Jaysley Beck was found dead in her barracks at Larkhill in Wiltshire on 15 December 2021
An ex-Army sergeant major has been jailed for six months for sexually assaulting a 19-year-old soldier who later took her own life.
Warrant Officer Michael Webber, 43, pinned down Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck and tried to kiss her in July 2021. She was found dead five months later in her barracks at Larkhill, Wiltshire.
Webber, who was sentenced at the Court Martial Centre in Wiltshire earlier, will be placed in a civilian prison and on the sex offenders register for seven years.
Gunner Beck's mother Leighann Mcready said: "What he [Webber] did, and how the Army failed to protect our daughter afterwards, cost Jaysley her life."
The Army said it did not listen to Gunner Beck when she reported the assault and has apologised for its handling of her complaint.
Ms McCready said her daughter should have been sitting with her family in court today, "to see the person she reported held accountable for what he did".
"Instead, we stand here without her, living a life sentence that no family should ever have to face," she added.
"She followed the rules, but those responsible didn't follow theirs. Those failures destroyed our daughter completely. "
PA
Gunner Beck's mum, Leighann McCready, said her daughter felt 'powerless and betrayed'
During sentencing, Judge Advocate General Alan Large said: "We have to consider whether it can be dealt with in another way. We do not consider it can.
"We are satisfied the seriousness of the offence means it can only be dealt with by immediate custody."
Major General Jon Swift, assistant chief of the General Staff, said: "Following Jaysley's inquest, work is going on to bring change - so staff can bring forward complaints knowing they'll be dealt with."
Speaking outside court after the sentencing, Ms McCready said the Army spoke about lessons learned but that she was "still waiting to see any real change".
"I stand here as a bereaved mother fighting for real change now, not hollow promises or recycled words that have already failed my daughter and continue to fail others.
"Our soldiers deserve a system they can trust, one that protects them, believes them, and values their lives above its own reputation.
"We can't bring our daughter back, but I'll keep fighting to make sure her life leads to change that helps.... and hopefully saves others."
'Powerless and betrayed'
In a statement read out to the court earlier, Ms McCready, said her daughter felt "powerless and betrayed".
"She had just turned 19 and will always be a teenager full of life and laughter," she said.
"She trusted people to protect her and after what he did, the trust was gone. She was very upset and scared of Michael Webber. She chose to lock herself in her car instead of the hotel.
"I saw the change before my own eyes. She felt powerless and betrayed. That assault shattered her faith in the set-up that was supposed to look after her."
Gunner Beck, who was originally from Oxen Park in Cumbria, had filed a complaint against Webber following the incident, despite attempts by superiors to persuade her not to.
An inquest into her death found the Army's handling of the complaint played "more than a minimal contributory part in her death".
Waited for moment 'to be alone'
The court was told that the incident took place during an adventure training exercise at Thorney Island, near Emsworth in Hampshire, in July 2021.
Webber, a Sergeant Major at the time, made a sexual advance towards Gunner Beck following an evening of drinking while on deployment for a training exercise.
Judge Large told Webber: "She had the courage and good sense to tell you to stop and told you to go to bed, but you persisted to the extent she considered she wouldn't be safe from you even if she went back to her own accommodation."
He continued: "The next morning, she reported the incident to her family, her friends and her chain of command.
"Following the report, the unit decided to deal with you with minor administrative action.
"You were interviewed and you accepted your behaviour had been unacceptable. You wrote a letter of apology.
"Your career continued completely unaffected and you were in due course promoted to Warrant Officer 1."
At the inquest into Gunner Beck's death, the coroner said Capt James Hook put pressure on Gunner Beck to drop the allegations, and only reported it to a higher command "when the cat was already out of the bag".
At the time, Webber was given a "minor administrative action interview" with no further consequences.
The inquest was also told that just weeks after the assault Gunner Beck had also been subjected to "relentless harassment" by another soldier.
Bombardier Ryan Mason, her line manager, sent her more than 4,600 text messages confessing his feelings for her, along with a 15-page "love story" detailing his "fantasies about her".
Family handout
An inquest into Gunner Beck's death found the Army's handling of her complaint played "more than a minimal contributory part in her death"
The Ministry of Defence has said that "unacceptable and criminal behaviour has absolutely no place" in the Armed Forces.
The Army introduced the Defence Serious Crime Command (DSCC) in 2022, the year after Jaysley died, as part of a major reform of the UK military's justice system.
The MoD added: "The Defence Serious Crime Command assures all serving personnel that any reporting of a serious crime will be investigated independently from their chain of command and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
"This includes the Violence against Women and Girls Taskforce and our Victim and Witness Care Unit, which provides independent support to victims."
Additional reporting by Bea Swallow, Dawn Limbu and Clara Bullock
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, help and support is available on the BBC Action Line.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan took office in 2021 after the death of her predecessor and this is her first presidential election
Protesters have taken to the streets in Tanzania for a third day, defying warnings from the country's army chief to end the unrest.
Demonstrations have been taking place in major cities with young protesters denouncing Wednesday's election as unfair as key opposition figures were excluded from contesting against President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
An internet shutdown remains in place, making it difficult to confirm reports of deaths, and the authorities have extended a curfew in a bid to quell the protests.
The UN has called on the East African nation's security forces to refrain from using unnecessary or disproportionate force.
"We are alarmed by the deaths and injuries that have occurred in the ongoing election-related protests in Tanzania. Reports we have received indicate that at least 10 people were killed," Reuters quoted the UN human rights spokesperson Seif Magango as saying, citing "credible sources".
Amnesty International in Kenya told the BBC that with communications down in neighbouring Tanzania the rights group was not able to confirm reports of deaths.
Hospitals in the country are refusing to give information to journalists or human rights groups when asked about causalities.
The government has sought to play down the scale of the violence.
The electoral commission has announced results from more than half of the country's total 100 constituencies, the state broadcaster, TBC, shows.
President Samia is expected to win the vote under the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, which has governed the country since independence in 1961.
Official results are expected on Saturday.
Tanzania's chief Muslim cleric - Sheikh Abubakar Zubeir bin Ally - has urged Muslims to perform Friday prayers at home amid fears of escalating violence.
On Thursday, army chief Gen Jacob John Mkunda ordered the protesters off the streets, saying the military would work with other security agencies to contain the situation.
"Some people went to the streets on 29 October and committed criminal acts. These are criminals and the criminal acts should be stopped immediately," Gen Mkunda said on state TV, adding that the army had "controlled the situation".
But the protesters have again taken to the streets of the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam.
On Tanzania's semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar - which elects its own government and leader - the CCM's Hussein Mwinyi, who is the incumbent president, has won with nearly 80% of the vote.
The opposition in Zanzibar said there had been "massive fraud", the AP news agency reported.
Tourists on the archipelago are also reported to be stranded at the airport, with flight delays because of the protests, which have been on the mainland.
The protesters accuse the government of undermining democracy, as the main opposition leader is in jail and another opposition figure was disqualified from the election, bolstering Samia's chances of winning.
Tundu Lissu, the main opposition leader, is in jail on treason charges, which he denies, and his party boycotted the vote.
The only other serious contender, Luhaga Mpina of the ACT-Wazalendo party, was disqualified on legal technicalities.
Sixteen fringe parties, none of whom have historically had significant public support, were cleared to contest the elections.
Samia took office in 2021 as Tanzania's first female president following the death of President John Magufuli.
She was initially praised for easing political repression, but the political space has since narrowed, with her government accused of targeting critics through arrests and a wave of abductions.
The estate is privately owned by the King - who is understood to be funding Andrew's new accommodation
Newly stripped of his "prince" title, Andrew is moving from his Windsor mansion, Royal Lodge, to the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, it is understood.
Formal notice was given to surrender the lease at the Royal Lodge on Thursday, and the move will take place as soon as possible.
The historic, sprawling estate covers approximately 20,000 acres (8,100 hectares) with 600 acres (242 hectares) of gardens, and is home to several properties.
The Palace has not yet said exactly where on the estate he will live - here is a look at some of the options.
Originally known as Bachelor's Cottage, York Cottage is about a quarter of a mile from the main house - where the Royal Family traditionally gather at Christmas.
It has its own set of stables and kennel buildings, according to Historic England, and overlooks one of two man-made lakes on the estate.
There were reports ahead of Prince Harry's marriage to the Duchess of Sussex that the pair might have been gifted the use of York Cottage by Elizabeth II for use as a country home, but no such plan was ever confirmed and the move never materialised.
It has reportedly been used as an office and accommodation for staff in recent years.
Park House
Alamy
The birthplace of Diana, Princess of Wales and her childhood home, Park House was rented by the Spencer family for many years.
In 1983 it was gifted to Leonard Cheshire, a disability charity, which used it to run a 16-bedroom hotel for the disabled, their carers and family.
The charity planned a £2.3m refurbishment before the pandemic hit, but announced in 2020 it would not go ahead with the proposal and said instead that it was working with the Sandringham estate to exit the lease.
Gardens House
Oliver's Travels
Gardens House was put on the market as a holiday let over the summer
Another option is the Gardens House, which was once the residence of the head gardener on the Sandringham estate.
The Edwardian house has six bedrooms and three bathrooms - and is one of two properties on the estate available to the general public as a holiday let.
It was put on the market in July at a weekly price of £4,110. It is not unusual for royal residences to rent out property to holidaymakers - with eight cottages and lodges available for hire at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
Wood Farm
Shutterstock
This is one option that is understood to have been ruled out.
The farmhouse, described as "small and intimate" by former housekeeper Teresa Thompson, has strong associations with 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.
Anmer Hall
Getty Images
Anmer Hall was gifted to the Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales as a wedding present by the late queen in 2013 - so this may be an unlikely choice.
They spend much of the school holidays in the 10-bedroom, Grade II*-listed house, which is about 2 miles (3km) east of the main Sandringham house.
The Georgian property dates back to about 1802, but some parts are much older - and it has formed part of the Sandringham estate since 1898.
Rob Jetten, 38, is now tipped to become the youngest prime minister in modern Dutch history
The Dutch centrist liberal party of Rob Jetten has won Wednesday's neck-and-neck election race, according to vote analysis indicating it cannot be beaten by anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders.
Jetten's D66 currently has a narrow lead of 15,000 votes over Wilders' Freedom Party, and Dutch news agency ANP says even though the vote count is not complete, Wilders can no longer win.
Projections from almost 99% of the vote put both parties on 26 seats in the 150-seat parliament - but ANP says Jetten's centrists could win a 27th seat.
Victory will mean Jetten will be able to start work on forming a coalition.
Wilders had led opinion polls going into Wednesday's election, but Rob Jetten, 38, succeeded in winning in some of the main Dutch cities including Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht with a positive campaign using a catchphrase of "Yes, we can".
He has been careful not to declare victory until all votes are in, but ANP said based on figures from the postal voters he could now be declared the winner.
Although his path to forming a coalition is not straightforward, he is tipped to become the youngest prime minister in modern Dutch history.
The second version of the solid gold loo is due to go under the hammer in November
A second solid gold toilet is to be auctioned off, after the first casting was stolen from Blenheim Palace in 2019.
America, created by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan, is a fully functional toilet, fashioned from more than 15st 13lb (101.2kg) of solid 18-karat gold.
