A government scheme aimed at cutting energy use by insulating homes was botched on a vast scale, a spending watchdog has found, leaving tens of thousands of homes in need of remedial work.

According to the National Audit Office (NAO) 98% of homes that had external wall insulation installed under the scheme have problems that will lead to damp and mould if left unaddressed.

Nearly a third, or 29%, of the homes that were given internal insulation also need fixing, it said.

Energy Consumer Minister Martin McCluskey said the government was taking action and that the homes would be fixed "at no cost to the consumer".

Mohammed Mahedi, who had external wall insulation fitted to his Luton home two years ago, is living with the consequences.

''Some mornings I wake up breathing really, really heavily. I feel it in my neck. I feel it in my lungs,'' he says.

The BBC first reported the impact of faulty insulation in Luton last year.

Mohammed is still fighting to get the problem fixed.

"We got a scheme done that was meant to be helping us but it's made everything worse.''

In 2022 the previous government directed energy companies to spend billions of pounds, raised via levies on energy bills, on insulating homes across the UK, targetting people receiving benefits and those in very poorly insulated homes.

However, the NAO found there were "clear failures" in the design of the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme, which resulted in "poor-quality installations as well as suspected fraud".

Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said it was now up to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) to ensure the businesses responsible repaired "all affected homes as quickly as possible".

"It must also reform the system so that this cannot happen again," he said.

The NAO, which monitors how public money is spent, cited an "under-skilled workforce", businesses cutting corners and uncertainty over which standards to apply to which jobs, as some of the reasons for the substandard work.

It found that between 22,000 and 23,000 homes that had received external wall insulation, and up to 13,000 properties with internal wall insulation were now in need of repairs.

A small percentage of installations - 6% for external and 2% of internal insulation - posed an "immediate health and safety risk" from faults such as exposed live electrical cabling or blocked boiler ventilation, it said.

The NAO report focused on two specific schemes, ECO4 and the Great British Insulation Scheme.

But it also directed criticism at TrustMark, a consumer protection scheme set up in 2021 to monitor the quality of insulation programmes. It said there had been "weak" oversight and insufficient auditing of the schemes.

The NAO said that had allowed installers to "game" the system. Last year the whole-industry regulator, Ofgem, estimated that businesses had falsified claims for ECO installations in up to 16,500 homes, potentially claiming between £56m and £165m from energy suppliers.

TrustMark said it accepted that more needed to be done and said it remained "completely committed to ensuring strong consumer protection and confidence".

It said the organisation took "firm, fair and decisive action" when it first noticed issues with the work in 2024 and "kept industry groups and government fully informed at every stage".

Energy minister, McCluskey said the NAO report revealed "unacceptable, systemic failings" left by the previous government.

He said there would be "comprehensive reforms" and "clear lines of accountability" in future.

Former prime minister Rishi Sunak has stepped up his call for a targeted screening programme for prostate cancer.

In a BBC interview he said he was "convinced of the urgency " of introducing such a programme which would be affordable, deliverable and "save countless lives".

His comments come as the UK National Screening Committee reconsiders its decision from five years ago not to recommend routine screening.

Media reports suggest it may stick with its current stance.

Olympic cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy, who has advanced prostate cancer, wants younger men to be checked.

He wants the age threshold for requesting a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test lowered.

Currently, it is not routinely offered to men without symptoms who are under 50.

The PSA test is controversial though. Levels can rise for reasons other than cancer, such as infections, leading to false positives. Critics say this can result in unnecessary treatment and side effects.

Sunak is an ambassador for Prostate Cancer Research, which is publishing a report on the costs and benefits of a targeted screening programme.

It would focus on men aged 45–69 with a family history of prostate cancer and black men, who face double the risk. This group includes around 1.3 million men in the UK.

The charity estimates the programme would cost £25 million a year - or about £18 per patient - similar to bowel and breast cancer screening. It assumes 20% of eligible men would be invited annually, with a 72% uptake rate. Diagnostic activity (scans and biopsies) would need to rise by 23%, with only a modest increase in NHS staffing, it says.

The benefits of introducing targeted screening for those at the highest risk outweigh the financial and logistical costs, according to the report authors.

Speaking to the BBC, Sunak said: "I've had family and friends that have been impacted by it – thankfully not lost their lives – but that partly has made me aware of why its so important we catch it early – the doctors are so brilliant now at treating you if you catch it early."

He said men, including himself, were often shy of coming forward to discuss health issues: "That's why a proactive targeted screening programme could make a difference in helping save lives."

The screening programme backed by the Prostate Cancer Research Charity would involve an MRI scan as well as the PSA test and then a biopsy.

Asked whether he might have done more while in Downing Street to push the case for prostate cancer screening, Sunak said testing had now become more reliable: "The thing that has changed is use of MRI scans so we can now much more effectively and safely target the people who most need our help - the moment is now – its deliverable and affordable".

But some medical experts are sceptical about the value of screening. They argue there is still a risk that patients will be treated for the cancer when it is not strictly necessary and will then have to live with side effects such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction.

Professor Hashim Ahmed, Chair of Urology at Imperial College, says more research is needed to determine the potential value of screening.

"The problem is we can often find disease that doesn't need to be treated and we end up causing harm...and my concern at the moment is that harm to benefit equation isn't quite right."

The National Screening Committee will have to weigh up the evidence and arguments. While the new report by Prostate Cancer Research says the implications for staffing and availability of a screening programme would be manageable, others have argued that it would take scanning capacity away from patients being treated for other conditions.

Patient voices are also shaping the debate. On a recent visit to a prostate cancer clinic at Guy's Hospital in London, Sunak met David Bateman who is 66. After asking for a PSA test he was diagnosed with the cancer at the age of 59 and was told it had spread to his pelvis.

He has since been given chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment but cannot be cured. David supports screening for those who are potentially vulnerable.

"That is very important to me because of my sons – they are 38 and 40 – I want them checked as soon as possible. If I had been screened at 50 I am sure I wouldn't be in the position I am today," he said.

Venezuela announced on Monday it would close its embassy in Oslo, days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In a statement, the Venezuelan government did not comment on Machado's prize, saying that the closure was part of a restructuring of its foreign service.

Norway's foreign ministry confirmed that Caracas had closed its embassy in Oslo without providing a reason.

The Nobel Committee in Oslo awarded her the prize on Friday in recognition of what it called "her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela", while Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro referred to the 58-year-old laureate as a "demonic witch".

The Norwegian foreign ministry called the decision "regrettable".

"Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue open with Venezuela and will continue to work in this direction," a ministry spokeswoman said.

She added that the Nobel Prize "is independent of the Norwegian government".

Machado has for years been campaigning against Maduro, whose 12-year rule is viewed by many nations as illegitimate.

Caracas also closed its embassy in Australia while opening new outposts in Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso, which it called "strategic partners in the fight" against "hegemonic pressures".

She has been forced to live in hiding for much of the past year.

• María Corina Machado wins Nobel Peace Prize

In honouring her achievement, Nobel chairman Jørgen Watne Frydnes called Machado a "key, unifying figure in a political opposition that was once deeply divided... in a brutal authoritarian state that is now suffering a humanitarian and economic crisis."

Machado told BBC Mundo her award was "like an injection" for her political movement. "It infuses energy, hope, strength on the Venezuelan people because we realise that we are not alone," she said.

Venezuela's closure of embassies in two close US allies comes after weeks of heightened tension between Caracas and Washington.

The US military has destroyed at least four boats that it said were carrying narcotics from Venezuela to the US, killing at least 21 people on board, in what the Donald Trump administration calls a war on drugs.

The strikes have attracted condemnation in countries including Venezuela and Colombia, with some international lawyers describing the strikes as a breach of international law.

The last time Norway suffered a diplomatic blow over the Nobel Peace Prize was with China in 2010, when it was awarded to political dissident Liu Xiaobo. Beijing suspended trade and other relations, and only normalised ties with Oslo six years later.

People applying for a driving licence will be encouraged to donate blood as part of a campaign to boost numbers of donors.

Officials estimate the message - a link to register as a blood donor in emails following driving licence applications - will be seen by millions of people each year.

By encouraging driving licence applicants, the NHS hopes to make a direct appeal to young people, as more than half of regular blood donors are over the age of 45.

Tim Moss, chief executive of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), said his organisation is "in a unique position to help raise awareness" as it handles millions of driving licence applications each year.

People can donate blood from the age of 17 and register from the age of 16.

The new scheme is jointly rolled out by the DVLA and NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), the body that oversees England's blood donation system.

"At 17 you can both learn to drive and start giving blood," said Altaf Kazi, assistant partnerships director for NHSBT.

"So this new partnership with the DVLA is a fantastic opportunity for the NHS to reach more younger people who have a lifetime of donating ahead of them," Kazi added.

The two bodies hope to repeat an earlier success where the driving licence application has included an option to join the organ donor register since 1994.

Around 70% of people signed up to the register did so through this prompt, according to NHSBT.

Hospitals across England need 5,000 blood donations every day to treat patients with a wide variety of conditions, including traumatic injury, childbirth, blood disorders and cancer treatments, it added.

Earlier this year, the NHS warned that it continued to face a "challenging" blood shortage, as it called for 200,000 new donors to come forward in order to maintain a safe and reliable supply.

Concern over blood stocks prompted the health service to issue an "amber alert" last year, meaning supplies were running low enough to have an impact on patient treatment.

Supplies have remained low ever since, with officials warning there is a "critical" need for more donors who have O negative blood, which can be given to the majority of patients.

