Jasmine Paolini produced a scintillating display as she blew away Coco Gauff in straight sets to end a 40-year wait for a home winner of the women's singles at the Italian Open.

Roared on by a partisan crowd at the Foro Italico in Rome, including Italian president Sergio Mattarella, Paolini triumphed 6-4 6-2 against Gauff of the United States.

Paolini, who was a surprise finalist at the French Open and Wimbledon last year, wrapped up victory on the clay in one hour 29 minutes.

The 29-year-old was the first Italian woman to win the tournament since Raffaella Reggi in 1985 and only the fourth overall since its inception in 1930.

"It doesn't seem real. It's incredible to have the trophy in my hands. I'm so emotional," Paolini said.

Inside the therapy room: BBC watches as three lives change

Just now Share Save Nick Triggle • @nicktriggle Health correspondent Share Save

BBC / Twenty Twenty Productions Ltd Nicole went to therapy because she has a fear of driving

Nicole enters the therapist's room and clutches what she calls her hugging pillow. She admits to being nervous about sitting down with a stranger to discuss her mental health. She is 31, lives in London and works as chiropractic assistant. She suffers from anxiety when she drives. "There are so many things that so quickly go through my head," she says. "How far away is it? What is the route? I somehow forget how to drive." She suffers from panic attacks and her fear of driving means she is constantly cancelling plans. But, over the course of six sessions with psychotherapist Owen O'Kane, it becomes clear her problems are much deeper than just a fear of driving.

Digging around in the mind

Every week, one in six of the UK population experience mental health problems such as depression and anxiety and every year more than 1.2 million people seek help from the NHS talking therapies service, with many more paying for support privately. This form of therapy is most commonly used for anxiety and depression, but can also help with a range of other problems, including body image dysmorphia, obsessive compulsive disorder and post traumatic stress disorder. It does not work for everyone: research suggests one-third of people do not benefit. The BBC has followed 12 people, featured in the series Change Your Mind, Change Your Life, who each received six support sessions from therapists. The therapists have used a combination of different talking therapy approaches, including cognitive behavioural therapy which focuses on changing the way we think and behave, alongside other techniques to improve relationships and process trauma. What it reveals is striking: How understanding and learning to manage the mind has the power to transform lives.

BBC / Twenty Twenty Productions Ltd Owen O'Kane says being a therapist is a bit like being a detective

"You're not stuck with the brain you've got," says Owen O'Kane, who has worked in the field for 25 years. He describes his job as like detective work: "People come with what seems to be a reasonable story, but the interesting thing is that very often the story and emotions don't match. I guess what we are doing is digging around a little bit."

'I completely hated myself'

Over their sessions, Owen digs deeper into Nicole's anxiety. At one point she weeps. She admits in the past she has "completely hated" herself. She worries about what people think of her and is socially anxious: "I don't feel good enough to be there. I might say something wrong. I need people to like me." Owen questions why she feels like this: "As human beings we like the nice emotions. We like feeling happy, joy, being in love." but he says some people try to avoid or suppress emotions like fear, dread and sadness, and that can cause anxiety. Instead, he says it is healthier to accept them and accept them as safe. When people get to that point, he says, they start to feel empowered: "They realise they're not going to be overwhelmed." Speaking outside the therapy room, Nicole says: "I'm shocked. He got my number straight away. I would see vulnerability as a negative thing, but it's not." Asked to describe herself she uses words such as kind, thoughtful, determined and enthusiastic: "I am not a bad person," she tells Owen. She says she has learned a lot: "Most importantly I found I wasn't being kind to myself. That was really eye-opening." Owen says this is typical of many people he treats: "When people get to these crossroads, when they wake up and realise what they are doing, that's a gold dust moment for me."

'I had stroke in my early 30s'

James likewise learned to think about himself differently thanks to therapy. A 39-year-old father-of-one who works in finance, he struggles with anxiety and, in particular, worries about making mistakes at work. That fear is so debilitating he doesn't make it to work sometimes. He has been supported by Prof Steve Peters, a psychiatrist who explains perfectionism is at the root of his problems: "If we think it's the end of the world if we make a mistake, it paralyses you." James was once an athlete, playing semi-professional football and competing in athletics before specialising in the bobsleigh. He was training for trials for the Great Britain team when he had a stroke eight years ago: "With a flick of a switch, I lost everything," he says. "It made me feel a lesser man." Now he fears under-performing at work and losing his job.

