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Today — 6 April 2026BBC | Top Stories

Family 'utterly devastated' after boy, 13, killed in crash as two charged

6 April 2026 at 02:11
Submitted Noah smiling at the camera. He is wearing a white football shirt with red edging and has short curly hair.Submitted
Noah's family said he had loved going to Liverpool and Luton Town matches with his dad

The family of a 13-year-old who died in a crash have paid tribute to a "fun, bright, handsome, athletic" boy who was "incredibly well-liked".

Noah Campbell died in a collision between a car, a bike and a scooter in Flitwick, Bedfordshire, at 23:50 BST on Friday.

Two other teenage boys were taken to hospital with serious injuries.

In a statement issued by police, Noah's family said they were "utterly devastated". Two people have been charged in connection with the crash.

Submitted Noah stands side-on with a golf club in his hand at a golf simulator. Skyscrapers can be seen in the distance. He wears a white T-shirt, joggers and trainers. The picture has been taken at night.Submitted
Noah's family described him as "a talented and versatile sportsman"

The family statement said: "Above all else, he cherished spending time with his friends and family; they were the heart of his world.

"While football was his favourite sport—playing for many local teams—he was a gifted all-rounder who excelled in rugby, cricket, and athletics.

"Outside of organised sports, Noah stayed active and adventurous; he loved challenging himself at the gym and spending time at the bike park."

It added: "Noah's death has left a hole in our lives that will remain forever."

Richard Knights/BBC A tree on the side of a road. By the tree there are flowers and a red football shirt Richard Knights/BBC
Flowers and tributes have been placed at the crash site

The tribute came on Sunday as police confirmed a 24-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman had been charged in connection with the collision in Greenfield Road.

Jamie Fountain, of Fir Tree Close, Flitwick, was charged with causing death by careless driving and causing death by careless driving while over the legal limit for alcohol and drugs.

He was also charged with two counts of causing serious injury by careless driving in relation to two other boys who were injured.

Fountain was further charged with failing to stop at the scene of an accident, failing to report an accident and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Richard Knights/BBC A red Liverpool football shirt propped up on a tree.Richard Knights/BBC
A Liverpool football shirt, one of the clubs Noah loved going to see, was among the tributes at the scene

Ellie Ireland, of Wingate Drive, Ampthill, has been charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

They have both been remanded in custody to appear before Luton Magistrates' Court on Monday.

Of the two boys taken to hospital, one remains in hospital in a serious condition.

The other has been treated for serious injuries and has been discharged, police confirmed.

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Seven arrested at RAF base demo accused of supporting Palestine Action

6 April 2026 at 01:26
PA Media A group of protestors seen mostly from behind as they face a grassy bank. They stand in the road between traffic lights holding black and white CND signs saying Kick out Trump's Nukes and No War on Iran.PA Media
Sunday's arrests took place during a six-day peace camp outside RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk

Seven people have been arrested on suspicion of supporting the banned group Palestine Action during peace protests at an RAF base.

Five men and two women were arrested on Sunday outside the main gate of Lakenheath airbase during a peace encampment against the Iran war, Suffolk Police said.

The protest followed reports from some media outlets that a US fighter jet shot down in Iran on Friday had been based at Lakenheath.

A spokesperson for Suffolk Police said those arrested had been held on "suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation".

"They have been taken to Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre for questioning", they added.

"Suffolk Police has a duty to enforce the law without fear or favour and as it currently stands, not as it might be in the future.

"As such, where offences are believed to have occurred appropriate action will be taken."

The High Court ruled the proscription of Palestine Action was unlawful in February, but also granted the Home Office leave to appeal against the decision, leaving the proscription in place pending the outcome of the appeal.

Sunday's action was part of a six-day peace camp involving an around-the-clock vigil outside the base, set to end on Monday.

In a statement, Lakenheath Alliance For Peace said the arrests happened after retired colonel Chris Romberg had made a speech to protesters.

Suffolk Police also confirmed two people had been charged with wilful obstruction of the highway over a blockade at the base on Saturday.

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Who is Viktor Orban, Hungarian PM fighting to stay in power after 16 years?

6 April 2026 at 01:04
AFP via Getty Images A man puts his hand to his face wearing a black coat and green tie with an audience behind himAFP via Getty Images

No serving leader in the European Union has led their country for as long as Viktor Orbán. But after 16 years he faces his strongest challenge yet in 12 April elections, where most opinion polls suggest he is heading for defeat at the hands of former party insider, Péter Magyar.

Since 2010, Orbán has transformed Hungary into what the European Parliament has denounced as a "hybrid regime of electoral autocracy". He appears uncertain how to describe his own invention. He has tried both "illiberal democracy", and "Christian liberty". His allies in the US Maga movement call it "national conservatism".

Orbán has repeatedly clashed with European Union colleagues on the war in Ukraine, blocking vital funding for Kyiv, which he accuses of trying to force Hungary into war with Russia.

And yet he has powerful international allies.

He is considered Vladimir Putin's strongest partner in the EU, and he has been endorsed by US President Donald Trump in his bid for a fifth consecutive term in office. His closest allies within the EU come from the radical and hard right.

His antagonism towards Brussels still pays off with many Hungarians, but Orbán has cut an increasingly lonely figure among EU leaders looking for European unity in response to the war in Ukraine.

His Foreign Minister, Péter Szijjártó, recently admitted personally sharing details of EU meetings with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, but called those conversations "everyday diplomacy".

Reuters A man speaks with a red white and green flag on his leftReuters
Orbán rounded on opponents who booed a recent campaign speech in the north-western town of Győr

"Orbán and his foreign minister left Europe long ago," Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk observed.

His personal charisma has been an unquestionable ingredient of his success, but polls suggest many of his supporters have tired of him and the corruption allegations that have swirled around his party.

Orbán appeared rattled when he was booed during a March campaign speech in the north-western town of Győr.

This was a very different Orbán from the man whose ex-football trainer once highlighted his ability to "think on the ball".

This was a leader who rolled up his sleeves and stacked sandbags alongside firemen and volunteers, when toxic red sludge from a bauxite mine engulfed a Hungarian valley and threatened the Danube shore in 2010.

BALINT PORNECZI/AFP Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (standing 3R) listens to a journalist's question at the fire station headquarters in Ajka, 140kms west of Budapest on October 9, 2010BALINT PORNECZI/AFP
Orbán (3rd from R) joined firefighters in 2010 when a reservoir of toxic sludge burst

Now 62, Orbán first made his mark while still a law student in Budapest in the late 1980s as the Soviet Union began to fall apart, setting up a political movement called Fidesz, or Alliance of Young Democrats.

"If we believe in our own power, we are able to finish the communist dictatorship," he told an estimated quarter of a million Hungarians during an audacious seven-minute speech. They were gathered in the city's Heroes' Square for the reburial of the man behind Hungary's failed uprising in 1956, Imre Nagy.

Reflecting on his words 10 years later, he said he had "exposed everyone's silent desire for free elections, and an independent and democratic Hungary".

The democracy that replaced authoritarian Soviet rule has changed dramatically under Orbán, who according to Hungarian-born journalist Paul Lendvai has moved "from one of the most promising defenders of Hungarian democracy into the chief author of its demise".

Prof Andras Bozoki, a former culture minister, describes Hungary since 2010 as being "the only one former consolidated liberal democracy in the EU that has reached the level of a non-democratic system as a hybrid regime".

Viktor Orbán was born in 1963 an hour to the west of Budapest, the eldest of three sons whose father was an agricultural engineer and Communist Party member and whose mother was a special needs teacher.

They had no running water at the family home in Felcsut, a village of about 2,000 people where he still owns a house.

In an 1989 interview, he recalled being beaten twice a year by his father, Gyozo, whom he described as a violent man: "When he beat me, he also shouted. I remember all this as a bad experience."

Nothing about his childhood suggested that he would go on to challenge the communist regime. He attended a grammar school and was involved in the Young Communist League.

AFP via Getty Images A man plays football in a red shirtAFP via Getty Images
The Hungarian leader has long been a football enthusiast - he is seen here playing in 1998

His main interest was football, playing for his local club, FC Felcsut, and he remains highly enthusiastic about his childhood sport. In 2014 he inaugurated a controversial new stadium there called the Pancho Arena, where top-flight team Puskás Akadémia plays to small crowds.

In the months before he went to university, he carried out his military service, where he says he turned down an approach from the communist secret services to become an informer.

He was 23 when he married fellow student Anikó Lévai, whom he met at university. They have five children, four daughters and a son, Gáspár, who was trained by the British Army at Sandhurst and served as an officer in the Hungarian army in Chad.

ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images Pope Benedict XVI (R) poses with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban (2D-L), his wife Aniko Levai (3D-L), and their five children during a private audience at The Vatican on December 6, 2010ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images

After his 1989 speech to a large crowd in Heroes' Square, he went on to study liberal political philosophy briefly at Oxford. His scholarship was funded by Hungarian-born billionaire philanthropist George Soros, a benefactor he would turn against years later.

Within months he had abandoned his studies early to campaign in 1990 elections, when Fidesz won 22 seats, with Viktor Orbán top of the party list.

Friends from his student days became key members of Fidesz, and his college director Istvan Stumpf went on to take up the role of his chief of staff during the first Orban premiership from 1998-2002.

As a young MP, Viktor Orbán and his party joined the global Liberal International movement in 1992.

Political scientist Zoltan Lakner believes he shifted ideology during the second half of the 1990s. As Hungary was governed by a liberal-socialist coalition, he realised "to gain political success he had to turn his back on liberalism and transform his party into a nationalist, anti-liberal political force".

TIBOR ILLYES/MTI/AFP A black and white picture of a man in a white suitTIBOR ILLYES/MTI/AFP
Viktor Orban led Fidesz from 1993 and his first election as leader in 1994 was not a success

Perhaps the seeds of his reversal were already sown at Oxford. In his few months at Pembroke College, he befriended the conservative philosopher Roger Scruton.

Or perhaps it was more political opportunism.

Orbán became Fidesz leader in 1993, and was already pushing it to the centre right by the time the conservative MDF lost power in 1994. Fidesz filled the gap left by the weakened conservatives.

Peter Rona, an Oxford-based economist and former candidate for president of Hungary, describes a meeting in the early 1990s, at which Orbán said he wanted to create a "modern conservative party".

When Peter Rona warned him that earlier politicians who had attempted the same thing had quickly dropped the "modern" when circumstances demanded, Orbán replied: "Then so be it."

In 1998, Orbán led Fidesz to election victory, and at 35 became Europe's youngest prime minister, taking Hungary into Nato in 1999.

He then suffered two defeats at the ballot box, in 2002 and 2006, and on both occasions the Fidesz leader learned his lessons.

The defeat in 2002 changed him. "The nation cannot be defeated," he told his supporters, as he tried to digest what had just happened.

AFP via Getty Images Viktor Orban (L) answers questions after casting his vote in Budapest, 23 April 2006AFP via Getty Images
Orbán last tasted electoral defeat in 2006

After 2002, Orbán befriended Árpád Habony, a martial arts instructor and businessman, as his personal guru. Habony became a trusted ally and component in the business empire that underpinned Fidesz.

Orbán was swept back into office in the turbulence of the global economic crisis in 2010 and has not lost since.

He has since transformed Hungary with a host of changes to its laws and constitution, winning four consecutive elections with four straight "super-majorities", controlling two-thirds of parliament.

In an attempt to secure his legacy, more than 40 "cardinal laws" were passed, reshaping state institutions, the economy, election laws and the media.

The economy was stabilised, public finances were secured and EU funds came in.

However, expensive state projects were placed in the hands of Orbán's inner circle, including a childhood friend and a son-in-law.

Fidesz and its supporters gradually took control of Hungary's media landscape, replacing foreign investors, says Hungarian media monitor Mertek.

In 2018, almost all "Orban-friendly media" transferred ownership rights to a foundation called Kesma, whose board was made up of Fidesz MPs and the head of a Fidesz-friendly think tank, according to Mertek.

For several years, Hungary has been labelled the EU's most corrupt country by Transparency International.

POOL/AFP via Getty Images Two men in black suits shake handsPOOL/AFP via Getty Images
Orbán's close partnership with Russia's Vladimir Putin has been widely criticised by his EU partners

The European Parliament, both in 2018 and 2025, has warned of persistent threats to rule of law. Billions of euros in EU funds for Hungary has since been frozen.

The EU is one of several targets that Orbán has set his sights on in recent years.

His latest stand-off with EU leaders means €90bn in funds for Ukraine has been put on hold because of a Hungarian veto.

Sandor Csintalan, both a former ally and critic of Orbán, has spoken of "a constant need to radicalise himself", which places him apart from other European conservatives.

Ukraine has become another core issue for the long-time Hungarian leader, while for years he focused on George Soros and migrants.

In 2013 political consultants George Birnbaum and Arthur Finkelstein gave him the idea of creating Soros as an enemy.

"Soros was a good target," Birnbaum explained, "because enough people in Hungary didn't like the idea of this billionaire… like the Wizard of Oz, controlling politics and policy, from behind the curtain".

Orbán accused George Soros's civil society groups of "trying secretly and with foreign money to influence Hungarian politics". A poster-campaign condemned by critics as antisemitic targeted the philanthropist, although Orbán has been able to point to his support for Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reject the accusations.

The Soros-founded Central European University, set up in 1991 as Hungary embraced democracy, was forced to move most of its activity to Vienna in 2019.

In July 2015, as refugees and irregular migrants entered the EU over Hungary's borders in increasing numbers, Orbán drew a "clear link between illegal immigrants coming to Europe and the spread of terrorism".

The solution was clear, he said: "We would like to keep Europe for Europeans... also we want... to preserve Hungary for Hungarians."

A fence was built on the Serbian border and new laws were introduced criminalising migrants. A "Stop Soros" law in 2018 criminalised those who helped irregular migrants, and the EU's top court ruled that Budapest had failed to fulfil its obligations under EU law.

Going into the 12 April vote, Ukraine has become Orbán's main campaign focus, as he accuses Volodymyr Zelensky of blocking Hungary's oil supply and his opponents of wanting to hand Hungarian money to Kyiv.

Although he has been able to rely on Trump and Putin for political support, his claim to be protecting Hungary from leaders who wage war has become increasingly shaky.

He has not experienced electoral defeat since 2006. Despite the support of both Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, he is now facing the biggest test of his political career.

How downed F-15 US airman was rescued inside Iran

5 April 2026 at 23:45
Watch: What we know so far about the search for missing US airman in Iran

A search is underway for a missing crew member after a US F-15E fighter jet flying over southern Iran was shot down on Friday, US media has reported.

A pilot who was on board was reportedly rescued by US forces, but the search for the second crew member, a weapons system officer, is ongoing, reports say.

