Rachel Reeves has dropped plans to increase income tax rates at the Budget on 26 November, according to reports in the Financial Times.

The newspaper says the chancellor and prime minister U-turned on increasing the tax, which would have broken an election manifesto promise, over fears it would anger voters and Labour MPs.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said "no decisions were made or set in stone" until Reeves delivered the Budget in the House of Commons.

The Treasury have not responded to a request for comment.

Reeves had not publicly confirmed she would raise income tax rates but had refused to rule it out.

Earlier this month, she also delivered a pre-Budget speech in which she emphasised the need to make "necessary choices" and warned that everyone would have to "contribute".

NHS bosses are aiming to keep nearly all services running as resident doctors begin a five-day walkout in England.

The strike – the 13th by British Medical Association members in the long-running pay dispute – starts at 07:00 GMT and lasts until 07:00 Wednesday.

Resident doctors – the new name for junior doctors – will walk out of both emergency and non-urgent care.

Hospitals will come under the most strain, with resident doctors making up about half the medical workforce. But NHS England said patients should still attend appointments unless advised otherwise.

It said it wanted to keep 95% of non-urgent work, such as hip and knee operations, going.

The NHS aims to do this by re-deploying and offering overtime to consultants and and other senior doctors as well as relying on those not striking – around a third of resident doctors are not BMA members.

But this will come at significant cost with the NHS estimating the five-day walkout is costing £240m to cover.

'I'm furious'

Despite the attempt to keep services going, patients like Colette Houlihan, 68, have still had to face postponements.

She was due to have a pre-surgery appointment on Monday, but this has now been pushed back to late December.

Ms Houlihan, from Cambridgeshire, who is waiting for a benign tumour in her neck to be removed, said she had had to put up with two cancellations already, but could understand those as she was told patients who were higher priorities needed to be seen.

"They could have had cancer. I didn't mind that, but this is different.

"I am furious. By striking they ignore the Hippocratic Oath - first and foremost do no harm.

"Striking causes harm by way of delaying procedures, taking senior doctors from their posts and causing chaos within the system," she said.

Challenging

NHS England medical director Prof Meghana Pandit said it was frustrating and disappointing that there was another round of industrial action at a challenging time for the NHS, with flu cases rising earlier than usual.

"Despite this, staff across the NHS are working extremely hard to maintain care and limit disruption," he added.

But BMA leader Dr Tom Dolphin said keeping most services running would be "challenging".

He said doctors had a legal right to strike and should not be "bullied or coerced" into working.

And he warned his members would only leave the picket line if there was a major emergency – such as a mass casualty event.

The latest walkout comes after Health Secretary Wes Streeting launched arguably his strongest attack on the BMA.

Addressing a conference of health managers this week, he called the union "morally reprehensible" and accused it of acting like a cartel, attempting to hold the public and government to ransom.

He said doctors had received generous pay rises over the past three years – worth nearly 30%, bringing average basic salaries to just over £54,000.

Talks between him and the union broke down last week after the BMA turned down a fresh offer to end the dispute.

Streeting has maintained throughout the year that he could not negotiate on pay, but he proposed a deal that would see out-of-pocket expenses like exam fees and membership fees covered, along with a boost in speciality training places.

But the BMA has argued that, despite the pay rises, resident doctors' pay is still a fifth lower than it was in 2008, once inflation is taken into account.

The union has also warned doctors are struggling to find jobs at a key stage of their training – between years two and three when they start speciality training.

This year there were more than 30,000 applicants for 10,000 jobs at this stage, although some will have been doctors from abroad.

Why is this a named storm?

Very wet start to November

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Three people have died and at least 26 others injured in a wave of Russian drone and missile strikes on Kyiv, Ukrainian officials say.

Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko described strikes, which caused explosions and fires in residential buildings across the city, as "massive".

Kyiv's energy infrastructure was also damaged, leaving some buildings in the north-east without heat, he said. Ukraine's air force reported several other regions across the country were also being targeted.

Russia's defence ministry said it had downed or intercepted 216 Ukrainian drones that had targeted its industrial facilities and disrupted air travel, according to Reuters news agency.

In Kyiv, residential buildings came under attack "in practically every district", the head of the city's military administration Tymur Tkachenko said on Telegram.

He issued a warning to take shelter a minute after midnight local time on Friday (22:01 GMT), writing "it's loud in Kyiv".

Falling debris and fires have damaged multiple high-rise apartment buildings, a hospital, school and administrative buildings, according to emergency services.

More than 40 people have been rescued, they added, including 14 from a fire in a residential building in Desnayanskyi district where one person died.

Another person was rescued in the building after being pulled from beneath rubble, they said.

Medical teams were deployed to all fires, officials said, while Klitschko said nine people were being treated in hospital with one man in an "extremely serious condition".

Parts of the Ukrainian capital's heating network were also damaged in the attack, the mayor noted, adding that the city's electricity and water supplies may have been disrupted.

Ukraine's air force warned drones and guided bombs had been targeting several other regions, including Sumy.

The overnight strikes follow the deaths of six people in another Russian offensive less than a week ago that also damaged residential buildings and energy infrastructure.

Russia says its attacks on energy targets, now a familiar part of the war, are aimed at the Ukrainian military.

Those attacks prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to call for "no exceptions" to Western sanctions on Russian energy - shortly after the US granted Hungary one such exemption.

US President Donald Trump had initially announced the sanctions on Russian oil after saying ceasefire talks with Russian President Vladimir were not progressing.

Swiss ministers are in Washington for talks aimed at slashing US President Donald Trump's steep 39% tariffs on Switzerland's exports to the US – the highest rate in Europe.

Initial attempts by Swiss President Karin Keller Sutter to change Trump's mind fell on deaf ears. But a visit on 4 November by business leaders appears to have changed his mind.

A senior administration official told reporters on Thursday that the talks between the US and the Swiss ministers were "very positive" and "very focused", adding that they are "very aware" of their trade deficit with the US and are prepared to address it.

For months the Swiss have been trying to bring down the rate, which has hit Switzerland hard.

Trump's response to the Swiss president's bid was that she "was a nice woman, but she did not want to listen".

But last week's private business initiative adopted a more unconventional approach.

Swiss industry chiefs came to the Oval Office on 4 November bearing gifts, including a Rolex gold watch and a specially engraved gold bar from Swiss-based gold refining company MKS.

Already this week Trump has said a deal is being worked on to bring the tariffs "a little bit lower… I haven't set any number".

After their talks the Swiss industrialists said in a statement "our entire initiative was undertaken in the spirit of Swiss unity between the private and public sectors".

Some business figures, particularly those trading in luxury goods, gold, or commodities, already had contacts in Trump's circle.

In September, Trump appeared at the US Open tennis final in the Rolex VIP box hosted by the Swiss watch company's chief executive Jean Frédéric Dufour.

The president, apparently guessing what was going on, even asked if Dufour would have been there if Trump had not slapped such steep tariffs on Switzerland.

Last week Dufour met Trump again, this time in the Oval Office, along with fellow business leaders including Johann Rupert from luxury goods maker Richemont and Marwan Shakarchi from MKS.

It is quite normal nowadays for any leader heading to the Oval Office to come bearing a gift.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer brought an invitation from King Charles for a lavish state visit. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz offered a framed copy of Trump's German grandfather's birth certificate.

Requests for confirmation of the gifts to the two Swiss companies involved brought a "no comment" from Rolex and MKS.

But days after the meeting, Trump was pictured in the Oval Office with what looked very much like a Rolex "Datejust" desk clock, produced by the company as a collector's item, and worth tens of thousands of dollars.

A White House official confirmed the two items had been given to Trump.

The US president receives thousands of gifts every year and they then become US property, deposited with the National Archives and filed annually by the state department.

They are eventually transferred to a presidential library. Some gifts can be kept but presidents have to pay federal taxes if they do not come from a close relative.

In 1969, President Richard Nixon gently refused the gift of a Swiss Omega watch to commemorate the Moon landings.

Whatever happens to the Swiss gifts, Trump's stance towards the Swiss appears to be softening, telling reporters he is working on something "to help Switzerland".

Swiss economy minister Guy Parmelin and chief trade negotiator Helene Budliger Artieda, who travelled to Washington on Wednesday, are more hopeful than they have been in months, amid suggestions that 39% tariff may be reduced to 15% - the same as Switzerland's neighbours in the EU.

In return, promises from the Swiss pharmaceutical giants to build more production plants in the US are already on the table. It is also reported that Swiss International Airlines, whose fleet is primarily Airbus, may pivot towards Boeing.

But will it be enough? Swiss industry is waiting with bated breath. The tariffs are beginning to bite, with a number of Swiss companies warning they will have to furlough staff if nothing changes.

The Swiss do have one more highly influential figure they can call on.

Fifa president and Swiss citizen Gianni Infantino, long a friend of Trump's, was reportedly urged by some Swiss parliamentarians to try to change the president's mind.

As part of preparations for next year's World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico, Infantino visited the Oval Office in August bearing the trophy.

As the cameras rolled he handed it to Trump saying he was "a winner". The president responded asking "can I keep it? That's a beautiful piece of gold".

Infantino has also announced a brand new Fifa world peace prize, to be announced in Washington DC on 5 December.

All bets are off as to who that might be.

Puffins have been seen on the Isle of Muck in County Antrim for the first time in years, after a major scheme to remove invasive brown rats.

It is the first time the vulnerable seabird has been recorded on the tiny island off Islandmagee since Ulster Wildlife took over the management of the seabird sanctuary 25 years ago.

