India and Pakistan accuse each other of 'violations' after ceasefire deal

2 hours ago Share Save Alex Kleiderman BBC News Share Save

EPA Damaged vehicles and houses in Jammu, Indian-administered Kashmir, on 10 May 2025

India and Pakistan have accused each other of "violations" hours after the two nations said they had agreed to a ceasefire following days of cross-border military strikes. After sounds of explosions were heard in Indian-administered Kashmir, India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said there had been "repeated violations of the understanding we arrived at". A short while later, Pakistan's foreign ministry said it remained "committed to faithful implementation of a ceasefire...notwithstanding the violations being committed by India in some areas". The fighting between India and Pakistan over the last four days has been the worst military confrontation between the two rivals in decades.

The use of drones, missiles and artillery started when India struck targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir in response to a deadly militant attack in Pahalgam last month. Pakistan had denied any involvement. After four days of cross-border strikes, India and Pakistan said they had agreed on a full and immediate ceasfire. US President Donald Trump announced the news on his Truth Social Platform on Saturday morning. He said it had been brokered by the US. Pakistan's Foreign Minister later confirmed the agreement had been reached by the two countries, adding that "three dozen countries" were involved in the diplomacy. But hours after the announcement, residents - and BBC reporters - in the main Indian-administered Kashmiri cities of Srinagar and Jammu reported hearing the sounds of explosions and seeing flashes in the sky. Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said: "For the last few hours, there have been repeated violations of the understanding we arrived at earlier this evening. "This is a breach of the understanding arrived at earlier today." Misri said India's armed forces was "giving an appropriate response" and he concluded his briefing by "calling upon Pakistan to address these violations". In response, a spokesman for Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: "Pakistan remains committed to faithful implementation of ceasefire between Pakistan and India, announced earlier today. "Notwithstanding the violations being committed by India in some areas, our forces are handling the situation with responsibility and restraint. "We believe that any issues in smooth implementation of the ceasefire should be addressed through communication at appropriate levels. "The troops on ground should also exercise restraint."

India confirms ceasefire with Pakistan

Kyiv ceasefire talks a 'significant moment', says Starmer

3 hours ago Share Save Henry Zeffman Chief political correspondent Jessica Rawnsley BBC News Share Save

BBC

Sir Keir Starmer has said that the outcome of talks between Ukraine's allies in Kyiv marks a "significant moment" in the push to secure a ceasefire in its conflict with Russia - but admitted it was not "the end of the process". Speaking to the BBC in Kyiv following a virtual meeting of the "coalition of the willing", the UK prime minister said "we haven't seen unity like this pretty well throughout the conflict". Around 30 global leaders reasserted their call for Russia to agree to a 30-day unconditional ceasefire from Monday, threatening "massive" sanctions if it does not comply. Noting other conflicts including India-Pakistan hostilities, Sir Keir said "we are living in a more uncertain world" that "requires leadership stepping up".

Watch: Starmer asked by BBC if Ukraine ceasefire talks are just an act of symbolism

The UK prime minister joined French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk for the meeting, which was hosted by Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelensky. Other members of the "coalition of the willing" participated remotely, including Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Canadian PM Mark Carney, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and Mark Rutte, the secretary-general of Nato. In a phone call with Donald Trump following the meeting, the US president reportedly reaffirmed his support for the ceasefire, after Vladimir Putin rejected his initial proposal in March. Sir Keir said Trump was "absolutely clear that this is a demand that must be met". The leaders assembled in Kyiv warned that "new and massive" sanctions will be imposed on Russia's energy and banking sectors if Putin does not agree to the unconditional 30-day ceasefire "in the air, at sea and on land". Sir Keir told the BBC that "material progress" had been made during the meeting. "We've been able to collectively get to a much better position and a more unified position today that holds out a better prospect of a ceasefire," he said. "You've got unity in the demand, but also unity in what the response will be if the demand is not met. We haven't seen that sort of unity during this conflict." "I'm not going to pretend this is the end of the process but this is a significant moment we now need to push on and make sure this happens," he added. Further coordinating sanctions on Russian oil, fossil fuels and other assets would make a "material difference", the prime minister said. The Kremlin reacted to the proposal by accusing European leaders of making "contradictory" and "generally confrontational" remarks about Russia. Press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Ukraine's allies must stop sending weapons to Ukraine before any ceasefire can happen - something European leaders have rejected - before later saying Russia would consider the proposal. "We have to think about this. This is a new development," state-run Russian news agency Tass reported Peskov as saying.

