'Britain will bake' and 'NHS cash linked to success'

16 minutes ago Share Save Share Save

A mix of stories grace the front pages of Saturday's papers. "Britain will bake in 36C heat" declares the Daily Express as it reports on the "heat dome" engulfing Europe. The paper says sweltering temperatures on Monday could make it "the hottest June day ever" and the highest in three years. In contrast, Emma Raducanu is pictured alongside as "all smiles in the Wimbledon sun".

The NHS's new boss has criticised the health service for viewing patients as "an inconvenience" and "built mechanisms to keep them away", the Daily Telegraph reports. In an interview with the paper, Sir Jim Mackey says the NHS is too often "deaf to criticism" and has "made it really hard" for patients to get the care they need. Also looming on the front page is a photograph of newly married couple Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez in her wedding gown. The pair's opulent £154bn ceremony in Italy took place on the Venetian island of San Giorgio Maggiore on Friday.

The Times follows with their NHS story on patients having a greater say on how much hospitals are paid by rating their treatment experiences. In plans to "rewire" the health service, pay for doctors and nurses will be linked to patient satisfaction and a hospital's ability to bring down waiting lists, the paper reports. An interview with Sir Rod Stewart is also previewed with the singer offering his political assessment, saying "we're fed up with the Tories".

The Financial Times leads with Sir Keir Starmer's "welfare climbdown" as it says the PM has "blown a £4.25bn hole" in his budget after retreating on cuts to disability benefits and pensioner subsidies. The paper warns the move could raise the likelihood of further tax hikes and risks damaging the government's credibility with investors. Elsewhere, the "A-listers and hecklers" who flocked to Bezos's Venice wedding extravaganza also earns a prime photo spot.

Supermarkets will be required to promote fruits and vegetables instead of junk food under new plans, the i Paper says. It reports that Labour ministers are drawing up proposals to push shoppers to make healthier choices and stores will need to report on how successful they are at persuading customers to "swap potatoes for sweet potatoes".

The Daily Mail promotes their Stop The SAS Betrayal campaign with new backing from a former royal aide and SAS officer. The paper is calling for Northern Ireland veterans who served during the Troubles to be protected from "legal which hunts". Sharing the top spot is a smiling Raducanu, with the Mail teasing the "tantalising clues" that reveal the tennis star has found a "love match" with a Wimbledon champion.

An exclusive in the Sun says police are under fire for wasting time investigating "non-crime hate incidents", including the case of a man singing the Flower of Scotland anthem at an English railway station. The paper sums up the affair as a "tartan barmy".

The Daily Mirror spotlights the "heartbreaking tribute" by Daniel Anjorin's father, after the schoolboy's killer was jailed for 40 years. Dr Ebenezer Anjorin remembers his son as a "kind and generous spirit that touched everyone who knew him".

Finally, the Daily Star features Luke Littler's "Darty in the USA" as the darts player says he is ready to "crack America" with his "arrows heroics" across the pond.

'Commercialising concussion': The Australians taking a backyard collision game global

1 hour ago Share Save Lana Lam and Tiffanie Turnbull BBC News, Sydney Share Save

Watch: People compete in Auckland RUNIT championship league event

"Defender ready?" calls the host. A thumbs up and moments later, two burly men - with no protective gear - run full speed at each other before they clash, the unmistakable sound of flesh and bone crunching. The crowd erupts into a collective roar, some cheering, others wincing. This is the moment they've been waiting for - and it's exactly this adrenaline-fuelled energy that organisers of the Run It Championship League are banking on to help bring what they call the "world's fiercest, new collision sport" to global audiences. It is a supercharged version of a one-on-one tackle game which originated in the backyards and school playgrounds of Australia and New Zealand - namely in Pacific Islander communities. One person carrying a ball must "run it straight" at the defender, who is also sprinting towards them: they are not allowed to duck, hurdle or sidestep the tackler. Videos of the game have recently gone viral, and the founders of the Run It league have capitalised on the surge of interest - they say they've gained millions of views online, won over thousands of fans, attracted big name sponsors, and even inspired rival competitions. They've held jousts in Melbourne and Auckland, and on Saturday another will take place in a Dubai arena, the winner taking away prize money of A$200,000 (£98,000). Next on their agenda, is an expansion to the UK and US. But the groundswell of support for the league is increasingly being rivalled by critical voices. Medical experts and sporting figures are worried about the physical and mental health impacts of the game - which has also become a wider social media craze, that is already accused of claiming one life. "It's like shaking a baby," says Peter Satterthwaite, whose teenage nephew died after copying the game at a party.