Law enforcement has identified the 16 people who were killed in a blast that levelled a munitions factory in the US state of Tennessee.

The names were released during a news briefing on Monday outside Accurate Energetic Systems (AES) in Hickman County, where an early-morning blast on 10 October left no survivors.

Sheriffs Chris Davis of Humphreys County and Jason Craft of Hickman County alternated reading the victims' names and emphasised a "need to take care" of their families in the aftermath of the tragedy.

The cause of the blast is still unclear. Agents from the national Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are investigating.

The victims are Jason Adams, Erick Anderson, Billy Baker, Adam Boatman, Christopher Clark, Mindy Clifton, James Cook, Reyna Gillahan, LaTeisha Mays, Jeremy Moore, Melinda Rainey, Melissa Stanford, Trenton Stewart, Rachel Woodall, Steven Wright and Donald Yowell.

Authorities said the individuals are presumed dead, and the release of their names does not mean their remains have been identified. That process is ongoing.

Sheriff Davis, who has described the blast as one of the most devastating incidents of his career, said that one victim was a teacher.

Another was his neighbour's husband, he said, and a third one was one of his best friends, according to local newspaper, The Tennessean.

Authorities originally feared that 18 people had died, but two people who were thought to have been on site were later located elsewhere.

Sheriff Davis said that while he may not have known all of the victims personally, he knows their family members or extended family members.

The tragedy has hit hard in the close-knit town, where cell service is spotty and a gas station - adorned with a Confederate flag centrepiece - is the local watering hole.

Resident Jerri Newcombe told the BBC that her friend of more than 20 years, Reyna Gillahan, was among the victims. The two met when her granddaughter and Gillahan's daughter became close as little girls.

We "grew up together - we were in each other's homes," she said at a weekend vigil. "We celebrated birthdays together. It's just surreal, because she's gone and her babies are hurting."

Mrs Gillahan's daughter said on Facebook that her death is an "unimaginable loss."

"She was a beautiful soul — loving, strong, and always thinking of others before herself," Rosalina Gillahan wrote. In another post, she wrote simply, "We love you mama".

Another victim, Mr Yowell was a chemist at AES and lived in the nearby city of Waverly with his wife and son, according to WellSpring Christian Church.

They "were long-time WellSpringers before moving to Waverly a few years ago," the church said in a Facebook post. "Please lift them up in your prayers."

Another of those killed in the blast, Mindy Clifton worked for 20 years in corrections before moving from Florida to Tennessee to take a position at AES, according to her former colleague Matt Reinhart.

"During my 30-year career in Corrections, I had the privilege of working with many outstanding individuals. One of the very best was Mindy Clifton," Reinhart wrote on Facebook.

He asked everyone to keep her loved ones in their thoughts and prayers as "we come to terms with this heartbreaking loss," he wrote.

Local TV news station WSMV reported LaTeisha Mays was 26 and had worked for AES for eight months before being killed in the explosion. Her family called her "the glue" that kept them together.

Her former classmate, Tyler Bailey paid tribute to her on Facebook, writing on Monday that "she was the sweetest soul in school, always smiling, laughing, trying to make others laugh, and just so caring".

Tiffany Story, who attended a vigil for the victims, told the BBC that she used to babysit one of those killed in the explosion - Rachel Woodall.

"Everybody knows everybody here," Mrs Story said. "With everybody being so close, it's very comforting to have family. That's what we are - whether [by] blood, not blood, this whole community is family."

Woodall began working as a production manager at AES about a month before the explosion. She lived in McEwen and graduated from McEwen High School in 2016.

In March, Jeremy Moore celebrated his 17-year anniversary at the company, according to an AES Facebook post.

His mother Ava Hinson called for prayer when she did not hear from her son following the explosion. On Monday, after authorities confirmed Mr Moore was among the fatalities, she posted a tribute online also confirming his death.

"Well, I heard it directly from sheriff Davis's mouth so I guess I have to start believing it. Jeremy Moore 10-20-87 to 10-10-25. Rest in peace my sweet baby boy," she wrote. Moore died 10 days shy of his 38th birthday.

Trenton "Trent" Stewart lived in Waverly, where he also went to high school. He worked in production at AES, according to his Facebook account.

Mr Stewart was also a firefighter for the Waverly Department of Public Safety and served as a pastor at The Log Church.

He live-streamed his sermons on Facebook and wrote in early October that his goal as a pastor "isn't to have the biggest crowd, or to be the most perfect person, but to show the love of Christ in whatever way possible through our church and my own personal ministry".

Over the weekend, after nearly two days with little sign of survivors - and an explosion site still considered dangerous for first responders - the once-optimistic Sheriff Davis said the time had come to switch to a recovery strategy over a rescue mission.

The plant in Bucksnort, Tennessee - roughly 56 miles (90km) south-west of Nashville - specialises in the development, manufacture, handling and storage of explosives.

Aerial video from the scene showed charred debris, smouldering vehicles and little remaining of the facility but rubble.

The blast registered as a 1.6 magnitude earthquake, according to the US Geological Survey.

In a statement posted on its website, AES said that emergency response teams and investigative agencies remain on scene investigating what happened.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, coworkers, and community members affected by this incident. We extend our gratitude to all first responders who continue to work tirelessly under difficult conditions," the company said.

With additional reporting by Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu in Tennessee.

The private phone numbers of several high-profile figures including Australia's Prime Minister and Donald Trump Jr have been published on a US website.

Both of their personal contact details remain publicly listed on the site, which uses AI to scrape the internet for information and the BBC has chosen not to name.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's office is aware of the situation - which was first reported by independent Australian media outlet Ette Media - and local authorities are investigating.

A spokesman for Australia's opposition leader Sussan Ley, whose private number was also published, said the matter was "obviously concerning" and they had requested the information be removed.

The site claims to have contact details for hundreds of millions of professionals and is used by recruiters and sales representatives.

The BBC has verified it includes a current private number for Albanese and a personal contact for Donald Trump Jr - though it is unclear if the latter still uses it.

It is also unclear how the site obtained the information, but Australia has suffered a series of large data breaches in recent years.

Users can search the databased for a limited number of contacts for free or sign up for a paid service.

According to its website, the site collects public information - including, for example, filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission - but also uses AI to collate data from social media networks, others website crawlers and job portals.

A government scheme aimed at cutting energy use by insulating homes was botched on a vast scale, a spending watchdog has found, leaving tens of thousands of homes in need of remedial work.

According to the National Audit Office (NAO) 98% of homes that had external wall insulation installed under the scheme have problems that will lead to damp and mould if left unaddressed.

Nearly a third, or 29%, of the homes that were given internal insulation also need fixing, it said.

Energy Consumer Minister Martin McCluskey said the government was taking action and that the homes would be fixed "at no cost to the consumer".

Mohammed Mahedi, who had external wall insulation fitted to his Luton home two years ago, is living with the consequences.

''Some mornings I wake up breathing really, really heavily. I feel it in my neck. I feel it in my lungs,'' he says.

The BBC first reported the impact of faulty insulation in Luton last year.

Mohammed is still fighting to get the problem fixed.

"We got a scheme done that was meant to be helping us but it's made everything worse.''

In 2022 the previous government directed energy companies to spend billions of pounds, raised via levies on energy bills, on insulating homes across the UK, targetting people receiving benefits and those in very poorly insulated homes.

However, the NAO found there were "clear failures" in the design of the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme, which resulted in "poor-quality installations as well as suspected fraud".

Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said it was now up to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) to ensure the businesses responsible repaired "all affected homes as quickly as possible".

"It must also reform the system so that this cannot happen again," he said.

The NAO, which monitors how public money is spent, cited an "under-skilled workforce", businesses cutting corners and uncertainty over which standards to apply to which jobs, as some of the reasons for the substandard work.

It found that between 22,000 and 23,000 homes that had received external wall insulation, and up to 13,000 properties with internal wall insulation were now in need of repairs.

A small percentage of installations - 6% for external and 2% of internal insulation - posed an "immediate health and safety risk" from faults such as exposed live electrical cabling or blocked boiler ventilation, it said.

The NAO report focused on two specific schemes, ECO4 and the Great British Insulation Scheme.

But it also directed criticism at TrustMark, a consumer protection scheme set up in 2021 to monitor the quality of insulation programmes. It said there had been "weak" oversight and insufficient auditing of the schemes.

The NAO said that had allowed installers to "game" the system. Last year the whole-industry regulator, Ofgem, estimated that businesses had falsified claims for ECO installations in up to 16,500 homes, potentially claiming between £56m and £165m from energy suppliers.

TrustMark said it accepted that more needed to be done and said it remained "completely committed to ensuring strong consumer protection and confidence".

It said the organisation took "firm, fair and decisive action" when it first noticed issues with the work in 2024 and "kept industry groups and government fully informed at every stage".

Energy minister, McCluskey said the NAO report revealed "unacceptable, systemic failings" left by the previous government.

He said there would be "comprehensive reforms" and "clear lines of accountability" in future.

People should plan for potential cyber-attacks by going back to pen and paper, according to the latest advice.

The government has written to chief executives across the country strongly recommending that they should have physical copies of their plans at the ready as a precaution.

A recent spate of hacks has highlighted the chaos that can ensue when hackers take computer systems down.

The warning comes as the National Cyber-Security Centre (NCSC) reported an increase in more serious cyber attacks this year.

Criminal hacks on Marks and Spencer, The Co-op and Jaguar Land Rover have led to empty shelves and production lines being halted this year as the companies struggled without their computer systems.

Organisations need to "have a plan for how they would continue to operate without their IT, (and rebuild that IT at pace), were an attack to get through," said Richard Horne, chief executive of the NSCS.

