Myanmar's army vowed a ceasefire after the earthquake. I saw them break it repeatedly

2 hours ago Share Save Quentin Sommerville BBC News Reporting from Myanmar Share Save

BBC/Lee Durant The husband of Mala, 31, pictured here with her four-year-old son, was killed in a military artillery strike during the ceasefire

Days after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake shook Myanmar at the end of March, killing at least 3,700 people, the country's ruling junta agreed to a halt in its devastating military campaign. It then violated that ceasefire, again and again. I went inside rebel-held territory in the eastern Karenni state for 10 days from mid-April. I witnessed daily violations by the junta, including rocket and mortar attacks which killed and injured civilians and resistance fighters. One of those was Khala, a 45-year-old father killed in a strike by military warplanes, in a place his wife Mala said should have been safe. When the ceasefire was announced, on 2 April, Mala and Khala sensed an opportunity to return to their home for the first time in years. With their four-year-old child, they headed from the camp where they'd taken refuge to their village, Pekin Coco. They found it abandoned, with buildings shattered from drawn-out fighting. Almost everyone there had moved to farmland further away from the junta's weapons. But as the young family was about to leave Pekin Coco again, their car loaded with their possessions, the shelling started. "We were all at the front of the house. Then, shells landed near us. We hid at the back of the house. But he [Khala] stayed where he was," said Mala. "The artillery shell landed and exploded near him. He died in the place where he thought he was safe. "He was a good man," she said and began to cry.

Later that afternoon, the junta's warplanes attacked a house on the same street, killing four more men. "I hate them," Mala said. "They always attack people without reason. I don't feel safe here. Jet fighters are flying over the sky often but there is no place to hide." Mala is 31 and seven months pregnant. When we spoke she was back in a displaced people's camp, grieving. Her son Zoe, missing his father, wouldn't leave her side.

BBC/Lee Durant

BBC/Lee Durant One of the many injured in Myanmar's brutal civil war

Before the earthquake, Myanmar was in the midst of a nationwide civil war. After decades of military rule and brutal repression, ethnic groups, along with a new army of young insurgents, brought the dictatorship to crisis point. As much as two-thirds of the country has fallen to the resistance. Tens of thousands of people have been killed, including many children, since the military seized power in a coup in 2021. The UN says the earthquake has pushed a further two million people into need, some 2.5 million were already displaced before the quake. Karenni, or Kayah, state is far from the earthquake's epicentre. Its remoteness is both a blessing and a curse. Its thick jungle provides cover for those who oppose military rule, but it is difficult to get around, the roads are poor and main highways remain in range of the army's guns. Most of the state is now controlled by rebel and armed ethnic groups. On 28 March when the quake hit, there were no reported deaths in Karenni - but the hospitals still filled quickly with people suffering spinal and crush injuries. A 30m (100ft) sinkhole had appeared in the forests around the town of Demoso. Locals who heard the ground open up thought it was another air strike. For many weeks, the sinkhole continued to expand with the aftershocks.

BBC/Lee Durant

The UN noted that the Myanmar military continued operations after the earthquake and beyond the ceasefire, and called for them to end. The State Administration Council, the ruling junta, has not commented on the alleged violations but has claimed that it was attacked by resistance groups. During the ceasefire all sides in the conflict have reserved the right to respond if attacked. During my 10 days in Mobeye, Karenni, I witnessed daily attacks by the junta. I met Stefano there, a 23-year-old fighting the military dictatorship with the Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF). He leads a platoon of young fighters who have set up trenches around the base. From a dugout just 100m (330ft) from the junta's positions, he explained the army had continued attacks "using all means" during the ceasefire - soldiers on the ground, drones and jets. "They usually attack with drones and heavy artillery on this side. When it rains, they advance by taking advantage of the weather." He called the ceasefire a "joke". "We did not believe the military council from the beginning. We don't believe it now, and we won't believe it in the future."

BBC/Lee Durant Stefano, 23, who's fighting against the military junta, describes the ceasefire as a "joke"

BBC/Lee Durant A villager holds up bent metal from army air strikes

The day after we spoke, the military launched a full-scale assault with heavy weapons and men, attacking rebel lines. As we made our way to the front lines, small-arms fire could be heard nearby, along with mortar strikes. The ground was pitted with fresh hits from armed drones. Nearby lay the corpse of a junta fighter who had tried to breach the rebel positions. The resistance forces say they have suspended all offensive activities during the ceasefire, but they have said they will respond if attacked. Yi Shui, the commander of another resistance group, the Karenni National Army, showed me pictures on his phone. "When we saw them, we shot them. One of them got hit" and another ran away, he said. And again, the military wasn't just targeting the resistance forces. Its rockets hit farmland beyond, killing a 60-year-old woman. We arrived at fields where four rockets had landed, children were playing with the bent metal and shrapnel from the strikes. The injured were taken to local hospitals, which are hidden deep in the jungle to avoid air strikes from junta warplanes. In one, a young fighter was being treated in a wooden ward with a dirt floor. He had a shrapnel wound to his shoulder and was losing a lot of blood. The doctor in charge, 32-year-old Thi Ha Tun, said he'd treated around a dozen patients for war-related injuries since the ceasefire was declared. Two of the patients, resistance fighters, died.

BBC/Lee Durant

Victim hurt in attack involving crossbow 'stable'

4 hours ago Share Save Emily Johnson and Grace Wood BBC News, Yorkshire Share Save

YappApp Police removed the cordon that had been in place on Otley Road on Sunday evening

One of two women seriously injured in an attack involving a crossbow and a firearm in Leeds has undergone surgery for "life-threatening injuries". Counter Terrorism Policing North East said the "isolated incident" involving the women aged 19 and 31, happened on Otley Road, in the Headingley area, at about 14:47 BST on Saturday. One of the women was sent home from hospital earlier while the other, who underwent surgery, was now in a stable condition, police said. A 38-year-old man, who officers said was "the key suspect", remains in hospital in a critical condition, under police guard, after suffering a "self-inflicted injury".

The incident occurred on Otley Road in Headingley while people were taking part in the popular Otley Run pub crawl. Cordons around the scene on Otley Road were removed on Sunday evening.

YappApp Two weapons were recovered from the scene, which were a crossbow and a firearm

Det Ch Supt James Dunkerley said: "The investigation continues and officers are working at pace to establish the full facts and circumstances of Saturday's incident. "We are not currently seeking anyone else in connection with this matter, which has caused understandable concern. We believe it was an isolated incident." Alison Lowe, deputy mayor of West Yorkshire for policing and crime, said the man was being held under police guard.

'We're here for you'

She said: "The suspect injured themselves and is now in hospital under police guard so the threat has been eliminated." Lowe reassured the public and said there would be an increased police presence across Headingley in "the coming days and weeks". "This is a very, very rare incident and the police know that the public are very frightened, so there is a much bigger police presence. "I would be scared if I had witnessed or been close to an incident of that magnitude. "All I can say to those women and girls is that we're here for you. We're increasing those patrols."

