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More of England likely to be declared in drought

Getty Images A dried-up bed of a reservoir with only a narrow stream of water flowing through the middle. In the background there is a bridge and a blue sky with scattered clouds.Getty Images
Yorkshire is already in drought, with reservoirs like this one showing much lower levels than usual

More English regions are expected to join the North West and Yorkshire in an official drought on Tuesday after yet another hot and dry spell of weather.

The announcement is likely to come after the National Drought Group – which manages preparations for dry conditions in England – meets on Tuesday morning.

Declaring a drought means that water companies put in place their plans to manage water resources. That can involve hosepipe bans, but not always.

Droughts are driven by natural weather patterns, but climate change and our growing use of water are raising the risks of water shortages, the Environment Agency says.

The National Drought Group is made up of the Environment Agency, government, Met Office, water companies and others.

There are no official droughts in Wales and Northern Ireland at the moment. Scotland does not declare droughts but monitors "water scarcity".

Parts of eastern Scotland are in "moderate" scarcity – the second most extreme category – which means there is "clear" environmental impact.

In England there is no single definition of drought, but it is ultimately caused by a prolonged period of low rainfall, which has knock-on effects for nature, agriculture and water supplies.

England had its driest spring in more than 100 years, followed by three heatwaves in quick succession for some areas in June and July.

That intense warmth has drawn even more moisture out of the soil.

So while it may be raining where you live today, it's unlikely to be enough to bring water levels back to normal across the country.

The Environment Agency (EA) declares droughts in England based on reservoir levels, river flows and how dry the soil is, alongside long-term weather forecasts.

"We certainly expect more regions to enter drought status," said Richard Thompson, deputy director of water resources at the EA, adding that further details would be announced later on Tuesday.

In a "reasonable worst-case scenario" - where regions get 80% of their long-term average rainfall - another five regions across central and southern England could enter drought status by September, joining Yorkshire and the North West, according to the EA.

Current long-term forecasts suggest roughly normal levels of rainfall over the next few months, however.

If further droughts are declared, it does not automatically mean that hosepipe bans will be put in place, but these can often follow.

Some regions, such as parts of Kent and Sussex, have already declared hosepipe bans, but are not in drought status.

Getty Images Hosepipe with a yellow head rests on dry, yellow grass. A yellow hosepipe lead is in the background.Getty Images
Hosepipe bans can often follow official drought declarations

The EA warned last month that England's water supplies could face a shortfall of six billion litres a day by 2055 without dramatic action, driven by rising temperatures, population growth and other factors.

Climate change is expected to lead to drier summers on average, while more intense heatwaves mean more water can be lost via evaporation.

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Faroes-style tunnels could 'transform' fortunes for Shetland isles

BBC A grey car enters a tunnel, driving past red "no pedestrian" and "no cyclist" roadsigns. The tunnel disappears into a grassy hillside. A blue and white radio station information sign reads "FM 100.0".BBC
The 18 islands which make up the Faroes are connected by 23 tunnels, four of which run below the sea

The Faroese prime minister says Shetland could boost growth and revitalise island life by following his country in replacing ageing ferries with undersea tunnels.

Shetland Islands Council says it is pushing ahead with plans to build tunnels to four outlying isles in the archipelago including Unst, the most northerly place in the UK.

"I think we have learned in the Faroe Islands that investment in infrastructure is a good investment," Aksel Johannesen told BBC News.

Shetland Islands Council says its multi-million pound project is likely to be funded by borrowing money and paying it back through tolls, potentially providing a new transport model for other Scottish islands.

Faroese prime minister Aksel Johannesen pictured in an office with two blurred out gold-framed paintings hanging on a white wall behind him. He has brown hair combed to the side and is clean-shaven. He is looking directly at the camera with a serious expression. He is wearing a black shirt and a checked blazer.
The Faroese prime minister Aksel Johannesen told BBC News tunnels had helped to grow the population and the economy of the archipelago

Critics say politicians in Scotland have wasted years talking about tunnels while the Faroes, nearly 200 miles further out into the Atlantic, have actually built them.

"It is frustrating," says Anne Anderson of salmon producer Scottish Sea Farms, which employs nearly 700 people in Scotland, including just under 300 in Shetland.

The island chain produces a quarter of all Scottish salmon - the UK's most valuable food export with international sales of £844m in 2024.

"Ten years ago Scottish salmon used to have 10 per cent of the global market. Nowadays we're slipping ever closer to five per cent," adds Ms Anderson, who blames that slide, in part, on a lack of investment in public infrastructure .

She agrees that the UK should look to the Faroes for inspiration.

"Identify what works well for them and then just copy and paste and let's get moving," urges Ms Anderson.

A windswept Anne Anderson photographed from the chest up  in a marina setting. She has grey hair - tied back -  blue-rimmed glasses and is smiling at the camera. She is wearing a blue jacket with a "Scottish Sea Farms" logo on the left hand side.
Anne Anderson of Scottish Sea Farms says politicians should get moving

They have been building tunnels in the Faroes since the 1960s.

The 18 islands which make up the self-governing nation under the sovereignty of Denmark are connected by 23 tunnels, four of which run below the sea.

More are under construction.

Most dramatic is a 7.1 mile (11.4km) tunnel which connects the island of Streymoy to two sides of a fjord on the island of Eysturoy.

It includes the world's only undersea roundabout.

At its deepest point it is 187m (614ft) below the waves and has halved the driving time between the capital Tórshavn and the second biggest town, Klaksvik.

Photograph of vehicles streaking past a roundabout in a tunnel. The tunnel has a green/ blue backdrop and black silhouettes of figures on it.
A tunnel which connects the islands of Streymoy and Eysturoy includes the world's only undersea roundabout, nicknamed the jellyfish

Speaking in his grass-roofed office looking out over a busy harbour in Tórshavn, Johannesen says tunnels helped to grow the population and the economy of the archipelago, which is home to some 54,000 people, in contrast to Shetland's 23,000.

"It's about ambition," says tunnel builder Andy Sloan, whose company worked on part of the Faroese tunnel project.

He adds the islands have led the world "in connecting an archipelago in the middle of the North Atlantic through blood, sweat and tears – and focus.

"They have delivered a remarkable piece of infrastructure," says Mr Sloan, who is executive vice-president of engineering firm COWI.

It is now advising Shetland Islands Council on the technicalities and financing of tunnels.

The Faroese tunnels were constructed using a technique known as drill and blast – where holes are drilled in rock, explosives are dropped in, and the rubble is then cleared away – which Mr Sloan says could also be used in Scotland.

"Without doubt, Shetland can copy what has been achieved in these islands," he adds.

Head and shoulder shot of a smiling Andy Sloan, who is bald, smiling at the camera. He is wearing a navy suit jacket, navy half-zip jumper and a white shirt with the top button open. Green shrubbery is visible in the background.
Tunnel builder Andy Sloan worked on the Faroese tunnels

Prof Erika Anne Hayfield, dean of the Faculty of History and Social Sciences at the University of the Faroe Islands, says the tunnels have delivered significant benefits.

"People can live and thrive in smaller settlements," while still participating fully in island life and commuting to "the central labour market" in Tórshavn, she explains.

"In the long term, in terms of demography, social sustainability, a lot of people on islands believe that it is necessary," adds Prof Hayfield.

But she said the costs of some tunnels had been controversial, with some Faroese arguing that they are being built at the expense of investing in schools and hospitals.

Drone footage of Tórshavn marina, with government buildings, some of which have grass roofs, visible in the foreground. A number of boats can also be seen in the picture
The capital, Tórshavn, is a shorter commute for islanders since the construction of the tunnel network

Shetland's main town, Lerwick, may be closer to Tórshavn than it is to Edinburgh – and closer to Copenhagen than London – but advocates of tunnels insist the islands are not a remote backwater but an advanced economy constrained by poor infrastructure.

The archipelago of 100 islands at the confluence of the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean boasts the UK's only spaceport and a thriving fishing industry.

"We land more fish in Shetland than we do in the whole of England, Northern Ireland and Wales," says council leader Emma Macdonald.

"Tunnels could be incredibly transformational," she continues.

Macdonald adds: "We're really excited about the opportunity."

The 20th Century oil and gas boom brought Shetland riches but the islands have since embraced the shift to renewable energy and are home to the UK's most productive onshore wind farm.

"Shetland's really integral to Scotland and to the wider UK," says Macdonald.

The council has authorised a £990,000 feasibility study into building tunnels to four islands – Unst, Yell, Bressay and Whalsay.

It has not yet published an estimated cost for construction.

Head and shoulders shot of Elizabeth Johnson, who has short grey hair, smiling at the camera. She is wearing a grey t-shirt and a darker grey jacket with a navy "Saxavord UK Space Port" patch. She is standing on a shoreline and the sea is visible under grey skies in the background
Elizabeth Johnson says tunnels would "enhance the economic viability of the island"

"Tunnels would really open up this island for businesses," says Elizabeth Johnson, external affairs manager of Saxavord Spaceport on Unst.

She adds that they would "enhance the economic viability of the island".

But with neither the Scottish nor UK governments volunteering to pay for Shetland's tunnels, the Faroese funding model of borrowing paid back by tolls looks likely to be adopted.

"I think people recognise that there is probably a need for tolling and I think people understand that," says Macdonald.

She adds: "They already have to pay to go on the ferries."

At present the council runs ferry services to nine islands, carrying around 750,000 passengers each year on 12 vessels at a cost of £23m per year.

The average age of the fleet is 31.5 years, costs have risen sharply in the past decade, and some routes are struggling to meet demand for vehicle places.

Hebridean and Clyde ferries, off the west of Scotland, run by Scottish government-owned Caledonian MacBrayne, are also ageing and have been beset by problems.

Drone shot of a white car preparing to enter a tunnel in the Faroes. The tunnel has been constructed under green fields and some sheep are also visible in the image.
The 18 islands which make up the self-governing nation under the sovereignty of Denmark are connected by 23 tunnels

Mr Sloan says tunnels could provide more robust transport links for the west coast as well as the Northern Isles.

"Quite frankly, it can be repeated in Shetland, and not just Shetland, possibly elsewhere in Scotland."

Mr Sloan agrees that tolls are the most feasible funding option.

Tolls were abolished on the Skye Bridge in 2004 after a long-running campaign of non payment, and were scrapped on the Forth and Tay road bridges in 2008.

But Ms Johnson, of the Saxavord Spaceport, reckons Shetlanders would be happy to pay their way.

"I don't think anybody that I've spoken to would be against tolls," she says.

Vehicles streak past the two lanes in a tunnel either side of a yellow sign which reads: "Klaksvik"
Four tunnels in the Faroes run below the sea

Although there is no organised opposition to tunnels in Shetland some locals do express concern about whether they would change what it means to be an island.

Pat Burns runs the northernmost shop in the British Isles, The Final Checkout on Unst.

She was not convinced about tunnels at first, fearing that they would alter the nature of island life.

"I like the challenges of trying to get from A to B," she explains.

However after years of worrying about bad weather interrupting supplies for her shop and seeing tourists turned away because ferries are full, she has changed her mind.

"I was a wee bit iffy-iffy about it before," she says, "but now I realise that if Unst doesn't get a tunnel, the challenge is going to be too big."

Trump threatens Russia with tariffs while unveiling Ukraine weapons plan

Getty Images A headshot of TrumpGetty Images
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he was "very unhappy" with Russia

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

"We want to make sure Ukraine can do what it wants to do," Trump said following a meeting with Nato chief Mark Rutte in Washington.

Rutte confirmed the US had decided to "massively supply Ukraine with what is necessary through Nato" and that the Europeans would foot the bill.

European countries will send Kyiv their own Patriot air defence systems - which Ukraine relies on to repel Russia's deadly air strikes - and replacements will then be issued by the US, Trump said.

Neither Rutte nor Trump elaborated on the weaponry that will be sent to Kyiv but Rutte said the deal included "missiles and ammunition".

However, the president did say "top-of-the-line-weapons" worth billions of dollars would be "quickly distributed to the battlefield" in order to support Ukraine.

"If I was Vladimir Putin today... I would reconsider whether I should not take negotiations about Ukraine more seriously," Rutte said, as Trump nodded.

On the tariffs front, Trump said that the US would impose 100% secondary tariffs targeting Russia's remaining trade partners if a peace deal with Ukraine was not reached within 50 days.

This would see any country that trades with Russia face the tax if they want to sell their products to the US.

For example, if India keeps buying oil from Russia, US companies that purchase Indian goods would have to pay a 100% import tax, or tariff, when the products reach American shores.

This would make the goods so expensive that US businesses would likely choose to buy them cheaper from elsewhere, resulting in lost revenue for India.

The intention is also to hobble Russia's economy. Theoretically, if Moscow was unable to generate money by selling oil to other nations it would also have less money to finance its war in Ukraine.

Given that oil and gas account for almost a third of Moscow's state revenue and more than 60% of its exports, 100% tariffs could make something of a dent Russia's finances.

Still, the Moscow Stock Exchange Index rose sharply following the announcement, likely as investors were expecting Trump - who last week teased a "major statement" on Russia - to pledge even harsher measures.

Although detail about both the tariffs and the Nato weapons deal was scant, Monday was the first time Trump pledged to make new military equipment to Ukraine since returning to the White House.

Reuters US President Donald Trump meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, where President Trump announces a deal to send U.S. weapons to Ukraine through NATO, in the Oval Office at the White House in WashingtonReuters
Nato chief Mark Rutte met with Trump on Monday

The briefing was also notable for the tone struck by US president, whose rhetoric on Vladimir Putin has become increasingly harsh.

Not for the first time, Trump implied Kyiv bore some responsibility for Russia's decision to launch its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

But he mostly appeared frustrated at the lack of progress in ending a conflict which he once seemed to believe could be easily solvable.

Asked about his relationship with Putin, Trump said that the two speak "a lot about getting this thing done" but voiced his displeasure at the fact that "very nice phone calls" with the Russian president are often followed by devastating air strikes on Ukraine - which have been growing in intensity and frequency.

