An independent investigation has been launched after a migrant sex offender was mistakenly released from prison in what appears be "human error", Justice Secretary David Lammy has said.

In a statement to the House of Commons, Lammy said the inquiry will seek to "fully establish the facts" of the release of Hadush Kebatu and whether the staff involved had "sufficient experience, training and technology".

Kebatu, who was set to be deported, was freed in error from HMP Chelmsford on Friday, prompting a 48-hour manhunt that ended with him being re-arrested in north London on Sunday.

Responding to Lammy's statement, shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick described the release of Kebatu as a "national embarrassment."

Lammy said Kebatu would be deported back to Ethiopia "as quickly as possible".

Earlier on Monday, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer suggested the deportation would happen within a few days.

Kebatu was sentenced last month for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman in July in Epping, Essex, where he had been living in an asylum hotel since arriving in the UK on a small boat.

His arrest triggered a series of protests in the area, which spread to hotels housing asylum seekers across the country.

Kebatu was due to be taken to an immigration detention centre to be deported under an early removals scheme (ERS) for foreign national offenders but was instead released in "what appears to have been in human error", Lammy told MPs.

"I've been clear from the outset that a mistake of this nature is unacceptable," he told MPs.

"We must get to the bottom of what happened and take immediate action to try and prevent similar releases in error to protect the public from harm."

Lammy said the independent investigation will be chaired by former Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Dame Lynne Owens.

Dame Lynne will also talk to the victims of Kebatu to "understand the effect this incident had on them," Lammy said.

"Her report will highlight points of failure and make recommendations to help prevent further releases in error, which have been rising year-on-year since 2021 - going from nine per month on average in 2023 to 17 per month in the period spanning January to June 2024," he added.

"And I'm clear that a single release in error is one too many, which is why we have launched this independent investigation."

A prison officer has been suspended while the probe takes place.

The government has ordered prison governors to carry out new procedures to avoid a repeat of Kebatu's mistaken release.

Lammy said he had ordered an "urgent review" into the checks that take place when someone is released from prison. New safeguards have been added that amount to the "strongest release checks that have ever been in place," he told MPs.

Foreign criminals facing deportation will only be able to be released from prison when a duty governor is physically present, Lammy, who is also deputy prime minister, said.

No removals from HMP Chelmsford under the ERS will take place this week, he added.

The number of prisoners who have been released mistakenly has risen sharply, with 262 let out in error between April 2024 and March 2025, up from 115 over the same period a year earlier.

Lammy suggested the mistaken release of Kebatu was a "symptom" of the prison system Labour inherited from the previous Conservative government.

There had been a 30% cut in prison staffing, and more than half of frontline prison officers now have less than five years' experience, Lammy said.

"It's little wonder when the system has been brought to its knees that errors like this happen," he added.

In response, Jenrick said the mistaken release was "a national embarrassment and today the justice secretary feigns anger at what happened."

He called on Lammy to give his "cast iron assurance" that Kebatu will be deported from the country by the end of the week.

King Charles was heckled by a protester asking him about Prince Andrew's relationship to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a visit to a cathedral on Monday.

The man asked how long the King had known about his brother and Epstein, and also questioned whether he had asked the police to "cover up" for Andrew.

There were also throngs of fans and cheers for the King, who was visiting Staffordshire for an engagement at Lichfield Cathedral.

Prince Andrew's links with Epstein have been under intense scrutiny in recent weeks. The prince, who relinquished his titles earlier this month, has strongly denied any wrongdoing.

The protester, who can be heard clearly in video footage from the event, also asked King Charles whether MPs should be allowed to debate the royals in the Commons.

The King did not respond to the questions but carried on greeting fans, one of whom can be heard asking him for a hug.

One woman outside the cathedral was also heard telling the heckler to "go away" and to "shut up".

The scandal over Andrew's connections to Epstein has been reignited by new sexual abuse allegations contained in Virginia Giuffre's posthumously-published memoir.

While Prince Andrew has always strenuously denied abusing Ms Giuffre, fresh questions have been asked about how he is able to fund his lifestyle despite not being a working royal.

The Liberal Democrats said he should be called in front of MPs to give evidence about his lease of his Windsor mansion, Royal Lodge.

But last Thursday, the government refused to give MPs time to debate the prince's titles or his home, despite growing pressure for scrutiny.

Described as the biggest shake-up to renting in England for more than 30 years, a new law to give renters more rights was formally approved on Monday.

In the coming weeks, the government will announce how - and when - each of the changes will come into force.

With almost 20% of UK households renting privately, the changes will affect millions of people.

How long will I be able to rent a home for?

A home will now be rented on a "periodic" or rolling basis, rather than for a fixed 12 or 24-month contract. That means that if a tenant wants to stay in a property, they can.

The government says this will provide "more security for tenants".

If a tenant wants to leave they can, by giving two months' notice, rather than being tied in for a year or more. The government says this will "end the injustice of tenants being trapped paying rent for substandard properties".

The Renters' Rights Bill applies to England. Scotland has had periodic agreements for tenancies since 2017, but Wales and Northern Ireland still allow fixed term contracts.

The Bill will also end the practice of "bidding wars", where people are encouraged to offer over the asking price to secure a property. Instead, there will now be a set asking price that is clear from the outset.

It comes as average UK monthly private rents increased by 5.5%, to £1,354, in the 12 months to September 2025, according to a provisional estimate by the ONS.

Will a landlord be able to evict me for no reason?

In the year to June, more than 11,000 households in England had their homes repossessed by bailiffs following a no-fault eviction process.

The new law means that if a landlord wants to sell or move in to the property, they will not be able to do so in the first 12 months of a tenant moving in. After this, they will need to give four months' notice.

However, it will still be possible for landlords to evict tenants in certain circumstances.

If a tenant damages the property, commits antisocial behaviour, or falls significantly behind paying the rent - known as rent arrears - the landlord can give notice at any point.

The mandatory threshold for an arrears eviction will increase from two months' to three months' rent.

If the landlord gives notice for these reasons and the tenant does not leave within four months, a court decides whether it is reasonable to order possession of the property.

Further changes mean that it will no longer be possible to evict tenants for complaining about poor conditions.

A "Decent Homes Standard" will be introduced, and the new "Awaab's Law" will also apply at some point. This requires hazards to be repaired within a certain time and is named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak who died after being exposed to mould in his Rochdale home.

When can a landlord increase my rent?

Only once a year and only to "the market rate".

To do so, landlords will need to give two months' notice.

If a tenant believes the amount is excessive, it can be challenged at a first-tier tribunal, a type of civil court.

How much deposit will I have to pay?

There are no changes to the protected deposit schemes currently operating in England. The current rules for deposits still apply. The maximum a landlord can ask for upfront is five weeks' rent, if the rent for the year is less than £50,000, and up to six weeks' rent if the yearly rent is £50,000 or more.

However, the maximum rent a landlord can ask for upfront will be limited to one month.

How are rules changing for student accommodation?

For purpose-built student accommodation, landlords can give two weeks' notice for the student to leave. This applies to specific institutional providers like university-owned accommodation or companies renting to students.

If a private landlord has been renting a house of multiple occupation to students - where the tenancy was agreed at a maximum six months before the tenancy started - landlords can evict them to allow for new tenancies.

More than half the residents need to be students and the landlord needs to give four months' notice.

Can I have a pet in a rented home?

A landlord must consider a request and cannot "unreasonably" refuse. Tenants will be able to challenge "unfair decisions", but landlords will have the right to ensure pet insurance is in place to cover any damage to their property.

What if I receive benefits or have children?

It will be illegal for landlords and agents to discriminate against would-be tenants who receive benefits or who have children.

However, landlords and agents will have the final say on who they let their property to and will continue to do reference and affordability checks.

What has the reaction been?

The Renters Rights Coalition has been campaigning for around 10 years to abolish Section 21 evictions, which allow landlords to evict tenants without a reason within eight weeks.

Director Tom Darling said scrapping them would give tenants "real security in their house".

Elizabeth Sugden, 35, from Manchester, who contacted BBC News, welcomes the changes. She says she was served a Section 21 notice by her landlord last year as she believed her landlord wanted to "double" the rent.

She said: "It's literally ruined my life."

She has been temporarily housed by her local council and her possessions are in storage.

She said: "It's just like our lives are on hold. That's the way it feels, because we can't move forward with anything."

How have landlords responded to the new rules?

Chris Norris, chief policy officer of the National Residential Landlords Association, said landlords were feeling "nervous" and hoped for more clarity from the government.

"They don't really know what will happen in the minority of cases where tenancies go wrong," he added.

Mr Norris said many landlords would now screen tenants more carefully.

"We're going to have to look very, very carefully at what the risk is of those new tenants and that'll be to do with their ability to pay the tenancy, their background, whether they've got county court judgments against their name, whether they've had a good experience of renting in the past."

