The US Congress has passed Donald Trump's sprawling tax and spending bill in a significant and hard-fought victory for the president and his domestic agenda.

After a gruelling session on Capitol Hill, the House of Representatives passed the bill by a vote of 218 to 214 on Thursday afternoon. It was approved in the Senate on Tuesday by one vote.

Trump had given the Republican-controlled Congress a deadline of 4 July to send him a final version of the bill to sign into law.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill could add $3.3tn (£2.4tn) to federal deficits over the next 10 years and leave millions without health coverage - a forecast that the White House disputes.

• ANALYSIS: Trump gets major win - but debate over his mega-bill is just beginning
• EXPLAINER: What's in Trump's budget bill?

Speaking to reporters on Thursday evening, Trump said the bill would "turn this country into a rocket ship".

"This is going to be a great bill for the country," he said.

He is expected to sign it into law at a ceremony on the 4 July national holiday at 17:00 EDT (22:00 BST).

A triumphant Republican Speaker Mike Johnson emerged from the House after the vote and told reporters "belief" was key to rallying support within his party.

"I believed in the people that are standing here behind me... Some of them are more fun to deal with," he said. "I mean that with the greatest level of respect."

Among those he had to convince was Representative Chip Roy, a Texas Republican who was a firm "no" just days ago when the Senate passed its version of the bill. He called the Senate version a "travesty", but changed his mind by the time voting had begun.

"I feel like we got to a good result on key things," Roy said, although the House did not make any changes to the Senate bill.

While some Republicans, like Roy, had resisted the Senate version, only two lawmakers from Trump's own party voted "nay" on Thursday: Thomas Massie and Brian Fitzpatrick.

After Johnson announced that the legislation had passed the chamber by four votes, dozens of Republican lawmakers gathered on the House floor chanting "USA! USA!"

The bill's passage on Thursday was delayed by Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who delivered the longest speech in the chamber's history.

His "magic minute" address, which is a custom that allows party leaders to speak for as long as they like, ran for eight hours and 45 minutes.

Jeffries pledged to take his "sweet time on behalf of the American people", decrying the bill's impact on poor Americans.

The legislation makes savings through making cuts to food benefits and health care and rolling back tax breaks for clean energy projects.

It also delivers on two of Trump's major campaign promises - making his 2017 tax cuts permanent and lifting taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security recipients - at a cost of $4.5tn over 10 years.

About $150bn (£110bn) will be spent on border security, detention centres and immigration enforcement officers. Another $150bn is allocated for military expenditures, including the president's "gold dome" missile defence programme.

Democrats, who had used procedural manoeuvres to stall the House vote, were roundly critical of the final bill.

They portrayed it as taking health care and food subsidies away from millions of Americans while giving tax cuts to the rich.

California's Nancy Pelosi, the former speaker, said "today ushers in a dark and harrowing time", and called the bill a "dangerous checklist of extreme Republican priorities".

North Carolina's Deborah Ross said: "Shame on those who voted to hurt so many in the service of so few."

While Arizona's Yassamin Ansari said she was "feeling really sad right now", while Marc Veasey of Texas labelled the Republican Party the party of "cowards, chaos and corruption".

The fate of the so-called 'big, beautiful bill' hung in the balance for much of Wednesday as Republican rebels with concerns about the impact on national debt held firm - prompting a furious missive from Trump.

"What are the Republicans waiting for??? What are you trying to prove??? MAGA IS NOT HAPPY, AND IT'S COSTING YOU VOTES!!!," he wrote on Truth Social just after midnight local time on Thursday.

Both chambers of Congress are controlled by Trump's Republican Party, but within the party several factions were at odds over key policies in the lengthy legislation.

In the early hours of Thursday, Republican leadership grew more confident, and a procedural vote on the bill passed just after 03:00 EDT (07:00 GMT).

The final vote on the bill would come almost 12 hours later, at 14:30 EDT (19:30 GMT).

US immigration agents have arrested famed Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, 39, and plan to deport him to Mexico where he has "an active arrest warrant... for his involvement in organised crime", US officials announced on Thursday.

Less than a week before his arrest, the former middleweight world champion was defeated by influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul at a match in California.

US officials say he is affiliated with the notorious Mexican Sinaloa drug cartel. His lawyer denied the claims.

"Under President Trump, no one is above the law - including world-famous athletes," a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement following his arrest.

Chavez Jr was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Studio City, Los Angeles, on Thursday.

His fight against Paul was in nearby Anaheim on Saturday. Chavez Jr is the son of former boxing champion Julio Cesar Chavez Sr, who is considered to be the best boxer in Mexico's history.

The DHS statement said that the "prominent Mexican boxer and criminal illegal alien" is being processed for "expedited removal" .

"Chavez is a Mexican citizen who has an active arrest warrant in Mexico for his involvement in organized crime and trafficking firearms, ammunition, and explosives," the statement said.

It added that officials believe that he may be affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel, which President Donald Trump designated as a terrorist organisation on his first day back in office in January.

Describing the alleged connection, the statement says he applied for US permanent residency last year due to his marriage to a US citizen "who is connected to the Sinaloa Cartel through a prior relationship with the now-deceased son of the infamous cartel leader Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman".

According to US officials, Chavez Jr has been arrested and jailed for several offences in the US, many involving weapons.

In January 2024, he was arrested and later convicted for illegal possession of an assault weapon, officials said.

In 2023, a local judge in the US issued an arrest warrant against him for allegedly trafficking weapons for a criminal organisation. Nearly a decade earlier, in 2012, he was arrested for driving without a licence under the influence drugs or alcohol.

He also allegedly made multiple fraudulent statements to US immigration authorities in his attempts to gain permanent residency and over-stayed a tourist visa that expired last February.

A lawyer for Chavez Jr called his arrest "nothing more than another headline to terrorise the Latin community".

Asked about the allegations of a cartel connection, lawyer Michael Goldstein told NBC: "This is the first we've ever heard of these outrageous allegations."

Two weeks before the bout against Paul, Chavez Jr held a public workout in LA where he spoke to the LA Times about the massive uptick in immigration raids that have swept the city in the past month.

He said that his own trainer was afraid to come to work, due to fear of deportation.

"I was even scared, to tell you the truth. It's very ugly," he said, accusing US immigration agents of "giving the community an example of violence".

"I'm from Sinaloa, where things are really ugly, and to come here, to such a beautiful country with everything... and see Trump attacking immigrants, Latinos, for no reason. Not being with God makes you think you know everything. Trump made a bad decision."

He added: "After everything that's happened, I wouldn't want to be deported."

Hollywood actor Michael Madsen died in his California home on Thursday morning, US media reported. He was 67.

He was found unresponsive by authorities responding to a 911 call at his Malibu home and pronounced dead at 08:25 local time (BST), according to The Hollywood Reporter.

He is believed to have died of cardiac arrest, according to a representative.

Madsen was a prolific actor, best known for his roles in Quentin Tarantino movies Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill: Vol. 2, The Hateful Eight and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

In one of the seminal movies of the 1990s, Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs, Madsen played psychotic thief Mr Blonde, who shocked audiences in a scene where he cut off a policeman's ear.

During a career spanning four decades, Madsen also took on a number of tv roles.