From the schoolyard to the world stage

Luis Enrique Ascui/THE AGE/SMH The Run It Straight founders played the game growing up in Melbourne

The objective of the game is simple: be the person who "dominates" the contact, as deemed by a panel of three judges. Two of the league's seven co-founders, Brandon Taua'a and Stephen Hancock, tell the BBC they have fond memories of playing the game as teenagers in Melbourne. "I used to 'run it straight' at Brandon all the time," Hancock says, joking that the pair would usually try to avoid hitting each other straight on. There'll be none of that this weekend, when the eight finalists compete for that giant cash prize in United Arab Emirates. Hancock insists Run It is a "game of skill" - "[It's] all about the footwork" - but there's no denying the violent nature of it. A quick scroll of the league's social media accounts shows dozens of quick-burst videos, all honing in on the explosive action of two men colliding. In other videos circulating from the events, several competitors are knocked out and require immediate medical attention. Taua'a acknowledges the sport comes with risks, but says the league has safety protocols to minimise them. Competitors are screened, undergoing medical assessments – such as blood tests and a physical exam – and they must also send a recent video of themselves playing a sport that features tackling. Medical staff are also on the sidelines of the events. "There's an element of danger with surfing, with boxing, and many other sports as well," Taua'a argues. For Champ Betham - who won NZ$20,000 earlier this month at the competition in Auckland and is gunning for the title in Dubai on Saturday – the element of danger is a secondary consideration. "This is a massive blessing to a whole heap of us to pretty much try and win 20K or whatever for a couple hours' work," he told Radio New Zealand at the time. "We got to pay off some debts and stock up the fridges and the cupboards, food for our little ones, especially with the economy and stuff like that here in New Zealand. Nothing's cheap these days."

Getty Images Warriors halfback Chanel Harris-Tavita is one of the rugby players promoting Run It

The money involved, for a league which has only been around for six months, is impressive. Along with the prize fund, competitors' travel and accommodation expenses are being paid. A 1,600-seat arena has been booked. The league has a slick social media account, a PR representative, and a bunch of promoters - including antipodean sports stars. Its initial financial backers have been described only as "a group of local investors who believe in the product", but bigger names are emerging: days before the Dubai event, the league announced it had secured a major sponsor in online gambling platform Stake.com, which is banned in key markets like Australia and the UK. There are also ongoing talks with potential US investors, including a contact linked to American podcaster and UFC heavyweight Joe Rogan, which Taua'a says "will definitely help" the league build a presence in the US. They will need big backers to match their ambitions for the contest, which they argue is more than just a fleeting social media trend. "This could actually eventuate into a sport that could sit [in a class] with MMA and boxing," Hancock says.

'An innocuous clash'

But as Taua'a and Hancock focus on the competition's future ambitions, more and more voices are questioning its safety. "They might as well set up smoking as a legitimate sport," says neuroscientist Alan Pearce. Speaking to the BBC from the New Zealand city of Palmerston North, Peter Satterthwaite is unequivocal. "It's not a sport," he says. It's "a dangerous activity" designed purely "to hurt the guy in front of you". His 19-year-old nephew Ryan was celebrating a 21st birthday with friends at a local park when they decided to try the game they'd seen all over their social media feeds. Ryan did two tackles. Neither he or his friend fell down or clashed heads. But as he walked away, he told his mates he didn't feel well, his uncle recounts. "[Ryan] was coherent for a bit, then he lay down and his eyes just rolled back in his head."