The first version of the work was initially installed in a public bathroom at the Guggenheim museum in New York in 2016 but hit the news again three years later when a gang of thieves stole it from Blenheim in Oxfordshire.
Now, the existence of a second golden toilet has been revealed which is due to go under the hammer at Sotheby's in New York City on 18 November.
It is estimated more than more than a 100,000 people used the first toilet while it was at the Guggenheim before it was moved and exhibited at Blenheim Palace.
It was there that in the early hours of 14 September 2019, five men smashed their way in, ripped out the £4.8m solid gold installation and fled in a stolen Volkswagen Golf.
The heist and the trial that followed made news across the world.
James Sheen, 40, from Oxford, pleaded guilty to burglary and transferring criminal property in 2024. Michael Jones, 39, from Oxford, was found guilty of burglary in March. Both were both jailed earlier this year.
Fred Doe, 36, from Windsor, was also convicted of conspiracy to transfer criminal property and given a suspended sentence.
Sotheby's has revealed that Cattelan created three toilets in 2016, with work number two now up for sale.
The second version will be on display in a bathroom at New York's Breuer Building until it goes under the hammer.
The auction house described it as a "cultural phenomenon" and an "incisive commentary on the collision of artistic production and commodity value".
David Galperin, head of contemporary art at Sotheby's New York, said: "America is Maurizio Cattelan's tour de force."
"Holding both a proverbial and literal mirror to the art world, the work confronts the most uncomfortable questions about art, and the belief systems held sacred to the institutions of the market and the museum," Mr Galperin explained.
The auction house said that in a world first, the starting bid on the artwork would be determined by the exact price of its weight in gold when the sale begins.
That means, if sold at today's rate, bidding on the solid gold toilet would begin at around $10m (£7.6m).
Victims of the Horizon Post Office scandal could meet face-to-face with Fujitsu and Post Office representatives as part of a restorative justice effort.
The charity overseeing a new scheme said the first five months were an initial pilot phase, but it hoped the scheme would last five years and include extra initiatives such as a special commemorative postage stamp.
The Horizon IT scandal saw hundreds of sub-postmasters falsely accused of embezzling Post Office funds after faulty software suggested money was missing from their branch accounts.
More than 900 sub-postmasters were wrongly prosecuted because of incorrect information from the Horizon computer system.
Restorative justice is a process in the criminal justice system which brings the victims of an injustice and the people responsible together in a bid to repair harm caused.
The first face-to-face meetings under the scheme could take place as early as December, and also include representatives from the Department for Business and Trade.
However, the process is voluntary, so while victims can request to speak directly to specific individuals - for example the former boss of the Post Office, Paula Vennells - ex-executives are not obliged to take part.
The Post Office has already held some restorative meetings between sub-postmasters and its former chief executive, Nick Read.
But this would mark the first time representatives of Fujitsu, the company responsible for the faulty software at the heart of the scandal, have been involved in a restorative meeting with sub-postmasters affected.
Fujitsu representatives have met with Lost Chances, the group formed to campaign on behalf of the adult children of affected sub-postmasters.
Jim Simon, chief executive of the Restorative Justice Council, said the process was not just about addressing past harms, but also about "creating a safe and compassionate space for individuals to share their stories and begin their healing journeys".
The RJC held events with over a hundred victims to establish what they wanted to see from a restorative programme.
The initial phase will operate from now until March next year, and include a phone helpline and support service staffed by restorative justice practitioners.
A full formal programme is expected to be launched in April 2026.
The idea for a commemorative postage stamp was suggested by sub-postmasters, and could help raise funds for Lost Chances and educational initiatives related to the scandal.
Funding is provided by the government, the Post Office, which is state-owned, and Fujitsu.
Current Post Office chief executive Neil Brocklehurst, said it was time to "establish a lasting and meaningful restorative justice programme which is directly informed by the wishes of those who were harmed."
Paul Patterson, Fujitsu's chief executive for Europe, said the restorative process was an important step and that it would help ensure "lessons are learned".
"We deeply regret Fujitsu's role in sub-postmasters' suffering and recognise the profound impact it has had on them and their families," he said.
They had denied all charges of damaging an ancient protected monument and causing a public nuisance, after targeting Stonehenge as part of an ongoing fossil fuel protest by the direct action group.
The trio accepted taking part in the protest and cited in their defence "reasonable excuse" and their rights under Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights to freedom of speech and freedom to protest.
Ms Naidu, Ms Lynch and Mr Watson had been accused of using two colour blasters filled with cornflour, talc and an orange dye to spray the monument in a protest on 19 June 2024.
The court was told the trio targeted Stonehenge the day before last year's summer solstice where around 15,000 people were due to gather and celebrate.
Mr Watson had bought the equipment used in the attack and had borrowed his grandmother's petrol car to drive the co-accused to Stonehenge that morning.
The defendants argued that it was a "peaceful protest", that the rights of others were not "greatly interfered with", that care had been taken in choosing the type of powder to use.
There was no lasting damage to the stones and that protesting about fossil fuels was a legitimate cause.
Manchester synagogue attacker Jihad Al-Shamie died from multiple police gunshot wounds
The Manchester synagogue attacker was repeatedly shot after running "aggressively" towards armed police while carrying a knife and wearing what appeared to be a suicide belt, an inquest has heard.
Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, was shot minutes after launching his car and knife attack on Heaton Park synagogue in the city's Crumpsall area on 2 October.
Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, were killed, while another three men were hospitalised.
An inquest into Al-Shamie's death has been opened and adjourned at Manchester Coroner's Court.
The court heard he was identified by fingerprints and "secondary evidence" at the scene, including his mobile phone and car.
Inquests into the two victims, which opened on Wednesday, heard Mr Cravitz was stabbed while Mr Daulby died from a gunshot wound to the chest fired by police.
'Collapsed'
Al-Shamie, a Syrian-born UK citizen, began his rampage by driving his Kia Picanto at security staff and the external gates of the synagogue as worshippers were gathering for Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year for Jews.
He then tried to storm the synagogue, wearing a fake suicide belt, before being shot dead.
Det Ch Supt Lewis Hughes told the hearing that armed officers responding to the call "discharged several rounds" at Al-Shamie as "he ran towards them aggressively while carrying a knife and wearing what clearly presented as a suicide belt".
He added: "Al-Shamie sustained multiple bullet wounds and collapsed to the ground."
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor is expected to be dependent on his brother, King Charles III, for his home and money after being stripped of his "prince" title and asked to leave his mansion.
The King is understood to be funding Andrew's new accommodation himself and to be making "appropriate private provision" as he moves from Royal Lodge.
The Royal Family receives tens of millions of pounds each year from the Sovereign Grant and uses it to cover the cost of official duties, but this is not the King's only source of income.
Public funding for the Royal Household has tripled in real terms since 2012, official figures show. The Sovereign Grant was £31m per year when it was introduced in 2012.
A report by the House of Commons Library said much of the increase had been driven by the Buckingham Palace project.
A Palace spokesperson said: "It has always been anticipated that the level of the Sovereign Grant will drop once the project is completed."
How is the Sovereign Grant worked out?
Profits of the Crown Estate - a property business owned by the monarch but run independently - go to the Treasury.
The level of profit is used to calculate the funding given by the government to the Royal Family.
The Crown Estate had assets worth £15bn in 2023-24, with billions of pounds worth of properties in London, including Regent Street, as well as nearly half the land along the coast of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The estate is not the King's private property - it merely belongs to the monarch for the duration of their reign. The King cannot sell its assets or keep any profits for himself.
The Sovereign Grant was initially worth 15% of the Crown Estate profits generated two years previously. That increased to 25% in 2017-18, to help pay for the Buckingham Palace repairs, before reducing to 12% since 2024-25.
Under the Sovereign Grant Act 2011, if the Crown Estate's profits fall, the monarch still receives the same amount as the previous year, with the government making up the difference.
The UK government said that over the last 10 years, the revenue received from the Crown Estate was £5bn, which was used for public spending.
What is the Sovereign Grant spent on?
The King and other working members of the Royal Family use the money to pay for expenses related to their official duties.
The vast majority is spent on the upkeep of properties and staffing, but it also covers costs such as travel to royal engagements.
Members of the Royal Family carried out 1,900 engagements across the UK and abroad during 2024-25.
More than 93,000 guests attended 828 events at official Royal palaces, including receptions, award investitures and garden parties.
The King also receives money from a private estate called the Duchy of Lancaster, which is passed down from monarch to monarch.
It covers more than 18,000 hectares of land in areas such as Lancashire and Yorkshire, as well as property in central London.
At the end of March 2025, it was worth £679m and had made £24.4m in annual profits.
Whoever holds the title of Duke of Cornwall (currently the Prince of Wales) benefits from the Duchy of Cornwall.
It mainly covers land in south-west England. In the year to the end of March 2025 it had assets worth £1.1bn and had made annual profits of £22.9m.
The King and Prince William receive the profits from the duchies personally, and can spend them as they wish. However, they are not entitled to any proceeds from the sale of any estate assets, which must be reinvested.
Getty Images
Andrew will be relocated to a property on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk
The monarch also owns the royal palaces (which are not part of the Crown Estate) and part of the Royal Collection of art, but these do not generate income.
Some palaces are looked after and funded by the Royal Family itself. Others - such as the Tower of London - are managed by Historic Royal Palaces, an independent charity.
The Royal Collection is also run by a charity, the Royal Collection Trust, which reinvests income received from ticket sales and retail outlets.
The King also privately owns properties such as Balmoral and Sandringham.
It is understood Andrew will be relocated to the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, but details about his housing have not been released. The estate covers approximately 8,100 hectares with 242 hectares of gardens.
In addition, some Royal Family members have private art, jewellery and stamp collections which they can sell or use to generate income as they wish.
In 1992, Elizabeth II volunteered to pay income tax and capital gains tax on her personal income, and the King does the same.
The two duchies are exempt from corporation tax, but the King and Prince William voluntarily pay income tax on the revenue they generate. However, the amount of tax they pay is not made public.
They do not pay capital gains tax because they do not benefit personally from any increase in the duchies' assets.
Members of the Royal Family pay tax on any income generated from privately-owned assets.
King Charles does not have to pay inheritance tax on the money he received when the late queen died, under the "sovereign to sovereign" exemption agreed in 1993 by then Prime Minister John Major.
Getty Images
What about security and other costs?
The Sovereign Grant does not cover the Royal Family's security arrangements, which are usually paid for by the Metropolitan Police, although the cost is not disclosed.
The Coronation of the King cost taxpayers £72m, including £22m for policing.
Republic, a group campaigning for an elected head of state, have argued that factors such as security need to be included in the cost of the Royal Family.
The group claims that the total cost of the monarchy is about £510m per year.
At least 19 people have died in Jamaica as a result of Hurricane Melissa, Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon has said, as search and rescue efforts continue and authorities try to get aid to hard-hit areas.
The hurricane, one of the most powerful to strike the Caribbean, has also killed at least 30 people in Haiti, officials said.
In Jamaica, "there are entire communities that seem to be marooned and areas that seem to be flattened," Dixon said, adding there are "devastating" scenes in western regions.