In both tv and film, he often portrayed the law enforcers like sheriffs and detectives, as well as the law breakers, such as a washed-out hitman in the Kill Bill franchise.

In recent years, he lent his voices to video games, including Grand Theft Auto III and the Dishonored series.

Russia has become the first country to formally recognise Taliban rule, with Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi calling it a "courageous" decision.

He met Russia's ambassador to Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, in Kabul on Thursday, where Mr Zhirnov officially conveyed his government's decision to recognise the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

Muttaqi said it was "a new phase of positive relations, mutual respect, and constructive engagement", and that the shift would serve as "an example" to other countries.

The Taliban have sought international recognition and investment since they returned to power in August 2021, despite reports of increasing violations on human rights.

"We believe that the act of official recognition of the government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will give impetus to the development of productive bilateral cooperation between our countries," Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement.

It said Russia saw the potential for "commercial and economic" cooperation in "energy, transportation, agriculture and infrastructure", and that it would continue to help Kabul to fight against the threats of terrorism and drug trafficking.

Russia was one of very few countries that did not close down their embassy in Afghanistan in 2021, and said on Telegram that "expanding the dialogue with Kabul" was critical in terms of regional security and economic development.

The country was also the first to sign an international economic deal with the Taliban in 2022, where they agreed to supply oil, gas and wheat to Afghanistan.

The Taliban was removed from Russia's list of terrorist organisations in April this year with the intention to pave the way for the establishment of a "full-fledged partnership" with Kabul, according to the Russian foreign ministry.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also referred to the Taliban as an "ally" in fighting terrorism in July last year, with representatives travelling to Moscow for talks as early as 2018.

The two countries have a complex history, after the Soviet Union invaded the country in 1979 and fought a nine-year war that cost them 15,000 personnel.

The decision to install a USSR-backed government in Kabul turned the Soviets into an international pariah, and they eventually withdrew from Afghanistan in February 1989.

Western governments and humanitarian organisations have widely condemned the Taliban government, in particular for their implementation of Sharia, which places heavy restrictions on women and girls.

In the past four years, women have been barred from accessing secondary and higher education, are unable to leave their homes without a male chaperone and are subject to strict dress codes.

Legislation has become increasingly restrictive, with the latest installation of 'virtue' laws banning women from speaking outside of their home.

The United Nations has said the rules amount to "gender apartheid", while also reporting public floggings and brutal attacks on former government officials.

Strict sanctions were placed on Afghanistan in 2021 by the United Nations Security Council, most notably the freezing of approximately $9bn in assets.

While China, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Pakistan have all designated ambassadors to Kabul, Russia is now the only country to recognise the Taliban government since their return to power almost four years ago.

An American teenager has been detained on an Antarctic island, creating a major delay in his attempt to fly his small plane to every continent that is being followed online by more than a million people.

Chilean authorities stopped Ethan Guo, 19, after he submitted a false flight plan, according to the BBC's US partner CBS News.

His deviation from that plan in the air had "activated alert protocols", Chile's General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics said in a statement.

Mr Guo was taken into custody after landing on King George Island, home to a number of international research stations and their staffs, where July temperatures typically stay well below freezing.

Mr Guo's small Cessna 182 aircraft took off from the city of Punta Arenas, near the southernmost point of Chile, and flew to the island off the Atlantic coast, which is claimed by Chile. It is named after England's King George III.

He was detained at Teniente R. Marsh airport.

Mr Guo had allegedly submitted a plan to fly over Punta Arenas, but not beyond that, according to regional prosecutor Cristian Cristoso Rifo, as cited by CBS.

He has been charged for violating two articles of the country's aeronautical code, including one that could lead to short-term imprisonment.

In the statement, Chile's General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics said Mr Guo had also allegedly violated the Antarctic Treaty, which regulates international relations with respect to the uninhabited continent.

Mr Guo posted an update on X on Wednesday, saying: "I'm alive everyone, I'll make an update soon."

Ethan Guo has flown his Cessna aircraft to all the other six continents in his journey spanning more than 140 days, according to his social media feed.

He is hoping to become the first pilot to complete solo flights across all seven continents in the Cessna aircraft, and simultaneously aims to raise $1m (£ 731,000) for cancer research at the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Black Sabbath guitarist Toni Iommi has said performing a farewell gig in the band's home city will be "totally different from anything else we've done".

The performance at Villa Park in Birmingham on Saturday will be the first time that the original line-up - Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward - play together in 20 years.

Iommi told the BBC, "We're all nervous really", but he added that preparations had gone well.

"People are coming from all over the world and I just can't absorb it," he said.

More than 40,000 fans are expected to attend the event, which will also see performances from acts including Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Halestorm and Anthrax.

Ozzy Osborne is only expected to sing four songs because of health issues and Iommi explained that rehearsals had been hard on all of Sabbath's classic lineup.

"I wouldn't say it's been easy, it's been tough, because none of us are getting younger and to stand there for a couple of hours is tiring," he said.

The supporting bands had been good to work with, though, and there were "no egos", Iommi stated.

Although they are a long way from their early days in Birmingham, Sabbath - formed in 1968 - still remember the city fondly and talk about their memories.

Iommi said: "I can't remember what happened yesterday, but we can remember what happened in those days, where we used to go, and the gigs we did."

That made the farewell in Birmingham extra poignant, he said, adding: "This is totally different from anything else we've done, you know we've played for 300,000 people but this is nerve-wracking."

There was also the thought that there would be no more comebacks after this.

"We're never going to do this again, this will be it," he confirmed.

He said he hoped the gig would finish things on a good note and, when asked what he thought the legacy of Black Sabbath would be, said it would be the bands that followed in their footsteps.

Their legacy would continue through them, he said.

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A state-of-the-art British fighter jet stuck at an airport in India for nearly three weeks now has sparked curiosity and raised questions about how such a modern aircraft could get stranded for days in a foreign country.

The F-35B landed at Thiruvananthapuram airport in the southern state of Kerala on 14 June.

The aircraft was diverted there after it ran into bad weather during a sortie in the Indian ocean and was unable to return to HMS Prince of Wales, the Royal Navy's flagship carrier.

It landed safely but it has since developed a technical snag and is unable to return to the carrier.

Since the jet's landing, engineers from HMS Prince of Wales have assessed the aircraft, but the visiting teams have been unable to fix it so far.

On Thursday, the British High Commission said in a statement to the BBC: "The aircraft was moved to the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul facility at the airport and will be moved to the hangar once UK engineering teams arrive with specialist equipment."

"The aircraft will return to active service once repairs and safety checks have been completed," it added. "Ground teams continue to work closely with Indian authorities to ensure safety and security precautions are observed."

Authorities at Thiruvananthapuram airport told the BBC they were expecting technicians from the UK to arrive on Friday.

The $110m (£80m) jet is being guarded around the clock by six officers from the RAF.

Dr Sameer Patil, director of the Centre for Security, Strategy and Technology at the Observer Research Foundation in Mumbai, told the BBC the Royal Navy had only two options: "They can repair it and make it fly-worthy or they can fly it out in a bigger cargo place such as a C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft."

The case of the stranded jet has also been raised in the House of Commons.

On Monday, opposition Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty asked the government to clarify what was being done to secure it and return it to operational service, the UK Defence Journal reported.

