Donald Trump has formally accepted an invitation from King Charles III to join him and Queen Camilla for an unprecedented second state visit, Buckingham Palace has said.

The US president will be accompanied by his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, for the trip - which is set to take place from 17 to 19 September - and will be hosted at Windsor Castle.

The location for the state visit was chosen as the typical venue, Buckingham Palace, continues to undergo renovations.

Trump was hosted by Queen Elizabeth II for his first state visit in 2019 during his first term in office.

Traditionally, second-term presidents are not offered a state visit and have instead been invited for tea or lunch with the monarch.

A full programme of events has not yet been announced but, like all visits of this kind, it will include a full ceremonial welcome and a state banquet in St George's Hall in Windsor Castle.

All senior members of the Royal Family will be involved, including the Prince and Princess of Wales, who live in the grounds of the castle.

French President Emmanuel Macron was hosted by the King at Windsor last week, marking the first time a state visit had been held in the Berkshire residence for more than a decade.

Macron and his wife, Brigitte, also took part in a carriage procession through the town of Windsor.

Any visit from a US president brings with it security challenges, and Trump's programme is unlikely to include events that are public-facing.

During his 2019 visit, there was no procession along The Mall for security reasons and Trump was mostly flown between locations instead of travelling by road.

It is also unclear whether Trump will have the opportunity to speak to parliamentarians, which is often included in the choreography of a state visit.

The House of Commons will not be sitting at the time of Trump's visit as it will be in recess for party conference season - but the House of Lords will be in session.

In February, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer presented Trump with a letter from the King inviting him for the visit at the White House.

As the pair were sitting next to each other in the Oval Office, Trump said it was a "great, great honour", adding: "And that says at Windsor - that's really something."

The state visit will come several months after the King visited Canada, where he opened the country's parliament to mark the official start of Prime Minister Mark Carney's leadership.

Many Canadians saw the King's two-day visit to Ottawa in May as a symbol of support for the country after Trump imposed tariffs on one of its largest trading partners and threatened to make it the 51st US state.

The lure of a state visit for Trump has the potential to be a powerful tool of soft diplomacy by the British government towards a president who is an ardent monarchist.

Speaking in April, he said: "I'm a friend of Charles, I have great respect for King Charles and the family, William. We have really just a great respect for the family."

The invitation came as Sir Keir sought to influence Trump over the war in Ukraine and lessen the tariffs placed on UK exports to the US - both issues that continue to dominate the so-called special relationship.

The US president is expected to be in Scotland later this month for the opening of his new golf course in Aberdeenshire.

It had initially been thought that the King and Trump would meet informally during that trip.

But it is understood that there were logistical challenges surrounding the dates and there will be no private meeting ahead of his September visit.

An aircraft has crashed at London Southend Airport, police have confirmed.

Essex Police said it was alerted to a 12-metre plane on fire at the site in Southend-on-Sea shortly before 16:00 BST on Sunday.

The East of England Ambulance Service said four crews were at the scene including a rapid response vehicle, a hazardous area response vehicle and a senior paramedic.

The Labour MP for Southend West and Leigh, David Burton-Sampson, said on X: "My thoughts are with everyone involved."

Police said, as a precaution, officers have evacuated the Rochford Hundred Golf Club and Westcliff Rugby Club due to its proximity to the incident.

A spokesperson for Essex Police said: "We are working with all emergency services at the scene now and that work will be ongoing for several hours.

"We would please ask the public to avoid this area where possible while this work continues."

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said it was called to the incident at 15:58.

The service has asked people to avoid the area if possible.

A spokesperson said: "Crews from Southend (two), Rayleigh Weir and Basildon (two), along with off-road vehicles from Billericay and Chelmsford attended.

"We are continuing to work at the scene with our emergency services and aviation partners."

The UK is breaking heat and rainfall records increasingly frequently as its climate continues to warm, the Met Office has warned.

The country's changing weather patterns mean the UK now experiences a "notably different" climate to what it was just a few decades ago, its State of the UK Climate report says.

We now have many more very hot days and many fewer extremely cold nights, according to this latest assessment.

It shows just how much global warming caused by the vast emissions of greenhouse gases our civilisation creates is reshaping the country's climate.

Climate change is bringing more severe weather events like storms and flooding - and inevitably the country's changing climate is having an impact on the natural world, with some species suffering.

The report focuses on 2024, when the UK experienced its second warmest February, warmest May, warmest spring, fifth warmest December, and fifth warmest winter since records began in 1884.

The Met Office highlights that some of these records have already been surpassed in 2025 - more evidence of this trend towards more extreme weather.

This summer many parts of the country are in the throes of their third heatwave with very warm weather reaching into Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland as well as southern England.

The first hosepipe ban of the year was imposed in Yorkshire last week following England's warmest June on record, which came after the country's driest and sunniest spring for 132 years.

Yorkshire and the north west of England were declared in official drought by the Environment Agency in June. At least one region is expected to be added to the list when the UK's National Drought Group meets on Tuesday.

Mike Kendon, a Met Office climate scientist and lead author of the State of the UK Climate report, said: "Every year that goes by is another upward step on the warming trajectory our climate is on.

"Observations show that our climate in the UK is now notably different to what it was just a few decades ago."

Wetter as well as hotter weather

As an island squeezed between the vast Atlantic Ocean and continental Europe, the UK sits at the intersection of a whole series of major air masses. That's why the country's climate is so changeable and that variability also makes mapping some climate changes more difficult.

Rainfall patterns fluctuate much more than temperature, the Met Office says, but it finds that, as well as warming up, the UK is also getting wetter, with rainfall increasing significantly during the winter. Between October and March, rainfall in 2015-2024 was 16% higher than in 1961–1990, it says.