Electricity remains out to most of the island and as people try to salvage damaged homes and belongings from floodwaters and mud, many thousands are growing increasingly desperate for aid.
There are parts of the country that have been without water for several days and food is growing increasingly scarce.
Aid supplies are starting to arrive more rapidly with the main airport in the Jamaican capital, Kingston, largely back to normal.
But smaller regional airports, some of which are located near to where humanitarian assistance is most needed, remain only partly operational.
As such, aid agencies and the military are bringing in the urgently needed supplies from Kingston via road, many of which remain unpassable in places.
Residents of towns in western Jamaica told the BBC on Thursday that "words can't explain how devastating" the storm has been on the country.
"No one is able to get through to their loved ones," Trevor 'Zyanigh' Whyte told the BBC from the town of White House in Westmoreland parish.
"Everyone is just, you know, completely disconnected... Every tree is on the road, right, so you can't get too far with the cars, not even a bicycle," he said.
In Haiti, many of the victims in the storm died when a river overflowed in Petit-Goave. A full assessment is ongoing, as there are still areas that authorities have not been able to access.
Around 15,000 people were staying in more than 120 shelters in Haiti, interim UN co-ordinator for the country Gregoire Goodstein said.
In Cuba, more than 3 million people were "exposed to life-threatening conditions" during the hurricane, with 735,000 people "safely evacuated", according to the UN's resident co-ordinator for Cuba Francisco Pichon.
No fatalities have been reported so far in Cuba, but almost 240 communities have been cut off due to flooding and landslides, Cuban authorities said.
Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Tuesday in Jamaica as a category five storm, packing winds of up to 185 mph (295 km/h), before impacting other countries in the Caribbean.
Governments, humanitarian organisations and individuals around the world are pledging support for the nations hardest hit by the storm.
The World Food Programme said it is collaborating with partners to coordinate logistics, cash and emergency supplies across Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
The US State Department said it is deploying a disaster response team to the region to help with search and rescue operations, and assisting in efforts to provide food, water, medical supplies, hygiene kits and temporary shelters.
The UK government said it is sending £2.5m ($3.36m) in emergency humanitarian funding to support recovery in the Caribbean.
While Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti assessed the damage left in Melissa's wake, Bermuda braced for impact.
The Bermuda Weather Service expected Melissa to be a category two hurricane when it passed the British overseas territory on Thursday night.
Government offices in Bermuda will close until Friday afternoon and all schools will shut on Friday.
"Until the official 'All Clear' is issued, residents are urged to stay off the roads so Government work crews can safely assess and clear debris," a public alert from the government said.
The second version of the solid gold loo is due to go under the hammer in November
A second solid gold toilet is to be auctioned off, after the first casting was stolen from Blenheim Palace in 2019.
America, created by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan, is a fully functional toilet, fashioned from more than 15st 13lb (101.2kg) of solid 18-karat gold.
The first version of the work was initially installed in a public bathroom at the Guggenheim museum in New York in 2016 but hit the news again three years later when a gang of thieves stole it from Blenheim in Oxfordshire.
Now, the existence of a second golden toilet has been revealed which is due to go under the hammer at Sotheby's in New York City on 18 November.
It is estimated more than more than a 100,000 people used the first toilet while it was at the Guggenheim before it was moved and exhibited at Blenheim Palace.
It was there that in the early hours of 14 September 2019, five men smashed their way in, ripped out the £4.8m solid gold installation and fled in a stolen Volkswagen Golf.
The heist and the trial that followed made news across the world.
James Sheen, 40, from Oxford, pleaded guilty to burglary and transferring criminal property in 2024. Michael Jones, 39, from Oxford, was found guilty of burglary in March. Both were both jailed earlier this year.
Fred Doe, 36, from Windsor, was also convicted of conspiracy to transfer criminal property and given a suspended sentence.
Sotheby's has revealed that Cattelan created three toilets in 2016, with work number two now up for sale.
The second version will be on display in a bathroom at New York's Breuer Building until it goes under the hammer.
The auction house described it as a "cultural phenomenon" and an "incisive commentary on the collision of artistic production and commodity value".
David Galperin, head of contemporary art at Sotheby's New York, said: "America is Maurizio Cattelan's tour de force."
"Holding both a proverbial and literal mirror to the art world, the work confronts the most uncomfortable questions about art, and the belief systems held sacred to the institutions of the market and the museum," Mr Galperin explained.
The auction house said that in a world first, the starting bid on the artwork would be determined by the exact price of its weight in gold when the sale begins.
That means, if sold at today's rate, bidding on the solid gold toilet would begin at around $10m (£7.6m).
The UN's human rights chief has condemned US military strikes on vessels allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean and Pacific, saying the lethal attacks violate international law and amount to "extrajudicial killing".
Volker Türk said on Friday that more than 60 people have reportedly been killed in US strikes since early September.
Calling the attacks "unacceptable", he said Washington must halt them immediately and conduct prompt, independent and transparent investigations.
The US has been defending its actions. President Donald Trump has said the strikes are necessary to stem the flow of drugs into the US and he has the legal authority to continue bombing boats in international waters.
Türk, while acknowledging the challenges of tackling drug trafficking, said in a statement that the circumstances for the deadly strikes "find no justification in international law".
"Countering the serious issue of illicit trafficking of drugs across international borders is - as has long been agreed among States - a law-enforcement matter, governed by the careful limits on lethal force set out in international human rights law."
Under law, the intentional use of lethal force "is only permissible as a last resort against individuals who pose an imminent threat to life", he said.
He added that based on "very sparse information provided publicly by the US authorities, none of the individuals on the targeted boats appeared to pose an imminent threat to lives of others".
He called on the US to use law enforcement methods including intercepting boats and detaining suspects, and if necessary, prosecuting individuals.
Watch: What we know about US strikes targeting alleged drug boats
Most strikes have taken place off the coast of South America in the Caribbean, though attacks in the Pacific this week killed at least 18 people, according to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
In the Caribbean, the US has deployed troops, aircraft and naval vessels and last week ordered the world's largest warship - the USS Gerald R Ford - to the area.
The strikes have drawn condemnation in the region and experts have questioned their legality. Members of US Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, have also raised concerns and questioned the president's authority to order them.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her government does not "agree with these attacks" and has called for meetings with the US ambassador, insisting that "all international treaties be respected."
BBC News
The US actions have also heightened tensions between Washington and the governments of Colombia and Venezuela.
The US has placed sanctions on Colombian president Gustavo Petro, accusing him of failing to curb drug trafficking and allowing cartels to "flourish". Petro has responded that he has been fighting drug trafficking "for decades".
Trump has also accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of leading a drug-trafficking organisation, which he denies.
Venezuela's attorney general told the BBC there is "no doubt" that Trump is trying to overthrow the Venezuelan government. He accused the US of hoping to seize the country's natural resources, including reserves of gold, oil and copper.
The US is among many nations that do not recognise Maduro as Venezuela's legitimate leader, after the last election in 2024 was widely dismissed as neither free nor fair. Opposition tallies from polling stations showed its candidate had won by a landslide.
Prince Andrew has been stripped of his "prince" title and will leave his Windsor mansion, Royal Lodge, Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday.
The King has "initiated a formal process" to remove his titles, it said, and Andrew now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
Andrew, 65 - the King's younger brother - has continued to face more questions about his private life in recent months.
His links to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein have caused problems for the Royal Family. The prince, who relinquished his titles earlier this month, has always strongly denied any wrongdoing.
What did Buckingham Palace say?
"His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew," Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Thursday evening.
"Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor."
It also addressed the place where he lives, Royal Lodge.
"His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence.
"Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation. These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him.
"Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse."
The language of Buckingham Palace's statement was "very brutal," royal historian Kelly Swaby told the BBC.
"Ordinary people don't care about the semantics, they want to see punishment, and public opinion is very much against Andrew, the Palace knows that, and the language very much reflect that".
The decision was made, and action taken, due to serious lapses in Andrew's judgement, it is understood.
It is also understood that the wider Royal Family and the government was consulted, and made clear it supports the decision.
It is understood Andrew will be relocated to the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, but details about his specific housing have not been released.
The wider Sandringham estate covers approximately 20,000 acres (8,100 hectares) with 600 acres (242 hectares) of gardens - and the Palace has not said which property he will stay in.
One of the options previously suggested as where he could move to was Wood Farm, located on the estate surrounds, a cottage privately owned by the monarch.
Described as "small and intimate" by former housekeeper Teresa Thompson, the cottage has strong associations with 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.
It is understood that Sarah Ferguson, 66, Andrew's ex-wife, will also move out of Royal Lodge and will make her own living arrangements.
Formal notice was given to surrender the lease at the Royal Lodge on Thursday and it is understood that Andrew's move to Sandringham will take place "as soon as practicable".
Will he get money from the King?
It is understood Andrew's accommodation will be privately funded by the King.
And the King will make "appropriate private provision" for his brother as he moves out of his home.
Royal sources have previously said the King has tried to apply pressure, and last year cut off Andrew's funding last year.
Andrew also cultivated his own independent sources of funding since leaving public life, including business connections with China, the Gulf States and a recently curtailed project with a Dutch start-up company.
Earlier this week, Parliament's spending watchdog, the Public Accounts Committee wrote a letter detailing the "considerable and understandable public interest in the spending of public money" relating to Andrew.
The letter asked what the Crown Estate's plan was to ensure value for money in any future agreements with Andrew.
How will his titles be removed?
Andrew is understood not to have objected to the King's decision to remove his titles - and it will take place with immediate effect.
His birth certificate will not need to be changed as the title change will not apply respectively.
The titles being stripped are: Prince, Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, Baron Killyleagh. And he will no longer have the right to be called His Royal Highness. The honours of Order of the Garter and Knight Grand Cross of the Victorian Order will also be removed.
To remove the titles, the King will send Royal warrants to the Lord Chancellor - who is David Lammy - to officially remove them.
It comes just weeks after Andrew voluntary gave up his other royal titles, including the Duke of York.
On 17 October, Andrew said he would stop using the titles because the "continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family". "I vigorously deny the accusations against me," he said.
Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice will retain their titles, as they are the daughters of the son of a Sovereign. This is in line with King George V's Letters Patent of 1917.
Until this month, Ferguson kept the title Sarah, Duchess of York - but she reverted to her maiden name of Ferguson after Andrew was stripped of his Duke of York title.
Andrew still remains eighth in line to the throne.
What led up to this?
Andrew's links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein are at the centre of this latest announcement.
In recent weeks, pressure has increased on the monarchy to resolve the issue of Charles's brother, with the King heckled earlier this week by a protester.
Although Andrew denies the accusations, the Royal Family considers there have been "serious lapses of judgement" in his behaviour.
Earlier this month, emails from 2011 re-emerged, showing Andrew in contact with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein months after he claimed their friendship ended.
In her posthumous memoir, Nobody's Girl Virginia Giuffre repeated allegations that, as a teenager, she had sex with Andrew on three separate occasions – claims he has always denied.
Earlier this month, emails from 2011 re-emerged, showing Andrew in contact with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein months after he claimed their friendship ended.
What happens next?
Historians tell the BBC Andrew will continue to be frozen out of royal public life.
He is already not invited to attend royal public events., and his recent appearances have been limited to private, family events, such as funerals or memorials.
This fiasco will continue to dog the royal family, says historian and author Andrew Lownie.
"They're finally getting ahead of the story, but this isn't the end of it," Lownie told the BBC.
The Palace is "finally taking some decisive action" - but it "won't completely satisfy the public disquiet".
Campaigners against the monarchy say there should be a wider investigation into what the Royal Family might have known about Prince Andrew's links to Epstein.
"This isn't just about family. It's not a private matter," says Graham Smith, chief executive of Republic.
Rob Jetten, 38, is now tipped to become the youngest prime minister in modern Dutch history
The Dutch centrist liberal party of Rob Jetten has won Wednesday's neck-and-neck election race, according to vote analysis indicating it cannot be beaten by anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders.
Jetten's D66 currently has a narrow lead of 15,000 votes over Wilders' Freedom Party, and Dutch news agency ANP says even though the vote count is not complete, Wilders can no longer win.
Projections from almost 99% of the vote put both parties on 26 seats in the 150-seat parliament - but ANP says Jetten's centrists could win a 27th seat.
Victory will mean Jetten will be able to start work on forming a coalition.
Wilders had led opinion polls going into Wednesday's election, but Rob Jetten, 38, succeeded in winning in some of the main Dutch cities including Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht with a positive campaign using a catchphrase of "Yes, we can".
He has been careful not to declare victory until all votes are in, but ANP said based on figures from the postal voters he could now be declared the winner.
Although his path to forming a coalition is not straightforward, he is tipped to become the youngest prime minister in modern Dutch history.
Manchester synagogue attacker Jihad Al-Shamie died from multiple police gunshot wounds
The Manchester synagogue attacker was repeatedly shot after running "aggressively" towards armed police while carrying a knife and wearing what appeared to be a suicide belt, an inquest has heard.
Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, was shot minutes after launching his car and knife attack on Heaton Park synagogue in the city's Crumpsall area on 2 October.
Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, were killed, while another three men were hospitalised.
An inquest into Al-Shamie's death has been opened and adjourned at Manchester Coroner's Court.
The court heard he was identified by fingerprints and "secondary evidence" at the scene, including his mobile phone and car.
Inquests into the two victims, which opened on Wednesday, heard Mr Cravitz was stabbed while Mr Daulby died from a gunshot wound to the chest fired by police.
'Collapsed'
Al-Shamie, a Syrian-born UK citizen, began his rampage by driving his Kia Picanto at security staff and the external gates of the synagogue as worshippers were gathering for Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year for Jews.
He then tried to storm the synagogue, wearing a fake suicide belt, before being shot dead.
Det Ch Supt Lewis Hughes told the hearing that armed officers responding to the call "discharged several rounds" at Al-Shamie as "he ran towards them aggressively while carrying a knife and wearing what clearly presented as a suicide belt".
He added: "Al-Shamie sustained multiple bullet wounds and collapsed to the ground."
The estate is privately owned by the King - who is understood to be funding Andrew's new accommodation
Newly stripped of his "prince" title, Andrew is moving from his Windsor mansion, Royal Lodge, to the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, it is understood.
Formal notice was given to surrender the lease at the Royal Lodge on Thursday, and the move will take place as soon as possible.
The historic, sprawling estate covers approximately 20,000 acres (8,100 hectares) with 600 acres (242 hectares) of gardens, and is home to several properties.
The Palace has not yet said exactly where on the estate he will live - here is a look at some of the options.
Originally known as Bachelor's Cottage, York Cottage is about a quarter of a mile from the main house - where the Royal Family traditionally gather at Christmas.
It has its own set of stables and kennel buildings, according to Historic England, and overlooks one of two man-made lakes on the estate.
There were reports ahead of Prince Harry's marriage to the Duchess of Sussex that the pair might have been gifted the use of York Cottage by Elizabeth II for use as a country home, but no such plan was ever confirmed and the move never materialised.
It has reportedly been used as an office and accommodation for staff in recent years.
Park House
Alamy
The birthplace of Diana, Princess of Wales and her childhood home, Park House was rented by the Spencer family for many years.
In 1983 it was gifted to Leonard Cheshire, a disability charity, which used it to run a 16-bedroom hotel for the disabled, their carers and family.
The charity planned a £2.3m refurbishment before the pandemic hit, but announced in 2020 it would not go ahead with the proposal and said instead that it was working with the Sandringham estate to exit the lease.
Gardens House
Oliver's Travels
Gardens House was put on the market as a holiday let over the summer
Another option is the Gardens House, which was once the residence of the head gardener on the Sandringham estate.
The Edwardian house has six bedrooms and three bathrooms - and is one of two properties on the estate available to the general public as a holiday let.
It was put on the market in July at a weekly price of £4,110. It is not unusual for royal residences to rent out property to holidaymakers - with eight cottages and lodges available for hire at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
Wood Farm
Shutterstock
This is one option that is understood to have been ruled out.
The farmhouse, described as "small and intimate" by former housekeeper Teresa Thompson, has strong associations with 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.
Anmer Hall
Getty Images
Anmer Hall was gifted to the Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales as a wedding present by the late queen in 2013 - so this may be an unlikely choice.
They spend much of the school holidays in the 10-bedroom, Grade II*-listed house, which is about 2 miles (3km) east of the main Sandringham house.
The Georgian property dates back to about 1802, but some parts are much older - and it has formed part of the Sandringham estate since 1898.
The number of bus journeys taken in England has dropped in recent years
A proposed plan to trial free bus passes for under-22s will not go ahead as it is "unaffordable" at the moment, the government has said.
The trial was one recommendation put forward by the Transport Committee of MPs in a report this August.
In its response, published on Friday, the government said no money was available for such a scheme under the funding allocated in the current spending review period - which runs until 2028/2029.
Another recommendation, coming up with minimum service levels for buses, was also rejected in its response.
It argued that "significant differences in demographics, need and geography" would make minimum levels of service "very challenging to implement at a national level, whilst also ensuring value for money".
The number of bus journeys taken in England has dropped in recent years, while fares have risen faster than inflation, it said.
The committee found that this was a barrier to opportunity and growth in some areas.
Members accused ministers of a lack of ambition when it comes to reviving bus services in England.
Its chair, Labour MP Ruth Cadbury, said at the time: "When the Government announced its bus sector reforms last year it spoke of an 'overhaul' and a 'revolution'. But its approach now looks lacking in ambition.
"It is hard to shake the feeling that an opportunity may be missed, particularly to improve services in rural and underserved communities."
The government plans to give local authorities more control over bus services, including through franchising.
Bus passengers spend £39.1bn in local businesses every year, according to research from KPMG.
But experts told the Transport Committee that the bus sector's contribution to the economy declined by around £8.9bn between 2011 and 2023.
The committee's report said: "The current deregulated nature of the bus sector can encourage commercial operators to "deprioritise" less profitable routes, often leaving vulnerable communities without a service."
Bills for some of the country's most intensive business energy users will be cut by £420m from next year, the government has said.
Speaking to the BBC, Business Secretary Peter Kyle said about 500 businesses in industries including steel, glass and cement would benefit from a 90% discount on their electricity network charges - up from 60%.
Unite's secretary general Sharon Graham said she welcomed help with costs, but the amount saved would be "quite small" with profits in the energy sector "obscene" and in need of an overhaul.
It comes less than a month from the Budget, with the government facing questions about how it can unleash growth, while keeping its commitments on employment rights.
Last year, the UK's energy costs were the highest in the G7 group of developed nations.
For the same year, the International Energy Agency reported that UK industrial energy costs were almost double the average across its members.
Speaking to the BBC at Encirc Glass in Chester, Peter Kyle said the funding was aimed at "levelling the playing field" with international competitors, and that the bill reduction would be paid for through existing government tax revenue.
"The savings we have made for it, we have targeted to make businesses like this more competitive, so therefore creating more jobs, more wealth, more revenue for our country," he said.
The scheme is applicable across England, Wales, and Scotland, and some of the companies which will benefit from the change include Tata Steel at Port Talbot, and INEOS in the Scottish town of Grangemouth.
The reduction is on network costs, which are what businesses pay to access the UK's electricity network, and make up about 20% of a company's energy bill - meaning a 90% reduction works out at about 18% of the overall energy bill.
Reacting, UK Steel said the uplift in compensation was "greatly welcomed" - but that it would only mean a cut of 14 million for the beleaguered industry and firms wouldn't see the benefit until payments were made in arrears in 2027.
"It is frustrating that the steel industry must face yet another year of uncompetitive electricity prices," said UK Steel's director general Gareth Stace.
'It's complete toffee'
Speaking to the BBC at Unite's head office in London, its secretary general Sharon Graham said employers told her they were competitive on "every single measure", with the exception of industrial energy costs.
Research carried out by Unite, which has more than 1.1 million members, found that £30bn in profit was made in the UK's energy sector in 2024 - with industrial energy bills made up of about 29% energy company profits.
Its research also looked at the breakdown for domestic bills.
Roughly a third of what a household pays on energy bills in a year - about £500 - goes towards energy company profits, Graham said, urging the government to nationalise the industry.
This is a suggestion opponents criticise for its potentially enormous cost.
"You know, this argument that keeps coming up, 'oh, it will take us down the road of Liz Truss' - is just complete toffee," said Ms Graham.
"The reality is, what Liz Truss did is that she borrowed for tax cuts for the rich, and she didn't have a plan that she put before the OBR [Office for Budget Responsibility]."
'More holes than Swiss cheese'
While the action on energy bills will provide some relief for heavy industry, there are broader concerns in the business community about the impact of the Employment Rights Bill.
One of Labour's flagship policies, it is currently making its way through Parliament and would give workers certain rights from their first day of work.
These would include protection against unfair dismissal and the right to guaranteed hours - which businesses say could potentially make it riskier to hire someone.
The Federation of Small Business has said nine out of 10 of its members are worried about the bill, with two thirds saying they would recruit less staff in response to it.
Even the Resolution Foundation, the progressive think tank seen as having deep ties within the government, has cautioned the bill would "inhibit hiring" with "little obvious gain to workers".
Peter Kyle said he did not see improved rights of workers as being "in contention with" the interests of business.
He said it would be implemented in a way that would contribute "towards the ability for businesses to make money by increasing productivity, by having workers that have security and rights that are fit for the age that we live in".
However, he added he was "listening very closely" to employers and workers "to make sure there's a probationary period that gets that balance right".
For Sharon Graham, the legislation as it stands is "a burnt out shell".
"I think I said at one point it had more holes than Swiss cheese," she said.
"The reason that I said that, is that what looks good when you first look at it - and I've been a negotiator for 35 years, so I do look under the bonnet - fire and rehire [is] banned.
"But then what you realise that is, in most circumstances, if an employer said there was financial difficulty, if a council says there's financial difficulty, then they can fire and rehire you."
We've all looked at our bank account and wondered why we don't have as much money as we thought we did, and suddenly, the bills, shopping and socialising begin to add up.
For many of us, our relationship with money is strained and dealing with financial matters leaves us feeling overwhelmed or stressed.
If you're struggling to get on top of your finances, here are four ways to help you manage your money better.
