Rachel Reeves doing excellent job, PM tells BBC after Commons tears

1 hour ago Share Save Brian Wheeler Political reporter Sam Francis Political reporter Share Save

Watch: Reeves will be chancellor 'for a very long time to come', says Starmer

Sir Keir Starmer has backed Rachel Reeves to remain chancellor "into the next election and for many years after" after she was seen crying during Prime Minister's Questions. The prime minister had refused to say whether Reeves would remain in her job until the next election in front of MPs in the Commons, during a session in which the chancellor wiped away tears as she sat behind him. But later Sir Keir told BBC Radio 4's Political Thinking he worked "in lockstep" with Reeves and she was "doing an excellent job as chancellor". After PMQs, Reeves' spokesperson said she had been dealing with a "personal matter" and Sir Keir insisted her tears had "nothing to do with politics".

Asked if Reeves would remain in government Sir Keir said: "She's done an excellent job as chancellor and we have delivered inward investment to this country in record numbers. "She and I work together, we think together. "In the past there have been examples - I won't give any specifics - of chancellors and prime ministers who weren't in lockstep. We're in lockstep." He said Reeves' tears had "nothing to do with politics" or this week's welfare U-turns - which potentially blows a hole in her Budget plans. "That's absolutely wrong," said Sir Keir. "Nothing to do with what's happened this week. It was a personal matter for her, I'm not going to intrude on her privacy by talking to you."

Reeves appears tearful during PMQs

At a highly charged PMQs, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch laid into the government over its welfare U-turns. She said the chancellor would now be forced to put up taxes "to pay for his incompetence" and asked if she would still be chancellor at the next election. She said the chancellor "looks absolutely miserable". And she told the PM: "Labour MPs are going on the record saying that the chancellor is toast, and the reality is that she is a human shield for his incompetence." Sir Keir said: "No prime minister or chancellor ever stands at the dispatch box and writes budgets in the future." He ignored Badenoch's questions and instead insisted the welfare reform bill would get more people back into work and blamed Tory "stagnation" for creating the problems it was trying to fix. Reeves was seen to wipe away tears during the PMQs exchanges. The extraordinary Commons scenes appeared to unsettle the financial markets, with the pound falling against major currencies and the cost of government borrowing rising.

Many colleagues and allies of Reeves in Parliament are blaming an altercation with the Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle for upsetting her. Several have accused him of having been abrupt with the chancellor in a meeting before PMQs. It is thought to have been about an interaction they had during Treasury questions on Tuesday in which Sir Lindsay asked her to give shorter answers. However, no one who the BBC has spoken to is claiming to have witnessed the interaction personally. The chancellor's team have declined to comment, as has the Speaker's office.

'Embarrassing' U-turn

Reeves' tears raise big questions at top of Labour

2 hours ago Share Save Chris Mason, Joe Pike & Henry Zeffman BBC News Share Save

Reeves appears tearful during PMQs

Politics is a uniquely exposing trade. The noble act of volunteering for elected office and then, for a lucky few, assuming the highest political office, comes rightly with scrutiny and difficult questions. And it is unquestionably true that the questions for the Chancellor Rachel Reeves have just got even more difficult after this week's spectacular unravelling of the government's plans for the benefits system. But it is also true that politicians are human beings and events that are rightly private shape their mood too and there is often little scope for them to hide. And didn't the chancellor find that out very starkly at Prime Minister's Questions.

Those of us watching on from the press gallery of the House of Commons could see the tears rolling down the chancellor's cheeks. Not once or twice or for a minute or two, but throughout the half hour. As Reeves sat crying next to Sir Keir Starmer in the Commons, the prime minister was completely unaware of it. After he left the chamber, an aide suggested that Sir Keir might want to check on his chancellor. The PM expressed puzzlement - he had been so focused on answering questions he had not noticed her tears. Another cabinet minister who had been sitting close to Reeves told the BBC they had been equally unaware of her distress. "I didn't notice anything was up," they said. It was only those sitting opposite the chancellor who witnessed the prolonged period of crying. "It was horrible to watch," said one on the Conservative frontbench. As PMQs ended, Reeves rushed out accompanied by her sister Ellie, another Labour minister. Immediately after the session as the chancellor's team argued "a personal matter" was the reason for the chancellor's emotion, multiple cabinet ministers seemed to contradict that this was the only reason. "She had an altercation with Lindsay [Hoyle, the Speaker] just before PMQs", claimed one senior minister. "They had a row. I think he ended up apologising to her." A second minister added that a disagreement with the Commons Speaker was the main reason for the chancellor's distress. "She's under massive amounts of pressure", they added. "But she has good strong women around her." A third minister insisted to the BBC: "She's totally fine. I've just been to her office and spoken to her and she's fine. There's nothing to worry about." But a fellow cabinet minister said simply: "I don't think I've seen anything like that ever before." One eyewitness told us that the chancellor came into the chamber unusually early. The Speaker stopped her and appeared annoyed. At one point it appeared she tried to break off the conversation to sit down on the frontbench but he kept going. "It was clear he was overdoing it," our eyewitness said. About a minute later he shouted over words to the effect of "sorry". "That was what set her off," our eyewitness added, and at that point she left - returning a few minutes later looking like she'd been crying. The Speaker's office has not commented on what happened.

On a human level, anyone seeing the photographs from Prime Minister's Questions would be sympathetic, whatever the contributory factors. Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch seized upon what she could see to frame questions about the chancellor's future. Questions which it is worth pointing out some Labour figures are themselves asking in private. Sir Keir brushed off those questions in the Commons, while not explicitly answering a question from Badenoch about whether Reeves would remain his chancellor until the next election, as he has previously promised. Leaders face a dilemma when confronted with a question like that: swerve it and it looks like you have diluted your endorsement, repeat it and face headlines like "prime minister forced to back beleaguered chancellor" or something similar. His team later spelt out explicitly their endorsement and insisted she was staying put in her job. The prime minister then went further still and on camera - telling the BBC Radio 4's Political Thinking that those thinking her tears were about the benefits U-turn are "wrong". Sir Keir said: "It's wrong. That's absolutely wrong. Nothing to do with politics. Nothing to do with what's happened this week. It was a personal matter for her. I'm not going to intrude on her privacy by talking to you." Of course, a mix of contributory factors of differing magnitude can shape the mood of any of us at any time and the professional pressure on the chancellor is undeniably intense. Few of us spend as much time in the public gaze as our most prominent politicians, where sharp questions would have followed had Reeves not turned up, just as they have when she did. Whatever the specifics of what led to this extraordinary moment in the Commons, there is a bigger picture. For the prime minister and his chancellor – the duopoly at the heart of Labour's revival and electoral success – getting the show back on the road, projecting direction, confidence and grip is now the must have for them for the coming months. Because if they do not manage that, questions about each of them - even both of them - will step up.

Diddy's secret world revealed in videos and his voice notes

2 hours ago Share Save Rianna Croxford and Larissa Kennelly • @rianna_croxford BBC News Investigations Share Save

BBC

Warning: Explicit content "Can y'all come straighten it up over here? It's not looking luxurious," Sean "Diddy" Combs says in a voice note to his personal assistants as R&B music mellows in the background. Hours before, a so-called "freak-off" - a drug-fuelled orgy also known as a "Wild King Night" - had been in full swing. Now, staff were being called in to clean up. "PD said he's going to need emergency clean up at hotel," his chief of staff texts after another of these events. "Bring him stain remover (for a chair and couch) and black trash bags. And baking soda too, he said."

WATCH: Video shared with BBC - Sean "Diddy" Combs holds pool parties at his Miami mansion

The BBC has seen messages and recordings from former staff in Combs' household. The staff members have also given detailed accounts of what it was like to work on the multi-millionaire music mogul's glamorous yacht rentals and inside his sprawling estates across the US - in the Hamptons, Beverly Hills and on Star Island in Miami. Their experiences span the past five to 10 years, a period that was under scrutiny during Combs' criminal trial in New York. At the trial's conclusion on Wednesday, the 55-year-old was cleared of the most serious charges - racketeering, and two counts of sex trafficking related to ex-partner Casandra Ventura and another woman referred to as "Jane". But jurors found he was guilty of two other counts related to the transportation to engage in prostitution of both women. He will be sentenced at a later date.

Getty Images Officers raid Combs' mansion on Star Island, Miami Beach, Florida

We have been shown material which paints a picture of a "scary" and unpredictable boss, who would administer shocking "loyalty tests", and whose demands grew more and more extreme. Staff have described how his sometimes-days-long "freak-offs" were held at locations around the world, with the rapper expecting staff to prepare a bag containing "baby oil, lubricant and red lights" - to create the red-tinted ambience Combs preferred - alongside class-A drugs wherever he travelled.

Reuters Combs at the Met Gala, New York, 2023

'Wild King Nights'

Inside his waterfront Miami mansion, a $48m (£36m) compound located on an exclusive man-made island, we have been told that Combs kept tight control of his inner circle. "I'm not about to be transparent with y'all," a groggy Combs warns staff one day in a rambling voice note posted in an employee WhatsApp group in 2020. "There's some dark places y'all [EXPLETIVE] don't want to go. Stay where you're at." Staff say he was intense, demanding and volatile, with some attributing his unpredictability to a lifestyle of drug-fuelled parties. The turnover of staff was high and Combs had more than 20 different house managers join and leave in just two years across his properties, one former estates manager told us.

LISTEN: Combs sent a long rambling voice note to staff: "There's some dark places y'all"

Phil Pines, 40, who worked for Combs as a senior executive assistant from 2019-2021, has told the BBC the mogul didn't say a word to him when he first started his job. "It was like an initiation," he explains. "We didn't speak to each other for 30 days." Another recent assistant, Ethan (not his real name), recalls: "He was a very ill man with different behaviours, sometimes very aggressive, sometimes very sweet." We have changed Ethan's name because, like many former staff members, he still works in the high-net-worth hospitality industry and fears speaking out about Combs will hurt his career. Ethan shows us a small scar on his forehead. He says this was the result of Combs smashing a glass against a wall in a fit of rage, and the shards cutting Ethan's face. Phil Pines and Ethan were part of Combs' small group of trusted assistants and say he often played mind games with staff.

Phil Pines worked for Combs as a senior executive assistant

Ethan recalls one of Combs' loyalty tests - when the star took off one of his rings and threw it into the Atlantic Ocean. He then turned to Ethan and told him he had to go into the water to get it. They were at a formal event and Ethan, like his boss, was wearing a smart suit. He says this didn't stop him jumping in right away to rescue it. In another incident, Pines says Combs called him to his residence after midnight, just so he could fetch the TV remote from under the bed he was in with a female guest. "See? He is loyal and now he can go back home," he recalls Combs telling her. Pines says he felt like an animal.

Combs' chief of staff Kristina Khorram helped organise the "Wild King Nights", says Pines

But the Wild King Nights - as the rapper's chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, referred to them - revealed an even darker side to working for Combs. "I was asked to set up a laundry list of items for him," says Pines. "And I thought to myself, why didn't anybody explain this to me before?" In one exchange seen by the BBC, Khorram texted him to warn a bag needs to be prepared for a Wild King Night in two hours. In another, she asked for a "drop off" of seven bottles of baby oil and seven bottles of Astroglide lubricant alongside iced vanilla lattes.

"Rounding up a shelf of baby oil and Astroglide at a store is very, very humiliating. I would always pretend like I was on the phone," Pines tells us. In Combs' trial the prosecution presented evidence of supplies they said were procured for "freak-offs". A police raid on Combs' Los Angeles mansion found drugs and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil. From three months into his role, Pines began having concerns about the frequency of these requests. "It became daily, sometimes twice a day, every day, and every week." Pines says there was a constant stream of young women who frequented Combs' homes - apparently for sex. Young men were also called to the parties, says Ethan. Some of these young people would appear to be friends of the star's sons, Pines tells us, with some of the women later seen "hanging" with Combs. Pines says he also had concerns that some of these guests - who looked like they were in their early 20s - were "too young" and "impressionable" for his then 50-year-old boss. "I would see some women feel uncomfortable or at least look like they'd had a wild night," says Pines. A woman with an IV drip would usually visit the next day, he says, to help guests recover after sometimes "partying" for 24 hours non-stop without food. Pines recalls one young guest uttering to him in distress: "I've never done anything like that before." He was instructed to drive her home from Combs' Miami residence: "She was kind of shaking and shivering, like she was coming down off the drugs."

