Legislators could sink a government proposal that would give some rights to couples who married overseas, raising questions about the city’s status as an international hub.
Same-sex couples at a mass wedding ceremony in Hong Kong last year. The ceremony was performed by a pastor online from the United States, as same-sex partnerships are not recognized in Hong Kong.
Warsaw’s skyline in July. Poland closed the city’s airport and several others after the military said Russian drones had entered the country’s airspace.
Israel has ordered hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate the city and go to the southern Gaza Strip, but many residents say it is no safer for them there.
Legislators could sink a government proposal that would give some rights to couples who married overseas, raising questions about the city’s status as an international hub.
Same-sex couples at a mass wedding ceremony in Hong Kong last year. The ceremony was performed by a pastor online from the United States, as same-sex partnerships are not recognized in Hong Kong.
Qatar said Israel struck residential buildings housing several members of the Hamas political bureau
Israel has carried out a strike targeting the senior leadership of Hamas in Qatar's capital, Doha.
A Hamas official told the BBC that members of the Palestinian armed group's negotiating team were targeted during a meeting. It was not clear whether any of them were killed, but photos showed a badly damaged building in the northern Katara district.
The Israeli military accused the Hamas leaders of being directly responsible for the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel and of orchestrating the ensuing war in Gaza.
Qatar strongly condemned what it called the "cowardly Israeli attack that targeted residential buildings housing several members of the political bureau of Hamas".
"This criminal assault constitutes a blatant violation of all international laws and norms, and poses a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents in Qatar," a foreign ministry statement said.
The Gulf state - a key US ally in the region that is the location of a major American air base - has hosted the Hamas political bureau since 2012 and has served as a mediator in indirect negotiations between the group and Israel.
UN Secretary General António Guterres also condemned the strike, saying it was a "flagrant violation" of Qatar's sovereignty.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office stressed that what it called the "action against the top terrorist chiefs" of Hamas was a "a wholly independent Israeli operation".
"Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility," a statement said.
A senior Israeli official told Israeli media that the Hamas members targeted included Khalil al-Hayya, the chief negotiator and exiled Gaza leader, and Zaher Jabarin, the exiled West Bank leader.
"We are awaiting the results of the strike. There is a consensus among the political and security leadership," the official added.
On Monday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had warned Hamas leaders living abroad that they faced "annihilation" and Gaza would be destroyed if the group did not release its hostages and lay down its arms.
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
At least 64,605 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
Qatar said Israel struck residential buildings housing several members of the Hamas political bureau
Israel has carried out a strike targeting the senior leadership of Hamas in Qatar's capital, Doha.
A Hamas official told the BBC that members of the Palestinian armed group's negotiating team were targeted during a meeting. It was not clear whether any of them were killed, but photos showed a badly damaged building in the northern Katara district.
The Israeli military accused the Hamas leaders of being directly responsible for the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel and of orchestrating the ensuing war in Gaza.
Qatar strongly condemned what it called the "cowardly Israeli attack that targeted residential buildings housing several members of the political bureau of Hamas".
"This criminal assault constitutes a blatant violation of all international laws and norms, and poses a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents in Qatar," a foreign ministry statement said.
The Gulf state - a key US ally in the region that is the location of a major American air base - has hosted the Hamas political bureau since 2012 and has served as a mediator in indirect negotiations between the group and Israel.
UN Secretary General António Guterres also condemned the strike, saying it was a "flagrant violation" of Qatar's sovereignty.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office stressed that what it called the "action against the top terrorist chiefs" of Hamas was a "a wholly independent Israeli operation".
"Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility," a statement said.
A senior Israeli official told Israeli media that the Hamas members targeted included Khalil al-Hayya, the chief negotiator and exiled Gaza leader, and Zaher Jabarin, the exiled West Bank leader.
"We are awaiting the results of the strike. There is a consensus among the political and security leadership," the official added.
On Monday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had warned Hamas leaders living abroad that they faced "annihilation" and Gaza would be destroyed if the group did not release its hostages and lay down its arms.
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
At least 64,605 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
More than 1,000 people across the UK with suspected dementia are to be offered a blood test for Alzheimer's disease which it is hoped could revolutionise diagnosis of the disease.
The blood test can detect biomarkers for rogue proteins which accumulate in the brains of patients with the condition and will be used in addition to pen and paper cognitive tests, which often misdiagnose it in its early stages.
Scientists leading the trial at University College London believe the blood test will improve the accuracy of diagnosis from 70% to more than 90% and want to see how that helps patients and clinicians.
Patients will be recruited at 20 memory clinics as part of the study, which aims to see how well the test works within the NHS.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and is associated with the build-up in the brain of two rogue proteins - amyloid and tau - which can accumulate for up to 20 years before symptoms emerge.
The new blood test, which costs around £100, measures a biomarker called p-tau217, which reflects the presence of both proteins.
Previously, the only way to confirm Alzheimer's was by specialist PET brain scans and lumbar punctures to extract cerebrospinal fluid.
However, these "gold standard" tests are not part of routine Alzheimer's diagnosis and only 2% of patients ever receive them.
Professor Fiona Carragher, chief policy and research officer at the Alzheimer's Society, said: "Our recent Lived Experience Survey revealed that only a third of people with dementia felt their experience of the diagnosis process was positive, while many reported being afraid of receiving a diagnosis.
"As a result, too often, dementia is diagnosed late, limiting access to support, treatment and opportunities to plan ahead."
Now, the Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis and Plasma p-tau217 (ADAPT) trial has begun recruitment at a memory clinic in Essex, with 19 additional specialist NHS centres planned to be involved across the UK.
The study is being led by scientists at University College London, and is supported by Alzheimer's Research UK, the Alzheimer's Society, with funding from the People's Postcode Lottery.
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Dr Ashvini Keshavan and Prof Jonathan Schott, both of UCL, are leading the Blood Biomarker Trial
Jonathan Schott, professor of neurology at University College London and chief medical officer at Alzheimer's Research UK said he was "thrilled" to welcome participants onto the ADAPT trial.
He described the trial as "a critical part of the Blood Biomarker Challenge, which we hope will take us a step forward in revolutionising the way we diagnose dementia."
Half the participants in the study will receive their blood tests results within three months while the others will be told after 12 months.
The study team will establish whether providing results earlier helps speed up diagnosis, guides decisions about further investigations, and influences how both patients and doctors interpret and respond to the results.
The impact of blood test results on quality of life will also be measured.
If the trial is deemed successful, the blood test could become a standard part of Alzheimer's diagnosis. This will be crucial in years to come as a raft of new drugs to combat early-stage disease are in the final stages of clinical trials.
'Gamechanger'
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Steven and Rachel have been together for over 50 years
Steven Pidwell, 71, from north London, says an accurate, rapid blood test for Alzheimer's, combined with new treatments, would be a "gamechanger" for families affected by the condition.
His partner of more than 50 years, Rachel Hawley, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease almost a decade ago.
Steven told the BBC: "I think it would mean everybody's idea of Alzheimer's would change. We would treat Alzheimer's more like having a disability, rather than sort of a curse, and something we can't talk about."
A diagnosis of Alzheimer's can be devastating but the couple say they refuse to let the disease spoil their time together.
Rachel, 72, said: "I think I still have a very happy life, and am very lucky in all sorts of ways."
The couple were part of a group of patients with lived experience of Alzheimer's, who helped researchers at UCL design the trial and the feedback to potential volunteers.
The team at UCL expect to have results in around three years.
Obesity among children and young people is now a global problem
For the first time, there are more children in the world who are obese than underweight, according to a major study by children's charity Unicef.
Around one in 10 of those aged between five and 19 years old - around 188 million children and young people - are now thought to be affected by obesity.
Researchers blame a shift from traditional diets to ones heavily reliant on ultra-processed foods that are relatively cheap and high in calories.
Unicef, an agency of the United Nations, is urging governments to protect children's diets from unhealthy ingredients and stop the ultra-processed food industry from interfering in policy decisions.
Overweight and malnourished
When health experts used to refer to malnourished children, that was often read as those who were underweight.
Not any more – that term now also refers to the impact of obesity on the health and development of children. Even in poorer countries that is now a real concern.
Children are considered overweight when they are significantly heavier than a healthy weight for their age, sex and height.
Obesity is a severe form of being overweight, and is linked to a higher risk of type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers, in later life.
Throughout childhood, good nutrition, including plenty of fruit, vegetables and protein, plays a vital role in growth, cognitive development and mental health.
But many traditional diets are being displaced by ultra-processed foods, often high in sugar, starch, salt, unhealthy fats and additives.
Unicef executive director Catherine Russell says the challenges posed by obesity should not be under-estimated. She said it's "a growing concern" that can affect the health and development of children.
1 in 10 are now obese
Undernutrition - which can manifest itself as wasting and stunting - remains a significant problem in the under-fives in many low and middle income countries.
But the latest data from Unicef - a study that draws on data from more than 190 countries - finds the prevalence of underweight children aged 5-19 has declined since 2000, from nearly 13% to 9.2%.
Obesity rates however have increased from 3% to 9.4%, meaning that almost one in 10 children are now obese.
The number of overweight children - which includes those who are obese - has also increased to the extent that now 1 in five school-age children and adolescents are overweight.
That's roughly 391 million children across the globe, the study estimates.
Obesity now exceeds underweight in all regions of the world, except sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
The highest rates of obesity among children and young people are found in some of the Pacific Island states, including Niue (38%), the Cook Islands (37%), and Nauru (33%).
But many high-income countries also face a serious obesity problem. Among 5-19 year olds, 27% are obese in Chile, 21% in the United States, and 21% in the United Arab Emirates.
Unicef's Catherine Russell says: "In many countries we are seeing the double burden of malnutrition – the existence of stunting and obesity.
"This requires targeted interventions.
"Nutritious and affordable food must be available to every child to support their growth and development.
"We urgently need policies that support parents and caretakers to access nutritious and healthy foods for their children."
Unicef warns that the health impacts and economic costs of doing nothing are potentially enormous.
The report estimates that by 2035, the global economic impact of overweight and obesity is expected to surpass US$4 trillion (£2.95 trillion) annually.
It urges governments to take action, including on the labelling and marketing of food.
That might include legal measures to protect children's diets by removing ultra-processed foods from school canteens, introducing taxes on unhealthy foods and drinks and encouraging food producers to make changes to products - known as reformulation - to limit unhealthy ingredients and harmful substitutes.
The report also calls for policy making to be protected from interference by the ultra-processed food industry.
Ultra-processed food and drink producers could be banned from involvement in developing and implementing policy and any industry political lobbying would have to be officially reported.
More potential victims have come forward since the broadcast of the new BBC documentary, Inside the Cult of the Jesus Army
People accused of child abuse could receive significantly larger payments than their alleged victims under plans to share the fortune of a disgraced evangelical sect.
The organisation, known as the Jesus Army, has already paid out compensation to hundreds of people as part of a damages scheme.
Legal submissions, seen by the BBC, reveal it has £25m left which it intends to divide among loyal members. Survivors described the proposals as sickening.
A spokesperson for the Jesus Fellowship Community Trust (JFCT), which is winding up the affairs of the group, insisted the trustees had acted "in accordance with the trust deed".
One of the UK's largest and most abusive cults, the Jesus Army, or Jesus Fellowship Church, was founded by Noel Stanton, the late pastor of Bugbrooke Chapel, in Northamptonshire in 1969.
In 2017, three years prior to the group disbanding, documents seen by the BBC showed the estimated total value of its assets was £58.6m.
These included businesses and 55 large houses throughout England, which have since been sold.
John Angerson
The late founder of the Jesus Army, Noel Stanton, has been accused of abusing young men and boys
But claimants, most of whom were child victims, have criticised the scheme as ungenerous given it was almost entirely funded by insurers and is understood to have cost the trust about 5% of the total value of its assets.
"I don't think it followed any Christian code whatsoever," says Graham Lewis, 66, who worked as a nurse practitioner for the sect.
He left in 1996 because gay relationships were forbidden.
Mr Lewis says he believes those who remained members of the fellowship until the end have been "trying to protect themselves and feather their own nests".
As a victim of emotional and sexual abuse, he was paid £25,000 under the redress scheme.
"It doesn't compensate for the harm I suffered, and it also doesn't cover the financial losses I incurred; the 15 years I couldn't pay into a pension for example," he said.
Graham Lewis attended a hearing at the High Court in July when the JFCT trustees asked for a judge's approval to press ahead with final distributions
Hardcore members of the Jesus Army gave all their wealth, income and possessions to a common purse, and unspent contributions went into the trust.
However, only 172 people who remained members until a decision to close in May 2020 are guaranteed to benefit from the assets.
As part of the winding up process, these so-called beneficiaries will vote on whether to expand the group of potential recipients.
The trustees said this created the possibility of other former members benefitting but added they had "no power to determine the vote".
Mr Lewis says he is concerned people accused of child abuse or covering-up offences could be among the listed beneficiaries.
"They're in line for huge payouts, perhaps ten times what survivors were awarded in damages. It's horrible and makes me sick to my stomach."
The Jesus Fellowship Church was founded in Bugbrooke Chapel in Northamptonshire in 1969
The BBC asked the JFCT how many alleged perpetrators of abuse or cover-up were among the listed beneficiaries.
A spokesperson said confidentiality considerations meant it was not appropriate to disclose their identities, adding many of the accusations during the redress scheme were made in strict confidence.
A review of compensation claims identified 539 alleged perpetrators of abuse in the Jesus Fellowship Church (about one sixth of the total membership), including 162 former leaders.
Given their loyalty to the movement, it is likely some former leaders are among the listed beneficiaries.
The BBC understands they have already received more than £20m in returns on capital investments, cash advances and other payments.
Northamptonshire Police said it was engaging with the allegations in the redress scheme but no new prosecutions had been started yet.
To date, at least 10 people have been convicted of indecent assaults or other offences committed while living in Jesus Army communities. Several others were acquitted.
Becky Ayres joined the Jesus Community when she was eight. She and her two-year-old sister were disciplined almost daily with a stick
Becky Ayres says she still remembers feeling trapped as a child who spent eight years in a community, before leaving to live with her grandmother in 1984 when she was 15.
"Part of the advice given to households was children should be beaten with a stick, and so anyone could decide when my baby sister or I was disciplined.
"The beatings were horrible and hurt and were always for the most trivial things like fidgeting during worship sessions."
Becky received £14,000 under the redress scheme.
"People didn't receive much for emotional abuse, but as many survivors have said, the worst of it was the control; it was not feeling safe as a child; not feeling important.
"I don't think the trust really considered that."
Becky said she urged the trustees to be generous when the redress scheme was being developed, and to consider the younger members who left with no support.
"To discover the trust has got £25m left over, it's massively insulting.
"We think the majority of the remaining funds should go to the survivors, rather than the people who were enjoying themselves and stuck around until the end."
New Creation Hall, the birthplace of the Jesus Fellowship community, is among dozens of properties that have been sold over the past few years
Last month, the trustees asked a High Court judge to approve a procedure, which would prevent any further victims from making claims and so delaying the final distributions.
Acting for the trustees, Paul Adams read out a comment from an interested party: "Among the beneficiaries and claimants, are many people who paid their money in for years... They are now waiting for the payment to decide their future."
Chancery Master Karen Shuman ordered victims or others with unresolved claims to make themselves known by 16 October, after which time they would permanently lose the ability to claim.
Once the management of any remaining claims is concluded, the trust has been directed it can proceed to the final stages of winding up and dissolving the trust.
Since the broadcast of a new BBC documentary Inside the Cult of the Jesus Army, the Jesus Fellowship Survivors Association says dozens more potential victims have come forward.
A spokesperson for the JFCT said: "The Trustees have been acutely conscious of the traumatic, abusive and adverse experiences suffered in the church and community.
"They have also recognised the importance of engaging with not just the listed beneficiaries, but with others who have an interest in the winding up.
"They have sought to do so sensitively, meaningfully, and with a genuine willingness to listen and a desire to work collaboratively with interested parties."
If you have been affected by this story or would like support then you can find organisations which offer help and information at the BBC Action Line.
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John Angerson
