Smoke from the fire in the hills north of Marseille was visible from the city's Vieux-Port
A rapidly spreading wildfire has reached the outer edge of Marseille, France's second largest city.
"The marine firefighter battalion is waging guerrilla warfare, hoses in hand," said the city's Mayor Benoît Payan, referring to Marseille's fire and rescue service.
The prefect of the Bouches-du-Rhône area, Georges-François Leclerc, urged local residents to remain indoors and said firefighters were "defending" the city.
He said that while the situation was not static, it was "under control".
Marseille Provence airport has been closed for the rest of Tuesday.
Some residents have been advised to stay inside, close shutters and doors, and keep roads clear for emergency services.
The fire, which broke out earlier on Tuesday near Pennes-Mirabeau, north of Marseille, is said to have covered about 700 hectares (7 sq km).
Local authorities said the blaze was sparked by a car that caught fire on the motorway, and that it could continue to spread as strong winds are set to blow until late this evening.
"It's very striking - apocalyptic even," Monique Baillard, a resident of the town, told Reuters news agency. She said many of her neighbours had already left.
The local fire service said 168 firefighters had been deployed to fight the blaze, as well as fire engines and helicopters.
Marseille's mayor, Benoit Payan, asked residents to remain "extremely vigilant" and to limit their movements. Locals told French TV of dense traffic jams as people tried to evacuate the city.
Footage posted online showed huge plumes of smoke above Marseille as fire raged in a hilly area to its north.
The Bouches-du-Rhône area has not recorded a single drop of rain since 19 May, according to French broadcaster BFMTV.
Elsewhere in France, another wildfire that started near Narbonne on Monday remains active, fanned by winds of 60km (38mph) per hour. Some 2,000 hectares have burnt, local officials said.
Wildfires were also reported in other parts of Europe, including Spain's Catalonia region, where more than 18,000 people were ordered to stay at home because of a wildfire in the eastern province of Tarragona.
Emergency units were deployed alongside 300 firefighters as high winds overnight fanned the flames, which have spread across nearly 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) of land.
Several other parts of Spain - which experienced its hottest June on record - were on high alert for wildfires.
In Greece, some 41 wildfires broke out across the country on Monday. Of those, 34 were contained early while seven remained active into Monday evening, according to the fire service.
Much of western and southern Europe was hit by a scorching early summer heatwave, sparking fires that saw thousands evacuated from their homes.
Watch: Texas resident survived floods by standing on electrical box for three hours
At least 161 people are still missing in a single Texas county four days after deadly and devastating flash floods hit parts of the state last week, Governor Greg Abbott said, as hope fades for survivors to be found alive.
The missing in the hard-hit Kerr County include five campers and one counsellor from Camp Mystic, a Christian all-girls summer camp located on the banks of Guadalupe river.
At least 109 people have died in the disaster, including 94 in the Kerrville area alone, Abbott said in a news conference on Tuesday.
Texas is not alone. New Mexico saw a flash flood emergency as well, with the National Weather Service (NWS) warning of intense flooding on Tuesday night.
In Texas, frantic search and rescue efforts continue, with Abbott vowing emergency crews "will not stop until every missing person is accounted for".
Abbott added that it is very likely more missing will be added to the list in the coming days, and urged people to report anyone they think is unaccounted for.
General Thomas Suelzer from the Texas National Guard said search efforts include Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters with rescue hoists.
He said there are 13 Black Hawk helicopters helping in the search effort, including four that arrived from Arkansas. He added that authorities were also using reaper drones.
Responders from various agencies are working together on rescue efforts, including agents from border patrol, the FBI and the National Guard.
More than 250 responders from various agencies have been assigned to the Kerrville area alone to help with search and rescue.
One of those rescue volunteers, named Tim, told the BBC he has never seen any destruction at this scale before.
"I've done the floods down in East Texas and Southeast Texas, and hurricanes, and this is a nightmare," he said.
Another rescue volunteer, named Justin, compared the effort to "trying to find a single hay in a haystack".
"There's a wide trail of destruction for miles, and there's not enough cadaver dogs to go through all of it," he told the BBC.
"It's hard to access a lot of it with heavy machinery. Guys are trying to pick at it with tools and hands, and they're not even putting a dent in it – not for lack of effort."
Experts say there were a number of factors that contributed to the tragedy in Texas, including the extreme weather, the location of the holiday homes and timing.
The governor, who had spent part of the day surveying the flood zone, said authorities had issued a storm warning and knew about a possible flash flood, but "didn't know the magnitude of the storm".
No one knew it would lead to a "30-foot high tsunami wall of water", he said.
The governor responded to a question about who was to "blame" for the enormous death toll, saying: "That's the word choice of losers."
He made a sports analogy, saying American football teams make mistakes; champion teams are the ones who don't "point fingers".
Most of the victims died in Kerr County, where the Guadalupe River was swollen by torrential downpours before daybreak on Friday, the July Fourth public holiday.
Camp Mystic had earlier confirmed at least 27 girls and staff were among the dead.
Those who survived are now focused on trying to rebuild.
Justin Brown has lived along the Guadalupe River for more than 25 years.
A week ago, he lived in his mobile home at the Blue Oak RV Park with his two young daughters and dog. Now, there is a huge puddle where his home once stood – his RV swept away in the floods.
"We were one of the few parks that got almost everybody out," Mr Brown told the BBC as he described the efforts of his landlord and emergency workers, who evacuated almost all of the park's residents.
