North Korea's Benidorm-style resort welcomes first Russian tourists

21 minutes ago Share Save Kayleen Devlin, Julie Yoonnyung Lee and Kevin Nguyen BBC Verify Share Save

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A new beach resort in North Korea, criticised by human rights groups for the harsh treatment of construction workers, has welcomed its first group of Russian tourists this week. The Wonsan Kalma resort was opened in a grand ceremony last month by North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, who hailed it as a "world-class tourist and cultural destination". The details of how this resort was built have been shrouded in secrecy in a country largely closed to the outside world. BBC Verify has studied satellite imagery, obtained internal planning documents, and spoken to experts and former North Korean insiders about their concerns over human rights abuses during the development of the site.

Echoes of Benidorm

Kim Jong Un spent much of his youth in Wonsan, and prior to the building of the new resort the town was a popular holiday destination for the country's elite.

"When the Wonsan tourist area was initially planned… the idea was to attract around one million tourists to the area while keeping it a closed-off zone," says Ri Jong Ho, a senior North Korean economic official involved in the resort's early planning stages and who defected in 2014. "The intention was to open North Korea up a bit." In 2017, a year before construction began, Kim sent a delegation on a fact-finding mission to Spain, where the team toured the resort of Benidorm. The North Korean delegation "included high ranking politicians and many architects who took lots of notes," recalls Matias Perez Such, a member of the Spanish team that hosted the delegation on a tour including a theme park, high-rise hotels and a marina. A North Korean brochure with a map of the resort has 43 hotels identified along the beach front, as well as guest houses on an artificial lake, and camping sites. We've matched these locations with high-resolution satellite imagery, although we are unable to verify whether they have actually been completed.

An aquatic park, complete with towering yellow water slides, is set back from the beach. Further north, there's an entertainment quarter which includes buildings that are identified in the plan as a theatre, recreation and fitness centres, and a cinema.

Beginning in early 2018, satellite images taken over 18 months reveal dozens of buildings springing up along the 4km (2.5 mile) stretch of coastline. By the end of 2018, around 80% of the resort had been completed, according to research carried out by satellite imagery firm, SI Analytics, based in South Korea. However, following this whirlwind construction effort, work on the site then appears to have paused.

Time-lapse of the Wonsan Kalma resort's construction

Construction then resumed after a June 2024 meeting with Kim and Vladimir Putin, where the Russian president said he would encourage his citizens to visit North Korea's holiday resorts.

The human cost of construction

This rapid pace of construction has raised concerns over the treatment of those working at the site. The UN has highlighted a system of forced labour used in North Korea, in particular "shock brigades" where workers often face harsh conditions, long hours, and inadequate compensation. James Heenan of the UN Human Rights Office in Seoul says "there are reports that the resort was built using what they call shock brigades". "We've also seen reports that people were working 24 hours at the end to get this thing finished, which sounds like a shock brigade to me."

Getty Images Dozens of high-rise buildings have been constructed along the beach front

The BBC has spoken to one North Korean who served in and eventually managed shock brigades. Although Cho Chung Hui - who has subsequently defected - wasn't involved in the construction of the Wonsan resort, he recalled the brutal conditions of the brigades he oversaw. "The principle behind these [brigades] was that no matter what, you had to complete the task, even if it cost you your life," he said. "I saw many women who were under so much physical strain and eating so poorly that their periods stopped altogether."

Getty Images Beach front hotels were built at great speed raising concerns over conditions for construction workers

Kang Gyuri, who worked in Wonsan before fleeing to South Korea in 2023, says her cousin volunteered to work on the construction site because he saw it as a pathway to residency in the country's capital of Pyongyang, which is reserved for citizens trusted by the regime. "He could hardly sleep. They [didn't] give him enough to eat," she said. "The facilities are not properly organised, some people just die while working and they [the authorities] don't take responsibility if they fall and die." Ms Kang also said residents in Wonsan were driven out from their homes as the resort project expanded, often without compensation. Though not specific to Ms Kang's experience, BBC Verify was able to identify through satellite analysis the demolition of buildings near a main road leading towards the resort. In their place, larger tower blocks are now visible.

"They just demolish everything and build something new, especially if it's in a good location," Ms Kang said. "The problem is, no matter how unfair it feels, people can't openly speak out or protest." The BBC reached out to North Korean officials for comment.

Where are the foreign tourists?

North Korea has been almost entirely closed to foreign visitors with only a few highly-controlled tours permitted to visit the country in recent years. Wonsan Kalma is seen not only as playing an important role in reviving the sanctioned country's ailing economic fortunes, but also as a means of strengthening its ties with Russia - which have grown closer following Pyongyang's military support for Moscow's war in Ukraine. According to early planning documents seen by BBC Verify, the initial goal was to attract more than a million visitors, with foreign tourists expected to mainly come from China and Russia.