"What steps are the government taking to recover the plane, how much longer will that take, and how will the government ensure the security of protected technologies on the jet while it is in the hangar and out of view?" he was quoted as saying.

The British armed forces minister, Luke Pollard, confirmed the aircraft remained under close UK control.

"We continue to work with our Indian friends who provided first-class support when the F-35B was unable to return to the carrier," he said. "I am certain that the security of the jet is in good hands because Royal Air Force crew are with it at all times."

F-35Bs are highly advanced stealth jets, built by Lockheed Martin, and are prized for their short take-off and vertical landing capability.

So images of the "lonely F-35B", parked on the tarmac and soaked by the Kerala monsoon rains, have spawned memes on social media.

One viral post joked that the jet had been put up for sale at an online site at a hugely competitive price of $4m. The listing claimed the jet included features like "automatic parking, brand-new tyres, a new battery and an automatic gun to destroy traffic violators".

One user on X said the jet deserved Indian citizenship as it had been in the country long enough, while another suggested that India should start charging rent and that the Kohinoor diamond would be the most appropriate payment.

On Wednesday, Kerala government's tourism department also joined in the fun with a post on X that said "Kerala, the destination you'll never want to leave."

The post included an AI-generated photograph of an F-35B standing on the runway with coconut palm trees in the background. The text suggested that, like most visitors to the state described in tourism brochures as "God's own country" for its scenic beauty, the jet too was finding it hard to leave.

Dr Patil says that each passing day that the jet remains stranded, "it adversely affects the image of the F-35Bs and the Royal Navy".

"The jokes and memes and rumours and conspiracy theories are affecting the image and credibility of the British Royal Navy. The longer the jet stays stranded, the more disinformation will come out."

The engineering issues "seem of a much more serious nature" than it was originally thought, he says.

But most militaries, he adds, prepare for "a worst-case scenario" - and it is one since a jet is stranded on foreign soil.

"Most militaries would have a standard operating procedure [SOP] on how to respond when something like this happens. So does the Royal Navy not have an SOP?"

The optics of this, he says, are really bad.

"If such a thing had happened in enemy territory, would they have taken this much time? This makes for very bad PR for a professional navy."

Additional reporting by Ashraf Padanna in Thiruvananthapuram

After the verdicts were delivered in Sean "Diddy" Combs' trial in New York on Wednesday, emotions boiled over outside court in heated confrontations between fans and protesters who voiced opposing views about the outcome.

Some thought the rap star should have been found guilty on the more serious counts, not just the two lesser charges on which he was convicted.

But they were outnumbered by pro-Diddy influencers and fans who were chanting "free Diddy" and "let him go" and spraying each other in baby oil in celebration.

The jury's mixed verdicts did not present a clear-cut result - but it was seen as a better-than-expected outcome for the star.

He still faces significant jail time and dozens of civil legal cases, though. His reputation will forever be tarnished by months of ugly allegations and revelations - and the two convictions.

But some observers believe that's unlikely to stop him trying to mount a comeback.

Driving force of hip-hop

As a songwriter, rapper, producer and record label impresario, Combs - formerly known as Puff Daddy - was one of the driving forces in hip-hop and R&B in the 1990s.

He launched the careers of Notorious BIG and Mary J Blige, signed acts such as Faith Evans, 112, Mase and Janelle Monae to his Bad Boy Records label, and worked with stars including Mariah Carey, Usher and Busta Rhymes.

He won three Grammy Awards as an artist and scored his biggest pop hit with I'll Be Missing You, sampling The Police's Every Breath You Take, in 1997 - his tribute after BIG's murder.

Combs "was one of the most famous people in hip-hop", says Los Angeles Times music writer August Brown.

"He was an incredibly important figure in evolving both that genre and the music industry as a whole into a commercial juggernaut."

Dark side of Diddy's parties

Like many at the peak of the music industry, he also threw lavish parties. But sordid details emerged during the legal cases, revealing a darker side.

These so-called "freak offs" were hotel sex encounters which could last for days, involving multiple male escorts, routine violence and copious amounts of drugs and baby oil.

The question for the jury was whether this was a criminal enterprise designed to force two alleged victims into sex against their will or whether, as Combs claimed, the women willingly took part.

The defence argued that these orgies were "kinky" but consensual - and that organising them was not criminal.

In the end, the jury agreed and he was found not guilty of the most serious charge of racketeering conspiracy, as well as two charges of sex trafficking.

"The jury was just unpersuaded that what amounted to an extremely baroque and violent and drug-stoked sex life on Diddy's behalf amounted to a criminal organisation on the racketeering charge, or trafficking in the way that we understand it now," Mr Brown told the BBC World Service.

"This isn't to say that it wasn't possible, but they just didn't think it rose to 'beyond a shadow of a doubt'."

Jail then comeback?

Combs was, however, convicted on two counts of transporting two former girlfriends, including singer Cassie, to participate in sex acts and prostitution.

He will face up to 10 years in jail for each charge when he's sentenced in October. But the sentences are likely to be lower than the maximum and to run simultaneously, with the year he will have already spent in jail to be deducted. So it's quite possible he could be free in several years.

His supporters will be waiting - but most people will be unwilling to accept a comeback, Mr Brown says.

"I cannot imagine any kind of redemption arc as far as him [remaining] as an artist or a music mogul in light of this.

"I think the public will remember him as an important figure whose name is now permanently associated with this very-difficult-to-process range of charges, even if he's not been convicted on the worst of it."

Alvin Blanco, content director of Hiphopwired.com, agrees that Combs is too tarnished to make a successful comeback. "He's definitely going to try, but I think the damage is just too irreparable at this point."

Mark Anthony Neal, professor of African American Studies at Duke University in North Carolina, also believes there's "no doubt" the revelations have tarnished Combs' legacy as the man who helped take hip-hop "from the ghettos to the mainstream of America to the global mainstream".

However, his influence on music had diminished even before the allegations, says Jem Aswad, executive editor of music at Variety.

"He doesn't really have much of a music career any more, and he hasn't for about 15 years," Mr Aswad told BBC News.

"It's not that he was unpopular, although he wasn't enormously popular recently - he just moved on to other businesses. He got into beverages, he got into apparel, he got into lots of other businesses.

"Anything he did in music over the last 15 years was almost just for fun. I think he's released two, maybe three albums in that time period, and they just did OK, and frankly they just were OK."

Awards success

His stock was still pretty high, though. His last LP, The Love Album: Off The Grid, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2024. The previous year, he was named a Global Icon at the MTV Awards.

And he wouldn't be the first star to retain support despite facing allegations.

Michael Jackson was cleared of child abuse in court in 2005 but persuasive claims about him have persisted, and many people still wrestle with how to reconcile those with the brilliance of the King of Pop's catalogue.

R&B star R. Kelly was jailed for 30 years in 2022 for racketeering and sex trafficking. He still has five million monthly listeners on Spotify at the last count.

Some in hip-hop may be willing to work with Combs. Kanye West last week released a song called Diddy Free - although Kanye himself is ostracised by large parts of the industry for making antisemitic and Nazi statements.

Supporters' delight

Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty, host of the BBC's Diddy on Trial podcast, has seen the support outside court and suggests there may be a way back.

"We'll see what happens with his career after this," she told the BBC's Newscast.

