The housing secretary has admitted paying the wrong amount of tax on a house.

That is pretty much the worst headline conceivable about any housing secretary, let alone Angela Rayner, who is also the deputy prime minister and spent years as Labour's sleazehunter-in-chief.

That's the straightforward fact which makes this such a damaging, indeed career-threatening, episode for Rayner.

Other elements are not quite so straightforward. The case was untypical because it involved her divorce, and a trust Rayner and her ex-husband had set up to provide for her son, who has lifelong disabilities.

Crucially, Rayner is adamant that she sought advice from a lawyer about the stamp duty liable, and has only now learnt from a different lawyer that that advice was wrong. It is on that basis that she is not resigning.

It is no doubt on that basis as well that Sir Keir Starmer full-throatedly defended his deputy at Prime Minister's Questions this afternoon - though remember that while he could sack her from her government positions she has an independent mandate as deputy leader of the Labour Party which only she can give up.

It is also on the basis of the flawed initial advice that Labour officials, ministers and MPs mostly seem as of this afternoon to believe that Rayner will probably survive the independent investigation into whether she has breached the ministerial code.

Whether she will survive in the court of public opinion is being treated as a separate matter altogether.

There are few attacks more devastating in politics than the charge that there is one rule for them and another for the rest of us. That's why Labour politicians, including Rayner, deployed it so often in opposition themselves.

Within the Labour Party, Rayner is - as one senior figure put it this afternoon - "Teflon".

Having backed Sir Keir's more left wing leadership opponent back in 2020, she and the PM have had at times a difficult, and occasionally extremely difficult, relationship.

But she has made herself absolutely vital to his political project. As housing secretary she is responsible for delivering on one of his most important policy pledges, and as deputy prime minister she has been used to reach parts of the party the PM cannot, for example when she was tasked with helping to defuse the welfare rebellion earlier this year.

Sir Keir will be desperate not to lose her from government, and she is clearly desperate not to go.

But that is no longer entirely in their hands.

This is certainly not how "phase two" was meant to begin.

The head of the Metropolitan Police has called on the government to "change or clarify" the law following the arrest of comedian Graham Linehan over posts he made online.

The 50-year-old was arrested under the Public Order Act on Monday on suspicion of inciting violence in relation to posts about trans people on X.

On Wednesday, Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley defended the officers involved, but said he recognised "concern caused by such incidents given differing perspectives on the balance between free speech and the risks of inciting violence in the real world".

Sir Keir Starmer said the police must "focus on the most serious issues" when asked in the Commons about Linehan's arrest.

In a Substack article, Linehan said his arrest at Heathrow was related to three posts on X from April.

The first post called it a "violent, abusive act" for a trans-identified male to be in a female-only space. He wrote: "Make a scene, call the cops and if all else fails punch him in the balls."

Linehan - whose arrest triggered a backlash over free speech concerns - has been bailed under investigation and has not been charged with an offence.

In his statement on Wednesday, Sir Mark said the decision to arrest Linehan "was made within existing legislation - which dictates that a threat to punch someone from a protected group could be an offence".

Sir Mark said his officers "had reasonable grounds to believe an offence had been committed," but that police more broadly had "been left between a rock and a hard place" when investigating online speech.

He continued: "I don't believe we should be policing toxic culture wars debates and officers are currently in an impossible position."

Sir Mark said police will have to "make similar decisions in future unless the law and guidance is changed or clarified".

He said he hopes this happens "without delay", but said the Met would be taking immediate action to update how it decides which cases warrant a police investigation.

Sir Mark said: "As an immediate way of protecting our officers from the situation we find ourselves in today, we will be putting in place a more stringent triaging process to make sure only the most serious cases are taken forward in future – where there is a clear risk of harm or disorder."

As the cannon fire echoed through Tiananmen Square, even before the first set of troops goose-stepped their way through Beijing's central avenue, the day's most enduring image unfolded.

China's President Xi Jinping welcomed North Korea's Kim Jong Un with a long handshake, then moved on to greet Russia's Vladimir Putin, and then walked to his seat, flanked by two of the world's most sanctioned leaders.

It was sheer political theatre. And it was this meeting - rather than the weaponry - that appears to have irked US President Donald Trump.

As the parade began, Trump sent a sharply-worded message on Truth Social, accusing the three leaders of conspiring against America.

This may well have been the reaction President Xi had hoped for as he kept Putin to his right and Kim to his left throughout the parade. The moment may have even been designed to infuriate a US president who would perhaps prefer to be the centre of the world's attention.

The Chinese leader has stolen the limelight, and he's using it to show his power and influence over an eastern-led alliance – a defiant group determined to push back against a US-led world order.

It is a strong message from Xi as the world reels from the unpredictability of Trump's presidency. Besides Kim and Putin, there were more than 20 other foreign heads of state. Just earlier this week, Xi also appeared to be resetting his troubled relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Trump's 50% levy on Indian imports has prompted a thaw between the long-time rivals.

Wednesday's spectacle was supposed to be about commemorating an 80-year-old victory over Japan. But it was actually about where China is headed - right to the top, with Xi playing the role of a global leader.

And at his feet was a military that is being built to rival the West.

China holds the reins now

This was the first time Xi, Putin and Kim had been seen together - and together, they climbed to the top of the Gate of Heavenly Peace that overlooks the historic square to watch the parade.

The symbolism was hard to miss. Communist China's founder Mao Zedong had declared the founding of the republic there in 1949 - and 10 years later, it was where he hosted Kim's grandfather and the then Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, to watch a military parade.

That was the last time the leaders of the three countries were together. It was the height of the Cold War, China was isolated from much of the world, as was North Korea, and the Soviet Union was the most powerful and richest among them.

Now, it's China that holds the reins in this relationship. Nuclear-armed but still poor, North Korea needs Beijing's aid. And Putin needs the legitimacy that Xi just provided him.

In the past, Xi appeared to keep his distance from Putin and Kim, and publicly maintain a neutral stance on the war in Ukraine. He did not condemn it, but denied China was helping Russia.

It even seemed like he was on the sidelines as Russia and North Korea grew closer more recently. Kim has been sending troops to support Putin's invasion of Ukraine in exchange for money and technology.

But now he seems to be standing by his two neighbours, even as they continue to attack Kyiv.

"Today humanity is again faced with the choice of peace or war, dialogue or confrontation, win-win or zero sum," Mr Xi told the watching crowds, along with millions glued to the parade coverage on state TV across the country.

China is a "great nation that is never intimidated by any bullies", he declared.

And the military parade that followed was about showing that - it was a display of power, precision and patriotism.

It started with a gun salute – 80 times to mark 80 years since China's victory over Japan in World War Two, ending a brutal occupation. The sound bounced off every corner of the square as 50,000 spectators, some of them war veterans, sat in silence.

The choir followed, every single member appearing exactly spaced out as the cameras panned above them. They sang in perfect harmony: "Without the Communist Party, there is no modern China." Each verse was punctuated by raised fists.

President Xi drove the length of the parade route to inspect his troops before each battle unit took turns to goose-step past their leader. Every joint strike on the tarmac reverberated through the stands.

The rumbling tanks came first in the display of China's new weapons. But they looked old compared to what followed. A new nuclear-capable missile that can be launched from sea, land and air, hypersonic anti-ship missiles and laser weapons to defend against drone attacks. There were new underwater and airborne drones that can spy on targets.

The US may still have an edge, honed over years and through its involvement in conflicts across the world, but there is no doubt that China is building a military to rival that.

And Wednesday's show of strength was a statement aimed at Washington and its allies, as well as the rest of the world - and even at Putin and Kim, who knew the significance of what they were looking at.

"The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is unstoppable," Xi had said in his speech in an effort to bolster pride in the nation.

The West is worried

It appears to be working on some people.

On a bridge overlooking the Tonghui River, crowds had gathered away from the main parade route to try to see the military flypast. Thirty-year-old Mr Rong said he found the parade moving.

"Cherishing this moment is the most fundamental thing we can do. We believe we will retake Taiwan by 2035," he declared.

This is the rhetoric feared by many on the self-governing island of Taiwan, which China believes is a breakaway province that will one day be united with the motherland. Xi has not ruled out the use of force to achieve that goal. And the weaponry that he showed off on Wednesday, much of which emphasised China's naval capabilities, is bound to worry Taiwanese leaders.

It also worries many Western nations, especially in Europe, which are still grappling with how to end the war in Ukraine. Many were absent from the parade.

Han Yongguang, 75, shrugged off any suggestion that Western leaders had shunned the parade.

"It's up to them to come or not," he said. "They are envious of China's fast development. To be honest, they are aggressive at heart. We are completely committed to the common prosperity of mankind. We are different."

This parade has been fuelling a wave of nationalism at a time when China is battling serious domestic challenges: a sluggish economy, a real estate crisis, an ageing population, high youth unemployment and local governments deep in debt.

As confident as China appears on the world stage, President Xi must find a way to keep a burgeoning middle class from worrying about their future. China's economic rise was once thought unstoppable, but that is no longer the case.

So this parade - with all the rhetoric about an old enemy, Japan - may be a welcome distraction.

After a long display of cutting-edge weaponry, including nuclear missiles, the parade concluded with thousands of doves and balloons released into the skies over Beijing.

The commemoration - the songs, the marches, the missiles, the drones, even the "robot wolves" - was not so much about China's struggle.

Rather, it was about how far China has come - and how it is catching up with the US and challenging it for supremacy.

The government is in favour of merging all of the UK's steel companies into one, because of concern over the sector's financial viability, BBC News can reveal.

There are six steel companies in the UK, four of which are currently being financially supported by the government, and ministers believe the sector is too fragmented.

It's understood that the preference inside the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is to find a joint buyer, rather than nationalise the companies.

Any future plan would need the backing of the current owners, but it's understood ministers have told the sector they believe a merger is the best way to be sustainable in the long-term.

The UK's steel industry has faced major financial difficulties in recent years due to high energy prices, increased tariffs and a glut of steel in the global market.

Ministers are already searching for buyers for two steel companies and another has been publicly owned since 2021.

The UK wing of Liberty Steel in South Yorkshire collapsed into government control last month after insolvency courts granted a compulsory winding up order.

Speciality Steels UK (SSUK), part of the Liberty Steel metals empire of controversial tycoon Sanjeev Gupta, was placed in the hands of a government appointed liquidator last month and ministers have agreed to cover the ongoing wages and costs of the plant while a buyer is sought.

It's understood that a number of commercial buyers have already approached the government about taking over SSUK, which has already transitioned to greener electric arc furnaces.

Ministers took control of British Steel in Scunthorpe in April after accusing the Chinese owners Jingye of trying to close down the site's blast furnaces.

The search for a new buyer for British Steel has stalled in recent months after Jingye unexpectedly asked for a sum in the hundreds of millions to hand over ownership.

BBC News has been told that Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds is set to fly to China next week to negotiate with Jingye officials.

There is some concern within government that finding a buyer for British Steel may be more difficult, given the site uses old-fashioned blast furnaces.

Tata Steel, in Port Talbot, was given a £500m government rescue package last year to help the company move to greener forms of steelmaking.

Sheffield Foragemasters was nationalised by the Ministry of Defence in 2021 after the company faced financial difficulties throughout the 2010s.