He added that these reforms would put more pressure on the court system - for those wanting to challenge evictions or rent increases - and questioned whether they have capacity to do this.

Landlord Maureen Treadwell said landlords were "losing confidence" and described the bill as a "slow car crash".

She feels the bill will "backfire" on tenants and disproportionately affect those at the bottom of the private rental market.

"I have lovely tenants who I've taken a chance on and they've turned out to be great," she says.

"Would I do that now? No. If they can't meet the affordability targets - absolutely not."

A woman on trial accused of stalking Madeleine McCann's parents told a court she is still questioning her identity after claiming to be the missing girl.

Julia Wandelt, 24, who a jury heard has repeatedly claimed she is the missing child, is charged with stalking Kate and Gerry McCann between June 2022 and February this year.

Taking to the stand at Leicester Crown Court on Monday, she said she had limited memories of her childhood and "could only remember abuse" after experiences with her step-grandfather.

Miss Wandelt, of Jana Kochanowskiego in Lubin, Poland, denies stalking Mr and Mrs McCann, causing serious alarm and distress.

The trial previously heard Miss Wandelt has claimed to be Mr and Mrs McCann's daughter since 2022.

However, a DNA test taken from her on her arrest in February 2025 "conclusively proved" she is not the missing child, the jury has been told.

Miss Wandelt told the court she was abused as a child by her step-grandfather at about nine years old.

She said she told her grandmother in 2010, and she told her not to tell anyone.

Her step-grandfather was convicted and later sentenced to two and a half years in prison, the court heard.

The abuse, Miss Wandelt said, left her feeling suicidal and she started to see a psychologist in about 2020.

She said: "She made me reflect on my life more and think about everything that happened. I realised I only remember abuse. My friends, they could remember things.

"I started with asking questions because I just could not believe there was nothing else in the story of what happened to me."

She added: "I started asking my parents about everything."

When asked by defence barrister Tom Price KC if she still questions her identity, Miss Wandelt said: "Yes, I do."

Madeleine was three years old when she disappeared during a family holiday in Portugal on 3 May 2007. The case remains unsolved.

Miss Wandelt told the court she discovered who Madeleine was when she was in hospital in the summer of 2022.

She said she spoke to her father, who told her the man who had abused her as a child had "been involved in kidnapping".

She told jurors it was at that time that she had been considering whether she had been adopted, and decided to "check out databases" of missing people.

When asked if Miss Wandelt found anyone who matched her, she said: "There were not actually a lot of people my age or around my age, but that is how I found Madeleine."

Miss Wandelt said she started to think she was not her parents' child during 2023.

She told the court she asked them to do a DNA test to confirm she was their child, but they refused.

Miss Wandelt told the court a sketch of a suspect in the Madeleine case looked "quite similar to the person who abused me" and had the same surname, which she said was a "big factor".

Miss Wandelt said she was not attracted to Madeleine's case for fame or financial gain.

"I just wanted to find out who I am," she said.

The defendant said she discovered Operation Grange - the Metropolitan Police investigation into Madeleine's disappearance - and got in touch with them in 2022.

She sent an email stating "I think I could be Madeleine McCann", the court heard, and told investigators that her date of birth was in 2001, but said "documents can be faked".

Miss Wandelt told the court she wanted to try to get in touch with "everyone I could think of" before contacting the McCann family.

"In general, if someone's child is missing I would assume it would be upsetting to raise a lead which could result as a false hope at the end," she said.

"I wanted to try everything before getting in touch with the parents of Madeleine directly.

"I didn't want to give them false hope of cause them any distress."

When asked why she did eventually contact the McCann family, the defendant said she thought they had been "misled".

"The police were not interested in finding Kate and Gerry's daughter," she added.

Karen Spragg, 61, of Caerau Court Road, Cardiff, faces the same charge, which she also denies.

The trial continues.

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The father of a released Israeli hostage who was forced to dig his own grave in a Gazan tunnel by Hamas has told the BBC his son's health is "improving every day".

Avishai David was speaking after his 24-year-old son Evyatar David and two other freed hostages - Guy Gilboa Dalal and Eitan Mor - were discharged from hospital to a hero's welcome at their homes on Sunday.

"I can't explain how happy it makes me feel to see him growing back to his old self," the father added.

In August, two months before Evyatar's release, Hamas had posted a video showing him emaciated in a narrow concrete tunnel - a move that drew condemnation from Israel and many Western leaders.

Avishai David told the BBC he was happy to see his son's "vitality improving every day, his colour returning [to his face], his cheeks getting fuller".

"Thank God, he pulled through it and he's strong."

The father said he had suffered for months knowing that his son was only "80km away... and I can't help him".

"It devastated me," he said, adding that he "couldn't sleep, eat, drink properly."

In August, Evyatar's brother Ilay told the BBC the Hamas video was a "new form of cruelty".

"He's a human skeleton. He was being starved to the point where he can be dead at any moment, and he suffers a great deal," Ilay said at the time.

In the footage itself, Evyatar said: "I haven't eaten for days... I barely got drinking water." He was seen digging what he said would be his own grave.

On Sunday, cheering crowds - including many friends and neighbours - greeted Evyatar David as he returned to his hometown of Kfar Saba in central Israel.

Dr Michal Shteinman, director at Rabin Medical Centre where the three released hostages were treated, told the BBC their bodies still bore the marks of "this horrific captivity".

"We can see their blood tests... and we've also heard their stories... they are not lying. You can see the marks of this metabolic trauma. Their skin tells their story. You can see the scars and the wounds."

But Dr Shteinman added that the hostages "came back stronger than they were".

Evyatar was abducted from the Nova music festival during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023.

He and 19 other living hostages have been released by Hamas under the first phase of a US-brokered ceasefire deal earlier this month.

Hamas has also transferred 15 out of 28 deceased hostages. Thirteen were Israelis, one was Nepalese and the other Thai.

In exchange, Israel has freed 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 detainees from Gaza, and returned 15 bodies of Palestinians for every Israeli hostage's remains.

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

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

People in Jamaica are bracing for the impact of Hurricane Melissa, which is forecast to unleash destructive winds and bring catastrophic flooding to the Caribbean nation in the coming hours.

Melissa was upgraded to a category five hurricane - the maximum strength - early on Monday, the US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

The authorities fear that Melissa, which has already been blamed for the deaths of four people on the island of Hispaniola, could become the strongest hurricane ever to hit Jamaica.

The Jamaican government has ordered evacuations for parts of the capital, Kingston, and the entire island has been classed as "threatened".

An update from the NHC at 09:00GMT said that Melissa was about 130 miles (209km) south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica.

It has maximum sustained wind speeds of 160mph (260km/h) and could strengthen further in the next 12 to 24 hours, forecasters warned.

If it continues on the forecasted track, its core is expected "to move near or over Jamaica tonight and Tuesday, across south-eastern Cuba Tuesday night, and across the south-eastern Bahamas on Wednesday".

The storm is particularly slow moving, which makes it very dangerous in terms of expected rainfall amounts.

According to the NHC, 40 inches of rain (100cm) are possible in parts of Jamaica over the next four days.

Forecasters warn that destructive winds and life-threatening storm surges are expected to hit Jamaica overnight or early on Tuesday.

Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness has ordered the immediate evacuation of several vulnerable communities across the island.

Officials also urged residents in low-lying and flood-prone areas to seek shelter in safer areas.

Jamaica's Minister of Local Government, Desmond McKenzie, told local media that all of the island's 881 shelters were open.

At least three people are known to have died and hundreds of homes have been flooded in Haiti as Melissa brought torrential rainfall to the island of Hispaniola.

In the Dominican Republic, located on the eastern side of Hispaniola, one person also died.

Local media identified the victim as a 79-year-old man who had been swept away by floodwaters in the capital, Santo Domingo.

A 13-year-old has also been reported missing after being dragged away by strong currents as he was swimming in the sea.

Several people were rescued after being trapped in their cars by the rising floodwater.

UK regional airline Eastern Airways is on the brink of collapse, putting hundreds of jobs at risk.

On Monday it filed a notice of intention to appoint an administrator, and several regional flights were cancelled including between between Teesside and Aberdeen.

Eastern Airways operates across the UK, Ireland and Europe, and has run and important service supported by the Scottish government for people in the northernmost point of mainland UK.

Eastern Airways and The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have been approached for comment.

A notice to appoint administrators is a formal step that gives the business up to 10 days of legal protection from creditors while it explores rescue options, restructures, or prepares for insolvency proceedings.

Airport flight departure boards showed Eastern Airways flights had been cancelled, including a 0700 flight from Newquay to London Gatwick, 1815 flight from Teesside to Aberdeen, 1430 from Aberdeen to Wick and 1645 from Aberdeen to Teesside.