1. Look at when you spend money
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Sitting down and thinking about what actually drives you to spend money can help you stop destructive patterns, says journalist and author Anniki Sommerville.
When she previously worked in a very stressful corporate role, she bought new clothes everytime she achieved something difficult or challenging.
"I felt like I deserved to reward myself.
"I had this pattern of spending, which was like 'you've done a really good presentation, now you deserve to buy yourself something.'"
Abigail Foster, a chartered accountant and author, says the easiest way to discover these kinds of habits is looking through your bank statements, to see when you spend the most.
"Is it late at night? Is it the weekends? I have friends that have really bad habits of when they're bored on the train, they start buying things."
Understanding these instincts, enables us to put in steps to prevent them.
"You can be better equipped to make an alternative decision and go, 'Do you know what? I can just take a deep breath and not purchase something.'"
2. Spend an hour a week on your finances
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Anniki says when she was younger, she often felt scared to check her bank balance and avoided dealing with money as much as possible.
This kind of behaviour is often linked to our education, says Claer Barrett, consumer editor at the Financial Times.
"How we felt about maths in school, maybe that burning feeling of shame of not knowing the answer or putting your hand up to answer a question and getting it wrong, that can often make us feel like, I can't do maths. So therefore, I can't do money."
"We should be really pushing on that door and trying to understand more about our financial situation."
Abigail says the only way to do this is to force yourself to tackle it head on, setting aside a set amount of time each week to look at your bank account and all your outgoings.
"It's a minimum of an hour a week.
"Just go through your finances and kind of be hit with it. It sounds a lot, but it can be really calming for your nervous system."
Doing this will often throw up outgoings that you've forgotten, such as a subscription for a gym you haven't been to in six months or a random app you've forgotten you've subscribed to, she says.
3. Don't let jargon put you off - ask questions
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Often the terms associated with money can be offputting.
Claer says don't let words like investing, scare you, instead take time to learn about them.
"Whether we're talking about stocks and shares, or investing in a pension. We need to give ourselves every advantage financially," she says.
"So being shy or feeling shameful, not asking these interrogating questions is the worst thing we can do."
She suggests making a list of things you are unsure about, whether that's consolidating pensions or asking for a pay rise at work, and slowly working through them.
Don't be too hard on yourself if you're just starting.
"We're all a work in progress. I've got my financial to do list at the back of my diary. There are some things that have been on it for more than a year.
"That's just life, but as long as I can try and do something every week towards making my financial situation a better place, that's moving forward."
4. Set up a freedom fund
Getty Images
Many of us are already too stretched keeping up with the costs of everday living to even think about saving.
But for those who can afford to, Abigail suggests setting up a "freedom fund" to give you options when life gets difficult.
She recommends setting up an easy access account only in your name and not joint, and to put a portion of your income away every month.
Unlike an emergency fund pot for things like unexpected car and house repairs, a freedom fund is money designed to "make you happier."
"So when a job no longer serves you, you can think 'I've got some money sat away so I can go and look for something else.'
"Or if you want to leave a partner, that freedom fund can give you the ability to walk out."
Prince Andrew has been stripped of his "prince" title and will leave his Windsor mansion, Royal Lodge, Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday.
The King has "initiated a formal process" to remove his titles, it said, and Andrew now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
Andrew, 65 - the King's younger brother - has continued to face more questions about his private life in recent months.
His links to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein have caused problems for the Royal Family. The prince, who relinquished his titles earlier this month, has always strongly denied any wrongdoing.
What did Buckingham Palace say?
"His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew," Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Thursday evening.
"Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor."
It also addressed the place where he lives, Royal Lodge.
"His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence.
"Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation. These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him.
"Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse."
The language of Buckingham Palace's statement was "very brutal," royal historian Kelly Swaby told the BBC.
"Ordinary people don't care about the semantics, they want to see punishment, and public opinion is very much against Andrew, the Palace knows that, and the language very much reflect that".
The decision was made, and action taken, due to serious lapses in Andrew's judgement, it is understood.
It is also understood that the wider Royal Family and the government was consulted, and made clear it supports the decision.
It is understood Andrew will be relocated to the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, but details about his specific housing have not been released.
The wider Sandringham estate covers approximately 20,000 acres (8,100 hectares) with 600 acres (242 hectares) of gardens - and the Palace has not said which property he will stay in.
One of the options previously suggested as where he could move to was Wood Farm, located on the estate surrounds, a cottage privately owned by the monarch.
Described as "small and intimate" by former housekeeper Teresa Thompson, the cottage has strong associations with 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.
It is understood that Sarah Ferguson, 66, Andrew's ex-wife, will also move out of Royal Lodge and will make her own living arrangements.
Formal notice was given to surrender the lease at the Royal Lodge on Thursday and it is understood that Andrew's move to Sandringham will take place "as soon as practicable".
Will he get money from the King?
It is understood Andrew's accommodation will be privately funded by the King.
And the King will make "appropriate private provision" for his brother as he moves out of his home.
Royal sources have previously said the King has tried to apply pressure, and last year cut off Andrew's funding last year.
Andrew also cultivated his own independent sources of funding since leaving public life, including business connections with China, the Gulf States and a recently curtailed project with a Dutch start-up company.
Earlier this week, Parliament's spending watchdog, the Public Accounts Committee wrote a letter detailing the "considerable and understandable public interest in the spending of public money" relating to Andrew.
The letter asked what the Crown Estate's plan was to ensure value for money in any future agreements with Andrew.
How will his titles be removed?
Andrew is understood not to have objected to the King's decision to remove his titles - and it will take place with immediate effect.
His birth certificate will not need to be changed as the title change will not apply respectively.
The titles being stripped are: Prince, Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, Baron Killyleagh. And he will no longer have the right to be called His Royal Highness. The honours of Order of the Garter and Knight Grand Cross of the Victorian Order will also be removed.
To remove the titles, the King will send Royal warrants to the Lord Chancellor - who is David Lammy - to officially remove them.
It comes just weeks after Andrew voluntary gave up his other royal titles, including the Duke of York.
On 17 October, Andrew said he would stop using the titles because the "continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family". "I vigorously deny the accusations against me," he said.
Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice will retain their titles, as they are the daughters of the son of a Sovereign. This is in line with King George V's Letters Patent of 1917.
Until this month, Ferguson kept the title Sarah, Duchess of York - but she reverted to her maiden name of Ferguson after Andrew was stripped of his Duke of York title.
Andrew still remains eighth in line to the throne.
What led up to this?
Andrew's links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein are at the centre of this latest announcement.
In recent weeks, pressure has increased on the monarchy to resolve the issue of Charles's brother, with the King heckled earlier this week by a protester.
Although Andrew denies the accusations, the Royal Family considers there have been "serious lapses of judgement" in his behaviour.
Earlier this month, emails from 2011 re-emerged, showing Andrew in contact with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein months after he claimed their friendship ended.
In her posthumous memoir, Nobody's Girl Virginia Giuffre repeated allegations that, as a teenager, she had sex with Andrew on three separate occasions – claims he has always denied.
Earlier this month, emails from 2011 re-emerged, showing Andrew in contact with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein months after he claimed their friendship ended.
What happens next?
Historians tell the BBC Andrew will continue to be frozen out of royal public life.
He is already not invited to attend royal public events., and his recent appearances have been limited to private, family events, such as funerals or memorials.
This fiasco will continue to dog the royal family, says historian and author Andrew Lownie.
"They're finally getting ahead of the story, but this isn't the end of it," Lownie told the BBC.
The Palace is "finally taking some decisive action" - but it "won't completely satisfy the public disquiet".
Campaigners against the monarchy say there should be a wider investigation into what the Royal Family might have known about Prince Andrew's links to Epstein.
"This isn't just about family. It's not a private matter," says Graham Smith, chief executive of Republic.
The prime minister has said Chancellor Rachel Reeves will face no further action over the failure to obtain the correct licence when renting out her family home.
However, Sir Keir Starmer said it was "regrettable" Reeves did not share all the relevant emails when she first told him about the issue on Wednesday evening.
The chancellor initially said she was not aware a licence was needed but later found correspondence between her husband and the letting agent showing he was told one was needed but the agency would apply on their behalf.
The letting agent has said an "oversight" meant it had never ultimately applied for the licence.
Reeves has apologised for the "inadvertent mistake" but said she accepted full responsibility.
Conservative Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake called for a full investigation, saying the chancellor's story "keeps on changing".
"On Wednesday, the independent advisor on ministerial standards said he was simply willing to take Rachel Reeves' word and the case was closed," he told BBC Breakfast.
"The next day some more evidence came to light, which meant Rachel Reeves's story on Wednesday was a false narrative of the event."
Reeves put her four-bedroom south London home up for rent in July 2024, when Labour won the general election and she moved into 11 Downing Street.
The house falls in area where Southwark Council requires private landlords to obtain a selective licence at a cost of £945. Reeves or her letting agent could face an unlimited fine if the council takes the matter to court.
The chancellor said she first became aware that her property did not have the correct licence on Wednesday when the Daily Mail, who first reported the story, contacted her.
After reviewing the emails between the estate agent and Reeves's husband, the prime minister's ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus said on Thursday night that he "remains of the view that this was an unfortunate but inadvertent error".
While he did not rule on whether the ministerial code had been broken, Sir Laurie said he found "no evidence of bad faith".
In a letter to Reeves on Thursday evening, Sir Keir said he agreed with his ethics adviser and saw "no need for any further action".
He accepted the emails from the estate agent were only found by her husband on Thursday morning and Reeves was "acting in good faith".
However, he added: "It would clearly have been better if you and your husband had conducted a full trawl through all email correspondence with the estate agency before writing to me yesterday."
In a statement, Gareth Martin, owner of Harvey & Wheeler, the estate agent which rented out the property on behalf of Reeves, said: "In an effort to be helpful our previous property manager offered to apply for a licence on these clients' behalf, as shown in the correspondence. That property manager suddenly resigned on the Friday before the tenancy began on the following Monday.
"Unfortunately, the lack of application was not picked up by us as we do not normally apply for licences on behalf of our clients; the onus is on them to apply. We have apologised to the owners for this oversight.
"At the time the tenancy began, all the relevant certificates were in place and if the licence had been applied for, we have no doubt it would have been granted.
"Our clients would have been under the impression that a licence had been applied for."
Watch: Virginia Giuffre's family reacts to Andrew losing 'prince' title
The family of the late Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew of sexual abuse, have celebrated his title of 'prince' being stripped from him as a victory which is "unprecedented in history".
"This normal girl from a normal family has taken down a prince. We are so proud of her," Sky Roberts, Giuffre's brother, told BBC Newsnight through tears.
But Mr Roberts told the BBC removing his title was "not enough" and called for an investigation into Andrew, adding that he "needs to be behind bars". Andrew has denied all claims against him.
Giuffre took her own life earlier this year. The publication of her posthumous memoirs this month intensified pressure on the Royal Family over Andrew's friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday that King Charles III had initiated a formal process to "remove the style, titles and honours" of Prince Andrew, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
Asked how Giuffre might have responded to that decision, her brother said: "She is celebrating from the heavens now saying 'I did it'."
"She'd be so proud. He's just Andrew."