A senior source in the Department for Business and Trade said "We are trying to fix the UK steel sector in the round.

"We needed Jingye off the board, we are very close to doing that. We needed Gupta off the board, we've done that."

The source added that there was now a belief inside government that the UK's steel companies "should all be brought together", to make the sector more financially sustainable, but that such a move might not be possible if the current owners do not all agree.

The government is understood to have told the steel sector that even without a shared ownership model, the companies will be expected to work together much more closely in the future.

Ministers have always maintained that full nationalisation for any steel company is not the government's preference and the source added that it was "unlikely" the companies would be nationalised together.

Fast-fashion giant Shein has launched an investigation after an image of Luigi Mangione - accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York last year - was used to model a shirt.

An image with his likeness, which appeared to show him wearing a white, short-sleeved shirt, appeared on the fast-fashion website until its removal.

It is thought the product he appeared to be modelling was on sale for just under $10 (£7.50).

A spokesperson from Shein told BBC News: "The image in question was removed immediately upon discovery."

"We have stringent standards for the content of listings on our platform", the spokesperson added.

"We are conducting a thorough review and are strengthening our monitoring processes."

It is not known for how long the image was used, or who the company was that was selling it on the Chinese company's website.

Many online have speculated the image was created using artificial intelligence (AI) - but it remains unclear how the picture was made.

In April, Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty to all federal charges brought over the fatal shooting of Mr Thompson.

The 26-year-old, who was arrested in December, faces the charges of murder and stalking.

His not guilty plea means he will face trial and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty if he is convicted.

Public reaction to Mr Thompson's killing has shed light on privatised healthcare, and some have celebrated Mr Mangione as a folk hero, with supporters gathering outside the courthouse during his hearings.

But this is not the first time his name or likeness has caused controversy for a company.

In December, the BBC complained to Apple after the tech giant's new iPhone feature generated a false headline about the accused murderer.

Apple Intelligence used AI to summarise and group together notifications.

The summary falsely made it appear BBC News had published an article claiming he had shot himself - when he had not.

A month later, Apple suspended the feature after the error and other mistakes.

His lawyers have not commented on the use of his image on Shein.

Additional reporting by Liv McMahon

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The leaders of China, Russia and North Korea appeared in public together for the first time in a show of solidarity at a massive military parade in Beijing.

President Xi Jinping said the world faced a choice between peace and war as China unveiled a huge arsenal of weapons, including nuclear missiles with a global reach.

Thousands of soldiers paraded equipment on Wednesday, demonstrating China's military modernisation programme. The huge display commemorated 80 years since the end of the Second World War.

On the sidelines, President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong Un met; with Putin praising Pyongyang for sending soldiers to fight in Ukraine.

• BBC correspondents react to China's military parade
• What new weapons on show say about China's military strength
• North Korea's Kim arrives in Beijing with daughter

Putin and Kim joined 24 other dignitaries in China who had been invited to Beijing parade on behalf of Xi.

Former top leaders of China also stood at the Tiananmen viewing platform - but notably absent was former president Hu Jintao.

South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung did get an invitation, but turned it down; while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi - who met President Xi earlier this week - was also not present.

Among the world leaders attending were Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, Pakistan's PM Shehbaz Sharif, Vietnam's Luong Cuong and Zimbabwe's Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Most Western leaders opted not to attend China's "Victory Day" parade.

The two that did make the journey - Slovakia's Robert Fico and Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia - posed for photos with Putin after the main event.

They all watched on as around 50,000 spectators - all vetted in advance - attended the parade in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

President Xi inspected thousands of soldiers from different branches of the Chinese military who had gathered on Changan Avenue.

Laser weapons, robotic "wolves" and giant underwater nuclear drones were among new weapons on display.

China also showed off its stealth attack drones, dubbed the "loyal wingman", as they are capable of flying alongside a manned fighter jet and aid it in its attacks.

Thousands of doves and balloons were later released into the skies above Tiananmen Square to mark the end of the parade.

Guests then enjoyed a lunch reception at the Great Hall of the People and could choose between a red or white Chinese wine.

President Xi gave a toast to say the world must "never return to the law of the jungle"

He did not address any Western nations specifically in his five-minute speech, but Chinese officials have previously called the US a "bully" for its imposition of tariffs on countries around the world.

Xi added: "We sincerely hope that all countries will draw lessons from history, value peace and work together to... create a brighter future for humanity".

He concluded by toasting to "common prosperity for all humankind".

Putin and Kim then held bilateral talks at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in a meeting which lasted two-and-a-half hours.

The pair discussed North Korea's contribution in the Ukraine war and reflected on an agreement struck last June between the two nations.

It is now estimated that up to 15,000 thousand North Korean troops have joined Russian soldiers on the front lines in Ukraine.

North Korea has also supplied Russia with ammunition. In exchange, North Korea is believed to have received money and help with weapons development.

Donald Trump, who did not attend, took to his social media platform and accused his President Xi of conspiring against the US with Russia and North Korea.

"Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America," Trump posted on Truth Social.

Kremlin spokesperson Yuri Ushakov rejected any suggestion of a conspiracy against the US, according to Russian state media.

Ushakov called Trump's words "ironic" and said Putin, Xi and Kim are "not even thinking about a conspiracy against the United States" and that the three leaders understand Washington's role "in the current international situation".

The Budget will be take place on Wednesday 26 November, the chancellor has announced.

Rachel Reeves confirmed the date that she will outline the government's taxation and spending plans to pay for things such as hospitals, schools, the military and the police.

It comes as the chancellor faces mounting pressure to balance the public finances, while trying to boost economic growth and maintain the confidence of investors on financial markets.

Economists have warned tax rises or spending cuts must be made if Reeves is to maintain her borrowing rules, given growth has been sluggish and inflation, the rate at which prices rise, has been increasing.

Labour pledged in its election manifesto to not increase taxes on "working people", which included VAT, National Insurance (NI) and income tax.

At the Budget last year, the chancellor increased the amount of NI employers have to pay, which led to a backlash from many businesses and sectors, such as hospitality.

Given the government's pledges, speculation has grown over what taxes Reeves could increase, which suggestions ranging from a windfall tax on the profits of banks to various property taxes or reforming the council tax system.

And with long-term borrowing costs reaching their highest level since 1998, it is getting increasingly expensive to service government debt, eating up what little financial buffer - about £10bn - the chancellor has.

Reeves confirmed she has instructed the government's independent forecaster, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) to begin the 10-week process of producing a new economic forecast based on her policies for the end of November.

The OBR's assessment of the government's plans is seen as a key factor in ensuring financial markets remain stable and investors, who typically loan the UK money, maintain confidence in the UK economy.

The reports of various policy plans have led to uncertainty in recent weeks and some economists had suggested the government should end uncertainty over possible changes with a fast turnaround Budget in October.

Instead the government will take two and a half months to decide the detail of what is expected to be a tax-raising and reforming statement.

Treasury sources said the end of November was in line with typical timing for an Autumn budgetary statement, and that it left time for the "full process" involving the OBR.

The first stage is for the OBR to deliver a new baseline forecast for the UK later this month, which will incorporate a critical new assessment of long-term productivity.

This move alone could open up a difficult hole in the public finances, on top of existing announced U-turns on welfare cuts, and the impact of higher government borrowing costs.

The OBR will tell the Treasury how much taxes will have to rise by or spending will have to be cut by in order to meet the chancellor's borrowing rules.

The government will then outline likely measures to the forecasters who will assess how much they are forecast to raise or to cost the exchequer.

Reeves has two rules on government borrowing, which she has repeatedly said are "non-negotiable". These are:

• day-to-day government costs will be paid for by tax income, rather than borrowing by 2029-30
• to get debt falling as a share of national income by the end of this parliament in 2029-30

Last month, the independent National Institute for Economics and Social Research think tank said that the overall gap in the public finances could reach as much as £50bn a year.

It pointed to the need to re-establish what it calls "a large buffer" for Reeves to avoid missing her self-imposed borrowing rules.

In recent days long-term borrowing costs across the world have increased, amid concerns about political uncertainty, levels of debt, and a structural shift in pension funds away from such bonds.

The chancellor will have to balance the books, produce a set of policies that will pass her backbenchers and also promote reforming policies that help jump start sluggish growth.

The leaders of China, Russia and North Korea appeared in public together for the first time in a show of solidarity at a massive military parade in Beijing.

President Xi Jinping said the world faced a choice between peace and war as China unveiled a huge arsenal of weapons, including nuclear missiles with a global reach.

Thousands of soldiers paraded equipment on Wednesday, demonstrating China's military modernisation programme. The huge display commemorated 80 years since the end of the Second World War.

On the sidelines, President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong Un met; with Putin praising Pyongyang for sending soldiers to fight in Ukraine.

• BBC correspondents react to China's military parade
• What new weapons on show say about China's military strength
• North Korea's Kim arrives in Beijing with daughter

Putin and Kim joined 24 other dignitaries in China who had been invited to Beijing parade on behalf of Xi.

Former top leaders of China also stood at the Tiananmen viewing platform - but notably absent was former president Hu Jintao.

South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung did get an invitation, but turned it down; while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi - who met President Xi earlier this week - was also not present.

Among the world leaders attending were Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, Pakistan's PM Shehbaz Sharif, Vietnam's Luong Cuong and Zimbabwe's Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Most Western leaders opted not to attend China's "Victory Day" parade.

The two that did make the journey - Slovakia's Robert Fico and Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia - posed for photos with Putin after the main event.

They all watched on as around 50,000 spectators - all vetted in advance - attended the parade in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

President Xi inspected thousands of soldiers from different branches of the Chinese military who had gathered on Changan Avenue.

Laser weapons, robotic "wolves" and giant underwater nuclear drones were among new weapons on display.

China also showed off its stealth attack drones, dubbed the "loyal wingman", as they are capable of flying alongside a manned fighter jet and aid it in its attacks.

Thousands of doves and balloons were later released into the skies above Tiananmen Square to mark the end of the parade.

Guests then enjoyed a lunch reception at the Great Hall of the People and could choose between a red or white Chinese wine.

President Xi gave a toast to say the world must "never return to the law of the jungle"

He did not address any Western nations specifically in his five-minute speech, but Chinese officials have previously called the US a "bully" for its imposition of tariffs on countries around the world.

Xi added: "We sincerely hope that all countries will draw lessons from history, value peace and work together to... create a brighter future for humanity".

He concluded by toasting to "common prosperity for all humankind".

Putin and Kim then held bilateral talks at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in a meeting which lasted two-and-a-half hours.

The pair discussed North Korea's contribution in the Ukraine war and reflected on an agreement struck last June between the two nations.

It is now estimated that up to 15,000 thousand North Korean troops have joined Russian soldiers on the front lines in Ukraine.

North Korea has also supplied Russia with ammunition. In exchange, North Korea is believed to have received money and help with weapons development.

Donald Trump, who did not attend, took to his social media platform and accused his President Xi of conspiring against the US with Russia and North Korea.

"Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America," Trump posted on Truth Social.

Kremlin spokesperson Yuri Ushakov rejected any suggestion of a conspiracy against the US, according to Russian state media.

