Few scenes convey British pomp and soft power more than the King and Queen in a carriage procession through the picturesque streets of Windsor. They are being joined on Tuesday by Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron for the first state visit by a French president since 2008, and the first by a European Union leader since Brexit.

The Prince and Princess of Wales will be there too — a Royal Salute will be fired and Macron will inspect a guard of honour. But at a time of jeopardy in Europe, this three-day visit to Windsor and London promises much more than ceremony.

There is a genuine hope that the coming days will make a difference to both countries.

Macron will address MPs and peers at Westminster, and he and Brigitte will be treated to a state banquet back at Windsor. The trip will culminate with a UK-France summit, co-chaired by Sir Keir Starmer and Macron, during which the two governments hope to reach an agreement on the return of irregular migrants.

They will also host Ukraine's leader by video as they try to maintain arms supplies to his military.

But the wider question is how closely aligned they can really become, and whether they can put any lingering mistrust after Brexit behind them.

And, given that the trip will involve much pageantry — with the tour moving from the streets of Windsor, the quadrangle of the Castle and later to the Royal Gallery of the Palace of Westminster — how crucial is King Charles III's role in this diplomacy?

Resetting a 'unique partnership'

It was less than two months ago that the UK and EU agreed to "reset" relations in London. Ties with France in particular had warmed considerably, driven partly by personal understanding but also strategic necessity.

The two neighbours have much in common: they are both nuclear powers and members of the United Nations Security Council.

They are also both looking to update a 15-year-old defence pact known as the Lancaster House treaties, which established a 10,000-strong Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF), and they have recently been working on broadening it to include other Nato and European countries.

"It has always been a unique partnership," says former French ambassador to the UK Sylvie Bermann. "I think this partnership will be crucial in the future."

All of this is unlikely to escape the notice of US President Donald Trump, who is also promised a state visit, his second to the UK, probably in September.

King Charles is 'more than a figurehead'

King Charles, who is 76, has already navigated some complex royal diplomacy this year.

Macron was the first European leader to visit Trump in the White House in February, but it was Sir Keir who stole the show days later, handing him a personal invitation from the King.

Then, when Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky returned to Europe fresh from a bruising meeting with Trump at the White House in February, it was King Charles who welcomed him to Sandringham, and then met him again at Windsor in June.

He has spoken in the past of the heroism of Ukrainians in the face of "indescribable aggression".

Even before ascending the throne, King Charles amassed decades of experience in international affairs (he is also fluent in French). He was only 21 when he attended the funeral in 1970 of Charles de Gaulle, the wartime general who became the architect of France's current Fifth Republic.

He went on to become the longest-serving Prince of Wales in history, and now he is King he has weekly audiences with the prime minister. "The choreography is a strange dance, I suspect, between Number Ten and the Palace," says royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams.

"There's no doubt at all that Charles is considerably more than a figurehead."

Windsor Castle, which dates back to the first Norman king, William the Conqueror, has hosted French presidents before. But there is a quiet significance in the appearance of the Prince and Princess of Wales in welcoming Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron, as Catherine recovers from treatment for cancer.

Between them, the King and Macron have played their part in resetting relations between the two neighbours, and by extension with the European Union too.

The King is a francophile, says Marc Roche, a columnist and royal commentator for French media: "He has always had a good relationship with France."

A year after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, it was France that King Charles and Queen Camilla chose for their first state visit in September 2023.

Macron had reminded the world in 2022 that the late Queen had "climbed the stairs of the Élysée Palace" six times — more than any other foreign sovereign. His words were warmly received in the UK.

The King received a standing ovation after an address in French to the Senate, and the Queen played table tennis at a sports centre with Brigitte Macron. France's first lady has since visited her in London for a cross-Channel book award.

Gentle touches they may have been, but it followed a very rough period in Franco-British relations.

Brexit negotiations soured relations

The mood had soured during negotiations over Brexit, which the French president said was based on a lie.

Then four years ago, Australia pulled out of a deal to buy 12 French submarines and signed a defence pact with the UK and US instead. The French foreign minister called it a "stab in the back".

Boris Johnson, who was prime minister at the time, told the French they should "prenez un grip" and "donnez-moi un break".

It had been Macron's idea for a European Political Community (EPC) in 2022 that brought the UK into a broad group of countries all seeking to respond to Russia's full-scale invasion.

In 2023 the then-Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, sought to turn the page on several years of frosty relations at a Franco-British summit in Paris.

British and French prime ministers have come and gone: the UK had three in 2022, and last year France had four. It was Sunak's team that organised last year's EPC summit at Blenheim, but it was Starmer as new prime minister who chaired it.

Sébastien Maillard, who helped advise the French presidency in setting up the EPC, said he believed "on both sides there is still a lack of trust… The memory of these difficult times has not vanished".

"Trust needs time to build and perhaps the Russian threat, support for Ukraine and how to handle Trump are three compelling reasons to rebuild that trust," says Maillard, who is now at the Chatham House think tank.

Susi Dennison, of the European Council on Foreign Relations in Paris, agrees relations with France are not back to pre-Brexit levels, but suggests some things the UK and France are "bickering" about were being argued over even before the Brexit vote.

For Macron, this is a chance to not only improve the relationship but also to shine on the international stage when his popularity at home has sunk, Mr Roche believes. "It's a very important visit, especially the first day, because the French are fascinated by the Royal Family."

After eight years in power, Macron's second term still has almost two years to run, but he has paid the price politically for calling snap elections last year and losing his government's majority. His prime minister, François Bayrou, faces a monumental task in the coming months in steering next year's budget past France's left-wing and far-right parties.

As president, Macron's powers - his domaine réservé - cover foreign policy, defence and security, but traditionally France's prime minister does not travel with the head of state, so Macron comes to the UK with a team of ministers who will handle far more than international affairs.

The difficult question of migration

During the summit, the two teams will also work on nuclear energy, artificial intelligence and cultural ties. Differences still have to be sorted over "post-Brexit mobility" for students and other young people, and France is expected to push the Starmer government on that.

But most of the headlines on Thursday's UK-France summit will cover the two main issues: defence and migration.

Defending Ukraine will take pride of place. An Élysée Palace source said it would discuss "how to seriously maintain Ukraine's combat capability" and regenerate its military.

"On defence our relationship is closer than any other countries," says former ambassador Sylvie Bermann. "We have to prepare for the future… to strengthen the deterrence of Europe."

And if a ceasefire were agreed in Ukraine, the two countries could provide the backbone of the "reassurance force" being proposed by the "coalition of the willing". Sir Keir and Macron have played a prominent part in forming this coalition, but so too have the military chiefs of staff of both countries.

Migration is the stickiest problem the two countries face, however. How they deal with their differences on it — particularly on small boats — is crucial to their future relationship.

They are especially keen to sign an agreement on migrant returns and on French police stopping people boarding "taxi boats" to cross the Channel.

France has long argued that the UK has to address the "pull factors" that drive people to want to risk their lives on the boats — the UK, for its part, already pays for many of the 1,200 French gendarmes to patrol France's long northern coastline to stop the smugglers' boats.

The countries are believed to have been working on the terms of a "one-in, one-out" agreement, so that for every small-boat arrival in the UK that France takes back, the UK would allow in one asylum seeker from France seeking family reunification.

Several countries on the southern coasts of Europe are unimpressed because it could mean France sending those asylum seekers handed back by the UK on to their country of entry into the EU, bordering the Mediterranean.

In the UK, the opposition Conservatives have branded the idea "pathetic", accusing the government of a "national record - for failure" on curbing small-boat crossings.

And yet every country in Europe is looking for a way to cut illegal border crossings. Meghan Benton, of the Migration Policy Institute, believes a Franco-British deal could work as a possible pilot for the rest of Europe: "What works for the Channel could also work for the Mediterranean."

Any agreement on this tricky issue could also signal a real, practical improvement in the countries' political relationship. France's right-wing Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau, has already been working with Labour's Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to try to find a workable solution.

How far they get, and its wider impact on Europe, is still to be decided, but it does reflect a new willingness between the two neighbours to tackle the divisions between them.

Boris Johnson once accused France of wanting to punish the UK for Brexit. That difficult chapter appears to be over.

As Susi Dennison puts it: "There's a certain distance that will always be there, but things are operating quite well."

During King Charles' 2023 state visit to France he called on the two countries to find common ground, "to reinvigorate our friendship to ensure it is fit for the challenge of this, the 21st Century".

And so this visit will help show — both in the relationships between individuals and on concrete policy debates — whether his call has been answered.

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The winters in Victoria's Gippsland region are known for being chilly. Frost is a frequent visitor overnight, and the days are often overcast.

But in the small town of Korumburra - a part of Australia surrounded by low, rolling hills - it's not just the weather that's gloomy; the mood here is plainly subdued.

