Hamas says it delivered 'positive response' on Gaza ceasefire plan

18 minutes ago Share Save Rushdi Abualouf Gaza correspondent Reporting from Cairo Wyre Davies • @WyreDavies BBC News Reporting from Tel Aviv Share Save

Reuters A Palestinian man looks at buildings destroyed by Israeli strikes in al-Shati refugee camp, northern Gaza

Hamas says it has delivered a "positive response" to mediators on the latest proposal for a new Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal put forward by the US. The Palestinian armed group added in a statement that it was "seriously ready to enter immediately into a round of negotiations". A senior Palestinian official familiar with the talks told the BBC that Hamas accepted the general framework but had requested several key amendments, including a US guarantee that hostilities would not resume if talks on a permanent end to the 20-month war failed. There was no immediate response from Israel and the US. But they have previously been reluctant to accept similar demands.

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Israel had accepted the "necessary conditions" for a 60-day ceasefire, during which the parties would work to end the war. He also urged Hamas to accept what he described as "the final proposal", warning the group that "it will not get better - it will only get worse". The plan is believed to include the staggered release of 10 living Israeli hostages by Hamas and the bodies of 18 other hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Fifty hostages are still being held in Gaza, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive. The proposal also reportedly says that sufficient quantities of humanitarian aid would enter Gaza immediately with the involvement of the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross. The senior Palestinian official said Hamas was demanding that the aid be distributed exclusively by the UN and its partners, and that the controversial distribution system run by the Israel- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) end immediately. Another key amendment demanded by Hamas was about Israeli troop withdrawals, according to the Palestinian official. The US proposal is believed to include phased pull-outs from parts of northern and southern Gaza. But the official said Hamas was insisting that troops returned to the positions they held before the last ceasefire collapsed in March, when Israel resumed its offensive against the group. The Palestinian official said Hamas also wanted a US guarantee that Israeli air and ground operations would not resume if negotiations on a permanent ceasefire failed. The proposal is believed to say that negotiations on ending the war would begin on day one. However, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out ending the war until all of the hostages are released and Hamas's military and governing capabilities are destroyed.

The Israeli military continued to bomb targets across the Gaza Strip as the US and Israel awaited Hamas's response to the ceasefire proposal on Friday. Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said in the afternoon that Israeli attacks had killed at least 138 Palestinians over the previous 24 hours. Overnight, at least 15 Palestinians were killed in strikes on two tents housing displaced people in the southern Khan Younis area, the local Nasser hospital said. Thirteen-year-old Mayar al-Farr's brother, Mahmoud, was among those killed. "The ceasefire will come, and I have lost my brother? There should have been a ceasefire long ago before I lost my brother," she told Reuters news agency at his funeral. Adlar Mouamar, whose nephew Ashraf was also killed, said: "Our hearts are broken... We want them to end the bloodshed. We want them to stop this war." The Israeli military has not yet commented on the strikes, but did say its forces were "operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities". Later on Friday, the ICRC said a staff member at the Red Cross field hospital in Rafah, in southern Gaza, had been hit by a stray bullet. His condition was stable after the "unacceptable" incident, the ICRC said. Meanwhile, medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières said a former colleague had been killed the previous day when, it said, Israeli forces fired on people waiting for aid lorries in Khan Younis. At least 16 people were killed in the incident, MSF quoted teams at Nasser hospital as saying. The Israeli military has not yet commented. "The systemic and deliberate starvation of Palestinians for over 100 days is pushing people in Gaza to breaking point," said Aitor Zabalgogeazkoa, MSF's emergency co-ordinator in Gaza. "This carnage must stop now." The UN human rights office said on Friday that it had recorded the killing of at least 509 people near the GHF's aid distribution centres and 104 other people near aid convoys. Spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said the office was working to verify the figures and ascertain who was responsible, but added that it was "clear that the Israeli military has shelled and shot at Palestinians trying to reach the distribution points". The GHF said the UN figures were coming "directly" from the Gaza health ministry, which it says is not credible, and that they were being used to "falsely smear" its effort. Its chairman insisted this week there had not been any violent incidents at or in close proximity to its sites. The Israeli military has said it is examining reports of civilians being harmed while approaching the GHF's sites, but insisted that reports of "extensive casualties" at them are "lies".

Kyla Herrmannsen / BBC Former hostage Keith Siegel told a rally in Tel Aviv that a "comprehensive deal" was needed to secure the release of all those still in captivity

Oasis kick off their comeback: The best they've been since 1995

13 minutes ago Share Save Mark Savage Music Correspondent Share Save

Watch: Moment Oasis take to the stage in Cardiff for first gig in 16 years

Oasis blew off the cobwebs and swept away the doubters as they kicked off their reunion tour in Cardiff. Taking to the stage after a 16-year break, the band sounded refreshed and rejuvenated, tearing into classics like Cigarettes and Alcohol, Live Forever and Slide Away - as 70,000 fans clasped each other and spilled beer all over themselves. They opened with Hello, with its chorus of "it's good to be back", following up with Acquiesce - one of the few songs that features vocals from both Noel and Liam Gallagher. The lyric "we need each other" felt like a reconciliation - or a sigh of relief - as the brothers buried the hatchet of a decades-long feud and reconnected with their fans.

Liam, in particular, attacked the gig with wild-eyed passion - stalking the stage and biting into the lyrics like a lion tearing apart its prey. The audience responded in kind. A communal fervour greeted songs like Wonderwall and Don't Look Back In Anger, both pulled from Oasis's 1995 masterpiece, (What's The Story Morning Glory) - one of the biggest selling British albums of all time. All night, it was one singalong after another: Some Might Say, Supersonic, Whatever, Half The World Away, Rock 'n' Roll Star. During Live Forever - which they dedicated to Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota - the audience even sang Noel's guitar solo. "You sound like a load of Charlotte Churches," said Liam, impressed, after Stand By Me. The frontman sounded fresh and powerful himself, putting to rest the vocal issues that had plagued him on previous tours - a result of Hashimoto's disease, an auto-immune condition that can affect the voice.

Getty Images Liam was in fine form throughout the night

As fans will know, Oasis were never the most dynamic act on stage. Noel, in particular, wears the studious look of a man trying to remember his National Insurance number - but somehow, it's impossible to take your eyes off them. Although they came out hand in hand, there were few other signs of chemistry between the brothers, who never addressed one another during the two-and-a-quarter hour show. But just hearing them harmonise again, after all the animosity, and the turbulent waters under the bridge, was hugely emotional. "Nice one for putting up with us over the years," said Liam, introducing the night's last song, Champagne Supernova. "We are hard work, I get it." As they left the stage, the Gallaghers shared a brief hug.

Getty Images Fans paid hundreds of pounds to see the band kick off their reunion tour

Big Brother The stadium closed its roof - giving the stadium show an unusual intimacy

But the band's volatility was always part of the appeal. Their off-stage antics made the headlines as often as their music: They missed their first European gig after getting arrested on a cross-channel ferry, Liam lost two front teeth in a fight with German police, and later abandoned a pivotal US tour go house-hunting. Half the fun was working out which act of the Shakespearean drama was being enacted in front of you. Still, Liam’s antics often frustrated his brother. "Noel is the guy who's chained to the Tasmanian devil," Danny Eccleston, consultant editor of Mojo, once said. "A lifetime of that would wear you down." It all came to a head at a gig in Paris in 2009. Oasis split up after a backstage altercation that began with Liam throwing a plum at his older brother's head. In the intervening years, they engaged in a long war of words in the press, on stage and social media. Liam repeatedly called Noel a "massive potato" on Twitter and, more seriously, accused him of skipping the One Love concert for victims of the Manchester Arena bombing. Noel responded by saying Liam was a "village idiot" who "needs to see a psychiatrist". But relations thawed last year, with Liam dedicating Half The World Away to his brother at the Reading Festival last August. Two days later, the reunion was announced, with the band declaring: "The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised." A scramble for tickets ensued, with more than 10 million people applying to see the 19 UK dates alone. Those who succeeded were shocked by the high prices - especially when standing tickets advertised at £155 were re-labelled "in demand" and changed on Ticketmaster to £355 plus fees. On stage, Liam made light of the scandal, asking the audience: "Is it worth the £4,000 you paid for a ticket?"

Getty Images The band stuck to their 1990s output for the majority of the setlist

For many, the answer was yes. Cardiff was awash with Oasis fanatics from all over the world - including Peru, Japan, Argentina, Spain and South Korea. An Italian couple had "live forever" inscribed in their wedding rings. A British woman, expecting her first child, had scrawled "our kid" - Noel's nickname for Liam - across her baby bump. The city was awash in bucket hats and branded tracksuit tops. Outside the stadium, an enterprising busker drew a massive crowd by playing a set of Oasis songs. Everyone joined in. Inside, the band stuck to the classics, with a setlist that only strayed out of the 1990s once, for 2002's Little By Little. The songs held up remarkably well. The youthful hunger of tracks like Live Forever and Supersonic crackled with energy. And Cigarettes and Alcohol, written by Noel in 1991, about the discontent of Manchester's working classes after 15 years of Conservative rule, sounded as relevant in 2025 as it did then. "Is it worth the aggravation to find yourself a job when there's nothing worth working for?" snarled Liam. Fans, young and old, roared along in recognition and approval. Later, during Wonderwall, the frontman cheekily changed the lyrics to say: "There are many things that I would like to say to you... but I don't speak Welsh." I have seen Oasis many, many times and this was the best they've been since 1995, when I caught them supporting REM at Ireland's Slane Castle, as they limbered up for the release of (What's The Story) Morning Glory. The Manchester band blew the headliners away - instantly making them seem dated and irrelevant - in a show that threatened to devolve into chaos after Liam threatened a fan who'd thrown a projectile on stage. They might not have that sense of danger in 2025, but there was a hunger and a passion that was missing from their last shows in 2009. Fans, and some parts of the British press, are already speculating over whether Liam and Noel's rapprochement will hold – but from the evidence on stage in Cardiff, the Gallaghers are finally, belatedly mad fer it once more.

Getty Images Noel Gallagher performed several songs solo during the set

Oasis setlist - 4 July 2025

Hello

Acquiesce

Morning Glory

Some Might Say

Bring it on down

Cigarettes & Alcohol

Fade Away

Supersonic

Roll With It

Talk Tonight (Noel sings)

Half the World Away (Noel sings)

Little by Little (Noel sings)

D'You Know What I Mean

Stand By Me

Cast No Shadow

Slide Away

Whatever

Live Forever

Rock and Roll Star Encore The Masterplan (Noel sings)

Don't Look Back in Anger (Noel sings)

Wonderwall

Champagne Supernova

British number one Emma Raducanu is out of Wimbledon after falling short of beating top seed Aryna Sabalenka in a gripping third-round match on Centre Court.

Raducanu, 22, put the three-time Grand Slam champion - and clear title favourite - under extreme pressure before succumbing to a 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 defeat.

"It is a difficult to take right now," Raducanu said.

"It's hard to take a loss like that but at the same time I've pushed Aryna, who is a great champion, so I have to be proud."

Raducanu, ranked 40th in the world, played with clarity and confidence throughout most of a captivating contest.

Had the 2021 US Open champion served out the opener at 6-5 after saving seven set points in the previous game, or converted a set point in the tie-break, the momentum of the lead might have carried her to a notable victory.

However, the deficit proved too much to overturn - even though Raducanu broke to lead 4-1 in the second set.

The long rallies she needed to break down Sabalenka eventually took their toll and Raducanu began to look fatigued as the world number one fought back.

Sabalenka, who is aiming for a first SW19 title, goes on to face Belgian 24th seed Elise Mertens in the fourth round on Sunday.

