Palestine Action member tells BBC plan to ban group 'absurd'

43 minutes ago Share Save Joe Pike Political and investigations correspondent Share Save

Watch: Palestine Action member speaks to BBC News

A Palestine Action member has told the BBC it is "absurd" the government plans to proscribe the group, which would effectively brand it as a terrorist organisation. Saeed Taji Farouky said it "rips apart the very basic concepts of British democracy and the rule of law", adding: "It's something everyone should be terrified about." The BBC understands the home secretary is preparing a written statement to put before Parliament on Monday. It comes after Palestine Action activists broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and sprayed two planes with red paint, an incident branded "disgraceful" by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

Mr Farouky told the BBC he has a conviction for criminal damage related to a different Palestine Action protest. He described the potential move from the government as a "knee-jerk reaction" and said it was "being rushed through". When asked if the group should have been surprised by the move to proscribe it, given its actions, Mr Farouky said the government had tried to reclassify Palestine Action for years and it had "never been a tactic that scared" them. Pressed on whether the group had crossed a line by targeting a military site with a role in protecting the UK's national security, Mr Farouky responded by outlining the group's objectives. He said Palestine Action's "whole reason for being is to break the material supply chain to genocide" and said Friday's incident was an "escalation in tactics because the genocide has escalated". Israel has strongly denied allegations of genocide relating to the ongoing war in Gaza. RAF Brize Norton serves as the hub for UK strategic air transport and refuelling, including flights to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. The air force has conducted reconnaissance flights over Gaza out of the Cyprus base.

Red paint can be seen spayed on an RAF plane

Footage posted online by Palestine Action on Friday showed two people inside the Oxfordshire airbase in darkness, with one riding on a scooter up to an Airbus Voyager and spraying paint into its jet engine. After sharing the footage, a spokesperson said: "Despite publicly condemning the Israeli government, Britain continues to send military cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza and refuel US and Israeli fighter jets." The incident, which is being investigated by counter-terrorism police, prompted the government to launch a security review at military bases across the UK. On Friday, a spokesperson for Palestine Action said: "When our government fails to uphold their moral and legal obligations, it is the responsibility of ordinary citizens to take direct action." In a separate post on X, it said the group represented "every individual" who is opposed to Israel's military action in Gaza, adding: "If they want to ban us, they ban us all". Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the incident at RAF Brize Norton "disgraceful" on Friday, while Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said it was "deeply concerning". However, Amnesty International UK said on Friday that it was "deeply concerned at the use of counter terrorism powers to target protests". "Terrorism powers should never have been used to aggravate criminal charges against Palestine Action activists and they certainly shouldn't be used to ban them," the organisation added on social media.

Watch: BBC looks at how activists breached RAF base Brize Norton

Palestine Action has engaged in activities that have predominantly targeted arms companies since the start of the current war in Gaza, with the group claiming responsibility in May for the daubing of a US military plane in Ireland. The UK's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme on Saturday it had "gone beyond protest to blackmail". "It's got to a point where they've started to say: 'We will carry on causing hundreds of millions of pounds worth of damage unless you stop'," Jonathan Hall KC added. Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman said the move to ban the group was "absolutely the correct decision". "We must have zero tolerance for terrorism," she wrote in a post on X. The home secretary has the power under UK law to proscribe an organisation under the Terrorism Act 2000 if they believe it is "concerned with terrorism". To enact the move, new legislation will be needed, which must be debated and approved by both MPs and peers. There are currently 81 groups proscribed as terrorist organisations in the UK under the Terrorism Act. Additional reporting by Hollie Cole.

British man arrested in Cyprus suspected of spying and terror offences

A British man has been arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of spying and terror-related offences.

The BBC understands he is thought to have carried out surveillance for Iran on the RAF Akrotiri base on the island.

Local media say he is of Azerbaijani descent and has connections to Iran's Revolutionary Guards.

He appeared in a district court earlier on Saturday and was detained for a further eight days. The Foreign Office said it was in contact with Cypriot authorities.

RAF Akrotiri is the UK's most significant base in the region and has previously been used to help defend Israeli skies from attack by Iran.

Temperatures surpass 33C as storm warning kicks in

3 hours ago Share Save Johanna Chisholm & Hollie Cole BBC News Darren Bett Lead Weather presenter Share Save

Watch: Risk of storms as hot temperatures start to peak

The hottest day of the year so far has been recorded in the UK, as a Met Office warning for thunderstorms comes into force. A temperature of 33.2C was recorded on Saturday afternoon in Charlwood, near Gatwick, beating the previous 2025 record set earlier this week. Saturday is expected to be the peak of the recent hot weather, with temperatures expected to dip into Sunday. The yellow weather warning is in place until 03:00 BST on Sunday for parts of northern England, the Scottish Borders, and north-east Wales. Storms are expected because the humid weather means there is plenty of moisture in unstable atmospheric conditions. They could bring localised flash flooding, large hail and lightning.

An amber heat-health alert in England issued by the UK Health Security Agency remains in force until Monday, as fresh research suggests nearly 600 people could die in the next four days because of the heat in England and Wales. Researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Imperial College London predict there could be around 570 heat-related deaths, using decades of UK data, with the greatest number, 129, in London. Prof Antonio Gasparrini, of the LSHTM, said: "Every fraction of a degree of warming will cause more hospital admissions and heat deaths, putting more strain on the NHS."

Passengers were forced to evacuate a train in south London on Saturday as temperatures reached more than 30C in the capital. A fault on a train near Loughborough Junction brought all services in the area to a halt, three of them outside station platforms, Thameslink and Network Rail said in a joint statement. Passenger Angela Lewis said people onboard had been left on the train for about two hours before being removed, describing the incident as a "bloody nightmare". Thameslink and Network Rail apologised to affected passengers and said that "without power and air conditioning on such a hot day" it pulled resources from Sussex and Kent "to get personnel on site to safely evacuate passengers as quickly as possible along the track".

Angela Lewis Ms Lewis said she waited about two hours before being evacuated from the Thameslink train in London

By Friday afternoon, many regions met the criteria for a heatwave - meaning a temperature threshold was sustained for three consecutive days. The threshold varies across different regions, from 25C in northern and western parts of the UK to 28C in south-eastern England. Suffolk became the first area to officially enter a heatwave on Thursday, when temperatures surpassed 27C for a third day.

Humidity has also been increasing, making the heat feel more uncomfortable, particularly at night. On Saturday night, as cooler and fresher air pushes in from the west, the highest overnight temperatures will be restricted to eastern England, where they may fall no lower than 18C. While heatwave conditions are likely to continue, some relief is anticipated on Sunday, when the south and east of England will dip to the high 20s. Elsewhere, cooler air will gradually sweep in from the west. Temperatures will drop further into Monday - but could rise towards the heatwave threshold again in the latter half of next week.

BBC Weather Watchers/Helen Earth An area of high pressure is helping to draw the hot weather in

The National Fire Chiefs Council is urging the public to be careful when lighting barbecues and handling objects, such as glass bottles, that can cause a fire outside. There are currently no hosepipe bans in place, despite the Environment Agency warning water firms at the start of May that action would need to be taken to safeguard water supplies over the coming months. This is because, while reservoir levels are relatively healthy, a very dry spring means there is a medium risk of drought.

While linking climate change with specific individual extreme weather events can be difficult, scientists say that climate change is generally making heatwaves hotter and longer. The World Weather Attribution group says that the chance of reaching 32C in June has increased by 100 times since the pre-industrial era. The chance of a three-day June heatwave had increased tenfold due to human-induced climate change, going from a one-in-50-year event to a one-in-five-year event. Ben Clarke, a researcher at the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial College London, said that with "every fraction of a degree of warming, the UK will experience hotter, more dangerous heatwaves". He added: "This means more heat deaths, more pressure on the NHS, more transport disruptions, tougher work conditions and poorer air quality."

