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EU and Mexico criticise Trump's proposed 30% tariff

BBC 'Breaking' graphicBBC

President Donald Trump has announced that the European Union and Mexico will face a 30% tariff on imports to the US from 1 August.

He warned he would impose even higher import taxes if either of the US trading partners decided to retaliate.

The announcement was made in two letters posted on Trump's Truth Social website. Similar letters were sent this week to several other countries.

The 27-member EU - America's biggest trading partner - said earlier this week it hoped to agree a deal with Washington before 1 August.

In the letter to European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Trump wrote: "We have had years to discuss our trading relationship with the European Union, and have concluded that we must move away from these long-term-large, and persistent, trade deficits, engendered by your tariff, and non-tariff, policies and trade barriers."

"Our relationship has been, unfortunately, far from reciprocal," the letter added.

The EU has been a frequent target of Trump's criticism, and in April Washington announced levies of 20% on European goods.

In 2024, the US trade deficit with the bloc was $235.6bn (€202bn; £174bn), according to the office of the US trade representative.

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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Heatwave continues across UK ahead of Monday temperature dip

ANDY RAIN/EPA/Shutterstock A boy gets his head wet standing on grass in front of a water sprinkler at Parliament Square in London on 12 July.ANDY RAIN/EPA/Shutterstock

Hot weather will continue across the UK on Sunday with possible highs of 31C as the country moves past the peak of its third heatwave this year.

Temperatures are forecast to dip slightly on Sunday before a cooler change on Monday that will bring "heavy spells of rain" for many areas, the Met Office said.

Amber heat health alerts remain in place for the Midlands, southern and eastern England until 9:00 on Monday.

On Saturday Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales all recorded their warmest day of the year so far, while England saw a temperature high of 33.1C in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire.

Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands recorded a temperature of 32.2C - the first time Scotland has exceeded 30C since June 2023, according to the Met Office.

In Northern Ireland, there was a high of 30C in Magilligan, Londonderry - the first time that temperature has been reached since July 2022, the weather service said, adding that in Wales, Cardiff's Bute Park reached 33.1C.

The amber heat health alerts have been issued for six regions of England - the West Midlands, East Midlands, South East, South West, London and East of England.

Amber alerts mean weather impacts are likely to be felt across the whole health service, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

It warns of possible health impacts across the wider population, including a potential increase in the risk to health of people aged 65 and over, or those with pre-existing health conditions, as well as a rise in deaths for the over 65 age group.

Less severe yellow health warnings are in place until 9:00 on Monday for the North East, North West and Yorkshire and The Humber.

The latest heatwave has led to hosepipe bans being declared for millions of people in Yorkshire, Kent and Sussex.

This can mean restrictions on certain activities like watering gardens, washing cars, or filling up paddling pools - and those who break the ban could face a fine.

In Scotland, an "extreme" wildfire warning is in effect across much of the country with crews battling a blaze in Perth.

Firefighters in Surrey were also battling a wildfire to the south of Farnham which had grown to eight hectares as of Saturday evening.

The Surrey Fire and Rescue Service have told the public to avoid the area and urged nearby residents to close windows and doors.

The heat has also affected sporting events, with Wimbledon fans braving close to the hottest women's finals day at the tennis championship.

Temperatures hit 31C in Wimbledon, south-west London, as Iga Swiatek beat Amanda Anisimova in the women's singles final.

Sunday's men's finals day will see a cooler shift to 29C as the intense heat begins to ease, which will make conditions more comfortable for fans and players.

According to the Met Office, "the heatwave will begin to breakdown" from Sunday, and Monday will see showers developing across many parts of the UK.

"If you're not a fan of the heat, temperatures will be falling away but also bringing some heavy spells of rain, or welcome rainfall, for many of us," Met Office meteorologist Kathryn Chalk said.

The heatwave is expected to end for most on Monday, as cooler Atlantic air brings temperatures closer to the seasonal average for much of the UK.

The changed weather pattern will also bring rain to some areas, including those where rain has been seriously lacking recently.

However, those in the south-east of England may have to wait until Tuesday for some respite from the heat, with temperatures set to remain around 27C or 28C on Monday.

While linking climate change with specific individual extreme weather events can be difficult, scientists say that climate change is generally making heatwaves hotter, longer and more frequent.

Three summer heatwaves in quick succession after an unusually warm spring suggests climate change is having some effect on 2025's weather - impacting not just humans but wildlife as well.

'Kate aces it' and UK PM 'won't stop a single boat'

The headline on the front page of the Sunday Telegraph reads: "Anti-Semitism 'rife among middle class'".
The Princess of Wales' appearance at the Wimbledon women's singles final dominated the Sunday papers. The Sunday Telegraph leads with a smiling photo of Catherine in the royal box as she received a standing ovation from the crowd. Elsewhere, the paper says a government-backed commission on behalf of the Board of Deputies of British Jews has found that antisemitism is "rife" among the UK's middle classes.
The headline on the front page of the Sunday Mirror reads: "Royal secret weapon? I'll take it as a compliment".
The Sunday Mirror dubs the princess's Wimbledon visit an "ace", spotlighting a photo of Catherine in her white ensemble. In other royal news, the paper features Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh saying she is proud of being called a "royal secret weapon" through her role of helping women in global conflicts.
The headline on the front page of the Sunday Times reads: "Child dies with measles as jab rate plummets".
The Sunday Times features a photo of Catherine congratulating Wimbledon women's champion Iga Swiatek, who dominated American Amanda Anisimova with a 6-0, 6-0 win. Sharing the front page is the story of a child who died after contracting measles, with the paper reporting experts warning of a decline in vaccine rates against the disease.
The headline on the front page of the Sunday Express reads: "PM's deal with France 'won't stop a single boat'".
A "wave" of support for the princess headlines the Sunday Express's Wimbledon report. Also dominating the front page is an "exclusive message" from Sir Keir Starmer hitting back at critics who say his migrant deal with France "won't stop a single boat". Writing in the paper, the prime minister gives a "full-throttle defence" of his record on stopping illegal immigration.
The headline on the front page of the Mail on Sunday reads: "Revealed: The secret Harry peace summit".
The Mail on Sunday follows with their royal exclusive of a "secret peace summit" between King Charles' and the Duke of Sussex's senior aides. The paper says the meeting is a first step towards restoring the "broken relationship" between Prince Harry and the Royal Family.
The headline on the front page of the Observer reads: "The battle within".
The Observer leads with "the battle within" the BBC over its Gaza coverage, saying the broadcaster is "divided" over its reporting on the conflict.
The headline on the front page of the Sun reads: "Sex attack arrest on the set of EastEnders".
The Sun reports on the arrest of an actor working as an extra on the EastEnders set over an "alleged indecent assault" incident that left other stars "shocked".
The headline on the front page of the Daily Star reads: "Rise of the Robo landlord".
Finally, the Daily Star teases the rise of the "Robo landlord" as it says that artificial intelligence could be used in pubs to handle tasks such as hiring staff and ordering beer from the brewery. Alongside is a photoshopped image of comedian Al Murray as a robot getting ready to pour a pint behind the bar.
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Health secretary and BMA to meet in bid to avoid strikes

Getty Images A junior doctor holds a placard that says "Pay restoration for doctors" during a rally in London in June last year. They are holding up one arm and wearing an orange British Medical Association hat and sunglasses, while their body is largely obscured by their sign. Behind them other protesters, a police officer and pedestrians are standing around.Getty Images
Resident doctors took part in 11 separate strikes during 2023 and 2024

Talks between Health Secretary Wes Streeting and the British Medical Association (BMA) will take place next week in a bid to avert strike action in England's NHS, the BBC understands.

Resident doctors, previously known as junior doctors, announced earlier this week that they will walk out for five consecutive days from 25 July until 30 July over a dispute about pay with the government.

The BMA said strikes would only be called off if next week's talks produce an offer it can put to its members.

The government has insisted it cannot improve its offer of a 5.4% increase for this year.

Resident doctors were awarded a 5.4% pay rise for this financial year - which will go into pay packets from August - following a 22% increase over the previous two years.

But they are arguing that pay in real terms is still around 20% lower than it was in 2008 and have called for the government to set out a pathway to restoring its value.

They believe that this year's 5.4% increase doesn't take them far enough down that path.

Health department sources have told the BBC the health secretary is sympathetic to improving working conditions for resident doctors, but he won't budge on salaries.

After the BMA's strike announcement, Streeting called the strike "unnecessary and unreasonable", adding: "The NHS is hanging by a thread - why on earth are they threatening to pull it?"

He said the government was "ready and willing" to work with the BMA, but any further strike action would be a disaster for patients and push back the progress made in reducing waiting lists in England.

BMA resident doctor committee co-chairs, Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt, said on Wednesday they had been left with "no choice" but to strike without a "credible offer to keep us on the path to restore our pay".

Lord Robert Winston, a professor and TV doctor who was a pioneer of IVF treatment, resigned from the BMA on Friday over the planned strikes.

In an interview with The Times, he urged against strike action and said it could damage people's trust in the profession.

Resident doctors took part in 11 separate strikes during 2023 and 2024.

In order to end the previous strikes last year the incoming Labour government awarded a backdated increase worth 22% over two years.

The action in England will not affect resident doctors in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, who negotiate directly with their devolved governments on pay.

Resident doctors' basic salaries in England range from £37,000 to £70,000 a year for a 40-hour week, depending on experience, with extra payments for working nightshifts and weekends.

That does not include the latest 5.4% average pay award for this year which will start to be paid into wage packets from August.

Drake's still relevant - as his famous friends will tell you

Getty Images Drake holding a microphone standGetty Images
Drake has already played to 100,000 fans across two nights at London's Wireless Festival

Drake has certainly had a difficult couple of months, with the most notable moment being when fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar used his Super Bowl halftime show as an opportunity to call the Canadian a paedophile - something Drake's lawyers are now suing Lamar's record label over.

Social media would have you believe that Drake came off worse from the pair's constant sparring, that he was no longer culturally relevant and had been deserted by his friends in the music industry.

So what better way to dispel those views than by headlining three nights of London's biggest festival - performing to more than 150,000 people in the process?

The Toronto rapper has just finished night two at Wireless, which featured so many special guests that there was barely a moment to breathe throughout the set, let alone sneak off for a drink or toilet break.

Getty Images Lauryn Hill performing in a blue jacket during Drake's setGetty Images
Lauryn Hill was a surprise special guest on Friday night, collaborating on Nice For What with Drake

Each night of the festival has centred around a different era of the 38-year-old's extensive back catalogue, with Friday delving into his R&B roots, Saturday dedicated to UK rap and grime and Sunday set to explore his forays into global genres such as dancehall, reggaeton and Latin pop.

The two hour sets left plenty of room for collaborators - with Lauryn Hill, Bryson Tiller, Central Cee and Dave getting the biggest cheers of the weekend.

Both nights have also proved that if Drake needs a new place to call home, London would welcome him with open arms.

The festival reached sweltering levels of heat on both days, but nothing could kill the spirit of the thousands of fans, whose energy rippled through the crowd.

"There's no place like home - London, England.

"You've shown me so much love over the years," he added - amassing huge cheers from the crowd.

Friday love songs

Drake's Friday performance marked the first time the Canadian had played properly to UK crowds in more than six years - so fans appeared a little deflated when he wasn't the first face they saw as the lights went down.

Instead, co-headliner PARTYNEXTDOOR started off the show, performing a medley of solo hits for around 20 minutes.

Drake then entered the stage to little fanfare, but all was forgotten quickly as he launched into some of his biggest R&B hits, including Marvin's Room, Teenage Fever and the everlastingly catchy Passionfruit.

Then barely minutes into his headline slot, the Canadian was once again on the sidelines as he introduced his first and second of many special guests.

It became evident early on that Drake knows a thing or two about creating a viral moment, first when he brought out Bobby V to perform his hit Slow Down and then Mario, who provided flawless vocals on his signature track Let Me Love You.

Getty Images Mario performs in a black leather outfitGetty Images
Mario performed his classic track Let Me Love You on Friday evening

A theme of the weekend was established early on - that Drake felt comfortable enough as a performer to allow others to take centre stage and lift up those whose talents he appreciated.

He went on to collaborate with several more artists on the night, including R&B newcomer Giveon, Kentucky singer and rapper Bryson Tiller and once again with PARTYNEXTDOOR, as the pair performed tracks from their February album, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, together for the first time.

The set as a whole was completely unstructured - coming to a frantic end as Drake whizzed around the festival site on a crane platform while Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You boomed from the speakers.

As fireworks appeared from behind the stage, a mass of people headed for the exit.

But much to everyone's surprise, the night wasn't over - was Drake covering Ready or Not by the Fugees?

It turns out he wasn't and pretty much everyone was surprised when none other than Lauryn Hill's impressive vocals began to ring out across Finsbury Park.

She rattled through Ex-Factor as Finsbury Park's curfew crept ever closer, transitioning into Nice For What, the 2018 Drake song which samples said track.

It was certainly the highlight of the evening, tainted slightly by Wireless' technical team cutting the mics before Hill could sing one more song.

Getty Images Dave and Central Cee perform togetherGetty Images
Dave and Central Cee performed their chart-topping hit Sprinter on Saturday evening

Star-studded Saturday

If Friday was frenetic, Saturday's performance took the chaos factor to whole new levels.

The show can only be described as what would happen if Gen Z was put in charge of the Royal Variety Performance.

It was hard to keep up with the carousel of famous faces making their way onto the stage, each one met with more and more gasps from the crowd.

Emerging artist fakemink was the first UK rap artist to make an appearance, who was then replaced with Headie One.

The Tottenham rapper paced up and down the stage as he rapped alongside Drake on their track Only You Freestyle.

Then came drill artist K-Trap, followed by J Hus.

Drake famously brought J Hus on stage in 2019 on the day he was released from prison, which he referenced on Saturday evening as "one of my greatest moments as a performer".

The pair jammed their way through their 2023 collaboration Who Told You, which proved the perfect accompaniment to a beautiful London sunset.

As fans battled with frozen phone cameras and sore arms from all the filming, there was no respite.

Skepta - who had already performed earlier with grime collective Boy Better Know, returned to the stage for Shutdown, a rap classic that just so happens to sample an old Drake social media video.

As the cameras cut to the Canadian, he could be seen smiling and dancing on the sidelines, clearly enjoying his own personal performance from some of UK rap's titans.

"Nobody can out-rap London," he mused from side of stage.

Getty Images Skepta in a green t-shirtGetty Images
Skepta performed his hit Shutdown to the Wireless crowd

It felt impossible that each special guest could top the previous one, but then came Streatham rapper Dave, who made an exception from his music hiatus for one night only.

He performed his track with Drake - Wanna Know, who then teased that yet another guest was coming to the stage.

As Sprinter - arguably one of the biggest UK tracks of this decade began to play, audience screams reached their greatest of the weekend so far.

Central Cee made his way onto the stage, with Drake declaring him and Dave as "two of the biggest artists together at the moment".

After collaborating on Sprinter, Central Cee launched into a selection of some of his biggest hits, including Band4Band, Doja and Obsessed With You.

It would be almost impossible to imagine that anyone left this show disappointed, unless they wanted to see Drake and Drake only.

He performed just 18 of the 60 songs across the two nights on his own - a departure from his usual touring style.

As Saturday drew to a close there were even more surprises - this time from across the pond.

PARTYNEXTDOOR once again made an appearance, as did female rappers Sexxy Red and Latto.

21 Savage did too, but was then replaced rather bizarrely with singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton.

Visuals of her playing piano and singing A Thousand Miles flashed across the mega on-stage screens as friends turned to each other bewildered.

Drake then once again climbed onto his crane for another round of Whitney, further intensifying the feeling that we had somehow been transported to the sticky dance floor of a hometown nightclub at 2am.

Getty Images Drake in black and Dave in red and blueGetty Images
Drake and Dave perform together at Wireless Festival

If there's anything to take from two nights of back-to-back Drake, it's that he will certainly always receive a warm welcome when he performs in the UK.

As someone who was bitterly labelled as a "culture vulture" by a British grime artist in 2019, the Canadian certainly got the opportunity to set the record straight over the weekend.

Drake joked on Saturday that he had "made a lot of phone calls" to the UK's biggest rap and grime artists - whose willingness to support the Canadian at this time spoke volumes.

Whilst his feud with Kendrick Lamar has certainly provided more headlines than his recent music, these shows have proven that his mass appeal remains, as does his exceptional showmanship and enduring pop, rap and R&B back catalogue.

Drake performs alongside Burna Boy, Popcaan and Vybz Kartel on the final day of Wireless Festival on Sunday.

He will return to the UK in two weeks to play several arena shows with PARTYNEXTDOOR in Birmingham and Manchester.

Trump's tariffs are looming large over the UK’s last surviving steel towns

BBC Treated image of the Port Talbot steelworks. BBC

Ryan Davies worked at the Port Talbot steelworks for 33 years and from his very first day, he heard rumours that the plant was on the verge of closing.

Whispers would spread among his colleagues about new ownership and redundancies. Usually, they weren't true.

"You took it with a pinch of salt," he recalls.

