Footballer Thomas Partey charged with rape

Former Arsenal footballer Thomas Partey has been charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

The offences are reported to have taken place between 2021-2022, the Metropolitan Police said.

The charges involve three women with two counts of rape relating to one woman, three counts of rape in connection to a second woman and one count of sexual assault linked to a third woman.

Mr Partey's contract with Arsenal ended on Monday after playing with team since 2020. BBC News has contacted the team for comment.

AI claims and a hoax spokesman: Viral band confuses the world of music

Critics say even the image of the band is AI-generated

A band called The Velvet Sundown has had its tracks played hundreds of thousands of times on Spotify since appearing several weeks ago - without anyone knowing for sure what it is.

The band has a verified page on the music streaming platform, with more than 850,000 monthly listeners.

However, none of the four named musicians in the band have given any interviews or appear to have individual social media accounts, and there are no records of any live performances.

It has prompted accusations that they and their music are artificial intelligence (AI) generated - something the band denies on social media.

It did not respond to the BBC's request for an interview.

Further confusing the story, Rolling Stone US reported that the band's spokesman had admitted The Velvet Sundown's music had been generated using an AI tool called Suno - only for the magazine to report shortly afterwards that the spokesman was himself a hoax.

The man, who goes by the name of Andrew Frelon, said it was a deliberate plot to hoax the media.

A statement on the band's Spotify page says that the group has "no affiliation with this individual, nor any evidence confirming their identity or existence."

An account on X which claims to be the band's official channel, is also fake, it added.

Professor Gina Neff, from the Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy at the University of Cambridge, says it points to a problem which affects much more than just one band.

"Whether this is an AI band may not seem important," she told me.

"But increasingly, our collective grip on reality seems shaky. The Velvet Sundown story plays into the fears we have of losing control of AI and shows how important protecting online information is."

Rape advisor's abuser jailed after 10-year fight for justice

32 minutes ago Share Save Michael Buchanan Social affairs correspondent Share Save

BBC Emily Hunt was commended by the judge for her "great courage" in seeking justice

The government's former rape adviser has said she is "incredibly relieved" her abuser has been imprisoned after a decade of campaigning for justice. Christopher Killick, 45, was sentenced to three years imprisonment at Preston Crown Court on Wednesday after being convicted of harassing Emily Hunt. He had previously pleaded guilty to voyeurism after filming Ms Hunt naked in a hotel room in 2015 while she was unconscious. Ms Hunt said "it only took 3,706 days of me fighting" for Killick to "finally get a jail sentence". "It's remarkable, I'm really pleased that somebody listened," she continued. "For the time that he is in prison, I will know that I am safe. And for that, I am incredibly grateful."

Case dropped

Killick was initially arrested on suspicion of rape in London in 2015 after Ms Hunt woke up naked in a hotel room with no recollection of how she had got there. She said she'd been drugged and raped but police dropped the case due to a lack of evidence. Killick has always denied rape. Emily Hunt waived her right to anonymity in order to pursue a case against Killick. Her persistence led to a change in the law, allowing police to charge him with voyeurism after they discovered he had taken a 62-second video of her in the hotel room. Hunt was awarded an OBE for her campaign work. Killick pleaded guilty in 2020 and was given a 30-month community order and fined £2,000, and was also given a restraining order banning him from contacting Ms Hunt directly or indirectly. Despite the sentence, Killick – who stood as an Independent parliamentary candidate in a by-election in Hartlepool in 2021 – continued to offend. Between July 2021 and February 2023, he breached the restraining order by repeatedly tweeting about Ms Hunt. In March 2023, he received a 14-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. The restraining order was also strengthened. In July 2024, he breached the order again, by tweeting about Ms Hunt. In April 2025, while waiting to be sentenced for that offence, he breached the order again. He was finally imprisoned this week, swearing at the judge shortly before he was sentenced.

