Israel has received two bodies that Hamas says are two more deceased hostages who had been held in Gaza.

The Israeli military said two coffins were handed over to troops in the Palestinian territory by the Red Cross, which had earlier received them from Hamas.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the coffins - which were escorted by the military - had crossed into Israel and will be taken to be formally identified in Tel Aviv.

Confirmation of their identies would mean that Hamas has transferred 15 out of 28 deceased Israeli hostages under the first phase of a US-brokered ceasefire deal earlier this month. All 20 living hostages were released shortly after the agreement was reached.

Hamas has handed over a Palestinian body in a previous hostage transfers, which it said was accidental due to difficulties locating the bodies.

The IDF urged the Israeli public on Tuesday evening to "act with sensitivity and wait for the official identification, which will first be provided to the families of the hostages".

It also stressed that "Hamas is required to uphold the agreement and take the necessary steps to return all the deceased hostages".

Israeli officials said the families of the hostages will be notified once the bodies are identified.

There has been outrage in Israel that Hamas has not yet returned all the deceased hostages.

The Palestinian group says it is trying to do this but that it faces difficulty finding bodies under rubble of buildings bombed out by the IDF in Gaza.

Under the ceasefire and hostage release agreement, Israel has freed 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 detainees from Gaza, and returned 15 bodies of Palestinians for every Israeli hostage's remains.

The first phase of the agreement has also seen an increase of aid into Gaza, a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces, and a halt in fighting - though deadly violence flared up over the weekend as both sides accused one another of breaching the terms of the deal.

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

More than 68,000 people have been killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures are seen by the UN as reliable.

Irish police have come under attack at a protest outside a hotel used to house asylum seekers in Dublin.

Footage from the scene at the Citywest Hotel showed a police vehicle on fire.

Broadcaster RTÉ is reporting that several thousand people have gathered outside the hotel.

Ireland's Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan said there was "no excuse" for the violent scenes.

O'Callaghan said people threw missiles and fireworks at gardaí (Irish police).

"This is unacceptable and will result in a forceful response from the gardai," he said. "Those involved will be brought to justice.

"It is clear to me from talking to colleagues that this violence does not reflect the people of Saggart. They are not the people participating in this criminality, but rather the people sitting at home in fear of it.

"Attacks on gardaí will not be tolerated. Peaceful protest is a cornerstone of our democracy. Violence is not."

The history of the Labour Party oozes out of the valleys of south Wales, perhaps like nowhere else in the UK.

Keir Hardie, that founding figure of the party, was elected to Parliament in Merthyr Tydfil in 1900.

Aneurin Bevan, the founder of the NHS, was elected as the MP for Ebbw Vale in 1929.

Even in recent years, when the so called Red Wall of formerly solid Labour seats in many parts of the north of England and the Midlands crumbled, with the Conservatives as the beneficiary, much of south Wales stuck with Labour.

The Red Wall and plenty more besides have since swung to Labour, but now things seem to be changing in Wales.

Local sentiment, polling and the mood within the parties all suggests something is up, ahead of a by-election to the Welsh Parliament in Caerphilly.

Labour gloom

Talking to folk around town, there is a deep-seated frustration.

A stubborn lack of evidence, as many see it, of things getting better.

And there is a recurring sense of a declining sense of community: a sense that the ties that have long bound the town, the area together, are perhaps continuing to fray.

Something which began with the closure of the coal mines and loss of much heavy industry has continued, some feel, as so many of us retreat behind a phone screen; our increasingly digital lives splintering and atomising us further from each other.

Is that a contributor to political volatility and a dilution of the loyalty people may once have had to particular political parties?

Whatever the contributory factors, Labour are gloomy here, even on their upbeat days.

In Caerphilly, they are the essence of the political establishment: they run the council, they run the Welsh devolved government and they run the UK government as well.

This, if you are the Welsh Labour candidate, can cause issues.

Richard Tunnicliffe, a book publisher by trade, has campaigned in recent weeks to keep some local libraries threatened with closure open.

The thing is, it is the local Labour council which runs the very libraries threatened with being shut. Awkward.

It is a case study in the potential consequences for a party of near political ubiquity for such a long time.

Perhaps little wonder Reform UK and Plaid Cymru are upbeat.

Giants squeezed

Anecdotally, and for what it is worth, they both appear to have considerably more posters dotted around the place than Labour.

And they definitely have broader smiles and a greater spring in their steps.

The big change round here is Reform UK.

As has so often happened in the last six months or so, they are compelling their rivals to react to what they are doing.

The party leader Nigel Farage has been here twice, drawing big crowds.

But the security guard on their campaign office front door reminds you they provoke strong opinions, positive and negative.

Some are incensed with their focus on immigration, in an area with barely any.

Reform's candidate Llŷr Powell argues they are offering something new and are untainted by the blame being heaped on both Labour and the Conservatives.

But they do come with their own Welsh branded baggage.

The party's former leader in Wales, Nathan Gill, has admitted taking bribes to make statements in favour of Russia, of all countries, while he was a member of the European Parliament.

He is expected to be jailed next month.

Powell tells me Gill deserves to face the full force of the law.

Lindsay Whittle, the Plaid candidate, is no stranger to elections.

He has stood in ten general elections and every devolved election for over a quarter of a century – and victory has remained elusive.

He has been a local councillor for nearly 50 years.

Whittle reckons that when it comes to what appears to be a cratering in support for Labour, he has never seen anything like it.

He is buoyant and thinks that in a tight tussle with Reform UK, he can squeak a win.

Plaid are allowing themselves to dream, with some supportive polling evidence right now at least, that they could be running the Welsh government after next May's devolved elections across Wales. They see Reform as their big opponent.

But some of Labour's opponents fret that they may be under pricing what they fear could be a new phenomenon – what one figure described to me as "shy Labour voters."

Some people might be unwilling to admit it, or saying they are undecided, but could they plump for Labour in the end? Let's see.

The Welsh Conservatives, in a part of the world rarely fertile for them, find themselves cropped further out of the picture, again courtesy of Reform.

Perhaps little wonder when former Conservative cabinet minister Sir Jacob Rees Mogg is suggesting Tory voters in Caerphilly should consider voting Reform to prevent Plaid from winning.

Incidentally, he also suggests Labour supporters should back Reform too, for the same reason.

Both of Westminster's giants – Conservatives and Labour – are feeling squeezed here.

The Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and others are vying for support too.

You can see a full list of the candidates standing in the by election here.

As I say, next May, there will be elections across Wales to the Welsh Parliament, the Senedd.

By Friday morning here, we could be seeing the first big indicator of a seismic change to come.

British designer Grace Wales Bonner has been named as the new creative director of men's wear for French fashion house Hermès.

The appointment means Wales Bonner, a 35-year-old Londoner, is now the first black woman to lead design at a major fashion house, according to the New York Times.

In a statement, Wales Bonner said she was "deeply honoured to be entrusted with the role".

She replaces Véronique Nichanian, who has been the company's artistic director of men's wear division for 37 years.

Her final collection for the brand will be shown in Paris in January, while Wales Bonner's first collection will launch in 2027.

In her statement, Wales Bonner said: "It is a dream realised to embark on this new chapter, following in a lineage of inspired craftspeople and designers."

She also thanked the company's bosses "for the opportunity to bring my vision to this magical house".

Reporting the news on Tuesday, Vogue said: "While industry insiders were betting on a promotion from within, Hermès went for a renowned talent."

Wales Bonner, who was born in London to an English mother and Jamaican father, founded her own label in 2014, not long after graduating from London's Central Saint Martins College of Art.

According to Vogue, Wales Bonner will continue her namesake brand alongside her new Hermès role.

She dressed F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, musician FKA Twigs, and actor Jeff Goldblum for this year's Met Gala and has made T-shirts with musician Solange Knowles, younger sister of Beyoncé.

Wales Bonner has also curated an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and hosted musical performances at London's Serpentine Galleries.

She has had a long-standing collaboration with Adidas and was made a MBE in 2022 for services to fashion.

Pierre-Alexis Dumas, general artistic director of Hermès, said: "I am really pleased to welcome Grace to the Hermès artistic director family.

"Her take on contemporary fashion, craft and culture will contribute to shaping Hermès men's style, melding the house's heritage with a confident look on the now.

"Grace's appetite and curiosity for artistic practice strongly resonate with Hermès's creative mindset and approach. We are at the start of an enriching mutual dialogue."

US Vice-President JD Vance has arrived in Israel as part of the Trump administration's efforts to strengthen the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

He is expected to push the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to start negotiations on long-term issues for a permanent end to the war with Hamas.

The two special US envoys who helped negotiate the deal, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, also held talks with Netanyahu on Monday.

Their visits come after a flare-up of violence on Sunday that threatened to derail the 12-day-old truce. Israel said a Hamas attack killed two soldiers, triggering Israeli air strikes which killed dozens of Palestinians.

US President Donald Trump insisted on Monday that the ceasefire was still on track but also warned Hamas that it would be "eradicated" if it violated the deal.

Trump is said to have dispatched his deputy and envoys to Israel to keep up the momentum and push for the start of talks on the second critical phase of his 20-point Gaza peace plan.

It would involve setting up an interim government in the Palestinian territory, deploying an international stabilisation force, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, and disarmament of Hamas.

Vance, Witkoff and Kushner are also attempting to ensure the ceasefire deal, which is based on the first phase of the peace plan, does not collapse first.

The New York Times cited US officials as saying they were concerned that Israel's prime minister might "vacate" the deal and resume an all-out assault against Hamas.

Netanyahu told the Israeli parliament on Monday that he would discuss "security challenges" and "political opportunities" with Vance during his visit.

He also said Israeli forces had dropped 153 tonnes of bombs on Gaza in response to what he called a "blatant" breach of the ceasefire by Hamas on Sunday.

"One of our hands holds a weapon, the other hand is stretched out for peace," he said. "You make peace with the strong, not the weak. Today Israel is stronger than ever before."

The Israeli military blamed Hamas for an anti-tank missile attack on Sunday that killed two Israeli soldiers in southern Gaza and then carried out dozens of strikes across the territory which hospitals said killed at least 45 Palestinians.

Afterwards, the Israeli military said it was resuming enforcement of the ceasefire, while Hamas said it remained committed to the agreement.

However, four Palestinians were reportedly killed by Israeli fire east of Gaza City on Monday. The Israeli military said its troops fired towards " terrorists" who crossed the agreed-upon ceasefire line in the Shejaiya area.