Korumburra is where all of Erin Patterson's victims made their home. Don and Gail Patterson, her in-laws, had lived there since 1984. They brought up their four children in the town of 5,000. Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson lived nearby - her husband Ian was the pastor at the local Baptist church.

The four were invited to Erin's house on 29 July 2023 for a family lunch that only Ian would survive, after a liver transplant and weeks in an induced coma.

And on Monday a jury rejected Erin's claim she accidentally served her guests toxic mushrooms, finding her guilty of three counts of murder and one of attempted murder.

Her 10-week trial caused a massive stir globally, but here in Korumburra they don't want to talk about it. They just want to return to their lives after what has been a difficult two years.

"It's not an easy thing to go through a grieving process... and it's particularly not easy when there's been so much attention," cattle farmer and councillor for the shire Nathan Hersey told the BBC.

"There's an opportunity now for a lot of people to be able to have some closure."

The locals are fiercely loyal - he's one of the few people who is willing to explain what this ordeal has meant for the many in the region.

"It's the sort of place that you can be embraced in very quickly and made to feel you are part of it," he explains.

And those who died clearly helped build that environment.

Pretty much everyone of a certain generation in town was taught by former school teacher Don Patterson: "You'll hear a lot of people talk very fondly of Don, about the impact he had on them.

"He was a great teacher and a really engaging person as well."

And Mr Hersey says he has heard many, many tales of Heather and Gail's generosity and kindness.

Pinned to the Korumburra Baptist Church noticeboard is a short statement paying tribute to the trio, who were "very special people who loved God and loved to bless others".

"We all greatly miss Heather, Don and Gail whether we were friends for a short time or over 20 years," it read.

It's not just Korumburra that's been changed by the tragedy though.

This part of rural Victoria is dotted with small towns and hamlets, which may at first appear quite isolated.

The reality is they are held together by close ties - ties which this case has rattled.

In nearby Outtrim, the residents of Neilson Street – an unassuming gravel road host to a handful of houses – have been left reeling by the prosecution claim their gardens may have produced the murder weapon.

It was one of two locations where death cap mushrooms were sighted and posted on iNaturalist, a citizen science website. Pointing to cell phone tracking data, the prosecution alleged that Erin Patterson went to both to forage for the lethal fungi.

"Everyone knows somebody who has been affected by this case," Ian Thoms tells the BBC from his small farm on Nielson Street.

He rattles off his list. His son is a police detective. His wife works with the daughter of the only survivor Ian. His neighbour is good friends with "Funky Tom", the renowned mushroom expert called upon by the prosecution – who coincidentally was also the person who had posted the sighting of the fungi here.

Down the road another 15 minutes is Leongatha, where Erin Patterson's home sits among other sprawling properties on an unpaved lane.

She bought a plot of land here with a generous inheritance from her mother and built the house assuming she would live here forever.

It has been sitting empty for about 18 months, a sign on the gate telling trespassers to keep out. A neighbour's sheep intermittently drop by to mow the grass.

This week, the livestock was gone, and a black tarpaulin had been erected around the carport and the entrance to her house.

There's a sense of intrigue among some of the neighbours, but there's also a lot of weariness. Every day there are gawkers driving down the lane to see the place where the tragic meal happened. One neighbour even reckons she saw a tour bus trundle past the house.

"When you live in a local town you know names - it's been interesting to follow," says Emma Buckland, who stops to talk to us in the main street.

"It's bizarre," says her mother Gabrielle Stefani. "Nothing like that has [ever] happened so it's almost hard to believe."

The conversation turns to mushroom foraging.

"We grew up on the farm. Even on the front lawn there's always mushrooms and you know which ones you can and can't eat," says Ms Buckland. "That's something you've grown up knowing."

The town that's felt the impact of the case the most in recent months, though, is Morwell; the administrative capital of the City of Latrobe and where the trial has been heard.

"We've seen Morwell, which is usually a pretty sleepy town, come to life," says local journalist Liam Durkin, sitting on a wall in front of Latrobe Valley courthouse.

He edits the weekly Latrobe Valley Express newspaper, whose offices are just around the corner.

"I never thought I'd be listening to fungi experts and the like for weeks on end but here we are," he says.

"I don't think there's ever been anything like this, and they may well never be in Morwell ever again."

While not remote by Australian standards, Morwell is still a two-hour drive from the country's second largest city, Melbourne. It feels far removed from the Victorian capital – and often forgotten.

Just a few months before that fateful lunch served up by Erin Patterson in July 2023, Morwell's paper mill - Australia's last manufacturer of white paper and the provider of many local jobs - shut down. Before that, many more people lost their jobs when a nearby power station closed down.

Older people here have struggled to find work; others have left to find more lucrative options in states like Queensland.

So locals say being thrust in the spotlight now is a bit bizarre.

In Jay Dees coffee shop, opposite the police station and the court, Laura Heller explains that she normally makes about 150 coffees a day. Recently it's almost double that.

"There's been a lot of mixed feelings about [the trial]," she says.

There's been a massive uptick for many businesses, but this case has also revived long-held division in the community when it comes to the police and justice systems, she explains.

"This town is affected by crime a lot, but it's a very different type of crime," Ms Heller says, mentioning drugs and youth offending as examples.

"Half the community don't really have much faith in the police force and our magistrates."

Back in Korumburra, what has been shaken is their faith in humanity. It feels like many people around the globe have lost sight of the fact that this headline-making, meme-generating crime left three people dead.

"Lives in our local community have changed forever," Mr Hersey says.

"But I would say for a lot of people, it's just become almost like pop culture."

Though the past two years has at times brought out the worst in the community, it's also shone a light on the best, he says.

"We want to be known as a community that has been strong and has supported one another... rather than a place that is known for what we now know was murder."

Additional reporting by Tiffanie Turnbull

The national system for sending emergency alerts to mobile phones in the UK will be tested again this September, the government has said.

It will see compatible phones vibrate and make a siren sound for 10 seconds while displaying a message at 15:00 BST on 7 September, even if they are set to silent.

The alerts are intended for situations in which there is an imminent danger to life, such as extreme weather events or during a terror attack.

Though the system has been deployed regionally five times in the past few years, a previous nationwide test in 2023 revealed technical issues - with some people receiving the alert earlier than expected and some not receiving it at all.

Many on the Three network did not get anything, along with users on other networks - while some received multiple alerts. The government later said the message did not reach around 7% of compatible devices.

The Cabinet Office said at the time that the problems uncovered would be reviewed and addressed ahead of another test.

It said September's test is intended to ensure the system works well and to make sure people are familiar with the alerts, in line with other countries that also use them, like the US and Japan.

Of the approximately 87 million mobile phones in the UK, the alert will only appear on smartphones on 4G or 5G networks. Older phones, and phones connected to 2G or 3G networks, will not receive the message.

Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden said: "Just like the fire alarm in your house, it's important we test the system so that we know it will work if we need it."

The system was used to send alerts to 4.5 million phones in Scotland and Northern Ireland during Storm Eowyn in January 2025, and 3.5 million in England and Wales during Storm Darragh the previous month.

It was also used to aid the evacuation of more than 10,000 residents in Plymouth as an unexploded 500kg World War Two bomb was carefully removed and taken out to sea to be detonated after being uncovered.

Tracey Lee, chief executive of Plymouth City Council, said it had been an "invaluable tool" and provided residents with "clear information at a critical moment".

While devices that are not connected to mobile data or wi-fi will still receive the alert, those that are switched off or in airplane mode will not.

Domestic abuse charities previously warned the system could endanger victims by potentially alerting an abuser to a hidden phone. The National Centre for Domestic Violence advised people with concealed phones to turn them off for the duration of the test.

The government stresses that emergency alerts should remain switched on, but has published a guide for domestic abuse victims on how to opt out.

The new test will also feature a version of the message in British Sign Language for deaf people.

Employers will be banned from using non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to silence victims of workplace sexual misconduct or discrimination, the government has said.

An amendment to the Employment Rights Bill, which is expected to become law later this year, will void any confidentiality agreements seeking to prevent workers from speaking about allegations of harassment or discrimination.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said it was "time we stamped this practice out".

The use of NDAs to cover up criminality has been in the headlines ever since Zelda Perkins, the former assistant to Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, broke her NDA in 2017 to accuse him of sexual abuse.

More recently, the now deceased Mohamed Al Fayed, who used to own Harrods, was accused of deploying confidentiality clauses to silence women who accused him of rape and abuse.

An NDA is a legally binding document that protects confidential information between two parties. They can be used to protect intellectual property or other commercially sensitive information but over the years their uses have spread.

Ms Perkins began campaigning for a change in the law more than seven years ago.

She now runs the campaign group Can't Buy My Silence UK and said the amendment marked a ''huge milestone'' and that it showed the government had ''listened and understood the abuse of power taking place".

But she said the victory ''belongs to the people who broke their NDAs, who risked everything to speak the truth when they were told they couldn't".

