Strong winds and heavy rain forecast as stormy weather to hit the UK
Image source, Getty
Published
Low pressure is sweeping in from the Atlantic bringing a spell of strong winds and heavy rain across the UK.
A Met Office Yellow wind warning has been issued across most of England and all of Wales and is valid from 8pm Sunday until 6pm Monday.
Coastal gales may develop bringing large waves to southern and western shores.
Travel disruption and power cuts are also possible.
Image caption,
Places in the yellow warning area will experience the strongest winds which may lead to some disruption
Sunday started dry for most but heavy outbreaks of rain will spread in from the west during the day, reaching eastern England and central Scotland by the late afternoon. Winds will strengthen too, especially for south-west England where coastal gales are likely to develop.
Throughout Sunday night and into Monday gusts up to 45-55mph are expected inland with 60-70mph possible around coasts and hills. Whilst these wind speeds are fairly typical for an autumn storm like this, trees are still in full leaf, which may increase the chance of branches or small tress coming down.
Heavy rain is an additional hazard with 10-30mm falling widely, with some western hills having around 70mm.
There is a risk of surface water flooding and difficult driving conditions.
Will the storm be named?
The Met Office says it is currently "not expecting to name the storm". The warning level for the UK is only yellow, which is the lowest tier.
However, storms are named in association with Ireland's Met Éireann and the Netherlands' KNMI, so if the forecast changes in any of these regions, there is a small potential for one of these agencies to name it.
A storm is named when it is forecast to cause "medium" or "high" impacts. The first name in in this season's storm list would be 'Amy'.
What's the outlook for the rest autumn?
Image caption,
The current weather pattern is dominated by an active jet stream to the south and low pressure systems moving west to east across the UK
As we transition from summer to autumn, we typically see the jet stream moving further south and strengthening in September, which gives rise to more unsettled, stormy weather to move in from the Atlantic.
So far this September we've already seen more than the expected rainfall for the whole month for several parts of the UK.
As we head deeper into the autumn months most forecast models indicate an increased chance of a 'wetter than average' spell until November in the UK.
However, there is always a lot of uncertainty in seasonal forecasts, and these should be interpreted as likely trends rather than expected conditions.
It's unlikely we'll see a repeat of September 2024 which was the wettest on record for 10 English counties, including Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Wiltshire. They received more than three times their expected September rainfall leading to widespread flooding.
Charlie Kirk's alleged killer is "not cooperating" with authorities and has not confessed to carrying out the shooting, Utah's governor Spencer Cox has told US media.
Suspect Tyler Robinson, 22, was taken into custody some 33 hours after Kirk, a 31-year-old right-wing activist, was shot dead in Orem on Wednesday.
Speaking to ABC News, Cox, a republican, said people around Mr Robinson had been cooperating with the investigation.
Cox appeared on various US news outlets on Sunday morning, where he also reiterated concerns regarding social media in the aftermath of Kirk's death.
The governor was also asked about a New York Times report alleging Mr Robinson had spoken to others after the shooting via the Discord messaging platform, including allegations that he joked about being the gunman.
Cox said told ABC News: "All we can confirm is that those conversations definitely were happening, and they did not believe it was actually him.
"It was, it was all joking until, until he, you know, until he admitted that it actually was him."
Mr Robinson was arrested on Thursday night after surrendering to police.
Kirk was speaking at Utah Valley University at an open-air event held by Turning Point USA - the organisation he co-founded - when he was shot and killed.
The event was part of the American Comeback Tour, which was a speaking engagement that took him to several college campuses throughout the US.
Cox previously told the Wall Street Journal that Mr Robinson, a Utah native, was "deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology".
When questioned on it during CNN's State of the Union programme on Sunday, he said the information was offered by the suspect's friends and family.
"There's so much more that we're learning and so much that we will learn," he explained, adding that when official charges are filed, there will be "much more evidence and information available then".
An affidavit from the state of Utah confirms that Mr Robinson was arrested on suspicion of the crimes of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, and obstruction of justice.
He is currently being held without bail at Utah County Jail.
"We're interviewing all kinds of people - everyone that knows him - and trying to learn more about what the motive actually was," Cox said.
The governor said among those cooperating with authorities is Mr Robinson's roommate, who he said was also his partner.
He said the partner did not have have any knowledge about the alleged shooting, had been "incredibly cooperative" and was working with investigators "right now".
He also confirmed that the partner was currently transitioning, but, when asked by CNN, said that authorities do not yet know if that is relevant to the investigation.
Bridget Phillipson said she would continue Angela Rayner's "campaigning role"
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has urged Labour to remain united as she launched her bid for the party's deputy leadership.
In a speech in Sunderland, she told supporters to back her to bring the party together, secure a second term and "deliver the change we want to see and beat Reform".
The Houghton and Sunderland South MP also paid tribute to Angela Rayner, who vacated the deputy leadership when she resigned over her tax affairs, and pledged to continue her campaigning role.
Phillipson is up against her former Cabinet colleague Lucy Powell, who lost her post as Commons leader in the reshuffle triggered when Rayner quit.
She warned the party would not win if it was not united.
"How did we win last [time]? We came together to show the country a different vision for the future.
"I won't pretend this government hasn't made mistakes – I've been first to admit it.
"But we can't afford to look inwards - to go back to bad old days of divided Labour Party and open old wounds.
"If we turn against each other only one person will win – Nigel Farage - but millions more will lose."
Phillipson pledged to take on Reform UK with a "mandate to do more".
She was joined by Mayor of the North East, Kim McGuinness, at the Fire Station music venue in Sunderland.
The contest is seen by some as a referendum on the Prime Minister's leadership, which has come under pressure amid the loss of two of his government's household names - Rayner and Lord Mandelson - within a week.
PA Media
Bridget Phillipson launched her bid for Labour's deputy leadership in Sunderland
Phillipson said she planned to use her position to give members a "strong voice" at the Cabinet table.
"What can be achieved under a deputy leader with a seat at Cabinet? Just look at Angela Rayner. Angela knew the importance of the role she had. There was nothing part-time about her deputy leadership.
"That's why, today, I pledge to continue Angela Rayner's campaigning role as deputy leader.
The winner of the contest will not become deputy prime minister, as Rayner was, because that position has already been handed to Justice Secretary David Lammy.
The Education Secretary and Ms Powell now need to secure the support of 5% of constituency parties or at least three affiliates, including at least two affiliated trade unions.
The ballot for candidates who clear the nomination hurdles will open on 8 October and close at 12:00 (BST) on 23 October, with the winner announced on 25 October.
England swept aside Scotland in Bristol to rack up a record 31st straight Test victory and march into a Rugby World Cup semi-final against France.
Scotland were first on the board through a Helen Nelson penalty, but by half-time England had left a heavier imprint on the scoreline as Kelsey Clifford, twice, and Morwenna Talling barged over in the pouring rain.
Abby Dow also claimed her 50th try in 57 Tests after Holly Aitchison's slung miss-pass exposed Scotland out wide to give the hosts a 26-3 interval lead.
Amy Cokayne trucked over at the back of a driven line-out and Aitchison darted in as England coasted to victory in the second half.
Scotland's spirit was never snuffed out and Rhona Lloyd crossed on the final play, after good work by opposite wing Fran McGhie, to ensure the well-beaten underdogs went out on a high.
England's current winning streak breaks their own record, which was set en route to the Rugby World Cup final in 2022.
Defeat by New Zealand in that match is England's only loss in their last 62 matches - a statistic that stretches back to 2019.
Scotland's exit marks the end of number eight Jade Konkel's Test career after 12 years and 74 caps. The 31-year-old became Scotland's first professional player in 2016.
There has been uncertainty about how many of Konkel's team-mates will be able to continue playing rugby as a profession after this tournament, with around half the squad's deals believed to be nearing the end of their current terms.
France had fought back to beat Ireland 18-13 in similarly dismal weather conditions earlier in the day to book their own place in the last four.
'People's champion who fought with every part of his soul'
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Ricky Hatton made his professional boxing debut in 1997
Published
Ricky Hatton was remembered as a "warrior" who became the "people's champion" as boxing legends and sporting greats paid tribute following the fighter's death at the age of 46.
Former world champion Hatton's body was found at his home in Hyde, Greater Manchester on Sunday and police said there are not thought to be any suspicious circumstances.
Stockport-born Hatton - nicknamed 'the Hitman' - was high on the list of Britain's most popular and recognisable boxers having won world titles in the light-welterweight and welterweight divisions.
Amir Khan remembered "one of Britain's greatest boxers" and Tyson Fury said Hatton was a "legend", while Wayne Rooney said he was "devastated" by the news.
Boxing journalist Steve Bunce told BBC Radio 5 Live: "We used the cliche 'people's champion', but nobody had come close to what Ricky was before and nobody has come close to what Ricky was since.
"He fought with every part of his soul and fibre. If he won there was nothing left, and if he lost there was nothing left. He gave everything in victory and defeat.
"He should never have been as good as he was. He should never have had the fame and accolades and glory he had, but that was down to pure determination and desire."
Hatton's parents made a small gym in the basement of their pub when he was 12, and it was there that he honed his skills on a punching bag.
He rose through amateur and domestic levels to pit his wits against elite boxers of his generation, including Kostya Tszyu, Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao.
Hatton achieved a staggering 43-0 record before his first loss came at the hands of Mayweather at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in 2007.
To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
This video can not be played
Media caption,
Hatton was a 'massive inspiration to me' - Amir Khan pays tribute to former world champion Ricky Hatton
Much of Hatton's appeal lay in the salt-of-the-earth roots which he never lost touch with - doing much of his training in a ramshackle gym above a carpet factory in Hyde.
Indeed, when he walked to the ring to face Mayweather in Las Vegas he did so wearing a robe which carried an advert for his father's carpet shop where he had worked until he turned professional.
"He was very approachable, very down to earth, which goes a long way to tell you what the man is all about," said former WBC super-middleweight champion Richie Woodhall.
"He reached the very top in his sport, but you could approach him and have a cup of tea with him – that's what made him appealing to people."
Mancunian Hatton's all-action style made him one of the most popular fighters in the first decade of the 21st Century.
Hatton's former promoter Frank Warren described, in a post on X, a "superbly talented fighter" who "inspired a generation of young boxers".
Warren wrote: "From making his debut in Widnes in 1997 to then go on to win one of the most historic fights in British boxing history against Kostya Tszyu in Manchester, Ricky will rightly go down as one of the modern greats of this sport."
Fellow promoter Eddie Hearn added: "Everybody loved Ricky. May he rest in eternal peace."
Britain's former light-welterweight world champion Khan said Hatton was "a friend, a mentor, a warrior".
"Rip to the legend Ricky Hatton may he rip," said former heavyweight world champion Fury on Instagram. "There will only ever be one Ricky Hatton. Can't believe this so young."
Hatton had rare popularity, being a figure who managed to transcend his sport.
During his peak he hung out with fellow Manchester City fans Liam and Noel Gallagher of Oasis.
Bunce said that Hatton "lived life fully" but was always willing "to take the mickey out of himself".
Darts legend Phil Taylor and ex-England cricketer Andrew Flintoff were among those from other sports to pay tribute on social media.
Former England and Manchester United footballer Rooney, who carried Hatton's belts into the ring before a fight with Jose Luis Castillo in 2007, said on X he was "devastated" and Hatton was a "a legend, a warrior and a great person".
More than 30,000 fans travelled to Las Vegas for Ricky Hatton's title fight with Floyd Mayweather in 2007
Defeats to Mayweather and Pacquiao in 2007 and 2009 left Hatton deeply depressed and led to the darkest times of his life.
After retirement he was candid about his struggles with drinking and mental health as he tried to fill a void in his life.
"Those of us in the business have lived with Ricky's ups and downs over the last 15 years," Bunce said.
"The highs and the lows, the great nights in Las Vegas and the great nights in Manchester. Some of those that were closer to him witnessed the dark holes, the depression and the dark thoughts.
"He has had some troubles. He talked about his mental health problems. He has talked about his addictions. He addressed them and faced them and attacked them."
Hatton, who won 45 of his 48 professional bouts across a 15-year career, last fought professionally in 2012, suffering defeat by Ukraine's Vyacheslav Senchenko during a brief comeback.
He later found some success as a trainer, proved to be an especially sought after after-dinner speaker, and beamed with pride at the rise to the professional ranks of his son, Campbell.
Hatton fought an exhibition bout against Marco Antonio Barrera in 2022 and was scheduled to have another fight in Dubai in December.
"He was a man of the people and a spectacular fighter," former WBA featherweight champion Barry McGuigan wrote on X.
"A great man inside the ring and a wonderful man outside of it. RIP Ricky, my thoughts and prayers are with his family at this very difficult time."
Britain will not surrender its flag to those that wish to use it as a symbol of violence, fear and division, Sir Keir Starmer has said.