"After that happens three or four times you say: the talk doesn't mean anything," Trump said.

"I don't want to call him an assassin but he's a tough guy. It's been proven over the years, he fooled a lot of people – Clinton, Bush, Obama, Biden," he added. "He didn't fool me. At a certain point talk doesn't talk, it's got to be action."

Two rounds of ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine took place earlier this year but no other meetings have so far been scheduled - something Moscow has blamed on Kyiv.

Ukraine's President Zelensky is currently hosting US envoy Keith Kellogg in Kyiv and earlier on Monday hailed a "productive meeting" - saying he was "grateful" to Trump for his support.

The Kremlin did not immediately comment on the announcement - but commentary trickling in from Moscow appeared to indicate a measure of relief.

Pro-Kremlin pundit and former Putin aide Sergei Markov called the tariffs announcement "a bluff" that indicated Trump had "given up on trying to achieve peace in Ukraine".

Senator Konstantin Kosachev argued that "if this is all Trump had to say about Ukraine today, then so far it's been much ado about nothing".

In 50 days a lot could change "both on the battlefield and in the moods of the powers that be in the US and Nato," Kosachev wrote.

Additional reporting by Dearbail Jordan

US weapons pledge marks major step forward for Ukraine

Reuters File picture of a Patriot air missile system being fired during an exercise between US and Philippine troopsReuters
Additional Patriot missile batteries will give Kyiv a chance to expand protection against Russian attacks (file pic)

For the first time since returning to the White House, Donald Trump has pledged to make new weapons available to Ukraine.

Under a new deal, the US will sell weapons to Nato members who will then supply them to Kyiv as it battles Russia's invasion.

The president didn't give too many specifics about what he said was "billions of dollars' worth of military equipment". But when asked if the deal included Patriot air defence batteries and interceptor missiles, he replied "it's everything".

One European country has 17 Patriot systems and "a big portion" would soon be on the way to Ukraine, Trump said.

For Ukraine, a huge country that currently operates handful of batteries - perhaps as few as eight - this is a major step forward, giving Kyiv a chance to expand protection against Russian ballistic and cruise missiles.

Sitting beside the president, the Nato Secretary General, Mark Rutte, hinted at a bigger package.

"It's broader than Patriots," he said.

"It will mean that Ukraine can get its hands on really massive numbers of military equipment, both for air defence, but also missiles, ammunition..."

This is a significant moment.

Less than two weeks ago, there was horror in Kyiv at news that the Pentagon had suspended military shipments to Ukraine, including Patriots.

The decision-making surrounding that announcement remains unclear, but on Monday, Trump once again tried to make light if it, saying it had been made in the knowledge that this deal would be struck.

"We were pretty sure this was going to happen, so we did a little bit of a pause," the president said.

Now, thanks to some tortuous negotiations, many of them involving Rutte, the weapons can continue to flow without Washington picking up the tab.

"We're in for a lot of money," the president said, "and we just don't want to do it any more."

The deal is a personal triumph for Rutte, the "Trump whisperer", who has flattered and encouraged the president, in part by helping to secure a member-wide Nato commitment to spend 5% of GDP on defence.

As they sat side by side in the Oval Office, Rutte continued to flatter Trump, calling the latest deal "really big" and saying it was "totally logical" that European members of Nato pay for it.

Reuters U.S. President Donald Trump meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, on the day President Trump announces a deal to get U.S. weapons to NATO, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 14, 2025.Reuters

A number of countries, he said, were lining up to participate, including the UK, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands.

"And this is only the first wave," he said. "There will be more."

In a separate and rather characteristic development, Trump threatened Moscow with a new deadline: if Vladimir Putin doesn't agree to a ceasefire deal in the next 50 days, Russia and its trading partners will be hit with 100% secondary tariffs.

It's a novel approach, which Kyiv and members of the US congress have been urging for some time: pressure Russia by targeting countries that continue to buy Russian oil and gas, like China and India.

Trump's move comes as the US Senate continues to work on a bill that would impose much stiffer sanctions.

The president said the Senate bill, which envisages 500% secondary tariffs, could be "very good" but added that it was "sort of meaningless after a while because at a certain point it doesn't matter".

As always, the precise details of the president's threat remain somewhat vague.

But whatever happens in the coming weeks and months, Monday felt like something of a turning point. A US president finally moving away from his perplexing faith in Vladimir Putin, while still giving the Russian leader time to come to the negotiating table.

It's definitely not a return to Joe Biden's pledges to support Ukraine "for as long as it takes," but nor is it quite the neutral stance that has infuriated Ukraine and its western allies.

Trump appears to have guaranteed that the all-important US weapons pipeline to Ukraine will remain open for now – provided others pay for it.

But 50 days will feel like a very long time to Ukrainians, who are on the receiving end of near-nightly drone and missile bombardment.

Nothing Trump has done seems likely to put an immediate stop to this.

John Torode says allegation he used racist language upheld in MasterChef report

Getty Images John TorodeGetty Images

MasterChef presenter John Torode has said he is subject to an allegation of using racist language, upheld as part of an inquiry into separate allegations against co-host Gregg Wallace.

In an Instagram post on Monday, the TV presenter said the allegation was that he made the remarks in 2018 or 2019 and that he had apologised immediately afterwards.

However, the TV chef said he had "no recollection" of any of it, adding: "I do not believe that it happened."

It comes after an inquiry ordered by MasterChef's production company Banijay found that 45 allegations about Wallace's behaviour on Masterchef were upheld.

Reddit starts verifying ages of users in the UK

Getty Images Woman looks at Reddit website on a laptopGetty Images

Reddit has announced it is introducing age verification on its UK site from Monday to stop people aged under 18 from looking at "certain mature content".

The social media platform is bringing in the measures to comply with new rules under the UK's Online Safety Act which require sites that show adult material to introduce "robust" age checking techniques.

Reddit, known for its online communities and discussions, said that while it does not want to know who its audience is: "It would be helpful for our safety efforts to be able to confirm whether you are a child or an adult."

Ofcom, the UK regulator, said: "We expect other companies to follow suit, or face enforcement if they fail to act."

Reddit said that from 14 July, an outside firm called Persona will perform age verification for the social media platform either through an uploaded selfie or "a photo of your government ID", such as a passport.

It said Reddit will not have access to the photo and will only retain a user's verification status and date of birth so people do not have to re-enter it each time they try to access restricted content.

Reddit added that Persona "promises not to retain the picture for longer than seven days" and will not have access to a user's data on the site.

The new rules in the UK come into force on 25 July.

A spokesperson for Ofcom said: "Society has long protected youngsters from products that aren't suitable for them, from alcohol to smoking or gambling.

"Now, children will be better protected from online material that's not appropriate for them, while adults' rights to access legal content are preserved."

Pornhub and a number of other major adult websites recently confirmed they would introduce enhanced age checks in time for the new rules.

Pornhub's parent company, Aylo, said it would bring in "government approved age assurance methods" but is yet to reveal how it will require users to prove they are over 18.

Ofcom has previously said simply clicking a button, which is all the adult site currently requires, is not enough.

Companies that fail to meet the rules face fines of up to £18m or 10% of worldwide revenue, "whichever is greater".

It added that in the most serious cases, it can seek a court order for "business disruption measures", such as requiring payment providers or advertisers to withdraw their services from a platform, or requiring Internet Service Providers to block access to a site in the UK."

Trump threatens Russia with tariffs while unveiling new Ukraine weapons plan

Getty Images A headshot of TrumpGetty Images
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he was "very unhappy" with Russia

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

"We want to make sure Ukraine can do what it wants to do," Trump said following a meeting with Nato chief Mark Rutte in Washington.

Rutte confirmed the US had decided to "massively supply Ukraine with what is necessary through Nato" and that the Europeans would foot the bill.

European countries will send Kyiv their own Patriot air defence systems - which Ukraine relies on to repel Russia's deadly air strikes - and replacements will then be issued by the US, Trump said.

Neither Rutte nor Trump elaborated on the weaponry that will be sent to Kyiv but Rutte said the deal included "missiles and ammunition".

However, the president did say "top-of-the-line-weapons" worth billions of dollars would be "quickly distributed to the battlefield" in order to support Ukraine.

"If I was Vladimir Putin today... I would reconsider whether I should not take negotiations about Ukraine more seriously," Rutte said, as Trump nodded.

On the tariffs front, Trump said that the US would impose 100% secondary tariffs targeting Russia's remaining trade partners if a peace deal with Ukraine was not reached within 50 days.

This would see any country that trades with Russia face the tax if they want to sell their products to the US.

For example, if India keeps buying oil from Russia, US companies that purchase Indian goods would have to pay a 100% import tax, or tariff, when the products reach American shores.

This would make the goods so expensive that US businesses would likely choose to buy them cheaper from elsewhere, resulting in lost revenue for India.

The intention is also to hobble Russia's economy. Theoretically, if Moscow was unable to generate money by selling oil to other nations it would also have less money to finance its war in Ukraine.

Given that oil and gas account for almost a third of Moscow's state revenue and more than 60% of its exports, 100% tariffs could make something of a dent Russia's finances.

Still, the Moscow Stock Exchange Index rose sharply following the announcement, likely as investors were expecting Trump - who last week teased a "major statement" on Russia - to pledge even harsher measures.

Although detail about both the tariffs and the Nato weapons deal was scant, Monday was the first time Trump pledged to make new military equipment to Ukraine since returning to the White House.

Reuters US President Donald Trump meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, where President Trump announces a deal to send U.S. weapons to Ukraine through NATO, in the Oval Office at the White House in WashingtonReuters
Nato chief Mark Rutte met with Trump on Monday

The briefing was also notable for the tone struck by US president, whose rhetoric on Vladimir Putin has become increasingly harsh.

Not for the first time, Trump implied Kyiv bore some responsibility for Russia's decision to launch its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

But he mostly appeared frustrated at the lack of progress in ending a conflict which he once seemed to believe could be easily solvable.

Asked about his relationship with Putin, Trump said that the two speak "a lot about getting this thing done" but voiced his displeasure at the fact that "very nice phone calls" with the Russian president are often followed by devastating air strikes on Ukraine - which have been growing in intensity and frequency.

"After that happens three or four times you say: the talk doesn't mean anything," Trump said.

"I don't want to call him an assassin but he's a tough guy. It's been proven over the years, he fooled a lot of people – Clinton, Bush, Obama, Biden," he added. "He didn't fool me. At a certain point talk doesn't talk, it's got to be action."

Two rounds of ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine took place earlier this year but no other meetings have so far been scheduled - something Moscow has blamed on Kyiv.

Ukraine's President Zelensky is currently hosting US envoy Keith Kellogg in Kyiv and earlier on Monday hailed a "productive meeting" - saying he was "grateful" to Trump for his support.

The Kremlin did not immediately comment on the announcement - but commentary trickling in from Moscow appeared to indicate a measure of relief.

Pro-Kremlin pundit and former Putin aide Sergei Markov called the tariffs announcement "a bluff" that indicated Trump had "given up on trying to achieve peace in Ukraine".

Senator Konstantin Kosachev argued that "if this is all Trump had to say about Ukraine today, then so far it's been much ado about nothing".

In 50 days a lot could change "both on the battlefield and in the moods of the powers that be in the US and Nato," Kosachev wrote.

Additional reporting by Dearbail Jordan

Woman killed in Southend plane crash was on first shift as 'flight nurse'

UKNIP A huge billowing cloud of black, grey and white smoke coming from the edge of the airfield. It is so thick that it is hiding some of the trees - that are on the edge of the airfield. A fire engine can be seen spraying water towards the mass of smoke. UKNIP
East of England Ambulance Service said four ambulances and Essex and Herts Air Ambulance were sent to the incident

Four people who died when a small plane crashed at London Southend Airport are believed to be foreign nationals, police have confirmed.

The airport has been closed since emergency services were called to the incident involving a Beech B200 Super King shortly before 16:00 BST on Sunday.

Witnesses described a "fireball" type explosion soon after the Netherlands-bound light aircraft had taken off.

All four people were killed in the crash - two pilots and two passengers - and Essex Police said in a press conference on Monday it believed they were foreign nationals.

The names of the four who died have not been released but officers are now working to confirm their identities.

Ch Supt Morgan Cronin said the victims would be "treated with the utmost respect and dignity".

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has put in place a significant air exclusion zone surrounding the crash site.

All flights to and from the airport on Monday have been rerouted, with passengers advised to check with their airline for advice.

The Beech B200 Super King Air plane was operated by Zeusch Aviation, based at Lelystad Airport in the Netherlands, which has confirmed it is "actively supporting the authorities with the investigation".

The plane had flown from the Greek capital Athens to Pula in Croatia on Sunday before heading to Southend. It was due to return to Lelystad on Sunday evening.

Aerial video showed the plane crash site and wreckage

Detectives and forensic teams are working in parallel with the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), the Royal Air Force, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service and London Southend Airport to work out what happened.

Speaking at the press conference, Lisa Fitzsimons, a senior inspector at the AAIB, said it was "too early to speculate on what caused this tragic accident".

"If there are safety lessons that can be learned, we will make recommendations that will aim to prevent a similar accident occurring," she said.

Eight of its inspectors are now at the crash site.

A London Southend Airport spokesperson said: "Our thoughts are with those affected by [Sunday's] events and all passengers impacted by this disruption.

"We will restart flight operations as soon as possible and will continue to update the public on developments."

A graphic illustrates how a plane crash unfolded in real time on a photo of the airport runway in question.
A timeline of how the light aircraft crash unfolded at London Southend Airport
Smoke rises at Southend Airport after the plane crash

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Knightsbridge murder possibly a 'targeted attack'

Met Police Blue Stevens is wearing a blue t-shirt smiling at the camera. He has short brown hair and slight stubble.Met Police
Blue Stevens was stabbed in Knightsbridge on 9 July

A man stabbed to death in Knightsbridge may have been the victim of a targeted attack, detectives have said.

Three men in their 20s have been arrested in connection with the murder of 24-year-old Blue Stevens, who was found with stab wounds in Seville Street on Wednesday evening.

Two of the men were arrested in Hounslow on 12 July; one on suspicion of conspiracy to murder, and the other on suspicion of murder. The third was arrested on Monday on suspicion of assisting an offender.

Mr Stevens, from Yateley in Hampshire, died at the scene.

Blue and purple bouquets of flowers lie at the base of a black pole on a pavement. A "POLICE LINE" tape is wrapped around the pole.
Flowers and tributes have been laid at the scene

Det Ch Sup Christina Jessah said the arrests "mark a significant milestone in this complex and unfolding murder investigation".

She said detectives were keeping open minds around motive, and they were considering if this "may have been a targeted attack" and there were increased police patrols in the Knightsbridge area as a result.

The incident happened near luxury hotel The Park Tower Knightsbridge but did not involve any guests or staff, according to a Marriott spokesperson.

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India orders airlines to check fuel switches on Boeing jets

Reuters Part of the wreckage of the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane sits on the open ground. There is debris around as well as wiring.Reuters

India's aviation regulator has ordered the country's airlines to inspect fuel control switches in Boeing aeroplanes, after their reported involvement in a fatal Air India crash that killed 260 people in June.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the order follows Indian and international airlines already starting to carry out their own checks.

It comes after the US Federal Aviation Administration said on Monday that the fuel control switches in Boeing aeroplanes are safe.

The safety of the switches has become a key point of concern after a preliminary report on the disaster found fuel to the engines of the plane involved cut off moments after take-off.

The disaster involving London-bound Flight 171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, was one of the worst aviation incidents globally in almost a decade.

Since the publication of the preliminary report on Saturday a number of different stakeholders, both in India and internationally have taken action and issued statements in response to it.

In its order, India's aviation regulator has asked for checks to be carried out by 21 July, noting that "strict adherence to the timeline is essential to ensure continued airworthiness and safety of operations".

The checks being requested are in line with a 2018 advisory by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the US's aviation authority, which was referenced in the preliminary report.

The 2018 advisory urged - but did not mandate - operators of Boeing models to inspect the locking feature of the fuel cut-off switches to ensure they could not be moved by accident.

Air India had not carried out those inspections because they were not mandatory, the AAIB said in its preliminary investigation.

The DGCA has now ordered airlines to carry out the checks and report back.

In its response to the report, the FAA said the 2018 advisory was "was based on reports that the fuel control switches were installed with the locking feature disengaged" - but added that it does not believe this makes the planes unsafe.

Separately on Monday, a group representing Indian airline pilots defended the flight's crew.

The Indian Commercial Pilots' Association said staff on board had "acted in line with their training and responsibilities under challenging conditions and the pilots shouldn't be vilified based on conjecture".

The preliminary report, published by the India Aircraft Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) on Saturday, said the switches on Flight 171 controlling fuel flow to the jet's engines had been moved from "run" to the "cut-off" position, hampering the thrust of the plane.

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

The preliminary report states its role is "not to apportion blame or liability".

Also on Monday, the Reuters news agency reported that South Korea was waiting to order all airlines in the country which operate Boeing jets to examine fuel switches.

Close-up view of Dreamliner 787 aircraft cockpit control panel with labelled components. The thrust levers are prominent in the centre. Engine fuel control switches, which cut fuel supply and shut down engines, are on the left. Switches with a stop lock mechanism that must be lifted before turning are on the right. Guard brackets prevent accidental movement of the switches

Stokes leads England to a stunning 22-run victory over India

Stokes inspires England to defeat stubborn India

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Highlights from day five as England secure 22-run victory at Lord's

Third Rothesay Test, Lord's (day five of five)

England 387 (Root 104, Carse 56, Smith 51; Bumrah 5-74) & 192 (Root 40; Sundar 4-22)

India 387 (Rahul 100, Pant 74, Jadeja 72; Woakes 3-84) & 170 (Jadeja 61*; Stokes 3-48, Archer 3-55)

England win by 22 runs and lead series 2-1

Scorecard

Ben Stokes once again inspired England to a 22-run win over a stubborn India on an unbearably tense final day of the third Test at Lord's.

The captain delivered a monumental shift with the ball to claim three wickets as India were bowled out for 170.

In an epic conclusion, the hosts had victory in their grasp until nerves were frayed by outstanding defiance from Ravindra Jadeja.

Chasing 193, India were 112-8 when Jadeja was joined by number 10 Jasprit Bumrah. They were together for almost 22 overs until Stokes, who bowled tirelessly from the Nursery End, drew Bumrah into a pull to mid-on. Bumrah's contribution to a stand of 35 was five from 54 balls.

Still Jadeja resisted, this time with last man Mohammed Siraj. Stokes refused to stop bowling. A delayed tea was taken with 30 required for India.

The injured Shoaib Bashir was summoned after the break, and incredibly got Siraj to defend the ball into the ground and back on to his stumps. Bashir, who has an injured finger on his non-bowling hand, set off on a delirious celebration, probably his last act of a series in which he is likely to be ruled out of the final two Tests. Jadeja was left stranded on 61 from 181 balls.

The drawn-out finale was a direct contrast to a pulsating morning, when Stokes and Jofra Archer broke open the India batting with some irresistible pace bowling.

Archer ripped Rishabh Pant's off stump out of the ground, Stokes had KL Rahul lbw on review for 39. Washington Sundar, who confidently told the media on Sunday night "India will win", was sensationally held by Archer's agile swoop in his follow-through.

Jadeja began his vigil, first alongside Nitish Kumar Reddy for 15 overs, then Bumrah. Jadeja and Brydon Carse had to be separated after an accidental collision while Jadeja was running between the wickets.

England tried everything and thought they had Jadeja until he overturned being given lbw to Chris Woakes on 26. Once again, Stokes decided it was up to him.

After a spell of 9.2 overs in the morning, the talismanic captain launched into another of 10 up to tea. Bashir had the moment of glory, but it was Stokes who carried England on his back.

Stokes conjures finale to slow-burning Test

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Rahul is trapped lbw by Stokes

This was a slow-burner of a Test, one that occasionally ground to a halt. The finale was more than worth it, a rowdy Monday at a sold-out Lord's. By the end, England's win was the tightest in terms of runs at this famous old ground.

It took three days for this match to spring to life. When it did, it was compelling. The deterioration of the pitch helped, but the real catalyst was the tension between the two teams. They are evenly matched and, if anything, India are unlucky to be behind. The last two Tests will be box-office viewing.

England look a better team with fire in their bellies, none more so than Stokes, the arch-competitor. He contributed to this win with bat and in the field, then shouldered the bowling almost single-handedly on the final day.

Stokes was also rewarded for his loyalty to Archer, who made one of the great England comebacks after four years away from Test cricket with injuries. The wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal he took with his third ball back was an incredible moment, his spell on Monday morning final proof he remains every bit the bowler he was in his debut summer of 2019.

England will be forced into one change for the fourth Test, with Bashir set to be ruled out with an injury to his left little finger. India will wait on the fitness of Pant, who also has a finger injury.

In this wonderful year of Test cricket, with an Ashes series on the horizon, England are on the verge of winning a five-match series for the first time since 2018.

England overcome brave Jadeja

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Best shots from Jadeja's half-century against England

Archer was below-par on Sunday evening, but back to his best on Monday when India resumed on 58-4. Although he was in discomfort, Pant was India's key man. He charged to slap Archer straight for four. Next ball, Archer was just under 90mph, Pant was stuck on the crease and off stump obliterated. A fired-up Archer had words for Pant.

Stokes, supposedly protecting his fragile body, bowled virtually all day. The delivery to get Rahul was an arcing inswinger, the appeal turned down on the field, then overturned by the replay.

England coach Brendon McCullum hung off the dressing-room balcony to point to Sundar as he arrived, and the home team had plenty to say. He lasted only four balls before a leading edge was spectacularly held by Archer.

Stokes eventually gave way to Woakes, who only needed nine balls to find the edge of Reddy. Lunch was taken, India needed 81 and Jadeja had only the bowlers for company.

What happened next was utterly unexpected. Jadeja farmed the strike and Bumrah held up his end. Bar a Jadeja flick for six off Woakes, the score crawled along. When singles were taken, they were greeted by raucous noise from the India fans. England fielders ran everywhere, the hosts looked unnerved.

Stokes launched into a back-breaking spell of bouncers to finally draw the swipe from Bumrah when 46 were required. Stokes finally ended his second spell at the tea interval.

Archer peppered Siraj, but it was the unlikely Bashir who proved England's hero. It was cruel on Jadeja, who could not have given more.

India on brink

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'England needed that' - Archer bowls Pant

Just like the first Test at Headingley, when they failed to defend 371, India might be wondering how they lost. At Lord's they reached 254-4 in response to England's 387, then 41-1 in the run chase.

In Bumrah, they have the outstanding cricketer on either side, probably the best in the world. He was mesmerising in this Test, deserving of more than his seven wickets. The heart he showed with the bat was just as impressive.

Still, India have lost the two Tests Bumrah has played and won the one he did not, the second Test at Edgbaston. If the tourists stick to their plan of him featuring only once more in the series, they have the tricky decision of where that would be.

As much thought will go into the fitness of Pant. Dhruv Jurel is an upgrade behind the stumps, but the swashbuckling way in which Pant bats at number five is irreplaceable.

India started this series as underdogs and were written off after the first Test, yet through performances like Jadeja's, the visitors have shown they are in the fight.

'England always seem to find a way' - reaction

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Archer takes brilliant catch to remove Washington Sundar for a duck

England captain Ben Stokes, speaking to BBC Test Match Special: "Day five, Test match on the line - I have some history of turning up in moments like that with the ball. I was pretty pumped.

"A bit of niggle out in the middle gets over-egged from people watching. A massive series, emotions are going. I'm all for it. I don't think it went over the line whatsoever. It adds to the theatre."

England bowler Jofra Archer on TMS: "I never thought about not coming back. Really, I only had two injuries. But also it was a long road back and I didn't realise how long it was.

"I am glad to be back and hopefully I'm here a bit longer than the last time."

India captain Shubman Gill on TMS: "Tough luck, but the way we went out in the position in the morning to make a comeback like this was tremendous from Ravindra Jadeja and the low order.

"When you play these kind of Test matches with both teams giving everything they have, there is always admiration at the end.

Former England skipper Michael Vaughan on TMS: "England always seem to find a way, particularly at home.

"When it gets tight they have a leader who drives them forward with a will to win."

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Reddy is caught by Smith off the bowling of Woakes

More on this story

UK to start processing Syrian asylum claims again

AFP via Getty Images Two female protesters hold Syrian flags and placards reading: "Syrian refugees deserve dignity" and "no human is illegal".AFP via Getty Images

The UK is to start processing Syrian asylum claims again, more than seven months after decisions were paused following the fall of the Assad regime.

Asylum minister Dame Angela Eagle said the Home Office had "worked to lift the pause as soon as there was sufficient information to make accurate and well-evidenced determinations".

The government has published updated guidance for officials to make decisions on Syrian claims.

Dame Angela said claims could now be processed, and returns to Syria conducted in line with this.

The UK paused decisions on Syrian claims for asylum and permanent settlement in December, after President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown by a rebel offensive led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), following years of civil war.

In a written statement, Dame Angela said the pause "was a necessary step while there was no stable, objective information available to make robust assessments of risk on return to Syria".

However, the move left more than 7,000 Syrians waiting for a decision on an asylum claim in limbo.

The majority of these are living in government-funded accommodation, such as hotels.

The pause also applied to Syrians who had already been granted refugee status and were initially given the right to stay in the UK for five years before being able to apply for permanent settlement.

Campaigners say being left with this temporary status makes it harder for people to secure a job or housing.

Welcoming the move, Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council charity, said: "We know the pause in decision making had left Syrian people trapped in further limbo, unable to work, move on with their lives and fearing for their future.

"However, the situation in Syria continues to be unstable, and we urge the government to ensure that every asylum application is assessed on a case-by-case basis, ensuring the safety and protection of Syrians who would face extreme risk if they are returned."

Figures affiliated with HTS - which is designated a terrorist group by the UK - now run the country, with HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa named as Syria's interim president earlier this year.

Under the United Nations Refugee Convention, an individual must have a "well-founded fear of persecution" to be granted asylum and refugee status.

The Home Office's updated guidance on Syria states that a "breakdown in law and order or uncertain security situations do not in themselves give rise to a well-founded fear of persecution".

"There are not substantial grounds for believing there is a real risk of serious harm in Syria because of a serious and individual threat to a civilian's life or person by reason of indiscriminate violence in a situation of international or internal armed conflict," it adds.

"All cases must be considered on their individual facts, with the onus on the person to demonstrate they face persecution or serious harm."

Ministers have previously suggested that the majority of Syrians who arrived in the UK before the fall of Assad were fleeing the regime, and some may now wish to return.

On the issue of returns, the guidance notes that following the change in government, opponents of the former Assad regime are "unlikely to be at risk upon return to Syria solely on that basis".

On the situation for religious minorities, it states that Kurds, Christians, Druze and Shia Muslims are "are unlikely to face a real risk of persecution or serious harm from the state" and "the onus is on the person to demonstrate otherwise".

However, it adds that Kurds in areas under de facto control of the Syrian National Army - a coalition of Turkish-backed rebel groups - "are likely to face a real risk of persecution or serious harm" based on their ethnicity or perceived political opinion.

It also says that although the new government has sought to assure members of the Alawite minority they will not be subject to violent reprisals, Alawites "are likely to face a real risk of persecution or serious harm from the state due to their religion and/or an imputed political opinion".

Many of the former Assad regime's political and military elite belonged to the Alawite sect.

The guidance notes that in March members of the Alawite minority were subject to a series of attacks which killed an estimated 800 people, with HTS-affiliated groups reported to have been involved.

Earlier this month, Foreign Secretary David Lammy met interim president al-Sharaa, as he became the first UK minister to visit Syria since the uprising that led to the country's civil war began 14 years ago.

The UK has also been gradually lifting sanctions on Syria.

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BBC's twin-crises prompt apologies and promises - but will it work?

EPA Stock image of the BBC's New Broadcasting HouseEPA

One report about failings in its programme-making is difficult for the BBC. Two on the same day could be catastrophic - and that's what BBC bosses woke up to on Monday morning.

The day has been about publicly apologising, announcing action plans and trying to turn a corner - on the Wallace misconduct story and on the failures over its Gaza documentary - after a deeply damaging few months.

But will it work?

On Wallace there are still questions about whether the BBC created a culture where presenters lived by different rules (something the recent culture review aims to get a grip on) and also whether there was enough active monitoring of what was going out on its platforms.

I think the BBC has a good case to say it did get a grip in the later years. Kate Phillips, now Chief Content Officer, warned Wallace about his behaviour in 2019 and after that, according to the report, no complaints were escalated to the BBC. If that is correct, the BBC can argue it thought the issue was sorted.

On the Gaza documentary about children in a warzone, with an investigation now launched by the regulator Ofcom into the BBC misleading audiences, it is by no means the end of the story.

But the review has on the face of it given the BBC a bit of breathing space. The culture secretary, who recently asked why nobody had been fired over the Gaza documentary, seems to have rowed back.

I understand that Director General Tim Davie and Chairman Samir Shah met with Lisa Nandy last week to reassure her. Her more conciliatory tone will have prompted a corporate sigh of relief after her recent pointed attacks directed at the BBC's leadership.

Questions still remain around whether anyone inside the BBC will lose their job. We know that the BBC team failed to get answers on the boy's family links, the investigation holds them partly responsible for the failures - and that the BBC says it is taking "fair, clear and appropriate action" to ensure accountability.

There is a question asked inside the BBC in situations where there have been failings. Will heads - or rather deputy heads - roll? It is a cynical take on whether there is real accountability at the top when something goes wrong. We still don't know the outcome here.

But more broadly, when it comes to Gaza, these past few months have been difficult.

When Davie gave evidence to MPs in March, a few weeks after he had pulled Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone from iPlayer, he told them he "lost trust in that film" once the fact that the child narrator was the son of a Hamas official became clear.

It is not an exaggeration to say that the ongoing war has led others to lose trust in the BBC and its coverage of what is happening in Gaza, where access by foreign journalists is prevented by Israel.

The corporation has been accused of antisemitism. Broadcasting a documentary without knowing that fact about the link to Hamas - and not informing the audience of it - opened it up to those accusations.

So did the BBC's failure properly to deal with the livestream from Glastonbury when the punk duo Bob Vylan chanted "Death to the IDF" and made other offensive comments.

There are people inside and outside the corporation who feel betrayed by the BBC's coverage. Some say it is biased against Israel and that the attacks on October 7th and the hostages have been forgotten. Some accuse the BBC of ignoring the plight of Gazans and Israel's actions in its coverage of the war.

Getty Images  Bob Vylan performs on the West Holts stage during day four of Glastonbury Festival 2025. He is shirtless, wearing white shorts, and holding a mic in his left hand. The stage backdrop is black with white lettering.Getty Images

It recently axed another documentary about the conflict, Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, because it said broadcasting it "risked creating a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards that the public rightly expect of the BBC".

Less than two weeks ago, at a packed screening at London's Riverside Studios, hundreds watched it on the big screen, after it had been shown on Channel 4. I was there. The woman sitting next to me was in tears as the horrors unfolded on screen. She wasn't the only one.

The BBC has said it first delayed running the Gaza: Doctors Under Attack film in light of the investigation into the other documentary. It then dropped it, deciding it could not run after its presenter went on BBC Radio 4'sToday programme and called Israel 'a rogue state that's committing war crimes and ethnic cleansing and mass murdering Palestinians'.

The filmmakers at Basement Films have pushed back on that. On Monday they said "the film was never going to run on BBC News and we were given multiple and sometimes contradictory reasons for this, the only consistent theme for us being a paralysing atmosphere of fear around Gaza".

Whatever the true story about why it wasn't shown on the BBC, that claim - that the BBC's Gaza coverage is compromised by fear - is just as damaging. The BBC refutes it, but in some quarters, it appears to be taking hold.

In the screening room, Gary Lineker came onto the stage and said the BBC should "hang its head in shame" for not screening what he called "one of the most important films" of our time. He accused the BBC of bowing to pressure - and the audience noisily agreed.

Reporting the Israel-Gaza war has tested the BBC almost like never before. One insider said to me that neither side wants impartial reporting, what they want is partisan reporting. But, from all sides, the BBC has come under fire.

The BBC says it is "fully committed to reporting the Israel-Gaza conflict impartially, accurately and to the highest standards of journalism". It also says "We strongly reject the notion – levelled from different sides of this conflict – that we are pro or anti any position".

Two years ago the annual report was overshadowed by the Huw Edwards crisis, last year it was the Strictly allegations, this year it is not one but three stories.

The most important job for a director general is to secure charter renewal and the BBC has a strong story to tell and sell. But the difficulty for Tim Davie is that no matter how loud he bangs the drum for the BBC and its future, it is hard to be heard over with the din of crisis.

Marten and Gordon guilty of gross negligence manslaughter of their baby

PA Media Mug shot of Constance Marten on the left and one of Mark Gordon on the rightPA Media

A couple who went on the run with their newborn daughter have been found guilty of her manslaughter by gross negligence.

Constance Marten, 38, and Mark Gordon, 51, were convicted on Monday following a lengthy and chaotic retrial at the Old Bailey, which the judge accused them of trying to "sabotage" and "derail".

It comes more than two years after the decomposed body of their baby, Victoria, had been discovered in a shopping bag in Brighton.

An earlier trial at the same court found them guilty of concealing the birth of a child, perverting the course of justice by not reporting her death, and of child cruelty - the latter of which could not be reported until now.

To now have been found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence means that the jury found that the couple's behaviour had been so exceptionally bad and fell below the standard of reasonably competent parents.

The prosecution had argued during their retrial that Marten and Gordon had made a conscious decision to not keep Victoria safe, and that it was clear their actions had been deliberate.

Central to the prosecution's case was that Victoria had died from hypothermia or by being smothered while co-sleeping in a small, thin tent in cold, damp and windy conditions in January 2023.

It is thought that the couple went on the run to avoid the authorities and keep Victoria, their fifth child together, with their four other children having being been previously taken into care.

Marten and Gordon both refused to stand as the jury delivered its unanimous verdict on Monday. Marten shook her head and sighed, while Gordon sat with his eyes closed and his head resting back on the wall.

Gordon also told the judge following the verdicts that he planned to "win on appeal" and described it as an "unfair trial".

Speaking afterwards, chief prosecutor Jaswant Narwal said the defendants had shown "little remorse for their actions" and had used "different antics to frustrate and delay court proceedings".

"I hope these convictions provide a sense of justice and comfort to all those affected by this tragic case."

Samantha Yellend, London's senior crown prosecutor, said it was "shocking" that the couple would expose their child to "such obvious risks" and that their "reckless actions were driven by a selfish desire to keep their baby no matter the cost".

In the retrial, the jury also heard that Gordon had been convicted of rape in Florida in 1989 when he was aged 14.

For legal reasons, this conviction - for which he was sentenced to 40 years in prison and deported back to the UK after serving 20 years - was not made known during the first trial.

The couple became the subjects of a police manhunt in 2023 when officers found evidence of a recent birth in a burnt-out car near Bolton.

They were found on 27 February 2023 and Victoria was discovered dead two days later in an allotment shed in the Hollingbury area of Brighton.

She had died in a tent in the South Downs in January that year.

Det Supt Lewis Basford, who led the search for them, said Victoria's death was "completely avoidable" and that the couple had many opportunities to "do the right thing and... ask for help".

"We have waited more than two years to secure justice for baby Victoria and I am pleased we have now been able to get that for her - despite her parents trying to disrupt and derail not one, but two trials," he said.

He added that as a father himself, he found it "hard to comprehend how, instead of providing the warmth and care their child needed" Marten and Gordon "chose to live outside during freezing conditions to avoid the authorities".

The couple are expected to be sentenced in September.

Two Dutch-nationals among four dead in plane crash

UKNIP A huge billowing cloud of black, grey and white smoke coming from the edge of the airfield. It is so thick that it is hiding some of the trees - that are on the edge of the airfield. A fire engine can be seen spraying water towards the mass of smoke. UKNIP
East of England Ambulance Service said four ambulances and Essex and Herts Air Ambulance were sent to the incident

Four people who died when a small plane crashed at London Southend Airport are believed to be foreign nationals, police have confirmed.

The airport has been closed since emergency services were called to the incident involving a Beech B200 Super King shortly before 16:00 BST on Sunday.

Witnesses described a "fireball" type explosion soon after the Netherlands-bound light aircraft had taken off.

All four people were killed in the crash - two pilots and two passengers - and Essex Police said in a press conference on Monday it believed they were foreign nationals.

The names of the four who died have not been released but officers are now working to confirm their identities.

Ch Supt Morgan Cronin said the victims would be "treated with the utmost respect and dignity".

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has put in place a significant air exclusion zone surrounding the crash site.

All flights to and from the airport on Monday have been rerouted, with passengers advised to check with their airline for advice.

The Beech B200 Super King Air plane was operated by Zeusch Aviation, based at Lelystad Airport in the Netherlands, which has confirmed it is "actively supporting the authorities with the investigation".

The plane had flown from the Greek capital Athens to Pula in Croatia on Sunday before heading to Southend. It was due to return to Lelystad on Sunday evening.

Aerial video showed the plane crash site and wreckage

Detectives and forensic teams are working in parallel with the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), the Royal Air Force, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service and London Southend Airport to work out what happened.

Speaking at the press conference, Lisa Fitzsimons, a senior inspector at the AAIB, said it was "too early to speculate on what caused this tragic accident".

"If there are safety lessons that can be learned, we will make recommendations that will aim to prevent a similar accident occurring," she said.

Eight of its inspectors are now at the crash site.

A London Southend Airport spokesperson said: "Our thoughts are with those affected by [Sunday's] events and all passengers impacted by this disruption.

"We will restart flight operations as soon as possible and will continue to update the public on developments."

A graphic illustrates how a plane crash unfolded in real time on a photo of the airport runway in question.
A timeline of how the light aircraft crash unfolded at London Southend Airport
Smoke rises at Southend Airport after the plane crash

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First image of new Harry Potter released as filming begins for TV series

Aidan Monaghan/HBO Dominic McLaughlin as Harry PotterAidan Monaghan/HBO
Dominic McLaughlin was pictured in costume as Harry Potter for the first time as production began

Production has begun on the new TV adaptation of Harry Potter, as the first picture of the lead actor in costume was released.

JK Rowling's series of novels has already been made into a film, but HBO is now producing a TV series which is expected to take 10 years to complete.

Producers released the first picture of Dominic McLaughlin in costume as Harry Potter on Monday and confirmed several new cast members.

Rory Wilmot hast been cast as Neville Longbottom, Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley, Louise Brealey as Madam Rolanda Hooch, and Anton Lesser as Garrick Ollivander.

They join stars such as John Lithgow, who will play Dumbledore, Nick Frost as Hagrid, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall and Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape.

The three child actors who will play Harry, Ron and Hermione were announced in May.

The programme will be filmed at Warner Bros Studios Leavesden in Hertfordshire, which is where the eight Harry Potter movies were also shot.

HBO has previously said the series would be "a faithful adaptation of the iconic books".

The TV series will have more breathing space to explore the plot lines from the books without the time constraints of the film.

Producers also announced new production staff, several of whom have previously worked on The Crown such as director of photography Adriano Goldman and hair and makeup designer Cate Hall.

The first series will launch in 2027.

Stokes inspires England to defeat stubborn India

Stokes inspires England to defeat stubborn India

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Highlights from day five as England secure 22-run victory at Lord's

Third Rothesay Test, Lord's (day five of five)

England 387 (Root 104, Carse 56, Smith 51; Bumrah 5-74) & 192 (Root 40; Sundar 4-22)

India 387 (Rahul 100, Pant 74, Jadeja 72; Woakes 3-84) & 170 (Jadeja 61*; Stokes 3-48, Archer 3-55)

England win by 22 runs and lead series 2-1

Scorecard

Ben Stokes once again inspired England to a 22-run win over a stubborn India on an unbearably tense final day of the third Test at Lord's.

The captain delivered a monumental shift with the ball to claim three wickets as India were bowled out for 170.

In an epic conclusion, the hosts had victory in their grasp until nerves were frayed by outstanding defiance from Ravindra Jadeja.

Chasing 193, India were 112-8 when Jadeja was joined by number 10 Jasprit Bumrah. They were together for almost 22 overs until Stokes, who bowled tirelessly from the Nursery End, drew Bumrah into a pull to mid-on. Bumrah's contribution to a stand of 35 was five from 54 balls.

Still Jadeja resisted, this time with last man Mohammed Siraj. Stokes refused to stop bowling. A delayed tea was taken with 30 required for India.

The injured Shoaib Bashir was summoned after the break, and incredibly got Siraj to defend the ball into the ground and back on to his stumps. Bashir, who has an injured finger on his non-bowling hand, set off on a delirious celebration, probably his last act of a series in which he is likely to be ruled out of the final two Tests. Jadeja was left stranded on 61 from 181 balls.

The drawn-out finale was a direct contrast to a pulsating morning, when Stokes and Jofra Archer broke open the India batting with some irresistible pace bowling.

Archer ripped Rishabh Pant's off stump out of the ground, Stokes had KL Rahul lbw on review for 39. Washington Sundar, who confidently told the media on Sunday night "India will win", was sensationally held by Archer's agile swoop in his follow-through.

Jadeja began his vigil, first alongside Nitish Kumar Reddy for 15 overs, then Bumrah. Jadeja and Brydon Carse had to be separated after an accidental collision while Jadeja was running between the wickets.

England tried everything and thought they had Jadeja until he overturned being given lbw to Chris Woakes on 26. Once again, Stokes decided it was up to him.

After a spell of 9.2 overs in the morning, the talismanic captain launched into another of 10 up to tea. Bashir had the moment of glory, but it was Stokes who carried England on his back.

Stokes conjures finale to slow-burning Test

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Rahul is trapped lbw by Stokes

This was a slow-burner of a Test, one that occasionally ground to a halt. The finale was more than worth it, a rowdy Monday at a sold-out Lord's. By the end, England's win was the tightest in terms of runs at this famous old ground.

It took three days for this match to spring to life. When it did, it was compelling. The deterioration of the pitch helped, but the real catalyst was the tension between the two teams. They are evenly matched and, if anything, India are unlucky to be behind. The last two Tests will be box-office viewing.

England look a better team with fire in their bellies, none more so than Stokes, the arch-competitor. He contributed to this win with bat and in the field, then shouldered the bowling almost single-handedly on the final day.

Stokes was also rewarded for his loyalty to Archer, who made one of the great England comebacks after four years away from Test cricket with injuries. The wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal he took with his third ball back was an incredible moment, his spell on Monday morning final proof he remains every bit the bowler he was in his debut summer of 2019.

England will be forced into one change for the fourth Test, with Bashir set to be ruled out with an injury to his left little finger. India will wait on the fitness of Pant, who also has a finger injury.

In this wonderful year of Test cricket, with an Ashes series on the horizon, England are on the verge of winning a five-match series for the first time since 2018.

England overcome brave Jadeja

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Best shots from Jadeja's half-century against England

Archer was below-par on Sunday evening, but back to his best on Monday when India resumed on 58-4. Although he was in discomfort, Pant was India's key man. He charged to slap Archer straight for four. Next ball, Archer was just under 90mph, Pant was stuck on the crease and off stump obliterated. A fired-up Archer had words for Pant.

Stokes, supposedly protecting his fragile body, bowled virtually all day. The delivery to get Rahul was an arcing inswinger, the appeal turned down on the field, then overturned by the replay.

England coach Brendon McCullum hung off the dressing-room balcony to point to Sundar as he arrived, and the home team had plenty to say. He lasted only four balls before a leading edge was spectacularly held by Archer.

Stokes eventually gave way to Woakes, who only needed nine balls to find the edge of Reddy. Lunch was taken, India needed 81 and Jadeja had only the bowlers for company.

What happened next was utterly unexpected. Jadeja farmed the strike and Bumrah held up his end. Bar a Jadeja flick for six off Woakes, the score crawled along. When singles were taken, they were greeted by raucous noise from the India fans. England fielders ran everywhere, the hosts looked unnerved.

Stokes launched into a back-breaking spell of bouncers to finally draw the swipe from Bumrah when 46 were required. Stokes finally ended his second spell at the tea interval.

Archer peppered Siraj, but it was the unlikely Bashir who proved England's hero. It was cruel on Jadeja, who could not have given more.

India on brink

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'England needed that' - Archer bowls Pant

Just like the first Test at Headingley, when they failed to defend 371, India might be wondering how they lost. At Lord's they reached 254-4 in response to England's 387, then 41-1 in the run chase.

In Bumrah, they have the outstanding cricketer on either side, probably the best in the world. He was mesmerising in this Test, deserving of more than his seven wickets. The heart he showed with the bat was just as impressive.

Still, India have lost the two Tests Bumrah has played and won the one he did not, the second Test at Edgbaston. If the tourists stick to their plan of him featuring only once more in the series, they have the tricky decision of where that would be.

As much thought will go into the fitness of Pant. Dhruv Jurel is an upgrade behind the stumps, but the swashbuckling way in which Pant bats at number five is irreplaceable.

India started this series as underdogs and were written off after the first Test, yet through performances like Jadeja's, the visitors have shown they are in the fight.

'England always seem to find a way' - reaction

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Archer takes brilliant catch to remove Washington Sundar for a duck

England captain Ben Stokes, speaking to BBC Test Match Special: "Day five, Test match on the line - I have some history of turning up in moments like that with the ball. I was pretty pumped.

"A bit of niggle out in the middle gets over-egged from people watching. A massive series, emotions are going. I'm all for it. I don't think it went over the line whatsoever. It adds to the theatre."

England bowler Jofra Archer on TMS: "I never thought about not coming back. Really, I only had two injuries. But also it was a long road back and I didn't realise how long it was.

"I am glad to be back and hopefully I'm here a bit longer than the last time."

India captain Shubman Gill on TMS: "Tough luck, but the way we went out in the position in the morning to make a comeback like this was tremendous from Ravindra Jadeja and the low order.

"When you play these kind of Test matches with both teams giving everything they have, there is always admiration at the end.

Former England skipper Michael Vaughan on TMS: "England always seem to find a way, particularly at home.

"When it gets tight they have a leader who drives them forward with a will to win."

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Reddy is caught by Smith off the bowling of Woakes

More on this story

From drugs bans to Wimbledon champions - how did we get here?

From drugs bans to Wimbledon champions - how did we get here?

Jannik Sinner with the Wimbledon men's trophyImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Sinner is now a four-time Grand Slam winner

  • Published

Jannik Sinner says his and Iga Swiatek's singles title wins at Wimbledon were made "very special" following the doping cases involving them over the past year.

For the first time in Wimbledon history, both the men's and women's champions have served suspensions for banned substances, ensuring that their celebrations have been accompanied by controversy.

With the authorities accepting both players' insistence that the cases were caused by contamination of medication, many are clearly willing to look past the short bans.

But others are concerned about the impact it could have on the image of tennis.

"I don't think it's a good look for the sport," said Australian Nick Kyrgios, when previewing both Wimbledon finals.

Indeed, minutes after Sinner's victory on Sunday, the 2022 finalist posted a cryptic asterisk on social media, widely seen as a reflection of the mixed feelings some have about the men's world number one winning just over two months after completing a doping ban.

When asked by BBC Sport on Monday about those who may feel uneasy about him and Swiatek winning, Sinner said, "Well, me and Iga, we actually talked yesterday about this, and we've been celebrating in a way even more, because it was a very difficult time for her and also for me, and only me and my team and the people who are close to me know exactly how it went.

"There are always going to be some people who believe in you and [who] do not, but this is in everything. So yeah, in a way, it's very special, because it was very, very stressful the time on the last four or five months."

So, what were the details of their cases? How did it all get resolved so they could return to action so soon? How do players and officials feel about it? Does it detract from their achievements? And what does it mean for Wimbledon, and the sport more widely?

What happened with Swiatek?

Iga Swiatek with the Venus Rosewater Trophy after her Wimbledon final victoryImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Swiatek's previous best performance at Wimbledon was reaching the quarter-final in 2023

The six-time Grand Slam winner tested positive for heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ) in an out-of-competition sample in August 2024, and served a one-month suspension, which ended in early December.

Commonly used to treat problems such as angina, TMZ increases blood flow to the heart and stimulates the metabolism of glucose, which can improve endurance, which is why it is a banned substance in elite sport.

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva was given a four-year ban last year after testing positive for TMZ in a sample before she competed at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Swiatek's level of fault was considered to be at the lowest end of the range, as the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted it was caused by contamination of a regulated non-prescription medicine, manufactured and sold in Poland, which she said she took for jet lag and sleep issues.

What happened with Sinner?

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Brilliant Sinner becomes first Italian Wimbledon champion

Sinner twice tested positive for low levels of the banned anabolic steroid clostebol - which can be used to build muscle mass - in March 2024.

As with Swiatek, authorities accepted it was caused by the use of an over-the-counter medication and he was cleared of any wrongdoing by an independent tribunal, with the ITIA deciding not to suspend him. It accepted he had been inadvertently contaminated by his physiotherapist, who was treating a cut on his hand with an over-the-counter spray, which was later found to contain the banned substance.

Significantly, however, the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) appealed against the panel's ruling that Sinner "bore no fault or negligence", and said it was seeking a ban of between one and two years.

A hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) was set for April - but in February, shortly after retaining his Australian Open title, it was announced that Sinner and Wada had reached a controversial settlement, with the Italian then serving just a three-month ban.

It meant he did not miss any Grand Slam tournaments, and was back in time for the French Open, prompting accusations of favouritism, with some players openly questioning their faith in clean sport.

There have also been questions over why Sinner's former physio and trainer - who were both deemed responsible for the clostebol entering his system - could have made such a mistake, and why they have not faced any action from the authorities.

Why weren't longer bans issued?

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Swiatek dominates Anisimova to win first Wimbledon title

Wada had felt the independent tribunal should have punished Sinner for strict liability - that he was ultimately responsible for failing the two drugs tests.

However, it also accepted that Sinner "did not intend to cheat", that the drug "did not provide any performance-enhancing benefit" and this happened "without his knowledge as the result of negligence of members of his entourage". On this basis, it was prepared to reach a settlement with Sinner, rather than go to Cas where the outcome would have either been a ban of at least a year or Sinner being cleared.

"This was a case that was a million miles away from doping," Wada's general counsel Ross Wenzel told BBC Sport.

Similar case resolutions have been allowed since 2021, and Wenzel said Wada had since struck 67 agreements. The code is set to change from 2027, meaning cases where players have failed tests but were deemed not to be at fault - like Sinner - could be punished from just a reprimand to a two-year ban.

In Swiatek's case, Wada did not appeal against her one-month suspension, claiming that its scientific experts "confirmed the specific contaminated melatonin scenario… is plausible and that there would be no scientific grounds to challenge it at Cas".

What was the reaction from other players?

In the wake of Swiatek's punishment, Simona Halep was one of several players who questioned the differences in how doping cases were treated.

In 2023, the Romanian had received a four-year ban for two anti-doping violations, later reduced to nine months after an appeal.

Reflecting on both cases in December, Kyrgios said: "I think people are trying to sweep it under the rug. I just think that it's been handled horrifically in our sport. Two world number ones both getting done for doping is disgusting for our sport. It's a horrible look."

In the wake of Sinner's suspension, former British number one Tim Henman claimed the ban was "too convenient" and left tennis fans with a "pretty sour taste".

"When you're dealing with drugs in sport it very much has to be black and white, it's binary, it's positive or negative, you're banned or you're not banned" he told Sky Sports.

"When you start reading words like settlement or agreement, it feels like there's been a negotiation and I don't think that will sit well with the player cohort and the fans of the sport."

Serena Williams said she would have been banned for 20 years and had some of her Grand Slam titles taken away if she had committed the same anti-doping offence as men's world number one Sinner.

British player Tara Moore, who was provisionally banned for two years while challenging a doping charge of which she was eventually cleared after 19 months, also suggested top players were "treated differently", with their image prioritised.

Accusations of preferential treatment were firmly disputed by the ITIA and Wada, but many believe both players have benefitted from being able to pay top lawyers to act quickly.

"A majority of the players don't feel that it's fair," said 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. "It appears that you can almost affect the outcome if you are a top player, if you have access to the top lawyers."

The Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA) - an organisation co-founded by Djokovic which aims to increase player power - said there is a lack of "transparency", "process" and "consistency" in the system.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, writing on social media, said he did not "believe in a clean sport any more".

What has been the response to Swiatek and Sinner winning?

Former British number one Greg Rusedski seemed to speak for many in the sport when he told BBC Sport: "I think you have to give them the benefit of the doubt, look at the tennis they have played in this last year, and I think this will all go away in time."

Certainly there seemed little concern from those present at Wimbledon - or the millions watching and listening on - about the backstory of the pair of champions, with the focus on the quality of their play and the ruthlessness of their respective performances.

Perhaps this should come as no surprise, given that doping controversies are far from unusual in tennis. Indeed, fellow Wimbledon winners Halep, Maria Sharapova, Martina Hingis and Andre Agassi also all had positive drugs tests, albeit after winning the championship, rather than before.

"It's a little embarrassing for the sport and, by extension, for Wimbledon, it's a unique and unwelcome double" says public relations expert Tim Jotischky, of the PHA Group.

"However, the evidence suggests that fellow professionals are more upset than the viewing public… the Alcaraz-Sinner rivalry has captured the imagination of sports fans and, whilst Alcaraz is the more popular player, Sinner has never been targeted by spectators.

"That might be because many don't follow the sport closely enough to be aware of the details, but the main reason is probably because tennis still looks like a clean sport, where performance-enhancing drugs have a minimum impact, in a way that athletics and cycling often do not.

"Iga Swiatek's Wimbledon triumph followed a slump in form… that may have helped divert attention away from her ban.

"But tennis cannot be complacent or ignore the concerns of leading professionals. The rules around drugs offences need to be transparent and implemented consistently, regardless of a player's box office appeal."

The All England Lawn Tennis Club has been approached for comment.

Related topics

Mark Gordon is a psychopath, says woman he raped when he was 14

BBC An image of Mark Gordon as a teenager against a background of a US flag and barbed wireBBC

Mark Gordon is a dangerous "psychopath" who should have been locked up for life as a child, an American woman he raped 36 years ago has told the BBC.

Gordon was jailed for attacking his neighbour at knifepoint in Miami when he was aged 14 and BBC News has now obtained US court papers revealing the shocking nature of the crimes.

Gordon, 51, and his partner, Constance Marten, 38, have been found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter, after their baby, Victoria, died while they were on the run from UK authorities.

The pair became the focus of a nationwide search after Gordon - who was put on the sex offender's register when he returned to the UK - and Marten disappeared while she was pregnant.

Social services had already taken four of their other children into care.

Gordon has always maintained his rape conviction was unlawful.

'I know he is evil'

For legal reasons, the jury at their first Old Bailey trial was not told Gordon had been convicted of rape in 1989 but details emerged during the retrial.