It was an exhausting job. He remembers the clanging of metal and the high-pitched whining of steam, as well as the fear of gas leaks. In the summer it became "excruciatingly" hot inside the plant and his shifts lasted 12 hours.

But he also valued his job. Being a steelworker was part of his identity.

Then, a few years ago, he heard a new rumour: that Tata Steel, the plant's Indian owners, was to close its blast furnaces. This one turned out to be true.

The two furnaces were switched off in July and September last year, part of a restructure that would ultimately remove around 2,000 jobs, half of the number employed there.

PA Media A file photo dated 15 September 2023 shows Tata Steel's Port Talbot steelworks in south Wales.PA Media
Steel is integral to Port Talbot's identity - everyone there has either worked at the steelworks plant or knows someone who did

"It was the end of it all - the end of 100 years of steelmaking in Port Talbot," says Mr Davies, who took voluntary redundancy in November.

He is 51 now and unsure about his own future, and what the news means for his wife and his 19-year-old daughter. But he also worries deeply about Port Talbot.

Steel is integral to the town's identity. The bronze-coloured chimneys loom across the skyline; the first thing you see as you drive towards the town from the M4.

Steel, Mr Davies says, was "the whole reason Port Talbot was ever a successful town".

It is a similar story across the handful of other British communities that historically relied on steelmaking as a source of employment.

As well as Port Talbot, they include places like Redcar in North Yorkshire and Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire.

A line chart showing UK steel production in millions of metric tonnes from 1900 to 2015. The line starts around 5 million in 1901 and gradually rises throughout the early part of the 20th century, peaking at around 28 million tonnes in 1970. After this point it starts to decline year on year, before rebounding a little in the latter part of the 1980s and 1990s. It then drops to a low of 11 million tonnes by the end of the times series.

At its peak around 1970, the UK's steel industry produced more than 26 million tonnes of steel each year and employed more than 320,000 people.

Then came the long decline. Now just four million tonnes are produced each year, with fewer than 40,000 employed.

But in the last few years, the industry has entered a particularly difficult period, thanks in part to rising energy prices. The ongoing uncertainty about tariffs on steel exports to the US is not helping.

This has frayed nerves and cost the UK steel industry orders from US companies, according to steel industry executives.

Getty Images Children play in a park in the shadow of the Tata Steel processing plant at Scunthorpe on 19 October 2015.Getty Images
The blast furnaces in Port Talbot were switched off last year

While 27.5% tariffs on cars were reduced to 10% and tariffs on aerospace products were lowered to zero, a 25% tariff on UK steel and aluminium exports to the US is still in place.

British officials say they are determined to reduce steel tariffs to zero too, and talks are ongoing. But this all adds to a sense of foreboding on the ground in steel towns.

So, what comes next if UK steel manufacturing really does near extinction? And where does that leave places like Port Talbot and Redcar that have so much of their identity bound up in their industrial history?

The 'wilderness' ghost steel towns

If you want to peer into a post-steel future, look at Redcar on the northeast coast - an area sometimes described as Britain's "rust belt", owing to the derelict industrial sites scattered across the landscape.

Teesside's steel industry emerged in the mid-19th Century and went on to employ more than 40,000 people. It has long been a point of local pride that the Sydney Harbour Bridge was built from Teesside steel.

But along with other steel towns, it suffered in the latter half of the 20th Century. Cheap imports from China created tough competition. Britain moved from a manufacturing to a service-based economy - and towns like Redcar were left behind.

In 1987, Margaret Thatcher walked with a handbag through a nearby derelict wasteland; a photograph of the "wilderness" visit became a symbol of industrial hardship.

Getty Images Margaret Thatcher walks through what remains of the Head Wrightson works in Thornaby, Middlesbrough, in September 1987.Getty Images
Margaret Thatcher visits the derelict Head Wrightson site in Middlesbrough

More recently, the steel industry has struggled under the weight of the UK's relatively high energy prices (which makes it expensive to heat a furnace).

Some analysts also say that the UK's drive towards decarbonisation is raising costs for steel producers.

In 2015, the Thai owners of Redcar's steelworks pulled the plug. Sue Jeffrey, then Labour leader of Redcar Council, remembers watching the blast furnace in action, on one of its final days in use.

"It was one of the most devastating things I've been involved in," she recalls.

About 2,000 workers lost their jobs at the site, with thousands more affected through the steel supply chain.

Local businesses were hit too; B&Bs have lost custom from the contractors no longer visiting the area.

Getty Images Hundreds of steel workers, their families and supporters attend a torch light vigil and rally to show support for the workers and contractors from SSI steel on 24 September 2015 in Redcar, England.Getty Images
Steelworkers in Redcar in 2015: About 2,000 workers lost their jobs at the site, with thousands more affected

The council set up a task force to help former steelworkers into new jobs. It saw some success.

Of the more than 2,000 steelworkers who made an initial claim for benefits when the plant closed, the vast majority had come off benefits within three years, according to a council report published in 2018.

But Ms Jeffrey argues that many could not find jobs that made use of their industrial skills.

Some became dog walkers and decorators; others, chimney sweeps. Many, she says, accepted a large cut in salary.

The same tale has been told in other steel towns; laid-off worker forced to find new jobs.

Some are delighted with the change.

After his redundancy, Ryan Davies decided to pursue his dream since boyhood: street art. He now runs a business, painting murals of ladybirds, ducks and mythical creatures.

Ryan Davies On the left a close up of Ryan Davies and on the right, a street art mural done by Ryan of a tropical fishRyan Davies
Former steelworker Ryan Davies has started a business making murals since being made redundant: "I've been far happier"

Though his income is lower, he finds it fulfilling. "I've been a far happier person since I left," he says.

"When you've got a grey wall and you paint something colourful, it makes people smile."

But not everyone is so upbeat.

Cassius Walker-Hunt, 28, opened a coffee shop in Port Talbot last year after taking redundancy from the town's steelworks, using a £7,500 loan from Tata Steel to buy professional coffee-making equipment.

"I've been working around the clock just to survive," he says today.

The fight to keep blast furnaces burning

The job security that steelmaking once offered is one reason unions argue it's imperative to keep the industry alive.

Alun Davies, national secretary at the Community Union, the largest union for steelworkers, thinks governments should step in when required to keep blast furnaces burning.

That's exactly what happened earlier this year in Scunthorpe, the last place in the UK that makes virgin steel from melting iron ore in blast furnaces.

It has lurched from crisis to crisis. The last government took control when it was on the brink of going bust and - £600million of UK taxpayer support later - sold it to Chinese company Jingye.

AFP via Getty Images Cast House operator Martin Rees changes the nozzle on a clay gun at the Tata Steel Port Talbot integrated iron and steel works in south Wales on 15 August 2023. AFP via Getty Images
An operator changes the nozzle on a clay gun at the steelworks in Port Talbot

Now it is back in government control. The government was forced to intervene after Jingye failed to order vital supplies to keep the furnaces burning.

From here, Scunthorpe's future is uncertain. Some have urged the Labour government to fully nationalise the site.

But Jonathon Carruthers-Green, an analyst at steel consultancy MEPS International, believes that ministers will be wary of that option because of the huge potential costs and complications.

Alternatively, the plant could be sold to a different foreign buyer.

But, asks Mr Carruthers-Green, "Who is going to come along and start making steel in the UK, where there's higher [energy] costs, where there's all sorts of issues around decarbonisation?"

Scunthorpe resident, Sean Robinson, told the BBC earlier this year that he fears the town will become another steel "ghost town".

A question of Trump's tariffs

Looming large over all of this is the question of what will become of Trump's tariffs and how it will impact UK steel.

The good news is that the UK was exempted from a surprise hike on those tariffs from 25 to 50% last month, and trade officials seem confident that they will also be unaffected by the new deferred date of 1 August, which is when the White House says its most swingeing tariffs on US trading partners will come into effect.

But steel companies are still frustrated that the original plan to reduce tariffs on UK steel to zero is yet to be agreed.

There are two sticking points. The first, according to steel industry sources, is that US trade negotiators are overwhelmed with the sheer volume of work to get through when negotiating with the rest of the world simultaneously.

Getty Images President Donald Trump speaks during a “Make America Wealthy Again” trade announcementGetty Images
While car and aerospace industries had tariffs cut in a UK-US trade deal, steel faces a 25% charge when exported to America

But the second, and the reason steel was not waved through alongside cars and planes, is that there are concerns in the US that the UK's largest steel maker Tata no longer makes steel from scratch.

Having closed its blast furnaces, it no longer "melts and pours" the steel but rather imports virgin steel from India to be modified in the UK, leading to some questions in the US as to whether it even counts as UK steel.

Even if and when a zero-tariff deal is done on steel, it is likely to include quotas above which tariffs will be charged, putting a ceiling on future growth in exports to the US.

Is 'romanticism' blocking sensible debate?

There is, however, a bigger, more profound question that steel towns must wrestle with. In a post-industrial age, what exactly are these places for?

And, should they try to reignite the embers of their dying steel trade - or pivot to a new industry of the future?

Some trade union leaders maintain that steel towns can, in effect, remain steel towns. With the right investment in green technologies, Mr Davies of the Community Union thinks, a new, cleaner steel industry could emerge.

"Imagine Port Talbot without any steelworkers - it's unthinkable," he says.

Getty Images Cyclist in red rides along a road with a sign for the steelworks in the foreground, and the steelworks in the backgroundGetty Images
Some believes towns like Port Talbot should now look to industries of the future

But others think that view is unrealistic. Paul Swinney, a director at the Centre for Cities think tank, argues that there is a certain romanticism in the debate around steel that blocks sensible thinking.

"I think it's wrapped up in what some people perceive as being 'good jobs,'" he says. "You did a hard day's graft, you got your hands dirty, and you felt like you'd contributed. [But that framing] just isn't helpful."

As he sees it, "there's no plausible route forward which is going to have more of these kinds of jobs. "The UK economy has changed," he argues.

Instead, he believes towns like Port Talbot and Redcar should look to industries of the future.

Industries of the future

Redcar is already taking steps in this direction. The derelict land that once housed the town's steelworks is now at the centre of an ambitious redevelopment led by the South Tees Development Corporation.

The old steelmaking structures have been flattened to make way for renewable energy and carbon capture and storage.

The managers of the Teesworks project say they have created more than 2,000 "long-term" jobs - and they hope to create 20,000 in total.

But last year, a central government review criticised "inappropriate decisions and a lack of transparency" at the corporation, and looked at why private property developers had ended up owning a large amount of the site.

Getty Images 'Save our steel' badge on a jacket with Tata steel-logo on the pocket Getty Images
Should Britain focus on 'saving our steel' - or focus on other industries such as renewable energy and carbon capture?

Tees Valley Conservative Mayor Lord Houchen, who at that point chaired the corporation, said he "welcomed" the panel's recommendations to improve transparency.

Speaking on local radio in May, he said the Teesworks project has provided "billions of pounds of investment for the region".

But Mr Swinney of Centre for Cities says we need to think bigger still. Rather than trying to recreate their industrial glory, steel towns may want to lean into white-collar, knowledge economy jobs - the sort of work that made many city centres comparatively rich.

The key is to improve transport from steel towns to cities, where office jobs tend to be located, he says.

Getty Images Terraced houses on a street with a red bus and man passing by and a Unite union mural on a wall saying 'back the workers plan for steel!'Getty Images
The key is to improve transport from steel towns to cities where office jobs are located, argues one expert

But ex-steelworker Ryan Davies laughs at the suggestion of steelworkers slipping seamlessly into office jobs.

"When you come from an environment of 33 years of steelworking, going into an office is such a radical difference," he says.

There are other challenges too: people in steel towns tend to have fewer formal qualifications - often essential for office work.

For example, about 37% of working-age adults in Port Talbot have the equivalent of one year of university education, versus a UK average of 49%.

A slow death vs hope for the future

Ultimately, the future of these towns may rest on the wider fate of the UK's steel industry. And there is some cause for optimism.

The government insists that Scunthorpe and the rest of the UK steel industry has a future, not least because of the big increase in spending on a steel-intensive defence industry.

Mr Carruthers-Green thinks that the UK's decarbonisation drive could also eventually play to steel's advantage.

With more investment in green energy, he says, there will be further demand for the sort of high-quality steel used in things like wind turbines. This, in turn, creates more energy, lowering prices for steel producers.

"The hope is we can get into this virtuous spiral," he adds.

Getty Images Landscape panorama of a steelworks with smoke in the skyGetty Images
The government insists that the UK steel industry has a future, not least because of the increase in defence spending

Gareth Stace, director general of the trade group UK Steel, is a little more cautious, however. There's a "worst case" scenario where the UK "continue[s] to make less and less and less, he argues.

As he puts it, "We don't go out of business in one bang". Instead, there's a slow death.

Yet he also believes that with some tailored policies, steel could be revived even in this scenario. In particular, he wants to see action on energy prices, as well as policies on procurement in which government departments buy more steel from the UK instead of from abroad.

"If it works," he says, "for the first time in a very, very long time, we'll actually have some hope for the future."

Additional reporting: David Macmillan

BBC InDepth is the home on the website and app for the best analysis, with fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions and deep reporting on the biggest issues of the day. And we showcase thought-provoking content from across BBC Sounds and iPlayer too. You can send us your feedback on the InDepth section by clicking on the button below.

Absorbing Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry set for next chapter

Absorbing Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry set for next chapter

Jannik Sinner congratulates Carlos Alcaraz after their French Open finalImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are meeting for the second successive Grand Slam men's singles final

  • Published

There are a number of factors which turn an exciting rivalry into an epic, enduring duel that transcends the sport.

The core talent. The blend of personalities. The gripping encounters on the biggest stages.

The tussle between Italy's Jannik Sinner and Spain's Carlos Alcaraz - ranked one and two in the men's game - has all those components.

It also has arguably the most important ingredient: each player being pushed to a greater height by the other.

On Sunday, the pair will meet again in the Wimbledon final - where Sinner aims to win his first title and Alcaraz bids for a rare third in a row.

A renewal of their acquaintance at the All England Club comes just 35 days after Alcaraz beat Sinner in an all-time classic French Open final.

Asked about their rivalry, Alcaraz said: "I'm not going to say I'm feeling like when Rafa [Nadal] and Roger [Federer] are playing.

"But I'm feeling like it is a different energy when we are facing each other than other players."

Sinner, 23, and 22-year-old Alcaraz have created a duopoly in the men's game over the past two seasons.

Because of his brilliance, Sinner has remained the world number one - despite serving a three-month doping ban this year in a case which rocked the sport.

The pair have gained a grip on the Grand Slam tournaments, winning the past six majors between them.

Their epic French Open battle was another demonstration of how the absorbing rivalry - which the ATP Tour has long pinned its hopes on filling the Federer-Nadal-Novak Djokovic void - could be a blockbuster for years to come.

"You cannot compare what the 'Big Three' did for 15-plus years. [Our rivalry] is not that big yet," said three-time Grand Slam champion Sinner, who is aiming for his first non-hard court major.

"This is the second consecutive Grand Slam that we are in the final and playing each other - I believe it's good for the sport.

"The more rivalries we have from now on, the better it is, because people want to see young player going against each other."

The quality, excitement and tension of the recent Roland Garros final accelerated interest in the pair.

Alcaraz fighting back from two sets down - and having saved three championship points - to win a five-setter in over five hours has whetted the appetite for Wimbledon.

The five-time major champion expects to be pushed "to the limit" again at the All England Club.

"It's going to be a great day, a great final. I'm just excited about it," he said.

"I just hope not to be five and a half hours again. But if I have to, I will."

Ice versus fire - the 21st century version

The contrasting personalities are reminiscent of another pair who created a rivalry which continues to endure almost 50 years later.

Bjorn Borg was the 'ice' compared to John McEnroe's 'fire' and there are similar characteristics in Sinner and Alcaraz.

Sinner is ice-cold during matches and little appears to faze the mild-mannered Italian - on or off court.

He was able to stay sanguine during the doping controversy and has also moved on quickly from the brutal nature of his French Open defeat.

"We keep talking about the fact that he's got really good self-awareness and puts everything into perspective," Sinner's coach Darren Cahill told BBC Sport.

"I think that's part of the reason why he's been able to do what he's been able to do here.

"I would have been heartbroken after losing a final where I had match points, but he sees the big picture really well and is why he's able to bounce back so quickly."

Alcaraz is not as combustible as the famously volatile McEnroe. But he does possess a more colourful side than Sinner.

He bellows 'Vamos' when big moments go his way in matches and also regularly shows his emotion by breaking out into beaming smiles.

The natural warmth and authenticity of the Spaniard, plus his array of stunning shot-making, makes him relatable to fans.

"He's got the X-Factor - he's a performer," American great Billie Jean King told BBC Sport.

Who's got the advantage?

Sinner has been the dominant player on the ATP Tour for the past two seasons, winning 98 of his 109 matches (90%) and lifting nine titles.

In the same timeframe, Alcaraz has won 102 of his 120 matches (85%) and claimed nine titles.

But it is the Spaniard who is dominating their head-to-head record.

The triumph on the Paris clay was his fifth straight victory over Sinner, extending his dominance to eight wins from their 12 career meetings.

"When Sinner brings his A game there is no-one that can beat him - other than Alcaraz," said seven-time major champion McEnroe, who is a BBC Sport analyst during the championships.