Pete Satterthwaite Ryan Satterthwaite, 19, was the youngest of three brothers who all grew up playing rugby

Friends rushed him to hospital where doctors had to "cut a sizable chunk out of his skull" to alleviate pressure caused by brain swelling, Satterthwaite says. "I saw him on the ventilator, his chest going up and down as he was breathing, and it was like 'Get up! Open your eyes'." On Monday evening, just a day after he was playing with his mates, Ryan's life support was turned off in a hospital room filled with loved ones. "It was just an innocuous clash," Ryan's uncle says, "and it just shows you how fragile life is and how fragile your brain is." Run It says it understands the dangers of contact sports and takes safety seriously. Weeks after Ryan's death, the league posted a video saying the game is "not for the backyard, not for the street". "Do not try this at home," they said. But Satterthwaite doubts that warning will have much impact. "I don't think there's a sport in the world that people don't do at the beach, or in their backyard, or at the park." It's not just the physical impacts that worry Shenei Panaia.

Shenei Panaia Mental health worker Shenei Penaia says she used to see versions of 'run it straight' tackles during her school years

As a Samoan growing up in Australia, she would often see schoolkids playing the game as a bit of fun. But the mental health worker fears it reinforces "a version of masculinity where silence is strength, and violence is proof of pride". "It sends a dangerous message to young men that their worth is based on how much pain they can take. That if you're not tough, you don't belong." And the league's attempt to turn this into a lucrative spectator sport contradicts the values of many in the Pacific Islander community, Penaia says. "We are taught to look out for one another... and to make decisions that serve more than just ourselves."

'Blood in the air'

Their concerns are echoed by a pack of concussion experts and sporting figures. For more than a decade, the world of high-impact sports has been introducing safety measures as the research into brain injuries develops. Official bodies including Rugby Australia, New Zealand Rugby have warned people not to take part, with the New Zealand Prime Minister also weighing in, saying it's a "dumb thing to do".

RUNIT The Run It finale will take place on Saturday in Dubai

A Norwegian tourist says he was denied entry into the US after immigration agents took issue with a meme of Vice President JD Vance on his phone.

US Homeland Security officials say he was turned away for admitting drug use.

BBC Verify's Jake Horton spoke to Mads Mikkelsen about his experience and looks at the laws which are in place for denying tourists coming into the US.

Produced by Blanca Estrada and Meiying Wu. Graphics by Leo Scutt-Richter.

'Britain will bake' and 'NHS cash linked to success'

51 minutes ago Share Save Share Save

A mix of stories grace the front pages of Saturday's papers. "Britain will bake in 36C heat" declares the Daily Express as it reports on the "heat dome" engulfing Europe. The paper says sweltering temperatures on Monday could make it "the hottest June day ever" and the highest in three years. In contrast, Emma Raducanu is pictured alongside as "all smiles in the Wimbledon sun".

The NHS's new boss has criticised the health service for viewing patients as "an inconvenience" and "built mechanisms to keep them away", the Daily Telegraph reports. In an interview with the paper, Sir Jim Mackey says the NHS is too often "deaf to criticism" and has "made it really hard" for patients to get the care they need. Also looming on the front page is a photograph of newly married couple Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez in her wedding gown. The pair's opulent £154bn ceremony in Italy took place on the Venetian island of San Giorgio Maggiore on Friday.

The Times follows with their NHS story on patients having a greater say on how much hospitals are paid by rating their treatment experiences. In plans to "rewire" the health service, pay for doctors and nurses will be linked to patient satisfaction and a hospital's ability to bring down waiting lists, the paper reports. An interview with Sir Rod Stewart is also previewed with the singer offering his political assessment, saying "we're fed up with the Tories".