"I feel like he will be able to reclaim a top spot in hip-hop just because of the sheer amount of support we've seen online and here at the courthouse from his fans, and from people who feel he was being unjustly targeted by the federal government.

"He won't be the first musician to be a convicted criminal who carries on having a music career, especially in hip-hop."

For many, the details of the case will be hard to shake from the memory, though.

Angela Star, one of the content creators outside court on Wednesday, told BBC News that "his image is tainted, and when you think of Diddy now, you think of..." before finishing her point by holding up a bottle of baby oil.

Student Theo Charlton just cannot believe the "apocalyptic" piles of rubbish that he has seen outside his student housing in the UK's second largest city.

With the stench of rotting waste thick in the air, the 21-year-old is concerned whether the rubbish from students moving out will get collected.

Six months since bin strike action began in Birmingham, there is no getting away from it for people living in the city.

Pamela Pritchard, from Great Barr, told the BBC she had not been transporting her recycling to the local tip "out of principle", with the 68-year-old storing it inside her home.

In further strike action, kerbside green waste and recycling collections have been suspended.

Birmingham City Council said it remained committed to resolving the dispute despite its recycling rate of 22.9 % being the lowest of any unitary authority in the country, with the exception of Liverpool.

Members of the Unite union walked out in January over plans to downgrade some roles as part of the city council's attempts to sort out its equal pay liabilities.

An all-out indefinite strike was announced in March and a deal to end industrial action has not yet been reached.

Ms Pritchard told the BBC she had been collecting her recycling rubbish and storing it indoors since the strike began.

Among the growing piles of neatly stored cardboard, papers and blister packs, she said if the strike went on any longer, she would "learn to live with it".

She said: "I don't drive. On principle I refuse to allow my friends to use their time to take my rubbish to the tip, so I've left it in the house.

"I've always been a keen recycler and I hate wasted resources.

"[If the strike continues] I'll find somewhere else, I'll store it in the shed I'll ask a friend - I'll find a home for it."

At his hub for student housing, Mr Charlton told the BBC that when students moved out for the summer, mountains of rubbish were left behind.

He said: "The other day I was looking at everyone moving out and it was apocalyptic the amount of rubbish [they left behind].

"People don't prepare for leaving, they just dump so much stuff. I thought to myself that's going to be there for ages, its not going to get collected."

The 21-year-old said that, as he did not drive, he was unable to get to a recycling point.

Fellow student Dan Savill echoed the concerns. The 20-year-old, who is moving to university for his final year, said he was still making an effort to separate his recycling, even though the collections had been "selective".

He also said that as recycling was not being collected, people were putting that rubbish in with the black bin collections.

"There's rubbish in both bins not being taken. The priority at this point should be taking everything somewhere. Ideally recycling - but all of the general waste should be gone first."

Councillor Izzy Knowles said people living in flats in Moseley had little to no recycling facilities.

"The recycling is totally full up. It's getting contaminated. [Some] don't have cars, even if they go to the tip they're not allowed in as pedestrians."

The Liberal Democrat councillor said the council should be organising recycling trucks and garden waste trucks at mobile household waste centres.

Birmingham City Council said it was focused on delivering a "transformation" of waste collection services which would boost their recycling rates.

If it does not meet the government's target rate of 65% by 2035, it could face a reduction in grant funding.

Councillor Majid Mahmood said: "This is a service that needs to be transformed to one that citizens of Birmingham deserve.

"The council remains committed to resolving the industrial action in the best interest of all parties involved."

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While cash might not be as popular as it once was, the opportunity to fashion the next series of banknotes has got brains whirring and tails wagging.

Within a day of reporting on the Bank of England's public invitation to influence a major redesign of banknotes, there were more than 2,000 responses to Your Voice, Your BBC on the issue.

Dudley the British Bulldog, pictured on Cawsand Beach in Cornwall, will be one of the least likely contenders, despite being described as a "national treasure" by his owner Julie, from Plymouth.

But animals and nature, as well as railways and TV nostalgia have featured strongly among the ideas.

Images of historical characters, starting with William Shakespeare, have featured on Bank of England notes since 1970.

Now, the Bank's chief cashier Victoria Cleland has suggested images on the next set of £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes could stick with notable figures of the past or move on to a new theme, as is seen on banknotes issued in Scotland, Nothern Ireland and around the world.

The Bank is giving people a month to select from certain themes, such as architecture, innovation or the arts, or suggest their own topics.

The Bank has not commented on the number of entries so far, but - if responses to the BBC are anything to go by - they are likely to be inundated.

Great ships

Among the themes to be suggested was a celebration of the UK's maritime heritage.

The Mary Rose, HMS Belfast, HMS Trincomalee, HMS Victory, Cutty Sark, and the SS Great Britain are all worthy of a place on a banknote, according to Hilary in London.

Charles from Bristol goes further. "I don't just mean the spectacularly beautiful clipper ships, and instantly recognisable liners, but perhaps some of the lesser known vessels trading with Commonwealth countries, or oil rig support vessels working hard in the North Sea," he wrote.

Famous landmarks

There are appeals for the themes and choices to represent the whole of the country.

The Angel of the North is a regular suggestion, and areas of natural beauty such as the Yorkshire Dales.

Mike in Salisbury thinks using tourist sites on banknotes could bring benefits.

"Tourists come to England to see the main sites such as Stonehenge, Buckingham Palace, the Queen Elizabeth Tower etc," he says.

"If the banknotes showed these pictures then they would be more likely to visit the site, hold one up when taking a photo, and maybe even taking the note home as a souvenir."

Classic TV characters

Nostalgia features heavily, bringing a more recent historical outlook to notes that have carried images of people from the past for more than 50 years.

"Some classic British children's TV characters like Willow The Wisp, Bagpuss, or even a collection of them would make me smile," says Steve in Cardiff.

"Likewise I think some classic British TV could be represented, like The Bill - no pun intended - or Casualty, soap operas or even comedies like Fawlty Towers. Television has been a large part of life for many people growing up and I'm sure, people would appreciate a bit of nostalgia on the notes."

Vintage trains

Nostalgia for the railways and "local and meaningful" stations also features in responses.

"With the 200 years of the railway in Britain being celebrated, it seems a shame not to celebrate that considering we gave railways to the world," says Ian in Derby.

A mobile phone?

Despite the wide range of options, some people are keen to stick to the way key figures in history are honoured on banknotes.

"Having looked at all the options I really do think that historical figures should still be number one choice. Might it be possible to include Diana Princess of Wales somewhere?" asks Elizabeth, from Oxford.

But with cash used in only 12% of transactions, some say the time and effort involved in a huge overhaul of notes is unnecessary.

"We are sadly faced with the prospect of a cashless society, with so many places refusing to accept my cash, so I have to wonder, why bother changing the design?" says Dawn in Redditch.

Ian in Leighton Buzzard is much more blunt. "I would suggest that the new banknotes look like a mobile phone because that is how people are used to paying," he says.

People can submit their views via an online form on the Bank's website, or by post, by the end of July.

The final decision on what exactly features on a banknote lies with the Bank's governor.

Additional reporting by Bernadette McCague

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Soon after Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, he began raising tariffs, brushing off warnings from economists and businesses about the risks of economic damage.