Firms are being urged to look beyond cyber-security controls toward a strategy known as "resilience engineering", which focuses on building systems that can anticipate, absorb, recover, and adapt, in the event of an attack.

Preferably the plans should be in paper form or stored offline, the agency suggests.

Although the total number of hacks that the NCSC dealt with in the first nine months of this year was, at 429, roughly the same as for a similar period last year, there was an increase in hacks with a bigger impact.

The number of "nationally significant" incidents represented nearly half, or 204, of all incidents. Last year only 89 were in that category.

A nationally significant incident covers cyber-attacks in the three highest categories in the NCSC and UK law enforcement categorisation model:

• Category 1: National cyber-emergency.
• Category 2: Highly significant incident.
• Category 3: Significant incident.
• Category 4: Substantial incident.
• Category 5: Moderate incident.
• Category 6: Localised incident.

Amongst this year's incidents, 4% (18) were in the second highest category "highly significant".

This marks a 50% increase in such incidents, an increase for the third consecutive year.

The NCSC would not give details on which attacks, either public or undisclosed, fall into which category.

But, as a benchmark, it is understood that the wave of attacks on UK retailers in the spring, which affected Marks and Spencer, The Co-op and Harrods, would be classed as a significant incidents.

One of the most serious attacks last year, on a blood testing provider, caused major problems for London hospitals. It resulted in significant clinical disruption and directly contributed to at least one patient death.

The NCSC would not say which category this incident would fall into.

The vast majority of attacks are financially motivated with criminal gangs using ransomware or data extortion to blackmail a victim into sending Bitcoins in ransom.

Whilst most cyber-crime gangs are headquartered in Russian or former Soviet countries, there has been a resurgence in teenage hacking gangs thought to be based in English-speaking countries.

So far this year seven teenagers have been arrested in the UK as part of investigations into major cyber-attacks.

As well as the advice over heightened preparations and collaboration, the government is asking organisations to make better use of the free tools and services offered by the NCSC, for example free cyber-insurance for small businesses that have completed the popular Cyber-Essentials programme.

The government's national security adviser Jonathan Powell made no decisions about the content of any evidence provided in the collapsed case against two men accused of spying for China, a minister has said.

Prosecutors unexpectedly dropped charges against Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry - who deny the allegations - in September.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch claimed the case collapsed because the government had refused to give the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) "vital information" as it wanted to "curry favour" with China.

Security Minister Jarvis dismissed claims the government deliberately collapsed the case as "baseless".

Mr Powell, who is one of the prime minister's most senior advisers and political allies, is facing pressure over whether he played a role in the collapse of the trial, with the Conservatives saying he has "questions to answer".

Sir Keir Starmer has insisted he has "full confidence" in his national security adviser, telling broadcasters: "He is doing an excellent job."

Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry were charged under the Official Secrets Act in April 2024, when the Conservatives were in power.

They were accused of gathering and providing information prejudicial to the safety and interests of the state between December 2021 and February 2023.

But last week the head of the CPS said the case collapsed because evidence could not be obtained from the government referring to China as a national security threat.

Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson said while there was sufficient evidence when charges were originally brought against the two men in April 2024, a precedent set by another spying case earlier this year meant China would need to have been labelled a "threat to national security" at the time of the alleged offences.

Giving a statement to MPs in the Commons, Jarvis denied reports Mr Powell had ruled China could not be defined as a national security threat at a meeting of Whitehall officials in September, shortly before the charges were dropped.

"Of course, [the national security adviser] takes part in discussions about national security and diplomatic relations. That is literally his job," he said.

"But any discussions were on the basis that the case would be going ahead and how to handle the implications.

"The national security adviser was not involved in any decisions about the substance of the evidence."

Jarvis said it was deputy national security adviser Matthew Collins who provided a witness statement in December 2023 under the previous Conservative government, with further witness statements requested and provided in February and July this year.

He said Mr Collins was given "full freedom to provide evidence without interference", adding: "Ministers and special advisers did not take decisions about that evidence and they were not cited on the contents."

Jarvis said all the evidence provided was based on the law and the Tory government's position on China at the time of the alleged offences.

He added that the decision about whether to proceed with the prosecution was taken by the CPS, "who were hamstrung by antiquated legislation".

The Official Secrets Act of 1911 has since been replaced by the 2023 National Security Act, which Jarvis said closed "the loopholes that have been exposed by this particular case".

"Suggestions that the government concealed evidence, withdrew witnesses, or restricted the ability of witnesses to draw on particular bits of evidence are all untrue," he said.

"The [deputy national security adviser] did not materially change his evidence and was under no pressure from anyone to do so...

"What has changed is the CPS's assessment of the case law."

Jarvis sought to blame the previous Tory government for not classifying China as a threat to national security and being too "slow" to update national security laws.

Defending her party's record, Badenoch pointed to a number of examples where Tory ministers and government documents had described China as a "threat".

"The trial has collapsed because for months and months, the government has been refusing to give the CPS vital information," she said.

"This wasn't a mistake. This wasn't a misunderstanding. This looks like a deliberate decision to collapse the case and curry favour with the regime in China."

She added: "I suspect that [ministers] have decided that closer economic ties with China were more important than due process and our national security."

The Liberal Democrats have called on the government to "come clean on why this case fell apart" and publish all correspondence between the deputy national security adviser and the CPS.

The party's foreign affairs spokesperson Calum Miller said: "The government's attempts to duck scrutiny and scapegoat a single official simply won't wash.

"It's inconceivable that neither Keir Starmer nor his national security adviser knew what evidence was being submitted in such an important case.

"The buck for this fiasco ultimately stops with the prime minister."

Meanwhile, Jarvis confirmed that MI5's National Protective Security Authority had published new advice for politicians on how to protect themselves from espionage and foreign interference.

The guidance warns MPs they are a potential target for foreign spies, with China, Russia and Iran identified as particular risks to British institutions.

Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.

As Tina walks onto the stage in front of hundreds of people she is beaming.

She's collecting her British Sign Language (BSL) certificate which is the culmination of a journey that began with tragedy.

"Learning BSL has helped me say words that I cannot speak," she says.

In 2018, while returning from a holiday, Tina fell down a flight of stairs and was in a coma for six weeks.

The accident caused a traumatic brain injury that dramatically changed her life, leaving her struggling to speak.

Before the fall, Tina had been a high achiever - she and her husband Mark met while working as navigators in the RAF, and Tina went on to retrain as a lawyer.

Now 59, Tina says learning sign language has given her a new way to communicate.

"I'm scared of talking sometimes but BSL has helped me relax as sometimes I remember the sign if I can't remember a word."

Three years ago, Tina and Mark moved to Hughenden Gardens Retirement Village in High Wycombe to access more support.

"When I arrived here I only spoke a bit and I was very silent as I wasn't very confident," explains Tina.

But as a result of moving to the village, they became participants in the BBC series Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks, filmed in March, which set out to explore how British Sign Language could transform the lives of older residents.

The series sees Rose, who has been deaf since birth, teach BSL to a group of older residents, showing how it uses visual sign language using gestures, facial expressions and body language to communicate.

"People think sign language is just for deaf people but it's so much more than that, especially for people who are losing their hearing," Ayling-Ellis explains.

"BSL has helped Tina communicate as you use your face and expressions as well as hands so you can understand emotions better," Mark, 64, says.

She is one of five residents to achieve a Level 1 BSL qualification, alongside several staff members.

"I'm so proud of them," Ayling-Ellis says. "I didn't think they could get further than the alphabet but they proved me wrong and should be proud of themselves."

Tina has continued to learn BSL after the documentary through classes taught by her husband.

Despite never intending to teach, after taking part in the TV series, Mark now leads regular practice sessions with 20 people.

"We raised some money to get a proper instructor to give us lessons but alongside the formal lessons I run a group every week for a few hours where I put people through their paces," Mark says.

The pair have benefited immensely from learning BSL, but "it was surprisingly tiring".

"I'm fit and heathy and was still finding it tough going - we were knackered from it," Mark says.

There were classes three times a week and then homework and revision in the evening. The group started by learning the alphabet and numbers which came in handy when the residents hosted a signed bingo evening.

The lessons also proved useful in unexpected ways.

"At medical appointments we realised we could sign to each other to communicate something privately," explains Mark.

Since the documentary aired, the couple have helped turn Hughenden Gardens into a hub of deaf awareness.

"We are running deaf classes, building links with local deaf community and investigating new technologies to help people with hearing problems," Mark says.

A monthly Deaf Café has been launched and a Jewish Deaf Association group of 29 people is due to visit the village later this month.

It's also bought residents closer together and fostered a sense of community as "there's nothing like adversity to help a team gel," according to Mark.

The impact is being felt far beyond Hughenden.

Mark says: "Since March we've had many interesting visitors - one from Canada and there's a deaf club in another retirement village where there are 20 people all learning BSL.

The retirement village is now focusing on how to be more deaf inclusive. Plans include deaf awareness training for all staff, new deaf-friendly entry intercoms, improved signage and the rollout of SignLive, a deaf-led video interpreting app.

While Mark continues to transform the retirement village, Tina is pleased that BSL has helped her regain confidence and improve her communication.

And the ripple effect continues. "Our family all watched the documentary," says Mark.

"And people come up to us in the streets to say we've inspired people to take it up."

Nato chief Mark Rutte joked about the condition of Russia's naval fleet on Monday as Moscow denied one of its submarines had to surface because of technical problems.

