Nick Reiner, the son of celebrated Hollywood director Rob Reiner, has appeared in court for the first time charged with murdering his parents.

The 32-year-old waived his right to enter a plea to two charges of first-degree murder at the hearing, as all sides agreed to delay his arraignment until 7 January when he will once again have the opportunity to enter a plea.

His lawyer, Alan Jackson, told reporters outside court that there were "complex and serious issues" in the case that needed to be worked through in the coming weeks.

Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood home on Sunday. Nick Reiner was charged with their murder on Tuesday.

As he appeared in court in downtown Los Angeles, Mr Reiner only said "yes, your honour" when asked by Judge Theresa McGonigle if he understood that he has the right to a speedy trial.

The judge earlier ordered the assembled media - who gathered outside the courthouse hours prior to the hearing - not to film the defendant, who wore what appeared to be a suicide prevention vest.

Media inside the courtroom could not see Mr Reiner throughout the brief hearing because he was sitting in a corner out of sight.

He was initially slated to make a court appearance on Tuesday but had not been medically cleared to do so, his lawyer and prosecutors said.

"We ask that during this process, you allow the system to move forward in the way that it was designed to move forward," Mr Reiner's lawyer, Alan Jackson, told reporters.

"Not with a rush to judgement, not with jumping to conclusions, but with restraint and with dignity, and with the respect that this system and this process deserves, and that the family deserves," he said.

The delay in Mr Reiner entering a plea could be designed to allow time for a psychiatric evaluation, one criminal defence lawyer told the BBC after the hearing.

"The psychiatric evaluation is generally done before arraignment to see if he is even fit to stand trial," Seth Zuckerman said.

Until the next hearing on 7 January, Mr Reiner will remain in custody at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles.

If he pleads not guilty, he could be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole or the death penalty if convicted. Prosecutors have said no decision has been made yet about whether the death penalty will be pursued.

Rob Reiner directed a handful of iconic films in a variety of genres, including This is Spinal Tap, Misery and A Few Good Men.

Michele Singer Reiner was an actress, photographer and producer, and the founder of Reiner Light, a photography agency and production company.

"This case is heartbreaking and deeply personal, not only for the Reiner family and their loved ones, but for the entire city," LA Police Department chief Jim McDonnell said on Tuesday.

With additional reporting from Sakshi Venkatraman

A 15-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe.

Aria was found dead at a house in Lime Close, Weston-super-Mare, shortly after 18:00 GMT on Monday.

A post-mortem examination found the preliminary cause of her death was a single stab wound, Avon and Somerset Police said.

The teenage suspect, who cannot be named due to his age, remains in custody and is due to appear at Bristol Magistrates' Court later.

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The Metropolitan and Greater Manchester police forces have said they will arrest people holding placards and chanting the phrase 'globalise the intifada' - an Arabic word for uprising.

In a statement following Sunday's mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, they said: "Violent acts have taken place, the context has changed - words have meaning and consequence. We will act decisively and make arrests".

The two forces also referenced the Manchester synagogue attack in October.

The UK's chief rabbi told the BBC this week that chants of 'globalise the intifada' had helped lead to the two attacks.

The police forces said: "We know communities are concerned about placards and chants such as 'globalise the intifada' and those using it at future protests or in a targeted way should expect" the two forces "to take action".

"Frontline officers will be briefed on this enhanced approach. We will also use powers under the Public Order Act, including conditions around London synagogues during services," the statement said.

Visible patrols and protective security measures around synagogues, schools, and community venues have been stepped up in London and Greater Manchester.

Fifteen people were killed and dozens of others were injured in Sunday's Bondi attack, which targeted Australia's Jewish community at an event celebrating the first night of Hanukkah.

Two people died in the knife attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue on 2 October.

The term intifada came into popular use during the Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1987.

It was a largely unarmed and popular uprising that continued until the early 1990s. The intifada also saw the development of groups outside the control of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) – notably Hamas.

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Heavy rains over the past week have compounded the already dire living conditions of the hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, UN agencies say.

Unicef spokesman Jonathan Crickx told the BBC that the weather overnight had been "horrendous", with the rain so intense that he had seen up to 15cm (6in) of water on the ground near his office.

He said he was extremely concerned that children living in tents and makeshift shelters in wet clothing would succumb to hypothermia and other illnesses.

Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry has said one baby has died from hypothermia and at least 11 other people have died in building collapses caused by the severe weather.

UN agencies have stepped up deliveries of tents, blankets and clothes since the Gaza ceasefire began nine weeks ago, but they have said there is still not enough aid getting in.

The UN and its partners estimate that almost 55,000 families have so far been affected by the rains, with their belongings and shelters damaged or destroyed.

More than 40 designated emergency shelters were severely flooded following downpours on Monday and Tuesday, forcing many people to relocate again.

"Last night was really horrendous for the families. The heavy rains were so intense that we could see from our office and guest house 10cm, 15cm (4-6in) of water at some point. And the winds were so strong," Jonathan Crickx, chief of communications for Unicef State of Palestine, told the BBC's Today programme on Wednesday.

"When I drove this morning, I could see that many, many people were trying with buckets to remove some of the water."

He noted that most of the estimated one million people living in tents and makeshift shelters had been displaced many times during the two years of war between Israel and Hamas, and that they had no or very few changes of clothes.

"When I was seeing [children] this morning, their clothes were damp. I could see parents trying to dry some of the blankets they had. But it has been raining almost all of the time in the past four or five days, so it is extremely difficult to keep the children dry," he said.

"With temperatures about 7C, 8C (45-46F) at night, we are extremely concerned about children getting sick or even worse, dying from hypothermia."

Many tents were also at risk of being blown away or destroyed by the strong winds accompanying the rain because they were only made from a piece of tarpaulin or plastic sheeting nailed to a fragile wooden structure, he added.

Mr Crickx said Unicef had been able to bring in more aid during the ceasefire to help children cope with the harsh winter conditions, including 250,000 winter clothing kits, 600,000 blankets and 7,000 tents, but that it was not enough.

"We are working relentlessly to bring in that aid and to distribute it, but the scale of the needs is so immense that we still have thousands of people and children who are really suffering every night," he warned.

Gaza's health ministry said a two-week old boy named Mohammed Abu al-Khair had died of hypothermia on Monday, two days after he had been admitted to hospital and placed in intensive care. Another 11 people had so far died after the war-damaged buildings where they were sheltering collapsed, it added.