Ushakov called Trump's words "ironic" and said Putin, Xi and Kim are "not even thinking about a conspiracy against the United States" and that the three leaders understand Washington's role "in the current international situation".

Topshop will return to the High Street, five years after it closed all of its UK stores.

The brand is going to be available in 32 John Lewis shops from February 2026, while its menswear brand Topman will be available in six stores.

The chain disappeared after the collapse of Sir Philip Green's retail empire, which owned Topshop as well as Burton and Dorothy Perkins.

The Topshop brand was bought by the online retailer Asos, which sold its majority stake last September to the Danish retail tycoon Anders Holch Povlsen and is now in the midst of a major comeback.

Asos currently sells Topshop and Topman products on its website and a standalone Topshop site was recently relaunched, but it was unclear if the brand would ever reappear on the High Street again until recently.

"Customers absolutely want to see us back in stores and we want to bring that nationwide," said Michelle Wilson, managing director of Topshop and Topman.

The new Topshop spring collection will feature 120 pieces, curated by John Lewis.

The brand will be given a "prime" position in stores, according to Peter Ruis, Managing Director at John Lewis.

He said he hopes the partnering with the iconic brand will bring new customers through the department store's doors, and believes people will be queueing to get in when range is launched.

"I think the best fashion brands are multi-generational. The brilliance of Topshop is it is so affordable," he said.

The upmarket store Liberty London in Soho recently started to sell a small Topshop collection.

But the tie up with John Lewis is the first nationwide partnership for the brand, and the fashion retailer, which had its heyday in the 2000s and 2010s, wants to introduce some standalone stores in future.

Topshop struggled during the covid-19 pandemic, when it had to close its physical stores, but it had been having problems for several years.

It failed to keep up with changing shopping habits among its key demographic – teenagers and young adults – primarily the rise of online shopping.

And as its core customers aged out of its products, it struggled to replace them with new shoppers or adapt its products to its old base's tastes.

Graham Soult, a retail consultant, said the partnership between John Lewis and Topshop was "a canny move for both brands".

"If you're Topshop, you've got a customer base who have a real affection for the brand," he said. And for John Lewis, "it gets the name out there in a positive way" and draws in new customers.

"Maybe this will be a template for how you bring back an iconic name."

Fresh warnings have been issued by police forces and councils across the country after a rise in parking scams over the summer.

From fake text messages about unpaid tickets to tampered car park machines that secretly steal your card details, fraudsters are becoming increasingly creative.

BBC scams expert Nick Stapleton told Morning Live there are easy ways you can protect yourself so you don't fall victim to some of the most common tricks.

1. Check your fine has these three details

Genuine parking notices always contain certain details.

"Real parking fines will include vehicle registration, the time of the offence and the location it happened," Stapleton says.

"If it doesn't have these three things then it is a scam.

"A genuine fine will always come in writing and will be left on your windscreen, handed to you in person or arrive in the post."

There are three types of fines you may receive - a penalty charge notice issued by the council, a fixed penalty notice issued by police usually linked to offences such as speeding and a parking charge notice issued by a private company.

Parking charge notices "aren't technically fines, they're invoices for breaching parking rules", so you don't always have to pay them but "check carefully before refusing to pay".

2. Don't click on links in texts

If you get a text out of the blue saying you owe money for an unpaid parking ticket, stop before you click. One of the most common tricks is a fake text or email demanding payment for an unpaid fine.

These texts usually come with a link you are told to click on to pay the fine and "use urgent and threatening language to make you panic", Stapleton says.

Some scam texts might say your licence will be revoked if you don't pay for the ticket but "that's not how it works, you won't lose your license".

Some links in these scam texts take you to websites that look like official government ones.

If you're not sure a website is legitimate you can "click around on the other links".

"If you click through on other links on the page you'll notice that they don't work and that's a clear sign it's a clone site," says Stapleton.

3. Restart your device and change passwords

If you have clicked on a suspicious link, don't despair - but do these three things:

• Restart your device: A lot of the links allow a scammer to gain remote access to your device. If you restart your phone or laptop it will kill the connection

• Change passwords: If you've filled in your details on the link make sure you change your passwords to any accounts with money in

• Call your bank: Inform your bank's fraud department about the message, the link and what information you gave

You could also consider installing antivirus software then run a search to see if any malware has been installed.

4. Check for skimming devices on parking machines

A new scam, which is increasing according to the UK's national fraud reporting centre Action Fraud, targets people paying for parking at machines.

Fraudsters attach a physical device to a contactless payment reader on a parking machine and when you try to pay, the machine displays a "card declined" message.

"While you walk off to try another machine, the skimming device has already stolen your card details," Stapleton explains.

Here's how to check whether the machine has been tampered with:

• Look for an extra sticker: Check there is no extra sticker or item placed on top of the contactless payment button

• Verify Branding: Look for the correct logos and branding. Scammers often use stickers with mismatched logos

• Trust Your Instincts: If something looks or feels suspicious, do not use the machine

"Contactless readers should look like they're part of the machine. If something looks bolted on or mismatched, it's best not to risk it," he says. "Always trust your gut."

If you do feel like there's something not quite right with the machine you can pay in cash instead or through a parking app.

Watch Morning Live to get the full details on how to protect yourself from the scams

'These victims have been failed'

A theft charge against a man who was accused of stealing flowers from tributes left to Ozzy Osbourne in Birmingham city centre has been dropped.

The charge against Parviz Jafari was withdrawn by prosecutors after a court was told a security guard had granted the 45-year-old permission to take the flowers.

Mr Jafari, from West Bromwich, spoke only to give his personal details during a four-minute hearing at Birmingham Magistrates' Court, where he was told he was free to go.

He was charged in August following reports of a theft among thousands of tributes left near the Black Sabbath bench and mural following Osbourne's death in July aged 76 from a reported heart attack.

The court was told a review by the Crown Prosecution Service found there was no realistic prospect of conviction, because it could not be proved the defendant had been dishonest when he took the flowers.

District Judge Wain told MrJafari: "Please stand, sir. The matter having been withdrawn, you are free to go."

Osbourne's family viewed the tributes on 30 July after a public procession in which the heavy metal star's body was driven past his childhood home and through his home city.

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Healthy Secretary Wes Streeting has said ministers may need to "look at" laws concerning online speech, following the arrest of comedian Graham Linehan.

The health secretary said such laws had put "more expectation on police" and "diluted the focus and priorities of the public", adding "that's obviously something we need to look at".

Streeting told the BBC it was "very easy for people to criticise police" who were only enforcing laws that had been passed by MPs, saying ministers wanted police to focus on street crime rather than posts on social media.

His comments come after the Father Ted co-creator was arrested at Heathrow Airport on suspicion of inciting violence in posts on the X website.

The arrest prompted a backlash from figures such as author JK Rowling and opposition parties including the Conservatives, who branded the arrest an "absurd infringement of free speech".

Downing Street declined to comment on Linehan's arrest on Tuesday, saying it was "an operational matter for the police".

But a No 10 spokesperson added: "The prime minister and the home secretary have been clear about where their priorities for crime and policing are, and that's tackling anti-social behaviour, shoplifting, street crime, as well as reducing serious violent crimes like knife crime and violence against women."

When asked about the Linehan case on the BBC's Today programme, Streeting echoed those words.

"As the prime minister and home secretary have been clear, we want the police to focus on policing streets rather than tweets," the health secretary said.

"But the thing we are mindful of, as a government that backs the police to keep us safe, is that police are there to enforce the laws that we as Parliament legislate for.

"So if over the years, with good intentions, Parliament has layered more and more expectation on police, and diluted the focus and priorities of the public, that's obviously something we need to look at."

Pressed on whether the law should be changed, Streeting said: "When it comes to speech, context is king. We do have to, as legislators, tread really carefully when it comes to boundaries of free speech."

Streeting said it was "hard for the police sometimes, because they have to apply the law as written, not the law as it was intended".

He also said "we are all - let's be honest - quite anxious" about some of the arrests and prosecutions over comments online.

Streeting added: "And you think, is that really what Parliament intended when we wrote these laws? So we've got to get the law right. Police are there to enforce the law that parliament makes."

Mr Linehan, 57, said he had been detained by five armed officers at Heathrow Airport after flying in from the US.

He said in an online Substack article that officials then became concerned for his health and took him to hospital.

The Metropolitan Police said that a man in his 50s had been arrested on 1 September at Heathrow Airport and taken to hospital.

The police said his condition was not life-threatening and he was bailed pending further investigation.

In his Substack article, Mr Linehan said his arrest was related to three posts on X from April, on his views about challenging "a trans-identified male" in "a female-only space".

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch was critical of the arrest, saying: "Sending five officers to arrest a man for a tweet isn't policing, it's politics. Under Labour, we routinely see burglary, knife crime and assaults go unsolved, while resources are wasted on thought-policing."

But new Green Party leader Zack Polanski told BBC Newsnight the posts were "totally unacceptable" and the arrest seemed "proportionate".

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is expected to raise the Linehan case and rail against "censorship" in the UK, when he gives evidence to the House Judiciary Committee in the US on free speech on Wednesday.

Separately, Mr Linehan is also facing a separate charge of harassment - which he denies - and is due to appear in court on Thursday.

The government is planning a new law in England to stop anyone under the age of 16 buying energy drinks such as Red Bull, Monster and Prime from shops, restaurants, cafes, vending machines and online.

Up to a third of UK children are thought to consume these types of drinks every week, despite most supermarkets having already introduced a voluntary ban.

Some popular drinks contain more caffeine than two cups of coffee.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said he was acting on the concerns of parents and teachers and tackling the issue "head on", to protect young people's health.

Lower-caffeine soft drinks, such Diet Coke, are not affected, and neither are tea and coffee.

A consultation will now run for 12 weeks to gather evidence from health and education experts as well as the public and retailers and manufacturers.

TV chef Jamie Oliver has repeatedly warned of the dangers and disruption energy drinks can cause, with kids coming into school "bouncing off the walls" having had energy drinks for breakfast.

"We are talking about three, four shots of espresso in one of these things. Loads of sugar. So an absolute nightmare," he said in a video posted on X last year.

Excessive consumption is linked to headaches and sleep problems.

Too much caffeine can cause a rapid heart rate, abnormal heart rhythms and seizures too.

Although rare, there have been some deaths linked to excess caffeine.

Under current labelling rules, any drink, other than tea or coffee, with over 150mg of caffeine per litre requires a warning label saying: "High caffeine content. Not recommended for children or pregnant or breast-feeding women."

Young people have smaller bodies and their brains are still developing, which can make them more sensitive to caffeine, say experts.

For most adults, up to 400mg of caffeine a day, or about four cups of instant coffee or five cups of tea, is safe.

"By preventing shops from selling these drinks to kids, we're helping build the foundations for healthier and happier generations to come," said Mr Streeting.

Prof Steve Turner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said a ban was the "next logical step" in making children's diets more healthy.

And Prof Amelia Lake from Teesside University, who has studied the drinks' impact on young people's lives, said they had "no place" in the diets of children.

"Our research has shown the significant mental and physical health consequences of children drinking energy drinks.

"We know these drinks are part of youth culture and associated with sports, gaming, music and more, but there is a lack of clear signalling about their health consequences."