LISTEN: Combs sent voice notes to staff asking for Xanax, Plan B (emergency contraceptives) and Cialis (sex enhancement medication)

The drug-fuelled nature of these nights has repeatedly been brought up during Combs' trial. Casandra Ventura, his ex-partner of more than a decade, testified that she endured years of coerced sex with male escorts under the threat of beatings and blackmail, while Combs filmed the encounters. She said these events would sometimes go on for days and require her to take countless drugs to stay awake. Another woman, who dated Combs on-and-off from 2021 until his arrest last September, gave evidence that she felt pressured to fulfil his desires partly because he was paying her rent, and said the encounters left her feeling "disgusted" and in physical pain. In his defence at trial, Combs' lawyer said he admitted to domestic violence, but argued that all the sexual encounters were consensual, and that Combs had a "swingers lifestyle". The BBC understands at least one staff member was asked to search online for escorts to participate in the Wild King nights. Screenshots of the escorts were then sent to Combs for approval. Pines says he doesn't know what happened at these events, but he was asked to deal with the aftermath. It was "just complete wreckage", he says. "Oil all over the floor. Marijuana joints everywhere… I would wear gloves. I would wear a mask." "He [Combs] would get up, put his hoodie on and walk out the door," Pines says, leaving staff to clean the room.

On one occasion, Pines says he witnessed Combs push and kick a female guest during an argument at his house, which continued outside. Combs swore at her and said "give me my hoodie", Pines remembers. "She takes off the hoodie, she's topless, no bra, nothing, no t-shirt on. So, I take off my jacket and I wrap it around her to kind of shield her." The guest left in an Uber crying, says Pines, but within a week she was back at the house again with Combs. "She came back shortly after that. Dinner, gifts... she was brought back into the fold." When Pines told his supervisor Khorram about the incident, he says she knew exactly what to say to him: "I kind of give her a play-by-play of what happened. Her words to me: 'Never speak about this again.'" Kristina Khorram has not responded to the BBC's request for comment but has previously denied any wrongdoing. In a statement to CNN last March, she described allegations against her as "false" and "causing irreparable and incalculable damage to my reputation and the emotional well-being of myself and my family". "I have never condoned or aided and abetted the sexual assault of anyone. Nor have I ever drugged anyone," she said.

Baby oil and Astroglide lubricant (left) and marijuana joints (right) were supplied on party nights

Staff would be required to erase any evidence of "freak-offs" - removing bodily stains from sheets, disposing of drugs and, Pines tells us, scrubbing any "compromising" recorded footage of the sexual encounters off his boss's personal phones and laptops. Other staff also describe feeling disturbed by Combs' sexual encounters. "[There are] things I saw with my own eyes, memories that will stay forever," says Ethan. He says Combs would sometimes ask him to enter the room and "bring him water or male enhancement pills" while sex was taking place. Pines has filed his own civil lawsuit against Combs. The BBC approached Combs' lawyers for comment in respect of Pines' allegations, and they made this statement in response: "No matter how many lawsuits are filed, it won't change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone - man or woman, adult or minor. We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason." Pines recalls a particularly horrifying incident around November 2020, when he says he was asked to stay behind after work and set up an after-party at the Miami mansion. He says that Combs and his guests had been "in the sun partying, taking mushrooms, smoking, drinking all day - so they were completely gone by this time".

Pines (right) says Combs asked him to "prove his loyalty"

During the party, Pines says Combs invited him to take a shot, before asking him to "prove his loyalty". He handed Pines a condom and pushed him towards a female guest who was lying on a nearby couch. "At that moment, I'm like, what is going on?" Pines says. "I froze. I was just shocked by what was happening. I felt cold… but I also felt so much pressure." Pines says the woman consented and they had sex until Combs began "drifting off into another part of the suite". "I didn't want any of that," he says. "Once I kind of saw him out of my peripheral, that he was gone, I pulled out my pants and just got out of there quickly. "It was a power move. I felt like I was coerced. It was manipulation."

The Gucci bag

When they travelled internationally, staff say Combs' drugs came with him, concealed in a safe onboard his $60m (£45m) private jet. "Even if it was for a day trip, if he was going on the yacht for four hours, take all that stuff with you because he may use it," Pines recalls being instructed. He claims mushrooms, ketamine and ecstasy were kept in a small black Gucci bag alongside baby oil, lubricant and red lights. Combs' lawyers admitted during trial that he had procured drugs, but said they were for personal use only.

Staff say a Gucci bag was carried on trips filled with lubricants and Class A drugs

In one nerve-wracking incident in Venice in summer 2021, Pines says Italian authorities questioned Combs' staff for an hour. He feared that if they had found the drugs hidden in the luggage, he would have "taken the fall" for his boss. A former personal assistant, Brendan Paul, was arrested on charges of drug possession while with Combs at a Miami airport in March 2024, on the same day police raided the rapper's homes. The charges were later dropped after Paul completed a pre-trial diversion programme. During Combs' trial, Paul, 26, testified that he had found cocaine after "sweeping" his boss's room and had forgotten it was in his bag while they prepared for a vacation in the Bahamas. He told the court that he did not tell law enforcement that they were Combs' drugs out of "loyalty".

Staff say Combs would hold "freak offs" internationally - in hotels and private yachts

By December 2021, Pines says he had had enough. "The money wasn't worth it... because of the experiences I was having with him. It was just too much to bear." When asked why staff had not spoken out sooner, Pines does not hesitate. They were, he says, afraid of Combs. "He is a very scary person. Whether you're his employee, you're a contractor, you're a girlfriend, guest, you know what he's capable of," he says. Ethan says he used to believe that Combs had "people a couple of steps in front" who "caught everything". But after his former boss's arrest, his view shifted. Staff simply were not able to stop what was coming, he says. "Obviously being a celebrity, he could cut many corners," he reflects, but "he couldn't avoid the law". Pines says he was approached by the FBI as part of its criminal investigation last summer and was later legally summoned to give evidence ahead of Combs' trial. Other ex-assistants, who worked for Combs back in 2014 and as recently as 2024, testified in court during the trial. "I have to nod to Cassie Ventura for being so courageous to stand up to him," Pines says.

Getty Images Casandra Ventura (right) filed a civil lawsuit against Combs in November 2023

Search teams find body of teenage boy in river

Police were called to Beccles Quay, off Fen Lane, just before 19:30 BST

Search teams have found the body of a boy in a river, police said.

Concerns were raised after the teenager failed to resurface after entering the River Waveney with friends in Beccles, Suffolk.

Police were called to Beccles Quay, off Fen Lane, just before 19:30 BST.

A Suffolk police spokeswoman said: "Searches were conducted and sadly the body of a teenage boy has now been located and recovered from the water."

New plan will fundamentally rewire NHS, says PM

1 hour ago Share Save Jim Reed Health reporter Share Save

Getty Images

Millions of patients will be treated closer to home under plans to "fundamentally rewire" the NHS in England, the prime minister has said. A new network of neighbourhood health hubs will be set up to shift care out of hospitals and into the community. Sir Keir Starmer said the NHS needed to "reform or die" and provide patients with "easier, quicker and more convenient care, wherever they live". But the Royal College of Nursing warned that moving services out of overcrowded hospitals would be impossible without policies to boost the "depleted and undervalued" nursing workforce.

Sir Keir will use a speech in London later today to launch the government's 10-year plan for the NHS in England. Over the next decade, around 200 new neighbourhood health centres will be set up, staffed by a mix of GPs, nurses, social care workers, pharmacists, mental health specialists and other medics. The centres will eventually be open 12 hours a day, six days a week, the government has said. The exact make-up of services will depend on the local area, with some outreach teams going door-to-door to contact vulnerable and hard-to-reach patients. "This shift is important, not just for the future of the NHS, but given the demographics, it's really important for patients, their families and their communities," said Sir Jim Mackey, the new chief executive of NHS England. "We have a model that is built on the default of hospitalisation and it's just not right for them."

By 2035, the intention is that the majority of outpatient care will happen away from hospitals, including many scans, mental health checks, eye examinations and follow-up appointments after surgery. Local hubs could also offer extra services including debt advice and employment support, as well as stop smoking and weight management classes, the government suggested.

The Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the plan will bring down "devastating hospital waiting lists and stop patients going from pillar to post to get treated". As of April, there were 7.39 million people waiting for an operation or another planned appointment in England.

Money and staffing

Thea Stein, the chief executive of the health think tank the Nuffield Trust, said the plan had the "right aspiration" but warned that moving care closer to home "doesn't mean care on the cheap". "Let's be under no illusion: this is not a money saving measure," she said. "Simply saying that the approach will be rolled out, without full details on how to bring it about, casts doubt on whether it will stick." The government said the money to pay for the new service will come from the £29bn boost to NHS funding announced in the last Budget. A new workforce plan for the health service is expected to be announced later this year which will set targets to recruit new staff to work in community care.

The Royal College of Nursing said teams of district nurses and health visitors, who keep patients safe and well at home, have fallen by thousands over the last 15 years in England. And the British Medical Association, which represents doctors, said that big questions remain about who will staff any new services and how they will be funded. "The limited workforce, who are already feeling undervalued must not be moved around like pieces on a chess board or made to work even harder," said BMA council chair Dr Tom Dolphin. The Royal College of GPs said it was concerned about the current state of many GP practices which are "in dire need of renovation" and a lack of jobs for newly-qualified GPs. Other measures in the plan, which runs to more than 150 pages, include: GPs to be encouraged to use artificial intelligence (AI) to take patient notes, while technology will be introduced to speed up the answering of calls to surgeries

Newly-qualified dentists to be forced to work for the NHS for at least three years before moving into private practice

Dental therapists, who tend to carry out some of the straightforward work of dentists, to undertake check-ups, treatment and referrals

British number one Emma Raducanu produced one of her best displays in recent times to sweep aside 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova and reach the Wimbledon third round.

In an outstanding performance marked by authority and intensity, the 22-year-old won 6-3 6-3 in just 82 minutes amid an electric atmosphere on Centre Court.

It was a level the former US Open champion will need to replicate - if not improve - when she meets world number one Aryna Sabalenka next and seeks to equal her best run at the Championships in 2021 and 2024.

"I think today I played really, really well. There were some points that I have no idea how I turned around," an elated Raducanu said in her on-court interview.

"I knew playing Marketa was going to be an incredibly difficult match. She has won this tournament which is a huge achievement.

"I'm really pleased with how I played my game the whole way through."

'Be careful, they are watching you': Tibet is silent as Dalai Lama turns 90

2 hours ago Share Save Laura Bicker China correspondent Reporting from Aba, Sichuan province Share Save

Xiqing Wang/ BBC The BBC visited the Kirti monastery in Aba, which has long been the heart of Tibetan resistance to Beijing

Shrouded in crimson robes, prayer beads moving rhythmically past his fingers, the monk walks towards us. It is a risky decision. We are being followed by eight unidentified men. Even saying a few words to us in public could get him in trouble. But he appears willing to take the chance. "Things here are not good for us," he says quietly. This monastery in China's south-western Sichuan province has been at the centre of Tibetan resistance for decades - the world learned the name in the late 2000s as Tibetans set themselves on fire there in defiance of Chinese rule. Nearly two decades later, there are signs the Kirti monastery still worries Beijing. A police station has been built inside the main entrance. It sits alongside a small dark room full of prayer wheels which squeak as they spin. Nests of surveillance cameras on thick steel poles surround the compound, scanning every corner. "They do not have a good heart; everyone can see it," the monk adds. Then comes a warning. "Be careful, people are watching you." As the men tailing us come running, the monk walks away.

Xiqing Wang/ BBC Prayer wheels depict rich murals from the Buddha's life inside the monastery

"They" are the Communist Party of China, which has now governed more than six million Tibetans for almost 75 years, ever since it annexed the region in 1950. China has invested heavily in the region, building new roads and railways to boost tourism and integrate it with the rest of the country. Tibetans who have fled say economic development also brought more troops and officials, chipping away at their faith and freedoms. Beijing views Tibet as an integral part of China. It has labelled Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, as a separatist, and those who display his image or offer him public support could end up behind bars. Still, some in Aba, or Ngaba in Tibetan, which is home to the Kirti monastery, have gone to extreme measures to challenge these restrictions. The town sits outside what China calls the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), created in 1965, comprising about half of the Tibetan plateau. But millions of Tibetans live outside of TAR - and consider the rest as part of their homeland. Aba has long played a crucial role. Protests erupted here during the Tibet-wide uprising of 2008 after, by some accounts, a monk held up a photo of the Dalai Lama inside the Kirti monastery. It eventually escalated into a riot and Chinese troops opened fire. At least 18 Tibetans were killed in this tiny town. As Tibet rose up in protest, it often turned into violent clashes with Chinese paramilitary. Beijing claims 22 people died, while Tibetan groups in exile put the number at around 200. In the years that followed there were more than 150 self-immolations calling for the return of the Dalai Lama - most of them happened in or around Aba. It earned the main street a grim moniker: Martyr's row. China has cracked down harder since, making it nearly impossible to determine what is happening in Tibet or Tibetan areas. The information that does emerge comes from those who have fled abroad, or the government-in-exile in India.