In her memoir, Giuffre - a prominent accuser of Jeffrey Epstein - alleged Andrew had sex with her three times as a teenager and that he "believed that having sex with me was his birthright."
Andrew, who has denied the allegations, reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre in 2022 which contained no admission of liability or apology.
"It truly is a moment for her and all survivors," Giuffre's sister-in-law Amanda Roberts said.
"Everything she fought for was not in vain," she added, noting that she "broke down" when she heard the news at work.
While the pair celebrated what they described as a moment of "victory", Giuffre's brother also stressed it was "not enough".
"We have to have some sort of investigation that goes further into this," he said.
"[Andrew is] still walking around a free man. He needs to be behind bars."
Earlier this month, Andrew voluntarily gave up several royal titles including the Duke of York, saying "we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family."
The King's decision to strip Andrew of his title of 'prince' follows the emergence this month of emails from 2011 that showed Andrew had maintained contact with Epstein, despite claiming otherwise.
Giuffre's family also addressed the implications of the King's decision for the US, where calls have grown for the release of documents related to Epstein. Partial records have been released that named Andrew as a passenger on a flight with Epstein.
"The US government hold the key to the larger scope of the Jeffrey Epstein case," Mr Roberts said.
"The UK is setting an example for what the US should be doing right now."
On Tuesday, Hamas fighters removed a body bag from a tunnel in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis
Hamas has handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza two coffins which the Palestinian group says contain the bodies of hostages, according to the Israeli military.
They will be transferred to Israeli forces, who will take them to Israel's National Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification.
Hamas's armed wing announced earlier that it had recovered the bodies of Israeli hostages Amiram Cooper and Sahar Baruch.
On Tuesday, Israel accused Hamas of violating the Gaza ceasefire deal after the group handed over a coffin containing human remains that did not belong to one of the 13 deceased Israeli and foreign hostages still in Gaza.
The Israeli government said forensic tests showed they belonged to Ofir Tzarfati, a hostage whose body had been recovered by Israeli forces in Gaza in late 2023.
The Israeli military also released footage filmed by a drone that showed Hamas members removing a body bag containing the remains from a building in Gaza City, reburying it, and then staging the discovery in front of Red Cross staff.
The Red Cross said its staff were unaware that the body bag had been moved before their arrival and that the staged recovery was "unacceptable".
Hamas rejected what it called the "baseless allegations" and accused Israel of "seeking to fabricate false pretexts in preparation for taking new aggressive steps".
Hours later, the Israeli government accused Hamas of another ceasefire violation, saying the group's fighters had killed an Israeli soldier in an attack in an area of southern Gaza.
Hamas claimed it was not involved in the incident in the Rafah area, but Israel's prime minister ordered a wave of air strikes across Gaza on Tuesday night in response. The Israeli military said it attacked "dozens of terror targets and terrorists".
Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said 104 Palestinians were killed, including 46 children and 20 women, making it the deadliest day since the ceasefire took effect on 10 October.
US President Donald Trump maintained "nothing" would jeopardise the ceasefire agreement, which his administration brokered along with Qatar, Egypt and Turkey, but he added that Israel should "hit back" when its soldiers were targeted.
Under the deal, Hamas agreed to return the 20 living and 28 dead hostages it was holding within 72 hours.
All the living Israeli hostages were released on 13 October in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 detainees from Gaza.
Israel has also handed over the bodies of 195 Palestinians in exchange for the bodies of the 13 Israeli hostages so far returned by Hamas, along with those of two foreign hostages - one of them Thai and the other Nepalese.
Eleven of the 13 dead hostages still in Gaza are Israelis, one is Tanzanian, and one is Thai.
All but one of the dead hostages still in Gaza were among the 251 people abducted during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, during which about 1,200 other people were killed.
Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, in which more than 68,600 people have been killed, including more than 200 since the ceasefire took effect, according to the territory's health ministry.
About half of all churches in England have bats in them
It's a job that can only be done under the cover of darkness.
As night falls, the bat hunters make their way amongst the gravestones of Guestwick Church in Norfolk.
The creaking door opens. Inside is the pitch black, deserted church and the team start to set up their specialist gear.
Infrared and thermal cameras are carefully positioned, and audio detectors are set to bat friendly frequencies.
The bats soon begin to emerge, darting and swooping up and down the aisles, the amplified sounds of their bat chatter filling the historic building.
"Many of these churches have been on these sites for probably 1,000 years, and probably as long as they've been standing they've had bats in them," says Diana Spencer, from the Bats in Churches Project.
A new study published in the British Ecological Society's journal People & Nature has found that these historic buildings are providing vital homes for the nocturnal animals.
The research, based on citizen science surveys led by the Bat Conservation Trust, estimates that half of all churches in England - that's more than 8,000 - have bats in them.
And that figure rises to about 80% for older churches.
"They're basically like a man-made forest," says Spencer.
"Full of little nooks and crannies where they can roost, big open flight spaces, dry spaces inside, away from the rain, where they can fly around. It is really just an absolutely perfect environment."
Tony Jolliffe/BBC News
Special cameras are needed to spot the nocturnal animals
Chris Damant/Bernwood Ecology
Churches have plenty of spots where the Natterer's bat likes to roost
There are two types of bats at Guestwick: Common Pipistrelles and Natterer's. They roost high up in the rafters.
The Pipistrelles emerge first, flying around for a few minutes, before squeezing out through minute gaps around the church door.
The Natterer's come out a little later, preferring to exit through small holes in the roof to get outside and find food.
Without the help of the specialist cameras, the bats are near impossible to spot, lost in the darkness.
About a third of the churches surveyed in the study had no idea that bats were living there.
But in others, their presence was much more noticeable. Bats can be messy houseguests.
"They're lovely, but they're problematic too," says Graeme Peart from St Margaret's Church, Saxlingham, just a few miles from Guestwick.
He's responsible for the upkeep of the church - and says the bats started to become a nuisance about 15 years ago.
"There's the urine, the droppings," he says. "One time there was a carpet leading up to the altar that became absolutely sodden with urine and droppings and had to be thrown away. They also destroyed the brass work."
Bats in Churches
Church users are finding ways to live alongside wildlife
Bats are legally protected in the UK, so it's generally not possible to remove them.
But the church has worked with the Bats in Churches team to find a solution - they've built a sealed-off loft conversion above the vestry.
Ecologist Phillip Parker sets up his ladder to show us inside.
"The idea is that the bats that are in the main body of the church will live in here, rather than in the church itself," he explains.
It's kitted out with CCTV cameras, allowing the team to monitor the animal's behaviour.
"What we have found is certain weeks during the year there'll be a hundred bats in here, and then suddenly they will disappear," says Parker.
"We don't know where they go, but they disappear for about 10 days, and then they'll come back again. And without the CCTV, we never knew that."
Bats in Churches
The bat loft at St Margaret's sits above the vestry
A major construction project like this takes time, effort and money.
The new loft, and the continued monitoring of the bats, has cost about £50,000, funded through the Heritage Lottery Fund and other partners.
Diana Spencer says there are other less costly solutions and grants are on offer from the Bat Conservation Trust.
"On a simple level, you can use sheets or covers over areas where things might be damaged. You can put wax coating on things like brass so that the urine doesn't damage it."
She recommends that anyone who finds bats in a building should contact the National Bat Helpline for advice.
Bats in Churches
As bats lose their habitats, churches are becoming a refuge for the animals
It seems more bats are seeking sanctuary in churches.
"They're losing lots of habitat - lots of woodland," says Spencer. "And we're also knocking down old buildings, making our homes warmer, more airtight - there are less places for them to go."
Church users are having to learn to live alongside these creatures of the night - and some parishes are even starting to see bats as more of a treat than a trick.
"We regularly see churches having bat nights and bat events," says Spencer.
"And they can be a really, really good way of reaching people, particularly in the local community, who might not come into a church for a service or prayer, but they'll come in to watch the bats, because people find them really, really fascinating."
At least 19 people have died in Jamaica as a result of Hurricane Melissa, Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon has said, as search and rescue efforts continue and authorities try to get aid to hard-hit areas.
The hurricane, one of the most powerful to strike the Caribbean, has also killed at least 30 people in Haiti, officials said.
In Jamaica, "there are entire communities that seem to be marooned and areas that seem to be flattened," Dixon said, adding there are "devastating" scenes in western regions.
Electricity remains out to most of the island and as people try to salvage damaged homes and belongings from floodwaters and mud, many thousands are growing increasingly desperate for aid.
There are parts of the country that have been without water for several days and food is growing increasingly scarce.
Aid supplies are starting to arrive more rapidly with the main airport in the Jamaican capital, Kingston, largely back to normal.
But smaller regional airports, some of which are located near to where humanitarian assistance is most needed, remain only partly operational.
As such, aid agencies and the military are bringing in the urgently needed supplies from Kingston via road, many of which remain unpassable in places.
Residents of towns in western Jamaica told the BBC on Thursday that "words can't explain how devastating" the storm has been on the country.
"No one is able to get through to their loved ones," Trevor 'Zyanigh' Whyte told the BBC from the town of White House in Westmoreland parish.
"Everyone is just, you know, completely disconnected... Every tree is on the road, right, so you can't get too far with the cars, not even a bicycle," he said.
In Haiti, many of the victims in the storm died when a river overflowed in Petit-Goave. A full assessment is ongoing, as there are still areas that authorities have not been able to access.
Around 15,000 people were staying in more than 120 shelters in Haiti, interim UN co-ordinator for the country Gregoire Goodstein said.
In Cuba, more than 3 million people were "exposed to life-threatening conditions" during the hurricane, with 735,000 people "safely evacuated", according to the UN's resident co-ordinator for Cuba Francisco Pichon.
No fatalities have been reported so far in Cuba, but almost 240 communities have been cut off due to flooding and landslides, Cuban authorities said.
Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Tuesday in Jamaica as a category five storm, packing winds of up to 185 mph (295 km/h), before impacting other countries in the Caribbean.
Governments, humanitarian organisations and individuals around the world are pledging support for the nations hardest hit by the storm.
The World Food Programme said it is collaborating with partners to coordinate logistics, cash and emergency supplies across Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
The US State Department said it is deploying a disaster response team to the region to help with search and rescue operations, and assisting in efforts to provide food, water, medical supplies, hygiene kits and temporary shelters.
The UK government said it is sending £2.5m ($3.36m) in emergency humanitarian funding to support recovery in the Caribbean.
While Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti assessed the damage left in Melissa's wake, Bermuda braced for impact.
The Bermuda Weather Service expected Melissa to be a category two hurricane when it passed the British overseas territory on Thursday night.
Government offices in Bermuda will close until Friday afternoon and all schools will shut on Friday.
"Until the official 'All Clear' is issued, residents are urged to stay off the roads so Government work crews can safely assess and clear debris," a public alert from the government said.
Joe Marler [L] with Cat Burns and David Olusoga enjoyed being round a table without having to vote anyone off
Spoiler warning: This article reveals details from the eighth episode of The Celebrity Traitors
Parting may have been sweet sorrow for young lovers Romeo and Juliet, but when Shakespeare's famous line is uttered by traitor Alan Carr, it's more like murderous Macbeth.
