Hamas makes hostage pledge but demands changes to US Gaza ceasefire plan

Palestinians inspect the damage at the site of an Israeli strike on a house in Jabalia, northern Gaza. Photo: 30 May 2025

Hamas said it had submitted its response to the US draft proposed by Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump's special envoy for the Middle East.

It was neither an explicit rejection nor a clear acceptance of the US terms, which Washington says Israel has accepted.

The group repeated its demands for a permanent truce, a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and guarantees for the continuous flow of humanitarian aid. None of these are in the deal on the table.

Hamas responded to a US ceasefire proposal by saying it is prepared to release 10 living Israeli hostages and 18 dead hostages in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners, while requesting some amendments to the plan.

In a statement, Witkoff said: "I received the Hamas response to the United States' proposal. It is totally unacceptable and only takes us backward. Hamas should accept the framework proposal we put forward as the basis for proximity talks, which we can begin immediately this coming week.

"That is the only way we can close a 60-day ceasefire deal in the coming days."

A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said: "While Israel has agreed to the updated Witkoff outline for the release of our hostages, Hamas continues to adhere to its refusal."

Hamas, a proscribed terror group in the US, UK and EU, said it was insisting on a "permanent ceasefire" and "complete withdrawal" of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.

The group demanded a sustained flow of aid for Palestinians living in the enclave, and said it would release 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 dead hostages in exchange for "an agreed upon number" of Palestinian prisoners in Israel.

But Hamas now finds itself in the most complex and difficult position it has faced since the war began.

Under intense pressure from 2.2 million people living in the worst conditions in their history and from the mediators, the movement is unable to accept an American proposal that is, by all accounts, less generous than previous offers it has rejected multiple times, the most recent being in March.

At that time, senior Hamas official and head negotiator Khalil al-Hayya stated unequivocally that the movement would not agree to partial deals that fail to secure a complete and permanent end to the war.

Yet, Hamas also finds itself unable to reject the latest US offer outright, fully aware that Israel is preparing to escalate its ground offensive in Gaza.

The movement lacks the military capacity to prevent or even seriously resist such an assault.

Caught between these two realities, Hamas, in effect, responded to the US proposal not with an answer - but with an entirely new counterproposal.

The full details of the US plan have not been made public and are unconfirmed, but these key points are reportedly included:

A 60-day pause in fighting

The release of 28 Israeli hostages - alive and dead - in the first week, and the release of 30 more once a permanent ceasefire is in place

The release of 1,236 Palestinian prisoners and the remains of 180 dead Palestinians

The sending of humanitarian aid to Gaza via the UN and other agencies

The terms on offer were the ones Israel could accept - the White House made sure of that by getting Israel's approval before passing the proposal to Hamas.

It is unlikely that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be willing to negotiate the changes Hamas wants.

He is under pressure to bring the hostages home and has said he is willing to accept a temporary ceasefire to do so.

But the Israeli government has always insisted on the right to return to hostilities, despite Hamas's core demand for guarantees that the temporary truce be a path to ending the war.

Netanyahu has said the war will end when Hamas "lays down its arms, is no longer in government [and] its leaders are exiled from the Gaza Strip".

Defence Minister Israel Katz was more blunt this week. "The Hamas murderers will now be forced to choose: accept the terms of the 'Witkoff Deal' for the release of the hostages - or be annihilated," he said.

Responding to Witkoff's latest comments, Hamas official Basem Naim told the BBC the group had last week come to an agreement with him on a proposal "which he deemed acceptable for negotiation" - but that the Israeli response "disagreed with all the provisions we had agreed upon".

"Why, each time, is the Israeli response considered the only response for negotiation?" he said.

"This violates the integrity and fairness of mediation and constitutes a complete bias towards the other side."

UK government to spend £1.5bn on six new weapons factories

Defence Secretary John Healey was shown a Storm Shadow missile on an assembly line at a factory in Stevenage on Saturday

The war in Ukraine has highlighted serious deficiencies in the West's ability to produce weapons and munitions, and senior British military officers have long warned about the UK's depleted stockpiles.

The announcement is part of the government's Strategic Defence Review, which is due to be published on Monday.

The factories will support up to 7,000 UK-built long-range weapons and create about 1,800 new jobs, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

The government will spend £1.5bn on at least six new munitions and explosives factories to "better deter our adversaries", Defence Secretary John Healey has said.

As part of its defence review, the government said it would build new factories to make key munitions and explosives as part of its plans to have an "always on" munitions production capacity that could be scaled up quickly.

It also said the UK would purchase more than 7,000 British-built long-range weapons, including drones and missiles, over several years.

According to the MoD, the new funding will see UK munitions spend hit £6bn during this parliament.

Ministers said the extra investment - which came after Healy said that UK defence spending would rise to 3% of GDP by 2034 at the latest - will strengthen the armed forces and boost British jobs.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: "A strong economy needs a strong national defence, and investing in weaponry and munitions and backing nearly 2,000 jobs across Britain in doing so is proof the two go hand-in-hand.

"We are delivering both security for working people in an uncertain world and good jobs, putting more money in people's pockets."

Healey said the UK's defence industry will become "an engine for economic growth" and will "boost skilled jobs in every nation and region".

"The hard-fought lessons from [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine show a military is only as strong as the industry that stands behind them," he added.

"We are strengthening the UK's industrial base to better deter our adversaries and make the UK secure at home and strong abroad."

Senior Western military chiefs have long been warning the UK would quickly run out of ammunition in the event of a war.

In 2021, the former head of the US Army in Europe, Gen Ben Hodges, told MPs in a simulated wargame most of the British Army's inventory was exhausted after just eight days.

The former head of the British Army, Gen Sir Patrick Sanders, has also been calling for the UK to boost weapons production.

He recently said the Army's diminished stocks of artillery rounds and missiles "would put hairs on the back of your neck".

The UK has now significantly increased production of artillery shells.

New contracts have been signed to produce more complex weapons, such as next generation light anti-tank weapons (NLAW) and long-range Storm Shadow (also known as SCALP) cruise missiles.

Both have been supplied to Ukraine but production rates have, in the past, been slow. Exact numbers are not made public.

With the war in Ukraine, global demand for explosives and propellants has also been high.

The UK has often had to source materials from abroad.

Will Starmer's military review match the threats we're told we face?

