Prosecutors argue that Mr. Mangione can receive a fair trial, despite his lawyers’ concerns about “damaging” statements from the attorney general about the murder case.
Luigi Mangione, 27, was charged with second-degree murder in the December 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive. He has pleaded not guilty.
Keira says she sobbed uncontrollably when her baby was taken away from her
When Keira's daughter was born last November, she was given two hours with her before the baby was taken into care.
"Right when she came out, I started counting the minutes," Keira, 39, recalls.
"I kept looking at the clock to see how long we had."
When the moment came for Zammi to be taken from her arms, Keira says she sobbed uncontrollably, whispering "sorry" to her baby.
"It felt like a part of my soul died."
Now Keira is one of many Greenlandic families living on the Danish mainland who are fighting to get their children returned to them after they were removed by social services.
In such cases, babies and children were taken away after parental competency tests - known in Denmark as FKUs - were used to help assess whether they were fit to be parents.
In May this year the Danish government banned the use of these tests on Greenlandic families after decades of criticism, although they continue to be used on other families in Denmark.
The assessments, which usually take months to complete, are used in complex welfare cases where authorities believe children are at risk of neglect or harm.
Keira says she was "counting the minutes" from the moment Zammi was born, knowing she only had two hours with her daughter
They include interviews with parents and children, a range of cognitive tasks, such as recalling a sequence of numbers backwards, general knowledge quizzes, and personality and emotional testing.
Defenders of the tests say they offer a more objective method of assessment than the potentially anecdotal and subjective evidence of social workers and other experts.
But critics say they cannot meaningfully predict whether someone will make a good parent.
Opponents have also long argued that they are designed around Danish cultural norms and point out they are administered in Danish, rather than Kalaallisut, the mother tongue of most Greenlanders.
This can lead to misunderstandings, they say.
Greenlanders are Danish citizens, enabling them to live and work on the mainland.
Thousands live in Denmark, drawn by its employment opportunities, education and healthcare, among other reasons.
Greenlandic parents in Denmark are 5.6 times more likely to have children taken into care than Danish parents, according to the Danish Centre for Social Research, a government-funded research institute.
In May, the government said it hoped in due course to review around 300 cases – including ones involving FKU tests – in which Greenlandic children were forcibly removed from their families.
But as of October, the BBC found that just 10 cases where parenting tests were used had been reviewed by the government - and no Greenlandic children had been returned as a result.
Keira's assessment in 2024, carried out when she was pregnant, concluded that she did not have "sufficient parental competencies to care for the newborn independently".
Keira says the questions she was asked included: "Who is Mother Teresa?" and "How long does it take for the sun's rays to reach the Earth?"
Keira still keeps a cot beside her bed and another in the living room of her apartment, along with baby clothes and nappies
Psychologists who defend the tests argue questions like these are intended to assess parents' general knowledge and their understanding of concepts they might encounter in society.
Keira adds that "they made me play with a doll and criticised me for not making enough eye contact".
She alleges that when she asked why she was being tested in this way the psychologist told her: "To see if you are civilised enough, if you can act like a human being."
The local authority in Keira's case said it could not comment on individual families, adding that decisions to place a child in care were made when there was serious concern about the "child's health, development, and well-being".
In 2014, Keira's other two children - who were then aged nine years and eight months - were placed into care after an FKU test at the time concluded her parenting skills were not developing fast enough to meet their needs.
Her eldest, Zoe, who is now 21, moved back home when she was 18 and currently lives in her own apartment and sees her mum regularly.
Keira hopes she will soon be reunited with her baby Zammi permanently.
The Danish government has said its review will look at whether mistakes were made in the administering of FKU tests on Greenlandic people.
In the meantime, Keira is allowed to see Zammi, who is in foster care, once a week for an hour.
Each time she visits, she takes flowers and sometimes Greenlandic food, such as chicken heart soup.
"Just so a little part of her culture can be with her," she says.
'I felt the most horrific heartbreak'
Ulrik and Johanne hope the Danish government will reconsider reviewing cases like theirs where a child has been adopted
But not all Greenlandic parents who had children taken into care after completing FKUs will have their cases reviewed.
Johanne and Ulrik's son was adopted in 2020 and the Danish government has said it will not review cases where children have been adopted.
Johanne, 43, was tested in 2019 during pregnancy.
Like Zammi, her son was meant to have been taken away immediately after birth.
But because he was born prematurely on Boxing Day and social workers were on holiday, she and her husband Ulrik got to keep him for 17 days.
"It was the happiest time of my life as a father," says Ulrik, 57.
"Being with my son, holding him, changing his nappy, making sure that Johanne pumps her milk before going to bed in the evening."
Then one day, two social workers and two police officers arrived at Johanne and Ulrik's home to take their son away.
The couple say they pleaded with them not to take him.
Johanne asked if she could breastfeed him one last time.
"As I was dressing my son to hand him over to his foster parents who were on their way, I felt the most horrific heartbreak," Ulrik says.
Johanne had been tested after two children from another relationship, who were five and six, were taken into care after FKU testing in 2010.
Her 2019 assessment describes her as "narcissistic" and as having "mental retardation" - a categorisation based on designations developed by the WHO which were in use at the time.
She rejects both of these descriptions of her.
Getty Images
A protester carries a placard that reads: "Our children are watching!! Prejudices are contagious," during a demonstration in Nuuk, Greenland's capital, earlier this year
In theory, there is no pass or fail mark for an FKU and they are one factor among others taken into consideration by local authorities who decide whether to place a child into care.
But psychologist Isak Nellemann, who used to administer the tests, says in practice they "are very important, about the most important thing, because when the tests are bad, in about 90% [of cases] they will lose their children".
Nelleman argues the tests lack scientific validity and were developed to study personality traits rather than predict parenting ability.
However, Turi Frederiksen, a senior psychologist whose team currently administers the tests, defends them, saying that while they are not perfect, "they are valuable, extensive psychological tools".
She also says she does not believe they are biased against Greenlanders.
When Johanne was asked in 2019 what she saw during a Rorschach test - a psychological test where people are asked what they see when looking at ink-blot images - she said she saw a woman gutting a seal, a familiar sight in Greenland's hunting culture.
Johanne alleges that on hearing this answer the psychologist called her a "barbarian".
The local council involved in the couple's 2019 assessment did not address Johanne's claim directly.
They said her assessment "indicated significant concern regarding the parents' overall parenting abilities" as well as "concerns about the parents' general lifestyle and functional level in daily life".
Social worker Tordis Jacobsen said the decision to place a child into care in Denmark was never taken lightly
'I never got to see his first steps'
After Johanne and Ulrik's son was taken into care, they were allowed to see him during brief, weekly visits until he was adopted in 2020.
They have never seen him since.
"I never got to see his first steps, his first word, his first tooth, his first school day," Johanne says.
However, a few days after his birth they christened him, creating an official record that includes their names and address.
"We needed to create a paper trail so he could find his way back to us," Johanne says.
Their lawyer Jeanette Gjørret hopes to take their case before the European Court of Human Rights.
