John Torode sacked as MasterChef presenter

5 hours ago Share Save Noor Nanji • @NoorNanji Culture reporter Share Save

Watch: BBC director general on sacking of John Torode

John Torode has been sacked as MasterChef presenter after an allegation against him using "an extremely offensive racist term" was upheld. In an Instagram statement on Tuesday, the TV chef said he had "no recollection" of what he is accused of, and said he had hoped to have some say in his exit. Earlier in the day, the show's production company Banijay said it and the BBC "are agreed" that his contract on the show will not be renewed. It plunges the BBC cooking show into a deeper crisis, with the BBC's director general Tim Davie saying no decision has yet been made on this year's series of MasterChef.

The controversy over MasterChef started last year, when BBC News first revealed claims of inappropriate sexual language against Torode's co-host Gregg Wallace. Wallace was sacked last week as dozens more people came forward to BBC News with allegations against him. He has always denied the claims. On Monday, more than 40 allegations against Wallace were also upheld as part of an inquiry into his conduct. Gregg Wallace sacked as 50 more people make claims

John Torode says allegation he used racist language upheld

Wallace 'sorry' after 45 claims against him upheld Speaking to BBC News on Tuesday afternoon, Davie described the allegation against Torode as "a serious racist term which does not get to be acceptable in any way shape or form". "It's really important we are taking this seriously," he said. "We've drawn a line in the sand." In his statement on Tuesday, Torode said: "Although I haven't heard from anyone at the BBC or Banijay - I am seeing and reading that I've been "sacked" from MasterChef. "I repeat that I have no recollection of what I'm accused of. The enquiry could not even state the date or year of when I am meant to have said something wrong." He said Celebrity MasterChef, which he recently filmed with food critic Grace Dent, along with two Christmas specials, would be his last. "Personally, I have loved every minute working on MasterChef, but it's time to pass the cutlery to someone else."

'An extremely offensive racist term'

A BBC spokesperson said: "John Torode has identified himself as having an upheld allegation of using racist language against him. "This allegation - which involves an extremely offensive racist term being used in the workplace - was investigated and substantiated by the independent investigation led by the law firm, Lewis Silkin. "John Torode denies the allegation. He has stated he has no recollection of the alleged incident and does not believe that it happened. He also says that any racial language is wholly unacceptable in any environment. "The BBC takes this upheld finding extremely seriously. We will not tolerate racist language of any kind and, as we have already said, we told Banijay UK, the makers of MasterChef, that action must be taken. John Torode's contract on MasterChef will not be renewed."

Gregg Wallace, left, and John Torode have presented MasterChef since 2005

Speaking on Tuesday afternoon, Davie refused to say what would happen to the unseen series of MasterChef, which has already been filmed, with both Wallace and Torode in it. "Those amateur chefs gave a lot to take part, it means a lot, it can be an enormous break if you come through the show. "So I want to just reflect on that with the team and make a decision, and we'll communicate that in due course." He also admitted the recent weeks, which have involved other BBC controversies including Bob Vylan's performance at Glastonbury, had been "a very tough time", and that he had "felt pressure". Earlier on Tuesday, Davie told a press conference that MasterChef "absolutely" has a future, adding that it was "much bigger than individuals".

'I apologised immediately'

Under-pressure BBC boss getting tough after controversies

The past weeks have put serious pressure on Tim Davie's leadership. Today, I saw that up close.

For a usually very slick performer, he looked shaken. I wanted to know if he had considered resigning in the face of the recent controversies. He said he had not, but admitted it had been "a very, very tough time".

Earlier Davie had launched the BBC's annual report on Zoom, with journalists remotely asking questions in the Q&A box and no cameras allowed into the room for us to record and use his answers.

We were considering making clear to our audiences that - on such an important day for the BBC - nobody from the top of the corporation was being put in front of a camera to be interviewed on a range of issues, which were both of public interest and specifically relevant to licence fee payers.

Hours later, Mr Davie agreed to a face-to-face interview, which took place just after it was announced that the BBC and Banijay UK were not renewing John Torode's contract as MasterChef presenter.

I usually interview the director general at times of crisis for the BBC. That's the way these things work. To be fair to him, he always makes it clear that my job is to ask him questions without fear or favour. He knows part of his job is to be held to account.

But it's been a very bumpy time, even by BBC standards. The Gaza documentary with a child narrator who later turned out to be the son of a Hamas official, another film about doctors in Gaza pulled before transmission, issues around the BBC livestreaming the punk duo Bob Vylan's set at Glastonbury and the growing controversy surrounding MasterChef - all land at his door.

His leadership has been called into question, not least recently by the culture secretary. She called it a "series of catastrophic failures".

Three key questions after Afghan data leak sparked unprecedented secret evacuation

3 hours ago Share Save Frank Gardner Security correspondent Share Save

EPA

It has been more than three years since a British official inadvertently leaked a dataset containing the names and contact details of thousands of people who were attempting to flee possible Taliban revenge attacks. In April 2024, the government began relocating some of them to the UK - but we are only learning this now because extraordinary lengths were gone to in order to prevent the breach and subsequent response coming to light. As the full picture is finally disclosed to the public, these are the questions still facing Britain's security establishment.

What can be done about the danger of leaks?

It has happened before and it will doubtless happen again. Think Wikileaks, Snowden and all the countless cyber-hacks and ransomware suffered by companies on an almost daily basis. Data leaks are not new but sometimes – and it is quite possible that this is one of those times – they can be life-threatening. The revelations that have come to light will have sent a chill down the spine of hundreds, possibly thousands, of Afghans who fear retribution by the Taliban. For those already spirited out to Britain, it means they can probably never go back home as long as the Taliban are in power. For the 600 former Afghan government soldiers and their estimated 1,800 dependants still in Afghanistan, the news will mean they are unlikely to breathe easily until the UK delivers on its promise to get them safely out. It's important to bear in mind that all this was not the result of some deliberate, sophisticated cyber attack by a state-backed hacking group. It evolved from an unintentional mistake made by just one individual working for the Ministry of Defence.

What does this say about Britain's moral responsibility?

UK forces were deployed to Afghanistan, alongside US and Nato allies, over a period of almost 20 years, from October 2001 to August 2021. During this time they worked closely with their Afghan government allies, relying heavily on their local knowledge and expertise. The most sensitive area was in Special Forces (SF), for whom the Taliban reserved a particular hatred. When Kabul and the rest of Afghanistan fell to the Taliban in the summer of 202, there was a realisation that those now-former Afghan SF soldiers and their families were a priority for relocation to safety. But thousands more Afghans also risked their lives to work with the British over those two decades. Many did it out of patriotism, believing they were working to secure a better Afghanistan. Some did it for the money, some did it because they trusted Britain to safeguard their lives and their personal details. A data breach like this now threatens to undermine any future promises by a British official who says: "Trust us, your data is safe with us."

Was there a cover-up?

Men jailed for felling 'irreplaceable' sycamore

7 hours ago Share Save Duncan Leatherdale BBC News, North East and Cumbria Share Save

Northumbria Police Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers denied criminal damage at their trial but have since made admissions

Two men who chopped down the "irreplaceable" Sycamore Gap tree in an act of "sheer bravado" have each been jailed for four years and three months. Daniel Michael Graham 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, both from Cumbria, were convicted of criminal damage after filming themselves using a chainsaw to illegally fell the landmark tree by Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland. Sentencing them at Newcastle Crown Court, Mrs Justice Lambert rejected a claim of "drunken stupidity" and said, while a full motive was not clear, felling the tree and the ensuing outrage gave the men "some sort of thrill". The National Trust, which owned the more than 100-year-old tree, said the landmark could "never be replaced".

The pair, whose friendship imploded in the aftermath as the public revulsion became clear to them, drove to the site under the cover of darkness in the early hours of 28 September 2023. They used the winds of Storm Agnes to help them topple the tree on to the Unesco World Heritage Site wall, the court heard. Sentencing day as it happened

Who were the vandals and why did they do it? The value of the tree was disputed with prosecutors saying it was worth about £458,000 and Graham's team claiming it to be about £150,000, but Mrs Justice Lambert said the exact financial price did not really matter.

