Victims of the Legacy funeral scandal say it is an "insult" Hull undertaker Robert Bush has lodged an application to appeal against his 20-year prison sentence.

Bush, 48, admitted keeping 30 bodies after their funerals, presenting families with the ashes of strangers and selling fake funeral plans.

He pleaded guilty to 67 separate offences and was sentenced in July 2026.

Humberside Police said it had been notified by the Criminal Appeal Office at the Royal Courts of Justice and added "any decision regarding the appeal will be a matter for the courts".

In August, Bush wrote to families impacted by his crimes to express regret and said he was "deeply sorry".

Prosecutors said he ran a "shambolic and chaotic" funeral business at premises on Hessle Road in Hull and his "appalling" offending had caused "extreme emotional pain, anguish and upset".

His crimes over a 12-year period involved more than 300 victims.

Police dealing with a man accused of trying to kill 10 people on a train noted he had schizophrenia following his arrest, a court has been told.

Anthony Williams denies attempting to murder passengers and staff on a London-bound train, which made an emergency stop in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, on 1 November last year.

Cambridge Crown Court heard PC Caitlin Brown, who was involved in transporting Williams to hospital then to the police station, said he "appeared to be talking to himself" and spoke about the devil.

Williams, 33, of Langford Road in Peterborough, also denies four other counts of attempted murder related to earlier attacks in Peterborough and London.

Jurors were shown footage of Williams' arrest in the car park of Huntingdon railway station, and the court heard a Taser and a baton gun - which fires less lethal objects - were used against the defendant.

In a statement read to court, the arresting officer said Williams had said something along the lines of "kill me, kill me".

PC Matt Panks, another officer involved in transporting Williams, said in his statement he saw the suspect "acting strangely, appeared completely unphased by what had occurred... he was rocking and laughing".

Lego has taken its online marketplace BrickLink offline after detecting what it described as unusual activity on the platform.

BrickLink is used by Lego collectors worldwide to buy and sell secondhand Lego sets, source new bricks and purchase limited edition releases.

It was originally set up by a fan, but Lego acquired it in 2019. In a homepage message, the firm said that before restoring BrickLink, it wanted to "fully understand" what had happened.

"That means containing the issue, investigating how it happened and checking for related issues," Lego said. It did not provide any further detail about whether the site has been breached or hacked, and whether any customer data was affected.

After being contacted by the BBC, Lego published the update.

BrickLink has been offline for the last three days, with a previous message saying it was down for maintenance.

Cyber-professional Melanie Hoskin has been collecting Lego for 45 years and is a regular user of BrickLink.

She told the BBC she had received multiple links for payment for a limited edition release she had pre-ordered on the platform, after she had already paid for it.

She said Lego did not believe that the payment had been taken and at one point said it would ban her from BrickLink.

Earlier on Wednesday, media minister Ian Murray said there is a "cultural problem" in the industry that needs to be "stamped out".

Giving evidence to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Murray said he was "deeply saddened and also angry" to see the prevalence of abuse by men in the media industry.

Meanwhile, Minister for Women and Equalities Bridget Phillipson paid tribute to the "bravery" of victims who have shared their experiences in recent days.

Speaking in the Commons, she said: "Women and girls should never have to shrink our lives or ambitions because of outdated, misogynistic attitudes, and the appalling testimonies we have heard in recent days underline how much further we have to go."

Phillipson later said the government would "go further" on restricting the use of non-disclosure agreements, telling Sky News: "We cannot have a system where rich and powerful individuals, rich and powerful men, are able to silence women, buy their silence and stop things coming to light."

She said that she believed injunctions were being misused, and that her colleagues at the Ministry of Justice were looking at how the government can intervene to ensure this did not happen.

Comedian and podcaster Deborah Frances-White told BBC Radio 4's The World at One that young women are "definitely" still being exploited in the comedy industry.

She told the programme that perpetrators understand consent but they just enjoy the power that comes with ignoring it, adding: "The thrill is in the contravention of consent."