'WeightWatchers set me up to fail' - Why diet industry is losing to jabs like Ozempic

7 hours ago Share Save Ruth Clegg Health and wellbeing reporter Share Save

BBC Symone, who used to be a WeightWatchers member, now uses weight loss jab Mounjaro

Symone has been using weight loss injections for nearly a year. She says they have done what the diet industry could never do for her - free her from a life controlled by food. From a very young age, the 34-year-old could not switch off the constant noise in her head. When would her next meal come? What would it be? Would there be enough for her? "The food noise was just so loud, it could be unbearable," she says. "I have tried every single diet going - I've done Atkins, eating clean, SlimFast, Slimming World, meal-replacement shakes - you name it - I've done it and none have them worked for me." Several years ago, weighing 16st (102kg), she was one of the many millions who signed up to WeightWatchers, downloading the app and meticulously following its points plan, scanning in everything she ate and staying within her daily points budget. WeightWatchers attributes points to food and drink, stating that it uses a "groundbreaking algorithm" to assess their nutritional makeup and then uses a point system to inform its members which food is better to eat. But after a few weeks, Symone says she started to feel like she was being set up to fail. "How could I lose weight long term if I had to follow this mad points system? Food is not measured in points - it's measured in calories, fat, macro nutrients. "I felt trapped, and the more research I did, the more I educated myself, the more I thought this is not for me." The only thing that has ever worked in her quest to lose weight, she says, is weight loss injection Mounjaro, which she started using nearly a year ago. "I was at my heaviest, just over 21 stone, and the doctor told me I was pre-diabetic. I knew something had to change - I've got two children who depend on me too."

Symone felt disappointed with using point-based systems for food and drink

She was advised to start on the weight loss medication but with a two-year wait, she decided to buy it privately online and within just a few days, she was crying with relief. "I couldn't believe that I had control over food. For the first time, I wasn't panicking about when I would next eat." Weight loss jabs work by mimicking a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which suppresses people's appetites and makes them feel full. Symone has now lost 4st 7lb (26kg) and is losing weight gradually, documenting her experiences on social media. "I don't want a quick fix," she says, "I'm using weight loss injections to give me the control I never had."

Lost a million members

For many, weight loss jabs can produce rapid results, but some experts are concerned about the meteoric rise in their popularity and how people will be affected by them long term - both physically and mentally. At its peak, WeightWatchers was seen as being synonymous with safe and controlled weight loss. With 4.5million subscribers globally, its workshops were held in most towns, on most high streets, popping up in local church halls - they were everywhere. Now, after dominating the diet industry for more than half a century, it has lost more than a million members and filed for bankruptcy, struggling to compete in a market transformed by social media influencers and weight loss injections. The company has stressed that it is not going out of business and that filing for bankruptcy will help it resolve its debt of $1.25bn (£860m). In a statement, the brand says its weight loss programme (which also includes its own brand of weight loss jabs) and weight loss workshops will continue. The company says it has been the brand with the most scientific backing in the diet industry for over 60 years, and that there have been more than 180 published studies showing the effectiveness of its approach. WeightWatchers says it uses an "holistic model of care" to support "the whole person" with "access to obesity-trained clinicians and registered dietitians".

It is also one of several companies GPs can use for weight loss referrals, with the NHS paying for patients to attend weekly meetings in the community. "It's no longer about calorie control and diets," Deanne Jade, clinical director of the National Centre for Eating Disorders, told the BBC. "There's a new movement out there and it's all about wellbeing. "People like to move in tribes – it used to be the WeightWatchers tribe, counting points and calories, now millions follow different ways to lose weight or be healthy through social media influencers, through weight loss drugs, and they're forming new tribes." She is not convinced that medication will be the answer that so many are looking for. "None of these pharmaceutical interventions protect people from regaining the weight when they stop injecting." She believes they are not a quick fix, and that the best way to effectively lose weight and keep it off is to understand the psychological reasons behind overeating.