A programme of rat eradication began in 2017 and winter grazing has now been implemented to keep vegetation low, so predator cover is reduced.

The charity's nature reserves manager Andy Crory said the discovery of the puffins "proves seabird restoration works".

Folklore becoming a reality

Five puffins were spotted in 2024. Then in spring this year, cameras set up as part of the rat eradication programme caught two puffins coming and going from a nesting burrow on the cliff ledges.

Their behaviour, bringing food back to the nest, was a positive sign that they were breeding.

For Mr Crory, tales of puffins once breeding on the Isle of Muck "felt more like folklore", but the myth is now becoming a reality.

"Seabirds face immense challenges globally, with 24 of the 25 breeding species at risk of local or global extinction," he said.

"So, while a handful of puffins on a tiny island may seem small, this moment is huge – it proves that seabird restoration works."

Hope for pufflings next year

The puffin sightings are the latest in a long line of positive signs of the impact conservation management has been having on the island.

Annual surveys have begun to record steady increases in eider ducks, guillemots, herring gulls and lesser-backed gulls on and around the island, year on year.

It is not known for certain that the puffins seen this year managed to successfully rear a chick.

But Mr Crory is staying positive.

"Our hope is that the Isle of Muck will become a thriving stronghold for puffins and, in time, tempt back other lost species like the Manx shearwater.

"For now, we're waiting with great excitement to see if the first 'pufflings' – baby puffins – appear on the cliffs next summer.

"That truly would be the icing on the cake."

Puffins are a priority species in Northern Ireland and red-listed in the UK, putting them in the highest conservation concern bracket due to food shortages, climate change, and predation by invasive species.

They spend most of their lives at sea, only returning to land to breed in spring and summer at the same nesting site with the same partner, year after year.

Each pair raises a single chick during the breeding season.

Ulster Wildlife said rats are a major issue for many seabird islands across the UK, posing a threat to eggs and chicks.

The Isle of Muck is not accessible to the public and it is hoped that isolation will help the birds to return safely next summer.

Other conservation successes

Similar rat removal projects have been carried out elsewhere to help seabirds bounce back.

The LIFE Raft project on Rathlin Island is expected to have rid the island of the predators when it publishes its latest report soon.

Ferrets have already been cleared from Rathlin in a world-first project.

Ariana Grande fans are calling for a man who jumped the barricade and grabbed the actress at a Wicked: For Good premiere on Thursday to be arrested or deported from Singapore.

A now viral video shows the Australian man, Johnson Wen, pushing past photographers and charging at Grande while the cast made its way down a yellow carpet surrounded by fans.

Co-star Cynthia Erivo promptly wrested the stunned actress away from Mr Wen, who was seen being escorted out of the event by security officers.

Mr Wen posted on Instagram late on Thursday that he was "free after being arrested", though court documents showed that he was scheduled to appear on Friday morning. It is not clear if he was charged.

This is not the first time Mr Wen, who describes himself as a "Troll Most Hated", has invaded a concert or event. His Instagram feed includes clips of him disrupting other celebrity events, including jumping on stage at Katy Perry's Sydney concert in June this year and in a similar way during The Chainsmokers performance in the city last December.

"There needs to be action [taken] against him as this is clearly a criminal offence," wrote an Instagram user, in a comment a video Mr Wen posted of his act.

"Oh wow so you do this a lot... how aren't you in jail?" one Instagram user wrote.

Several fans accused Mr Wen for "re-traumatising" Grande, who had spoken of experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder after a suicide bomb attack at the end of her May 2017 concert in Manchester, killing 22 people and injuring hundreds.

"Ariana has been through so many scary things... and at her Manchester concert and you thought it would be fun to jump the barricade?" said another comment on Instagram.

Some fans also criticised security officers at the Thursday event for not being vigilant enough; while others called for social media platforms to ban Mr Wen's videos.

In clips circulating online, Grande appeared shocked when she was grabbed by the intruder. Her co-stars Michelle Yeoh and Erivo can be seen comforting her while Mr Wen was escorted away by security.

Grande has not commented on the incident, and the rest of the event proceeded as normal.

The BBC has reached out to Singapore's police and immigration authority for comment.

Hundreds of fans had gathered in a sea of green and pink at the Wicked: For Good Asia-Pacific premiere in a Singapore mall, including some who had stood in line for as long as eight hours before it began.

The movie, to be released on 21 November, is the second of a two-part adaptation of the popular Broadway and West End musical Wicked, which centres on the unlikely friendship between two very different witches.

The musical itself is a spin-off of the 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Grande, who plays the good witch Glinda, was decked out in a champagne pink sequin dress at the premiere while Erivo, who plays the wicked witch, wore a black tube grown embroidered with roses.

They were joined by co-star Jeff Goldblum.

The first movie, Wicked, was the highest-grossing movie of 2024 in the UK, and scored 10 Oscar nominations, winning two for best costume and production design.

Three people have died and at least 26 others injured in a wave of Russian drone and missile strikes on Kyiv, Ukrainian officials say.

Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko described strikes, which caused explosions and fires in residential buildings across the city, as "massive".

Kyiv's energy infrastructure was also damaged, leaving some buildings in the north-east without heat, he said. Ukraine's air force reported several other regions across the country were also being targeted.

Russia's defence ministry said it had downed or intercepted 216 Ukrainian drones that had targeted its industrial facilities and disrupted air travel, according to Reuters news agency.

In Kyiv, residential buildings came under attack "in practically every district", the head of the city's military administration Tymur Tkachenko said on Telegram.

He issued a warning to take shelter a minute after midnight local time on Friday (22:01 GMT), writing "it's loud in Kyiv".

Falling debris and fires have damaged multiple high-rise apartment buildings, a hospital, school and administrative buildings, according to emergency services.

More than 40 people have been rescued, they added, including 14 from a fire in a residential building in Desnayanskyi district where one person died.

Another person was rescued in the building after being pulled from beneath rubble, they said.

Medical teams were deployed to all fires, officials said, while Klitschko said nine people were being treated in hospital with one man in an "extremely serious condition".

Parts of the Ukrainian capital's heating network were also damaged in the attack, the mayor noted, adding that the city's electricity and water supplies may have been disrupted.

Ukraine's air force warned drones and guided bombs had been targeting several other regions, including Sumy.

The overnight strikes follow the deaths of six people in another Russian offensive less than a week ago that also damaged residential buildings and energy infrastructure.

Russia says its attacks on energy targets, now a familiar part of the war, are aimed at the Ukrainian military.

Those attacks prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to call for "no exceptions" to Western sanctions on Russian energy - shortly after the US granted Hungary one such exemption.

US President Donald Trump had initially announced the sanctions on Russian oil after saying ceasefire talks with Russian President Vladimir were not progressing.

Officials are looking into whether a man who took part in a Remembrance Sunday ceremony dressed as a high-ranking navy officer was a fake.

The man was involved in the wreath laying in Llandudno, Conwy county, on Sunday, and saluted the war memorial before marching away with a colleague.

Serving and former service personnel became suspicious when they saw him dressed as a rear admiral and wearing the rare Distinguished Service Order medal.

The Ministry of Defence said it was taking it very seriously, adding that impersonating a naval officer can be considered a criminal offence.

Hundreds of people were on the seafront in Llandudno to mark Remembrance Sunday last weekend for the traditional period of silence and the laying of poppy wreaths.

But members of the town's Royal Naval Association spotted a man wearing an unusual uniform among the ranks of serving and former servicemen and women.

The man was wearing the epaulettes and sleeve lace of a rear admiral, one of the highest ranks in the Royal Navy.

He also had an array of medals on his left chest, including the Distinguished Service Order, of which very few have been awarded since 1979.

Several veterans and serving officers have said on social media that they are concerned that the man may not have been a rear admiral, and may not have earned all the medals he was wearing.

Llandudno Town Council, which organised the event, confirmed that no-one of that rank was due to be at the ceremony.

Greg Robbins, chair of the council's civic sub-committee, said: "The man was challenged by the parade marshal, but stated that he was of a certain rank, and that he was representing the Lord Lieutenant's office.

"The parade marshal was left with little choice but to accommodate him in the wreath laying ceremony.

"The most important thing with Remembrance Sunday ceremonies is that they are suitably dignified, as this one was.

"This individual did not disrupt the ceremony, but we are keen to know who he was, and will be working with the Ministry of Defence on its investigation."

The man was seen walking in formation to the war memorial with a colleague, also dressed in a khaki uniform.

The colleague laid a wreath before the pair saluted and walked away together.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said: "Impersonating a Naval officer is insulting to anyone connected to the service and can be considered a criminal offence.

"Nothing should detract from the poignancy of Remembrance Sunday which can be a sombre time for members of the Royal Navy family and an opportunity for people in communities across the country to pay their respects to people who have or are serving their country."

NHS bosses are aiming to keep nearly all services running as resident doctors begin a five-day walkout in England.

The strike – the 13th by British Medical Association members in the long-running pay dispute – starts at 07:00 GMT and lasts until 07:00 Wednesday.

Resident doctors – the new name for junior doctors – will walk out of both emergency and non-urgent care.

Hospitals will come under the most strain, with resident doctors making up about half the medical workforce. But NHS England said patients should still attend appointments unless advised otherwise.

It said it wanted to keep 95% of non-urgent work, such as hip and knee operations, going.

The NHS aims to do this by re-deploying and offering overtime to consultants and and other senior doctors as well as relying on those not striking – around a third of resident doctors are not BMA members.