"Emma played such incredible tennis and she pushed me really hard to get this win," said the 27-year-old Belarusian.

"I had to fight for every point to get this win. I'm pretty sure she will get back to the top 10 soon."

Trump signs sweeping tax and spending bill into law

Just now Share Save Bernd Debusmann Jr BBC News, White House Share Save

Anthony Zurcher: Passage of megabill is big win for Trump

US President Donald Trump has signed his landmark policy bill into law, a day after it was narrowly passed by Congress. The signing event at the White House on Friday afternoon enacts key parts of the Trump agenda including tax cuts, spending boosts for defence and the immigration crackdown. There was a celebratory atmosphere at the White House as Trump signed the bill ahead of Independence Day fireworks and a military picnic attended by the pilots who recently flew into Iran to strike three nuclear sites. Trump told supporters it will unleash economic growth, but he must now convince sceptical Americans as polling suggests many disapprove of parts of the bill.

Several members of his own Republican party were opposed because of the impact on rising US debt and Democrats warned the bill would reward the wealthy and punish the poor. The 870-page package includes: extending 2017 tax cuts of Trump's first term

steep cuts to Medicaid spending, the state-provided healthcare scheme for those on low incomes and the disabled

new tax breaks on tipped income, overtime and Social Security

a budget increase of $150bn for defence

a reduction in Biden-era clean energy tax credits

$100bn to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Moments before the bill signing, there was a fly-by of a pair B-2 bombers - the same kind of aircraft that participated in the Iran operation - flanked by highly advanced F-35 and F-22 fighter aircraft. In a speech from the White House balcony facing the South Lawn, Trump thanked Republican lawmakers who helped usher the bill to his desk. He touted the tax cuts in the bill, brushing aside criticism of the impact to social programmes such as food assistance and Medicaid. "The largest spending cut, and yet, you won't even notice it," he said of the bill. "The people are happy." Additionally, Trump praised additional resources being given to border and immigration enforcement and an end to taxes on tips, overtime and social security for senior citizens, which he says the bill will fulfil. The celebratory mood follows days of tense negotiations with Republican rebels in Congress and days of cajoling on Capitol Hill, sometimes by the president himself. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries delayed the final vote in the lower chamber of Congress on Thursday by speaking for nearly nine hours. He called the bill an "extraordinary assault on the healthcare of the American people" and quoted testimony from individuals anxious about its impact. But his marathon speech only postponed the inevitable. As soon as he sat down, the House moved to a vote.

Getty Images Republican lawmakers celebrated after narrowly passing Trump's sweeping budget bill before a self-imposed deadline of 4 July

Only two Republicans went against, joining all 212 Democrats united in opposition. The bill passed by 218 votes to 214. Earlier this week, the Senate passed the bill but US Vice-President JD Vance was required to cast a tiebreaking vote after three Republicans held out. Major win now but political peril awaits

Fact-checking three key claims about the bill Hours after the House passed the bill, the president was in a triumphant mood as he took to the stage in Iowa to kick off a years long celebration of 250 years since American independence. "There could be no better birthday present for America than the phenomenal victory we achieved just hours ago," he told supporters in Des Moines. The White House believes the various tax cuts will help stimulate economic growth, but many experts fear that will not be sufficient to prevent the budget deficit - the difference between spending and tax revenue in any year - from ballooning, adding to the national debt. Analysis by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) suggests the tax cuts could produce a surplus in the first year but will then cause the deficit to rise sharply.

According to the Tax Policy Center, the tax changes in the bill would benefit wealthier Americans more than those on lower incomes, About 60% of the benefits would go to those making above $217,000 (£158,000), its analysis found. The BBC spoke to Americans who may see a cut in the subsidies that help them pay for groceries. Jordan, a father of two, is one of 42 million Americans who benefits from the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) scheme targeted by the bill. Americans brace for Trump's welfare cuts

What is in the bill? He and his wife get about $700 a month to feed their family of four and the 26-year-old said if this bill reduces what he can claim he would get a second job. "I'm going to make sure that I can do whatever I can to feed my family," he says.

Watch: what will Trump’s tax and spending bill do to the US national debt?

Crowds mourn Liverpool star Jota in his Portuguese hometown

2 hours ago Share Save James Waterhouse BBC News Reporting from Gondamar, Portugal Share Save

PA Media Portuguese national team player André Silva was among footballers and politicians to attend the public wake in Gondomar

Crowds mourned Diogo Jota in his hometown to pay their respects to the Liverpool forward and his brother André Silva, who both died in a car crash on Thursday. Portugal's president, stars from the national team and fans from across the country gathered in the small town of Gondomar, on the outskirts of Porto, where the pair grew up. Their parents, grandfather and other family members held a private vigil at a chapel in the town before it was opened to the public for a wake. The funeral will be held on Saturday. The pair - both footballers, with André playing in Portugal's second division - were killed after the Lamborghini they were travelling in crashed in the Spanish province of Zamora.

Fans carrying Portugal flags, flowers and other memorabilia were seen weeping as they queued to pay their respects. Those in attendance included President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, national team stars João Moutinho, Diogo Dalot and Ricardo Horta, and Jota's agent Jorge Mendes. For years as a young boy, Jota played for local club Gondomar SC, which named its academy after him in 2022. Emblazoned on its sign is a quote from Jota: "It's not about where we come from but where we're going to." Outside the club, shirts and scarves were laid inside a ring of candles.

Getty Images

The 28-year-old father-of-three - who this year won the Nations League with Portugal and Premier League with Liverpool - married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso just 11 days before the fatal crash. He had been travelling back to Liverpool for pre-season training, making the trip by car and ferry because he had undergone minor surgery and had been advised against flying. Liverpool said his death was a "tragedy that transcends" the club. Fans also grieved outside the club's Anfield stadium. Former captain Jordan Henderson was seen in tears as he laid a wreath, with a card that read: "Rest in peace my friend, along with your brother André. We will all miss you." There was also a touching moment at Oasis's reunion gig on Friday evening when Jota's image appeared on screen at the end of Live Forever, prompting applause around Cardiff's Principality Stadium. Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah admitted he was dreading returning to the club in the wake of Jota's shock death. "I am truly lost for words. Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break," Salah wrote in a post on social media. A delegation from Liverpool's city rival club Everton - including Portugal-born strikers Beto and Youssef Chermiti - also attended and left flowers outside Anfield. Former Liverpool councillor Peter Millea - a home and away regular who had come to pay his respects - told the BBC: "There was something about him as a player when he first came to us that he became an instant hit.

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Palestine Action to be banned after judge denies temporary block

1 hour ago Share Save Zoie O'Brien & André Rhoden-Paul BBC News Share Save

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Palestine Action will be banned from midnight after a judge refused its request to temporarily block the UK government from proscribing it as a terror group. On Friday, a High Court judge refused the bid to temporarily stop the ban. The group then challenged the ruling at the Court of Appeal, which late on Friday evening rejected the last-minute appeal. It means 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.

On his decision at the hearing on Friday, denying the group's request for a temporary block, High Court judge Mr Justice Chamberlain said: "I have concluded that the harm which would ensue if interim relief is refused but the claim later succeeds is insufficient to outweigh the strong public interest in maintaining the order in force." The proposed ban, which amends the Terrorism Act 2000, will come into force after being approved by both the House of Commons and House of Lords earlier this week. The move was taken to ban the group after an estimated £7m of damage was caused to planes at RAF Brize Norton last month, in action claimed by Palestine Action. Raza Husain KC, barrister for Palestine Action's Ms Ammori, told the court banning the group would be "ill-considered" and an "authoritarian abuse" of power. "This is the first time in our history that a direct action civil disobedience group, which does not advocate for violence, has been sought to be proscribed as terrorists," he said. In a 26-page judgement, Mr Justice Chamberlain said some of the consequences feared by Ms Ammori and others who gave evidence were "overstated". After the ruling, Ms Ammori said "thousands of people across Britain wake up tomorrow to find they had been criminalised overnight for supporting a domestic protest group which sprays red paint on warplanes and disrupts Israel's largest weapons manufacturer". She added: "We will not stop fighting to defend fundamental rights to free speech and protest in our country and to stand up for the rights of the Palestinian people."

'It's Groundhog Day': Ukraine's sky defenders stuck in relentless battle

7 hours ago Share Save Orla Guerin Senior international correspondent in Sumy, Ukraine Share Save

Watch: Ukrainian soldiers aim to shoot down Russian drones in Sumy

As the evening light ebbed away a handful of Ukrainian troops emerged from the treeline to face an unequal fight. Their mission – to shoot down 21st Century killer drones with weapons designed in the dying days of World War One. In Ukraine's north-eastern region of Sumy, bordering Russia, this is a nightly battle. Just after we joined the troops, there was danger in the skies, and tension and adrenaline on the ground. The commander – codenamed Jaeger – was glued to a screen showing clusters of red dots, each indicating an Iranian-designed Shahed drone, one of Russia's key weapons. By early evening, there were already 30 in the skies over Sumy, and the neighbouring region of Chernihiv. Two flatbed trucks were driven out into a clearing – on the back of each a heavy machine gun and a gunner, scanning the skies. The trucks were flanked by troops, light machine guns at the ready. We could hear the whirring of the propellers before we could see the drone - barely visible as it sliced through the sky. The troops opened fire - all guns blazing in unison – but the drone disappeared into the distance. These low-cost long-range weapons are terrorising Ukraine. As often in war, there were flashes of humour. "You'll know when the next drone is coming, when that short guy gets nervous," said Jaeger, pointing at one of his team.

MOOSE CAMPBELL/BBC Tracer fire streaks across the sky as Ukrainian troops hunt Russian drones

As darkness closed in, the drones kept coming and the troops kept trying – sending tracer fire streaking across the sky. But how do they feel when these suicide drones get through? "Well, it's not very good, "Jaeger says sombrely, glancing away. "You feel a slight sadness but to be honest - as you have seen - you don't have time for emotions. One comes in and another can come right behind it. You work in this rhythm. If it's taken down - good, if not, you know there are other teams behind you who will also engage it." He and his men are a "mobile fire unit" from Ukraine's 117 Territorial Defence Brigade – all locals trying to defend not just their hometown but their country. Most Russian drones fly through this region and deeper into Ukraine. "They come in massive waves, often flying at different altitudes," says Jaeger. "When there is heavy cloud cover, they fly above the clouds, and we can't see them. And it's very hard to detect them when it's raining." A hundred Shahed drones a night is standard for Sumy. His unit includes a farmer ("now I do something else in the fields," he jokes) and a builder. Jaeger himself is a former forest ranger, and mixed martial arts fighter. Now he fights an enemy he can barely see. "It's the same thing every single day, over and over again," he says. "For us, it's just like Groundhog Day." "The worst thing is that years are passing by," adds Kurban, the builder, "and we have no idea how long all this is going to last".

MOOSE CAMPBELL/BBC Jaeger leads a unit of locals trying to defend Sumy and other parts of Ukraine from Russian drones

Many of the drones in the skies over Sumy that night were headed for the capital, Kyiv. Jaeger and his men knew it. So did we. The knowledge was chilling. An air raid alert warned the residents of Kyiv of incoming drones. Russia aimed more than 300 at the capital overnight, according to the Ukrainian air force, trying to overwhelm its air defences. By morning six locations had been hit, and the victims were being reclaimed from the rubble. In the days that followed the death toll climbed to 30. In Ukraine's fourth summer of full-scale war the fields around Sumy are dotted with corn and sunflowers, not yet in bloom, and a crop of dragon's teeth - triangles of concrete which can stop tanks in their tracks. The picture was very different last autumn. Ukrainian troops had turned the tables with a cross-border attack on Russia, capturing territory in the neighbouring region of Kursk.

