The Israeli military has issued evacuation orders for a crowded part of central Gaza where it has not launched a ground offensive during its 21 months of war against Hamas.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Sunday that residents and displaced Palestinians sheltering in the city of Deir al-Balah should evacuate immediately and move towards al-Mawasi on the Mediterranean coast.

The evacuation demand, which could signal an imminent attack, has caused widespread panic among tens of thousands of Palestinians, as well as the families of Israeli hostages who fear their relatives are being held in the city.

The IDF has conducted airstrikes in the area, but it has not yet deployed ground troops.

On Sunday, the Israeli military dropped leaflets from the sky ordering people in several districts in southwest Deir al-Balah to leave their homes and head further south.

"The (Israeli) Defense Forces continues to operate with great force to destroy the enemy's capabilities and terrorist infrastructure in the area," the military said, adding that it had not yet entered these districts during the war.

The affected neighbourhoods of Deir al-Balah are crowded with displaced people living in tents.

Israeli sources told Reuters news agency that the reason the army has stayed out of these districts so far is because they suspect Hamas might be holding hostages there.

At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages in captivity in Gaza are believed to still be alive.

Most of the Strip's population of more than two million people have been displaced at least once during Israel's war with Hamas, with repeated Israeli evacuation calls covering large parts of the territory.

The new evacuation orders came as health officials at Gaza City's Shifa Hospital said more than 40 people were killed and dozens injured by Israeli fire as crowds gathered to await the entry of UN aid lorries on Sunday morning.

Hospitals in the south said more people were also killed at aid points there.

The BBC has contacted the Israeli military to ask for a response.

The UN says civilians are starving in Gaza and has called for an urgent influx of essential goods.

But there have been almost daily reports of Palestinians being killed while seeking aid since the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began operations in late May. Witnesses say most have been shot by Israeli forces. Israel says the new distribution system stops aid going to Hamas.

Israel launched its war in Gaza in retaliation for the Hamas-led attacks on 7 October 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and led to 251 others being taken hostage.

Israeli attacks have since killed more than 58,895 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The ministry's figures are quoted by the UN and others as the most reliable source of statistics available on casualties.

Nigel Farage has accused some council officials of obstructing the work of Reform UK councillors, as he defended the way the party is running local authorities.

Reform gained control of 10 councils in May's local elections in England.

But the party's leader told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme that in some areas Reform councillor were being "hamstrung" by existing bureaucracies.

Reform has pledged to cut wasteful spending and improve the efficiency of the councils it runs but some of its spending decisions have faced criticism, while opponents say there has been little concrete action to reduce costs.

In Warwickshire, opposition parties have criticised Reform UK for planning to hire political assistants at a cost of up to £190,000 a year, saying the money should be spent on front-line services instead.

The council's interim leader, George Finch, said the move was necessary because council staff have been unable to come up with "imaginative ideas" to resolve key issues.

The 19-year-old was put in charge of the council after Reform's previous council leader resigned, citing health reasons.

Challenged over whether this was a good use of taxpayers' money, Farage told the BBC: "At the moment, we're finding that we're very, very hamstrung.

"We're going into existing administrations, we're facing obstructionism in many places.

"And Warwickshire is a very, very good example."

He added: "It's better to have staff who support the will of the democratically elected councillors than it is to have public sector staff opposing them."

Warwickshire County Council has been approached for comment.

Farage said that in some areas Reform was "working reasonably well with existing administrations" but in others there was "genuine, deliberate obstructionism".

He added that some officials "don't want to show us the books" and where money is being spent.

Reform UK's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) - modelled on the cost-cutting initiative set up by US President Donald Trump and previously led by billionaire Elon Musk - was launched in June.

The unit is made up of about 15 unelected volunteers and is run by Zia Yusuf, who quit as party chairman in June, before returning to Reform to head up Doge days later.

Reform says Kent County Council will be the first to be audited but in other areas, such as Staffordshire, the council says it is still waiting for the unit to start work.

Defending the pace of progress, Farage said: "Bear in mind, we're not the Labour Party. We haven't got hundreds of staff.

"We're a party that's been really active for just over a year. We're growing in size.

"Yes, we have a Doge team who've not been everywhere yet. But you've seen already, us highlighting examples of extravagant expenditure."

Farage was also challenged over spending decisions in Scarborough, where the town council has approved a 600% increase in the Reform mayor's allowance, from £500 to £3,500 a year.

The mayor has defended the move, saying the allowance helps to cover his expenses and allows him to carry out his duties efficiently.

Farage said he had "no idea" about the situation in the Reform-run council, adding: "Is he doing it or she doing it as a full-time job? I've no idea."

"What we could do is just get multi-millionaires to stand as candidates everywhere and indeed our Doge team are doing the work unpaid," he said.

"If people have got resources and they do it for free, that's great. I don't know the Scarborough Council situation."

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The number of times sewage is discharged by water companies will be halved by 2030, the environment secretary has pledged.

Steve Reed's vow marks the first time ministers have set a clear target on the issue, following public outcry over the pollution incidents.

It comes after data published by the Environment Agency on Friday showed serious pollution incidents by water companies in England rose by 60% in 2024 to the highest number on record.

Reed said families had "watched their local rivers, coastlines and lakes suffer from record levels of pollution" - but the Conservatives said Labour had "done nothing to stop water bill rises" despite "big promises" to reform the system.

The pledge forms part of wider government plans to improve the water sector, ahead of a landmark Water Commission review of the industry due to be published on Monday.

The plans announced on Sunday will also include a commitment to work with devolved governments across the UK to ban wet wipes containing plastic, among other measures.

Reed is also expected to confirm aims to cut phosphorus pollution from treated wastewater - which causes algae blooms that are harmful to wildlife - in half by 2028, compared to 2024 levels.

There has been widespread scrutiny of water companies over the increasing number of sewage discharges into UK waterways amid rising bills - all while the firms have paid out millions to executives and shareholders.

The Environment Agency said water companies recorded 2,801 pollution incidents in 2024, up from 2,174 in 2023.

Of those, 75 were considered to pose "serious or persistent" harm to fisheries, drinking water and human health - up from 47 last year.

At the same time, water bosses in England were paid £7.6m in bonuses, according to the government. In June, it barred them from being paid out at six firms that had fallen foul of environmental and consumer standards.

The Water Commission's chair will lay out his recommendations on how to improve the environmental and financial performance of the sector. The government will respond in Parliament.

Several UK media outlets reported on Friday that the report would suggest scrapping the regulator, Ofwat, altogether. A government spokesperson said it would not comment on speculation.

England has a combined sewage system, which means both rainfall and sewage are processed through the same system. Last year, rainfall levels were up, which could have overwhelmed some water company infrastructure.

However, despite variations in rainfall, discharges that result in serious pollution are a breach of their permits and legal obligations.

Many incidents are reported to the Environment Agency by the companies themselves, but of 4,000 inspections carried out last year by the regulator, nearly a quarter of sites were in breach of their permits.

A record £104bn is due to be invested into the water sector over the next five years to improve its infrastructure.

As a result, consumer bills are expected to rise on average by £123 annually - though for Southern Water customers this could be as much as £224.

The Environment Agency has also received £189m to support hundreds of enforcement offices to inspect and prosecute water companies, with the fines retroactively paying for this.

Conservative shadow environment secretary Victoria Atkins said the government "must be transparent about where the £104bn investment is coming from as some will come through customer bill rises".

She said plans "must also include credible proposals to improve the water system's resilience to droughts, without placing an additional burden on bill payers and taxpayers".

A cast member at the Royal Opera House has unfurled a Palestinian flag on stage during the curtain call of Saturday's performance.

Video shows a brief scuffle as an official at the London venue tries unsuccessfully to stop the protest, with the performer refusing to let go of the large flag.

It came on the closing night of Il trovatore, a four-act opera by Giuseppe Verdi.

The Royal Opera House said the protest was "completely inappropriate for a curtain call".

A spokesperson said: "The display of the flag was spontaneous and unauthorised action by the artist.

"It was not approved by the Royal Ballet and Opera and is not in line with our commitment to political impartiality."

One cast member standing at the top of the stage is seen in videos of the incident silently displaying a large Palestinian flag, at one point shaking it gently.

While the audience continues to applaud the performance, a man from the stage wings is seen attempting to wrestle the flag away from the cast member but they resist and hold on to it for the remainder of the curtain call.

Other officials stood in the wings can then be seen shouting messages to the cast member.

One member of the audience posted on X: "Extraordinary scenes at the Royal Opera House tonight.

"During the curtain call for Il trovatore one of the background artists came on stage waving a Palestine flag.

"Just stood there, no bowing or shouting. Someone off stage kept trying to take it off him. Incredible."

The identity of the cast member is unclear, but Il trovatore has now finished its 11-night run at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

The protest comes as the war between Israel and Gaza continues, with a ceasefire yet to be struck.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of double murder after the deaths of an elderly couple in a fire at their home.

Grandparents Eric Greener, 77, and his partner Sheila Jackson, 83, died following the blaze at their home on South John Street, St Helens, on Tuesday, Merseyside Police said.

The force said an accelerant was used to start the fire.

A 31-year-old from St Helens was arrested earlier and has been taken into custody for questioning, it added.

Mr Greener died on Wednesday evening while Ms Jackson succumbed to her injuries on Thursday morning.