He was sentenced to 40 years in prison and, after serving 20 years, was deported back to the UK.

BBC News can reveal the full details of the brutal assault, having obtained court documents from his sentencing hearing at Broward County Courthouse, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 1990.

The victim of his crime, Jane - not her real name - told the BBC she had followed the recent legal proceedings from thousands of miles away in the US.

She says she was "floored" when she found out the man who attacked her more than three decades ago was on the run from police in the UK in 2023.

Jane says Gordon should have been imprisoned in the US for life. "The four-and-a-half hours I spent with him was enough to know he is evil," she says.

Warning: This story contains descriptions of a violent sexual attack.

Broward State Attorney’s Office A police image of Mark Gordon taken at the time of his arrest in 1989. He is standing bare-chested against a yellow background and is looking directly ahead. Broward State Attorney’s Office
A police image of Mark Gordon taken in 1989 at the time of his arrest

Gordon, who was born in the UK, moved to the US as a child with his mother. They initially lived in New York, before settling in Miami.

US court papers reveal how, in late April 1989, he broke into his neighbour's bungalow one night, wearing a mask and armed with a knife and a pair of garden shears.

The court heard how Gordon raped Jane, a mother-of-two, multiple times in an attack that lasted more than four hours. He threatened to kill her children, who were aged nine and seven at the time, if she screamed.

Jane, who was then aged 30, told Judge Stanton Kaplan she had been woken by the sound of her dog barking.

"I went to my bedroom door and hesitated," she said. "I opened the door and was met with the sight of a masked figure dressed in black." Jane said she screamed and he told her: "Don't scream or I'll kill your children."

"I knew there was no way out," she said.

Jane then described being repeatedly raped by the teenager at knife point.

"I was told to say goodbye to my children because this was the day I was going to die. I was told I was worthless, not as good as the others, which led me to believe I was not the first one he had raped.

"As he was telling me these things, he was running the knife up and down my body. He was jabbing at my skin deep enough to hurt but not cut.

"He was holding it over my heart, saying: 'All I have to do is push and you are dead'. I was terrified my children would find my body covered in blood. He enjoyed the nightmare he was causing."

Broward State Attorney’s Office Police photo of the shovel that Mark Gordon hit Patrick Nash withBroward State Attorney’s Office
A police photo of a shovel used by Gordon to attack another neighbour whose home he also broke into

The same court heard, three weeks after attacking Jane, Gordon broke into the home of a couple called Patrick and Annette Nash, who lived a few doors down.

Prosecutors said masked and dressed in black, he made his way to their bedroom. When Annette woke and screamed, Gordon hit her husband with a shovel before fleeing.

At a hearing on 29 February 1990, Gordon pleaded guilty to four counts of armed sexual battery (rape), one of armed kidnapping, one of aggravated battery and two of burglary with a weapon. He later withdrew his guilty plea and stood trial in a chaotic court case in 1994 where he was convicted.

The defence's main witness in mitigation during the sentencing hearing was Gordon's mother, Sylvia Satchell. She revealed to the judge that her son had been the victim of sexual abuse at the age of four while at a nursery in Birmingham.

"I'm asking for a little leniency for him," she told the judge. "This is a first offender and I wouldn't want him to be a hardened criminal at this young age. He's only 15 now."

In a foretaste of his behaviour during his Old Bailey trials, Gordon tried to sack his lawyer and said he was too sick to attend court. He was eventually sentenced to 40 years in prison.

After the attack, Jane's life fell apart. She said her home no longer felt safe and she could not spend another night there.

"Now I'm plagued by nightmares, living with friends or relatives, afraid to be alone," she told the court in 1990.

"My children lost me for months while I dealt with what happened to me."

Jane says she still remembers packing what she could into her car and moving away. Eventually her home was sold for a fraction of what it was worth.

She now lives in a different part of the US, but still misses the Florida climate - particularly during the winter. "The cold is so painful," she says. "Once a Florida girl, always a Florida girl - yet another loss caused by Mr Gordon."

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Mugshot of Mark Gordon dated 15 January 2010. He is looking directly into the camera and is wearing a light blue top against a blue background. Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Gordon was deported to the UK after serving 20 years in a US prison

During Gordon's 1990 sentencing hearing, held before he retracted his pleas, Jane implored the US judge: "Please protect the innocent by keeping the guilty in prison for his life. Show him no mercy. Show him the guilty are punished and not merely chastised."

"I wanted them to sentence him as an adult and not just let him out when he was 18," Jane says now. "He showed me no mercy. So show him no mercy and save the other women out there.

"I think he's just evil."

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

BBC Gaza documentary narrated by Hamas official's son breached accuracy guideline, review finds

BBC/Amjad Al Fayoumi/Hoyo Films Abdullah Al-Yazouri walking in front of a demolished building in the BBC documentary Gaza: How To Survive A WarzoneBBC/Amjad Al Fayoumi/Hoyo Films

A BBC documentary about Gaza breached editorial guidelines on accuracy by failing to disclose the narrator was the son of a Hamas official, the corporation's review has found.

BBC director general Tim Davie commissioned the review into Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone, after it was pulled from iPlayer in February when the boy's family connections emerged.

The review found that the independent production company, Hoyo Films, bears most of the responsibility for the failure. However, it said the BBC also bears some responsibility.

The BBC said the programme should not have been signed off, and it was taking appropriate action on accountability.

The BBC said it was taking a number of steps to prevent a similar breach being repeated:

  • The corporation will create a new leadership role in news documentaries and current affairs. The new director role on the BBC News board, which will be advertised in the next week, will have strategic leadership of its long form output across the news division.
  • New editorial guidance will be issued that careful consideration must be given to the use of narrators in the area of contested current affairs programmes, and that the narrator will be subject to a higher level of scrutiny
  • A new "first gate" process will be introduced, meaning "no high-risk long form programmes can be formally commissioned until all potential compliance considerations are considered and listed"

The corporation did not name any individuals facing disciplinary action.

Hoyo Films said it took the reviews findings "extremely seriously" and said it "apologises for the mistake that resulted in a breach of the editorial guidelines".

The company said it was pleased the report had found there was "no evidence of inappropriate influence on the content of the documentary from any third party".

It said it welcomed the report's recommendations and "hope they will improve processes and prevent similar problems in the future".

Hoyo Films said it would work closely with the BBC to explore the possibility of using some material for re-edited and re-versioned shorter films for archive on iPlayer.

The BBC's director general Tim Davie apologised, saying the report "identifies a significant failing in relation to accuracy".

"We will now take action on two fronts," he continued. "Fair, clear and appropriate actions to ensure proper accountability and the immediate implementation of steps to prevent such errors being repeated."

'Not appropriate'

The review found three members of the independent production company knew of the father's position as deputy minister of agriculture in the Hamas-run government in Gaza, but no-one within the BBC knew this at the time.

However, the report criticised the BBC team for not being "sufficiently proactive" with initial editorial checks, and for a "lack of critical oversight" of unanswered or partially answered questions.

The review said it had seen no evidence "to support the suggestion that the narrator's father or family influenced the content of the programme in any way".

It added the narrator's scripted contribution to the programme did not constitute a breach of due impartiality.

However, the report concluded that the use of the child narrator for this programme was "not appropriate".

A financial examination found that a fee of £795 was was paid for the narrator, paid to his adult sister, an amount which was not "outside the range of what might be reasonable in the context".

The review was conducted by Peter Johnston, the BBC's director of editorial complaints and reviews.

The BBC Board said: "Nothing is more important than trust and transparency in our journalism. We welcome the actions the Executive are taking to avoid this failing being repeated in the future."

Gregg Wallace 'deeply sorry' after 45 claims against him upheld

BBC/ShineTV Gregg Wallace on MasterChefBBC/ShineTV

A report into BBC show MasterChef has found 45 allegations against Gregg Wallace were upheld including one of unwelcome physical contact and another three of being in a state of undress.

In total, the report says 83 allegations were made against the TV presenter, with the majority of the substantiated claims relating to inappropriate sexual language and humour, but also culturally insensitive and racist comments.

The inquiry, conducted by an independent law firm, was ordered by MasterChef's production company Banijay in the wake of a BBC News investigation which first revealed claims of inappropriate sexual comments against Wallace.

Ahead of the report's release, Wallace insisted it had cleared him of "the most serious and sensational allegations".

Last week, it emerged that he had been sacked as presenter of the cooking show, as dozens more people came forward to BBC News with fresh claims against him.

The 50 people who came forward to BBC News said they encountered Wallace across a range of shows and settings.

Around 20 were on Banijay productions, but others related to areas like night clubs, awards ceremonies and other TV shows. Some of the individuals we heard from also contributed to the Banijay inquiry.

A decision has not yet been made about unseen series of MasterChef which was filmed last year.

The report also says that ten standalone allegations were made against other people, two of which were substantiated.

Both of those substantiated allegations , which did not involve Wallace, relate to inappropriate language, one of swearing and one of racist language.

The investigation team also found evidence that between 2005 and 2024, six complaints were raised with the production company and six with the BBC.

Patrick Holland, chief executive of Banijay UK, said in earlier years, "it is clear that escalation procedures were not as robust as they should have been".

"We are extremely sorry to anyone who has been impacted by this behaviour and felt unable to speak up at the time or that their complaint was not adequately addressed," he added.

A BBC statement said: "Although the full extent of these issues were not known at the relevant time, opportunities were missed to address this behaviour – both by the production companies running MasterChef and the BBC.

"We accept more could and should have been done sooner."

The BBC said it apologised to "everyone who has been impacted by Mr Wallace's behaviour", and confirmed it has no plans to work with the presenter in future.

Gregg Wallace has been contacted for comment.

Four foreign nationals died in airport plane crash

UKNIP A huge billowing cloud of black, grey and white smoke coming from the edge of the airfield. It is so thick that it is hiding some of the trees - that are on the edge of the airfield. A fire engine can be seen spraying water towards the mass of smoke. UKNIP
East of England Ambulance Service said four ambulances and Essex and Herts Air Ambulance were sent to the incident

Four people who died when a small plane crashed at London Southend Airport are believed to be foreign nationals, police have confirmed.

The airport has been closed since emergency services were called to the incident involving a Beech B200 Super King shortly before 16:00 BST on Sunday.

Witnesses described a "fireball" type explosion soon after the Netherlands-bound light aircraft had taken off.

All four people were killed in the crash - two pilots and two passengers - and Essex Police said in a press conference on Monday it believed they were foreign nationals.

The names of the four who died have not been released but officers are now working to confirm their identities.

Ch Supt Morgan Cronin said the victims would be "treated with the utmost respect and dignity".

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has put in place a significant air exclusion zone surrounding the crash site.

All flights to and from the airport on Monday have been rerouted, with passengers advised to check with their airline for advice.

The Beech B200 Super King Air plane was operated by Zeusch Aviation, based at Lelystad Airport in the Netherlands, which has confirmed it is "actively supporting the authorities with the investigation".

The plane had flown from the Greek capital Athens to Pula in Croatia on Sunday before heading to Southend. It was due to return to Lelystad on Sunday evening.

Aerial video showed the plane crash site and wreckage

Detectives and forensic teams are working in parallel with the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), the Royal Air Force, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service and London Southend Airport to work out what happened.

Speaking at the press conference, Lisa Fitzsimons, a senior inspector at the AAIB, said it was "too early to speculate on what caused this tragic accident".

"If there are safety lessons that can be learned, we will make recommendations that will aim to prevent a similar accident occurring," she said.

Eight of its inspectors are now at the crash site.

A London Southend Airport spokesperson said: "Our thoughts are with those affected by [Sunday's] events and all passengers impacted by this disruption.

"We will restart flight operations as soon as possible and will continue to update the public on developments."

A graphic illustrates how a plane crash unfolded in real time on a photo of the airport runway in question.
A timeline of how the light aircraft crash unfolded at London Southend Airport
Smoke rises at Southend Airport after the plane crash

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Court papers reveal how Marten and Gordon failed their four other children

BBC Graphic showing Constance Marten holding a child, against a background of redacted court papersBBC

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon's failures as parents are revealed by damning court papers, which have been released to BBC News.

A years-long family court case ended in January 2022 when their four children were permanently placed into care.

The documents show how over the years the couple fled to Ireland to avoid contact with social services when Marten was pregnant, refused antenatal and newborn healthcare and repeatedly missed contact sessions with their children once they were in care.

A turning point in the proceedings came when a family court judge ruled, "on the balance of probabilities", Gordon had caused Marten to fall from a first-floor window while she was pregnant.

Their fifth child, Victoria, died in January 2023 after they had gone on the run from authorities. Marten, 38, and Gordon, 51, were found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter on 14 July following a retrial.

They were convicted of child cruelty, concealing baby Victoria's birth and perverting the course of justice during their first trial in June 2024.

Until recently, family court hearings have taken place in private and journalists have not been permitted to report on them.

BBC News led a legal challenge which resulted in the publication of the documents.

The family court judgments, made across five years, provide an important insight into the couple's chaotic life together and the danger judges decided that posed to their four children.

Family court proceedings began in south Wales, where the couple's first baby was born, and continued in London, when Marten and Gordon moved there.

The papers reveal:

  • Gordon did not call 999 after Marten fell from the window and he refused to let paramedics into their home to treat her
  • Afterwards, Marten, pregnant with their third child, fled to Ireland to avoid contact with social services
  • The couple put their children's health at risk by refusing standard antenatal and newborn healthcare
  • Once their older children were in care, they repeatedly missed contact sessions with them
  • Faced with permanently losing her children, Marten told a court she would separate from Gordon in a desperate bid to keep them - but the judge did not believe her

Marten and Gordon - a convicted rapist - returned from travelling around South America in June 2017. She was four months pregnant with their first child.

The pair had travelled through a country during an outbreak of the Zika virus - which can affect a baby's development - and the London hospital where Marten attended antenatal appointments became concerned. But Marten missed at least two more check-ups and then disappeared.