BBC / Twenty Twenty Productions Ltd James had a stroke in his early 30s

Over the course of the sessions, Prof Peters explains the key is James's belief system. First, he gives some seemingly simple advice: "Put your feet on the floor, stand up and walk," he says. Focusing on the basic task of moving, in James's case moving so he can get to work, enables someone caught up in catastrophic thinking to block out the negative thoughts that stop them doing something. In later sessions, James and Prof Peters explore what could be behind his problems. James tells Prof Peters about his childhood and how his father would criticise him to push him to improve. Prof Peters explains how James believes that to please you cannot make errors and then the devastating stroke he suffered at a young age has triggered an absolute desire for things to never go wrong again. He tells James he needs to make "peace with himself" by defining himself not by performance but by values and behaviours. He too asks James to describe himself and James replies he is hard-working, honest, engaging, friendly and as someone who would put others first. Over the course of his sessions, James's way of thinking changes: "I can look at myself in the mirror and feel my value and my worth," he explains.

'My mum died when I was 15'

Anjalee's struggles are somewhat different. They relate to one traumatic event in childhood – her mother died suddenly when she was 15. Now a mother herself, with three children under five, she has struggled emotionally. She has sleepless nights, a tight chest and feels emotionally disconnected. It is worse than any physical pain, says the 34-year-old: "Becoming a mother has reopening everything I've tried to suppress." Her first birth was particularly traumatic. She developed sepsis – the condition her mother died from: "I thought I was not going to survive," she says. Her psychotherapist, Julia Samuel, explains to Anjalee she has not been able to process what has happened and, as a result, the trauma has stayed with her. When her mother died, Anjalee was in the middle of exams and had two younger siblings, leaving her without time to grieve.

BBC / Twenty Twenty Productions Ltd Anjalee felt emotionally disconnected before she went to therapy

Starmer's 'surrender summit' and Post Office 'justice choir'

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A cover picture of Sir Keir Starmer embracing Ursula von der Leyen splashes the front of the Observer, leading on the forthcoming UK-EU summit. Starmer's spokesperson has said it will lead to a new deal with the bloc.

Also leading on the EU summit, the Telegraph reports Sir Keir Starmer has promised that plans to reset the UK's relationship with the EU will be "good for our borders". Conservatives who spoke the paper say this will "open the floodgates" to tens of thousands of people. An image of Princess Eugene, who has given an interview about her scoliosis condition, illustrates the front.

The Mail on Sunday reports Britain could be forced to pay "hundreds of millions" to the EU as part of the deal, set to be inked on Monday. Calling it a "surrender summit", the deal will also permit EU trawlers to fish in British waters, the paper says.

"Betray Britain at your peril" booms the headline of the Sunday Express. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage says the prime minister has been warned he will "face the wrath" of voters if he "surrenders" to the EU at the meeting. He is expected to back a scheme to allow young Europeans to live and work in the UK.

Scott Mitchell tells the Sunday Mirror he still wakes up in "panic" after his wife and EastEnders star Dame Barbara Windsor died from Alzheimer's in 2020.

Sunday People splashes with a choir made up of victims of the Post Office scandal telling the paper they want to sing for the King, "in their quest for justice".

The government will deploy a "home guard" to protect against attacks to power plants and airports, the Sunday Times reads. Elsewhere a photo of Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze celebrating his team's victory, and the story of three Iranian migrants charged with targeting UK-based journalists make the front page.

And finally the Daily Star issues a dire warning, complete with seagulls clad in boxing gloves, that rising temperatures mean Britons can expect to be "divebombed" by the "beserk birds". The paper claims attacks are set to rise for a fifth year.

Hamas proposes releasing some hostages in fresh talks after new Israel offensive

42 minutes ago Share Save Rushdi Abualouf Gaza correspondent Reporting from Cairo Wyre Davies @WyreDavies Reporting from Jerusalem Danai Nesta Kupemba Share Save

Reuters A man carries a child to the hospital following Israel's fresh offensive in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza Strip

Hamas has proposed releasing more hostages under a new Gaza ceasefire deal, after new negotiations were held on Saturday. The talks began hours after Israel's military launched a major new offensive in the Gaza Strip. Hamas has agreed to release nine hostages in exchange for a 60-day truce and Israel releasing Palestinian prisoners, a Palestinian official told the BBC. The official said the new proposed deal would also allow the entry of 400 aid trucks a day, and the evacuation of medical patients from Gaza. Israel, in turn, has demanded proof of life and detailed information about all remaining hostages.