AFP The resort opened to North Korean tourists at the end of June

We have scanned tourist agency sites both in China and Russia for any listings promoting trips to the new resort. None of the Chinese agencies we checked were advertising trips to Wonsan. In Russia, however, we identified three agencies offering tours that included Wonsan Kalma. We called one of the Russian agencies in early July posing as an interested customer a week before its first scheduled departure on 7 July and were told that it had attracted 12 people from Russia. The week-long trip to North Korea, including three days at the Wonsan resort, cost $1,800 (£1,300) - that's 60% more than the average monthly salary in Russia. Two further trips have been scheduled for August, according to this tour operator.

Vostok Intur A week's tour of North Korea costs a Russian traveller around $1,800 (£1,300)

Intense Med Sea heatwave raises fears for marine life

27 minutes ago Share Save Mark Poynting and Erwan Rivault BBC Climate & Data teams Share Save

Getty Images Shading from the midday Sun during a recent heatwave in southern France

Warmer water at the seaside might sound nice for your holiday dip, but recent ocean heat in the Mediterranean Sea has been so intense that scientists fear potentially devastating consequences for marine life. The temperature of the sea surface regularly passed 30C off the coast of Majorca and elsewhere in late June and early July, in places six or seven degrees above usual. That's probably warmer than your local leisure centre swimming pool. It has been the western Med's most extreme marine heatwave ever recorded for the time of year, affecting large areas of the sea for weeks on end.

The heat appears to be cooling off, but some species simply struggle to cope with such prolonged and intense warmth, with potential knock-on effects for fish stocks. To give you some idea of these temperatures, most leisure centre swimming pools are heated to roughly 28C. Competitive swimming pools are slightly cooler at 25-28C, World Aquatics says. Children's pools are a bit warmer, recommended at 29-31C or 30-32C for babies, according to the Swimming Teachers' Association. Such balmy temperatures might sound attractive, but they can pose hidden threats. Harmful bacteria and algae can often spread more easily in warmer seawater, which isn't treated with cleaning chemicals like your local pool.

Sea temperatures of 30C or above are not unprecedented in the Med in late summer. But they are highly unusual for June, according to data from the European Copernicus climate service, Mercator Ocean International, and measurements at Spanish ports. "What is different this year is that 30C sea temperatures have arrived much earlier, and that means that we can expect the summer to be more intense and longer," said Marta Marcos, associate professor at the University of the Balearic Islands in Spain. "I grew up here, so we are used to heatwaves, but this has become more and more common and intense." "We're all very, very surprised at the magnitude of this heatwave," added Aida Alvera-Azcárate, an oceanographer at the University of Liege in Belgium. "It's a matter of high concern, but this is something we can expect to be happening again in the future."

Marine heatwaves are becoming more intense and longer-lasting as humanity continues to release planet-warming gases into our atmosphere, principally by burning coal, oil and gas. In fact, the number of days of extreme sea surface heat globally has tripled over the past 80 years, according to research published earlier this year. "Global warming is the main driver of marine heat waves… it's essentially transferring heat from the atmosphere to the ocean. It's very simple," said Dr Marcos. The Mediterranean is particularly vulnerable because it's a bit like a bathtub, largely surrounded by continents rather than open ocean. That means water cannot escape easily, so its surface heats up quickly in the presence of warm air, sunny skies and light winds - as happened in June.

For that reason, the Med is "a climate change hotspot" said Karina von Schuckmann of Mercator Ocean International, a non-profit research organisation. The heat peaked as June turned to July, after which stronger winds allowed deeper, cooler waters to mix with the warm surface above and bring temperatures down. But temperatures remain above average and there could be consequences for marine life that we don't yet know about. Most life has a temperature threshold beyond which it can't survive, though it varies a lot between species and individuals. But sea creatures can also suffer from prolonged heat exposure, which essentially drains their energy through the summer to a point where they can no longer cope. "I remember four years ago diving in September at the end of summer, we found skeletons of many, many, many populations," said Emma Cebrian, an ecologist at the Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes in Spain. Seaweeds and seagrasses act a bit like the forests of the Mediterranean Sea, home to hundreds of species, as well as locking up planet-warming carbon dioxide. "Some of them are well adapted to typical Mediterranean warm temperatures, but actually they often cannot withstand marine heatwave conditions, which are becoming more extreme and widespread," said Dr Cebrian.