But this will come at significant cost with the NHS estimating the five-day walkout is costing £240m to cover.

'I'm furious'

Despite the attempt to keep services going, patients like Colette Houlihan, 68, have still had to face postponements.

She was due to have a pre-surgery appointment on Monday, but this has now been pushed back to late December.

Ms Houlihan, from Cambridgeshire, who is waiting for a benign tumour in her neck to be removed, said she had had to put up with two cancellations already, but could understand those as she was told patients who were higher priorities needed to be seen.

"They could have had cancer. I didn't mind that, but this is different.

"I am furious. By striking they ignore the Hippocratic Oath - first and foremost do no harm.

"Striking causes harm by way of delaying procedures, taking senior doctors from their posts and causing chaos within the system," she said.

Challenging

NHS England medical director Prof Meghana Pandit said it was frustrating and disappointing that there was another round of industrial action at a challenging time for the NHS, with flu cases rising earlier than usual.

"Despite this, staff across the NHS are working extremely hard to maintain care and limit disruption," he added.

But BMA leader Dr Tom Dolphin said keeping most services running would be "challenging".

He said doctors had a legal right to strike and should not be "bullied or coerced" into working.

And he warned his members would only leave the picket line if there was a major emergency – such as a mass casualty event.

The latest walkout comes after Health Secretary Wes Streeting launched arguably his strongest attack on the BMA.

Addressing a conference of health managers this week, he called the union "morally reprehensible" and accused it of acting like a cartel, attempting to hold the public and government to ransom.

He said doctors had received generous pay rises over the past three years – worth nearly 30%, bringing average basic salaries to just over £54,000.

Talks between him and the union broke down last week after the BMA turned down a fresh offer to end the dispute.

Streeting has maintained throughout the year that he could not negotiate on pay, but he proposed a deal that would see out-of-pocket expenses like exam fees and membership fees covered, along with a boost in speciality training places.

But the BMA has argued that, despite the pay rises, resident doctors' pay is still a fifth lower than it was in 2008, once inflation is taken into account.

The union has also warned doctors are struggling to find jobs at a key stage of their training – between years two and three when they start speciality training.

This year there were more than 30,000 applicants for 10,000 jobs at this stage, although some will have been doctors from abroad.

A transport enthusiast, a beauty advocate and a mum teaching people how to raise an autistic child were among the winners of the second annual TikTok awards.

Hosted by TV presenter Aj Odudu at Magazine London, awards were handed out in 12 categories including fashion, travel, food and education.

And taking home the coveted prize of creator of the year was Max Klymenko, who is best known for his career ladder series, which he says is the most popular non-animated show in the world.

In case you've not seen it, Max sets up his stepladder in various public spaces and invites passers-by to join him standing on the ladder while he tries to guess their career with a series of yes/no questions.

Max came to the UK from Ukraine 14 years ago and said the reason he started creating content was because he found it impossible to get a job to get his own career going.

"I had a lot of anxiety and stress around finding a job so I created videos helping people know what jobs were available to them." Gold ladder in hand, Max, who has 8.5 million followers on TikTok, dedicated his award to his grandma in Ukraine who "has no electricity to follow along".

"I'm calling her right after this," he said, explaining that she used to log-in from different TikTok accounts when he first started creating content so it looked like he had more views.

The 29-year-old, who accepted his award from last year's winner Kyra-Mae Turner added that he was grateful his content was being recognised because "everything you see when you scroll on the toilet or in bed takes hours to make".

The nominees have a combined follower count of more than 83 million and the winners were voted for by five million people on the app.

Winning the award for video of the year was Bemi Orojuogun, better known as bus aunty.

Often seen smiling silently on TikToks as she stands at the side of a road or a depot – while a passing double-decker appears to narrowly miss hitting her – Orojuogun has turned her lifelong love of the London's transport network into a viral celebration of city life.

Her winning video has been viewed almost 50 million times and she now has collaborations with Burberry and Ikea.

The mental health nurse has become one of TikTok's most unexpected success stories and she admitted: "It's slightly overwhelming that everyone recognises me," but said is she is proud of what she's achieved.

She thanked Transport for London and Stormzy, saying that he propelled her to fame after re-posting one of her videos.

The 56-year-old grandma had a wonderful night making friends - including Nikki Lilly, the winner of the fashion and beauty creator of the year.

Nikki, who has 10 million TikTok followers, told the BBC that fashion, beauty and lifestyle content can be seen as "skin deep" but her content challenges those perceptions.

"I don't want to only make my social media a highlights reel," the 21-year-old said. "It's also me having surgeries, a chronic illness and me having a facial difference."

After being diagnosed with an arteriovenous malformation, a rare life-threatening medical condition, at age six, she has used her platform to raise awareness and inspire others.

"As someone with a facial condition, I've never felt fully embraced in this space," she said while accepting her award. But she added, she has now found "so much safety" in the TikTok beauty world.

Another advocate creator is Tola and Kevin who won the "voice for change" award.

Tola and Kevin are a mother-son duo behind an account that posts candid videos of what it's like to raise a young adult with autism, striving to create content that raises awareness and promotes acceptance.

In tears, Tola said she was so grateful for the award and explained she started the account because she felt isolated when her son was first diagnosed with autism 16 years ago.

She's since built an "amazing community who love and support Kevin" which has helped the both of them immensely.

One of the most recognisable winners of the night was Charley Marlowe, a Radio 1 presenter, who won entertainment creator of the year.

If you don't know her, you're likely to know her famous cackle which has become her trademark.

On the red carpet earlier in the night she told me "Win or lose, we're on the booze, so I'm having a good night anyway."

She was in shock to have won the award and dedicated it to "every northern, working-class diva."

Full list of winners

Creator of the year - Max Klymenko

Entertainment creator of the year - Charley Marlowe

Food creator of the year - Kieran Monlouis

Sport creator of the year - Lissie Mackintosh

Fashion and beauty creator of the year - Nikki Lilly

Travel creator of the year - Phil Carr

Books & learning creator of the year - Gabriel Astorga

Voice for change creator of the year - Tola and Kevin

Storyteller of the year - Morgan M James

Rising star creator of the year - Joy Anokwuru

Video of the year award - Bemi Orojuogun

Artist of the year - Olivia Dean

The special educational needs and disabilities system for children in England faces "total collapse" and the government must not "keep ducking" reforms, council leaders have warned.

The County Councils Network, which represents some of England's largest local authorities, said councils had deficits which will reach £4.4bn a year by the end of this parliament in 2029, as they struggled to cope with increased demand.

The government has put off planned reforms to the SEND system until next year, and a white paper setting out those reforms was delayed recently.

But ministers face pressure from Labour MPs who warn there would be political danger in watering down support for children.

The number of Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP) - the legal document entitling children to support from local authorities - have increased, according to the Department for Education.

There were 638,745 EHCPs in place in January 2025, up 10.8% on the same point last year. The number of new plans which started during 2024 also grew by 15.8% on the previous year, to 97,747.

The County Councils Network (CCN) says one in every 20 children in England could end up needing this kind of support by the end of the decade.

Councils have a statutory duty to provide support to children with an EHCP, depending on what the document outlines.

The CCN also says demand for EHCPs alone is not the only factor driving spiralling expenditure, with "over-reliance on higher costs placements and special provision" also a factor, including "expensive private school places".

There are now record numbers of pupils in special schools. In England, there are around 194,000 pupils, compared with 109,000 in 2014/15 according to the CNN.

The CCN has projected that councils could be spending £8bn on these placements by the end of the decade.

While the government wrestles with provision for children, many families continue to struggle.

Amanda Quick, who has a 12-year-old son with ADHD and autism, really appreciates the support at her local Taunton café, set up specifically for parents to bring their children with special educational needs.

Amanda's son Ezra attends a specialist school, but Amanda says she had a long fight with their local authority in Somerset to get him the support he needs.

"My mental health took a hit. I couldn't cope with all the paperwork so I ended up getting a solicitor, which is about £200 an hour," she said.

Claire Naylor, who owns the café, said she felt "dismissed" in trying to get support for her six-year-old son MJ, who has non-verbal autism.

"The EHCP process became a real fight and a real battle to get those provisions put in place. We ended up having to go to court which took us over a year," she says.

"We had to spend thousands of pounds on private reports just to prove what we already knew.

"We needed him to fail to be able to prove [he needed support] which is a really really sad way of basically being heard and it affected a whole family. We lost friendships, we've lost a lot of money and a lot of time."

Budget deficits

The CCN has called for the council deficits incurred by SEND provision to be written off and for changes to the law to focus EHCPs on those "most in need".

Councillor Bill Revans, Lib Dem leader of Somerset County Council and SEND spokesman for the CCN, said spiralling demand is fuelling the crisis and better inclusion in mainstream schools should be a priority.

"The whole system needs looking at, including EHCPs," he said.

"That pressure is unsustainable and it will make the system collapse within this parliament.

"All councils that have responsibility for special educational needs and disabilities carry a deficit on their budget which isn't included on their accounts.

"We will have no way of paying that off unless there is a solution from government."

But changing EHCPs is a political battleground and campaigners have warned against watering down legal protections for families.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has refused to say whether the government would change or abolish EHCPs.

Labour chair of the Education Select Committee, Helen Hayes, has joined campaigners saying this entitlement must stay in place.

Rachel Filmer, a parent of children with special educational needs, set up Save our Children's Rights campaign in direct response to the government refusing to commit to these plans.

"Without [EHCPs] children have no legal right to any support so things could be catastrophic," she said.