He started with Mexico, Canada and China, then targeted steel, aluminium and cars, and finally in April, on what he called "Liberation Day", unleashed a blitz of new taxes on goods from countries around the world.

The plans hit trade and roiled financial markets. But as worries mounted, Trump quickly suspended his most aggressive plans to allow for 90 days of talks.

As that 9 July deadline approaches and the president crafts his approach, he will have one eye on the US economy.

So what has the impact really been?

The stock market - a wash

Trump's plans included tariffs of 20% on goods from the European Union, punishing tariffs on items from China of 145%, and a 46% levy on imports from Vietnam, though on Wednesday he announced a deal that will see the US charge tariffs of 20% on Vietnam.

The US stock market suffered the most immediate hit, starting to slide in February and finally tanking in April after Trump unveiled the full scope of his plans, on so-called "Liberation Day".

The S&P 500, which tracks 500 of the biggest companies in the US, dropped about 12% over the course of a week.

But shares bounced back after Trump rolled back his plans, abandoning steep tariffs in favour of a more easily swallowed 10% rate instead.

Now, the S&P 500 index is up about 6% for the year. In the UK and Europe, shares have also rebounded.

But shares of tariff-vulnerable firms, such as retailers and car companies are still hurting - and there is more risk ahead, as the talks deadline approaches.

The White House has left its options open, saying both that the deadline is "not critical" and that the president may simply present other countries "with a deal" on that date.

Liz Ann Sonders, chief investment strategist at Charles Schwab, said the rebound suggested "a lot of complacency" among investors, who risk being spooked again should Trump revive higher tariffs than they expect.

Trade - at a crossroads

Trump's tariffs precipitated a rush of goods to the US in the early part of the year, followed by a sharp drop in April and May.

But zoom out a bit, and US goods imports in the first five months of the year were up 17% compared with the same period last year.

What happens in the months ahead will depend on whether Trump extends his pause - or revives his more aggressive plans, said Ben Hackett of Hackett Associates, which tracks port traffic for the National Retail Federation.

"At this point it's anybody's guess," Mr Hackett said, noting that for now the situation was "in a holding pattern".

"If the tariff freeze disappears and the high tariffs are reimposed then almost certainly we're going to have a short recession," he added.

Prices - too soon to say

In the US, imported goods are estimated to account for only about 11% of consumer spending.

Trump and his allies have argued that fears that tariffs - which, on average, are now roughly six times higher than they were at the start of the year - will drive up the cost of living for Americans are overblown.

They have pointed in part to recent inflation data, which showed consumer prices stepping up just 0.1% from April to May.

But certain items, such as toys, saw far bigger jumps and many goods facing higher duties have not yet made it to shelves.

Firms, especially those cushioned by strong profits, could opt to pass the increases on gradually, rather than alienate customers with an abrupt jump.

Despite pressure from the president to "eat the tariffs", economists still widely expect customers to pay for them eventually.

"If you're not digging more into the data you would think, 'nothing to see here' from an inflation standpoint," says Ms Sonders. "But it's premature at this point to hang the victory banner."

Consumer spending - slowing

Economic sentiment in the US started falling earlier this year, as Trump began to set out his tariff plans.

But political views play a big role in shaping opinions on the economy, so whether the worries would actually lead households to clamp down on spending over the long term remained a matter of debate.

We are now starting to see signs of pullback: retail sales dropped 0.9% from April to May, the second month in a row of decline. It was the first back-to-back fall since the end of 2023.

Overall consumer spending grew at the slowest rate since 2020 in the first three months of the year, and slipped unexpectedly in May, the most recent month for which data is available.

But while growth is still expected to slow significantly compared with last year, most analysts say the economy should be able to escape a recession - so long as the job market continues to hold up.

Though layoff notices have been pacing higher, for now, unemployment remains low, at 4.2%. Job creation last month continued at a pace similar to the average over the last 12 months.

"We're sort of in this stall mode right now in the economy, a kind of wait-and-see mode, that is driven by pretty grave uncertainty and the instability in policy," Ms Sonders said, noting that many firms were responding with a self-imposed "time-out" on hiring and investment.

The economy is unlikely to escape unscathed, she warned.

"It's hard to lay out a scenario of a pickup in growth from here," she said. "The question is more, will it just be a softening of the economy or a bigger slide."

Sir Keir Starmer's Labour government stepped into power on 5 July 2024 with a thumping majority and tall ambitions.

That vision to "change" Britain - the word that has adorned many a red lectern - has on occasion come up against the harsh reality of politics in the year since.

So how is the government doing? Here, BBC News correspondents assess six key areas of Labour's policy plan.

A question of growth

Key pledges: The government says its number one mission is to put more money in pockets, which means growth. And for good reason: over the last 15 years, the UK has expanded at a fraction of its previous rate and some people failed to see living standards improve.

Status: It was a rocky start for the government as the economy flatlined in the second half of the year and ministers watered down their aim to have the fastest growth in the G7 major economies. Perhaps this was reality hitting over the challenges at hand. A pick up at the start of 2025 meant that GDP per person was about half of 1% higher by April than it had been last summer. So we're better off – but not by much.

Analysis: Rachel Reeves says the world has changed, while President Donald Trump's trade wars and greater geopolitical uncertainty make those growth ambitions tougher.

But the government's own policies risk weighing down the outlook for the next year or two. The rise in minimum wage has helped millions of workers but that and other policies - such as the increase in employers' National Insurance contributions - are weighing on businesses profits and jobs.

There are more than a quarter of a million fewer employees than a year ago; the biggest losses are in hospitality and retail, among the sectors most likely to have seen their wage bills increase. Analysis of job postings by the Institute of Employment Studies suggests the increased hesitancy among employers dates back to the Autumn Budget as they braced for these policies to be implemented.

Net migration levels and small boats

Key pledges: To "reduce net migration" and "smash the criminal boat gangs".

Status: Net migration, the difference between people arriving and leaving the UK, has fallen sharply since the election. But the reduction has been driven largely by visa restrictions introduced by the previous government. Even tougher controls, including the closure of a visa scheme to fill vacancies in social care, are contained in new laws yet to be implemented.

Analysis: The government wants to reduce the UK's reliance on overseas workers by linking policies on immigration with employment training. However, Home Office advisers caution that increasing the skilled workforce does not guarantee a reduction in migration. Ministers believe tighter rules on worker and student visas, together with increased enforcement on illegal working, will mean significant falls in foreign arrivals - but net migration remains substantially higher than a decade ago.

Alongside policies to cut overall numbers, the government promised to restore order to the asylum system, end the use of hotels and "smash" the criminal boat gangs. However, small boat Channel crossings have increased significantly in Labour's first year and statistics suggest more migrants are receiving asylum support than at the election. The backlog of people awaiting an initial decision has decreased but this has been offset by a sharp rise in appeals. Hotel use is also slightly up, according to the latest figures.

While irregular migration accounts for only a small proportion of total arrivals, this aspect of immigration has a huge impact on the government politically and economically. The Treasury's spending plans are partly reliant on the promise to save billions by ending the use of asylum hotels by 2029, and the rise of Reform UK in the polls is seen by some as a sign of public frustration at small boat crossings.