Det Supt Rachel Wilson said: "Although an arrest has been made, I would like to take this opportunity to remind people to pass on information directly to police or anonymously via Crimestoppers.​

"Extensive inquiries continue, and to that end we are still appealing for anyone with information to come forward, particularly if you live in the area of South John Street and recall seeing or hearing anything suspicious at around the time of the incident."

She said: "Please do not assume what you know has already been reported to us, as we can quickly make that assessment."

She also urged people not to comment or post on social media anything which could jeopardise the investigation.

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Savers are missing out on financial rewards because the benefits of investing in stocks and shares are being drowned out by risk warnings, the chancellor says.

This week Rachel Reeves said savers would be sent details of investment opportunities if they have money in low-interest accounts.

And she won't completely rule out cutting the annual tax-free allowance of cash Individual Savings Accounts (Isas) to push people into stocks and shares Isas instead.

But what are her chances of making the UK a nation of investors, rather than risk-averse savers?

Experts say women are investing less than men, and have warned the chancellor that some of her ideas could backfire and put off potential new investors.

'Pink websites won't work'

Cash savings accounts are steady and safe. The amount of interest varies between account providers, but it is clear how much the returns will be. They are popular when putting money aside for emergencies, or for holidays, a wedding or a car.

By contrast, the value of investments in stocks and shares can go up and down, but with risk can come reward. Long-term investments can be lucrative, not only for individuals, but for the economy as a whole.

Laura Suter, director of personal finance at investment platform AJ Bell, says Reeves and the finance sector should start by making investing more attractive to women.

Having written reports on the Isa gender gap, she argues that, for too long, advertising about investing has been designed by men.

Lisa Caplan, director at investment company Charles Stanley, agrees. "It's not about making your website pink. It's about using less jargon, competitive language, and masculine imagery," she says.

"When clients who are women feel seen and understood, they will be more willing to trust their money to an adviser or even an investment platform. I think this is beginning to change."

Jema Arnold is an investor, and works for UK shareholders' association ShareSoc. She wants investing to be part of general, honest conversation among friends, not private and hidden.

"I go to a book club. I want investing to be like that," she says.

She is joined in a London cafe by Laura Colucci, who is in her 40s, and Wendy Lanham, who is 71. All three are divorcees, who were forced to think about their relationships with money when their marriages ended.

Mrs Arnold was with an investment banker for 17 years. "In many ways I was a traditional housewife," she says. Her now ex-wife had managed that side of the finances.

"I'd switched off that part of my brain when raising a daughter. That was a mistake. I felt foolish. I had to switch it back on again fairly quickly."

Mrs Colucci was the same. "There were investments in my name," she says. "It was a huge learning curve in one year, when I had to take control."

Mrs Lanham put her money into savings accounts. Only later did she consider moving some into investments.

But that was a path that all three initially found difficult to join.

"People froze up and looked awkward when I talked about investing," says Mrs Arnold.

Male domination

Mrs Lanham says she joined a group which met to talk about investing. The membership was entirely male. "I bought myself a book called Investing for Idiots, went to a conference, and treated it like adult education," she says. "I did not know anything, but hung in there, and the organisation changed."

Now, the trio are members of SIGnet – a network of investor groups that meet in different parts of the UK, or online. It is not-for-profit and covers different areas of interest. It has lots of female members.

But they say the chancellor will have little hope of getting more people to invest without initially improving their understanding, especially if they are trying it for the first time.

"There's no point telling people to go and run a marathon when they've never run before," says Mrs Colucci.

Reeves told financial services and business bosses in her Mansion House speech this week that the "negative" narrative around savers investing money in stocks and shares needed to change.

"For too long, we have presented investment in too negative a light, quick to warn people of the risks without giving proper weight to the benefits," she said.

She announced new adverts, reminiscent of the "Tell Sid" campaign of the 1980s, which encouraged people to invest in the newly privatised British Gas.

Targeted messages will also be sent by banks to people who have money in low-interest accounts.

Mrs Suter, from AJ Bell, says this needs to go beyond a "token effort".

"If it can get widespread coverage and enthusiasm, then it could make a difference," she says.

Isa debate

Carol Knight, chief executive of the Investing and Saving Alliance, says Reeves' ambition will be judged a success if more women, more people from ethnic minorities, and more people outside of London become investors.

But Anna Bowes, savings expert at the Private Office, says the chancellor risks her plan backfiring by encouraging people to invest now when markets are jittery due to global uncertainty. That could lead to short-term losses.

"This needs to be done very carefully or it could put off a generation of investors."

And she stresses that forcing people to consider a stocks and shares Isa by reducing the amount that could be put tax-free into a cash Isa would be a huge mistake.

Reeves has stepped back from immediately cutting the tax-free limit on cash Isas, following a backlash from banks and building societies.

But she is still keen to shift some of the £300bn in these accounts to being invested in the UK and its companies, despite "differing views on the right approach".

Any changes would have an impact on millions of people. Isas are incredibly popular - about 42% of UK adults have at least one.

Stocks and shares Isas are less popular but more money is held in them overall - around £431bn, compared to £294bn in cash Isas.

People with Isas are more likely to be older, with estimates suggesting about half of pensioners have one. And while more women have Isas overall, more men have the investment option, with women more likely to stick to the safety of cash.

Many investment companies that sell stocks and shares Isas back a change, while banks and building societies who dominate the cash Isa market are against it.

That debate is likely to pick up again as the chancellor's autumn Budget gets closer.

Almost one in two of people that use a hospital toilet do not wash their hands, according to new research from the University of Surrey.

The 19-week study, in partnership with Bispebjerg hospital in Denmark, put sensors on toilet and sink pipes to monitor hygiene behaviours.

From 2,636 flushes, it revealed 43.7% (1,153 flushes) of people using a hospital toilet skipped handwashing, with figures peaking at 61.8% on certain weeks.

Despite assumptions that handwashing may be "second nature" after Covid-19, Dr Pablo Pereira Doel from the University of Surrey said this behaviour could "directly affect patient safety".

The study noted that handwashing figures were especially down at the start and end of each day, including typical mealtimes.

Prof Benjamin Gardner, from the University of Surrey, said: "Strategies that raise awareness at the crucial point in a bathroom visit and easily understood messaging about how to wash effectively – like singing Happy Birthday twice over – can help people form handwashing habits that last."

Guidance from NHS England says handwashing is one of the easiest ways of preventing food poisoning and other illnesses, such as the flu, especially in hospital settings.

"These findings are worrying but not surprising," Prof Carrie Newlands from the University of Surrey said.

Prof Newlands wants visual reinforcements, such as posters and hand-gel stations, to be replaced by "more effective behavioural strategies".

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At least 14 people have died in floods and landslides caused by days of torrential rain in South Korea, the country's disaster management office has said.

There are fears the death toll could rise as rescue efforts continue, with 12 people reported missing.

Footage showed people wading through thick mud in the landslide-hit resort town of Gapyeong on Sunday as they made their way across a damaged bridge to evacuation shelters.

Further south, an entire village was covered with earth and debris following a landslide in the central Chungcheon region, according to video taken in the area on Saturday.

Nearly 10,000 people have evacuated their homes since the downpour began on Wednesday, while more than 41,000 households have temporarily lost power, as reported by local media.

The rain has largely subsided in the worst-hit southern and central areas, but more downpours are expected in capital Seoul and the country's northern regions on Sunday.

Thousands of roads and buildings have been damaged and submerged by raging floodwaters, with reports of damage to farmland and the widespread death of livestock.

Much of the destruction has been in the country's south, with six people killed and seven missing in Sancheong county.

Casualties have also occurred in a northern mountainous region near Seoul, as well as other western and northern areas.

Two people were killed and four were reported missing in Gapyeong on Sunday after a landslide engulfed properties.

Sixty-three people have been rescued while 285 others evacuated the area, Gyeonggi Province Fire Department said.

Serious landslide warnings have been issued in several regions nationwide.

The government launched a multi-agency recovery effort on Sunday.

Twenty-eight people have died after a tourist boat capsized in Vietnam in bad weather, according to local reports.

At least 14 people are said to be missing following the incident in Halong Bay, a popular tourist destination in the north of the country, the reports say.

Most of the passengers were reportedly Vietnamese visiting from Hanoi.

Heavy rain has been hindering the search for survivors, rescuers say.

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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Usyk is the best of his generation

Who can stop Usyk?

The home secretary says a powerful new crime to target suspects who are found to be preparing mass killings will ensure their plotting is taken as seriously as terrorism.

Yvette Cooper said the criminal justice system had to be given new tools to respond to violence-fixated individuals who are not motivated by a particular ideology, in the wake of the Southport attack last year.

Terror suspects who take steps towards an attack can be jailed for life, even if their plans are not fully formed.

Cooper told the BBC that the government will "close the gap" between such offenders and lone, violence-obsessed individuals by giving police the power to apprehend them long before they can act.

Axel Rudakubana is serving a life sentence for murdering three girls when he attacked a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport almost a year ago.

Eight others girls were seriously injured, along with two adults who tried to stop the killer.

Had police found he had been researching a target prior to the attack, they could not have arrested and charged him with a serious offence because he had no ideological motive linked to the definition of terrorism.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's State of Terror series, which charts the response to violent extremism over the 20 years since the 7/7 bombings, Cooper said the police will get the power to prevent such individuals who do not have a clear ideology, in the same way they can with terror suspects.

"There is a gap in the law around the planning of mass attacks that can be just as serious [as terrorism] in their implications for communities, their impact, the devastation that they can cause and the seriousness of the crime," she said.

"We will tighten legislation so that that is taken as seriously as terrorism."

Cooper said the plan - which was briefly announced in March but not fleshed out until now - was for the new law to be similar to the exceptionally serious crime of preparing for acts of terrorism.

This legislation, brought in after the 2005 London bombings, is a vital counter-extremism tool that has jailed dozens of suspects.

It allows the police to arrest a terror suspect for the steps they take to prepare for an attack - such as researching a target.

But it stipulates that there must also be evidence the preparation is linked to an ideological cause, such as support of a group banned under terrorism laws.

The planned non-terror offence would apply to a far wider range of scenarios, including the activity of individuals like Nicholas Prosper. He had been planning a mass school shooting before he was apprehended for murdering his family.

Cooper said: "We've seen cases of growing numbers of teenagers potentially radicalising themselves online and seeing all kinds of extremist material online in their bedrooms.

"They're seeing a really distorted and warped online world.

"We have to make sure that that the systems can respond while not taking our eye off the ball of the more long-standing ideological threats."

State of Terror continues on Monday on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Usyk still top of the heavyweight pile

Dubois left with another rebuilding job

The Syrian presidency says it will deploy a new force to halt the deadly sectarian clashes between Bedouin and Druze fighters in the south of the country.

Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa's office urged "all parties to exercise restraint", amid reports of renewed fighting near the city of Suweida on Friday.

Almost 600 people are reported to have been killed since the violence erupted on Sunday. Government troops deployed to the area were accused by residents of killing Druze civilians and carrying out extrajudicial executions.

Israel later struck targets in Syria to force the troops to withdraw from Suweida province. On Friday, the US ambassador to Turkey said that Israel and Syria had agreed a ceasefire.

In a post on X, ambassador Tom Barrack said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Sharaa "have agreed to a ceasefire" embraced by Syria's neighbours Turkey and Jordan.

"We call upon Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to put down their weapons and together with other minorities build a new and united Syrian identity in peace and prosperity with its neighbours," the envoy said.

Israel and Syria have not publicly commented on the reported ceasefire agreement.

Shortly before Sharaa's office announced its planned military deployment to the south, an Israeli official said Israel had agreed to allow the limited entry of Syrian Internal Security Forces personnel into Suweida for 48 hours to protect Druze civilians "in light of the ongoing instability".

Suweida's predominantly Druze community follows a secretive, unique faith derived from Shia Islam, and distrusts the current jihadist-led government in Damascus.

The BBC correspondent in the Syrian capital says that sectarian hatred of the Druze is now spreading across the country.

The Druze are a minority in Syria, as well as in neighbouring Lebanon and Israel.

Earlier this week, the UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, said his office had received credible reports indicating widespread violations and abuses, including summary executions and arbitrary killings in Suweida.

Among the alleged perpetrators were members of the security forces and individuals affiliated with the interim government, as well as local Druze and Bedouin armed elements, Türk said in a statement.

"This bloodshed and the violence must stop," he warned, adding that "those responsible must be held to account".

The BBC has contacted the Syrian government and security forces about allegations of summary killings and other violations.

In a televised address early on Thursday, Sharaa vowed to hold the perpetrators accountable and promised to make protecting the Druze a "priority".

"We are eager to hold accountable those who transgressed and abused our Druze people because they are under the protection and responsibility of the state," he said.

He went on to blame "outlaw groups", saying their leaders "rejected dialogue for many months".

Twenty-eight people have died after a tourist boat capsized in Vietnam in bad weather, according to local reports.

At least 14 people are said to be missing following the incident in Halong Bay, a popular tourist destination in the north of the country, the reports say.

Most of the passengers were reportedly Vietnamese visiting from Hanoi.

Heavy rain has been hindering the search for survivors, rescuers say.

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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Ukraine has proposed a new round of peace talks with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said, in a move aimed at restarting negotiations that halted last month.

Senior security official Rustem Umerov has offered to meet the Russian side next week, Zelensky said in his evening address, adding that everything had to be done to get a ceasefire.

Zelenksy also repeated his readiness to meet Russia's Vladimir Putin face-to-face. "A meeting at the leadership level is needed to truly ensure peace," he said.

The proposal came hours after Ukraine was hit with another widespread air bombardment by Russia, which killed three people.

• Buildings burn as another wave of Russian attacks hits Ukraine
• Ukrainians unimpressed by Trump's 50-day ultimatum to Putin

Ten regions of Ukraine, including several cities, were hit in the night between Friday and Saturday, Zelensky said earlier on Saturday.

Ukraine's military said more than 340 explosive and dummy drones and 35 cruise and ballistic missiles had been used, but many were downed.

Earlier this week, President Donald Trump said the US would send "top-of-the-line weapons" to Ukraine via Nato countries, while also threatening Russia with severe tariffs if a deal to end the war is not reached within 50 days.

Trump also warned that the US would impose 100% secondary tariffs targeting Russia's remaining trade partners if a peace deal with Ukraine was not reached by his deadline.

Two rounds of talks in Istanbul between Moscow and Kyiv have so far failed to result in any progress towards a ceasefire, but large-scale prisoner exchanges and deals to return the bodies of killed soldiers were agreed.

After the last round, which ended in early June, Ukrainian negotiators said Russia had again rejected an "unconditional ceasefire" - a key demand by Kyiv and its allies in Europe and the US .

Russia also outlined a list of demands, including calls for Ukraine to cede more territory and to reject all forms of Western military support.

At the time, Zelensky accused Moscow of "doing everything it can to ensure the next possible meeting is fruitless".

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Russia currently controls about 20% of Ukraine's territory, including the southern Crimea peninsula Moscow annexed in 2014.

Pop star Charli XCX has confirmed her marriage to George Daniel, drummer of band The 1975, after a video snapped by a passer-by sparked online speculation of a wedding.

The pair were spotted posing on the steps of Hackney Town Hall on Saturday afternoon - Daniel in suit and tie and the 'brat' idol in white.

A TikTok post from the singer several hours later confirmed the nuptials, racking up 3.9m views and thousands of congratulatory comments for "Mr and Mrs XCX".

Charli XCX's album, Brat, became a global cultural phenomenon on its release last year. Filling social media feeds with viral videos and receiving critical acclaim, its success saw her perform a headline slot at Glastonbury in June.

The singer confirmed the news while dressed in an off-the-shoulder white dress and her signature dark wraparound sunglasses.

She stomped away from the camera – pretending to be annoyed – on a video beneath text that read, "When George isn't crying when he sees me walking down the aisle."

But "Luckily he did xx" was the accompanying caption.

A later post, which included shots of Daniel wearing Charli's veil, gave "bridal party energy", according to XCX.

The footage from outside Hackney Town Hall suggests the couple had an intimate ceremony.

The two have been public about their relationship for several years and shared engagement photos in 2023.

They have also worked together multiple times, first collaborating on Charli's song Spinning and then on Brat, with Daniel named as co-producer and co-writer of two songs.

He also took part in the viral "Apple dance" at one of Charli's London shows, appearing on the concert's screens in front of thousands of fans.

His band The 1975 is fronted by singer Matty Healy and are well known for their song Chocolate. Daniel has released several tracks as a solo artist in recent years.

The grieving sister of a schoolboy stabbed to death in his own house in a mistaken identity hit has told a fugitive wanted in connected with his murder to "stop looking over his shoulder" and hand himself in.

It is 15 years since 17-year-old Aamir Siddiqi was attacked in front of his parents and two hitmen were convicted of his murder - but the man suspected of ordering the killing is still on the run.

Mohammed Ali Ege is one of Europe's most wanted men and Aamir's sister has appealed to him, telling him he's "not free" and always "worried about slipping up".

"He's got a family, he's got a mum and none of them are seeing him this is not living," said Nishat Siddiqi.

Her younger brother Aamir thought he was opening the door to a teacher when he was stabbed to death in a frenzied drug-fuelled attack by contract killers Jason Richards and Ben Hope.

The two heroin addicts were paid £1,000 to kill an innocent businessman and father-of-four who lived in a neighbouring street in Cardiff in an act of revenge over a property deal that turned sour.

But, in what the prosecution described as "staggering incompetence", Richards and Hope went to the wrong house in the Roath area of the Welsh capital.

The bright, ambitious student, who wanted to read law at Cardiff University, had turned down a game of football with his mates and was revising for his A-level exams upstairs at his home when the doorbell rang.

Aamir innocently answered his door expecting to see his local imam for a Koran lesson but was confronted by two balaclava-clad knifemen fuelled up on heroin who pushed their way in and stabbed him to death before he could say a word.

Richards and Hope were sentenced to life and ordered to serve a minimum of 40 years each in jail for killing Aamir in April 2010, but the man who detectives suspect ordered the contract killing fled the country.

Ege, suspected of conspiracy to commit murder, was arrested in India in 2011.

But after a six-year extradition process, he went back on the run by escaping through a railway station toilet window and now eight years later is believed to be in the Middle East.

"He's not truly free," Nishat told the BBC Sounds podcast Making Of A Fugitive.

"He's on the run, always looking over his shoulder, always worried about whether or not he's going to slip up."