By March of this year, most were forced out, although Ukraine's military chief said recently it still holds some territory there. By May, President Zelensky warned that 50,000 Russian troops were massed "in the direction of Sumy". By June, more than 200 villages and settlements in Sumy had been evacuated, as the Kremlin's men slowly shelled their way forward. President Putin wants "a buffer zone" along the border, and is talking up the threat to the city of Sumy. "The city…is next, the regional centre," he said recently. "We don't have a task to take Sumy, but I don't rule it out." He claims his forces are already up to 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) inside the region.

Warning: The following section contains distressing details

The head of Ukraine's army, Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, claims his troops have halted the Russian advance, but the war has already closed in on Margaryta Husakova, 37, menacing her village. She warned her sister not to come because there were explosions. "She came anyway," Margaryta says, "and everything was fine for a month, quiet and peaceful, until we got on that bus". On the morning of 17 May, the sisters set out with other relatives for a trip to the city. "I remember how we came, got on the bus, how we laughed, were happy," says Margaryta. "Then we started to leave, and it happened." The bus was ripped apart by a Russian drone, in an attack that killed nine people – all civilians - including her mother, her uncle and her sister. Margaryta was pulled from the wreckage with a shattered right arm – now held together by steel rods.

MOOSE CAMPBELL/BBC Margaryta lost her mother, sister and uncle in a drone strike on her bus. She survived with a shattered arm

She is tormented by what she lost, and what she saw. Her description is graphic. "I opened my eyes, and there was no bus," she said, her voice beginning to break. "I looked around and my sister's head was torn off. My mum too, she was lying there, hit in the temple. My uncle had fallen out of the bus, his brain was exposed." We met at a sand-bagged reception centre for evacuees in Sumy. Margaryta sat outside on a wooden bench, seeking comfort from a cigarette. She told me she was planning to leave for the home of another relative, but feared her eight children might not be safe there either. "Maybe we will have to run away even further," she said, adding: "It's scary everywhere." "I'm terrified, not for myself but for the children. I must save them. That's what matters." As we spoke an air raid siren wailed overhead – the sound so familiar that Margaryta did not respond. Neither did anyone else around us. "We only run for explosions now," a Ukrainian journalist explained "and only if they are loud and close".

MOOSE CAMPBELL/BBC Soldiers, such as "Student", have seen relationships break down due to the strain of years of war

There's little talk in Sumy of a ceasefire, let alone an end to Europe's largest war since 1945. US President Donald Trump no longer claims he can deliver peace in Ukraine in a day. He's become embroiled in a newer war, bombing Iranian nuclear sites. Talks between Russia and Ukraine have delivered only prisoner exchanges, and the return of bodies. President Putin appears emboldened and has been upping his demands. With the Summer sun still overhead, those trying to save Ukraine expect more Winters of war. We followed a bumpy track deep into a forest to meet troops fresh from the front lines. They were getting a refresher course in weapons skills at a remote training ground. A battle-hardened 35-year-old with a shaved head and full beard was among the group - call sign "student". "I think the war won't end in the next year or two," he told me. "And even if it does end in six months with some kind of ceasefire, it will start again in four or five years. President Putin has imperialist ambitions." War inflicts wounds – seen and unseen. "Student" sent his family abroad for safety soon after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022 and has been unable to see his two daughters since then. He and his wife are now divorced. Other soldiers we met also spoke of broken relationships and marriages that have buckled under the strain. Student sums up war as "blood, dirt and sweat" and does not try to conceal the cost. "We joined our battalion, as a platoon of 30 neighbours," he told me. "Today, only four of us remain alive. "

Corbyn's new party - is it happening and could it damage Labour?

5 hours ago Share Save Sam Francis Political reporter Iain Watson Political correspondent Share Save

Getty Images Zarah Sultana and Jeremy Corbyn shared platforms when they were both Labour MPs

High profile left winger Zarah Sultana has quit Labour and vowed to launch a new political party with Jeremy Corbyn. That, however, seems to have come as news to him. In a social media post, the former Labour leader congratulated Sultana on her "principled decision" to leave and said he was "delighted that she will help us build a real alternative". But he said "the democratic foundations of a new kind of political party" were still taking shape and discussions were "ongoing". Sultana appears to have jumped the gun, taking not just Corbyn but others involved in the project by surprise. But that does not mean it is not happening. There is no name yet - Arise and The Collective have been bandied about. Corbyn is thought to like the phrase "Real Change", but not necessarily as a party name. No timetable for a launch has been agreed, although there has been talk of fielding candidates at next May's local elections. But all of those involved in the project believe there is a huge gap in the market to the left of Sir Keir Starmer's Labour Party, with millions of potential votes up for grabs. Are they right? And what would the arrival of a new socialist party mean for the Greens who have scooped up many left-wing voters in recent times - not to mention the Labour Party itself?

It is very difficult to assess support for a party that does not yet exist, has no leader and no policies. Pollsters More In Common recently tested the sort of support a party to the left of Labour would have – specifically one led by Jeremy Corbyn. Their research suggested it could pick up 10% of the vote - reducing Labour's standing by three points but far more dramatically eating in to support for the Greens, which would fall from 9% to 5% in the polls. Notably, a Corbyn-led party could become the country's most popular party among 18- to 24-year-olds with 32% of the vote.

Former Corbyn aide Andrew Murray said Sir Keir Starmer had "created the space" for a party to Labour's left by ruthlessly expelling left wingers from the party and dropping his leadership campaign promises. Speaking to GB News's Choppers Podcast, Murray said Labour's 2017 vote - 3.2 million more than Sir Keir's in 2024 - showed the scale of potential support for a new left-wing party. Thousands of votes had leaked away from the Tories to Reform UK at last year's election, he added, and "there are similarly huge numbers of people who regard themselves as progressives and are looking for something different."

A veteran left-wing organiser, who did not wish to be named, told the BBC even with a double digit share of the national vote it is "quite hard for new parties to become positive forces in the UK". "I think it could do quite a lot of damage to Labour and the Greens if it gets above a critical mass," he said.

Senior Greens have told the BBC they are not worried about a new insurgent party. Green leadership hopeful Zack Polanski said "anyone who wants to challenge Reform and this failing Labour government is a friend of mine". But he added: "In the past there's been lots of left-wing parties, but only the Green Party has endured and had sustained growth." Polanski's point was echoed by his leadership contest rival Adrian Ramsay, who currently co-leads the party, who said anyone looking for a "progressive alternative to Labour" should join the Greens. Any damage to the Greens could be limited by a "non-aggression" pact with the new party, running candidates on a joint ticket, for example, or agreeing to stand aside in certain circumstances.

Jeremy Corbyn has been working for some time under the radar to turn the small group of independent MPs he co-ordinates into a full-blown political party which could stand candidates at the local elections next year. Last year, the Islington North MP united with Shockat Adam, Ayoub Khan, Adnan Hussain and Iqbal Mohamed - four independents that beat Labour candidates in the 2024 election with their pro-Palestinian stance in constituencies with large Muslim populations. On Wednesday he hinted that a new party could be on the way, telling ITV's Peston he and his fellow pro-Gaza independents would "come together" and "there will be an alternative".

The MPs are united in their condemnation of Keir Starmer's approach to the Gaza crisis, but we don't know what their rest of their policy programme would be. We do not even know for certain that Jeremy Corbyn would be their leader. He is thought to favour a democratic convention to decide on leadership but others in the project are impatient to get on with it. Sultana is clearly keen to play a leading role, although her statement was carefully worded - she wants to co-lead the "founding" of a new party with Corbyn. One thing is clear - any new party will not be a reincarnation of the previous Corbyn project, as key figures on Labour's left show no sign of leaving. Corbyn's former shadow chancellor John McDonell said he was "dreadfully sorry to lose Zarah from the Labour Party" but is not expected to quit himself. The chair of the Labour party under Corbyn - Ian Lavery – told the BBC he planned to stay in the party until he retired.

The Independent MPs were elected last year in areas where voters felt Labour wasn't taking a strong enough line on Israel's actions in Gaza. We don't know how resonant the issue will be at the next election, four years away. But where Keir Starmer's strategists might be concerned is that a new left-wing party might just reduce the Labour vote by enough in some seats to allow a second-placed Reform UK to sneak home. And Labour may have to be more mindful that it can lose votes on the left and not just the right. It was once seen as close to impossible to successfully launch a new political party in the UK, under Westminster's first-past-the-post voting system. But Reform UK, which has five MPs and is currently ahead in the polls, has shown how volatile politics now is and the extent to which traditional party loyalties no longer matter. A well-known leader and some eye-catching policies could potentially redraw the map of mainstream politics.

Man who encouraged woman to kill herself sentenced

7 hours ago Share Save Dan Hunt BBC News, Leicester Share Save

Leicestershire Police Tyler Webb was sentenced at Leicester Crown Court on Friday

A man has been sentenced after he "repeatedly and persistently" encouraged a vulnerable woman he met online to kill herself. Tyler Webb, 23, connected with his victim on social media before asking the woman, who cannot be named, to harm herself for his own "sexual gratification". Police said the victim's bravery was "profound" in reporting the offence, which led to Webb being the first person in the country to be charged with encouraging serious self-harm online under section 184 of the Online Safety Act 2023. Webb was given a hybrid order of nine years and four months, which will see him detained at a mental health facility and if deemed fit to leave, he will serve the remainder in prison.

Although Webb being charged was a legal first, the Crown Prosecution (CPS) said other cases brought since then had already concluded. Webb, of King Crescent South in Loughborough, Leicestershire, admitted encouraging suicide and one count of encouraging or assisting someone to seriously self-harm at a hearing in May. Alex Johnson, from the CPS, described the case as a "watershed prosecution" and said "as far as he is aware", this is the only case this offence has been used to prosecute someone targeting a vulnerable person via social media. If you've been affected by the issues in this story, help and support is available via the BBC Action Line.

'Calculated psychological violence'

At Leicester Crown Court on Friday, prosecutor Louise Oakley said Webb first met the victim on a social media forum - where mental health difficulties were being discussed - and, after their contact, started encouraging her to harm herself on the Telegram messaging app. He then asked her to send him pictures of injuries, and the court heard he would use them for his own sexual pleasure. Webb later encouraged her to kill herself and told her to carry out the attempt on a video call so he could watch. During a 44-minute call on 2 July last year, Webb made persistent efforts to get her to end her own life and, when it become apparent she would not do so, he said he would block further contact with her. She reported what had happened to police the next day and he was arrested at his home on 10 July.

Leicestershire Police Bodycam footage shows the moment Webb was arrested at his home in Loughborough

In a victim impact statement read to the court by the prosecution, the woman said: "He tried to kill me, not with his hands, but with his words." She added: "I do not want to call this encouraging serious self harm and suicide. I want to call this what it is - an attempted murder through psychological means. "What Tyler did was not a mistake. It was calculated psychological violence. "He didn't encourage self-harm in passing, he instructed me on what to do and how to do it." The statement added Webb was "cruel by choice" and had "no turmoil while torturing me". "There will never be another second on this earth where I don't have to live with the pain of what happened," she said. The court was told Webb has had a "severe" autistic disorder since a young age, as well as borderline personality disorder, anxiety and depressive disorder. Defence barrister Joey Kwong told the court that Webb has "struggled significantly" with his mental health all his life but is "finally" being treated in hospital after being transferred from prison. The court also heard that Webb has no previous convictions and was of previous good character. He also received full credit for his guilty pleas.

'Irrefutable evidence'

Leicestershire Police said the victim was able to collect a "significant amount" of evidence including audio recordings, screenshots and photos of her injuries. Mr Johnson told the BBC the CPS obtained an audio recording in which Tyler Webb "repeatedly and persistently" encouraged the victim to kill herself. He said: "I think that this sort of offending is particularly disturbing because of the way it targets people who should be safe within their own homes. "I think the case and the conviction shows the police and prosecution won't hesitate to use any legal tool to stop those who are determined to cause harm in this sort of way." Mr Johnson said the victim provided "irrefutable evidence" of the offences committed and praised her "courage" in coming forward to the police. "If she had not done that, Tyler Webb would never have been identified, arrested or brought to justice for this offending," he added. "He would have remained at liberty and he would have been free to target other vulnerable people through social media.

Webb was sentenced at Leicester Crown Court on Friday

Det Con Lauren Hampton, from Leicestershire Police, said the case was "not only truly shocking but also deeply concerning". "Webb preyed upon a vulnerable woman at a time when she was reaching out to people in online forum for help and support," she added. "He quickly gained her trust and then he began with his barrage of vile requests – all the time knowing that what he was telling her to do could result in her ending her own life. "Thankfully, this did not happen, and the victim was able to report what had happened." She described the case as one of the "most harrowing" she had seen in her career and praised the "courage and strength" of the victim. Det Con Hampton added: "I want to thank her for coming forward and reporting to police the despicable behaviour of Webb. "Her actions have undoubtedly safeguarded other vulnerable people from being targeted."

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More on this story Man admits telling woman to kill herself online

This weekend comes with a bit of a reality check for those who experienced heatwave conditions for the last two weekends.

With an area of low pressure still close to the UK winds will swing round to come from a more northerly direction. This will make it feel comparatively cool by Sunday, with temperatures peaking in the high teens or low twenties Celsius instead of the low thirties of last weekend.

However, these sorts of temperatures are much closer to the long-term average for this time of year than we have seen recently.

Low pressure also means that showers are possible just about anywhere throughout the weekend, with some seeing more than others. In contrast to the rain totals we will see in western Scotland, some areas of central and southern England, where rain has been lacking over recent months, may only receive 1 to 3mm (under 0.2in).

It will not be a washout of a weekend though. All areas will see some sunshine at times too, especially on Sunday.

One in 10 cars sold in UK made in China

Around 18,944 cars made by Chinese-owned brands, including MG and Polestar, were sold in June, which is 10% of overall UK sales, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). That is up from 6% in the same month a year ago.

There has been a particular surge over the past few months, at a time when most other G7 countries have levied significant extra tariffs against their imports.

New Chinese brands such as BYD, Jaecoo and Omoda are growing rapidly in the UK.

One in 10 cars sold in the UK in June were made in China, according to the latest industry figures.

Across the first half of this year, more than 8% - or 1 in 12 - cars sold were Chinese, up from 5% in 2023 and 2024. This was mainly but not exclusively electric vehicles.

By comparison a study by Jato Analytics for the first five months of the year put Chinese brands at 4.3% of the market across the EU, and just 1.6% in Germany and 2.7% in France. Spain was higher though at 9.2%.

Its analyst Felipe Munoz said: "The fact that the UK has not imposed tariffs is a big opportunity for the Chinese, along with the popularity of electric cars.

"MG is also playing like a local brand, and unlike France and Germany, the UK doesn't have a big local industry to protect."

However, some industry grandees have warned that the UK industry will struggle to compete, and Britain might have to introduce quotas.

Chinese firms and their franchises have been buying up car showrooms.

"Chinese manufacturers are producing cars which are better, cheaper and more innovative in every sector of the market," said John Neill, former SMMT President and ex-chief executive of Unipart.

"If they are going to sell here we are going to have to get the Chinese to manufacture here."

The government has so far faced little pressure from existing suppliers on copying the tariffs imposed by the EU, US, and Canada on electric cars.

The majority of EU member states backed big taxes being imposed on imports of EVs from China, which can be as high as around 45%, and Canada announced its imposition of a 100% tax on Chinese made EVs.

The EU and China are in negotiations to replace the tariff with a minimum price system.

Some Chinese manufacturers are also in the process of opening factories in the EU which could export across Europe including the UK tariff-free.

The SMMT said that one in four buyers of new cars in the UK are now purchasing electric cars - although the transition to electric has been driven by "unsustainable" discounting by manufacturers, says Mike Hawes, the SMMT's chief executive.

"As we have seen in other countries, government incentives can supercharge the market transition," he said.

Boy's sentence for killing man, 80, to be reviewed

6 hours ago Share Save Dan Martin BBC News, Leicester Share Save

Supplied Bhim Kohli, 80, died the day after he was attacked in the park

The sentence given to a 15-year-old boy who racially abused and killed an 80-year-old man in Leicestershire will be reviewed. Bhim Kohli died in hospital a day after being attacked while walking his dog Rocky at Franklin Park in Braunstone Town, Leicestershire, in September. The boy was sentenced to seven years in custody, while a 13-year-old girl who filmed and encouraged the attack was given a youth rehabilitation order of three years and made subject to a six-month curfew. Both were convicted of manslaughter. The Attorney General's Office (AGO) has referred the case under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

The AGO confirmed it had not referred the girl's sentence to the Court of Appeal. During the sentencing hearing in June, prosecutor Harpreet Sandhu KC said Mr Kohli was subjected to a "seven-and-a-half minute period of continuing aggression" at the park. The boy racially abused Mr Kohli, attacked him and slapped him in the face with a slider shoe, while the girl laughed as she filmed it on her phone. The attack left Mr Kohli with three broken ribs and other fractures, but Mr Sandhu KC said the fatal injury was to his spinal cord, caused by a spine fracture. Following sentencing, Mr Kohli's daughter Susan Kohli said she felt angry and disappointed the punishments did not match the severity of the crime.

Bhim Kohli was found injured and in pain in the park by members of his family

An AGO spokesperson said: "The Solicitor General, Lucy Rigby KC MP, was appalled by this violent, cowardly attack on an innocent man. "She wishes to express her deepest sympathies to Bhim Kohli's friends and family at this difficult time. "After undertaking a detailed review of the case, the Solicitor General concluded the sentence of the 15-year-old boy could be referred to the Court of Appeal. "The court will determine if the sentence is increased or not." The AGO referral follows a call by Mid Leicestershire MP Peter Bedford and Alberto Costa, MP for South Leicestershire, for both the sentence of the boy and girl to be increased. In a letter to the MPs, sent on Friday, Rigby said both offenders' actions were "appalling" but while the boy's sentence met the threshold for a review, the girl's did not. She said the sentencing judge had followed guidelines that made custody "a last resort" for offenders aged 14 or under. Rigby said she appreciated sentences were not always perceived to be adequate by the victims of crime but said she had concluded it was unlikely the Court of Appeal would increase the girl's sentence if asked to review it. Bedford said: "Whilst I welcome the referral of the male's sentence as being unduly lenient, I am shocked that the female's sentence, which is non-custodial in nature, has not been referred for reconsideration." The MP said he was working with Mr Kohli's family on a campaign for greater parental responsibility for those youngsters convicted of serious criminal offices.

Susan Kohli said the boy's sentence was not long enough

After the sentencing, Mrs Kohli told the BBC: "We are having so many incidents and crime reports that involve youngsters and they know that because they're youngsters, they're not going to serve the full weight of the law, because it's half an adult sentence. "But you choose to do an adult crime, so why not be punished accordingly? Yes, the boy has been sentenced to seven years, on good behaviour three and a half years - he's served nine months of that already. "He's going to be out in two years and nine months for taking my dad's life - it's just unanswerable. "It needs to change, and I'm hoping we're able to try and get that change to hold the young offenders accountable for what they do."

Follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.

Payout offered to Afghans hit by UK data breaches

7 hours ago Share Save Kate Whannel Political reporter Share Save

Getty Images British soldiers conducting counter-Taliban operations 2007 in Southern Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Afghan nationals whose personal information was mistakenly exposed by the Ministry of Defence in 2021 will be offered up to £4,000 each in compensation, the government has said. The data breaches affected 277 people, some of whom had worked for the UK government and were in hiding from insurgent Taliban forces at the time. Defence Minister Luke Pollard said he could not "undo past mistakes" but promised that the payments would be made "as quickly as reasonably practical". The government expects the total cost to be around £1.6m and comes on top of the £350,000 it had to pay after receiving a fine from the data watchdog.

The biggest breach took place in September 2021 when the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) team was working to evacuate people from Afghanistan following the chaotic withdrawal of western troops. A mass email was sent to those, such as interpreters, whose work with the UK government meant they could be targeted by the Taliban and therefore made them eligible to be relocated. Their email addresses were added to the 'To' field instead of the 'blind carbon copy' (Bcc) section, meaning their names could be seen by all recipients. The Ministry of Defence later launched an internal investigation that revealed two similar breaches on 7 September and 13 September of that year. Sean Humber from the Leigh Day law firm which is representing some of those affected said the government's statement about compensation contained "little information". "As far as we are aware, there has been no consultation with those affected or their legal advisors about the scheme - it is not clear the criteria that will be used to identify the proposed payment amount. "In our client's case, he and his family spent five very scared months in hiding in Kabul concerned that the Taliban were now aware that he had assisted UK forces and were looking for him. "He feared for his life and was aware of the Taliban beating and killing others that had assisted UK forces. "We will need to review critically with our client whether any sum that is now being offered adequately compensates him for distress that he has undoubtedly suffered."

Explosion injures 45 people at petrol station in Rome

8 hours ago Share Save Zahra Fatima BBC News Share Save

Watch: Fires burn in aftermath of Rome petrol station explosion

More than 40 people have been injured after a huge explosion at a Rome petrol station caused widespread damage. Reports say emergency services were already at the scene in the Prenestino neighbourhood on Friday after a tanker truck hit a pipe while manoeuvring, causing a gas leak and smaller initial blast at around 08:00 local time (07:00 BST). Shortly afterwards, a second, larger explosion rocked the area after a fire broke out. Police said 45 people in total were injured in the incident, including police officers. Footage of the blast shows a giant fireball and thick black smoke filling the sky, with the explosion reportedly heard across the city, rattling nearby windows and buildings.

Rome's mayor Roberto Gualtieri visited the charred remains of the petrol station and an adjacent sports centre. He told local news outlets the explosions had caused "enormous damage" and had injured residents and at least 21 emergency service workers including police and firefighters. Two men are in a life-threatening condition after suffering major burns - including a man who had reportedly been pulled by rescue teams from a burning car. Photographs and footage from the scene showed widespread devastation after the blast, including burnt out vehicles and buildings. Emergency services are continuing to work at the scene. The mayor added that shortly after the initial explosion, people from nearby buildings, including a sports centre had been evacuated by emergency teams, avoiding what could have been a "much more serious tragedy". One eyewitness, Massimo Bartoletti told local news outlet Roma Repubblica: "I saw the first explosion with the classic fireball. Shortly after came the second one which was hellish." "A fiery mushroom formed in the sky. It made the whole area shake. It looked like hell, everything was flying in the sky," he added.

EPA / Shutterstock The blast caused serious damage to a nearby sports centre

One Year of Labour: What Happened? (Newscast Live) One Year of Labour: What Happened? (Newscast Live)

Oasis kick off their comeback: The best they've been since the 90s

48 minutes ago Share Save Mark Savage Music Correspondent Share Save

Watch: Moment Oasis take to the stage in Cardiff for first gig in 16 years

Oasis blew off the cobwebs and swept away the doubters as they kicked off their reunion tour in Cardiff. Taking to the stage after a 16-year break, the band sounded refreshed and rejuvenated, tearing into classics like Cigarettes and Alcohol, Live Forever and Slide Away - as 70,000 fans clasped each other and spilled beer all over themselves. They opened with Hello, with its chorus of "it's good to be back", following up with Acquiesce - one of the few songs that features vocals from both Noel and Liam Gallagher. The lyric "we need each other" felt like a reconciliation - or a sigh of relief - as the brothers buried the hatchet of a decades-long feud and reconnected with their fans.

Liam, in particular, attacked the gig with wild-eyed passion - stalking the stage and biting into the lyrics like a lion tearing apart its prey. The audience responded in kind. A communal fervour greeted songs like Wonderwall and Don't Look Back In Anger, both pulled from Oasis's 1995 masterpiece, (What's the Story) Morning Glory? - one of the best selling British albums of all time. All night, it was one singalong after another: Some Might Say, Supersonic, Whatever, Half The World Away, Rock 'n' Roll Star. During Live Forever - which they dedicated to Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota - the audience even sang Noel's guitar solo. "You sound like a load of Charlotte Churches," said Liam, impressed, after Stand By Me. The frontman sounded fresh and powerful himself, putting to rest the vocal issues that had plagued him on previous tours - a result of Hashimoto's disease, an auto-immune condition that can affect the voice.

Getty Images Liam was in fine form throughout the night

As fans will know, Oasis were never the most dynamic act on stage. Noel, in particular, wears the studious look of a man trying to remember his National Insurance number - but somehow, it's impossible to take your eyes off them. Although they came out hand in hand, there were few other signs of chemistry between the brothers, who never addressed one another during the two-and-a-quarter hour show. But just hearing them harmonise again, after all the animosity and the turbulent waters under the bridge, was hugely emotional. "Nice one for putting up with us over the years," said Liam, introducing the night's last song, Champagne Supernova. "We are hard work, I get it." As they left the stage, the Gallaghers shared a brief hug.

Getty Images Fans paid hundreds of pounds to see the band kick off their reunion tour

Big Brother The stadium closed its roof - giving the show an unusual intimacy

But the band's volatility was always part of the appeal. Their off-stage antics made the headlines as often as their music: They missed their first European gig after getting arrested on a cross-channel ferry, Liam lost two front teeth in a fight with German police, and later abandoned a pivotal US tour go house-hunting. Half the fun was working out which act of the Shakespearean drama was being enacted in front of you. Still, Liam’s antics often frustrated his brother. "Noel is the guy who's chained to the Tasmanian devil," Danny Eccleston, consultant editor of the Mojo magazine, once said. "A lifetime of that would wear you down." BBC Sounds: The Rise and Fall of Oasis It all came to a head at a gig in Paris in 2009. Oasis split up after a backstage altercation that began with Liam throwing a plum at his older brother's head. In the intervening years, they engaged in a long war of words in the press, on stage and social media. Liam repeatedly called Noel a "massive potato" on Twitter and, more seriously, accused him of skipping the One Love concert for victims of the Manchester Arena bombing. Noel responded by saying Liam was a "village idiot" who "needs to see a psychiatrist". But relations thawed last year, with Liam dedicating Half The World Away to his brother at Reading Festival last August. Two days later, the reunion was announced, with the band declaring: "The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised." A scramble for tickets ensued, with more than 10 million people applying to see the 19 UK dates alone. Those who succeeded were shocked by the high prices - especially when standing tickets advertised at £155 were re-labelled "in demand" and changed on Ticketmaster to £355 plus fees. On stage, Liam made light of the scandal, asking the audience: "Is it worth the £4,000 you paid for a ticket?"

Getty Images The band stuck to their 1990s output for the majority of the setlist

For many, the answer was yes. Cardiff was awash with Oasis fans from all over the world - including Peru, Japan, Argentina, Spain and South Korea. An Italian couple had "live forever" inscribed on their wedding rings. A British woman, expecting her first child, had scrawled "our kid" - Noel's nickname for Liam - across her baby bump. The city was awash in bucket hats and branded tracksuit tops. Outside the stadium, an enterprising busker drew a massive crowd by playing a set of Oasis songs. Everyone joined in. Inside, the band stuck to the classics, with a setlist that only strayed out of the 1990s once, for 2002's Little By Little. The songs held up remarkably well. The youthful hunger of tracks like Live Forever and Supersonic crackled with energy. And Cigarettes and Alcohol, written by Noel in 1991, about the discontent of Manchester's working classes after 15 years of Conservative rule, sounded as relevant in 2025 as it did then. "Is it worth the aggravation to find yourself a job when there's nothing worth working for?" snarled Liam. Fans, young and old, roared along in recognition and approval. Later, during Wonderwall, the frontman cheekily changed the lyrics to say: "There are many things that I would like to say to you... but I don't speak Welsh." I have seen Oasis many, many times and this was the best they've been since 1995, when I caught them supporting REM at Ireland's Slane Castle, as they limbered up for the release of (What's the Story) Morning Glory? The Manchester band blew the headliners away - instantly making them seem dated and irrelevant - in a show that threatened to turn into chaos after Liam threatened a fan who'd thrown a projectile on stage. They might not have that sense of danger in 2025, but there was a hunger and a passion that was missing from their last shows in 2009. Fans, and some parts of the British press, are already speculating over whether Liam and Noel's rapprochement will hold – but from the evidence on stage in Cardiff, the Gallaghers are finally, belatedly, mad fer it once more.

Getty Images Noel Gallagher performed several songs solo during the set

Oasis setlist - 4 July 2025

Hello

Acquiesce

Morning Glory

Some Might Say

Bring it on down

Cigarettes & Alcohol

Fade Away

Supersonic

Roll With It

Talk Tonight (Noel sings)

Half the World Away (Noel sings)

Little by Little (Noel sings)

D'You Know What I Mean

Stand By Me

Cast No Shadow

Slide Away

Whatever

Live Forever

Rock and Roll Star Encore The Masterplan (Noel sings)

Don't Look Back in Anger (Noel sings)

Wonderwall

Champagne Supernova

Palestine Action banned after judge denies temporary block

27 minutes ago Share Save Zoie O'Brien & André Rhoden-Paul BBC News Share Save

PA Media

Palestine Action has been banned after a judge refused its request to temporarily block the UK government from proscribing it as a terror group. On Friday, a High Court judge refused a bid to temporarily stop the ban. The group then challenged the ruling at the Court of Appeal, which late on Friday evening rejected the last-minute appeal. The ban - which came into effect on Saturday - means supporting Palestine Action will become a criminal offence, with membership or expressing support for the group punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

On his decision at the hearing on Friday, denying the group's request for a temporary block, High Court judge Mr Justice Chamberlain said: "I have concluded that the harm which would ensue if interim relief is refused but the claim later succeeds is insufficient to outweigh the strong public interest in maintaining the order in force." Earlier this week, a draft order was laid before Parliament requesting an amendment to the Terrorism Act 2000 to include Palestine Action as a proscribed organisation. The move was taken to ban the group after an estimated £7m of damage was caused to planes at RAF Brize Norton last month, in action claimed by Palestine Action. Raza Husain KC, barrister for Palestine Action's Ms Ammori, told the court banning the group would be "ill-considered" and an "authoritarian abuse" of power. "This is the first time in our history that a direct action civil disobedience group, which does not advocate for violence, has been sought to be proscribed as terrorists," he said. In a 26-page judgement, Mr Justice Chamberlain said some of the consequences feared by Ms Ammori and others who gave evidence were "overstated". After the ruling, Ms Ammori said "thousands of people across Britain wake up tomorrow to find they had been criminalised overnight for supporting a domestic protest group which sprays red paint on warplanes and disrupts Israel's largest weapons manufacturer". She added: "We will not stop fighting to defend fundamental rights to free speech and protest in our country and to stand up for the rights of the Palestinian people."

Is it OK to cry at work?

23 minutes ago Share Save Faarea Masud and Karen Hoggan Business reporters Share Save

House of Commons via PA Media

Pictures of a weepy Rachel Reeves dominated the newspaper front pages and TV news after her tearful appearance at Prime Minister's Questions earlier this week. The markets were spooked so much by her emotional appearance that the cost of government borrowing immediately jumped and the pound took a dive. The sight of most of us crying in the workplace is unlikely to move financial markets, but does it matter if you do? Does it show weakness, or strength, or simply that you're in touch with your emotions?

Anecdotally, it's not unusual to have a bit of a sniffle at work. Several people got in touch with the BBC to say they had let it all out. Clara, 48, from Lancaster, said she had become emotional when she was a young graduate getting a "blasting", and years later "in frustration". "I've also cried after receiving bad news from home and left work immediately." Emma, meanwhile, felt she had to keep her emotions under wraps because she worked in "a tough male-dominated environment" and would give herself a hard time for "showing emotion or 'weakness'." Although some research has suggested women are more likely than men to cry, plenty of men told us they had also shed tears in front of colleagues. Guy Clayton, a doctor, said he had often cried "with patients, colleagues and families over the years, when I've shared their sadness". A 38-year-old from London who works in finance said he had become emotional at work when dealing with personal issues and felt it showed "a professional dedication" to still turn up.

'Strength, not a liability'

So is crying a strength or a weakness? Executive coach and success mentor Shereen Hoban says it's old-fashioned to think weeping at work is unacceptable. "We've moved beyond the old-school idea that professionalism means leaving emotion at the door," she says. "In today's world, emotional intelligence is a strength, not a liability."

Career coach Georgia Blackburn says it's not unusual for people at work to be upset, so firms need to know how to handle and support staff who are feeling a bit fragile. Ultimately, she says it will mean workers get more done. "An employer that truly listens, shows compassion and understanding, is so much more likely to keep their staff motivated and happier in the long run," she says.

Amanda Amanda cried during an interview - and still got the job

That's been the case for Amanda in Stockport who contacted the Jeremy Vine show on BBC Radio 2. She cried at a job interview at the University of Manchester 17 years ago, just after her father had been diagnosed with cancer. She got the job and is still there. "I cried every day for about nine months until my dad sadly passed away. It just made me realise what an amazing person I work for, and what an amazing place I work at, where that was OK."

'Bring back crying'

Getty Images Amy Powney thinks showing your emotions at work has become demonised

Fashion designer Amy Powney was having a bit of a rough time at the end of last year. She was having an "intense" time leaving a job, and it coincided with traumatic things happening in her life. Amy, who founded sustainable fashion brand Akyn earlier this year, also felt pressure to be a "poster child" for ethical fashion. "My to-do list at that time was: feed the kids, pick them up from school, sort that nursery thing out, design the next collection, make sure the staff are OK, sort out that VAT return... and then save the world," she told BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour. "I went through this period of time where I just could not stop crying and I was doing it in public places, I was doing it on stage." She thinks that showing emotion at work has been "demonised" and is unapologetic about breaking down. "I just think bring back the crying, bring back the emotions," she says. "Women in leadership should be able to show their emotion. I think it's a superpower. I think it's a strength."

Men v women, staff v bosses

But not everybody thinks that way. Some people are still a teensy bit judgemental, says Ann Francke, chief executive at the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). Women who weep are seen as "too emotional" while men who mope can be shamed for being soft and vulnerable, she says. Junior staff can get away with it more than their bosses, but this shouldn't necessarily be the case, she adds. "When a senior leader cries, it can be seen as shocking or even inappropriate. But when handled with authenticity, it can also be powerful. It shows that leaders are human and care deeply about what they do," she says.

But if you want to climb the greasy pole, it could be best to keep a stiff upper lip, at least in some organisations, says executive coach Shereen Hoban. Crying could affect your promotion prospects, she says. "Let's be honest. There's still a bias in some workplaces that sees composure as strength and emotion as instability." But she says some organisations see things differently, and value leaders who are "real, self-aware, and able to navigate complexity, including their own emotions". She adds that if you break down once at work it "won't ruin your career", and that what matters more is the bigger picture: "Your performance, your presence, and how you bounce back or move forward with intention," she says.

What to do if you become tearful at work

Ketamine helped me escape my negative thoughts - then it nearly killed me

26 minutes ago Share Save Ruth Clegg Health and wellbeing reporter, BBC News Share Save

Abbie Abbie first began using ketamine when she was 16

Abbie was 16 years old when she started using ketamine. It was the first time she had felt in control. The negative thoughts that had swamped her mind since a young age began to dissipate. Twelve years later and fresh out of rehab she's still battling with the addiction that almost took her life. She wants to speak out to explain why ketamine has become such a popular drug - especially among young people with mental health problems - and to talk about the damage it can do long term. Abbie's warning comes as the first NHS clinic in the UK - dedicated to helping children struggling with ketamine use - opens on Merseyside, with patients as young as 12 needing help.

Ketamine is unlike many other street drugs due to the way it interacts with the brain. Small amounts of the Class B drug can give a sense of euphoria and excitement, while large amounts can lead to a state known as the "K-hole," where users feel detached from reality - an out-of-body-type experience. The number of under 16s reporting a problem with the drug has nearly doubled over the past two years, overtaking cocaine in popularity with children and young people. Nearly half those (49%) who started treatment for drug misuse in 2023-24 said they had a mental health problem, with more than a quarter not receiving any treatment for the latter.

Details of help and support with addiction are available in the UK at BBC Action Line

Experts are warning that some young people are taking dangerous amounts of ketamine not only due to it's low price and ease of availability, but also because of the dissociative feelings it brings. "What we are seeing is a perfect storm," David Gill, the founder of Risk and Reliance, a company which trains front-line workers on emerging drug trends. "We have more young people struggling with depression, trauma, anxiety, a lack of services - and we have a very cheap street drug that helps them disconnect." Abbie's first line of ketamine did exactly that. She says it "felt like such a powerful place to be". "My thoughts no longer had a negative effect on me - life was passing me by, but I didn't have to engage with it." Abbie's childhood had been hard. Struggling with mental health problems and undiagnosed ADHD, she had left school at 14 and found herself in a whirlwind of drink, drugs and unhealthy relationships.

Abbie Abbie's weight dropped during the course of her addiction

Although addiction cast a long shadow throughout her 20s, Abbie managed to secure a place at university, staying clean throughout, and obtained a healthcare degree. She is smart, articulate and wants to do well, but after two abusive and controlling relationships ketamine became the only means she had to block out the trauma. Yet when she went to her GP to seek help she was prescribed sleeping tablets and told to "come off the ket". "The withdrawals were so bad I would be shaking and vomiting," she says, "it wasn't that easy to just come off it." Then a deeper level of addiction took hold.

"I always prided myself in the early stages of addiction of keeping my morals and my values and not lying to people," Abbie says, "but I couldn't stop the drugs and I found myself hiding my use to my friends." Things escalated. Eventually Abbie was taking ketamine every day - incessantly. The only time she would take a shower, she says, would be when she went out to meet her dealer on the street. The physical effects of overuse began to kick in - horrific abdominal pains, known as K-cramps, would leave her screaming in agony. She would place boiling hot water bottles on her abdomen - burning her skin. And then she would take even more ketamine to numb the pain.

What is ketamine?

Often referred to as ket, Special K or just K, ketamine is a powerful horse tranquilliser and anaesthetic. It is a licensed drug and can be prescribed medically

When misused, it can cause serious and sometimes permanent damage to the bladder

It is currently a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971

The penalty for possession is up to five years in prison, an unlimited fine - or both

Abbie documents her recovery on TikTok and gives support to other young people

This cycle of drug abuse is something public health consultant Professor Rachel Isba also sees in her new clinic for under 16s experiencing the physical side effects of ketamine use. Chronic use of the drug can cause ketamine-induced uropathy, a relatively new condition, which affects the bladder, kidneys and liver. The bladder lining becomes so inflamed it can result in permanent damage and it has to be removed. Prof Isba says the first signs of ketamine bladder are severe abdominal pains, urinating blood and jelly from the damaged bladder lining. "Patients referred to the clinic will receive a holistic approach," she says, "care from the specialist urology team to treat the physical effects of the drug, and then they will be supported - and referred if necessary - to community services who can help with the often complex reasons behind their drug use."

'Completely helpless'

Maisie Maisie started taking ketamine at festivals - but her use spiralled out of control

Sarah Norman, from St Helens, says she felt like a "silent watcher" as her daughter began to "fade in front" of her eyes. Last September she discovered that Maisie, 25, was addicted to ketamine, which had caused potentially irreversible damage to her kidneys. "We are just an average family," Sarah says. "I never thought Maisie would have ended up addicted to any drugs - she doesn't even drink alcohol." Maisie had kept it quiet - ashamed of the stigma attached to her ketamine use. But what had started as a party drug she'd take at festivals had become a substance she couldn't function without. In the end her partner moved out with their three-year-old son. "I had nothing left to live for," Maisie says. "It got to the point I was doing bump after bump [snorting small amounts of it]. "For a short time I would be knocked out of reality - then I would take more."

Sarah Norman Sarah documents her daughter's addiction and offers advice to other parents online

Eventually, Maisie's mum and sister carried her into hospital - she weighed just five stone (32kg). "The doctors said her body was failing her," Sarah says. "We thought we might lose her." As a parent, she says, she felt completely helpless. "It's hell on earth, there is nothing you can do. You ask yourself what you should have done." Maisie's kidneys were fitted with nephrostomy tubes, which drain the urine out into two bags - which she now carries around with her. Yet even this major operation didn't end Maisie's addiction. But finally, after fighting for a place in rehab she has now been clean for five months. Sarah posts about her daughter's drug journey on Tik Tok where many parents reach out to her for help and advice with their own children. "This drug is just horrific, so many other young people are struggling with it," Sarah says. "I am so proud of Maisie though, she's going to Narcotics Anonymous meetings every night. "The pain she must have been through - and still goes through - I'm not sure if I'd have been as resilient and strong as she is."

Maisie Maisie's kidneys were badly damaged and she needed two tubes fitted to drain the urine

Tiny creatures gorge, get fat, and help fight global warming

24 minutes ago Share Save Georgina Rannard Climate and science correspondent Share Save

Prof Daniel J Mayor @oceanplankton

A tiny, obscure animal often sold as aquarium food has been quietly protecting our planet from global warming by undertaking an epic migration, according to new research. These "unsung heroes" called zooplankton gorge themselves and grow fat in spring before sinking hundreds of metres into the deep ocean in Antarctica where they burn the fat. This locks away as much planet-warming carbon as the annual emissions of roughly 55 million petrol cars, stopping it from further warming our atmosphere, according to researchers. This is much more than scientists expected. But just as researchers uncover this service to our planet, threats to the zooplankton are growing.

Prof Daniel J Mayor @oceanplankton Female copepods (4mm) with cigar-shaped fat stores in their bodies

Scientists have spent years probing the animal's annual migration in Antarctic waters, or the Southern Ocean, and what it means for climate change. The findings are "remarkable", says lead author Dr Guang Yang from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, adding that it forces a re-think about how much carbon the Southern Ocean stores. "The animals are an unsung hero because they have such a cool way of life," says co-author Dr Jennifer Freer from British Antarctic Survey. But compared to the most popular Antarctic animals like the whale or penguin, the small but mighty zooplankton are overlooked and under-appreciated.

Prof Daniel J Mayor @oceanplankton This copepod has hair-like arms for feeding

If anyone has heard of them, it's probably as a type of fish food available to buy online. But their life cycle is odd and fascinating. Take the copepod, a type of zooplankton that is a distant relative of crabs and lobsters. Just 1-10mm in size, they spend most of their lives asleep between 500m to 2km deep in the ocean.

Prof Daniel J Mayor @oceanplankton Sacs of fat, or lipids, form in Southern Ocean copepods' bodies and heads after they eat phytoplankton (the green material in the bodies in this image)

In pictures taken under a microscope, you can see long sausages of fat inside their bodies, and fat bubbles in their heads, explains Prof Daniel Mayor who photographed them in Antarctica. Without them, our planet's atmosphere would be significantly warmer. Globally the oceans have absorbed 90% of the excess heat humans have created by burning fossil fuels. Of that figure, the Southern Ocean is responsible for about 40%, and a lot of that is down to zooplankton.

Prof Daniel J Mayor @oceanplankton

Millions of pounds is being spent globally to understand how exactly they store carbon. Scientists were already aware that the zooplankton contributed to carbon storage in a daily process when the animals carbon-rich waste sinks to the deep ocean. But what happened when the animals migrate in the Southern Ocean had not been quantified. The latest research focussed on copepods, as well as other types of zooplankton called krill, and salps. The creatures eat phytoplankton on the ocean surface which grow by transforming carbon dioxide into living matter through photosynthesis. This turns into fat in the zooplankton. "Their fat is like a battery pack. When they spend the winter deep in the ocean, they just sit and slowly burn off this fat or carbon," explains Prof Daniel Mayor at University of Exeter, who was not part of the study. "This releases carbon dioxide. Because of the way the oceans work, if you put carbon really deep down, it takes decades or even centuries for that CO2 to come out and contribute to atmospheric warming," he says.

Jennifer Freer Dr Jennifer Freer analysed the zooplankton on board the Sir David Attenborough polar ship

The research team calculated that this process - called the seasonal vertical migration pump - transports 65 million tonnes of carbon annually to at least 500m below the ocean surface. Of that, it found that copepods contribute the most, followed by krill and salps. That is roughly equivalent to the emissions from driving 55 million diesel cars for a year, according to a greenhouse gas emissions calculator by the US EPA.

Prof Daniel J Mayor @oceanplankton Plankton sampling often happens at midnight when the animals are closest to the ocean surface.

The latest research looked at data stretching back to the 1920s to quantify this carbon storage, also called carbon sequestration. But the scientific discovery is ongoing as researchers seek to understand more details about the migration cycle. Earlier this year, Dr Freer and Prof Mayor spent two months on the Sir David Attenborough polar research ship near the South Orkney island and South Georgia. Using large nets the scientists caught zooplankton and brought the animals onboard. "We worked in complete darkness under red light so we didn't disturb them," says Dr Freer. "Others worked in rooms kept at 3-4C. You wear a lot of protection to stay there for hours at a time looking down the microscope," she adds.

Prof Daniel J Mayor @oceanplankton Antarctic krill (50-60mm) with green guts showing they've recently eaten algae

But warming waters as well as commercial harvesting of krill could threaten the future of zooplankton. "Climate change, disturbance to ocean layers and extreme weather are all threats," explains Prof Atkinson. This could reduce the amount of zooplankton in Antarctica and limit the carbon stored in the deep ocean. Krill fishing companies harvested almost half a million tonnes of krill in 2020, according to the UN. It is permitted under international law, but has been criticised by environmental campaigners including in the recent David Attenborough Ocean documentary. The scientists say their new findings should be incorporated into climate models that forecast how much our planet will warm. "If this biological pump didn't exist, atmospheric CO2 levels would be roughly twice those as they are at the moment. So the oceans are doing a pretty good job of mopping up CO2 and getting rid of it," explains co-author Prof Angus Atkinson. The research is published in the journal Limnology and Oceanography.

'Do they have gold in them?': The Indian artisans up in arms over Prada's sandals

23 minutes ago Share Save Devina Gupta BBC News Reporting from Kolhapur, Maharashtra Share Save

BBC The earliest records of Kolhapur sandals date back to the 12th Century.

The rhythmic pounding of the hammer in 58-year-old Sadashiv Sanake's dimly lit workshop bears witness to the hard grind behind handcrafting the iconic Kolhapuri leather sandals. "I learnt the craft as a child," he tells the BBC. A day's toil goes into making just "eight to 10 pairs" of these sandals he says, that retail at a modest $8-10 Barely 5,000 artisans in Kolhapur are still in the profession – a cottage industry that struggles to compete in a mechanised world, caught in the funk of dismal working conditions and low wages. It's no surprise then that when Italian luxury brand Prada released a new line of footwear that bore a striking resemblance to the Kolhapuri sandals - but didn't mention the design origins - local artisans were up in arms.

Reuters Prada's leather footwear at the Milan Fashion Week sparked a major controversy

The backlash was swift. Social media was flooded with accusations of cultural appropriation, prompting Prada to issue a statement acknowledging the sandals' roots. Now local politicians and industry associations have thrown their weight behind the artisans who want better recognition of the craft and its cultural legacy. Mr Sanake was not aware of Prada's show until the BBC showed him a video of it. When told that that the sandals could retail for hundreds of pounds in luxury markets, he scoffed. "Do they have gold in them?" he asked. Prada hasn't revealed the price tag but its other sandals retail at between £600 to £1,000 in the UK as per its website.

Women try on Kolhapuri sandals at a store in Kolhapur

The earliest records of Kolhapur sandals date back to the 12th Century. "These sandals were originally crafted by members of the marginalised Charmakar (cobbler) community, also known as chamars," said Kavita Gagrani, a history professor at the New College in Kolhapur. Chamar is a pejorative caste term used to describe Dalits (formerly known as untouchables) who work with animal hides. "But in the early 20th Century, the craft flourished when the then ruler of Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj granted royal patronage to this community," Ms Gagrani said. Today, nearly 100,000 artisans across India are engaged in the trade with an industry worth over $200m, according to the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture (MACCIA), a prominent industry trade group. Yet, most of them continue to work in unorganised setups under dismal conditions. "I was never educated. This is all I know, and I earn about $4-5 a day, depending on the number of orders," said 60-year-old Sunita Satpute. Women like her play a critical role, particularly in engraving fine patterns by hand, but are not compensated fairly for their long hours of labour, she said. That's why Sunita's children don't want to continue the craft. A short distance away from her workshop lies Kolhapur's famous chappal gully, or sandal lane, a cluster of storefronts - many of them struggling to stay afloat. "Leather has become very expensive and has pushed up our costs," said Anil Doipode, one of the first sellers to open a shop here. Traditionally, artisans would use cow and buffalo hide to make these sandals. But since 2014, when the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power, there have been several reports of vigilantes - self-appointed protesters or activists - cracking down on alleged cow slaughter, sometimes with physical violence. The cow is considered sacred by Hindus. In 2015, Maharashtra state banned the slaughter of cows and the sale and consumption of beef, forcing artisans to rely on buffalo leather sourced from neighbouring states, pushing up their production costs. Traditional sellers are also struggling to compete with synthetic copies flooding the market. "Customers want cheaper sandals and can't always tell the difference," said Rohit Balkrishna Gavali, a second-generation Kolhapuri sandal seller.

Women artisans engrave fine patterns in the leather sandals by hand

Industry experts say the controversy highlights the need for a better institutional framework to protect the rights of artisans. In 2019, the Indian government had awarded Kolhapuri sandals the Geographical Indication (GI) - a mark of authenticity which protects its name and design within India, preventing unauthorised use by outsiders. Globally, however, there is no binding law that stops other countries or brands from aesthetic imitation. Aishwarya Sandeep, a Mumbai-based advocate, says that India could raise the issue at the World Trade Organization under its TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) agreement, of which it is a signatory. But the system is cumbersome, expensive and often lacks enforceability, both in India and abroad, she adds. Lalit Gandhi, the president of MCCIA, says his organisation is planning to patent the Kolhapuri sandal design, hoping to create a legal precedent for future cases. But some say real change can only happen when India starts seeing its traditional heritage in a different light. "It's about ethical recognition. India must push for royalty-sharing and co-branding," says Ritu Beri, a renowned designer. "The more we take pride in our culture, the less we will be exploited."

Kolhapur is home to thousands of artisans who have been making these sandals for generations

Limber up for Euro 2025 with our big football quiz

All eyes are on stunning Switzerland, as 16 teams battle it out to win Euro 2025, including Wales and defending champions England.

But how much do you know about the tournament? Take our quiz and limber up for the football event of the summer.

How fake-will fraudsters stole millions from the dead

25 minutes ago Share Save Sue Mitchell & Ben Milne BBC News Share Save

Getty Images

In late 2023, sisters Lisa and Nicole were told they had inherited a substantial sum from their late Aunt Christine. But while they were absorbing this life-changing news, the windfall was just as quickly snatched away. A man unknown to Christine's family, friends or neighbours, appeared - apparently from nowhere - and produced a will, naming him sole heir to her entire estate. Doubts about the man's claim grew as troubling details emerged. However, the police and probate service said they would not investigate. Lisa and Nicole's is one of several similar cases investigated by BBC News in the south of England. We found mounting evidence that a criminal gang has been carrying out systematic will fraud by exploiting weaknesses in the probate system, stealing millions of pounds from the estates of dead people, and committing serious tax fraud.

'My dear friend'

Lisa and Nicole were upset to hear about the death of their aunt, Christine Harverson, whom they had not seen since their early childhood. They were also shocked to be told that they stood to inherit her entire estate, including a house in Wimbledon, south London, which could be worth nearly £1m. She had not left a will, and they were her closest living relatives. The sisters were alerted to their inheritance by an "heir-finder" company, Anglia Research Services. Heir-finders use an official government register that lists estates where no will has been made. They research the dead person's family in order to identify, locate and contact the rightful heirs. In return for a portion of the inheritance, these companies act on the heirs' behalf and apply for what's known as a grant of probate. This gives them the legal right to deal with a deceased person's estate – in other words, their property, money and possessions. However, on this occasion, the application for probate on behalf of Lisa and Nicole was stopped in its tracks. A Hungarian man by the name of Tamas Szvercsok contacted the probate service, and produced a will describing him as Christine's "dear friend". It named him the beneficiary of her entire estate, as well as sole executor - the person legally responsible for carrying out the instructions in the will.

The possibility that Mr Szvercsok was genuine, initially was not dismissed out of hand. "It happens - sometimes cases slip through the net and a will is unearthed," says Matt Boardman, a former police officer who works for Anglia Research. However, there were clear signs something was amiss:

Christine's neighbour and friend, Sue, said she had never mentioned a Hungarian friend at any point in the years they had known each other

The will was dated 2016 - Christine was housebound and disabled by this time, and receiving practically no visitors

The terms of the will meant that Christine would have disinherited her husband and carer Dennis, who in 2016 was still alive (he died in 2020)

Moreover, because Dennis was the joint owner of their house, Christine could not have legally bequeathed the house without his consent

After Dennis's death, Christine entered a care home, but there was no record of Mr Szvercsok ever visiting her

Joe Dixey/BBC Sue (pictured in front of Christine Harverson's house) cast doubt on the authenticity of her late neighbour's will

Other even more troubling details stood out. Christine's home address was misspelled on the will, and even though it was dated 2016, the address given for Mr Szvercsok was a block of flats that had not been built until 2021. Matt Boardman contacted Mr Szvercsok, who replied by email: "I never heard of any family. I'm the sole executor of her will." Despite presenting what they thought was a strong case to police and the probate service, Lisa and Nicole were told they would have to bring a civil action if they wanted to prove that the will was a fake. That would cost tens of thousands of pounds which they do not have. Lisa now says she sometimes wishes she had never been told about the will in the first place: "All it's done is bring misery really, and heartache. It's just a whole nightmare."

'Vacant goods'

Stealing a dead person's property and financial assets appears to be extremely easy under UK law, if no will can be located. The official government register of unclaimed estates (in England and Wales?) is called Bona Vacantia (Latin for "vacant goods"), and is freely accessible online. It currently contains about 6,000 names and is updated daily. Legitimate heir-hunting companies use Bona Vacantia to research potential clients, but it also appears to have become a valuable resource for criminals. To claim an estate where there is no known heir, a fraudster simply has to find a promising name on Bona Vacantia, produce a will quickly enough, and be awarded grant of probate.

Since 2017 it's been possible to apply for grant of probate online, but critics of the system say it is failing to detect suspicious applicants, and it also appears to increase the opportunity for tax fraud. When someone dies, their estate has to be assessed for inheritance tax. This is not payable on estates worth £325,000 or less, but any amount over that threshold – with some exceptions - is taxed at 40%. It's the responsibility of the person awarded grant of probate to make sure inheritance tax has been paid. Applicants for grant of probate must complete a form to say this has been done, but under the current arrangements, they need do no more than declare on the online form that no tax is due. It is a system that relies largely on trust, but gives ample opportunity for that trust to be roundly abused. During our investigations we have come across cases where estates have been valued at just under the inheritance tax threshold, even though they include property worth far more. One of these was the estate of Charles Haxton.

Whose house?

At the time of his death in 2021, Charles Haxton was living alone in a terraced house in Tooting, south London. He was reclusive and only occasionally spoke to neighbours, although one of them, Roye Chapman, was there for him near the end when he suffered a bad fall outside. "I rang the police and then got him up and got him into the ambulance," he says. "His head was all cut open, and then two weeks later, he died." No will was initially found for Mr Haxton, and his name and address appeared on Bona Vacantia. This prompted Anglia Research to look for possible heirs, and they told several of his cousins that they could be in line to inherit Mr Haxton's estate.

Joe Dixey/BBC Roye Chapman stands in front of the house of his late neighbour, Charles Haxton

Then, as with Lisa and Nicole, the cousins were told that a will had appeared after all, leaving everything to one man - also Hungarian - called Roland Silye. The family initially accepted his claim, to have been an old friend of Mr Haxton, but one relation, Barry, obtained a copy of the will and was struck by how odd it looked. It left Mr Silye two properties - not only Mr Haxton's home in London, but also a house in Hertfordshire. Together, the two properties would have been worth about £2m. However, Mr Silye listed the value of the estate as £320,500 – just £4,500 short of the amount at which inheritance tax kicked in. What was even stranger was that Mr Haxton had never owned, and had no connection to, any house in Hertfordshire. We visited this property. It was large and dilapidated, and neighbours told us it had been unoccupied for a long time. The puzzle of the extra house also caught the attention of Neil Fraser, a partner in another heir-hunting company. He thinks that Mr Silye may have bundled the Hertfordshire property into a will in an attempt to fake ownership. "He must have gone past that house and thought, 'I'll just take that derelict house. How can I get that house? Well, I can put it inside a will!" Crucially, the will was accepted by the probate service, who did not check or raise any questions about the Hertfordshire house. We were unable to trace Roland Silye in our investigation, and his motivation remains a mystery. The will would not give him possession of the Hertfordshire house - the property registry and the electoral roll name the owner as a woman who would be in her 70s. However, Mr Fraser speculates that the will could be used in future as leverage to take ownership when the real owner dies. Despite reporting his suspicions to the police and the probate service, he says action was not taken. Mr Silye cleared probate not only for Mr Haxton's estate, but also that of George Woon, an elderly man from Southall, west London. Mr Woon also died in 2021, and shortly afterwards, his name appeared on Bona Vacantia. Mr Silye came forward with a will which named him as sole heir. Mr Woon's house was later sold at auction for £360,000.

A complex web

We asked an expert in financial fraud, Graham Barrow, to check whether there could be any connection between Roland Silye and Tamas Szvercsok. Both have names of Hungarian origin, and, according to Companies House, both appear to be directors in a complex and interlinked web of companies. Mr Barrow established that the address Mr Szvercsok gave in Mrs Harverson's will was also used by Mr Silye for some of his companies. What these companies do is unclear, although some have been struck off for fraudulent addresses, and others have been warned for failing to provide accounts. The pattern - multiple businesses, related addresses, similar names - is one which often indicates a criminal network, says Mr Barrow. He adds that owning multiple companies can allow criminals to disperse funds across different accounts and locations, and makes life more difficult for law enforcement. Another Hungarian name featuring in this web of companies is Bela Kovacs, who, according to a will dated 2021, was heir to the entire estate of Michael Judd, from Pinner, west London.

Michael Judd's estate included his bungalow in Pinner, west London

According to his neighbours, Mr Judd was a multi-talented individual with a distinguished record in the security services. However, in his final years he had become something of a hoarder, seldom leaving his house. One neighbour, Chris, told us he thought the will had sounded strange and not only because Mr Judd had never mentioned Bela Kovacs. A few months before his death in 2024, Mr Judd told Chris he had made a will long ago, but the people named on it were all now dead. In any case, he added, he did not know where it was. "I suppose I better try and dig it out some time," Chris remembers him saying. He feels it's inconceivable that Mr Judd would have troubled himself with these decisions if he had made a will three years previously. We tracked Mr Kovacs down to a luxury estate in the Watford area but he refused to talk to us.

Joined-up writing

Other factors seem to connect these cases. The wills made out for Charles Haxton, George Woon and the others we have seen, appear to have been written by the same person, according to handwriting expert Christina Strang. "The numbers two, four and seven are all written in the same way on several addresses," she says. She also sees other similarities, such as the spacing of the letters in different signatures, and the positioning of the signatures on the line. "It seems to be one person actually signing, forging all of these."

Handwriting expert Christina Strang says it seems one person signed all the wills

Ms Strang also thinks this same person may have also forged signatures for the witnesses named on the wills, none of whom, we found, were apparently known to the deceased, and some of whom might have been completely fictitious. There are disturbing similarities in the way that properties were treated during and after the probate process:

Shortly after Mr Szvercsok made his initial claim on Mrs Harverson's estate, her nieces discovered her Wimbledon house had been ransacked

A workman employed to empty Mr Judd's house told us he had been instructed to empty it quickly, even though this meant having to destroy what appeared to be valuable heirlooms

After Mr Haxton's house was cleared, the windows and doors were blacked out, and the locks strengthened; a year later, it emerged that it was being used as a cannabis farm (a fact that only emerged when a rival gang tried to force entry and neighbours alerted the police)

Joe Dixey/BBC Charles Haxton's neighbours, Delorie, Roye and Sharon (L-R), alerted police to strange goings-on at their late neighbour's house

A system in trouble

As a result of our investigation, bank accounts for dozens of companies connected to the suspected fraudsters, have been suspended. In addition, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has told us it now wants to question Roland Silye about inheritance tax which he might owe on the estate of Charles Haxton. Bela Kovacs was granted probate over the estate of Michael Judd, which was valued at £310,000 - just below the inheritance tax threshold. However, HMRC's interest was also piqued by this case, and it has now suspended a planned sale of Mr Judd's bungalow in Pinner. Meanwhile, the dispute over Christine Harverson's estate means the probate process has been frozen, and it looks unlikely to be resolved soon. Tamas Szvercsok cannot take possession of her Wimbledon house, but Lisa and Nicole lack the funds to go to the civil court and prove his will is fake.

Probate for Christine Harverson's estate has been frozen because of the dispute between her nieces and Tamas Szvercsok

We wrote to Mr Szvercsok and Mr Silye at the addresses supplied with their probate applications, offering them a right of reply, but we did not hear back. When we shared our findings with the Ministry of Justice, which is ultimately responsible for the probate system, it told us that it was "working with law enforcement to ensure criminals feel the full force of the law". However, a different picture emerges from others who know the system. "Because probate isn't high profile – it's not sort of, for want of a better word, politically sexy, it doesn't stay in the headlines," says former MP Sir Bob Neill, who until the 2024 general election was the chair of the House of Commons Justice Select Committee. In 2023, the select committee launched an inquiry into the probate system, but it was cut short by the election. Sir Bob believes an over-eagerness to cut costs by digitising the probate system, has produced weaknesses which fraudsters are now exploiting. "When you had regional offices you had human awareness, contact and scrutiny that was better suited to pick up cases where things have gone wrong," he says. "A purely sort of automated system isn't really good at doing that."

Sir Bob Neill

The way the Whitgift School-product pulls pace bowlers from back-of-a-length over mid-wicket is a reminder of some of the greatest Australians – and whets the appetite for England's winter ahead.

Australia is yet to see the best of Smith – he averages 23.16 against them from six one-day internationals - and any suggestions he is Gilchrist's heir will be met by sniggers down under.

Gilchrist scored 17 Test hundreds as he switched between a destroyer of tiring attacks to a man overqualified for a rebuild from number seven when the great Australian top order did fail.

One thing Smith has on his side is time, however, given he made his first Test century aged 24. Gilchrist did not make his debut until two weeks before his 28th birthday.

While ending his career with a record to match Gilchrist's remains optimistic, the road to becoming England's best looks within reach given Smith's talent and the ease in which he has taken to international level.

He has been in the Test arena less than a year but already only five wicketkeepers – Alan Knott and Jonny Bairstow with five, Stewart six, Matt Prior on seven and pre-War great Les Ames on eight - sit ahead in terms of most centuries for England.

Should he continue as he has started, injuries or England deciding to relieve him of the gloves look to be the only hazards in Smith's way.

While solid enough – he has a catch percentage of 96% from his 11 completed Tests – as a gloveman he does not move quickly enough to reach opportunities others could lay a hand on, while his missed stumping of Rishabh Pant in the first innings in Leeds last week was a regulation chance that Pant did not fully punish.

A change looks a long way off, however, with Smith a favourite of the Stokes-McCullum regime.

Pressure could one day come from recent England call-up James Rew, who has 10 first-class hundreds for Somerset and is still aged 21, or his younger, possibly even more talented, brother, Thomas. The younger Rew is 17 and made the fastest century for England Under-19s earlier this week.

For now Smith has the role to himself and he will soon be a favourite of England's vocal support.

The loudest noise during the third day was the Hollies chanting of Harry Brook's name to the tune of a Boney M track as he raised his bat.

It is Smith, though, that 17-year-old spotted by Stewart and now a fully-fledged international wicketkeeper and father, who is England's Daddy Cool.

England held their nerve to keep the T20 series alive with a thrilling last-ball victory by five runs against India at The Oval.

Chasing 172 to win, India needed 12 from the last over and six off the final ball, but seamer Lauren Bell had opposing captain Harmanpreet Kaur caught at mid-off for 23 - and the hosts now only trail 2-1 in the series with two matches to play.

The tourists, eyeing a series win at the earliest opportunity, were in full control, needing 49 from 42 balls with nine wickets in hand before an eye-catching spell of fast bowling from Lauren Filer changed the course of the game.

Filer had Jemimah Rodrigues caught behind for 20 and star batter Smriti Mandhana, who made 56, was also beaten for pace and caught at mid-on as the quick regularly reached speeds of 79mph.

Harmanpreet's knock kept India in the hunt but England restricted them to 166-5 despite a flurry of dropped chances in a chaotic ending, setting up a tantalising encounter in the fourth of five T20s at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

England's first innings also provided plenty of drama, as they raced to 137-0 after fine half-centuries from Sophia Dunkley and Danni Wyatt-Hodge, before losing nine wickets for 31 runs in the space of 4.4 overs, and finishing with 171-9.

Dunkley made 75 from 53 balls and Wyatt-Hodge struck 66 from 42, but Sophie Ecclestone's 10 was the only other score in double figures in a collapse which included three batters falling first ball.

It is yet to be confirmed whether captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, who was ruled out of the match with a hip injury, will be fit for the rest of the series.

Hamilton was fastest in the first session on a day when Ferrari's pace caught the eye of championship leaders McLaren.

McLaren and Red Bull are two of a number of teams who have a new floor for Silverstone, while Ferrari are continuing with the new design they debuted in Austria last weekend.

Hamilton - who has had a difficult start to his first year at Ferrari but has won more times at Silverstone than anyone else, with a record nine victories - said he was finally becoming more at home in the car.

"I'm progressing a lot with the car and much more comfortable on knowing where it needs to be. By P2 we still weren't where we needed to be so struggled a little bit more but definitely know the changes we need to make to the car."

Leclerc, who was the fastest driver on the race-simulation runs at the end of the second session, said: "The day was good. We've been pretty strong so far. It's positive.

"We still need to find some pace in qualifying. McLaren is once again probably the car to beat but in race pace I was happy, I am finding my way.

"I am changing quite a lot the car in weekends recently to try to find some pace in qualifying. For now I don't seem to find the way for that but in the race I am very happy with where we are.

"We are very strong in the race but we have to do a step forward in qualifying."

Norris, 15 points behind Piastri in the championship after his win in Austria on Sunday, said: "The Ferraris have been very, very quick today and they shall be tomorrow.

"We have a bit of work to do. It looked maybe a bit too good today. The Ferraris always catch up into P3 like they did last weekend, so pleased with today but nothing to be too proud about just yet."

Verstappen said: "It was quite a bad day, just no balance in the car and quite difficult corner to corner. So quite a poor day for us in general."

There are layers to this guy. Schoeman is one of three Lions looseheads, along with Ellis Genge and Andrew Porter, and he has views on what makes a loosehead prop.

"I think looseheads around the globe are quite weird people," he said, again with a straight face. "Something isn't right. We always say, his screw must be loose, but playing rugby as a loosehead prop."

As beasts, is there a difference between a loosehead and a tighthead?

"We're different, but similar," he replied. "You almost feel like a gladiator movie, all the gladiators come together."

And the role of Lions scrum coach John Fogarty in all of this?

"He has the key for the cage, to unlock the gladiator. Looseheads like going to dark places, physically, mentally, spiritually, whatever. But tightheads can go even darker at some times.

"We actually have just a prop group that none of the other team members is allowed on."

Not even hookers?

"No, not even hookers. It's just props. It's not a front row group, it's a prop group."

Answers on a postcard what a group of Lions props might be called? Motley Scooo? The Scooo Fighters?

Schoeman riffed on Lions history, the legacy of Ian 'Mighty Mouse' McLauchlan, the greatness of Tom Smith - fallen Scottish Lions who added so much to the Test jersey he is now pursuing.

"That's what the jersey demands of us," he said. "That's the legacy of it. I have sat on the same seat as Tom did at Murrayfield. I've been honoured and blessed."

Back in the here and now he's talking about his bond with the 2025 props.

"We are like bison, migrating together," he said. We have a secret meeting every night, Finlay Bealham started it and now all the props have bought in. We stick together and have a tea after every training session and we get to meet each other's families and ask deep questions."

Are the good people of Australia not scared by a herd of human bovine roaming the streets?

"Props have a soft side as well. We're discussing lots of soft things."

Has Porter spoken about the tragedy of losing his mum to cancer at a painfully young age? Has Genge spoken about growing up in the tough terrain of Knowle West in Bristol and how he thinks rugby may have saved him from prison? You suspect so.

"I know a lot of things about Gengey. I know all his business friends, family, everything, I have asked him to phone my family as well," he said.

Rivals, but now friends, even in the heat of battle for Test match places. It's the essence of what makes these tours so great, so unforgettable. The joy of the experience is writ large over Schoeman's bearded face and in his every utterance.

Burning Viking ships? Bison wandering Brisbane and beyond? A love letter to his wife? He may or may not make the Test team - it's all up for grabs - but he's unquestionably one of this tour's great personalities, a character who's made a mark.