But Gavin Partington from the British Soft Drinks Association said manufacturers had already led the way with self regulation.

"As with all government policy, it's essential that any forthcoming regulation is based on a rigorous assessment of the evidence that's available," he added.

Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are also considering a ban.

A former US filmmaker has launched a High Court battle against an English council to gain control of the ancestral stately home he spent seven years trying to save from ruin.

Hopwood DePree has led an operation to safeguard historic Hopwood Hall in Middleton, Greater Manchester, since 2017, and says he complied with an agreement with Rochdale Borough Council that gave him the option to buy the building.

However, the council say he did not fulfil the conditions of the deal, and locked him out in November 2024.

DePree, who published a book called Downton Shabby in 2022 about his work to restore the hall, has now taken action in an attempt to be declared its legal owner.

'Shocking' conduct

DePree says his grandfather told him stories of "Hopwood Castle" as a child in Michigan, but that he only discovered the real hall existed while researching his family history in 2013.

Parts of the 60-room building date from the 1420s, but both direct heirs were killed in World War One and the last family members moved out in the 1920s.

It was derelict by the time DePree visited, and he says he was told in 2015 that it would be beyond repair in another five to 10 years.

He moved to the UK to spearhead the effort to save it, signing a deal with the council in 2017 saying he could buy the hall for £1 on the condition he gained planning permission to develop it.

DePree began work on the crumbling building and got planning permission in 2022 to refurbish it as an event and hospitality venue. He says he has spent £750,000 of his own money on the project.

But he says relations soured when the council's Rochdale Development Agency became more involved in 2024, and DePree's legal case accuses the agency of trying to "poison everything my team and I had worked so hard to achieve".

He claims the council stopped co-operating and went behind his back, and that their conduct has been "evasive, misleading and at times shocking".

A council spokesperson said: "We don't comment on ongoing legal discussions and don't intend to elaborate on previous statements we have made on this subject."

The council has previously said any sale would depend on DePree having "a commercially viable business model to secure the long term future of the hall".

Last November, the council said it had decided not to renew the option agreement after consultants said his plans were "unlikely to be able to secure future public or private funding".

At that time, a council spokesman said DePree "had not been able to produce a viable proposal, despite having had seven years to do so", which it said was a condition of the sale. The authority said it "had a responsibility to explore alternative options" in order to "protect the public monies invested to date".

In November, council leader Neil Emmott said: "Mr DePree was asked to meet a number of conditions when we entered into our agreement with him. We would be failing in our duty to protect our historic assets if we didn't hold Mr DePree to the terms of this agreement."

The council said it spent £557,000 between 2017 and 2024 for essential repairs, with almost £1m contributed by Historic England. The council said it was now spending a further £700,000 on roof repairs and a feasibility study.

According to DePree's legal documents, the council has also argued that the planning permission was insufficient to meet the terms for a sale under the agreement. He is disputing that.

He is also disputing whether he needed to provide a "viable" business model to comply with the conditions for a sale, and his court papers say he does have "a clear vision, a plan and the resources to rescue Hopwood Hall".

'No other choice'

DePree told BBC News he believes he has complied with his end of the agreement.

"When I took the project on, the hall was just a few years from completely falling down and becoming a ruin," he said.

"We worked so hard and poured everything into it. I moved countries. I got British citizenship. I left behind a life and sold my home. I went through so much with the belief that the council was being open and honest with me, and I trusted them."

He added: "Ultimately I had an agreement that I signed with them that I fulfilled. My lawyers feel that we fulfilled that, and the council went against that, and I felt that I had no other choice other than to file court proceedings against them."

DePree and his family are involved in property development, and he sold his home in the Hollywood Hills to help fund the project.

In his former life, DePree was an actor, writer, producer and director whose early attempts to make it big in Hollywood were depicted in low-budget documentary Rhinoskin: The Making of a Movie Star.

He wrote, directed and appeared in the well-received independent rom-com The Last Big Attraction, and produced the 2010 drama Virginia starring Jennifer Connelly and Ed Harris.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stood publicly shoulder to shoulder for the first time on Wednesday, ahead of a massive military parade in central Beijing.

That parade, which marked 80 years since China's victory over Japan in World War Two, saw Beijing unveiling a range of new military hardware – including a new nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile, a new road-bound missile for delivering hypersonic weapons, a new laser weapon, and even "robotic dog" drones.

It comes at a time when Xi seeks to project Beijing's power on the international stage - not just as the world's second-largest economy, but also as a counterweight to the United States as Trump's tariffs rock the global economic and political order.

Five BBC correspondents assess the significance of Wednesday's parade – what it means, why it matters, and what the spectacle tells us about the "new world order".

An enduring image for China - and the world

By Laura Bicker, China correspondent

One of the most enduring images of this military parade took place before the first cannon was fired.

President Xi welcoming North Korea's Kim Jong Un with a long handshake, then moving on to greet Russia's Vladimir Putin before all three walked together to watch the parade, was sheer political theatre.

This was the first time all three leaders have been seen in public together, and they really picked their moment.

But it is this meeting, not just the weapons and troops on show, that appears to have grabbed the attention of Donald Trump.

Trump posted on Truth Social earlier, accusing Xi of conspiring against America with the others. The Chinese leader said in this speech that his country is on the right side of history.

Wednesdays parade was a choreographed spectacle of precision, power and patriotism.

Even the choir stood in perfectly even rows as they sang "without the Communist Party, there is no modern China".

The troops goose-stepped past in unison, and each strike of the ground echoed through the stands of 50,000 guests in Tiananmen Square.

Then came the big weapons, and the crowd reached for their phones. A new ICBM, laser weapons, even robotic dogs.

The parade finished on a crowd-pleasing fly past before thousands of doves and balloons were released into the skies over the capital.

This display to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War was not just a look at where China has been, or how far China has come.

It showcased where China is going: Xi playing the role of a global leader prepared to stand alongside two of the most sanctioned leaders in the world.

And at his feet, a military which is being built to rival the West.

Trump's out, Xi's in - and what that means for the West

By James Landale, diplomatic correspondent

China's show of geopolitical and now military power this week will hardly surprise Western leaders.

President Xi has long sought to put himself at the centre of a new world order – one that replaces the crumbling global systems established after World War Two.

But two things will send shivers down western diplomatic spines.

One is the speed with which China is filling the vacuum left by America's withdrawal from international norms and institutions.

A Chinese-led world order, one where territorial integrity and human rights are valued less than raw power and economic development, might prove uncomfortable for many western countries.

The way harsh US tariffs have pushed India, the world's biggest democracy, so quickly into the warm embrace of China, the world's biggest autocracy, will also be of concern.

One small crumb of comfort for the West is that the so-called "axis of upheaval" on show in Beijing is not united - and India, in particular, which was not represented at Wednesday's parade, is still at odds with China over territorial and other disputes.

The bottom line is that the economic nationalism and disruptive diplomacy of Donald Trump's America is giving China a huge diplomatic opportunity – and it's one Xi is seizing with open arms with his summit and parade.

A clear message to Donald Trump

By Steve Rosenberg, Russia editor

All the diplomacy (and the optics) in China this week was designed to send a clear message to the Trump administration.

So, you want to Make America Great Again, do you? It's America First, is it? Well, then, we'll offer an alternative to the US-led order.

That is why we saw the leaders of China, Russia and India smiling together at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit on Sunday and Monday.

It is why Vladimir Putin called Xi Jinping "a real friend", and the Chinese leader called his Russian counterpart "old friend" earlier this week.

And it is also why Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un appeared together at the military parade on Wednesday.

In short: in the geopolitical universe different powers are aligning as a counterweight to American domination.

This doesn't mean that all these countries and leaders are on the same wavelength. They are not. Differences remain.

But the direction of travel is clear.

As a headline in news outlet Komsomolskaya Pravda declared this week, in reference to Russia, China and India: "We will build a new world."

The weapons that worry the West

By Frank Gardiner, security correspondent

From massive, underwater torpedoes to state-of-the-art laser weapons that shoot down drones, China's latest military parade will now be broken down and analysed by Pentagon experts and defence officials around the world.

The PLA has embarked on an extensive military modernisation programme that has seen it catching up - and in some areas - overtaking the United States. Hypersonic missiles that travel at more than five times the speed of sound is one area where China leads the world.

Dr Sidharth Kaushal, a leading expert on missiles at the London think tank RUSI, highlights the YJ-17 - a hypersonic glide vehicle - and the YJ-19, a hypersonic cruise missile.

China has also been investing heavily in artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons. One example of these is the AJX002: a giant, 60-foot (18m), underwater nuclear-capable drone.

China's nuclear arsenal - numbering in the hundreds of missiles - still lags far behind those of Russia and the US who both have thousands, but it is rapidly increasing in size as well as finding innovative ways of delivering its warheads.

China has unveiled a range of new weapons, drones and other military hardware in a massive parade that many see as a clear message to the United States and its allies.

The event saw Xi Jinping host more than 20 foreign heads of state, including Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un, both of whom rely on China for economic support and more.

It was a display of Xi's growing power on the world stage, and of China's military prowess - the show included the "Guam killer" missile, the "loyal wingman" drone and even robotic wolves.

Beyond the hype and shiny new weaponry, what did we learn?

Here are our five takeaways.

1. China has a lot of weapons. How well can it deploy them?

What was clear from Wednesday's display was that China has been able to quickly produce a diverse range of weapons.

Ten years ago, the military technology they put on show tended to be "rudimentary copies" of far more advanced equipment invented by the US, notes Michael Raska, assistant professor in the military transformations programme at the Nanyang Technological University of Singapore.

But this parade revealed a more innovative and diverse range of weapons, particularly drones and missiles - a reflection of how advanced their defence-industrial complex has become.

China's top-down structure and significant resources enable it to churn out new weapons faster than many other countries, points out Alexander Neill, an adjunct fellow with the Pacific Forum.

It can also produce them in huge quantities, giving it a battlefield advantage where it can overwhelm the enemy.

"China has the ability to churn out munitions, ships, all these platforms... the state can just make these directives and off they go," Mr Neill says.

But how well can China's military integrate these weapons systems?

"They can show off these flashy advanced platforms, but are they organisationally agile to use them in the way they want to?" Dr Raska asks.

He adds that it won't be easy because the Chinese military is massive and untested, given it has not been involved in a significant war for decades.

2. China is focusing on missiles to counter the US

China has rolled out plenty of missiles, including some new variants.

These include the Dongfeng-61, which is capable of carrying multiple warheads in its nosecone; the Dongfeng-5C intercontinental ballistic missile which could be launched from northern China and hit the US; and the "Guam Killer" Dongfeng-26D intermediate range missile, which could hit key US military bases in Guam.

There were also several hypersonic anti-ship missiles such as the YJ-17 and YJ-19, which can fly very fast and maneuver unpredictably to evade anti-missile systems.

There's a reason for this focus on missiles.

China has been developing missiles and rocket forces as a key part of its deterrence strategy - and to counter the US' naval superiority, Mr Neill says.

The US Navy is unrivalled in the world with the largest fleet of aircraft carriers and carrier strike groups - China still lags behind on that count.

