Talks aimed at saving steel production in Scunthorpe are deadlocked over who will pay for the raw materials needed to keep the blast furnaces going.

The materials need to be paid for within the next two days, according to government sources, or production will cease at the British Steel plant within weeks and cannot be restarted.

British Steel's Chinese owner Jingye say the furnaces are "no longer financially sustainable" and they are unwilling to purchase new raw materials.

Talks are set to resume between British Steel bosses and government officials on Thursday, with unions saying the situation is on a "cliff-edge".

The government has not ruled out nationalising British Steel, which employs 2,700 people, saying all options remain on the table.

Ministers are thought to prefer a commercial solution to secure the long-term future of the plant.

But due to the urgent need to acquire new raw materials, talks about the longer-term future of steelmaking in Scunthorpe are now largely on hold.

The immediate issue is who will pay for a shipment of iron pellets, which have been delivered but are waiting in a dock, and coke, which has been ordered and is en route to the plant.

One option being discussed is whether the government can directly buy the materials using taxpayers' money.

But ministers have come up against legal barriers that make it tricky to intervene in such circumstances.

It is understood that the easiest legal avenue would be to come to a deal with Jingye, whereby they agree to carry on running the plant, as long as the government pays for the raw materials.

When Jingye announced last month that thousands of jobs were at risk, that triggered a consultation period that legally must last a minimum of 45 days.

Government representatives are said to be frustrated with Jingye, at what they see as an effective shutting down of British Steel, with the consultation period still ongoing.

One source involved in the negotiations, who two weeks ago was optimistic about the future relationship between Jingye and the UK government, said they could no longer foresee long-term Chinese involvement in British steelmaking.

If the government can find a way over that more immediate hurdle, then longer-term talks about British steelmaking are expected to be picked back up.

One source said the government is now likely to look for an alternative commercial partner, outside of China, to take over the steelmaking operations at Scunthorpe.

Alun Davies, national secretary in charge of steel and metals for the Community Union, said the raw materials issue was an "extreme emergency" .

"We just need them to be paid for, once that happens then there can be further discussions with the government about how we secure steel making for Scunthorpe," he told the BBC.

Emerging from talks, Linda McCulloch from the Unite union said they would like the government to nationalise the site "to keep steelmaking alive in the UK".

One of Scunthorpe's blast furnaces is set to be temporarily shut down next week, in order to buy more time before the raw materials needed to keep the steelworks going run out.

The North Lincolnshire town's skyline boasts four blast furnaces, all named after English Queens - Bess, Mary, Anne and Victoria.

Bess and Anne are currently the only two steelmaking blast furnaces operational in the UK.

Turning off a blast furnace without making it permanently unusable is notoriously difficult.

A so-called "Salamander Tap" can be used to temporarily shut down a blast furnace by drilling a hole to remove any remaining hot metal.

It is seen as a generally dangerous process, but engineers on site at Scunthorpe are now confident they can carry out the procedure.

The "Bess" blast furnace is currently scheduled to be taken temporarily out of action on 14 April.

This would leave "Anne" as the only remaining operational blast furnace in the country, but would mean raw material stockpiles last twice as long.

Reform UK is calling for British Steel to be nationalised until a buyer can be found.

The Green Party also favours nationalisation and a switch to "green" steel production.

The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have said other options should be considered first.

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The first stage of a High Court libel case has found that ex-footballer Joey Barton libelled former England striker Eni Aluko in online posts about her and her family.

The broadcaster said she faced threats of violence and abuse on social media after Barton posted twice on social media site, X, in January 2024, which a judge has ruled were defamatory.

Barton had claimed Aluko's father was financially corrupt, and that her private education made her a "hypocrite" and he accused her of "using the race card", the court heard.

High Court judge Mr Justice Lavender ruled these were mainly statements of opinion and were defamatory.

Aluko, 38, welcomed the civil court ruling, adding: "The posts were an unwarranted attack on my personal and professional identity, my integrity and my family life - in particular my late father."

Former Manchester City and Newcastle player Barton, of Widnes, Cheshire, is yet to respond and could appeal.

He could also defend the statements if the case proceeds to trial.

Aluko scored 33 international goals in 102 appearances for the Lionesses before retiring in 2020 and moving to a career in broadcasting.

In a separate criminal case, Barton, 42, has pleaded not guilty to allegedly posting offensive comments on social media about Aluko, as well as broadcasters Lucy Ward and Jeremy Vine.

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Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke has been given a formal warning for using "offensive and unacceptable" language towards JoJo Siwa in Celebrity Big Brother.

The Oscar-nominated star entered the ITV reality show on Monday alongside the 21-year-old TV and social media personality, and 11 other celebrities.

Siwa accused Rourke, 72, of being "homophobic" for saying he was "going to vote the lesbian out real quick" and making other comments about her sexuality.

As a result, Big Brother told him: "Further language or behaviour of this nature could lead to you being removed from the Big Brother house."

Rourke later apologised to Siwa, and told the housemates he "didn't say it out of meanness".

According to a transcript released by ITV ahead of Wednesday evening's episode, Rourke first asked Siwa if she liked boys or girls. She replied: "Girls. My partner is non-binary."

He then told her: "If I stay longer than four days, you won't be gay any more."

She responded: "I can guarantee I'll still be gay and I'll still be in a very happy relationship."

He then made the comment about voting her out, and apparently referred to an earlier conversation about the smoking area when he said: "I need a fag," before gesturing to Siwa and adding: "I'm not talking to you."

After being told he couldn't say that by former Love Island star Chris Hughes, Rourke claimed: "I know. I was talking about a cigarette."

Short fuse

The US actor was called into the diary room, where Big Brother told him his "language was offensive and unacceptable" and gave him the formal warning.

He responded: "I apologise. I don't have dishonourable intentions - I'm just talking smack, you know. I wasn't taking it all so serious. I didn't mean in it any bad intentions and if I did, sorry."

After going back into the main house, Hughes told him Siwa "was very upset earlier", and she informed Rourke it was "not an acceptable word".

He told her: "I want to apologise. I've got a habit of having a short fuse. And I don't mean nothing by it. I do mean it [sorry]. If I didn't, I wouldn't say it to you."

Siwa replied: "I appreciate your apology."

For 20 years, Rj LaMendola found peace while paddling in the water on his surfboard.

But last month off the coast of Southern California, the ocean turned hostile after a sea lion lunged at him, bit him and dragged him off his board.

"It looked possessed," Mr LaMendola wrote in a Facebook post, saying the animal involved in the encounter just north of Los Angeles was "feral, almost demonic".

The surfer later learned the animal was suffering from domoic acid toxicosis- a neurological condition caused by a harmful algal bloom. It's one of dozens of sickened animals that have been spotted across California beaches recently - many suffering from symptoms like seizures or intense lethargy. The toxin often leads to death.

This particular algae bloom has appeared four years in a row across California, raising concerns it might be turning into an annual event. The bloom of algae started earlier than normal this year and has spread roughly 370 miles of the iconic Southern California coastline.

When Mr LaMenolda made it to shore, his wetsuit ripped open, he was bleeding and went to the hospital. "It felt like I was being hunted," he said.

South of where he was attacked, 15-year-old Phoebe Beltran was doing a swim test in Long Beach to become a lifeguard when a sea lion repeatedly bit her.

"I was just so scared, so shocked, but I still felt the immense pain on my arms, like, over and over again," the teen told local US media.

The two back-to-back attacks have garnered global headlines and caused some anxiety among those who call California and its iconic beaches home. While attacks are rare, experts say the number of animals sickened by the toxic algae bloom appears to be increasing.

John Warner, CEO of the Marine Mammal Care Center in Los Angeles - which is treating sea life sickened by the bloom - told the BBC these animals aren't "naturally aggressive or actually attack people" but the toxins impact their behaviour.

"These animals are reacting to the fact that they are sick," he explained. "They're disoriented, and most likely, most of them are having seizures, and so their senses are not all fully functional as they normally would and they're acting out of fear."

Domoic acid builds up in smaller fish like sardines and anchovies, which are eaten by marine predators such as dolphins, seals and sea lions in large quantities, causing them to get sick.

Exposure to the acid causes serious neurological issues in sea lions, including seizures, disorientation and a telltale head-tilting behaviour known as "stargazing."

Some animals fall into a lethargic and comatose state, while others can turn aggressive.

"Their behaviour changes from what we're used to, to something more unpredictable," Mr Warner said. "But in this particular bloom, we're seeing them really comatose and rather taken out by this toxin."

The Marine Mammal Care Center is currently overwhelmed with the influx and severity of sick animals.

According to Mr Warner, the nonprofit has admitted at least 195 sea lions from Feb 20 to the end of March. During the same time frame last year, the centre saw only 50 of the animals.

If treated promptly, sea lions have a 50% to 65% chance of recovery, but Mr Warner says the centre is running out of space and money to treat the animals. Treatment includes anti-seizure medication and sedation, followed by twice-daily tube feeding and hydration.

On top of that, the recovery pace this year has been slower, he said.

While sick sea lions in 2023 typically began eating within a week, many this year are still lethargic five weeks into care.

Recovery comes in stages: from a comatose state to disorientation, then aggressive reawakening—when the animals are most dangerous due to lingering neurological effects.

Adult sea lions can weigh hundreds of pounds, and aggressive behaviors make housing them complicated. If their behaviour doesn't normalize, it could signal permanent brain damage, and humane euthanasia becomes necessary.