A spokesman for the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency, Mahmoud Bassal, put the death toll higher. He said in a video that a total of 17 people, including four children, had died because of building collapses and the cold.

He added that 17 residential buildings had collapsed completely because of the wind and rain and that another 90 buildings had collapsed partially.

On Tuesday, video footage showed first responders from the Civil Defence recovering the body of a man from the rubble of a building in Shati refugee camp, north-west of Gaza City. Its roof had collapsed suddenly, according to eyewitnesses.

"We call on the world to solve our problems and rebuild the territory so that people can have homes instead of being displaced and living in the streets," said Ahmed al-Hosari, a relative of the man, told AFP news agency.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said the collapse of damaged buildings due to the severe weather conditions was "deeply concerning".

It stressed the need for "increased and sustained humanitarian assistance to respond to urgent and long-term needs, including food, shelter and equipment for the repair of critical infrastructure".

Cogat, the Israeli military body which controls Gaza's border crossings, has dismissed claims of deliberate aid restrictions as "inconsistent with facts on the ground, and the ongoing co-ordination taking place daily".

It says that between 600 and 800 lorries carrying humanitarian supplies enter Gaza daily, and that almost 310,000 tents and tarpaulins have been delivered since the start of the ceasefire, along with more than 1,800 lorry loads of warm blankets and clothing.

The UN says a total of 67,800 tents, 372,500 tarpaulins and 318,100 bedding items have been collected from crossings over the same period.

The second phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas includes plans for the reconstruction of Gaza, along with post-war governance, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, and the disarmament of Hamas.

Last week, Israel's prime minister said the second phase was close, with only the body of one dead Israeli hostage in Gaza still to be returned by Hamas as part of the first phase.

The war was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

More than 70,600 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory's health ministry.

A 15-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe.

Aria was found dead at a house in Lime Close, Weston-super-Mare, shortly after 18:00 GMT on Monday.

A post-mortem examination found the preliminary cause of her death was a single stab wound, Avon and Somerset Police said.

The teenage suspect, who cannot be named due to his age, remains in custody and is due to appear at Bristol Magistrates' Court later.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

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Nick Reiner, the son of celebrated Hollywood director Rob Reiner, has appeared in court for the first time charged with murdering his parents.

The 32-year-old waived his right to enter a plea to two charges of first-degree murder at the hearing, as all sides agreed to delay his arraignment until 7 January when he will once again have the opportunity to enter a plea.

His lawyer, Alan Jackson, told reporters outside court that there were "complex and serious issues" in the case that needed to be worked through in the coming weeks.

Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood home on Sunday. Nick Reiner was charged with their murder on Tuesday.

As he appeared in court in downtown Los Angeles, Mr Reiner only said "yes, your honour" when asked by Judge Theresa McGonigle if he understood that he has the right to a speedy trial.

The judge earlier ordered the assembled media - who gathered outside the courthouse hours prior to the hearing - not to film the defendant, who wore what appeared to be a suicide prevention vest.

Media inside the courtroom could not see Mr Reiner throughout the brief hearing because he was sitting in a corner out of sight.

He was initially slated to make a court appearance on Tuesday but had not been medically cleared to do so, his lawyer and prosecutors said.

"We ask that during this process, you allow the system to move forward in the way that it was designed to move forward," Mr Reiner's lawyer, Alan Jackson, told reporters.

"Not with a rush to judgement, not with jumping to conclusions, but with restraint and with dignity, and with the respect that this system and this process deserves, and that the family deserves," he said.

The delay in Mr Reiner entering a plea could be designed to allow time for a psychiatric evaluation, one criminal defence lawyer told the BBC after the hearing.

"The psychiatric evaluation is generally done before arraignment to see if he is even fit to stand trial," Seth Zuckerman said.

Until the next hearing on 7 January, Mr Reiner will remain in custody at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles.

If he pleads not guilty, he could be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole or the death penalty if convicted. Prosecutors have said no decision has been made yet about whether the death penalty will be pursued.

Rob Reiner directed a handful of iconic films in a variety of genres, including This is Spinal Tap, Misery and A Few Good Men.

Michele Singer Reiner was an actress, photographer and producer, and the founder of Reiner Light, a photography agency and production company.

"This case is heartbreaking and deeply personal, not only for the Reiner family and their loved ones, but for the entire city," LA Police Department chief Jim McDonnell said on Tuesday.

With additional reporting from Sakshi Venkatraman

Fifa will finally release its much-anticipated return to video games in 2026, several years after its acrimonious split with developer EA.

But it is Netflix, rather than a major game studio, which has secured the rights to the upcoming football game.

Once one of the most profitable brands in gaming history, issues including a costly licence prompted Fifa's previous publisher Electronic Arts to stop using the name in 2023 - instead naming its best-selling game EA Sports FC.

Netflix said the new Fifa would be developed and published by Delphi Interactive - which has yet to release a video game - and released ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

It said subscribers will be able to play online via the Netflix app on iOS and Android devices - or on select TVs by using their phone as the controller.

EA Sports released the first Fifa game in 1993, and ran the franchise for 30 years until moving away from the branding to create its own.

The series was estimated to have around 150 million players.

But the renamed game still connected with fans - with EA FC 24 being the best-selling game in the UK in 2023.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino said the football governing body was "very excited" to team up with Netflix Games ahead of the World Cup in 2026.

"Our reimagined game truly marks the beginning of a new era of digital football," he said.

"It will be available for free to Netflix members and is a great historic step for Fifa."

California-based Delphi Interactive, the studio behind the game, is also working in partnership with IO Interactive on a new James Bond title, 007: First Light.

The firm's boss Casper Daugaard said as "lifelong Fifa fans" it wanted to make the game "the most fun, approachable, and global football game ever created".

Reaction to the announcement has so far been mixed, with some fans questioning whether the mobile-first focus from Netflix was the way forward for the franchise.

"FIFA should never have left EA," said one person on social media site X.

"Let's see what the new game's got."

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Labour has granted six areas in and around London the power to make larger council tax hikes after reducing their share of government funding.

Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster, Wandsworth, Hammersmith and Fulham, City of London, and Windsor and Maidenhead will be allowed to raise rates by more than 5% for two years without local voters needing to sign off the move.

The authorities are among those expected to lose out under a move to shift more government cash towards deprived areas from next year.