Keeping EHCPs in place but diluting them into a more generalised format that offers less tailored support is also a concern amongst campaigners, and some MPs have suggested the delay to the government's reforms are due to tension over whether to change or scrap these plans.

One said the pushback to changes to EHCPs would be "serious and significant" and would endanger already low levels of trust families have.

The Conservatives have said the delay in publishing the white paper had been "seriously damaging".

Tory MP Saqib Bhatti said: "SEND provision is vital to so many children and that's why we all need the government to get its reforms right."

He added: "Speculation that the government may scrap EHCPs has caused further anxiety to families that already face a struggle to get their children the support they need."

Reform UK are expected to set out its own plans for the SEND system soon.

The party's deputy leader, Richard Tice, recently suggested some parents were "abusing" the system – limiting support for those in "genuine need".

Phillipson favours an approach of earlier intervention, something that is welcomed by campaigners and MPs.

Schools Minister Georgia Gould, who recently inherited the SEND brief, has been visiting constituencies on a "listening" tour exercise.

A Department for Education spokesperson said the government inherited a SEND system "on its knees".

"We're determined to put that right by improving mainstream inclusion so every child can thrive at their local school," they said.

"We've held over 100 listening sessions with families and will continue engaging parents as we deliver reform through the Schools White Paper."

Phillipson has had praise from MPs for being accessible and ready to hear their thoughts, and they point to this as evidence that Downing Street has learned lessons from the summer, when numerous Labour MPs rebelled against the government's proposed cuts to welfare.

Ministers favour setting up more specialist provision in mainstream schools, but MPs have warned that there cannot be a half-hearted approach to giving schools and councils what they need.

"If SEND reform is about saving dough rather than improving the system then it's not headed in the right direction," said Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan.

Labour MP Rachael Maskell said that if the upcoming budget does not show that the government is adequately equipping schools and councils - such as increased workforce funding for roles such as speech therapists, health visitors and physiotherapists - then she will not be supporting reforms.

And Jen Craft, a Labour MP who has a disabled daughter, says the approach of groups like the CCN may not be the right one.

"I don't think you should be coming at it from a position of these children, these families cost too much money," she said.

Writing off billions in council deficits would be challenging for a government already facing what's widely expected to be a difficult budget, with warnings about the existing pressure on public finances.

Ministers have signalled that reform of the SEND system will focus on increasing and improving inclusive mainstream provision and early intervention, but that would require extra resource for schools.

Either way it is a challenge ministers are trying to carefully navigate, conscious of the consequences if they don't get this right.

When Rebecca Middleton became pregnant, she had no idea that she would end up in a wheelchair for the final three months before she gave birth.

Rebecca had had a difficult first trimester dealing with nausea and sickness, and began to develop pelvic pain four months into her pregnancy.

"I could hardly walk, I'd always had some problems with lower back pain in my life. But nothing that significant and it escalated quite quickly," she says.

After complaining about the pain, she was referred to an NHS physio, and eventually diagnosed with an extreme case of pelvic girdle pain (PGP), also known as symphysis pubic dysfunction.

Problems with your pelvic joints are a common symptom of pregnancy, affecting one in five expectant mothers to some degree.

"I was terrified, would I ever walk again? How would I have my baby, how would I care for it?"

After giving birth, Rebecca was in less pain, but she still struggled with basic things like walking, lifting her son or pushing a pram.

"I was disabled for seven months and had to have someone helping me all the time," she says.

"I just couldn't do the things that you should be able to do in looking after a baby, it was a really challenging time."

Prior to becoming pregnant, it was an issue Rebecca was unaware of and since her experience she volunteers for The Pelvic Partnership, a charity which helps raise awareness and support women with this condition.

It says the condition is treatable with the right action.

As soon as your symptoms start, the charity advises you get hands-on individualised treatment, including manual therapy, and ask for a referral for NHS physiotherapy from your GP or midwife.

If you aren't offered this support initially, the charity suggests going back to your GP or midwife and asking for a second opinion.

They can also refer you to maternal mental health support to help you manage the emotional impacts of living with PGP.

Dr Nighat Arif, a women's health specialist, says higher awareness and early assessment could prevent patients like Rebecca needing wheelchairs or crutches.

"Without that early identification based on a really good understanding of the female body, we leave some of these women with negative effects for life," she says.

Gynaecologist Dr Christine Ekechi says the lack of research around the condition means it is less likely to be identified and suitably treated, particularly post birth.

"We don't necessarily see them unless they then come back into a gynaecology clinic presenting with pain.

"So we don't have a great understanding as to the proportion of women that have persisting pain that has started off during pregnancy."

Victoria Roberton, co-ordinator at the Pelvic Partnership, is an example of how awareness can help.

Like Rebecca, she didn't know what PGP was when she began experiencing the condition during her first pregnancy.

She tried to stay as active as possible as advised and was referred to NHS physio sessions online and by phone, but found the pain worsening as her pregnancy progressed.

"They gave us exercises, stretches to do. By this point I couldn't do any of them. It was too painful," she says.

It got to the point where even sitting became uncomfortable for Victoria, and she was largely homebound until her baby was born.

The pain lessened after the birth of her daughter, but she began experiencing the same problem when she became pregnant with her second child.

It's not an option for many mothers, but Victoria said given her medical history she decided to pay for a private physio as the NHS wait for referral was long.

The physio gave her a full assessment and hands-on treatment including joint mobilisation, and taught her different ways to move her body to not aggravate her hip joints, which helped ease the pain.

Victoria still struggles with a degree of PGP today, four years on, but her second pregnancy was much easier to manage because she understood her condition and how to handle it.

Rebecca's second pregnancy has been similarly a much more positive experience.

This time round she knew she was at risk of PGP and was able to have it treated throughout her pregnancy before it became debilitating.

She has made a full recovery from PGP, just two months post birth compared to two years for her first child.

"I'm probably in better shape now than I was before either of my children because I now know what caused that pelvic girdle pain, and have had it fully treated and resolved with manual therapy," she says.

"It was five years of hell because of the pain I was in because of a lack of knowledge and understanding about the subject."

Bangladesh's former prime minister Sheikh Hasina has denied committing crimes against humanity during a deadly crackdown on last year's uprising that ousted her, days before the special tribunal trying her is due to deliver a verdict.

Hasina is accused of being the main architect behind hundreds of killings during the mass protests against her autocratic rule - an allegation she denies.

In her first interview with the BBC since she fled the country on 5 August 2024, she said her trial in absentia was a "farce" orchestrated by a "kangaroo court" controlled by political opponents.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Hasina if she is found guilty on Monday.

Hasina claimed the trial was destined to deliver a "pre-ordained guilty verdict".

Security has been tightened in and around the tribunal in the capital Dhaka ahead of Monday's verdict.

It will mark a significant moment for the country as well as for the relatives of those killed during the student-led anti-government protests that ousted Hasina.

UN human rights investigators have said up to 1,400 people were killed when Hasina and her government used systematic, deadly violence against protesters in the failed bid to hold onto power.

The former prime minister has refused to return from India to attend the trial.

She has been accused of personally ordering security forces to fire at protesters in the weeks before she fled.

In an email interview, Hasina told the BBC she "categorically" denied such allegations.

"I'm not denying that the situation got out of control, nor that many lives were lost needlessly. But I never issued any order to fire on unarmed civilians," she said.

Leaked audio of one of her phone calls verified by BBC Eye earlier this year suggested that she had authorised the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.

Hasina was formally indicted along with two others in July this year. They are former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun.

Prosecutors have sought the death penalty for the former, who is in hiding. The latter pleaded guilty in July but has not been handed a sentence.

Speaking about the trial, Hasina said she hadn't been able to defend herself or appoint her own lawyers.

She added her political opponents had gone after her in an attempt to "liquidate" her Awami League party as a political force.

Lawyers representing her issued a statement on Monday saying they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN raising serious fair trial and due process issues at the International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh.

The Awami League is already banned from standing in general elections due in February.

The BBC interview also covered other serious allegations of abuses committed during Hasina's 15-year rule, which will be heard in another case at the special tribunal. Hasina denies charges of crimes against humanity in that case too.

After Hasina was ousted from power, a number of secret jails were discovered holding prisoners who had been detained for years without any legal process. Many other critics and opponents of Hasina who had been abducted or held in these prisons are alleged to have been killed unlawfully.

Asked who was responsible for this, Hasina said she "did not have knowledge" of them.

She also denied her involvement in alleged extra-judicial killings and disappearances, which rights group say she was responsible for as the head of government during her leadership.

"This is denied in terms of my own involvement, but if there is evidence of abuse by officials, let us have it examined properly in an impartial, depoliticised process," she said.

Hasina and other senior members of her former government are also facing trial for corruption in a separate court, charges they deny.

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Members of the House of Lords have put forward more than 900 proposed changes to the law to deliver assisted dying, ahead of a debate on Friday.

Experts believe the number of amendments, which is understood to be 942, is unprecedented, but opponents say significant alterations are needed to ensure any scheme can operate safely.

The volume of amendments has sparked a letter from 65 supportive peers to their colleagues in the Lords, raising concern about possible delaying tactics.

Those opposing the bill have been urged not to "frustrate" the passage of the legislation, which has already gained the approval of MPs.

The House of Commons passed the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in June, and it passed its first stage in the Lords in September.

The required line-by-line examination of the bill that follows was delayed, following an amendment by Labour's Baroness Berger to allow a committee of peers to scrutinise the legislation further.