Russia's Black Sea Fleet said the diesel-powered submarine Novorossiysk had surfaced off France to comply with navigation rules in the English Channel, through which it was shadowed by a UK warship and helicopter.

Dutch authorities had said on Saturday the submarine was under tow in the North Sea.

"What a change from the 1984 Tom Clancy novel The Hunt for Red October. Today, it seems more like the hunt for the nearest mechanic," Rutte said in a speech in Slovenia, saying the "broken" vessel was "limping" home.

Rutte said there was "hardly any Russian naval presence in the Mediterranean left".

VChK-OGPU, a Telegram channel that publishes purported Russian security leaks, reported on 27 September that fuel was leaking into the hold of the Novorossiysk in the Strait of ­Gibraltar, raising the risk of an explosion.

As it was returning from its deployment in the Mediterranean, the Royal Navy said it tracked the vessel over three days, from 7 to 9 October.

Taking part in joint Nato efforts, the navy said HMS Iron Duke monitored the surfaced Russian Kilo-class submarine and its support tug as they passed through the Channel and into the North Sea.

On Saturday, the Dutch defence ministry said the Dutch navy had then escorted the Novorossiysk and the accompanying towing vessel.

The Russian Black Sea Fleet said on Monday that the submarine, part of a group of submarines that carry Kalibr cruise missiles, was conducting a "scheduled inter-fleet transit".

"Information disseminated by a number of media outlets about an alleged malfunction and, as a result, the emergency surfacing of the diesel-electric submarine Novorossiysk off the coast of France does not correspond to reality," the Russian Black Sea Fleet's press service said, as quoted by Interfax news agency.

"In accordance with international navigation regulations, submarines are to navigate the English Channel only while on the surface," it added.

The incident comes two weeks after the Royal Navy tracked a Russian frigate and cargo vessel through the Channel.

Al Carns, minister for the armed forces, said the navy's latest operation was "a clear sign of how the UK stands strong with our NATO allies to push back against Russian aggression".

In June, a Russian warship disguised itself using a fake ID signal while travelling through the English Channel with two sanctioned oil tankers, a BBC Verify investigation found.

It travelled alongside two vessels known to be part of Russia's "shadow fleet" - a network of tankers whose ownership can be obscured and are used to transport sanctioned oil products.

There have been celebrations across Israel and the Palestinian territories as a major hostage and prisoner exchange on Monday marked a significant step towards ending two years of war in Gaza.

In a crucial first phase of the US-brokered plan to end the war, Hamas returned all living Israeli hostages, while Israel freed almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

US President Donald Trump landed in Israel minutes after the first hostages were reunited with their families in tearful scenes, and in a speech to Israel's parliament declared a "historic dawn in a new Middle East".

Trump then flew on to a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to meet more than 20 leaders for talks on later phases of his Gaza peace plan.

At the summit Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the US signed a declaration as guarantors of the ceasefire deal which is aimed at ending two years of war that has left Gaza in ruins.

But amid the diplomatic celebrations and the joy during reunions in Israel and the Palestinian territories, many challenges still lie ahead if the ceasefire is to be built into a lasting peace.

The latter phases of Trump's 20-point peace plan are fraught with sticking points, and intense negotiations will be needed in order to move forward.

Monday's hostage and prisoner exchange completed the initial phase of the deal - and came after a ceasefire took effect on Friday and an increase of humanitarian aid entered Gaza over the weekend.

Families of the Israeli hostages were seen screaming with happiness and crying as they embraced their freed loved ones.

"I am overwhelmed with emotion and joy," said Arbel Yehoud, a former hostage herself who was reunited with her partner Ariel Cunio when he was released on Monday.

"For over two years, the hope of holding Ariel again is what sustained and drove me every single day," she said.

Buses carrying those freed from Israeli jails through Gaza and the occupied West Bank were surrounded by huge crowds waving flags and playing patriotic music.

One Palestinian woman reunited with her son said her heart was finally at peace.

Though the releases went largely as planned, Israel's hostage families expressed outrage that Hamas said it would only return the bodies of four of the deceased hostages. It is thought the remains of up to 24 others hostages remain in Gaza.

As part of the agreement, around 1,700 Palestinian detainees who had been held by Israel without charge were freed.

About 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences were also released by Israel, with about 100 being freed into the occupied West Bank. Others were deported and a small number released into East Jerusalem.

As prisoners exited a Red Cross bus in Ramallah, many draped in traditional Keffiyeh scarves, they were met by raucous cheers - but many looked pale and gaunt, with some struggling to walk.

"There is joy, and there is pain, and there is happiness, and there is sorrow, said Khalil Muhammad Abdulrahman Al-Qatrous, who gathered outside Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis to collect his son who he said had been detained by Israel for about three months.

After being greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump visited Israel's parliament, the Knesset, where he conducted the first address by a US president since 2008.

"At last, not only for Israelis but also Palestinians, the long and painful nightmare is finally over," he told the chamber during a long address, with some politicians' breaking out into chants of "Trump, Trump, Trump".

There was a brief interruption, when an opposition member held up a piece of paper that said "Recognise Palestine".

Trump then flew onto Sharm El-Sheikh where he met more than 20 world leaders - including UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and the leaders of many Muslim and Arab countries.

He posed for photos along with other leaders on a stage emblazoned with the words "Peace in the Middle East".

Among those also in attendance was former UK prime minister Tony Blair, who - under Trump's plan - is slated to play a key role in a "Board of Peace" for Gaza that would be headed and chaired by the US President.

The plan would see Gaza initially governed by a temporary transitional committee of Palestinian technocrats overseen by the "Board of Peace", before power is eventually transferred to the Palestinian Authority (PA) once it has undergone reforms.

But difficult negotiations will be needed in order to move forward with the latter phases of the plan.

Among the points of contention are the extent and timeline of Israeli troop withdrawal, the disarmament of Hamas, and the future governance of the Gaza Strip.

Hamas has previously said it would not disarm unless a Palestinian state was established - and has rejected the idea of foreign governance in Gaza.

Netanyahu has pushed back on any future involvement of the PA.

Asked when phase two of negotiations on a peace agreement will begin, Trump replied: "It's started".

"The phases are all a little bit mixed in with each other," he added.

Israel launched its offensive in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2003, which saw 1,200 people killed and 251 others taken hostage back to Gaza.

Since then more than 67,000 people have been killed by Israel's offensive, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry. Its figures are seen as reliable by the UN and other international bodies. More than 9 in 10 residential buildings have been damaged or destroyed according to the UN.

US President Donald Trump has told cheering Israeli lawmakers that "this is the historic dawn of a new Middle East", after helping to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

During the first such address by a US president since 2008, Trump said Monday was a "day of profound joy" after "two harrowing years".

Trump's address to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, comes on the day that the last 20 living hostages held in the Palestinian enclave were released by Hamas.

Israel is releasing 250 Palestinian prisoners and more than 1,700 other Palestinians detained during the two-year military operations in Gaza.

During a whirlwind trip to the region, Trump is also expected to attend a peace summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and other world leaders.

After hearing politicians' chants of "Trump, Trump, Trump" in the Knesset, the American president said the occasion would represent "not only the end of a war" but also the possibility of a new age for "what will soon be a magnificent region".

Trump's suggestion that the region was on the dawn of a new era echoed the words he used when Israel signed landmark deals with several Arab states during his first presidency.

Trump was introduced to parliament by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who saluted his counterpart's various acts of solidarity with Israel.

Trump was the "greatest friend" Israel had ever had in the White House, Netanyahu said.

"Everything changed" in the American attitude to Israel's military campaign in Gaza when Trump was re-elected as US president last year, Netanyahu added.

The Israeli prime minister thanked Trump for his "unremitting help" in securing the return of the remaining hostages - part of a group of 251 people seized during the 7 October 2023 attacks in southern Israel by Hamas.

Trump went on to offer a tribute of his own to his counterpart, saying: "He's not the easiest guy to deal with, but that's what makes him great."

• Follow live updates
• Who are the released hostages?
• What we know about Gaza ceasefire agreement

Earlier, the US president declared the "war is over" in Gaza, after two years of fighting, as he flew to the region from the US on board Air Force One.

The ceasefire in Gaza took effect on Friday morning after Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of Trump's 20-point peace plan. The next phases are still to be negotiated.

Trump told reporters on Air Force One that the ceasefire would hold, and that a "board of peace" he is due to head would quickly be set up to administer the territory.

In his remarks to parliament, Netanyahu said he was "committed to this peace".

Also welcomed to the Knesset alongside Trump were other key US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The names of Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner received particularly loud cheers from Israeli MPs, for their own roles in brokering the ceasefire. Kushner was accompanied by his wife Ivanka Trump.

Members of Trump's audience wore red caps. Instead of Trump's signature slogan "Make America Great Again", they read "Trump the Peace President".

Trump was told by the parliamentary speaker that there was "no-one" more deserving of next year's Nobel Peace Prize.

But some Israeli lawmakers who want the war in Gaza to continue did not attend.

A year or so ago, the Scottish National Party looked to be in deep trouble.

They had been comprehensively thrashed in the general election, falling from 48 MPs to just nine.

They had managed to have three leaders in a little over a year: Nicola Sturgeon, Humza Yousaf and then John Swinney.

It was a rate of attrition that would make even the Conservative Party of recent years blush.

There had also been a high-profile and long-running police investigation into the SNP's finances, involving Sturgeon, who was told earlier this year she would face no action.

Plus there were bitter rows over gender identity.

And the SNP has been in devolved government in Scotland since before you could buy an iPhone – since May 2007.

