Five abuse survivors have written to prime minister Sir Keir Starmer to say they will only continue working with the grooming gang inquiry if Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips keeps her job.
It comes after four different members of the survivors panel quit the inquiry and said they would only rejoin it if Phillips resigned.
The survivors panel, thought to include about 16 women, is playing a central role in setting up the national inquiry into grooming gangs.
But they are at odds over whether it should be expanded to cover other types of child sexual exploitation - and whether they can trust Phillips to lead the process of setting it up. The prime minister has repeatedly backed the minister.
The second group of survivors, headed by Samantha Walker-Roberts, has written to Sir Keir and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood with a list of seven conditions for their continued support.
"Jess Phillips has remained impartial to the process, only listening to feedback [and] we want her to remain in position for the duration of the process for consistency," they wrote.
"Her previous experience and drive to reduce VAWG [violence against women and girls] and her clear passion and commitment is important to us."
They praised Phillips, who they said had "devoted her life to hearing and amplifying the voices of women and girls who would otherwise have been unheard" and had helped some of them access support.
Earlier today, the first group called on Phillips to quit in order to restore trust in the inquiry, accusing her of "betrayal" for describing reports the scope of the inquiry could be widened as "untrue".
Headed up by Fiona Goddard, the group of four said they would only re-join it if the minister went, because they had "raised legitimate concerns around the inquiry's direction" but "in response, your safeguarding minister, Jess Phillips called our accounts untrue".
Another survivor, known as Carly, from Huddersfield, told the BBC she wanted to remain part of the inquiry, but she also believes Phillips should go, because "she can't lie about what we all know" around the question of whether to widen the inquiry's scope.
There is disagreement among survivors on whether the focus should be widened, which the BBC understands can be tracked back to an email sent to the panel by NWG, the charity tasked with organising it on behalf of the government.
This email asked survivors if they wanted to keep the the inquiry focused on grooming gangs or if they would like it to be widened out.
Ms Walker-Roberts' group of survivors stressed that this request had not come from Phillips.
"When asked directly in the feedback session, Jess was clear that the focus would be on grooming gangs," they wrote.
"However survivors in the group explained they would be excluded for not fitting the generalised stereotype of what that is and [the inquiry] should focus on CSE (child sexual exploitation]."
On how to reconcile the differences between the two groups of survivors, they suggested "the panel should be smaller" and there should be "no re-entry to the panel after you have forfeited your position".
Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to read top political analysis, gain insight from across the UK and stay up to speed with the big moments. It'll be delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Ghetts pictured at the Ivor Novello Awards earlier this year
The rapper Ghetts has been charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving after a fatal crash in north-east London.
The musician, whose real name is Justin Clarke-Samuel, allegedly failed to stop after hitting a 20-year-old man in Redbridge Lane East, Ilford, on Saturday, 18 October, the Met Police said.
Mr Clarke-Samuel, 41, appeared at Stratford Magistrates' Court on Monday, the same day the man died in hospital. The indictment is expected to change from causing serious injury to causing death by dangerous driving at the next hearing.
The rapper, from Woodford Green, was remanded into custody and is due to appear at Barkingside Magistrates' Court on Monday, 27 October.
Mobo Pioneer Award
Police are appealing for witnesses to the crash to come forward.
Ghetts is a Mercury Prize-nominated grime MC, rapper and songwriter who has had high-profile musical collaborations with major acts including Stormzy, Ed Sheeran and Skepta.
Five abuse survivors have written to prime minister Sir Keir Starmer to say they will only continue working with the grooming gang inquiry if Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips keeps her job.
It comes after four different members of the survivors panel quit the inquiry and said they would only rejoin it if Phillips resigned.
The survivors panel, thought to include about 16 women, is playing a central role in setting up the national inquiry into grooming gangs.
But they are at odds over whether it should be expanded to cover other types of child sexual exploitation - and whether they can trust Phillips to lead the process of setting it up. The prime minister has repeatedly backed the minister.
The second group of survivors, headed by Samantha Walker-Roberts, has written to Sir Keir and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood with a list of seven conditions for their continued support.
"Jess Phillips has remained impartial to the process, only listening to feedback [and] we want her to remain in position for the duration of the process for consistency," they wrote.
"Her previous experience and drive to reduce VAWG [violence against women and girls] and her clear passion and commitment is important to us."
They praised Phillips, who they said had "devoted her life to hearing and amplifying the voices of women and girls who would otherwise have been unheard" and had helped some of them access support.
Earlier today, the first group called on Phillips to quit in order to restore trust in the inquiry, accusing her of "betrayal" for describing reports the scope of the inquiry could be widened as "untrue".
Headed up by Fiona Goddard, the group of four said they would only re-join it if the minister went, because they had "raised legitimate concerns around the inquiry's direction" but "in response, your safeguarding minister, Jess Phillips called our accounts untrue".
Another survivor, known as Carly, from Huddersfield, told the BBC she wanted to remain part of the inquiry, but she also believes Phillips should go, because "she can't lie about what we all know" around the question of whether to widen the inquiry's scope.
There is disagreement among survivors on whether the focus should be widened, which the BBC understands can be tracked back to an email sent to the panel by NWG, the charity tasked with organising it on behalf of the government.
This email asked survivors if they wanted to keep the the inquiry focused on grooming gangs or if they would like it to be widened out.
Ms Walker-Roberts' group of survivors stressed that this request had not come from Phillips.
"When asked directly in the feedback session, Jess was clear that the focus would be on grooming gangs," they wrote.
"However survivors in the group explained they would be excluded for not fitting the generalised stereotype of what that is and [the inquiry] should focus on CSE (child sexual exploitation]."
On how to reconcile the differences between the two groups of survivors, they suggested "the panel should be smaller" and there should be "no re-entry to the panel after you have forfeited your position".
Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to read top political analysis, gain insight from across the UK and stay up to speed with the big moments. It'll be delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
'A hugely symbolic moment': Watch Pope and King Charles pray together
King Charles and Pope Leo made history in the Sistine Chapel by praying side by side - a first for the leaders of the Church of England and Catholic Church.
Under the scrutinising eyes of Michelangelo's Last Judgment, when Pope Leo said "let us pray", it meant everyone, including the King, closing a gap that stretched back to the Reformation in the 16th century.
With music and prayers about nature that would bridge any theological divide, the service offered the King and Queen some calm amid scrutiny over Prince Andrew during their Vatican visit.
But despite the significance of the state visit, there was no escaping the media - with questions about Andrew's links to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that show no sign of abating.
Reuters
Queen Camilla joined the visit with King Charles
Even here, as he met the Pope inside the Vatican, the King commented that the cameras were a "constant hazard".
Rather laconically the Pope said: "You get used to it", as he too has faced a rapid lesson in the unrelenting attention that comes with such a high-profile role, although it still seems a surprise to hear a Pope speaking in such relaxed American tones.
There might be irritation at the media during such moments, but without the press such state visits wouldn't really exist.
It's all about big images for the media to capture, because no members of the public are allowed past the security barriers to watch.
It's the intruding lenses of the cameras and the words rushed out for news websites that give such moments shape and impact. Otherwise they could do a state visit on Zoom.
PA Media
The Sistine Chapel is surrounded by Renaissance masterpieces
There were many such elegantly choreographed moments in this whistle-stop visit to the Vatican, a city state where every corner could be a postcard, creaking under the weight of its own history and architectural splendour.
In the Sistine Chapel the Catholic and Anglican choirs literally sang from the same hymn sheet. The images of harmony and unity were there in abundance. Once hostile churches were now the closest friends.
Surrounded by Renaissance masterpieces, this was a meeting in one of the great cradles of Western civilisation. A lover of art, music and religion, this must have been a big occasion for King Charles.
But actually later in the day there seemed to be a more intense moment, something that gave the King and Queen a chance to pause for more private prayer and reflection.
At the church of St Paul Outside the Walls they walked down some steps to the tomb of St Paul, one of Christ's apostles. It was like walking down to the roots of Christianity. They waited there a moment and there were some prayers recited.
The King and Queen, who had switched to a white outfit after wearing black to meet the Pope, walked back up the main body of the church, where another congregation were waiting. Maybe they could have done with a few more minutes in such a simple and sacred place.
But they returned to the huge and gorgeously embellished basilica above. Even by the epic standards of churches in Rome, this was remarkably massive, with choirs once again to fill the operatically high ceilings.
Reuters
There were many elegantly choreographed moments in the visit
The symbolic point of coming here was that before the Reformation this was a church associated with the English monarchy. It was joining up the historical dots.
As the day ended, the King and Queen and Vatican will have seen this visit as fulfilling its historic purpose, binding the Catholic and Anglican churches together at the top in a knot of friendship, as they often already can be at the grassroots.
There were exchanges of gifts, including an icon given to Pope Leo, reflecting the King's fascination with the Orthodox Church and its images.
There were also knighthoods exchanged between King Charles and Pope Leo, but at the moment there might be a question about the value of honours.
For Buckingham Palace, it will have been the completion of a state visit that had previously been postponed by the ill-health of Pope Francis. And it might have been a welcome pause from the growing pressure for answers about Prince Andrew.
Maybe the message was about reconciliation, even if it takes centuries. In the Sistine Chapel there was a serene moment with the singing of a piece by the English Catholic composer Thomas Tallis.
He lived in south London during the some of the vicious and violent religious conflicts of the 16th Century, making his music against this troubled background.
Five centuries later, his music was being played for a King and a Pope, who were no longer fighting but were on same side.
Changpeng Zhao, founder of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange Binance, has been pardoned by US President Donald Trump.
Mr Zhao, also known as "CZ", was sentenced to four months in prison in April 2024 after pleading guilty to violating US money laundering laws.
Binance was ordered to pay $4.3bn (£3.4bn) after a US investigation found it helped users bypass sanctions.
A White House official confirmed to the BBC Mr Zhao has been pardoned, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Binance has been approached for comment.
The exchange, which is registered in the Cayman Islands, remains the world's most popular platform for buying and selling cryptocurrencies and other digital assets.
According to the WSJ, the company has spent nearly a year pursuing a pardon for its former boss, who completed his four month prison sentence in September 2024.
The move comes amid the Trump administration's adoption of a more friendly stance towards cryptocurrency.
