Jason Arday: Former Cambridge university professor found dead
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Jason Arday, the former University of Cambridge professor at the centre of a plagiarism row, has been found dead.
Emergency services said a man was found "unresponsive" at an address in Battersea, south London, on Friday afternoon.
Arday resigned as a Cambridge professor of sociology of education last week after allegations of plagiarism and questions about some of his achievements. He had denied the claims.
Arday's family said in a statement that they were "in shock to have lost this amazing father, partner, brother, uncle and son".
They added: "The campaign of misinformation was too much for Jason, who was a gentle man and who always wanted to see the best in everyone."
Earlier on Friday, police officers were called to an address in Battersea by the London Ambulance Service.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: "At this time his death is being treated as unexpected, but is not believed to be suspicious."
Cambridge University vice-chancellor Professor Deborah Prentice said: "We are desperately saddened to hear this tragic news".
"Our heartfelt sympathies go to Jason Arday's family and friends at this incredibly difficult time", she said.
Education Secretary Lucy Powell said she was "deeply shocked and saddened" to hear about the death and she urged people to "remember there are real people with loved ones involved".
Arday, 41, had denied any plagiarism - but admitted errors in his work - and last week said the recent controversy about his work had led to "an unrelenting level of public scrutiny and personal attack".
The row first erupted after another academic - self-defined "race realist" Nathan Cofnas, who was sacked from his Cambridge role in 2024 - said he found numerous instances of plagiarism in the professor's work.
Arday said some errors in his early academic work arose because of his autism, as he relied on using mimicry to make sense of information. Similar scrutiny would find similar errors in work by other academics, he said.
"We're talking about academia here. I didn't murder somebody. I think the cruelty that I've experienced and the positioning of me as this kind of liar and fantasist is totally unacceptable," he told the Times newspaper, external earlier this month.
Fires prompt national government alert as 19 Stourbridge homes destroyed
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Fires across England and Wales have prompted a national government alert warning people not to light anything that could spark a wildfire.
The warning on Friday evening came as it was revealed 19 homes were destroyed and a further 18 damaged in a huge fire in Stourbridge, West Midlands, that spread rapidly through grass and woodland on Thursday before damaging homes.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham told members of the public to take the warning "seriously", adding it was triggered at the request of firefighters.
West Midlands Fire Service chief fire officer Simon Tuhill said the Stourbridge blaze was one of the most significant incidents the service had ever dealt with.
It was one of several fires being dealt with across England and Wales on Friday.
In Wales, a major incident was declared near Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, after dozens of homes were evacuated and roads closed
In Hampshire, firefighters spent a sixth day tackling a wildfire in the New Forest, Hampshire, which broke out on Sunday.
Sixteen emergencies were tackled by Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service on Thursday afternoon, including a fire at Mousehold Heath, off Gurney Road in the city.
Elsewhere in the West Midlands fires caused extensive damage in Warstock and Kings Norton, Birmingham on Thursday. A 55-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life .
In Stoke-on-Trent on Thursday four homes in Sandyford were destroyed, with other properties damaged. Two people were arrested on suspicion of arson. Six firefighters were taken to hospital due to smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion.
In Willenhall, West Midlands, at least three homes and several gardens were destroyed in fires on Stonehouse Avenue and Harry Perks Street.
Investigators said they were working with other emergency services to establish how the Stourbridge fire started, with police saying they were keeping an open mind.
Some of the worst-affected areas have been cordoned off and many residents who were evacuated, including the Bishop of Dudley, the Right Reverand Martin Gorick, have not been able to return home.
Luigi Mangione admits killing healthcare CEO and pleads guilty to federal charges
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Luigi Mangione has admitted to killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson after pleading guilty to federal charges of interstate stalking resulting in death.
"I shot Mr Thompson in Manhattan and he died," the 28-year-old admitted in Manhattan federal court on Friday.
Thompson, a 50-year-old father of two, was shot from behind on 4 December, 2024 as he walked into a hotel in midtown Manhattan. Following the plea hearing, his family issued a statement calling it "an important step toward justice for Brian and for our family".
Mangione faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. He also faces state charges, although his lawyers are seeking to get those dismissed following his guilty plea.
Derailed Essex train to London derails leads to cancellations
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Martin Frobisher, of Network Rail, said the summer's hot weather had "presented exceptional challenges to the railway".