6 hours ago Share Save Laura Kuenssberg • @bbclaurak Presenter, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg Share Save

NurPhoto/ Getty Images

Down a discreet road, on the fringes of a quiet home counties commuter town, is a set of grey buildings worth many hundreds of millions of pounds. In one, behind a secure fence, a handful of workers are on shift this weekend, making Storm Shadow missiles by hand. Each one is worth hundreds of thousands, the product of months of work, made of myriad components. Storm Shadows, like mini-aircraft, have been flying in the skies above Ukraine with a range of 250km (155 miles). They're part of the UK's backing of President Volodymyr Zelensky's efforts to keep Russia's Vladimir Putin at bay. The factory is calm and quiet - a world away from the fire and fury of the conflict on the edge of Europe. We've been allowed to see the missiles up close because the government is warming up for a big moment on Monday, when the prime minister will unveil a major review of the military, the strategic defence review. Sir Keir Starmer has already said we are living in a "new, dangerous era", with a malevolent Russia and its friends hungry to disrupt and damage the West - while the White House is less eager to cough up to defend Europe. So will this review meet the risk that politicians tell us we face? We have gone through many years in which defence has been a lower priority for politicians and the public, largely because peace has prevailed in the UK. Since the end of the Cold War, a former minister says, "we've been going round the world making sure we are reassuring allies, and there have been some very nasty wars in the Middle East". But at the same time, the proportion of cash spent on defence has shrunk and the ability of the military to fight "peer-on-peer" wars has decreased. There are well known worries about stockpiles, a lack of munitions, and weapons being decommissioned that haven't yet been replaced. We now have a smaller armed forces - one that is "hollowed out", in the words of the current Defence Secretary John Healey, who we'll talk to on this week's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg. Yet now, the government certainly confronts a more alarming picture - and there is a concerted focus on trying to address it. With conflict in Ukraine, a former minister says "if you are going to credibly deter Russia, you need to persuade them, actually, if they mess around with Nato, they lose".

Henry Nicholls/PA

And that's before you consider that Donald Trump is a lot less willing than his predecessor to pay for other countries' defence, and China's "imminent" threat to Taiwan highlighted by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth overnight. So what will next week's review suggest for the here and now, as well as the long term future? First, a caveat. The report is not published in full until Monday; it will be important to examine what it recommends. But the broad outline seems pretty clear: expect it to underline the importance of nuclear weapons and the UK's commitment to Nato, the Western defence alliance. There will be an emphasis on modernising the forces, not least because the war in Ukraine has demonstrated the importance of drones and adapting existing kit quickly to lethal effect. We have clues from the announcements ministers have already made about technology and protecting the country from cyber attacks. The review, and ministers' messaging alongside it, will stress a greater need, in their view, for the public to play a part in protecting the country. A government source says "it's about making sure we think more about national resilience", and a "whole society approach" towards threats. That is expected to include announcements about British industry creating more defence kit, expanding the cadet forces, and bolstering the number of men and women in the military reserves. There have been suggestions of a new civilian force - a new "Home Guard" - to protect infrastructure such as power plants, airports and telecommunications hubs. As another source says, "there is a lot of talk about resilience, a push across the whole of society, the kind we have only done twice in our history, in World War One and World War Two".

Henry Nicholls/PA

This is "not telling everyone they need to go out and build an Anderson shelter," jokes a former minister, but No 10 does want to usher in a new way of thinking among ordinary people geared towards keeping the country safe. Whether any of these potential recommendations will change much is up for debate, though. While government sources claim it will be "transformative" and hail a "bold new vision", others are playing down its likely impact. A former Conservative defence minister suggests ministers have "massively overegged" what the review will really promise, and "we'll get a lot of things that sound great, but not many things that actually get moving". A source involved in discussion around the review explained: "What will change? Substantively not much - there is a rhetorical change towards Nato and Europe, but it's not a major change in terms of capability - it's all pretty marginal." The Ministry of Defence's permanent secretary David Williams has already said in public that it won't be until the autumn that we'll get specific details about exactly what is going to be ordered, spent and when. The PM has already sped up his plans to spend 2.5% of the size of Britain's economy on defence by 2027, rather than the initial timescale of 2029. UK Defence Secretary John Healey said on Saturday there was "no doubt" UK defence spending would rise to 3% of GDP by 2034 at the latest.

Thomas Krych/ PA Defence Secretary John Healey is confident spending will rise

All that doesn't make the problems go away. The first is that after inflation and public sector pay rises, insiders question if 2.5% is enough to meet current defence plans - let alone the government's increasing ambition. Existing, expensive plans will remain - such as recapitalising the army, investing in nuclear, carrying on with the Aukus submarine deal with America and Australia, and the global combat air programme to build a next-generation fighter jet - which will gobble up billions of pounds now and for years to come. Second, the chancellor doesn't want to change her self imposed rules on borrowing and spending again, so as we talked about last week, money is tight in government. Defence is already a relative winner in the review of government spending that's coming down the tracks. Third, the PM faces a political dilemma - a pound on defence is a pound that doesn't go on health or welfare, and you won't find huge numbers of Labour MPs who stood for Parliament with the goal of giving more to the military, while trying to reduce benefit payments. Defence has long been one of the PM's big signals to the party and country that he is different to his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn. His version of Labour is comfortable appearing in front of Union Jacks, posing with soldiers or clambering in and out of submarines, though not all of his colleagues are.

Richard Pohle/ PA The prime minister has political choices to make about defence

And fourth, fundamentally there is a political question about whether a promise of big cash coming in the 2030s matches increasingly urgent rhetoric about the dangers we face which other allies are using to speed up defence spending more dramatically. At the end of June, Nato allies will gather for a major summit in The Hague. Nato's secretary general Mark Rutte has already made abundantly clear he wants the UK and its allies to be spending at least 3% on defence as soon as possible. The US, the country with the biggest cheque book, wants countries to aim for as much as 5% and if it's to be less, to stop claiming that pensions, health care for veterans or other costs, can be counted as defence spending. I'm told the summit could set a new target for Nato allies to spend 3.5% on defence either by 2032 or by 2035. If that happens, the UK could seem to be lagging behind. As a senior figure warns, for some Nato members, spending 3.5% of GDP on defence is a already a "done deal" - but the UK is still "hopping around". Almost before the ink is dry on the defence review, the government's critics may be able to warn it falls short. Perhaps then, the government's approach is as far as it is currently financially or politically possible to go. But with the PM warning defence should be the "central organising principle" of government - the first thought in the morning and the last at night - threats to our security might evolve faster than politics. This week there will be fierce scrutiny of whether we're really keeping up.