Parliament heard officials worked into the early hours of Thursday morning to compile the suggested changes to the bill that flooded in ahead of the next scrutiny stage, known as committee stage, which begins on Friday.

There appear to be seven opponents to the bill who have submitted 579 amendments between them.

According to the parliamentary authorities, while some bills have had more amendments tabled in total at committee stage, it sets a possible record for the number submitted in the first full list of suggested changes.

They say it is almost certainly unprecedented for the committee stage of this type of bill, known as a private member's bill, which has been put forward by backbench Labour MP Kim Leadbeater rather than the government.

Experts including Matthew England, a researcher at the Hansard Society, said the number of amendments "does appear to be a record, at least in the recent past".

Others drew comparisons to the bill to take the UK out of the European Union, which had 820 amendments in total.

'Genuine improvements'

A peer in favour of the legislation told the BBC that the number of amendments "looks like a delaying tactic to me... It's obviously not a coincidence."

Defending the volume of amendments, Baroness Luciana Berger, who opposes assisted dying, told the BBC that evidence to the select committee "strongly refuted any suggestion this bill is either safe or workable".

"This bill is full of holes which vulnerable people will fall through and be harmed if peers don't act to change and amend it," she added.

However, signatories to the letter highlighted how the bill had "already undergone unprecedented scrutiny" and "offers dying people the choice of a safe, dignified end while strengthening protections for the vulnerable".

Former Royal College of Nursing president Baroness Rafferty was among the 65 peers to have signed, and she was joined by scientist and broadcaster Lord Winston, former Labour leader Lord Kinnock and former Whitehall chief Lord O'Donnell.

They urged opponents to focus on refining the bill to find where "genuine improvements can be made, while respecting both the will of the Commons and the overwhelming support of the public".

In response to the letter, a source close to peers who are concerned about the bill said: "This letter is making claims directly contradicted by the evidence provided in the last few weeks at the Lords select committee by the royal colleges, professionals and independent statutory bodies.

"Evidence and facts are vital when crafting good legislation."

The bill is being treated by parties as a matter of conscience, meaning they will not instruct their MPs or peers how to vote.

The bill will become law in England and Wales only if both the House of Commons and House of Lords agree on the final drafting of the legislation - with approval needed before spring next year, when the current session of Parliament ends.

If it does pass into law, the government has four years in which to get an assisted dying service into place, meaning it could be 2029/30 before the first assisted death happens.

The legislation proposes allowing terminally ill adults with fewer than six months to live to apply for an assisted death.

This would be subject to approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, a senior legal figure and a psychiatrist.

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The Metropolitan Police is investigating "tens" of group-based child sexual abuse cases involving what could be described as grooming gangs, the force's commissioner has said.

An initial data search identified around 9,000 historic cases that might fall under the broad national criteria, but after reviewing 2,200 of them only about 1,200 remained in scope, Sir Mark Rowley told the London Assembly.

The commissioner warned against using "grooming gangs" as a catch-all term because offending includes abuse within families, in institutions, between peers and online.

He said the ethnicities of suspects varied and are "reflective of the diversity we see in the city".

During Thursday's meeting, the police commissioner set out details of a national review of child exploitation cases, which has prompted recent political debate.

Sir Mark said a data search had initially identified about 9,000 historic cases in London that might fall under a national definition of group-based sexual offending, which includes any case with two or more suspects and at least one victim.

He also said that figure had been widely misinterpreted as 9,000 grooming gang cases and had led to "unbalanced reporting".

He said the definition used by the national audit was far broader than the public understanding of grooming gangs and covered intra-familial offending, institutional abuse, peer-on-peer cases and online exploitation.

'Simplistic analysis'

He told the assembly that after reviewing 2,200 of the 9,000 cases, around 1,200 remained in scope and that the number would continue to fall as the work progressed.

The commissioner said that once the initial assessment was complete, the Met expected "maybe 2,000 or 3,000 cases" to be considered for possible reinvestigation, but stressed this would still cover a wide mix of offending types, not solely grooming gangs.

"We do not see the typology reported elsewhere where there have been cases of offending committed by groups of Pakistani men on white British children being the sole or majority case," added Sir Mark.

He also said the Met recorded around 2,000 sexual offences a month, about half of which involved child sexual abuse, and warned that managing current cases alongside historic ones would require extra funding and specialist officers.

"It is important for us to use precise language and consider its impact on victims and public understanding. There is too much ready reach to simplistic analysis which risks misleading communities," he said.

Sir Mark's comments came during a meeting in which London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan was accused of "taking the mickey" out of victims after previously saying there was "no indication of grooming gangs" operating in the capital.

Susan Hall, Conservative group leader, said: "In January, I asked if we had grooming gangs in London. You dismissed my question by pretending you didn't know what I meant."

Sir Sadiq responded by clarifying "what is meant by grooming gangs", according to the national inquiry announced by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in June, and outlined the support provided to victims.

The mayor told the assembly that London had "issues in relation to child sexual exploitation" and "child sexual abuse", but that these cases were different to those seen elsewhere in England.

"I've led efforts to strengthen the protection of children and those exploited by abuse and exploitation," he said.

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Kobi Crolla is not yet 18 months old but he has spent almost all his life in hospital as medics treat him for severe brain damage.

In that time he has suffered countless seizures and endured 17 operations, while his parents have had to give up their jobs to care for him full-time.

Now his mother Kirsty Grandison, 35, is charting their experience on TikTok in a bid to help other parents of sick children in hospital.

"We used to feel like we were the only parent's going through this," she said

"There was no-one online making videos where we could go for advice, so I started making videos to show life in hospital in a bid to help other people."

Her TikTok page has 34,000 followers and receives up to 40 private messages a day.

Kobi was born 10 weeks prematurely at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh on 17 July 2024.

Despite weighing just 3lb 3oz, his parents initially thought he was doing well.

However, that night doctors "came pouring" into his hospital room in Edinburgh as his tiny lung had collapsed and he had stopped breathing.

Then Kirsty, 35, and her partner Daniel Crolla, 38, received the news "that changed everything" - Kobi had had a grade four brain bleed, the most severe kind.

They were told he would not have any quality of life and they should prepare for the worst and call their family to say their goodbyes.

Against all odds, Kobi pulled through and eight "agonising" days later, they finally got their first cuddle with their son, which felt like a "miracle".

But his parents said his "battles kept coming" with Kobi developing meningitis and each day bringing a new fear with blood transfusions, lumbar punctures and scans.

"He was having up to 10 seizures a day. We were always panicked, always so scared for him. We still are," said Kirsty.

Kobi was diagnosed with hydrocephalus that causes a dangerous build-up of fluid on the brain.

The only option was brain surgery, to install a shunt to allow fluid to be drained from the brain - since then, Kobi has endured 16 surgeries.

"That's 16 times we've handed him over, not knowing if he'd come back," Kirsty said.

Both Daniel, a bus driver, and Kirsty, a carer, have given up their jobs to care full-time for their son.

And Kirsty is using her TikTok page - Kobi The Brave - to give followers a glimpse into the reality of life in a sick kids' unit.

She shows where she buys specially-adapted vests to fit around his feeding tube, how to clean his feeding peg, showing them medicines and setting up Kobi's feeding pump and changing his bed.

"I get messages from other parents in neonatal saying my videos are getting them through and how it's making them not give up hope because they have seen how far Kobi has come from my videos and how well he does despite what he's been through," Kirsty said.

"I want to take all these followers on this journey as I know how many it can help."

Kirsty said caring for Kobi was the "greatest privilege in the world" but it was exhausting, relentless and a lonely journey.

She plans to continue documenting Kobi's story in a bid to help other parents know there are other people going through a similar experience.

"We don't remember the last time we felt at ease, content," Kirsty said.

"We used to have little bits of ourselves outside all this - football, the gym. Now, we go days without having a shower. Sometimes, you wish someone would ask, 'But how are you?'"

Kirsty and her two children from a previous relationship live in Prestonpans, East Lothian, with Daniel, who has three children.

They take it in turns to stay in the hospital with Kobi day and night.

"We've grieved the life we thought we'd have with Kobi," Kirsty said.

"It's hard not to feel jealous sometimes. You see people worrying about hand prints on the walls or toys all over the floor. We'd give anything for that kind of normal."

'Flight or fight mode'

Now the family are hoping they can have their "cheeky and determined" Kobi at home with them for Christmas, away from the beeping machines and clinical smells of hospital.

"We will be on edge worrying and thinking what might go wrong," said Daniel

"His head can double in size instantaneously and we have to rush him back to hospital, you see all the veins in his head and it's like a balloon.

"It's very traumatic and we are constantly in a fight or flight mode.

"But when the fear feels overwhelming, his smile pulls us back.

"As a family, we can count on one hand the number of days we've had out together.

"That's all we want - more time, more chances to make memories."

The family are being helped with the hidden costs of hospital life by the Edinburgh Children's Hospital Charity.

Pippa Johnston, deputy chief executive officer at Edinburgh Children's Hospital Charity, said Daniel and Kirsty had shown "so much courage and resilience in the face of such unimaginable hardship and uncertainty".

"While many people will be heading home to be with their loved ones, the sad reality is that many children like Kobi, and their families, will spend the festive season in hospital," she said.

"No-one should feel like they're facing hospital alone, especially at Christmas.

"Alongside our friends in the NHS, we'll be there to bring reassurance, comfort and unexpected moments of joy when they're need most."

This week, the US government shutdown finally ended after a record 43 days, the BBC's director general and head of news resigned, and I'm A Celebrity... announced changes to its bushtucker trials.