Ministers say the shake-up will make England's funding model fairer - but the Conservatives have accused them of wanting to "punish" low-tax councils.

The new system, to be phased in over three years from 2026, aims to shift a greater share of government funding towards councils in England with higher deprivation and a higher share of properties in lower council tax bands.

Labour argues these areas were harder hit when government grants were slashed during the austerity era in the 2010s, and that current funding rules, last updated in 2013, fail to reflect high demand among their residents for council services.

A tweak to the new rules last month was believed to lessen the blow to inner London councils compared with the original proposals, unveiled in June, including by factoring in housing costs when deprivation is calculated.

But the Institute of Fiscal Studies said the six councils granted additional council tax-raising powers were still among those areas facing the largest falls in their share of government funding.

The think tank added that more urban and more deprived areas were set to see much bigger increases overall. It has previously said that outer London boroughs would fare better under the proposals.

'Spend irresponsibly'

The six areas granted additional flexibility over council tax will be able to raise rates by more than 5% in 2026 and 2027 without the usual legal requirement to have it signed off in a local referendum.

The local government department said the areas had been identified because of their "very low" council tax rates, with households in Band D paying between £450 and £1,280 less than the average in England.

No council has ever won a referendum to raise council tax beyond 5% – although councils in precarious financial positions have been granted special permission to do so by the government, increasingly so in recent years.

Residents in Birmingham have seen tax increases of more than 17% to balance the books over the last two years, after facing effective bankruptcy, while Croydon in south London raised its rates by 15% in 2023.

The Conservatives said the funding review would "punish councils that keep council tax low" whilst "moving funding to badly-run Labour councils that spend irresponsibly".

"Inevitably, councils that lose out will be forced to cut services or raise tax - and with referendum principles scrapped, those hikes will be big," added shadow local government secretary Sir James Cleverly.

Reform UK said the settlement would leave rural areas behind, "funnelling money towards Labour-dominated London and city councils".

It comes as the government confirmed the overall level of council funding will go up by £3.9bn next year, 5.8%, assuming that all councils put up council tax by the maximum 5% across the board.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has rejected calls to stop a trial of puberty blocking drugs for gender-questioning children.

Streeting permanently banned the prescribing of puberty blockers to under-18s last year.

He told MPs he was "uncomfortable" about such drugs being used on young people but said he had given the go-ahead to a clinical trial as recommended by the Cass Review into children's gender care, because it was the "right thing to do".

Conservative shadow health minister Dr Caroline Johnson, a consultant paediatrician who said she had looked after children with gender dysphoria, asked why the government was funding experiments on "physically healthy children" when Streeting himself had said he was "uncomfortable" about the use of these drugs.

Streeting replied: "The reason why, whatever my discomfort in this extremely sensitive area, I have made this decision is because I am following clinical advice and because, as health secretary, it is my responsibility to follow expert advice."

He added: "Am I uncomfortable about puberty-suppressing hormones for this group of young people, for these particular conditions? Yes, I am, because of risks."

But he said he had also been "uncomfortable" when he introduced a permanent ban "because I had to look children and young people in the eye, and their parents, who told me in no uncertain terms that that decision was harmful to them".

Puberty blockers are drugs used to delay or prevent puberty happening.

The drugs are not prescribed on the NHS to children for the treatment of gender dysphoria outside clinical trials, with the agreement of devolved governments across the UK.

But a trial was recommended by the Cass Review, which concluded that the quality of research claiming to show the benefits of puberty blockers for youngsters with gender dysphoria was "poor".

The PATHWAYS trial, which is due to start in January, will involve children who are being seen at gender clinics in England. The research team says their physical and mental health will be closely monitored and there will be a careful consent process involving both children and their parents. Researchers say they will also monitor bone density and brain development.

Objections to the trial include concerns about the potential impact on brain development, fertility and bone density, and the ability of young children to consent.

Streeting told MPs he had backed the trial because it had been recommended by Dr Cass in her review, which had been commissioned by his Conservative predecessor Sir Sajid Javid.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has joined those calling for the trial, which will involve around 226 people aged between 10 and almost 16, to be stopped to prevent harm to children.

Dr Johnson, who branded it "Streeting's trial", told MPs: "The vast majority of the children in this trial are being unnecessarily experimented on with risky medications under his leadership."

Labour MP Preet Kaur Gill, a former children's services manager, urged Streeting to meet clinicians and academics amid fears "credible safeguarding warnings... are not actually being heard".

Streeting said he was "absolutely open to receiving representations and evidence from clinicians involved in the care of children and young people", including his critics.

Some Labour MPs said that it was important young trans people's health needs were met.

Labour MP Danny Beales said: "We know that young people are seeking out provision. They are seeking out unregulated providers of these drugs. Therefore a clinical trial is appropriate and the best and safest way of managing any potential risks."

Streeting later told MPs: "The parents of trans young people love their children very much, and that has been at the heart of so many of the representations that I have received from parents as well as young people."

Earlier on Wednesday, Streeting told the health and social care select committee the decision to go ahead with the trial was "one that I wrestle with on a daily basis".

He stressed that no child will be able to take part in the clinical trial without parental consent.

A 15-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe.

Aria was found dead at a house in Lime Close, Weston-super-Mare, shortly after 18:00 GMT on Monday.

A post-mortem examination found the preliminary cause of her death was a single stab wound, Avon and Somerset Police said.

The teenage suspect, who cannot be named due to his age, remains in custody and is due to appear at Bristol Magistrates' Court later.

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Scientists have shed light on the true origins of the so-called "first Black Briton".

The skeletal remains - dating from Roman times - were previously thought to belong to a woman from the sub-Saharan region.

This had led her to be dubbed "one of the earliest Africans in Britain".

But scientists have now said they cannot find any signs she was from Africa or had ancestry in that part of the world.

They detailed in a paper published on Wednesday she actually had a strong genetic similarity to individuals from rural Britain.

She likely had blue eyes, between pale and dark skin and light hair, scientists added.

A craniofacial reconstruction of the ancient skeleton had previously depicted her as having curly black hair, brown eyes and dark skin.

'Beachy Head Lady'

The skeleton was first uncovered in 2012 in a box in the basement of Eastbourne Town Hall in East Sussex.

The only information on the remains was a label saying 'Beachy Head (1959)' - gaining her the moniker the "Beachy Head Lady" after the beauty spot.

Multiple attempts to establish her geographical origins and ancestry were made afterwards.