But Denmark's social affairs minister Sophie Hæstorp Andersen tells the BBC the government will not reopen cases of adoption because each of these children is now settled with a "loving and caring family".
Asked about the progress of the review, she says "it sounds slow, but we are getting started".
She also says decisions to remove and adopt children are part of a "very thorough process where we look into the family's ability to take care of their child not only for a year or two, but for a long period of time".
That is echoed by Tordis Jacobsen, a social worker team leader in Aalborg Kommune in northern Denmark, who says removing a child in Denmark is never taken lightly.
She says safeguarding concerns are often first flagged by schools or hospitals, and points out that in cases where a child is permanently adopted the decision to approve this is made by a judge.
Pilinguaq's daughter, six, was returned to her several months ago, more than four years after being placed into care
Pilinguaq is a rare case of a Greenlandic mother who has been reunited with her child.
She and her daughter, who was placed into care aged one, were reunited a few months ago. Her daughter is now six.
Pilinguaq, 39, says she received the unexpected news in a phone call from social services.
"I started crying and laughing at the same time. I couldn't believe it. I kept thinking, 'Oh my God, she's coming home.'"
Pilinguaq's three children were all placed into care in 2021. The other two were aged six and nine at the time.
She says she agreed for her local authority to place her children in temporary care while she found a new home suitable for her children.
Pilinguaq says she believed her children would soon be returned to her, but instead she had to undergo a parenting assessment.
This concluded she had a pattern of entering "dysfunctional relationships" and was unfit to parent.
'They can take her in one hour'
A few months after her six-year-old daughter came home, Pilinguaq was told by her local authority that her other two older children will be returning to her in December.
The decision to return the children into Pilinguaq's care was made by the local authority rather than being recommended by the government review. The local authority declined to comment on her case.
Spending more than four years apart has made it difficult for Pilinguaq to rebuild her relationship with her daughter.
"If I go to the bathroom and close the door, she will have a panic attack and say 'Mum, I couldn't find you,'" Pilinguaq says.
She also says she is terrified of losing her daughter again.
"They can take her in one hour. They can do it again."
Keira has been making her daughter Zammi a wooden sleigh for her first birthday
Keira is now preparing for Zammi's first birthday in her absence.
She's building a traditional Greenlandic sleigh by hand from wood, with a polar bear drawn on the front.
Earlier this month, she was told that her daughter won't be coming home - for now at least - but she hasn't given up hope.
Keira still has a cot next to her bed and another in the living room, with framed photos of Zammi on the walls, along with baby clothes and nappies.
"I will not stop fighting for my children.
"If I don't finish this fight, it will be my children's fight in the future."
This is part of the Global Women series from the BBC World Service, sharing untold and important stories from around the globe
Pastor Ara Torosian says Iranian Christians fear what will happen to them if deported back to Iran
One Monday in mid-October, after a year in US immigration detention, officers arrived unannounced at Majid's cell in Texas.
They told him simply to "pack up" - that he was being moved - even though an immigration judge had already granted him protection from removal five months ago. Shackled at the wrists, waist and ankles, he was driven through the night to a military airfield in Louisiana.
Majid - not his real name - had fled Iran for the US in October 2024, after repeated detentions and alleged torture, first because of his involvement in the Mahsa Amini protests, and later because of his conversion to Christianity.
When US officials forced him to board a plane carrying more than 150 deportees heading to Managua, Nicaragua, he remembers being the only non–Latin American on the plane. Hours later, the flight landed and officials handcuffed him, denied his request for asylum and directed him onto an itinerary routing him through Venezuela and Turkey toward Iran - a journey he understood as a forced return.
Majid later was able to go into hiding in Istanbul, terrified of what awaited him back in Iran. He is one of several Iranian Christian converts who spoke to the BBC - most anonymously out of fear for relatives back home - whose asylum claims have been rejected in the past year. Their accounts point to inconsistencies in how US authorities assess the risks facing Iranian returnees and how sensitive religious information in asylum files is handled.
Their experiences also run contrast to other elements of US foreign policy, as President Trump publicly laments the plight of Christian persecutions abroad, threatening to send troops into Nigeria "guns a-blazing" if its government "continues to allow the killing of Christians".
A White House official told the BBC that all individuals deported have had their asylum claims fully adjudicated before removal. The official said that recent deportations to Iran involved people with final orders of removal or those who had requested voluntary departure. They added that strict confidentiality rules prevent officials from disclosing whether someone applied for asylum and was denied.
A rare deportation flight
As the US continues its crackdown on illegal immigration, it has made unprecedented changes to its policy towards Iranian asylum seekers. In late September, authorities arranged a chartered flight to Iran via Qatar - the first of its kind in decades, given the absence of diplomatic ties and Iran's human-rights record. The flight represented an unusual example of cooperation between Iran and the US.
Dozens of Iranians were placed on the flight, reportedly in shackles. One deportee, Sina, later described armed guards escorting passengers on the Qatar–Tehran leg. On arrival, they were questioned about their time in the US and their religious activities but were not immediately arrested, he said in a video, which was posted on a Farsi-language YouTube channel.
Among the passengers was the wife of Ali, an Iranian Christian convert now living in the US. She has since been contacted and summoned by Iranian intelligence.
"They deported my wife back to Iran even though she is a Christian," Ali says - the BBC has given him a pseudonym to protect the identity of him and his wife. "Now Iranian intelligence is after her and me."
For Ali's wife and others, the danger was heightened by what their lawyers say was a critical mistake.
Attorney Ali Herischi, who represents Ali, his wife, and another deportee from the September flight says several clients reported that sensitive information - including statements about religious conversion, political activity and the reasons they sought asylum - was not removed before deportation.
Converts from Islam make up a significant share of Iran's 800, 000 Christian population, says Steve Dew-Jones of Article 18, a UK-based advocacy group that monitors violations against Christians in the country.
With officially recognised churches tightly restricted, house churches have begun to emerge across the country. But practitioners continue to face persecution, Dew-Jones says.
Converting from Islam is treated as apostasy, and converts face arrest, interrogation and prison terms.
Arrests have increased sixfold between 2023 and 2024, the Center for Human Rights in Iran reports. "Since the recent Iran–Israel clashes, we've seen the authorities use the term 'Zionist Christianity' even more aggressively. By branding converts as agents of Israel, the state frames ordinary religious practice as a national-security threat," Dew-Jones adds.
Some Iranians seeking asylum abroad cite conversion as part of their claim, while Iranian officials accuse them of exaggerating or fabricating conversions to strengthen their cases.
But it is unclear how many US asylum cases may be exaggerated, versus real fear of persecution.
"It's impossible to judge the sincerity of someone's faith - there's no window into people's souls," Dew-Jones says. "Yes, the system can be abused, but we also see many legitimate converts whose testimonies and church records aren't taken seriously by asylum courts."
Life on hold for those left behind
Asylum outcomes can diverge sharply even within a single household, Iranian asylum seekers and legal experts say.