But, Mr Neill points out, some in the Western defence community are increasingly arguing that these strike groups are vulnerable, as they are effectively "sitting ducks" for any missile attacks.

Beijing is not only strengthening deterrence, but is also creating a "second strike capability," he says - a country's ability to launch a retaliatory strike if attacked.

Other notable weapons included the much-talked about LY-1 laser weapon, which is basically a giant laser that could burn or disable electronics or even blind pilots; and an assortment of fifth-generation stealth fighter jets including the J-20 and J-35 planes.

3. China is going all the way with AI and drones

There were a wide range of drones, some of them AI-powered, but the one that grabbed eyeballs was the AJX-002 giant submarine drone.

Also known as an extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicle (XLUUV) measuring up to 20m (65ft) in length, it could possibly do surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

China also showed off its GJ-11 stealth attack drone, dubbed the "loyal wingman", which can fly alongside a manned fighter jet and aid it in its attacks.

Besides an array of conventional aerial drones, there were also "robotic wolves". Experts say these could be used for a variety of tasks from reconnaissance and sweeping for mines, to hunting down enemy soldiers.

The drone display shows a clear direction that China wants to take with its military strategy, where it "not only wants to augment, but replace traditional structures".

It has clearly taken lessons from the Ukraine war, where one can "just throw drones at the enemy" to wear down their defences, Dr Raska notes.

"Alacrity in the kill chain matters," adds Mr Neill, pointing out that in a fast-moving battle, decisions have to be made in "nanoseconds" to defeat the enemy and gain the upper hand – which is what AI can do.

Many countries are still concerned about deploying AI in their military systems and asking "how comfortable are we in putting AI in the kill chain", he adds.

But China is very comfortable with that, Dr Raska says. "They believe they can control AI. They are going all the way to integrate it into their systems."

4. China may have the technology, but the US still has an edge

The parade clearly shows that China is catching up quickly with the US in its military technology, and has the resources to build up a huge arsenal of weapons.

But the US still maintains an edge in terms of operations, experts say.

The US military "excels" because there is a "bottom-up" culture where units on the ground can make decisions as the situation evolves and alter their fighting strategies, Dr Raska notes. This makes them more agile in a battle.

China, on the other hand, is "top-down" where "they can have flashy platforms and systems but they will not move a finger until they receive an order from the top", he adds.

"The Chinese think its technology that creates deterrence. They believe that will deter the US... but at the operational level, there have been instances which show they may not be as good as they say they are", Dr Raska says, pointing to recent encounters such as an incident last month when a Chinese warship rammed one of its own smaller vessels as they confronted the Philippine coast guard.

5. The parade was a weapons sales pitch – and a chance to show the US a united front

With the leaders of more than two dozen countries invited to the event, the parade of weapons and tanks was essentially a giant sales pitch on Chinese arms to potential buyers, Mr Neill points out.

Some of the countries in attendance such as Myanmar are already known to be buying huge quantities of Chinese weapons. But the chance to sell to new customers or increase orders is how the Chinese government can extend its influence globally, Dr Raska notes.

Among the key clients were those standing front and centre with Xi – Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un.

The three presented a united front as they walked to the parade together and stood on stage.

That was a message to the US, Mr Neill says: if America wanted to really challenge them it would mean "fighting them on several potential theatres at the same time – the Korean peninsula, Taiwan Straits, and Ukraine".

"And if you consider it, putting pressure on the US on all three domains, it may fail in one of those theatres."

Fresh warnings have been issued by police forces and councils across the country after a rise in parking scams over the summer.

From fake text messages about unpaid tickets to tampered car park machines that secretly steal your card details, fraudsters are becoming increasingly creative.

BBC scams expert Nick Stapleton told Morning Live there are easy ways you can protect yourself so you don't fall victim to some of the most common tricks.

1. Check your fine has these three details

Genuine parking notices always contain certain details.

"Real parking fines will include vehicle registration, the time of the offence and the location it happened," Stapleton says.

"If it doesn't have these three things then it is a scam.

"A genuine fine will always come in writing and will be left on your windscreen, handed to you in person or arrive in the post."

There are three types of fines you may receive - a penalty charge notice issued by the council, a fixed penalty notice issued by police usually linked to offences such as speeding and a parking charge notice issued by a private company.

Parking charge notices "aren't technically fines, they're invoices for breaching parking rules", so you don't always have to pay them but "check carefully before refusing to pay".

2. Don't click on links in texts

If you get a text out of the blue saying you owe money for an unpaid parking ticket, stop before you click. One of the most common tricks is a fake text or email demanding payment for an unpaid fine.

These texts usually come with a link you are told to click on to pay the fine and "use urgent and threatening language to make you panic", Stapleton says.

Some scam texts might say your licence will be revoked if you don't pay for the ticket but "that's not how it works, you won't lose your license".

Some links in these scam texts take you to websites that look like official government ones.

If you're not sure a website is legitimate you can "click around on the other links".

"If you click through on other links on the page you'll notice that they don't work and that's a clear sign it's a clone site," says Stapleton.

3. Restart your device and change passwords

If you have clicked on a suspicious link, don't despair - but do these three things:

• Restart your device: A lot of the links allow a scammer to gain remote access to your device. If you restart your phone or laptop it will kill the connection

• Change passwords: If you've filled in your details on the link make sure you change your passwords to any accounts with money in

• Call your bank: Inform your bank's fraud department about the message, the link and what information you gave

You could also consider installing antivirus software then run a search to see if any malware has been installed.

4. Check for skimming devices on parking machines

A new scam, which is increasing according to the UK's national fraud reporting centre Action Fraud, targets people paying for parking at machines.

Fraudsters attach a physical device to a contactless payment reader on a parking machine and when you try to pay, the machine displays a "card declined" message.

"While you walk off to try another machine, the skimming device has already stolen your card details," Stapleton explains.

Here's how to check whether the machine has been tampered with:

• Look for an extra sticker: Check there is no extra sticker or item placed on top of the contactless payment button

• Verify Branding: Look for the correct logos and branding. Scammers often use stickers with mismatched logos

• Trust Your Instincts: If something looks or feels suspicious, do not use the machine

"Contactless readers should look like they're part of the machine. If something looks bolted on or mismatched, it's best not to risk it," he says. "Always trust your gut."

If you do feel like there's something not quite right with the machine you can pay in cash instead or through a parking app.

Watch Morning Live to get the full details on how to protect yourself from the scams

Bidders for Thames Water are prepared to fire key senior managers if necessary as part of their plan to restructure the stricken utility, the BBC understands.

Sources close to the deal accept that the government needs to be seen to be tough with a company that has been heavily fined for failing to reach required operational and environmental standards.

"If the government insists we need a management clear out – we can help with that," said one person close to the process.

That job would fall to a new board of directors headed by telecoms and regulator veteran Mike McTighe who has been in lengthy talks with Ofwat, the industry regulator, and the government.

Chris Weston, Thames Water's chief executive, was criticised by MPs for accepting a £195k bonus after just three months in the job.

Politicians also criticised the current board for paying bonuses to senior staff out of a £3bn emergency cash lifeline.

A consortium of investors who are owed £13bn of Thames' £17bn debt pile are also offering to sweeten a rescue proposal by providing approximately £1bn in extra funding through a combination of additional debt write-offs and fresh capital.

They are hopeful that a combination of more pain for them, more money for the company and potential axe-wielding at the top will persuade the government and the regulator that Thames is turning a new page.

The lenders have presented a new operational plan to Ofwat that would see over £9bn invested in upgrading its facilities over the next five years.

Although not specified in this document, the lenders are clear that they will need a "regulatory reset" which specifies new and less onerous targets on pollution and leakage than the company tried and failed to hit in the past.

A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs told the BBC that the government would "always act in the national interest on these issues".

"The government has been clear that Thames Water must meet its statutory and regulatory obligations to their customers and to the environment. It is only right that the company is subject to the same consequences as any other water company," he said.

However, a recent review of the water sector by Sir John Cunliffe recommended a new regulatory framework that would establish "a formal regime to support the turnaround of poorly performing companies".

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has expressed her preference for "a market-based solution" rather than see the company collapse into government-supervised administration - a so-called Special Administration Regime (SAR) - which could leave taxpayers exposed to potential losses.

Consultants Teneo have estimated the cost to the Treasury of a SAR at £4.1bn.

A senior civil servant from the Treasury has been included in recent talks with the creditors.

However, the government has also stepped up preparations for that scenario in recent weeks by placing consultancy firm FTI on standby as special administrators if necessary.

Other potential bidders have expressed frustration that they have been locked out of advancing their own plans as the lenders have effective control of the company.

Executives on the lenders' bid team have told the BBC that time is running out for Thames as the longer it limps on, the harder any turnaround becomes.

"We have a matter of six to eight weeks before it goes into a special administration, and it goes in it could take years to come out," said one.

The probability of a lengthy SAR is questioned by some.

Infrastructure expert Prof Dieter Helm insists that with reduced debt, Thames is a viable asset that would attract bidders to a process that, if well designed, could be completed in a matter of weeks at little or no cost to the taxpayer.

What seems clear is that the long running crisis at Thames Water is coming to a head in the near future.

Thames Water has been contacted for comment.

A former US filmmaker has launched a High Court battle against an English council to gain control of the ancestral stately home he spent seven years trying to save from ruin.

Hopwood DePree has led an operation to safeguard historic Hopwood Hall in Middleton, Greater Manchester, since 2017, and says he complied with an agreement with Rochdale Borough Council that gave him the option to buy the building.

However, the council say he did not fulfil the conditions of the deal, and locked him out in November 2024.

DePree, who published a book called Downton Shabby in 2022 about his work to restore the hall, has now taken action in an attempt to be declared its legal owner.

'Shocking' conduct

DePree says his grandfather told him stories of "Hopwood Castle" as a child in Michigan, but that he only discovered the real hall existed while researching his family history in 2013.

Parts of the 60-room building date from the 1420s, but both direct heirs were killed in World War One and the last family members moved out in the 1920s.

It was derelict by the time DePree visited, and he says he was told in 2015 that it would be beyond repair in another five to 10 years.

He moved to the UK to spearhead the effort to save it, signing a deal with the council in 2017 saying he could buy the hall for £1 on the condition he gained planning permission to develop it.

DePree began work on the crumbling building and got planning permission in 2022 to refurbish it as an event and hospitality venue. He says he has spent £750,000 of his own money on the project.

But he says relations soured when the council's Rochdale Development Agency became more involved in 2024, and DePree's legal case accuses the agency of trying to "poison everything my team and I had worked so hard to achieve".

He claims the council stopped co-operating and went behind his back, and that their conduct has been "evasive, misleading and at times shocking".

A council spokesperson said: "We don't comment on ongoing legal discussions and don't intend to elaborate on previous statements we have made on this subject."

The council has previously said any sale would depend on DePree having "a commercially viable business model to secure the long term future of the hall".

Last November, the council said it had decided not to renew the option agreement after consultants said his plans were "unlikely to be able to secure future public or private funding".

At that time, a council spokesman said DePree "had not been able to produce a viable proposal, despite having had seven years to do so", which it said was a condition of the sale. The authority said it "had a responsibility to explore alternative options" in order to "protect the public monies invested to date".