Later, Trump told reporters at the White House: "We made a deal with Hamas that they're going to be very good. They're going to behave. They're going to be nice."

"If they're not, we're going to go and we're going to eradicate them, if we have to. They'll be eradicated, and they know that," he added.

Hamas's chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, who is in Cairo, meanwhile insisted that his group and other Palestinian factions were committed to the ceasefire deal and "determined to fully implement it until the end".

"What we heard from the mediators and the US president reassures us that the war in Gaza is over," he told Egypt's Al-Qahera News TV .

Hayya also said Hamas was serious about handing over the bodies of all the deceased hostages still in Gaza despite facing what he described as "extreme difficulty" in its efforts to recover them under rubble because of a lack of specialist equipment.

Overnight, Israeli authorities confirmed that Hamas had handed over the body of another deceased Israeli hostage to the Red Cross in Gaza.

The remains were identified as those of Tal Haimi, 41, who the Israeli military said was killed in Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October, which triggered the war.

That means 13 of the 28 hostages' bodies held in Gaza when the ceasefire took effect on 10 October have so far been returned.

Twenty living Israeli hostages were also released last week in exchange for almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli jails.

There has been anger in Israel that Hamas has not yet returned all the dead hostages, with the Israeli prime minister's office saying that the group "was required to uphold its commitments".

Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to the 7 October 2023 attack, in which Hamas-led gunmen killed about 1,200 people and took 251 others as hostages.

At least 68,216 have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

Jewellery stolen from the Louvre in Paris in a daring daylight robbery has been valued at 88 million euros (£76m; $102m), a French public prosecutor has said, citing the museum's curator.

Laure Beccuau told RTL radio the sum was "extraordinary" but said the greater loss was to France's historical heritage. Crown jewels and pieces gifted by two Napoleons to their wives were among the items taken.

Thieves wielding power tools took less than eight minutes to make off with the loot shortly after the world's most-visited museum opened on Sunday morning.

With the thieves having not been caught more than two days on from the heist, experts fear the jewellery will already be long gone.

• How Louvre gang carried out France's most shocking theft

Ms Beccuau said she hoped announcing the estimated worth of the jewellery would make the robbers think twice and not destroy them.

She added the thieves would not pocket the full windfall if they had "the very bad idea of melting down these jewels".

The items taken, previously described as having inestimable worth, include a diamond and emerald necklace Emperor Napoleon gave to his wife, a tiara worn by Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III, and several pieces previously owned by Queen Marie-Amelie.

Investigators found a damaged crown that used to belong to Empress Eugenie on the thieves' escape route - apparently having been dropped as they departed in haste.

Four masked thieves used a truck equipped with a mechanical lift to gain access to the Galerie d'Apollon (Gallery of Apollo) via a balcony close to the River Seine.

Two of them cut through a glass window on the first floor using a battery-powered disc cutter and entered the museum. They then threatened the guards inside, who evacuated the building.

The thieves had tried to set fire to their vehicle outside but were prevented by the intervention of a member of museum staff. They were seen making off on scooters.

French President Emmanuel Macron described the robbery as an attack on France's heritage.

Security measures have been tightened around the country's cultural institutions, after a preliminary report found one in three rooms in the Louvre lacked CCTV and that its wider alarm system did not go off.

Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said security protocols had "failed", lamenting that the thieves being able to drive a modified truck up to the museum had left France with a "terrible image".

Authorities believe they are chasing a team of professionals, given how quick and organised they were.

Experts in art recovery previously told the BBC investigators had just one or two days to track down the items before they could be considered gone for good.

It is most likely they have been broken down into precious metals and gems, smuggled out of the country and sold for a fraction of their worth, other experts have said.

The Ukrainian city of Chernihiv is in total blackout following what the authorities describe as a "massive" assault by Russian missiles and drones, with hundreds of thousands of people affected.

Across the wider Chernihiv region, four people are reported to have been killed as residential neighbourhoods were struck in the town of Novhorod-Siverskyi.

Ten others were injured, including a 10-year-old girl.

The country's most northerly region is the latest to be hit in an intensifying series of attacks on civilian infrastructure as Russia targets energy supplies, the rail network, homes and businesses in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

"I personally heard the drones flying overhead," 55-year-old Oleksandr Babich said.

The Chernihiv city resident spoke in matter-of-fact terms about a night filled with the low whine of Iranian-designed Shahed drones, a sound now being increasingly heard far from the war's front lines.

"Unfortunately, our region is very close to our scheming neighbour," he said, adding an expletive for good measure.

The Chernihiv region shares a border with both Russia and Belarus, giving the air defences here less time to react to any incoming attacks.

In a raid involving more than 100 Shahed drones - each of which carry a 50kg warhead - and six ballistic missiles, the direct strikes on Chernihiv's electricity generating facilities left the whole city without power, as well as large parts of the surrounding area.

Andriy Podorvan, the deputy head of the Chernihiv Regional Military Administration, told the BBC that it was part of a pattern across much of the country, with things getting much worse in recent months.

"For around half a year we have been experiencing targeted strikes on the energy infrastructure in our region," he said.

"The number of attacks has significantly increased over the last two months."

When I asked him if he believed that any of the targets were of military value - Moscow's usual justification for these sorts of attacks - he pointed out that Russia has even been targeting petrol stations.

"I can only see strikes on civilian infrastructure," he said.

The attack on the electricity grid has also meant the loss of power to water pumping stations, seriously impacting supplies. Residents have been told to stock up on bottled water or are having to rely on emergency deliveries.

With the attacks ongoing in the morning, electrical engineers had to delay their initial response - but were later able to begin working to restore power.

The wider concern is that, if the intensity of Russia's bombardment continues, it risks rapidly depleting the country's energy resilience, taking a heavy toll on the economy and - with a harsh winter ahead - dealing a psychological blow to the public too.

Up until now, the country's generating companies - working together in a war-time spirit of co-operation - have been able to restore power relatively quickly, but stocks of replacement equipment are not unlimited.

A single transformer can take more than a year to produce, with added time for transportation and installation.

The country is having to look for all the help it can get.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's recent meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington may have been seen as a strategic disappointment, coming away without having secured a supply of long-hoped for long-range Tomahawk missiles.

But his meetings with the heads of leading US energy companies, in which they discussed ways of helping Ukraine to shore up and modernise its energy sector, were reportedly a success.

Some estimates put the total cost of the damage to Ukraine's energy infrastructure so far at more than $16bn (€13.7bn; £11.9bn).

In Chernihiv, the regional official Andriy Podorvan told the BBC that he believes Russia is unable to make any significant progress on the front lines and so now sees the civilian population as a weak point.

But he thinks this is misjudged.

"People understand who the enemy is and who is guilty in this situation," he said. "It will lead to the even greater unity of the population."

Mr Babich agrees.

"Although, yes, there are inconveniences, the majority of the population is ready for this," he insisted.

Many have been going to work as normal, he pointed out, with back-up generators in place for important facilities like hospitals and government buildings, and neighbours are helping each other.

"The hero city of Chernihiv did not give up and is not going to give up. Morale is high."

There are "no plans" for US President Donald Trump to meet Russia's Vladimir Putin "in the immediate future", a White House official has stated.

Last Thursday Trump said he and the Russian president would hold talks in Budapest within two weeks to discuss the war in Ukraine.

A preparatory meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov was due to be held this week - but the White House said the two had had a "productive" call and that a meeting was no longer "necessary".

The White House did not share any more details on why the talks had been put on hold.

On Monday Trump embraced the idea of freezing the Ukrainian conflict on the current front line.

"Let it be cut the way it is," he said on Monday, referring to the contested region of the Donbas in eastern Ukraine.

Russia has repeatedly pushed back against freezing the current line of contact.

Moscow was only interested in "long-term, sustainable peace", Lavrov said on Tuesday, implying that freezing the front line would only amount to a temporary ceasefire.

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Warning: The following article contains details about suicide which some may find distressing

Cerys Lupton-Jones pauses between two doorways.

One door leads into a side room in the Manchester mental health unit where she's a patient. The other leads into a toilet.

The 22-year-old had tried to end her life just 20 minutes earlier - but no staff are seen on the CCTV footage from inside the unit.

She hesitates for about 30 seconds, walking backwards and forwards. Then she enters the toilet and shuts the door.

The next time she is seen on the footage, doctors and nurses are fighting to resuscitate her.

Cerys dies five days later, on 18 May 2022.

A coroner has concluded that some of the care Cerys was given at Park House, which was run by the Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, was a "shambles".

Staff were meant to be checking on her every 15 minutes.

But the last recorded observation - at 15:00 - had been falsified, saying she had been seen in a corridor. CCTV shows at that point, Cerys was already in the toilet where she would fatally harm herself.

A staff member who was supposed to be looking after her has now admitted to falsifying these records.

Zak Golombeck, coroner for Manchester, said that if someone had stayed with her after the earlier attempt to take her life, what followed may never have happened. He said neglect was likely to have contributed to her death.

Campaigners are calling for an inquiry into the number of deaths at the mental health trust and believe the services are in crisis.

Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust said it "failed her that day, and we are so very sorry that we did not do more".

Cerys's parents, Rebecca Lupton and Dave Jones, describe their daughter as a loving young woman who would do anything for her friends. She was studying to be a nurse and was months away from completing her degree, with a job lined up.

She was autistic and had also struggled with her mental health since her teens.

Her family, who lived miles away in Sussex, say the pandemic and the reduction in community mental health support exacerbated Cerys's problems.

The inquest was told Cerys had tried to take her life in the days running up to her death, spending time in A&E.

She was then readmitted to Park House and put on one-to-one observations for a short time. Later, she was supposed to be checked by staff every 15 minutes.

The inquest heard how, at about 14:35 on 13 May 2022, Cerys was found in a toilet by Mohammed Rafiq, a health support worker who had been assigned to check on her. Cerys had tried to hang herself.

Mr Rafiq and the duty nurse, Thaiba Talib, intervened.

However, the inquest heard the 15-minute observations were not then increased and staff had no proper conversation with her.

The nurse told the inquest she did not believe Cerys meant to seriously harm herself.

She told the coroner she chose not to increase observations on Cerys because she did not want her to feel punished, as she did not like being under observation.

When asked by the coroner if she should have gone with Cerys to her room after the incident and check she was safe, Ms Talib answered: "In hindsight, yes."

Damning CCTV from inside the unit was described minute by minute in court.

It showed Cerys going into the ward garden at 14:42. The observation record, which says at 14:45 she was in her bedspace, was described by the coroner as "not accurate".