In late June, ICE officers arrived at Marjan and Reza's house in Los Angeles. In video filmed by their pastor, Marjan is seen collapsed outside as agents detain her husband. Moments earlier she had called him pleading for help. The couple - both Christian converts from Iran who had applied for asylum in the US - were taken to separate detention centres. Weeks later, their cases diverged: Marjan was granted asylum in California, while Reza, held in New Mexico, was ordered to be removed to a third country.
After their June arrest, the Department of Homeland Security said on its X account that "during a targeted enforcement operation in Los Angeles, Border Patrol agent apprehended two Iranian nationals unlawfully present in the US - both flagged as subjects of national security interest."
Submitted photo
A screenshot of the video filmed by Pastor Ara, showing Reza and Marjan being detained by immigration enforcement
Pastor Ara Torosian, who filmed their arrest, disputes the Department of Homeland Security's claim that the couple were unlawfully present in the US.
He says they entered legally through a humanitarian programme and had work authorisations. "How can it be dangerous for the wife but not for the husband?" asks pastor, Ara Torosian, who himself fled Iran in 2010 after being detained for smuggling Bibles.
Majid, who managed to slip through the airport in Turkey, has been living in limbo since, while his lawyer follows up on his case. His wife, whose asylum case is still pending, now lives in Los Angeles with their 1.5-year-old daughter - a child who has never met her father.
In the US, Ali is living with a friend from his church, and hoping his own asylum claim will be more successful than that of his wife, who was deported to Iran this year.
"If they grant me asylum, how can I stay here when my wife is in Iran? If they deport me, I could go to prison the moment I land."
Unable to work legally or open a bank account. He first stayed with a distant relative "just until my wife's case was resolved," but she was never released and, after nearly a year in detention, was deported. A small church later offered him temporary shelter.
"Anytime they ask me to leave, I have to sleep in parks," he says.
He is awaiting an immigration hearing but sees no good outcome. His wife has received another summons from Iranian intelligence.
"If they arrest her and demand I return," he says quietly, "I'll have no choice."
The meeting between President Trump and the incoming mayor of New York City was strikingly warm for two men who had expressed deep concerns about each other’s leadership.
During an Oval Office meeting on Friday, President Trump said he expected to be “a big help” to Zohran Mamdani, New York’s mayor-elect. Mr. Mamdani said he looked forward to working with Mr. Trump to improve life in New York.
Yulia Navalnaya, widow of the late Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, as she attends the unveiling of a plaque for her late husband, in The Hague, this month.
Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has announced she will resign from office in January, an unexpected turn for the high-profile Republican days after a public feud with President Donald Trump.
Greene, who became one of Trump's Maga superstars in US politics, posted a video statement on social media announcing she would leave Congress on 5 January 2026.
"I look forward to a new path ahead," she said in a social media post.
The announcement came just a few days after she and President Donald Trump had vehement disagreements over the release of Justice Department files related to late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
In a video statement, Greene ticked off a list of achievements and criticised the president, who threatened to back a Republican candidate to unseat her in next year's election.
"I have too much self respect and dignity, love my family way too much, and do not want my sweet district to have to endure a hurtful and hateful primary against me by the President we all fought for, only to fight and win my election while Republicans will likely lose the midterms."
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Watch: "I’ll be cheering for him" - Trump praises Mamdani after first meeting
US President Donald Trump met New York City's newly elected mayor Zohran Mamdani at the White House in what was billed as the political showdown of the year - but instead became a praise fest.
In his election victory speech, the self-described Democratic socialist mayor called Trump a "despot."
And before Friday's meeting, the president's spokeswoman had billed Mamdani's visit as a "communist coming to the White House".
But standing side-by-side in the Oval Office, the two men struck a surprisingly conciliatory tone.
Over and over, both men emphasised their shared interest in addressing New York City's affordability crisis. They smiled often, and Trump even appeared amused as reporters asked him about the political attacks Mamdani had fired his way.
The tone of the meeting appeared to strike political observers off guard, but offered a signal that both men understand that tackling the affordability crisis is critical to their political success.
Whether the truce will last once Mamdani takes office on 1 January remains to be seen.
Until then, "I'll be cheering for him," Trump said.
Trump full of praise
The conciliatory tone was evident from the moment they started speaking to the press.
Facing the media after a private meeting, Mamdani stood to Trump's right with his hand clasped, as the president sat behind the Resolute Desk. Their body language was relaxed – particularly Trump.
Not only did Trump refrain from attacking Mamdani, he actually praised him numerous times.
Trump expressed hope that Mamdani would be a "really great mayor".
Later, the president added he was "confident that he can do a very good job".
Brushing off questions about jihad and fascism
Getty Images
Mamdani and Trump traded political barbs throughout the mayoral election. A reporter in the room reminded the two men that Trump had called Mamdani a "communist" and Mamdani referred to the president as a "despot".
But today, both deflected multiple questions about their previous statements and pivoted back to praise.
Trump even let Mamdani answer a question about whether the mayor-elect thought the president was a "fascist".
"That's ok, you can just say yes," Trump interjected, giving Mamdani a light tap on the arm and smiling. "It's easier than explaining."
The closest Trump got to criticising Mamdani's politics was telling reporters, "He's got views that are little out there".
Perhaps most strikingly, Trump swatted away an attack that one of his top political allies running for governor of New York had lodged against Mamdani.
"Do you think you're standing next to a 'jihadist' right now in the oval office?" a reporter asked, quoting Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik.
"No I don't," Trump quickly said.
"You say things sometimes in a campaign," Trump said of Stefanik. "She's a very capable person."
Bonding over New York roots
Mamdani and Trump have something in common: they're both New Yorkers, and both have called the borough of Queens home.
Trump's childhood home is in the neighbourhood of Jamaica Estates, while Mamdani currently resides in Astoria.
The two had a "shared love" of the city, Mamdani said.
Though Trump rarely spends time in his namesake Manhattan skyscraper these days, he spoke fondly of his hometown throughout the news conference.
"This city could be unbelievable, if he could be a spectacular success, I'll be very happy," Trump said.
At one point, Trump even suggested that in a different political lifetime, he would have liked to be mayor of New York himself.
Affordability focus
Perhaps part of the reason the two men appeared in lock step on Friday was their shared focus on cost-of-living issues.
Trump won his re-election last year by relentlessly hammering the issue of high inflation that had frustrated voters in 2024. As consumers grow restless about the cost of groceries, housing, and other essentials, Trump has tried to convey a message of economic stability.
But in elections earlier this month, Republicans struggled and Democrats won key races. All eyes are peering forward to the midterm elections next year, where control of the US Congress will be up for grabs.
During his election campaign, Mamdani maintained a laser-focus on the lack of affordable housing and proposed freezing rent increases on certain rent-stabilised apartments, among other housing proposals.
Mamdani said he and the president had discussed how to "deliver affordability to New Yorkers".
Whenever he was asked a question about their differing views, the mayor-elect brought the conversation back to this topic.
Facing one question about their different views on achieving peace in the Middle East, Mamdani responded that Trump voters had expressed to him a wish for "an end to forever wars" and for leaders to address "the cost of living crisis".
A complication for Republicans' strategy?