Looking out over the empty lot where his home once stood – now just debris – he said he hopes to move back in as soon as he can.
President Donald Trump will travel to the flood-ravaged areas with First Lady Melania Trump on Friday.
Separately, in New Mexico, the NWS declared a flash flood emergency on Tuesday and told residents of Ruidoso to be on high alert for flooding.
Officials there are already working to rescue people trapped in floodwaters and houses are reportedly being washed away.
A flood wave on the Rio Ruidoso has reached 15 feet (4.5m), the NWS in Albuquerque said in a post on X.
The waters receded about two hours later, according to CBS, the BBC's US partner.
Officials had to perform some swift boat rescues and some people were unaccounted for as of Tuesday evening.
Watch: Moment house is swept away in New Mexico flash flooding
Ukrainian rescue workers carry the body of a victim of a Russian air bombing from an apartment building in Kramatorsk, in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, last month.
The Bayeux Tapestry, a large embroidery that chronicles the Norman Conquest of England, on display in Bayeux, France. It will be shown at the British Museum in London from September 2026 to July 2027.
A court-ordered pause in May covered nearly two dozen federal agencies at different stages of executing President Trump’s directive for mass layoffs. The Supreme Court said the administration could proceed.
President Trump wants to shutter the agency and shift responsibility and costs of emergency management to the states. In Texas, that process appears to already be underway.
Even for an administration with a knack for moving fast and breaking things, Elbridge Colby’s moves at the Pentagon have caused frustration and friction.
Watch: The BBC asks about the Trump administration's vision for Gaza
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Tuesday evening for the second time in as many days to discuss the ongoing war in Gaza.
The meeting came after Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff suggested Israel and Hamas had one remaining issue to agree on for a 60-day ceasefire deal.
Netanyahu arrived at the White House shortly after 17:00 EST (21:00 GMT) on Tuesday for the meeting, which was not open to members of the press.
Earlier on Tuesday, Netanyahu met with vice-president JD Vance. He also met with Trump for several hours during a dinner at the White House on Monday.
It marks Netanyahu's third state visit to the US since Trump's second term.
The meeting of the two leaders lasted around two hours.
Netanyahu also met with the Republican House of Representative Speaker Mike Johnson.
After that meeting, the Israeli Prime Minister said he did not believe Israel's military campaign in Gaza was done, but that negotiators are "certainly working" on a ceasefire.
"We still have to finish the job in Gaza, release all our hostages, eliminate and destroy Hamas' military and government capabilities," Netanyahu said.
Witkoff later said that Israel and Hamas were closing the gap on issues that previously prevented them from reaching a deal, and that he hoped a temporary, 60-day ceasefire will be agreed on this week.
"We had four issues and now we're down to one", Witkoff said of the sticking points in negotiations.
He added that the draft deal would also include the release of 10 hostages who are alive, and the bodies of nine who are deceased.
Before the Israeli Prime Minister's meeting with Trump on Monday, a Qatari delegation arrived at the White House and spoke with officials for several hours, Axios reported, citing a source with knowledge of the talks.
Trump told reporters on Monday evening that ceasefire talks are "going very well". But Qatar, which has played a mediator role in negotiations, said on Tuesday morning that more time was needed for negotiations.
"I don't think that I can give any timeline at the moment, but I can say right now that we will need time for this," Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said.
Before discussions resumed on Tuesday, a Palestinian source familiar with the talks told the BBC they have not made any headway.
The latest round of negotiations between Hamas and Israel began on Sunday.
The ongoing Gaza war began on 7 October 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 57,500 in Gaza according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
An Instagram post by TV personality Gemma Collins which advertised a weight-loss drug and app has been banned.
The star posted: "I'm starting this year two sizes down, thanks to Yazen's weight loss app and medication".
It is illegal to advertise prescription-only weight loss drugs and Ms Collins' was one of nine adverts banned in a crackdown by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
Ms Collins told the ASA's investigation she accepted her posts had promoted the Yazen weight-loss service and app and she would follow guidance in future.
Yazen is a Swedish digital healthcare brand that offers users a doctor-supervised weight-loss programme combining prescription medications with lifestyle coaching.
Ms Collins posted a video advert for the brand to her Instagram on 6 January this year.
In the now-banned advert, Ms Collins describes how Yazen has helped her and stated: "I'm not telling anyone to go on this medication, but it is prescribed on the NHS."
Although the advert didn't name a specific weight-loss medication, the ASA said it made references that breached its code.
The ASA said it sought advice from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, which expressed concern that consumers were likely to be led to request a prescription weight-loss medication.
Therefore, the advert was deemed as promoting those medications to the public, breaching ASA rules.
The eight other adverts banned for promoting prescription only weight-loss medications to the public were:
A paid-for Meta ad for CheqUp Health, which stated "Take the first step to sustainable weight loss with CheqUp".
A paid-for Meta ad for HealthExpress.co.uk, which included an image of a partially visible injection pen and code breaching text
A paid-for Google search ad for Juniper UK, which stated "GLP-1 Weekly Weight Loss Injection" and featured an image of an injection pen.
A paid-for Google search ad for Phlo Clinic, including text that stated, "Get 35% off Weight Loss Order Weight Loss Treatments Online".
A paid-for Google ad for SemaPen, which stated "SemaPen Makes Weight Loss Easier."
A paid-for Meta ad for Cloud Pharmacy featuring texts messages between two friends discussing new weight-loss medications you can order online.
A paid-for Google search ad for pharmacyonline.co.uk, which featured text stating "Obesity Treatment Jab" and an image of a box containing a vial of liquid.