At 14:54, Cerys walked into another toilet on the ward and closed the door.

Yet Mr Rafiq told the coroner he remembered seeing Cerys at 14:57. He wrote in the observation notes that he had seen her at 15:00 "along the corridor, looking flat-faced". He then went on a break. In reality, Cerys was still in the toilet.

The coroner told Mr Rafiq that his recollections were wrong, and that he had "falsified" the observation records. Mr Rafiq responded: "I'm afraid so".

Mr Rafiq said other staff had shown him how to record observations every 15 minutes, even if he hadn't done them. "That's how they did it and that's how I did it", he told the court.

A new support worker took over the observations at 15:00. There was no verbal handover and, according to Mr Rafiq's notes, Cerys had just been seen.

The CCTV shows the new support worker checking on other patients. At 15:15 she looked for Cerys.

She could be seen becoming increasingly desperate as she searched the communal areas and ran along the corridor.

At 15:19, she tried the door to the toilet, using a master key to unlock it. She found Cerys inside and immediately raised the alarm.

By that point, 25 minutes had passed since Cerys went into the toilet. She died in hospital on 18 May, five days later.

The coroner said there was a gross failure by Ms Talib to provide "basic medical attention to a person in a dependent position".

He said it was not clear what Cerys's intention had been. In a narrative conclusion, he recorded that neglect had contributed to her death.

"I knew it was bad," Cerys's mother Rebecca told the BBC, "but listening to the evidence highlighted quite how poor the care was."

Her father, Dave, says when Cerys was sectioned and taken to the hospital at the start of 2022, they believed it would keep her safe and help her get better. "In fact, it just made everything worse," he says. "It was the wrong environment."

"Cerys was a wonderful, wonderful young person. We feel that she would be here today if she'd been given better care by Manchester Mental Health Trust," Rebecca said outside court, after the coroner gave his conclusion.

Dave described the disbelief and anger as difficult to put into words. "We need more funding for mental health services, more staff, better training and much better oversight."

Immy Swithern was a patient at the same time as Cerys. They became close friends. She says they tried to make the best out of a bad situation and would talk all day.

She also claims some staff regularly failed to carry out 15-minute safety checks, so they tried to look out for each other.

"I was there to get better, and I was there to have help with that," she says. "Instead, I was constantly checking on people. On that ward, I think that is the most scared I've ever felt in my life."

Park House mental health unit has since closed. It was replaced by a new £105.9m hospital in November 2024.

The NHS trust said it had "significantly improved" its provision of care and it was grateful to the coroner for "acknowledging the work that has been done to prevent something of this nature from happening again".

But campaigners claim mental health services in Manchester are in crisis.

Responding to Tuesday's inquest verdict, the Communities for Holistic, Accessible and Rights-based Mental Health (CHARM) group, says: "It is devastating to hear of yet another young person losing their life as a result of neglect and poor care."

The group says it is due to meet Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham this week to call for a statutory inquiry into the deaths and the financial crisis in the city's mental health services.

In October 2022, five months after Cerys death, an undercover BBC panorama programme exposed bullying and the mistreatment of patients at the medium secure Edenfield centre, which was also run by GMMH.

As a result, an independent review was commissioned by the NHS and published in 2024.

It found a "closed culture" at GMMH. It also raised concerns about the number of deaths by ligature.

In 2022, 19 people took their own lives by hanging on mental health units in the UK, five were GMMH patients, the trust itself said that meant it had 26% of all such deaths in the whole country.

If you are suffering distress or despair, details of help and support in the UK are available at BBC Action Line.

Boris Johnson arrived at the Covid Inquiry before the sun came up on Tuesday morning.

Papers in hand, he came ready to answer questions on the decisions he made during the pandemic that directly impacted children.

The biggest one was on school closures.

The responsibility for all the decisions made were his, the former prime minister began, apologising for the things he got wrong.

Closing schools for him was a "personal horror" and a "nightmare idea".

"I thought it would have done a lot of damage to people to the life chances of people," he said.

But it seemed like the only option at the time.

Many of the questions he was asked on Tuesday were on the planning that went into the shutting of schools.

Over the last few weeks, the inquiry has heard plenty of criticism of the fact that the plan to close schools was not pulled together until the night before it was announced in March 2020.

It's been called "an extraordinary dereliction of duty". The former children's commissioner described chaotic scenes around that decision-making in her own evidence to the inquiry.

The planning around school closures was vitally important, because it outlined who would be allowed in to school, who was classed as vulnerable, how free school meals would work, how remote learning would be scaled up, and plenty more besides.

When the former education secretary, Gavin Williamson, was asked questions about this last week, he said government policy was to keep schools open and all the key decisions were being taken within Number 10.

Today, Boris Johnson said he thought the Department for Education (DfE) would have picked up from discussions that were going on from February onwards that the closure of schools was a possibility. He suggested it was clear there was work to be done, and it was "surprising" there was no plan ready at the time.

The inquiry has also heard about the huge effort to set up Covid testing in schools before January 2021, in an attempt to allow them to stay open. Many teachers worked over Christmas 2020 to make it work, and the DfE had been clear that it would.

But a decision was made to close schools late on 4 January 2021 - the same day pupils had first returned after the Christmas holidays.

Johnson said this was a low moment, describing how he could see "the cavalry coming over the hill" - the vaccines which would eventually turn the tide of the pandemic, but which had not arrived quickly enough to prevent more disruption to children's lives.

He said he was sorry to teachers for all their efforts on getting mass testing up and running, but said that plan was ultimately defeated by the alpha mutation which accelerated the spread of Covid.

Elsewhere on Tuesday, Johnson was challenged on the exam results of August 2020, which were first awarded by putting teachers' grades into an algorithm designed to prevent grades becoming inflated, but which instead downgraded 40% of them.

It was a "disaster", Johnson said, and "plainly let a lot of kids down" before the government U-turn which saw pupils get their original teacher-assessed grades.

Johnson was in a "homicidal mood" after the debacle, he said. One message he sent to advisers at the time suggested ministers at the DfE should be sacked.

This was Johnson's second and final appearance at the inquiry. His first, in December 2023, was for the session looking directly at political governance at the time. The fact he's back now highlights the importance they are giving to the impact the pandemic had on children and the lessons that need to be learned.

When asked about the lockdowns and the restrictions that were put in place on children, Johnson conceded that they were very hard on children.

The experiences of children spending a lot of time online, some in troubled families behind closed doors, others left with serious mental health implications, have become painstakingly clear through the evidence of the last few weeks.

Johnson said that, looking back on it all - the intricacy of the rules of six, the complexity of other lockdown and social distancing rules, particularly for children - "I think we probably did go too far".

"It was far too elaborate. Maybe we could have a found a way of exempting children," he said.

These are all points that Baroness Heather Hallett, who is the chair of the inquiry, will be paying particular attention to when she comes to her final report, and the question of what could possibly be done differently if it were ever to happen again.

Listen to the latest episode of the Covid Inquiry Podcast on BBC Sounds

Under Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza, the "yellow line" - which Israel withdrew to earlier this month - is the first of three stages of Israeli military withdrawal. It leaves it in control of about 53% of the Gaza Strip.

One Israeli newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, referred to it as "effectively the new border" in Gaza.

It's a remark that will please the far-right coalition partners of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The fortifications and demarcations Israel is now building along this boundary are meant to clearly divide the territory, but they may also help to blur the differing hopes and expectations of Mr Netanyahu's allies in Washington and at home.

How long he can keep both sets of expectations in play depends largely on this next stage of negotiations.

The boundary marked by the yellow line is temporary, but further withdrawal of Israeli forces rests on resolving the difficult issues pinned to the second stage of Donald Trump's deal – including the transfer of power in Gaza and the process for disarming Hamas.

Washington is keen that nothing upset this next delicate stage of negotiations. US Vice-President JD Vance flew in on Tuesday to push Netanyahu to press on with peace talks. Trump's negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with the Israeli PM on Monday.

Israeli newspapers have been reporting that Netanyahu is receiving a stern message from his American allies to "show restraint" and not to endanger the ceasefire.

When Israel complained that Hamas had violated the terms of the ceasefire on Sunday, killing two soldiers, the response advocated by Mr Netanyahu's far-right National Security Minister was a one-word demand: "War".

Instead, Israel carried out an intense, but brief, wave of air strikes, before reinstating the truce, and was careful to emphasise that its troops had been attacked inside the yellow line – keen to show Washington that Israel had not broken the rules.

Netanyahu has said the war will not end until Hamas is dismantled – its disarmament, and the full demilitarisation of Gaza, are among the conditions he has set.

But Israeli commentators are lining up to say that the real decisions over Israel's military action in Gaza are now being made in Washington.

The yellow line – and the daunting task facing negotiators in this second stage of the deal – are clues as to why Netanyahu's coalition partners have chosen to wait, rather than carry out a threat to bring down his government.

The dream for many extremist settlers – and ministers – is that the next stage of this process will prove impossible to resolve and the yellow line will indeed become the de facto border, opening the way to new settlements on Gazan land. Some hardliners would like Israel to annex the whole of the Gaza Strip.

The vast majority of Israelis want an end to the war and for the remaining bodies of the hostages, and Israel's serving soldiers, to come home.

But Israel's prime minister is known as a politician who likes to keep his options as open as possible, for as long as possible, and this is a deal in stages, with caveats built in.

Agreeing to this first stage meant withdrawing to positions that left Israel in control of more than half of Gaza, and agreeing to a ceasefire in order to get hostages home.

From here, it will become harder to align the goals of his US and domestic allies.

Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly underlined that violations of the deal by Hamas – including its failure to disarm – would allow Israel to return to war.

"If this is achieved the easy way, so much the better," he told the Israeli public earlier this month. "If not, it will be achieved the hard way."

Donald Trump has said the same. But Washington has so far shown a tolerance for delays and violations in implementing the deal on the ground, leaving Netanyahu with far less political room than perhaps he'd like.

British designer Grace Wales Bonner has been named as the new creative director of men's wear for French fashion house Hermès.

The appointment means Wales Bonner, a 35-year-old Londoner, is now the first black woman to lead design at a major fashion house, according to the New York Times.

In a statement, Wales Bonner said she was "deeply honoured to be entrusted with the role".

She replaces Véronique Nichanian, who has been the company's artistic director of men's wear division for 37 years.

Her final collection for the brand will be shown in Paris in January, while Wales Bonner's first collection will launch in 2027.

In her statement, Wales Bonner said: "It is a dream realised to embark on this new chapter, following in a lineage of inspired craftspeople and designers."

