There have been celebrations across Israel and the Palestinian territories as a major hostage and prisoner exchange on Monday marked a significant step towards ending two years of war in Gaza.

In a crucial first phase of the US-brokered plan to end the war, Hamas returned all living Israeli hostages, while Israel freed almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

US President Donald Trump landed in Israel minutes after the first hostages were reunited with their families in tearful scenes, and in a speech to Israel's parliament declared a "historic dawn in a new Middle East".

Trump then flew on to a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to meet more than 20 leaders for talks on later phases of his Gaza peace plan.

At the summit Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the US signed a declaration as guarantors of the ceasefire deal which is aimed at ending two years of war that has left Gaza in ruins.

But amid the diplomatic celebrations and the joy during reunions in Israel and the Palestinian territories, many challenges still lie ahead if the ceasefire is to be built into a lasting peace.

The latter phases of Trump's 20-point peace plan are fraught with sticking points, and intense negotiations will be needed in order to move forward.

Monday's hostage and prisoner exchange completed the initial phase of the deal - and came after a ceasefire took effect on Friday and an increase of humanitarian aid entered Gaza over the weekend.

Families of the Israeli hostages were seen screaming with happiness and crying as they embraced their freed loved ones.

"I am overwhelmed with emotion and joy," said Arbel Yehoud, a former hostage herself who was reunited with her partner Ariel Cunio when he was released on Monday.

"For over two years, the hope of holding Ariel again is what sustained and drove me every single day," she said.

Buses carrying those freed from Israeli jails through Gaza and the occupied West Bank were surrounded by huge crowds waving flags and playing patriotic music.

One Palestinian woman reunited with her son said her heart was finally at peace.

Though the releases went largely as planned, Israel's hostage families expressed outrage that Hamas said it would only return the bodies of four of the deceased hostages. It is thought the remains of up to 24 others hostages remain in Gaza.

As part of the agreement, around 1,700 Palestinian detainees who had been held by Israel without charge were freed.

About 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences were also released by Israel, with about 100 being freed into the occupied West Bank. Others were deported and a small number released into East Jerusalem.

As prisoners exited a Red Cross bus in Ramallah, many draped in traditional Keffiyeh scarves, they were met by raucous cheers - but many looked pale and gaunt, with some struggling to walk.

"There is joy, and there is pain, and there is happiness, and there is sorrow, said Khalil Muhammad Abdulrahman Al-Qatrous, who gathered outside Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis to collect his son who he said had been detained by Israel for about three months.

After being greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump visited Israel's parliament, the Knesset, where he conducted the first address by a US president since 2008.

"At last, not only for Israelis but also Palestinians, the long and painful nightmare is finally over," he told the chamber during a long address, with some politicians' breaking out into chants of "Trump, Trump, Trump".

There was a brief interruption, when an opposition member held up a piece of paper that said "Recognise Palestine".

Trump then flew onto Sharm El-Sheikh where he met more than 20 world leaders - including UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and the leaders of many Muslim and Arab countries.

He posed for photos along with other leaders on a stage emblazoned with the words "Peace in the Middle East".

Among those also in attendance was former UK prime minister Tony Blair, who - under Trump's plan - is slated to play a key role in a "Board of Peace" for Gaza that would be headed and chaired by the US President.

The plan would see Gaza initially governed by a temporary transitional committee of Palestinian technocrats overseen by the "Board of Peace", before power is eventually transferred to the Palestinian Authority (PA) once it has undergone reforms.

But difficult negotiations will be needed in order to move forward with the latter phases of the plan.

Among the points of contention are the extent and timeline of Israeli troop withdrawal, the disarmament of Hamas, and the future governance of the Gaza Strip.

Hamas has previously said it would not disarm unless a Palestinian state was established - and has rejected the idea of foreign governance in Gaza.

Netanyahu has pushed back on any future involvement of the PA.

Asked when phase two of negotiations on a peace agreement will begin, Trump replied: "It's started".