The President has vowed to make the US the "crypto capital" of the world and made his own mark in the digital currency landscape by releasing his own coin shortly ahead of his inauguration in January.
Since then, he has sought to establish a national cryptocurrency reserve and pushed for making it easier for Americans to use retirement savings to invest in them.
Is Trump allowed to demolish part of the White House to build a ballroom?
US President Donald Trump plans to knock down the entire "existing structure" of the White House East Wing to construct a new ballroom - despite previous assurances that the addition would "not interfere with the current building".
The sight of demolitions has sparked an uproar from Democrats as well as conservation groups, including the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which wrote a letter calling on Trump to hold a public review process.
As a former property developer, Trump has extensive experience of navigating planning restrictions, and has occasionally found himself on a collision course with campaigners objecting to his plans.
Under a nearly-60-year-old law, the White House and several other notable buildings are exempt from a key historic preservation rule - though one expert told the BBC that presidents typically follow it anyway.
Trump's renovation appears to be the biggest in decades, but the president of the US does have the power to make those changes.
And he is not the first to reconstruct the White House. Over the years, a host of presidents have made renovations, from a bowling alley to an indoor swimming pool.
Under a law known as National Historic Preservation Act, federal agencies are required to examine the impact of any construction projects on historic properties. Specifically, Section 106 requires the agencies to undergo a review process, including getting input from the public.
Then-President Lyndon B Johnson signed the law in 1966, after a period of rapid development in the US - including through federally-funded infrastructure projects - as concerns grew that cultural and historical landmarks were being destroyed.
Why is the White House exempt?
According to Section 107 of the act, three buildings and their grounds are exempt from the Section 106 review process: the White House, the US Capitol and the US Supreme Court building.
In the past, however, typically presidents have voluntarily submitted their plans to the National Capital Planning Commission - which oversees federal building construction - before the construction project begins.
Trump officials have not yet done so, but say they plan to, though the renovation has already begun.
What's the precedent?
Priya Jain, the chair of a heritage preservation committee at the Society of Architectural Historians, told the BBC that the process laid out by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 was well established and would have been the "best practice" for Trump's East Wing renovation.
These reviews - which can take years - involves discussions about programmatic requirements and potential alternatives.
"In this case, it would have been: do we need such a big ballroom? Should it be smaller?" said Jain, a professor of architecture at Texas A&M University. "Could it be an extension of the East Wing? Could it have been submerged?"
At stake, she said, is the "history" that the building contains. All the additions to the White House over time have added to how the public understands the building and the country at that point in time, she said.
"It's the memory," she said. "The East Wing is 83 years old. It has assumed a historical importance of its own. I haven't seen much out there about how that was assessed."
The fatal shootings of 13 people by the army on Bloody Sunday was one of the most consequential days of the Troubles
The case of R v Soldier F was one of the most controversial, significant and high-profile trials over killings from the conflict in Northern Ireland.
The fatal shootings of 13 people by the Army on Bloody Sunday was one of the most consequential days during 30 years of violence known as the Troubles.
Mr Justice Lynch's remarks about what happened on that January afternoon were scathing.
He said troops had "lost all sense of military discipline", as they shot unarmed civilians "in the back…as they were fleeing from them, on the streets of a British city".
Furthermore, the judge said he had no doubt "the soldiers who opened fire did so with the intention to kill" – and they "did not act in lawful self-defence".
Soldiers G and H 'serially untruthful'
However, he explained that the burden of proof in criminal cases lay with the prosecution – they had to prove who fired the shots.
Therefore, the whole case rested on the evidence which came from two statements given by two other former soldiers – G and H – to the initial investigations in 1972.
The statements, which were read to the court, were the only pieces of evidence which specifically said that Soldier F had fired his rifle.
The judge said that Soldiers G and H had been found to be "serially untruthful" in their accounts of Bloody Sunday – and therefore, their statements could not be used to prove the case against Soldier F.
Bereaved families who had pushed for a prosecution feel vindicated, to a degree, by the judge's remarks about the Parachute Regiment's actions on Bloody Sunday.
Representatives of veterans are welcoming the acquittal – and re-emphasising that paramilitaries killed 90% of the people who died during the Troubles.
Political reactions in Northern Ireland are predictably divisive.
Irish nationalist politicians are expressing disappointment at the verdict, and say there should have been a fuller investigation into Bloody Sunday at an earlier stage.
Unionists are arguing the outcome raises questions about whether Soldier F should ever have been prosecuted.
The Westminster government has given a more nuanced reaction – saying it is "committed to finding a way forward that acknowledges the past, whilst supporting those who served their country during an incredibly difficult period in Northern Ireland's history".
The issue of how killings from the Troubles should be investigated is one of the most complex in Northern Ireland – and the prosecution of former members of the security forces is one of the most controversial elements of that debate.
A Metropolitan Police officer has been sacked for gross misconduct after appearing in an undercover report by BBC Panorama.
Three allegations were upheld against PC Philip Neilson, including making "highly racist and discriminatory remarks" about different ethnic groups.
Mr Neilson is the first of 10 officers to face a hearing as part of the Met's accelerated misconduct proceedings over footage recorded during the Panorama investigation.
In it, he used derogatory and violent language about suspects who belong to ethnic and religious minorities while serving as a constable in the Central West Command Unit.
Mr Neilson was also accused of "glorifying what he was describing as inappropriate use of force on a restrained detainee" and for suggesting unlawful violence against migrants who broke the law. Chair of the panel, Cmdr Jason Prins, found all the allegations proven.
The hearing, in south-west London on Thursday, was told that he did not dispute the words he said but argued they only amounted to just misconduct.
Giving evidence, Mr Neilson said he had been a police officer for four years and denied he was a racist.
He said he believed the undercover reporter "breached his humans rights" and it was the reporter who "kept bringing up these conversations" and "egging me on".
Mr Neilson said he had eight or nine pints of Guinness while at the pub when he made some of the comments and said he was not a "drinker".
He said he did not discriminate against anyone and footage from his body worn camera would show "no matter the ethnicity I did everything with the utmost respect".
Cmdr Prins ruled that Mr Neilson's comments caused "significant harm" to the reputation of Metropolitan Police and wider public confidence in the police and amounted to gross misconduct, describing the conduct of the officer as an "utter disgrace".
"He alone was responsible for the comments and it was or must have been obvious to him his comments were abhorrent," Cmdr Prins added.
Soldier F was found not guilty of murdering James Wray (left) and William McKinney
A former member of the Parachute Regiment has been found not guilty of murder and attempted murder in Londonderry on Bloody Sunday in 1972.
Thirteen people were shot dead and at least 15 others injured on Bloody Sunday in January 1972 at a civil rights demonstration in the Bogside area of Derry.
Soldier F, whose anonymity is protected by a court order, faced charges of murdering James Wray, 22, and William McKinney, 26, as well as five charges of attempted murder.
The judge said members of the Parachute Regiment had shot unarmed civilians as they ran away, but the evidence against Soldier F had fallen well short of what is required for conviction.
Judge Patrick Lynch told Belfast Crown Court that the members of the Parachute Regiment who had entered Glenfada Park North on Bloody Sunday had "totally lost all sense of military discipline".
They had, the judge said, shot "unarmed civilians fleeing from them on the streets of a British city.
"Those responsible should hang their heads in shame," he said.
PA Media
Mickey McKinney said the families left the court house with a "sense of pride of our achievements"
Speaking outside court William McKinney's brother Mickey said the verdicts marked the "end of prosecution of Soldier F for murder and attempted murder of the innocents on Bloody Sunday".
"The families and wounded and their supporters leave this courthouse with an incredible sense of pride of our achievements," he said.
Liam Wray, whose brother was shot dead on Bloody Sunday, says it's an emotional day for him and his family after the acquittal
Liam Wray, brother of Jim Wray, welcomed the judge's criticism of the soldiers on Bloody Sunday, adding it was a "tough, sad and emotional" day for the family.
He said that justice had not been achieved, but that he "appreciated the difficulties the judge faced in the case".
"I hope this brings this process to an end," said Veterans Commissioner David Johnstone
Northern Ireland's veterans' commissioner David Johnstone said the trial had brought into focus the "deep pain" events of 50 years ago still cause.
He said the Bloody Sunday families and all families who lost relatives in the Troubles, "continue to experience pain" adding "we should not forget that today."
'Deeply disappointing'
First Minister Michelle O'Neill said it was "deeply disappointing" that the Bloody Sunday families faced a "continued denial of justice".
"For more than five decades, they have campaigned with dignity and resilience for justice for their loved ones, their deeply cherished sons and fathers, uncles and brothers," the Sinn Féin deputy leader said.
She added: "I extend my full solidarity to the families and to the wider community of Derry who will be hurting today."
PA Media
The Foyle MP Colum Eastwood said it is a 'difficult day' for the families
Foyle Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) MP Colum Eastwood said it was a "difficult day" for the Bloody Sunday families, but said they could "hold their heads up high".
"These were innocent people, no weapons, just on a civil rights march, mowed down by the parachute regiment of the British army. That's what happened and that's absolutely clear," he said.
Eastwood added: "Everybody now knows what happened on Bloody Sunday. Everybody knows the victims were innocent and everybody knows where the guilt actually lies."
'Common sense judgement'
Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Gavin Robinson said he welcomed the "common sense judgement".
Robinson said the trial had been a "a painful and protracted process".
"There needs to be a better way of dealing with the legacy of the past and to ensure no rewriting of it," he said.
Doug Beattie of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) said questions should be asked as to how the case had gone to trail when "the evidence was so clearly flawed".
"Yet again, those who work in our justice system must answer questions… they would have known, without a doubt, that the evidence was unsafe and could not be relied on in court," Beattie said.
Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) MP Jim Allister said Soldier F's acquittal was "most welcome", but that it also "raises the fundamental question of why this veteran was put through the ordeal of the last few years".
'Complex legacy of the Troubles'
The British government said it noted Thursday's judgement, adding the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had "provided legal and welfare support throughout".
"This case is part of the complex legacy of the Troubles, which affected so many families and communities.
"We are committed to finding a way forward that acknowledges the past, whilst supporting those who served their country during an incredibly difficult period in Northern Ireland's history," a government spokesperson said.
A public inquiry, which concluded in 2010, found that none of the people who were killed posed any threat to the Army.
Who is Soldier F?