In November, council leader Neil Emmott said: "Mr DePree was asked to meet a number of conditions when we entered into our agreement with him. We would be failing in our duty to protect our historic assets if we didn't hold Mr DePree to the terms of this agreement."

The council said it spent £557,000 between 2017 and 2024 for essential repairs, with almost £1m contributed by Historic England. The council said it was now spending a further £700,000 on roof repairs and a feasibility study.

According to DePree's legal documents, the council has also argued that the planning permission was insufficient to meet the terms for a sale under the agreement. He is disputing that.

He is also disputing whether he needed to provide a "viable" business model to comply with the conditions for a sale, and his court papers say he does have "a clear vision, a plan and the resources to rescue Hopwood Hall".

'No other choice'

DePree told BBC News he believes he has complied with his end of the agreement.

"When I took the project on, the hall was just a few years from completely falling down and becoming a ruin," he said.

"We worked so hard and poured everything into it. I moved countries. I got British citizenship. I left behind a life and sold my home. I went through so much with the belief that the council was being open and honest with me, and I trusted them."

He added: "Ultimately I had an agreement that I signed with them that I fulfilled. My lawyers feel that we fulfilled that, and the council went against that, and I felt that I had no other choice other than to file court proceedings against them."

DePree and his family are involved in property development, and he sold his home in the Hollywood Hills to help fund the project.

In his former life, DePree was an actor, writer, producer and director whose early attempts to make it big in Hollywood were depicted in low-budget documentary Rhinoskin: The Making of a Movie Star.

He wrote, directed and appeared in the well-received independent rom-com The Last Big Attraction, and produced the 2010 drama Virginia starring Jennifer Connelly and Ed Harris.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stood publicly shoulder to shoulder for the first time on Wednesday, ahead of a massive military parade in central Beijing.

That parade, which marked 80 years since China's victory over Japan in World War Two, saw Beijing unveiling a range of new military hardware – including a new nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile, a new road-bound missile for delivering hypersonic weapons, a new laser weapon, and even "robotic dog" drones.

It comes at a time when Xi seeks to project Beijing's power on the international stage - not just as the world's second-largest economy, but also as a counterweight to the United States as Trump's tariffs rock the global economic and political order.

Five BBC correspondents assess the significance of Wednesday's parade – what it means, why it matters, and what the spectacle tells us about the "new world order".

An enduring image for China - and the world

By Laura Bicker, China correspondent

One of the most enduring images of this military parade took place before the first cannon was fired.

President Xi welcoming North Korea's Kim Jong Un with a long handshake, then moving on to greet Russia's Vladimir Putin before all three walked together to watch the parade, was sheer political theatre.

This was the first time all three leaders have been seen in public together, and they really picked their moment.

But it is this meeting, not just the weapons and troops on show, that appears to have grabbed the attention of Donald Trump.

Trump posted on Truth Social earlier, accusing Xi of conspiring against America with the others. The Chinese leader said in this speech that his country is on the right side of history.

Wednesdays parade was a choreographed spectacle of precision, power and patriotism.

Even the choir stood in perfectly even rows as they sang "without the Communist Party, there is no modern China".

The troops goose-stepped past in unison, and each strike of the ground echoed through the stands of 50,000 guests in Tiananmen Square.

Then came the big weapons, and the crowd reached for their phones. A new ICBM, laser weapons, even robotic dogs.

The parade finished on a crowd-pleasing fly past before thousands of doves and balloons were released into the skies over the capital.

This display to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War was not just a look at where China has been, or how far China has come.

It showcased where China is going: Xi playing the role of a global leader prepared to stand alongside two of the most sanctioned leaders in the world.

And at his feet, a military which is being built to rival the West.

Trump's out, Xi's in - and what that means for the West

By James Landale, diplomatic correspondent

China's show of geopolitical and now military power this week will hardly surprise Western leaders.

President Xi has long sought to put himself at the centre of a new world order – one that replaces the crumbling global systems established after World War Two.

But two things will send shivers down western diplomatic spines.

One is the speed with which China is filling the vacuum left by America's withdrawal from international norms and institutions.

A Chinese-led world order, one where territorial integrity and human rights are valued less than raw power and economic development, might prove uncomfortable for many western countries.

The way harsh US tariffs have pushed India, the world's biggest democracy, so quickly into the warm embrace of China, the world's biggest autocracy, will also be of concern.

One small crumb of comfort for the West is that the so-called "axis of upheaval" on show in Beijing is not united - and India, in particular, which was not represented at Wednesday's parade, is still at odds with China over territorial and other disputes.

The bottom line is that the economic nationalism and disruptive diplomacy of Donald Trump's America is giving China a huge diplomatic opportunity – and it's one Xi is seizing with open arms with his summit and parade.

A clear message to Donald Trump

By Steve Rosenberg, Russia editor

All the diplomacy (and the optics) in China this week was designed to send a clear message to the Trump administration.

So, you want to Make America Great Again, do you? It's America First, is it? Well, then, we'll offer an alternative to the US-led order.

That is why we saw the leaders of China, Russia and India smiling together at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit on Sunday and Monday.

It is why Vladimir Putin called Xi Jinping "a real friend", and the Chinese leader called his Russian counterpart "old friend" earlier this week.

And it is also why Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un appeared together at the military parade on Wednesday.

In short: in the geopolitical universe different powers are aligning as a counterweight to American domination.

This doesn't mean that all these countries and leaders are on the same wavelength. They are not. Differences remain.

But the direction of travel is clear.

As a headline in news outlet Komsomolskaya Pravda declared this week, in reference to Russia, China and India: "We will build a new world."

The weapons that worry the West

By Frank Gardiner, security correspondent

From massive, underwater torpedoes to state-of-the-art laser weapons that shoot down drones, China's latest military parade will now be broken down and analysed by Pentagon experts and defence officials around the world.

The PLA has embarked on an extensive military modernisation programme that has seen it catching up - and in some areas - overtaking the United States. Hypersonic missiles that travel at more than five times the speed of sound is one area where China leads the world.

Dr Sidharth Kaushal, a leading expert on missiles at the London think tank RUSI, highlights the YJ-17 - a hypersonic glide vehicle - and the YJ-19, a hypersonic cruise missile.

China has also been investing heavily in artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons. One example of these is the AJX002: a giant, 60-foot (18m), underwater nuclear-capable drone.

China's nuclear arsenal - numbering in the hundreds of missiles - still lags far behind those of Russia and the US who both have thousands, but it is rapidly increasing in size as well as finding innovative ways of delivering its warheads.

Donald Trump has rejected suggestions that the warming of relations between China, Russia and their allies poses a challenge to the US on the global stage.

The US president told reporters in the Oval Office that he had "a good relationship" with President Xi Jinping and that China "needs us more than we need them".

It comes as Xi prepares to host world leaders at a "Victory Day" parade in Beijing on Wednesday - a showcase of China's military might.

Xi will be joined by North Korea's Kim Jong Un and Russia's Vladimir Putin, viewed by some observers as a message to the Western nations that have shunned them.

• Russia's Putin hails 'unprecedented' ties with China at talks in Beijin
• North Korea's Kim arrives in Beijing with daughter

China has sought to position itself as a possible counterweight to the US since Trump's tariffs rocked the global economic and political order.

Trump has pitched his tariffs as essential to protecting American interests and industry. It appears that any diplomatic cost is something he is willing to pay.

Asked by the BBC if he believed Beijing and its allies were attempting to form an international coalition to oppose the US, Trump said: "No. Not at all. China needs us."

He added: "I have a very good relationship with President Xi, as you know. But China needs us much more than we need them. I don't see that at all."

Separately, in a radio interview on Tuesday, Trump said he was not concerned about the axis forming between Russia and China.

He told the Scott Jennings radio show that America has "the most powerful military forces in the world" and that "they would never use their military forces against us".

"Believe me, that would be the worst thing they could ever do," he said.

Elsewhere in the interview, Trump said he was "very disappointed" in Putin, after they failed to reach a peace deal for Ukraine during their meeting in Alaska last month.

"I'm very disappointed in President Putin, I can say that," Trump said, adding that the US "will be doing something to help people live" in Ukraine. He did not specify.

China has not criticised Putin's full-scale invasion and has been accused by the West of aiding Russia's war effort through its supply of dual-use materials and purchases of Russian oil. Beijing denies this.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia was engaged in a new troop build up along certain sectors of the frontline.

"[Putin] refuses to be forced into peace," Zelensky said in his nightly video address.

The government is planning a new law in England to stop anyone under the age of 16 buying energy drinks such as Red Bull, Monster and Prime from shops, restaurants, cafes, vending machines and online.

Up to a third of UK children are thought to consume these types of drinks every week, despite most supermarkets having already introduced a voluntary ban.

Some popular drinks contain more caffeine than two cups of coffee.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said he was acting on the concerns of parents and teachers and tackling the issue "head on", to protect young people's health.

Lower-caffeine soft drinks, such Diet Coke, are not affected, and neither are tea and coffee.

A consultation will now run for 12 weeks to gather evidence from health and education experts as well as the public and retailers and manufacturers.

TV chef Jamie Oliver has repeatedly warned of the dangers and disruption energy drinks can cause, with kids coming into school "bouncing off the walls" having had energy drinks for breakfast.

"We are talking about three, four shots of espresso in one of these things. Loads of sugar. So an absolute nightmare," he said in a video posted on X last year.

Excessive consumption is linked to headaches and sleep problems.

Too much caffeine can cause a rapid heart rate, abnormal heart rhythms and seizures too.

Although rare, there have been some deaths linked to excess caffeine.

Under current labelling rules, any drink, other than tea or coffee, with over 150mg of caffeine per litre requires a warning label saying: "High caffeine content. Not recommended for children or pregnant or breast-feeding women."

Young people have smaller bodies and their brains are still developing, which can make them more sensitive to caffeine, say experts.

For most adults, up to 400mg of caffeine a day, or about four cups of instant coffee or five cups of tea, is safe.

"By preventing shops from selling these drinks to kids, we're helping build the foundations for healthier and happier generations to come," said Mr Streeting.

Prof Steve Turner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said a ban was the "next logical step" in making children's diets more healthy.

And Prof Amelia Lake from Teesside University, who has studied the drinks' impact on young people's lives, said they had "no place" in the diets of children.

"Our research has shown the significant mental and physical health consequences of children drinking energy drinks.

"We know these drinks are part of youth culture and associated with sports, gaming, music and more, but there is a lack of clear signalling about their health consequences."

But Gavin Partington from the British Soft Drinks Association said manufacturers had already led the way with self regulation.

"As with all government policy, it's essential that any forthcoming regulation is based on a rigorous assessment of the evidence that's available," he added.

Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are also considering a ban.

A US congressional panel has released a trove of documents related to the federal investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The House of Representatives Oversight Committee published 33,295 pages, including flight logs, jail surveillance video, court filings, audio recordings and emails.

But Republicans and Democrats alike said the files contained little new information and it is unclear if the justice department is withholding other Epstein records.

Pressure has been growing from President Donald Trump's own supporters for more transparency on the probe into the well-connected financier after the justice department said in July there was no "incriminating" Epstein client list.

Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, a Republican, ordered the documents to be published online on Tuesday.

The Republican-led panel received the files after issuing a legal summons to the Department of Justice last month.

But Comer, a Kentucky congressman, acknowledged there was little fresh information.

"As far as I can see, there's nothing new in the documents," he told NBC News.

The videos released on Tuesday include footage from outside Epstein's New York jail cell on the night of his death.

It includes 13 hours and 41 seconds of video from the facility covering the evening of 9 August to the morning of 10 August 2019, when Epstein died.

This is two hours more of video than what the justice department released two months ago.

But the newly released footage does not include the so-called "missing minute" - a jump in the timecode between 23:00 and 00:00, according to the BBC's US partner CBS.

Attorney General Pam Bondi previously said the "missing minute" was just the jail's camera system resetting each night.

However, the apparent anomaly had stoked conspiracy theories about the official finding that Epstein died by suicide.

The convicted paedophile had once hobnobbed with the likes of Trump, former President Bill Clinton and British royal Prince Andrew.

The tranche of documents also includes several clips from 2006 showing interviews with people who said they were victims of Epstein.

Their faces are blurred and names removed from the audio as they talk about alleged sexual abuse while they were hired for massages.

Other videos show bodycam footage from police in Palm Beach, Florida, as they search a home belonging to Epstein.

Some of the documents date back 20 years, covering an initial criminal investigation into Epstein launched by Palm Beach police.

But Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on House Oversight Committee, said in a statement: "To the American people – don't let this fool you.

"After careful review, Oversight Democrats have found that 97% of the documents received from the Department of Justice were already public.

"There is no mention of any client list or anything that improves transparency or justice for victims."

Democratic congresswoman Summer Lee said the "only new disclosure" was flight logs taken by US Customs and Border Protection, which show Epstein's travel to and from his private island in the US Virgin Islands.

The release came after backbench Republican rebel Thomas Massie forged ahead on Tuesday with a bipartisan effort to force the House to vote on a bill requiring the justice department to publish all of its Epstein files within 30 days.

The Kentucky congressman said: "People want these files released. I mean, look, it's not the biggest issue in the country.

"It's taxes, jobs, the economy, those are always the big issues. But you really can't solve any of that if this place is corrupt."

Earlier on Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, and members of the oversight committee met six Epstein victims behind closed-doors.

Johnson, a Trump ally, told reporters afterwards that "there were tears in the room" as they heard from the Epstein victims.

Congresswoman Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican, appeared to leave the meeting crying.

Democrat Melanie Stansbury praised the survivors for speaking out and described the case as a "cover-up of epic proportions".

Lawmakers and victims of Epstein plan to hold a news conference on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.

Protests over the use of hotels for housing asylum seekers have put police forces under "chronic pressure" when combined with other duties this summer, a senior police chief has said.

Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council, told the BBC people in leadership positions in the UK needed to think about how to "reduce and diffuse tension and not sew division".

Senior officers are concerned about political and business leaders commenting on social media, sometimes spreading misinformation, though Mr Stephens didn't give names.

Police say there have been 3,081 protests between the start of June and 25 August, compared with 2,942 last summer and 928 in 2023.

The number has been pushed up by campaigns against asylum hotels, sometimes attended by hundreds of protestors on both sides of the debate.

Mr Stephens said it was everybody's responsibility, including the police, to "set the tone", but he continued to defend the right to protest.

"We all want to live in places where we can be safe, and where we feel safe," he said.

Police forces all over the country have been responding to protests this summer, pulling in officers from neighbourhood roles to do public order duties. Through the system of mutual aid, police forces with fewer protests have have sent reinforcements across the country to back up those under pressure.

In Epping, where protests began outside the Bell Hotel in July, hundreds of police officers have been involved, often keeping pro and anti-migrant groups separated and preventing activists getting into the hotel.

At least 30 more protests are planned this weekend.

On Tuesday, the Conservative leader of Epping Forest District Council said he would be asking campaigners demanding the closure of the Bell Hotel to halt their protests.

Councillor Chris Whitbread said in a statement: "I am approaching the other group leaders on Epping Forest District Council and other community leaders to jointly ask protesters to reflect on whether they continue with the twice-weekly local protests.

"If you choose to continue, it should be done considerately and calmly, with awareness of the impact on local residents and the local economy.

"The people of Epping are under great strain. As schools return this week, I appeal to the protest organisers to show restraint and give our families and children some much needed respite."

Mr Stephens said the demand on policing could be reduced by better integration of refugees.

"Where there's a lack of integration, whether that's through accommodation or placement in local communities, to a certain extent, the model doesn't matter. It's the effort that we go to work together as a community that reduces the demand on policing," he said.

Police chiefs are waiting for the government to publish plans to reform the service so it can cope better with modern challenges. They're hoping for a radical long-term strategy.

Last year, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper argued that the co-ordinated national response to the disorder in summer 2024 in the wake of the Southport attack had demonstrated the need for more centralisation.

She announced a National Centre of Policing to bring together support services for local forces, including national IT systems, shared police helicopters and a centralised forensics service.

The Home Office has been approached for comment by the BBC.

Fresh warnings have been issued by police forces and councils across the country after a rise in parking scams over the summer.

From fake text messages about unpaid tickets to tampered car park machines that secretly steal your card details, fraudsters are becoming increasingly creative.

BBC scams expert Nick Stapleton told Morning Live there are easy ways you can protect yourself so you don't fall victim to some of the most common tricks.

1. Check your fine has these three details

Genuine parking notices always contain certain details.

"Real parking fines will include vehicle registration, the time of the offence and the location it happened," Stapleton says.

"If it doesn't have these three things then it is a scam.

"A genuine fine will always come in writing and will be left on your windscreen, handed to you in person or arrive in the post."

There are three types of fines you may receive - a penalty charge notice issued by the council, a fixed penalty notice issued by police usually linked to offences such as speeding and a parking charge notice issued by a private company.

Parking charge notices "aren't technically fines, they're invoices for breaching parking rules", so you don't always have to pay them but "check carefully before refusing to pay".

2. Don't click on links in texts

If you get a text out of the blue saying you owe money for an unpaid parking ticket, stop before you click. One of the most common tricks is a fake text or email demanding payment for an unpaid fine.

These texts usually come with a link you are told to click on to pay the fine and "use urgent and threatening language to make you panic", Stapleton says.

Some scam texts might say your licence will be revoked if you don't pay for the ticket but "that's not how it works, you won't lose your license".

Some links in these scam texts take you to websites that look like official government ones.

If you're not sure a website is legitimate you can "click around on the other links".

"If you click through on other links on the page you'll notice that they don't work and that's a clear sign it's a clone site," says Stapleton.

3. Restart your device and change passwords

If you have clicked on a suspicious link, don't despair - but do these three things:

• Restart your device: A lot of the links allow a scammer to gain remote access to your device. If you restart your phone or laptop it will kill the connection

• Change passwords: If you've filled in your details on the link make sure you change your passwords to any accounts with money in

• Call your bank: Inform your bank's fraud department about the message, the link and what information you gave

You could also consider installing antivirus software then run a search to see if any malware has been installed.

4. Check for skimming devices on parking machines

A new scam, which is increasing according to the UK's national fraud reporting centre Action Fraud, targets people paying for parking at machines.

Fraudsters attach a physical device to a contactless payment reader on a parking machine and when you try to pay, the machine displays a "card declined" message.

"While you walk off to try another machine, the skimming device has already stolen your card details," Stapleton explains.

Here's how to check whether the machine has been tampered with:

• Look for an extra sticker: Check there is no extra sticker or item placed on top of the contactless payment button

• Verify Branding: Look for the correct logos and branding. Scammers often use stickers with mismatched logos

• Trust Your Instincts: If something looks or feels suspicious, do not use the machine

"Contactless readers should look like they're part of the machine. If something looks bolted on or mismatched, it's best not to risk it," he says. "Always trust your gut."

If you do feel like there's something not quite right with the machine you can pay in cash instead or through a parking app.

Watch Morning Live to get the full details on how to protect yourself from the scams

Listen to Alison read this article

It took me some time to find the front door of the Safer Living Foundation. There was no nameplate, and the building was one of many anonymous red-brick Victorian terraced houses in Nottingham. It was January 2025, and I was wrapped up against the cold as I walked up and down the street trying to find the right address.

There was a very good reason for this anonymity. The foundation works with people convicted and imprisoned for sexual offences after they have been released back into the community. The men may have been found guilty of anything from indecent exposure to viewing abusive images online to contact offences involving children.

And people who have committed sex crimes can be among the most reviled in society. At times they are the subject of vigilante action.

In May 2025, the government announced it was considering the roll-out of voluntary chemical castration for sex offenders and also looking at whether this could be made mandatory.

But while this sort of tough rhetoric grabs headlines, the Safer Living Foundation claims the work it does providing a safe space for people with sexual convictions to find support with reintegrating into society has had positive results.

And there is evidence to suggest they may be correct. Just 2% of the men who spent time at the foundation reoffended, according to its own figures. That compares to an average of 15.1% for those convicted of sexual crimes in England and Wales. The Foundation says it only takes people who say they are committed to change.

I was there to see for myself how the centre in Nottingham - the only project of its kind in the UK - operated. Over five months the BBC was given a unique insight into its work.

What none of us knew that cold winter morning was that these would prove to be its final months. In May 2025, the centre was forced to close. Persuading organisations to fund sex offender treatment had never been easy and in the tough financial climate, it had become impossible to secure the money they needed to keep going.

It's an outcome that casts light on the UK's attitude towards preventing those guilty of sex crimes from reoffending. It forces us to confront difficult questions, including whether spending public or charity money on attempting to rehabilitate sex offenders should be recognised as an effective way of preventing harm and in doing so protecting potential victims.

'I'll do whatever works'

When I eventually found the right door, it was opened by Dave Potter. He had run the service since it was set up 11 years ago.

Here, he told me, offenders meet people who have insight into their experience of having been convicted for sex crimes - both others who have been found guilty of these offences as well as counsellors - "because who else can you talk to?".

Inside, in a busy kitchen, lunch was being prepared. A handful of men of all ages, sitting and standing, quietly chatted about the day's news, football and food. In another room, a games club was taking place and elsewhere, counselling sessions were under way.

Often their partners and families wanted nothing more to do with them after their convictions, according to Dave.

Dave accepted that there would be those who wondered how he could bring himself to offer support to sex offenders. But he believed the bigger picture is what's important. "Everything we do underpins (the idea of) no more victims," he said. "I'll do whatever works to prevent further offending."

Sex Offenders: The Long Way Back

Alison Holt reports on how a Nottingham charity working with men who have been convicted of sexual offences has success in greatly reducing re-offending rates. Listen on BBC Sounds – or on BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday 3 September at 11:00.

Certainly, the official statistics around sexual offending suggest that much more needs to be done to bring the numbers down. On average the police record more than 194,000 sexual offences each year in England and Wales. Of these, 40% are against children.

One child in every 10 experiences some form of sexual abuse before the age of 16 in England and Wales, according to "conservative estimates" by the Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse. Many victims, both adults and children, will never feel able to speak about what has happened.

The harm caused by these offences cannot be underestimated, and that was acknowledged in most of the conversations I had at the centre with offenders, staff and volunteers alike.

At the time I visited about 60 men were enrolled as service users, but over the last decade hundreds of men and two women have been supported by staff here.

'The life I knew has completely ended'

The service users I spoke to wanted to remain anonymous. They described feeling lonely and even suicidal, and said they realised what they had done was wrong. They said they recognised the impact it had on their victims. They also talked about how the centre had helped them.

"I was petrified about leaving prison with a stigma attached," said Matt (the names of all ex-offenders have been changed). As a result of his conviction, he had lost his family, his job and everything he knew before. "The life I knew has completely ended." Without the centre he would be struggling even more, he said.

Another man, Liam, described being assaulted after he was released from prison.

"One of my neighbours found out who I was and then one night decided to come round and attack me," he said. "Physical violence, swearing at me and basically, telling everybody around there what I was," he said. He had to move.

Finding work can be a major challenge for the men, too. Some 95% of the service users here were on the Sex Offenders Register and were required to tell potential employers this.

In my conversations with them, the same words came up time and again – anxiety, low self-esteem, fear and, in particular, isolation.

While to some these risk factors could sound like an excuse for what they have done, the centre's approach is based on the idea that addressing these issues will make these men less likely to offend. And so it tries to help them rebuild their lives in a way that protects them and others.

"By treating people with decency, by looking at the whole person and not just the crime, by finding ways to manage their social isolation, their shame and their guilt, that reduces further offending down the line," Dave said.

He accepted that some might think that what the centre was doing was naïve. Before he did his job, he says, he might have agreed with the suggestion that sex offenders simply need to be punished. But now, he said, "I know what we do works. It is about understanding the harm that acting on those impulses causes. It is about understanding what they've put victims through."

Distractions from inappropriate thoughts

There is group therapy as well as weekly one-to-one counselling sessions. In one of the discussions with Dave, a man called John, who has been jailed twice for his offending, talked about how he now distracted himself if he began to have any fleeting, inappropriate sexual thoughts. He played football video games and generally kept busy.

He also described how difficult the last few months have been. A homeless man, who John had offered to help, moved into his flat and became increasingly manipulative and violent. Eventually, he threatened to tell others about John's conviction.

With support from the Foundation, John called the police and the man was removed.

"If an alcoholic has no help and support, its unlikely they'll give up booze," said Dave. He believes it can be the same with sex offenders, so the centre provided controlled support that helps them cope, even under stress.

There is support for this approach, too, among groups that work with victims.

"This project further underpins the fact that we can't make a dent in the alarming figures of a quarter of the population experiencing sexual violence by simply pledging to change things," says Lucy Duckworth, policy lead at The Survivors Trust. "We need action and funding and to have difficult conversations with those who commit this crime, to enable us to intervene earlier."

A failing in the system

The main place where sex offenders currently get treatment is in prison – but even there it is limited.

In the year ending March 2024, there were about 87,000 people in prison in England and Wales. More than 18,000 (21%) had been convicted of sex offences. Some 1,115 prisoners did start accredited treatment in prison and 1,094 people completed those courses.

The length of time the courses take means they may not be an option for offenders in jail for a short period.

Matt, who had earlier told me how worried he had been about leaving prison, took two 30-hour programmes while an inmate at HMP Whatton in Nottinghamshire, which is, according to the Howard League for Penal Reform, the largest prison for adult sex offenders in Europe. Matt said these were hugely useful to him.

"You ripped yourself right open," he said. "Laid everything on the table. Looked at how and why you got there, and how are you going to rebuild yourself? How are you going to make sure it doesn't happen again?"

But once inmates are released, accessing this kind of treatment becomes even more difficult, experts say. "That's a failing of where we're at in the system," says Nick Blagden, professor of criminological psychology at the University of Derby and a co-founder and trustee of the Safer Living Foundation.

An alternative solution is to reach people before they end up in the criminal justice system - before they harm someone. There are UK projects that do good work offering services in the community, says Prof Blagden. But given the scale of the problem, the level of support is nowhere near as "wide-ranging" as is needed, he adds. He contrasts this with Germany, where he says there is a "much more sensible" approach to funding prevention projects that provide therapy to adults who feel they might commit sexual offences.

In addition to the Nottingham centre, the foundation also ran a programme called Aurora, which provided highly confidential support, online and in person, for people with concerning sexual thoughts, before they did something that put them in contact with the criminal justice system. It had 300 people on a 12-month waiting list.

"If we had unlimited funds and resources, we would be working with hundreds of people a month," says Prof Blagden.

'We've helped a lot of lives'

Getting all this right could not be more important. The National Crime Agency estimated in 2024 that between 710,000 and 840,000 UK adults posed varying degrees of sexual risks to children.

The questions for society are: as well as making it easier for victims of abuse to be heard and believed, are we ready to challenge the behaviour, thoughts and actions of those who have offended and are at risk of offending much sooner? And are we prepared to spend money on doing so?

For its part, the Ministry of Justice says: "We are determined to halve violence against women and girls in a decade and tackling sexual offenders' criminality is a vital part of this plan."

Ministers also point to their plan for a national roll-out of "medication to manage problematic sexual arousal in sex offenders", often known as chemical castration, which is delivered through drugs alongside psychiatric work, and say they are considering whether to make it mandatory. The department also says it recently announced a record £700m increase in overall probation funding by 2028.

For decades, the mantras of many politicians have focused on being tough on crime. The use and length of prison sentences have increased as a result. However, the current overcrowding in prisons is forcing a rethink.

In May 2025, an independent review of sentencing was published. It concluded that while punishment is important, there "has been insufficient focus on reducing crime". It called for more community-based sentences and support and more use of the third sector charities and organisations.

The government has since accepted most of the recommendations across all crimes.

The Safer Living Foundation, with the guardrails it provided to support sex offenders in the community, seemed to be tailor-made for this strategy.

But the same month the review was published, the Foundation learned that its application for a lottery grant - which it needed to keep running - had been turned down.

'Fairly hand-to-mouth'

"It has been fairly hand-to-mouth over the years we've been operating," says Lynn Saunders, another of the co-founders of the Safer Living Foundations as well as a former governor at Whatton and now professor of applied criminology at Derby University. "There seems to be a big reluctance because of the nature of the work, people find it difficult to be associated with it."

In May, the centre closed, while the Aurora Project was paused.

On the final day, staff, volunteers and some of the men they have supported, packed into the small kitchen to say goodbye.

"I've decided to celebrate the fact we existed at all," said Dave. "We've helped a lot of lives and prevented a lot of victims."

A few hours later, when that anonymous front door was shut and locked, it marked the end of the project. There is no replacement and no prospect of re-opening.

If you have been affected by the issues raised in this story you can visit the BBC Action Line for support.

Top picture credit: Getty Images

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The government is planning a new law in England to stop anyone under the age of 16 buying energy drinks such as Red Bull, Monster and Prime from shops, restaurants, cafes, vending machines and online.

Up to a third of UK children are thought to consume these types of drinks every week, despite most supermarkets having already introduced a voluntary ban.

Some popular drinks contain more caffeine than two cups of coffee.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said he was acting on the concerns of parents and teachers and tackling the issue "head on", to protect young people's health.

Lower-caffeine soft drinks, such Diet Coke, are not affected, and neither are tea and coffee.

A consultation will now run for 12 weeks to gather evidence from health and education experts as well as the public and retailers and manufacturers.

TV chef Jamie Oliver has repeatedly warned of the dangers and disruption energy drinks can cause, with kids coming into school "bouncing off the walls" having had energy drinks for breakfast.

"We are talking about three, four shots of espresso in one of these things. Loads of sugar. So an absolute nightmare," he said in a video posted on X last year.

Excessive consumption is linked to headaches and sleep problems.

Too much caffeine can cause a rapid heart rate, abnormal heart rhythms and seizures too.

Although rare, there have been some deaths linked to excess caffeine.

Under current labelling rules, any drink, other than tea or coffee, with over 150mg of caffeine per litre requires a warning label saying: "High caffeine content. Not recommended for children or pregnant or breast-feeding women."

Young people have smaller bodies and their brains are still developing, which can make them more sensitive to caffeine, say experts.

For most adults, up to 400mg of caffeine a day, or about four cups of instant coffee or five cups of tea, is safe.

"By preventing shops from selling these drinks to kids, we're helping build the foundations for healthier and happier generations to come," said Mr Streeting.

Prof Steve Turner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said a ban was the "next logical step" in making children's diets more healthy.

And Prof Amelia Lake from Teesside University, who has studied the drinks' impact on young people's lives, said they had "no place" in the diets of children.

"Our research has shown the significant mental and physical health consequences of children drinking energy drinks.

"We know these drinks are part of youth culture and associated with sports, gaming, music and more, but there is a lack of clear signalling about their health consequences."

But Gavin Partington from the British Soft Drinks Association said manufacturers had already led the way with self regulation.

"As with all government policy, it's essential that any forthcoming regulation is based on a rigorous assessment of the evidence that's available," he added.

Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are also considering a ban.

The government is unable to calculate the total cost of a secret relocation plan it set up following the Afghan data leak, the public spending watchdog has said.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) estimates the cost of the massive data breach - and setting up a new scheme to relocate those whose lives might be at risk over it - to be £850m.

But the National Audit Office (NAO) says the MoD has not provided enough evidence to give it confidence in that figure, which does not include legal expenses, or compensation claims likely to follow.

The MoD said it was committed to transparency and "committed to honouring the moral obligation we owe to those Afghans who stood with us and risked their lives".

Last month it was revealed the details of almost 19,000 people had applied to move to the UK in order to flee the Taliban were leaked, when an official mistakenly emailed a spreadsheet that contained a hidden tab with the information in 2022.

It contained information like names, contact details and family information of people who believed their cooperation with British forces during the Afghanistan war put them at risk of reprisals.

The names of British officials including members of UK special forces were also included in the data breach.

More than 16,000 Afghans and family members were eligible to resettle under an existing relocation scheme.

Following the data breach, a new scheme - the Afghanistan Response Route (ARR) - was secretly set up in April 2024, allowing a further 7,000 to come to the UK.

A super-injunction granted by the High Court in September 2023 prevented the incident being reported for almost two years, before the order was lifted in July.

The MoD estimates the cost for resettling each individual to be £128,000, with the total bill for all its Afghan resettlement programmes forecast to exceed £2bn.

In a report, the NAO said the government had failed to provide sufficient evidence to give the watchdog "confidence" to say if its £850m figure was accurate.

The watchdog said: "The MoD is not able to determine exactly what it has spent on resettling people through the ARR scheme.

"This is because it did not separately identify the costs of the ARR scheme in its accounting system, meaning that these costs were not visible in its management accounts, but instead included them within its total spending on Afghan resettlement activities."

A spokesperson for the MoD said: "We are committed to honouring the moral obligation we owe to those Afghans who stood with us and risked their lives.

"Since taking the decision to support the lifting of the super injunction brought by the previous government, we have been clear on the costs associated with relocating eligible Afghans to the UK - and are fully committed to transparency.

"The cost of all Afghan resettlement schemes, including the Afghan Response Route, has been fully funded as part of the Government's Spending Review."