It's been four days since Los Angeles became an inferno - and my home became a pile of smouldering embers.

I'm now staying at a friend's house in La Crescenta, north of the city, after evacuating my condo in the Palisades, 30 miles (48km) away from where the fires first started on Tuesday morning.

I thought we'd be safe here, but with six active fires now burning across the city, nowhere feels safe. So far, LA's fires have forced more than 179,000 people including myself to evacuate.

• Follow live updates
• Striking images of destruction, loss and heroism

Many people I know thought they had found refuge, only to have to flee again.

We've had our bags packed by the door, just in case we were ordered to leave for the second time in 48 hours.

On Thursday afternoon, the moment we were dreading happened - we got an emergency evacuation notice.

We panicked, and ran to load the cars again. I checked my car - low on gas - and sent my partner out to find some. He had to drive to four different stations before he found one with any supply.

The alarm, it turned out, was false, a mistake that rattled America's second-largest city, which was already on edge.

As a climate reporter, I am used to covering extreme weather events. Just a few weeks ago I was interviewing residents who had fled the Malibu fires. Now I'm on the other side of the story.

The Palisades Fire has already been dubbed a historical wildfire. And it will forever be burnished in my memory because it's the wildfire that burned down my community and my home.

It began on the morning of 7 January. Small flames on the Santa Monica mountain-side that I could see from the Palisades Village. I watched it for a short while, the smoke stretching across the clear blue sky. Locals were taking photos of it.

• In maps: Thousands of acres on fire in LA
• What's the latest on Los Angeles wildfires

An hour later, the flames had jumped across the ridgelines and descended down the mountain. I watched as the fire began to engulf homes and smoke billowed across the sky.

I was already extremely concerned about the Santa Ana wind warnings we'd received two days prior – up to 80mph (129kmh) wind gusts were forecast. Those, and the lack of rain we'd had made ideal conditions for a fire to spread quickly and intensely.

I felt how quickly the wind was changing, blowing embers and smoke across the town. And I could see the fire spreading, jumping from spot to spot so that it was soon surrounding the Palisades.

The scene was truly apocalyptic - a bright red sun cast an orange glow over us, and ash rained down like snow.

I ran back home and started making plans if I needed to evacuate. There didn't feel much point in leaving right at that moment because the one road out, Sunset Blvd, was gridlocked.

I packed the important stuff first - passports, birth certificates - and then when I felt I had a bit more time, I hosed down the front of the house, hoping the water would keep my condo, one of several terraced buildings in a small development, from succumbing to the fire.

I finally decided to leave when we were told there was a mandatory evacuation order for the entirety of the Palisades. I was also getting more concerned as the fire had spread to the mountains directly in front of my house, and I had heard the winds were only going to get stronger going into the evening.

I never received a message about any evacuations or fire warnings on that first terrible day and nor did my partner. I was informed by neighbours.

I'm lucky I have a press pass and I could approach emergency services to find out what news I could. I'm so grateful that everyone I know managed to get out on time. A lot of us didn't realise how close the flames were to our homes, due to the lack of communication and information available.

It took a while to get out. There were thousands of cars trying to leave, all desperate to flee the flames. The frustration and fear was palpable.

I thought my home would be safe as it sits on the other side of Sunset Blvd, across from the mountains. I didn't think the fire would jump the road.

• WATCH: Man escapes fires with elderly father-in-law

But when I got a text from a neighbour to say she saw Palisades High School on fire as she was evacuating, I knew that the fire was spreading further than anyone could have predicted. I had been watching the news - it was hard to look away - and it has been heartbreaking to see the school in flames, as well as some of our cultural landmarks, such as our local theatre.

Knowing that the wind speeds were only going to pick up as night fell, and it's much harder to fight a fire in the dark, I realised in that moment that my home might not make it. It was a sobering thought that I might be six months pregnant and homeless.

We arrived in La Crescenta Tuesday evening. The next morning I received the news from a neighbour that our house had made it through the night. I cried with relief.

When we started to read about looting that was happening in the Palisades, we decided we would go and check on our house, and retrieve some of the irreplaceable belongings we'd left behind - photographs, journals and family jewellery.

We returned Wednesday afternoon and were allowed to drive in because of my press credentials. When we reached Sunset Blvd, our road, we saw flames and fire engines and in front of our block of condos. My heart sank.

We drove past and saw our entire cluster of condos had been levelled.

We parked the car, and raced around the back. As soon as I saw the scene I doubled up like I'd been hit. Where about 20 condos once stood there was a pile of burning rubble. The firefighters, their faces covered in ash, kept apologising that they couldn't save our home. I was sobbing and thanking them for doing so much already.

I had to call and tell all of my neighbours that their homes were gone. I could barely get the words out.

• Mel Gibson one of a host of celebrities whose homes have burned
• Before and after: How wildfires tore through LA

Most of my village, I'd say about 90%, has been razed to the ground. It's all gone. I'm reeling from the shock, from the devastation and from everything my community has lost.

I'm planning to leave the city and stay with friends further north where it's safe and there's no smoke. I think it will be a while before I want to come back to LA.

It's surreal to think there's literally nothing to go back to. No home, no library, no stores, no kids' karate dojo, no theatre, no community centre. It's all just gone. I keep thinking "I should have grabbed more of my stuff before I fled".

But then I think back to one crystal clear moment before I fled my house: standing in my bedroom, trying to choose which pair of earrings to take with me – a gold pair of hoops my sisters had gifted me for my 30th, or a pair of handmade abalone shell earrings that a Native American woman had given me after reporting on her community.

I told myself, out loud: "Only take what you need. What do you need?" And I realised in a moment of clarity, whilst I was frantically scanning all of my favourite clothes, shoes, and jewellery, that I really didn't need any of it.

I grabbed my grandmother's ring, passports, birth certificates, and left everything else to burn.

A judge has sentenced US President-elect Donald Trump to an "unconditional discharge," bringing to an end the first criminal trial of a former US president.

The sentence in the hush-money payment case means the incoming president has been spared any penalty, including jail time or a fine, but he will still take office as the first US president with a felony conviction.

"Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances," Justice Juan Merchan said shortly before announcing the sentence, calling it a "truly extraordinary case".

Appearing via video call from Florida and flanked by his attorney and two prominent American flags, Trump declared he was "totally innocent".

• Trump hush-money sentencing live updates

It was the first time in this year-and-half long legal saga that Trump had uttered more than a "not guilty" or given a brief affirmative answer.

Granted the chance to speak ahead of his sentencing, Trump railed against the case for several minutes.

"This has been a very terrible experience," he said.

He claimed there had been a "weaponisation" of the judicial system and claimed the case was brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for political reasons.

"I would like to explain that I was treated very, very unfairly, and I thank you very much," he said, before falling silent.

As Bragg watched Trump address him directly for the first time, he maintained a mostly stoic expression. He did, however, chuckle when Trump claimed Bragg had never wanted to bring the case.

After Trump had his say, Justice Merchan then took several moments to reflect on the "paradox" of the trial.

Justice Merchan noted that despite the media and political circus outside, "once the courtroom doors were closed, it was no more unique than all the other cases taking place at the same time".

But he added that after Trump was convicted, the case took another turn when the American people elected him in November to a second presidential term.

After careful consideration, he had determined that "the only lawful sentence, without encroaching upon the highest office of the land", was unconditional discharge - a sentence that would allow the American people a president unencumbered by pending court proceedings.

The end of a historic trial

Trump was found guilty by a New York jury of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in May 2024. His sentencing was delayed multiple times due to Supreme Court rulings and the November presidential election.

The charges stemmed from a plot to cover up a hush-money payment to an adult film star in the waning days of the 2016 election. Prosecutors argued the payment was a form of election interference aimed at keeping vital information from voters, and therefore broke the law.

In October 2016, Trump's then-attorney, Michael Cohen, paid a woman named Stormy Daniels $130,000 (£106,000) to remain silent about a years-old alleged sexual encounter with the soon-to-be president.

After he was elected, Trump reimbursed Cohen in installments – and then falsely recorded them as legal expenses. Each of Trump's guilty verdicts correlates to a false document related to the cover-up.

Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges and denied the sexual encounter with Ms Daniels. He repeatedly claimed the case was politically motivated persecution.

The six-week trial became a legal, political and media firestorm. Larger-than-life characters like Cohen and Daniels took the stand to face questioning from Trump's attorneys.

Trump brought a string of family members and Republican allies to court with him each day to fill the benches behind his defence table. Each day, he turned a small media pen in the hallway outside the courtroom into his personal pulpit, using the opportunities to rail against the justice system, the press, and other adversaries.

Trump also used the furore of the trial to raise millions from supporters for his legal battles, and his campaign to retake the White House.

In the four years between his terms in office, Trump was indicted in four separate criminal cases, including his New York case. In the end, this was the only one to go to trial.

On the campaign trail and social media, Trump used his legal quagmires to portray himself – and his supporters – as victims of a rigged justice system.

Despite the multiple indictments, including two that centred on his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, Trump decisively defeated Vice-President Kamala Harris in November.

His victory quashed the two federal prosecutions against him, including his federal election interference case and one involving alleged mishandling of classified documents. The third, an election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, has been stuck in a series of delays and side dramas for months.

Only Trump's hush-money trial ever reached its conclusion, after Justice Merchan dug his heels in early January and demanded Trump appear virtually or in person for his sentencing.

The battles did not stop there, however. Trump's lawyers frantically filed appeals and even petitioned the US Supreme Court to halt the Friday hearing.

The Supreme Court rejected him in a brief order issued Thursday night.

They also fought to have the case dismissed by arguing that presidents-elect have immunity from criminal prosecution, an argument Justice Merchan rejected but they have continued to argue to higher courts.

When Trump's New York trial adjourned with a final bang of the gavel on Friday, it also brought to a close this particularly fraught chapter in his personal and political history.