A paid-for Google search ad for Phlo Clinic, seen on 2 December 2024, which included text that stated "Weight loss Injections".
The ASA has ruled that none of these adverts can appear again in their current form.
One day in 2010, Sean "Diddy" Combs was in the kitchen of his Beverly Hills estate with his assistant Capricorn Clark. "Let me show you something," he said, summoning his girlfriend, Casandra Ventura, into the room.
Turning to her, he issued a string of commands: "Sit down, stand up, turn around, walk over there, hand me that. Now go back." His girlfriend obeyed his every word.
"Did you see that?" said Combs to his assistant. "You won't do that. That's why you don't have a man like me."
This account, shared by Ms Clark (also known as Cassie) in her testimony during Combs' recent eight-week trial, gave a glimpse into his dynamic with his partner - and a sense of what was happening behind closed doors.
Neilson Barnard/Getty Images
Ms Ventura's lawyer said that by coming forward, she had "brought attention to the realities of powerful men in our orbit"
Ms Ventura, an R&B singer who was previously signed to his record label, testified that throughout their long-term relationship, Combs – who was 17 years her senior – beat her, blackmailed her and coerced her into drug-fuelled sex sessions with escorts. He had, she continued, controlled her life.
Central to the trial was the claim that Combs, 55, a multimillionaire music mogul once credited with bringing rap into the mainstream, forced his partners to engage in elaborate sexual performances, known as "freak-offs", that he directed, often filmed and arranged with the help of his staff.
Last week, he was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He was acquitted on the more serious charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.
After the verdict was announced, Ms Ventura's lawyer, Doug Wigdor, said that by coming forward, she had "brought attention to the realities of powerful men in our orbit and the misconduct that has persisted for decades without repercussion".
But now, campaigners, survivors of sexual violence and insiders within the music industry are asking: Why did it take so long to hold Combs accountable?
And, in light of Hollywood's MeToo movement that uncovered and helped root out sexual harassment and abuse in the film industry, and which began nearly a decade ago - is it now time that the music industry, or more specifically, hip-hop, had a MeToo movement of its own?
'A playbook that shields predators'
Cristalle Bowen is a rapper from Chicago who was part of an all-female trio called RapperChicks. "The Diddy trial only highlights what many of us already know," she says, referring to the struggle to hold powerful people to account.
In 2022 she wrote a book about misogyny in the industry. The tagline is: Navigating Hip-Hop and Relationships in a Culture of Misogyny. "Being the token women on labels and in crews leaves you susceptible to, at the very least, name calling," she claims. "At the most… you've been abused in some way.
"When there is money involved, it becomes tricky. From hush money to stalled careers to the way we all see survivors treated… It's a difficult task."
Campaigners and industry insiders who spoke to the BBC say that sexual abuse and harassment exists across all genres in the music business, not only hip-hop. They point to a culture of silence, where they claim that predators are protected and victims risk being blacklisted, sued or fired.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
Combs' label, Bad Boy Records, was praised for creating jobs and making hip-hop more mainstream. He's said to be worth around $400m (£293m)
Caroline Heldman, an academic and activist, agrees. She is co-founder of the US-based Sound Off Coalition, which advocates for the elimination of sexual violence in music, and argues that there is a history of using "threats to push out women artists who are targets of abuse by men".
"The music industry has followed a playbook for dealing with sexual abuse that shields predators, including musicians, producers, managers, executives, and other behind-the-scenes players, from liability," she claims.
Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) – legal contracts that stop people from sharing certain agreed-upon private information – are used legitimately in the industry, for example to help protect commercial secrets. But some argue that these are being misused and can contribute to a culture of silence in cases of abuse.
"[It] makes for a very difficult decision for a lot of victims," says Arick Fudali, a New York-based lawyer. One of his clients is Dawn Richard, a singer who testified against Combs at the federal trial and has an ongoing lawsuit against him.
"I've had clients who have declined that and chosen to file their lawsuit publicly," he adds. "They can receive less money than if they had just settled privately and confidentially."
Ms Bowen argues that she has seen this happen first-hand. "Moguls write the cheques and artists need the cheques - there's usually no checks and balances when mogul money is involved."
But, there may be other reasons for not speaking out.
And in hip-hop specifically, some survivors of abuse and experts we spoke to argue that this culture of silence is exacerbated by the combined forces of racism and misogyny, and a desire to fiercely protect a genre that has created rare avenues to stardom and financial success.
A mouthpiece for liberation and resistance
Originating in the African-American and Latino communities of New York City in the 1970s, hip-hop became a mouthpiece for liberation and resistance against the authorities and social injustice.
"Hip-hop allowed young black people to tell their own stories on their own terms, it gave that generation a voice," explains Mark Anthony Neal, professor of African-American studies at Duke University, particularly when popular culture was offering a limited portrayal of black America.
It's now the most commercially successful music genre in the US, leading in album sales and streaming numbers. "Rappers are the new rock stars," says Thomas Hobbs, a writer and co-host of a hip-hop podcast, Exit the 36 Chambers. "They're the people now most likely to fill arenas."
WATCH: Video shared with BBC - Sean "Diddy" Combs holds pool parties at his Miami mansion
As an artist and businessman who ran an empire that encompassed fashion, alcohol and TV as well as his label, Bad Boy Records, Combs - who has an estimated net worth of about $400m (£293m) - has been championed not only for helping hip-hop become commercially viable but for creating jobs and opportunities, particularly for black men.