"The phases are all a little bit mixed in with each other," he added.

Israel launched its offensive in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2003, which saw 1,200 people killed and 251 others taken hostage back to Gaza.

Since then more than 67,000 people have been killed by Israel's offensive, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry. Its figures are seen as reliable by the UN and other international bodies. More than 9 in 10 residential buildings have been damaged or destroyed according to the UN.

US President Donald Trump has told cheering Israeli lawmakers that "this is the historic dawn of a new Middle East", after helping to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

During the first such address by a US president since 2008, Trump said Monday was a "day of profound joy" after "two harrowing years".

Trump's address to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, comes on the day that the last 20 living hostages held in the Palestinian enclave were released by Hamas.

Israel is releasing 250 Palestinian prisoners and more than 1,700 other Palestinians detained during the two-year military operations in Gaza.

During a whirlwind trip to the region, Trump is also expected to attend a peace summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and other world leaders.

After hearing politicians' chants of "Trump, Trump, Trump" in the Knesset, the American president said the occasion would represent "not only the end of a war" but also the possibility of a new age for "what will soon be a magnificent region".

Trump's suggestion that the region was on the dawn of a new era echoed the words he used when Israel signed landmark deals with several Arab states during his first presidency.

Trump was introduced to parliament by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who saluted his counterpart's various acts of solidarity with Israel.

Trump was the "greatest friend" Israel had ever had in the White House, Netanyahu said.

"Everything changed" in the American attitude to Israel's military campaign in Gaza when Trump was re-elected as US president last year, Netanyahu added.

The Israeli prime minister thanked Trump for his "unremitting help" in securing the return of the remaining hostages - part of a group of 251 people seized during the 7 October 2023 attacks in southern Israel by Hamas.

Trump went on to offer a tribute of his own to his counterpart, saying: "He's not the easiest guy to deal with, but that's what makes him great."

• Follow live updates
• Who are the released hostages?
• What we know about Gaza ceasefire agreement

Earlier, the US president declared the "war is over" in Gaza, after two years of fighting, as he flew to the region from the US on board Air Force One.

The ceasefire in Gaza took effect on Friday morning after Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of Trump's 20-point peace plan. The next phases are still to be negotiated.

Trump told reporters on Air Force One that the ceasefire would hold, and that a "board of peace" he is due to head would quickly be set up to administer the territory.

In his remarks to parliament, Netanyahu said he was "committed to this peace".

Also welcomed to the Knesset alongside Trump were other key US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The names of Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner received particularly loud cheers from Israeli MPs, for their own roles in brokering the ceasefire. Kushner was accompanied by his wife Ivanka Trump.

Members of Trump's audience wore red caps. Instead of Trump's signature slogan "Make America Great Again", they read "Trump the Peace President".

Trump was told by the parliamentary speaker that there was "no-one" more deserving of next year's Nobel Peace Prize.

But some Israeli lawmakers who want the war in Gaza to continue did not attend.

A year or so ago, the Scottish National Party looked to be in deep trouble.

They had been comprehensively thrashed in the general election, falling from 48 MPs to just nine.

They had managed to have three leaders in a little over a year: Nicola Sturgeon, Humza Yousaf and then John Swinney.

It was a rate of attrition that would make even the Conservative Party of recent years blush.

There had also been a high-profile and long-running police investigation into the SNP's finances, involving Sturgeon, who was told earlier this year she would face no action.

Plus there were bitter rows over gender identity.

And the SNP has been in devolved government in Scotland since before you could buy an iPhone – since May 2007.

Electoral gravity looked to be catching up with them, and catching up big time – just ahead of the crucial elections to the Scottish Parliament next May.

But in case you needed yet another reminder that our domestic politics remains a smorgasbord of competitiveness and unpredictability, the SNP is the latest case study.

Swinney has brought stability to a party that indulged in the opposite for a while.

And support has splintered among its rivals – Labour, Reform and others.