She also thanked the company's bosses "for the opportunity to bring my vision to this magical house".

Reporting the news on Tuesday, Vogue said: "While industry insiders were betting on a promotion from within, Hermès went for a renowned talent."

Wales Bonner, who was born in London to an English mother and Jamaican father, founded her own label in 2014, not long after graduating from London's Central Saint Martins College of Art.

According to Vogue, Wales Bonner will continue her namesake brand alongside her new Hermès role.

She dressed F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, musician FKA Twigs, and actor Jeff Goldblum for this year's Met Gala and has made T-shirts with musician Solange Knowles, younger sister of Beyoncé.

Wales Bonner has also curated an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and hosted musical performances at London's Serpentine Galleries.

She has had a long-standing collaboration with Adidas and was made a MBE in 2022 for services to fashion.

Pierre-Alexis Dumas, general artistic director of Hermès, said: "I am really pleased to welcome Grace to the Hermès artistic director family.

"Her take on contemporary fashion, craft and culture will contribute to shaping Hermès men's style, melding the house's heritage with a confident look on the now.

"Grace's appetite and curiosity for artistic practice strongly resonate with Hermès's creative mindset and approach. We are at the start of an enriching mutual dialogue."

The government has published its new white paper, and there's big news in it for students going to university or college.

We now know both tuition fees and maintenance loans for university students will increase with inflation every year from 2026.

And for students finishing their GCSEs, new courses called V-levels will be introduced alongside A-levels and T-levels.

Lots of you have sent in questions about how it's all going to work. We answer them below.

I start uni next year - will my fees rise?

We had this question via Your Voice Your BBC News.

The answer is yes. Tuition fees will rise from 2026 onwards, so we expect that those starting university in 2026 will have higher fees.

The exact amount students will be charged is unknown at the moment - as it depends on what the rate of inflation is.

The inflation measure used - the Retail Price Index minus mortgage payments, or RPIx - is likely to be the one used for next year's and future increases.

If it was done at the current rate, fees would rise by approximately £400 a year, to over £9,900.

Will this mean pay rises for university staff?

This is unclear and the situation is different for each university - though lots of them have experienced financial difficulties of some kind in recent years.

A professor from Coventry University who spoke to BBC News on Monday said it was a "good thing" that tuition fees were rising, but that "under no circumstances will it solve the problem" around university finances.

And the University and College Union has a lot to say on this too. General secretary Jo Grady accuses Labour of having "doubled down on the disastrous tuition-fees funding model, which created the crisis the sector is currently facing".

She says the union wants to see "proper public funding" for higher education, and a resolution to the current dispute over "low pay, vicious job cuts and poor working conditions, and the impact this has on students' learning experience".

But Universities UK, which represents 141 universities, says it offers "a much-needed reset for our university system".

Chief executive Vivienne Stern says raising fees in line with inflation will "help to halt the long-term erosion of universities' financial sustainability, following a decade of fee freezes".

What about students from lower income backgrounds, or those who are the first in their family to go to university?

This is another question that came in through Your Voice Your BBC News.

You do not have to start repaying your loan until you earn a certain amount of money after graduation. You generally repay 9% of the amount you earn above this threshold.

Maintenance loans will also rise with inflation.

One student told the BBC News social team: "As someone who gets the maximum maintenance loan, it just means that as someone who comes from a poorer background, I will have more debt to pay off than someone who comes from a middle-class background who has more parental support."

The government recently announced that maintenance grants will return for some students from lower-income households by 2029.

The grants will apply to "tens of thousands" of students, targeted at those "studying priority courses that support the industrial strategy and the Labour government's wider mission to renew Britain," Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said.

The government said the new grants would be funded by a tax on international student fees, which will only apply to higher education providers in England.

The longer-term impact on how higher fees will impact those from lower-income families will be something education experts will be keeping a close eye on.

The government says it wants two-thirds of young people to go to university or study a technical qualification after leaving school.

What about the cap on fees for underperforming universities?

Bridget Phillipson said on Monday that "charging full fees will be conditional on high quality teaching".

Those universities who do not do so will not be able to charge maximum fees.

She added that it is a "challenge to our universities" to "drive out low quality provision".

One person asked Your Voice Your BBC News if this could result in students from working class backgrounds attending these institutions in an attempt to save money, creating a "two-tier system based on who can afford the higher fees".

There is still a lot of uncertainty around exactly how the performance of universities will be assessed, and how much those who underperform will be able to charge.

What the impact on students will be is yet to be seen.

What about V-levels? Why are they being introduced?

Lots of you were asking this on BBC News's TikTok page.

V-levels are being introduced to replace and simplify the current vocational qualifications system, and "open up more high-quality routes for young people", the government says.

It says that V-levels will "replace the wide range of qualifications that are not A-levels or T-levels and streamline the currently confusing landscape of approximately 900 qualifications at this level".

When will V-levels arrive?

Another question from socials now.

We're not completely sure when the rollout will be, but the government says that V-levels will be introduced from 2027.

There will be a consultation on what the courses should look like with experts and stakeholders before rolling them out, the government says.

What does this mean for BTecs and their credibility?

We've had this question on our TikTok, from a student worried about hers.

Qualifications you already have, or are currently studying will still be worth the same - even once the new V-levels come in. So try not to worry about that.

When announcing the changes, Bridget Phillipson said vocational education was the "backbone" of the country's economy, and central to breaking the link between background and success, helping hundreds of thousands of young people get the skills they need to get good jobs.

"But for too long it has been an afterthought," she said.

She thinks the new V-levels will help to change that.

What if I'm currently doing a BTec?

Lots of current BTec students have asked us this on TikTok too.

V-levels won't be introduced until 2027, the government says, and we currently don't know what subjects they will be in.

Pearson - the exam board that delivers BTecs - says it will continue to deliver all its current vocational qualifications, while it joins the consultation with the Department for Education and Ofqual as part of the creation of the new courses.

Subjects will be linked to the world of work and may include sectors like engineering, agriculture, digital and creative sectors, the government says.

The Sixth Form Colleges Association has warned that V-levels may not fill the gap left by BTecs, and has said that the government's priority should be to make sure that schools and colleges can still enroll students on BTecs until the new V-levels are up and running.

And it's worth remembering that V-levels will be Level 3 courses - the same as A-levels or T-levels - so they shouldn't impact Level 2 BTecs, which are taken with GCSEs.

As construction begins on President Donald Trump's new, $250m (£149m) White House ballroom, mystery continues to swirl around the identities of the wealthy donors and corporations paying for it.

Groundbreaking for the ornate 90,000 sq ft (8,360 sq m) project began on Monday, with excavators and construction workers tearing out portions of the East Wing.

The US president has said that he personally will pay for significant portions of its construction, and suggested that some still anonymous donors would be willing to spend more than $20m to complete the project.

The funding model has sparked concern among some legal experts, who say it may amount to paying for access to the administration.

"I view this enormous ballroom as an ethics nightmare," Richard Painter, a former chief ethics lawyer in the Bush White House between 2005 and 2007, told the BBC.

"It's using access to the White House to raise money. I don't like it," he added. "These corporations all want something from the government."

A dinner for potential donors held at the White House on 15 October included senior executives from prominent American companies including Blackstone, OpenAI, Microsoft, Coinbase, Palantir, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Amazon and Google.

Also present was Woody Johnson, the owner of the New York Jets NFL team, and Shari and Edward Glazer, who, together with their siblings, own both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Manchester United.

A pledge form reviewed by CBS News, the BBC's US partner, suggested that donors could be eligible for "recognition" for their contributions. While plans are still being finalised, that recognition could potentially take the form of named etched into the structure.

The White House had originally said that the gigantic structure would have a seated capacity of 650 people. This week, Trump said that it will be able to hold 999.

Only one contributor has so far been revealed.

Court documents show that YouTube will pay $22m towards the project as part of a settlement with Trump regarding a lawsuit over the suspension of his account following the 6 January 2021 riot at the US Capitol.

It is unclear, however, how many of the rest of those in attendance have pledged to donate, or how much. An official list has yet to be published, although White House officials say they plan to reveal the one.

Documents obtained by CBS indicate that the donations will be handled by the Trust for the National Mall, a non-profit that works with the National Park Service and fundraises for projects on the Mall and at the White House.

At the event for potential donors, Trump said many of the attendees had been "really, really generous" and said some had asked whether $25m was an appropriate donation.

"I said: I will take it," Trump remarked.

The White House has insisted there is nothing inappropriate in soliciting donations and that the ballroom will be used by future administrations.

But Mr Painter suggested it could be considered a "pay-to-play scheme", which has dogged previous White House administrations of both political parties.

In the 1990s, for example, then-President Bill Clinton came under scrutiny for allegedly selling overnight stays in the Lincoln Bedroom in exchange for campaign contributions.

More recently, Trump sought corporate sponsors for the annual White House Easter Egg Roll in April, which some said could amount to companies vying for the president's attention.

Trump and administration officials have said that the new ballroom is a necessary renovation given the lack of large existing facilities to hold state dinners and other events. The White House often uses a tent on the South Lawn to fete foreign leaders and a larger guest list for a state dinner.

But the scale of the new ballroom, Mr Painter added, poses an "enormous temptation" to use the facility for political fundraising that was not the case before, even if presidents from both parties have invited supporters to events.

"The limited space [now] means that not everyone gets a White House invitation," he said. "In my view, that's a good thing....the [current] size limits the 'pay to play' game, at least on White House premises."

Proving any wrongdoing, however, is unlikely.

"You can't prove a quid pro quo," Mr Painter said. "But I think the Trump administration is pushing the envelope here."

A third abuse survivor has resigned from their role in the government's inquiry into grooming gangs.

"Elizabeth" - not her real name - joined Fiona Goddard and Ellie-Ann Reynolds, who quit the inquiry's victims and survivors liaison panel on Monday in protest.

In her resignation letter, Elizabeth said the process felt like "a cover-up" and had "created a toxic environment for survivors".

Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips has denied claims of a cover-up and insisted her government was "committed to exposing the failures" to tackle "these appalling crimes".

Meanwhile, the BBC has been told former senior social worker Annie Hudson, who had been named as a potential chair of the inquiry, has withdrawn following recent media coverage over her candidacy.

One of the other names being considered to lead the inquiry is former deputy chief constable Jim Gamble.

A meeting between Mr Gamble and survivors took place earlier, with both sides said to have listened to each others perspectives.

Ms Goddard and Ms Reynolds had raised concerns about the suitability of the candidates shortlisted to chair the inquiry.