Soldier F is the only military veteran who has been prosecuted over the shootings.
The five charges of attempted murder related to two teenagers at the time 16-year-old Joe Mahon and 17-year-old Michael Quinn as well as Joseph Friel, who was 20, and Patrick O'Donnell, 41, and an unknown person.
The case was heard by a judge sitting without a jury at Belfast Crown.
The trial began on 15 September and lasted five weeks.
To protect his identity, Soldier F was screened from public view and his name not disclosed, as a result of a court order.
The decision to charge Soldier F was taken by the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) in 2019.
He was one of 18 former soldiers reported to the PPS as a result of a police investigation, which followed the public inquiry into Bloody Sunday conducted by Lord Saville.
But he was the only one charged.
Two years later, the PPS dropped the case after the collapse of the trial of two other veterans who had been accused of a 1972 murder in Belfast.
Five abuse survivors have written to prime minister Sir Keir Starmer to say they will only continue working with the grooming gang inquiry if Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips keeps her job.
It comes after four different members of the survivors panel quit the inquiry and said they would only rejoin it if Phillips resigned.
The survivors panel, thought to include about 16 women, is playing a central role in setting up the national inquiry into grooming gangs.
But they are at odds over whether it should be expanded to cover other types of child sexual exploitation - and whether they can trust Phillips to lead the process of setting it up. The prime minister has repeatedly backed the minister.
The second group of survivors, headed by Samantha Walker-Roberts, has written to Sir Keir and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood with a list of seven conditions for their continued support.
"Jess Phillips has remained impartial to the process, only listening to feedback [and] we want her to remain in position for the duration of the process for consistency," they wrote.
"Her previous experience and drive to reduce VAWG [violence against women and girls] and her clear passion and commitment is important to us."
They praised Phillips, who they said had "devoted her life to hearing and amplifying the voices of women and girls who would otherwise have been unheard" and had helped some of them access support.
Earlier today, the first group called on Phillips to quit in order to restore trust in the inquiry, accusing her of "betrayal" for describing reports the scope of the inquiry could be widened as "untrue".
Headed up by Fiona Goddard, the group of four said they would only re-join it if the minister went, because they had "raised legitimate concerns around the inquiry's direction" but "in response, your safeguarding minister, Jess Phillips called our accounts untrue".
Another survivor, known as Carly, from Huddersfield, told the BBC she wanted to remain part of the inquiry, but she also believes Phillips should go, because "she can't lie about what we all know" around the question of whether to widen the inquiry's scope.
There is disagreement among survivors on whether the focus should be widened, which the BBC understands can be tracked back to an email sent to the panel by NWG, the charity tasked with organising it on behalf of the government.
This email asked survivors if they wanted to keep the the inquiry focused on grooming gangs or if they would like it to be widened out.
Ms Walker-Roberts' group of survivors stressed that this request had not come from Phillips.
"When asked directly in the feedback session, Jess was clear that the focus would be on grooming gangs," they wrote.
"However survivors in the group explained they would be excluded for not fitting the generalised stereotype of what that is and [the inquiry] should focus on CSE (child sexual exploitation]."
On how to reconcile the differences between the two groups of survivors, they suggested "the panel should be smaller" and there should be "no re-entry to the panel after you have forfeited your position".
Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to read top political analysis, gain insight from across the UK and stay up to speed with the big moments. It'll be delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
The Israeli military is exerting control over more of Gaza than expected from the ceasefire deal with Hamas, a BBC Verify analysis has found.
Under the first stage of the deal, Israel agreed to retreat to a boundary running along the north, south and east of Gaza. The divide was marked by a yellow line on maps released by the military and has become known as the "Yellow Line".
But new videos and satellite images show that markers placed by Israeli troops in two areas to mark the divide have been positioned hundreds of metres deeper inside the strip than the expected withdrawal line.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz - who instructed troops to place the yellow blocks as markers - warned that anyone crossing the line "will be met with fire". There have already been two deadly incidents near the boundary line.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not address the allegations when approached by BBC Verify, stating simply that: "IDF troops under the Southern Command have begun marking the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip to establish tactical clarity on the ground."
There has been a consistent lack of clarity as to where exactly the boundary will be imposed, with three separate maps posted by the White House, Donald Trump and the Israeli military in the run up to the ceasefire agreement which came into force on 10 October.
On 14 October the IDF issued the latest version marking the Yellow Line on their online map, which is used to communicate its position to people in Gaza.
But in the north, near the al-Atatra neighbourhood, drone footage from the IDF showed that a line of six yellow blocks were up to 520m further inside the Strip than would have been expected from the IDF maps.
Footage geolocated by BBC Verify showed workers using bulldozers and diggers to move the heavy yellow blocks and place them along the coastal al-Rashid road.
A similar situation was visible in southern Gaza, where a satellite image taken on 19 October showed 10 markers erected near the city of Khan Younis. The line of blocks ranges between 180m-290m inside the Yellow Line set out by the IDF.
If these two sections of boundary were typical of how the markers were being placed along the entirety of the line then Israel would be exerting control over a notably larger area than expected from the ceasefire agreement.
Multiple analysts who spoke to BBC Verify suggested that the blocks were intended to create a "buffer zone" between Palestinians and IDF personnel. One expert said the move would be consistent with a long-term "strategic culture" which seeks to insulate Israel from nearby territories it does not fully control.
"This gives the IDF space to manoeuvre and create a 'kill zone' against potential targets," Dr Andreas Krieg, associate professor at King's College London, said.
"Potential targets can be engaged before they reach the IDF perimeter. It is a bit like no man's land that does not belong to anyone – and Israel tends to take that territory from the opponent's chunk not its own."
Three experts who spoke to BBC Verify suggested that the disparity between the markers and the IDF map was an intentional design to warn civilians they are "approaching an area of increased risk".
Noam Ostfeld, an analyst with the risk consultancy Sibylline, said that some blocks "seem to be positioned near roads or walls, making them easier to spot".
But a post to X by the Israeli defense minister seemed to suggest that the yellow blocks marked the actual line, warning that "any violation or attempt to cross the line will be met with fire".
There is already confusion among Gazans over areas where it is safe to go.
Abdel Qader Ayman Bakr, who lives near the temporary boundary in the eastern part of Gaza City's Shejaiya district, told the BBC that, despite promises from Israel of clear markings, he had seen none put in place.
"Each day, we can see Israeli military vehicles and soldiers at a relatively close distance, yet we have no way of knowing whether we are in what is considered a 'safe zone' or 'an active danger zone'," he said.
"We are constantly exposed to danger, especially since we are forced to remain here because this is where our home once stood."
Since the ceasefire came into effect, the IDF has reported a number of instances of people crossing the Yellow Line. On all occasions the IDF said it fired upon those involved.
BBC Verify has obtained and geolocated footage showing the aftermath of one incident on 17 October, which the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency said killed 11 civilians - including women and children all reportedly from the same family. The agency said the Palestinians' vehicle was targeted by Israel after crossing the Yellow Line east of Gaza City in the Zeitoun neighbourhood.
The footage showed rescue workers inspecting the burnt out remnants of a vehicle and covering a nearby badly-mangled body of a child with a white sheet. BBC Verify geolocated the video to a spot around 125m over the Yellow Line marked on maps by the IDF.
The IDF said warning shots were fired towards a "suspicious vehicle" that had crossed the line. The statement added when the vehicle failed to stop troops opened fire "to remove the threat".
Israel Defense Forces (IDF)
Meanwhile, the legal status of the boundary has also been questioned.
"Israel's obligations under the law of armed conflict do not cease even for those breaching the Yellow Line," said Dr Lawrence Hill-Cawthorne, professor of Public International Law at the University of Bristol.
"It can only target enemy fighters or those directly participating in hostilities, and in so doing it must not cause excessive civilian harm."
In a statement, an Israeli military spokesperson said: "IDF troops under the Southern Command continue to operate to remove any threat to the troops and to defend the civilians of the State of Israel."
They added that that the concrete blocks are "being placed every 200 metres".
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 68,280 have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
Additional reporting by Erwan Rivault, Lamees Altalebi and Maha El Gaml
Sputnik/Alexander Kazakov/Pool via Reuters and Reuters
One week ago I had the distinct feeling it was Groundhog Day, or as the Russians call it, Dyen Surka.
Amid US threats to pressure Moscow - by supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine - Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump held a telephone call. The result: the announcement of a US-Russia summit in Budapest.
Last August, amid threats of additional US sanctions against Russia, Putin met Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff. The result: the announcement of a US-Russia summit in Alaska.
Déjà vu.
But Groundhog Day seems to be over.
The Alaska meeting went ahead, with minimal preparation and little result.
But the Budapest summit is off. It barely had time to be "on", to be fair. Now President Trump has cancelled it.
"It didn't feel like we were going to get to the place we have to get," the US president told reporters.
And that's not all.
Previously, Trump had not followed through on threats of more pressure on Russia, preferring carrots to sticks in his dealings with the Kremlin.
For the moment he has put his carrots away.
Instead he's imposed sanctions on two major Russian oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil.
That's unlikely to force a U-turn on the war from President Putin. But it's a sign of Trump's frustration with the Kremlin's unwillingness to make any compromise or concessions to end the fighting in Ukraine.
"The USA is our enemy and their talkative 'peacemaker' has now fully set on the path to war with Russia," wrote former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on social media. "The decisions that have been taken are an act of war against Russia."
Thursday morning's edition of the tabloid Moskovsky Komsomolets was slightly less dramatic, but obviously unflattering. The paper criticised "the capriciousness and fickleness of [Russia's] main negotiating partner."
So what's changed?
Instead of rushing off to summit no.2, as he had done for summit no.1, this time around President Trump was slightly more cautious.
He had asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to lay the groundwork for the summit with the Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov; to make sure there was a point in decamping to Budapest.
It soon became clear that there wasn't, and that a new summit now was unlikely to produce a breakthrough.
Russia is fiercely opposed to Donald Trump's idea of freezing the current battle lines in Ukraine.
The Kremlin is determined to take control, at the very least, of the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. It has seized and occupied much of it.
But President Volodymyr Zelensky is refusing to cede to Russia those parts of the Donbas that Ukraine still controls.
Reuters
Members of Russia's National Guard patrol Red Square near St. Basil's Cathedral in central Moscow on 23 October
Moscow would have welcomed a second US-Russia summit.
The first, in Alaska, was a diplomatic and political coup for the Kremlin. The red-carpet welcome in Anchorage for President Putin symbolised Russia's return to the international stage and the West's failure to isolate Moscow.
Over the last week Russian state media have been savouring the idea of a summit with President Trump in Europe, but without the European Union at the table. Russian commentators portrayed the proposed meeting in Budapest as a slap in the face for Brussels.
At the same time, few here seemed to believe that, even if it went ahead, the Budapest summit would produce the kind of result Moscow wanted.
Some Russian newspapers have been calling for the Russian army to continue fighting.
"There isn't a single reason Moscow should agree to a ceasefire," declared Moskovsky Komsomolets yesterday.
That doesn't mean the Kremlin doesn't want peace.
It does. But only on its terms. And right now those are unacceptable to Kyiv and, it would appear, to Washington.
Those terms involve more than just territory. Moscow is demanding that what it calls the "root causes" of the Ukraine war be addressed: an all-encompassing phrase with which Russia broaden its demands to include a halt to Nato enlargement eastwards.
Moscow is also widely believed to retain the goal of forcing Ukraine back into Russia's orbit.
Is Donald Trump ready to increase the pressure on Russia even more?
Possibly.
But it's also possible we may wake up one morning and find ourselves back in Groundhog Day.
"In the game of Trump tug-of-war, Russia is leading again," wrote Moskovsky Komsomolets after the Budapest summit had been announced.
"In the couple of weeks before the meeting in Budapest, Trump will be pulled in the opposite direction by telephone calls and visits from Europe. Then Putin will pull him back to our side again."
Thames Water has been given a one star rating for its poor environmental performance by the Environment Agency (EA) in 2024, as part of a scathing assessment of England's water companies.
All but one of the nine English water and sewerage companies were rated as "requiring improvement" - or worse - by the EA, in a year where serious pollution rose by 60% versus 2023.
It is their worst combined score since the assessment process began in 2011.
Industry body Water UK acknowledged that "the performance of some companies is not good enough" but said there were some signs of improvement.
A Thames Water spokesperson said: "Transforming Thames is a major programme of work that will take time; it will take at least a decade to achieve the scale of change required."
The chair of the EA, Alan Lovell, wrote: "Many companies tell us how focussed they are on environmental improvement. But the results are not visible in the data."
The collective rating for 2024 was 19 stars - down from 25 stars in 2023. No year had previously got fewer than 22 stars.
Only Severn Trent got the top rating of four stars. All others got two stars, except Thames - the UK's largest water company - which got one.
The EA says its assessment criteria has been tightened over time, so its ratings do "not mean performance has declined since 2011".
The EA attributed last year's poor performance to three factors – wet and stormy weather, long-standing underinvestment in infrastructure, and increased monitoring and inspection "bringing more failings to light".
Dave Ball (left) formed Soft Cell with Marc Almond in Leeds in 1977
Dave Ball, one half of the pioneering 1980s synth-pop band Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.
Alongside singer Marc Almond, the duo scored a worldwide hit with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a classic of electronic music.
He later formed the pioneering techno group The Grid, who achieved chart success with 1994's Swamp Thing.
Ball died peacefully in his sleep at his home in London, just weeks after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.
During that show, Ball performed in a wheelchair, as he had for the last two years, following a spate of ill-health.
"I managed to damage myself quite a bit," he told the Yorkshire Post in 2023. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my spine and cracked about five ribs and broke my wrist".
After catching pneumonia and developing sepsis, he was placed in an induced coma and remained in hospital for seven months.
However, he had been in "a great place emotionally" over the summer, as he worked on a new album with Almond, called Danceteria, which is scheduled for release next year.
"He was focused and so happy with the new album that we literally completed only a few days ago," said the singer in a tribute.
"It's so sad as 2026 was all set to be such an uplifting year for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he heard the finished record and felt that it was a great piece of work."
The band were at the forefront of the synth-pop movement in the early 1980s
Almond described his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", adding: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.
"Thank you Dave for being an immense part of my life and for the music you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without you."
Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "unwavering friendship".
"Being in a duo with someone is different from being in a band, the bond is very tight," he added.
"That's how it was with us. We went through so many remarkable, extraordinary, life-affirming experiences together. Thank you, Dave."
Dave Ball, pictured at BBC Radio 2 in 2018
Born into a single-parent household in Chester in 1959, Ball was given up for adoption when he was 18 months old.
He grew up in Blackpool with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his first name from Paul to David, alongside his younger sister Susan, who was also adopted.
He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both studying art. Fuelled by a shared love of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and quickly recorded an EP.
The duo were an unusual pairing: Ball was the quiet technician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant showman, all glitter and eye-liner; but they achieved a rare musical alchemy.
Ball had developed a fascination with synthesizers after watching Kraftwerk appear on BBC science show Tomorrow's World, and began to marry dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.
Tainted Love became the UK's biggest-selling single of 1981, shifting 21 million copies worldwide. Alongside hits by Gary Numan and Ultravox, it helped paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.
The song was also included on their full-length debut, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two further top five singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.
They followed the album up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which peaked at number two in 1982.
Getty Images
The duo were working on new material right up until Ball's death
Fame had its upsides. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having money and travelling, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball recently told Classic Pop Magazine.
But it also presented problems. "Newfound wealth meant we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the boredom" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball said.
"I know that's a cliché, but it's a cliché for a good reason, because it works for so many bands."
Amidst the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also drifting apart, but they managed to create a second classic album - the wayward, tense and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.
They released one more album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to concentrate on other projects.
Almond went on to have a successful solo career, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who mixed acid house with ambient pop over a long-lasting collaboration.
Soft Cell reunited in 2001, producing the Top 40 album Cruelty Without Beauty.
After another hiatus, they reappeared in 2018, releasing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a farewell show at the O2 Arena on 30 September, 2018.
However, they remained together, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.
Ball recently described the band's new album as a tribute to the New York club scene they frequented while recording their first two albums.
He added that his time in hospital had influenced the band's sound.
"I had strange recollections when I was in and out of hospital because I was on morphine," he told Classic Pop.
"The new songs are a digital reflection of the sounds in my head from that time.
"In parallel, it's about the times me and Marc got up to in the 80s."
The final mixes were completed only days before Ball died. It is due for release in Spring 2026.
Strictly Come Dancing presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman are to leave the show.
"We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream. We were always going to leave together and now feels like the right time," the pair wrote in a joint statement on Instagram.
"We will have the greatest rest of this amazing series and we just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and to every single person who works on the show."
Daly has presented since the first series 21 years ago. Winkleman joined in 2014, having hosted Strictly's sister show It Takes Two since 2004.
The duo called the show's crew "the most brilliant team" who they would "miss every day".
"We will cry when we say the last 'keep dancing' but we will continue to say it to each other.
"Just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza," they added.
One of the BBC's highest-rated shows, Strictly Come Dancing launched in 2004. It was originally hosted by Daly and Sir Bruce Forsyth, who stepped down in 2014.
Describing her 21 years on the show, Daly said it was "hard to put into words" what the experience had meant to her.
"Strictly has been more than just a television programme. It's felt like having a third child, a second family, and a huge part of my life since that very first show.
"I knew then it was something special, but I could never have imagined the magic it would bring."
She also paid tribute to "the incomparable Sir Bruce Forsyth".
Winkleman, who also hosts Celebrity Traitors, added: "Strictly is a magical, glittery, fake-tanned train and it's been a privilege to be a tiny part of it.
"It has been my everything, the show I will be eternally grateful for.
"I will never forget Len Goodman trying to teach me what a cucaracha is (I still don't know) and the complete thrill and honour it was to work with Tess on the results show to co-hosting on Saturday nights."
The pair also referenced the off-screen friendship they built up over two decades on screen.
"Tess - I'm so so lucky I got to stand next to you. You're funny, kind, whip smart and a true friend and I love you," Winkleman said.
Daly added: "To my beloved Claud - what an absolute joy and pleasure it has been sharing this adventure with you.
"You're one of a kind, and I'll treasure every giggle, every live show, and every backstage moment we've shared. I'm so grateful to have you as my friend for life."
The Israeli military is exerting control over more of Gaza than expected from the ceasefire deal with Hamas, a BBC Verify analysis has found.
Under the first stage of the deal, Israel agreed to retreat to a boundary running along the north, south and east of Gaza. The divide was marked by a yellow line on maps released by the military and has become known as the "Yellow Line".
But new videos and satellite images show that markers placed by Israeli troops in two areas to mark the divide have been positioned hundreds of metres deeper inside the strip than the expected withdrawal line.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz - who instructed troops to place the yellow blocks as markers - warned that anyone crossing the line "will be met with fire". There have already been two deadly incidents near the boundary line.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not address the allegations when approached by BBC Verify, stating simply that: "IDF troops under the Southern Command have begun marking the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip to establish tactical clarity on the ground."
There has been a consistent lack of clarity as to where exactly the boundary will be imposed, with three separate maps posted by the White House, Donald Trump and the Israeli military in the run up to the ceasefire agreement which came into force on 10 October.
On 14 October the IDF issued the latest version marking the Yellow Line on their online map, which is used to communicate its position to people in Gaza.
But in the north, near the al-Atatra neighbourhood, drone footage from the IDF showed that a line of six yellow blocks were up to 520m further inside the Strip than would have been expected from the IDF maps.
Footage geolocated by BBC Verify showed workers using bulldozers and diggers to move the heavy yellow blocks and place them along the coastal al-Rashid road.
A similar situation was visible in southern Gaza, where a satellite image taken on 19 October showed 10 markers erected near the city of Khan Younis. The line of blocks ranges between 180m-290m inside the Yellow Line set out by the IDF.
If these two sections of boundary were typical of how the markers were being placed along the entirety of the line then Israel would be exerting control over a notably larger area than expected from the ceasefire agreement.
Multiple analysts who spoke to BBC Verify suggested that the blocks were intended to create a "buffer zone" between Palestinians and IDF personnel. One expert said the move would be consistent with a long-term "strategic culture" which seeks to insulate Israel from nearby territories it does not fully control.
"This gives the IDF space to manoeuvre and create a 'kill zone' against potential targets," Dr Andreas Krieg, associate professor at King's College London, said.
"Potential targets can be engaged before they reach the IDF perimeter. It is a bit like no man's land that does not belong to anyone – and Israel tends to take that territory from the opponent's chunk not its own."
Three experts who spoke to BBC Verify suggested that the disparity between the markers and the IDF map was an intentional design to warn civilians they are "approaching an area of increased risk".
Noam Ostfeld, an analyst with the risk consultancy Sibylline, said that some blocks "seem to be positioned near roads or walls, making them easier to spot".
But a post to X by the Israeli defense minister seemed to suggest that the yellow blocks marked the actual line, warning that "any violation or attempt to cross the line will be met with fire".
There is already confusion among Gazans over areas where it is safe to go.
Abdel Qader Ayman Bakr, who lives near the temporary boundary in the eastern part of Gaza City's Shejaiya district, told the BBC that, despite promises from Israel of clear markings, he had seen none put in place.
"Each day, we can see Israeli military vehicles and soldiers at a relatively close distance, yet we have no way of knowing whether we are in what is considered a 'safe zone' or 'an active danger zone'," he said.
"We are constantly exposed to danger, especially since we are forced to remain here because this is where our home once stood."
Since the ceasefire came into effect, the IDF has reported a number of instances of people crossing the Yellow Line. On all occasions the IDF said it fired upon those involved.
BBC Verify has obtained and geolocated footage showing the aftermath of one incident on 17 October, which the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency said killed 11 civilians - including women and children all reportedly from the same family. The agency said the Palestinians' vehicle was targeted by Israel after crossing the Yellow Line east of Gaza City in the Zeitoun neighbourhood.
The footage showed rescue workers inspecting the burnt out remnants of a vehicle and covering a nearby badly-mangled body of a child with a white sheet. BBC Verify geolocated the video to a spot around 125m over the Yellow Line marked on maps by the IDF.
The IDF said warning shots were fired towards a "suspicious vehicle" that had crossed the line. The statement added when the vehicle failed to stop troops opened fire "to remove the threat".
Israel Defense Forces (IDF)
Meanwhile, the legal status of the boundary has also been questioned.
"Israel's obligations under the law of armed conflict do not cease even for those breaching the Yellow Line," said Dr Lawrence Hill-Cawthorne, professor of Public International Law at the University of Bristol.
"It can only target enemy fighters or those directly participating in hostilities, and in so doing it must not cause excessive civilian harm."
In a statement, an Israeli military spokesperson said: "IDF troops under the Southern Command continue to operate to remove any threat to the troops and to defend the civilians of the State of Israel."
They added that that the concrete blocks are "being placed every 200 metres".
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 68,280 have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
Additional reporting by Erwan Rivault, Lamees Altalebi and Maha El Gaml
Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips was accused of "betrayal" by four grooming gang survivors
The government is under increasing pressure to gain control of the grooming gangs inquiry after abuse survivors who quit their roles in the process listed conditions for their return.
Top of the demands - published in a joint letter to the home secretary - was the resignation of Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips, who the four women accuse of "betrayal" citing her response to their concerns about the inquiry's scope.
They said Phillips had lost survivors' trust and that she, as well as the chair candidates, were unfit for their roles. Her exit would mean the government was "serious about accountability", they added.
Home Office sources insist Phillips has the Home Secretary's full support.
The letter came hours after former senior police officer Jim Gamble ruled himself out of chairing the inquiry, saying focus on political "point-scoring" had created a "highly charged and toxic environment".
He was the last significant candidate after Annie Hudson, who has a background in social work, withdrew earlier in the week.
On Wednesday, Jess, which is not her real name, joined Fiona Goddard, Ellie Reynolds and Elizabeth, also not her real name, in standing down from the survivors' panel.
They raised concerns that those being lined up to lead the inquiry had backgrounds in either policing or social work, citing the failures of those services to bring their abusers to justice.
They also said the inquiry was being widened "in ways that downplay the racial and religious motivations behind our abuse".
Phillips has said it is "untrue" the government is seeking to dilute the focus of the inquiry, insisting its scope will be "laser-focused".
In a joint letter to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, posted on X by Ms Reynolds, they criticise Phillips for rejecting their accounts of concerns about the inquiry's direction.
"Being publicly contradicted and dismissed by a government minister when you are a survivor telling the truth takes you right back to that feeling of not being believed all over again. It is a betrayal that has destroyed what little trust remained," they said.
Their letter lists five demands before they would consider returning to the panel.
Among them is keeping the probe focused on grooming gangs and group child exploitation, as Baroness Louise Casey - whose report recommended a statutory inquiry - advised. They also want a senior or former judge to chair the inquiry, and to have a say in their selection.
Watch: PM says grooming gangs inquiry will examine "ethnicity and religion of offenders"
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced in June there would be a national inquiry into grooming gangs covering England and Wales, with a panel of survivors set up to oversee the process. However, a chairperson has yet to be appointed.
Not all the survivors on the oversight panel agree with the four women; many continue to support the government's approach.
The BBC spoke to two of those women.
Samantha Walker-Roberts, from Oldham, wants the scope of the inquiry to include victims of other types of sexual abuse, so they are not "silenced".
She was the victim of a grooming gang when she was 12 - but she was also raped and abused by a man who groomed her online, and as a younger child she was raped and abused by older men who she met through friends.
Ms Walker-Roberts said: "This is a one-of-a-kind type of inquiry where survivors are in control and it's wrong that certain survivors get special treatment to be part of this."
She added she had no problem with a chair who had a background in policing or social work, as this had been "proven" to work with previous reviews.
Another supporter of the inquiry is Carly, from Huddersfield, who said she believes "the most effective way to drive meaningful change is from within" and remains "hopeful" the concerns raised by others "will lead to constructive improvements".
Watch: Abuse survivor Ellie Reynolds says a judge should lead grooming gangs inquiry
Maggie Oliver, a police whistleblower and child protection campaigner, echoed survivors' criticism of Phillips on Wednesday night, but also criticised the government's handling of the inquiry.
She told Newsnight that the prime minister was "dragged kicking and screaming" into announcing the inquiry.
"We shouldn't be fighting a battle with the government," she said. "The inquiry is being led, or has been led, by a government that really doesn't want it to work."
Ms Oliver also raised concerns about transparency and survivor involvement: "We want a judge-led inquiry... I want it to be open and to involve all survivors and victims who want to be involved, not just a cherry-picked selection of a few."
On Wednesday night, the Home Office reiterated its commitment to "a full, statutory, national inquiry to uncover the truth".
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch joined calls for Phillips to be sacked, saying the inquiry is about "Labour failure".
She said: "Labour never wanted this inquiry, we demanded it... It is Labour ministers attacking the victims. We're standing up for them."
Speaking at PMQs on Wednesday, the prime minister defended Phillips, saying she "has probably more experience than any other person in this House in dealing with violence against women and girls".
He said "survivors have been ignored for many years" by the state and he wanted the inquiry to change that, adding "injustice will have no place to hide."
He invited those that have quit the inquiry to re-join, but added that whether they did or not "we owe it to them" to answer their concerns.
"The inquiry is not and will never be watered down. Its scope will not change. It will examine the ethnicity and religion of the offenders and we will find the right person to chair the inquiry," he told MPs.
The prime minister also announced Baroness Casey was being drafted in to support the work of the inquiry.
Baroness Casey previously led a "national audit" of group-based child sexual exploitation that found the ethnicity of people involved in grooming gangs had been "shied away from" by authorities.
Her findings, published in June 2025, prompted Sir Keir to order the creation of the national inquiry.
Polls for the Caerphilly by-election are open from 07:00 BST until 22:00
Voters in Caerphilly are heading to the polls in a by-election to choose a new member of the Senedd.
Polls are open from 07:00 until 22:00 BST, with the result expected early on Friday morning.
The vote is taking place following the death of Labour's Hefin David, who died suddenly on 12 August aged 47 after being Member of the Senedd for Caerphilly since 2016.
There are eight candidates standing, with all the main parties represented.
The by-election will fill the vacancy until May 2026 when a Wales-wide election will decide the shape of the newly expanded Welsh Parliament.
Unlike Westminster elections, 16 and 17-year-olds can vote in this election and ID is not required at polling stations.
There will be full coverage of the result, reaction and analysis across BBC digital, television and radio services.
The full list of candidates for the by-election is:
Youths in a stand-off with British soldiers on Bloody Sunday
Sunday 30 January 1972 was one of the most deadly – and consequential – days during three decades of conflict in Northern Ireland.
In the streets where it happened – the images of Bloody Sunday are painted on the walls and seared in people's minds.
A civil rights march was held on a wintry, sunny afternoon in Londonderry.
The demonstration was a protest against the policy of internment – imprisoning people without trial – which had been put in place following three years of violence.
Fr Edward Daly waved a blood-stained handkerchief as he tried to protect a group carrying a teenager, Jackie Duddy, who had been fatally wounded
Soldiers from the Parachute Regiment shot dead 13 people in the Bogside area – which was, and still is, a strongly Irish nationalist community.
One image became particularly prominent.
Pictures showed a Catholic priest, Fr Edward Daly, waving a blood-stained white handkerchief as he tried to protect a group carrying a teenager, Jackie Duddy, who had been fatally wounded.
News camera operators captured much footage on the day.
The BBC archive features Fr Daly telling a reporter that soldiers "just seemed to fire in all directions" and he was "absolutely certain" that there was no provocation.
Getty Images
Civilians in the Bogside area being marched towards detention by British troops on Bloody Sunday
That version of what happened wasn't accepted by the initial investigation.
The Widgery Tribunal found the Army had been shot at first.
During the peace process, Tony Blair's government set up another inquiry, after campaigning by bereaved relatives, who said Widgery had been a whitewash.
In 2010, the report by Lord Saville said that on balance, the paratroopers had fired first and that none of the victims had posed any threat.
Families of the victims of the Bloody Sunday shootings march from the Bogside area of Londonderry to the Guildhall holding photographs of their relatives to get a preview of the Saville Report in 2010
The police began to investigate.
One former paratrooper, known as Soldier F, was prosecuted for murder.
He was charged over the killings of James Wray, 22, and 26-year-old William McKinney.
Soldier F was also accused of attempting to murder Patrick O'Donnell, Joseph Friel, Joe Mahon, Michael Quinn, and an unknown person.
Family members and supporters of those killed on Bloody Sunday hold a banner and photos of those killed as they walk to Belfast Crown Court on 16 October 2025 for the trial of Soldier F
John Kelly, whose brother Michael was killed, said they always knew that listening to the proceedings would be painful.
"I can see everything in my mind's eye," John said, as we walked around the main locations mentioned in the trial – from Rossville Street, where Michael was shot dead, to the adjoining Glenfada Park, where James Wray and William McKinney were killed.
"It even takes me back to where I was that day.
"I helped to carry Michael and place him in the ambulance.
"I relived every moment during the evidence.
"But even with having to go through all that – it's still worthwhile for me."
James Wray (left) and William McKinney (right) were among those who were killed on Bloody Sunday
Prosecutors had been concerned that key evidence would not be usable in court.
On the first day of the trial, the Northern Ireland veterans' commissioner suggested that prosecutions of military personnel indicated an imbalanced approach to investigations into killings from the years known as the Troubles.
Outside the court gates, David Johnstone told the media: "There are many families of soldiers across Northern Ireland and Great Britain who have never had the truth regarding the loss of their loved one, or the opportunity of justice."
He pointed out that more than 1,000 members of the security forces had been killed during the conflict, adding: "The vast majority of the 300,000 armed forces who served in Northern Ireland did so with restraint, dignity and professionalism."
Getty Images
British soldiers and members of the press are pictured behind water cannon and armoured vehicles as tensions rose during the civil rights march on Bloody Sunday
The trial was held in front of a judge only, as is standard practice in Northern Ireland for cases from the Troubles.
The accounts of other civilians were given through statements, which prosecution barristers read to the court.
Getty Images
Demonstrators running from tear gas during the riots on Bloody Sunday
A number of witnesses told how they tried to escape from intense shooting on Rossville Street by going into Glenfada Park, which is a courtyard.
But they came under fire there too, with several describing how they were shot when running away, and tried to protect themselves by lying still on the ground and pretending to be dead.
However, the only evidence which specifically said that Soldier F fired his rifle in Glenfada Park came in the form of statements from two other paratroopers, known as Soldiers G and H.
The statements were made in 1972 to the initial investigation by the Royal Military Police, and then to the Widgery Inquiry.
They said they fired shots along with Soldier F.
Getty Images
A mural commemorating the victims of the 1972 Bloody Sunday killings in the Bogside area of Londonderry
Soldier G has died, while Soldier H indicated he would not testify in the trial, and would use his legal protection against self-incrimination.
Defence lawyers argued that the key prosecution evidence was "fundamentally inconsistent" and was not backed up by the civilians' accounts.
On that basis, they applied to have the case dismissed.
His lawyer read into the record a statement which the accused gave to police – in which Soldier F said he was "sure" that he "discharged his duties", but he would not be answering questions because he no longer had "any reliable recollection" of events.
Getty Images
John Kelly, whose brother Michael was shot dead on Bloody Sunday, is pictured in the Museum of Free Derry in 2022
Glenfada Park is now the site of the Museum of Free Derry.
On its exterior wall, there is a patch of perspex, which preserves the circular bullet marks from Bloody Sunday.
Inside, James Wray's jacket is on display, its shoulder torn by the shots which killed him.
On a shelf in the same cabinet is a camera which William McKinney was carrying when he was shot dead.
Many historians say the killings inflamed the unrest in Northern Ireland.
After 53 years of grief, controversy and campaigning, the criminal process has ended with no conviction.
A national inquiry into grooming gangs in England and Wales has been thrown into disarray by the resignations of four women from its victim liaison panel.
So, how did we get here, and what's next for this inquiry?
The UK government said it would "co-ordinate a series of targeted local investigations" into the group-based child sexual exploitation of girls by grooming gangs.
Called the Independent Commission on Grooming Gangs, the inquiry will have legal powers to direct targeted investigations in local areas and summon witnesses to give evidence.
The government said once an independent chair had been appointed, the inquiry would decide which local areas to investigate based on information provided by the police, abuse survivors and members of the public.
The government says the process is not being managed by the Home Office, but by the independent child exploitation charity NWG Network.
The charity provides "support and guidance to those working with children and young people who are affected by abuse".
Why was it launched?
The grooming gang scandal was first exposed in 2003, in The Times newspaper, and has often been the subject of debate, inquiry and news reports in the two decades since.
It returned to prominence at the start of this year, partly because of tech billionaire Elon Musk, who criticised the prime minister for not calling a national inquiry.
A row between the two centered on high-profile cases where groups of men, mainly of Pakistani descent, were convicted of sexually abusing and raping predominantly young white girls in towns such as Rotherham and Rochdale.
At the start of the year, the government dismissed calls for a national inquiry, arguing the scandal had already been examined in a seven-year inquiry led by Professor Alexis Jay.
Professor Jay handed in her report to the then-Conservative government in 2022 but so far only two of her 20 recommendations have been implemented.
But for months, Sir Keir faced increasing political pressure for not being willing to set up a new national inquiry that was specially focused on grooming gangs.
In February this year, the prime minister commissioned veteran Whitehall troubleshooter Dame Louise Casey to evaluate the scale, nature and drivers of group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) at a national and local level.
In her review, Dame Louise recommended a national inquiry, co-ordinating a series of targeted investigations, to be launched into child sexual exploitation in England and Wales.
Sir Keir accepted the recommendation, saying it was "the right thing to do" based on what she had uncovered in her review.
What sparked the row over the inquiry?
The government said a panel of abuse survivors would be given a central role in the inquiry.
There are thought to be around 20 individuals on the panel, who are overseeing the process of setting up the inquiry.
This week, four women resigned from the inquiry's panel in protest at how the government had handled the process so far.
The women all wrote open letters raising similar concerns about suggestions the inquiry could be widened beyond grooming gangs, tight controls on what they could say and who they could speak to.
All four also expressed doubts about two candidates proposed to chair the inquiry.
They objected to the two because one had a background in social work and the other as a senior police officer - two professions facing questions about trust.
Both candidates have withdrawn from the process.
In her resignation letter, one of the women, Ellie Reynolds, said she felt the inquiry had become "less about the truth and more about a cover-up".
PA Media
Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips has faced criticism from some survivors
Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips denied claims of a cover-up and insisted the government was "committed to exposing the failures".
The group of four abuse survivors have been particularly critical of Phillips and demanded her resignation in a list of conditions for them to re-join the inquiry.
The women have accused Phillips of "betrayal" over comments she made about the scope of the inquiry.
On Tuesday, Philips answered an urgent question tabled in the Commons by the Conservatives on "recent criticism" of the inquiry.
Phillips told MPs "allegations of intentional delay, lack of interest or widening of the inquiry scope or dilution are false".
One of the main concerns of many victims is that the inquiry must have a tight focus on the issue of grooming gangs.
Ms Goddard said the NWG Network charity had sent a list of "questions for reflection" to panel members. She published it on social media this week.
It includes "What do you most want the inquiry to achieve? What areas should it focus on? And "How can the inquiry best involve and engage victims and survivors throughout its work?"
One of the questions asks "Should the inquiry have an explicit focus on 'grooming gangs' or 'group-based CSEA' (Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse) or take a broader approach?".
Ms Goddard says she then texted Jess Phillips directly about this on Friday, 26 September.
She posted a screenshot of the text she had sent asking Phillips "sorry to message again but if it's supposed to be about grooming gangs why has the charity that the Home Office has set up to consult with survivors just sent out the agenda for the questions that are going to be asked".
She sent Phillips the question about the inquiry's focus.
Ms Goddard wrote "every which way this is being manipulated away from what it was supposed to be and it's unfair".
She also posted Phillips' reply, which said "the reason for the question is because there have been differing views and we want you to be able to give a clear steer on what you want".
Phillips added: "I know it's hard to trust but I can promise you no one is trying to manipulate the response and it is my view that it is only a grooming gangs specific inquiry but it is not right for me to make that decision without it being formally consulted on."
The victims panel began having meetings in the past week, including to question candidates being proposed to chair the inquiry.
What's next for this inquiry?
Downing Street has indicated there has been no change in the prime minister's position on Phillips' suitability for her role - and there is no suggestion that the inquiry is about to be shelved, despite the recent turmoil.
Efforts are still under way to find a chair that everyone involved can support - a process that has already taken five months.
Dame Louise Casey said she wanted the inquiry to be completed within three years - a relatively short period for inquires of this nature - but the government has not agreed to a final timeline.
Some abuse survivors and the Conservatives have called for a judge to be in charge of it.
At PMQs, Sir Keir said "whether the inquiry should be judge-led was looked at" by Dame Louise and she had decided against it for two reasons.
The prime minister said the first reason was "the speed with which we could do this".
Summarising the second reason, Sir Keir said: "One of the problems that judge-led inquiries run into - I have seen and experienced this myself - is that they are often held back until the end of the criminal investigations, and I was determined that we would be able to run the two together."
On Wednesday, Sir Keir Starmer told MPs the inquiry would not be "watered down" and its scope would not change.
"It will examine the ethnicity and religion of the offenders, and we will find the right person to chair it," Sir Keir said.
He said Dame Louise would now support the work of the inquiry, which ministers will be hoping can help get it back track.
The British Medical Association has announced a fresh round of strikes in England after talks broke down again with the government.
The union and government have been in dialogue throughout the summer and early autumn since the last walkout at the end of July.
But the BMA said with no progress being made there would be a five-day walkout starting on Friday 14 November.
This will be the 13th strike in the long-running pay dispute since March 2023.
Health Secretary West Streeting has maintained throughout this year that he would not negotiate on pay after resident doctors, the new name for junior doctors, had received pay rises totalling nearly 30% in the past three years.
The talks, therefore, had centred on career progression, working conditions and out-of-pocket expenses like exam fees.
The union argues that, despite the pay rises, resident doctors' pay is still a fifth lower than it was in 2008, once inflation is taken into account.
They have also said they wanted the government to address what they say is a shortage of jobs after the second year of training when resident doctors move into specialty training.
This year there were more than 30,000 applicants for 10,000 jobs at this stage, although some will have been doctors from abroad.
Alongside having a mandate to strike over pay, newly-qualified doctors in their first year of practice in England have also voted in favour of strike action over this shortage of jobs.
Resident doctors represent nearly half the medical workforce and range from doctors fresh out of university through to those with up to a decade of experience.
A Metropolitan Police officer has been sacked for gross misconduct after appearing in an undercover report by BBC Panorama.
Three allegations were upheld against PC Philip Neilson, including making "highly racist and discriminatory remarks" about different ethnic groups.
Mr Neilson is the first of 10 officers to face a hearing as part of the Met's accelerated misconduct proceedings over footage recorded during the Panorama investigation.
In it, he used derogatory and violent language about suspects who belong to ethnic and religious minorities while serving as a constable in the Central West Command Unit.
Mr Neilson was also accused of "glorifying what he was describing as inappropriate use of force on a restrained detainee" and for suggesting unlawful violence against migrants who broke the law. Chair of the panel, Cmdr Jason Prins, found all the allegations proven.
The hearing, in south-west London on Thursday, was told that he did not dispute the words he said but argued they only amounted to just misconduct.
Giving evidence, Mr Neilson said he had been a police officer for four years and denied he was a racist.
He said he believed the undercover reporter "breached his humans rights" and it was the reporter who "kept bringing up these conversations" and "egging me on".
Mr Neilson said he had eight or nine pints of Guinness while at the pub when he made some of the comments and said he was not a "drinker".
He said he did not discriminate against anyone and footage from his body worn camera would show "no matter the ethnicity I did everything with the utmost respect".
Cmdr Prins ruled that Mr Neilson's comments caused "significant harm" to the reputation of Metropolitan Police and wider public confidence in the police and amounted to gross misconduct, describing the conduct of the officer as an "utter disgrace".
"He alone was responsible for the comments and it was or must have been obvious to him his comments were abhorrent," Cmdr Prins added.
Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips was accused of "betrayal" by four grooming gang survivors
The government is under increasing pressure to gain control of the grooming gangs inquiry after abuse survivors who quit their roles in the process listed conditions for their return.
Top of the demands - published in a joint letter to the home secretary - was the resignation of Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips, who the four women accuse of "betrayal" citing her response to their concerns about the inquiry's scope.
They said Phillips had lost survivors' trust and that she, as well as the chair candidates, were unfit for their roles. Her exit would mean the government was "serious about accountability", they added.
Home Office sources insist Phillips has the Home Secretary's full support.
The letter came hours after former senior police officer Jim Gamble ruled himself out of chairing the inquiry, saying focus on political "point-scoring" had created a "highly charged and toxic environment".
He was the last significant candidate after Annie Hudson, who has a background in social work, withdrew earlier in the week.
On Wednesday, Jess, which is not her real name, joined Fiona Goddard, Ellie Reynolds and Elizabeth, also not her real name, in standing down from the survivors' panel.
They raised concerns that those being lined up to lead the inquiry had backgrounds in either policing or social work, citing the failures of those services to bring their abusers to justice.
They also said the inquiry was being widened "in ways that downplay the racial and religious motivations behind our abuse".
Phillips has said it is "untrue" the government is seeking to dilute the focus of the inquiry, insisting its scope will be "laser-focused".
In a joint letter to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, posted on X by Ms Reynolds, they criticise Phillips for rejecting their accounts of concerns about the inquiry's direction.
"Being publicly contradicted and dismissed by a government minister when you are a survivor telling the truth takes you right back to that feeling of not being believed all over again. It is a betrayal that has destroyed what little trust remained," they said.
Their letter lists five demands before they would consider returning to the panel.
Among them is keeping the probe focused on grooming gangs and group child exploitation, as Baroness Louise Casey - whose report recommended a statutory inquiry - advised. They also want a senior or former judge to chair the inquiry, and to have a say in their selection.
Watch: PM says grooming gangs inquiry will examine "ethnicity and religion of offenders"
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced in June there would be a national inquiry into grooming gangs covering England and Wales, with a panel of survivors set up to oversee the process. However, a chairperson has yet to be appointed.
Not all the survivors on the oversight panel agree with the four women; many continue to support the government's approach.
The BBC spoke to two of those women.
Samantha Walker-Roberts, from Oldham, wants the scope of the inquiry to include victims of other types of sexual abuse, so they are not "silenced".
She was the victim of a grooming gang when she was 12 - but she was also raped and abused by a man who groomed her online, and as a younger child she was raped and abused by older men who she met through friends.
Ms Walker-Roberts said: "This is a one-of-a-kind type of inquiry where survivors are in control and it's wrong that certain survivors get special treatment to be part of this."
She added she had no problem with a chair who had a background in policing or social work, as this had been "proven" to work with previous reviews.
Another supporter of the inquiry is Carly, from Huddersfield, who said she believes "the most effective way to drive meaningful change is from within" and remains "hopeful" the concerns raised by others "will lead to constructive improvements".
Watch: Abuse survivor Ellie Reynolds says a judge should lead grooming gangs inquiry
Maggie Oliver, a police whistleblower and child protection campaigner, echoed survivors' criticism of Phillips on Wednesday night, but also criticised the government's handling of the inquiry.
She told Newsnight that the prime minister was "dragged kicking and screaming" into announcing the inquiry.
"We shouldn't be fighting a battle with the government," she said. "The inquiry is being led, or has been led, by a government that really doesn't want it to work."
Ms Oliver also raised concerns about transparency and survivor involvement: "We want a judge-led inquiry... I want it to be open and to involve all survivors and victims who want to be involved, not just a cherry-picked selection of a few."
On Wednesday night, the Home Office reiterated its commitment to "a full, statutory, national inquiry to uncover the truth".
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch joined calls for Phillips to be sacked, saying the inquiry is about "Labour failure".
She said: "Labour never wanted this inquiry, we demanded it... It is Labour ministers attacking the victims. We're standing up for them."
Speaking at PMQs on Wednesday, the prime minister defended Phillips, saying she "has probably more experience than any other person in this House in dealing with violence against women and girls".
He said "survivors have been ignored for many years" by the state and he wanted the inquiry to change that, adding "injustice will have no place to hide."
He invited those that have quit the inquiry to re-join, but added that whether they did or not "we owe it to them" to answer their concerns.
"The inquiry is not and will never be watered down. Its scope will not change. It will examine the ethnicity and religion of the offenders and we will find the right person to chair the inquiry," he told MPs.
The prime minister also announced Baroness Casey was being drafted in to support the work of the inquiry.
Baroness Casey previously led a "national audit" of group-based child sexual exploitation that found the ethnicity of people involved in grooming gangs had been "shied away from" by authorities.
Her findings, published in June 2025, prompted Sir Keir to order the creation of the national inquiry.
Tom Boyd stacked shelves as a volunteer at his local Waitrose for four years
An autistic man who was told he had to stop stacking shelves at the Waitrose supermarket where he had volunteered for four years has now been offered a job by a rival chain.
Tom Boyd had been working unpaid there since 2021, accompanied by a support worker. When Frances asked in July if her son could be offered "just a few paid hours", Waitrose head office told her Tom's work experience placement had to end.
Frances said: "We've had some great news - Asda have offered him two five-hour paid shifts a week."
'Raising awareness'
She added: "It's overwhelming and they are flexible to say if at any time he is struggling they are fine.
"How amazing that a company could do this."
Tom received the backing of Greater Manchester's mayor Andy Burnham, who posted on X that Tom had received "truly terrible" treatment and promised to "support him to find another placement that works".
He said Greater Manchester Combined Authority "would encourage all employers, including Waitrose, to sign up to our brand new Bee Neuroinclusive Code of Practice".
Speaking with Frances, who broke the news of Tom's job offer on BBC Radio Manchester, Burnham said: "Good on you for raising awareness because we need a huge awareness campaign here."
She accepted his on-air offer to be an advocate for the campaign.
Speaking on Wednesday, a Waitrose & Partners spokesman said it worked with a number of charities to provide work experience and was "well experienced in making reasonable adjustments to help people succeed at work".
"We are sorry to hear of Tom's story and whilst we cannot comment on individual cases, we are investigating as a priority."
Frances Boyd said her son "deserved better" after his placement was stopped
Frances said her son, who has limited communication skills, started at the Waitrose store as part of his skills development for the workplace further education course, and volunteered two mornings a week.
She said he was "so proud of his work", which involved putting stock out and tidying the shelves, and was praised for his work ethic by managers.
"He gave over 600 hours of his time purely because he wanted to belong, contribute, and make a difference," she said.
Frances praised and thanked staff at the store for supporting him and said the decision to end his association had been taken by Waitrose head office.
She added: "They included him and were absolutely brilliant.
"I think he was just under the radar - all was running smoothly until it went to head office."
Three men have been arrested in London on suspicion of assisting Russia's foreign intelligence service, the Metropolitan Police has said.
The three, aged 48, 45, and 44, were arrested at addresses in west and central London. Searches are ongoing at these and another address in west London.
They were arrested on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service, namely Russia, under section 3 of the National Security Act (NSA) 2023, as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged offences under the act led by counter-terrorism police.
"We're seeing an increasing number of who we would describe as 'proxies' being recruited by foreign intelligence services and these arrests," Cdr Dominic Murphy, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said.
"Anyone who might be contacted by and tempted into carrying out criminal activity on behalf of a foreign state here in the UK should think again. This kind of activity will be investigated and anyone found to be involved can expect to be prosecuted and there are potentially very serious consequences for those who are convicted."
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has apologised to customers impacted by Monday's massive outage, after it knocked some of the world's largest platforms offline.
In a detailed summary of what caused the outage, Amazon said it occurred as a result of errors which meant its internal systems could not connect websites with the IP addresses computers use to find them.
"We apologise for the impact this event caused our customers," the company said.
"We know how critical our services are to our customers, their applications and end users, and their businesses.
"We know this event impacted many customers in significant ways."
While many platforms such as the online games Roblox and Fortnite were back up and running within a few hours of the outage, some services experienced prolonged downtime.
This included Lloyds Bank, with some customers experiencing issues until mid-afternoon, as well as US payments app Venmo and social media site Reddit.
Many experts said the outage showed how reliant tech is on Amazon's dominance in the cloud computing sector, as a market largely cornered by AWS and Microsoft Azure.
The company said it would also "do everything we can" to learn from the event and improve its availability.
'Faulty automation'
In its lengthy summary of Monday's outage, Amazon said it came down to an issue in US-EAST-1 - its largest cluster of data centres which power much of the internet.
Critical processes in the region's database which stores and manages the Domain Name System (DNS) records, allowing website URLs to be understood by computers, effectively fell out of sync.
According to Amazon, this triggered a "latent race condition" - or in other words unearthed a dormant bug that could occur in an unlikely sequence of events.
The delay in one process, which Amazon said occurred in the early hours of Monday morning, had a knock-on effect which caused its systems to stop working properly.
Much of this process is automated, meaning it is done without human involvement.
Dr Junade Ali, a software engineer and fellow at the Institute for Engineering and Technology, told the BBC "faulty automation" had been at the core of Amazon's problems.
"The specific technical reason is a faulty automation broke the internal 'address book' systems in that region rely upon," he said.
"So they couldn't find one of the other key systems."
Like others, Dr Ali believes it highlights the need for companies to be more resilient and diversify their cloud service providers "so they can fail over to other data centres and providers when one isn't available".
"In this instance, those who had a single point of failure in this Amazon region were susceptible to being taken offline," he said.
Sir Julian Hartley, Chief Executive the Care Quality Commission which is the independent regulator of all health and adult social care services in England, has resigned.
The announcement comes just days after an independent inquiry into maternity care at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust was announced.
Mr Hartley had previously spent a decade leading the trust and said that in light of that inquiry, his role at the CQC, "has become incompatible with the important conversations happening about care at Leeds."
Some of the families who received poor maternity care had demanded his resignation.
On Monday, the Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced an independent inquiry into "repeated failures" at the Leeds trust.
Mr Streeting said the investigation would examine what had "gone so catastrophically wrong" at the trust's maternity services at both Leeds General Infirmary and St James' University Hospital.
Earlier this year, a BBC investigation revealed the deaths of at least 56 babies and two mothers over the past five years may have been prevented. In a statement reacting to the inquiry's announcement, the trust said it was "taking significant steps to address improvements."
Several of the families who had campaigned for the inquiry had questioned Mr Hartley's role at the CQC given he had led the trust for 10 years, until 2023.
He was appointed chief executive of the hospital regulator last December having spent 21 months leading NHS Providers, a health service trade body.
MARTIN MCQUADE / BBC
Amarjit Kaur and Mandip Singh Matharoo's daughter Asees was stillborn in January 2024
Mandip Singh Matharoo and Amarjit Kaur's daughter Asees was stillborn in January 2024 - a trust investigation found care issues which may have prevented her death.
They welcomed Mr Hartley's resignation and questioned his original appointment. "The fact that he was head of Leeds teaching hospitals over such a large period of time, where maternity care was substandard should have raised alarm bells within the system to prevent him becoming Chief Executive of such a large regulator in the first instance," they said.
A whistleblower at the trust, who has raised concerns about maternity, also said they were pleased he'd gone. "Its been dire for many years, including under his watch. Him being the head of CQC was a scandal when staff like us have been complaining to the regulator about unsafe care. Things need to change," she said.
A statement from a broader group of bereaved and harmed Leeds families said that while they welcomed his resignation, "we do not accept his apology." Mr Hartley's CQC role, they added, "has always been a scandal hiding in plain sight. Just as it has been down to bereaved families to prove the total failings of the CQC in their inspection processes and lack of regulatory action in Leeds, this now, again, has fallen onto families to highlight."
In his statement, Sir Julian said he was "sorry for the fact that some families suffered harm and loss during this time" and vowed to cooperate with the inquiry "so families can get the transparency and answers that they need and deserve."
The chair of the CQC Professor Sir Mike Richards said that while Mr Hartley's resignation was "a huge loss" he understood that his previous job at Leeds "may undermine trust and confidence in the CQC's regulation."
On Monday, when the inquiry was announced, both Mr Richards and Wes Streeting said they had confidence in Sir Julian.
A rapid review into maternity services in England is currently underway while the largest inquiry into maternity care in the history of the NHS, centred on services at the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, is due to report next summer.
The inquiry into care at Leeds is the fifth investigation into maternity services at a single NHS since 2013.
Polls for the Caerphilly by-election are open from 07:00 BST until 22:00
Voters in Caerphilly are heading to the polls in a by-election to choose a new member of the Senedd.
Polls are open from 07:00 until 22:00 BST, with the result expected early on Friday morning.
The vote is taking place following the death of Labour's Hefin David, who died suddenly on 12 August aged 47 after being Member of the Senedd for Caerphilly since 2016.
There are eight candidates standing, with all the main parties represented.
The by-election will fill the vacancy until May 2026 when a Wales-wide election will decide the shape of the newly expanded Welsh Parliament.
Unlike Westminster elections, 16 and 17-year-olds can vote in this election and ID is not required at polling stations.
There will be full coverage of the result, reaction and analysis across BBC digital, television and radio services.
The full list of candidates for the by-election is:
Youths in a stand-off with British soldiers on Bloody Sunday
Sunday 30 January 1972 was one of the most deadly – and consequential – days during three decades of conflict in Northern Ireland.
In the streets where it happened – the images of Bloody Sunday are painted on the walls and seared in people's minds.
A civil rights march was held on a wintry, sunny afternoon in Londonderry.
The demonstration was a protest against the policy of internment – imprisoning people without trial – which had been put in place following three years of violence.
Fr Edward Daly waved a blood-stained handkerchief as he tried to protect a group carrying a teenager, Jackie Duddy, who had been fatally wounded
Soldiers from the Parachute Regiment shot dead 13 people in the Bogside area – which was, and still is, a strongly Irish nationalist community.
One image became particularly prominent.
Pictures showed a Catholic priest, Fr Edward Daly, waving a blood-stained white handkerchief as he tried to protect a group carrying a teenager, Jackie Duddy, who had been fatally wounded.
News camera operators captured much footage on the day.
The BBC archive features Fr Daly telling a reporter that soldiers "just seemed to fire in all directions" and he was "absolutely certain" that there was no provocation.
Getty Images
Civilians in the Bogside area being marched towards detention by British troops on Bloody Sunday
That version of what happened wasn't accepted by the initial investigation.
The Widgery Tribunal found the Army had been shot at first.
During the peace process, Tony Blair's government set up another inquiry, after campaigning by bereaved relatives, who said Widgery had been a whitewash.
In 2010, the report by Lord Saville said that on balance, the paratroopers had fired first and that none of the victims had posed any threat.
Families of the victims of the Bloody Sunday shootings march from the Bogside area of Londonderry to the Guildhall holding photographs of their relatives to get a preview of the Saville Report in 2010
The police began to investigate.
One former paratrooper, known as Soldier F, was prosecuted for murder.
He was charged over the killings of James Wray, 22, and 26-year-old William McKinney.
Soldier F was also accused of attempting to murder Patrick O'Donnell, Joseph Friel, Joe Mahon, Michael Quinn, and an unknown person.
Family members and supporters of those killed on Bloody Sunday hold a banner and photos of those killed as they walk to Belfast Crown Court on 16 October 2025 for the trial of Soldier F
John Kelly, whose brother Michael was killed, said they always knew that listening to the proceedings would be painful.
"I can see everything in my mind's eye," John said, as we walked around the main locations mentioned in the trial – from Rossville Street, where Michael was shot dead, to the adjoining Glenfada Park, where James Wray and William McKinney were killed.
"It even takes me back to where I was that day.
"I helped to carry Michael and place him in the ambulance.
"I relived every moment during the evidence.
"But even with having to go through all that – it's still worthwhile for me."
James Wray (left) and William McKinney (right) were among those who were killed on Bloody Sunday
Prosecutors had been concerned that key evidence would not be usable in court.
On the first day of the trial, the Northern Ireland veterans' commissioner suggested that prosecutions of military personnel indicated an imbalanced approach to investigations into killings from the years known as the Troubles.
Outside the court gates, David Johnstone told the media: "There are many families of soldiers across Northern Ireland and Great Britain who have never had the truth regarding the loss of their loved one, or the opportunity of justice."
He pointed out that more than 1,000 members of the security forces had been killed during the conflict, adding: "The vast majority of the 300,000 armed forces who served in Northern Ireland did so with restraint, dignity and professionalism."
Getty Images
British soldiers and members of the press are pictured behind water cannon and armoured vehicles as tensions rose during the civil rights march on Bloody Sunday
The trial was held in front of a judge only, as is standard practice in Northern Ireland for cases from the Troubles.
The accounts of other civilians were given through statements, which prosecution barristers read to the court.
Getty Images
Demonstrators running from tear gas during the riots on Bloody Sunday
A number of witnesses told how they tried to escape from intense shooting on Rossville Street by going into Glenfada Park, which is a courtyard.
But they came under fire there too, with several describing how they were shot when running away, and tried to protect themselves by lying still on the ground and pretending to be dead.
However, the only evidence which specifically said that Soldier F fired his rifle in Glenfada Park came in the form of statements from two other paratroopers, known as Soldiers G and H.
The statements were made in 1972 to the initial investigation by the Royal Military Police, and then to the Widgery Inquiry.
They said they fired shots along with Soldier F.
Getty Images
A mural commemorating the victims of the 1972 Bloody Sunday killings in the Bogside area of Londonderry
Soldier G has died, while Soldier H indicated he would not testify in the trial, and would use his legal protection against self-incrimination.
Defence lawyers argued that the key prosecution evidence was "fundamentally inconsistent" and was not backed up by the civilians' accounts.
On that basis, they applied to have the case dismissed.
His lawyer read into the record a statement which the accused gave to police – in which Soldier F said he was "sure" that he "discharged his duties", but he would not be answering questions because he no longer had "any reliable recollection" of events.
Getty Images
John Kelly, whose brother Michael was shot dead on Bloody Sunday, is pictured in the Museum of Free Derry in 2022
Glenfada Park is now the site of the Museum of Free Derry.
On its exterior wall, there is a patch of perspex, which preserves the circular bullet marks from Bloody Sunday.
Inside, James Wray's jacket is on display, its shoulder torn by the shots which killed him.
On a shelf in the same cabinet is a camera which William McKinney was carrying when he was shot dead.
Many historians say the killings inflamed the unrest in Northern Ireland.
After 53 years of grief, controversy and campaigning, the criminal process has ended with no conviction.
Login