Asked whether she recognised the picture Russell Brand's conviction and allegations against Walliams had painted of the comedy industry, she said: "Yes, entirely."

She described an industry where she was asked to meet male producers in darkly lit rooms "walking a tightrope", having to make them feel attractive and avoid being assaulted as they influenced future employment opportunities.

She said these events are "definitely still going on" and that she is in a WhatsApp group with female comedians who share their experiences with each other.

Clashes have broken out between groups of masked men and police in Barcelona after tens of thousands of people took part in Spain's first general strike for 14 years, called by the country's main unions over housing and the high cost of living.

Some 120,000 people joined a demonstration in the capital Madrid and more than 50,000 turned out in Barcelona, where footage showed masked men setting fire to rubbish bins and smashing shop windows as police fired tear gas.

Transport and other public services across Spain faced serious disruption.

Spaniards are due to vote in parliamentary elections on 29 November.

The head of the big UGT labour union, Pepe Álvarez, said the strike was a success with "massive" participation, while Unai Sordo of the CC OO union said turnout was "very significant."

There was a heavy police presence in the centre of Barcelona on Wednesday evening, with officers wearing helmets and riot shields.

Some of the disturbances took place in the Passeig de Gràcia, close to the iconic Plaça de Catalunya in the centre of the city.

Small fires burned in the middle of the streets as bins were set alight. Local media reported that a group of people fired fireworks towards police and looted shops including the Lego store. Protesters were also seen trying to enter the Apple Store.

Earlier in the day there was major disruption around Madrid and Barcelona, with traffic halted on several main roads.

The interior ministry said dozens of people were arrested for a variety of incidents and Spanish reports said estate agencies had seen attacks on their offices.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and a group he was with were reprimanded by a sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday. The incident followed a wreath-laying ceremony marking Veterans Day.

Hegseth had joined the group for a photo and someone laughed, prompting the US Army sentinel guarding the tomb to shout. "All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times", the sentinel said.

According to the BBC's US partner, CBS News, the people in the photo before the reprimand also included Hegseth's advisers Patrick Weaver and Tami Radabaugh, Hegseth's chief of staff Ricky Buria and Hegseth's wife Jennifer Hegseth.

Some 6,300 schools across Italy and more than 700 in Scotland and Northern Ireland have received bomb threats, according to local authorities.

In Italy a number of buildings were evacuated as a precaution but Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said checks so far had not indicated any evidence of "concrete danger".

"These reports appear rather linked to a strategy intended to cause alarm and concern," she said on Facebook.

Scotland's education secretary Mairi McAllan said there was no risk to the public and specialist cyber-crime officers were working to identify the source of the messages. In Northern Ireland education officials told schools to remain open unless otherwise advised by police.

It is unclear whether the incidents are connected.

"As a parent and as a constituency MSP I understand just how concerning this will be for parents, for pupils, for carers and for school staff," McAllan said.

Scottish police had earlier said that the warnings were "immediately assessed" as hoaxes. However some local authorities confirmed that some schools had been evacuated.

"Our advice is that there is no requirement to evacuate schools or keep children away from education based solely on the content of the emails," Police Scotland said.

Italian officials said a single email appeared to have been sent on Wednesday to the inboxes of 6,300 out of a total of 7,476 state schools, and private schools were unaffected.

The message, said to be from a certain "Mikhail Andropov, leader of Vilayat di Misoginistan", caused alarm in many schools.

The BBC has seen the email sent to Scottish schools which appeared to have similar wording, and also referenced the name Mikhail Andropov, although as leader of a "Red Owl" project.

Italy's Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara said the incidents involving Italian schools were probably a "cyber-attack, not a genuine risk", adding that there appeared to be a clear strategy behind the rash of threats in across Europe targeting flights, supermarkets and even hospitals.

Italian airports along with airlines elsewhere in Europe were hit by a series of bomb hoaxes last week that prompted a series of scares, evacuations and widespread disruption.