Ms Goddard said the chair should not have a background in policing or social work, arguing those services had "contributed most to the cover-up of the national mass rape and trafficking of children".

In her resignation letter, Ms Reynolds wrote that having "establishment insiders representing the very systems that failed us" as potential chairs was a conflict of interest.

She also said the "final turning point" in her decision to quit was a move to widen the inquiry "in ways that downplay the racial and religious motivations behind our abuse".

In her resignation letter, Elizabeth said she was "deeply concerned that there still isn't a genuine understanding of the grooming gangs scandal".

"What is happening now feels like a cover-up of a cover-up," she wrote. "It has created a toxic environment for survivors, filled with pressures that we should not have to deal with."

Responding to the resignations of Ms Goddard and Ms Reynolds in the House of Commons earlier, Safeguarding Minister Phillips said she regretted the departure of the two women but added: "My door is always open to them."

She also said "not all victims are of the same opinion - they are not one homogeneous group of people, who all think the same thing, who all want the same exposure, who all want their identities known".

"I will engage with all the victims, regardless of their opinions, and I will listen to those that have been put in the media, that are put in panels, I will always listen and I will speak to all of them."

Phillips added that the inquiry panel of victims from which Ms Reynolds and Ms Goddard resigned was not managed by the government, but by a grooming gang charity.

However, Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the government's inquiry was "descending into chaos".

He argued that ministers had been "forced" into holding the inquiry in June adding: "Perhaps that is why, months later, the government has said nothing substantive publicly."

The Conservatives have called for the inquiry to be chaired by a senior judge to guarantee impartiality and restore faith in the process.

Phillips rejected that suggestion, arguing that Baroness Casey, who led a previous inquiry into the subject, had said she did not want a traditional judicial-led inquiry.

The minister also stressed the difficulty of finding a chair who was not attached to an institution "that didn't fail these girls over the years, including our courts who took the children away from grooming gang victims, who criminalised some of them".

"There is no institution in our country that hasn't failed," she added.

Speaking to the BBC's World At One, a campaigner against forced marriage and abuse also criticised the process.

"It feels to me now that [survivors have] been invited to the party, but not invited to the dance. If this is lip service, it's not real engagement," said Dame Jasvinder Sanghera, who runs the Karma Nirvana charity.

"Closing doors and making decisions without them about this is absolutely the wrong thing to do."

A document has emerged, which the BBC has seen, showing the lease agreement between Prince Andrew and the Crown Estate for his Windsor home Royal Lodge.

The controversy around his connection to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which has seen him give up titles including the Duke of York, has thrown the spotlight on his living arrangements and how he is able to fund them despite not being a working royal.

With Prince Andrew mired in scandal, it's a terrible look for the Royal Family to have him living among them in apparent splendour in the Grade II listed building.

His deal on the 30-room mansion means he has only ever paid a token annual rent - and even that might not be required under the terms of his lease.

That is because the arrangement with the Crown Estate landlords struck in 2003 meant that, instead of paying annual rent, Prince Andrew made large lump sum payments up-front, including for renovations.

In effect, those payments meant he was buying himself out of future rent obligations for the duration of the 75-year lease.

In information separately published by the National Audit Office, Prince Andrew had to pay for £5 million worth of repairs, £2.5 million for the option of buying out future rent and a further £1 million premium to the Crown Estate.

The rent is described as a "peppercorn", which means a small sum such as £1, which can be paid every year on a long lease, as part of a legal arrangement between a tenant and the landlord.

It's not about making a profit but is a symbolic payment, in this case from Prince Andrew to the Crown Estate, the independent property company that owns Royal Lodge, which boasts a gardener's cottage, a Chapel Lodge, six-bedroom cottage and security accommodation.

There might now be questions about where Andrew got the funds in 2003 to effectively pay more than £8 million for a lease for life, an up-front payment arrangement that helps to explain how he can currently afford to live there, given he does not have to make a monthly payment.

The deal was based on a notional rent of £260,000 per year, which meant his initial payments represented about 33 years of rent up to 2036, with the years of the lease after that being effectively at no cost.

And the NAO said the refurbishments went on to cost Andrew more than £7.5m, rather than the initial £5m anticipated by the deal.

It's been no secret that Buckingham Palace has wanted to see him move out of such a grand setting, but it's also recognised that he has a cast-iron lease, independently held.

More than 20 years ago, when Prince Andrew was a less controversial figure, the deal on Royal Lodge was seen as financially better for the taxpayer than using the house as a "grace and favour" residence, where someone might live without any commercial payment.

The property at the time, once occupied by the Queen Mother, had been rundown and in need of modernisation, and getting Prince Andrew to pay for the building work was seen as a way of avoiding any public expense.

And because of security concerns about the house's location on the Windsor estate, the Crown Estate was keener to keep a cash-paying royal there, when it could have been difficult to put on the open market.

An NAO report said the arrangement met the Crown Estate's obligation to provide "value for money" and that it had been "money's worth".

The King last year ended any financial support for his brother - and it still remains unclear how Andrew pays for costs such as security and the requirement to pay for the upkeep.

The lease shows he does have to keep paying for the upkeep of the house, ensuring the exterior stonework is in good condition every five years and painting the interior every seven years.

He has to "paint, paper, polish, decorate" to keep the house in good condition and to keep the landscaped grounds and gardens in good order. Prince Andrew, as the tenant, also has to allow his landlords to inspect and make sure he is keeping to the terms of the lease.

Other details revealed in the lease include clauses specifying that no helicopters are able to land there, and no gambling is allowed on the premises.

The arrangement by which he paid cash up-front rather than monthly rent, and his agreement to carry out substantial repairs, also explains why he will be reluctant to give up his place in Royal Lodge, which he shares with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.

Part of the deal was that if he left early in the lease he could reclaim some of the money that he had paid up-front, with that amount tapering down over time, until that guarantee ended entirely after 25 years. The longer he stayed there, the less he would get back if he gave up the lease.

It's now more than 22 years since he signed the lease and so the amount he would get back has kept falling. At the current rate, it's about £186,000 for each remaining year until 2028.

The lease is due to end in June 2078, beyond his expected lifetime, and the arrangement also includes the clause that his ex-wife and daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie could continue with it.

On Tuesday, Number 10 said it was up to the NAO whether to re-examine Prince Andrew's lease arrangements for the building.

Dame Meg Hillier, chairwoman of the Commons treasury committee, said "we need to have answers" to ensure taxpayers' money was not being misspent.

Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick had earlier said: "It's about time Prince Andrew took himself off to live in private and make his own way in life."

While Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office spokeswoman Lisa Smart said Andrew "should show some contrition by returning every penny of rent that he's not paid while disgracing his office".

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Children paid a "huge price" to protect others during the Covid pandemic, Boris Johnson has told the inquiry looking at the impact on young people.

The former prime minister repeated an apology made previously for things the government got wrong, but said he was proud of what teachers and schools did to cope with the "unbelievably difficult" circumstances.

He pushed back on earlier suggestions that there had been no plans in place for closing schools in early 2020, saying he had assumed a "great deal of thought and care" was already going into those decisions by then.

But he said he had also hoped schools could remain open, calling it a "nightmare idea" and "personal horror" to close them.

Former education secretary Gavin Williamson gave his own evidence to the inquiry last week, in which he said the government had made an error in "sticking to the plan" of trying to keep schools open in March 2020.

The inquiry was told a plan was only made on 17 March 2020 - the day before an announcement that schools were closing.

Johnson told the inquiry on Tuesday that he accepted the criticism around the lack of planning, but added that making changes to schools would have required a "much greater state of knowledge about Covid and what was likely to happen".

"The speed at which the disease was progressing" made it harder to plan around, he added, saying the key focus was on trying to avoid an "appalling public health crisis".

The inquiry has also heard previously about several disagreements between Williamson and Johnson, including over the decision to close schools again in 2021.

Last week, Williamson was confronted with an expletive-laden message he had sent to the then-prime minister in February 2021, in which he said he had taken "abuse" for the government's decision to shut schools one day after they reopened.

On Tuesday, Johnson told the inquiry he had wanted to see "mass testing" in schools as a way of keeping them open.

But that was "never going to be a runner" because of the new alpha variant which arrived at the same time and accelerated the spread of the disease, he said.

One of the biggest issues of the pandemic for both Johnson and Williamson came in the exam results fiasco of August 2020.

The Department for Education (DfE) had been forced to go back on its use of an algorithm to award results, which was designed to prevent inflated grades but which instead saw 40% of predicted results downgraded.

The public outcry led to a U-turn which meant pupils were ultimately awarded the grades they had been predicted by their teachers, after GCSE and A-level exams were scrapped earlier in the year.

Johnson was confronted with his own leaked messages at the inquiry on Tuesday, in which he had told advisers Dominic Cummings and Lee Cain at the time that the DfE needed "better ministers".

"We can't go on like this. I am thinking of going into Number 10 and firing people," he had said.

Johnson said he had been in a "thoroughly homicidal mood" at the time.

Referencing the exams fiasco, counsel to the inquiry Clair Dobbin KC suggested to Johnson that "the whole thing was a disaster".

"If you mean was Covid a disaster? Yes. Was the loss of education a disaster? Yes. Was the loss of exams a disaster? Yes. Was the disappointment, anger, frustration of a large number of kids - the additional frustration - a disaster? Yes it was," Johnson said.

"But it has to be seen in the context of us trying to deal with a much, much bigger disaster," he added, referencing the loss of learning and exams.

"On the whole", he said the DfE had done a pretty "heroic job" of trying to cope with the pandemic.

Later in Tuesday's evidence, Johnson said the lockdown and social distancing rules "probably did go too far", and that children could have been exempted from them.

While "hopefully this thing never happens again", he said in any future pandemic the closure of schools "really should be a measure of last resort".

This session of the Covid inquiry, looking at the impact of the pandemic on children and young people, is due to end later this week.

You can listen to the latest episode of the Covid Inquiry Podcast on BBC Sounds

An agreement has been reached to allow two British prisoners convicted of drug smuggling to return home to the UK, the Indonesian government has said.

Lindsay Sandiford, 69, from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, had spent more than a decade on death row and 35-year-old Shahab Shahabadi, was serving a life sentence. Both are set to be transferred to the UK in about two weeks' time.

Sandiford was sentenced to death on the Indonesian island of Bali in 2013, after she was convicted of trafficking drugs.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are supporting two British Nationals detained in Indonesia and are in close contact with the Indonesian authorities to discuss their return to the UK."

Customs officers found nearly five kilos of cocaine with a street value of £1.6m hidden in a false bottom in Sandiford's suitcase when she arrived on a flight from Thailand in 2012.

She admitted the offences but said she had agreed to carry the cocaine after a drug syndicate threatened to kill her son.

The Indonesian minister for law and human rights, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, said he had signed a deal with British foreign secretary Yvette Cooper for the transfer of the two British prisoners.

"We agreed to grant the transfers of the prisoners to the UK. The agreement has been signed," Mr Yusril told reporters at a press conference in capital Jakarta earlier.

The pair will be handed over after the technical details of the transfer are agreed, which the minister said could take "around two weeks" to organise.

Speaking at the press conference, Mr Yusril said both prisoners are "currently facing problems."

"The first one, Sandiford, is in poor health and has been examined by our doctors as well as by a doctor from the British consulate in Bali. She is seriously ill.

"The second, Shahab Shahabadi, although still young at 35 and serving a life sentence, is suffering from several serious health issues, particularly mental health disorders."

Indonesia and the UK do not have a formal prisoner transfer arrangement; normally these require that repatriated prisoners serve out their terms in their home countries.

Sandiford was arrested at a time when the Indonesian authorities were imposing tougher penalties on drug smugglers and in 2015 two Australian men were executed after being convicted of smuggling heroin.

Additional reporting by Jonathan Head in Bangkok

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"I never thought I'd make it to this age," says 100-year-old May O'Shea. "I thought I would have died by now."

May's milestone is still one very few people achieve despite the number of centenarians in the UK doubling over the past 20 years.

The latest figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show there were an estimated 16,650 people aged 100 or above living in the UK in 2024, a record high.

In Scotland, where May lives, there are 1,000 centenarians for the first time but it is still an age only reached by one person in every 5,000.

May, who was born in Port Glasgow in 1925, says: "I don't feel 100, I feel much younger. I look at my hands and I'm shocked."

Looking back on her long life, she remembers surviving a German blitz on Port Glasgow during World War 2, which destroyed her neighbours' homes.

"You could see all the flames in the sky, it looked like a sunset," she recalls.

May moved to London after the war and became a cleaner, at one time spending three years working for the iconic 80s band, Depeche Mode.

She had her son Jim, who is now 70 , before moving back to Scotland in later life where she became a grandmother to her three grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

The 100-year-old says she reads two newspapers everyday, which are delivered by Jim, who she credits for keeping her sharp.

When asked if there's a secret to such a long life, she cites the fact she's "never smoked and never drank", and advises people who want to follow in her footsteps to "just take care of themselves and don't overdo it!"

Paul Shiels, a professor of geroscience at the University of Glasgow, says that the rise in people living to 100 can be explained by improved living conditions, better nutrition and a general improvement in public health.

He said : "Over the last century, we've seen advances in medicine, better detection of disease, better disease treatment, more widespread use of vaccinations and the appearance of antibiotics.

"These are really enabling people who would've died at a younger age to live longer."

The ONS stats show that women make up more than 80% of those who make it to 100.

However, the number of men living to a very old age is rising quickly.

Twenty years ago men accounted for 10.9% of people aged 100 and over but this is now 18.4%, nearly one in five.

"Women age better than men," says Prof Shiels.

"They handle psychosocial stress a lot better and tend to be more social.

"There's no clear answer as to why the rate of men reaching 100 is increasing faster than women, I think that it could be the case that the number of women has reached a plateau, and men are catching up.

"It may be that we'll see a further small increase in the number of people reaching 100 over the next few decades, but I don't think it will be dramatic."

For 104-year-old Mary Smith, good genes are the key to a long life.

Mary was born in Korea in 1921 to British parents, before travelling the world with the Navy.

She was 23 years old when WW2 ended, a day she still describes as her "favourite memory".

"I had been posted to America when it was announced that the war in Europe had ended," she recalls.

"I was in a ship, halfway across the Atlantic ocean, and we were able to turn the lights on for the first time."

During her time in Washington DC she married her husband, a British Army officer, and had two sons.

She credits her longevity to her "tough ancestors".

"My ancestors have always remained spry, both mentally and physically, and all remained very active right into their old age," she says.

Her carers at Murrayfield Care Home in Edinburgh also add that she "never misses a gym class".

"They keep me fit and keep me moving, stop me stiffening up - I'm very determined, I won't give up," she says.

The best ways to reach 100

Prof Shiels says that, although genes play a role in living a long life, they are not the main factor which determine whether you'll live to be 100.

He says: "We're still finding out lots more about what really causes how we age, and the big surprise is that your environment is probably more of an influence on your age and age-related health than your genetics."

Instead, he says, environmental stressors such as whether or not you have a balanced diet; whether you smoke or drink alcohol; oral health and the amount of exercise you get play the biggest role.

"There's unique aspects of ageing, but the general picture is relatively uniform," Prof Shiels says.

"If more of us want to live to 100 we have to change our environment and we have to modify our lifestyle.

"There's a lot of scientific influencers now saying they can rejuvenate you, but I'm very sceptical of that.

"In the real world you need balance. Cutting stress, doing things in moderation and being social – these are the best ways to get near 100."

Jean Aitken, an ex-teacher also from Port Glasgow, has some additional tips that she thinks has helped her reach her 100th year.

"Everybody always wants to know the secret." she says.

"I've never been sporty, but all my life I've always done a lot of Scottish country dancing," she says.

"Another thing is I don't drink milk and never have done - I've never liked it."

Jean lived with her twin sister Margaret, who passed away at 92, before moving into a nursing home at age 99.

She has taken courses on how to use an iPad, which she uses to order her shopping and to share pictures and videos with her family.

Her great-niece, Stephanie Bell, described her as a greatly positive person who is "always living life to the full".

For Jean, the advice for living into your hundreds is simple.

She says: "You just keep going, you've just got to keep going."

A security guard jailed for plotting to kidnap, rape and murder TV presenter Holly Willoughby has failed in appealing against his sentence.

Gavin Plumb is serving life with a minimum term of 16 years after being convicted of soliciting murder and inciting rape and kidnap of the former This Morning host in July 2024.

Police found bottles of chloroform and a "kidnap kit" complete with cable ties, a ball gag and rope when they raided the 38-year-old's flat in Harlow, Essex.

Judges at the Court of Appeal ruled earlier that Plumb intended harm "of the gravest and highest possible kind" and his sentence was appropriate.

Barristers for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) opposed Plumb's appeal, telling the court in London the offending had "life-changing consequences" for Ms Willoughby.

Sasha Wass KC, for Plumb, argued there was "no suggestion of lasting psychological harm" suffered by the victim, who has also presented I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here.

But dismissing the appeal, Lord Justice Edis, sitting with Mr Justice Martin Spencer and Ms Justice Norton, said they concluded it was "ultimately unpersuasive".

The judge said Willoughby's death was "specifically contemplated and intended" by Plumb.

Jurors in Plumb's trial at Chelmsford Crown Court heard his "ultimate fantasy" was to ambush Ms Willoughby at her home and bring sexualised violence against her at a "dungeon"-type room.

Plumb searched online for "how to meet people who plan to kidnap celebs" and messages he sent suggested he would murder the victim and put her "into a lake at night".

• As it happened: Live updates from the Court of Appeal

He was arrested in October 2023 after being snared by an undercover police officer from the US, who infiltrated an online group used by Plumb called Abduct Lovers.

Plumb told the officer he was "definitely serious" about his plot against Ms Willoughby, leaving the officer fearing there was an "imminent threat" to her.

The officer passed evidence to the FBI, leading to US law enforcement then contacting police in the UK.

Plumb argued from the witness box during his trial that his comments were just online chat and fantasy, but admitted they were "dark".

Sentencing Plumb, Mr Justice Murray described some of his plans as "particularly sadistic, brutal and degrading", and said he had "no doubt that this was all considerably more than a fantasy".

After the jury delivered its verdicts, Ms Willoughby said in a statement: "As women we should not be made to feel unsafe going about our daily lives and in our own homes."

Essex Police discovered a "kidnap kit" consisting of hand and ankle shackles, rope, 400 metal cable ties and bottles of chloroform.

Plumb did not attend his appeal hearing either in person or remotely from prison.

His barrister argued he was serving a sentence that was "far too long and it properly could have been reduced considerably".

However, CPS barrister Alison Morgan KC said: "What else was the judge to do but conclude that the risk posed by this applicant from the facts of the offending and previous convictions could not be met with anything other than a life sentence?"

Delivering the appeal judges' ruling, Lord Justice Edis said Plumb was "obsessed" with Ms Willoughby.

He described Plumb's plans as "horrifying", adding: "They are distressing even for seasoned professionals to read."

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Eight countries have been added to a UK Foreign Office list warning of the risks of methanol poisoning from counterfeit or tainted alcoholic drinks.

Ecuador, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Russia and Uganda are included in the updated travel guidance following incidents involving Britons in those countries.

The advice previously covered Thailand, Laos and Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Turkey, Costa Rica and Fiji and follows a number of high-profile incidents including the death of six tourists in Laos last year.

Travellers are advised to watch out for signs of methanol poisoning such as blurry vision and confusion, which can lead to serious illness and death.

Methanol is an industrial chemical found in antifreeze and windscreen washer fluid. It is not meant for human consumption and is highly toxic.

But there have been instances of unscrupulous backyard brewers adding methanol to drinks to make them go further, and some bars and street sellers mixing it with spirit-based drinks and cocktails to cut costs.

The Foreign Office has begun a new advertising campaign and updated its travel advice pages to include information on recognising symptoms and reducing risks of methanol poisoning.

British nationals going abroad are advised to purchase sealed drinks from licensed establishments, avoid homemade alcohol and pre-mixed spirits, cocktails and drinks served in buckets or jugs.

Travellers are advised to watch out for warning signs of poisoning, which include nausea, vomiting, dizziness and confusion. Experts say methanol poisoning in the early stages can resemble alcohol poisoning, but distinctive symptoms, such as vision issues, can develop between 12-48 hours after consumption.

People with signs of methanol poisoning should seek urgent medical attention immediately.

Last month campaigners and the families of some of the Britons who have died or been injured from methanol poisoning abroad met members of the travel industry and MPs in parliament.

Amanda Dennis represents the family of Simone White, a 28-year-old lawyer from Orpington who was one of six backpackers who died from methanol poisoning in Laos, and was among those urging greater awareness.

"All these youngsters have died unnecessarily, and it could have been so easily avoided if there had been more awareness, if there had been more knowledge, and if they'd had it taught in schools," she said.

Calum Macdonald, 23, from Sunbury-on-Thames, went blind during the same incident, and said: "I think it's important that people know obviously because it's quite a simple bit of information you can get that can really save you a lot of pain.

"I certainly think if I'd been aware of the risks I wouldn't be here today without my vision."

Hamish Falconer, the Foreign Office minister responsible for consular and crisis, said: "Methanol poisoning can kill. It can be difficult to detect when drinking and early symptoms mirror ordinary alcohol poisoning. By the time travellers realise the danger, it can be too late."

He added: "No family should endure what the campaigners' families have suffered. Their determination to prevent others facing the same tragedy has been instrumental in driving forward these vital updates to our travel advice."

The president-elect of the Oxford Union has lost a no-confidence vote after he came under fire for comments appearing to celebrate the death of Charlie Kirk.

The motion against George Abaraonye had met the required two-thirds threshold to oust the student from his position, the society has announced.

It comes after Mr Abaraonye reportedly posted on social media to seemingly welcome the attack on the US conservative activist in September.

Mr Abaraonye is disputing the no-confidence vote, telling the BBC people campaigning to oust him had "unsupervised access" to the email account collecting proxy ballots.

Kirk, an influential right-wing activist and close ally of US President Donald Trump, was shot dead while speaking at a university in Utah.

According to the Telegraph, Mr Abaraonye posted a message on Instagram which read "Charlie Kirk got shot loool" - an elongated version of the phrase 'lol' which means 'laughing out loud'.

He is also said to have posted in a WhatsApp chat with fellow students appearing to welcome the incident.

Last week, Mr Abaraonye said he had submitted the motion of no confidence in himself, with voting taking place over the weekend.

A notice published by extraordinary returning officer Donovan Lock on Tuesday said 1,228 ballots were cast in favour of no confidence, while 501 were against.

The notice stated the president-elect was deemed to have resigned in accordance with Oxford Union's rules.

Proceedings were informally suspended early on Monday after the returning officer was allegedly subjected to "obstruction, intimidation, and unwarranted hostility by a number of representatives", a notice said.

In a statement, Mr Abaraonye claimed the count had been halted because electoral officials believed "no legitimate and true result could be reached as a result of procedural failures".

"We unequivocally deny that any representative appointed by George engaged in intimidating or disruptive behaviour," his statement stated.

It said the "extremely serious issues" had been referred to the disciplinary committee on Monday afternoon and that Mr Abaraonye remained president-elect.

"George is proud and thankful to have the support of well in excess of a majority of students at Oxford, who voted to have a safe election and resist attempts to subvert democracy," his statement added.

The society said if allegations or complaints are lodged the result shall be pending their determination.

Opponents have said any failure to remove him would "signal to the world that the Oxford Union has chosen ideology over integrity".

On Friday, Mikey McCoy, Kirk's former chief of staff, read out an open letter to the Oxford Union on The Charlie Kirk Show podcast.

It accused the union of becoming a place where "presidents of the union publicly celebrate the assassination of a political opponent".

The letter said that if Mr Abaraonye were to remain in post, Kirk's allies would "personally contact every American political speaker who has ever graced the union's chamber and urge them never again to lend their name, time or reputation to that institution that has betrayed its founding ideals".

In a statement last month, the Oxford Union condemned Mr Abaraonye's remarks after Kirk's death and said the complaints filed against him had been forwarded for disciplinary proceedings.

It later issued a second statement condemning the racial abuse and threats Mr Abaraonye had faced.

The president-elect had been one of several students to debate with Kirk at the union in May.

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For many young girls in Japan today, the image of Sanae Takaichi taking the helm of power as the country's first ever female leader is powerful and formative.

It means a patriarchal society and a political system that has long been dominated by men is now led by a woman.

But while the optics speak of a progressive moment, some women don't see her as an advocate for change.

"It was quite interesting to see how people outside Japan have reacted to the news." Ayda Ogura, 21, says.

"Everyone's like, 'wow, she's the first female prime minister in Japanese history and that would be a great opportunity for women empowerment and gender equality in Japan'.

"I think that's a very naive interpretation."

Instead, Ms Ogura points to her "political beliefs and what she stands for", adding: "She perpetuates the patriarchal system."

A big fan of Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi has always wanted to be the "Iron Lady" of her country.

And like Thatcher, Takaichi is a staunch conservative.

Observers say her leadership is a tactical move from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to appeal to the more conservative base which had recently gravitated towards Japan's parties further to the right.

Takaichi opposes same-sex marriage and has long stood against legislation that would allow married couples to have separate surnames, preventing many women from keeping their maiden names.

She's also against women being in line for succession in the imperial family.

However, she did soften some of her messaging during her campaign - saying she favours giving tax incentives to companies that provide childcare facilities to their employees and spoke of possible tax breaks for families spending on childcare.

But she has over the years backed the idea of a more traditional role for women in society and in the family.

When it comes to women's issues, Takaichi is consistent with her country's less than impressive record on gender issues.

Japanese women are among the best educated and highest qualified in the world and yet they struggle with the expectations of a conservative society that still pushes them in traditional roles.

According to the 2025 gender gap index by the World Economic Forum, Japan ranked 118th among 148 countries, with female representation in the field of politics notably low.

Leadership positions have traditionally been dominated by men and Japan has struggled to increase the number of female lawmakers and business leaders.

The world's fourth largest economy ranks last among the G7 countries when it comes to the share of women in its national parliament. Specifically, women make up about 15.7% of lawmakers in Japan, the lowest figure among the G7.

It is even slow when it comes to women's reproductive health: only this week was it announced that the "morning after" pill - a form of emergency contraception available without prescription in more than 90 countries - had finally been approved for over the counter use in Japan.

Even so, some see Takaichi's rise to power as a pivotal moment that could change how women view their prospects.

"There is great significance in Ms Takaichi becoming prime minister, with a broader impact on society," Naomi Koshi - who became the country's youngest female mayor in 2012 - told Japan's Kyodo news agency.

Koshi argued Japan having a female prime minister will "lower psychological barriers" for women and girls, helping them feel it is normal to "stand out" as leaders in companies and society, even as gender-based stereotypes and expectations still remain.

But Audrey Hill-Uekawa, 20, points out that, while it is remarkable Japan has its first female leader, one must remember it took her more than 30 years to get to that position.

"She's also not really going against the grain. She's saying the same thing as the men."

Ms Hill-Uekawa adds that she shouldn't be put on a pedestal simply because she is a woman.

"We need to make sure we're talking about her policies. We need to be able to criticise her equally as everyone else."

It is not just what Takaichi has said which has led people to label her as a defender of the patriarchy.

It's also evident by who her champions inside the party have been.

She's the protégé of the late former hawkish prime minister Shinzo Abe, and was backed in the leadership election by Taro Aso - a senior figure in the LDP at the head of one of the ruling party's most influential conservative blocs.

His faction's support for Sanae Takaichi was pivotal in uniting the party's right wing behind her.

"I do feel that it is difficult for women to sort of relate to her success because it furthers this idea that we must be compliant with the status quo," 21-year-old Minori Konishi says.

Ms Ogura agrees, saying that with her as a figurehead for women in politics, "people are going to expect the same from us as well".

"They're going to expect us to be compliant, not go against the ideals that they have, and it might make our job more difficult."

Making history, however, was just the first of the challenges Takaichi will face - not least tackling a sluggish economy and inflation and winning back the trust of a frustrated and angry electorate, as well as hosting president Trump within days of taking power.

It's safe to say that no-one expects gender equality issues to be high on her priority list.

She's the astronaut who smashed through the glass ceiling. And kept on going.

Eileen Collins made history as the first woman to pilot and command a spacecraft - but despite her remarkable achievements, not everyone will know her name.

Now a feature-length documentary called Spacewoman, which chronicles her trailblazing career, looks set to change that.

We meet Collins at London's Science Museum. She's softly spoken, warm and very down to earth - but you quickly get a sense of her focus and determination. She clearly has inner steel.

"I was reading a magazine article on the Gemini astronauts. I was probably nine years old, and I thought that's the coolest thing. That's what I want to do," she says.

"Of course, there were no women astronauts back then. But I just thought, I'll be a lady astronaut."

But that little girl set her sights even higher - she wanted to be at the controls of a spacecraft.

And the only way to achieve this was to join the military and become a test pilot.

In the Air Force, she stood out from the crowd and was selected to join the astronaut programme. She was to fly Space Shuttles - Nasa's reusable "space planes".

She knew the eyes of the world were on her when her first mission launched in 1995.

"As the first woman to pilot the Space Shuttle, I worked very hard at that because I didn't want people to say, 'Oh look, the woman has made a mistake'. Because it wasn't just about me, it was about the women to follow me," she says.

"And I wanted there to be a reputation for women pilots that was: 'Hey, they're really good'."

She was so good in fact that she was soon promoted to commander, in another space first.

Collins was also a parent to two young children. The fact that she was a working wife and mother was frequently brought up in press conferences at the time, with some journalists seemingly astonished that she could be both.

But Collins says being a mum and a commander were "the two best jobs in the world".

"But I'm going to tell you it is harder to be a parent than to be a space shuttle commander," she laughs.

"The best training I ever had for being a commander was being a parent - because you have to learn how to say no to people."

Nasa's Space Shuttles, which flew for three decades, reached breathtaking highs, but also some terrible lows.

In 1986, the Challenger spacecraft suffered a catastrophic failure seconds after launching, killing all seven crew members on board.

And in 2003, the Columbia shuttle broke up in the skies over Texas at the end of its mission, killing its crew of seven as well.

A piece of insulating foam on Columbia's fuel tank broke loose during launch, damaging the heat shield with devastating results.

Columbia was unable to withstand the fiery re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, disintegrating as the world watched on in horror.

Collins shakes her head at the memory of the disaster, and of the friends whose lives were lost.

But with her job as commander, she had to pick up the mantle - she was to be in charge of the shuttle's following flight.

Did she think about quitting at that point?

"People throughout the shuttle programme were counting on the commander to stick with it," she says quietly.

"I think quitting the mission would have been the opposite of brave… and I wanted to be a brave leader. I wanted to be a confident leader. I wanted to instill that confidence in other people."

But when her mission finally took to the skies in 2005, the nightmare scenario happened again. A chunk of foam broke away during launch.

This time, though, there was a plan in place to check the damage. But it meant undertaking one of the riskiest maneuvers in space history.