There are still major political issues that could quickly put the two men back in opposition.
A reporter asked about the potential for federal immigration enforcement in the city, which has outraged Democrats and some immigrant communities in New York.
Mamdani said he discussed federal immigration enforcement operations in New York, and the concerns from residents about how they are being conducted.
Trump said they discussed crime more than immigration.
"He doesn't want to see crime and I don't want to see crime," the president said. He had "very little doubt" the two would get along on that issue.
Trump even stunningly said he would feel safe living in a Mamdani-led New York.
But as the Trump administration continues to set aggressive deportation goals, it's possible that the two men could wind up in opposition to each other once again.
Also, another potential problem lingers beyond the pair and their specific policies.
Republicans have hinted that they want to use Mamdani as a political foil in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections, where control of the US Congress will be on the ballot.
But in the Oval Office while praising Mamdani, the president said he believed the new mayor would "surprise some conservative people".
This could complicate Trump's own political party's strategy.
Details of a new UK clinical trial to assess the risks and benefits of puberty-blocking drugs in children and young people questioning their gender have been announced.
Researchers from King's College London say the trial will involve around 220 children under the age of 16 who are going through puberty, and will examine the impact of the drugs on their physical, social and emotional wellbeing.
Some clinicians and campaigners question whether the trial is ethical.
Prof Emily Simonoff, study leader and professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at King's College London (KCL), said: "We know there are ongoing societal discussions about gender transition, but this research is focused solely on informing and improving healthcare by better understanding how to support the physical and mental health of young people with gender incongruence."
Puberty blockers, also known as puberty suppressing hormones (PSH), are drugs used to delay or prevent puberty happening.
They were used to treat some young people with gender incongruence - when someone's gender doesn't match the sex they were registered at birth - or with gender dysphoria, when it causes significant distress.
As a result of the uncertainty over the safety of the drugs, highlighted by the Cass review into gender care, led by paediatrician Dr Hilary Cass, doctors can now only offer the treatment to under-18s as part of a research study.
Last year, the government brought in a UK-wide indefinite ban on the drugs being prescribed privately or by the NHS to children and young people questioning their gender identity.
The new clinical trial, called Pathway, will involve children who are currently accessing gender services and have a diagnosis of gender incongruence.
They will all have reached puberty, but will be younger than 16 - and will have to meet strict criteria, undergo intensive medical and psychological screening before they are allowed to start taking puberty blockers.
A team of specialist NHS doctors must have a full picture of the young person's wellbeing before deciding if they think they are suitable for the treatment.
The young person will also have to show they have a good enough understanding of the potential impact of taking puberty blockers to give their consent, and their parent or legal guardian will need to agree. They will be provided with ongoing psychological support.
To explore the impact of the drugs, the researchers plan to start one group on the treatment straight away and another group 12 months later. The children in these groups will be chosen randomly.
The KCL researchers said there would be no minimum age for taking the drugs, but puberty normally starts around the age of 11 for girls and 12 for boys.
The trial will look at issues such as bone density, brain development and mental health and wellbeing over time.
The research team said the trial had been given ethical approval and was expected to start in January, with five to six children recruited every month. The first results should be available in around four years.
Alongside this, a larger observational study involving 3,000 children will research different types of support and how effective they are.
The puberty blockers trial has already proved controversial, with campaigners threatening legal action.
Keira Bell, who took the Tavistock gender clinic to court in 2020 after she was given puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones as a teenager, said the trial should be halted immediately. If it is not, she says she and another campaigner will start judicial review proceedings at the High Court.
She said it was "disgusting" that children were being put on the drugs when they had already been banned because they were "unsafe".
Some clinicians from the Clinical Advisory Network on Sex and Gender, which campaigns for rigorous science and improved treatment options for gender-questioning people, have also questioned whether the trial can be carried out ethically.
A spokesperson for charity Stonewall, which campaigns for the rights of LGBTQ+ people, said all young people should have access to the very best medical care, guided by evidence.
"We urge the government and policymakers to invest in delivering excellent healthcare for trans young people and to make sure the voices of trans young people and their families are at its core."
Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has announced she will resign from office in January, an unexpected turn for the high-profile Republican days after a public feud with President Donald Trump.
Greene, who became one of Trump's Maga superstars in US politics, posted a video statement on social media announcing she would leave Congress on 5 January 2026.
"I look forward to a new path ahead," she said in a social media post.
The announcement came just a few days after she and President Donald Trump had vehement disagreements over the release of Justice Department files related to late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
In a video statement, Greene ticked off a list of achievements and criticised the president, who threatened to back a Republican candidate to unseat her in next year's election.
"I have too much self respect and dignity, love my family way too much, and do not want my sweet district to have to endure a hurtful and hateful primary against me by the President we all fought for, only to fight and win my election while Republicans will likely lose the midterms."
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
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Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly's last edition of Strictly will air on Christmas Day
George Clarke and several of his fellow Strictly Come Dancing stars were scrolling through their social feeds last month when something stopped them in their tracks.
Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman had just announced in an Instagram video that they were stepping down as presenters of the hit BBC One show after 21 and 11 years respectively.
Not that the contestants of the current series knew - this was news to them.
"I think we found out as everybody else did, just on their socials, which I'm constantly refreshing anyway, as I'm a big fan," said Clarke, a YouTuber and podcaster.
"I don't think anybody expected it."
"We'd just finished on Lorraine, and we just looked at our phones and we saw it on social media," added Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope.
"We were so shocked. And then we were told later, it had to be that way, and they couldn't really give anyone a heads up."
"No one saw it coming," drag queen and Strictly star La Voix said.
Daly and Winkleman's revelation sparked a huge reaction online, with the pair saying in a joint statement at the time that they "were always going to leave together and now feels like the right time".
It's the right time for them, but a rocky time for the show - following several controversies in recent years.
And on Thursday night, it emerged that an unnamed Strictly star was arrested last month on suspicion of rape. Hertfordshire Police said the man was released on bail under investigation.
The development is not understood to be related to the current series of Strictly.
Watch: Claudia and Tess announce they're leaving Strictly Come Dancing
Nearly one month on from Daly and Winkleman's announcement, BBC News spoke to the Strictly contestants ahead of the show heading to the Blackpool Tower Ballroom this weekend.
Much attention has turned to who may replace the presenting pair, with Alan Carr and Holly Willoughby among the names being speculated upon.
EastEnders star Balvinder Sopal said "you feel like it's the end of an era, and you don't know what the show is going to look like in the future".
Speaking to the Rest is Entertainment podcast this week, Kate Phillips, the BBC's chief content officer, admitted her inbox had been "inundated" with people expressing interest in the job.
"We have had so many people who are keen to be considered, which is great."
Blackpool week is here at last
AFP via Getty Images
The 19th century Blackpool Tower ballroom will host Strictly this weekend
For many celebrities and professionals, it's a major goal to reach the annual episode filmed at Blackpool Tower ballroom, which usually marks the halfway point in the competition and is a change of scenery from the usual location of Elstree Studios.