But how much attention did you pay to what else happened in the world over the past seven days?

Quiz collated by Ben Fell.

Fancy testing your memory? Try last week's quiz, or have a go at something from the archives.

Imagine one night, you're scrolling through social media on your phone, and the ads start to look remarkably familiar. They're decked out in your favourite colours, are featuring your favourite music and the wording sounds like phrases you regularly use.

Welcome to the future of advertising, which is already here thanks to AI.

Advertising company Cheil UK, for example, has been working with startup Spotlight on using large language AI models to understand people's online activity, and adapt that content based on what the AI interprets an individual's personality to be.

The technology can then mirror how someone talks in terms of tone, phrase and pace to change the text of an ad accordingly, and insert music and colours to match, say, whether the AI deems someone to be introverted or extroverted, or have specific preferences for loud or calm music, or light or dark colours.

The aim is to show countless different ads to millions of people, all unique to them.

Brands in retail, consumer electronics, packaged goods, automotive, insurance and banking are already using the technology to create AI-enhanced, personality-driven ads to target online shoppers.

The AI is able to read what people post on public platforms - Facebook, Instagram, Reddit and other public forums - as well as someone's search history, and, most importantly, what people enter into ChatGPT.

Then, with what it deduces about an individual's personality, the AI overlays that on top of what advertisers already know about people. For example, what part of the country you live in, what age bracket you're in, whether you have children or not, what your hobbies might be, where you go on holiday and what clothes you like to wear - information brands can already see through platforms like Facebook or Google.

That's why the jeans you've been searching online for magically appear in your inbox as a sponsored ad, or the holiday you've been searching for seems to follow you around the internet.

The difference is now AI can change the content of those ads, based on what it thinks your personality is, thanks to what it's been reading about you. It targets individual people, rather than the demographic segments or personas advertisers would traditionally use.

"The shift is that we are moving away from what was collected data based on gender and age, and readily available information, to now, going more into a deeper emotional, psychological level," says Cheil UK CEO Chris Camacho.

"You've now got AI systems that can go in and explore your entire digital footprint - your entire online persona, from your social media interests to what you've been engaging in.

"That level is far deeper than it was previously, and that's when you start to build a picture understanding that individual, so whether they're happy, whether they're sad, or what personal situation they're going through."

An added bonus for advertisers is that they might not even need a bespoke AI system to personalise their output.

Researchers in the US studied the reactions of consumers who were advertised an iPhone, with tailored text written by ChatGPT based on how high that person scored on a list of four different personality attributes.

The study found the personalised text was more persuasive than ads without personalised text - and people didn't mind that it had been written by AI.

"Right now, AI is really excelling on that targeting piece. Where it's still in nascent stages, is on that personalisation piece, where a brand is actually creating creative copy that matches some element of your psychological profile," explains Jacob Teeny, an assistant professor of marketing at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, who led the AI research.

"It still has some development to go, but all roads point to the fact that this will become the way [digital advertising is done]," he adds.

Personalised AI ads could also provide a solution to the problem of digital advertising 'wastage' - the fact that 15% of what brands spend on digital advertising goes unseen or unnoticed, so it generates no value to their business.

Not everyone is convinced that personalisation is the right way to go.

"Congratulations - your AI just spent a fortune creating an ad only one person will ever see, and they've already forgotten it," says Brighton-based Alex Calder, chief consultant at AI innovation consultancy Jagged Edge, which is part of digital marketing company Anything is Possible.

"The real opportunity lies in using AI to deepen the relevance of powerful, mass-reach ideas, rather than fragmenting into one-to-one micro-ads that no one remembers. Creepy slop that brags about knowing your intimate details is still slop."

Ivan Mato at brand consultancy Elmwood agrees. He is also questioning whether people will accept it, whether regulators will allow it, and whether brands should even want to operate this way.

"There's also the surveillance question. All of it depends on a data economy that many consumers are increasingly uncomfortable with," says London-based Mr Mato.

"AI opens new creative possibilities, but the real strategic question isn't whether brands can personalise everything - it's whether they should, and what they risk losing if they do."

AI-personalised ads could also take a dark turn, Mr Camacho at Cheil UK acknowledges.

"There's going to be the camp that uses AI well and in an ethical manner, and then there's going to be those that use it to persuade, influence, and guide people down paths," he says.

"And that's the bit that I personally find quite scary. When you think about elections and political canvassing, and how the use of AI can influence voting decisions and who is going to be elected next.

But Mr Camacho is committed to staying on the right side of ethics.

"We don't have to use AI to make ads creepy or to influence individuals to do things that are unethical. We're trying to stay on the nicer side of it. We're trying to enhance the connection between brands and individuals, and that's all we've ever tried to do."

Resident doctors in England are going on strike between 14 and 19 November, in their 13th walkout since March 2023.

The doctors' union, the British Medical Association, is in a long-running dispute with the government over pay for the medics, who were formerly known as junior doctors.

The government says resident doctors have received pay rises totaling nearly 30% in the past three years, but the union says the increases don't go far enough.

Who are resident doctors?

Resident doctors make up around half of all doctors in England. As a patient you could come into contact with a resident doctor in any NHS department, including at A&E and in your GP surgery.

Resident doctors are qualified doctors who have completed a medical degree.

Many then enter speciality training in a particular area of medicine and surgery, or train to become a GP.

They used to be known as junior doctors, but in September 2024 the government agreed to change the name of their role to better reflect their expertise.

Full training can take a long time, so although some resident doctors may have only recently finished medical school, others could have more than a decade of practical experience and be responsible for most aspects of care.

How much do resident doctors earn?

During their first foundation year after finishing their medical degree, resident doctors in England earn a basic salary of £38,831. In their second year, this rises to £44,439.

Medics are often expected to work night shifts, weekends and longer hours, for which they receive extra payments.

After eight years or more as a resident doctor, salaries can progress to around £73,000.

During 2023-24, they received a 22% pay increase over two years. From August 2025, they have been given an additional 5.4%.

What are the resident doctors' pay demands?

The BMA has called a series of strikes in England over pay and working conditions since 2023.

It argues that resident doctors' pay is 20% lower in real terms than it was in 2008, even after the August 2025 increase.

The government uses the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) measure of inflation to calculate public sector pay increases.

However, the BMA says many resident doctors have large student loans and that interest on these is calculated using a different inflation measure called RPI, which is higher.

Using the CPI measure, the government says resident doctors' current pay is fair.

But analysis from the Nuffield Trust think tank suggests pay has fallen 5% since 2008 if CPI is used, compared with nearly 20% with RPI.

What have the government and the BMA said about the dispute?

Health Secretary Wes Streeting says resident doctors have received the largest pay rises of any public sector employees over the last three years, and insists the government won't offer any further increases.

In October the union rejected a fresh offer to cover mandatory exam fees and increase the number of specialist training posts by an extra 2,000 places.

These are roles which many doctors apply for two years after qualification.

In 2025, there were more than 30,000 applicants for 10,000 jobs, although some were foreign doctors.

The BMA argues that said that even after the expansion of places, many resident doctors would be left without a job at a crucial point of their training, and said the pay issue still needed to be addressed.

The union said it had told the government there would be no strikes for the foreseeable future if doctors were offered a multi-year deal "that restores pay over time", and expressed disappointment at the lack of progress.

What happens if I'm ill over the strike?

The strike in England will last from 0700 on Friday 14 July to 0700 on Wednesday 19 July.

The NHS has urged patients to "come forward for care as usual" during the period.

Anyone with a life-threatening emergency should call 999 and attend the emergency department if needed.

For urgent, non life-threatening issues the advice is to use the NHS 111 website or to call the helpline. GP surgeries will be open as normal.

Most planned hospital appointments and procedures should go ahead as scheduled. The NHS says anyone whose appointment is postponed will be contacted in advance.

As happened during previous industrial action, hospitals have been told they should only cancel routine appointments in exceptional circumstances.

The target set this time is for a minimum of 95% of "planned activity" to take place on strike days.

But NHS chiefs accept that the ongoing industrial action has disrupted the care for thousands of patients.

Government analysis shows that 507,000 appointments and operations were cancelled or rescheduled during the previous wave of strikes between July 2023 and February 2024 - which involved some consultants.

The latest strike action takes place as the NHS starts to face additional winter pressures, such as a rising number of flu cases.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not affected by the latest walk-out.

What pay rises have other public sector staff had?

In May 2025, the government announced pay rises for a number of public sector workers, including:

• 4.5% for members of the UK armed forces, with 3.75% for senior military staff
• 4% for other doctors, dentists, and teachers in England, as well as prison officers in England and Wales
• 3.6% for some NHS staff in England, including nurses and midwives
• 3.25% for civil servants

However, because a medical degree can take five or six years to complete - longer than most other degree courses - the BMA argues resident doctors' pay should reflect the fact that they may have more student debt than other graduates.

Resident doctors also have little control on where and when they are asked to work, and that the need to do placements in different parts of the country can be expensive.

No-fault evictions will be outlawed in England from 1 May, the government confirmed, as it set out the timeline for sweeping renters' reforms.

The changes also see the end of fixed-term tenancy contracts, as renters move onto so-called "rolling" agreements, as well as an end to "bidding wars" and clearer rules on having pets.

Landlords have said the reforms would increase the screening of prospective tenants and have spoken of nervousness around what happens when tenancies go wrong.

Housing Secretary Steve Reed said the government was "calling time" on "rogue landlords" by initiating a raft of measures in the Renters' Rights Act.

"We're now on a countdown of just months to that law coming in - so good landlords can get ready and bad landlords should clean up their act," he added.

Shadow housing secretary Sir James Cleverly said the reforms "will drive landlords from the market, reduce supply and send prices up for tenants".

He said that, "with a start date of May 2026, we are now set for a six-month fire sale with tenants forced out at short notice".

Approximately 4.4m households in England rented from a private landlord between 2021 to 2023. The new rules will affect more than 11 million people.

The Renters' Rights Act - described as the biggest shake-up to renting in England for more than 30 years - was formally approved at the end of October.

While many renters welcomed the introduction of the timeline, some landlords expressed concern about the speed of the changes.

Deadline to implement changes is 'not enough'

Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said the deadline alone to implement the changes is "not enough".

He added: "We have argued consistently that landlords and property businesses need at least six months from the publication of regulations to ensure the sector is properly prepared for the biggest changes it has faced for over 40 years."

From May, properties will be rented on a "periodic" or rolling basis, rather than under a fixed 12 or 24-month contract.

Tenants who want to leave can give two months' notice, which the government says will prevent tenants paying rent for substandard properties.

Landlords will no longer be able to evict tenants for complaining about poor conditions.

More than 11,000 households in England had their homes repossessed by bailiffs following a section 21 eviction in the year to June.

Victoria, 25, had to suspend studying for her degree after she received a section 21 eviction notice in March.

She was living in Durham while studying at the University of Northumbria and believes the eviction was partly due to complaints about the property's condition.

"I ended up having no choice but to move back in with my parents and I was devastated."

'Your safety net can be pulled away on a whim of the landlord'

Kerrie Portman, 27, became homeless after reporting significant mold in her Cambridgeshire flat to environmental health in 2020.

The council placed her in temporary accommodation while the landlord was told to address the issue, but she was still stuck paying rent.

She said: "I think it's outrageous that the landlord continued to charge me full rent... ultimately, he didn't really face any obstacles."

A few weeks after she moved back in, she was given a section 21 notice, making her homeless. She would nap in public bathrooms, sleep on long bus routes and shower at her gym.

"I think it's so ridiculous that your whole safety net and foundation can be pulled away on a whim of the landlord," Kerrie said.

Ten households in Hackney, East London, in houses that are all owned by the same landlord, said they had recently been issued with section 21 notices without reason.

One of the affected tenants, who did not want to give her name, said she was "really panicking".

"We were looking for a place this time last year and it took us three to four months to find one," she said.

The government confirmed that all section 21 notices issued before May will stand, but it said landlords must begin court repossession proceedings by 31 July 2026.

The overhaul of the current system means that, from 1 May, landlords will only be able to evict tenants in certain circumstances: if tenants damage a property, commit antisocial behaviour, or fall significantly behind paying the rent.

'Anti-landlord' legislation

Maureen Treadwell contacted BBC News with concerns about the new law. Her family rent out 10 properties in Hampshire.

"There are draconian fines if you get things wrong, so the whole thing feels anti-landlord," she said.

She raised her fears that, without reforms to the court system making it quicker to evict bad tenants, there will be an exodus of people who want to let their homes.

"Is it worth letting your house and then having a court fight to recover it, or a one-year delay? It's not worth it. So it will end up making the housing crisis worse."

Reed told the BBC he was "working with the Ministry of Justice to look at how we can ensure that there are not undue delays" in situations where a landlord wanted to evict a tenant who was misbehaving.

In addition, landlords will be able to evict tenants if they want to sell or move into the property but not in the first 12 months after a tenancy begins.

The new laws also include banning bidding wars and discrimination of parents and those on benefits, as well as setting out a clearer process for those renting with pets.

Many renters' groups have welcomed the changes. The Renters Reform Coalition - which includes Shelter, Generation Rent and Citizens Advice - says section 21 is "a huge issue".

"It is not the prospect of giving renters these vital rights that is fuelling record homelessness, but the gross injustice of no-fault evictions," said Shelter's Mairi MacRae.

The Renters' Rights Act applies to England. Scotland abolished no-fault evictions in 2017, but Wales and Northern Ireland still have no-fault evictions under something similar to section 21. In 2022, Wales increased the notice period for these to six months.

The Metropolitan Police is investigating "tens" of group-based child sexual abuse cases involving what could be described as grooming gangs, the force's commissioner has said.

An initial data search identified around 9,000 historic cases that might fall under the broad national criteria, but after reviewing 2,200 of them only about 1,200 remained in scope, Sir Mark Rowley told the London Assembly.

The commissioner warned against using "grooming gangs" as a catch-all term because offending includes abuse within families, in institutions, between peers and online.

He said the ethnicities of suspects varied and are "reflective of the diversity we see in the city".

During Thursday's meeting, the police commissioner set out details of a national review of child exploitation cases, which has prompted recent political debate.

Sir Mark said a data search had initially identified about 9,000 historic cases in London that might fall under a national definition of group-based sexual offending, which includes any case with two or more suspects and at least one victim.

He also said that figure had been widely misinterpreted as 9,000 grooming gang cases and had led to "unbalanced reporting".

He said the definition used by the national audit was far broader than the public understanding of grooming gangs and covered intra-familial offending, institutional abuse, peer-on-peer cases and online exploitation.

'Simplistic analysis'

He told the assembly that after reviewing 2,200 of the 9,000 cases, around 1,200 remained in scope and that the number would continue to fall as the work progressed.

The commissioner said that once the initial assessment was complete, the Met expected "maybe 2,000 or 3,000 cases" to be considered for possible reinvestigation, but stressed this would still cover a wide mix of offending types, not solely grooming gangs.

"We do not see the typology reported elsewhere where there have been cases of offending committed by groups of Pakistani men on white British children being the sole or majority case," added Sir Mark.

He also said the Met recorded around 2,000 sexual offences a month, about half of which involved child sexual abuse, and warned that managing current cases alongside historic ones would require extra funding and specialist officers.

"It is important for us to use precise language and consider its impact on victims and public understanding. There is too much ready reach to simplistic analysis which risks misleading communities," he said.

Sir Mark's comments came during a meeting in which London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan was accused of "taking the mickey" out of victims after previously saying there was "no indication of grooming gangs" operating in the capital.

Susan Hall, Conservative group leader, said: "In January, I asked if we had grooming gangs in London. You dismissed my question by pretending you didn't know what I meant."

Sir Sadiq responded by clarifying "what is meant by grooming gangs", according to the national inquiry announced by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in June, and outlined the support provided to victims.

The mayor told the assembly that London had "issues in relation to child sexual exploitation" and "child sexual abuse", but that these cases were different to those seen elsewhere in England.

"I've led efforts to strengthen the protection of children and those exploited by abuse and exploitation," he said.

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EastEnders favourite Pat Evans, formerly Pat Butcher, is to return to the BBC soap for a one-off episode over the Christmas period.

The character, played by Pam St Clement, was beloved by viewers for more than 25 years for her no-nonsense personality and memorable taste in earrings.

Pat died in 2012, but was later seen on-screen again with Dame Barbara Windsor, when she returned as a figment of the dying Peggy's imagination in 2016.

She will now similarly come back, acting alongside Paul Bradley, as Nigel, whose memories take him back to the 90s, as part of a storyline about his dementia next month.

'Coming home'

"I was both surprised and excited to be asked back to tread the streets of Walford once again and to be involved in Nigel's touching dementia storyline," St Clement, 83, said.

"It was lovely to be welcomed back by those with whom I had worked for so long. It was just like coming home."

Pat returns to help Nigel when his dementia symptoms intensify, following an emotional evening at his festive film screening.

St Clement first appeared in EastEnders in 1986 and was at the heart of the drama in Albert Square until her character's death.

EastEnders executive producer Ben Wadey said: "It's an honour and a privilege to welcome Pam St Clement back to EastEnders for a special episode in Nigel's ongoing dementia storyline.

"Pat Evans is one of the most cherished and iconic characters to have graced the streets of Walford, and I know I speak on behalf of everyone when I say what a delight it was to see Pat and Pam back in The Queen Vic, as she helps Nigel in his time of need."

Pat is one of a number of classic characters who have made a return to Walford.

Anita Dobson's Queen Vic landlady Angie Watts made a surprise return to visit her daughter Sharon, as she drifted in and out of consciousness in the show's 40th anniversary episode in February.

Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) and Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan) are back in the Square, while Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) and Chrissie Watts (Tracy-Ann Oberman) made recent short-term comebacks.

The BBC has apologised to US President Donald Trump for a Panorama episode which spliced parts of a speech together, but rejected his demands for compensation.

The corporation also said it would not show the programme again.

Lawyers for Trump have threatened to sue the BBC for $1bn (£759m) in damages unless the corporation issues a retraction, apologises and compensates him.

The apology comes after a second similarly edited clip, broadcast on Newsnight in 2022, was revealed by the Daily Telegraph.

A BBC spokesperson said: "Lawyers for the BBC have written to President Trump's legal team in response to a letter received on Sunday.

"BBC chair Samir Shah has separately sent a personal letter to the White House making clear to President Trump that he and the corporation are sorry for the edit of the president's speech on 6 January 2021, which featured in the programme.

"The BBC has no plans to rebroadcast the documentary Trump: A Second Chance? on any BBC platforms.

"While the BBC sincerely regrets the manner in which the video clip was edited, we strongly disagree there is a basis for a defamation claim."

An independent review of the Sara Sharif case has identified multiple failings from agencies before her murder in Surrey in 2023, following two years of abuse.