The new round of ceasefire talks is being held through Qatari and US mediators in Doha, and began on Saturday afternoon local time. Israel is yet to respond publicly to the proposed deal, but said prior to the talks that it would not withdraw troops from Gaza or commit to an end to the war. The proposal would not include these elements, the BBC understands. Israel's military announced the launch of a new offensive named "Operation Gideon's Chariots" earlier on Saturday, amid the deadliest wave of strikes in Gaza in months. At least 300 people have been killed since Thursday, rescuers say, including at hospitals and refugee camps in the north and south of the Strip. Thousands have died since Israel resumed strikes on 18 March, following the collapse of a fragile ceasefire which lasted two months. Aid agencies say Gaza's grievous humanitarian situation has also worsened, as Israel has been blocking supplies of food and other aid from entering the territory for 10 weeks. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this month promised a major military escalation in the war to occupy and control swathes of Gaza, force the Palestinian population to the south of the territory, and "destroy" Hamas. Speaking from inside Gaza, journalist Ghada Al Qurd told the BBC's Newshour programme there had been lots of "airstrikes, shellings, drones, shooting and even exploding, in the north and east." "It's terrifying and horrible," she said. She said her family had only been having one meal a day, due to the scarcity and spiralling cost, and accused Israel of "using food as a weapon" - an allegation UN officials have also made in recent weeks.

The BBC's Fergal Keane reports on the rise of malnutrition in Gaza's children as Israeli blockade continues

Aid agencies have warned about the risk of famine among Gaza's 2.1 million population, as footage and accounts emerge of emaciated children suffering malnutrition under the Israeli blockade. US President Donald Trump said on Friday that "a lot of people were starving" in Gaza. The Israeli government has repeatedly rejected claims there is a food shortage in Gaza. Jeremy Bowen: Netanyahu's plan risks dividing Israel, killing Palestinians and horrifying world

'My children go to sleep hungry,' Gazans tell the BBC Victoria Rose, a British reconstructive surgeon working at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that her team were "exhausted" and staff had lost a "considerable amount of weight". "The children are really thin," she said. "We've got a lot of youngsters whose teeth have fallen out. "A lot of them have quite significant burn injuries and with this level of malnutrition they're so much more prone to infection and they've got so much less capacity to heal."

Reuters A Palestinian woman sits at the site of an Israeli airstrike on a tent sheltering people who have been forced to leave their homes

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said on 5 May that Israel was preparing an "intense entry into Gaza" to capture and hold territory, but that it would not commence until Trump completed his tour of the Middle East. He left the region on Friday. That day, residents across northern and central Gaza were told to leave their homes or places of shelter - an order aid workers say is almost impossible because many have already been repeatedly made homeless during the war. The IDF said on Saturday it wouldn't stop operating "until Hamas is no longer a threat and all our hostages are home" and that it had "struck over 150 terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip" in the preceding 24 hours. Strikes on Saturday hit towns in the north of Gaza, including Beit Lahiya and the Jabalia refugee camp, as well as in the southern city of Khan Younis, the Hamas-run health ministry and civil defence forces said.

Anadolu/Getty Images Smoke rises after an Israeli attack on Tel al Zaatar, Gaza City on 15 May, 2025

Thousands of Israeli troops, including soldiers and reservists, could enter Gaza as the operation ramps up in the coming days. Israeli tanks have also been seen at the border, Reuters news agency reported. The intensified offensive has been condemned by the UN and some European leaders. Commissioner-General of the UN's Palestinian refugee agency (Unrwa) Philippe Lazzarini expressed shock at Israel's military operation, saying: "How many more Palestinian lives will be wiped off from their homeland by bombardments, hunger or lack of medical care?" "Atrocities are becoming a new norm, under our watch, making the unbearable bearable with indifference," he said. Following the new strikes, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, and Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani all called for a permanent ceasefire, while Germany's Foreign Ministry said the new offensive risked "worsening the catastrophic humanitarian situation for Gaza's population and the remaining hostages".

Reuters Israeli tanks have been pictured near the Gaza border in Israel

Israel launched a military campaign to destroy Hamas in response to the group's cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. Hamas still holds 58 hostages. At least 53,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry, including more than 3,000 people since March.

Trump says he will call Putin to discuss stopping Ukraine 'bloodbath'

3 hours ago Share Save Alex Kleiderman BBC News Share Save

Reuters

Donald Trump says he will be speaking to Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone on Monday about ending the war in Ukraine, saying the call would be about "stopping the 'bloodbath'". In a post on Truth Social, the US president said the call would take place at 10:00 EDT (14:00 GMT) and he would then speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and the leaders of some Nato countries. Russia and Ukraine were unable to reach any breakthrough when they held their first face-to-face talks in three years in Istanbul on Friday, although a prisoner swap was agreed. Trump had offered to attend the talks in Turkey if Putin would also be there, but the Russian president declined to go.