La Voix won't be joining the stars in the 19th century ballroom after being forced to withdraw because of injury, so will get a pass through to next week under Strictly rules, but the six other remaining couples will compete alongside live performances from Lewis Capaldi and Steps.
Former Strictly finalists Ashley Roberts, Danny Mac, Jay McGuiness and Layton Williams will also return for the special.
Drag queen La Voix and partner Aljaž pictured during last weekend's show
Who's dancing to what?
Alex and Johannes - Couple's Choice to History Repeating and Look At Me by Propellerheads ft Miss Shirley Bassey and Geri Halliwell
Amber and Nikita - Quickstep to Reach by S Club 7
Balvinder and Julian - Argentine Tango to The Logical Song by Supertramp
George and Alexis - Salsa to Rock This Party (Everybody Dance Now) by Bob Sinclar
Karen and Carlos - Paso Doble to O Fortuna by Carmina Burana
Lewis and Katya - Charleston to I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor by Arctic Monkeys
For Cope, it feels like an "achievement" to have reached Blackpool week.
"Although you have the themed weeks leading up to it, it feels like the first big milestone," he said. "And the fish and chips are really nice."
Former England footballer Karen Carney feels similar.
"I spoke to my sister this morning, and she was like, they're really proud we've reached this milestone. They didn't think I'd be able to do it," she said.
All the stars have been putting in long hours as they get ready for the experience.
But former Love Island winner Amber Davies is trying to approach Blackpool as she would any other week.
"I don't want to look back with regrets. I'm literally pushing my mind and my body to the furthest it can go," she said.
Amber Davies, seen here with dance partner Nikita Kuzmin, topped the leaderboard last week
Controversies linger
Amid the glitz of the dancefloor, Strictly, which has been airing since 2004, has faced multiple controversies in recent years relating to the behaviour of some of its professionals and celebrity guests, with some alleging a toxic culture on the show.
We asked the current stars whether they've felt this to be the case.
Doctor Who actress Alex Kingston, for her part, says she "doesn't read stuff like that" in the press.
"The thing that I have found really so extraordinary and unexpected is that everybody is so lovely," she said.
"No one can make Strictly not exhausting and not painful. Your feet kill and your back hurts and you're trying desperately to hold your physical self together week by week, but the emotional support is incredible," La Voix added.
Since we did those interviews, the Sun reported this week that a male Strictly star is alleged to have raped a woman after a BBC event.
According to the paper, the woman was not a contestant or pro on the show.
And then there's that other BBC show...
Another BBC TV behemoth - Traitors - has risen to new heights this year with Celebrity Traitors, with up to 13 million viewers tuning in - more than double the number who watched this year's Strictly launch show.
So, we asked the contestants, has Traitors stolen Strictly's sparkle this year?
Cope, for his part, isn't too worried. "I think it's brilliant, isn't it? Just more great shows on television," he said. "I think it's only a positive."
"There's enough success in the world for everything," Davies agreed.
"And also," she added, "we've got one diamond amongst both of them - Claudia."
Strictly Come Dancing's Blackpool special is on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 6.35pm on Saturday.
"We are Radiohead. Pleased to meet you," said Thom Yorke in one of his few addresses to the audience
"Whenever you're ready," says Thom Yorke, adopting the tone of a schoolteacher waiting for an unruly class to settle down, as Radiohead get ready to play their encore at London's O2 Arena.
It's a rare flash of humour from the frontman, whose onstage utterings are mostly limited to mumbled "thank yous". But it's also an acknowledgment of how long fans have been waiting for this show.
It is now 10 years since Radiohead last released new material, and 99 months since their last UK gig.
Anticipation for their return has been building ever since they announced a limited run of concerts in September. Setlists from early shows in Spain and Italy have generated news stories ("Radiohead play Nice Dream for the first time since 2009"), as fans pore over the song choices.
According to one source, they've rehearsed 65 different numbers.
At the O2, the band sift through their entire discography - from the arena rock anthems of 1994's The Bends to the celestial ballads of A Moon Shaped Pool, via the layered electronics of Kid A, currently celebrating its 25th anniversary.
There are some signs that Radiohead are a bit rusty. A few timing and tuning issues crop up, which could easily be the result of a first night in a new venue, but which feel odd for a band of such technical proficiency.
But when it comes together, it's a rapturous, spell-binding sight.
Band members switched instruments several times within songs
They begin with the spacey, hypnotic Planet Telex, and follow it up with a crunchy version of 2+2=5, written in 2003 as a reaction to George W Bush's "War on Terror", and taking on new urgency in a world where political norms have seemingly been turned upside down.
By the third song, Sit Down, Stand Up, they're flexing their musical muscles, with an extended outro of percussive lunacy, aided by US session musician Chris Vatalaro.
His addition to the line-up is a giveaway. Radiohead's secret sauce has always been their rhythm section - who manage to locate sinewy, danceable grooves even when presented with their bandmate's most challenging material.
The prowling bassline of National Anthem and the slamming drum loops of Idioteque, in particular, give the audience ample opportunity to jump up and down.
That said, it's amusing to watch bassist Colin Greenwood try (and fail) to get the crowd clapping in time to the glitchy and unconventional rhythms of 15 Step.
Instead, most of them simply bob their heads up and down in unified appreciation of the music. At times, it looks like a convention of nodding dogs.
Cushioned between the more experimental songs, however, were the real crowd-pleasers: An elegiac version of Lucky, a beautifully twisted No Surprises and a genuinely sublime version of Weird Fishes/Arpeggi.
I have a theory, however, that the band's notorious dislike of "the old stuff" is an elaborate ruse. They've never really stopped playing songs from The Bends and OK Computer - but the suggestion they won't makes it all the more exciting when they break into something anthemic like Fake Plastic Trees.
That song opened Friday night's encore, which dwelt largely on their 90s material, including Let Down - a deep cut that's had a new lease of life on TikTok - and the epic Paranoid Android.
Alex Lake / @twoshortdays
The tour continues until 12 December
Introducing a muscular version of Just, Yorke explains that it was written "on a freezing cold farm in 1994", in a period where they thought they'd only be remembered for one song: Their 1992 breakout Creep.
We all know the story ended differently, but the reunion does find Radiohead in a strange position.
This tour comes with no new material, and the last seven years have been so fertile with side projects, most notably Thom Yorke and guitarist Jonny Greenwood's three albums as The Smile, that it seemed Radiohead's members might have permanently moved on.
Several factors got in the way - grief, parenthood, mental health and rumours of intra-band tension over Israel.
As recently as August, Yorke said a reunion was "not on the cards from where I'm sitting".
All of which makes the decision to play in the round, packed like sardines in a crushed tin can, all the more significant.
The group are symbolically returning to the rehearsal room, playing off each other as much as they are playing to the audience.
Yorke glides across the stage, doing that dance he does, moving from acoustic guitar to electric piano and back again.
During Idioteque, guitarist Ed O'Brien catches him mid-transit, and they holler the lyrics directly to one another. At the start of Jigsaw Falling Into Place, Yorke and Greenwood face each other and play duelling guitars.
