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There is widespread flooding and damage around the UK, with thousands of homes left without power, hundreds of schools closed and major travel disruption.
Southern England and the Channel Islands have been worst-hit by Ciarán, with 80 flood warnings still in place across England.
No UK deaths have so far been linked to the rain and 100mph (161km/h) gusts.
But countless homes around the country have been severely damaged - with some residents even believing they have been hit by tornadoes - and many still assessing the full scale of the destruction. It follows a series of other flooding incidents in recent weeks.
One yellowweather warningfor rain remains in place until Friday evening in eastern Scotland, with the rest of the country no longer covered by any other weather warnings.
More than 200flood alertshave been issued for England, alongside the 86 flood warnings where flooding is expected, but there are currently no severe flood warnings - the highest category - in place.
Dozens of people in Jersey were evacuated to hotels overnight on Wednesday after gusts of up to 102mph (164km/h) were recorded. Locals were also hit by huge hailstones "bigger than golf balls".
In St Clement, Sharon Mackie Marquer filmed video showing the destruction around her home, with roof tiles littering her garden and the fence knocked over. Cars smashed up by debris and overturned tables can also be seen.
A clip from the same Jersey parish showed Jessica O'Reilly sleeping in bed alongside her baby when the sound of the 'weather bomb' woke her - seconds before the window was blown inwards.
She described the moment her "motherly instinct" kicked in, telling the BBC: "We went up to bed and could hear the wind getting stronger and stronger, closer and closer.
"Something didn't seem right, then the windows just smashed in, I grabbed [my daughter] and got out the room.
"I think I just thought 'my baby's in danger, I need to get out' and ran down the stairs."
She added that her house is not habitable as there is still glass everywhere, and they are having to stay in a hotel - but despite the shock, there was "not a scratch" on mother or baby.
St Helier-based Carl Walker, the chairman of Jersey's Consumer Council, said his family were woken by hailstones at midnight, which he said had stuck together to create "golf ball-sized lumps of ice".
He explained: "We camped out in our living room downstairs with our children because it was just simply too noisy and too frightening to be upstairs in the bedrooms - tiles were lifting, debris was hitting the roof, windows were flexing.
"The noise of the wind was just incredible and quite frightening. It was like a scene from a disaster movie."
Mags Balston, who is in her 80s and has lived in her house in Jersey for 21 years, told the BBC that she is still in shock after spending the night in her kitchen after the windows blew in.
She recalls "a sudden explosion like a bomb had gone off" but wants to stay in her home as she does not want to move the cat.
Elsewhere across the British Isles, roofs have been blown off, some train lines have completely ground to a halt and there were long queues around the Port of Dover, which shut earlier amid rough seas.
Some train companies had asked commuters to work from home ahead of major disruption to lines in southern England and Scotland.
South Western Railway was among the rail providers impacted and said services across the whole network may be cancelled, delayed or revised - with disruptions expected until the end of Thursday.
The storm caused chaos for drivers too, and the AA, which had a large number of callouts in southern England, said it had rescued 84 customers stuck in floods so far on Thursday. One driver caught in flood water was being treated for hypothermia, it added.
There was also significant disruption at airports, with all flights from Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney cancelled on Thursday.
In Northern Ireland, which is experiencing flooding following heavy rain and weather warnings earlier this week, oneassembly member branded the scenes in County Down "apocalyptic", with flood waters "decimating" local businesses.
In France, where 1.2 million people were reported to be without electricity, a lorry driver was killed after being struck by a falling tree. Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands have also been badly hit.
Around 9,000 homes across Devon and Cornwall, Sussex, Surrey and the Channel Islands were left without power earlier today.
Emergency services said earlier anunoccupied vehicle which washed off a promenade in Devonon Wednesday night will remain on a beach until it is safe to recover it.
In Falmouth, student Kate Marsh told the BBC she was woken at 05:30 GMT when the roof of her bedroom entirely blew off and collapsed onto her.
Aaron Waterer had a similar experience in his motorhome in Broadstairs, Kent.
A large tree branch was ripped off in strong winds and pierced the roof - ending up just centimetres above his mattress.
But 47-year-old Mr Waterer was out of bed getting a drink of water at the time of the incident, around 02:00 GMT.
"My nerves were all shot", he said.
"I just didn't know what to do, it was just shock. I still don't think it has sunk in that much, it's just bizarre."
In south Wales, a caravan park was evacuated following a risk to life warning, with "the majority" of the Kiln Park site underwater. One man was pictured kayaking through the area.
In Dorset, firefighters evacuated 70 people from 198 caravans at Freshwater Holiday Park in Burton Bradstock, near Bridport, with some being taken to dry land by boat.
Many children remained at home across the country, as more than 300 schools closed in southern England, mainly in Devon.
Albourne School in Hassocks, West Sussex, closed after it was struck by lightning, lost power and was flooded.
The Government of Jersey said schools will close for a second day on Friday, as they aim to get pupils back in classrooms on Monday.
Elizabeth Rizzini, from BBC Weather, said many coastal areas had been exposed to dangerously large waves.
"The wind gusts have now peaked... winds will ease as we head through the rest of (Thursday) as the storm pulls out into the North Sea", she explained.
But Ms Rizzini warned some gusts of 60-65mph (97-105km/h) could still be expected along the coast, particularly in eastern areas.
She added: "We are going to see more heavy rain, another 40 to 60mm perhaps over the higher ground of the Pennines."
Strong winds and rain are expected overnight in north-east England and northern Scotland, but Friday is forecast to be calmer.
Storm Ciarán is the third named storm of the year, after Babet caused significant flooding to thousands of homes a fortnight ago, and Agnes struck in late September.
BBC Weather's Matt Taylor confirmed that Ciarán has been classified as a weather bomb, or 'explosive cyclogenesis'.
He explained that meteorologists use the term for a storm "that appears to intensify rapidly, with its central air pressure dropping by at least 24 millibars (mb) in 24 hours."
Experts say a warming atmosphere increases the chance of intense rainfall and storms.
However, many factors contribute to extreme weather and it takes time for scientists to calculate how much impact climate change has had on particular events - if any.
The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.
Additional reporting by Sean Seddon. | Communities across the British Isles are reeling after Storm Ciarán battered homes and businesses. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67300601?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
It is fair to say the rising star of British cinema has not taken the easy route.
The 30-year-old, who trained as a cinematographer, both wrote and directed her debut, which follows three female teens who excitedly head to a party town in Crete to celebrate the end of their GCSEs.
But while the exuberance of youth is gloriously celebrated in the bars and clubs of Malia, there is a dark underbelly to this tale of self-discovery as the trio navigate sex and consent.
Warning: themes of a sexual nature and discussion of sexual assault discussed below.
Persuasion actress Mia McKenna-Bruce takes the leading role as Tara, who is self-conscious about still being a virgin and finds herself in uncharted territory on a night out.
Manning Walker says the idea for the story came from a "formative memory" she has of seeing a man being given oral sex on stage during a bar crawl on a holiday she went on as a teenager.
"I started writing from there. We spent a bit of time in Malia doing research. We really tried to... engage with real life and what was going on. And then we did some workshops where we talked to 16-year-olds and their concept of consent, and it was quite wild what came out of that."
Without giving too much away, Tara finds herself in two dangerous situations with one of the lads from the group staying in the apartment next door.
"For me, every woman I know has been sexually assaulted and not every man I know would claim to have had that experience or to have been a perpetrator. So I think there's a real gap there in what people understand as assault," says Manning Walker.
"And I think that's where we have to open the conversation up to allow men and women to discuss what's going on."
The film focuses on not just the perpetrator, Paddy (Samuel Bottomley), but also his mate, Badger (Shaun Thomas) who develops a genuine friendship with Tara.
Manning Walker said: "It was really important that we don't lock men out of the conversation. I wanted men to recognise themselves in the characters and although Badger is really fun...and sweet, he fails her [Tara] and he doesn't stand up at the right moment.
"He kind of enables his mate to continue the behaviour. And I think that's [what] we're trying to talk about ... don't assault people, that should be obvious. But... let's talk about stuff with our friends, let's care for other people. Let's make kindness more forefront in our lives."
While the film tackles a serious subject, it's certainly not all bleak.
The film has some powerful shifts in tone, with switch-ups between light and dark, fun and fear, pure joy and intense despair.
Carefree moments are often quickly tempered with a growing tension that builds to a crescendo.
Manning Walker explains: "We designed the film in two halves. The first half is meant to be like this fun girls' holiday, escapism, light and airy.
"And then there's the second half. The camera style changes. Everything's dirty or more [expletive] up and the intensity of the performances... everyone feels it. The bass [music] gets deeper and darker, the crickets actually get louder and faster in the background. And this intensity just keeps going throughout the film."
The director is keen to point out that while Malia is a vehicle for the movie's narrative, sexual assault can obviously happen anywhere, not just on hedonistic group trips abroad.
"I don't want to put too much blame on these holidays because I had some of the best times of my life [on these types of trips]. These kind of things happen in all circumstances like in London in clubs, or when you go camping, or at music festivals. It happens wherever."
The complexity of playing the role of Tara, who goes through so many mixed emotions and is fundamentally changed by the film's conclusion, was a challenge McKenna-Bruce relished.
She modestly stresses that her authentic performance was down to the camaraderie of the close-knit team of cast and crew, fostered by Manning Walker.
"It's 100% down to Molly and the cast. We all connected on a really, really deep level. The set in itself was super-supportive, super-safe from the get-go."
As is common practice in the modern-day film industry, the production employed an intimacy co-ordinator, who protects and guides actors filming intimate scenes.
"It was the first time I've worked with an intimacy co-ordinator, which is insane," McKenna-Bruce tells me.
"To me, it's crazy to think that you wouldn't have intimacy co-ordinators in the same way that you'd have stunt co-ordinators. You wouldn't expect someone to do a fight without a stunt co-ordinator. We choreographed everything to a tee."
The film also tackles toxic female friendship and peer pressure, with Tara's friend Skye (Lara Peake) often putting her down and making fun of her lack of sexual experience.
"I didn't want it to be just coming from the men. I wanted it to come from all angles," says Manning Walker.
"We get to see those glimpses with Skye, like her mum not being present," says McKenna-Bruce.
"It's projection and you allow yourself to take these jabs from people for their benefit. And that's something that you don't have to do."
While secondary schools do teach consent as part of theRSHE curriculum,Manning Walker thinks more could be done.
"It's so binary, so law-based and for me, I'm like, 'you have to stop thinking ⦠the police are going to protect us'.
"We're trying to get a sex education situation going, we really want to take it [the film] into schools," she adds.
She said: "We've had amazing experiences, like an older man watched it and said that he realised that he'd been Paddy, and also young people saying thank you for making something that makes us feel so seen."
The Schools Consent Project sends lawyers into schools to teach consent to 11 to 18-year-olds.
Founder Kate Parker told the BBC: "Films like How to Have Sex are essential in bringing these conversations to a wider audience.
"Consent can often be seen as a clunky legal term; these sorts of films reframe it in a disarmingly relatable way. They encourage their audiences to really scrutinise what consent looks and feels like, what a violation is, how to articulate that, and what to do when other factors are involved: alcohol, drugs, peer pressure, etc."
Daniel Guinness of Beyond Equality, a charity that helps boys and men rethink masculinity to empower them, says:"It's important for men to understand that they also have the right and the ability to give their consent or not give their consent to things.
"And it's [also] important for men and boys, because at the moment, they are the ones who are perpetrating more of the sexual violence. It's really important they're very aware about the need for them to be checking in with any partner that they have."
And while controversial influencers such as Andrew Tate have arguably made conversations around consent more difficult for young people, McKenna-Ball is glad women's voices are being heard.
"I think with voices like Molly's in the industry, that in itself is moving forward. I feel like this didn't exist for me growing up. So the fact that it does now is a step in the right direction.
"Obviously [there's] a lot further to go... as much as there's a lot that's still very, very hard to deal with and frustrating, there is movement and there is light at the end of the tunnel."
If you have been affected by any of the issues discussed in this storyyou can find help and support at BBC Action Line.
Additional reporting by Rebecca Swash.
How to Have Sex is in cinemas across the UK. | Sexual consent and the "gap in understanding" about what sexual assault actually means is the subject of Molly Manning Walker's visceral debut feature film, How to Have Sex. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-67203958?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
"I was taught how to snitch by my grandfather who was a snitch himself," claims a woman who goes by the name of Anna Korobkova. She says she lives in a large Russian city but refuses to say which one.
But she does say her grandfather was an anonymous informant for the Soviet secret police during Stalin's reign, when denunciations were part of everyday life, and she's following in his footsteps. Now, she is reporting anyone she thinks is a critic of the war in Ukraine.
Korobkova claims to have written 1,397 denunciations since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. She says people have been fined, fired and labelled as foreign agents because of her denunciations.
"I do not feel sorry for them," she reveals. "I feel joy if they are punished because of my denunciations."
New censorship laws were introduced shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Since then, Korobkova has spent most of her free time online, often reporting people for "discrediting the Russian army" - an offence that carries a fine of up to 50,000 roubles ($560; £450) or up to five years' imprisonment if it is committed more than twice.
Korobkova is very cautious about talking to me and will only communicate via email. She does not want to show her face and refuses to provide proof of her identity. She says this is because she frequently receives death threats and fears her information could get hacked or stolen.
She seems to have two motives for snitching on her fellow citizens. Firstly, she tells me she believes she is helping Russia defeat Ukraine and, secondly, she thinks it will help protect her own financial stability. She lives alone and works part-time as a humanities professor, relying heavily on her savings. But Korobkova fears Russia could end up paying reparations if the conflict goes Ukraine's way and that could affect the finances of the whole country and everyone who lives there.
"All those who oppose the special military operation are rivals of my own wellbeing," she explains, predicting a win for Ukraine would be a loss for her. "I could lose all my savings and would have to get a full-time job."
Since the new censorship laws were introduced, more than 8,000 cases have been opened against people for discrediting the army, according to independent Russian human rights group OVD-Info.
Korobkova mostly reports people who speak to the media, especially those who appear on international outlets, such as the BBC. One of Korobkova's targets is anthropologist Aleksandra Arkhipova.
"She has reported me seven times," Arkhipova says. "Writing denunciations is her way of interacting with authorities. She considers it her mission.
"She has found her niche. Her denunciations silence experts quite effectively," adds Arkhipova, who is now in exile and thinks Korobkova's actions could have contributed to her being labelled a foreign agent by the Russian state in May.
"Friends of mine, whom she denounced, now refuse to give any comments to any media. So, you could say she has been successful. Mission completed."
Another target was a teacher in Moscow called Tatiana Chervenko.
When Russia introduced patriotism classes in September 2022, Chervenko decided to teach maths instead, she told TV Rain, Russia's last independent channel, which was shut down by the government and is now based in the Netherlands.
As a result, Korobkova, who saw her TV interview, started making denunciations against Chervenko, complaining to her employer, the Moscow education department and Russia's child rights commissioner.
Chervenko was subsequently fired in December 2022.
Korobkova shows no remorse for her actions, instead she proudly keeps a database of people she has reported, including the consequences.
She claims that following her denunciations six people were fired from their jobs and 15 others issued administrative charges and fined.
Although Korobkova insists she targets people she believes are enemies of the state, other people have told the BBC denunciations are also being used in Russia to settle personal scores.
Fisherman Yaroslav Levchenko is from the Kamchatka Peninsula, in Russia's far east, known not just for its volcanic landscapes and extraordinary wildlife but also for its large military presence. Many people in this region are pro-Putin including Levchenko's colleagues.
In February 2023, Levchenko's ship docked at the port of Kamchatka after a month-long fishing trip. He says a fellow fisherman offered him an alcoholic drink, which he refused. He believes the other man already held a grudge against him and they ended up in an argument. Levchenko explains that he was hit over the head with a bottle and later woke up in hospital.
Levchenko says when he was discharged and went to a police station to file a report, he was horrified to learn he was the one who had been reported - not for assault but for holding anti-war views. He claims police told him there was not enough evidence to bring criminal charges against his colleague.
Levchenko was then arrested on 13 July. According to court documents seen by the BBC, he is accused of justifying terrorism, charges he denies, and is being held in prison while he awaits trial.
The only way he can tell his story to the BBC is via letters, passed through his lawyer. "Investigators state I used physical force towards other seamen⦠expressing intentions of participating in hostilities against the Russian Federation," Levchenko writes.
Levchenko's friends tell me they think his denunciation was to divert the police's attention away from the assault against him and the fact that alcohol was being consumed on board a ship, which was prohibited.
"I just want to come home," Levchenko says. "The sky is just visible from my jail cell, through several rows of bars, and it's unbearable," he writes in a letter to his friend that was shared with the BBC.
Russian police have acknowledged they have been inundated with denunciations since the war began. Officials have told the BBC anonymously they are spending large amounts of time investigating and revising "endless charges on the discrediting of the army".
"People are always looking for an excuse to denounce someone over the 'special military operation'," a recently retired police officer told the BBC, adding: "Whenever something real comes up, there's nobody to investigate. Everyone's gone to check on some grandma who saw a curtain that looked like the Ukrainian flag."
With President Putin's repeated calls to "punish betrayers" and the end of the war in Ukraine nowhere in sight, serial snitches like Korobkova show no sign of wanting to stop reporting on their fellow citizens.
"I'm going to keep writing denunciations," she writes in an email to the BBC, adding: "I have a lot of work to do." | Snitching, or reporting neighbours, colleagues and even strangers to the authorities, was common in Russia's Soviet era. Now, as the government cracks down on critics of the Ukraine war, people with personal grudges and political ideals are denouncing others once again. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-67427422?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
The encounter on 15 November will be only their second face-to-face meeting during the Biden presidency.
It will be wide-ranging, US officials said, with the Israel-Hamas war, Taiwan, war in Ukraine and election interference to be discussed.
Relations between the two countries deteriorated earlier this year.
The US accused China of sending a spy balloon across its air space. An American warplane shot it down off the coast of South Carolina.
There was alsoa visit to Taiwan last year by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, which led China to break off communication between the two nations' militaries.
Mr Biden is "determined" to restore those channels, two senior administration officials said last week, but China appeared "reluctant" to do so.
"This is not the relationship of five or 10 years ago, we're not talking about a long list of outcomes or deliverables," one of the officials said.
"The goals here really are about managing the competition, preventing the downside of risk - of conflict, and ensuring channels of communication are open."
The BBC has also learned that Mr Xi will attend a private dinner with US business executives in San Francisco after his meeting with Mr Biden.
For $40,000 (£32,800), guests can sit at the Chinese president's table. Tickets start at $2,000 per person.
A spokesman for the National Committee on US-China Relations, one of the organisers of the dinner, had earlier told the BBC an "extremely senior" Chinese official would attend a planned event, though he would not confirm if it was Mr Xi.
The Biden-Xi bilateral will take place during the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) summit, which the US is hosting in San Francisco from 11 to 17 November.
Taiwan is likely to be at the top of the list of topics China will be keen to discuss. It claims sovereignty over the self-ruled island, which is set to hold elections early next year.
Mr Xi may ask for additional reassurances that the US does not support Taiwanese independence. Mr Biden, meanwhile, is expected to underscore American concerns about Beijing's military activities around Taiwan, according to a senior administration official.
There will also be discussions about US restrictions on technology exports to China and tensions over Beijing's territorial claims in the South China and East China Seas.
Aside from these core disagreements over trade and competition, Mr Biden's most urgent request will be for China to restrain Iran by using what influence Beijing has to warn it against escalating violence in the Middle East in response to the Israel-Hamas war.
Analysts predict the summit may result in some modest achievements - perhaps on restoring military communications and restricting the flow of Chinese-made Fentanyl.
But neither side is expecting any breakthroughs that would reset the relationship - this will be about managing and stabilising it.
The Chinese blame the deterioration in relations on Washington. Mr Xi made that clear in March when he accused the US of "encircling, containing and suppressing China", said Jude Blanchett of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank.
And while China's US ambassador Xie Feng recently extolled positive steps towards improving ties, he stressed the importance of assurances.
Beijing wants to know "that the US does not seek to change China's system, does not seek a new Cold War, does not support Taiwan independence and has no intention to seek decoupling from China", he said at the Hong Kong Forum on US-China relations.
The Biden administration says it's trying to counter aggressive Chinese behaviour that flouts international norms.
But it has worked hard to ease tensions after the balloon crisis - sending three cabinet members to Beijing since June, including the Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Mr Blinken hadabruptly cancelled a planned visit to Beijingin February, saying China's decision to fly the apparent spy balloon over the US was "unacceptable and irresponsible".
But whenthe trip eventually went ahead in Junehe had what he described as "a robust conversation" with Mr Xi. The summit is the result of this hands-on diplomacy.
US officials say their diplomats have been raising the importance of re-establishing military dialogue in "nearly every conversation" with their Chinese counterparts over the past year, but with no success.
The spy balloon incident, "comes up often" when discussing the communications freeze, one official said.
"I think the balloon episode underscored the difficulty we had at the time to be able to establish high-level, consequential communications with Beijing," the official added.
"And we've made that case persistently and consistently."
US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen also held talks with Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng last week, ahead of the Xi-Biden meeting, to discuss economic co-operation between the two countries.
Ahead of the visit, Chinese state media outlet Global Times wrote an editorial that put the responsibility on Mr Biden to "overcome and eliminate disruptions" between China and the US.
"There is a dark force in Washington that is undermining US-China relations, and the more critical the moment, the more active they become," the 8 November editorial said.
With reporting from Robert Plummer in London, Brandon Drenon in Washington and Tessa Wong in Singapore.
What do you want to know about China-US relations? Our experts will be answering your questions on Wednesday.
In some cases your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read ourterms & conditionsandprivacy policy.
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If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of theBBC websiteto submit your question or send them via email [email protected]. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in. | US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping are to meet on Wednesday in the San Francisco Bay area. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-67381821?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
The Met Office has extended ayellow warning for rainafter Storm Ciarán brought flooding and damage.
The Environment Agency (EA) said rivers would rise "really quickly" as the ground was already saturated by rain.
It urged people to sign up to theEA's flood warning serviceand check their area.
The Met Office warned: "Flooding of a few homes and businesses is possible.
"Large waves may lead to dangerous conditions across some English Channel coastlines."
Clarissa Newell, from the Environment Agency in the South West, said: "When the catchments are full of water like this it's really important to know that it will rise very quickly.
"You can think you're having a bit of rain then suddenly it's coming in through your door."
In this situation, she warned people turning off electricity and gas, and moving to safety, and "bringing important documents with you", was key.
Bee Tucker, BBCSW broadcast meteorologist, said: "Some places have had close to 50mm (2ins) of rain since the start of the month, almost a third of the average rainfall for November.
"Some of the heaviest showers could give 20mm (0.8in) of rain and some places could get all their monthly average rainfall by the end of play on Sunday."
Across the British Isles,the clean-up after Storm Ciarán continued on Saturday, after roofs were blown off homes and some train lines completely ground to a halt.
In Hampshire,families in more than 18,000 homesheaded into the weekend without water or experiencing low pressure after the storm led to a supply works being shut down.
National Grid said on Saturday morning that allstorm-related power cutsin Devon and Cornwall had been resolved, while Energy Networks Association (ENA) said nationally there were no outstanding outages.
Most railway services had also resumed on Saturday but the GWR line between Liskeard and Looe is expected to remain closed throughout the day, the operator said, as a result of "heavy rain and winds over the last 24 hours".
A bus replacement is operating and tickets for travel on Saturday can be used on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Cornwall Council said work on the clean-up after Storm Ciaránwould continue into the weekend, after its highway team responded to more than 400 incidents, with all fallen trees now cleared.
Pondhu Primary School in St Austell, Cornwall, remained shut on Friday due to extensive flooding, with the school saying it needed time to "dry and clean the building so the children can return safely".
Councillor Martyn Alvey, who responsible for the environment at Cornwall Council, said: "Our next concern is surface water flooding that is possible as a result of the rain on saturated ground.
"I would say that every community that knows they have a vulnerability to flooding should be on alert.
"We are not going to have the same issue we had last weekend with spring tides locking in those coastal villages but some of them will still have trouble from the river that feeds through the village and into the sea.
"We are ready to respond as required.
"Unfortunately, the nature of weather as it hits Cornwall is you can never know exactly which community is going to be hit so it's a case of deploying resources as the incidents come in."
Follow BBC News South West onTwitter,FacebookandInstagram. Send your story ideas [email protected]. | Heavy rain is forecast in Devon, Cornwall and much of the south of England - raising fears of more flooding over the weekend. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-67311250?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
He has secured a four-seat majority in the 350-seat chamber, after sealing an amnesty deal for Catalans involved in a failed bid to secede from Spain.
The conservative Popular Party won elections in July, but leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo failed to form a majority.
Mr Sánchez told MPs that the amnesty deal would help "heal wounds".
His reliance on two Catalan pro-independence parties to form a majority has infuriated opponents, who argue his proposed amnesty deal for hundreds of politicians and activists will trigger another bid for secession and threaten Spain's territorial unity.
Socialist MPs applauded their leader for several minutes when the result of the vote was confirmed but MPs were booed by protesters as they filed out of the Spanish Congress building.
Last weekend tens of thousands of Spaniards took part in protests across Spain, and Mr Feijóo has accused the prime minister of pursuing his own interests rather than his country's.
The Popular Party leader shook his opponent's hand after the vote but later declared to reporters: "I told the president of the government that this was a mistake but he is responsible for what he has just done."
The Socialists were clearly in the hands of those who wanted "recognition of a nation different from that of Spain and a referendum for self-determination", Mr Feijóo declared.
Shortly before the vote, Mr Sánchez linked attempts to question the legitimacy of his new government to part of a global trend. He referred to the presence of former Fox News TV anchor Tucker Carlson at a recent protest outside the Socialist Party headquarters in Madrid.
"We've seen it in the United States, in Brazil and other parts of the world where there is a political right and political far right who do not accept the result of elections," he said.
Several Socialist members of parliament were chased and had eggs thrown at them as they left a cafe near Congress. One egg hit MP Herminio Sánchez and delegates were advised to look after their personal safety in light of the febrile political atmosphere.
Buses hired by right-wing Catholic organisation Hazte OÃr drove past the congress building with anti-Sánchez messages on them. One had a picture of Sánchez made to look like Adolf Hitler, with the slogan: "Sánchez dictator."
Pedro Sánchez was given the chance to form a government by King Felipe VI in early October, after the Popular Party leader had tried and failed twice to persuade parliament to back him. In the end Mr Feijóo fell four seats short of a simple majority in parliament, despite the support of the far-right Vox party.
The Socialists first secured the backing of a pro-independence party - the Catalan Republican Left (ERC) - who are in power in Spain's north-eastern region.
Then they clinched a controversial amnesty deal with the more radical Together for Catalonia (Junts), led by Carles Puigdemont, who fled to Brussels to avoid arrest after leading an illegal independence vote in 2017.
The proposed amnesty law would benefit not only the Junts leader, but hundreds of other pro-independence figures too. It would cover actions dating back to 2012 and any arrest warrants not yet served will be scrapped and would likely allow Mr Puigdemont's eventual return from exile.
Much of Spain's judiciary has criticised the proposals and the main judges' association, which is considered conservative, has condemned it as the "beginning of the end of democracy".
Mr Sánchez has rejected claims that his government is reliant on parties that want to break up Spain and he will be sworn in by the king at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid on Friday.
However. a hint of the fragility of his new government came from Ione Belarra, whose Podemos party is part of a broad left-wing alliance called Sumar, which is part of the new ruling coalition.
Podemos has so far not been invited to run any of the ministries in the new government. "The Socialist Party likes a leftist regime, a docile left that does whatever the Socialist Party wants," she complained. | After weeks of haggling, Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez has clinched a vote in parliament to lead Spain for another term as prime minister. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-67436378?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
John Cooper and Susan Cooper, from Lancashire, fell ill while on a family holiday in Hurghada on 21 August 2018.
An inquest heard the next-door room had been fumigated following a report of a bedbug infestation.
James Adeley, senior coroner said the couple were poisoned overnight.
Mr Cooper, 69, and his wife, 63, had been enjoying a "brilliant" holiday while staying at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel, Preston Coroner's Court heard.
But around lunch time on the eighth day into their holiday the room next to theirs, which had an adjoining locked door between them, was fumigated with pesticide, known as Lambda, for a bedbug infestation.
The room was then sealed with masking tape around the door.
Hours later the couple returned to their room for the night but were found seriously ill the next day by their daughter, Kelly Ormerod.
Mr Cooper, a builder, was declared dead in the room and Mrs Cooper, a cashier in a Thomas Cook bureau de change, hours later in hospital.
The inquest heard in some countries the pesticide Lambda is sometimes diluted with another substance, dichloromethane, which causes the body to metabolise or ingest carbon monoxide.
Following a three-day inquest hearing, Dr James Adeley, senior coroner for Lancashire, ruled the deaths, on 21 August 2018, were caused by carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of inhaling the vapour from spraying the pesticide which contained dichloromethane.
At the time of their deaths,Thomas Cook removed all of its customersfrom the hotel.
The inquest, five years on, also heard of multiple, repeated attempts to obtain more documents and information from the authorities in Egypt despite numerous requests from the Foreign Office.
Dr Adeley said Mr Cooper's illness and death was rapid, but described the medical treatment provided for Mrs Cooper as "utterly insufficient" after she was taken to a clinic in the hotel before an ambulance was called, creating a delay of four hours before she got to hospital.
Ms Ormerod said "after more than five years of waiting, we've finally been given some closure around the deaths of mum and dad".
"Our family still struggle to comprehend what we went through that day and feel like it should never have happened," she said.
"The last few years have been the most traumatic time for all of us.
"Having to relive everything at the inquest has been harrowing but it was something we had to do for mum and dad.
"We'd do anything to have them back in our lives but we take some small comfort from at least having the answers we deserve."
Why not follow BBC North West onFacebook,XandInstagram? You can also send story ideas [email protected] | A British couple died in Egypt from carbon monoxide poisoning after the next-door hotel room was sprayed with pesticide to kill bedbugs, an inquest has ruled. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-67381068?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
When we met up with the Beninois superstar, who has released 16 albums and won five Grammy awards, she told us that since childhood she had been driven by curiosity.
"My nickname was 'When, Why, How?'. I want to understand things, to understand my place in this world," she said, adding that being hangry (hungry and angry) was also a driver.
"And I hate to be bored. If I get bored, God help you, don't be with me! I'm hungry and I'm bored, you don't want to talk to me at that point."
This Friday the 63-year-old will be joined on stage by other world-famous artists, namely Senegalese superstar Youssou N'Dour, Grammy-nominated French-Lebanese trumpeter Ibrahim Malouf, Stonebwoy, one of Ghana's most popular dancehall stars, and Britain's Laura Mvula.
Significantly, Kidjo has also chosen to be accompanied by Europe's first majority black and ethnically diverse Chineke! Orchestra.
Seemingly everything Kidjo does is guided by her passions, and one of these is tirelessly correcting negative perceptions of Africa and challenging Eurocentrism.
"The classical world is really not a diverse place and I chose to play with Chineke! because we can do anything that we want to do.
"It's proof that if we put ourselves in the mindset of 'nothing is impossible for us to achieve', we do that. Those kids playing in the orchestra, they're second, third and first generation immigrants from Africa and they're excellent."
Apart from her phenomenal energy as a performer, one of the things most notable about Kidjo is her appetite for engaging with music and musicians of different genres and from other parts of the world.
Talking Heads and Cuban Salsa singer Celia Cruz have both been treated to an Angélique Kidjo make-over, and she recorded a sublime version of Ravel's Boléro back in 2007.
She said when she first heard Boléro in Paris and commented on how African it sounded, she was completely derided.
"I'm like OK, you go ahead and talk - I'll prove it to you."
She went on to record a cover doing most of the instrumental parts with her own voice.
"I'm the only artist today that received the authorisation from the Ravel family to do this," she says with evident pride.
Kidjo's latest collaboration is with cellist Yo-Yo Ma - and they will be performing a version of JS Bach's Sarabande in Paris in December.
"Diversity for me is never a threat, I see it as opportunity and a challenge."
The singer takes every opportunity to use her voice and her platform to campaign for the betterment of humanity, as she sees it.
She is a Unicef and Oxfam goodwill ambassador, and has her own charity, Batonga, dedicated to supporting the education of young girls in Africa.
She regularly attends the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, in the hope of influencing world leaders.
Kidjo remembers her surprise when the UN asked her to do a concert in 2012 to entice African leaders to sign a resolution on banning female genital mutilation (FGM).
Kidjo agreed and, as the organisers had hoped, the leaders showed up in their numbers. She used the example of her own father to appeal to them:
"I said to them, 'I grew up in Benin, my father was an African man. He fought for us, his kids, boys and girls, for our right to choose to be respected, and any traditional ceremony out there that can harm us he stood against it, he said, "That's my job, I'm your father."'
"And I said to them, 'If my father was able to speak up against his society, none of you sitting here can tell me that you don't have the power to stop the stupid, painful [practice] that you are inflicting on your girls. For what?'
"In December of that year, Nigeria was the first country to sign that resolution into policy and all of the countries have signed it."
She also gives credit to her father for believing so strongly in the value of educating his children that he was willing to get himself into debt to pay for their schooling - and for the schooling of children of friends and neighbours.
The home Kidjo grew up in was a haven for free speech. Her father refused to have a doorbell because he wanted anyone to feel free to enter at any time.
But Kidjo's idyllic childhood was interrupted by a coup 1972: "From the moment the communist regime arrived in Benin I became aware that the freedom we enjoy can be snatched away in a second."
Kidjo says this realisation made her who she is, as did learning about the transatlantic slave trade and about apartheid in South Africa: "It was like a huge wake-up call.
"In the middle of the communist dictatorship in my country it was too much for me to stomach, and I wrote a very violent song. My father said, 'I understand how you feel but we aren't going to write about hate in this home. We never brought you up to think that hating and violence is a good thing.'
"So I re-wrote the song - I was 15 - and it became an anthem of peace."
The song became Azan Nan Kpe, released in 1994 on Kidjo's ground-breaking album Aye, which also contains Agolo, probably her biggest hit of all, written when she was six months pregnant.
"Agolo in my language means 'Please pay attention I have something to tell you.'"
The song was inspired by Kidjo's shock at the amount of rubbish she and her husband were generating while living in rural France.
She was reminded of the way her grandmother, who was a herbal healer, had taught her to value nature, and she realised she needed to do better to protect the planet for the next generation.
"When I wrote that song, that's when my commitment to climate change started."
When asked what she considers the greatest achievement of her 40-year career, it is not any of the many accolades or any of her many wonderful songs that Kidjo chooses: "The most important achievement for me is giving birth to my daughter, that is beyond any Grammy.
"I mean to have a career and have a family, to have been married for 36 years."
But she admits it has been a challenge with all the travel and she was pressured by her relatives - her mother, mother-in-law and sister - to let them raise her daughter.
"I said, 'Hell no.' I never left my daughter behind. By the time she was three⦠she'd already been to at least 45 different countries."
So what of the new generation of African musicians? Does Kidjo feel like a parent to them? Does she feel they are following in her footsteps and using their influence to the good?
"I'm so happy that the technology arrived at the right time to unleash the potential of the young generation of musicians. Throughout my career it has always been a struggle for me.
"People try to put us in pigeon holes and always expect the worst from us," she says about how African musicians are treated.
"I faced this my entire career, and I said to people all the time, 'For all this 40 years and more that you are underestimating my continent, therefore you are not prepared for the change that's going to come. It's going to come as a tsunami and it's starting with music'."
Young African artists have an opportunity to bring about positive change for a continent facing many challenges, she says.
So is she mentoring any of these younger artists?
"We talk," she says. "Like at this concert. Apart from doing music I always tell them, 'You have a responsibility. It's not all about you. It has never been all about me, never.
"So if I am able to do it, you surely can.'"
You can listen to the interview with Angélique Kidjo onThis is Africa on BBC World Service radio. | Music icon Angélique Kidjo is celebrating 40 years in music this year - marking the occasion with a concert at London's Royal Albert Hall. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-67438675?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Some older profiles were deleted last month - and several fans claimed they had not been made aware of the issue.
Customers must register their identities in advance to buy tickets as part of a system to prevent touting.
The festival's announcement came four hours before tickets with coach travel were due to go on sale.
These tickets will now be released 16 November at 18:00 GMT, and general admission tickets will go on sale on 19 November at 09:00.
Registration will reopen on Monday 6 November at 12:00 and close the following Monday at 17:00.
Customers were alerted by email that registrations created before 2020 would be deleted on 2 October, with the chance to re-register before the 30 October deadline.
Organisers said some people had only discovered they were no longer registered after this deadline, and that sales were being delayed "out of fairness to those individuals".
Tickets for 2024 cost £355 (plus a £5 booking fee), up from £335 for this year's event.
The 2023 festival saw a bigger price hike of £55, which organiser Emily Eavis said was the result of "incredibly challenging times" following the pandemic, and "enormous rises" in costs.
Next year will be the third time the festival has taken place after the pandemic, during which the 2020 and 2021 events were postponed.
The world-famous music event will take place at Worthy Farm in Somerset from 26-30 June 2024, with the line-up not yet confirmed.
Last week, Eavistold the BBC's Sidetracked podcastthat she had recently been offered a "really big American artist" for one of the headline slots.
"I was like, 'Oh my God, this is incredible'," she said. "Thank God we held the slot.'"
Last year, Elton John headlined the festival as the final show on his farewell tour. Other acts to perform on the Pyramid Stage included headliners Arctic Monkeys and Guns N' Roses, as well as Lizzo.
You may also like: | The Glastonbury Festival ticket sale has been delayed by two weeks "out of fairness" to customers who did not realise their registration had expired. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67299788?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
The speech is likely to indicate the group's next moves, as its fighters and the Israeli army are engaged in intense attacks on the Lebanon-Israel border.
This has raised fears the area could become another front in the conflict.
So far, however, the violence has largely been contained.
Since Hamas carried out the 7 October attacks on Israel, killing more than 1,400 people, Lebanon has been on edge, closely watching Hezbollah.
The group has intensified its attacks on Israel, which is retaliating. But both sides have apparently taken steps to avoid a dangerous escalation, and most strikes have been limited to the border area.
This, however, could change.
Israel is pushing ahead with its ground invasion of Gaza, with the goal of eliminating Hamas, while the number of Palestinians killed in the territory has passed 9,000, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Hamas, meanwhile, has repeatedly urged its allies to join the fight, and many wonder whether Hezbollah will answer those calls.
Hezbollah - which, like Hamas, is considered a terrorist organisation by the UK, the US and others - is the largest political and military force in Lebanon. This means the group's decisions reverberate far beyond its support base, and many here and elsewhere are anxiously waiting for Nasrallah's speech - followers and foes.
Nasrallah's whereabouts, as ever, remain a mystery.
His address will be broadcast in public screenings organised by the group across the country, and is being framed by Hezbollah as a significant moment. They took the unusual step of announcing it five days in advance and, earlier this week, released dramatic short videos featuring Nasrallah, fuelling the expectation of a major announcement.
Many in Lebanon still remember the devastating month-long war Hezbollah fought against Israel in 2006, and worry that the group may drag the country into another conflict.
One of Hezbollah's aims is the destruction of Israel, which sees the group as a more formidable enemy than Hamas. Hezbollah has a vast arsenal of weapons that includes precision-guided missiles that can strike deep into Israeli territory, and tens of thousands of well-trained, battle-hardened fighters.
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has promised a response of "unimaginable" magnitude if Hezbollah opens a second front in the conflict. And the US, which reportedly urged Israel to not launch a large-scale attack on the group, has sent two aircraft carriers to the eastern Mediterranean to prevent the spread of the conflict.
A full-scale war would be disastrous for Lebanon, and there is little public support for it outside Hezbollah's followers. The country is suffering from years of economic crisis, and political impasse has left it without a properly functioning government.
Another scenario - perhaps the most likely, some observers say - is an increase of the group's attacks, signalling a response to Hamas's calls, while keeping the fighting limited to northern Israel.
The Biden administration is also, in public and through back-channels, warning Iran against escalating the situation. Iran supports the so-called Axis of Resistance, an alliance that includes Hezbollah - its most important force - as well as militias in Iraq, Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, the Houthis in Yemen, and Hamas.
It is not clear how much direct influence Tehran has over the groups, but it is unlikely that they take any major decisions without Iran's blessing.
On Sunday, the Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi, said Israel's "crimes had crossed the red lines, which may force everyone to take action". Washington, he added, "asks us to not do anything, but they keep giving widespread support to Israel".
A source close to Hezbollah told me, on condition of anonymity, last week, that Nasrallah - who is known for his angry anti-Israeli and anti-American speeches - was closely monitoring the situation and remained in constant contact with the group's military leadership, despite his public silence.
"Hezbollah is following all details," the source said. "They make calculations all the time."
Sign up for our morning newsletterand get BBC News in your inbox. | Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese Shia Islamist group Hezbollah, is addressing his followers in his first public comments since the Israel-Hamas war broke out. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-67304185?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Until, she hastens to add, she had triple glazing installed earlier this year. The old wooden-framed double glazing in her semi-detached home was taken out. The house is noticeably warmer, and quieter, now that the triple glazing is in place, she says.
"We used to feel a bit of a draught whenever we stood near the window," recalls Ms Matthews. "That's all gone, we don't feel any of that any more."
According to government data, the vast majority of British homes, more than 85%, have double glazing. Much works very well, but, in some cases, homeowners are finding that switching to triple glazing vastly reduces heat loss and boosts comfort.
The glazing industry is now gearing up for rising demand for these extra-insulating windows, especially post-2025,when new regulations could make triple glazing the standard in new build properties in England. Plus, a range of new technologies besides triple glazing currently at the research stage could drastically curtail heat loss through windows in the future.
"Everyone treated us like we were weird for wanting triple glazing," says Mrs Matthews. Even some salesmen tried to put her off. "They were like, 'Oh, double glazing's just as good'."
But she had done her research and was convinced the new windows would be worth the outlay. Triple glazing is not cheap - Mrs Matthews spent £13,500 replacing all her windows and two exterior doors - though she hopes using her heating less will save her money in the long run.
Another homeowner who spoke to the BBC, Hester McQueen in Edinburgh, also had to weigh up the cost of triple glazing recently. Replacing four windows in her semi-detached house in September cost around £6,000, and she wasn't sure how much of a difference it would make.
But the improvement has been "dramatic", she says: "The rooms are warmer, the temperature down the stairs seems to be more steady."
Mrs Matthews also finds that her windows help keep excessive heat out during the summer because triple glazing reduces solar gain.
The idea behind triple glazing is that an extra pane of glass and two separate cavities filled with air or a gas such as argon makes it especially hard for heat inside the home to escape.
Any building material you can think of will have a U-value, a measure of how easily heat passes through the material - the lower the number, the better.
Double glazing typically has a U-value of around 1.2, though U-values just below 1 are now possible for the centre pane of a double glazed window (the U-value including the frame may differ).
Triple glazing, however, can get down to below 0.5. It is considered relatively rare in the UK - the government says it does not have sufficient data to estimate how many homes have it - but things are changing.
"Home owners are asking more for triple glazing," says Phil Brown, technical advisory service manager (UK and Ireland) at Pilkington UK, a glass manufacturer. "We're seeing a shift towards that." The industry is increasingly investing in triple glazing manufacturing facilities, too, he adds.
Though still to be decided, incoming regulations in England could demand windows have a U-value of 0.8 or below. That would almost certainly make triple glazing standard for new builds from 2025 onwards.
This transition is more or less "inevitable", says Mark Norcliffe, managing director of Cornwall Glass Manufacturing, though he adds: "It's got to be affordable."
There are plenty of optionsfor reducing heat loss through your existing windows even if you don't have a budget for replacing them - such as using thicker curtains, sealing up draughts at the edges of frames, and using insulating film.
A simple way of comparing the quality of windows on sale is to look at their energy ratings, suggests Brian Horne, technical knowledge lead at Energy Saving Trust. These ratings are on a scale from A to G, with the best possible rating being A+++. This captures not only the U-value of the glass but other factors, such as the quality of the frame, which greatly affects the overall performance.
Even double glazing has come a long way in the past 20 years, says Mr Brown, largely thanks to glass coatings. There are various approaches but one involves spreading a thin layer of silver onto the surface of a pane, to make it more reflective, which reduces heat loss. Silver is so reflective it could make the glass look like a mirror so, in order to retain transparency, metal oxides are mixed into the coating as well.
More technology of business
Pilkington has a glass product called energiKare that can achieve a U-value of 0.9 in a double glazed centre pane, for example.
There are lots of interesting glazing technologies besides triple glazing, says Hasila Jarimi at the National University of Malaysia. Some are already commercially available, such as vacuum glazing, where two panes are held very closely together but with a vacuum between them. "It's thin and at the same time it has a very good, low U-value," she explains.
However, vacuum glazing tends to be especially expensive.
Technologies at the research stage include glazing units containing aerogel - an extremely light, porous material that is anexceptionally good insulator. Aerogel is even more expensive, though, and glazing containing it tends to be translucent rather than perfectly clear, thoughresearchers are workingon improving this.
Reducing the thickness of triple glazing would make it far more accessible to homeowners who have double glazing currently, since they could simply switch the glazing without having to replace the frames as well. Glass giant Corning, which makes the glass used for iPhone screens, has developed such as product. The middle pane is an ultrathin sheet of super tough "Architectural Technical Glass", or ATG.
It's yet to become available in Europe but it could allow for U-values as low as 0.5 for the centre pane.
Separately, Matyas Gutai and colleagues at Loughborough University are working on water-filled windows. These require pipework to allow water to circulate inside the window pane cavity and could achieve U-values of around 0.4 for the window overall. The first pilot projects featuring this technology, including one potentially in the UK, are currently under discussion.
The thing to remember is that each house is different, stresses Philip Griffiths Professor of Building Physics at Ulster University, and replacing windows can be very expensive. While triple glazing could well become standard in the future, he adds that people must also properly ventilate their homes, to reduce condensation and damp, especially when retrofitting or sealing up older properties.
"If we are going to do this correctly, we've got to do this right," he says. | Helen Matthews of Sheffield lives in a "proper English house", as she puts it. "So yes, flippin' freezing all the time." | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67161076?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
The sharp fall was due to cheaper energy prices.
In a bid to curb inflation, the Bank of England has increased interest rates to 5.25%, but held rates at its September and November meetings.
Inflation is the increase in the price of something over time.
If a bottle of milk costs £1 but £1.05 12 months later, then annual milk inflation is 5%.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) tracks the prices of hundreds of everyday items in an imaginary"basket of goods".
The basket is regularly updated to reflect shopping trends, with the most recent changesadding frozen berries and removing alcopops.
Each month's inflation figure shows how much these prices have risen since the same date last year.
You can calculate inflation in various ways, but the main "headline" measure is the Consumer Prices Index (CPI).
CPI was4.6% in the year to October, down from 6.7% in September and August.
Economists saythe main reason for the latest drop is a reduction in the energy price cap, which took effect on 1 October.
Food prices were little changed in September, but hotel prices fell, according to ONS figures.
"Core inflation" excludes the price of energy, food, alcohol and tobacco.
This measure was 5.7% in October, down from 6.1% in September.
The Bank of England considers this number as well as CPI when deciding whether to change interest rates.
Soaring food and energy bills helped drive inflation up.
Oil and gas were in greater demand after Covid. The war in Ukrainemeant less was available from Russia, putting further pressure on prices.
The conflict alsoreduced the amount of grain for sale, pushing up global food prices.
This effect was compounded in the UK bya shortage of vegetables, which took food inflation to a 45-year high.
Alcohol prices in restaurants and pubs also rose.
The Bank of England has a target to keep inflation at 2%, but the current rate remains double that.
The traditional response to rising inflationis to put up interest rates.
This makes borrowing more expensive, and means some people with mortgages see their monthly payments go up. Some saving rates also increase.
When people have less money to spend, they buy fewer things, reducing the demand for goods and slowing price rises.
Businesses also borrow less, making them less likely to create jobs; some may cut staff.
In August, the Bankincreased interest rates for the 14th time in a row, taking the main rate to 5.25%.
It held rates at that level at its two subsequent meetings in September and November.
Announcing the November decision,the Bank said higher interest rates "are working to reduce inflation".
Lower inflation doesn't mean prices drop - it means they rise less quickly.
The Bank of Englandhas predictedthat inflation will drop to about 4.5% by the end of the year and fall further in 2024.
Bank governor Andrew Bailey saidit was "crucial that we see the job through" and get price rises back to the 2% target, because people "should trust that their hard-earned money maintains its value".
In October, the International Monetary Fund (IMF)predicted the UK would have the highest inflation rates of any G7 economy in both 2023 and 2024. As a result, it thought UK interest rates would remain relatively high until 2028.
In January, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said halving inflation by the end of 2023 wasone of the government's five key pledges.
Official figures showed that - on average - regular pay excluding bonusesrose at an annual rate of 7.7% between July and September,compared with the same period a year earlier.
This is higher than the rate of inflation was in the same period (6.7%), which means real wages grew faster than rising prices.
However, rises are starting to slow in some industries, and unions point out that many workers have actually received smaller pay increases, which led to widespread strikes over pay.
The government previously argued that big pay rises could push inflation higher because companies might increase prices as a result.
Many other countries have also been experiencing a cost-of-living squeeze for similar reasons: increased energy costs, shortages of goods and materials, and the fallout from Covid.
The annual inflation rate for countries that use the euro was estimated to be 2.9% in the 12 months to October, down from 4.2% in September, and its lowest level for more than two years.
As in the UK, the European Central Bank (ECB) has increased interest rates to try to bring rising prices under control.
On 14 September, it raisedits key interest rate - the benchmark deposit rate - to 4%, a record high, but this is widely expected to be the last increase for a while.
In the US, inflationwas 3.2% in the year to October,down from 3.7% in September.
At its October meeting - as in September -the US central bank kept its key interest rate unchanged between 5.25% and 5.5%. Rates remain at their highest level for more than two decades. | The rate at which prices are rising dropped to 4.6% in the year to October, down from 6.7% in the year to September. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12196322?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
The nine-page "code of conduct" comes as the most powerful legal body in America is under increasing scrutiny following recent news reports of gifts and holiday arrangements lavished on several of its jurists.
While federal judges on lower courts have been governed by an ethical code since 1973, this marks the first time the country's highest court has set out its own rules.
The court had released a "statement on ethics principles and practices" earlier this year, but Monday's release provides significantly more detail.
In a paragraph introducing the guidance, the justices said that they had long abided by unwritten ethical rules derived from a variety of sources, including the lower-court code.
They said the absence of explicit rules, however, led to the "misunderstanding" that justices viewed themselves as unrestricted by any ethical guidelines.
The code contains no enforcement mechanism. Justices will have to choose to abide by its "rules and principles".
"It's only a half-measure, at best," says Steve Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law, who has written extensively about the US Supreme Court.
"Even the most rigorous ethics rules don't mean much without some means of ensuring that they're followed."
He notes, however, that the new rules do show that the justices are aware that their ethics are a matter of significant public concern - and that they had to do something to respond to recent critiques.
The rules are divided into four main sections outlining how justices should behave, perform their duties, and conduct themselves in non-judicial and financial activities
Justices are advised to consider whether speaking at an outside event "would create an appearance of impropriety in the minds of reasonable members of the public".
The guidance goes on to note that most academic, legal, religious or cultural associations would not present such a problem, while events affiliated with political parties or campaigns would.
The court also set out circumstances under which justices should disqualify themselves from participation in a case. Those include when a justice has a bias or prejudices concerning a party to the case or has a financial or other interest that could be "affected substantially" by the outcome of the proceedings.
Earlier this year, the media organisation ProPublica published an investigative report on the relationship between Justice Clarence Thomas and wealthy conservative activist Harlan Crow.
Mr Thomas did not disclose annual expensive holidays and private jet transport that he received from the influential Texas Republican. Nor did he report that Mr Crow had paid for the private schooling of a relative who lived with Mr Thomas or purchased a house where Mr Thomas's mother lived.
ProPublica's reporting, followed by revelations involving other justices - including liberal justice Sonia Sotomayor using her Supreme Court staff to push sales of her books at public events - prompted calls for Congress to pass legislation creating a binding set of ethical guidelines for the court.
Last week, Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee considered issuing subpoenas for Mr Crowe and another conservative judicial activist, Leonard Leo, for a list of all benefits they provided to Supreme Court justices and their relatives.
The court's action on Monday is unlikely to quell the criticism directed at it, particularly from liberal groups that have condemned the recent conservative tilt of its rulings.
"This code of conduct is mere window dressing that does nothing to fix the court's rampant ethics problems," Devon Ombres, senior director for courts and legal policy at the Center for American Progress, said in a statement.
"It uses the word 'should' to address the justices' conduct 51 times, but the words 'shall', 'must' or 'may not' don't appear in the text of the code itself."
In commentary accompanying its code, the court said that it would consider seeking further guidance on whether to expand or amend the rules on financial disclosure and recusal from cases.
Recent opinion surveys have found that public trust in the Supreme Court - which last year issued a controversial decision that the right to abortion is not protected by the US Constitution - is near an all-time low. | The US Supreme Court on Monday released its first ever set of ethics rules governing its nine justices. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-67408898?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
The Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission said the location, on the current site of the tower, should include a garden, monument and space for grieving.
It has called on the government to honour a commitment to fund the building and its long-term maintenance.
The government said it was "committed" to supporting the Grenfell community.
Seventy-two people died in the fire in west London in June 2017.
The commission, made up of representatives of the bereaved, survivors, local residents as well as two independent co-chairs, was set up to ensure the community was at the heart of decisions on the long-term future of the site.
Its latest report sets out a series of recommendations for a "sacred space" designed to be a "peaceful place for remembering and reflecting".
Views on using parts of the tower itself in any lasting memorial were mixed, the commission said, with some people saying it should be used, while "others do not agree".
It said it would "work through how we can respect the sensitivities on all sides".
The commission also stated that any parts of the tower not used for a memorial should be "respectfully laid to rest at a second site".
The tower in North Kensington, is currently covered in a protective wrap, adorned with a green heart and the words "forever in our hearts".
In conducting their research, the commission looked at memorials to other tragedies around the world including the Aberfan memorial in Wales, 7/7 in London and the 9/11 memorial in the US.
Potential suggestions included using light to depict the height of Grenfell Tower, similar to the 9/11 memorial, or columns lit up with green hearts.
While an exact timeline is not certain, the group said the memorial design could start in 2025 and the build could begin from late 2026, depending on a government decision about the future of the tower.
The commission said: "Everyone agrees that if Grenfell Tower comes down, it should be dismantled with care and respect, and in a way that honours our loved ones who were taken from us."
Responding to the report, Housing Secretary Michael Gove said: "My department will continue to work with the commission to take forward their recommendations for a lasting and fitting memorial." | Construction of a permanent memorial to those affected by the Grenfell fire could begin in 2026, according to a new report. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-67404586?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Aroen Kishen and his wife Seema lived in the house in Hounslow with their three children, neighbours said.
It is believed Mr Kishen is in hospital but his wife and children, Riyan, Shanaya and Arohi, died in the blaze.
Another adult died and a sixth person remains missing. An investigation into the cause of the fire is under way.
The BBC understands that two unnamed adults were visiting the family for Diwali, a festival marked by observants of the Hindu, Sikh and Jain faiths.
London Fire Brigade's (LFB) deputy commissioner Jonathan Smith told City Hall on Tuesday that it was "a human tragedy" and "one of the most significant fires the LFB has faced in terms of the numbers of people who were trapped".
He added that crews remained in the area to answer any concerns and questions the community had.
A letter sent to parents from Westbrook Primary School said that formal identification of the bodies had not yet taken place.
It added that pupils were being cared for and supported by the school.
The letter ended with a tribute stating: "Our hearts and thoughts go out to the family. Forever in our hearts, from all who knew and loved you."
Bunches of flowers have been placed near the house, including one with a note from classmates saying they were "all crying today and missing you".
A tribute from a Mrs Sheldon said: "Words cannot even begin to express our sorrow at hearing the loss of three beautiful souls.
"Forever in our hearts! Good night and God bless."
Another tribute left at the scene from "Year 6" read: "I am so sorry that this has happened to you.
"You are still part of our family.
"We will never forget you, and you will always be in our hearts. May God grant you eternal life in heaven."
Hounslow Council's leader Shantanu Rajawat said nearby properties were evacuated as a precaution and residents "were moved into hotels and the council is working with them very, very closely".
"It will take some time to get into the property, make sure it's safe to be able to work in it, so the investigations can happen," Mr Rajawat toldBBC Radio London.
He added it would be important for fire and police investigations to progress, and "to make sure the neighbouring properties are safe for habitation, before we let people in".
Emergency services were called at 22:30 GMT on Sunday and roughly 70 firefighters and 10 fire engines attended. The fire was under control by 01:25.
The bodies of the five family members were found on the first floor of the terraced house by fire crews.
On Monday, LFB and the Met said they were keeping an "open mind" over the cause. The Met is leading the investigation and no arrests have been made.
Mr Smith said it was too early to know whether fireworks or candles for recent Diwali celebrations were a factor. | Three children killed in a house fire in London have been called "beautiful souls" in tributes from the community. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-67412274?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
The work by Graffiti Painters has been created on the outside wall of The Trafford pub.
The Red Devils legend, who made 758 appearances for the club,died at the age of 86last month.
The portrait was painted over the mural of former United player Cristiano Ronaldo.
Posting on Instagram, Graffiti Painters said: "Yesterday I said my bye to this legend up in Manchester."
The tribute comes in the same week final farewells were said to Sir Bobby at his funeral.
The Charlton family and friends were joined by leading figures from across the football world in the service on Monday.
Widely hailed as one of England's greatest ever players, Charlton was a key figure in the Three Lions' 1966 World Cup victory.
During a 17-year first team career with United he won three league titles, a European Cup and an FA Cup.
From 1958 to 1970 he played for England, and achieved 106 caps, a record-breaking 49 goals, the famous 1966 World Cup win, and a Ballon d'Or.
Sir Bobby Charlton: The First Gentleman of Football
Watch now on BBC iPlayer
Why not follow BBC North West onFacebook,XandInstagram? You can also send story ideas [email protected] | A mural in memory of Sir Bobby Charlton has been painted on the side of a pub near Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-67440305?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Rita Roberts' family spotted her distinctive tattoo in a BBC report, according to policing agency Interpol.
The last contact the 31-year-old had with her family was via a postcard in May 1992. Her body was found the following month.
Her family said the news was "shocking and heartbreaking".
"Our passionate, loving and free-spirited sister was cruelly taken away," they said in a statement, shared by Interpol. "Whilst the news has been difficult to process, we are incredibly grateful to have uncovered what happened to Rita."
Ms Roberts was one of 22 murdered women who police in Europe were seeking to identify through a campaign launched earlier this year, called Operation Identify Me.
The campaign marked the first time Interpol had gone public with a list of so-called black notices, seeking information about unidentified bodies. Such notices are normally only circulated internally among Interpol's network of police forces throughout the world.
Most of the victims were aged between 15 and 30. The full list -available on Interpol's website- includes details about the women, photographs of possible identifying items, and, in some cases, new facial reconstructions and information about the cases.
Ms Roberts had travelled from her home in Cardiff to the Belgian city of Antwerp in February 1992. Her body was found lying against a grate in a river four months later, after she had been violently killed.
Her family said she was "a beautiful person who adored travelling" and loved her family, adding: "She had the ability to light up a room, and wherever she went, she was the life and soul of the party. We hope that wherever she is now, she is at peace."
Interpol's head of police services, Stephen Kavanagh, said a family member identified her after spotting her tattoo - a black flower with green leaves and "R'Nick" written underneath - in a BBC News article, published in May this year.
"A member of Rita's family [saw] the Identify Me appeal through the BBC and suddenly realised there may be an opportunity that a lost member of their family had actually come to harm," he said.
After recognising the tattoo, the family met with investigators in Belgium and formally identified her.
"There's a terrible contradiction here - we're proud that we've been able to work with member countries, we're proud that we've been able to identify this poor woman, Rita, but we're also devastated for the family because they've lost a loved one through brutal circumstances," Mr Kavanagh said.
Belgian authorities are now calling on the public to come forward with any information they have about Ms Roberts or the circumstances surrounding her death.
Since Operation Identify Me was launched in May, police say they have received about 1,250 tips relating to the 22 women whose bodies were discovered in The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
Information has included possible names of victims and potential leads about clothing and jewellery the women were wearing.
Mr Kavanagh said police were still pursuing leads on the other 21 cases and were hopeful that Ms Roberts' identification was "just the beginning".
The campaign was initiated by Dutch police, who were struggling to identify a woman whose body was discovered in a wheelie bin floating in a river on the outskirts of Amsterdam, in 1999.
Other cases include a woman's body found wrapped in a carpet and bound with string at a sailing club in Germany, in 2002.
"Each of these women were individuals, with families, with friends, with partners, with ambitions. And they've all come to harm in brutal circumstances," Mr Kavanagh said.
"We as global law enforcement have got an opportunity now to try and identify them... and bring closure." | A British woman has been identified more than 30 years after her murder in Belgium, following the launch of a landmark police campaign. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67407020?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
The baked fake, which is anything but crumby, has risen to the occasion at the Cake International show.
His munchable majesty is decorated from top to a hopefully not-so-soggy bottom, with his crown the icing on the cake - literally.
Thousands of visitors are expected to attend on the outskirts of Birmingham.
The show, now in its 29th year, got under way on Friday. It is set to showcase hundreds of cake creations until Sunday.
Among them is a showpiece inspired by TV's nostalgic nail-biter, Stranger Things. And while visitors may have expected an upside down cake, the display actually features edible characters from the show.
There is also a slice of Sabbath by way of life-size local lad - and prince of dark chocolate - Ozzy Osbourne.
But in a Coronation year, the cakey King is sure to turn heads. And fittingly, the keen horticulturist has been surrounded by different types of flour (if that's not over-egging things).
Cake artist Emma Jayne, from south Wales, created the piece and said doing the eyes - made from modelling paste and piping gel - was the most "time-consuming" part.
She said the edible eyes had been put in an air fryer on dehydration mode "for a whole day" to create a lifelike and glazed look.
The eyelashes, she added, were made from individual strands of wheat, painted with edible colouring.
"This lifelike detail is so important for me, especially when we are talking about the King and I can't wait for people to see it close up," she explained.
Ms Jayne added the cake's head was made from Rice Krispies and marshmallows, with the face fashioned from modelling chocolate.
The body has been covered with 60kg of sugar paste, making the piece a sovereign for the sweet-toothed.
More than 2,500 zodiac crystals, including giant ruby and sapphire crystals, were used for the crown, which took five days to put together.
Follow BBC West Midlands onFacebook,XandInstagram. Send your story ideas to:[email protected] | A king-size cake is among the gorgeous gateaux on display at the NEC, with Charles III's lickable likeness set to be a leading attraction. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-67301315?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
But, this is new work for Ahmed. Before 7 October he worked on Israeli construction sites, making around 400 shekels (£85; $105) a day. After the attacks of 7 October, almost all Arab access to Israel from the West Bank was banned.
Ahmed, like many others, lost his livelihood.
"There's no [decent] work now," he tells me as he strips the branches clean.
"I work one day here, one day there - in the fields, picking olives. I need to feed my family. What can I do?"
Israel's intense security crackdown in the West Bank has not only affected Ahmed economically. Checkpoints, already a source of huge resentment, have imposed even greater restrictions on his freedom of movement.
"They have closed roads. I can only walk around my home now. These checkpoints are suffocating us."
The same increased security that Ahmed criticises has made people like Danny Chesterman feel safer. A cheerful man who used to run bike tours, he lives in the settlement of Efrat. He moved to Israel decades ago, but has retained his London accent.
"We're being portrayed as illegal settlers stealing Arab lands," he replies, when I ask him about the way his community is seen from the outside.
"In general, we have not stolen anyone's land."
"We are people that go to work in the morning. We run businesses. We have professors at university. We are people of the book and not of the sword."
There was international controversy at the start of the year, when the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu legalised nine settlements in the West Bank.
The UN and many countries say all settlements are illegal under international law. It is something many Israelis, especially those living in the settlements, vehemently dispute.
One thing few people would disagree on is that the events of 7 October, as well as Israel's military response, have soured relations between Jewish settlers and their Arab neighbours.
"I hope and I believe that the relations with our immediate neighbours here in the Arab villages will continue to be good," Danny tells me.
"Having said that, obviously there are security concerns."
On the morning of 7 October, Hamas - proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK and many others - launched an unprecedented assault on Israel. Around 1,400 people died and around 240 others were taken hostage.
In response Israel launched air strikes on Gaza, and its troops have since entered the enclave. Israel says it will not rest until Hamas is destroyed. So far, the military campaign is thought to have left more than 10,800 people dead, including 4,400 children.
Danny tells me he has heard the Hamas attackers had help from Gazans who worked with Israelis. He says it has fundamentally altered the way people here seem to think about their Arab neighbours.
"There were instances near the Gaza Strip of kibbutzim (rural communities) where they had a fantastic relationship with Arabs working there and later discovered maps describing the village with the names of the families," he claims.
"Really terrible things that they discovered from people who they believe they had excellent relationships with."
It is a sentiment echoed by Oded Rivivi. He has been mayor of Efrat for more than a decade, and insists that while relations between his settlement and most of the nearby Arab villages had always been good, they have fundamentally changed, for now at least.
"How long will it take to overcome it? Only time will tell. But as long as you don't hear Arab leaders going out and condemning (Hamas)... it's definitely making it take longer for that trust to be rebuilt," he says.
In Arab villages back across the valley, there are very different catalysts for mistrust - Israel's security crackdown has not only involved extra checkpoints. In the last month, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have arrested more than 1,400 Palestinians. They claim most were connected to Hamas.
Just on the day we are filming, the Palestinian Authority says 18 people were killed in the West Bank, taking the total to 170 in just over a month.
It has been met with Palestinian protest, both violent and peaceful. In Bethlehem, for example, shopkeepers held a general strike. While much of the anger has come as a consequence of what is happening in Gaza, the West Bank was already a tinderbox before 7 October.
Settler violence has been a particular source of rage. Young Israeli men, often well-armed, are accused of forcing Palestinian families from their homes. One video showed a Palestinian man being shot in the leg by a settler armed with an assault rifle.
Back in Efrat, I challenge Mayor Oded over those concerns.
"There is a small group of extremists that do act violently," he tells me, "and those people need to be dealt with by the police⦠[but] the vast majority of people, Jewish people who live here, deserve security, deserve to be treated like human beings⦠because that's the nature of these communities".
He insists action will be taken.
"Last night we had a meeting with the prime minister, all of the mayors. There was a consensus calling for the government to make sure that these extremists get arrested, get stopped, and the quicker it happens, the less damage it will do."
In the end, all these conflicts come down to land. Two groups of people both firmly believe in their right to possibly the most contested piece of land on earth. For decades, the international call has been for a "Two-State Solution", with the West Bank and Gaza making up an independent Palestinian nation, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Over recent years it has seemed an ever less likely prospect. The coalition government of Prime Minister Netanyahu, propped up by far right settler parties, made compromise look all but impossible. Events of 7 October are seen by many as the final nail in the coffin of the two state dream.
"I think every day that passes we are going further away from that," Mayor Oded says. "Israel actually evacuated all its citizens, all its civilian presence, all its military presence from the Gaza Strip under pressure from the international community. And what we got was a military army of Hamas."
Of course, that suggestion will be met with fury, not to mention resistance, by many Palestinians. For them, as well as much of the international community, the Two State solution is the only one that is acceptable. They say anything else is predicated on the basis of the continued denial of rights and freedoms for millions of ordinary Palestinians.
Back at the olive grove, just as the sun is dipping below the Church of the Nativity, I ask Ahmed what he is looking for in his future.
"Peace and security," comes his response. "To come and go with our cars, to see our children, to live in our country without problems⦠We're not looking for problems. We're looking to be able to feed our children, that's all." | On a hillside overlooking Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, three young Palestinian men are engaged in a scene that could be from biblical times. Working with practised speed, they strip olives from a laden tree. The ripe fruit falls to the ground in glistening piles. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-67376148?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Actress Rachel Zegler greeted screaming fans as the cast celebrated the upcoming film's release in London.
The latest instalment of the billion-dollar film franchise comes after an eight-year gap.
Zegler was joined on the red carpet by co-stars Tom Blyth, Hunter Schafer and Josh Andres Rivera, actors who grew up watching the previous films.
Speaking to BBC News about making the film, Zegler said: "I just wanted to do a good service to me and my 12-year-old self that loved the films. And it was just such a joy to get to do that."
"It's unbelievable," said Schafer, a trans actress who found fame starring in HBO's Euphoria. "I don't think 13-year-old me could have comprehended what I'm feeling now."
The fifth instalment of the movies, based on Suzanne Collins' best-selling books, is set 64 years before the first Hunger Games movie starring Jennifer Lawrence.
It sees British actor Blyth play the young Coriolanus Snow, who goes on to become the tyrannical president of dystopian nation Panem.
West Side Story actress Zegler stars as the Lucy Gray Baird, the tribute during the 10th Hunger Games - a gladiatorial contest that pits the oppressed against each other, while the elite of the wealthy Capitol watch on.
"I got to do my own stunts. I got to hold live animals, sing, dance, cry, run for my life. It's amazing," she told Reuters news agency.
The cast had been given a waiver to attend the blockbuster's premiereduring the Hollywood actors' strike, before on Wednesday union SAG-AFTRA ended the four-month walkout which prevented movie stars from promoting their films.
Commenting on the strike ending Rivera, who plays Snow's friend, Sejanus Plinth said: "I know a lot of people who are ready to get back to work. I'm ready to get back to work."
Young fans queued and braved the rain and cold to get a chance to meet the actors on the red carpet lined with buckets catching dripping water, as influencers, former Love Island contestants and drag queens turned up for the screening.
Jenifer Bawden, who made costumes inspired by the film for the occasion, told BBC News: "We got here at 05:20 in the morning, it was a lot. We're from Bournemouth.
"The films are so well translated from the book to the film, so I'm very excited to see how they do it this time."
Describing the new film estimated to have cost $100m (£82m), director Francis Lawrence said: "It's a very different kind of movie, very much a Hunger Games movie, but a different kind of story and different characters."
The film is scheduled to be released in cinemas worldwide on 17 November. | Stars of Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes have hit the red carpet for its world premiere. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-67375063?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Perseverance Ncube, aged 35, was stabbed in the chest in Dukesgate Grove, Salford, at about 02:40 GMT on Friday, Greater Manchester Police said.
She was taken to hospital where she later died.
Obert Moyo, 45, of Pennington Road, Bolton, has been charged with her murder and possession of an offensive weapon.
He has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Bolton Magistrates' Court on Monday.
In an earlier tribute, Ms Ncube's family said she was a "devoted mother who lived for her children, family, and friends".
They said: "Percy was an active member of her church and had created a beautiful community for herself and her children.
"Her passing has left us with an immeasurable sense of loss.
"Our focus now is on supporting her children as they continue their journey without their mother."
Police are appealing for anyone with information to contact them.
Why not follow BBC North West onFacebook,XandInstagram? You can also send story ideas [email protected] | A 45-year-old man has been charged with murdering a mother in front of her two children. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-67396048?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
But if things had been different, the language may not have been so alien to him - and he might have spoken it in school or even at home.
It was the intention of settlers in parts of his native Philadelphia for the government and people to use Welsh.
However, the attempts in 1681 did not prove as successful asthose later in Patagonia, Argentina.
Even so, the map of the area is plastered with Welsh names - Bryn Mawr, Hughes Park, Uwchlan, North Wales, Bala Cynwyd, Haverford, Narberth, Gwynedd Valley and Penllyn.
There's even a St Asaph Church, its design based on the original in Denbighshire, and red dragons adorning police badges.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia actor, writer and creator McElhenney started learning Welshafter buying Wrexham AFCwith Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds.
But the language was spoken in his hometown on-and-off for four centuries, after two waves of immigration helped shape the state of Pennsylvania.
In fact, the original intention was to call Pennsylvania "New Wales", according to Connor Duffy, who is from Philadelphia and gives presentations on the history.
Hundreds of Welsh-speaking Quakers from rural parts of Wales began arriving in the late 1660s, after facing persecution in Great Britain for their beliefs, Mr Duffy said.
He added: "William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania, converted to Quakerism at a young age and was a strong advocate of religious freedom and democratic values.
"The king granted him a massive tract of land in North America to settle a debt with the Penn family.
"Believe it or not, Penn's first idea for a name for this land was 'New Wales', but King Charles II overruled him and the name Pennsylvania or 'Penn's Woods' was chosen to honour Penn's father, whom the king owed a debt to."
The Welsh Quakers believed an agreement was reached to create a "Welsh Tract" on 40,000 acres (160sq km), where the language of government, law, business and daily life would be Welsh.
But Mr Duffy said this failed to happen, adding: "The Welsh came to know Penn as 'Diwyneb', or 'Faceless' for reneging on their agreement."
However, the settlers left their mark.
In the 1880s, when the Pennsylvania Railroad was built, laying the foundations for suburban Philadelphia, it ran through what was the Welsh Tract.
Giving new areas Welsh names was seen as a sign of affluence by the wealthy residents who moved in.
Many were named by the president of the railroad - George Brooke Roberts, a direct descendant of one of the first Welsh settlers in the 1680s.
He lived at his ancestor's estate "Pencoyd" and raised funds to build the Church of St Asaph, Bala Cynwyd.
Even now, new developments occasionally nod to the settlers - including Llewelyn Road, Cymry Drive, Llanelly Lane and Derwydd Lane.
Mr Duffy, 24, said DNA tests showed he had "at least a few percentage points of Welsh".
His passion for Wales was stirred further when he met boyfriend Mathew Rhys, 25, from Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, in 2019.
The couple live in Swansea, where Mr Duffy is studying history.
He said Welsh heritage is still strong in theLower Merion Historical SocietyandWelsh Society of Philadelphia- the oldest ethnic society of its kind in the USA.
However, he added: "Unfortunately, in my experience, many people in the area don't know the fascinating story of their past or how their towns came to have such unique names.
"I believe it's possible to ignite an interest among the population and inspire people to learn more about and celebrate the history of the Welsh settlers whose legacy firmly remains in the names of the places around them."
Mr Duffy is doing his bit.
He organisedMari Lwydevents in Philadelphia in 2021 and New Jersey in 2022, handing out pamphlets to explain the Welsh tradition.
Pennsylvania has "two layers of Welshness in two parts", according to Cardiff University's head of Welsh Dylan Foster Evans.
After the Quakers' idea of a Welsh colony came to nothing by the end of the 1600s, he said Welsh largely disappeared from families within two generations.
However, the first Welsh language book to be published in the USA was in Philadelphia in 1721 and there were Anglican clergymen conducting services in Welsh in the early part of the 18th Century.
A legacy would continue, though, because the settlers were seen as "founding fathers of the area by many", Dr Foster Evans believes.
As they were there so early in the foundation of the state, he also thinks there are a large number of descendants now.
However, their numbers were dwarfed by those of Welsh settlers that arrived during a second wave of immigration in the late 19th Century.
During the industrial revolution, they brought their mining experience to the coal-rich regions.
In total, about 80,000 Welsh people headed over - with 5,000 in the town of Scranton, where the US edition of The Office was later set, by the start of the 20th Century.
"My family were quarrymen from the Nantlle Valley in Caernarfonshire, but got good jobs in the mines because of their experience, as foremen and safety officers," Dr Foster Evans said.
"My great-grandfather, his brother and two sisters went over. The others stayed but my great-grandfather came back - which is why I'm here."
There were Welsh chapels, books, newspapers, while popular folk song Moliannwn (Let's Give Praise) was written in the USA.
Dr Foster Evans said in some cases, second and third generations were speaking Welsh having never been to Wales, and it was spoken into the middle of the 20th Century
He added: "Even now, there are some people with something of the language, but there were no structures to keep it alive.
"America was a melting pot of cultures, with no place for it in schools. It was only in the home and chapels where it was kept going."
As Philadelphia was "a major destination" for immigrants from Europe, locals are used to place names from many cultures, according to Kate Jiggins.
But the president ofthe Lower Merion Historical Societysaid: "Nonetheless, the western suburbs retain more Welsh place names than names from any other language, and many of the residents of this area have at least some amount of Welsh heritage - myself included."
She said the Quaker religion remains prominent, with one of the oldest meeting houses in the USA "a lovely example of Welsh architecture of the early 18th Century".
Ms Jiggins added: "Last year Philadelphia had its first ever Welsh Week in the city, so it's safe to say that even though our Welsh history may not be a topic of daily conversation, it's certainly not been forgotten." | Rob McElhenney's attempts to learn Welsh provided a highlight of television show Welcome to Wrexham. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-66922992?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
The health secretary has paid the money back and set out an explanation of events on his Moroccan holiday in an emotional Holyrood statement.
But questions remain over how honest he has been about the affair, with statements made over the past week appearing to contrast with what he has now told MSPs.
So is this the end of the matter, and for all the fury in the headlines and on the opposition benches is Mr Matheson's future secure?
Michael Matheson's statement may have elicited sympathy as he held back tears, and it did answer many of the questions hanging over this affair.
We now know how that big bill was run up, and Mr Matheson has made a fulsome apology.
But issues remain for the health secretary.
There are still some questions about the holiday itself. How likely it is that Mr Matheson didn't know his sons were watching the football until his wife told him last Thursday night, given he's a big fan himself?
But even accepting his explanation at face value - that he genuinely knew nothing until the story broke in the media - there are still questions.
He says he chose not to mention the role of his sons in this debacle in his statement last Friday, which is an omission which is perhaps understandable in context of protecting his family.
But he then repeated the same defence on Monday - several days after he now says he had the full picture.
Mr Matheson was explicitly asked whether anyone else had used his equipment and contributed to the data bill. He said no.
Other journalists asked if there had been any personal use of the device. Again, he said no.
There is perhaps a tiny sliver of wriggle room if you draw a distinction between use of the device and use of its data via a hotspot.
But let's be realistic. It was very clear what reporters were driving at, and Mr Matheson's denials were not caveated.
The media are thus absolutely furious - see today's front pages for evidence - and opposition MSPs are too.
The question is whether that actually changes anything.
The health secretary has the full and unequivocal backing of his boss, Humza Yousaf.
Indeed the first minister has been so effusive in his praise of Mr Matheson's integrity, and so categoric that he should stay in post, that it would be very difficult for him to turn around and sack him now.
There is a lingering question about Mr Yousaf's continued defence of Mr Matheson in interviews on Wednesday, given we now know that his minister had informed him about other people using the iPad prior to that.
Looking back, Mr Yousaf didn't engage with specific questions about how the bill was run up, instead moving smoothly on to praise of Mr Matheson's character before declaring the matter closed.
With hindsight, we perhaps now know why.
The opposition have certainly been keen to tie the whole row back to Mr Yousaf's own judgement.
Given the ongoing stooshie with the UK Covid Inquiry about WhatsApp messages, the government really doesn't need another transparency row.
And a major reshuffle which replaces the health secretary right at the start what is expected to be a very difficult winter period for the NHS would be particularly unwelcome for Mr Yousaf right now.
Given the current state of play at Holyrood, there is no obvious mechanism for the opposition to remove Mr Matheson.
The Conservatives have threatened a vote of confidence, which in theory could be used to prise a minister from office.
But the SNP and Greens have a majority which is predicated on them being able to rebuff such votes, so any motion tabled by the opposition would surely fail.
Mr Matheson has referred himself to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body - a slightly odd move, given the SPCB doesn't actually have much in the way of investigatory power. It is chiefly there to ensure the smooth running of Holyrood's facilities.
That referral will presumably be passed on to the Standards Committee, but any probe they launched would take months to conclude, with proceedings taking place in private. There would be no Privileges Committee-style public grillings.
And in the meantime, the government can point to a due process being under way, which must be respected.
That is a solid holding position, and one which has been echoed by cabinet ministers in interviews already.
Can Mr Matheson tough out the questions in the short term?
That is perhaps the final question on this affair, because the ball is largely in his court.
The health secretary will be dogged by reporters at every event for the foreseeable. The media do not take kindly to feeling misled. The follow up to literally every question will be whether the previous answer was true.
There is also the question of what his constituents make of it all. If his mailbox is deluged by furious Falkirk residents, he might have a change of heart.
There could also be pressure from within government, if colleagues on the SNP or indeed Green benches are unhappy with the handling of the affair.
And then there's the impact on Mr Matheson's own life at home. He has already been clear about how difficult this row has been for his family.
He has put much store in his personal reputation and integrity, as someone who has been at Holyrood since 1999 and generally been pretty well thought-of, and as a long-serving government minister.
But he may conclude that the worst has been and gone with that emotional moment at Holyrood. | Michael Matheson has offered an "unreserved apology" to MSPs after admitting his sons had run up an £11,000 bill by watching football using data from his parliament-issued iPad. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-67417013?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Seychelles-based Alpha Consulting also helped to form more than 900 UK partnerships which used a secrecy loophole to conceal their true owners.
One partnership was involved in running a sanctions-busting oil tanker, while others committed crimes.
Alpha said it always followed the law.
The investigation by the BBC,Finance Uncoveredand the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation has analysed internal Alpha documents and thousands of company records to identify some of the people who secretly benefitted from the work of the offshore firm, based in the island nation in the Indian Ocean.
As well as catering to members of Russian President Vladimir Putin's inner circle, Alpha Consulting was a secrecy factory - one of the most prolific companies helping to exploit a gaping loophole in UK law. Some of the partnerships it helped create have been involved in alleged fraud and running an illegal essay mill. One has been accused of interfering in a foreign election.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, boss of the Wagner Group who died earlier this year, was one of those who benefitted from Alpha's services. His company Beratex Group Ltd was sanctioned by the United States in 2019, as a front company which concealed ownership of his private jet and yacht.
Leaked documents - obtained bythe International Consortium of Investigative Journalistsand examined as part of the 2021Pandora Papers investigation- show Alpha helped set up Beratex in the Seychelles, and the hidden beneficial owner was recorded as the mercenary boss's elderly mother-in-law.
Alpha said it was "never involved in any business activity" with Beratex.
Leonid Reiman, a close friend and associate of President Putin, was a client of Alpha. In 2006, while he was Russia's communications minister, Reiman was found by a Swiss tribunal to have been the secret owner of a company that received corrupt payments.
Despite Mr Reiman's well-documented relationship with the Russian president, the documents show that Alpha provided a director for one of his companies who failed to declare Mr Reiman was a "politically exposed person" - someone whose position or relationships mean they may be more exposed to risks of corruption and who therefore requires a greater level of checks.
Anti-money laundering expert Graham Barrow said this was "not really an oversight". Failing to make a declaration is "a breach of the rules if you are knowingly doing business with somebody who is a politically exposed person," he said.
Alpha said it had carried out all the required checks on Mr Reiman and did not find information which suggested he was a politically exposed person or involved in money-laundering. It said it does "not act for clients or professional intermediaries who we find have been involved in wrongdoing".
The investigation also reveals that Alpha, run by a Russian businesswoman named Victoria Valkovskaya, helped to create 927 limited partnerships - one in five of those registered in England, Wales and Northern Ireland since 2017.
Limited partnerships, a type of firm usually created by two or more people to own and run a business together, can also be used to sidestep transparency regulations.
After a law was introduced in 2016 requiring UK companies to declare who owns them or is really in control, there was a surge in the registration of limited partnerships, which were exempt. This requirement was extended to Scottish limited partnerships a year later after it was revealed that they were being increasingly used for money laundering and other crimes.
But last year, the BBC and Finance Uncovered revealed the increasing use of English limited partnerships andevidence linking a number of them to fraud, terrorism and money laundering.
Despite this, the government has failed to extend laws requiring companies to identify the people really in control - known as "persons of significant control" - to all limited partnerships.
Kevin Hollinrake, a junior business minister, dismissed concerns about a loophole, telling the House of Commons "limited partnerships cannot own property or assets in their own name".
But our investigation shows that Alpha helped create limited partnerships which were used to acquire assets and hide the owners of them - including an oil tanker, the Delfi, which polluted the coast of Ukraine after it was wrecked in 2019.
Investigations by authorities obtained documents identifying the owner of the tanker as a Cardiff-based limited partnership called Mister Drake PC.
Like many of the firms Alpha helped to set up, it appeared to be partly owned by a Seychelles resident who on paper looked like a prolific entrepreneur: Luther Denis, who is listed as general partner of 184 UK limited partnerships.
But internal documents show that partners like Mr Denis sign over all their powers to the secret "beneficial owner". Mr Denis is one of 12 nominee or sham partners provided and paid by Alpha, who often know nothing about what the firms that they help to create actually do.
Following the wreck, a court imposed a fine on Mister Drake PC - but it has never been able to identify the real owner and the fine has never been paid.
Michelle Wiese Bockmann, an analyst at Lloyd's List Intelligence, said: "The beneficial owners, as they're known, are ultimately liable and responsible for any of the environmental costs or damages that the vessel causes."
Our investigation found internal Alpha documents that record the beneficial owner of Mister Drake PC as Alla Kovtunova, the mother of a former local politician in Ukraine's now-banned pro-Russian Party of the Regions.
Alpha said it was "not aware of any of your claimed activities in relation to this company".
Baroness Kramer, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson in the House of Lords, said it was a shock the government had not used its economic crime bill to shut down every loophole. "It certainly is aware of this one, and frankly, it can't even be called a loophole - it's so wide, you can drive an oil tanker through it," she said.
The investigation uncovered another eight partnerships linked to Alpha which at one time were registered as owning ships.
In September 2020, Luther Denis was named on paperwork of another partnership, Cilkon PC, which this time was involved in running an oil tanker called the Ostra.
Under a different name, the Ostra had already breached sanctions against Syria in 2019. Mr Denis's partnership became involved in running the tanker after its registered owner, a Russian company called Rustanker, was sanctioned for attempting to evade the US ban on trading in Venezuelan oil.
Our investigation analysed tracking data for the Ostra during the period after Mr Denis's partnership took over. It found the tracker was turned off for three weeks in September last year, allowing it to disappear off the coast of Venezuela - indicating it may have been breaching sanctions again.
Ms Bockmann said ships "go dark" to obscure where they are loading and unloading their cargo, "in order to deceive, evade, and keep one step ahead of any regulatory authorities that are monitoring these vessels".
The BBC wrote to Cilkon and Rustanker but received no response. We also wrote to Mr Denis but he declined to comment.
Other partnerships Alpha Consulting helped set up include:
The BBC attempted to contact these partnerships and the people we were able to identify behind them but did not receive a response. Alpha said it was not aware of any of the activities of these partnerships.
Financial crime consultant Graham Barrow said that this use of nominees "brings the whole process into disrepute".
"It is making a mockery of this idea that the UK is open for business because frankly, we'll accept anyone's name on a piece of paper and away you go," he said.
As well as exploiting this loophole, Alpha may have breached the law in relation to Scottish partnerships, which does require that the people who really control them are disclosed.
In March 2017, the firm involved, Biniatta Trade LP, paid a US lobbyist on behalf of Lulzim Basha, leader of the Democratic Party of Albania. The lobbyist arranged access to Republican politicians and a fundraiser, where Mr Basha was able to get a photo opportunity with then-President Donald Trump - later used in the Albanian election campaign.
Reports last year suggested US intelligence believed that Mr Basha's election campaign, whose slogan was Make Albania Great Again, had been secretly backed by Russia with $500,000.
Biniatta's ownership was hidden through offshore secrecy and sham directors, but the leaked Alpha documents include an agreement from 2015, when the partnership was set up, which named the beneficial owner as a Russian national called Maxim Trofimets.
In summer 2017, when the law for Scottish partnerships changed, Mr Trofimets was not declared as the "person of significant control" of Biniatta, and an Alpha nominee falsely declared that the firm had provided all the information it had to.
The next day, the same Alpha nominee secretly signed a new power of attorney agreement, renewing Mr Trofimets' control over Biniatta.
After media reports of a possible Russia connection in 2018, Alpha's owner Victoria Valkovskaya set out in an email how Biniatta could conceal its ownership.
The ownership of Biniatta could be structured using a Seychelles foundation with five nominee councillors "so as to not declare a controlling person".
This would give the appearance that no one person had control over 25% of the company, the threshold under UK law for the requirement to name a person of significant control.
Biniatta followed the advice and no person of significant control was declared. Alpha said it rejects the allegation that it attempted to avoid Biniatta having to make such a declaration.
In September this year, the Council of Europe appointed Mr Basha to prepare a report on supporting the reconstruction of Ukraine following the Russian invasion. He said he had no conflict of interest.
The BBC attempted to contact Mr Trofimets and Mr Basha but they did not respond.
Ms Valkovskaya, Alpha's managing director, said she "categorically" denied her company was involved in any illegal activity. "We always followed the letter of the law. The use of nominees is not something new or illegal in the industry," she said.
Alpha Consulting said its "involvement in UK-based limited partnerships is limited to providing advice and assistance with registering, incorporating and structuring them in accordance with UK regulations".
It does not "engage in, or assume any responsibility for, the management, operation or decision making of our end clients or the companies we assist them in forming," it said.
Alpha also said it has due diligence and anti-money laundering procedures that comply with the law.
Last month the Seychelles was added to the EU's tax haven black list.
The Department for Business and Trade told us its economic crime bill would make it easier for Companies House to "tackle rogue agents and deregister illegitimate limited partnerships", and to challenge and remove suspicious information.
Additional reporting by Joshua Cheetham.
You can see more on this story on Newsnight on BBC Two on Thursday 2 November at 22:30 GMT oron iPlayer. | An offshore firm helped create companies used by members of Vladimir Putin's inner circle, including one hiding the late mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin's yacht, the BBC can reveal. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67276289?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Russia is the biggest producer of rough diamonds cut from hundreds of mines beneath the Siberian permafrost, where a third of the world's diamond supply comes from.
Now the European Commission has proposed extending to diamonds a series of sanctions imposed on Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The move is part of the EU's 12th round of measures against Moscow, due to come into effect in January. It is linked to the G7, which is also discussing a ban.
Since 2022, EU sanctions have covered Russian coal, gas, gold, vodka and even caviar.
But diamonds mined in Russia's north-east are still used in engagement rings, necklaces and earrings all over the world.
The EU has until now avoided a ban, largely because Belgium has been keen to protect the city of Antwerp: the diamond capital of the world.
The Flemish-speaking port city has been a diamond hub since the 15th Century. More than 80% of all rough diamonds mined across the globe are traded here, and before the war one in four of them came from Russia.
The cobbled streets of Antwerp's diamond district are lined with shops, their windows filled with sparkling jewellery. There are security cameras everywhere, in an area of about one square mile.
"Russia was a very big business for Antwerp: shifting your whole business to a new supplier gives you a lot of headaches," says Thierry Tugendhaft, who's been a diamond dealer for more than 30 years.
"Importing non-Russian diamonds is going to be expensive because everyone will be going after the same suppliers."
That means they will become more costly for the average consumer too.
In a corner of his office, Thierry opens a safe of colossal proportions and takes out a small white envelope, folded in half. Inside are three glistening, perfectly polished diamonds.
Before the war, half of all his stones came from Russia. Their allure lay in their high quality, their shape - and availability.
A final decision on the European Commission's proposed ban will be taken by the EU's 27 member states in the coming weeks.
But many of Antwerp's diamond dealers saw it coming and had already come under pressure from businesses they trade with to halt supplies from Russia.
Mr Tugendhaft now sources his imports from a mine in Canada, but some of his colleagues haven't been so lucky.
"Some of the companies who were big traders in Russian diamonds went out of business. They were very reliant on Russia."
Critics have long complained that importing Russian diamonds is unethical, because much of the money flows straight to the Kremlin.
More than 90% of Russian diamonds are produced by a single company called Alrosa - which is mostly owned by Russian government entities.
Last April, the US banned imports of rough diamonds from Russia and imposed sanctions on Alrosa.
In the first half of 2023, Alrosa generated a revenue of $1.9bn (£1.7bn).
"There is a direct link between buying Russian diamonds and financing the war in Ukraine," says Filip Reyniers, director of IPIS - a research institute based in Antwerp.
"Russian diamonds should be considered as conflict diamonds."
Also known as blood diamonds, conflict diamonds are gems sold to finance war.
The ongoing war means that Russia needs the cash.
"Russia is desperate for money to fund its war, and that's why Russian diamonds are becoming cheaper," says Tobias Kormind, managing director of 77 Diamonds - one of the largest online diamond jewellers in Europe.
He stopped importing Russian gemstones within a few weeks of the Ukraine invasion - which has resulted in higher costs for his business - and he believes the rest of the industry should have taken a firmer stance.
"Because it's cheaper to buy from Russia, what many do is turn a blind eye - and not disclose that they are sourcing their stones from Alrosa," he said.
As it is so difficult to know for sure where a diamond comes from, a ban is very hard to enforce.
"Unlike other products, like coffee, tea or chocolate, the diamond trade has never been transparent," says Filip Reyniers from IPIS. "A diamond doesn't travel with a certificate of origin, diamond parcels are often mixed⦠so it's very difficult to know the source."
Diamonds can change hands 20 to 30 times between mine and market. That lack of traceability is why the trade is so attractive to criminal activity, and why critics say an EU ban is flawed.
"This is something that does not exist sector-wide today," said Filip Reyniers. "For this ban to work, there has to be a real assurance that you can absolutely trace the origin of your diamond."
The major complication is that 90% of the global diamond supply is shipped abroad to be cut and polished - regardless of where it's been mined.
Most of these diamonds end up in factories in India.
And once the diamonds are polished and ready to be shipped, they become labelled as of Indian origin.
Analysts say that it's essential this major loophole is closed. But so far, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has defied Western to scale back economic ties with the Kremlin.
"If India doesn't get on board, the ban won't work," said Reyniers.
"There are half a million people involved in the diamond industry in India," said trader Thierry Tugendhaft. "They need their livelihoods, they don't want to lose their jobs."
But Western countries account for about 70% of global demand for diamond jewellery - and there is an urgent sense that something needs to be done.
"Russian diamonds have come to symbolise war and human rights violations," said Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo in September.
And there is a belief that EU sanctions will make an impact.
"Some Russian diamonds will still enter the European market," said Filip Reyniers. But he believes the ban will lead to fewer people buying jewellery that funds the Kremlin's war in Ukraine. | Diamonds may be forever, but not when it comes to imports from Russia into the European Union. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-67413029?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
It is thought Jeremy Hunt's decision will depend on the latest predictions from the UK's main economic forecaster.
A Treasury source said no final decisions had been made, but Mr Hunt refused to rule it out in a BBC interview.
It comes as he announced a £4.5bn pot to boost British manufacturing.
Businesses in the automotive, aerospace, life sciences and clean energy sectors will be among firms in line to receive government funds where "the UK is or could be world-leading", Mr Hunt said.
The chancellor was expected to receive the latest economic forecast from the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) - a body which assesses the health of the UK's finances and is independent of the government - on Friday.
While it is understood Mr Hunt will consider tax cuts over the weekend,as first reported by the Financial Times,a Treasury source told the BBC it is possible such policy decisions are delayed until the spring.
Mr Hunt has previously said tax cuts are "virtually impossible" and instead warned of "frankly very difficult decisions" in the Autumn Statement on Wednesday, which is when he will outline the government's latest tax and spending decisions.
Despite playing down expectations of tax cuts, economists have estimated the chancellor could have more than £10bn to spend on such measures.
In an interview with the BBC, Mr Hunt refused to rule out a cut to inheritance tax, saying: "The best way that we can reduce the tax burden for everyone is to grow the economy."
Tax levels in the UK are currently at their highest since records began 70 years ago, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank. The government's single biggest source of revenue is through taxes on people's earnings, known as income tax, but there has been no speculation of cuts to that.
However, the BBC has been told Mr Hunt is considering cutting inheritance tax, which is a 40% tax on the value of the estate - the property, money and possessions - of someone who has died.
The tax is charged on the part of an estate that's above the threshold, but only applies to about 4% of estates and no tax is paid if the estate is valued at less than £325,000, or if anything above this threshold is left to a husband or wife, civil partner, charity, or a community amateur sports club.
If a home is part of the estate and a person's children and grandchildren stand to inherit it, then the threshold can go up to £500,000.
The tax sparks considerable debate, partly owing to the fact many people are concerned about it and find it difficult to understand.
There have also been reports that the government is considering using October's inflation figure of 4.6%, rather than September's inflation figure which is 6.7%, to uprate benefits, which would cut working-age benefits spending by about £3bn. The government usually uses September's inflation date to set the increase.
The chancellor did not deny such a move, but said the government would be "compassionate" and the the welfare system needed to be reformed "because we believe that making work pay is a vital part of our economic success".
It is not clear what business taxes the chancellor might cut, but there are expectations that a tax break which allows firms to offset 100% of the money they spend on new machinery and equipment against their profits, will be extended or possibly be made permanent.
This policy - known as "full expensing" - is due to expire at the end of the 2025 tax year.
The amount of cash the government deems it has available to spend - and introduce tax cuts - is subject to its own, self-imposed spending and taxation - or fiscal - rules. Whether and how the government meets its rules, depends on its policy choices.
Most governments of wealthy countries follow fiscal rules in an attempt to maintain credibility with financial markets, which help to fund their plans.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he would wait to see what was in the Autumn Statement before commenting.
The chancellor's boost for manufacturers comes amid sluggish economic growth in recent times and fears the UK could lose out on investment opportunities to other countries in industries creating future jobs.
Mr Hunt told the BBC he had spoken to Elon Musk, the owner of the electric car firm Tesla, about investing in the UK.
"I would love to have a Tesla factory in the UK anytime. Let's be clear, that is a fantastic company," he said, adding that £2bn of the pot was earmarked for the automotive industry to develop zero-emission vehicles.
"I spoke to Elon Musk about this and he said it's not about the support. It's about the environment. And he loves London because there's so much tech going on and Tesla is essentially a tech company, so let's see what happens," he added.
In an interview with Saturday's Daily Telegraph newspaper, Mr Hunt again did not explicitly confirm whether tax cuts would be announced - but said he will use the Autumn Statement to "show the country there is a path" to a lower tax economy. | The chancellor is considering cutting inheritance and business taxes in next week's Autumn Statement, the BBC has been told. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67448602?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Pentagon spokesman Brig Gen Pat Ryder said the drones were operating in "support of hostage recovery efforts".
"These UAV flights began after the Oct 7 attack by Hamas on Israel," he said in a brief statement.
The acknowledgement comes after reporters spotted unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) on flight-tracking websites.
"The US is conducting unarmed UAV flights over Gaza, as well as providing advice and assistance to support our Israeli partner as they work on their hostage recovery efforts," the Pentagon's statement on Friday said.
The confirmation comes after reporters spotted MQ-9 Reapers, usually operated by American special forces, circling Gaza on Flightradar24, a publicly available flight-tracking website.
Reaper drones have previously been deployed to conduct airstrikes in Afghanistan, but are primarily used as surveillance aircraft because of their ability to "loiter" above an area for more than 20 hours at a time.
Unnamed US military officials told theNew York Timesthat the drones were not helping co-ordinate Israeli military action in and around Gaza. Officials told the newspaper that information related to hostage recovery was being passed on to the Israelis.