The government has established a Border Security Command coordinating efforts to reduce illegal migration. Meanwhile, new legislation will treat people smuggling as a crime equivalent to terrorism. Deals with international partners and reports of an imminent returns agreement with France are seen as key to fulfilling the promise to "smash the gangs" too. Much depends, however, on factors beyond the UK's control.

Trump, Ukraine and the EU

Key pledges: Labour promised to "reconnect with allies and forge new partnerships to deliver security and prosperity at home and abroad". That included staying close to the US and resetting the UK's relationship with the European Union. It also promised "steadfast support for Ukraine".

Status: Allies say Keir Starmer has managed his relationship with Donald Trump well, securing a tariff deal - and US backing for a politically controversial plan to cede sovereignty of a joint military base in the Chagos Islands. He has also protected the AUKUS security pact with Australia and the US.

The UK has sustained support for Ukraine, working with European allies to keep pressure on Russia and help heal the rift between presidents Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky after their Oval Office bust-up. Starmer also led European discussions about plans for a post-war "reassurance force" in Ukraine. The UK has agreed a trade deal with India. It has also reset diplomatic relations with the EU, easing some trade regulations and agreeing a UK-EU defence pact.

Analysis: Starmer has discovered that governments can become consumed by foreign affairs and his first year is no exception. The chief criticism levelled at the government is that it is too cautious. Has it put enough pressure on Russia - targeting the $300bn (£220bn) of assets frozen in European jurisdictions, or sanctioning Russian wealth in London?

On the Middle East, the government has cut some arms sales to Israel. But it is under growing pressure from MPs to oppose more firmly Israel's deadly operations in Gaza and give formal recognition to a Palestinian state.

Critics say changes to UK-EU relations are too modest to boost the economy significantly and should go further. The China audit has been completed but the government is refusing to publish the document, citing security concerns. Critics say ministers are fearful of losing Chinese investment by being too explicit about security concerns.

On climate change, some MPs struggle to see the leadership that was promised. In opposition, Labour promised to "rebuild Britain's reputation on international development". Instead, it has slashed foreign aid to pay for defence spending, something some say has damaged relations with developing countries.

Teacher targets and VAT on fees

Key pledges: A drive to recruit 6,500 new teachers in England, and to start charging VAT on private school fees to pay for it, among other things.

Status: The government hasn't met its teacher target, according to the latest official headcount - though that dates from November. VAT has been introduced on private school fees across the UK - and there are concerns about private school pupils leaving the sector as a result.

Analysis: Training teachers takes time. The number of new trainees rose by 6% this academic year, but remained below target.

The latest figures from November show the number of secondary school teachers rose 1,400 in a year, while teachers in special schools and pupil referral units were up by 900. However, primary school and nursery teachers fell by 2,900.

In May, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson specified that the aim was to recruit 6,500 expert teachers "across secondary and special schools". That prompted fury from Conservative shadow education minister Neil O'Brien, who accused the government of "moving the goalposts" by excluding primary school numbers.

Labour said it planned to fund the recruitment drive by adding 20% VAT to private school fees. The Independent Schools Council said private school fees were 22.6% higher on average in January compared with a year ago - £7,382 per term for a day school, up from £6,021.

Figures out last month suggested the number of private school pupils fell by 11,000 in a year. The government said that was "within historical patterns", but private schools say more pupils are leaving than normal. There have been concerns that smaller private schools are being pushed towards closure and about the impact on students with scholarships, for example.

Given the controversy, there will be close scrutiny of whether the money raised will have the desired impact.

For many parents in the state sector, the need for more school staff is pressing. Government proposals to reform the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (Send) system - which has 1.7 million pupils, up 5.6% since last year - are due this autumn and parents will want to know whether staffing will match demand.

Reforms and U-turns

Key pledges: Welfare reform to support more people into work and to champion the rights of disabled people, plus a National Care Service that delivers consistent, high-quality support across the country.

Status: There have been significant U-turns on welfare reform and efforts to restrict the number of pensioners receiving the Winter Fuel Payment. An independent commission into reforming adult social care started work in April 2025.

Analysis: When Labour came to power, many of those who work with the most vulnerable in society were hopeful. In conversations, they would tell me that even with the nation's finances tight, surely neglected services and support for older and disabled people would be prioritised?

The government would argue that is exactly what it is doing, but 12 months on, the more printable judgments of the same people would be "disappointment" and "confusion." That disillusionment is rooted in three policies – all in part shaped by saving money.

First, the surprise decision to limit the £300-a-year Winter Fuel Allowance to only pensioners in the greatest need, meant the universal payment was taken away from ten million older people. After pressure from Labour MP's, the government reinstated the allowance for three quarters of pensioners, but the U-turn raised questions about its authority and priorities.

Second came the welfare bill. The aim was to save nearly £5bn a year by 2030 on spiralling benefits costs. It tightened the criteria for Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and Universal Credit - the latter is paid to both working and non-working people on low incomes. Again, pressure from MPs led to another government U-turn and plans were watered down. It has potentially wiped-out long-term Treasury savings, according to some economists, and the whole saga has left many disabled people worried.

Finally, there is disappointment over what the government has not done. Reform of the overstretched, understaffed and financially squeezed adult social care system has effectively been pushed into the long grass. The Casey Commission, the latest review to look at how to fund social care in the long-term, will produce recommendations next year, but its final report is not due until 2028.

There is a financial and human cost to every policy and in the last year the government has discovered how difficult it is to find the right balance.

Waiting lists and structural change

Key pledges: Cut hospital waiting lists, end 8am scramble for GP appointments, scrap NHS England.

Status: Some modest progress on waiting lists but more work to be done.

Analysis: Health Secretary Wes Streeting shocked many in the health world by saying on day one that the NHS was broken. His aim was to acknowledge what many patients felt - and now he is trying to demonstrate that he can fix it.

Near the top of that list is hospital waiting lists. The government says it has delivered a pledge for two million extra NHS appointments in England in its first year. But as of April, the waiting list for an operation or another planned appointment stood at 7.39 million - which has fallen since the election.

As things stand just under 60% of those patients are seen and treated within 18 weeks, well under the NHS's 92% target. That number has improved by less than a percentage point since Labour took office.

The government has promised to hit that target by March 2029, something doctors and patient groups have warned will be an uphill battle.

Elsewhere, a new contract has been agreed with GPs, with more money for surgeries, a promise to cut red tape and a 5.4% pay rise for resident - formerly known as junior - doctors. Staff are now again balloting for strike action, spelling possible trouble ahead.

Ministers have been eager to show a Labour administration is not afraid to reduce duplication and cut what they claim to be bureaucracy. In the process, NHS England, the administrative body responsible for managing the health service, has been scrapped along with hundreds of other agencies. But there is a risk that NHS managers will be distracted by the reorganisation above improving performance for patients, while reallocating savings to frontline services may not be simple.

And the publication this week of a long-awaited ten-year plan for the NHS may promise a new network of neighbourhood health centres, but how long will it take for them to make a difference?

Health is a devolved power so the Labour government only has responsibility for England, not other parts of the UK.

The US Congress has passed Donald Trump's sprawling tax and spending bill in a significant and hard-fought victory for the president and his domestic agenda.

After a gruelling session on Capitol Hill, the House of Representatives passed the bill by a vote of 218 to 214 on Thursday afternoon. It was approved in the Senate on Tuesday by one vote.