It suggests the tour has been an act of healing, even if the band have been assigned separate dressing rooms for the first time in their career.
Whether that leads to anything more is still up for debate. "We haven't thought past the tour," Yorke recently told the Times. "I'm just stunned we got this far."
The delighted fans who queued for the Tube home singing Karma Police will be hoping everything is in its right place for a fully-fledged comeback.
Watch: "I’ll be cheering for him" - Trump praises Mamdani after first meeting
US President Donald Trump met New York City's newly elected mayor Zohran Mamdani at the White House in what was billed as the political showdown of the year - but instead became a praise fest.
In his election victory speech, the self-described Democratic socialist mayor called Trump a "despot."
And before Friday's meeting, the president's spokeswoman had billed Mamdani's visit as a "communist coming to the White House".
But standing side-by-side in the Oval Office, the two men struck a surprisingly conciliatory tone.
Over and over, both men emphasised their shared interest in addressing New York City's affordability crisis. They smiled often, and Trump even appeared amused as reporters asked him about the political attacks Mamdani had fired his way.
The tone of the meeting appeared to strike political observers off guard, but offered a signal that both men understand that tackling the affordability crisis is critical to their political success.
Whether the truce will last once Mamdani takes office on 1 January remains to be seen.
Until then, "I'll be cheering for him," Trump said.
Trump full of praise
The conciliatory tone was evident from the moment they started speaking to the press.
Facing the media after a private meeting, Mamdani stood to Trump's right with his hand clasped, as the president sat behind the Resolute Desk. Their body language was relaxed – particularly Trump.
Not only did Trump refrain from attacking Mamdani, he actually praised him numerous times.
Trump expressed hope that Mamdani would be a "really great mayor".
Later, the president added he was "confident that he can do a very good job".
Brushing off questions about jihad and fascism
Getty Images
Mamdani and Trump traded political barbs throughout the mayoral election. A reporter in the room reminded the two men that Trump had called Mamdani a "communist" and Mamdani referred to the president as a "despot".
But today, both deflected multiple questions about their previous statements and pivoted back to praise.
Trump even let Mamdani answer a question about whether the mayor-elect thought the president was a "fascist".
"That's ok, you can just say yes," Trump interjected, giving Mamdani a light tap on the arm and smiling. "It's easier than explaining."
The closest Trump got to criticising Mamdani's politics was telling reporters, "He's got views that are little out there".
Perhaps most strikingly, Trump swatted away an attack that one of his top political allies running for governor of New York had lodged against Mamdani.
"Do you think you're standing next to a 'jihadist' right now in the oval office?" a reporter asked, quoting Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik.
"No I don't," Trump quickly said.
"You say things sometimes in a campaign," Trump said of Stefanik. "She's a very capable person."
Bonding over New York roots
Mamdani and Trump have something in common: they're both New Yorkers, and both have called the borough of Queens home.
Trump's childhood home is in the neighbourhood of Jamaica Estates, while Mamdani currently resides in Astoria.
The two had a "shared love" of the city, Mamdani said.
Though Trump rarely spends time in his namesake Manhattan skyscraper these days, he spoke fondly of his hometown throughout the news conference.
"This city could be unbelievable, if he could be a spectacular success, I'll be very happy," Trump said.
At one point, Trump even suggested that in a different political lifetime, he would have liked to be mayor of New York himself.
Affordability focus
Perhaps part of the reason the two men appeared in lock step on Friday was their shared focus on cost-of-living issues.
Trump won his re-election last year by relentlessly hammering the issue of high inflation that had frustrated voters in 2024. As consumers grow restless about the cost of groceries, housing, and other essentials, Trump has tried to convey a message of economic stability.
But in elections earlier this month, Republicans struggled and Democrats won key races. All eyes are peering forward to the midterm elections next year, where control of the US Congress will be up for grabs.
During his election campaign, Mamdani maintained a laser-focus on the lack of affordable housing and proposed freezing rent increases on certain rent-stabilised apartments, among other housing proposals.
Mamdani said he and the president had discussed how to "deliver affordability to New Yorkers".
Whenever he was asked a question about their differing views, the mayor-elect brought the conversation back to this topic.
Facing one question about their different views on achieving peace in the Middle East, Mamdani responded that Trump voters had expressed to him a wish for "an end to forever wars" and for leaders to address "the cost of living crisis".
A complication for Republicans' strategy?
There are still major political issues that could quickly put the two men back in opposition.
A reporter asked about the potential for federal immigration enforcement in the city, which has outraged Democrats and some immigrant communities in New York.
Mamdani said he discussed federal immigration enforcement operations in New York, and the concerns from residents about how they are being conducted.
Trump said they discussed crime more than immigration.
"He doesn't want to see crime and I don't want to see crime," the president said. He had "very little doubt" the two would get along on that issue.
Trump even stunningly said he would feel safe living in a Mamdani-led New York.
But as the Trump administration continues to set aggressive deportation goals, it's possible that the two men could wind up in opposition to each other once again.
Also, another potential problem lingers beyond the pair and their specific policies.
Republicans have hinted that they want to use Mamdani as a political foil in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections, where control of the US Congress will be on the ballot.
But in the Oval Office while praising Mamdani, the president said he believed the new mayor would "surprise some conservative people".
This could complicate Trump's own political party's strategy.
In my many years as a journalist, I never thought I would be asking someone how it feels to have trout sperm injected into their face.
And yet, here I am.
Abby Warnes is lying on a large, black padded chair at a small aesthetics clinic in south Manchester.
She winces as a small cannula is delicately inserted into her cheek.
"Ouch. Ouch," she exclaims.
I should make it clear that 29-year-old Abby is not actually receiving a pure dose of trout sperm.
The lower part of her face is being injected with tiny fragments of DNA, known as polynucleotides, which have been extracted from either trout or salmon sperm.
Why? Well, interestingly, our DNA is pretty similar to that of a fish.
So the hope is Abby's body will not only welcome these tiny strands of fish DNA, her skin cells will be spurred into action, producing more collagen and elastin, two proteins which are vital for maintaining the structural integrity of our skin.
For Abby, the aim is to freshen her skin, keep it healthy, and hopefully, treat the acne she's lived with for many years by reducing scarring and redness.
"I just want to target those problem areas," she explains.
Abby is having injections in her lower face to help rejuvenate her skin and tackle “problem areas”
Polynucleotides are being touted as the next big skincare "miracle" and are rapidly gaining popularity after a number of celebrities have spoken candidly about their "salmon sperm facials".
Earlier this year, Charli XCX told her nine million Instagram followers that she felt "fillers are kind of over now", and explained she had moved onto polynucleotides, which are "kinda like deep vitamins".
Kim and Khloe Kardashian are also reportedly avid fans. And when asked about her skincare routine on a recent episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, Jennifer Aniston responded: "Don't I have beautiful salmon skin?"
EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
Charli XCX says she uses polynucleotides which are "kinda like" injectable vitamins for the skin
So, despite their fishy beginnings, are polynucleotides transforming skincare?
"We are having a Benjamin Button moment," Suzanne Mansfield, who works for aesthetics company Dermafocus, tells me.