Eastern Airways is one of the UK's last remaining regional airlines.

Eastern Airways has been an operator in the oil and gas sector industry, flying between UK cities with a significant presence in the sector such as Aberdeen, Humberside, Teesside and Wick.

It faced financial challenges following the pandemic, due in part to falling passenger numbers.

The airline was launched in 1997 and is based at Humberside Airport in North Lincolnshire. The airline also operates out of East Midlands, Jersey, Manchester, Newcastle, Newquay and Southampton, as well as Esbjerg in Denmark.

It has run a crucial weekday service between Wick John O'Groats Airport and Aberdeen, which is seen as vital for people living in the most northerly point on mainland UK, which was supported by a Public Service Obligation (PSO) by the Scottish Government.

Eastern Airways initially built up its network of scheduled services around the North Sea offshore industry with flights up the east coast of England to Aberdeen.

Prince Andrew's relationship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has led to mounting calls for him to be removed from his sprawling 30-room Windsor mansion.

The prince, who relinquished his titles earlier this month, has strongly denied any wrongdoing.

But the revelation that he has only ever paid a token annual rent on his home, Royal Lodge, has intensified the scrutiny over his living arrangements - even though he made large payments up front, including for renovations.

Buckingham Palace has not commented on whether Prince Andrew might move out of his home - or where he might go.

But BBC News understands that two other properties in the grounds of Windsor Castle, Adelaide Cottage and Frogmore Cottage, were options suggested to both Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson some months ago.

On Monday, the Sun newspaper reported that the prince has agreed to leave Royal Lodge, but wants Frogmore Cottage for himself, and Adelaide Cottage for Sarah Ferguson - in return.

There are also a number of other properties which could potentially be used to house the King's brother.

Here are some of the options that could be in the mix.

Frogmore Cottage

If Prince Andrew is seeking a home hidden from the public gaze, then Frogmore Cottage is an ideal spot.

The Grade-II listed property, owned by the Crown Estate, is nestled in a quiet corner in the grounds of the grand Frogmore House in Windsor.

From the very beginning it was intended as a secluded refuge from the pressures of royal life, with records of its occupants scarce.

Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III, had it built in 1792 as a place for her and her daughters to escape the court.

Surviving relatives of Tsar Nicholas II also lived there after fleeing to the UK, following the murder of other family members by Bolsheviks in 1918.

Since World War Two, the cottage is believed to have been used as a home for members of royal household staff, before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved in.

Prince Harry and Meghan quit life as working royals in 2020 and left the UK shortly afterwards. In 2023, they were asked to vacate the property.

It's been reported that the home was offered to Prince Andrew by the King last year as well, but that he declined.

Staying in Windsor offers a number of benefits, including enabling the prince to stay close to his daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, as well as their children.

Adelaide Cottage

Another contender could be Adelaide Cottage, which is also in the grounds of Windsor Castle.

The Prince and Princess of Wales have been living in the property since August 2022, with their children George, Charlotte and Louis.

But after a challenging period that has seen the princess deal with a cancer diagnosis and treatment they have now decided to move to Forest Lodge, in Windsor Great Park.

That leaves it free for Prince Andrew - or indeed his ex-wife - to potentially move into.

The four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage is just a stone's throw from Frogmore Cottage, so if a deal is struck for Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson to each occupy one of the properties, they would continue to live nearby each other.

It is a 10-minute walk from Windsor Castle, so the pair would also be close to King Charles.

By royal standards, it is a modest home - and certainly a downsizing from the mansion that Prince Andrew has been used to.

As with Frogmore Cottage, it offers privacy and a rural setting, and is also within Windsor's security perimeter.

Adelaide Cottage has a long history of royal usage. It was built in 1831 as a home for the wife of William IV, Queen Adelaide - hence its name.

In more recent times it was home to Group Captain Peter Townsend, the Battle of Britain pilot who became an equerry to King George VI and who became the close confidante of the King's younger daughter, Princess Margaret.

Townsend lived at Adelaide Cottage with his first wife from 1944 to 1952.

Wood Farm, Norfolk

Further afield, there's also Wood Farm, on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, which is privately owned by the monarch.

The cottage, described as "small and intimate" by former housekeeper Teresa Thompson, has strong associations with Prince Andrew's parents.

His father, the late Duke of Edinburgh, chose the secluded property as his permanent home when he retired from public life in 2017.

He and the late Queen already regularly stayed there in preference to opening up Sandringham House when it was just the two of them.

The wider Sandringham estate covers approximately 20,000 acres (8,100 hectares) with 600 acres (242 hectares) of gardens.

It enabled Prince Philip to indulge his passions for country pursuits, such as shooting and carriage-driving.

It was also near Sandringham where Prince Philip was involved in a car crash which left a passenger in another car with a broken wrist - an incident that prompted him to give up driving in January 2019.

The Balmoral estate is also privately owned and could present other options for Prince Andrew.

Castle of Mey, Caithness

The royal portfolio also includes the Castle of Mey in the far north of Scotland, which could be a possibility.

King Charles' grandmother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, brought the dilapidated rural castle back to life after falling in love with the building in the early 1950s.

She had the property restored and spent her holidays there until October 2001.

The King has also been a frequent visitor to the castle over the years.

The castle, near John O' Groats, is the most northerly inhabited castle in Scotland and the property and its gardens are run as a visitor attraction in summer months.

Other contenders

If none of the existing residences work, the King could simply buy a house for his brother.

It wouldn't be the first time that has happened. In 1980, for example, the then-Prince Charles purchased Highgrove House in Gloucestershire through the Duchy of Cornwall.

It is not known under what terms Prince Andrew would move in and occupy any new home, or how any deal would be financed.

Little is also known about what other properties Prince Andrew or Sarah Ferguson might own, if indeed they own any.

Others have speculated that the pair may leave the UK altogether.

According to The Sun, they have been offered the use of a luxurious palace in Abu Dhabi - complete with six bedrooms, a gym and swimming pool - by its ruler Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The newspaper says the offer was a thank you for Prince Andrew's "kindness" to the United Arab Emirate's royals when he was the UK's international business envoy.

The prince also has strong connections with the state of Bahrain, which could also present options for him, if a retreat in the Middle East is what he decides to go for.

There has been increased focus on Prince Andrew - who had already stepped back as a working royal - after he relinquished his titles following growing pressure over his links with Epstein.

Last week, more details emerged about how the prince can afford his Windsor mansion, in a lease agreement which has been revealed.

The arrangement means he has only ever paid a "peppercorn" rent on Royal Lodge, and even that might not be required under his deal with the Crown Estate, a document seen by BBC News confirms.

The deal meant that instead of paying annual rent, Prince Andrew made large lump sum payments up-front, including for renovations.

In effect, those payments - which totalled around £8m - meant he was buying himself out of future rent obligations for the duration of the 75-year lease.

The scandal over Andrew's connections to Epstein has been reignited by new sexual abuse allegations contained in Virginia Giuffre's posthumously-published memoir.

While Prince Andrew has always strenuously denied abusing Ms Giuffre, fresh questions have been asked in recent days about how he is able to fund his lifestyle despite not being a working royal.

The Liberal Democrats said he should be called in front of MPs to give evidence about his lease of the lodge.

But on Thursday, the government refused to give MPs time to debate the prince's titles or taxpayer-funded home, despite growing pressure for scrutiny.

The prime minister has said Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has "questions to answer", after one of his MPs complained about adverts being "full" of black and Asian people.

Sir Keir Starmer told the BBC the comments were "shocking racism" and "the sort of thing that'll tear our country apart".

"It tells you everything about Reform," he said, adding that Farage "can't even call out racism".

Sarah Pochin has apologised for her remarks, saying they were "phrased poorly" but maintained that many adverts were "unrepresentative of British society".

Labour chairwoman Anna Turley has written to Farage to ask if he endorses Pochin's comments and whether he will withdraw the Reform UK whip from her - meaning she would sit as an independent MP.

Asked if Pochin was racist to say what she did, Sir Keir told BBC North West Tonight: "Yes, she was. It's shocking racism and it's the sort of thing that'll tear our country apart. And it tells you everything about Reform.

"Nigel Farage has some questions to answer. Because either he doesn't consider it racist, which in my view is shocking in itself, or he does think it's racist and he's shown absolutely no leadership."

On Sunday cabinet ministers Wes Streeting and David Lammy also branded Pochin's comments racist in interviews.

Farage has not yet responded to the row but is due to give a press conference later on the national grooming gangs inquiry, where he is expected to be asked about Pochin.

Pochin was speaking during a TalkTV phone-in on Saturday, when she said she agreed with a caller on who complained about the "demographics" of advertising.

The Runcorn and Helsby MP said the viewer was "absolutely right" and "it drives me mad when I see adverts full of black people, full of Asian people".