The child safeguarding practice review, published on Thursday, said there were "clearly several points in Sara's life, in particular during the last few months, where different actions could and should have been taken" by the authorities.

"The system failed to keep her safe," it added.

Responding to the report, the Children's Commissioner said the case was a "catalogue of missed opportunities, poor communication and ill-informed assumptions." The education secretary said there had been "the glaring failures" across all agencies.

From before she was even born Surrey Children's Services, Surrey Police and the Family Court knew of the domestic violence in her home.

The review authors said her father and stepmother were "a lethal combination", and that "with hindsight it is clear that they should never have been trusted" with her care.

Here are five of the key failings identified by the review.

Social workers not trusted

Warning: This story contains distressing details

When Sara Sharif's case was first in the family court in the early months of her life, social workers from Surrey County Council wanted her to be removed from her parents for her safety.

But after the initial court hearings the plan changed.

The review found that the "social workers felt very frustrated" by this, saying voices were not heard.

They felt that in court "the views of the children's guardian took precedence". The children's guardian is an expert appointed by the court to "represent the best interests of a child".

The review authors said that where the children's guardian and local authority social workers have differing views, the difference of opinion should be summarised clearly for the judge.

Vital information missing in custody case

When Sara Sharif's father remarried and applied for custody, an inexperienced social worker was asked to produce what is called a Section 7 report.

But the review found the report was missing "vital information and analysis" because the files that Surrey Children's Services held were not "thoroughly reviewed".

By chance the judge who heard the case, Alison Raeside, had sat on the earlier hearings, but she was not reminded of some key facts.

For example, Sara's father Urfan Sharif had a history of "domestic abuse and past violence to the children". He had been told to complete a domestic abuse perpetrators programme before having unsupervised contact, but he had not.

Bruising report rushed

When in March 2023, Sara's school reported to Children's Services that she had a golf ball-sized bruise on her cheek the request for support was graded "Amber".

This meant it should be dealt with within 24 hours. The social worker did not check what information Surrey Police held on the family, and they did not speak to the school to inquire more about Sara's change in demeanour.

She had gone from a bubbly child who loved singing to someone who was "quiet and coy".

Urfan Sharif told the social worker that Sara had "lots of marks because of the machinery she was hooked up to when born prematurely", which was a lie. The outcome was "no social work action".

Five months later Sara was murdered by her father.

Address not updated

The next month Urfan Sharif took his daughter out of school. The review found that she "effectively disappeared from view".

Surrey County Council had a policy of making home visits to children being home-schooled. The Sharif family had recently moved from a small flat in West Byfleet to a house in Woking. The school knew this and had informed the Council who owned both the homes anyway.

The review found that "address on the referral form sent by the school was the new address but the old address remained on the electronic system used by the inclusion team."

It meant that when the home education team went round to check on Sara on 7 August 2023 they went to the old address.

The next day Sara - already tortured, battered and burned - was murdered by Urfan Sharif and her stepmother Beinash Batool.

Racism concerns

Neighbours of the Sharif family did at times hear things that worried them, but the review found that "they were worried about reporting concerns about what they heard within the family's home. They feared being branded as being racist, especially on social media".

Sara started wearing the hijab in 2021 when she was only eight years old, even though her stepmother did not.

The review found that the "school showed appropriate curiosity by talking to Sara and stepmother and accepted the explanation that this was linked to Sara's interest with Pakistani culture following a visit to her paternal grandparents in Pakistan".

In the last months of Sara's life the the hijab hid the bruising and injuries to her face and head.

Two-thirds of women serving full-time in the UK's armed forces reported experiencing sexualised behaviour over the past year, according to a survey.

This included comments about their appearance, harassment, leering and groping.

Women were twice as likely to experience the behaviours as men, the survey said.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD), which commissioned the report, called the findings "wholly unacceptable" and said it had launched a prevention programme to address unacceptable behaviour.

The survey was part of an effort to get to grips with the deeply troubling experiences of many women in the armed forces – who make up about 12% of the force.

In 2021, 19-year-old gunner Jaysley Beck took her own life after being sexually harassed and assaulted. Warrant Officer Michael Webber, 43, had pinned down Beck and tried to kiss her. He was jailed for sexual assault last month.

The survey of more than 90,000 military personnel - including full-time personnel referred to as regulars, and part-time reservists - highlights a wide spectrum of harassment – from verbal to physical.

Sixty-seven percent of female full-time personnel had encountered some kind of sexualised behaviour in the last year – such as inappropriate jokes, pornography, or comments about their appearance. Among male regulars it was 34%.

Of these women, 93% said they believed the behaviour amounted to sexual harassment.

Some 42% of female regulars said they had been stared or leered at. A third said they had been touched in a way that made them feel uncomfortable.

Sexualised behaviour was most common in an open workplace at the military home or training unit.

The MoD said it was addressing what it called inappropriate behaviours by educating recruits about consent, misogyny and harmful online influences.

Minister for Veterans and People, Louise Sandher-Jones, said the survey results were "wholly unacceptable", describing it as a "no holds barred baseline, to fully confront and address the root causes of this issue".

"New standards in transparency and accountability are being set across our Armed Forces," she added.

The survey comes a year after a separate Royal Navy investigation found women in the Submarine Service had suffered misogyny, bullying and other unacceptable behaviours.

The behaviour was seen "amongst all ranks" but was "not pervasive" across the service, the report said, after a two-year long investigation.

A gold pocket watch recovered from the body of one of the richest passengers on the Titanic is expected to fetch £1m at auction.

Isidor Straus and his wife Ida were among the more than 1,500 people who died when the vessel, travelling from Southampton to New York, sank after hitting an iceberg on 14 April 1912.

His body was recovered from the Atlantic days after the disaster and among his possessions was an 18 carat gold Jules Jurgensen pocket watch which will go up for auction on 22 November.

Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge, of Henry Aldridge & Son in Wiltshire, told BBC Radio Wiltshire: "With the watch, we are retelling Isidor's story. It's a phenomenal piece of memorabilia."

Mr Straus was a Bavarian-born American businessman, politician, and co-owner of Macy's department store in New York.

Mr Aldridge added: "They were a very famous New York couple. Everyone would know them from the end of James Cameron's Titanic movie, when there is an elderly couple hugging as the ship is sinking, that's Isidor and Ida."

On the night of the sinking, it is believed his devoted wife refused a place in a lifeboat as she did not want to leave her husband and said she would rather die by his side. Ida's body was never found.

The pocket watch stopped at 2:20am, the moment the Titanic disappeared beneath the waves.

It is believed to have been a gift from Ida to her husband in 1888 and is engraved with Straus' initials.

It was returned to his family and was passed down through generations before Kenneth Hollister Straus, Isidor's great-grandson, had the movement repaired and restored.

It will be sold alongside a rare letter Ida wrote aboard the liner describing its luxury.

She wrote: "What a ship! So huge and so magnificently appointed. Our rooms are furnished in the best of taste and most luxurious."

The letter is postmarked "TransAtlantic 7" meaning it was franked on board in the Titanic's post office before being taken off with other mail at Queenstown, Ireland.

Both items will be offered by Henry Aldridge & Son in Wiltshire, with the letter estimated to fetch £150,000.

The watch is set to become one of the most expensive Titanic artefacts ever sold.

A gold pocket watch presented to the captain of the Carpathia, the steamship which rescued more than 700 Titanic survivors, sold last year a record-breaking £1.56m.

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A botched net zero scheme which has caused damp issues in thousands of homes was the result of ''serious failings at every level", a UK government official has said.

Last month, the National Audit Office found that 98% of the 23,000 homes that had external wall insulation installed under two separate schemes will result in damp and mould if left unaddressed.

Its damning report also found that hundreds of homeowners' health and safety had been put at immediate risk because the insulation work had not been done correctly.

Appearing before Parliament, Jeremy Pocklington, the most most senior civil servant at Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, said the failures were "unacceptable".

The damage also applies to about a third of homes which had internal insulation installed under the ECO4 scheme and the Great British Insulation Scheme, available to residents in England, Scotland and Wales.

More than three million homes have been insulated under a variety of government schemes over the last 20 years. Billions of pounds of public money have been spent on it.

Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee, Mr Pocklington began his evidence session by saying his thoughts were with the families and households affected.

The chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, said the NAO report findings were the ''worst'' he'd seen in 12 years of chairing the committee and accused the department of negligence.

Mr Pocklington said there had been poor oversight of the ECO4 and the Great British Insulation Scheme by Trustmark, the body responsible for overseeing the quality of the insulation work.

However, he added that the department ''did not oversee these schemes in the way that they should have done''.

Independent MP Rupert Lowe said this amounted to ''systemic failure of a government department''.

Acknowledging this remark, Mr Pocklington, said ''there are serious failings at every level of the system that are systemic'', and that the department "didn't take enough steps to ensure that Trustmark was set up to deliver appropriately".

Mr Pocklington explained that the department had been under pressure after dealing with the Covid pandemic and the effect on energy prices of the war in Ukraine.

Labour MP Clive Betts asked Mr Pocklington whether the department would take responsibility for all of the homeowners that have been ''badly treated'' under all of the government's energy efficiency schemes, not just those carried out since 2022.

Mr Pocklington said the focus was on the two schemes which had taken place since 2022.

Asked by Mr Betts if the government would "stand behind'' affected homeowners, Mr Pocklington said the government's responsibility was ''to ensure that the schemes we put in place operate effectively and that there are appropriate systems of consumer protection in place".