Behind all these changes is the relentless rise in average temperatures driven by climate change, the Met Office says. Global temperatures have risen by over 1.3C since the industrial revolution as humans continue to release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere at an unprecedented rate.

The Met Office calculates that the UK is warming at a rate of around 0.25C per decade, with the 2015-2024 period 1.24C warmer than the period between 1961-1990.

As the UK's national weather service, the Met Office is the custodian of the Central England Temperature record, the longest running weather record in the world, based on measurements taken using thermometers and other instruments. It spans from 1659 to the present and it shows that recent warming has far exceeded any observed temperatures in over 300 years.

The last three years have been in the UK's top five warmest on record, with 2024 the fourth warmest year in records dating back to 1884.

Even a small shift in temperatures can significantly increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, as the graph below shows.

Look how, as the distribution of temperatures shifts, those that were previously extreme are brought into the range and new extremes become significantly more likely.

We are often talking about how it used to be colder back in the day. Well that is borne out by the Met Office's data. We really are getting increasingly fewer cold days. The Met Office says there were 14 fewer days with air frosts – when the air temperature falls below zero - in the last decade compared to the period 1931 to 1990.

Flood risk growing

As in recent years, floods and storms caused the worst severe weather damage to the UK last year.

A series of named storms that pummelled the UK beginning in the autumn of 2023 helped cause widespread flooding in early January. That contributed to the wettest winter half year – October 2023 to March 2024 - in over 250 years.

Areas particularly badly hit by flooding included eastern Scotland, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and the West Midlands, with some places recording three to four times their usual rainfall for September.

In early January of 2024 the Royal Shakespeare Company had to cancel performances for two evenings in a row because of flooding in Stratford-upon-Avon. In November a wall collapsed in Tenbury Wells in Worcestershire after water in a local brook rose, flooding the town centre.

Met Office Chief Scientist Professor Stephen Belcher said the evidence of the impacts climate change is already bringing showed the urgent need for the UK to adapt to cope with future extremes.

"The climate is likely to continue to change, and we need to prepare for the impacts this will have on the weather we experience," he said.

For the first time this report highlights that UK sea level is rising faster than the global average.

As sea levels continue to rise around the UK, the risk of flooding is only going to increase further, says Dr Svetlana Jevrejeva from the National Oceanography Centre.

"We know from historical events it is only a matter of time until the UK is next in the path of a major storm surge event," she said.

Nature is changing with the climate

Inevitably the UK's changing climate is having an impact on the natural world.

Spring in 2024 was earlier than the average for 12 of the 13 spring events on record and was the earliest in the series from 1999 for both frogspawn appearing and blackbirds nesting.

The timing of seasonal activity in plants and animals is known as phenology and is collected by a network of volunteers coordinated by the Nature's Calendar citizen science project.

The changing pattern of natural events can have a huge impact. Dormice and hedgehogs – two of the UK's most threatened mammals – are particularly affected when the weather is very warm, for example.

Fruits and nuts ripen earlier in hot weather and that means fewer are available in the autumn when these animals are trying to build up the reserves of fat they need to see them through winter.

At the Alice Holt forest research centre outside London they are investigating how our trees and forests can be made more resilient to the country's future climate.

The sad fact is that many of our current tree species just can't cope, says Dr Gail Atkinson, the head of Climate Change Science at the centre.

"After a drought you can see reduced growth, so trees aren't growing as we would expect them to," she says.

"If you look up in the canopy you can see the leaves looking a little bit raggedy and there are other signs of stress as you're walking through the woodland including extreme examples you might find that the trees have actually died."

Studies at Alice Holt show one species that could do well as the UK continues to get hotter and wetter are coastal redwoods from California. It has been growing trees from different latitudes for the last 60 years to see how they fare in the UK climate.

It means that, in the decades to come, the world's tallest trees could become a common sight here in the UK.

Sign up for our Future Earth newsletter to keep up with the latest climate and environment stories with the BBC's Justin Rowlatt. Outside the UK? Sign up to our international newsletter here.

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has placed Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on an immediate "leave of absence" after allegations of links to organised crimes were made against him.

In Sunday's live televised speech to the nation, Ramaphosa also announced a judicial commission would probe the claims, which he said undermined the constitution and threatened national security.

He added that law professor Firoz Cachalia had been appointed as interim police minister.

Mchunu denied any wrongdoing, saying in a statement that he "stood ready to respond to the accusations" against him.

In his speech, the president said that the allegations against Mchunu, which include interference in investigations into political killings and corruption within law enforcement agencies, "call for an urgent and comprehensive investigation".

He said the judicial commission, led by the country's deputy chief justice, would examine all the claims.

The commission will also investigate current and former police officials, as well as members of the national executive, Ramaphosa said.

Ramaphosa has been under growing public pressure to act swiftly over the high-profile case.

Mchunu, 67, is an influential figure in Ramaphosa's African National Congress (ANC) party.

Political analysts have suggested he could run for a leadership position at the ANC's next elective conference in 2027.

In a statement, Mchunu said: "I welcome and respect the president's decision and pledge my commitment to the process.

"Honour and integrity are the virtues I personally subscribe to and which we all need to make efforts to uphold."

The allegations were first made public by KwaZulu-Natal provincial police boss Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi last Sunday.

He claimed Mchunu was receiving financial support from an allegedly corrupt businessman to fund his "political endeavours".

Gen Mkhwanazi also detailed a sequence of events he claimed led to the "orchestrated" disbandment of a task force that was set up in 2018 to investigate the killing of politicians, mainly in KwaZulu-Natal.