The change in the law would bring the UK in line with Ireland, the United States, and some provinces in Canada, which have banned such agreements from being used to prevent the disclosure of sexual harassment and discrimination.

Ms Perkins said that while the law was welcome, it was vital "to ensure the regulations are watertight and no one can be forced into silence again".

Employment rights minister Justin Madders said there was "misuse of NDAs to silence victims", which he called "an appalling practice".

"These amendments will give millions of workers confidence that inappropriate behaviour in the workplace will be dealt with, not hidden, allowing them to get on with building a prosperous and successful career," he added.

Peers will debate the amendments when the Employment Rights Bill returns to the House of Lords on 14 July and, if passed, will need to be approved by MPs as well.

The maternity fashion retailer Seraphine, whose clothes were worn by the Princess of Wales during her three pregnancies, has ceased trading and entered administration.

Consultancy firm Interpath confirmed to the BBC on Monday that it had been appointed as administrators by the company and that the "majority" of its 95 staff had been made redundant.

It said the brand had experienced "trading challenges" in recent times with sales being hit by "fragile consumer confidence".

The fashion retailer was founded in 2002, but perhaps hit its peak when Catherine wore its maternity clothes on several occasions, leading to items quickly selling out.

Prior to the confirmation that administrators had been appointed, which was first reported by the Financial Times, Seraphine's website was offering discounts on items as big as 60%. Its site now appears to be inaccessible to shoppers.

The main job of administration is to save the company, and administrators will try to rescue it by selling it, or parts of it. If that is not possible it will be closed down and all its saleable assets sold.

Will Wright, UK chief executive of Interpath, said economic challenges such as "rising costs and brittle consumer confidence" had proved "too challenging to overcome" for Seraphine.

Interpath said options are now being explored for the business and its assets, including the Seraphine brand.

The retailer's flagship store was in Kensington High Street, London, but other well-known shops, such as John Lewis and Next, also stocked its goods.

The rise in popularity of Seraphine, driven in part by Royalty wearing its clothes, led to the company listing on the London Stock Exchange in 2021, before being taking back into private ownership in 2023.

Interpath said in April this year, the company "relaunched its brand identity, with a renewed focus on form, function and fit".

"However, with pressure on cashflow continuing to mount, the directors of the business sought to undertake an accelerated review of their investment options, including exploring options for sale and refinance," a statement said.

"Sadly, with no solvent options available, the directors then took the difficult decision to file for the appointment of administrators."

Staff made redundant as a result of the company's downfall are to be supported making claims to the redundancy payments service, Interpath added.

Scientists have discovered a new species of pterosaur – a flying reptile that soared above the dinosaurs more than 200 million years ago.

The jawbone of the ancient reptile was unearthed in Arizona back in 2011, but modern scanning techniques have now revealed details showing that it belongs to a species new to science.

The research team, led by scientists at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC, has named the creature Eotephradactylus mcintireae, meaning "ash-winged dawn goddess".

It is a reference to the volcanic ash that helped preserve its bones in an ancient riverbed.

Details of the discovery are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

At about 209 million years old, this is now believed to be the earliest pterosaur to be found in North America.

"The bones of Triassic pterosaurs are small, thin, and often hollow, so they get destroyed before they get fossilised," explained Dr Kligman.

The site of this discovery is a fossil bed in a desert landscape of ancient rock in the Petrified Forest National Park.

More than 200 million years ago, this place was a riverbed, and layers of sediment gradually trapped and preserved bones, scales and other evidence of life at the time.

The river ran through the central region of what was the supercontinent of Pangaea, which was formed from all of Earth's landmasses.

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The pterosaur jaw is just one part of a collection of fossils found at the same site, including bones, teeth, fish scales and even fossilised poo (also known as coprolites).

Dr Kligman said: "Our ability to recognise pterosaur bones in [these ancient] river deposits suggests there may be other similar deposits from Triassic rocks around the world that may also preserve pterosaur bones."

Studying the pterosaur's teeth also provided clues about what the seagull-sized winged reptile would have eaten.

"They have an unusually high degree of wear at their tips," explained Dr Kligman. suggesting that this pterosaur was feeding on something with hard body parts."

The most likely prey, he told BBC News, were primitive fish that would have been covered in an armour of boney scales.

Scientists say the site of the discovery has preserved a "snapshot" of an ecosystem where groups of animals that are now extinct, including giant amphibians and ancient armoured crocodile relatives, lived alongside animals that we could recognise today, including frogs and turtles.

This fossil bed, Dr Kligman said, has preserved evidence of an evolutionary "transition" 200 million years ago.

"We see groups that thrived later living alongside older animals that [didn't] make it past the Triassic.

"Fossil beds like these enable us to establish that all of these animals actually lived together."

CCTV footage of the alleged assault of three police officers at Manchester Airport has been played to jurors.

Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, and his brother, Muhammad Amaad, 26, are said to have struck out after police were called to respond to an incident at the Starbucks cafe in Terminal 2 arrivals on July 23 last year.

Mr Amaaz is said to have headbutted a customer before four police officers approached the defendants at the pay station in the terminal's car park.

A jury at Liverpool Crown Court watched airport camera footage from opposite angles which captured what prosecutors say was a "high level of violence" used by the defendants towards the officers.

Mr Amaaz is alleged to have assaulted PC Marsden and PC Ward, causing them actual bodily harm, and to have assaulted PC Cook, and the earlier assault of a member of the public, Abdulkareem Ismaeil, at Starbucks.

Mr Amaad, 26, is alleged to have assaulted PC Marsden, causing actual bodily harm.

Both men, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, deny the allegations.

PC Zachary Marsden and PC Ellie Cook were both armed, while PC Lydia Ward was unarmed as they approached the defendants in the car park.

The prosecution says Mr Amaaz resisted as police tried to move him away from the payment machine to arrest him, and then his brother intervened.

Junior counsel Adam Birkby said Mr Amaaz threw 10 punches, including a punch to the face of PC Ward that knocked her to the floor, and that Mr Amaad aimed six punches at firearms officer PC Marsden.

Mr Amaaz is also said to have kicked PC Marsden and twice struck firearms officer PC Cook with his elbow.

He is said to have punched PC Marsden from behind and then had hold of him before PC Cook discharged her Taser device.

Mr Amaaz had his arm around PC Marsden's neck as both fell to the floor, Mr Birkby said, before the officer got to his feet.

Mr Birkby said "Mr Amaaz, while prone, lifts his head towards the officers. PC Marsden kicks Mr Amaaz around the head area.

"PC Marsden stamps his foot towards the crown of Mr Amaaz's head area but doesn't appear to connect with Mr Amaaz."

Giving evidence, PC Marsden told the court he approached the paystation with the intention of taking "immediate control" and escorting the suspect from the crowd and to arrest him outside where he would have radio signal.

He said: "I wanted to prevent his escape or any opportunity to escape, but also to give me control of someone who had allegedly been violent towards a member of the public."

He said he placed his hands on Mr Amaaz's left arm, but said he was "met with immediate resistance" and that he felt the suspect "clench his fists".

PC Marsden said: "I recall leaning in and saying to him words along the lines of, 'come on mate, we are not doing that here'."

He said he did not feel it was necessary to tell the suspect he was a police officer because he was wearing full uniform with a cap.

PC Marsden said he realised a change in plan was needed so decided to attempt to handcuff Mr Amaaz, the man wearing the light blue tracksuit.

He said he struggled to get Mr Amaaz's hands behind his back, so tried to get control of his head by pushing his body forwards.

'All directions'

PC Marsden told the court: "The information I had was that he used his head as a weapon. I was in close proximity and I didn't want to be headbutted."

The officer said he then felt an "immense weight of pressure" to his right side and felt his Glock 17 semi-automatic pistol move across his leg and around his body.

PC Marsden said: "My initial fear is that someone is trying to get my gun. If someone gained my firearm it would pose an immediate lethal threat to anyone in the vicinity.

"The risk of my firearm being taken from me did not stop until we gained control.

"There was more than one person involved here - the aggressor I was trying to arrest and possibly an accomplice who was a much bigger physical build than me and much taller."

He told prosecutor Paul Greaney KC he started to receive "blows from all directions" from the second man.

Mr Greaney asked: "What level of force was being used?"

PC Marsden replied: "I can confidently say they were the hardest I have ever felt in my life."

He said his glasses were knocked off his face and without them he could only see at arm's length.

He said he was unaware where his two colleagues were during the alleged assaults.

PC Marsden said: "I felt they were not in a position to help or they were preoccupied."

Mr Greaney said: "Had any other person, a member of the public, intervened in any way to help you?"

The officer replied: "No members of the public in that room tried to help.

"In the aftermath when I managed to get back on my feet and shout for help, I scanned the room and saw people watching and recording on phones."

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King Charles has called on people to stand united "against those who would seek to divide us", in a message marking the 20th anniversary of the 7/7 attacks in London.