The initial assessment that she was of recent sub-Saharan origin was originally based on analysis of her skull in 2013, scientists said.

"The discovery of the 'first black Briton known to us' gained traction across several media outlets, non-fiction books, educational resources and academic publications," they wrote in the paper.

However, scientists added, this interpretation began to shift.

Other scientists later suggested the Beachy Head Lady may have grown up around Eastbourne, but been born in Cyprus.

"Whilst these preliminary results were not published in a scientific journal, they were subsequently reported in the media," the paper's authors said.

Scientists' latest discovery is based on DNA analysis of the skeleton, which has been radiocarbon dated to between 129 and 311 AD.

The Beachy Head Lady is believed to have been aged between 18 and 25 when she died and was an estimated 5ft (1.52m) tall.

Scientists have said they cannot determine her cause of death.

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The UK is set to rejoin the Erasmus scheme, the BBC understands, five years after announcing that it would end its participation as part of the Brexit deal with the European Union.

The EU provides funding through the scheme for people to study, train or volunteer in other European countries for up to a year.

The UK replaced it with its own Turing scheme in 2021, which funds similar placements worldwide.

The government said it would not comment on ongoing talks.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer had suggested in May that a youth mobility scheme could be part of a new deal with the EU.

The Erasmus scheme was scrapped in the UK in December 2020, when the government announced its post-Brexit trade deal with the EU.

Boris Johnson, prime minister at the time, said it was a "tough decision", but the scheme had become "extremely expensive".

He said it would be replaced by the Turing scheme, which has operated since then.

Both schemes are open not just to university students, but also to people doing vocational courses, as well as apprentices and people training at college or school.

In 2020, the last year in which the UK participated in Erasmus, the scheme received 144m euros (£126m) of EU funding for 55,700 people to take part in Erasmus projects overall.

The UK sent out 9,900 students and trainees to other countries as part of the scheme that year, while 16,100 came the other way.

Glasgow, Bristol and Edinburgh were the three universities to send the most students, and Spain, France and Germany were the most popular countries which UK students went to.

In the 2024/25 academic year, the Turing scheme had £105m of funding, which paid for 43,200 placements, with 24,000 of those being in higher education, 12,100 in further education and 7,000 in schools.

The majority (38,000) were from England, with 2,900 from Scotland, 1,000 from Wales and 1,200 from Northern Ireland.

Ministers who introduced the Turing scheme in 2021 said it was designed to benefit more people from disadvantaged backgrounds and provide greater support for travel costs than the Erasmus scheme did.

It is not yet clear what will happen to the Turing scheme once Erasmus is reintroduced for UK students.

Living abroad while at university allowed me to become almost fluent in two other languages and have experiences that would never have been possible in Scotland.

While studying at the University of Glasgow in 2021, I moved to Germany aged 19 to work as an English language assistant for nine months - partly funded by the Erasmus scheme.

But just months earlier, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson had pulled the UK out of the scheme as part of a deal to leave the European Union.

The funding lasted until 2021-22, which meant I was in the last cohort of students to receive Erasmus.

Edinburgh and Glasgow were two of the top three universities to send the most students on the scheme.

A year after I came back to Scotland, I moved to Nice in France to work as an intern for three months.

But this time I received funding from the replacement Turing scheme - which is similar to Erasmus but has a wider reach.

Now several years after it was scrapped, students will have more opportunities to study abroad as the UK is set to rejoin the Erasmus student exchange programme from 2027.

What is the Erasmus scheme?

The Erasmus scheme allows students to study, train or volunteer in other European countries for up to a year, without paying any extra fees.

It is also open to those in vocational training, apprentices or people who are retraining through a college or school.

The scheme can cover travel, living and visa costs and course fees, with additional funding available for people with disabilities, additional learning needs and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Students pay fees to their home institutions, with additional costs covered by the European Union, funded by taxpayers' money.

The Turing scheme acts as a current replacement for Erasmus.

It has a more global reach than Erasmus, sending students to countries outside of Europe, including Canada, Japan and the US.

It funded nearly 3,000 placements in Scotland in 2024-25, according to data from the UK government.

The Turing scheme targets all students but focuses on the most disadvantaged.

The money I received from both the Erasmus and Turing schemes meant most of my expenses were covered and I was able to travel around Germany and France in my free time.

In Germany, I attended local cultural festivals, explored beautiful towns and villages I would never know existed if I had not lived nearby.

I also spent time with colleagues, even helping one of them with the animals in her outhouses.

The accommodation and living costs in France were higher than in Germany which meant I had less freedom.

But I still had the chance to go on boat trips, try local cuisine and go on hikes along the coastline.

Each university has its own eligibility requirements and funding can be limited.

I received funding from both Erasmus and Turing as I studied French and German, and it was compulsory for me to complete three terms abroad.

For Erasmus, the money was split into two payments.

I received 80% of the grant at the start of the placement to help with initial costs, such as accommodation deposits, travel from the UK and visa documents.

The remainder was paid once the placement was complete.

To receive both Erasmus and Turing, I had to set and meet targets, outline responsibilities and provide feedback from my supervisor to show I was making progress and my language skills were improving.

Data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency shows between 2013 and 2023, a total of 2,667 staff and 18,124 students from Scottish institutions took part in the Erasmus scheme.

All 27 EU member states are part of the programme, along with six non-members: Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Turkey.

Spain, France and Germany were the most popular Erasmus destinations for British students and trainees.

The scheme also allows students at European universities to study at a university in the UK.

Almost 1.5 million people and 85,600 organisations took part in the Erasmus scheme in 2024.

'Huge win' for young people

The government confirmed the UK will contribute approximately £570m to the scheme to cover the 2027-28 academic year.

It said it had secured a 30% discount on what it would have paid under its current trade agreement with the EU, which encompasses many other industries.

The EU Relations Minister said it was a "huge win" for young people and will ensure everyone has the opportunity to study and train abroad.

"This is about more than just travel," said Nick Thomas-Symonds.

"It's about future skills, academic success, and giving the next generation access to the best possible opportunities."

Royal Society of Edinburgh's president and former principal of Glasgow University Sir Anton Muscatelli said he welcomed the UK government's decision.

"Anyone who has ever studied abroad will attest that the connections and collaborations fostered through international study reap benefits for many years," he said.

"Erasmus also opens up Scotland to students for all over Europe to come to here and experience the world-class higher education and excellence in research that our nation has to offer."