Seperately, a US A-10 Warthog aircraft that was part of the search and rescue mission for the downed jet was also shot and damaged, however its pilot was safely rescued, according to the BBC's US partner CBS News.

Iranian officials said the the warplane was shot down by its air defence system, according to state media. The US Central Command is yet to comment.

Where and when was the jet shot down?

Iranian state media first claimed on Friday that the country's forces shot down a US jet over its southern region.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt then said that US President Donald Trump had been briefed on the incident.

US Central Command has not confirmed the details surrounding the reported downing of the aircraft.

A search and rescue mission successfully recovered the pilot of the jet, but what happened to the jet's second crew member, a weapons systems officer, remains unknown, CBS News has reported.

The rescue operation included an A-10 Warthog plane that was hit over the Gulf, with its pilot ejecting before being rescued, according to CBS.

One helicopter carrying the rescued pilot from the F-15E jet was hit by small arms fire, injuring crew members on board - but it landed safely, CBS reports.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that nomadic tribes living in the country's mountains shot two Black Hawk helicopters that were part of the US rescue mission.

The BBC has requested comment from the US military regarding Iran's claim.

BBC Verify has confirmed a video from Friday showing what appears to be three armed individuals firing towards at least two Black Hawk helicopters.

Iran's top joint military command has credited new Iranian air defence systems with the downing of both US warplanes, according to Iran's state-affiliated IRNA news agency.

A map showing where US aircraft have been filmed in the search for a crew of a plane downed in Iran. It shows locations in the Khuzestan province and the Hohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province.

What do we know about the jet's purpose?

US Air Force via Getty Images Two F-15E Strike Eagle jets soaring through a cloudy skyUS Air Force via Getty Images
A file photo of two F-15E Strike Eagle jets

The F-15E is a dual-role fighter jet designed for both air-to-ground and air-to-air missions. In Iran, they are most likely to have been involved in Defensive Counter Air roles to shoot down Iranian drones and cruise missiles.

In its air-to-ground strike role, the jet is a weapons platform capable of dropping laser and GPS guided precision munitions, as well as other bombs.

The aircraft has two crew: the pilot in the front who flies the jet and a weapons systems officer in the back seat. The weapons officer, known as a "Wizzo", has four screens in front of them and is responsible for selecting targets and making sure the weapons are properly programmed for the appropriate attack.

This two-crew system allows the workload to be divided up, particularly in a congested air environment where the pilot is trying to evade threats.

We do not know what specifically brought down this US jet, but if it was taken down by the Iranians then the most likely reason is a surface-to-air missile (SAM).

Infographic about the US F‑15E Strike Eagle fighter jet with a photo of the aircraft in flight and text explaining its features: designed for long‑range missions to attack ground targets and fight its way out; has a two‑person crew of a pilot and a weapon systems officer; uses terrain‑following radar to fly safely at very low altitudes. Notes that F‑15s have been in service since 1974, with the F‑15E introduced in 1988. States an approximate cost of $100m (£75m). Source: the US Air Force.

What is happening with the rescue effort?

The rescue of crew members of a downed jet is one of the most complex and time-sensitive operations - known as combat search and rescue (CSAR) missions - that the US military and its allies prepare for.

The elite air force units behind CSAR missions include some of the most highly trained and specialised members of the military.

"It's the most dangerous military mission that I know of," James Jeffrey, a military strategist and top US diplomat for the Middle East, told the BBC.

"These are Air Force special operations people who are trained almost to the level of Delta Force and Navy SEAL Team Six, but they also have medical capabilities," Jeffrey said. "They will not give up until they can find a pilot if they think there's any chance."

CSAR missions are often conducted by helicopters, which fly low over enemy territory, alongside other military aircraft that conduct strikes and patrol the area.

A former commander of a pararescue jumpers squadron told CBS News that a rescue operation like the reported one in Iran would involve at least 24 pararescue jumpers scouring the area in Black Hawk helicopters.

They added the team would be prepared to jump from planes if needed, and once on the ground their priority would be to contact the missing crew member.

The crew of the downed jet are also highly trained for such situations.

"Their number one priority is to stay alive and to avoid capture," Jennifer Kavanagh, a senior fellow and the director of military analysis at think tank Defense Priorities, told the BBC.

"And so they're trained to - assuming that they're physically capable, and not so injured that they can't move - to try to get away from the ejection site as quickly as possible, and to conceal themselves so that they are safe."

They're also trained on survival techniques so that they can go without food or water, or find resources from the local terrain, for as long as possible, Kavanagh said.

Iran is offering rewards of about £50,000 ($66,100) to citizens who help capture the missing airman, state media has reported.

Artemis's stunning Moon pictures - science or holiday photos?

5 April 2026 at 23:03
'That is something we have never seen before': Artemis II crew describe far side of Moon

Nasa is releasing a steady stream of stunning pictures of the Moon and Earth taken by the astronauts on its Artemis II Moon mission.

Attracting millions of likes on social media, the images show the two bodies from unusual angles in glorious high definition.

There is no denying the drama: four astronauts are embarking on a mission that will take them further from Earth than any human has ventured since 1972.

But is there unique scientific value in these images, or are these simply the equivalent of holiday photos?

NASA Astronaut Christina Koch watching Earth from the Orion spacecraftNASA
Astronaut Christina Koch watching Earth from the Orion spacecraft (image taken with iPhone 17 Pro Max)

Nasa wants the American public behind them to support the mission. They are live-streaming the 10-day journey, and the four astronauts are doing regular video updates, describing their progress in triumphant tones.

The crew have been so excited to watch the world and Moon go by, Nasa has said, that the window inside the Orion spacecraft got dirty and the astronauts were sent instructions on how to clean it.

This is the first time that digital cameras have been taken this far into space.

Orion has 32 cameras and devices - 15 mounted onto the spacecraft and 17 handheld by the crew.

According to Nasa, the astronauts are using standard 10-year-old cameras, including the Nikon D5, as well as GoPros and smartphones.

Nasa's photostream on flickr even tells you the device used to take each of the published photos.

On Friday we saw the first results of their intense observations.

"Hello, World" was taken by Commander Reid Wiseman when the mission was about equidistant from the Moon and Earth - 142,000 miles (228,500 km) from Earth, and 132,000 miles from the Moon.

It shows two auroras as the Earth eclipses the Sun, and the planet Venus glowing at the bottom of the image.

NASA/Reid Wiseman NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman took this picture of Earth from the Orion spacecraft's window on April 2, 2026, after completing the translunar injection burn.NASA/Reid Wiseman

Our planet appears upside down, with the Sahara desert and the Iberian peninsula visible to the left and the eastern portion of South America to the right.

It's a lovely picture, but nothing new when it comes to science.

In fact, Nasa has a satellite with its Deep Space Climate Observatory with a camera called Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (Epic). Launched in 2015, it frequently takes pictures of Earth from close to a million miles away - much further than Artemis II.

Then on Saturday, Nasa released another photo, with the tagline "history in the making".

It shows the Orientale basin, a huge crater on the far side of the Moon, which has a thicker crust and many more impact craters.

It's been released ahead of the lunar fly-by on Monday when the crew will fly around this mysterious far side, passing within 4,066 miles of the surface.

NASA A picture taken on day 4 of Artemis mission showing the Orientale basin on the right edge of the lunar diskNASA
A picture taken on day 4 of Artemis mission showing the Orientale basin on the right edge of the lunar disk

Nasa said its image marked "the first time the entire basin has been seen with human eyes". Even Apollo astronauts didn't see the Orientale basin completely because of their orbit and illumination conditions.

Nasa is emphasising the significance of human eyes rather than robotic explorers.

"Human eyes and brains are highly sensitive to subtle changes in colour, texture, and other surface characteristics," it says.

It says this could "uncover new discoveries and a more nuanced appreciation for the features on the surface of the Moon."

I asked Chris Lintott, Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Oxford and co-host of BBC's series The Sky at Night for his opinion.

"The value of the images coming back from Artemis and its crew is artistic, not scientific," he said.

He explained that since the Apollo program in the 1960s and 1970s, robotic explorers have mapped the far side of the Moon.

In 2023, India sent the probe Chandrayaan-3 and captured detailed images of the same terrain.

ISRO A photo of the moon's far side captured in 2023 by a camera on India's Chandrayaan-3 probe ISRO
A photo of the moon's far side captured in 2023 by a camera on India's Chandrayaan-3 probe

And in 2024, China's Chang'e-6 mission collected the first-ever samples from the far side. It followed China landing the first ever probe in the region, in 2019.

"Unless something very unusual happens, there will be nothing for the [Artemis] astronauts to discover," Lintott says.

"There's a possibility they might see an impact flash if a meteor hits the dark side but it would have to be a pretty big one," he said.

"For science they would need to do a systematic count [of it], best done with a video camera, not looking out the window," he explained.

"The [images] we already have back are beautiful, stunning and iconic - taking by astronauts not by robots. This is a voyage of exploration, not lunar science and that's fine!" he said.

When releasing these images, Nasa is pushing the scientific importance of this mission, but as journalists, we are asked to look at all the facts around a story.

America is locked in a space race with other nations - notably China, with both nations vying to be the first to return humans to the Moon. A successful Artemis II mission would signal that the US has taken a decisive lead, for now

And this is a huge moment for Nasa to shine in the eyes of President Donald Trump, who has gutted the funding of many scientific institutions.

The agency is also under pressure to prove its worth at a time when private operators such as SpaceX are raising the bar.

Science is driven by inquiry and evidence, but it is never immune to politics.

Getty Images The iconic Earthrise photo taken in 1968Getty Images
The iconic Earthrise photo taken in 1968

In 1968 astronaut Bill Anders made history when he took the now-famous picture Earthrise.

Taken from close to the lunar surface, it showed our planet rising in the distance.

It made Earth look vulnerable, and at a time of global division and tension during the Cold War, it reminded many viewers that we share this one planet.

It also demonstrated how a powerful image can write history, and Nasa will be hoping that Artemis II delivers a moment of comparable resonance.

In the meantime, let's enjoy the astronauts' ride and their beautiful pictures.

Pepsi withdraws as UK festival sponsor after Kanye West backlash

5 April 2026 at 23:13
Getty Images Headshot of West who wears a silver chain and sunglasses. There is a man behind him who is blurred Getty Images

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said it is "deeply concerning" that Kanye West is set to headline Wireless Festival in London this summer.

West, now known as Ye, has drawn widespread criticism for antisemitic comments he has made in recent years, for which he issued an apology in January.

The American rapper, 48, was announced as the headliner for all three days of the rap and R&B festival in north London earlier this week.

In response Sir Keir said, in comments first reported by the Sun on Sunday, that West has been booked "despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism".

"Antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted firmly wherever it appears," Sir Keir said.

"Everyone has a responsibility to ensure Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe."

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said on Thursday that the government should ban West from entering the UK, arguing "we need to get tougher on antisemitism" and describing West's planned appearance as "extremely serious".

Last year West was blocked from entering Australia after releasing a song titled "Heil Hitler", glorifying the Nazi leader.

He also declared himself a Nazi earlier in the year, retracting an earlier apology he issued over antisemitic comments, and sold T-shirts featuring a swastika on his clothing website.

In November 2025, West held a meeting with Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto where he reportedly apologised for his past antisemitic comments.

In January, West took out a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal, apologising for his antisemitic behaviour.

"I am not a Nazi or an antisemite," he wrote. He said bipolar disorder means when "you're manic, you don't think you're sick" and that he "lost touch with reality".

"I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state," he added.

West's X account was banned multiple times in 2022 due to posts that violated the platform's rules.

It came after he posted a series of offensive tweets, including an image appearing to show a symbol combining a swastika and the Star of David and saying he would go "death con 3 On Jewish people".

In the same year, he drew criticism after wearing a "white lives matter" T-shirt during Paris fashion week.

His actions saw clothing brand Adidas part ways with the rapper, which said at the time it does "not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech".

He has not performed in the UK since 2015 when he headlined Glastonbury.

Three songs from his latest album Bully, released in March, are in the UK's top 100 singles chart.

Wireless has described the event, running from 10-12 July, as a "three night journey through his most iconic records".

Earlier this week, the leader of the largest body representing Jews in the UK, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, told BBC Newsnight that West should be blocked from entering the country.

A spokesperson for London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan said: "We are clear that the past comments and actions of this artist are offensive and wrong, and are simply not reflective of London's values. This was a decision taken by the festival organisers and not one that City Hall is involved in."

Wireless organisers Festival Republic have been approached for comment.

Hungary alleges plot to blow up gas pipeline ahead of election

6 April 2026 at 00:38
AFP via Getty Images File picture of Viktor Orban speaking to journalistsAFP via Getty Images
Viktor Orban has run Hungary for 16 years

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has convened an emergency meeting of the National Defence Council after explosives were found near a pipeline that transports Russian gas to Hungary.

The discovery in a border area of neighbouring Serbia comes as Orban's party is badly trailing in opinion polls ahead of crucial elections next Sunday.

Opposition leader Peter Magyar accused him of "panic-mongering" orchestrated by "Russian advisers", days after security experts warned of a possible "false flag" operation that could be blamed on Ukraine.

Orban, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has resisted EU calls to abandon Russian energy imports since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

In recent weeks Hungarian security experts have raised the possibility of a staged operation, either on Hungarian or Serbian territory, intended to arouse enough sympathy for Orban to help his Fidesz party win the election - or to give Orban an excuse to declare an emergency and postpone or cancel the vote.

Serbian President Alexander Vucic, a close ally of Orban, informed the Hungarian leader of the discovery on Sunday morning.

Two rucksacks full of explosives and detonators were found by the Serbian army near the village of Tresnjevac in the Kanjiza district, about 20km (12 miles) from the point where the TurkStream pipeline crosses into Hungary.

"Our units found an explosive of devastating power," Vucic said in a post on Instagram. "I told PM Orban that we would keep him updated on the investigation."

Hungary receives between five and eight billion cubic metres of Russian gas a year through the TurkStream pipeline, which both Hungary and Slovakia depend on for Russian gas.

Balint Pasztor, president of the Vojvodina Hungarian Association, and another key Orban ally, posted on Facebook: "If the investigation proves that we were not the primary target after all, but rather Hungary's supply lines, then this makes it even clearer: the terrorist attack was planned with the aim of bringing down Viktor Orban."

Fidesz has made hostility to Ukraine a cornerstone of its election campaign.

At election rallies Orban has told supporters that low heating and fuel prices in Hungary are only possible thanks to cheap Russian oil and gas, both of which arrive in Hungary by pipeline - oil through Ukraine, and gas through the Balkans.

Orban alleges that a "Kyiv-Brussels-Berlin" axis is conspiring to stop Hungary getting cheap Russian fuel, to impose their "puppet" prime minister Magyar in the upcoming election. A Tisza government, Orban says, would also drag Hungary into a European war against Russia.