Xiqing Wang/ BBC Tibetan monasteries are closely surveilled because of the influence they still wield

To find out a little more, we returned to the monastery the next day before dawn. We snuck past our minders and hiked our way back to Aba for the morning prayers. The monks gathered in their yellow hats, a symbol of the Gelug school of Buddhism. Low sonorous chanting resonated through the hall as ritual smoke lingered in the still, humid air. Around 30 local men and women, most in traditional Tibetan long-sleeved jackets, sat cross-legged until a small bell chimed to end the prayer. "The Chinese government has poisoned the air in Tibet. It is not a good government," one monk told us. "We Tibetans are denied basic human rights. The Chinese government continues to oppress and persecute us. It is not a government that serves the people." He gave no details, and our conversations were brief to avoid detection. Still, it is rare to hear these voices. The question of Tibet's future has taken on urgency with the Dalai Lama turning 90 this week. Hundreds of followers have been gathering in the Indian town of Dharamshala to honour him. He announced the much-anticipated succession plan on Wednesday, reaffirming what he has said before: the next Dalai Lama would be chosen after his death. Tibetans everywhere have reacted - with relief, doubt or anxiety - but not those in the Dalai Lama's homeland, where even the whisper of his name is forbidden. Beijing has spoken loud and clear: the next reincarnation of the Dalai Lama will be in China, and approved by the Chinese Communist Party. Tibet, however, has been silent. "That's just the way it is," the monk told us. "That's the reality."

Two worlds under one sky

The road to Aba winds slowly for nearly 500km (300 miles) from the Sichuan capital of Chengdu. It passes through the snow-packed peaks of Siguniang Mountain before it reaches the rolling grassland at the edge of the Himalayan plateau.

Xiqing Wang/ BBC En route to Aba on the edge of the Tibetan plateau...

Xiqing Wang/ BBC where the high-altitude sunlight is particularly harsh

The gold, sloping rooftops of Buddhist temples shimmer every few miles as they catch especially sharp sunlight. This is the roof of the world where traffic gives way to yak herders on horseback whistling to reluctant, grunting cattle, as eagles circle above. There are two worlds underneath this Himalayan sky, where heritage and faith have collided with the Party's demand for unity and control. China has long maintained that Tibetans are free to practise their faith. But that faith is also the source of a centuries-old identity, which human rights groups say Beijing is slowly eroding. They claim that countless Tibetans have been detained for staging peaceful protests, promoting the Tibetan language, or even possessing a portrait of the Dalai Lama. Many Tibetans, inlcuding some we spoke to within the Kirti monastery, are concerned about new laws governing the education of Tibetan children. All under-18s must now attend Chinese state-run schools and learn Mandarin. They cannot study Buddhist scriptures in a monastery class until they are 18 years old - and they must "love the country and the religion and follow national laws and regulations". This is a huge change for a community where monks were often recruited as children, and monasteries doubled up as schools for most boys.

Xiqing Wang/ BBC The Chinese national flag above the Kirti monastery: the Party's ambitions have clashed with the Tibetan faith, which underpins their identity

"One of the nearby Buddhist institutions was torn down by the government a few months ago," a monk in his 60s told us in Aba, from under an umbrella as he walked to prayers in the rain. "It was a preaching school," he added, becoming emotional. The new rules follow a 2021 order for all schools in Tibetan areas, including kindergartens, to teach in the Chinese language. Beijing says this gives Tibetan children a better shot at jobs in a country where the main language is Mandarin. But such regulations could have a "profound effect" on the future of Tibetan Buddhism, according to renowned scholar Robert Barnett. "We are moving to a scenario of the Chinese leader Xi Jinping having total control - towards an era of little information getting into Tibet, little Tibetan language being shared," Mr Barnett says. "Schooling will almost entirely be about Chinese festivals, Chinese virtues, advanced Chinese traditional culture. We are looking at the complete management of intellectual input." The road to Aba shows off the money Beijing has pumped into this remote corner of the world. A new high-speed railway line hugs the hills linking Sichuan to other provinces on the plateau. In Aba, the usual high-street shop fronts selling monks' robes and bundles of incense are joined by new hotels, cafes and restaurants to entice tourists.

Xiqing Wang/ BBC Aba's ancient monasteries are now drawing more Chinese tourists

"How do they get anything done all day?" one tourist wonders aloud. Others turn the prayer wheels excitedly and ask about the rich, colourful murals depicting scenes from the Buddha's life. A party slogan written on the roadside boasts that "people of all ethnic groups are united as closely as seeds in a pomegranate". But it's hard to miss the pervasive surveillance. A hotel check-in requires facial recognition. Even buying petrol requires several forms of identification which are shown to high-definition cameras. China has long controlled what information its citizens have access to - but in Tibetan areas, the grip is even tighter. Tibetans, Mr Barnett says, are "locked off from the outside world".

The 'right' successor

It's hard to say how many of them know about the Dalai Lama's announcement on Wednesday - broadcast to the world, it was censored in China. Living in exile in India since 1959, the 14th Dalai Lama has advocated for more autonomy, rather than full independence, for his homeland. Beijing believes he "has no right to represent the Tibetan people". He handed over political authority in 2011 to a government-in-exile chosen democratically by 130,000 Tibetans globally - and that government has had back-channel talks this year with China about the succession plan, but it's unclear if they have progressed. The Dalai Lama has previously suggested that his successor would be from "the free world", that is, outside China. On Wednesday, he said "no one else has any authority to interfere". This sets the stage for a confrontation with Beijing, which has said the process should "follow religious rituals and historical customs, and be handled in accordance with national laws and regulations".

Xiqing Wang/ BBC Tibetans in China have very restricted access to information - especially if it has to do with the Dalai Lama

Beijing is already doing the groundwork to convince the Tibetans, Mr Barnett says. "There is already a huge propaganda apparatus in place. The Party has been sending teams to offices, schools and villages to teach people about the 'new regulations' for choosing a Dalai Lama." When the Panchen Lama, the second highest authority in Tibetan Buddhism, died in 1989, the Dalai Lama identified a successor to that post in Tibet. But the child disappeared. Beijing was accused of kidnapping him, although it insists that boy, now an adult, is safe. It then approved a different Panchen Lama, who Tibetans outside China do not recognise. If there are two Dalai Lamas, it could become a test of China's powers of persuasion. Which one will the world recognise? More important, would most Tibetans in China even know of the other Dalai Lama? China wants a credible successor - but perhaps no one too credible. Because, Mr Barnett says, Beijing "wants to turn the lion of Tibetan culture into a poodle". "It wants to remove things it perceives as risky and replace them with things it believes Tibetans ought to be thinking about; patriotism, loyalty, fealty. They like the singing and dancing – the Disney version of Tibetan culture." "We don't know how much will survive," Mr Barnett concludes.

Xiqing Wang/ BBC Many Tibetans believe their way of life is being eroded by Chinese control...

Xiqing Wang/ BBC despite all their efforts to hold on to it

Five things we now know about the fire that shut Heathrow down

6 hours ago Share Save Ben King Transport correspondent, BBC News Share Save

Reuters

A report into a fire at an electricity substation that resulted in Heathrow Airport shutting down for nearly a day, causing chaos for more than 200,000 passengers, has been released. The National Energy System Operator (NESO) identified the likely cause of the fire, and said that National Grid which operates the substation was warned about a fault seven years ago. Here are five key findings from the report.

1. The fire was caused by moisture

The NESO report answered one of the key questions – what caused the fire? The device which caught fire was a "supergrid transformer", which takes high voltage electricity from the transmission grid and reduces it to a lower voltage for the next stage of its route to Heathrow Airport and surrounding houses. Inspectors said the likely cause was moisture getting into the high-voltage "bushing" – insulation around the connections. That caused a short-circuit and "arcing" - electric sparks like those in a spark plug - which resulted in a "catastrophic failure". That caused the oil which is used to cool the transformer to catch fire, and took two transformers offline, cutting power to Heathrow.

2. National Grid knew about the problem seven years before the fire

The report said signs of moisture were detected at North Hyde in July 2018. National Grid's guidance said these were "an imminent fault" that should be replaced. But the issue wasn't fixed at the time. In 2022, basic maintenance on the transformer was deferred. Multiple further attempts were made to schedule maintenance, but none went ahead.

3. Heathrow knew a problem with one of its three grid connections would close the airport

Heathrow uses as much electricity as a small city, and it has three connections to the national grid. But it knew that if one of them went down, it would have to close the airport for 10 to 12 hours while key systems were connected to the other sources of supply. It did not think it was a likely scenario, so it was not considered worthwhile to spend the money to fix it – which Heathrow has previously said would have cost a billion pounds. NESO said having three connections to the grid meant there were "opportunities" to improve Heathrow's resilience of supply.

4. National Grid didn't know how important the substation was

National Grid and the local network operator SSEN knew that electricity from North Hyde went to Heathrow Airport. But they did not know that Heathrow would have to shut down if that supply was interrupted. Energy suppliers do not currently know if their customers are counted as "critical national infrastructure (CNI)" – sectors such as transport, defence, government or communications. The report calls for better communications between CNI operators and their energy suppliers to ensure that supplies do not get interrupted.

5. Heathrow is not happy

Judges order 'robust' inquiry into MI5 false evidence

5 hours ago Share Save Daniel De Simone Investigations correspondent Share Save

PA Media MI5 head Sir Ken McCallum said the Security Service would co-operate fully with the new investigation

The High Court has ordered a "robust and independent" new investigation into how MI5 gave false evidence to multiple courts, after rejecting two official inquiries provided by the Security Service as seriously "deficient". The two reviews took place after the BBC revealed MI5 had lied to three courts in a case concerning a neo-Nazi state agent who abused women. A panel of three senior judges said it would be "premature" to decide whether to begin contempt of court proceedings against any individuals before the new investigation was complete. They also "commended" the BBC for "bringing these matters to light".

The two official inquiries, one of which was commissioned by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, absolved MI5 and its officers of deliberate wrongdoing. But the judgement concludes that the "investigations carried out by MI5 to date suffer from serious procedural deficiencies" and that "we cannot rely on their conclusions". The three judges - England and Wales' most senior judge, Lady Chief Justice Baroness Sue Carr, President of the King's Bench Division Dame Victoria Sharp and Mr Justice Chamberlain, said: "It is to be hoped that events such as these will never be repeated." Their judgement says the new investigation should be carried out under the auspices of the Investigatory Powers Commissioner Sir Brian Leveson, who has oversight of MI5's surveillance activities. His office, IPCO, was also provided with false evidence by MI5 in the case. Sir Brian said: "It is clear that MI5's compliance with its statutory duties fell short in this case." He noted the recommendation that IPCO should carry out the new investigation said he would await "direction from the prime minister". MI5 director general Sir Ken McCallum repeated his "full and unreserved apology for the errors made in these proceedings". He said resolving this matter was "of the highest priority for MI5" and that they would co-operate fully with IPCO. "MI5's job is to keep the country safe. Maintaining the trust of the courts is essential to that mission," he said. A BBC spokesperson said: "We are pleased this decision has been reached and that the key role of our journalist Daniel De Simone in bringing this to light has been acknowledged by the judges. "We believe our journalism on this story has always been in the highest public interest."

Avalon/PA The panel of judges hearing the case was Lady Chief Justice Baroness Sue Carr (centre), Mr Justice Chamberlain and President of the King's Bench Division Dame Victoria Sharp

The case began in 2022 with an attempt to block the BBC from publishing a story about a neo-Nazi agent known as X. It has become a major test of how the courts view MI5 and the credibility of its evidence. MI5 gave evidence to three courts, saying that it had never breached its core secrecy policy of neither confirming nor denying (NCND) that X was a state agent. But in February, the BBC was able to prove with notes and recordings of phone calls with MI5 that this was false. An MI5 officer had confirmed the agent's status as he tried to persuade me to drop an investigation into X, a violent misogynist who used his Security Service role to coerce and terrify his former girlfriend, known publicly as "Beth". Beth's lawyer, Kate Ellis from the Centre for Women's Justice, said the judgement was a "clear rejection" of MI5's explanations so far and a "serious warning" to the Security Service to cooperate. She said the judges expressed concerns about "the ease" with which MI5 was able to "hide behind" the NCND policy - and warned that none of the safeguards to hold it accountable can work properly without "high standards of candour". The two official inquiries criticised by the High Court were an internal MI5 inquiry and an "external" investigation by the government's former chief lawyer, Sir Jonathan Jones KC. The latter was commissioned by the home sectary and Sir Ken. But the judgement said that "there was in our view a fundamental incoherence in Sir Jonathan's terms of reference".