"If they're still aggressive or not foraging properly, it tells us their brains aren't functioning the way they should," Mr Warner said.

For now, beachgoers are urged to stay well away from stranded animals - at least 50 feet - and resist the temptation to intervene.

"These are still the same charismatic, really fun-to-watch expert cuddle puddlers that we see along the coast all the time," Mr Warner said. "We need to remember they are wild animals. They can be unpredictable even in normal circumstances."

President Trump has been justifying his sweeping tariffs with a series of claims about how the US is the victim of "unfair trade".

He has imposed tariffs - or import taxes - on countries around the world, including a 104% rate on goods imported from China. In response, China is hiking its tariffs on American imports.

Some of Trump's claims on trade are unsubstantiated or even false. BBC Verify has been taking a closer look.

Is the US making $2 billion a day from tariffs?

"We're making a fortune with tariffs - $2 billion a day", Trump has said about his new tariff regime.

BBC Verify cannot find any published figures which show this.

The US Treasury Department publishes a daily statement on how much money from customs duties goes to the federal government.

Data from 7 April - which includes the impact of some of Trump's earlier tariffs - amounted to $215m (£168m).

That figure is well short of Trump's claim.

It is possible that he has based it on forecasts for the year ahead.

• China retaliates with 84% tariffs on US goods as Trump trade war escalates
• What are tariffs and why is Trump using them?
• How were Donald Trump's tariffs calculated?

The US imported $9bn (£7bn) worth of goods per day last year.

Some analysts have calculated that the average rate of Trump's tariffs (as of 2 April) is 22%.

Applying this to these import figures would get you to £2bn (£1.6bn) a day.

But this calculation assumes that the volume of US imports would stay at this level.

Another way Trump could have reached his figure is by basing it on what his trade advisor said on 6 April.

Peter Navarro claimed the tariffs would raise $700bn (£546bn) a year and - from this - you can get to around $2bn a day.

It is not clear how Navarro came up with his figure and analysts have since argued that it could be much lower.

BBC Verify has asked the White House for Trump's evidence.

Is the US running a $1 trillion deficit with China?

A trade deficit happens when a country buys more from another country than it sells to it and Trump claims the US has a huge one with China.

"We have a trillion dollar trade deficit with China", Trump told reporters on 7 April.

The US does have a large trade deficit in goods with China.

Official figures show it was just over $295bn (£230bn) in 2024 - which is far less than the $1tn (£780bn) claimed by Trump.

Globally, in 2024, China exported nearly $1tn (£780bn) more goods than it imported.

But, contrary to what Trump said, that figure applies to all countries, not just the US.

Does Canada charge 270% on US dairy products?

Trump has claimed that Canada charges US farmers a 270% tariff on their dairy products.

"Canada charges for our dairy products 270%. Nobody knows that. They charge you 2% for the first two cartons of milk and after that you go up to 270", Trump said.

It is correct that Canada does impose high tariffs on US dairy products - including 241% for milk, 270% for dairy powder and 298% for butter - but they only apply under specific conditions.

Under the Canadian system, US dairy goods can enter the country duty-free or with very low tariffs - until certain quotas are exceeded. Once this happens, higher tariffs are applied.

According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the US exported $1.14bn (£892m) worth of dairy products to Canada in 2024.

Despite the volume of trade between the two countries, the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) - which represents America's dairy industry - said "the US has never gotten close" to exceeding the quotas.

The IDFA did, however, support Trump challenging Canada's approach, saying it "has erected various protectionist measures". But it also said a tariff war would "create uncertainly and additional costs for American dairy farmers".

Trade expert David Henig, from the European Centre for International Political Economy, told BBC Verify that Canada is highly protective of its dairy market, but pointed out that "President Trump actually negotiated the most recent trade deal between Canada and the US".

Does the EU import no US cars?

As well as China, Trump singled out the European Union (EU) which he said had been formed "to screw the United States".

"You know, we take their millions of cars. They take no cars. They don't take our farm products. They don't take anything", he said.

While the US imports more cars from the EU than it exports to it, Trump's claim that they take no cars is false.

In 2024, the EU imported 164,857 US-made cars valued at €7.7bn (£6.6bn), according to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA).

Many more did go the other way - 749,170 EU-made cars were exported to the US last year valued at €38.5bn (£33.3bn).

Trump's claim about farm products is also false.

The EU bought $12.8bn (£10bn) of US agricultural exports in 2024, making the EU America's fourth largest export market - according to the USDA.

BBC Verify will be looking at more trade claims.

What do you want BBC Verify to investigate?

A man has been found guilty of murdering a woman who he stabbed with a zombie knife in front of her three-year-old daughter at the 2024 Notting Hill Carnival.

Shakeil Thibou, 20, from Kensington in west London, was found guilty of the murder of Cher Maximen by a jury at the Old Bailey.

Ms Maximen had gone to last year's carnival with her daughter and a group of friends on Sunday 25 August, the first day of carnival, known as family day, when she was caught up in a fight between a group of men.

Following a four week trial, Thibou was convicted of her murder by a majority of 10 to two and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent of another carnival-goer - as well as possessing an offensive weapon.

He was acquitted of attempted murder.

Thibou had lunged at a man, Adjei Isaac, during the fight with a weapon described by a witness as a zombie knife.

As Mr Isaac tried to avoid being stabbed he came into contact with Ms Maximen, who fell to the ground. She was then stabbed by Thibou.

Thibou denied that he stabbed Ms Maximen on purpose or that he intended to kill her or cause her serious bodily harm.

The court heard Thibou disposed of the knife in a drain as he left the carnival.

Ms Maximen suffered a cardiac arrest after the stabbing and was taken to hospital, where she underwent two major operations.

She died in hospital six days later.

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Queen Camilla has been given a Margherita pizza on a visit to a school in Rome, in honour of her 20th wedding anniversary to King Charles.

The King and Queen are on the third day of their state visit to Italy - and the Queen was given a taste of local cuisine when she was presented with a delivery-style box of pizza while visiting a local state school.

The King began the day by meeting Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, receiving a ceremonial red-carpet welcome at the Villa Doria Pamphili, on the outskirts of Rome.

The King and Meloni seemed to be having an animated conversation, with the politician a fluent English speaker, as they walked around the 17th Century palace's gardens.

A military band on horseback lined up in front of the palace to greet the King, against the villa's backdrop of orange trees and views stretching over St Peter's and the Vatican.

Later on Wednesday, the King will become the first UK monarch to deliver a speech to both houses of the Italian parliament.

Part of the speech is expected to be delivered in Italian.

The royal couple will then spend the evening of their wedding anniversary at a state banquet at the Quirinale Palace, an event likely to be a showcase for local food and for a guest list of celebrities and dignitaries.

The King and Queen have been given a warm reception on their trip to Italy, posing for photos on Tuesday as they met crowds outside the Colosseum, near the ancient site of the Temple of Venus.

There were calls of "Carlo" - Italian for Charles - from crowds waiting to see the royal visitors and local media also seemed interested by their car, the claret coloured State Bentley.

Back home at Buckingham Palace, there was a musical tribute to mark the royal couple's wedding anniversary.

The Royal Family's official X account posted a video which showed guards playing a brass version of Madness's 1981 hit It Must Be Love.

A growing number of UK lenders are cutting mortgage rates as the fallout from US tariffs continues to fuel forecasts of deeper than expected interest rate cuts.

Coventry Building Society became the largest mortgage provider to cut its two-year fixed rate to below 4% on Wednesday as several others also cut rates.

Financial markets and economists are predicting the Bank of England will cut interest rates by more than expected this year to avoid an economic downturn.

So-called swap rates, which lenders use to price loans, were below 4% on Wednesday.

According to the financial data company Moneyfacts, the average two-year fixed mortgage rate today is 5.3%, down from 5.32% on Tuesday. The average five-year fix is 5.15%, down from 5.17%.

TSB Bank, Metro Bank, and Bank of Ireland are among those who have cut rates since the start of this week.

Coventry Building Society, the UK's eighth largest lender according to UK Finance, lowered its two-year fixed rate to the end of October 2027 to 3.89% - but the product is only for borrowers with a 65% loan-to-value and comes with a £999 fee.

Meanwhile, the Co-operative Bank will cut its two-year, three-year, and five-year fixed rates on certain purchase mortgages by 0.14 percentage points on Thursday.

Brokers expect further falls in the coming days as the "Big Six" lenders - Halifax, Nationwide, HSBC, Santander, Lloyds, and Natwest - continue to adopt a "wait and see" approach by so far not announcing any cuts.

When they drop rates, brokers say other lenders tend to follow.

Central banks cut interest rates in response to concerns of an economic downturn in the hope that cheaper borrowing will encourage more spending.

On Wednesday, the consensus among economists was that there will be four Bank of England rate cuts over the next 12 months. At the start of the week the consensus was just two.

A Nationwide spokesperson told the BBC: "We keep our fixed mortgage rates under regular review, and we have already made a number of rate cuts over the last couple of months."

Rachel Springall from Moneyfacts said it "traditionally takes a couple of weeks for lenders to respond to swap market volatility".

A controversial statue carved by the sculptor Eric Gill has been restored and is being unveiled outside the BBC's London headquarters.

The Grade II-listed statue was damaged in 2022 and 2023, when it was attacked by a member of the public with a hammer.

Gill was among the most prominent sculptors of the 20th Century. But after his death in 1940, his diaries revealed he had sexually abused his daughters.