Jannik Sinner shakes hands with Carlos Alcaraz after their 2022 match at WimbledonImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Sinner won their only previous meeting at Wimbledon, back in 2022 when he won 6-1 6-4 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 in the last 16

"On the other hand if Alcaraz doesn't bring his A game then Sinner will win every time. So it's going to be extremely interesting."

Alcaraz has moved through the gears nicely at the All England Club and goes into the final - unlike Sinner - having suffered no injury problems over the past fortnight.

After beating Djokovic in the semi-finals, Sinner said the elbow injury he suffered in the fourth round against Grigor Dimitrov would provide "no issues" on Sunday.

"I will give a slight edge to Carlos as a favourite because of the two titles he's won here and the way he's playing and the confidence he has right now," seven-time champion Djokovic said.

"But it's just a slight advantage because Jannik is hitting the ball extremely well.

"It's going to be, again, a very close match-up like we had in Paris."

Related topics

Gaza hospital says 24 people killed near aid site as witnesses blame IDF

Reuters Image shows Palestinians seeking aid near an aid distribution site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in Rafah, the southern Gaza Strip, on 27 May 2025Reuters
Palestinians seeking food and other supplies near an aid distribution site in May

The Nasser hospital in southern Gaza has said 24 people have been killed near an aid distribution site.

Palestinians who were present at the site said Israeli troops opened fire as people were trying to access food on Saturday.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said there were "no known injured individuals" from IDF fire near the site.

Separately, an Israeli military official said warning shots were fired to disperse people who the IDF believed were a threat.

The claims by both sides have not been independently verified. Israel does not allow international news organisations, including the BBC, into Gaza.

Footage seen by the BBC later on Saturday showed what appeared to be a number of body bags at Nasser hospital's courtyard surrounded by nurses and people in blood-stained clothes.

In another video, a man said people were waiting to get aid when they came under targeted fire for five minutes. A paramedic accused Israeli troops of killing in cold blood.

The videos have not been verified by the BBC.

Reuters said it had spoken to witnesses who described people being shot in the head and torso. The news agency also reported seeing bodies wrapped in white shrouds at Nasser hospital.

There have been almost daily reports of people being killed by Israeli fire while seeking food in Gaza.

Israel imposed a total blockade of aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip in March, and later resumed its military offensive against Hamas, collapsing a two-month ceasefire. It said it wanted to put pressure on the Palestinian armed group to release Israeli hostages.

Although the blockade was partially eased in late May, amid warnings of a looming famine from global experts, there are still severe shortages of food, as well as medicine and fuel.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa, says there are thousands of malnourished children across the territory, with more cases detected every day.

In addition to allowing in some UN aid lorries, Israel and the US set up a new aid distribution system run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), saying they wanted to prevent Hamas from stealing aid.

On Friday, the UN human rights office said that it had so far recorded 798 aid-related killings, including 615 in the vicinity of the GHF's sites, which are operated by US private security contractors and located inside military zones in southern and central Gaza.

The other 183 killings were recorded near UN and other aid convoys.

The Israeli military said it recognised there had been incidents in which civilians had been harmed and that it was working to minimise "possible friction between the population and the [Israeli] forces as much as possible".

The GHF accused the UN of using "false and misleading" statistics from Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry.

Earlier this month, a former security contractor for the GHF told the BBC he witnessed colleagues opening fire several times on hungry Palestinians who had posed no threat. The GHF said the allegations were categorically false.

Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas' cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 57,823 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

796 babies and toddlers may be buried in this garden

Getty Images A general view of the former site of the Bon Secours Mother and Baby home and the memorial garden where it is believed 796 children are buried can be seen on February 21, 2024 in Tuam, Ireland. Getty Images

No burial records. No headstones. No memorials.

Nothing until 2014, when an amateur historian uncovered evidence of a mass grave, potentially in a former sewage tank, believed to contain hundreds of babies in Tuam, County Galway, in the west of Ireland.

Now, investigators have moved their diggers onto the nondescript patch of grass next to a children's playground on a housing estate in the town. An excavation, expected to last two years, will begin on Monday.

The area was once where St Mary's children's home stood, a church-run institution that housed thousands of women and children between 1925 and 1961.

Getty Images/Charles McQuillan A general view of the former site of the Bon Secours Mother and Baby home and the memorial garden where it is believed 796 children are buried can be seen on February 21, 2024 in Tuam, Ireland. From 1925 to 1961 hundreds of children died at the St Mary's Mother and Baby home, a maternity home for unmarried mothers and their children, in Tuam, County Galway.Getty Images/Charles McQuillan

Many of the women had fallen pregnant outside of marriage and were shunned by their families - and separated from their children after giving birth.

According to death records, Patrick Derrane was the first baby to die at St Mary's – in 1915, aged five months. Mary Carty, the same age, was the last in 1960.

In the 35 years between their deaths, another 794 babies and young children are known to have died there - and it is believed they are buried in what former Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Enda Kenny dubbed a "chamber of horrors".

PJ Haverty spent the first six years of his life in the place he calls a prison - but he considers himself one of the lucky ones.

"I got out of there."

Getty Images/Charles McQuillan A man in a blue polo shirt stands at a waist-high stone wall. In the background is a patch of lawn that continues until a high boundary wall. Part of the wall is covered in ivy - on another part can be seen the number 796 in large, white wooden lettering. The man in the foreground is older, bald and has his hands placed on the low wall. It is day time and the sky is clear blue. Getty Images/Charles McQuillan
PJ Haverty, pictured at the garden where investigators will begin their excavations

He remembers how the "home children", as they were known, were shunned at school.

"We had to go 10 minutes late and leave 10 minutes early, because they didn't want us talking to the other kids," PJ said.

"Even at break-time in the school, we weren't allowed to play with them – we were cordoned off.

"You were dirt from the street."

A composite long banner image with the word "Tuam" in large black letters above the words, in smaller font "Ireland's secret burial shame". On the right hand side is an image showing a set of rosary beads hanging on a gate; three people, two women and a man; and a patch of grass with a high boundary wall on which are wooden boards spelling out the number 796

Read more from the survivors, relatives and campaigners who helped reveal the secret of Tuam after a decades-long wait for the truth.

Long blue line to divide the story link from the rest of the story

The stigma stayed with PJ his whole life, even after finding a loving foster home and, in later years, tracking down his birth mother, who was separated from him when he was a one-year-old.

The home, run by the nuns of the Bon Secours Sisters, was an invisible spectre that loomed over him and many others in Tuam for decades – until amateur historian Catherine Corliss brought St Mary's dark past into the light.

Discovering the mass grave

Getty Images/Charles McQuillan An older woman sits at a kitchen table. She is holding a sheet of paper in each hand. On the table in front of her are more documents and sheets of paper. She has short brown, greying hair and is wearing a white top and a blue jacket. In the background there are kitchen cupboards and a kitchen door which has two glazed windows set into it. Getty Images/Charles McQuillan
Catherine Corliss' shocking findings about the mass grave emerged in 2014

Interested in delving into her family's past, Catherine took a local history course in 2005. Later, her interest turned to St Mary's and the "home children" who came to school separately from her and her classmates.

"When I started out, I had no idea what I was going to find."

To begin with, Catherine was surprised her innocuous inquiries were being met with blank responses or even suspicion.

"Nobody was helping, and nobody had any records," she said.

That only fed her determination to find out more about the children at the home.

A breakthrough came when she spoke to a cemetery caretaker, who brought her to the housing estate where the institution once stood.

Getty Images/Charles McQuillan Two high stone walls intersect at right angles in a garden - in the corner of the angle, sits a grotto centred on a statue of Virgin Mary. It is surrounded by flowers and shrubs. There are some candles on a shelf near the statue's feet. There are also messages underneath the statue that have been left by people and, to the right, a white board on which a message of remembrance is writtenGetty Images/Charles McQuillan
The grotto at the garden above what is believed to be the mass grave. People have left mementoes, messages and items of remembrance

At the side of a children's playground, there was a square of lawn with a grotto – a small shrine centred on a statue of Mary.

The caretaker told Catherine that two boys had been playing in that area in the mid-1970s after the home was demolished, and had come across a broken concrete slab. They pulled it up to reveal a hole.

Inside they saw bones. The caretaker said the authorities were told and the spot was covered up.

People believed the remains were from the Irish Famine in the 1840s. Before the mother-and-baby home, the institution was a famine-era workhouse where many people had died.

But that didn't add up for Catherine. She knew those people had been buried respectfully in a field half a mile away - there was a monument marking the spot.

Getty Images/Charles McQuillan A dog-eared sheet of paper lists names, date of death and age at death - it lists dozens of names from top to bottom. In the background, there are other sheets of paperGetty Images/Charles McQuillan
Catherine received a list recording hundreds of children's deaths at the St Mary's institution

Her suspicion was further raised when she compared old maps of the site. One, from 1929, labelled the area the boys found the bones as a "sewage tank". Another, from the 1970s after the home was demolished, had a handwritten note next to that area saying "burial ground".

The map did seem to indicate there was a grave at the site – and Catherine had read the sewage tank labelled on the map had become defunct in 1937 so, in theory, was empty. But who was buried there?

Catherine called the registration office for births, deaths and marriages in Galway and asked for the names of all the children who had died at the home.

A fortnight later a sceptical member of staff called to ask if she really wanted them all – Catherine expected "20 or 30" - but there were hundreds.

The full list, when Catherine received it, recorded 796 dead children.

She was utterly shocked. Her evidence was starting to indicate who was likely to be underneath that patch of grass at St Mary's.

But first, she checked burial records to see if any of those hundreds of children were buried in cemeteries in Galway or neighbouring County Mayo – and couldn't find any.

Without excavation, Catherine couldn't prove it beyond doubt. She now believed that hundreds of children had been buried in an unmarked mass grave, possibly in a disused sewage tank, at the St Mary's Home.

When her findings broke into an international news story in 2014, there was considerable hostility in her home town.

"People weren't believing me," she recalled. Many cast doubt - and scorn - that an amateur historian could uncover such an enormous scandal.

But there was a witness who had seen it with her own eyes.

Warning: The following sections contains details some readers might find distressing

Getty Images/Charles McQuillan An older woman with medium-length grey hair stands in a living room. We can see her head and shoulders. She is wearing a dark jacket and a patterned silk scarf. In the background, which is out of focus, we can see a picture hanging on the living room wall and a cabinet. Getty Images/Charles McQuillan
Mary Moriarty lived in one of the houses built at the site of the home in the 1970s

Mary Moriarty lived in one of the houses near the site of the institution in the mid-1970s. Shortly after she spoke to BBC News, she passed away, but her family have agreed to allow what she told us to be published and broadcast.

Mary recalled two women coming to her in the early 1970s saying "they saw a young fella with a skull on a stick".

Mary and her neighbours asked the child where he had found the skull. He showed them some shrubbery and Mary, who went to look, "fell in a hole".

Light streamed in from where she had fallen. That's when she saw "little bundles", wrapped in cloths that had gone black from rot and damp, and were "packed one after the other, in rows up to the ceiling".

How many?

"Hundreds," she replied.

Some time later, when Mary's second son was born in the maternity hospital in Tuam, he was brought to her by the nuns who worked there "in all these bundles of cloths" - just like those she had seen in that hole.

"That's when I copped on," Mary says, "what I had seen after I fell down that hole were babies."

Getty Images/Charles McQuillan A woman with shoulder-length blonde-grey hair looks off to the side. She is standing in front of a light-coloured wall. She is wearing an olive-coloured top.Getty Images/Charles McQuillan
Anna Corrigan discovered her mother gave birth to two boys - John and William - in the home

In 2017, Catherine's findings were confirmed - an Irish government investigation found "significant quantities of human remains" in a test excavation of the site.

The bones were not from the famine and the "age-at-death range" was from about 35 foetal weeks to two or three years.

By now, a campaign was under way for a full investigation of the site - Anna Corrigan was among those who wanted the authorities to start digging.

Until she was in her 50s, Anna believed she was an only child. But, when researching her family history in 2012, she discovered her mother had given birth to two boys in the home in 1946 and 1950, John and William.

Anna was unable to find a death certificate for William, but did find one for John – it officially registers his death at 16 months. Under cause of death it listed "congenital idiot" and "measles".

Getty Images/Charles McQuillan A close-up on an Irish death certificate. It has a table of information including name, date and place of death, sex, age and other details. The information is written in flowing cursive writing and notes that the dead person is called John, was 16 months old and lists "congenital idiot" and "measles" under cause of deathGetty Images/Charles McQuillan
The death certificate for John lists "congenital idiot" and "measles" under cause of death

An inspection report of the home in 1947 had some more details about John.

"He was born normal and healthy, almost nine pounds (4kg) in weight," Anna said. "By the time he's 13 months old, he's emaciated with a voracious appetite, and has no control over bodily functions.

"Then he's dead three months later."

An entry from the institution's book of "discharges" says William died in 1951 – she does not know where either is buried.

Anna, who set up the Tuam Babies Family Group for survivors and relatives, said the children have been given a voice.

"We all know their names. We all know they existed as human beings."

Now, the work begins to find out the full extent of what lies beneath that patch of grass in Tuam.

'Absolutely tiny'

PA A man wearing a grey jacket, light-coloured shirt and glasses looks off to the side. He has short cropped dark hair with flecks of grey. He is standing in front of survey map which is overlaid on an image of a sitePA
Daniel MacSweeney, the head of the excavation, has previously been involved in searches for missing bodies in conflict zones around the world

The excavation is expected to take about two years.

"It's a very challenging process – really a world-first," said Daniel MacSweeney, the head of the operation, who has helped find missing bodies in conflict zones such as Afghanistan.

He explained that the remains would have been mixed together and that an infant's femur - the body's largest bone - is only the size of an adult's finger.

"They're absolutely tiny," he said. "We need to recover the remains very, very carefully – to maximise the possibility of identification."

The difficulty of identifying the remains "can't be underestimated", he added.

For however long it takes, there will be people like Anna waiting for news - hoping to hear about sisters, brothers, uncles, aunts and cousins they never had the chance to meet.

Details of help and support with child bereavement are available in the UK at BBC Action Line

The mushroom killer was obsessed with true crime. Now true crime fans are obsessed with her

Watch: Australia’s mushroom murder case... in under two minutes

For years, from behind a computer screen, Erin Patterson built up a reputation in an online true crime community as a "super sleuth".

Today, she herself has become a true crime obsession.

When three people died – and another fell gravely ill - after eating toxic-mushroom-laced beef Wellingtons at her home in rural Victoria two years ago, her entire life was put under a microscope.

Journalists have descended from around the world to cover her lengthy murder trial, spectators have queued daily to nab a spot in the courtroom, and thousands of people have picked apart details of the case online.

But, despite a jury earlier this week finding her guilty on all charges, the frenzy of speculation and depth of fascination has only intensified.

"It has shades of Macbeth," criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro told the BBC.

Getty Images Members of the media are seen outside the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court in Morwell on July 7Getty Images
The mushroom murder trial was the biggest case in recent history

It was in one of Australia's smallest courtrooms that its biggest trial in recent history took place.

Over 11 weeks, seven documentary-making teams cast their lens on the tiny town of Morwell. Podcasters here were a dime a dozen. Journalists vied for the six seats reserved for media inside the court each day. Even one of Australia's best-loved authors, Helen Garner, frequently dropped by the Latrobe Valley Law Courts, fuelling rumours that she is preparing to write another best-seller.

Waiting with the sea of tripods outside the building most mornings of the trial was a queue of camp chairs.

Come rain, frost or fog, court watchers – predominantly women, often rugged up in beanies and encased in sleeping bags – watched for the moment the glass doors would open.

Once inside, they would lay a line of belongings – scarves, water bottles, notepads, bags – outside the courtroom entry to reserve their spot.

A court sketch of Erin Patterson wearing a purple shirt
The Patterson trial heard from more than 50 witnesses

Tammy Egglestone commuted for more than an hour to reach Morwell most days of the trial. "I'm a bit of a true crime fanatic," she explains.

She was in court when it heard evidence that Patterson was once just like her.

Patterson had been an active member in a Facebook group focussed on the crimes of Keli Lane, a woman who was found guilty of killing her two-day-old daughter in one of Australia's most notorious cases.

In 2018, Lane became the subject of a major podcast after writing to a journalist claiming to have been wrongly convicted and begging her to investigate.

At Patterson's trial, one of her online friends Christine Hunt said she was renowned among her peers for her nimble researching and tech skills.

"She was a bit of a super sleuth," she said. "She was highly regarded in that group."

Getty Images A man taking a selfie in a Melbourne laneway in front of a mural of Erin Patterson.Getty Images
A Melbourne lane with a mural of Erin Patterson

But as her case unfolded in Morwell, Patterson was also put on trial in the court of public opinion.

She became water-cooler talk in workplaces around the country, gossip among friend groups, and the ultimate topic of debate online.

Thousands of people theorised over a motive for the crime, provided commentary on bits of evidence, and even alleged corrupt forces were behind the case – much of the discussion unfounded, almost all of it in breach of laws designed to give defendants a fair trial.

Memes filled social media feeds. On Google Maps, someone created a restaurant listing at Patterson's home address. Others shared trial bingo cards they had created for those following it closely.