In an interview with the BBC Transport Correspondent Katy Austin, Frobisher also confirmed speed restrictions were not in place in either Wickford or Lewes.
On the possible impact of the hot weather, he said "yes, that's one of the things that we're looking at.
"We've got our investigations underway. We've got technical engineers on site, our best experts who are on site with the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.
"They're looking very thoroughly at what's happened. And based on that, we will act on what we learn."
However, he added it was "too early to speculate on the full findings".
The investigation would specifically assess "whether or not this was weather-related", said Mark Francois, the Conservative MP for Rayleigh and Wickford.
The Department for Transport stressed Britain's railways were "among the safest in the world" as it reacted to the incident.
It said derailments were "incredibly rare" events.
An East of England Ambulance Service spokesperson said: "Our crews assessed 62 patients who were on board the train.
"Following assessment, all patients were discharged at the scene.
"We also assisted with the evacuation of a second train that was unable to continue its journey due to the derailment.
"There were no casualties among those on board."
A spokesperson for BTP also confirmed there were no reported injuries.
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Afghan women tell the BBC their lives are unrecognisable after five years of Taliban rule
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Five years on from the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, women and girls have told the BBC their lives are unrecognisable under the rule of the regime.
The hard-line Islamist group has been eroding the rights of the 22 million women in the country since it re-gained control in 2021- two decades after being removed from power by a US-led military coalition.
The BBC is one of the few media organisations that has been able to maintain access to Afghanistan since the takeover. We spoke to women across the country, from the heart of Kabul to the vast countryside.
They have watched on as the Taliban barred access to school for girls over 12, restricted travel without a male chaperone and brought in a law implying legal approval for child marriage.
When questioned by BBC Afghan over the constraints that women face, the Taliban's foreign minister said: "Women are not totally restricted on all walks of life".
But the restrictions impact almost every part of their lives and make it difficult to tell their stories. Many of the women have not used their real names because they fear reprisals.
"People are so overwhelmed by poverty and daily hardships that many have been forced to put their education, dreams, and hopes for the future aside," Ela from Kabul said.
"Today, survival has become the priority, and many of us no longer have the time or energy to think about the future."
This story contains distressing details.
European Athletics Championships 2026: Keely Hodgkinson takes 800m silver behind Swiss rival Audrey Werro
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Keely Hodgkinson was forced to settle for European silver as Switzerland's Audrey Werro denied the Briton a third consecutive title in a thrilling women's 800m final in Birmingham.
The most eagerly anticipated event of the championships culminated in the expected three-way battle for supremacy between Hodgkinson, Swiss 22-year-old Werro and Dutch star Femke Broeders-Bol in front of a captivated sellout crowd of 23,000 inside Alexander Stadium.
Seeking to reassert her dominance in the event, Olympic champion Hodgkinson was roared on in pursuit of Werro by her home support but was unable to overhaul her new rival in the closing stages.
Having this season become the fastest athlete since the world record was set 43 years ago, Werro finished strong to land her first senior international title in a championship record one minute 54.81 seconds.
"Mixed emotions," Hodgkinson told the BBC.
"I think with that level of competition, any medal is a really good achievement and another one to add to my collection, so I can never be disappointed with that. But I'm defending champion, so I wanted to do that.
"I knew it was going to come down to the wire but I really thought I was going to win today.
"It wasn't meant to be. I didn't do anything wrong - it was just one of those things."
Where does this unorthodox by-election victory leave Nigel Farage?
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It is a question prompting at least some debate within the party.
"When he goes down this angry route he doesn't help himself," the prominent Reform activist Tim Montgomerie told Radio 4's The World At One.
Montgomerie, the founder of the ConservativeHome website, defected to Reform two years ago. He praised Farage's political ability but added: "It's very frustrating how he's behaved today. He needs to get a grip of this problem."
Montgomerie argued Farage and Reform were at their best when they were more positive rather than "inward looking" and focused on "grievances."
The "grievances," as Montgomerie puts it, are real and legitimate, say Farage's friends.
In the short term at least and from a point of weakness I have previously written about, the by-election allowed Farage to get on the front foot and to frame an argument, as he saw it, as the people versus those out to get him.
Rubbish, say his critics, the rules apply to all MPs and the undeclared £5m gift from the billionaire businessman Christopher Harborne, in the months before Farage became an MP, should have been registered, they insist.