She said that it did not reflect society and "your average white person" is "not represented anymore".

In a social media post later on Saturday, Pochin said her comments "were phrased poorly and I unreservedly apologise for any offence caused, which was not my intention".

"The point I was making is that many British TV adverts have gone DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] mad and are now unrepresentative of British society as a whole," she said.

She cited a Channel 4 study which found that the proportion of adverts featuring black people jumped after the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, from 37% in 2020 to 51% in 2022.

"Representation should reflect the diversity of modern Britain, but it should also be proportionate and inclusive of everyone," she added.

Pochin was backed by Reform UK's head of policy, Zia Yusuf, who told Sky News on Sunday that she was "right to apologise" but was raising "a very valid point we must be able to talk about".

The Liberal Democrats have also called on Farage to suspend Pochin from the party, while urging the government and the Conservatives to back a parliamentary motion rebuking the MP for her "racist and inexcusable remarks".

The party's home affairs spokesman Max Wilkinson said: "Sarah Pochin's remarks were blatantly racist.

"Decent MPs from across party lines should now come together to condemn this disgraceful behaviour and show the public that this will never be tolerated by Parliament."

He also accused Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp of being "spineless" for "failing to immediately call out Pochin's racist remarks for what they were".

Asked about her comments on Sunday, Philp told the BBC: "It's certainly not language that I would use and I don't think politicians should speak in those terms."

He later told LBC the way Ms Pochin made her comments was "racist", adding: "She should absolutely not have said that. It was completely wrong."

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US President Donald Trump has not ruled out the possibility of seeking a third term for the White House, saying he would "love to do it".

But Trump rejected the possibility of running for vice-president in 2028 - an idea floated by some supporters as a way for him to circumvent the US constitution that bars the president from running for a third term.

Speaking to reporters during his trip to Asia, Trump described the idea as "too cute" and said it "wouldn't be right".

It is unclear what method he would use to run again. Last week, former Trump strategist Steve Bannon said that a "plan" was in place to secure the 79-year-old president another term.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to Japan from Malaysia, Trump said that while he would "be allowed" to run again as vice-president, he had no plans to do so.

"I think people wouldn't like that," he said. "It's too cute. It wouldn't be right."

Talking about the possibility of a third term, Trump said: "I haven't really thought about it. But I have the best poll numbers that I've ever had."

Additionally, Trump also suggested vice-president JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as potential successors, calling them "unstoppable".

"All I can tell you is that we have a great group of people, which they don't," he added, referrring to Democrats.

• Can Trump serve a third term as US president?

The 22nd amendment of the US constitution bars presidents from seeking a third term.

Repealing the amendment would require approval from two-thirds of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, or a constitutional convention called by two-thirds of state legislatures - a process viewed as highly unlikely.

Last week, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon - who remains a vocal supporter - claimed there was a "plan" to secure a third term for Trump.

"Trump is going to be president in '28, and people ought to just get accommodated with that," Bannon told The Economist. "At the appropriate time, we'll lay put what the plan is."

In March, Trump told CNBC he would "probably not" run again, though he later said he was "not joking" about the possibility.

It is still unclear which Democrats intend to run for the White House in 2028, although several have already expressed an interest.

On Sunday, California Governor Gavin Newsom told CBS, the BBC's US partner, that he would "be lying" if he said he was not giving serious thought to a presidential bid.

Former vice-president Kamala Harris also told the BBC she may run again and that she could "possibly" be president in the future.

Rachel Reeves is to meet ministers from Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Monday and Tuesday - the first UK chancellor to visit the Gulf in six years.

A series of two-way trade and investment deals are expected to be announced during her visit to the Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh, dubbed the "Davos in the Desert".

The government is keen to promote the UK as a stable and attractive place to do business for the countries that make up the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC).

Back in the UK, there are warnings the government's flagship Employment Rights Bill, giving workers new rights and protections on sick pay and unfair dismissal from their first day on the job, will deter job creation.

After meeting senior Saudi royals on Monday she will join dozens of UK and international CEOs on Tuesday during the FII event.

Following a trade deal with India, a tariff deal with the US and a closer reset with the EU, the chancellor is keen to press ahead with a trade deal with the GCC, which includes Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Reeves said: "Our number one priority is growth, so I am taking Britain's offer of stability, regulatory agility and world-class expertise directly to one of the world's most important trade and investment hubs, making that case in our national interest."

However, even by the government's own estimates, such a deal would add only £1.6bn a year to UK GDP, which is less than a tenth of 1%.

While the chancellor bangs the drum for Britain abroad, at home the workers' rights bill, which will be considered by the House of Lords on Tuesday, is facing criticism from unexpected quarters.

The Resolution Foundation, which has enjoyed the ear of the Labour Party for many years, has joined a chorus of business voices warning that conferring additional rights and protections around unfair dismissal and sick pay to employees from day one on the job would "inhibit hiring" at a time of rising workplace vacancies.

On Friday, 13 business groups, including the CBI, Make UK and the Federation of Small Business, wrote a letter urging support in the House of Lords for an amendment that would bring in the new rights after six months.

While the government has been praised in business circles for concluding trade deals, some say it has done a better job convincing foreign investors than reassuring UK businesses, many of which have been hit with a £25bn tax rise in the last budget and are fearful of potential further tax rises in her next one.

UK health officials are encouraging gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men to make sure they are vaccinated against mpox, as a strain called 'clade Ib' shows early signs of local spread in some European countries.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) says it is aware of small numbers of cases of this strain of mpox - formerly known as monkeypox - in Spain, Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands, as well as the US.

Mpox is usually a mild infection but it can be severe and getting vaccinated is the best protection, the UKHSA says.

Charities also urged vaccination before travelling to Winter Pride events in Europe this autumn.

"The ways in which we are seeing mpox continue to spread globally is a reminder to come forward for the vaccine, if you are eligible," said Dr Katy Sinka, head of sexually transmitted infections at UKHSA.

In the UK, there is a routine mpox vaccination programme already in place for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.

The vaccine is recommended if you're at higher risk of getting mpox.

This is mainly men who have sex with men, and those who:

• have multiple sexual partners
• have group sex
• visit sex-on-premises venues

The mpox vaccine is also recommended for people who work at sex-on-premises venues, such as cleaning staff and anyone who has had or will have close contact with someone who has mpox, the NHS website says.

Although the vaccine hasn't been tested against clade Ib mpox, it is known to be effective in protecting against another strain called clade II.

As a result, health officials says vaccine protection is expected.

Vaccination is now available from sexual health services. NHS advice is to call a sexual health clinic about the mpox vaccine before going along.

'Different pattern of transmission'

Common symptoms of mpox include a skin rash or lesions filled with pus, which can last from two to four weeks.

Mpox can also cause a fever, headaches, muscle aches, back pain, tiredness and swollen lymph nodes.

It's a virus that spreads from person to person through close physical contact, coughs or sneezes and touching infected clothing, bedding or towels.

In 2022, there was a global outbreak of clade II mpox which affected many countries worldwide and particularly gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM).

To date, there have been 16 cases of mpox clade Ib in the UK - all in England. But no evidence of spread within the GBMSM community. All cases have had direct or indirect links to travel to countries where that strain is circulating.

Spain reported its first locally-acquired cases earlier this month, and another four cases were reported to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) among men in Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands. All five had mild symptoms.

The ECDC says the cases had no travel history, which suggests "a different pattern of transmission" and indicates "that transmission may be occurring in sexual networks among men who have sex with men in several EU/EEA countries".

Previously reported clade I mpox cases in Europe - around 30 - were all imported or had clear links to these imported cases.

Richard Angell OBE, chief executive of the Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "With Winter Pride season soon upon us across Europe, those travelling to these events would be wise to get vaccinated, at least once, if not twice."

Most people will be offered two doses, usually at least 28 days apart.

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The prime minister has said Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has "questions to answer", after one of his MPs complained about adverts being "full" of black and Asian people.

Sir Keir Starmer told the BBC the comments were "shocking racism" and "the sort of thing that'll tear our country apart".

"It tells you everything about Reform," he said, adding that Farage "can't even call out racism".

Sarah Pochin has apologised for her remarks, saying they were "phrased poorly" but maintained that many adverts were "unrepresentative of British society".

Labour chairwoman Anna Turley has written to Farage to ask if he endorses Pochin's comments and whether he will withdraw the Reform UK whip from her - meaning she would sit as an independent MP.

Asked if Pochin was racist to say what she did, Sir Keir told BBC North West Tonight: "Yes, she was. It's shocking racism and it's the sort of thing that'll tear our country apart. And it tells you everything about Reform.

"Nigel Farage has some questions to answer. Because either he doesn't consider it racist, which in my view is shocking in itself, or he does think it's racist and he's shown absolutely no leadership."

On Sunday cabinet ministers Wes Streeting and David Lammy also branded Pochin's comments racist in interviews.

Farage has not yet responded to the row but is due to give a press conference later on the national grooming gangs inquiry, where he is expected to be asked about Pochin.

Pochin was speaking during a TalkTV phone-in on Saturday, when she said she agreed with a caller on who complained about the "demographics" of advertising.

The Runcorn and Helsby MP said the viewer was "absolutely right" and "it drives me mad when I see adverts full of black people, full of Asian people".

She said that it did not reflect society and "your average white person" is "not represented anymore".

In a social media post later on Saturday, Pochin said her comments "were phrased poorly and I unreservedly apologise for any offence caused, which was not my intention".

"The point I was making is that many British TV adverts have gone DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] mad and are now unrepresentative of British society as a whole," she said.

She cited a Channel 4 study which found that the proportion of adverts featuring black people jumped after the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, from 37% in 2020 to 51% in 2022.

"Representation should reflect the diversity of modern Britain, but it should also be proportionate and inclusive of everyone," she added.

Pochin was backed by Reform UK's head of policy, Zia Yusuf, who told Sky News on Sunday that she was "right to apologise" but was raising "a very valid point we must be able to talk about".

The Liberal Democrats have also called on Farage to suspend Pochin from the party, while urging the government and the Conservatives to back a parliamentary motion rebuking the MP for her "racist and inexcusable remarks".

The party's home affairs spokesman Max Wilkinson said: "Sarah Pochin's remarks were blatantly racist.

"Decent MPs from across party lines should now come together to condemn this disgraceful behaviour and show the public that this will never be tolerated by Parliament."

He also accused Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp of being "spineless" for "failing to immediately call out Pochin's racist remarks for what they were".

Asked about her comments on Sunday, Philp told the BBC: "It's certainly not language that I would use and I don't think politicians should speak in those terms."

He later told LBC the way Ms Pochin made her comments was "racist", adding: "She should absolutely not have said that. It was completely wrong."

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People in Jamaica are bracing for the impact of Hurricane Melissa, which is forecast to unleash destructive winds and bring catastrophic flooding to the Caribbean nation in the coming hours.

Melissa was upgraded to a category five hurricane - the maximum strength - early on Monday, the US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

The authorities fear that Melissa, which has already been blamed for the deaths of four people on the island of Hispaniola, could become the strongest hurricane ever to hit Jamaica.

The Jamaican government has ordered evacuations for parts of the capital, Kingston, and the entire island has been classed as "threatened".

An update from the NHC at 09:00GMT said that Melissa was about 130 miles (209km) south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica.

It has maximum sustained wind speeds of 160mph (260km/h) and could strengthen further in the next 12 to 24 hours, forecasters warned.

If it continues on the forecasted track, its core is expected "to move near or over Jamaica tonight and Tuesday, across south-eastern Cuba Tuesday night, and across the south-eastern Bahamas on Wednesday".

The storm is particularly slow moving, which makes it very dangerous in terms of expected rainfall amounts.

According to the NHC, 40 inches of rain (100cm) are possible in parts of Jamaica over the next four days.

Forecasters warn that destructive winds and life-threatening storm surges are expected to hit Jamaica overnight or early on Tuesday.

Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness has ordered the immediate evacuation of several vulnerable communities across the island.

Officials also urged residents in low-lying and flood-prone areas to seek shelter in safer areas.

Jamaica's Minister of Local Government, Desmond McKenzie, told local media that all of the island's 881 shelters were open.

At least three people are known to have died and hundreds of homes have been flooded in Haiti as Melissa brought torrential rainfall to the island of Hispaniola.

In the Dominican Republic, located on the eastern side of Hispaniola, one person also died.

Local media identified the victim as a 79-year-old man who had been swept away by floodwaters in the capital, Santo Domingo.

A 13-year-old has also been reported missing after being dragged away by strong currents as he was swimming in the sea.

Several people were rescued after being trapped in their cars by the rising floodwater.

Rachel Reeves is to meet ministers from Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Monday and Tuesday - the first UK chancellor to visit the Gulf in six years.

A series of two-way trade and investment deals are expected to be announced during her visit to the Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh, dubbed the "Davos in the Desert".

The government is keen to promote the UK as a stable and attractive place to do business for the countries that make up the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC).

Back in the UK, there are warnings the government's flagship Employment Rights Bill, giving workers new rights and protections on sick pay and unfair dismissal from their first day on the job, will deter job creation.

After meeting senior Saudi royals on Monday she will join dozens of UK and international CEOs on Tuesday during the FII event.

Following a trade deal with India, a tariff deal with the US and a closer reset with the EU, the chancellor is keen to press ahead with a trade deal with the GCC, which includes Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Reeves said: "Our number one priority is growth, so I am taking Britain's offer of stability, regulatory agility and world-class expertise directly to one of the world's most important trade and investment hubs, making that case in our national interest."

However, even by the government's own estimates, such a deal would add only £1.6bn a year to UK GDP, which is less than a tenth of 1%.

While the chancellor bangs the drum for Britain abroad, at home the workers' rights bill, which will be considered by the House of Lords on Tuesday, is facing criticism from unexpected quarters.

The Resolution Foundation, which has enjoyed the ear of the Labour Party for many years, has joined a chorus of business voices warning that conferring additional rights and protections around unfair dismissal and sick pay to employees from day one on the job would "inhibit hiring" at a time of rising workplace vacancies.

On Friday, 13 business groups, including the CBI, Make UK and the Federation of Small Business, wrote a letter urging support in the House of Lords for an amendment that would bring in the new rights after six months.

While the government has been praised in business circles for concluding trade deals, some say it has done a better job convincing foreign investors than reassuring UK businesses, many of which have been hit with a £25bn tax rise in the last budget and are fearful of potential further tax rises in her next one.

A university academic is to be awarded "substantial damages" after a court ruled the portrayal of him in a Steve Coogan film about the discovery of a Richard III's remains did have a defamatory meaning.

Richard Taylor sued the comedian, who wrote the film The Lost King, as well as his production company Baby Cow, and Pathe Production.

It was announced on Monday that Mr Taylor, who was unhappy about the way his character was portrayed, had been successful in his claim.

The film, which told the story of the search for the Plantagenet monarch under a Leicester council car park in 2012, will be changed and defamatory comments not repeated.

Mr Taylor launched High Court action claiming the film had made him appear "misogynistic" and "weasel-like".

Speaking to the BBC outside the Royal Courts of Justice following the court's decision, Mr Taylor said: "I'm really pleased that we have finally established that the film is a defamatory portrayal of me - baseless in its depiction of me and a distortion of the search for Richard III.

"And I don't let that detract from what was a fantastic piece of teamwork, a collaborative experience where university academics and amateurs came together to search for Richard III.

"But it's fantastic now, that we have established in court that The Lost King is a misleading, defamatory, untrue portrayal of what happened in Leicester back in back in 2012."

The Lost King focused on the role of historian Philippa Langley in the search, which involved archaeologists from the University of Leicester.

Mr Taylor was the deputy registrar of the University of Leicester at the time and was later played in the film by actor Lee Ingleby.

In June, Judge Jaron Lewis ruled the film portrayed Mr Taylor as having "knowingly misrepresented facts to the media and the public" about the discovery, and as being "smug, unduly dismissive and patronising", which could be defamatory.

The case was due to proceed to trial, but lawyers for Mr Taylor told a hearing on Monday that the parties had settled the claim.

'A real warning'

Daniel Jennings, defamation partner at Shakespeare Martineau, which represented Mr Taylor, described it as a "defamation David and Goliath moment".

He said: "Individuals often feel unable to speak up against large corporations and well-known personalities, but this win demonstrates that there is recourse when wrongs have been committed.

"We live in an era of documentaries, podcasts and very public investigative journalism and there's a growing trend for film and television productions to be labelled as 'true accounts' to grab audience attention and generate media buzz around new releases.

"Mr Taylor's win should act as a real warning for anything looking to use those tactics.

"The law is very clear and there are defined routes to compensation for individuals who find themselves misrepresented."

A joint statement from Pathe Productions, Baby Cow Productions and Steve Coogan added: "As a distributor and producer recognised for bringing complex, real-life stories to audiences, we are deeply aware of the responsibility that comes with such portrayals and approach each project with care, integrity, and a commitment to authenticity.

"We remain incredibly proud of this film and are pleased this matter has now been settled."

Follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.

A Romanian grooming gang led by a "winking, smirking pimp" have been jailed for raping and sexually abusing 10 women in flats across Dundee.

The four men and one woman plied their victims - aged between 16 and 30 - with drugs at various properties between 2021 and 2022.

Ringleader Marian Cumpanasoiu, 38, along with Remus Stan, 35, Cristian Urlateanu, 41, Catalin Dobre, 45, and Alexandra Bugonea, 35, were previously convicted of 30 charges at the High Court in Glasgow.

