The past weeks have put serious pressure on Tim Davie's leadership. Today, I saw that up close.

For a usually very slick performer, he looked shaken. I wanted to know if he had considered resigning in the face of the recent controversies. He said he had not, but admitted it had been "a very, very tough time".

Earlier Davie had launched the BBC's annual report on Zoom, with journalists remotely asking questions in the Q&A box and no cameras allowed into the room for us to record and use his answers.

We were considering making clear to our audiences that - on such an important day for the BBC - nobody from the top of the corporation was being put in front of a camera to be interviewed on a range of issues, which were both of public interest and specifically relevant to licence fee payers.

Hours later, Mr Davie agreed to a face-to-face interview, which took place just after it was announced that the BBC and Banijay UK were not renewing John Torode's contract as MasterChef presenter.

I usually interview the director general at times of crisis for the BBC. That's the way these things work. To be fair to him, he always makes it clear that my job is to ask him questions without fear or favour. He knows part of his job is to be held to account.

But it's been a very bumpy time, even by BBC standards. The Gaza documentary with a child narrator who later turned out to be the son of a Hamas official, another film about doctors in Gaza pulled before transmission, issues around the BBC livestreaming the punk duo Bob Vylan's set at Glastonbury and the growing controversy surrounding MasterChef - all land at his door.

His leadership has been called into question, not least recently by the culture secretary. She called it a "series of catastrophic failures".

'I felt pressure'

It was obvious today it had been taking its toll. As director general, he's insistent and wholehearted in his defence of the BBC and his role leading that. But as a man, you can sense the last weeks have been testing.

His interview style is to look straight at the person doing the interview. He usually measures his words carefully, although today, on a couple of points he was a little less fluent. Some of his answers - for example when he was talking about he and his team making "clear, strong decisions" in the face of challenges - sounded a bit rehearsed.

However, an unexpected by-product of him sounding less confident was that he also managed to sound, at times, more human. The last week has clearly left him frustrated and for once, he let that show. There was no hiding it when he said rather plainly: "I felt pressure".

It brings to mind the recent public debate about Rachel Reeves and her tears in the Commons. Whatever we think of the decisions made by those in public service, what impact does it have on them as people when they are under such intense scrutiny. Should that even matter?

But they don't call him Teflon Tim for nothing - and he survives, for the moment. Even if he is wounded.

The BBC today was signalling it is getting a grip on bad behaviour in the workplace. It's something Samir Shah, chairman of the BBC, promised after the Huw Edwards scandal.

Now Gregg Wallace is gone, John Torode is gone. Three staff members have been asked to "step back" from their roles after Glastonbury. And we've now learnt that several people have been sacked in light of the BBC's culture review.

The clear messaging: Teflon Tim and his team are getting tough.

It has been more than three years since a British official inadvertently leaked a dataset containing the names and contact details of thousands of people who were attempting to flee possible Taliban revenge attacks.

In April 2024, the government began relocating some of them to the UK - but we are only learning this now because extraordinary lengths were gone to in order to prevent the breach and subsequent response coming to light.

As the full picture is finally disclosed to the public, these are the questions still facing Britain's security establishment.

What can be done about the danger of leaks?

It has happened before and it will doubtless happen again.

Think Wikileaks, Snowden and all the countless cyber-hacks and ransomware suffered by companies on an almost daily basis.

Data leaks are not new but sometimes – and it is quite possible that this is one of those times – they can be life-threatening.

The revelations that have come to light will have sent a chill down the spine of hundreds, possibly thousands, of Afghans who fear retribution by the Taliban.

For those already spirited out to Britain, it means they can probably never go back home as long as the Taliban are in power.

For the 600 former Afghan government soldiers and their estimated 1,800 dependants still in Afghanistan, the news will mean they are unlikely to breathe easily until the UK delivers on its promise to get them safely out.

It's important to bear in mind that all this was not the result of some deliberate, sophisticated cyber attack by a state-backed hacking group.

It evolved from an unintentional mistake made by just one individual working for the Ministry of Defence.

What does this say about Britain's moral responsibility?

UK forces were deployed to Afghanistan, alongside US and Nato allies, over a period of almost 20 years, from October 2001 to August 2021.

During this time they worked closely with their Afghan government allies, relying heavily on their local knowledge and expertise.

The most sensitive area was in Special Forces (SF), for whom the Taliban reserved a particular hatred.

When Kabul and the rest of Afghanistan fell to the Taliban in the summer of 202, there was a realisation that those now-former Afghan SF soldiers and their families were a priority for relocation to safety.

But thousands more Afghans also risked their lives to work with the British over those two decades.

Many did it out of patriotism, believing they were working to secure a better Afghanistan.

Some did it for the money, some did it because they trusted Britain to safeguard their lives and their personal details.

A data breach like this now threatens to undermine any future promises by a British official who says: "Trust us, your data is safe with us."

Was there a cover-up?

When this "unauthorised data breach" was finally discovered, a full 18 months after it occurred, the UK government obtained what is known as a super-injunction, preventing its publication by the media.

A super-injunction is so draconian that it means you cannot even report the fact that you cannot report it.

That measure has only just been lifted now, following an independent review.

There is a logical case to be made that this measure was necessary to protect the lives of those affected by the data breach.

However, questions are now being raised about whether the injunction - applied for by the previous, Conservative government - might also have been for political purposes.

The High Court judge who lifted the super-injunction, Mr Justice Chamberlain, said that it had "had the effect of completely shutting down the ordinary mechanisms of accountability which operate in a democracy".

The chancellor has told the financial industry it must change the "negative" narrative around savers investing money in stocks and shares in order to help grow the economy.

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

The government is working with the financial regulator to provide support for would-be investors.

It comes as Reeves stepped back from cutting the tax-free limit on cash Individual Savings Accounts (Isas) after a backlash from lenders - she is keen to shift some of the £300bn in these accounts to being invested in the UK and its companies.

At the annual Mansion House dinner in the City of London, Reeves told business leaders: "Our tangled system of financial advice and guidance has meant that people cannot get the right support to make decisions for themselves."

She said the government is consulting with the Financial Conduct Authority "to introduce a brand-new type of targeted support for consumers ahead of the new financial year".

The government is under pressure to ignite growth after figures revealed the UK economy shrank in May following a contraction in April.

Meanwhile, U-turns on welfare benefits and the winter fuel allowance have stoked speculation there could be tax rises in the Budget later this year.

Reeves said the new measures would help "boost retail investment so that more savers can reap the benefits of UK economic success".

But the value of investments in assets such as shares can go down as well as up, and savers have tended to be cautious over the risks involved, although the spending power of savings can be eroded by rising prices.

The government has in the past encouraged the public to buy shares in UK companies, including in 2013 when Royal Mail was floated on the London Stock Exchange.

But perhaps the most famous example was in 1986, when the state-owned British Gas was privatised and Margaret Thatcher's government launched the "tell Sid" campaign. TV adverts featured characters urged each other to "tell Sid" about the chance to buy shares in British Gas.

In reference to her recent travails - including a tearful appearance in the House of Commons - Reeves said that during a visit to a school, a girl had asked her what job she would do if she could have any job in the world.

"Given the events of the last few weeks, I suspect many of you would sympathise if I had said "anything but chancellor"," she joked with the audience. "But I didn't."

In her speech, Reeves said she would "continue to consider further changes to ISAs, engaging widely over the coming months".

She also provided more details about changes to the UK's financial services sector including reforming regulation.

"In too many areas, regulation still acts as a boot on the neck of businesses," she said. "Choking off the enterprise and innovation that is the lifeblood of growth."

She said regulators in other sectors "must take up the call I make this evening not to bend to the temptation of excessive caution but to boldly regulate for growth in the service of prosperity across our country".

Severance, The Penguin, and The White Lotus lead the nominations for this year's Emmy TV awards.

Britt Lower, Quinta Brunson, Harrison Ford and Jeremy Allen White are among the stars competing for the top prizes for acting.

The Studio, The Bear, Abbott Elementary and Shrinking are among the contenders in the comedy categories.

The best TV shows and actors of the past year will be honoured at the awards ceremony in Los Angeles on 14 September.

Here is the full list of nominees announced on Tuesday.

The most nominated shows

The most nominated shows

27 - Severance

24 - The Penguin

23 - The White Lotus

23 - The Studio

16 - The Last of Us

14 - Andor

14 - Hacks

Major categories

Outstanding drama series

• Andor (Disney+)
• The Diplomat (Netflix)
• The Last of Us (HBO Max)
• Paradise (Hulu)
• The Pitt (HBO Max)
• Severance (Apple TV+)
• Slow Horses (Apple TV+)
• The White Lotus (HBO Max)

Outstanding comedy series

• Abbott Elementary (ABC)
• The Bear (Hulu)
• Hacks (HBO Max)
• Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
• Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
• Shrinking (Apple TV+)
• The Studio (Apple TV+)
• What We Do in the Shadows (Hulu)

Outstanding limited or anthology series

• Adolescence (Netflix)
• Black Mirror (Netflix)
• Dying for Sex (Hulu)
• Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (Netflix)
• The Penguin (HBO Max)

Outstanding lead actor in a drama series

• Sterling K Brown - Paradise (Hulu)
• Gary Oldman - Slow Horses (Apple TV+)
• Pedro Pascal - The Last of Us (HBO Max)
• Adam Scott - Severance (Apple TV+)
• Noah Wyle - The Pitt (HBO Max)

Outstanding lead actress in a drama series

• Kathy Bates - Matlock (CBS)
• Sharon Horgan - Bad Sisters (Apple TV+)
• Britt Lower - Severance (Apple TV+)
• Bella Ramsey - The Last of Us (HBO Max)
• Keri Russell - The Diplomat (Netflix)

Outstanding lead actor in a comedy series

• Adam Brody - Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
• Seth Rogen - The Studio (Apple TV+)
• Jason Segel - Shrinking (Apple TV+)
• Martin Short - Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
• Jeremy Allen White - The Bear (Hulu)

Outstanding lead actress in a comedy series

• Uzo Aduba - The Residence (Netflix)
• Kristen Bell - Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
• Quinta Brunson - Abbott Elementary (ABC)
• Ayo Edebiri - The Bear (Hulu)
• Jean Smart - Hacks (HBO Max)

Outstanding lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie

• Colin Farrell - The Penguin (HBO Max)
• Stephen Graham - Adolescence (Netflix)
• Jake Gyllenhaal - Presumed Innocent (Apple TV+)
• Bryan Tyree Henry - Dope Thief (Apple TV+)
• Cooper Koch - Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (Netflix)

Outstanding lead actress in a limited or anthology series or movie

• Cate Blanchett - Disclaimer (Apple TV+)
• Meghan Fehy - Sirens (Netflix)
• Rashidah Jones - Black Mirror (Netflix)
• Cristin Milioti - The Penguin (HBO Max)
• Michelle Williams - Dying for Sex (Hulu)

Outstanding supporting actor in a drama series

• Zach Cherry - Severance (Apple TV+)
• Walton Goggins - The White Lotus (HBO Max)
• Jason Isaacs - The White Lotus (HBO Max)
• James Marsden - Paradise (Hulu)
• Sam Rockwell -The White Lotus (HBO Max)
• Tramell Tillman - Severance (Apple TV+)
• John Turturro - Severance (Apple TV+)

Outstanding supporting actress in a drama series

• Patricia Arquette - Severance (Apple TV+)
• Carrie Coon - The White Lotus (HBO Max)
• Katherine LaNasa - The Pitt (HBO Max)
• Julianne Nicholson - Paradise (Hulu)
• Parker Posey - The White Lotus (HBO Max)
• Natasha Rothwell - The White Lotus (HBO Max)
• Aimee Lou Wood - The White Lotus (HBO Max)

Outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series

• Ike Barinholtz - The Studio (Apple TV+)
• Colman Domingo - The Four Seasons (Netflix)
• Harrison Ford - Shrinking (Apple TV+)
• Jeff Hiller - Somebody Somewhere (HBO Max)
• Ebon Moss-Bachrach - The Bear (Hulu)
• Michael Urie - Shrinking (Apple TV+)
• Bowen Yang - Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series

• Liza Colón-Zayas - The Bear (Hulu)
• Hannah Einbinder - Hacks (HBO Max)
• Kathryn Hahn - The Studio (Apple TV+)
• Janelle James - Abbott Elementary (ABC)
• Catherine O'Hara - The Studio (Apple TV+)
• Sheryl Lee Ralph - Abbott Elementary (ABC)
• Jessica Williams - Shrinking (Apple TV+)

Outstanding supporting actor in a limited or anthology series or movie

• Javier Bardem - Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story (Netflix)
• Bill Camp - Presumed Innocent (Apple TV+)
• Owen Cooper - Adolescence (Netflix)
• Rob Delaney - Dying For Sex (Hulu)
• Peter Sarsgaard - Presumed Innocent (Apple TV+)
• Ashley Walters - Adolescence (Netflix)

Outstanding supporting actress in a limited or anthology series or movie

• Erin Doherty - Adolescence (Netflix)
• Ruth Negga - Presumed Innocent (Apple TV+)
• Deirdre O'Connell - The Penguin (HBO Max)
• Chloë Sevigny - Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story (Netflix)
• Jenny Slate - Dying For Sex (Hulu)
• Christine Tremarco - Adolescence (Netflix)

Outstanding reality competition programme

• The Amazing Race (CBS)
• RuPaul's Drag Race (MTV)
• Survivor (CBS)
• Top Chef (Bravo)
• The Traitors (NBC)

Outstanding talk series

• The Daily Show (Comedy Central)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC)
• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)

John Torode has been sacked as MasterChef presenter after it emerged that an allegation against him of using racist language was upheld.