Prosecutors said a video was filmed of the moment the Sycamore Gap tree was felled

The judge said the tree was a landmark of Northumberland and "symbol of the untamed beauty" of the landscape around Hadrian's Wall. It was a place of "peace and tranquillity" which people returned to year after year, the judge said, adding it held great personal significance to many. She said Carruthers used spray paint and a chainsaw to mark and then cut a wedge out of the tree, while Graham filmed it on his mobile phone. Mrs Justice Lambert said a full motive was not clear, but she was "confident a major factor was sheer bravado," adding the action of felling the tree and the outrage it caused gave the men "some sort of thrill". The men then "revelled in [their] notoriety" in the aftermath, the judge said. She also rejected Carruthers' claim that he was drunk as the mission required skill and coordination as well as a "high degree" of planning by the two "experienced tree surgeons".

Watch: 'Felling the tree gave you a thrill' judge tells Sycamore Gap duo

The tree had been planted in the late 1800s to be a "feature in the landscape", fulfilling that ambition and more by becoming a much-loved visitor destination and landmark at the former frontier of the Roman Empire. It found global fame after featuring in a scene of the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, starring Kevin Costner, and was popular with photographers and artists. In a statement read to the court, National Trust manager Andrew Poad said: "This iconic tree can never be replaced." He said the trust cared for the "totemic symbol" on behalf of the nation and it "belonged to the people".

PA Media The tree's felling sparked global outrage

The tree was a "place of sanctuary" for many and its destruction led to an "unprecedented" outpouring of love and emotion, Mr Poad said, with the "overwhelming sense of loss and confusion felt across the world". He said the reason for the "malicious" and "mindless" vandalism was "beyond comprehension" and the way it was felled to land across the Roman wall was "reckless in the extreme". But, he added that there were "signs of life" with shoots emerging from the stump, while seeds taken from the tree had been used to grow saplings which would be placed around the country.

Kris Hodgetts The tree, which was popular to photograph, had been planted in the 1800s to be a feature on the landscape

Prosecutor Richard Wright KC said there had been "significant planning" with the tree felled in a "deliberate and professional" manner. The court heard both men had since admitted involvement in the expedition to probation officers. In mitigation, Carruthers' barrister Andrew Gurney said the mechanic from Wigton would carry the burden of regret for his "stupid act" as a "personal penance" for the rest of his life. Mr Gurney also said many people had asked why he did it, to which the reply was: "Unfortunately it is no more than drunken stupidity." Christopher Knox, for Graham, said the groundworker from near Carlisle had had multiple struggles and mental health problems and had made a "serious attempt" to take his own life in December which resulted in a long hospital stay and then him being remanded into prison. He also said people had attacked Graham's caravan and sent him hate mail showing "unpleasant" and "malign intent" towards him.

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Man who murdered British backpacker Peter Falconio dies

Peter Falconio was killed while travelling around Australia with girlfriend Joanne Lees

The Northern Territory Department of Corrections told the BBC that Murdoch died on 15 July in the hospital's palliative care unit.

He was being treated at Alice Springs Hospital in recent weeks, reportedly for terminal cancer.

Murdoch, 67, was serving a life sentence at a prison in Alice Springs, in Australia's Northern Territory.

Bradley Murdoch, the Australian man convicted of murdering British backpacker Peter Falconio in 2001, has died.

The death will be subject to investigation by the Northern Territory Coroner, officials added.

In 2005, Murdoch was convicted of murdering Mr Falconio, but had never revealed the location of his body.

Mr Falconio was shot dead on a remote stretch of highway near the Northern Territory town of Barrow Creek, about 300km (186 miles) north of Alice Springs in July 2001.

The 28-year-old was travelling around Australia with his girlfriend, Joanne Lees, also from the UK, at the time.

Murdoch was also convicted of the attempted kidnap and assault of Ms Lees, who managed to escape by hiding in outback scrub for several hours before she was able to signal for help.

Murdoch was 43 when he committed the crimes.

The ordeal partly inspired the 2001 horror film Wolf Creek.

Last month police in Australia announced a new reward of up to A$500,000 (£240,000) for information leading to the discovery of the remains of the murdered British backpacker.

Acting Commander Mark Grieve of Northern Territory Police told a press conference in late June: "Police still hold out hope that someone might be able to provide some vital information to assist in this search."

"We recognise the passage of time that has transpired but it is never to late to reach out and start that conversation with police," Grieve said.

He said in that press conference police had "made numerous approaches" to Murdoch, including in June, but said that "unfortunately... on all occasions he has chosen not to engage with police".

Acting Commander Grieve said he wanted to "try and at least bring some sliver of resolution to Peter's family by bringing home his remains" - and said they had spoken to family about the reward.

Adolescence star Owen Cooper becomes Emmys' youngest supporting actor nominee

Adolescence star Owen Cooper has made Emmys history by becoming one of the youngest ever to be nominated by the prestigious TV US television academy.

The 15-year-old British actor has bagged a nomination for best supporting actor in a limited/anthology series or TV movie. If he wins, Cooper will be the youngest male winner of an acting Emmy.

The teen will go up against his co-star Ashley Walters from the hit Netflix show, while two actresses from the critically-acclaimed series, Christine Tremarco and Erin Doherty, will compete in the equivalent supporting actress category.

The show's leading star, Stephen Graham, is up for best actor, while the four-parter about a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering a girl from his class, is also in the running for outstanding limited series. Jack Thorne, who created the drama with Graham, is nominated for a best writing prize.

While Adolescence has a respectable 13 nods, leading the pack is workplace satire Severance with 27 nominations, followed by Batman spin-off The Penguin (24), and black comedy drama The White Lotus (23).

Four stars from The White Lotus - Carrie Coon, Parker Posey, Natasha Rothwell and Aimee Lou Wood - face one another for the supporting actress in a drama series award.

Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary), Harrison Ford (Shrinking) and Jeremy Allen White (The Bear) are among the stars competing for the top acting prizes in the comedy categories.

Brunson is also up for a writing prize while this is a first Emmy nod for Ford, at the tender age of 83.

The Studio, The Bear, Abbott Elementary and Shrinking are among the contenders for best comedy series.

RuPaul has now became the most nominated reality host in Emmys history for his show RuPaul's Drag Race.

The actors and best TV shows will be honoured at the awards ceremony in Los Angeles on 14 September.

Stop being negative about savers buying shares, Reeves says

2 hours ago Share Save Dearbail Jordan & Simon Jack Business reporter & business editor Share Save

Getty Images Chancellor Rachel Reeves

The chancellor has told the financial industry it must change the "negative" narrative around savers investing money in stocks and shares in order to help grow the economy. In a speech, Rachel Reeves said: "For too long, we have presented investment in too negative a light, quick to warn people of the risks without giving proper weight to the benefits." The government is working with the financial regulator to provide support for would-be investors. It comes as Reeves stepped back from cutting the tax-free limit on cash Individual Savings Accounts (Isas) after a backlash from lenders - she is keen to shift some of the £300bn in these accounts to being invested in the UK and its companies.

At the annual Mansion House dinner in the City of London, Reeves told business leaders: "Our tangled system of financial advice and guidance has meant that people cannot get the right support to make decisions for themselves." She said the government is consulting with the Financial Conduct Authority "to introduce a brand-new type of targeted support for consumers ahead of the new financial year". The government is under pressure to ignite growth after figures revealed the UK economy shrank in May following a contraction in April. Meanwhile, U-turns on welfare benefits and the winter fuel allowance have stoked speculation there could be tax rises in the Budget later this year. Some Labour MPs have previously suggested a wealth tax, such as a 2% tax on assets worth more than £10m, could raise £24bn per year. Speaking at the Mansion House event, Sir William Russell, former Lord Mayor of the City of London, told the BBC: "Unfortunately, there's going to be this pause between tonight and October. In a way, that's not good because there'll be speculation about wealth tax which I don't think will happen, this government is much more sensible than that." But he said: "That pause doesn't help because there is uncertainty and if there's one thing we all would agree with, the City does not like uncertainty." Reeves said the new measures to encourage consumers to invest would mean "savers can reap the benefits of UK economic success". But the value of investments in assets such as shares can go down as well as up, and savers have tended to be cautious over the risks involved, although the spending power of savings can be eroded by rising prices. The government has in the past encouraged the public to buy shares in UK companies, including in 2013 when Royal Mail was floated on the London Stock Exchange. But perhaps the most famous example was in 1986, when the state-owned British Gas was privatised and Margaret Thatcher's government launched the "tell Sid" campaign. TV adverts featured characters urged each other to "tell Sid" about the chance to buy shares in British Gas.