Talking to GB News in the early hours of this morning, before the result, Farage repeated a concession, of sorts, about this: "If I made one sin, it's that I haven't filled in a piece of paper.
"I've broken no law, I've broken no tax law, I've taken no public money. I don't even own a motor home. Maybe I haven't filled in a piece of paper. I'm confident I'm right - we'll see where we go."
He has long maintained he sought legal advice about whether he needed to declare the money and had been told he didn't.
The wider question is where Nigel Farage and Reform find themselves in the big picture politically and whether their current approach is a wise one.
There is early evidence of something of a Burnham bounce for Labour, which has disrupted Reform's long standing lead in the opinion polls.
And the Conservatives appear more chipper and competitive than a year ago too.
Then there is the rise of Restore Britain, run by the former Reform MP Rupert Lowe.
Let's be clear: none of the political parties are wildly popular at the moment, but Reform's support has shrivelled a bit and their rivals are more upbeat.
The landscape for the new political season at Westminster is taking shape, ahead of MPs returning to the Commons in a few weeks.
Labour with a spring in its step, for now at least. Reform punchy but feeling under the cosh and plenty of the others scrapping for attention too.
It will be a fascinating few months ahead.
Finlay Tarling: British cyclist dies in accident at Volta a Portugal
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British cyclist Finlay Tarling has died aged 19 after an accident during the eighth stage of the Volta a Portugal.
Tarling, the younger brother of Netcompany-Ineos rider Josh, had raced for Great Britain on the road and track.
In a statement provided to local media, Major Tiago Machado of the National Republican Guard said there had been "a collision between the cyclist and a light goods vehicle" and that an investigation was under way.
The Welshman was competing for the NSN Development Team when the incident occurred on the 166.8km route from Melgaco to Fafe.
In a statement, NSN said: "We are heartbroken to announce the passing of Finlay Tarling at the Volta a Portugal today.
"Fin was a much loved member of our team but most importantly, he was a son, a brother, and a friend to so many. He will be deeply missed.
"Our deepest condolences go out to Fin's parents Michael and Dawn, his brother Josh, and everyone who was lucky enough to call Fin a friend."
In a post on X, the race organisers and the Portuguese Cycling Federation expressed their "most heartfelt condolences to the family of Finlay Tarling, to his team-mates, to the NSN Development Team, and to all his friends and loved ones".
It added that the racing was stopped and the scheduled podium ceremony would not take place as a sign of "respect and mourning".
Portuguese president Antonio Jose Seguro added that Tarling's death had "plunged the peloton, the tournament and the host nation into mourning".
British Cycling's performance director Stephen Park, added: "All of us at British Cycling are heartbroken to learn of the tragic passing of Finlay Tarling at the Volta a Portugal.
"Fin was a talented rider with a fantastic future ahead of him, a loyal teammate and an all-round brilliant young man.
"Our deepest sympathies are with his parents and brother, Josh at this tragic time."
Jeff Bezos: Amazon founder part of consortium that agrees to buy into Liverpool
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Liverpool's owners have agreed to sell about a third of the club to a consortium including billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
In a statement, Fenway Sports Group (FSG) confirmed it had entered into a "definitive agreement" for the sale of a "strategic minority investment" to 1892 Holdings.
The group is led by British-Indian millionaire businessman Amit Bhatia and also includes billionaire Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin.
Bhatia is set to become Liverpool's vice-chairman, and will join an expanded board pending regulatory approval.
The son-in-law of Indian billionaire businessman Lakshmi Mittal, he had been a director and co-owner of Queens Park Rangers for 18 years before relinquishing his stake in the club last month.
American businessman Bezos, founder of e-commerce giant Amazon, is the fourth-richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $256bn (£192bn). This marks his first foray into sports ownership, although he will not join Liverpool's board.
However, Bryan Baum, founder of venture capital firm K5 Sports - through which Bezos is investing - will join the Anfield board, alongside Saverin's wife Elaine. Bezos is the biggest investor in K5 Sports.
BBC Sport has been told that the transaction will have no impact on the club's approach to the transfer window, and that there is no new or separate transfer budget associated with the investment.
The agreement includes an option for the consortium to increase its investment in the future. That suggests the group will be in pole position to become majority shareholders if Fenway wants to sell up, but according to one source, no commitments have been made to do so.
The deal is said to value the club between £5bn and £6bn.