The Financial Times leads with Sir Keir Starmer's "welfare climbdown" as it says the PM has "blown a £4.25bn hole" in his budget after retreating on cuts to disability benefits and pensioner subsidies. The paper warns the move could raise the likelihood of further tax hikes and risks damaging the government's credibility with investors. Elsewhere, the "A-listers and hecklers" who flocked to Bezos's Venice wedding extravaganza also earns a prime photo spot.

Supermarkets will be required to promote fruits and vegetables instead of junk food under new plans, the i Paper says. It reports that Labour ministers are drawing up proposals to push shoppers to make healthier choices and stores will need to report on how successful they are at persuading customers to "swap potatoes for sweet potatoes".

The Daily Mail promotes their Stop The SAS Betrayal campaign with new backing from a former royal aide and SAS officer. The paper is calling for Northern Ireland veterans who served during the Troubles to be protected from "legal which hunts". Sharing the top spot is a smiling Raducanu, with the Mail teasing the "tantalising clues" that reveal the tennis star has found a "love match" with a Wimbledon champion.

An exclusive in the Sun says police are under fire for wasting time investigating "non-crime hate incidents", including the case of a man singing the Flower of Scotland anthem at an English railway station. The paper sums up the affair as a "tartan barmy".

The Daily Mirror spotlights the "heartbreaking tribute" by Daniel Anjorin's father, after the schoolboy's killer was jailed for 40 years. Dr Ebenezer Anjorin remembers his son as a "kind and generous spirit that touched everyone who knew him".

Finally, the Daily Star features Luke Littler's "Darty in the USA" as the darts player says he is ready to "crack America" with his "arrows heroics" across the pond.

I found a bacteria-eating virus in my loo - could it save your life?

33 minutes ago Share Save James Gallagher • @JamesTGallagher Health and science correspondent Share Save

BBC

I'm on the hunt for a microbial saviour – a type of virus that can treat infections rather than cause them. We all know the viral bad guys – Covid, flu, norovirus, herpes, chicken pox, measles… the list goes on. But there's a type of virus that's not interested in infiltrating our bodies, instead it preys on bacteria. They're known as bacteria eaters, or bacteriophage, or commonly as phage. Capturing them could give us new ways of treating infections, including superbugs that are becoming incurable. So, how to catch a killer? I've been promised it's surprisingly easy. The team at the Phage Collection Project sent me some vials to collect samples, along with a pair of gloves. All I need to do is hunt for some dirty water, the dirtier the better, dip the vials in and screw on the lid.

I collected my first sample from an old bucket I've turned into a pond

I tried a couple of ponds, the juice from a worm-composting bin and then I needed my dirtiest sample. I didn't flush the toilet after a poo and left it for a couple of hours. I pop on a glove and hold my breath as I go in for the final sample. Strict hygiene instructions, including vigorous hand-washing, were followed, at all times. The vials were packaged up for collection and then three days later I headed off to the University of Southampton to see what was inside. "They were a bit dirty when I received them," phage scientist Michelle Lin tells me as we don our blue lab-coats and matching gloves to go into the Containment Level 2 microbiology laboratory. We grab my samples from the fridge, which look much clearer now they have been filtered of any… debris. "It's fine, it's needed," Michelle, who had the unpleasant job, reassures me.

Michelle Lin holding the cleaned up sample of my toilet water

Filtering is the first step in looking for phage, next they get served dinner – a cocktail of yummy bacteria - to help them grow in number. Now comes the really cool bit – finding a useful phage. The scientists have been working with the local hospital to collect bacteria from patients with troublesome infections. Michelle grabs a petri dish that's growing bacteria from a patient with a painful, urinary tract infection that keeps coming back. And to my amazement – one of the phage I collected from my toilet was able to kill this infection in the lab. "The way to see that the phage has infected bacteria is you get these zones where the bacteria are not growing and that's because they've been killed by the phage," says Michelle.

The small off-white areas are where the bacteria are still growing, but in most of the sample petri dish there are dead zones where the phage has gorged on the bacteria

You can see the leopard print pattern in the petri dish where the phage have been making light work of a bacterial infection that modern medicine was struggling to shift. "As crazy as it sounds, well done to the toilet sample," says Michelle with great delight. And when I was offered the chance to name the phage, well of course it's the Gallagher-phage. "Sounds amazing to me," says Michelle. So far this is all good fun in the laboratory, but could my phage ever be given to a patient? "Yes and I hope so," says associate professor Dr Franklin Nobrega as we look at images of my phage captured with an electron microscope.

The virus has been named the Gallagher-phage, after me

"Your phage, already in just 24 hours, we were able to get in a high concentration and able to be a very good killer, which means this is very promising for patients, so thank you," said Dr Nobrega. Phage remind me of a moon lander – a big capsule on spindly legs – just instead of landing on the surface of the moon they use their legs to select their victim. They then hijack the bacteria and transform it into a mass-production factory for more phage, which burst out of their host, killing it in the process.

There are pros and cons to phage. They reproduce as they go along so you don't need constant doses like you would with drugs. They are also very picky eaters. You need a precise match between phage and the strain of bacteria you're trying to treat whereas antibiotics tend to kill everything good and bad. So it is harder to find the right phage, but if you do it comes with fewer side effects. Dr Nobrega tells me infected wounds are a "very good application" for phage because you can apply them directly to the injury, but they can also be inhaled via a nebuliser to treat lung infections or to target urinary tract infections "which is our target currently".

Getty Images An artist's impression of a tiny phage landing on the surface of a bacterium

Phage - the friendly virus

Phage science may sound new and exciting, but it is actually a century old idea stemming from the discoveries of Felix d'Hérelle and Frederick Twort in the 1910s. Bacteriophage therapy was a branch of medicine and the idea was compelling. Even as late as the 1940s there was an active pharmaceutical industry in western countries trying to produce phage-therapy to defeat bacterial infections. However, it was rapidly eclipsed by the wonder-drug of the 20th century. "Antibiotics were working so well that most people said 'why bother'," says Dr Nobrega.

University of Southampton More than a dozen "Gallagher phage" as seen through an electron microscope. Look for the hexagonal capsule at the top that contains the genetic code it squirts into bacteria in order to take it over.

Work on phage therapy continued in places like Georgia and there are individual accounts of it working wonders; but there hasn't been the same depth of medical research and clinical trials as there have for drugs. But just as the initial success of antibiotics suppressed phage research, the failure of antibiotics is reigniting excitement at their potential. More than a million people a year are already dying from infections caused by microbes that are resistant to treatment – it's known as the "silent pandemic". By 2050, that figure is projected to reach 10 million a year. This "antibiotic apocalypse" would mean common infections could kill again and undermine modern medicine. The drugs are also used to make organ transplants, open surgery and chemotherapy possible. "The predictions around antibiotic resistance are very frightening, but the reality is we're seeing it now and it's only going to get worse," says Prof Paul Elkington, the director of the institute for medical innovation at the University of Southampton.

The Phage Collection Project team at the University of Southampton are keen to get samples from the public

'Better dead than single': The dark comedy inspired by 'bleak' dating scene

Just now Share Save Shola Lee BBC News Share Save

BBC/Various Artists Limited Kat Sadler and Lizzie Davidson are sisters in real-life as well as on screen

Horrible snogs. Hideous outfits. Heinous crimes. Between bursts of laughter, that's how real-life sisters Kat Sadler and Lizzie Davidson describe the new series of their BBC comedy Such Brave Girls. "Being able to have schemes and do twisted things and [to] come from a female perspective, that was really exciting," says Sadler, who wrote the Bafta-winning dark comedy. Such Brave Girls follows sisters Josie (Sadler) and Billie (Davidson) who, along with their mum Deb (Louise Brealey), are desperately trying to keep their heads above water financially and their relationships afloat. Despite the rave reviews for series one, the siblings were unsure how the series would be received. "We do talk about a lot of taboo subjects," Davidson says of the comedy, which addresses mental health, parental abandonment and abortion in a not-so-sensitive way. In series one, we see Billie go to an abortion clinic dressed as a witch while another episode sees mum Deb tell Josie her "haunting presence" is dampening Deb's boyfriend's libido. The series took home two Baftas – one for best scripted comedy and one for emerging talent: fiction for Sadler.

BBC/Various Artists Limited Sadler (right) says she feels like everyone's performance has "gone up a notch" this series - many of her scenes are with Davidson (left) and Louise Brealey (centre), who plays Deb

Approaching a follow-up was "nerve-wracking", Sadler admits, explaining how the two bronze awards on her bedside table now seem to loom over her. "I feel like they're judging me," she says. However, Davidson feels the success has helped them get away with more this time around and Sadler agrees, adding: "I've really put the characters through the ringer this year. It's more depressing, but maybe more funny."

'The funniest person in the world'

Davidson says the series is influenced by their upbringing: "Growing up in an all-woman household, it was just us two and Mum, I think that's the way we see life, like scheming in the bathroom." Much of the action in the show takes place in the lavatory, with the women plotting to make money or manipulate their partners. While their characters are cutting in the way they speak to each other, off-screen the sisters are far more earnest, with Sadler explaining how Davidson's off-hand comments have helped her work through plot points that she's been stuck on for months. Sadler adds that she feels lucky to have her sister in the show. "She's the funniest person in the world," she says. Taken aback and slightly teary, Davidson explains how she'll read early drafts of the script from Sadler under her covers, laughing and jealous of her sister's talent. "I hate her. I hate her. I wish it was me. It's so brilliant how nuanced the writing is," she says smiling.

Lizzie Davidson After Sadler won her awards, her mother made Davidson a paper Bafta so she didn't feel left out

The siblings' dynamic is not the only thing influencing the comedy, with Sadler explaining their mum will often send her ideas for plots. "She's really invested," Sadler says. Ahead of series one, she ran through the prospective storylines with her mum. "It's not her, but it's definitely inspired by stories that happened to us. So I wanted her to be happy with it," Sadler adds. "She signed off everything - she's got the darkest sense of humour of all of us."

'Worst nightmare'

Sadler says a lot of her writing is fuelled by the things she sees online and in the news, like the "bleak" dating scene. In the new series, mum Deb says the girls are "better dead than single" - a sentiment that runs through the series as the sisters try to cling on to their relationships. Sadler says she became interested in the idea of being intentionally single, after seeing it all over her TikTok feed. She feels this has become more common and adds that a lot of her friends are single. One recent report found that the four most popular dating apps in the UK - Tinder, Hinge, Bumble and Grindr - had all lost UK users between May 2023 and May 2024. The writer says that while there's lots of empowering things about being single, "it's also very lonely" and she wanted to satirise this idea in her show by having it be the girls' "worst nightmare."

BBC/Various Artists Limited/Vishal Sharma Sadler says she sees a lot of stuff on social media about being single

With the new series, Sadler wants to continue to "skewer" topical issues and taboo subjects. She says she's particularly proud of how they handled Billie's abortion storyline in series one. "I'm so sick of seeing stories about pregnancy and that maternal instinct immediately kicking," Sadler says, adding, "that's not reality for a lot of people. It's not how I feel."

'The truth of being disgusting'

A 'fake trial': Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyers make final arguments to jurors

3 hours ago Share Save Madeline Halpert & Sakshi Venkatraman BBC News, New York Reporting from court Share Save

Reuters Mr Agnifilo framed Combs' victims as willing participants in so-called freak-offs

The sex trafficking and racketeering case against hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs was "badly, badly exaggerated", his lawyer told a panel of 12 New York jurors on Friday. In his closing, Marc Agnifilo argued for four hours that the government was criminalising Combs and his girlfriends' "swingers lifestyle" in what amounted to a "fake trial". His 55-year-old client pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. "The government targeted Sean Combs," Mr Agnifilo told the court, leading to an objection - later sustained - from prosecutors.