Watch: UK crowds celebrate summer solstice on Saturday

Meanwhile, people across the UK made the most of the early morning sun on Saturday to celebrate the summer solstice - the longest day of the year - at sites such as Stonehenge and Glastonbury Tor. Originally a pagan tradition tied to agriculture, marking the solstice now has broad appeal. "It's just lovely breathing points throughout the year," Morris dancer Grace told the BBC at Avebury henge, a neolithic stone circle in Wiltshire. "The sun stands still and it gives you a chance to stand still." Matthew Watkins, a Cardiff resident, described seeing the sun rise over Avebury as "glorious" and "a special moment". Additional reporting by Sophie Parker and Adam Clerck

British tourist catches Legionnaires' disease in Greece

1 hour ago Share Save Kevin Shoesmith BBC News Greg McKenzie BBC Correspondent Share Save

Family handout Donna Jobling is seriously ill in a Crete hospital after contracting Legionnaires' disease

A British tourist is in hospital after catching a serious lung disease while on an all-inclusive holiday in Greece. Donna Jobling, from Hull, contracted Legionnaires' disease on the island of Crete and is in intensive care. The 57-year-old, whose husband Sid, 69, remains at her bedside, was travelling with easyJet Holidays, which said it had moved other customers out of the hotel where she was staying. "We're so sorry to hear that Ms Jobling is unwell, and we're continuing to support her and her family in every way we can," a spokesperson said.

Getty Images Ms Jobling and her husband Sid were enjoying a two-week break with another couple on the holiday island

Ms Jobling has been in an intensive care unit at Venizeleio Hospital in Heraklion since 11 June, her niece Klaire Keita told the BBC. On 5 June she developed a chest infection which triggered acute respiratory failure and pneumonia, Ms Keita said. "We just don't know what's going to happen. We're just trying to do the best we can for her," she said. Fighting back tears, Ms Keita added: "She is just the best person you could ever hope to meet." She said her aunt was "stable but under constant watch".

Family handout Ms Jobling with husband Sid on their wedding day

Ms Jobling and her husband were holidaying with another couple, Paula and Nicholas Mason, also from Hull. They returned home on 12 June - the day the couples were meant to fly back together. Ms Mason, 52, said: "I felt awful having to leave my best friend there. "Donna has a heart of gold. She would do anything for anyone. We are all still in shock." Ms Mason said photographs of her friend taken at the start of the break showed her "looking really healthy". "Nicolas and Sid had booked the trip as a surprise for us women. Donna was really looking forward to it." Following Ms Jobling's diagnosis, the Greek health ministry issued a statement to hoteliers in Crete to "raise awareness among all those involved in monitoring the quality of water for human consumption especially with regard to Legionella".

The source of the disease has not yet been identified but easyJet Holidays has moved other customers out of the hotel they were staying in, as a precaution. "We've also been in touch with customers who recently returned home from this hotel, to inform them of necessary guidance," a spokesperson said. "Our customers' safety and wellbeing is our top priority, and we'll continue to do all we can to support them."

Emergency alert

Kneecap performing at Glastonbury 'not appropriate', PM says

2 hours ago Share Save Hayley Halpin BBC News NI Share Save

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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he does not think Kneecap's planned Glastonbury Festival performance is "appropriate". He made the comments after Kneecap member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh appeared in court charged with a terror offence, relating to allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah at a gig in November last year. In an interview with The Sun, Sir Keir was asked if he thought the trio should perform at Glastonbury, to which he replied: "No, I don't, and I think we need to come down really clearly on this. "This is about the threats that shouldn't be made, I won't say too much because there's a court case on, but I don't think that's appropriate." BBC News has approached Glastonbury Festival for comment.

Mr Ó hAnnaidh, charged under the name Liam O'Hanna, was released on unconditional bail after Wednesday's hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court. The prime minister's comments came after Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she thought the BBC "should not be showing" Kneecap's performance at the festival next week. Badenoch said in an X post, which was accompanied by an article from The Times that claimed the BBC had not banned the group: "The BBC should not be showing Kneecap propaganda. "One Kneecap band member is currently on bail, charged under the Terrorism Act. "As a publicly funded platform, the BBC should not be rewarding extremism." Responding to the Tory leader's comments, a BBC spokesperson said as the festival's broadcast partner, it "will be bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers". They added: "Whilst the BBC doesn't ban artists, our plans will ensure that our programming will meet our editorial guidelines. "Decisions about our output will be made in the lead-up to the festival."

Badenoch has previously called for the group to be banned from Glastonbury, and last year Kneecap won a discrimination case against the UK government in Belfast High Court after she tried to refuse them a £14,250 funding award when she was a minister. Kneecap took aim at Badenoch in their latest single, The Recap, released just before their headline set at London's Wide Awake festival in May, with the song mocking the politician's attempts to block their arts funding and the Conservative Party's election loss.

On Wednesday, Mr Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh at Westminster Magistrates' Court in "Free Mo Chara" T-shirts. The 27-year-old will appear at the same court for his next hearing on 20 August.

PA Media Liam Ó hAnnaidh has been released on unconditional bail until his next hearing on 20 August.

Following the hearing, the rapper said: "For anybody going to Glastonbury, you can see us there at 4pm on the Saturday. "If you can't be there we'll be on the BBC, if anybody watches the BBC. We'll be at Wembley in September. "But most importantly: free, free Palestine." In a statement, posted on social media in May after Mr Ó hAnnaidh was charged, Kneecap said: "We deny this 'offence' and will vehemently defend ourselves."

The charge came following a counter-terrorism police investigation after the historical gig footage came to light. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are banned in the UK and it is a crime to express support for them. Kneecap say they have never supported Hamas or Hezbollah and would not incite violence against any individual.

Will the PM's words change anything?

Analysis from Charlotte Gallagher, BBC News correspondent Will Kneecap care that the Prime Minister doesn't think they should perform at Glastonbury? Probably not. If anything, it will likely increase the trio's profile. They're selling out venues, getting millions of streams and being talked about by people across the world. Calls by politicians and some celebrities to get Kneecap removed from line ups seem to have made them more famous or infamous - depending on your viewpoint. There were hundreds of people outside Westminster Magistrates' Court supporting Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh aka Mo Chara earlier this week. Many felt Kneecap were representing their views while politicians were not listening to them. Mo Chara is back in court in August - expect similar crowds.

Who are Kneecap?

PA Media

Huge dilemmas lie ahead for UK over Iran

10 hours ago Share Save Laura Kuenssberg • @bbclaurak Presenter, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg Share Save

BBC

"If this is true, all our troubles are over." A British businessman fast running out of cash, William Knox D'Arcy, is said to have uttered those words when he received a telegram from Persia, 113 years ago. Oil had been discovered, after years of failed explorations under Knox D'Arcy, who had been granted the rights to hunt for the black stuff at the turn of the century. For him, striking oil was to provide a second fortune after he'd made millions from Australian gold. For the UK, Persia - later to become Iran - and for the rest of the world, it was the moment the Middle East's financial and political fortunes became linked to the West like never before. Knox D'Arcy's cash problem might have been solved. But the troubles in the region were far from over. This weekend, although ministers want to concentrate on their plans to make it easier to do business at home ahead of their industrial strategy being published next week, two big questions hang heavy. What happens next in the hottest of conflicts in a vital region? And does the UK play a role? Whether you like it or not, "it should matter, and it does matter" to the UK, according to one Whitehall source. There is the fraught tangle of history. Not just the fortune from the first discovery of oil going into British coffers at the start of the last century. But also the UK's involvement in overturning the government in 1922, invading with the Russians during World War Two, backing another coup in 1953, then along with America, propping up the Shah until his exit in 1979, after months of turbulence and increasing protest against his regime. You can watch amazing archive of his departure here.

Reuters Missiles launched from Iran towards Israel are seen from Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank

"We were all over them" for decades, one former senior minister observes. Fast forward to modern times and successive governments have been deeply concerned about Iran's ambitions to build a nuclear bomb. There were efforts, particularly by the former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, to do deals that put weapons beyond reach. But there is acute worry now about Iranian activities in the UK itself. Yesterday, seven men were arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm after two people were assaulted outside the Iranian embassy. The Met Police have said they believe the altercation happened between protesters supporting and opposing the Iranian monarchy. Last month three alleged Iranian spies were charged for planning to commit serious violence against UK based journalists. And the director general of MI5 said the UK has responded to 20 Iran-backed plots since the start of 2022, presenting potentially lethal threats here at home. A source involved with an Iranian opposition group warned the regime, "has a massive network in the UK promoting terrorism and extremism – we'd never let the Russians get away with this… It's happening on our streets".

What is the UK role?

Reuters Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the UK is working with Israel to help people leave Tel Aviv airport

Ministers' public focus is on diplomacy for now. As ever, it was a suggestion from US President Donald Trump that sent Whitehall into a spin. This time, the notion that America might help Israel take out Iran's nuclear facilities. The Foreign Secretary David Lammy jumped on to a plane to Washington. The government emergency committee, Cobra, convened. Everything went into overdrive before another update from team Trump. Actually, he'd take a fortnight to think about it. It left No 10 thinking, "everyone can take a breath – the two weeks and the volume of engagement means there is some tone of optimism – we're just focusing on trying to calm things", an insider said. David Lammy spent more than an hour with Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, and Steve Witkoff, the president's envoy, leaving with the impression there was still a chance for diplomacy, although the threat of America joining the military action is real. It's worth remembering there is deep disagreement in Trump's party about whether to assist Israel or not. As the foreign secretary was seeking information from his American hosts, the president had been having lunch with Steve Bannon, one of the foremost Make America Great Again (Maga) backers, who has been very loudly pressing Trump not to get involved.

Reuters Ali Khamenei (pictured left) has been Iran's supreme leader for more than 30 years

Diplomacy then moved to Geneva, where Lammy and several European colleagues met the Iranian foreign minister. They repeated concerns about Iran's nuclear ambitions and it breaking the international rules. The talks finished with no fixed decisions on next moves or negotiations, but a willingness to try. Ultimately, the UK and European push is to keep talking, trying to stop the war spreading more widely. But some sources question whether this makes any difference. "Europe is pretty irrelevant in all this," one senior figure told me - and the American president even said it out loud. "Iran doesn't want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us. Europe is not going to be able to help in this one, " Trump said, dismissing the diplomatic discussions. Other sources describe diplomacy as a "sticking plaster", questioning how effective it can be when Israel is so clearly intent on breaking the status quo, and changing the shape of the region, hoping for regime change in Iran and stopping them creating a nuclear bomb. The former senior official told me, "Israel think this is a once in a lifetime, it's now or never… it doesn't represent a long term solution, but if you are in Tel Aviv the obvious riposte is, 'Yes, we'll still be alive'." Another security source suggested the UK would not be relevant by taking a "preachy European position, like a teacher in a playground", but could instead pursue "alignment with the Americans for our own hard interests". Aligning with America is so often a no-brainer for British prime ministers. But a Labour prime minister aligning with Trump to bomb a country in the Middle East? That's something else.

Reuters Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits Soroka hospital in Beersheba, after the town was hit by Iranian missile strikes

There is the practicality, "people in Whitehall will be very sceptical if thinking bombing Iran will yield any better outcome", one former diplomat said. Another source suggests the UK simply hasn't done enough thinking in recent years about how to help Iran, a country of around 90 million people with serious political repression and economic hardship: "Britain doesn't have a strategy or a plan for Iran. It looks at Iran through the point of view of Israel or Gaza but doesn't look at it in its own right, so that's a problem." If America were to get involved with British support in one way or another, what happens next? The source said: "The Americans can go and attack Fordo (Iran's nuclear facility that's buried deeper than the Channel Tunnel), but if the Iranians lash out after, what then?" Then, there is the legality. You don't need me to remind you that the prime minister used to be an eminent lawyer. Whether the UK was asked to allow American jets to use the British base at Diego Garcia, or help with refuelling planes on their way to any Iranian target, the government would want to be confident there is a solid legal argument that justifies the attack. There is already a political row over publishing the advice with an understanding the attorney general has expressed concern. For the uninitiated, this is a very well-worn political track. Opposition parties say legal advice must be published in full. Governments say no. Lawyers and politicians, who are not giving the actual verdict, argue about it very publicly.

Reuters The UK and other G7 countries have called for an end to the fighting between Iran and Israel

In the end, international law is subject to all sorts of interpretation, what a former senior minister describes as "fungible" - in other words, it's far from fixed. There is already what one source described as "loose blabber" about the legal advice this time. Ultimately, the politics of the moment normally comes first, and the prime minister of the day must decide. The political backdrop for No 10 is risky. Labour contends with the mythology around Tony Blair's decision to go into Iraq with George Bush, seen by many in the modern party as a disaster. Any decision too to be seen to support Israeli military action stirs a long-standing streak of anti-Israeli feeling on the left. Add that to profound concern about what is separately going on in Gaza right now, and it creates another flashpoint. Pro–Palestinian candidates already swiped seats, and nearly took more from Labour in the general election.

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Highlighting the plight of Gazans is clearly not the same as objecting to Israeli or American action against Iran. But issues can blur, and add to the volume of angry conversations inside the party about the Middle East. The former senior minister, around during the Iraq conflict told me, "it would save us an awful lot of bother if you could get the Americans not to have our fingerprints on it". But, if the White House asks, "I'd swallow hard and say, 'OK'". Can you imagine Sir Keir Starmer saying no to Trump to help stop Iran creating a nuclear bomb? Can you imagine Sir Keir stepping into a Middle East conflict if it can be avoided? The answer to both can't be the same. The White House has pressed pause while Trump mulls his options, but America joining Israel to destroy Iran's nuclear programme remains an option. The UK has huge interests in the security of Iran and the wider Middle East – whether oil, trade, intelligence, or military bases. Those questions for Sir Keir might be real before too long.

'Spy plot arrest' and 'my pal Wills'

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A wide range of stories feature on Sunday's front pages. The Sunday Telegraph leads on the arrest of a British man on suspicion of spying and terror-related offences in Cyprus. He is thought to have carried out surveillance for Iran on an RAF base. The paper points out that this comes as the conflict in Iran continues. Separately, it reports that the NHS is sending "rising numbers" of patients abroad for treatment. The health secretary tells the paper this is "unacceptable" and that the government is working to "turn the NHS around".

The Observer splashes on the conflict in Iran as it enters its 10th day. It reports the US has sent B-2 stealth bombers to the US island territory of Guam, as President Donald Trump continues to weigh whether to join the conflict. It adds that the country's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei "once governed a country, now he commands a bunker".

Meanwhile, the Sunday Express focuses on UK stories. "Asylum hotels 'farce'" reads its front page, as it reports that the Home Office has not collected £50m from firms "making massive profits" from housing asylum seekers, under rules which limit the amount they can make. A department spokesperson told the paper it had inherited an asylum system "under exceptional pressure" and was "urgently taking action to restore order and reduce costs," including ending the use of hotels.

The Sunday Times continues to focus on the assisted dying bill, which dominated Friday and Saturday's front pages. "Streeting: NHS has no cash for assisted dying," reads its headline. It reports that the health secretary is "deeply concerned" about the impact of assisted dying on the NHS should it become legal, after MPs narrowly backed introducing it for some terminally ill adults in England and Wales on Friday.

In other news, the Prince of Wales is pictured on the front page of the Sunday Times and Sunday Mirror as he celebrates his 43rd birthday. "My pal Wills brings hope to planet," reads the Mirror's headline, as campaigner Robert Irwin tells the paper about the prince's environmental "mission".

The Mail on Sunday reports that Conservatives have urged business chiefs to oppose the deputy prime minister's Employment Rights Bill, dubbing it a "wrecking ball for the UK economy". Separately, it trails a story about a "bullying row" at BBC Breakfast - whose editor has taken an extended period of leave after allegations about his behaviour were reported in the media. The BBC previously said it did not comment on individual cases but that it took complaints about conduct extremely seriously.

While the US's decision to move stealth bombers "within striking distance of Iran" also features on Sunday People's front page, it separately reports on Dua Lipa's debut show at Wembley Stadium. The pop star "turn[ed] up the heat," says the paper.

The Daily Star Sunday turns its gaze skyward - and reports that actor Danny Dyer believes he has seen a so-called "little green geezer". The EastEnders star now believes in life on other planets, the paper reports.

The Sun on Sunday leads on a "shock cell footage" which it says shows a convicted acid attacker, who is the ex-boyfriend of reality TV star Ferne McCann, getting a suspected steroid injection in prison.

Rosenberg: Russian government clearly nervous as country faces economic challenges

2 hours ago Share Save Steve Rosenberg Russia Editor Share Save

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At the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, a Russian MP came up to me. "Are you going to bomb Iran?" he asked. "I'm not planning to bomb anyone!" I replied. "I mean you, the British…" "Don't you mean Donald Trump?" "He's told what to do by Britain," the man smiled. "And by the deep state." It was a brief, bizarre conversation. But it showed that in St Petersburg this week there was more on people's minds than just the economy.

Take President Vladimir Putin. On Friday, the Kremlin leader delivered the keynote speech at the forum's plenary session. It focused on the economy. But it's what the Kremlin leader said in the panel discussion afterwards that made headlines. "We have an old rule," Putin declared. "Where the foot of a Russian soldier steps, that's ours." Imagine you're the leader of a country that's hosting an economic forum, seeking foreign investment and cooperation. Boasting about your army seizing foreign lands wouldn't appear to be the most effective way to achieve this. But that's the point. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the state of the economy has been secondary to the goal of winning the war against Ukraine. That is the Kremlin's overarching priority. True, Russia's economy has been growing, but largely due to massive state spending on the defence sector and military-industrial complex.

And even this war-related growth is now petering out. Putin didn't sound overly concerned. "As far as the 'murder' of the Russian economy is concerned, as a famous writer once said - 'rumours of my death are greatly exaggerated,'" the Russian president declared. But the Russian government is clearly nervous. At the forum, Russia's Minister for Economic Development, Maxim Reshetnikov, warned that the country's economy was teetering "on the brink of recession". "We grew for two years at a fairly high pace because unused resources were activated," said Russian Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina. "We need to understand that many of those resources have truly been exhausted." The St Petersburg International Economic Forum was conceived as a shiny showcase for the Russian economy. A lot of that shine has faded due to the thousands of international sanctions imposed on Russia over the war in Ukraine. Many Western companies pulled out of Russia.

EPA

Belarus opposition leader's husband freed from prison

2 hours ago Share Save Sarah Rainsford Eastern and Southern Europe Correspondent Share Save

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya

The husband of Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has been unexpectedly released from prison in Belarus, along with 13 other political prisoners. Sergei Tikhanovsky - an opposition activist himself - has been moved to Lithuania and reunited with his wife, who is living in exile in capital Vilnius, after five years in prison. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya announced her husband's release by posting a 10-second video of their first hug since 2020. She said it was "hard to describe" the joy in her heart. The sudden release came as US special envoy Keith Kellogg visited Minsk, Belarus' capital, on Saturday and held a meeting with the country's authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko.

In a statement on X, the Lithuanian foreign minister said 14 political prisoners were released and receiving care in Lithuania. According to Tikhanovskaya's office, five were Belarusian nationals and some were Japanese, Polish and Swedish citizens. However, Tikhanovksy's release is by far the most prominent. A colourful, outspoken figure who once had a big following in Belarus on social media, he used to call on people to "stop the cockroach", referring to Lukashenko. Ignoring the risks from a repressive regime, the video blogger and activist would tour the country to meet people in town squares and villages to hear - and broadcast - their concerns. In 2020, he was arrested as he began his campaign to challenge Lukashenko for the presidency in that summer's elections.

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya Svetlana Tikhanovskaya posted images of her and her husband Sergei Tikhanovsky speaking with released prisoners in Vilnius

He was jailed for 18 years in 2021 after a court convicted him of rallying mass protests against Lukashenko, among other charges. His wife, Tikhanovskaya - a political novice and total unknown - stepped in to run for election in his place. And when Lukashenko declared another landslide win, her supporters flooded the streets in the biggest protests Belarus has ever known. They were crushed, ruthlessly, and Tikhanovskaya was forced into exile. Maria Kolesnikova, another well-known opposition leader who was jailed after the mass protests of 2020, is still in prison, her sister confirmed. "No, not this time," she wrote to the BBC when asked whether Maria was among those set free. "Though it's a huge progress. We need more releases and for that - more efforts and negotiations." In the video posted by Tikhanovskaya on Saturday, Tikhanovsky is smiling broadly but has lost so much weight that he is hard to recognise. Well-built, even stocky before his arrest, he is now thin. In the video, the jacket he is wearing hangs loosely and his head has been shaved. Franak Viacorka, senior adviser to Tikhanovskaya, described this as a "big day" and a very unexpected step. "We didn't expect his release, we were struggling - fighting - for his release, but it was a full surprise," he told the BBC from Lithuania. "We put his name on all the lists but we didn't believe it was possible." He said that Tikhanovsky was "the same Sergei" he was before he was jailed. "I felt the same energy, the same passion, though he was looking very thin," he added. Tikhanovskaya wrote on X "my husband is free" before thanking US President Donald Trump, Kellogg and "all European allies" for their efforts to get her husband released. "We're not done - 1,150 political prisoners remain behind bars," she added. "All must be released."

Getty Images Authoritarian Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko took office in 1994

Viacorka said that as far as his team knows, nothing was offered to Belarus in return for Tikhanovsky's release. "I think he [Lukashenko] is in quite weak situation right now," Viacorka said. "And he wants to improve relationship with the new American administration." Artyom Shraibman, of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, suggested that the meeting with Kellogg was reward enough for Lukashenko. "It seems like the US asked for Tikhanovsky to be released as a significant concession in exchange for Kellogg's visit and Lukashenko agreed," he said. The Belarusian leader has been isolated by Western politicians for many years. Neither his re-election in 2020 or this year were ever officially recognised and Belarus was placed under Western sanctions. The freeze in relations deepened when Belarus aided Russia in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, allowing troops to cross its territory and missiles to be launched from its land. "It's a significant diplomatic breakthrough for Lukashenko. It helps to get him out of isolation," Mr Shraibman said. "I also think Lukashenko will like the opportunity to discuss issues of war and peace with such a top level envoy from the US. "So in some form, this is a win-win." It is not clear whether the Trump administration is dangling the prospect of lifting some sanctions, though Lukashenko is certainly angling for that. But this release does not mean the end of political repression in Belarus. Hundreds more people are still behind bars for nothing more than their opposition to Lukashenko's rule. My opponents choose jail and exile, Lukashenko tells BBC Other prisoners have been pardoned and released in recent months, but the repressions have not stopped. The BBC knows of recent cases of the KGB security service demanding people collaborate with its agents and inform on others, or face arrest. They had to flee the country. In the case of Tikhanovsky, it appears Lukashenko calculated that he had more to gain geopolitically by releasing a prominent prisoner than he would risk by letting him go.

AFP via Getty Images In 2020, thousands of people flooded the streets of Minsk to protest against Belarus' presidential election results

Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

Trump has often suggested he should receive the Nobel Peace Prize, whose winner this year will be named in October.

India has denied the US served as a mediator to end the fighting last month, and says it does not want any diplomatic intervention from a third party.

On X, the Pakistani government said Trump deserved the award "in recognition of his decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership during the recent India-Pakistan crisis".

Pakistan has announced it plans to nominate US President Donald Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize, citing the role that Islamabad says he played in helping to negotiate a ceasefire last month between India and Pakistan.

In May, Trump made a surprise announcement of a ceasefire between India and Pakistan following four days of fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

Pakistan's government said in its post early on Saturday: "President Trump demonstrated great strategic foresight and stellar statesmanship through robust diplomatic engagement with both Islamabad and New Delhi, which de-escalated a rapidly deteriorating situation.

"This intervention stands as a testament to his role as a genuine peacemaker."

There was no immediate response from Washington or New Delhi.

Trump has repeatedly said that India and Pakistan ended the conflict after a ceasefire brokered by the US, and also that he had used trade as a lever to make them agree.

Pakistan has corroborated US statements about brokering the ceasefire, but India has denied it.

Last month, Trump said he told India and Pakistan that a ceasefire was necessary in order for them to maintain trade with the US.

"I said, 'Come on, we're going to do a lot of trade with you guys [India and Pakistan]. Let's stop it," he told reporters.

The Nobel move was applauded by Mushahid Hussain, a former chair of the Senate Defence Committee in Pakistan's parliament.

"Trump is good for Pakistan," he told Reuters. "If this panders to Trump's ego, so be it. All the European leaders have been sucking up to him big time."

But Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan's former ambassador to the US, criticised the move as "unfortunate".

"A man who has backed Israel's genocidal war in Gaza and called Israel's attack on Iran as 'excellent'," she wrote on X.

"It compromises our national dignity," she added.

On Friday, Trump posted on Truth Social that he had helped broker negotiations between multiple nations, but despite this: "No, I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do."

Trump entered office vowing to quickly end the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Gaza wars, although peace deals in both conflicts have eluded him so far.

He has frequently criticised Barack Obama for winning a Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 after less than eight months as US president. In 2013, Trump called on the Norwegian Nobel Committee to rescind the award.

Freed activist says Trump administration failed to suppress pro-Palestinian voices

Columbia activist Mahmoud Khalil calls his release a message to Trump

The US government wants to deport him, arguing his activism is detrimental to foreign policy interests.

Mr Khalil was a prominent voice in the New York university's pro-Palestinian protests last year, and his 8 March arrest sparked demonstrations in New York and Washington DC.

"My existence is a message" to the Trump administration, he told the BBC after returning to New Jersey from a detention centre in Louisiana. "All these attempts to suppress Pro-Palestinian voices have failed now."

Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil has said the Trump administration failed to suppress pro-Palestinian voices, following his release from more than three months in immigration detention.

Speaking at the airport in Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday, Mr Khalil vowed to continue to advocate for Palestinian rights, and for the rights of the immigrants "who are left behind in that facility" where he was jailed in Louisiana.

He accused the White House of attempting to "dehumanise anyone who does not agree with the administration".

He held flowers given to him by supporters, and shouted "free Palestine" as he ended his remarks. He was pushing a pram carrying his baby son, who was born while he was in prison, as he departed the news conference with his wife.

Mr Khalil was joined by New York Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who said his release showed that the Trump administration was losing the legal battle to deport migrants in the US who advocate for Palestinians.

"The Trump administration knows that they are waging a losing legal battle," she said.

"They are violating the law, and they know they are violating the law. And they are trying to use these one-off examples to intimidate everyone else."

Mr Khalil's remarks come a day after a judge ordered him released from jail after determining he was not a flight risk or threat to his community while his immigration proceedings continued.

The Trump administration has vowed to appeal against his release, as it continues its efforts to remove him from the US.

Minnesota shootings suspect was a 'prepper', FBI says

5 hours ago Share Save Robin Levinson King BBC News Share Save

Hennepin County Sheriff's Office/Reuters Police said suspect Vance Luther Boelter was armed at the time of his arrest

The suspect accused of fatally shooting a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband in a gun rampage last week was a doomsday "prepper", according to the FBI. The wife of the accused, Vance Boelter, told investigators the family was among a small group of Americans who "prepare for major or catastrophic incidents", said a court document. Boelter, 57, has been charged with killing Democratic House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, last Saturday. He also seriously wounded Democratic State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. Police say there is evidence he was planning to target others.

Getty Images Melissa Hortman

Police captured Mr Boelter in woods last Sunday after a two-day manhunt. His wife was pulled over in a traffic stop hours after the shootings. She was taking their four children to stay with friends, according to investigators. Jenny Boelter told the authorities her husband had warned her in a message that she should flee, documents show. "The text stated something to the effect of they should prepare for war, they needed to get out of the house and people with guns may be showing up to the house," wrote FBI agent, Terry Getsch, in an affidavit released on Friday. In her car, investigators found about $10,000 in cash, passports and two guns. Mrs Boelter has not been charged with any crime. She said her husband had given her a "bailout plan", for what to do if she ever needed to leave the house. Mrs Boelter also said her husband had a business partner in the north-western US state of Washington and that they ran a security company and "fishing outfit" called "Red Lion" in Congo, Africa.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat, has called the shootings an "act of targeted political violence". According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, Mr Boetler wrote a rambling and incoherent letter addressed to the FBI in which he claimed the state's governor had ordered him to kill Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar as part of a supposed plot for Walz to take her spot in the Senate. There is no evidence of any such plot. Klobuchar and Minnesota's other US senator, Tina Smith, along with Walz, were among Democratic politicians on a list of around 70 targets found in Mr Boetler's possession, according to local media. The suspect disguised himself as a police officer to gain access to the homes of the two US lawmakers he shot, police have said. He was wearing a vest with a Taser and a badge. Yvette Hoffman, who survived the attack, was released from the hospital on Thursday, while her husband remains in care. Mrs Hoffman was shot while shielding her daughter, Hope, from gunfire. It was Hope who called 911.

The RAF Base Break In The RAF Base Break In

Saturday at Headingley. Fancy dress. A group of clergymen took their place on the Western Terrace.

Maybe there was a universe where Ollie Pope joined them in watching from the sidelines. Maybe his place was never under any serious threat from Jacob Bethell.

If it had taken a leap of faith from Ben Stokes to retain his vice-captain at number three for the first Test against India, then Pope picked the perfect time to play the grateful disciple.

A day after Stokes put England under the pump by giving away the chance to bat first, Pope's century offered the captain a way out of purgatory, the number three 100 not out in England's 209-3, 262 behind India's 471.

"It sums up and proves why he's England number three," said opener Ben Duckett, who made 62 in a stand of 122 with Pope.

There is an argument to suggest any debate between Pope and Bethell is ludicrous. On Saturday, Pope pushed his average as England's first-drop to 45.19, while Bethell has never made a century in professional cricket.

But numbers alone never tell the full story. Pope's stats mask a feast-or-famine career – before this game 34% of his Test runs had come in only six of his previous 98 knocks. Pope can be a nervous, skittish presence at the crease. The calm Bethell looks born to be an international batter.

Stokes put the conversation to bed on Thursday, pointing to the 171 Pope made against Zimbabwe in Nottingham in May. Stokes said it would have been "remarkable" to leave him out after such an innings, without ever elaborating on what might have happened had Pope failed at Trent Bridge.

"There's noise outside of a dressing room but there's no noise in it," said Duckett.

"We're not having discussions about who's going to play. It seemed pretty clear coming into this Test match that if a bloke scores 171 a few weeks ago he's going to play this one."

Still, Pope acknowledged the need to improve his record against India and Australia, the two sides England face across 10 defining Tests for the Stokes era.

The 196 he made against India in Hyderabad early last year is one of the all-time great innings by an Englishman overseas, but apart from that he has delivered slim returns against the two biggest teams in the world.

Before Headingley, Pope had an average of 22.05 in a combined 18 Tests against India and Australia.

England Under-21s have proved they have the fight to defend their European title.

The mass brawl at the final whistle, coupled with a brilliant Euro 2025 quarter-final victory over Spain on Saturday, removed any doubt these Young Lions could be a soft touch.

Charlie Cresswell promised pre-game there would be no lack of fight from England after their limp 2-1 loss to Germany and the Young Lions lived up to the billing.

Cresswell was at the heart of protecting his team-mates, with players willing to fight for each other following a late challenge on Tino Livramento seconds before the final whistle.

Similar scenes followed England's Euro 2023 final victory over Spain and the defending champions are not willing to let their title go quietly.

They now face the Netherlands in the semi-finals on Wednesday after a performance full of class, style, guile and fight.

"There's better ways to build camaraderie," manager Lee Carsley joked afterwards. "But we had something similar in the final [in 2023]. Emotions run high in those scenarios, you don't want anyone to get sent off or throw a punch.

"You can see what it means to the players, we probably have to give them a bit of leeway. Thankfully it didn't go over the top, it's still not nice to see. We are always trying to encourage younger players to take up football but the passion was just a bit much."

James McAtee, scorer of England's early opener, also epitomised the mood, the Manchester City midfielder ready and willing to dish it out.

He said: "We were the two big teams in the tournament, so them kicking off, we can't just sit back and just let them do it. We have to give them a bit back, so I'm happy with the boys."

Hot air balloon incident kills eight in Brazil

9 minutes ago Share Save Rute Pina BBC News Reporting from São Paulo Jaroslav Lukiv BBC News Reporting from London Share Save

EPA Brazilian police and firefighters work at the crash site

At least eight people have died in a hot air balloon accident in southern Brazil, the governor of Santa Catarina state has said. There were 21 people on board the balloon in the city of Praia Grande on Saturday morning, Jorginho Mello posted on X. Thirteen people, including the pilot, survived and no one is missing, the state government press office reported. Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) said it was taking "all necessary steps to investigate the condition of the aircraft and the crew".

"According to the pilot, who is one of the survivors, a fire started inside the basket, so he started to lower the balloon, and when the balloon was very close to the ground he told people to jump," officer Tiago Luiz Lemos, from the Praia Grande police station, told reporters at the scene. "They started to jump, but some people did not manage to. The flames started to grow and because of the weight, the balloon began to rise again. "It later fell because of a loss of suspension." The victims were two couples, a mother and daughter, an ophthalmologist, and a figure skater. The survivors were taken to nearby hospitals. Balloon tour company Sobrevoar Serviços Turísticos, which operated the flight, has now suspended its activities indefinitely. It said it had complied with all regulations set by Anac and had had no prior history of accidents. "Unfortunately, even with all necessary precautions and the efforts of our experienced pilot - who followed all recommended procedures and tried to save everyone on board - we are now faced with the pain caused by this tragedy," the company added.