The prime minister said the flag represents "our diverse country" and he will not allow people to feel intimidated on "our streets because of their background or the colour of their skin".
His comments came after more than 150,000 people took to the streets of central London for a "Unite the Kingdom" march organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, and about 5,000 took part in a counter-protest, co-ordinated by Stand Up To Racism.
Earlier, Business Secretary Peter Kyle said marchers were "demonstrating freedom of association and freedom of speech".
The prime minister said: "People have a right to peaceful protest. It is core to our country's values.
"But we will not stand for assaults on police officers doing their job or for people feeling intimidated on our streets because of their background or the colour of their skin.
"Britain is nation proudly built on tolerance, diversity and respect. Our flag represents our diverse country and we will never surrender it to those that use it as a symbol of violence, fear and division."
Police say 26 officers were injured on the day - including four who were seriously hurt - with 24 people arrested.
Speaking about Saturday's protests on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Kyle said moments like these were "klaxon calls" for those in power to redouble their efforts to address the big concerns people have, including on immigration.
"What worries me most is the divisions in our society and other societies and other democratic societies ... it's not even the left and the right at the moment, " he told the programme.
"There are figures such as Tommy Robinson that are able to touch into a sense of disquiet and grievance in the community in our society," he said.
The "small minority" who had committed violence would be held accountable, he told the programme.
Kyle criticised Elon Musk's comments after he appeared at Saturday's rally via video link telling protesters to "fight back" or "die".
"I thought that they were slightly incomprehensible comments that were totally inappropriate", the minister said.
The tech billionaire also referred to massive uncontrolled migration and called for a change of government in the UK.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.
F-16 aircraft detected a Russian drone in Romanian airspace, while monitoring the country's border with Ukraine
Romania says a Russian drone has breached its airspace - the second Nato country to report such an incursion.
Romanian fighter jets were in the air monitoring a Russian attack in Ukraine on Saturday and were able to track the drone near Ukraine's southern border, the defence ministry said in a statement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the incursion could not be a mistake - it was "an obvious expansion of the war by Russia". Moscow has not commented on the Romanian claims.
On Wednesday, Poland said it had shot down at least three Russian drones which had entered its airspace.
In its statement, Romania's defence ministry said it detected the Russian drone when two F-16 jets were monitoring they country's border with Ukraine, after "Russian air attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure on the Danube".
The drone was detected 20km (12.4 miles) south-west of the village of Chilia Veche, before disappearing from the radar.
But it did not fly over populated areas or pose imminent danger, the ministry said.
Poland also responded to concerns over Russian drones on Saturday.
"Preventative operations of aviation - Polish and allied - have begun in our airspace," Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in a post on X.
"Ground-based air defence systems have reached the highest state of readiness."
Earlier this week Russia's defence ministry said there had been "no plans" to target facilities on Polish soil.
Belarus, a close Russian ally, said the drones which entered Polish airspace on Wednesday were an accident, after their navigation systems were jammed.
On Sunday, the Czech Republic announced it had sent a special operations helicopter unit to Poland.
The unit consists of three Mi-171S helicopters, each one capable of transporting up to 24 personnel and featuring full combat equipment.
The move is in response to Russian's incursion into Nato's eastern flank, the Czech Defence Minister Jana Cernochova said.
In response to the latest drone incursion, President Zelensky said the Russian military "knows exactly where their drones are headed and how long they can operate in the air".
He has consistently asked Western countries to tighten sanctions on Moscow.
US President Donald Trump also weighed in on airspace breach earlier this week, saying he was "ready" to impose tougher sanctions on Russia, but only if Nato countries met certain conditions, such as stopping buying Russian oil.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has been making slow progress in the battlefield.
Trump has been leading efforts to end the war, but Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine since President Vladimir Putin returned from a summit with Trump in Alaska last month.
Rubio and Netanyahu visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived in Israel to discuss the war in Gaza following Israel's attack on Hamas members in Qatar, which has drawn international condemnation.
Before his departure, Rubio said US President Donald Trump was unhappy with the Israeli strike on the key US ally, but stressed that the US-Israeli relationship was "very strong".
"Obviously we're not happy about it, the president was not happy about it. Now we need to move forward and figure out what comes next," Rubio said.
His visit comes as Israeli forces continue to destroy residential buildings in Gaza City, forcing thousands to flee ahead of an expected ground offensive to seize the city.
In his remarks at Joint Base Andrews, Rubio added that Trump's priority remained the return of all hostages and an end to the war. Hamas members had been in Doha to discuss the latest US proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza when Israel launched its strikes.
When asked whether the strike on Doha complicated Qatar's willingness to work with the US, Rubio said "they've been good partners on a number of fronts".
Qatar - a key US ally in the region and the location of a major American air base - will host an emergency Arab-Islamic summit on Monday to discuss next moves.
Doha has condemned Israel's attack as "cowardly" and a "flagrant violation of international law". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the move was "fully justified" because it targeted senior Hamas leaders who organised the 7 October 2023 attacks.
Some 48 Israeli hostages, of whom 20 are believed to remain alive, are being held by Hamas in Gaza. Their families have said Netanyahu is the "one obstacle" preventing their return and reaching a peace deal.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum wrote on social media that Israel's strike on Qatar last week shows "every time a deal approaches, Netanyahu sabotages it".
Reuters
Israeli forces have continued to destroy residential buildings in Gaza City
Netanyahu's plan to occupy Gaza City has drawn international criticism, with the UN warning a military escalation in an area where famine has been declared will push civilians into an "even deeper catastrophe".
Footage from Sunday verified by the BBC showed bombs hitting the al-Kawthar tower. Local officials told Reuters that at least 30 residential buildings had been destroyed. Israel said it had completed five waves of air strikes on the city over the past week, targeting more than 500 sites including what it said were Hamas reconnaissance and sniper sites, buildings containing tunnel openings and weapons depots.
Israel has demanded that Gaza City's residents leave the city and head south and on Saturday the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it estimated about 250,000 Palestinians had fled, though hundreds of thousands are believed to remain in the area. Hamas has called on people not to leave.
Some say they cannot afford to go while others say southern Gaza is not safe either as Israel has carried out air strikes there too.
"The bombardment intensified everywhere and we took down the tents, more than 20 families, we do not know where to go," Musbah al-Kafarna, displaced in Gaza City, told Reuters.
Reuters
Palestinians continue to flee Israel's bombardment of Gaza City, heading south
On Sunday, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said the bodies of 68 people killed by the Israeli military had arrived at its hospitals over the previous day.
Since UN-backed global food security experts confirmed a famine in Gaza City on 22 August, the ministry has reported that at least 144 people have died from starvation and malnutrition across the territory. Israel has said it is expanding its efforts to facilitate aid deliveries and has disputed the health ministry's figures on malnutrition-related deaths.
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
At least 64,871 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
The house is located on Southfield Lane in Bradford
A suspected thief is at large after four people were injured following an explosion at a house he targeted, police have said.
The explosion took place at the empty house on Southfield Lane, Bradford, at about 22:00 BST on Saturday, but two neighbouring properties were also damaged and a man, woman and child were treated for minor injuries.
A 27-year-old man, who was found seriously injured near the scene, has been arrested on suspicion of theft and West Yorkshire Police are also seeking Jacob Ryan, 28.
A force spokesperson said: "It is possible Jacob Ryan may have been injured as well and we urge him or anyone who knows him to come forward."
West Yorkshire Police
Jacob Ryan, 28, is on the run after the explosion
They added: "It is important we make sure he has access to any medical treatment he may need."
Officers also said the men were attempting to steal metal from the unoccupied terraced property.
The arrested man's injuries were said to be serious but not life-threatening and he was treated at hospital.
Fire and ambulance services also attended the "significantly damaged" building, as well as the two adjacent properties.
The force said the affected property was then made safe with the assistance of utilities companies.
Supt Lucy Leadbeater, from Bradford District Police, said: "A number of enquiries remain ongoing into this serious incident today."
She added: "While the cause of the explosion at this empty property remains under investigation, we are investigating reports of a metal theft taking place there just prior to the incident."
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed a technical rescue unit with dogs carried out further searches after the casualties were treated to ensure there were no persons unaccounted for.
YappApp
Police said the injuries suffered by the family living next door were not life-threatening
Disquiet in society has "roots in the financial crisis", says Peter Kyle
Far-right activist Tommy Robinson is among those tapping into a "sense of disquiet" in the country, a Cabinet minister has told the BBC, after thousands joined a march and counter-protest in London on Saturday.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle said marchers were demonstrating freedom of association and freedom of speech, after up to 150,000 joined a "Unite the Kingdom" rally, organised by Robinson and about 5,000 took part in a counter-protest, co-ordinated by Stand Up To Racism.
But he told Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg the "small minority" who had committed violence would be held accountable.
Twenty-six police officers were injured, the police said, and 24 people arrested for a range of offences.
Kyle criticised Elon Musk's comments after he appeared at Saturday's rally via video link telling protesters to "fight back" or "die".
"I thought that they were slightly incomprehensible comments that were totally inappropriate", the minister said.
The tech billionaire also referred to massive uncontrolled migration and called for a change of government in the UK.
Speaking about Saturday's protests, Kyle said moments like these were "klaxon calls" for those in power to redouble their efforts to address the big concerns people have, including on immigration.
"What worries me most is the divisions in our society and other societies and other democratic societies ... it's not even the left and the right at the moment, " he told the programme.
Figures like Robinson were able to "touch into a sense of disquiet and grievance in the community in our society", he said.
"A lot of it goes back to its roots in the financial crisis and the impact that had on communities around the country, and we haven't been able to bring our communities back together again since," Kyle continued.
Met Police officers clash with protesters at Tommy Robinson rally
A huge policing operation was in place in London on Saturday, with the Met deploying 1,000 officers and drafting in help from other forces across England.
Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said officers said: "There is no doubt that many came to exercise their lawful right to protest, but there were many who came intent on violence."
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, addressed the crowds where he criticised politicians for "parroting" his ideas.
He also claimed UK courts had decided the rights of undocumented migrants superseded those of the "local community".
Last month, the Court of Appeal overturned an injunction blocking asylum seekers being housed at The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex.
The family of Virginia Giuffre has told the BBC the Duke of York needs to be fully investigated over allegations he sexually abused her.
"It doesn't matter if it's a Royal Family member or president or prince... every single person deserves to be held to the fullest extent of the law," Sky Roberts, Giuffre's brother, told the Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme.
Giuffre was one of the most prominent victims of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. In 2001, at the age of 17, she said Epstein introduced her to Prince Andrew, who she said sexually abused her three times.
The prince, who has denied all claims against him, reached an out-of-court settlement with her in 2022 which contained no admission of liability or apology.
BBC News has asked the prince for comment.
Prince Andrew stepped back from royal duties in 2019 because of the Epstein scandal and after growing backlash from a BBC Newsnight interview about his friendship with the convicted paedophile.
But a visibly emotional Mr Roberts told the BBC he felt the prince "had not gotten enough from this".
"Of course he's been stripped of... all of these different things and publicly shamed in certain ways, but that's not enough," he said.
"The fact that he's still out there, that he's still living in a palace or a castle is not enough.
"It's time we put every single person, whether you're a royal, Prince Andrew, you need to be fully investigated, and if it is found that you had any participation, you need to be put behind bars for the rest of your life."
Speaking alongside his wife, Amanda Roberts, they said the Royal Family had not reached out to them.
Mrs Roberts said she felt there was "more that's going to come to light... every single person who knows they've harmed her, they have to live with that".
"I think we're right on the precipice of seeing all of those skeletons start to come to surface," she said, though it was not clear if she was referring specifically to Prince Andrew.
"You know what you've done and that is for you to live with," she said.
Lord Mandelson was sacked earlier this week after a cache of emails between him and Epstein was published by Bloomberg, revealing the extent of their contacts and relationship.
The interview also touched upon US President Donald Trump's relationship with Epstein. Giuffre alleged that she was abused by Epstein after she met Ghislaine Maxwell, a British socialite, in 2000 while working as a locker room attendant at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach.
The couple said that associates of Epstein who contributed to his recently published birthday book, including Trump, needed to be investigated.
"I think anybody that's in that book, including President Trump, should be completely and 100% investigated, and if it is found, then should be held to the fullest extent of the law," Mr Roberts said.
Entries from 40 people in the book, divided into several categories such as "friends", "business", "science" and "Brooklyn", were published, though the names under "family" and "girl friends" were redacted.
These people are not accused of any legal wrongdoing in connection with Epstein's case.
Giuffre's brother also urged Trump to release the remaining so-called Epstein files.
"If he's not implicated in this, then he needs to do the right thing. And the right thing right now is to release the documents, give the accountability to the survivors, and give accountability to my sister," he said.