Here is how the pollsters More in Common put it:

"Since last year's general election, Labour's support has more than halved in Scotland while the SNP has marginally improved its standing. While not seeing as significant a rise as in England, Reform has emerged as the potential second-place party after the SNP in Scotland, suppressing the Conservatives' vote share as well as eating into Labour's."

Its analysis continues:

"Despite losing 11 points in the constituency vote, this result would put the SNP just shy of a majority in Holyrood, mostly due to fragmentation in the other parties."

Remember, this is a snapshot, not a prediction. But it is fascinating nonetheless.

The mood among SNP party members and senior figures at the conference was chipper and upbeat.

The party feels competitive again and not only hopeful of victory next year, but even talking of that outright majority.

Just winning again, with or without a majority, would be an extraordinary achievement.

The party, if it does so, would he heading into its third consecutive decade in devolved power.

A majority is a big ask, with an electoral system that makes securing one tricky.

But it matters because the SNP's latest attempt to make an argument for another independence referendum rests on securing a majority.

The party's logic goes like this: the last time they persuaded the government at Westminster to grant one, they had won a majority at Holyrood a few years before.

That majority was won by Alex Salmond in 2011. The referendum followed in 2014.

So, goes the current First Minister's logic, they need a majority again so they can point at that precedent from a decade and a half ago.

The stumbling block is the UK government has made it clear, including in its manifesto, that it is opposed to another referendum.

Privately, senior SNP folk ponder that if they do win a majority, and Labour lose power in the Senedd in Wales and do badly in local elections in many parts of England, Sir Keir Starmer might be out of Downing Street.

There are a lot of ifs there and who knows.

But even if Sir Keir was a goner, that manifesto would still be something Labour could point to.

And the SNP would ask, again, just how voluntary the union of the United Kingdom really is if there is no achievable mechanism for another referendum.

The SNP's critics point to what they see as a dismal domestic record, on the NHS, housing and the number of deaths among drug addicts, for instance.

The party counters with its own riff on what it sees as its greatest hits – they had one for every stair between the ground and first floor of the conference centre.

Free university tuition and free prescriptions are among them.

But there is something else going on too.

There is a near 50/50 split on the constitutional question in Scotland – independence or not.

This is a nation split down the middle.

This gives the SNP a deep well of potential support.

It offers the opportunity to continue to defy what in other circumstances would likely be the undeniable gravity of longevity in office – plunging to defeat.

Let's see.

In local politics, politics in the nations and at the UK level, conventions continue to be upended in multiple directions.

It is also true – and the SNP and its rivals know it – things can change quickly too.

There have been celebrations across Israel and the Palestinian territories as a major hostage and prisoner exchange on Monday marked a significant step towards ending two years of war in Gaza.

In a crucial first phase of the US-brokered plan to end the war, Hamas returned all living Israeli hostages, while Israel freed almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

US President Donald Trump landed in Israel minutes after the first hostages were reunited with their families in tearful scenes, and in a speech to Israel's parliament declared a "historic dawn in a new Middle East".

Trump then flew on to a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to meet more than 20 leaders for talks on later phases of his Gaza peace plan.

At the summit Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the US signed a declaration as guarantors of the ceasefire deal which is aimed at ending two years of war that has left Gaza in ruins.

But amid the diplomatic celebrations and the joy during reunions in Israel and the Palestinian territories, many challenges still lie ahead if the ceasefire is to be built into a lasting peace.

The latter phases of Trump's 20-point peace plan are fraught with sticking points, and intense negotiations will be needed in order to move forward.

Monday's hostage and prisoner exchange completed the initial phase of the deal - and came after a ceasefire took effect on Friday and an increase of humanitarian aid entered Gaza over the weekend.

Families of the Israeli hostages were seen screaming with happiness and crying as they embraced their freed loved ones.

"I am overwhelmed with emotion and joy," said Arbel Yehoud, a former hostage herself who was reunited with her partner Ariel Cunio when he was released on Monday.

