A second US crew member who was missing in Iran after an American F-15 fighter jet was shot down has been rescued.

Posting to social media, US President Donald Trump said the rescued weapons systems officer had "sustained injuries" but would be "just fine", describing the rescue as "one of the most daring search and rescue operations in US history".

Following the downing of the aircraft on Friday, both the pilot and crew member ejected - with the pilot recovered shortly afterwards.

Following this, both the US and Iran scrambled to locate the missing crew member in a mountainous region of southwestern Iran.

The search presented a serious test for the US, with the possibility of a prisoner of war situation if Iran found the missing airman - something which would have likely involved him being used as part of propaganda material.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was said to have launched its own search for the missing American, reportedly using troops and locals, and offering them a reward of about $66,000 (£50,000) to capture him alive.

Videos on social media appeared to show hundreds of people heading to a mountainous area in south-western Iran to search for the missing US airman.

Details of the second airman being rescued emerged in US media late on Saturday night.

A short time later, Trump confirmed the successful mission on Truth Social, writing "WE GOT HIM!", adding the crew member was a "respected colonel".

The US rescue operation was described to the BBC as "huge" by one person familiar with the details.

The BBC understands that there was an engagement between the US and Iranian forces during the rescue, and that the pilot may have been injured during his initial ejection from the aircraft.

Tasnim, the semi-official news agency associated with the IRGC, said five Iranians were killed during the operation.

Trump said dozens of aircraft had been involved in the operation, with the White House not giving an update after the pilot was recovered on Friday to protect the ongoing rescue.

Earlier reports suggested the missing crew member might be in the mountainous area of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, in the southwestern regions of Iran.

Officials told the BBC's US partner CBS News that the crew member spent more than 24 hours on his own, hiding in the mountains with a handgun.

A senior official also told CBS that the CIA played a crucial in the rescue mission by tracking the airman in a mountain crevice and passing his exact location to the Pentagon.

The agency engaged in a deception campaign inside Iran, reports said. While the rescue attempt was taking place, the agency spread word the airman had already been found and was being extracted from Iran.

Meanwhile, Iran's IRGC previously said that nomadic tribes living in the country's mountains shot two Black Hawk helicopters that were part of the US rescue mission.

BBC Verify has confirmed a video from Friday showing what appears to be three armed individuals firing towards at least two Black Hawk helicopters.

The rescue operation reportedly included an A-10 Warthog aircraft which was hit over the Gulf, with its pilot ejecting before being rescued.

The recovery of the F-15 crew member comes as intense fighting continues in the region.

On Sunday morning, authorities in Abu Dhabi said they were battling fires at a Borouge petrochemical facility caused by falling debris from an Iranian missile. There were also report of attacks on Kuwait and Israel overnight into Sunday.

A search is underway for a missing crew member after a US F-15E fighter jet flying over southern Iran was shot down on Friday, US media has reported.

A pilot who was on board was reportedly rescued by US forces, but the search for the second crew member, a weapons system officer, is ongoing, reports say.

Seperately, a US A-10 Warthog aircraft that was part of the search and rescue mission for the downed jet was also shot and damaged, however its pilot was safely rescued, according to the BBC's US partner CBS News.

Iranian officials said the the warplane was shot down by its air defence system, according to state media. The US Central Command is yet to comment.

Where and when was the jet shot down?

Iranian state media first claimed on Friday that the country's forces shot down a US jet over its southern region.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt then said that US President Donald Trump had been briefed on the incident.

US Central Command has not confirmed the details surrounding the reported downing of the aircraft.

A search and rescue mission successfully recovered the pilot of the jet, but what happened to the jet's second crew member, a weapons systems officer, remains unknown, CBS News has reported.

The rescue operation included an A-10 Warthog plane that was hit over the Gulf, with its pilot ejecting before being rescued, according to CBS.

One helicopter carrying the rescued pilot from the F-15E jet was hit by small arms fire, injuring crew members on board - but it landed safely, CBS reports.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that nomadic tribes living in the country's mountains shot two Black Hawk helicopters that were part of the US rescue mission.

The BBC has requested comment from the US military regarding Iran's claim.

BBC Verify has confirmed a video from Friday showing what appears to be three armed individuals firing towards at least two Black Hawk helicopters.

Iran's top joint military command has credited new Iranian air defence systems with the downing of both US warplanes, according to Iran's state-affiliated IRNA news agency.

What do we know about the jet's purpose?