A BBC spokeswoman said on Wednesday the corporation "in no way condones Gill's abusive behaviour" but that it "draws a line between the actions of Gill, and the status of these artworks".

There have been calls in recent years for Gill's 1930s work - which depicts Prospero and Ariel from William Shakespeare's play The Tempest - to be removed from the BBC's Broadcasting House.

The restored sculpture will be displayed alongside a QR code which links to information about the history of the building, Eric Gill and the sculpture's restoration.

Last month, David Chick of Northamptonshire pleaded not guilty to causing more than £150,000 worth of damage in Portland Place in May 2023.

The BBC said the estimated total costs of the restoration and protective work was £529,715. It's understood the cost has been covered by the BBC rather than claimed on insurance.

A BBC spokeswoman said: "When the building was subject to serious criminal damage, on two occasions, there were no easy options for addressing the destruction caused.

"Having sought expert advice and opinion, we repaired the façade in line with the building's Grade II* status."

She noted that working with Historic England and Westminster City Council, they had also installed a protective screen in front of the sculpture "to avoid future damage".

Historic England CEO Duncan Wilson said: "We recognise that since details of Gill's abusive behaviours came to light in the late 1980s, he has understandably become a controversial character.

"We welcome the BBC's approach to repairing the sculpture and providing interpretation which explores this complex history.

"This is in line with our approach of encouraging thoughtful, long-lasting and powerful (re)interpretation of contested statues and sites which keeps their physical context but adds new layers of meaning and understanding."

Man shouted 'paedophile'

In 2023, David Chick of Northamptonshire was arrested after allegedly climbing scaffolding at Broadcasting House and hitting the statue with a hammer.

BBC staff reported hearing a man shout "paedophile" as he struck the statue.

Mr Chick was already facing trial for criminal damage to the same statue during a previous incident in 2022.

In March 2025, the judge released him on conditional bail and ordered the defendant not to go within 100m (328ft) of the statue.

A trial date was set for May next year, also at Southwark Crown Court.

The Prospero and Ariel statue has been on display at the BBC since 1933.

Confidence in the US economy is plummeting as investors dumped government debt amid growing concerns over the impact of Donald Trump's tariffs.

On Wednesday, the yield - or interest rate - on US bonds spiked sharply to touch the highest level since February at 4.5%.

The government sell bonds - essentially an IOU - to raise money from financial markets and these are viewed as a safe investment, meaning the US normally does not need to offer high rates to attract buyers.

Trump has gone ahead with sweeping tariffs on goods being imported into the US, while Washington's trade war with Beijing has escalated.

After the US implemented a 104% tariff on products from China at midnight on Wednesday, Beijing hit back with 84% levy on American products.

Stock markets have been falling sharply over the past few days in reaction to Trump pressing ahead with tariffs.

However, the sale of bonds poses a major problem for the world's biggest economy.

While the rate is the same level as a couple of months ago, the interest rates for US borrowing over 10 years has spiked sharply in the past couple of days up from 3.9%.

"Rising bond yields mean higher costs for companies to borrow, and of course governments too," said Laith Khalaf, head of investment analysis at AJ Bell.

"Bonds should do well in times of turmoil as investors flee to safety, but Trump's trade war is now undermining the US debt market," he added.

Some analysts suggested that the US Federal Reserve might be forced to step in if turbulence continues, in a move reminiscent of the Bank of England's emergency action in 2022 following Liz Truss's mini-Budget.

"We see no other option for the Fed but to step in with emergency purchases of US Treasuries to stabilise the bond market," said George Saravelos, global head of FX research at Deutsche Bank.

"We are entering uncharted territory," he said, adding that it was "very hard" to predict how markets would react in the coming days as the bond market suggested investors had "lost faith in US assets".

'US recession a coin toss'

Simon French, chief economist at Panmure Liberum, told the BBC that the Fed could decide to cut interest rates in a bid to protect US jobs by making it easier for businesses to borrowing cash as they face higher costs from tariffs.

He said it was a "coin toss" over whether the US would enter a recession.

This is defined as a prolonged and widespread decline in economic activity typically characterised by a jump in unemployment and fall in incomes.

JP Morgan, the investment banking giant, has raised the likelihood of a US recession from 40% to 60% and warned that American policy was "tilting away from growth".

Trump's introduction of tariffs, which are charged on goods imported from countries overseas, threatens to upend many global supply chains.

US-based companies that bring the foreign goods into the country will pay the tax to the government.

Firms may choose to pass on some or all of the cost of tariffs to customers, which could push up inflation.

Trump's plan is aimed at protecting American businesses from foreign competition and also to boost domestic manufacturing.

Questions remain over the scale and what type of investors are dumping US bonds.

There is been speculation some foreign countries, such as China which owns some $759bn of US bonds, might be selling them.

Mr Saravelos said: "There is little room now left for an escalation on the trade front. "The next phase risks being an outright financial war involving Chinese ownership of US assets."

But he warned: "There can be no winner to such a war. The loser will be the global economy."

A five-vehicle crash involving police cars has closed part of the A1 in Newcastle.

The collision happened just before 02:30 BST on the northbound carriageway near junction 75 and the Denton Burn roundabout.

North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) said five people were taken to hospital.

Pictures from the scene show damaged police vehicles and a car seemingly on its side.

The road between junction 73 and 75 is expected to remain shut until the afternoon while a police investigation is carried out, National Highways said, and diversions are in place.

At the scene, BBC Look North reporter Mark Denten said an "extensively damaged" black 4x4 was on its side and debris could be seen scattered across the road.

Four police cars could also be seen, he said, with one a few metres down the road appearing to be the most severely damaged.

BBC Radio Newcastle reporter Rebecca O'Neill said one of the cars was missing its roof.

She said people crossing a footpath near to the scene heard a police helicopter hovering over the area for a "good couple of hours" overnight.

Drivers have been advised to find alternative routes if possible.

The crash hit the morning rush hour with motorists forced to find alternative routes over the River Tyne. It led to 30-to-40 minute queues over the Redheugh Bridge and about 40-minute delays through the Tyne Tunnel.

NEAS said it had sent five crews, a specialist paramedic, a duty officer and two crews from its Hazardous Area Response Team (HART).

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Prince Harry's decision to step back from his life as a working royal resulted in a "unique set of circumstances", a government barrister has told the Court of Appeal.

Sir James Eadie KC said it was right to take a flexible approach to the level of personal security he should be given after he stepped back in early 2020.

The Duke of Sussex is asking three judges to overturn a decision to downgrade the policy protection he is given at public expense when he visits the UK.

On Tuesday, the first day of his appeal, his barrister argued he had been subject to a "so-called bespoke process" with regards to his UK security, that saw him "singled out for different, unjustified and inferior treatment".

Prince Harry was in court again for the second day of the hearing, with a crowd of photographers and onlookers waiting when he arrived. He waved to reporters before entering the court building.

Sitting in the same seat as he did on Tuesday, next to his solicitor, the duke occasionally made notes as he listened to Sir James set out the government's position.

Sir James told the court the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), which decides security levels, was governed by "royal prerogative" - not the requirements of any law.

Its chair, Sir Richard Mottram, had been in charge for more than a decade and was "front line responsible" if Ravec got it wrong, he said.

As a senior civil servant with experience overseeing national security, "it's hard to imagine a decision maker better placed to form his own view", he told the court.

While Ravec had "terms of reference" for deciding security measures, there was "nothing to suggest they were designed to operate rigidly and not flexibly".

Unlike most of the senior royal family, Prince Harry decided to live abroad and not carry out official engagements.

He previously said the safety of his family, with whom he moved to California in 2020, was at the heart of the case.

This decision was in a "category of its own", Sir James said, and the committee was right to consider the case on its merits.

The core objective of the committee's members and advisers, he said, was "to make nuanced judgments about security protection bringing all of their expertise to bear including making decisions about unusual cases and what process should most appropriately be followed".

He added later that the decision on Prince Harry's security was "considered with care" and "nothing was excluded or shut down in the future", including conducting a risk assessment.

Because the Home Office has legal responsibility for Ravec's decisions, it is opposing the appeal on its behalf.

The duke's security in the UK is currently decided on a case-by-case basis, the same way as the country's other high-profile visitors.

The details of Prince Harry's current security arrangements, and the levels he would like to receive, have not been discussed in court, for security reasons.

More sensitive information will be discussed in a closed hearing, without the media present, later on Wednesday.

The prince's barrister, Shaheed Fatima KC, told the court on Tuesday that Ravec had not followed its own standard procedures, because it chose to downgrade his security without having expert analysis of the risks he faced.

She argued the previous judge was wrong to have concluded that the committee could make decisions without such analysis, and said the duke does not accept that "bespoke" means "better".

The hearing, before Sir Geoffrey Vos, Lord Justice Bean, and Lord Justice Edis, is due to conclude on Wednesday. A written decision is expected at a later date.

Queen Camilla has been given a Margherita pizza on a visit to a school in Rome, in honour of her 20th wedding anniversary to King Charles.

The King and Queen are on the third day of their state visit to Italy - and the Queen was given a taste of local cuisine when she was presented with a delivery-style box of pizza while visiting a local state school.

The King began the day by meeting Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, receiving a ceremonial red-carpet welcome at the Villa Doria Pamphili, on the outskirts of Rome.

The King and Meloni seemed to be having an animated conversation, with the politician a fluent English speaker, as they walked around the 17th Century palace's gardens.