Lancashire Police Christopher Killick filmed Emily Hunt in a hotel room in 2015 when she was naked and unconscious

Judge Michael Maher, speaking to Killick, said that "each breach, looked at individually and collectively, represents an unwavering persistence on your part". "The blunt point is this, Mr Killick, you just won't give up. But Ms Hunt won't give in. My God, she has demonstrated great courage in relation to you. Your obsession speaks for itself." Emily Hunt, who now lives in the US, told the BBC that Killick's behaviour was the consequence of a "failure of the criminal justice system, where there are no consequences to breaching court orders". "He was arrested then released, more than than once." Ms Hunt served for two years as an independent adviser to a rape review conducted by the Ministry of Justice but resigned in 2023 citing a lack of will to improve the experience of rape victims by the last Conservative government.

Footballer Thomas Partey charged with rape

6 minutes ago Share Save Hannah Price & André Rhoden-Paul BBC News Share Save

Getty Images

Former Arsenal footballer Thomas Partey has been charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. The offences are reported to have taken place between 2021-2022, the Metropolitan Police said. The charges involve three women, with two counts of rape relating to one woman, three counts of rape in connection to a second woman and one count of sexual assault linked to a third woman. The Ghanaian international denies the charges and "welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name", his lawyer said.

The 32-year-old's contract with Arsenal ended on Monday after playing with the team since 2020. BBC News has contacted Arsenal, the Football Association and the Premier League for comment. The charges follow an investigation by detectives, which started in February 2022 after police first received a report of rape. Det Supt Andy Furphy, who is leading the investigation, said: "Our priority remains providing support to the women who have come forward. "We would ask anyone who has been impacted by this case, or anyone who has information, to speak with our team. You can contact detectives about this investigation by emailing CIT@met.police.uk" Mr Partey, of Hertfordshire, is expected to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday 5 August. In a statement, Mr Partey's lawyer Jenny Wiltshire said: "Thomas Partey denies all the charges against him. "He has fully cooperated with the police and CPS throughout their three-year investigation. "He now welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name. "Given that there are now ongoing legal proceedings, my client is unable to comment further."

Israel's strike on bustling Gaza cafe killed a Hamas operative - but dozens more people were killed

11 minutes ago Share Save Alice Cuddy BBC News, Jerusalem Share Save

Reuters A crater at al-Baqa beach cafe after it was hit by an Israeli strike

Moments before the explosion, artists, students and athletes were among those gathered at a bustling seaside cafe in Gaza City. Huddled around tables, customers at al-Baqa Cafeteria were scrolling on their phones, sipping hot drinks, and catching up with friends. At one point, the familiar melody of "Happy Birthday" rang out as a young child celebrated with family. In a quiet corner of the cafe overlooking the sea, a Hamas operative, dressed in civilian clothing, arrived at his table, sources told the BBC. It was then, without warning, that a bomb was dropped by Israeli forces and tore through the building, they said. At the sound of the explosion, people nearby flooded onto the streets and into al-Baqa in a desperate search for survivors. "The scene was horrific - bodies, blood, screaming everywhere," one man told the BBC later that day. "It was total destruction," said another. "A real massacre happened at al-Baqa Cafeteria. A real massacre that breaks hearts."

Google The cafe was a popular meeting spot before and during the war

The BBC has reviewed 29 names of people reported killed in the strike on the cafe on Monday. Twenty-six of the deaths were confirmed by multiple sources, including through interviews with family, friends and eyewitness accounts. At least nine of those killed were women, and several were children or teenagers. They included artists, students, social activists, a female boxer, a footballer and cafe staff. The conduct of the strike and the scale of civilian casualties have amplified questions over the proportionality of Israel's military operations in Gaza, which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) say are aimed at defeating Hamas and rescuing the hostages still being held by the group. Family members in Gaza and abroad spoke to the BBC of their shock and devastation at the killings. "We were talking with each other two days ago. We were sending reels to each other. I can't believe it," said a young Palestinian man living in the US whose 21-year-old "bestie" Muna Juda and another close friend, Raghad Alaa Abu Sultan, were both killed in the strike. The numbers of deaths analysed by the BBC were broadly consistent with figures given by the Hamas-run Civil Defence Agency, a senior local medic and the Palestinian Red Crescent in the days after the strike. Staff at Shifa Hospital, which received the bodies, said its toll as of Thursday had reached 40 deaths, including people who had succumbed to their injuries, and unidentified bodies. An official at the hospital said some of the bodies had been "blown to pieces", and that 72 injured patients were brought there - many having sustained severe burns and significant injuries that required surgery. He said many were students. In a statement after the strike, the IDF said it had been targeting "terrorists" and that steps were taken to "mitigate the risk of harming civilians using aerial surveillance". "The IDF will continue to operate against the Hamas terrorist organization in order to remove any threat posed to Israeli civilians," it added, before saying the "incident" was "under review". The IDF did not directly respond to multiple BBC questions about the target of the strike, or whether it considered the number of civilian casualties to be proportionate.