Trump's comments come after he suggested progress on ending the war would only happen if he and Putin held face-to-face talks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to Russian news agencies that preparations were under way for a call between Putin and Trump on Monday. The two leaders have held a phone call before on the topic. "The conversation is in the works," Peskov told Tass news agency. Trump had said on Truth Social: "Hopefully it will be a productive day, a ceasefire will take place, and this very violent war, a war that should have never happened, will end." European leaders have been calling for Russia to agree to a 30-day ceasefire in the conflict. The US and Russian leaders are expected to discuss a ceasefire, as well as the possible summit between themselves. Moscow has moved slower than Trump would like, but it welcomed the American efforts at mediation, in a call on Saturday between the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

EPA The Istanbul talks were the first direct meeting between Ukrainian and Russian delegations in more than three years

Second man arrested over fires at homes linked to PM

A second man has been arrested in connection with alleged arson attacks in north London at properties connected to Sir Keir Starmer.

The 26-year-old was arrested on Saturday at London Luton Airport on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life.

The arrest relates to three incidents: a vehicle fire in Kentish Town, a fire at the prime minister's private home on the same street, and a fire at an address he previously lived at in north-west London.

Another man, Roman Lavrynovych, 21, who the BBC understands is a builder and roofer, appeared in court on Friday and is accused of three counts of arson with intent to endanger life following the fires. He did not enter any pleas.

M&S hackers believed to have gained access through third party

7 hours ago Share Save Emma Simpson Business correspondent Hollie Cole BBC News Share Save

Getty Images Marks & Spencer was hit with a cyber-attack in April

The hackers behind a cyber-attack on Marks & Spencer (M&S) managed to gain entry through a third party who had access to its systems, the BBC understands. The cyber-attack, which happened in April, has caused millions of pounds of lost sales for M&S and left it struggling to get services back to normal, with online orders paused for more than three weeks. The supermarket declined to comment on the nature of the breach or these new details, saying "availability is now in a much more normal place with stores well stocked this weekend". DragonForce - the name the criminals are using - previously told the BBC it was behind the attack and was also responsible for hacking the Co-op and an attempted hack on Harrods.

M&S will announce its annual results on Wednesday, but the focus will all be on the devastating attack and its financial impact. Bank of America analysts believe M&S has lost more than £40m of sales every week since the incident began over the Easter bank holiday weekend. It announced on 25 April it had stopped taking online orders. Some stores were left with empty food shelves after the firm had to take some food-related systems offline. On a precautionary basis, M&S decided to close down many of its IT operations following the attack, effectively locking itself out its core systems as it grappled to deal with the attack. The biggest challenge is getting its online system fully operational again, which accounts for around a third of its clothing and homeware sales. M&S told the BBC: "Our stores have remained open and availability is now in a much more normal place with stores well stocked this weekend."

At least 25 dead after tornadoes sweep through US Midwest

Kentucky residents pick through wreckage of homes destroyed by tornado

Missouri officials said 5,000 buildings had been damaged, roofs destroyed and power lines downed due to the tornado.

The Kentucky tornado struck Laurel County in the south-east of the state in the early hours of Saturday. Officials said they expected the death toll to rise.

Officials in Kentucky said there had been 18 deaths while seven people were killed in Missouri, including five in the city of St Louis.

At least 25 people are reported to have died and dozens are injured after tornadoes tore through parts of two US states.

About 140,000 properties in Missouri and Kentucky were left without power as of Saturday afternoon. Officials in St Louis said the fire department was conducting house-by-house searches in the worst-affected areas.

St Louis mayor Cara Spencer said in an update on Saturday that at least 38 people were reported injured in her area, largely from collapsed buildings and toppled trees.

Authorities in Kentucky said there were also severe injuries reported. "The search is continuing in the damaged area for survivors," said Laurel County Sheriff John Root in a post on social media.

National Weather Service radar suggested the tornado touched down in Missouri shortly after 14:30 local time in the west of the city close to Forest Park - home to St Louis Zoo and the site of the 1904 Olympic Games.

St Louis Fire Department said three people had to be rescued after part of the nearby Centennial Christian Church collapsed. One of those people died.

A curfew was imposed from 21:00 to 06:00 local time in the two areas where most of the damage took place, to prevent injuries from debris and reduce the potential for looting.

St Louis mayor Spencer said: "The loss of life and the destruction is truly, truly horrendous.

"We're going to have a lot of work to do in the coming days. There is no doubt there, but tonight we are focused on saving lives and keeping people safe and allowing our community to grieve."

The US National Weather Service said tornadoes also hit neighbouring Illinois, with more severe weather conditions stretching eastwards to the Atlantic coast. On Saturday, it warned of few tornadoes that could hit northern Texas over the weekend as a result of strong to severe storms in the area.