Throughout the week the jury was considering their verdict, sequestered in a hotel to protect them from the maelstrom, the question everyone had was: what were they thinking?

"What are they doing in there?" one lawyer was overheard asking in a Morwell café on day four of deliberations.

Tammy Egglestone standing outside the courthouse
Ms Egglestone has spent hours commuting to see the trial evidence in person

With jury members bound by strict secrecy requirements, we will never know.

"In the US, they can interview jurors after a trial," criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro told the BBC. "We can't get into the heads of jurors in Australia… so it's really hard to know what they're thinking has been and why they've come to that conclusion."

That leaves a massive vacuum for members of the public to fill with their speculation.

People like Ms Egglestone pondered: if the poisoning was intended to kill, wouldn't Patterson have planned and executed it better?

"I've come in here [as] Switzerland," Ms Egglestone clarified, calling the discourse around the case "very pitchforky".

"You know, [it's] she's guilty, she's guilty, she's guilty.

"And a lot of them are using hindsight reasoning. 'If I was in that situation, I wouldn't do this, this and this.' Well, you don't know what you would do in that situation."

But people like her were drowned out by the hordes proclaiming Patterson guilty.

Many said it was her lies that convinced them. Some claimed the evidence showed a clear lack of empathy and concern for those who died.

"What really gave her away was wearing white pants when she had 'gastro' and needed to go to hospital for it!" one person posted, referring to CCTV footage of her movements in the days after the lunch, which was played at the trial.

Watch: CCTV and audio shown to court in mushroom trial

Already, the case has inspired a television special, a silver screen drama series, a bevy of podcasts, several documentaries and a handful of books.

"It has those typical cliché things that make true crime sell," Ms Egglestone said, explaining why she and flocks of others have become obsessed with the case.

"The fact that she did take out family members... [she's] white, female, financially stable, you know. And they're all church people."

For David Peters, seemingly benign circumstances surrounding the crime – and the fact it was in his local area – drew him in: "The fact that it was a family sitting down to do something you would consider to be safe - have a meal - and then the consequences of that meal..."

Several people tell the BBC the case reminds them of the frenzy over Lindy Chamberlain's notorious trial in 1982. She was falsely convicted of murder after her infant daughter Azaria was taken from an outback campsite by a dingo.

It's no coincidence that both of those cases centre around women, criminology researcher Brandy Cochrane tells the BBC.

The world has long been fascinated by women who kill – in no small part because it contradicts their traditional "caring" gender role, they explain.

Those stereotypes also cast a shadow on Patterson's time in court.

EPA The front cover of The Australian newspaper with coverage of Erin Patterson's verdict on the front page is displayed in a newsagent in Morwell.EPA

"She's expected to act in a particular way, and she's not," says Dr Cochrane, a lecturer at Victoria University.

"It's like, 'Oh, obviously she's guilty, she's not crying the whole time' or 'Obviously she's guilty, she's lied about this'. The legal system in and of itself treats women very differently."

Away from the ghoulish spectre of the trial, there's anger – albeit dwindling – among the communities where the victims are from over the way the case has been dissected, local councillor Nathan Hersey tells the BBC.

Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson were respected and adored by many in the South Gippsland region, he says, but it feels like they've been forgotten.

"This has been an extremely high-profile case that's brought a lot of attention, often unwanted through to our local community.

"[And] some people haven't had that humanity… they've certainly lost focus that for people, there is a loss, there is grief."

The summer holiday hacks that saved us hundreds of pounds

Laura Strang Laura Strang and her husband in the water between rocks wearing flotation devicesLaura Strang
Laura Strang and Sam Gledhill book their getaways at the last minute

The cost of all-inclusive package holidays to some of the most popular destinations has soared, prompting people to get creative to save money.

BBC News has been speaking to people who have used money-saving hacks to slash the price of their summer getaways.

If there are issues you would like to see covered, you can get in touch via Your Voice, Your BBC News.

'We booked two days before'

Infographic including a close up of Laura Strang and her husband in baseball caps and the following information:
Laura Strang, 25
Travellers: Two adults
Destination: Cancun, Mexico
Cost: £2,400 for 14 days

Laura Strang, 25, from Oban, Scotland saves money by booking at the last minute.

She even booked her honeymoon just two days before they flew.

"We got married on the 21st of June and waited until the 23rd of June to book a holiday for June 25th.

"We had two weeks in Mexico because it was cheaper than two weeks in Europe."

Laura and her husband Sam Gledhill, 27, paid £1,200 each for 14 nights all-inclusive in Cancun.

"I would say we saved thousands of pounds, based on reviews," she says.

"Ten nights in Spain was coming up the same or more expensive. It's a 10-hour flight over to Mexico so it's a little bit crazy, that."

She says she and her husband have previously booked holidays within a few days of flying to Tenerife, Salou and Marrakesh and have saved money each time.

"Choosing not to go all-inclusive can save money but that depends on the country," says Laura.

"We found Mexico quite expensive when going out and about [so all-inclusive made sense], but you could probably save money in Spain by going half board."

'We travel off-peak and look for kids go free places'

Infographic including an image of Nathan, his wife and their two children and the following information: 
Nathan Hart, 33
Travellers: Two adults, two children
Destination: Ibiza 
Cost: £2,500 for 10 days

Nathan Hart and his fiancee Cassie Farrelly estimate they saved £3,300 by searching for a holiday that offered a free child's place and going outside school holidays.

They have booked a 10-day all-inclusive holiday in Spain's Balearic Islands at the end of September with their three-year-old twin daughters Alba and Luna.

The couple from Merthyr Tydfil, Wales recommend using the filter option on some of the biggest travel agency websites.

"When searching you can see which places offer one free child place, choose a range of locations and sort by lowest price," says Nathan.

"We found an exceptional hotel for £800 per person plus one free child place, so that's already an £800 saving.

"As well as that, on the booking page you can see a calendar showing the difference in price for the holiday on different dates."

Nathan says when he compared the same holiday in August it was double the price.

"That would have been completely unaffordable for us.

"I now completely understand why parents with older kids travel inside school term time and it's absolutely something we will have to consider when our girls are older."

Parents who take their children out of school for holidays during term time risk being fined, and repeat offenders could face prosecution.

'I swapped my London flat for a Spanish villa'

Infographic featuring an image of May Burrough smiling and the following information:
May Burrough, 37 
Travellers: Seven adults
Destination: Costa Brava
Cost: £85 for villa for one week

May Burrough works in central London. But her flat is too small to have lots of people to stay, so last October she invited some close friends to a five-bedroomed villa with a pool on the Costa Brava, Spain.

She estimates it would normally have cost around £3,500 to rent a house like that. But she used a home-swapping site and only paid €100 (£85) - for the cleaning fee - plus around £250 on transport.

Although she saved money on the villa, May and her friends did splash out on food and drink, such as oysters and wine from the region.

"We really had a lush time at the house because we were like, 'well, we're not paying for the accommodation!'"

Because finding someone to do a straight swap with can often be tricky, the Home Exchange site she uses allows her to earn credits by letting people stay in her one-bedroom flat, and then spend them elsewhere.

"It does take a bit of effort. I put valuables away, you have to change the bedsheets, cleaning every time. But it is fully worth it," says May.

She says the site is a bit clunky to use, but she loves what it allows her to do, for an annual fee of around £170.

Recently she booked a one-night stay in Vienne, France so she could go to a concert.

"A hotel was going to be mega-expensive. So I booked a room in someone's home and left in the morning."

'I use my credit card to get loyalty points for flights'

An infographic featuring Ebrahim Paruk in a baseball cap and a football match in the background with the following information:
Ebrahim Paruk, 35 
Travellers: One adult
Destination: Dusseldorf, Germany
Cost: £500 for four nights

Ebrahim Paruk, 35, from Nuneaton near Coventry in Warwickshire saves money on flights by saving up Virgin Atlantic credit card points.

He does his best to collect as many points as possible.

"I pay for everything I can with the card," he says, including his bills, weekly petrol, and weekly groceries.

"These are day-to-day necessities that you have to buy, so you might as well get a reward," he says.

Describing himself as "the biggest football fan you will probably ever find", he started doing it as a way of going to the major international tournaments.

The best saving he made with the points was a return flight to Düsseldorf to watch Germany v Denmark in the 2024 Euros - he saved £400 on his £800 flight.

To add to the saving, he won the match ticket and hotel accommodation in a competition, meaning the whole trip cost him a total of £500.

Now he uses the same method to save money when booking holidays for him and his wife.

'I house sit and get to see the US'

Infographic featuring Annmaree in sunglasses, smiling with flowers in the background and the following information:
Annmaree Bancroft, 46
Travellers: One adult, one child
Destination: New York and Connecticut
Cost: £1,435 for four weeks

Annmaree Bancroft is a single mum of a three-year-old and has been house sitting with him 11 times.

Their first time was looking after two dogs for a week in a house in Scarsdale outside New York City.

This year they will be going back there for a few days, this time as friends of the homeowner. Then they will stay on for three more weeks in the US, without paying for any overnight accommodation, thanks to further housesitting stints in Connecticut and Brooklyn.

The cost of the holiday will be the £1,435 she is spending on flights, plus travel between cities and spending money.

"A lot of parents think that once you have a child, you can't travel," says Annmaree.

"That is just not true. There are these alternative ways now to travel and make it affordable."

If you do choose to house sit, it is recommended that you use a reputable site. Annmaree uses the online platform Trusted Housesitters, which charges a membership fee for sitters of £99 to £199 a year.

'We're staycationing in the UK'

Infographic featuring a close up of Kayleigh Pennel-Price smiling and the following information:
Kayleigh Pennel-Price, 33
Travellers: Two adults, two children, dog
Destination: Buckinghamshire
Cost £250 for two weeks

House sitting may also be an option for those choosing not to go abroad.

Kayleigh Pennel-Price lives with her partner, two children, aged two and four months, and their golden retriever Kofi in Wiltshire.

She had looked into a family holiday through the traditional means but calculated that it would cost around £3,000 to go on a foreign holiday for a week.

Instead, the whole family is going house sitting in a small village in Buckinghamshire for two weeks.

They will be staying in a home with a sauna, swimming pool and a private woodland, to look after two Yorkshire terriers, booked through the website HouseSit Match.

"We mostly plan to just stay there," says Kayleigh, who thinks the whole trip could cost £250.

"We love both abroad and UK holidays, but we don't like to leave our dog," she says. "And with the two babies, abroad is a little harder."

Love Island seems to be having a moment this year - but why?

Getty Images Islander Helena Ford looks at her phone with a shocked expression. She has long blonde hair worn loose and wears a pale pink strappy dress with a microphone around her neck. The villa in the background is decorated with palm leaves and pinks, purples and oranges. Getty Images
While more people are tuning in for episodes, it's Love Island's socials that are really turning heads this year

Love Island is back for its 12th series - and it's not just the villa that's had an upgrade.

After falling audience figures in recent years, the number of us tuning in is returning to series eight levels - the year that delivered Love Island icons like Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, Indiyah Polack and Tasha Ghouri.

But if daily episodes are our type on paper, social media is the bombshell that's turning heads.

Figures from ITV shared with BBC Newsbeat suggest the series' growth on socials is outstripping the success it's having on TV.

Analysis by the BBC found that Love Island's official accounts had gained 1.8m followers since the start of 2025, with 1m of those on TikTok.

Ex-islander Diamanté Laiv tells BBC Newsbeat the short-form updates are much more appealing than committing to the nightly TV show.

"I'm a very busy person, so I don't really have the time to sit down every day for an hour and just watch people kiss," she says.

Getty Images Diamanté Laiva at an event. She wears a low-cut white halter-neck dress with a silver necklace. Her dark hair is tied back in a low bun and she has a glam make-up look. She smiles at the camera, her chin tilted down towards her left shoulder. Getty Images
Series 11 islander Diamanté Laiva watches clips online but hasn't committed to the full series

Diamanté, who appeared in series 11, says she's not surprised millions are keeping up to date on their phone.

"It's more popular online because everybody's online, it's easily accessible. Every 10 scrolls on TikTok is something Love Island-related, so you can't really avoid it."

She's not alone in staying away from streaming the episodes in full.

While the first episode of series 12 was watched by 2.6m people - almost double 2023's low of 1.3m - the numbers are still a long way off Love Island's 2019 heyday, when 6m of us tuned in to see Amber Gill and Greg O Shea voted most popular couple.

But that's still a fraction of the 13m following various official accounts online.

On TikTok there's been an explosion in Love Island content - with view counts for individual clips outstripping viewing figures for whole episodes.

Dramatic or funny moments from the show proper tend to perform well, but reactions, analysis, and debriefs - where content creators recap whole episodes in a few minutes - also notch up big numbers.

According to data gathered by the BBC there have been more than 87,000 TikTok uploads with a Love Island or Love Island UK hashtag so far in 2025.

For the whole of 2024, the same data suggests that figure was just below 40,000.

ITV/Shutterstock Islanders gathered around the fire pit in the Love Island villa. 13 islanders sit tightly on the white L-shape sofa, dressed smartly and holding drinks. The villa is lit with pink and blue lights. ITV/Shutterstock
Producers promised the ITV reality series would have more drama and twists than ever before

Anthony, better known as "giletslays", is one of many content creators who have been feeding that growth.

He's been making videos about the latest series for his 170,000 followers, and some of his Love Island takes have had millions of views.

Anthony says the real draw of Love Island has always been the discourse on social media.

But to take part you need to be up to date, and a nightly show can feel like too much of a long-term commitment for some.

"Sometimes if people miss a couple of episodes they feel they're too far behind to catch up," says Anthony.

Super-fan Harriet Fisher, who's been watching Love Island since series one, agrees TikTok has become the go-to place for updates.

She says the US version of the show, which has overlapped with the UK edition this year, is "popping off" on the app, and believes this has boosted interest in Love Island overall.

"The way that people are engaging with reality TV and Love Island in general is obviously changing," she says.

"It needs TikTok and social media to survive, to gain viewers.

"It shows that viewers of old can stay engaged, but also get those new viewers in."

But those new viewers are forming a very different relationship with the contestants, Diamanté warns.

ITV/Shutterstock Islanders Yasmin Pettet and Toni Laites in conversation while sitting on a sofa in the Love Island villa. Yasmin (L) has long dark hair worn loose and is dressed in a purple mini dress. She sits upright while looking at Toni, who leans back into the sofa. Toni wears a white dress with a high leg split, her brown hair tied back in a low bun. The villa is decorated with a vibrant leaf print. ITV/Shutterstock
Yasmin Pettet has become a standout islander on socials, largely due to her great posture

Traditionally, audiences have spent whole series getting to know islanders over one-hour episodes.

Even then, contestants have never been shy about blaming selective editing for making them look bad.

But on social media, with character arcs compressed into bite-sized clips, Diamanté worries fans aren't getting the full picture.

"Conversations are being pulled and tweaked so I feel like it makes it even more orchestrated," she says. "It kind of takes the reality out of the reality TV."

Grace Henry, Cosmopolitan's acting entertainment and lifestyle director, agrees that watching the show via social media fundamentally changes the experience.

"We have to be mindful that these are short clips and clips can be taken out of context," she says.

"We're never going to see the full picture of how someone is and things change very quickly in there."

But Grace thinks online notoriety could work in aspiring reality stars' favour - even if it means audiences spend less time with them.

Grace Henry A woman poses for a selfie against a white backdrop. Her hair is tied back, head turned slightly to the side. She wears a ribbed salmon pink top with a collar, open at the neck to reveal a short gold necklace with a capital G pendant.Grace Henry
Grace Henry has been reporting on the latest series of Love Island for Cosmo

She singles out Yasmin Pettet, nicknamed YasGPT online, as one islander who's been able to connect with audiences this year.

Videos of Yas giving posture lessons have been viewed more than a million times on TikTok and gained tens of thousands of likes on Instagram.

"We will still have those people and we will have a connection to them, but they will just come around differently," says Grace.

"It will be based on viral moments and whether they do something big that becomes a meme or a social media moment."

Diamanté agrees and thinks social clips might even be a better way to build a following than being popular on the series.

As well as reaching more people, she says "more brands are seeing it and that's the aim of the game".

A footer logo for BBC Newsbeat. It has the BBC logo and the word Newsbeat in white over a colorful background of violet, purple and orange shapes. At the bottom a black square reading "Listen on Sounds" is visible.

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.

Putin's friend Gergiev set to conduct as Italy breaks ban on pro-Kremlin artists

SERGEI CHIRIKOV/AFP via Getty Images Russian conductor and Mariinsky Theater Artistic Director Valery Gergiev is surrounded by classical musicians on stage in Moscow in 2018. SERGEI CHIRIKOV/AFP via Getty Images
Valery Gergiev seen conducting an orchestra at Moscow's Red Square in 2018

Russian conductor Valery Gergiev has been barred from European stages ever since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

A close ally of Vladimir Putin for many years, the director of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Russian state theatres has never spoken out against the war.

But a region of southern Italy has now invited Gergiev back to Europe, signalling the artist's rehabilitation even as Russia's attacks on Ukraine intensify.