Beth has called for a public apology by MI5

The ruling said he was asked to establish the facts of what happened but not to "make findings about why specific individuals did or did not do certain things". However, the judges said Sir Jonathan nevertheless "did make findings" that there was no deliberate attempt by anyone to mislead the court - without ever speaking to an MI5 officer at the centre of the case and without considering key additional BBC evidence about what took place. The judgement also found that MI5's director general of strategy, who is the organisation's third-in-command, gave misleading assurances to the court in a witness statement. He said its original explanations were "a fair and accurate account" of secret material which, at that point, had not been disclosed. The court forced the government and MI5 to hand over the material, and the judges concluded that MI5's explanations were not "fair and accurate" and "omitted several critical matters" - including that IPCO had been misled and what was known by several MI5 officers at relevant times. Their judgement said that it was "regrettable that MI5's explanations to this court were given in a piecemeal and unsatisfactory way - and only following the repeated intervention of the court". "The impression has been created that the true circumstances in which false evidence came to be given have had to be extracted from, not volunteered by, MI5," they said.

X physically and sexually abused Beth, attacking her with a machete

Today's highly critical judgement also found:

In this one case MI5 has misled two separate branches of the High Court, as well as the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, the Investigatory Powers Commissioner, and security cleared barristers representing the BBC known as special advocates

MI5's core NCND secrecy policy about the status of agents was maintained in the legal proceedings long after "any justification for its maintenance had disappeared"

The BBC and I, as well as our lawyers and special advocates, should be "commended" for the "central role" we have played in bringing these matters to light

Former head of Royal Navy sacked over conduct

He added that he fully accepted the decision and was "very sorry to those I have hurt personally".

In response, Sir Ben said: "I deeply regret my conduct in the spring of last year, which fell well below the standard I set for myself and that which I set for the Royal Navy."

Former Adm Sir Ben Key's behaviour was found to have "fallen far short of the values and standards expected of service personnel" a statement said.

The former head of the Royal Navy has had his service terminated following an investigation into his behaviour, the Ministry of Defence has said.

At the end of his statement, Sir Ben said he was "very grateful" for the support of his wife, family and friends during what he described as "a very difficult time".

Sir Ben, 59, was due to retire from his position this summer, after serving as the head of the Royal Navy since 2021.

He was removed from his duties in May because of the investigation into allegations of misconduct.

Reports in the Sun at the time suggested Sir Ben had been having an affair with a more junior female colleague.

Such relationships are frowned upon and seen as a potential abuse of power and contrary to the military service code of conduct.

Chief of Defence Staff, Adm Sir Tony Radakin, said: "We expect the highest standards of behaviour from our service personnel and our civil servants.

"We investigate all allegations of inappropriate behaviour and will take robust action against anyone found to have fallen short of our standards, regardless of their seniority."

Typically, senior officers keep their military title long after they've retired, but not Sir Ben. He has been stripped of his commission but retains his knighthood and his pension.

Sir Ben joined the navy as a university cadet in 1984 where he later qualified as both helicopter aircrew and as a principal warfare officer. As a junior officer he saw service around the world in a variety of frigates and destroyers.

He was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 2016 and a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2021 New Years Honours List.

He was appointed to first sea lord in November 2021 and is succeeded by Gen Sir Gwyn Jenkins of the Royal Marines.

Scorching European heatwave turns deadly in Spain, Italy and France

3 hours ago Share Save Malu Cursino BBC News Share Save

Getty Images People hydrate at Piazza di Spagna in Rome

A wildfire in Spain and high temperatures elsewhere in Europe have claimed another six lives as the continent swelters in temperatures topping 40C. Two farmers died when they became trapped by flames near the town of Coscó in Spain's Catalonia region. Authorities said a farm worker had appealed to his boss for help, but they were unable to escape as fire spread over a large area. In Italy, two men died after becoming unwell on beaches on the island of Sardinia, and a man in his 80s died of heart failure, after walking into a hospital in Genoa. A 10-year-old American girl collapsed and died while visiting the Palace of Versailles south-west of Paris , reports said.

According to French broadcaster TF1, she collapsed at the courtyard of the royal estate, in front of her parents, at around 18:00 local time on Tuesday. Despite efforts by the castle's security team and emergency services, she was pronounced dead an hour later. France's ecological transition minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher said earlier that two heat-related fatalities had been recorded in France and that more than 300 people had been given emergency care. The European continent is experiencing extremely high temperatures, a phenomenon that the UN's climate agency said is becoming more frequent due to "human-induced climate change". Both Spain and England had their hottest June since records began. Spain's weather service, Aemet, said last month's average temperature of 23.6C (74.5F) "pulverised records", surpassing the normal average for July and August. The two men who died in the fire in Catalonia were identified later as the farmer owner and a worker aged 32 and 45. Emergency services said the fire had spread to an area of up to 6,500 hectares. Aemet forecast temperatures of 41C in the southern city of Córdoba on Wednesday, and said overnight temperatures were as high as 28C in the nearby town of Osuna the night before. France has registered its second-hottest June since records began in 1900. June 2023 was hotter. Four departments in France remained on the red alert level for heat on Wednesday, the highest level. These include Aube, Cher, Loiret and Yonne, according to Météo-France.

Getty Images People cool off at Montsouris Park in Paris, France

Dramatic moment Sean 'Diddy' Combs fell to his knees after learning his fate

17 minutes ago Share Save Madeline Halpert BBC News, in court in New York Share Save

REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg

Twelve New York jurors gathered around 10:00 (14:00 GMT) on Wednesday in a wood-panelled courtroom to tell Sean "Diddy" Combs that they found him not guilty of running a criminal enterprise with employees, and sex trafficking his ex-girlfriends. The disgraced hip-hop mogul fell to his knees and buried his head in a chair at the defence table where he had just spent two months on trial for sex trafficking and racketeering. Before the verdict came down, Combs sat quietly in his chair, looking forward, wearing the same off-white sweater and pants he wore for much of his trial. The court grew quiet as the jury foreperson handed the verdict sheet to the court deputy. Then it was handed back to the foreperson. And they began to read. As the sound of the "not guilty" rung out in court for the first time, acquitting Combs of the most severe crime of racketeering, the rapper kept his head low. By the time the foreperson announced Combs was not guilty of sex trafficking, Combs had his head in his hands.

Watch: What it was like inside courtroom when verdict came in

The jury did find him guilty on the least severe charges of transporting people to engage in prostitution. As they confirmed their decision, Combs buried his face in his hands. A flurry of small celebrations followed for Combs, who has been in a federal jail in Brooklyn since September. He made a prayer sign with his hands to the jury, then turned around and made the same gesture to his family - twin daughters, sons and 85-year-old mother. He appeared to mouth: "I'm coming home." The moment seemed equally emotional for Combs' many lawyers, including Teny Geragos, seated next to him and wiping away tears with a tissue after the verdict was read.

Reuters Crowds react to the verdict outside the court in New York

Combs' attorneys wasted no time in telling the judge that the verdict, reached after roughly two days of deliberations, meant Combs should be able to walk out of the Manhattan courthouse a free man that very day. His acquittal on the most serious charges meant he no longer needed to be jailed, his attorney Marc Agnifilo told the court, noting that his client's plane was inaccessible - chartered and in Maui. "Mr Combs has been given his life by this jury," he said. "He will not run afoul of anything this court imposes on him." Then, in the perhaps the most emotional gesture of the day for Combs, he appeared to express his gratitude by pressing his head into his chair at the defence table. He rose, clapping his hands loudly, to hug several of his lawyers. Many family members and supporters in the main courtroom and a packed overflow room joined him, cheering. Then, with one final hug to his lawyer and a wave to his family - blocked by a mass of people and court benches - he was escorted out of the court. The hip-hop mogul's homecoming hopes were later dashed as Judge Arun Subramanian denied him bail at another hearing on Wednesday afternoon. Outside the Manhattan court, there were repeated calls of "free Diddy" in a large crowd behind barriers. But he will remain behind bars until his sentencing later this year.

Music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs was found not guilty of racketeering, and not guilty of sex trafficking ex-partner Casandra Ventura and another woman referred to as "Jane". He was found guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution, related to both women.

What has Sean 'Diddy' Combs been convicted of?

1 hour ago Share Save Brandon Drenon and Nadine Yousif BBC News Share Save

Watch: BBC reporter inside courtroom on reaction as Diddy verdict read

The trial of American music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, who was accused of running a sprawling sex trafficking operation, has ended with two guilty verdicts and an acquittal on three others. The rapper was convicted on two counts of transportation for prostitution of his ex-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura, and another woman known as "Jane" who had testified in the trial. He was found not guilty of the most serious charge of racketeering conspiracy, as well as two charges of sex trafficking in relation to Ms Ventura and "Jane". Combs, 55, had pleaded not guilty and denied all allegations against him. Here is a breakdown of the charges faced by the rapper and how the jury came to its decision. Verdict reached in court - follow live

What is racketeering?

Racketeering conspiracy, or directing an illegal enterprise under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (Rico), is the formal name for the charge. The law was created to take on mob bosses, but it has since been used in other trials, including for sex trafficking - such as in the case against disgraced R&B singer R Kelly. It is also sometimes used against a group of defendants. US President Donald Trump and his allies were accused of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia - charges that Trump denied. To convict Combs on this charge, prosecutors had to prove that he used his loyal network of associates to run a criminal enterprise to commit crimes including sex trafficking, kidnapping, drugging and obstruction of justice. In this case, that network would include his employees, who prosecutors argued played a part in setting up the "freak-offs" at the centre of the case. These were prolonged sexual encounters at which the prosecution's key witnesses said they were coerced to have sex with male escorts while Combs watched. In a raid on his Los Angeles mansion, police found supplies that they said were intended for use in freak-offs, including drugs and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil.

Getty Images

Why was Diddy acquitted of racketeering?

Combs' acquittal on the most serious charge of racketeering will likely be seen as a big win by his legal team. His lawyers had sought to undermine the allegation by asking witnesses whether Combs' employees ever witnessed the freak-offs. Cassie Ventura, the star witness for the prosecution, said she did not think they were present. Defence lawyers argued that the case cannot be considered to be racketeering if members of Combs' staff were not knowingly complicit. "Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?" said defence attorney Marc Agnifilo. "Did any witness get on that witness stand and say 'yes, I was part of a racketeering enterprise, I engaged in racketeering'?" Robert Mintz, a criminal defence lawyer and former federal prosecutor, told the BBC that the racketeering charge was always going to be the most challenging one for prosecutors to prove to a jury. To gain a conviction, lawyers needed to prove that Combs established a co-ordinated plan between himself and at least one other person to commit at least two crimes over a span of several years, Mr Mintz said. "It's a very complicated charge, used typically in the past in organized crime prosecution," Mr Mintz said, adding it is unsurprising that this charge gave the jury the most difficulty.

What is Diddy found guilty of?

Combs was convicted of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution relating to Ms Ventura and an anonymous victim known as "Jane". In simple terms, it means the jury found Combs guilty of transporting the two women to places where they would participate in sex acts and prostitution. The felony dates back to the Mann Act, which was enacted in 1910.

What is the Mann Act?

The Mann Act is a US federal law that was passed to combat human trafficking and sexual exploitation of women. Initially referred to as the "White-Slave Traffic Act", the more than 100-year-old law prohibits the transportation of individuals across state lines for illegal sex acts or prostitution. Both Ms Ventura and "Jane", who had dated the rapper, separately testified about "freak-offs" or "hotel nights". They described these as sexual encounters in which the couple would hire male escorts to have sex with the female partner while Combs watched, at times recording or directing them. In its early days, the Mann Act was used by federal prosecutors as a way to criminalise some forms of consensual activity, including interracial relationships. Combs' lawyers referenced that history in an unsuccessful attempt to get one of the charges against the rapper dismissed, arguing that he was being unfairly persecuted because of his race.

Getty Images Combs has been held at this Brooklyn jail

How much prison time is Diddy facing?

Transportation for purposes of prostitution - the charge that Combs was convicted of - carries a maximum sentence of 10 years. And Combs was convicted on two counts. After the verdict, his lawyer Marc Agnifilo immediately asked for his client to be released from federal detention until his sentencing hearing, and suggested a $1m bail. But a judge denied that request and said the hip-hop mogul will remain in jail until he is sentenced. Prosecutor Maurene Comey has said she will push for the full 20 years - a decade for each conviction. "It is clear that the defendant does pose a danger," she said. Combs has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, since his arrest on 16 September 2024. Critics describe the prison as overcrowded and understaffed, with a culture of violence. His lawyers argued for his release in 2024, citing the jail’s “horrific” conditions, but a New York federal judge denied the bail request, describing Combs as a “serious flight risk”.

When will Diddy be sentenced?

Judge Arun Subramanian proposed 3 October as a sentencing date for Combs, but the defence asked for an expedited schedule. The lawyers will meet again on 8 July to further discuss the schedule. The judge said Combs would get 10 months credit for time served. While the rapper faces a maximum sentence of 10 years on each count, it will be up to the judge to decide the length of time he will ultimately serve.