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

But on Tuesday, it emerged he had been dismissed.

It plunges the BBC cooking show into a deeper crisis, after more than 40 separate allegations against Torode's co-host Gregg Wallace were also upheld as part of an inquiry into his conduct.

The controversy over MasterChef started last year, when BBC News first revealed claims of inappropriate sexual language against Wallace.

Wallace was sacked last week as dozens more people came forward to BBC News with allegations against him. He has always denied the claims.

Two men who chopped down the "irreplaceable" Sycamore Gap tree in an act of "sheer bravado" have each been jailed for four years and three months.

Daniel Michael Graham 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, both from Cumbria, were convicted of criminal damage after filming themselves using a chainsaw to illegally fell the landmark tree by Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland.

Sentencing them at Newcastle Crown Court, Mrs Justice Lambert rejected a claim of "drunken stupidity" and said, while a full motive was not clear, felling the tree and the ensuing outrage gave the men "some sort of thrill".

The National Trust, which owned the more than 100-year-old tree, said the landmark could "never be replaced".

The pair, whose friendship imploded in the aftermath as the public revulsion became clear to them, drove to the site under the cover of darkness in the early hours of 28 September 2023.

They used the winds of Storm Agnes to help them topple the tree on to the Unesco World Heritage Site wall, the court heard.

• Sentencing day as it happened
• Who were the vandals and why did they do it?

The value of the tree was disputed with prosecutors saying it was worth about £458,000 and Graham's team claiming it to be about £150,000, but Mrs Justice Lambert said the exact financial price did not really matter.

The judge said the tree was a landmark of Northumberland and "symbol of the untamed beauty" of the landscape around Hadrian's Wall.

It was a place of "peace and tranquillity" which people returned to year after year, the judge said, adding it held great personal significance to many.

She said Carruthers used spray paint and a chainsaw to mark and then cut a wedge out of the tree, while Graham filmed it on his mobile phone.

Mrs Justice Lambert said a full motive was not clear, but she was "confident a major factor was sheer bravado," adding the action of felling the tree and the outrage it caused gave the men "some sort of thrill".

The men then "revelled in [their] notoriety" in the aftermath, the judge said.

She also rejected Carruthers' claim that he was drunk as the mission required skill and coordination as well as a "high degree" of planning by the two "experienced tree surgeons".

The tree had been planted in the late 1800s to be a "feature in the landscape", fulfilling that ambition and more by becoming a much-loved visitor destination and landmark at the former frontier of the Roman Empire.

It found global fame after featuring in a scene of the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, starring Kevin Costner, and was popular with photographers and artists.

In a statement read to the court, National Trust manager Andrew Poad said: "This iconic tree can never be replaced."

He said the trust cared for the "totemic symbol" on behalf of the nation and it "belonged to the people".

The tree was a "place of sanctuary" for many and its destruction led to an "unprecedented" outpouring of love and emotion, Mr Poad said, with the "overwhelming sense of loss and confusion felt across the world".

He said the reason for the "malicious" and "mindless" vandalism was "beyond comprehension" and the way it was felled to land across the Roman wall was "reckless in the extreme".

But, he added that there were "signs of life" with shoots emerging from the stump, while seeds taken from the tree had been used to grow saplings which would be placed around the country.

Prosecutor Richard Wright KC said there had been "significant planning" with the tree felled in a "deliberate and professional" manner.

The court heard both men had since admitted involvement in the expedition to probation officers.

In mitigation, Carruthers' barrister Andrew Gurney said the mechanic from Wigton would carry the burden of regret for his "stupid act" as a "personal penance" for the rest of his life.

Mr Gurney also said many people had asked why he did it, to which the reply was: "Unfortunately it is no more than drunken stupidity."

Christopher Knox, for Graham, said the groundworker from near Carlisle had had multiple struggles and mental health problems and had made a "serious attempt" to take his own life in December which resulted in a long hospital stay and then him being remanded into prison.

He also said people had attacked Graham's caravan and sent him hate mail showing "unpleasant" and "malign intent" towards him.

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Donald Trump makes a habit of calling reporters out of the blue. The US president seems to prefer an off-the-cuff telephone conversation to a sit-down interview on camera.

On Monday evening it was my turn. And I'll be frank with you - I was asleep when the White House rang.

I'd spent the best part of five days believing there was an outside chance I would get an interview with him, to mark a year since the attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania.

My reporting from that shooting had made global headlines and probably caught the president's attention. So I judged that perhaps that connection might be a way of securing a presidential interview - pretty rare things for foreign news organisations in the US.

On Sunday night I was told I was minutes away from the call so my team and I were standing by ready to record, but it didn't come.

By last night, I'd given up on the interview happening and after a long few weeks on the road without a day off, I was exhausted and taking a nap. Then the phone rang.

I blearily answered, and the voice of Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt came over the speaker: "Hi Gary, I'm here with the president, here you go."

I dashed into my living room, scrambling for my digital recorder; the line dropped and I thought I'd lost it. But they came back on the line and I spent almost 20 minutes speaking to Trump about everything from that fateful night in Butler, to his frustrations with Vladimir Putin, to his new-found belief in Nato and to his view of the UK.

Here are my five key takeaways from our surprise conversation.

1. Trump shows a different side, touching on Butler

He was very reflective on a couple of things and he sounded pretty vulnerable talking about the assassination attempt - it's clear he's uncomfortable talking about that.

For a president often seen in public shooting from the hip, and loved by his supporters for doing so, there were moments of reflection and some long pauses before answers that are rarely seen.

When asked if the assassination attempt had changed him, the president conveyed a hint of vulnerability as he said he tries to think about it as little as he can.

"I don't like dwelling on it because if I did, it would be, you know, might be life-changing, I don't want it to have to be that."

Elaborating, he said he liked "the power of positive thinking, or the power of positive non-thinking".

There was also a very long pause when I asked him if he trusted Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Eventually he replied: "I trust almost nobody to be honest with you."

• I'm 'disappointed but not done' with Putin, Trump says

2. No commitment to US deportation numbers

Turning to domestic American politics, I asked whether the president's plan for mass deportations was working - both in terms of speed, and given that some individuals were being swept up who the president perhaps wouldn't want to see deported.

The president insisted his team had done a "great job" at fulfilling his campaign promises, citing the drastic decrease in migrants crossing into the US from southern neighbour Mexico.

Some of Trump's team have expressed frustration that deportations are being carried out too slowly. When I pushed him on the question of how many deportations in this second presidential term would mark a success, Trump refused to give a figure.

"Well I don't put a number on but I want to get the criminals out quickly, and we're doing that, as you know," he said. "We're bringing them to El Salvador, lots of other places."

3. More frustration with Putin

Trump expressed his frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin - capping off a day in which he threatened to hit Moscow's economy with secondary sanctions if a deal over the war in Ukraine was not reached within 50 days.

Having campaigned on a promise to quickly end the war, Trump seemed perplexed that he had not yet managed to strike an agreement with his Russian counterpart to end the years-long conflict.

He again indicated there was a gap between words and actions on Putin's part: "I thought we had a deal done four times and then you go home, and you see, just attacked a nursing home or something in Kyiv. I said: 'What the hell was that all about?'"

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders have long accused Putin of not being serious about ending the war. To them, feelings of doubt will be nothing new.

But, when I asked Trump whether he had finished with the Russian leader, he continued to leave the door open: "I'm not done with him, but I'm disappointed in him."

• Trump weapons pledge marks major step forward for Ukraine
• Rosenberg: Russia more relieved than rattled by US threat

4. New tone on Nato

I pointed out to Trump that he once suggested Nato was obsolete, and he replied that he now thought the Western military alliance was "becoming the opposite of that".

He was fresh from hosting Nato chief Mark Rutte - a man he seems to be able to work well with. The pair exchanged warm words in front of the world's cameras, and announced that the US would sell weapons to Nato which would then be passed on to Kyiv.

During our call, Trump indicated that he was shaking off his grudge that his country spent proportionately more on defence than its allies.

"It was very unfair because the United States paid for almost a hundred percent of it, but now they're paying their own bills and I think that's much better," he said, appearing to refer to a pledge last month by Nato members to ramp up defence spending to 5% of each country's economic output.

"We changed Nato a lot," he told me.

5. Respect for Starmer and UK

Trump emphasised his respect for the UK and its prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, with whom he last month signed an agreement to remove some trade barriers. "I really like the prime minister a lot, even though he's a liberal," Trump explained.

Trump emphasised that the relationship between the two countries was just as "special" as many Britons like to believe, adding that he believed the UK would fight alongside the US in a war.

He sounded relaxed over perceived slights against him. Although his state visit to the UK later this year will not entail a speech to Parliament, he was not insistent that lawmakers be recalled. "Let them go and have a good time," he said.

Trump labelled his future host King Charles "a great gentleman". He shrugged off a recent speech that was given to Canada's parliament by the monarch that was seen as an endorsement of Canadian sovereignty in the face of Trump's threats.

He even had a joke. "You have many different names you go by," he said. "England, if you want to cut off a couple of areas. And you go UK, and you have Britain and you have Great Britain. You got more names than any other country in history, I think."

Thames Water will "take at least a decade to turn around", its boss has said, as the struggling company posted huge annual losses.

Thames reported a loss of £1.65bn for the year to March, in which its debt pile climbed to £16.8bn.

The UK's largest water and waste company claimed "significant rainfall and high groundwater levels" led to pollution incidents increasing by more than a third, but said it had tried to address "many of the underlying causes of our poor performance".

The results come as bosses are set to be quizzed by MPs later, with the company's future still uncertain since fears it could collapse first emerged two years ago.

Thames serves about a quarter of the UK's population, mostly across London and parts of southern England, and employs 8,000 people.

Chris Weston, chief executive of Thames Water, said the company had made "good progress" on its performance, "despite the ongoing challenging financial situation".

But he firm continues to face heavy criticism over its performance in recent years, following a series of sewage discharges and leaks.

In May it was handed a a £122.7m fine, the biggest ever issued by the water industry regulator Ofwat, for breaching rules on sewage spills and shareholder payouts.

Thames said the number of pollution incidents increased to 470 from 350 in the last calendar year.

Mr Weston said "prolonged wet weather meant further rain had nowhere to go other than to inundate our ageing and fragile sewer network".

"Reducing pollutions and discharges is something we're really focused on, and we plan to invest record amounts in our waste network during the next five years," he added.

On Monday, Thames became the latest supplier to announce a hosepipe ban, which will begin next Tuesday for customers in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, most of Wiltshire and some parts of Berkshire.

The dire state of the company's finances emerged in June 2023, but Thames managed to secure a £3bn rescue loan earlier this year to stave off collapse.

However, the company suffered a major blow in its bid to secure its future in June when US private equity firm KKR pulled out of a further £4bn rescue deal.

The setback has increased the possibility that the company could collapse into a government-supervised administration.

Mr Weston said Thames recognised that its current gearing, which indicates how much a company depends on debt to fund its operations, was "too high".

"To address this, we are progressing with our senior creditors' plan to recapitalise the business which will see us return to a more stable financial foundation," he added.

"This will come with a requirement to re-set the regulatory landscape and acknowledge it will take at least a decade to turn Thames around."

Regardless of what happens to Thames or who owns the company, its water services will continue as normal.

The UK government set up a secret Afghan relocation scheme after the personal data of thousands of people was inadvertently leaked, it can be revealed.