Vincenzo de Luca, who runs the Campania region, insists that the concert at the Un'Estate da RE festival later this month will go ahead despite a growing swell of criticism.

"Culture… must not be influenced by politics and political logic," De Luca said in a livestream on Friday. "We do not ask these men to answer for the choices made by politicians."

The 76-year-old local leader has previously called Europe's broad veto on pro-Putin artists "a moment of stupidity – a moment of madness" at the start of the war and announced that he was "proud" to welcome Gergiev to town.

Getty Images Two men in dark suits stand against a backdrop of a Russian white-blue-and-red tricolor flag, as the man on the right puts his hands on the other man's jacketGetty Images
Russia's President Putin (R) pins a medal on conductor Gergiev (L) at the Kremlin in 2016

But Pina Picierno, a vice-president of the European Parliament, has told the BBC that allowing Gergiev's return is "absolutely unacceptable".

She calls the star conductor a "cultural mouthpiece for Putin and his crimes".

Ukrainian human rights activist and Nobel laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk said the invitation by the regional government was "hypocrisy", rather than neutrality.

Russian opposition activists have also condemned the director's sudden return. The Anti-Corruption Foundation, of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, wants his concert cancelled and is calling on Italy's interior ministry to ban Gergiev's entry to the country.

GEORG HOCHMUTH/APA/AFP Russian conductor Valery Gergiev performs on stage with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in 2020GEORG HOCHMUTH/APA/AFP
Valery Gergiev has been shunned by European orchestras since the full-scale war began

Before Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine, the virtuoso Gergiev was a regular visitor to stages in Italy and across Europe, despite his closeness to Putin.

His long and illustrious career includes stints at the London Symphony Orchestra and Munich Philharmonic.

But the invitations to Europe stopped abruptly on 24 February 2022.

Hours before the first Russian missiles were launched at Ukraine, Gergiev was on stage at Milan's La Scala opera house. Urged then by the city's mayor to speak out against the war, Gergiev chose silence.

He was promptly dropped from the bill.

Abandoned by his manager, despite calling Gergiev "the greatest conductor alive", he was then fired as chief conductor in Munich and removed from concert schedules across the continent.

That's why the invitation from Italy is so controversial.

Pina Picierno, who is from the Campania region herself, says her call to stop the event is not Russophobic.

"There is no shortage of brilliant Russian artists who choose to disassociate themselves from Putin's criminal policies," she told the BBC.

The European MP, who says she has received threats for her work exposing Russia's hybrid warfare, warns that allowing Gergiev to perform would be both wrong and dangerous.

"This is not about censorship. Gergiev is part of a deliberate Kremlin strategy. He is one of their cultural envoys to soften Western public opinion. This is part of their war."

Pasquale Gargano/KONTROLAB/LightRocket via Getty Images Italy's prime minister stands in the middle wearing a grey jacket and white blouse, while Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska stands to her left in a green coatPasquale Gargano/KONTROLAB/LightRocket via Getty Images
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (centre) welcomed Ukraine's president and first lady to a conference in Rome last week

The cultural controversy erupted in a week when Italy was hosting heads of state from all over Europe to reaffirm their support for Ukraine and discuss how to rebuild the country once the war is over.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has been a strong and consistent critic of Vladimir Putin from the start. But her culture ministry is one of the backers of Un'Estate da RE, which has invited Gergiev.

A senior MP from Meloni's Brothers of Italy party, Alfredo Antoniozzi, has described Gergiev as "simply a great artist".

"If Russians have to pay for the mistakes of their president, then we are committing a kind of cultural genocide," he argued.

Last month, Canada formally barred Gergiev from entry and declared it would freeze any assets.

But the European Union has shied away from formal sanctions against the conductor, who has avoided voicing open support for the war.

Gergiev has been a vocal supporter of Putin since the 1990s, later campaigning for his re-election and backing Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014.

He was handed management of Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre, in addition to the Mariinsky Theatre, taking over from a director who signed an open letter against Russia's war.

Gergiev is a state employee, but in 2022 an investigation by Alexei Navalny's team uncovered properties in several Italian cities that they say he never declared.

They also alleged he used donations to a charitable fund to pay for his own lavish lifestyle.

The activists argued that was Gergiev's reward for his public loyalty to Putin.

The BBC has so far been unable to reach the conductor for comment.

A spokeswoman for the European Commission, Eva Hrncirova, has clarified that the Un'Estate da RE festival is not receiving EU cash: it is financed by Italy's own "cohesion funds".

But she added that the commission urged European stages not to give space "to artists who support the war of aggression in Ukraine".

In Campania, the artistic director who crafted this year's festival programme declined to comment. A spokesman was confident Gergiev's performance would go ahead, though – despite the controversy.

"Yes," he assured the BBC. "For sure."

Additional reporting from Rome by Davide Ghiglione.

Heatwave peaks at 33C as whole of UK swelters

PA Media A woman wearing a black, white, yellow, and orange striped jumpsuit holds an umbrella in the sun. A man wearing a grey shirt and white shorts holds her hand and walks with her.PA Media

Northern Ireland and Scotland will see temperatures soar as the UK's third heatwave of the year spreads across the country.

Scotland is likely to see its warmest day of the year with temperatures of up to 31C. Northern Ireland could potentially the mercury rise above 29.5C - the highest recorded temperature so far this year.

For England and Wales, temperatures are expected to be widely in the high 20s to low 30s with the south-west Midlands and south-east Wales predicted to see the hottest temperatures.

However, for eastern parts of England, an easterly breeze will bring slightly cooler temperatures though most areas will still meet heatwave thresholds.

On Friday, Astwood Bank in the West Midlands recorded the highest temperature of 34.7C.

Amber heat health alerts for southern England, the Midlands, and East Anglia will remain in place until Monday, the UK Health Security Agency said.

Less severe yellow warnings remain in place for northern England, while Scotland and Northern Ireland face warnings of wildfires on Saturday and Sunday.

Yellow weather alerts are issued during periods that are only likely to affect those who are particularly vulnerable, such as the elderly, and those with existing health conditions.

Amber alerts are issued in situations that could put the whole population at risk.

For the thousands expected to attend the Wimbledon finals this weekend, temperatures in south-west London will remain high on Saturday and are expected to reach 30C, possibly 32C in some areas, according the Met Office.

Sunday will see a slight dip to 29C in daytime highs, but the heat will remain with a chance of some places around London seeing 30C or above.

Getty Images Tennis player Aryna Sabalenka holds ice on her head and covers herself with a towel during the Ladies' Singles semi-final at Wimbledon on 10 July 2025 in London, England.Getty Images
World number one Aryna Sabalenka said conditions were "super hot" during her semi-final on Thursday

This year, Wimbledon has faced some of the hottest temperatures in its 148-year history and has a heat rule in place for all singles matches.

The men's singles semi-final on Friday between Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz was stopped twice in less than five minutes due to fans in the crowd requiring medical attention.

Temperatures on Centre Court reached a sweltering 32C on Friday.

Tournament organisers have added more free water refill points on the grounds and increased reminders for fans to take sun precautions and seek shade.

Getty Images Children splash through cooling waters of the fountains in Leicester Square, on 11 July 2025, in London, England.Getty Images

Fire chiefs have also warned people of the increased risk of drowning when trying to keep cool, urging parents to supervise their children at all times around the water.

Dry and hot conditions also make wildfires a crucial concern, with the risk currently rated at "severe" in London by the Natural Hazards Partnership.

"Our experience tells us that wildfires can start in an instant and escalate rapidly. That's why we're asking everyone to stay alert and act responsibly," the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) chairman Phil Garrigan said.

National Rail has warned commuters of possible disruption to travel this weekend as overhead power lines and rails could be affected by the heat.

On Friday, more than seven million people across England and Wales were affected by hosepipe bans, restricting activities including watering of gardens, cleaning cars and filling paddling pools.

The heatwave will be over for most on Monday as cooler Atlantic air spreads, bringing cloud and some showers to northern and western areas.

Scientists warn that extreme weather conditions are made more likely as a result of manmade climate change.

Swiatek inflicts 6-0 6-0 defeat on Anisimova to win Wimbledon

Swiatek inflicts 6-0 6-0 defeat on Anisimova to win Wimbledon

Iga Swiatek kisses Wimbledon trophyImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Iga Swiatek has added Wimbledon to her four French Open titles and one US Open victory

  • Published

Poland's Iga Swiatek ruthlessly took advantage of American opponent Amanda Anisimova's nerves to win her maiden Wimbledon title, with the 6-0 6-0 victory taking just 57 minutes.

Swiatek, 24, was also playing in her first final at the All England Club but looked more assured from the very start.

No woman had won a Wimbledon with a double bagel - the name given to a victory without dropping a game - since 1911.

It is the sixth Grand Slam victory of Swiatek's career, having won on each of her appearances in major finals.

"It seems super surreal," said Swiatek, whose five previous titles came on clay or hard courts.

"Honestly, I didn't even dream of winning Wimbledon because it was way too far.

"I feel like I'm an experienced player, having won other Slams, but I didn't expect this."

Eighth seed Swiatek drew on all of her greater experience to race through the first set in just 25 minutes.

Anisimova, just three months younger than Swiatek, looked tense from the very start and made a flurry of errors in an opener where she won just nine points.

Despite a sympathetic Centre Court crowd willing her on, things did not improve in the second set for the 13th seed.

A total of 28 unforced errors, plus five double faults, starkly illustrated Anisimova's struggles.

Fighting back the tears as she addressed the crowd, Anisimova said: "It's been an incredible fortnight for me - even though I ran out of gas.

"I wish I could have put on a better performance for you today."

Swiatek becomes an all-court great

If Swiatek had not already proved she should be ranked among the greats of the game, she has certainly done so now.

Mastering a surface considered her weakest – even though she won the Wimbledon junior title in 2018 – has added further credence to her case.

Swiatek has become the youngest woman since 23-time champion Serena Williams in 2002 to win Grand Slam titles on all three surfaces.

A sixth major takes her clear of Maria Sharapova and Martina Hingis, with only a total of 10 women now having won more in the Open era.

Swiatek became known as the 'Queen of Clay' after winning four French Open titles in five years, while her two-year reign as the world number one - ended by Aryna Sabalenka last year - was underpinned by consistent success on the hard courts.

Grass was the surface she had not cracked.

Before this triumph, Swiatek had made the second week at the All England Club only once, when she reached the quarter-finals in 2023.

Losing in this year's Roland Garros semi-finals – early by her previous standards – meant she had longer to prepare on the surface, helping her quickly readjust improve her confidence and game.

Anisimova's struggles meant she was not fully tested. Nevertheless, the weight and depth of Swiatek's ball provided constant pressure which her opponent could not deal with.

'Special moment' for Swiatek but Anisimova 'froze'

Three-time Wimbledon singles champion John McEnroe on BBC TV: "Everyone is in a state of shock. Nobody saw Swiatek being this good on this surface.

"She played against someone who absolutely froze and I feel terrible for Anisimova.

"Well deserved for Iga."

Two-time Grand Slam champion Tracy Austin, on BBC TV: "A special moment for Swiatek and her team. I did not see this coming at the beginning of the tournament.

"You have got to hand it to Iga. She went about a tactical way to conquer grass and made it look so easy."

Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash, on BBC Radio 5 Live: "It's an incredible story for Anisimova to be in the final in the first place.

"It's a fantastic effort and she has to look back at that. Iga played really well and the balls weren't dropping for Amanda. It was a masterclass in what to do in a final. It was a great tournament for her."

Heatwave peaks at 33C as whole UK swelters

PA Media A woman wearing a black, white, yellow, and orange striped jumpsuit holds an umbrella in the sun. A man wearing a grey shirt and white shorts holds her hand and walks with her.PA Media

Northern Ireland and Scotland will see temperatures soar as the UK's third heatwave of the year spreads across the country.

Scotland is likely to see its warmest day of the year with temperatures of up to 31C. Northern Ireland could potentially the mercury rise above 29.5C - the highest recorded temperature so far this year.

For England and Wales, temperatures are expected to be widely in the high 20s to low 30s with the south-west Midlands and south-east Wales predicted to see the hottest temperatures.

However, for eastern parts of England, an easterly breeze will bring slightly cooler temperatures though most areas will still meet heatwave thresholds.

On Friday, Astwood Bank in the West Midlands recorded the highest temperature of 34.7C.

Amber heat health alerts for southern England, the Midlands, and East Anglia will remain in place until Monday, the UK Health Security Agency said.

Less severe yellow warnings remain in place for northern England, while Scotland and Northern Ireland face warnings of wildfires on Saturday and Sunday.

Yellow weather alerts are issued during periods that are only likely to affect those who are particularly vulnerable, such as the elderly, and those with existing health conditions.

Amber alerts are issued in situations that could put the whole population at risk.

For the thousands expected to attend the Wimbledon finals this weekend, temperatures in south-west London will remain high on Saturday and are expected to reach 30C, possibly 32C in some areas, according the Met Office.

Sunday will see a slight dip to 29C in daytime highs, but the heat will remain with a chance of some places around London seeing 30C or above.

Getty Images Tennis player Aryna Sabalenka holds ice on her head and covers herself with a towel during the Ladies' Singles semi-final at Wimbledon on 10 July 2025 in London, England.Getty Images
World number one Aryna Sabalenka said conditions were "super hot" during her semi-final on Thursday

This year, Wimbledon has faced some of the hottest temperatures in its 148-year history and has a heat rule in place for all singles matches.

The men's singles semi-final on Friday between Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz was stopped twice in less than five minutes due to fans in the crowd requiring medical attention.

Temperatures on Centre Court reached a sweltering 32C on Friday.

Tournament organisers have added more free water refill points on the grounds and increased reminders for fans to take sun precautions and seek shade.

Getty Images Children splash through cooling waters of the fountains in Leicester Square, on 11 July 2025, in London, England.Getty Images

Fire chiefs have also warned people of the increased risk of drowning when trying to keep cool, urging parents to supervise their children at all times around the water.

Dry and hot conditions also make wildfires a crucial concern, with the risk currently rated at "severe" in London by the Natural Hazards Partnership.

"Our experience tells us that wildfires can start in an instant and escalate rapidly. That's why we're asking everyone to stay alert and act responsibly," the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) chairman Phil Garrigan said.

National Rail has warned commuters of possible disruption to travel this weekend as overhead power lines and rails could be affected by the heat.

On Friday, more than seven million people across England and Wales were affected by hosepipe bans, restricting activities including watering of gardens, cleaning cars and filling paddling pools.

The heatwave will be over for most on Monday as cooler Atlantic air spreads, bringing cloud and some showers to northern and western areas.

Scientists warn that extreme weather conditions are made more likely as a result of manmade climate change.

More than 70 arrests at Palestine Action ban protests

PA Media A number of police officers on a road with some members of the public taking photos and filming. The police appear to be carrying a person although only their foot can be seen in the image.PA Media

Forty-two arrests have been made in London at a protest against Palestine Action being proscribed a terror group, the Metropolitan Police has said.

The force said 41 arrests were made on suspicion of showing support for a proscribed organisation, with one person also arrested for common assault.

Palestine Action was proscribed by the government under the Terrorism Act 2000 as of last Saturday, meaning membership of or support for the group is a criminal offence.

Twenty-nine people were arrested at a similar protest in London last weekend.

Two groups of protesters were seen gathering in Parliament Square shortly after 13:00 BST on Saturday.

Some individuals were seen holding placards bearing the words: "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action."

Demonstrators were also seen lying on top of each other while police officers searched bags, taking ID cards and handmade signs.

Police were seen carrying some of the protesters away and led others into police vans - with the last protester being removed from the Nelson Mandela statue just after 14:30 BST.

The move to proscribe Palestine Action came after two Voyager aircraft were sprayed with paint by activists who broke into RAF Brize Norton in June - an incident for which the group claimed responsibility.

Campaign group Defend Our Juries, which said it had organised the London protest, said other demonstrations were happening in the UK today including in Manchester and Cardiff.

King Charles' fire ceremony shines a light on his beliefs

Ian Jones/The King’s Foundation King Charles III greets an Indigenous leader - an Earth Elder - wearing a headdress and a dazzling robe of blue feathers.Ian Jones/The King’s Foundation

It wasn't exactly a run-of-the-mill royal occasion.

In the sunny gardens of the Highgrove estate, I stood in a circle with King Charles and an eclectic group who were attending his first "Harmony Summit".

We raised our arms in honour of nature as we stood around a fire, which was burning within a ring of flowers.

Presiding over the fire ceremony, in which we rotated as we honoured the north, south, east and west and then Mother Earth, was an Indigenous leader - an Earth Elder - wearing a headdress and a dazzling robe of blue feathers.

A conch shell was blown. Butterflies flew around the flowers. And, in a concession to modernity, as well as holding up feathers in a blessing for the King, the elder was reading his incantations from an iPhone.

There were people reaching to the sky, wearing colourful face paint and elaborate necklaces, while I held my palms up self-consciously, melting in my M&S suit.

Courtney Louise/The King’s Foundation King Charles and delegates at the Harmony Summit in Highgrove. He is draped in a yellow and black patterned scarf and standing between several men in traditional dress including one in a feathered headdressCourtney Louise/The King’s Foundation

The summit was a celebration the King's philosophy of harmony with nature - an inaugural event that the King's Foundation hopes will become a regular gathering.