He said the team's investigations had uncovered links to high-profile individuals - including politicians, police officials, and businesspeople tied to a drug cartel syndicate - and this is why the team was disbanded.

When he dissolved the unit earlier this year, Mchunu said it was not adding value in the province, despite many cases remaining unsolved.

According to Gen Mkhwanazi, a total of 121 case files were allegedly removed from the unit on the minister's instruction and without the authorisation of his boss, the national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola.

"These case dockets have, since March, been sitting at the head office ever since without any investigation work done on them. Five of these dockets already had instructions to [effect] arrests," Gen Mkhwanazi said.

He also alleged Mchunu had ties to a controversial businessman who was "financially supporting" the minister's political career.

Vusimuzi Matlala had a lucrative contract with the police before it was abruptly cancelled when he was arrested for attempted murder in May. Gen Mkhwanazi shared copies of text messages and a payment allegedly made by Mr Matlala to prove this.

Drake's three-day residency at London's Wireless Festival concluded on a sour note after the rapper's headline slot ended after 40 minutes.

Appearing on stage ten minutes earlier than scheduled, he told the crowd he would perform until his microphone was cut off - referencing the strict 21:30 curfew.

Fans were also left feeling shortchanged after the 38-year-old's set featured just three special guests - Popcaan, Rema and Vybz Kartel.

Saturday night's show, which ran for 90 minutes, featured 13 special guests, while Friday's show also had a similar runtime and included six surprise acts.

Line-up changes

Earlier in the day, the official setlist had advertised two Drake sets - one at 18:25 and one at 20:55.

The first mysteriously disappeared from the schedule during the course of the afternoon, with planned performances from Vybz Kartel and Burna Boy going ahead in their allotted time slots.

Fans appeared surprised when Drake entered the stage just minutes after Burna Boy had finished, with the Canadian announcing himself to the crowd by speaking to fans.

He appeared agitated, which was a departure from his more upbeat attitude from Friday and Saturday night.

Drake started his set by playing an unreleased collaboration with British rapper Central Cee, who did not appear on stage to perform but instead mouthed the words from his position in the front row, which was projected across the big screens.

The Toronto rapper and singer appeared apologetic throughout, promising to play some of his biggest hits to win over the crowd.

He told the crowd: "London, I will love you for the rest of my life," as he raced through a medley of tracks.

They included Controlla, Find Your Love and One Dance, which were remixed and updated for 2025, but felt slightly rushed, with their new arrangements making it difficult for fans to sing along.

A surprise appearance from Nigerian rapper Rema raised spirits in the crowd, with tracks Calm Down and Fever proving a highlight.

But after a brief cameo from Jamaican dancehall artist Vybz Kartel, who had performed to a huge crowd earlier in the day, there was only time for two more Drake solo songs.

For the third night in a row, he climbed onto a crane to wave to the 50,000 attendees as Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You blasted through the speakers.

After gaining social media traction over the weekend, fans quickly realised it signalled the end of a disappointedly short headline set.

Drake already fell victim to the 22:30 curfew on Friday night, with organisers cutting both his and Lauryn Hill's microphones off and replacing show graphics with information on local train stations.

He did a better job of keeping timings in check during Saturday's show, but it is unknown whether it was his decision to start his Sunday evening set 45 minutes before the event was due to end.

Fans around us expressed their discontent as they shuffled to the exits, with many unaware of the strict local curfews that operate in the park.

Some even told us they had spent longer queuing to get into the venue than they'd seen Drake perform.

Whilst attempting to leave, we were alerted to scenes of distress at the accessible exit.

Fans could be seen and heard pleading with security to let them leave after being told they would have to be held in a restrictive space for ten minutes or until other security gave them the green light.

This led to hysteria, with fans attacking the barriers, shouting and pleading that they were disabled and needed to leave.

Wireless Festival's organisers have been contacted by the BBC for comment.

'You have to accept the losses' - resilient Sinner bounces back

How another gripping 'Sincaraz' final panned out

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• What are UV levels and how can you protect yourself?
• How to sleep in the heat
• What should you look for when choosing sunscreen?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was reportedly slightly injured during one of Israel's attacks on Iran last month.

Iran's state Fars news agency, close to the revolutionary guard, says that on 16 June, six bombs targeted both access and entry points of a secret underground facility in Tehran where Pezeshkian was attending an emergency meeting of the Supreme National Security Council.

The president is said to have suffered leg injuries as he and others escaped through an emergency shaft. Iran is now reported to be following leads of infiltration by Israeli agents.

The Fars report has not been independently verified. Israel has not publicly commented on the report.

Videos posted on social media during the 12-day war showed repeated strikes against a mountain side in north-western Tehran.

Now it has emerged that the strikes on the fourth day of war targeted a secret underground facility in Tehran where Iran's top leaders were at the time.

The Fars news agency report says the Israeli strikes blocked all the six entry and exit points, and also the ventilation system.

The electricity to the facility was also cut off - but Pezeshkian managed to reach safety.

The Supreme National Security Council is Iran's top decision-making body after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Last week, Pezeshkian accused Israel of trying to kill him - a claim denied by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, who said "regime change" had not been not a goal of the war.

Israel wiped out many of top IRGC and army commanders at the very start of the war.

Iranian leaders admit they were taken completely by surprise, and there was a decision-making paralysis for at least the first 24 hours after the attack.

Israel officials admitted that Ayatollah Khamenei was also the target - but that they had lost track of him when he was moved to a secure secret location, cut off to a great extent from the outside world.

There are still many questions about how Israel had gathered critical intelligence about the whereabouts of Iran's top officials and commanders - not to mention the locations of sensitive secret facilities.