He condemned the "senseless acts of evil" that saw bombs detonated on the capital's public transport system, killing 52 people and injuring more than 700.

The King called for a "spirit of unity" and said the attacks had shown the importance of "building a society where people of all faiths and backgrounds can live together with mutual respect and understanding".

Commemorative events will be held in the capital on Monday, remembering the victims of the 7 July 2005 bombings, carried out by Islamist extremists.

That will include a National Service of Commemoration at St Paul's Cathedral, where the King will be represented by the Duke of Edinburgh.

The suicide attacks in central London had seen bombs detonated on three underground trains and a double-decker bus, causing terrible casualties in the capital's rush hour.

The King's message said his "special prayers remain with all those whose lives were forever changed on that terrible summer's day", including those who carried the "physical and psychological scars".

He praised those who helped with the rescue and the "extraordinary courage and compassion that emerged from the darkness of that day".

King Charles has been a dedicated supporter of building bridges between different faiths and encouraging tolerance and respect between religions.

"While the horrors will never be forgotten, we may take comfort from the way such events rally communities together in solidarity, solace and determination.

"It is this spirit of unity that has helped London, and our nation, to heal," he said.

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The US is set to take the Syrian Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) off its list of foreign terrorist organisations on Tuesday, according to a state department memo.

The group led a rebel offensive in December that toppled the Assad regime, which had ruled Syria for 54 years. Its leader Ahmed al-Sharaa is now the country's interim president.

HTS, also known as al-Nusra Front, was previously al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria until al-Sharaa severed ties in 2016.

In recent months, Western countries have sought to reset relations with Syria - which has faced heavy sanctions aimed at the old regime.

In late June, Trump signed an executive order to formally end US sanctions against the country, with the White House saying the move was intended to support its "path to stability and peace".

It added it would monitor the new Syrian government's actions including "taking concrete steps toward normalising ties with Israel" as well as "addressing foreign terrorists" and "banning Palestinian terrorist groups".

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani said the move would "lift the obstacle" to economic recovery and open the country to the international community.

On Friday, Syria said it was willing to cooperate with the US to reimplement a 1974 disengagement agreement with Israel.

Over the weekend, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy visited Syria - the first government minister to do so in 14 years.

He met with al-Sharaa and announced an additional £94.5m support package - aimed at supporting longer-term recovery and countries helping Syrian refugees.

The UK earlier lifted sanctions on Syria's defence and interior ministries.

Ninety percent of Syria's population were left under the poverty line when the Assad regime was ousted after 13 years of devastating civil war.

Al-Sharaa has promised a new Syria, but there are concerns within the country about how the new government is operating - with some suspicious of his radical past.

Only one female government minister has been appointed to date - and al-Sharaa has made almost every other appointment directly.

There have also been multiple violent attacks against minority groups in recent months.

In March, hundreds of civilians from the minority Alawite sect were killed during clashes between the new security forces and Assad-loyalists. In April there were deadly clashes between Islamist armed factions, security forces and fighters from the Druze religious minority. And in June at least 25 people were killed in a suicide attack on a church in Damascus.

YouTuber Angryginge was arrested on suspicion of causing thousands of pounds worth of damage to a classic F1 car at Silverstone.

The 23-year-old, real name Morgan Burtwistle, was livestreaming from the British Grand Prix site with fellow YouTubers Chazza and SamHam on Friday when police approached them.

Earlier, the trio had filmed themselves laughing as Chazza, real name Charlie Clark, attempted to squeeze into the cockpit of an F1 car on display at the event.

Northamptonshire Police confirmed three men, aged 23, 25 and 27, were arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage to a vehicle before being released without further action.

Angryginge, from Salford, is one of the UK's most popular streamers with 1.3m followers on Twitch.

He's also known for managing a Baller League team, playing in Soccer Aid and playing for Red Bull's esports team.

In a vlog posted on Monday he said he was taken to a police station with Chazza and Samham, real name Samuel Imie, for questioning.

He said the three were held in a cell overnight for 15 hours.

"I'm genuinely traumatised," he told followers, and denied causing any damage to the vehicle.

Even though he was released without charge, he said, he wasn't allowed to return to Silverstone for the rest of the event.

BBC Newsbeat has contacted organisers for comment.

Northamptonshire Police said the three men were released "following a thorough investigation into the circumstances of the incident".

They estimated the damage to the car - thought to have been caused by someone accessing the display stand and climbing into the vehicle - would cost several thousand pounds to repair.

Separately, the force appealed for information about the theft of a steering wheel from a car on display at the British Grand Prix on Friday.

Officers released an image on Sunday of a man they wanted to speak to in connection with the missing wheel, and said it disappeared at about 14:30 BST.

The force says about half a million people attended British Grand Prix over four days, during which time 34 crimes were reported.

They said 20 people had been arrested across the weekend on suspicion of offences including theft, criminal damage, assault and drugs possession.

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

King Charles has called on people to stand united "against those who would seek to divide us", in a message marking the 20th anniversary of the 7/7 attacks in London.

He condemned the "senseless acts of evil" that saw bombs detonated on the capital's public transport system, killing 52 people and injuring more than 700.

The King called for a "spirit of unity" and said the attacks had shown the importance of "building a society where people of all faiths and backgrounds can live together with mutual respect and understanding".

Commemorative events will be held in the capital on Monday, remembering the victims of the 7 July 2005 bombings, carried out by Islamist extremists.

That will include a National Service of Commemoration at St Paul's Cathedral, where the King will be represented by the Duke of Edinburgh.

The suicide attacks in central London had seen bombs detonated on three underground trains and a double-decker bus, causing terrible casualties in the capital's rush hour.

The King's message said his "special prayers remain with all those whose lives were forever changed on that terrible summer's day", including those who carried the "physical and psychological scars".

He praised those who helped with the rescue and the "extraordinary courage and compassion that emerged from the darkness of that day".

King Charles has been a dedicated supporter of building bridges between different faiths and encouraging tolerance and respect between religions.

"While the horrors will never be forgotten, we may take comfort from the way such events rally communities together in solidarity, solace and determination.

"It is this spirit of unity that has helped London, and our nation, to heal," he said.

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Russia's Investigative Committee says former Russian transport minister Roman Starovoit has been found dead, apparently with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

He was dismissed earlier on Monday by President Vladimir Putin.

No reason for Starovoit's dismissal was given and deputy transport minister Andrei Nikitin was announced as his replacement shortly after.

The Investigative Committee said it was working to establish the circumstances of the incident.

Starovoit was appointed minister of transport in May 2024.

Before becoming transport minister Starovoit had served as governor of the Kursk region for almost nine years, until May 2024.

The region was partly seized by Ukrainian troops in August 2024 in a surprise offensive. Moscow only managed to drive out the Ukrainian forces, although in late June Kyiv said it was still holding a small area of territory inside Russia.

Starovoit's successor, Aleksey Smirnov, was only in post for a short while. He was arrested in April and was later accused of embezzling funds that had been allocated for the building of fortifications on the border with Ukraine.

According to Russian outlet Kommersant, Starovoit was about to be brought in as a defendant in the same case.

It is unclear when, exactly, Starovoit died.

The head of the State Duma Defense Committee, Andrei Kartapolov, told Russian outlet RTVI that his death occurred "quite a while ago".

Earlier on Monday, before Starovoit's death was announced, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was pressed by reporters on whether the dismissal meant Putin had lost trust in Starovoit over the events in Kursk.

"A loss of trust is mentioned if there is a loss of trust. Such wording was not used [in the Kremlin decree]," Peskov replied.

Could Wimbledon bring in video reviews?

'When it's activated, it works extremely well'

Friends and colleagues of a scientist killed on a street in Dundee at the weekend have spoken of their shock and heartbreak.

Dr Fortune Gomo, 39, was treated by paramedics but died in the city's Lochee area on Saturday afternoon after an incident which police are treating as murder

Dr Gomo, who was originally from Zimbabwe, had graduated with a PhD from Dundee University, and recently started working for Scottish Water.

A friend who went to school with her in Zimbabwe said she was both heartbroken and angry, while Dr Gomo's employer described her as an "exceptional scientist".

A 20-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident which happened on the city's South Street at about 16:25.

Angela Machonesa wrote on Facebook that she had been at school and university with Dr Gomo in Zimbabwe, and that news of her death had left her devastated.

She said: "Her brilliance in the classroom was only matched by her emotional intelligence. She was the kind of person you'd go to when you needed clarity, not just of mind, but of heart.

"We are heartbroken. We are angry. We are disoriented. But we are also united in one voice: Fortune Gomo mattered. Her life mattered. Her legacy must never be forgotten."

Collections have been started in Dundee to raise money for Dr Gomo's family and many floral tributes have been left at the scene.

A message attached to one of the said: "We're utterly shocked that this has happened in our community. May the angels watch over you."

Respected scientist

Dr Gomo had spent several years in water-related research after completing her doctorate in geography and environmental science at University of Dundee.

She started working full-time for Scottish Water six months ago as a senior resource planner.

Prof Simon Parsons, director of environment planning at Scottish Water, offered the company's deepest sympathies to her family and friends.

He said: "Fortune was an exceptional scientist and a senior service planner in our Water Resources Planning section based in Dundee where, having joined us in February, she had already become a highly valued and respected member of our team."

Police have said Dr Gomo's family are being supported by specialist officers.

Det Supt Peter Sharp, leading the investigation, said inquries were continuing but there was no wider risk to the public.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Police Scotland.

The 20-year-old man who has been arrested was due to appear at Dundee Sheriff Court later on Monday.

An eight-year-old girl and the director of an all-girls' summer camp are among the victims of flash floods in Texas that have claimed at least 43 lives, including 15 children.

Officials say most of the victims have been identified, though the identities of six adults and a child remain unknown. Authorities have not yet released any names publicly.

Here's what we know so far about the victims.

Renee Smajstrla

Eight-year-old Renee Smajstrla was at Camp Mystic when flooding swept through the summer camp for girls, her uncle said in a Facebook post.

"Renee has been found and while not the outcome we prayed for, the social media outreach likely assisted the first responders in helping to identify her so quickly," wrote Shawn Salta, of Maryland.

"We are thankful she was with her friends and having the time of her life, as evidenced by this picture from yesterday," he wrote. "She will forever be living her best life at Camp Mystic."

Camp Mystic, where 27 children are missing, is a nearly century-old Christian summer camp for girls on the banks of the Guadalupe River near Hunt, Texas.

Operated by generations of the same family since the 1930s, the camp's website bills itself as a place for girls to grow "spiritually" in a "wholesome" Christian atmosphere "to develop outstanding personal qualities and self-esteem".

Jane Ragsdale

Heart O' the Hills is another all-girls' camp that sits along the Guadalupe River, and it was right in the path of Friday's flood.

Jane Ragsdale, described as the "heart and soul" of Heart O'Hills, "did not make it", a post shared on the camp's official website said on Saturday.

Ragsdale, who started off as a camper then a counsellor, became the director and co-owner of the camp in 1976.

"We are mourning the loss of a woman who influenced countless lives and was the definition of strong and powerful," the camp website post said.

Heart O' the Hills wasn't in session and "most of those who were on camp at the time have been accounted for and are on high ground", the statement said.

"Access to the site is difficult, and authorities are primarily focused on locating the missing and preventing further loss of life and property".

Sarah Marsh

Sarah Marsh, a student at Cherokee Bend Elementary School in Texas, would have entered third grade in August.

She, too, was attending Camp Mystic when the floods struck, and reported as missing along with about two dozen other campers.

Her grandmother, Debbie Ford Marsh, took to Facebook on Friday asking for prayers. Just hours later she shared online that her granddaughter was among the girls killed.

"We will always feel blessed to have had this beautiful spunky ray of light in our lives. She will live on in our hearts forever!" Ms Ford Marsh wrote on Facebook.

In a post on Facebook, Alabama Senator Katie Britt said she's "heartbroken over the loss of Sarah Marsh, and we are keeping her family in our thoughts and prayers during this unimaginable time".

Lila Bonner

Nine-year-old Lila Bonner, a Dallas native was found dead after flooding near Camp Mystic, according to NBC News.

"In the midst of our unimaginable grief, we ask for privacy and are unable to confirm any details at this time," her family said in a statement to the news outlet.

"We ache with all who loved her and are praying endlessly."

An American Israeli man who was held captive by Hamas has told the BBC that US President Donald Trump has the power to secure the release of the remaining hostages and end the war in Gaza.

Keith Siegel, 66, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza during the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023. He was released this February after 484 days in captivity under a ceasefire deal that Trump helped broker just before he took office.

He was taken along with his wife, Aviva, who was held for 51 days before being freed during an earlier ceasefire.

Mr Siegel was speaking ahead of a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump at the White House on Monday evening.

In an interview in Tel Aviv, he thanked Trump for securing his own release and said the president could now do the same for the remaining 50 hostages, up to 20 of whom are believed to still be alive.

"I believe he has a lot of strength, power and ability to put pressure on those that need to be pressured, on both sides in order to get the agreement, get the deal signed, and get all of hostages back and bring it into the war," he said.

Trump has said he hopes a new ceasefire and hostage release deal will be agreed this week, but it appears there are still significant gaps between Israel and Hamas.

The two sides resumed indirect talks in Qatar on Sunday evening but they ended after three hours without a breakthrough, according to a Palestinian official.

Before he flew to Washington DC, Netanyahu said he believed his meeting with Trump could "definitely help advance that result we are all hoping for".

It is believed the plan includes the staggered release of 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 dead hostages in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails.

Hamas said on Friday that it had delivered a "positive response". But a Palestinian official said it had requested several changes, including a US guarantee that hostilities would not resume if negotiations on an end to the war failed - an idea Netanyahu has previously rejected.

Mr Siegel described in vivid detail how Hamas members beat and taunted him, and said he was still haunted by the torture of a female captive he witnessed.

He said Hamas operatives had moved him through the streets of Gaza, sometimes in daylight, to 33 different locations during the course of his captivity.

When asked whether he would support a deal which released the hostages but saw Hamas remain in power in Gaza, he replied: "It's of the highest priority and urgency to get all of the 50 hostages back as soon as possible."

But he continued: "We cannot let Hamas continue to threaten people and to kill and murder people, and I think Hamas is responsible for death on both sides."

Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says more than 57,000 people have been killed there since Israel launched military operations in response to the 7 October attacks, during which about 1,200 people were killed in Israel and 251 others taken hostage.

I asked Mr Siegel, as he continues to campaign for the release of the remaining hostages, whether his thoughts also focus on the suffering of the Gazan population.

"I believe that peace and security for all people and freedom... are basic human rights that every person deserves," he said.

"I think it's the responsibility of all leadership to ensure that that happens. Any innocent person that is hurt or killed or murdered is something that I hope or I dream will not happen."

King Charles has called on people to stand united "against those who would seek to divide us", in a message marking the 20th anniversary of the 7/7 attacks in London.

He condemned the "senseless acts of evil" that saw bombs detonated on the capital's public transport system, killing 52 people and injuring more than 700.

The King called for a "spirit of unity" and said the attacks had shown the importance of "building a society where people of all faiths and backgrounds can live together with mutual respect and understanding".

Commemorative events will be held in the capital on Monday, remembering the victims of the 7 July 2005 bombings, carried out by Islamist extremists.

That will include a National Service of Commemoration at St Paul's Cathedral, where the King will be represented by the Duke of Edinburgh.

The suicide attacks in central London had seen bombs detonated on three underground trains and a double-decker bus, causing terrible casualties in the capital's rush hour.

The King's message said his "special prayers remain with all those whose lives were forever changed on that terrible summer's day", including those who carried the "physical and psychological scars".

He praised those who helped with the rescue and the "extraordinary courage and compassion that emerged from the darkness of that day".

King Charles has been a dedicated supporter of building bridges between different faiths and encouraging tolerance and respect between religions.

"While the horrors will never be forgotten, we may take comfort from the way such events rally communities together in solidarity, solace and determination.

"It is this spirit of unity that has helped London, and our nation, to heal," he said.

Sign up here to get the latest royal stories and analysis every week with our Royal Watch newsletter. Those outside the UK can sign up here.

Author Raynor Winn has been accused of fabricating or giving misleading information about some elements of her best-selling book The Salt Path.

The 2018 book, and recent film adaptation, told the story of a couple who decide to walk the 630-mile South West Coast Path after their home is repossessed.

An investigation by the Observer suggested some of Winn's claims about her husband's illness and the events that led to the couple losing their home have been misrepresented.

Winn has described the Observer article as "highly misleading" and said the couple are taking legal advice, adding that the book was "the true story of our journey".

Here's what we know so far:

What is The Salt Path about?

The Salt Path has sold more than two million copies since its publication in March 2018, and a film adaptation starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs was released earlier this year.

In the book, Winn said she and her husband Moth lost a substantial sum of money after making a bad investment in a friend's business, which left them liable for his debts when the company failed. She said it ultimately led to the couple losing their home.

Around the same time, Winn wrote, Moth was diagnosed with corticobasal degeneration (CBD), which usually has a life expectancy of around six to eight years.

Winn said after she and Moth became homeless and Moth was diagnosed, the couple decided to set off on the South West Coast Path.

The book documents the pair eventually walking the full 630-mile route, living off a small amount of money in weekly tax credits each week, and wild camping every night.

It describes the physical exhaustion but also rewarding nature of the walk, as well as their interactions with members of the public along the way.

The book ends with the couple getting a fresh start with the offer of new accommodation. As a result of the walk, Winn says her husband's health improved, and he has now lived for 12 years since the diagnosis.

Winn has written two further books since The Salt Path - both of which also focus on themes of walking, nature, homelessness and wild camping - and has a fourth due to be published later this year.

What does the Observer's investigation allege?

The investigation claims the couple lost their home in North Wales after Winn defrauded her employer of £64,000, and not in a bad business deal as she originally suggested.

The couple reportedly borrowed £100,000 with 18% interest, secured against their house, from a distant relative, in order to repay the money she had been accused of stealing.

The Observer said the couple also had a £230,000 mortgage on the same property, meaning that their combined debts exceeded the value of the house.

The couple's home was then reportedly repossessed after the relative sued them to recover the money.

The Observer added the couple owned a house in France that had land on which they had previously stayed. However, it also said the property had been in an uninhabitable state for some time, and that villagers said the couple never stayed in the house but would stay in caravans on the land.

The newspaper also said it had spoken to medical experts who said it was unlikely Moth had CBD, given his long survival after diagnosis.

It also reports that Raynor and Moth Winn are not the couple's real names.

How has Raynor Winn responded?

In a statement released later on Sunday, Winn said: "Today's Observer article is highly misleading.

"We are taking legal advice and won't be making any further comment at this time."

The statement continued: "The Salt Path lays bare the physical and spiritual journey Moth and I shared, an experience that transformed us completely and altered the course of our lives.

"This is the true story of our journey."

The BBC has also contacted Penguin, who published the book, for comment, as well as literary agents Graham Maw Christie.

The production companies behind the movie adaptation, Number 9 and BBC Film, and the film's stars Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs, have also been contacted for comment.

Singer Jessie J says results from tests following surgery to remove one of her breasts after an early cancer diagnosis show no spread of the disease.

In a social media post she wrote that she was crying "happy tears" after receiving the news.

In June she revealed her diagnosis and underwent surgery to remove her breast.

She thanked her 14 million followers for the "prayers, the love, the well wishes, the joy and all the positive energy".

Jessie J has posted openly about her experiences of undergoing a mastectomy and received comments in support of her doing so.

On Monday she released a video, taken the night before her surgery, of her young son saying: "Mummy's gonna be OK."

"And... I am OK" she wrote, saying she'd received results showing no cancer spread.

The post was flooded with positive comments, including from celebrities like TV presenter Rochelle Humes. Singer Paloma Faith also offered her congratulations on the news.

Women who have been impacted by breast cancer also replied to the post. According to Cancer Research UK more than 56,000 women a year are diagnosed with the disease.

The popstar revealed she has "lots of healing to go" and is now awaiting an operation to "make these cousins look more like sisters", referring to reconstructive surgery on her breast.

She signed off the post in good humour saying she is in the meantime changing her name to "The LopJess monster".

An eight-year-old girl and the director of an all-girls' summer camp are among the victims of flash floods in Texas that have claimed at least 43 lives, including 15 children.

Officials say most of the victims have been identified, though the identities of six adults and a child remain unknown. Authorities have not yet released any names publicly.

Here's what we know so far about the victims.

Renee Smajstrla

Eight-year-old Renee Smajstrla was at Camp Mystic when flooding swept through the summer camp for girls, her uncle said in a Facebook post.

"Renee has been found and while not the outcome we prayed for, the social media outreach likely assisted the first responders in helping to identify her so quickly," wrote Shawn Salta, of Maryland.

"We are thankful she was with her friends and having the time of her life, as evidenced by this picture from yesterday," he wrote. "She will forever be living her best life at Camp Mystic."

Camp Mystic, where 27 children are missing, is a nearly century-old Christian summer camp for girls on the banks of the Guadalupe River near Hunt, Texas.

Operated by generations of the same family since the 1930s, the camp's website bills itself as a place for girls to grow "spiritually" in a "wholesome" Christian atmosphere "to develop outstanding personal qualities and self-esteem".

Jane Ragsdale

Heart O' the Hills is another all-girls' camp that sits along the Guadalupe River, and it was right in the path of Friday's flood.

Jane Ragsdale, described as the "heart and soul" of Heart O'Hills, "did not make it", a post shared on the camp's official website said on Saturday.

Ragsdale, who started off as a camper then a counsellor, became the director and co-owner of the camp in 1976.

"We are mourning the loss of a woman who influenced countless lives and was the definition of strong and powerful," the camp website post said.

Heart O' the Hills wasn't in session and "most of those who were on camp at the time have been accounted for and are on high ground", the statement said.

"Access to the site is difficult, and authorities are primarily focused on locating the missing and preventing further loss of life and property".

Sarah Marsh

Sarah Marsh, a student at Cherokee Bend Elementary School in Texas, would have entered third grade in August.

She, too, was attending Camp Mystic when the floods struck, and reported as missing along with about two dozen other campers.

Her grandmother, Debbie Ford Marsh, took to Facebook on Friday asking for prayers. Just hours later she shared online that her granddaughter was among the girls killed.

"We will always feel blessed to have had this beautiful spunky ray of light in our lives. She will live on in our hearts forever!" Ms Ford Marsh wrote on Facebook.

In a post on Facebook, Alabama Senator Katie Britt said she's "heartbroken over the loss of Sarah Marsh, and we are keeping her family in our thoughts and prayers during this unimaginable time".

Lila Bonner

Nine-year-old Lila Bonner, a Dallas native was found dead after flooding near Camp Mystic, according to NBC News.

"In the midst of our unimaginable grief, we ask for privacy and are unable to confirm any details at this time," her family said in a statement to the news outlet.

"We ache with all who loved her and are praying endlessly."

Singer Jessie J says results from tests following surgery to remove one of her breasts after an early cancer diagnosis show no spread of the disease.

In a social media post she wrote that she was crying "happy tears" after receiving the news.

In June she revealed her diagnosis and underwent surgery to remove her breast.

She thanked her 14 million followers for the "prayers, the love, the well wishes, the joy and all the positive energy".

Jessie J has posted openly about her experiences of undergoing a mastectomy and received comments in support of her doing so.

On Monday she released a video, taken the night before her surgery, of her young son saying: "Mummy's gonna be OK."

"And... I am OK" she wrote, saying she'd received results showing no cancer spread.

The post was flooded with positive comments, including from celebrities like TV presenter Rochelle Humes. Singer Paloma Faith also offered her congratulations on the news.

Women who have been impacted by breast cancer also replied to the post. According to Cancer Research UK more than 56,000 women a year are diagnosed with the disease.

The popstar revealed she has "lots of healing to go" and is now awaiting an operation to "make these cousins look more like sisters", referring to reconstructive surgery on her breast.

She signed off the post in good humour saying she is in the meantime changing her name to "The LopJess monster".

A British teenager jailed in Dubai for having sex with a 17-year-old girl has been released and is back in the UK.

Marcus Fakana, 19, from Tottenham, north London, was sentenced in December to a year's imprisonment after a consensual relationship with the girl, who is also British, while on holiday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The age of consent in the UAE is 18.

He has received a royal pardon from Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, campaign group Detained in Dubai has said.

A Foreign and Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson said: "He was released on an Eid pardon last week.

"We understand he wanted to get back to the UK without media attention and to see his family.

"We supported him and were in contact with them."

Detained in Dubai's chief executive, Radha Stirling, said Mr Fakana "is currently recovering".

She added: "His case has attracted significant public attention due to concerns about the criminalisation of tourists and disproportionate sentencing.

"We believe this case highlights the urgent need for expedited legal processes for foreign nationals and safeguards against unnecessary custodial sentences."

Mr Fakana was with his parents in the UAE from the end of August last year when a "holiday romance blossomed", with another Londoner, who has since turned 18, the campaign group previously said.

The girl's mother reported Fakana to the UAE authorities after seeing messages between the two when she had returned to the UK.

Mr Fakana recently wrote to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, from Al Awir Prison asking to be released.

An Eid pardon in Muslim countries can be given to inmates by the monarch or president as a gesture of compassion and a way to offer individuals a second chance during religious holidays.

"Parents need to be aware that teens can be charged in the UAE for behaviour that would not be considered criminal at home, whether that's a relationship, social media activity, or even drinking alcohol," Ms Stirling said.

The government of Dubai previously said: "Under UAE law, the girl is legally classified as a minor and, in accordance with procedures recognised internationally, her mother - being the legal guardian - filed the complaint."

It added: "Dubai's legal system is committed to protecting the rights of all individuals and ensuring impartial judicial proceedings."

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George Psaradakis, partway through his bus route in central London on a summer's morning, was happily thinking about the city's successful bid to host the 2012 Olympics.

He could hear his passengers chatting about it too, contributing to a general air of optimism on the number 30 service.

In a matter of minutes, 13 of those passengers would be dead.

Mr Psaradakis turned into Tavistock Square, and the bus was ripped apart by a bomb.

Now 70, the Greek-born Londoner, who was uninjured in the blast, remembers a "macabre day, a gruesome day".

"Many innocent people lost their lives in such a barbaric way."