Trump had given the Republican-controlled Congress a deadline of 4 July to send him a final version of the bill to sign into law.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill could add $3.3tn (£2.4tn) to federal deficits over the next 10 years and leave millions without health coverage - a forecast that the White House disputes.

• ANALYSIS: Trump gets major win - but debate over his mega-bill is just beginning
• EXPLAINER: What's in Trump's budget bill?

Speaking to reporters on Thursday evening, Trump said the bill would "turn this country into a rocket ship".

"This is going to be a great bill for the country," he said.

He is expected to sign it into law at a ceremony on the 4 July national holiday at 17:00 EDT (22:00 BST).

A triumphant Republican Speaker Mike Johnson emerged from the House after the vote and told reporters "belief" was key to rallying support within his party.

"I believed in the people that are standing here behind me... Some of them are more fun to deal with," he said. "I mean that with the greatest level of respect."

Among those he had to convince was Representative Chip Roy, a Texas Republican who was a firm "no" just days ago when the Senate passed its version of the bill. He called the Senate version a "travesty", but changed his mind by the time voting had begun.

"I feel like we got to a good result on key things," Roy said, although the House did not make any changes to the Senate bill.

While some Republicans, like Roy, had resisted the Senate version, only two lawmakers from Trump's own party voted "nay" on Thursday: Thomas Massie and Brian Fitzpatrick.

After Johnson announced that the legislation had passed the chamber by four votes, dozens of Republican lawmakers gathered on the House floor chanting "USA! USA!"

The bill's passage on Thursday was delayed by Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who delivered the longest speech in the chamber's history.

His "magic minute" address, which is a custom that allows party leaders to speak for as long as they like, ran for eight hours and 45 minutes.

Jeffries pledged to take his "sweet time on behalf of the American people", decrying the bill's impact on poor Americans.

The legislation makes savings through making cuts to food benefits and health care and rolling back tax breaks for clean energy projects.

It also delivers on two of Trump's major campaign promises - making his 2017 tax cuts permanent and lifting taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security recipients - at a cost of $4.5tn over 10 years.

About $150bn (£110bn) will be spent on border security, detention centres and immigration enforcement officers. Another $150bn is allocated for military expenditures, including the president's "gold dome" missile defence programme.

Democrats, who had used procedural manoeuvres to stall the House vote, were roundly critical of the final bill.

They portrayed it as taking health care and food subsidies away from millions of Americans while giving tax cuts to the rich.

California's Nancy Pelosi, the former speaker, said "today ushers in a dark and harrowing time", and called the bill a "dangerous checklist of extreme Republican priorities".

North Carolina's Deborah Ross said: "Shame on those who voted to hurt so many in the service of so few."

While Arizona's Yassamin Ansari said she was "feeling really sad right now", while Marc Veasey of Texas labelled the Republican Party the party of "cowards, chaos and corruption".

The fate of the so-called 'big, beautiful bill' hung in the balance for much of Wednesday as Republican rebels with concerns about the impact on national debt held firm - prompting a furious missive from Trump.

"What are the Republicans waiting for??? What are you trying to prove??? MAGA IS NOT HAPPY, AND IT'S COSTING YOU VOTES!!!," he wrote on Truth Social just after midnight local time on Thursday.

Both chambers of Congress are controlled by Trump's Republican Party, but within the party several factions were at odds over key policies in the lengthy legislation.

In the early hours of Thursday, Republican leadership grew more confident, and a procedural vote on the bill passed just after 03:00 EDT (07:00 GMT).

The final vote on the bill would come almost 12 hours later, at 14:30 EDT (19:30 GMT).

It's the gig that fans have been waiting 5,795 days for, as Oasis kick off their reunion tour at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on Friday night.

The venue has been hosting soundchecks and rehearsals all week, with passersby treated to snatches of songs such as Cigarettes & Alcohol, Wonderwall and Champagne Supernnova.

"It's sounding huge," Noel Gallagher told talkSPORT radio. "This is it, there's no going back now."

The Oasis Live '25 tour was the biggest concert launch ever seen in the UK and Ireland, with more than 10 million fans from 158 countries queuing to buy tickets last summer.

Around 900,000 tickets were sold, but many fans complained when standard standing tickets advertised at £135 plus fees were re-labelled "in demand" and changed on Ticketmaster to £355 plus fees.

The sale prompted an investigation from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which said Ticketmaster may have breached consumer protection law by selling "platinum" tickets for almost 2.5 times the standard price, without explaining they came with no additional benefits.

The CMA ordered Ticketmaster to change the way it labels tickets and reveals prices to fans in the future. Ticketmaster said it "welcomed" the advice.

Still, the debacle has done nothing to dampen the excitement in Cardiff, where fans have arrived from Spain, Peru, Japan, America and elsewhere for the opening night.

"For me, Oasis represents an overwhelming optimism about being young and loving music," says Jeff Gachini, a fan from Kenya who's making his first visit to the UK for the show.

"To write simple music that relays the simple truth of life is very difficult. For me, they do that better than anyone."

Brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher will be joined on stage by Gem Archer, Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs and Andy Bell, all former members of Oasis, alongside drummer Joey Waronker, who has previously recorded with Beck and REM; and toured with Liam.

The band will also be augmented by a brass section, and backing singer Jess Greenfield, who is part of Noel's side project the High Flying Birds.

Meanwhile, rumours about the setlist have been swirling all week, as Oasis songs echoed around the Principality Stadium.

One purported running order that was leaked to Reddit suggested the band would open with Hello and finish with Champagne Supernova, with other highlights including Acquiesece, Roll With It, Live Forever and Supersonic.

Noel is also expected to take lead vocals twice during the show, on short sets including songs such as Half The World Away and The Masterplan.

Britain's biggest band

Oasis were the biggest band in Britain from 1994 to 1997, selling tens of millions of copies of their first three albums Definitely Maybe, (What's The Story) Morning Glory and Be Here Now.

Liam's sneering vocals and Noel's distorted guitars brought a rock and roll swagger back to the charts, revitalising British guitar music after an influx of self-serious Seattle grunge.

Born and raised in Manchester, they formed the band to escape the dead-end mundanity of their working class backgrounds.

"In Manchester you either became a musician, a footballer, a drugs dealer or work in a factory. And there aren't a lot of factories left, you know?" Noel Gallagher once said.

"We didn't start in university or anything like this. We're not a collection of friends that kind of come together and discuss things musically.

"We started the group... because we were all on the dole and we were unemployed and we rehearsed and we thought we were pretty good."

Oasis was originally Liam's band, performing under the name The Rain. But after watching them live, Noel offered to join – on the condition that he became chief songwriter and de facto leader.

That fait accompli brought them worldwide fame, culminating in two open-air gigs at Knebworth House in summer 1996.

Nearly five per cent of the UK population applied for tickets, with a then-record 125,000 people watching the band top a line-up that also included The Prodigy, Manic Street Preachers, Ocean Colour Scene, The Chemical Brothers, The Charlatans and a Beatles tribute.

But festering tension between the Gallagher brothers often spilled over into verbal and physical violence.

Backstage at a gig in Barcelona in 2000, for example, Noel attacked Liam after he questioned the legitimacy of his eldest daughter. The guitarist walked out for the rest of the European tour, leaving the band to continue with a stand-in.