The F-15E is a dual-role fighter jet designed for both air-to-ground and air-to-air missions. In Iran, they are most likely to have been involved in Defensive Counter Air roles to shoot down Iranian drones and cruise missiles.

In its air-to-ground strike role, the jet is a weapons platform capable of dropping laser and GPS guided precision munitions, as well as other bombs.

The aircraft has two crew: the pilot in the front who flies the jet and a weapons systems officer in the back seat. The weapons officer, known as a "Wizzo", has four screens in front of them and is responsible for selecting targets and making sure the weapons are properly programmed for the appropriate attack.

This two-crew system allows the workload to be divided up, particularly in a congested air environment where the pilot is trying to evade threats.

We do not know what specifically brought down this US jet, but if it was taken down by the Iranians then the most likely reason is a surface-to-air missile (SAM).

What is happening with the rescue effort?

The rescue of crew members of a downed jet is one of the most complex and time-sensitive operations - known as combat search and rescue (CSAR) missions - that the US military and its allies prepare for.

The elite air force units behind CSAR missions include some of the most highly trained and specialised members of the military.

"It's the most dangerous military mission that I know of," James Jeffrey, a military strategist and top US diplomat for the Middle East, told the BBC.

"These are Air Force special operations people who are trained almost to the level of Delta Force and Navy SEAL Team Six, but they also have medical capabilities," Jeffrey said. "They will not give up until they can find a pilot if they think there's any chance."

CSAR missions are often conducted by helicopters, which fly low over enemy territory, alongside other military aircraft that conduct strikes and patrol the area.

A former commander of a pararescue jumpers squadron told CBS News that a rescue operation like the reported one in Iran would involve at least 24 pararescue jumpers scouring the area in Black Hawk helicopters.

They added the team would be prepared to jump from planes if needed, and once on the ground their priority would be to contact the missing crew member.

The crew of the downed jet are also highly trained for such situations.

"Their number one priority is to stay alive and to avoid capture," Jennifer Kavanagh, a senior fellow and the director of military analysis at think tank Defense Priorities, told the BBC.

"And so they're trained to - assuming that they're physically capable, and not so injured that they can't move - to try to get away from the ejection site as quickly as possible, and to conceal themselves so that they are safe."

They're also trained on survival techniques so that they can go without food or water, or find resources from the local terrain, for as long as possible, Kavanagh said.

Iran is offering rewards of about £50,000 ($66,100) to citizens who help capture the missing airman, state media has reported.

Nasa is releasing a steady stream of stunning pictures of the Moon and Earth taken by the astronauts on its Artemis II Moon mission.

Attracting millions of likes on social media, the images show the two bodies from unusual angles in glorious high definition.

There is no denying the drama: four astronauts are embarking on a mission that will take them further from Earth than any human has ventured since 1972.

But is there unique scientific value in these images, or are these simply the equivalent of holiday photos?

Nasa wants the American public behind them to support the mission. They are live-streaming the 10-day journey, and the four astronauts are doing regular video updates, describing their progress in triumphant tones.

The crew have been so excited to watch the world and Moon go by, Nasa has said, that the window inside the Orion spacecraft got dirty and the astronauts were sent instructions on how to clean it.

This is the first time that digital cameras have been taken this far into space.

Orion has 32 cameras and devices - 15 mounted onto the spacecraft and 17 handheld by the crew.

According to Nasa, the astronauts are using standard 10-year-old cameras, including the Nikon D5, as well as GoPros and smartphones.

Nasa's photostream on flickr even tells you the device used to take each of the published photos.

On Friday we saw the first results of their intense observations.

"Hello, World" was taken by Commander Reid Wiseman when the mission was about equidistant from the Moon and Earth - 142,000 miles (228,500 km) from Earth, and 132,000 miles from the Moon.

It shows two auroras as the Earth eclipses the Sun, and the planet Venus glowing at the bottom of the image.

Our planet appears upside down, with the Sahara desert and the Iberian peninsula visible to the left and the eastern portion of South America to the right.

It's a lovely picture, but nothing new when it comes to science.

In fact, Nasa has a satellite with its Deep Space Climate Observatory with a camera called Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (Epic). Launched in 2015, it frequently takes pictures of Earth from close to a million miles away - much further than Artemis II.

Then on Saturday, Nasa released another photo, with the tagline "history in the making".

It shows the Orientale basin, a huge crater on the far side of the Moon, which has a thicker crust and many more impact craters.

It's been released ahead of the lunar fly-by on Monday when the crew will fly around this mysterious far side, passing within 4,066 miles of the surface.

Nasa said its image marked "the first time the entire basin has been seen with human eyes". Even Apollo astronauts didn't see the Orientale basin completely because of their orbit and illumination conditions.

Nasa is emphasising the significance of human eyes rather than robotic explorers.

"Human eyes and brains are highly sensitive to subtle changes in colour, texture, and other surface characteristics," it says.

It says this could "uncover new discoveries and a more nuanced appreciation for the features on the surface of the Moon."

I asked Chris Lintott, Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Oxford and co-host of BBC's series The Sky at Night for his opinion.

"The value of the images coming back from Artemis and its crew is artistic, not scientific," he said.

He explained that since the Apollo program in the 1960s and 1970s, robotic explorers have mapped the far side of the Moon.

In 2023, India sent the probe Chandrayaan-3 and captured detailed images of the same terrain.

And in 2024, China's Chang'e-6 mission collected the first-ever samples from the far side. It followed China landing the first ever probe in the region, in 2019.

"Unless something very unusual happens, there will be nothing for the [Artemis] astronauts to discover," Lintott says.

"There's a possibility they might see an impact flash if a meteor hits the dark side but it would have to be a pretty big one," he said.

"For science they would need to do a systematic count [of it], best done with a video camera, not looking out the window," he explained.

"The [images] we already have back are beautiful, stunning and iconic - taking by astronauts not by robots. This is a voyage of exploration, not lunar science and that's fine!" he said.

When releasing these images, Nasa is pushing the scientific importance of this mission, but as journalists, we are asked to look at all the facts around a story.

America is locked in a space race with other nations - notably China, with both nations vying to be the first to return humans to the Moon. A successful Artemis II mission would signal that the US has taken a decisive lead, for now

And this is a huge moment for Nasa to shine in the eyes of President Donald Trump, who has gutted the funding of many scientific institutions.

The agency is also under pressure to prove its worth at a time when private operators such as SpaceX are raising the bar.

Science is driven by inquiry and evidence, but it is never immune to politics.

In 1968 astronaut Bill Anders made history when he took the now-famous picture Earthrise.

Taken from close to the lunar surface, it showed our planet rising in the distance.

It made Earth look vulnerable, and at a time of global division and tension during the Cold War, it reminded many viewers that we share this one planet.

It also demonstrated how a powerful image can write history, and Nasa will be hoping that Artemis II delivers a moment of comparable resonance.

In the meantime, let's enjoy the astronauts' ride and their beautiful pictures.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said it is "deeply concerning" that Kanye West is set to headline Wireless Festival in London this summer.

West, now known as Ye, has drawn widespread criticism for antisemitic comments he has made in recent years, for which he issued an apology in January.

The American rapper, 48, was announced as the headliner for all three days of the rap and R&B festival in north London earlier this week.

In response Sir Keir said, in comments first reported by the Sun on Sunday, that West has been booked "despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism".

"Antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted firmly wherever it appears," Sir Keir said.

"Everyone has a responsibility to ensure Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe."

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said on Thursday that the government should ban West from entering the UK, arguing "we need to get tougher on antisemitism" and describing West's planned appearance as "extremely serious".

• Kanye West to return to UK for Wireless Festival

Last year West was blocked from entering Australia after releasing a song titled "Heil Hitler", glorifying the Nazi leader.

He also declared himself a Nazi earlier in the year, retracting an earlier apology he issued over antisemitic comments, and sold T-shirts featuring a swastika on his clothing website.

In November 2025, West held a meeting with Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto where he reportedly apologised for his past antisemitic comments.

In January, West took out a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal, apologising for his antisemitic behaviour.

"I am not a Nazi or an antisemite," he wrote. He said bipolar disorder means when "you're manic, you don't think you're sick" and that he "lost touch with reality".

"I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state," he added.

West's X account was banned multiple times in 2022 due to posts that violated the platform's rules.

It came after he posted a series of offensive tweets, including an image appearing to show a symbol combining a swastika and the Star of David and saying he would go "death con 3 On Jewish people".

In the same year, he drew criticism after wearing a "white lives matter" T-shirt during Paris fashion week.

His actions saw clothing brand Adidas part ways with the rapper, which said at the time it does "not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech".

He has not performed in the UK since 2015 when he headlined Glastonbury.