Children at risk of being recruited by hostile states, police warn

2 hours ago Share Save Caroline Hawley BBC diplomatic correspondent Anna Lamche BBC News Share Save

Getty Images

Counter-terror police have warned the activity of hostile states on British soil is posing a growing threat and urged families to watch for signs their children are being manipulated. Teenagers, along with petty criminals and disillusioned people, may be more vulnerable to recruitment by Russia, Iran and China, they warned. Hostile states are increasingly using proxies to carry out acts of sabotage and targeted violence in the UK, counter-terror police said, adding that investigating such activity now accounts for about 20% of their workload. Parents and teachers should "be inquisitive" and "seek help" if they think a child is at risk, police advised.

Since the Salisbury poisonings in 2018 – which targeted Russian double agent Sergei Skripal – there has been a five-fold increase in police work to tackle hostile activity, commanders said. "The breadth, complexity and volume of these operations has continued to grow at a rate that I'm not sure that us, or our partners internationally, or any intelligence community predicted," Dominic Murphy, head of the Metropolitan Police's Counter-Terrorism Command, told reporters. "We are increasingly seeing these three states, but not just these three states, undertaking threat to life operations in the United Kingdom." The youngest person arrested or investigated on suspicion of involvement is aged in their "mid-teens", he added. Vicki Evans, Counter Terrorism Policing's senior national co-ordinator, expressed concern other children may be encouraged online to carry out activities to earn money, without realising the implications of their actions. "We really encourage people, parents, teachers, professionals just to be inquisitive," she said. "If they're concerned, ask those questions, and if they think there's something they need to be concerned about, seek help and act, because we want to make sure that we're protecting people from inadvertently being drawn into this sort of activity." The Metropolitan Police is now putting additional resources into tackling hostile state activity, with training for officers in "foreign interference" and hundreds taking part in recent exercises in how to respond. "We're working with local force chiefs up and down the country to raise awareness and ensure that there really is an increased understanding about this threat," Ms Evans said. Earlier this month, two low-level criminals were among five people convicted of involvement in an arson attack on a warehouse storing communications equipment for Ukraine. Police said the attack had been ordered by Russia's Wagner group, and that one of the ringleaders, 21-year-old Dylan Earl, had been plotting to kidnap its owner, a Russian dissident.

Metropolitan Police Small-time drug dealer Dylan Earl, left, and Jake Reeves were among the group that carried out the arson attack

Immigration status of benefit claimants published for first time

4 hours ago Share Save Kate Whannel Political reporter Share Save

Getty Images

Data showing the immigration status of those claiming universal credit (UC) - a benefit designed to help both employed and unemployed people with living costs - has been published for the first time. In June, nearly eight million people received universal credit, 83.6% of whom were British and Irish nationals. More than a million claimants were born overseas, including around 700,000 EU citizens who arrived in the UK before Brexit and have the right to live and work in the UK. Around 1.5% of claimants were refugees and 0.7% had arrived in the UK via safe routes such as those for Ukrainians and Afghans.

More than 75,000 claimants who are in the UK temporarily and would typically not be able to receive benefits are also claiming UC. The Department for Work and Pensions has said most foreign nationals can claim only after five years residency, but there are exceptions such as for victims of modern slavery. The government produced figures going back to April 2022. In that time, the proportion of claimants who were born overseas has remained broadly level at between 15% and 17%. During the same period, the total number of people on UC rose from 5.5m to 7.9m. According to the most recent figures for May 2025, around half of EU citizens claiming UC are in employment, compared to a fifth of refugees. The figures were published following pressure from some Conservatives and the independent MP Rupert Lowe. A Downing Street spokesperson said the prime minister wanted to see the number of unemployed foreign nationals claiming benefits to go down and insisted the government was "toughening up the system" by doubling the time a migrant has to wait before qualifying for permanent - or settled - status in the UK. They added that people in the UK illegally are not allowed to access UC.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the "staggering figures" were "clear proof that the Labour government has lost control of our welfare system". "Under Kemi Badenoch, we've set out a clear, common-sense position. This is about fairness, responsibility and protecting support for those who've contributed to this country," he said. The Conservatives have said foreign nationals should not get the personal independence payment (Pip) disability benefit or the health element of UC. Lowe said the publication of the data was a "huge win" for those who had "relentlessly pushed for this". He described the levels of foreign nationals claiming UC as "absolute insanity" adding: "We cannot afford it. The country is BROKE."

Traitor or patriot? Retrial begins for spy chief who assassinated a president

24 minutes ago Share Save Suhnwook Lee BBC Korean Reporting from Seoul Share Save

Watch: 1979 news report on the assassination of President Park Chung-hee

Two gunshots. That is how Yoo Seok-sul begins recounting the night of Friday, 26 October, 1979. A former security guard in the Korea Central Intelligence Agency, or KCIA, as the South's spy division was known, Yoo has many stories to tell. But this is perhaps the most infamous. He remembers the time - nearly 19:40 - and where he had been sitting - in the break room. He was resting after his shift guarding the entrance to the low-rise compound where President Park Chung-hee entertained his most trusted lieutenants. They called it the "safe house". In his 70s now, wiry with sharp eyes, Yoo speaks hesitantly at first - but it comes back to him quickly. After the first shots, more gunfire followed, he says. The guards were on high alert but they waited outside for orders. The president's security detail was inside, along with the KCIA's top agents. Then Yoo's boss, a KCIA officer who oversaw security for the safe house, stepped outside. "He came over and asked me to bury something in the garden." It was two guns, bullets and a pair of shoes. Flustered, Yoo followed orders, he says. He did not know who had been shot, and he didn't ask. "I never imagined that it was the president."

National Archives of Korea Kim Jae-kyu in military court during the trial in 1979

The guns Yoo buried were used to assassinate Park Chung-hee, who had ruled South Korea for the previous 18 years, longer than any president before or since. The man who shot him was his long-time friend Kim Jae-gyu, who ran the much-feared KCIA, a pillar of Park's dictatorship. That Friday shook South Korea, ending Park Chung-hee's stifling rule and ushering in another decade under the military. Kim was executed for insurrection, along with five others. Now, 46 years later, that night is back in the spotlight as a court retries Kim Jae-gyu to determine if his actions amounted to treason. He has remained a deeply polarising figure - some see him as a killer blinded by power and ambition, others as a patriot who sacrificed himself to set South Korea on the path to democracy. The president he killed is no less divisive, lauded for his country's economic rise and reviled for his authoritarian rule. Kim's family fought for the retrial, arguing that he cannot be remembered as a traitor. They will now have their day in the Seoul High Court just as impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol goes on trial for the same charge that sent Kim to the gallows. Yoon's martial law order last December was short-lived but it threw up questions about South Korean democracy - and that may influence how the country sees a man who shot dead a dictator he claimed was on the brink of unleashing carnage. Was Kim trying to seize power for himself or to spark a revolution, as he claimed in court?

Getty Images Park Chung-hee ruled South Korea for 18 years

When news of the shooting broke in the morning, it sent shockwaves through South Korea. Initial reports called it "accidental". What was left of Park's coterie tried to make sense of what had happened. Kim had been a close ally since Park seized power in a coup in 1961. They shared a hometown and had started out together at the military academy. Veteran journalist Cho Gab-je acknowledges that Kim seemed uncomfortable with some of Park's actions, but "there's no record that Kim actually acted on those concerns, no evidence he released political prisoners, clashed with Park, or submitted formal objections". Kim told the court he had thought about killing Park at least three times. But history shows he supported Park as he tightened his grip, abolishing direct presidential elections and term limits, allowing him to control the National Assembly and even suspend constitutional rights. "My brother was never the kind of person who would commit such an act just to become president," insists his sister Kim Jung-sook, who is now 86. But he ran the KCIA, which was notorious for jailing, torturing and even framing innocent students, dissidents and opposition figures with false charges. "They tortured people, fabricated charges, and imprisoned them… and if you criticised that, you'd get arrested too," says Father Ham Se-woong, who was imprisoned twice in the 1970s for criticising the government. Kim was not a saviour many could accept. But that is the mantle he took on, according to court transcripts that were not widely reported at the time. He told the judges he believed it was imperative to stop Park, whose ruthlessness could plunge South Korea into chaos and cost them a critical ally, the United States. "I do not wish to beg for my life, as I have found a cause to die for," he said, although he asked the court to spare his men who followed his orders - "innocent sheep", he called them. He said he had hoped to pave the way for a peaceful transition of power, which had eluded his country so far. On hearing about this back then, even a fierce critic like Father Ham tried launching a campaign for him. "He wanted to prevent further bloodshed. That's why we had to save him," he says. Father Ham ended up in prison again for his efforts, as the trial became a sensitive subject. The country was under martial law. Days after the trial started - on December 12 - the man who led the investigation into the assassination, General Chun Doo-hwan, seized power in a coup.

Suhnwook Lee/ BBC News Kim Jung-sook has been fighting for years for a retrial of her brother's case

Proceedings in the military court moved at lightning speed. On 20 December, it convicted Kim of trying to seize power through murder, and six others of aiding him. Yoo was sentenced to three years in prison for hiding the guns. By 20 May the following year, Kim had lost his final appeal. Four days later he was hanged, along with three others. One was spared and another had been executed earlier. Kim died as the army brutally suppressed a pro-democracy uprising, killing 166 civilians in the city of Gwangju. "I got the impression that Chun Doo-hwan was trying to quickly wrap up anything related to the previous regime in order to seize power for himself," says Kim Jung-sook. She says she saw her brother just once through all this, a week before he was executed: "I think he sensed it might be the last time. So he bowed deeply to my mother as a goodbye." Yoo survived but he says after he was free, he was followed for years: "I couldn't get a job. Even when I returned to my hometown, they kept tailing me. I couldn't say a word about the case." He now works as an attendant in a private parking lot outside Seoul. Ms Kim says her family did not speak up until about 10 years ago. After South Korea became a democracy, Park's image recovered, improved by time and wealth. His daughter became president, often defending his legacy for its economic record. It was her downfall - following massive protests over a corruption scandal - that threw open the door to revisit Kim Jae-gyu's conviction.

National Archives of Korea Kim Jae-gyu (L) and Park Chung-hee were close friends

"This case should never have gone to a military court because the assassination happened before martial law was declared," says Lee Sang-hee, the lawyer in charge of his retrial. She adds that the "sloppy transcripts" would have influenced his appeal because the defence was not allowed to record the proceedings. "When I reviewed the documents, I couldn't understand how he could be convicted of insurrection when there was such little evidence. And above all, there was torture," she says, which the court cited as a valid reason when it agreed in February to a retrial. It accepted Kim's statement, which he submitted in his unsuccessful appeal in 1980, alleging "the investigators beat me indiscriminately and used electric torture by wrapping an EE8 phone line around my fingers". Reports at the time alleged that Kim Jae-gyu's wife had been detained and tortured too, along with her brother-in-law and brothers, which officials at the time denied. Now in her 90s, his wife has always been opposed to a retrial. "She never talked about what she had gone through and trembles even now," Kim Jung-sook, the spy chief's sister, says. Ms Kim is resolute in her defence of her brother, repeatedly emphasising that "he was a man of integrity". "Because we believe that he did not kill the president and his security chief for personal gain, we have been able to endure all of this."

Kim family Kim Jae-gyu is the first man standing from the left in this old family photo

The security chief was Cha Ji-cheol, who had been growing closer to Park, and often clashed with Kim as the two men vied for the president's ear. In the weeks before the assassination, they differed on how to deal with Kim Young-sam, an outspoken opposition leader who Park saw as a threat. In an interview with the New York Times, the opposition leader had called on the US to end Park's dictatorship. The National Assembly, controlled by Park, expelled him. The decision kicked off huge protests in Kim Young-Sam's strongholds. Cha wanted to crush the uprising, while Kim Jae-gyu advised caution, which would also reassure a Washington that was growing impatient with Park's rule. Kim told the court he warned against firing at protesters, which would only ignite anger - to which Cha said, "three million died in Cambodia, and nothing happened. If we kill one million demonstrators, we'll be fine". That evening at the safe house, the public broadcaster reported that the US ambassador was going to meet Kim Young-sam. An angry Park criticised Kim Jae-gyu for not arresting the opposition leader. When Kim pushed back, the court heard, Park retorted: "The agency should be feared, it should prosecute those who deserve it."

Alamy Kim holding a gun as he re-enacts the scene of the shooting, while investigating officers watch

They sat across from each other, sipping Scotch and sharing a meal. Park sat between two women, a popular singer and a young model. Cha and Park's chief of staff were also there. The terse exchanges continued, and mid-way through a love song, Kim Jae-gyu said, he pulled out the gun, aimed it at Park and told him he needed to change his politics: "Sir, you should approach things with a more magnanimous vision - so this is not just about you." Turning to a shocked Cha, he cursed as he pulled the trigger, wounding him in the hand as Cha tried to block the shot. Then Kim fired into Park's chest. Outside, acting on his orders, KCIA agents shot dead the president's security detail - two were eating dinner, and two were on standby. Kim tried shooting the president again, but the pistol malfunctioned. He ran out to one of his men, who gave him a revolver. Having returned, he killed Cha a fleeing Cha, walked towards Park, who was leaning against the model as he bled, and shot him in the head. The two women left unharmed after being paid to keep quiet. The president's chief of staff was never targeted. Kim then went to the next building, where the army chief he had summoned earlier was waiting. The men left in a car for KCIA headquarters. It's likely he didn't argue with Kim - even a shoe-less, suspiciously rattled Kim was powerful, and his men guarded the compound. But en route he was persuaded to go to army headquarters, where he was arrested soon after midnight. Kim told the court he had planned to use the army, perhaps even impose martial law, to complete the "revolution" and transition to democracy. This is the crux of the retrial. The prosecution had argued it was a premeditated coup, while Kim claimed far loftier motives. But sceptics point to the lack of planning. The gun that jammed was plucked from a safe before dinner, there were enough witnesses to derail the plot, and he did not seem to have a strategy for his "revolution". He did not even make it to the KCIA headquarters.

Alamy Kim Jae-gyu during the trial

BBC pay 2024-2025: The full list of star salaries

Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker, who left in May, is the corporation's top earner still, for the eighth year in a row

The BBC has published the salaries of its highest-paid stars as part of its annual report.

Ex-Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker, who departed in May after apologising for reposting a social media post about Zionism that included an illustration considered antisemitic, was again the corporation's top earner in the region of £1,350,000 - £1,354,99 - the same amount as the previous year.

He is followed by former Radio 2 breakfast host Zoe Ball, who also left her BBC Radio 2 breakfast show in December - three quarters of the way through the financial year meaning her salary is lower than last year - but having already earned approximately £515,000 - £519,999. In May, she began hosting a Saturday show on the same station.

Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer, in third place, took home £440,000 - £444,999, while in fourth, Radio 1 presenter Greg James received £425,000 - £429,999. Joint fifth on the list are Question Time host Fiona Bruce and the Today programme's Nick Robinson who both earned £410,000 - £414,999. The wages of all four increased year-on-year.

Asda fined for selling out of date food

12 hours ago Share Save Nelli Bird BBC News Share Save

BBC A trading standards officers found 36 items that were out of date at the Leckwith store

Asda has been fined more than half a million pounds for selling dozens of out of date items at two of its Cardiff stores. Trading standards officers found 115 items, including some that were more than two weeks out of date, at its Leckwith and Pentwyn shops. Judge Charlotte Murphy imposed a fine of £640,000 plus costs. Asda said its "usual high standards were not upheld", but said a new system for checking items was now in place.

Asda faced four charges relating to the sale of dozens of out of date food items after food safety officers visited the stores on four occasions in 2024. A visit to the Leckwith store on 17 January of that year found 36 out of date items, including five tubs of spicy mayo dip seven days out of date. A visit to the Cardiff Gate store on 25 March found 25 outdated items and another visit to the store a month later found 48 items, including some that were 12 days out of date. A second visit to the Leckwith store on 8 May found a further six out of date items. Cardiff magistrates court heard the first visit to the Leckwith store was a "routine hygiene inspection" but that trading standards officer had visited the Pentwyn store after a complaint from a member of the public.

Shared Regulatory Services Trading standards officers found 115 items, including some that were more than two weeks out of date in both stores

Defending Asda, barrister Iain MacDonald said it was a "failure" and "plainly wasn't acceptable" that the items were out of date and it was "contrary to Asda's commitment to provide safe food for its customers". The court heard that Asda has an annual turnover of £23-24bn with 1,000 stores in the UK. Mr MacDonald added there were 75 in Wales and that there had been no food standard breaches in its Welsh stores for the past 18 years. He outlined a new system implemented in recent months to address the issue, saying food with a short shelf-life should now be checked daily, while longer life food is checked twice a week. Imposing the large fine, Judge Charlotte Murphy said Asda had systems in place "but those systems were not sufficiently adhered to or implemented". She said the breaches were "not minor" but she accepted that there as a "low risk of an adverse affect on the general public". Asda was given a fine of £640,000 and ordered to pay £15,115 in costs and a £2,000 surcharge.

Reeves inadvertently breached rules on gifts, says MPs' watchdog

The commissioner noted Reeves' apology for the late registration and said he would be closing his inquiry.

In a letter to the commissioner, Daniel Greenberg, Reeves said that "due to an oversight" she had initially only listed the donation in the register for ministers but not for MPs.

In April, Reeves referred herself to the parliamentary commissioner for standards after she failed to declare tickets given to her by the National Theatre in the list of MPs' interests within the required 28 days.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves inadvertently breached parliamentary rules by missing the deadline for registering gifts, the MPs' watchdog has concluded.

Reeves registered the tickets from the National Theatre on the MPs' register on 27 March 2025.

Ministers who receive gifts worth more than £140 in their ministerial capacity have to list the donation in the list of ministers' interests.

MPs are expected to declare gifts or benefits above the value of £300 within 28 days of receipt.

The first was for two tickets to a performance and a dinner in March 2024, valued at £265. The second was for four tickets to a performance in December 2024, valued at £276.

The investigation related to two donations made by the National Theatre in central London.

Reeves told the commissioner "the oversight which led to the late entry relates to the ambiguity around accepting hospitality which is neither clearly in my ministerial capacity nor my capacity as a Member of Parliament".

"In general, it is likely that my ministerial position means I am offered hospitality of this kind more frequently, and in this case, as you know, my team and I initially declared the hospitality on my ministerial register only," she said.

"In order to be maximally transparent, I subsequently took the view that it would be better to consistently record the hospitality on both registers."

Replying to Reeves, Greenberg said he believed she had breached rule five of the MPs' code of conduct.

"It should have been clear to you that the gift related to your membership of the House or political activities, and it should have been registered within the 28-day time limit set by the House," he said.

"This has been a difficult decision," he wrote but added: "I have concluded on balance that your failure was inadvertent, although greater attention to the rules could and should have avoided it."

Replying to Greenberg, Reeves said she accepted his decision and reiterated her apology for the breach.

She added that she had put in place "more regular communication" between her Parliament and Treasury teams "to ensure information on gifts and hospitality is shared in a timely manner".

She said she would seek "more thorough advice" from Treasury officials about ministerial gifts but added: "I am also not intending to accept further tickets of this kind going forward."

Last summer Reeves, along with the prime minister, became embroiled in a row over accepting freebies from clothing to concert tickets.

Earlier this year, she defended accepting free tickets to a Sabrina Carpenter concert at London's O2 arena saying: "I do now have security which means it's not as easy as it would have been in the past to just sit in a concert."

A few days later she told ITV she faced a "balancing act in my job to try and be a good parent" alongside security requirements.

She added: "I felt I was doing the right thing, but I do understand perceptions. I recognise the feeling here. I have no intention of doing that again."

Higher cap for payouts to wrongly jailed is insulting, says Malkinson

Andy Malkinson, who spent 17 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, has previously said the cap on compensation payouts should be lifted

Reacting to the uplift, legal charity Appeal, which represented him, argued the increase "falls far short of matching inflation".

It follows calls to lift the cap, including from Mr Malkinson who has been campaigning to get the compensation scheme overhauled.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said the maximum amount will be raised in England and Wales for the first time since 2008, from £1m to £1.3m, to ensure those wrongly convicted and imprisoned are compensated for "the years they cannot get back".

Andrew Malkinson, who spent 17 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, has described the government's increased cap on payouts for victims of miscarriages of justice as "insulting".

On Tuesday, the government said the cap would be raised by 30%.

This would bring the limit on compensation for people who have been in jail for 10 years or more to £1.3m, and £650,000 for up to a decade.

Mr Malkinson said the cap increase is "an improvement" but that "a below-inflation increase is insulting".

"The state stole years of my life and robbed me of my physical and mental health, yet it still wants to arbitrarily limit the compensation I receive to try to put myself back together," he said in a statement.

"I'll keep fighting to abolish this cruel and arbitrary cap, along with the brutal rules currently denying compensation to the vast majority of wrongfully convicted people."

In February, he received an initial payment from the government. The amount of compensation was not revealed, but The Guardian reported he would receive a "significant" six-figure sum as an interim payment.

On Tuesday, the MoJ said the increase would create "a fairer and better justice system".

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: "Fairness is the ideal that underpins our justice system. Where it has failed to meet that ideal, victims of devastating miscarriages of justice must be able to rebuild their lives.

"This uplift will ensure victims are compensated for the crimes they did not commit and the years they cannot get back."

Once eligible, the level of compensation will be decided by an independent assessor.

Investigator James Burley, who led Appeal's investigation into Mr Malkinson's case, said: "This is a step forward, but the increase falls far short of matching inflation since the cap's introduction in 2008.

"Wrongful conviction survivors like Andrew Malkinson have endured unimaginable pain. The compensation they receive to rebuild their lives should reflect that reality, not be limited by an arbitrary cap."

Trump says Ukraine should not target Moscow

Trump recently told the BBC he was "disappointed" but "not done" with Putin

In his call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump was "merely asking a question, not encouraging further killing", the White House told the BBC in a statement.

But this week, the Republican president said the US was "not looking to do that".

Citing anonymous sources, the outlet said Trump also asked if Ukraine could do so if the US provided the country long-range weapons.

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Ukraine should not target Moscow with strikes, after the Financial Times reported that Trump on 4 July had privately encouraged Ukraine to escalate attacks on Russia.

"He's working tirelessly to stop the killing and end this war", continued press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

On Monday, Trump announced he would send weapons to Ukraine and warned of more tariffs on Russia if the country did not come to a ceasefire deal with Ukraine in 50 days.

The president said the US would impose 100% secondary tariffs targeting Russia's remaining trade partners if a peace deal with Ukraine was not reached in that timeline.

Among the weapons involved in the latest deal, Trump said "everything" including defensive Patriot missiles, though the exact details are not yet known.

Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte said that the US, Europe and Ukraine are still working through the details of the weapons agreed in the deal.

In recent weeks, Russia has escalated its drone and missile attacks in Ukraine, killing more than 230 civilians in June, according to the United Nations - the largest number killed in a month during the three years of war.

Trump's question to Zelensky about whether the country could strike Moscow came a day after a "bad" call between the US president and Putin, according to the Financial Times.

"Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow? . . . Can you hit St Petersburg too?" Trump asked on a separate call with Zelensky after, the outlet reported.

Ukraine has struck several targets deep inside Russia this year with missiles provided by the US and the UK.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has pledged to end Russia's war in Ukraine.

But the promise has proven more complicated than expected, and Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with the Russian leader and the lack of progress in ending the conflict.

On Monday, Trump told the BBC that he was "disappointed" in Russian President Vladimir Putin. "But I'm not done with him," he added.

Trump also said he was "working at" getting Putin to put an end to killing in Ukraine.

"We'll have a great conversation. I'll say: 'That's good, I'll think we're close to getting it done,' and then he'll knock down a building in Kyiv."

Two rounds of ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine took place earlier this year but no other meetings have been scheduled.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that Trump's pledge to raise tariffs and send weapons to Ukraine was seen "not as a signal for peace but as a signal to continue the war".

Kew Gardens' Palm House will close for five years for major makeover

33 minutes ago Share Save Rebecca Morelle • @BBCMorelle Science Editor Alison Francis Senior Science Journalist Share Save

RBG Kew The renovation will begin in 2027 and will take an estimated five years

It's a makeover on a massive scale - it involves moving 1,300 plants, replacing 16,000 panes of glass and cleaning up hundreds of tonnes of iron. This is the ambitious £50m plan to renovate the world-famous Palm House, which sits at the heart of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. The hot and humid conditions inside have taken their toll on the building, which opened in 1848 and houses a tropical rainforest. Kew will also use the refurbishment – which will see the glass house closed for five years from 2027 – to reduce emissions from the Palm House to net zero.

Kevin Church/BBC News Kew's oldest pot plant will be one of the trickier specimens to relocate

The planning permission for the project has now been submitted, and some of the plants that make up the indoor tropical rainforest have started to be relocated. "This is probably the plant that I worry about moving the most," says Thomas Pickering, head of glasshouses. He's standing next to one of Kew's most precious specimens: a plant called Encephalartos altensteinii, which is a type of cycad. It's growing in a pot, and at 250 years old, it's older than the Palm House itself. It's also enormous - weighing more than a tonne and standing about 4m tall. "It's the sheer size of it. It has a huge weight in that root ball, but also this incredibly long stem, which is very old because they're incredibly slow-growing plants," says Pickering. The horticulturists will use scaffolds, supports and braces to protect the plant when the time comes for it to be moved. Other plants, that are a bit easier to shift, have already been taken to a temporary greenhouse.

Kevin Church/BBC News The Palm House is packed with plants from all over the world

"It's going to be a long term project," explains Pickering. "And over the next two years, it's going to be a process of selecting which plants we need to containerize (place in pots) and keep, which ones we need to propagate - and also some of the plants will be felled because we won't be able to move them."

RBG Kew The Palm House under construction in the 1840s

RBG Kew This is what its interior looked like when it was being built

RBG Kew It was completed in 1848 and was an engineering marvel of its time

The Palm House was built more than 175 years ago and was a wonder of the Victorian age. No-one had ever constructed a glass house on that scale before and the engineers borrowed techniques from the shipping industry to build the huge structure. It was last renovated in the 1980s, but now the iron is heavily rusting in places, so it will be stripped back to the bare metal work, repaired and repainted. All of the thousands of single glazed panes of glass will be replaced and tests are underway to find the best type of glass to provide maximum insulation.

Kevin Church/BBC News Techniques were borrowed from the shipping industry to build the huge structure

Kevin Church/BBC News The heat and humidity that help the plants to thrive have damaged it

Maintaining the Palm House's temperature at 21C uses a lot of energy, but now gas boilers will be replaced with air source and water source heat pumps. "This is an incredibly challenging building to make net zero," said Rachel Purdon, head of sustainability at Kew. "We can do a huge amount with things like sealing the glass and improving the heating systems to massively reduce the carbon footprint and improve the sustainability of the Palm House without impacting the aesthetics." The Water Lily House, which is located next to the Palm House, will also be made over as part of the renovation. The public will still be able to visit both for the next two years before they're closed for the works.

Kevin Church/BBC News The Palm House will use huge heat pumps to provide the warmth the plants need

Physician associates need new job title, says review

33 minutes ago Share Save Philippa Roxby Health Reporter Share Save

Getty Images The review recommends PAs wear a different uniform to doctors

Physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs), who assist doctors in GP surgeries and hospitals, should be known as "assistants" to avoid confusing patients, an independent review says. The review recommends PAs and AAs wear standardised clothing and badges to distinguish them from doctors, and that they should not diagnose patients. Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced the review last year, following a heated debate over the roles and responsibilities of the healthcare positions. The doctor's union, the BMA, says the review should have gone further.

Review author Prof Gillian Leng talked to doctors, patients and the public to collect evidence on the safety and effectiveness of the roles of PAs and AAs. She said a clear vision "was largely missing" when they were introduced in 2000 and there was no national plan for how the new roles would fit into existing teams, resulting in growing "confusion about the roles' purpose and remit". "Where capacity was limited in local services, gaps in medical posts were sometimes covered by PAs, without taking into account their more limited training or ensuring that supervisors had the necessary understanding of the roles and the time and skills required to provide appropriate oversight," Prof Leng added. She also listened to families of relatives who died after being treated by PAs, believing them to be qualified doctors. Emily Chesterton was told the calf pain she was experiencing in October 2022 was a sprain but it was in fact a blood clot. She died, aged 30, after being seen twice by a physician associate. Susan Pollitt, 77, was being treated by a PA in hospital two years ago after a pump was left in her stomach for 15 hours longer than it should have been. She died from an infection two days later. Her daughter Kate says the family have never blamed the PA involved but want more clarity. "As a family, when you've got someone in hospital, you don't think straight because you're just worried about your relative," she says. "Even though people are telling you who they are, you're not registering it. So I do think it needs to be made clear, with the uniform and the badges and the name. So we do welcome that," Kate says. In other cases, patients said they were satisfied after seeing a PA and felt listened to, the review says.

The review recommends physician associates should: be renamed "physician assistants" to reflect their supportive role in medical teams

not see new patients in primary or emergency care or make a diagnosis

have at least two years' hospital experience before working in a GP surgery or mental health trust

be part of a team led by a senior doctor

wear badges, lanyards and clothing to set them apart from doctors Anaesthesia associates should be renamed "physician assistants in anaesthesia" or PAAs. In addition, patients should be given clear information about the role of a PA and there should be a faculty to represent PAs and set standards for training.

Physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs) were introduced into the NHS in the early 2000s to ease doctors' workload. As their numbers grew, concerns were raised about the safety of the roles, the lack of clarity around their responsibilities and the impact they had on junior medics' work and training. PAs are not authorised to prescribe medication but they can order certain scans, take medical histories and conduct physical examinations. Anaesthesia associates (AAs) support surgery teams and are a much smaller group. There are now more than 3,000 PAs and AAs in England but the NHS workforce plan envisages that increasing to 12,000 by 2036. Both PAs and AAs have to complete a two-year postgraduate course. To be eligible they need to have either a science-related undergraduate degree or be a registered healthcare professional already. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges said there was a growing campaign against their use, fuelled by unsubstantiated claims on social media. It requested an independent review to set out the jobs they can safely do. PAs and AAs have been regulated by the General Medical Council, the body which also regulates doctors, since December 2024. Doctors' training takes many years longer, and anti-social hours and exams are a regular occurrence. The British Medical Association has said PAs and AAs were being asked to do tasks they were not meant to do and the lines with doctors were getting blurred.

Trip drink ad banned over claim it makes you calm

34 minutes ago Share Save Faarea Masud Business reporter Share Save

Trip

An advert by Trip drinks has been banned for making unauthorised claims it can "help you feel calm". The ad for the drink, which includes cucumber, mint and magnesium also claimed it could help or reduce stress and anxiety. This was not in line with rules on marketing food or drink ingredients as having health benefits, the advertising watchdog's investigation found. Trip said it had removed the claims while it awaited external advice but hoped to be in a position to make the claims in the future.

Trip drinks has tapped in to a burgeoning market for non-alcoholic drinks, advertising widely on social media and positioning itself as a brand that uses ingredients that, it claims, relax people. It calls itself the "UK's No.1 CBD brand". CBD, short for cannabidiol, is an extract of the marijuana plant and is commonly advertised as a relaxant, though it does not induce a "high" like other compounds found in the plant. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld three complaints made against Trip's advert for its cucumber and mint flavoured drink. It appeared on its website in December with the words: "Try me in the morning to help find some calm before a long day, or take a Trip to unwind when work is over." The ASA found the company made a host of claims about its "Mindful Blend" range having "viral ingredients", that were "calming". These included supplements Lion's Mane extract, L-theanine and ashwagandha.

Trip Trip's banned advert made health claims which are prohibited, the ad watchdog said

'It felt personal': Si King on avoiding Sycamore Gap tree felling site until now

32 minutes ago Share Save Martin Lindsay BBC North East Investigations Share Save

BBC Hairy Biker Si King has made an emotional return to Sycamore Gap for the first time since its felling

When the world-famous Sycamore Gap tree was illegally felled in September 2023, TV chef and Hairy Biker Si King was among those devastated by the wanton destruction. He was so angry he could not bring himself to visit the site again - until now.

He takes several deep breaths, steeling himself, then walks slowly up to the stump. Inside the fence surrounding the remains of the sycamore, several green shoots are growing. "Dear me," Si says simply, before turning away, too overwhelmed by the "big yawning gap" in the landscape. "I've put off coming to see it, because I didn't want to," he says. Si inspects the scars left by a chainsaw blade. "Absolutely mindless," he adds. On the morning of 28 September 2023, when news that the much-loved landmark had been felled spread globally, Si was among those expressing their fury. "You've just murdered a sentinel of time and elemental spirit of Northumberland," he raged on social media. "For whatever warped reason you've done it, it's shocking." The TV chef, best known as one half of the Hairy Bikers, had to postpone filming that day because of his "visceral reaction" to the news.

South Shore Productions/PA Si King found fame as one half of the Hairy Bikers, appearing with Dave Myers on the BBC cookery series

In his direct message to those responsible - a 44 second clip that's had almost two million views on X - he furiously ranted that he hoped they had a conscience. Coming from the north-east of England, where the tree had grown for more than 100 years, Si knew its importance. "There was a magic and majesty to it," he says, calling it an "absolute exclamation mark of who we are in this part of the world". Men jailed for felling 'irreplaceable' sycamore

Listen to Felled: The Sycamore Gap story

Watch The Sycamore Gap: From Roots to Ruin Si had been sent the news of its felling in a text message by a close friend, who had come to cherish the tree following a personal tragedy. He hoped she was mistaken, but links to news articles sent in follow-up messages brought the dreaded confirmation. Such was his anger, he had to record his condemnation video several times because of the swearing in the original versions.

Si King said he had a "visceral reaction" to the news the tree had been felled

Following a third expletive-free attempt, he asked fellow Hairy Biker and best friend Dave Myers if it was acceptable to be shared with their one million followers on X. "I was absolutely raging," Si says. "That level of vandalism and brutal bitterness was beyond my comprehension. "I can't comprehend the mindset that would just do that. I don't understand that character and personality. That was just plain nasty. "It felt so personal." That sentiment was shared by millions both in the UK and around the world.

Northumbria Police Adam Carruthers and Daniel Graham have never admitted that they felled the tree

Sycamore Gap was the scene of marriage proposals, wedding photographs and somewhere grieving families scattered ashes. For Si, it was a "special place" that provided moments of "peace", "solace" and "counsel." It was also somewhere he visited when "in crisis." Five months after the tree was cut down, his on-screen partner and "best mate" Dave died at the age of 66, two years after revealing he had cancer. Had the tree still been there, Si says he would have gone there to reflect on his loss, "given the year everybody involved with the Hairy Bikers has had".

PA Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers felled the Sycamore Gap tree during a storm on the night of the 27 to 28 September 2023

However, with only the stump remaining, it was "too much" for him to visit in the immediate aftermath of Dave's death. On one occasion he drove to the road adjacent to Sycamore Gap, but his emotions halted his return and he "looked away", unable to bring himself to stop his car. It was only in June, after Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers, both from Cumbria, had been found guilty of chopping down the tree, that he says he felt ready to return, accompanied by a BBC film crew for the documentary The Sycamore Gap: From Roots to Ruin. "It's quite difficult to put into words," he says, as he surveys the scene. "I'm an emotional human being and it's sorely missed - tragically so."

PA/Owen Humphries Sycamore Gap was one of the most photographed trees in the UK

Sycamore Gap had extra poignancy to Si because of another personal tragedy. The close friend who had texted him on the day to say the tree had been cut down had lost her son when he was just 18. Following the teenager's death, Sycamore Gap became a natural place for them to gather and grieve. "The impact of that, because we were all very close, was enormous," Si says. The peacefulness of Sycamore Gap was "of solace" to them all, so much so the tree was depicted on the young man's gravestone. "Sycamore Gap is that important," Si says. "It's not just a tree."

Follow BBC North East on X and Facebook and BBC Cumbria on X and Facebook and both on Nextdoor and Instagram.

'£7bn Afghan migrant cover-up' and 'Kitchen nightmare'

30 minutes ago Share Save Share Save

News that the UK government secretly relocated thousands of Afghans after a data leak put their lives at risk from the Taliban dominates Wednesday's papers. The Daily Telegraph leads with its take on the "£7bn Afghan migrant cover-up", saying the UK secretly offered asylum to 24,000 Afghans after a 2022 data breach exposed the names and personal details of 19,000 people. The paper says the scheme was kept secret for almost two years due to a super-injunction requested by the government.

The UK government fought for two years to keep the "fiasco" hidden using an "unprecedented" super-injunction to gag the media and public, says the i Paper. The paper also quotes former defence secretary Ben Wallace who defended the court order saying "The judge did the right thing... It saved lives".

The Metro reports the gag order was finally lifted by a High Court judge on Tuesday, who says the injunction had "given rise to serious free speech concerns".

The Times features quotes from Labour chairman of the defence select committee Tan Dhesi, who says the data breach and super-injunction were "an absolute mess and wholly unacceptable". Alongside is a photograph of UK troops and Afghans sitting on the ground as military helicopters fly over them.

The Financial Times follows with its coverage of the "secret multi-billion pound scheme", saying the plan was to relocate 25,000 people at a "potential cost of £7bn" according to a government estimate. The paper reports that the government has moved about 18,500 Afghans to the UK so far.

"Ministers still won't come clean on secret Afghan airlifts" declares the Daily Mail. The paper says taxpayers and MPs were "kept in the dark" as the cost of the scheme was signed off.

"Panicked" minsters and officials at the Ministry of Defence learned of the data breach in August 2023 and feared publicity of the incident could put the lives of thousands of Afghans at risk, the Guardian reports. Elsewhere, the paper also reports on the firing of Masterchef John Torode after an allegation of racist language was upheld.

The Daily Mirror headlines their lead on Torode's firing with "BBC's kitchen nightmare". The paper says the incident has left Masterchef's future "in doubt".

"Sackings don't get tougher than this" says the Daily Star, as it features a story on Torode breaking his silence after "getting the boot".

Finally, the "moronic mission" of two men who cut down the iconic Sycamore Gap tree takes top spot on the Daily Express. The paper reports the men have both been jailed for four years after felling the world-famous Northumberland landmark in a fit of "drunken stupidity".

French PM looks to scrap two public holidays in bold bid to cut national debt

Bayrou runs the risk of having his budget voted down in parliament in the autumn, which could eventually cause his government to collapse.