On 13 June, Israel launched a surprise attack on nuclear and military sites in Iran, saying it acted to prevent Tehran from making nuclear weapons.

Iran - who retaliated with aerial attacks on Israel - denies seeking to develop nuclear weapons and says its enrichment of uranium is for peaceful purposes.

On 22 June, the US's Air Force and Navy carried out air and missile strikes against three Iranian nuclear facilities.

US President Donald Trump later said the attack "obliterated" the facilities, even as some US intelligence agencies have taken a more cautious view.

A 15-year-old boy has died in a river incident in Glasgow as police responded to call-outs on Scotland's hottest day in two years.

Emergency services launched a rescue operation on the River Kelvin, near Maryhill Road, at about 18:40. His body was later recovered at 23:30.

It came hours after a 63-year-old woman fell near Campsie Glen waterfall in East Dunbartonshire.

Emergency crews attended at 12:35, but she died at the scene. Police Scotland said neither of the deaths was suspicious.

People had flocked to beauty spots around the country on Saturday as Scotland saw soaring temperatures.

Forecasters said it was the hottest day since June 2023, with the Met Office recording the heat at 32.2C at Aviemore in the Highlands.

A temperature of 32C has only been recorded on six previous occasions in Scotland since 1961.

The death of the 15-year-old boy is understood to be accidental.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Emergency services attended and around 23:30 the body of a male was recovered from the water.

"Inquiries are ongoing, however, the death is not being treated as suspicious."

Meanwhile, two fire engines and two water rescue teams were sent to Campsie Glen waterfall car park for the 63-year-old woman.

Police Scotland's spokesperson added: "Emergency services attended and the woman died at the scene. Her family is aware.

"The death is not being treated as suspicious and a report will be sent to the procurator fiscal."

Unsettled conditions

The run of hot sunny days was officially classed as a heatwave on Friday.

Met Office criteria states that the temperature must reach 25C for three consecutive days in the same area to qualify.

Police urged people to take care outdoors while NHS Scotland advised people to stay safe by ensuring they drink water and are protected from the sun.

It comes as several large outdoor events took place around the country including the Tiree Music Festival, the Island Games in Orkney and TRNSMT in Glasgow.

Sunday has brought slightly cooler weather before more unsettled conditions move in at the start of next week.

It wasn't just the heatwave making people feel faint at the Wimbledon finals as some of the hottest stars - including Paul Mescal and Nicole Kidman - joined royals in SW19.

After a reader wondered if 2.1 million people could really have seen Lady Gaga at Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Beach in May, BBC Verify looked into it.

The Lady Gaga concert was paid for by the seaside city in an attempt to revitalise its economy.

Fans reportedly travelled from all across the country to see the grandiose performance, which was expected to bring in more than $100m (£75m) to the local economy.

Rio officials heralded the 2.1 million attendance as a triumph.

However, careful analysis by the BBC Verify team and a crowd density expert reveal it is highly improbable the claims are accurate.

Instead, it would require the entire length of the beach, rather than a section, to comfortably fit more than two million people.

Despite the BBC's findings, city officials have maintained their claims. They have not however explained how their data was measured.

Watch the full analysis above.

An aircraft has crashed at London Southend Airport, police have confirmed.

Essex Police said it was alerted to a 12-metre plane on fire at the site in Southend-on-Sea shortly before 16:00 BST on Sunday.

The East of England Ambulance Service said four crews were at the scene including a rapid response vehicle, a hazardous area response vehicle and a senior paramedic.

The Labour MP for Southend West and Leigh, David Burton-Sampson, said on X: "My thoughts are with everyone involved."

Police said, as a precaution, officers have evacuated the Rochford Hundred Golf Club and Westcliff Rugby Club due to its proximity to the incident.

A spokesperson for Essex Police said: "We are working with all emergency services at the scene now and that work will be ongoing for several hours.

"We would please ask the public to avoid this area where possible while this work continues."

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said it was called to the incident at 15:58.

The service has asked people to avoid the area if possible.

A spokesperson said: "Crews from Southend (two), Rayleigh Weir and Basildon (two), along with off-road vehicles from Billericay and Chelmsford attended.

"We are continuing to work at the scene with our emergency services and aviation partners."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• What are UV levels and how can you protect yourself?
• How to sleep in the heat
• What should you look for when choosing sunscreen?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

US regulators reportedly granted appeals to remove many Camp Mystic buildings from official flooding risk maps years before 27 children died in severe floods.

Citing official records, the New York Times and Associated Press said maps by the Federal Emergency Management (Fema) in 2011 had initially considered the popular summer camp to be in high risk of flooding.

But they say that Camp Mystic - located in a low-lying area by the Guadalupe River - then successfully challenged those designations.

The BBC has contacted Fema and Camp Mystic, neither of which have commented publicly on the issue.

Fema describes flood maps as "a tool that communities use to know which areas have the highest risk of flooding".

Syracuse University associate professor Sarah Pralle, who has studied the Fema flood maps, said she found it "perplexing" that the riverside camp had been granted exemptions from the maps.

"I think it's extremely troubling that it's a camp for children," Prof Pralle told the New York Times.

"You'd think you want to be extra cautious - that you'd go beyond the minimum of what's required for flood protection."

Fema's official flood maps show that some of Camp Mystic's cabins were within a "floodway", a particularly hazardous area where dangerous floodwaters would be expected to flow, the New York Times reported.

It said that other cabins were within a broader zone that would also be expected to flood once every 100 years.

Those designations require the camp to have flood insurance and tighter regulations on any construction projects.

The newspaper added that the Fema maps had not been modified to incorporate Camp Mystic's written appeals.