Getty Images Seagrasses like Posidonia support large numbers of fish species, providing food and shelter

The heat can also cause what ecologists call "sub-lethal effects", where species essentially go into survival mode and don't reproduce. "If we start to see ecological impacts, there will almost certainly be impacts on human societies [including] losses of fisheries," warned Dan Smale, senior research fellow at the Marine Biological Association in Plymouth. "We'll have to wait and see, really, but because the temperatures are so high this early in the summer, it is really alarming." The fast-warming Med is "a canary in the coal mine for climate change and marine ecosystems," he added. Excessive ocean heat can also supercharge extreme weather. Warmer seas mean extra evaporation, adding to the moisture in the atmosphere that can fuel extreme rainfall. If other conditions are right, that can lead to devastating flooding, as happened in Libya in 2023 and Valencia in 2024.

EPA The Valencia floods killed more than 200 people and destroyed large areas of the city

And warmer waters can reduce the cooling effect that coastal populations would usually get from the sea breeze. That could make things very uncomfortable if there's another heatwave later in the summer, Dr Marcos warned. "I'm pretty sure that's going to be horrible."

The preliminary report into the Air India crash in June has found that both fuel control switches, which are used to turn the engines off, were at one point moved to the cut-off position.

The BBC's International business correspondent Theo Leggett explains the role of the switches and how shifting them is a two-stage process.

Inside King Charles's fiery gathering that shone a light on his beliefs

24 minutes ago Share Save Sean Coughlan Royal correspondent Share Save

Ian Jones/The King’s Foundation

It wasn't exactly a run-of-the-mill royal occasion. In the sunny gardens of the Highgrove estate, I stood in a circle with King Charles and an eclectic group who were attending his first "Harmony Summit". We raised our arms in honour of nature as we stood around a fire, which was burning within a ring of flowers. Presiding over the fire ceremony, in which we rotated as we honoured the north, south, east and west and then Mother Earth, was an Indigenous leader - an Earth Elder - wearing a headdress and a dazzling robe of blue feathers. A conch shell was blown. Butterflies flew around the flowers. And, in a concession to modernity, as well as holding up feathers in a blessing for the King, the elder was reading his incantations from an iPhone. There were people reaching to the sky, wearing colourful face paint and elaborate necklaces, while I held my palms up self-consciously, melting in my M&S suit.

Courtney Louise/The King’s Foundation

The summit was a celebration the King's philosophy of harmony with nature - an inaugural event that the King's Foundation hopes will become a regular gathering. It brought together representatives from Indigenous peoples, including from tribes in the Amazon, along with environmentalists, climate campaigners, organic farmers, herbalists, educators, crafts people and philanthropists. For good measure, there was Dwight from the US version of The Office, or at least actor Rainn Wilson, a director of a climate change group. There were other visitors from Amazon too. A film crew from Amazon Prime, making a documentary for next year, who were poring over every moment as the sacred smoke coiled up over the apple trees in Gloucestershire. The King, in a light summer suit, spoke a few quiet words of welcome, wearing a circlet of feathers and a scarf that had been draped ceremonially around his shoulders.

Courtney Louise/The King’s Foundation

A humane, ruminative, humorous and quietly radical figure, he was at the centre of what he hopes will become the first of many such gatherings. But it raised the question - and perhaps opened a window - into what the King believes. What is this thoughtful man really thinking about? Harmony is the King's philosophy, it means that we should be working with the grain of nature rather than against it. Or "her" as, he describes nature, in his book on the subject, published in 2010. It's about the inter-connectedness of all life, infused with a strong sense of the spiritual, and the idea that the human and natural worlds can't be separated. It's the philosophy that stitches together his many different pursuits - on the environment, climate change, sustainable farming, urban planning, architecture, protecting traditional craft skills and building bridges between different faiths.

According to a source close to the King, it's "perhaps the single most important part of his eventual legacy", bringing together different strands of his work that might seem separate into "one philosophical world view about creating a better, more sustainable world for future generations". The King's views, including on the environment, were "once seen as an outlier, but now many elements have been accepted and adopted as conventional thought and mainstream practice, embraced around the world". In his book on Harmony - A New Way of Looking at our World, the King describes his purpose as a "call to revolution", and writes that he recognises the strength of the word. It's a broadside against a consumer culture, in which people and the natural world become commodities. He warns of the environmental threats to the future of the Earth. There's a call to protect traditional crafts and skills and also for a radical change in rejecting modern, unsustainable, exploitative forms of farming. If not avant garde, he's an avant gardener.

Courtney Louise/The King’s Foundation

If you go for a walk in Highgrove's gardens there are small hurdle fences, with wooden rods woven around posts. The King makes these himself and this idea of things being inextricably woven together seems to be central to harmony. His book moves from the importance of geometry, with patterns rooted in nature, to the designs in Islamic art and the inspiring dimensions of Gothic cathedrals. A sense of the sacred in nature, as well as in people, seems to be an important part of this world view. At lunch at the Harmony Summit, grace was said by the Bishop of Norwich, Graham Usher. The King's idea of harmony dovetailed with a very deep personal Christian faith, he said. "My sense is that he draws much of his energy and ideas from spending time in prayer and contemplation," said the bishop. He said the King sees his role as serving others and a sense of this "is seen in how he is always keen to learn from other religious traditions, building bridges and fostering good relationships built on respect and understanding". Within strands of Christianity, the King is also said to be have been interested in the Orthodox faith and its use of icons.

Courtney Louise/The King’s Foundation A fire was lit within a ring of flowers

Highgrove itself has an example of the King's private sense of spirituality. There is a small sanctuary tucked away in the grounds, where no one else goes inside, where he can spend time completely alone with this thoughts. It must seem a world away from the ceremonial juggernaut of this week's state visit by France's President Macron. The focus of this inaugural Harmony Summit was drawing on the wisdom of indigenous people, tapping into their knowledge and pre-industrial ways of working with nature. Survivalist Ray Mears was there to welcome representatives of the Earth Elders group, who work to defend the rights of "original peoples", who have become the threatened guardians of the natural world. They were wearing traditional headdresses, face paint and ornaments, in among the flowers and trees of Highgrove. "People's selfishness has taken them away from nature. They can't feel the breeze, they're too focused on the clock," said Mindahi Bastida, of the Otomi-Toltec people in Mexico. The cacophonous modern world has broken our connection with nature, said Rutendo Ngara, from South Africa. She described our era as a time of "loud forgetting". "We all have egos and ambitions. I wanted to be an entrepreneur, I wanted to sell out," said Uyunkar Domingo Peas Nampichkai, from Ecuador, the co-ordinator for the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance. The temptation for him was to sell his land for oil. He decided a different path and explained what "harmony" now meant to him. "It's well-being for all human beings, all living beings, visible and invisible, it's Mother Nature… Everything is connected and there's mutual respect," he said. These were people from forests and rivers who talked of the destructive pressures on them, from mining, oil and urbanisation. The weren't pulling punches either. There were speakers warning of how "Europeans" had killed their people and another who said that the much-hyped COP climate change gatherings were full of empty promises that never delivered for grassroots communities. Ailton Krenak, from Brazil, talked of rivers that that had been "erased by money" and seeing the dried-up, polluted waterways was like a much-loved "grandfather in a coma".

Courtney Louise/The King’s Foundation Rutendo Ngara described our era as a period of "loud forgetting"

But how can harmony work in such a discordant world? Patrick Dunne, who runs the educational Harmony Project which uses the concept in more than 100 schools in the UK, has been applying the principles in a place of extreme conflict, the war in Ukraine. He's been taking classes of children traumatised by the conflict, and reconnecting them with nature, taking them to parks and forests for a place to heal. "Ukraine is a powerful example of a country that's in a war they don't want and they are losing a lot of people. It's terrible, there's a lot of pain and suffering. And they want harmony, a future of living well together, so the message of harmony really resonates there," he said. Highgrove, winningly wobbly with its crooked tiles and trees growing through holes in the roof of a shelter, is a lyrical sight on a summer's day. It's a model of harmony with nature. How does that message work, when you step outside into an often angry, noisy and brutal world? What makes the idea of harmony relevant, is that it puts ideas into practice, it's not just a "thought exercise", says Simon Sadinsky, executive education director at the King's Foundation, which teaches crafts skills to a new generation. "It's not just a theoretical concept, it's not just a philosophy, it's grounded in practice," says Dr Sadinsky. "There's a lot of awfulness going on in the world, it's hard to stay optimistic. You can feel completely powerless," says Beth Somerville, a textile worker who completed a King's Foundation course. But she says the idea of "harmony in nature" inspires her work and helps to create things which can be both beautiful and functional, in a way that is "all connected". "It does drive me to carry on and have hope," she says.

Courtney Louise/The King’s Foundation

Courtney Louise/The King’s Foundation

Courtney Louise/The King’s Foundation

Donald Trump and the Scots: A not-so special relationship

3 hours ago Share Save Craig Williams BBC Scotland News Share Save

Getty Images A bagpiper welcomed Trump on a previous visit to Scotland

The Donald Trump who came to Scotland in 2006 to say he was building the world's greatest golf course was in many ways a different Donald Trump to the one now enjoying his second term in the White House. Back then he was a brash hotelier, perhaps best known for hosting the US version of The Apprentice and his brief cameo in the 1992 film, Home Alone 2. The President Trump who returns to Scotland later this month has often spoken of his affection for the country where his mother was born and says he built the course on the Menie Estate at Balmedie in Aberdeenshire in her memory. But two decades on, few Scots return that affection.

That's not usually the case when it comes to US presidents and their ancestral ties this side of the Atlantic. Immigration is a huge part of the American experience and US presidents have a strong tradition of acknowledging their family roots in the old world.

John F Kennedy and Joe Biden kept their Irish ancestry central to their personal and political identities and both enjoyed hugely successful trips to Ireland. President Kennedy is said to have described his 1963 visit as the best four days of his life. In 2023, Joe Biden made a triumphant tour of the country, speaking to tens of thousands in his ancestral home town of Ballina in County Mayo. He declared "I'm at home" when he addressed the Irish Parliament and even found time to visit a pub in County Louth. Designed to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, the trip was seen as a huge success and clearly meant a great deal to both Biden and the Irish.

Reuters President Biden enjoyed a warm welcome from the the people of Ireland in 2023

PA Media Donald Trump paid tribute to his Scottish roots while visiting the Isle of Lewis in 2008

It's almost impossible to imagine the same thing happening with President Trump in Scotland. To be fair, Scottish links to the White House are historically less well-known and celebrated. Yet according to the National Library of Scotland, 34 out of the 45 presidents have Scottish ancestry. These include George Washington, William McKinlay, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. And Trump is more Scottish than any of them. His mother was a Gaelic speaker, born and raised in Lewis in the Western Isles, who moved to America aged 18 in 1930. Mary Anne MacLeod Trump was said to have retained her native accent throughout her long life (she died aged 88 in 2000), and visited Lewis regularly enough that many there remember her well. All this would normally be cause for celebration. But it's a reflection of Trump's personality and reputation that his relationship with the Scots has been largely antagonistic. A recent opinion poll suggested seven in 10 Scots had an unfavourable opinion of the president. I've been covering the story of Trump in Scotland since 2006 and have come to realise that to understand the relationship between the two you have to start with him flying in to Scotland with that grand plan to pay tribute to his beloved mum.

Mirrorpix/Getty Images Trump's mother was born Mary Anne MacLeod in Lewis in 1912

There had been a few months of speculation before Trump confirmed his plans in March 2006. He said he'd been looking to build a links golf course in Europe for years. "My preference was Scotland over any other country, because I am half Scottish - my mother, Mary MacLeod, is from Stornoway," he said. "When I saw this piece of land I was overwhelmed by the imposing dunes and rugged Aberdeenshire coastline. I knew that this was the perfect site. "The complex will cover a large area of sand dunes. I have never seen such an unspoilt and dramatic seaside landscape, and the location makes it perfect for our development."

Getty Images Donald Trump came to St Andrews - the home of golf - in 2006 to announce his decision to build a course on the Menie Estate in Aberdeeshire

There's a certain irony there. The unspoilt nature of those dunes at Balmedie would become central to the reaction that grew against Trump. Some of the land he bought was under protection as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The shifting sand dune system along that stretch of coast north of Aberdeen was regarded as one of the finest examples of its kind in the UK. What followed was a protracted and often bitter planning dispute that went all the way to the heart of the Scottish government. The conservation agency Scottish Natural Heritage had warned a planning inquiry that the development would seriously damage the SSSI. The local council turned down the development, but permission was later granted by Scottish government ministers on the basis that the potential economic benefit would outweigh any environmental harm. The development went ahead in the face of protests from environmental groups and calls for professional golfers not to attend the official opening in 2012. In 2020, it was announced the dunes at Balmedie had lost their SSSI status. The dunes are now said to not include enough special features. Trump International described the move as "highly politicised".

Getty Images Getty Images The site of the Trump course on the Menie Estate at Balmedie was renowned for its complex sand dunes MIchael Forbes, whose family home was on the site of the proposed course, refused to sell up and leave the area

The long-running environmental dispute probably turned many against the Trump plans. But there was also a human story developing and this really captured the public's imagination. Quite quickly in the development process, Trump became involved in a public fight with two of the site's neighbours. Michael Forbes and David and Moira Milne own properties next to the Trump course. They declined to sell their land and the tycoon went on the offensive. On one visit he was filmed looking up at the Milnes' home - actually a rather striking converted coastguard station which sits high on a hill overlooking the course - saying "I want to get rid of that house". He was told by an employee that this could cause a "bit of stir" and replied: "Who cares? We are going to build the greatest golf course in the world, this house is ugly." Trump also accused local farmer and salmon fisherman Michael Forbes of living in a "pig-like atmosphere". Mr Forbes and the Milnes became folk heroes to Trump's critics. The Milnes flew a Mexican flag outside their home in a protest against plans to build a wall on the southern US border. Speaking on a US comedy show in 2017, Mr Forbes branded the president a "clown", adding: "The only regret I have is I didn't knock him on his arse when I met him".

AFP Trump's previous visits to Scotland have been met by large demonstrations

It should be said many welcomed Trump's interest in Scotland, especially at the start. He enjoyed the qualified support of Jack McConnell and Alex Salmond's governments. The sort of inward investment he promised doesn't come along every day. The former head of the economic agency Scottish Enterprise, Jack Perry, later described being "profoundly dismayed" when councillors turned down the planning application. Speaking to BBC Scotland for a documentary I made with my colleague Glenn Campbell in 2017, he said: "I found it hard to credit. You're saying, 'No' to Donald Trump? Remember, this is before he was involved in politics and had the kind of toxic brand that he has now." Local chambers of commerce, business leaders and many councillors backed the project. Stewart Spence, who died earlier this year, ran the luxury Marcliffe Hotel in Aberdeen for more than 40 years. As an influential business leader in the city, he was an early supporter of Trump and his plans, recognising the potential value for the local economy. Speaking in 2017, he said: "I knew that this was a man that wouldn't do anything unless it was the best in the world. And that was always what he was known for." The two became friends, with Trump gifting him membership at the club.

Getty Images Then First Minister Jack McConnell met Trump, along with Sir Sean Connery, at Tartan Week in New York in 2006 and made the tycoon a "GlobalScot" business ambassador

Trump was made a business ambassador by Jack McConnell in 2006 and awarded an honorary degree by Aberdeen's Robert Gordon University four years later. All of these can be easily justified by the need to do business with powerful business and political leaders. And there are those today advocating for better relations with Donald Trump. Writing in The Times newspaper ahead of the recent UK-US trade deal, the Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar argued: "President Trump's affinity for Scotland is real, regardless of what people think of his politics. "His family's investments in Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire are real and significant. They have created jobs, attracted tourism, and demonstrated that Scotland remains an attractive destination for global investment. "I am sure at times they have felt frustrated at doing business in Scotland, but the potential benefits of having the president of the United States as an advocate for others to invest in Scotland should be obvious." But many at the top of Scottish politics turned away from Trump years before he won the 2016 election. In 2012, he travelled to the Scottish Parliament to argue against a wind farm being built in the North Sea, within sight of his development. He went on to fight a court action against the plans. And when he lost, he turned his ire on Scotland's politicians, especially ministers. The man who had once called Salmond "a tremendous representative of the people of Scotland" who had done "a fantastic job", now said, "You're going to have riots all over Scotland, because Alex Salmond is going to destroy the natural beauty of Scotland".

Getty Images Trump's visit to the Scottish Parliament in 2012 was met by protests, with one man attempting to mess the businessman's hair with a statically-charged balloon

The economic benefits of the Aberdeenshire golf course - which had tipped the argument for ministers - also came into question as the years passed. Trump promised a £1bn project creating hundreds of jobs. According to an investigation by BBC Scotland in 2024, the latest accounts showed the facility has a net book value of £33.2m and 81 employees. In addition to the golf course, the original proposal also included approval for a 450-room hotel, 950 holiday apartments, 36 golf villas and 500 houses for sale. None of these elements, and the thousands of new jobs promised, have materialised. The golf resort had yet to turn a profit, racking up £13.3m in losses since it opened. President Trump is expected to open the second course at the site while on his latest visit. He's also likely to visit the Trump Turnberry resort in Ayrshire. Bought in 2014 for $60m, at its centre is the Ailsa course with its rich history of hosting the Open Championship. In the wake of the Washington riots in 2021, the organisers of The Open announced that it would not be held at Turnberry as long as its links to the Trump Organisation remain. In recent months, there have been suggestions this may change. Turnberry has became the focus of many of the protests against Trump throughout his presidency and beyond. It's where the late comedian Janey Godley was pictured holding a very blunt placard and buildings on the course have been the subject of recent vandalism in protest at the president's comments on Gaza. Trump's low regard among most Scots remains a live issue. If anything, his return to the White House has energised his critics and his name on Scottish businesses gives them a focus for their anger.

Getty Images Some in Lewis - the island where Trump's mother was born - have made known their disapproval of the president

As Scotland gets ready for Trump's return, there are concerns about the cost of policing such a high-profile occasion, and talk of further public protests. So what will all this mean when the president flies into Scotland later this month? Donald Trump has an almost unparalleled talent for courting controversy, getting into fights and provoking his opponents. It would be a stretch to imagine he cares very much whether people turn out and protest his visit. As someone who thrives on all kinds of publicity he might, in fact, welcome it. It would be even more of a stretch to believe angry Scots hitting the streets to march against him will change his mind on anything. People will likely protest and, though he has his supporters and those who believe Scotland ought to make more of the connection, the voices raised against him will probably be the loudest across the days he spends in his mother's homeland. But the last 20 years suggest he won't necessarily be listening.

'Sour taste'. Jellycat pulls supply leaving independent shop owners confused

17 minutes ago Share Save Grace Dean BBC News Share Save

Alison McCabe Alison McCabe said she was devastated by Jellycat's decision

Jellycat plush toys have been lining the walls at Rumours in Whitby for more than two decades. At times, they've taken up a third of the North Yorkshire gift shop's total shelf space. "They've always been a good seller," said manager Joe Orrell, whose father owns the store. But last month, Mr Orrell received an email he "couldn't quite believe". Jellycat, the British soft toy company, told him it would no longer be supplying Rumours. It did not provide a reason. "We were absolutely gutted," Mr Orrell said. Sales of the brand's toys made up a "significant portion" of the shop's income.

Joe Orrell

The BBC spoke to owners and managers from four independent shops who said they had been hurt and surprised when Jellycat abruptly told them it would stop supplying them. "Unfortunately we're not able to support every shop that wants to stock our products and, after very careful consideration, we recently reviewed our relationship with some stores," Jellycat said in a statement. It put this figure at 100 stores in the UK. "We're truly grateful for their historic support and wish them all the best for the future," it said, adding it still supplied about 1,200 independent stores.

Puddleducks, a children's clothing store in Diggle, near Oldham, had been selling Jellycat toys for close to 20 years. The brand had "really taken off" in popularity over the past year, said owner Alison McCabe, and some weeks she sold hundreds of items. She would be "inundated" with messages from customers asking which items her shop had in stock, she said. But, after what she described as months of difficulty getting hold of stock, Jellycat contacted her in mid-June telling her it would no longer supply her.

The emails to stockists who were being cut off were sent on 18 June and appear to be identical in content, apart from the name of the shop. The owners and managers were not addressed by name, with the emails instead addressed to a "Jellycat stockist". "We're sorry to let you know that, after careful consideration, we'll no longer be supplying Jellycat products to Rumours," the email to Mr Orrell, viewed by the BBC, said. This was related to its "brand elevation strategy", it added. "Please do not place more orders as they will not be fulfilled," the email continued. "Our decision to conclude the business relationship is final and not open to negotiation." Jellycat did not explain in the emails why it cut the businesses off. "We can only think that we're not good enough," Mrs McCabe said, adding she did not know if she could make any changes to encourage Jellycat to start supplying her again. Another group of store owners, who Jellycat says are among the 1,200 still being supplied, were told they would not be what Jellycat called an "official stockist" but their accounts were "unaffected". The BBC understands this means Jellycat would still supply them with stock, where available, but would not given them an Official Jellycat Stockist sticker to display in their shop window. Included in this group was Erica Stahl, owner of Pippin, a gift shop in Edinburgh. She told the BBC she was "speechless" when she read the email and that she chose to close her account. Jellycat told the BBC: "We select our stockists carefully so that we know customers will receive a joyful experience in their stores, and so Jellycat characters can be found throughout the country."

Jellycat became a TikTok hit

Shop owners told the BBC Jellycat's toys had always been a stable seller, bought as gifts for newborns or by children saving up pocket money. Then, last summer, the brand boomed in popularity. The store owners credited this to the toys becoming hugely popular on TikTok and Instagram, with collectors showing off their displays. Jellycat toys have also been a growing trend among "kidults" - adults with a strong interest in toys and childish ephemera, such as Lego and Sonny Angels dolls. In recent years, Jellycat has become increasingly focused on the theatricality of presenting its products, with big "immersive" displays at some large department stores. At Selfridges in London, toys are displayed around a pretend fish and chip van and wrapped up like a take-away by staff. Jellycat also opened a "diner" in New York City and a "patisserie" in Paris - all in gentle shades of blue, with shelves of neatly arranged toys, which fans began to post about on social media. The brand said presentation was just one factor it considered when reviewing partnerships with stores. Jellycat also told the BBC it had visited all its independent stores in person.

'Dribs and drabs' of stock

However, with Jellycat's rise in popularity, came changes to the availability of stock, the shop owners said. Over approximately the last 12 months, since the toys became more of an online trend, Mr Orrell said stock would only arrive in "dribs and drabs" and his shop had had to reduce the size of its Jellycat display. Collectors visiting his store were getting "more and more disappointed" with what was available. Andrew Kenyon, co-owner of JAK Hanson, a department store near Wigan, said he would wait months for some orders, or they would arrive incomplete. Customers would travel from around the UK to buy Jellycat toys from his store, but he couldn't advise customers on when stock was arriving as he didn't know. Shop owners and managers said they felt Jellycat was prioritising its relationships with bigger retailers. "It became nearly impossible to even order any of the bestselling stock," said Miss Stahl. "Small independents like myself are only allowed to order from a list of random mismatched odds and ends that the big shops clearly didn't want," she said.

Erica Stahl Jellycat told Erica Stahl her shop, Pippin, did not qualify as an "official stockist"

Charlotte Stray, of Keydell Nurseries in Hampshire, agreed. Independent stores were "pushed to the back of the queue" for stock, she said. When Keydell Nurseries got the letter in June saying Jellycat would no longer be supplying it, "we weren't happy, but we'd been disappointed in the last six, eight months over the supply anyway," Mrs Stray said. "We've been increasing our supply to both types of stores - small independents and national retailers - at the overall same rate," Jellycat told the BBC. "Keeping all our partners well stocked remains a challenge, and we're constantly working behind the scenes to improve how we plan, allocate and deliver stock as fairly and thoughtfully as we can." The company said independent stores would continue to be "as important in our future as they've been in our past".

'It's left a really sour taste in my mouth'

A bridge too far? Prague railway project draws criticism

28 minutes ago Share Save Rob Cameron Prague Correspondent Reporting from Prague Share Save

BBC The 123-year old Vysehrad railway bridge in Prague is set to be replaced and relocated

The Czech capital Prague is one of Europe's architectural gems: largely untouched by ten centuries of invasion and war, it attracts some 8m tourists a year. It's a living tableau of architectural styles; from medieval to Baroque, from industrial to modern. So when a Prague landmark is slated for demolition or reconstruction, it invariably arouses strong passions. "I think this bridge is absolutely key to Prague," said architect and bridge engineer, Petr Tej, running his hand over the rust-coated girders of the 123-year-old Vysehrad railway bridge. "The panorama it forms in conjunction with the Vysehrad fortress behind it is on the same level as the panorama of Charles Bridge with Prague Castle. These two panoramas are – in my view – crucial to Prague, and we need to preserve them," Tej told the BBC. Standing on the pedestrian walkway running alongside the rusty steel bridge, we gazed up at the trio of arches that have become an iconic feature of Prague's southern skyline.

Architect and bridge engineer, Petr Tej and philantropist, Tomas Bistricky believe that the bridge can be restored rather than replaced

As we talked a train trundled westwards over the river, heading to Prague's Smichov station, and from there onwards to Karlovy Vary, Pilsen or Germany. "These bits here are the most impacted by rust," Petr told me, pointing at a nest of riveted joints and beams. Petr is part of the Vysehrad Bridge Foundation, an international coalition of experts who've restored similar steel bridges around the world – some of them in much worse shape than this one. They say the Railway Authority's plan to dismantle this iconic industrial landmark – erected in 1902 during the heyday of the Austro-Hungarian Empire - is entirely unnecessary. "Previous expert reports said 70% of the steel should be replaced. Our study says it's only 15%. It's a huge difference." The Foundation's proposal is simple: repair the bridge in place, keep the trains running, minimising disruption, and save money in the process. Earlier this year their findings were endorsed by Unesco, which protects much of the historic centre of Prague. They are also backed by over 25,000 residents who have signed a petition demanding the Vysehrad bridge be restored rather than replaced.

Pavel Paidar of the Railway Authority in Prague says that the bridge will not be able to cope with the anticipated growth in rail travel

A short while later, in the shade of the metal girders, the Director of the Railway Authority's Construction Preparation Department Pavel Paidar shook his head in disagreement. "This bridge already handles around three-quarters of Prague's railway traffic. It could handle more, but because of the corrosion, it can only carry about 60% of its capacity," Paidar told the BBC. "With the projected growth in rail travel, that's going to be a major transport problem. Yes, it's a protected historical monument, but it's becoming increasingly clear that it's simply not possible to reconcile these two things – transport needs and heritage preservation." The new bridge would include a third track and, according to visualisations, will be a fair tribute to the original. The whole area will be revitalised, and transport links from Prague's main station to the west of the country and beyond will be improved. The old bridge, meanwhile, will be dismantled and moved about 8km (5 miles) south to the district of Modrany, to start a new life as a crossing for pedestrians and cyclists.

Sprava zeleznic ('Railway Authority) Architectural visualisations show the replacement bridge drawing inspiration from the original