Blackmail victims told 'don't suffer in silence'

Just now Share Save Kevin Peachey Cost of living correspondent Share Save

Getty Images

Students are being urged not to suffer in silence when targeted by scams on dating apps, as investigators see blackmail cases rise. Fraud teams at Nationwide, the UK's biggest building society, said trusted friends could help potential victims avoid sending private or intimate images during new online relationships. Anyone who has been scammed should report cases to the authorities, they said. One student in Cardiff told the BBC how a drink in the pub had alerted them to the risk of a friend being tricked by fraudsters using AI technology. Last year, the National Crime Agency (NCA) put out its first ever all-school alert, warning teenagers about the dangers of sextortion.

Blackmail warning

Sextortion is when criminals pose as young people online, trick a victim into sending sexually explicit material, and then blackmail them. Annya Burksys, head of fraud operations at Nationwide, said that scammers were "efficient and unrelenting". As a result, these kinds of scams were "commonplace" among students. Data on such crimes is difficult to gather, as they are recorded in different ways or are never reported at all. A survey by Nationwide suggested 28% of students asked had been scammed, and 50% of students worried about becoming a victim. Last year, BBC News sent a Freedom of Information request to every police force in the UK, asking how many reported blackmail offences featured the word "sextortion" over the last decade. The 33 forces (out of a total of 45) who responded recorded almost 8,000 blackmail cases logged with a reference to sextortion in 2023. The same number of forces recorded just 23 in 2014. All the forces to respond were in England and Wales.

'You're talking to a bot'

On a night out with friends, Emma Evans, a student in Cardiff, was chatting to one of them about his chats on dating apps. He suggested the group look through some of the conversations, but one "particularly attractive and particularly keen" match raised alarm bells. "We looked at this chat and the thing that gave it away was that this person was saying the same words over and over again," Emma told BBC Radio 4's You and Yours. "For example, he kept on saying how he wanted to find someone who is really passionate over and over again, and he wasn't really answering my friend's questions." The group pointed out to their friend that the language seemed to be the speech patterns of an AI chatbot.

Talk to a friend

Jim Winters, head of economic crime at Nationwide, urged people not to overshare images, particularly with someone they had never met. "Blackmail is one of the hardest things to face and it's happening more often. It's not easy but if something doesn't feel right, speak up," he said. "It might be tempting in the moment to share information or photos but once shared, you will never have control over it again." He has the following tips: Look out for odd phrases in messages and conversations that do not relate to what you have written

Put any profile photos into a search engine and see if they have been used elsewhere, and are stock images

If you are unsure about a situation, show the messages to someone else for a second opinion before things go too far

Anyone who is being blackmailed should report their case to the authorities, for help and support "Talk to someone you trust, maybe a friend or family member. Don't suffer in silence," he said.

Exploiting grief

Getty Images

Give new recruits £10,000 to join army, says Davey

In the face of a "barbaric" Russian President Vladimir Putin and an "erratic" US President Donald Trump, Sir Ed said the UK must be better prepared.

The Lib Dems claim the plans will "urgently" boost to the number of trained soldiers from just under 71,000 to more than 73,000.

The government should also distribute pamphlets to make sure every British home is "war-ready" and able to deal with blackouts and chaos caused by the outbreak of conflict or cyber-attacks, Lib Dem Leader Sir Ed Davey said.

New soldiers should be offered a £10,000 bonus to rapidly boost troop numbers to deal with an increasingly unpredictable world, the Lib Dems have said.

The Army is shrinking - but would Labour make it any bigger?

Over the weekend, Sir Ed visited Estonia to see British troops on what he called Nato's "frontline with Russia".

His visit had shown him "it is clear given the threat of a barbaric Putin and the challenge of an erratic Trump, we need to do more to make Britain war-ready," he said.

"War readiness also starts at home," Sir Ed added, "which is why I am calling for a public awareness campaign aimed at every home in Britain - to make sure we're all prepared for the possibility of a conflict or hostile acts such as major cyber-attacks".

Under the plans, new recruits receive a £10,000 bonus after completing training and serving for two years.

Former armed services personnel would be offered a £20,000 payment if they return to serve two additional years.

The starting salary for new recruits to the British Army is £26,334 a year.

Under a government scheme launched last November, a total of 17,000 armed forces personnel became eligible for retention payments.

Aircraft engineers can get £30,000 if they sign up for a further three years, with privates and lance corporals eligible for £8,000 for four years.

The proposed Lib Dem scheme would be limited to 3,000 personnel, including new recruits and re-enlistees, with its £60m cost covered by the main defence budget.

The plans are drawn up with the expectation that defence spending would rise to 2.5% of national income or GDP by 2027 - as promised by Labour.

The Lib Dems have called for the uplift in defence spending to be funded through an increase of the Digital Services Tax - a 2% levy on the biggest social media and tech companies, which raises about £800m a year.

The Lib Dems argue the bonus scheme would "urgently increase" the number of trained UK regular soldiers up to 73,000 - from the 70,752 listed in the most recent official documents.

Last month, the government set out plans for a small increase to the size of the regular army to 76,000 full-time soldiers after 2029 - although this has yet to be funded.

Labour has also proposed a 20% increase in Active Reserves "when funding allows" - most likely after 2030 following an overhaul of the armed forces.

The government is consulting on plans to regenerate military homes with £7bn of funding by 2025, after bringing the defence estate back under Ministry of Defence (MoD) control last year.

The Conservatives have called for an increase in UK troop numbers but have not set out how many they think are needed.

This week, the shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge set out plans to have military homes run by a housing association to tackle the "poor" state of accommodation and stem an exodus of troops.

Nearly a third of UK troops were considering leaving the armed forces due to the standard of accommodation, the Ministry of Defence's (MoD) own survey found.

Stop telling me to lower my cortisol - it's making me stressed!

Just now Share Save Ruth Clegg Health and wellbeing reporter Share Save

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It could apparently change the shape of my face, add pounds to my midriff, and even make my hair fall out. I feel like warnings about cortisol - a stress hormone I know very little about - have hijacked my social media accounts. I see posts advising me to drink a cortisol cocktail - a blend of orange juice, coconut water and sea salt, take a range of different supplements, and massage lavender balm into my temples. Not knowing how high my cortisol levels are makes it difficult to know whether or not I need to lower them, but now I think about it my cheeks do seem a touch more puffy than usual and my jeans have started to feel a bit tight.

Getty Images A cortisol cocktail is a concoction of orange juice, coconut water and sea salt - with limited evidence of its effectiveness

Cortisol is one of several hormones that help control how our body responds to stress. Produced by the adrenal glands, it plays a vital role in everything we do - from making sure we wake up in the morning, to being able to fall asleep at night. Without it we would die - but it's a fine balance. Too much cortisol can also cause a plethora of health problems. So, if I'm stressed, and my body is creaking under the strain of too much cortisol, how do I fix that? I pick up my phone, and start scrolling through my socials. Advice on one of the first posts that pops up is to turn my phone off - it's a big stressor. And, by the way, stop doomscrolling. I didn't know about my cortisol levels 10 minutes ago - now I can feel them rising.

"It is very likely that we do live with higher levels of cortisol in our systems," John Wass, Professor of Endocrinology at the University of Oxford, says, "partly because there is much more stress in the world, we can never switch off for a start. "With smartphones, you can't get a moment's peace." But Prof Wass questions the direct link often being made on social media, between cortisol levels and changes in our body, describing that as "misleading". "All these changes - weight gain, face swelling - there can be so many other reasons - a bad night's sleep, certain medications, too much salt, too much alcohol for instance," he says. "It's highly unlikely that cortisol levels alone are to blame - it's a complex picture."

Emma Lynch/BBC Jasleen tried social media hacks to bring down her cortisol levels but says they had little effect

As the managing director of a small technology company, in her late 20s Jasleen Kaur Carroll was at the top of her game. But she struggled to switch off and work became her life. Eventually things became so intense - with Jasleen feeling under constant pressure - that she experienced burnout, complete physical, mental and emotional exhaustion. "I began to feel like a zombie, like everything around me was failing," the 33-year-old from London explains. "But I would tell myself, 'I am Jas, I am strong, I can keep going.'" Jasleen turned to social media for advice on how to destress and lower her cortisol levels. "You name it, I tried it," she says. "The cortisol cocktail, Ashwagandha tablets, turmeric, black pepper supplements, lavender balm on my forehead - anything." But nothing worked. Jasleen's body began to shut down, and the stress she was under triggered a flare-up of an autoimmune condition she has called lupus, where the immune system spirals out of control and starts to mistakenly target healthy cells. "I lost so much weight, I had severe joint pains, I was struggling to breathe because I had liquid around my lungs," she says. "I was also warned about trying to have a baby because of how poorly I was."

JASLEEN KAUR CARROLL Social media hacks weren't addressing the cause of the stress Jasleen was experiencing

While in hospital receiving treatment for lupus, Jasleen realised that instead of trying to fix herself using social media hacks she had to stop, take time out and get help. "I was trying to fight all the symptoms of stress," she says. "Instead, I needed to tackle the cause." By having therapy she worked through trauma she had experienced in childhood and began to practice mindfulness - something which taught her to live more in the moment. "Stress is a wonderful thing," says therapist Neil Shah, who runs the Stress Management Society. "Hormones like adrenaline and cortisol are vital to keep us safe from a perceived threat. "The problems come when we perceive threats everywhere - and that's not helped by the 24/7 society we live in." Neil advised Jasleen to try standing outdoors, barefoot on grass. Jasleen wasn't convinced - but she decided to give it a go. "At that point I would have tried anything," she says.

A day after speaking to Jasleen, I'm on a video call with a mindfulness coach from Breathworks, a charity which specialises in pain and stress management. There are 12 other participants, who all want to learn how to manage stress levels and improve their overall health. Some studies suggest activities like mindfulness can have a positive effect on cortisol levels, helping to regulate the stress response system. Being focussed on the moment, rather than caught up in the past or looking to the future can also help change the structure of the brain and improve stress resilience, studies have shown.

My mindfulness coach Karen Liebenguth has a warm, soothing voice. I'm sceptical when she tells me to hold a raisin and look, feel, smell, listen and - eventually - put it in my mouth. By the time I chew it, I begin to understand that I am mindfully eating. My only thought is the raisin and its taste and texture. And, for the first time that day, my whole focus is on the present moment. Psychology professor and stress resilience expert David Creswell says mindfulness is one of several techniques found to help some individuals lower cortisol levels – and exercise, journalling, nurturing close relationships, and cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) can also all help too. "Interestingly, each technique is training us to sometimes sit with discomfort," Prof Creswell says. "They are like little mini stressors - which might help us deal with the big stressors life throws at us."

Experts warn some social media "quick fixes" not only fail to address the real issues many people might be experiencing, but can also prevent those who need medical treatment seeking help. "We are often fed simplistic solutions to a complex and potentially more serious problem," wellbeing expert Professor Sir Cary Cooper explains. He seems taken aback when I tell him the ingredients in the cortisol cocktail I often see being touted on social media. "I mean, it's not going to do any harm," he says, "but it's certainly not going to bring your cortisol levels down." Prof Carey says sudden body changes should be checked by a medical professional to make sure there are no physical health problems. High levels of cortisol can cause weight gain around the face, upper back and stomach - which could indicate a very rare condition called Cushing's Syndrome. The most common cause is taking high doses of steroid medicine for a long time. Sometimes, a small, non-cancerous growth in the pituitary gland (near the brain) or adrenal glands (near the kidneys) can also cause too much cortisol to be released. These glands help control the amount of certain hormones in your body, including cortisol. If you are stressed then there is "little point in just treating the symptoms", Prof Carey says. "It's all about the cause, and the cause could stem from a bad relationship, or financial worries or family problems. "Simple fixes on social media are not going to sort that."

Emma Lynch/BBC Jasleen carries out mindfulness exercises every morning

Celebs say this gossip forum ruined their lives. Now its owner has been unmasked

15 minutes ago Share Save Yasmin Rufo • @YasminRufo Culture reporter Share Save

Getty Images Katie Price, Lydia Millen and Caroline Hirons faced "relentless trolling" for years on Tattle Life

Celebrities and influencers have been shocked to learn a controversial gossip website accused of allowing stalking, harassment, doxing and "relentless trolling" towards them was being run by a 41-year-old vegan influencer called Sebastian Bond. While some public figures are used to dealing with online abuse and anonymous trolling, many, including glamour model Katie Price, say Tattle Life goes too far and is "the absolute worst platform for trolling". Set up in 2017, Tattle Life describes itself as a "commentary website on public business social media accounts" and its founder has operated anonymously - until recently. Following a landmark defamation and harassment case in Northern Ireland, the elusive founder of the website was revealed.

Bastian Durward Sebastian Bond, who also goes by the name Bastian Durward, is a vegan influencer and founder of Tattle Life

"People shouldn't be able to hide behind a keyboard," Price tells the BBC, glad that its founder has been identified. It's estimated Tattle Life could be earning up to £180,000 a year in revenue from Google Ads, according to The Centre for Countering Digital Hate. After the BBC contacted Google the platform confirmed it had restricted adverts appearing on the gossip forum. Model, 47-year-old Price, has hundreds of threads and anonymous comments about her looks, relationships and family, particularly her son Harvey who has multiple disabilities. Speaking to the BBC, Price says she has had many private documents posted onto the site - called doxing - including some of her confidential mail. "It's absolutely horrendous, the stuff that's posted about me on the website," she says. "The abuse is unmanageable, especially when they involve my family." Price has done a number of stints at a mental health hospital as a result of the trolling on Tattle Life and says the "constant and disgusting abuse on the website" contributed to her decision to try to take her own life.

Getty Images Katie Price (right) has faced constant trolling about her son Harvey on Tattle Life

In an email to the BBC's The State of Us podcast, which covered the story on 17 June, Tattle Life defended its business model, stating that influencers who monetise their personal lives should be open to scrutiny as it's a totally unregulated industry. But not everyone sees it that way. Jeremy Clarkson's daughter Emily has recently spoken about how users on the website announced her pregnancy before she had, and says horrible comments about how she looked on her wedding day were part of the reason she went to therapy. Influencer Carly Rowena also found herself being trolled on the platform after her young son was taken to hospital. "People were saying it was all my fault," she says, with many comments accusing her of profiteering from her son's illness by continuing to post content on social media. For the past six years, Rowena adds, a thread has existed on the website that shares details of where she lives as well as her parents' names and address.

'This is not normal trolling'

Caroline Hirons, a beauty expert with a large social media following, tells the BBC that it's a "lie that this is in the public interest". "I'm a skincare expert, you don't need to be posting pictures of my grandchildren," she says. Hirons has had private documents shared on Tattle Life as well as pictures of her children and grandchildren, some of which are still on the website. "This is not normal trolling - the website has become a place that makes it seem like it’s OK to stalk and harass people constantly." Lydia Millen, who has more than 1.6m followers on Instagram, also believes anonymity shouldn't be an option when utilising forums, comment sections or social media. "Whilst you are entitled to your opinion, you aren't entitled to anonymity which places you above the law," she argues. Millen, one of the most talked about people on the gossip website, says she has dealt with "relentless trolling" every day for the past five years, and often fears for her family's safety.

Getty Images Influencer Lydia Millen

Influencer Jen Graham agrees, suggesting people should have to verify their identity by uploading a document such as a driving licence or taking a picture of themselves. "That way it's traceable and someone can't hide behind a secret identity," she says, "and if they're cruel then they're punished." Graham says that discovering a thread about herself on Tattle Life "massively sent me under". "It wiped me out for a month and affected how I made my content as I was really anxious about posting."

Katie Price has long campaigned to make online abuse a specific criminal offence and make social media users provide verified identification when opening new accounts. "You should be able to trace these people as I imagine most people wouldn't say this stuff if they used an account under their real name." Price says she has tried to take legal action against Tattle Life and reported some comments to the police, but the force have been unable to find who is behind the posts because they're anonymous. Tattle Life claims to have a "zero-tolerance policy to any content that is abusive, hateful, harmful and a team of moderators online 24/7 to remove any content that breaks our strict rules - often in minutes". Laura Rodrigo from Tattle Life told the BBC recent events have "highlighted the need to make some changes going forward". She said Tattle Life would improve its reporting system by giving people a ticket number and reiterated that there is a contact form on every page where anyone can report a post. According to SimilarWeb, an internet analytics company, Tattle Life has been visited more than 11.5m times in the past month, mostly by British users.

'Years of abuse and stalking'

It was a defamation and harassment lawsuit brought by Neil and Donna Sands that eventually outed Sebastian Bond, who also goes by the name of Bastian Durward. The entrepreneurs took action against Tattle Life after suffering years of abuse, trolling and in-person stalking. For nearly a decade no-one knew who ran the website, with its operator going under the fake name Helen McDougal. Neil and Donna Sands were awarded £300,000 in damages and say they have received more than 1,000 messages from other celebrities and influencers who faced abuse on the platform. An email to the BBC claiming to be from Sebastian Bond's lawyers says he was "entirely unaware of the proceedings" brought before him and "is at a complete loss to understand how proceedings have been pursued" without his knowledge. "Mr and Mrs Sands have only obtained 'judgment in default' because my client wasn't aware of the proceedings, didn't have an opportunity to consider a defence and the proceedings went ahead in private," the email added.

Donna Sands Donna and Neil Sands spent two years in a legal battle with Tattle Life

Mr Sands says he will continue to pursue legal action against the Tattle Life community, adding: "The usernames of everyone who has attacked us on the website are listed in the court order so we will take action against all of them". The couple first reported abusive content on Tattle Life in February 2021, but Mr Sands told BBC News and BBC Radio 5 Live's Nicky Campbell there are still comments of a stalking nature on the website and various threads about him keep being taken down and uploaded again. The BBC contacted Tattle Life for comment on this specific allegation but did not receive a response.

'Monetising cruelty'

Israel says it killed Iran's military co-ordinator with Hamas

File photo showing Saeed Izadi (centre) with former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh (R) and former Iranian army chief Mohammed Bagheri

Iran did not report Mr Izadi's killing and has previously denied involvement in Hamas's attack.

"The blood of thousands of Israelis is on his hands," he said on Saturday, calling it a "tremendous intelligence and operational achievement."

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the killing of Saeed Izadi marked a key point in the conflict. He was "one of the orchestrators" of the attack, which killed about 1,200 people and saw many others taken to Gaza as hostages, said IDF chief Eyal Zamir.

Israel says it has killed a senior Iranian commander who helped plan the Hamas 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel, in a strike on Saturday on the city of Qom.

The IDF said it had killed him in a strike on an apartment in Qom, south of Tehran, in the early hours of Saturday. He had been in charge of the Palestine Corps of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps's (IRGC) Quds Force, responsible for handling ties with the Palestinian armed groups.

He was reportedly instrumental in arming and financing Hamas, and had been responsible for military co-ordination between senior IRGC commanders and Hamas leaders, the IDF said.

In April 2024, Mr Izadi narrowly survived an Israeli air strike targeting the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria - an attack that killed several high-ranking Quds Force commanders.

Israel later on Saturday also said it had killed another Quds Force commander, Behnam Shahriyari, in a drone strike as he was travelling in a car through western Iran.

He had been responsible for transporting missiles and rockets to Iran's proxy groups across the region, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, said the IDF.

If Israeli reports are confirmed, the new assassinations represent a major blow to the IRGC.

The attacks come as the conflict between the two countries entered its ninth day, with both launching new attacks on Saturday.

Iran said Israel had targeted a nuclear facility near the city of Isfahan. Israel said it was targeting military infrastructure in south-west Iran and reported at least one impact from Iranian drones that entered its airspace.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi meanwhile told reporters in Istanbul that any US involvement in the conflict would be "very very dangerous". On Friday he told European envoys in Geneva on Friday that Iran would not resume talks over its nuclear programme until Israel's strikes stopped.

Donald Trump has suggested US involvement in Israel's strikes on Iran, saying Tehran had a "maximum" of two weeks to avoid possible American air strikes if they did not negotiate on their nuclear programme.

Iranian officials say least 430 people, including military commanders, have been killed and 3,500 injured in Iran since the conflict began on 13 June. A human rights group tracking Iran, the Human Rights Activists News Agency, put the unofficial death toll at 657 on Friday.

In Israel, officials say 25 people have been killed including one of a heart attack.

Jobe Bellingham already knew the comparisons to big brother Jude were inevitable, especially after scoring on his first start for Borussia Dortmund.

Four years, nine months and one week after Jude scored on his first start for the black and yellow - a 5-0 win in the German Cup - Jobe scored on his first start.

The 19-year-old scored 45 minutes into his full debut - a 4-3 defeat of Mamelodi Sundowns in the Club World Cup - 15 minutes longer than it took Jude against Duisburg back in September 2020.

Jude went on to score 24 goals in 132 games for Dortmund before joining Real Madrid in 2023, and Jobe certainly showed signs of his sibling's nack of arriving late in the box to score.

The goal in Cincinnati showed anticipation and poise, agility and ruthlessness. After timing his run perfectly, Jobe cushioned the ball away from his marker before firing past the goalkeeper, albeit with the help of a slight deflection.

It capped a fine display on his full debut, and by his own admission, it's something the former Sunderland midfielder has been working on.

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso was sent off as Steve Borthwick's England XV conceded two late tries in a disappointing 26-24 defeat by a France XV at Twickenham's Allianz Stadium.

Feyi-Waboso, who missed the Six Nations and a possible place in the British and Irish Lions squad after dislocating his shoulder in December, caught Antoine Hastoy on the head with a swinging right arm as he attempted a tackle in the 34th minute.

Referee Hollie Davidson showed the 22-year-old a yellow card and asked the television match official to check the degree of danger and whether there was any mitigation.

After a straightforward review, the card was upgraded to a 20-minute red, which allowed England to bring on a replacement when the time expired, but leaves Feyi-Waboso facing the prospect of a ban that could rule him out of England's tour of Argentina and the United States.

"This is a good guy who just tries his heart out and has left the field today and it didn't go the way he wanted it to, so he's gutted in the changing room," said head coach Borthwick.

"Everyone will get around him and we'll find out about what the situation is in the next 24 hours."

A try from Harlequins captain Alex Dombrandt shortly after France's Cameron Woki was sent off gave England a 24-12 lead heading into the final 10 minutes.

However, Paul Mallez's try set up a frantic final five minutes and Romain Taofifenua burrowed over to tie the scores with the clock in the red.

Hastoy fired over the conversion to snatch victory with the last kick of an entertaining uncapped match played in sweltering conditions and watched by a crowd of 34,129.

Borthwick, who was without 13 England players selected in the Lions squad - including captain Maro Itoje - names his squad on Monday.

"We want to win, our supporters want us to win, and it is frustrating not to have got that win having been in such a good position," he told BBC Sport.

"Argentina are a better side - they've just beaten the Lions - so we need to focus fully on ironing out the bits that weren't quite right."

Six Nations champions France, preparing for a three-Test home series against New Zealand, were also without several key players because of the ongoing play-offs in their domestic league.

Galal Yafai's world title ambitions suffered a major setback as the British flyweight was dropped in the final round in a shock points loss to Francisco Rodriguez Jr in Birmingham.

Fighting in his home city, the 32-year-old Olympic gold medallist was rocked early and struggled to handle the relentless pressure and punch volume from the Mexican in a high-tempo contest.

Yafai had moments of success and showed resilience, but was repeatedly hurt, notably in the seventh and ninth, before hitting the canvas in the twelfth.

Although he beat the count, he was clinging on until the end and there was no dispute over the result with scores of 119-108, 119-108 and 118-109.

Yafai is defeated for the first time in 10 professional bouts and loses his WBC interim title.

Once tipped for a rapid ascent to full world honours, the Tokyo 2020 champion now faces a significant rebuilding job.

"[Rodriguez] was relentless tonight. Yafai couldn't have got into a worse start but I'm so proud of him," Yafai's promoter, Eddie Hearn, said.

England's Tommy Fleetwood will take a three-shot lead into the final round of the Travelers Championship in Connecticut.

The 34-year-old, looking to clinch his first PGA Tour title, had a share of a three-way lead after the second round.

A brilliant seven-under-par 63 on Saturday has given Fleetwood the outright lead over American pair Russell Henley and Keegan Bradley.

Henley catapulted into contention with a blistering nine-under-par 61 that included four birdies in his first six holes.

The American set a clubhouse score of 13 under but Fleetwood got to 14 under with an eagle on the par-five 13th.

A birdie on the 15th followed and Fleetwood came close to finishing his round by picking up another stroke.

While world number one Scottie Scheffler slumped to a two-over 72, world number two Rory McIlroy shot a two-under 68.

The Northern Irishman made four bogeys across the front nine but a double bogey on the 12th probably ruined his hopes of a late charge on Sunday.

Rishabh Pant scores a superb century before a measured Ollie Pope knock gives England a fighting chance as day two closes with the home side on 209-3, trailing India by 262 runs in the first Test at Headingley.

MATCH REPORT: England v India first Test - day two

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