The popular camp lost at least 27 young girls when floodwaters ripped through the premises before dawn on 4 July.

Across Texas, at least 129 people have been killed, and scores are still missing.

On Friday, President Donald Trump visited the flood-hit areas, pledging that the government would help those who lost their houses and properties to rebuild.

"I've never seen anything like it," he said.

Trump also dismissed a question from a reporter about what more could have been done to warn residents, saying: "Only an evil person would ask a question like that."

In the wake of the deadly tragedy, questions have been raised about whether adequate warnings were provided and why camps weren't evacuated ahead of the deluge.

Experts have said a number of factors led to the deadly impact of the flash flood, including the pre-dawn timing and the location of some buildings.

The EU's retaliatory tariffs on US exports have been delayed again, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced.

The countermeasures, which were due to start on Tuesday, came in response to US President Donald Trump's initial import taxes on steel and aluminium.

The EU's retaliation, which would have hit € 21bn worth of US goods, was first suspended in March. This break has been extended until early August, von der Leyen told a press conference on Sunday.

Trade ministers are expected to meet in Brussels on Monday to discuss how to respond.

It comes after Trump wrote a letter to von der Leyen announcing his plans to impose 30% tariffs on EU imports from 1 August.

He warned that if the trade partner retaliated with import duties of their own against the US, he would hit back by raising tariffs above 30%.

In a pre-recorded interview with Fox News which aired on Saturday night, Trump said some countries were "very upset now" but he insisted the tariffs meant "hundreds of billions of dollars" were "pouring in".

Von der Leyen told journalists on Sunday: "The United States has sent us a letter with measures that would come into effect unless there is a negotiated solution, so we will therefore also extend the suspension of our countermeasures until early August.

"At the same time, we will continue to prepare for the countermeasures so we're fully prepared."

The European Commission president insisted that the EU has "always been very clear that we prefer a negotiated solution".

"This remains the case, and we will use the time that we have now till August 1," she added.

As of Saturday, the Trump administration has now proposed tariff conditions on 24 countries and the EU, which is composed of 27 countries.

On 12 April, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro set a goal to secure "90 deals in 90 days".

So far, the president has announced the outlines of two such pacts with the United Kingdom and Vietnam as negotiations with others continue.

A 15-year-old boy has died in a river incident in Glasgow as police responded to call-outs on Scotland's hottest day in two years.

Emergency services launched a rescue operation on the River Kelvin, near Maryhill Road, at about 18:40. His body was later recovered at 23:30.

It came hours after a 63-year-old woman fell near Campsie Glen waterfall in East Dunbartonshire.

Emergency crews attended at 12:35, but she died at the scene. Police Scotland said neither of the deaths was suspicious.

People had flocked to beauty spots around the country on Saturday as Scotland saw soaring temperatures.

Forecasters said it was the hottest day since June 2023, with the Met Office recording the heat at 32.2C at Aviemore in the Highlands.

A temperature of 32C has only been recorded on six previous occasions in Scotland since 1961.

The death of the 15-year-old boy is understood to be accidental.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Emergency services attended and around 23:30 the body of a male was recovered from the water.

"Inquiries are ongoing, however, the death is not being treated as suspicious."

Meanwhile, two fire engines and two water rescue teams were sent to Campsie Glen waterfall car park for the 63-year-old woman.

Police Scotland's spokesperson added: "Emergency services attended and the woman died at the scene. Her family is aware.

"The death is not being treated as suspicious and a report will be sent to the procurator fiscal."

Unsettled conditions

The run of hot sunny days was officially classed as a heatwave on Friday.

Met Office criteria states that the temperature must reach 25C for three consecutive days in the same area to qualify.

Police urged people to take care outdoors while NHS Scotland advised people to stay safe by ensuring they drink water and are protected from the sun.

It comes as several large outdoor events took place around the country including the Tiree Music Festival, the Island Games in Orkney and TRNSMT in Glasgow.

Sunday has brought slightly cooler weather before more unsettled conditions move in at the start of next week.

Hundreds of thousands of fans from all over Europe have been gathering in Switzerland to cheer on their teams.

As the tournament reaches the end of the group stages, some supporters will be packing up to go home. But before they go, here's a round-up of some of the most memorable fan pictures so far.

• PROFILE: Lucy Bronze - the making of England's most decorated player
• QUIZ: Ready for crunch time at Euro 2025? Take our quiz
• WHAT'S NEXT: Who could England face in the next round?

A child has died at Liverpool's Alder Hey Children's Hospital after contracting measles, the BBC understands.

There has been a surge in children being taken to the hospital after becoming seriously unwell with the highly contagious virus.

Alder Hey said it would not officially comment on individual cases to respect patient confidentiality but the death has been confirmed to the BBC.

No details have been released about whether the child was being treated for other health problems or their vaccination status.

It is thought 17 children have been treated at Alder Hey for the virus since June.

The child is believed to be only the second in the UK in a decade to have died after contracting measles, after Renae Archer, of Salford, Greater Manchester, died aged 10 in 2023.

An Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said: "To respect patient confidentiality, we can't comment on individual cases.

"We are concerned about the increasing number of children and young people who are contracting measles.

"Measles is a highly contagious viral illness which can cause children to be seriously unwell, requiring hospital treatment, and in rare cases, death.".

The hospital warned parents earlier this week that a fall in MMR vaccine uptake was behind the spike in measles cases in the region.

Chief nurse Nathan Askew said he felt misunderstandings around the vaccine were to blame.

"This vaccine's been in use for well over 50 years. It's very safe, tried and tested," he said.

