. We had to give up our phones, and a couple of bodyguards came with him into the house.

Outside plain clothes Qatari police sat smoking in an SUV. That was it. A hundred bodyguards could not have stopped an air strike, but al-Hayya and his people were relaxed and confident.

The point was that Qatar was supposed to be safe, and they felt secure enough to move around relatively openly.

A few months earlier, on 31 July 2024, Israel had assassinated Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas political leader in Tehran, where he was attending the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian.

With the war in Gaza raging, I had wondered whether it might be dangerous to sit in the same room as Khalil al-Hayya. But like him, I thought Qatar was off limits.

In the last few decades Qatar has tried to carve itself a position as the Switzerland of the Middle East, a place where even enemies could make deals.

The Americans negotiated with the Afghan Taliban in Doha. And in the almost two years since the attacks on 7th October 2023, Qatar has been the centre of the diplomatic efforts to negotiate ceasefires and perhaps even an end to the war.

The peace efforts, driven by President Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, were faltering badly. But now they are in ruins. In the words of one senior western diplomat "there is no diplomacy."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told Israelis that their enemies will never be able to sleep easy and are paying the price for ordering the 7th October attacks.

The Israeli offensive in Gaza is gathering pace. A few hours before the attack on Doha, the Israeli military, the IDF, told all Palestinians in Gaza City to leave and move south. It's thought something like one million civilians could be affected.

In his televised comments Netanyahu told Palestinians in Gaza "don't be derailed by these killers. Stand up for your rights and your future. Make peace with us. Accept President Trump's proposal. Don't worry, you can do it, and we can promise you a different future, but you've got to take these people out of the way. If you do, there is no limit to our common future."

If Palestinians in Gaza are able to hear his words, they will ring very hollow. Israel has destroyed the homes of hundreds of thousands of them, as well as hospitals, universities and schools.

With Gaza already gripped by starvation, famine in Gaza City itself and a humanitarian catastrophe across the territory the forced movement of many more people will only increase Israel's lethal pressure on civilians.

Israel has already killed more than 60,000 Palestinians in Gaza, the majority of whom were civilians. Netanyahu himself faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for war crimes, and Israel is being investigated by the International Court of Justice for genocide.

The attack in Doha is a sign that Netanyahu and his government will press forward as hard as they can all fronts, not just Gaza. They are confident that with American support, their military can enforce their will.

The Doha attack earned a rare rebuke from the White House. Qatar is a valuable ally, that hosts a huge US military base and is a major investor in the US.

But Netanyahu appears to be calculating that Donald Trump, the only leader he feels he must listen to, will content himself with the diplomatic equivalent of a rap over the knuckles.

Israel's offensive in Gaza continues. And as the planned recognition of Palestinian independence at the UN later this month by the UK, France, Canada, Australia and other western countries approaches, Netanyahu's ultra nationalist cabinet allies will redouble calls to respond with the annexation of occupied Palestinian territory in the West Bank.

The US has said Israel's strike on Hamas targets in Qatar "does not advance Israel or America's goals", adding that President Donald Trump "feels very badly" about the attack.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt read a statement from Trump at a briefing on Tuesday. It said the US was notified of Israel's attack on Hamas, with a strike "very unfortunately" taking place in the capital Doha.

It described Qatar as "a sovereign nation and close ally of the United States that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker peace".

Six people were killed in the strike, Hamas said, including one member of the Qatari security forces, but the group said its leadership team survived.

The Israeli military said it conducted a "precise strike" targeted at Hamas senior leaders using "precise munitions". Israeli media reported the operation involved 15 Israeli fighter jets, which fired 10 munitions against a single target.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he authorised the strike and there would be "no immunity" for Hamas leaders.

At the White House briefing on Tuesday, Leavitt said: "President Trump immediately directed Special Envoy [Steve] Witkoff to inform the Qataris of the impending attack, which he did. The president views Qatar as a strong ally and friend of the United States."

"The president also spoke to the emir and prime minister of Qatar and thanked them for their support and friendship to our country. He assured them that such a thing will not happen again on their soil," she added.

Leavitt said "eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal" and reiterated that Trump "wants all of the hostages in Gaza and the bodies of the dead released in this war to end now".

The attack took place on early Tuesday afternoon, with footage showing a badly damaged building in Doha.

Qatar's foreign ministry condemned the strike "in the strongest possible terms," and said the attack was a "blatant violation" of international law.

It later said that Qatari officials were not notified of the Israeli strike ahead of time, contradicting the US statement.

"The communication received from one of the US officials came during the sound of explosions," said Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari in a post on X.

Leavitt did not specify when the US notified the Qataris of the attack.

Qatar has hosted Hamas's political bureau since 2012 and played a key role in facilitating indirect negotiations between the group and Israel since the 7 October attacks.

It has also been a close ally of the US. Around 10,000 American troops are stationed at a US airbase in al-Udeid, just outside Doha. In May, Trump announced a "historic" economic agreement signed between the two countries that he said is valued at least $1.2 trillion (£890bn).

Qatar has also recently gifted Trump a plane - valued at $400m - as an "unconditional gift" to be used as the new Air Force One, the official aircraft of the US president.

Hamas said their negotiating team in Doha survived Tuesday's attack, adding that the action "confirms beyond doubt that Netanyahu and his government do not want to reach any agreement" for peace.

It said it holds the US administration "jointly responsible" due to its ongoing support of Israel.

The office for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu put out a statement shortly after the strike, which said the attack was "a wholly independent Israeli operation".

"Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility," the statement said.

A few days prior to the attack, Hamas said it welcomed "some ideas" from the US on how to reach a Gaza ceasefire, and that it was discussing how to turn them "into a comprehensive agreement".

In its statement, the White House said Trump believes the "unfortunate" attack "could serve as an opportunity for peace," and that Netanyahu had expressed to him after the attack that "he wants to make peace and quickly".

Israel carried out a strike on senior Hamas leaders in Qatar's capital, Doha, on Tuesday afternoon.

Qatar quickly accused Israel of "reckless" behaviour and breaking international law after the attack on a residential premises in the city.

The Israel Defense Forces claimed to have targeted those "directly responsible for the brutal October 7 massacre".

Here is what we know so far.

• Latest updates on Doha strike

How and where was attack carried out?

Explosions were heard and smoke was seen rising above the Qatari capital Doha early on Tuesday afternoon.

Verified footage showed smoke rising from a heavily damaged section of a complex next to Woqod petrol station on Wadi Rawdan Street, close to the West Bay Lagoon district north of central Doha.

According to the Israeli military, it conducted a "precise strike" targeted at Hamas senior leaders in Qatar using "precise munitions".

Israeli media says the operation involved 15 Israeli fighter jets, firing 10 munitions against a single target.

Qatar has hosted Hamas's political bureau since 2012 and played a key role in facilitating indirect negotiations between the group and Israel since the 7 October attacks.

Who was hit in the attack?

According to a Hamas official, members of the Hamas negotiating delegation were targeted during a meeting.

The IDF has said the strike was carried out on the group's "senior leadership", although it is not yet clear exactly which individuals were targeted.

What did the US know and did Trump give a 'green light'?

The office for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu put out a statement shortly after the strike, claiming the attack was "a wholly independent Israeli operation".

"Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility," it said in a statement.

The White House also quickly confirmed it was informed of the operation, almost certainly because of the proximity of the huge US airbase at al-Udeid, just outside Doha.

This means that Donald Trump had a chance to say no to Israel but chose to give a green light instead.

Given this was an attack on sovereign Qatari territory, questions remain over how this will affect the massive US airbase at al-Udeid and how it will affect US relations with all its Gulf Arab allies.

What were Hamas leaders doing in Qatar?

Qatar has acted as a mediator between Israel and Hamas and has hosted negotiations between them since October 2023.

A couple of days ago, Hamas said it welcomed "some ideas" from the US about how to reach a Gaza ceasefire agreement that it received through mediators. It said it was in discussion about how to turn them "into a comprehensive agreement that meets the needs of our people".

It's thought likely the targeted Hamas leaders were in the middle of discussing their formal response to the US ideas.

A Palestinian official earlier told the BBC the US plan would see the 48 remaining hostages in Gaza freed in the first 48 hours of a 60-day truce in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and good-faith negotiations on a permanent ceasefire.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has entered the contest to be Labour's deputy leader, becoming the most senior figure to put her name forward so far.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy, MP for Clapham and Brixton Hill, is so far the only other declared candidate in the race to replace Angela Rayner in the deputy leader role.

Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee Emily Thornberry has said she is considering entering, while Tooting MP, and former deputy leader candidate, Rosena Allin-Khan has ruled herself out.

Candidates have until Thursday evening to get nominations from at least 80 Labour MPs in order to take part in the contest.

They will also need the backing of either 5% of local parties, or three Labour-affiliated groups, including two unions.

Those who clear the bar face a vote by party members, with the winner announced on 25 October.

Former MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace is launching legal action against the BBC over a data protection claim, according to court documents.

The case has been filed at the High Court, but no further details have yet been made public.

Wallace was sacked in July after a report upheld more than 40 allegations about his conduct on MasterChef.

A BBC spokesperson said: "We have not been formally notified of any legal proceedings so at this stage we are unable to comment."

Wallace's representatives have been approached for a comment.

BBC News is editorially independent from the wider corporation.

• Gregg Wallace 'sorry' after 45 claims against him upheld

Wallace had hosted MasterChef for 20 years, but stepped away from presenting the cooking show last year after facing a string of misconduct claims.

The show's production company Banijay ordered an immediate inquiry into the allegations, which was conducted by an independent law firm.

This summer, the report revealed that 45 claims against Wallace had been substantiated, including one of unwelcome physical contact and three of being in a state of undress.

In total, the report said 83 allegations were made against the TV presenter, with the majority of the upheld claims relating to inappropriate sexual language and humour, but also culturally insensitive or racist comments.

Following that report, Wallace issued a statement to the PA news agency, saying that "none of the serious allegations against me were upheld".

"I challenged the remaining issue of unwanted touching but have had to accept a difference in perception, and I am deeply sorry for any distress caused. It was never intended."

A separate claim that his co-host John Torode had used a severely offensive racist term was also substantiated. Torode has said he has "no recollection" of the incident.

Both presenters were sacked, but the BBC decided to still broadcast this year's amateurs series of MasterChef - with both Wallace and Torode in it - for the sake of the chefs who had taken part in it.

On Tuesday, the BBC's director general Tim Davie defended that decision, saying the "vast majority" of chefs on the show wanted it to air.

But he added: "I think the consequences for the individuals who presented MasterChef have been very significant, they're no longer working with the BBC, so there are those consequences."

Speaking to MPs, he also said he was "not letting anything lie" when it came to rooting out abuses of power within the corporation.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that food critic Grace Dent and chef Anna Haugh are the new hosts of MasterChef.