South Wales Police have previously offered a £10,000 reward for any information that may lead to the arrest of the fugitive known as Wales' most wanted man.

"If you're innocent, you've got nothing to fear and you should come back home to clear your name," added consultant cardiologist Nishat, 48.

"You might think you're free because you escaped from police custody and have been on the run for years, but you've condemned yourself to a life of exile on the run, far from home."

Nishat, who is 16 years older than Aamir, also hopes her appeal on Making Of A Fugitive may urge someone to shop Ege to the authorities.

"Somebody somewhere might listen," she said.

"If they know something and if they feel in their heart of hearts that they really ought to speak up then maybe this might inspire them to do just that.

"As a family we have suffered the kind of grief, shock and horror that never really leaves you. And in a weird way he's living that with us because he's not truly free."

Nishat still keeps her younger brother's wallet, reads his social media posts and keeps in touch with his old friends, like best mate Saeed Kidwai.

On the day he was murdered, Saeed had asked Aamir to play five-a-side football but he chose to stay home to study for his A-level exams later that summer.

"I remember the match finished at 1:40pm and I later found out he passed away at 1:40pm," he remembered.

It's one of the sliding door "what if" moments that haunt Aamir's family and friends.

It was the end of the school term and Saeed recalled: "Just before he left he went around to a lot of the boys and he was like 'oh boys let me take a selfie with you because that'll be the last time I see you probably before I go to university'."

Saeed did not have a picture, adding: "I was like 'I'll see you on the weekend or something'.

"I never thought in like a million years that would be the last time I'd see him," he said.

"I feel I've had a whole chapter of my life, graduating and getting married but my wife has never met him, my son will never meet him. How do I keep that memory alive?"

Saeed took his baby son to meet Aamir's parents Iqbal and Parveen, who were also injured in the attack.

"His mum was so affectionate and loving and his dad just held him for ages and it was really emotional for me to see," recalled Saeed.

"I thought this doesn't feel real. I still feel like I'm 17 or 18 in my heart and I'm still waiting for him to pop around the corner," he said.

"His number is still the first number I have in my phone book, because it's two A's in his first name. I still can't delete it.

Aamir's family love seeing his old friends grow into adults with families of their own and careers.

"It's so wonderful to see," said Nishat. "It also makes me so feel so sad because that should have been my brother as well."

Aamir's family found it hard to remain living in the same house after his death and they've since left Cardiff.

"We kept his clothes in his cupboard, his toys, everything for months on end," said Nishat.

"We even put on one of his jumpers because it smelt of him.

"There's a photograph of Aamir when he was enjoying his second birthday party, drinking some squash, and he's standing at the exact spot where he died.

"That's probably why we found it hard to live in the house again because the house was full of very happy memories."

South Wales Police praised the dignity of Aamir's family throughout such a traumatic ordeal and said they remain committed to tracing and arresting Ege.

"We would ask anyone who has information about his whereabouts to please get in touch – for Aamir's family," the police statement added.

If any of the issues in this copy have affected you, details of help and advice are available on the BBC Action Line website.

The Syrian presidency says it will deploy a new force to halt the deadly sectarian clashes between Bedouin and Druze fighters in the south of the country.

Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa's office urged "all parties to exercise restraint", amid reports of renewed fighting near the city of Suweida on Friday.

Almost 600 people are reported to have been killed since the violence erupted on Sunday. Government troops deployed to the area were accused by residents of killing Druze civilians and carrying out extrajudicial executions.

Israel later struck targets in Syria to force the troops to withdraw from Suweida province. On Friday, the US ambassador to Turkey said that Israel and Syria had agreed a ceasefire.

In a post on X, ambassador Tom Barrack said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Sharaa "have agreed to a ceasefire" embraced by Syria's neighbours Turkey and Jordan.

"We call upon Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to put down their weapons and together with other minorities build a new and united Syrian identity in peace and prosperity with its neighbours," the envoy said.

Israel and Syria have not publicly commented on the reported ceasefire agreement.

Shortly before Sharaa's office announced its planned military deployment to the south, an Israeli official said Israel had agreed to allow the limited entry of Syrian Internal Security Forces personnel into Suweida for 48 hours to protect Druze civilians "in light of the ongoing instability".

Suweida's predominantly Druze community follows a secretive, unique faith derived from Shia Islam, and distrusts the current jihadist-led government in Damascus.

The BBC correspondent in the Syrian capital says that sectarian hatred of the Druze is now spreading across the country.

The Druze are a minority in Syria, as well as in neighbouring Lebanon and Israel.

Earlier this week, the UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, said his office had received credible reports indicating widespread violations and abuses, including summary executions and arbitrary killings in Suweida.

Among the alleged perpetrators were members of the security forces and individuals affiliated with the interim government, as well as local Druze and Bedouin armed elements, Türk said in a statement.

"This bloodshed and the violence must stop," he warned, adding that "those responsible must be held to account".

The BBC has contacted the Syrian government and security forces about allegations of summary killings and other violations.

In a televised address early on Thursday, Sharaa vowed to hold the perpetrators accountable and promised to make protecting the Druze a "priority".

"We are eager to hold accountable those who transgressed and abused our Druze people because they are under the protection and responsibility of the state," he said.

He went on to blame "outlaw groups", saying their leaders "rejected dialogue for many months".

The home secretary says a powerful new crime to target suspects who are found to be preparing mass killings will ensure their plotting is taken as seriously as terrorism.

Yvette Cooper said the criminal justice system had to be given new tools to respond to violence-fixated individuals who are not motivated by a particular ideology, in the wake of the Southport attack last year.

Terror suspects who take steps towards an attack can be jailed for life, even if their plans are not fully formed.

Cooper told the BBC that the government will "close the gap" between such offenders and lone, violence-obsessed individuals by giving police the power to apprehend them long before they can act.

Axel Rudakubana is serving a life sentence for murdering three girls when he attacked a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport almost a year ago.

Eight others girls were seriously injured, along with two adults who tried to stop the killer.

Had police found he had been researching a target prior to the attack, they could not have arrested and charged him with a serious offence because he had no ideological motive linked to the definition of terrorism.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's State of Terror series, which charts the response to violent extremism over the 20 years since the 7/7 bombings, Cooper said the police will get the power to prevent such individuals who do not have a clear ideology, in the same way they can with terror suspects.

"There is a gap in the law around the planning of mass attacks that can be just as serious [as terrorism] in their implications for communities, their impact, the devastation that they can cause and the seriousness of the crime," she said.

"We will tighten legislation so that that is taken as seriously as terrorism."

Cooper said the plan - which was briefly announced in March but not fleshed out until now - was for the new law to be similar to the exceptionally serious crime of preparing for acts of terrorism.

This legislation, brought in after the 2005 London bombings, is a vital counter-extremism tool that has jailed dozens of suspects.

It allows the police to arrest a terror suspect for the steps they take to prepare for an attack - such as researching a target.

But it stipulates that there must also be evidence the preparation is linked to an ideological cause, such as support of a group banned under terrorism laws.

The planned non-terror offence would apply to a far wider range of scenarios, including the activity of individuals like Nicholas Prosper. He had been planning a mass school shooting before he was apprehended for murdering his family.

Cooper said: "We've seen cases of growing numbers of teenagers potentially radicalising themselves online and seeing all kinds of extremist material online in their bedrooms.

"They're seeing a really distorted and warped online world.

"We have to make sure that that the systems can respond while not taking our eye off the ball of the more long-standing ideological threats."

State of Terror continues on Monday on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

The first schools in England to install what the government described as "Great British Energy solar panels" were made in China, the BBC has learned.

The first 11 schools involved in the GB Energy scheme bought solar panels from Aiko and Longi, two Chinese firms.

The government said the scheme was "the first major project for Great British Energy - a company owned by the British people, for the British people".

Labour MP Sarah Champion said GB Energy should be buying solar panels from companies in the UK rather than China, where there have been allegations of forced labour in supply chains.

"I'm really excited about the principle of GB Energy," she told BBC News.

"But it's taxpayers' money and we should not be supporting slave labour with that money. And wherever possible, we should be supporting good working practices and buy British if we can."

She added: "That means that yes, unfortunately, in the short term, solar panels are probably going to be slightly more expensive.

"There are solar panels made around the world in Taiwan, Canada, even in the UK."

Longi and Aiko both told the BBC they forbid forced labour in their production and supply chains.

China is the world's leading producer of solar panels and the suppliers in the Xinjiang region have been linked to the alleged exploitation of Uyghur Muslims.

Earlier this year, the law was changed to ban GB Energy from investing in renewables if there is evidence of modern slavery in their production.

China has dominated the market and, according to the International Energy Agency, the country's global share in all the manufacturing stages of solar panels exceeds 80%.

Champion, who is chair of the International Development Select Committee, said "abuse in renewable supply chains is insidious and hard to root out".

But she urged ministers to exclude known human-rights offenders from winning public contracts.

A GB Energy spokesperson said all of the solar contracts issued under the schools initiative complied with the UK's modern slavery rules.

The Xinjiang challenge

Up to 50% of the world's supply of polysilicon - a key component in solar panels - is estimated to come from the Xinjiang region.

Mark Candlish is the director of GB-Sol, which calls itself the only manufacturer of conventional solar panels in the UK.