Reuters Some people are turning to weight loss injections like Mounjaro

More holistic approach

Dr Joanne Silver, lead psychologist at the London-based eating disorder clinic, Orri, agrees. She says the weight loss injections "completely silence what the body is asking for", which is counterintuitive to understanding what the body needs. "People can binge eat because of psychological reasons – they can use food to manage their emotions, to soothe themselves. "Eating disorders are not just about food." Food and nutrition have become just one part of a more holistic approach so many are now adopting when it comes to their overall wellbeing. Jennifer Pybis, a fitness coach based in Liverpool, works with clients both online and in person. She says achieving a healthy lifestyle is not just about hitting a target weight. "I encourage the women I work with to consider lots of ways to measure their progress rather than just jumping on the scales. "Thinking about how they feel, comparing photographs of themselves to see how their bodies have changed shape, how their sleep is, their resting heart rate, their improvements in the gym - all of that is so important."

Jennifer Pybis Jennifer Pybis says measuring weight loss success isn't just about the scales

The diet industry might be transforming but there are many who still prefer the more traditional model of sitting together and sharing their experiences, supporting others in their community to lose weight. In a small church hall in Winsford, Cheshire, a group of women are waiting patiently to get on the scales. Muttering and good-natured laughter can be heard as they share their latest weights with each other. "I've put on a pound! I did have a little bit - well maybe a lot - of wine at the weekend." "Why didn't you have gin?" another one asks, "it's only 55 calories a shot!" They're here for their weekly check-in at the BeeWeighed slimming group. Some of the women have lost several pounds, others have a put on a pound or two, but overall, since joining the class, they have all lost weight. They are learning about how to eat in moderation, how to exercise safely and how to feel good about themselves. At first glance, it could be a WeightWatchers class – women meeting up to share their stories of weight loss and support each other – but there are crucial differences, says BeeWeighed owner and founder Lynda Leadbetter. She was a group leader for WeightWatchers for 18 years but left to set up her own group in 2018.

Lynda Leadbetter believes WeightWatchers 'lost its way'

"I think WeightWatchers did provide something different and something hopeful for so many women but I think it has lost its way," she says. "I teach nutrition, I educate, I don't sell anything extra. I feel WeightWatchers became about selling extra products, it was always about pushing those extra sales, and not about supporting people to lose weight properly." She's sceptical about the effectiveness of weight loss medications, and some members who have turned to the likes of Ozempic and WeGovy have left her groups, but many have stayed – continuing to attend the meetings for support while using weight loss injections.

Members of BeeWeighed attend a weekly in-person check-in

Southampton fans have had precious few moments to be happy about this season as they slumped to a pitiful relegation a full fortnight before Easter.

But their class of 2025 have at least avoided becoming an addition to a pub quiz question after moving past Derby County's record Premier League low total of 11 points from 2007-08.

Southampton may have been up against it at the end of the 0-0 draw at home to Manchester City but held on to move to 12 points for the season.

Just generationally poor, instead of all-timers.

Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, no stranger to a relegation, was quiet for most of the game as Pep Guardiola's side failed to move out of first gear to worry him.

But as the clock ticked towards added time he was called into action, tipping away a header from Ruben Dias and then beaten by Omar Marmoush's dipping strike which bounced off the crossbar.

Saints marked the draw with a message to Derby on social media, saying "Sorry if we got your hopes up".

And Ramsdale added: "Not one person outside our dressing room thought we could do anything today and rightly so. People thought we would get zero points for the rest of the season, it was down to us.

"Everyone knows it's been a difficult season for us. The sun was shining, Man City threw everything at us. That one was for the fans.

"We're not happy at all with how the season has gone but we are definitely happy with the fact we have managed to avoid that record.