A military band on horseback lined up in front of the palace to greet the King, against the villa's backdrop of orange trees and views stretching over St Peter's and the Vatican.

Later on Wednesday, the King will become the first UK monarch to deliver a speech to both houses of the Italian parliament.

Part of the speech is expected to be delivered in Italian.

The royal couple will then spend the evening of their wedding anniversary at a state banquet at the Quirinale Palace, an event likely to be a showcase for local food and for a guest list of celebrities and dignitaries.

The King and Queen have been given a warm reception on their trip to Italy, posing for photos on Tuesday as they met crowds outside the Colosseum, near the ancient site of the Temple of Venus.

There were calls of "Carlo" - Italian for Charles - from crowds waiting to see the royal visitors and local media also seemed interested by their car, the claret coloured State Bentley.

Back home at Buckingham Palace, there was a musical tribute to mark the royal couple's wedding anniversary.

The Royal Family's official X account posted a video which showed guards playing a brass version of Madness's 1981 hit It Must Be Love.

A controversial statue carved by the sculptor Eric Gill has been restored and is being unveiled outside the BBC's London headquarters.

The Grade II-listed statue was damaged in 2022 and 2023, when it was attacked by a member of the public with a hammer.

Gill was among the most prominent sculptors of the 20th Century. But after his death in 1940, his diaries revealed he had sexually abused his daughters.

A BBC spokeswoman said on Wednesday the corporation "in no way condones Gill's abusive behaviour" but that it "draws a line between the actions of Gill, and the status of these artworks".

There have been calls in recent years for Gill's 1930s work - which depicts Prospero and Ariel from William Shakespeare's play The Tempest - to be removed from the BBC's Broadcasting House.

The restored sculpture will be displayed alongside a QR code which links to information about the history of the building, Eric Gill and the sculpture's restoration.

Last month, David Chick of Northamptonshire pleaded not guilty to causing more than £150,000 worth of damage in Portland Place in May 2023.

The BBC said the estimated total costs of the restoration and protective work was £529,715. It's understood the cost has been covered by the BBC rather than claimed on insurance.

A BBC spokeswoman said: "When the building was subject to serious criminal damage, on two occasions, there were no easy options for addressing the destruction caused.

"Having sought expert advice and opinion, we repaired the façade in line with the building's Grade II* status."

She noted that working with Historic England and Westminster City Council, they had also installed a protective screen in front of the sculpture "to avoid future damage".

Historic England CEO Duncan Wilson said: "We recognise that since details of Gill's abusive behaviours came to light in the late 1980s, he has understandably become a controversial character.

"We welcome the BBC's approach to repairing the sculpture and providing interpretation which explores this complex history.

"This is in line with our approach of encouraging thoughtful, long-lasting and powerful (re)interpretation of contested statues and sites which keeps their physical context but adds new layers of meaning and understanding."

Man shouted 'paedophile'

In 2023, David Chick of Northamptonshire was arrested after allegedly climbing scaffolding at Broadcasting House and hitting the statue with a hammer.

BBC staff reported hearing a man shout "paedophile" as he struck the statue.

Mr Chick was already facing trial for criminal damage to the same statue during a previous incident in 2022.

In March 2025, the judge released him on conditional bail and ordered the defendant not to go within 100m (328ft) of the statue.

A trial date was set for May next year, also at Southwark Crown Court.

The Prospero and Ariel statue has been on display at the BBC since 1933.

A five-vehicle crash involving police cars has closed part of the A1 in Newcastle.

The collision happened just before 02:30 BST on the northbound carriageway near junction 75 and the Denton Burn roundabout.

North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) said five people were taken to hospital.

Pictures from the scene show damaged police vehicles and a car seemingly on its side.

The road between junction 73 and 75 is expected to remain shut until the afternoon while a police investigation is carried out, National Highways said, and diversions are in place.

At the scene, BBC Look North reporter Mark Denten said an "extensively damaged" black 4x4 was on its side and debris could be seen scattered across the road.

Four police cars could also be seen, he said, with one a few metres down the road appearing to be the most severely damaged.

BBC Radio Newcastle reporter Rebecca O'Neill said one of the cars was missing its roof.

She said people crossing a footpath near to the scene heard a police helicopter hovering over the area for a "good couple of hours" overnight.

Drivers have been advised to find alternative routes if possible.

The crash hit the morning rush hour with motorists forced to find alternative routes over the River Tyne. It led to 30-to-40 minute queues over the Redheugh Bridge and about 40-minute delays through the Tyne Tunnel.

NEAS said it had sent five crews, a specialist paramedic, a duty officer and two crews from its Hazardous Area Response Team (HART).

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An adventurer who claimed to be the first woman to solo traverse Canada's largest island has been criticised for her "privilege and ignorance".

Camilla Hempleman-Adams, from Wiltshire, covered 150 miles (241km) on foot and by ski across Baffin Island, Nunavut, completing the journey on 27 March.

However, members of the native Inuit population said her claim was incorrect and came from a "dangerous colonial attitude", with people there having travelled the same route for generations.

Ms Hempleman-Adams has since apologised, adding: "It was never my intention to misrepresent any historical achievements or cause distress to local communities."

The solo trek across Baffin Island took Ms Hempleman-Adams from Qikiqtarjuaq to Pangnirtung, crossing through Auyuittuq National Park.

Ahead of departure, she wrote on her expedition website: "Parks Canada has confirmed that there are no historical records of a female solo attempt from Qikiqtarjuaq to Pangnirtung."

But Gayle Uyagaqi Kabloona, who is Inuit and based in Ottawa, said this was because crossing the terrain is considered "a normal way of life" for them.

“The article hit people really hard in a very sensitive spot, because of our history and the difficulties we face every day in combatting Western colonialism," she said.

"This woman is coming here from such a place of privilege and ignorance that it seems dangerous.

"It was almost like she was bringing back news of a new continent to Europe and saying 'there's nobody here!' We were and still are.

"It's such a clear example of how colonialism benefits from dispossessing indigenous people of their land and writing us out of history."

In a statement, Ms Hempleman-Adams apologised for the offence caused by her expedition coverage.

"I have deep respect for the land, its people, and their history," she said.

"I have travelled in this region multiple times and hold immense admiration for its nature, culture and traditions.

"I am truly saddened that the coverage of my journey may have caused concern or upset, and I remain committed to learning from this experience and engaging with the community with the utmost respect."

Ms Kabloona said the matter had affected the community because many people who lived traditional nomadic lifestyles had now passed away - raising concerns that cultural practices will gradually be lost to time.

She is now in the process of mapping out the route her family has taken for generations while migrating south in spring, towards the caribou hunting grounds.

On one of these annual 186-mile (300km) journeys, Ms Kabloona's grandmother went into labour and gave birth to her father in a tent along the way.

"Two days later, she got up and carried on walking," Ms Kabloona said.

"She did that in every single one of her pregnancies, traversed our land, because that is our way of life and always has been."

Ms Kabloona said she welcomed visitors to the region but disapproved of the "outdated" term "explorer", as it carried with it connotations of imperialist expansion.

"If you want to come and enjoy the outdoors, please do so," she said.

"The danger is going back with this colonial attitude and disseminating information like the Inuit don't have history there.

"Saying you're the 'first person' to do anything in an indigenous country is insulting.

"Show respect to the land and the people who have kept it pristine for your adventures."

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The infected blood inquiry is holding two more days of hearings amid concerns about the government's response on compensation, with campaigners warning they are "losing faith".

It comes nearly a year after the final report was published into the scandal - said to be the biggest treatment disaster in the history of the NHS.

More than 30,000 people contracted HIV and hepatitis from contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 80s – and 3,000 people have since died.

Victims groups have since said the government has been slow to pay out compensation and the process was lacking transparency. Inquiry chair Sir Brian Langstaff said he had decided to act given the "gravity" of the problems expressed.

When Sir Brian's final report was published last May, the then Conservative government responded immediately setting out a new compensation scheme.

While some victims had received payments previously, the new compensation scheme increased the amount they could be paid and made compensation available to a much wider group of people, including to the family and loved-ones of those who were infected.

A new organisation, the Infected Blood Compensation Authority, was set up to oversee the scheme with nearly £12 billion set aside for payments.

The first payments were made late last year, but by mid March just 40 payouts had been agreed. The government has given itself until the end of 2029 to make payments.

Anger

In evidence sent to the inquiry, victims and their lawyers criticised the length of time it was taking and described "shambolic" and "chaotic" meetings, with problems starting before and continuing after July's election.

Sir Brian said: "The decision to hold hearings has not been taken lightly. It reflects the gravity of concerns expressed consistently and repeatedly to the inquiry.

"People infected and affected do not have time on their side."

The new hearings will be held on 7 and 8 May.

Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds will give evidence along with senior officials from the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA).

Groups representing people infected and affected by the scandal will also give evidence.

Kate Burt, chief executive of the Haemophilia Society, said: "This powerful and unique intervention reflects the contaminated blood community's widespread anger, confusion and despair that the government is failing to deliver on its promises.

"People are starting to lose faith that they will ever receive a fair settlement."

Queen Camilla has been given a Margherita pizza on a visit to a school in Rome, in honour of her 20th wedding anniversary to King Charles.

The King and Queen are on the third day of their state visit to Italy - and the Queen was given a taste of local cuisine when she was presented with a delivery-style box of pizza while visiting a local state school.

The King began the day by meeting Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, receiving a ceremonial red-carpet welcome at the Villa Doria Pamphili, on the outskirts of Rome.