When he is sworn in 10 days from now, he will do so as the first US president to have ever been convicted of a felony.

As he concluded his sentencing on Friday, Justice Merchan had one final message for Trump.

"I wish you Godspeed as you assume your second term in office," he said.

It has not been a good week for Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

Government borrowing costs have hit their highest level in 16 years and the pound has fallen to a 14-month low against the dollar.

She has gone on a planned trip to China amid accusations from opposition parties that she is leaving at a moment of economic peril.

Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey is accompanying her on the trip. The 12-hour flight to Beijing is probably the length of the meeting she might have wanted to have with him.

So how serious are the recent movements on the markets and what could happen as a result?

Budget plans need to be tweaked

While the markets stabilised from Thursday lunchtime, the move against UK government debt is already enough to cause a problem for the chancellor's Budget maths.

Reeves has pledged not to borrow to fund day-to-day spending and to get debt falling as a share of national income by the end of this parliament. The Treasury has said these fiscal rules, set out in the Budget, are "non-negotiable".

At times over the past week the markets have looked pretty fragile for Britain, with both government borrowing costs going up and sterling falling back at the same time. That is a key marker.

While it's true that the overall direction for the markets over the past month has been set by an assessment of the inflationary consequences of President-elect Trump's trade and economic policies, the UK has been getting some special attention in addition.

It risks being tarred with both the inflationary stickiness of the US, and the stagnant growth of the eurozone - the worst of both worlds.

That said, it is important to be precise about the extent of the problem. The extra cost of servicing the national debt at these interest rates would be several billion pounds a year - i.e. material enough to require some sort of correction in the Budget maths, but doable, and the clear message this week is that "it will be done".

No impact on mortgages so far

The impact on budgetary maths is real, but the wider impact that might be expected - of higher borrowing costs for companies and for households - has not yet materialised.

The mortgage market has yet to see an increase in rates for fixed-term mortgages, as occurred rapidly in the panic after the 2022 mini-Budget. There is a curious calm.

One explanation lies in what is not happening. This time last year the major lenders greatly discounted mortgages in a battle for market share ahead of the key moments for house buying. This has not happened this year, and may yet have a consequence in the property market.

The Bank of England has indicated it will continue with interest rate cuts this year. The markets think there may be far fewer than previously expected, perhaps only one, leaving base interest rates at 4.5%.

Many economists say this is the wrong call, and believe rates will be cut multiple times. There's quite a lot of uncertainty here, and the key Bank of England committee is split. The Bank's words will be very carefully watched.

More positively for the economy, despite a lot of rhetoric from retailers, many have delivered strong results and have not lowered their profits expectations. Are consumers a bit more robust than had been assumed, and could this drive some growth in 2025?

• Why are UK borrowing costs rising and what does it mean for me?

Growth strategy needs a reboot

The problem of servicing higher interest payments on the national debt increases the likelihood of the Treasury making plans for an adjustment, based on a squeeze on spending. A £10bn cut will hurt, but with a majority of 170 MPs in the House of Commons, and an ongoing spending review already in train, it can be done.

In these circumstances, with the credible threat of a global trade war, for example, it should be noted that Rachel Reeves' new fiscal rules do have an escape hatch.

In the event of "an emergency of a significant negative economic shock to the economy" the chancellor may "temporarily suspend the fiscal mandate".

While a global trade war could qualify, it would be difficult optics to suspend a "non-negotiable" and "iron-clad" set of rules before they had really bitten. The rules have not yet formally passed into law yet either, and remain a "draft" until the Commons votes to approve them.

It seems very unlikely that this route will be taken unless there is a very clear economic shock in the coming weeks.

The bigger point here is what matters in the markets, which is whether the UK is pursuing a credible set of policies, a convincing overall strategy.

Labour's focus on stability at all costs was understandable after the humiliation of Liz Truss's mini-Budget. But "stability" is not a growth strategy.

Pursuing green growth by borrowing for long-term capital investment is a potential strategy, and it underpinned "Bidenomics" in the US. The incoming government embraced the rhetoric of US policy under the outgoing president, without the same firepower. "Bidenomics without the money", you might say.

But now the new Trump administration is jettisoning this approach, rightly or wrongly, and the markets are less convinced that such a strategy will pay for itself. It will cost more to fund such a strategy, and require harsher trade-offs than expected.

Bidenomics without the money and without Biden is much too thin. A more detailed strategy for sustained growth is needed, and in short order.

The BBC has changed the names of the women in this article in order to protect their identity.

Three women who were left devastated by historical child sexual exploitation in Oldham have told the BBC ministers should have spoken to survivors before deciding not to conduct a government-led inquiry into grooming gangs in the town.

Jane and Amelia, who survived abuse more than 15 years ago, and Sarah, whose son was exploited in the town while he was in care, called on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to meet them and hear their stories.

Ministers rejected Oldham Council's request to conduct an inquiry, saying the council should lead it.

A government spokesperson said it would "always be guided" by survivors and that Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips would continue to engage with victims.

But they added "many victims have said they do not want to see another national inquiry - they want action now".

Jane and Amelia said they would like to see a full national inquiry, because they feel it is important to cover the experiences of survivors across the country.

Sarah, whose son was abused in his teens and died more than 10 years later, would have liked a government-led inquiry into abuse in Oldham, but would accept a local one if it is properly funded.

"This isn't for anyone's political gain. This is about real human beings," Amelia said.

The government has resisted calls from the Conservatives and Reform for a new national inquiry, saying that implementing recommendations from a 2022 report conducted by Prof Alexis Jay into child sexual abuse is its priority.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said a new national inquiry would help focus on grooming gangs, where the Jay report did not.

Billionaire Elon Musk has criticised the UK government over its response to grooming gangs on his social media platform X.

Amelia said that, even though she did not agree with many of Musk's beliefs, she was "glad" he had highlighted the issue.

Last weekend, Phillips and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed the council had started its own inquiry.

The Greater Manchester authority also undertook an independent review into sex abuse in Oldham in 2022, and found victims had been failed by the council and Greater Manchester Police.

Ministers have suggested they are keeping an open mind about a future national investigation if it becomes clear that survivors want one.

• Victims want action, child abuse inquiry chair says
• All 20 recommendations from national child sex abuse inquiry outstanding

Jane was 12 when she moved to Oldham. She made friends with a girl older than her who introduced her to a man in his late forties.

"He started coming round, buying me phones, telling me not tell my parents," she said, "then he started introducing me to his friends."

Now more than a decade later, Jane struggles to recall in detail the number of men involved - but says for six years she was abused by a British-Pakistani grooming gang.

"There was one specific incident when I was plied with alcohol, plied with drugs, and I could not move. There were a group of men coming in and out of the room, I think there must have been four or five, basically raping me."

Jane told her mum, the police, the council and her social worker about what was going on.

"At one point, when the police had turned up, there was an illegal immigrant with me and they came and arrested me for prostitution," she said.

Jane left Oldham several years later.

"After a certain amount of time you lose respect for yourself and it becomes a normality," Jane said, fighting back tears.

"When you are a child, you don't really understand, but when you get older and you look back, I felt like it was me against the world."

As far as Jane knows, none of the men who abused her have been jailed.

Amelia was still at school when she was trafficked across the country for sex with multiple men a night.

The people who took her were white British, but she said those who abused her were from every background, race and class.

"There isn't just one narrative - the Pakistani grooming gangs," she said. "It is not anything to do with nationality or race."

Her experience was not reflected in Oldham's 2022 review on grooming. She strongly feels more work needs to be done to increase awareness of the sexual exploitation of minors.

Amelia described the impact grooming has had on her life. Her children have been taken into care, she has struggled to maintain relationships and has been in and out of psychiatric support.

"I don't even class myself as a human being anymore," she said. "I'm damaged goods, I'm broken."

She has also echoed Jane and Sarah's desire to meet the government on this issue.

"I'd love the opportunity to speak to those senior people who are making decisions on our lives, to meet or speak to them personally," she said.

Sarah's 13-year-old son reported being sexually abused while he was a looked-after child in Oldham in the 2000s.

"He'd gone locally into a business where it was easy to buy cigarettes and alcohol and that is where the grooming started," she said.

Her son was told he had to pay for the items by doing what the British-Pakistani owner wanted. She added the care home knew about the arrangement but did not question it.

"It totally destroyed him," she said. "He just wasn't the child he was to start with. He was a shadow of his former self."

In 2021, Sarah says he was going through the process of reporting the abuse to police but had a cardiac arrest and died.

"I feel like I let him down in his life and I don't think it's right I don't get justice for him just because he's not here," she said. "He is just as important as every other victim."

Councillor Arooj Shah, leader of Oldham Council, said the new local independent inquiry will build on the findings of the Greater Manchester review.

"We're working closely with survivors and survivors' families to ensure they don't just have a voice, but will have a central role in developing this inquiry. We expect terms of reference to be agreed in the coming months," Shah said.

Greater Manchester Police Assistant Chief Constable Steph Parker said "we absolutely recognise the lifelong impact of child sexual exploitation, which is why we are so committed to protecting victims and pursuing offenders. This is a tragic example that demonstrates the devastating trauma that comes with such horrific abuse."

Parker said child protection "is the priority" for the force today, with several ongoing.

"We have several ongoing victim-focused, non-recent CSE investigations being led by specialist investigators, which have led to over 100 arrests. Time is no barrier to action."

• If you have been affected by the issues raised in this article, help and support is available via BBC Action Line.

The Palestinian death toll from the war in Gaza could be substantially higher than official figures reported by the Hamas-run health ministry, research published in the Lancet medical journal suggests.

The UK-led study covered the first nine months of the war, which began when Hamas gunmen attacked Israel on 7 October 2023.