He said polysilicon was "a key social issue facing our industry, with the risk of forced labour in the main mining areas".

He added: "The global solar market is so dominated by China that it is difficult to avoid buying Chinese if you want the low cost energy and low carbon benefits of solar PV."

Many businesses and governments - including the UK's - buy Chinese solar panels because they are cheaper than those made elsewhere.

Two thirds (68%) of the solar panels imported by the UK came from China in 2024, according to HMRC trade data. That's an increase on the figure in 2023, when Chinese products accounted for 61% of UK solar imports.

A report by Sheffield Hallam University in 2023 linked various solar companies to suppliers in the Xinjiang region.

One of the report's authors, Alan Crawford, said the general lack of transparency in the entire solar supply chain was greater now than it was in 2023, when his Over-Exposed report was published.

"Companies that were willing to comment are now silent," he said.

'Ethical supply chains'

GB Energy is a state-owned company that was set up by the Labour government to invest in renewables, such as solar power.

In its first big investment, GB Energy is spending about £200m on rooftop solar for 200 schools and NHS hospitals across the country.

The first tranche of this funding has been spent on the Chinese solar panels for the 11 schools.

The Department for Education told the BBC which companies had made the solar panels in response to a freedom of information request.

A GB Energy spokesperson said the company would "lead the way in ethical supply chains" and insisted there was "no place for forced labour or unethical practices in the UK's energy transition".

The spokesperson added: "That is why we are introducing a statutory duty on Great British Energy to prevent modern slavery in its supply chains, and reviewing supplier transparency and disclosure standards to ensure confidence in all public-facing renewable programmes.

"All contracts issued under this schools and hospitals solar initiative complied with UK procurement rules, including extensive requirements under the Modern Slavery Act.

"GBE will seek to uphold these requirements in its contracting arrangements and are actively engaging with international partners to raise the bar globally on solar supply chain accountability."

China has been accused of committing crimes against humanity against the Uyghur population and other mostly-Muslim ethnic groups in the north-western region of Xinjiang.

In state-sponsored programmes, detainees are forced to produce goods including polysilicon, a core ingredient in solar panels, according to the US Department of Labor.

The Chinese government has denied all allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

Longi and Aiko are both members of the Solar Stewardship Initiative, which is a scheme designed to develop confidence in the supply chain and the responsible sourcing of solar panels.

An Aiko spokesperson said the company was "committed to upholding the highest standards of ethical business conduct and responsible sourcing".

"We take any concerns related to human rights and labour practices seriously and expect our suppliers to do the same," the spokesperson said.

"As part of our ongoing efforts, we engage with suppliers to promote transparency and continuous improvement in line with international guidelines. We are also closely monitoring global supply chain developments and remain committed to working with stakeholders to support a fair and sustainable solar industry."

Longi said it regretted the findings of the Sheffield Hallam University report and "categorically affirms that forced labour has no place within our supply chain".

A company spokesperson said the conclusions in the Over-Exposed report "may not fully reflect the comprehensive measures Longi has implemented to ensure full compliance with international labour standards".

"Independent third-party audits play a critical role in verifying compliance and identifying potential risks," the spokesperson said.

"While the complexity of global supply chains presents challenges, Longi remains steadfast in its efforts to eliminate any risks associated with forced labour."

Usyk still top of the heavyweight pile

Dubois left with another rebuilding job

Raquel Celina Rodriguez watches her step as she walks across the Vega de Tilopozo in Chile's Atacama salt flats.

It's a wetland, known for its groundwater springs, but the plain is now dry and cracked with holes she explains were once pools.

"Before, the Vega was all green," she says. "You couldn't see the animals through the grass. Now everything is dry." She gestures to some grazing llamas.

For generations, her family raised sheep here. As the climate changed, and rain stopped falling, less grass made that much harder.

But it worsened when "they" started taking the water, she explains.

"They" are lithium companies. Beneath the salt flats of the Atacama Desert lie the world's largest reserves of lithium, a soft, silvery-white metal that is an essential component of the batteries that power electric cars, laptops and solar energy storage.

As the world transitions to more renewable energy sources, the demand for it has soared.

In 2021, about 95,000 tonnes of lithium was consumed globally - by 2024 it had more than doubled to 205,000 tonnes, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

By 2040 it's predicted to rise to more than 900,000 tonnes.

Most of the increase will be driven by demand for electric car batteries, the IEA says.

Locals say environmental costs to them have risen too.

So, this soaring demand has raised the question: is the world's race to decarbonise unintentionally stoking another environmental problem?

Flora, flamingos and shrinking lagoons

Chile is the second-largest producer of lithium globally after Australia. In 2023, the government launched a National Lithium Strategy to ramp up production through partly nationalising the industry and encouraging private investment.

Its finance minister previously said the increase in production could be by up to 70% by 2030, although the mining ministry says no target has been set.

This year, a major milestone to that is set to be reached.

A planned joint enterprise between SQM and Chile's state mining company Codelco has just secured regulatory approval for a quota to extract at least 2.5 million metric tonnes of lithium metal equivalent per year and boost production until 2060.

Chile's government has framed the plans as part of the global fight against climate change and a source of state income.

Mining companies predominantly extract lithium by pumping brine from beneath Chile's salt flats to evaporation pools on the surface.

The process extracts vast amounts of water in this already drought-prone region.

Faviola Gonzalez is a biologist from the local indigenous community working in the Los Flamencos National Reserve, in the middle of the Atacama Desert, home to vast salt flats, marshes and lagoons and some 185 species of birds. She has monitored how the local environment is changing.

"The lagoons here are smaller now," she says. "We've seen a decrease in the reproduction of flamingos."

She said lithium mining impacts microorganisms that birds feed on in these waters, so the whole food chain is affected.

She points to a spot where, for the first time in 14 years, flamingo chicks hatched this year. She attributes the "small reproductive success" to a slight reduction in water extraction in 2021, but says, "It's small."

"Before there were many. Now, only a few."

The underground water from the Andes, rich in minerals, is "very old" and replenishes slowly.

"If we are extracting a lot of water and little is entering, there is little to recharge the Salar de Atacama," she explains.

Damage to flora has also been found in some areas. On property in the salt flats, mined by the Chilean company SQM, almost one-third of the native "algarrobo" (or carob) trees had started dying as early as 2013 due to the impacts of mining, according to a report published in 2022 by the US-based National Resources Defense Council.

But the issue extends beyond Chile too. In a report for the US-based National Resources Defense Council in 2022, James J. A. Blair, an assistant professor at California State Polytechnic University, wrote that lithium mining is "contributing to conditions of ecological exhaustion", and "may decrease freshwater availability for flora and fauna as well as humans".

He did, however, say that it is difficult to find "definitive" evidence on this topic.

Mitigating the damage

Environmental damage is of course inevitable when it comes to mining. "It's hard to imagine any kind of mining that does not have a negative impact," says Karen Smith Stegen, a political science professor in Germany, who studies the impacts of lithium mining across the world.

The issue is that mining companies can take steps to mitigate that damage. "What [mining companies] should have done from the very beginning was to involve these communities," she says.

For example, before pumping lithium from underground, companies could carry out "social impact assessments" - reviews which take into account the broad impact their work will have on water, wildlife, and communities.

For their part, mining companies now say they are listening. The Chilean firm SQM is one of the main players.

At one of their plants in Antofagasta, Valentín Barrera, Deputy Manager of Sustainability at SQM Lithium, says the firm is working closely with communities to "understand their concerns" and carrying out environmental impact assessments.

He feels strongly that in Chile and globally "we need more lithium for the energy transition."

He adds that the firm is piloting new technologies. If successful, the idea is to roll these out in their Salar de Atacama plants.

These include both extracting lithium directly from brine, without evaporation pools, and technologies to capture evaporated water and re-inject it into the land.

"We are doing several pilots to understand which one works better in order to increase production but reduce at least 50% of the current brine extraction," he said.

He says the pilot in Antofagasta has recovered "more than one million cubic metres" of water. "Starting in 2031, we are going to start this transition."

But the locals I spoke to are sceptical. "We believe the Salar de Atacama is like an experiment," Faviola argues.

She says it's unknown how the salt flats could "resist" this new technology and the reinjection of water and fears they are being used as a "natural laboratory."

Sara Plaza, whose family also raised animals in the same community as Raquel, is anxious about the changes she has seen in her lifetime.

She remembers water levels dropping from as early as 2005 but says "the mining companies never stopped extracting."

Sara becomes tearful when she speaks about the future.

"The salt flats produce lithium, but one day it will end. Mining will end. And what are the people here going to do? Without water, without agriculture. What are they going to live on?"

"Maybe I won't see it because of my age, but our children, our grandchildren will."

She believes mining companies have extracted too much water from an ecosystem already struggling from climate change.

"It's very painful," she adds. "The companies give the community a little money, but I'd prefer no money.

"I'd prefer to live off nature and have water to live."

The impact of water shortages

Sergio Cubillos is head of the association for the Peine community, where Sara and Raquel live.

He says Peine has been forced to change "our entire drinking water system, electrical system, water treatment system" because of water shortages.

"There is the issue of climate change, that it doesn't rain anymore, but the main impact has been caused by extractive mining," he says.

He says since it started in the 1980s, companies have extracted millions of cubic metres of water and brine – hundreds of litres per second.

"Decisions are made in Santiago, in the capital, very far from here," he says.