The tornadoes struck an area of the US that is generally referred to as "Tornado Alley", where tornadoes are most frequent. They typically occur in the months of May and June, though they could strike during other times of the year.

Kentucky has seen an average of five tornadoes each May since the year 2000, while Missouri has seen an average of 16.

Eurovision final 2025: Catch up with the top five favourites

23 hours ago Share Save Mark Savage Music Correspondent Share Save

Sarah Louise Bennett / Alma Bengtsson / Getty Images Bookmakers have tipped them for success (L-R): Erika Vikman, Kaj, Louane, JJ and Claude

The Eurovision Song Contest reaches its grand final on Saturday night in Basel, with 26 countries fighting for the coveted glass microphone trophy. The competition feels less predictable than recent years, when acts like Loreen (Sweden, 2023) and Kalush Orchestra (Ukraine, 2022) were ordained to win before they'd even sung a note. Currently, bookmakers have installed Sweden at the top of the table, with their delightfully bonkers sauna sonnet, Bara Bada Bastu.

But here's the thing: A novelty number has never won. Voters typically prefer songs about triumph over adversity, and stonking great pop anthems. Ideally, they want a stonking great pop anthem about triumph over adversity, and there are plenty of those sprinkled through tonight's running order. We spoke to the five contestants with the best odds, to find out what makes their Eurovision entries stand out.

SWEDEN: KAJ – BARA BADA BASTU

Getty Images

Chance of winning: 39%

Language: Swedish

Genre: Epadunk

Spotify streams: 43.9m KAJ are the first Finnish act to represent Sweden at the Eurovision, hailing from the coastal town of Vörå, where Swedish is still the main language. A comedy troupe who met at school, they've been performing together for more than 15 years – and were the surprise winners of Sweden's Melodifestivalen, where the public selects the country's Eurovision entry, earlier this year. Their song, Bara Bada Bastu, is an accordian-led tribute to sauna culture (Finland has more than three million saunas, one for every two people). "It felt like a natural thing to sing about," says Kevin Holmström. "We really like the sauna. It's universal." The first Swedish-language entry since 2012, the song extols the practice's stress-busting virtues. Is that why Finland is consistently ranked as the world's happiest nation, I wonder? "It's a chicken and an egg situation," laughs Jakob Norrgård. "I don't know which came first, the happiness or the sauna, but the sauna definitely brings your pulse down." The trio have brought a mock sauna to the Eurovision stage this year, complete with birch branches, hot coals and dancers in skimpy towels. In the lyrics, they ask, "how long can you last?". "Oh, we can make it last all evening," confirms Jackob. "A sauna party that lasts for hours." "I like to do it with a lot of intervals," says Axel Åhman. "Two to three hours, going in and out, having something to drink, maybe even snack on a sausage outside, and then go back in – just to make it a calm and long session." And how does Finland feel about the fact the trio are representing their neighbour and Eurovision rival? "Finns love a bargain, so this is great," laughs Jackob. "Sweden gets to pay for everything, but it's a Finnish win as well."

AUSTRIA: JJ - WASTED LOVE

Getty Images

Chance of winning: 22%

Language: English

Genre: Pop-opera

Spotify streams: 6m Austria has the best opening couplet of the year: "I'm an ocean of love / And you're scared of water." "It's about my personal experience with unreciprocated love," says singer Johannes Pietsch, who performs under the name JJ. "It felt like I was walking a one-way street." The 24-year-old is moonlighting at Eurovision from his day job at the Vienna State Opera, where he's had roles in The Magic Flute and Von der Liebe Tod. "A sold-out show at the opera holds 1,600 people, so that's nothing compared to the Eurovision audience," he says (last year's TV broadcast was seen by 163 million people). Pietsch's song, Wasted Love, is a turbulent ballad that makes spectacular use of his counter-tenor, with an EDM twist. On stage, he performs in a ramshackle sailing boat, clinging to the mast as the ocean threatens to consume him. It's one of the night's most arresting performances, and it requires a lot of preparation. "That's the opera singer in me, I practice every day." he says. "I have to do vocal warm-ups to keep the voice active and before I go on stage, I always do ten push-ups and one-minute planks." Reaching the Eurovision final has been a dream since he watched Conchita Wurst win for Austria in 2014. Could he replicate that success in Switzerland? "That would be great for Austria. I would love to do that. I would call Conchita my mother, so I'd love to make her proud."