Stephen Bear jailed over sex offender register breaches
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Reality TV contestant Stephen Bear taunted police by "bragging" he was on a beach in Brazil while he breached his requirements as a sex offender, a court has heard.
He was not on the run during the trip last year, but under the rules of his registration requirements he was ordered to tell authorities about foreign travel.
Bear, 36, admitted five counts of failing to comply with the register notification requirements at Thames Magistrates' Court and was sentenced to 24 weeks in prison.
He is already in prison having been jailed on Thursday after admitting breaching a restraining order that banned him from posting online about his ex-partner Georgia Harrison.
What it was like in the courtroom as Mangione pleaded guilty
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After more than a year-and-a-half of intense spectacle and legal wrangling, Luigi Mangione appeared in a federal courtroom in New York on Friday as rumours swirled that he may plead guilty.
The 28-year-old, accused of shooting dead UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson on a Manhattan street in December 2024, arrived wearing a beige prison uniform with a white T-shirt underneath.
His feet were shackled and he held his hands behind his back, although US marshals had not handcuffed him.
A crowd of press, supporters of Mangione, observers, and a handful of court staff members who had won a lottery to attend gathered in the packed courtroom.
And in the front row seated behind the prosecution: Thompson's family members, who at times appeared visibly emotional.
As the packed room awaited the arrival of Judge Margaret Garnett, Mangione conferred with his lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo, reviewing papers as we waited to hear whether Mangione would admit to the killing for the first time.
The hearing had been scheduled to begin at 11:00, but started slightly later.
It began with an immediate jolt.
France's top court blocks social media ban for under-15s
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France's top court has struck down a ban on social media for under-15s, saying it infringed upon freedom of expression.
The legislation was backed by French lawmakers in July, making it the first European country to block young people from the platforms, after concerns over the harmful effects on children's mental health.
Friday's ruling by the Constitutional Council overrides the ban, which Emmanuel Macron had pledged would be introduced in stages from September.
Responding to the news, the French president immediately asked Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to prepare a new draft that would take into account all the council's points.
After lawmakers voted through the bill last month, Lecornu referred parts of the legislation to the council - a nine-member authority that checks whether a law complies with the constitution - for review.
The Constitutional Council said it had found that Article 1 of the legislation "constitutes an infringement that is neither appropriate, necessary, nor proportionate" to the freedom of expression and communication for under-15s.
The ruling also raised concerns over the law's requirement to provide proof of age to access online services and said it failed to establish "the legal safeguards necessary".
Macron's office said after the ruling that the French government would work "as quickly as possible" to propose a new draft and said the president was determined to see the reform implemented by early 2027.
The original legislation had envisaged that from September all those under-15 would not be able to open accounts, and verification would be required on all new accounts. And from January, this would have applied to all existing accounts.
Opponents have repeatedly questioned the law's viability and raised concerns over privacy, the efficacy of age-verification tools, the risks of young people bypassing them, and how quickly the ban has been designed and brought in.
Australia was the first country to introduce last December a social media ban for those under-16, although it is widely acknowledged that many in the country continue to use the platforms.
Legislation restricting young people's access to social media has been ramping up around Europe in the past few months.
In May, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed a "social media delay" for children in the EU, saying new legislation could be put forward in months.
In the UK, former British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced in June that under-16s in the UK will be banned from social media from January 2027. An optional midnight curfew for UK teens aged 16 and 17 was also announced.
Two dead after light aircraft crash in Trawsfynydd
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Two people have died following a light aircraft crash in north Wales.
The aircraft was found in a remote location close to Trawsfynydd, Gwynedd, with the two people on board pronounced dead at the scene, North Wales Police said.
The force received reports shortly after 12:00 BST that a light aircraft travelling from an airfield in England had not arrived at Caernarfon Airport as scheduled.
Multi-agency air and ground searches were carried out until the aircraft was found.
A team of investigators have since been deployed by the Air Accidents Investigations Branch (AAIB).
Trump asks Supreme Court to allow White House ballroom work to continue
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US President Donald Trump has asked the Supreme Court to allow him to continue building a $400m (£295m) ballroom at the White House without congressional permission.
The emergency application comes one week after an appeals court ordered construction to stop until Congress approves, upholding a ruling won by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which sued the administration last year.
In the latest filing, US Solicitor General D John Sauer asked that work be allowed to continue while the administration appeals the stop-work order, which he called "dangerous".