Three songs from his latest album Bully, released in March, are in the UK's top 100 singles chart.

Wireless has described the event, running from 10-12 July, as a "three night journey through his most iconic records".

Earlier this week, the leader of the largest body representing Jews in the UK, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, told BBC Newsnight that West should be blocked from entering the country.

A spokesperson for London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan said: "We are clear that the past comments and actions of this artist are offensive and wrong, and are simply not reflective of London's values. This was a decision taken by the festival organisers and not one that City Hall is involved in."

Wireless organisers Festival Republic have been approached for comment.

Shirt launches are a hotly anticipated part of every World Cup.

And this year's campaigns from the two main kit-makers - Adidas and Nike - mark a notable departure from previous competitions, featuring more streetwear-inspired collections than traditional matching football shorts, socks and boots.

Inspired by football culture on and off the pitch, the collections mix archive classics with streetwear staples.

Nike launched its World Cup home shirts with a Hollywood-worthy short film of star players including Virgil van Dijk, William Saliba and Cole Palmer modelling their kits with cargo trousers, jeans and trainers.

Adidas went one step further when they launched their away shirts in Los Angeles recently. Celebrities including Kendall Jenner and Damson Idris watched models styling their kits with flared trousers, distressed denim and micro-shorts.

It's a way of showing fans "how to bring the kits into their own life", says Adidas football's global manager.

Sam Handy has "known for a while that the worlds of streetwear, music, fashion and culture converge in football as a universal shared passion across the world.

"It took a few seasons for everyone to see it."

Streetwear is woven into the casuals subculture which emerged in the UK in the 70s.

Casuals ditched full team colours for a more everyday look. Polo shirts, denim jackets or flared trousers from brands like Adidas, Fila, Sergio Tacchini, Lacoste, Slazenger, Stone Island and Fred Perry took over the full kit.

Over time, these styles were adapted outside football and became more mainstream.

Adidas has nodded to this with an £80 Britcore Jersey in its new collection. Described as a 90s-inspired look which is perfect for "layering up" or "making a statement at a weekend event", it's clear it's not just designed for football fans.

Meanwhile, Nike has launched its Jordan and Brazil collaboration ahead of the World Cup, with an "old-school jersey" goalie top that's described by the brand as being "field-ready style, remixed for the streets", costing £79.99.

Ahead of the 2026 World Cup - which takes place in the US, Mexico and Canada between 11 June and 19 July - some brands have pushed the boundaries between sportswear and streetwear even further by launching cropped versions of many of their shirts.

First introduced by Adidas for major European clubs like Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in 2025, they've been described as a "more exciting product for female fans".

The crop tops were inspired by "seeing lots of fans cutting jerseys and re-sewing them to get the fit they wanted", says Handy.

"The future of football is women and the people who don't credibly invest in them are missing out on expanding fandom in 50% of the population," he stresses.

Match-day outfits have deepened 22-year-old Ellie-Ann Prendergast's love for Liverpool. "Styling myself for games has made me enjoy them more," Prendergast says.

She's "obsessed" with styling outfits and keeping up with the latest kits - and loves seeing fans dressing up on match days.

"As a new football fan I feel like I've been accepted straight into the fanbase because they're such a family," she adds.

Given its deep ties with the trend-setting US basketball and American football leagues, the NBA and NFL, it feels apt streetwear styles are included in this year's North American World Cup kit collections.

But while streetwear is increasingly featured in collections now, fashion in sport hasn't always been embraced.

In 2005, an NBA dress code asked players to dress "business casual" while representing the sport - an attempt to banish streetwear from the league.

Players hired stylists to bend the NBA's rules as much as possible to still incorporate streetwear looks and showcase their own personal fashion sense.

Many of today's footballers have grown up "looking up to basketball players", says British football content creator Tiannah Pedler.

She believes fashion is one of the few opportunities footballers have to show off their personality. "The ones that are interested in fashion can create this really strong personal brand," the 26-year-old says.

David Beckham is an example of this in the early 2000s, but more recently, Kylian Mbappé, Marcus Rashford and Jude Bellingham have all attended Paris Fashion Week shows when off the pitch.

It's also something players in France have long been known for - with boundary-pushing outfits regularly going viral.

Back in 2018, streetwear was integrated into the sport when club Paris Saint-Germain launched its commercial partnership with the Nike Air Jordan brand.

This collaboration with the Jordan brand - founded by basketball's Michael Jordan - helped "kickstart" this fashion trend in European football.

"PSG are very good at making the club a bit of a lifestyle brand where even non-football fans might like to wear merch," Pedler says.

Pedler sees Arsenal as leading the way in this area, having already collaborated with a number of London streetwear brands in the last year, including Places + Faces, LABRUM and Aries.

"Arsenal have done a really great job with all their collections.

"If they do win the league, they are going to have the best-dressed parade in the entire world," Pedler jokes.

Other clubs like Everton have recently created a collection with LA brand Anti Social Social Club, while Manchester United's The Stone Roses collection with Adidas has been a big hit with fans.

As football clubs look to cash in on fans looking for more fashionable ways to support their clubs, you can expect to see more streetwear collaborations in the future.

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Roo has her harness on and her owner Alana Kestle has her lead in hand - the pair are ready to go out for a walk.

Except Roo is a cat and she is far from the only puss heading out for walkies.

TikTok and Instagram have seen an explosion of adventure cat content over the past few years - pets perched on paddleboards, scaling mountains or trotting on beaches.

With more young people living in flats in cities, supervised outdoor time allows their cats to get outdoor enrichment without the risk of being run over, say owners.

Cat expert Emily Blackwell said, while she does not condemn the practice, she also does not recommend it - adding that it depends on the cat and owner to make it a success.

Cats Protection urged would-be owners to choose a cat that can "thrive within the environment and lifestyle you can offer rather than attempting to force the cat to adjust".

"I would say the majority of cat owners that are putting in the weeks and months of time to harness train, slowly get them used to the backpack and taking them out are good owners who are wanting to keep their cats safe," said Alana.

When Roo was first adopted by 22-year-old Alana and her partner, both from Cardiff, the little kitten was meant to be an indoor cat.

But then videos of cats being walked on leads started filling her social media feeds, so the couple decided to try it.

As a third-year veterinary student at the University of Surrey, Alana has seen the dangers free-roaming cats face, such as being run over, fights and disease.

The couple began by trying different harnesses and getting Roo used to it in the house before introducing a travel backpack Roo could use if she needed a safe space while out and about.

"It did take her quite a few months to start realising, 'no, this actually is safe'," but now she has "full-blown zoomies outside, tail up, chirping, running around on her lead," Alana said.

Some vets she knows have been "very much into it", while others have expressed concern.

Alana thinks cat walking has been more popular among young people because they are living in urban environments and see the dangers it poses to cats, but she did not agree when people "do it for social media and push their cats too far".

The trick is knowing your cat, their body language and when they have had enough, she added.

She is far from alone, in fact, there are more than 4,500 members on the UK Cat Walkers Facebook group.

Lucy Francom, 26, began training Bongo when she got him about four years ago because he followed her everywhere.

Lucy, who grew up in Llandudno, Conwy county, does not believe cats should be allowed outside alone, no matter where they live, but nor would she want them to stay indoors all day.

Instead, Bongo and her other cat Fifi are trained to paddleboard, kayak and walk with her.

But how do you train a cat?

Lucy said the trick was going at their pace and using a clicker that you click and give them a treat when they do the correct behaviour so the cat associates the action with a reward.

Bongo and Fifi have been trained to walk with Lucy without a lead so they will come back to her if she calls, but Lucy said it was concerning to see people on social media dragging their cats around and not training them correctly.

Candice Stapleton, whose family is Welsh, is a dog trainer and said training cats was fairly similar.

She has four felines but only Captain Crumpet walks with her and German shepherd/border collie cross Lexa May.

She does not believe every cat should be harnessed trained: "I decided walking isn't good for Chikondi because of his poorly hips. I've got two older cats and it wouldn't be right for them either."

One of the important things she has trained Captain Crumpet and Chikondi in is what to do if they feel threatened and she carries a rucksack as a mobile safe space.

She believes younger people are embracing cat walking because they see it on social media whereas older people "can be a little bit more set in 'dogs go for walks and cats don't'".

"I guess there's a lot of social media presence and people potentially might do it for the likes rather than what's right for the cat."

She said walking Captain Crumpet was a "real mood booster, I can't help but smile seeing his happy tail as he trots along".

Abby Mayers and her wife Melody, both 22, live in Cheshire and usually walk their cat Olive in Erddig, Wrexham and Llangollen, Denbighshire.

The couple have three cats, and while new kitten Robin is being harness trained, Ginny is not a fan, so stays at home.