A dataset containing the details of nearly 19,000 people who applied to move to the UK following the Taliban takeover of the country was released in error by a British defence official in February 2022.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) learned of the breach in August 2023 when some details were anonymously posted on Facebook.

Nearly 9,000 Afghans have arrived in the UK or are en route via the previously secret scheme, which is estimated to have cost £850m.

The existence of this confidential Afghan Response Route, which was established in April 2024, was kept confidential by an injunction but can now be reported following a High Court ruling on Tuesday.

The MoD declined to say how many have been arrested or killed as a result of the data breach.

Defence secretary John Healey is expected to confirm further details in the House of Commons later on Tuesday.

The unauthorised data breach was committed by an unnamed individual at the MoD. The data related to Afghans who worked with international forces following the 2001 invasion of the country.

As US troops completed their withdrawal in August 2021, the UK government set up Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) scheme, which was designed to rapidly process applications by people who feared reprisals from the Taliban and move them to the UK.

But it emerged on Tuesday that thousands of those who applied for that scheme had sensitive personal data leaked by a British official.

Arap has already been heavily criticised in the years since it was launched, with a 2022 inquiry by the Foreign Affairs Committee finding it was a "disaster" and a "betrayal".

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Former Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker has emerged as the BBC's top paid presenter for the eighth year running, the corporation's annual report shows.

Lineker earned between £1,350,000 - £1,354,99 in the last financial year, followed by former Radio 2 breakfast host Zoe Ball on £515,000 - £519,999.

Lineker's salary remained the same as last year's, while Zoe Ball's has dropped from the previous year's £950,000-£954,999, reflecting her departure from the Radio 2 breakfast show to take up a new role fronting Saturday afternoons on the station.

The report comes as the BBC confirmed that several members of staff have been dismissed following a review into the corporation's culture which was published in April.

Samir Shah, chairman of the BBC, acknowledged that over the past year, there had been a "string of revelations" about abuses of power in the workplace.

The comments came following a report on Monday which upheld 45 allegations about TV presenter Gregg Wallace's behaviour on BBC show MasterChef.

Later on Monday, Wallace's co-host John Torode said a separate allegation against him of using racist language had also been upheld, as part of the same inquiry.

Star salaries

As usual, the BBC's annual report does not paint the full picture of what star presenters at the BBC earn.

A huge number are not listed because the corporation does not have to make public the salaries of stars who are paid through its commercial arm BBC Studios or via independent production companies.

• The stars you won't see on the BBC salaries list

Lineker signed off from his final edition of Match of the Day in May after 26 years in the hot seat and officially left the BBC.

He had been due to remain with the BBC to front coverage of the men's FA Cup and the World Cup, but in the end, left the corporation completely after apologising for sharing a social media post that included an illustration considered antisemitic.

His salary is still included in the BBC's latest annual report as he's only just left, but next year he will no longer be included.

Zoe Ball hosted her final Radio 2 breakfast show in December after six years in the slot, and earlier this year took up her new Saturday afternoon role.

Elsewhere, director general Tim Davie's salary has gone up by £20k from last year (£527) to £547k, representing a 3.8% pay rise.

The BBC's licence fee is set by the culture secretary Lisa Nandy.

This year income generated by the licence fee increased from £3.7 to £3.8bn after inflation.

The report stated there was a drop in the number of households paying for the licence fee, from 23,131,000 in 2024 to 22,772,000 in 2025 - a drop of 359,000.

This represents a decline of 1.56%, compared with last year's figure of 1.26%.

That number is holding up fairly well, declining less quickly than might be expected given the competition from streaming services.

The report also revealed 50% of UK adults think the BBC is effective at providing news and current affairs that is impartial, an uptick of 5% on last year's 45% of those surveyed.

A further 63% of UK adults think the BBC is effective at providing news and current affairs is accurate, compared to last year's 59%.

The number of adults using BBC services weekly last year declined slightly from 75% to 74%, though 70% of under 16s use BBC services including TV, iPlayer, radio and online content on a weekly basis.

Of those platforms, iPlayer is the fastest growing platform for long-form content.

The report also showed that 10 out of 10 of Christmas Day top shows were from the BBC - but that includes King's speech which is also broadcast on other channels.

The BBC's annual report comes in the wake of a series of controversies faced by the corporation. As well as Masterchef, they include Glastonbury and the decision to broadcast Bob Vylan's set.

Earlier this year, a documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, was pulled from iPlayer after it emerged its 13-year-old narrator was the son of a Hamas official.

On Monday, a report concluded the documentary breached editorial guidelines on accuracy.

It stated the BBC bears "some responsibility" for "not being sufficiently proactive" in the early stages of the project, and for a "lack of critical oversight of unanswered or partially answered questions" - although the the party with most responsibility for this failure".

Data showing the immigration status of those claiming universal credit (UC) - a benefit designed to help both employed and unemployed people with living costs - has been published for the first time.

In June, nearly eight million people received universal credit, 83.6% of whom were British and Irish nationals.

More than a million claimants were born overseas, including around 700,000 EU citizens who arrived in the UK before Brexit and have the right to live and work in the UK.

Around 1.5% of claimants were refugees and 0.7% had arrived in the UK via safe routes such as those for Ukrainians and Afghans.

More than 75,000 claimants who are in the UK temporarily and would typically not be able to receive benefits are also claiming UC. The BBC has asked the Department for Work and Pensions for more information.

The figures were published following pressure from some Conservatives and the independent MP Rupert Lowe.

A Downing Street spokesperson said the prime minister wanted to see the number of claimants reduced and insisted the government was "toughening up the system" by doubling the time a migrant has to wait before qualifying for permanent - or settled - status in the UK.

They added that people in the UK illegally are not allowed to access UC.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the "staggering figures" were "clear proof that the Labour government has lost control of our welfare system".

"Under Kemi Badenoch, we've set out a clear, common-sense position. This is about fairness, responsibility and protecting support for those who've contributed to this country," he said.

The Conservatives have said foreign nationals should not get the personal independence payment (Pip) disability benefit or the health element of UC.

Lowe said the publication of the data was a "huge win" for those who had "relentlessly pushed for this".

He described the levels of foreign nationals claiming UC as "absolute insanity" adding: "We cannot afford it. The country is BROKE."

A grandfather and grandmother have been found guilty of murdering their two-year-old grandson.

Ethan Ives-Griffiths, two, from Garden City in Flintshire, died on 16 August 2021 after suffering a "catastrophic" head injury.

Ethan's grandfather Michael Ives, 47, and grandmother Kerry Ives, 46, were both convicted of murder after a trial at Mold Crown Court.

Ethan's mother Shannon Ives, 28, from Mold, was also found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child and cruelty to a child.

Michael and Kerry Ives have also been found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child and cruelty to a child.

During a seven week trial, the jury was shown CCTV installed in the Ives' garden which showed Ethan apparently struggling for balance while other children bounced around him.

In several clips, he was seen lying on his side and despite getting to his feet, was seen falling repeatedly.

At one point, his mother Shannon climbed on the trampoline and bounced, causing Ethan to fall.

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Two-year-old Ethan Ives-Griffiths arrived at hospital covered in bruises, thin and malnourished, and with a severe brain injury.

There was nothing more the medical team could do to save him so, two days later on 16 August 2021, his life-support machine was turned off.

It would be nearly four years before what happened to Ethan was finally revealed in what senior detectives described as one of the most difficult investigations they had ever faced.

"What happened, happened behind closed doors," said Det Supt Chris Bell from North Wales Police.

"Nobody has been prepared to tell the truth."

Warning: This article contains details that readers may find distressing.

Over the course of more than a month, jurors at Mold Crown Court learned how Ethan came to die.

Shockingly, it was at the hands of his own grandfather Michael Ives, with Ethan's grandmother Kerry making a pact with her husband to hide what happened.

On Tuesday, the pair were found guilty of murder and child cruelty.

Ethan's mother Shannon Ives also played her role, with the jury deciding she did nothing to prevent her son's death and, in her own way, was just as responsible for the cruelty he suffered.

She was convicted of causing or allowing the death of a child and child cruelty.

Ethan went to live with his grandparents towards the end of June 2021 after a domestic dispute which saw Shannon separate from her son's father, Will Griffiths.

A few weeks later, Shannon also moved in with her parents at their home on Kingsley Road in Garden City, Flintshire.

Kerry Ives told her trial that Ethan was a "a bubbly little child" and "chubby" when he arrived in their home, but that all changed over the next two months.

By the time Ethan was taken to hospital on the night of 14 August, he was painfully thin.

Doctors discovered he was covered in bruises and injury marks - 40 in total - as well as being dangerously dehydrated, with cracked, dry lips.

The jury heard nursing staff thought Ethan looked "very malnourished" with paediatric nurse Antonia Chaddar telling them he "seemed like a child that hadn't been looked after".

She added: "He had a pot belly you would see in very malnourished children. I see a lot of children who are ill and they don't look like that."

Medical evidence also revealed the true extent of the head injuries suffered by Ethan.

Paediatric neurosurgeon at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, Jayaratnam Jayamohan, said the whole of Ethan's brain was very swollen and he was essentially "having a stroke to a whole half of his brain".

He told the trial any operation to save Ethan would have been "hopeful" at best and he was "probably going to die".

"Sadly, everything was stacked against him by this point."

Asked how the fatal injury suffered by Ethan would have been caused, Mr Jayamhohan said there were two potential explanations.

Either Ethan had been subjected to an impact or "physical contact" such as a fist, hand or knee, or he could have been "shaken vigorously".

It was the job of North Wales Police's major incident team to find out who was responsible - and their focus was on Ethan's grandparents and mother.

Det Supt Bell said it was clear that the fatal injury Ethan suffered was no accident, and all the medical evidence pointed towards an almost instantaneous act.

They were also able to confirm that Ethan's mother Shannon had been upstairs on her phone at the time Ethan collapsed.

"The only people that were inside that room - and it's not in doubt, it's from their own evidence themselves - was Kerry and Michael," said Det Supt Bell.

He said he was convinced that the couple "developed a pact" between themselves to hide the truth, with an ambulance not called for nearly 20 minutes after Ethan collapsed.

"I think Kerry has stuck to a pact to defend Michael and only she can answer why that might be."

Both Kerry and Michael Ives denied they were responsible.

"I loved him," claimed Michael Ives in court.

When his wife was pressed, she told the jury: "It wasn't me or Michael."

Asked who it could have been, Kerry Ives responded: "Nobody."

During the trial, both grandparents attempted to deflect blame to their daughter, claiming she was quick tempered and would hit Ethan - an allegation she rejected.

Shannon Ives said she blamed her father Michael for Ethan's death, telling the court that she hated him and was scared of him.

While blame was being thrown everywhere by the Ives, the investigation team had crucial evidence - the family home was covered by CCTV cameras.

It was this footage that was critical to showing how Ethan was treated - in particular by Michael Ives.

"We had around 1,100 hours of footage from three different cameras front and back, 24 hours a day, that gave us a real insight, a detailed high-definition insight into what was happening to Ethan," explained Det Con Lee Harshey-Jones.

"The CCTV clearly shows Michael Ives was the main physical abuser of Ethan."

Ethan is seen being placed or taken from the family car by his grandfather, held by just one arm.

It happened repeatedly, including harrowing footage of Ethan being pulled from a trampoline in the back garden and carried the length of the lawn by one arm.

"You held him like a rag doll, didn't you," barrister Gordon Cole KC asked Ives.

He replied: "Yeah."

Asked why he had carried him in that way, he said: "No reason. There's no excuse, I know."

Quizzed in court, Michael Ives admitted being "cruel and neglectful" but claimed he was "ashamed" about how he was captured carrying Ethan.

Other CCTV showed Ethan stood with his hands on his head, which the court was told was a hallmark punishment from his grandfather.

Shannon Ives told police Ethan would be made to stand in the corner of the room for up to two hours by her father and slapped if he moved.

All three, under oath and in front of the jury, accepted more should have been done to get Ethan help and protect him.

"I should've done more," agreed Michael Ives.

"Contacted the social worker, got him to a doctor's, got him checked."

Kerry Ives told the jury she regretted that she and Shannon did nothing to protect Ethan from Michael Ives "every day".

"I regret I didn't do more for the baby," she said.

The trial also heard how help was thwarted at every turn.

Ethan had been placed on a child protection register, which meant he should have been seen every 10 days by a social worker.

He was seen just once towards the end of July at the Ives' home, where it was noted he was a "small two-year-old boy who was quite shy".