Patients at the site include those with compromised immunity due to other health issues "making them more susceptible to infections, including measles, an Alder Hey spokesperson said.

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

The government will make it cheaper to buy an electric car (EV) in a bid to get more drivers to make the switch, the Transport Secretary has said.

Heidi Alexander was responding to reports suggesting the government will offer drivers thousands of pounds in grants to cut the price of buying an EV.

People without driveways will be able to have charge points fitted using "cross-pavement gullies" paid for with £25m allocated to councils, she told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.

The Conservatives welcomed the investment but accused the government of "forcing families" into "expensive electric vehicles before the country was ready".

"We are going to be making some announcements later this week on how we make it more affordable for people to buy an electric vehicle," Alexander said.

When pushed on whether this would come in the form of hundreds of millions of pounds in EV grants, as reports suggested, Alexander refused to say.

"I can guarantee to your viewers that we will be making it cheaper for those who do want to make the switch to an electric vehicle, " she added.

The Department for Transport would not comment further.

It comes after Alexander told the Telegraph the high cost of electric vehicles was making people wary, saying "It was right that the government thinks in the round about what we can do to tackle both of the issues, on charging and on the upfront cost of purchase."

Richard Fuller MP, shadow chief Secretary to the Treasury, accused Labour of "forcing families into more expensive electric vehicles before the country is ready."

'I don't have an electric car'

The reports come as the government said it would invest £63m to boost charging infrastruture across the UK.

Alexander admitted she did not have an electric vehicle herself, adding that she lived in a terraced house without a driveway.

"I don't have an electric car... like millions of people in this country - I bought a new car about six years ago, I'm thinking about the next car that I will purchase and it will definitely be an electric vehicle," she said.

Some 21.6% of new cars sold during the first half of the year were electric, according to the latest figures from the UK motor trade association the SMMT.

However, figures remain well below the mandated targets manufacturers have been set, ahead of the ban on selling new petrol and diesel cars which comes into effect in 2030.

In April, Alexander announced manufacturers would have more flexibility on annual targets and face lower fines to allow them to manage the impact of trade tariffs from the US.

Ukraine says two agents working for Russia have been killed after a senior Ukrainian intelligence officer was shot dead on Thursday.

Col Ivan Voronych was shot several times in a Kyiv car park in board daylight, after being approached by an unidentified assailant who fled the scene.

The head of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU), Vasyl Malyuk, said in a video statement that two agents working for Russia's security service FSB had been tracked down and "liquidated" after they resisted arrest on Sunday morning.

Separately, Ukraine's national police said the agents were "citizens of a foreign country", without giving any further details. There was no immediate response from Moscow.

CCTV footage of the incident on 10 July - verified by the news agency Reuters - showed a man leaving a building in Kyiv's southern Holosiivskyi district shortly after 09:00 local time (06:00 GMT), while another man ran towards him.

The SBU said on Sunday the suspects had been tracking Col Voronych's movements prior to the attack, and were sent the co-ordinates of a hiding place where they found a pistol with a silencer.

It said that after he was shot, they then tried to "lay low," but were found following a joint investigation with national police.

The SBU mainly focuses on internal security and counter-intelligence, like the UK's MI5. But it has played a prominent role in sabotage attacks and assassinations deep inside Russia since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Sources within Ukraine's security services told the BBC that the SBU was responsible for the killing of the high-ranking Russian Gen Igor Kirillov in December 2024.

In April, Gen Yaroslav Moskalik was killed in a car bomb attack in Moscow - which the Kremlin blamed on Kyiv.

Ukraine's security services have never officially admitted responsibility for the deaths.

This week's deaths come after Russian strikes on Ukraine have hit record levels.

On Tuesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine had faced its largest ever Russian aerial attack. In June, Ukraine recorded the highest monthly civilian casualties in three years, according to the UN.

Fighting has also continued on the frontlines, with Russia's military making slow gains in eastern Ukraine and retaking control of most of Russia's Kursk region that Kyiv's forces seized in a surprise offensive last summer.

Efforts to negotiate a ceasefire in the more than three-year-long war have faltered.

M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo recently allowed the BBC to visit a huge mining site under their control which is vital to the production of the world's mobile phones - and over its vast expanse not one person was idle.

Thousands of miners dotted the landscape covered with pits and tunnels.

Some were deep underground digging up ore with shovels, others then hoisted sacks of the extracted rock containing coltan, which is used to make many electronic devices, on to their shoulders. They then took it to assembly points where others washed and filtered it with spades and by hand.

"We usually have more than 10,000 or more people working here daily," Patrice Musafiri, who has supervised the Rubaya mining site since the rebels took control of it in April last year, told the BBC.

It is tricky terrain to navigate - our team needed the aid of walking sticks, as well as Mr Musafiri's guidance, to stop us falling - yet for most of the men it is the only life they have known. It may be onerous and dangerous, but it allows them to make a small living.

"When we are deep in the mines, temperatures are very high - digging the mineral is also very hard... plus there can be other harmful gases," mineworker Peter Osiasi told the BBC.

"Sometimes cold air is pumped inside so that we can continue working," he said.

But the young man said he was grateful that since he began mining five years ago, he has been able to save a little money for a dowry and is now married with children.

"My life has really changed. Mining has really helped me."

The swathe of golden scarred earth they mine is found in the sprawling, lush Masisi Hills of North Kivu province - around 60km (37 miles) north-west of the city of Goma - and holds 15% of the world's coltan supply and half of the DR Congo's total deposits.

Little wonder that global investors have their eyes on this area.

It has provided immense wealth over the years to the various armed groups that have overseen it at different times, including the army.