Cumpanasoiu was sentenced to 24 years, Urlateanu to 20 years, Stan to 12 years, Dobre to 10 years and Bugonea to eight years.

Judge Lord Scott told the gang they exacerbated the vulnerability of the young women.

He added: "I commend the women for taking back the control of their lives to the extent they have been able to do that."

The judge said it would be a matter for the Home Office but it was likely the gang would be deported on completion of their sentences.

Three gang members - Urlateanu, Dobre and Bugonea - fled the country but were traced and extradited back to Scotland from Belgium and the Czech Republic for their trial last December.

Jurors in the six-week trial heard harrowing testimony about how the gang preyed on the women, most of whom were already troubled by personal issues.

Cumpanasoiu was found guilty of 10 charges of rape, while Urlateanu was convicted of six rapes.

Compansiou was also convicted of a charge under the Human Trafficking Act, by forcing a woman into prostitution, and two charges of brothel keeping.

Stan was found guilty of four rapes and Dobre found guilty of two rapes.

Alexandra Bugonea was convicted of one rape and illegal sexual activity with another.

Police Scotland uncovered the gang's activities during an operation focusing on the trafficking of woman to Dundee from eastern Europe to work as prostitutes.

But officers discovered vulnerable local women were also being groomed with gifts and drugs, including crack cocaine.

Some members of the gang worked in legitimate jobs as food delivery drivers, but were also grooming a succession of young women from the local area.

The women were forced to have sex with the gang, and encouraged to recruit friends to come to the properties with the promise of drugs.

Victims were plied with whisky and crack cocaine as well as being made to take part in "sex games".

The gang was led by Cumpanasoiu, who was described as a "winking, smirking pimp" who behaved with a "predatory nature" towards women.

Following the sentencing, the Crown Office released mobile phone footage of Cumpanasoiu in his car singing along to the 50 Cent song P.I.M.P.

One of the victims was forced into prostitution after Cumpanasoiu and Stan set up a profile of her on a website and drove her to meet men to have sex with.

This victim was said to have been sold a "pipe dream" of how she could make "lots of money" from selling her body.

But Cumpanasoiu was said to be angry at one stage at her not earning enough.

A video was found on his phone recording the victim climbing a tree.

Cumpanasoiu was said to have threatened: "Because you do not make money, you stay all day in the tree."

He and Stan also raped the woman.

Gang ringleader 'absolutely relentless'

Cumpanasoiu was described by one victim as "absolutely relentless" and another was left feeling "disgusted" by him.

Cumpanasoiu claimed he only gave another of the young women crack cocaine to be "polite".

Alexandra Bugonea, who was a prostitute in Dundee, admitted having "sex parties" at her flat and described them as having a "fun atmosphere".

But one victim described seeing Bugonea semi-naked and teaming up with her then-boyfriend Cristian Urlateanu to rape.

Quizzed about sexually assaulting any of the victims, Bugonea said: "I am a woman - why would I have a plan to rape her?"

She also denied women only visited due to their drug issues, claiming she believed they were "friends".

There was also testimony of how Urlateanu, Stan and Dobre raped another woman.

Ten people accused of sexist cyber-bullying of the French president's wife, Brigitte Macron, are due to go on trial this week in Paris.

The defendants are accused of spreading unsubstantiated claims over her gender and sexuality, as well as making "malicious remarks" about the 24-year age gap between Brigitte and her husband, Emmanuel Macron.

If found guilty, the defendants face up to two years' imprisonment.

Among the ten people due to appear in the dock on Monday and Tuesday are an elected official, a gallery owner and a teacher, according to French media.

Two of them - self-styled independent journalist Natacha Rey and internet fortune-teller Amandine Roy – were found guilty of slander last year for claiming that France's first lady had never existed, and that her brother Jean-Michel Trogneux had changed gender and started using her name.

But a court of appeals later acquitted Rey and Roy on the grounds that their statements did not constitute defamation. Mrs Macron and her brother are appealing the decision.

A conspiracy theory centred around the notion that Brigitte Macron is a transgender woman has been swirling since her husband won a first term in office in 2017.

The unsubstantiated claims over Mrs Macron's gender have been gaining ground in the US, mostly promoted by right-wing influencer Candace Owens.

Last July the Macrons filed a lawsuit against Owens, alleging that she "disregarded all credible evidence disproving her claim in favour of platforming known conspiracy theorists and proven defamers".

Speaking to the BBC's Fame Under Fire podcast, the Macrons' lawyer in the case, Tom Clare, said that Brigitte Macron had found the claims "incredibly upsetting" and they were a "distraction" to the French president.

"It is incredibly upsetting to think that you have to go and subject yourself, to put this type of proof forward," he said.

Emmanuel Macron has said pursuing legal action against Owens was about "defending his honour" and that the influencer had peddled false information "with the aim of causing harm, in the service of an ideology and with established connections to far-right leaders."

Mrs Macron first met her now-husband when she was a teacher at his secondary school.

The couple ended up marrying in 2007, when Mr Macron was 29 and Mrs Macron was 54.

A university academic is to be awarded "substantial damages" after a court ruled the portrayal of him in a Steve Coogan film about the discovery of a Richard III's remains did have a defamatory meaning.

Richard Taylor sued the comedian, who wrote the film The Lost King, as well as his production company Baby Cow, and Pathe Production.

It was announced on Monday that Mr Taylor, who was unhappy about the way his character was portrayed, had been successful in his claim.

The film, which told the story of the search for the Plantagenet monarch under a Leicester council car park in 2012, will be changed and defamatory comments not repeated.

Mr Taylor launched High Court action claiming the film had made him appear "misogynistic" and "weasel-like".

Speaking to the BBC outside the Royal Courts of Justice following the court's decision, Mr Taylor said: "I'm really pleased that we have finally established that the film is a defamatory portrayal of me - baseless in its depiction of me and a distortion of the search for Richard III.

"And I don't let that detract from what was a fantastic piece of teamwork, a collaborative experience where university academics and amateurs came together to search for Richard III.

"But it's fantastic now, that we have established in court that The Lost King is a misleading, defamatory, untrue portrayal of what happened in Leicester back in back in 2012."

The Lost King focused on the role of historian Philippa Langley in the search, which involved archaeologists from the University of Leicester.

Mr Taylor was the deputy registrar of the University of Leicester at the time and was later played in the film by actor Lee Ingleby.

In June, Judge Jaron Lewis ruled the film portrayed Mr Taylor as having "knowingly misrepresented facts to the media and the public" about the discovery, and as being "smug, unduly dismissive and patronising", which could be defamatory.

The case was due to proceed to trial, but lawyers for Mr Taylor told a hearing on Monday that the parties had settled the claim.

'A real warning'

Daniel Jennings, defamation partner at Shakespeare Martineau, which represented Mr Taylor, described it as a "defamation David and Goliath moment".

He said: "Individuals often feel unable to speak up against large corporations and well-known personalities, but this win demonstrates that there is recourse when wrongs have been committed.

"We live in an era of documentaries, podcasts and very public investigative journalism and there's a growing trend for film and television productions to be labelled as 'true accounts' to grab audience attention and generate media buzz around new releases.

"Mr Taylor's win should act as a real warning for anything looking to use those tactics.

"The law is very clear and there are defined routes to compensation for individuals who find themselves misrepresented."

A joint statement from Pathe Productions, Baby Cow Productions and Steve Coogan added: "As a distributor and producer recognised for bringing complex, real-life stories to audiences, we are deeply aware of the responsibility that comes with such portrayals and approach each project with care, integrity, and a commitment to authenticity.

"We remain incredibly proud of this film and are pleased this matter has now been settled."

Follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.

King Charles III will unveil a memorial to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender military personnel at his first official engagement in support of the LGBT+ community.

It was illegal to be gay in the British military until 2000, and those who were gay - or were perceived to be - faced intrusive investigations, dismissal and in some cases imprisonment.

The memorial, named "the open letter", is dedicated to people from the LGBT+ community now serving in the forces, as well as to mark the suffering of those who served under the ban.

Affected veterans say the monument signifies "closure" after decades of campaigning first to change the law, and then to push the government to make reparations.

The bronze sculpture, designed by Norfolk-based artist collective Abraxas Academy, will be officially unveiled today at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, the UK's national remembrance site.

It resembles a crumpled piece of paper containing words from personal letters which were used as evidence to incriminate people.

The LGBT+ Veterans Memorial is one of 49 recommendations made by The Etherton Review, an independent report commissioned by government which looked at the treatment of LGBT+ veterans who served under the ban.

The report's author, the late Lord Etherton, said it gave "shocking" evidence of a homophobic culture, bullying, and sexual assaults endured by those who were pursued under the ban, including Pádraigín Ní Rághillíg.