A return visit was booked for 5 August, but the social worker was turned away on the doorstep and told the household was isolating due to Covid, and Ethan was asleep.

Another visit was booked for 12 August, but no-one answered the door or phone calls.

Quizzed in court Shannon Ives admitted these excuses were lies and that if social workers had seen "how skinny he was" then Ethan would have been taken into care.

A day later, events began to spiral out of control and a final opportunity to save Ethan was lost.

The toddler collapsed for the first time on 13 August, becoming unresponsive for at least five minutes before recovering.

Instead of seeking medical help, Ethan was taken shopping.

His mother also cancelled an appointment for a health visitor to see him the same day.

The next evening, the Ives were dialling 999 as Ethan lay motionless on the living room floor again.

This time he never recovered.

'I just can't forget about it'

The convictions mark the end of what police have described as an emotional investigation.

DC Harshey-Jones said it had affected the entire team: "I can't just leave it in the office and forget about it for the weekend. I'll take it home with me in my mind.

"It won't be a case I'll be able to forget easily."

"I personally feel very proud that we were able to do that for Ethan. He had his life ahead of him and he didn't deserve any of what happened to him."

Det Supt Bell said Michael and Kerry Ives stuck to their pact of silence and had shown no remorse, which he said left him "numb".

"It should have been the safest place for Ethan. It should have been somewhere he can be loved, where he can express himself, where he can develop a safe space to have fun," he said.

"It wasn't the case. In fact it appears he was treated completely differently to everyone else and only Michael and Kerry can answer as to why that was."

• If you have been affected by the issues raised in this story you can visit the BBC Action Line for details of organisations who can offer support

The BBC has published the salaries of its highest-paid stars as part of its annual report.

Ex-Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker, who departed in May after apologising for reposting a social media post about Zionism that included an illustration considered antisemitic, was again the corporation's top earner in the region of £1,350,000 - £1,354,99 - the same amount as the previous year.

He is followed by former Radio 2 breakfast host Zoe Ball, who also left her BBC Radio 2 breakfast show in December - three quarters of the way through the financial year meaning her salary is lower than last year - but having already earned approximately £515,000 - £519,999. In May, she began hosting a Saturday show on the same station.

Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer, in third place, took home £440,000 - £444,999, while in fourth, Radio 1 presenter Greg James received £425,000 - £429,999. Fifth on the list is Question Time host Fiona Bruce who earned £410,000 - £414,999. The wages of all three increased year-on-year.

Some famous BBC faces such as Rylan Clark, Claudia Winkleman, David Mitchell and Rob Brydon don't make the list as the BBC does not have to disclose the salaries of stars who are paid through production companies like BBC Studios , which is classed as a commercial entity.

• Who's missing from the BBC salaries list, and why?
• BBC pay 2023-2024: The full list of star salaries

Here are the list of presenters who earned more than £178,000, according to the BBC's accounts.

The ▼, ▲ and ➤ icons show whether their salary has moved up, down or remained the same. A ★ icon represents a presenter making a new appearance or re-entry onto the list.

➤ Gary Lineker - £1,350,000 - £1,354,99

Match of the Day, Premier League, FA Cup, Sports Personality of the Year

2023/2024: £1,350,000-£1,354,999

2022/2023: £1,350,000-£1,354,999

2021/2022: £1,350,000-£1,354,999

▼Zoe Ball - £515,000 - £519,999

Radio 2's Zoe Ball Breakfast Show

2023/2024: £950,000-£954,999

2022/2023: £980,000-£984,999

2021/2022: £980,000-£984,999

▲Alan Shearer - £440,000 - £444,999

Match of the Day: Premier League, FA Cup

2023/2024: £380,000-£384,999

2022/2023: £445,000-£449,999

2021/2022: £450,000-£454,999

▲Greg James - £425,000 - £429,999

Radio 1 Breakfast Show

2023/2024: £415,000- £419,999

2022/2023: £395,000- £399,999

2021/2022: £390,000-£394,999

▲Fiona Bruce - £410,000 - £414,999

Question Time and presenting on BBC One

2023/2024: 405,000 - £409,000

2022/2023: £395,000-£399,999

2021/2022: £410,000-£414,999

▲Nick Robinson - £410,000 - £414,999

Radio 4's Today programme, Radio 4's Political Thinking podcast

2023/2024: £345,000 - £349,000

2022/2023: £275,000 - £279,999

2021/2022: £270,000-£274,999

➤Stephen Nolan - £405,000 - £409,999

The Nolan Show on Radio Ulster, Nolan Live on BBC One (Northern Ireland), The Stephen Nolan Show on 5 Live

2023/2024: £405,000-£409,999

2022/2023: £400,000-£404,999

2021/2022: £415,000-£419,999

▲Laura Kuenssberg - £395,000 - £399,999

Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, documentary series

2023/2024: £325,000 - £329,999

2022/2023: £305,000 - £309,999

2021/2022: £260,000-£264,999

▲Vernon Kay - £390,000 - £394,999

Radio 2 mid-morning show, Radio 2's Dance Sounds of the 90s

2023/2024: £320,000 - £324,999

▲Justin Webb - £365,000 - £369,999

Radio 4's Today programme, Americast podcast

2023/2024: £320,000 – 324,999

2022/2023: £280,000 - £284,999

2021/2022: £255,000-£259,999

▲Scott Mills - £355,000 - £359,999

Radio 2 early afternoon show and now breakfast show, plus Pop Top 10 on BBC Sounds and other appearances.

2023/2024: £315,000 - £319,999

2022/2023: £300,000 - £304,999

2021/2022: £400,000-£404,999

▲Naga Munchetty - £355,000 - £359,999

BBC Breakfast, Radio 5 Live's Naga Munchetty Programme, UK general election

2023/2024: £345,000 - £349,999

2022/2023: £335,000 - £339,999

2021/2022: £365,000-£369,999

▲Sophie Raworth - £350,000 - £354,999

BBC News at Six, BBC News at Ten. UK General Election

2023/2024: £325,000 - £329,999

2022/2023: £365,000 - £369,999

2021/2022: £305,000-£309,999

▲Clive Myrie - £335,000 - £339,999

BBC News at One, Six and Ten and UK General Election, Music Matters on Radio 3.

2023/2024: £310,000 - £314,999

2022/2023: £285,000 - £289,999

2021/2022: £255,000-£259,999

▼Mishal Husain - 325,000 - £329,999

Radio 4's Today programme, BBC One presenting, Today debates for Radio 4 and other projects. UK General Election debates

2023/2024: £340,000 - £344,999

2022/2023: £315,000 - £319,999

2021/2022: £275,000-£279,999

▲Mark Chapman - £325,000 - £329,999

Radio 5 Live Sport, Match of the Day 2, Challenge Cup, European Football Championships, Olympics

2023/2024: £260,000 - £264,999

2022/2023: £325,000 - £329,999

2021/2022: £250,000-£254,999

▲Amol Rajan - £315,000 - £319,999

Radio 4's Today programme, Amol Rajan Interviews, Radio 4’s Rethink, The Today Podcast

2023/2024: £310,000 - £314,999

2022/2023: £335,000 - £339,999

2021/2022: £325,000-£329,999

▲Jeremy Vine - £310,000 - £314,99

Radio 2 shows and News Election shows

2023/2024: £285,000 - £289,999

2022/2023: £285,000 - £289,999

2021/2022: £290,000-£294,999

▼Sara Cox - £310,000 - £314,99

Radio 2 early evening show. Various other engagements across public service

2023/2024: £315,000 – 319,999

2022/2023: £285,000 - £289,999

2021/2022: £275,000-£279,999

▲Nicky Campbell - £300,000 - £304,999

Radio 5 Live Nicky Campbell Show, Different

2023/2024: £295,000 - £299,999

2022/2023: £295,000 - £299,999

2021/2022: £295,000-£299,999

▲Evan Davis - £300,000 - £304,999

Radio 4's PM and Radio 4's The Bottom Line

2023/2024: £290,000 - £294,999

2022/2023: £280,000 - £284,999

2021/2022: £270,000-£274,999

▲Reeta Chakrabarti - £300,000 - £304,999

News at One, Six and Ten. UK General Election

2023/2024: £270,000 - £274,999

2022/2023: £215,000 - £219,999

2021/2022: £200,000-£204,999

▲Ros Atkins: £295,000 - £299,999

Analysis Editor, The Media Show

2023/2024: £290,000 - £294,999

2022/2023: £260,000 - £264,999

▲Tina Daheley - £295,000 - £299,99

Radio 2 Breakfast Show, cover for Jeremy Vine, BBC One News Bulletins, BBC Breakfast

2023/2024: £270,000 - £274,999

2022/2023: £240,000 - £244,999

*Emma Barnett - £285,000 - £289,999

Presentation days, Woman's Hour and multiplatform interviews

▼Victoria Derbyshire - £275,000 - £279,999

Newsnight, Ukrainecast podcast

2023/2024: £295,000 - £299,999

2022/2023: £295,000 - £299,999

2021/2022: £240,000-£244,999

▲Chris Mason - £270,000 - £274,999

Political editor

2023/2024: £260,000 - £264,999

2022/2023: £225,000 - £229,999

▲Jeremy Bowen - £260,000 - £264,99

International Editor

2023/2024: £240,000 - £244,999

2022/2023: £230,000 - £234,999

2021/2022: £230,000-£234,999

▲Sarah Montague - £250,000 - £254,999

Radio 4's World at One, HARDtalk cover, multiplatform interviews

2023/2024: £245,000 - £249,999

2022/2023: £245,000 - £249,999

2021/2022: £245,000-£249,999

▲Trevor Nelson - £245,000 - £249,999

Radio 2's Rhythm Nation, plus other shows on Radio 2 and 1Xtra and other engagements

2023/2024: £235,000 - £239,999

2022/2023: £240,000 - £244,999

2021/2022: £210,000-£214,999

▲Katya Adler - £240,000 - £244,999

Europe Editor, The Global Story podcast

2023/2024: £230,000 - £234,999

2022/2023: £225,000 - £229,999

2021/2022: £215,000-£219,999

Jon Kay – £240,000 - £244,999

BBC Breakfast, Radio 4 Pick of the Week, Radio 4 Saturday Live, Radio 4 Podcast Fairy Meadow, UK General Election

2023/2024: £225,000 - £229,999

▼Faisal Islam - £235,000 - £239,999

Economics editor, Newsnight cover

2023/2024: £260,000 - £264,999

2022/2023: £230,000 - £234,999

2021/2022: £240,000-£244,999

▲Fergal Keane - £235,000 - £239,999

Special Correspondent

2023/2024: £225,000 - £229,999

2022/2023: £215,000 - £219,999

2021/2022: £210,000-£214,999

▲Rick Edwards – £235,000 - £239,999

5 Live Breakfast Show, Fighting Talk, 5 Live Football coverage

2023/2024: £215,000 - £219,999

2022/2023: £178,000 - £184,999

▼Jo Whiley - £230,000 - £234,999

Radio 2 evening show, and other engagements

2023/2024: £245,000 - £249,999

2022/2023: £230,000 - £234,999

2021/2022: £265,000-£269,999

▼Jason Mohammad - £230,000 - £234,999

Daily BBC Wales programme, Final Score, Radio 2's Good Morning Sunday

2023/2024: £245,000 - £249,999

2022/2023: £255,000 - £259,999

2021/2022: £285,000-£289,999

▲Sarah Smith - £230,000 - £234,999

North America Editor

2023/2024: £225,000 - £229,999

2022/2023: £220,000 - £224,999

▼Simon Jack - £225,000 - £229,999

Business Editor, Radio 4 Today cover, podcasts

2023/2024: £240,000 - £244,999

2022/2023: £210,000 - £214,999

2021/2022: £205,000-£209,999

➤Rachel Burden - £220,000 - £224,99

5Live Breakfast Show, BBC Breakfast.