He believes that if the President wants to fight climate change, like he said when he ran for office, he needs to involve "the indigenous people who have existed for millennia in these landscapes."

Sergio understands that lithium is very important for transitioning to renewable energy but says his community should not be the "bargaining chip" in these developments.

His community has secured some economic benefits and oversight with companies but is worried about plans to ramp up production.

He says while seeking technologies to reduce the impact on water is welcome that "can't be done sitting at a desk in Santiago, but rather here in the territory."

Chile's government stresses there has been "ongoing dialogue with indigenous communities" and they have been consulted over the new Codelco-SQM joint venture's contracts to address concerns around water issues, new technologies and contributions to the communities.

It says increasing production capacity will be based on incorporating new technologies to minimise the environmental and social impact and that the high "value" of lithium due to its role in the global energy transition could provide "opportunities" for the country's economic development.

Sergio though worries about their area being a "pilot project" and says if the impact of new technology is negative, "We will put all our strength into stopping the activity that could end with Peine being forgotten."

A small part of a global dilemma

The Salar de Atacama is a case study for a global dilemma. Climate change is causing droughts and weather changes. But one of the world's current solutions is – according to locals – exacerbating this.

There is a common argument from people who support lithium mining: that even if it damages the environment, it brings huge benefits via jobs and cash.

Daniel Jimenez, from lithium consultancy iLiMarkets, in Santiago, takes this argument a step further.

He claims that environmental damage has been exaggerated by communities who want a pay-out.

"This is about money," he argues. "Companies have poured a lot of money into improving roads, schools – but the claims of communities really go back to the fact they want money."

But Prof Stegen is unconvinced. "Mining companies always like to say, 'There are more jobs, you're going to get more money'," she says.

"Well, that's not particularly what a lot of indigenous communities want. It actually can be disruptive if it changes the structure of their own traditional economy [and] it affects their housing costs.

"The jobs are not the be all and end all for what these communities want."

In Chile, those I spoke to didn't talk about wanting more money. Nor are they opposed to measures to tackle climate change. Their main question is why they are paying the price.

"I think for the cities maybe lithium is good," Raquel says. "But it also harms us. We don't live the life we used to live here."

Faviola does not think electrifying alone is the solution to climate change.

"We all must reduce our emissions," she says. "In developed countries like the US and Europe the energy expenditure of people is much greater than here in South America, among us indigenous people."

"Who are the electric cars going to be for? Europeans, Americans, not us. Our carbon footprint is much smaller."

"But it's our water that's being taken. Our sacred birds that are disappearing."

Top image credit: Getty Images

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Shorter school summer holidays may sound like a child's nightmare – but they could be a relief for parents who are trying to juggle childcare with their jobs.

Some schools now have five-week breaks in the summer, but a two-week October half term. But is there an argument for shorter summers at all schools?

Could a shorter break help with learning? Or do pupils - and teachers - need the time to recharge? Would spreading out school holidays across the year help reduce the cost of family holidays, or would smaller windows create a rush to book time off?

Let's take a look at some of the issues.

Would it help parents and pupils?

Six weeks is a long time away from learning, especially for children whose parents are working or who can't afford lots of costly day trips, activities or a long family holiday.

So while all children may forget a little of what they have learnt, families with more money can enrich their understanding by giving them other experiences, and this widens the learning gap.

For many families with children, food is one of the biggest bills. During term time, more than a quarter of children across England are eligible for free school meals, and in some schools, it is closer to half of all pupils.

As food costs have risen, there has been growing awareness of what is called holiday hunger, with some families struggling to feed children without school support.

There are other factors too. While summer allows for playing outside, footy kickarounds and being in the garden, extending winter holidays may mean families need to heat their homes more in the daytime.

England, Wales and Scotland all have six-week summer breaks, though Scotland's tends to be earlier, finishing in mid-August.

In Northern Ireland, schools are closed for all of July and August.

Most of England's schools are now academies who can set their own holidays, and some have already opted for five weeks in summer and two weeks in October. In Surrey, the county council has decided to follow suit for all the schools it supports from autumn 2026.

In Wales, that model was put out to consultation, attracting more than 16,000 responses from parents and teachers. It was divisive. Only a narrow majority were in favour and in June 2024, the plans were put on hold.

Parentkind, the charity for parent-teacher organisations, has released polling suggesting 53% of parents would like a four-week summer holiday, rising to 60% in families with a child with special educational needs.

The same polling also suggests a four-week break is much less popular with teachers, with only 24% in favour of the idea. This may ultimately be a stumbling block. It is hard to recruit teachers because for the rest of the year, they have little to no flexibility in their working patterns, unusual now for many graduate roles. Summer is when teachers recharge and also pack in their planning and lesson preparation ahead of September.

However, earlier this year, the chief inspector of schools at Ofsted, Sir Martyn Oliver, said he thought shorter breaks could be beneficial. He said after the long summer holiday, some children returned "dysregulated" and struggling to adapt to routine.

Cheaper trips but a battle for leave?

The price of going away during the six-week school holidays can be eye-watering.

This is because the high demand from parents and those working in education for those dates means travel firms can hike prices up and still sell out.

So spreading some of these weeks out across the year could provide more opportunities to go away and lessen demand at any one time, thus bringing down prices.

However, if the summer holiday was only four weeks long, it could also have the opposite effect of squashing the demand into a smaller time frame and pushing up prices further.

One way to mitigate this would be for different regions to stagger their school summer holidays, suggests Which? Travel editor, Rory Boland.

Holiday prices would come down "only if travel firms can restrain themselves from massively inflating prices", he says.

Any price drops could also come at the expense of those who currently avoid going away during the school summer holidays, as they might find there are fewer bargains to be had.

There could also be an impact on traffic jams, airport queues and overcrowded trains if everyone isn't making a dash for it at the same time.

If there was a shorter summer break, employers would have to navigate a higher number of holiday requests over a smaller period of time.

For instance, three people wanting to take two weeks off each over summer could be staggered over six weeks, but over four weeks might prove more tricky.

If leave isn't possible, bosses should "carefully consider" flexible working to help balance workload with childcare, says David D'Souza, director of profession at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

Are hotter summers a factor?

Different countries have different holiday setups and it often comes down to weather.

Hot countries like India - which has around two months of summer holiday - tend to have longer breaks, while more temperate countries often go shorter.

In South Korea, the winter break is longer than the summer one, though some parents have suggested this should be evened out.

Germany has a rotation system between the 16 states, though the Guardian recently reported there was a dispute due to two southern regions historically claiming what are seen as the prime slots because of their traditional harvests.

The Met Office said this week that extreme weather was the new normal for the UK and with changing weather, do we need to change how we think about the summer break?

According to BBC Weather forecaster Darren Bett, climate change means we are already seeing warmer, wetter winters and hotter, drier summers - a pattern that is expected to continue.

Heatwaves are expected to occur more often (there have already been three this year during exam season), but the hottest weather usually comes between July and August when the air and land has had longer to heat up.

Darren says hay fever could also be an issue for pupils, particularly those sitting exams.

He says a study by the University of Worcester showed oak and grass pollen seasons are starting earlier and birch pollen is becoming more severe.

His conclusion is that the summer holidays should be longer and exams taken in autumn, but we're not sure how that would work.

How do kids feel about it?

It's easy for us adults to discuss things like costs and working arrangements. But what do those who are arguably most affected think? We asked pupils at a primary school in Manchester.

Sam, in year six, says he thinks we should have longer holidays "because, in countries like Ireland and Spain, they have 9-11 weeks."

"Lots of people are saying that our generation don't play out," he says, "but I think it's the complete opposite, because if we had longer, we would definitely play out more and we wouldn't be bored because we'd plan more things."

But Betsy, also in year six, says she is concerned about what that might mean for her learning. "I think we should keep the holidays the same because, say, if I was on a holiday for 12 weeks and you go back to school, then it might take a while to get settled into your friend group and remember everything you've learnt for the last year and get used to the whole school vibe."

Grace, in year five, says if holidays were longer she'd get a lot more bored as, "You won't see your friends as much".

"You'll see lots of family but you won't see as much of your friends and you could be asking when are we going back, because I'd be a little bit bored."

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It's a hot and sticky Friday in the middle of the summer holidays and cars are flooding onto Edinburgh Airport's approach road.

There are few places to stop, but in almost every layby a steady stream of drivers await friends and loved ones touching down from their holidays.

They are all parked in a half-mile radius from the entrance to the terminal building in a bid to beat so-called "kiss-and-fly" charges in the official drop-off zone.

Research by the RAC, released this week, found that more than half of the country's busiest airports have raised drop-off fees in the last 12 months.

In Edinburgh, drivers face a £6 tariff for a 10-minute stay at a specific drop-off zone yards from the main terminal building.

Every minute beyond that allowance will cost them an extra £1.

Instead, drivers here look to beat the system, waiting in nooks and crannies along Eastfield Road for a message that their passengers have arrived.

They then drive a few hundred metres towards the Moxy or Hilton hotels and pick them up as they leave the airport complex, exiting hastily to avoid risking a fine for parking on double yellow lines.

Close to the Moxy, next to a farm gate by a grass verge, Caroline O'Brien, 52, is waiting in a layby for her husband and children after they returned from a holiday to Paris.

She says she had previously been charged £24 for under 30 minutes in the drop-off zone and decided not to take any chances this time.

"You don't know if the plane is going to be early or late in and I don't want them to be standing around," she says.

"For pick-up and drop-off, I think a couple of pounds [would be fair]. You're only there a few minutes for them to get their cases and then right back in the car and away again."

Drivers approaching via Eastfield Road pass three roundabouts on the way into the main terminal, the closest of which leads them on to a one-way system which means they have to pass through the drop-off zone.

There is no signage on the approach to inform them of the charges, however there is when they are already inside the drop-off zone.

Drivers pay once they exit the drop-off area.

London Gatwick, Bristol, Leeds Bradford, Southampton and Stansted charged the top rate of £7 in the RAC survey.

Edinburgh is level with London Heathrow, Birmingham, Liverpool John Lennon and Glasgow in charging £6 for the initial drop off.

By contrast, at nine of the 10 busiest airports in the European Union there are no drop-off fees.

Rontom Tschopp, 32, from Switzerland, had just dropped a friend off at the terminal but was unaware there would be a charge for doing so.

He says his local airport, in Basel, did not charge for the same service.

He says: "I was a bit flabbergasted to be honest, because we don't have that in Switzerland.

"I think it creates a form of aversion to do the little things like drop off your friends. If I had known about the fees, we probably wouldn't have had such a heartfelt goodbye, it would have been: 'No, go now, there's extra fees'."

Edinburgh Airport does have other road links with the city centre through bus services, while the tram network also stops just outside.

It also has a free drop-off zone about half a mile (0.8km) from the main terminal building, across the tram line and near a car rental service.

Drivers can park there for 30 minutes free of charge, but it costs £10 up to an hour after that and £18 for between one and three hours.

Up another side street, near a vacant commercial business, Shiela McPheely is waiting to collect her sisters from their holiday in Albufeira in Portugal.

She says the cost of the drop-off zone is "appalling" and is planning to pick her sisters up at the free drop-off point, despite both having mobility issues.

"It's just greedy. You pay enough for your flights and when you get in there, you get a tea or a coffee, so they are getting money from you that way," Sheila, 79, says.

"There is a bit you can park in that is free, but that is all very well if you are young and fit, but one of my sisters has a sore back, the other one is waiting for a hip operation, so it's difficult for them."

Back inside the charged drop-off area, a multi-storey car park provides a roof and shade from the warm afternoon sun.

Gavin Marshall, 45, has been waiting for some time for his in-laws to arrive on a flight from London, before driving them back to Stirling.

He says he had not noticed the charge before he parked up.

He says: "It's a bit extortionate, £1 per minute is a bit of a joke."

"The flat £6 I think is fair, this £1 per minute seems a bit silly, it's a bit much."

Meanwhile, taxi driver Dean Carse, 31, says the charge has an impact on customers.

He says: "Every journey is £6 more expensive.

"I pay it, but I get it back off the customer, which is ridiculous, it goes from the customer to me to the airport.

"The airport spin it like they care about pollution, but they don't. They're a business and they want to make money."

Edinburgh Airport declined to comment when contacted by BBC News, but said that a free drop-off area was available.

They added that passengers could choose whether to use the free or paid areas.

The industry body, Airports UK, said all hubs offered free drop-off options further from the terminals.

It said "park and ride" facilities where people can leave their car and take a bus to the airport were provided.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said it regularly gave "advice" to motorists in the airport complex, but was unable to be specific on what that was.

They added: "Where necessary, appropriate action will be taken."

Finn picks up a small, white, teabag-like pouch from a round, brightly coloured tin and places it between his upper lip and gum.

He and his mates use nicotine pouches until they vomit, he tells me.

The strength of the nicotine - at 150mg a pouch - is enough, he says, to "immobilise" them - especially when they use two or three in one go.

"It's the burn at first," the 17-year-old explains. "You feel this burning sensation against your gums, and then you get the hit."

The hit, he says, is far stronger than any cigarette, and often he and his friends will lie down before they put the pouch in place, hidden under their lips.

Finn tells me how easy they are to use; they are so inconspicuous he even uses them at school.

"I've sat in class before and had one in my mouth that was so strong I was all over the place," he says. "I was sweating, salivating and struggling to concentrate."

In the end, he says, his teacher noticed he looked "bright green" and he made his excuses and bolted out of his maths lesson.

Finn, who only wants us to use his first name, is not boasting. In fact, he says, he regrets ever having started using pouches. He now sees himself as an addict and wants to warn others.

"I just got bored of vaping, and now I'm stuck on these."

A growing number of young people are using nicotine pouches - some swapping from vaping or smoking, others trying nicotine for the first time.

Figures seen by BBC News suggest there has been nearly a four-fold rise in use by 16 to 24-year-olds in the UK - from less than than 1% in 2022, to 3.6% in 2024.

The pouches are widely sold online, in supermarkets and in corner shops. Priced at around £5 for a pack of 20, they come in exotic flavours with varying nicotine strengths - from 1.5mg to claims of 150mg for a more "extreme" experience.

Anyone can buy them. There is no minimum age as with cigarettes, vapes and alcohol. Nor is there any restriction on the strength of the nicotine in the pouches.

"I've heard of children as young as 11 or 12 nipping to shops and buying them," warns Kate Pike, Trading Standards' lead officer for tobacco and vaping.

She says her organisation is receiving an increasing number of reports from parents and teachers that nicotine pouches are being sold to children.

"It is incredibly frustrating that there is nothing we can currently do to prevent them."

What are nicotine pouches?

• Also known as white snus, they contain nicotine extracted from tobacco leaves, sodium carbonate, flavourings, and sweeteners

• They often have a high pH value, an effect of the ingredient sodium carbonate, which allows the nicotine inside the pouch to penetrate the soft lining on the gum more quickly and enter the bloodstream, resulting in stronger nicotine kicks

Source: Institute of Odontology, University of Gothenburg

Ms Pike is urging the government to prioritise the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which, if passed, will make it illegal to sell these pouches to under 18s.

"We need to take action against those who either deliberately or uncaringly risk children getting hooked on a highly addictive product," she says.

Despite containing large amounts of the drug, nicotine pouches do not need to display the warning, "This product contains nicotine which is a highly addictive substance" on their packaging.

If the pouches have more than 16.7mg of nicotine, then under general product safety regulation, there should be a skull and cross bones symbol on the packaging and a list of the chemical components written in English.

This regulation, Ms Pike says, is increasingly being flouted, with Trading Standards officers seizing thousands of illegal products across the UK.

The pouches are significantly less harmful than cigarettes, and because chemicals do not enter the lungs, they may carry fewer risks than vapes.

Harry Tattan-Birch, a senior researcher from University College London, says pouches are the "least harmful way" to ingest nicotine.

"If they were used to stop people smoking or vaping, they could have a positive public health effect - but it would only be positive if they were used by those wanting to quit, not those who are trying nicotine for the first time."

While they may carry fewer health risks than cigarettes and vapes, there are cardiovascular risks for people using pouches with high quantities of nicotine - and there is growing concern over the damage nicotine pouches do to gums.

Finn has been using pouches for more than a year and says he reached a point where his "mouth was shredded to bits" and, on one occasion, he "peeled half [his] gum off".

Dr Patric Saraby, a Swedish dentist based in Bournemouth, has treated patients who are nicotine pouch users with gum lesions so deep it's possible to see the root of the tooth.

"The long-term damage of these products is extremely worrying," he says.

One of his patients, a 23-year-old student, started to develop lesions in his gums while studying for his exams. He was using five pouches a day to help him quit vaping and, he says, to help him focus on his studies.

"It started as a recreational thing, but it quickly took hold," the student says. "I became worried when a bit of my gum - where I had been placing the pouch - came off."

He's now nicotine-free and his gums are starting to heal after quitting vaping and pouches eight months ago.

Dr Saraby, who has carried out two years of research into nicotine pouches, says there is an increased risk of localised gum disease and localised bone loss.

He is worried that the "tidal wave of nicotine pouch use" that has hit Sweden - the home of the original, tobacco-based snus - will soon hit the UK. There, 25% of 16 to 29-year-olds are users and dentists are seeing increasing numbers of patients with painful inflammation that is taking months, sometimes years, to heal.

A five-year study has just started at the University of Gothenburg into why white snus is leaving such damage compared to the tobacco-based products.

Dr Gita Gale, a specialist in oral medicine who is leading the study, says it's "alarming" how many people are using this product given how little is known about the long-term consequences of its use.

The government says its "landmark" Tobacco and Vapes bill, which is currently making its way through the House of Lords, will ban the sale of nicotine pouches to under 18s and prevent vapes and nicotine products from being deliberately promoted and advertised to children.

"It will stop the next generation from getting hooked on nicotine and put an end to the cycle of addiction and disadvantage," a government spokesperson added.

Finn says many of his school friends have moved from vaping to nicotine pouches. He did the same but feels he has had enough, and is trying to cut back.

"All I could think about was how much I needed it - it got too much," Finn says. "Snus is so much harder to kick than vaping.

"My advice? Don't bother with any of it in the first place. Nicotine traps you."

Being taught to love Russia starts early for children in occupied areas of eastern Ukraine.

At a nursery school in Luhansk, more than 70 youngsters line up holding a long black and orange Russian military banner in the shape of a letter Z, the symbol of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Across the city, seven little girls jump up and down and gesture in front of a Russian flag to the brash song "I am Russian" that blares out of loudspeakers. When the music stops they shout out together: "I'm Russian."