On a recent winter morning in Panna, a diamond mining region in central India, two childhood friends made a discovery that they think could change their lives forever.

Satish Khatik and Sajid Mohammed stumbled upon a large, glistening rock on a plot of land they had leased just weeks earlier.

When they took the stone to the city's official diamond evaluator, they learnt they had found a 15.34-carat gem-quality diamond - one of the finest varieties of natural diamonds that exist.

"The estimated market price of the stone is around five to six million rupees [$55,000 - $66,000; £41,000 - £49,000] and it will be auctioned soon," Anupam Singh, the diamond evaluator, told BBC Hindi.

The government holds quarterly auctions, drawing buyers from across India and abroad to bid for the diamonds.

"Estimated prices depend on the dollar rate and benchmarks set by the Rapaport report," Mr Singh said. Rapaport is widely regarded as a leading authority on independent diamond and jewellery market analysis.

Mr Khatik and Mr Mohammed say they are over the moon. "We can now get our sisters married," they said.

Mr Khatik, 24, who runs a meat shop and Mr Mohammed, 23 who sells fruits, come from poor backgrounds and are the youngest sons in their families.

For generations, their families have been trying their luck at finding diamonds, which is a common quest among the district's residents.

Panna, which is in Madhya Pradesh state, is among India's least developed districts - its residents face poverty, water scarcity and unemployment.

But it's also home to most of India's diamond reserves and remains a prime destination for diamond hunters.

India's diamond reserves are relatively limited compared with the world's major producers, but they are historically significant.

While most mines are run by the federal government, state authorities lease small plots to locals each year at nominal rates. With few job opportunities in the city, residents hope for a prized find to improve their fortunes - but most come up empty-handed.

Mr Mohammed says that his father and grandfather had dug through these plots for decades but discovered nothing more that "dust and slivers of quartz".

His father Nafees says that the "gods have finally rewarded their hard work and patience".

They leased a plot in search of diamonds partly out of desperation, as their meagre incomes could not keep pace with rising household costs - let alone pay for a wedding, Mr Mohammed told the BBC.

Searching for diamonds is no easy task but the two friends would sift through mounds of dirt after work in the evenings, or whenever they got time off from their day jobs.

Like most locals, they searched for diamonds by hand - digging pits, hauling out soil and rock, washing it through sieves and carefully sifting through thousands of tiny stones once dried.

Ravi Patel, Panna's district mining officer, said the two friends were incredibly lucky.

"They had leased out a plot on 19 November. It's their luck that they found a diamond of gem quality within a few weeks," he said.

Though they have yet to collect the money, Mr Khatik and Mr Mohammed say they are hopeful.

"We are not thinking of buying land, expanding our businesses or moving to a bigger city; not yet. For now, we are focused on getting our sisters married," they said.

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Researchers tracking wild polar bears in northern Canada witnessed something exceedingly rare this fall: a mother bear adopting a cub that was not biologically her own.

The five-year-old mother bear and her 10- to 11-month-old cubs were observed and captured on camera during the annual polar bear migration along the Western Hudson Bay near Churchill, Manitoba, a town known for its polar bear population.

"It's unusual," Alyssa McCall, a scientist at Polar Bears International, said in a video. "We don't really know why it happens...but we know it doesn't happen often at all."

It's only the 13th known case of adoption out of the 4,600 bears studied for nearly five decades in the area.

The mother bear was first captured as she emerged from her maternity den this spring. At the time, she had one cub, which scientists tagged for study.

In the fall, she was seen again, but this time with two cubs - the original cub that had been tagged and another without a tag. Researchers aren't sure what happened to the new cub's biological mother, but they are trying to identify her with genetic samples.

"The bears need all the help they can get these days with climate change," Evan Richardson, a polar bear scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, said in a video statement. "If females have the opportunity to pick up another cub and care for it and successfully wean it, it's a good thing for bears in Churchill."

Polar bears in the wild only have a 50% chance of surviving into adulthood, but having a mother caring for them improves their odds.

The cubs appear to be healthy, researchers said, and they will likely stay with their mother until they are about two-and-a-half years old.

Next, the family is expected to head out to sea ice, where the cubs will learn from their mother how to hunt seals and survive on their own.

"It's just nice to know that the bears are looking out for each other," Richardson said.

Warner Bros Discovery will urge its shareholders to reject Paramount Skydance's $108.4bn (£80.75bn) takeover bid as soon as Wednesday, according to reports.

Paramount has said its offer is "superior" to a $72bn deal that Warner Bros struck with Netflix for its film and streaming businesses.

At the same time, a key backer of Paramount's attempt to buy Warner Bros, Affinity Partners, has reportedly pulled out of the bid, citing the involvement of "two strong competitors". Affinity was founded by US businessman and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Warner Bros declined to comment when contacted by the BBC. Paramount and Affinity have also been asked for a response to the reports.

Warner Bros will advise its shareholders to reject Paramount's offer for a number of reasons including concerns over how the deal would be financed, according to the Financial Times.

The media giant put itself up for sale in October after receiving "multiple" expressions of interest from potential buyers, including approaches from Paramount Skydance.

On 5 December, Warner Bros Discovery said it had agreed to sell its film and streaming businesses to Netflix.

The following week, Paramount Skydance launched a new offer for the whole company, including its television networks.

Paramount is backed by the billionaire Ellison family, which has close ties to the president.

A takeover of Warner Bros is expected to face scrutiny from competition regulators in the US and Europe.

A new owner of Warner Bros would gain a significant edge in the highly competitive streaming market. It would get a huge library of films and TV shows, including Harry Potter, Friends and the HBO Max streaming service.

Some in the film industry have criticised the deal. The Writers Guild of America's East and West branches called for the merger to be blocked, arguing that it would result in lower wages and job cuts.

The volume of content for viewers would also be reduced, it said.

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Patients are being told to expect disruption as doctors start their five-day strike in England, with NHS bosses saying they are struggling to keep as many services going as they have done in recent walkouts.

NHS England said with a wave of flu placing pressure on hospitals, non-urgent services would be affected by the strike which begins at 07:00 Wednesday.

This is the 14th walkout by resident doctors, the new name for junior doctors, in the long-running pay dispute.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the strike had been timed to inflict most damage on the NHS and put patients at risk, but the British Medical Association said it would work with NHS bosses to ensure patient safety.

The strike is being held after the two sides held last-minute talks on Tuesday afternoon.