A series of bombs were detonated on London's public transport system during the morning rush hour on 7 July 2005, killing 52 people and injuring more than 770.

Three of the blasts happened on the London Underground in the vicinity of Aldgate, Edgware Road and Russell Square stations.

The fourth device exploded at 09:47 BST on the number 30 bus that had been diverted via Tavistock Square.

Thirteen people were killed and more than 100 injured in that bombing.

Mr Psaradakis survived the blast physically unharmed but witnessing such horror has taken a toll.

He has recently left London and retired to Cyprus but he has returned to the city on the 20th anniversary of the bombings, to pay his respects to those who died.

He says it is important London remembers.

"Every July it comes to my mind, all those sad memories.

"But coming to England and participating the in the memorial makes me happy to participate.

"I think we have to commemorate them."

Mr Psaradakis's message to Londoners is one of reconciliation and remembering the acts of heroism and kindness.

"We mustn't use hatred to do things like these bombings. We mustn't do that.

"What have the terrorists achieved? When the terrorist went on my bus, he condemned himself.

"He beheaded himself and by doing that inhuman crime he killed all those innocent fellow human beings.

"Instead of hating one another, we should love one another. It was inhuman.

"But at the same time there was lots of humanity."

'Their souls are alive'

Mr Psaradakis has taken comfort from his Christian Orthodox faith, and prays every day for those who died.

"Londoners, we have to remember them, to come to Hyde Park and Tavistock Square.

"We must remember all those innocent people who lost their lives," he said.

"Their souls - they are alive. For me, I believe they are in the arms of God in paradise."

For two years, the mystery of exactly what happened at Erin Patterson's dining table has gripped the world.

Five people sat down to eat lunch at her home in rural Australia on 29 July 2023. Within a week, three would be dead, a fourth would be fighting for his life, and the fifth would be under investigation for intentionally poisoning her guests with wild mushrooms.

After a much-watched trial in the tiny town of Morwell, Erin has now been found guilty of murdering three relatives and attempting to kill another.

Her eyes on the jury throughout, she remained silent and composed as they delivered verdicts which could see her spend the rest of her life in prison.

The self-described mushroom lover and amateur forager had told the court it was all a tragic accident.

But over nine weeks, the jury heard evidence suggesting she had hunted down death cap mushrooms sighted in nearby towns and lured her victims to the fatal meal under the false pretence that she had cancer - before trying to conceal her crimes by lying to police and disposing of evidence.

The orange plate

Gail and Don Patterson had turned up on Erin's doorstep just after midday on that fateful Saturday, an orange cake in hand. With them were the Wilkinsons: Heather, Gail's sister, and her husband Ian, who weeks after the meal would emerge from a coma to find he was the only guest to have survived.

Noticeably absent was Erin's estranged husband Simon Patterson. He'd pulled out the day before, saying he felt "uncomfortable" attending amid tension between the former couple.

Erin had spent the morning slaving over a recipe from one of the nation's favourite cooks, tweaking it to make individual serves of beef Wellington: expensive cuts of steak slathered with a mushroom paste, then encased in pastry.

For the jury, Ian recounted watching the parcels go onto four grey plates – and an orange one for Erin – with mashed potatoes, green beans and gravy heaped on the side.

A sixth serve, allegedly prepared for Simon in case he changed his mind and came over, went into the fridge. Erin was originally accused of attempting to murder him too – on several occasions – but those charges were dropped on the eve of the trial and the allegations were not put to the jury.

The group said grace and then dug in, exchanging "banter" about how much they were eating.

"There was talk about husbands helping their wives out," Ian said.

Stuffed, they nibbled on dessert before Erin stunned her guests with a declaration that she had cancer, the trial heard.

Even the defence concedes that was not true. But on that day, the two elderly couples gave Erin advice on how to tell her kids, before ending the meal the way it had begun – with a prayer.

Ian told the court he didn't know the host well, but "things were friendly".

"She just seemed like a normal person to me," he said.

By that night, all of the guests were very ill, and the next day the four went to hospital with severe symptoms. Donald - who had eaten his portion of lunch and about half his wife's - told a doctor he had vomited 30 times in the space of a few hours.

Suspicion soon began to trickle in.

The trial heard several of those asked to the lunch had been surprised by the invitation. Simon said it was rare for his estranged wife to host such an event, and Ian said he and his late wife had never even been to Erin's house before.

In hindsight, one of the guests apparently wondered aloud why Erin had served herself on a different type of plate to the rest of the family.

"I've puzzled about it since lunch," Heather said, according to a witness. "Is Erin short of crockery?"

Later, at hospital in Leongatha, Erin's ailing guests asked if their host was sick too. They'd all eaten the same meal, hadn't they?

Detectives would pose similar questions days later, in a police station interview room with Erin.

"We're trying to understand what has made them so ill," the detectives were heard saying, in a tape played to the court. "Conversely, we're trying to understand why you're not that ill."

An orange cake

Detailing the lunch publicly for the first time, from the witness stand, Erin Patterson offered an explanation.

She told the court that after waving off her relatives she had cleaned up the kitchen, before rewarding herself with a slice of the orange cake Gail had brought.

"[I ate] another piece of cake, and then another piece," she said. Before she knew it, the rest of the cake was gone and she felt overfull.

"So I went to the toilet and brought it back up again," Erin told the trial. "After I'd done that, I felt better."

She outlined for the jury a secret struggle with bulimia, saying she had been regularly binge-eating and purging since her teens - something her defence team suggested accounted for her lack of symptoms.

Erin had taken herself to hospital two days after the lunch, reporting feeling ill. But she initially rebuffed the urgent pleas of staff who wanted her and her children – who she claimed had eaten leftovers – to be immediately admitted for treatment.

One "surprised" doctor, who had seen the other sick lunch guests, was so concerned for their welfare that he called police to ask for help.

But when medics finally got Erin in for checks, neither she nor her children demonstrated similar symptoms to the others who'd eaten at the house, and tests showed no traces of death cap mushroom poisoning.

After a precautionary 24 hours, Erin was sent on her way.

Red flags

Her victims, though, continued to suffer in hospital. And as their relentless diarrhoea and vomiting was escalating to organ failure, Erin was covering her tracks, prosecutors alleged.

The day after she was discharged from hospital, CCTV captured Erin travelling to a local dump and disposing of a food dehydrator later found to contain traces of poisonous mushrooms.

She was also using three phones around the time of the lunch, two of which disappeared shortly afterwards. The one she did hand over to police had been repeatedly wiped – including while detectives were searching her house.

For investigators, the red flags began mounting quickly.

Questions about the source of the mushrooms elicited odd answers. Patterson claimed some of them had been bought dried from an Asian grocery in Melbourne, but she couldn't remember which suburb. When asked about the brand, or for transaction records, she said they were in plain packaging and she must've paid cash.

Meanwhile detectives found out death cap mushrooms had been spotted in two nearby towns in the weeks before the meal, with concerned locals posting pictures and locations to online plant database iNaturalist. Erin's internet history showed she'd used the website to view death cap mushroom sightings at least once before. Her mobile phone location data appeared to show her travelling to both areas – and purchasing the infamous food dehydrator on her way home from one of those trips.

But Erin told police she'd never owned such an appliance, despite an instruction manual in her kitchen drawer and posts in a true crime Facebook group where she boasted about using it.

"I've been hiding powdered mushrooms in everything. Mixed into chocolate brownies yesterday, the kids had no idea," she wrote in one.

When digital forensics experts managed to recover some of the material on her devices, they found photos showing what looked like death cap mushrooms being weighed on a set of kitchen scales.

During the trial, Erin said she realised in the days after the lunch that the beef Wellington may have accidentally included dried mushrooms that she had foraged and mistakenly put in a container with store-bought ones. But she was too "scared" to tell a soul.

"It was this stupid knee-jerk reaction to dig deeper and keep lying," Erin told the court.

No clear motive

What baffled police, though, was the question of motive.

Simon told the trial he and Erin had initially remained chatty and amicable after their split in 2015. That changed in 2022, he said, when the couple started having disagreements over finances, child support, schools and properties.

He said there was no inkling of ill will towards his family, though.

"She especially got on with dad. They shared a love of knowledge and learning."

With his voice faltering, Simon added: "I think she loved his gentle nature."

But Erin herself told the court she was feeling increasingly isolated from the Patterson family – and there was evidence presented which indicated she had grown frustrated with them.

"You had two faces," the prosecutor Nanette Rogers said, after making Erin read aloud expletive-laden Facebook messages in which she had called Simon a "deadbeat" and his parents "a lost cause".

The prosecution opted not to present a specific motive, however, saying the jury may still be wondering what drove Erin to kill long after the trial wrapped.

The lack of a clear motive was key to Erin's defence: why would she want to kill her family, people she said she loved like her own parents?

"My parents are both gone. My grandparents are all gone. They're the only family that I've got… I love them a lot," she told police in her interrogation.