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Ncuti Gatwa regenerates into Billie Piper as he leaves Doctor Who

1 hour ago Share Save Lizo Mzimba Entertainment correspondent Alys Davies BBC News Share Save

Ncuti Gatwa regenerates into Billie Piper in the series finale

Warning: This article contains spoilers. Ncuti Gatwa regenerated into Billie Piper in the series finale of Doctor Who on Saturday night. He left the role after playing the iconic character for two series. Piper, who previously played the Doctor's assistant, Rose Tyler, said the opportunity to "step back on that Tardis one more time was just something I couldn't refuse". In a press release, the BBC said: "Just how and why she [Billie Piper] is back remains to be seen…"

The credit at the end of the programme said: "Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor. Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor. And introducing Billie Piper". In a statement, Piper said she was delighted to be returning to the show, but that fans would have to "wait and see" what her character did next. The new doctor has usually been introduced on the show through regeneration, but Piper's statement does not make it clear whether she will be the 16th doctor.

Kate Green/BAFTA/Getty Images for BAFTA Piper said she has always wanted to return to the "Whoniverse"

If confirmed as the new Doctor, Piper will be the third woman to have played the role, following Whittaker and Jo Martin. Piper added: "It's no secret how much I love this show, and I have always said I would love to return to the Whoniverse as I have some of my best memories there, so to be given the opportunity to step back on that Tardis one more time was just something I couldn't refuse, but who, how, why and when, you'll just have to wait and see." Moments after the series finale aired, Piper shared a series of photos on Instagram, including two selfies of her holding a white rose and two of her playing the character Rose. The caption under the photos read: "A rose is a rose is a rose !!!" Doctor Who showrunner and head writer Russell T Davies said: "Billie once changed the whole of television, back in 2005, and now she's done it again! "It's an honour and a hoot to welcome her back to the Tardis, but quite how and why and who is a story yet to be told. "After 62 years, the Doctor's adventures are only just beginning!" Piper first appeared in the show in 2005 when it returned to TV for the first time since the 1990s, appearing alongside Christopher Eccleston and then David Tennant.

Bille Piper alongside David Tennant's Tenth Doctor

Piper, a former pop star who later turned to acting, has enjoyed a successful career on TV and on the stage. After playing Rose Tyler for two full series in 2005 and 2006, she won acclaim for roles including sex worker Belle de Jour in Secret Diary of a Call Girl and the lead character in Sky Atlantic's I Hate Suzie. In 2017 she won a best actress award at the Olivier's, for her performance in the play Yerma. And most recently was nominated for a Bafta for playing TV producer Sam McAlister in Scoop, a drama about Prince Andrew's disastrous interview on Newsnight in 2019. After Peter Capaldi stepped down as the 12th Doctor, Piper told the BBC that while she thought that a woman should take over the role, she was doubtful about playing the part herself. Capaldi went on to be replaced by Whittaker. Gatwa only played the Doctor for 18 months, appearing in two series. It's the shortest time an actor has played the character since Christopher Eccleston left the show after one series in 2005.

In a statement, Gatwa said of his departure: "You know when you get cast, at some point you are going to have to hand back that sonic screwdriver and it is all going to come to an end, but nothing quite prepares you for it." He added: "There are no words to describe what it feels like to be cast as the Doctor, nor are there words to explain what it feels like to be accepted into this iconic role that has existed for over 60 years and is truly loved by so many across the globe." Gatwa thanked "Whoniverse" fans for "welcoming me in, and making this such a touching experience. "I've loved every minute of it, but now is the time to hand over the keys to that beloved blue box and let someone else take control and enjoy it every bit as much as I have. "I'll truly miss it, and forever be grateful to it, and everyone that has played a part in my journey as the Doctor."

PA Media Gatwa played the Doctor for two series

US sends nuclear deal proposal to Iran

22 minutes ago Share Save Anna Lamche BBC News Share Save

Getty Images Steve Witkoff sent a proposal for a nuclear deal to Tehran on Saturday

The US has sent Iran a proposal for a nuclear deal between Tehran and Washington, the White House confirmed on Saturday. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he had been presented with "elements of a US deal" by his Omani counterpart Badr Albusaidi during a short visit to the Iranian capital. It comes after a report by the UN nuclear watchdog said Iran had further stepped up its production of enriched uranium, a key component in the making of nuclear weapons. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Saturday it was in Tehran's "best interest to accept" the deal, adding: "President Trump has made it clear that Iran can never obtain a nuclear bomb".

Leavitt said a "detailed and acceptable" proposal had been sent to Iran by US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff. The US proposal "will be appropriately responded to in line with the principles, national interests and rights of the people of Iran", Araghchi wrote on X. The precise details of the deal are not yet clear. The proposal follows a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), - seen by the BBC - which found Iran now possesses over 400kg of uranium enriched to 60% purity - close to the 90% purity required for weapons-grade uranium. This is well above the level of purity sufficient for civilian nuclear power and research purposes. It is enough for about 10 nuclear weapons if further refined, making Iran the only non nuclear-armed state producing uranium at this level. Iran has long said its programme is peaceful.

Desperate Housewives star Valerie Mahaffey dies aged 71

8 hours ago Share Save Jenna Moon BBC News Share Save

Getty Images

Emmy winning actress Valerie Mahaffey has died at age 71, her family has confirmed. Mahaffey's publicist confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that the star died in California on Friday after being diagnosed with cancer. The star was known for her work on television series including Desperate Housewives, Young Sheldon and Big Sky. In a statement provided to Variety, Mahaffey's husband Joseph Kell said that he had "lost the love of my life, and America has lost one of its most endearing actresses". "She will be missed," he said.

On Facebook, the couple's daughter Alice wrote: "I don't really have the words to say right now. Cancer sucks. I'll look for you in all the fun moments of life. I know that's where you'll be."

Getty Images Among Mahaffey's best-known roles is her appearance on Young Sheldon

In 1992, Mahaffey won an primetime Emmy for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Eve in the American dark comedy Northern Exposure. Her primetime success came after a daytime Emmy award in the previous decade for her role in The Doctors, a soap opera which aired from 1979-1981. She also appeared in several films, including Sully and Seabiscuit. More recent roles have included an appearance as Madame Reynard in the 2020 film French Exit, for which she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.