"For over two years, the hope of holding Ariel again is what sustained and drove me every single day," she said.

Buses carrying those freed from Israeli jails through Gaza and the occupied West Bank were surrounded by huge crowds waving flags and playing patriotic music.

One Palestinian woman reunited with her son said her heart was finally at peace.

Though the releases went largely as planned, Israel's hostage families expressed outrage that Hamas said it would only return the bodies of four of the deceased hostages. It is thought the remains of up to 24 others hostages remain in Gaza.

As part of the agreement, around 1,700 Palestinian detainees who had been held by Israel without charge were freed.

About 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences were also released by Israel, with about 100 being freed into the occupied West Bank. Others were deported and a small number released into East Jerusalem.

As prisoners exited a Red Cross bus in Ramallah, many draped in traditional Keffiyeh scarves, they were met by raucous cheers - but many looked pale and gaunt, with some struggling to walk.

"There is joy, and there is pain, and there is happiness, and there is sorrow, said Khalil Muhammad Abdulrahman Al-Qatrous, who gathered outside Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis to collect his son who he said had been detained by Israel for about three months.

After being greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump visited Israel's parliament, the Knesset, where he conducted the first address by a US president since 2008.

"At last, not only for Israelis but also Palestinians, the long and painful nightmare is finally over," he told the chamber during a long address, with some politicians' breaking out into chants of "Trump, Trump, Trump".

There was a brief interruption, when an opposition member held up a piece of paper that said "Recognise Palestine".

Trump then flew onto Sharm El-Sheikh where he met more than 20 world leaders - including UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and the leaders of many Muslim and Arab countries.

He posed for photos along with other leaders on a stage emblazoned with the words "Peace in the Middle East".

Among those also in attendance was former UK prime minister Tony Blair, who - under Trump's plan - is slated to play a key role in a "Board of Peace" for Gaza that would be headed and chaired by the US President.

The plan would see Gaza initially governed by a temporary transitional committee of Palestinian technocrats overseen by the "Board of Peace", before power is eventually transferred to the Palestinian Authority (PA) once it has undergone reforms.

But difficult negotiations will be needed in order to move forward with the latter phases of the plan.

Among the points of contention are the extent and timeline of Israeli troop withdrawal, the disarmament of Hamas, and the future governance of the Gaza Strip.

Hamas has previously said it would not disarm unless a Palestinian state was established - and has rejected the idea of foreign governance in Gaza.

Netanyahu has pushed back on any future involvement of the PA.

Asked when phase two of negotiations on a peace agreement will begin, Trump replied: "It's started".

"The phases are all a little bit mixed in with each other," he added.

Israel launched its offensive in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2003, which saw 1,200 people killed and 251 others taken hostage back to Gaza.

Since then more than 67,000 people have been killed by Israel's offensive, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry. Its figures are seen as reliable by the UN and other international bodies. More than 9 in 10 residential buildings have been damaged or destroyed according to the UN.

US President Donald Trump has told cheering Israeli lawmakers that "this is the historic dawn of a new Middle East", after helping to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

During the first such address by a US president since 2008, Trump said Monday was a "day of profound joy" after "two harrowing years".

Trump's address to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, comes on the day that the last 20 living hostages held in the Palestinian enclave were released by Hamas.

Israel is releasing 250 Palestinian prisoners and more than 1,700 other Palestinians detained during the two-year military operations in Gaza.

During a whirlwind trip to the region, Trump is also expected to attend a peace summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and other world leaders.

After hearing politicians' chants of "Trump, Trump, Trump" in the Knesset, the American president said the occasion would represent "not only the end of a war" but also the possibility of a new age for "what will soon be a magnificent region".

Trump's suggestion that the region was on the dawn of a new era echoed the words he used when Israel signed landmark deals with several Arab states during his first presidency.

Trump was introduced to parliament by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who saluted his counterpart's various acts of solidarity with Israel.

Trump was the "greatest friend" Israel had ever had in the White House, Netanyahu said.