It brought together representatives from Indigenous peoples, including from tribes in the Amazon, along with environmentalists, climate campaigners, organic farmers, herbalists, educators, crafts people and philanthropists.

For good measure, there was Dwight from the US version of The Office, or at least actor Rainn Wilson, a director of a climate change group.

There were other visitors from Amazon too. A film crew from Amazon Prime, making a documentary for next year, who were poring over every moment as the sacred smoke coiled up over the apple trees in Gloucestershire.

The King, in a light summer suit, spoke a few quiet words of welcome, wearing a circlet of feathers and a scarf that had been draped ceremonially around his shoulders.

Courtney Louise/The King’s Foundation People wearing traditional clothing listen to a speaker (out of shot) at the Harmony Summit Courtney Louise/The King’s Foundation

A humane, ruminative, humorous and quietly radical figure, he was at the centre of what he hopes will become the first of many such gatherings.

But it raised the question - and perhaps opened a window - into what the King believes. What is this thoughtful man really thinking about?

Harmony is the King's philosophy, it means that we should be working with the grain of nature rather than against it. Or "her" as, he describes nature, in his book on the subject, published in 2010.

It's about the inter-connectedness of all life, infused with a strong sense of the spiritual, and the idea that the human and natural worlds can't be separated.

It's the philosophy that stitches together his many different pursuits - on the environment, climate change, sustainable farming, urban planning, architecture, protecting traditional craft skills and building bridges between different faiths.

According to a source close to the King, it's "perhaps the single most important part of his eventual legacy", bringing together different strands of his work that might seem separate into "one philosophical world view about creating a better, more sustainable world for future generations".

The King's views, including on the environment, were "once seen as an outlier, but now many elements have been accepted and adopted as conventional thought and mainstream practice, embraced around the world".

In his book on Harmony - A New Way of Looking at our World, the King describes his purpose as a "call to revolution", and writes that he recognises the strength of the word.

It's a broadside against a consumer culture, in which people and the natural world become commodities. He warns of the environmental threats to the future of the Earth. There's a call to protect traditional crafts and skills and also for a radical change in rejecting modern, unsustainable, exploitative forms of farming.

If not avant garde, he's an avant gardener.

Courtney Louise/The King’s Foundation A woman wearing a blue and white dotted dress smiles as she walks between two stone pillarsCourtney Louise/The King’s Foundation

If you go for a walk in Highgrove's gardens there are small hurdle fences, with wooden rods woven around posts. The King makes these himself and this idea of things being inextricably woven together seems to be central to harmony.

His book moves from the importance of geometry, with patterns rooted in nature, to the designs in Islamic art and the inspiring dimensions of Gothic cathedrals.

A sense of the sacred in nature, as well as in people, seems to be an important part of this world view.

At lunch at the Harmony Summit, grace was said by the Bishop of Norwich, Graham Usher.

The King's idea of harmony dovetailed with a very deep personal Christian faith, he said.

"My sense is that he draws much of his energy and ideas from spending time in prayer and contemplation," said the bishop.

He said the King sees his role as serving others and a sense of this "is seen in how he is always keen to learn from other religious traditions, building bridges and fostering good relationships built on respect and understanding".

Within strands of Christianity, the King is also said to be have been interested in the Orthodox faith and its use of icons.

Courtney Louise/The King’s Foundation  Delegates gather around a fire at the Harmony Summit in HighgroveCourtney Louise/The King’s Foundation
A fire was lit within a ring of flowers

Highgrove itself has an example of the King's private sense of spirituality. There is a small sanctuary tucked away in the grounds, where no one else goes inside, where he can spend time completely alone with this thoughts.

It must seem a world away from the ceremonial juggernaut of this week's state visit by France's President Macron.

The focus of this inaugural Harmony Summit was drawing on the wisdom of indigenous people, tapping into their knowledge and pre-industrial ways of working with nature.

Survivalist Ray Mears was there to welcome representatives of the Earth Elders group, who work to defend the rights of "original peoples", who have become the threatened guardians of the natural world. They were wearing traditional headdresses, face paint and ornaments, in among the flowers and trees of Highgrove.

"People's selfishness has taken them away from nature. They can't feel the breeze, they're too focused on the clock," said Mindahi Bastida, of the Otomi-Toltec people in Mexico.

The cacophonous modern world has broken our connection with nature, said Rutendo Ngara, from South Africa. She described our era as a time of "loud forgetting".

"We all have egos and ambitions. I wanted to be an entrepreneur, I wanted to sell out," said Uyunkar Domingo Peas Nampichkai, from Ecuador, the co-ordinator for the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance.

The temptation for him was to sell his land for oil. He decided a different path and explained what "harmony" now meant to him.

"It's well-being for all human beings, all living beings, visible and invisible, it's Mother Nature… Everything is connected and there's mutual respect," he said.

These were people from forests and rivers who talked of the destructive pressures on them, from mining, oil and urbanisation.

The weren't pulling punches either. There were speakers warning of how "Europeans" had killed their people and another who said that the much-hyped COP climate change gatherings were full of empty promises that never delivered for grassroots communities.

Ailton Krenak, from Brazil, talked of rivers that that had been "erased by money" and seeing the dried-up, polluted waterways was like a much-loved "grandfather in a coma".

Courtney Louise/The King’s Foundation Head and shoulders picture of Rutendo Ngara at the Harmony Summit. She has dreadlocks and is wearing dark glasses and a green and purple headscarfCourtney Louise/The King’s Foundation
Rutendo Ngara described our era as a period of "loud forgetting"

But how can harmony work in such a discordant world?

Patrick Dunne, who runs the educational Harmony Project which uses the concept in more than 100 schools in the UK, has been applying the principles in a place of extreme conflict, the war in Ukraine.

He's been taking classes of children traumatised by the conflict, and reconnecting them with nature, taking them to parks and forests for a place to heal.

"Ukraine is a powerful example of a country that's in a war they don't want and they are losing a lot of people. It's terrible, there's a lot of pain and suffering. And they want harmony, a future of living well together, so the message of harmony really resonates there," he said.

Highgrove, winningly wobbly with its crooked tiles and trees growing through holes in the roof of a shelter, is a lyrical sight on a summer's day. It's a model of harmony with nature.

How does that message work, when you step outside into an often angry, noisy and brutal world?

What makes the idea of harmony relevant, is that it puts ideas into practice, it's not just a "thought exercise", says Simon Sadinsky, executive education director at the King's Foundation, which teaches crafts skills to a new generation.

"It's not just a theoretical concept, it's not just a philosophy, it's grounded in practice," says Dr Sadinsky.

"There's a lot of awfulness going on in the world, it's hard to stay optimistic. You can feel completely powerless," says Beth Somerville, a textile worker who completed a King's Foundation course.

But she says the idea of "harmony in nature" inspires her work and helps to create things which can be both beautiful and functional, in a way that is "all connected".

"It does drive me to carry on and have hope," she says.

Courtney Louise/The King’s Foundation  Delegates at the Harmony Summit in HighgroveCourtney Louise/The King’s Foundation
Courtney Louise/The King’s Foundation A man wearing traditional dress holds two black and white feathers and a microphone at HighgroveCourtney Louise/The King’s Foundation
Courtney Louise/The King’s Foundation King Charles talks with a man wearing what looks like an animal skin capeCourtney Louise/The King’s Foundation
Ian Jones/The King’s Foundation  Delegates gather round a fire brazier at the Harmony Summit in HighgroveIan Jones/The King’s Foundation

Mystery of Air India crash deepens after report reveals cockpit audio

Air India plane descending moments before crash

Investigators have uncovered a chilling discovery in the preliminary investigation into the Air India Flight 171 crash which killed 260 people in June.

Just seconds after takeoff, both the 12-year-old Boeing 787 Dreamliner's fuel-control switches abruptly moved to the "cut-off" position, starving the engines of fuel and triggering total power loss. Switching to "cut-off" is a move typically done only after landing.

The cockpit voice recording captures one pilot asking the other why he "did the cut-off", to which the person replies that he didn't. The recording doesn't clarify who said what. At the time of takeoff, the co-pilot was flying the aircraft while the captain was monitoring.

The switches were returned to their normal inflight position, triggering automatic engine relight. At the time of the crash, one engine was regaining thrust while the other had relit but had not yet recovered power.

Air India Flight 171 was airborne for less than 40 seconds before crashing into a crowded neighbourhood in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, marking one of India's most baffling aviation disasters.

Investigators are probing the wreckage and cockpit recorders to understand what went wrong just after takeoff. The Air India flight climbed to 625 feet in clear weather before losing location data 50 seconds in, per Flightradar24. Saturday's 15-page report offers early insights.

The investigation - led by Indian authorities with experts from Boeing, General Electric, Air India, Indian regulators, and participants from the US and UK - raises several questions.

Investigators say the lever-lock fuel switches are designed to prevent accidental activation - they must be pulled up to unlock before flipping, a safety feature dating back to the 1950s. Built to exacting standards, they're highly reliable. Protective guard brackets further shield them from accidental bumps.

"It would be almost impossible to pull both switches with a single movement of one hand, and this makes accidental deployment unlikely," a Canada-based air accidents investigator, who wanted to remain unnamed, told the BBC.

That's what makes the Air India case stand out.

If one of the pilots was responsible for shutting down the switches, intentionally or not, it "does beg the question: why... pull the switches to the off position," Shawn Pruchnicki, a former airline accident investigator and aviation expert at Ohio State University, said.

"Was it intentional, or the result of confusion? That seems unlikely, as the pilots reported nothing unusual. In many cockpit emergencies, pilots may press the wrong buttons or make incorrect selections - but there was no indication of such a situation here, nor any discussion suggesting that the fuel switches were selected by mistake. This kind of error doesn't typically happen without some evident issue," he told the BBC.

Getty Images Two investigative officials stand at the site of Air India Boeing 787 crash site. They stand with their backs to the camera, next to the remnants of the plane amid foliage.Getty Images
Air India Flight 171 crashed into a crowded neighbourhood in Ahmedabad

Peter Goelz, a former managing director of the US's NTSB, echoed a similar sentiment: "The finding is very disturbing - that a pilot has shut off the fuel switch within seconds of flying."

"There's likely much more on the cockpit voice recorder than what's been shared. A lone remark like 'why did you cut off the switches' isn't enough," he said.

"The new details suggest someone in the cockpit shut those valves. The question is, who, and why? Both switches were turned off and then restarted within seconds. The voice recorder will reveal more: was the flying pilot trying to restart the engines, or the monitoring one?"

Investigators believe the cockpit voice recorder - with audio from pilot mics, radio calls and ambient cockpit sounds - holds the key to this puzzle.

"They haven't identified the voices yet, which is crucial. Typically, when the voice recorder is reviewed, people familiar with the pilots are present to help match voices. As of now, we still don't know which pilot turned the switches off and back on," said Mr Goelz.

In short, investigators say what's needed is clear voice identification, a full cockpit transcript with labelled speakers, and a thorough review of all communications from the moment the plane was pushed back from the gate to the time it crashed.

They also say this underscores the need for cockpit video recorders, as recommended by the NTSB. An over-the-shoulder view would show whose hand was on the cut-off switch.

Before boarding Flight 171, both pilots and crew passed breathalyser tests and were cleared fit to fly, the report says. The pilots, based in Mumbai, had arrived in Ahmedabad the day before the flight and had adequate rest.

But investigators are also zeroing in on what they describe is an interesting point in the report.

It says in December 2018, the US Federal Aviation Administration issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) highlighting that some Boeing 737 fuel control switches were installed with the locking feature disengaged.

While the issue was noted, it wasn't deemed an unsafe condition requiring an Airworthiness Directive (AD) - a legally enforceable regulation to correct unsafe conditions in a product.

The same switch design is used in Boeing 787-8 aircraft, including Air India's VT-ANB which crashed. As the SAIB was advisory, Air India did not perform the recommended inspections.

Bloomberg via Getty Images An employee, right, sits with a visitor inside the cockpit of a Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner aircraft, operated by Air India Ltd., on display during the India Aviation 2014 air show held at the Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad, India, on Thursday, March 13, 2014. The air show takes place from March 12-16. Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesBloomberg via Getty Images
A cockpit of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, operated by Air India at an air show in India

Mr Pruchnicki said he's wondering whether there was a problem with the fuel control switches.

"What does this [bit in the report] exactly mean? Does it mean that with a single flip, that switch could shut the engine off and cut the fuel supply? When the locking feature is disengaged, what exactly happens? Could the switch just flip itself to off and shut down the engine? If that's the case, it's a really serious issue. If not, that also needs to be explained," he said.

Others, however, aren't convinced this is a key issue.

"I haven't heard of this which appears to be a low-profile FAA issuance. Nor have I heard any complaints [about the fuel switches] from pilots - who are usually quick to speak up. It's worth examining since it's mentioned, but it may just be a distraction," said Mr Goelz.

Capt Kishore Chinta, a former investigator with India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), wonders whether the switches tripped because of a problem with the plane's electronic control unit.

"Can the fuel cut-off switches be triggered electronically by the plane's electronic control unit without movement by the pilot? If the fuel cut-off switches tripped electronically, then it's a cause for concern," he told the BBC.

The report says fuel samples from the refuelling tanks were "satisfactory". Experts had earlier suggested fuel contamination as a possible cause of the dual engine failure. Notably, no advisory has been issued for the Boeing 787 or its GE GEnx-1B engines, with mechanical failure ruled out for now pending further investigation.

It also said that the aircraft's Ram Air Turbine (RAT) had deployed - a clear sign of a major systems failure - and the landing gear was found in "down position" or not retracted.

The RAT, a small propeller that extends from the underside of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, acts as an emergency backup generator. It automatically deploys in flight when both engines lose power or if all three hydraulic systems register critically low pressure, supplying limited power to keep essential flight systems operational.

"The deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) strongly supports the conclusion that both engines had failed," Mr Pruchnicki said.

A Boeing 787 pilot explained why he thought the landing gear was not retracted.

"These days, every time I take off in a 787, I notice the landing gear retraction process closely. By the time the gear handle is pulled, we're already at about 200ft (60.9m), and the entire gear retraction process completes by around 400ft - roughly eight seconds in total, thanks to the aircraft's high-pressure hydraulic system."

The pilot believes the one flying had no time to think.

"When both engines fail and the aircraft starts going down, the reaction goes beyond just being startled - you go numb. In that moment, landing gear isn't your focus. Your mind is on one thing: the flight path. Where can I put this aircraft down safely? And in this case, there simply wasn't enough altitude to work with."

Investigators say the crew tried to recover, but it happened too fast.

"The engines were switched off and then back on. The pilots realised the engines were losing thrust - likely restarting the left one first, followed by the right," said Mr Pruchnicki.

"But the right engine didn't have enough time to spool back up, and the thrust was insufficient. Both were eventually set to "run", but with the left shut down first and the right too late to recover, it was simply too little, too late."

'Was this avoidable?': Families of Flight 171 crash victims seek answers

BBC Inayat Syed, 49, with his wife Nafeesa, along with their son and daughterBBC

For days, Imtiyaz Ali had been anxiously awaiting the findings of a preliminary report into last month's Air India crash that killed his brother, sister-in-law, and their two young children.

When the report was finally released early on Saturday in India, he read it carefully - only to be disappointed by what he said "reads like a product description".

"Other than the pilots' final conversation, there's nothing in it that really points to what caused the crash."

He hopes more details will be made public in the months to come.

"This matters to us," Ali said. "We want to know exactly what happened. It won't change anything for us now, we continue grieving - just as we have since that day. But at least we'll have some answers."

Javid Ali, hair short and wearing a brown button-down shirt, stands holding his daughter Amani, wearing a dress, beside his wife Maryam Ali, wearing a belted dress, glasses, and her dark hair short. Their son Zayn stands in front of them, Javid's arm around him.
Javid and Maryam Ali with their children Zayn and Amani, who died in the crash

The London-bound Air India flight 171 crashed into a suburban neighbourhood in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad shortly after take-off on 12 June, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 others on the ground.

A preliminary investigative report released on Saturday in India said fuel to the engines of the plane cut off just seconds after take-off. The circumstances around how or why that happened remain unclear.

The report said that in recovered cockpit voice recordings, one of the pilots can be heard asking "why did you cut off?" - to which the other pilot replied he "did not do so".

A final report into the crash is expected in 12 months.

Shweta Parihar, 41, also wants answers. Her husband, Abhinav Parishar, 43, was on his way back to London. He was meant to fly later in the month but decided to come home early and ended up on the ill-fated flight.

She laments that no investigation will ever bring her husband back.

"For those of us that have lost loved ones, we've lost them, they are not coming back," she said.

"What will they do in the investigation, tell us how it happened? The life of how many people, 250 passengers, what will they say, sorry? Everything is done, everything is finished."

Parihar becomes emotional when she talks about the impact of the loss on her 11-year-old son Vihaan.

"He misses his dad badly," she said tearfully. Vihaan tells her that he won't fly Air India ever again.

A family photo with Shweta Parihar and her husband, Abhinav Parishar, and their son Vihaan
Abhinav and Shweta Parihar with their son Vihaan

Badasab Syed, 59, lost his brother, sister-in-law, and their two children in the crash.