Throughout his career he has been vocal about "black excellence" – platforming achievements – as well as highlighting struggles within the black community.
This was something his legal defence raised in court, saying: "Sean Combs has become something that is very, very hard to be. Very hard to be. He is a self-made, successful, black entrepreneur."
Outside court during his trial, fans erupted in cheers after he was acquitted of the more serious charges and onlookers debated aloud whether he had been unfairly targeted. "Of course he was. He's a powerful black man," one said.
For weeks, others had been wearing and selling "Free Puff" T-shirts, after Combs' 90s stage name, next to a speaker blaring out his music.
Bryan Bedder/CP/Getty Images
Combs, 55, a multimillionaire music mogul, was credited with bringing rap into the mainstream and hosted 'White Parties'
Sociologist Katheryn Russell-Brown has described a phenomenon she calls "black protectionism".
"Those who have managed to obtain large-scale prosperity, in spite of legal, political, economic, educational and social barriers, are given the status of racial pioneers," she wrote in her book, Protecting Our Own: Race, Crime, and African Americans, which was inspired by the OJ Simpson case.
"It is, therefore, predictable that black people as a group are suspicious when criminal charges are brought against members of its elite, protected class."
Black women in particular carry the fear that speaking out could reinforce harmful stereotypes about their community, argues Treva Lindsey, a professor in the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department at Ohio State University who researches misogyny in hip-hop.
"When we portray hip-hop as uniquely sexist, or sexually violent, or harmful, that has repercussions for black people of all genders," she says.
The start of a reckoning?
And yet across the entertainment industry more broadly, a retrospective focus is slowly happening now, in part because of shifts in attitudes.
Recent changes to law in some US states have also enabled people to take action over alleged historic misconduct.
New York and California passed laws in 2022 called the Adult Survivors Act that for one-year only allowed people to file sexual abuse claims, regardless of when the alleged incidents took place.
Ms Ventura filed a lawsuit against Combs in November 2023, accusing him of physical and sexual abuse. It was settled the following day, and Combs denied the claims.
Reuters
When Cassie Ventura filed her lawsuit, she faced online abuse and criticism from some within the hip-hop world
Reuters
Combs faces more than 60 civil cases from men and women accusing him of drugging or assault. He denies all allegations
He now faces more than 60 civil cases from men and women accusing him of drugging or assault, spanning his entire three-decade career.
In a statement, Combs' team has said: "No matter how many lawsuits are filed, it won't change the fact that Mr Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone - man or woman, adult or minor."
He is, however, one of several hip-hop titans of the 90s and 00s to have been accused in a relatively recent wave of allegations.
Music executive and producer Antonio LA Reid, who worked with artists including Usher, Kanye West (now known as Ye) and Rihanna, was accused of sexual assault in a lawsuit filed in 2023. He denies all claims against him.
Meanwhile, Russell Simmons, co-founder of hip-hop label Def Jam Recordings, has faced allegations of violent sexual behaviour by more than 20 women since 2017, all of which he has denied.
Getty Images
Russell Simmons, co-founder of Def Jam, has been accused of sexual violence by more than 20 women since 2017. He denies all allegations
Drew Dixon, who is former vice president of Artists and Repertoire (A&R) at Arista Records, is among them. She has claimed she was abused by both Mr Simmons and Mr Reid when she worked in the music industry in the 1990s and 2000s.
She told The New York Times: "You're not just going up against the person who assaulted you," she said. "You are going against everyone who benefits from their brand and revenue stream.
"Those forces will mobilise against any accuser. It's daunting."
Backlash after speaking out
Sil Lai Abrams, who is a writer and gender violence activist, began working as an executive assistant at the Def Jam music label in 1992. She is one of the women who accused Mr Simmons of sexual assault. He has denied all allegations.
"It's harder for women of colour to speak out against abuse in the music industry," she argues - something that she believes still applies today. "[Women have] been conditioned to see abuse of power and sexual harassment as the price one pays to work in the industry."
Then there is the question of the response from the public if people do speak out. When Ms Ventura first filed her lawsuit against Combs, she faced widespread abuse. Memes on social media accused her of being a gold-digger. Some in the hip-hop industry criticised her too.
Mark Mainz/Getty Images
Combs still awaits sentencing following his recent trial
"Quit trying to expose people for money," US rapper Slim Thug said in a video shared with his two million followers on Instagram in 2023.
Only when CNN broadcast security camera footage dating back to 2016 which showed Combs grabbing, dragging and kicking Ms Ventura in the hallway of a hotel did the sentiment towards her change.
Slim Thug publicly apologised for his comments.
Combs responded in a video statement posted on Instagram, saying: "My behaviour on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility… I'm committed to be a better man each and every day… I'm truly sorry."
"Before the video of Combs beating her came out and people couldn't deny the evidence, people said Cassie was a liar," says Dr Nikki Lane, assistant professor in Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies at Duke University.
Getty Images
Rapper Megan Thee Stallion, who was shot in the foot in 2020, pictured at the Met Gala
Yet Dr Lane argues that more still needs to change. "Black women's bodies are constantly traded upon within the culture of hip-hop as tropes to be ridiculed".
Dr Lane points to the example of rapper Megan Thee Stallion, who was shot in the foot in 2020.
Fellow rapper Tory Lanez is currently serving a 10-year sentence for the assault, but after the incident, the artist Drake was criticised for lyrics in his 2022 song Circo Loco - "This b- lie 'bout gettin' shots, but she still a stallion" - which seemed to refer to the incident.