"Everything changed" in the American attitude to Israel's military campaign in Gaza when Trump was re-elected as US president last year, Netanyahu added.

The Israeli prime minister thanked Trump for his "unremitting help" in securing the return of the remaining hostages - part of a group of 251 people seized during the 7 October 2023 attacks in southern Israel by Hamas.

Trump went on to offer a tribute of his own to his counterpart, saying: "He's not the easiest guy to deal with, but that's what makes him great."

• Follow live updates
• Who are the released hostages?
• What we know about Gaza ceasefire agreement

Earlier, the US president declared the "war is over" in Gaza, after two years of fighting, as he flew to the region from the US on board Air Force One.

The ceasefire in Gaza took effect on Friday morning after Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of Trump's 20-point peace plan. The next phases are still to be negotiated.

Trump told reporters on Air Force One that the ceasefire would hold, and that a "board of peace" he is due to head would quickly be set up to administer the territory.

In his remarks to parliament, Netanyahu said he was "committed to this peace".

Also welcomed to the Knesset alongside Trump were other key US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The names of Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner received particularly loud cheers from Israeli MPs, for their own roles in brokering the ceasefire. Kushner was accompanied by his wife Ivanka Trump.

Members of Trump's audience wore red caps. Instead of Trump's signature slogan "Make America Great Again", they read "Trump the Peace President".

Trump was told by the parliamentary speaker that there was "no-one" more deserving of next year's Nobel Peace Prize.

But some Israeli lawmakers who want the war in Gaza to continue did not attend.

Soldiers have threatened to seize the state TV headquarters in Madagascar as President Andry Rajoelina was due to address the nation, his office says, amid unconfirmed reports that he has fled the country.

A French military aircraft is said to have airlifted Rajoelina from the Indian Ocean island to an unknown location, following a fortnight of nationwide protests aimed at kicking him out of power.

His failed attempts to placate young protesters - dubbed "Gen Z Mada" - saw him sack his entire government and make other concessions to no avail.

On Sunday, his office said an attempt was under way to force him from power. He has not been seen in public since Wednesday.

Rajoelina's planned address to the nation has been delayed several times - it was initially due at 1900 local time (1600 GMT).

Over the weekend, a powerful army unit - known as CAPSAT - that helped install Rajoelina in power in 2009 moved to undermine him by declaring itself in command of all the armed forces, while some of its officers joined protesters on the streets of the capital, Antananarivo.

• As it happened: How a day of drama unfolded in Madagascar

Following a meeting of military commanders on Monday, the new Chief of Army Staff installed by CAPSAT, Gen Demosthene Pikulas, assured the public that the security forces were working together to maintain order in the island nation.

By Monday evening, the general was at state TV headquarters trying to resolve the crisis, according to a statement from the presidency.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior leader in Madagascar's largest opposition party told the BBC that Madagascar was now effectively being run by CAPSAT.

The TIM party has also said it plans to bring impeachment proceedings against Rajoelina for "abandonment of post".

Several of Rajoelina's inner circle have fled to nearby Mauritius. They include former Prime Minister President Richard Ravalomanana and the businessman Maminiaina Ravatomanga.

Despite its abundant natural resources, Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world. About 75% of people there live below the poverty line, the World Bank says, while data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) shows just over one-third of people have access to electricity.

The protests began over anger with repeated water and power cuts, then escalated to reflect wider dissatisfaction with Rajoelina's government over high unemployment, corruption, and the cost-of-living crisis.

At least 22 people were killed and more than 100 injured in the first few days of the protests, according to the UN, although the government has rejected these figures.

Eyewitnesses describe security officers opening fire on protesters with live ammunition. In one case, a newborn baby died from smoke inhalation after being exposed to tear gas.

Madagascar has been rocked by multiple uprisings since it gained independence in 1960, including mass protests in 2009 that forced then-President Marc Ravalomanana to step down and saw Rajoelina ushered into office.