The King and Meloni seemed to be having an animated conversation, with the politician a fluent English speaker, as they walked around the 17th Century palace's gardens.

A military band on horseback lined up in front of the palace to greet the King, against the villa's backdrop of orange trees and views stretching over St Peter's and the Vatican.

Later on Wednesday, the King will become the first UK monarch to deliver a speech to both houses of the Italian parliament.

Part of the speech is expected to be delivered in Italian.

The royal couple will then spend the evening of their wedding anniversary at a state banquet at the Quirinale Palace, an event likely to be a showcase for local food and for a guest list of celebrities and dignitaries.

The King and Queen have been given a warm reception on their trip to Italy, posing for photos on Tuesday as they met crowds outside the Colosseum, near the ancient site of the Temple of Venus.

There were calls of "Carlo" - Italian for Charles - from crowds waiting to see the royal visitors and local media also seemed interested by their car, the claret coloured State Bentley.

Back home at Buckingham Palace, there was a musical tribute to mark the royal couple's wedding anniversary.

The Royal Family's official X account posted a video which showed guards playing a brass version of Madness's 1981 hit It Must Be Love.

Tributes have been paid to a London-based scientist who formerly worked for the Royal Society of Biology (RSB) after he was found murdered in northern Colombia.

Alessandro Coatti's remains were discovered on the outskirts of Santa Marta, a port city on the Caribbean coast, on Sunday, investigators say.

Santa Marta's Mayor, Carlos Pinedo Cuello, said a reward of 50,000 Colombian pesos (£8,940) was being offered for information leading to the capture of those responsible for the death of the Italian citizen.

In a statement issued on Tuesday. the RSB said it was "devastated" by news of Mr Coatti's killing.

"He was a passionate and dedicated scientist, leading RSB animal science work, writing numerous submissions, organising events and giving evidence in the House of Commons," the RSB said.

"Ale was funny, warm, intelligent, loved by everyone he worked with and will be deeply missed by all who knew and worked with him.

"Our thoughts and best wishes go out to his friends and family at this truly awful time."

Santa Marta is a gateway to some of Colombia's most popular tourist destinations including Tayrona National Park, Minca and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains.

Mr Coatti, who took a master's course at University College London (UCL), worked for the RSB for eight years as science policy officer before being promoted to senior science policy officer.

He left the RSB at the end of 2024 to volunteer in Ecuador and travel in South America.

Parts of the scientist's dismembered body were found in a suitcase dumped in a stream.

Posting on X, Mr Pinedo Cuello said: "This crime will not go unpunished. The criminals must know that crime has no place in Santa Marta. We will pursue them until they are brought to justice."

A hotel worker who spoke to Colombian newspaper El Tiempo said Mr Coatti had inquired about visiting the village of Minca and was conducting research on local animal species.

A new Universal theme park will be built in the UK, the government has confirmed.

It will be constructed on the site of the former Kempston Hardwick brickworks near Bedford and is expected to generate 28,000 jobs before it opens in 2031.

Universal estimated the 476-acre complex could attract 8.5 million visitors in its first year and generate £50bn for the UK economy by 2055.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the muti-billion-pound investment by the company would "see Bedford home to one of the biggest entertainment parks in Europe, firmly putting the county on the global stage".

Universal Destinations and Experience said 80% of those employed in the new jobs will be from Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas.

Universal, which produced films such as Minions and Wicked, currently has theme parks in Orlando and Los Angeles in the US, as well as Osaka, Japan, Sentosa, Singapore, and Beijing, China.

The park will be the first Universal-branded destination in Europe.

Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy said: "This landmark investment is fantastic news for our economy, for UK tourism and for the British public, who will be able to enjoy the biggest and best theme park in Europe on their doorstep."

A full planning proposal will be submitted to the UK government with construction expected to start in 2026.

The prime minister added: "This is our Plan for Change in action, combining local and national growth with creating around 28,000 new jobs across sectors such as construction, artificial intelligence and tourism.

"It is not just about numbers; it's about securing real opportunities for people in our country. Together, we are building a brighter future for the UK, getting people into work and ensuring our economy remains strong and competitive."

Chancellor Rachel Reeves added: "At a time of global change, this investment is a vote of confidence in Britain as a place to do business.

"Universal's investment will bring billions to the economy and create thousands of jobs to the UK, putting more money in people's pockets."

According to plans from Universal Destinations & Experiences the UK site would include a theme park, a 500-room hotel and a retail complex.

These proposals remain subject to a planning decision from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Universal has already bought 476 acres for the project, but could buy more land to increase the plot to about 700 acres, which would enable it to link the site with transport routes.

Residents living in surrounding villages have responded positively to the plans, though some are concerned infrastructure will not be enough to support the amount of expected visitors.

Universal said it surveyed more than 6,000 local people and organisations and 92% of those supported the project.

Universal said it would make upgrades to the Wixams railway station and build a new station on the East West Rail line near the resort.

It will also add new dedicated slip roads to the A42, which flooded in October after heavy rainfall.

The government has said it will commit to investing in infrastructure that supports the project and makes it more accessible.

On Thursday Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander approved expansion plans at London Luton Airport.

Universal had previously described the Bedford site as "an ideal location with convenient, fast rail links to London and London Luton Airport".

Mike Cavanagh, the president of Comcast Corporation, which owns Universal, said he was excited to expand the parks brand into Europe.

He said: "We appreciate the leadership and support of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Minister for Investment Poppy Gustafsson, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and their teams, as we work together to create and deliver a fantastic new landmark destination."

The company said it will work with Bedford Borough Council on the project.

The local authority was one of six councils to support the plans last year, alongside Central Bedfordshire, Luton Borough, Milton Keynes City, North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire councils.

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Concerns are growing that British Steel could run out of raw materials within days for its blast furnaces in Scunthorpe.

The government is considering nationalising the company, which has said its two main furnaces are "no longer financially sustainable", prompting fears the some 2,700 jobs could be lost.

Simon Boyd, managing director of REIDsteel, a British Steel customer, told the BBC government intervention was the "only solution if we want to keep steel making in the UK".

"We only have days left to secure the order of materials to prevent the forced closure of the blast furnaces over the next month. We're talking days," he said.

British Steel, which predominately makes steel for construction, has been owned by the Chinese company Jingye since 2020.

Jingye says it has invested more than £1.2bn into British Steel to maintain operations, but claims it has suffered financial losses of about £700,000 a day.

The government has offered £500m of support to partly fund a switch from blast furnaces to more energy efficient electric arc furnaces.

But the move has been rejected by the company.

Electric arc furnaces also do not burn hot enough to make virgin steel, and are fed with scrap steel.

Mr Boyd said Scunthorpe's current blast furnaces could produce "the highest grade of steel available".

"If we lose that capability we'll be wholly reliant on [countries] like China producing the blast furnace steel and you know electric arc furnaces which make steel out of scrap are all well and good but they're at least five years away," he told the Today programme.

It is very difficult and very expensive to get blast furnaces running again once they have been turned off, which would make the Scunthorpe site's existing vulnerability even more perilous.

Mr Boyd added that he was "very encouraged" to hear the government is "finally" considering nationalisation.

Roy Rickhuss, general secretary of the UK's largest steel workers union Community, told the BBC he agreed with the prime minister that "all options should be on the table and that includes nationalisation".

"Whatever you decide to do, will come with a cost and if the government own the business then they'll have to pick up that cost," he added.

The inmate who a prison governor began a relationship with was a notorious criminal who ran his drugs empire on the encrypted messaging service Encrochat.

It was Anthony Saunderson's use of Encrochat which provided evidence of his relationship with Kerri Pegg - leading to her conviction too.

When conducting his "business", Saunderson used the aliases Jesse Pinkman - the meth dealer in the Breaking Bad television series - and James Gandolfini, the acclaimed actor who played Mafia boss Tony Soprano.

He used modified smartphones, selecting Encrochat - an encrypted communications platform - as a means to communicate with members of his criminal network.

Hailing from Formby, Saunderson had been one of Merseyside's most wanted fugitives for his part in importing £19m of cocaine in shipments of corned beef from Argentina.

But the net eventually closed in around him and he was arrested by police in May 2014, and jailed that November for 10 years after being convicted of drugs and money laundering offences.

Just short of three years into his sentence, in June 2017, Saunderson was transferred to HMP Kirkham, an open prison situated between Preston and Blackpool.

While there, he met governor Kerri Pegg, 42, described at her Preston Crown Court trial as a "rising star" of the Prison Service.

From the start of her time at the jail there were concerns about Pegg being inappropriately close to Saunderson.

The court heard Pegg and Saunderson spent a lot of time together in her office and, in October 2018, he put in a request to be released on temporary licence.

Jurors were told she broke prison rules by approving Saunderson's temporary release from custody, without proper authority.

There are specific rules for how such applications must be processed and Pegg broke them.

She did not have the authority to approve his release, but did so anyway and without notifying the relevant official.

In May 2019, Saunderson was out of prison.

He was developing and delivering a programme called Beating Alcohol and Drug Dependency (BADD) for inmates at several prisons.

'Stupid and naive'

Meanwhile, Pegg said she was co-ordinating the drugs strategy of six jails in the north-west of England.

Pegg entered Saunderson's details into her phone and they remained in contact.

In court, she tearfully claimed that while she had been "hands-on" and "stupid" in her professional interactions with Saunderson, she had done nothing wrong.