BBC/Trudy Scanlon Vasileios Balampanos says the area is usually quiet, apart from students doing the Otley Run

MP for Leeds Central and Headingley, Alex Sobel, said the incident raised concerns about the safety of the Otley Run. He said: "We need to look at the numbers and see what we can do to ensure safety on the Otley Run. "This is really serious and shocking and nobody foresaw that anything like this would happen, but we have had other issues, just because of the huge volume of people who come every Saturday and the growth in it. "Because of this we're going to have to look really deeply at how Otley Run operates."

BBC/Cathy Killick Police said officers were working "at pace to establish the full facts and circumstances" of the incident

Headingley resident Vasileios Balampanos described seeing the aftermath of the incident. He said he saw paramedics treating someone further up Otley Road and "a couple of distressed individuals, students mostly". "It was quite scary," he said. "Generally, this is a quiet area but we have plenty of people doing the Otley Run and going to the pub. It can get busy sometimes." Headingley councillor Abdul Hannan said his thoughts were with the victims and said the council was working closely with the police and reassuring the community. "It's horrific," he said. "There is a lot of footfall in that area, it is a busy stretch, especially on a Saturday. "It is a tragedy what has taken place."

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

Israel launches air strike on Beirut

A giant plume of smoke billows over Beirut's southern suburbs following Israel's strike on Sunday

The Lebanese presidency condemned the strike and called on the US and France - who brokered the ceasefire in November - to press Israel to cease its attacks on the country.

Israel said that it had targeted a Hezbollah store of "precision-guided missiles" that "poses a threat to the State of Israel and its civilians".

The attack occurred despite a ceasefire that came into force five months ago which put an end to the conflict between Israel and the military group.

Israel carried out an air strike on Beirut's southern suburbs on Sunday, after ordering an evacuation of a building that it said was being used by the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah.

The attack marks the first time in almost a month that Israel has struck Beirut's southern suburbs - called Dahieh - where Hezbollah is based.

This will put further pressure on the ceasefire. Despite the deal, Israel has struck targets it says are linked to Hezbollah almost every day. The Israeli government has said that it will respond to any perceived threats from Hezbollah.

Western officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have told the BBC that the militant group has been largely compliant with the truce, while accusing Israel of multiple violations that include air strikes and drone surveillance.

Live footage streamed by Reuters showed a giant plume of smoke billowing from the targeted building an hour after the Israeli army issued an evacuation order to residents of the Hadath neighbourhood.

Lebanon's Civil Defence later said that no casualties had been recorded and rescue crews had extinguished the fire.

In a statement on X following the strike, the Lebanese Presidency said that President Joseph Aoun condemned the attack.

"The United States and France, as guarantors of the cessation of hostilities agreement, must assume their responsibilities and compel Israel to immediately cease its attacks," it wrote.

"Israel's continued undermining of stability will exacerbate tensions and expose the region to real threats to its security and stability."

Israel's government said that it had targeted a Hezbollah store of "precision-guided missiles".

"The storage of missiles in this infrastructure site constitutes a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon, and poses a threat to the State of Israel and its civilians," the Israeli military said in a statement.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said that Israel "will not allow Hezbollah to grow stronger".

"The Dahiyeh neighbourhood in Beirut will not serve as a safe haven for the terrorist organisation Hezbollah," it added.

UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, wrote on X that the strike "generated panic and fear of renewed violence among those desperate for a return to normalcy".

"We urge all sides to halt any actions that could further undermine the cessation of hostilities understanding," she added.

Earlier this month an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs killed four people, including a Hezbollah official.

Beijing seizes tiny sandbank in South China Sea

3 hours ago Share Save Ewan Somerville BBC News Share Save

CCTV Chinese state media released a photo of coastguard officers on the reef

The Chinese coastguard has seized a tiny sandbank in the South China Sea, state media has reported, in an escalation of a regional dispute with the Philippines. State broadcaster CCTV released images of four officers, wearing all black and holding the Chinese flag, standing on the disputed reef of Sandy Cay in the Spratly Islands. CCTV said China had "implemented maritime control and exercised sovereign jurisdiction" on the reef earlier in April. Both China and the Philippines have staked claims on various islands. The Philippines said later on Sunday that it had landed on three sandbanks, releasing an image of officers holding up their national flag in a pose that mimicked the Chinese photo.

It is unclear whether one of the sandbanks the Philippines security forces landed on was also Sandy Cay. In a statement, the National Task Force West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) said it witnessed "the illegal presence" of a Chinese Coastguard vessel 1,000 yards (914 metres) from one of the sandbanks, as well as seven Chinese militia vessels. "This operation reflects the unwavering dedication and commitment of the Philippine Government to uphold the country's sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea," the statement said.

NTF-WPS Philippine officials posed with their own flag on a sandbank following China's stunt

The dispute between the two nations has been escalating, with frequent confrontations including vessels colliding and scuffles. Sandy Cay is near a Philippine military outpost on Thitu Island, also known as Pag-asa, which Manila reportedly uses to track Chinese movements in the area. There is no sign that China is permanently occupying the 200 sq metre island and the coastguard is reported to have left. The White House said reports of China seizing the reef were "deeply concerning if true". In comments reported by the Financial Times, James Hewitt, US National Security Council spokesperson, warned that "actions like these threaten regional stability and violate international law", adding that the White House was "consulting closely with our own partners". The Chinese move comes as US and Philippine forces are carrying out their annual war scenario drills - called the Balikatan exercises. China has criticised the drills as provocative. As many as 17,000 personnel are taking part in the coming days. Missiles from the US Marine Air Defense Integrated System were fired off the coast of the northern Philippines on Sunday, the system's second live fire test and its first deployment to the Philippines. The drills are also set to feature the US anti-ship missile system NMESIS.

Getty Images The United States and the Philippines conduct annual drills

The Philippines military says the drills are a rehearsal for national defence but insists they are not directed at any particular country. "This type of training is absolutely invaluable to us," said Third Marine Littoral Regiment Officer John Lehane. The exercise has helped allay fears among some US allies that Donald Trump may upend the years-long military support it has provided in the region. On a visit to Manila last month, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington was "doubling down" on its alliance with the country and was determined to "re-establish deterrence" against China. There have been wrangles over territory in the South China Sea for centuries, but tension has grown in recent years. China claims by far the largest portion of territory in an area demarcated by its so-called "nine-dash line". The line comprises nine dashes which extends hundreds of miles south and east from its most southerly province of Hainan. Beijing has backed its expansive claims with island-building and naval patrols. Competing claimants such as Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei have staked claims on islands and various zones in the sea.