Al-Baqa Cafeteria was well-known across the Gaza Strip, considered by many to be among the territory's most scenic and vibrant meeting spots. Split over two floors and divided into men's and mixed family sections, it had views out to the Mediterranean Sea and television screens where people could watch football matches. It was a place to gather for coffee, tea and shisha with friends, and was a particular favourite with journalists. Al-Baqa had remained popular even during the war, especially because of its unusually stable internet connection. The cafe, which had until now survived largely unscathed, also served up a reminder of the life that existed before the bombardments. A cafe manager told the BBC that there was a strict entry policy. "It was known to our customers that if any person looked like a target, then they were not let inside the cafeteria - this was for our safety and the safety of the people there," he said.

On the day of the strike, the port area of Gaza City where the cafe is located was not under Israeli evacuation orders, and families of those killed on Monday say they had felt as safe as is possible when heading there. Staff told the BBC that the strike in the early afternoon - between the Muslim prayers of Zuhr and Asr - was outside of the cafe's busiest hours. The strike hit a section of the men's area where staff said few people were at the time. BBC Verify showed several experts photos of the crater left in the wake of the explosion and the remaining munition fragments. Most said that they believed it was caused by a bomb, rather than a missile, with a range of size estimates given, at a maximum of 500lb (230kg). The IDF told the BBC it would not comment on the type of munition used. A journalist who was in the area at the time of the strike and spoke to eyewitnesses immediately afterwards told the BBC the munition that hit the cafe "was launched from a warplane - not from a drone that would usually target one or two people… It looked like they were very keen on getting their target". His account was consistent with others we spoke to.

Twenty-seven-year-old Hisham Ayman Mansour, whose deceased father had been a leading figure in Hamas' military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, was among those in the men's section by the sea. His brother was previously killed by Israeli forces, and one social media post mourning his death suggested the brother had taken part in the 7 October 2023 attacks. A local Hamas source said Hisham was the target of the strike, and described him as a field commander with the group, a "mid-ranking role". Tributes posted on social media also referred to him as a "fighter" and "member of the resistance". His cousin also described him to the BBC as a "fighter" with the proscribed group, but said he thought he was "low-level" and not currently active. It is unclear what he was doing in the cafe that day, with two sources telling the BBC he was believed to be there for a "money drop", while another suggested he was there for "coffee and a short respite" and that he had not been involved in "militant activities" during the war. A photo shared on social media purported to show Hisham at the same spot in the men's area of the cafe the day before the strike, wearing a cap and sports t-shirt. Photos of his body after the strike in the same outfit were shared by family and friends. Two members of his family - one of them a child - were also killed. The IDF would not confirm whether Hisham was the primary target, or one of a number of targets of the strike.

Getty, Google

One former senior IDF official told the BBC he understood that "multiple Hamas operatives" were hit at the cafe, but that a so-called battle damage assessment was still ongoing. A source with Israeli intelligence connections pointed towards a social media post naming Hisham as the target. Sources in Gaza gave the BBC the name of a more senior Hamas commander who was rumoured to have been seated on a nearby table, but posts on social media said he died the following day and did not mention the cafe. The Hamas source said Hisham was the only person within the group killed at al-Baqa, while the IDF did not respond to questions about the commander. An anti-Hamas activist told the BBC that "many Hamas people" were injured in the strike, including one who worked with the group but not as a fighter, who lost his leg in the explosion. Medics could not confirm this account, but said that they dealt with many people with severe injuries, including those arriving with missing limbs or requiring amputations. Israel does not allow international journalists access to Gaza to report on the war making it difficult to verify information, and Hamas has historically ruled the territory with an iron grip, making speaking out or any dissent dangerous.