He was hoping for answers from the preliminary report, but after watching the news, said he was left with more questions.

"The report mentions the pilots discussing who turned off fuel and a possible issue with the fuel control switch. We don't know, what does that mean? Was this avoidable?"

Inayat Syed, 49, with his wife Nafeesa, along with their son and daughter
Inayat and Nafeesa Syed pictured with their son and daughter

Badasab Syed says his younger brother, Inayat Syed, 49 was the heart of the family. Losing him, his wife and children, has shattered the entire family. The grief has been especially difficult on his 83-year-old mother, Bibi Sab.

"Losing her son and grandchildren has made her weak. I think she is not able to even tell us how she feels," he said.

New online safety rules are here - but as tech races ahead, expect changes

Matt Cardy, Getty Images  A 12-year-old boy looks at a phone screen Matt Cardy, Getty Images

It's surely the darkest fear of any mum or dad - losing their child to a world that's out of sight, a place where they can't protect them.

Esther Ghey, Ian Russell, Mariano Janin, Liam Walsh, Ellen Roome, Lisa Kenevan, Hollie Dance and Judy Thomas.

They are all parents who believe the internet played a part in the death of their children: Brianna, Molly, Mia, Maia, Jools, Isaac, Archie and Frankie.

And they've courageously told us their stories, sharing their pain, partly in the hope of pushing the authorities to regulate what happens on the internet more effectively.

After years of campaigning and political debate, tech platforms will - within weeks - be legally obliged to stop kids seeing harmful content online, including pornography and material encouraging self-harm. They'll be expected to check users' ages, and if they don't, they could be punished with heavy fines.

But the debate over whether the changes will have the right effect is already raging. In private, the government freely admits the new rules already need an update. So what is going on?

PA Media Social media apps displayed on a mobile phone screenPA Media

Technological advances

"If it does what it says it does, it should be really big," said one Whitehall source, with high hopes of the change on the way.

Ofcom will be responsible for enforcing new child safety rules which will require platforms to check users' ages. These take effect on 25 July - and Ofcom's chief executive, Dame Melanie Dawes, will join me live in the studio tomorrow morning to explain more.

The regulator won't tell platforms exactly how to verify users' ages. But it could be sharing a selfie in real time, or checking bank details. Without proving they are 18, a child or teenager should theoretically not be able to see content that might do them harm.

Ofcom's measures to make tech firms remove illegal content have already come into force. A senior Whitehall source said: "We have had 20 years with no attention being paid to safety." You can't say that now.

But some observers take a very dim view of how much the new rules are going to change.

One campaigner said: "If we believed the breathless PR, we could all take to our deckchairs and just enjoy the sun."

Rightly or wrongly, the new rules don't cover what kids share with each other on messaging apps, and they don't block risky stunts or challenges or in-app purchases like loot boxes that end up costing some families a fortune.

And as technology races ahead, the rules don't fully cover AI chatbots which are increasingly grabbing kids' attention.

The Online Safety Act, which was passed in 2023, didn't tackle material that is harmful but legal for adults - not least because of an almighty row in the Conservative Party when they were in charge.

Nor was it set up to tackle misinformation or hate, which MPs warned on Friday left serious holes in the new system designed to protect everyone.

PA Media A child using a laptopPA Media

The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, which investigated the law in the wake of the Southport riots, said internet users were being exposed to large volumes of harmful and misleading content "which can deceive, damage mental health, normalise extremist views, undermine democracy, and fuel violence".

MPs in the committee concluded that the Act failed to keep UK citizens "safe from a core and pervasive online harm".

Many safety campaigners think the rules simply don't go far enough and that Ofcom has been far too cautious. A former cabinet minister tells me: "I just don't understand their lack of pace or urgency."

It took years to get the Online Safety Act passed as law in the first place. Parliament spent a long time grappling with real dilemmas - especially how to protect fundamental rights of free speech and privacy.

Then Ofcom took many months to write the codes of practice that have come into force over time. They wanted to create rules that were practical for the tech platforms themselves.

One industry source says Ofcom had been "sensible and grown-up", and while the rules weren't "revolutionary" they were important, positioning the UK between tighter regulations in the EU and a more lax regime in the US.

However you look at it, these new laws have been a very, very long time coming. And while Whitehall has been grinding along, technology, and the kinds of experiences we all have online, has been racing ahead.

Who had really heard of AI five years ago? Many sources I've spoken to question now if the way the whole system has been designed is the right one.

The former minister I spoke to said it was a "category error" to regulate the internet in this way, questioning whether Ofcom was the right body to do the job.

But ultimately, Ofcom can only work within the laws MPs set.

Getty Images Lord Michael Grade, Chair of Ofcom Getty Images
Lord Michael Grade, chair of Ofcom

While we'll be focusing in the studio tomorrow on the effect the new rules will have, there is already an obvious demand among politicians to go further.

Labour's education secretary branded the Tories' suggestion to ban phones in schools a "gimmick". The PM said it was "unnecessary". But the House of Lords might back the idea in votes in mid-autumn, pushing the question back to MPs.

Might some newly emboldened Labour backbenchers be tempted to support it too? One of them told me if there were a reshuffle, and a new education secretary, "I'd be straight in there to say, ditch the battle, get on the right side of the public and parents, and agree to the Tories' proposal."

But I understand there are new measures developed in government that might emerge even before then, shortly after the summer.

With the age verification measures about to come into force, the cabinet minister in charge, Peter Kyle, wants to shift the conversation towards healthy habits. The Online Safety Act focuses on what we can see on the internet. But Kyle's next focus is on how we use it, considering how some apps could be addictive.

A source said: "kids shouldn't have to be grateful they can't see violent porn on their devices… the next debate is about what is healthy online."

Ministers are considering how they could protect children from algorithms that "can make kids feel out of control", or drive compulsive behaviour. Proposals on the table include an "app cap", screen time limits, extra rules on live streams, and making more of a distinction between what 13 and 16-year-olds can do online.

More legislation is likely to bring in the next round of changes, but right now, as one MP said: "it is stuck somewhere in the system."

You can expect the next round of conversations about how governments can protect the public from the worst excesses of the internet while enjoying its incredible opportunities to be part of the political soundtrack of the autumn.

Technology has changed so many aspects of our lives so fast for the better in recent years. But for too many families, their experiences online have brought terrible pain. Just as our heads might spin trying to understand all the changes, politicians have perhaps struggled to balance the dangers as well as the opportunities, and how they might be called on to protect the public.

What happens online is not the usual turf of politics like making ends meet, running schools or hospitals. But just as our virtual lives are an increasing part of our world, they are becoming a bigger part of our political life too.

A list of organisations in the UK offering support and information with some of the issues in this story is available at BBC Action Line

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Forty-two arrests at Palestine Action ban protest

PA Media A number of police officers on a road with some members of the public taking photos and filming. The police appear to be carrying a person although only their foot can be seen in the image.PA Media

Forty-two arrests have been made in London at a protest against Palestine Action being proscribed a terror group, the Metropolitan Police has said.

The force said 41 arrests were made on suspicion of showing support for a proscribed organisation, with one person also arrested for common assault.

Palestine Action was proscribed by the government under the Terrorism Act 2000 as of last Saturday, meaning membership of or support for the group is a criminal offence.

Twenty-nine people were arrested at a similar protest in London last weekend.

Two groups of protesters were seen gathering in Parliament Square shortly after 13:00 BST on Saturday.

Some individuals were seen holding placards bearing the words: "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action."

Demonstrators were also seen lying on top of each other while police officers searched bags, taking ID cards and handmade signs.

Police were seen carrying some of the protesters away and led others into police vans - with the last protester being removed from the Nelson Mandela statue just after 14:30 BST.

The move to proscribe Palestine Action came after two Voyager aircraft were sprayed with paint by activists who broke into RAF Brize Norton in June - an incident for which the group claimed responsibility.

Campaign group Defend Our Juries, which said it had organised the London protest, said other demonstrations were happening in the UK today including in Manchester and Cardiff.

Air India crash victim's relative 'can't be at peace' until root cause known

Family handout An older looking woman is seen in closeup. She wears earrings, and has dark hair and glasses.Family handout
Manju Mahesh Patel, 79, was on the Gatwick-bound plane when it crashed in Ahmedabad shortly after take-off on 12 June

The granddaughter of a victim of the Air India Flight 171 crash has said a preliminary report into the incident was "incomplete" and that she "can't be at peace" without those responsible being held accountable.

"It does bring us a little bit closer to understanding what happened," Ria Patel told BBC's Newshour, but added: "I want to be able to have closure."

She is one of several voices in the UK to stress the need for answers over root causes of the crash, which occurred shortly after take-off in Ahmendabad on 12 June.

A preliminary report, released on Friday, found fuel to the engines of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner was cut moments after take-off. The investigation is ongoing.

Manju Mahesh Patel, 79, was one of the 260 people killed - most of whom were passengers - when the London-bound plane fell into a densely populated neighbourhood in the western Indian city.

Her granddaughter found reading the report "quite heartbreaking", as there were images from the immediate aftermath of the crash - including the wreckage - that were difficult to process.

"For me, I can't sort of stop thinking about what my grandma's final moments must have looked like," she said from her home in Buckinghamshire.

Ms Patel's grandmother had been staying in Ahmedabad for the prior few months, carrying out charity work at a temple. Manju's son had been due pick her up at Gatwick that night, and she was said to be looking forward to seeing her four grandchildren in the UK.

"This was the chance to reconnect with her after 10 years," Ms Patel said. "Knowing that we won't be able to see her again, it is really tough."

Data gathered from inside the plane suggests both of its fuel control switches moved from the "run" to the "cut-off" position in the space of a second shortly after take-off.

These switches are typically only turned off when a plane has landed and made it to the gate, or during emergency situations. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) did not specify whether an emergency situation had taken place on board in its preliminary report.

The cut-off then caused both engines to lose thrust, the AAIB report found.

For Ms Patel, the preliminary report still points to several theories and its findings are incomplete.

But she stressed how "extremely important" it was for her and others to find out what the underlying cause of the crash was.

"I feel like I can't really be at peace with what's happened, unless I understand where the accountability lies."

Sameer Rafik, a cousin of crash victim Faizan Rafik from Leicester, is similarly calling for more details to be brought forward.

"The Indian Government should release the cockpit audio for the families who lost loved ones," said Mr Rafik. Only after that "we will then know what happened".

A man wears a white dress shirt and has a microphone attached to his lapel. He has a black beard and dark hair.
Sameer Rafik, cousin of Air India victim Faizan Rafik, wants the cockpit recordings from the crash to be released

Dr Mario Donadi, a friend of another victim killed in the Air India crash, described the initial findings a "huge slap in the face" on BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

His "dear colleague", Dr Prateek Joshi, had been travelling back to the UK with his family. He took a picture of himself, his wife and three kids mere moments before take-off.

"How [can] something so trivial [as] a simple switch being deactivated lead to such a loss of life, of such huge dreams?" Dr Donadi asked.

Supplied A middle-aged man sits next to his wife, who has long brown hair in one row of a plane. Across the aisle from the couple are their three children, two young boys and one young girl. They're all smiling.Supplied
Dr Prateek Joshi took a selfie along with wife, Dr Komi Vyas, and their three children just moments before take-off

There were 53 British nationals on board the Air India flight, which was destined for London's Gatwick airport.

Responding to the preliminary report, a Department for Transport spokesperson told the BBC the government would review it in detail and "consider if any action is required".

Ms Patel said she recognised that knowing what happened will not change the outcome of what occurred. "My grandma still isn't here."

But she argued that "clear actions" needed to be taken for relatives of the victims "to feel a sense of justice - because so many lives have been lost".

The AAIB investigation is expected to produce a more detailed report in 12 months.

Ms Patel said the loss of her grandmother had left a noticeable "gap" in her life, as she used to call her every weekend.

"She will be sorely missed. She was an amazing woman."

I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Jacob Elordi's war series: What's coming up this week

Sony Pictures / Getty Images A composite picture of a scene from I Know What You Did Last Summer, showing a woman screaming, and Jacob ElordiSony Pictures / Getty Images

This week, I Know What You Did Last Summer returns to the big screen, decades after the original had us all hiding behind our sofas.

But that's not all the next seven days have in store.

Jacob Elordi is starring in The Narrow Road to the Deep North on BBC One, romantic drama Mixtape is out, and new game Donkey Kong Bananza is released.

Read on for what's coming up this week...

Strap in for Summerween

Sony Pictures A scene of a man with a hook, from I Know What You Did Last SummerSony Pictures

By Tom Richardson, Newsbeat reporter

Forget blockbusters – summer shockbusters are all the rage in 2025.

Hot on the heels of 28 Years Later comes I Know What You Did Last Summer, a sort-of-but-not-technically remake of the 1997 slasher classic.

As before, five friends who agree to cover up a tragic accident are stalked one year later by hook-wielding killer The Fisherman. And whoever's hiding under the menacing waterproofs isn't happy with them.

With a buzzy new cast including The Outer Banks' Madelyn Cline, some 2025 tweaks (yes, there's a true crime podcaster) plus the return of OG cast members Freddie Prinze Jr and Jennifer Love Hewitt, producers will be hoping the beloved series can hook a new generation of fans.

From Saltburn to the Deep North

Jacob Elordi continues to go from strength to strength.

The 28-year-old actor, best known for his roles in Saltburn, Euphoria and The Kissing Booth, is now starring in The Narrow Road to the Deep North, an Australian mini-series which UK viewers can soon watch.

The five-part saga is adapted from Richard Flanagan's Booker Prize-winning novel.

It charts the life of Dorrigo Evans, played by Elordi as a young man with Ciarán Hinds as the older Dorrigo, through his love affair with Amy Mulvaney, played by Odessa Young, his time held captive in a World War Two prisoner of war camp, and his later years spent as a revered surgeon and reluctant war hero.

Reviews are out already, as it aired in Australia first. The Guardian gave it four stars, calling it a "complex, confronting war drama", while The New York Times praised it as a "brutal and poetic" series that takes on life's big questions.

The Narrow Road to the Deep North is available in full on BBC iPlayer next Sunday 20 July, and begins that evening on BBC One.

Summer romance

BBC/ 2024 SUBOTICA (MIX TAPE), AQF HOLDING PTY, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY AND SCREEN NSW/Cait Fahy A scene from Mixtape, showing a woman and a man looking at each other in a barBBC/ 2024 SUBOTICA (MIX TAPE), AQF HOLDING PTY, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY AND SCREEN NSW/Cait Fahy

Nostalgia-based posts are all over my TikTok feed, and there's now a new drama out tapping right into that trend.

Mix Tape, a four-part series, is set in the late 80s and 90s and follows Daniel and Alison, moving between their teenage romance in Sheffield and the modern-day reality of their adult relationships living on opposite sides of the world.

There's love, heartbreak and a soundtrack jammed full of the golden oldies. And reviews, so far, have been positive.

Screenhub Australia called it "resonant and real", while the Guardian, which awarded it four stars, called it "sweet and intense".

It stars Teresa Palmer as Alison and Jim Sturgess as Daniel, with Florence Hunt and Rory Walton-Smith as their younger selves.

Like The Narrow Road to the Deep North, it also premiered in Australia, but it's now available for UK viewers. All episodes are available on BBC iPlayer from Tuesday, and it begins that evening on BBC Two.

Ape expectations

By Tom Richardson, Newsbeat reporter

As the second big exclusive release on Nintendo's record-breaking Switch 2, Donkey Kong Bananza has a lot resting on its shoulders.

The initial reaction to this 3D platformer was cautious, and some fans wondered if the gameplay - which sees gaming's most famous ape smashing his way through destructible levels - would be a bit one-note.

But recent deep dives and previews - and the disclosure that Bananza is made by the same Nintendo division as some of Mario's biggest hits - have helped to build excitement.

He may lack the plumber's balletic moveset, but with some of Nintendo's most imaginative minds plotting his next adventure Donkey Kong's latest has the makings of a smash hit.

Other highlights this week

  • The Great British Sewing Bee returns on BBC One and iPlayer on Tuesday
  • London Indian Film Festival starts on Wednesday
  • Elvis Evolution, an immersive experience at Immerse LDN, opens on Friday

GB's Cash and Glasspool make history with doubles title

GB's Cash & Glasspool make history with doubles title

Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool holding their Wimbledon trophies after victory in the final on Centre CourtImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Cash (left) and Glasspool (right) also won titles at Queen's and Eastbourne last month

Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool made history by becoming the first all-British pair to win the men's doubles title at Wimbledon for 89 years.

The pair beat the unseeded partnership of Australian Rinky Hijikata and Dutchman David Pel 6-2 7-6 (7-3) to win a maiden Grand Slam title.

Cash, 28, and 31-year-old Glasspool had already become the first all-British pair to reach the final since Mike Davies and Bobby Wilson in 1960.

But this is the first time since Pat Hughes and Raymond Tuckey at Wimbledon in 1936 that two Britons have been crowned men's doubles champions at a Grand Slam.

"When you say it it sounds incredible. I didn't think too much about it," Glasspool said after a thrilling match.

"We will never forget this day for all our lives."