Everything else could be explained away, Erin's barrister argued.

The messages critical of her in-laws were just harmless venting, they said; the cancer claim a cover for weight-loss surgery she was planning to have but was too embarrassed to disclose.

Cell phone tracking data isn't very precise, so there's no real evidence she actually visited the towns where death cap mushrooms were sighted, they argued.

They also suggested that Erin was sick after the meal, just not as sick as the others because she'd thrown it all up. She strongly disliked hospitals, which was why she had discharged herself against medical advice.

And her lies and attempts to dispose of evidence were the actions of a woman worried she'd be blamed for the accidental deaths of her guests.

"She's not on trial for lying," Colin Mandy said. "This is not a court of moral judgment."

He accused the prosecution of trying to force a jigsaw puzzle of evidence together, "stretching interpretations, ignoring alternative explanations because they don't align perfectly with the narrative".

But the prosecution argued Erin had told so many lies it was hard to keep track of them.

"Perhaps the starkest," Dr Rogers said, were her attempts to explain the cancer fib. To prove that she actually had plans to undergo gastric-band surgery, Erin claimed to have booked an appointment at a Melbourne clinic – one that did not offer the treatment.

"She has told lies upon lies because she knew the truth would implicate her," Dr Rogers said. "When she knew her lies had been uncovered, she came up with a carefully constructed narrative to fit with the evidence – almost."

Dr Rogers said the jury should have "no difficulty" in rejecting the argument "this was all a horrible foraging accident".

Ultimately, after a week of deliberations, the jury did just that.

She will return to court for a sentencing hearing at a later date.

A paramedic who secretly gave a pregnant woman an abortion drug, killing their unborn child, has been jailed for 10 years and six months.

Stephen Doohan, who was a clinical team leader with the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS), administered the drug after he found out the woman was pregnant with his baby.

The woman, who has not been named, suffered a miscarriage after Doohan crushed pills into a syringe and injected her as she lay in bed at his Edinburgh home in 2023.

The 33-year-old pleaded guilty to assault, sexual assault and causing the woman to have an abortion at the High Court in Glasgow last month.

Sentencing, judge Lord Colbeck said Doohan had left his victim facing a lifetime of pain and loss.

He imposed a non-harassment order for an indeterminate period of time on the 33-year-old.

Doohan was suspended by the ambulance service after it learned of what he had done and he is no longer employed by them.

Doohan - who was married at the time – met the woman in Spain while he was on holiday in 2021.

He did not tell her that he was married and they remained in contact.

She found out she was pregnant with his child in March 2023 and by this time he had temporarily separated from his wife.

The court heard that the woman was at his home in the Grange area of Edinburgh a couple of days after he learned of the pregnancy.

She was in bed when he did something she could not see, but she said she was not "suspicious of his actions" at that time.

The court heard how he used the syringe on her and the woman began to suffer stomach cramps the next day.

Victim fell into a deep sleep

Later at his flat, he gave her diazepam for the pain.

The court heard how she ended up in a "deep sleep" and awoke to find Doohan "initiating sexual contact".

This time she was suspicious of what he was doing but she was also feeling the effects of the diazepam.

When Doohan left the room, the woman took the chance to look under the mattress and found star-shaped tablets and a syringe with tablets crushed inside.

After searching online, she found matching images for drugs that could induce a termination.

Doohan initially denied what he had done before sobbing and claiming he was "scared".

He said he had got the pills from a doctor but insisted they would not work as it was the wrong dose.

The court heard how Doohan and the woman went to hospital but he pleaded that he would be arrested if she "told the truth".

The next day, the woman collapsed in the shower and had to return to hospital.

This time she insisted Doohan did not come in the examination room.

It soon emerged that she had suffered a miscarriage.

'Appalling case'

The court heard Doohan bought the woman gifts to keep her quiet.

But she eventually reported him to the ambulance service, the information was passed to police and Doohan was arrested.

Prosecutor Scott McKenzie said the woman has been "significantly affected" by her ordeal.

Mark Stewart KC, defending, said Doohan was "deeply sorry" for what he had done.

The lawyer added he had issues at the time which affected his "judgement and decision making" although that did not excuse what happened.

When he was convicted, the ambulance service said: "This is an appalling case, and our thoughts are with the victim.

"We recognise the courage it must have taken for her to come forward and speak out.

"As soon as we learned of the serious allegations and charges against Doohan, we immediately took action to protect the public and liaised with Police Scotland."

US President Donald Trump says countries that side with the polices of the Brics alliance that go against US interests will be hit with an extra 10% tariff.

"Any country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on Sunday.

His comments came after Brics members criticised his tariff policies as well as proposing reforms to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and how major currencies are valued.

Trump has long criticised Brics - an alliance designed to boost member nations' standing on the international stage to challenge the US and Western Europe.

Last year, the list of Brics members expanded beyond Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The bloc is said to represent more than half of the world's population.

Brics leaders, who started a meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this weekend, have called for reforms to global institutions and positioned the alliance as a platform for diplomacy amid escalating trade conflicts and geopolitical tensions.

George Psaradakis, partway through his bus route in central London on a summer's morning, was happily thinking about the city's successful bid to host the 2012 Olympics.

He could hear his passengers chatting about it too, contributing to a general air of optimism on the number 30 service.

In a matter of minutes, 13 of those passengers would be dead.

Mr Psaradakis turned into Tavistock Square, and the bus was ripped apart by a bomb.

Now 70, the Greek-born Londoner, who was uninjured in the blast, remembers a "macabre day, a gruesome day".

"Many innocent people lost their lives in such a barbaric way."

A series of bombs were detonated on London's public transport system during the morning rush hour on 7 July 2005, killing 52 people and injuring more than 770.

Three of the blasts happened on the London Underground in the vicinity of Aldgate, Edgware Road and Russell Square stations.

The fourth device exploded at 09:47 BST on the number 30 bus that had been diverted via Tavistock Square.

Thirteen people were killed and more than 100 injured in that bombing.

Mr Psaradakis survived the blast physically unharmed but witnessing such horror has taken a toll.

He has recently left London and retired to Cyprus but he has returned to the city on the 20th anniversary of the bombings, to pay his respects to those who died.

He says it is important London remembers.

"Every July it comes to my mind, all those sad memories.

"But coming to England and participating the in the memorial makes me happy to participate.

"I think we have to commemorate them."

Mr Psaradakis's message to Londoners is one of reconciliation and remembering the acts of heroism and kindness.

"We mustn't use hatred to do things like these bombings. We mustn't do that.

"What have the terrorists achieved? When the terrorist went on my bus, he condemned himself.

"He beheaded himself and by doing that inhuman crime he killed all those innocent fellow human beings.

"Instead of hating one another, we should love one another. It was inhuman.

"But at the same time there was lots of humanity."

'Their souls are alive'

Mr Psaradakis has taken comfort from his Christian Orthodox faith, and prays every day for those who died.

"Londoners, we have to remember them, to come to Hyde Park and Tavistock Square.

"We must remember all those innocent people who lost their lives," he said.

"Their souls - they are alive. For me, I believe they are in the arms of God in paradise."

A British teenager jailed in Dubai for having sex with a 17-year-old girl has been released and is back in the UK.

Marcus Fakana, 19, from Tottenham, north London, was sentenced in December to a year's imprisonment after a consensual relationship with the girl, who is also British, while on holiday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The age of consent in the UAE is 18.

He has received a royal pardon from Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, campaign group Detained in Dubai has said.

A Foreign and Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson said: "He was released on an Eid pardon last week.

"We understand he wanted to get back to the UK without media attention and to see his family.

"We supported him and were in contact with them."

Detained in Dubai's chief executive, Radha Stirling, said Mr Fakana "is currently recovering".

She added: "His case has attracted significant public attention due to concerns about the criminalisation of tourists and disproportionate sentencing.

"We believe this case highlights the urgent need for expedited legal processes for foreign nationals and safeguards against unnecessary custodial sentences."

Mr Fakana was with his parents in the UAE from the end of August last year when a "holiday romance blossomed", with another Londoner, who has since turned 18, the campaign group previously said.

The girl's mother reported Fakana to the UAE authorities after seeing messages between the two when she had returned to the UK.

Mr Fakana recently wrote to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, from Al Awir Prison asking to be released.

An Eid pardon in Muslim countries can be given to inmates by the monarch or president as a gesture of compassion and a way to offer individuals a second chance during religious holidays.

"Parents need to be aware that teens can be charged in the UAE for behaviour that would not be considered criminal at home, whether that's a relationship, social media activity, or even drinking alcohol," Ms Stirling said.

The government of Dubai previously said: "Under UAE law, the girl is legally classified as a minor and, in accordance with procedures recognised internationally, her mother - being the legal guardian - filed the complaint."

It added: "Dubai's legal system is committed to protecting the rights of all individuals and ensuring impartial judicial proceedings."

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