It used data from the ministry, an online survey of relatives reporting fatalities, and obituaries. It estimated that up until 30 June 2024, 64,260 Palestinians died from traumatic injury, meaning an under-reporting of deaths by 41%.

The Palestinian death toll has been a source of dispute, though the UN treats the health ministry's figures as reliable.

The ministry's figures do not distinguish between combatants and civilians though a recent report by the UN said the majority of verified victims over a six month period were women and children.

Israel says Hamas's figures cannot be trusted. In August, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had "eliminated over 17,000 terrorists", though it is unclear how it arrived at this figure. The IDF insists it only targets combatants and tries to avoid or minimise civilian casualties.

Israel is not allowing international journalists from media organisations, including the BBC, independent access to Gaza, making it difficult to verify the facts on the ground.

The team behind the latest study used a statistical method called "capture-recapture", a technique which has been used to evaluate deaths in other conflicts.

Researchers looked at how many people turned up repeatedly in different attempts to count deaths. The level of overlap between those lists suggested that the number of deaths directly caused by traumatic injury in the conflict could be significantly higher than hospital figures published by the Ministry of Health.

Gaza's health ministry issues updated death tolls from the war daily. It compiles the figures from deaths recorded in hospitals, deaths reported by family members, and deaths from "reliable media reports".

The report in the Lancet estimated a death toll between 55,298–78,525 people, compared to 37,877 reported by the health ministry.

The report's figures could be meaningfully higher or lower depending on the technical details of the analysis.

For example, identifying deaths by "traumatic injury" in each set of data could be tricky. Getting it wrong could push the study's estimates higher or lower.

The research also said 59% of those killed for whom data on sex and age was available were women, children and the elderly.

The war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas's attack in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken back to Gaza as hostages. Israel launched a massive military offensive on Gaza in response.

The health ministry says 46,006 people, most of them civilians, have been killed by the Israeli campaign.

Commuters are being warned of icy roads and travel disruption, as temperatures plummeted again overnight across the UK.

Fresh weather warnings have been issued, with snow, ice and fog forecast across southern England, Wales, Northern Ireland and northern Scotland on Thursday.

It will be mainly dry elsewhere with winter sunshine, but temperatures could fall again to as low as -16C on Thursday night.

The cold snap has already brought heavy snowfall to some areas, and dozens of flood alerts and warnings are in place due to either heavy rain or melting snow.

On Wednesday the lowest temperature recorded was -8.4C (16F) in Shap, Cumbria, according to the Met Office.

It comes as an amber cold health alert remains in place for all of England until Sunday, meaning the forecast weather is expected to have significant impacts across health - including a rise in deaths.

The Met Office says travel disruption to road and rail services is likely on Thursday in areas covered by warnings, as well potential for accidents in icy places.

There are five warnings in place:

• A yellow warning for snow and ice is in place for northern Scotland until midnight on Thursday
• A yellow warning for ice has been issued until 10:30 across southern England and south-east Wales
• Two yellow warnings for snow and ice are in force until 11:00 GMT - one across western Wales and north-west England, and south-west England; and another for Northern Ireland
• A yellow warning for fog until 09:00 in Northern Ireland

On Wednesday snow caused some roads to close and motorists to be stationary for "long periods of time" in Devon and Cornwall, according to authorities there.

Gritters working into Thursday morning have been fitted with ploughs to clear routes in the area.

Car insurer RAC said it has seen the highest levels of demand for rescues in a three-day period since December 2022.

"Cold conditions will last until at least the weekend, so we urge drivers to remain vigilant of the risks posed by ice and, in some locations, snow," said RAC breakdown spokeswoman Alice Simpson.

National Rail have also advised passengers to check before they travel, as ice and snow can mean speed restrictions and line closures.

On Wednesday evening, poor weather was affecting Northern and Great Western Railway.

Buses are also replacing trains between Llandudno Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog until Monday.

• Get the forecast in your area on BBC Weather

The wintry conditions have caused significant disruption across the UK since snow swept many parts of the country at the weekend.

Hundreds of schools were closed in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, including schools in Yorkshire, Merseyside, the Midlands and Aberdeenshire.

The country has also been hit by widespread flooding in recent days. Currently there are 68 flood warnings - meaning flooding is expected - in England and three in Wales.

The weather is expected to be less cold over the weekend.

The wildfires raging in Los Angeles have led to claims that officials there have mismanaged the city's preparation for such events.

President-elect Donald Trump has pointed the finger of blame at California Governor Gavin Newsom, who he says is responsible for LA's struggling water supply.

Others have blamed LA Mayor Karen Bass for cutting the city's fire department budget.

BBC Verify looked into the facts behind the political fallout.

What has Trump claimed?

In a social media post on Wednesday, Trump said Governor Newsom "refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water" to put out the fires.

But the specific declaration he mentions doesn't appear to exist.

The governor's press office issued a statement in response, saying: "There is no such document as the water restoration declaration – that is pure fiction."

We've also searched for this document and been unable to find it.

Newsom has previously opposed efforts to redirect more water to southern California.

This includes a 2020 presidential memorandum in which Trump sought to divert water away from Northern California to farmland further south.

• Anger after fire evacuation alert sent in error to millions in LA
• Jeff Bridges among celebrities to lose homes in wildfires
• LA wildfire damages set to cost record $135bn

Newsom opposed this at the time, saying he wanted to protect "highly imperilled fish species close to extinction".

That is what Trump is referencing in his post blaming Newsom for the response to the wildfires, where he says the governor "wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish", Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt has confirmed.

California's attorney general ultimately blocked the measure, citing potential harm to endangered species and saying that it was not scientifically justified.

Experts say this decision isn't impacting the efforts to tackle these wildfires.

"California is not experiencing water supply shortages at the moment, not in southern California or elsewhere," says Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the California Institute for Water Resources.

"There is plenty of water in the reservoirs for firefighting or whatever you want to do with it," he adds.

Although southern California is currently experiencing a drought, data shows its reservoirs are almost all currently above the historic average for this time of the year. None are at significantly low levels.

Is there is 'no water for fire hydrants'?

Trump has also said that there was "no water for fire hydrants".

There have been reports that certain fire hydrants have run dry.

This is down to high demand placing a heavy strain on the system, according to local officials and experts.

In Pasadena, Fire Chief Chad Augustin said the area experienced a short period of time where pressure was low on a small amount of hydrants. All issues had been resolved, he added.

"There are very localised incidents of this unfolding where the fire hydrants have had insufficient water pressure for firefighters to use them, but that's not because LA is running out of water," says Mr Swain.

"There are thousands of firefighters and hundred of fire engines drawing upon water, and ultimately only so much can flow through pipes at a time."

Did LA Mayor cut fire department budget?

LA Mayor Karen Bass has faced criticism over cuts to the city's fire department budget.

For the latest financial year, the LA Fire Department (LAFD) budget was reduced by $17.6m (£14.3m).

In a memo to Mayor Bass last month, LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley warned that the cuts had "severely limited the department's capacity to prepare for, train for, and respond to large-scale emergencies, such as wildfires".

Mayor Bass responded to the criticism, saying: "I think if you go back and look at the reductions that were made, there were no reductions that were made that would have impacted the situation that we were dealing with over the last couple of days."

The LAFD has an overall budget of almost $820m (£670m), and it isn't the only department responding to the fires.

For example, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Los Angeles County Fire Department are part of the relief efforts, along with the federal government.

"LA County has some of the most advanced and sophisticated wildfire fighting resources of any location in the world. If you had to chose one place on earth that was best place to tackle this sort of disaster, it would be LA county," says Mr Swain.

"The disaster isn't as bad as it is because there's a lack of resource, the reality is there's a limit to how effective wildland firefighting can be under extreme conditions like we experienced this week."

Additional reporting by Joshua Cheetham.

What do you want BBC Verify to investigate?

The affluent Los Angeles neighbourhood of Pacific Palisades typically has strangers walking around, trying to catch a glimpse of celebrities' houses.

Now, though, its streets are filled with firefighters battling a 3,000-acre wildfire that is ravaging the area.

Across the city, more than 30,000 have been forced to evacuate their homes as winds stoke three fires. A state of emergency has been declared, leaving roads gridlocked as people flee.

Among them, a number of famous faces have been forced to flee their usually idyllic California homes, including Star Wars' Mark Hamill and Schitt's Creek actor Eugene Levy.

James Woods, who has starred in films including Nixon and Casino, described evacuating his home on social media, and said he was not sure if it was still standing.

"It feels like losing a loved one," he wrote.

Pacific Palisades is known for being exclusive, with a house costing $4.5m (£3.6m) on average as of November 2024, according to Realtor.com.

The north LA neighbourhood is bordered on the south with a three-mile (4.8km) stretch of beaches on the Pacific Ocean, nestled between Malibu and Santa Monica.

It is a hub for trendy shops, cafes and a farmers' market.

But the Palisades fire - which grew from 10 acres to over 2,900 in a matter of hours - has shattered they area's idyllic nature.

Mark Hamill, of Star Wars fame, called the blaze the "most horrific fire since '93" - which burned 18,000 acres and destroyed 323 homes in nearby Malibu - in a post on Instagram.

He said he evacuated his home in Malibu "so last-minute there [were] small fires on both sides of the road".

Levy, who rose to fame for his role in film series American Pie, told local media he was forced to evacuate his home.

"The smoke looked pretty black and intense over Temescal Canyon. I couldn't see any flames but the smoke was very dark," he recounted to the Los Angeles Times.

Reality star's Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag lost their family home in the fire, his sister wrote on Instagram.

"I am beyond heartbroken for my brother, Heidi and the kids," she said. "Even the fire station in the Palisades has burned down."

Miles Teller, best known for his role in Top Gun: Maverick, and his wife Keleigh, also live in the area.

Posting on Instagram, Mrs Teller shared a picture of the fires and a heart-break emoji. She urged people to leave bowls of water for animals as they evacuate their homes.

Meanwhile, Actor Steve Guttenberg, known for Police Academy, stayed to help firefighters by moving cars in order to make room for incoming fire trucks.

He urged residents to leave the keys to their abandoned cars so they could be moved out the way of firefighters.

"We really need people to move their cars," he told news outlet KTLA: "This is not a parking lot."

It is not just famous residents affected by the wildfire - notable buildings in the area are under threat as well.

The Palisades Charter High School - which has served as a set for movies and counts several notable people as former students - has been damaged by fire, local media reports.

The fire-stricken school has been used in films including 1976 horror classic Carrie and Project X, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Former students include director JJ Abrams, musician Will.i.am, and actors Forest Whitaker and Katey Sagal.

The Getty Villa is an art museum in the Palisades that has a large collection of artworks and artefacts, including works by Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet.

The museum confirmed on Tuesday that it had closed to the public and that some trees and vegetation on site had burned - but said that "no structures are on fire, and staff and the collection remain safe".

Star studded events due to take place in the area have also been cancelled.

Film premiers for Unstoppable, Better Man and Wolfman have been called off, as has the Screen Actors Guild Awards live nominations event.

Energy prices are at risk of rising after British Gas owner-Centrica warned about "concerningly low" storage levels due to the colder weather.

Centrica, which owns the country's largest gas storage facility, said the UK "has less than a week of gas demand in store".

There is no danger of the country running out of gas but it means the UK will need to buy more supplies from Continental Europe, the BBC understands.

Wholesale gas prices were lower in the UK on Friday.

A woman in Australia has annulled her marriage after realising that a fake wedding ceremony she took part in for a social media stunt was in fact real.

The unknowing bride said her partner was a social media influencer who convinced her to take part in the ceremony as a "prank" for his Instagram account.

She only discovered the marriage was genuine when he tried to use it to gain permanent residency in Australia.

A Melbourne judge granted the annulment after accepting the woman was tricked into getting married, in a judgment published on Thursday.

The bizarre case began in September 2023 when the woman met her partner on an online dating platform. They began seeing each other regularly in Melbourne, where they lived at the time.

In December that year, the man proposed to the woman and she accepted.

Two days later, the woman attended an event with the man in Sydney. She was told it would be a "white party" - where attendees would wear white-coloured clothing - and was told to pack a white dress.

But when they arrived she was "shocked" and "furious" to find no other guests present except for her partner, a photographer, the photographer's friend and a celebrant, according to her deposition quoted in court documents.

"So when I got there, and I didn't see anybody in white, I asked him, 'What's happening?'. And he pulled me aside, and he told me that he's organising a prank wedding for his social media, to be precise, Instagram, because he wants to boost his content, and wants to start monetising his Instagram page," she said.

She said she accepted his explanation as "he was a social media person" who had more than 17,000 followers on Instagram. She also believed that a civil marriage would only be valid if it was held in a court.

Still, she remained concerned. The woman rang a friend and voiced her worries, but the friend "laughed it off" and said it would be fine because, if it were real, they would have had to file a notice of intended marriage first, which they had not.

Reassured, the woman went through the ceremony where she and her partner exchanged wedding vows and kissed in front of a camera. She said she was happy at that time to "play along" to "make it look real".

Two months later, her partner asked her to add him as a dependent in her application for permanent residency in Australia. Both of them are foreigners.

When she told him she could not as they were technically not married, he then revealed that their Sydney wedding ceremony had been genuine, according to the woman's testimony.

The woman later found their marriage certificate, and discovered a notice of intended marriage which had been filed the month before their Sydney trip - before they even got engaged - which she said she did not sign. According to the court documents, the signature on the notice bears little resemblance to the woman's.

"I'm furious with the fact that I didn't know that that was a real marriage, and the fact that he also lied from the beginning, and the fact that he also wanted me to add him in my application," she said.

In his deposition, the man claimed they had "both agreed to these circumstances" and that following his proposal the woman had agreed to marry him at an "intimate ceremony" in Sydney.

The judge ruled that the woman was "mistaken about the nature of the ceremony performed" and "did not provide real consent to her participation" in the marriage.

"She believed she was acting. She called the event 'a prank'. It made perfect sense for her to adopt the persona of a bride in all things at the impugned ceremony so as to enhance the credibility of the video depicting a legally valid marriage," he stated in the judgement.

The marriage was annulled in October 2024.

The head of the Met's Black Police Association (MBPA) has been found to have committed gross misconduct over a group chat where racist, sexist and inappropriate messages were sent and received.

Insp Charles Ehikioya was in a WhatsApp chat with former officer Carlo Francisco where offensive messages sent and received.

The officer had denied the allegations against him and said the claims were fabricated or falsely attributed to him because of his race or position as chair of the MBPA.

A panel found his conduct amounted to a breach of the standards of professional behaviour and said it was "so serious as to potentially justify dismissal".

The panel, led by Cdr Jason Prins, found Insp Ehikioya breached standards in respect of equality and diversity, discreditable conduct and challenging and reporting improper conduct proven at a hearing on Friday.

A decision on whether he will be dismissed has not been made yet.

In more than 7,000 messages between 2017 and 2020, the officer was said to have sent and received jokes, pictures and videos, it was heard previously.

He sent an image of the late Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, with the comment "message from the other side, tell the Muslims there's no 72 virgins left", it was previously said.

There was also a series of "racist" messages about Chinese people, the hearing was told.

Jokes about sex with a girl with Down's syndrome, and mockery of the late Duke of Edinburgh's car crash, were also in the chatlog, as was a video in which there was a child with a naked bottom, James Berry, representing the Met, said previously.

On 1 April 2019, Insp Ehikioya told Mr Francisco to "stop sending or receiving these silly porns", saying he could get into "trouble", the hearing was told.

Cdr Prins said the panel "found that Inspector Ehikioya has engaged in racist, sexist, misogynistic and otherwise inappropriate behaviour".

He added: "The panel finds to a large extent that the messages speak for themselves."

He also said they found his defence of the allegations to be "fanciful" and "far-fetched".

Commander Prins said: "The panel found that the messages sent by Inspector Ehikioya or received by him, which he failed to challenge or report, deeply damage public confidence in the police service."

The hearing was adjourned until later on Friday for the panel to consider its sanction.

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The US has announced an increased $25m (£20.4m) reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on the day he was sworn in for a third six-year term in office.

The inauguration ceremony was overshadowed by recrimination from the international community and Venezuelan opposition leaders.

Rewards have also been offered for information leading to the arrest and or conviction of Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello.

A new reward of up to $15m for Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino has also been offered.

The UK also issued sanctions on 15 top Venezuelan officials, including judges, members of the security forces and military officials.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said those sanctioned were responsible for "undermining democracy, the rule of law, and human rights violations".

Foreign Secretary David Lammy went on to describe Maduro's regime as "fraudulent".

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

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Out-of-control wildfires are ripping across parts of Los Angeles, leading to at least five deaths, burning down hundreds of buildings, and prompting more than 130,000 people to flee their homes in America's second-largest city.

Despite the efforts of firefighters, the biggest blazes remain totally uncontained - with weather conditions and the underlying impact of climate change expected to continue fanning the flames for days to come.

What's the latest?

More than 137,000 people have been forced to leave their homes - many of them simply carrying whatever belongings they can.

Police say at least five people have died, and their bodies found near the Eaton Fire - but their cause of death is not yet known.

Like the even larger Palisades Fire, the Eaton Fire remains totally uncontained. Meanwhile, the new Sunset Fire is menacing the well-known Hollywood Hills area.

More than 1,000 structures are known to have been destroyed - including houses, schools and businesses on the iconic Sunset Boulevard. A fire ecologist has told the BBC that "entire neighbourhoods... have been wiped out".

Among the celebrities who have lost their homes are Leighton Meester and Adam Brody, who attended the Golden Globes just days ago, and Paris Hilton.

There is a glimmer of hope for firefighters, as the fire weather outlook for southern California has been downgraded from "extremely critical" to "critical".

But BBC weather forecaster Sarah Keith-Lucas says there is no rain forecast in the area for at least the next week, meaning conditions remain ripe for fire.

Mass disruption has been reported due to traffic buildup. A number of schools and the the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have been forced to close.

A political row about the city's preparedness has erupted after it emerged that some firefighters' hoses have run dry - an issue seized upon by US President-elect Donald Trump.

• Follow live updates
• 'Where do I go?' Chaos as people flee flames
• In pictures: Dramatic scenes from west LA
• The celebrities who have lost their homes

Where are the fires?

There are at least five fires raging in the wider area, according to California fire officials early on Thursday:

• Palisades: The first fire to erupt on Tuesday and the biggest fire in the region, which could become the most destructive fire in state history. It has scorched a sizable part of land, covering more than 17,200 acres, including the upscale Pacific Palisades neighbourhood
• Eaton: It has struck the northern part of Los Angeles, blazing through cities such as Altadena. It's the second biggest fire in the area, burning around 10,600 acres
• Hurst: Located just north of San Fernando, it began burning on Tuesday night and has grown to 855 acres, though firefighters have had some successlimited in containing it
• Lidia: It broke out on Wednesday afternoon in the mountainous Acton area north of Los Angeles and grew to cover almost 350 acres. Authorities say it has been 40% contained
• Sunset: It broke out Wednesday evening in Hollywood Hills, growing to about 20 acres in less than an hour. It now covers around 43 acres

The earlier Woodley and Olivas fires have now been contained, according to local fire authorities.

• In maps: Thousands of acres on fire
• Watch: Fires reach Hollywood, with fears for iconic sign

How did the LA fires start?

Officials have pointed to high winds and drought in the area, which has made vegetation very dry and easy to burn.

The likely impact of climate change has also been cited been blamed - although the exact circumstances remain unclear.

Some 95% of wildfires in the area are started by humans, according to David Acuna, a battalion chief at the Californian Fire Service, although officials are yet to state how they think the current fires started.

An important factor that has been cited in the spread of the blazes is the Santa Ana winds, which blow from inland towards the coast. With speeds of more than 60mph (97 km/h), these are believed to have fanned the flames.

• What are the Santa Ana winds?

What role has climate change played?

Although strong winds and lack of rain are driving the blazes, experts say climate change is altering the background conditions and increasing the likelihood of such fires.

US government research is unequivocal in linking climate change to larger and more severe wildfires in the western United States.

"Climate change, including increased heat, extended drought, and a thirsty atmosphere, has been a key driver in increasing the risk and extent of wildfires in the western United States," the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says.

And following a very warm summer and lack of rain in recent months, California is particularly vulnerable.

Fire season in southern California is generally thought to stretch from May to October - but the state's governor, Gavin Newsom, has pointed out earlier that blazes had become a perennial issue. "There's no fire season," he said. "It's fire year."

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Acuna said the Palisades Fire represented only the third occasion in the past 30 years that a major fire had broken out in January.

• How climate change is stoking the fires
• A simple guide to climate change

The affluent Los Angeles neighbourhood of Pacific Palisades typically has strangers walking around, trying to catch a glimpse of celebrities' houses.

Now, though, its streets are filled with firefighters battling a 3,000-acre wildfire that is ravaging the area.

Across the city, more than 30,000 have been forced to evacuate their homes as winds stoke three fires. A state of emergency has been declared, leaving roads gridlocked as people flee.

Among them, a number of famous faces have been forced to flee their usually idyllic California homes, including Star Wars' Mark Hamill and Schitt's Creek actor Eugene Levy.

James Woods, who has starred in films including Nixon and Casino, described evacuating his home on social media, and said he was not sure if it was still standing.

"It feels like losing a loved one," he wrote.

Pacific Palisades is known for being exclusive, with a house costing $4.5m (£3.6m) on average as of November 2024, according to Realtor.com.

The north LA neighbourhood is bordered on the south with a three-mile (4.8km) stretch of beaches on the Pacific Ocean, nestled between Malibu and Santa Monica.

It is a hub for trendy shops, cafes and a farmers' market.

But the Palisades fire - which grew from 10 acres to over 2,900 in a matter of hours - has shattered they area's idyllic nature.

Mark Hamill, of Star Wars fame, called the blaze the "most horrific fire since '93" - which burned 18,000 acres and destroyed 323 homes in nearby Malibu - in a post on Instagram.

He said he evacuated his home in Malibu "so last-minute there [were] small fires on both sides of the road".

Levy, who rose to fame for his role in film series American Pie, told local media he was forced to evacuate his home.

"The smoke looked pretty black and intense over Temescal Canyon. I couldn't see any flames but the smoke was very dark," he recounted to the Los Angeles Times.

Reality star's Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag lost their family home in the fire, his sister wrote on Instagram.

"I am beyond heartbroken for my brother, Heidi and the kids," she said. "Even the fire station in the Palisades has burned down."

Miles Teller, best known for his role in Top Gun: Maverick, and his wife Keleigh, also live in the area.

Posting on Instagram, Mrs Teller shared a picture of the fires and a heart-break emoji. She urged people to leave bowls of water for animals as they evacuate their homes.

Meanwhile, Actor Steve Guttenberg, known for Police Academy, stayed to help firefighters by moving cars in order to make room for incoming fire trucks.

He urged residents to leave the keys to their abandoned cars so they could be moved out the way of firefighters.

"We really need people to move their cars," he told news outlet KTLA: "This is not a parking lot."

It is not just famous residents affected by the wildfire - notable buildings in the area are under threat as well.

The Palisades Charter High School - which has served as a set for movies and counts several notable people as former students - has been damaged by fire, local media reports.

The fire-stricken school has been used in films including 1976 horror classic Carrie and Project X, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Former students include director JJ Abrams, musician Will.i.am, and actors Forest Whitaker and Katey Sagal.

The Getty Villa is an art museum in the Palisades that has a large collection of artworks and artefacts, including works by Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet.

The museum confirmed on Tuesday that it had closed to the public and that some trees and vegetation on site had burned - but said that "no structures are on fire, and staff and the collection remain safe".

Star studded events due to take place in the area have also been cancelled.

Film premiers for Unstoppable, Better Man and Wolfman have been called off, as has the Screen Actors Guild Awards live nominations event.

This week saw Hollywood's awards season kick off in style with the Golden Globes and rumours of a celebrity engagement.

But how much attention did you pay to what else had been going on in the world over the past seven days?

Quiz compiled by Ben Fell.

Fancy some more? Try last week's quiz, have a go at something from the archives, or take on the 2024 Quiz of the Year.

Part one: January to March

Part two: April to June

Part three: July to September

Part four: October to December

Energy prices are at risk of rising after British Gas owner-Centrica warned about "concerningly low" storage levels due to the colder weather.

Centrica, which owns the country's largest gas storage facility, said the UK "has less than a week of gas demand in store".

There is no danger of the country running out of gas but it means the UK will need to buy more supplies from Continental Europe, the BBC understands.

Wholesale gas prices were lower in the UK on Friday.

Police are searching for two sisters in Aberdeen who were last seen three days ago.

Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32 and who live in Aberdeen city centre, were last seen in Market Street at Victoria Bridge at about 02:12 GMT on Tuesday.

They then crossed the bridge and turned into a footpath next to the River Dee in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club.

Police Scotland said they are carrying "extensive enquires" and searches to find the sisters, including the use of police dogs and the marine unit.

Both Eliza and Henrietta are described as being white, slim build with long, brown hair.

Police said the side of Victoria Bridge in the Torry area, where they were last seen, contained many commercial and industrial units and searches are ongoing there.

It added it was urging businesses in and around the South Esplanade and Menzies Road area to review CCTV footage recorded in the early hours of Tuesday and dashcam footage.

Ch Insp Darren Bruce said: "We are continuing to speak to people who know Eliza and Henrietta and we urge anyone who has seen them or who has any information regarding their whereabouts to please contact 101 quoting incident number 0735 of Tuesday, 7 January, 2025."

Commuters are being warned of icy roads and travel disruption, as temperatures plummeted again overnight across the UK.

Fresh weather warnings have been issued, with snow, ice and fog forecast across southern England, Wales, Northern Ireland and northern Scotland on Thursday.

It will be mainly dry elsewhere with winter sunshine, but temperatures could fall again to as low as -16C on Thursday night.

The cold snap has already brought heavy snowfall to some areas, and dozens of flood alerts and warnings are in place due to either heavy rain or melting snow.

On Wednesday the lowest temperature recorded was -8.4C (16F) in Shap, Cumbria, according to the Met Office.

It comes as an amber cold health alert remains in place for all of England until Sunday, meaning the forecast weather is expected to have significant impacts across health - including a rise in deaths.

The Met Office says travel disruption to road and rail services is likely on Thursday in areas covered by warnings, as well potential for accidents in icy places.

There are five warnings in place:

• A yellow warning for snow and ice is in place for northern Scotland until midnight on Thursday
• A yellow warning for ice has been issued until 10:30 across southern England and south-east Wales
• Two yellow warnings for snow and ice are in force until 11:00 GMT - one across western Wales and north-west England, and south-west England; and another for Northern Ireland
• A yellow warning for fog until 09:00 in Northern Ireland

On Wednesday snow caused some roads to close and motorists to be stationary for "long periods of time" in Devon and Cornwall, according to authorities there.

Gritters working into Thursday morning have been fitted with ploughs to clear routes in the area.

Car insurer RAC said it has seen the highest levels of demand for rescues in a three-day period since December 2022.

"Cold conditions will last until at least the weekend, so we urge drivers to remain vigilant of the risks posed by ice and, in some locations, snow," said RAC breakdown spokeswoman Alice Simpson.

National Rail have also advised passengers to check before they travel, as ice and snow can mean speed restrictions and line closures.

On Wednesday evening, poor weather was affecting Northern and Great Western Railway.

Buses are also replacing trains between Llandudno Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog until Monday.

• Get the forecast in your area on BBC Weather

The wintry conditions have caused significant disruption across the UK since snow swept many parts of the country at the weekend.

Hundreds of schools were closed in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, including schools in Yorkshire, Merseyside, the Midlands and Aberdeenshire.

The country has also been hit by widespread flooding in recent days. Currently there are 68 flood warnings - meaning flooding is expected - in England and three in Wales.

The weather is expected to be less cold over the weekend.

Mel Gibson has revealed his home has been destroyed in the Los Angeles wildfires while he was away recording Joe Rogan's podcast.

The Oscar-winning film star said his Malibu property was "completely toasted" and criticised California Governor Gavin Newsom over the crisis.

At least 10 people have died in the wildfires, which have burned down thousands of buildings and prompted the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents.

A host of celebrities have told how they have lost their properties, while officials have warned more high winds could further fan the flames of the wildfires.

Gibson said he felt "ill at ease" during his visit to Austin, Texas, to appear as a guest on The Joe Rogan Experience, because he knew his neighbourhood was "on fire".

"It's kind of devastating, it's emotional," Gibson said on NewsNation's Elizabeth Vargas Reports.

"I've been relieved from the burden of my stuff because it's all in cinders."

The Braveheart star said he had lived at his property for about 15 years and the homes of some of his neighbours had also "gone", including one belonging to actor Ed Harris.

Gibson said his family had followed an evacuation order and they were safe.

In the podcast with Rogan, Gibson criticised the California governor, saying Newsom claimed he was "going to take care of the forests" but "didn't do anything".

"I think all our tax dollars probably went for Gavin's hair gel," the actor said.