Getty / NurPhoto A teddy bear was found among the debris after the strike

The remainder of this article contains details some readers may find distressing. Among the bodies and the debris in al-Baqa were traces of the civilian lives lost - a giant pink and white teddy bear, its stuffing partially exposed, a child's tiny shoe, and playing cards soaked in blood. A displaced man who was in the area seeing family at the time of the strike was among those who went running into the cafe to try to find survivors. "Shrapnel was everywhere… there were many injuries," he told the BBC. He said when he entered part of the men's section that he found the bodies of waiters and other workers, and saw as one "took his last breath". "It was crazy," said Saeed Ahel, a regular at the cafe and friend of its managers. "The waiters were gathered around the bar since it was shady and breezy there. Around [six] of them were killed," he added, before listing their names. More were injured. The mother of two young men who worked at the cafe screamed as she followed their bodies while they were carried on a sheet out of the wreckage on Monday. A distraught man pointed at a dry patch of blood on the floor, where he said bits of brain and skull had been splattered. He had put them in a bag and carried them out. Meanwhile, the grandmother of 17-year-old Sama Mohammad Abu Namous wept. The teenager had gone to the cafe that afternoon with her brother, hoping to use the internet connection to study. Relatives said the siblings were walking into the beachside cafe when the bomb hit. Sama was killed, while her brother was rushed to hospital. "She went to study and they killed her," she said. "Why did she have to return to her grandmother killed?"

Palestinian Olympic Committee Young female boxer Malak Musleh was killed in the strike

The coach of young female boxer Malak Musleh said he was in shock at the loss of his friend of more than 10 years, having first learned the news of her killing through social media. "She believed that boxing was not just for boys but that girls should have the right too," Osama Ayoub said. "Malak was ambitious. She didn't skip any training day." He said he last saw Malak about 10 days before the strike, when he dropped off some aid to her and her father. "We sat together for nearly an hour. She told me that she was continuing her training with her sister and wished I could train them. I told her unfortunately because my house got demolished I live now in Khan Younis [in southern Gaza], but as soon as I hear that there is a ceasefire I will try to go back to training," he said. "She said to make sure to keep a space for them… She had passion in her eyes and her words." When Osama saw the Facebook post by Malak's father announcing her death, he "didn't believe it". "I called him and he confirmed it but I still don't believe it," he said over the phone from a displacement camp.

Instagram/@francalsalmi An image by artist Amina Omar Al-Salmi, who was killed in the strike, depicts a woman with her eyes closed and covered in blood

White House to host UFC fight, Trump announces

5 hours ago Share Save Natasha Preskey BBC News Share Save

White House President Trump at UFC 316 earlier this year

The White House will host a UFC bout next year as part of events to mark 250 years of American independence, US President Donald Trump has announced. The event will be a "championship fight" with an audience of 20,000-25,000, Trump told a crowd in Iowa on Thursday. The president, who is a friend of UFC president Dana White, said: "We are going to have some incredible events, some professional events, some amateur events." Trump has attended several UFC events, including UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey, last month, where he was pictured watching a fight with White.

Addressing the crowd during an appearance at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Trump said: "Does anybody watch UFC? The great Dana White? We're going to have a UFC fight. We're going to have a UFC fight - think of this - on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there." UFC boss to promote Trump's 'fighter' image at RNC finale

Listen: Donald Trump, UFC and WWE: The love affair Following Trump's announcement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the plans on X, writing: "It's going to be EPIC!" Trump's links to UFC date back more than 20 years. In 2001, he hosted a UFC fight at Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City when White was struggling to find a venue.

Reuters White and Trump at UFC 316 in June

Is Trump deporting record numbers of migrants? Is Trump deporting record numbers of migrants?