The talks were described as "constructive" by the government, but not enough progress had been made to call off the strike.

Resident doctors represent nearly half of the doctors working in the NHS. They will walk out of both emergency and non-urgent care with senior doctors drafted in to provide cover.

In the two most recent strikes – in July and November – NHS England said it was able to keep the majority of non-urgent operations and treatments, such as hip and knee replacements, going.

But NHS England said it expected more disruption this time. Concern has also been expressed that hospitals may struggle to discharge patients in time for Christmas as the doctors who are working concentrate on providing strike cover.

Medical director Prof Meghana Pandit said: "These strikes come at an immensely challenging time for the NHS, with record numbers of patients in hospital with flu for this time of year.

"Staff will come together as they always do, going above and beyond to provide safe care for patients and limit disruption.

"But sadly more patients are likely to feel the impact of this round of strikes than in the previous two – and staff who are covering will not get the Christmas break they deserve with their families."

Streeting added: "We have been working right up to today to try and avert these strike actions.

"Everyone knows the period leading up to Christmas and into the New Year are always the busiest for the NHS. With super flu, this year is harder.

"And that double whammy of flu plus strikes means that there is an additional burden now on other NHS staff."

NHS England said GP practices will continue to be open and urgent and emergency care services will be available for those who need them.

But even then there is likely to be some disruption. Cheltenham General Hospital's emergency department is closing for emergencies during the strike - it will remain open for minor injuries - with patients advised to use nearby Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.

NHS England said the public should use 111 online as the first port of call for urgent, but not life-threatening issues during the strike.

Patients who need emergency medical care should continue to use 999 or come forward to A&E as normal, it added.

The strike is going ahead despite a new offer from the government being made last week, which included increasing the number of speciality training posts and covering out-of-pocket expenses like exam fees.

Getting job is 'nightmare'

The speciality training jobs, which resident doctors start in year three of their training after completing medical school, have become highly competitive.

This year 30,000 applicants went for 10,000 jobs – although some of the applicants were doctors from abroad.

Dr Tom Twentyman is one of those who lost out after trying to secure an emergency medicine post. He says finding a job is an "absolute nightmare".

Since then he has been struggling to find work, juggling a handful of locum shifts each month at the same time as applying for more than 40 short-term contracts at hospitals across the country – one of which he now secured.

But this will not count towards his training, so he will now look to reapply next year.

"Some of the job adverts were coming down within two hours of going up after they received 650 applications, which is clearly an enormous number to shortlist," he says.

On Monday the BMA announced its members had voted to continue with the strike – effectively rejecting the offer in the process – after the union agreed to hold an online poll of members.

BMA resident doctor leader Dr Jack Fletcher described it as a "resounding response" and said the government needed to go further on jobs as well as pay.

Streeting has maintained he will not discuss pay as doctors have received pay rises totalling nearly 30% over the past three years.

The BMA argues that, despite the pay rises, resident doctors' pay is still a fifth lower than it was in 2008, once inflation is taken into account.

Dr Fletcher added: "It is well past the time for ministers to come up with a genuinely long-term plan.

"If they can simply provide a clear route to responsibly raise pay over a number of years and enough genuinely new jobs instead of recycled ones, then there need not be any more strikes for the remainder of this government."

But the BMA said it was committed to ensuring patient safety.

"We will be in close contact with NHS England throughout the strikes to address safety concerns if they arise," the union added.

The Prime Minister has said Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich must "pay up now" to victims of the war in Ukraine or face court action.

Mr Abramovich, the former owner of Chelsea Football Club, pledged in 2022 that money from the sale of the club would go to benefit victims of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The money has been frozen in a British bank account since the sale after he was sanctioned following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking in the Commons, Sir Keir Starmer said the UK had issued a licence "to transfer £2.5bn from the sale of Chelsea Football Club that's been frozen since 2022."

Sir Keir said: "My message of Abramovich is clear: the clock is ticking.

"Honour the commitment that you made and pay up now, and if you don't we're prepared to go to court and ensure that every penny reaches those whose lives have been torn apart by Putin's illegal war."

The Treasury said that under the terms of the licence, the money must go to "humanitarian causes" in Ukraine and cannot benefit Mr Abramovich or any other sanctioned individual.

On the face of it, there is relatively little festive cheer for your finances in the latest inflation figures.

Prices have risen by 3.2% compared with a year ago. If you filled your virtual shopping bag with goods and services at a cost of £100 a year ago, the same selection will now cost £103.20.

The rate of rising prices is well above the Bank of England's target of 2%, and some items are still rocketing up in price. Chocolate, arguably central to the family diet at Christmas, is 17% more expensive than a year ago.

But, crucially, there are now clear signs that prices are going up at a slower rate. That bodes well for next year, and more immediately for the cost of borrowing.

And, with essentials driving the slowdown, the latest data will be welcomed by those who feel particularly stretched by the cost of living.

Pasta, sugar and flour prices fall

The rate of inflation, which charts the rising cost of living, has overcome its recent mini-peak, according to analysts.

The mountainous height of inflation was in October 2022 when the rate hit 11.1%. The rate then fell, but there was an uptick in the late summer of 2025, reaching 3.8%.

And it was the price of food - an essential for consumers - driving November's drop in inflation.

Food and non-alcoholic drinks rose by 4.2% in the year to November, compared to 4.9% in October. Alcohol and tobacco were up 4% compared to 5.9% in October.

Moving in the opposite direction to chocolate, and beef and veal (which rose by nearly 28% in a year), were olive oil (down 16%) as well as drops in price for flours, pasta and sugar.

Importantly, food is essential spending. When the price rises slow, this is much better news for those on lower incomes who see a bigger proportion of their income spent on things that it is impossible to do without.

Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at investment firm Hargreaves Lansdown, said this was also helpign the overall inflation rate drop faster than expected: "It has been following the path the Bank of England had forecast - peaking in September and gradually moving south."

Will the good news last?

The reasons for slowing price riese are often specific to individual items.

For example, the drop in the price of olive oil is primarily the result of a recovery in harvests after some particularly bad years of heatwaves and drought in Greece and Turkey.

Clothing and footwear prices fell by 0.6% in the year to November compared to a rise of 0.3% in October.

This has been linked to shops bringing forward Black Friday discounts due to weak sales as shoppers struggle with the cost of living pressures.

Consumers, too, have changed their habits owing to the financial climate of recent years.