2023/2024: £220,000 - £224,999

2022/2023: £195,000 - £195,999

*Katie Razzall - £220,000 - £224,99

Media and culture editor, and The Media Show plus Newsnight cover

▲Mark Easton – £210,000 - £214,999

Home Editor

2023/2024: £205,000 - £209,999

2022/2023: £195,000 - £195,999

▲Stephen Sackur – £210,000 - £214,999

HARDtalk interviews

2023/2024: £200,000 - £204,999

2022/2023: £190,000 - £194,999

*Orla Guerin - £210,000 - £214,999

Senior international correspondent

▼Ben Thompson - £205,000 - £209,999

BBC Business presentation, BBC Breakfast presentation, BBC News Channel presentation cover

2023/2024: £225,000 - £229,999

▼Christian Fraser - £205,000 - £209,999

Presentation days, Newsnight cover and UK General Election

▼Alex Scott - 205,000 - £209,999

Football Focus, Women's Super League, European Football Championship, Sports Personality of the Year

2023/2024: £220,000 - £224,999

2022/2023: £185,000 - £189,999

➤Lyse Doucet - £205,000 - £209,999

Chief International Correspondent

2023/2024: £205,000 - £209,999

2022/2023: £205,000 - £209,999

*Jonny Dymond - £205,000 - £209,999

Royal correspondent and Radio 4 programmes including the World at One

▲Chris Sutton - £200,000 - £204,999

BBC Radio 5 live Sport, 606, Football Focus, Final Score

2023/2024: £190,000 - £194,999

*Lucy Hockings - £200,000 - £204,999

Presentation days, Global Story podcast, Ukrainecast cover

*Ben Brown - £200,000 - £204,999

BBC News at One and News channel

*Matthew Amroliwal - £200,000 - £204,999

Presentation days

*Sally Nugent - £200,000 - £204,999

Presentation days and UK General Election

*Jane Hill - £200,000 - £204,999

Presentation days, and The World Tonight on Radio 4

The rest of the list:

£195,000 - £199,999

Owain Wyn Evans - Radio 2 early breakfast show

Maryam Moshi - presentation days

Sally Bundock - business presentation days

Annita McVeigh, presentation days

£190,000 - £194,999

Charlie Stayt - BBC Breakfast

John Simpson - World Affairs editor, Unspun World with John Simpson

Craig Charles - 6 Music daytime show and Funk and Soul show

£185,000 - £189,999

Catriona Perry - presentation days (USA), The President's Path

podcast, Global Story podcast

Sumi Somaskan - presentation days (USA), The President's Path

podcast, Global Story podcast

£178,000 - £184,999

Gary Davies - Radio 2 Sounds of the 80s, Radio 2 cover

Steven Lai - presentation days (Singapore)

Charlie Hedges - shows on Radio 1 including Dance Anthems

The UK government set up a secret Afghan relocation scheme after the personal data of thousands of people was inadvertently leaked, it can be revealed.

A dataset containing the details of nearly 19,000 people who applied to move to the UK following the Taliban takeover of the country was released in error by a British defence official in February 2022.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) learned of the breach in August 2023 when some details were anonymously posted on Facebook.

Nearly 9,000 Afghans have arrived in the UK or are en route via the previously secret scheme, which is estimated to have cost £850m.

The existence of this confidential Afghan Response Route, which was established in April 2024, was kept confidential by an injunction but can now be reported following a High Court ruling on Tuesday.

The MoD declined to say how many have been arrested or killed as a result of the data breach.

Defence secretary John Healey is expected to confirm further details in the House of Commons later on Tuesday.

The unauthorised data breach was committed by an unnamed individual at the MoD. The data related to Afghans who worked with international forces following the 2001 invasion of the country.

As US troops completed their withdrawal in August 2021, the UK government set up Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) scheme, which was designed to rapidly process applications by people who feared reprisals from the Taliban and move them to the UK.

But it emerged on Tuesday that thousands of those who applied for that scheme had sensitive personal data leaked by a British official.

Arap has already been heavily criticised in the years since it was launched, with a 2022 inquiry by the Foreign Affairs Committee finding it was a "disaster" and a "betrayal".

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Some conservative members of Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" movement have reacted angrily to the president's plans to sell weapons to Nato, arguing it is a betrayal of his promise to end US involvement in foreign wars.

On Monday, Trump said he would send weapons to Ukraine via Nato, while also threatening Russia with more tariffs if a deal to end the war is not reached in 50 days.

Republican Congresswomen Marjorie Taylor Greene, a key Trump ally, and former Trump strategist Steve Bannon are among those who have criticised the decision, with Bannon telling his podcast listeners that Ukraine is a "European war".

The White House has emphasised that Europe will pay for the US-made weapons.

In an interview with the New York Times, Greene - an isolationist member of Congress from Georgia who has been one of the most loyal Trump supporters on Capitol Hill - said the move was at odds with what she had promised voters on the campaign trail.

"It's not just Ukraine; it's all foreign wars in general and a lot of foreign aid," she said. "This is what we campaigned on. This is what I promised also to my district. This is what everybody voted for. And I believe we have to maintain the course."

• I'm 'disappointed but not done' with Putin, Trump tells BBC
• Trump unveils Ukraine weapons plan at White House

Trump sought to emphasise that the weapons would be paid for rather than given as direct aid, saying on Monday: "We're not buying it, but we will manufacture it, and they're going to be paying for it."

But in a rare public disagreement with the president, Greene expressed scepticism that US taxpayers would ultimately avoid bearing any cost and, in a post on social media, criticised "backdoor deals through Nato".

"Without a shadow of a doubt, our tax dollars are being used," she told the New York Times, arguing that indirect costs such as US training missions and contributions to Nato qualify as US involvement.

"I said it on every rally stage: no more money to Ukraine. We want peace. We just want peace for those people," she said. "And guess what? People haven't changed."

'We still hate it'

One former Trump campaign official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to Politico, said Europe's purchase of the weapons "mitigates" the anger from Trump's isolationist supporters.

"But we still hate it," the official said. "This is not our war, and escalation isn't in America's interest."

Steve Bannon, a former adviser to Trump, said on his War Room podcast that "Ukraine is getting so dangerous".

"It's a European war. Let Europe deal with it," he said. "They have the resources. They have the manpower."

"We're about to arm people we have literally no control over," Bannon said of Ukraine. "This is old-fashioned, grinding war in the bloodlands of Europe - and we're being dragged into it."

In a statement quoted by Politico, White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said that Trump's MAGA base "aren't panicans like the media".

"They trust in Trump, and they know that this president is restoring peace through strength."

The BBC has contacted the White House for comment.

A White House official who spoke to Politico on the condition of anonymity disagreed that the president's base opposed his moves. They pointed to one recent poll that suggested nearly two-thirds of Trump voters support continuing to send arms to Ukraine.

Officials in the Trump administration have also defended the president's decision, with Under Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby writing on X that Trump's "America First message is that our alliances have to be fair and equitable".

"This is eminently reasonable but was treated for many years as heresy," he added. "Yet now with the historic Nato commitment we see that it can work."

That recent commitment from Nato leaders to ramp up defence spending to 5% of their economic output was praised by Trump supporters on Monday, who argued that even with the new weapons deal Europe was taking on more responsibility for its defence.

And in an exclusive interview with the BBC on Monday, just hours after he met Nato chief Mark Rutte at the White House, Trump said the alliance was now "paying its own bills".

He affirmed his support for the organisation's common defence principle, and said he was "disappointed but not done" with Russia's Vladimir Putin.

The president said that he had thought a deal to end the war in Ukraine was on the cards with Russia four different times.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

"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.

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.

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."

Donald Trump makes a habit of calling reporters out of the blue. The US president seems to prefer an off-the-cuff telephone conversation to a sit-down interview on camera.

On Monday evening it was my turn. And I'll be frank with you - I was asleep when the White House rang.

I'd spent the best part of five days believing there was an outside chance I would get an interview with him, to mark a year since the attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania.

My reporting from that shooting had made global headlines and probably caught the president's attention. So I judged that perhaps that connection might be a way of securing a presidential interview - pretty rare things for foreign news organisations in the US.

On Sunday night I was told I was minutes away from the call so my team and I were standing by ready to record, but it didn't come.

By last night, I'd given up on the interview happening and after a long few weeks on the road without a day off, I was exhausted and taking a nap. Then the phone rang.

I blearily answered, and the voice of Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt came over the speaker: "Hi Gary, I'm here with the president, here you go."

I dashed into my living room, scrambling for my digital recorder; the line dropped and I thought I'd lost it. But they came back on the line and I spent almost 20 minutes speaking to Trump about everything from that fateful night in Butler, to his frustrations with Vladimir Putin, to his new-found belief in Nato and to his view of the UK.

Here are my five key takeaways from our surprise conversation.

1. Trump shows a different side, touching on Butler

He was very reflective on a couple of things and he sounded pretty vulnerable talking about the assassination attempt - it's clear he's uncomfortable talking about that.

For a president often seen in public shooting from the hip, and loved by his supporters for doing so, there were moments of reflection and some long pauses before answers that are rarely seen.

When asked if the assassination attempt had changed him, the president conveyed a hint of vulnerability as he said he tries to think about it as little as he can.

"I don't like dwelling on it because if I did, it would be, you know, might be life-changing, I don't want it to have to be that."

Elaborating, he said he liked "the power of positive thinking, or the power of positive non-thinking".

There was also a very long pause when I asked him if he trusted Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Eventually he replied: "I trust almost nobody to be honest with you."

• I'm 'disappointed but not done' with Putin, Trump says

2. No commitment to US deportation numbers

Turning to domestic American politics, I asked whether the president's plan for mass deportations was working - both in terms of speed, and given that some individuals were being swept up who the president perhaps wouldn't want to see deported.

The president insisted his team had done a "great job" at fulfilling his campaign promises, citing the drastic decrease in migrants crossing into the US from southern neighbour Mexico.

Some of Trump's team have expressed frustration that deportations are being carried out too slowly. When I pushed him on the question of how many deportations in this second presidential term would mark a success, Trump refused to give a figure.

"Well I don't put a number on but I want to get the criminals out quickly, and we're doing that, as you know," he said. "We're bringing them to El Salvador, lots of other places."

3. More frustration with Putin

Trump expressed his frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin - capping off a day in which he threatened to hit Moscow's economy with secondary sanctions if a deal over the war in Ukraine was not reached within 50 days.

Having campaigned on a promise to quickly end the war, Trump seemed perplexed that he had not yet managed to strike an agreement with his Russian counterpart to end the years-long conflict.

He again indicated there was a gap between words and actions on Putin's part: "I thought we had a deal done four times and then you go home, and you see, just attacked a nursing home or something in Kyiv. I said: 'What the hell was that all about?'"

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders have long accused Putin of not being serious about ending the war. To them, feelings of doubt will be nothing new.

But, when I asked Trump whether he had finished with the Russian leader, he continued to leave the door open: "I'm not done with him, but I'm disappointed in him."

• Trump weapons pledge marks major step forward for Ukraine
• Rosenberg: Russia more relieved than rattled by US threat

4. New tone on Nato

I pointed out to Trump that he once suggested Nato was obsolete, and he replied that he now thought the Western military alliance was "becoming the opposite of that".

He was fresh from hosting Nato chief Mark Rutte - a man he seems to be able to work well with. The pair exchanged warm words in front of the world's cameras, and announced that the US would sell weapons to Nato which would then be passed on to Kyiv.

During our call, Trump indicated that he was shaking off his grudge that his country spent proportionately more on defence than its allies.

"It was very unfair because the United States paid for almost a hundred percent of it, but now they're paying their own bills and I think that's much better," he said, appearing to refer to a pledge last month by Nato members to ramp up defence spending to 5% of each country's economic output.

"We changed Nato a lot," he told me.

5. Respect for Starmer and UK

Trump emphasised his respect for the UK and its prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, with whom he last month signed an agreement to remove some trade barriers. "I really like the prime minister a lot, even though he's a liberal," Trump explained.

Trump emphasised that the relationship between the two countries was just as "special" as many Britons like to believe, adding that he believed the UK would fight alongside the US in a war.

He sounded relaxed over perceived slights against him. Although his state visit to the UK later this year will not entail a speech to Parliament, he was not insistent that lawmakers be recalled. "Let them go and have a good time," he said.

Trump labelled his future host King Charles "a great gentleman". He shrugged off a recent speech that was given to Canada's parliament by the monarch that was seen as an endorsement of Canadian sovereignty in the face of Trump's threats.

He even had a joke. "You have many different names you go by," he said. "England, if you want to cut off a couple of areas. And you go UK, and you have Britain and you have Great Britain. You got more names than any other country in history, I think."

Former Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker has emerged as the BBC's top paid presenter for the eighth year running, the corporation's annual report shows.

Lineker earned between £1,350,000 - £1,354,99 in the last financial year, followed by former Radio 2 breakfast host Zoe Ball on £515,000 - £519,999.

Lineker's salary remained the same as last year's, while Zoe Ball's has dropped from the previous year's £950,000-£954,999, reflecting her departure from the Radio 2 breakfast show to take up a new role fronting Saturday afternoons on the station.