Cash added: "We had two goals this year - one was to make it to Turin [ATP Finals] and the other was to win a Slam.

"To do it here, it couldn't mean more."

There were muted celebrations to begin with when Cash sent down an irretrievable overhead smash to secure victory before the pair turned to their coaching box and raised their fists in the air.

They later paraded their trophies around the court with beaming smiles as they celebrated a third grass-court title of the season following success at Queen's and Eastbourne last month.

British doubles success continues at SW19

Seven different British men have now won Grand Slam men's doubles titles since 2012.

At Wimbledon, Cash and Glasspool's triumph follows that of Neal Skupski winning the title alongside Dutch partner Wesley Koolhof two years ago before Henry Patten and Finnish partner Harri Heliovaara last year.

Last month, Cash and Glasspool became the first all-British partnership to win the men's doubles title at Queen's in the Open era.

They followed that up with victory at Eastbourne and have won 17 matches on grass this season, losing just one.

"We have played a crazy amount of tennis on the grass," Cash said.

"There was a lot of pressure on our shoulders. The fact we could do what everyone said we could is surreal."

They have been the men to beat in the doubles draw this year, securing wins against defending champions Patten and Heliovaara in the quarter-finals and French Open champions Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in the last four.

On a packed Centre Court, Cash and Glasspool - superior in the net rallies and both displaying impressive serving - had the opening set wrapped up in just 27 minutes.

A break of serve in the fifth game of the second set before an emphatic love hold put them within two games of the title but Hijikata and Pel rallied, winning the next three games to put the match back on serve.

Cash and Glasspool saw off a deuce game at 6-5 to force a tie-break before sealing the win with their first of three championships points.

Related topics

Trump says EU and Mexico face 30% tariff from August

BBC 'Breaking' graphicBBC

President Donald Trump has announced that the European Union and Mexico will face a 30% tariff on imports to the US from 1 August.

He warned he would impose even higher import taxes if either of the US trading partners decided to retaliate.

The announcement was made in two letters posted on Trump's Truth Social website. Similar letters were sent this week to several other countries.

The 27-member EU - America's biggest trading partner - said earlier this week it hoped to agree a deal with Washington before 1 August.

In the letter to European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Trump wrote: "We have had years to discuss our trading relationship with the European Union, and have concluded that we must move away from these long-term-large, and persistent, trade deficits, engendered by your tariff, and non-tariff, policies and trade barriers."

"Our relationship has been, unfortunately, far from reciprocal," the letter added.

The EU has been a frequent target of Trump's criticism, and in April Washington announced levies of 20% on European goods.

In 2024, the US trade deficit with the bloc was $235.6bn (€202bn; £174bn), according to the office of the US trade representative.

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

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.

The beauty and brutality of life in the shadow of Kashmir killings

Abid Bhat/BBC A soldier stands guard in the Betab Valley in PahalgamAbid Bhat/BBC

A centuries-old Persian couplet often repeated in Indian-administered Kashmir translates to: "If there is a paradise on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here." And many Kashmiris insist it was written with Pahalgam in mind.

The small town, nestled between tall Himalayan mountains with a gurgling Lidder River flowing through it, is called the mini-Switzerland of India.

The valleys and meadows here have long provided stunning locations for Bollywood romances and attracted tens of thousands of tourists escaping the heat and dust of Indian planes.

But on 22 April, the tranquil valley hit global headlines when a sprawling meadow here turned into killing fields.

Militants singled out male Hindu tourists and murdered 25 of them in front of their families in Baisaran, a beauty spot about 7km from the town. A local Muslim pony handler who tried to help tourists was also shot dead.

The massacre brought nuclear-armed India and Pakistan to the brink of war. India blamed Pakistan for the killings – an accusation Islamabad denied – and the two countries attacked each other with missiles and drones over four days in May after which a fragile truce was agreed.

But in Pahalgam, time seems to have slowed down and the residents are trying to pick up the pieces and move on.

When I recently visited Pahalgam, where a large majority makes a living through tourism, I found a land and its people trying to deal with the collective trauma, mourning the loss of lives - and livelihoods. The peak tourist season here is April to June - and this year, most of it has already been lost.

REUTERS/Adnan Abidi Chairs and tables are scattered at the site of a suspected militant attack on tourists in Baisaran near Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag district, April 24, 2025. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
Chairs and tables are scattered at the site of a militant attack on tourists in Baisaran

"What happened here is condemnable… an inhuman act. Innocent people were killed," says Javeed Burza, president of Pahalgam Hotels and Restaurants association.

Standing in the rear lawns of his hotel, he watches the Lidder roar past. On the other side are huge mountains covered by a thick carpet of trees. It's this sort of view that made this valley in south Kashmir such a sought-after destination.

Mr Burza says visitors came from all over India for its lakes, forests, meadows and glaciers – and went back raving about the local people and their hospitality.

"People here are poor, they live hand-to-mouth, but they are known to be very kind and helpful. Now we are all facing the consequences of this senseless violence," he adds. "We had bookings right until the end of June. But then everything fell apart like a pack of cards. There's not much left here now."

Abid Bhat/BBC The Jaffar family enjoy the river in Pahalgam Abid Bhat/BBC
The Jaffar family say their friends tried to discourage them from coming to Pahalgam

The region's Chief Minister Omar Abdullah says in the immediate aftermath of the attack, tourists fled the town and people who were proposing to come cancelled.

To persuade tourists to give Pahalgam another chance, he visited the town within weeks of the attack, held a cabinet meeting there and, ignoring advice of security officials, cycled through the streets.

For Mr Abdullah, Pahalgam's wellbeing is personal.

"It's where our school picnics were; it's where we probably first dipped our toes in running water. For some of us it's the first time we went white water rafting or trout fishing. For others, it's a day or overnight visit. For us, it's part of our growing up."

Mr Abdullah says it's always hard to make predictions but he hopes to see Pahalgam "where it was on 21 April this year".

Abid Bhat/BBC Fayyaz Ahmad sells Kashmiri embroidered shawls and dresses in Pahalgam's main marketAbid Bhat/BBC
Fayyaz Ahmad says the targeting of tourists has left him bewildered

On that day, it was packed with tourists, says Fayyaz Ahmad, who sells Kashmiri embroidered shawls and dresses in Pahalgam's main market, with shops lining both sides of the only road that passes through the town.

Many remain shuttered, but a few have begun to open in the hope of attracting customers. The day I met him was the first he'd opened his shop since the killings.

The last three seasons – post-Covid years – had been marked by bumper visits, Mr Ahmad says.

"Every morning at least 3,000 cars would arrive by 11am. There would be traffic jams lasting two-three hours. Many tourists would say they couldn't find accommodation."

His own shop sometimes got so crowded that a queue of shoppers would form outside. "Business was brisk," he said. But now he's had to let three salesmen go. They would be rehired only if business picked up, he said.

The targeting of tourists has left him bewildered. Since 1989, when an anti-India militancy gripped Kashmir valley, Mr Ahmad says, "the situation was really bad here".

"We were afraid to step out of our homes, but tourists who chose to come here were never harmed. We can't understand why they've been targeted now. Who could do such a thing?" he asks.

India blamed Pakistan-backed militants for the massacre in a region that both countries claim in full, but control only in parts.

Delhi accuses its neighbour of fuelling a long-running insurgency that has killed tens of thousands in Indian-administered Kashmir. Islamabad has long denied backing militants there.

In recent years, the insurgency had abated, bringing millions of tourists and a growing sense that the region was finally becoming safer. But that has now changed.

"Pahalgam ke naam par dhabba lag gaya [Pahalgam's name is stained]," laments Nisar Ali, an 80-year-old resident who makes a living by selling papier mache products.

"People had taken loans to open shops and buy taxis, now everyone is staring at an uncertain future. What's happened to our paradise," he asks.

Abid Bhat/BBC A girl drives sheep along the Baisaran roadAbid Bhat/BBC
The road to Baisaran remains closed for outsiders but is used by local people and flocks of sheep

Just 2km from the market, a signboard points to the untarred road that goes up to Baisaran, a 5km trek covered on foot or ponies. The concertina wire used to barricade the road has been moved to one side and local people and flocks of sheep can be seen making their way down.

Before the killings, it was one of the most popular places for tourists. The meadow offering a great view of the valley was open from 08:00 to 17:00 and would get thousands of visitors daily in the summer.

But it remains out of bounds now. Two men have been arrested for allegedly providing shelter to the militants, but those who carried out the killings have still not been caught - leading to fears that they could return.

Abdul Wahid Wani, the president of Pahalgam pony owners' union, who was the first to arrive at the scene, says 1,090 tourists had gone up to the meadow until 14:00.

At the time of the attack, there were about 300 tourists in Baisaran, he estimates.

At 14:36, he says, he received a call from the police asking him if he had heard anything about an incident at Baisaran.

"I tried calling colleagues who had taken tourists up to the meadow, but no-one answered. I figured something was wrong and my brother and I ran all the way up and reached there at 15:10."

The police and paramilitaries arrived 15 minutes later. That night, Mr Wani, wrapped up at 02:30. He says what he saw there keeps him awake at nights.

"I saw women and children crying and screaming. I saw bodies on the ground. I saw 10-15 people injured."

In the first videos of the aftermath that went viral on the day of the attack, Mr Wani can be heard trying to reassure the survivors, offering them water, telling them he was there to help.

Abid Bhat/BBC Abdul Waheed Wani, president of Pahalgam local pony owners' unionAbid Bhat/BBC
Abdul Wahid Wani was the first to arrive at the scene of the massacre in April

He summoned other pony handlers who arrived at the scene to help evacuate people - "carrying them down on our backs and wooden cots" - and gather bodies strewn about the vast field.

"I still can't forget what I saw that day. I panicked; I had palpitations. I'd never seen anything like that before."

When I met him in Pahalgam, he looked tired, his eyes sunk deep into his lined face.

"For many nights I couldn't sleep and sleep still eludes me. With the militants still on the loose, I worry what will happen if they come after us because we helped people they were trying to kill?"

But earlier this week, we exchanged messages and he sounded more optimistic.

The town has sprung back to life, with thousands of pilgrims arriving to take part in Amarnath Yatra - the annual Hindu pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave shrine. It began on 3 July and will go on until 9 August.

Dozens of camps have been set up and thousands of police and security forces have been deployed along the route to ensure security.

Pahalgam is one of the two starting points for the trek to the shrine – and as many pilgrims hire ponies to take them part of the way, there's a steady stream of work for Mr Wani and his colleagues.

But hoteliers and shop-owners say they will have to wait for their turn until after the end of the pilgrimage since most pilgrims stay in cheaper camps and rarely purchase crafts.

Abid Bhat/BBC Tourists in PahalgamAbid Bhat/BBC
In June, 40% of more than 45,000 tourists who visited the Kashmir Valley went to Pahalgam

But many are taking heart from the fact that tourists have begun returning to the region. Ravi Gosain, president of All India Tour Operators, says in June, 40% of more than 45,000 tourists who visited the Kashmir Valley went to Pahalgam.

On the day I visited, there were families stopping for photographs under a "Love Pahalgam" sign.

Shabiba and Hamid Jaffar, who had visited last year around the same time, said it was so crowded then that they had to wait for half an hour to be able to take a photo here.

"When we decided to come this year, our friends tried to discourage us saying it's not safe," says Shabiba. "But it's totally safe and my children are so happy that they are saying let's move to Kashmir."

Mr Jaffar says their friends are calling them after seeing their photos. "And I'm telling them to come here for a holiday. Where will you see this beauty? Where will you get this peace?"

Abid Bhat/BBC A man drives sheep through the main street in Pahalgam Abid Bhat/BBC

Alzheimer's has isolated us, says Fiona Phillips' husband

Getty Images Fiona Phillips and Martin Frizell stand against a beige background. The photo is landscape - both smile and look towards the camera.Getty Images
Fiona Phillips and Martin Frizell attend the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Award in 2016

The husband of TV presenter Fiona Phillips says they have become socially isolated since her Alzheimer's diagnosis.

Phillips, who hosted ITV's GMTV breakfast programme, announced in 2023 that she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's the previous year aged 61.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Martin Frizell, a former editor of ITV's This Morning show, said: "You become almost invisible."

He added: "We still have some close friends. But I think people think, oh gosh, Fiona, maybe she doesn't look the same, or they don't know what to say, or it brings into sharp focus their own mortality."

At the time of her diagnosis, Philips said that she had suffered months of brain fog and anxiety - and initially had attributed the symptoms to the menopause.

"It's something I might have thought I'd get at 80," Phillips explained.

"But I was still only 61 years old."

Frizell said he now does not know what to do either with her cookery books or designer clothes - both things she no longer uses.

"Fiona hasn't cooked in two years," he said.

"Part of the heartache now is she's got this dressing room full of the most amazing clothes but this horrible disease means she's more than happy just wearing the same T-shirt, the same trousers, the same thing - day in, day out."

Mother-of-two Phillips has written a memoir since her diagnosis which is due to be released on Thursday.

Frizell contributed to the book, saying he had intended to write "a few paragraphs" but ended up writing "24,000 words".

"I started off writing about what a great woman she is and just how horrible it is and dreadfully unlucky that she is the latest in the long line of her family to get it," he told the newspaper.

"Then I just got very angry as to what little support there is.

"As a family, we just kind of get through it and at some point we will need more support, but there's just nothing really."

In 2023, Phillips said the disease had "decimated" her family - with her mother, father and uncle all receiving a diagnosis.

She had cared for her parents and made two documentaries about the disease - one in 2009 called Mum, Dad, Alzheimer's And Me, about her family's history of dementia, and My Family And Alzheimer's in 2010.

The NHS says the term dementia encompasses "a group of symptoms associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning".

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia in the UK but its exact cause is not yet fully understood. No cure currently exists for the disease although some treatments can temporarily improve symptoms.

According to the Alzheimer's Society charity, one in three people born in the UK will be diagnosed with dementia.

Speaking to ITV's This Morning on Friday, Frizell said: "Society has decided we're not going to take it as seriously as we should.

"The money that's there for Alzheimer's research, it's like buying a Starbucks cup of coffee, basically trying to fight a disease. It's impossible."

Phillips presented GMTV between 1993 and 2008. She has since led a number of documentaries and episodes of Panorama and was a columnist for the Mirror.

'Was this avoidable?': Victims' families seek answers

BBC Inayat Syed, 49, with his wife Nafeesa, along with their son and daughterBBC

For days, Imtiyaz Ali had been anxiously awaiting the findings of a preliminary report into last month's Air India crash that killed his brother, sister-in-law, and their two young children.

When the report was finally released early on Saturday in India, he read it carefully - only to be disappointed by what he said "reads like a product description".

"Other than the pilots' final conversation, there's nothing in it that really points to what caused the crash."

He hopes more details will be made public in the months to come.

"This matters to us," Ali said. "We want to know exactly what happened. It won't change anything for us now, we continue grieving - just as we have since that day. But at least we'll have some answers."

Javid Ali, hair short and wearing a brown button-down shirt, stands holding his daughter Amani, wearing a dress, beside his wife Maryam Ali, wearing a belted dress, glasses, and her dark hair short. Their son Zayn stands in front of them, Javid's arm around him.
Javid and Maryam Ali with their children Zayn and Amani, who died in the crash

The London-bound Air India flight 171 crashed into a suburban neighbourhood in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad shortly after take-off on 12 June, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 others on the ground.

A preliminary investigative report released on Saturday in India said fuel to the engines of the plane cut off just seconds after take-off. The circumstances around how or why that happened remain unclear.

The report said that in recovered cockpit voice recordings, one of the pilots can be heard asking "why did you cut off?" - to which the other pilot replied he "did not do so".

A final report into the crash is expected in 12 months.

Shweta Parihar, 41, also wants answers. Her husband, Abhinav Parishar, 43, was on his way back to London. He was meant to fly later in the month but decided to come home early and ended up on the ill-fated flight.

She laments that no investigation will ever bring her husband back.

"For those of us that have lost loved ones, we've lost them, they are not coming back," she said.

"What will they do in the investigation, tell us how it happened? The life of how many people, 250 passengers, what will they say, sorry? Everything is done, everything is finished."

Parihar becomes emotional when she talks about the impact of the loss on her 11-year-old son Vihaan.

"He misses his dad badly," she said tearfully. Vihaan tells her that he won't fly Air India ever again.

A family photo with Shweta Parihar and her husband, Abhinav Parishar, and their son Vihaan
Abhinav and Shweta Parihar with their son Vihaan

Badasab Syed, 59, lost his brother, sister-in-law, and their two children in the crash.

He was hoping for answers from the preliminary report, but after watching the news, said he was left with more questions.

"The report mentions the pilots discussing who turned off fuel and a possible issue with the fuel control switch. We don't know, what does that mean? Was this avoidable?"

Inayat Syed, 49, with his wife Nafeesa, along with their son and daughter
Inayat and Nafeesa Syed pictured with their son and daughter

Badasab Syed says his younger brother, Inayat Syed, 49 was the heart of the family. Losing him, his wife and children, has shattered the entire family. The grief has been especially difficult on his 83-year-old mother, Bibi Sab.

"Losing her son and grandchildren has made her weak. I think she is not able to even tell us how she feels," he said.

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