Pegg's barrister said she had been "naive".

The prosecution demonstrated she had spent more and more time with the drugs boss as he came towards the end of his 10-year sentence.

Jurors were also shown some size 10 Hugo Boss flip-flops that had been found in her Wigan apartment, as well as a toothbrush, designer clothes, shoes and jewellery.

Saunderson's DNA was found on the toothbrush and the flip-flops.

While working on the BADD programme, Saunderson became involved in another drugs plot - just two months after he was released on licence.

In 2022, Saunderson was unmasked as one of nine gangland figures responsible for producing amphetamines on an industrial, multi-million-pound, scale at premises in Sealand, Flintshire.

In August of that year, he received a 31-year prison sentence for producing and dealing amphetamines as well as trafficking heroin, cocaine, cannabis, ketamine, MCAT and diazepam.

He was also sentenced to an additional four years behind bars for conspiring to sell or transfer guns.

Saunderson's downfall followed a lengthy joint operation between North Wales Police and Merseyside Police.

Operation Blue Sword, which began in early 2020, unearthed the distribution of controlled drugs across England, Wales and Scotland.

The North Wales plot was rumbled by police eavesdropping the gang's electronic communications on EncroChat.

Meanwhile, Merseyside Police discovered a storage unit in Aintree in which they said the gang were keeping large amounts of chemicals and equipment.

The gang's Encrochat communications also ultimately led to Pegg finding herself in the dock, her high-flying career and reputation lying in tatters.

Pegg's denials of wrongdoing were cast into doubt when it emerged that even members of Saunderson's gang had grumbled about their boss spending too much time with her, and away from his "work" and wife.

The jury were also told Pegg swapped her Honda Jazz for a £12,000 Mercedes C class car, which Saunderson paid for in drugs - namely 34kg (75lb) of amphetamines.

On 6 April 2020, Saunderson was sent a message saying "car her (sic) for ya bird 12 quid or work", the Crime Prosecution Service said.

"12 quid" in this criminal context means £12,000 and "work" means drugs.

On 11 April Saunderson was joking with associates on Encrochat about driving around with "Peggy" in her new car.

When Pegg was arrested in late 2020, the car was found parked outside her home.

Earlier, Pegg, was found guilty of two counts of misconduct in a public office and one count of possession of criminal property, the Mercedes car.

Judge Graham Knowles KC told Pegg to expect a custodial sentence, adding: "I have no choice but to send you to prison due to the gravity of your offending."

Speaking of Saunderson's offending, Det Ch Insp Lee Boycott, of North Wales Police, said: "The criminal gang produced amphetamine on an industrial scale.

"The evidence gathered as part of the investigation revealed that, between April and June 2020, the quantities of controlled drugs produced [were] eye-watering.

"The Sealand illicit lab converted 2.6 tonnes of raw chemicals into controlled drugs.

"Over that three-month period, it is estimated that the gang produced over 900 litres of amphetamine oil and over 700kg of amphetamine, with an estimated wholesale value of around £1 million."

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230 and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.

Donald Trump is a man in a hurry.

In the few short months he has been in office, the US president has sought and failed to bring peace to Gaza and Ukraine. He has bombed Yemen. He has launched a global trade war. Now he is turning his attention, such that it is, to Iran.

This has always been on the president's jobs list. For Trump, Iran is unfinished business from his first term.

The issue remains the same as it was then: what can stop Iran seeking a nuclear weapon?

Iran denies it has any such ambition. But other countries believe the Islamic republic wants at the very least the capacity to build a nuclear warhead, a desire that some fear could spark an arms race or even all-out war in the Middle East.

In 2015, Iran agreed a deal with the US, UK, France, Germany, Russia and China. It was called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Under its provisions, Iran would limit its nuclear ambitions - and allow in international inspectors - in return for getting economic sanctions lifted.

But Trump pulled the US out of the deal in 2018, claiming it rewarded terrorism by funding Iran's proxy militias such as Hamas and Hezbollah. The US reimposed sanctions.

Iran subsequently ignored some of the deal's restrictions and enriched more and more uranium nuclear fuel.

Analysts fear Iran could soon have enough weapons' grade uranium to make a nuclear warhead.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) watchdog estimates Iran's stockpile of 60% enriched uranium could make about six bombs if it was enriched to the next and final level.

Within days of his inauguration, Trump restored his former policy of so-called "maximum pressure" on Iran.

On 4 February, with his trademark fat felt-tip pen, he signed a memorandum ordering the US Treasury to impose further sanctions on Iran and punish countries violating existing sanctions, especially those buying Iranian oil.

Now the White House is hoping to match that economic pressure with diplomacy.

Last month, Trump sent a letter to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.

The president offered to begin negotiations and sought a deal within a couple of months.

Now he has agreed to direct discussions between US and Iranian officials in Oman at the weekend.

The US threat to Iran is explicit: agree a deal or face military action.

"If the talks aren't successful with Iran, I think Iran is going to be in great danger," Trump said on Monday.

So how might Iran respond?

Some policymakers in Tehran appear keen to agree a deal that could get sanctions lifted.

Iran's economy is in dire straits, with soaring inflation and a plunging currency.

But any such deal might involve compromises some hardliners could find hard to stomach.

Iran has suffered huge reverses in recent months, seeing its proxy militias severely weakened by war with Israel and its regional ally, President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, ousted. Some in Tehran argue now may be exactly the time to build a nuclear deterrent.

Both the US and Iran seem far apart. Their negotiating positions are not explicit.

But the US has made clear it wants the full dismantlement of Iran's nuclear programme, including a complete end to any further uranium enrichment, plus no further support for Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.

That might prove too much for Iran to accept.

A complete ban on any nuclear enrichment - even for civilian purposes - has long been seen as an absolute red line for Tehran.

There is also the problem of Iranian technological expertise: its scientists simply know more now about how to make a nuclear weapon than they did 10 years ago.

As for Israel, it has made clear it would accept only the complete end to any Iranian nuclear capability. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he would agree to "the way it was done in Libya".

This is a reference to the decision by late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to dismantle his entire nuclear programme in 2003 in return for getting sanctions lifted.

But Iran is unlikely to follow this precedent.

What if talks fail?

Israel has long considered military options to try to destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities. But many are buried deep in underground bunkers.

Military analysts say Israel would need not just US help to bomb Iran, it might also need special forces on the ground to guarantee the destruction of its nuclear facilities.

This means military action would be risky and its success by no means guaranteed.

Trump also came to office promising not to start any more so-called "forever wars", and an all-out regional conflict involving Iran could become one of those.

That has not stopped the US president from reportedly giving Israel more air defences and deploying more long-range B2 bombers to the region.

So, for now, Trump seems to be looking for a diplomatic solution - one Israel might have to accept as a fait accompli, regardless of its provisions.

But if there is no agreement, he is reserving the right to use force, the consequences of which could be devastating.

In the meantime, the president is allowing two months for both sides to agree a deal.

He may have forgotten it took negotiators two years to agree the JCPOA. Rushed diplomacy is not always successful diplomacy.

• Iran says it is ready for nuclear deal if US stops military threats
• High stakes as Iran nuclear issue reaches crunch moment

On Wednesday, President Trump unveiled new tariffs on imports to the US which will form a central part of his government's new trade policy.

In his speech, he listed the new tariffs to be imposed on a number of countries, including the country's biggest trading partners, and a more complete list was released later by the White House.

No further tariffs were announced for Canada or Mexico. Both countries had already seen tariffs imposed in Feburary - though these have since been partially rolled back.

China will now see an effective tariff of 54%, as the new 34% tariff will be added to the 20% tariff already in place.

Here are all the new tariffs by trading partner, with the highest tariffs at the top. Use the arrows at the bottom of the table to move to the next page.

Read more:

• At a glance: The countries hit hardest by these plans
• UK: What this means for you and your money
• Explainer: What are tariffs, and why is Trump using them?
• Analysis: Trump's tariffs are his biggest gamble yet

Donald Trump imposed tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada and China over the weekend.

The US president said tariffs are needed to "protect" Americans from the "major threat of illegal aliens and deadly drugs", including fentanyl.

Trump told the BBC that tariffs on EU goods could happen "pretty soon" - but suggested a deal "can be worked out" with the UK.

He also floated the idea of an additional 10% across-the-board tariff on all goods imported into the US.

What are tariffs and how do they work?

Tariffs are taxes charged on goods imported from other countries.

Trump is imposing a 25% tariff on goods shipped from Canada and Mexico. So, a product worth $4 will face an additional $1 charge applied to it.

There will be a 10% charge on goods imported from China.

Tariffs against China and Canada are expected to go into effect on 4 February at 00:01 am EDT (05:01 GMT).

Tariffs against Mexico will go into effect a month later.

This type of tariff - charging a percentage of a product's value - is most common. Another type of tariff imposes a fixed figure on imports, whatever their value.

Companies that import goods from abroad pay the tariffs to the US government. However, economists say these additional costs are usually passed on to the consumer through higher prices.

Why has Trump put tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China?

The announcement is Trump fulfilling a campaign promise of introducing import duties against some of America's closest trading partners.

Trump said this will boost US manufacturing.

The tariffs will grow the US economy, protect jobs, and raise tax revenue, he argues.

Trump says he is using tariffs not just for economic reasons, but also to "combat the scourge of fentanyl", a powerful drug that causes tens of thousands of overdose deaths in the US each year.

His administration says chemicals used to make the drug come from China, while Mexican gangs supply it illegally and have fentanyl labs in Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said less than 1% of fentanyl entering the US comes from his country.

• Six things that could get more expensive for Americans after Trump tariffs
• Booze, oil and orange juice: How Canada could fight Trump tariffs

At the same time Trump is placing economic pressure on these trading partners, he has stated a desire for Canada to join America as the 51st state, an idea Trudeau has firmly rejected.

In response to Trump's announcement, Trudeau declared retaliatory 25% tariffs on 155bn Canadian dollars' worth ($107bn; £86bn) of US goods on Saturday.

"Now is the time to choose products made right here in Canada," Trudeau wrote on social media. "Check the labels. Let's do our part. Wherever we can, choose Canada."

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has directed the Secretary of Economy to impose a plan including "tariff and non-tariff measures in defence of Mexico's interests".

In a statement, China's foreign ministry said in a statement that it "firmly deplores and opposes this move" and will "take necessary countermeasures".

"Trade and tariff wars have no winners," said a spokesperson at China's Washington embassy.

Together, China, Mexico and Canada accounted for more than 40% of imports into the US last year.

Which products will be affected?

In Trump's previous time in office, he applied less restrictive tariffs on China.

This time around, the tariffs appear to apply to most categories of goods.

There is, however, a carve-out for Canadian energy, which will be tariffed at 10% instead of 25%.

Goods from Mexico such as fruit, vegetables, spirits and beer are expected to get more expensive because of the tariffs.

Canadian goods such as steel, lumber, grains and potatoes are also likely to get pricier.

It is expected that the car manufacturing sector could see the brunt of the effects of the tariff.

Vehicle parts cross the US, Mexican and Canadian borders multiple times before a vehicle is completely assembled.

The average US car price could increase by $3,000 because of the import taxes, financial analyst TD economics suggested.

Will the UK and Europe have to pay tariffs?

On Sunday, Trump said tariffs would also be imposed on the EU and the UK.

The president told the BBC both were acting "out of line", but because the EU was acting worse it could see tariffs "pretty soon".

Trump suggested a solution for the UK could be "worked out" as he was "getting along very well" with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The UK's Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, has said that he thinks the UK should be excluded from any tariffs because the US currently exports more products to the UK than it imports from the US.

"I think we've got an argument to engage with," Reynolds told the BBC.

The UK exports pharmaceutical products, cars and scientific instruments to the US.

Last year, the US had a trade deficit of $213bn with the EU - which Trump described as "an atrocity".

The EU has said it would "respond firmly" to any tariffs.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said a trade war with the US would mean "the one laughing on the side is China", adding: "We need America, and America needs us as well."

US companies Harley Davidson, which manufactures motorcycles, and whiskey distilleries such as Jack Daniel's have previously faced tariffs from the EU.

Do tariffs cause inflation?

Economists suggest that a portion of the cost of tariffs ends up being paid by consumers.

Sellers may raise the price of goods they are importing for consumers.

Economic studies of the impacts of tariffs imposed by Trump during his first term in office show the burden was ultimately borne by US consumers.

From 2018 to 2023, tariffs on imported washing machines saw the price of laundry equipment rise by 34% in the US, according to official statistics, before falling once the tariffs expired.

Some experts suggest that these new tariffs could prompt a wider trade war and exacerbate inflation.

Capitol Economics said the annual rate of inflation could increase from 2.9% to as high as 4% because of the newly announced tariffs.

If that happens, US inflation would return to the levels seen in mid-2023.

US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs targeting most of the world are now in effect – and outside China, no other region has been hit as hard as South East Asia.

Near the top of the list are Vietnam and Cambodia which have been hit by some of the highest tariffs: 46% and 49%. Further down are Thailand (36%), Indonesia (32%) and Malaysia (24%). The Philippines gets a tariff of 17%, and Singapore of 10%.

This is a huge blow for a region highly dependent on exports. Its widely-admired economic development over the past three decades has largely been driven by its success in selling its products to the rest of the world, in particular to the US.

Exports to the US contribute 23% of Vietnam's GDP, and 67% of Cambodia's.

That growth story is now imperilled by the punitive measures being imposed in Washington.

The longer-term impact of these tariffs, assuming they stay in place, will vary, but will certainly pose big challenges to the governments of Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia in particular.

Vietnam's "bamboo diplomacy", where it attempts to be friends with everyone and balance ties with both China and the US, will now be tested.

Under the leadership of the new Communist Party Secretary-General To Lam, Vietnam has embarked on an ambitious plan to build an upper-income, knowledge-and-tech-based economy by the year 2045. It has been aiming for annual growth rates in excess of 8%.

Exporting more to the US, already its biggest market, was central to that plan.

It was also the main reason why Vietnam agreed to elevate their relationship to that of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2023.

The Communist Party, which tolerates little dissent and has no formal political opposition, depends on its economic pledges for its legitimacy . Already viewed by many economists as too ambitious, these will now be even harder to meet.

Thailand depends on US exports less than Vietnam – under 10% of GDP – but the Thai economy is in much worse shape, having underperformed for the past decade. The Thai government is trying to find ways to lift economic growth, most recently attempting but failing to legalise gambling, and these tariffs are another economic blow it cannot afford.

For Cambodia, the tariffs pose perhaps the greatest political threat in the region.

The government of Hun Manet has proved just as authoritarian as that of his father Hun Sen, whom he succeeded two years ago, but it is vulnerable.

Keeping the Hun family's hold on power has required offering rival clans in Cambodia economic privileges like monopolies or land concessions, but this has helped create a glut of property developments, which are no longer selling, and a mass of grievances over land expropriations.

The garment sector, which employs 750,000 people, has been a crucial social safety valve, giving steady incomes to Cambodia's poorest. Thousands of those jobs are now likely to be lost as a result of President Trump's tariffs.

Unlike China, which has hit back with its own levies, the official message from governments in South East Asia, is don't panic, don't retaliate, but negotiate.

Vietnam has dispatched deputy prime minister Ho Duc Pho to Washington to plead his country's case, and has offered to eliminate all tariffs on US imports. Thailand plans to send its finance minister to make a similar appeal, and has offered to reduce its tariffs and buy more American products, like food and aircraft.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is also heading to Washington, though with exports to the US making up only 11% of Malaysia's total, his country is less affected than some of its neighbours.

However, the Trump administration appears to be in no mood to compromise.

Peter Navarro, President Trump's senior counsellor on trade and manufacturing and one of the main thinkers behind the new policy, said in interviews on Monday that Vietnam's offer of zero tariffs was meaningless, because it would not address the deficit in trade where Vietnam sells $15 worth of goods to the US for every $1 it buys.

He accused Vietnam of keeping multiple non-tariff barriers to US imports, and said that one-third of all Vietnamese exports to the US were actually Chinese products, trans-shipped through Vietnam.

The proportion of Vietnamese exports which are being made or trans-shipped there to avoid US tariffs on China is difficult to assess, but detailed trade studies put it at between 7% and 16%, not one-third.

Like Vietnam, the government of Cambodia has appealed to the US to postpone the tariffs while it attempts to negotiate.

The local American Chamber of Commerce has called for the 49% tariffs to be dropped, making the point that the Cambodian garment industry, the country's biggest employer, will be badly affected, but that no tariff level, however high, will see clothing and footwear manufacturing return to the US.

Perhaps the most perverse tariff rate is the 44% applied to Myanmar, a country mired in a civil war, which has no capacity to buy more US goods.

US exports make up only a small proportion of Myanmar's GDP, less than 1%.

But as in Cambodia, that sector, mainly garments, is one of the few that provides a steady income to poor families in Myanmar's cities.

In a supreme irony, Trump has until now been a popular figure in this region.

He has been widely admired in Vietnam for his tough, transactional approach to foreign policy, and Cambodia's former strongman Hun Sen, still the main power behind the scenes, has long sought a close personal relationship with the US president, proudly posting selfies with him at their first meeting in 2017.

Only last month Cambodia was praising Trump for shutting down the US media networks Voice of America and Radio Free Europe, which often carried the views of Cambodian dissidents.

Now Cambodia, like so many of its neighbours, finds itself in a long line of supplicants pleading with him to ease their tariff burden.

US President Donald Trump is ripping up the rulebook on trade that has been in place for more than 50 years.

His latest round of sweeping tariffs, which came into force shortly after midnight on Wednesday, hits goods from some of America's biggest trading partners including China and the European Union with dramatic hikes in import duties.

The president and his allies say the measures are necessary to restore America's manufacturing base, which they view as essential to national security.

But it remains a potentially seismic action, affecting more than $2tn worth of imports, which will push the overall effective tariff rate in the US to the highest level in more than a century.

In the US, key consumer goods could see huge price rises, including an estimated 33% for clothing, and analysts are warning of near-certain global economic damage as sales in America drop, trade shrinks and production abroad falls.

With the stock market reeling and political pressure in the US starting to build, the White House has worked to soothe nerves by floating the possibility of trade talks, touting conversations that have already begun with Japan, Vietnam and South Korea.

But Trump has signalled resistance to the kinds of exemptions he granted during his first term, and even if these talks are ultimately productive, country-by-country deal-making will no doubt take time.

"The primary question... is whether or not there will be negotiations," said Thierry Wizman, a global strategist at the investment bank Macquarie. "And no one has an answer to that because it's going to depend on the approach and the disposition of the negotiating parties."

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The US already appears set on a collision course with China, which was its third biggest supplier of imports last year.