Orban has already accused Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky of imposing "an oil blockade" on Hungary, because no Russian oil has arrived through the Druzhba pipeline, which crosses Ukrainian territory, since the end of January.

Ukraine says the pipeline was damaged in a Russian attack, and should be functional again in-mid April.

There have been no official allegations of Ukrainian involvement in the pipeline incident so far. But one well-informed Serbian source told the BBC this could happen as early as Monday, when Serbian authorities are expected to release the first results of their investigation.

On 2 April, Hungarian security expert Andras Racz warned on Facebook that a "fake attack" on the TurkStream pipeline could be staged inside Serbia.

Racz also predicted that the explosives would be identified as Ukrainian, allowing Orban to once again point the finger of blame at Kyiv.

"We had some solid preliminary information about this operation, including details about the place and possible timing," former senior Hungarian counter-intelligence officer, Peter Buda, told the BBC.

"It's clear that Ukraine's interests aren't at stake here. An operation like this would help Orban before the election by influencing public opinion in his favour.''

The Hungarian government insists the threat is real. "In the past few days and weeks, we've seen it all," Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto wrote on Facebook.

"The Ukrainians organised an oil blockade against us. Then they tried to impose a total energy blockade on us by firing dozens of drones at the TurkStream pipeline while it was still on Russian territory.

"And now we have today's incident, in which Serbian colleagues found explosives capable of blowing up the pipeline."

Opposition leader Peter Magyar accused Orban, in cahoots with the Serbian president, of staging the latest incident.

"He will not be able to prevent next Sunday's election. He will not be able to prevent millions of Hungarians from ending the most corrupt two decades in our country's history."

Yesterday — 5 April 2026BBC | Top Stories

Starmer 'concerned' over Kanye West UK festival dates

5 April 2026 at 21:37
Getty Images Headshot of West who wears a silver chain and sunglasses. There is a man behind him who is blurred Getty Images

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said it is "deeply concerning" that Kanye West is set to headline Wireless Festival in London this summer.

West, now known as Ye, has drawn widespread criticism for antisemitic comments he has made in recent years, for which he issued an apology in January.

The American rapper, 48, was announced as the headliner for all three days of the rap and R&B festival in north London earlier this week.

In response Sir Keir said, in comments first reported by the Sun on Sunday, that West has been booked "despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism".

"Antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted firmly wherever it appears," Sir Keir said.

"Everyone has a responsibility to ensure Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe."

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said on Thursday that the government should ban West from entering the UK, arguing "we need to get tougher on antisemitism" and describing West's planned appearance as "extremely serious".

Last year West was blocked from entering Australia after releasing a song titled "Heil Hitler", glorifying the Nazi leader.

He also declared himself a Nazi earlier in the year, retracting an earlier apology he issued over antisemitic comments, and sold T-shirts featuring a swastika on his clothing website.

In November 2025, West held a meeting with Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto where he reportedly apologised for his past antisemitic comments.

In January, West took out a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal, apologising for his antisemitic behaviour.

"I am not a Nazi or an antisemite," he wrote. He said bipolar disorder means when "you're manic, you don't think you're sick" and that he "lost touch with reality".

"I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state," he added.

West's X account was banned multiple times in 2022 due to posts that violated the platform's rules.

It came after he posted a series of offensive tweets, including an image appearing to show a symbol combining a swastika and the Star of David and saying he would go "death con 3 On Jewish people".

In the same year, he drew criticism after wearing a "white lives matter" T-shirt during Paris fashion week.

His actions saw clothing brand Adidas part ways with the rapper, which said at the time it does "not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech".

He has not performed in the UK since 2015 when he headlined Glastonbury.

Three songs from his latest album Bully, released in March, are in the UK's top 100 singles chart.

Wireless has described the event, running from 10-12 July, as a "three night journey through his most iconic records".

Earlier this week, the leader of the largest body representing Jews in the UK, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, told BBC Newsnight that West should be blocked from entering the country.

A spokesperson for London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan said: "We are clear that the past comments and actions of this artist are offensive and wrong, and are simply not reflective of London's values. This was a decision taken by the festival organisers and not one that City Hall is involved in."

Wireless organisers Festival Republic have been approached for comment.

Streetwear and crop tops take football fashion to new heights

5 April 2026 at 07:01
Adidas/Getty Images A backdrop of a stadium with various footballing figures, celebrities and others wearing streetwear-inspired football fashion in the foregroundAdidas/Getty Images

Shirt launches are a hotly anticipated part of every World Cup.

And this year's campaigns from the two main kit-makers - Adidas and Nike - mark a notable departure from previous competitions, featuring more streetwear-inspired collections than traditional matching football shorts, socks and boots.

Inspired by football culture on and off the pitch, the collections mix archive classics with streetwear staples.

Nike launched its World Cup home shirts with a Hollywood-worthy short film of star players including Virgil van Dijk, William Saliba and Cole Palmer modelling their kits with cargo trousers, jeans and trainers.

Nike Ronald Araújo wears the Uruguay home kit with chunky silver accessories, an oversized jacket and baggy trousersNike
Barcelona's Ronald Araújo models the Uruguay home kit for Nike with chunky silver accessories, an oversized jacket and baggy trousers

Adidas went one step further when they launched their away shirts in Los Angeles recently. Celebrities including Kendall Jenner and Damson Idris watched models styling their kits with flared trousers, distressed denim and micro-shorts.

It's a way of showing fans "how to bring the kits into their own life", says Adidas football's global manager.

Sam Handy has "known for a while that the worlds of streetwear, music, fashion and culture converge in football as a universal shared passion across the world.

"It took a few seasons for everyone to see it."

Adidas Group shot of models in the new Adidas World Cup away kitsAdidas
Adidas launched its away kit in Los Angeles, one of the World Cup locations, earlier this month with models in streetwear

Streetwear is woven into the casuals subculture which emerged in the UK in the 70s.

Casuals ditched full team colours for a more everyday look. Polo shirts, denim jackets or flared trousers from brands like Adidas, Fila, Sergio Tacchini, Lacoste, Slazenger, Stone Island and Fred Perry took over the full kit.

Over time, these styles were adapted outside football and became more mainstream.

Dave Hewitson A group of young men wearing garments associated with the casual subcultureDave Hewitson
The casual subculture is thought to have grown out of fashions brought home from Europe by Liverpool fans

Adidas has nodded to this with an £80 Britcore Jersey in its new collection. Described as a 90s-inspired look which is perfect for "layering up" or "making a statement at a weekend event", it's clear it's not just designed for football fans.

Meanwhile, Nike has launched its Jordan and Brazil collaboration ahead of the World Cup, with an "old-school jersey" goalie top that's described by the brand as being "field-ready style, remixed for the streets", costing £79.99.

Adidas Picture of a woman in a cropped Adidas Germany away kit, wearing black joggersAdidas
Many of the federations with World Cup kits designed by Adidas have a cropped shirt available for the first time

Ahead of the 2026 World Cup - which takes place in the US, Mexico and Canada between 11 June and 19 July - some brands have pushed the boundaries between sportswear and streetwear even further by launching cropped versions of many of their shirts.

First introduced by Adidas for major European clubs like Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in 2025, they've been described as a "more exciting product for female fans".

The crop tops were inspired by "seeing lots of fans cutting jerseys and re-sewing them to get the fit they wanted", says Handy.

"The future of football is women and the people who don't credibly invest in them are missing out on expanding fandom in 50% of the population," he stresses.

Ellie-Ann Prendergast Picture of a blonde football fan in a cropped Liverpool shirt with a scarf, stood in the stands at Anfield StadiumEllie-Ann Prendergast
Ellie-Ann Prendergast says match day outfits helped inspire her to get into supporting Liverpool and going to her first games

Match-day outfits have deepened 22-year-old Ellie-Ann Prendergast's love for Liverpool. "Styling myself for games has made me enjoy them more," Prendergast says.

She's "obsessed" with styling outfits and keeping up with the latest kits - and loves seeing fans dressing up on match days.

"As a new football fan I feel like I've been accepted straight into the fanbase because they're such a family," she adds.

MediaNews Group/Bay Area News via Getty Images A shop clerk fixing the tie of basketball player Monta Ellis, wearing a suit, in 2005MediaNews Group/Bay Area News via Getty Images
Basketball player Monta Ellis having his suit adjusted in 2005 after the NBA's dress code insisted basketball players wear "business casual"

Given its deep ties with the trend-setting US basketball and American football leagues, the NBA and NFL, it feels apt streetwear styles are included in this year's North American World Cup kit collections.

But while streetwear is increasingly featured in collections now, fashion in sport hasn't always been embraced.

In 2005, an NBA dress code asked players to dress "business casual" while representing the sport - an attempt to banish streetwear from the league.

Players hired stylists to bend the NBA's rules as much as possible to still incorporate streetwear looks and showcase their own personal fashion sense.

Many of today's footballers have grown up "looking up to basketball players", says British football content creator Tiannah Pedler.

She believes fashion is one of the few opportunities footballers have to show off their personality. "The ones that are interested in fashion can create this really strong personal brand," the 26-year-old says.

David Beckham is an example of this in the early 2000s, but more recently, Kylian Mbappé, Marcus Rashford and Jude Bellingham have all attended Paris Fashion Week shows when off the pitch.

Getty Images Picture of Jules Kounde in a long green jacket, holding a handbag and wearing a beanie. There is grass and concrete behind him.Getty Images
Barcelona player Jules Kounde's arriving at the French national camp in a fashion-forward outfit, November 2025

It's also something players in France have long been known for - with boundary-pushing outfits regularly going viral.

Back in 2018, streetwear was integrated into the sport when club Paris Saint-Germain launched its commercial partnership with the Nike Air Jordan brand.

This collaboration with the Jordan brand - founded by basketball's Michael Jordan - helped "kickstart" this fashion trend in European football.

"PSG are very good at making the club a bit of a lifestyle brand where even non-football fans might like to wear merch," Pedler says.

Tiannah Pedler Picture of Tiannah Pedler in a blue England shirt and jeans in front of a yellow brick wallTiannah Pedler
Football content creator Tiannah Pedler believes fashion has helped create a safe space for women in football

Pedler sees Arsenal as leading the way in this area, having already collaborated with a number of London streetwear brands in the last year, including Places + Faces, LABRUM and Aries.

"Arsenal have done a really great job with all their collections.

"If they do win the league, they are going to have the best-dressed parade in the entire world," Pedler jokes.

Other clubs like Everton have recently created a collection with LA brand Anti Social Social Club, while Manchester United's The Stone Roses collection with Adidas has been a big hit with fans.

As football clubs look to cash in on fans looking for more fashionable ways to support their clubs, you can expect to see more streetwear collaborations in the future.

Adidas Joy Crookes set against a brown background in a white and red Arsenal shirtAdidas
Singer Joy Crookes models a new Adidas cropped shirt in collaboration with Arsenal and streetwear brand Places + Faces

'Let's do it' - Wilder calls out Joshua after win

5 April 2026 at 18:13

'Let's do it' - Wilder calls out Joshua after win

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Wilder beats Chisora in thrilling split decision bout

ByMatt Davis
BBC Sport senior journalist

Deontay Wilder has raised the possibility of a fight with Anthony Joshua, telling the Briton "let's do it" following the American's points victory over Derek Chisora.

Two-time world heavyweight champion Joshua was ringside at London's O2 Arena on Saturday to support his friend Chisora for what is expected to have been the beaten fighter's final professional bout.

Joshua has largely remained out of the spotlight since he was a passenger in a car crash that killed two of his friends in Nigeria on 29 December.

The 36-year-old sustained minor injuries in the crash that killed Sina Ghami and Latif 'Latz' Ayodele.

He last fought on 19 December, when he stopped YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in the sixth round.

After that victory, which improved his record to 29 wins and four defeats, Joshua said he was ready to face long-term rival Tyson Fury next.

Fury ended his latest spell of retirement in January when he announced he would be returning to fight Arslanbek Makhmudov in the UK on 11 April.

Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn told DAZN pre-fight: "To be honest, we've been very focused about making the Tyson Fury fight. But AJ did mention to me yesterday that, he's to support Derek, but if Deontay Wilder wins in style tonight, it opens a big fight with Anthony Joshua as well."

On Saturday, Wilder, 40, walked past Joshua, fist-bumped him and said "let's do it", before he could be heard saying "He's scared" as he walked away.

Later, former world champion Wilder, who also said he may have a small fracture in his hand, addressed the exchange, saying: "It wasn't a few words, I dapped it up with him and I said: 'Now let's get it on.'

"I'm ready for whoever, long as these guys are in the heavyweight division, I am here.

"You can call me Mr Clean, because I want to clean up the whole division. The division is nothing without Deontay Wilder."

British boxer Anthony Joshua shakes hands at the fight between Deontay Wilder and Derek ChisoraImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Anthony Joshua last fought in December when he stopped YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul

Wilder was awarded a split decision with scores of 115–111 and 115–113, while one judge scored it 115–112 to Chisora.

It was the 45th win in his 50 fights but he has been in decline in recent years, having never looked the same since his trilogy of meetings with Fury.

After a draw in the first bout in 2018, Wilder lost his WBC heavyweight title in the rematch in 2020 and then also lost the third fight.

A Joshua-Wilder bout had been scheduled for 2024 but the plans were scuppered when the American suffered a shock loss to Joseph Parker.

Asked about the post-fight exchange, Hearn told Fight Hub TV: "He said 'let's do it', AJ sort of stared at him ice cold, but he would fight him no problem."

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'I was thinking of Chisora being with his kids': Wilder on holding back in Chisora fight

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Do cats like being taken for walks or is it an Instagram fad?

5 April 2026 at 14:07
Manda Glasspell Fifi, a grey cat, looks to the right of the frame. She has a red collar on and is balanced on a mossy tree branch. Behind her is blurred and there is forest. Fifi has turquoise eyes.Manda Glasspell
Fifi loves the forest, says her owner Lucy Francom

Roo has her harness on and her owner Alana Kestle has her lead in hand - the pair are ready to go out for a walk.

Except Roo is a cat and she is far from the only puss heading out for walkies.

TikTok and Instagram have seen an explosion of adventure cat content over the past few years - pets perched on paddleboards, scaling mountains or trotting on beaches.

With more young people living in flats in cities, supervised outdoor time allows their cats to get outdoor enrichment without the risk of being run over, say owners.

Cat expert Emily Blackwell said, while she does not condemn the practice, she also does not recommend it - adding that it depends on the cat and owner to make it a success.

Cats Protection urged would-be owners to choose a cat that can "thrive within the environment and lifestyle you can offer rather than attempting to force the cat to adjust".

"I would say the majority of cat owners that are putting in the weeks and months of time to harness train, slowly get them used to the backpack and taking them out are good owners who are wanting to keep their cats safe," said Alana.

When Roo was first adopted by 22-year-old Alana and her partner, both from Cardiff, the little kitten was meant to be an indoor cat.

But then videos of cats being walked on leads started filling her social media feeds, so the couple decided to try it.

Alana Kestle Roo the tabby cat is sat on a forest floor covered in pine needles. Roo has green eyes and is wearing a turquoise collar and a red rope lead attached. Alana Kestle
Roo is very smart and uses talking cat buttons to talk at home, says Alana

As a third-year veterinary student at the University of Surrey, Alana has seen the dangers free-roaming cats face, such as being run over, fights and disease.

The couple began by trying different harnesses and getting Roo used to it in the house before introducing a travel backpack Roo could use if she needed a safe space while out and about.

"It did take her quite a few months to start realising, 'no, this actually is safe'," but now she has "full-blown zoomies outside, tail up, chirping, running around on her lead," Alana said.

Alana Kestle Alana Kestle is holding Roo the tabby cat in her arms. Roo has wide eyes and Alana is kissing her head. Alana has long blonde hair and is wearing glasses. Behind the pair is a tree trunk and a forest. Alana Kestle
Roo loves the forest near Alana's flat, which is where she was trained

Some vets she knows have been "very much into it", while others have expressed concern.

Alana thinks cat walking has been more popular among young people because they are living in urban environments and see the dangers it poses to cats, but she did not agree when people "do it for social media and push their cats too far".

The trick is knowing your cat, their body language and when they have had enough, she added.

She is far from alone, in fact, there are more than 4,500 members on the UK Cat Walkers Facebook group.

Lucy Francom Bongo, a tabby cat stands on the front of a blue paddle board. Behind him someone is kneeling on the paddle board with a paddle. A green harness is visible around his neck and body. Lucy Francom
Bongo loves the paddleboard so much he will jump on it while its still being pumped up and when on the water

Lucy Francom, 26, began training Bongo when she got him about four years ago because he followed her everywhere.

Lucy, who grew up in Llandudno, Conwy county, does not believe cats should be allowed outside alone, no matter where they live, but nor would she want them to stay indoors all day.

Instead, Bongo and her other cat Fifi are trained to paddleboard, kayak and walk with her.

Lucy Francom A woman with dyed blue hair that is long and goes past her shoulders smiles at the camera. She is wearing glasses with blue frames and a purple fleece. She is carrying a grey cat with green eyes and wearing a purple harness. Lucy Francom
Lucy says her cat Fifi is really energetic and is always climbing trees

But how do you train a cat?

Lucy said the trick was going at their pace and using a clicker that you click and give them a treat when they do the correct behaviour so the cat associates the action with a reward.

Bongo and Fifi have been trained to walk with Lucy without a lead so they will come back to her if she calls, but Lucy said it was concerning to see people on social media dragging their cats around and not training them correctly.

Lucy Francom Fifi and Bongo stand on a mossy rock. Fifi is a grey patterned cat with green eyes and is wearing a red collar. Bongo is a tabby cat and has blue eyes. Behind them is a forestLucy Francom
Fifi and Bongo have both been trained in recall so they will come back to Lucy when needed

Candice Stapleton, whose family is Welsh, is a dog trainer and said training cats was fairly similar.

She has four felines but only Captain Crumpet walks with her and German shepherd/border collie cross Lexa May.

She does not believe every cat should be harnessed trained: "I decided walking isn't good for Chikondi because of his poorly hips. I've got two older cats and it wouldn't be right for them either."

One of the important things she has trained Captain Crumpet and Chikondi in is what to do if they feel threatened and she carries a rucksack as a mobile safe space.

Candice Stapleton A woman with short purple and blue dyed hair stands on a river bank. There is a cat lying on her shoulder and a dog stood at her side. Candice Stapleton
Candice said Captain Crumpet and dog Lexa May get along well

She believes younger people are embracing cat walking because they see it on social media whereas older people "can be a little bit more set in 'dogs go for walks and cats don't'".

"I guess there's a lot of social media presence and people potentially might do it for the likes rather than what's right for the cat."

She said walking Captain Crumpet was a "real mood booster, I can't help but smile seeing his happy tail as he trots along".

Candice Stapleton A brown cat with black spots sits on a wall, moorland is visible behind him. Candice Stapleton
Chikondi used to walk with Candice but after discovering he has hip dysplasia he stays at home

Abby Mayers and her wife Melody, both 22, live in Cheshire and usually walk their cat Olive in Erddig, Wrexham and Llangollen, Denbighshire.

The couple have three cats, and while new kitten Robin is being harness trained, Ginny is not a fan, so stays at home.

"We started training [Olive] with a harness because we lived in a first floor flat with no garden and near a fairly busy road," she said.

Now they live in a house with a garden, they let Olive out unsupervised because she has so much energy and the couple work long hours.

"I did see the guidance [that harness training is not recommended] and it kind of worried me a bit because I was like, 'what if we're doing the wrong thing?' But if Olive and Robin didn't enjoy it then they wouldn't do it," Abby said.

"If you have cats then you'll know that cats don't do things they don't want to do.

"I know them well enough that I know when they are enjoying something and when they're not.

"If my cats were ever showing signs of distress, I wouldn't do it with them."

Abby Mayers A woman looking out over an upland view of moors, on her back is a blue rucksack with a cat's head poking out of one of the holes. Abby Mayers
Olive can either walk or travel in the rucksack, says Abby

Emily Blackwell, senior lecturer in companion animal behaviour and welfare at Bristol Veterinary School said she would be "cautious about recommending it as a way of giving a cat extra stimulation" because "most cats would find going off familiar territory and being restrained really stressful".

She said training from a very young age would be critical if the owner was determined to do it and the cat should naturally be very confident and curious.

Blackwell said she has seen cats who have been habituated to harness wearing seemingly very happy to explore mountain ranges, but has also seen clearly unhappy cats being walked on busy streets with heavy traffic.

Candice Stapleton Captain Crumpet looks above the frame. He has a cream body with brown patterns on his face, legs and tail. He has blue eyes and is wearing a colourful patterned harness. A black lead is attached to the harness. Captain Crumpet is stood on headland with the Twr Mawr Lighthouse on Llanddwyn Island, Anglesey visible in the background.Candice Stapleton
Captain Crumpet has been on walks all around Wales, including Twr Mawr Lighthouse on Llanddwyn Island, Anglesey

"It is something that can work, but that's not the norm," Blackwell said.

"I'm not condemning it entirely. I know that some people do this very responsibly and successfully.

"Allowing the cat to choose whether it goes, having somewhere with you where the cat that can hide if it wants to is really important."

She said it was essential for owners to recognise when a cat is stressed, with behaviours such as:

  • Hesitating
  • Looking around a lot in a hyper-vigilant way
  • Lagging behind and needing to be pulled
  • Having its ears down or cowering

Daniel Warren-Cummings, clinical animal behaviourist and central behaviour officer for Cats Protection, said: "Many younger cat owners are drawn to items which frequently compromise cat welfare and show little awareness of cats' needs such a leads and backpacks with bubble windows, often as a result of social media influence."

He said free-roaming was always preferable but if that was not possible, many cats were suited to small spaces and lack of outdoor access.

He recommended potential cat owners to choose a pet that would "thrive within the environment and lifestyle you can offer rather than attempting to force the cat to adjust".

Pope Leo calls for global leaders to choose peace in his first Easter Mass

5 April 2026 at 20:35
Vatican Media/Reuters Pope Leo XIV waves from the main balcony of St. Peter's BasilicaVatican Media/Reuters

Thousands of worshippers flocked to St Peter's Square on Sunday to hear Pope Leo XIV deliver his first Easter Mass address as pontiff.

Framed by white roses on the central balcony of the Vatican's basilica, the pope called on "those who have the power to unleash wars" to choose peace.

"On this day of celebration, let us abandon every desire for conflict, domination and power, and implore the Lord to grant his peace to a world ravaged by wars," he said.

The first US-born pope has become a vocal critic of the Iran war, and has used recent public addresses to denounce global conflicts and urge de-escalation.

Getty Images St Peter's Square decorated with colourful flowers as Pope Leo XIV presides over Easter Mass Getty Images

Pope Leo waved to the crowd gathered in the square below before delivering his "Urbi et Orbi" blessing - Latin for "to the city and the world".

St Peter's Square was decorated with spring blooms, with rows of daffodils and thousands of purple, red and white flowers arranged for the Easter Mass on Sunday.

Getty Images Easter Mass as part of the Holy Week celebrations, at St Peter's square in the Vatican Getty Images
Reuters Clergy members attend the Easter Mass in St. Peter's Square at the VaticanReuters

"We are growing accustomed to violence, resigning ourselves to it, and becoming indifferent, indifferent to the deaths of thousands of people," the pope said in his address.

"Let those who have weapons lay them down. Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace."

In a break with recent tradition, Leo did not explicitly name any country or conflict in his message.

He paid tribute to his predecessor, Pope Francis, who gave his final address on Easter Sunday last year hours before his death.

Referring to the Easter story of Christ's resurrection, three days after he was nailed to the cross, he said Jesus had been "entirely nonviolent" in the face of suffering.

For Christians, Easter is the most important date in the liturgical calendar, marking the resurrection of Christ - a central tenet of the faith.

Reuters Members of the clergy walk among the faithful as Pope Leo XIV leads the Easter Mass in St. Peter's Square at the VaticanReuters
Reuters Swiss guards line up, wearing their traditional, colourful uniforms and helmets with red feather plumesReuters

As bells rang out across the Vatican and the crowd applauded, Leo concluded his blessing by offering Easter greetings in several languages, including Latin, Arabic and Chinese.

The pope also announced that he would return to the basilica on 11 April to lead a prayer vigil for peace.

Leo has repeatedly denounced ongoing global conflicts in recent weeks, using a series of Holy Week addresses to warn against what he has described as a growing indifference to war and suffering.

In his sermon during Saturday night's Easter vigil, the pontiff urged believers not to feel numbed by the scale of global conflicts but to work actively for reconciliation.

He made a rare direct appeal to Donald Trump on Tuesday, urging the US President to find an "off-ramp" to end the conflict with Iran.

Reuters Pope Leo speaks into a microphone with one hand raised in a blessing gestureReuters
Pope Leo blesses the faithful at the end of the Easter Mass

Royals attend Windsor Easter Sunday service

5 April 2026 at 19:50
PA Media William and Kate walking with their three children looking down as they walk PA Media
It is the first time Catherine, Princess of Wales, has attended the service for several years

King Charles and Queen Camilla are attending an Easter Sunday church service in St. George's Chapel, Windsor.

They have been joined by other members of the Royal Family, including the Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales, who has not been at the traditional event for the past two years due to her cancer treatment.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, and daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie are absent, after attending last year.

It is understood the princesses have made "alternative plans" for Easter.

PA Media Members of the Royal Family walking along on a road. Princess Anne, Princess Catherine, Prince William and their children are photographed PA Media
Princess Anne arrived with her brother Prince Edward, joining up with Prince William and Princess Catherine and their children
PA Media Anne walking with Edward and Tim Laurence PA Media
Princess Anne and her husband Sir Tim Laurence also joined the family in Windsor

Cheers were heard from onlookers as Prince William and Princess Catherine led their children into the chapel.

As they walked, Princess Charlotte waved to the crowds of people behind barriers watching on.

Princess Anne joined, accompanied by husband Sir Tim Laurence, as well as Prince Edward and his family.

The King and Queen arrived last and one onlooker was heard shouting "God bless the King".

The service is seen as a traditional family event as opposed to an official engagement.

The King did not issue an Easter message this year.

On Thursday, the King and Queen attended the traditional Maundy service at Denbighshire in Wales.

That event commemorates the Last Supper and the importance of humility and service to others.

The King presented gifts to 77 men and 77 women from the UK in recognition of outstanding Christian service and for helping people in their communities.

PA Media Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis walk and smile as Charlotte looks at her brother who looks aheadPA Media
Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were in good spirits ahead of the service

Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his royal title and remains under investigation having been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office and has moved to Sandringham, Norfolk.

Mountbatten-Windsor and his family have been engulfed by the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, with continuing questions about links to the US sex offender.

The former prince has denied any wrongdoing from his connections with Epstein.

Meanwhile, it is the first time the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally has delivered an Easter sermon.

In it, she will say call for an end to "violence and destruction" in the Middle East.

Mullally will pray "with renewed urgency" for peace before a congregation at Canterbury Cathedral, as the US-Israel war against Iran enters its sixth week.

Two more murder arrests after boy, 14, shot dead

5 April 2026 at 19:36
Family handout Eghosa Ogbebor pictured standing in front of a dinosaur sculptureFamily handout
Eghosa Ogbebor, 14, was shot dead in Woolwich on Thursday

Two more people have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 14-year-old boy was shot dead in south-east London.

Eghosa Ogbebor died at the scene following the shooting on Lord Warwick Street, Woolwich, at about 15:40 BST on Thursday.

A 16-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man were arrested on Saturday, the Met Police said. A 46-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

Three people arrested on suspicion of murder on Friday - two boys aged 14 and 16 and an 18-year-old man - have been released on bail.

PA Media A blue and white police tent and a police officer standing outside a housePA Media
The shooting happened on Lord Warwick Street at about 15:40 BST on Thursday

Det Ch Insp Lucie Card, whose team is leading the investigation, said: "Our team of dedicated detectives are continuing inquiries to investigate Eghosa's tragic death.

"Residents in Woolwich may have noticed a large amount of police activity last night, as officers arrested three further people in connection with the investigation.

"We appreciate the concern that Eghosa's death has caused, particularly among the local community who will continue to see an increased police presence around the area."

She urged anyone with information or who witnessed suspicious activity in the area to contact police.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk

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Storm Dave hits road and rail travel but conditions easing

5 April 2026 at 18:45
BBC Breaking NewsBBC

An amber wind warning has been issued for Saturday evening as Storm Dave is expected to bring "disruptive and potentially damaging winds" to parts of the UK.

The warning, covering northern England, north-west Wales and southern Scotland, will begin at 19:00 BST and is due to expire at 03:00 on Sunday.

The Met Office said injuries or danger to life could occur as a result of flying debris, with potential travel disruption and a "good chance" of power cuts.

A series of yellow wind and snow warnings are set to take effect on Saturday afternoon as the country braces for a blustery Easter weekend.

Gusts of 60-70mph are possible in some parts of the UK, with some coastal and exposed locations predicted to reach 80mph, the Met Office added.

People are being advised to stay indoors as much as possible, and check for loose items outside that need securing ahead of the warnings coming into effect.

RAC spokesperson Rod Dennis said: "We recommend taking extra care on exposed, higher routes and being especially cautious when overtaking high‑sided vehicles, as the buffeting effect can catch some people out."

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

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.

Royals gather for Windsor Easter Sunday service

5 April 2026 at 18:15
PA Media William and Kate walking with their three children looking down as they walk PA Media
It is the first time Catherine, Princess of Wales, has attended the service for several years

King Charles and Queen Camilla are attending an Easter Sunday church service in St. George's Chapel, Windsor.

They have been joined by other members of the Royal Family, including the Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales, who has not been at the traditional event for the past two years due to her cancer treatment.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, and daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie are absent, after attending last year.

It is understood the princesses have made "alternative plans" for Easter.

PA Media Members of the Royal Family walking along on a road. Princess Anne, Princess Catherine, Prince William and their children are photographed PA Media
Princess Anne arrived with her brother Prince Edward, joining up with Prince William and Princess Catherine and their children
PA Media Anne walking with Edward and Tim Laurence PA Media
Princess Anne and her husband Sir Tim Laurence also joined the family in Windsor

Cheers were heard from onlookers as Prince William and Princess Catherine led their children into the chapel.

As they walked, Princess Charlotte waved to the crowds of people behind barriers watching on.

Princess Anne joined, accompanied by husband Sir Tim Laurence, as well as Prince Edward and his family.

The King and Queen arrived last and one onlooker was heard shouting "God bless the King".

The service is seen as a traditional family event as opposed to an official engagement.

The King did not issue an Easter message this year.

On Thursday, the King and Queen attended the traditional Maundy service at Denbighshire in Wales.

That event commemorates the Last Supper and the importance of humility and service to others.

The King presented gifts to 77 men and 77 women from the UK in recognition of outstanding Christian service and for helping people in their communities.

PA Media Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis walk and smile as Charlotte looks at her brother who looks aheadPA Media
Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were in good spirits ahead of the service

Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his royal title and remains under investigation having been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office and has moved to Sandringham, Norfolk.

Mountbatten-Windsor and his family have been engulfed by the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, with continuing questions about links to the US sex offender.

The former prince has denied any wrongdoing from his connections with Epstein.

Meanwhile, it is the first time the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally has delivered an Easter sermon.

In it, she will say call for an end to "violence and destruction" in the Middle East.

Mullally will pray "with renewed urgency" for peace before a congregation at Canterbury Cathedral, as the US-Israel war against Iran enters its sixth week.

Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo: 'Our new reality show leaves nothing out'

5 April 2026 at 07:08
Hulu Sophie Habboo and Jamie LaingHulu
The couple say "nothing is off limits" in their new documentary which follows their pregnancy and parenthood journey

From the moment Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo met on Made in Chelsea, their relationship has played out in the public eye with audiences following everything - the good, the bad and the downright ugly.

Their on-screen will-they-won't-they storyline evolved into the NearlyWeds podcast when they got engaged, later rebranding as NewlyWeds after their marriage.

Now, they are sharing their next chapter - pregnancy and parenthood - in a new three-part documentary.

Raising Chelsea follows the couple as they try for a baby, navigate the highs and lows of pregnancy and adjust to the early days of parenthood.

For many, the idea of filming and broadcasting such intimate moments, including the actual birth of their child, would be unthinkable.

But for Laing and Habboo, it was never really a question, and inviting cameras into such a personal chapter in their life felt to them like a continuation of what they had already built with their audience.

"People are used to following our journey, so documenting this and having an audience come with us felt really natural and fun," Habboo says.

Their commitment to creating authentic reality TV shaped how Raising Chelsea was filmed, and, rather than a traditional multi-camera set-up, "we only had one camera so it was very vlog style and there are lots of times I didn't know we were even filming" Habboo explains.

She adds that she quickly "forgot the cameras were there", which meant arguments would unfold as they normally would, only for Habboo to then "worry about it afterwards".

Hulu Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo with her hand on her stomach in a baby cloth's shopHulu
In the series, the couple attend medical appointments, have candid conversations about the anxieties of parenthood

Laing, who is also the founder of sweets brand Candy Kittens, says that approach was intentional because "if there were three cameras and a set-up, it feels forced".

"We wanted to capture everything and I wanted to make sure it was really real so you see everything," he says.

"Even when things happened that were intense we kept it in because we made a deal."

He tells the BBC that holding anything back defeats the point.

"There is nothing off limits - I don't like the idea of a filtered version of ourselves, it's not true, authentic or real," he reflects.

"Everyone has arguments, bad moments, good moments, feels up or down and capturing that is real life."

They wasted little time in sharing those moments as the documentary airs less than four months since their son, Ziggy, was born.

'I never get my way'

Their willingness to share didn't mean there weren't moments of hesitation about where, if anywhere, the line should be drawn.

At times, they draw that line in different places - Habboo is more instinctively protective of what should remain private while Laing is more comfortable letting even the most personal moments play out on screen.

"There are moments where it's a lot," Habboo admits. "You can even hear me in the show saying 'I'm not doing this' at certain points.

"If I had my way there would be things off limits but I never get my way."

Getty Images  Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo attend the ten years celebration of gourmet sweets by Candy Kittens at White Rabbit Dereham Place on July 29, 2022 in London, England. Getty Images
The pair started dating in 2019 and got married in 2023

When the pair started their podcast in 2021, the 31-year-old says she wanted "to put my best foot forward" so was keen that some things were edited out.

"I didn't want people to hear the nitty-gritties of our relationship."

But, she was rarely in the edit and "Jamie made sure every episode kept everything in, which was horrifying".

Habboo got used to that pretty quickly, and the "reaction from listeners was that they loved it and felt connected, like they weren't alone".

"So going into this, I thought we had to keep that authenticity," she continues.

"I'm happy we did it that way because I love reality TV, I'm the biggest fan, but I feel like today everything is so produced and constructed which is a shame for the viewer.

"There's not much authentic TV out there, so we wanted to create something real."

'People are so mean'

That level of exposure comes at a cost; being so open means inviting opinion and criticism, and Laing knows that "you have to have thick skin if you're going to do this".

It is something he says he has learned over time while Habboo "is still developing it".

Laing laughs as he recalls one nasty comment that stuck. "Sophie thought she'd read the Daily Mail one day and the first comment was: 'Why does she look like an Afghan hound?'"

"There are so many comments like that," Habboo says. "People asking what's wrong with my eyebrows. They're evil, they're so mean. I don't know what they're going to say when they see me pregnant."

Hulu Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo carrying a babyHulu
The couple gave birth to Ziggy in early December 2025

It is the willingness to show both joy and discomfort that underpins their documentary - Laing describes himself as "more anxious", while Habboo admits she is "worse on no sleep".

There is playful debate over who does more nappies. "I do," Laing insists, met with visible disbelief from Habboo.

Their differences continue in how they parent - Laing calling Habboo the stricter of the two - a claim that surprises her. "She has routine," he says. "I'd let him eat chocolate."

Yet beneath the teasing is a clear sense of partnership and they reflect on how they have grown together.

"I thought we were strong," Laing says. "But we've become even stronger."

"So there's no divorce yet, we're saving that for season two."

Raising Chelsea is available to watch on Disney+ now.

What we know so far about rescue of US airman in Iran

5 April 2026 at 14:59
Watch: What we know so far about the search for missing US airman in Iran

A search is underway for a missing crew member after a US F-15E fighter jet flying over southern Iran was shot down on Friday, US media has reported.

A pilot who was on board was reportedly rescued by US forces, but the search for the second crew member, a weapons system officer, is ongoing, reports say.

Seperately, a US A-10 Warthog aircraft that was part of the search and rescue mission for the downed jet was also shot and damaged, however its pilot was safely rescued, according to the BBC's US partner CBS News.

Iranian officials said the the warplane was shot down by its air defence system, according to state media. The US Central Command is yet to comment.

Where and when was the jet shot down?

Iranian state media first claimed on Friday that the country's forces shot down a US jet over its southern region.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt then said that US President Donald Trump had been briefed on the incident.

US Central Command has not confirmed the details surrounding the reported downing of the aircraft.

A search and rescue mission successfully recovered the pilot of the jet, but what happened to the jet's second crew member, a weapons systems officer, remains unknown, CBS News has reported.

The rescue operation included an A-10 Warthog plane that was hit over the Gulf, with its pilot ejecting before being rescued, according to CBS.

One helicopter carrying the rescued pilot from the F-15E jet was hit by small arms fire, injuring crew members on board - but it landed safely, CBS reports.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that nomadic tribes living in the country's mountains shot two Black Hawk helicopters that were part of the US rescue mission.

The BBC has requested comment from the US military regarding Iran's claim.

BBC Verify has confirmed a video from Friday showing what appears to be three armed individuals firing towards at least two Black Hawk helicopters.

Iran's top joint military command has credited new Iranian air defence systems with the downing of both US warplanes, according to Iran's state-affiliated IRNA news agency.

A map showing where US aircraft have been filmed in the search for a crew of a plane downed in Iran. It shows locations in the Khuzestan province and the Hohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province.

What do we know about the jet's purpose?

US Air Force via Getty Images Two F-15E Strike Eagle jets soaring through a cloudy skyUS Air Force via Getty Images
A file photo of two F-15E Strike Eagle jets

The F-15E is a dual-role fighter jet designed for both air-to-ground and air-to-air missions. In Iran, they are most likely to have been involved in Defensive Counter Air roles to shoot down Iranian drones and cruise missiles.

In its air-to-ground strike role, the jet is a weapons platform capable of dropping laser and GPS guided precision munitions, as well as other bombs.

The aircraft has two crew: the pilot in the front who flies the jet and a weapons systems officer in the back seat. The weapons officer, known as a "Wizzo", has four screens in front of them and is responsible for selecting targets and making sure the weapons are properly programmed for the appropriate attack.

This two-crew system allows the workload to be divided up, particularly in a congested air environment where the pilot is trying to evade threats.

We do not know what specifically brought down this US jet, but if it was taken down by the Iranians then the most likely reason is a surface-to-air missile (SAM).

Infographic about the US F‑15E Strike Eagle fighter jet with a photo of the aircraft in flight and text explaining its features: designed for long‑range missions to attack ground targets and fight its way out; has a two‑person crew of a pilot and a weapon systems officer; uses terrain‑following radar to fly safely at very low altitudes. Notes that F‑15s have been in service since 1974, with the F‑15E introduced in 1988. States an approximate cost of $100m (£75m). Source: the US Air Force.

What is happening with the rescue effort?

The rescue of crew members of a downed jet is one of the most complex and time-sensitive operations - known as combat search and rescue (CSAR) missions - that the US military and its allies prepare for.

The elite air force units behind CSAR missions include some of the most highly trained and specialised members of the military.

"It's the most dangerous military mission that I know of," James Jeffrey, a military strategist and top US diplomat for the Middle East, told the BBC.

"These are Air Force special operations people who are trained almost to the level of Delta Force and Navy SEAL Team Six, but they also have medical capabilities," Jeffrey said. "They will not give up until they can find a pilot if they think there's any chance."

CSAR missions are often conducted by helicopters, which fly low over enemy territory, alongside other military aircraft that conduct strikes and patrol the area.

A former commander of a pararescue jumpers squadron told CBS News that a rescue operation like the reported one in Iran would involve at least 24 pararescue jumpers scouring the area in Black Hawk helicopters.

They added the team would be prepared to jump from planes if needed, and once on the ground their priority would be to contact the missing crew member.

The crew of the downed jet are also highly trained for such situations.

"Their number one priority is to stay alive and to avoid capture," Jennifer Kavanagh, a senior fellow and the director of military analysis at think tank Defense Priorities, told the BBC.

"And so they're trained to - assuming that they're physically capable, and not so injured that they can't move - to try to get away from the ejection site as quickly as possible, and to conceal themselves so that they are safe."

They're also trained on survival techniques so that they can go without food or water, or find resources from the local terrain, for as long as possible, Kavanagh said.

Iran is offering rewards of about £50,000 ($66,100) to citizens who help capture the missing airman, state media has reported.

Keir Starmer 'concerned' over Kanye West UK festival dates

5 April 2026 at 17:10
Getty Images Headshot of West who wears a silver chain and sunglasses. There is a man behind him who is blurred Getty Images

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said it is "deeply concerning" that Kanye West is set to headline Wireless Festival in London this summer.

West, now known as Ye, has drawn widespread criticism for antisemitic comments he has made in recent years, for which he issued an apology in January.

The American rapper, 48, was announced as the headliner for all three days of the rap and R&B festival in north London earlier this week.

In response Sir Keir said, in comments first reported by the Sun on Sunday, that West has been booked "despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism".

"Antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted firmly wherever it appears," Sir Keir said.

"Everyone has a responsibility to ensure Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe."

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said on Thursday that the government should ban West from entering the UK, arguing "we need to get tougher on antisemitism" and describing West's planned appearance as "extremely serious".

Last year West was blocked from entering Australia after releasing a song titled "Heil Hitler", glorifying the Nazi leader.

He also declared himself a Nazi earlier in the year, retracting an earlier apology he issued over antisemitic comments, and sold T-shirts featuring a swastika on his clothing website.

In November 2025, West held a meeting with Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto where he reportedly apologised for his past antisemitic comments.

In January, West took out a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal, apologising for his antisemitic behaviour.

"I am not a Nazi or an antisemite," he wrote. He said bipolar disorder means when "you're manic, you don't think you're sick" and that he "lost touch with reality".

"I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state," he added.

West's X account was banned multiple times in 2022 due to posts that violated the platform's rules.

It came after he posted a series of offensive tweets, including an image appearing to show a symbol combining a swastika and the Star of David and saying he would go "death con 3 On Jewish people".

In the same year, he drew criticism after wearing a "white lives matter" T-shirt during Paris fashion week.

His actions saw clothing brand Adidas part ways with the rapper, which said at the time it does "not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech".

He has not performed in the UK since 2015 when he headlined Glastonbury.

Three songs from his latest album Bully, released in March, are in the UK's top 100 singles chart.

Wireless has described the event, running from 10-12 July, as a "three night journey through his most iconic records".

Earlier this week, the leader of the largest body representing Jews in the UK, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, told BBC Newsnight that West should be blocked from entering the country.

A spokesperson for London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan said: "We are clear that the past comments and actions of this artist are offensive and wrong, and are simply not reflective of London's values. This was a decision taken by the festival organisers and not one that City Hall is involved in."

Wireless organisers Festival Republic have been approached for comment.

Jamie Lang and Sophie Habboo: 'Our new reality show leaves nothing out'

5 April 2026 at 07:08
Hulu Sophie Habboo and Jamie LaingHulu
The couple say "nothing is off limits" in their new documentary which follows their pregnancy and parenthood journey

From the moment Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo met on Made in Chelsea, their relationship has played out in the public eye with audiences following everything - the good, the bad and the downright ugly.

Their on-screen will-they-won't-they storyline evolved into the NearlyWeds podcast when they got engaged, later rebranding as NewlyWeds after their marriage.

Now, they are sharing their next chapter - pregnancy and parenthood - in a new three-part documentary.

Raising Chelsea follows the couple as they try for a baby, navigate the highs and lows of pregnancy and adjust to the early days of parenthood.

For many, the idea of filming and broadcasting such intimate moments, including the actual birth of their child, would be unthinkable.

But for Laing and Habboo, it was never really a question, and inviting cameras into such a personal chapter in their life felt to them like a continuation of what they had already built with their audience.

"People are used to following our journey, so documenting this and having an audience come with us felt really natural and fun," Habboo says.

Their commitment to creating authentic reality TV shaped how Raising Chelsea was filmed, and, rather than a traditional multi-camera set-up, "we only had one camera so it was very vlog style and there are lots of times I didn't know we were even filming" Habboo explains.

She adds that she quickly "forgot the cameras were there", which meant arguments would unfold as they normally would, only for Habboo to then "worry about it afterwards".

Hulu Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo with her hand on her stomach in a baby cloth's shopHulu
In the series, the couple attend medical appointments, have candid conversations about the anxieties of parenthood

Laing, who is also the founder of sweets brand Candy Kittens, says that approach was intentional because "if there were three cameras and a set-up, it feels forced".

"We wanted to capture everything and I wanted to make sure it was really real so you see everything," he says.

"Even when things happened that were intense we kept it in because we made a deal."

He tells the BBC that holding anything back defeats the point.

"There is nothing off limits - I don't like the idea of a filtered version of ourselves, it's not true, authentic or real," he reflects.

"Everyone has arguments, bad moments, good moments, feels up or down and capturing that is real life."

They wasted little time in sharing those moments as the documentary airs less than four months since their son, Ziggy, was born.

'I never get my way'

Their willingness to share didn't mean there weren't moments of hesitation about where, if anywhere, the line should be drawn.

At times, they draw that line in different places - Habboo is more instinctively protective of what should remain private while Laing is more comfortable letting even the most personal moments play out on screen.

"There are moments where it's a lot," Habboo admits. "You can even hear me in the show saying 'I'm not doing this' at certain points.

"If I had my way there would be things off limits but I never get my way."

Getty Images  Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo attend the ten years celebration of gourmet sweets by Candy Kittens at White Rabbit Dereham Place on July 29, 2022 in London, England. Getty Images
The pair started dating in 2019 and got married in 2023

When the pair started their podcast in 2021, the 31-year-old says she wanted "to put my best foot forward" so was keen that some things were edited out.

"I didn't want people to hear the nitty-gritties of our relationship."

But, she was rarely in the edit and "Jamie made sure every episode kept everything in, which was horrifying".

Habboo got used to that pretty quickly, and the "reaction from listeners was that they loved it and felt connected, like they weren't alone".

"So going into this, I thought we had to keep that authenticity," she continues.

"I'm happy we did it that way because I love reality TV, I'm the biggest fan, but I feel like today everything is so produced and constructed which is a shame for the viewer.

"There's not much authentic TV out there, so we wanted to create something real."

'People are so mean'

That level of exposure comes at a cost; being so open means inviting opinion and criticism, and Laing knows that "you have to have thick skin if you're going to do this".

It is something he says he has learned over time while Habboo "is still developing it".

Laing laughs as he recalls one nasty comment that stuck. "Sophie thought she'd read the Daily Mail one day and the first comment was: 'Why does she look like an Afghan hound?'"

"There are so many comments like that," Habboo says. "People asking what's wrong with my eyebrows. They're evil, they're so mean. I don't know what they're going to say when they see me pregnant."

Hulu Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo carrying a babyHulu
The couple gave birth to Ziggy in early December 2025

It is the willingness to show both joy and discomfort that underpins their documentary - Laing describes himself as "more anxious", while Habboo admits she is "worse on no sleep".

There is playful debate over who does more nappies. "I do," Laing insists, met with visible disbelief from Habboo.

Their differences continue in how they parent - Laing calling Habboo the stricter of the two - a claim that surprises her. "She has routine," he says. "I'd let him eat chocolate."

Yet beneath the teasing is a clear sense of partnership and they reflect on how they have grown together.

"I thought we were strong," Laing says. "But we've become even stronger."

"So there's no divorce yet, we're saving that for season two."

Raising Chelsea is available to watch on Disney+ now.

Storm Dave hits road and rail travel but is set to ease

5 April 2026 at 14:20
BBC Breaking NewsBBC

An amber wind warning has been issued for Saturday evening as Storm Dave is expected to bring "disruptive and potentially damaging winds" to parts of the UK.

The warning, covering northern England, north-west Wales and southern Scotland, will begin at 19:00 BST and is due to expire at 03:00 on Sunday.

The Met Office said injuries or danger to life could occur as a result of flying debris, with potential travel disruption and a "good chance" of power cuts.

A series of yellow wind and snow warnings are set to take effect on Saturday afternoon as the country braces for a blustery Easter weekend.

Gusts of 60-70mph are possible in some parts of the UK, with some coastal and exposed locations predicted to reach 80mph, the Met Office added.

People are being advised to stay indoors as much as possible, and check for loose items outside that need securing ahead of the warnings coming into effect.

RAC spokesperson Rod Dennis said: "We recommend taking extra care on exposed, higher routes and being especially cautious when overtaking high‑sided vehicles, as the buffeting effect can catch some people out."

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

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.

Storm Dave to ease on Easter Sunday after amber alert expires

5 April 2026 at 12:04
BBC Breaking NewsBBC

An amber wind warning has been issued for Saturday evening as Storm Dave is expected to bring "disruptive and potentially damaging winds" to parts of the UK.

The warning, covering northern England, north-west Wales and southern Scotland, will begin at 19:00 BST and is due to expire at 03:00 on Sunday.

The Met Office said injuries or danger to life could occur as a result of flying debris, with potential travel disruption and a "good chance" of power cuts.

A series of yellow wind and snow warnings are set to take effect on Saturday afternoon as the country braces for a blustery Easter weekend.

Gusts of 60-70mph are possible in some parts of the UK, with some coastal and exposed locations predicted to reach 80mph, the Met Office added.

People are being advised to stay indoors as much as possible, and check for loose items outside that need securing ahead of the warnings coming into effect.

RAC spokesperson Rod Dennis said: "We recommend taking extra care on exposed, higher routes and being especially cautious when overtaking high‑sided vehicles, as the buffeting effect can catch some people out."

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

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.

Storm Dave brings 'disruptive' winds to parts of UK

5 April 2026 at 09:09
BBC Breaking NewsBBC

An amber wind warning has been issued for Saturday evening as Storm Dave is expected to bring "disruptive and potentially damaging winds" to parts of the UK.

The warning, covering northern England, north-west Wales and southern Scotland, will begin at 19:00 BST and is due to expire at 03:00 on Sunday.

The Met Office said injuries or danger to life could occur as a result of flying debris, with potential travel disruption and a "good chance" of power cuts.

A series of yellow wind and snow warnings are set to take effect on Saturday afternoon as the country braces for a blustery Easter weekend.

Gusts of 60-70mph are possible in some parts of the UK, with some coastal and exposed locations predicted to reach 80mph, the Met Office added.

People are being advised to stay indoors as much as possible, and check for loose items outside that need securing ahead of the warnings coming into effect.

RAC spokesperson Rod Dennis said: "We recommend taking extra care on exposed, higher routes and being especially cautious when overtaking high‑sided vehicles, as the buffeting effect can catch some people out."

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

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.

Is season running away from frazzled Arsenal?

5 April 2026 at 07:32

Is season running away from frazzled Arsenal?

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Southampton shock Arsenal to reach FA Cup semi-finals

By
Arsenal reporter at St Mary's Stadium
  • Published

"Enjoy your quadruple, pal."

That was the message from the official Southampton X account to a disgruntled Arsenal fan who had chirped back at the Saints' post celebrating their shock FA Cup victory.

Just 14 days ago the Gunners were being tipped for an unprecedented quadruple but after defeats to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final and the loss to Southampton in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, those dreams are in tatters.

Shea Charles scored an 85th-minute winner to dump the Gunners out of the competition after substitute Viktor Gyokeres had levelled following Ross Stewart's first-half opener.

It is the first time this season the Gunners have suffered back-to-back defeats and it is just their fifth loss of this campaign.

The talk will now move to whether Arsenal will be able to block out the noise and deal with the pressure that will be heaped onto them following this result, with the Premier League and Champions League still to play for.

'They have to not let the season run away from them'

The Gunners have not won the Premier League for 22 years and have finished in second place for three successive seasons.

The Carabao Cup final was Arsenal's first chance to win a major trophy for six years.

And after losing to City and now being knocked out of the FA Cup by a lower league team for the first time since 2021-22 - a third round loss to Nottingham Forest - the Gunners need to ensure these defeats do not turn into a slump in form.

"They have to not let the season run away from them," former Arsenal and Southampton forward Theo Walcott told BBC Sport.

"Everything they have built this season, don't let it affect them. They have been in this situation before and they don't want to relive that."

Mikel Arteta has consistently spoken about everyone at the club's desire to win but with the end of the season approaching, games running out, and a £250m spend in the summer, the pressure is at an all-time high.

Walcott said he noticed a "nervous energy" on the touchline at St Mary's that has been seen before in recent years.

"Visually watching Mikel on the sidelines, it was elements of previous years where that energy reflected into the team," he said.

"It was very tense. Not just Mikel but a lot of the staff were out there at times. It was like too many cooks in the kitchen, too many messages."

It was a poor Arsenal performance by the high standards they have set throughout the season.

And despite dominating possession, having 23 shots and levelling the game in the 68th minute, the Gunners never really looked like they would go onto win.

"I love my players. What they have done for nine months. I'm not going to criticise them because we lost a game here in the manner that they tried," Arteta said.

"And the way they are putting their bodies through everything. Some of them probably didn't even have to be here. I'm not going to do that. I'm going to defend them more than ever.

"Someone has to take responsibility. That's me and we have the most beautiful period of the season ahead of us.

"In the season, you always have moments. Normally two or three. This is the first moment that we have.

"So stand up, make yourself comfortable and deliver like we've been doing all season."

The Gunners boss was then asked how he can prevent this form rolling into the rest of the season and derailing their Champions League and Premier League campaigns.

"Giving them [the players] clarity, giving more conviction, trusting our players, believing in what we are doing," Arteta said.

"And continue to do that with the tweaks that every game demands.

"But especially maintaining the speed, the attitude and the energy at the highest possible level. Because that's critical to perform at the level that we need to win matches."

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BBC pundits react to Arsenal's 'disappointing' performance

Injuries cause disruption and worry

The side Arteta picked for the match against the Saints showed seven changes from the team that lined up against Manchester City at Wembley two weeks ago.

This was not just down to rotation from the Arsenal manager but to a bout of injuries that have hit the squad.

Including the lead up to the international break, 11 Arsenal players withdrew from their national teams.

That led to speculation Arteta was putting pressure on his players to pull out but the team on the pitch for the loss to Southampton suggested that was not the case.

Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard, three of the players to withdraw from international duty, were not in the squad while William Saliba was named on the bench.

Captain Martin Odegaard made his first start since January and Kai Havertz was withdrawn while Arsenal were chasing a winner.

And in a worry for Arteta, Gabriel Magalhaes had to be withdrawn with a knee injury.

But Christian Norgaard, one of the Arsenal players who has had limited game time this season and started the match, says the fact it was an unfamiliar side did not play any part in the loss.

"No, there are no excuses. It has nothing to do with injuries or availability," Norgaard said.

"We had a really good team on the pitch that should have been competing on a high level. We need to pick ourselves up. We have two big competitions left to compete in."

Despite an error against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final, Arteta stuck with cup goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga in favour of regular David Raya.

"I don't think it was anything to do with Kepa in terms of them losing, but you have to play your best team," former England defender Micah Richards told BBC Sport.

Walcott added: "Playing your best team was the right thing to do.

"It's easy if I say that now, but you want a reaction off the cup final and it wasn't that - it was worse."

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Arteta reacts to Arsenal's loss against Southampton

'Man City are going to push them all the way'

Manchester City have been a thorn in Arsenal's side in their quest for silverware.

In two of Arsenal's three second-placed finishes in the Premier League, the Gunners have been behind Pep Guardiola's side.

City beat Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final with one of their best performances of the season and that seems to have galvanised them.

They put four past Liverpool in the FA Cup to reach the semi-finals earlier in the day and the Gunners have to travel to Etihad Stadium in April, which is likely to play a big part in this season's title race.

"It was only a couple of weeks ago people were saying Arsenal could do the quadruple, Now they are in two competitions," Richards added.

"Man City, after what they did earlier on, look like they are going to push them all the way for the league.

"The most disappointing thing for me was watching Arsenal and their attitude. They have been excellent defensively, in transitions they have been very good, the shape has been good and the effort has been as good as anyone.

"For them to turn up the way they did, I thought was very poor."

Arsenal will hope this blip is only a footnote in what can still be a successful season - but the Gunners are going to have get back to their best, and quickly.

Related topics

AI videos fuel rhetoric as Orbán bids for four more years in Hungary

5 April 2026 at 07:15
Fidesz/Hungary Girl at a window Fidesz/Hungary
The controversial AI-generated video depicts a girl waiting at a window for her father to return from war

Warning: This piece refers to scenes of violence from the start

When a video went viral appearing to show a Hungarian soldier's execution, its disturbing nature came as a shock to anyone who saw it.

Ahead of pivotal Hungarian elections on Sunday 12 April, the AI-generated, fake clip was posted on the social media accounts of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party in February.

It tells the story of a young girl at a window yearning for her father's return home from war, and then the video cuts to him - blindfolded, bound by the hands, and then shot by his captors.

The video targeted Orbán's election rival, Péter Magyar, who could unseat him after 16 years in office.

The Fidesz campaign has made unsubstantiated claims about the war in Ukraine and Magyar's intentions, at times using AI-generated videos like this, even though it makes clear the video is fake.

"The video is an AI video, but the war is really horrible," the video says. "Péter Magyar doesn't want you to see this video. He doesn't want you to see what an irreversible tragedy it is to join a war."

Fidesz alleges that Magyar, from the centre-right party Tisza, will bring Russia's war against Ukraine to its doorstep if elected, even using pension money to support Ukraine and imposing forced conscription.

Reuters A man holds a red, white and green Hungarian flagReuters
Péter Magyar's Tisza leads the election race, according to most opinion polls

Such narratives have been widely rejected by Magyar and by his party Tisza. In its manifesto, it pledges it will not send troops to Ukraine and does not plan to revive conscription.

We asked ruling party Fidesz whether it had made the AI execution video and why it had posted it on to its social media channels, but the party has not responded to our questions.

In an interview with a journalist posted to Facebook, Támas Menczer, who is communications director of the Fidesz-KNDP alliance, responded to a question about the AI video saying he believed "the greatest possible danger is that Hungarian people could die if Tisza wins, because Tisza supports the war, Tisza supports sending money".

However, he did not comment on the video being made with AI.

Magyar has condemned the video stating that Fidesz "crossed all limits", and called the video "heartless manipulation".

Zsófia Fülöp, a journalist at Hungary's only dedicated independent fact-checking website, Lakmusz, says while such narratives from the ruling party are not new, the use of generative AI is.

"It is omnipresent in this campaign, especially in the communication of the ruling party and its media and proxies. They've used it before but now it's massive."

The strategy does not appear to have had much of an impact on voters, with Magyar leading in most opinion polls.

NEM/Hungary A woman holds a red phone at a windowNEM/Hungary
Another AI-generated video depicts European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen

Social media posts by Fidesz's allies have parroted similar anti-Ukrainian narratives.

Last month the National Resistance Movement (NEM) - a pro-Fidesz political activist group - shared a video made using AI that depicts a phone call between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Péter Magyar discussing sending money to Ukraine.

It was viewed more than 3.7 million times.

"When the phone rings and a request comes, then he won't be able to say no," the accompanying caption read. NEM did not disclose the video had been made using AI.

Magyar called it out as fake, but the video had already been shared widely by pro-government media as well as Fidesz politicians, including the prime minister. In his post, Orbán stated that the video had been AI-generated but warned it could become a reality.

We asked NEM why they had posted the AI video and whether they had made it, but they did not comment.

"We're in a state of hallucination," says Éva Bognár, a researcher at the Central European University's Democracy Institute. "In a way the whole campaign is a disinformation campaign because it's all based on a complete false narrative that we're on the brink of war."

In another instance a few weeks ago, Hungary's anti-terrorism police arrested seven Ukrainian bank workers who were transiting through with $80m (£60m) worth of cash and 9kg (20lb) of gold in cash-transport vehicles to Ukraine.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha accused the Hungarian government of taking the group hostage and stealing money.

Ukraine's state savings bank, Oschadbank, said they had a valid licence and that it was a routine journey between Austria and Ukraine.

But the Hungarian government alleged that money laundering was taking place and suggested it might be to "finance pro-Ukraine forces".

Although the Ukrainian bank workers have been released without charges, authorities are yet to return the money and gold.

On Facebook, pro-government outlets used AI images to report on the arrests. One pro-government outlet uploaded hyper-realistic images of the arrest, reporting the images as fact.

When compared with images and videos of the event posted on the Hungarian government's official Facebook page, they are wildly different. Inaccuracies can be seen in the uniforms of the officers as well as the clothes of the Ukrainian individuals.

Facebook's third party fact-checking service has labelled the post as "partly false".

Facebook Men kneel on the ground on the road Facebook
One pro-government outlet used AI-generated fake images of Ukrainians being arrested

Hungary had better relations with Ukraine in the past, and even backed Ukraine's bid to join the EU until late 2023, but relations deteriorated as Orbán maintained close ties to Russia's Vladimir Putin.

One survey by research institute Policy Solutions suggests the level of anti-Ukrainian feeling in Hungary is barely lower than anti-Russian sentiment, with 64% of Hungarians holding a negative opinion of Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, and 67% disliking Putin.

"One side holds all the cards," says researcher Éva Bognár. "Fidesz has infinite resources at its disposal: from public funds, state agencies and offices to a media conglomerate that operates as a propaganda machine, including the public service media."

Magyar is partly cutting through the fraught media landscape using social media.

Reuters A man speaks at a microphone in front of statuesReuters
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has been in office for the past 16 years

According to 20k, a Hungarian election integrity watchdog tracking the social media activity of political actors during the election, Magyar's posts on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram receive twice the level of engagement of Orbán's.

Magyar posts a mixture of professional content and images portraying himself as a younger and more relatable leader, showing him partying, playing volleyball, flipping burgers at a restaurant, and enjoying water sports.

But the Tisza leader has also engaged in milder forms of misleading rhetoric, including inaccuracies about the number of Hungarian babies born outside of the country in an attempt to evoke a sense of missing national pride.

He has even played the ruling party at their own game, alleging that it is Fidesz, not Tisza, that wants to reintroduce compulsory military service.

Apart from it being briefly mentioned by two Fidesz politicians in 2016, we found no evidence that the party wants to revive compulsory military service.

Péter Krekó, who heads independent political research institute Political Capital, says Magyar has also been able to "exploit... strong public resentment" towards the government.

Much of that is being driven by people between the ages of 18 and 40.

A survey by the Median agency suggests that support for Tisza remains strongest amongst those under 40, while nearly half of people over 65 support Fidesz.

Despite this, Fidesz clings to its anti-Ukrainian narrative, in both traditional media and online, with posters showing Zelensky and Magyar together under the warning "They are dangerous!"

If Fidesz wins, we will see the same disinformation tactics being used beyond the election, says Krekó. But if it doesn't win, there will be a "more tumultuous relationship between the media and politicians".

ICE wanted to build a detention centre - this small farming town said no

5 April 2026 at 08:06
Getty Images A view down a street in Social Circle, with small homes on one side and a white church spire in the distance. On one lawn is a sign that says ICE - crossed outGetty Images
A proposed detention centre would triple the population of Social Circle, Georgia

For months, two neighbours, Democrat Gareth Fenley and conservative John Miller, have been united in the same daily mission.

Each morning the two get into their cars and drive several miles down the farm-lined roads of their small Georgia town to an empty one-million square-foot gray warehouse.

On arrival, they search meticulously for signs of construction, breathing a sigh of relief each time the massive property appears untouched.

The sprawling industrial warehouse, which the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) bought in February, is part of a $38.3bn (£29bn) plan to open up dozens of immigration detention centres across the US.

Those plans have faced fierce opposition, not just in Democratic communities, but in conservative towns like Social Circle, which overwhelmingly supported Donald Trump in the last election - including his campaign promise to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.

"People have different reasons for aligning with the exact same message," Fenley said. "That message is: 'Detention centre, not welcome here.'"

Watch: Residents from both parties push back against detention center

Many who support the president's immigration policies are concerned the facility would starve the small town of critical resources by tripling its population, turning a place once known for its quaint Blue Willow Inn buffet restaurant into a prison town.

In March, those concerns led City Manager Eric Taylor to shut off the water in the warehouse, a move that made this one-stoplight town the unlikely face of resistance to the administration's plans.

"If you open up that water meter, it gives them full access to the entire supply of the whole city," Taylor told the BBC. "I can't let that happen without knowing what the ultimate impact is going to be."

Now those plans for a 10,000-person detention centre appear to be on hold.

The department also signalled that it is pausing plans to buy more warehouses like the one in Social Circle - though the fate of facilities it already has spent millions on remains unclear. DHS did not directly respond to a comment from the BBC about Social Circle's facility.

"As with any transition, we are reviewing agency policies and proposals," a statement from the department said.

DHS cancelled a scheduled meeting about the Social Circle warehouse because it was planning a "department review of processes" under new leadership, Taylor said.

Residents are cautiously optimistic.

"We're anxious to see what happens out of this review. They have already pulled the trigger on it. They have already bought the building, so there's going to be some effects no matter what's done or not done," Miller said.

"We're still whispering up the chain as much as we can to make sure that if they are indeed reviewing it, we can give input."

Reuters A blue and white mural depicts Social Circle's historic wellReuters

'We don't have the capacity'

In the centre of Social Circle is a replica of a well, a nod to the origins of the town, which was established in 1832. According to a plaque, a group of men sitting around a well enjoying "their usual drink" invited a passing stranger to join them. "This is surely a social circle," the stranger replied.

Nearly 200 years later, Social Circle's wells are at the heart of residents' fight against ICE. They say the town's water system - which serves 5,000 people - has had problems for decades, and the ICE facility would require much more than the fragile system could provide.

Taylor, the city manager, said the town has a permit to pull only one million gallons of water each day from the Alcovy River, south of the town, and during the summer, the town uses about 800,000 gallons at least. ICE has said the facility on its own will require one million gallons a day.

Taylor told the agency as soon as an application for water service was filed that he was not going to turn it on, he said.

"I told them at that time that there was a lock on the water meter, and it was there until we had a better understanding of what the impact was going to be on our water."

John Miller pets his golden-coloured horse while standing by a wooden fence in his field
John Miller's horse farm is across from the proposed detention centre

Miller, whose 50-acre grassy horse farm sits just across the road from the Social Circle warehouse, said officials had not done due diligence on selected locations.

"It's the same story over and over," he said. "Communities weren't informed. They weren't consulted."

"I understand the why, but I just don't understand how they're handling it."

Miller said federal officials have floated several solutions, including either digging a well on the warehouse property or trucking in a million gallons of water a day.

But the father of seven said drilling new wells could take away from the well he uses to nourish his horses, chickens, barn cats and dogs.

Bringing in gallons of water on Social Circle's two-lane roads poses problems too. "That's six or seven trucks every hour, 24 hours a day," Miller said.

DHS did not directly respond to a list of questions from the BBC inquiring about how it would address the water supply.

Taylor also worries about the town's old sewage systems, established in 1962 and in need of replacement for 20 years, he said.

"Where's the sewage supposed to go?" he asked. "We don't have the capacity to support a million gallons of sewer coming off that site."

A country-wide fight against ICE plans

Residents in Social Circle have been waging their battle against the ICE facility ever since they found out, in a Washington Post report last December, that the warehouse was one of 23 sites earmarked to become detention centres.

They quickly appealed to the government and their federal representatives, arguing they did not have resources for the facility - but ICE still purchased it in February for nearly $130m - more than four times its initial estimated worth.

Since then, Miller, Fenley and others have led the charge to slow the project, holding protests and meetings with hundreds of concerned residents. Georgia's Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock visited the facility, and his office participated in a briefing with ICE officials, but "many questions remain unanswered", a spokesperson said.

Other communities who have been tapped for similar projects also have fought back.

In Michigan last week, the state sued to block DHS from converting a warehouse into an ICE facility in Romulus, arguing it was too close to residential neighbourhoods and schools and posed a flooding risk. New Jersey and Maryland also sued to halt ICE projects, while residents in Merrimack, New Hampshire, successfully lobbied elected officials to stop a facility in town.

Gareth Fenley sits in a cafe wearing a blue cardigan over a red shirt
Gareth Fenley, a Democrat, says she is worried about the human-rights issues that a detention centre could bring to the town

For some Social Circle residents, their opposition is not only a question of resources, but of human rights.

Fenley said she and other Democrats in town were concerned about having people "warehoused in a place that was not built for human habitation".

She worries about reports of people being abused in detention centres. At least 13 immigrants died in ICE custody from January 2026 through early March, according to ICE, while civil rights groups have said immigrants are being subjected to unsafe conditions such as a lack of food, overcrowding and medical neglect.

Others raised alarms not only for those inside the facility, but the community around it.

"We have one high school, one zip code, one grocery store, one stoplight. And we are going to triple the size of our town," said Valerie Walthart, who works on a veterinary farm down the road from Miller. "We're going to be overwhelmed."

Walthart added that as a mother, she was concerned about safety, with a detention facility perched just a five-minute drive from the local elementary school.

"It's unnerving," Joy Coker, a mother of three in the area, said of the warehouse's location.

A two-part map showing the location of Social Circle, Georgia, in relation to Atlanta, and a satellite view of the area. The top map highlights Atlanta and the smaller town of Social Circle to its east. The lower satellite image shows Social Circle and marks a large warehouse site where the US government intends to build an ICE detention centre. Scale bars indicate distances on both maps.

'Georgia's greatest little detention centre'

Social Circle's Republican Representative Mike Collins also publicly opposed the ICE project.

"Although I am aligned with the mission of ICE to detain and deport the criminal illegal aliens who have flooded across our border due to Joe Biden's reckless policies, I agree with the community that Social Circle does not have the sufficient resources that this facility would require," he wrote.

Rick Cook, a resident of neighbouring Monroe, said he wasn't in favour of the facility, but believed the US had to clamp down on illegal immigration. He said he and others in his Social Circle church hoped to provide religious counseling to immigrants held in the facility.

"It's going to be what it's going to be, and we're going to try to find the ways to make the best with whatever happens," he said.

To Steven Williford, the owner of a cattle farm in Social Circle who voted for Trump, ICE is a "necessary evil". But he couldn't believe the news when he learned the detention centre was coming to his hometown.

"I just thought it was crazy to put something like that in this community, with no forethought, no prior authorisation, not even asking the community," he said.

"I'm all for doing what's best for the country, but is it best for this community?" he added. "That's the question."

Miller said he understood why some would be confused by the Republican town's reaction. He said detention facilities were necessary to detain people so they could be guaranteed due process.

"You can't say that it's something that's needed and then not be somewhat willing to allow a facility to be there," he said.

But, he said, realistically, no community wants such a facility tarnishing the reputation of their town.

"I miss the days we were known for the Blue Willow Inn," he said, referencing the famous buffet restaurant that closed during Covid, once visited by celebrities including actress Helen Mirren.

"Now," he said, "we're going to be known as Georgia's greatest little detention centre."

EPA A participant holds a rain-soaked sign saying "NO detention center in Social Circle" at a rally against the proposed US Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centre.EPA

Some residents had been hoping that a change in federal leadership would put the warehouse plans on pause. Trump fired his Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem at the beginning of March, after backlash for the administration's immigration crackdown in Minneapolis earlier this year, when federal agents shot dead two US citizens.

The president nominated Senator Markwayne Mullin to take her place, which was followed by DHS signalling it may be rethinking its plans.

In its statement to the BBC, DHS referenced remarks from Mullin's confirmation hearing:

"We got to protect the homeland and we're going to do that, but obviously we want to work with community leaders," he said in March. "We want to be good partners."

Joy Coker looks directly at the camera, wearing a white hooded sweatshirt with her hair down and blowing in the wind
Some residents are worried about the safety of having 10,000 detainees move into their town

Social Circle's facility was originally slated to open in April, but work appears to have stalled. The agency has yet to award a contract for the warehouse or begin the massive construction needed to convert the bare warehouse into a sprawling court facility, complete with holding areas, gyms and recreational spaces, court facilities, cafeterias and even a gun range.

Residents have been thrilled about the potential pause, including Walthart, who said the decision gives locals "a little time to breathe, since we wake up nearly every day wondering if today will be the day the trucks start rolling in".

"We can enjoy our small town life," she said, "for at least a little while longer, we hope."

Apple at 50: Three products that changed how we live - and three that really didn't

5 April 2026 at 07:56
Getty The Apple store with the white Apple logo with people inside. Getty

Few companies have managed to define how people use technology in their everyday lives as resoundingly as Apple.

The company, which celebrated its 50th birthday this week, was started by two Steves in a San Franciscan garage. It has had some truly standout successes - and some notable flops.