"We started training [Olive] with a harness because we lived in a first floor flat with no garden and near a fairly busy road," she said.

Now they live in a house with a garden, they let Olive out unsupervised because she has so much energy and the couple work long hours.

"I did see the guidance [that harness training is not recommended] and it kind of worried me a bit because I was like, 'what if we're doing the wrong thing?' But if Olive and Robin didn't enjoy it then they wouldn't do it," Abby said.

"If you have cats then you'll know that cats don't do things they don't want to do.

"I know them well enough that I know when they are enjoying something and when they're not.

"If my cats were ever showing signs of distress, I wouldn't do it with them."

Emily Blackwell, senior lecturer in companion animal behaviour and welfare at Bristol Veterinary School said she would be "cautious about recommending it as a way of giving a cat extra stimulation" because "most cats would find going off familiar territory and being restrained really stressful".

She said training from a very young age would be critical if the owner was determined to do it and the cat should naturally be very confident and curious.

Blackwell said she has seen cats who have been habituated to harness wearing seemingly very happy to explore mountain ranges, but has also seen clearly unhappy cats being walked on busy streets with heavy traffic.

"It is something that can work, but that's not the norm," Blackwell said.

"I'm not condemning it entirely. I know that some people do this very responsibly and successfully.

"Allowing the cat to choose whether it goes, having somewhere with you where the cat that can hide if it wants to is really important."

She said it was essential for owners to recognise when a cat is stressed, with behaviours such as:

• Hesitating
• Looking around a lot in a hyper-vigilant way
• Lagging behind and needing to be pulled
• Having its ears down or cowering

Daniel Warren-Cummings, clinical animal behaviourist and central behaviour officer for Cats Protection, said: "Many younger cat owners are drawn to items which frequently compromise cat welfare and show little awareness of cats' needs such a leads and backpacks with bubble windows, often as a result of social media influence."

He said free-roaming was always preferable but if that was not possible, many cats were suited to small spaces and lack of outdoor access.

He recommended potential cat owners to choose a pet that would "thrive within the environment and lifestyle you can offer rather than attempting to force the cat to adjust".

Thousands of worshippers flocked to St Peter's Square on Sunday to hear Pope Leo XIV deliver his first Easter Mass address as pontiff.

Framed by white roses on the central balcony of the Vatican's basilica, the pope called on "those who have the power to unleash wars" to choose peace.

"On this day of celebration, let us abandon every desire for conflict, domination and power, and implore the Lord to grant his peace to a world ravaged by wars," he said.

The first US-born pope has become a vocal critic of the Iran war, and has used recent public addresses to denounce global conflicts and urge de-escalation.

Pope Leo waved to the crowd gathered in the square below before delivering his "Urbi et Orbi" blessing - Latin for "to the city and the world".

St Peter's Square was decorated with spring blooms, with rows of daffodils and thousands of purple, red and white flowers arranged for the Easter Mass on Sunday.

"We are growing accustomed to violence, resigning ourselves to it, and becoming indifferent, indifferent to the deaths of thousands of people," the pope said in his address.

"Let those who have weapons lay them down. Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace."

In a break with recent tradition, Leo did not explicitly name any country or conflict in his message.

He paid tribute to his predecessor, Pope Francis, who gave his final address on Easter Sunday last year hours before his death.

Referring to the Easter story of Christ's resurrection, three days after he was nailed to the cross, he said Jesus had been "entirely nonviolent" in the face of suffering.

For Christians, Easter is the most important date in the liturgical calendar, marking the resurrection of Christ - a central tenet of the faith.

As bells rang out across the Vatican and the crowd applauded, Leo concluded his blessing by offering Easter greetings in several languages, including Latin, Arabic and Chinese.

The pope also announced that he would return to the basilica on 11 April to lead a prayer vigil for peace.

Leo has repeatedly denounced ongoing global conflicts in recent weeks, using a series of Holy Week addresses to warn against what he has described as a growing indifference to war and suffering.

In his sermon during Saturday night's Easter vigil, the pontiff urged believers not to feel numbed by the scale of global conflicts but to work actively for reconciliation.

He made a rare direct appeal to Donald Trump on Tuesday, urging the US President to find an "off-ramp" to end the conflict with Iran.

Thousands of worshippers flocked to St Peter's Square on Sunday to hear Pope Leo XIV deliver his first Easter Mass address as pontiff.