The report comes as the BBC confirmed that several members of staff have been dismissed following a review into the corporation's culture which was published in April.

Samir Shah, chairman of the BBC, acknowledged that over the past year, there had been a "string of revelations" about abuses of power in the workplace.

The comments came following a report on Monday which upheld 45 allegations about TV presenter Gregg Wallace's behaviour on BBC show MasterChef.

Later on Monday, Wallace's co-host John Torode said a separate allegation against him of using racist language had also been upheld, as part of the same inquiry.

Star salaries

As usual, the BBC's annual report does not paint the full picture of what star presenters at the BBC earn.

A huge number are not listed because the corporation does not have to make public the salaries of stars who are paid through its commercial arm BBC Studios or via independent production companies.

• The stars you won't see on the BBC salaries list

Lineker signed off from his final edition of Match of the Day in May after 26 years in the hot seat and officially left the BBC.

He had been due to remain with the BBC to front coverage of the men's FA Cup and the World Cup, but in the end, left the corporation completely after apologising for sharing a social media post that included an illustration considered antisemitic.

His salary is still included in the BBC's latest annual report as he's only just left, but next year he will no longer be included.

Zoe Ball hosted her final Radio 2 breakfast show in December after six years in the slot, and earlier this year took up her new Saturday afternoon role.

Elsewhere, director general Tim Davie's salary has gone up by £20k from last year (£527) to £547k, representing a 3.8% pay rise.

The BBC's licence fee is set by the culture secretary Lisa Nandy.

This year income generated by the licence fee increased from £3.7 to £3.8bn after inflation.

The report stated there was a drop in the number of households paying for the licence fee, from 23,131,000 in 2024 to 22,772,000 in 2025 - a drop of 359,000.

This represents a decline of 1.56%, compared with last year's figure of 1.26%.

That number is holding up fairly well, declining less quickly than might be expected given the competition from streaming services.

The report also revealed 50% of UK adults think the BBC is effective at providing news and current affairs that is impartial, an uptick of 5% on last year's 45% of those surveyed.

A further 63% of UK adults think the BBC is effective at providing news and current affairs is accurate, compared to last year's 59%.

The number of adults using BBC services weekly last year declined slightly from 75% to 74%, though 70% of under 16s use BBC services including TV, iPlayer, radio and online content on a weekly basis.

Of those platforms, iPlayer is the fastest growing platform for long-form content.

The report also showed that 10 out of 10 of Christmas Day top shows were from the BBC - but that includes King's speech which is also broadcast on other channels.

The BBC's annual report comes in the wake of a series of controversies faced by the corporation. As well as Masterchef, they include Glastonbury and the decision to broadcast Bob Vylan's set.

Earlier this year, a documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, was pulled from iPlayer after it emerged its 13-year-old narrator was the son of a Hamas official.

On Monday, a report concluded the documentary breached editorial guidelines on accuracy.

It stated the BBC bears "some responsibility" for "not being sufficiently proactive" in the early stages of the project, and for a "lack of critical oversight of unanswered or partially answered questions" - although the the party with most responsibility for this failure".

The UK government set up a secret Afghan relocation scheme after the personal data of thousands of people was inadvertently leaked, it can be revealed.

A dataset containing the details of nearly 19,000 people who applied to move to the UK following the Taliban takeover of the country was released in error by a British defence official in February 2022.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) learned of the breach in August 2023 when some details were anonymously posted on Facebook.

Nearly 9,000 Afghans have arrived in the UK or are en route via the previously secret scheme, which is estimated to have cost £850m.

The existence of this confidential Afghan Response Route, which was established in April 2024, was kept confidential by an injunction but can now be reported following a High Court ruling on Tuesday.

The MoD declined to say how many have been arrested or killed as a result of the data breach.

Defence secretary John Healey is expected to confirm further details in the House of Commons later on Tuesday.

The unauthorised data breach was committed by an unnamed individual at the MoD. The data related to Afghans who worked with international forces following the 2001 invasion of the country.

As US troops completed their withdrawal in August 2021, the UK government set up Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) scheme, which was designed to rapidly process applications by people who feared reprisals from the Taliban and move them to the UK.

But it emerged on Tuesday that thousands of those who applied for that scheme had sensitive personal data leaked by a British official.

Arap has already been heavily criticised in the years since it was launched, with a 2022 inquiry by the Foreign Affairs Committee finding it was a "disaster" and a "betrayal".

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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.

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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Savers with cash in low-interest accounts will be blitzed with offers to invest their money instead, under government plans.

Banks will send savers details of stocks and shares investments and there will be an advertising campaign to raise awareness, the Treasury said.

In a series of proposals by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, a scheme that encourages the provision of low-deposit mortgages will also be made permanent.

Reeves is delivering two major speeches on Tuesday, as the government and chancellor aim to rebound from bruising blows on welfare and the winter fuel U-turn.

"We need to double down on our global strengths to put the UK ahead in the global race for financial businesses, creating good skilled jobs in every part of the country and helping savers' money go further," said Reeves, ahead of her Mansion House speech to City leaders.

The Treasury had already shelved any immediate plans to make changes to cash Individual Savings Accounts (Isas).

Savers can put up to £20,000 a year in Isas in savings and investments, to protect the returns from being taxed.

However, there is a plan in the Treasury to encourage people to invest for better returns, which would also boost growth in the UK economy.

But the value of investments can go down as well as up, and savers have tended to be cautious over the risks involved. In the newly-announced Treasury proposals, there is a potential for some of the warnings to be watered down.

The Treasury said there would be a "review of risk warnings on investment products to make sure they help people to accurately judge risk levels".

The move is part of reforms designed to boost financial services in the UK, known as the Leeds Reforms.

However, there may be concern that encouraging letters and messages from banks to encourage investing might be seized upon by fraudsters who could also send fake investment claims to new investors.

Mortgage backstop

In a speech in Leeds, the chancellor said she wanted to boost investment, and also help first-time buyers.

For some time, banks and building have had a backstop from the government to ensure they continue to give low-deposit mortgages to first-time buyers.

The chancellor said that scheme will be made permanent, a promise made in the Labour manifesto.

This comes after the Bank of England announced a looser cap on riskier mortgage lending, which the government says could help 36,000 more people buy a home over its first year.

If you live in north-west England or Yorkshire, you are already in an official state of drought, the Environment Agency says, and people living in other English regions could follow if the dry weather continues.

Those of us in eastern Scotland or parts of Wales are also seeing low water levels, according to water companies there.

Drought can affect different aspects of our lives and the environment. It can make it harder for farmers to grow crops, do harm to nature and mean you have to change how you use water.

So how is your area doing and how close are you to a drought? Here's a look at what's happening around the country, including our rain, rivers and reservoirs.

One of the driest springs on record

There is no single definition of drought or water scarcity - the measure in Scotland - but a long period of low rainfall is needed.

And it rained less than normal across almost all of the UK between March and May, the UK's sixth driest spring since records began in 1836.

So there has been less moisture to top up our rivers, reservoirs and rocks below the ground.

If that lack of rainfall continues for a long time, it can strain the water supplies that serve our homes and businesses.

In June there was slightly more rainfall than average for the UK overall, but with a big difference between east and west.

Parts of Northern Ireland, western Scotland, Wales and south-west England saw wetter conditions than usual. But most of central and eastern England and Scotland saw dry weather continuing.

Long-term forecasts suggest drier than average conditions through much of July and possibly August too.

That would further increase the risk of drought.

Drier rivers for most of the UK

Monitors in rivers show us how they are flowing. At the end of May these river flows were below normal for about three-quarters of monitored sites around the UK.

About one in five experienced "exceptionally low" flows.

Provisional June data doesn't look much better.

River flows at the end of last month were about the same as - or even below - previous drought years of 1976, 2011, 2018 and 2022 for many eastern, central and southern regions, said Lucy Barker, hydrologist at the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.

Exceptionally low reservoirs in north England

Reservoirs are a crucial part of water supplies in northern England, Scotland and Wales.

At the end of May, England's reservoirs were at their lowest combined levels for the time of year in records going back more than 30 years.

Reservoir levels in the North East and North West were exceptionally low - an important factor for drought being declared in Yorkshire and the North West.

The main reason for this is, of course, the lack of rain, but a small number reservoirs can be affected by other factors.

Normally at this time of year, Scottish reservoirs are 85% full. Last week they were at 79%, according to Scottish Water. They are even lower in eastern Scotland.

In Wales, most are around normal, although the reservoirs serving Mid and South Ceredigion in west Wales are below average, Welsh Water said.

Reservoir levels are about average in Northern Ireland, according to NI Water.

A more mixed picture underground

Much of south-east England relies more heavily on groundwater than reservoirs.

Groundwater originates as rainfall and is naturally stored beneath the surface in the pore spaces and fractures in rocks. Rocks that store lots of groundwater are called aquifers.

It accounts for a third of England's water supply, though this is much higher in the south and east.

That is down to the UK's varied geology, which affects how much water can be stored in the ground.

Water can flow more quickly through some rock types than others, sometimes taking years to respond to current conditions.

This is the case for parts of south and east England, which is why these regions are currently closer to normal.

These groundwater stores "respond more slowly to changes in the climate than rivers which is why they provide a useful buffer during periods of drought," said Prof Alan MacDonald of the British Geological Survey.

It is why groundwater droughts in the South generally take a longer time to develop but can be longer-lasting if they do occur.

What are the consequences of the dry weather?

People and nature are already feeling the effects.

"It's quite shocking that we are still only [in early] July," Rachel Hallos, deputy director of the National Farmers' Union, told BBC News.

"It's like it's the end of August when you look at the ground."

With this little rain, farmers have had to get water onto their crops using irrigation.

That has made things more expensive for them and means there is even less water to go around.

There is widespread concern about the months ahead, Mrs Hallos added.

"What am I going to have to harvest? What am I going to have to feed my livestock over winter?"

And then there is the impact on wildlife.

A spokesman from the bird protection charity RSPB said that a big challenge has been making sure enough water is getting to key wetland habitats so that birds have safe places to nest.

"We need to be thinking about making our sites more resilient to climate change, as these periods of prolonged dry weather become the norm."

And it's not just water-loving birds that are having a hard time. Even in our gardens, common visitors like blackbirds can struggle to find worms and insects on our parched lawns, the RSPB says.

Is climate change to blame?

Droughts are complex phenomena, driven by a mix of natural and human causes.

The Met Office expects the UK to experience drier summers on average in future as the world warms, though there has been no clear trend so far.

But rising temperatures can play a more fundamental role by sapping moisture from the soil via evaporation.

"A warmer atmosphere is thirstier for moisture and this can mean water in the soil, rivers and reservoirs are depleted more effectively, leading to more rapidly onsetting droughts, heatwaves and wildfires," said Richard Allan, professor of climate science at the University of Reading.

But there are other factors that determine whether dry conditions lead to water shortages, including how we use water.

As part of plans to address water shortages, the government is planning nine new reservoirs for England by 2050, in addition to one under construction at Havant Thicket in Hampshire.

But the Environment Agency has warned that measures to tackle water leaks and control water demand - potentially including hosepipe bans and more smart meters - may be needed in England too.

Water companies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also said they were taking steps to secure future supplies.

Additional reporting by Dan Wainwright and Christine Jeavans

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Fauja Singh, a British-Indian man believed to be the world's oldest marathon runner, has died after being hit by a car in India at the age of 114.

Police say Singh was crossing a road in the village where he was born in Punjab when an unidentified vehicle hit him. Locals took him to hospital, where he died.

Singh, a global icon, set records by running marathons across multiple age categories, including when he was over 100. He began running at 89 and ran nine full marathons between 2000 and 2013, when he retired.

His running club and charity, Sikhs In The City, said its upcoming events in Ilford, east London, where he had lived since 1992, would be a celebration of his life and achievements.

The hit and run happened on Monday as the centenarian was walking in his birth village, Beas Pind, near Jalandhar.

"A search is under way, and the accused will be caught soon," said Harvinder Singh, a top district police officer.

As news of the death broke, tributes poured in.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him an "exceptional athlete with incredible determination".

Harmander Singh, Fauja Singh's coach at Sikhs In The City, confirmed his death in a statement posted to the running club.

The statement said: "It is with great sadness that we can confirm our icon of humanity and powerhouse of positivity Fauja Singh has passed away in India.

"His running club and charity Sikhs In The City will be devoting all of its events until the Fauja Singh Birthday Challenge on Sunday 29 March 2026 to celebrate his life of success and achievements.