Electoral gravity looked to be catching up with them, and catching up big time – just ahead of the crucial elections to the Scottish Parliament next May.

But in case you needed yet another reminder that our domestic politics remains a smorgasbord of competitiveness and unpredictability, the SNP is the latest case study.

Swinney has brought stability to a party that indulged in the opposite for a while.

And support has splintered among its rivals – Labour, Reform and others.

Here is how the pollsters More in Common put it:

"Since last year's general election, Labour's support has more than halved in Scotland while the SNP has marginally improved its standing. While not seeing as significant a rise as in England, Reform has emerged as the potential second-place party after the SNP in Scotland, suppressing the Conservatives' vote share as well as eating into Labour's."

Its analysis continues:

"Despite losing 11 points in the constituency vote, this result would put the SNP just shy of a majority in Holyrood, mostly due to fragmentation in the other parties."

Remember, this is a snapshot, not a prediction. But it is fascinating nonetheless.

The mood among SNP party members and senior figures at the conference was chipper and upbeat.

The party feels competitive again and not only hopeful of victory next year, but even talking of that outright majority.

Just winning again, with or without a majority, would be an extraordinary achievement.

The party, if it does so, would he heading into its third consecutive decade in devolved power.

A majority is a big ask, with an electoral system that makes securing one tricky.

But it matters because the SNP's latest attempt to make an argument for another independence referendum rests on securing a majority.

The party's logic goes like this: the last time they persuaded the government at Westminster to grant one, they had won a majority at Holyrood a few years before.

That majority was won by Alex Salmond in 2011. The referendum followed in 2014.

So, goes the current First Minister's logic, they need a majority again so they can point at that precedent from a decade and a half ago.

The stumbling block is the UK government has made it clear, including in its manifesto, that it is opposed to another referendum.

Privately, senior SNP folk ponder that if they do win a majority, and Labour lose power in the Senedd in Wales and do badly in local elections in many parts of England, Sir Keir Starmer might be out of Downing Street.

There are a lot of ifs there and who knows.

But even if Sir Keir was a goner, that manifesto would still be something Labour could point to.

And the SNP would ask, again, just how voluntary the union of the United Kingdom really is if there is no achievable mechanism for another referendum.

The SNP's critics point to what they see as a dismal domestic record, on the NHS, housing and the number of deaths among drug addicts, for instance.

The party counters with its own riff on what it sees as its greatest hits – they had one for every stair between the ground and first floor of the conference centre.

Free university tuition and free prescriptions are among them.

But there is something else going on too.

There is a near 50/50 split on the constitutional question in Scotland – independence or not.

This is a nation split down the middle.

This gives the SNP a deep well of potential support.

It offers the opportunity to continue to defy what in other circumstances would likely be the undeniable gravity of longevity in office – plunging to defeat.

Let's see.

In local politics, politics in the nations and at the UK level, conventions continue to be upended in multiple directions.

It is also true – and the SNP and its rivals know it – things can change quickly too.

An undercover police officer took part in clashes during the Stephen Lawrence inquiry as part of his cover so he could better spy on anti-racism groups, one of the UK's longest-running public inquiries has been told.

The decade-old Undercover Policing Inquiry, which began its latest phase of hearings on Monday, heard that there may be evidence of overt racism in how a now-disbanded team targeted black justice campaigners in the 1990s.

Officers gathered information relating to Baroness Lawrence and Dr Neville Lawrence as they fought for justice over their son's 1993 racist murder, even though they had nothing to do with groups which the police force believed could be a danger to public order.

The inquiry - which has cost £114m so far - began in 2015 after allegations emerged of abuses by undercover officers, including deceiving women into sexual relationships.

In an opening statement on Monday, the inquiry's lead lawyer David Barr KC said it would hear "deeply moving" evidence from justice campaigners including the Lawrence family and Sukdev Reel, whose son Ricky died in 1997 in what many suspect was a racist murder.

Mr Barr said that the inquiry would look at why Scotland Yard had deployed undercover officers to gather information relating to campaigns such as these and to what extent those operations may have been motivated by racism.

One of those officers was a man known only as HN81 or "David Hagan" due to an anonymity order.

By 1997 he had been deployed to gather intelligence on the anti-racism movement in London at a time when the force was preparing to face a public inquiry over how it had botched the investigation into Stephen Lawrence's murder.

Stephen, 18, was stabbed by a gang as he waited at a bus stop in Eltham, south-east London.

While the thrust of the evidence so far is that HN81 did not get close enough to the family to have become a key figure in their campaign, he has admitted being part of infamous clashes on the day that the five murder suspects gave evidence to the Lawrence inquiry in 1998.

"He [HN81] accepts being involved in the public disorder," Mr Barr said.

"HN81 describes that day as the most serious incident of public disorder he witnessed and participated in. He describes shouting, aggressive posturing and joining in with the pushing and shoving once that had begun."

The police ultimately used CS gas to try to control the crowd - leading to Baroness Lawrence appealing for calm.

"It is undeniable that the Stephen Lawrence Campaign was conducted throughout in a manner that defied public disorder, advocating for order and calm, even where some would have had it otherwise," said Mr Barr.

"Dr Neville Lawrence is appalled that a police officer was involved in such action. He has stated to the inquiry that it is (I quote) 'particularly troubling that an officer who sought to justify surveillance on the grounds of public disorder actively contributed to it'."

Another key witness for the latest tranche of evidence is Peter Francis, a former officer of the now disbanded Special Demonstration Squad at the heart of the allegations of wrongdoing.

His revelations were one of the factors that triggered the public inquiry.

When he gives evidence in December, Mr Francis is expected to say that in 1993 - six months after Stephen's murder - he was receiving racially-motivated orders from a manager known only as "HN86" to gather information relating to that justice campaign and other causes.

"Mr Francis portrays HN86 as a thoroughly and overtly racist man who, amongst other things, instructed him to seek out intelligence for the purpose of undermining black justice campaigns," said Mr Barr.

"In particular, information about the Lawrence family which could be used to discredit them and to destroy the Stephen Lawrence Campaign.

"Mr Francis asserts that he was also expected to report information that might discredit Duwayne Brooks [Stephen Lawrence's friend who had been with him on the night of the fatal attack].

"HN86 denies these allegations. We will be looking at them very closely indeed."

In a brief opening address, Peter Skelton KC, representing the Metropolitan Police, said the force apologised to the family of Stephen Lawrence, his friend Duwayne Brooks, Sukhdev Reel, and other justice campaigners.

"There was a collective failure to exercise ethical judgment about the purpose of undercover policing and the propriety of reporting on family justice campaigns," he said.

"This is reflective of an 'us against them' culture that prevailed within the MPS at that time, which didn't properly distinguish between legitimate intelligence targets, such as groups committed to inciting serious public disorder, and illegitimate targets such as grieving black and Asian families who were complaining about injustice and the actions of the police."

TikTok influencer HSTikkyTokky has been arrested after being on the run from police for almost a year following alleged driving offences.

The 24-year-old, whose real name is Harrison Sullivan, was wanted by Surrey Police for failing to appear in court after a crash in Virginia Water, Surrey, in March 2024.

An appeal was previously launched by police after the driver of a McLaren supercar involved in a crash with another vehicle left the scene.

Mr Sullivan, who skipped a court appearance in November, has since posted social media videos from Qatar.

A statement from Surrey Police on Monday said: "A 24-year-old man from Hutton, Essex, was arrested on Friday for failing to appear at court for dangerous driving.

"He appeared at Guildford Magistrates' Court on Saturday and has been remanded ahead of a further court appearance at Staines Magistrates' Court on Tuesday."

The court confirmed that charges included failing to stop after an accident, driving while using a mobile phone and driving without third party insurance.

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Matan Zangauker, 25, walks grinning into his mother's arms.

"You're my life," she exclaims, hugging him tightly in footage filmed by the Israeli military. "My life. My hero. Come, come."

Matan was one of 20 living hostages remaining in Gaza after being taken during the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023, who were freed on Monday after two years in captivity.

His mother, Einav, has campaigned fiercely for Matan's return. She became among the best-known faces of the movement, and demanded the Israeli government agree a hostage exchange with Hamas.

Last week, she and her daughter lit fireworks in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv to celebrate the ceasefire deal that had been agreed between Israel and Hamas as part of Donald Trump's peace plan.

On Monday, crowds gathered and cheered in the same square as they watched footage on big screens of Matan and the other 19 freed hostages returning to Israel and reuniting with their families.

People waved the Israeli and US flags and held up photos of the hostages and signs saying "they're coming home".

Matan was taken with his partner Ilana Gritzewsky from Nir Oz, but Ilana was released during a ceasefire the following month.

In December 2024, Hamas released a video showing Matan in captivity in which he said he and his fellow hostages were suffering from skin ailments and shortages of food, water and medicine.

In a video call with Matan on Monday shortly after his release, Einav told him: "Thank God, the war is over. The war is over."

In a later statement, the family said that "after two years of hell, today we begin a new chapter of our lives - one of healing and rehabilitation".

• Who are the released hostages?
• Follow live updates
• Palestinians celebrate return of prisoners freed by Israel

That sentiment was shared by several of the families who were reunited with their loved ones.

The family of Eitan Horn, who was also taken from Nir Oz, and whose brother Yair was released during a ceasefire in February, said they would have "hugs and lots of love and we will accompany him through the entire recovery process".

Relatives of 24-year-old Evyatar David, who was taken from the Nova music festival and was seen emaciated in a tunnel in a video published by Hamas in August, said they always "knew he would return".

"After two years of suffering, he is here. Now a new journey of healing will begin for Evyatar and us," they said in a statement.

The living hostages were collected from meeting points in Gaza by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which has acted as a neutral intermediary in the handovers.

They were then reunited with loved ones at reception points near the Gaza border, before being airlifted to hospitals to begin the process of physical and psychological treatment.

There were celebrations across Israel as the 20 hostages returned. People waved at the sky and cheered when they were flown overhead in military helicopters on their way to hospitals.

Inbar Goldstein, whose own relatives were released in the November 2023 ceasefire, told the BBC she was feeling "happy and thankful".

"I know that sad days are still ahead but I want to separate between what I know and what I feel," she said.

Elsewhere in the square, teenager Yarden told the BBC: "We're here for the hostages, their release and to celebrate them. Today all Israelis are together - it's not about left or right, it's about all being together to celebrate the hostages."

But while the living hostages have now been returned, many families of those killed in captivity are still waiting, with Hamas saying only four bodies out of 28 would be released on Monday. The Israeli military said it would carry out forensic tests before confirming their identities and informing their families.

A copy of the ceasefire agreement published by Israeli media had stated that the remains of all of the deceased hostages should be handed over by 12:00 local time (09:00 GMT) on Monday. However, it also appeared to acknowledge that Hamas and other Palestinian factions may not be able to locate all of them within that timeframe.

The deal also involved the release of about 250 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails who had been convicted of crimes including murder and deadly attacks against Israelis - and about 1,700 detainees from Gaza who had been held by Israel without charge.

In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) urged Hamas to "uphold its end of the deal" by returning all of the bodies.

Matan's family said there could be no closure until this happened.

"We will continue to stand beside the bereaved families and to fight until the last hostage is brought home," they said.

Hundreds of freed Palestinian prisoners and detainees were welcomed with tears and screams of joy as they were released by Israel to be reunited with their families in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

The release involved about 250 prisoners who had been convicted of crimes including murder and deadly attacks against Israelis - and about 1,700 detainees from Gaza who had been held by Israel without trial.

As prisoners exited a Red Cross bus in Ramallah, many draped in traditional Keffiyeh scarves, they looked pale and gaunt, with some struggling to walk.

They were freed as part of an exchange in which 20 Israeli hostages, and the remains of some deceased hostages, were released by Hamas.

"He is ready to embrace freedom," said Amro Abdullah, 24, who was waiting for his cousin Rashid Omar, 48, who was arrested in July 2005 and sentenced to life in prison by an Israeli court after being found guilty murder and other crimes.

"I want peace," Mr Abudullah said. "I want to live a happy life, safe and peaceful, without occupation and without restrictions."

It is thought about 100 prisoners were released into the West Bank, with many others set to be deported and a small number freed into East Jerusalem.

Israel made clear before the release process it wanted to avoid the jubilant scenes that surrounded prisoners arriving in Ramallah during previous hostage deals, when large crowds waved Hamas flags.

Many families were reluctant to speak to the media, saying they had been warned against doing so by the Israeli military.

In Gaza, families gathered at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in hope of being reunited with their loved ones. A field hospital adjacent to the main hospital building was set up to receive them.

"This is a very beautiful feeling - happy, a day of joy," said Muhammad Hasan Saeed Dawood, 50, who told the BBC he was there to collect his son who he says was arrested by Israeli forces at a checkpoint.

"We call it a national holiday, that our detainees are being released despite the cost of the war, the martyrs, the injured, and the destruction in Gaza."

Khalil Muhammad Abdulrahman Al-Qatrous, who was also there to collect his son who he said had been detained for about three months, said: "There is joy, and there is pain, and there is happiness, and there is sorrow."

"We came here waiting for their release. We came here expecting them to arrive at 10:00am, and now it is past 12:00pm, and we are still waiting, on edge."

Ahead of the release in Ramallah, ambulances from the Palestine Red Crescent Society set up in preparation to treat any injured prisoners.

"The crying and the silence, this shows you how the families are feeling," said Ibrahim Ifani, 23, a volunteer nurse for the organisation.

"For all the people in Palestine, it's a deep, deep emotion," he said.

Multiple medics and family members said the prisoners who were released in Ramallah had had faced beatings in recent days prior to their release.

The BBC cannot verify claims of mistreatment in Israeli prisons. But Israel's top court said last month that Palestinian prisoners were not being given adequate food.

The BBC has also previously reported on Palestinians being tortured in Israeli detention.

"Their rights were violated in the most serious ways," said Aya Shreiteh, 26, from the Palestinian Prisoners Club.

"Most of the prisoners in the past year were subjected to deliberate starvation and exposure to illness," she told the BBC.

"Their bodies are frail from starvation, and they've suffered from beatings."

"But today gives us hope that there will always be an inevitable freedom, no matter the circumstances," she added.

The hostage and prisoner exchange formed part of phase one of Donald Trump's peace plan aimed at ending the war in Gaza, which was triggered by the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.

Israel launched a retaliatory military offensive which saw more than 67,682 Palestinians killed, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

A ceasefire took hold on Friday - and negotiations are now expected to follow over the latter phases of Trump's peace plan.

A woman charged with stalking Kate McCann left her a voicemail message which asked "what if I am Madeleine?"

Julia Wandelt, 24, who a jury heard has repeatedly claimed she was the McCann's missing daughter, and Karen Spragg are on trial charged with stalking Kate and Gerry McCann between June 2022 and February this year.

On Monday, Leicester Crown Court heard call records and data recovered from phones logged Miss Wandelt repeatedly asking Madeleine's mother for a DNA test throughout 2023 and 2024.

Ms Wandelt, of Jana Kochanowskiego in Lubin, Poland, and Mrs Spragg, 61, of Caerau Court Road, Cardiff, deny the charges.

Madeleine's disappearance in 2007 - at the age of three during a family holiday in Portugal - is one of the most widely reported missing child cases and remains unsolved.

Miss Wandelt, who since 2022 has claimed to be Madeleine, and her co-defendant Mrs Spragg deny stalking the McCanns, causing serious alarm and distress.

The prosecution, in its opening speech to jurors, said Ms Wandelt claimed to be Madeleine McCann and "pursued that myth" by stalking the missing girl's parents by sending emails, making phone calls and turning up at their address.

One message left on Mrs McCann's answerphone, which was recorded and recovered from Miss Wandelt's two phones after her arrest on arriving in the UK in February 2025, said: "I know you probably think that Madeleine is dead, but she is not."

'I don't want money'

Another voicemail, played in court, recorded Miss Wandelt saying: "I know I'm fat and not pretty like Madeleine was, but I know what I know."

While one recording of Miss Wandelt's one-way conversations with Mrs McCann's answerphone said: "What if there is a small chance that I'm her? What then? Isn't that important for you?

"I don't want money, I have a life here in Poland, I just want to know."

The jury was told that via emails, text messages and calls, Miss Wandelt asked for a DNA test, sent childhood photos to her phone in a bid to show a likeness to Mrs McCann's missing daughter, and claimed to have "flashbacks" from a childhood with the McCanns.

Robert Jones, an intelligence analyst with Leicestershire Police who collated the data, told the court there "didn't appear to be any replies" from Mrs McCann.

Ms Wandelt also contacted family friends of the McCann's, according to the phone records.

On 9 October 2024, Gerry McCann answered a call from Ms Wandelt to his wife's phone, saying she had "a wrong number".

That day Ms Wandelt left a voicemail on Mrs McCann's answerphone saying "I won't give up and I will prove my point".

Mrs Spragg struck up a relationship online with Ms Wandelt before joining her on a visit to the McCann's home in Leicestershire in December 2024.

Phone records showed Mrs Spragg had reached out via WhatsApp to Mrs McCann to say the media had portrayed Ms Wandelt as "a crazy person" but that she ought to be taken seriously in the months leading up to the visit to Rothley, Leicestershire, in December 2024.

The court heard message exchanges between the two defendants, in November 2024, discussing attempting to get Mrs McCann's DNA samples from her bins or from cutlery at a restaurant.

"We have to make a stand," Mrs Spragg told Ms Wandelt.

On the night of the visit to their house, Mrs Spragg sent a message which said: "We are sat outside the McCann's home with our lights out like private investigators. I wanted to do this with Peter Andrew [sic] I never thought I would be doing that with the McCanns."

The trial continues.

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A woman who was arrested on suspicion of murdering two children, aged two and three, has been detained under the Mental Health Act.

Meraj Ul Zahra, two, and Abdul Momin Alfaateh, three, died after they were found injured and unresponsive at a home on Corporation Street at about 07:30 BST on Sunday.

A 43-year-old woman from Stafford, who is related to the children, was arrested on Sunday and has since been detained after being assessed by medical professionals, Staffordshire Police said.

Neighbours have told the BBC of their shock after learning what had happened, with one woman describing it as "dreadful".

Another resident, Maddison Simcock, said: "I saw all the police and ambulances going up, and I was so worried.

"My mum rang me telling me [what had happened], and I said, 'On my street?'. It was crazy."

Jeffrey Marfo said he was "really devastated" after he learnt of the children's deaths.

"The whole area has become very, very tense. We don't know what's happening," he added.

Police remained at Corporation Street on Monday as investigations continued, and flowers were also left at the scene.

Among them were two bouquets from Ben Lowe, who lives nearby.

"It's sad, it's just really sad. I live 10 to 15 doors away. I've got two children myself," he said.

"There are a lot of children round here. It's a very family-orientated area. I can't say that I know them [the two victims], I just felt it was important to mark a bit of respect for these kids.

"I don't know what's happened, but at the end of the day, two children have died, and I think they should be respected."

Asked how the community was feeling in the wake of the incident, Mr Lowe added: "It's quite sombre, everyone is really sombre.

"People are carrying on, doing their thing, taking their kids to school and whatnot, but there is a very melancholy atmosphere."

'Absolutely heartbreaking'

MP for Stafford Leigh Ingham wrote that the incident was "absolutely heartbreaking news in our community".

She added on her Facebook page: "My heart goes out to the family affected in this case.

"Thank you as always to our tireless emergency services, who I know will be working incredibly hard to gather all the facts.

"At times like this, I would ask that everyone is careful to avoid speculation online."

Police said a cordon remained in place at the address on Monday with a number of officers still in the area.

"We would like to thank the local community for their understanding and help at this difficult time," a spokesperson said.

Police were called to the home by West Midlands Ambulance Service, which attended shortly before 07:30 BST on Sunday.

The incident was also referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which said there had been "recent police contact" prior to the children's deaths.

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King Abdullah II of Jordan has warned that the Middle East is doomed unless there is a peace process leading to a Palestinian state.

The king was speaking in an exclusive interview for BBC Panorama, as he prepared to attend a summit in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh on President Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan for the region.

The summit is taking place on the day Hamas released the last living Israeli hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and detainees held by Israel.

"If we don't solve this problem," King Abdullah said, "if we don't find a future for Israelis and Palestinians and a relationship between the Arab and Muslim worlds and Israel, we're doomed."

King Abdullah said the region had seen many failed attempts at peace and that the implementation of a two-state solution - the creation of an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, alongside Israel - was the only answer.

"I hope we can move things back, but with a political horizon, because if we don't solve this problem, we're going to be at it again," the king said.

• Follow live updates
• What we know about Gaza ceasefire agreement
• 'Long and painful nightmare finally over,' Trump says
• Who are the released hostages?

Israel has repeatedly rejected a two-state solution. At the United Nations General Assembly last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was emphatic in his opposition.

"In fact, they effectively had a Palestinian state - in Gaza. What did they do with that state? Peace? Co-existence?"

"No, they attacked us time and time again, totally unprovoked, they fired rockets into our cities, they murdered our children, they turned Gaza into a terror base from which they committed the October 7 massacre," he added, referring to the Hamas-led attacks two years ago that triggered this Gaza conflict.

However, it was at the same UN assembly that President Trump called King Abdullah and other regional leaders to a meeting to outline his peace plan.

"The message he gave all of us was that, 'This has to stop. It has to stop now.' And we said, 'You know, Mr President, if anybody can do it, it's you,'" King Abdullah said.

Referring to the violence of the last two years, including Israel's war with Iran and the Israeli attack on Hamas leaders in Qatar last month, King Abdullah asked: "How close have we come to regional, if not a southern-northern divide conflict that would have encompassed the whole world?"

Speaking of Netanyahu, the Jordanian leader said he did not "trust a thing he says". But he believed there were Israelis with whom Arab leaders could work to build peace.

As for Hamas and its acceptance to hand over governance of Gaza to an independent Palestinian body under the terms of the ceasefire agreement, the king said he been assured by those "that are working extremely close to them, Qatar and Egypt, [who] feel very, very optimistic that they will abide by that."

But the king warned that the "devil was in the detail" of the Trump mediated agreement, and that once a ceasefire had been achieved in Gaza it was vital that the US president remained engaged with the process.

"In our discussions with President Trump, he knows that it's not just Gaza, it's not just a particular political horizon. I mean he's looking at bringing peace to the whole region. That doesn't happen unless the Palestinians have a future."

Jordan has had a peace treaty with Israel since 1994, despite opposition from many in the country. More than 50% of the country's population is of Palestinian descent, including the King's wife, Queen Rania. The two countries co-operate on security issues and Jordan shot down Iranian drones and missiles fired at Israel in June.

The peace treaty was signed by the current monarch's late father, King Hussein, with the late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish extremist the following year. I asked King Abdullah if he believed he would see a final peace agreement including a Palestinian state within his own lifetime?

"I have to, because the alternative would mean probably the end of the region. My father, I remember towards the end of his life, used to say, 'I want peace for my children and their children.' I have two grandchildren; they deserve that peace. How awful would it be for them to grow up to say the same thing that my father said years ago?"

"And I think that's what galvanises me and many of us in the region, that peace is the only option. Because if it doesn't come about, how often is the West, America in particular, dragged into this? It's been 80 years. And I think it's time for all of us to say enough is enough."

More than 67,000 people have been killed by Israel's military in Gaza since 7 October 2023, according to health ministry officials in the Hamas-run territory.

History does not offer much reason for hope, but King Abdullah believes this is a moment of genuine possibility.

With additional reporting by Alice Doyard, Suha Kawar and David McIlveen

Scotland's first minister has announced a network of walk-in GP services to deliver one million more appointments across the country.

John Swinney said they would operate seven days a week, from noon to 20:00, to tackle "the 08:00 rush for appointments" putting pressure on surgeries.

The announcement came during his keynote speech at the SNP conference in Aberdeen.

Swinney also reiterated his commitment to Scottish independence, revealed a sponsorship scheme for social care workers, and criticised Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer over Labour's record at Westminster

• Swinney speech as it happened: "Now is the time" for Scottish independence

The first minister said there was "no more important issue" than the NHS.

He told delegates that his walk-in GP scheme would begin at 15 sites then expand across Scotland.

He said: "They will break from the status quo. They will add to the care we already value. Staffed by GPs and nurses.

"And you won't need to call up for an appointment. That means more people can go after work - when it fits with their lives."

Swinney promised that the first site would be up and running "within the year".

The first minister also said Scotland was being damaged by a morally wrong "race to the right" by parties at Westminster.

He said this had led to an "80 per cent fall" in the number of overseas nurses the NHS was able to recruit and the shutdown of a visa route for care home staff.

Swinney said: "Thousands of care workers here in the UK entirely legally have been left high and dry.

"Unable to work, while care homes are crying out for staff. In what world does that make any sense?"

He said the Scottish government would sponsor overseas staff so they can "work, pay tax and help keep Scotland's care homes running".

Swinney said Scotland's older people "must not pay the price for Westminster's prejudice".

The first minister went on to criticise Sir Keir Starmer, who he said had promised to be a left-wing Labour leader but had become a "right-wing prime minister".

"Now he's dressing up as Nigel Farage," he said.

He said Starmer had not produced the progressive policies that had earned Labour its votes.

Swinney said he was committed to offering Scotland a "fresh start" through independence.

He said it would be "a modern, outward-looking, inclusive compassionate country.

"Not a devolved nation but the world's newest independent nation."

On Saturday, SNP members backed Swinney's plan to declare a mandate for a second independence referendum if the party wins a majority of seats in next year's Holyrood election.

Swinney told delegates his proposals were the most realistic way of pursuing the goal, based on a precedent which brought about the 2014 referendum.

Scotland voted against leaving the UK by a margin of 55.3% to 44.7% in September 2014.

Sir Keir Starmer, who would have to agree to any vote, previously said he could not imagine indyref 2 taking place during his time in office.

Far-right activist Tommy Robinson has said that he refused to give police his mobile phone Pin when he was stopped at the entry to the Channel Tunnel because it had "journalist material" on it, a court has heard.

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was charged under the Terrorism Act after allegedly failing to comply with counter-terrorism powers in Folkestone in July 2024.

He is on trial at Westminster Magistrates' Court and has pleaded not guilty.

A person who is detained under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act is legally obliged provide the password or Pin for electronic devices.

If found guilty, he could be jailed for up to three months and/or receive a £2,500 fine.

Robinson's trial began on Monday and is expected to last two days. He is charged under his real name and is being referred to as Mr Lennon in court.

The 42-year-old sat in the dock of the court in a navy waistcoat and tie and confirmed his name.

PC Mitchell Thorogood, a counter-terrorism officer with Kent Police, told the court that he was on duty policing vehicles travelling to France at the entrance to the Channel Tunnel near Folkestone on 28 July 2024.

He described seeing a silver Bentley with a lone driver that he said was "an unusual car to come through". The driver was Mr Lennon.

He said that before he stopped the vehicle, he "had a belief that is was Mr Lennon".

PC Thorogood said he asked Mr Lennon where he was going and that he was "unhappy" with the account Mr Lennon gave.

"He was travelling a far distance with a vehicle that wasn't his," PC Thorogood said.

Mr Lennon said he was going to Benidorm and had not bought a ticket in advance, which the officer said was also "unusual". He said Mr Lennon did not make eye contact.

PC Thorogood described detaining Mr Lennon under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act. He said Mr Lennon started filming him, and the officers took away his mobile phone.

"He refused to provide the Pin number, saying there was journalist material in his phone," PC Thorogood said.

Jo Morris, for the prosecution, said that Mr Lennon had used an expletive at officers, who also found a small bag in the Bentley containing £13,370 and €1,910 (£1,660).

District Judge Sam Goozee said Mr Lennon's address should not be published, after the defendant's barrister Alisdair Williamson KC said there were "credible threats against Mr Lennon's life".

The public gallery at the back of court was packed with more than 30 of his supporters, who had queued from early morning. One was wearing a red Mega (Make England Great Again) baseball cap.

Two men have been charged with the murder of paedophile singer Ian Watkins, who was killed in Wakefield Prison.

The former Lostprophets frontman, who was serving a 29-year jail sentence, was fatally injured in an incident at the prison just after 09:30 BST on Saturday.

Rashid Gedel, 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, have both been charged with murder and will appear before Leeds Magistrates' Court on Monday morning, West Yorkshire Police said.

Watkins was jailed in 2013 for a string of child sex offences, including the attempted rape of a baby.

Watkins, who also faced a further six years on licence if he was ever released, admitted the attempted rape and sexual assault of a child under 13 but pleaded not guilty to rape.

He also admitted conspiring to rape a child, three counts of sexual assault involving children, seven involving taking, making or possessing indecent images of children and one of possessing an extreme pornographic image involving a sex act on an animal.

During sentencing, Mr Justice Royce said the case broke "new ground" and "plunged into new depths of depravity".

Watkins was previously attacked at Wakefield Prison in 2023, although his injuries were not life-threatening on that occasion

Formed in Pontypridd in 1997, Lostprophets became one of the UK's biggest bands, securing 11 top 40 hits and a number one album between 2002 and 2010.

In a statement released after his conviction, the band's remaining members said they were "heartbroken, angry, and disgusted" at his crimes, adding that their "hearts go out" to his victims.

A high-security prison housing some of the UK's most notorious offenders, Wakefield Prison currently holds more than 600 inmates.

A report on conditions within the facility, which was published last month, said violence had "increased markedly" since a previous inspection in 2022.

It also said the prison's "infrastructure was in a poor state", citing "repeated breakdowns of essential equipment" and "some significant elements of the prison's perimeter security systems".

Among those currently serving time at the prison are believd to be Roy Whiting, who murdered eight year-old Sarah Payne in 2000, and Reynhard Sinaga, who was convicted of 159 sexual offences against 48 men in 2020.

Both men have reportedly been attacked at the jail in recent years.

Harold Shipman, Ian Huntley and Piran Ditta Khan are also among the former inmates to have served time in Wakefield.

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.

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Thousands of Vodafone customers across the UK have reported its services are down.

Downdetector, which monitors web outages, showed more than 130,000 people had flagged problems affecting their Vodafone broadband or mobile network on Monday afternoon.

According to its website, the firm has more than 18 million customers in the UK, including nearly 700,000 home broadband customers.

The BBC has approached the company for a response.

Customers have also taken to social media to complain of "complete outages" in their area.

Many have also said they are having difficulty accessing the company's website and app.

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The president of Germany will visit the UK later this year, Buckingham Palace has announced.

The visit by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, from 3 to 5 December, will be the first German state visit to the UK in 27 years.

King Charles and Queen Camilla will host the visit at Windsor Castle as Buckingham Palace is undergoing renovations.

Such state visits are used to reinforce alliances and to encourage trade, with the German trip following last month's state visit by US President Donald Trump.

State visits are a mix of political and business meetings, alongside royal pageantry and a diplomatic red-carpet welcome, with a banquet, military parade and carriage rides.

The visit follows a treaty between Germany and the UK signed in the summer, known as the Kensington Treaty, which agreed to create a direct rail link between London and Berlin, as part of measures bringing the countries closer together.

There are plans for more cultural ties such as school exchanges, stronger military links, business investments and joint efforts to tackle illegal migration and people smuggling.

The King and Queen will be returning the hospitality to President Steinmeier and his wife Elke Büdenbender for their own visit to Germany in March 2023, in what was the first overseas state visit of the new reign.

That first visit as King proved to be a diplomatic success, with the King making a well-received speech to the German Bundestag in Berlin, where he spoke about the importance of Germany's efforts in supporting Ukraine after the invasion by Russia.

In a symbolic moment of reconciliation, he also went to Hamburg where he laid a wreath remembering those who had died in the Allied bombing of the city during the Second World War.

The last German state visit to the UK was in December 1998, by President Roman Herzog, where he became the first head of state to visit Windsor Castle after the fire of 1992.

Queen Elizabeth II hosted the visit and her state banquet speech spoke of the importance of both countries belonging to international organisations, "headed by the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation", which helped "to extend our reach and achieve goals which would be impossible on our own".

In that 1998 speech, which would have been written with the advice of the government, she also expressed the hope that Germany would become a permanent member of the UN Security Council - which so far has not happened

The announcement of the 2025 German state visit adds to what is already a busy autumn schedule for the King, who is still undergoing cancer treatment.

The King and Queen will be travelling to meet Pope Leo next week, for a rearranged state visit to the Vatican. A previously planned visit was postponed because of the ill-health of the late Pope Francis.

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US actor and filmmaker Woody Allen has paid a lengthy, glowing tribute to Diane Keaton who died on Saturday aged 79.

Writing in The Free Press, Allen described Keaton as "unlike anyone the planet has experienced or is unlikely to ever see again," adding that "her face and laugh illuminated any space she entered".

In a long personal essay, Allen recalled first meeting Keaton in 1969 during rehearsals for his play Play It Again, Sam before going on to make eight films with her including Annie Hall, which she won best actress for at the 1977 Oscars.

"As time went on I made movies for an audience of one, Diane Keaton," wrote Allen.

"I never read a single review of my work and cared only what Keaton had to say about it."

In Annie Hall, Keaton played the role of the film's quirky, insecure and free-spirited titular star, who Allen's character, Alvy Singer, falls in love with.

The pair were at one point romantically involved in real life.

Reminiscing on the first time they met, Allen remembered thinking: "If Huckleberry Finn [writer Mark Twain's fictional vagabond] was a gorgeous young woman, he'd be Keaton."

He added that the world was now a "drearier" place without her in it.

"Still, there are her movies. And her great laugh still echoes in my head."

She starred in other Allen titles such as Manhattan, Sleeper and Radio Days.

Keaton remained a supporter of Allen, a controversial figure, who was accused of molesting his daughter Dylan, which he has always denied.

No charges have ever been brought against the star.

She told the Guardian in 2023: "He gave me everything. He really did. Woody made it loose. That helped me enormously."

Los Angeles-born Keaton shot to fame through her role as Kay Adams-Corleone in the Godfather films, before going on to feature in movies like Father of the Bride and Fellow First Wives Club.

Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola, like fellow US filmmaker Allen, also paid tribute to the "extraordinary" actress over the weekend.

In a post shared on social media, Coppola said: "Words can't express the wonder and talent of Diane Keaton. Endlessly intelligent, so beautiful.

"From her earliest performances in Hair and throughout her amazing career, she was an extraordinary actor."

He continued: "I saw her in the film Lovers and Other Strangers and knew I had to have her play Kay in The Godfather, (which she told me she based on my wife Ellie) and her wonderful work in Annie Hall, while simultaneously setting a new fashion trend.

"Everything about Diane was creativity personified."

A German football club has condemned the actions of some of their supporters after two tourists said they were attacked by fans in Dublin.

The incident on Abbey Street was said to have happened on Saturday, as a crowd of supporters of FC Schalke 04 walked through the city centre.

Carly Clarke, a photographer from Eastbourne, said one fan pushed her after trying to grab her camera. Fellow photographer, Stephen Lovell-Davis, 70, from London, attempted to intervene, but was pushed to the ground and repeatedly kicked in the head.

In a statement released at the weekend, the club condemned the actions of some of its supporters in the city, saying it will "rigorously investigate the events".

The club, which plays in the German second division, said about 2,000 fans travelled to the Republic of Ireland for their 3–2 defeat in a friendly match against League of Ireland side Bohemians on Saturday.

Ms Clarke and Mr Lovell-Davis had both been in Dublin for an exhibition at the Photo Museum Ireland when they came across the group of fans in the city centre.

Speaking to BBC News NI, Ms Clarke said she saw several people recording the march, so she grabbed her camera to take some photographs of her own.

"We initially weren't exactly sure what the parade or march was about, but there was chanting and they were banging these loud drums, so we thought it was interesting and worth photographing."

Ms Clarke said they walked towards them and began taking some photos but quickly realised that the fans were "incredibly hostile" and "seemed to be more of an angry mob rather than a parade".

'Kicked him in the head'

"One of them lunged for me and tried to grab my camera, which was strapped around my neck," she said.

"When Steve saw this, he stepped over, and that's when he was pushed to the ground.

"They then kicked him in the head, and he was unable to get up.

"What was most appalling and disgusting was that they just continued to kick him while he was on the ground - it was relentless."

Mr Lovell-Davis told BBC News NI that he cannot remember too much after being struck on the ground, but said he has been left with bruising and cuts around his elbows.

"I am 70 years old, so it is concerning if anything like that does happen, given my age, but I've had worse injuries from my time riding motorcycles, so I think I got off quite lucky," he said.

"It's disappointing that a small group of people decided to do that, but I have seen the club's statement that they will try to find those responsible, which is welcome.

"I should stress, however, that this is just a small minority."

He also thanked three Irish women who rushed to his aid in the aftermath and helped "patch him up."

He said he had a fantastic time in Dublin but the incident on Saturday was a disappointing end to their trip.

Both Mr Lovell-Davis and Ms Clarke have since flown back to England, and Stephen told BBC News NI that An Garda Síochána (the Irish police service) contacted him about the incident on Monday morning.

Club launches internal review process

In a statement released, FC Schalke 04 described some incidents involving fans as "completely unjustifiable" and said they had "overshadowed" what was intended to be a positive trip with fans.

"We expect everyone who supports and follows the club to behave in a respectful and responsible manner," the statement read.

"We utterly condemn these incidents and will rigorously investigate the events and take appropriate action."

The club added that an internal review process had already begun and expressed sympathy for those affected, wishing them a full recovery.

An Garda Síochána said they do not comment on named individuals but said they are carrying out enquiries into an alleged assault at Abbey Street Lower on 11 October.