In response, a White House spokeswoman hit out at what she described as "fake news" and told the BBC "it's not news that Epstein knew Donald Trump, because Donald Trump kicked Epstein out of his club for being a creep."
"Democrats and the media knew about Epstein and his victims for years and did nothing to help them while President Trump was calling for transparency, and is now delivering on it with thousands of pages of documents," she added.
US President Donald Trump is going to be greeted with a spectacular royal charm offensive during his state visit this week.
The aim will be to dazzle and flatter him with the ultimate red-carpet experience, with guards of honour, flypasts, historic carriages, a lavish banquet, pomp and pageantry.
In return, Sir Keir Starmer will be hoping this gilt-edged reception will help to deliver the UK's message on awkward issues such as Ukraine and trade tariffs.
And if anyone can get the US president's attention and influence him, surely King Charles III and the Royal Family can.
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II greeted the President and First Lady on the state visit to the UK in 2019
But how will King Charles handle his sometimes unpredictable guest in Windsor? Can he be the Trump whisperer?
"Trump loves the monarchy and the Royal Family. It's a potential diplomatic ace card for the UK government," says Anna Whitelock, professor of history of the modern monarchy at City St George's, University of London.
This attraction to royalty will give the King a "rare advantage" in dealing with Trump, who usually expects to have the upper hand, says Prof Whitelock.
Sir Anthony Seldon, biographer of the UK's prime ministers, agrees. The King can benefit from Trump's "palpable enthusiasm" for the royals, he says.
"At the same time, King Charles is in the most delicate of positions. His own known views, on the environment, and standing up for democracy and the rule of law in Europe, are a long way apart from the president's," says Sir Anthony.
"He will, I am sure, be scrupulously correct and civil," he adds. In essence, the King will stick to the script given to him by the UK government.
The government will certainly hope that this week's royal schmooze-fest will make a positive impression on Trump, creating a feelgood factor for the UK.
It's an unusual and carefully crafted state visit. There's a crammed schedule squeezed into a day and a half, most of it dedicated to royal spectacles. Windsor is being used like a royal theme park.
With fears over security and protests, there won't be any cheering crowds and no public procession, like the one recently enjoyed by France's President Emmanuel Macron. Instead, it will be helicopters and closed events, including the carriage ride, which will wind its way inside the Windsor estate.
And the nearest thing to the public that the president will see will be the staff working at the banquet.
Jonathan Brady/Getty Images
The King has shown his public support for Ukraine's President Zelensky
The King will make a speech in honour of the president at the state banquet in St George's Hall, inside Windsor Castle. He's likely to praise the special relationship and talk of the anniversaries of wartime alliances, perhaps mentioning his mother, the late Queen, and Trump's mother, who so admired royalty.
Every word will have been written in close consultation with the government, anxious to hit the right notes.
Guests, including many celebrity faces, will dine on a showcase of US and British food, from a menu written in French, with five or six different glasses for each place, in a hall lined with royal portraits and suits of armour.
Charles has decades of experience at playing host. Whatever his own private thoughts - and he's not exactly going to be signed up to Trump's "drill, baby, drill" message - the King has a strong sense of duty and will work hard to make this visit a success.
Royal author Robert Hardman suggests they'll stick to safe topics - such as talking about the president's Scottish roots.
And the royals have, of course, had plenty of visits from people with whom they might not have seen eye-to-eye. Mr Hardman describes how the late Queen Elizabeth II once hid behind a bush rather than bump into Romania's President Caecescu in the palace gardens, during the dictator's state visit in 1978.
Mark Kerrison/In Pictures via Getty Images
There will be no public carriage rides for the US visit, unlike for President Macron
The King is also not alone. The rest of the Royal Family will be deployed to help with the hospitality.
All eyes will be on Catherine, the Princess of Wales, and the First Lady, Melania Trump, when they visit a nature project involving the Scouts on Thursday.
Trump is also an admirer of Prince William, praising their "great, great talk" in France at the re-opening of the Notre-Dame Cathedral. William and Catherine will be an important part of the ceremonial welcome on Wednesday.
Queen Camilla will show Melania one of the quirkier items in Windsor, a remarkable dolls' house, made a century ago by the architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. If things get too tough, the miniature wine bottles in the dolls' house have real drink inside.
Getty Images
The Princess of Wales at the state banquet for Trump in 2019
While King Charles and Trump might seem contrasting personalities, they're very much known quantities to each other. They're men of the same post-war generation - Trump aged 79 and the King aged 76 - who have overlapped for decades. As far back as the late-1980s, Charles had been to Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.
After Trump survived an assassination attempt last July, the King sent him a personal note. They spent time together during Trump's previous state visit in 2019.
And it's also not just the two heads of state who have crossed paths, but their families.
Before Trump had taken a tilt at the White House, his businessman brother Robert, who died in 2020, had been a significant donor to Charles's charities, bringing him to royal dinners in the UK, along with other wealthy US socialites.
The King's brother, Prince Andrew, had visited Mar-a-Lago in 2000, introducing himself as "Andrew York" to guests. Jeffrey Epstein, later convicted as a sex offender, and Ghislaine Maxwell were pictured at the same party.
Prince Andrew will be entirely airbrushed out of this week's visit. But for Trump's 2019 visit, he was described as Buckingham Palace's "secret weapon", accompanying the president on two of the three days. That was only a matter of months before the Duke of York's notorious Newsnight interview.
Trump clearly relished meeting the late Queen Elizabeth II and he'll pay his respects to her, laying a wreath on her tomb in St George's Chapel.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Sir Keir Starmer handed over the historic invitation to a second state visit
Trump's fascination with the monarchy is at the heart of this state visit. As with much about the president, it's about his personality more than his politics.
"I still remember my mother, who is Scottish by birth, sitting in front of the television set to watch Queen Elizabeth's coronation and not budging for an entire day. She was just enthralled by the pomp and circumstance, the whole idea of royalty and glamour," Trump recalled in his book The Art of the Deal.
"I also remember my father that day, pacing around impatiently. 'For Christ's sake Mary,' he'd say. 'Enough is enough, turn it off.'"
It seems to be his mother's voice that he listened to.
"A meeting with the Queen of England was the ultimate sign, that he, Trump, had made it in life," wrote his former Russia adviser Fiona Hill in her White House memoir.
For Trump, getting close to a King or Queen seems to have been the ultimate way for an outsider to become an insider.
Offering him a second state visit has been called "unprecedented". And it is very rare, although Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik of Denmark also had two, in 1974 and 2000.
Since the start of Queen Elizabeth II's reign in 1952, there have only been three state visits by US presidents - George W Bush, Barack Obama and Trump - who is the only one who has had two. There have been other presidential trips to the UK, but not fully-fledged state visits.
The significance of that shouldn't be underestimated and it reflects how much Trump dominates the international news agenda.
For the UK government, his apparent fandom for the royals creates an opportunity to make its own pitch to Trump.
Getty Images
The King and PM Mark Carney asserted Canada's independence from US claims
It's an important moment for King Charles, who used to be criticised for "meddling" in politics. Now he's in the unusual position of being actively encouraged to play a role in diplomatic negotiations. Soft power is being applied to tough times.
It was the King who embraced Ukraine's President Zelensky after his White House mauling in February. And it was the King who went to Canada in May to show solidarity when it was under pressure from Trump to become his 51st state.
Charles appears to have been effective. Former Canadian high commissioner to the UK, Jeremy Kinsman, said the intervention had been "outstanding" and Trump seems to have reduced his aggressive rhetoric.
The King has also received warm support and standing ovations after speeches to the parliaments of France, Italy and Germany. Charles is a bridge-builder in an era when populist politicians are burning them down.
Yet issues such as protecting Ukraine are personally and deeply held by the King.
"I imagine it is an uncomfortable moment for the King," adds Mr Kinsman. "I cannot imagine two men more utterly different in values, purpose, style, and psychology."
Mr Kinsman, the former professional diplomat, says the King will have been briefed to "play the genial host and continue to try to charm the US president and impress him with the majesty of the setting". In turn, he says Trump will be on best behaviour and he will have been briefed and ready for small talk on topics such as organic farming.
"The King will know what to expect and I'm confident he will handle the president very diplomatically," royal commentator Pauline Maclaran says.
"The chemistry between them will be very interesting."
F-16 aircraft detected a Russian drone in Romanian airspace, while monitoring the country's border with Ukraine
Romania says a Russian drone has breached its airspace - the second Nato country to report such an incursion.
Romanian fighter jets were in the air monitoring a Russian attack in Ukraine on Saturday and were able to track the drone near Ukraine's southern border, the defence ministry said in a statement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the incursion could not be a mistake - it was "an obvious expansion of the war by Russia". Moscow has not commented on the Romanian claims.
On Wednesday, Poland said it had shot down at least three Russian drones which had entered its airspace.
In its statement, Romania's defence ministry said it detected the Russian drone when two F-16 jets were monitoring they country's border with Ukraine, after "Russian air attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure on the Danube".
The drone was detected 20km (12.4 miles) south-west of the village of Chilia Veche, before disappearing from the radar.
But it did not fly over populated areas or pose imminent danger, the ministry said.
Poland also responded to concerns over Russian drones on Saturday.
"Preventative operations of aviation - Polish and allied - have begun in our airspace," Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in a post on X.
"Ground-based air defence systems have reached the highest state of readiness."
Earlier this week Russia's defence ministry said there had been "no plans" to target facilities on Polish soil.
Belarus, a close Russian ally, said the drones which entered Polish airspace on Wednesday were an accident, after their navigation systems were jammed.
On Sunday, the Czech Republic announced it had sent a special operations helicopter unit to Poland.
The unit consists of three Mi-171S helicopters, each one capable of transporting up to 24 personnel and featuring full combat equipment.
The move is in response to Russian's incursion into Nato's eastern flank, the Czech Defence Minister Jana Cernochova said.
In response to the latest drone incursion, President Zelensky said the Russian military "knows exactly where their drones are headed and how long they can operate in the air".
He has consistently asked Western countries to tighten sanctions on Moscow.
US President Donald Trump also weighed in on airspace breach earlier this week, saying he was "ready" to impose tougher sanctions on Russia, but only if Nato countries met certain conditions, such as stopping buying Russian oil.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has been making slow progress in the battlefield.
Trump has been leading efforts to end the war, but Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine since President Vladimir Putin returned from a summit with Trump in Alaska last month.
Strong winds and heavy rain forecast as stormy weather to hit the UK
Image source, Getty
Published
Low pressure is sweeping in from the Atlantic bringing a spell of strong winds and heavy rain across the UK.
A Met Office Yellow wind warning has been issued across most of England and all of Wales and is valid from 8pm Sunday until 6pm Monday.
Coastal gales may develop bringing large waves to southern and western shores.
Travel disruption and power cuts are also possible.
Image caption,
Places in the yellow warning area will experience the strongest winds which may lead to some disruption
Sunday started dry for most but heavy outbreaks of rain will spread in from the west during the day, reaching eastern England and central Scotland by the late afternoon. Winds will strengthen too, especially for south-west England where coastal gales are likely to develop.
Throughout Sunday night and into Monday gusts up to 45-55mph are expected inland with 60-70mph possible around coasts and hills. Whilst these wind speeds are fairly typical for an autumn storm like this, trees are still in full leaf, which may increase the chance of branches or small tress coming down.
Heavy rain is an additional hazard with 10-30mm falling widely, with some western hills having around 70mm.
There is a risk of surface water flooding and difficult driving conditions.
Will the storm be named?
The Met Office says it is currently "not expecting to name the storm". The warning level for the UK is only yellow, which is the lowest tier.
However, storms are named in association with Ireland's Met Éireann and the Netherlands' KNMI, so if the forecast changes in any of these regions, there is a small potential for one of these agencies to name it.
A storm is named when it is forecast to cause "medium" or "high" impacts. The first name in in this season's storm list would be 'Amy'.
What's the outlook for the rest autumn?
Image caption,
The current weather pattern is dominated by an active jet stream to the south and low pressure systems moving west to east across the UK
As we transition from summer to autumn, we typically see the jet stream moving further south and strengthening in September, which gives rise to more unsettled, stormy weather to move in from the Atlantic.
So far this September we've already seen more than the expected rainfall for the whole month for several parts of the UK.
As we head deeper into the autumn months most forecast models indicate an increased chance of a 'wetter than average' spell until November in the UK.
However, there is always a lot of uncertainty in seasonal forecasts, and these should be interpreted as likely trends rather than expected conditions.
It's unlikely we'll see a repeat of September 2024 which was the wettest on record for 10 English counties, including Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Wiltshire. They received more than three times their expected September rainfall leading to widespread flooding.
The house is located on Southfield Lane in Bradford
A suspected thief is at large after four people were injured following an explosion at a house he targeted, police have said.
The explosion took place at the empty house on Southfield Lane, Bradford, at about 22:00 BST on Saturday, but two neighbouring properties were also damaged and a man, woman and child were treated for minor injuries.
A 27-year-old man, who was found seriously injured near the scene, has been arrested on suspicion of theft and West Yorkshire Police are also seeking Jacob Ryan, 28.
A force spokesperson said: "It is possible Jacob Ryan may have been injured as well and we urge him or anyone who knows him to come forward."
West Yorkshire Police
Jacob Ryan, 28, is on the run after the explosion
They added: "It is important we make sure he has access to any medical treatment he may need."
Officers also said the men were attempting to steal metal from the unoccupied terraced property.
The arrested man's injuries were said to be serious but not life-threatening and he was treated at hospital.
Fire and ambulance services also attended the "significantly damaged" building, as well as the two adjacent properties.
The force said the affected property was then made safe with the assistance of utilities companies.
Supt Lucy Leadbeater, from Bradford District Police, said: "A number of enquiries remain ongoing into this serious incident today."
She added: "While the cause of the explosion at this empty property remains under investigation, we are investigating reports of a metal theft taking place there just prior to the incident."
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed a technical rescue unit with dogs carried out further searches after the casualties were treated to ensure there were no persons unaccounted for.
YappApp
Police said the injuries suffered by the family living next door were not life-threatening
US President Donald Trump is going to be greeted with a spectacular royal charm offensive during his state visit this week.
The aim will be to dazzle and flatter him with the ultimate red-carpet experience, with guards of honour, flypasts, historic carriages, a lavish banquet, pomp and pageantry.
In return, Sir Keir Starmer will be hoping this gilt-edged reception will help to deliver the UK's message on awkward issues such as Ukraine and trade tariffs.
And if anyone can get the US president's attention and influence him, surely King Charles III and the Royal Family can.
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II greeted the President and First Lady on the state visit to the UK in 2019
But how will King Charles handle his sometimes unpredictable guest in Windsor? Can he be the Trump whisperer?
"Trump loves the monarchy and the Royal Family. It's a potential diplomatic ace card for the UK government," says Anna Whitelock, professor of history of the modern monarchy at City St George's, University of London.
This attraction to royalty will give the King a "rare advantage" in dealing with Trump, who usually expects to have the upper hand, says Prof Whitelock.
Sir Anthony Seldon, biographer of the UK's prime ministers, agrees. The King can benefit from Trump's "palpable enthusiasm" for the royals, he says.
"At the same time, King Charles is in the most delicate of positions. His own known views, on the environment, and standing up for democracy and the rule of law in Europe, are a long way apart from the president's," says Sir Anthony.
"He will, I am sure, be scrupulously correct and civil," he adds. In essence, the King will stick to the script given to him by the UK government.
The government will certainly hope that this week's royal schmooze-fest will make a positive impression on Trump, creating a feelgood factor for the UK.
It's an unusual and carefully crafted state visit. There's a crammed schedule squeezed into a day and a half, most of it dedicated to royal spectacles. Windsor is being used like a royal theme park.
With fears over security and protests, there won't be any cheering crowds and no public procession, like the one recently enjoyed by France's President Emmanuel Macron. Instead, it will be helicopters and closed events, including the carriage ride, which will wind its way inside the Windsor estate.
And the nearest thing to the public that the president will see will be the staff working at the banquet.
Jonathan Brady/Getty Images
The King has shown his public support for Ukraine's President Zelensky
The King will make a speech in honour of the president at the state banquet in St George's Hall, inside Windsor Castle. He's likely to praise the special relationship and talk of the anniversaries of wartime alliances, perhaps mentioning his mother, the late Queen, and Trump's mother, who so admired royalty.
Every word will have been written in close consultation with the government, anxious to hit the right notes.
Guests, including many celebrity faces, will dine on a showcase of US and British food, from a menu written in French, with five or six different glasses for each place, in a hall lined with royal portraits and suits of armour.
Charles has decades of experience at playing host. Whatever his own private thoughts - and he's not exactly going to be signed up to Trump's "drill, baby, drill" message - the King has a strong sense of duty and will work hard to make this visit a success.
Royal author Robert Hardman suggests they'll stick to safe topics - such as talking about the president's Scottish roots.
And the royals have, of course, had plenty of visits from people with whom they might not have seen eye-to-eye. Mr Hardman describes how the late Queen Elizabeth II once hid behind a bush rather than bump into Romania's President Caecescu in the palace gardens, during the dictator's state visit in 1978.
Mark Kerrison/In Pictures via Getty Images
There will be no public carriage rides for the US visit, unlike for President Macron
The King is also not alone. The rest of the Royal Family will be deployed to help with the hospitality.
All eyes will be on Catherine, the Princess of Wales, and the First Lady, Melania Trump, when they visit a nature project involving the Scouts on Thursday.
Trump is also an admirer of Prince William, praising their "great, great talk" in France at the re-opening of the Notre-Dame Cathedral. William and Catherine will be an important part of the ceremonial welcome on Wednesday.
Queen Camilla will show Melania one of the quirkier items in Windsor, a remarkable dolls' house, made a century ago by the architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. If things get too tough, the miniature wine bottles in the dolls' house have real drink inside.
Getty Images
The Princess of Wales at the state banquet for Trump in 2019
While King Charles and Trump might seem contrasting personalities, they're very much known quantities to each other. They're men of the same post-war generation - Trump aged 79 and the King aged 76 - who have overlapped for decades. As far back as the late-1980s, Charles had been to Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.
After Trump survived an assassination attempt last July, the King sent him a personal note. They spent time together during Trump's previous state visit in 2019.
And it's also not just the two heads of state who have crossed paths, but their families.
Before Trump had taken a tilt at the White House, his businessman brother Robert, who died in 2020, had been a significant donor to Charles's charities, bringing him to royal dinners in the UK, along with other wealthy US socialites.
The King's brother, Prince Andrew, had visited Mar-a-Lago in 2000, introducing himself as "Andrew York" to guests. Jeffrey Epstein, later convicted as a sex offender, and Ghislaine Maxwell were pictured at the same party.
Prince Andrew will be entirely airbrushed out of this week's visit. But for Trump's 2019 visit, he was described as Buckingham Palace's "secret weapon", accompanying the president on two of the three days. That was only a matter of months before the Duke of York's notorious Newsnight interview.
Trump clearly relished meeting the late Queen Elizabeth II and he'll pay his respects to her, laying a wreath on her tomb in St George's Chapel.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Sir Keir Starmer handed over the historic invitation to a second state visit
Trump's fascination with the monarchy is at the heart of this state visit. As with much about the president, it's about his personality more than his politics.
"I still remember my mother, who is Scottish by birth, sitting in front of the television set to watch Queen Elizabeth's coronation and not budging for an entire day. She was just enthralled by the pomp and circumstance, the whole idea of royalty and glamour," Trump recalled in his book The Art of the Deal.
"I also remember my father that day, pacing around impatiently. 'For Christ's sake Mary,' he'd say. 'Enough is enough, turn it off.'"
It seems to be his mother's voice that he listened to.
"A meeting with the Queen of England was the ultimate sign, that he, Trump, had made it in life," wrote his former Russia adviser Fiona Hill in her White House memoir.
For Trump, getting close to a King or Queen seems to have been the ultimate way for an outsider to become an insider.
Offering him a second state visit has been called "unprecedented". And it is very rare, although Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik of Denmark also had two, in 1974 and 2000.
Since the start of Queen Elizabeth II's reign in 1952, there have only been three state visits by US presidents - George W Bush, Barack Obama and Trump - who is the only one who has had two. There have been other presidential trips to the UK, but not fully-fledged state visits.
The significance of that shouldn't be underestimated and it reflects how much Trump dominates the international news agenda.
For the UK government, his apparent fandom for the royals creates an opportunity to make its own pitch to Trump.
Getty Images
The King and PM Mark Carney asserted Canada's independence from US claims
It's an important moment for King Charles, who used to be criticised for "meddling" in politics. Now he's in the unusual position of being actively encouraged to play a role in diplomatic negotiations. Soft power is being applied to tough times.
It was the King who embraced Ukraine's President Zelensky after his White House mauling in February. And it was the King who went to Canada in May to show solidarity when it was under pressure from Trump to become his 51st state.
Charles appears to have been effective. Former Canadian high commissioner to the UK, Jeremy Kinsman, said the intervention had been "outstanding" and Trump seems to have reduced his aggressive rhetoric.
The King has also received warm support and standing ovations after speeches to the parliaments of France, Italy and Germany. Charles is a bridge-builder in an era when populist politicians are burning them down.
Yet issues such as protecting Ukraine are personally and deeply held by the King.
"I imagine it is an uncomfortable moment for the King," adds Mr Kinsman. "I cannot imagine two men more utterly different in values, purpose, style, and psychology."
Mr Kinsman, the former professional diplomat, says the King will have been briefed to "play the genial host and continue to try to charm the US president and impress him with the majesty of the setting". In turn, he says Trump will be on best behaviour and he will have been briefed and ready for small talk on topics such as organic farming.
"The King will know what to expect and I'm confident he will handle the president very diplomatically," royal commentator Pauline Maclaran says.
"The chemistry between them will be very interesting."
Chilkdren at an aid distribution site in Gaza City
The first group of critically ill and injured Palestinian children set to receive NHS treatment have left Gaza and are expected to arrive in the UK in days.
They are the first children to be brought to the UK for treatment as part of a government operation being co-ordinated by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Home Office and Department of Health.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed the children had been evacuated from Gaza in an interview with the Daily Mirror newspaper.
A Foreign Office source told the BBC the report was correct and the children were due to arrive in the UK in the "coming days".
The UK government is also working to evacuate students with places to study at British universities.
Cooper did not confirm how large the first group was but the BBC understands it contains between 30 and 50 Palestinian children.
Cooper told the newspaper "it was a lot of diplomatic work in order to help them actually leave Gaza".
She added: "But that work is underway and I'm determined to make sure that we can do our bit to help those injured families and also to help students get into their courses this autumn."
Some Gazan children have been brought privately to the UK for medical treatment through an initiative by Project Pure Hope, but the government until now had not evacuated any through its own scheme during the conflict.
On Saturday, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said the bodies of 47 people killed by the Israeli military had arrived at its hospitals over the previous day.
Since UN-backed global food security experts confirmed a famine in Gaza City on 22 August, the ministry has reported that at least 142 people have died from starvation and malnutrition across the territory.
Earlier this year, the World Health Organization said that Israel's offensive in Gaza had stretched the territory's health system "beyond breaking point".
Israel has said it is expanding its efforts to facilitate aid deliveries and has disputed the health ministry's figures on malnutrition-related deaths.
The Israeli military launched its 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 64,803 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory's health ministry.
Sir Brian May (left) and Roger Taylor debuted a new orchestral arrangement of Bohemian Rhapsody
The rock band Queen were the star guests at the Last Night of the Proms, giving their first ever symphonic performance of their rock operetta, Bohemian Rhapsody.
Sir Brian May and Roger Taylor joined the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Chorus to bring their scaramouches and fandangos to the Royal Albert Hall, as the song celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Queen singer Freddie Mercury, who died in 1991, "would have loved to be here," Sir Brian told BBC News. "He'd have been on that stage, lapping it up."
Asked what the flamboyant star would have worn, his bandmate replied: "I think it would be formal. He wouldn't do the short shorts or the leotard. He'd be in tails, very elegant."
Brian May delivered the song's iconic guitar solo from a specially-extended stage at the Royal Albert Hall
Tenor Sam Oladeinde amply filled Mercury's high-top sneakers for Saturday's performance; while the chorus was bolstered by the National Youth Choir, the BBC Singers and soprano Louise Alder for the famous "Bismillah!" section.
Sir Brian momentarily missed his cue on the closing guitar solo but the climax - a ghostly recording of Mercury singing "any way the wind blows" followed by Roger Taylor striking Britain's largest gong - was met with a massive roar of approval.
Stuart Morley's all-new orchestral arrangement gave Bohemian Rhapsody a "fresh grandeur", said chorister Gareth Malone, who watched the performance.
"This is a big room to fill, and it filled it."
Speaking backstage, Sir Brian called the performance "very emotional".
"A little too emotional for me," he added. "I missed a couple of things which I wish would have loved to get better. But the overall feeling was great."
Bill Bailey played one of the evening's more unconventional instruments
The Last Night marked the culmination of eight weeks of concerts across the country, from Braford and Bristol to Gateshead and Belfast.
The finale, at London's Royal Albert Hall, also starred comedian Bill Bailey, who played Leroy Anderson's 1950 classic The Typewriter on… well, a typewriter.
A comedic ode to office life, it features just two keys of the machine (for clarity and to avoid jamming, apparently) as well as the "ding" of the carriage return at the end of each phrase.
Known to many as the theme song to BBC Radio 4's The News Quiz, it was a quirky highlight that Bailey dedicated to his late mother.
"I just wish my mum was around for her to see it," he said ahead of the show.
"I think that would be just a wonderful moment - to see those early times when she inspired me to listen to music, and then there I am at the Proms."
Bailey was welcomed on stage by audience members, who chanted a greeting referencing "Room 101" - although their meaning was not immediately clear.
Elim Chan conducted the Last Night concert for the first time
The Last Night was led for the first time by Hong Kong-born conductor Elim Chan, who acknowledged her debut by hanging a learner's plate from her podium.
But she was a confident, charismatic leader, who curated the concert around themes of childhood.
The 38-year-old explained that she was inspired to take up the baton after watching Mickey Mouse conducting the constellation of stars in Walt Disney's animated classic Fantasia.
Accordingly, she included The Sorcerer's Apprentice, which scored that scene, as part of Saturday's programme.
"Little girl Elim is not staying in the dressing room," she told BBC Two before the performance.
"She's coming on the stage with me, and I'll give her a little pat on the back."
End of an era for Alison Balsom
Alison Balsom ended her professional career after 40 years playing the trumpet
British trumpeter Alison Balsom also looked back to her youth, as she gave her retirement performance at the age of 46.
She bowed out of her professional career with Hummel's Trumpet Concerto in E flat major, which she first heard at the Barbican as a young girl.
It was an emotional performance, with Balsom producing a beautifully rounded tone during the slower, languorous movements; before switching into high gear for the dazzling pyrotechnics of the closing Rondo.
"It feels like a wonderful finale to be able to play this piece I've lived with all my musical life," she said.
"I can't say how lucky I am to have had music in my life, because it's enriched me as a human being."
As she ended her performance, Balsom was showered with roses from an appreciative audience.
Louise Alder adopted the character of Eliza Doolittle for her medley of songs from My Fair Lady
Alder was the night's star soprano, promising "an uplifting evening" as an antidote to global political turmoil.
She transported audiences to Edwardian London with a cheeky medley of songs from My Fair Lady; and scaled the heights with her rendition of Vilja Song – the nostalgic showpiece of Franz Lehár's operetta The Merry Widow.
"I admire any soprano who has a huge voice but can do internalised, soft singing like that," observed BBC Radio 3's Georgia Mann.
"That is the mark of true class."
The singer embraced the Last Night's party atmosphere, adopting a cockney accent and flower-sellers costume for Wouldn't It Be Loverly; and sporting a spectacular union flag ballgown for Rule, Britannia!
The concert ended with the traditional programme of sea shanties and patriotic songs like Jerusalem and Land of Hope and Glory - as the audience waved flags, set off party poppers and waved stuffed toys.
Bill Bailey reappeared at the end of the concert, playing Auld Lang Syne on the Royal Albert Hall's famous "voice of Jupiter" organ - but not before bashing out an impromptu version of Europe's rock classic The Final Countdown.
It gave the season a suitably celebratory and idiosyncratic climax.
This year's season has totalled 86 concerts featuring everyone from jazz singer Samara Joy to the world's only one-handed pianist, Nicholas McCarthy.
Highlights included the Vienna Symphony's superlative performance of Bruckner's Symphony No 9; and star conductor Klaus Mäkelä, who delivered an astonishingly emotional version of Gustav Mahler's Fifth Symphony with the Netherlands' Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
There was also a Prom dedicated to the music of The Traitors; another featuring the music of Psycho composer Bernard Herrmann; and crossover concerts with pop star Jade Thirlwall and guitar virtuoso St Vincent.
Almost 290,000 tickets were sold across the season; and millions more tuned into coverage across BBC Radio 3, BBC Sounds and BBC Television.
The festival will return on 17 July 2026, for its 131st season.
More than 3,000 musicians played at the Proms over the course of the 2025 season
Last Night of the Proms 2025 - programme
Modest Mussorgsky - A Night on the Bare Mountain
Johann Nepomuk Hummel - Trumpet Concerto in E flat major
Lucy Walker - Today
Arthur Benjamin - 'Storm Clouds' Cantata
Charles-François Gounod - Faust: 'O Dieu! que de bijoux … Ah! je ris de me voir' (Jewel Song)
Franz Lehár - The Merry Widow: Es lebt' eine Vilja (Vilja Song)
Camille Pépin - Fireworks (world premiere)
Paul Dukas - The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Interval
Freddie Mercury/Queen, arr. Stuart Morley - Bohemian Rhapsody
Dmitry Shostakovich - Festive Overture
Lerner/Loewe, arr. Paul Campbell - My Fair Lady medley f
Leonard Bernstein, arr. Simon Wright - Prelude, Fugue and Riffs
Leroy Anderson - The Typewriter
Rachel Portman - The Gathering Tree (world premiere)
Trad., arr. Henry Wood - Fantasia on British Sea-Songs
Thomas Arne, arr. Malcolm Sargent - Rule, Britannia!
Edward Elgar - Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 (Land of Hope and Glory)
Manchester City head into Sunday's crunch derby trailing rivals Manchester United by a point at the start of an important week for Pep Guardiola's men.
City last went into a Manchester derby behind United in the table in December 2020, when they were eighth and the Old Trafford club one place above.
United manager Ruben Amorim's issues have been laid bare in public following a humiliating Carabao Cup exit at the hands of League Two side Grimsby and Red Devils legend Wayne Rooney stating something is "broken" at the club.
But United have some momentum as they go into the game on the back of a last-gasp victory against Burnley before the international break, while City have suffered back-to-back defeats.
Guardiola's side find themselves in a difficult moment even at this early juncture in the season, and the Spaniard has issues to fix to prevent any concerns turning into a full crisis.
Asked whether the game is bigger for City or United, Guardiola told BBC Sport: "I am thinking about ourselves. We always have respect for our city rivals.
"We came back on Thursday - players came back good - and I am looking forward to it for our fans. I know how important it is.
"[It is] a really important game for us to change the dynamic and I trust the players a lot. We are going to do a good game."
A squad overhaul with 10 new signings
Last term was a particularly disappointing one for Guardiola and his side, failing to lift a major trophy for the first time in eight years.
One season without silverware is poor enough for the Spaniard and, though it is still early days, ending 2025-26 without triumphing would be unthinkable.
Guardiola needed to refresh a playing squad that often lacked energy last season, and did so in his usual ruthless manner.
Out went serial winners with huge personalities in Kevin de Bruyne, Kyle Walker, Jack Grealish, Ilkay Gundogan, Ederson and Manuel Akanji, while Scott Carson made an exit too. He was highly valued for his presence around the squad as a mentor to the younger players.
The dressing room has lost a significant amount of experience which has been built over a number of years and cannot simply be replaced overnight.
Guardiola has turned to the exuberance of youth in an attempt to wrestle the title back from Liverpool, who look to be heavy favourites to retain their crown following heavy investment in the summer.
While City have added 10 new players to the squad since January with a total expenditure of about £350m, it is dwarfed by the Reds strengthening their squad to the tune of a record £415m this summer.
But City go into another campaign without a recognised right-back, with Rico Lewis struggling somewhat in the home loss against Tottenham, while Matheus Nunes came in against Brighton and conceded a penalty in the defeat.
Guardiola pointed to an extensive injury list for last season's travails, and they are stacking up once more as new signing Rayan Cherki has been ruled out for two months with a thigh injury, missing out on the revenge he vowed to take against United.
Omar Marmoush, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Mateo Kovacic are also sidelined, John Stones is a doubt, and Josko Gvardiol and Savinho are yet to make an appearance this season.
Club insiders have told BBC Sport that training has gone well and there is confidence heading into Sunday's fixture after a disappointing result at home to Spurs and failing to get anything out of the game at Brighton despite playing well.
But there was also an acknowledgement that this is a big week for City - they host their rivals before the emotional return of De Bruyne with Napoli in the Champions League on Thursday, followed by a trip to fellow title contenders Arsenal next Sunday.
The goalkeeping situation
There has been real confusion around the goalkeeping situation at City this summer too.
Speaking in June, Guardiola said the two keepers they have - Ederson and Stefan Ortega - "will continue", with both going on to play at the Club World Cup in the USA.
Having not seemingly been in the market for a new keeper, City then ended up signing three.
Marcus Bettinelli was brought in to cover the departure of Carson, while City had matching rights on Newcastle's £27m bid for Burnley's James Trafford, and the club felt the prospect of re-signing the Englishman was too good to turn down.
Ederson, meanwhile, went from being declared Guardiola's number one, external before the opening Premier League game against Wolves to being shipped off to Fenerbahce a mere 18 days later.
In came Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris St-Germain on deadline day after the Italy number one was brutally axed by Luis Enrique, despite helping the club to the Treble last season.
Despite being deemed surplus to requirements, Ortega remains at the Etihad too, having turned down options to leave, meaning Guardiola has four first-team keepers on the books.
"A lot of people didn't really understand the true value of Ederson because his shot-stopping is great, but his ability to get on the ball and to be the spare player that can create something," former City defender Nedum Onuoha told BBC's Football Focus.
"Now he's gone, the people who are trying to fill those boots won't be able to do it in the same way.
"From a City perspective, if their goalkeeper continues to get pressed and make those sorts of errors, it will encourage the opposition and change how City play."
It is hard to envisage Donnarumma being signed to sit on the bench, which leaves Trafford in a situation where he thought he was coming in as the long-term heir to Ederson, but instead playing second fiddle to the towering Italian.
Despite being only 26, Donnarumma brings vast experience as an elite, match-winning keeper with incredible shot-stopping ability, and he now has the opportunity to showcase his talents in England.
"He is so tall; he is so huge," Guardiola said. "[From] all the keepers we want safe balls, give confidence to the team, have personality and a big presence.
"In the biggest stages in the Champions League last season, at Villa Park, Anfield and in many games, he proved how good he is."
With United also experiencing difficulties in between the sticks, they signed Belgian Sanne Lammens on deadline day, but Amorim confirmed Altay Bayindir will start in goal on Sunday.
City have been surprisingly poor and, despite United's own frailties this season, Amorim's men may target two specific weaknesses.
Amorim's game model, as analysed earlier this season, centres around aiming to entice pressure before launching direct passes, often for team-mates running in behind.
Secondly, their system focuses on playing down the flanks rather than centrally, often aiming to overload the wide areas.
Two of City's biggest weaknesses have come in both of these areas. Against Spurs and Brighton, City conceded from situations in which they failed to press the opposition's wide defender.
This player then played a direct pass down the flank, where both Spurs and Brighton had positioned extra players. After losing the duel, the opposition were able to attack City's disorganised backline before scoring.
United's tendency to go long, overloading the wide areas, may therefore pose a challenge City will need to be aware of, particularly if they can find a player with the hold-up quality of Bryan Mbeumo.
"I don't think this is a City we're used to seeing. We started to say that last season and we thought a lot of that was because of the absence of Rodri," former England midfielder Fara Williams told Football Focus.
"But I feel like they still have the same habits defensively, in terms of the mistakes they were making and conceding goals in the same manner they were last year."
City have also struggled to win duels in the middle of the pitch when games have become stretched - a hallmark of matches United have played so far.
United's Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro and Mason Mount have won 55%, 61% and 65% of their respective duels this season.
City's midfield cohort have standouts in Nico Gonzalez (73%) and Rodri (71%), but generally have struggled otherwise with Bernardo Silva (26%), Rayan Cherki (38%) and Tijjani Reijnders (44%) bringing the average down.
"They're caught in two stalls at the minute. They want to be aggressive, but if you're a bit late it doesn't work," Onuoha added.
Guardiola's midfield selection and their ability to win duels against a direct United will be a key factor in this weekend's derby.
Image source, Premier League
Image caption,
Spurs overloaded the wide areas, played direct passes, and won their respective duels before scoring against Man City
President Michael D Higgins will step down from the role when his term ends later this year
Michael D Higgins' time as president of Ireland will come to an end in November.
Serving as president for over a decade, Higgins has been regarded as one of Ireland's most popular politicians.
During his tenure, he pushed the conventional boundaries of the role with comments on live political issues – such as housing shortages and foreign policy.
Three candidates to date have secured enough support to be on the ballot ahead of the election on 24 October.
Other prospective candidates, which include some high profile names like Conor McGregor, have until 24 September to secure a nomination.
Sinn Féin have yet to announce if they will run a candidate.
Who is in the running?
Houses of the Oireachtas
Catherine Connolly has been backed by a number of Ireland's smaller parties
Catherine Connolly is an independent who is backed by some left-wing parties - Labour, the Social Democrats, and People Before Profit.
She has represented Galway West in the lower house of the Irish Parliament, Dáil Éireann, since 2016.
Connolly has also worked as a barrister and clinical psychologist.
She served as deputy speaker of the Dáil for four years.
BBC / PA Media
Jim Gavin will be the Fianna Fáil candidate
Jim Gavin has been selected by Fianna Fáil, which is the largest party in the Irish Parliament, and led by the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheál Martin.
Gavin is one of the most successful team managers in the history of Ireland's most popular sport.
He led Dublin's county Gaelic football team to six all-Ireland Senior Championship titles between 2012 and 2019. Gavin also spent 20 years in the Irish military and is presently a senior aviation regulator.
BBC / Getty Images
Heather Humphreys will be the Fine Gael candidate
Heather Humphreys is the candidate for Fine Gael, the other centre-right party in the coalition government.
She is an experienced cabinet minister, having held a range of portfolios including justice, rural development and the arts before she stood down from the Dáil in 2024 after 13 years.
Humphreys is from County Monaghan, near the border with Northern Ireland, and is a member of a Protestant church. Her grandfather signed a petition against Irish self-government in 1912, when the whole island was still part of the UK.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald (left) has already said she will not be a candidate but Michelle O'Neill (right) has not ruled herself out
Sinn Féin is the main opposition party in the Irish parliament, and the largest party at all levels of politics in Northern Ireland.
It has said it is still deciding whether to run its own candidate, or back Catherine Connolly. Senior members are due to hold a meeting on 20th September to reach a decision.
The Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has said she will not run.
The Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill has not ruled out being the party's candidate if it does decide to put one forward.
How do you become president of Ireland?
Getty Images
Áras an Uachtaráin in Phoenix Park, Dublin, is the official residence and workplace of the Irish president
Any Irish citizen who's aged 35 or older is entitled to seek a nomination for the presidency.
There are two routes. A runner will secure a place on the ballot paper if they are endorsed by at least twenty members of the Irish Parliament, known as the Oireachtas.
There are 174 members of the Dáil and another 60 Senators in the upper house, Seanad Éireann.
Alternatively – a candidate will go forward to the election if they are nominated by four out of Ireland's 31 local authorities.
Councils are holding special meetings, at which prospective candidates can make presentations.
Around 3.5m people in the country are eligible to vote.
The election uses a system of proportional representation known as the Single Transferable Vote.
Voters rank candidates in order of numerical preference. Counting will begin on Saturday 25th October and may continue into the following day.
The winner will serve as president of Ireland for seven years, until 2032.
At that point, they will be entitled to nominate themselves to run for a second and final term.
Who else has said they'd like to run?
BBC / PA Media
Bob Geldoff and Conor McGregor have both expressed interest in running for president
A number of people have expressed an interest in running as independents. Gareth Sheridan is CEO of the pharmaceutical company Nutriband.
Maria Steen is a barrister and campaigner on social issues, who opposed the legalisation of same-sex marriage and abortion during referendums in the last decade.
Peter Casey is an entrepreneur who came second in the 2018 presidential election.
The Boomtown Rats singer and Live Aid organiser Bob Geldof was said to be considering an attempt to get on the ballot paper – but it is understood he has decided not to pursue a nomination.
The mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor, who is a strong critic of the government's immigration policies, has also said he wants to run – but commentators and politicians say it is very unlikely he will become a candidate.
Several others have approached local authorities to make a pitch for councillors to endorse them.
What does the president of Ireland do?
The president of Ireland is the country's head of state.
They represent the country abroad, take centre stage at major national events, and are responsible for ensuring that the constitution – the set of rules for government and politics - is followed.
The president's powers are limited, but the office-holder's influence can be profound.
For example, the election of Mary Robinson in 1990 – as the first woman to have the job – was seen as heralding a new era of social liberalisation.
Mary McAleese held the office from 1997-2011, during pivotal years for the Northern Ireland peace process.
Her emphasis on reconciliation culminated in a historic state visit to Ireland by Queen Elizabeth II.
Presidents tend to be among the most prominent political figures in Ireland – with the privilege of addressing the nation at Christmas and on St Patrick's Day, and hosting dignitaries and citizens at their splendid official residence, Áras an Uachtaráin in Dublin's Phoenix Park.
The family of Virginia Giuffre, who became the most prominent victim of Jeffrey Epstein, has told the BBC that Lord Mandelson should never have been given the position of UK ambassador to the United States.
In an exclusive interview on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Sky Roberts, Virginia's brother said, "absolutely not, he should never have been given the position in the first place.
"It speaks to how deep the corruption goes in our systems. Whether that's linked to the UK, US or abroad."
There is no suggestion that Lord Mandelson ever met Giuffre. He said last week, that "perhaps as a gay man", he never sought or was offered introductions to women from Epstein.
Virginia Giuffre alleged that she was abused by Jeffrey Epstein after she met Ghislaine Maxwell, a British socialite, in 2000 while working as a locker room attendant at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach.
In 2001, at the age of 17, she said Epstein brought her to London and introduced her to Prince Andrew, who she claimed sexually abused her three times. The prince, who has denied all claims against him, reached an out-of-court settlement with her in 2022 which contained no admission of liability or apology.
Giuffre's sister-in-law, Amanda Roberts, told the BBC, "why does it take us to have to pull out the skeletons for people to be held accountable? Our governments have allowed these people to hold their status and their title without shame".
"He should never have been given that title. We have to put the spotlight on them. It's unfair we continuously pull these skeletons out, that survivors have to continuously point the finger for us to do the right thing".
Neither Downing Street nor Lord Mandelson wished to comment.
EPA
There's no suggestion Lord Mandelson ever met Virginia Giuffre
Lord Mandelson was sacked by the Prime Minister this week, after a cache of emails between Mandelson and Epstein was published by Bloomberg, in which the peer urged Epstein to fight for early release, and revealed the extent of their contacts and relationship.
Mr Roberts, Virginia's younger brother, said that the firing of Mandelson was a "step in the right direction" but "the reality is that's not nearly enough".
Referencing Jeffrey Epstein's birthday book, to which Peter Mandelson contributed several pages along with dozens of other contributors he added, "there are still people out there, still people in that book who could be doing this to other young women and children right now."
Entries from 40 people, divided into several categories such as "friends", "business", "science" and "Brooklyn", were published, though the names under "family" and "girl friends" were redacted.
These people are not accused of any legal wrongdoing in connection with Epstein's case.
The family's first UK interview will be broadcast on Sunday with LK on Sunday - As well as Lord Mandelson they discuss Epstein, Donald Trump and Prince Andrew, and their hope for Virginia's legacy.
Sign up for the Off Air with Laura K newsletter to get Laura Kuenssberg's expert insight and insider stories every week, emailed directly to you.
£100 or £1,000: How much would you spend on a hen or stag do?
"Hey ladies, it's that time again. Please transfer £300 by 7pm tonight for accommodation, matching outfits, and surprise gifts for the bride :)"
It's the message lots of us in our 20s and 30s are used to getting.
That includes Hayley, 29, who says she spent more than £1,000 attending a hen party in Marbella, Spain.
"In the WhatsApp groups, it's always initially the flights and the hotel," Hayley says, "and then afterwards it's like, 'OK, we're going to this beach club, we're getting that T-shirt, we're going to do that cocktail club'.
"You feel like you have to do it."
Hen and stag dos, like weddings and baby showers, are a chance to celebrate big milestones in our friends' lives. But what was once a night down the pub has, for many, become an entire weekend away. And for some, the costs are too much.
"Don't mind me, just choosing whether to attend or pay my rent for the next three months *crying face emoji*," wrote one TikTok user, in a video about expensive hen parties.
Twenty-nine-year-old Lucy, told me the rising price of friendship feels like it's spiralling out of control.
"It's that time of life where everyone is getting engaged, married or having kids," Lucy says. "And the costs of celebrating all of that adds up."
"Money doesn't grow on trees," adds Charles, who's 27. "Lots of my friends work in the public sector, and it's a struggle to keep up.”
So what are the pitfalls when organising a hen, a stag, or even a wedding? And is there a way to keep everyone happy?
'You can't say no'
Getty Images
One common theme is that people feel pressured into saying "yes" to attending to avoid upsetting friends, or worse, looking cheap.
"I see TikToks all the time, saying: 'Just say no, it's so simple,'" says Anna, who asked the BBC not to use her real name. "But it causes so much falling out, it's ridiculous."
The 29-year-old says her cousin chose to hold her hen party in Spain, at a cost of about £300 per person for flights and accommodation, before factoring in spending money.
Anna says she told her cousin she couldn't afford it, but was then hit with passive aggressive messages.
"[She said] 'Just save £20 a month for the next year,'" Anna says. "But I didn't have that. Then she said, 'Ask your dad'."
Begrudgingly, Anna agreed to go - but the hen was then cancelled due to Covid.
She's since been invited to a number of other hen parties and weddings. She feels she can't justify the costs - but doesn't want to be labelled as the friend who can't afford it.
"I could imagine the comments behind [my] back," Anna says.
‘It’s £100 here, £100 there'
Then there are the costs when you actually get to said hen, stag or wedding.
My best friend Claire got married recently and as a lifelong raver, had decided to hold her hen party in Ibiza.
As her bridesmaids, we tried to keep costs down. Hotels were prohibitively expensive, so we opted for a hostel instead. It looked decent online, but turned out to be not dissimilar to a prison cell.
With flights, accommodation and spending in bars and clubs, the whole trip set us back about £1,000 each.
Still, according to research, we did comparatively well.
Jasmine, left, is getting married and her friends, Hayley and Lily, and sister Ruby, are planning her hen party
According to a study from Aviva in 2023, stag and hen invitees spent an average of £779 per person in the UK, and £1,208 abroad. The average price abroad was £1,664 this year, according to a separate study by the insurer.
For Jasmine, who's 28, it's the unexpected costs that are the worst. She's been to hen parties where there's been a set price, but then additional payments of up to £100 per person were asked for.
"And you've already committed and you don't want to pull out," she says.
Jasmine, who's engaged to be married, thinks an appropriate amount to spend should be in the region of £100-200, "as you'd spend that on a day or night out anyway".
To split... or not to split?
Getty Images
Then there's the thorny question of splitting bills.
Another woman, who we're calling Jemima, says on a recent hen weekend, she had to contribute to a central kitty for bars - even though she doesn't drink.
"It made no sense, but you have to go along with the flow," the 34-year-old says. "The bills kept racking up and up."
This is not just a British problem, either. TikTok creator, Sydney Jo from New York, recently told me as she and her friends approach their 30s, bachelorettes and weddings have become a major source of drama. And that's provided excellent content for her viral series about a girls’ group chat.
In a recent episode, set during a bachelorette trip to Costa Rica, one of the characters declares that her friend is "driving her insane".
"The money stuff?" her friend guesses.
"Yes, THANK YOU," the 27-year-old replies. "It's like, refusing to order Ubers, being so annoying about the cheque at every single meal... Seriously? I'm going to lose it."
That's before you even get to the wedding
Once you're done with the hen and stag do, then you have to factor in the cost of going to the big day itself.
Lucy went to a friend's wedding in Switzerland last year which she says cost her about £700. It was in a "really random town", she says, which involved taking a train and a bus, and accommodation options were very limited which meant she had to stay in an expensive hotel, driving up costs. Food was covered, but everyone had to pay for their own drinks.
"It was a lovely day," Lucy says. "But very expensive."
The couple are now getting divorced. "So that was a waste of money," she adds.
Elle
Elle got married abroad, but now regrets that
Elle got married in Cyprus when she was in her early 30s. She's also now divorced, and says, on reflection, it wasn't worth it.
Family and friends had flown out, and in the lead up to the wedding activities like paragliding and boat days had been booked, so the costs had really added up.
"Looking back, I wouldn't have done a destination wedding. I know how much pressure it put people under," Elle says. "One of my bridesmaids was upset as she couldn't afford it and for a while she was too scared to tell me. Eventually she did, and I felt really bad."
Hen and stag dos and don'ts
Getty Images
So how to navigate this minefield? Personal finance expert Laura Suter has the following advice:
Discuss budgets upfront. Setting a realistic budget early helps avoid awkwardness later
Group activities should be planned around all budgets. What feels reasonable to one person can feel excessive to another
Ask yourself, do you really need matching outfits for each day? One fun accessory is often enough
Don't be afraid to say no if the trip is becoming unaffordable. Most friends would prefer honesty
If you find yourself repeatedly under pressure, don't be shy to rethink those friendships
Lucy, who's getting married herself next year, says previous experience has made her conscious of costs for her guests.
Charles, who's also planning his wedding, agrees.
"Many of my mates already have multiple weddings booked in for next year, and I want to make sure everyone can come to mine," he says.
"Speaking to my best man, we might do my stag when the World Cup is on so we don't have to plan activities - everyone will just go to the pub and watch the football - that will definitely save on costs."
Forensic agents are seen at the apartment complex where Tyler Robinson is said to live in St George, Utah
Washington, Utah, located just southwest of Zion National Park, is surrounded by cinematic mesas and has long been a hub for exploring the natural wonders of the American west.
Yet the last 48 hours have left residents wondering how the portal to the most beautiful parts of the country may have produced one of its ugliest acts of political violence in years.
Public records and police statements indicate that Tyler Robinson, the man authorities accused of killing the conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University this week, resided in the area. On Saturday, authorities released an affidavit charging him with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, and obstruction of justice.
Local and federal law enforcement descended on typically quiet blocks in Washington and nearby St George, banging on doors and closing off streets as they carried out a high stakes investigation.
Outside the home tied to Mr Robinson and his parents in Washington, neighbours expressed shock that a fellow resident could have committed such an attack.
'You don't expect it'
"It shakes up a community because you don't expect it," said Addi Jacobson, 20, who recently moved into her grandmother's house in the neighbourhood.
Ms Jacobson said she did not personally know the Robinson family, but her grandmother did.
"She just was saying that she thinks that, from what she's seen and what she knows, they're a great family, just regular citizens," Ms Jacobson said. "She used the words, 'very patriotic people.'"
"We knew their family. Our whole neighbourhood is so close," said another neighbour who lived around the corner. She asked the BBC not use her name due to the heated political and online conversation around Kirk's murder.
She recalled Tyler Robinson "was a pretty quiet kid," though his younger brothers were more involved in community and sports. She called his mother, Amber Robinson, "an amazing parent," and his father, Matthew Robinson, "a hard worker". Both occasionally attended a nearby Mormon church, she said.
"That just even goes to show you can be an amazing parent, and your kids still just chooses what they choose," said the neighbour.
"This is a good family," Utah Governor Spencer Cox told CNN on Saturday. "A normal childhood. All of those things that, that you would hope would never lead to something like this. And sadly, it did."
On 10 September, Kirk was shot in front of hundreds of students and observers, and was later pronounced dead at the hospital. Videos of the carnage spread across social media, and President Donald Trump, Vice-President JD Vance, and leaders of both major US political parties condemned the assassination.
"If you thought that my husband's mission was powerful before, you have no idea. You have no idea what you just have unleashed across this entire country," the activist's wife, Erika Kirk, said in her first public statement on Saturday.
Officials initially held two suspects but later let them go. On Friday, Utah Governor Spencer Cox announced Mr Robinson was in custody. His father had persuaded him to surrender, officials said.
'It blows your mind'
The night before, police vehicles descended on a townhouse complex in St George, Utah where local media reports Mr Robinson had an apartment.
Sherri Steele, who lives across the street from the residence, came back from an evening walk to see a large police presence in her complex. In a video she shared with the BBC, a loud voice - which she said belonged to authorities - can be heard shouting, "Freeze!" and "Come out now!"
"It just kind of blows your mind, coming up the street and all the sudden there are helicopters above your house," Ms Steele said, adding she had never spoken or interacted with Mr Robinson.
Another neighbour, 18-year-old Josh Kemp, said he had seen Mr Robinson leaving his house on one occasion with a roommate.
According to Mr Robinson's affidavit, police interviewed a roommate who showed them messages Robinson had allegedly posted on Discord.
The messages, attributed to Mr Robinson, discussed a "need to retrieve a rifle from a drop point, leaving the rifle in a bush, messages related to visually watching the area where a rifle was left, and a message referring to having left the rifle wrapped in a towel."
"The messages also refer to engraving bullets, and a mention of a scope and the rifle being unique," the affidavit states.
Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray plans to file formal charges against Mr Robinson on Tuesday, CBS News reported, and the accused will have his first court appearance that day.
The nation - including the current occupants of the White House in Washington, DC - will be watching.
But Washington, Utah will too.
"This whole time, I never knew that I was living next to somebody capable of something like this," Ms Jacobson said as she played in the park with her fiancé and baby.
"It just makes you kind of question how much closer am I to somebody else that could be this way?"
US President Donald Trump is going to be greeted with a spectacular royal charm offensive during his state visit this week.
The aim will be to dazzle and flatter him with the ultimate red-carpet experience, with guards of honour, flypasts, historic carriages, a lavish banquet, pomp and pageantry.
In return, Sir Keir Starmer will be hoping this gilt-edged reception will help to deliver the UK's message on awkward issues such as Ukraine and trade tariffs.
And if anyone can get the US president's attention and influence him, surely King Charles III and the Royal Family can.
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II greeted the President and First Lady on the state visit to the UK in 2019
But how will King Charles handle his sometimes unpredictable guest in Windsor? Can he be the Trump whisperer?
"Trump loves the monarchy and the Royal Family. It's a potential diplomatic ace card for the UK government," says Anna Whitelock, professor of history of the modern monarchy at City St George's, University of London.
This attraction to royalty will give the King a "rare advantage" in dealing with Trump, who usually expects to have the upper hand, says Prof Whitelock.
Sir Anthony Seldon, biographer of the UK's prime ministers, agrees. The King can benefit from Trump's "palpable enthusiasm" for the royals, he says.
"At the same time, King Charles is in the most delicate of positions. His own known views, on the environment, and standing up for democracy and the rule of law in Europe, are a long way apart from the president's," says Sir Anthony.
"He will, I am sure, be scrupulously correct and civil," he adds. In essence, the King will stick to the script given to him by the UK government.
The government will certainly hope that this week's royal schmooze-fest will make a positive impression on Trump, creating a feelgood factor for the UK.
It's an unusual and carefully crafted state visit. There's a crammed schedule squeezed into a day and a half, most of it dedicated to royal spectacles. Windsor is being used like a royal theme park.
With fears over security and protests, there won't be any cheering crowds and no public procession, like the one recently enjoyed by France's President Emmanuel Macron. Instead, it will be helicopters and closed events, including the carriage ride, which will wind its way inside the Windsor estate.
And the nearest thing to the public that the president will see will be the staff working at the banquet.
Jonathan Brady/Getty Images
The King has shown his public support for Ukraine's President Zelensky
The King will make a speech in honour of the president at the state banquet in St George's Hall, inside Windsor Castle. He's likely to praise the special relationship and talk of the anniversaries of wartime alliances, perhaps mentioning his mother, the late Queen, and Trump's mother, who so admired royalty.
Every word will have been written in close consultation with the government, anxious to hit the right notes.
Guests, including many celebrity faces, will dine on a showcase of US and British food, from a menu written in French, with five or six different glasses for each place, in a hall lined with royal portraits and suits of armour.
Charles has decades of experience at playing host. Whatever his own private thoughts - and he's not exactly going to be signed up to Trump's "drill, baby, drill" message - the King has a strong sense of duty and will work hard to make this visit a success.
Royal author Robert Hardman suggests they'll stick to safe topics - such as talking about the president's Scottish roots.
And the royals have, of course, had plenty of visits from people with whom they might not have seen eye-to-eye. Mr Hardman describes how the late Queen Elizabeth II once hid behind a bush rather than bump into Romania's President Caecescu in the palace gardens, during the dictator's state visit in 1978.
Mark Kerrison/In Pictures via Getty Images
There will be no public carriage rides for the US visit, unlike for President Macron
The King is also not alone. The rest of the Royal Family will be deployed to help with the hospitality.
All eyes will be on Catherine, the Princess of Wales, and the First Lady, Melania Trump, when they visit a nature project involving the Scouts on Thursday.
Trump is also an admirer of Prince William, praising their "great, great talk" in France at the re-opening of the Notre-Dame Cathedral. William and Catherine will be an important part of the ceremonial welcome on Wednesday.
Queen Camilla will show Melania one of the quirkier items in Windsor, a remarkable dolls' house, made a century ago by the architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. If things get too tough, the miniature wine bottles in the dolls' house have real drink inside.
Getty Images
The Princess of Wales at the state banquet for Trump in 2019
While King Charles and Trump might seem contrasting personalities, they're very much known quantities to each other. They're men of the same post-war generation - Trump aged 79 and the King aged 76 - who have overlapped for decades. As far back as the late-1980s, Charles had been to Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.
After Trump survived an assassination attempt last July, the King sent him a personal note. They spent time together during Trump's previous state visit in 2019.
And it's also not just the two heads of state who have crossed paths, but their families.
Before Trump had taken a tilt at the White House, his businessman brother Robert, who died in 2020, had been a significant donor to Charles's charities, bringing him to royal dinners in the UK, along with other wealthy US socialites.
The King's brother, Prince Andrew, had visited Mar-a-Lago in 2000, introducing himself as "Andrew York" to guests. Jeffrey Epstein, later convicted as a sex offender, and Ghislaine Maxwell were pictured at the same party.
Prince Andrew will be entirely airbrushed out of this week's visit. But for Trump's 2019 visit, he was described as Buckingham Palace's "secret weapon", accompanying the president on two of the three days. That was only a matter of months before the Duke of York's notorious Newsnight interview.
Trump clearly relished meeting the late Queen Elizabeth II and he'll pay his respects to her, laying a wreath on her tomb in St George's Chapel.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Sir Keir Starmer handed over the historic invitation to a second state visit
Trump's fascination with the monarchy is at the heart of this state visit. As with much about the president, it's about his personality more than his politics.
"I still remember my mother, who is Scottish by birth, sitting in front of the television set to watch Queen Elizabeth's coronation and not budging for an entire day. She was just enthralled by the pomp and circumstance, the whole idea of royalty and glamour," Trump recalled in his book The Art of the Deal.
"I also remember my father that day, pacing around impatiently. 'For Christ's sake Mary,' he'd say. 'Enough is enough, turn it off.'"
It seems to be his mother's voice that he listened to.
"A meeting with the Queen of England was the ultimate sign, that he, Trump, had made it in life," wrote his former Russia adviser Fiona Hill in her White House memoir.
For Trump, getting close to a King or Queen seems to have been the ultimate way for an outsider to become an insider.
Offering him a second state visit has been called "unprecedented". And it is very rare, although Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik of Denmark also had two, in 1974 and 2000.
Since the start of Queen Elizabeth II's reign in 1952, there have only been three state visits by US presidents - George W Bush, Barack Obama and Trump - who is the only one who has had two. There have been other presidential trips to the UK, but not fully-fledged state visits.
The significance of that shouldn't be underestimated and it reflects how much Trump dominates the international news agenda.
For the UK government, his apparent fandom for the royals creates an opportunity to make its own pitch to Trump.
Getty Images
The King and PM Mark Carney asserted Canada's independence from US claims
It's an important moment for King Charles, who used to be criticised for "meddling" in politics. Now he's in the unusual position of being actively encouraged to play a role in diplomatic negotiations. Soft power is being applied to tough times.
It was the King who embraced Ukraine's President Zelensky after his White House mauling in February. And it was the King who went to Canada in May to show solidarity when it was under pressure from Trump to become his 51st state.
Charles appears to have been effective. Former Canadian high commissioner to the UK, Jeremy Kinsman, said the intervention had been "outstanding" and Trump seems to have reduced his aggressive rhetoric.
The King has also received warm support and standing ovations after speeches to the parliaments of France, Italy and Germany. Charles is a bridge-builder in an era when populist politicians are burning them down.
Yet issues such as protecting Ukraine are personally and deeply held by the King.
"I imagine it is an uncomfortable moment for the King," adds Mr Kinsman. "I cannot imagine two men more utterly different in values, purpose, style, and psychology."
Mr Kinsman, the former professional diplomat, says the King will have been briefed to "play the genial host and continue to try to charm the US president and impress him with the majesty of the setting". In turn, he says Trump will be on best behaviour and he will have been briefed and ready for small talk on topics such as organic farming.
"The King will know what to expect and I'm confident he will handle the president very diplomatically," royal commentator Pauline Maclaran says.
"The chemistry between them will be very interesting."
£100 or £1,000: How much would you spend on a hen or stag do?
"Hey ladies, it's that time again. Please transfer £300 by 7pm tonight for accommodation, matching outfits, and surprise gifts for the bride :)"
It's the message lots of us in our 20s and 30s are used to getting.
That includes Hayley, 29, who says she spent more than £1,000 attending a hen party in Marbella, Spain.
"In the WhatsApp groups, it's always initially the flights and the hotel," Hayley says, "and then afterwards it's like, 'OK, we're going to this beach club, we're getting that T-shirt, we're going to do that cocktail club'.
"You feel like you have to do it."
Hen and stag dos, like weddings and baby showers, are a chance to celebrate big milestones in our friends' lives. But what was once a night down the pub has, for many, become an entire weekend away. And for some, the costs are too much.
"Don't mind me, just choosing whether to attend or pay my rent for the next three months *crying face emoji*," wrote one TikTok user, in a video about expensive hen parties.
Twenty-nine-year-old Lucy, told me the rising price of friendship feels like it's spiralling out of control.
"It's that time of life where everyone is getting engaged, married or having kids," Lucy says. "And the costs of celebrating all of that adds up."
"Money doesn't grow on trees," adds Charles, who's 27. "Lots of my friends work in the public sector, and it's a struggle to keep up.”
So what are the pitfalls when organising a hen, a stag, or even a wedding? And is there a way to keep everyone happy?
'You can't say no'
Getty Images
One common theme is that people feel pressured into saying "yes" to attending to avoid upsetting friends, or worse, looking cheap.
"I see TikToks all the time, saying: 'Just say no, it's so simple,'" says Anna, who asked the BBC not to use her real name. "But it causes so much falling out, it's ridiculous."
The 29-year-old says her cousin chose to hold her hen party in Spain, at a cost of about £300 per person for flights and accommodation, before factoring in spending money.
Anna says she told her cousin she couldn't afford it, but was then hit with passive aggressive messages.
"[She said] 'Just save £20 a month for the next year,'" Anna says. "But I didn't have that. Then she said, 'Ask your dad'."
Begrudgingly, Anna agreed to go - but the hen was then cancelled due to Covid.
She's since been invited to a number of other hen parties and weddings. She feels she can't justify the costs - but doesn't want to be labelled as the friend who can't afford it.
"I could imagine the comments behind [my] back," Anna says.
‘It’s £100 here, £100 there'
Then there are the costs when you actually get to said hen, stag or wedding.
My best friend Claire got married recently and as a lifelong raver, had decided to hold her hen party in Ibiza.
As her bridesmaids, we tried to keep costs down. Hotels were prohibitively expensive, so we opted for a hostel instead. It looked decent online, but turned out to be not dissimilar to a prison cell.
With flights, accommodation and spending in bars and clubs, the whole trip set us back about £1,000 each.
Still, according to research, we did comparatively well.
Jasmine, left, is getting married and her friends, Hayley and Lily, and sister Ruby, are planning her hen party
According to a study from Aviva in 2023, stag and hen invitees spent an average of £779 per person in the UK, and £1,208 abroad. The average price abroad was £1,664 this year, according to a separate study by the insurer.
For Jasmine, who's 28, it's the unexpected costs that are the worst. She's been to hen parties where there's been a set price, but then additional payments of up to £100 per person were asked for.
"And you've already committed and you don't want to pull out," she says.
Jasmine, who's engaged to be married, thinks an appropriate amount to spend should be in the region of £100-200, "as you'd spend that on a day or night out anyway".
To split... or not to split?
Getty Images
Then there's the thorny question of splitting bills.
Another woman, who we're calling Jemima, says on a recent hen weekend, she had to contribute to a central kitty for bars - even though she doesn't drink.
"It made no sense, but you have to go along with the flow," the 34-year-old says. "The bills kept racking up and up."
This is not just a British problem, either. TikTok creator, Sydney Jo from New York, recently told me as she and her friends approach their 30s, bachelorettes and weddings have become a major source of drama. And that's provided excellent content for her viral series about a girls’ group chat.
In a recent episode, set during a bachelorette trip to Costa Rica, one of the characters declares that her friend is "driving her insane".
"The money stuff?" her friend guesses.
"Yes, THANK YOU," the 27-year-old replies. "It's like, refusing to order Ubers, being so annoying about the cheque at every single meal... Seriously? I'm going to lose it."
That's before you even get to the wedding
Once you're done with the hen and stag do, then you have to factor in the cost of going to the big day itself.
Lucy went to a friend's wedding in Switzerland last year which she says cost her about £700. It was in a "really random town", she says, which involved taking a train and a bus, and accommodation options were very limited which meant she had to stay in an expensive hotel, driving up costs. Food was covered, but everyone had to pay for their own drinks.
"It was a lovely day," Lucy says. "But very expensive."
The couple are now getting divorced. "So that was a waste of money," she adds.
Elle
Elle got married abroad, but now regrets that
Elle got married in Cyprus when she was in her early 30s. She's also now divorced, and says, on reflection, it wasn't worth it.
Family and friends had flown out, and in the lead up to the wedding activities like paragliding and boat days had been booked, so the costs had really added up.
"Looking back, I wouldn't have done a destination wedding. I know how much pressure it put people under," Elle says. "One of my bridesmaids was upset as she couldn't afford it and for a while she was too scared to tell me. Eventually she did, and I felt really bad."
Hen and stag dos and don'ts
Getty Images
So how to navigate this minefield? Personal finance expert Laura Suter has the following advice:
Discuss budgets upfront. Setting a realistic budget early helps avoid awkwardness later
Group activities should be planned around all budgets. What feels reasonable to one person can feel excessive to another
Ask yourself, do you really need matching outfits for each day? One fun accessory is often enough
Don't be afraid to say no if the trip is becoming unaffordable. Most friends would prefer honesty
If you find yourself repeatedly under pressure, don't be shy to rethink those friendships
Lucy, who's getting married herself next year, says previous experience has made her conscious of costs for her guests.
Charles, who's also planning his wedding, agrees.
"Many of my mates already have multiple weddings booked in for next year, and I want to make sure everyone can come to mine," he says.
"Speaking to my best man, we might do my stag when the World Cup is on so we don't have to plan activities - everyone will just go to the pub and watch the football - that will definitely save on costs."
George is currently in a "bulking" stage, but will then enter a "cut" phase where calories are reduced
Ripped. Shredded. Jacked. Swole. Which are you?
Gym jargon such as this, which refers to the size and definition of muscles, has long been heard exchanged between pumped men in gym locker rooms - and now among teenagers too.
TikTok videos show boys as young as 13 and 14 in school toilets, flexing veiny biceps which bulge out of their school uniforms.
The quest for brick-like abs has become serious business - even if you're still only in Year 8 - with posts on socials with hashtags like #shreddedphysique being viewed more than four billion times.
The desire to get this look, for many, might mean doing a few deadlifts and drinking a protein shake from time to time. For others, it could be working out a few times a week, playing sport and eating a lot of chicken.
But for a growing few it means going to the gym most nights, often following intense training regimes from social media, and learning how to "cut and bulk".
The cut and bulk cycle consists of eating hundreds of calories more than your recommended daily intake to get bigger, retaining some fat in the process, then several weeks later cutting calorie intake down to lose the fat for a leaner, more defined look.
It can be all-consuming, and involves a lot of calorie counting, working out and dedication.
Some sports nutritionists say it can be harmful - affecting hormone health, growth, and development, and could potentially lead to problems with eating disorders such as muscle dysmorphia - the idea your body is smaller and less muscly than it actually is.
I've spoken to three teenagers, who all share a love of the gym, about what is driving them to get ripped this way.
The 14-year-old body builder
George Holland
George started going the gym when he was aged 11, lifting no more than 10kg
When George Holland first walked on stage he thought he might feel nervous.
The 14-year-old was by far the youngest contestant in the under-19s category of the National Amateur Body-Builders' Association finals.
Wearing fake tan and a pair of small trunks, it might have felt a bit exposing to start flexing his muscles before an audience of hundreds - but, George says, "I had practiced everything and I knew there was nothing to be worried about."
He went on to win the bronze medal.
George joined a gym when he was 11, having watched some of the bodybuilding greats online who inspired him to give it a go. In the early days, he explains, he would work on each muscle group twice a week, lifting no more than 10kg - the heaviest permitted for a child under 16 at his local leisure centre.
But, after changing gyms, for a "proper gym vibe", he says, he could start to increase the load, working out alongside 20-30-year-olds.
George Holland
George was the youngest contestant in the under-19s category of the National Amateur Body-Builders' Association finals
After seeking out more experienced men from whom to learn, George is now coached by a former Mr Universe, Eddie Ellwood. He's bench-pressing 140kg, squatting 180kg, and deadlifting 200kg.
His drive, he says, comes from looking at others in the gym and wanting to be as big as them.
George eats six meals a day, goes to school, trains hard (four days on, one day off, four days on) and posts to his 140,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram.
He's currently in a "bulking" stage, he explains, consuming around 4,100 calories a day.
After 16 weeks, he will start to cut, gradually reducing his calorie intake to 2,200 a day.
When I ask if he's worried about the intensity of his fitness regime and the desire to look big at such a young age, he's very clear: "I completely disagree with that, going to the gym when you are young is dead good for you.
"It's good for your mental health, your overall fitness, and it gives you good discipline."
'You can't cheat getting bigger'
George Hazard was 12 when he started working out. That was during lockdown and his home gym consisted of a pull-up bar, a few weights, and a plastic bench in his garage.
Now 17, he says going to the gym has become a bit of an addiction - he's there five or six nights a week - and along with his mates, he bulks out and cuts back.
George feels it's helped him stay mobile since recovering from a leg-lengthening operation where a nail was put through his femur bone, after he was born with one leg shorter than the other.
He says you can get "fountains of knowledge" from social media, especially around optimal muscle growth.
George Hazard
George first started working out at home, in a home gym, during lockdown
But how do you distinguish between well-tested, science-based recommendations and other, less informed suggestions, I ask him?
"Once you've spent a good few hours on TikTok for example, you get a feeling for what is a load of rubbish and what is good stuff," George replies.
"For a start - the decent ones put links to studies alongside their content."
He says you can workout and eat well, but it can be difficult being so young because you "can't stick to a strict diet and tell your parents exactly what they have to make for tea".
George does eat lot of chicken, has several eggs for breakfast, and says his grandma is very good at giving him a high protein diet.
There is a movement of young people who are interested in health, fitness and working out, he says, and he feels that's no bad thing.
"You work hard and see the results," George says. "You can't really cheat getting bigger."
The former 'dirty bulker'
Nat Walney
Nat often cuts and bulks to get a more defined look
Seeing his uncle powerlifting spurred Nat Walney into working out aged 12 - and he's loved the gym since "day one".
Between the ages of 13 and 16, he tried "dirty bulking" - a process of eating huge amounts of food to get big.
The more he worked out, the bigger he grew. But it became unsustainable.
Nat, who is now 18, says he was eating 80% junk, 20% nutritious food and while he might have looked jacked on the outside, on the inside his "gut was a mess".
"I had really bad acne and I felt really self-conscious."
He tried cutting out fast food and other ultra-processed foods, then he found the carnivore diet and began to fast. The carnivore diet does not come without risks, but Nat is adamant it works for him.
The 18-year-old shows me the main foods that that he eats: raw steak, eggs and raw milk.
"It's an ancestral diet," Nat says, "which is what we survived off - it's primal."
Ruth Clegg, BBC
Nat follows a raw food diet which consists of eggs, raw milk and raw meat
Nat fasts for 20 hours a day, to improve his mental clarity, he says. He says his family have always been supportive of his choices, but even they have found it difficult to adjust to his regime.
Some studies suggest intermittent fasting can have some positive effects as an adult, but it can be harmful for teenagers because they still need fuel for growth.
Nat says he had a "spiritual awakening" after fasting for a week - using ChatGPT for advice and guidance.
Using AI bots to help devise fitness plans is something many do, but they should be used with caution - the quality of the information they provide is variable and may not have any credible evidence behind it.
What's his endgame I ask Nat, surely this kind of lifestyle is difficult to maintain?
He wants to promote his way of life online, to "help others" he says. "I'll keep going for as long as I can. I have recently read something that does not recommend fasting, so if I start to feel bad, then I can just change my diet."
Where does this go next?
All the experts I've spoken to agree there's nothing wrong with the desire to be fit and healthy, especially from a young age.
But what does that mean? Is "fit and healthy" becoming increasingly wrapped up in a tight torso and sculpted pecs?
"Too often, it's about the look, rather than what healthy really means, which comes in all shapes and sizes," children's dietician Lucy Upton explains.
She says this growing trend is not only pushing some teenagers to extremes, the advice online on how to achieve it often lacks credible evidence.
"Sometimes content [on socials, for example] can nod to a scientific truth, but when examined that 'truth' is in a completely different context," says Ms Upton.
In the first instance, she recommends looking more closely at the person posting the content - thinking about whether it's coming from personal experience or a clinical background, and whether it applies to your own situation.
"And if someone is trying to sell something they are endorsing - then that's a big red flag."
Meanwhile, Sam Grady-Graham, a GB Boxing coach, says following restrictive eating regimes in your teens is potentially harmful.
He says the rate of growth between 12 and 18 is "exponential", so the body needs a full and nutritious diet to fuel it.
Foodwise that's a balanced, holistic diet from the main food groups - fruit, vegetables, grains, proteins and dairy - and not going to extremes.
When it comes to working out, and varying levels of intensity, he says don't go too hard too quickly.
"Movement over muscle is the way we look at it," he says. "Get the movement right when you're lifting. You might not see progress immediately, but long term, you set yourself a strong foundation to build upon."
Login