Framed by white roses on the central balcony of the Vatican's basilica, the pope called on "those who have the power to unleash wars" to choose peace.

"On this day of celebration, let us abandon every desire for conflict, domination and power, and implore the Lord to grant his peace to a world ravaged by wars," he said.

The first US-born pope has become a vocal critic of the Iran war, and has used recent public addresses to denounce global conflicts and urge de-escalation.

Pope Leo waved to the crowd gathered in the square below before delivering his "Urbi et Orbi" blessing - Latin for "to the city and the world".

St Peter's Square was decorated with spring blooms, with rows of daffodils and thousands of purple, red and white flowers arranged for the Easter Mass on Sunday.

"We are growing accustomed to violence, resigning ourselves to it, and becoming indifferent, indifferent to the deaths of thousands of people," the pope said in his address.

"Let those who have weapons lay them down. Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace."

In a break with recent tradition, Leo did not explicitly name any country or conflict in his message.

He paid tribute to his predecessor, Pope Francis, who gave his final address on Easter Sunday last year hours before his death.

Referring to the Easter story of Christ's resurrection, three days after he was nailed to the cross, he said Jesus had been "entirely nonviolent" in the face of suffering.

For Christians, Easter is the most important date in the liturgical calendar, marking the resurrection of Christ - a central tenet of the faith.

As bells rang out across the Vatican and the crowd applauded, Leo concluded his blessing by offering Easter greetings in several languages, including Latin, Arabic and Chinese.

The pope also announced that he would return to the basilica on 11 April to lead a prayer vigil for peace.

Leo has repeatedly denounced ongoing global conflicts in recent weeks, using a series of Holy Week addresses to warn against what he has described as a growing indifference to war and suffering.

In his sermon during Saturday night's Easter vigil, the pontiff urged believers not to feel numbed by the scale of global conflicts but to work actively for reconciliation.

He made a rare direct appeal to Donald Trump on Tuesday, urging the US President to find an "off-ramp" to end the conflict with Iran.

King Charles and Queen Camilla are attending an Easter Sunday church service in St. George's Chapel, Windsor.

They have been joined by other members of the Royal Family, including the Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales, who has not been at the traditional event for the past two years due to her cancer treatment.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, and daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie are absent, after attending last year.

It is understood the princesses have made "alternative plans" for Easter.

Cheers were heard from onlookers as Prince William and Princess Catherine led their children into the chapel.

As they walked, Princess Charlotte waved to the crowds of people behind barriers watching on.

Princess Anne joined, accompanied by husband Sir Tim Laurence, as well as Prince Edward and his family.

The King and Queen arrived last and one onlooker was heard shouting "God bless the King".

The service is seen as a traditional family event as opposed to an official engagement.

The King did not issue an Easter message this year.

On Thursday, the King and Queen attended the traditional Maundy service at Denbighshire in Wales.

That event commemorates the Last Supper and the importance of humility and service to others.

The King presented gifts to 77 men and 77 women from the UK in recognition of outstanding Christian service and for helping people in their communities.

Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his royal title and remains under investigation having been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office and has moved to Sandringham, Norfolk.

Mountbatten-Windsor and his family have been engulfed by the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, with continuing questions about links to the US sex offender.

The former prince has denied any wrongdoing from his connections with Epstein.

Meanwhile, it is the first time the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally has delivered an Easter sermon.

In it, she will say call for an end to "violence and destruction" in the Middle East.

Mullally will pray "with renewed urgency" for peace before a congregation at Canterbury Cathedral, as the US-Israel war against Iran enters its sixth week.

Two more people have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 14-year-old boy was shot dead in south-east London.

Eghosa Ogbebor died at the scene following the shooting on Lord Warwick Street, Woolwich, at about 15:40 BST on Thursday.

A 16-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man were arrested on Saturday, the Met Police said. A 46-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

Three people arrested on suspicion of murder on Friday - two boys aged 14 and 16 and an 18-year-old man - have been released on bail.

Det Ch Insp Lucie Card, whose team is leading the investigation, said: "Our team of dedicated detectives are continuing inquiries to investigate Eghosa's tragic death.

"Residents in Woolwich may have noticed a large amount of police activity last night, as officers arrested three further people in connection with the investigation.

"We appreciate the concern that Eghosa's death has caused, particularly among the local community who will continue to see an increased police presence around the area."

She urged anyone with information or who witnessed suspicious activity in the area to contact police.

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