Although they repaired the relationship, the insults and in-fighting continued until 28 August, 2009, when Oasis split up minutes before they took the stage at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris.

"People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer," Noel wrote in a statement at the time.

He would later recount a backstage argument in which his younger brother grabbed his guitar and started "wielding it like an axe", adding, "he nearly took my face off with it".

Since then, they've pursued successful solo careers, while constantly fielding questions about an Oasis reunion.

Liam called the idea "inevitable" in 2020, and said the band should reform to support NHS workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, he said his brother had spurned the idea, despite a lucrative offer from promoters.

"There was a lot of money knocking about," he told ITV's Jonathan Ross Show. "It was £100 million to do a tour.

"But [Noel] isn't into it. He's after a knighthood, isn't he?"

The reconciliation took another five years and, with neither of the Gallaghers consenting to an interview, it's hard to know what informed their decision to get back together.

Tabloid newspapers suggested that Noel's divorce from Sara McDonald in 2022 led to a thaw in relations. Others have suggested the brothers simply wanted the Oasis story to have a more satisfactory conclusion than a dressing room bust-up.

"I've heard everything is honky dory and they're getting on great," says Tim Abbott, former managing director of Oasis's record label, Creation.

"I've worked with bands in the past that had separate limos, separate walkways onto the stage. I don't think they'll get to that. They're grown men."

Whatever sparked the reunion, the sold-out tour will see the band play 41 shows between July and November, spanning the UK & Ireland, North America, Oceania and South America.

"Probably the biggest and most pleasing surprise of the reunion announcement is how huge it was internationally," said Oasis's co-manager Alec McKinlay in an interview with Music Week.

"Honestly, we knew it would be big here, and that doesn't take much intuition. But looking outside the UK, we knew they had a strong fanbase, we did all the stats.

"We were quite cautious about what that would mean when it came to people actually buying tickets but we were just bowled over by how huge it was."

McKinlay added that the band had no plans for new music, and described the tour as their "last time around".

They take to the stage for the first time in 16 years at 20:15 UK time on Friday night.

Shunning the usual rock and roll trappings, Noel Gallagher was spotted arriving for the show by train.

The Home Office does not know whether foreign workers are leaving the UK or staying to work illegally after their visas expire, a cross-party committee of MPs has said.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which scrutinises government spending, said the Home Office had failed to analyse exit checks since the skilled worker visa route was introduced in 2020 under the Conservatives.

Some 1.18 million people have applied to come to the UK via this route between its launch in December 2020 and the end of 2024.

The Home Office said earlier this year that it was working to modernise border security and boost digital checks. The BBC has approached the Home Office for comment on the report.

The skilled worker visa route replaced the Tier 2 (General) work visa after the UK left the European Union.

The route was expanded in 2022 by the previous Conservative government to address skill shortages and job vacancies in health and social care in the wake of the Covid pandemic, driving net migration to record levels.

But the PAC has accused the Home Office of failing to gather "basic information" on whether people leave the UK after their visas expire and showing "little curiosity about how the route was operating".

Its report said the department still relied on airline passenger records to check if someone had left the country and that there had been no analysis of those records since 2020.

It added that the Home Office needed to set out what measures would be put in place to record when people had left the country.

The report also said there was "widespread evidence of workers suffering debt bondage, working excessive hours and exploitative conditions" and accused the department of being "slow and ineffective" to tackle exploitation.

In May, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the government would end overseas recruitment for care workers as part of the plans to curb near record net migration.

Home Office Permanent Secretary Dame Antonia Romeo has also said overstaying is a "problem" the department was "fixing".

A former security contractor for Gaza's controversial new Israel- and US-backed aid distribution sites has told the BBC that he witnessed colleagues opening fire several times on hungry Palestinians who had posed no threat, including with machine guns.

On one occasion, he said, a guard had opened fire from a watchtower with a machine gun because a group of women, children and elderly people was moving too slowly away from the site.

When asked to respond the GHF said the allegations were categorically false.

They referred us to a statement saying that no civilians ever came under fire at the GHF distribution sites.

The GHF began its operations in Gaza at the end of May, distributing limited aid from several sites in southern and central Gaza. That followed an 11-week total blockade of Gaza by Israel during which no food entered the territory.

The system has been widely criticised for forcing vast numbers of people to walk through active combat zones to a handful of sites. Since the GHF started up, Israeli forces have killed more than 400 Palestinians trying to retrieve food aid from its sites, the UN and local doctors say. Israel says the new distribution system stops aid going to Hamas.

Continuing his description of the incident at one of the GHF sites - in which he said guards fired on a group of Palestinians - the former contractor said: "As that happened, another contractor on location, standing on the berm overlooking the exit, opened up with 15 to 20 shots of repetitive weapons fire at the crowd.

"A Palestinian man dropped to the ground motionless. And then the other contractor who was standing there was like, 'damn, I think you got one'. And then they laughed about it."

The contractor, who spoke to us on condition of anonymity, said GHF managers had brushed off his report as a coincidence, suggesting that the Palestinian man could have "tripped" or been "tired and passed out".

The GHF claimed the former contractor who made these allegations is a "disgruntled former contractor" who they had terminated for misconduct, which he denies. He showed us payslips suggesting that he continued to be paid for two weeks after leaving the post.

The man we spoke to, who said he had worked at all four of the GHF distribution sites, described a culture of impunity with few rules or controls.

He said contractors were given no clear rules of engagement or standard operating procedures, and were told by one team leader: "if you feel threatened, shoot – shoot to kill and ask questions later".

The culture in the company, he said, felt like "we're going into Gaza so it's no rules. Do what you want."

"If a Palestinian is walking away from the site and not demonstrating any hostile intent, and we're shooting warning shots at them regardless, we are wrong, we are criminally negligent," he told me.

He told us that each site had site CCTV monitoring activity there, and GHF insistence that no one there had been hurt or shot at was "an absolute bare-faced lie".

GHF said that gunfire heard in footage shared with the BBC was coming from Israeli forces.

Team leaders referred to Gazans as "zombie hordes", the contractor told me, "insinuating that these people have no value."

The former contractor also said Palestinians were coming to harm in other ways at GHF sites, for example by being hit by debris from stun grenades, being sprayed with mace or being pushed by the crowds into razor wire.

He said he himself had witnessed several occasions in which Palestinians appeared to have been seriously hurt, including one man who had a full can of pepper spray in his face, and a woman who he says was hit with the metal part of a stun grenade, improperly fired into a crowd.

"This metal piece hit her directly in the head and she dropped to the ground, not moving," he said. "I don't know if she was dead. I know for a fact she was unconscious and completely limp."

Earlier this week more than 170 charities and other NGOs called for the GHF to be shut down. The organisations, including Oxfam and Save the Children, say Israeli forces and armed groups "routinely" open fire on Palestinians seeking aid.

Israel denies its soldiers deliberately shoot at aid recipients and says the GHF's system provides direct assistance to people who need it, bypassing Hamas interference.

The GHF says it had delivered more than 52 million meals in five weeks and that other organisations "stand by helplessly as their aid is looted".

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 57,130 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

Additional reporting by Gidi Kleiman and Samantha Granville