Although a number of threats were claimed by an extremist misogynistic group, it later denied any link to the false warnings.

Trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi between Russia, Ukraine and the US aimed at ending the war in Ukraine have concluded after a second day.

Although the American side said they saw "some openings", there was no hint of any breakthroughs to end the nearly five year-long war sparked by Russia's invasion.

However, both Moscow and Kyiv confirmed that a large-scale prisoner of war exchange was in the works and could be carried out soon.

Davyd Arakhamia from Ukraine's negotiating team said that this round of talks - the first since February - "was one of the hardest."

"I believe the Russians came with very strict directives, so it was extremely difficult to soften the discussion," he said. But he added that he felt "good momentum" and urged for a second round of talks to be organised as soon as possible.

Comments by Kremlin negotiator Vladimir Medinsky were less conciliatory. "Right now... a lot depends on Ukraine, on the position of the US, and on whether Europe comes to its senses," he said.

After the talks it was announced that on Thursday US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner - President Donald Trump's son-in-law - would travel to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, and then to Dublin to speak to Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky.

The meetings in Abu Dhabi had been framed as centred around the "security architecture" of Europe.

For Kyiv, this may include reassurances that allies will come to its aid if Ukraine comes under attack again, despite the country not being a Nato member.

For Moscow, a reworked "security framework" is likely to include a limit to the influence of Nato in eastern Europe - a central concern for the Kremlin since the alliance's eastward expansion.

Earlier this week Kushner said the US hoped to "create a new framework" of security between Ukraine, Russia and Europe that could "secure lasting peace", while the Kremlin's Medinsky said the world needed a "new" and "fair" security system.

That framework would serve as "a new Yalta and Potsdam", Medinsky said, referring to the 1940s summits in which the victorious Allied powers carved up post-war Europe into spheres of influence.

Ukraine and Europe have long been concerned about the current US administration's commitment to European security and its softening towards the Kremlin.

Representatives of Britain, Nato and various EU countries were also in Abu Dhabi and met with US and Ukrainian negotiators, but the Kremlin - with whom the EU does not officially communicate - said its delegation had not had any contact with them.

Moscow has been dismissive of European involvement, although Europeans have long argued that they are central to any post-war dynamics on their continent.

Many - particularly in eastern Europe - feel their security is linked to that of Ukraine. Agreements cannot be implemented "if no consensus can be reached among Nato members," a German government spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Kushner said the US was keen to bring the Europeans on board and said that getting them "added to the format" would be on the agenda for his talks with Putin.

There is also disagreement on whether discussions on a future security framework should be preceded by a ceasefire, as the Europeans and Kyiv would want, or whether the fighting only stops after an agreement has been reached, as the Kremlin has insisted.

Any agreement on a peacetime security framework, however, is contingent on the war ending, Kushner noted. But that cannot occur "until there's an agreement on territory and on all other bilateral issues," he added.

Since talks began last year, a core obstacle to any settlement has been Ukraine's eastern region of Donetsk, which is mostly occupied by Russia. Kyiv wants to freeze the contact line to maintain control over those areas, which it says are essential to its security.

Moscow, meanwhile, has never backed down from its demand that Ukraine relinquish the parts of Donetsk it still holds. "Every inch" of land would be "returned to Russia one way or another", Medinsky said.

Kushner acknowledged that the territorial question remained the hardest, while Zelensky's chief of staff and negotiator Kyrylo Budanov refused to be drawn on whether Russia was still demanding a Ukrainian withdrawal from the region.

Later, Budanov admitted the talks had been "tough" and that Ukraine's priority was to ensure Russia could not attack it again.

"These deals are very hard and complex, and this one is very emotional, very complex," Kushner said. "The reality is there is no trust right now between the sides and that is to be expected after a conflict like this."

So does that mean that the law is entirely settled and accepted? Well not quite.

Some campaigners have been calling for the law to clearly define what grooming means.