He said the various bank holidays had turned the month of May into a gruyère - a Swiss cheese full of holes - although he added he was open to other suggestions.

Bayrou suggested axing Easter Monday and 8 May, a day that commemorates the Allied victory at the end of World War Two in Europe.

France's Prime Minister François Bayrou has proposed cutting two public holidays as part of a 2026 budget proposal to slash overall spending while also increasing defence expenses.

But on Tuesday he stressed that France - the eurozone's second economy - was "in mortal danger" of being crushed by debt.

Standing in front of a lectern emblazoned with the words "The moment of truth", Bayrou spoke for over an hour outlining a series of daring measures that he said should bring the annual budget deficit under control.

These include a freeze on public spending for next year, ending tax breaks for the wealthy and a reduction in the number of civil servants.

The budget also needs to factor in President Emmanuel Macron's call for France's defence spending to rise by €3.5bn (£3bn) next year and then by a further €3bn in 2027.

But the proposal to cut the two May public holidays was the most eye-catching suggestion. Bayrou said Easter Monday had "no religious significance", and the whole nation had to work and produce more.

His idea made headlines immediately - and drew condemnation from several sides.

The far-right National Rally (RN) party damned it as an attack on French history and on French workers, while Green party leader Marine Tondelier lamented that the day that commemorated victory against Nazism would no longer be a holiday.

Pressed by reporters after his speech, Bayrou said his proposal was "basic arithmetic".

"If we want to stay on course, we need to find more than €40bn," Bayrou argued, referring to the €43.8bn France needs to slash from its budget to rein in debt, which he said grows by €5,000 every second.

The French government aims to bring the deficit down from 5.8% last year to below 4.6% next year and to under 3% by 2029, Bayrou said.

The embattled centrist prime minister has only been in the job since December, following on from the short-lived premiership of Michel Barnier.

Barnier's government used executive powers to push his own bill that sought to rein in France's deficit through an even harsher budget than Bayrou's.

The move proved unacceptable to the National Rally and left-wing parties, which all voted against Barnier, causing the government to collapse through a no-confidence vote for the first time since 1962.

The same factions are now threatening to do it again when Bayrou's budget is put to a vote in the autumn.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon of the radical left France Unbowed (LFI) said that the PM had to be ousted, while RN leader Marine Le Pen accused Bayrou of preferring to "attack the French, workers and pensioners, instead of slashing wastage", and vowed to bring him down "if he doesn't revise his plans".

But Bayrou said his government "wanted to change things" to restore public finances and would do so "despite the risk" of a no-confidence vote.

Since last summer's surprise snap election the French parliament has been deeply divided into three blocs that have resisted working together. Another election may well result in a similar deadlock.

If Bayrou's government collapses President Macron will have to choose a successor or appoint an unelected technocrat government - neither of which would be palatable to MPs.

His own popularity is under 25% and there has been a clamour for him to step down sooner than the end of his second term in 2027 - something he has consistently resisted.

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It is not often supporters are worried by rumours their club might be about to break their transfer record.

But that is what is happening among some Newcastle United fans, with the Magpies moving for Eintracht Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitike.

Newcastle's initial bid of £70m has been turned down by the Bundesliga club as the Magpies seek to agree what would be a club-record deal to land the coveted young forward.

With Premier League champions Liverpool also in the market for a central striker and known to have firm interest in Newcastle's Alexander Isak, it is inevitable some are drawing a certain conclusion.

BBC Sport understands the Premier League champions have made a move towards a deal for the Sweden striker in recent days. They have also explored the parameters for other centre-forward targets.

According to sources, it is believed a package to sign Isak could cost up to £130m - and the Magpies have been steadfast in their stance that their superstar striker is not for sale.

Those who know Newcastle believe they are trying to build a multi-layered attack capable of quickly switching tactics.

Those who know Ekitike, who has also been linked with Liverpool, know him as a versatile forward capable of scoring from all sorts of positions.

Newcastle have maintained throughout the summer that their top players - and Isak is certainly one of those - are not available for transfer.

So would Ekitike be a partner for Isak - or is there is a danger he could be his replacement?

Scottie Scheffler may have won three majors and an Olympic gold medal in his career but the 29-year-old started his Open Championship week by questioning why he even plays the sport.

The American won this year's US PGA Championship to add to his two Masters titles and victory at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

He has been world number one for 112 consecutive weeks and has earned more than £65m in prize money on the PGA Tour but these are not figures that Scheffler wishes to dwell on.

"This is not a fulfilling life," he said.

"It's fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment but it's not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart.

"There are a lot of people that make it to what they thought was going to fulfil them in life, and you get there, you get to number one in the world, and they're like, 'what's the point?'

"I really do believe that because, what is the point? Why do I want to win this tournament so bad? That's something that I wrestle with on a daily basis."

Like any Test match there were a number of factors at play.

The pitch certainly favoured the bowlers, with Australia's first innings 225 the highest total of the match before the tourists were bowled out for just 121 in their second innings.

Then there is the quality of the opposition. Australia are the number one ranked Test team in the world while West Indies are eighth out of 12.

The tourists, who host England in the Ashes this winter, won their matches in the three-Test series by 159, 133 and 176 runs respectively.

Mitchell Starc, one of the best fast bowlers of this generation, bowled a fearsome opening spell that demolished the West Indies' top order in Jamaica on Monday.

"Out of nowhere," said Australia captain Pat Cummins, Starc can "tear an opposition apart and win a game for you."

Left-armer Starc was also armed with a pink ball since the third Test was a day-night game. Starc has taken 81 wickets in day-night cricket, far ahead of the next best, his Australia team-mate Cummins who has 43.

The pink ball has similar characteristics to one-day cricket's white ball in that some believe it swings more, certainly in the right conditions. Of bowlers to have taken more than 200 wickets in one-day internationals, only India's Mohammed Shami (25.8) has a better strike-rate (average balls bowled per wicket) than Starc's frankly incredible 26.6.

Australia were also helped by some pretty sloppy shots as the batting line-up disintegrated. Of those who played, opener John Campbell was the highest-ranked player in the world Test batting rankings at 78. Australia have four in the current top 20: Steve Smith, Travis Head, Alex Carey and Usman Khawaja.

"Assessing this series is simple: the bowlers kept us in the contest and the batting let us down time after time," was captain Roston Chase's frank assessment.

It is further evidence of the decline of West Indies cricket since its 1970s and 1980s heyday.

Of the 87 Test series they have played since 2000, West Indies have won just 23, with 15 of those coming against three weaker Test-playing nations in Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan.

Three of their five lowest innings totals have occurred in the 21st Century, with another in 1999.

That said, they did claim a credible draw in a two-Test series in Australia in 2024, proving they do have the quality to compete with the best on their day. They were also without some of their more established players such as Jason Holder, Kemar Roach and Gudakesh Motie.

England captain Leah Williamson says Euro 2025 quarter-final opponents Sweden are "relentless" at major tournaments and "deserve a little bit more recognition".

Sarina Wiegman's side finished runners-up in Group D, while Sweden won all three group matches to finish top of Group C and set up Thursday's match (20:00 BST).

Sweden beat Euro 2022 finalists Germany 4-1 with an impressive performance in their last match and conceded just one goal in the group stage.

Alongside England and France, they are the only nations to have reached the quarter-finals in all five major tournaments since 2017.

And aside from their 4-0 loss to England in the Euro 2022 semi-finals, Sweden have won six of their past seven games in the competition.

"Sweden's previous results at tournaments are incredible. They are relentless when it comes to tournament football," said Williamson.

"Maybe disrespectful is too strong a word, but I do think they deserve a little bit more recognition.

"When you have a team who work for each other like Sweden, then you don't need to necessarily have a crazy standout threat because everyone plays their roles.

"They are hard to prepare for in that sense. The discipline for them all to complete their jobs on the pitch makes them a dangerous side."

Jule Brand, Lauren James, Claudia Pina and Delphine Cascarino are all among the scorers of some of the best goals of the group stage at Uefa Women's Euro 2025.

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