• Follow live updates on the LA wildfires
• What's the latest on the fires and what caused them?
• In maps: Thousands of acres on fire in LA
• Celebrities who have lost homes in wildfires

Los Angeles is facing the worst wildfires in its history, which have consumed 31,000 acres (12,500 hectares) of land and led to the evacuation of 180,000 people.

Five wildfires are still burning across the LA areas of Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth, Hurst and Lidia.

California fire chief David Acuna told Radio 4's Today programme that 10,000 structures are likely to have been destroyed. He also warned that winds over the coming days could lead to further destruction in the area.

Republican President-elect Donald Trump has called for Newsom, a Democrat, to resign over his handling of the crisis, saying "one of the best and most beautiful" parts of the US is "burning down to the ground".

Newsom has defended the response and said state authorities were "throwing everything at our disposal" to protect communities.

The governor's spokeswoman accused Trump of politicising the disaster and said Newsom was focused on protecting people and making sure firefighters have the resources they need.

US President Joe Biden said he had pledged extra federal resources to help California after "the most widespread, devastating fire" in the state's history.

Celebrities who have lost homes

Paris Hilton and Billy Crystal are among the celebrities whose homes have been destroyed in the wildfires.

Hilton, the hotel heiress and reality TV star, shared a video of the remains of her property on social media and said "the heartbreak is truly indescribable".

Actor Crystal said in a statement that he and his wife Janice were "heartbroken" by the loss of their Pacific Palisades home where they had lived since 1979.

TV host Ricki Lake said she had lost her "dream home", adding: "I grieve along with all of those suffering during this apocalyptic event."

The US Office star Rainn Wilson shared a video of his burnt-out home and said there was a "valuable lesson" to learn from the wildfires.

Actors Sir Anthony Hopkins, John Goodman, Anna Faris and Cary Elwes also reportedly lost their homes.

Meanwhile, actor Steve Guttenberg, a Pacific Palisades resident, helped to move parked cars to make way for fire engines.

"This is not a parking lot," he told KTLA. "I have friends up there and they can't evacuate."

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who live in California, are understood to have invited into their home friends and loved ones who had been forced to evacuate.

In a statement on their website, Harry and Meghan said: "If a friend, loved one, or pet has to evacuate, and you are able to offer them a safe haven in your home, please do."

The accused mastermind of the 9/11 terror attacks on the US will no longer plead guilty on Friday, after the US government moved to block plea deals reached last year from going ahead.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, often referred to as KSM, was due to deliver his pleas at a war court on the Guantanamo Bay naval base in south-eastern Cuba, where he has been held in a military prison for almost two decades.

Mohammed is Guantanamo's most notorious detainee and one of the last held at the base.

But a federal appeals court on Thursday evening halted the scheduled proceedings to consider requests from the government to abandon the plea deals for Mohammed and two co-defendants, which it said would cause "irreparable" harm to both it and the public.

A three-judge panel said the delay "should not be construed in any way as a ruling on the merits", but was aimed at giving the court time to receive a full briefing and hear arguments "on an expedited basis".

The delay means that the matter will now fall into the incoming Trump administration.

What was scheduled to happen this week?

At a hearing beginning on Friday morning, Mohammed was scheduled to plead guilty to his role in the 11 September 2001 attacks, when hijackers seized passenger planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon outside of Washington. Another plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after passengers fought back.

Mohammed has been charged with offences including conspiracy and murder, with 2,976 victims listed on the charge sheet.

He has previously said that he planned the "9/11 operation from A-to-Z" - conceiving the idea of training pilots to fly commercial planes into buildings and taking those plans to Osama bin Laden, leader of the militant Islamist group al-Qaeda, in the mid 1990s.

Friday's hearing was set to happen in a courtroom on the base, where family members of those killed and the press would have been seated in a viewing gallery behind thick glass.

• What happened on 9/11 and who is Khalid Sheikh Mohammed?

Why is this all happening 23 years after 9/11?

Pre-trial hearings, held at a military court on the naval base, have been going on for more than a decade, complicated by questions over whether torture Mohammed and other defendants faced while in US custody taints the evidence.

Following his arrest in Pakistan in 2003, Mohammed spent three years at secret CIA prisons known as "black sites" where he was subjected to simulated drowning, or "waterboarding", 183 times, among other so-called "advanced interrogation techniques" that included sleep deprivation and forced nudity.

Karen Greenberg, author of The Least Worst Place: How Guantanamo Became the World's Most Notorious Prison, says the use of torture has made it "virtually impossible to bring these cases to trial in a way that honors the rule of law and American jurisprudence".

"It's apparently impossible to present evidence in these cases without the use of evidence derived from torture. Moreover, the fact that these individuals were tortured adds another level of complexity to the prosecutions," she says.

The case also falls under the military commissions, which operate under different rules than the traditional US criminal justice system and slow the process down.

The plea deal was struck last summer, following some two years of negotiations.

What does the plea deal include?

The full details of the deals reached with Mohammed and two of his co-defendants have not been released.

We do know that a deal means he would not face a death penalty trial.

In a court hearing on Wednesday, his legal team confirmed that he had agreed to plead guilty to all charges. Mohammed did not address the court personally, but engaged with his team as they went over the agreement, making small corrections and changes to wording with the prosecution and the judge.

If the deals are upheld and the pleas are accepted by the court, the next steps would be appointing a military jury, known as a panel, to hear evidence at a sentencing hearing.

In court on Wednesday, this was described by lawyers as a form of public trial, where survivors and family members of those killed would be given the opportunity to give statements.

Under the agreement, the families would also be able to pose questions to Mohammed, who would be required to "answer their questions fully and truthfully", lawyers say.

Central to the prosecution agreeing to the deals was a guarantee "that we could present all of the evidence that we thought was necessary to establish a historical record of the accused's involvement in what happened on September 11th," prosecutor, Clayton G. Trivett Jr., said in court on Wednesday.

Even if the pleas go ahead, it would be many months before these proceedings would begin and a sentence ultimately delivered.

Why is the US government trying to block the pleas?

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin appointed the senior official who signed the deal. But he was travelling at the time it was signed and was reportedly caught by surprise, according to the New York Times.

Days later, he attempted to revoke it, saying in a memo: "Responsibility for such a decision should rest with me as the superior authority."

However, both a military judge and a military appeals panel ruled that the deal was valid, and that Mr Austin had acted too late.

In another bid to block the deal, the government this week asked a federal appeals court to intervene.

In a legal filing, it said Mohammed and the two other men were charged with "perpetrating the most egregious criminal act on American soil in modern history" and that enforcing the agreements would "deprive the government and the American people of a public trial as to the respondents' guilt and the possibility of capital punishment, despite the fact that the Secretary of Defense has lawfully withdrawn those agreements".

Following the announcement of the deal last summer, Republican Senator Mitch McConnell, then the party's leader in the chamber, released a statement describing it as "a revolting abdication of the government's responsibility to defend America and provide justice".

What have the victims' families said?

Some families of those killed in the attacks have also criticised the deal, saying it is too lenient or lacks transparency.

Speaking to the BBC's Today Programme last summer, Terry Strada, whose husband Tom was killed in the attacks, described the deal as "giving the detainees in Guantanamo Bay what they want".

Ms Strada, the national chair of the campaign group 9/11 Families United, said: "This is a victory for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the other two, it's a victory for them."

Other families see the agreements as a path towards convictions in the complex and long-running proceedings and were disappointed by the government's latest intervention.

Stephan Gerhardt, whose younger brother Ralph was killed in the attacks, had flown to Guantanamo Bay to watch Mohammed plead guilty.

"What is the end goal for the Biden administration? So they get the stay and this drags into the next administration. To what end? Think about the families. Why are you prolonging this saga?" he said.

Mr Gerhardt told the BBC the deals were "not a victory" for the families, but that it was "time to find a way to close this, to convict these men".

Families on the base were meeting with the press when news of the delay was made public.

"It was supposed to be a time of healing. We'll board that plane still with that deep sense of pain – there's just no end to it," one said.

Why are the proceedings happening in Guantanamo?

Mohammed has been held in a military prison in Guantanamo Bay since 2006.

The prison was opened 23 years ago - on 11 January 2002 - during the "war on terror" that followed the 9/11 attacks, as a place to hold terror suspects and "illegal enemy combatants".

Most of those held here were never charged and the military prison has faced criticism from rights groups and the United Nations over its treatment of detainees. The majority have now been repatriated or resettled in other countries.

The prison currently holds 15 - the smallest number at any point in its history. All but six of them have been charged with or convicted of war crimes.

Energy prices are at risk of rising after British Gas owner-Centrica warned about "concerningly low" storage levels due to the colder weather.

Centrica, which owns the country's largest gas storage facility, said the UK "has less than a week of gas demand in store".

There is no danger of the country running out of gas but it means the UK will need to buy more supplies from Continental Europe, the BBC understands.

Wholesale gas prices were lower in the UK on Friday.

Commuters are being warned of icy roads and travel disruption, as temperatures plummeted again overnight across the UK.

Fresh weather warnings have been issued, with snow, ice and fog forecast across southern England, Wales, Northern Ireland and northern Scotland on Thursday.

It will be mainly dry elsewhere with winter sunshine, but temperatures could fall again to as low as -16C on Thursday night.

The cold snap has already brought heavy snowfall to some areas, and dozens of flood alerts and warnings are in place due to either heavy rain or melting snow.

On Wednesday the lowest temperature recorded was -8.4C (16F) in Shap, Cumbria, according to the Met Office.

It comes as an amber cold health alert remains in place for all of England until Sunday, meaning the forecast weather is expected to have significant impacts across health - including a rise in deaths.

The Met Office says travel disruption to road and rail services is likely on Thursday in areas covered by warnings, as well potential for accidents in icy places.

There are five warnings in place:

• A yellow warning for snow and ice is in place for northern Scotland until midnight on Thursday
• A yellow warning for ice has been issued until 10:30 across southern England and south-east Wales
• Two yellow warnings for snow and ice are in force until 11:00 GMT - one across western Wales and north-west England, and south-west England; and another for Northern Ireland
• A yellow warning for fog until 09:00 in Northern Ireland

On Wednesday snow caused some roads to close and motorists to be stationary for "long periods of time" in Devon and Cornwall, according to authorities there.

Gritters working into Thursday morning have been fitted with ploughs to clear routes in the area.

Car insurer RAC said it has seen the highest levels of demand for rescues in a three-day period since December 2022.

"Cold conditions will last until at least the weekend, so we urge drivers to remain vigilant of the risks posed by ice and, in some locations, snow," said RAC breakdown spokeswoman Alice Simpson.

National Rail have also advised passengers to check before they travel, as ice and snow can mean speed restrictions and line closures.

On Wednesday evening, poor weather was affecting Northern and Great Western Railway.

Buses are also replacing trains between Llandudno Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog until Monday.

• Get the forecast in your area on BBC Weather

The wintry conditions have caused significant disruption across the UK since snow swept many parts of the country at the weekend.

Hundreds of schools were closed in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, including schools in Yorkshire, Merseyside, the Midlands and Aberdeenshire.

The country has also been hit by widespread flooding in recent days. Currently there are 68 flood warnings - meaning flooding is expected - in England and three in Wales.

The weather is expected to be less cold over the weekend.

Police are searching for two sisters in Aberdeen who were last seen three days ago.

Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32 and who live in Aberdeen city centre, were last seen in Market Street at Victoria Bridge at about 02:12 GMT on Tuesday.

They then crossed the bridge and turned into a footpath next to the River Dee in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club.

Police Scotland said they are carrying "extensive enquires" and searches to find the sisters, including the use of police dogs and the marine unit.

Both Eliza and Henrietta are described as being white, slim build with long, brown hair.

Police said the side of Victoria Bridge in the Torry area, where they were last seen, contained many commercial and industrial units and searches are ongoing there.

It added it was urging businesses in and around the South Esplanade and Menzies Road area to review CCTV footage recorded in the early hours of Tuesday and dashcam footage.

Ch Insp Darren Bruce said: "We are continuing to speak to people who know Eliza and Henrietta and we urge anyone who has seen them or who has any information regarding their whereabouts to please contact 101 quoting incident number 0735 of Tuesday, 7 January, 2025."

Out-of-control wildfires are ripping across parts of Los Angeles, leading to at least five deaths, burning down hundreds of buildings, and prompting more than 130,000 people to flee their homes in America's second-largest city.

Despite the efforts of firefighters, the biggest blazes remain totally uncontained - with weather conditions and the underlying impact of climate change expected to continue fanning the flames for days to come.

What's the latest?

More than 137,000 people have been forced to leave their homes - many of them simply carrying whatever belongings they can.

Police say at least five people have died, and their bodies found near the Eaton Fire - but their cause of death is not yet known.

Like the even larger Palisades Fire, the Eaton Fire remains totally uncontained. Meanwhile, the new Sunset Fire is menacing the well-known Hollywood Hills area.

More than 1,000 structures are known to have been destroyed - including houses, schools and businesses on the iconic Sunset Boulevard. A fire ecologist has told the BBC that "entire neighbourhoods... have been wiped out".

Among the celebrities who have lost their homes are Leighton Meester and Adam Brody, who attended the Golden Globes just days ago, and Paris Hilton.

There is a glimmer of hope for firefighters, as the fire weather outlook for southern California has been downgraded from "extremely critical" to "critical".

But BBC weather forecaster Sarah Keith-Lucas says there is no rain forecast in the area for at least the next week, meaning conditions remain ripe for fire.

Mass disruption has been reported due to traffic buildup. A number of schools and the the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have been forced to close.

A political row about the city's preparedness has erupted after it emerged that some firefighters' hoses have run dry - an issue seized upon by US President-elect Donald Trump.

• Follow live updates
• 'Where do I go?' Chaos as people flee flames
• In pictures: Dramatic scenes from west LA
• The celebrities who have lost their homes

Where are the fires?

There are at least five fires raging in the wider area, according to California fire officials early on Thursday:

• Palisades: The first fire to erupt on Tuesday and the biggest fire in the region, which could become the most destructive fire in state history. It has scorched a sizable part of land, covering more than 17,200 acres, including the upscale Pacific Palisades neighbourhood
• Eaton: It has struck the northern part of Los Angeles, blazing through cities such as Altadena. It's the second biggest fire in the area, burning around 10,600 acres
• Hurst: Located just north of San Fernando, it began burning on Tuesday night and has grown to 855 acres, though firefighters have had some successlimited in containing it
• Lidia: It broke out on Wednesday afternoon in the mountainous Acton area north of Los Angeles and grew to cover almost 350 acres. Authorities say it has been 40% contained
• Sunset: It broke out Wednesday evening in Hollywood Hills, growing to about 20 acres in less than an hour. It now covers around 43 acres

The earlier Woodley and Olivas fires have now been contained, according to local fire authorities.

• In maps: Thousands of acres on fire
• Watch: Fires reach Hollywood, with fears for iconic sign

How did the LA fires start?

Officials have pointed to high winds and drought in the area, which has made vegetation very dry and easy to burn.

The likely impact of climate change has also been cited been blamed - although the exact circumstances remain unclear.

Some 95% of wildfires in the area are started by humans, according to David Acuna, a battalion chief at the Californian Fire Service, although officials are yet to state how they think the current fires started.

An important factor that has been cited in the spread of the blazes is the Santa Ana winds, which blow from inland towards the coast. With speeds of more than 60mph (97 km/h), these are believed to have fanned the flames.

• What are the Santa Ana winds?

What role has climate change played?

Although strong winds and lack of rain are driving the blazes, experts say climate change is altering the background conditions and increasing the likelihood of such fires.

US government research is unequivocal in linking climate change to larger and more severe wildfires in the western United States.

"Climate change, including increased heat, extended drought, and a thirsty atmosphere, has been a key driver in increasing the risk and extent of wildfires in the western United States," the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says.

And following a very warm summer and lack of rain in recent months, California is particularly vulnerable.

Fire season in southern California is generally thought to stretch from May to October - but the state's governor, Gavin Newsom, has pointed out earlier that blazes had become a perennial issue. "There's no fire season," he said. "It's fire year."

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Acuna said the Palisades Fire represented only the third occasion in the past 30 years that a major fire had broken out in January.

• How climate change is stoking the fires
• A simple guide to climate change

Copenhagen's gloomy January weather matches the mood among Denmark's politicians and business leaders.

"We take this situation very, very seriously," said Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen of Donald Trump's threats to acquire Greenland – and punish Denmark with high tariffs if it stands in the way.

But, he added, the government had "no ambition whatsoever to escalate some war of words."

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen downplayed Trump's own suggestion that the US might use military force to seize Greenland. "I don't have the fantasy to imagine that it'll ever get to that," she told Danish TV.

And Lars Sandahl Sorensen, CEO of Danish Industry, also said there was "every reason to stay calm... no-one has any interest in a trade war."

But behind the scenes, hastily organised high-level meetings have been taking place in Copenhagen all week, a reflection of the shock caused by Trump's remarks.

Greenland PM Mute Egede flew in to meet both the prime minister and King Frederik X on Wednesday.

And on Thursday night, party leaders from across the political spectrum gathered for an extraordinary meeting on the crisis with Mette Frederiksen in Denmark's parliament.

Faced with what many in Denmark are calling Trump's "provocation," Frederiksen has broadly attempted to strike a conciliatory tone, repeatedly referring to the US as "Denmark's closest partner".

It was "only natural" that the US was preoccupied by the Arctic and Greenland, she added.

Yet she also said that any decision on Greenland's future should be up to its people alone: "Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders... and it's the Greenlanders themselves who have to define their future."

Her cautious approach is twofold.

On the one hand, Frederiksen is keen to avoid escalating the situation. She's been burned before, in 2019, when Trump cancelled a trip to Denmark after she said his proposal to buy Greenland was "absurd".

"Back then he only had one more year in office, then things went back to normal," veteran political journalist Erik Holstein told the BBC . "But maybe this is the new normal."

But Frederiksen's comments also speak to the Danish resolve not to meddle in the internal affairs of Greenland – an autonomous territory with its own parliament and whose population is increasingly leaning towards independence.

"She should've been much clearer in rejecting the idea," said opposition MP Rasmus Jarlov.

"This level of disrespect from the coming US president towards very, very loyal allies and friends is record-setting," he told the BBC, although he admitted Trump's forcefulness had "surprised everybody."

The conservative MP believed Frederiksen's insistence that "only Greenland... can decide and define Greenland's future" placed too much pressure on the island's inhabitants. "It would've been prudent and clever to stand behind Greenland and just clearly state that Denmark doesn't want [a US takeover]."

The Greenland question is a delicate one for Denmark, whose prime minister officially apologised only recently for spearheading a 1950s social experiment which saw Inuit children removed from their families to be re-educated as "model Danes".

Last week, Greenland's leader said the territory should free itself from "the shackles of colonialism."

By doing so he tapped into growing nationalist sentiment, fuelled by interest among Greenland's younger generations in the indigenous culture and history of the Inuit.

Most commentators now expect a successful independence referendum in the near future. While for many it would be seen as a victory, it could also usher in a new set of problems, as 60% of Greenland's economy is dependent on Denmark.

An independent Greenland "would need to make choices," said Karsten Honge. The Social Democrat MP now fears his preferred option of a new Commonwealth-style pact "based on equality and democracy" is unlikely to come about.

Sitting in his parliamentary office decorated with poems and drawings depicting scenes of Inuit life, Honge said Greenland would need to decide "how much it values independence". It could sever ties with Denmark and turn to the US, Honge said, "but if you treasure independence then that doesn't make sense."

Opposition MP Jarlov argues that while there is no point in forcing Greenland to be part of Denmark, "it is very close to being an independent country already".

Its capital Nuuk is self-governed, but relies on Copenhagen for management of currency, foreign relations and defence - as well as substantial subsidies.

"Greenland today has more independence than Denmark has from the EU," Jarlov added. "So I hope they think things through."

As Mette Frederiksen has the awkward task of responding firmly while not offending Greenland or the US, the staunchest rebuttal to Trump's comments so far has come from outside Denmark.

The principle of the inviolability of borders "applies to every country... no matter whether it's a very small one or a very powerful one," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned, while French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the EU would not let other nations "attack its sovereign borders".

Their comments gave away the deep concern within the EU about how to handle the upcoming Trump presidency. "This is not just very serious for Greenland and Denmark – it is serious to the whole world and to Europe as a whole," MP Karsten Honge said.

"Imagine a world – which we may be facing in just a few weeks – where international agreements don't exist. That would shake everything up, and Denmark would just be a small part of it."

The Danish trade sector has similarly been engulfed by deep nervousness after Trump said he would "tariff Denmark at a very high level" if it refused to give up Greenland to the US.

A 2024 Danish Industry study showed that Denmark's GDP would fall by three points if the US imposed 10% tariffs on imports from the EU to the US as part of a global trade war.

Singling out Danish products from the influx of EU goods would be near-impossible for the US, and would almost certainly result in retaliatory measures from the EU. But trade industry professionals are taking few chances, and in Denmark as elsewhere on the continent huge amounts of resources are being spent internally to plan for potential outcomes of Donald Trump's second term in the White House.

As his inauguration approaches, Danes are preparing as they can to weather the storm. There is guarded hope that the president-elect could soon shift his focus to grievances towards other EU partners, and that the Greenland question could be temporarily shelved.

But the disquiet brought on by Trump's refusal to rule out military intervention to seize Greenland remains.

Karsten Honge said Denmark would have suffer whatever decision the US takes.

"They just need to send a small battleship to travel down the Greenland coast and send a polite letter to Denmark," he said, only partly in jest.

"The last sentence would be: well, Denmark, what you gonna do about it?

"That's the new reality with regards to Trump."

Commuters are being warned of icy roads and travel disruption, as temperatures plummeted again overnight across the UK.

Fresh weather warnings have been issued, with snow, ice and fog forecast across southern England, Wales, Northern Ireland and northern Scotland on Thursday.

It will be mainly dry elsewhere with winter sunshine, but temperatures could fall again to as low as -16C on Thursday night.

The cold snap has already brought heavy snowfall to some areas, and dozens of flood alerts and warnings are in place due to either heavy rain or melting snow.

On Wednesday the lowest temperature recorded was -8.4C (16F) in Shap, Cumbria, according to the Met Office.

It comes as an amber cold health alert remains in place for all of England until Sunday, meaning the forecast weather is expected to have significant impacts across health - including a rise in deaths.

The Met Office says travel disruption to road and rail services is likely on Thursday in areas covered by warnings, as well potential for accidents in icy places.

There are five warnings in place:

• A yellow warning for snow and ice is in place for northern Scotland until midnight on Thursday
• A yellow warning for ice has been issued until 10:30 across southern England and south-east Wales
• Two yellow warnings for snow and ice are in force until 11:00 GMT - one across western Wales and north-west England, and south-west England; and another for Northern Ireland
• A yellow warning for fog until 09:00 in Northern Ireland

On Wednesday snow caused some roads to close and motorists to be stationary for "long periods of time" in Devon and Cornwall, according to authorities there.

Gritters working into Thursday morning have been fitted with ploughs to clear routes in the area.

Car insurer RAC said it has seen the highest levels of demand for rescues in a three-day period since December 2022.

"Cold conditions will last until at least the weekend, so we urge drivers to remain vigilant of the risks posed by ice and, in some locations, snow," said RAC breakdown spokeswoman Alice Simpson.

National Rail have also advised passengers to check before they travel, as ice and snow can mean speed restrictions and line closures.

On Wednesday evening, poor weather was affecting Northern and Great Western Railway.

Buses are also replacing trains between Llandudno Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog until Monday.

• Get the forecast in your area on BBC Weather

The wintry conditions have caused significant disruption across the UK since snow swept many parts of the country at the weekend.

Hundreds of schools were closed in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, including schools in Yorkshire, Merseyside, the Midlands and Aberdeenshire.

The country has also been hit by widespread flooding in recent days. Currently there are 68 flood warnings - meaning flooding is expected - in England and three in Wales.

The weather is expected to be less cold over the weekend.

The Chancellor Rachel Reeves is travelling to China in a bid to boost trade and economic ties, as she faces pressure over government borrowing costs hitting their highest level in years.

The three day-visit has been criticised by some Conservatives who claim she should have cancelled the trip to prioritise dealing with economic issues at home.

Government borrowing costs have hit their highest levels for several years, meaning that uses up more tax revenue, leaving less money to spend on other things.

Economists have warned this could mean spending cuts affecting public services or tax rises that could hit people's pay or businesses' ability to grow.

On Thursday, the pound fell to its lowest level in more than a year - but the Treasury said markets continued to "function in an orderly way".

Travelling to China with the chancellor are senior financial figures, including the governor of the Bank of England and the chair of HSBC.

There she will meet China's Vice Premier He Lifeng in Beijing before flying to Shanghai for discussion with UK firms operating in China.

The government is looking to revive an annual economic dialogue with China that has not been held since the pandemic.

Ties have been strained in recent years by growing concerns about the actions of China's Communist leaders, allegations of Chinese hacking and spying and its jailing of pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong.

The Conservatives have criticised the chancellor for proceeding with the planned trip rather than staying in the UK to address the cost of government borrowing and slide in the value of the pound.

Shadow chancellor Mel Stride accused Reeves of being "missing in action" and said she should have stayed in the UK.

But Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones, standing in for Reeves in the Commons on Thursday, said the trip was "important" for UK trade and there was "no need for an emergency intervention".

Former chancellor Philip Hammond also told the World at One programme on Thursday that he "wouldn't personally recommend the chancellor cancels her trip to China. This can wait until she gets back next week".

Governments generally spend more than they raise in tax so they borrow money to fill the gap, usually by selling bonds to investors.

Interest rates - known as the yield - on government bonds have been going up since around August, a rise that has also affected government bonds in the US and other countries.

The yield on a 10-year bond has surged to its highest level since 2008, while the yield on a 30-year bond is at its highest since 1998, meaning it costs the government more to borrow over the long term.

Reeves has previously committed only to make significant tax and spend announcements once a year at the autumn Budget.

But if higher borrowing costs persist, there is the possibility of cuts to spending before that or at least lower spending increases than would otherwise happen.

Any further spending cuts could be announced in the chancellor's planned fiscal statement on 26 March , ahead of a spending review that has already asked government departments to find efficiency savings worth 5% of their budgets.

Police say two more lynx have been spotted in the same area where a pair of the wild cats were captured on Thursday.

They were seen near Kingussie in the Cairngorms National Park.

Police Scotland have warned members of the public not to approach the animals and said officers are working with specially-trained personnel to capture them.

The force said inquiries suggested that the sighting was connected with the release of the two lynx which were captured on Thursday.

A spokesperson said: "Members of the public are asked not to approach the animals and officers are working with specially trained personnel to capture them."

The latest lynx were spotted at about 07:10 on Friday.

The two animals captured earlier this week have been taken into the care of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS).

It has condemned the illegal release of the animals as "highly irresponsible".

Experts from the charity worked with police to humanely trap the cats overnight.

They are now being cared for in quarantine facilities at Highland Wildlife Park before they are transferred to Edinburgh Zoo.

UK officials are monitoring social media posts by Elon Musk and others as a possible security risk.

The monitoring is being carried out by a team in the Home Office's Homeland Security group, which is responsible for reducing national security risks and, according to a government website, "focuses on the highest harm risks to the homeland".

They are looking at the reach of posts and who is engaging with them.

The Home Office declined to comment.

But a source told the BBC said it was being done to make sure they were on top of whatever challenges were being posed by "non-state actors".

The monitoring of Musk's social media output, first revealed by the Daily Mirror, is understood to have begun after he made comments about Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips.

The US tech billionaire, who renamed Twitter X when he bought the company, called Phillips a "rape genocide apologist" and said she should be jailed.

The Labour minister, who ran a domestic abuse refuge before becoming an MP and has long campaigned to tackle violence against women, told the BBC threats to her had increased as a result of the post.

The BBC has confirmed that officials in the Home Office are monitoring the social media posts of Musk, who is an adviser to US President-elect Donald Trump, along with other accounts that also have large numbers of followers.

Over the past week, Musk has been attacking the UK government over rejecting a fresh inquiry into grooming gangs, with the PM insisting victims need "action" not more inquiries.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, which lasted seven years and made 20 recommendations, reported in 2022 under the Conservative government but none of the recommendations have yet been implemented.

On Monday, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper set out action she would be taking on three recommendations.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has criticised what he described "lies and misinformation" around historic child sex abuse investigations.

He has also robustly defended his record as Director of Public Prosecutions on his work to tackle child abuse and sexual exploitation, which included bringing the first prosecution of an "Asian grooming gang" in Rochdale and prosecuting the highest number of child sexual abuse cases on record.

Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe, who has been praised by Musk, has asked the Home Office for the cost of the reported probe to taxpayers by the counter-extremism unit.

He said: "I have asked the Home Office how many of Musk's posts have been investigated, for what reason, by how many officers and at what cost to the taxpayer.

"They will spy on Musk's online activity, but no inquiry into thousands of foreign rapists. Pathetic."