'Some people look the other way'
There remains the question of what happens to the art – and indeed the music – when an idol is convicted of serious crimes.
R&B singer R Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2022 for sex trafficking, racketeering and sexually abusing women and children, but years later, his music remains popular. It generated about 780 million audio streams in the US since January 2019. On Spotify, he has around 5.2 million monthly listeners.
"There are still people [who] defend R Kelly," says Mr Hobbs. "I won't be surprised if Diddy's streams, just like R Kelly's, stay high."
"There's a kind of cognitive dissonance" from fans, he argues. "These songs become so embedded in people's lives that they find it very difficult to get rid of them… [they're] part of people's DNA.
"So, I think some people are able to look the other way."
Reuters
The Combs verdict in itself is unlikely to lead to wider changes, according to Prof Lindsey
The bigger question, perhaps, is how should the industry react? After the MeToo movement began in 2017, at least 200 prominent men accused of sexual harassment lost their jobs, and changes were made to workplace policies.
However, the Combs verdict in itself is unlikely to lead to wider changes, according to Prof Lindsey. "I think what happens in this moment is Diddy, kind of like R Kelly in the R&B black music pantheon, is seen as exceptional… and not indicative of something else," she says.
"There isn't a cultural reset where we look inward and ask: 'How does this happen?'"
But that is exactly what is missing, argue some others in the industry, including Ms Abrams. "What is lacking is a political environment against which survivors can count on to change the material conditions that allowed someone like Combs to act with impunity," she says.
Following MeToo in Hollywood, certain changes were introduced, including making intimacy coordinators more of a standard practice when filming sex scenes. Some music insiders now hope that migrates over to music video sets.
The Sound Off Coalition is calling for new company rules that require people in positions of power in music to report accusations of sexual assault.
Tangible measures are what matter, argues Dr Lane. "The only way for me to believe that there's been a reckoning would be to see changes in laws, policies, and actual business practices of the industry… [Ones] that are not based on how long Diddy goes down for."
For all the latest reaction and analysis on the verdict, you can listen to the Diddy on Trial podcast available on BBC Sounds.
Additional reporting by Florence Freeman and Fiona Macdonald
Top picture credit: Rich Polk/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
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Smoke from the fire in the hills north of Marseille was visible from the city's Vieux-Port
A rapidly spreading wildfire has reached the outer edge of Marseille, France's second largest city.
"The marine firefighter battalion is waging guerrilla warfare, hoses in hand," said the city's Mayor Benoît Payan, referring to Marseille's fire and rescue service.
The prefect of the Bouches-du-Rhône area, Georges-François Leclerc, urged local residents to remain indoors and said firefighters were "defending" the city.
He said that while the situation was not static, it was "under control".
Marseille Provence airport has been closed for the rest of Tuesday.
Some residents have been advised to stay inside, close shutters and doors, and keep roads clear for emergency services.
The fire, which broke out earlier on Tuesday near Pennes-Mirabeau, north of Marseille, is said to have covered about 700 hectares (7 sq km).
Local authorities said the blaze was sparked by a car that caught fire on the motorway, and that it could continue to spread as strong winds are set to blow until late this evening.
"It's very striking - apocalyptic even," Monique Baillard, a resident of the town, told Reuters news agency. She said many of her neighbours had already left.
The local fire service said 168 firefighters had been deployed to fight the blaze, as well as fire engines and helicopters.
Marseille's mayor, Benoit Payan, asked residents to remain "extremely vigilant" and to limit their movements. Locals told French TV of dense traffic jams as people tried to evacuate the city.
Footage posted online showed huge plumes of smoke above Marseille as fire raged in a hilly area to its north.
The Bouches-du-Rhône area has not recorded a single drop of rain since 19 May, according to French broadcaster BFMTV.
Elsewhere in France, another wildfire that started near Narbonne on Monday remains active, fanned by winds of 60km (38mph) per hour. Some 2,000 hectares have burnt, local officials said.
Wildfires were also reported in other parts of Europe, including Spain's Catalonia region, where more than 18,000 people were ordered to stay at home because of a wildfire in the eastern province of Tarragona.
Emergency units were deployed alongside 300 firefighters as high winds overnight fanned the flames, which have spread across nearly 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) of land.
Several other parts of Spain - which experienced its hottest June on record - were on high alert for wildfires.
In Greece, some 41 wildfires broke out across the country on Monday. Of those, 34 were contained early while seven remained active into Monday evening, according to the fire service.
Much of western and southern Europe was hit by a scorching early summer heatwave, sparking fires that saw thousands evacuated from their homes.
Tyre marks were analysed some distance from where the Lamborghini's tyre blew out
All the evidence so far suggests Portuguese footballer Diogo Jota was driving when his car crashed on a Spanish motorway, and he was likely speeding, say police.
The 28-year-old Liverpool player was killed with his brother André Silva, 25, when their Lamborghini car had a suspected tyre blowout in northwestern Zamora province early last Thursday.
Spain's Guardia Civil police force said at the time the car had apparently been overtaking on the A52 motorway near Palacios de Sanabria when it left the road and burst into flames.
"Everything also points to a possible excessive speed beyond the speed limit of the road [highway]," said Zamora's local traffic police.
Police said they had studied the marks left by one of the Lamborghini's tyres and that "all the tests carried out so far indicate that the driver of the crashed vehicle was Diogo Jota".
The expert report is being prepared for the courts on the accident, and their investigation is understood to have been made more complex by the intensity of the fire that almost completely destroyed the car.