Ms Rághillíg, 69, hadn't realised she was lesbian when she joined the Women's Royal Air Force in 1976, but began to understand her sexuality when she developed feelings for a female friend.

After divorcing her husband, she was posted to RAF Gibraltar where she worked as a telegraphist, a job which saw her work with morse code and given high level security clearance.

However, when a colleague saw her kissing a woman from the Women's Royal Navy (WRN) it signalled the end of nearly a decade of service.

She says she faced intrusive interrogations in which she was asked intimate questions about her sex life, was outed to friends and family, and lied to in an attempt to get her to give up the names of other gay personnel.

While waiting for repatriation back to the UK, Ms Rághillíg says she was sexually assaulted by a male colleague in an attempt to turn her straight.

She said: "He was touching my breasts and trying to put his hand down my trousers. He said: 'I'll sort you out'.

"Apparently there was some kind of sweepstake, some of the guys were betting on who could 'sort me out', which was terrifying."

Similar accounts of dozens of other LGBT+ veterans who were sexually assaulted after revealing their sexuality are well-documented in the Etherton Report.

Abraxas Academy, a collective of artists behind the LGBT+ Armed Forces Community Memorial, were chosen from over 35 submissions by a panel made up of current and former LGBT+ personnel and groups including the Royal British Legion.

Nina Bilbey, design lead for the monument, told the BBC it was "humbling" to be involved in such an emotive project.

She said: "They've waited so long for some kind of recognition, we didn't want to let them down."

For Ms Rághillíg, the memorial signals "closure" for the treatment she endured in the name of the ban, and will also help ensure the ban and its effects are remembered for future generations.

"Given another 20 or 30 years, none of us will be left, but the memorial will be there and that's really important," she said.

The memorial project was led by Fighting With Pride, an LGBT+ veterans support charity set up to campaign for justice and support those impacted by the ban.

Its chief executive, Peter Gibson said: "It's a deeply emotional moment, expressing in physical form that what happened to them should never have taken place."

Veterans impacted by the ban can apply for a financial redress payment of up to £70,000.

Mr Gibson said he hoped the memorial would encourage veterans who have not yet come forward to apply for reparations, or to get in touch with the charity for support.

"We know there are more veterans who suffered under the ban who are owed justice and reparations," he said.

Other measures already completed include pardons for criminal convictions, a special LGBT+ veterans ribbon for those affected by the ban and the return of medals and berets.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson told the BBC it "deeply regrets" the treatment of those impacted by the ban, and that what they experienced was "not reflective of today's values or the inclusive culture of our armed forces".

It added: "We commend the courage of those who have shared their experiences, and we remain dedicated to ensuring all personnel feel valued, respected, and able to thrive in our armed forces."

Singer Katy Perry and former Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau appear to have confirmed their relationship after being photographed holding hands at an event in Paris.

Celebrity news site TMZ published the photographs and video footage of the pair walking hand-in-hand before getting into a car. Trudeau is seen helping the singer into the back seat as photographers called out.

Neither Perry nor Trudeau have publicly commented on their relationship. But speculation has been growing for weeks with multiple pictures of the two together.

Trudeau was seen attending Perry's concert earlier this year, fuelling rumours of a romance with the pop star.

The appearance in Paris coincided with Perry's 41st birthday over the weekend and appeared to mark their first public outing as a couple.

Representatives for Perry and Trudeau's Liberal party did not immediately respond to the BBC's request for comment.

During a recent tour in London, Perry did appear to allude to her relationship status.

After a fan proposed to her from the audience during a performance, the singer joked: "I wish you'd asked me 48 hours ago." This was just days after photographs of her and Trudeau were first published online.

Perry was previously in a long-term relationship with actor Orlando Bloom. The pair, who were together for a decade and share a daughter, separated over the summer.

Trudeau, who served as prime minister of Canada from 2015 to 2025, was previously married to Sophie Grégoire for 18 years before the couple split up in the summer of 2023. They share three children.

Kyle (not his real name) had been living in his three-bedroom house in Greater Manchester with his pregnant wife and two children for a few weeks when he first noticed the mould in the bedroom.

He wiped it away but when it returned quickly, he realised there was a serious problem.

"It spread through the bedrooms and all through the walls,” he recalls. “Plug sockets used to blow because the water had gotten into them.”

Clothes, toys, beds and televisions had to be thrown away.

The family ended up sleeping on the living room floor, Kyle recalls - even after his wife returned from hospital with their newborn after giving birth.

The landlord painted over the mould but failed to tackle the underlying problem, he claims.

Kyle, an admin worker, and his family had rented the property on the private market, but after seven months they moved out and now live in temporary accommodation.

“It was a nightmare. I didn't know what to do - I just felt like crying most of the time."

In Britain, problems with damp and mould are widespread. In all, 1.3 million dwellings in England - 5% of the total - had damp problems in one or more rooms in 2023-4, according to government figures released earlier this year.

Concerningly, more than a million children lived in damp households.

This is the case despite widespread public shock after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old boy from Rochdale, died from a respiratory condition caused by exposure to mould in 2020.

Awaab's father Faisal Abdullah had repeatedly raised the issue with the flat with Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH). "They don't do anything for you - it's really devastating," he says.

"How - in the UK in 2020 - does a two-year-old child die from exposure to mould in his home?" Coroner Joanne Kearsley asked during the inquest.

Crucially, she asked the government to take action to prevent future deaths.

Now, five years on from Awaab’s death, the Coroner’s question prompts another.

That is: why - even now having seen the devastating consequences for that two-year-old boy - does mould remain a scourge in so many homes? And is enough being done in the UK to change that?

Awaab’s law and its limits

New legislation, designed to protect renters from hazards in their homes, was passed in July 2023 and is due to come in to effect this month. It’s known as Awaab’s law.

From 27 October, social landlords in England will be forced to fix damp and mould within strict timescales. Hazards like damp and mould must be inspected within 10 working days, and made safe within five, after the inspection.

More serious issues such as gas leaks, broken boilers - or when damp or mould are affecting a tenant's health - will need to be looked at within 24 hours.

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If social landlords can't meet those deadlines, they will be obliged to offer alternative accommodation. And if they fail, tenants can take legal action against for breach of contract. They can also make a claim via a complaints procedure.

But for now, this legislation only applies to the social rented sector (such as council housing or homes rented from housing associations) - and not the 4.6 million households in England who rent privately - like Kyle and his family.

Though the government says it will be extended to the private rented sector, it has not yet set a date.

And so, while some have welcomed Awaab's law, other campaigners ask how effective it really will be, given the limitations.

Damp, mould and asthma

Hannah is a respiratory nurse in the North East of England - her patients have asthma flare ups, chest infections and other sorts of respiratory issues that lead to hospital admissions. In her view, asthma cases linked to mouldy homes are all too familiar.

"I work in fairly deprived areas and see a high number of patients whose symptoms are made worse, or even caused, by damp and mould in their homes," she says.

"We see the consequences every single day."

People living with mould are indeed more likely to suffer from respiratory illnesses, infections, allergies and asthma.

NHS England spent an estimated £1.4bn every year treating illnesses associated with living in cold or damp housing, according to a 2021 report from building research body BRE.

The figures also verify that it’s an issue disproportionately affecting the less well-off: of the one million children living in damp properties, almost half (482,000) had a relatively low income.

Retirees are affected too - some 324,000 people were aged 65 or older.

And Awaab Ishak's death is a stark reminder of what's at stake.

Years of complaints: ‘Nothing was done’

Awaab had consistently suffered from cold and respiratory issues throughout his short life. After becoming short of breath, he went into respiratory and cardiac arrest and died in December 2020.

He was just two years old.

Christian Weaver, a barrister who represented Awaab Ishak's family during the inquest, describes the case as an "eye-opener" - in particular, hearing how persistently the family had tried to get help.

"They'd made complaints for years, an NHS health visitor had written to Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, and even someone from the landlord's own team had visited the property - but nothing was done."

The Manchester North senior coroner said ventilation in the one-bedroom flat in which he lived had not been effective.

"This was a direct contributing factor in the development of the mould," Ms Kearsley said.

In response, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing says: "The most important thing to us is our customers live in safe, warm and comfortable homes.

”Over the last 18 months our teams have been working hard to ensure we are ready for the introduction of Awaab's Law, and we have reviewed and improved all our work processes and practices.

"We continue to urge all our customers to report any potential issue with damp, mould or condensation in their homes to us as soon as they can, so we can act quickly to investigate and resolve any issues."

RBH also says it is "already planning ahead for the expansion of the scope of Awaab's Law, beyond mould and damp, over the next two years".

’A national epidemic’

Mould will only grow if it is given moisture, nutrients and warmth - and so there are certain things tenants can do to help stop or slow the spread.

Not clothes inside, for instance, opening windows and not putting the heat on too high, explains Riina Rautemaa-Richardson, an expert in fungal infectious diseases at Manchester University.