"We will be doubling the efforts to raise funds to building the Fauja Singh Clubhouse on the route in Ilford where he used to train."

When the BBC met Singh in June in Beas Pind, he was agile and active, walking several miles every day.

"I still go for walks around the village to keep my legs strong. A person has to take care of his own body," he said.

A torchbearer for the 2012 London Olympics, Singh clocked several milestones during his running career, including reportedly becoming the first centenarian to complete a full marathon in 2011 in Toronto.

However, his claim of being the world's oldest marathon runner was not recognised by Guinness World Records as he could not show a birth certificate from 1911. The BBC reported at the time that Singh's British passport showed his date of birth as being 1 April 1911, and that he had a letter from the Queen congratulating him on his 100th birthday.

His trainer, Harmander Singh, said that birth certificates were not made in India at the time Singh was born.

Guinness World Records officials said they would have loved "to give him the record", but that they could only "accept official birth documents created in the year of the birth".

As a young boy growing up in Punjab, Singh was teased by people in his village as his legs were weak and he could not walk properly until the age of five.

"But the same boy, once mocked for his weakness, went on to make history," he told BBC Punjabi in June.

Before he turned 40, Singh, a farmer, had lived through the turbulence of both the World Wars and experienced the trauma of Partition.

"In my youth, I didn't even know the word 'marathon' existed," Singh told BBC Punjabi. "I never went to school, nor was I involved in any kind of sports. I was a farmer and spent most of my life in the fields."

He first took to running to cope with grief.

After the death of his wife Gian Kaur in the early 1990s, he moved to London to live with his eldest son Sukhjinder. But during a visit to India, he witnessed his younger son Kuldeep's death in an accident which left him devastated.

Overtaken by grief, Singh would spend hours sitting near the spot where his son had been cremated. Concerned villagers advised his family to take him back to the UK.

Back in Ilford in London, during one of his visits to the gurdwara, Singh met a group of elderly men who would go on runs together. He also met Harmander Singh, who would go on to become his coach.

"Had I not met Harmander Singh, I wouldn't have got into marathon running," he said in June.

Singh made his debut at the London Marathon in 2000, a month shy of turning 89. He participated through a Golden Bond entry - a system where charities pre-purchase a fixed number of spots for a fee. He chose to run for BLISS, a charity that supports premature infants. His tagline: "Oldest running for the youngest! May they live as long as him."

Singh says that before the run, he was told by event officials that he could only wear a patka (headgear worn by many Sikh boys and men) and not a turban.

"I refused to run without my turban. Eventually, the organisers allowed me to run with it, and for me, that's my biggest achievement," he said.

He finished the race in six hours and 54 minutes, marking the beginning of a remarkable journey.

By his third successive appearance at the London marathon, he had shaved off nine minutes from his previous best.

In 2003, at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, he bettered his timing by an astonishing one hour and five minutes, completing the race in five hours and 40 minutes.

"I don't remember my timings; it is my coach, Harmander Singh, who keeps the record of all my timings. But whatever I have achieved is all because of his training, and I sincerely followed his schedule," Singh said in June.

"In London, he used to make me run uphill, and because of that, I kept on improving," he added. "Almost after every training session in London, I used to go to the gurdwara, where my diet was taken care of. Everyone there motivated me to run long distances."

Singh shot to international fame in 2003 when Adidas signed him for their Nothing Is Impossible advertising campaign which also featured legends such as Muhammad Ali.

In 2005, he was invited by the then Prime Minister of Pakistan to participate in the inaugural Lahore Marathon. A year later, in 2006, he received a special invitation from Queen Elizabeth II to visit Buckingham Palace.

Among the many mementos and certificates displayed at Singh's home in Punjab is a framed photograph of him with the Queen.

He continued to compete in marathons well into his 100s and earned the nickname "Turbaned Tornado". Most of his earnings from endorsements went directly to charitable foundations.

"I was the same Fauja Singh before I entered the world of running - but running gave my life a mission and brought me global recognition," he recalled.

In 2013, he participated in his last long-distance competitive race in Hong Kong, completing a 10km run in one hour, 32 minutes and 28 seconds.

He credited his health and longevity to a simple lifestyle and disciplined diet.

"Eating less, running more, and staying happy - that is the secret behind my longevity. This is my message to everyone," he said in June.

In his final years, Singh divided his time between India, where his younger son lives, and the UK.

When the BBC met him in June, he was hoping to visit London again soon to meet his family and coach.

British MP Preet Kaur Gill shared a photo of herself with him on X, writing: "A truly inspiring man. His discipline, simple living, and deep humility left a lasting mark on me."

Jas Athwal MP said Singh "inspired millions across the world". He wrote on X: "His spirit and legacy of resilience will run on forever."

Additional reporting by Pardeep Sharma

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.

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.

• Trump threatens Russia with tariffs while unveiling new Ukraine weapons plan

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.

Adam Carruthers and Daniel Graham are being sentenced later for cutting down the Sycamore Gap tree on Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland. Who are they? And, given they have never admitted causing the destruction that shocked the world, what might have possessed them to do it?

• Live: Pair to be sentenced for felling Sycamore Gap tree

Many people who knew the pair spoke to the BBC, but most requested anonymity.

Among them were neighbours in the quiet street in Carlisle where 39-year-old Daniel Graham grew up. They remember him as an "average kid" before his parents' separation - describing that as an event which "sent him off the rails."

His dad Michael took his own life in 2021, something Graham spoke about while giving evidence in court in relation to his struggles with poor mental health.

He was estranged from many members of his family, with one saying he would "fly off the handle at anything".

For the last decade Graham lived and worked on a patch of land on the outskirts of Kirkandrews-upon-Eden, just outside Carlisle.

He called it Millbeck Stables and ran his company, DM Graham Groundworks, from the site on a secluded lane, nestled among large country homes.

Journalist Kevin Donald described the plot as "a strange little shanty".

"It's got a caravan, horses on the land and pillars at the entrance with lions on the top," he said.

'An odd-bod'

Graham erected a series of buildings, a stable block, horse shelter and storage unit, gaining planning permission for some of them.

He lived on site in a static caravan, largely hidden behind big metal gates which included his initials.

Harold Bowron, chairman of the village's Parish Hall Committee, said Graham was "a man of mystery, a bit of an odd-bod".

"There were these black gates and then a tall fence all round the site with black plastic sheeting so you couldn't see in, but there were lights on all night.

"His lorry is still there. You can see in now because all the plastic has come down."

A planning application for Graham to be allowed to live on the site was rejected in April 2023, five months before the Sycamore Gap tree was cut down.

He had not been paying council tax and among the comments on the application was a claim he had displayed "dominant and oppressive" behaviour.

"When news came out he'd been arrested, we weren't surprised," Mr Bowron said.

"Everyone was saying 'oh yes that strange bloke'."

In court, the jury heard that tree felling was part of Graham's business and he owned three or four chainsaws.

Adam Carruthers helped him with that work, and the court was told the pair were close friends.

Carruthers grew up in Wigton, a market town in Cumbria with a history stretching back to medieval times.

His parents still live there and town councillor Chris Scott described it as a place where families put down roots and stay for generations.

Scott did not know Carruthers personally, but runs a social media site for the town and remembers a "curious silence" when he was arrested.

"People weren't discussing it all, which surprised me because it was such a big story at the time."

A childhood friend of Carruthers said he was "a bit of an outcast" but also the last person he would expect to have been involved in the felling of the tree.

His arrest was "the talk" of their school friendship group.

"Growing up we were the good kids," the friend said. "We couldn't get our heads around it. You would never ever think he would do something like that."

Carruthers went to Nelson Thomlinson School where another fellow pupil described him as a "bit of a loner".

"He always kept to himself and in classes he wouldn't talk. Teachers would try and get him to talk, and fail."

At the time of his arrest in October 2023, Carruthers had recently become a father for the second time and was living in a caravan with his partner at Kirkbride Airfield.

Graham and Carruthers met in 2021 when the latter, who was a mechanic, repaired a Land Rover belonging to Graham's father so it could be used for his funeral.

Graham called Carruthers his "best pal" and paid him to help him on jobs, splitting the cash evenly.

But their friendship splintered as the trial unfolded, with Graham blaming Carruthers who, in turn, said he had no idea who did it.

In the absence of any declared motive, could interactions between the pair hold clues to what drove them to take a chainsaw to one of the most beloved trees in the UK?

After the felling, they exchanged messages talking about the scale of the reporting of the story.

In one voicenote, Daniel Graham exclaimed: "It's gone viral, it is worldwide."

Newcastle University's Bethany Usher, who specialises in crime journalism, is among those who believe the pair were craving attention.

"Social media has completely changed the way we view ourselves, taking video of ourselves doing things is so part of our lived experience," she said.

"What became clear from the trial is that they enjoyed the attention they got worldwide.

"It's like they were saying 'I'm someone, I have got the attention of people', and they forgot that what they were doing was providing evidence for the police.

"The truth is they knew the tree was special, but they were trying to show they counted more."

'Pleasure in grief'

Dr Philip Stone from the University of Lancashire, who studies dark tourism where visitors travel to sites of death, brutality and terror, said the pair may have "enjoyed watching the distress they had caused from such spiteful, wanton ecological vandalism".

"To use the German psychology phrase schadenfreude, some people take a pleasure in other's people's misfortune and getting a sense of perverted pleasure from the response from that.

"It is as though they are thinking 'Yeh, I'm going to get my 15 minutes of fame, but I'm also going to get pleasure in seeing other people's grief'."

Among those hurt by the loss of something both very public and personal was Hayley Graham-Hardy.

She got engaged at the Sycamore Gap tree and, after her wedding, she and her husband Lee posed for their photographs there.

"Strong, resilient always there, the tree symbolised what we wanted our marriage to be," she said.

The couple had hoped there had been more to the felling than Carruthers and Daniel having "a bit of a laugh" and it "stung" to find out that seemed to be their only motive.

"They sent messages to each other about someone not having the 'minerals' to do what they did," she said.

"I'd like to say to them, 'you guys haven't got the minerals to own up to what you did and I hope that sticks with you in prison'."

Follow BBC North East on X and Facebook and BBC Cumbria on X and Facebook and both on Nextdoor and Instagram.

I've reported on many criminal cases, but nothing like Constance Marten and Mark Gordon's. Their trials were extraordinary.

A couple who were twice in the dock over the death of their baby, they appeared to be completely in love and still fiercely united. And yet they had utter contempt for the court process.

They caused chaos across their two trials, which both overran by months. At one point, the Old Bailey's most senior judge accused them of trying to "sabotage" and "manipulate" their retrial. It nearly collapsed a number of times.

Their behaviour - from refusing to turn up to court and claiming to be ill, to sacking countless barristers and Gordon's trousers even being misplaced one day - left His Honour Judge Mark Lucraft KC exasperated on many occasions.

At one point he said two teenagers, who had been in his court the previous week, were "rather better behaved" than Marten, adding: "And they pleaded guilty to murder."

Over the last 18 months I've sat through Marten and Gordon's two criminal trials.

The first, which started in January 2024, resulted in the pair being found guilty of concealing the birth of their baby, Victoria, of perverting the course of justice and child cruelty.

But in late June, the jury in that trial was dismissed, unable to decide on one of the two, more serious charges about Victoria's death.

A second trial began almost nine months later. They have now both been found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence.

Now their case is over, we can report some of the remarkable moments when jurors were not in court. At times what happened across the trials was jaw-dropping.

'Will you stop flirting with me'

Marten and Gordon were highly unusual defendants. They would often talk during proceedings - as if completely unaware they were on trial. They knew their conversations were disruptive, but they didn't seem to care.

One day, while a witness was giving evidence, Marten sent a note to the judge asking: "Could I nip out for a coffee as we're falling asleep?"

The judge said it "doesn't look good" if defendants aren't interested in the evidence. They were, of course, on trial over the death of their baby.

It was obvious from the moment I first saw Marten and Gordon that they were still very much in love. They presented as a couple in court, rather than as co-defendants.

"Will you stop flirting with me," Marten said loudly to Gordon one day after the judge left court.

On her 38th birthday, they had a lingering embrace in the dock. "Where's my present," she playfully asked.

They appeared fixated on each other. "Obsession" was how Gordon described his love for Marten to police, saying he would have done anything for her.

Later, while giving evidence in their retrial, as if reading an open love letter to court, he declared "it was love" between him and his "noble" and "beautiful" wife.

"She was one of the best things that ever happened to me in my life."

Marten and Gordon were often excited to see each other when they were brought up from the cells. Her face would light up when he appeared at the dock door. Sometimes she would blow Gordon kisses.