"We are under no illusion it's still not a great points tally, but it's that one off our back."

Not that Man City defender Ruben Dias was impressed...

"It's frustrating," Dias said. "In a moment like this every point matters. And it is frustrating to play against a team like this.

"They don't even try anything, they just sit and they don't even want to win the game. They just want to be there. It is no good for the show and no good for themselves. It is no good for anyone but it is what it is."

Plaque to be 'reminder of the pain of forced adoption'

6 hours ago Share Save Alex Green BBC News, South West Tamsin Melville BBC Spotlight Share Save

BBC The plaque is on an external wall of Rosemundy House, now a hotel, but formerly a home for unmarried mothers

Victims of forced adoption have gathered in Cornwall for a public event condemning the treatment of unmarried mothers in post-war Britain. They unveiled a plaque at Rosemundy House in St Agnes - formerly a home for unmarried mothers - while calling for a formal "adoption apology" from the government. Dr Phil Frampton, who was born at the Rosemundy Mother and Baby Home in 1953, said: "We want an apology, not only for the mothers but also for their children who suffered." Lyn Rodden, from Camborne, who was one of those forced to give up her baby, said: "It means everything that we've been recognised at last."

'Struggle for an apology'

It is estimated up to 250,000 women in Britain were forced to give up their babies in the decades after World War Two. Campaigners also want "restorative actions" from the government, such as providing counselling and search support for mothers and those forcibly adopted. Dr Frampton, a member of the Rosemundy Commemoration Committee, said he spent years in foster care after he was separated from his mother as a baby. He said: "It's really pleasing to be here today, it's the start of a new chapter in the struggle for an apology for all those unmarried mothers who suffered in the post-war period."

Phil Frampton was born at Rosemundy Mother and Baby Home in 1953

Mr Frampton said the day was "part of a day of healing, part of a day of recognising the grief of those mothers..." He added: "This is not something that's just in the past, for a lot of women they lived with this, you hear women today 80, 88 years old, who are still having to live with what happened, and the children live with it, and families live with it." Mr Frampton said it was "important" to be able to give the mothers, children, and families affected by forced adoptions "a sense of relief and release". Another plaque is due to be unveiled by the campaigners in Kendal, Cumbria, on 23 May.

'Cried all the way home'

In September 1956, 19-year-old Lyn Rodden from Camborne, Cornwall, gave birth to her son at the Rosemundy home. She said she was forced to get on a train and take her son to Bath to be adopted. Ms Rodden said: "For everybody else the parents came here and took them away from here, but I had to get on a train and take my son up to Bath, and leave him in an office. "A woman just came out and said 'name' and 'I'll take the baby' and she took him into the back office, came out and said 'hurry up' she said, 'catch your train' she said, 'and back to St Agnes, you'll be there for another six weeks'. "That was it. I cried all the way home..."

Lyn Rodden gave birth at the Rosemundy Mother and Baby Home in 1956

Ms Rodden said she was eventually reunited with her son 50 years later when he found her. "[It was] like the final piece of a jigsaw being fitted," she said. She added: "To think that although slavery was abolished in the 1800s, a Dickensian way of life was gone, but not at Rosemundy. "It was still in the past, and that was it really, and it means everything that we've been recognised at last..." A Government spokesperson said: "This abhorrent practice should never have taken place, and our deepest sympathies are with all those affected. "We take this issue extremely seriously and continue to engage with those impacted to provide support."

Newscast

India and Pakistan Agree Ceasefire

And European leaders push for another for Ukraine.

"I said from the start when I joined the club, that's what I had my eyes on," says Ollie Watkins.

Now it's official. He is Aston Villa's record Premier League goalscorer.

Watkins' winner against Bournemouth was his 75th league goal for the club and moved him one clear of Gabby Agbonlahor's previous record haul.

It marks a dramatic return to favour for the 29-year-old, who joined from Brentford in 2020.

When he equalled Agbonlahor's record in April, Watkins said he was "fuming" with his lack of game time - calling out his manager Unai Emery.

But, four matches later, he's once again Villa's main man with his boss calling his achievement "very fantastic".