Lucy Fairs, who helps run a cake-sharing social club, called Band of Bakers in Camberwell, London, said that, over the last five years, they had started using what they already had in their cupboards, rather than buying extra special ingredients.

"When I chose a recipe for today, I thought of the theme - but, more so, I thought of what I already had in my pantry," said club member Costa Christou.

Impact on borrowing and saving

The rising cost of goods and services has an impact on the money you save or earn. Inflation erodes the spending power of money you've got saved and - unless you get a pay rise - of your salary.

Analysts say the latest inflation data strengthens the likelihood of a cut in interest rates by the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee on Thursday.

That should make it cheaper for consumers to borrow money, but bring lower returns for savers.

"Lower inflation is good news for household budgets, but it is a different story for savers," said Sally Conway, savings commentator at Shawbrook Bank.

"Some savings will inevitably take a hit over Christmas. The key is what happens next. Once the dust settles, it's worth checking whether remaining cash is working hard enough."

Policymakers are trying to encourage more people to invest their money in stocks and shares - which they say is likely to bring higher returns over time than cash savings.

It is why the Financial Conduct Authority has given the go-ahead for targeted support - a scheme that, for the first time, allows banks and financial firms to give suggestions about where to invest your money.

Additional reporting by Josh McMinn

The Metropolitan and Greater Manchester police forces have said they will arrest people holding placards and chanting the phrase 'globalise the intifada' - an Arabic word for uprising.

In a statement following Sunday's mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, they said: "Violent acts have taken place, the context has changed - words have meaning and consequence. We will act decisively and make arrests".

The two forces also referenced the Manchester synagogue attack in October.

The UK's chief rabbi told the BBC this week that chants of 'globalise the intifada' had helped lead to the two attacks.

The police forces said: "We know communities are concerned about placards and chants such as 'globalise the intifada' and those using it at future protests or in a targeted way should expect" the two forces "to take action".

"Frontline officers will be briefed on this enhanced approach. We will also use powers under the Public Order Act, including conditions around London synagogues during services," the statement said.

Visible patrols and protective security measures around synagogues, schools, and community venues have been stepped up in London and Greater Manchester.

Fifteen people were killed and dozens of others were injured in Sunday's Bondi attack, which targeted Australia's Jewish community at an event celebrating the first night of Hanukkah.

Two people died in the knife attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue on 2 October.

The term intifada came into popular use during the Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1987.

It was a largely unarmed and popular uprising that continued until the early 1990s. The intifada also saw the development of groups outside the control of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) – notably Hamas.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

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Warner Bros Discovery will urge its shareholders to reject Paramount Skydance's $108.4bn (£80.75bn) takeover bid as soon as Wednesday, according to reports.

Paramount has said its offer is "superior" to a $72bn deal that Warner Bros struck with Netflix for its film and streaming businesses.

At the same time, a key backer of Paramount's attempt to buy Warner Bros, Affinity Partners, has reportedly pulled out of the bid, citing the involvement of "two strong competitors". Affinity was founded by US businessman and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Warner Bros declined to comment when contacted by the BBC. Paramount and Affinity have also been asked for a response to the reports.

Warner Bros will advise its shareholders to reject Paramount's offer for a number of reasons including concerns over how the deal would be financed, according to the Financial Times.

The media giant put itself up for sale in October after receiving "multiple" expressions of interest from potential buyers, including approaches from Paramount Skydance.

On 5 December, Warner Bros Discovery said it had agreed to sell its film and streaming businesses to Netflix.

The following week, Paramount Skydance launched a new offer for the whole company, including its television networks.

Paramount is backed by the billionaire Ellison family, which has close ties to the president.

A takeover of Warner Bros is expected to face scrutiny from competition regulators in the US and Europe.

A new owner of Warner Bros would gain a significant edge in the highly competitive streaming market. It would get a huge library of films and TV shows, including Harry Potter, Friends and the HBO Max streaming service.

Some in the film industry have criticised the deal. The Writers Guild of America's East and West branches called for the merger to be blocked, arguing that it would result in lower wages and job cuts.

The volume of content for viewers would also be reduced, it said.

An 86-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the murders of a couple at their farmhouse more than 30 years ago.

Harry and Megan Tooze were both found dead with gunshot wounds at their Ty Ar y Waun rural home in Llanharry, Rhondda Cynon Taf, on 26 July 1993.

South Wales Police undertook a forensic review of the case in 2023 and detectives have now made an arrest for the unsolved murders of 64-year-old Harry and 67-year-old Megan.

The man was arrested earlier and is currently in police custody.

Senior investigating officer Det Supt Mark Lewis said: "While this arrest is clearly a significant development in the investigation, our enquiries are very much ongoing.

"This case has affected many people over the years and our aim is to find the answers to the unanswered questions which remain about their deaths over 30 years on.

"Even with this passage of time I appeal to anyone who has any information about the murders to come forward and speak to police."

Harry and Megan Tooze had left their farm on the morning of Monday 26 July 1993 to collect their pensions in Llanharry and were seen arriving back at 11:00 GMT.

At around 13:30, two gun shots were heard by neighbours, but this was not considered unusual on a farm.

The couple's daughter Cheryl raised the alarm when her phone calls went unanswered. Officers went to the farm and found the couple's bodies in the cow shed.

They had both been shot in the head with a shotgun and covered in carpet.

Their daughter's boyfriend Jonathan Jones was found guilty of their murders and sentenced to life in prison in 1995, but was later freed on appeal.

Mr Jones, who was a self-employed recruitment consultant, had told police he had taken the day off work on the day the Toozes were killed.

He said he had gone to Orpington, Greater London, to look for office space to rent, but police could not find anybody who had seen him that day.

His partial thumbprint was also on a cup and saucer that had been found in the couple's living room.

He was arrested that December, five months after the murders.

Cheryl Tooze stood by him, moving in with his family in Caerphilly after his arrest.

A year after his conviction he was released on appeal. Three appeal court judges took five minutes to reach their decision.

The original trial judge was criticised and it emerged police had failed to seal the crime scene properly.

Ben Shelton - big serve & 'big ego'

Taylor Fritz - aggressive & 'looking to improve'

Jack Draper - 'leftie' weapons

Felix Auger-Aliassime - maturing & has firepower

Novak Djokovic - the third wheel

Anyone else?

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  16 August

  

A 15-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe.

Aria was found dead at a house in Lime Close, Weston-super-Mare, shortly after 18:00 GMT on Monday.