They were affectionate. They hugged and kissed on the cheek. Sometimes they tenderly stroked each other's hand. When Marten became tearful Gordon put his arm out to comfort her.

During proceedings, sitting with a dock officer between them, Gordon would often try to catch Marten's eye and smile. She would frequently lean towards him, with her chin resting on her hand.

At the end of the day, before being led back to their cells, they'd sometimes say "love you" to each other. It seemed like they looked forward to coming to court, a place they got to spend time together.

But there was a sense of chaos before the couple's first trial began in the early weeks of 2024. Marten and Gordon's legal representation kept changing - a running theme throughout their protracted case.

Some they sacked. Others withdrew. Sometimes they didn't have lawyers at all. It caused unending disruption.

In trials like this, involving serious charges, a defendant would typically have two barristers representing them. Marten got through an extraordinary number.

From her first appearance at the Old Bailey, in March 2023, to the end of the second trial, more than two years later, she had been represented by 14 barristers.

Why had she got through so many?

"Because she thinks she's entitled and doesn't listen to instructions," a source close to one of her former legal teams told the BBC.

Gordon also changed his legal team and ended up representing himself.

It caused significant delays - the couple's first trial overran by about three months, while the second overran by nearly two months.

'She is not running this trial'

Their "antics", as the judge put it, got increasingly worse as the second trial went on and on.

They repeatedly didn't turn up, meaning many court days were lost and jurors were hugely inconvenienced.

Often one of them would say they weren't well enough to come to court, only to be assessed as being medically fit to do so.

"Constance Marten is not running this trial," Judge Lucraft said firmly one day after she refused again to come to court.

Marten spent days complaining about her tooth pain. Court days were lost because of it. On one of those days she was found to be "medically fit" but "refused" to come.

"She is on trial for extremely serious offences and I've bent over backwards," the judge said. "I've given her more latitude than I suspect I ought to in some situations."

"In my view this is a complete sham," he said later referring to Marten's absence. Despite Marten's complaints of tooth pain, she declined treatment.

There were other highly unusual delays.

Marten refused to attend court one day after she had become "very argumentative and abusive to the staff in prison", according to the note from HMP Bronzefield.

The judge expressed his frustration again and again.

"This trial has had so many delays and quite frankly it is an insult to this court and to the jury", he said one day without jurors in the room.

On that particular day, the judge asked for Marten to join on a remote link from prison to explain why she wasn't at court.

She said she had been "lied on" and had asked to see a nurse but none were available.

"I am happy to come to court," she told the judge, "but yesterday at the Old Bailey I was abused for three hours by a guy in the cells next to me, shouting I am a baby killer."

One day Gordon, who normally wore a shirt and tie, turned up in a blue and yellow prison escape suit - used to spot runaway prisoners. On another occasion it emerged his court trousers had gone missing.

The judge, who said he could not be allowed in court in prison wear, remarked: "It would be a great shame to lose any more time through a lack of trousers."

'Don't touch me man'

Marten and Gordon repeatedly ignored the judge's instructions not to speak to each other during breaks in their evidence.

Unusually, he started coming into court before they were brought up from the cells to stop it from happening, with a warning that if they didn't, he would put them in different courtrooms.

One day Marten repeatedly exhaled so loudly during the evidence that the whole courtroom heard.

"Huffing and puffing at the back of the court is not the way these proceedings are done," said the unimpressed judge. Other days she yawned repeatedly.

She complained of feeling tired and said she had never experienced anything like travelling to court and back. "There are women locked in a metal cage in a van."

• The chaotic lives of a couple who killed their baby daughter
• Court papers reveal Marten and Gordon’s failures as parents
• Mark Gordon is a psychopath, says woman he raped when he was 14
• Watch: How police traced Constance Marten and Mark Gordon

Sometimes Marten and Gordon would abruptly blurt things out from the dock when they took issue with the evidence.

They were rude to some of the dock officers: When one tried to separate them after they tried to hug in the dock, Gordon kicked off.

"Don't touch me, man," said an irate Gordon amid the commotion before telling the dock officer to "shut up" when the judge and jury weren't in the room.

During the first trial, Gordon refused to return to the dock unless a dock officer was changed and then demanded to speak to the cell manager.

Sometimes we heard loud arguing in the corridor behind the dock door between Marten and Gordon and dock officers.

'Deliberate attempt to sabotage'

One of the most explosive moments in the couple's retrial happened when Marten was giving evidence. She suddenly blurted out to the jury that her husband had a "violent rape conviction".

We all knew about Gordon's previous conviction. But the jury didn't.

To ensure he received a fair trial, an order preventing the media from reporting Gordon's previous offences was put in place. It was never mentioned in front of the jury.

It was a jaw-dropping moment, which set off an unforeseen chain of events.

"This is plainly a deliberate attempt by the defendant to sabotage the trial," the judge said after the jury was ushered out quickly.

One of the prosecutors, Joel Smith KC, described it as a "deliberate attempt to take a wrecking ball" to the the trial.

Marten claimed Mr Smith had already told the jury about the conviction. He hadn't. She said she had been exhausted and later blamed her "agonising toothache".

"I'm extremely tired and I am irate that this word 'deliberate' keeps being expounded in this courtroom," she said.

From then on it was difficult to keep up with the flurry of twists and turns that followed. Gordon initially wanted the jury discharged in his case.

The judge agreed. He said he had "little choice" and that Gordon would be tried next year. But the case against Marten would continue "alone", he decided during legal discussions.

Gordon then quickly changed his mind. "I can't do another year in prison," he pleaded with the judge. "I really beseech the court to allow this trial to continue," he added.

In the end, the case against Gordon continued. But the couple's behaviour appeared increasingly impulsive.

The number of barristers in court started to dwindle. Marten sacked her lead barrister but kept her junior. Not long after, Gordon's barristers withdrew their services.

He said he had sacked them and then declared that he was representing himself with the help of a solicitor. She also eventually withdrew.

The retrial had entered a whole new dimension.

Unlike at the first trial, when Gordon would often sit looking zoned out with his eyes half shut, now he appeared emboldened.

The problem was he wasn't a trained lawyer. It became hugely complicated. He often went on lengthy rants.

Without the jury in the room he would flip flop between complaining that things were "not fair" to turning the charm on, telling the judge that he was "tolerant", "kind", "patient" and gracious".

Other days he would shout at the judge as he left the courtroom.

He complained that he didn't have the same access as barristers. He wanted a desk, power to make legal applications and Archbold, a criminal law book running to more than 3,000 pages.

He repeatedly asked for more and more time to get his head around the case. It led to huge delays.

"Do you want me to adjourn for three years while you do a law degree?" the judge said to him one day.

At times Gordon appeared overwhelmed. He even pleaded for a royal intervention, describing the monarch as "compassionate and merciful".

"I ask the King in his mercy and those who work for him to help me," he said.

As the weeks went by, the judge warned Gordon a number of times that he might still remove him from the retrial because of the continued delays.

"It's simply him manipulating the system," the judge said on one occasion.

One of the most gripping and unusual moments of the retrial was when Gordon cross-examined Marten.

Normally a barrister would be expected to be forensic, but there was a tenderness in how he asked questions.

"Who was hands on and gentle with the kids?" he asked. "Both of us… especially you," she replied.

"Was the baby always a priority?"

"Absolutely, that's why we did what we did," Marten responded. "Our number one priority was Victoria. We were doing what we were doing for her."

Marten cried when Gordon asked her about their four other children who had been taken into care. "Alright, babes," he said trying to comfort her.

There was a marked change in her demeanour too.

When questioned by her husband she spoke softly, but when she was cross-examined by the prosecution she bristled and became increasingly strident, before cutting short her time on the stand.

'I'm actually happy'

When it came to the moment of the verdicts, the courtroom filled. There was silence. "Would the defendants please stand," the clerk said. They refused.

Guilty of gross negligence manslaughter for Gordon, the jury foreman told the court. Marten shook her head and crossed her arms.

Guilty of the same for her. She looked intensely at her partner. He leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes.

"It's a scam," Marten later shouted from the dock.

"It was an unfair trial," Gordon said loudly.

He told a dock officer: "I'm actually happy with the result because I will win the appeal."

He then thanked the court usher. "It's been a pleasure."

Up until the very last moments of their case Marten and Gordon were still disrupting, doing things their way.

A couple who were so fixated on each other, they were unable to grasp what the jury was sure of: that it was their chaotic and dangerous choices that ultimately led to the death of their baby, Victoria.

Additional reporting by Claire Ellison, Levi Jouavel and Daniel Sandford.

Mahmoud Abdul Rahman Ahmed says his son, Abdullah, was "searching for a sip of water" when he took the family's jerrycans on Sunday morning and headed as usual to one of the water distribution points in the urban Nuseirat camp, in central Gaza.

"That area was inhabited by displaced people, others who were exhausted by the war, and those who have seen the worst due to the imposed siege and limitations, and the ongoing aggression," Mahmoud said in an interview with a local journalist working for the BBC.

"The children, Abdullah among them, stood in a queue with empty stomachs, empty jerrycans, and thirsty lips," he added.

"Minutes after the children and thirsty people of the camp gathered, the warplanes bombed those children and the water distribution point, without prior notice."

Graphic video filmed by another local journalist and verified by the BBC showed the immediate aftermath of the Israeli strike on a street in the New Camp area of Nuseirat.

He passes two men carrying young children before coming across a destroyed structure, beneath which dozens of yellow plastic jerrycans are clustered.

Women scream as bystanders pull a man from the rubble, while others try to help another man covered in blood. Other adults and children are seen lying motionless nearby.

Al-Awda hospital in Nuseirat said 10 people, including six children, were killed in the strike, and that 16 others were injured.

Along with Abdullah, they named the children who died as Badr al-Din Qaraman, Siraj Khaled Ibrahim, Ibrahim Ashraf Abu Urayban, Karam Ashraf al-Ghussein and Lana Ashraf al-Ghussein.

When asked about the strike, the Israeli military said it had targeted a Palestinian Islamic Jihad "terrorist" but that "as a result of a technical error with the munition, the munition fell dozens of meters from the target".

The military said it was "aware of the claim regarding casualties in the area as a result" and "regrets any harm to uninvolved civilians", adding: "The incident is under review."

However, Mahmoud claimed that Israel "intended to convey a message: it won't allow people to drink even the drinking water that they crave."

He also lamented that dreams of Abdullah and the other children would never be realised.

"They were looking at reality with the hope of it changing, and of becoming like the other children of the world - practicing their normal role of playing, moving, traveling, eating, drinking, and living in safety," he said.

The UN says water shortages in Gaza are worsening due to the lack of fuel and spare parts for desalination, pumping and sanitation facilities, as well as insecurity and inaccessibility due to Israeli military operations against Hamas and evacuation orders.

As a result, many people are receiving less than the emergency standard of 15 litres per day, amounting to what the UN calls "a human-made drought crisis".

"You see children queuing up, by the side of the road, with yellow jerrycans every single morning, waiting for the daily water truck to come and get their five litres [or] 10 litres, of water used for washing, cleaning, cooking, drinking, etc," Sam Rose, the acting Gaza director for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa), told the BBC.

"Every death is a tragedy. This one is particularly emblematic, given the circumstances in which it took place. But it's one of many," he added.

Last Thursday, 10 children and three women were killed as they waited for nutritional supplements outside a clinic in the nearby town of Deir al-Balah.

The Israeli military said it had targeted a Hamas "terrorist" nearby and, as with Sunday's incident, that it regretted harming any civilians.

"We focus on these incidents, but of course these weren't the only children killed in Gaza [on Sunday]," Rose said. "Every single day, since the start of the war, on average of classroom full of children have been killed."

The executive director of the UN children's agency (Unicef), Catherine Russell, meanwhile called both incidents "horrific" and demanded that Israeli authorities "urgently review the rules of engagement and ensure full compliance with international humanitarian law".

Later this week, the UN Security Council will convene to discuss the situation of children in Gaza, following a request by the UK.

However, Israel's permanent representative Danny Danon said council members would be "better served to apply pressure on Hamas for prolonging this conflict".

"The children in Gaza are victims of Hamas, not Israel. Hamas is using them as human shields and the UN is silent," he claimed.

Mahmoud said it was Israel which should be pressured to end the war.

"We have no power and no strength. We are victims. We are civilians just like other people in the world, and we don't own any nuclear weapons or arms or anything," he added.

"This war needs to stop, and so does the ongoing massacre happening in the Gaza Strip."