Glow Up is back, and Thunderbolts* hits cinemas: What's coming up this week

6 hours ago Share Save Noor Nanji • @NoorNanji Culture reporter Share Save

BBC/Wall To Wall/Dan Parfitt/Getty Images

This week, BBC Three's Glow Up returns, with a new set of artists competing to become Britain's next make-up star. But that's not all the week has in store. Thunderbolts* hits cinemas, Another Simple Favour starring Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively is coming out, and Samantha Crain drops her new album. Read on for what's coming up this week...

Get ready for a Glow Up

BBC/Wall To Wall/Dan Parfitt

From catwalk-ready looks to gory TV special effects, BBC Three's Glow Up has seen it all. The reality television show, hosted by model Leomie Anderson, sees aspiring make-up artists compete on various creative briefs and in challenges as they try to impress judges Dominic Skinner and Val Garland. I've had a sneak preview of the new series, which starts on Wednesday, and can tell you that the contestants are thrown in at the deep end from the start. Assignments include assisting on the set of HBO fantasy drama series House of The Dragon and working on a music video set with Nova Twins. Val told me the talent this series "really takes makeup to another level", and said people should "expect the unexpected". And there's a career-making prize awaiting the winner: a contract assisting some of the world's leading make-up artists.

Thunderbolts* hits cinemas

It's a big week for Marvel fans, with Thunderbolts* landing in cinemas on Friday. First reactions on social media have been positive, with many praising actress Florence Pugh for her role as assassin Yelena Belova. Matt Neglia of Next Best Picture calls it "some of Marvel's darkest material to date", adding: "It very much belongs to Florence Pugh, who carries much of the dramatic weight of the movie on her back." Film writer Mia Pflüger also praised the 29-year-old, writing on X that "the future of the new superhero generation is in good hands with her". Pugh previously appeared as Yelena in 2021's Black Widow movie and the Disney+ series Hawkeye. In the new film, her character embarks on a dangerous mission to confront the darkest corners of her past, alongside a team comprising Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker. What everyone really wants to know, however, is what the asterisk is all about...

Another Simple Favour

Getty Images

On Thursday, black comedy mystery sequel Another Simple Favour is released on Prime Video. It sees Stephanie Smothers (played by Anna Kendrick) and Emily Nelson (Blake Lively) reunite on the island of Capri for Emily's extravagant wedding to a rich Italian businessman. So far, so good - but alongside the beautiful scenery and glamorous guests, murder and betrayal lie in wait. There have been months of speculation about a feud bubbling between the film's A-list co-stars but recently, the pair were seen posing and laughing together at the London screening, which went some way to dispelling the rumours. Lively, of Gossip Girl fame, is separately locked in a dispute with her former It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni, with both sides denying allegations made in lawsuits they have filed against each other.

Samantha Crain's new album

By Mark Savage, music correspondent

Contentment and creativity are awkward bedfellows. Conflict is a more reliable catalyst for music. Just don't tell Oklahoma singer-songwriter Samantha Crain, who's about to release her seventh album, Gumshoe. Full of bewildering beauty and life-affirming anthems, it was written over the last three years, as she unexpectedly fell in love. "I spent much of my life as a lone wolf," she tells BBC News, "so hyper-independent that it became a defining trait." "But as I explored vulnerability and reciprocity in my relationships, I realised… we can change by the minute, and that's okay. "In my ancestors' Choctaw language, there are no words for 'is' or 'are,' reflecting their belief that people, animals, and plants are not permanent or static. That's the biggest lesson of the past few years: I can be a lone wolf sometimes and still belong to a community." That realisation manifests in the lovestruck slacker rock of Dragonfly, and the finger-plucked Neptune Baby, with its refrain, "I'm a boat, and you are the water". Not that Crain's relationship was all plain sailing. Her new partner struggles with addiction, and a track called Melatonin finds her listing the items she brought them in rehab – "mint choc-chip ice cream, cigarettes, a watch". "You got it bad, but you got me," she reassures. It's an album of stunning poetic clarity and emotion – typified by the title track, an old-time country-rock ballad inspired by her love of detective novels. "The word 'Gumshoe' has been in every writing notebook since I was a teenager," she says. "After watching The Maltese Falcon, I considered how detached detective characters are and imagined two loners finding love. "Instantly, gumshoe came to mind—the perfect word for a song about unravelling the mystery of relationships."

Other highlights this week

Mourning turns to anger in Iran after massive port explosion kills 40

7 hours ago Share Save Kasra Naji BBC Persian special correspondent Ewan Somerville BBC News Share Save

Getty Images Thick black smoke was still towering above the port on Sunday

In Iran, mourning is turning to anger after a huge blast at its largest commercial port killed at least 40 people and injured more than 1,000. The explosion happened on Saturday morning at Shahid Rajaee port. Many people rushed to hospitals up and down the country to give blood. A day later, fires are still blazing as a thick black cloud of toxic chemicals hangs over the surrounding area. People in nearby towns and cities have been told by the health ministry to stay indoors "until further notice" and wear more protective clothes. In the nearby southern city of Bandar Abbas, home to the Iranian Navy's main base, all schools and offices were ordered to shut on Sunday to allow authorities to focus on the emergency effort, state TV said. A local festival not far from Shahid Rajee Port that was supposed to be a celebration spontaneously turned into a solemn occasion for remembering the dead and praying for the injured. Authorities declared a day of national mourning on Monday, with an additional two days of mourning in Hormozgan province. It is a reminder that while Iran has been rocked physically by the blast - residents up to 50km (31 miles) away reported feeling the effects - the country is now being rocked by a growing blame game too.

Ambrey Intelligence, a private maritime risk consultancy, said it believed that intense fires that could be seen spreading between containers before the explosion were a result of "improper handling of a shipment of solid fuel intended for use in Iranian ballistic missiles". The firm said it believed the affected containers had contained solid fuel destined for ballistic missiles, and was aware that an Iran-flagged ship "discharged a shipment of sodium perchlorate rocket fuel at the port in March 2025". The New York Times quoted a person with ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, speaking on condition of anonymity, as saying that what exploded was sodium perchlorate - a major ingredient in solid fuel for missiles. Some Iranians are asking whether they should believe speculation on social media which said Iran's military and Revolutionary Guard were storing rocket fuel that they had recently imported from China at the port – a claim which has been denied by an army spokesman. Many in Iran are blaming the authorities for incompetence and worse, asking: How could so much inflammable material apparently be left on the port without due care?

Moment driver sees huge explosion rip through Iran port

That is a question that the Iranian regime will need to address. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian visited the scene of the explosion on Sunday, saying: "We have come to see first-hand if there is anything or any issue that the government can follow up on." Pezeshkian had previously ordered an investigation into the cause of the blast, sending the interior minister to the region to lead it. Defence ministry spokesman Reza Talaei-Nik later told state TV that "there has been no imported or exported cargo for military fuel or military use in the area". The port's customs office said in a statement carried by state television that the explosion probably resulted from a fire that broke out at the hazardous and chemical materials' storage depot.