In an occupied town called Anthracite, nursery school children have made trench candles and blankets for Russian soldiers.

It is all part of a campaign that seeks not only to erase Ukraine's national identity, but also turn young Ukrainians against their own country.

To do that with children you need teachers, and as many Ukrainian teachers have fled, the government in Moscow has begun offering lump-sums of 2m roubles (£18,500) to Russian teaching staff willing to relocate to occupied parts of Ukraine.

The biggest and most powerful Russian organisation involved with children is Yunarmia (Youth Army).

Affiliated with the Russian defence ministry, it accepts members as young as eight. It operates across all of Russia, and now has branches in occupied areas of Ukraine.

"We're providing children with some basic skills which they'll find useful should they decide to join military service," says Fidail Bikbulatov, who runs Yunarmia's section in occupied areas of the Zaporizhzhia region in south-east Ukraine.

Bikbulatov was deployed from Russia's Bashkortostan, where he headed the "Youth Guard" division of the ruling United Russia party.

The EU has sanctioned Yunarmia, and Bikbulatov personally, for "the militarisation of Ukrainian children". Yunarmia is also targeted by UK sanctions for being part of Russia's campaign of "brainwashing" Ukrainian children.

Yunarmia is not alone. Other Russian state-sponsored organisations that have moved in include "Movement of the First Ones" and "Warrior", a network of centres for "the military and athletic training, and patriotic education of young people" set up on Russian President Vladimir Putin's orders.

These groups organise competitions such as Zarnitsa games rooted in the Soviet era, where Ukrainian children are required to demonstrate "general military literacy, knowledge of Russian statehood and military history, firearms firing skills".

As the children progress through the education system, they are taught in Russian, using the Russian curriculum and textbooks that justify Russia's war against Ukraine.

One such book portrays Ukraine as little more than a Western invention created to spite Russia, and argues that human civilisation would have possibly ended had Russia not invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Lisa, who attended a school in occupied Donetsk, says students there were forced to take part in events celebrating Russia and the USSR.

"When they were preparing a parade of some sort, I, the whole of my class and the whole of my year were forced to attend every weekend and train. We had to hold posters. I could not say no, it wasn't my choice. I was told I had to do it to graduate," Lisa says.

"Every time lessons started, our teacher made us stand up, put a hand on our hearts and listen to the Russian anthem, which she made us learn by heart, too."

Lisa now lives in the US and has been posting about her experiences on TikTok.

Serving Russian soldiers also play a role in the campaign of indoctrination, visiting schools to give so-called "bravery lessons". They glorify their exploits at war and depict Ukrainian forces as violent, unruly neo-Nazis.

Pavel Tropkin, an official from the ruling United Russia party now based in the occupied part of Kherson region, says these lessons are held "so that children understand the objectives" of what the Kremlin calls "the special military operation" in Ukraine.

Outside school, Ukrainian children are taken to see specially organised exhibitions glorifying Russia and the "special military operation".

One centre catering for such trips is hosting exhibitions called "Russia - My History" and "Special Military Operation Heroes" in Melitopol in Zaporizhzhia region.

The trips do not stop there.

The Kremlin has also launched a big campaign to take Ukrainian children on tours of Russia as part of efforts to instil pro-Russian sentiments.

Russia's culture minister Olga Lyubimova claims that more than 20,000 children from occupied Ukrainian territories have been taken to Russia under one programme alone, called "4+85". According to the Russian government's concert agency Rosconcert, which runs the programme, it seeks to "integrate the new generation into a unified Russian society".

However, Russia's "integration" campaign goes far beyond indoctrination.

Thousands of Ukrainian children taken to Russia during the three years of the full-scale invasion have not been allowed to return.

According to the Ukrainian government, more than 19,000 Ukrainian children have been forcibly deported to Russia. The UK government estimates that some 6,000 Ukrainian children have been relocated to a network of "re-education camps" in Russia.

International humanitarian law bans activities like this. For example, the Fourth Geneva Convention says that an occupying power may not enlist children "in formations or organizations subordinate to it" and that it may apply "no pressure or propaganda which aims at securing voluntary enlistment" of locals in occupied areas into its armed or auxiliary forces.

In 2023, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for President Putin, in part for the unlawful deportation of children. Putin and his government deny the charges.

Waging its war on Ukraine, Russia is not only after territory. It is also trying to put its stamp on the people who live there, no matter how young they are.

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For decades, the Indian elite have sought escape in Raj-era private clubs and gymkhanas, scattered around the swankiest neighbourhoods in the country's big cities, hillside resorts and cantonment towns.

Access to these quintessentially "English" enclaves, with their bellboys, butlers, dark mahogany interiors and rigid dress codes, has been reserved for the privileged; the old moneyed who roam the corridors of power - think business tycoons, senior bureaucrats, erstwhile royals, politicians or officers of the armed forces.

This is where India's rich and powerful have hobnobbed for years, building social capital over cigars or squash and brokering business deals during golf sessions. Today, these spaces can feel strangely anachronistic - relics of a bygone era in a country eager to shed its colonial past.

As Asia's third largest economy breeds a new generation of wealth creators, a more modern and less formal avatar of the private members-only club - that reflects the sweeping economic and demographic changes under way in India - is emerging. This is where the newly well-heeled are hanging out and doing business.

Demand for such spaces is strong enough for the international chain Soho House to plan two new launches in the capital Delhi and in south Mumbai in the coming months. Their first offering - an ocean-facing club on Mumbai's iconic Juhu Beach - opened six years ago and is wildly successful.

The chain is one of a host of new club entrants vying to cater to a market that is booming in India.

Soho House started in London in the mid-90s as an antidote to the upscale gentlemen's clubs that lined Pall Mall. It came in as a refreshingly new concept: a more relaxed club for creators, thinkers and creative entrepreneurs, who might have felt like they didn't belong in the enclaves of the old aristocracy.

Thirty years later, India's flourishing tech-driven economy of start-ups and creators has birthed a nouveau riche that's afforded Soho House exactly another such market opportunity.

"There's growth in India's young wealth, and young entrepreneurs really need a foundation to platform themselves," Kelly Wardingham, Soho House's Asia regional director, told the BBC. The "new wealthy require different things" from what the traditional gymkhanas offer.

Unlike the old clubs, Soho House does not either "shut off" or let in people based on their family legacy, status, wealth or gender, she says. Members use the space as a haven to escape the bustle of Mumbai, with its rooftop pool, gym and private screening rooms as well as a plethora of gourmet food options. But they also use it to drive value from a diverse community of potential mentors and investors, or to learn new skills and attend events and seminars.

Reema Maya, a young filmmaker, says her membership of the house in Mumbai - a city "where one is always jostling for space and a quiet corner in a cramped cafe" - has given her rare access to the movers and shakers of Mumbai's film industry - which might otherwise have been impossible for someone like her "without generational privilege".

In fact, for years, traditional gymkhanas were closed off for the creative community. The famous Bollywood actor, the late Feroz Khan, once asked a gymkhana club in Mumbai for membership, only to be politely refused, as they didn't admit actors.

Khan, taken aback by their snootiness, is said to have quipped, "If you'd watched my movies, you would know I am not much of an actor."

By contrast, Soho House proudly flaunts Bollywood star Ali Fazal, a member, on its in-house magazine cover.

But beyond just a more modern, democratic ethos, high demand for these clubs is also a factor of the limited supply of the traditional gymkhanas, which are still very sought after.

Waiting queues at most of them can extend "up to many years," and supply hasn't caught up to serve the country's "new crop of self-made businessmen, creative geniuses and high-flying corporate honchos", according to Ankit Kansal of Axon Developers, which recently released a report on the rise of new members-only clubs.

This mismatch has led to more than two dozen new club entrants - including independent ones like Quorum and BVLD, as well as those backed by global hospitality brands like St Regis and Four Seasons - opening in India. At least half a dozen more are on their way in the next few years, according to Axon Developers.

This market, the report says, is growing at nearly 10% every year, with Covid having become a big turning point, as the wealthy chose to avoid public spaces.

While these spaces mark significant shifts, with their progressive membership policies and patronage of the arts, literary and independent music scene they are very much still "sanctums of modern luxury", says Axon, with admission given out by invite only or through referrals, and costing several times more than the monthly income of most Indians.

At Soho House for instance, annual membership is 320,000 Indian rupees ($3,700; $2,775) - beyond what most people can afford.

What's changed is that membership is based on personal accomplishment and future potential rather than family pedigree. A new self-made elite has replaced the old inheritors - but access remains largely out of reach for the average middle-class Indian.

In a way the rising take-up for these memberships reflects India's broader post-liberalisation growth story – when the country opened up to the world and discarded its socialist moorings.

Growth galloped, but the rich became the biggest beneficiaries, growing even richer as inequality reached gaping proportions. It's why the country's luxury market has boomed, even as the high street struggles with tepid demand, with most Indians without money to spend on anything beyond the basics.

But growing numbers of newly-minted rich present a big business opportunity.

India's 797,000 high-net worth individuals are set to double in number within a couple of years - a fraction of a population of 1.4 billion, but enough to drive future growth for those building new playgrounds for the wealthy to unwind, network and live the high life.

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