"He deserves it completely because he is a hard worker," said Emery. "He is committed with Aston Villa.

"His courage has been fantastic and to achieve it is very fantastic. I am so, so grateful to have a player like him."

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says his side will have to "fight until the end" in the race to secure a Champions League spot after slipping up on Saturday.

City could have taken a huge step towards sealing a top-five spot, but drew 0-0 at rock bottom Southampton.

They are now only two points above Newcastle and Chelsea - who meet on Sunday - plus Aston Villa, who beat Bournemouth on Saturday evening.

Seventh-placed Nottingham Forest, who play relegated Leicester on Sunday, are four points behind City.

After the Saints draw, Guardiola said his side had three cup finals left - including next weekend's actual FA Cup final against Crystal Palace.

"I didn't expect differently from a month ago, that it's a fight until the end," he said.

City could find themselves outside the Champions League places before they play in the league again (against Bournemouth on Tuesday, 20 May) - because most of their rivals will have played once or twice before then.

Only champions Liverpool have sealed a Champions League place so far but second-placed Arsenal, who visit Anfield on Sunday, will hope to soon join them.

Saturday's results meant Aston Villa guaranteed European football next season and manager Unai Emery said: "[The Champions League] is the best competition in the world. [To qualify] through the Premier League, it's very difficult with lots of teams competing very well and they have more points than us.

"We are going to fight for it. First objective clearly is to qualify for Europe again and we've achieved that today."

"Consistency" was the word repeatedly used by Bompastor to sum up Chelsea's campaign but it has not been easy.

With the former Lyon boss stepping into the big shoes left by Emma Hayes, the squad went through what they described as a "transitional season", bedding in new players and adapting to the new manager's style and coaching methods.

Hayes herself was one of the first to congratulate Chelsea, posting on Instagram that their achievements were "so, so deserved".

The results were immaculate but not the performances - they won by one-goal margins on 10 occasions and trailed four times during the season.

Of their 56 goals, 17 came in the last 15 minutes of matches (30.4% of their total), and eight were scored in stoppage time.

Between 26 January and 2 March, they dropped two points and won four successive matches by a one-goal margin in a period where they had to grind out results.

"It is sometimes difficult to describe my feelings and emotions. We had the right mentality from the beginning of the season until the end," said Bompastor.

"We have been consistent even when sometimes performances were not the best - we always found a way to win and get the three points.

"I think maybe the game we had against Arsenal [in January] was probably when we started to realise we were in a really good position to win the league.

"The second part of the season was more difficult because we were not as dominant as we would have liked to have been.

"For me, it is a great achievement because we were able to be consistent, unbeaten, and in this league it means a lot because it is really competitive."

All-in-all, Chelsea's title was never in doubt as they finished 12 points clear with 19 wins and three draws.

They won six of their six matches against the other top-four sides - Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City.

The only times they dropped points were in three draws against Leicester (1-1), Brighton (2-2) and West Ham (2-2).

They remain, as they have done for the past five years, the best team in England.

Will Man Utd or Spurs save their season and who needs it more? Video, 00:02:54Will Man Utd or Spurs save their season and who needs it more?

Hull KR have gone 40 years without a major trophy and lifted their only Challenge Cup even further back, in 1980.

But their hopes are sky high with Rovers sitting top of Super League and now in their ninth Challenge Cup final after an emphatic second-half display.

KR showed first as both sides ignored the unusually high spring temperatures and went full-tilt in a breathless first half.

Batchelor chased down Lewis' kick through to score after Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet failed to punch the ball out of the in-goal area, and then added a hotly-debated second try after a lengthy video review.

Matthieu Laguerre appeared to ground the ball at the same time as the second-rower, but video referee Ben Thaler could not overrule Chris Kendall's on-field decision to award the try.

Dragons offered little in attack in the opening 15 minutes but then exploded into life, as Smith cut back inside to split open the Rovers defence and cross near the posts.

And when Keary chased down a chip ahead soon after, Thaler did this time overrule Kendall - who had called offside - as the Dragons pinched the lead.