The White House said on Tuesday that it was moving ahead with Trump's social media threat to add a further 50% levy on imports from China, on top of the 54% duties that had already been announced, unless Beijing agreed to withdraw its retaliation.

Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, declined to say if the two sides had spoken directly since the threat.

But publicly, China has shown little willingness to back down, describing Trump's moves as "bullying" and warning that "intimidation, threat and blackmail are not the right way to engage with China".

"If the US decides not to care about the interests of the US itself, China and the rest of the world, and is determined to fight a tariff and trade war, China's response will continue to the end," he said in a statement.

The rapid change has shaken US businesses with decades of ties to China, which now find themselves paralysed and unsure how this escalating trade fight might end.

"You would laugh if you weren't crying," said US businessman Jay Foreman, whose toy company Basic Fun! is known for classics such as Tonka Trucks and Care Bears, the vast majority of which are made in China.

He put out notice to his suppliers to halt any shipments to the US earlier this week, as the US announced it would hit goods from China with duties starting at 104%.

"We just have to hold our shipments until this thing gets sorted out," he said. "And if it doesn't get sorted out, them I'm going to sell down the inventory that I have in my warehouse and pray."

Speaking to Congress on Tuesday, Jamieson Greer, who leads the office of the US Trade Representative, declined to set a timeline for how quickly talks might progress.

"The president is fixed in his purpose. This trade deficit and offshoring and the loss of jobs has persisted for too long," he said, while acknowledging the measures might lead to a "challenging" economic adjustment.

"It is a moment of drastic, overdue change, but I am confident the American people will rise to the occasion as they have done before," he said.

Shares in the US resumed their downward slide on Tuesday, giving up early gains spurred by Trump comments about trade talks that the fight might see a quick resolution.

The S&P 500 is now trading at its lowest level in more than a year, after seeing roughly 12% of its value wiped out since the announcement last Wednesday.

Stock markets from Japan to Germany have also been shaken, as investors assess the wider repercussions of the actions. In the UK, the FTSE 100 has dropped about 10%.

"What I'm really seeing is trepidation, uncertainty, a lot of questions, a lot of people wanting us to predict what will happen next," said Amy Magnus, director of compliance and customs affairs for Deringer, a Vermont-based firm that is one of America's top five customs brokers. "But I have entered into a world that I cannot predict."

Erin Williamson, vice-president of US customs brokerage at GEODIS, a global supply chain operator, said on Tuesday afternoon, said that the uncertainty had prompted some of her firm's clients to simply put shipments on pause.

"One of the top ways that you can confirm that you're not putting your business at risk is really holding off until maybe the dust settles," she said.

The uncertainty is raising the risks to the economy, said Ernie Tedeschi, director of economics of the Budget Lab at Yale, which is not predicting a recession in the US, but still expects tariffs announced so far this year will cost the US 600,000 jobs and lead to a roughly $3,800 hit to purchasing power for the average household.

"A lot of the market turmoil we've seen is not about the substance of the economic damage of tariffs on their own. A lot of it is about the uncertainty," he said.

"Businesses and consumers don't know what the tariff rate is going to be an hour from now... How can you invest or make plans for the future in that environment?"

Mr Tedeschi said he saw no clear end to the trade war in sight.

"Even if the administration wanted to step back, how does it save face in a way that is mutually acceptable to all the relevant players?" he said. "That's becoming harder by the day."

A pro-suicide forum is being investigated by the UK's online regulator, the BBC understands - its first using new powers under the Online Safety Act.

It comes after BBC News has been reporting on the forum for three years, linking it to at least 50 deaths in the UK.

The site has tens of thousands of members, including children, and users discuss methods of suicide, sharing instructions about how to buy and use a potentially deadly toxic chemical.

Last month, Ofcom gained powers to take action against sites hosting illegal material.

This first investigation could lead to fines or court orders against those running the forum.

Families whose loved ones took their own lives after contact with the site have welcomed the move but called on Ofcom to move as quickly as possible.

Vlad Nikolin-Caisley, from Southampton, died in May last year, aged 17.

His parents have evidence that he was coached and encouraged to take his own life by members on the site, which we aren't naming.

He bought a poisonous chemical and followed instructions on how to end his life.

His parents, Anna and Graham, called on Ofcom to ban the site to save lives.

"At what point do we say enough is enough, because those young people did not deserve to die," says Anna. "The sooner they take action, the sooner we stop deaths linked to this forum," agrees Graham

New powers for authorities

The Online Safety Act became law in October 2023 and Ofcom has spent the last 18 months drawing up guidelines and codes of practice for platforms to follow.

On 17 March, Ofcom got powers to take action against sites hosting illegal content, which includes assisting suicide.

All websites will now have to show they have systems in place to remove illegal material.

If they fail to do so, the regulator can get court orders to block platforms or impose fines of up to £18m.

An investigation is the first step before any enforcement action can take place.

But Ofcom faces a number of hurdles, including the fact that those running this forum are anonymous and that it is hosted in the US.

BBC News has revealed how more than 50 UK suicides have been connected to the forum.

In October 2023, the BBC confronted an American man, Lamarcus Small, who is believed to have set the site up in 2018. And in March last year, we also tracked down a poison seller in Ukraine who had been linked to the site.

The BBC also joined the forum using a false identity, compiling a list of the dead and exposing a partner section where members could find someone to die with.

Catherine Adenekan and daughter-in-law Melanie Saville have been campaigning to have the site shut down since Catherine's son, Joe, took his own life in April 2020.

He was a member of the forum for less than a week, but the 23-year-old learned how to buy and use a toxic chemical.

He left a note for his mother which read: "Please do your best in closing that website for anyone else."

Together they infiltrated the site, documented the numbers of deaths associated with it and identified people selling the chemical.

They have been lobbying ministers, their local MP and talking to the media in an effort to get the forum closed down. They say it has been an exhausting five years.

Inaction is costing lives

Melanie says: "Every day there are new people signing up to the website. There are people dying, ordering poisons online."

Asked about Ofcom's investigation, she says: "They've known long enough about this site and what's going on. They don't need to go through lengthy processes to be able to take it down. They need to take the action now."

BBC News has also revealed that at least six coroners have written to government departments since 2019 demanding action to shut the forum down.

We learned a number of police forces and the National Crime Agency are also aware of the forum, and have investigated deaths linked to it.

Vlad's parents Anna and Graham say inaction by the authorities cost their son's life.

"If they'd taken action before, our son would be upstairs on his computer. But we're here now, and he's not," Graham says.

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this story you can find information and support on the BBC Actionline website here.

A new Universal theme park will be built in the UK, the government has confirmed.

It will be constructed on the site of the former Kempston Hardwick brickworks near Bedford and is expected to generate 28,000 jobs before it opens in 2031.

Universal estimated the 476-acre complex could attract 8.5 million visitors in its first year and generate £50bn for the UK economy by 2055.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the muti-billion-pound investment by the company would "see Bedford home to one of the biggest entertainment parks in Europe, firmly putting the county on the global stage".

Universal Destinations and Experience said 80% of those employed in the new jobs will be from Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas.

Universal, which produced films such as Minions and Wicked, currently has theme parks in Orlando and Los Angeles in the US, as well as Osaka, Japan, Sentosa, Singapore, and Beijing, China.

The park will be the first Universal-branded destination in Europe.

Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy said: "This landmark investment is fantastic news for our economy, for UK tourism and for the British public, who will be able to enjoy the biggest and best theme park in Europe on their doorstep."

A full planning proposal will be submitted to the UK government with construction expected to start in 2026.

The prime minister added: "This is our Plan for Change in action, combining local and national growth with creating around 28,000 new jobs across sectors such as construction, artificial intelligence and tourism.

"It is not just about numbers; it's about securing real opportunities for people in our country. Together, we are building a brighter future for the UK, getting people into work and ensuring our economy remains strong and competitive."

Chancellor Rachel Reeves added: "At a time of global change, this investment is a vote of confidence in Britain as a place to do business.

"Universal's investment will bring billions to the economy and create thousands of jobs to the UK, putting more money in people's pockets."

According to plans from Universal Destinations & Experiences the UK site would include a theme park, a 500-room hotel and a retail complex.

These proposals remain subject to a planning decision from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Universal has already bought 476 acres for the project, but could buy more land to increase the plot to about 700 acres, which would enable it to link the site with transport routes.

Residents living in surrounding villages have responded positively to the plans, though some are concerned infrastructure will not be enough to support the amount of expected visitors.

Universal said it surveyed more than 6,000 local people and organisations and 92% of those supported the project.

Universal said it would make upgrades to the Wixams railway station and build a new station on the East West Rail line near the resort.

It will also add new dedicated slip roads to the A42, which flooded in October after heavy rainfall.

The government has said it will commit to investing in infrastructure that supports the project and makes it more accessible.

On Thursday Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander approved expansion plans at London Luton Airport.

Universal had previously described the Bedford site as "an ideal location with convenient, fast rail links to London and London Luton Airport".

Mike Cavanagh, the president of Comcast Corporation, which owns Universal, said he was excited to expand the parks brand into Europe.

He said: "We appreciate the leadership and support of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Minister for Investment Poppy Gustafsson, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and their teams, as we work together to create and deliver a fantastic new landmark destination."

The company said it will work with Bedford Borough Council on the project.

The local authority was one of six councils to support the plans last year, alongside Central Bedfordshire, Luton Borough, Milton Keynes City, North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire councils.

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