ThirtyOne:Eight, a charity consultancy that works on improving safeguarding in religious settings, said last year that its work had led it to conclude that the intention to groom - whether or not sexual abuse takes place - should become a self-standing crime.

And Baroness Louise Casey, who carried out a national audit of grooming gang abuse, highlighted another issue.

Sexual offences law includes a subtle exception for teenagers who have not yet reached the legal age of consent at 16 but who are in a relationship with each other. That nuance is designed to avoid needlessly criminalising 13 to 15-year-olds who seemingly know what they are doing.

But, says Casey in her report, there were "examples of perpetrators being charged with the lesser offence of 'sexual activity with a child', rather than rape, because of a belief that the child involved had 'consented' to having sex."

Speaking to the BBC Radio 4's Today Programme, she said that it was "staggering" that adults who have sex children aged 13, 14, and 15 are not automatically charged with rape, as is the case in France.

She has asked for that gap to be closed and told the BBC she had received an assurance from ministers this it would happen.

"The recommendations from the grooming gang audit that I did last year are works in progress," she said. "They're not completed yet, and obviously, I would like the government to press on with those."

The Ministry of Justice didn't comment directly on progress on that specific issue but told the BBC that the Crime and Policing Act 2026 has introduced a range of new measures to protect children. These include making it an offence for an adult to engage in conduct (legalese for "groom") that leads to a child to committing a criminal offence. The law has also being tweaked to remove a time bar in damages cases relating to sexual exploitation, meaning someone who has experienced it can sue many, many years later.

A Government spokesperson said: "We are taking unprecedented action to bring more abusers and grooming gang offenders to justice, and will commence all new offences when changes can be delivered safely and effectively.

All of that is aimed at dealing with crimes against children and young teenagers. So is there space for changes elsewhere which relate to young adults?

Some argue that the UK should have a "staggered" age of consent.

This became a talking point in 2023 after allegations against Russell Brand exploded over the media.

One of his alleged victims told BBC's Woman's Hour at the time that we should consider changing the law so that people over 18 would not be allowed to have sex with 16 and 17-year-olds.

"There's a reasonable argument [that] individuals between the ages of 16 and 18 can have relations with people within that same age bracket," she said. "You're allowed to make mistakes as a teenager, they should be with other people your own age."

The counter-argument to that is once someone is over the age of consent, the law already makes clear that they have the maturity to consent to sex. And if they have not given it, the law is clear: the act is not one of love, but rape.

A ship that was once the fastest in the world and is longer than the Titanic will be sunk off the coast of Florida and turned into the world's largest artificial ocean reef.

The SS United States spent nearly 30 years docked in Philadelphia before it was moved to Florida, where it will soon become a home for sealife and an underwater attraction for marine enthusiasts.

Activists unsuccessfully fought for the historic liner - which crossed the Atlantic Ocean hundreds of times - to be preserved as a museum.

Instead, after being purchased by a Florida county, it will be added to the dozens of artificial reefs off the coast, as a land-based museum detailing the ship's history is also planned.

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Today, what will Andy Burnham lay out in the UK-EU summit in Brussels next week? Adam and Chris speak to Stuart Ingham, former director of the No 10 Policy Unit, who gives his assessment on how Keir Starmer’s government approached UK-EU relations, how the summit may play out politically, and whether it will reignite the Brexit debate. Listen here to Joe Pike’s investigation into the espionage row that rocked Westminster: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00350cs You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. Get in touch with Newscast by emailing [email protected] or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480. New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenters were Adam Fleming and Chris Mason. It was made by Miranda Slade with Cordelia Hemming and Gabriel Purcell-Davis. The social producer was Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Jonny Hall and Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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"It's great when fairytales come true," England boss Roy Hodgson said after 21-year-old Tottenham striker Harry Kane scored 79 seconds into his international debut back in 2015.

"Let's hope it's the start of a good and long England career for him."

Eleven years on, Kane will make his 126th appearance for his country and become the most-capped men's player in Three Lions history when England play Croatia in the Nations League at Wembley on Thursday (19:45 GMT).

Peter Shilton, who served England as a goalkeeper, won 125 caps between 1970 and 1990.

"It's not about me - it's about the team," said Kane, scorer of 91 goals in 125 appearances for his country, about his landmark moment.

"I love coming to every England camp, I love playing every game and representing the country in the best way possible."

Kane, 33, has gone through every emotion playing for his country.

He fought back tears after missing a penalty in the World Cup quarter-final defeat by France in 2022, and sang Wonderwall with fans following the win over Croatia at this summer's World Cup - which he labelled one of his "favourite ever moments" in a Three Lions shirt.

London-born Kane is the boy who grew up in Chingford to captain his country, become England's record goalscorer and win the 2026 Ballon d'Or.

Now the Bayern Munich striker stands on the brink of making more appearances than any other man in England's football history.

"He wins the Ballon d'Or, and deservedly so, and in the next game for England he gets the all-time record with 126 matches," England boss Thomas Tuchel said about Kane when announcing his squad last week.

"Thursday is a deserved occasion to celebrate an extraordinary player."

Elina Svitolina says she "got a bit angry at myself" to inspire a comeback victory over Karolina Muchova at the WTA Finals and keep her semi-final hopes alive.

Ukraine's Svitolina lost 6-4 6-0 in her first group match against Mirra Andreeva on Monday and made an equally poor start against Muchova.

It looked as though things were getting worse for Svitolina when she took a medical timeout for a right hip injury after losing the first set, before finding herself an early break point down.

However, the sixth seed saved it and then gradually wore down Wimbledon runner-up Muchova to win 3-6 6-2 6-2.

Muchova hit 39 unforced errors throughout the match - the majority of which came from her forehand - as Svitolina ground her down.

The Czech could not recover from giving up an early break in the third set and handed over another with her eighth double fault of the match.

Svitolina made no mistake, with the 32-year-old tipping her head back and roaring in celebration after securing the win.

"I was really angry at myself after the first match and the first set," Svitolina told Sky Sports.

"Sometimes it [channelling frustration] happens in a good way and sometimes in a bad way.

"I tried to direct my anger towards the ball and I found my game in the end."

It is Svitolina's ninth victory over a top-10 player this year, and her first at the WTA Finals since she won the title in 2019.

Svitolina can still qualify for the last four in California - but she will not know what she needs to do until after Aryna Sabalenka's match against Andreeva.

At the Stockholm Open, Britain's Cameron Norrie fell 7-5 6-3 to world number 10 Taylor Fritz.

Denmark's Holger Rune reached the quarter-finals of the tournament, a year after he ruptured his Achilles at the same event.

Rune only made his return to the ATP Tour in October after a gruelling 12 months recovering from the injury, but beat Miomir Kecmanovic 2-6 6-1 6-4 to advance.

Luke Littler has admitted he thought he would be facing pub players on his recent Netflix show, which was billed as giving "amateurs a chance at life-changing money".

Broadcast live globally on the streaming platform last month, the cash was won by top women's player Fallon Sherrock.

The format of 'Beat Luke Littler' saw 24 players selected to take on the world number one in a single leg of 501, hoping to win a prize of £501,000.

The 24-strong field did include low-level opponents, such as an Australian jockey, a bin man and a Nando's manager, but anyone who was not a member of the PDC Tour was also allowed to compete.

That meant Sherrock - who became the first female player to beat a male opponent at the PDC World Championship on her way to the last 32 in December 2019 - and leading junior players Mitchell Lawrie and Zach Griffiths were also eligible.

"Before I saw the line-up, I thought it was just pub players," said Littler, who is preparing for the Grand Slam of Darts this weekend.

"Whereas obviously when the line-up came out, I probably knew just over half of them.

"Mitchell, Zach Griffiths - I played with him on the Development Tour - obviously Fallon, Katie Sheldon and a lot more.

"I mean Fallon, she's never had a Tour card, so she went for the qualifiers and she made it through. But then she wasn't guaranteed to play - she went in on a vote."

Sherrock, who has been awarded an MBE for her services to darts, made it through an audition process and then had to rely on the public to select her to take on Littler at Manchester Central.

Littler beat 14 contestants but then lost to Sherrock, who won nearest the bull to throw first and then checked out in 15 darts.

"It was a very good night overall," Littler added. "I think from my side it was very good. From Netflix's side, it was very good.

"I think the whole thing was probably a learning curve. For me, constantly playing back-to-back, especially in the heat, I was going off and on stage. I'm up for another one and I'm sure Netflix will be as well.

"There aren't many people who could say they've got their own show, and I've had my own show on Netflix, which is just still bonkers to me."

Some Labour MPs have called on the government to reject the Rosebank oil field, saying it is "incompatible" with the UK's climate commitments.

There is a growing expectation among senior Labour figures that drilling in the oil field off the north-west coast of Shetland will be given the go-ahead.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Wednesday that a decision would be "taken in due course" while Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh stressed that affordability of energy bills was her "overriding objective".

But in a sign of the division within the party, more than a dozen Labour MPs expressed concerns in Parliament about approving it. Others expressed support, pointing to economic benefits.

Supportive Labour MPs said some other parts of the world emitted far more greenhouse gases than the UK and warned of relying on imports. Reports have suggested that Chancellor John Healey is in favour of approval.

Separately, it is understood some Labour backbenchers have organised a letter opposing Rosebank - intended for Burnham, but not yet sent - which more than 60 out of about 400 Labour MPs have indicated they support.

One signatory told the BBC that approving Rosebank "would not create new jobs, would bring minimal money into the Treasury and be bad for the climate".

"The government's central aim is to tackle the cost of living crisis, and drilling for more oil at Rosebank isn't the answer," the MP said.

Wednesday's Westminster Hall - a type of parliamentary debate where backbench MPs raise topical issues but do not vote - was organised by Green MP Carla Denyer.

Labour MP for Sheffield Central Abtisam Mohamed told the debate: "Rosebank fails on every test.

"It will not benefit taxpayers who will shoulder the vast majority of the development costs, it will not strengthen our energy security because most of the oil will be sold on international markets, and it will not reduce energy bills for our constituents, who will remain exposed to volatile fossil fuel prices."

Richard Burgon, a former frontbencher on the left of the party, said: "Rosebank is not compatible with our climate targets - it's dangerous to pretend otherwise."

The UK is committed to reaching net zero by 2050 and wants to limit global warming to no more than 1.5C above the pre-industrial period.

The UK government has always insisted that Rosebank is a quasi-judicial decision, formally resting with Fahnbulleh. She green-lit production in the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea last month, but Rosebank hangs in the balance.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been moved from his Washington DC home to a military base after Iran-linked threats to his life, according to US media reports.

CBS, the BBC's US partner, said the relocation came after a photo of Bessent's home was published in the Wall Street Journal.

Bessent has been at the forefront of efforts to isolate Iran economically through sanctions and a wider economic blockade.

While the exact nature of the threats against Bessent remain unclear, US intelligence has warned that Iran has "substantially increased" efforts to target Americans, including US officials.

"After the Wall Street Journal published an article featuring an online photo that allowed the location of the secretary's Georgetown home to be geo-located, security concerns began to increase," a source told CBS.

Georgetown is an affluent part of Washington that is home to a number of government officials and prominent residents.

Those security concerns, the source added, prompted authorities to move Bessent to a military base in the area.

In a statement, a Treasury Department spokesperson said only that Bessent "will not be deterred" by threats and "remains committed" to the US effort to pressure Iran's economy.

The BBC has contacted the White House for comment.

In September, Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton warned that Iran has "substantially increased" efforts to target Americans.

The New York Times has reported that the Iranian effort includes the targeting of current and former US officials. One source told the newspaper this has "reached a more advanced stage".

Other US officials reportedly on Iran's list of potential targets include former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former National Security Advisor John Bolton and Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Milley and Bolton's security teams were taken away by the Trump administration shortly after he returned to office last year.

Bessent is one of a number of administration officials that live on military bases. The White House's new chief of staff, Stephen Miller, was moved to a base in late 2025 - before the conflict with Iran began.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio both live on military bases, as did former Attorney General Pam Bondi and former intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard.

The US and Israel launched an air campaign against Iran in February, killing its leader and prompting the regime in Tehran to retaliate with strikes on US allies across the region and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which around a fifth of the world's oil and gas usually travels.

In June, the US and Iran reached a preliminary agreement to end the war and reopen the strait, but it collapsed within weeks after Iranian attacks on shipping resumed and the US reinstated a blockade targeting Iranian ports.

Poundland looks set to avoid immediate collapse after its US owners told MPs on Wednesday they were in favour of extending a deadline to find a rescue deal.

The discount chain, which has 11,000 employees, has been edging towards administration after being blocked by Gordon Borthers from accessing cash in its bank accounts.

A deadline to secure a buyer for the business is set to expire at midnight, but sources close to the situation told the BBC they expect more time will be given, thanks to the release of £10m in funding.

A committee of MPs questioned Gordon Brothers following accusations that the investment firm hopes to profit from selling off Poundland's 600 stores and stock piecemeal.

Gordon Brothers - which bought the chain for just £1 last year - is accused of forcing that outcome by restricting Poundland's access to available cash needed to restock stores and pay wages and rent, ahead of the crucial Christmas trading period.

The investment firm, which specialises in buying and restructuring distressed companies, has denied the claims.

But pressure remains on Poundland's owners after a takeover bid was rejected. The decision prompted calls for answers from politicians, including Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

About £50m had been frozen by Gordon Brothers, the BBC understands, meaning Poundland bosses were unable to restock shelves across its 600 shops.

However, sources close to the matter told the BBC on Tuesday that a release of £10m by its owners, while "small in the scale of things" could help at least postpone the chain's collapse while a longer term solution was explored.

A British soldier has been charged with the rape of a woman serving with the UK armed forces in Cyprus.

Lance Corporal Nicholas Horne, who serves in the 4th Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland – also known as The Highlanders – was charged with one count of rape on October 23, the Defence Serious Crime Command (DSCC) said.

He was arrested on October 19, two days after the DSCC was informed of the alleged rape of a woman serving in the British Forces Cyprus, which is part of the British Armed Forces.

Horne was remanded in custody pending a court-martial hearing.

The charge comes after an investigation by the major crime team at the DSCC - who independently investigate serious crime committed by people subject to service law in the UK and overseas.

An Army spokesperson said: "We can confirm that Lance Corporal Nicholas Horne was charged with one count of rape, contrary to section 1 of the Sexual Offences Act 2006, on 23rd October 2026, following an investigation by the Defence Serious Crime Command...

"There is no place for criminal behaviour in the Army, and we recognise the great courage it takes to come forward and report an offence.

"Anyone convicted of a sexual offence will be discharged from the service."

The UK retained two major sovereign bases in Cyprus' south and south east, Akrotiri and Dhekelia, as part of a 1960 treaty that established the island's independence and ended its status as a British colony.

Police have confirmed they helped Jemima Goldsmith to remove ex-boyfriend Russell Brand from her property in 2014 after she claimed a violent incident took place.

Thames Valley Police said officers were contacted by an alleged victim and went to an address in Oxfordshire on 25 July 2014 but no arrests were made.

They listened to her concerns and gave support, and "also ensured the victim's partner left the address, as per the victim's wishes", the police added in a statement on Wednesday.

Goldsmith, who dated Brand for about a year, wrote on X on Monday that she "had to call the police to have him removed from my house in 2014 during a violent incident" but chose not to press charges.

Brand was jailed for 10-and-a-half years for rape and sexual assault on Monday.

In her post, 52-year-old Goldsmith, who wasn't part of the trial, said she was "in awe of the courageous women who came forward at Brand's trial" and was "glad and relieved" he had "finally faced justice".

She wrote: "I have had my own personal experience of his violence, coercive control and abuse.

"I had to call the police to have him removed from my house in 2014 during a violent incident."

The Press Association reported that Goldsmith had asked for Brand to leave the property, her wish was then communicated to him by police, and he agreed to leave the house.

Goldsmith added: "I chose not to press charges at the time and not to go public with this, as I was worried about the impact of the press attention on my then teenage children.

"I have neither seen nor spoken to Brand since that period in 2014. Whilst my pain in relation to this, pales in comparison to what the women have testified in court have suffered, this was a difficult period in my life which has had a lasting impact."

She also said she had "assisted the journalists who finally exposed him", and had been willing to testify to his "abusiveness" if they were sued.

TV producer Goldsmith is also the former wife of ex-Pakistani prime minister and cricketer Imran Khan, the daughter of late billionaire entrepreneur Sir James Goldsmith and sister of ex-Conservative government minister Zac Goldsmith.

An 11-month-old baby has been rescued in South Carolina after officials say he was buried alive in a crate by his father.

Koah Sharpe had been missing since Monday when he was taken by his father, Michael Comer, 25, according to the Lexington County Sheriff's Department. Comer was arrested on a burglary charge on Monday evening but his son was not with him.

The baby was found on Tuesday "buried alive" and "clinging to life" not far from his father's house, Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said at a news conference. It is thought he had been there for 24 hours.

The child is now in hospital receiving care, Koon said, adding he was hopeful he would make a full recovery.

Police are still deciding what further charges to bring against the father.

The search for baby Koah began on Monday after his father took him from his mother's house.

Comer's mother was watching the child and had left her son alone with him briefly, Koon said, when he left abruptly with Koah.

A British man who was acquitted of spying for China has told the BBC he was a "convenient fall guy" for UK police and security services who wanted to put espionage threats by foreign states "on the map".

Chris Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, has shared more than 6,000 messages with us, revealing how a Chinese official sought information about sensitive political matters in the UK - including the 2022 Tory leadership battle to decide the next prime minister.

In his first interview since his acquittal, which sparked a political row over the government's failure to designate China as a "threat", Cash admits he was "unprofessional and naive" to send "gossiping" texts to his friend, Chris Berry, who was in China at the time.

Berry, who was also acquitted of espionage, declined to comment on this story, but previously denied any wrongdoing and said he had been "unfairly subjected to a trial by media".

The BBC's politics investigations correspondent Joe Pike speaks to Cash about the allegations.

Read the story behind the interview.

Head coach Eddie Jones says Japan are drawing inspiration from Italy, who beat England for the first time in March, as the Brave Blossoms attempt to heap pressure back on Steve Borthwick with their own landmark win on Saturday.

Jones was sacked by England in December 2022 after a miserable autumn which ended in a 27-13 Twickenham defeat by South Africa and jeers from the home fans.

The Australian, 66, hopes to cause similar unrest on his return to Allianz Stadium this weekend.

"We're massive underdogs," Jones told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"We've got to find a way to disrupt an England side that's looking at New Zealand next week [England play the All Blacks on 21 November] and sometimes may be a little bit distracted.

"Our opportunity is to get in there, cause some havoc, cause some chaos, put off their game, get the crowd booing. Then the sky starts to come in on Twickenham and you never know what can happen.

"We've seen it happen with Italy and other countries."

Japan have lost all six of their previous Test meetings with England, most recently going down 54-19 on their autumn visit two years ago.

However Italy, who won for the first time in 33 attempts earlier this year, and Fiji, who broke their duck with a 30-22 success in 2023, have both secured maiden victories over England during Borthwick's reign.

Jones believes England's players are uniquely susceptible to pressure, given a level of scrutiny which is unprecedented in the rest of the global game.