Getty Images Mahaffey (centre) on the set of Desperate Housewives

Born to a Canadian mother and American father in Sumatra, Indonesia, Mahaffey relocated as a teen to Texas. Her first film credit came in 1977, with a role in the film Tell Me My Name.

Mahaffey appeared in episodes of dozens of television series over her five-decade career, including medical drama ER, the dystopian series The Man in the High Castle, and the musical series Glee. In Desperate Housewives, her memorable role as Alma Hodge, the manipulative ex-wife of Orson Hodge, saw her appear on the drama-filled Wisteria Lane for eight episodes. She also appeared as teacher Victoria MacElroy in Young Sheldon, a spin-off of the Big Bang Theory that focuses on the upbringing of the show's titular star Sheldon Cooper.

UK steelmakers call Trump doubling tariffs 'another body blow'

6 hours ago Share Save Marc Ashdown Business correspondent, BBC News Share Save

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UK steelmakers said US President Donald Trump's decision to double import taxes on steel and aluminium to 50% is "yet another body blow" to the industry. Trade group UK Steel warned some orders could be delayed or cancelled, with uncertainty surrounding some shipments which are already halfway across the Atlantic. Trump's new 50% import tax will come into effect on Wednesday. It will replace the 25% import tax that the US president announced earlier this year. A UK government spokesperson said it was engaging with the US on the implications of the latest tariff announcement to provide clarity to the industry.

The US agreed on 8 May to drop import taxes on UK steel as part of a trade deal with the UK, but the original 25% tariff has been kept in place while the details of the deal are worked out. UK Steel director general Gareth Stace said: "The deal that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and President Donald Trump struck just a few short weeks ago is yet to be finalised, so this doubling of tariffs plunges the UK steel industry further into confusion...it is yet another body blow for all UK steelmakers in this torrid time. "UK steel companies are this morning fearful that orders will now be cancelled, some of which are likely being shipped across the Atlantic as we speak." Mr Stace said the trade group would now be "pressing our government to finalise the agreement to eliminate UK steel import tax and for it to come into effect urgently". "UK steelmakers should not have to shell out for this new steep hike in US steel tariffs - all we want is to continue producing the steel our US customers value so highly," he said. A spokesperson for the UK government said: "The UK was the first country to secure a trade deal with the US earlier this month and we remain committed to protecting British business and jobs across key sectors, including steel." The Guardian reported on Saturday that UK business secretary Jonathan Reynolds will meet his US counterpart Jamieson Greer at an OECD meeting - a global policy forum - in Paris next week, where they will seek to agree a timeline for exempting the UK from the US steel tariffs. Trump to double tariffs on steel imports

EU 'strongly' regrets US plan to double steel tariffs

Sharon Horgan says she only found confidence after Bad Sisters series two

6 hours ago Share Save Emma Saunders Culture reporter at the Hay Festival Share Save

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Bafta award-winning actor, writer, producer and director Sharon Horgan has told an audience at the Hay Festival she finally found confidence after the second series of her hit show Bad Sisters came out last year. The star, whose back catalogue includes sitcoms Catastrophe, Pulling and Motherland, said she previously thought "there was a possibility I was just in the right place at the right time, or that I had the right people around. "But I think with Bad Sisters, even though there's a huge team of people, it felt like mine. That feeling I belonged in that room." Bad Sisters, an adaptation of Belgian series Clan on Apple TV+, is a revenge tale about sisters aiming to kill an abusive husband.

Getty Images Bad Sisters returned for a second series in November last year

Horgan also talked about how she first turned to writing because she couldn't land any acting roles, hence deciding to write parts for herself. Speaking about penning her first pilot back in the early 2000s with Dennis Kelly for BBC Three show Pulling, about a group of 20-something women and their chaotic love lives, Horgan said: "Comedy was mainly written by men, writing the female parts. I was writing about myself and my friends - flawed women. No-one was really doing it at that point." She said she was concerned that because her female-led sitcom had been picked up, it might mean other women wouldn't get their shows made. "It felt like a one-in, one-out kind of system. Like, we've had the female comedy [quota]." She then spent several years "waitressing and doing unsuccessful pilots" before eventually hooking up with Rob Delaney on X (then Twitter) and going on to create Catastrophe. The Channel 4 show was about a couple who ended up settling down together following an accidental pregnancy after only a week of dating. Horgan said: "We wanted to show how difficult it was to stay in love when you're a parent... and you've got terrible people running around under three foot!"

Motherhood was a theme the Irish star returned to when she created the hit BBC series Motherland, alongside Holly Walsh and Graham Linehan. Following a pilot episode aired in 2016, it went on to spawn three hit series, two Christmas specials, and recent spin-off, Amandaland. The dark comedy sees a group of mum friends - and one dad - navigate the challenges of middle class motherhood. Horgan told fans at Hay: "I was living it. I would go to my daughter's primary school every day and just feel existential. You have to find your people, and that's what happened to me. I met these two really great women who are still in my life now. "It's sort of just getting a group of misfits together. I felt like an outsider. It's a really great, fun show but it's also about how lonely it can be. I experienced that, walking through a park with my pushchair... and seeing a group of mums having a picnic and thinking, 'Why aren't I at that?'"

Since then, her career has continued to thrive and she has juggled multiple roles on many of her shows ranging from executive producer to actor to writer and even director. But she admitted her perfectionism had occasionally caused an issue on set. "I'm trying to get better at it. It's also about having people around you that you really trust almost as much as you trust yourself. But I remember being pulled up on it by a big star in a show I did, just going: 'Don't you think all of these people can do their jobs? You think you can do your job better than all these people?' "And I remember at the time thinking, 'I can't say this out loud,' but 'yes'!" she laughed.

More from the Hay Festival

Body found in search for girl missing in Thames

Police were called at 13:45 BST on Friday after concerns were raised for two children who had entered the river in Gravesend

A body has been found in the search for a girl missing in the River Thames in Kent.

Police were called at 13:45 BST on Friday after concerns were raised for two children who had entered the river at Royal Pier Road in Gravesend.

Emergency services attended the scene, where a boy was retrieved from the water and taken to a local hospital. He remains in a stable condition.

At about 11:40 BST, Kent Police and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) recovered a body from the river, since confirmed to be that of the missing girl.

Gaza aid trucks rushed by desperate and hungry crowds, WFP says

5 hours ago Share Save Mallory Moench BBC News Share Save

Reuters World Food Programme (WFP) trucks waiting at the Kerem Shalom border crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip on 26 May

Crowds of civilians have rushed aid trucks in Gaza, the World Food Programme has said, as hunger and desperation create chaotic scenes. The humanitarian organisation said it had brought 77 trucks loaded with flour into Gaza overnight and early on Saturday. "All trucks were stopped along the way, with food taken mainly by hungry people trying to feed their families," WFP said. Due to a "very high" chance convoys would not reach their warehouse, a decision was taken to let people take aid in the event of crowds, WFP spokeswoman Abeer Etefa told the BBC. Israel eased an 11-week aid blockade on 19 May, but the UN says the amount sent in the last week amounts to just over 10% of people's needs.

The crowds on Saturday were civilians who had received word that food was coming, "the desperate ones who cannot wait to get to distribution points", Ms Etefa said. WFP had chosen aid delivery routes "that are closer to the populations and safer, and away from the gangs". Workers instructed people to take only one bag of flour each, but were not able to control who took what as intended. "After nearly 80 days of a total blockade, starving people will not let a food truck pass," the WFP added. A UN-backed assessment has said Gaza's entire population is at "critical risk" of famine, with Ms Etefa saying two million people are in "desperate need" of food. After the blockade partially lifted, WFP has been able to distribute trucks, but "not at the scale that we would like to and not at the quantities that should get there so that we can calm the situation and control the chaos", she said. Israel said it had imposed the blockade on Gaza to pressure Hamas to release the remaining hostages, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive. The UN Palestinian refugee agency chief said the 900 trucks sent in to Gaza over the past week were "just over 10% of the daily needs of people". "The aid that's being sent now makes a mockery to the mass tragedy unfolding under our watch," Philippe Lazzarini said on X. Israeli military agency Cogat has accused the UN of not distributing aid already inside Gaza, with Israel's foreign ministry saying hundreds of trucks are waiting. "More aid would actually get to the people if you would collect the aid waiting for you by the crossings," Cogat said to the UN on X on Friday. The UN humanitarian office's regional head, Jonathan Whittall, said the agency faced challenges in distributing aid because of escalating insecurity along routes, being given "inappropriate routes", "long delays" in receiving approvals to move, and "desperate crowds" along the way. Separately, a new US and Israel-backed organisation has also been distributing food at designated sites across Gaza. Israel set up the plan after accusing Hamas of stealing aid, which the group denies. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said it distributed two million meals this week, which the BBC has not been able to independently verify. There were chaotic scenes at those distribution sites this week. The UN has refused to work with the operation, saying it contradicts humanitarian principles.

Getty Images Displaced Palestinians receive food from aid organisations in Khan Younis on Friday

Meanwhile, Israeli air strikes continue. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Saturday that over the past day, it had struck "dozens of terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip". Sixty people were killed in Israeli military operations over the past 24 hours, Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said. The statistics do not include the North Gaza Governorate, where the last hospital closed on Thursday after the Israeli military ordered its evacuation. Christos Georgalas, a Greek surgeon who until 21 May worked at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, told the BBC his patients were mainly children, usually with shrapnel injuries. "Children were the main victims in terms of trauma and malnutrition," he said on Friday. Malnutrition slows down the healing process and increases the risk of infections because wounds remain open longer, he explained. He and hospital staff eat only rice for lunch and dinner, which he said made them lucky compared to others. One of his colleagues told him he had lost 26 kilos (57 pounds) over recent months. Georgalas said a lot of doctors had not been paid for a year. Some live in tents, commuting without protection to work, or have to evacuate at short notice. "They are worried for their relatives and lives, they are starved, despite that they continue," he said. Since he left Gaza, his colleague told him the ICU had been "constantly full" and "overwhelmed", with doctors having to ration care because so many patients need intubation.

Getty Images A Palestinian man walks in rubble following Israeli strikes in Gaza City on Saturday

Girl, 15, who died in fire named as Ann Eyre

6 hours ago Share Save Lewis Adams BBC News, Buckinghamshire Sam Read BBC News, Buckinghamshire Reporting from Bletchley Share Save

Thames Valley Police Ann Eyre died in the house fire in Bletchley, police confirmed

A 15-year-old girl who died in a house fire with a 67-year-old woman has been named by police. Ann Eyre was in the property with the other woman, who has not been named, when fire crews and police were called to the blaze in Bletchley, near Milton Keynes, at about 12:10 BST on Friday. Both died at the scene and an investigation was under way to establish the cause of the fire, Thames Valley Police (TVP) said. The house remained sealed off on Saturday. A spokesman said: "Our thoughts are with the loved ones of the victims of this tragic fire."

Thames Valley Police Police have said Ann Eyre's next of kin have been informed

A spokesman for TVP confirmed the victims' next of kin had been informed and offered support. "Although she has not been formally identified, we can confirm the girl who died was Ann Eyre, from Bletchley. "We'd ask people to respect her family's privacy at this incredibly difficult time," the spokesman said.

Sam Read/BBC Police officers have remained in St Patrick's Way since the fatal fire

A next door neighbour described hearing "loud screams" and how another of his neighbours shouted for someone to "break the door". The man, who only gave his name as Gabriel, told the BBC he was at home with his children at the time. Fire crews turned up at St Patrick's Way about five minutes after he dialled 999, Gabriel said. "Earlier when it happened, I really wasn't myself. I was very, very, shocked," he said. He described what he says he saw as "unimaginable" and "tragic".

Sam Read/BBC Floral tributes have been laid outside the house

Gabriel said the family affected was "easy-going, calm and lovely". Police had earlier said the flames were "quickly brought under control" and the deaths were being "considered unexplained".

Military aircraft evacuates residents from fast-moving Canada fire

6 hours ago Share Save Ana Faguy BBC News Share Save

EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

A military aircraft and helicopters are being used to evacuate residents in the Canadian province of Manitoba from fast-moving wildfires. Thousands have already evacuated western Canada, particularly the central prairie provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, as firefighters face growing flames and hot, dry weather predictions in the coming days. Dense smoke from the fires - of which there are more than 180 according to officials - has spread across Canada and into parts of the US. Both Saskatchewan and Manitoba have declared states of emergency for the next month and asked for international help in fighting the fires.

Aerial footage shows massive smoke plumes from Canadian wildfires

Large parts of Alberta and British Columbia have also ordered evacuations as the fires spread. The evacuation of residents of the northern First Nations community of Pukatawagan, is a "rapidly evolving situation", a Manitoba official told the BBC. Canadian Armed Forces, Manitoba Wildfire Service and Manitoba's Heavy Urban Search and Rescue Team have been using a military aircraft and helicopters to bring people to safety from the northern community in Manitoba. As of Friday, more than 2,000 people still needed to be transported out of Pukatawagan. In Flin Flon, a city of 5,000 in Manitoba, only firefighters and support workers are left in the town. In Manitoba, there are a total of 25 fires burning, according to the province's fire situation report, with 10 classified as out of control. While Manitoba is facing the harshest conditions, other provinces are also dealing with worsening wildfires.

Manitoba dealing with fires in every region, all at the same time, premier tells BBC

Rise in crashes caused by tourists driving on wrong side of road

12 hours ago Share Save Share Save

Getty Images The UK is one of few countries in Europe where vehicles drive on the left

The number of crashes caused by visitors to Scotland driving on the wrong side of the road has increased by 46% in a year. Figures released by Transport Scotland showed there were 35 collisions caused by "inexperience of driving on the left" in 2023, up from 24 the previous year. Campaigners have described the rise as "disappointing" and called for additional signage and prompts to be put in place as a reminder for tourists, particularly in rural areas. Road Safety Scotland said there was no clear reason for the increased frequency of crashes.

One of the collisions recorded in the 2023 figures resulted in a death. Signage is often placed at airports and other transport hubs and car hire facilities reminding drivers that vehicles in the UK drive on the left side of the road.

The vast majority of visitors to Scotland in 2023 came from mainland Europe and the United States – all of which are countries in which motorists drive on the right. Sharon Anslow, founder of the Keep Left campaign, said more had to be done to educate drivers. Mrs Anslow was injured when her car was pushed into a ditch during a head-on collision with a tourist while driving to work in Portree on the Isle of Skye in December 2018. She had to be freed from the wreckage by fire crews and said she was forced to move house due to the trauma of driving on the same route during her work commute.

SHARON ANSLOW Sharon Anslow had to be freed from her car by fire crews after she was forced into a ditch by a tourist driving on the wrong side of the road near Portree

The other driver involved in the crash received a fixed penalty notice despite driving on the wrong side of the road for at least a mile before the crash. Mrs Anslow told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme she had secured funding to put up 250 signs along the roads in Skye and Lochalsh to remind drivers where they should be. But she said the onus should be on councils and road managers to keep other motorists safe. "Raising awareness is fantastic and there are lots of resources online," she said. "But it's not the answer. We should be providing, not just the tourists, but the locals across the whole of Scotland, with proper roads to drive on, with proper signage and directional arrows to keep everybody safe."

Wristband campaign

In 2022, Italian naval officer Alfredo Ciociola was convicted of killing five people, including his four-year-old son, in a crash on the A96 near Keith. Two years earlier, Gerrit Reickmann, from Germany, caused the death of his girlfriend Melina Rose Päprer when he was involved in a head-on crash while driving on the wrong side of the road near Drumnadrochit in the Highlands. Road Safety Scotland director, Michael McDonnell, said tourists often struggled in more rural areas, where there was little to no traffic to "prompt" them into driving on the correct side. He also said tiredness could be a factor. The organisation has worked with VisitScotland and car hire companies to educate tourists on where they should be driving. They have provided vehicle rental companies with wristbands with the message "drive on the left" in nine different languages. It is hoped that drivers would see them while they have their hands on the steering wheel.

Nurse struck off after supermarket toilet filming

4 days ago Share Save Sophie Parker BBC News, West of England Share Save

Google Maps Pheddie Delos Reyes was given a suspended prison sentence in 2024 for filming people through a hole in a cubicle wall in an Asda toilet

A nurse has been struck off the register after filming people through a hole in a cubicle wall in an Asda toilet. Pheddie Delos Reyes, who has been a registered nurse since 2019, was given a suspended prison sentence in June 2024 after being convicted of two counts of voyeurism and one count of making an indecent image of a child. Wiltshire Police were called in July 2023 when a customer at the supermarket in Swindon reported being filmed while in the men's toilets. The force informed the Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, where Delos Reyes was working. A Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) tribunal panel found that his fitness to practise had been impaired and struck him off.

The NMC tribunal was told that CCTV from Asda showed Delos Reyes arrived at the store at about 18:00 BST on 23 July 2023 and headed straight to the men's toilets, where he remained for nearly three hours. The footage recorded about fifty males, including adults and children, going into the toilets over that time, where the urinals were out of order and only one cubicle, the one not occupied by Delos Reyes, was available. One of Delos Reyes' devices had videos of men using the toilet filmed through a hole in the wall. In the videos found by police, there was one of a child, the tribunal was told. He pleaded guilty to two counts of voyeurism and one count of making an indecent image of a child at Swindon Magistrates' Court and was given a suspended jail sentence.

'Risk of harm'

The tribunal panel made its ruling to strike Delos Reyes off on 19 May, deciding that the public would be "shocked" if it did not make the finding "given the severity of the convictions". The panel said that while the convictions happened outside of clinical practice, they "demonstrate a significant attitudinal concern which meant he was liable in the future to act so as to put patients at unwarranted risk of harm". It added that he had indicated "some remorse" but he had a "limited understanding" of the impact of his offending. The panel also imposed an interim suspension order against Delos Reyes for 18 months to cover a potential appeal period.

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Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha was complimentary of the new format and believes it has been a success.

"I've enjoyed it," Onuoha told BBC Sport. "There were lots of good games in the group stage and lots of big moments, and not just when the big teams have played each other either.

"The biggest change for me was that teams only played each other once in the league stage. It meant no-one lived or died by that result, and also the energy from the lesser teams was very different to when teams knew they would play each other again in a few weeks' time.

"Aston Villa beating Bayern Munich was a good example. Bayern did not get a second chance against them, when they probably would not have slipped up again - but they were still able to claw back the points they dropped."

Eventual champions PSG lost three of their opening five games, before a late resurgence saw them win their next three matches to secure a play-off tie with fellow Ligue 1 side Brest.

After winning that, Luis Enrique's side met Liverpool, the team who finished top of the league phase, in the last 16.

"While PSG are clearly a top-quality side, their journey shows that finding form at the right time is what matters," added Onuoha. "They were out of the top 24 until they won their penultimate game, and then got through the play-off stage.

"That's another thing I like about the format, because PSG have shown that in the future, it doesn't matter if you don't make the top eight."

Journalist Nicky Bandini made a fine point about the new format benefitting Luis Enrique's side.

"Without this format, we would maybe not have seen this PSG team that has developed during the season because they could have gone out," said Bandini. "This way we get to see them progress, and it feels like a more entertaining journey.

"Always so much in the Champions League has been about coming good at the right time - it has always been about what's your form like in the spring rather than your form at the start of the tournament.

"But I do think with the extra games this year, and with the very specific journey we have seen PSG go on, you really have been able to observe this development in real time."

Cameron Norrie maintained his focus to beat British rival Jacob Fearnley in a French Open third-round match disrupted by loud fireworks outside Paris St-Germain's stadium.

Norrie, 29, was replaced by 23-year-old Fearnley as the British number two earlier this year, but laid down his authority in a 6-3 7-6 (7-1) 6-2 win.

His reward is a meeting with former world number one Novak Djokovic in the last 16.

Bangs were heard throughout the majority of the all-British match as PSG fans geared up for their football team's Champions League final against Inter Milan in Munich.

"It was hard managing the fireworks next door - that was the toughest part for both of us," said Norrie, who is ranked 81st in the world.

"I was putting my bag down and the umpire said, 'There's just a couple of fireworks. We'll just play on'.

"I was thinking it was just going to be a few of in the warm-up, but it was at the most random times."

Norrie - playing at his best level for a while after a couple of difficult seasons - used his experience to take control against his fellow Scot.

The former world number eight managed to subdue French Open debutant Fearnley, who described the noise as "brutal".

On the distractions, 55th-ranked Fearnley added: "It's far from ideal but that's life. I understand PSG playing is probably a bit more important than this match.

"It's definitely not a reason why I lost the match."

Fearnley produced a double fault on match point as Norrie reached the fourth round of the clay-court Grand Slam for the first time.

After British number one Jack Draper outclassed Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca, there will be two British men in the French Open last 16 for the first time since the Open era was introduced in 1968.

Lewis Hamilton says the introduction of a new rule clamping down on front wing flexibility at the Spanish Grand Prix was "a waste of money".

Governing body the FIA imposed a stiffer load test on front wings to try to limit the amount teams could exploit their movement on track for aerodynamic advantage.

But Hamilton said: "Just wasted everyone's money. It's literally changed nothing.

"Everyone's wings still bend, it's just half the bending, and everyone's had to make new wings and spend more money to make these. It just doesn't make sense."

The Ferrari driver added that he "wasn't expecting" anything of the change before coming to Spain.

"I drove it on the simulator, and it's pretty much exactly the same," Hamilton said. "A little bit more oversteer in the high speed. Could have given it all to charity, you know?"

A new front wing in F1 costs about £100,000, in addition to research and development resources.

The FIA delayed the introduction of the rule until this race, the ninth of the season, because it expected that the vast majority of teams would be introducing new front wings in Spain anyway as part of their normal development programmes.

A spokesperson for the FIA declined to comment specifically on Hamilton's remarks.

British rider Simon Yates produced a stunning performance on the penultimate stage of the Giro d'Italia to snatch the pink jersey from Isaac del Toro and effectively ensure his second Grand Tour title.

Del Toro came into the 20th and final competitive stage of the race with a 43-second lead over Richard Carapaz, with Yates trailing by one minute and 21 seconds in third.

Mexico's Del Toro, 21, would have clinched victory in his maiden Giro by successfully negotiating the Colle delle Finestre, the highest point of this year's race and where Yates' hopes of winning evaporated in 2018.

But Yates, 32, exorcised those ghosts as he attacked on the brutal ascent to leave Del Toro, who had held the race lead since stage nine, and Carapaz in his wake.

He not only wiped out Del Toro's advantage but was one minute 41 seconds clear of his general classification rivals when he crested.

His Visma-Lease a Bike team had pulled off a masterstroke as team-mate Wout van Aert was in the breakaway group and allowed Yates to catch him on the descent, helping him build a comprehensive lead over the final 20km.

Jayco-Alula's Australian rider Chris Harper, who was the first over the Colle delle Finestre summit, claimed the second Grand Tour stage win of his career, with Yates crossing one minute 57 seconds later, third on the day.

Yates was in tears as he hugged team staff at the finish, surrounded by media, with Del Toro of UAE Team Emirates crossing the line five minutes after him.

It means the Briton leads Del Toro by three minutes 56 seconds, with Carapaz in third, heading in to Sunday's processional stage in Rome.

"I'm not really an emotional person but I couldn't hold back the tears," said Yates.

"It's something I've worked towards year after year and I've had a lot of setbacks but I've finally managed to pull if off."

Yates lost 30 seconds to Del Toro during Friday's stage but recovered to ensure he will become just the third British rider to win the Giro, after Chris Froome (2018) and Tao Geoghegan Hart (2020).

It's never been that female players are not worthy to play at night - Mauresmo. Video, 00:02:35It's never been that female players are not worthy to play at night - Mauresmo

It's never been that female players are not worthy to play at night - Mauresmo. Video, 00:02:35It's never been that female players are not worthy to play at night - Mauresmo

Disposable vape ban begins but will teens quit?

6 minutes ago Share Save Nick Triggle • @nicktriggle Health correspondent Share Save

Getty Images

The ban on the sale of single-use disposable vapes will come into force on Sunday across the UK, aimed at protecting children's health and the environment. It means shops and supermarkets will no longer be able to stock them - but they can still sell rechargeable or refillable devices. Disposable vapes have been cited as a key driver in the rise in youth vaping, while every year five million vapes are thrown away. Ministers predict it will have a significant impact but health experts say further regulation is needed to tackle youth vaping.

Retailers in England and Wales breaching the ban face a £200 fine for the first offence with potentially unlimited fines or jail for those who repeatedly re-offend. The ban was first announced for England and Wales by the previous Conservative government but the law was not enacted before last summer's general election. Labour then pushed ahead with it. Scotland and Northern Ireland have introduced their own bans, timed to coincide with the one in England and Wales.

Less harmful

Vape use has risen rapidly over the last decade with 9% of the British public now buying and using e-cigarettes. Latest figures suggest about one in four vapers use the disposable versions, although that proportion has fallen since the ban was announced. And while it is illegal to sell vapes to anyone under 18, disposable vapes, often sold in smaller, more colourful packaging than refillable ones, have been cited as an important factor in the rise of youth vaping. Currently one in seven 18 to 24-year-olds vape but have never smoked. Vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking but it has not been around for long enough for its long-term risks to be known, according to the NHS.

Tough choices on public spending unavoidable, says IFS

Just now Share Save Faarea Masud Business reporter, BBC News Share Save

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Tough choices are "unavoidable" as the government finalises spending plans for areas ranging from the NHS and defence, to schools and the criminal justice system, a think tank has warned. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said the level of spending on health would dictate whether cuts were made to so-called unprotected areas – those outside of the NHS, defence and schools. It added while funding increased sharply in 2024 for transport, net zero, hospitals, schools and prisons, it would no longer increase year on year, given the government's commitments. The government said the Spending Review on 11 June would "scrutinise every single pound the government spends".

The review will outline day-to-day departmental budgets over the next three years and investment budgets over the next four. Whitehall insiders have told the BBC they expect it will be "ugly", and that ministers have been fighting over winning small amounts of cash for their respective departments. There are concerns with the government that plans, such as increasing police numbers in a bid to halve violence against women and girls, might not be allocated enough cash. There are also discussions over continued funding for capping bus fares. Chancellor Rachel Reeves's stance on ruling out borrowing more money and not raising taxes again has led to strong speculation spending cuts will be made.

The IFS said the government had "front-loaded" its spending over the course of the parliament term in the first couple of years, which meant spending would slow down. "The consequences of this decision must be confronted," the IFS warned. When it comes to daily spending on public services, the think tank suggested a "huge amount depends on the generosity" of cash handed to the NHS - which accounts for 39% of day-to-day departmental spending - as well as defence. NHS spending is planned to be £202bn in 2025-2026, the IFS said, which could pull funding from other areas as the government prioritises reducing patient waiting times and improving access to dental care. "Increasing health funding at anything like the historical average rate would mean imposing real-terms cuts on other 'unprotected' departments," the think tank said. It said this would prove challenging, especially given the government's ambitions to improve the criminal justice system and to deal with prison overcrowding.

'More defence spending means cuts elsewhere'

The IFS added the level of health spending was "in some sense, the central trade-off for the Spending Review" and one that would only become starker if defence spending was increased further or faster than currently planned. Bee Boileau, a research economist at IFS, said the Treasury faced "some unavoidably tough choices". "After turning on the spending taps last autumn, the flow of additional funding is now set to slow to more of a trickle," she said. The government has committed to increasing spending on the army and its estates, and announced it would cut the foreign aid budget to increase military spending to 2.5% of national income by 2027. "Giving more to defence means, all else equal, bigger cuts to something else," the IFS said. In October, Chancellor Reeves changed a self-imposed debt rule, freeing up billions for her to spend on long-term projects such as roads and energy infrastructure, but the IFS warned "not everything can be a priority for further increases".

Before this final, Inter president Giuseppe Marotta said owners Oaktree, who took over the club last year, wanted to go down a model of "investments in slightly younger profiles who represent a real asset".

If they even had a sliver of doubt before the Munich showdown against PSG they will be even surer now.

Inzaghi said: "The club is strong. The club supports us. We've signed two players for next season."

He was referring to Dinamo Zagreb and Croatia midfielder Petar Sucic, 21, and presumably Marseille's Brazilian winger Luis Henrique, 23 - who has been strongly linked.

The boss continued: "We know we have to sign more. The club supports us all the way."

On Saturday, they just could not cope with PSG's pace, energy, movement and invention. Left-back Federico Dimarco was questionable for the opening two goals, although he had been hauled off long before PSG started notching up record numbers.

And that was despite resting several of their starters for the final day of the Serie A season, even though the title was up for grabs. Inter did win their game that day, but Napoli took the title.

"Tonight we were more tired than PSG. We didn't play well. We weren't fresh," said Inzaghi.

"They were always there on the second balls. We played our league until Friday. They won their league a couple of months in advance."

But they will have to find new clubs for some of their players if they do decide a refresh is in order. None of their starting XI in Munich is out of contract in the summer.

With an average age of 30 years and 242 days, it was the third oldest starting XI in a Champions League final. PSG's players were, on average, five years and 146 days younger.

But who will be doing the rebuild?

Inzaghi, who led Inter to last season's Serie A title and two Italian Cups, is considered a highly talented coach, and would have probably have been seen as one of the elite had his side won this. He has been heavily linked to Saudi club Al-Hilal.

In Friday's pre-match news conference inside Allianz Arena he did nothing to play down suggestions this could be his last game in charge.

And after the game he did not commit either.

"It's not the right time to talk about my future," he said. "We're extremely disappointed. It's awkward to talk about my future now.

"We'll be talking about the fact we won no silverware this year."

When asked if he would be in charge for the Club World Cup, which starts next month, he said: "I cannot answer this question now. I came here out of respect for you [media]. I'm hurting from a sporting point of view.

"Defeats make you stronger. We've been through this before. We lost in Istanbul and the following year we won the league."

"This is going to feel much worse for the Inter Milan players than their defeat to Manchester City in the 2023 final," said ex-City defender Onuoha.

"They played well in that game, but tonight they offered nothing.

"I think when you as a professional walk off the field like that, in a game where you haven't lost a player, I think it is a real cause for concern."

Italian football journalist James Horncastle, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, added: "Inter felt that this was the only thing they were missing.

"Once again, they have to watch another team celebrating and jumping around and partying.

"They have won a lot but they have lost a lot. But that's just part of sport."

Speaking about the defeat two years ago against City, Inzaghi added: "We know defeats can make you stronger. Tonight's defeat hurts a lot just like the loss in Istanbul. They were two very different matches.

"We've been through this. We can get going again all together."

Opponents PSG have just completed an overhaul of their own - although it was about egos and not ages.

Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar - a front three of players who all thought they were the star - have gone out the door in recent years.

But Inter will not have the resources of PSG’s Qatari owners.