Warning: This story contains details some readers may find distressing Lawyer Christy Slavik spoke to jurors for five-and-a-half hours in the prosecution's closing arguments on Thursday, telling them that Combs abused his power and business empire to sex traffic women and commit other crimes. The prosecution claimed Combs plied his ex girlfriends with drugs, and used violence and other means to coerce them into so-called "freak-offs" - Combs' name for events where he watched and filmed while they had sex with male escorts. While Ms Slavik was calm and methodical during a guided digital presentation, Mr Agnifilo was animated - pacing back and forth, and frequently cracking jokes. He began by attacking the credibility of Combs' ex-girlfriends who testified against him, Casandra Ventura and anonymous witness "Jane". He called Combs' 11-year-relationship with Ms Ventura - in which she alleges he beat her repeatedly - "one of the great modern love stories". She was a willing participant in their sex lives, he said. "She's a woman who actually likes sex - good for her," Mr Agnifilo said. "She's beautiful, she should." Who testified in the Diddy trial?

As Diddy prosecution rests, how compelling is the case against him? He argued Ms Ventura was no victim, as Combs was now in jail and she settled a civil lawsuit against him for physical abuse and sexual coercion for millions of dollars. "If you had to pick a winner in this whole thing, it's hard not to pick Cassie," he said. The problems in their relationship amounted to domestic violence - and not sex trafficking, Mr Agnifilo said. He tried to cast doubt on prosecutors' argument that the rapper used violence to coerce Ms Ventura into participating in freak-offs. The government has focused on a 2016 surveillance video of Combs beating Ms Ventura in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel, allegedly after she tried to leave a freak-off.

REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg

Playing the video for jurors again, Mr Agnifilo argued it could not have been an instance of sex trafficking because Ms Ventura appeared to gesture Combs back to their room when a security guard arrived on the scene. There was "nothing scary in the room", he said, adding that freak-offs were "beautiful evenings" with nice music and well-decorated rooms. Mr Agnifilo also attempted to chip away at Jane's testimony, citing one night where she alleges the rapper was violent with her before a freak-off. "Her story truly makes no sense," he said. Combs' lawyer attacked the government's racketeering case, the allegation that Combs relied on his loyal employees to help him commit sex trafficking and other crimes, then cover them up. There was a "gaping lack of evidence" that Combs and his employees ran some sort of criminal enterprise, and that there were any co-conspirators, he said. Combs' former chief-of-staff, Kristina Khorram, whom prosecutors have pointed to as a co-conspirator, is a "helpful" woman who everyone loved, Agnifilo told the jury. A real co-conspirator, he claimed, would have helped kick the door down when Combs is alleged to have tried to break into his ex-girlfriend's home. In response to the transportation to engage in prostitution charge, Mr Agnifilo argued that male escorts the hip-hop mogul and his girlfriends hired were paid "for their time" with the couple, and not for sex. At the end of his arguments, Combs, wearing an off-white sweater, hugged his attorney. His family, including his twin daughters and mother, were seated behind him for the second day in a row.

REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg Sean "Diddy" Combs' family, including his children and mother, sits in the courtroom on Friday in New York City.

In a rebuttal to the defence's closing on Friday, prosecutor Maurene Comey took a more aggressive tone than Ms Slavik's, slamming Combs' lawyers for suggesting his ex-girlfriends were lying and that they wanted to engage in freak-offs after being beaten. "There is no separating the violence from the sex," Ms Comey said. "They were trapped emotionally, physically and financially." She noted Ms Ventura's lawsuit settlement, asking, "why risk it all by perjuring herself at a federal trial?" Jurors will reconvene on Monday for the judge's instructions on how to weigh the case against the hip-hop mogul. Deliberations are expected to begin soon after. Combs is facing life in prison over the most serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking.