Reading view

There are new articles available, click to refresh the page.

Is the UK really any safer 20 years on from 7/7?

BBC A montage image showing police and an image from the 7/7 attacksBBC

There are extraordinary secret surveillance images - now largely forgotten - that in their own grainy and mysterious way, tell the story of missed opportunities that maybe, just maybe, could have stopped the horrific suicide attacks that took place in London 20 years ago.

They are images of the ringleader of the 7/7 bombings - first caught on camera at an al-Qaeda-associated training camp in the Lake District in 2001.

Two more images from 2004 show him - name and intentions then unknown - meeting a different cell of bomb plotters outside London and being followed by an MI5 team as he made his way back to Leeds.

PA Media Grainy black and white image showing Shehzad Tanweer and Mohammed Sidique Khan PA Media
A surveillance photo shows Mohammed Sidique Khan (right) the ringleader of the 7/7 bombings

Nobody joined all these dots, and worked out the man was Mohammad Sidique Khan until he and the three other members of his gang had killed 52 people with their four homemade bombs.

Despite being seen meeting other men of real concern, he was never made a priority for investigation.

For months I have been asking many of the top people - from prime ministers through to former extremists - to reflect on what they have learned over the 20 years since 7/7. Sir Tony Blair was prime minister on 7/7. Hindsight, he told me, was a wonderful thing.

I've found that the British state has, arguably, the most evolved and sophisticated suite of powers and tools possible to identify, disrupt, prosecute, ban and jail people for terrorism offences.

But at the same time the threats that those powers are being used to counter today are so much more complex than they were in 2005. And so, 20 years since 7/7, are we any safer now than we were then?

'Of course it was a failure'

The 7/7 attacks were the worst wake-up call imaginable for the UK's then outdated counter-terrorism operations.

Until that day in 2005, the UK's response to terrorism groups was heavily influenced by the experience of combating the IRA, which organised itself along military lines.

Al-Qaeda (AQ) was also broadly organised in a military way - directing its adherents, including the 7/7 bombers. But the key lesson from 7/7 was that this analogy only went so far.

MI5 and the police realised they had to work closer together to penetrate AQ's cells.

MI5 teams were the experts in secretly gathering intelligence. They could bug, burgle and listen to "subjects of interest", to use the jargon. But in the run-up to 7/7, the agency often fell short of sharing that information widely and quickly enough.

PA Media Screen grab taken from video footage taken by emergency services of the scene at Russell Square Tube station in London, after a bomb blast onboard a train 
PA Media
Video footage taken by emergency services of the scene at Russell Square Tube station in London, after a bomb blast onboard a train

Peter Clarke was the Metropolitan Police officer in charge of counter-terrorism policing at the time of 7/7.

"I haven't spoken to anybody who was involved in either counter-terrorism or in the intelligence agencies, who don't regard it as a failure," he told me. "Of course it was."

The failure was complex. Lord Jonathan Evans, the former head of MI5 - and at the time of 7/7, the deputy head - highlights the pressure intelligence teams were under.

"You have to make choices in counter-terrorism investigations. You can't investigate everything, so the question is are you investigating the most immediately threatening intelligence and making the right priority calls?"

The reason why the future 7/7 ringleader was put to one side in 2004 was that there was no substantial intelligence that he was actually planning an attack.

The agencies were focusing on a huge bomb plot they knew about - Operation Crevice. It was run by the men Khan was seen meeting. But the brutal fact was that they had no idea that Khan could be a serious threat because he had been discounted as a priority for further investigation.

How MI5 foiled the liquid bomb plot

The 2005 attacks forced the agency and police to think deeply about how they could end a doom loop of not investigating someone because they had decided they didn't know enough to think they were worth investigating.

Some of that was about funding - and there was a huge injection into counter-terrorism in the years that followed.

But more importantly MI5, alongside their partners in the police, began to develop a better "triage" system to work out which of the thousands of potential plotters they had titbits of intelligence about needed to be prioritised.

That helped get the police closer, more quickly, to the point where they could seize evidence to land someone in jail.

Metropolitan Police via Getty Images A London Underground train damaged by bombing rests on the tracks at the Aldgate tube station
Metropolitan Police via Getty Images
After 7/7, Parliament created a new offence of preparing for acts of terrorism

Nowhere was this more successful than in Operation Overt, which came a year after 7/7. The Overt plotters had an al-Qaeda recipe for a liquid bomb disguised as a soft drink - and they planned to blow up transatlantic planes.

MI5 captured in extraordinary detail the gang's preparations. They saw the men working with tools to make strange-looking devices from household items including drink bottles and camera flash circuits.

Nobody was sure what they were up to - until the surveillance revealed the men recording "martyrdom" videos envisaging their own deaths mid-air.

This time, the intelligence was being shared in almost real-time - and the police and prosecutors dived in and arrested and charged the gang before the devices were finally ready. The success of Operation Overt shows that plots could be disrupted early.

Lord Evans points to another critical shift in thinking. "We had always been predominantly, not exclusively, a London-based organisation," he says. "But when you recognise that the 7/7 bombers came down from Yorkshire, the threat was national.

"We needed to have an effective regional network working very closely with the police in the major cities and that was accelerated and was a very successful way of ensuring that we were able to find out what was happening in Manchester or Birmingham or wherever as effectively as we had traditionally done in London."

Then, in 2006, Parliament created a new offence of preparing for acts of terrorism.

This meant the police could swoop in even earlier than in the case of Operation Overt - even before an attacker's plan was settled. All they needed now was to show a court that an individual had a terrorism mindset and was taking steps towards an outrage - such as researching targets, even if their plan was not finalised.

Max Hill KC led some of the UK's most complex terrorism trials - and went on to be the Director of Public Prosecutions between 2018 and 2023. He always wanted the strongest case to put to a jury and judge - in order to get the longest possible sentence to protect the public. But in the case of a bomb-maker, that presented a dilemma for the police and MI5.

"How long to let a person run towards their ultimate aim of deploying devices?" he says. "The longer you leave it, the more serious the jail sentence. But the longer you wait, the greater the risk that there will be damage or harm."

Success after success followed - and cells of plotters were also increasingly infiltrated by spooks finding secret ways to capture chats about plans. Until, that is, the rise of the self-styled Islamic State, which changed all of that once again.

DIY attacks across Europe

By 2014, thousands of young radicalised men and women had flocked to the territory the group had seized in Syria and Iraq, convinced that the ultra-violent movement was building a utopian state.

Its ideologues told some followers, who could not travel, to plan their own attacks at home and without any direction from commanders.

This was a new and terrifying prospect - and led to a wave of DIY attacks across Europe, including in the UK. So the government turned to other tools to "disrupt" extremists coming home from abroad, by cancelling their passports or stripping citizenship.

The first of a number of attacks in 2017 was committed by a killer who drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before stabbing to death a police officer at the gates of Parliament. He acted without warning and seemingly alone, rapidly self-radicalising - moving from thought to violence before his intentions became clear to anyone else.

In Pictures via Getty Images and Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Two images showing ambulance scenes on Westminster Bridge in 2017, and another of flowers left outside the Houses of Parliament to pay tribute to the victims of Westminster terror attack
In Pictures via Getty Images and Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
In 2017 a killer drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before stabbing to death a police officer at the gates of Parliament

The rapidity of these attacks - and the regularity of them, disrupted or acted out, had an extraordinary consequence that further complicated the picture. Far-right extremists watched and learned and, seeking a form of "revenge", became determined to respond in kind.

In 2015, a 25-year-old member of National Action, a now banned extreme right-wing group, carried out a racist attack on a Sikh-heritage dentist in a supermarket. The attacker acted alone. The man who murdered Jo Cox MP a year later, during the Brexit referendum, planned and acted in a similar manner.

This DIY rapid violence did not rely on personal connections to puppet-masters. It was increasingly linked to how extremists found and absorbed extremist material all over the internet.

AFP via Getty Images Floral tributes and candles are placed by a picture of Labour MP Jo Cox at a vigil in Parliament square in London 
AFP via Getty Images
Jo Cox was a Labour MP for Batley and Spen and died after being shot and stabbed in her constituency

But that also presented an opportunity. The security service and partners - including the FBI - created teams of "online role-players". They would pose as extremist recruiters in vile chat groups to identify would-be attackers and befriend them. It began to work.

One early success in 2017 saw a young man, angry at the death of his uncle who had been fighting in Syria, ask these spies for a bomb to attack Downing Street. It was a crazy and unrealisable plan. But he genuinely wanted to do it.

The Prevent system - which was set up to identify potential extremists and to stop them supporting terrorism - struggled to win public support amid fears that it was a network to spy on people.

But today it is a vital tool in the state's armoury - with figures showing that since 2015, some 5,000 young people have been identified as being at risk of extremism and given support, typically through counselling and mentoring, to reject it.

Why MI5 failed to stop the Manchester bombing

The Manchester Arena terror attack of 2017 - in which 22 people were killed - revealed that MI5 missed a significant chance to focus on the would-be suicide bomber and stop him - but it also revealed how lax security at public gatherings could be exploited.

Figen Murray's son Martyn Hett was one of the 22 killed.

"You don't ever come to terms with it," she tells me. "It's the brutality, the randomness. These people who commit terrorist attacks do not care who they kill. They don't select people in most cases.

"Our loved ones are pawns in a big game, because terrorists really want to make a statement against the state."

Her grief spurred her on to come up with one of the biggest legal changes of the last 20 years - a practical measure to protect people if the security services fail to spot an incoming threat.

Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images Flowers and balloons are placed in central Manchester on May 22, 2018, the one year anniversary of the deadly attack at Manchester ArenaOli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images
In 2017, 22 people were killed in a suicide bombing at The Manchester Arena

Along with Nick Aldworth, a former senior police officer, they lobbied government to create "Martyn's Law".

The legislation - which is coming into force over two years - requires venues to have a security plan to help stop acts of terrorism on their premises.

In time, sites with more than 800 people will need extra measures such as CCTV or security staff and all venues that can hold more than 200 people will have to devise some kind of plan to protect the public and make sure their staff know how to act on it in an emergency.

At the O2 Arena in London, for example, staff process arriving guests a bit like they are going through an airport. There are machines available to scan for weapons too.

Violence without an ideology

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicky Evans, the current head of counter-terrorism policing, says her officers are seeing suspects getting younger, with violent material on the internet playing a role in that.

In some cases officers are trying to work out what to do about people bent on extreme violence, inspired by acts of terrorism, but who have no clear-cut ideology.

Many of these complex cases are referred by the police to the Prevent counter-radicalisation programme to see if specialist mentors can help.

Peter Powell/AFP via Getty Images Protesters throw flares in Liverpool during a demonstration held in reaction to the fatal stabbings in Southport on July 29
Peter Powell/AFP via Getty Images
After the Southport attack, riots broke out across England

The case of the Southport murderer Alex Rudakubana - who had been repeatedly flagged to Prevent - is at the heart of a debate about internet-fuelled violence. The forthcoming public inquiry will look for answers, and may even mean we have to rethink what we mean by the word "terrorism".

The Home Secretary Yvette Cooper's recent decision to ban Palestine Action under terrorism laws - for causing massive criminal damage - is further adding to a national debate about what threats the counter-terrorism network should confront.

Today, many many more powers are in place - and the UK's counter-terrorism network, which has a dedicated secret headquarters in London, is a well-oiled machine. But the threat is more diverse than ever.

Since 2017, the police say there have been 15 domestic terrorism incidents and they have disrupted 43 "late-stage" plots.

In the wake of the 2005 attacks, Sir Tony Blair was accused of trampling over civil liberties in the search for the right set of powers he thought the security services needed.

I asked whether he had got the balance right - and the posed back at me will be in the mind of every one of his successors.

"The most fundamental basic liberty is to be protected from violence - and particularly random terrorist violence," he said.

"You've got to ask yourself, are the policy tools we have in our toolbox adequate to deal with the threat?"

Additional Reporting: Jonathan Brunert

Top image credits: AFP via Getty and Justin Talli

BBC InDepth is the home on the website and app for the best analysis, with fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions and deep reporting on the biggest issues of the day. And we showcase thought-provoking content from across BBC Sounds and iPlayer too. You can send us your feedback on the InDepth section by clicking on the button below.

King's message of unity for 7/7 attack anniversary

Reuters King Charles head and shoulders, in photo taken in June 2025Reuters
King Charles warned against "those who would seek to divide us"

King Charles has called on people to stand united "against those who would seek to divide us", in a message marking the 20th anniversary of the 7/7 attacks in London.

He condemned the "senseless acts of evil" that saw bombs detonated on the capital's public transport system, killing 52 people and injuring more than 700.

The King called for a "spirit of unity" and said the attacks had shown the importance of "building a society where people of all faiths and backgrounds can live together with mutual respect and understanding".

Commemorative events will be held in the capital on Monday, remembering the victims of the 7 July 2005 bombings, carried out by Islamist extremists.

Getty Images London bus ripped apart by an explosion in the 7/7 bombingsGetty Images
A London bus ripped apart by an explosion in the 7/7 bombings 20 years ago

That will include a National Service of Commemoration at St Paul's Cathedral, where the King will be represented by the Duke of Edinburgh.

The suicide attacks in central London had seen bombs detonated on three underground trains and a double-decker bus, causing terrible casualties in the capital's rush hour.

The King's message said his "special prayers remain with all those whose lives were forever changed on that terrible summer's day", including those who carried the "physical and psychological scars".

He praised those who helped with the rescue and the "extraordinary courage and compassion that emerged from the darkness of that day".

King Charles has been a dedicated supporter of building bridges between different faiths and encouraging tolerance and respect between religions.

"While the horrors will never be forgotten, we may take comfort from the way such events rally communities together in solidarity, solace and determination.

"It is this spirit of unity that has helped London, and our nation, to heal," he said.

Thin, purple banner promoting the Royal Watch newsletter with text saying, “Insider stories and expert analysis in your inbox every week”. There is also a graphic of a fleur-de-lis in white.

Sign up here to get the latest royal stories and analysis every week with our Royal Watch newsletter. Those outside the UK can sign up here.

At least 78 dead and dozens missing in Texas floods as more rain looms

Watch: BBC reports from Camp Mystic, where search for missing girls continues

At least 78 people have been confirmed dead in central Texas and another 41 are missing following flash floods on Friday.

Sixty-eight of the fatalities, including 28 children, occurred in Kerr County, where a riverside Christian girls' camp was deluged. Ten girls and a counsellor from Camp Mystic are still missing.

Officials say the death toll is certain to rise. More storms are expected in the next 24-48 hours in the region, which could hamper rescue teams who are already facing venomous snakes as they sift through mud and debris.

Three days after the inundation, one of the largest search-and-rescue efforts in recent Texas history was shifting towards a recovery operation.

Of those recovered in Kerr County, 18 adults and 10 children have yet to be formally identified.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said on Sunday that authorities would "stop at nothing" to ensure every missing person is found.

Getty Images Workers operate heavy machinery to clear debris after massive flooding Getty Images

"It was nothing short of horrific to see what those young children went through," said Abbott, a day after he toured the area.

A major focus of the search has been Camp Mystic, a popular summer camp for girls perched on the banks of the Guadalupe River, which suffered significant damage.

The catastrophe unfolded before daybreak on Friday as the river rose 26ft (8m) in the span of just 45 minutes while most campers were asleep.

Several young campers and the camp's longtime director, Richard "Dick" Eastland, are among the dead.

'It's very traumatising' - Kerrville local reacts to flood devastation

Greg Froelick, a former Navy Seal and volunteer with the rescue group 300 Justice, is helping the effort to find survivors.

Speaking to the BBC, he said he had heard of victims being found up to eight miles downriver from where Camp Mystic once stood.

He said he has seen "clothing and items from the camp dressers scattered everywhere, up and down the river".

There is also uncertainty about how many other people were camping in the area for the Fourth of July weekend - and how many may have been swept away in the floods.

A two-lane highway that skirts the Guadalupe River and connects the city of Kerrville to Camp Mystic is a scene of devastation.

Ravaged homes are surrounded by fallen trees and furniture on lawns. Fences are toppled and utility lines down in some areas.

Watch: Kerrville official is asked about lack of flood warnings

President Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration on Sunday for Kerr County, activating the Federal Emergency Management Agency to Texas. He also said he would probably visit the state on Friday.

"We're working very closely with representatives from Texas, and it's a horrible thing that took place, absolutely horrible," Trump said on Sunday in New Jersey.

On the ground, local residents are stepping up to support relief efforts - collecting supplies, offering shelter, and doing what they can to help neighbours displaced by the storm.

Alma Garcia drove in from the city of San Antonio to deliver home-cooked meals to residents and volunteers helping with the clean-up effort.

The BBC saw her pull over on the side of the road and take off a top layer T-shirt to give to a resident.

"She was all wet, I told her she's going to need it," Ms Garcia told the BBC.

Local resident Perla started collecting clothes and shoes on Friday after she finished her shift at Walmart. She dropped them off at a shelter the next morning.

"I've never seen something like this before," she told the BBC.

Meanwhile, well wishes poured in from around the world.

In Rome, Pope Leo XIV offered special prayers on Sunday for the bereaved in Texas.

"I would like to express sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones, in particular their daughters who were in summer camp, in the disaster caused by the flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas in the United States," the pontiff said.

"We pray for them."

Angélica Casas and Alex Lederman contributed to this report

Map of Camp Mystic in Texas

First round of Gaza ceasefire talks ends without breakthrough

Getty Images Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement during a visit to the site of the Weizmann Institute of Science, which was hit by an Iranian missile barrage. He wears a light blue shirt and navy blazer. Getty Images

Delegations from Israel and Hamas have begun an indirect round of ceasefire talks in Qatar, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads to Washington to meet Donald Trump.

Netanyahu said he thinks his meeting with the US president on Monday should help progress efforts to reach a deal for the release of more hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza.

He said he had given his negotiators clear instructions to achieve a ceasefire agreement under conditions Israel has accepted.

Hamas has said it has responded to the latest ceasefire proposal in a positive spirit, but it seems clear there are still gaps between the two sides that need to be bridged if any deal is to be agreed.

For now, Hamas still seems to be holding out for essentially the same conditions it has previously insisted on - including a guarantee of an end to all hostilities at the end of any truce and the withdrawal of Israeli troops.

Netanyahu's government has rejected this before.

The Israeli position may also not have shifted to any major degree. As he was leaving Israel for the US, Netanyahu said he was still committed to what he described as three missions: "The release and return of all the hostages, the living and the fallen; the destruction of Hamas's capabilities - to kick it out of there, and to ensure that Gaza will no longer constitute a threat to Israel."

Qatari and Egyptian mediators will have their work cut out during the indirect talks between Israel and Hamas in trying to overcome these sticking points, which have have derailed other initiatives since the previous ceasefire ended in March.

Israel has since resumed its offensive against Hamas with great intensity, as well as imposing an eleven-week blockade on aid entering Gaza, which was partially lifted several weeks ago.

The Israeli government says these measures have been aimed at further weakening Hamas and forcing it to negotiate and free the hostages.

Just in the past 24 hours, the Israeli military says it struck 130 Hamas targets and killed a number of militants.

But the cost in civilian lives in Gaza continues to grow as well. Hospital officials in Gaza said more than 30 people were killed on Sunday.

The question now is not only whether the talks in Qatar can achieve a compromise acceptable to both sides - but also whether Trump can persuade Netanyahu that the war must come to an end at their meeting on Monday.

Many in Israel already believe that is a price worth paying to save the remaining hostages.

Once again, they came out on to the streets on Saturday evening, calling on Netanyahu to reach a deal so the hostages can finally be freed.

But there are hardline voices in Netanyahu's cabinet, including the national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir and the finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, who have once again expressed their fierce opposition to ending the war in Gaza before Hamas has been completely eliminated.

Once again, there is the appearance of real momentum towards a ceasefire deal, but uncertainty over whether either the Israeli government or Hamas is ready to reach an agreement that might fall short of the key conditions they have so far set.

And once again, Palestinians in Gaza and the families of Israeli hostages still held there are fervently hoping this will not be another false dawn.

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

At least 57,338 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

Post Office scandal victim: 'I need someone to be punished'

BBC Former sub-postmaster Harjinder Butoy sitting on a chair at his home in ChesterfieldBBC
Harjinder Butoy says he lost everything from the day he was sentenced

Former sub-postmaster Harjinder Butoy spent more time in prison than any other victim of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal.

After 18 months in jail, it then took another 15 years to clear his name. He is one of dozens of sub-postmasters who gave evidence to the official inquiry into what happened.

The inquiry chair, Sir Wyn Williams, will deliver the first part of his final report on Tuesday, which will focus on the human impact of the scandal and will also look at compensation.

But Mr Butoy is not sure he will be able to watch. "It's going to bring back too many bad memories for me," he told the BBC, adding he needs "someone to be punished".

The Post Office scandal is believed to be one of the biggest miscarriages of justices in UK history.

Thousands of victims were wrongly blamed for financial losses from the faulty Horizon computer system which was rolled out across the Post Office branch network from 1999.

More than 900 people were prosecuted and 236 were sent to prison.

Mr Butoy was one of them, convicted of stealing more than £200,000 from his branch in Nottinghamshire in 2007.

"We lost everything from the day I got sentenced. We lost our business. I had to declare bankruptcy. My wife and three kids had to move back in with my parents, " he says.

After he was released from prison his conviction meant he struggled to find work and his health also suffered.

"I just want everyone to know the impact, what's happened to us all. But I also need someone to be punished and let them go to prison and feel like what we've been through," he says.

His conviction was overturned in 2021. Parliament later passed a law exonerating all those who had been convicted.

'Huge day'

The inquiry heard from 189 people who gave evidence on how the scandal had turned their lives upside down.

Many lost their businesses, some lost their homes, and most lost their reputations and financial security.

The second part of the inquiry's report – on how the scandal happened and why – may not be published until 2026.

Nichola Arch and Wendy Buffrey sit on a bench in a sunny garden with two cups of tea
Nichola Arch (left) and Wendy Buffrey say the publication of the report will be "huge"

Although Harjinder Butoy may not be watching, Wendy Buffrey and Nichola Arch will be among dozens of victims and their families travelling to hear Sir Wyn speak as he presents Volume 1 of his report. Many more will be watching the proceedings livestreamed over the internet.

Mrs Buffrey, who had a Post Office in Cheltenham, was suspended after an audit in December 2008 and prosecuted. She had to sell her house and business to pay off the alleged shortfall in her accounts, and has suffered with her mental health.

She says the publication of the report is going to be "a huge day".

"To actually have the establishment recognise what they've put us through is huge," she said. "The apologies we've had from the Post Office have been so mealy-mouthed, not thought through, and really not sincere."

Mrs Arch, who managed the Chalford Hill branch near Stroud, says: "You would hope the government would acknowledge every detail of that report."

She was accused of stealing from pensioners, shunned by her local community, and spat on outside a local supermarket.

After two years she was found not guilty, "but the damage had been done by then".

The impact on her family was "like a tsunami", she says. "It's like a cobweb. It just affects every single friend, family, child, you know, connected to you."

'Painful' compensation issue

For many victims of the scandal, the most pressing issue is financial redress.

That's the main reason why Sir Wyn has split his report into two, to publish his findings on the progress of compensation as soon as possible.

He has taken a keen interest on how redress is being delivered, holding several hearings on the issue and delivering an interim report in 2023 where he likened the various schemes to a "patchwork quilt with some holes in it".

"Compensation has been a painful issue," says solicitor David Enright, from Howe & Co, which represents hundreds of wronged sub-postmasters.

"However, we are also hoping [the report] will remind people of what the real harm has been, and that is the shattering of families across the country. "

According to the latest figures from the government, more than £1bn has been paid out in compensation to over 7,300 sub-postmasters.

However, hundreds are still waiting for their final payments and many are locked in disputes over the amount they have been offered.

Mr Butoy has only just submitted his claim for compensation. It has taken three years to gather all the necessary reports and paperwork.

"Clearing our name was so good. But compensation is very hard. It's like they don't believe us, don't trust us."

His solicitor, Neil Hudgell, whose firm also represents hundreds of other former sub-postmasters, told the BBC that if the situation doesn't improve, full and fair redress for all victims could take another two to three years.

Hudgell Solicitors says it has helped more than 300 people agree damages totalling more than £170m. However, Mr Hudgell says his firm still has more than 700 cases waiting to be resolved through the various compensation schemes.

Meanwhile, the police officer leading the investigation into the scandal has admitted criminal trials may not start until 2028.

For Mr Butoy, and others who want to see those responsible held to account, the wait continues.

Nursery teachers to get £4,500 to work in disadvantaged areas

PA Media A stock image of a young child playing with lego. The red, yellow and blue lego blocks are in focus while the child behind is blurred.PA Media

Early years teachers in England will be offered tax-free payments of £4,500 to work in nurseries in disadvantaged areas as part of government efforts to boost standards.

The incentives are designed to attract and retain fully qualified staff in 20 areas, the education department said on Monday without confirming exactly which places would benefit.

The scheme is part of a wider strategy designed to narrow the attainment gap among pre-school children due to be unveiled on Monday.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the plans would "help give our youngest children the very best start in life" - but the Conservatives said Labour's tax changes had hit nurseries hard.

The government said it would spend £1.5 billion on its so-called Best Start in Life strategy, which builds on Labour's campaign pledge to reform services for the youngest children in order to drive up education and health standards.

The education department said only one in 10 nurseries currently have a specialist early years teacher.

The direct payments to trained teachers are intended to incentivise staff to work in areas with the most acute needs.

Payments will begin next year, though no details about the eligibility criteria have been published.

Also included in the package of reforms is a proposal to increase the number of Ofsted inspection nurseries undergo, including ensuring all new providers are assessed within 18 months.

Announcing the plans, Phillipson said "the best way of reducing inequalities is by tackling them early".

On Sunday, the government also said it would fund new local hubs to offer youth services and support for parents, which are modelled on the Sure Start centres set up under the New Labour government and largely closed after 2010.

Neil Leith of the Early Years Alliance said the early years announcement was a "positive development" but warned the strategy would only work "if it is backed up with the tangible support - financial or otherwise".

Shadow education minister Neil O'Brien said that an increase in employers' National Insurance contributions had left nurseries across the country "on the brink".

Some have had to "hike fees or shut their doors", he said, adding: "Families are being left to face higher childcare costs and fewer places."

Israel launches strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen

BBC Breaking NewsBBC

Israel says it has launched strikes on Houthi targets in three Yemeni ports, including the western port of Hodeidah, Ras Isa and Saif.

The attacks come shortly after the Israeli military issued evacuation orders for civilians in the areas, warning of imminent air strikes.

Israeli defence minister Israel Katz confirmed on social media the strikes on the Houthi-controlled sites including a power station and ship that was hijacked by the group two years ago.

Houthi-run media in Yemen said the strikes hit the port of Hodeidah, but no further details were provided on damage or casualties.

Katz said the strikes were part of "Operation Black Flag" and warned that the Houthis "will continue to pay a heavy price for their actions".

"The fate of Yemen is the same as the fate of Tehran. Anyone who tries to harm Israel will be harmed, and anyone who raises a hand against Israel will have their hand cut off," he said in a post on X.

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

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

Bereavement leave to be extended to miscarriages before 24 weeks

Getty Images Silhouette of sad and depressed woman sitting on the floor at home.Getty Images

Parents who experience a miscarriage before 24 weeks of pregnancy will be entitled to bereavement leave under a planned law change.

The government is set to amend the Employment Rights Bill to give parents the legal right to take time off work to grieve if they experience pregnancy loss at any stage.

As it stands, bereavement leave is only available to parents who lose an unborn child after 24 weeks of pregnancy.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said the change will give "people time away from work to grieve".

"No one who is going through the heartbreak of pregnancy loss should have to go back to work before they are ready," Rayner said.

Parents are currently entitled to a fortnight's leave if they suffer pregnancy loss after 24 weeks, or if a child younger than 18 dies.

The extended right to leave will be for "at least" one week, though the exact length is still being consulted on.

The Employment Rights Bill, which includes further measures to protect in law the right of employees to have time off to grieve the loss of a loved one, is already making its way through Parliament.

Labour MP Sarah Owen, who chairs the Women and Equalities Committee, has previously campaigned for the change.

In 2021, she told MPs that after her own miscarriage she felt physically better in a few days but had "all the classic signs" of grieving.

"I could not eat, I could not sleep. I really did not hold much hope that life would ever get brighter," she said.

In March, business minister Justin Madders told MPs he accepted the principle of bereavement leave for pregnancy loss and promised to look at adding the right to the Employment Rights Bill.

Vicki Robinson, chief executive of the Miscarriage Association, welcomed the announcement.

She said it was "a hugely important step that acknowledges the often very significant impact of pre-24-week loss, not only for those experiencing the physical loss, but for their partners too".

Lena Dunham on fatphobia, dating advice and her new London rom-com

Getty Images Lena Dunham - a woman with black hair and red lipstick - smiles at the camera wit a backdrop of foliage Getty Images
Dunham's move to London in 2021 inspired her new rom-com

Lena Dunham is almost synonymous with New York City. The US actress, writer and director rose to fame with her award-winning semi-autobiographical series Girls, which followed four 20-something women as they navigated love, life and friendship in the Big Apple.

But her latest project - a Netflix rom-com loosely based on her life over the last few years - is set on the other side of the Atlantic.

Too Much follows Jessica (Megan Stalter), who moves from New York to London after breaking up with her boyfriend, and falls in love with punk musician Felix (Will Sharpe).

Just as Dunham did when she moved to London in 2021, Jessica quickly learns the important things about the UK: everybody loves Paddington, the Jaffa Cake debate is highly contentious (it's definitely a biscuit) and a "housing estate" isn't the sprawling gardens of a lavish manor house.

Dunham tells the BBC that while Too Much has "superficial similarities" to her life and is "about 5% autobiographical", she didn't see herself ever playing the show's protagonist in the way she did in Girls.

"I didn't consider Jessica to be me - she's inspired by my life but is her own character and was written with Megan in mind," she says.

Megan Stalter says Girls "was all about sex and Too Much is about falling in love", which is a similar to how Dunham sees the show.

Netflix Megan Stalter as Jessica in Too Much. Megan is wearing a blue coat and a pink bag, she is carrying a small dog in a blue jumperNetflix
Dunham says there are some autobiographical elements to Too Much

There was also another reason she chose to step away from the spotlight. While filming Girls, in her 20s, Dunham's body was heavily scrutinised and last year, she told the New Yorker she "was not up for having my body dissected again".

She explains that body shaming was part of the reason she stepped further behind the camera. "Just being perceived was overwhelming," she says.

Dunham has spent the past few years focusing on writing projects that don't centre her as an actor.

She believes society has made some strides towards being more body positive, but says the culture we live in is still "so deeply fatphobic, misogynistic, racist and ageist and that informs our dynamic with our body".

The 39-year-old has been vocal about challenges she's faced with her health, particularly her endometriosis, which led her to have a hysterectomy aged 31.

Asked how her relationship with her body has changed since then, she says she's developed a new love for how she looks.

"I've been able to have a relationship with my body that exists outside of the cultural pressures and I feel lucky for that."

Getty Images Lena Dunham, Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke and Zosia Mamet are seen filming the HBO series 'Girls' on May 25, 2012 in New York City.Getty Images
Girls ran for six series between 2012 and 2017

As well as reflecting on how her self image has changed, Dunham also says she's learned a lot since her 20s.

Having been in the spotlight for more than decade, the actress has had her fair share of controversies.

In 2017, she defended Girls writer Murray Miller when he was accused of sexual assault. Dunham later apologised, saying it was "absolutely the wrong time" to share her perspective. Miller vehemently denied the claims and was not charged.

She also apologised for a "distasteful joke" she had made on a podcast saying she wished she'd experienced a termination when discussing the US abortion.

"I thought, back then, it was important to just keep going and be tough no matter what happened," she reflects.

"I was so focused on work and not letting any of the noise in but I wish I had allowed myself to take more time and space. We all have to acknowledge our own complexities and sensitivities but it's hard to wrap your head around that when you're in your 20s."

'I've felt like I'm too much'

Dunham's new 10-episode series stars Hacks actor Megan Stalter and Will Sharpe, best known for playing Ethan Spiller in The White Lotus and films such as A Real Pain.

Sharpe, 38, says he relates to the challenges his character faces, as "everyone carries baggage from their previous relationship" and feels vulnerable when they enter a new one.

Stalter relates to her character too. The 34-year-old says she often "felt like she was too much" in her 20s but with time, has come to be proud of her who she is.

Netflix Megan Stalter and Will Sharpe as Jessica and Felix. The pair are sitting in bed looking at each other as Megan holds a dog wrapped in a blanketNetflix
Megan Stalter and Will Sharpe say they both see similarities between themselves and their characters in Too Much

Written with Dunham's husband, musician Luis Felber, Too Much focuses on the evolution of one romantic relationship.

It's refreshing in its realness - from serious conversations between Jessica and Felix to the fact Jessica's media salary stretches to a housing estate in east London rather than a Bridget Jones-esque flat in Borough Market.

I ask Dunham if she has any dating tips for women in their 20s, given she's been through the rollercoaster of trying to find a life partner.

She says the concept of dating has changed over the years, and back in the late noughties, it was "considered a last resort or a strange thing to meet someone online".

Looking back, Dunham wishes she would have allowed herself to understand what she really wanted rather than just seeing the cultural expectations that were placed on her.

"If I was letting myself understand my own desire, my 20s would have looked really different romantically."

Too Much is released on Netflix on 10 July.

A girls' summer camp cut tragically short by a 'horrific' deluge

Getty Images Muddied bunk bedsGetty Images

Camp Mystic, a Christian girls' camp perched on the banks of the Guadalupe River in Texas, was a place of laughter, prayer, and adventure just days ago.

Among the girls at the camp was eight-year-old Renee Smajstrla, smiling ear-to-ear in a picture taken on one of those days - "having the time of her life" with her friends.

But the next day, the camp she, and so many other young girls loved, turned into the site of one of the deadliest flood disasters in recent Texas history.

Smajstrla was among those killed.

"She will forever be living her best life at Camp Mystic," her uncle Shawn Salta wrote on Facebook.

Photos show the eerie aftermath: the bunk beds are still there - mud-caked and toppled over, the detritus of a summer camp cut tragically short.

Destroyed personal belongings are scattered across soaked interiors where children once gathered for Bible study and campfire songs.

Camp Mystic Renee SmajstrlaCamp Mystic
Renee Smajstrla

At least 59 people - among them camp's longtime director, Richard "Dick" Eastland, and several young campers - have been confirmed dead.

Eleven of its campers and one camp counsellor remain missing. Many of the girls who remain missing were sleeping in low-lying cabins less than 500ft (150m) from the riverbank, US media report.

Getty Images Scattered personal belongingsGetty Images

Camp Mystic has been operated by the same family for generations, offering girls a chance to grow "spiritually" in a "wholesome" Christian atmosphere, according to its website.

Families from all across Texas and the US send their daughters each summer to swim, canoe, ride horses, and form lifelong friendships.

But the beauty of the Guadalupe River, which draws so many to the area, also proved deadly.

The floodwaters arrived with little warning, ripping through the picturesque riverfront area that is home to nearly 20 youth camps.

Though Camp Mystic suffered the greatest losses, officials say the scale of the disaster is far-reaching.

Nearby, the all-girls camp Heart O' the Hills also faced flooding.

Its co-owner and director, Jane Ragsdale, was among the dead. Fortunately, the camp was out of session at the time.

A statement from the camp said, "Most of those who were on camp at the time have been accounted for and are on high ground… We are mourning the loss of a woman who influenced countless lives and was the definition of strong and powerful."

Getty Images Outside building of Camp MysticGetty Images

Questions are now mounting over why so many camps were situated so close to the river, and why more was not done to evacuate the children in time.

Congressman Chip Roy, who represents the area, acknowledged the devastation while urging caution against premature blame.

"The response is going to be, 'We've gotta move all these camps - why would you have camps down here by the water?'" Roy said.

"Well, you have camps by the water because it's by the water. You have camps near the river because it's a beautiful and wonderful place to be."

As recovery efforts continue, families wait anxiously for news of the missing. Search and rescue teams - some navigating by boat, others combing through debris - are working around the clock.

Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said on Sunday the search for survivors continued.

"Until we can get them reunited families, we are not going to stop," City Manager Dalton Rice said.

Governor Greg Abbott has declared a state of emergency, and officials warn the final toll may rise in the days to come.

中国为何没有批评特朗普的“大而美”法案

简繁中文
纽约时报 出版语言
字体大小

中国为何没有批评特朗普的“大而美”法案

DAVID PIERSON, BERRY WANG
美国众议院通过了一项涵盖范围广泛的法案,旨在延长减税政策并削减社会保障项目。国会预算办公室报告称,这项措施将导致美国国债在未来十年内增加至少3.4万亿美元。
美国众议院通过了一项涵盖范围广泛的法案,旨在延长减税政策并削减社会保障项目。国会预算办公室报告称,这项措施将导致美国国债在未来十年内增加至少3.4万亿美元。 Kenny Holston/The New York Times
作为过去20年美国债务的最大持有国之一,中国从不回避对美国财政行为的批评。
就像父母训斥孩子透支信用卡一样,中国在2013年美国债务上限僵局期间向华盛顿施压,要求其保护中国资产;2008年全球金融危机后,中国更是直指美国人的挥霍无度是罪魁祸首。
但当美国国会议员就一项由特朗普总统支持、预计到2034年将使联邦债务激增逾3万亿美元的庞大国内法案进行辩论并最终通过时,中国却基本上不置一词——尽管该法案可能对中国持有的美国资产构成长期风险。
麻省理工学院的经济学家黄亚生表示,中国对持有美债的主要担忧长期以来一直集中在美元的价值,以及美国是否会违约这两个层面。
广告
“这两个担忧如今都更加现实,”他说。“美元持续贬值已经拖累中国持债价值。至于另一个担忧,我个人不信任本届政府会恪守法治原则与债务义务。”
中国官方媒体在报道国会辩论时强调了该法案的争议性,以及美国民主制度在体现民意方面似乎失效。报道将辩论描述为一场“政治马戏”,中国的评论人士则称投票突显了美国“日益加剧的两极分化”。
但中国官员尚未公开批评特朗普政府,沉默背后可能存在其他考量。
避免贸易战是优先事项
在双方贸易战的脆弱休战状态下,中国可能认为没有必要通过公开批评该法案来激怒特朗普,此前双方曾互征高额关税。
双方已同意取消部分对抗性措施,并继续朝达成协议努力。双方甚至可能正在为特朗普与中国最高领导人习近平的会晤创造条件
北京正试图重振经济增长,难以承受一场旷日持久的贸易战。相比之下,国债持有问题并不是当务之急。更紧迫的是关税问题,以及特朗普政府试图说服其他国家限制对华贸易的努力。
广告
“中国仍在努力维持与美国之间脆弱的贸易停火,”研究公司Trivium的分析师乔·马祖尔表示。“批评特朗普的标志性立法可能会激怒他,破坏近期达成的外交共识。”
为什么要阻止敌人犯错呢?
从中国的角度来看,该法案非但不会推动美国经济增长,还可能把华盛顿推向财政悬崖,削弱其与北京竞争的能力。
“特朗普成功的几率充其量也只能说是不确定,”上海的国际关系学者沈丁立表示。他还表示,该法案通过削弱美国实力,“可能会间接帮助中国再次强大”。
美国的危机与混乱正好印证了习近平对当前世界局势的核心判断——东升西降。中国强调特朗普政府疏远美国盟友和伙伴,并无视全球规范
在社交媒体上,一个热门标签写道:“大而美法案将让1700万人失去医保”。网民们也为埃隆·马斯克的言论欢呼,他称该法案“疯狂”。
广告
相比之下,中国分析人士表示,中国提高债务水平部分是用于建设基础设施和向发展中国家贷款——这些支出旨在扩大中国的影响力。
中国同样也在应对不断增长的债务问题,这主要来自地方政府、融资平台以及房地产开发商的借贷。
北京大学的经济学家姚洋对中国是否会因特朗普的法案带来的混乱而受益表示怀疑。他表示,只要美国仍是世界上最大的消费市场,就可以继续借贷多年。
“美国的金融霸主地位也不是随意就可以被替代的。那连带的美元的霸主地位,也不是随意可以替代掉,”他说。
中国受美国债务的影响较小
北京长期诟病华盛顿滥发货币满足国内需求,却无视美元贬值,以及因此带来的海外持有美债资产的缩水。
广告
但中国也在逐步减持美债——从十多年前1.3万亿美元的峰值降至目前的约7500亿美元,转而投资于黄金等其他资产。
中国也致力于削弱其所谓的“美元霸权”,即美元作为世界主要贸易货币的地位。
位于北京的全球化智库理事长王辉耀表示,美元的这一地位加剧了世界对美国消费者的依赖,使得中国这样的主要出口国在面对关税威胁时”更为被动”。
“美国正在利用美元和巨额赤字融资来维持其全球霸权,”他说。

免费下载 纽约时报中文网
iOS 和 Android App

点击下载iOS App 点击下载Android App
© 2025 The New York Times Company.

Trump Says Musk Is ‘Off the Rails’ With America Party Effort

The tech billionaire’s effort to create a new political party, called the America Party, comes amid a ramped-up feud with the president over his new domestic policy law.

© Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times

Elon Musk was regularly seen alongside President Trump. After he left his role as a special government employee at the end of May, their relationship has grown cold, and the two men often spar over social media.

Murder inquiry after death of scientist on Dundee street

Police Scotland Dr GomoPolice Scotland
Dr Gomo completed her PhD at the University of Dundee in 2022

A man has been charged in connection with the death of a scientist after she was found seriously injured on a Dundee street.

Dr Fortune Gomo, 39, who was originally from Zimbabwe, was pronounced dead at the scene of the incident, which happened on South Road at about 16:25 on Saturday.

The 20-year-old suspect is expected to appear before Dundee Sheriff Court on Monday.

Dr Gomo, who worked for Scottish Water, lived locally and was a graduate of the University of Dundee.

Prof Nigel Seaton, interim principal and vice-chancellor, said the university was "shocked" by the death of the former research assistant.

Police carried out extensive investigations at the scene on Sunday

Det Supt Peter Sharp, the officer in charge of the inquiry, said: "Firstly, my thoughts remain with Fortune's family at this incredibly sad time.

"They are being supported by specialist officers and I would ask that their privacy is respected."

He added inquiries were continuing and said the incident "poses no wider risk to the public".

The senior officer said his team were following a number of lines of inquiry.

Det Supt Sharp added: "I am also acutely aware of content circulating on social media and would urge the public not to speculate about the circumstances of the incident.

"The public will notice a visibly increased police presence in the area and I would encourage anyone who has any concerns to speak with our officers."

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the force.

A large section of South Road was cordoned off on Sunday
A large section of South Road was cordoned off on Sunday

Prof Seaton said Dr Gomo was a PhD student and then postdoctoral research assistant in geography at the University of Dundee until February 2022.

Dr Gomo had recently joined Scottish Water as a senior service planner in water resource planning and was "thriving in her career".

Prof Seaton added: "Her death, following an alleged attack in South Road, Dundee, on Saturday afternoon, is a truly shocking event in our city and for our University community.

"It will be particularly distressing for those who knew and worked with Fortune throughout her time here at the University, and for all of those in our close-knit community of African colleagues and students.

"Our thoughts are with her family, friends and colleagues at this tragic time."

He said students affected by Dr Gomo's death could find "support and solace" in the university's Chaplaincy Centre, which will open on Monday.

特朗普称将与中国就TikTok交易展开谈判

简繁中文
纽约时报 出版语言
字体大小

特朗普称将与中国就TikTok交易展开谈判

CHRIS CAMERON
周五晚间,特朗普在“空军一号”上向媒体发表讲话。
周五晚间,特朗普在“空军一号”上向媒体发表讲话。 Michael A. McCoy for The New York Times
特朗普总统周五晚间表示,美国“已基本达成协议”,让一家本土公司收购TikTok的美国业务,并称他打算下周与中国重启谈判,以批准该协议。
“我们将在周一或周二开始与中国谈判,”特朗普在周五晚间搭乘“空军一号”前往新泽西州贝德明斯特时对随行记者表示。“我们认为我们可能需要中国批准。不一定,但可能是这样。”
他补充说:“我认为这笔交易对中国有利,对我们也有利。这是钱,是一大笔钱。”
特朗普没有透露潜在收购方的身份。总统在本周早些时候曾表示,他已经为TikTok的美国业务找到了买家。TikTok是一款广受欢迎的中资视频应用,目前正面临美国国会因国家安全担忧而施加的禁令。一项2024年生效的法律规定,除非母公司字节跳动将TikTok出售给非中国公司,否则该应用将在美国被禁止。国会担心敏感的用户数据可能会落入中国政府手中。
广告
目前尚不清楚这笔交易是否符合国会为TikTok出售设定的一些条件,尤其是在字节跳动拒绝向美国收购方提供算法的情况下。私募股权公司因为缺乏某种形式的担保而对该交易犹豫不决。
特朗普拒绝执行禁止该应用的法案。该法案在国会获得了两党广泛支持,在最高法院也得到了一致支持。在宣誓就任总统后不久,特朗普发布行政命令指示司法部暂停执行对TikTok的禁令,此后还多次延长暂停令。司法部长帕姆·邦迪已告知科技公司,特朗普具有宪法赋予的权力,可以有效搁置法律的执行。

免费下载 纽约时报中文网
iOS 和 Android App

点击下载iOS App 点击下载Android App
© 2025 The New York Times Company.

Carla Maxwell, Keeper of the José Limón Flame, Dies at 79

Her stewardship of the troupe that bears his name became a model for other dance companies, like Martha Graham’s, after their founders died.

© Andrea Mohin/The New York Times

Carla Maxwell in the 2006 revival of José Limón’s “Dances for Isadora.” He created the tempestuous solo “Maenad” for her. She took over the Limón dance company in 1977, five years after Mr. Limón’s death.

Bessent Says He Expects Trade Deals by This Week’s Deadline

But the Treasury secretary also said that some countries working toward agreements with the United States could have until Aug. 1.

© Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times

“There’s a lot of foot dragging on the other side, and so I would expect to see several big announcements over the next couple of days,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday.

Gaza ceasefire talks begin in Qatar as Netanyahu heads to Washington

Getty Images Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement during a visit to the site of the Weizmann Institute of Science, which was hit by an Iranian missile barrage. He wears a light blue shirt and navy blazer. Getty Images

Delegations from Israel and Hamas have begun an indirect round of ceasefire talks in Qatar, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads to Washington to meet Donald Trump.

Netanyahu said he thinks his meeting with the US president on Monday should help progress efforts to reach a deal for the release of more hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza.

He said he had given his negotiators clear instructions to achieve a ceasefire agreement under conditions Israel has accepted.

Hamas has said it has responded to the latest ceasefire proposal in a positive spirit, but it seems clear there are still gaps between the two sides that need to be bridged if any deal is to be agreed.

For now, Hamas still seems to be holding out for essentially the same conditions it has previously insisted on - including a guarantee of an end to all hostilities at the end of any truce and the withdrawal of Israeli troops.

Netanyahu's government has rejected this before.

The Israeli position may also not have shifted to any major degree. As he was leaving Israel for the US, Netanyahu said he was still committed to what he described as three missions: "The release and return of all the hostages, the living and the fallen; the destruction of Hamas's capabilities - to kick it out of there, and to ensure that Gaza will no longer constitute a threat to Israel."

Qatari and Egyptian mediators will have their work cut out during the indirect talks between Israel and Hamas in trying to overcome these sticking points, which have have derailed other initiatives since the previous ceasefire ended in March.

Israel has since resumed its offensive against Hamas with great intensity, as well as imposing an eleven-week blockade on aid entering Gaza, which was partially lifted several weeks ago.

The Israeli government says these measures have been aimed at further weakening Hamas and forcing it to negotiate and free the hostages.

Just in the past 24 hours, the Israeli military says it struck 130 Hamas targets and killed a number of militants.

But the cost in civilian lives in Gaza continues to grow as well. Hospital officials in Gaza said more than 30 people were killed on Sunday.

The question now is not only whether the talks in Qatar can achieve a compromise acceptable to both sides - but also whether Trump can persuade Netanyahu that the war must come to an end at their meeting on Monday.

Many in Israel already believe that is a price worth paying to save the remaining hostages.

Once again, they came out on to the streets on Saturday evening, calling on Netanyahu to reach a deal so the hostages can finally be freed.

But there are hardline voices in Netanyahu's cabinet, including the national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir and the finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, who have once again expressed their fierce opposition to ending the war in Gaza before Hamas has been completely eliminated.

Once again, there is the appearance of real momentum towards a ceasefire deal, but uncertainty over whether either the Israeli government or Hamas is ready to reach an agreement that might fall short of the key conditions they have so far set.

And once again, Palestinians in Gaza and the families of Israeli hostages still held there are fervently hoping this will not be another false dawn.

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

At least 57,338 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

IDF says it killed Hamas commander in cafe strike that killed dozens of civilians

Reuters A general view of a site following an Israeli airstrike on Al-Baqa cafeteria. Gaping windows and ripped, red awning can be seen in the foreground. Reuters
Al-Baqa cafeteria, a popular destination in western Gaza City was bombed on Monday

Israeli forces say they killed the commander of Hamas's naval force in northern Gaza in a strike on a seaside cafe in which dozens of civilians were killed.

After the attack on the popular al-Baqa cafe in Gaza City on Monday, family members in Gaza and abroad told the BBC of their shock at the scale of civilian casualties.

In a statement on Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the strike killed Ramzi Ramadan Abd Ali Saleh, along with Hisham Ayman Atiya Mansour, deputy head of Hamas's mortar unit, and Nissim Muhammad Suleiman Abu Sabha.

Saleh was a "significant source of knowledge" within Hamas and had been involved in planning and advancing "maritime terrorist attacks", the IDF said.

Sources in Gaza had previously told the BBC a senior Hamas commander was rumoured to have been at the cafe at the time of the strike.

The IDF also said it had taken steps "to mitigate the risk of harming civilians" but did not provide any further details as to why so many people were killed in the incident.

The BBC has reviewed 29 names of people reported killed in the strike on the cafe, at least nine of whom were women, while several were children and teenagers.

Those killed included artists, students, social activists, a female boxer, a footballer and cafe staff.

Staff at Shifa Hospital, which received bodies from the attack, said its toll as of Thursday had reached 40 dead, including people who had succumbed to their injuries, and unidentified bodies.

An official at the hospital said some of the bodies had been "blown to pieces", and that 72 injured patients were brought there - many having sustained severe burns and significant injuries that required surgery.

The al-Baqa Cafeteria was well-known across the Gaza Strip, and considered by many to be among the territory's most scenic and vibrant meeting spots.

It had remained popular even during the war, especially due to its unusually stable internet connection.

The IDF did not directly respond to multiple BBC questions about whether it considered the number of civilian casualties to be proportionate.

In its statement on Sunday it said it would "continue to operate against the Hamas terrorist organization in order to remove any threat posed to Israeli civilians", before saying the "incident" was "under review".

Meanwhile, indirect talks between Israel and Hamas began in Qatar on Sunday to discuss the latest proposal for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal.

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

At least 57,338 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

Gaza ceasefire talks begin in Qatar as Netanyahu heads to Washington

Getty Images Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement during a visit to the site of the Weizmann Institute of Science, which was hit by an Iranian missile barrage. He wears a light blue shirt and navy blazer. Getty Images

Delegations from Israel and Hamas have begun an indirect round of ceasefire talks in Qatar, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads to Washington to meet Donald Trump.

Netanyahu said he thinks his meeting with the US president on Monday should help progress efforts to reach a deal for the release of more hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza.

He said he had given his negotiators clear instructions to achieve a ceasefire agreement under conditions Israel has accepted.

Hamas has said it has responded to the latest ceasefire proposal in a positive spirit, but it seems clear there are still gaps between the two sides that need to be bridged if any deal is to be agreed.

For now, Hamas still seems to be holding out for essentially the same conditions it has previously insisted on - including a guarantee of an end to all hostilities at the end of any truce and the withdrawal of Israeli troops.

Netanyahu's government has rejected this before.

The Israeli position may also not have shifted to any major degree. As he was leaving Israel for the US, Netanyahu said he was still committed to what he described as three missions: "The release and return of all the hostages, the living and the fallen; the destruction of Hamas's capabilities - to kick it out of there, and to ensure that Gaza will no longer constitute a threat to Israel."

Qatari and Egyptian mediators will have their work cut out during the indirect talks between Israel and Hamas in trying to overcome these sticking points, which have have derailed other initiatives since the previous ceasefire ended in March.

Israel has since resumed its offensive against Hamas with great intensity, as well as imposing an eleven-week blockade on aid entering Gaza, which was partially lifted several weeks ago.

The Israeli government says these measures have been aimed at further weakening Hamas and forcing it to negotiate and free the hostages.

Just in the past 24 hours, the Israeli military says it struck 130 Hamas targets and killed a number of militants.

But the cost in civilian lives in Gaza continues to grow as well. Hospital officials in Gaza said more than 30 people were killed on Sunday.

The question now is not only whether the talks in Qatar can achieve a compromise acceptable to both sides - but also whether Trump can persuade Netanyahu that the war must come to an end at their meeting on Monday.

Many in Israel already believe that is a price worth paying to save the remaining hostages.

Once again, they came out on to the streets on Saturday evening, calling on Netanyahu to reach a deal so the hostages can finally be freed.

But there are hardline voices in Netanyahu's cabinet, including the national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir and the finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, who have once again expressed their fierce opposition to ending the war in Gaza before Hamas has been completely eliminated.

Once again, there is the appearance of real momentum towards a ceasefire deal, but uncertainty over whether either the Israeli government or Hamas is ready to reach an agreement that might fall short of the key conditions they have so far set.

And once again, Palestinians in Gaza and the families of Israeli hostages still held there are fervently hoping this will not be another false dawn.

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

At least 57,338 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

'Human error' - Wimbledon sorry over missed line calls

'Human error' - Wimbledon sorry over missed line calls

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

This video can not be played

Media caption,

Kartal wins controversial game after electronic line-calling system fails

  • Published

Wimbledon organisers have apologised after the electronic line-calling system on Centre Court was turned off in error and missed three calls in one game.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova said a game was 'stolen' from her after there was no 'out' call when a Sonay Kartal backhand went long in the first set of their fourth-round match.

The Russian stopped after seeing the ball go long, and chair umpire Nico Helwerth halted play.

The All England Club initially said the system was "deactivated on the point in question" because of "operator error".

A spokesperson said later on Sunday that, after further investigation, it was found that the technology was "deactivated in error on part of the server's side of the court for one game".

During that time, three calls on the affected side of the court were not picked up.

Helwerth - who did not know the system had been turned off - called two of them himself before the incident highlighted by Pavlyuchenkova.

"We have apologised to the players involved," a spokesperson for the All England Club said.

"We continue to have full confidence in the accuracy of the ball tracking technology.

"In this instance, there was a human error and as a consequence we have fully reviewed our processes and made the appropriate changes."

Had the ball been called out, Pavlyuchenkova would have won the point and taken the game.

Instead, it was replayed, Kartal won the point and went on to break for a 5-4 lead.

Pavlyuchenkova had seen the ball was out - and a TV replay showed that was the case by some distance.

Addressing the crowd, Helwerth said: "We're just going to check if the system was up and running, because there was no audio call."

After a telephone call, he announced the electronic system "was unfortunately unable to track the last point" and ordered the point to be replayed.

The rulebook states that if the electronic line calling system fails to make a call, "the call shall be made by the chair umpire".

It adds: "If the chair umpire is unable to determine if the ball was in or out, then the point shall be replayed. This protocol applies only to point-ending shots or in the case when a player stops play."

The fact Pavlyuchenkova went on to win the match meant the malfunction was not as costly as it could have been, although she still questioned why the umpire did not call it out.

"That's why he's there," she said. "He also saw it out, he told me after the match.

"I thought he would do that, but he didn't. Instead they just said replay.

"I don't know if it's something to do [with Kartal being] local.

"I think it's also difficult for him. He probably was scared to take such a big decision."

A shot from Sonay Kartal lands out as Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is about to hit it
Image caption,

The electronic line-calling system did not call the shot from Sonay Kartal out

'You took the game away from me'

Pavlyuchenkova was clearly frustrated when she returned to her chair at the end of the game.

She told the umpire: "I don't know if it's in or out. How do I know? How can you prove it?

"You took the game away from me ... They stole the game from me. They stole it."

The automated line-calling system was introduced at Wimbledon for the first time this year.

Debbie Jevans - chair of the All England Club - said on Friday she was confident in its accuracy and the decision to bring it in.

Umpire speaks to PavlyuchenkovaImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

The umpire explained to the players there had been no line call

Electronic line-calling technology has been under scrutiny this week at Wimbledon, with a number of players saying they do not trust it.

Britain's Emma Raducanu has been one of those to voice concerns, saying some of the calls had been "dodgy", while former Olympic champion Belinda Bencic said the technology was a topic of discussion among players in the locker room.

Bencic said she was usually a fan of the technology but "it is not correct" at this tournament.

Line judges have been replaced by technology at many top-level tournaments, including the US Open and Australian Open.

Jevans previously said the technology was brought in because "the players wanted it" and some have backed the system, with former world number one Iga Swiatek saying she has had doubts but "has to trust" the calls.

'Let's just play without umpires'

When there were line judges, players could challenge the calls by using an electronic review. There are no challenges under the current system and video replays are not used.

Pavlyuchenkova suggested tennis should use video checks like football does "so that we can review the point".

"On such a big event I think it is necessary, since this isn't the first time this has happened," she told BBC Sport.

She said umpires were there to make big decisions otherwise they could "just play without them", adding: "I think the chair umpire should be able to take initiatives.

"That's what he is there for and that's why he is sitting in that chair, otherwise I think we could have also had a match without a chair umpire.

"They have no problem giving us fines and code violations, for any reason sometimes. So I would like them to be a bit more intensive to this sort of situation."

Pavlyuchenkova added in a news conference: "I would prefer they looked at the lines and call in the errors [and] mistakes better."

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

This video can not be played

Media caption,

How Pavlyuchenkova's 'incredible mental toughness' overcame glaring error

Wimbledon 2025

30 June to 13 July

Live across BBC TV, radio and online with extensive coverage on BBC iPlayer, Red Button, Connected TVs and mobile app.

Related topics

Murder inquiry after scientist found injured on street

Police Scotland Dr GomoPolice Scotland
Dr Gomo completed her PhD at the University of Dundee in 2022

A man has been charged in connection with the death of a scientist after she was found seriously injured on a Dundee street.

Dr Fortune Gomo, 39, who was originally from Zimbabwe, was pronounced dead at the scene of the incident, which happened on South Road at about 16:25 on Saturday.

The 20-year-old suspect is expected to appear before Dundee Sheriff Court on Monday.

Dr Gomo, who worked for Scottish Water, lived locally and was a graduate of the University of Dundee.

Prof Nigel Seaton, interim principal and vice-chancellor, said the university was "shocked" by the death of the former research assistant.

Police carried out extensive investigations at the scene on Sunday

Det Supt Peter Sharp, the officer in charge of the inquiry, said: "Firstly, my thoughts remain with Fortune's family at this incredibly sad time.

"They are being supported by specialist officers and I would ask that their privacy is respected."

He added inquiries were continuing and said the incident "poses no wider risk to the public".

The senior officer said his team were following a number of lines of inquiry.

Det Supt Sharp added: "I am also acutely aware of content circulating on social media and would urge the public not to speculate about the circumstances of the incident.

"The public will notice a visibly increased police presence in the area and I would encourage anyone who has any concerns to speak with our officers."

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the force.

A large section of South Road was cordoned off on Sunday
A large section of South Road was cordoned off on Sunday

Prof Seaton said Dr Gomo was a PhD student and then postdoctoral research assistant in geography at the University of Dundee until February 2022.

Dr Gomo had recently joined Scottish Water as a senior service planner in water resource planning and was "thriving in her career".

Prof Seaton added: "Her death, following an alleged attack in South Road, Dundee, on Saturday afternoon, is a truly shocking event in our city and for our University community.

"It will be particularly distressing for those who knew and worked with Fortune throughout her time here at the University, and for all of those in our close-knit community of African colleagues and students.

"Our thoughts are with her family, friends and colleagues at this tragic time."

He said students affected by Dr Gomo's death could find "support and solace" in the university's Chaplaincy Centre, which will open on Monday.

Eurostar train evacuated during nine-hour delay in northern France

James Grierson Several passengers stood on leafy ground by the side of the trainJames Grierson
Passengers were asked to leave the train which had broken down near Calais

People have been evacuated from a broken-down Eurostar train in northern France after waiting nearly four hours for help, passengers have told the BBC.

One person who was on board said they had been stuck on the train without air conditioning before emergency services and local rescue teams arrived to hand out water.

James Grierson said he was evacuated alongside a number of "very frustrated" passengers, and there was "no sign" of a replacement train to collect them.

Eurostar has been approached for comment. It had earlier posted messages on social media urging passengers to remain in their seats and wait for a replacement train.

James Grierson Several men in high-vis clothing are seen helping passengers off the trainJames Grierson
Passengers say local rescue teams attended the train hours after it had stopped

The affected train was en route from Brussels to London before it suffered "some electrical failing 10 minutes outside of Calais", Mr Grierson said.

Eurostar has not yet commented on the cause of the delay.

Pictures from the scene show dozens of people stood outside the stationary train, along with rescuers in high-vis jackets - one carrying an armful of bottled water.

Several passengers have messaged Eurostar on X, complaining of no air conditioning, overflowing toilets and a lack of updates.

The rail operator has replied to some of these messages apologising and saying a replacement train has been arranged to pick them up.

The Brooklyn Allergist’s Office That Was Once Home to a Spy

An antislavery spy who worked for the British in New York in the 1800s lived in a house that is now home to an allergy doctor descended from Horace Greeley.

© Clark Hodgin for The New York Times

Since around 1912, four generations descended from the renowned New-York Tribune editor Horace Greeley have lived at 140 Clinton Street in Brooklyn Heights. Many have been doctors.

Murder inquiry launched after scientist found injured on street

Police Scotland Dr GomoPolice Scotland
Dr Gomo completed her PhD at the University of Dundee in 2022

A man has been charged in connection with the death of a scientist after she was found seriously injured on a Dundee street.

Dr Fortune Gomo, 39, who was originally from Zimbabwe, was pronounced dead at the scene of the incident, which happened on South Road at about 16:25 on Saturday.

The 20-year-old suspect is expected to appear before Dundee Sheriff Court on Monday.

Dr Gomo, who worked for Scottish Water, lived locally and was a graduate of the University of Dundee.

Prof Nigel Seaton, interim principal and vice-chancellor, said the university was "shocked" by the death of the former research assistant.

Police carried out extensive investigations at the scene on Sunday

Det Supt Peter Sharp, the officer in charge of the inquiry, said: "Firstly, my thoughts remain with Fortune's family at this incredibly sad time.

"They are being supported by specialist officers and I would ask that their privacy is respected."

He added inquiries were continuing and said the incident "poses no wider risk to the public".

The senior officer said his team were following a number of lines of inquiry.

Det Supt Sharp added: "I am also acutely aware of content circulating on social media and would urge the public not to speculate about the circumstances of the incident.

"The public will notice a visibly increased police presence in the area and I would encourage anyone who has any concerns to speak with our officers."

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the force.

A large section of South Road was cordoned off on Sunday
A large section of South Road was cordoned off on Sunday

Prof Seaton said Dr Gomo was a PhD student and then postdoctoral research assistant in geography at the University of Dundee until February 2022.

Dr Gomo had recently joined Scottish Water as a senior service planner in water resource planning and was "thriving in her career".

Prof Seaton added: "Her death, following an alleged attack in South Road, Dundee, on Saturday afternoon, is a truly shocking event in our city and for our University community.

"It will be particularly distressing for those who knew and worked with Fortune throughout her time here at the University, and for all of those in our close-knit community of African colleagues and students.

"Our thoughts are with her family, friends and colleagues at this tragic time."

He said students affected by Dr Gomo's death could find "support and solace" in the university's Chaplaincy Centre, which will open on Monday.

Norris takes first Silverstone win in dramatic race

Norris takes first Silverstone win in dramatic race

McLaren's Lando Norris raises his arms in celebration after winning the British Grand PrixImage source, PA Media
Image caption,

Lando Norris has won races on consecutive weekends after his victory in Austria a week ago

McLaren's Lando Norris took his first home victory in a chaotic, dramatic, rain-affected British Grand Prix.

Norris benefited from a 10-second penalty handed to team-mate Oscar Piastri, who was found to have driven erratically during a restart after one of two safety-car periods at Silverstone.

Piastri had led the race calmly through a heavy shower of rain and series of incidents but was passed by Norris when he served his penalty at his final pit stop in the closing laps.

Norris appeared to be crying in his helmet on the slowing-down lap and described the win as "beautiful".

It reduces his deficit to Piastri in the drivers' championship to eight points.

"Apart from a championship, I think this is as good as it gets in terms of feelings and in terms of achievement, being proud, all of it," Norris said.

"The last few laps, I was just looking into the crowd. I was just trying to take it all in, enjoy the moment, because it might never happen again. I hope it does. But these are memories that I'll bring with me forever."

Nico Hulkenberg, 37, took his first podium finish at the 239th attempt - setting a new record for the longest time before finishing in the top three - after a strong race for Sauber.

The German managed to keep Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari at bay in the closing laps as Red Bull's Max Verstappen came home fifth.

Record crowd sees action-packed race

Max Verstappen spins entering Vale just as racing resumed after a safety carImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Max Verstappen facing in the wrong direction after spinning coming out of Stowe

An all-time F1 record crowd - 168,000 on the day and 500,000 over the weekend - were treated to an action-packed race.

Perhaps the most extraordinary moment came when Verstappen spun before racing had resumed at the restart after the second safety-car period.

Verstappen appeared to have been distracted by what had happened a few seconds before in the incident that earned Piastri his penalty.

As Piastri prepared for the final restart on lap 22, he slowed on the Hangar Straight. Verstappen, partially unsighted in the wet conditions, briefly passed the Australian, and then complained over the radio that he had suddenly braked.

It carried echoes of an incident at the Canadian Grand Prix two races ago, when Red Bull protested against a similar action by race winner George Russell of Mercedes, but had it rejected.

This time, the stewards decided Piastri had contravened a regulation that demands drivers "proceed at a pace which involved no erratic braking nor any other manoeuvre which is likely to endanger other drivers from the point at which the lights on the safety car are turned off".

Piastri was angry, but said he was "not going to say much because I'll get myself into trouble" - a reference to rules that say drivers can be penalised for criticising officials.

"Apparently you can't break behind the safety car any more. I did it for five laps before that," he said.

As the field rounded Stowe, Verstappen lost control and spun, dropping down to 10th place.

He recovered to fifth but is now 69 points behind Piastri and his championship hopes are dimmer than ever, especially in the face of McLaren's consistently strong form.

Hulkenberg, meanwhile, secured a hugely popular podium place from 19th on the grid.

"Coming from almost last it was pretty surreal, not sure how it happened," he said.

"We were really on it, the right calls. I was in denial until probably the last pit stop. But when we gapped Lewis I thought, 'OK.' The pressure was there. I knew he would give it all in front of his home crowd, but I was like, 'Sorry guys, this is my day. I have to stick my neck out.'"

Oscar Piastri passes Max Verstappen for lead on lap eightImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Oscar Piastri passes Max Verstappen for the lead on lap eight

The race started on a wet track after a soaking wet morning, but with the sun out and more rain heading towards Silverstone.

Verstappen held the lead through a brief challenge from Piastri off the line but he could not shake the McLarens, and Piastri was soon challenging him hard for the lead.

Before he could try a move, though, a virtual safety car was deployed after Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto crashed at Turn Two on lap four.

The race was restarted on lap seven, and Piastri was past Verstappen on the Hangar Straight before two laps were over, building a 2.9-second lead after just one lap.

It was then Norris' turn to challenge the Red Bull, but Verstappen gifted him the position when he slid off at Becketts on lap 11, just as heavy rain started.

That brought the drivers into the pits for fresh intermediates. By then, Aston Martin's Lance Stroll had gained time by an earlier change to soft tyres when the track was drying and emerged in fourth place, with Hulkenberg in fifth after stopping for inters on lap 10, so benefiting when others had to drive on a wet track on slick tyres and then pit.

The rain became heavier and a safety car was deployed on lap 14. The race restarted on lap 18, but a second safety car was sent out within a lap after Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar ran into the back of Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes at Copse because he could not see him in the spray.

When the race restarted for the last time on lap 22, Piastri started to try to build a lead but he was not able to get more than four seconds ahead before Norris came back at him - he was less than two seconds back by the time Piastri pitted to serve his penalty with nine laps to go.

Stroll was unable to hold on to his third place, soon being passed by Hulkenberg, then Hamilton, and eventually dropping down to seventh place.

Behind Verstappen, Alpine's Pierre Gasly, who was fifth at the restart, lost places to Hamilton and the Dutchman but was able to secure sixth place.

Williams' Alex Albon was eighth, ahead of Fernando Alonso, who was frustrated by his team's strategy costing him places in the topsy-turvy early part of the race, then pitted a couple of laps too early for slick tyres as the track dried in the closing stages.

That dropped him to last, but he recovered to take ninth, ahead of Mercedes' George Russell, who also stopped early for slicks for the final time.

Top 10

Lando Norris' McLaren during the British Grand Prix as torrential rain fallsImage source, Reuters
Image caption,

Torrential rain falls on Silverstone and the eventual race winner Lando Norris

1. Lando Norris (McLaren)

2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

3. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)

4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)

5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

6. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

7. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

8. Alex Albon (Williams)

9. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

10. George Russell (Mercedes)

What's next?

It's a three-week break before we move into the second half of the season with the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, which this year is a sprint event, from 25-27 July.

Related topics

❌