Aged just 34 at the time, Rajoelina became Africa's youngest leader - going on to govern for four years, then returning to power again after the 2018 election.

Rajoelina was born into wealth and, before entering politics, had made a name for himself as an entrepreneur and DJ - setting up a radio station and an advertising company along the way.

But his sharp-suited, baby-faced appeal soon waned, as allegations of cronyism and entrenched corruption became unshakeable.

More on Madagascar's crisis:

• Behind the Gen Z protesters who want to force Madagascar's president from power
• Army general named as Madagascar PM to quell Gen Z protests

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica

About a dozen of us walked into a US immigration office in Virginia on Saturday morning, people born all over the world excited to take the final step in becoming American citizens.

We clutched our naturalisation notices as we filed through security and lined up at the check-in desk. Soon, we would raise our right hands and swear the Oath of Allegiance to the United States in a ceremony that is known as both solemn and celebratory. Carrying small American flags, we would walk out citizens.

But then, abruptly, we learned the ceremony had been cancelled because of the government shutdown.

"You should have been notified," said the staff member at the desk.

None of us had received any emails or phone calls. The staff at the entrance had let us in without warning, raising the possibility that they too had not been notified.

Later, when I checked the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website, it was temporarily down.

When it came back online, I saw my appointment had been cancelled days earlier "due to unforeseen circumstances." If you hadn't checked the website yourself, you would never have known.

"We regret any inconvenience this may cause," the notice said.

Around me at the office, disappointment quickly turned into confusion.

One woman in a hijab quietly asked if I had been turned away too, worried it might have been because of her clothing.

A man had gathered his family to celebrate his final step to becoming a US citizen, only to leave anxious and uncertain.

A few people seemed genuinely frightened, wondering how the delay might affect their work, lives and plans.

This was more than an inconvenience.

Some of us had spent years plodding through paperwork and interviews, as well as preparing for the citizenship test. After more than a decade of having a green card, I had decided to become a citizen and vote. All of us now were stuck in limbo.

At the office, we were told to come back on 1 November. With the ongoing federal shutdown, though, there's a chance that could slip.

The immigration service is largely funded by application fees and so it typically stays open during a government shutdown.

But its director, Joseph Edlow, said in a post on X that public-facing services such as interviews and naturalisation ceremonies can be delayed. He added that the agency "regrets any negative impacts but must ensure it complies with the law".

It's unclear how many USCIS appointments or oath ceremonies have been cancelled nationwide. The service lists field office closures on a web page, but it does not provide totals for cancelled ceremonies. Anecdotal reports have circulated online about other oath ceremonies that have been scrapped.

What's also unclear is when the government will reopen.

Republicans and Democrats have been deadlocked over government funding since 1 October, leading to a shutdown that has placed more than 700,000 federal workers on unpaid leave.

Add on the many rapid changes made to US immigration policies in the last nine months, and the anxiety among those of us working to become American citizens can only rise. The effects of a Washington stalemate are rippling into the everyday lives - and possibly futures - of those of us hoping to call the US our permanent home.

An undercover police officer took part in clashes during the Stephen Lawrence inquiry as part of his cover so he could better spy on anti-racism groups, one of the UK's longest-running public inquiries has been told.

The decade-old Undercover Policing Inquiry, which began its latest phase of hearings on Monday, heard that there may be evidence of overt racism in how a now-disbanded team targeted black justice campaigners in the 1990s.

Officers gathered information relating to Baroness Lawrence and Dr Neville Lawrence as they fought for justice over their son's 1993 racist murder, even though they had nothing to do with groups which the police force believed could be a danger to public order.

The inquiry - which has cost £114m so far - began in 2015 after allegations emerged of abuses by undercover officers, including deceiving women into sexual relationships.

In an opening statement on Monday, the inquiry's lead lawyer David Barr KC said it would hear "deeply moving" evidence from justice campaigners including the Lawrence family and Sukdev Reel, whose son Ricky died in 1997 in what many suspect was a racist murder.