FRANCE: LOUANE - MAMAN

Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU

Chance of winning: 8%

Language: French

Genre: Torch song

Spotify streams: 6.9m "I'm surrounded by a sand storm, a sand tornado, and I'll be wearing a custom Rabanne dress." French singer Louane is describing the simple, but stunning, staging for her ballad, Maman. The sand is real (how she avoids inhaling it, I'll never know) but it serves a purpose: The song, which was inspired by her mother's death from cancer, is all about the passage of time. "It's a song that says that, even through sadness and deep pain, you can finally feel fine," she says. Maman is technically a sequel to a 2015 song of the same name, written in the depths of Louane's despair. "I've lost my taste for fun / I can't find meaning," she sang. The 2025 version includes several callbacks to the first song. For example, the original opened with the lyric: "Lovers move from bed to bed", but the update finds her singing, "No more lovers, no more beds." Having a child of her own helped Louane lift the veil of grief. In the song, she talks about how holding her daughter's hand brought back memories of the times her mum had done the same - only this time, the pain of remembering was gone. In Maman's closing bars, we briefly hear her daughter's voice. "She won't be here in Basel," says Louane. "She's going to be watching on TV, because she's only five." "But she's super proud. She keeps on telling me, 'Maman, you have to bring the trophy home. "She's just adorable'."

NETHERLANDS: CLAUDE - C'EST LA VIE

Getty Images

Chance of winning: 6%

Language: French and English

Genre: Chanson

Spotify streams: 17.2m The Netherlands originally asked last year's entrant, Joost Klein – who was barred from the final after an alleged altercation with a camera operator — the chance to come back for 2025. Although he'd already written a song for the contest, he declined, saying his disqualification still "stings". Instead, the honour went to 21-year-old Claude Kiambe, who moved to the Netherlands from the Democratic Republic of Congo when he was nine years old. "It wasn't always safe in Congo," he says. "I couldn't afford to go to school… and I love school." His mum eventually managed to smuggle the family out of the country, and it's to her that his Eurovision song is dedicated. Titled C'est La Vie, it's a joyous blend of Afropop and French chanson that repeats the advice she used to give Claude and his siblings in the asylum centre in Alkmaar. "She used to tell me, 'C'est la vie. Life is beautiful, even if it is hard sometimes.' "So when I heard about Eurovision, I was like, 'Wait, if I go there, I want to bring that message to the world'. "I have a lot of respect for her. She fought through life, and we're still here." Claude comes into the contest with a little advantage, as he's known throughout Europe for his massive 2022 hit Ladada. But he's had to pick up a new skill for Eurovision: Choreography. "I'd only ever done one dance move before, but when I was writing the song, I was like, 'It's time for me to step out of my comfort zone and dance around'." Learning the choreography took three days, he reckons. "We started at 11 and ended at nine. I wanted to know it so well that I could do it in my dreams."

FINLAND: ERIKA VIKMAN - ICH KOMME

Getty Images

Chance of winning: 4%

Language: Finnish, German

Genre: Eurodance

Spotify streams: 11.8m Ask Erika Vikman to describe her song, and she doesn't pull any punches. "It's about orgasm." Full of pummelling techno beats and what appears to be a Welsh male voice choir, it's one of those tracks that's guaranteed to become part of Eurovision folklore, no matter where it comes in the final. Vikman was once hailed as the queen of Finland's tango scene but gave it up for pop, "because I can't be very wild with that type of music." Citing artists like Madonna, Cher and Lady Gaga as inspiration, she's one of the few artists to take to the stage without dancers. "Why? Because I'm selfish!" she laughs. "I want attention." "No, it's because when I go the stage, I feel like a rock star, and when I feel like a rock star, I really don't need dancers, because it's owning my power and myself." She certainly owns the stage – ending her song atop a giant gold microphone that spurts fire as she's hoisted into the sky. Eagle-eyed viewers might notice, however, that her costume is a little less revealing than the one she wore for Finland's selection show, Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu. "They said that it won't pass if we don't tone down something," she says, "and one of the suggestions was my outfit." "So I was like, 'Okay, if that, that's price to pay, we cover my butt'." That doesn't mean she's happy about it. "The song is about owning your sexuality, and then someone comes and controls me, saying, 'you will ruin every child who is watching this show'. It's a double standard." Censorship or not, Vikman's odds of winning shortened dramatically after a barnstorming performance in the semi-finals. "I have a feeling about it," she smiles. "I can be the dark horse."

WHAT ABOUT THE UK?

Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU

Chance of winning: 1%

Language: English

Genre: Musical theatre

Spotify streams: 3.1m After Thursday's semi-final, UK act Remember Monday shot up the odds... well, kind of. Formerly predicted to come 17th, they're now gunning for 11th place. But the trio - who are the first girlband to represent the UK since the 1999 - are determined to have fun, no matter what the outcome. "This is all so surreal, beyond anything we could have imagined," says singer Lauren Byrne. "It sounds so cheesy, but it is genuinely everything we've ever wanted," says her bandmate Charlotte Steele. "Who gets to stand up and perform their music, with their two best friends, to millions of people? It's mental." "And listen," adds Lauren. "If we do really badly, we're just gonna keep coming back until we win." In their favour, Remember Monday's performance is chirpy and fun, drawing on their background in musical theatre. There's a dress-ripping nod to former UK winners Bucks Fizz, and their live harmonies are exquisite.

Ace Bowerman talks about Remember Monday's Eurovision staging

"They have an insane amount of experience," says Ace Bowerman, a creative director for Dua Lipa and Blackpink, who designed their staging. "Their performance is constantly moving, and bringing the audience in. Ultimately, the energy we want to create is that people will want to be a part of this band." Maybe fans have underestimated Remember Monday's chances because West End show tunes are an untested quantity at Eurovision - but the UK's track record doesn't bode well. We'll have to wait and see what the hell (just) happens.

Two dead in Swiss mountain avalanche

The avalanche on the Eiger occurred around midday on Saturday

At least two people have died after a "severe" avalanche on the Eiger mountain in the Swiss Alps on Saturday, local police say.

The avalanche took place shortly after midday, and swept away seven people who were in the area on a ski tour, prompting the police to launch a large-scale rescue operation.

One man died at the scene while another was treated at the scene but later died in hospital. Police had earlier reported that everyone who had been buried in the avalanche had been rescued.

The Eiger, at 3,967m (13,000 ft), is a well-known peak in Bern, near the tourist resorts of Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, and Wengen.

Police investigate fatal explosion near fertility clinic in Palm Springs

Palm Springs police confirmed the death and called the incident an "intentional act of violence", but have not released further details.

In a statement, the fertility clinic said no one from their facility was harmed but that one person was killed and several were injured.

The explosion happened just before 11:00 local time (19:00 BST) less than a mile from downtown Palm Springs, near several businesses including the American Reproductive Centres.

Officials in Palm Springs, California are investigating a car explosion on Saturday morning that killed one person and damaged a fertility clinic.

Palm Springs police chief Andy Mills said the blast damaged several buildings, some severely.

He added that the identity of the person who was killed is not known.

California governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement that the state is coordinating with local and federal authorities to respond to the incident.

US attorney general Pam Bondi has also been briefed on the incident, she said in a statement.

The American Reproductive Centres in Palm Springs said that the vehicle explosion occurred in the parking lot near its building.

It is unclear what the cause of the explosion was.

The mayor of Palm Springs, Ron De Harte, told BBC's US partner CBS News that the source of the explosion "was in or near the vehicle."

The incident appears "intentional", lieutenant Mike Villegas with the Palm Springs police told reporters on Saturday afternoon. He added that it remains an active investigation.

US attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli said in a post on X that the Justice Department was "aware of the explosion" and that the FBI are on the scene to investigate if "this was an intentional act".

The fertility clinic said their lab, including all eggs and embryos, remain "fully secure and undamaged".

"We are heavily conducting a complete safety inspection and have confirmed that our operations and sensitive medical areas were not impacted by the blast," the fertility clinic said in its statement.

But Dr Maher Abdallah, who runs the clinic, told The Associated Press that the clinic's office was damaged.

"I really have no clue what happened," he said. "Thank God today happened to be a day that we have no patients".

According to its website, the American Reproductive Centers clinic is the first full-service fertility center and in vitro fertilisation lab (IVF) in the Coachella Valley.

It offers services like fertility evaluations, IVF, egg donation and freezing, reproductive support for same-sex couples and surrogacy.

The BBC has reached out to Palm Springs police for further comment.

Five men stabbed at music event arrested

Emergency services were called to Nathan Way in Thamesmead shortly after 04:15 BST

Five men who were stabbed at a music event in south-east London have been arrested on suspicion of violent disorder, police have said.

Emergency services were called to Nathan Way in Thamesmead shortly after 04:15 BST to reports that a number of people had been injured.

The Met Police said the men, aged 22, 24, 24, 31 and 32, had suffered stab injuries and were taken to hospital.

Three of them sustained injuries which were not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing. Two others were still undergoing medical assessment, the force said.

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Crystal Palace's greatest day, and the glory of the FA Cup final win against Manchester City, came after they emerged into the light from the darkness of a crisis that threatened to sweep over manager Oliver Glasner.

Palace's worst start to a season since 1992-93 - they failed to win in the Premier League until beating Tottenham in their ninth game at Selhurst Park on 27 October - was a far distant memory in the Wembley sunshine as the Eagles celebrated the first major success in their history.