We arrived at the mine, which is around 10km outside Rubaya town, several days after a ceasefire deal was signed in Washington by DR Congo and Rwanda as part of the peace process aimed at ending three decades of instability in the region.

The roots of the insecurity in the east of DR Congo are notoriously complicated.

There is an ethnic dimension, with many rebel groups operating here - including an ethnic Hutu militia linked to the Rwandan genocide of 1994, which Kigali believes has Congolese backing.

• What's the fighting in DR Congo all about?
• Ceasefire deal still faces many challenges
• The evidence that shows Rwanda is backing rebels in DR Congo

In Washington both sides committed on 27 June to disarm and disengage their alleged proxies (despite denying having any).

The M23 was not party to the deal. Mainly led by ethnic Tutsis, it controls large parts of eastern DR Congo - and since January has taken control of Goma, the city of Bukavu and two airports. Rwanda has been accused by many — including the UN — of backing the M23. However, the authorities there deny sending military or financial aid.

The US's involvement in the process seems to hinge on getting access to DR Congo's mineral resources - though nothing has so far been specified.

"We're getting for the United States, a lot of the mineral rights from the [DR] Congo," said US President Donald Trump ahead of the signing.

During our brief visit - we were allowed access for around 45 minutes - there was no hint that the chain of command was about to change.

The supervisor, appointed by the M23, was keen to explain how the set-up at Rubaya had been reorganised over the last year and how the rebel group had brought security to allow miners to work without fear - specifying that no armed men were allowed on the site.

"We have already solved so many issues," Mr Musafiri said.

"Presently we have a mining department that regulates and monitors safety issues and also resolves internal disputes within the mines. If a tunnel becomes dangerous, people are told to leave to avoid accidents.

"People from different groups come here to mine daily and others to buy the minerals and now we have a huge market in Goma where they can resell what they buy here."

In December, a UN experts' report detailed how the M23 makes hundreds of thousands of dollars each month from taxing coltan, much of it was sent directly to Rwanda - allegations both the M23 and Kigali deny.

Surrounded by his colleagues wearing jeans, sweaters and wellington boots, all of whom buy permits to work at the site, Mr Osiasi agreed that conditions were better.

"Business is going on very well here because we have at least some semblance of peace, but the pay is very low. We are paid very little money," the miner said.

Trump's second term coincided with the M23's seizure of much of North Kivu and South Kivu provinces and the humiliating retreat of the Congolese army.

Political analyst Akramm Tumsifu says DR Congo decided to use its rich mineral reserves as a bargaining chip to get US assistance - for months it had sought military support.

With a tentative peace process under way, the Congolese authorities' great hope, he told the BBC, was that American firms would be in a position to make "massive investments" in its mining sector, which is currently dominated by Chinese companies.

US companies are reportedly already looking to cash in on the opportunity to invest in Rubaya's mining sector.

The Rubaya supervisor told us investment would be welcomed, but only initiatives aimed at boosting the local economy - with jobs, schools and hospitals - would be allowed.

"Any foreign investor can come here, as long as they come with development for our people and increase daily wages for the miners," Mr Musafiri said.

Despite the country's colossal natural endowments, most mining communities have little infrastructure, without even accessible roads to the mines where the wealth is scooped from the ground.

Mr Tumsifu reckons the presence of American investors could also act as a "caution against fighting or a resurgence of other armed groups".

But it is not yet clear how or with whom an investor would do business given the M23 is still very much in control in the east.

A parallel mediation effort led by Qatar - which involves direct talks between the armed groups and the Congolese government - may yield more clarity in the coming months.

The M23, which is part of the broader Congo River Alliance, said the Washington-backed deal had fallen short of addressing the causes of the long conflict. It maintains it took up arms to protect the rights of the minority Tutsi group in DR Congo.

While the belligerents try and hammer out their preferred pathways to peace, local people at the Rubaya mine, like elsewhere in eastern DR Congo, only hope for a definitive end to the fighting and bloodshed which has seen hundreds of thousands of people flee their homes.

"My appeal to fellow young men and our leaders is to keep and maintain peace in our area," said Mr Osiasi.

As he prepared to go back to hours of more digging, he added: "I also appeal to the owners of the mines to increase our pay because it's very little."

Additional reporting by the BBC's Robert Kiptoo and Hassan Lali

You may also be interested in:

• Your phone, a rare metal and the war in DR Congo
• DR Congo-Rwanda peace deal met with scepticism in rebel-held city
• How DR Congo's Tutsis become foreigners in their own country
• Goma under M23 rule: 'They killed all these young people'
• 'They took all the women here': Rape survivors recall horror of DR Congo jailbreak

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He was promptly dropped from the bill.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Additional reporting from Rome by Davide Ghiglione.

Ten people, including six children, have been killed in an Israeli air strike while waiting to fill water containers in central Gaza on Sunday, emergency service officials say.

Their bodies were sent to Nuseirat's al-Awda Hospital, which also treated 16 injured people, seven of them children, according to a doctor there.

Eyewitnesses said a drone fired a missile at a crowd of people queuing with empty jerry cans next to a water tanker in the heart of the al-Nuseirat refugee camp.

The Israeli military has been asked to comment.

Unverified footage shared online after the strike showed bloodied children and lifeless bodies, with screams of panic and desperation.

Residents rushed to the scene and transported the wounded using private vehicles and donkey carts.

The strike came as Israeli aerial attacks across the Gaza Strip have escalated.

A spokesperson for Gaza's Civil Defense Agency said 19 other Palestinians had been killed on Sunday, in three separate strikes on residential buildings in central Gaza and Gaza City.

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

At least 57,882 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Most of Gaza's population has been displaced multiple times.

More than 90% of homes are estimated to be damaged or destroyed. The healthcare, water, sanitation and hygiene systems have collapsed, and there are shortages of food, fuel, medicine and shelter.

This week, for the first time in 130 days, 75,000 litres of fuel was allowed into Gaza - "far from enough to meet the daily needs of the population and vital civilian aid operations", the United Nations said.

Nine UN agencies warned on Saturday that Gaza's fuel shortage had reached "critical levels", and if fuel ran out, it would affect hospitals, water systems, sanitation networks and bakeries.

"Hospitals are already going dark, maternity, neonatal and intensive care units are failing, and ambulances can no longer move," the UN said.

The government will make it cheaper to buy an electric car (EV) in a bid to get more drivers to make the switch, the Transport Secretary has said.

Heidi Alexander was responding to reports suggesting the government will offer drivers thousands of pounds in grants to cut the price of buying an EV.

People without driveways will be able to have charge points fitted using "cross-pavement gullies" paid for with £25m allocated to councils, she told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.

The Conservatives welcomed the investment but accused the government of "forcing families" into "expensive electric vehicles before the country was ready".

"We are going to be making some announcements later this week on how we make it more affordable for people to buy an electric vehicle," Alexander said.

When pushed on whether this would come in the form of hundreds of millions of pounds in EV grants, as reports suggested, Alexander refused to say.

"I can guarantee to your viewers that we will be making it cheaper for those who do want to make the switch to an electric vehicle, " she added.

The Department for Transport would not comment further.

It comes after Alexander told the Telegraph the high cost of electric vehicles was making people wary, saying "It was right that the government thinks in the round about what we can do to tackle both of the issues, on charging and on the upfront cost of purchase."

Richard Fuller MP, shadow chief Secretary to the Treasury, accused Labour of "forcing families into more expensive electric vehicles before the country is ready."

'I don't have an electric car'

The reports come as the government said it would invest £63m to boost charging infrastruture across the UK.

Alexander admitted she did not have an electric vehicle herself, adding that she lived in a terraced house without a driveway.

"I don't have an electric car... like millions of people in this country - I bought a new car about six years ago, I'm thinking about the next car that I will purchase and it will definitely be an electric vehicle," she said.

Some 21.6% of new cars sold during the first half of the year were electric, according to the latest figures from the UK motor trade association the SMMT.

However, figures remain well below the mandated targets manufacturers have been set, ahead of the ban on selling new petrol and diesel cars which comes into effect in 2030.

In April, Alexander announced manufacturers would have more flexibility on annual targets and face lower fines to allow them to manage the impact of trade tariffs from the US.

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

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

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

'We booked two days before'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"That would have been completely unaffordable for us.

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

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

'I swapped my London flat for a Spanish villa'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

'I house sit and get to see the US'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

'We're staycationing in the UK'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ten people, including six children, have been killed in an Israeli air strike while waiting to fill water containers in central Gaza on Sunday, emergency service officials say.

Their bodies were sent to Nuseirat's al-Awda Hospital, which also treated 16 injured people, seven of them children, according to a doctor there.

Eyewitnesses said a drone fired a missile at a crowd of people queuing with empty jerry cans next to a water tanker in the heart of the al-Nuseirat refugee camp.

The Israeli military has been asked to comment.

Unverified footage shared online after the strike showed bloodied children and lifeless bodies, with screams of panic and desperation.

Residents rushed to the scene and transported the wounded using private vehicles and donkey carts.

The strike came as Israeli aerial attacks across the Gaza Strip have escalated.

A spokesperson for Gaza's Civil Defense Agency said 19 other Palestinians had been killed on Sunday, in three separate strikes on residential buildings in central Gaza and Gaza City.

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

At least 57,882 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Most of Gaza's population has been displaced multiple times.

More than 90% of homes are estimated to be damaged or destroyed. The healthcare, water, sanitation and hygiene systems have collapsed, and there are shortages of food, fuel, medicine and shelter.

This week, for the first time in 130 days, 75,000 litres of fuel was allowed into Gaza - "far from enough to meet the daily needs of the population and vital civilian aid operations", the United Nations said.

Nine UN agencies warned on Saturday that Gaza's fuel shortage had reached "critical levels", and if fuel ran out, it would affect hospitals, water systems, sanitation networks and bakeries.

"Hospitals are already going dark, maternity, neonatal and intensive care units are failing, and ambulances can no longer move," the UN said.

A child has died at Liverpool's Alder Hey Children's Hospital after contracting measles, the BBC understands.

There has been a surge in children being taken to the hospital after becoming seriously unwell with the highly contagious virus.

Alder Hey said it would not officially comment on individual cases to respect patient confidentiality but the death has been confirmed to the BBC.

No details have been released about whether the child was being treated for other health problems or their vaccination status.

It is thought 17 children have been treated at Alder Hey for the virus since June.

The child is believed to be only the second in the UK in a decade to have died after contracting measles, after Renae Archer, of Salford, Greater Manchester, died aged 10 in 2023.

An Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said: "To respect patient confidentiality, we can't comment on individual cases.

"We are concerned about the increasing number of children and young people who are contracting measles.

"Measles is a highly contagious viral illness which can cause children to be seriously unwell, requiring hospital treatment, and in rare cases, death.".

The hospital warned parents earlier this week that a fall in MMR vaccine uptake was behind the spike in measles cases in the region.

Chief nurse Nathan Askew said he felt misunderstandings around the vaccine were to blame.

"This vaccine's been in use for well over 50 years. It's very safe, tried and tested," he said.

Patients at the site include those with compromised immunity due to other health issues "making them more susceptible to infections, including measles, an Alder Hey spokesperson said.

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