The accident happened 11 days after Jota had married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso in Portugal. The couple had three children.
The brothers had been heading to the Spanish port of Santander so Jota could return to Liverpool for pre-season training.
Their funeral took place in their hometown of Gondomar, near Porto at the weekend.
Tyre marks were reportedly visible about 100m (330ft) from the moment of impact.
Although there had been suggestions that the asphalt on the road was uneven where the crash took place, police told Spanish media it was not an accident "black spot" and the road should have been driveable beyond the speed limit of 120km/h (75mph).
King Charles will be hosting President Macron in Windsor during the state visit
King Charles III will say the UK and France must stand together in the face of a "multitude of complex threats", when he speaks at a state banquet for French President Emmanuel Macron.
Macron and his wife Brigitte will be welcomed by the King and Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales, as they arrive for a three-day state visit.
The state banquet will be a highlight of the trip, with famous faces, a showcase menu and a message from the King about the "shared history and culture between our two peoples".
This is the first state visit by the leader of an EU country since Brexit and the King will emphasise the need to work together on issues from military threats to climate change.
"For centuries our citizens have admired each other, amused each other, and imitated each other," the King will say at Tuesday evening's banquet, which will be held at Windsor Castle, as Buckingham Palace is being renovated.
He will warn of modern threats "emanating from multiple directions" and challenges that "know no borders" from which "no fortress can protect us".
"Our two nations share not only values, but also the tireless determination to act on them in the world," the state banquet speech will say.
A state visit is a "soft power" opportunity to strengthen partnerships, with the French visit set to reinforce links with the UK in trade, diplomacy and defence, at a time of uncertainty about the US stance on issues such as military backing for Ukraine.
A UK-France summit at Downing Street on Thursday, hosted by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, is also likely to discuss ways of stopping illegal migration on small boats across the Channel.
The start of the visit on Tuesday will see ceremonial spectacles, with senior members of the Royal Family ready to greet the French visitors and to celebrate the "entente cordiale", in the first French state visit since 2008.
Prince William and Catherine will greet the French president and his wife when their plane touches down at RAF Northolt, with King Charles and Queen Camilla then welcoming them at Windsor.
There will be horses, as well as political horse-trading, with a carriage procession through Windsor, ahead of a royal salute and military parade at Windsor Castle.
On Wednesday, Macron will see a horse that he gave to the late Queen Elizabeth II, to mark her Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
The French president and his wife are also set to visit the tomb of the late Queen, during their stay in Windsor.
The UK government has spoken of wanting to "re-set" post-Brexit relations with European neighbours and Macron's visit will be a public endorsement of the longstanding alliance with France.
MPs and peers will be able to hear Macron when he gives a speech to the Houses of Parliament.
Advances in science will highlighted during the visit, with examples of artificial intelligence and innovative technology being shown to the French visitors at Imperial College London.
He had given a strongly worded message of support for Ukraine after Russia's "horrifying" invasion. The King had also highlighted the "existential challenge" of climate change.
A deadly crackdown on student-led protests in Bangladesh last year was authorised by then prime minister Sheikh Hasina, according to audio of one of her phone calls verified by BBC Eye.
In the audio, which was leaked online in March, Hasina says she authorised her security forces to "use lethal weapons" against protesters and that "wherever they find [them], they will shoot".
Prosecutors in Bangladesh plan to use the recording as crucial evidence against Hasina, who is being tried in absentia at a special tribunal for crimes against humanity.
The leaked audio of Hasina's conversation with an unidentified senior government official is the most significant evidence yet that she gave direct authorisation to shoot anti-government protesters, tens of thousands of whom had taken to the streets by last summer.
The protests began against civil service job quotas for relatives of those who fought in the 1971 war of independence and escalated into a mass movement that ousted Hasina, who had been in power for 15 years. It the worst violence Bangladesh had seen since the 1971 war.
Some of the bloodiest scenes occurred on 5 August, the day Hasina fled by helicopter before crowds stormed her residence in Dhaka.
The BBC World Service investigation established previously unreported details about a police massacre of protesters in the capital - including a much higher death toll.
A protester holding a stick faces police lines in Dhaka in July 2024
Hasina was at her residence in Dhaka, known as the Ganabhaban, for the duration of the call which took place on 18 July, a source with knowledge of the leaked audio told the BBC.
It was a crucial moment in the demonstrations. Security officials were responding to public outrage at police killings of protesters captured on video and shared across social media. In the days following the call, military-grade rifles were deployed and used across Dhaka, according to police documents seen by the BBC.
The recording the BBC examined is one of numerous calls involving Sheikh Hasina that were made by the National Telecommunications Monitoring Centre (NTMC), a Bangladeshi government body responsible for monitoring communications.
The audio of the call was leaked in early March this year - it's unclear by whom. Since the protests, numerous clips of Hasina's calls have appeared online, many of them unverified.
The leaked 18 July recording was voice matched by the Criminal Investigation Department in the Bangladesh Police with known audio of Sheikh Hasina's voice.
The BBC conducted its own independent verification by sharing the recording with audio forensics experts Earshot, who found no evidence the speech had been edited or manipulated and said it was highly unlikely to have been synthetically generated.
Earshot said the leaked recording was likely to have been taken in a room with the phone call played back on a speaker, due to the presence of distinctive telephonic frequencies and background sounds. Earshot identified Electric Network Frequency (ENF) throughout the recording, a frequency that's often present in audio recordings due to interference between a recording device and mains-powered equipment, an indicator that the audio has not been manipulated.