The hospital was worried enough to put out a "national alert". Marten's family also hired a private detective to find her.

Months later, she resurfaced in south Wales after going into labour.

Using the name Isabella O'Brien, and putting on an Irish accent, she told staff at Glangwili Hospital, in Carmarthen, that she was from the travelling community. But they weren't convinced and, remembering the national alert issued in London, called the police.

When officers arrived, there was a physical struggle in front of the other mothers and their babies - and Gordon was arrested. He was later sentenced to 20 weeks in prison for assaulting two female police officers.

This marked the start of a long and often chaotic journey through the family court system, in which Gordon and Marten repeatedly switched lawyers, represented themselves, or failed to turn up for hearings.

Metropolitan Police Constance Marten and Mark GordonMetropolitan Police

In the first court judgment, made by District Judge Taylor at Swansea Family Court in July 2018, a psychiatrist warned that Gordon had "the capacity to act in a violent manner", and could be violent when under stress.

He spent the initial weeks of their first baby's life in Cardiff prison, while Marten stayed with families in a series of mother and baby placements.

When Gordon was released, Marten travelled to visit him in London, leaving the newborn behind for 17 hours.

"There are some concerns that on occasions these parents prioritise their own relationship over [their baby's] needs," Judge Taylor recorded. Similar phrases crop up time and again throughout the 84 pages of court documents released to the BBC.

The judge found the couple had "poor decision-making skills" and a "potential to act impulsively".

At least twice, professionals warned Marten about the dangers of falling asleep with a newborn on her chest - Marten reportedly said she had taken the advice on board.

This first brush with the family courts ended with a six-month supervision order, allowing a social worker to "advise, assist and befriend" the couple's baby. But almost immediately they left Wales for London.

They lived in a series of houses in the east and south-east of the city, leaving without paying rent on more than one occasion - despite Marten having a regular income from a family trust fund.

In one of these houses, their second baby was born. They called a private midwife but Marten had given birth to the baby by the time she arrived. Gordon refused to tell the midwife his own name, and became angry when she called an ambulance, the court documents say.

By late 2019, Marten was pregnant with her third child, and this is when judgments from Her Honour Judge Reardon, at the East London Family Court, pick up the story. A local authority in London alleged domestic abuse between Marten and Gordon, that they had failed to provide adequately for their children's medical needs, and that they had attempted to evade an investigation into their welfare.

The judge wrote that the legal proceedings in front of her were "protracted and delayed", mainly because of the way the parents had conducted the litigation. Their attendance at hearings was intermittent and they gave excuses such as "toothache" and a "car accident" for not turning up.

'Help me, help me'

The night of 21 November 2019 would be a key turning point.

A neighbour was woken by screaming in the early hours of the morning. When he looked outside, he saw Marten falling from a first-floor window and landing on a car.

According to the judgments, Gordon did not call 999, but someone else did. When paramedics arrived, Marten was inside the house screaming: "Help me, help me."

Marten spent eight days in hospital being treated for a shattered spleen and lacerations to a kidney. She was 14 weeks pregnant, but the baby survived.

Gordon told police officers he and Marten had both fallen out of the window while trying to fix the TV aerial, but they remained suspicious.

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

In her judgment Judge Reardon said: "I find on the balance of probabilities that the father caused the mother to fall out of the window. I am not able to find whether he pushed her or whether she fell during a struggle. The former may be more likely."

When Marten left hospital, social workers wanted to talk to her, but she fled with her two children to a hotel in Ireland. She was eventually persuaded to return, a month later. The two children were removed from her on arrival, and she has never got them back.

By the time Judge Reardon made her fact-finding judgment in January 2021, the couple's third baby had been born. This child was also removed when the couple refused to go to a residential assessment unit.

Judge Reardon said it wasn't easy to evaluate the dynamics of their relationship. She found Gordon was likely to have perpetrated a serious act of violence on Marten, so it would be natural for her to fear him, she said. But despite this, she formed the view that it was Marten who was the "dominant personality".

"The strong impression given by the parents is that of two people who are fiercely united in an unrelenting struggle against a non-existent opponent," she said.

"I conclude that the parents have repeatedly prioritised their own need for privacy and secrecy above their children's health.

"Essentially, these parents have rolled the dice three times in refusing the vast majority of standard maternity and newborn healthcare and checks. They have been lucky each time, but plenty of pregnancies do involve complications which, if unchecked or untreated, can become life-threatening for the mother or the baby or both."

It was a tragic prophecy of what was to befall the couple's fifth child, Victoria.

The couple began repeatedly missing contact sessions with their children, and then stopped visiting altogether. Their eldest child became distressed and developed a stammer. "My mummy and daddy cancelled again," the child told nursery staff.

In January 2022, Judge Reardon made her final decision: the couple's four children, one only a baby, would be permanently removed.

The judge said observations from the contact sessions left her with "vivid snapshots of what could, if this were the complete picture, be a loving and integrated family".

But she had to balance that against the risk of harm to the children, caused by the likelihood of exposure to violence between the parents and their attempts to avoid local authority intervention.

"Perhaps most hurtful, from the children's point of view, is their parents' baffling lack of commitment to them over the course of these lengthy proceedings and their inability, or unwillingness, to do what needed to be done in order to reclaim them," Judge Reardon said.

"It is a picture that I, as a reasonably experienced family court judge, find very difficult to comprehend."

At the last minute, in a desperate attempt to hold on to her children, Marten had offered to separate from Gordon, but the judge simply did not believe she would go through with it.

She couldn't see either parent providing a safe home any time soon.

Eight months later, Gordon and Marten - who was by now pregnant again - left their house in south-east London, and went on the run from authorities - beginning the fatal journey that ended in baby Victoria's death.

The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel is now carrying out a national review into Victoria's death, to examine how "agencies can better safeguard children in similar circumstances".

Thames Water issues hosepipe ban for one million people across four counties

Getty Images A close-up of a hand holding the end of a hose and spraying water over plants.Getty Images
People in parts of southern England will be unable to use hosepipes from 22 July

A hosepipe ban affecting 1.1 million people across several postcode areas has been announced by Thames Water.

The water firm said the measure would come into place across Swindon, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Wiltshire on 22 July due to a lack of rain and increasing demand, which had stretched supplies.

It bans the use of a hosepipe for activities such as watering the garden, washing the car or filling a paddling pool.

It comes as the Environment Agency said it had declared a state of prolonged dry weather in large parts of Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Surrey.

Thames Water said the temporary restriction would cover areas with postcodes beginning with OX, GL, SN, RG4, RG8 and RG9.

The ban does not affect businesses where hosepipe use is part of their purpose - for example, garden centres and car washes - but the company said everyone in the region should be "mindful" of water use.

Thames Water An area of water surrounded by reeds, with a gauge in the middle showing the level has fallen below what it should.Thames Water
Water stocks across the Thames Valley are low and are expected to continue falling, Thames Water said

Thames Water said prolonged hot weather meant there was less water available as well as a higher demand, with customers using up to 30% more water when temperatures were above 25C.

Nevil Muncaster, strategic water resources director at Thames Water, said he did not "anticipate the situation will improve any time soon".

"We have to take action now," he said.

"This has been a challenging spring and summer with big spikes in customer demand during hot dry days and very little rainfall to replenish local supplies in the Thames Valley."

He encouraged customers both within and outside the ban area to reduce water use, by doing things like turning taps off while brushing teeth, taking shorter showers and not watering their lawns.

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.

German backpacker lost in outback 'beyond grateful' to be found

WA Police Caroline Wilga sits in a hospital bed with a teddy on her lap. She has long brown hair and is smiling at the camera. WA Police
Police shared a photo of Caroline Wilga in hospital in Perth, after she was finally found on Friday

A backpacker who survived nearly two weeks lost in Western Australia's outback has said she is "simply beyond grateful to have survived".

Caroline Wilga, a 26-year-old German national, was rescued on Friday after spending 11 freezing nights alone and lost in the bushland.

She survived by drinking from puddles and sheltering in a cave, police said.

In her first public statement since being rescued, Ms Wilga said she had hit her head after losing control of her van, causing her to exit the vehicle in a state of confusion.

She was spotted by a driver and airlifted to a hospital in Perth, where she is recovering.

Ms Wilga thanked the medical staff, German consulate and all the people who had helped search for her, in a statement to Western Australia Police posted on Instagram.

"I want to express a huge thank you from the bottom of my heart – a thank you that truly comes from the depth of my soul," she said.

"Some people might wonder why I even left my car, even though I had water, food, and clothing there," Ms Wilga added.

She said she "lost control of the car and rolled down a slope", hitting her head "significantly" in the subsequent crash.

"As a result of the accident, I left my car in a state of confusion and got lost," she added.

"Previously, I didn't know where my place was in a culture on the other side of the world to my own, but now, I feel a part of it. I am deeply impressed by the courage, helpfulness, and warmth that has been shown to me here.

"Western Australia has taught me what it really means to be part of a true community. Here, humanity, solidarity, and care for one another are what truly matter – and in the end, that's what counts most."

She was found walking barefoot by motorist Tania Henley - whom Ms Wilga described as her "saviour and angel" - more than 30km away from where she had abandoned her van, on a scarcely used track north of Beacon.

WA Police A police handout photo shows a dark coloured van surrounded by green and brown bushland.WA Police
Wilga's abandoned van was found on Thursday in dense bushland, north of Beacon

Ms Henley told Australia's public broadcaster ABC that she saw Ms Wilga waving by the side of the road, and she appeared to be in a "fragile state", suffering from exhaustion, dehydration, insect bites and an injured foot.

"Everything in this bush is very prickly. I just can't believe that she survived. She had no shoes on, she'd wrapped her foot up," Ms Henley said.

Before her rescue, Ms Wilga was last seen at a general store in the town of Beacon, Western Australia, in her van on 29 June.

"I am certain that I survived only thanks to this incredible outpouring of support," she said.

"The thought of all the people who believed in me, searched for me, and kept hoping for me gave me the strength to carry on during my darkest moments," she said.

The rescue was down to "sheer luck", acting police inspector Jessica Securo said in a news conference.

Ex-Tory MP given community order for harassing ex-wife

Wales News Service Katie Wallis facing the camera as she walks along a street. She is wearing a black dress with a black strap across her neck. She has her hair up. Wales News Service
Wallis was sentenced to a 12-month community order involving 12 days of rehabilitation activity

A former Conservative MP has been given a community order and fine for harassing her ex-wife.

Jamie Wallis, who is now known as Katie Wallis and uses female pronouns, represented Bridgend from 2019 to 2024.

At an earlier hearing, the 41-year-old from Butetown in Cardiff denied harassing Rebecca Wallis, now known as Rebecca Lovell, between 14 February and 21 March.

Wallis was sentenced to a 12-month community order involving 12 days of rehabilitation activity and fined £500 plus £650 costs and a £114 surcharge.

A restraining order was also imposed for 12 months to prevent contact with Rebecca Lovell.

The former MP made unwanted phone calls, sent unwanted messages and a voice note.

Cardiff Magistrates Court heard that the messages contained abusive language while accusing Rebecca Lovell of being "mean" and seeking to find out details about her new relationship.

One message complained about access to Wallis's family, another demanded £350,000 within 15 minutes and wished to ensure that Wallis's former wife and others "never have a happy moment again".

Wallis, who was the first MP to openly begin the process of gender transitioning, previously told the court: "My name is Katie Wallis, but my legal name is Jamie Wallis".

Athena Picture Agency A picture of a transgender woman with brown hair tied back, wearing dark eyeliner, lipstick, large hoop earrings, a white blouse and a blue cardigan, with a red crossbody handbag.Athena Picture Agency
Katie Wallis admited harassing Rebecca Wallis, now known as Rebecca Lovell, earlier this year

District Judge Rhys Williams asked Wallis's barrister how he should address the defendant.

Defending, Narita Bahra KC told the court that Wallis identifies as she, "her dead name is Jamie. Her current name is Katie".

Wallis and the victim were in a relationship for more than 15 years and separated in 2020, with their divorce finalised in 2024.

In a personal impact statement, Rebecca Lovell said the messages left her "drowning in a chaos that was not of my own making" and concerned that Wallis would turn up at her house.

She said she was left wondering if threats of suicide were real.

"I torture myself wondering if I deserve the vile slurs," she said.

She added, "I can't remember a day I haven't cried. The woman I used to be has been destroyed."

Narita Bahra KC told the court that her client was "having profound and emotional difficulties in completing the passing stage" of transitioning to become a woman, but accepts that the behaviour was "wrong".

Ms Bahra said that Wallis was at a "crucial turning point" in the transitioning process and in "profound mental crisis" when the messages were sent and that there was acceptance of wrongdoing and apology in the final message.

Shortly after the final message was sent, Wallis was found by police and sectioned under the mental health act before being arrested and later charged.

Ms Bahra told the court it was "really disappointing that South Wales Police and the Crown Prosecution Service have shown no compassion" by pursuing a prosecution.

She added it was "disillusioning and disappointing that South Wales Police and the CPS demonstrated a lack of understanding" to what she said were the "unique stresses" of transitioning.

Gregg Wallace report upholds 45 claims, including one of unwelcome physical contact

BBC/ShineTV Gregg Wallace on MasterChefBBC/ShineTV

A report into BBC show MasterChef has found 45 allegations against Gregg Wallace were upheld including one of unwelcome physical contact and another three of being in a state of undress.

In total, the report says 83 allegations were made against the TV presenter, with the majority of the substantiated claims relating to inappropriate sexual language and humour, but also culturally insensitive and racist comments.

The inquiry, conducted by an independent law firm, was ordered by MasterChef's production company Banijay in the wake of a BBC News investigation which first revealed claims of inappropriate sexual comments against Wallace.

Ahead of the report's release, Wallace insisted it had cleared him of "the most serious and sensational allegations".

Last week, it emerged that he had been sacked as presenter of the cooking show, as dozens more people came forward to BBC News with fresh claims against him.