These days, nearly one out of every three people on the planet owns an Apple product - a success that Emma Wall, chief investment strategist for financial services company Hargreaves Lansdown, said had as much to do with the company's marketing as it did its hardware.

"They sold a dream," she said, and they added something that was "quite new at the time - the idea that branding was as important as the product line".

Apple's string of hits has arguably slowed since the death of its visionary co-founder Steve Jobs, as the company focuses more on refining its existing technology.

Ken Segall, Jobs's creative director for 12 years, told the BBC that Apple's current chief executive, Tim Cook, had done an "amazing job" at changing with the times and keeping the company profitable.

But he added that many Apple purists still do not feel as excited by the company's current phase because "they remember that older Apple was Steve Jobs".

As the company pushes past its half-century, we asked technology analysts and experts to take a look at some of the significant ways the company changed the tech world, and some of the ways it arguably missed the mark.

iPod (hit)

Getty An advert for the iPod showing two black silhouettes dancing to a white iPod, with white wired headphones, against a pink background. The apple logo alongside the word iPod is shown.Getty
The iPod was released in 2001 and paved the way for legal digital music downloading to hit the mainstream

While by no means the first portable digital music player when it was released in 2001, the iPod is one of "Apple's most iconic products" argued Craig Pickerell of The Apple Geek. Not just because of what it was, but "because of what it changed".

"MP3 players were clunky, storage was limited, and managing your music library felt like a chore," he said.

"The iPod changed all of that almost overnight."

The click-wheel design distinguished the device and introduced the iTunes library, paving the way for legal digital music downloading to hit the mainstream.

Released in 2007, the iPod Touch was designed by the same team, who later invented the iPhone - which quickly overshadowed the iPod.

"Without the iPod, Apple would likely have lacked both the financial strength and the operational maturity required to take on the complexity of the smartphone industry," said Francisco Jeronimo, technology analyst at market research firm IDC.

iPhone (hit)

AFP via Getty Images Steve Jobs is smiling and holding up an iPhone. He is wearing a black turtleneck sweater.AFP via Getty Images
"An iPod, a phone, and an internet communicator": Steve Jobs unveiled the first edition to the world in 2007

More than 200 million iPhones are sold each year - with roughly one purchased somewhere in the world every seven seconds.

To Ben Wood of CCS Insight, a market research firm, it is the "Hotel California of smartphones" - once you have one, you are "very unlikely to leave" the Apple ecosystem for a rival Android-powered device.

"An iPod, a phone, and an internet communicator. These are not three separate devices, this is one device," said a beaming Steve Jobs holding up the first edition of the phone at its unveiling to the world in 2007.

Like many revolutionary Apple products, the iPhone was not the first example of its kind - other phones had internet capabilities, or touchscreens.

But tech journalist Kara Swisher argues its "gorgeous marketing" helped catapult it into the mainstream.

"It made you think of it not as a tech device, but a device of romance," she said.

Apple Watch (hit)

Getty Images An black faced Apple Watch with an orange bezel strap, lying on a table. The time reads 1:03.Getty Images
Jobs' successor Tim Cook wanted to make the best watch in the world

By the time the wearable Apple Watch launched in 2015, Jobs had died from cancer.

But his successor Tim Cook came with an aim befitting of his innovative predecessor - to make the best watch in the world.

In terms of revenue generated for Apple - roughly $15bn (£11.3bn) - it's hard to argue that the world's best-selling smartwatch has not succeeded in that aim.

"As a standalone business, Apple Watch would sit comfortably among the top 250 to 300 largest companies in America," said Wood.

While the first prototype was relatively basic, its future models also pioneered wearable health tech with features like ECG monitoring and fall detection, making it a key driver of health and fitness technology.

The device now reportedly shifts more units annually than the entire traditional Swiss watch industry.

Apple Lisa (miss)

Science & Society Picture Library The Apple Lisa, a grey personal computer with a rectangular monitor and keyboard in front of it. Science & Society Picture Library
The Apple Lisa was released in 1983 for nearly $10,000

In some ways the Apple Lisa, a personal computer released in 1983 at the pricey sum of nearly $10,000 (approximately £6,600 then), was groundbreaking.

It was one of the first PCs to feature a graphical user interface (GUI) and a mouse.

But tech analyst Paolo Pescatore said the computer, targeted at business users, was "far too costly", unable to succeed commercially.

The failure, he said, demonstrated "being ahead of the curve is not enough if the product is poorly positioned".

Apple would learn from its mistakes when they released the original Macintosh a year later, with a relatively more consumer friendly price tag of $2,495 (approximately £1,900 in 1984).

'Butterfly' keyboard (miss)

Bloomberg via Getty Images Two hands are typing code on a grey MacBook Air.Bloomberg via Getty Images
The keyboard design was a "rare misstep in reliability"

Apple's "butterfly" keyboard design - a mechanism introduced in 2015 for laptop keyboards - was a "rare misstep in reliability", said Pickerell.

The design for devices such as the MacBook Air saw keyboards fitted with a two-sided hinged keyboard switch, which somewhat resembled butterfly wings.

But it divided opinion, with some saying the mechanism made keyboards less easy to type on, making it feel as though Apple was "prioritising thinness over durability", said Pickerell.

By 2019, the company unveiled a new16in MacBook Pro - without the butterfly keyboard.

Vision Pro (miss)

Getty Images A man sitting down wearing a white Apple Vision Pro headset on his head in an Apple store, which is connected with a white cable. He is holding his hands out in front of him. An Apple staff member is sitting next to him and smiling. Getty Images
Apple's big bet on mixed reality was ultimately too "cumbersome"

A far more recent notable miss for Apple has been the Vision Pro headset, argued Wood.

The first major new product to be released by the firm since the Apple Watch, Wood said Apple's big bet on mixed reality was ultimately too "cumbersome" and lacking in content to match the success of Apple's other products.

According to tech news site The Information, the company scaled back production of the $3,500 (£2,600) headset just a few months after launching, due to low demand and a high amount of unsold stock.

The misstep means Apple will "likely be cautious about moving quickly into related areas such as smart glasses", said Wood.

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How will rising fuel costs affect driving lessons?

5 April 2026 at 07:06
BBC A female, wearing a grey top and necklace, smiling, standing in front of a dark coloured car, in a car park. Behind her on the right is a maroon car and on the left a black car with a blurred out number plate.BBC
Rachael Hutson-Lumb is a driving instructor worried by fuel costs

If you're learning to drive, you'll know the cost of lessons has shot up and it can feel like it takes forever trying to get a practical test booked. But could it now get worse?

Since the start of the Iran war, prices at the pumps have jumped, and bodies that represent driving instructors have warned that further disruption could push up lesson prices further and make it even harder to get a test.

BBC Newsbeat checked in with instructors, learners and officials to find out what could happen for new drivers.

Rachael Hutson-Lumb has been a driving instructor for four years.

She told Newsbeat she's been "keeping an eye" on fuel prices, and has had to raise lesson prices by 50p to £37.50 per hour.

"My prices are going up a bit, not a lot, because I appreciate lessons are already not cheap for learners.

"I don't want to put prices up but at the end of the day, if it's a cost that's increasing, it's going to have to be reflected.

"Changes are going to have to be made just because that's my income stream," she says.

According to motoring group the RAC, UK petrol and diesel prices jumped more than in any previous single month, largely due to the war, although the government has said fuel supplies are "resilient".

The Driving Instructors Association (DIA), the UK's largest group representing the profession, says passing costs on to learners "will be a consideration for trainers".

Rachael, 26, says "most" of her learners are fine, for the moment, with the price.

"They were coming to me and asking me: 'Oh, fuel's really expensive, are the prices going to go up?' They're so aware of it," she says.

"And they also understand that when they go on to pass, it's going to be something that's going to impact them as well."

'It's my income stream'

Catherine Thoyts A female, smiling, wearing glasses and a striped white and grey top, with a silver necklace. She is standing in front of a cream-coloured wall.Catherine Thoyts
Catherine, 26, has been learning to drive in Bristol since November

Catherine Thoyts has been learning to drive since November and says any price rises would make affording lessons more challenging.

The 26-year-old from Bristol works in a care home and a chunk of her income goes on driving lessons, with her instructor charging students £80 for a two-hour lesson.

"Higher prices would definitely make it harder for me, because as a carer, I only make so much a month. It's not a huge amount," she says.

While her own instructor hasn't yet increased prices due to rising fuel costs, Catherine feels with "a lot of young people, there is a jobs crisis", and with prices already high, "that's a lot to afford for most people".

With a test booked for July and hoping to pass first time, she adds higher fuel prices wouldn't put her off buying a car, but would impact how she uses it.

"I would use it for more essential travel than long journeys.

"I wouldn't drive to my friends in the north of England if it's going to cost a whole tank of petrol," she says.

Another worry that's been aired by the DIA and fellow professional organisation the Approved Driving Instructors National Joint Council (ADINJC) is fuel rationing.

Countries around the world have introduced measures to reduce fuel consumption, such as encouraging working from home or opting for public transport over driving, and urged people not to panic-buy fuel.

Slovenia, in the European Union, has introduced rationing - limiting the amount of fuel customers can purchase - because drivers were travelling from other countries due to its low prices.

However, only a handful of countries have introduced the measure.

The UK petrol industry says there is no supply shortage in the UK, and told Brits to continue to buy fuel as normal, when needed.

Both the DIA and ADINJC have written to the UK government urging it to give trainers and examiners "priority access to fuel" if rationing is implemented in Britain.

The UK government and Fuels Industry UK have described Britain's fuel supplies as "resilient", saying petrol stations are well stocked with petrol and diesel.

Instructor Rachael, who teaches in Shropshire, says if there were any plans to ration fuel, it would "be a massive problem", and not only for her business.

"I think it's impacting everyone," she says.

"If we can't get fuel, no one's going to be able to work and that's going to be a problem."

BBC Newsbeat has asked authorities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for comment.

A spokesperson for Transport Scotland said "the availability of driving tests is a reserved matter for the UK Government and is the responsibility of the DVSA".

"We are in touch with our counterparts in DVSA on a regular basis to understand and to press on what more can be done to alleviate the long wait times for driving tests that too many across Scotland are experiencing."

Additional reporting by Srosh Khan

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Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.

Our new reality show leaves nothing out

5 April 2026 at 07:08
Hulu Sophie Habboo and Jamie LaingHulu
The couple say "nothing is off limits" in their new documentary which follows their pregnancy and parenthood journey

From the moment Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo met on Made in Chelsea, their relationship has played out in the public eye with audiences following everything - the good, the bad and the downright ugly.

Their on-screen will-they-won't-they storyline evolved into the NearlyWeds podcast when they got engaged, later rebranding as NewlyWeds after their marriage.

Now, they are sharing their next chapter - pregnancy and parenthood - in a new three-part documentary.

Raising Chelsea follows the couple as they try for a baby, navigate the highs and lows of pregnancy and adjust to the early days of parenthood.

For many, the idea of filming and broadcasting such intimate moments, including the actual birth of their child, would be unthinkable.

But for Laing and Habboo, it was never really a question, and inviting cameras into such a personal chapter in their life felt to them like a continuation of what they had already built with their audience.

"People are used to following our journey, so documenting this and having an audience come with us felt really natural and fun," Habboo says.

Their commitment to creating authentic reality TV shaped how Raising Chelsea was filmed, and, rather than a traditional multi-camera set-up, "we only had one camera so it was very vlog style and there are lots of times I didn't know we were even filming" Habboo explains.

She adds that she quickly "forgot the cameras were there", which meant arguments would unfold as they normally would, only for Habboo to then "worry about it afterwards".

Hulu Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo with her hand on her stomach in a baby cloth's shopHulu
In the series, the couple attend medical appointments, have candid conversations about the anxieties of parenthood

Laing, who is also the founder of sweets brand Candy Kittens, says that approach was intentional because "if there were three cameras and a set-up, it feels forced".

"We wanted to capture everything and I wanted to make sure it was really real so you see everything," he says.

"Even when things happened that were intense we kept it in because we made a deal."

He tells the BBC that holding anything back defeats the point.

"There is nothing off limits - I don't like the idea of a filtered version of ourselves, it's not true, authentic or real," he reflects.

"Everyone has arguments, bad moments, good moments, feels up or down and capturing that is real life."

They wasted little time in sharing those moments as the documentary airs less than four months since their son, Ziggy, was born.

'I never get my way'

Their willingness to share didn't mean there weren't moments of hesitation about where, if anywhere, the line should be drawn.

At times, they draw that line in different places - Habboo is more instinctively protective of what should remain private while Laing is more comfortable letting even the most personal moments play out on screen.

"There are moments where it's a lot," Habboo admits. "You can even hear me in the show saying 'I'm not doing this' at certain points.

"If I had my way there would be things off limits but I never get my way."

Getty Images  Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo attend the ten years celebration of gourmet sweets by Candy Kittens at White Rabbit Dereham Place on July 29, 2022 in London, England. Getty Images
The pair started dating in 2019 and got married in 2023

When the pair started their podcast in 2021, the 31-year-old says she wanted "to put my best foot forward" so was keen that some things were edited out.

"I didn't want people to hear the nitty-gritties of our relationship."

But, she was rarely in the edit and "Jamie made sure every episode kept everything in, which was horrifying".

Habboo got used to that pretty quickly, and the "reaction from listeners was that they loved it and felt connected, like they weren't alone".

"So going into this, I thought we had to keep that authenticity," she continues.

"I'm happy we did it that way because I love reality TV, I'm the biggest fan, but I feel like today everything is so produced and constructed which is a shame for the viewer.

"There's not much authentic TV out there, so we wanted to create something real."

'People are so mean'

That level of exposure comes at a cost; being so open means inviting opinion and criticism, and Laing knows that "you have to have thick skin if you're going to do this".

It is something he says he has learned over time while Habboo "is still developing it".

Laing laughs as he recalls one nasty comment that stuck. "Sophie thought she'd read the Daily Mail one day and the first comment was: 'Why does she look like an Afghan hound?'"

"There are so many comments like that," Habboo says. "People asking what's wrong with my eyebrows. They're evil, they're so mean. I don't know what they're going to say when they see me pregnant."

Hulu Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo carrying a babyHulu
The couple gave birth to Ziggy in early December 2025

It is the willingness to show both joy and discomfort that underpins their documentary - Laing describes himself as "more anxious", while Habboo admits she is "worse on no sleep".

There is playful debate over who does more nappies. "I do," Laing insists, met with visible disbelief from Habboo.

Their differences continue in how they parent - Laing calling Habboo the stricter of the two - a claim that surprises her. "She has routine," he says. "I'd let him eat chocolate."

Yet beneath the teasing is a clear sense of partnership and they reflect on how they have grown together.

"I thought we were strong," Laing says. "But we've become even stronger."

"So there's no divorce yet, we're saving that for season two."

Raising Chelsea is available to watch on Disney+ now.

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