That's a reference to the 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, where Brad Pitt plays a man who ages backwards. By the time he's in his later years, he has the skin of a baby's bottom.
While such an effect is highly unlikely and would probably be a tad disconcerting, Ms Mansfield says polynucleotides are forging the way when it comes to regenerative skincare.
"All we are doing, by using it in the aesthetics industry," she says, "is enhancing something the body already does. That's why these are so special."
But they also come with a pretty hefty price tag.
A single session of polynucleotide injections can cost anywhere from £200 to £500 - and it's recommended you have three of these over several weeks.
After that clinics tend to advise you need to top up every six to nine months to maintain the look.
Back at the clinic, Abby's treatment is almost finished.
"Just one area left," Helena Dunk, the aesthetic nurse practitioner who owns the clinic, Skin HD, reassures her.
She says polynucleotides have massively increased in popularity over the past 18 months.
"Half my clients really notice a huge difference - their skin feels more hydrated, healthier, younger - while the other half don't see such a big change. But their skin does tend to feel tighter and fresher."
Abby has already had the area under her eyes injected as part of a three-course treatment at the clinic - and she's really pleased with the results.
She received lots of tiny injections of polynucleotides, which was a "pretty painful procedure", but says it's helped reduce the dark circles under her eyes.
Charlotte Bickley
Charlotte says she has been left with black rings under her eyes after being injected with polynucleotides before her wedding
Consultant dermatologist Dr John Pagliaro, based in Brisbane, Australia, says that while we know that nucleotides play an important role in our bodies - they are the building blocks of our DNA for a start - he questions whether "injecting salmon DNA, cut into little pieces" into our faces is going to work as well as our own nucleotides.
"We do not have good, strong data," he says. "As a medical specialist, I would want to see at least a few more years of big, credible studies showing safety and efficacy before I started using them in my practice. We're just not there yet."
Charlotte Bickley describes her foray into the world of polynucleotides as "salmon-gate".
The 31-year-old from New York had the treatment last year as part of her "wedding glow up", shortly before she was due to get married.
But Charlotte ended up with a skin infection, inflammation and darker rings under her eyes than before she had the treatment.
"I got the complete opposite of what I wanted," she says. "I trusted that doctor, but he's left me scarred."
Charlotte believes she was injected too deeply under her eyes, causing a negative reaction. There can be side effects - such as redness, swelling and bruising but these tend to be temporary.
In some cases, people can have an allergic reaction, or, if polynucleotides are not injected properly, there are longer term risks, such as skin pigmentation and infections.
Polynucleotides are widely used across the UK. They are registered as medical devices with the Medicines Health and Regulatory Authority (MHRA) but they are not regulated like medicines.
They have not been approved by the UK’s equivalent in the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
"I just keep thinking, 'Why did I go through with it?'" Charlotte says. "When something goes wrong on my face I hyperfixate on it."
She's paid thousands in medical bills to try to rectify the situation, but 10 months on, there's still some scarring below her eyes.
"I would never have salmon DNA injected into my face again," Charlotte says, "ever."
Ashton Collins, director of Save Face, an organisation which campaigns for better regulation of the cosmetic industry and who runs a government-approved register of clinics in the UK, says polynucleotides are generally considered a safe treatment when administered by a medically-trained professional and the brand of polynucleotides used is from a reputable company.
"But, we are now seeing products coming onto the market that haven't been tested properly, that's the worry," she says.
Dr Sophie Shotter, president of the British College of Aesthetic Medicine, agrees.
"Due to the lack of regulation, anyone can use products that have not been robustly tested. It is a real issue."
In her opinion, are polynucleotides effective though?
"I have them on my shelf, in my toolbox. I definitely offer them to clients, who want a natural look and want to potentially invest long-term," Dr Shotter says.
"Polynucleotides as a treatment is not the panacea. There are plenty of other treatments out there that can do similar, and have more data behind them."
There is no one treatment that will work for everyone, she adds.
"We all respond differently to different things, and that is not always predictable."
Several of Saturday's papers lead with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's "agonising choice", as the Daily Mail writes, over whether to accept a US-backed peace deal with Russia. "Trump turns the screw" is the Mail's headline, which reports that Ukraine has been told it has until Thursday to accept the "humiliating peace deal".
Zelensky warns his country is facing a choice between "losing US support or forfeiting its dignity" over the peace deal, according to the Financial Times. European allies are caught "off-guard" by the plan, which was drafted by aides of the US and Russian presidents, and say it amounts to "capitulation" to Moscow's demands. Zelensky says he will not reject the initiative "out of hand", but will "offer alternatives" in dialogue with Washington.
In an address to the country, the Ukrainian president says his country faces its "most difficult moment in history", the Independent leads. Elsewhere, the paper reports on a "remarkable" 19-wicket first day of the Ashes in Perth, in which captain Ben Stokes led a "ferocious fightback against Australia".
Trump confirms the Thursday deadline for Ukraine to respond to the peace plan, but the White House denies reports that the US could "cut off" intelligence sharing if Zelensky rejects it, the Times reports. European leaders, alongside the UK, are working to "strengthen" the deal, "amid concern that Ukraine would be at risk of further attacks if it weakened its armed forces".
The Daily Mirror leads on the jailing for 10-and-a half years of an "ally" of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, for accepting pro-Russia bribes. Former Reform UK in Wales leader Nathan Gill, whom the paper describes as a "former party bigwig", took up to £40,000 from tycoon Oleg Voloshyn for "making pro-Russian speeches".
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is urging Farage to "root out links between Reform UK and Russia" following the conviction of Gill, the Guardian reports. The paper says the government believes Reform UK is "vulnerable" to criticism that Farage and his allies have been "too pro-Russia". Police have said there was no link to Farage in their investigation into Gill.
The Conservative Party would retain just 14 seats if an election was called now, according to internal party polling leaked to the Telegraph. An insider tells the paper that the party faces an "existential threat" from Reform UK, which the poll forecasts would win a 46-seat majority. Another source says the Tories are at risk of being "consigned to the history books".
Challenges facing the Labour Party are the focus for the i Weekend, which reports that the PM is "losing control" of his party's MPs ahead of the Budget. Some Labour MPs have become "a bit feral" over uncertainty about Sir Keir's leadership, according to ex-advisers to Downing Street. Backbenchers and ministers are urging more help for "hard-up people" amid the "cost of living crunch".
Sarah Ferguson is "considering offers" for a "tell-all TV interview", the first since her ex-husband Andrew Mountbatten Windsor relinquished his titles over links with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the Sun reports. Some US networks are "willing to pay six-figure sums to secure the chat" with the former Duchess of York.
MPs are considering whether to establish an "injury-in-service medal" for police officers who are forced to quit after sustaining injuries during active duty, the Daily Express reports.
Finally, the Daily Star leads on a boss who has mandated his staff to take time off to see their children's Christmas events - including pantos. "Oh, yes he did," the paper writes.
There's a new song doing the rounds, and in the immortal words of Kylie Minogue, you just can't get it out of your head.
But what if it was created by a robot, or the artist themself is a product of artificial intelligence (AI)? Do streaming sites have an obligation to label music as AI-generated? And does it even matter, if you like what you hear?
A survey published last week suggested 97% of respondents could not spot an AI-generated song. But there are some telltale signs - if you know where to look.
Here's a quick guide.
No live performances or social media presence
AI music became one of last summer's hottest topics after accusations the band The Velvet Sundown was AI-generated sent them viral.
The band, who had no record label and a minimal social media footprint, quickly racked up hundreds of thousands of monthly listeners on Spotify after releasing two albums just weeks apart - and the music world grew suspicious.
The band initially denied the claims, later describing themselves as a synthetic project "guided by human creative direction, and composed, voiced and visualised with the support of artificial intelligence".
They claimed the project was an "artistic provocation", not a trick, but many fans felt betrayed.
Internet sleuths were suspicious of the band's airbrushed photos, which featured non-descript backgrounds and a warm orange filter.
There was also no record of them having performed live – no glowing reviews from fans posted online, nor any concert photos or videos. The band members had not given interviews and did not appear to have individual social media accounts.
Looking into the real-life and social media presence of an artist can be one helpful indicator of whether or not they are real. But experts tell the BBC that fast-developing, sophisticated technology means it is increasingly hard to know when a song has been made using AI.
Still, while it may be tricky, they say there are signs listeners can be alert to.
'A mashup of rock hits in a blender'
When LJ Rich started creating AI music around five years ago, she recalls how it could only generate three seconds at a time, taking about 10 hours to create a minute of audio.
Now, an entire song can be summoned rapidly with a single prompt, sparking what industry experts have described as an "explosion" of AI music, sometimes referred to as "slop" - on streaming platforms.
A song with a formulaic feel - sweet but without much substance or emotional weight - can be a sign of AI, says the musician and technology speaker, as well as vocals that feel breathless.
AI songs tend to stick to generic verse-chorus structures, and usually don't have a satisfying ending. AI is also more likely to create lyrics that follow a correct grammatical structure, says Rich, whereas some of the most beautiful or memorable words penned by humans don't always make sense.
Just ask Alicia Keys and her "concrete jungle where dreams are made of", or The Rolling Stones and their flirtation with double negatives in (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction.
"If it doesn't feel emotional, it's a really big part," the former BBC Click presenter continues. "Does it create that tension and resolution that is a fundamental part of the music that we love? Does it have a story inside it?"
Another tell-tale sign is unrealistic levels of productivity. Professor Gina Neff, from the Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy at the University of Cambridge, describes how one artist was recently believed to be AI after dropping multiple soundalike albums simultaneously.
Their songs resembled a mashup of 80s rock bands – like "really classic rock hits that had been put in a blender".
"This will be fine for background music for most people," she continues, "but it won't work for creating the superstars of the future who, of course, draw on the past but then make something completely new out of it."
'AI hasn't felt heartbreak yet'
Sometimes, what might stand out is a song that sounds almost too perfect, lacking minor flaws and variances.
This could mean no strain in the vocals, and overly polished production, according to Tony Rigg, music industry advisor and lecturer in music industry management at the University of Lancashire.
He adds that odd phrasing, unnatural emotional delivery, and lyrics that feel generic or repetitive can also be clues.
"AI hasn't felt heartbreak yet... It knows patterns," he explains. "What makes music human is not just sound but the stories behind it."
It's also worth paying close attention to the vocals. AI "singers" often sound a little slurred. Consonants and plosives (hard sounds like "p" and "t") aren't quite right. You might hear "ghost" harmonies, where backing vocals appear and disappear at random.
However, Rigg calls these signs "hints not proof", acknowledging it is not very easy for the casual listener to detect AI-generated songs.
Getty Images
Musician Imogen Heap has developed an AI voice model called ai.Mogen
As well as being used to generate full songs, AI is also becoming a tool some established artists are using to support their creativity.
There currently isn't any obligation – or consistent way – for artists to let fans know if and how they are using AI.
Some are very open: the Beatles, for example, used machine learning to extract the voice of John Lennon from a 1970s cassette recording to release what they called their "last song", Now and Then, in 2023.
And artists including Imogen Heap and Timbaland have created AI personas and released singles under their names.
Last month, Heap released the song Aftercare with her AI model ai.Mogen, trained on her voice.
She created the voice model as a chatbot - a "desperate attempt" to keep up with a deluge of messages and requests including from fans - but more recently, it has featured on several songs and allowed Heap to take part in more collaborations than she otherwise would have due to time constraints.
While "it does sound different if you really know my voice", she says she has put a lot of work into making the AI version of her voice sound human and doesn't think listeners would be able to tell.
Heap isn't trying to mislead listeners – ai.Mogen is listed as a co-contributor on the track.
But she hopes if people feel a human connection to the song, without already knowing part of the vocals are sung by her AI model, they might reconsider any preconceived negative ideas or fears they have about AI.
"I hope that people listen, don't realise, find peace in that," she tells the BBC.
She says she isn't against using AI to actually create music, but it's just not something she's got around to doing yet.
Heap believes there should be more transparency around what goes into a song, and how AI has been used.
Citing the example of someone reading the label of a microwave ready meal so they know the ingredients, she says: "We need that for music, and we need that for AI."
Steps toward transparency
There is currently no legal obligation for streaming platforms to label AI-generated songs, despite increasing calls for them to signpost such tracks.
In January, the streaming platform Deezer launched an AI detection tool, followed this summer by a system which tags AI-generated music.
Deezer says its detection system can flag tracks made with the most prolific AI music creation tools, and is working on expanding its ability to detect music made by others. It says the risk of false positives - eg incorrectly flagging a track created by a human - is very low.
This week, the company said a third (34%) of content uploaded to its platform was fully AI-generated – about 50,000 tracks a day.
Manuel Moussallam, Deezer's director of research, says his team was so surprised by how many tracks were flagged up by the detector when it first launched they were "pretty convinced we had an issue".
The tool quickly flagged up the music by The Velvet Sundown – the band who went viral over the summer – as being "100% AI-generated".
Other platforms have recently announced steps toward more transparency.
In September, Spotify said it would roll out a new spam filter later this year to identify "bad actors", and prevent "slop" being recommended to listeners. In the past year, it has removed more than 75 million spam tracks.
It is also supporting a way to enable artists to say where and how AI was used in a track, through a system by a consortium of industry members called DDEX. This information will be included in the metadata of a track and displayed on its app.
Spotify says it is about recognising listeners' desire for more information, as well as "strengthening trust".
"It's not about punishing artists who use AI responsibly or down-ranking tracks for disclosing information about how they were made."
After all that - does it matter?
If you've fallen hard for a new artist, does it matter if they or their songs are made by AI?
Some believe the presence of AI is irrelevant – engagement is driven by enjoyment, and music people love is already serving its primary purpose.
Others say music fans should be able to make informed choices about what they listen to.
The firing put the school at the center of national debates over gender identity and academic freedom. A faculty panel ruled unanimously against the termination.
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