IRANIAN PRESIDENCY/HANDOUT Fires are still blazing more than a day after the blast

There is also the question of whether Iran's economy may be affected, given the port handles nearly 80% of the country's imports. On Saturday, authorities were warning of possible food shortages in the near term with the port out of action for some time. A day later, they were playing that down, saying that the explosion only affected a part of the port and that the rest is functioning normally. An image from Iran's Tasnim news agency on Sunday showed a helicopter flying through a sky blackened by smoke to drop water on the disaster-struck area, AFP reported. Others showed firefighters working among toppled and blackened cargo containers, and carrying out the body of a victim. The authorities have closed off roads leading to the site.

AFP A charred truck lies at the scene of an explosion that took place a day earlier at the Shahid Rajaee port

German defence minister says Ukraine should not agree to sweeping territorial concessions

1 hour ago Share Save Jessica Rawnsley BBC News Share Save

Getty Images

Germany's defence minister has warned Ukraine not to agree to a deal which involves sweeping territorial concessions in return for a ceasefire with Russia. Boris Pistorius said Ukraine "should not go as far as the latest proposal by the American president", which he said would amount to a "capitulation". US President Donald Trump said this week that "most of the major points [of the deal] are agreed to". Reports suggest that Ukraine could be asked to give up large portions of land seized by Russia, including Crimea. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly rejected territorial concessions, saying issues about land can be discussed once a ceasefire has been agreed.

On Sunday, Pistorius told German public broadcaster ARD that Kyiv knew that it might have to part with some territory to secure a ceasefire. "But they will certainly not go as far - or should not go as far - as the latest proposal by the American president," he said. "Ukraine could have got a year ago what was included in that proposal, it is akin to a capitulation. I cannot discern any added value." The BBC has not seen the exact details of the latest US plan. On Friday, Reuters news agency reported that it had seen proposals from the US that included American legal acceptance of Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and de facto recognition of Russian control of other occupied areas, including all of Luhansk in the east of the country. Reuters says it has also seen a counter-proposals from Europe and Ukraine, which reportedly say the sides will only discuss what happens to occupied Ukrainian territory once a ceasefire has come into effect. The US plan also rules out Ukraine's membership in the Nato military alliance and sees a UK-France led "coalition of the willing" providing a security guarantee once a ceasefire is in force without the involvement of the US. Meanwhile the Europeans want the US to give "robust" guarantees in the form of a cast-iron Nato-style commitment to come to Ukraine's aid if it is attacked. The US reportedly further proposes to take control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant - currently occupied by Russia - which would then provide electricity to both Russia and Ukraine. The counter-plan makes no mention of giving Russia power. In an interview with Time magazine this week, Trump once again blamed Kyiv for starting the war, citing its ambitions of joining Nato. The US president also told Time: "Crimea will stay with Russia."

Greenland not a piece of property, says PM after Trump threats

In a further symbolic gesture, Nielsen is due to return to Greenland on Monday with Denmark's King Frederik, who will begin his four-day royal visit to the island.

He was speaking alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in what has been viewed as another show of unity between the two leaders.

On a visit to Copenhagen on Sunday, Jens-Frederik Nielsen said Greenland and Denmark must stand together in the face of "disrespectful" US rhetoric.

Greenland's new prime minister has said the island is not a "piece of property that can be bought", in response to Donald Trump's repeated calls for the US to take control of the autonomous Danish territory.

"We will never, ever be a piece of property that can be bought by anyone, and that's the message I think is most important to understand," said Nielsen, who became Greenland's prime minister this April.

He added that Greenland and Denmark needed to move closer together in light of the new foreign policy situation.

Trump has caused outrage in both Denmark and Greenland for repeatedly saying he wants to bring the Arctic island under US control.

During a speech to Congress in March, Trump said that control of Greenland was essential "for national security and international security".

He has floated the idea of buying the island and has previously refused to rule out using military force, though US Vice-President JD Vance said last month: "We do not think that military force is ever going to be necessary."

Despite their criticism of Trump's words, both Nielsen and Frederiksen on Sunday said they would be willing to meet the US president for talks.

Nielsen also reiterated that Greenland was prepared to deepen ties with the US, saying: "We are ready for a strong partnership and more development, but we want respect."

Nielsen's visit to Denmark follows Frederiksen's own trip to Greenland earlier this month.

"You can't annex other countries," was her message for the US president at the time.

It followed Vance's whirlwind visit to the territory, widely criticised in both Denmark and Greenland, in which he reiterated Trump's ambitions and claimed Copenhagen had "not done a good job" for Greenlanders.

Greenland, the world's largest island, has been controlled by Denmark for about 300 years. The island governs its own domestic affairs, but foreign and defence policy decisions are made in Copenhagen.

The US has long had a security interest in the island. It has had a military base there since World War Two, and Trump may also have an interest in the rare earth minerals that could be mined.

Polls show that the vast majority of Greenlanders want to become independent from Denmark but do not wish to become part of the US.

Formed in March, Greenland's new coalition government is led by Nielsen's centre-right Democrats party, which favours a gradual approach to independence.

The beauty and challenge of elections in Canada's frigid north

3 hours ago Share Save Ali Abbas Ahmadi BBC News Reporting from Toronto Share Save

Kathy Kettler Kathy Kettler (R) is the campaign manager for local liberal candidate Kilikvak Kabloona

Nunavut is Canada's largest federal district. The entire territory - all 1.8 million sq km (695,000 sq miles) and its 40,000 people - will be represented by one person in parliament. "Nunavut is at least three times the size of France. If it was its own country, it would be the 13th largest behind Greenland," Kathy Kettler, the campaign manager for local Liberal candidate Kilikvak Kabloona, told the BBC. Located in the Arctic, where average temperatures in the capital city Iqaluit are below freezing for eight months of the year, it is so vast and inaccessible that the only way to travel between its 25 communities is by air. "Yesterday, in 24 hours, we travelled 1,700 km (1,050 miles) by air and campaigned in Pangnirtung, Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet, and Arviat," said Ms Kettler.

Nunavut's vast 1.8m sq km stretches beyond the Arctic circle

"There are not very many people who understand the reality of the north," Ms Kettler said, describing the challenges of running a campaign where so much is different from southern Canada. She recalled knocking on doors earlier this month as she campaigned for her candidate in -24C (-11F) temperatures. She said it's rare in northern communities for people to knock before entering someone's home. Instead, the tight-knit culture permits visitors to simply "walk in and say hello" - almost unthinkable in other parts of the country. As an Inuk from northern Quebec, she said it "feels weird" even for her to knock and wait for a response. In Nunavut, one of Canada's three northern territories, the majority-Inuit population speak Inuktitut. Ms Kettler said one of the biggest expenses was translating campaign signs and hiring an interpreter for Kabloona, the candidate.

Kathy Kettler The view over Iqaluit while ms Kettler was out knocking on doors and campaigning for Kabloona

Election issues for northerners too are unique. "The national campaign is really focused on Arctic security and sovereignty, whereas our campaign here is focused on food security and people being able to survive," Ms Kettler said. Food can be prohibitively expensive and there are infrastructure challenges to accessing clean water for a number of Indigenous and northern communities. She was boiling water to drink while campaigning in Arviat, she said, and described being unable to rely on calling voters as she canvasses because a phone plan is the first thing they sacrifice to afford food. The seat is currently held by the New Democratic Party (NDP), with incumbent Lori Idlout running for re-election. James Arreak is the Conservative candidate.

Kathy Kettler

Jean-Claude Nguyen, the returning officer in Nunavut, is responsible for conducting the election in the district. He described how difficult it is to ensure ballots and voter lists get to every community - including to workers at remote gold mines. "[Elections Canada] sent a team from our Ottawa headquarters via Edmonton and Yellowknife to the mine where they work, gave them sufficient time to vote, and then they brought the ballots back," he said. Mr Nguyen also spoke about security considerations. Once polls close, the ballots are counted at the polling station and then stored safely either with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), or a local hamlet - a small community that provides municipal services to its residents. The ballot boxes are then flown to Iqaluit, and then to Ottawa.

Jean-Claude Nguyen Election signage needs to be translated to Inuktitut, which is Nunavut's most widely spoken language

'Grandpa robbers' held Kim Kardashian at gunpoint - but didn't know who she was

4 hours ago Share Save Laura Gozzi BBC News, Paris Share Save

Getty Images / Raymond Hall

The morning after the heist, burglar Yunice Abbas went home to catch up on some sleep. When he woke up, his wife was glued to the TV. The headline news of the day was that American reality TV star Kim Kardashian, 35, had been tied up and robbed at gunpoint in a luxury Paris apartment. All her jewellery had been taken for a sum of about $10m (£7.5m) – including the engagement ring her then-husband and rapper Kanye West gifted her, which alone was worth $4m (£3m). Yunice Abbas' wife glared at him. "This has you written all over it," she grumbled. She was right. The 62-year-old had dabbled in crime his whole life, from petty offences to bank heists. The Kardashian robbery, he later wrote in a memoir, was going to be his last job before retirement. But a series of blunders meant the heist was doomed from the start and in early 2017 - three months after the robbery - Abbas and several of his alleged accomplices were arrested.

Getty Images / Marc Piasecki Yunice Abbas, author of the book I held up Kim Kardashian

Ten of them will now be appearing in court in Paris in a trial set to last just under three weeks. Out of those, five are accused of taking part in the heist, and six are accused of being accessories to the crime. Most of them were born in the 1950s, leading French media to dub them the "grandpa robbers". Abbas and a 68-year-old man, Aomar Ait Khedache, have confessed; the others have not. One has since passed away, and another, aged 81, will be excused as he is suffering from advanced dementia. By the time the trial starts, almost nine years will have gone by since the heist.

Gun wielding robbers fled on bikes and on foot

On the night between 2 and 3 October 2016, Abbas and four accomplices allegedly staked out Kardashian's discreet suite in Hotel de Pourtalès, in the glitzy Madeleine neighbourhood in Paris, not far from the Opéra and Place Vendome. At around 03:00 local time, they burst into the hotel's entrance hall, dressed as policemen and wielding a gun. They threatened and handcuffed Abderrahmane Ouatiki, an Algerian PhD student who regularly took up shifts as night receptionist, and marched him up to Kardashian's room. She was resting on her bed, tired from days of attending Paris Fashion Week events, when she heard stomping up the stairs. She called out for her sister Kourtney and her stylist Stephanie, but when they didn't answer she panicked. "I knew someone was there to get me," she recalled in an interview with US interviewer David Letterman years later. "You just feel it." Kim dialled 911 but the number, of course, didn't work outside of the US. As she was calling her then-security guard Pascal Duvier - who had accompanied her sister to a club - the men burst in, pushed her on the bed and started shouting.

Getty Images Police outside the luxury apartment where Kim Kardashian was robbed at gun point

"They kept on saying: the ring, the ring! And I was so startled that it didn't compute for a minute," she told Letterman. The language barrier meant Ouatiki had to act as an interpreter. They grabbed the ring and several other jewels, as well as 1000 euros in cash. One of the men grabbed her and pulled her towards him. Because she was wearing a robe with nothing underneath, she thought he was going to assault her, Kim later told Letterman, wiping tears away. But instead – using the technique of saucissonnage, or the practice of tying them up like a saucisson, a salami - the man bound her with zip ties and duct tape, and left her in the bathroom. Then, he and the rest of the burglars fled on bikes and on foot. Kim freed herself of her restraints, and shortly after her security guard turned up. Traumatised, Kim gave a statement to French police in the early hours of the morning and flew back to the US by dawn. It wasn't until the next morning, when Abbas caught a glimpse of the TV screen his wife was watching, that he understood who their victim was. "There were breaking news alerts saying Kim Kardashian had been robbed at gunpoint – that's how important it was," says LA-based entertainment journalist KJ Matthews.

Blunders meant heist was doomed from the start

"We were so fascinated with her and her family and their rise to fame... When the heist happened we were so surprised. How could burglars have gotten so close to her?" Matthews says. But while mistakes were made in terms of Kardashian's security, serious errors were made on the burglars' side, too. "They didn't take into account the progress made by police techniques, which can now find micro traces of DNA anywhere," said Patricia Tourancheau, a crime reporter and the author of "Kim and the grandpa robbers" - a thorough account of the heist and of the lives of its perpetrators. "When they dressed up as police they thought 'that's it, nobody will be able to recognise us'," she adds. But in 2016 Paris was still reeling from the terrorist attacks of the previous year, and there were a huge number of CCTV cameras all round the city, meaning police were able to spot the thieves and see them make off with the jewels. Other details of this story suggest that the thieves' planning was rather haphazard. When fleeing the scene on a bike, Abbas fell, dropping a bag of jewels. The next day, a passer-by found a diamond-encrusted necklace and wore it all day at the office before watching the news and realising where it had come from. Police arrested Abbas and several other people in January 2017 and later confirmed that they had been under surveillance for several weeks, after DNA traces left at the scene provided a match with Aomar Ait Khedache, also known as "Omar the Old".

Getty / Marc Piasecki Kim Kardashian arriving at 'L'Avenue' restaurant with body guard Pascal Duvier on 2 October 2016

French media published a photo from the police stakeout, which shows several of the men having coffee and chatting at a Parisian café that winter, just before their arrest. The question that remains - and which will undoubtedly be explored doing the trial - is just how the gang got wind of Kardashian's schedule. Court documents seen by the BBC show that both Khedache and Abbas stated that all the information they needed was posted online by Kardashian herself, whose very career was built on sharing details about her life and movements. But how did the gang know that on the night of 2 October Kardashian would be alone in her room, without her security guard? Court documents indicate police believe Gary Madar, whose brother Michael's firm had provided transportation and taxis to the Kardashians for years, was an accessory to the heist and that he had fed information to the gang about Kim's whereabouts. Mr Madar was arrested in January 2017. His lawyer Arthur Vercken vehemently pushed back against the accusations, telling the BBC that "since the start the case was built on assumptions, theses, theories - but no proof [of Madar's involvement] was ever found". He added that although the Madar brothers exchanged texts about the Kardashians during Fashion Week it was just because they were "bored" and that when the heist took place Gary was asleep. Gary's brother, Michael, is not a defendant. "Five men did this. You don't think one of them was keeping an eye on who was coming and going from her hotel?" he said, suggesting that Mr Madar had only been arrested "to prove that the French justice system works".

Getty Images/ Jason LaVeris Kanye West proposed on Kim's 33rd birthday with $4m cushion-cut diamond ring

The trial will also attempt to determine where the jewels ended up. Police tracking of the gang's phones showed that soon after the heist Omar the Old travelled from Paris to Antwerp in Belgium, where 50% of the world's polished diamonds and 80% of rough diamonds are sold, according to the Diamond Investment Office. Many jewels were reportedly melted or broken up and sold. Abbas got 75,000 euro (£64,000); others far less. As for Kim Kardashian's engagement ring, Omar the Old said the gang was too scared to sell it on as it would be too easily traceable. It has never been found. Kim Kardashian was undoubtedly spooked by the event, which marked the start of her social media hiatus. In an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, she tearfully recalled the night of the heist and said had been scared for her life; later she also said the robbery had made her a "less materialistic person". Soon after the incident her sister Khloe told The Ellen DeGeneres that, for safety reasons, the Kardashian family were making some changes to how freely they posted on social media. "The biggest change was her security detail," KJ Matthews told the BBC.

'They're facing a huge celebrity and they don't even know who she is'

Fathers of Southport victims complete London marathon in tribute to daughters

3 hours ago Share Save Emily Atkinson BBC News Share Save

BBC Mr Stancombe and Elsie (left) and Mr Aguiar and Alice

The fathers of two girls killed in the Southport attack have completed the London Marathon in an emotional tribute to their daughters. Sergio Aguiar and David Stancombe entered the race to raise money for projects set up in their daughters' memory. Alice Aguiar, nine, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Bebe King, six, were killed last July at a Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop. The fathers received encouragement from Sir Keir Starmer on the morning of the race with Mr Aguiar telling the BBC it was "good" to have received his support. Mr Stancombe added: "Even now it still blows me away that so many people know about it and you're getting messages from the prime minister."

"I would love people to know I've seen their message, but I have genuinely read so many of them. It's amazing," he added. Mr Aguiar finished the gruelling race on Sunday with a time of four hours and five minutes. Mr Stancombe finished in four hours and 28 minutes. Bebe's parents, Lauren and Ben King, went to London to cheer from the sidelines as Mr Aguiar and Mr Stancombe ran the 26.2 mile (42.2km) route.

Getty Images Sergio Aguiar post race

PA David Stancombe post race

In the video message played to the families ahead of the race, Starmer said: "David and Sergio, I want to wish you the very best of luck in the London Marathon this weekend. I know how much it means to you and your families. "This is an incredible way to honour the memory of your precious daughters and the entire nation is in awe of your courage and your resilience. "We'll all be with you every single step of the way. Good luck."

Watch: Starmer delivers message to dads of Southport victims running London Marathon

Qatar claims slight progress towards ceasefire in Gaza

6 hours ago Share Save Sebastian Usher and Jessica Rawnsley BBC News, Jerusalem and London Share Save

Getty Images Israel's military offensive in Gaza resumed after a ceasefire collapsed in March

Qatar's prime minister says there has been "a bit of progress" in efforts to broker a new ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, but that there was still no "answer for the ultimate question: how to end this war". It follows his meeting with the head of Israel's spy agency on Thursday. Speaking in Doha, Turkey's foreign minister Hakan Fidan said that Hamas appeared to be more receptive to negotiating a lasting solution to the war. After rejecting Israel's latest ceasefire offer more than a week ago, Hamas now seems set on an agreement that would see the release of all the remaining hostages as part of a deal to end hostilities for at least five years. Hamas has suggested it could consider disarming as part of such a tradeoff, but only if Israel were to pull all its forces out of Gaza. The Israeli government appears to have no intention of doing this.

Israel imposed a complete blockade on Gaza in early March and resumed air and ground attacks later in the month. The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says 2,151 Palestinians have been killed since then, including 51 in the 24 hours into Sunday morning. Fighting between Hamas and Israel has also intensified, with the Israeli military saying an Israeli soldier and a police officer were killed on Friday.

On Thursday, Israel's Mossad spy agency chief David Barnea met with Qatari PM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha. Sheik Mohammed said that there had been "a bit of progress compared to other meetings, yet we need to find an answer for the ultimate question: how to end this war". Last week, Hamas rejected an Israeli proposal for a 45-day ceasefire that called for the group's complete disarmament and the release of 10 of the 59 remaining hostages. Sheikh Mohammed said that they were "trying to find a breakthrough" but added that Israel and Hamas remained at odds on what a ceasefire would entail. He said Hamas has agreed to hand over all the remaining hostages in an exchange to an end to the war, but that Israel wants the hostages released without offering a vision on an end to the conflict. "When you don't have a common objective, a common goal, between the parties, I believe the opportunities [to end the war] become very thin," Sheik Mohammed said at a press conference in Doha. A Hamas delegation held talks with Egyptian officials in Cairo on Saturday which reportedly focused on a ceasefire agreement and addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

A Palestinian official familiar with negotiations told the BBC that Hamas has signalled its readiness to hand over governance of Gaza to any Palestinian entity agreed upon "at the national and regional level". The official said this could be the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA) or a newly formed administrative body. The US has also encouraged the idea of a reformed PA governing Gaza after the war. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has ruled out any role for the PA in Gaza and has said he opposes the formation of a Palestinian state. On Saturday, PA President Mahmoud Abbas named close confidant Hussein al-Sheikh as his deputy in the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), the PLO said. Abbas, 89, has led the PLO and PA since 2004 but has previously resisted internal reforms, including naming a successor. The PA's leadership has regularly insisted it is ready to take over running post-war Gaza. But it has been criticised by Palestinians for not speaking out enough or taking effective action. In a fiery speech during a meeting of the Palestinian Central Council in Ramallah on Wednesday, Abbas lashed out at Hamas, calling the group "sons of dogs" and demanding they release the hostages, disarm and hand over control of Gaza. Hamas and Abbas's Fatah organisation, which dominates the PA, have been bitterly divided for decades, with their rift ensuring that no unified Palestinian leadership in both the West Bank and Gaza has been able to emerge.

South Africa will defend sovereignty, ANC chair says as tensions with US grow

Gwede Mantashe is critical of South Africans who wish to "punish" the country

President Cyril Ramaphosa says the law ensures "public access to land in an equitable and just manner".

US President Donald Trump has hit out at South Africa's new expropriation law, signing an executive order in February stating it was a means to which the government could "seize ethnic minority Afrikaners' agricultural property without compensation".

"We are a free country, we're a sovereign country. We're not a province of the United States and that sovereignty will be defended," ANC National Chair Gwede Mantashe said on Sunday.

A senior figure from South Africa's ruling ANC party has defended his country's sovereignty amid growing tensions with the US over race relations and a new land law.

The expropriation law does allow the government to seize land without compensation, but only in certain circumstances.

Trump's February order also opened the door for Afrikaners to be admitted to the US as refugees, describing them as "victims of unjust racial discrimination".

Standing in for Ramaphosa in a speech at South Africa's Freedom Day celebration in the eastern province of Mpumalanga, Mantashe criticised South African citizens who have called on Trump to "punish" the country.

"Now they are told to go there and be refugees, they are refusing. They must go," he said.

Tensions have also played out publicly on Elon Musk's X page, where he has described his country's ownership laws as "racist".

Currently white South Africans, who are a minority of the population, own most of the country's private land and wealth, despite the racist system of apartheid ending decades ago.

In an effort to quell tensions which have rumbled on for months, South Africa appointed a special envoy to Washington earlier this month.

Mcebisi Jonas will be tasked with advancing the country's "diplomatic, trade and bilateral priorities," Ramaphosa said.

The move comes after Washington expelled South Africa's ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool, after he accused Trump of "dog whistle" politics.

Last month, officials from the all-white separatist town of Orania, founded by Afrikaners after the end of apartheid, visited the US as part of efforts to gain recognition as an autonomous state.

In his address on Sunday, Mantashe suggested he would seek to integrate the community in Orania.

"Black people must go and build there, and we mix them," he said.

He added that "hatred can never survive peace. It is peace that builds a nation".

Liverpool's long wait ended as the giant red and white clock in the corner of the Kop flicked over to 18:24 BST on the day that was Anfield's destiny.

The small detail was Tottenham Hotspur had been swept aside. The big picture was Liverpool were now officially Premier League champions and, with great significance, had equalled Manchester United's total of 20 titles.

As Liverpool's team coach emerged from plumes of red smoke blowing towards the stadium on Anfield Road, the smell of sulphur and cordite hanging heavy in the air, the banners and scarves read: "The Most Successful Club In England."

This was a moment 35 years in the making.

Liverpool could celebrate a title win with their own vast support, in their own stadium, in front of the Kop. They had last experienced this sort of elation when Sir Kenny Dalglish, who was watching from the directors' box, led Liverpool to victory over Queens Park Rangers on 28 April 1990.

Jurgen Klopp led them to the Premier League title in 2020, but the celebrations were played out in the genteel surroundings of Formby Golf Club, and the trophy lift in front of invited family and friends at a deserted Anfield amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

This explained the release of emotion at the final whistle, which had been building up hours before kick-off. It was finally unleashed in a wall of sound - fireworks exploded behind the Kop, another fog of red smoke swept around Anfield accompanied by an outpouring of tears from players and fans alike.

At the heart of it all was head coach Arne Slot, the modest Dutchman who has made the so-called impossible task of succeeding Jurgen Klopp look so easy.

It had been 343 days since Klopp said his Anfield farewell, attempting to ease the air of uncertainty about his departure swirling around Liverpool by singing a song in honour of his soon-to-be-anointed successor.

The tune echoed around Anfield throughout this 5-1 win, and Slot delivered his own version in tribute to Klopp as ecstasy unfolded around him.

"To replace Jurgen is a big job and the manager did it in his own way and deserves a lot of credit," said captain Virgil van Dijk.

"I don't think anyone from the outside world thought we would be Premier League champions."

Liverpool manager Arne Slot paid tribute to his predecessor Jurgen Klopp moments after his side won the Premier League title.

The Reds defeated Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 at Anfield on Sunday to clinch a record-equalling 20th top-flight title, with Slot becoming the first Dutch coach to win the Premier League.

"It feels great. I don't think I want to say a lot. The only thing now is to send my appreciation to Jurgen Klopp," Slot, who replaced Klopp as Liverpool manager last summer, told LFCTV.

The 46-year-old immediately launched into a rendition of the song Klopp asked Liverpool fans to sing after his final game last May, but replaced the lyrics 'Arne Slot' with 'Jurgen Klopp'.

"I am 99.9% sure that if I pick up my phone there will be a message from Jurgen," he told BBC Match of the Day.

"So many moments in the season the two of us have had contact. I think he showed last season what a wonderful human being he is by introducing me.

"But what mattered most is the team he left behind that was able to win the trophy."

Slot, speaking to Sky Sports, added: "The work Jurgen and Pep [Lijnders] did - the culture, work-rate, quality - was outstanding,"

What we know about the Vancouver car ramming attack

1 hour ago Share Save Bernd Debusmann Jr BBC News, Washington Share Save

Reuters

At least 11 people were killed after a suspected car ramming attack in the Canadian city of Vancouver on Saturday. The incident, which took place at the annual Lapu Lapu festival which celebrates Filipino culture, also left dozens of people injured. A 30-year-old male suspect has been taken into custody. An investigation into the attack has been launched. Here's what we know so far.

What happened?

The attack took place at approximately 20:14 local time on Saturday (03:14 GMT on Sunday) at an event marking Lapu Lapu Day, which is celebrated every year on 27 April. Police later said that tens of thousands of people had been in attendance at the festival. Follow live updates here Festival-goers said a single vehicle was involved in the attack, which took place on East 43rd Avenue and Fraser in the south of Vancouver. Witnesses later reported that the vehicle struck pedestrians at the event, at least some of whom were in an area that was being used by food trucks. The driver of the vehicle was apprehended by bystanders, and then taken into custody by police officers.

What is the Lapu Lapu festival?

The Lapu Lapu Festival in Vancouver, and similar festivals in the Philippines and around the world, take place every year to commemorate Lapu-Lapu, a national hero who resisted Spanish colonisation in the 1500s. Also known as Lapulapu, Lapu Lapu was an indigenous chief of Mactan, an island in the Philippines. In 1521, he and his men defeated Spanish forces led by Ferdinand Magellan and some of his native allies at the battle of Mactan, delaying Spanish occupation of the region for over 40 years. He is considered a hero in the modern-day Philippines, and monuments in his honour are common around the country. Several Filipino government organisations - such as the national police service - use his image on their seals. Lapu Lapu Day was officially recognised by the government of British Columbia in 2023. Filipinos form one of the largest immigrant groups in the province.

Who were the victims?

So far, very little is known about the identity of those were were killed and wounded in the attack. In a brief news conference on Saturday, acting Vancouver police chief Steve Rai said that men, women and young people were among the victims. Their ages range from five to 65, he added. The attack has deeply affected Vancouver's tight-knit Filipino community. RJ Aquino, the head of the Filipino BC organisation, said that "last night was extremely difficult and the community will feel this for a long time." "We know that there's a lot of questions floating about and we don't have all the answers, but we want to tell everybody that we're grieving," he added.

Who is the suspect?

Urgent care worse than pre-pandemic, think tank says

33 minutes ago Share Save Hugh Pym • @bbcHughPym Health editor Share Save

EPA

A leading health think tank says urgent and emergency care in England is performing "far worse" than before the pandemic. The Health Foundation argues that the NHS was "in distress" this winter with A&E waiting times reaching a record high. The group says it would be wrong just to blame relatively high levels of flu. The government is due to publish an urgent and emergency care plan soon. The Department for Health and Social Care said that hospitals were "feeling the strain" but that it was taking "decisive action" to prevent winter crises.

The Health Foundation report on the recent winter says that the number of people waiting 12 hours or more in A&E after a decision to admit to a ward was the highest since modern records began. It topped 60,000 in January, or 11% of emergency admissions. The report says that a familiar problem remains as acute as ever – delays discharging patients from hospital who are fit to leave. This, it says, made bottlenecks worse in A&E and for ambulances trying to hand over patients and that delays for those handovers were worse than in previous winters.

The authors acknowledge that flu cases in hospitals were higher than usual but no worse than in the winter of 2022-23 – though the number took longer to fall than in that year. Hospital patients with the winter vomiting bug norovirus were also more numerous than in many winters. But hospital admissions for the respiratory virus RSV were similar to previous winters, and Covid admissions remained relatively low. Overall emergency hospital admissions fell slightly compared to the previous winter, as did the number of people going into major A&E units. The authors argue that the NHS should be prepared for winters like this one and that blaming external factors such as winter bugs risked offering "false comfort" about the state of the health service. Tim Gardner, assistant director at the Health Foundation, said an annual winter crisis did not have to be inevitable and the analysis should be a "wake up call to the government to focus on the underlying issues".

PA Media

"No," he said. "The damage would be minimum. It's not going to confuse [that] the season has been good. The club has to take the decision, the right ones, so next season will be better.

"We are a thousand million points behind Liverpool. I said many times the season hasn't been good because we define if the season is good or not with the Premier League.

"This season it could not happen, at the same time we tried to avoid the damage. We have to be calm now and recover."

Lewis' second-minute goal put City in control, with the England international impressing in midfield, having been pushed up from his regular full-back role.

The 20-year-old believes his side are now moving in the right direction after their faltering mid-season form proved costly in domestic and European competitions.

"We can go on about excuses but it wasn't good enough at the start of the season and now we're picking ourselves back up and we've got momentum," said Lewis. "We've got the chance of a trophy now and hopefully be in the top four to take into next season.

"We showed character, this season we showed character. It's not been smooth sailing but we have picked ourselves up and shown we are a top team.

"We have top players and we can get through tough situations. Now we are on the up we can take it into next season."

Goals from Rico Lewis and Josko Gvardiol help Manchester City brush aside a luckless Nottingham Forest to reach a third successive FA Cup final.

READ MORE: Manchester City beat Nottingham Forest to reach FA Cup final

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Daniel Dubois and Oleksandr Usyk will fight to become the undisputed world heavyweight champion at Wembley Stadium on 19 July.

Briton Dubois is the IBF champion, with Usyk holding the WBA (Super), WBO and WBC belts.

Usyk is undefeated in 23 fights and beat Dubois, 27, via a ninth-round stoppage in August 2023.

The 38-year-old Ukrainian made history in May 2024 when he beat Tyson Fury to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era.

Usyk, who was also undisputed at cruiserweight, vacated the IBF belt prior to his rematch with Fury in December.

Dubois was upgraded to IBF champion as a result and successfully defended the belt against Anthony Joshua last September.

He was set to make a second defence against Joseph Parker in February but illness forced him to withdraw from the bout in fight week.

"This is the fight I wanted and demanded and now I get my chance for revenge," said Dubois.

"I should have won the first fight and was denied by the judgement of the referee, so I will make no mistake this time around in front of my people at the national stadium in my home city.

"I am a superior and more dangerous fighter now and Usyk will find this out for himself."

No British boxer has held the undisputed heavyweight title in the four-belt era, and the last Briton to be undisputed heavyweight champion was Lennox Lewis in 1999.

Usyk last competed in December when he earned a second win against Fury.

"I'm grateful to God for the opportunity to once again fight for the undisputed championship," said Usyk.

"Thank you, Daniel, for taking care of my IBF belt - now I want it back."

"If you had asked Liverpool fans back in August would their team win the Premier League, most would have said no," says former Reds goalkeeper Sander Westerveld.

Jurgen Klopp was always going to be the hardest of acts to follow as manager.

Liverpool supporters were understandably worried about the future when the charismatic German, whose force of personality and success gave him iconic status, announced in January 2024 he was leaving at the end of that season.

Who would undertake the seemingly impossible task of replacing Klopp? Would Liverpool tread water or even go backwards for a season or two while his successor settled in?

"Klopp was a sort of god who changed the club - not just on the pitch but the whole atmosphere," says Westerveld.

Former Reds midfielder Xabi Alonso, who had taken Bayer Leverkusen to the brink of a first Bundesliga title, was strongly linked with a return before announcing he was staying in Germany. That paved the way for Arne Slot's appointment.

"At that moment I didn't even think about Arne," says his fellow Dutchman Westerveld, who has remained friends with Slot since their playing days at Sparta Rotterdam in 2007-08.

"Nobody in England knew an awful lot about him. Everybody who knows football said it was going to be a huge task and that this was an unknown coach who comes from the Netherlands."

Yet the transition from Klopp to Slot has been seamless, culminating in Liverpool winning the title for a record-equalling 20th time.

With 25 wins in 34 games and just two defeats, Slot's side have made top spot their own and have looked down on the rest of the Premier League since 2 November.

And now they are champions - with four games to spare - for just the second time since 1989-90.

Slot, who ruled himself out of the running to become the next Spurs boss while at Feyenoord in May 2023, has joined an elite band of bosses in the Premier League era to have delivered the title in their first season in charge.

Jose Mourinho (2004-05) and Carlo Ancelotti (2009-10) both managed it at Chelsea before Manuel Pellegrini (2013-14) accomplished the feat at Manchester City. The last boss to do so before Slot was Antonio Conte - also at Chelsea - in 2016-17.

"Nobody expected this," says Ian Doyle - chief Liverpool writer for the Liverpool Echo. "In terms of an achievement for a manager in his first season at Liverpool, it has to be right up there."

Neil Atkinson, presenter and CEO of Liverpool fans' podcast and website The Anfield Wrap, says: "I don't think anyone wanted the new manager to come in and try to be a Jurgen Klopp tribute act.

"All Liverpool fans wanted was Slot to be himself - and that's what he has been."