What are the other allegations against Diddy?

Separately, Combs faces a number of lawsuits accusing him of rape and assault. Tony Buzbee, a Texas lawyer handling some of these cases, said that more than 100 women and men from across the US had either filed lawsuits against the rap mogul or intended to do so. In December 2023, a woman known in court papers as Jane Doe alleged that she was "gang raped" by Combs and others in 2003, when she was 17. She said she was given "copious amounts of drugs and alcohol" before the attack. Combs's legal team dismissed the flurry of lawsuits as "clear attempts to garner publicity".

EPA Sean Combs and Cassie Ventura were in an on-and-off relationship for more than a decade

Combs' current legal issues began in late 2023 when he was sued by Ms Ventura, also known as Cassie, for violent abuse and rape. That lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount a day after it was filed, with Combs maintaining his innocence. Since then, dozens of other people have filed lawsuits accusing Combs of sexual assault, with accusations dating back to 1991. He denies all the claims. His controversial history with Ms Ventura resurfaced in 2024, when CNN published leaked CCTV footage from 2016 showing Combs kicking his ex-girlfriend as she lay on a hotel hallway floor. He apologised for his behaviour, saying: "I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I'm disgusted now."

How were the New York jurors selected?

Dozens of potential jurors were vetted by the court. The process included potential jurors looking through a long list of places and people that could be mentioned during trial, with names like Kanye West and Kid Cudi. Potential jurors also had to fill out questionnaires that asked whether they had "views about hip hop artists" or "feelings concerning violence, sexual assault". The judge reminded the court several times of the importance of choosing a fair and impartial jury.

How did 'Sean 'Diddy' Combs become successful?

Combs - who has also gone by the names Puffy, Puff Daddy, P Diddy, Love, and Brother Love - emerged in the hip-hop scene in the 1990s. His early music career success included helping launch the careers of Mary J Blige and Christopher Wallace - aka Biggie Smalls, or The Notorious B.I.G. His music label Bad Boy Records became one of the most important labels in rap and expanded to include Faith Evans, Ma$e, 112, Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez. Combs also had a prolific business career outside of music, including a deal with British drinks company Diageo to promote the French vodka brand Cîroc. In 2023, he released his fifth record The Love Album: Off The Grid and earned his first solo nomination at the Grammy awards. He also was named a Global Icon at the MTV Awards. Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs: Who is the US rapper accused of sex trafficking?

Kuenssberg: Starmer's first year ends in shambles, but could he still turn it around?

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

BBC

"Who the hell thought this was a good idea?" a Labour insider spluttered, incredulous, even two weeks ago, that No 10 would schedule a vote to take benefits from the disabled as the anniversary of their election victory approached. "What genius!" they mocked. They predicted drama, although not a disaster like this. The gory consequences of the decision to try and change the law on welfare this week are there for all to see. No 10 might have been hanging out the bunting, preparing to celebrate a year in office. Instead, for a few days Parliament has looked just as much of a shambles as during the head-spinning days of incessant Tory turmoil.

Getty Images Starmer's authority has been given a hefty kick

In this fevered week, Labour has been failing its basic mission, to look like a capable government. And the prime minister's authority has been given a hefty kick. Westminster has rushed to its default of recent years - salivating over spats and splits, chaos and confusion. But whether that enrages or entertains you, the bald facts here matter to everyone: a government that can't pass laws in Parliament can't effectively wield power. Prime ministers that can't effectively wield power can't get things done. So can Labour move on from this almighty mess?

A year of 'unintended consequences'

The welfare vote fiasco is far from the first thing that has gone wrong. "They can fix it," one Whitehall source says, but "they have to realise they have caused it and smarten up how they make decisions". But Labour has had a whole "year of unintended consequences", as one MP described it. That's a diplomatic way of saying it has made plenty of mistakes and a lot has gone wrong during its first year back in No 10. If nothing else, this government has lost the chance to make a good first impression. And some of the events have been baffling at best, and worrying at worst - inconvenient small embarrassments like Starmer tripping over while leaving No 10, the Chancellor having tears running down her face in the Commons (it's still a mystery why), don't help give a sense that it's all in hand. As for the welfare row, one member of the government tells me that this nodded to a far broader issue within the party: it has been a "coming together of so many things that have been simmering". It is, they add, self inflicted. A senior government source says the situation "is disappointing but not overly concerning". You might wonder if they ought to sound a bit more worried.

PA Media Chancellor Rachel Reeves was seen crying in the House of Commons on 2 July. A spokesperson said it was due to a "personal matter"

What has been illustrated this week is that the leadership has not understood what its rank and file are willing to tolerate. And management of the party has been found sorely lacking, spectacularly so. Ironically one of the reasons some MPs have been so cross, even before this week, is because "the mismanagement creates a fog and a funk", where potentially punter-friendly measures, like providing more free school meals and increasing the minimum wage, are drowned out.

No 10 versus the backbenches

What there is, in the wake of this week's humiliation, is an acknowledgement that things will have to be different. A senior source in government says "we can't leave as much of a gap between ministers and backbenchers", admitting "we'll have to be better at bringing them in". The prime minister "now realises he'll have to be more into the detail", one minister says. Many insiders believe that there still needs to be a much better functioning "centre", in other words Starmer's own power base in No 10. It is no longer the "spectacularly ineffective, 70s farce" of the early weeks in No 10 that one senior figure describes, when it took days to work out exactly who was to do what; when Sue Gray and Morgan McSweeney were vying for authority; and when there was near mutiny over pay. But the source says "the legacy of these things takes time to catch up".

Reuters Starmer has been accused of leaving too big a gap between No 10 and backbenchers

Inside No 10, there has been acknowledgement it needs to run better, to improve the way decisions are made across Whitehall, well before this week's humiliation. The way power is spread across SW1 and No 10 makes it "an incredibly weak centre of government, and that was a real surprise for us", say those insiders. "If we accept that No 10 will never be a White House then you need to empower other people to make better government decisions", they say. But others say there is a fundamental need in No 10 for the prime minister and his top team to be more concerned with "the absolute basics" of politics, warning sometimes there is a tone of being "sanctimonious" not wanting to "do the actual business of politics, even if its grubby". In other words, they can complain about the structures of Whitehall, or the difficulties of what they inherited, but, some argue, they struggle to look in the mirror. "Everyone needs to do better" including the political team, one MP argues. That might include doing fewer things, but much more effectively. One minister argues "there'll have to be far fewer priorities – small boats, the NHS, welfare and the cost of living … everything else will have to wait".

Reasons to be optimistic

Starmer has been reminded, painfully this week, that the normal activity of politics – charming, cajoling, even sometimes menacing your party, still has to be done even if a party has hordes of MPs. A majority of this scale is an insurance policy, not free rein. Governments of any flavour are in trouble if the relationship between those at the top and those at the bottom break down. If links inside the party are frayed it becomes harder to present a compelling front to the public. No 10 must develop "more emotional intelligence", and fast, one MP argues. They believe that Starmer's "human instincts need to get much sharper in year two because of what has happened in year one". Labour's vast, not so new ranks, are not willing to be bossed around. But many MPs, advisors, ministers and party insiders I've spoken to can find reasons to be optimistic, even as the embarrassment of the last seven days stings. Spin forward to the summer of 2026 and they predict that the party will be in a much better place. "People will start to notice," as one MP puts it. Another adviser says "there is hope" – progress in the NHS will "take on more potency".

Getty Images Many are hoping that improvements in the NHS could give the government a boost

"We have set in train a whole bunch of things, the planning changes, big visible projects, and money for the NHS," says another MP - and voters will see, "maybe there is more going on than we thought". Another source enthuses that Labour is stacking up progress towards its target of building 1.5 million homes by 2029; that there will be new laws on the statute books rather than in the debating chamber, that protect renters; and that new rights will be given to workers. Certainly, this spring and summer has seen a flurry of announcements that set a quicker tempo. Downing Street is now "making better, more political decisions – on industry, on investment", according to one senior figure. Another senior MP hopes "we have now passed a tipping point where there is suddenly a lot happening". But the question now is, will anybody notice?

Starmer has never been a showman

It's accepted that ministers failed to make their arguments properly to their own party when it came to the welfare mess this week. One minister told me that if they had made a better case, earlier on, they would have been able to get the plans through and avoid all the embarrassment. Telling the government's story better to the public is absolutely vital if Starmer is to make any progress towards restoring even a fraction of Labour's popularity from this time last year. This is not a revelation to Starmer's inner circle. They have always been aware that he is not a showman or a politician who can always smoothly adapt to the public situation he finds himself in, choose the right words, or convey empathy or warmth.

Getty Images Spelling out a new "social contract" was a rhetorical tool used by both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown

There is a determination to tell the story better, to define the incredibly broad "change" message that won the election, to move to more specifics, perhaps even spelling out a new "social contract" – a rhetorical tool used by both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, during their time in power. To do this, MPs tell me that Starmer needs to not only work out exactly how to explain his project but to care deeply about getting it across. "Where's the hope?" says one MP. "He needs to want it from his team, to tell the story. If he doesn't see the value in it, and they don't hire for it, then they're not going to get it."

The world wreaking havoc

There is a scenario where Labour uses its 12 months of turmoil and learns from it. Starmer's allies say he has so often been underestimated. When the party lost the 2021 Hartlepool by-election, he considered quitting, but instead, he fought back. Now they could cross their fingers and hope that signs of progress on the NHS turn into a convincing trend. That the big building blocks the government has put in place in the hope of giving the economy a kick start to come good. And that the situation in the Middle East doesn't spiral into anything even more dangerous, and potentially costly to the economy. But would you bet on it? Looking at the mess over the welfare plans you might not be confident, yet it would be ludicrous to conclude that the first year in office has been so bad, and the circumstances so tough, that they're a busted flush. But many MPs and Labour figures worry about what is going on in the rest of the world. "World War Three?" one of them says - they're not quite joking. The US going into recession, further spikes in the oil price, cyber attacks on this country from adversaries like Iran and Russia - there are all sorts of pressures outside the government's control that could wreak havoc with the economy.

Getty Images Many MPs worry about what is going on in the rest of the world, as pressures outside the government's control that could wreak havoc with the economy

Don't forget there will be a budget in the Autumn, with a broad expectation that more tax rises could be on the way – partly because of the costs of international turmoil, partly because of long term stubborn problems in the UK, and partly because of the consequences of the government's own choices. The backdrop to year one in government has been incredibly difficult because of these myriad factors. In the next year, the overall context may not get much easier, if at all. What happens in the rest of the world could "obliterate" the budget choices the chancellor has already made. If the economy turns for the worse because of factors around the world, all bets are off. One MP expressed some sympathy for No 10. As they put it, "What is the bandwidth when you have Israel, Iran, welfare, and the economy to deal with? There is no lightness in politics." The risk now is that the growing pains of year one could become embedded political problems in year two. After the welfare struggle, the winter fuel backtrack, and with genuine unhappiness on the backbenches, it is possible that Parliament becomes a regular obstacle for the government. "Worst case?" says an influential figure on the left, "you'll have a big collective number [in the Commons] saying, well, you are not going to do it", leaving Downing Street as an administration with a big majority but only a small chance of getting things done. "We might just continue to wobble," adds a senior source, "we have such a huge majority we should be able to be confident and stride out together – but the worst case is, we are still drowning" this time next year.

AFP via Getty Images Nigel Farage's Reform UK are rising in the polls

Local elections will be held in May next year, and the results will be incredibly important. The best case scenario at the ballot box? A member of the government says, "Next year is essentially like mid-terms – we could win in Scotland, we do well in Wales and show at least some progress in England." But the worst case scenario, with Reform gnawing at Labour's vote from the right, and the Liberal Democrats and Greens from the left is "disastrous results in the locals", says one No 10 source. They predict that Labour is unlikely to hold on in Wales, that it will fail to get far in Scotland - and before long, you're in a "cycle of insecurity", one senior MP warns.

Blood in the water

There are fears too that relationships in the party's top echelons might splinter, some with their own ambitions, wondering if they could prosper as a result of Starmer's difficulties. A senior figure in the Labour movement warns, "you have some people smelling blood in the water – there is some bad behaviour in that Cabinet and people ready to manoeuvre". One senior figure reckons questions might be asked about Starmer's leadership. "It is bananas", they say, but it is not entirely impossible to imagine that within a couple of years of July 2024's history making win, there could be moves against him. Another senior source even says, "I don't think there is a cat in hell's chance he leads us into the election".

That talk isn't taken seriously in No 10. "There is no evidence at all of any serious attempt taking shape," one source says. Another MP tells me, "It's ridiculous, it would undermine the thing we are most concerned about which is stopping the chaos of the Tory years." Yet another, who argues that it would be foolhardy to question whether Starmer will be the leader to take Labour into the next general election, nonetheless acknowledges the conversation is out there. "It is mindblowing, but people do go there that quickly – they do talk about it."