As Glasner and his triumphant Palace side celebrated in front of their ecstatic support with their anthem 'Glad All Over' echoing around the stadium, this was ultimate justification for chairman Steve Parish and Selhurst Park's hierarchy holding their nerve as storm clouds gathered around the 50-year-old Austrian.

It was also vindication of Glasner's own approach, after he said during those troubled times in October: "It's time for hugging my players, not kicking them."

There was plenty of hugging going on at Wembley as Palace paraded the FA Cup, the crowning glory of the recovery fashioned by Glasner, carried out brilliantly by his players.

"That's what Oliver Glasner's done - he made us all believe," Parish told BBC One in the immediate aftermath of their battling 1-0 victory. "You could see it at the end. I am so proud."

Erling Haaland will be sick at the sight of Wembley Stadium.

The Norway striker had the chance to end his goalscoring curse at the national stadium on Saturday, but opted to pass on the opportunity during Manchester City's FA Cup final loss against Crystal Palace.

With ball tucked firmly under his arm and with the chance to equalise from the penalty spot, Haaland astounded spectators inside the arena and those watching at home by kissing it and handing it over to Omar Marmoush, who saw his spot-kick saved by Dean Henderson.

"I thought he would want to take it but they didn't speak," said City manager Pep Guardiola.

"That moment for the penalty, it's the feeling and how they feel. They decided Omar was ready to take it.

"Omar took a lot of time when the ball was stopped, so it put more pressure on him, and Henderson made a good save."

Former Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney suggested the occasion may have got to Haaland, saying: "Erling Haaland is a world-class forward, but when we are talking about Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, there is no way they are giving that ball away.

"That is what separates them two players from Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe and these players. They are selfish and they want to score every game.

"When he misses chances I think you can see it gets to him and it does affect him.

"Maybe the thought of taking a penalty at Wembley might have been too much for him. You never know, he is a human being."

Ferrari are in "P-nowhere", according to Charles Leclerc, after he and Lewis Hamilton qualified 11th and 12th for their home Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.

Leclerc was a second off the pace of the pole-setting McLaren of Oscar Piastri in front of the team's adoring 'tifosi'.

The Italian track is about 50 miles south-east of the Ferrari factory in Maranello.

"Very disappointed, especially at home at such a special grand prix for the team, it hurts. It would have hurt anyway at whatever track, but here it hurts even more," Leclerc said.

"I have no words about our performance today. The only thing we can say is that we are sorry for this kind of performance at home. We are just not good enough at the moment."

Hamilton, who was 0.161 seconds slower than his team-mate, said he felt the team had made "some really good progress" at Imola but admitted he was "devastated" by the car's performance.

A first half goal from Eberechi Eze is enough for Crystal Palace to secure a 1-0 win over Manchester City and win the first ever major trophy in the club's history in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.

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The Spaniard's showing was his team's best of what has so far been a difficult year and it comes as a result of a major upgrade on the car that has - at least partly - been influenced by their new managing technical partner, Adrian Newey, the design legend who joined in March.

Alonso's team-mate Lance Stroll qualified in eighth place.

"To be with both cars in Q3, it really lifts a little bit of pressure from the shoulders of everyone in the team," Alonso said.

"The package that we introduced yesterday, we had some positive results, but you never know until you go to qualifying.

"We need to keep the feet on the ground, and maybe the track characteristics, it does help the Aston, so we'll need to see in (the next races in) Monaco and Barcelona. But so far, happy with the improvement."

However, the 43-year-old emphasised that while he was "happy to be fifth", it was not close to his or the team's ambitions.

"I want to be in Australia (at the start of the season) next year and win the race," Alonso said.

"It's going to be a tactical race. As always in Imola, it's difficult to overtake. Less stops possible for everyone because then you cannot overtake on track.

"I expect to have a good start, good strategy, and let's see the pace. I think it's not as good as P5, so I'm ready to lose a couple of positions, but hopefully not too many."

Piastri spoke about his determination to ensure he kept the lead at the start.

"As long as I can get a good start, then (I'm) confident," he said. "It's a difficult track to overtake on. Our pace has been strong. Our long-run pace yesterday looked very encouraging. So, yeah, as long as I can get a good start and have a good first lap, then that would be good."

Verstappen, who said his car was better balanced than on Friday when he had struggled with race pace, said: "I'll just try to do a good start and see where I'm at with the pace, because yesterday wasn't particularly good in the long run also.

"And then, yeah, just see with the new set-up we have on the car. Hopefully it all sticks a bit better on the Tarmac and, hopefully, in general a bit more competitive."