Catalans went close to extending that lead moments later, but Julian Bousquet's rash flicked offload just metres from the line instead found a Rovers hand.

But the match turned again before half-time as Jai Whitbread's brilliant offload in the tackle sent Lewis flying over to restore the Hull KR advantage.

Lewis booted a penalty as Rovers piled on the pressure after the restart and then cracked the French side when Broadbent spotted a gap and launched a scorching diagonal run through to the posts.

Jez Litten's thrilling run from his own half sparked a breathless move which fell just short, but KR killed the game with 10 minutes left as Catalans visibly wilted.

Kelepi Tanginoa was sent clear by Lewis' cut-out pass and fed Burgess, whose pass inside gave Broadbent a clear run to the line. Burgess then ran in at the left corner for try number six.

Have you ever packed your swimming costume to go and watch live football?

Season tickets in Fulham's Riverside Stand can already cost up to £3,000 - the highest in the league - and a new eight-tier hospitality section opened this weekend offering Michelin star menus, rooftop pool access on the three-floor 'Sky Deck', sweeping views across the River Thames and London, plus the best halfway line seats.

Fulham is owned by US billionaire Shahid Khan and there is no doubt this an American sport-inspired hospitality experience - but it's actually more akin to a five-star hotel or a cruise ship, than other elite stadium hospitality like Tottenham or Everton's new ground.

BBC Sport was invited to take a look around on Saturday, as Fulham lost 3-1 to Everton.

The rooftop pool hadn't been finished - although you can't actually see the pitch from the pool. But that's deliberate. Watching the football feels almost like an afterthought.

Architect Phillip Johnson of the firm Populous explains: "Usually when you build a new stand you try to maximise the view of the pitch. The Riverside Stands switches the focus to the river.

"It means it is designed unusually for a football ground. We took from the tradition of rowing and boat houses down in Putney."

And project director Glen Sutton said: "We thought way less about the average football experience. The design of this is much more similar to world class hotels, cruise chips or restaurants than anything in football."

On non-matchdays, the stand remains open and also becomes a private members' club - targeted at local residents in the wealthy part of west London where Craven Cottage is situated.

The new Riverside Stand facilities are directly opposite the Johnny Haynes Stand. Built in 1905, it is the oldest stand in English football and a Grade II listed building, offering real heritage - but limiting opportunities to modernise that part of the ground.

Fulham chief executive Alistair Mackintosh explained: "Fulham has always been blessed with a wonderful location but until today not had wonderful hospitality.

"This has been a long time coming. We wanted the best stand in the world. Going way back, this was a real vision for me - but we had delays with Covid, and needing a lease for the River Thames.

"I spoke to the Fulham Supporters' Trust when I first started 17 years ago, and they said two things were important to them. First, sustainability and then staying at Craven Cottage.

"They had moved before and it wasn't right. The owner Shahid Khan took the vision and put it on steroids."

Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott suffered a fractured jaw from what manager Andoni Iraola described as a "very violent" elbow by Aston Villa's Tyrone Mings.

The 21-year-old midfielder went down in the sixth minute after being caught by Mings' right elbow in Saturday's Premier League defeat at Vitality Stadium.

Scott required lengthy treatment but continued to play, before going to ground again holding his face after an incident involving Amadou Onana, and was subsequently replaced at half-time.

Aston Villa were reduced to 10 men with 10 minutes to play when Jacob Ramsey was shown a second yellow card, but Mings did not receive a caution, to Iraola's dismay.

"The second yellow that Ramsey received is not a second yellow," the Spaniard told BBC Sport. "Tyrone Mings knows what he is doing, he knew where Alex was. It was very violent.

"The value of a red card in the sixth minute or the 80th minute is very different. He sees Alex coming and for me it is very dangerous.

"I hope he can finish the season but I really don't know. He was almost knocked out. After the elbow we didn't know if he could continue. He wanted to continue but he was not 100%. It [was] a very violent elbow."

Will Man Utd or Spurs save their season and who needs it more? Video, 00:02:54Will Man Utd or Spurs save their season and who needs it more?