Could Starmer's bloodymindedness pay off?

It was Starmer and his team's mission not just to win, but to show a sceptical public that government could actually be a force for good in their lives, not a flawed institution attached to hordes of bickering politicians more interested in the sound of their own voices than getting anything done. To make that happen they need their plans to work – whether it's building houses, or bringing down NHS waiting lists, reducing the number of small boats crossing the Channel, or filling potholes, or incredibly fraught areas such as overhauling welfare or special needs education, or social care. There's an almost universal acceptance too, throughout Labour, that the government must get better at telling its story. They need to do this to recover in the polls, and avoid a situation where even after two years of a government with an enormous majority, and tens of billions of public cash being spent, the public is still angry, still unconvinced that politicians are ineffective at best - and harmful at worst. A party veteran warns, "They allowed the heart of the Labour government [to] be almost unfathomable – they must recover the heart, until that is in place, no one will get what we are about."

Getty Images Labour insiders I spoke to that Starmer's ability to keep going, relentlessly, however bad the circumstances, will ultimately pay off, through sheer bloodymindedness, says Kuenssberg

But bluntly, as its been obvious in the last week, and over the last year, multiple sources say this still young government needs to improve if it is to avoid squandering the huge opportunity it still has – not just No 10, not just the civil service, not just party managers, not just the Cabinet but, "it's everyone's job", a minister says. In the last 12 months, it's been perhaps surprising, as one Whitehall source suggests, that Labour "seems to have been bewildered by the normal business of politics". There is hope among many Labour insiders I spoke to that Starmer's ability to keep going, relentlessly, however bad the circumstances, will ultimately pay off, through sheer bloodymindedness, they will be rewarded in the end – not with love, but a grudging respect from the electorate by 2029. But the question for the next 12 months - maybe even the next 12 hours or 12 days - is whether the prime minister and his party, can put this year's painfully gained wisdom to good use.

'Diddy' denied bail after being cleared of most serious charges

1 hour ago Share Save Madeline Halpert & Sakshi Venkatraman BBC News Reporting from New York court Share Save

Watch: BBC reporter inside courtroom on reaction as Diddy verdict read

A judge has denied bail to Sean "Diddy" Combs after a jury convicted the hip-hop mogul of transportation to engage in prostitution, but acquitted him of the most serious charges: racketeering and sex-trafficking. Lawyers for the recording artist had argued he posed no flight risk, pointing out his jet is being chartered in Hawaii. But Judge Arun Subramanian cited Combs' history of violence as he ruled the rapper must remain behind bars until sentencing later this year when he faces up to 20 years in prison. In the nearly two-month federal trial in New York City, prosecutors accused Combs of using his celebrity status and business empire to run a criminal enterprise to sex traffic women.

A panel of 12 jurors deliberated for 13 hours before acquitting Combs of three of the most serious five charges. He will continue to be held at the same federal jail in Brooklyn where he has been detained since last September. The sentencing was tentatively scheduled for 3 October.

Combs' attorney, Marc Agnifilo, made an impassioned argument for the judge to release his client. The defence lawyer said Combs had attended a programme for perpetrators of domestic violence to try to reform his conduct, even before he was arrested, and that he had not been violent since 2018. "I just think we should trust him," Agnifilo said. But Combs' ex-girlfriend, musician Casandra Ventura, had warned the court in a letter that the hip-hop mogul would posed a danger if released.

Getty Images Casandra Ventura and Sean "Diddy" Combs in 2018

The rapper had acknowledged domestic violence, but denied any non-consensual sexual encounters or a larger racketeering scheme. Judge Subramanian said bail was being denied because "the defence conceded violence in his personal relationship". The mood in court was emotional after jurors announced they had acquitted Combs of the most serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. Sex trafficking and racketeering both carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. As Combs learned the verdict, he got on his knees, put his face into his chair and appeared to be praying. He was shaking. The verdict comes a day after jurors told the court they had reached a decision on the sex-trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution charges against Combs, but were unable to decide on the racketeering count.

Watch: Former prosecutor explains what Diddy's sentencing could look like

The jurors said they had had "unpersuadable" opinions on both sides about the charge, which was the most complicated of any of the counts Combs faced. Racketeering conspiracy, or directing an illegal enterprise under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (Rico), is the formal name for the charge. To convict Combs on this charge, prosecutors had to prove he used his loyal network of associates to run a criminal enterprise to commit crimes including sex trafficking, kidnapping, drugging and obstruction of justice. Defence lawyers argued the case could not be considered to be racketeering if members of Combs' staff were not knowingly complicit. Prosecutors called more than 30 witnesses over the course of the seven-week trial, including Ms Ventura, rapper Kid Cudi, several ex-employees and hotel security workers. They alleged Combs had relied on employees to coerce his partners into so-called "freak-offs", in which his girlfriends would have sex with a male escort while he watched and filmed.

Reuters Combs' family leaves court on Wednesday

The government relied on testimony from Ms Ventura, who took the witness stand while eight-months pregnant, telling the court that Combs had pressured her into sex acts and threatened to release tapes of the freak-offs if she disobeyed. Ms Ventura warned on Wednesday that Combs would pose a danger if granted bail. In a letter filed to the court, her attorney Douglas Wigdor wrote: "Ms Ventura believes that Mr Combs is likely to pose a danger to the victims who testified in this case, including herself, as well as to the community." At the centre of their case was a video of the rapper beating and dragging Ms Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016 - surveillance footage that security employees testified Combs tried to pay them to delete. Combs' attorneys conceded their client was violent towards women, but argued that his behaviour was motivated by drugs and jealousy, not evidence of a larger sex trafficking and racketeering scheme. Combs is also facing dozens of civil lawsuits alleging sexual assault and violence. The Harlem-born rapper founded Bad Boy Records in 1993, a label that represented some of the biggest names in hip hop - including Notorious B.I.G. and Usher. He went on to establish a clothing line called Sean John and a variety of other businesses including fragrances, alcohol and even a media company.

Woman left fighting for life as fake Botox beautician apologises

31 minutes ago Share Save Share Save

BBC Kaylie Bailey contracted botulism after being given illegal Botox

Philippa Goymer • @philippagoymer BBC North East Investigations

An aesthetic beautician left one woman fighting for her life and several others seriously ill in hospital after injecting them with Toxpia, an illegal Botox-type anti-wrinkle treatment. As the BBC names the woman behind the jabs, two of her victims share their stories.

The patch over Kaylie Bailey's left eye is a daily reminder of when her beauty treatment nearly killed her. The 36-year-old mum-of-three from Peterlee, County Durham, had paid Gemma Gray £75 for three "Botox" injections, half of what it had cost on a previous visit - the bargain turned out to be too good to be true. Within days, Ms Bailey was struggling to see. Doctors at Sunderland Royal Hospital were initially baffled and diagnosed her with ptosis, an eye condition characterised by the drooping of the upper eyelid, and told her to go home to rest. The hospital trust said that when Ms Bailey was discharged she had been advised to visit her GP if her condition worsened, and it had been explained to her that her symptoms were probably related to the treatment she had had. It added that botulinum toxicity was a very rare condition "not seen by the majority of doctors during their careers".

Family handout Kaylie Bailey spent three days in intensive care

But when her condition deteriorated over the following days, Ms Bailey rushed back to hospital where this time she was told she had botulism, a rare but life-threatening condition caused by a bacterium. By that point, she was one of 28 people to have been diagnosed with the toxic poisoning in north-east England after having anti-wrinkle jabs. Ms Bailey stopped breathing and required resuscitation. She spent three days on the Intensive Care Unit and was treated with an anti-toxin. "I remember lying on the bed thinking 'I'm dying here and I don't want to'," Ms Bailey says, crying as she recalls her experience. Upon her release, and being required now to wear an eye patch until her eye heals, she contacted Mrs Gray and was told by her it was a "nationwide problem with the product". "When I went in [to her appointment for the anti-wrinkle jabs], I felt like she was rushing that much it stung, my eyes were watering that much off it," Ms Bailey says. "I cannot believe she's even dared to do that to people. "She didn't even know what was in it and we're having to live with what she's done to us. "I've nearly died because of it."

Paula Harrison contracted botulism after being given illegal Botox

Paula Harrison suffered a similar fate when she visited Mrs Gray at a salon in Blackhall, Co Durham, in late May. The 54-year-old mother-of-two had previously been to the practitioner for a lip-filler procedure but this time decided to have what she thought was Botox and under-eye filler. After a few days, she too became unwell and also went to Sunderland Royal Hospital where she was admitted and spent four days, receiving an anti-toxin as part of her treatment. The BBC has previously reported how hospitals in the region ran out of their own stocks of the anti-toxin and needed to source it from hospitals across the country because of the unusually high number of patients who were presenting with symptoms of botulism. Mrs Harrison said her throat was closing up and she was unable to eat. "[Mrs Gray is] playing with people's lives," Mrs Harrison says. "Luckily, I'm all right, but I could have been dead."

Gemma Gray Gemma Gray is the owner of Belissimo Aesthetics

Mrs Gray, formerly known as Gemma Brown, operates her business Belissimo Aesthetics, which is not linked to any other business of the same name, from her home near Bishop Auckland and at a salon in Blackhall. She administered an illegal type of botulinum toxin, the ingredient used in legal Botox-type products, to a number of patients. There are seven such products licensed for use in the UK, including the brand Botox which is the most commonly known. Mrs Gray used Toxpia, a product from South Korea which the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency says is not licensed for use in the UK and which is an offence to sell or supply. She told clients it was a "new type of Botox" and charged between £75 and £100 for three areas of treatment. The BBC tried to contact her to ask her about her involvement but she said she was not interested in speaking. The BBC is naming Mrs Gray after speaking to a number of her clients. It is understood another aesthetic practitioner, who is a business associate of Mrs Gray's, bought the Toxpia from her and administered it to her own clients, many of whom also became ill.

'Consider the health impacts'

Mrs Gray has told clients how sorry she is for what happened and described how bad she feels that they became ill. She told Mrs Harrison that it was a "new treatment on trial" and that she was devastated. She also indicated it was a "nationwide" problem with the product and said people everywhere had become ill after using it. The BBC has seen no evidence to support this claim. Mrs Gray advertised her business as being "fully trained and insured". An investigation, led by the UK Health Security Agency, is ongoing. The agency has issued guidance to anyone who wishes to have this type of treatment, advising them to research their practitioner and make sure the product they are given is a legal medicine and licensed for use in the UK. The Department of Health and Social Care said people's lives were being put at risk by "inadequately trained operators in the cosmetic sector" and the government was looking into new regulations. "We urge anyone considering cosmetic procedures to consider the possible health impacts and find a reputable, insured and qualified practitioner," a spokesperson said.

Born to a Portuguese father and an English mother, Bronze grew up in north-east England, living on Holy Island - a tidal island in Northumberland also known as Lindisfarne - with her older brother and younger sister.

She now speaks multiple languages, including Portuguese, and was close to being recruited by the Portugal national team at the age of 16.

Bronze's football journey began at Alnwick Town and it was here that she became close friends with future England midfielder Lucy Staniforth - her classmate at the time.

"I remember seeing this girl with a red bob hairstyle and I thought she looked funky," Staniforth told BBC Sport.

"I was trying to find a local girls team in Alnwick. I was introduced to her mum. The strange thing was our gardens backed on to each other.

"They were like a second family to me. I spent a lot of my childhood around Lucy's house, causing havoc."

Opportunities to play girls' football then were hard to come by.

But living up to her full name of 'Lucia Roberta Tough Bronze', that did not stop her, or her mum Diane.

"When Lucy was 11, I knew nothing at all about football until they said she couldn't play because she's a girl," Diane Bronze told BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour in August 2023.

"I said 'don't tell me my daughter can't do something because she is a girl' and that was the change. It never crossed my mind that it was an issue.

"I had to do a lot of research to find somewhere she could go to play with girls."

Bronze eventually joined Blyth Town and then Sunderland, with Staniforth following in her footsteps.

The two shared car journeys from school to Alnwick Town, with Diane often the driver, and years later Bronze would be a bridesmaid at Staniforth's wedding.

"Those car journeys were fun. We would have weird conversations," said Staniforth.

"In that sense, I think me and Lucy were meant to meet because we were two misfits that found friendship in each other. Diane just encouraged it.

"We've known each other for 20 years now. I would describe the relationship as an ever-lasting one. She's the big sister that I didn't ask for - but I'm so glad to have.

"We both felt we could be ourselves and not be judged. We said what was on our minds, did the weirdest things and that is the part of Lucy that I love.

"She is probably not too dissimilar from the person I met all those years ago. Football was not the making of Lucy, but it definitely helped make her the person she is."

The Devil Wears Prada 2: Everything we know so far

7 hours ago Share Save Steven McIntosh Entertainment reporter Share Save

Shutterstock Meryl Streep played the terrifying fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly

In 2006, the world was gifted one of the most quotable and magnificent films of the 21st Century. No, no. That wasn't a question. The Devil Wears Prada, based on a novel by Lauren Weisberger, starred Meryl Streep as a demon fashion magazine editor who made ridiculous demands on her long-suffering assistants, played by Emily Blunt and Anne Hathaway. The movie managed to both celebrate and send up the fashion industry at the same time. It has developed a cult following over the years and was recently adapted as a stage musical. The film studios may have been moving at a glacial pace for the last two decades (you know how that thrills us), but now, we're finally getting a sequel. Here's everything we know so far.

Who is starring in the sequel?

Getty Images Nigel (Stanley Tucci) will return for the first time since two became new four and zero became the new two

Miranda Priestly, along with her anti-bacterial wipes and excellent taste in cerulean sweaters, will once again be portrayed by Hollywood royalty Meryl Streep. It will be the actress's first film since 2021's Don't Look Up. Anne Hathaway will reprise her role as Andrea "Andy" Sachs, provided there isn't some kind of hideous skirt convention she has to go to. Her fellow assistant Emily, played by Emily Blunt, will also return, having hopefully given up her diet where she doesn't eat anything, unless she feels like she's going to faint, and then she eats a cube of cheese. Miranda's right-hand man Nigel, played by Stanley Tucci, who must surely be due a promotion after his whole life went up in smoke, will be back as well. New cast members include British actor Kenneth Branagh, who will reportedly play Miranda's husband. We hope he knows how to spell Gabbana. But one person who won't be back is Andrea's boyfriend Nate, played by Entourage star Adrian Grenier. He and the couple's group of friends were perceived as the villains of the first film as the movie was gradually reappraised over the years, and viewers have increasingly criticised Andy's support network for not, well, supporting her and her career.

What will the plot be?

Getty Images Blunt, Streep and Hathaway reunited at the SAG Awards last year, delivering some memorable lines from the film

Weisberger did write a sequel to her original novel, 2013's Revenge Wears Prada, but it's not clear how closely the second film will resemble it. In the second book, Andy had recently turned 30, was about to get married and was now a successful magazine editor in her own right, working closely with her former Runway survivor Emily - before Miranda re-enters her life. The book is rumoured to be the basis of the film sequel, but according to Hollywood trade publication Variety, there will some new story elements too. Viewers will reportedly join Miranda as she navigates the decline of traditional magazine publishing. It's understood she will be forced to court her one-time assistant Emily, who is now a high-powered executive for a luxury brand, for advertising revenue. In real life, Weisberger briefly worked at Vogue as an assistant to Dame Anna Wintour, who coincidentally announced last week she was stepping down as the magazine's editor-in-chief after 37 years.

Who will write and direct the sequel?

Getty Images Aline Brosh McKenna (left) will return to write the sequel, while David Frankel will once again direct

It's not just the stars who are returning for The Devil Wears Prada 2 - the core creative team are back too. David Frankel will return to direct, having helmed Marley & Me, Hope Springs and Collateral Beauty in the interim. The original film's producer, Wendy Finerman, is also coming back. And Aline Brosh McKenna will once again write the screenplay. Since 2006, she has also written Cruella, Morning Glory, 27 Dresses and I Don't Know How She Does It. It's clear the stars and creative team have fond memories of the film, and Streep, Hathaway and Blunt reunited at the SAG Awards last year for a short sketch as their beloved characters. The actors have often been asked what their characters might be up to today. In 2022, Hathaway mused: "I think [Andrea] is writing for a wonderful French women's magazine. I think she's a staff writer and she speaks French fluently. I don't think she's married, but she might have a child or two. I think she's pretty fab."

When will the film be released?

Shutterstock Is there a reason our sequel isn't here yet? Has she died or something?

Trump's budget bill is closer to becoming law - here are the remaining sticking points

1 hour ago Share Save Brandon Drenon BBC News, Washington DC Share Save

Watch: Trump reacts to the Senate narrowly passing his budget bill

Donald Trump's massive tax and spending budget bill has returned to the US House of Representatives - as the clock ticks down to the president's 4 July deadline for lawmakers to present him with a final version that can be signed into law. The bill narrowly cleared the Senate, or upper chamber of Congress, on Tuesday. Vice-President JD Vance cast a tie-breaking vote after more than 24 hours of debate and resistance from some Republican senators. It has so far proven equally tricky for Trump's allies to pass the bill through the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson's hopes of holding a vote on Wednesday appear to be thinning out. Members of Congress had emptied from the House floor by the afternoon, after it became clear there weren't even enough votes for the bill to pass the rule that allows the legislation to be brought to the floor, typically an easy procedural task. The House, or lower chamber, approved an earlier version of the bill in May with a margin of just one vote, and this bill, with new amendments that have frustrated some Republicans, must now be reconciled with the Senate version. Both chambers are controlled by Trump's Republicans, but within the party several factions are fighting over key policies in the lengthy legislation. The president has been very involved in attempting to persuade the holdouts and held several meetings at the White House on Wednesday in hopes of winning them over. Ralph Norman, a House Republican from South Carolina, attended one of the meetings but wasn't persuaded. "There won't be any vote until we can satisfy everybody," he said, adding he believes there are about 25 other Republicans who are currently opposed to it. The chamber can only lose about three Republicans to pass the measure. "I got problems with this bill," he said. "I got trouble with all of it." Sticking points include the question of how much the bill will add to the US national deficit, and how deeply it will cut healthcare and other social programmes. During previous signs of rebellion against Trump at Congress, Republican lawmakers have ultimately fallen in line. What is at stake this time is the defining piece of legislation for Trump's second term. Here are the factions standing in its way.

The deficit hawks

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the version of the bill that was passed on Tuesday by the Senate could add $3.3tn (£2.4tn) to the US national deficit over the next 10 years. That compares with $2.8tn that could be added by the earlier version that was narrowly passed by the House. The deficit means the difference between what the US government spends and the revenue it receives. This outraged the fiscal hawks in the conservative House Freedom Caucus, who have threatened to tank the bill. Many of them are echoing claims made by Elon Musk, Trump's former adviser and campaign donor, who has repeatedly lashed out at lawmakers for considering a bill that will ultimately add to US national debt. Shortly after the Senate passed the bill, Texas congressman Chip Roy, of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, was quick to signal his frustration. He said the odds of meeting Trump's 4 July deadline had lengthened.

Getty Images Congressman Ralph Norman is among the Republicans threatening to vote down the bill

Freedom Caucus chairman Andy Harris of Tennessee told Fox News that Musk was right to say the US cannot sustain these deficits. "He understands finances, he understands debts and deficits, and we have to make further progress." On Tuesday, Conservative congressman Andy Ogles went as far as to file an amendment that would completely replace the Senate version of the bill, which he called a "dud", with the original House-approved one. Ohio Republican Warren Davison posted on X: "Promising someone else will cut spending in the future does not cut spending."

The Medicaid guardians

Representatives from poorer districts are worried about the Senate version of the bill harming their constituents, which could also hurt them at the polls in 2026. According to the Hill, six Republicans were planning to vote down the bill due to concerns about cuts to key provisions, including cuts to medical coverage. Some of the critical Republicans have attacked the Senate's more aggressive cuts to Medicaid, the healthcare programme relied upon by millions of low-income Americans. "I've been clear from the start that I will not support a final reconciliation bill that makes harmful cuts to Medicaid, puts critical funding at risk, or threatens the stability of healthcare providers," said congressman David Valadao, who represents a swing district in California. This echoes the criticism of opposition Democrats. Other Republicans have signalled a willingness to compromise. Randy Fine, from Florida, told the BBC he had frustrations with the Senate version of the bill, but that he would vote it through the House because "we can't let the perfect be the enemy of the good". House Republicans had wrestled over how much to cut Medicaid and food subsidies in the initial version their chamber passed. They needed the bill to reduce spending, in order to offset lost revenue from the tax cuts contained in the legislation. The Senate made steeper cuts to both areas in the version passed on Tuesday. Changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (better known as Obamacare) in the Senate's bill would see roughly 12 million Americans lose health insurance by 2034, according to a CBO report published on Saturday. Under the version originally passed by the House, a smaller number of 11 million Americans would have had their coverage stripped, according to the CBO.

The state tax (Salt) objectors

The bill also deals with the question of how much taxpayers can deduct from the amount they pay in federal taxes, based on how much they pay in state and local taxes (Salt). This, too, has become a controversial issue. There is currently a $10,000 cap, which expires this year. Both the Senate and House have approved increasing this to $40,000. But in the Senate-approved version, the cap would return to $10,000 after five years. This change could pose a problem for some House Republicans.

Catherine talks candidly of 'life-changing' cancer treatment

10 hours ago Share Save Sean Coughlan Royal correspondent Share Save

Kate talks about her cancer treatment

The Princess of Wales has spoken candidly about the life-changing long-term challenges of recovering after chemotherapy, as she visited a hospital in Essex. Catherine said during treatment "you put on a sort of brave face" but afterwards it can still feel "really difficult". She told patients at the hospital about life after cancer treatment: "You're not able to function normally at home as you perhaps once used to." It was Catherine's first public engagement since pulling out of an appearance at Royal Ascot, when it was said she needed to find the right balance in her return to work.

In January, Catherine announced she was in remission from cancer, which had been diagnosed last year. But her latest comments are a reminder how this is a gradual path to recovery.

Reuters The princess posed for selfies on the visit to the hospital in Colchester

She said: "You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment, treatment's done - then it's like 'I can crack on, get back to normal'. "But actually the phase afterwards is really difficult, you're not necessarily under the clinical team any longer, but you're not able to function normally at home as you perhaps once used to," said the princess. "But it's life-changing for anyone, through first diagnosis or post treatment and things like that, it is a life-changing experience both for the patient but also for the families as well. "And actually it sometimes goes unrecognised, you don't necessarily, particularly when it's the first time, appreciate how much impact it is going to have. "You have to find your new normal and that takes time... and it's a rollercoaster it's not one smooth plane, which you expect it to be. But the reality is it's not, you go through hard times," said Catherine. The princess was in a conversation with a group of patients - and one told her: "It can be very discombobulating, in that time when you've finished active treatment." "Your reality has completely changed," the patient told the princess. Catherine talked of the need for recovery time: "There is this whole phase when you finish your treatment that you, yourself, everybody, expects you, right you've finished your time, go, you're better, and that's not the case at all."

Reuters The princess helped to plant "Catherine roses", raising funds for a cancer charity

There had been much attention paid when the princess did not take part in an engagement at the Ascot racecourse. But royal sources say that her comments on Tuesday will send an important message of support for other former cancer patients who are facing challenges in their own journey of recovery. She made the comments as she visited a "well-being garden" at Colchester, which helps to use nature to support patients in their recovery from illness.

Covid care home policy was 'least worst decision' - Hancock

Nicola Brook, a lawyer representing bereaved families called his comments "an insult to the memory of each and every person who died".

Mr Hancock said the decision to discharge patients from hospitals into care homes when testing was not available, was "the least worst solution".

In an irritable exchange he urged the Covid Inquiry to focus on the substance of what the government was doing at the time.

Former health secretary Matt Hancock has denied claims the government's attempt to throw a protective ring around care homes in 2020, early in the Covid pandemic, was empty rhetoric.

What is the UK Covid inquiry and how does it work?

The current section of the Covid inquiry is likely to be "emotive and distressing", Ms Carey has warned.

Inquiry chair Lady Hallett, responded: "And I can assure you, Mr Hancock, it is what I care about."

"What I care about though is the substance, and frankly that's what this inquiry should care about after all the millions of pounds that have been spent on it."

Responding to questions from the barrister to the inquiry Jacqueline Carey KC, Mr Hancock said: "You know there may be campaign groups and politically-motivated bodies that say other things.

On Monday, the lawyer representing a bereaved families group quoted a civil servant who said the high number of deaths in care homes amounted to "generational slaughter" .

Mr Hancock was responsible for care services in England where more than 43,000 people died with Covid between March 2020 and January 2022, many of them in the early weeks of the pandemic.

'Easy to say in hindsight'

Questioned by Ms Carey, Mr Hancock acknowledged the discharge policy was an "incredibly contentious issue".

But he added: "Nobody has yet provided me with an alternative that was available at the time that would have saved more lives."

And he told the inquiry: "It's the least-worst decision that could have been taken at the time."

When the pandemic hit early in 2020, hospital patients were rapidly discharged into care homes in a bid to free up beds and prevent the NHS from becoming overwhelmed.

However, there was no policy in place requiring patients to be tested before admission, or for asymptomatic patients to isolate, until mid-April.

This was despite growing awareness of the risks of people without Covid-19 symptoms being able to spread the virus.

As his seventh and likely final appearance at the inquiry drew to a close, Mr Hancock admitted his overstretched department was "unbelievably busy, responding to the biggest civil emergency in 100 years".

In sometimes tense exchanges, he fielded questions from Kate Beattie representing disabled people's organisations and Pete Weatherby, barrister for Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK.

Mr Weatherby asked whether Mr Hancock had used the lack of "levers" available to him to act on Covid at the start of the pandemic as "an excuse for things when they went wrong".

"This is a very easy thing to say with hindsight," Mr Hancock responded.

"The reality of the situation is that I had to act with the tools that I had and that's what I did, and drove the life-saving effort to make sure things weren't even worse than they were."

Elsewhere, in response to wide-ranging questioning, Mr Hancock described the concept of blanket 'do not attempt resuscitation' orders as "abhorrent".

He said he only saw this happen once "and we jumped on it".

If that policy was more widespread, he said: "It did not come to my attention and, if it did happen, it's totally unacceptable."

Mr Hancock said the social care sector "was badly in need of and remains badly in need of reform", adding that in the event of another pandemic, he feared the situation had become "worse not better".

Lawyer Nicola Brook said Mr Hancock knew at the time that many care homes did not have the ability to isolate people who would be discharged from hospital, and that Covid was airborne.

"It's frankly ridiculous and insulting that he says they tried to throw a protective ring around care homes when his department's policies caused Covid to spread like wildfire amongst society's most vulnerable loved ones," she said.

Superman would like more kindness, say stars of new reboot

3 hours ago Share Save Yasmin Rufo BBC News Reporting from Leicester Square Share Save

Getty Images James Gunn, David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult and Peter Safran attended the premiere in Leicester Square

Superman was the first superhero, created 87 years ago. He's appeared in numerous books and films over the years and now he's been rebooted again as James Gunn introduces the first film in the relaunched DC universe. The film has been hotly anticipated and a lot is riding on it - superhero films in recent years have been met with mixed reviews from critics and fans. Playing the Man of Steel is 31-year-old American actor David Corenswet. Corenswet, who has previously appeared in TV series The Politician, Hollywood and We Own This City, is the fourth person to play the role in a major Superman movie, and the first for a decade.

Getty Images Corenswet is the fourth person to play Superman

His version of the hero is far cheerier and more optimistic that other iterations, particularly compared to Henry Cavill's portrayal of him which was grittier and darker. The film will kick-start a new era for DC Studios, which writer-director Gunn and producer Peter Safran took over in 2022. Cavill, who appeared in 2013's Man of Steel and its spin-offs, announced in 2022 that he would return to the role - but Gunn and Safran decided to replace him after they took over DC.

As a hero whose message is of hope and justice, I ask Corenswet what Superman would make of the world today. "He'd probably like to see more kindness," he says. "He's a figure who is willing to take on responsibility and has joy in doing that and I think he would like to inspire others in the world today to take on more responsibility." Rachel Brosnahan, who is best known for playing Midge Maisel in The Marvellous Mrs Maisel, plays Lois Lane and tells me that Superman would want to "step in and help whenever and wherever he could." "He sees people and things in need and steps in when you need him without questions," she says.

Getty Images Fans can expect to see the development of the relationship between Lois Lane and Superman in this film

Nicholas Hoult, who plays infamous villain Lex Luthor, adds that the superhero would want to "see more goodness in the world". The 31-year-old actor who recently starred in Nosferatu and Juror #2 feels confident that this version of Superman will buck the trend of failed reboots. "Gunn's version is a lot of fun and celebrates what it is to be human," he says He explains that he doesn't think superhero fatigue has set in but it's important to "have good storytelling and create characters that people are inspired by".

DC has struggled to find major hits in recent years, with films like Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman 1984 and Joker: Folie à Deux - part of the wider DC stable - each earning less than $60m (£48m) at the North American box office. Elsewhere in Hollywood, Sony's latest phase of superhero films ended with a flop when Kraven the Hunter opened with takings of just $11m (£9m) last weekend. Hoult originally auditioned for the role of Superman but said after reading the script he thought Lex was a better fit. "When Gunn called me to offer me the role of Lex I chuckled because his instincts were right."

Getty Images Hoult says he originally auditioned to play Superman not Lex Luther

Speaking to fans at the premiere, many were excited to see more screen time being given to the relationship between Superman and his love interest, Lois Lane. Brosnahan says she's excited for fans to see their relationship develop and the film "really humanises both of them". "What's great about this film is that it's not an origin story so we get to go deeper into the relationships and I think Lois and Superman realise they have met their match in each other." Other characters in the film include Guy Gardner/Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Rex Mason/Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) and Michael Holt/Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi).

Man admits murders of four Idaho students in deal to avoid death penalty

4 hours ago Share Save Ali Abbas Ahmadi BBC News Share Save

Watch: Moment suspect in Idaho student murders pleads guilty

A 30-year-old man has admitted to murdering four roommates in a small Idaho college town in 2022, as part of a plea deal to avoid the death penalty. Bryan Kohberger, who was a PhD criminology student, was set to stand trial in August over the attacks that shocked America. During a hearing on Wednesday, Judge Steven Hippler read the details of the agreement, including that Kohberger waived his right to appeal the case or ask for leniency. Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen were killed in their off-campus home in the city of Moscow, in November 2022.

"Are you pleading guilty because you are guilty?" Judge Hippler asked the defendant. "Yes," Kohberger replied. Before beginning proceedings, the judge stated that his office had received numerous messages and voicemails from members of the public that sought to "influence my decision making". He said he had not read or listened to any of the messages, and urged people to stop sending them. The judge then read out the charges against Kohberger - one count of burglary, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and four counts of first degree murder, which each carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. He pleaded guilty to all the charges. Judge Hippler said he will formally be sentenced on 23 July. It's expected he will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Instagram Madison Mogen (L) and Xana Kernodle

Some in the courtroom appeared to tear up as the names of the victims were read out. Kohberger did not show any emotion, including when he admitted to killing the four victims. The brutal nature of the murders, the age of the victims and the suspect's background in criminology sparked intense public interest in the case. The plea deal has divided the families of the victims. Outside court, the father of Kaylee Goncalves, Steve, said he felt "pretty let down". He said the state "made a deal with the devil". The family wanted a full confession, including details about the location of the murder weapon and confirmation the defendant acted alone. However Madison Mogen's mother and step-father said outside court they supported the plea agreement. In a statement read out by their lawyer they expressed their gratitude to everyone who had supported them and for the "successful outcome". "We support the plea agreement 100%," the lawyer read. "We turn from tragedy and mourning... to the light of the future. We have closure," he said. Kohberger, who was a student at nearby Washington State University, was charged in January 2023. He had to this point maintained his innocence, and prosecutors did not state a motive. It's not believed he knew the victims personally.

Watch: 'We can now figure out how to go on without the kids', says father of Madison Mogen

MPs approve plan to proscribe Palestine Action as terrorist group

However, legal action is under way to try to temporarily block the order, with a hearing scheduled to take place on Friday at London's High Court.

Once in effect, supporting Palestine Action will become a criminal offence, with membership or expressing support for the direct action group punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

The order, which amends the Terrorism Act 2000, is now expected to be signed by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and come into effect later this week.

MPs have voted in favour of legislation to proscribe group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, passing by 385 votes to 26.

Palestine Action has been granted the hearing pending further proceedings to decide whether a legal challenge can be brought.

Alongside Palestine Action, the order also proscribes Maniacs Murder Cult, a white supremacist, neo-Nazi organisation and the Russian Imperial Movement, a white supremacist, ethno-nationalist organisation.

Following the vote by MPs, four people were arrested in a protest organised by Palestine Action outside Westminster.

These included one man who the Met Police said had "blocked the gates of Downing Street with his mobility scooter", and a woman who attempted to lock herself to an entrance of the parliamentary estate.

Police said they were arrested for a breach of Public Order Act conditions which were put in place to "prevent serious disruption", confining the protest to an area off Whitehall, and allowing it to take place between 18:00 and 20:00 BST.

The move to proscribe Palestine Action was taken after activists broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire last month and sprayed two planes with red paint, an incident branded "disgraceful" by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

The government says Palestine Action meets the criteria for terrorism, which is the use or threat of serious violence, or serious damage to property, in a manner that is designed to influence any government or intimidate the public in order to advance a political, religious, racial or ideological cause.

In a statement after the vote, Palestine Action said the home secretary had "bundled our domestic civil disobedience protest group in with two violent, neo-Nazi militias".

"Many MPs told us that as a consequence they felt they did not have the option to vote against the measure," it said.

The group added it was "confident that this unlawful order will be overturned".

Presenting the order to the House of Commons, Minister of State for Security Dan Jarvis said the public attention the group has garnered "should not be confused with legitimacy".

He said the group had carried out "atrocious acts" which had increased in "frequency and severity" in recent times.

"Its targets have broadened to include financial firms, charities, universities, and government buildings," he said.

"Its methods have become more aggressive with its members demonstrating a willingness to use violence."

Expressing support for the government's move, Conservative MP Harriet Cross said the groups facing proscription have "nothing whatsoever to do with legitimate protest".

"They would not be facing proscription today if they were demonstrating peacefully, respectfully, or legally," she said.

But a number of Labour backbenchers questioned the action and whether it would not be more proportionate for the group to be dealt with through criminal legislation.

In total, 10 Labour MPs, including one teller, voted against the government.

One of them, Labour MP Clive Lewis, said there was "a long history in this country of direct action which pushes the boundaries of our democracy" and this was "still direct action... not terrorist action".

His party colleague Richard Burgon said the legislation risked "criminalising thousands of volunteers and supporters" - and pointed out a large number of people had been associated with the group in this capacity, including "students, nurses, retirees and professionals".

The proscription order will now go before the Lords on Thursday where it is likely to pass.

Why has Paramount paid Donald Trump $16 million over a CBS interview? Why has Paramount paid Donald Trump $16 million over a CBS interview?

There is something about Wimbledon which really makes Emma Raducanu tick.

Coming into her home Grand Slam, the British number one tried to temper expectations after a difficult grass-court swing.

The belief is already back.

Raducanu outclassed 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova on Wednesday, moving into the last 32 for the third time in her four SW19 appearances.

The assured performance set her up nicely for a shot at world number one Aryna Sabalenka in a blockbuster third-round clash on Friday.

"I think that was one of the best matches I've played in a long time, which I'm very proud of," said the 22-year-old, who is ranked 40th in the world.

"At the same time, I didn't feel like I was doing anything outrageous, which gives me a lot of confidence."

It was, statistically at least, the most secure Test century on record in England.

Rookie India captain Shubman Gill, with all of the noise in the background and on the back of a punch-to-the-stomach defeat last week in Leeds, defied England on day one of the second Test at Edgbaston.

The hosts will have sensed their moment to push further into the ascendency in this series when winning the toss and choosing to 'have a chase'.

But Gill responded with a controlled 114 not out to better some modern-day greats and help his side close on a respectable 310-5 in Birmingham.

"The way he is batting has been incredible to see," said team-mate Yashasvi Jaiswal, who shared a stand of 66 with his captain.

"He is very clear in his head what he needs to do."

Former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury will come out of retirement in 2026, Saudi boxing power broker Turki Alalshikh appeared to claim on Wednesday.

Fury, 36, retired from boxing in January after losing a title fight rematch with Oleksandr Usyk by unanimous decision the previous month.

"The 'Gypsy King' will be back," Alalshikh said in a post on X.

"I talked with him, and I have his word to have him in Riyadh season in 2026. We have a rabbit to hunt."

Fury often referred to Usyk as a "rabbit" in the build-up to their title fights, both of which were held in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

The Ukrainian won their first encounter in May 2024 by split decision to become the heavyweight division's first undisputed four-belt champion.

In a post on Instagram, Fury wrote "Let's see what 2026 brings" over a photo of him shaking hands with Alalshikh, who is chairman of Saudi Arabia's general entertainment authority.

Alalshikh has been a key figure in the rise of boxing in Saudi Arabia, bringing a string of high-profile fights to the country.

However, earlier on Wednesday Fury suggested he might be more interested in fighting on home soil.

"Who would I rather fight, right now? Usyk. Because I want my revenge in England," he told reporters at an International Boxing Association event in Istanbul.

"I don't believe I've got a fair shout the last two times. That's all I want. I want a fair shout, and I don't believe I've got a fair shout the last two times.

"That's the one I want, but if I don't get that then it'd be [Anthony] Joshua, the biggest British fight that will ever happen.

"It would break all records, and it would sell out 100,000 at Wembley in an hour. And it's a fight I think can happen, for sure, if I decide to come back."

Fury is yet to fight Joshua, who was stopped by compatriot Daniel Dubois at Wembley in September, his most recent outing.

Usyk will become a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion should he defeat Dubois at Wembley on Saturday, 19 July.