These are not the only remote-controlled American military vehicles operating in the region.
On Thursday, the US Navy announced that it had fired lethal munitions from an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) - a speed boat - in the international waters of the Arabian Sea.
In a statement, the Navy noted that the test on 23 October was the first time combat munitions had been fired from a USV in the Middle East.
The US Navy said the development brings American military capabilities in the region to the "next level".
Last month, the US Navy said it had shot down multiple drones and rockets fired from Yemen that were appearing to head towards Israel.
The US has also sent two aircraft carriers to the eastern Mediterranean, saying that they are there to prevent the war between Hamas and Israel from spreading.
In a fiery speech on Friday, the leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah warned the US against using the ships to attack the militant group.
"Your fleets in the Mediterranean do not scare us and will never scare us," said Hassan Nasrallah.
Sign up for our morning newsletterand get BBC News in your inbox. | The US has confirmed for the first time that it has been flying unarmed surveillance drones over Gaza. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-67317218?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
But The Beatles are still the act with the most UK number one albums of all time, with 15.Rolling Stone called the original Red and Blue compilations "eight of the most-perfect album sides ever devised".The re-released versions feature all-new mixes of their biggest hits, alongside the "new" track Now And Then, based on a 1970s John Lennon demo.The albums have also been boosted with 20 additional tracks, including Twist And Shout, Taxman, Dear Prudence and Blackbird.But the band were unable to depose Taylor Swift, whose re-recorded version of 1989 has become one of the year's biggest-selling albums in the space of just three weeks.
Elsewhere, dance kingpins Chase & Status score their fifth top 10 album with 2 Ruff, Vol. 1.Assisted by the massive hit singles Disconnect (with Becky Hill) and Baddadan (with Bou, Flowdan, IRAH, Trigga and Takura), the album makes its debut at number four.And South African pop star Babyqueen earns a new entry at number five with her debut album, Quarter Life Crisis.
In the singles chart, Jack Harlow's viral smash Lovin On Me races straight to number one, giving the rapper his first chart-topper in the UK.Based on a sample of the obscure 1995 R&B song Whatever by Cadillac Dale, it is also the week's most-streamed track, with 5.1 million plays.The American star teased snippets of the song for weeks on social media, creating a pent-up demand when it finally landed on streaming services last week.His success leaves Dua Lipa in runner's-up position with Houdini, the first track from her forthcoming album.A club-friendly sliver of psychedelic pop, Lipa says the song kicks off an album-length narrative about the joys of being single, and acts as a bridge between the disco vibes of her last record, Future Nostalgia, and her new material."It really felt like it encapsulated everything thatâs to come, even though everything thatâs to come is so different. It just felt like a fun way to start.â
Elsewhere in the singles chart, Noah Kahan's Stick Season completes a four-month journey to the top five.The pensive ballad initially found success on TikTok over the summer, but it didn't catch fire until pop starOlivia Rodrigo covered it in BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge,externallast month.The song made its chart debut at 69 shortly afterwards, and reaches number five this week.Meanwhile, Christmas songs are starting to make their annual climb up the countdown.After entering the Top 40 last week, Wham's Last Christmas jumps 11 places to number 26, while Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You rises 12 places to number 28.
Dua didnât have the magic touch - but who was Houdini?
Dua Lipa told Radio 1's Greg James that her new single is about "ghosting", so it makes sense that it's named after Hungarian-American escape artist Harry Houdini, who had a habit of vanishing when people least expected.Fans noticed that some of the promo artwork for the single showed her with a small key in her mouth - referencing the (presumed) secret behind some of his daring stunts.Adding another layer, the photo had similarities to Kate Bush's album The Dreaming, which also featured a song called Houdini.They aren't the only ones whoâve mentioned the illusionist in their music - you might remember the track Houdini by KSI in 2020, which also failed to reach top spot.But who was Houdini?We asked Harry Nardi, a 24-year-old escapologist who was named after the performer."He was a magician, escape artist and he did endurance stunts, so he kind of did every sort of genre of magic as well," Harry told BBC Newsbeat.According to Harry - Houdini, who was born in 1872 - did some "crazy, crazy things", and inspired modern-day magicians like David Blaine and Dynamo."He did a lot of chain escapes, and things like that. And the endurance things, I mean, you won't catch me doing it, but getting hit in the stomach repeatedly."Although Dua hasnât topped the charts this week, Harry says Houdini is long overdue some recognition in popular culture.âHe's played such a big part in magic and magic is a growing industry."Itâs good that he still gets the recognition he deserves because magic wouldn't be what it is without him." | The Beatles' hopes of correcting an historic blip in their chart record have been scuppered by pop superstar Taylor Swift.The Fab Four released new versions of their Red and Blue greatest hits albums last week, hoping that one of them would top the UK album chart.But Swift wasn't ready to let go, with her pop opus 1989 (Taylor's Version) claiming the crown for a third week.The Beatles faced the same situation when the Red and Blue albums first came out in 1973. Back then, David Bowie's Aladdin Sane denied them the number one.This week, the two records end up in exactly the same chart positions as they did 50 years ago.The Red Album (technically called The Beatles 1962â1966) is at number three and the Blue Album (The Beatles 1967â1970) is at two. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cv2z8qzemdlo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
That's because the Tottenham warehouse used to house Ikea's UK flagship store.
The Swedish furniture-maker closed this branch in 2022, leaving behind a 608,000 sq ft (56,485m sq) space.
Now, its familiar aisles and showrooms have been replaced by panoramic screens, high-quality sound systems and immersive light displays in three rooms that can accommodate all types of dance music.
As you walk in for the first time, it's hard to wipe memories of what the space used to look like - the main entrance hall has been created from the space that used to house Ikea's bits and bobs like crockery and bedding.
It's somewhere I've marked a few milestones, including the big trolley dash before moving to university to get kitchen essentials, and again a couple of years ago when I moved into my own place for the very first time.
Others shares the same thoughts - a woman in front of me marvels at how the old café has been turned into a huge bar, serving beers and cocktails rather than meatballs and hot dogs.
For this particular event, the venue has been decked out by Spanish electronic dance company Elrow for Halloween.
The main 9,000-capacity room - which used to be the superstore's flat pack warehouse - is decorated with pumpkins, ghouls and every other spooky stereotype.
Hosting so many people in one space was never going to be without problems. A one-way system put in to help people get in and out of rooms was described to me as "very annoying" and "pretty confusing" by friends Jay and Cameron, who I met in a long, static queue for the smallest, 1,000-capacity room.
It's also been pouring with rain all day and nowhere outside is covered - something Harry describes as "not good" as his chips turn soggy during the downpour.
This seems a bit of an oversight considering the club operates a lot of day parties and isn't open in the summer months so it doesn't compete with festival season.
Rach, who is in the drop-off area trying to order a cab, says on first impressions "it definitely brought back some memories of visiting Ikea".
"I loved that each room had a completely different feel," she adds. "It could take a little while to get into each of the rooms because of the layout but crowds moved quickly.
"The sound system was super clear, especially in the smaller rooms and the bars were easily accessible from each room."
Visiting a new clubbing space doesn't happen often in this current climate. UK nightlifehas been in decline for 15 yearsand this week, for the first time since records began 30 years ago, the number of venues serving alcohol dropped below 100,000.
Like with most venues in their opening weeks, there are teething problems. But Drumsheds doesn't feel too big to succeed - having space to move on the dancefloor is welcome in a post-pandemic world where we're all a little less comfortable with being crammed in to tight spaces.
It also fills a gap left by the closure of operator Broadwick Live's previous venue - Printworks - by recreating an industrial, warehouse environment and filling it with the biggest names in dance music.
Much like Printworks, an old printing pressthat closed earlier this yearto make room for a new office development, Drumsheds only has temporary planning permission and could make way for housing or office space in the next few years.
Broadwick co-founder Simeon Aldred told the BBC earlier this year that night-time spaces were under huge threat in urban areas, with his company facing "massive challenges".
"One of the things post-pandemic is that people have been living in silence, local communities have become very quiet places," he said.
"So around licensing and planning, there's challenges and inconsistencies - you've got some councils that are really pro-culture and some that are less so."
After the pandemic, there's also a concern that business ratescould increase significantly in 2024if inflation fails to fall. That, coupled with an end to government relief scheme, could mean more closures across the hospitality industry.
Aldred said Broadwick's operating costs across its 26 UK venues "have gone up by millions" and that trying to keep a hospitality company going amid the numerous challenges "has been really, really difficult".
The creation of Drumsheds was facilitated by Amy Lamé, who has been night czar to the mayor of London since 2016.
She tells the BBC it is already "proving a real boost to our city".
"Our world-renowned nightlife is integral to our economic and social recovery and Drumsheds is a great example of how we can repurpose spaces to bring people together," she says.
"I am proud to have supported the venue and will continue to do all I can to champion and support the industry as we build a better London for all."
Whether or not Drumsheds gets the chance to establish itself as a night time destination, for now it provides a haven for those who want to spend their weekends on the dancefloor rather than shopping in a Swedish superstore. | For many of those who go to London's new 15,000-capacity superclub Drumsheds, it won't be the first time they've stepped inside the huge building. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-67273621?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Father-of-two Jamie Scott suffered a blood clot that left him with brain damage and unable to keep working.
The action, taken under the Consumer Protection Act, alleges the vaccine was "defective" as it was less safe than individuals were entitled to expect.
Studies suggest Covidvaccines have saved millions of lives.
In June 2022, the World Health Organization said the AstraZeneca vaccine was "safe and effective for individuals aged 18 and above".
The legal action is at least a year away from a full court hearing.
A further claim from about 80 people who say they were injured by the AstraZeneca vaccine is also due to be launched later this year but Mr Scott's case is expected to be heard first.
AstraZeneca said: "Patient safety is our highest priority and regulatory authorities have clear and stringent standards to ensure the safe use of all medicines, including vaccines.
"Our sympathy goes out to anyone who has lost loved ones or reported health problems.
"From the body of evidence in clinical trials and real-world data, Vaxzevria [the vaccine against Covid] has continuously been shown to have an acceptable safety profile and regulators around the world consistently state that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks of extremely rare potential side effects."
Many of the claimants have received one-off fixed tax-free payments of £120,000 under the government's Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS), which provides compensation for those injured or to bereaved next of kin.
Official figures obtained under a Freedom of Information request showed at least 144 out of 148 VDPS payments had gone to recipients of the AstraZeneca vaccine,the Daily Telegraphreported. And an attempt to have the VDPS overhauled is at the heart of these legal actions.
Claimants have to show the vaccine caused serious disability of at least 60%. And the families say the level of compensation is wholly insufficient and has not been adjusted for inflation since 2007.
On 7 April 2021, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisationadvised adults aged under 30be offered an alternative to the AstraZeneca vaccine, "following reports of extremely rare blood clots in a very small number of people".
On 7 May 2021,the guidance was amendedto apply to adults aged under 40.
Mr Scott was aged 44 when he received the AstraZeneca vaccine, on 23 April 2021.
Kate Scott, Jamie's wife, told the BBC: "Jamie has had over 250 rehabilitation sessions from specialists, he had to learn to walk again, to swallow, to talk. [He has had] memory problems.
"Although he has done very well with them we are at the point now where this new version of Jamie⦠is the version that will go forward. He has cognition problemsâ¦he has aphasia..severe headaches, blindness."
She added: "We need the government to reform the vaccine damage payment scheme. It is inefficient and unfairâ¦and then fair compensation."
On 4 January 2021, Brian Pinker, 82, became the first person to receive the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine outside of a clinical trial.
He was given the jab in Oxford, just a few hundred metres away from the Jenner Institute, where the vaccine had been developed. The government called it a pivotal moment in the fight against the virus.
The immunisation came just weeks after the rollout of the Pfizer-BioNTech jab.
By September 2022, some 53 million people in the UK had received at least one dose of Covid vaccine.
AstraZeneca manufactured the Oxford vaccine on a not-for-profit basis.And the vaccine had saved more than six million livesin its first year of use, more than any other Covid jab, an independent study by disease-forecasting company Airfinity, published last year, estimated.
But within a few months of the AstraZeneca vaccine rollout, cases began emerging of a potential side effect from blood clots. And a condition known as vaccine-induced immune thrombosis and thrombocytopenia (VITT) was eventually identified.
The cases were so rare they had not been identified in the global trials of the vaccine. | AstraZeneca is facing legal action over its Covid vaccine, by a man who suffered severe brain injury after having the jab in April 2021. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-67370454?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
He said this was "one of the goals" of Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
And he denied that fighting in Ukraine had reached a stalemate, despite a recent assessment to this effect by the country's top military general.
Ukraine's counter-offensive in the south has so far made little headway.
This has prompted fears of war fatigue among Kyiv's Western allies, with suggestions of growing reluctance in some capitals to continue giving Ukraine advanced weapons and funds.
In a separate development on Saturday, Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov confirmed that Ukrainian soldiers from 128th Mountain Assault Brigade "Zakarpattia (Transcarpathia)" were killed, ordering a "full investigation in what he described as a "tragedy".
He did not say how many soldiers died in what Ukraine's military said was a Russian missile strike in the southern Zaporizhzhia region on Friday.
Reports in Ukrainian media and among Russian military bloggers earlier said more than 20 Ukrainian service personnel were killed during an award ceremony in a village close to the front lines.
Ukraine's military also said that on Saturday it successfully hit "sea and port infrastructure" of a shipbuilding plant in Crimea - Ukraine's southern peninsula illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
Russia's defence ministry was later quoted by the country's state-run news agencies as saying that 13 out of 15 Ukrainian missiles fired on the plant in the city of Kerch, eastern Crimea, were shot down, but a Russian ship was damaged.
Speaking at Saturday's briefing in Kyiv with visiting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Mr Zelensky said: "It's clear that the war in the Middle East is taking away the focus" from Ukraine.
He said Russia wanted this focus to be "weakened", but stressed that "everything is in our powers".
Mr Zelensky was also asked to comment on this week's assessment by Ukraine's chief military commander Valery Zaluzhny that the war was now moving to a "positional" or static stage, and this would benefit Moscow by "allowing it to rebuild its military power".
"Everyone is getting tired and there are different opinions," Mr Zelensky replied, adding: "But this is not a stalemate."
He admitted that Russia was "controlling the skies" and that Ukraine urgently needed US-made F-16 warplanes and advanced anti-aircraft defences to change the situation.
The Ukrainian leader recalled that last year, there had also been a lot of talk about a stalemate on the vast battlefield in Ukraine - but he pointed to Kyiv's subsequent major military victories in the north-eastern Kharkiv region and Kherson in the south.
Mr Zelensky also rejected media reports that he was coming under growing pressure to consider negotiations with Russia.
"Today, no-one among EU, US leaders and others - our partners - is putting pressure for us to now sit down to negotiate with Russia, and give away something to it. This will not happen."
Moscow on Thursday also commented on Mr Zaluzhny's assessment, with Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman saying the current battlefield situation was not a "stalemate".
"All the [war] goals that were set must be achieved," Dmitry Peskov said, adding that Ukraine must realise that "even talking about any prospects for the Kyiv regime's victory on the battlefield is absurd".
President Putin has repeatedly claimed that Ukraine's counter-offensive had failed, while his Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said this week that Kyiv was losing the war despite supplies of new weapons from Nato allies.
Meanwhile, the UK defence intelligence said in its latest report on Saturday that Russia "has likely lost around 200 armoured vehicles during its assaults on the Donbas town of Avdiivka" in eastern Ukraine.
"It is plausible that Russia has suffered several thousand personnel casualties around the town since the start of October 2023.
"Russia's leadership continues to demonstrate a willingness to accept heavy personnel losses for marginal territorial gains," the report said.
Moscow has in recent weeks been trying to advance in eastern and north-eastern Ukraine - but Ukraine's military says all the attacks have been rebuffed.
The claims by the two warring sides have not been independently verified.
Sign up for our morning newsletterand get BBC News in your inbox. | The Israel-Gaza war is "taking away the focus" from the conflict in Ukraine, the country's President Volodymyr Zelensky has admitted. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-67321777?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
The image, an out-take from one of the company's TV adverts, showed red, green and silver hats burning in a fireplace.
M&S said the intent was to "playfully show that some people don't enjoy wearing paper Christmas hats".
The company removed the photo and said the advert was filmed in August, before the latest Israel-Gaza conflict began.
It said the hats were "traditional, festive coloured red, green and silver Christmas paper hats".
"We have removed the post following feedback and we apologise for any unintentional hurt caused," M&S addedin a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday night.
The photo was an out-take from the company's Christmas clothing and home advert, which is based on the premise that people should do away with Christmas traditions they no longer love.
The picture drew criticism from several social media users who claimed there was a similarity between the colours of the hats and the Palestinian flag, with one user describing the photo as "distasteful".
The company has also been defended by other social media users who said the hats are in traditional Christmas colours.
Queer Eye presenter Tan France, who appears in the advert, said on Instagram: "The ad was shot in August, so maybe you're reaching with your ridiculous comments."
The Advertising Standards Authority, which regulates advertising in the UK, says it has received 40 complaints about the Instagram post.
The regulator says it is reviewing the complaints to determine whether further action is needed, but is not currently investigating the advert.
Releasing the "Love Thismas not Thatmas" advert earlier this week, M&S said it was intended to "celebrate and empower our customers to just do the things they love".
The advert also features actors Zawe Ashton and Hannah Waddingham, and singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor.
More than 1,400 people were killed in attacks by Hamas on Israel on 7 October, while at least 239 people were taken hostage.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says more than 9,000 people have been killed since Israel launched air strikes as part of a military response to the attacks. | M&S has apologised after being accused of posting an Instagram photo of Christmas party hats in the colours of the Palestinian flag on fire. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67294809?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
It came as the Bank left rates on hold for the second time in a row at 5.25%, the highest level in 15 years.
Rishi Sunak has pledged to get the UK growing by the end of the year, but the lower forecasts put this in doubt.
Despite the subdued outlook, Bank boss Andrew Bailey said it was "much too early to be thinking about rate cuts".
However, the Bank expects inflation - the pace at which prices rise - to fall sharply in the coming months.
This means the prime minister is on track to meet his promise to halve inflation to about 5% by the end of the year.
Up until September, the Bank of England had raised rates 14 times in a row to tame soaring inflation, which has been squeezing household budgets.
It has led to increases in mortgage payments, squeezing borrowers, but also resulting in higher savings rates.
"We will keep interest rates high enough for long enough to make sure we get inflation all the way back to the 2% target," said Mr Bailey.
"We'll be watching closely to see if further rate increases are needed."
The most recent inflation figure was 6.7% in the year to September.
The Bank expects it to continue to fall as energy and food price rises ease and predicts that it will remain at around 3% throughout next year, above the 2% target.
Mr Bailey told the BBC, however, that if the Israel-Hamas conflict spreads throughout the Middle East, it could have a knock-on effect on energy prices.
"It is a risk, clearly, that any sort of wider disturbance in the Middle East can obviously threaten energy prices, both oil and gas, and we watch that very carefully. So yes, we do see that as a risk going forwards."
But he said that the conflict - which he described as a "human tragedy" - had not resulted in much movement in energy prices yet, describing that as "obviously encouraging".
While the Bank is not predicting a recession, it expects zero growth from now, across the whole of next year - when there is likely to be a general election - and into 2025.
"UK economic growth is slowing," the Bank said.
Mr Bailey described the outlook for UK economic growth as "subdued" but he said that the situation was "not that unusual". Germany, which is Europe's biggest economy, has slipped in and out of recession.
"If you look at other countries, you're seeing pretty similar pictures quite frankly and one or two others are in recession at the moment," he said.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt promised there would be measures to get Britain growing again when he unveils the government's plans to try and boost the economy in its Autumn Statement later this month.
"The Autumn Statement will set out how we will boost economic growth by unlocking private investment, getting more Brits back to work, and delivering a more productive British state."
But Labour said 13 years of "economic failure" had "left working people worse off", while the Liberal Democrats called the interest rates decision a "cold comfort for the millions of hard working families".
Mortgage rates have shot up as the Bank of England has put up interest rates. That has affected first-time buyers, people remortgaging and those on variable and tracker deals.
In the UK, the rate on an average five-year, fixed-rate residential mortgage is 5.87%, down slightly from levels seen earlier this year but still high compared with a few years ago.
Ebony Cropper from Warrington and her fiancé are saving up for a deposit to buy their first home. But while they are budgeting hard, their rent went up an extra £45 a month in August making the job harder.
"We got engaged this year but then I think [the wedding] has got to wait because it's a big expense as it is for just one day and a house is more important," she told the BBC.
"It just feels a bit futile at the moment because your goal [of owning a home] is getting further and further away."
Although interest rates are currently on hold, there is more pain to come from the rate increases we've already seen, warned Dr Anna Valero, fellow at the London School of Economics and a member of the chancellor's economic advisory council.
"Because of the way monetary policy transmits through the economy there is this lag.
"Since we've had all these previous rate hikes, they still need to be felt - through people who will be renewing mortgages through next year, through businesses seeing increased borrowing costs and then all the implications [from that]," she told the BBC.
1. Make overpayments.If you still have some time on a low fixed-rate deal, you might be able to pay more now to save later.
2. Move to an interest-only mortgage.It can keep your monthly payments affordable although you won't be paying off the debt accrued when purchasing your house.
3. Extend the life of your mortgage.The typical mortgage term is 25 years, but 30 and even 40-year terms are now available.
Read more here | The UK economy is likely to see zero growth until 2025, while interest rates remain high for longer or rise further, the Bank of England has warned. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67286913?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Finnish officials say migrants arrive by car before cycling across the border in small groups to claim asylum.
Finland shares a 1,340km (833-mile) border with Russia, Europe's longest.
The number of crossings remains small but has been rising this week. Border guards say they have registered around 89 crossings in two days.
That compares with 91 in the four months to 12 November.
Matti Pitkaniitty, a colonel in the Finnish border guard, told BBC News the migrants included citizens of countries such as Iraq, Yemen and Syria who had arrived legally in Russia but were not authorised to enter Finland, which is an EU member state.
"Traditionally, Russian guards haven't allowed people to arrive at the Finnish border without proper documents," he said. But he added Russian authorities had "definitely" changed their policy in recent months.
Many of the migrants are crossing into Finland by bicycle, exploiting an agreement allowing cycling across the border. Last week Finland banned crossings by bike.
Most of the activity has been seen around the border crossings at Nuijamaa and Vaalimaa, in south-eastern Finland.
At a news conference on Tuesday, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo accused Russian authorities of facilitating the illegal crossings.
"It is clear that these people are helped and they are also being escorted or transported to the border by border guards," Mr Orpo said.
In 2021, thousands of migrants from Middle Eastern and African countries crossed into EU member states Poland and Lithuania after flying to Belarus, a close Russian ally.
The EU at the time accused Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko of using migration as a weapon of "hybrid warfare" to destabilise the bloc.
Mr Pitkaniitty said the small numbers seen so far remained manageable and stressed that Finnish authorities have tools available to them to react in case crossings increase.
Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said on Tuesday that her government was preparing to increase security on the border.
This way into the EU via Russia was much safer than other routes used by migrants, such as crossing the Mediterranean by sea, Mr Pitkaniitty added.
"Once word gets around we may see a rapid increase in numbers. Smugglers and migrants don't know when the opportunity will end." | Finland's prime minister has accused Russia of helping migrants get into the country illegally, saying some have been helped by Russian border guards. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-67420564?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Israel's stated military objective from the outset has been to destroy Hamas, militarily and politically. How much closer is it to achieving that goal, and is it achievable?
As far as Israel is concerned, these are still early days - it has repeatedly said that this operation will be long and difficult. One senior Israel Defense Forces (IDF) official who spoke to the BBC used the analogy of a boxing match: "This is just round four of 15."
No-one in Israel is saying exactly how long the war will last. Some point to the fact that it took nine months for Western-backed Iraqi forces to retake the city of Mosul from the Islamic State (IS)group in 2017. Israel may want to carry on fighting for several more months, though it may not control the timetable, as international pressure for pauses in the fighting or even a ceasefire are growing.
So far, Israel says it has carried out more than 14,000 strikes and killed dozens of high-value targets, including senior Hamas commanders. Each of those strikes will have involved multiple weapons. Yaakov Katz, a military expert and former editor of the Jerusalem Post newspaper, says Israel has already fired more than 23,000 munitions.
As a comparison, at the height of the battle for Mosul, Western allies dropped around 500 bombs a week on IS targets.
More than 10,800 people in Gaza have been killed since the start of the war, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, including more than 4,400 children.
The military says its ground forces have successfully divided the Gaza Strip between north and south, and that its troops have surrounded Gaza City. It claims they are now "deep in the heart of the city", though that is still far from claiming control. Hamas has denied that Israeli forces have made any significant gains or pushed deep into Gaza City.
This initial phase of Israel's ground offensive appears to be going according to plan with its aim of isolating Hamas, and the cost to Hamas is likely to have been high. Estimates at the start of the war suggested that the group had between 30,000-40,000 fighters.
One senior Israeli defence source told the BBC that about 10% of that total - 4,000 fighters - have been killed. Such estimates are impossible to verify and should be treated with caution, but the sheer scale of Israel's bombing campaign will have already degraded Hamas's ability to fight.
In contrast, Israeli military losses appear to have been relatively low. Israel says 34 of its soldiers have been killed since ground operations began. Yossi Kuperwasser, an Israeli intelligence and security expert, says the military is conducting its ground operations "more carefully and cautiously" to avoid heavy casualties among its troops.
It's still not clear how much of Hamas remains in the north, how many fighters may still be hiding in tunnels, or how many might have melted into the local population who have fled south.
The tunnels still present a significant challenge to Israel. Its forces are trying to blow up what tunnels it finds, rather than engage in fighting underground.
More obvious is Israel's significant advantage in terms of intelligence and military capabilities. It can intercept communications and even turn off Gaza's mobile phone and internet networks. It has complete air superiority with Israeli jets and drones able to monitor every movement on the ground, but not below the surface.
One senior Israeli defence source told the BBC that they were still identifying more than 100 new targets each day, although that list is likely to diminish the longer this war goes on. The longer it lasts, the more it will have to rely on troops on the ground to identify and eliminate resistance.
Justin Crump, a former British Army officer who now runs Sibylline, a risk intelligence company, says Israel appears to be making reasonable progress given the density of the terrain, but "they're now going to encounter the more heavily defended urban areas of the city".
Israeli troops are better equipped and well-trained, but urban warfare can still prove difficult for the most advanced militaries.
So far, close-quarters fighting on the ground appears to have been limited, and is certainly nothing on the scale of the urban warfare that's been taking place between Russia and Ukraine in cities like Bakhmut. Much of the videos released by the IDF show that it is instead relying on tanks and armour.
Neither has Israel committed all its forces. Some estimate that it may have as few as 30,000 troops inside Gaza so far. That's a relatively small proportion of Israel's total - 160,000 active military personnel plus 360,000 reservists.
Justin Crump says the question is how many of its infantry is it willing to commit to clearing every building and the warren of Hamas tunnels?
Israel could instead chose to target Hamas strongholds. He believes Israel will try to avoid block-by-block fighting, not least because it could lead to very heavy casualties. It would also certainly jeopardise the lives of more than 200 hostages.
Which raises the question as to whether Israel's stated war aim - destroying Hamas - is really achievable. Even senior Israeli officials recognise that destroying an ideology with bombs and bullets is impossible.
Some of the group's leadership isn't even in Gaza. Mr Katz says that if elements of Hamas can survive this war, then they could still claim "because we're still here, we've actually won".
For that reason, Mr Crump believes Israel's war aims could shift from destroying Hamas to punishing it, to make sure it there is no repeat of the 7 October attacks.
Israel is also under increasing pressure to explain what happens next, especially from the US.
One Israeli defence source said Winston Churchill wasn't thinking about a Marshall plan to rebuild Germany, when he helped launched the allies invasion on D-Day in the Second World War.
But wars are rarely won without a plan post-invasion - something that's been completely absent in Israel's military operation so far. | It's nearly two weeks since Israel launched its ground offensive into Gaza and more than a month since it began intensive air strikes against Hamas, all in response to the brutal attacks in Israel in which about 1,200 people were killed. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-67373293?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
The workers, who were building the tunnel, were trapped when part of it caved in due to a landslide.
Officials have been able to establish contact with the men and have been providing them with food, water and oxygen while they try to get them out.
They say they expect to rescue the workers by Tuesday night or Wednesday.
On Tuesday morning, the state government said rescue teams were "preparing to drill and insert a metal pipe of 900mm diameter in the part of the tunnel blocked by debris" to reach the workers.
Officials hope the men will be able to squeeze through the narrow pipe to safety.
The tunnel in Uttarkashi district is part of the federal government's ambitious highway project to improve connectivity to famous pilgrimage sites in Uttarakhand. The mountainous state, where several Himalayan peaks and glaciers are located, is home to some of the holiest sites for Hindus.
The accident occurred at 05:00 local time (23:30 GMT) on Sunday when a portion of the Silkyara tunnel, around 200m away from its opening, collapsed while the workers were inside, senior police official Arpan Yaduvanshi told BBC Hindi.
A landslide nearby caused heavy debris to fall on the tunnel, leading to its collapse. The mounds of debris cut off oxygen supply to the workers.
Authorities said they established contact with the trapped men on Sunday night using walkie-talkies.
A pipeline, which was laid for supplying water to the tunnel for construction work, is now being used to supply the trapped men with oxygen, food and water, they added.
Rescuers will have to dig through several metres of debris before they can start the evacuations. Excavators and other heavy machines are bring used to dig through the debris.
State Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said national and state disaster relief teams were working together on rescue efforts.
"All the workers trapped inside the tunnel are safe and every effort is being made to get them out soon," a statement from his office said.
BBC News India is now on YouTube.Click hereto subscribe and watch our documentaries, explainers and features. | Rescuers are racing to save 40 workers trapped inside a collapsed tunnel in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand since Sunday morning. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-67411822?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
The Drivers License singer wrote Can't Catch Me Now for the film, which stars Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth, Viola Davis and Peter Dinklage.
She said she was "soooo beyond excited" to be part of the franchise.
The film is set years before the first four, which starred Jennifer Lawrence.
Rodrigo's announcement follows the release of her second studio album in September. Guts debuted at number one in the UK album chart, outselling the rest of the top 10 combined in its first week.
Directed by Francis Lawrence, the films sees British actor Blyth play the young Coriolanus Snow aged 18, who goes on to become the "tyrannical president of Panem". West Side Story actress Zegler stars as the games tribute Lucy Gray Baird.
Oscar winner Davis plays head gamemaker Dr Volumnia Gaul, while Game of Thrones star Dinklage plays the public face of the Hunger Games, Casca Highbottom.
Snow is assigned to mentor Baird in the upcoming Hunger Games, a brutal battle of life and death between young tributes from Panem's oppressed districts.
The franchise is based on Suzanne Collins' best-selling dystopian books, set in a post-apocalypse America, said to have been inspired by a combination of Greek myth and reality television, as well as Collins' own upbringing as the daughter of an air-force officer who served in Vietnam.
The novels' themes include freedom and resistance against oppression, and the prequel is set 64 years before the events of The Hunger Games, detailing the "Dark Days" that led to a failed rebellion in Panem.
The original films starred Jennifer Lawrence as the games tribute Katniss Everdeen and they took nearly $3bn (£2.5bn) at the global box office.
Rodrigo's song will be released on 3 November and the film is released on 17 November. | US singer Olivia Rodrigo has revealed her delight at being part of the soundtrack for the much-anticipated Hunger Games prequel: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-67296455?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Former General Myint Swe, who was appointed after a coup in 2021, was speaking at an emergency meeting held by the ruling military council to address a series of co-ordinated attacks by anti-military insurgents which have inflicted serious losses on the armed forces.
Three ethnic insurgent armies in Shan State, supported by other armed groups opposing the government, have overrun dozens of military posts, and captured border crossings and the roads carrying most of the overland trade with China.
It is the most serious setback suffered by the junta since it seized power in February 2021. After two-and-half years of battling the armed uprising it provoked with its disastrous coup, the military is looking weak, and possibly beatable.
The government has responded with airstrikes and artillery bombardments, forcing thousands of people to leave their homes. But it has been unable to bring in reinforcements or recover the ground it has lost. Among hundreds of troops killed is believed to be the commander of government forces in northern Shan State, Brigadier General Aung Kyaw Lwin, the most senior officer killed in combat since the coup.
What makes this attack even more significant is that it marks the first time that the well-armed insurgents operating in Shan State have explicitly aligned themselves and their military operations with the wider campaign to overthrow the junta and restore democratic rule.
However, there are other factors at play. These three insurgent groups have long-held ambitions to expand the territory they hold. And crucially China, which normally acts as a restraining influence on all the groups along its border with Myanmar, has not prevented this operation from going ahead.
That is probably because of its frustration over the military government's inaction over the scam centres which have proliferated in Shan State. Thousands of Chinese citizens and other foreigners have been forced to work in these scam centres. The insurgents say one of their aims is to close them down.
Back in 2021, when peaceful protests against the coup were violently crushed by the military and police, opposition activists decided they had no choice but to call for a nationwide armed uprising against the junta.
Many fled to areas controlled by ethnic insurgents along Myanmar's borders with Thailand, China and India, where they hoped to get access to the training and weapons most of them lacked.
Some well-established ethnic armies, like the Karen, the Kachin, the Karenni and Chin, decided to ally themselves with the National Unity Government (NUG), which was set up by the elected administration that was deposed by the coup.
Others did not, notably the various groups in Shan State, a huge, lawless region bordering Thailand and China.
Perhaps best known as one of the world's biggest producers of illicit narcotics, Shan State has also recently begun hosting a booming business in casinos and scam centres.
It has been blighted by conflict and poverty since Myanmar's independence in 1948, fragmented into the fiefdoms of different warlords, drug bosses or ethnic rebels who have been fighting each other and the army.
Two rival insurgent forces claim to represent the Shan, the largest ethnic group, but in recent years four smaller ethnic groups have built up powerful armies.
The strongest of all of them are the Wa, with sophisticated modern weapons and around 20,000 troops backed by China.
Then there are the Kokang, an ethnically Chinese group with a long tradition of insurgency; the Palaung, or Ta'ang, people of remote hilltop villages whose army has grown rapidly since its formation in 2009; and the Rakhine, who are actually from Rakhine State on the other side of Myanmar. But they have a large migrant population in the east of the country which helped establish the Arakan Army, now one of the best-equipped forces in Myanmar.
The Wa agreed a ceasefire with the Myanmar military back in 1989, and have generally avoided armed clashes. They say they are neutral in the conflict between the junta and the opposition. But they are presumed to be the source of many of the weapons heading to the anti-military resistance groups in the rest of the country.
The other three ethnic armies - the Kokang MNDAA, the Ta'ang TNLA and the Arakan Army - have formed themselves into what they call the Brotherhood Alliance. They have all clashed repeatedly with the military since the coup, but always over their own territorial interests, not in support of the NUG.
These three insurgent groups have discreetly given sanctuary, military training and some weapons to dissidents from other parts of Myanmar.
But, situated as they are on the Chinese border, they have also had to consider China's concerns, which are to keep the border stable and trade flowing. China has been giving diplomatic support to the junta and kept its distance from the NUG.
In June this year, under pressure from China, the Brotherhood Alliance agreed to join peace talks with the military, although these quickly broke down. But they still appeared to be staying out of the wider civil war.
Operation 1027 - so-called because it was launched on 27 October - has changed that.
They have made dramatic progress. Entire army units have surrendered without a fight. The alliance say they have taken more than 100 military posts, and four towns, including the border crossing at Chinshwehaw, and Hsenwi, which straddles the road to Muse, the main gateway to China.
They have blown up bridges to prevent military reinforcements from being brought in, and have surrounded the town of Laukkaing, where many scam centres are run by families allied to the junta.
Thousands of foreign nationals are believed to be trapped in Laukkaing, where there is growing chaos as people queue for the limited food left in the town. China has warned all its citizens to evacuate via the nearest border crossing.
The Brotherhood Alliance say their ultimate goal now, like that of the NUG, is to overthrow the military government.
The NUG, whose volunteer fighters have been waging a desperately unequal armed struggle against the full might of the army and air force, has applauded the alliance's success, and talked about a new momentum in their struggle.
Pro-NUG People's Defence Forces, which are not as well-armed or experienced as the Shan insurgents, have launched their own attacks in areas near Shan State to take advantage of the military's apparent weakness, and have for the first time captured a district capital from government forces.
The Brotherhood Alliance timed their attack carefully, right after an incident in Laukkaing which snapped China's patience with the junta.
For the past year the Chinese government has been pressing the military government to do more to shut down the scam centres, which are largely run by Chinese syndicates. They have become an embarrassment to Beijing after widespread publicity about the brutal treatment of the trafficking victims trapped in them.
Chinese pressure persuaded many of the Shan groups, like the Wa, to hand people suspected of involvement in the scams to the police in China. More than 4,000 were sent over the border between August and October. But the families in Laukkaing balked at shutting down a business which had been generating billions of dollars a year for them.
Sources from the area have told the BBC that there was then an attempt to free some of the thousands of people held in Laukkaing on 20 October, which went wrong.
Guards working for the scam centres are believed to have killed a number of those attempting to escape. That resulted in a strongly worded letter of protest being sent by the municipal government in the adjacent Chinese province demanding that those responsible be brought to justice.
The Brotherhood Alliance saw their opportunity and attacked, promising they would shut down the scam centres to assuage China. China has publicly called for a ceasefire, but alliance spokesmen say they have received no direct request from the Chinese government to stop fighting.
But their longer term aim is also to gain as much ground as they can, in anticipation of a potential collapse of the military government. This would put them in the strongest possible position for the negotiations, promised by the NUG if the junta is overthrown, on a new federal structure for Myanmar.
The TNLA has long wanted to expand the area it controls beyond the small Ta'ang self-administered zone allotted to them in the constitution.
The MNDAA wants to recover the control of Laukkaing and the adjacent border which it lost in a military operation in 2009, one led by none other than Myanmar's military chief General Min Aung Hlaing.
And everyone is watching the Arakan Army. It has so far only been supporting the fighting in Shan State. If it chooses to attack the military in Rakhine State, where it has most of its forces and already controls many towns and villages, the junta would find itself dangerously overstretched.
As a TNLA spokesman told the BBC, his group no longer sees any value in negotiating with the military government because it lacks legitimacy.
Any deal they strike would be invalidated by a future elected government. The Ta'ang, the Kokang and the Wa share the goal of winning constitutional recognition of statehood for their people within a new federal system.
In joining the fight these groups may help bring an end to military rule in Myanmar. But their aspirations, which are bound to conflict with the interests of other groups in Shan State, are a portent of the many challenges which will confront those trying to map out a democratic future for Myanmar. | The military-installed president of Myanmar has warned that the country is in danger of breaking apart if the government cannot control fighting which has broken out in Shan State. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-67305690?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
The Union of Jewish Students president, Edward Isaacs, said the current spike was like nothing the group had seen.
The Community Security Trust recorded 67 antisemitic incidents from 7 October to 3 November at 29 campuses, compared with 12 in the same period last year.
It comes as experts also warn of rising reports of islamophobic incidents.
Tell Mama, which monitors islamophobic incidents, says 31 incidents were recorded at UK universities in the same period, compared to three in October last year.
Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel one month ago, killing 1,400 people and taking 240 hostages.
Since then, more than 10,000 people have been killed in Gaza according to the Hamas-run health ministry, including more than 4,100 children.
Groups that monitor hate crimes in the UK say the conflict is now being played out on university campuses across the UK.
Jacob Lederman, a student at the University of Warwick, said he had been racially abused on a university Jewish society WhatsApp group. The incident "made me feel sick", he added.
Freshers' week was under way at the university and its Jewish society had set up a WhatsApp group for new Jewish students.
The group was advertised on the society's website with an invite link, and on 12 October four new people requested access to the chat.
They started off asking standard questions for a new student, such as where they could find kosher meat in the area. One of the four infiltrators then sent a message saying: "Everyone agree with what's going on in Israel right?"
Mr Lederman says that is when the abuse started. Several messages were then posted in the chat using offensive language and mentioning the Jewish religion.
"There were Jews who maybe had been at the university for two weeks and they were on a Jewish Society group and then suddenly they get attacked by this bile," Mr Lederman said.
The 19-year-old said the incident had taken its toll on him and the wider community on campus.
"It made me feel sick because I think Jews in the UK, we're used to a kind of undercurrent of antisemitism on social media. I see it all the time. I've never seen it this overt before."
The incident was reported to West Midlands Police on 15 October and the force said investigations were ongoing.
There are more Muslim living in England and Wales than Jewish people. Nearly 3.9m Muslims make up 6.5% of the total population, while 257,000 Jews account for 0.46%.
Sahar Mulji, who is a Muslim university student, says Muslim students are also feeling ostracised on campuses. She said she knows people who have had "things thrown at them as they're walking through the street".
"They're feeling scared, there's a general feeling of anxiety and fear," she said.
UK police forces do not routinely publish data on the number of antisemitic or islamophobic incidents, but London's Metropolitan Police was one force that did.
The Met Police has published dataon hate crime dating back to 2018, it reveals that October 2023 saw the highest number of both antisemitic and islamophobic incidents for the same month the force have recorded in the last five years.
The force says, between 1 October and 1 November, it saw 554 reports of antisemitic offences - compared with 44 in the same period in 2022.
There were 220 islamophobic offences for the same timeframe the force said, compared with 78 recorded incidents between 1 October and 1 November in 2022.
The government said it was in frequent contact with Tell Mama and the CST - and has provided £43m to protect interfaith communities in the current financial year. It said any perpetrators of hate crime would face the full force of the law. | Jewish students are "deeply anxious" following an unprecedented rise in antisemitism at UK universities, BBC News has been told. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67350003?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Lee Bowman's inquest heard it took two months for his body to be found because police assumed he was still alive and "drunk somewhere".
Mr Bowman's family said they told officers repeatedly it was out of character for him not to contact them.
Nottinghamshire Police said "lessons will be learned" from the case.
Mr Bowman's daughter, Corrina Bowman, said not knowing what happened had a significant impact on her mental health.
She tried to kill herself six days after reading anews article in which police falsely saidher father was "alive and well", and was sectioned under the Mental Health Act for her own safety.
Assistant Coroner Abigail Combes said police had been affected by "unconscious bias" due to Mr Bowman's background and assumed he was "missing because he didn't want to be found and was drunk somewhere".
She was so concerned about what happened she intends to issue what is known as aRegulation 28 reportto the College of Policing, to prevent future deaths.
However, the coroner said it was not possible to know whether Mr Bowman's life could have been saved if he had been found earlier.
Miss Bowman hopes what happened to her father will change how police approach other missing persons cases.
"I'm grateful for how the court saw my dad for a human and not his addictions and troubles," she said.
"I'm glad that things are having to change as I don't want my dad to have died for nothing and I'm hoping now that missing people with vulnerabilities such as addiction are handled with the care and respect they deserve."
However, Miss Bowman said she would always have unanswered questions.
"I don't know how to grieve when I don't know how he died," she said.
"The pathologist couldn't guarantee he died that night. What if someone had gone out to look for him? Would he have been alive? Would we have been able to save him?
"I hope it was really sudden. I hope he passed away really quickly and wasn't trapped for days."
Mr Bowman was from Ollerton in Nottinghamshire and was 44 when he died in 2021. He had two daughters, who are now aged 23 and 17.
Corrina, his eldest daughter, said he was "devoted to me and my sister and was extremely protective and family-orientated".
However, she said her father had mental health problems which stemmed from being sexually abused while at a boarding school for children with dyslexia.
His medical records, which were summarised at his inquest, said he was only eight years old at the time of the sexual abuse.
"He was around 16 when his drug use started but he became severely mentally unwell when I was around nine," said Miss Bowman. "That's when his self-harm became quite serious."
Mr Bowman's medical records showed he had a history of anxiety disorder, depressive disorder and substance abuse.
He was an alcoholic at the time of his death and also had liver cirrhosis.
Mr Bowman was last seen by his family on 29 October 2021, shortly before he went to visit his girlfriend, who lived in the village of Thurcroft in South Yorkshire.
His girlfriend told police she last saw him on 31 October, when he had been drinking alcohol.
She said they had a disagreement, her brother hit him in the mouth and she "kicked Lee out of the house".
Families who were trick or treating then saw Mr Bowman in the street and according to their police statements, he looked "disorientated" and was "stumbling about, clearly intoxicated".
One of them posted a photo of him on Facebook, and this showed he had a cut lip.
This was the last time Mr Bowman was seen alive.
His brother, Wayne Bowman, initially reported him missing to Nottinghamshire Police on 2 November, because Mr Bowman normally telephoned his family numerous times a day, but nobody had heard from him.
However, Nottinghamshire Police treated it as a "deliberate absence" rather than a missing person enquiry.
Mr Bowman's father reported him missing again to Nottinghamshire police on 4 November and he was then treated as a missing person.
A media appeal resulted in numerous apparent sightings of Mr Bowman, including by an off-duty police constable.
However, all the sightings were later found to be false.
Assistant Coroner Abigail Combes said: "On the evidence I've heard, these sightings were followed up, although not necessarily thoroughly checked for accuracy.
"These sightings therefore gave false assurances that Lee was alive, and therefore not contacting his family for unknown reasons."
A South Yorkshire PCSO sent an email to Nottinghamshire Police on 24 November which read: "The missing person can be seen in Rotherham Town Centre on a daily basis. He is hanging around with the local drug users and drinkers."
Nottinghamshire Police transferred the investigation to South Yorkshire Police on 28 November and it was closed shortly afterwards.
The case was reopened on 7 December after the family contacted police again to say they had not heard from him.
Detectives were asked to lead the investigation a week later and police eventually found Mr Bowman's body on 3 January 2022, close to where he had visited his girlfriend in Thurcroft.
His body was in a very narrow gap between two fence panels, which were at the end of gardens backing on to each other in Cedric Crescent and Green Arbour Road.
The pathologist who examined his remains could not determine his medical cause of death because of the decomposition.
However, he gave four possible medical explanations:
The pathologist said there was no evidence he died as a result of being assaulted, but this "cannot be reliably ruled out".
"It is possible that evidence of an assault may have been obscured by decomposition and maggot infestation," his report said.
The coroner said on the basis of the pathologist's evidence she could not say whether or not Mr Bowman was already dead on 2 November 2021, which was the day his family reported him missing.
"I cannot say with any degree of certainty when Lee died, and therefore I cannot say whether he could still have been found alive if different decisions had been made," she said.
However, she said she was concerned by "significant evidence of unconscious bias" when it came to how police handled the investigation.
"For example, there were assumptions that Lee led a chaotic lifestyle and was missing because he didn't want to be found and was drunk somewhere," she said.
"I think there's an important issue in Lee's case that his lifestyle has been a factor in the way they have conducted the missing person's enquiry."
She recorded an open conclusion and ended the inquest by thanking Miss Bowman for attending.
"I've been watching how you've been conducting yourself and it is admirable," she said.
"I can't imagine how you must feel about the way you lost your dad and I'm so sorry for you."
Nottinghamshire Police said in a statement: "Our thoughts go out to all of Mr Bowman's family.
"Any lessons that can be learnt from this inquest and for policing as a whole we of course welcome."
South Yorkshire Police said its Professional Standards Department had carried out an internal investigation which had "identified some learning for our organisation around missing people investigations".
Det Supt Eleanor Welsh, force lead for missing people, said: "A report was created and shared across the force, and these learnings are now implemented within teams." | A coroner has said she cannot be sure how a father-of-two died after he fell between two fence panels, because his body was too decomposed. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-67378646?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Say stuff in public some of her colleagues would only ever dare say in private.
Say stuff in public some of her colleagues wouldn't even say in private.
How do we know she has this licence?
Because the lack of it would mean being sacked.
So is she going to keep her job?
The prime minister's official spokesman has said No 10 did not sign offher article in The Times.
I am told there was a back and forth yesterday between the Home Office and No 10. Some changes requested by Downing Street were made, others were not.
The spokesman said Downing Street is "looking into what happened".
Ignore the guff about the prime minister having "full confidence" in the home secretary. That is always true of every minister, until it isn't - when they're out.
So it is strictly true, but it tells us nothing.
The home secretary has defied the prime minister, and Downing Street have publicly said that is the case.
One of Labour's favourite lines of criticism of Rishi Sunak is he is weak.
So can Mr Sunak let Suella Braverman get away with this? Or would sacking her make things worse for him?
There aren't many good options for the prime minister here.
Some loyal to Mr Sunak are pointing to the Ministerial Code, and pondering that the home secretary may have broken it.
Convention says that is a sackable offence. But then again Rishi Sunak appointed her as home secretary about a week after she'd lost the job for breaking the Ministerial Code.
Convention has had a rough couple of years at Westminster.
And what is Mrs Braverman up to?
Many instantly leap to ascribe a motive to the home secretary's interventions: her ambitions to lead the Conservative Party one day.
Those ambitions are real.
But Mrs Braverman's primary motivation is she wants to articulate her authentic view - and high office won't stop her doing that.
Or at least it won't for as long as she holds it.
For any public figure to question the integrity of the police would be incendiary.
For the home secretary to do it is astonishing.
That is not to say she is necessarily wrong: I regularly hear, in private, concerns from some Conservatives about the policing of demonstrations.
Perceived double standards. Some protesters treated apparently more leniently than others.
Plenty, including those in policing, would acknowledge it is perfectly legitimate for politicians to scrutinise the work of any vital, publicly funded organisations.
But: public demonstrations are "the brain surgery of policing," counters Tom Winsor, the former Chief Inspector of Constabulary.
In other words, not easy.
There are a blizzard of complicating factors the police have to juggle, not least the scale of what confronts them.
And they are dynamic, potentially dangerous, rapidly evolving events.
Where does all this leave the prime minister, the home secretary, the government and the Conservative Party?
Let's remind ourselves of Suella Braverman's recent remarks.
A year ago, shetalked about an "invasion" of migrants.
Her deputy Robert Jenrick wouldn't repeat the word.
A month ago, Mrs Bravermantalked of a "hurricane" of migrants coming to the UK- and suggested too many were too squeamish about immigration.
Again, it was her colleagues left publicly squeamish when asked if they agreed with her language.
A week or so ago, another intervention.
The pro-Palestinian protestswere "hate marches".
And now her article in the Times.
"These latest comments are unhinged," one senior Conservative tells me.
A senior Conservative MP adds: "The home secretary's awfulness is now a reflection on the prime minister. Keeping her in post is damaging him."
A third source, a senior Tory, claims her remarks about Northern Ireland are "wholly offensive and ignorant."
So what does the prime minister make of this?
Incendiary remarks from the home secretary punctuated by a period of months of less attention-grabbing were arguably a politically useful pressure valve for Rishi Sunak.
A senior government figure willing to articulate views easily found on the Conservative backbenches.
The question for him now is whether the ratcheting frequency of her interventions - and her insubordination - lead No10 to conclude it is unsustainable for her to stay.
Or lead her to conclude, given the at best tepid public support of her colleagues, that she has outstayed her welcome.
Things do feel like they are coming to a head: where either she leaves or she considerably dials down the frequency of her explosive interventions.
Oh and here's another curve ball for the prime minister: we'll find out next Wednesday whether the Supreme Court deems thegovernment's Rwanda plan for migrantslawful or not.
A flagship policy, led by Suella Braverman falls or flies next week.
Does the prime minister want her in post for that moment, or not? If the plan is on and she's in post, her position would be hugely strengthened.
Suella Braverman is making news. Not for the first time. And not for the last. | For as long as Suella Braverman has been Rishi Sunak's home secretary, she has had a licence to say the unsayable. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67366748?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Ava-May Littleboy was on the blow-up trampoline when it burst at Gorleston-on-Sea in Norfolk in 2018.
Theowner was jailed for six monthson Friday for breaching health and safety laws.
Her father said the sentencing was "a massive weight to be lifted off our shoulders".
However, Nathan Rowe said returning to nearby beaches, and replicating experiences that their daughter enjoyed, was a gradual process.
"It's still stepping stones," he told the BBC.
"We don't go to Gorleston, Yarmouth - that is a place we will never go unfortunately, not for family reasons - Felixstowe did take a while to go back to and just to see a beach because there was just too much heartbreak."
Ava-May, from Lower Somersham in Suffolk, was with family at the beach on 1 July that year when she was thrown into the air and suffered a fatal head injury.
In 2020, an inquest jury concludedno procedure was in place to safely manage the trampoline's inflation, that it had not been checked by an independent third party and had no instruction manual.
Curt Johnson, 52, of Swanston's Road in Great Yarmouth, and his company Johnsons Funfair Ltd, pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching health and safety laws.
As well as his prison sentence, Johnson was disqualified from being a company director for five years.
His firm, Johnsons Funfair Limited, of Great Yarmouth, was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay a combined £300,000 in costs.
"No lessons were going to be made unless proper justice was given, so a custodial sentence was an absolute win for us," said Mr Rowe, who thanked supporters, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the borough council.
"We've lost our daughter but hopefully no one else will lose theirs or any member of their family.
"There are people operating like this out there and if they get caught out, justice is going to get done."
He said the HSE had promised "wheels are in motion" to crack down on so-called legislation loopholes and said talks were ongoing with the council about auctioning off a piece of local Banksy art to fund a "tribute" for Ava-May.
Mr Rowe said Ava-May "just wanted to explore" and was a "breath of fresh air".
Follow East of England news onFacebook,InstagramandX. Got a story? [email protected] WhatsApp 0800 169 1830 | The father of a three-year-old girl who died when an inflatable exploded has said the family never visit the beach where the tragedy happened. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-67387297?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Dozens could back a Commons motion from the SNP calling for an immediate ceasefire in the conflict, in contrast to the Labour leader.
Labour has ordered its MPs to abstain on the SNP's motion, meaning frontbenchers must resign or face the sack to support it.
But three frontbenchers have already indicated they will defy their leader.
Shadow Home Office minister Naz Shah, shadow education minister Helen Hayes and shadow trade minister Afzal Khan all told MPs they wanted to support an immediate ceasefire.
The party has tabled its motion urging longer pauses in the fighting to deliver aid, which, along with the SNP motion, will be voted on after 19.00 GMT.
Nineteen frontbenchers have expressed an opinion on the conflict at odds with their leader. One, shadow minister Imran Hussain,quit his position last weekin order to campaign for an immediate ceasefire.
Speaking ahead of the vote, he said humanitarian pauses - as advocated by Labour's leader - do not "go far enough," adding that a ceasefire would "create space for meaningful negotiations".
Nearly 70 Labour MPs have defied their leader to call for a ceasefire now, and nearly 50 councillors have resigned from the party over the leadership's position on the war.
Sir Keir has argued that a ceasefire would not be appropriate, because it would freeze the conflict and embolden Hamas.
Instead, Labour, like the Conservative government, the United States and the European Union, is calling for "humanitarian pauses" to help aid reach Gaza.
Compared with a formal ceasefire, these pauses tend to last for short periods of time, sometimes just a few hours.
They are implemented with the aim of providing humanitarian support only, as opposed to achieving long-term political solutions.
Last week, the US said Israel would begin to implementdaily four-hour military pausesin areas of northern Gaza.
The competing motions on the conflict come in the form of amendments to the King's Speech, the government's legislative programme for the year ahead unveiled last week.
Labour's motion would support Israel's right to self-defence after Hamas's "horrific terrorist attack" on 7 October, in which 1,200 people were killed, and call for the release of more than 200 people taken hostage.
But it also says there has been "too much suffering, including far too many deaths of innocent civilians and children" since Israel began striking Gaza in response.
The Hamas-run health ministry says more than 11,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then - of whom more than 4,500 were children.
The amendment calls on Israel to "protect hospitals and lift the siege conditions" on the territory, and urges longer humanitarian pauses to allow aid "on a scale that begins to meet the desperate needs of the people of Gaza".
It says this is a "necessary step to an enduring cessation of fighting as soon as possible and a credible, diplomatic and political process to deliver the lasting peace of a two-state solution".
Labour has confirmed that its MPs will be under a three-line whip - the strictest instruction - to back the party's motion, and abstain on the competing SNP motion calling on "all parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire".
"This is a whipped vote and every MP knows what the consequence of that means," a spokesman added.
Supporters of Sir Keir's position hope the gambit of tabling its own motion could mean most resignations are avoided.
However, they concede that the question of backing a ceasefire has become the central issue for some of the MPs. | Sir Keir Starmer is set for a showdown with Labour MPs later over the party's position on the Israel-Hamas war. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67417726?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Asked where she was off to, Eliza told the award-winning photographer: "I'm going to Farmfoods."
Murphy found out where she lived, knocked on the family's tenement flat window and spoke to her mother.
He then set up his tripod, adjusted his medium format camera and captured a striking street portrait.
It is now one of more than 150 black and white images which feature inGovanhill, a new exhibition celebrating one of Scotland's most diverse communities.
An estimated 88 languages are spoken in the densely populated area, which covers about a third of a square mile or 85 hectares.
The community has been close to Murphy's heart since his grandmother moved there from the nearby Gorbals in the early 1970s.
It has even been compared to New York's Ellis Island, as a point of arrival for immigrants who travel to Glasgow seeking a better life.
The photography lecturer told BBC Scotland News: "People used to say there were two sides to Govanhill - Bengal and Donegal.
"It is a real melting pot of different nationalities and cultures."
In 1999 Murphy rented a flat in the area before taking on his first job, as a postman in nearby Clarkston.
He later sold his guitar to buy his first camera in Cash Converters for £50 before enrolling on a photography course in the city's Springburn.
Since then he has spent more than two decades taking pictures of Govanhill residents and people who were simply passing through.
Asked how he selects his subjects, Murphy said: "It's all about wandering. I might see someone who looks a bit interesting.
"It's definitely a visual thing. It could be a haircut, a guy who looks craggy or something slightly off kilter."
The father-of-two started his street portrait project in 2016 and, during the Covid lockdown, he created a window trail exhibition featuring 25 images.
One of his most celebrated pictures features Paisley, whom he met with her young son in McDonalds.
He said: "She was wearing a camouflage jacket and had amazing hair.
"Paisley featured in my first exhibition and came to represent the project.
"She has a 'People Make Glasgow' badge and there is an attitude, a defiance and a strength there that I feel sums up the people of Govanhill."
In Sara's case it was her over-sized fur coat that caught his eye.
Murphy recalled: "It looked amazing and it turned out it belonged to her mum.
"Sara was popping out to the shops and when shops are so close by people sometimes grab the first thing that is lying at the door.
"I imagine that the mum's coat was the closest thing to hand.
"I loved it and thought it made Sara look very regal, queen-like."
Murphy has become so embedded in the community that he has even photographed some of his subjects on more than one occasion.
This was true of the girl who took her cat shopping.
But he only discovered the coincidence when he spoke to Eliza's mother.
Murphy recalled: "She told me I had photographed her daughter four years earlier, when she was going to a party with her sister.
"They had just got out of a taxi and were wearing beautiful dresses and were clutching huge presents wrapped in LOL doll paper.
"I crossed the street and asked if their parents were around so I could get permission but it turned out their dad was the driver and he agreed."
Last year Eliza again found herself in front of Murphy's Mamiya R267 camera.
He said: "She had shopping to do but allowed me the time to capture a few frames and I tried to get the cat to look towards camera too.
"When I went around to the house to drop off a print, Eliza's mother was so happy. She told me: 'You don't know what this will mean to Eliza'."
She went on to explain that the cat had since gone missing.
Murphy added: "This was the only photograph that she had of her and her cat together and it meant the world to the family."
Tattoo artist Scott took some persuading to pose. The photographer succeeded because Scott's wife was a customer of his wife, Beth, who used to run a nail salon in Govanhill.
Murphy said: "Scott said he wouldn't normally do it but let me take his picture.
"He looks like an intimidating character but if you look really closely you see what matters to him.
"Above his right eye he has the word 'family' tattooed.
"There is a softness there. We don't spend a lot of time looking at people's eyes."
When Murphy first encountered performance artist Seamus he had recently lost his elaborate costumes in a fire.
But the next time they caught up he was dressed as a giant rat.
Murphy, who is a lecturer at Glasgow Kelvin College, said: "He was quirky and playing a character.
"The ideas that Seamus comes up with and brings to life could form a whole project on its own.
"It was tongue-in-cheek as the area has been portrayed as having a rodent problem.
"Govanhill does have issues, and I'm not aiming to hide or amplify them, that's not my job.
"But if you look properly, you will find treasure in Govanhill and that treasure is its people."
Murphy's previous work with The Herald newspaper and as a freelance included assignments in Colombia, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia.
More recently he chronicled the harrowing plight ofRohingya refugeesin Bangladesh on a trip with aid agency SCIAF.
Reflecting on his personal journey he said: "I loved David Bailey's pictures of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones and was drawn in by the celebrity culture.
"But when I started travelling my priorities shifted. Photography opened my eyes.
"It gave me a greater empathy and understanding of what is going on in the world and the difficult lives people have.
"I really think it shaped me. I became less interested in celebrities and just photographing real people."
Murphy's passion for the traditions of his craft in the age of digital also makes his raw portrait work stand out.
He said: "I use medium format film, which gives the images a lot of clarity and sharpness, even when they are blown up.
"It is the type of film that was used for photographing movie stars in the past and it gives them a timeless quality.
"The street is my studio and I want people to be proud of their pictures."
Govanhill runs at Street Level Photoworks in Trongate, Glasgow, until 27 January | Simon Murphy was standing on Victoria Road, in the bustling south side of Glasgow, when he spotted a girl walking towards him with a cat round her neck. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-67124628?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
North Wales Police went to an address on the LlÅ·n peninsula in Gwynedd on Friday morning, after reports of a dangerous dog.
Two people were airlifted to hospital with serious injuries, and another two had minor injuries.
The dog involved was destroyed, and is yet to be examined to establish the breed. A total of 37 dogs and a number of cats were seized from the address.
One person was taken by air ambulance to Royal Stoke University Hospital, while the other was taken to Aintree University Hospital, Liverpool.
Councillor Gareth Williams said the attack was in Rhydlios: "As a community, there's a sense of shock and concern at the news.
"My biggest concern is the fact that there is a public footpath not far from the house, and also families that live in close proximity."
He said that "our thoughts are with everyone concerned" and hoped that they all make a quick recovery.
Police remained in the area on Saturday while inquiries continue.
Ch Supt Sian Beck said: " We understand this was a concerning incident in the local area, and wish to reassure the community that there is no further risk to the wider public.
"We have launched a joint investigation with the RSPCA."
The force is appealing to anyone with any information to get in touch. | Four people have been injured, two badly, following a dog attack. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-67464124?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Abdul-Aziz Hussein - whose name has been changed for his safety - took the decision in April to stay in Khartoum. He never thought the fighting between the army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) would last so long.
"We are still besieged, and the fighting has not stopped," he tells me when I get through by telephone.
"The RSF have penetrated the area and caused havoc, while the army is shelling their positions within the neighbourhood. Death could come at any moment."
An estimated 5,000 Sudanese people have already been killed in crossfire between these two warring branches of the military, while many more have been injured.
With his wife and three children, the 45-year-old teacher is now desperate to leave. Last month they almost did, but the fighting around their home in the suburb of Kalakla was too intense.
The area is now a ghost town, the family has not eaten for two days and even water is hard to find. Electricity, Mr Hussein says, is a rare luxury.
The second time I call, Mr Hussein tells me that marauding RSF soldiers are looting shops and people's homes.
It's like living in "a piece of hell", he says.
The intense fighting in Khartoum and thewesternregion of Darfur is causing serious problems with the distribution of aid, the UN says.
It says more than five million people have been displaced by the conflict and 24.7 million are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.
Many have no access to clean water, increasing the risk of cholera and other diseases.
"We need a ceasefire that allows us to deliver humanitarian aid to those affected and assess the extent of their needs," says the UN's deputy special representative in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami.
"Most importantly, we need a permanent cessation of hostilities. We want this fighting to stop so aid can be delivered, and Sudanese people can resume their normal lives."
A few short humanitarian truces were agreed in the early months of the war, but various ongoing peace initiatives are making little tangible progress. Unicef's representative in Sudan, Mandeep O'Brien, told the BBC a humanitarian crisis was looming.
"The war needs to stop now, for the sake of children and for the sake of the future of Sudan," she says. "If the war continues, by the end of this year, we believe the situation will be catastrophic."
Even those who escaped from Khartoum to the relative safety of Port Sudan, on the Red Sea coast, are often struggling to survive.
In a shelter for displaced people in the port city, I met Hawa Suleiman trying in vain to make a meal for her five children from the meagre remains of a tin of wheat.
They receive one meal per day, provided by a Qatari charity, which Ms Suleiman divides in half so that her children have something for breakfast. With no refrigeration, however, the food sometimes goes off and makes her children sick.
She and her children fled Omdurman, the city across the River Nile from Khartoum, soon after the fighting started on 14 April. Bombs were falling as they escaped and she and her husband became separated in the chaos. There has been no word from him since, and no news whether he is alive or dead.
Arriving in Port Sudan after a journey of 1,000km (620 miles), the family applied to be evacuated, but were told the boats were for foreigners only. Syrian businessmen paid for food to be delivered to Syrian refugees in the camp where they were staying, while Sudanese people went hungry.
Ms Suleiman soon discovered she was on her own. When one of her children fell ill with food poisoning, she was only able to buy antibiotics thanks to a well-wisher, who footed half the bill.
"The doctor herself cried over our condition," Ms Suleiman says. "We are exhausted. Our suffering has gone beyond all limits."
As well as the Sudanese, people from many other nationalities are suffering because of this war - among them Syrians, Pakistanis and Indians, and large numbers of refugees from South Sudan. In Port Sudan, hundreds of families are now living in an overcrowded shelter that was formerly a university dormitory.
Abiol is one of them. She had earlier fled from South Sudan and settled in a camp for displaced people in Khartoum's north-eastern district of al-Haj Yousif.
"I had hoped to return to my country, but the war started in Khartoum, and we were forced to migrate once again to Port Sudan," she says.
"It's as though fate has written for us to live our entire lives in refugee camps."
Peter, a refugee from the Democratic Republic Congo, was studying at the International University of Africa in Khartoum before the fighting began. He says conditions in the Port Sudan dormitory are dire, so he sells charcoal in order to "live a slightly better life".
Aid workers have also been among the victims of the conflict, with 900 security incidents involving UN workers, and 19 deaths. This makes it the most dangerous place in the world for humanitarian workers.
Meanwhile the UN is struggling to fund its work in the country, having only raised funds to cover a quarter of its $2.6bn (£2bn) humanitarian response plan.
"The cost of inaction is high," says Ms Nkweta-Salami. "That's why we urgently appeal to our donors to please support our efforts, and [appeal] to the parties to stop the violence and conflict." | Seven months after the start of Sudan's civil war, conditions for many in the capital, Khartoum, are worse than ever - but some of those who escaped from the city in the early days are also struggling to survive. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-67438018?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
The Carter Center confirmed in a statement that she died peacefully with her family by her side.
On Friday, it was reported that she had entered a hospice care home in the state of Georgia, and was spending time with her 99-year-old husband, who has been in hospice care since February.
Mrs Carter was diagnosed with dementia in May.
The longest-married first couple marked their 77th wedding anniversary in July.
"Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished," said Mr Carter in the statement.
"She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me."
Mrs Carter was born Eleanor Rosalynn Smith on 18 August 1927.
She married Jimmy Carter on 7 July 1946 and they had four children.
The Carters' son, Chip, described her as a loving mother, extraordinary first lady and "a great humanitarian in her own right."
"She will be sorely missed not only by our family but by the many people who have better mental health care and access to resources for caregiving today."
She is also survived by 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren, after losing a grandson in 2015.
When her husband began his political career in the 1960s - first as Georgia state senator, governor, and later US president - Mrs Carter was focused on raising mental health awareness and reducing the stigma attached to people with mental illnesses.
As first lady of Georgia she was a member of a governor's commission to improve services for the mentally ill, and as US First Lady she became honorary chair of the President's Commission on Mental Health, which was key to the passage of a 1980 act that helped fund local mental health centres.
After leaving Washington she and her husband founded the Carter Center in 1982, through which she continued her advocacy work for mental health, early childhood immunisation, and other humanitarian causes.
The couple were also key figures in the Habitat For Humanity charity, helping build homes for families in need.
They received recognition for their humanitarian work in 2002 when Mr Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
In a 2013 interview with US TV network C-SPAN, she said: "I hope our legacy continues, more than just as first lady, because the Carter Center has been an integral part of our lives.
"And our motto is waging peace, fighting disease and building hope. And I hope that I have contributed something to mental health issues and help improve a little bit the lives of people living with mental illnesses."
US President Joe Biden paid tribute to Mrs Carter, saying she "walked her own path, inspiring a nation and the world along the way".
"On behalf a grateful nation, we send our love to the entire Carter family and the countless people whose lives are better, fuller, and brighter because of Rosalynn Carter," President Biden posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama said: "When our family was in the White House, every so often, Rosalynn would join me for lunch, offering a few words of advice and always - always - a helping hand.
"She reminded me to make the role of First Lady my own, just like she did. I'll always remain grateful for her support and her generosity."
Former President George W Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush said Mrs Carter was "a woman of dignity and strength".
In a statement, they said: There was no greater advocate of President Carter, and their partnership set a wonderful example of loyalty and fidelity.
"She leaves behind an important legacy in her work to destigmatize mental health." | Former US First Lady Rosalynn Carter, the wife of ex-President Jimmy Carter, has died at the age of 96. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-67467831?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Events are still moving fast. Fears that the war could spread are very real. New realities in the Middle East are out there somewhere, but their shape and the way that they will work depend on the way this war goes for the rest of the year, and probably beyond.
Here are a few things that we know, and a few that we do not. The list is not exhaustive. Some people mocked Donald Rumsfeld, US defence secretary at the time of the invasion of Iraq in 2003, when he talked of "unknown unknowns". But in this part of the world as much as any other, they exist - and when they emerge, they can make a big difference.
One certainty is that Israelis support the military campaign to break the power in Gaza of Hamas and its junior partner, Islamic Jihad. Their anger is driven by the shock of the Hamas attacks, the killing of more than 1,400 people and the fact that around 240 hostages are still being held in Gaza.
I met Noam Tibon, a retired general in the Israeli army, to hear about how he drove down with his wife to Nahal Oz, a kibbutz on the border with Gaza, after Hamas attacked on 7 October. His mission, which was successful, was to rescue his son, his daughter in law and their two young daughters who were in their safe room, hearing Hamas gunmen roaming around outside.
Tibon may be retired but he is a very fit-looking 62-year-old. He ended up armed with an assault rifle and a helmet he had taken from a dead Israeli soldier, leading a group of soldiers he had assembled in the chaos of that day, clearing the kibbutz and saving the lives of his family and many others.
The general was an old-school, straight-talking Israeli officer.
"Gaza is going to suffer⦠no nation will agree that your neighbour will slaughter babies, women or people. Just like you (Britons) crushed your enemy during World War Two. This is what we need to do in Gaza. No mercy."
What, I asked, about innocent Palestinian civilians who are getting killed?
"Unfortunately, it's happening. We live in a tough neighbourhood, and we need to survive⦠we have to be tough. We have no choice."
A lot of Israelis are echoing his sentiment that Palestinian civilian deaths are unfortunate, but they are being killed because of the actions of Hamas.
It is also clear that Israel's assault on Hamas is causing terrible bloodshed. The latest figure for Palestinian deaths from Gaza's health ministry, run by Hamas, has exceeded 9,000 - of whom around 65% are children and women.
It is not clear how many of the men who have been killed were civilians or fighting for Hamas or Islamic Jihad. US President Joe Biden and the Israelis do not trust the ministry figures. But in past conflicts, Palestinian casualty statistics have been considered accurate by international organisations.
One grim milestone is fast approaching. The United Nations (UN) says around 9,700 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since the full-scale Russian invasion 21 months ago.
Some of the Palestinian dead would have been part of Hamas. But even if that proportion is as high as 10%, which is unlikely, it means that Israel is on course to have killed as many Palestinian civilians in just over a month as Russia has killed in Ukraine since February 2022. (The UN says its data for Ukraine is incomplete and the true number of civilians killed is likely higher, while in Gaza the number of dead is also likely to be higher as many Palestinians are believed to be buried under rubble).
The UN human rights office has said that so many civilians have been killed and wounded in Israeli air strikes that it has serious concerns that the attacks are disproportionate and could be war crimes.
From the first days after the Hamas attacks, President Biden has supported Israel's decision to use military force to remove Hamas from power. But he has also added the qualification that it needed to be done "the right way". He meant that Israel should observe the laws of war that protect civilians.
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Tel Aviv. Before he took off, he said: "When I see a Palestinian child - a boy, a girl - pulled from the rubble of a collapsed building, that hits me in the gut as much as seeing a child from Israel or anywhere else."
I have reported on all of Israel's wars in the last 30 years. I do not remember a US administration stating so publicly that Israel needs to observe the laws of war. Blinken's visit suggests that he believes Israel is not following Biden's advice.
Something else we know for certain is that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under great pressure.
Unlike Israel's security and military chiefs, he has not accepted any personal responsibility for the catastrophic series of failures that left Israeli border communities virtually undefended on 7 October.
Last Sunday, 29 October, he caused uproar when he sent out a tweet blaming the intelligence agencies. Mr Netanyahu deleted the message and apologised.
Three Israelis, a former peace negotiator, the ex-head of the Shin Bet (Israel's internal intelligence agency) and a tech entrepreneur, wrote an article in the journal Foreign Affairs saying that Mr Netanyahu should not have any part of the war and whatever follows. The Israeli PM has loyal supporters, but he has lost the confidence of prominent figures in Israel's military and security establishment.
Noam Tibon, the retired general who fought his way into kibbutz Nahal Oz to rescue his family, compares Mr Netanyahu to Neville Chamberlain, the British prime minister who was forced to resign in 1940, and replaced by Winston Churchill.
Tibon told me: "This is the biggest failure in the history of the state of Israel. It was a military failure. It was an intelligence failure. And it was the failure of the government⦠the one really in charge - and all the blame is on him - is the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu⦠He is in charge of the biggest failure in the history of Israel."
It is also clear that the old status quo has been smashed. It was unpleasant and dangerous, but it seemed to have a certain grimly-familiar stability. Since the end of the last Palestinian uprising around 2005 a pattern has emerged that Mr Netanyahu believed could be sustained indefinitely. That was a dangerous illusion, for all concerned - Palestinians as well as Israelis.
The argument went that the Palestinians were no longer a threat to Israel. Instead, they were a problem to be managed. The tools available include sticks, carrots and the ancient tactic of "divide and rule".
Mr Netanyahu, who has been prime minister for most of the time since 2009 - after an earlier spell between 1996 and 1999 - has argued consistently that Israel does not have a partner for peace.
Potentially, it did. The Palestinian Authority (PA), which is the main rival to Hamas, is a deeply flawed organisation, and many who support it believe its aged President Mahmoud Abbas needs to step aside. But it accepted the idea of establishing a Palestinian state alongside Israel back in the 1990s.
"Divide and rule" for Mr Netanyahu meant allowing Hamas to build its power in Gaza at the expense of the PA.
While Israel's longest-serving prime minister is always careful about what he says in public, his actions over many years show that he does not want to allow the Palestinians to have an independent state. That would involve giving up land in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which the Israeli right wing believes belongs to the Jews.
From time to time, Mr Netanyahu's pronouncements would leak. In 2019, a number of Israeli sources say that he told a group of his Likud members of parliament that if they opposed a Palestinian state they should support schemes to pump money - mostly provided by Qatar - into Gaza. He told them that deepening the division between Hamas in Gaza and the PA in the West Bank would make it impossible to establish a state.
It is also clear that Israel, backed by the Americans, will not tolerate a deal that allows Hamas to stay in power. That guarantees a lot more bloodshed. It also raises big questions about what or who replaces them, which so far have not been answered.
The conflict between Arabs and Jews for control of the land between the river Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea has lasted for more than 100 years. One lesson of its long and bloody history is that there will never be a military solution.
In the 1990s, the Oslo peace process was established to try to end the conflict by establishing a Palestinian state with a capital in East Jerusalem alongside Israel. The last attempt to revive it, after years of on-off negotiations, happened during the Obama administration. It failed a decade ago, and since then the conflict has been allowed to fester.
As President Biden and many others have said, the only possible chance for avoiding more wars is to establish a Palestinian state alongside Israel. That will not be possible with the current leaders on either side. Extremists, both Israeli and Palestinian, would do all they could to scupper the idea, as they have done since the 1990s. Some of them believe they are following the will of God, which makes it impossible to persuade them to accept a secular compromise.
But if this war does not deliver enough of a shock to break deeply-held prejudices and to make the idea of two states viable, nothing will. And without a mutually-acceptable way of ending the conflict, more generations of Palestinians and Israelis will be sentenced to more wars. | One of the first things to understand about the reportage, analysis and commentary that has poured out since the Hamas attacks of 7 October is that no-one has the full story. Not only is it, as ever, hard to penetrate the fog of war to work out what is happening on the battlefield. The new shape of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians has not yet emerged. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-67306902?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
However Israel's defence minister stressed they were only "localised and pinpoint measures" that would "not detract from the war fighting".
President Biden said there would be two "humanitarian passages" allowing people to leave areas of fighting.
On Thursday heavy fighting was reported around two big hospitals in Gaza City.
Meanwhile, pictures once again showed thousands of Palestinians fleeing south from the city and other northern areas.
Mr Biden also said the US was trying to increase humanitarian supplies and assistance to Gaza. He said he was aiming for 150 trucks of aid per day to enter the territory.
However the UN said the amount of aid entering Gaza was only meeting "a fraction" of people's needs and the humanitarian situation was "intolerable". A conference in Paris earlier heard repeated appeals for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Israel has been bombarding Gaza for over a month and began a major ground offensive almost two weeks ago with the objective of destroying Hamas, which it, the US and other Western powers consider a terrorist organisation.
The war began after an unprecedented cross-border assault on southern Israel by Hamas gunmen on 7 October, in which 1,400 people were killed and 240 others taken hostage.
Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says 10,800 people have been killed in the territory since then, while 1.5 million have fled their homes.
Mr Biden said Israel was "fighting an enemy embedded in the civilian population, which places innocent Palestinian people at risk" but that Israel had "an obligation to distinguish between terrorists and civilians and fully comply with international law".
On Thursday the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had raided Hamas's "military quarter" near Al-Shifa Hospital and killed 50 "terrorists".
A witness said he had also seen tanks opening fire near Al-Quds Hospital.
About 2,000 patients and 50,000 displaced people are said to be inside Al-Shifa Hospital, which is located in Gaza City's northern Rimal neighbourhood and is the largest medical complex in Gaza.
Its director, Mohammed Abu Selmia,told the Associated Pressthat Israeli troops were about 3km (2 miles) away and that conditions there were "disastrous in every sense of the word".
In footage filmed inside the hospital on Thursday, a man who was accompanied by two children tells a journalist that they had been walking on a street, trying to flee south, when an Israeli tank opened fire at them.
"The remains of seven or eight martyrs were left at the scene," he says.
An unverified video posted on social media overnight also purportedly showed a number of people being helped after being hit by shrapnel from a shell on a street close to Al-Shifa.
The IDF has previously alleged that Hamas is also operating underground command centres beneath Al-Shifa itself. Hamas and hospital staff have denied the accusation.
Fierce battles were also reported on Thursday around Al-Quds hospital, which is 2.3km (1.4 miles) to the south-west in the Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood.
Hamouda Musa, 34, told the BBC he and his neighbour had escaped from a building opposite the hospital after he saw four tanks and a bulldozer advancing from the coast, 1km away to the north.
"They were firing intensely towards a nearby residential building," he said. "We fled under a barrage of bullets via a back street. We miraculously came back from the dead."
On Wednesday, the Palestinian Red Crescent said that areas in close proximity were struck, injuring patients and displaced people, and damaging buildings.
The hospital also said on Wednesday that its main generator had been shut down because of a shortage of fuel, forcing it to close its surgical ward, oxygen generation plant and MRI ward.
The clashes and strikes in the north, as well as the struggle to secure enough drinking water and food to survive, has prompted some of the several hundred thousands of civilians staying there to flee southwards in recent days.
Pictures from drones showed a stream of people walking along Salah al-Din Road and crossing the Wadi Gaza river, after the IDF opened the route for a sixth consecutive day.
An estimated 50,000 people fled the north on Wednesday, which was 10 times more than on Monday.
Although the IDF has ordered civilians to move south of Wadi Gaza for their own safety, it has continued to carry out strikes on what it says are Hamas targets in areas where hundreds of thousands have sought refuge.
The Hamas-run interior ministry in Gaza said 12 people had been killed and many more injured in an Israeli air strike on a house in the central town of Deir al-Balah on Thursday. There was no immediate comment from the IDF.
While visiting Egypt's Rafah Crossing with Gaza on Wednesday, UN human rights chief Volker Türk said both sides in the conflict had committed war crimes.
"The atrocities perpetrated by Palestinian armed groups on 7 October were heinous, they were war crimes - as is the continued holding of hostages."
"The collective punishment by Israel of Palestinian civilians amounts also to a war crime, as does the unlawful forcible evacuation of civilians. The massive bombardments by Israel have killed, maimed and injured in particular women and children," he added.
Israel has insisted it has been acting in complete compliance with international law and that it has done everything possible to minimise civilian casualties.
It has also rejected the UN's warnings of a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, arguing that there is sufficient food, water and fuel despite the "complete siege" it imposed in response to Hamas's attack, and has rejected its calls for a ceasefire unless the hostages are released.
The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa), Philippe Lazzarini, told the Paris conference on Gaza that there had to be a ceasefire so that more aid could be delivered.
He called the volume currently coming through Rafah "blatantly inadequate".
A total of 756 lorries have crossed from Egypt since 21 October. Before the war, an average of 500 lorry loads entered Gaza every working day from Egypt and Israel. | Israel will begin to implement daily four-hour military pauses in areas of northern Gaza, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-67372035?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Makers of some popular food brands have raised prices by more than their costs over the past two years,according to the UK's competition watchdog.
As well as buying less, people are looking for ways to make their money go further and to make the most of what they have. The BBC spoke to money bloggers for their tried and tested tips.
Rosie suggests taking a good look at your cupboards before each shopping trip. "We all know the value of making a list, but if you're adding to what you've already got in your cupboards, then you're going to spend money on things you don't need," she says.
"There's no point in buying more jars of pasta sauce if you've already got five of them in the cupboard."
She keeps a list of what's in her cupboards in a notebook, so she always knows what she already has when she goes shopping. She says it has helped bring her weekly food shop for her, her husband and one-year-old son down to around £40.
Lynn recommends changing how you shop when you walk into a store and to head straight for the reduced section. "If you spot something there that's on your list, you can tick that off and you've already saved some money," she says.
She suggests then going straight to the frozen-foods section, and then the canned-produce aisle.
"Frozen meat, fish and vegetables will almost always be cheaper than the fresh option," she says. "If you get what you need from there before going on to the fresh produce aisles, you're likely to make significant savings."
According to sustainability charity Wrap, the average household wastes around£700 every yearby throwing food away. Lynn says making better use of her freezer has helped her cut down dramatically on waste.
"If things are getting close to their use-by date you should always try to freeze them," she says. "Things like milk and cheese, even fruit and vegetables, can all be frozen and kept for when you need them."
More on the basics of freezing can be found on theFood Standards Agency website.
Kate Hall, who runs The Full Freezer website, uses her freezer as a pause button rather than a long-term storage solution. She says that while almost all foods can be frozen, you do have to change the way you use them.
"You can't defrost a banana or salad and expect it to be the same as when it went into the freezer," she explains. "But if you think about how you could use it in puddings or in soups or in casseroles, then you're going to save a lot of money."
Rosie says that a lot of what we buy in the supermarket is packaged for their convenience and not ours. "How often have you bought a tray of mushrooms covered in cling film only to have them go off in their packaging? They're wrapped up like that to make them easier to transport," she explains.
She puts hers in a paper bag when she gets them home but says just taking off the plastic wrapping will help them last longer.
Helen White, from Wrap, which runs the Love Food Hate Waste campaign, says there are small things we can do to make food last longer, especially fresh vegetables and salads - the UK's most wasted food group.
"Just putting a piece of kitchen roll into an open bag of salad to absorb moisture is going to help it last longer," she says.
Keeping fruit in the fridge will help it last longer, but she suggests checking that the temperature is set to below 5°C. "We think millions of UK fridges are at least two degrees too warm," she says. "This is bad news for milk and other food items kept in the fridge, which can go off [more quickly] when not stored at the right temperature."
Rosie tries to use local, smaller retailers a lot to tap into their years of experience.
"Butchers are a great resource and someone we shouldn't be afraid to talk to about saving money," she says. "If you go into your local butcher and tell them you've only got £8 for your meat for the week, they'll be able to tell you how to stretch your money by buying the cheapest cuts.
"They're the best people to advise on how to cook them and how to make them go further."
We asked you for your tips, here are some you sent in:
My wife and I sit with our iPads on both Asda and Tesco and put in the exact same things for our weekly delivery. We then check at the end total costs including delivery and whoever is cheapest 'wins' our order. We feel that writing a list of things you need then getting them online saves going to the shop where we would invariably end up throwing things in that we don't need.Russell, Portstewart, Northern Ireland
I highly recommend having a weekly menu, so you know what you are going to cook/prepare for your meals each week. I post this on our fridge and our family of five always knows what to expect. This not only saves money but eliminates the stress of "what's for dinner"? I know exactly what I need to get, and I stick to my budget because I go to the supermarket with a plan, plus I check the fridge/pantry before I go shopping.Michelle Lutchman, Surrey
Tip is not about food but about cleaning products. There is much money to be saved on laundry and cleaning products. These are full of gimmicks to make us buy additional stuff. For instance, you don't need separate washing powder for coloureds. Fading is largely due to exposure to daylight rather than brighteners in washing powder.Helen Borodzicz, Lytham, St Annes
I go to the supermarket at about 2.30 pm when they are reducing sandwiches - that's my tea sorted!Sue Tingey, Wiltshire
How is the rising cost of living changing the food you eat? You can share your experiences by [email protected].
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of theBBC websiteto submit your question or comment or you can email us [email protected]. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. | As price rises bite into budgets, many people are cutting back on the weekly food shop. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61798003?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Maddy, 32, fell seriously ill after using an unlicensed version of semaglutide - the active ingredient in Ozempic - from Instagram.
A BBC investigation found unregulated sellers offering semaglutide as a medicine, without prescription, online.
It also found the drug being offered in beauty salons in Manchester and Liverpool.
Doctors say drugs bought from unregulated sources are dangerous and could contain potentially toxic ingredients.
Demand for Ozempic, a prescribed type 2 diabetes medication, spiralled last year after it hit the headlines for being Hollywood's secret weight loss drug - nicknamed the skinny jab.
The drug works by lowering blood-sugar levels and slowing down food leaving the stomach.
Its soaring popularity led to a rise in off-label prescriptions for weight loss, which triggered global supply issues and created a shortage for diabetes patients in the UK.
As pharmacies across the UK struggled to get hold of the medication, an illicit black market selling semaglutide "diet kits" began to flourish online.
Delivered by post, these usually contain needles and two vials - one containing a white powder and the other a liquid - which have to be mixed together before the drug can be injected.
That's what came through Maddy's letterbox after she searched for a "quick fix" on Instagram to help her lose weight ahead of an event.
"I struggle in general with losing weight. I'm just not one of those people that can shift it easily," she says.
Maddy came across The Lip King, a company run by Jordan Parke. The Lip King's Instagram feed was flooded with before-and-after transformation photos of women with newly slimmed physiques and screenshots of text messages from customers raving about his product. Maddy wanted in.
After a brief message exchange with Mr Parke and a £200 bank transfer, Maddy was sold 10mg of semaglutide with no questions asked.
She also received a video from him on WhatsApp instructing her how to mix and inject the drug, along with dangerous guidance advising her to take a higher dose than what health officials would recommend.
After her first injection, Maddy was instantly "extremely ill, bed-bound, vomiting".
She says Mr Parke told her over text that vomiting was normal and to take anti-sickness tablets.
A few weeks later, when the nausea had passed, Maddy tried the drug again - this time before bed.
"I was woken up by the vomiting," Maddy says.
"It was bad. I was throwing up all night, to the point where I was throwing up stomach acid, blood, white foam."
She went to A&E the following afternoon, where she was put on a drip.
"I can be a bit of a drama queen, but I thought I was dying. I was literally crunched over, bawling my eyes out to my mum. I was so angry, as well, because I was like, no-one told me that this was going to be a side effect," she says.
"I did my own research, but I didn't see anywhere that anyone was suffering to this level."
The BBC made several attempts to contact Mr Parke, but he did not respond.
Mr Parke is one of many illicit sellers peddling semaglutide through social media. To find out what is actually in the drugs, the BBC bought unlicensed semaglutide from several sellers and had them tested in the lab.
The results showed inconsistencies in what was in each sample. Although most of the products contained semaglutide, vials from two different sellers had no semaglutide in them at all, and nearly all of them, including the one bought from the Lip King, did not contain the full dose that had been paid for.
Ozempic is available on the NHS strictly for type 2 diabetes patients.Wegovy, another semaglutide drug prescribed specifically to treat obesity,will be offered on the NHS to those with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 35, and exceptionally, some people with a BMI of 30 and a weight-related health problem.
Under UK law, it is illegal to sell semaglutide as a medicine without a prescription.
Drugs manufacturer Novo Nordisk is the only company approved to sell and market semaglutide, branded as Ozempic and Wegovy, in the UK, but it is now battling against knock-off online sales.
The firm says it is working with a third party to "proactively identify and remove websites, ads or social-media accounts selling counterfeit semaglutide", and has been carrying out "in-depth investigations into copyright infringement, criminal networks and sellers illegally diverting our products".
But the BBC has discovered sellers that are closed down one day usually return the next under a new name.
Online sellers attempt to get around the law by placing "not fit for human consumption" or "for research purposes only" on their product.
Gerard Hanratty, a public law expert, says: "You can put lots of different things on a label. It doesn't mean to say that it is then legal and you are compliant with the regulations."
He says sellers would need to be able to prove they are supplying the product for research purposes and not for human use in order for the warnings to be valid.
A BBC Three documentaryThe Skinny Jab Uncoveredfound the unapproved versions of the drug advertised in beauty salons on British high streets. Undercover investigators visited four salons in Manchester and Liverpool and received dangerous advice about mixing and dosages in some about how to use the drug.
In one salon, a reporter was told: "Well, if you have too much, you just wouldn't want to eat anything, and you might feel sick. It's not going to be dangerous."
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) says it has received reports of people ending up in hospital after using fake Ozempic pens, which are also flooding the market, with more than 300 seized since January.
Prof Barbara McGowan, a consultant endocrinologist who co-authored a Novo Nordisk-funded study which trialled semaglutide to treat obesity, says licensed medications - like Ozempic and Wegovy - go through "very strict" quality controls before they are approved for use.
She warns that buyers using semaglutide sourced outside the legal supply chain "could be injecting anything".
"We don't know what the excipients are - that is the other ingredients, which come with the medication, which could be potentially toxic and harmful, [or] cause an anaphylactic reaction, allergies and I guess at worse, significant health problems and perhaps even death," she says.
Prof McGowan says that drugs like semaglutide can cause "significant side effects", such as nausea, for some patients, which is why proper medical support is needed.
"The important thing to understand is not just about the prescription. It's about... all the wraparound care that one gets from senior health-care professionals," she adds.
Dale Dennis, a personal trainer from East Yorkshire, sells 10mg vials of the unofficial drug and pre-mixed pens.
Mr Dennis sells the unlicensed drug on social media, encouraging buyers to message him on WhatsApp to place an order.
His company, Raw Peptides Limited, is listed as a business involved in the sale of "new cars and light motor vehicles".
The BBC contacted Mr Dennis for comment, but after initially agreeing to speak to us, he cancelled our call and sent a text using an expletive, adding: "I definitely make your yearly salary weekly".
Dr Simon Cork, senior lecturer in physiology at Anglia Ruskin University, stresses that semaglutide is not a short-term weight loss solution and is suitable only for people with obesity.
"That might be seen as being kind of selfish, because those people quite understandably want to lose some weight, but the drug is not tested or designed to help people in that position."
He says mixing and injecting weight loss drugs at home comes with "huge risks".
"The vast majority of the population are not qualified or trained to administer injectable drugs themselves. And the drugs you buy if you're prescribed Wegovy or Ozempic, or one of the licensed drugs, those come in predefined amounts," he says.
"So you press a button and you get the correct dose of the medication. You're not drawing up an amount into a needle that you're then injecting into yourself."
The vials of semaglutide sold illegally online do not have the safeguards the official medication comes with to prevent patients from overdosing.
Tilly, 22, decided to stop using semaglutide she bought on TikTok after she accidentally injected double the amount she was supposed to.
"When it came, it didn't have any instructions, which completely confused me⦠I messaged the company after being like 'what am I meant to do with this?' And she was like, 'well, join a Facebook group'," she says.
"It felt like the worst hangover ever. I felt like I had a really bad headache. I felt sick, and I felt stressed about the fact that I'd taken too much," she says.
The medicines regulator says it will use its powers to protect the public by taking "appropriate enforcement action, including, where necessary, prosecuting those who put your health at risk".
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's chief safety officer, Dr Alison Cave, warns that buying semaglutide from illegal suppliers "means there are no safeguards to ensure products meet our quality and safety standards, and taking such medicines may put your health at risk".
"If you suspect you've had an adverse reaction to semaglutide or any other medicinal product, are worried about its safety or effectiveness, or suspect it is not a genuine product, please report it to ourâ¯Yellow Card scheme," she says.
BBC Three investigatesthe black market in cut price 'skinny jabs' and asks: are they what they claim to be? And are they safe?
Watch now on BBC iPlayer (UK Only)
Sign up for our morning newsletterand get BBC News in your inbox. | A woman who was illegally sold a weight loss drug on social media told the BBC she ended up in A&E vomiting blood. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-67414203?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Dame Alison will receive her £2.4m fixed pay package, but will not benefit from share awards and bonuses she had previously been entitled to.
Dame Alison resigned in July after she spoke about Mr Farage's bank account with Coutts, which is owned by NatWest.
The former chief executive said she accepted the bank's decision.
"I am pleased that NatWest Group has confirmed that no findings of misconduct have been made against me," Dame Alison said in a statement, adding that the settlement had brought "the matter to a close".
In its announcement of her pay deal, however, NatWest said Dame Alison had not been given "good leaver" status.
If she had, Dame Alison would have been entitled to receive the entire amount which, after including her yearly salary, would have exceeded £10m.
Mr Farage said the decision by the bank, which is 39%-owned by the government, was "correct and right".
"She will still walk away though with about two and a half million pounds, so please don't feel too sorry for her," he added in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter.
But Mr Farage said this was "not the end of the NatWest saga" and that he had instructed lawyers to take action against the bank "for what they have done" and aimed to turn this into a class action.
Last month, NatWest admitted to "serious failings" in its treatment of former UKIP leader, Mr Farage, after an independent report found it failed to communicate its decision properly when it decided to shut his Coutts account.
Mr Farage, a prominent Brexiteer, said earlier this year that he had been told Coutts, the prestigious private bank for the wealthy, was closing his account but he had not been given a reason.
The BBC reported that his account was being closed because he no longer met the wealth threshold for Coutts, citing a source familiar with the matter.
Mr Farage later obtained a report from the bank which indicated his political views were also considered.
In the aftermath, Dame Alison, who was then the most powerful woman in UK banking, resigned after admitting she had made a mistake in speaking about Mr Farage's relationship with the bank.
The fallout also sparked apublic debate over people having their bank accounts shut due to their views.
An independent review into the closure of Mr Farage's account found that it was lawful and based mainly on commercial reasons.
But it found other factors were considered including Coutts' reputation with customers, staff and investors due to Mr Farage's public statements on issues such as the environment, race, gender and migration.
Mr Farage branded the review a "whitewash" and accused Travers Smith, the law firm conducting it, of taking "mealy-mouthed" approach to the investigation.
Earlier this week, the UK data watchdogapologised to Dame Alisonfor suggesting she had breached privacy laws following its own probe into the closure of Mr Farage's bank account.
The Information Commissioner's Office said its comments in October suggested it had been investigating Dame Alison when, in fact, its probe was into NatWest's actions as a data controller.
Despite quitting, Dame Alison was always in line to receive her £2.4m pay package for 2023 under the terms of her contract, but NatWest previously said it could claw back her bonus and share awards.
The bank confirmed on Friday that Dame Alison would continue to receive the rest of her salary, worth £1.75m, over the remainder of her 12-month notice period as well as some shares worth £800,000.
But NatWest said its former boss would not receive share awards worth £4.7m and that she would forgo her bonus and variable remuneration for 2023, which would have been £2.9m.
NatWest added that it would pay a maximum of £395,000 plus tax towards Dame Alison's legal fees under the settlement. | The ex-boss of NatWest, Dame Alison Rose, will lose out on £7.6m after she admitted to discussing the closure of Nigel Farage's bank account. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67377140?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Melicka Ghafouri, 21, can spend up to 300 hours creating a project in her studio at home in Coventry.
Since turning her passion into a full-time job, she has created designs for YouTubers and exhibited in Paris.
She has custom designed more than 100 pairs of trainers including some for US rapper Iann Dior and Yungblud.
Melicka said she received messages daily from people celebrating her work.
"I really am grateful that I have an audience that supports me," she said.
She taught herself how to paint on trainers by watching YouTube videos and purchasing a starter pack of leather paint.
"I just liked the idea of people wearing my art - I thought 'maybe I can work hard and make it a living,'" she said.
She turned a Nike Airforce 1 trainer into a model of an ambulance, named 'Airforce 111', with flashing lights, moving wheels and tiny side mirrors.
Videos documenting the creation of the ambulance modelwent viral as Melicka drilled into the shoes and attached a speaker inside which plays a siren sound.
Some commenters questioned why she was making it - others mocked her use of power tools as a woman.
"It was the first time I got hate, but I really enjoyed it because it means it was being seen by different people," she said.
One of Melicka's first designs, called Mibraine, was featured in an exhibition at the Galerie Sakura in Paris.
She flew to Paris after the exhibition to buy back her work because she realised how personal the piece was.
Melicka studied economics at the University College London (UCL) before leaving her course to fulfil her dreams as an artist.
She turned a trainer into a multi-storey apartment block for London brand Notwoways, which was founded by YouTube star Callum McGinley, also known as Callux.
The project, called Sole Storey, features a swimming pool, a 'zen' garden with plants and stairs to each floor inside the Notwoways shoe box.
In the future, Melicka plans to work with more brands to create marketing campaigns and sculptures for stores.
She also hopes to open pop-up shops around the UK to sell her clothing designs and meet people.
"The fact I get to make art for people who really love it and have such great conversations with people who wear my work is really nice."
Follow BBC West Midlands onFacebook,XandInstagram. Send your story ideas to:[email protected] | A sculpture artist who turns trainers into everything from ambulances to apartment blocks has racked up more than 40m views on TikTok and Instagram. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-67332427?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Last year, about 2.5 million people tried to get tickets to the event - and with capacity locked at 210,000, the odds weren't in their favour.
But there's a good reason to have a go: Glastonbury isn't just the UK's biggest music festival, hosting more than 3,000 acts, but it's also a 24-hour city of entertainment - with comedy, poetry, circus acts and cinema screens dotted around the site.
No artists have been confirmed for the 2024 instalment, but organiserEmily Eavis has hinted that "a really big American artist"will be among the headliners.
If you're brave enough to run the gauntlet of the online ticketing system, here are a few tips that might (might) help improve your chances.
As part of an ongoing (and successful) campaign to stop touts, anyone who wants to attend Glastonbury will need to have registered in advance.
The registration window closed on Monday, 13 November - so if you're not on the list already, it's too late.
Everyone else is urged tocheck their details in advance, to make sure everything is up-to-date.
You will need to have your registration number and postcode foreach person you are buying a ticket forwhen the sale begins.
Glastonbury tickets come in two flavours: standard weekend tickets and coach weekend tickets.
Weekend tickets mean you can arrive under your own steam by train or car - although beware of Glastonbury's legendary tailbacks, and how depleted your energy levels might be on the way home.
Coach tickets are more environmentally friendly and, according to some, increase your chances of success, depending on how remote your starting point is.
However, it's important to note that coach tickets are distributed on the coach itself, so you can't cheat the system.
You will have more chance of success if you team up with your friends.
For general admission, you can book up to six tickets in one transaction - so make sure all six of you are trying to log on when tickets go on sale (NB: Not in the same house... see below for why).
Your syndicate doesn't have to be formed of people you're going to the festival with. It can be friends, colleagues, aunts, uncles, neighbours or Chris Martin from Coldplay. The point is that you're working together.
Make a group chat so you can co-ordinate your efforts and, most importantly of all, put all of your registration numbers and postcodes in a shared document, so that the first person to reach the front of the queue is ready and prepared.
The demand for Glastonbury inevitably attracts scam artists and fraudsters, who prey on people's desperation to separate them from their money.
Tickets are sold exclusively atglastonbury.seetickets.com. Avoid the temptation of buying from elsewhere, as you'll only be disappointed.
Look, 9am on Sunday morning is nobody's favourite time of the week. Set an alarm, brew a pot of coffee and try to power through the hangover.
If possible it's also worth considering (and I apologise for this in advance) going into your company's office.
No matter how good your wifi is at home, a work computer should have a more stable connection.
Using multiple devices and browser tabs can result in errors, and may even get you kicked out of the queue, which you definitely don't want.
Sticking to one device per household also makes the process more fair,according to the Glastonbury website.
"Running multiple devices simultaneously to attempt to access the website is a waste of valuable resources, and doesn't reflect the ethos of the festival.
"Please stick to one device and one tab, so that you can focus on entering your details without confusing your browser and help us make the ticket sale as quick and stress free as possible for all."
A limited number of people will be given access to the booking system at any one time. Before that, you will be directed to a holding page that refreshes every 20 seconds.
When (or if) you get through, you will be asked to enter the registration number and registered postcode for the lead booker and up to five other people. Copy and paste them, instead of entering manually, to avoid errors.
When you proceed, the next page will summarise the details you entered. Check them carefully, as they cannot be changed.
If you are booking a coach package, the next step will be to choose the time, date and place you will depart. It is only possible to book tickets from one departure town in a single transaction.
Once that's all confirmed, you will be asked to enter payment details.
This year, Glastonbury tickets cost £355 each, plus a £5 booking fee - but at the check-out you only pay a deposit of £75, with the balance due in the first week of April.
Make sure you have enough money in your account (£450 if you're buying for six people) and, crucially, keep your card details to hand.
When the time comes, enter these details exactly as you see them because a mistake could result in the purchase being declined. In some cases, that could leave your registration details being frozen for up to 10 minutes.
Finally, make sure your phone is charged in case your bank contacts you for verification.
Once you've made the booking, be sure to check your email for confirmation - including the junk folder.
If you don't receive an email within three hours, ticket-holders are urged to contact See Tickets on theircustomer service portal.
Last year, tickets for Glastonbury sold out in 61 minutes. If you're not one of the lucky ones, don't despair.
It's possible to get into the festival as a volunteer - typically working three eight-hour shifts in return for a ticket. The festivalprovides some details of how to applyon its website.
And in April, a number of returned or unwanted tickets will be put up for sale. At which point, you can go through the stress of applying all over again. | Tickets for the 2024 Glastonbury festival go on sale this week, prompting a bigger scramble than the UK'sannual egg throwing championship. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-67347926?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
The PM defended his plan to introduce emergency laws and a new treaty with Rwanda to save the plan after the Supreme Court ruled it was unlawful.
Mr Sunak said he would "take on" anyone who stood in the way of the new laws.
Earlier Suella Braverman described his approach as "magical thinking".
Writing in the Telegraph, Ms Braverman said "tinkering with a failed plan" would not achieve the government's aims.
In its ruling on the government's scheme to fly some asylum seekers to Rwanda, the Supreme Court said there were "substantial grounds" to believe that some of those deported to the country could be sent back to places where they would be unsafe.
After the judgement, Mr Sunak announced he would bring in emergency legislation to certify that Rwanda was a "safe" country, despite the court's decision.
The prime minister also said he would sign a new treaty with Rwanda, so that the first flights could begin in the spring.
Speaking to broadcasters during a visit to a school in Bolsover in Derbyshire, Mr Sunak insisted he would "work night and day" to ensure domestic courts could not "systemically" block flights to the east African nation.
Asked whether his rescue plan amounted to "tinkering" he said: "No.
"We can pass these laws in Parliament that will give us the powers and the tools we need.
"Then we can get the flights off, and whether it's the House of Lords or the Labour Party standing in our way, I will take them on because I want to get this thing done and I want to stop the boats."
Speaking in Aberdeenshire, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called on the prime minister to "stop pursuing expensive gimmicks".
He said a "serious solution" was needed to a "very serious problem", adding that Labour would work with the UK's international partners on "smashing the criminal gangs... getting people across the Channel".
Mrs Braverman,who was sacked as home secretary on Monday, argued that Mr Sunak's plan would not solve "the fundamental issue", that the UK's highest court had found Rwanda unsafe for deporting asylum seekers.
"Any new treaty would still require going back through the courts, a process that would likely take at least another year" and "could culminate in yet another defeat", she said, meaning that no asylum seekers were flown to Rwanda before the next general election.
An election is expected to be held next year and one must take place by January 2025.
Instead, Ms Braverman called for ministers to ignore human rights laws and other international obligations in their "entirety" on this issue, and to prevent those being sent to Rwanda being able to mount legal challenges.
Former senior cabinet minister Damian Green called Mrs Braverman's suggestion the "most unconservative proposal I've ever heard".
A former First Secretary of State under Theresa May, Mr Green told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that overriding legal constraints was the behaviour of "dictators" like Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
But another former cabinet minister, Sir Simon Clarke, said Parliament was "entitled in extremis to say certain sections of the law are disapplied".
The Rwanda policy is central to Mr Sunak's plan to stop asylum seekers crossing the English Channel in small boats -one of his key pledges- as it is designed to deter people from making the dangerous journey.
Any new legislation is expected to face strong opposition in the House of Lords, which contains several current and former Supreme Court judges. It would also be likely to face legal challenges in the courts.
Sir David Normington, former Home Office permanent secretary, told Today that Mrs Braverman was "right in one way" - that getting a working Rwanda policy "would be very difficult".
"We could pull out of all conventions, but that would be a very bad idea," he said, adding that it would always come down to a British court deciding whether Rwanda was safe.
"The courts say it is not a safe country. You can't say black is white."
Asked if international law was "outdated", Sir David said that "at the core" international agreements were written to protect the vulnerable.
"What is true is that the rights of people to not be tortured never goes out of date." | Rishi Sunak has denied "tinkering" with the government's Rwanda plan after his sacked former home secretary accused him of failing to take the radical action needed to implement the policy. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67450870?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
The actor and musician has become the first person to legally scale the 102-storey Empire State Building.
Leto, 51, climbed the outside of the New York landmark in a bright orange jumpsuit and using a rope and harness.
He took on the challenge to promote the forthcoming world tour for his band Thirty Seconds To Mars.
Leto told NBC's Today show:"I was more excited than nervous to tell you the truth. But I have to be honest, it was very, very hard. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be.
"Just the endurance that it took, the stamina that it took, and it was very sharp."
The actor won an Oscar for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club and has also appeared in Morbius, House of Gucci and Suicide Squad.
Thirty Seconds to Mars, known for hits such as Kings and Queens, are set to begin their first headline tour in five years in Buenos Aires in March 2024.
"To watch the sun rise overlooking the city that's meant so much to me," Leto said. "Ever since I was a kid, New York stood for the place that you went to make your dreams come true."
He concluded: "I made it to the top, and I saw my mother in the window of the 80th floor, and that was a nice surprise."
Once the world's tallest building, the Empire State stands 380m (1,250ft) high. It measures 443m (1,454ft) when its antenna is taken into account.
Here are more pictures from Leto's climb:
. | He's known for going to great lengths to win an Oscar - and now Jared Leto is going to great heights to promote his band's next tour. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-67380226?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Rich Moore, 71, with his Jack Russell terrier, Finney, had set out to climb Blackhead Peak on 19 August, but never returned home.
Mr Moore's body was found on 30 October, with Finney by his side.
Rescuers said it was a "magnificent story of survival".
Delinda VanneBrightyn, of the volunteer group Taos Search and Rescue, said rescuers carried out an unsuccessful days-long search of the steep western side of the mountain between where Mr Moore's car was parked and the peak.
Weeks later a hunter found Mr Moore's body in the San Juan Mountains - about 1.5 miles (2.5km) east of the peak - with Finney still alive but weighing about six pounds, about half her original body weight.
A recovery crew was flown in the next day. Finney was taken to a veterinarian and is now with Mr Moore's family.
The Associated Press quoted Ms VanneBrightyn as saying that Finney somehow survived, probably by hunting small animals such as mice while also managing to avoid predators like mountain lions, coyotes and bears.
"Jack Russells are pretty fierce, I have to say, they're tough little dogs," she said, adding that Finney's "magnificent story of survival" is a testament to her dedication and loyalty to her owner.
"We are very glad... that Finney was returned to the family because they have lost their loved one, but they still have this wonderful, loyal dog," Ms VanneBrightyn said.
Archuleta County Coroner Brad Hunt ruled that Mr Moore had died of hypothermia, which can cause people to become disorientated and confused.
From the starting point, the hike to Blackhead Peak gains 2,150ft (650m) in elevation.
Friends of Mr Moore told Outside Magazine that he was an experienced hiker and that he had hiked to Blackhead Peak before with a friend.
Mr Moore's wife, Dana Holby, told the magazine that Finney was very attached to her husband.
Ms Holby was in Montana visiting her sick sister when Mr Moore told her over the phone that he planned to hike to the peak with Finney, and she told him not to go alone.
She also told the magazine she was shocked to discover that Finney had survived for 10 weeks in the wilderness, and that she and her son wept when they collected the dog from the animal hospital. | A dog who was found alive beside her owner's dead body 10 weeks after they went missing in the Colorado mountains survived by hunting small animals, rescuers said. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-67437835?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Thomas Newsome, 37, wascharged over an alleged breachof the Official Secrets Act and was due to face trial in 2024.
But prosecutors dropped the case in light of a report about the defendant's mental health and the length of time he had already spent in custody.
It means Mr Newsome - who denied wrongdoing - has been formally cleared.
The latest hearing in his case took place at the Old Bailey on Friday, but the prosecution offered no evidence against the defendant.
Prosecutor Tom Little KC said Mr Newsome had been suffering from a mental health condition which was linked to the reasons for his prosecution.
Mr Newsome's alleged offence arose from "grievances" with his employer, the court heard.
An earlier hearing heard claimed Mr Newsome, who is from Poole in Dorset, shared a 10-page document after returning to the UK from an unspecified overseas deployment on 17 April.
Information about his unit and posting cannot be disclosed for legal reasons.
Mr Newsome was accused of making the "damaging disclosure of information relating to defence" to two senior officers and a civilian living outside the UK.
A second allegation related to possession of a USB stick said to have contained "highly sensitive material".
Mr Newsome had been due to face a trial at Kingston Crown Court on 8 April next year.
He had appeared at the Old Bailey by video link from his home for the brief hearing and pleaded not guilty before the prosecution signalled they would not pursue the case. | The case against a member of the armed forces accused of sharing "highly sensitive military information" has been dropped. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67387322?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Mr Hunt is finalising the government's spending plans as he seeks to revive a stagnant British economy.
The chancellor is believed to be considering reducing taxes on income or national insurance.
He told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme his speech would focus on removing barriers to growth.
The chancellor was traditionally coy when it came to confirming any of the actual financial decisions he will make before Wednesday.
Mr Hunt said he wanted to put the UK on "the path to lower taxes" but would "only do so in a responsible way" that did not "sacrifice the progress on inflation".
When asked if he would cut income tax, he said he would not comment on a decision ahead of the statement, adding: "Our priority is growth."
Tax levels in the UK are at their highest since records began 70 years ago and are unlikely to come down soon, according to a leading think tank, the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
Ahead of the Autumn Statement, Tory MPs on the right of the Conservative Party, including former Prime Minister Liz Truss, have been urging the chancellor to announce tax cuts.
Mr Hunt has previously said tax cuts are "virtually impossible" given the state of the economy and stressed bringing down living costs was his priority.
Appearing on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the Conservative mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street said he would prefer taxes on businesses to be reduced than cutting inheritance tax.
While the chancellor had considered cutting inheritance tax, sources said the focus of the Autumn Statement would be to promote growth - on which inheritance tax has minimal impact.
Mr Hunt is likely to return to the issue for his Budget in the spring. He is also thought to have ruled out increasing tax thresholds as a way to cut taxes.
Instead, Mr Hunt appears to be weighing up direct cuts to income tax or national insurance.
Speaking on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Hunt remarked that "if you believe the papers there won't be any taxes left".
The chancellor and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak are hoping the Autumn Statement will turn the political tide in their favour after a bruising few weeks.
Last week Mr Sunak sacked Suella Braverman as home secretary and the Supreme Court ruled his plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda was unlawful.
But there was some good news for the prime minister, as UK inflation fell sharply in October to its lowest rate in two years, largely because of lower energy prices.
The government says it has met its pledge of halving inflation by the end of the year, but there is a limit to how much credit ministers can take as energy prices fall.
The Bank of England says raising interest rates, which it controls independently, is the best way to make sure inflation comes down.
Mr Hunt said the UK was "not out of the woods yet", but added he felt "there's too much negativity about the British economy".
Held back by high energy prices and interest rates, the UK economy has been struggling to recover since the pandemic, withthe Bank of England forecasting zero growth until 2025.
The chancellor will base his spending plans on the latest economic forecast from the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR), which assesses the health of the UK's finances and is independent of the government.
As inflation slows, economists have estimated the chancellor could have more than £10bn to spend on tax cuts.
Mr Hunt said tax cuts were not his only tool: "We need to be growing faster and that's why we're going to be taking a lot of measures."
One policy that has already been announced is a plan to reduce the time to approve and build pylons, overhead cables and other electricity infrastructure.
Under the plans, households living closest to new pylons and electricity substationscould receive up to £1,000 a yearoff their energy bills for a decade.
What was clear was the extent to which Mr Hunt will try to use Wednesday to mark a new era - one in which the worst pressures of inflation have passed and the focus is on getting the economy to grow, instead of bumping along the bottom.
The tough task is how a message that things have improved translates into the real world when so many people are finding it hard to pay the bills.
When questioned about possible changes to benefits, Mr Hunt again refused to be drawn on the detail but said in principle, the Conservatives "don't believe in parking people in welfare".
This week, the BBC reported that ministers have drawn up large benefit changes for people who are unable to work due to health conditions.
Plans were unveiled which would mean people on Universal Credit allowance would have their claims closed if they fail to take steps to find work over six months. The government says it will encourage people back into employment.
Labour shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves criticised the government's plans for welfare, saying the number of people out of work is "on them" after 13 years in power.
Ms Reeves said: "The reason we've got so many people out of work is because our NHS is not functioning properly."
She said people's "lives are on hold" because they are waiting for the treatments that would allow them to get back to work.
The shadow chancellor was also asked about reports the government could subtly change how it sets the rate benefits increase for the next financial year to save billions for the Treasury.
Traditionally, the September inflation rate is used, which this year was 6.7% - but the government could instead base the increase on October's lower rate of 4.6% in order to save money.
Ms Reeves said: "In government I will use the inflation rate that is traditionally used to uprate benefits. I think that's the right thing to do."
Are you struggling to live on your current benefit allowance? Are you struggling to find work? Share your experiences by [email protected].
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of theBBC websiteto submit your question or comment or you can email us [email protected]. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. | Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has not ruled out cutting income tax in Wednesday's Autumn Statement, as he insisted economic growth was his priority. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67467116?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
The incident allegedly took place during the Dundee vs Rangers game at Dens Park within the Bob Shankly stand, where away fans sit.
The match was suspended for 18 minutes after Rangers fans let off a large number of flares.
Police confirmed they were carrying out inquiries into the alleged sex attack .
Officials from Dundee FC said they were supporting police with their investigation.
A spokesperson said: "Dundee Football Club can confirm we are aware of an incident which took place in the Bob Shankly stand during Wednesday's match against Rangers.
"The club are fully supporting the police investigation and the club's child welfare and protection officer is supporting the situation.
"As this is an ongoing police investigation the club will be making no further comment."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "We are carrying out enquiries following an allegation of sexual assault involving a 13-year-old girl, which happened at Dens Park in Dundee on Wednesday, 1 November, 2023."
The game has already attracted attention because it had to bepaused after Rangers fanslet off a large number of flares in the stands.
Dens Park was engulfed in smoke, setting off a fire alarm and forcing the players off the pitch.
Managers of both clubs have condemned those involved.
Police Scotland said no arrests were made at Wednesday night's game in connection with the pyrotechnics but added they were working with both clubs to identify those responsible.
The game resumed when the smoke cleared, with Rangers winning 5-0. | Police are investigating reports that a 13-year-old girl was sexually assaulted during a Scottish Premier League football match on Wednesday. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-67319744?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
David DePape was convicted of assault and attempted kidnapping of a federal official.
The attack left Paul Pelosi, 83, in hospital for six days with a fractured skull and other injuries.
DePape, who tearfully apologised for the attack in testimony on Tuesday, now faces up to 50 years in prison.
He was convicted on Thursday after a week-long trial at the Phillip Burton Federal Courthouse in central San Francisco.
As the unanimous verdict was read, he kept his eyes down, fidgeting with his fingers.
Video evidence shows the attacker, a Canadian citizen who has lived in the US for 20 years, breaking into the Pelosi home in San Francisco with a hammer on 28 October last year.
Once inside, he asked for Mrs Pelosi, who was not home at the time.
Officers responding to a 911 call from Mr Pelosi found both men gripping a hammer.
When asked to drop the weapon, DePape abruptly swung the weapon at Mr Pelosi before being subdued by officers.
The entire encounter was caught on body camera footage, which was played in court.
One of the witnesses, an FBI special agent, testified that the video showed the attacker striking Mr Pelosi three times.
In his own testimony, Mr Pelosi told the court that during the attack, DePape said his intention was to "take out" Mrs Pelosi, referring to her as "the leader of the pack".
In addition to a fractured skull, Mr Pelosi suffered injuries to his arm and hand.
DePape's court-appointed lawyer Jodi Linker argued that, while her client did attack Mr Pelosi, he did so because he believed in right-wing conspiracy theories with "every ounce of his being".
Ms Linker said DePape blamed what he saw as America's demise on corrupt elites using their status to spread lies, including facilitating the sexual abuse of children.
She argued that DePape was motivated by these conspiracies instead of Mrs Pelosi's government position.
Prosecutors, however, argued that DePape was looking for Mrs Pelosi as part of a "plan of violence".
When he was arrested, he had zip ties and duct tape in his possession.
He also told investigators after the incident that he had a "target list" and planned to hold Mrs Pelosi captive and break "her kneecaps" if she did not reveal "the truth".
On Monday, Mr Pelosi recalled waking up to find DePape "standing in the doorway".
"It was a tremendous shock, looking at him, looking at the hammer and the ties," he added. "I recognised I was in serious danger. I tried to stay as calm as possible."
At the time of the attack, Mrs Pelosi was House Speaker, a role second in line to the US presidency.
DePape now faces up to 20 years in prison for the attempted kidnapping charge, as well as an additional 30 years for assault on a federal official's family member.
He is also facing separate state charges stemming from the incident, including attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and residential burglary.
He could face life in prison if convicted of the more serious state charges. He has pleaded not guilty.
A statement from Mrs Pelosi's office following Thursday's verdict said her husband had "demonstrated extraordinary composure and courage on the night of the attack a year ago and in the courtroom this week".
Mr Pelosi "continues to make progress in his recovery", the statement said, adding that no further comment would be made given the ongoing state proceedings. | A man who attacked the husband of former US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been found guilty by a jury in San Francisco. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-67445706?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
When Anthony Albanese arrives in China on Saturday, he will be the first Australian prime minister to visit in seven years.
His three-day trip comes in the wake of plummeting relations between the two countries - and Canberra's growing military ties with Washington.
In recent years Australia and China have accused each other over human rights violations and perceived threats to national security. Public perceptions of the other side are more negative than they have ever been.
But when it comes to trade, they cannot afford to let go of each other. At the peak of their trading relationship in 2020, almost half of Australia's exports went to China.
By way of comparison, at around the same time roughly 9% of all US exports and only 5% of British exports were being sold to China.
This kind of leverage can be a powerful tool if a government wants to make a point, which is what happened in 2020 when Australia called for an independent inquiry into the origins of Covid-19.
"That was deeply upsetting to the Chinese government," said Jane Golley, an economist at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra.
"Shortly after, the [Chinese] ambassador here gave a speech and suggested that some Australian industries might suffer as a consequence."
Sure enough, a string of Chinese tariffs and restrictions followed on an estimated $20bn (£16.4bn) worth of Australian goods. Among the many products affected were barley, beef, wine, coal, timber and lobster.
"Basically the Chinese government was sending a message. They were unhappy with the Australian government and decided to use economic coercion to make that point," Professor Golley added.
At the time, such a robust move from an important trading partner was a surprise to many. Since then, China has reversed many of the restrictions.
The decision to row back on the tariffs was, at least partly, helped by a change of tack from the newly elected Australian government.
Shortly after meeting with China's leader Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Bali last year, Mr Albanese said: "We're always going to be better off when we have dialogue and are able to talk constructively and respectfully".
He reminded Australians that trade with China was worth more than with Japan, the US and South Korea combined. Clearly, normalising relations between what he called "two highly complementary economies" would be a priority for his government.
Whether China's so-called economic coercion was successful is doubtful. Australia is still openly critical of Beijing on several fronts - but there is no question that Australian businesses and workers took a hit because of China's trade restrictions.
"We can't live without them, essentially," Professor Golley said. "I think the Albanese government clearly decided that our economic links were too important to sacrifice and went for an improvement in our diplomacy."
Australia has its own levers it can use to its advantage - especially when it comes to natural resources.
"China and Australia are deeply economically interdependent," said Benjamin Herscovitch, a research fellow at the ANU's National Security College.
Typically, China has been, and still is, highly reliant on Australia for raw materials to satisfy its vast and growing economy.
Huge amounts of its iron ore and liquefied natural gas, for example, come from Australia. Incidentally, neither of these commodities were subjected to Chinese restrictions.
The Chinese public can live without Australian wine and lobsters, but until the country is able to adequately source materials to make steel or power its factories, Beijing knows it is not in a strong position to start making demands of Australia.
Some analysts argue that China's trade restrictions were not forcing Canberra closer to Beijing - rather they had the opposite effect.
"The Chinese government started to realise that its coercive economic and diplomatic measures were driving Australia closer to the United States," said Mr Herscovitch.
"Beijing's decision to remove trade restrictions and normalise diplomatic contact is aimed at wooing Canberra away from Washington."
One aim could be to gain Australian support for entry into the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
This is the successor to the doomed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) - the free trade agreement from which then-US President Donald Trump withdrew. So far several countries, including Australia, have blocked China's attempts to join.
"To be blunt, China doesn't have that many friends in the world. We used to be one, but not anymore," Professor Golley said. "If you think about it, it makes sense to have a strong economic relationship with an ally of the United States. If you're being cynical, it gives you an opportunity to drive a wedge between us and Washington."
Given the heightened tensions with the US, it makes sense that China does not want to alienate America's allies.
Not only is Washington trying to exclude China from access to technology needed for advanced computer chips and critical minerals needed for green energy, it is also putting pressure on its allies to do the same.
Half of the world's lithium, for example, is in Australia. Chinese companies want access to such metals that are crucial for making electric vehicles, a field in which China is currently the global leader.
According to Professor Golley, there is a danger that Australia and China become "competitors rather than collaborators" when it comes to issues they need to work together on, such as fighting climate change.
Australia'sclose political and military ties with the USmean it will inevitably fall on the American side of the superpower struggle.
But siding with a country whose economic policies actively harm China will only put more strain on the relationship and could risk landing both countries back at square one.
"I don't know how much longer this can continue", said Professor Golley. "The Australian government wants a relationship with China in which, basically, we continue to export to them as normal."
"But at the same time we also diversify away from them and restrict their capital flows into the country. To me, that sounds like we want to have our cake and eat it too." | China and Australia are proof that governments do not have to like each other to do business. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67305453?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
It is hoped the plan would convince people to support upgrades in their area, which are needed in part for new electric vehicle charging points.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is expected to announce the policy in the Autumn Statement on Wednesday.
It is unclear at this stage how many households will get the full discount.
Mr Hunt and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak are currently finalising the content of the statement, which will set out the priorities for government spending in the final year before a general election has to be held.
It is known that they are considering announcing some tax cuts,and changes to income tax, national insurance, inheritance tax and business taxes are all being discussed.
But the Treasury has indicated the pounds-for-pylons plan will definitely form part of the chancellor's statement.
A spokesman said: "By speeding up the planning system - including the rollout of electric vehicle charge-points - we will be tackling one of the most common issues raised by businesses who are keen to invest in the UK."
The department declined to say who would be paying for the discounts, or offer any information on how close houses would have to be to qualify for the maximum discount.
One of thegovernment's manifesto commitments in 2019was to reach net zero by 2050 by investing in clean energy solutions and green infrastructure.
To better connect with renewable energy projects,much of the UK's electricity network needs upgrading.
However, itcurrently takes 12 to 14 years to build new electricity transmission lines- and the government says it is aiming to cut that time in half.
Under the plan, nationally significant low-carbon energy infrastructure will be designated as a "critical national priority", to underline its importance to local planning officers who are required to approve to building projects.
Matt Copeland, head of policy at the National Energy Action campaign to eradicate fuel poverty, said: "It's only right that those affected by pylons are compensated - but this is not a substitute for the UK government supporting vulnerable people with their sky-high energy bills."
Earlier this summer, a government-commissioned report recommended the idea of simply smoothing the path for the building of new large pylons by handing over cash to those who would be affected.
Nick Winser, the former chief executive of the National Grid, said a radical solution was needed to streamline the planning process and his report said people living near newly-built transmission pylons, the larger lines that connect electricity from where it is generated to regional substations, should get lump sum payments.
He pointed out that the cost of compensation would be lower than building cables underground and much cheaper than resorting to offshore cables.
The three companies that maintain the transmission grid in Great Britain - National Grid in England and Wales, and Scottish Power and SSE in Scotland - do not currently offer any payments to households.
But in the Republic of Ireland, people in rural areas living within 200m of a new overhead line or transmission station qualify for payments of between â¬2,000 and â¬30,000 from EirGrid, the state-owned operator, depending on how close they are and the capacity of the line.
Ed Miliband, Labour's shadow energy security and net zero secretary, said the Conservative had failed to "solve the problems of the grid", after 13 years in power.
"Every family is paying the price of the Tories' failures to deliver clean power- from banning onshore wind, to winding down our storage, to crashing solar, to failing to upgrade our grid," Mr Miliband said.
Liberal Democrat Treasury spokeswoman Sarah Olney said: "This scheme would create a postcode lottery system leaving millions of families still facing higher energy bills while others benefit." | Households living close to new pylons and electricity substations could receive up to £1,000 a year off energy bills for a decade under new plans. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67465841?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
It was photographed last week resting against the ruined walls of the 19th century Ben Nevis observatory.
It is not uncommon for household items to be carried to the top of the UK's highest mountain as part of fundraising efforts for charities.
But the John Muir Trust, which shares responsibility for its management, said the rule is "leave nothing behind".
In April, a former soldier made it to the top of the 1,345m (4,413 ft) peak with a fridge on his back.
And in June, a mountain rescuer carried a 100kg (220lb) barbell to raise money for motor neurone disease research.
Other strange items reportedly left on Ben Nevis include a church organ, a toilet seat and a 3ft garden gnome.
The photograph of the ironing board angered hillwalkers when it was posted on a Highlands Facebook page.
It is believed those responsible may have been doing "extreme ironing" for charity - a craze where people take ironing boards to remote locations.
The John Muir Trust, which runs volunteer litter picks on Ben Nevis, said the summit "would start to look like a Home Bargains store" if all charity walkers left their items behind.
A spokesperson added: "A lot of people raise money for great causes on Ben Nevis, and we don't want to discourage that.
"Those unfamiliar with outdoors culture don't always understand the first unwritten rule of the hills, which is leave nothing behind but your boot prints." | An ironing board abandoned at the top of Ben Nevis has angered hillwalkers in the Scottish Highlands. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-67437740?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Researchers found that lightning is the main cause of fires similar to those seen in parts of Canada this summer.
These forests limit climate change by trapping planet-heating carbon.
More lightning could spark a vicious cycle, as trees and soil set ablaze release warming CO2 - creating more storms and potentially more lightning.
While the overall number of fires has decreased around the world over the last two decades, they have increased markedly in heavily forested areas outside the tropics.
This year Canada experienced a fire season like no other - over 6,500 fires blazed, burning around 18 million hectares (45 million acres) of forest and land.
Smoke from those fires drifted into major cities in Canada and the US, even crossing the Atlantic to Spain and Portugal.
Unlike other years which saw fires confined to the western part of the country, 2023 was marked by conflagrations across the entire territory including in eastern regions like Quebec.
The majority of these fires in northern parts were started by lightning strikes according to experts.
This new study used machine learning tools to develop a new global map showing forest fires by their ignition sources.
The authors found that 77% of burned areas in these forests are related to lightning ignitions. This is very different from tropical regions where humans are the main cause.
In the remote forests where lightning is the main fire starter, these conflagrations can rapidly turn into mega-fires.
"When a thunderstorm passes through this landscape, there are thousands of lightning strikes, and some hundreds of them start little fires," said Prof Sander Veraverbeke from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, one of the authors on the research paper.
"And these can grow together into mega-fire complexes that become the size of small countries. Once these fires are so big, it becomes very difficult to do anything about them."
Using climate models, the authors also found that lightning frequency over intact northern forests would increase by 11-31% for every degree of global warming.
This poses a threat of increased emissions as the trees contain large amounts of carbon, as do the soils in which they grow.
These "extratropical forests" are often in regions of permafrost and fire may also amplify the emissions of greenhouse gases as the icy ground melts, by up to 30% by the end of this century under moderate levels of warming.
"Our research highlights that extratropical forests are vulnerable to the combined effects of a warmer, drier climate and a heightened likelihood of ignitions by lightning strikes," said Dr Matthew Jones from the University of East Anglia.
"Future increases in lightning ignitions threaten to destabilise vast carbon stores in extratropical forests, particularly as weather conditions become warmer, drier, and overall more fire-prone in these regions."
While fires in tropical forests can be limited by education and intervention programmes to prevent people burning these areas, stemming fires from lightning is far more difficult.
The researchers believe the most effective step would be major cuts in emissions of warming gases which might in turn limit the rise in lighting strikes. The possibility of more fires as large as the ones seen in Canada this year should be a wake-up call, experts say.
"The fire season was unprecedented and hard for a lot of people to ignore," said Dr Katrina Moser from the University of Western Ontario, who wasn't involved in the study.
"But my take-home message is it's not too late to make a change. Take forest fires as a warning but not as reason to do nothing." | Climate change could bring more lightning to forests in northern reaches of the globe, increasing the risk of wildfires, a new study shows. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67360140?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Abdalrahman Alharazin, an interpreter from London, said his pregnant wife and three children were able to cross into Egypt at Rafah as their names were on an approved list of foreign nationals.
His name was not, though, and he waited almost three days at the Egyptian side.
Ahmed Sabra, a doctor from Swansea, isstuck in the same situation.
Like Mr Alharazin, he was separated from his wife and three children after officials on the Palestinian side of the border allowed him to accompany them to the Egyptian side.
The two dependants, who have not been named, are the wives of British men who were allowed to cross into Egypt. One of the women is a doctor and the mother of two British children.
"I am really in shock, because I was in safety for 72 hours," Mr Alharazin told the BBC on Wednesday. "I was expecting someone to help me and my kids, who are in tears, and my wife who needs a hospital. I thought someone would really look at us with mercy."
The UK government said it would not comment on specific cases, but that it was working round the clock to help.
More than 150 of the estimated 200 British nationals who were in Gaza when the war began have been allowed to cross into Egypt since the Rafah crossing was reopened for foreign passport holders and seriously injured Palestinians a week ago.
Israel has been bombarding Gaza for a month and launched a major ground offensive over a week ago in response to an attack by Hamas gunmen on 7 October, in which 1,400 people were killed and 240 others taken hostage.
Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says more than 10,500 people have been killed in the territory since then, while the UN warns that a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding.
Mr Alharazin told the BBC that he had travelled to Gaza four months ago along with his wife and their three sons - Ibrahim, 10, Yousef, 7, and Mohammed, 6.
They fled the Shejaiya area east of Gaza City on 13 October, after the Israeli military told the 1.1 million people in the north to flee southwards for their own safety.
The family slept in a makeshift shelter at a UN-run school until 4 November, when the names of Mr Alharazin's wife and children appeared on a list of foreign passport holders who had been cleared to leave Gaza by Egyptian and Israeli authorities.
They then moved to an area near the Egyptian border and waited until Monday, when crossings through Rafah resumed following a two-day suspension.
Mr Alharazin said Palestinian officials allowed him to accompany his family to the arrivals hall on the Egyptian side of the crossing even though his name was not also on the approved list.
"The Palestinians told me: 'You should go with your wife and kids. And hopefully you will get across to Egypt.'
"We managed to get inside. But in Egypt, obviously, they said: 'Your name is not on the list. You have to wait here until the embassy puts you on the list.'"
"So we waited for two-and-a-half days," he added. "And this morning they told us: 'Sorry, your embassy didn't do what it's supposed to do. And we are sending you back to Gaza.'"
Mr Alharazin said he did not understand why the UK had allowed four families to be separated.
Now, he has to find refuge again in what he described as "the most dangerous area on Earth right now".
"I am very fearful of my life," he said. "This is an appeal to please get us out of here."
Dr Sabra told the BBC that he and his family had arrived in Gaza to visit relatives only three days before the war began, and that they had spent three weeks waiting near Rafah.
He was similarly refused permission to enter Egypt with his wife and three children after being allowed through the crossing by Palestinian officials.
"[We] arrived on the Egyptian side and we just let out a big sigh of relief. We thought we [had] made it to safety, only to be told: 'No, your father has to go back.'"
He added: "We were waiting on the Egyptian side of the border for the British embassy [in Cairo] to do their job, but unfortunately this did not materialise."
Dr Sabra said being forced to return to Gaza was like being given a "death sentence" and accused the UK of not doing enough to protect its citizens.
"Just because I am of Palestinian origin, I am not as equal as any other human. I didn't want to say this, but this is the reality. It is a disgrace," he complained.
Dr Sabra and Mr Alharazin said their families had both finally found safety in Cairo.
A spokesperson for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said it was "working round the clock to ensure all British nationals in Gaza who want to leave are able to".
"This involves submitting all details of British nationals and eligible dependants to the Israeli and Egyptian authorities. The authorities then review all cases and give permissions to cross."
"We remain in regular contact with British nationals in Gaza to provide them with the latest information, and UK teams are forward deployed to the border to receive anyone leaving." | Two British nationals and dependants of two others have been prevented from leaving Gaza with their families to flee the war between Hamas and Israel. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-67357917?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
The King will highlight his Coronation Food Project, to be officially launched on his birthday on 14 November.
It aims to help those in need of food, while at the same time reducing surplus food being thrown away.
"Food need is as real and urgent a problem as food waste," King Charles will say in the Big Issue.
Emphasising the idea of a public service monarchy, the food project will be a big theme of the King's birthday celebrations.
It wants to address the growing problem of those who cannot afford food, at the same time as tackling the widespread waste of perfectly good food.
"If a way could be found to bridge the gap between them, then it would address two problems in one," the King tells the Big Issue, in an edition to be published on Monday.
"It is my great hope that this Coronation Food Project will find practical ways to do just that - rescuing more surplus food, and distributing it to those who need it most."
The project says there are 14 million people in the UK facing food insecurity, with food banks warning of rising demand.
The Trussell Trust charity said this week that 1.5 million emergency food parcels were given to people by its food banks between April and September 2023, a 16% increase on last year. Almost two-thirds of these were for families with children.
But alongside this growing need, millions of tonnes of food are thrown away unused, so the project aims to bring together supermarkets, farmers and distributors to save more of the food that otherwise might be discarded.
There are already 8,500 local charities trying to share surplus food, and the Coronation Food Project wants to set up regional distribution hubs to make this a more effective network.
Baroness Louise Casey, co-chair of the project, says: "Too many people in the UK are living in poverty and going hungry. At the same time, we are wasting too much food on farms, in manufacturing and across the food industry."
The King will be 75 years old next Tuesday, and on Monday he will share a party in Highgrove in Gloucestershire with other people or organisations who are 75 this year.
On the day of his birthday, the King is hosting a reception for nurses and midwives as part of the NHS 75th anniversary celebrations.
The Royal Mint has produced a commemorative coin to mark the birthday, which for the first time uses silver recycled from medical and industrial X-ray film.
With the King now into the second year of his reign, the names of his charities are also changing - such as the Prince's Trust becoming the King's Trust and the Prince's Foundation becoming the King's Foundation.
You can see more royal stories in the free BBC Royal Watch newsletter emailed each week -sign up here from within the UK. orhere, from outside the UK. | King Charles is going to be the cover star of the Big Issue magazine, which helps the homeless, to mark his 75th birthday next week. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67381863?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Alistair Macrow told MPs it had received more than 400 complaints from workers since July, when the BBC uncovered hundreds of allegations.
He said 18 people had since been sacked but he did not know how many complaints had been referred to the police.
The BBC found that workersas young as 17 were being groped and harassed.
They said they experienced a toxic workplace culture at McDonald's where claims of sexual assault, racism and bullying were not taken seriously.
Mr Macrow told the Business and Trade Select Committee on Tuesday that McDonald's UK had received 407 employee complaints of a varying nature since July.
Following the BBC's initial report in the summer, Mr Macrow set up an investigation handling unit to deal with complaints.
Of the 157 complaints that have been investigated, Mr Macrow said 17 complaints were about sexual harassment and had led to disciplinary action. He added that nine related to bullying and one was about racial harassment.
In relation to the outstanding cases yet to be probed, 27 complaints are about sexual harassment, he added.
Mr Macrow said: "To give you a picture of what we see on an ongoing basis, we typically would see between 20 to 25 contacts per week, of which one or two would be sexual harassment."
The fast-food chain is one of the biggest private sector employers in the UK, employing more than 170,000 people.
It has one of the UK's youngest workforces, with three quarters of staff aged 16 to 25 and, for many, it is their first job.
In total, it has 1,450 restaurants. According to Mr Macrow, 89% of its branches in the UK are operated by franchisees. But he admitted that no franchisees had yet lost their contracts due to claims of harassment and abuse.
Liam Byrne, chair of the Business and Trade Committee, asked the McDonald's boss if "profit was more important than protecting workers".
Mr Macrow said it was "absolutely not the case".
"The most important thing in our business is our people. We do everything we can to look after our people," he added.
More than 200 current and former McDonald's workers spoke to the BBC about their experience of working at the fast-food chain, with a number claiming they were subject to sexual abuse and harassment by colleagues and superiors.
Among those was Ed and Emily, who both attended the committee hearing on Tuesday. They both said they did not feel reassured by what Mr Macrow said.
Emily was 17 when she got her first post-college job at a McDonald's in north west England. She was groped and hit on the bottom by her manager. She reported him on the company's staff support service but never received a reply.
She believes that Mr Macrow and McDonald's does put profit before people.
"When I was working at McDonald's it was very clear to me that I was easily replaceable," she told the BBC. "I think that it's definitely true that he has put profit before the people because as soon as I brought forth an allegation, I was fired.
"So it's easier for them to just fire me than actually look into these allegations."
Mr Macrow said the testimony from workers had been "truly horrific" and "very difficult to hear".
He admitted that some of the complaints reported to McDonald's independent handling unit "stretch back as far as the 1980s", adding: "Clearly those more recent we were able to investigate more fully."
Ed was 16 when he started working in McDonald's at the beginning of this year. He said a senior manager made sexual innuendos and repeatedly asked him for sex. He raised it with a senior manager, but nothing was done.
Eventually, after months of harassment, he quit in April.
He said that hearing that more than 400 complaints had made to McDonald's in the past four months "was quite shocking and upsetting and I think is damning evidence against McDonald's that they need to change".
But he added: "What you should be thinking about is how many people have been unable to make those complaints, who've been scared to complain, particularly to managers who will be controlling their hours.
"Who else is currently being harassed or going through something and is unable to come forward?"
Ian Hodson, national president at the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union, also appeared before MPs and said some stories that it had been told by McDonald's employees were "absolutely horrific".
"And it shouldn't happen," he said. "In the 21st century, in the UK, it shouldn't happen."
Mr Hodson added: "When a global corporation, [one of the] biggest employers in the world that makes billions and billions of pounds, can't protect its workforce it's awful. It should be leading and be an example for others - but they're not."
Have you been affected by issues covered in this story? You can share your experiences by [email protected].
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of theBBC websiteto submit your question or comment or you can email us [email protected]. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. | McDonald's UK boss has admitted the fast-food chain is receiving between one or two sexual harassment claims a week following a BBC investigation. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67399801?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
Currently only iMessages from iPhones have blue bubbles.
Apple says it will support a new messaging standard that will make it easier to send texts between phones.
But messages from Android phones will still appear as green bubbles, suggesting those who want the bubble divide to burst may have a long wait.
The company said it will introduce support for a new messaging standard - Rich Communication Services (RCS) - on iPhones and iOS devices from 2024.
RCS is a standard designed to make it easier for phones on different operating systems to exchange messages.
The move,first reported by 9to5Mac, has been viewed as a sea-change for Apple.
Apple plans to introduce support for the messaging standard in a software release later next year.
An Apple spokesperson told the tech publication that RCS would be better for users seeking to message users of rival phones compared to SMS or MMS.
"This will work alongside iMessage, which will continue to be the best and most secure messaging experience for Apple users" the spokesperson said.
Google, which develops the Android phone operating system, has been the biggest competitor calling on Apple to enable RCS.
Its "get the message" campaign has emphasised that besides frustration for some users met with green-coloured messages on iPhones or iOS devices, SMS and MMS messages are not protected byend-to-end encryption.
Recent EU rules for digital platforms may have also encouraged Apple's adoption of RCS.
The bloc's Digital Markets Act (DMA) requires providers of major digital services - so called core services - to introduce ways for users of their platforms to easily interact with rival platforms - including sending messages between rival systems.
The Financial Timesreportedin early November that Google and other firms had written to the European Commission, urging it to declare Apple's iMessage a core service that should be interoperable with rivals like WhatsApp.
Apple has argued iMessage shouldn't be subject to these rules, but the European Commission had said in September it was investigating whether Apple's iMessage should be deemed a core service.
Earlier this yearApple was forced to ditch its signature lightning port on new iPhonesto meet EU requirements for a common charging cable.
Apple's announcement comes days after phone manufacturer Nothing launched a way for owners of its latest smartphone to send iMessages to iPhone users.
The company said its app Nothing Chats would offer a bridge between iPhone and Android handsets and let users connect via blue bubble messages.
Responding to the news of Apple adopting RCS the companyposted on X(formerly Twitter), "looks like they got the message". | Hopes have risen that the era of green and blue message bubbles on iPhones might eventually come to an end. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-67451724?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
The UK's air traffic services provider NATS said "staff absence and strong winds" had led to limits being imposed.
Heathrow warned of "minor" changes to schedules but declined to say how many journeys would be affected.
It could not confirm if there would be further delays this evening and said passengers should check with airlines.
Earlier, British Airways confirmed that it had made "some adjustments to our short-haul schedule".
There are normally about 175 short-haul BA flights that land at Heathrow every day.
Travellers took to X, previously Twitter, to vent their frustration, with some concerned that they would miss connecting flights to other destinations. Some were reportedly facing hours of delays.
NATS has been criticised in recent months for disruption at UK airports. In late August, thousands of flights were cancelled or disrupted when the UK's air traffic control systems suffered a technical failure.
Just over a fortnight later, flights at Gatwick were cancelled, delayed or diverted at short notice because of a shortage of air traffic controllers.
On Sunday, NATS said there was "short notice staff absence in the tower", as well as strong winds.
A spokesperson said: "We are working hard to minimise disruption, working closely with Heathrow airport and airlines. Passengers should check the status of their flight with their airline.
"Restrictions of this sort are only ever applied to ensure safety and we apologise for any inconvenience caused."
BA said that it had "contacted affected customers to apologise and offer them rebooking options or a full refund".
A spokesperson for Heathrow, said: "We want to reassure passengers that our colleagues are working in close collaboration with our airline and air traffic control partners to get them safely on their journeys as quickly as possible.
"We encourage passengers to check with their airline for the latest information." | Temporary restrictions on how many planes can land or take off at Heathrow have been lifted, after a day of delays and cancellations at the airport. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67468108?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
The bicorne black beaver felt hat was valued between â¬600,000 and â¬800,000 (£525,850-£701,131).
The person who bought the hat has not made themselves known.
Historians say the hat was part of his brand. Wearing it sideways made him recognisable in battle. He owned about 120 bicorne hats over the years.
However only 20 are thought to remain - many in private collections.
The hat is being sold along with other Napoleonic memorabilia assembled by an industrialist who died last year.
But the auctioneers said for specialists, the hat is the true holy grail.
The emperor wore his hat with the corns parallel to shoulders - known as "en bataille" - whereas most of his officers wore their hats perpendicular to the shoulders.
Auctioneer Jean Pierre Osenat said: "People recognised this hat everywhere. When they saw it on the battlefields, they knew Napoleon was there.
"And when in private, he always had it on his head or he had it in his hand, and sometimes he threw it on the ground. That was the image - the symbol of the emperor."
The auctioneers said this hat comes with impeccable provenance, remaining throughout the 19th Century in the family of Napoleon's palace quartermaster.
The hat being auctioned by Osenat auction house in Fontainebleau has a cockade that Napoleon fixed to his hat in 1815, during the crossing of the Mediterranean from his exile in Elba to Antibes, where he led a brief return to power.
Other items being sold include a silver plate looted from Napoleon's carriage after his 1815 defeat at Waterloo and a wooden vanity case he owned, with razors, a silver toothbrush, scissors and other belongings. | A hat belonging to Napoleon Bonaparte when he ruled France in the 19th Century has been sold for â¬1.9m ($2.1m; £1.7m) at auction in Paris. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-67465802?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
On the afternoon of 8 November 2021, I sat on the cement stairs inside the International Ferry Terminal in the city of Batam, Indonesia. It was a three-minute walk from the refugee shelter where I lived; an escape from the camp's small, dark and windowless rooms.
Two cargo ships were parked on the other side of the terminal promenade. I watched the men unloading sacks of rice and flour from the ship. The warm salty water, breaking against the cement wall of the promenade, splashed on my face.
With nowhere to go, I found another bench, at the east end of the terminal, under the shade of a coconut tree. I could see the ferries full of tourists leaving Batam for Singapore, just across the water. I became lost in imagination, dreaming of freedom.
Soon, I had to return to the shelter's small, cramped rooms, to meet the 6pm curfew. To distract myself, I opened my phone. There was an email.
It was from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
I had been in Indonesia since fleeing Afghanistan in December 2014, aged 15. Back then, on a trip to Kabul to pick up supplies for the English-language school where I worked, Taliban gunmen hijacked my bus, looking to kill the "English teacher".
As the gunmen slapped my face, a stranger saved my life. But even then, I knew: I had to leave Afghanistan. I fled to Delhi, then Kuala Lumpur, before taking a wooden boat across the Strait of Malacca. After bouncing around various sites in Indonesia, in 2016 I found myself in Pontianak, a prison camp for asylum seekers.
Resettlement rates from Indonesia to third countries, via the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), were low. The chances of receiving an individual resettlement offer were almost non-existent. Certainty seemed elusive.
In prison, I wrote a blog about the living conditions of refugees, like me, who were trapped. My audience was small but supportive. One evening in 2018, as the last rays of the sun disappeared behind the razor wire-topped walls, and a dark, unwelcome cloud obscured the blue skies, I got a message from Canada.
It was from Renee Oettershagen, a lady from Burlington, Ontario. Renee had read my work and we had become friends. I connected her with friends in Australia - Denise, Lindy, Diana, and Jane - who were also eager to help me escape Indonesia. They had read my work and wanted me to live somewhere as a normal citizen, with full rights, rather than the in-limbo, locked-up life of an asylum seeker.
Our team discovered that I was eligible to apply for permanent residency in Canada through the Group of Five programme. Under this programme, groups of Canadians living in one community could form a group to sponsor a refugee, so long as they were already recognised by the UNHCR, which I was.
To begin the paperwork, we needed 16,500 Canadian dollars (£9,825) held in a bank account, allocated for my first year's living expenses in Canada. It was a daunting sum, and raising it seemed impossible.
That evening, as I walked in circles on the prison's dirt ground, Renee messaged me with incredible news. She and her husband, Bill, had agreed to welcome me into one of their empty bedrooms in their house.
As I burst into laughter, amazed that these Australians and Canadians had opened their hearts and homes, the security guard yelled at me to return to my cell.
Despite the guard's anger, half my problem was resolved - we now only needed 8,000 CAD. The other half of the funds was raised between my Australian friends, and we needed three more Canadians to join the team the Group of Five.
Another woman, Wendy Noury Long, became aware of my story. She joined the team with her husband and son, and we submitted my application to the government of Canada in January 2020.
Almost two years later, I sat at the Batam ferry terminal and read the email from the IOM.
"We have scheduled your flight to move to Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, to complete your medical examination and biometric process at the Canadian embassy, in order to leave Indonesia for Canada."
In order to leave Indonesia for Canada.
I read the email five times. Maybe he sent it by mistake? I washed my face in the terminal's bathroom with cold water, then took a long, deep breath.
I turned on my internet and read the email again. It was for me. I saw my name. It was real.
I'm leaving. My application for permanent residency in Canada was accepted.
The news flowed through my veins like a morning breeze, propelling my body to run towards the shelter to meet the curfew. Arriving five minutes late would mean being sent to solitary confinement.
A local man, who had a few packs of instant coffee and noodles on his cart, was sitting on a portable red plastic chair outside the terminal gate. He had taken off his shirt and was using it to dry the sweat dripping from his forehead.
As I walked past, he called me "Orang Migran" - a refugee man. The words echoed in my ears, like congratulations for surviving eight years of life in detention. I felt lighter. The trees lined up on both side of the roads, gently rustling, celebrating the news with me.
The next day, I went to Jakarta. I completed my medical examination at a hospital, and two months later, completed my biometrics at the Canadian embassy.
It still felt surreal. While in the embassy, I could almost smell Canada.
My flight to Canada was scheduled for 3 March 2022. As the IOM dropped me off at the airport in Jakarta, I couldn't believe I was there, waiting for my flight to take off.
In my hand, I held the travel document and ticket issued by the Canadian government. I kept looking at them, doubting their authenticity. At the same time, my eyes continued to scan every corner of the waiting room, looking for immigration officers who might order me back to the refugee shelter.
Finally, the call for the flight came. Unlike the camps, there was no immigration officer to accompany me. When I needed to use the restroom, I went alone. When I wanted a cup of tea, the number wasn't monitored.
We finally landed at Istanbul Airport where I waited, tired and red-eyed, for the connecting flight to Canada. But I couldn't sleep.
The night before, the IOM said they would pick me up at midday. I couldn't settle, fearing the immigration guards would find an excuse to cancel my flight if I were late.
Now - despite being awake for 30 hours - I still couldn't risk napping on the bench and missing my flight to Canada. So I stayed awake, my dry eyes blinking, my excitement rising.
Finally, I boarded the plane. The screen on the back of the seat showed our location. As the plane flew over Europe and got farther away from Indonesia, my dream of seeing something - anything - outside Indonesia since 2014 was coming true.
As the plane began its descent, almost everyone seemed calm, their expressions revealing no sign of excitement or happiness. I was different.
The snowy landscape of Toronto came into view. My heart beat faster. Finally, it was my turn to disembark. The passengers walking alongside me to the terminal blew on their hands to keep them warm. The mother who sat next to me on the plane took off her jacket and wrapped it around her child's body.
My coat, which was considered warm in Indonesia, did nothing to keep out the cold. But right then, I didn't notice it. The excitement of arriving in Canada overcame any of that.
Walking toward the airport terminal, I realised, again, there were no guards accompanying me. In the past eight years in Indonesia, every time I was transferred from one detention centre to another, there were always at least 10 guards monitoring my every move. Now I was free.
I walked alone through the airport gate to meet my sponsors, who were holding a sign that read: "Welcome Shams".
Outside it was still cold, but the welcome made my body glow. My sponsors had only met me online. To them, I was a stranger.
During my eight-year imprisonment in Indonesian prison camps, I blogged anonymously about the refugees' living conditions, hoping to bring our plight to the world's attention. To be safe, I had to use a pen name.
But that night, everyone called me by my own name. I was no longer invisible. I was no longer a label; an "illegal"; a number. I'd escaped the Taliban's attempt to kill me, only to endure eight years imprisonment in Indonesia. At last, thanks to my sponsors and their friends, I was free.
Shams Erfan, 25, is a permanent resident in Canada and will take the Canadian citizenship test in 18 months' time. He is a writer-in-residence at the George Brown College in Toronto and studies at the University of Toronto, with plans to become a human rights and immigration lawyer. | In November 2019, the BBC reported on Shams Erfan, a 21-year-old Afghan who fled the Taliban, alone, as a teenager. We met him in Indonesia, where he was stuck in a refugee camp - one of millions worldwide with only a tiny chance of starting a new life. Four years later, he writes his own story. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-67134152?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
The Vatican said the bishop would be "relieved" of his duties as a result of investigations at his Diocese of Tyler.
Bishop Strickland is a leading voice in a branch of US Catholicism that is opposed to the Pope's reforms.
His removal comes after Francis spoke of the "backwardness" of some US Catholic church leaders.
Bishop Strickland has launched a series of attacks on the Pope's attempts to update the Church's position on social matters and inclusion, including on abortion, transgender rights and same-sex marriage.
In July, he warned that many "basic truths" of Catholic teaching were being challenged, including what he called attempts to "undermine" marriage "as instituted by God" being only between a man and a woman.
He criticised as "disordered" the attempts of those who "reject their undeniable biological God-given identity".
His letter suggested that attempts to change "that which cannot be changed" would lead to an irrevocable schism in the Church. Those seeking change, he warned, "are the true schismatics".
Bishop Strickland was under investigation by the Vatican and had previously declined the opportunity to resign, and in an open letter in September challenged the Pope to fire him.
"I cannot resign as Bishop of Tyler because that would be me abandoning the flock," he said.
The right-wing "Coalition for Canceled Priests" held a conference earlier this year to support him during the investigation.
The Vatican saidthat the decision to fire him "came after an apostolic visitation ordered by the Pope last June in the Diocese of Tyler". According to Catholic media, the investigation also looked at the handling of financial affairs at the diocese.
Bishop Strickland, 65, was appointed bishop in 2012, while Benedict XVI was pope.
It all follows significant attempts made by the Pope to make the Church more progressive during his papacy.
On Thursday, the Vatican announced that transgender people can be baptised in the Catholic Church, as long as doing so does not cause scandal or "confusion".
In October, he suggested that the Church would be open to bless same-sex couples, as he told a group of cardinals "we cannot be judges who only deny, reject and exclude".
Speaking at a meeting at the World Youth Day celebrations in Lisbon the Pope said the backwardness of some people was "useless".
"Doing this you lose the true tradition and you turn to ideologies to have support. In other words, ideologies replace faith," he added.
Climate change has also been a key pillar of his papacy - from a landmark paper on the environment in 2015 to recent warnings that the world may be "nearing breaking point" due to climate change.
He has also strongly condemned climate deniers and will be at the United Nations' Climate Summit (COP28) later this month - the first time a pope has attended the event since they began in 1995.
The Vatican said that the Diocese of Tyler would be temporarily administered by Bishop Joe Vasquez of Austin. | Pope Francis has fired the Texan bishop Joseph Strickland, a fierce critic who has questioned the Pope's leadership of the Catholic church. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-67390366?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
She claimed aggressive right-wing protesters were "rightly met with a stern response", while "pro-Palestinian mobs" were "largely ignored".
The article was not cleared by Downing Street and suggested changes to the text were not followed, No 10 said.
Some Tories have called for the home secretary to be sacked.
It comes ahead of a Pro-Palestinian march for a ceasefire in Gaza, which is due to take place in central London on Saturday.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused Mrs Braverman of undermining the police and said Prime Minster Rishi Sunak was "too weak to do anything about it".
Former Conservative minister Sir Bob Neill became the first Tory to publicly call for her to resign over the article.
Sir Bob, a frequent critic of Mrs Braverman, told LBC that her position was "untenable" after she had "gone over the line" with her comments.
But Conservative MP Danny Kruger - an ally of Mrs Braverman - denied the home secretary was interfering, and said she was entitled to comment on the "broader culture of police".
The prime minister's spokesperson said Downing Street was "looking into what happened" over the article - but they added Mr Sunak had full confidence in the home secretary.
The ministerial code says all major interviews and media appearances, both print and broadcast, should "be agreed with the No 10 Press Office".
The prime minister can punish a minister who is deemed to have breached the code. Options can range from demanding a public apology to sacking them.
Mrs Braverman, who is popular on the right of her party and seen as a possible future Conservative leader, often takes a harder line than many of her colleagues on issues such as crime and immigration.
She has recently been criticised for calling pro-Palestinian rallies in London "hate marches" and has described being homeless as a "lifestyle" choice.
This latest row comes before the Supreme Court is due to give next week its decision on whether government plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda are lawful.
Mrs Braverman has been a vocal backer of the Rwanda scheme, which is part of Mr Sunak's plans to curb the number of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats.
Police have said they expect a large rally on Saturday, prompting fears of violent clashes with counter-protesters.
Saturday is also Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of World War One, which has prompted calls from the prime minister and others for the Pro-Palestine march to be cancelled, on the grounds that it is "disrespectful".
The Met Police has faced calls to ban the march - but commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said protests may only be stopped if there is a threat of serious disorder, and that the "very high threshold" has not been reached.
Inher Times article, Mrs Braverman claimed that there was "a perception that senior officers play favourites when it comes to protesters".
"Right-wing and nationalist protesters who engage in aggression are rightly met with a stern response yet pro-Palestinian mobs displaying almost identical behaviour are largely ignored, even when clearly breaking the law," she added.
There have been regular protests in London after Hamas gunmen launched an unprecedented assault on Israel from the Gaza Strip on 7 October, killing more than 1,400 people and taking more than 200 hostages.
Israel has been carrying out strikes on Gaza since then in response, and has now also launched a ground offensive. More than 10,500 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. | Home Secretary Suella Braverman is facing questions about her future after defying Downing Street over an article accusing the police of bias. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67368785?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
The Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates financial services, says that11 million adults in the UK struggle to pay their bills- a rise of 3.1 million compared with last year.
So what can you do if you find yourself in difficulty?
Consumer advice charity Citizens Advice says that you should work out how much you owe, who to, and how much you need to pay each month.
Identify your most urgent financial demands. There are what are known as priority debts and bills because there can be serious consequences if you do not pay them, such as losing your home or facing court proceedings. They should be paid first.
They include rent, mortgage repayments, and loans secured on the home, gas and electricity bills, child support and maintenance payments, council tax, income tax, VAT and other taxes, TV licence payments, court fines and payments.
Calculate how much you can cover in debt repayments. Create a budget by adding up your essential living costs like food and housing, and take these away from any income such as your wage or benefits you receive.
After than move on to looking at other debts, although failure to pay could still lead to the arrival of bailiffs. These are credit cards, store cards, buy-now-pay-later payments, overdrafts, unsecured loans and water bills. Ignoring them would still see the cost of those debts spiral.
Always see how you could boost your income, primarily by checking what benefits you are entitled to, and whether you are eligible for a council tax reduction or a lower tariff on your broadband or TV package.
It is important that you do talk about financial difficulties before finding yourself in a spiral of debt. The earlier, the better.
If you think you cannot pay your debts or are finding dealing with them overwhelming, seek support straight away. You are not alone and there is help available. A trained debt adviser can talk you through the options available.
Information and support is available and free of charge -click here to find out about organisations who may be able to help.
Your supplier must give you a chance to clear your debt through a payment plan first.
If you don't agree a plan with your supplier, it has been the case that they might try to force you to have a prepayment meter installed, or they may switch your existing smart meter to prepayment mode.
But since it emerged that meters were being forcibly fitted into the homes of vulnerable people, companies are now required topass certain testsbefore they can switch customers.
A"breathing space" schemein England and Wales shields people in problem debt from further interest and charges.
People receiving debt advice can apply for the break, which lasts for up to 60 days, to prevent them falling into a spiral of debt.
People receiving mental health crisis treatmentcan apply for a schemewhich lasts for the length of that treatment, plus another 30 days.
Consultation is under way for a similar scheme in Northern Ireland. In Scotland, an alternative short-term debt relief system is known as a Statutory Moratorium.
For some people, there is little or no chance of paying off debts, and so they may have to consider some form of personal insolvency.
This should only be done after seeking advice. There are different forms of insolvency which may be considered depending on your circumstances and where you live.
Bankruptcy: This is the most serious option, which involves an official receiver being appointed to sell off your assets to pay your debts. If you own a house or a car you may lose them.
The bankruptcy will affect your credit record for at least six years. But after one year all your debts will be written off. The procedure currently costs £680, but you can pay in instalments.
Individual Voluntary Arrangement: Under an IVA, an insolvency practitioner will help you strike a deal with your creditors, which allows you to pay off your debts over a fixed period - say five years. Once approved, all interest on unsecured debt is frozen.
There is less stigma with an IVA, and a greater chance of you keeping your home if you own one.
Debt Relief Order: This form of insolvency, introduced in 2009, is the easiest of all. Your debts must not exceed £30,000. If your application is accepted, some debts will be frozen for one year, then written off. A DRO costs £90.
Insolvency in Scotland: If you live in Scotland, bankruptcy is known legally as sequestration. However there are three alternatives: a Debt Arrangement Scheme, a Debt Management Plan, or a Trust Deed. | Another tough winter faces many people who have been struggling with the cost of living and may be seeing their debt demands rise. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64291327?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |
More than 500 quakes hit the south-western Reykjanes Peninsula on Monday.
A volcanic eruption is still expected, scientists say, despite the quakes being weaker in recent days.
Thousands of people have been evacuated from the town of Grindavik, under which most of the tremors have taken place.
Pedrag, a native Serb who has lived in Iceland for many years, was one of those who fled the town with his wife on Friday - the day a state of emergency was declared.
An evacuation order for Grindavik was given in the early hours of Saturday.
"If you talk to Icelandic people who have lived there all their lives, they say they have never felt something like that," he told the BBC, referring to the large quakes that rocked the fishing port for several hours.
Pedrag and his partner have been staying at an emergency shelter ever since but were among those let back into Grindavik on Monday to retrieve some of their belongings.
He said that while he had not seen any damage in the area he lives in, he had seen images of the town centre, which had been affected. There were also reports that the road had sunk as much as a metre in some parts.
Another man who was forced to abandon Grindavik, Gisli Gunnarsson, said he feared he might never see his home again.
The 29-year-old music composer, who was born and raised in the town, told PA news agency the situation was "grim".
Other locals said they were particularly upset as eruptions in Iceland normally happened in unpopulated areas.
"This is one of the biggest evacuations we've ever had. It's a huge incident. It has a great effect on all Icelanders," Aslaug Yngvadottir Tulinius of the Icelandic Red Cross told the BBC.
Officials said on Monday afternoon that Grindavik would remain evacuated overnight, as the situation continues to be monitored on a "minute by minute" basis.
According to volcanologists, the latest updates could indicate a smaller impending eruption than was previously thought.
It may still put the town in real danger, however, because of the possibility of lava flows. Experts have stressed that a 15km-long (9 mile) river of magma running under the Reykjanes Peninsula is still active.
The area had remained dormant to volcanic activity for 800 years before a 2021 eruption.
Thor Thordason, professor of volcanology at the University of Iceland, told the BBC that magma was now less than 800m below the surface and that an eruption appeared imminent.
"Unfortunately, the most likely eruption side appears to be within the boundary of the town of Grindavik," he added.
The town is just 15km south of Keflavik International Airport, but flights are still arriving and departing as normal.
An ash cloud from an Icelandic volcano eruption in 2010 led to the cancellation of tens of thousands of flights, but experts believe a repeat of that disruption is unlikely.
How have you been affected by the earthquakes? Have homes been evacuated in your area? Email:[email protected]
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of theBBC websiteto submit your question or comment or you can email us [email protected]. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. | Residents of an Icelandic town struck by hundreds of earthquakes have briefly been allowed back to their homes to collect belongings. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-67402000?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA |