Gaza health workers say four killed by Israeli gunfire near aid centre

26 minutes ago Share Save Sebastian Usher BBC News Reporting from Jerusalem Share Save

Reuters Several deadly incidents have taken place near aid distribution centres in Gaza (file photo)

At least four Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire as they were heading to an aid distribution centre, health workers in Gaza have said. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said troops had directed warning shots after issuing a verbal challenge at a group that was moving towards them and was deemed a threat. It is the latest deadly incident to occur near aid distribution points in Gaza that have been set up by a new organisation, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which is backed by Israel and the US. The IDF said it was aware of reports that people had been injured, adding: "The number... does not align with the information currently held by the IDF."

The latest incident occurred before dawn near an aid distribution site close to Rafah in the south of Gaza. Palestinian paramedics said they had evacuated four people who were killed, as crowds gathered in the hope the aid centre would open and they could get food. One woman said her husband was shot in the head as he was waiting to collect food for their family. The Israeli army has declared that Palestinians should only move to and from the GHF distribution sites between 06:00 and 18:00 local time - and that at all other times it should be considered an "active combat zone". The GHF has said it opened three sites on Sunday - one in central Gaza at 06:00 and then two more in Rafah at noon.

Italy citizenship referendum: 'I was born here - but feel rejected'

7 hours ago Share Save Sarah Rainsford Europe correspondent Reporting from Rome Share Save

Corbis via Getty Images The referendum has polarised the country

Sonny Olumati was born in Rome and has lived in Italy all his life but the country he calls home does not recognise him as its own. To Italy, Sonny is Nigerian, like his passport, and the 39-year-old is only welcome as long as his latest residence permit. "I've been born here. I will live here. I will die here," the dancer and activist tells me in what he calls "macaroni" Italian-English beneath the palm trees of a scruffy Roman park. "But not having citizenship is like... being rejected from your country. And I don't think this is a feeling we should have". That is why Sonny and others have been campaigning for a "Yes" vote in a national referendum on Sunday and Monday that proposes halving the time required to apply for Italian citizenship. Any children under 18 would automatically be naturalised along with their parents. Cutting the wait from 10 years to five would bring this country in line with most others in Europe and, proponents argue, improve integration. The referendum was initiated by a citizens' initiative and is supported by civil society groups. But for such a referendum to be valid, 50% of all voters in Italy have to turn up. Giorgia Meloni, the country's hard-right prime minister, has announced she will boycott the vote, declaring the citizenship law already "excellent" and "very open". Other parties allied to her are calling on Italians to go to the beach instead of the polling station. Sonny will not be taking part either. Without citizenship, he is not entitled to vote.

Sonny Olumati was born in Italy - but still has no citizenship at 39

The question of who gets to be Italian is a sensitive one. Large numbers of migrants and refugees arrive in the country each year helped across the Mediterranean from North Africa by smuggling gangs. Meloni's populist government has made a big deal about cutting the number of arrivals. But this referendum is aimed at those who have travelled legally for work to a country with a rapidly shrinking and ageing population. The aim is limited: to speed up the process for getting citizenship, not ease the strict criteria. "Knowledge of the Italian language, not having criminal charges, continuous residence et cetera - all the various requirements remain the same," explains Carla Taibi of the liberal party More Europe, one of several backers of the referendum. The reform would affect long-term foreign residents already employed in Italy and their families: from those on factory production lines in the north to those caring for pensioners in plush Rome neighbourhoods.

Insaf Dimassi says that "not being seen as a citizen is extremely painful and frustrating"

Up to 1.4 million people could qualify for citizenship immediately, with some estimates ranging higher. "These people live in Italy, study and work and contribute. This is about changing the perception of them so they are not strangers anymore - but Italian," argues Taibi. The reform would also have practical implications. As a non-Italian, Sonny cannot apply for a public sector job, and even struggled to get a driving licence. When he was booked for hit reality TV show Fame Island last year, he ended up arriving two weeks late on set in Honduras because he had had so many problems getting the right paperwork. For a long time, Meloni ignored the referendum entirely. Italy's publicly owned media, run by a close Meloni ally, have also paid scant attention to the vote. There is no substantive "No" campaign, making it hard to have a balanced debate. But the real reason appears strategic.

Reuters Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says she will turn up at a polling station - but will not cast a vote

"They don't want to raise awareness of the significance of the referendum," Professor Roberto D'Alimonte of Luiss University in Rome explains. "That's rational, to make sure that the 50% threshold won't be reached." The prime minister eventually announced she would turn up at a polling station "to show respect for the ballot box" - but refuse to cast a vote. "When you disagree, you also have the option of abstaining," Meloni told a TV chat show this week, after critics accused her of disrespecting democracy. Italy's citizenship system was "excellent", she argued, already granting citizenship to more foreign nationals than most countries in Europe: 217,000 last year, according to the national statistics agency, Istat. But about 30,000 of those were Argentines with Italian ancestry on the other side of the world, unlikely even to visit. Meanwhile, Meloni's coalition partner, Roberto Vannacci of the far-right League, accused those behind the referendum of "selling off our citizenship and erasing our identity". I ask Sonny why he thinks his own application for citizenship has taken over two decades. "It's racism," he replies immediately. At one point his file was lost completely, and he has now been told his case is "pending". "We have ministers who talk about white supremacy - racial replacement of Italy," the activist recalls a 2023 comment by the agriculture minister from Meloni's own party. "They don't want black immigration and we know it. I was born here 39 years ago so I know what I say." It is an accusation the prime minister has denied repeatedly.

A vote "Yes" leaflet" in Padua, northern Italy

Chappell Roan's Apple dance, and other Primavera moments

This weekend, music fans have been soaking up the sun and the beats at Primavera Sound in Barcelona, one of Europe's biggest festivals.

Headlining the festival were three mega stars: Chappell Roan, Charli XCX and Sabrina Carpenter, also known as the "Powerpuff Girls" of pop.

The stellar line-up also included Haim, Wolf Alice, Jamie xx and CMAT.

If you weren't lucky enough to get tickets, here's a flavour of what the weekend looked like...

Labour tiptoed cautiously through its first year - will it now decide to escape its own shadow?

6 hours ago Share Save Faisal Islam • @faisalislam Economics editor Share Save

BBC

The strategising and multi-year planning going on ahead of this week's Spending Review is the bread and butter of any well-run economy. A Spending Review shows how resources are being allocated between departments and so indicates the government's "when-push-comes-to-shove" priorities. But this time it will be a "different sort of Spending Review", the chancellor's helpers are saying. That's because with the new government nearly one year old, this Spending Review is also a one-off opportunity to show the private sector and international investors that it has a confident, deliverable vision. But having tiptoed cautiously throughout its first year in office, the question is whether this government can convince those potential investors that the economic vision is real? And will other long-term challenges, such as industrial energy prices, social care costs, and worker illness be prioritised or parked?

'Stop playing tiny domestic politics'

Some chief executives tell me they cannot fathom why a government with such a huge majority can sometimes appear to be scared of its own shadow. There had been talk of Downing Street "wanting to have fights" over planning for major projects. But companies that have major investors waiting to invest in the factories that could start rolling out the mass adoption of green technologies are wondering whether Downing Street really will back them, given the polls, and possible net zero backlash. "They need to stop playing tiny domestic politics," one boss of a major consumer company told me, as he awaits a convincing solid vision.

WPA Pool/ Getty Images Potential investors are wondering if Downing Street will really back them

It is with big investors in mind that the chancellor's focus at this spending review has been on long-term capital spending - that's where the big numbers come in. The proportion of the country's GDP that is being earmarked for capital spending, is 2.7% on a five-year average. If that doesn't strike you as eye-watering, it's worth noting it will be at its highest sustained level for nearly half a century. It will be significantly higher than under Brown-Darling in 2010. In 2000 this number was 0.5%. Of course, allocating significant sums is not a guarantee that the money will be spent effectively, or even at all. Spending on capital is often subject to the rollercoaster of short-term government priorities. In a crisis it tends to be the first thing to get hacked back, because the loss of future buildings or roads or rail lines is less politically troublesome than cutting back a public service or, say, teachers' pay in the here and now. That's why under the chancellor's new borrowing rules, the money can at least be allocated to big capital projects. Her reforms to those rules - keeping them strict on day-to-day spending, but consciously allowing more space for long-term investment - were designed for this. The main goal being future growth.

Time to 'rewire the state'

Long-term certainty over the capital sums that are being allocated over the next week or so, could be a gamechanger. Private investment is more likely to follow if there are long-term plans in place, especially after so many years of political uncertainty. As part of all this, the chief secretary to the Treasury is also announcing increases in spending on research and development. That is designed to boost science-led growth. But the marquee project for this announcement will surely be the long-awaited high-speed rail line between Liverpool and Manchester. It is a piece of infrastructure forged in the fires of the UK's industrial heritage, including the world's first inter-city passenger line, and of course Stephenson's Rocket, the original steam locomotive. Now, 200 years on from its launch in 1829, it may well be time for another industrial revolution, of sorts.

Reuters Rachel Reeves' team says she will deliver a "different sort of Spending Review"

But make no mistake, the government has still had to make some big choices, even within a more generous capital budget. Most of the increase in defence spending announced last week is in the form of capital spending. When the documents are published on Wednesday, it is possible that some other capital projects will have been squeezed to make room. All departments have also reassessed spending from first principles, as part of a "zero-based" review. In theory there could be entire projects axed. There will also be a lot of "investing to spend less". Using the capital budget to invest in, say, AI scanners in the health service, in a way that ultimately is supposed to save money. The aim, ambitiously put, is to "rewire the state" and "get Britain moving".

It is with this in mind, that the chancellor will promise the government has learnt the lessons of capital spending debacles, such as HS2. She believes that by waiting, and carefully preparing an infrastructure strategy, she is making sure the spending will go where it will most boost growth. Freeing up supply, for example in the planning system, is supposed to help the rebuilding boom, but without provoking inflation.

The long shadow of Covid-19

Those new borrowing rules that freed up spending on big projects, also mean tight settlements on day-to-day spending. The travails of Elon Musk and Donald Trump show the challenges for G7 countries in managing public finances. And Labour are operating in an environment where some opposition parties are now advocating more radical surgery to the size of the state in the UK. Moreover, when it comes to public spending there is still the long shadow from the pandemic. Demand for acute services and benefits related to ill health and care, or special needs, is eating far into budgets for councils, schools and health. The public seems to expect more from the state since the pandemic, even if it does not want to stump up the taxes to pay for it.

PA Media While Rachel Reeves new rules freed up spending on big projects, they also mean tight settlements on day-to-day spending

So budgetary pressures have not gone away. It is, right now, difficult to square extra welfare spending on winter fuel payments and child benefit, extra defence spending, and sticking to the chancellor's rules without some further tax rises in the autumn. Faster growth numbers, and an upturn in confidence after the series of trade deals, could help make the numbers add up, but there are any number of economic uncertainties out there too. While there have been some strained moments in negotiations with Cabinet colleagues, all parties have already negotiated a mini-Spending Review for this year. But that is not to say the chancellor doesn't have to perform a massive balancing act: juggling demands to keep the short-term budget numbers adding up, while unleashing the long-term investment that could finally get the economy growing again.

How brothers survived rip current surf terror

6 hours ago Share Save Duncan Leatherdale BBC News, North East and Cumbria Share Save

BBC Euan and Andrew survived being caught in a rip current

On Saturday 17 May, two brothers got caught in a terrifying rip current at a popular surfing beach in north-east England. They hope sharing their experience will save lives.

It was a great day for a surf, with 5ft-high swells sweeping along the shore at Tynemouth. Euan, 21, and Andrew, 19, were among the dozens dotting the breaking blue waves at Longsands that lunchtime. When they rented their boards from a hire centre at the beach, the pair from Gateshead were advised of the safest spots to surf. But, unwittingly, they were being blown by a northerly wind towards a rip current, a permanent fixture beside the lido at the southern end of the mile-long beach. By the time they realised, it was too late.

Geoff Cowan Longsands has a near-permanent rip current at its southern end, near the lido

Andrew was the first to get caught, he had stayed out on the water while his brother went ashore to get a different surfboard. "I did not really know what was going on," Andrew says. "I was going full pelt and not getting anywhere." When Euan returned, he instantly saw his younger brother was in trouble and went out to try and help him, getting himself caught in the current. "It was like trying to swim on a treadmill," Euan recalls. No matter how hard he swam, he found himself and his brother being pulled out to sea by the current. Both quickly realised how serious their situation was, and it became even more perilous when they began to get separated.

Getty Images Tynemouth is popular with surfers

While each was struggling to keep themselves afloat, they also had the added fear of not knowing what was happening to the other, as they disappeared from each other's view. Their first urge was to panic and swim as hard as they could to get out of their predicament. "I could hear myself panicking but I just knew that would not help me," Euan says. He called at his brother to "just chill", which they laugh about now. But staying calm became key to their survival, the pair remembering the lessons taught to them by their father years before at their local swimming pool. Stay calm and float on your back, conserve energy.

RNLI If caught in a rip current, the advice is not to try and swim against it but rather head to towards the side

Andrew was being bombarded by the breaking waves, tumbling in the tumultuous North Sea. Luckily, he was thrust close to the rocks, which he was able to make a quick burst for and haul himself up on to. But Euan was too far away and being pulled further out to sea. He had seen his brother get out to safety, flooding him with relief, his attention now turning solely to his own predicament. "I was completely helpless," Euan recalls. "I was just very aware no matter how hard or long I swam there was no chance of me fighting this." Neither really knows how long the ordeal lasted or how far they travelled, but it felt like a long time and a long distance.

Euan and Andrew hope their experience will save others from getting caught

They both say they had "pretty scary" and "dark" thoughts during their struggle, principally about what had happened to the other. Several members of the public, including a 10-year-old boy, saw what was happening and called for help. The RNLI Cullercoats team was paged at 12:09 BST, and 11 minutes later four crew members were aboard their boat Daddy's Girl, bursting out into Cullercoats bay and down the coast. Two minutes later they found Euan. He struggles to describe the relief he felt seeing the bright orange boat bearing down on him. "That was a great feeling," he says.

Helen Cowan The Cullercoats RNLI boat is a B class Atlantic called Daddy's Girl

He was hauled over the inflatable side and taken back to the Cullercoats lifeboat station to be checked over and treated with a bag of gummy sweets. He had not realised how cold he was until the paramedics started to look him over. The station's operations manager drove him back to Tynemouth for a reunion with his brother. "We gave each other a big hug," Euan says. Andrew, who was already out of his wetsuit and into his clothes, recalled the relief he felt at seeing his brother tempered by the soggy embrace from Euan's wetsuit. The pair drove home in a daze, Andrew putting I Will Survive on the car's radio. "We were in shock," Euan says. Andrew agrees: "I do not think either of us processed what we had been through."

Getty Images Longsands Beach is a mile long

The rip current that caught them is a near permanent feature of Longsands, caused by the North Sea surging past the 1920s-built concrete lido. It is, according to the RNLI, "topographically constrained", while other rip currents can also regularly form along the beach. Rip currents can reach speeds of 5mph and pull anyone caught in them out to sea. They can be difficult to spot but are "sometimes identified by a channel of churning, choppy water on the sea's surface", the RNLI says. Rip currents are the number one source for lifeguard call-outs, Geoff Cowan, the RNLI Cullercoats safety advisor says. Geoff is full of praise for the brothers, first for their actions in the moment and secondly for speaking out about it afterwards in a bid to boost awareness of the perils of rip currents and what to do if caught in one.

Geoff Cowan (right) and other RNLI volunteers are pleased the brothers are sharing their story

Advice if caught includes to not try and swim against the current, but rather try and head parallel to the shore until free from its grip. The brothers had several things in their favour, Geoff says, including being young and fit and, crucially, they were wearing wetsuits, which provided invaluable buoyancy aid. They also followed the Float to Live protocols, advice issued by the RNLI to prevent drowning. "We want people to enjoy the water but be mindful of what can go wrong and what to do if it does," Geoff says.

The brothers have already asked RNLI volunteer Sarah Whitelaw how they can support the RNLI in the future

Additional advice includes carrying a phone in a waterproof pouch and using the SafeTtrx app, which would quickly enable the RNLI to locate those in trouble. Pressing the side button on a mobile phone five times will also start a 999 call, Geoff says. The brothers are yet to return to the sea, but they have been to the Cullercoats station with their family to thank those who came to their aid. "We are really pleased to see them both," Geoff says.

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Unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk offers US president Donald Trump the chance to live in his house for a week to experience the reality of the war in Ukraine.

READ MORE: 'Have my house' - Usyk invites Trump to witness Ukraine war

Chappell Roan's Apple dance, Charli XCX's brat curtain and other Primavera moments

This weekend, music fans have been soaking up the sun and the beats at Primavera Sound in Barcelona, one of Europe's biggest festivals.

Headlining the festival were three mega stars: Chappell Roan, Charli XCX and Sabrina Carpenter, also known as the "Powerpuff Girls" of pop.

The stellar line-up also included Haim, Wolf Alice, Jamie xx and CMAT.

If you weren't lucky enough to get tickets, here's a flavour of what the weekend looked like...

Labour tiptoed cautiously through its first year - will it now decide to escape its own shadow?

7 hours ago Share Save Faisal Islam • @faisalislam Economics editor Share Save

BBC

The strategising and multi-year planning going on ahead of this week's Spending Review is the bread and butter of any well-run economy. A Spending Review shows how resources are being allocated between departments and so indicates the government's "when-push-comes-to-shove" priorities. But this time it will be a "different sort of Spending Review", the chancellor's helpers are saying. That's because with the new government nearly one year old, this Spending Review is also a one-off opportunity to show the private sector and international investors that it has a confident, deliverable vision. But having tiptoed cautiously throughout its first year in office, the question is whether this government can convince those potential investors that the economic vision is real? And will other long-term challenges, such as industrial energy prices, social care costs, and worker illness be prioritised or parked?

'Stop playing tiny domestic politics'

Some chief executives tell me they cannot fathom why a government with such a huge majority can sometimes appear to be scared of its own shadow. There had been talk of Downing Street "wanting to have fights" over planning for major projects. But companies that have major investors waiting to invest in the factories that could start rolling out the mass adoption of green technologies are wondering whether Downing Street really will back them, given the polls, and possible net zero backlash. "They need to stop playing tiny domestic politics," one boss of a major consumer company told me, as he awaits a convincing solid vision.

WPA Pool/ Getty Images Potential investors are wondering if Downing Street will really back them

It is with big investors in mind that the chancellor's focus at this spending review has been on long-term capital spending - that's where the big numbers come in. The proportion of the country's GDP that is being earmarked for capital spending, is 2.7% on a five-year average. If that doesn't strike you as eye-watering, it's worth noting it will be at its highest sustained level for nearly half a century. It will be significantly higher than under Brown-Darling in 2010. In 2000 this number was 0.5%. Of course, allocating significant sums is not a guarantee that the money will be spent effectively, or even at all. Spending on capital is often subject to the rollercoaster of short-term government priorities. In a crisis it tends to be the first thing to get hacked back, because the loss of future buildings or roads or rail lines is less politically troublesome than cutting back a public service or, say, teachers' pay in the here and now. That's why under the chancellor's new borrowing rules, the money can at least be allocated to big capital projects. Her reforms to those rules - keeping them strict on day-to-day spending, but consciously allowing more space for long-term investment - were designed for this. The main goal being future growth.

Time to 'rewire the state'

Long-term certainty over the capital sums that are being allocated over the next week or so, could be a gamechanger. Private investment is more likely to follow if there are long-term plans in place, especially after so many years of political uncertainty. As part of all this, the chief secretary to the Treasury is also announcing increases in spending on research and development. That is designed to boost science-led growth. But the marquee project for this announcement will surely be the long-awaited high-speed rail line between Liverpool and Manchester. It is a piece of infrastructure forged in the fires of the UK's industrial heritage, including the world's first inter-city passenger line, and of course Stephenson's Rocket, the original steam locomotive. Now, 200 years on from its launch in 1829, it may well be time for another industrial revolution, of sorts.

Reuters Rachel Reeves' team says she will deliver a "different sort of Spending Review"

But make no mistake, the government has still had to make some big choices, even within a more generous capital budget. Most of the increase in defence spending announced last week is in the form of capital spending. When the documents are published on Wednesday, it is possible that some other capital projects will have been squeezed to make room. All departments have also reassessed spending from first principles, as part of a "zero-based" review. In theory there could be entire projects axed. There will also be a lot of "investing to spend less". Using the capital budget to invest in, say, AI scanners in the health service, in a way that ultimately is supposed to save money. The aim, ambitiously put, is to "rewire the state" and "get Britain moving".

It is with this in mind, that the chancellor will promise the government has learnt the lessons of capital spending debacles, such as HS2. She believes that by waiting, and carefully preparing an infrastructure strategy, she is making sure the spending will go where it will most boost growth. Freeing up supply, for example in the planning system, is supposed to help the rebuilding boom, but without provoking inflation.

The long shadow of Covid-19

Those new borrowing rules that freed up spending on big projects, also mean tight settlements on day-to-day spending. The travails of Elon Musk and Donald Trump show the challenges for G7 countries in managing public finances. And Labour are operating in an environment where some opposition parties are now advocating more radical surgery to the size of the state in the UK. Moreover, when it comes to public spending there is still the long shadow from the pandemic. Demand for acute services and benefits related to ill health and care, or special needs, is eating far into budgets for councils, schools and health. The public seems to expect more from the state since the pandemic, even if it does not want to stump up the taxes to pay for it.

PA Media While Rachel Reeves new rules freed up spending on big projects, they also mean tight settlements on day-to-day spending

So budgetary pressures have not gone away. It is, right now, difficult to square extra welfare spending on winter fuel payments and child benefit, extra defence spending, and sticking to the chancellor's rules without some further tax rises in the autumn. Faster growth numbers, and an upturn in confidence after the series of trade deals, could help make the numbers add up, but there are any number of economic uncertainties out there too. While there have been some strained moments in negotiations with Cabinet colleagues, all parties have already negotiated a mini-Spending Review for this year. But that is not to say the chancellor doesn't have to perform a massive balancing act: juggling demands to keep the short-term budget numbers adding up, while unleashing the long-term investment that could finally get the economy growing again.

Sarwar accuses Swinney of 'dishonest' by-election campaign

54 minutes ago Share Save Share Save

Getty Images Anas Sarwar said the SNP campaign was an attempt to push voters to Reform UK

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has accused John Swinney of running a "dishonest and disgraceful" campaign" ahead of last week's Holyrood by-election. Sarwar claimed the SNP were pushing voters to Reform UK through their tactics, which he described as "shameful" on BBC Scotland's Sunday Show programme. But Swinney justified his "two-horse race" remark by saying Labour's vote share had "collapsed" in the by-election and that his party's own data showed a surge for Reform. Scottish Labour won an unexpected victory in Thursday's by-election as Davy Russell took the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse seat.

The first minister also told the programme he would consider a reshuffle of his cabinet "in due course" following the defeat, which saw the SNP lose a seat previously held by the late Christina McKelvie.

In the run-up to the contest Swinney declared it a "two-horse race" between his party and Nigel Farage's Reform UK. In a combative interview with presenter Martin Geissler, Sarwar said: "The people of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse sent a message to John Swinney that he ran a dishonest and disgraceful campaign that attempted to push people into the arms of Reform, rather than confront the issues that he has caused in communities across Scotland." Sarwar also said the SNP campaign, in support of candidate Katy Loudon, showed a lack of ambition and was "running down the clock" on its time in government rather than offering policies that would benefit people. He added the first minister had "no idea about what's affecting the day to day lives of people in Scotland, which is a disgrace."

PA Media Davy Russell won the seat for Labour with a majority of 602

Davy Russell won the seat for Labour with 8,559 votes, a majority of 602 over the second-placed SNP. Christina McKelvie, who died in March from secondary breast cancer, had held the seat since 2011. Reform UK finished third with 7,088 votes, following a campaign that attracted criticism for a controversial advert that claimed Sarwar would prioritise people from Asian backgrounds. The party's deputy leader Richard Tice said the result was a "massive boost" going into the May 2026 vote. Meanwhile, Sarwar urged Sir Keir Starmer's government to move faster with delivering change that would put extra money in people's pockets. He also attacked media pundits for being "obsessed with a Labour government" in Westminster.

PA Media The first minister said the SNP was still recovering from a difficult 2024