Earshot also analysed Sheikh Hasina's speech – the rhythm, intonation and breath sounds - and identified consistent noise floor levels, finding no evidence of synthetic artefacts in the audio.
"The recordings are critical for establishing her role, they are clear and have been properly authenticated, and are supported by other evidence," British international human rights barrister Toby Cadman told the BBC. He is advising Bangladesh's International Criminal Tribunal (ICT), the court hearing cases against Hasina and others.
An Awami League spokesperson said: "We cannot confirm whether the tape recording referenced by the BBC is authentic."
Alongside Sheikh Hasina, former government and police officials have been implicated in the killings of protesters. A total of 203 individuals have been indicted by the ICT, of whom 73 are in custody.
BBC Eye analysed and verified hundreds of videos, images and documents detailing police attacks against demonstrators across 36 days.
The investigation found that in one incident on 5 August in Jatrabari, a busy Dhaka neighbourhood, at least 52 people were killed by police, making it one of the worst incidents of police violence in Bangladesh's history. Initial reports at the time suggested 30 dead in Jatrabari on that day.
The BBC investigation uncovered new details about how the massacre started and ended.
Gathering eyewitness footage, CCTV and drone imagery, BBC Eye established that police opened fire indiscriminately on protesters immediately after army personnel, who were separating the police from the protesters, vacated the area.
For more than 30 minutes the police shot at fleeing protesters as they tried to escape down alleyways and on the highway, before the police officers sought shelter in a nearby army camp. At least six police officers were also killed as protesters retaliated hours later, setting fire to the Jatrabari police station.
A spokesperson for the Bangladesh Police told the BBC that 60 police officers had been arrested for their role in the violence in July and August last year.
"There were regrettable incidents in which certain members of the then police force engaged in excessive use of force," said the spokesperson. "Bangladesh Police has launched thorough and impartial investigations."
AFP
People gather to see burnt Jatrabari police station after anti-government protesters set fire to it last August
Sheikh Hasina's trial began last month. She has been charged with committing crimes against humanity, including issuing orders that led to mass killings and targeted violence against civilians, as well as incitement, conspiracy and failure to prevent mass murder.
India has so far failed to comply with a Bangladeshi request for her extradition. It is unlikely that Hasina will return to the country for the trial, Mr Cadman said.
The Awami League maintains that its leaders are not liable for the force used against protesters.
"The Awami League categorically denies and rejects claims that some of its senior leaders, including the prime minister herself, were personally responsible for or directed the use of lethal force against crowds," a spokesperson for the party said.
"The decisions made by senior government officials were proportionate in nature, made in good faith and intended to minimise the loss of life."
The party has rejected the findings of United Nations investigators, who said they had found reasonable grounds to believe the actions of Hasina and her government could amount to crimes against humanity.
The BBC approached the Bangladesh army for comment but did not receive a response.
Since Hasina's fall, Bangladesh has been ruled by an interim government led by Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus.
His government is preparing for national elections. It's unclear if the Awami League will be allowed to contest the vote.
Sir Brian Leveson, pictured wearing a periwig in his former role as Lord Justice Leveson in 2013, says the current "situation is simply unacceptable"
Thousands of cases that would normally be heard in front of a jury should be decided by judges alone, according to recommendations made by a former senior judge.
Sir Brian Leveson was asked by the Lord Chancellor to come up with a series of proposals to reduce the backlog of cases in the criminal courts.
There are almost 77,000 cases waiting for trial in the Crown Court in England and Wales - meaning some defendants and victims are waiting years for justice.
After reviewing the state of the criminal courts, Sir Brian suggested "fundamental" reforms to "reduce the risk of total system collapse." But some barristers argue juries are essential for fair justice - and scrapping them is wrong.
To fix what he calls a broken system, Sir Brian has suggested having judge-only trials for certain cases such as fraud and bribery.
Another recommendation involves having more out of court resolutions like cautions.
He wants a new division of the Crown Court with two magistrates and a judge to handle less serious offences, and to increase the number of sentence reductions for guilty pleas at the first opportunity offered.
This is all about shortening the process in the hope of cutting the big backlog.
"It is well recognised that justice delayed is justice denied but the record and rising court backlog means victims, witnesses and defendants are waiting months, sometimes years, for cases to come to trial - unable to move on with their lives," he added.
Sir Brian noted the proposed changes are designed "to transform our courts into a system that provides appropriate and fair decision-making."
He continued: "It also takes a proportionate approach to trial processes while maintaining the fundamental right to a fair trial.
"These are not small tweaks but fundamental changes that will seek to make the system fit for the 21st century."
The proposals would mean more cases will be heard in the magistrates' courts, with jury trials reserved for the most serious cases.
Either way, offences with a maximum custodial sentence of two years or less, such as possession of drugs, bike theft and voyeurism, could face lower penalties of 12 months imprisonment or less.
Defendants in cases for offences including assault of an emergency worker, stalking and possessing an indecent photograph of a child would also no longer be able to choose a jury trial.
'Radical change'
Not all lawyers agree with the suggested changes, however.
And in response, Mary Prior KC, chair of the Criminal Bar Association, said: "Any fundamental change is going to require the criminal barristers who prosecute and defend in the Crown Court to believe that this is the best way forward.
"As this is such a radical change to the criminal justice system we will be listening to what our members say. There is a lot to digest."
Manisha Knights, Solicitor Advocate with MK Law, said: "Our jury system is central and pivotal to our justice system.
"With juries comes diversity whereas the judiciary still very much lacks it. The right to be tried by one's peers should not be removed or be diluted in any way, shape or form."
But the Magistrates' Association welcomed the review, saying it will speed up justice for thousands.
"Magistrates are ready and willing to support these and other initiatives aimed at reducing the pressure on Crown Courts," said Mark Beattie, national chair of the Magistrates' Association.
"We urge the government to implement Leveson's recommendations as soon as possible. Every day that they aren't in place, is a day when victims, witnesses and defendants have to wait for justice."
Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: "As Sir Brian rightly identifies, criminal justice in this country runs the risk of "total system collapse" unless we take the radical steps needed to reverse years of decline.
"It cannot be right that in London more than 100 trials listed are for 2029. This is intolerable for victims and all parties who rely on a properly functioning court system to provide closure from what are often traumatic experiences, made worse by persistent delays."
He added: "I welcome this report and look forward to working with partners across government to deliver the bold reforms that are now a necessity, not an option."
Among the recommendations are:
A reclassification of certain offences
The creation of a new division of the Crown Court with two magistrates and a judge to handle "less serious offences", which would include some theft, burglary, and fraud offences
Greater use of out of court resolutions - which would allow the police to deal quickly with lower level, often first time offending - including increased use of cautions and conditional cautions
Removal of the right to elect trial in cases where the maximum sentence is two years' imprisonment with reclassification of some offences to "summary only" (meaning they will only be heard in a magistrates' court)
The threshold for criminal damage being dealt with as a summary only offence to be increased from £5,000 to £10,000.
Maximum sentence reduction increased to 40% for guilty pleas at first opportunity, encouraging quicker case resolution
Judge-alone trials introduced either by election on the part of the defendant or for the most complex cases
The review recommended the immediate implementation of key reforms but acknowledged that many of the changes will take time to introduce, and "must be managed carefully to ensure the public is never put at risk".
The government says it will now consider all of Sir Brian's recommendations, and will respond in full ahead of legislation in the autumn.
Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said in a statement: "I have already lifted courts funding to record levels, funding 4,000 more court sitting days than under my predecessors.
"But swifter justice requires bold reform, and that is what I asked Sir Brian Leveson to propose."
She added: "As part of our Plan for Change, I will do whatever it takes to bring down the backlog and deliver swifter justice for victims."
A second review focusing on court efficiency will be published later this year.
Smoke from the fire in the hills north of Marseille was visible from the city's Vieux-Port
A rapidly spreading wildfire has reached the outer edge of Marseille, France's second largest city.
"The marine firefighter battalion is waging guerrilla warfare, hoses in hand," said the city's Mayor Benoît Payan, referring to Marseille's fire and rescue service.
The prefect of the Bouches-du-Rhône area, Georges-François Leclerc, urged local residents to remain indoors and said firefighters were "defending" the city.
He said that while the situation was not static, it was "under control".
Marseille Provence airport has been closed for the rest of Tuesday.
Some residents have been advised to stay inside, close shutters and doors, and keep roads clear for emergency services.
The fire, which broke out earlier on Tuesday near Pennes-Mirabeau, north of Marseille, is said to have covered about 700 hectares (7 sq km).
Local authorities said the blaze was sparked by a car that caught fire on the motorway, and that it could continue to spread as strong winds are set to blow until late this evening.
"It's very striking - apocalyptic even," Monique Baillard, a resident of the town, told Reuters news agency. She said many of her neighbours had already left.
The local fire service said 168 firefighters had been deployed to fight the blaze, as well as fire engines and helicopters.
Marseille's mayor, Benoit Payan, asked residents to remain "extremely vigilant" and to limit their movements. Locals told French TV of dense traffic jams as people tried to evacuate the city.
Footage posted online showed huge plumes of smoke above Marseille as fire raged in a hilly area to its north.
The Bouches-du-Rhône area has not recorded a single drop of rain since 19 May, according to French broadcaster BFMTV.
Elsewhere in France, another wildfire that started near Narbonne on Monday remains active, fanned by winds of 60km (38mph) per hour. Some 2,000 hectares have burnt, local officials said.
Wildfires were also reported in other parts of Europe, including Spain's Catalonia region, where more than 18,000 people were ordered to stay at home because of a wildfire in the eastern province of Tarragona.
Emergency units were deployed alongside 300 firefighters as high winds overnight fanned the flames, which have spread across nearly 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) of land.
Several other parts of Spain - which experienced its hottest June on record - were on high alert for wildfires.
In Greece, some 41 wildfires broke out across the country on Monday. Of those, 34 were contained early while seven remained active into Monday evening, according to the fire service.
Much of western and southern Europe was hit by a scorching early summer heatwave, sparking fires that saw thousands evacuated from their homes.
As both the death toll and number of questions about official preparedness increased, the Texas governor invoked football metaphors, saying “every team makes mistakes.”
The artificial intelligence chatbot, which has a dedicated account on X, praised Hitler after fielding a query about a user’s comments on the Texas flood.
Elon Musk has said Grok, a chatbot that was developed by xAI and that has its own account on X, should not adhere to standards of political correctness.
Looking around excitedly at the paintings on the walls around him, President Trump gave an impromptu history lesson to his cabinet about some of the men who lived in the White House before him.
Pungent odors permeate the City of Brotherly Love as a contract impasse between the city and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees continues.
A small but influential cohort of the president’s far-right political coalition spared him their ire but turned with a vengeance on the attorney general and the top officials at the F.B.I.