Mr Barr said that the inquiry would look at why Scotland Yard had deployed undercover officers to gather information relating to campaigns such as these and to what extent those operations may have been motivated by racism.

One of those officers was a man known only as HN81 or "David Hagan" due to an anonymity order.

By 1997 he had been deployed to gather intelligence on the anti-racism movement in London at a time when the force was preparing to face a public inquiry over how it had botched the investigation into Stephen Lawrence's murder.

Stephen, 18, was stabbed by a gang as he waited at a bus stop in Eltham, south-east London.

While the thrust of the evidence so far is that HN81 did not get close enough to the family to have become a key figure in their campaign, he has admitted being part of infamous clashes on the day that the five murder suspects gave evidence to the Lawrence inquiry in 1998.

"He [HN81] accepts being involved in the public disorder," Mr Barr said.

"HN81 describes that day as the most serious incident of public disorder he witnessed and participated in. He describes shouting, aggressive posturing and joining in with the pushing and shoving once that had begun."

The police ultimately used CS gas to try to control the crowd - leading to Baroness Lawrence appealing for calm.

"It is undeniable that the Stephen Lawrence Campaign was conducted throughout in a manner that defied public disorder, advocating for order and calm, even where some would have had it otherwise," said Mr Barr.

"Dr Neville Lawrence is appalled that a police officer was involved in such action. He has stated to the inquiry that it is (I quote) 'particularly troubling that an officer who sought to justify surveillance on the grounds of public disorder actively contributed to it'."

Another key witness for the latest tranche of evidence is Peter Francis, a former officer of the now disbanded Special Demonstration Squad at the heart of the allegations of wrongdoing.

His revelations were one of the factors that triggered the public inquiry.

When he gives evidence in December, Mr Francis is expected to say that in 1993 - six months after Stephen's murder - he was receiving racially-motivated orders from a manager known only as "HN86" to gather information relating to that justice campaign and other causes.

"Mr Francis portrays HN86 as a thoroughly and overtly racist man who, amongst other things, instructed him to seek out intelligence for the purpose of undermining black justice campaigns," said Mr Barr.

"In particular, information about the Lawrence family which could be used to discredit them and to destroy the Stephen Lawrence Campaign.

"Mr Francis asserts that he was also expected to report information that might discredit Duwayne Brooks [Stephen Lawrence's friend who had been with him on the night of the fatal attack].

"HN86 denies these allegations. We will be looking at them very closely indeed."

In a brief opening address, Peter Skelton KC, representing the Metropolitan Police, said the force apologised to the family of Stephen Lawrence, his friend Duwayne Brooks, Sukhdev Reel, and other justice campaigners.

"There was a collective failure to exercise ethical judgment about the purpose of undercover policing and the propriety of reporting on family justice campaigns," he said.

"This is reflective of an 'us against them' culture that prevailed within the MPS at that time, which didn't properly distinguish between legitimate intelligence targets, such as groups committed to inciting serious public disorder, and illegitimate targets such as grieving black and Asian families who were complaining about injustice and the actions of the police."

TikTok influencer HSTikkyTokky has been arrested after being on the run from police for almost a year following alleged driving offences.

The 24-year-old, whose real name is Harrison Sullivan, was wanted by Surrey Police for failing to appear in court after a crash in Virginia Water, Surrey, in March 2024.

An appeal was previously launched by police after the driver of a McLaren supercar involved in a crash with another vehicle left the scene.

Mr Sullivan, who skipped a court appearance in November, has since posted social media videos from Qatar.

A statement from Surrey Police on Monday said: "A 24-year-old man from Hutton, Essex, was arrested on Friday for failing to appear at court for dangerous driving.

"He appeared at Guildford Magistrates' Court on Saturday and has been remanded ahead of a further court appearance at Staines Magistrates' Court on Tuesday."

The court confirmed that charges included failing to stop after an accident, driving while using a mobile phone and driving without third party insurance.

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