Trump has long argued the White House lacks a large event space and that building one is vital for national security.
Last week's appeals court decision does not take effect until 21 August, when ballroom construction will have to cease unless the Supreme Court grants the emergency application.
Sauer said in the filing on Friday that work on the project is 65% done and not granting it would amount to "construction-by-injunction".
"With the dangerous injunction poised to take effect for the first time on August 21, its stop-work mandate is even more flagrantly inequitable, if not impossible," he wrote.
Sauer added that "forcing the president to come hat-in-hand to Congress so the people's house is safe gives the legislature dangerous leverage".
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts ordered the National Trust for Historic Preservation to file a response by noon on Tuesday.
Trump's ballroom project has been the subject of a legal battle since October, when the administration demolished the East Wing of the White House to begin construction without congressional approval.
Soon after, the Trust filed a lawsuit arguing that the project was unlawful because it began without a legally required review, which also includes public comment and approval by entities such as the National Capital Planning Commission.
In a statement following Friday's emergency application, the Trust accused the administration of "refusing to listen" to previous rulings and "actively attempting to outrun the courts by accelerating construction of the ballroom".
"The administration's transparent efforts to evade the rule of law, frustrate judicial review and limit the availability of meaningful relief in the courts must stop here," the statement added.
The president and the government's lawyers have argued that in addition to the ballroom to host events, the project also includes military facilities, including bomb shelters and centres for medical treatment.
The administration has also argued that the ballroom is being constructed without any taxpayer money and is fully funded by private corporate donations - meaning that Congressional approval is not required.
The White House ballroom project is part of Trump's broader effort to remake Washington's cityscape, which has also included the renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and a planned "Arc de Trump" in the style of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
The Trump administration has faced allegations in all the projects that it sidestepped required review and public-comment processes - a charge the president denies.
UK diplomats no longer get hardship bonus for being posted to Buenos Aires
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British diplomats in six locations around the world, including Buenos Aires and Santiago in South America, will no longer get hardship payments for working in dangerous cities.
Bonuses and respite breaks are granted to those working in cities considered risky, like Beirut in Lebanon, or with high crime, such as Pretoria in South Africa, or high air pollution in cities including New Delhi and Beijing.
The UK government has removed Santiago, in Chile, Panama City in Panama, Pyongyang in North Korea, Bamako in Mali, and Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in addition to the two south American cities, according to the latest list published last week, external.
The 144 locations still on the list include many trouble spots but also popular holiday destinations such as Bali and Rio De Janeiro, prompting criticism from the Conservatives.
Tory chairman Kevin Hollinrake said civil servants receiving extra pay for working in such areas is unfair on the taxpayer.
The Foreign Office has given civil servants extra payments for working in areas where there is a high level of danger, or high risks to health, for the past 30 years.
They are meant to compensate staff and families for the additional costs and challenges of living overseas in difficult locations and are reviewed regularly.
Factors and risks covered by the allowance include security measures, climate, natural disaster, isolation and other impacts on quality of life.
Amounts are not routinely published but in 2009, the last time a breakdown was released, the highest payments for civil servants and their spouses were for postings to Karachi, Pakistan, which was worth an extra £26,647, or £14,804 in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria.
The hardship payment for being posted as part of a couple to Buenos Aires was £1,517 and Santiago was £777, according to the 2009 Diplomatic Services Allowances, external.
Answering a parliamentary question from Tory peer Lord Moylan, external, Foreign Office minister Lord Wood of Anfield said assessments of hardship take into account factors that mean members of staff are required to take additional breaks for the benefit of their physical or mental health.
He added: "These arrangements are not new, and indeed have applied consistently under successive governments for a number of decades."
Bangkok, Cape Town, and Kuala Lumpur are still among the cities that qualify for hardship payments, alongside Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Muscat.
Hollinrake said it was unfair that taxpayers were "footing the bill" for these destinations and pledged to cut the size of the civil service if Conservatives were returned to power.
"Whilst businesses and families are paying higher taxes to fund this government's policies, civil servants are being sent on taxpayer-funded jollies to places like Bali, Cape Town and the Maldives," he said.
"This kind of nonsense has no place in government."
But the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office defended the scheme, with a spokesperson saying: "British diplomats serve their country around the globe, including in some of the toughest and most challenging physical and political environments in the world.
"We have a duty of care to ensure our staff are properly supported, and compensation and other provisions reflect the circumstances of the posting, as it would be in any private sector job."
What Next For Nigel Farage After The Clacton By-Election?
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Available for over a year
Today, Nigel Farage was re-elected as MP for Clacton after his resignation in July triggered a by-election in the seat. Adam and Henry are live onstage at the Edinburgh Fringe to discuss all the results from the by-election, and what could happen next for Nigel Farage. The parliamentary standards investigation have reopened their investigation into a £5m gift received by Nigel Farage. So, what conclusions can be drawn from the by-election campaign? Why did Nigel Farage not appear at the count, and cancel a speech on Friday morning? Plus, we make one of Henry Zeffman's dreams come true - live in front of an audience of Newscasters… You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscord Get in touch with Newscast by emailing [email protected] or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480. New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Miranda Slade with Shiler Mahmoudi. The social producer was Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Noah Dunnett. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
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Enzo Fernandez: Chelsea expect midfielder to stay after Man City do not make bid
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Chelsea's deadline for clubs to bid £120m for midfielder Enzo Fernandez has passed - and they now expect the Argentine to stay at the club this season.
Manchester City have been interested in the Argentina international, who previously played under new City boss boss Enzo Maresca at Chelsea.
The Blues told interested parties they had until 17:00 BST on Friday to make an offer for the 25-year-old.
But they are not thought to have received any bids and Xabi Alonso's side now hope to keep their vice-captain.
However, it is understood City do not see the potential transfer as being over and still think Chelsea want to do a deal.
A £120m move would be the fourth-biggest football transfer ever.
City have already made a big-money midfield signing this summer in Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson for £116m.
A potential deal for Fernandez was thought to rely on City selling Spain midfielder Rodri, officially the best player at the 2026 World Cup among numerous other accolades, to Barcelona.
The Hundred 2026 results: Paul Walter stars as Manchester Super Giants beat Sunrisers Leeds to reach final
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The Hundred Eliminator, men's competition, The Kia Oval
Manchester Super Giants 186-4 (100 balls): Walter 80 (46). Klaasen 63 (26)
Sunrisers Leeds 166-7 (100 balls): Rickelton 54* (34), Brook 49 (31); Tongue 4-26
Super Giants won by 20 runs
Scorecard
Paul Walter was the unlikely star as Manchester Super Giants beat Sunrisers Leeds by 20 runs in the Eliminator to cruise into the men's Hundred final.
Walter's 80 off just 46 balls set up Super Giants' imposing total of 186-4 at The Oval, before England seamer Josh Tongue led the bowling unit with an impressive 4-26 in Sunrisers' chase.
Having been put in to bat, Walter remained unflustered when opening partner Tim Seifert was dismissed from the second ball of the game, ensuring that Sunrisers' momentum was short-lived as he and Jos Buttler added 57 for the second wicket.
Buttler made 33 from 20 before Walter combined with the destructive Heinrich Klaasen and the pair added 114 off just 52 balls, with Walter whacking eight sixes and Klaasen four.
South African Klaasen blitzed a brutal 63 off 26 before he fell to Nathan Ellis.
Sunrisers have boasted one of the most powerful top orders in the tournament but struggled under the pressure of a mammoth run chase and they finished 166-7.
The tournament's leading run-scorer Mitch Marsh fell for 10 before captain Zak Crawley wasted a review when he was plumb lbw for six, which later proved costly as Harry Brook was given out lbw on 49 playing a reverse scoop - but replays showed the impact was outside the line of off stump.
Brook had shown glimpses of his brilliance in his 31-ball knock and was keeping Sunrisers' hopes alive, but his dismissal left them needing 89 off 44 balls and the innings fell away.
Tongue removed both Marsh and Crawley before he combined with Sonny Baker to tear through the middle order, the latter finishing with 2-39, while Sunrisers opener Ryan Rickelton was left stranded on 54 not out.
Super Giants will face Trent Rockets in the final at Lord's on Sunday.
Scottie Scheffler: World number one leads first FedEx play-off event
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St Jude Championship - round two leaderboard
-11 S Scheffler (US); -8 Im (Kor), V Hovland (Nor); -7 L Aberg (Swe); -6 Nico Echavarria (Col), T Fleetwood (Eng), J Spieth (US), B Harman (US)
Selected others: -3 M Fitzpatrick (Eng), J Thomas (US); -2 A Rai (Eng); E H Hall (Eng); +1 S Lowry (Ire); +3 J Rose (Eng); +4 R McIlroy (NI), J Smith (Eng); +5 A Fitzpatrick (Eng)
Full leaderboard
Scottie Scheffler equalled the course record with a nine-under-par 61 as he opened up a three-stroke lead at the end of the second round of the St Jude Championship in Memphis.
The world number one, who already led the FedEx Cup standings heading into the first of three play-off events, birdied the first five holes at TPC Southwind.
The American proceeded to knock in a further six birdies, with bogeys on the eighth and 12th holes the only blemishes on his scorecard as he recorded his fourth career round of 61 or better on the PGA Tour.
"Really just a dream start. Probably one of the best starts I've had on tour, to be honest with you. I couldn't tell you a time where I've been lower early in the round," said Scheffler.
"My swing has felt really good in the past couple weeks, especially playing at home. It was nice to get out there and get things rolling early in the round and was able to keep the momentum going and shoot myself a nice round."
South Korea's Im Sung-jae is tied for second with Norway's Viktor Hovland at eight under overall, with Ludvig Aberg a shot further back.
Reigning FedEx Cup champion Tommy Fleetwood is the highest placed British player and in a quartet that also includes Jordan Spieth at six under.
Matt Fitzpatrick and fellow Englishman Aaron Rai, who collected his first major at the US PGA Championship in May, are at three under and two under respectively, with Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy at four over.
With there being no 36-hole cut at any FedEx play-off event, six-time major winner McIlroy will hope to fare better over the weekend.
One player who will be absent though is Scotland's Robert MacIntyre, who withdrew prior to the start of play on Friday with a knee injury.
MacIntyre, who had limped to a 12-over 82 during the first round on Thursday, currently sits at 31st on the FedEx Cup points list.
The top 50 will head into next week's BMW Championship.
Since the Taliban took power, does the West have any influence?
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But now, even this is being squeezed too. Recent rules say women have to ask men to take their products to market, and only men can sit at their stalls to show their wares at trade fairs. The Taliban gives various reasons for this, including claiming that women aren't wearing proper hijab or head covering.
"The world has to talk to the Taliban in a different way because it's just not working," says Najia. "The lives of Afghan women have to change because we're losing hope."
Five years after this ultra-conservative Islamist movement took charge, women are banned from much of the public sphere and girls are prohibited from going to school over the age of 12. Many inside and outside Afghanistan are asking the same pressing question: what's the best way to engage the Taliban to try to achieve meaningful change?
The issue is deeply divisive. There are fissures between many groups, with a huge array of conflicting issues at stake. These include women's rights, unpredictable Taliban edicts, international sanctions and aid cuts during a spiralling humanitarian crisis. The international response is split between Western countries often focused on human rights and others more interested in investment opportunities. And the West itself is divided on the best response.
Many now accept that whatever they're doing, it's not working.
Activists deliver aid to Palestinians in homes besieged by Israeli settlers
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Activists have tried to deliver supplies to Palestinians whose homes in the occupied West Bank have been besieged for days by Israeli settlers.
The group left water and food near one of the houses in Qusra where two Palestinian families have been trapped since Sunday, with their power and water supplies cut off.
Two of the residents said Israeli forces had prevented the activists from delivering the aid directly to them, and the supplies had to be left outside. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) denied this.
Also on Friday, a number of settlers returned to set up a tent near the site - a day after an operation to disperse them from the area. It was later removed by Israeli forces.
The IDF said Qusra was a "closed military zone" and so Israeli civilians - who were among the activists - could not enter the area.
"But they weren't prevented from transferring aid to the Palestinian homes in Qusra."
It said in a further statement that Israeli civilians had erected a tent in the Qusra area earlier on Friday, "and IDF soldiers operated to remove it while protecting the local residents".
About a dozen Palestinian households were told to leave their properties during the operation to disperse settlers on Thursday, including members of the Abu Ridi and Hassan families living in two of their three besieged homes.
Qusra Mayor Abdul Azim Wadi told the BBC that Israeli forces were using some of the vacated Palestinian houses as barracks.
The Israeli military said the aim was "to protect the residents" and soldiers had been "instructed that the Qusra residents will remain in their homes".
A spokesperson had previously described the settlers' actions as "deplorable" and "unacceptable", adding that the government would investigate and arrest those responsible.
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