Collins had to pilot the shuttle through a 360 degree flip while flying beneath the International Space Station. It allowed colleagues on the orbiting lab to photograph the craft's underside and check if the heatshield had been breached.

"There were engineers and managers saying it couldn't be done, all these reasons why it was too dangerous," she says.

"I listened to the discussion, they knew I was the commander, and I said: 'It sounds like we can do it'."

With her hands steady at the controls, her voice calm as she spoke to mission control, Collins piloted the craft through a slow, graceful somersault. With the shuttle's underside now visible, the damage was quickly spotted - and a spacewalk was carried out to repair it.

It meant Collins and her crew would make it safely home.

This was Collins's last flight. She tells us that she always planned to stop after her fourth mission - to give others a chance to go to space.

And she's watched plenty of astronauts follow in her footsteps. Does she have any advice for the next generation dreaming of the stars?

"Do your homework, listen to your teacher, pay attention in class and read books, and that will give you something to focus on," she says in a matter-of-fact way.

Those who follow Collins to space will learn just how much she achieved, not only as a woman, but as a formidable pilot and commander.

She says she has no regrets about bringing her astronaut career to an end. She made her decision and didn't look back. But there's still a wistful look in her eye when we ask if she'd be tempted if a seat on a spacecraft became free.

"Yes, I would love to go on a mission someday. When I'm an old lady, maybe I'll get a chance to go back in space."

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Virginia Giuffre would have viewed Prince Andrew giving up his titles "as a victory", the ghostwriter of her posthumous memoir told BBC Newsnight.

The book, Nobody's Girl, co-written by Amy Wallace, details Ms Giuffre's encounters with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell - and more details of her allegations about Prince Andrew, which he has always denied.

In the memoir - released on Tuesday - Ms Giuffre described three occasions where she alleged Prince Andrew had sex with her.

Ms Wallace spent four years writing the book with Ms Giuffre, who took her own life almost six months ago.

In the book, Ms Giuffre said she had sex with Prince Andrew on three separate occasions. She says the third occasion was on Epstein's island as part of what Ms Giuffre called "an orgy" with Epstein and approximately eight other young women.

Prince Andrew, who reached a financial settlement with Ms Giuffre in 2022, announced on Friday that he was voluntarily deciding not to use his titles including the Duke of York, an honour received from his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.

He is also giving up membership of the Order of the Garter - the oldest and most senior order of chivalry in Britain.

But there are still calls for them to be formally removed.

Ms Wallace said: "I can speak for Virginia; I know that she would view it as a victory that he was forced, by whatever means, to voluntarily give them up."

She called it a "symbolic gesture" which has made "modern history in terms of the royal era", describing it as "a step in the right direction".

"Virginia wanted all the men who she had been trafficked to, against her will, to be held to account, and this is just one of the men.

"Even though he (Andrew) continues to deny it, his life is being eroded because of his past behaviour, as it should be," Ms Wallace said.

Ms Wallace went on to say there was a period when Prince Andrew "indicated he was willing to help investigators in the US" but he was "never available, for some reason".

"That's something he could still do. He could say, as he has repeatedly, 'I still deny that I was involved... however, I was in these houses and I was on that island and I was on the jet and I saw things, and I know how much these women have suffered and I would like to share what I saw," Ms Wallace said.

Ms Wallace said the private jets used by Epstein "had been remodelled in order to afford many bedrooms - they were designed as flying trafficking agents, they were there to use girls in".

She added: "Prince Andrew was on at least one of those jets that I know of, if not more.

"He has to take sort of the measure of his own moral compass - he said in his settlement with Virginia that he now acknowledges the pain that these women and young girls had suffered. If you really feel it, do something about it."

Speaking about Ms Giuffre, Ms Wallace said: "I'm sad and I'm honoured to be able to speak at least a little bit on her behalf to stand up for her.

"She wrote this book to try to help other people, to make the world a better place.

"She deserves all credit for whatever role she played in forcing Prince Andrew to relinquish a few more of his titles but she deserves all credit even more than that for being brave enough to stand up to say 'this isn't right'."

The memoir, which the BBC bought from a book store in central London days before its official release, paints a picture of a web of rich and powerful people abusing young women.

At the centre of the abuse was Epstein and his former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence on sex-trafficking charges.

Ms Giuffre says that even decades later, she remembers how much she feared them both.

Epstein was convicted in Florida in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a person under the age of 18. He died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Nicolas Sarkozy will become the first French ex-president to go to jail, as he starts a five-year sentence for conspiring to fund his election campaign with money from late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Not since World War Two Nazi collaborationist leader Philippe Pétain was jailed for treason in 1945 has any French ex-leader gone behind bars.

Sarkozy, who was president from 2007-2012, has appealed against his jail term at La Santé prison, where he is will occupy a cell roughly measuring 9 sq m (95 sq ft) in the jail's isolation wing.

More than 100 people stood outside the jail, after his son Louis, 28, called on supporters for a show of support.

Another son, Pierre, called for a message of love - "nothing else, please".

Nicolas Sarkozy, 70, was due to arrive at 10:00 (08:00 GMT) at the infamous 19th-Century prison in the Montparnasse district south of the River Seine. He continues to protest his innocence in the highly controversial Libyan money affair.

Sarkozy has said he wants no special treatment at the notorious La Santé prison, although he has been put in the isolation section for his own safety as other inmates are notorious drugs dealers or have been convicted for terror offences.

Other than Philippe Pétain, the only other former French head of state to have been jailed was King Louis XVI before his execution in January 1793.

Inside his cell he will have a toilet, shower, desk and small TV. He will be allowed one hour a day for exercise, by himself.

At the end of last week he was received at the Élysée Palace by President Emmanuel Macron, who told reporters on Monday "it was normal that on a human level I should receive one of my predecessors in that context".

In a further measure of official support for the ex-president, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said he would go to visit him in prison as part of his role in ensuring Sarkozy's safety and the proper functioning of the jail.

"I cannot be insensitive to a man's distress," he added.

• Read more: Former French president Sarkozy given five-year sentence after Libya case

Ahead of his arrival at La Santé prison, Sarkozy gave a series of media interviews, telling La Tribune: "I'm not afraid of prison. I'll keep my head held high, including at the prison gates."

Sarkozy has always denied doing anything wrong in a case involving allegations that his 2007 presidential campaign was funded by millions of euros in Libyan cash.

The former centre-right leader was cleared of personally receiving the money but convicted of criminal association with two close aides, Brice Hortefeux and Claude Guéant, to talk to the Libyans about secret campaign financing.

The two men both had talks with Gadaffi's intelligence chief and brother-in-law in 2005, in a meeting arranged by a Franco-Lebanese intermediary called Ziad Tiakeddine, who died in Lebanon shortly before Sarkozy's conviction.

As he lodged an appeal, Sarkozy is still considered innocent but he has been told he must go to jail in view of the "exceptional seriousness of the facts".

Sarkozy said he would take two books with him into prison, a life of Jesus and the Count of Monte Christo, the story of a man wrongly imprisoned who escapes to wreak vengeance on his prosecutors.

US Vice-President JD Vance has arrived in Israel as part of the Trump administration's efforts to strengthen the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

He is expected to push the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to start negotiations on long-term issues for a permanent end to the war with Hamas.

The two special US envoys who helped negotiate the deal, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, also held talks with Netanyahu on Monday.

Their visits come after a flare-up of violence on Sunday that threatened to derail the 12-day-old truce. Israel said a Hamas attack killed two soldiers, triggering Israeli air strikes which killed dozens of Palestinians.

US President Donald Trump insisted on Monday that the ceasefire was still on track but also warned Hamas that it would be "eradicated" if it violated the deal.

Trump is said to have dispatched his deputy and envoys to Israel to keep up the momentum and push for the start of talks on the second critical phase of his 20-point Gaza peace plan.

It would involve setting up an interim government in the Palestinian territory, deploying an international stabilisation force, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, and disarmament of Hamas.

Vance, Witkoff and Kushner are also attempting to ensure the ceasefire deal, which is based on the first phase of the peace plan, does not collapse first.

The New York Times cited US officials as saying they were concerned that Israel's prime minister might "vacate" the deal and resume an all-out assault against Hamas.

Netanyahu told the Israeli parliament on Monday that he would discuss "security challenges" and "political opportunities" with Vance during his visit.

He also said Israeli forces had dropped 153 tonnes of bombs on Gaza in response to what he called a "blatant" breach of the ceasefire by Hamas on Sunday.

"One of our hands holds a weapon, the other hand is stretched out for peace," he said. "You make peace with the strong, not the weak. Today Israel is stronger than ever before."

The Israeli military blamed Hamas for an anti-tank missile attack on Sunday that killed two Israeli soldiers in southern Gaza and then carried out dozens of strikes across the territory which hospitals said killed at least 45 Palestinians.

Afterwards, the Israeli military said it was resuming enforcement of the ceasefire, while Hamas said it remained committed to the agreement.

However, four Palestinians were reportedly killed by Israeli fire east of Gaza City on Monday. The Israeli military said its troops fired towards " terrorists" who crossed the agreed-upon ceasefire line in the Shejaiya area.

Later, Trump told reporters at the White House: "We made a deal with Hamas that they're going to be very good. They're going to behave. They're going to be nice."

"If they're not, we're going to go and we're going to eradicate them, if we have to. They'll be eradicated, and they know that," he added.

Hamas's chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, who is in Cairo, meanwhile insisted that his group and other Palestinian factions were committed to the ceasefire deal and "determined to fully implement it until the end".

"What we heard from the mediators and the US president reassures us that the war in Gaza is over," he told Egypt's Al-Qahera News TV .

Hayya also said Hamas was serious about handing over the bodies of all the deceased hostages still in Gaza despite facing what he described as "extreme difficulty" in its efforts to recover them under rubble because of a lack of specialist equipment.

Overnight, Israeli authorities confirmed that Hamas had handed over the body of another deceased Israeli hostage to the Red Cross in Gaza.

The remains were identified as those of Tal Haimi, 41, who the Israeli military said was killed in Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October, which triggered the war.

That means 13 of the 28 hostages' bodies held in Gaza when the ceasefire took effect on 10 October have so far been returned.

Twenty living Israeli hostages were also released last week in exchange for almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli jails.

There has been anger in Israel that Hamas has not yet returned all the dead hostages, with the Israeli prime minister's office saying that the group "was required to uphold its commitments".

Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to the 7 October 2023 attack, in which Hamas-led gunmen killed about 1,200 people and took 251 others as hostages.

At least 68,216 have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.