A post-mortem examination found the preliminary cause of her death was a single stab wound, Avon and Somerset Police said.

The teenage suspect, who cannot be named due to his age, remains in custody and is due to appear at Bristol Magistrates' Court later.

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The Duke of Marlborough has been charged with intentional strangulation.

The 70-year-old is accused of attacking the same person in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, three times over an 18-month period.

Charles James Spencer-Churchill, formerly known as Jamie Blandford, is a relative of Sir Winston Churchill and Diana, Princess of Wales.

He is due to appear before Oxford magistrates on Thursday.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between November 2022 and May 2024, Thames Valley Police said.

Spencer-Churchill, the former Marquess of Blandford, was arrested on 13 May 2024.

The twice-married aristocrat inherited his dukedom in 2014, following the death of his father, the 11th Duke of Marlborough.

You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X, or Instagram.

Patients are being told to expect disruption as doctors start their five-day strike in England, with NHS bosses saying they are struggling to keep as many services going as they have done in recent walkouts.

NHS England said with a wave of flu placing pressure on hospitals, non-urgent services would be affected by the strike which begins at 07:00 Wednesday.

This is the 14th walkout by resident doctors, the new name for junior doctors, in the long-running pay dispute.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the strike had been timed to inflict most damage on the NHS and put patients at risk, but the British Medical Association said it would work with NHS bosses to ensure patient safety.

The strike is being held after the two sides held last-minute talks on Tuesday afternoon.

The talks were described as "constructive" by the government, but not enough progress had been made to call off the strike.

Resident doctors represent nearly half of the doctors working in the NHS. They will walk out of both emergency and non-urgent care with senior doctors drafted in to provide cover.

In the two most recent strikes – in July and November – NHS England said it was able to keep the majority of non-urgent operations and treatments, such as hip and knee replacements, going.

But NHS England said it expected more disruption this time. Concern has also been expressed that hospitals may struggle to discharge patients in time for Christmas as the doctors who are working concentrate on providing strike cover.

Medical director Prof Meghana Pandit said: "These strikes come at an immensely challenging time for the NHS, with record numbers of patients in hospital with flu for this time of year.

"Staff will come together as they always do, going above and beyond to provide safe care for patients and limit disruption.

"But sadly more patients are likely to feel the impact of this round of strikes than in the previous two – and staff who are covering will not get the Christmas break they deserve with their families."

Streeting added: "We have been working right up to today to try and avert these strike actions.

"Everyone knows the period leading up to Christmas and into the New Year are always the busiest for the NHS. With super flu, this year is harder.

"And that double whammy of flu plus strikes means that there is an additional burden now on other NHS staff."

NHS England said GP practices will continue to be open and urgent and emergency care services will be available for those who need them.

But even then there is likely to be some disruption. Cheltenham General Hospital's emergency department is closing for emergencies during the strike - it will remain open for minor injuries - with patients advised to use nearby Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.

NHS England said the public should use 111 online as the first port of call for urgent, but not life-threatening issues during the strike.

Patients who need emergency medical care should continue to use 999 or come forward to A&E as normal, it added.

The strike is going ahead despite a new offer from the government being made last week, which included increasing the number of speciality training posts and covering out-of-pocket expenses like exam fees.

Getting job is 'nightmare'

The speciality training jobs, which resident doctors start in year three of their training after completing medical school, have become highly competitive.

This year 30,000 applicants went for 10,000 jobs – although some of the applicants were doctors from abroad.

Dr Tom Twentyman is one of those who lost out after trying to secure an emergency medicine post. He says finding a job is an "absolute nightmare".

Since then he has been struggling to find work, juggling a handful of locum shifts each month at the same time as applying for more than 40 short-term contracts at hospitals across the country – one of which he now secured.

But this will not count towards his training, so he will now look to reapply next year.

"Some of the job adverts were coming down within two hours of going up after they received 650 applications, which is clearly an enormous number to shortlist," he says.

On Monday the BMA announced its members had voted to continue with the strike – effectively rejecting the offer in the process – after the union agreed to hold an online poll of members.

BMA resident doctor leader Dr Jack Fletcher described it as a "resounding response" and said the government needed to go further on jobs as well as pay.

Streeting has maintained he will not discuss pay as doctors have received pay rises totalling nearly 30% over the past three years.

The BMA argues that, despite the pay rises, resident doctors' pay is still a fifth lower than it was in 2008, once inflation is taken into account.

Dr Fletcher added: "It is well past the time for ministers to come up with a genuinely long-term plan.

"If they can simply provide a clear route to responsibly raise pay over a number of years and enough genuinely new jobs instead of recycled ones, then there need not be any more strikes for the remainder of this government."

But the BMA said it was committed to ensuring patient safety.

"We will be in close contact with NHS England throughout the strikes to address safety concerns if they arise," the union added.

Left-wing candidate Andrea Egan has been elected as the new leader of Unison, the UK's biggest trade union, in a blow to Sir Keir Starmer.

Ms Egan, who was expelled from the Labour Party three years ago, beat the union's current general secretary Christina McAnea, an ally of the prime minister.

Following her election, Ms Egan promised to "stand up to any employer, politician or cabinet minister who acts against our interests".

During her campaign, she had pledged to hold Labour's "feet to the fire" and refuse to write the party "blank cheques".

Congratulating Ms Egan on her victory, Sir Keir said he looked forward to working with her.

The PM also praised Ms McAnea's "outstanding contribution to the Labour and trade union movement".

"She played an important role in securing the landmark Employment Rights Bill and her work has ensured this Labour government will bring in a fair pay agreement to boost the wages of social care workers," he added.

With more than 1.3 million members working in sectors providing public services, including education, local government, the NHS and the police, Unison is the UK's biggest trade union.

Ms Egan won just under 60% of the vote, although turnout was low, with fewer than 100,000 of the union's members taking part.

She will begin her five-year term in January.

In a statement following her victory, Ms Egan said: "This result means ordinary Unison members are at long last taking charge of our union.

"We will put faith in members' decisions and stand up to any employer, politician or cabinet minister who acts against our interests."

Ms Egan's election was welcomed by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his new left-wing group, Your Party.

A Your Party spokesperson said: "Andrea's victory on an anti-austerity ticket shows that working-class people won't take more cuts and more decline.

"Unison members have said no to Starmer's crumbs off the table, no to chronic low pay, no to underfunding and no to privatisation."

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