He has struck in plain sight - again - killing off Claudia's "Queen of the Castle", Celia Imrie, by quoting the bard while pouring her a goblet of wine at a lavish dinner for the remaining contestants.
"Oh honestly, just because I was brave enough to get the one traitor out," Imrie said when she learned her fate, referencing the faithfuls FINALLY getting rid of traitor Jonathan Ross.
Imrie's demise was indeed a sombre moment for all concerned.
"I love being here, it's been gorgeous and I'm devastated. I so wanted to stay to the end, but it's a game," she said sadly.
After learning it was Imrie's last supper, the burly Joe Marler became emotional, saying: "My darling Celia is gone. My heart is broken. I'm sick of this - they are taking out some lovely, lovely people.
"I'm not having it any more."
But as Ed Gamble pointed out in BBC Two's Celebrity Traitors Uncloaked, Imrie's demise was ripe for humour as well.
"Farting is such sweet sorrow," he said to her, in a line worthy of William Shakespeare himself, who also enjoyed contrasting dark, dramatic moments with bursts of humour.
BBC/Studio Lambert
Celia Imrie and Alan Carr were sat dangerously close to each other at the meal
Carr clearly got more of a taste for murder as the show progressed, bumping off Paloma Faith in plain sight and handing Lucy Beaumont her death warrant.
But this time round, his conscience re-emerged, and he found it "heartbreaking".
"I'm really hoping third time's a charm," he said, trying to convince himself he still had it in him to keep going.
Host Claudia Winkleman was rattled by losing Imrie, declaring: "I love her", as she stalked out of the breakfast room clutching Imrie's portrait.
Perhaps not surprisingly, Carr later looked a bit edgy about the upcoming round table, telling Cat Burns his Shakepearean moment was "so obvious".
"I'm so nervous, what do we do if everyone goes for me today," he said.
"I just hope no one puts two and two together with the the eggy Shakespeare quote."
Later on, the contestants had to put their doubts and suspicions aside for the day's challenge - in a creepy room full of headless dummies, which needed their Celebrity Traitor heads to be reattached.
Easy enough - except our celebrities had to navigate through a fiendish array of red laser beams, all pointing at awkward angles, meaning the most nimble had the easiest time of it.
BBC/Studio Lambert
The celebrity heads had to be reattached to their bodies
Nick Mohammed turned out to be something of a twinkle toes, making it through with relative ease.
But poor Marler had a trickier time of it, saying: "I'm not one of the nimble, agile rugby players" and calling himself a bit of an "oil rig".
Carr, noting that Claire Balding's head "looked like Boris Johnson", decided to carry Imrie across first, saying: "I took Celia's head because I missed her - even though I murdered her, but I had pangs of guilt!"
He later took his own, admitting: "I grabbed my own head, I'm a narcissist… well someone's got to love it!"
After a nail-biting finish, the celebs managed to complete the task, earning Claudia's praise, including a surprising accolade.
"Thank you, you were amazing. That was better than my wedding day," she said.
BBC/Studio Lambert
Alan Carr was less than complimentary about Claire Balding's plastic head
After all the camaraderie of the challenge, it was then even harder for the contestants to face the round table, where with just six of them left, everyone felt exposed.
Burns was hoping she hadn't "given them enough to cling on to", while Kate Garraway was uncharacteristically bullish.
"I'm going to fight to the death," she said.
There was plenty of fighting talk from Marler too, who looked like he was going to name and shame Carr and vote for him.
But he ended up voting for Garraway, calling her a "dipsy damsel", and she was voted off - yet another faithful biting the dust.
She gave a touching speech as she departed, referencing the death of her husband, political lobbyist and therapist Derek Draper. Draper died last year after living with extreme complications after getting Covid during the pandemic.
"I've had a lot of years of being very serious and very sad, and you've all allowed me to play the most amazing game," she said.
"But also you've allowed me to play and be silly and have fun. Every single one of you.
"I'm going to take away a new idea at the start of a new kind of life really, so thank you very much for that."
BBC/Studio Lambert
Kate Garraway thanked everyone for helping her consider a new start in her life
David Olusoga also got a couple of votes, including one from Carr, who managed to mostly lie low during the discussion, along with Burns.
Or so they thought.
Marler is onto them, convinced they're both traitors, and is now rallying Mohammed and Olusoga to back him as they go into the final.
"I'm hoping to get really close to Alan and Cat so they keep me in the game, and then I can try and pull the rug from under their feet last minute," he said.
"Sorry traitors, I'm coming for you."
There was a telling moment right near the end of the show, when each remaining contestant had to look the others in the eye and tell them they were a faithful.
The others kept straight faces, but Carr couldn't manage it without dissolving into a fit of giggles. One X user called it "the TV moment of the year".
"I am a faithful, I just get nervous," Carr told everyone.
"Yeah, I'm not having it," said Marler.
If Marler puts his full force behind his convictions, he could prove to be unstoppable.
Ever since I was a child I have loved wildflowers. I have fond memories of the woods in Sussex, where I grew up, filling with primroses early in the year and carpeted with bluebells in the spring.
I always used their nicknames - "eggs and bacon" for birds-foot-trefoil (a native plant known for its yellow slipper-like petals) and "bread-and-cheese" for the young shoots of the British tree hawthorn, which my friends and I would eat. And pretend to like!
We picked rosehips from hedges too, which we split open to make itching powder, perfect for playground pranks.
But later in life, on my walks through the countryside, I began to notice dwindling numbers of wildflowers. I missed the grasslands, bursting with colour, that I'd so enjoyed in my childhood.
'As a bee lover I'm on team pollinator - which is one of the reasons why my husband and I decided to plant our own wildflower meadow,' says Martha (pictured right)
According to the charity Plantlife, approximately 97% of wildflower meadows have been lost across the UK since the 1930s, while species-rich grassland areas, which used to be a common sight, are now among the most threatened habitats.
"It's definitely a story of severe overall decline, both in the cover of flowers but also the diversity," explains Simon Potts, professor of biodiversity and ecosystem services at Reading University.
So, what will happen if there isn't more intervention to save wildflowers? What will the future look like?
"Awful, in a word," says Prof Potts. "If we, let's say, take a scenario where we just continue business as usual as we are now, we will still keep losing our wildflowers.
"And with that, we lose the beneficial biodiversity like the pollinators and the natural enemies of pests."
'My husband cut the hay, initially trying with a scythe - Poldark-style - but a small tractor does the trick in a less backbreaking way'
As a bee lover I am on team pollinator - which is one of the reasons why my husband and I decided to plant our own wildflower meadow. Not just for the beautiful colours but for the vibrancy of the bees, butterflies and moths flying around, which need that habitat.
Yet since then, I've come to understand that the loss of wildflowers could bring - and the other perhaps more unexpected consequences too.
Higher food prices, less wildlife
"The consequence will be for farmers," argues Prof Potts. "They will get low yields and poor quality crops, consumers will have to pay higher prices. Our environment will be degraded, eroded, will have less wildlife.
"Many of them [wildflowers] produce nectar and pollen, which is super important for things like wild bees, hoverflies, and butterflies, that can pollinate crops."
Prof Daniel Gibbs, food security lead at the University of Birmingham's School of Biosciences, also has concerns about the long-term consequences.
"Over time, and alongside pressures from climate change and land degradation, this could make our food system more fragile, and negatively impact food security," he says - meaning we could, for example, find ourselves with more limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables.
Pip Gray - Plantlife
'Farmers may have to rely more on manual pollination or we may need to look to increasing food imports, both of which can drive up prices,' says Prof Gibbs
There are also studies showing that fields near wildflower-rich margins or meadows produce better-quality fruit and higher yields.
"Wildflowers can also support some bugs, like spiders and carabid beetles… [which] do an absolutely fantastic job in controlling some of the pests that we get on crops - that can either damage the crop or sometimes lower the quality of the produce," adds Prof Potts.
He describes wildflowers as almost like little factories, pumping out beneficial bits of biodiversity that can help with food production.
"Farmers may have to rely more on manual pollination," Prof Gibbs says. "Or we may need to look to increasing food imports, both of which can drive up prices."
Farming under strain
Multiple factors are behind the decline. Sarah Shuttleworth, a botanist with Plantlife, argues that certain intensive farming methods have contributed.
But some intensive farming methods have also allowed farmers to grow food for the country - and farmers I spoke to pointed out that they face tough financial choices.
Though there have been government subsidies in place for years, meaning farmers are paid by the government to support wildlife on their land, since Brexit the way these grants are paid has changed, with different schemes designed in each of the devolved nations.
In England, there has been frustration in some quarters about the speed and rollout of the grants and the fact that some schemes have been paused - such as the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), though this is due to reopen, while others extended at the last minute, leaving farmers less able to plan ahead.
Plantlife
The nectar and pollen of wildflowers is important for things like wild bees, hoverflies, and butterflies, says Prof Potts
Speaking about the SFI scheme, a Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) spokesperson told the BBC: "We inherited farming schemes which were untargeted and underspent, meaning millions of pounds were not going to farming businesses.
"We have changed direction to ensure public money is spent effectively, and last year all the government's farming budget was spent."
They also acknowledged that wildflowers are vital, providing food and habitats for pollinators and wildlife, as well as improving biodiversity, and added: "We are backing farmers with the largest nature-friendly budget in history and under our agri-environment schemes we are funding millions of hectares of wildflower meadows."
As part of its new deal for farmers, Defra said it has committed nearly £250m in farming grants to improve productivity, trial new technologies and drive innovation in the sector.
David Lord, a third-generation farmer in Essex, says he has never known farming to be under such strain
Mark Meadows, Warwickshire chair of the National Farmers' Union (NFU), maintains 6m (20ft) wildflower strips around many of his fields. He feared that without an extension to his current agreement with Defra he'd have to return some wildflower margins to crop production.
"I'd love [to] be profitable enough [to] say 'Look, we'll leave 5% of our farmland,'… but agricultural costs have gone up a lot," he says.
Other farmers share similar tales. David Lord is a third-generation farmer in Essex and member of the Nature Friendly Farming Network.
"I'm 47 and I've never known farming to be under so much strain," he says.
Knowing what funding for nature recovery on farms will be in place in future years is, he says, crucial. "It takes time and care and cost to maintain [wildflowers]... A lot of farmers aren't going to be minded to just keep these habitats in place without the funding."
Why we created a meadow
There are some glimmers of hope.
Prof Potts says there has at least been a slowdown in decline over the last couple of decades - and perhaps a limited recovery for some species.
"I think [this] reflects some of the agricultural practices that have been a bit more nature-friendly."
Nature writer, and author of Flora Britannica, Richard Mabey, agrees that the decline in wildflowers is far from universal.
Certain species such as cow parsley, yarrow and knapweed are in fact spreading, and he welcomes an influx of non-native plants and "garden escapes", such as snowdrop and buddleia.
Even so, Prof Potts says: "It is the most precious things that we're losing the most of." This includes cornflowers, corncockle and corn marigold - what he terms the iconic British countryside flowers.
And the overall decline is why my husband and I decided to create our own wildflower meadow from an overgrown arable field.
The most spectacular year for Martha Kearney's meadow was last summer
There was a field next to our house, which I had put beehives in, with permission from the owner. I had often thought it would be wonderful to create a wildflower meadow around those hives, so when the opportunity arose to buy the field, we decided to go ahead.
A conservation specialist advised us on where to buy the seed. It was particularly important to get some yellow rattle seed, which helps keep more dominant grasses in check. This in turn gives other wildflowers more opportunity to gain a foothold.
Our first year after sowing was amazing. A patriotic bloom of red, white and blue burst across the field. The red was from poppies which came from the disturbed ground. The white was ox-eye daisies, bladder campion and wild carrot, with spires of bright blue from viper's bugloss.
The colour has changed over time - the splash of red did not return, but different wildflowers arrived in their place.
The most spectacular year was last summer. Orchid seeds I'd scattered many years before and almost forgotten about, managed to flower. We counted more than 100 bee orchids — which to a bee lover like me, was the climax of years of work.
In fairness, I should admit it's years of my husband Chris's work. He found an old-fashioned seed fiddle for us to use — a hand-held device used to scatter the seeds in a controlled way, operated as though drawing a bow across a violin.
He also cut the hay at the end of summer, initially trying with a scythe - Poldark-style - but ultimately finding a small tractor does the trick in a less backbreaking way.
Watch: Martha Kearney uses a seed fiddle to create her meadow
Of course, many people are not in the fortunate position we found ourselves in, of being able to create a wildflower meadow. And in the UK, you cannot plant wildflowers just anywhere — you would most likely need the landowner's permission.
But growing numbers of people are trying to create their own patches of wildflowers. Plantlife reports that more and more are joining its No Mow May initiative — an annual campaign to let wildflowers grow freely, by packing away the lawnmower.
Sarah Shuttleworth says just a small spot can make a difference, especially when it comes to pollinators. "Anyone who has a patch of grass could do their bit… the idea is that you're recreating a meadow-type management scheme, but in a very, very micro scale."
Time for a radical rethink?
The charity would like to see wildflower habitats being given the same kind of protection as other precious landscapes. Meanwhile Prof Potts thinks, "We need a bit more of a radical think about how to support farmers to do the right thing."
New housing developments could also prove a way to create wildflower meadows. Under the government's Biodiversity Net Gain scheme, set up under the Environment Act, developers creating building sites are obliged to ensure the same amount of biodiversity at the end of the project, as they had at the start, plus 10%.
Ben Taylor manages the Iford Estate, farming land near Lewes in Sussex. For a recording of Open Country on Radio 4, he showed me with great pride around a new wildflower meadow, which was part of a 90-acre site, funded as a pilot by the scheme.
"We have seen hares here now, which we never had a year or two ago, before we started doing this. So it's really exciting..."
'Our first year after sowing was amazing. A patriotic bloom of red, white and blue burst across the field'
But, I wondered, does it make sense to take all of those acres of land out of food production?
Mr Taylor says the soil was poor there anyway. "You have to have nature to be able to grow food," he adds. "Because you need the pollinators as you need the ecosystem, the food chains, the soil webs and everything else to be able to grow food sustainably in the long-term - so I like to think of it as a reservoir of biodiversity."
Many ecologists also want us to look beyond the benefits the wildflowers provide for us.
"Those species are just valuable in their own right, regardless of what they do or what they provide… They've also got their own right to be," argues Dr Kelly Hemmings, associate professor in ecology at the Royal Agricultural University.
Richard Mabey stresses a similar point. "They are important, in my view, for ethical reasons, simply because they exist.
"Beyond that they are the infrastructure of all other life on the Earth, the fundamental base of the food chain."
Top picture credit: Getty Images
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We've all looked at our bank account and wondered why we don't have as much money as we thought we did, and suddenly, the bills, shopping and socialising begin to add up.
For many of us, our relationship with money is strained and dealing with financial matters leaves us feeling overwhelmed or stressed.
If you're struggling to get on top of your finances, here are four ways to help you manage your money better.
1. Look at when you spend money
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Sitting down and thinking about what actually drives you to spend money can help you stop destructive patterns, says journalist and author Anniki Sommerville.
When she previously worked in a very stressful corporate role, she bought new clothes everytime she achieved something difficult or challenging.
"I felt like I deserved to reward myself.
"I had this pattern of spending, which was like 'you've done a really good presentation, now you deserve to buy yourself something.'"
Abigail Foster, a chartered accountant and author, says the easiest way to discover these kinds of habits is looking through your bank statements, to see when you spend the most.
"Is it late at night? Is it the weekends? I have friends that have really bad habits of when they're bored on the train, they start buying things."
Understanding these instincts, enables us to put in steps to prevent them.
"You can be better equipped to make an alternative decision and go, 'Do you know what? I can just take a deep breath and not purchase something.'"
2. Spend an hour a week on your finances
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Anniki says when she was younger, she often felt scared to check her bank balance and avoided dealing with money as much as possible.
This kind of behaviour is often linked to our education, says Claer Barrett, consumer editor at the Financial Times.
"How we felt about maths in school, maybe that burning feeling of shame of not knowing the answer or putting your hand up to answer a question and getting it wrong, that can often make us feel like, I can't do maths. So therefore, I can't do money."
"We should be really pushing on that door and trying to understand more about our financial situation."
Abigail says the only way to do this is to force yourself to tackle it head on, setting aside a set amount of time each week to look at your bank account and all your outgoings.
"It's a minimum of an hour a week.
"Just go through your finances and kind of be hit with it. It sounds a lot, but it can be really calming for your nervous system."
Doing this will often throw up outgoings that you've forgotten, such as a subscription for a gym you haven't been to in six months or a random app you've forgotten you've subscribed to, she says.
3. Don't let jargon put you off - ask questions
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Often the terms associated with money can be offputting.
Claer says don't let words like investing, scare you, instead take time to learn about them.
"Whether we're talking about stocks and shares, or investing in a pension. We need to give ourselves every advantage financially," she says.
"So being shy or feeling shameful, not asking these interrogating questions is the worst thing we can do."
She suggests making a list of things you are unsure about, whether that's consolidating pensions or asking for a pay rise at work, and slowly working through them.
Don't be too hard on yourself if you're just starting.
"We're all a work in progress. I've got my financial to do list at the back of my diary. There are some things that have been on it for more than a year.
"That's just life, but as long as I can try and do something every week towards making my financial situation a better place, that's moving forward."
4. Set up a freedom fund
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Many of us are already too stretched keeping up with the costs of everday living to even think about saving.
But for those who can afford to, Abigail suggests setting up a "freedom fund" to give you options when life gets difficult.
She recommends setting up an easy access account only in your name and not joint, and to put a portion of your income away every month.
Unlike an emergency fund pot for things like unexpected car and house repairs, a freedom fund is money designed to "make you happier."
"So when a job no longer serves you, you can think 'I've got some money sat away so I can go and look for something else.'
"Or if you want to leave a partner, that freedom fund can give you the ability to walk out."
Cat Burns' second album finds her dealing with heartache, in more ways than one
If you've been introduced to Cat Burns through Celebrity Traitors, you might assume she's a tough nut to crack.
As a player, she's cautious, cunning, inscrutable. Her cards are firmly clasped to her chest. She's foxier than Fantastic Mr Fox, with as many lives as her name suggests.
People who've heard her music know that's a façade.
Her debut album, Early Twenties, was full of chatty self-interrogation and emotional candour, as Burns described falling in love, coming out to her family, and the social anxiety of her autism and ADHD.
Powered by the breakout single Go, a raw but soulful break-up ballad, it earned the 25-year-old a Mercury Prize nomination for album of the year.
Six months later, she was whisked off to Ardross Castle to become the pot-stirring, strategic mastermind of the Traitors' new spin-off series.
By that point, Burns had largely finished her second album, How To Be Human, so anyone hoping for musical treachery and skullduggery will be disappointed: There are no cash-in covers of Talking Head's Psycho Killer, or Macy Gray's I Committed Murder.
Death, however, lingers over the album like a dense fog, as Burns grapples with the loss of her father on Christmas Day 2020, and her grandfather, John Burns, who passed away last April.
Cat Burns
Cat paid tribute to her grandfather John shortly after his death last year, calling him "my inspiration".
His is the first voice you hear on the album, sending Burns a simple message of love from his hospital bed, over the opening chords of Come Home.
She picks up the narrative, remembering one of their last days together, in a drab Welsh ward room.
"You were laying there with such love in your eyes / Did you know it then or did you think you had more time? / Cause you made us all hold hands."
Tenderly, Burns imagines her grandfather, part of the Windrush generation, being summoned back to heaven by God, the reward for a life well lived.
"You've done everything I could have wanted with the time I gave you... It's time you come home."
It's a stunning piece of writing, specific yet universal, that establishes grief as the overriding theme of Burns' second album.
Andrew Garfield's inspiration
On the itchy, impatient Can Time Move Faster, she daydreams about escaping its grasp. Later, she observes that a break-up is "like grieving someone who's still alive".
Along the way, she drops breadcrumbs for anyone else who's stumbling through loss to follow.
She treats sadness as a stimulus on the gospel-inspired All This Love, determinedly pushing herself back into life.
"I've been going out more / I've been seeing friends on the weekends / Saying yes more," she sings. "And maybe that's thе gift in all of this."
The song, she says, was inspired by watching a video of Spider-Man actor Andrew Garfield discussing his own mother's death.
"So when I'm bawling like a complete lunatic, what centres me is remembering this is just the love that I can't [share]. I would like to have a hug, and I would like to have a conversation but I can't."
"That's why I made All This Love, because life keeps going and you have to move with it."
The singer-songwriter won three Brit Award nominations before she'd even released her debut album, Early Twenties
It's one thing to dispense advice, but quite another to follow it, as Burns discovers on a suite of ballads about a disruptive break-up.
Judging by the lyrics, it was an amicable split - which only made letting go harder.
"All we talk about is work and weather… God I hate this / Why are you acting like you haven't seen me naked?" she agonises over the acoustic strum of Small Talk.
Eventually, she realises this can't go on, concluding: "No contact is hard, but better for us in the long term."
Throughout the album, Burns' vocal delivery is almost conversational, making her songs feel like intimate conversations with an older, wiser (and sometimes a little bit messed up) sibling.
Cleverly, the understated production never distracts from the lyrics, with ringing piano chords and gossamer strings that tesselate seamlessly with Burns' soulful melodies.
There are more playful moments, too. The swoonsome groove of GIRLS! soundtracks a celebration of horny feminism; while Lavender is a delirious devotional for a new partner, that you can just tell was sung with a wide-eyed smile.
The winner - or winners - of Celebrity Traitors will be revealed next week
At 16 tracks, the record could have done with a touch of Burns' cut-throat approach to the Traitors.
A few songs that dwell on similar lyrical themes could have been culled; and it would have been thrilling to hear the star's Machiavellian side explored amidst the radio-friendly pop.
But that's a minor quibble. As her fellow contestants have discovered, Burns is a good hang. Even though, as she sings on the percolating title track, her autism means she's often "acting" in ways that she's learned people will expect.
"I wonder if they can tell / That I'm not like them / But I'm trying to be human," she sings.
But if nothing else, the record shows Cat Burns is as human as the rest of us: Anxious, hopeful, downbeat, idealistic, flawed and funny.
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