But poor ventilation can also be caused by structural problems like roof leaks or poor drainage, she says - and landlords have a responsibility to address these root causes.

Tackling the problem also requires something bigger too, many experts believe - that is, addressing underlying problems with the nation's housing stock.

"There is a national epidemic of damp and mould cases which has prevailed for many years," says Michael Parrett, a buildings pathology specialist.

The underlying problem, he believes, is that "dampness in buildings is misdiagnosed and at worst misunderstood".

Is the new law enough?

Housing Secretary Steve Reed believes the new law changes, which passed when the previous Conservative government was in office, will help.

"[It] will give tenants a stronger voice and force landlords to act urgently when lives are at risk, ensuring such tragedies are never repeated."

But some housing campaigners want firmer commitments around when Awaab's Law will extent to the private sector.

"We've heard nothing from the government about when it will apply to private renters," says Tom Darling, director of Renters Reform Coalition.

“That needs to happen urgently, and the protections be watertight."

The government is expected to set out how it will apply to the private rented sector soon - they say they want to make it "fair, proportionate and effective for both tenants and landlords".

They will also need to decide whether small private landlords should be expected to respond as quickly as the likes of large social landlords.

But certain official figures suggest that it it’s private rental tenants who need the most protection.

According to the English Housing Survey, these homes are less likely to meet a "decent standard" than those that are socially owned.

In 2023, 3.8 million dwellings failed to meet this standard. Private rented dwellings were most likely to be classed as non-decent - in all 21% were.

People who rent part of their property from a social landlord under a shared ownership scheme will not be protected however.

Nonetheless, some welcome the new legislation as a step in the right direction.

Richard Blakeway, the housing ombudsman, says Awaab's Law is a "vital way to improve housing conditions and strengthen residents' rights".

Landlords being set up to fail?

The changes will be implemented in phases, along with rules around other hazards, such as structural and electrical issues. But some warn that this all could end up putting the onus on landlords rather than tackling the root causes with the nation's housing stock.

"What it's going to do is put landlords under extreme pressure", says Michael Parrett. "They are stretched already. I think in some cases it will set up landlords to fail."

With councils and housing associations having to do repairs with such quick turnarounds, it will have a knock-on effect on the budgets of councils too, some of which are already on the brink of bankruptcy.

Cllr Tom Hunt of the Local Government Association argued: "Councils need sufficient funding to mitigate the existing pressures on housing stock so that they can put these new measures in place swiftly.”

Meanwhile Alistair Smyth, director of policy and research at the National Housing Federation (NHF), says that whilst NHF supports the principles of Awaab's law, it will be a "challenge" for its members to comply with.

But for those affected, including Awaab’s family, however, the most important thing is to bring an end to the mould problems - and end the risk of further fatalities. And fast, given how long this debate has already stretched on.

“A lot of people, they're not going go through the same [that] I went through,“ says Awaab’s father.

"What's truly heart-breaking is these are preventable deaths," adds Hannah, the nurse.

"We like to think we're forward-thinking in public health, but… there’s a huge gap between the policy and the reality.

“We’ve really let people down.”

BBC InDepth is the home on the website and app for the best analysis, with fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions and deep reporting on the biggest issues of the day. You can now sign up for notifications that will alert you whenever an InDepth story is published - click here to find out how.

A former Commander in the Royal Navy has spoken about how he had to hide his sexuality during the military's "gay ban", as a memorial is unveiled at the National Memorial Arboretum in honour of him and his LGBT+ colleagues.

"I had to make up girlfriends and take female friends to functions just to have a cover story in place", said Roly Woods, who served in the Navy for 46 years.

Commander Woods, who lives in Hove, East Sussex, joined the Navy in 1978 and had to hide his sexuality until the Armed Forces' ban on homosexuality was lifted in January 2000.

A bronze sculpture, named An Opened Letter, is being unveiled by King Charles III at the UK's national remembrance site in Staffordshire on Monday.

The sculpture is the latest work of charity Fighting With Pride, which campaigns to give voice to veterans impacted by the ban.

"Even when I was in Exeter with my then partner, I would have two different routes for nights out," said Commander Woods.

"When my Navy pals came, I had my straight route. When I was out with gay friends it was another route. I just had to hope the two groups never met.

"One of the biggest issues was you couldn't be out to your close military friends - not because they would out you to the authorities, but because you didn't want to put them in the position of having to decide.

"If they didn't report you they'd be culpable themselves. It was a real negative and toxic atmosphere to work in."

Commander Woods, 67, is part of the Fighting With Pride charity, which was started by veterans from the LGBT+ community in 2020.

Part of its work is helping make LGBT+ veterans aware of the Financial Recognition Scheme, a payment for those who were negatively affected by the ban on openly gay and bisexual people serving in the military.

Before the ban ended, people were subjected to interrogations, medical examinations, dismissal, loss of medals and other severe consequences including imprisonment.

Commander Woods came out to his senior Navy captain in 2003. He continued to serve until retiring in December last year.

"My captain turned out to be a real hero for me," he said.

"I'm used to operational stress on a ship but struggled with the emotional side [from a break up]. He astutely put it, saying 'operational stress is different from emotional stress'.

"I decided I need to grip this and bring people into my fold. I came out to people over the next year.

"Things have changed fundamentally in the Forces. It took a few years. One of the watershed moments I think was in 2006 - I was in charge of the military contingent for London Pride.

"We didn't know how it would go down with the crowds, if we'd get eggs and tomatoes thrown at us. But it was a resounding success, there was this massive roar from the crowd."

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Prison governors in England and Wales will need to provide assurance that enhanced checks have been carried out when inmates are released from Monday.

The government has introduced the new mandatory procedures after a migrant was mistakenly released from HMP Chelmsford on Friday and then re-arrested.

Senior prison staff have told the BBC that the new checks will only add to their workload and put more pressure on a system that is already struggling to cope.

Justice Secretary David Lammy will outline the shape of an independent inquiry in Parliament on Monday into how asylum seeker Hadush Kebatu was mistakenly released.

A prison officer has been suspended pending investigation but a senior prison staffer told BBC News the release was "down to a series of mistakes probably because staff are overworked and in short supply".

Kebatu was arrested in the Finsbury Park area of north London at 08:30 GMT on Sunday, bringing an end to a 48-hour manhunt that began after he was let go in error from prison.

Kebatu, who was sentenced last month for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Epping while living in an asylum hotel, was due to be deported when he was mistakenly set free by prison staff.

His initial arrest in July sparked protests outside The Bell Hotel in Epping, where he had been living since arriving in the UK on a small boat.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said an investigation was already under way, adding: "We must make sure this doesn't happen again."

Kebatu is due to be deported later this week, Lammy has said.

A report from His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service said 262 prisoners in England and Wales were released in error between April 2024 and March 2025, up from 115 in the previous 12 months.

Asked why figures for wrongful releases were rising, Lammy, who is also deputy prime minister, said the Labour government "inherited a system that was collapsing [from the Conservatives]".

Health Secretary Wes Streeting told the BBC on Sunday that the arrest was a "huge relief" and said Kebatu will "now be deported".

He added: "The justice secretary has ordered an investigation into how on earth it was that a dangerous man who was due for deportation was instead released onto our streets.

"That work is under way, we will be open and transparent with the public about what went wrong and what we're going to do about it."

He had earlier said the Prison Service was under enormous pressure "but even against that backdrop it doesn't explain or excuse the release of people on our streets who have no business being there".

Former Conservative Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said an inquiry was necessary in order "to learn lessons", and suggested the incident was symptomatic of wider problems with the prison system.

He told BBC Breakfast on Sunday: "The entire annual budget of the Ministry of Justice is spent by the Department for Work and Pensions in two weeks.

"My constant plea is to try to ensure the prison service gets the resources it requires to ensure we are recruiting and retaining people with skills and experience to make sure these problems don't happen."

The Liberal Democrat MP for Chelmsford, Marie Goldman, said Kebatu "must now be deported" and also pushed for a national inquiry.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said the incident showed that the UK's "once-trusted institutions", including the police and prisons, were "disintegrating before our eyes".

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Offshore energy firm Petrofac has filed for administration.

The energy services provider, which employs about 2,000 people in Scotland, said its North Sea business would continue to operate as normal.

In a statement, the group said it had applied to appoint administrators for its holding company, but that alternative restructuring options were being explored.

It added that administrators would work to "preserve value, operational capability and ongoing delivery".

The decision comes after Dutch grid operator TenneT terminated a major offshore wind contract with Petrofac.

The firm, which has UK offices in Aberdeen, London, Woking and Greater Yarmouth, said further information on the administration process would be provided in due course.

Founded in Texas in 1981, Petrofac had been undergoing a financial restructuring over the past year.