The 50 people who came forward to BBC News said they encountered Wallace across a range of shows and settings.

Around 20 were on Banijay productions, but others related to areas like night clubs, awards ceremonies and other TV shows. Some of the individuals we heard from also contributed to the Banijay inquiry.

A decision has not yet been made about unseen series of MasterChef which was filmed last year.

The report also says that ten standalone allegations were made against other people, two of which were substantiated.

Both of those substantiated allegations , which did not involve Wallace, relate to inappropriate language, one of swearing and one of racist language.

The investigation team also found evidence that between 2005 and 2024, six complaints were raised with the production company and six with the BBC.

Patrick Holland, chief executive of Banijay UK, said in earlier years, "it is clear that escalation procedures were not as robust as they should have been".

"We are extremely sorry to anyone who has been impacted by this behaviour and felt unable to speak up at the time or that their complaint was not adequately addressed," he added.

A BBC statement said: "Although the full extent of these issues were not known at the relevant time, opportunities were missed to address this behaviour – both by the production companies running MasterChef and the BBC.

"We accept more could and should have been done sooner."

The BBC said it apologised to "everyone who has been impacted by Mr Wallace's behaviour", and confirmed it has no plans to work with the presenter in future.

Gregg Wallace has been contacted for comment.

Thames Water issues hosepipe ban for millions

Getty Images A close-up of a hand holding the end of a hose and spraying water over plants.Getty Images
People in parts of southern England will be unable to use hosepipes from 22 July

A hosepipe ban affecting 1.1 million people across several postcode areas has been announced by Thames Water.

The water firm said the measure would come into place across Swindon, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Wiltshire on 22 July due to a lack of rain and increasing demand, which had stretched supplies.

It bans the use of a hosepipe for activities such as watering the garden, washing the car or filling a paddling pool.

It comes as the Environment Agency said it had declared a state of prolonged dry weather in large parts of Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Surrey.

Thames Water said the temporary restriction would cover areas with postcodes beginning with OX, GL, SN, RG4, RG8 and RG9.

The ban does not affect businesses where hosepipe use is part of their purpose - for example, garden centres and car washes - but the company said everyone in the region should be "mindful" of water use.

Thames Water An area of water surrounded by reeds, with a gauge in the middle showing the level has fallen below what it should.Thames Water
Water stocks across the Thames Valley are low and are expected to continue falling, Thames Water said

Thames Water said prolonged hot weather meant there was less water available as well as a higher demand, with customers using up to 30% more water when temperatures were above 25C.

Nevil Muncaster, strategic water resources director at Thames Water, said he did not "anticipate the situation will improve any time soon".

"We have to take action now," he said.

"This has been a challenging spring and summer with big spikes in customer demand during hot dry days and very little rainfall to replenish local supplies in the Thames Valley."

He encouraged customers both within and outside the ban area to reduce water use, by doing things like turning taps off while brushing teeth, taking shorter showers and not watering their lawns.

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.

'Just appalling' - dubious tactics at leading estate agencies uncovered

BBC Headshot of Julie, standing outside in front of a pale brick wall. She has straight shoulder-length blonde hair with a fringe and has clear-framed glasses. She is wearing a white v-neck t-shirt and a pearl necklace. BBC
Julie Gallagher sold her house through Connells' Abingdon office, where Panorama went undercover

"She's probably done me out of quite a bit of money - I feel angry and conned."

Julie Gallagher believes her home was sold at a lower price than it could have gone for. There was a buyer who might have offered more for it, an undercover investigation by BBC Panorama can reveal.

Her Connells estate agent appeared to sideline this potential buyer in favour of someone else who had agreed to take out an in-house mortgage.

That mortgage was said to be worth about £2,000 to Connells, while the company potentially stood to make £10,000 in total by arranging add-on services and selling the buyer's property too.

"She sat on this sofa… and said she was actually working for me and she obviously is not, she's working for the company's ends," says Julie. "How dare Connells do that? Just appalling."

Panorama decided to investigate the company after speaking to more than 20 independent financial advisers (IFAs) and mortgage advisers from across England and Wales who had concerns about how the company operated.

One of the biggest estate agencies in the UK, Connells runs 80 chains with more than 1,200 branches. Our undercover reporter, Lucy Vallance, got a job in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in an own-brand office.

Watch: In Abingdon, a potential buyer taking Connells' in-house services appeared to be favoured over another who wasn't

During her six weeks there in February, she found evidence that the senior branch manager favoured prospective buyers, if they were planning to take out Connells in-house services, like conveyancing or mortgages, because it made more money for the company.

Connells told us it is "committed to treating all customers and prospective buyers fairly."

Panorama also investigated the online estate agency Purplebricks, after we heard concerns it had been trying to attract sellers by overvaluing properties.

Once a customer was signed up, staff then tried to convince them to cut the asking price, earning commission if successful - a former sales negotiator told us. The whistleblower, who worked for the company between June and October 2024, also filmed online meetings for Panorama.

Purplebricks told us price reductions were once a target for rewarding staff, but that is no longer the case, and it does not overvalue properties to win instructions.

'Hot buyers'

In Abingdon, the undercover reporter found that trying to arrange mortgages could be as important as selling houses - and that Connells' staff felt under pressure to get people signed up.

Connells, like many other estate agencies, has an in-house mortgage-brokering team.

The independent financial advisers we have spoken to - who compete for customers with estate agents' in-house services - say this pressure can lead to some agents in the industry playing fast and loose with the rules.

One practice known as "conditional selling" is forbidden by the Code of Practice for Residential Estate Agents, of which many companies across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland - including Connells - are signatories.

This is when an estate agent suggests, implies or tells you that you must arrange things like mortgages or conveyancing services through their in-house teams - or there will be negative consequences for a deal.

It means estate agents signed up to the code know they should not discriminate against prospective buyers who don't use their in-house services.

Connells' senior branch manager told our reporter, at one point, that she understood conditional selling was not allowed.

But that wasn't the full picture.

Estate agents are supposed to work in the best interests of their clients, but we saw how pressure for profit shaped decisions at Connells in Abingdon.

One Saturday, our reporter was asked to host an open-house viewing for Julie's four-bedroom house, which was on the market for offers over £300,000. It attracted great interest. Fifteen people attended and others also wanted to book separate viewings.

But the following Monday, the senior branch manager seemed interested in two possible buyers - those speaking to Connells' in-house brokers. The next day, via WhatsApp, she told her staff not to arrange any more viewings on Julie's house.

One signed up to a Connells-brokered mortgage and became known by the senior branch manager as a "hot buyer".

A board in the office titled "Hot Buyers" had the names of all house hunters at the branch who had agreed to take out a mortgage or a conveyancing package through Connells.

The hot buyer for Julie's house made an initial offer, which she rejected, but eventually upped it to successfully secure the property.

There was another potential buyer interested in the house who appeared to have deeper pockets - a cash buyer. She wasn't taking out a mortgage through the company.

Connells told us they spoke to the cash buyer the Monday after the open house and that she was undecided about putting in an offer. A call from the cash buyer later the same day was missed, said the company, and not followed up.

When the undercover reporter told the office administrator that the cash buyer might have offered more, she was told that "just a sale" was "not good enough" for Connells.

"They will probably more likely aim to get somebody who's signed up with us and wants to use our conveyancing, as opposed to someone who is a cash buyer," said the administrator. "That's just how Connells are. That's why they ride you if you don't have enough mortgage appointments."

Picture of Julie's house taken from the back garden. It is a 1980s semi-detached home with sliding patio doors. She is standing to the right hand side of the doors. It is a sunny day.
Connells' senior branch manager has "taken options out of my hands and probably done me out of quite a bit of money", says Julie Gallagher

Lisa Webb, consumer law expert with Which? Magazine, reviewed Panorama's evidence of how this sale was managed.

"This is absolutely something that should be against the law - and something that I think that these estate agents really ought to be investigated by the authorities for, because this should not be happening," she told us.

The undercover reporter secretly filmed her boss - the senior branch manager - saying why she was so keen on the hot buyer. Not only would it mean collecting fees from the seller, the manager explained, but also commission from the in-house mortgage with conveyancing fees on top.

In addition, Connells would try to sell the hot buyer's old house - and earn more fees.

The senior branch manager said the combined deal could, in total, be worth £10,000 to the company.

"That, in itself, is just appalling behaviour," said Lisa Webb from Which? when we showed her the footage.

Connells for sale sign - written in white letters on a red background - attached to a wooden fence. A house with white wooden cladding can be seen in the background.
Connells says "no harm has been caused" to the customer

According to the 1979 Estate Agents Act it is classed as an "undesirable practice" for estate agents to discriminate against prospective buyers if they don't take out a mortgage through in-house brokers.

If they do this, they can be investigated by Trading Standards. But it looks like the rules may not cover the sidelining of potential buyers as seen by Panorama's undercover reporter.

Those rules need to be updated, according to financial journalist Iona Bain.

"There's clearly a grey area here, whereby estate agents are able to accept one buyer that will use the in-house broker and turn everybody else away," she told us.

Homeowner Julie, who has now packed up and left her house ahead of the sale going through, was horrified when we told her what had happened.

"I'm quite appalled really that... she [senior branch manager] has kind of taken options out of my hands and probably done me out of quite a bit of money, really."

  • If you have more information about this story, you can reach Panorama directly by email - panorama.reply@bbc.co.uk

Connells said it rejects "any accusation of conditional selling" and that "no harm has been caused" to the customer. There were other offers on Julie's property, it told us, but the accepted offer was the highest.

"It is not the case that customers who use our mortgage services are more likely to successfully purchase a property than those who do not," it added. It said that in the six-week period Panorama was undercover, only two properties out of 14 went to customers using the in-house mortgage service.

It also said it invests "significant time and resources in training our teams to ensure they understand the laws, regulations and guidelines within which they must operate".

"Any employee found to be in breach of these standards faces strict disciplinary action, including dismissal," Connells said.

The senior branch manager told Panorama she was content for Connells to respond on her behalf.

'Overvaluing properties massively'

At Purplebricks, a whistleblower began secretly filming meetings because she says she became frustrated with how the company was being run.

Firstly on her phone, then with a camera provided by Panorama.

The biggest shock for the whistleblower was learning that staff were being incentivised to get price reductions on properties - many of which, she was told by one of the company's local property agents, appeared to have been put on the market for more than they were worth.

"We are overvaluing properties massively just to gain instructions," said the agent to the whistleblower in a private message.

Estate agents often use property valuations to attract customers - and subsequently dropping the asking price is not unusual. The estate agents' code tells companies they "must never deliberately misrepresent the market value of a property".

Still taken from an advert, showing a woman standing on a suburban pavement in front of 1930s homes. There are Purplebricks for sale signs in front of three houses. She is wearing a pink suit and has her thumb up.
Purplebricks has adverts, like this one, which say customers can sell their homes for free

The whistleblower was also told in the same message from the agent that staff could earn commission if they persuaded sellers to drop their asking prices.

The same agent suggested to her that 18 price drops per month could earn staff £900 in commission.

In an online meeting, the whistleblower's team leader told staff how to approach conversations with sellers about price drops.

He said, when properties go live, sellers can be told that if there aren't many viewings or offers within the first four weeks then they should "have a conversation about [price] reduction".

"So they won't necessarily push the reduction there and then, but they will plant the seed," he added.

Purplebricks told us it doesn't overvalue properties and that while price reductions were once a target for rewarding staff, that was no longer the case. It said it doesn't claim to be perfect and apologises wherever it has fallen short.

Picture of the Purple Bricks whistleblower taken from behind. She is sitting a a wooden desk with a laptop, in front of a large window which has metal blinds. She has shoulder-length straight grey hair.
The Purplebricks whistleblower recorded online meetings for Panorama

Purplebricks staff were also under pressure to sell financial products like mortgages and conveyancing, the whistleblower told us.

During the time she worked there, she said the company encouraged customers to get their conveyancing done through companies it had deals with, rather than look elsewhere.

"We don't want them to get a quote for comparison because we are by far and away very expensive," said her team leader during an online meeting.

When Ryan Evans and Olivia Phelps bought a two-bedroom house in Sutton-in-Ashfield through Purplebricks they ended up buying conveyancing services through the company.

Olivia and Ryan pictured sitting next to each other, from a slight sideways angle, on a sofa in a living room. Olivia is slightly out of focus in the foreground, she has long, dark hair tied back, and a tight-fitting pink top. She is wearing glasses. Ryan has short fair hair with a fringe, black-rimmed glasses and is wearing a red-T-shirt.
Ryan Evans told us he felt Purplebricks "had taken advantage of us a bit because we were first-time buyers"

They paid £2,820 last summer. Using price comparison websites, Panorama found that was nearly three times more than the current cheapest quote for the same property.

"We were none the wiser having never done all this before. I certainly felt like maybe they [Purplebricks] had taken advantage of us a bit because we were first-time buyers," Ryan told us.

Like Connells, Purplebricks is also signed up to the Code of Practice for Residential Estate Agents which says: "You should provide a service to both buyers and sellers consistent with fairness, integrity and best practice."

Our whistleblower also recorded her team leader firing-up staff to sell add-on products in addition to conveyancing.

"So let's try and really squeeze every lead for as much as it's got - and I want us to be a bit more relentless," he told staff at one meeting. "The urgency is massive… there is still a heinous amount of money to be made."

Anyone working in sales is encouraged to sell more, says Lisa Webb of Which?, but it is "a real issue" if an estate agent is "incentivising someone to make a very quick decision" or pressuring them "into making decisions too quickly… before they've had the option to shop around".

Purplebricks said it entirely rejects any portrayal of its service as pressure-selling, adding that it does not promote hard-selling and that it focuses on the benefits, not price, when recommending services.

In a statement, it also said that since new owners took over in 2023, it has "worked hard to improve service and build a team and culture that puts customers first".

The whistleblower's team leader did not want to comment and told us he had left Purplebricks.

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