The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the mpox outbreak in parts of Africa a public health emergency of international concern.

The highly contagious disease – formerly known as monkeypox – has killed at least 450 people during an initial outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It has now spread across parts of central and east Africa, and scientists are concerned about how fast a new variant of the disease is spreading and its high fatality rate.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the potential for further spread within Africa and beyond “is very worrying”.

“A co-ordinated international response is essential to stop this outbreak and save lives,” he said.

Mpox is transmitted through close contact, such as sex, skin-to-skin contact and talking or breathing close to another person.

It causes flu-like symptoms, skin lesions and can be fatal, with four in 100 cases leading to death.

• Explained: What is mpox and how is it spread?

There are two main types of mpox – Clade 1 and Clade 2.

A previous mpox public health emergency, declared in 2022, was caused by the relatively mild Clade 2. However, this time it is the far more deadly Clade 1 – which has killed up to 10% of those getting sick in previous outbreaks – that is surging.

There was a change in the virus around September last year. Mutations led to an offshoot – called Clade 1b – that has since spread rapidly. This new variant has been labelled “the most dangerous yet” by one scientist.

Since the start of the year, there have been more than 13,700 cases of mpox in the DR Congo, with at least 450 deaths.

It has since been detected in other African countries – including Burundi, the Central African Republic, Kenya and Rwanda.

It is hoped the declaration of mpox as a public health emergency will lead to research, funding, and the introduction of other international public health measures being accelerated.

Dr Josie Golding, from the Wellcome Trust, said it was a “strong signal”, while Emory University’s Dr Boghuma Titanji said the move “underscores the gravity of the crisis”.

Prof Trudie Lang, the director of the Global Health Network at the University of Oxford, said it was “important and timely”, but added that the emergence of a new strain meant there were “many unknowns that need to be addressed”.

In July 2022 the milder Clade 2 strain of mpox spread to nearly 100 countries, including some in Europe and Asia.

It spread rapidly, and there were more than 87,000 cases and 140 deaths reported during that outbreak, according to a WHO count.

Although anyone can catch monkeypox, the outbreak was largely concentrated among men who had sex with men.

That outbreak was brought under control by vaccinating vulnerable groups.

On Tuesday, scientists from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared a public health emergency.

The head of the organisation, Jean Kaseya, warned that this current outbreak could spiral out of control if immediate steps were not taken to contain it.

“We must be proactive and aggressive in our efforts to contain and eliminate this threat,” he said.

It’s been a cruel summer for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

A series of scandals that implicated the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Mr Kishida’s closest allies within it and even his family had put his job on the line.

That this happened as living costs shot up and discontent simmered within the LDP did not help the embattled leader.

His approval ratings plummeted to record lows. Through it all a test loomed – the party leadership race that was slated for September.

Some observers said that he would fight for another term, but it was not particularly shocking when he announced that he was bowing out of the race for party president – it means he also won’t be prime minister come September when the LDP picks a new leader.

His diplomatic wins – an ambitious budget to expand the military, deeper ties with the US and a historic détente with South Korea – could not save him.

“The obvious first step to show that the LDP will change is for me to step aside,” the 67-year-old told a roomful of reporters on Wednesday in his usual unflappable manner.

Except for his words, everything else about him suggested it was business as usual.

A political veteran, Fumio Kishida stepped into the top job in 2021. His predecessor Yoshihide Suga had resigned after just a year in office, following dismal approval ratings as Japan weathered one of its worst Covid waves.

A month into his term as PM, Mr Kishida led the LDP into a general election and emerged at the head of a winning coalition.

Those who know him well – and have worked with him – tell the BBC that he is a decent and intelligent man, and a fairly conservative politician. Others say he is a savvy strategist, who shouldn’t be written off easily.

Mr Kishida’s mild-mannered style belied the fact that he could also be unpredictable and stubborn. Take, for instance, his risky yet sudden decision to dissolve his own faction in the party, which led to others disbanding – these cliques, as old as the party itself, are a crucial source of patronage and money.

For months, observers had called his position untenable, partly because of the indecision with which he handled the controversies surrounding him. He held on, even as rebellion grew within LDP ranks. But the writing was on the wall.

“People are so tired now,” Hiromi Murakami, a political science professor at Japan’s Temple University, said weeks before Mr Kishida decided to step down. “It’s accumulating. It’s not just the fundraising scandal.”

The LDP began the year mired in controversy. In December, four cabinet ministers, including key allies of the PM, and several junior ministers had quit amid allegations that LDP leaders were pocketing millions of dollars in party funds.

An investigation by public prosecutors revealed more details, and the LDP eventually said 85 of its members had failed to properly report their income.

This just became the latest in a series of controversies that had marred his term: the year before, he had fired his son who was employed as his executive secretary after it emerged that he had misused his position to throw a party at a prime ministerial residence.

And the LDP was already reeling from headlines about its connections to the controversial Unification Church which was linked to the assassination of former PM Shinzo Abe.

As 2024 dragged on, so did the fallout of all these scandals. And there were new ones.

In April, the LDP lost two seats in a by-election when lawmakers from the party resigned – one was accused of buying votes, and the other was implicated in the fundraising probe.

Then in July, the defence ministry was rocked by allegations of mishandling confidential and sensitive information, harassment of subordinates and fraud. A slew of disciplinary measures, suspensions and even dismissals followed.

By this time, the LDP’s approval ratings had hit rock bottom – 19%, its lowest since 2000, according to a survey by the daily Asahi Shimbun.

Mr Kishida vowed to tackle the crisis “head on”, but the way he handled it became part of the criticism too.

There was the rare appearance in front of the political ethics committee, but he seemed unsure and was reluctant to say much.

In June, his coalition ushered through reforms in election funding, but it was met with public scepticism. “Nothing came out of it although they spent so much time on it. It was too late, he should have done something earlier,” Prof Murakami said.

Also in June, he tried to appease disgruntled voters and ease the impact of inflation with a temporary tax relief scheme. But people didn’t seem to think that went far enough.

“It has been constantly tense… I’ve found myself grappling with many issues both at home and abroad,” is how Mr Kishida assessed his tenure at the end of June, when he reached the 1,000-day mark.

June was also when there were rumblings about “post-Kishida” candidates – loud enough to make it into the national media – as dissatisfied party colleagues feared having an unpopular leader on the PM ticket ahead of next year’s general election.

“[They] think if he’s at the helm, they’re going down. They’re in panic mode,” Jeff Kingston, professor of Asian studies and history at Temple University, told the BBC at the time.

While there have been several corruption scandals before, this latest one came at a painful time.

“The economic situation affected people’s mindset,” Prof Murakami said. “People had suffered so much from the [Covid] crisis. They’re barely paying their bills. But now [they see] politicians that have chunks of money that they’re not going to pay tax for” – a reference to the LDP’s admission that some MPs had not reported their income properly.

While his popularity at home was nose-diving, Mr Kishida had done well on the international stage. He was Japan’s longest-serving foreign minister before becoming prime minister. As PM, he hosted the G7 summit last year, visited Ukraine and thawed relations with South Korea, a crucial ally against both China and North Korea.

Relations with Washington are as strong as ever. He addressed Congress earlier this year on President Biden’s invitation – and received a standing ovation.

“Thank you,” he told his audience. “I never get such nice applause from the Japanese Diet [parliament].

Back home, Japanese media slammed the visit, with one headline declaring “Kishida shouldn’t use the summit as a tool for domestic politics”.

If that was the aim, he didn’t succeed. Mr Kishida was swamped with fighting on so many fronts – and his party and voters ran out of patience.

“People vote on pocketbook issues,” Prof Kingston said. “Great that he is parading around Nato, the EU… and the United States. At the end of the day, I want to see more pay in my wallet.”

Mr Kishida said that the LDP needs a new start – and it needs to convince the Japanese people it can change.

The opposition is still too weak and divided to be a viable option, but there is a great deal of mistrust within the ruling party.

Can a different face at the top unite the Liberal Democratic Party and fix its tarnished image? September will tell.

The Middle East is in turmoil. International diplomacy is in overdrive. And for once many in Israel, Lebanon and Iran have something in common – a war of nerves.

They worry and they wait for what may come next. It feels like the whole region is holding its breath.

Is this the slide towards an all-out regional war? Can a ceasefire be wrestled from the ruins of Gaza? How will Iran, and its proxy militia Hezbollah, retaliate against Israel for back-to-back assassinations in Beirut and Tehran? Will they heed calls for restraint?

In Lebanon, the stultifying heat of summer is overlaid by a layer of anxiety.

Heart-stopping sonic booms interrupt the hum of traffic in Beirut, as Israeli warplanes break the sound barrier in the skies above.

Many foreign nationals are gone, heeding the advice of their governments. Plenty of Lebanese have fled too.

Others cannot tear themselves away – like the 30-year-old chef of a hip café (Beirut has too many of these to count). She is tattooed and candid but prefers not to be named.

“Living in Beirut is like being in a toxic relationship you can’t escape,” she tells me.

“I am emotionally attached. I have family abroad, and I could leave, but I don’t want to. We live day to day. And we joke about the situation.”

In the next breath she admits business has suffered, and she has post-traumatic stress disorder. “It’s like a cold war for us,” she says. She is expecting a hotter one but hopes it will be short.

International mediators are criss-crossing the region, working overtime to prevent a wider conflict. The US envoy Amos Hochstein is among them.

“We continue to believe that a diplomatic resolution is achievable,” he said, “because we continue to believe that no-one truly wants a full-scale war between Lebanon and Israel.”

He was speaking in Beirut on Wednesday, after meeting a close ally of Hezbollah, Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berry.

When asked by a reporter if war could be avoided, Mr Hochstein replied: “I hope so, I believe so.” But he added that the more time goes by, the greater the chances for accidents and mistakes.

The last time Israel and Hezbollah went to war, in 2006, it lasted six weeks and caused major damage and loss of life in Lebanon. More than 1,000 Lebanese civilians were killed, along with up to 200 Hezbollah fighters. Of the 160 Israelis killed, most were soldiers.

All sides agree that a new war would be far more deadly and destructive.

And many here in Lebanon agree that the country cannot afford it. The economy is crippled, and the political system is dysfunctional. The government can’t even keep the lights on.

“I hope there won’t be a war,” says Hiba Maslkhi. “Lebanon won’t be able to cope.”

We meet the tracksuit-clad 35-year-old on a slip way at the waterfront in Beirut. She’s focused on the Mediterranean, fishing rod in hand.

“I hope wiser heads will prevail,” she says, “and that we can control the escalation so that things don’t get out of control.”

She takes every sonic boom personally. “If I hear one, I start to panic, and I wonder if they [Israeli forces] have hit near my house or bombed the airport.”

Hiba, who sells perfume for a living, says Lebanon has already suffered enough.

“Ten months is a long time for us to be psychologically destroyed, hiding in our houses,” she says. “We are scared to start businesses to earn some money because we think war might be around the corner.”

The current round of conflict here began last October when Hamas gunmen stormed out of Gaza and killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel, most of them civilians.

Hezbollah soon joined in, firing from Lebanon into Israel. The Shia Islamist armed group and political party – which is classed as a terrorist organisation by Britain and the US – said it was acting in support of the Palestinian people.

Since October, Hezbollah and Israel have been trading fire, causing tens of thousands to flee on both sides of their shared border, and killing more than 500 in Lebanon, most of them fighters. Israeli officials say 40 people have been killed there – 26 of them soldiers.

Fears of a wider conflict were raised at the end of July, when an Israeli strike in Beirut killed a senior Hezbollah commander.

Israel blamed him for the killing of 12 children in a rocket attack on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights in Syria.

It’s already all-out war in Gaza, where Israel has killed almost 40,000 Palestinians at last count, according to figures from the Hamas run health ministry – data the World Health Organisation regards as credible.

Gaza is the main concern for Ayman Sakr. He is fishing alongside Heba, but their views are far apart.

The 50-year-old taxi driver insists that if all-out war comes, Lebanon will deal with it. “There is some concern, but we can handle it,“ he tells us. “In the end we will defend ourselves. If we die, that’s ok.”

He is quick to pay tribute to the hundreds of Hezbollah fighters who have been killed by Israel, and to the leader of the armed group.

“I salute the resistance and those who were martyred from the bottom of my heart,” he says, “and I salute Hassan Nasrallah who made us and all the Arabs proud. Everyone’s worried about Israel, what about the 39,000 people Israel has killed?”

Ayman, who is a father of five, says the horror in Gaza is undeniable, but being ignored.

“The whole world sees children, women and the elderly being massacred every day in front of the cameras and nobody notices,” he says. “People’s children are being killed in front of their eyes. Where is the world? Those who are quiet are complicit.”

Hiba still hopes that full scale warfare can be avoided.

“No-one has the right to kill anyone,” she says, ”not organisations, not parties and not militias. I hope the new generation is wiser than the one that came before it.”

American actress Gena Rowlands, who is known for roles including in The Notebook and Another Woman, has died at the age of 94.

Rowlands, who was nominated for an Oscar for 1974’s A Woman Under the Influence and 1980’s Gloria, died at her home in Indian Wells, California.

No cause of death was given, but she had been suffering from Alzheimer’s, according to reports.

She quit acting in 2015 after winning four Emmys, two Golden Globes, and earning two Oscar nominations, according to Deadline.

Both A Woman Under the Influence and Gloria were collaborations with her former husband John Cassavetes.

Her Emmys were for The Betty Ford Story, Face of a Stranger, Hysterical Blindness, and The Incredible Mrs Ritchie.

Born in Wisconsin, she moved to New York and stared in the Broadway debut of The Seven Year Itch.

In 1956 she starred in Broadway play Middle of the Night.

In 2015, she was given an honorary Academy Award for her long acting career.

“Working this long? I didn’t even think I’d be living this long,” she recently told Variety.

She also starred in films Faces, Opening Night, Unhook the Stars, Yellow and Broken English, Hope Floats, Tempest, The Brink’s Job, Tony Rome and The Neon Bible.

The Notebook was directed in 2004 by her son Nick Cassavetes, who recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly about how his mother played a character suffering from dementia.

“We spent a lot of time talking about Alzheimer’s and wanting to be authentic with it, and now, for the last five years, she’s had Alzheimer’s,” he said.

“She’s in full dementia. And it’s so crazy — we lived it, she acted it, and now it’s on us.”

Columbia University President Minouche Shafik has resigned from her position amid a free speech debate over campus protests of the war in Gaza.

Ms Shafik’s resignation comes only a year after she took the position at the private Ivy League university in New York City, and just a few weeks before the autumn semester is due to begin.

Ms Shafik is now the third president of an Ivy League university to resign over her handling of Gaza war protests.

In April, Ms Shafik authorised New York Police Department officers to swarm the campus, a controversial decision that led to the arrests of about 100 students who were occupying a university building.

The episode marked the first time that mass arrests had been made on Columbia’s campus since Vietnam War protests more than five decades ago.

The move inflamed other protests at dozens of colleges across the United States and Canada.

In an email to students and faculty on Wednesday, Ms Shafik wrote that she has overseen a “period of turmoil where it has been difficult to overcome divergent views across our community”.

“This period has taken a considerable toll on my family, as it has for others in our community.”

Katrina Armstrong, chief executive officer of the Columbia University Irving Medical Center, will serve as the interim president.

“Over the summer, I have been able to reflect and have decided that my moving on at this point would best enable Columbia to traverse the challenges ahead,” Ms Shafik wrote in her letter.

“I have tried to navigate a path that upholds academic principles and treats everyone with fairness and compassion,” she continued.

“It has been distressing – for the community, for me as president and on a personal level – to find myself, colleagues, and students the subject of threats and abuse.”

Students’ anger over how Israel is fighting its war against Hamas has raised fraught questions for university leaders, who are already struggling with combustive campus debates around what is happening in the Middle East.

US college campuses have been a flashpoint for Gaza war protests since Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October, and Israel’s subsequent incursion into the Gaza Strip.

The leaders of Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology all testified before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

The presidents of Harvard and UPenn ultimately resigned amid backlash over their handling of campus protests and congressional testimony, including their refusal to say that calling for the deaths of Jews could violate university policy.

In April, Ms Shafik defended her institution’s efforts to tackle antisemitism to Congress, saying that there had been a rise in such hatred on campus and the college was working to protect students.

Ms Shafik is a highly-respected Egyptian-born economist who formerly worked for the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Bank of England.

She also previously served as president of the London School of Economics.

Ms Shafik, who received a damehood in 2015, was previously considered to be on the shortlist for the Bank of England governor, the BBC reported in 2019.

Her letter adds that she has been asked by the UK Foreign Secretary to lead a “review of the government’s approach to international development and how to improve capability”.

The decision, she wrote, “enables me to return to the House of Lords and to reengage with the important legislative agenda put forth by the new UK government”.

Her resignation comes after three Columbia University deans also resigned last week, after text messages showed the group used “antisemitic tropes”, according to a statement by Ms Shafik, while discussing Jewish students.

The text exchanges were originally published by the Republican-led House Committee on Education and the Workforce in early July.

Congresswoman Virginia Foxx, the chairwoman of the congressional committee, praised the decision by the three administrators to resign.

“About time. Actions have consequences,” she said in a statement last Thursday, adding that the decision should have been made “months ago”.

“Instead, the University continues to send mixed signals,” she continued, adding that the administration is allowing a dean who has not resigned to “slide under the radar with no real consequences”.

Universities around the US are preparing for the academic year to begin in the next several weeks, as the conflict in Gaza continues.

On Tuesday, a judge in California ruled that UCLA – which saw violent protests break out on campus in May – must prevent protesters from blocking Jewish students from campus facilities.

Judge Mark Scarsi ruled that protesters had “established checkpoints and required passers-by to wear a specific wristband to cross them”, and blocking “people who supported the existence of the state of Israel”.

“Jewish students were excluded from portions of the UCLA campus because they refused to denounce their faith,” Judge Scarsi wrote in the order. “This fact is so unimaginable and so abhorrent to our constitutional guarantee of religious freedom that it bears repeating.”

The university has blamed outside agitators for the checkpoints and said it objected to the ruling.

Hamas-led gunmen killed about 1,200 people in an attack on Israel on 7 October, taking 251 others back to Gaza as hostages.

That attack triggered a massive Israeli military offensive against Gaza and the current war.

At least 39,897 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli campaign, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.

The world’s highest single-arch rail bridge is set to connect Indian-administered Kashmir with the rest of the country by train for the first time.

It took more than 20 years for the Indian railways to finish the bridge over the River Chenab in the Reasi district of Jammu.

The showpiece infrastructure project is 35m taller than the Eiffel Tower and the first train on the bridge is set to run soon between Bakkal and Kauri areas.

The bridge is part of a 272km (169 miles) all-weather railway line that will pass through Jammu, ultimately going all the way to the Kashmir valley (there is no definite timeline yet for the completion). Currently, the road link to Kashmir valley is often cut off during winter months when heavy snowfall leads to blockages on the highway from Jammu.

Experts say the new railway line will give India a strategic advantage along the troubled border region.

The Himalayan region of Kashmir has been a flashpoint between India and Pakistan for decades. The nuclear-armed neighbours have fought two wars over it since independence in 1947. Both claim Kashmir in full but control only parts of it.

An armed insurgency against Delhi’s rule in the Indian-administered region since 1989 has claimed thousands of lives and there is heavy military presence in the area.

“The rail bridge will permit the transport of military personnel and equipment around the year to the border areas,” said Giridhar Rajagopalan, deputy managing director of Afcons Infrastructure, the contractor for the Indian railways that constructed the bridge.

This will help India exploit a “strategic goal of managing any adventurism by Pakistan and China [with whom it shares tense relations] on the western and northern borders”, said Shruti Pandalai, a strategic affairs expert.

On the ground, sentiment about the project is more nuanced. Some locals, who did not want to be named, said the move would definitely help improve transport links, which would benefit them. But they also worry it would be a way for the Indian government to exert more control over the valley.

The railway line is part of a larger infrastructural expansion – along with more than 50 other highway, railway and power projects – by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, which stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its special status and divided the state into two federally administered territories in 2019.

The controversial move was accompanied by a months-long security clampdown which sparked massive anger in the region. Since then, the government has brought in several administrative changes that are seen as attempts to integrate Kashmir more closely with the rest of India.

Ms Pandalai adds that while India’s plans for the region would naturally be guided by its “strategic aims”, it also needs to take “local needs and context” into account.

The construction of the Chenab bridge was approved in 2003, but faced delays and missed deadlines because of the region’s treacherous topography, safety concerns and court cases.

Engineers working on the project had to reach the remote location on foot or by mule during the early stages of construction.

The Himalayas are a young mountain range and their geo-technical features have still not been fully understood. The bridge is located in a highly seismic zone and the Indian railways had to carry out extensive exploration studies, modifying its shape and arches to ensure the bridge could withstand simulated wind speeds of up to 266km/h.

“Logistics was another major challenge given the inaccessibility of the location and the narrow roads. Many of the components of the bridge were built and fabricated on site,” said Mr Rajagopalan.

Besides the engineering complications, the railways had to design a blast-proof structure. Afcons claims the bridge can withstand a strong “explosion of up to 40kg of TNT” and trains would continue to ply, albeit at slower speeds, even if there was damage or a pillar was knocked out.

Experts say that enabling all-weather connectivity to the Kashmir valley could give the region’s economy a much-needed boost.

Poor connectivity during winter months has been a major bugbear for the valley’s largely farm-dependent businesses.

Seven in 10 Kashmiris live off perishable fruit cultivation, according to think-tank Observer Research Foundation.

Ubair Shah, who owns one of Kashmir’s largest cold storage facilities in Pulwama district in south Kashmir, said the impact of the rail link could be “huge”.

Right now, most of the plums and apples stored in his facility make their way to markets in northern states like Haryana, Punjab and Delhi. The new railway line would give farmers access to southern India which could eventually help increase their incomes, he said.

Yet without better last-mile connectivity, he doesn’t expect a quick shift to railway cargo.

“The nearest station is 50km away. We’ll have to first send the produce to the station, then unload it and load it onto the train again. It’s too much handling. With perishables you have to try and minimise that,” Mr Shah said.

The project is also expected to boost the region’s tourism revenue.

Kashmir’s spectacular tourist spots have seen a recent surge in arrivals despite the remoteness of the region. A direct train between Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar would not only be cheaper, but also halve travel time, which could give tourism a further shot in the arm.

There will be several challenges too.

Kashmir continues to be dogged by incidents of violence. A recent spurt in militant activity – which seems to have shifted from the Kashmir valley to the relatively calmer Jammu region – is a particular cause for concern.

In June, nine Hindu pilgrims were killed and dozens injured after militants opened fire on a bus in Reasi – where the bridge is located – in one of the deadliest militant attacks in recent years. There have been several other attacks on the army and civilians.

Experts say such incidents are a reminder of the fragility of peace here – and without stability, connectivity projects would go only so far in reviving the region’s economy.

Kursk.

It is one of the first words I wrote and spoke as a BBC correspondent.

In 2000, I reported on the sinking of the Kursk submarine in the icy waters of the Barents Sea. One hundred and eighteen submariners were killed.

Vladimir Putin had been president for less than half a year. I can still remember Russian TV channels slamming him over his handling of the disaster.

This week marked 24 years since K-141 Kursk sank. And, once again, the word Kursk is filling my despatches from Russia. This time Kursk Region, where Ukrainian troops launched their surprise incursion and where they have been seizing territory for nine days now.

Same word.

But Russia 2024 is very different from Russia 2000.

This time on Russian TV there is no hint of criticism of President Putin; no casting doubt on his decision-making; no suggestion that it is his invasion of Ukraine that has led to this dramatic moment. Then again, the Kremlin has had a quarter of a century to establish tight control over the Russian media and the messaging.

Even so, will these events damage Vladimir Putin?

It’s a question I’ve been asked many times over the last two-and-a-half years:

• In 2022 when Ukraine sank the warship Moskva, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet
• again a few months later after Russian troops’ lightning retreat from north-eastern Ukraine
• and again in 2023 during the Wagner mutiny, when armed mercenaries were marching on Moscow – a direct challenge to Vladimir Putin’s authority.

President Putin got through all of that, apparently unscathed. He will be confident he can overcome this latest challenge.

But here’s the thing. The Wagner mutiny was over in a day.

Ukraine’s offensive inside Russia has been going on for more than a week. The longer it continues, the greater the pressure will be on the Russian leadership and, potentially, the greater the damage to President Putin’s authority.

Through his two and a half decades in power, Mr Putin has cultivated the image of “Mr Security, the only man in this vast country capable of keeping Russians safe and secure.

His so-called “special military operation” (the full-scale invasion of Ukraine) was presented to the Russian people as a way of boosting Russia’s national security.

Two and a half years into this war there isn’t much sign here of “safe and secure”.

There is more Nato on Russia’s borders, with Sweden and Finland having joined the Nato Alliance; Russian towns are coming under regular Ukrainian drone attack; now Ukrainian soldiers are seizing Russian territory.

Through his choice of language, Vladimir Putin is trying to show the Russian public that there is no need to panic.

When referring to the Ukrainian incursion he has avoided using the word “invasion”. Instead, he has spoken of “the situation in the border area” or “the events that are taking place”. The Kremlin leader has also called the Ukrainian offensive “a provocation”.

What will the Russian president do next?

Don’t expect him to pick up the phone and call Kyiv. Russian officials have made it clear that, following the Ukrainian attack, they’re putting the very idea of peace talks on hold.

Not that any large-scale negotiation had been scheduled to take place.

In fact, this week Vladimir Putin leader announced exactly what his intention is: “…to force the enemy from Russian territory.”

It’s one thing saying it. It’s another thing doing it. Despite deploying reinforcements to the Kursk region, the Russian military has yet to regain control in this part of Russia.

As I was walking past the Kremlin on Thursday morning, I stopped in my tracks.

As workers were setting up seating and screens for an event, Edith Piaf’s classic (No, I regret nothing) was playing on a large video screen and echoing across Red Square.

It was a very surreal moment.

Vladimir Putin has shown no sign of regret for having launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

No regret for the decisions he has taken since.

If his public statements reflect his current state of mind, he still believes there is only one possible outcome of this war: Russia’s victory.

A Thai court has dismissed Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin for appointing to his cabinet a former lawyer who was once jailed.

The Constitutional Court ruled that Mr Srettha had violated the “rules on ethics” with “the display of defiant behaviour”.

The 62-year-old Srettha, who has been in power for less than a year, is the third PM in 16 years to be removed by the same court.

He will be replaced by an interim leader until Thailand’s parliament convenes to elect a new prime minister.

“I’m confident in my honesty … I feel sorry, but I’m not saying I disagree with the ruling,” he said at a press conference shortly after the ruling. The court’s ruling is final and cannot be appealed.

Mr Srettha’s dismissal means he has now gone the way of so many other parties and administrations in Thailand – felled by the disproportionate power of the country’s constitutional court.

Politics in Thailand is not known for its ethics; bribery is commonplace and ministers with more serious convictions have been allowed to serve in the past.

Most people in Thailand will see this as a political verdict, though exactly who was pushing for it is not yet clear.

In May the court had accepted a petition filed by some 40 senators asking to remove the PM from his position over his appointment of Pichit Chuenban – who was previously sentenced to six months in jail for attempted bribery.

On Wednesday, five of the nine judges ruled that Mr Srettha had indeed violated the ethics of his office by appointing a lawyer who had a criminal conviction to his cabinet, despite him quitting after just 19 days.

The vote for a new prime minister will involve plenty of backroom bargaining, while Thailand struggles to revive its faltering economy.

Hopes that the country was now putting the political turmoil, including two military coups that have shaken it for the past two decades, have proved premature.

Mr Srettha became prime minister only last August, ending nine years of military-dominated governments in Thailand.

His appointment too was the result of a political bargain that froze out the young, reformist Move Forward party, which had won the most seats and votes in last year’s general election.

It was a stunning victory that raised hopes for a fresh start for Thailand but Move Forward was blocked from forming the government by the military-appointed senate.

The election’s second-biggest winner Pheu Thai then struck a deal with other conservative parties to form a ruling coalition without Move Forward – and Mr Srettha found himself at the helm.

Last week, the constitutional court dissolved the Move Forward party for making unconstitutional campaign promises and banned 11 party leaders from politics for 10 years.

The remote Pacific Island nation of Kiribati headed to the polls on Wednesday in a general election that could hold profound implications for the South Pacific region.

The archipelago, which has a population of about 116,000, is viewed as strategically valuable to both China and the United States due to its relatively close proximity to Hawaii and its relatively vast claim of oceanic territory, according to experts.

In recent years its government has also forged strong relations with Beijing, after current long-time President Taneti Maamau shifted the country’s ties from Taiwan to China in 2019.

Now, as President Maamau seeks to extend his near decade in power, outside observers are watching and waiting to see where Kiribati’s geopolitical allegiances will fall.

“In the space of five years we’ve seen a very rapid escalation of China’s political access, economic influence, and increasingly security access into Kiribati and the territory that it controls – a hugely significant change brought on by the incumbent president,” Mihai Sora, director of the Pacific Islands program at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, told BBC News.

“That’s the issue that’s at stake: this rapid escalation in ties between Kiribati and China.”

On the ground, Mr Sora said, the I-Kirabiti people will likely have voted based on issues affecting them day-to-day, such as the cost of living, the economy, and the “poor state of government services”.

“But internationally, of course, people will be interested in what foreign policy posture would a new government take,” he added.

While US efforts to establish an embassy in Kiribati stall, China’s presence in the country has become increasingly tangible. In February, Reuters reported that Chinese police had begun working alongside local authorities on the ground in Kiribati.

Last month, China donated riot control gear to the Kiribati police force, saying it was willing to “elevate China-Kiribati relations to a new level”, according to a post on Kiribati Police Service’s Facebook.

From China’s perspective, Kiribati has become increasingly strategically valuable as geopolitical rivalries in the South Pacific grow, according to Mr Sora.

It is for this same reason that warming ties between the two nations have stoked anxieties in the West.

“Ultimately the scenario that the US and allies will be looking to avoid is the establishment of infrastructure that has you seeing Chinese vessels on rotation in Kiribati, for example, or the placement of personnel,” Mr Sora said.

“The implication of the incumbent retaining power is that this trajectory continues and China increases and consolidates its strategic access to Kiribati.

“And that changes regional security dynamics. It adds a security overhead to the Pacific Islands region that we haven’t seen for a long time.”

Blake Johnson, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said from Kiribati’s perspective, China is likely seen as a valuable development partner that can provide support against economic and climatic concerns.

“Obviously a lot of these [South Pacific] countries are quite small, they’re facing large climate and environmental threats, and so they need access to a range of partners to really keep building on their development. And that includes China,” Mr Johnson told BBC Newsday.

As people on the ground in Kiribati cast their votes, he added, they might have been questioning whether their government’s relationship with China is truly improving their quality of life, or negatively impacting it.

“Geopolitics always come second to the everyday needs of the people,” Mr Johnson said.

Mr Sora added that in many ways global geopolitical concerns have distracted from these more pressing, everyday issues.

“You have this competition for access and influence playing out in various ways… but one of the criticisms is that it’s distracted from development partner support to traditional sectors like health and education,” he said.

“It’s quite easy to demonstrate how geopolitics has distracted from key development issues.”

Voting is not compulsory in Kiribati, and Wednesday’s ballot is the first of two rounds in which citizens will select the country’s members of parliament. These will be followed by the vote for president.

The country’s last election was in 2020.

An 11-year-old girl stabbed eight times by a stranger in London’s Leicester Square this week is an Australian tourist, according to the country’s authorities.

The Australian foreign ministry disclosed her nationality on Tuesday and said it was offering assistance to the girl and her mother, who was with her at the time of the attack.

Both had been visiting London on holiday when they were set upon in the popular tourist district on Monday.

UK police have charged a 32-year-old man, Ioan Pintaru, with attempted murder.

Prosecutors told a London court on Tuesday that Mr Pintaru had approached the duo on Monday at about 11:30 BST. He grabbed the child, put her in a headlock and then attacked her with a steak knife.

“[He] stabbed her eight times to the body,” prosecutor David Burns told the Westminster Magistrate Court.

She suffered wounds to her face, neck, wrists and shoulders and which required plastic surgery in hospital. UK authorities say she has since been discharged.

Mr Pintaru was remanded in custody until his next court hearing on 10 September. UK authorities say he is a Romanian national with no fixed address.

Police have said they do not believe the stabbing was terror-related.

A senior Hamas official told the BBC that it will not participate in the indirect talks on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal due to resume in Doha on Thursday.

The Palestinian armed group wanted a roadmap for implementing the agreement and would “not engage in negotiations for the sake of negotiations in order to provide cover for Israel to continue its war”, the official said.

He reiterated that the roadmap should be based on the proposed deal outlined by US President Joe Biden at the end of May and accused Israel of adding “new conditions”.

Israel’s prime minister has denied doing so and said Hamas has been the one demanding changes.

The talks are still expected to take place even without Hamas, as US, Egyptian and Qatari mediators say they could use them to put together a plan that resolves the remaining issues.

They suffered several setbacks last month and have been suspended since Hamas’s political leader and chief negotiator, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated in Tehran.

The US hopes that finalising a deal could deter Iran from retaliating for the assassination against Israel – which has neither confirmed nor denied involvement – and avert a regional conflict.

The US has ramped up its diplomatic efforts ahead of the talks.

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said in a phone call that “no party in the region should take actions that would undermine efforts to reach a deal,” a state department statement said. Mr Blinken also spoke separately to Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, the state department said.

US President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris were also briefed by their national security team on the latest developments in the Middle East, the White House said.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

More than 39,960 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.

Last week, the leaders of the US, Egypt and Qatar issued a joint statement calling on Israel and Hamas to resume urgent discussions on a deal that would bring relief to the people of Gaza as well as the 111 remaining hostages, 39 of whom are presumed dead.

A framework agreement was “now on the table with only the details of implementation left to conclude”, they said, adding that they were prepared to present a bridging proposal that overcame their differences if necessary.

Israel responded by saying it would send a team of negotiators to take part in Thursday’s talks. But Hamas – which is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the UK and other countries – asked the mediators to present a plan based on where talks were a month and a half ago instead of engaging in any new rounds of negotiations.

On Wednesday, a senior Hamas official confirmed that its representatives would not attend the meeting, despite many of them being based in the Qatari capital.

“We want a roadmap to implement what we have already agreed based on President Biden’s ceasefire plan and the Security Council resolution, which guarantees Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, specifically from the Philadelphi corridor [running along the border with Egypt], and allows the return of displaced persons to northern Gaza without restrictions, and allows the flow of humanitarian aid,” he told the BBC.

“It is Israel which added new conditions and reneged on its previous agreement,” he added.

The first phase of the deal outlined by Mr Biden on 31 May and endorsed by the UN Security Council would include a “full and complete ceasefire” lasting six weeks, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas of Gaza, and the exchange of some of the hostages – including women, the elderly and the sick or wounded – for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

The second phase would involve the release of all other living hostages and a “permanent end to hostilities”. The third would see the start of a major reconstruction plan for Gaza and the return of dead hostages’ remains.

On Tuesday, the New York Times reported that unpublished documents showed Israel had relayed a list of five new conditions in a letter on 27 July, which added to the principles it had set out on 27 May and Mr Biden presented days later.

It said the May proposal had talked of the “withdrawal of Israeli forces eastwards away from densely populated areas along the borders in all areas of the Gaza Strip”, but that the July letter had included a map indicating Israel would remain in control of the Philadelphi corridor.

The report also said the letter had added a stipulation that an agreed upon mechanism should be established to ensure only unarmed civilians returning to northern Gaza were allowed through the Israeli-controlled Netzarim corridor, which effectively divides the territory in two.

In response to the report, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a statement saying the charge that he had added new conditions was “false”, describing them instead as “essential clarifications”.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu’s 27 July letter does not introduce extra conditions and certainly does not contradict or undermine the 27 May proposal. In fact, Hamas is the one that demanded 29 changes to the 27 May proposal, something the prime minister refused to do,” it added, without providing details about Hamas’s demands.

Later on Tuesday, President Biden conceded that the negotiations were “getting hard”, but vowed that he was “not giving up”.

He also said he believed an agreement would help avert the possibility of retaliation against Israel by Iran, Hamas’s main backer, for the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh.

When asked by a reporter if Iran “could… stop doing action if a ceasefire deal is possible”, he replied: “That’s my expectation but we’ll see.”

Israel, which has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in the Hamas leader’s killing, has warned Iran that it would “exact a heavy price for any aggression”. Iran has dismissed Western calls for restraint and insisted that “a punitive response to an aggressor is a legal right”.

Haniyeh has been succeeded by Hamas’s leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, who was one of the masterminds behind the 7 October attack. Mr Netanyahu said on Monday that Sinwar “has been and remains the only obstacle to a hostage deal”.

A woman has received £35,000 in compensation after her rape case was dropped amid claims she could have had an episode of “sexsomnia”.

Jade Blue McCrossen-Nethercott, 32, contacted police in 2017, telling them she thought she had been raped while asleep. She said she had woken up half-naked, finding her necklace broken on the floor.

But charges were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) days before a trial was due to begin after lawyers for the alleged perpetrator claimed Jade had sexsomnia – a medically recognised, but rare, sleep disorder that causes a person to engage in sexual acts while asleep.

Jade has now received compensation from the CPS, which said it has “apologised unreservedly”.

• Read Jade’s full story here

It added that it was “committed to improving every aspect of how life-changing crimes like rape are dealt with”.

Jade said the CPS had “taken me to the darkest points of my life”, and that it felt “like a big triumph to be able to hold them accountable”.

Her lawyers, from the Centre for Women’s Justice, said it was “extremely rare” for the CPS to make a payout like this.

In 2017, after a night out with friends, Jade woke up on a sofa with a feeling she had been raped while she slept. Within hours, she had reported it to the police. The suspect offered no comment when questioned and the CPS made the decision to charge him with rape.

But in 2020, just days before the trial was due to start, Jade was told by the CPS her rape case would not be taken to trial because the defence had claimed she had experienced an episode of sexsomnia.

The CPS explained that two sleep experts had given their opinion on the case after a police interview with Jade where she was questioned about her sleep habits. Neither expert had met or spoken to Jade.

Jade said she did not have sexsomnia, however, sleep experts were not able to rule out the possibility that she could have had an isolated episode on the night of the incident.

Despite never appearing before a jury, the defendant was formally acquitted, leaving the case unable to be reopened without compelling new evidence.

In 2021, Jade lodged an appeal via the CPS victim’s right to review system. In response, she received a letter of apology from a chief crown prosecutor, independent of the CPS department that made the original decision to close her case.

They admitted the CPS was wrong in closing her case, saying it should instead have been taken to trial.

Jade described the CPS decisions during this time as “more damaging” to her than the night of the incident, saying the legal process had turned her world “upside down”.

She said her decision to sue the CPS was motivated by wanting accountability and to ensure “similar mistakes [were] not made again in these kind of rape cases”.

“For me it’s not about the financial side of things. I’m very much wanting to push for systemic changes with the CPS and the legal system advocating for better training, policies, procedures and practices,” she said.

She added: “It has taken a lot from me, but I held on to a lot of positives. I am really proud of the work that both myself and the Centre for Women’s Justice have done to get to this point.”

Kate Ellis, joint litigation lead at the Centre for Women’s Justice, said claims brought by victims against the CPS are legally “difficult”, with payouts “extremely rare”.

She said Jade’s was the first case she was aware of in which a rape victim had been awarded compensation by the CPS over a decision to discontinue a case before trial.

“It’s a testament to how severe the failing was on the part of the CPS that we have been able to bring this claim,” she added.

In the year to March 2024, 65,913 rape cases were recorded by police in England and Wales (excluding Devon & Cornwall police). Of these cases, just 2.6% have so far resulted in a suspect being charged, or receiving a summons, according to Home Office figures.

A spokesperson for the CPS said: “A settlement has been reached with Ms McCrossen-Nethercott, to whom we have apologised unreservedly, and we continue to wish her the very best going forward.

“We remain positive about the progress being made and recognise there is still a long way to go to improve outcomes for victims, so more people can come forward and report with confidence.”

Jade said she was still waiting to hear from the CPS about the lessons it has learned from her case. She said she hoped her story would empower others to raise their voices.

“We must hold these agencies accountable and we’ve done it now,” she added.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, help and advice can be found here

Sexsomnia: Case Closed?

When unexpected sleepwalking claims turn a rape case on its head, Jade fights back. Filmed over three years, this is the remarkable story of one woman’s battle for justice. Will she win?

Watch now on BBC iPlayer (UK Only)

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the mpox outbreak in parts of Africa a public health emergency of international concern.

The highly contagious disease – formerly known as monkeypox – has killed at least 450 people during an initial outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mpox disease is caused by the monkeypox virus. This is from the same group of viruses as smallpox but is much less harmful.

The virus was originally transmitted from animals to humans but now also passes between humans.

It is most common in remote villages in the tropical rainforests of Africa, in countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo).

In these regions, there are thousands of cases and hundreds of deaths from the disease every year – with children under 15 worst affected.

There are two main types of mpox – Clade 1 and Clade 2.

A previous mpox public health emergency, declared in 2022, was caused by the relatively mild Clade 2.

It spread to nearly 100 countries which do not normally see the virus, including some in Europe and Asia, but was brought under control by vaccinating vulnerable groups.

However, this time it is the far more deadly Clade 1 – which has killed up to 10% of those getting sick in previous outbreaks – that is surging.

There was a change in the virus around September last year. Mutations led to an offshoot – called Clade 1b – that has since spread rapidly. This new variant has been labelled “the most dangerous yet” by one scientist.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says there were more than 14,500 mpox infections and over 450 deaths from mpox between the start of 2024 and the end of July. That is a 160% increase in infections and a 19% increase in deaths compared with the same period in 2023.

While 96% of mpox cases are in DR Congo, the disease has spread to many neighbouring countries such as Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, where it is not normally endemic.

There is poor access to mpox vaccines and treatments in DR Congo and health officials are concerned about the spread of the disease.

Experts say the new strain may be spreading more easily, causing more serious disease and more deaths in children and adults.

Initial symptoms include fever, headaches, swellings, back pain and aching muscles.

Once the fever breaks, a rash can develop, often beginning on the face then spreading to other parts of the body, most commonly the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.

The rash, which can be extremely itchy or painful, changes and goes through different stages before finally forming a scab, which later falls off. The lesions can cause scarring.

The infection usually clears up on its own and lasts between 14 and 21 days.

Serious cases can see lesions attack the whole of the body, and especially the mouth, eyes and genitals.

Mpox spreads from person to person through close contact with someone who is infected – including through sex, skin-to-skin contact and talking or breathing close to another person.

The virus can enter the body through broken skin, the respiratory tract or through the eyes, nose or mouth.

It can also be spread through touching objects which have been contaminated by the virus, such as bedding, clothing and towels.

Close contact with infected animals, such as monkeys, rats and squirrels, is another route.

During the global outbreak in 2022, the virus spread mostly through sexual contact.

The current outbreak from DR Congo is being driven by sexual contact, but has also been found in other communities.

Most cases are often found in people who are sexually active and men who have sex with men. People with several partners or new sexual partners can be most at risk.

But anyone who has close contact with someone with symptoms can catch the virus, including health workers and family members.

Advice is to avoid close contact with anyone with mpox and clean your hands with soap and water if the virus is in your community.

Those who have mpox should isolate from others until all their lesions have disappeared.

Condoms should be used as a precaution when having sex for 12 weeks after recovery, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.

Outbreaks of mpox can be controlled by preventing infections – the best way of doing that is with vaccines.

Vaccines exist but only people at risk or who have been in close contact with an infected person are usually able to have it.

The WHO has recently asked drug manufacturers to put forward their mpox vaccines for emergency use, even if those vaccines have not been formally approved in the countries where they are needed.

Now that the Africa CDC has declared a continent-wide public health emergency, it is hoped that governments will be better able to co-ordinate their response and potentially increase the flow of medical supplies and aid into affected areas.

Business owner Louis Ho remembers how so many of Hong Kong’s taxi drivers refused to take him and his mother – who was a wheelchair user – to hospital for routine check-ups.

“I didn’t even need the driver to carry my mum or the wheelchair. I did everything myself,” says the 64-year-old whose mother passed away in 2018.

He is one of many Hong Kongers who have a story to tell about their city’s infamous cabbies. Ask them what they like least about Hong Kong, and taxi drivers will likely be high on the list.

The most common complaints: drivers are rude, refuse to accept rides and often take longer routes so customers have to pay more.

But now the Hong Kong Taxi Council is on a mission to transform this image. They will despatch “courtesy ambassadors” armed with “best-practice” pamphlets to taxi stands.

Will that really help? That depends on who you ask.

A single campaign cannot school rude or misbehaving drivers overnight – there are about 46,000 cabbies in the city, cautions Ryan Wong, the chairman of the council.

But he is hopeful: “This is not the first time that we have done this, and the feedback from drivers has been positive.”

Hong Kongers are more sceptical. An interview clip of a taxi driver saying that passengers, rather than drivers, are the ones to be educated has gone viral in the city – many point to it as evidence that nothing will change.

Many of them are also still smarting from past experiences.

Amy Ho, in her 30s, said she stopped taking taxis a few years ago after an encounter that she found particularly unpleasant.

“I didn’t realise I had asked for a very short journey. As soon as I reached the destination, I scrambled for cash to pay,” she says.

“It was merely five seconds or so, and the driver said, ‘Can you stop dragging on, auntie? I can’t believe you need a ride for such a short distance and you can’t even afford it!’.”

IT worker Kenny Tong now only take a cab about three times a month, preferring to avoid the ordeal where he can. To hail one, he says, he often has to “bow, wait for the driver to lower the car window” and check if his destination is on the driver’s route for the day.

“Some taxi drivers grumble throughout the journey after I have boarded,” he adds.

He also finds it frustrating when drivers do not use GPS and ask him how to reach the destination – even though they have “multiple phones on the dashboard”.

Most disgruntled passengers do not file complaints because it’s time-consuming. Still, there there were about 11,500 complaints last year – a 11% increase from 2019, according to the Transport Advisory Committee. Only a tiny fraction were prosecuted.

Then there is the problem of dishonest drivers – with tourists especially vulnerable.

In early July, a visitor from the China’s eastern province of Zhejiang took to social media to complain that she was only given HK$44 ($5.6; £4.5) in change after giving a cabbie HK$1,000 for a HK$56 ride. She reported the incident to the police, but couldn’t get her money back because of insufficient evidence.

But poor behaviour is only a symptom of the deeper issues that beset the city’s taxi industry, which is struggling with high costs, increased competition and bureaucracy.

There are about 18,000 taxi licenses in the city, and this number has been largely capped since 1994, apart from 2016 when just 25 licenses were issued. Many holders see the licenses as an investment and rent them to drivers.

Leung Tat Chong – who has worked as a taxi driver for more than two decades – says the rent of the licenses has kept rising and a driver has to pay about HK$500 for a 12-hour daytime shift – which does not include fuel. On a typical day, a driver can make HK$500 to HK$800.

“We can only do more business during rush hours, and sometimes we wait for up to 25 minutes and there is not even one single passenger,” he says. “To make a living, some drivers are not as patient and they have no capacity to improve their services.”

This is not an excuse for poor behaviour, he adds, but the “reality” of the industry.

Taxis also face intense competition from Uber which has been hugely popular since its entry into the Hong Kong market in 2014. The company says half of the city’s 7.5 million population have used it at least once.

The taxi industry has called on the government to crack down on the platform, which remains officially illegal in the city, arguing that it is unfair because Uber drivers are not subjected to the same laws – including needing special licences to run.

In late May, some taxi drivers even launched a vigilante sting operation to expose Uber drivers – but that attracted backlash from the public, many of whom say they prefer the ride hailing app precisely because of the issues they have with cab drivers.

“We underestimated the impact of ride-hailing apps,” says Chau Kwok-keung, the chairman of the Hong Kong Taxi and Public Light Bus Association. “Passengers are willing to pay more for a better riding experience.”

While Mr Chau is against Uber, he concedes that there are fewer conflicts on that platform because drivers can pick the passengers and fares are agreed before the journey. He also admits that the industry has been slow to adapt to online hailing systems and digital payment. Most taxi drivers still only accept cash.

The taxi industry also struggles to attract new blood. The average age of drivers is close to 60. Mr Chau argues that the lack of prospects is an important factor, as taxi fare has only been raised four times in the past decade. In 2023, the average income of an urban taxi driver was about HK$22,000, about 10% higher than the city’s median income. Hong Kong ranks 45th in terms of taxi fare in the world, according to living-cost online database Numbeo. Mr Chau says it’s very low considering Hong Kong is an expensive city.

“Many think that only poor people become cabbies, and it’s the last resort when one meets financial difficulties,” says Mr Leung, who thinks that the government should tighten requirements and provide more training for taxi drivers to improve the profession’s image.

But big changes are afoot for the city’s taxi industry.

A demerit-point system will take effect in September, and misbehaviour could lead to a license suspension after a court conviction.

A taxi fleet system will be introduced and authorities have issued five new licenses. It will allow flexible pricing, but in return, these fleets, which include 3,500 taxis, have to provide online booking, personal rating systems and digital payment.

For now, drivers and passengers say they are waiting to see if these reforms can take hold.

“If we provide good service, the industry will grow and there will be more passengers,” says Mr Leung.

Newborn twins were reportedly killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza while their father was at a local government office to register their birth.

Asser, a boy, and Ayssel, a girl, were just four days old when their father Mohammed Abu al-Qumsan went to collect their birth certificates.

While he was away, his neighbours called to say their home in Deir al Balah had been bombed.

The strike also killed his wife and the twins’ grandmother.

“I don’t know what happened,” he said. “I am told it was a shell that hit the house.”

“I didn’t even have the time to celebrate them,” he added.

Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry says 115 infants have been born and then killed during the war.

According to AP news agency, the family had followed an order to evacuate Gaza City in the opening weeks of the Israel-Gaza war, seeking shelter in a central part of the strip, as the Israeli army instructed.

The BBC has asked the Israeli army for comment on the strike, and is waiting for a response.

Israel says it tries to avoid harming civilians and blames their deaths on Hamas operating in dense residential areas, including using civilian buildings as shelter.

But officials rarely comment on individual strikes.

Several such shelters in Gaza have been attacked in the past few weeks.

On Saturday, an Israeli air strike on a school building sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza City killed more than 70 people, the director of a hospital told the BBC.

An Israeli military spokesman said the school “served as an active Hamas and Islamic Jihad military facility”, which Hamas denied.

Israel disputed the number of dead, but the BBC could not independently verify figures from either side.

Hamas-led gunmen killed about 1,200 people in an attack on Israel on 7 October, taking 251 others back to Gaza as hostages.

That attack triggered a massive Israeli military offensive on Gaza and the current war.

More than 39,790 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli campaign, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.

Police in New Zealand are racing to trace sweets containing “potentially lethal levels of methamphetamine” after they were distributed by a charity in Auckland.

Up to 400 people may have received the sweets from Auckland City Mission as part of a food parcel, said the anti-poverty charity.

The sweets were donated anonymously by a member of the public in a sealed retail package, it added.

At least three people, including a child, sought medical attention afterwards though none are currently in hospital.

“We did not know that the lollies contained methamphetamine when they were distributed,” the charity’s spokesperson told the BBC.

Each individual sweet could have a street value of around NZ$1,000 ($601; £468), according to the New Zealand Drug Foundation.

Police say while the incident could be accidental rather than a targeted operation, they had not drawn any conclusions as it is “a bit early to say”.

The charity alerted the authorities on Tuesday after being alerted by a recipient about the “funny tasting” sweets.

Helen Robinson, chief executive of Auckland City Mission, said that some of the charity’s staff members tried the sweets themselves and agreed with the complaints, and started to “feel funny” afterwards.

They then sent sweets that were still on site to the NZ Drug Foundation for tests, which confirmed that potentially lethal levels of methamphetamine were contained in the samples.

In a statement, the foundation said they found about 3g of methamphetamine in a sweet that was sent for testing.

“A common dose to swallow is between 10-25mg, so this contaminated lolly contained up to 300 doses,” says its head Sarah Helm, adding that swallowing such amount of the drug is “extremely dangerous and could result in death”.

Methamphetamine can cause chest pain, racing heart, seizures, hyperthermia, delirium and loss of consciousness, according to the foundation.

According to Ms Robinson, the mission distributes around 50,000 food parcels a year and only commercially manufactured food are included in these parcels.

Police have asked people that have sweets wrapped in brand Rinda’s yellow pineapple flavour packaging to contact them immediately.

“It’s vital the public are aware of these lollies and the hazard that they present,” Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin said in a press conference on Wednesday.

Describing it as a “deeply concerning” matter, he said that such cases of food laced with meth had happened before and they would likely work with Interpol on the investigation, which may take some time.

Rinda, a Malaysian confectioner, told BBC News that it has come to their attention that their products may have been misused in connection with illegal substances and the company “does not use or condone the use of any illegal drugs” in their products.

“We will work closely with law enforcement and relevant authorities to address this issue and protect the integrity of our brand,” the firm said in a statement.

Steven Peh, the general manager of Rinda, told local news site Stuff NZ that the contaminated candy he had seen in photos was white, whereas Rinda’s product is yellow.

The authorities are still trying to understand the scale of the spread. 16 packets have been recovered so far – police say each packet could possibly contain 20 – 30 sweets but they don’t know the exact number in the 16 packets. Up to 400 people have been contacted by the charity.

Ms Robinson said the sweets likely came into the charity’s posession in about mid-July, but that they are calling everyone as far back as 1 July to be safe.

Ben Birks Ang, deputy director of the NZ Drug Foundation, said the organisation believes the incident was unlikely to be intentional as “disclosing substances as something else to smuggle it into another area is common”.

But there are still fears that other charities could be affected.

Ms Robinson said she had contacted other charities to check for their sweets.

“To say we are devastated is an absolute understatement,” she told the press, adding that one in five in New Zealand experience food insecurity, which makes the incident “deeply distressing”.

The six-tonne Altar Stone at the heart of Stonehenge came from the far north of Scotland rather than south-west Wales as previously thought, new analysis has found.

The discovery shows the construction of Stonehenge was a far greater collaborative effort than scientists realised.

It also means that the ancient monument, near Salisbury in south-west England, was built with stones from all parts of Great Britain.

The findings suggest Neolithic Britain was a far more connected and advanced society than earlier evidence indicated.

The distance between Stonehenge and the far north of Scotland is about 700km (434 miles).

The research was led by a Welsh PhD student, Anthony Clarke, now working at Curtin University in Western Australia.

Such is the importance of the discovery that it has been published in one of the world’s leading scientific journals, Nature, which is an enormous achievement for an apprentice researcher.

But it is a bittersweet moment for the young Welshman, who was born in Pembrokeshire, where the Altar Stone was until now thought to have come from.

“I don’t think I’ll be forgiven by people back home,” he joked to BBC News. “It will be a great loss for Wales!”

But Mr Clarke points out that the remaining stones in the central horseshoe, which are known as bluestones, are from Wales and the larger stones in the outer circle are from England.

“We’ve got to give the Scots something!” he said.

“But on a serious note, Stonehenge seems to be this great British endeavour involving all the different people from all over the island,” he said.

The bluestones at Stonehenge were identified as coming from the Preseli hills in Pembrokeshire in 1923, by Welsh geologist Henry Herbert Thomas. The central Altar Stone was made of a different rock but always assumed to have come from the same area, until 20 years ago when scientists first began to question its origins.

Last year, researchers including Prof Nick Pearce from Aberystwyth in Wales, of all places, concluded that the Altar Stone could not have come from Wales. But its origin had remained a mystery, until now.

“It blew our socks off when we discovered it was from north-east Scotland,” Prof Pearce, who was also involved in the current discovery, told BBC News.

“It was a shock to say the least. Coming from that distance, more than 700km, was remarkable.

“The Neolithic people must have been pretty well connected, far more connected than people give them credit for. They must have been very well organised”.

The breakthrough was made by the team at Curtin university who analysed the chemical composition of fragments of rock that had fallen off the Altar Stone and dated them. The composition and date are unique to rocks from different parts of the world, rather like a fingerprint.

The Australian team had access to one of the most comprehensive global rock fingerprint databases and found the best match was from the Orcadian Basin, which includes the Caithness, Orkney, and Moray Firth regions of north-eastern Scotland.

Construction at Stonehenge began 5,000 years ago, with changes and additions over the next two millennia. Most of the bluestones are believed to have been the first stones erected at the site.

Dr Robert Ixer, from University College London, who was also involved in the study, described the result as “shocking”.

“The work prompts two important questions: how was the Altar Stone transported from the very north of Scotland, a distance of more than 700 kilometres, to Stonehenge, and, more intriguing, why?”

The distance is the longest recorded journey for any stone used in a monument at that period and Prof Peace says that the next mystery to solve is how it got there.

“There are obvious physical barriers to transporting by land, and an equally daunting journey if going by sea.

“These findings will have huge ramifications for understanding communities in Neolithic times, their levels of connectivity and their transport systems”.

The new research will be pored over by archaeologists working for English Heritage, which looks after Stonehenge, according to one of the monument’s senior curators, Heather Sebire.

”This discovery certainly implies that there were great social connections in Britain at the time,” she told BBC News.

“It is phenomenal that the people of the time brought such a large stone all this way. They must have had a compelling reason to do it.

“They had a sophisticated and developed society and so they probably had a spiritual side, just like we do“.

Officials in Spain are investigating singer Katy Perry, for allegedly filming a music video in ecologically-sensitive sand dunes in the Balearic Islands without permission.

The video for her latest single Lifetimes shows the singer enjoying beaches and partying in clubs on the islands of Ibiza and Formentera.

But scenes believed to have been filmed in the middle of the protected dunes on the isle of S’Espalmador in Formentera have raised concern.

A statement from the Spanish government alleged that the production company responsible for the video had not sought permission. Katy Perry has not commented.

Officials stressed that Katy Perry was not under investigation for what it called “crimes against the environment”, as filming can be authorised in the area.

The environment department of the Balearic Islands issued a press release on Tuesday, claiming that the video’s production company did not secure the necessary authorisation before filming.

As a result, their release said, “preliminary investigation actions have been initiated”.

The department drew attention to one section of the Natural Resources Management Plan, which states that “photographic, cinematographic or videographic” reports for an “advertising or commercial exhibition purpose” requires express authorisation of the ministry for the environment.

The video for Lifetimes includes shots of the dune system of S’Espalmador, one of the most ecologically rich areas of Formentera.

S’Espalmador is an uninhabited islet located to the north of Formentera, and is approximately 1.8 miles long.

It has been part of the Ses Salines de Ibiza and Formentera natural park since 1980.

The dunes on the small, privately owned island are of “great ecological value”, according to the regional government’s tourism website.

BBC News has contacted production company WeOwnTheCity, and representatives for Katy Perry, for comment.

It follows a shaky album campaign for the singer, who is releasing her seventh album 143 in September.

The first single from the upcoming project, Woman’s World, was critically panned and failed to make an impact on the charts, with many feeling its feminist messaging was out of touch.

The Guardian asked “what regressive, warmed-over hell is this?”, The Cut stated that “Perry is stuck in 2016”, and Rolling Stone raised the question: “Did Katy Perry release the worst comeback single of all time?”

Follow-up single Lifetimes has also been produced by Dr Luke who Perry has been criticised for working with.

Singer Kesha sued Dr Luke in 2014, seeking to void their contract because, her lawyers claimed, he had “sexually, physically, verbally, and emotionally abused [Kesha] to the point where [she] nearly lost her life”.

Dr Luke denied the claims. They reached an agreement to settle a years-long defamation lawsuit last year.

People in Botswana have reacted with outrage on social media after the government asked citizens to donate money to reward the country’s historic gold-medal winning Olympic team.

The fund would be a way for citizens to honour the athletes by “contributing rewards to our champions”, said the government in a statement on Monday.

Letsile Tebogo brought glory to Botswana after he became the first African athlete to win the men’s 200m at the Olympics, bringing home the country’s first ever gold medal.

But the government’s request for donations has halted celebrations for some, who question why their taxes aren’t being used to reward the Olympians.

“We are already paying tax, give our champions [sic] money from the government purse,” raged one user on Facebook.

The Botswana government did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment and it is unclear if they are also contributing to the reward pot.

“I would love to donate in support of the boy’s historic achievement, but unfortunately, I’m currently an unemployed electrical engineering graduate with a bachelor’s degree,” one user said.

Another suggested that the cabinet lead by example and donate 25% of their salaries.

Other countries in Africa have often rewarded the winners of Olympic gold medals, or the Africa Cup of Nations, with houses or lump sums of cash.

Botswana has one of the highest levels of income per head in Africa, but also one of the world’s highest rates of youth unemployment, according to Afrobarometer.

Although Botswana is one of the world’s largest producers of diamonds, the southern African country has recently experienced a slump in diamond revenues, forcing the government to cut spending, according to Bloomberg.

Despite the objection to the fund, there have been some voices of support for the Olympic reward pot.

One person enthusiastically suggested the fund be opened for anyone across the continent to send money.

“Open it to all Africans, I want to contribute from Kenya,” said one voice of support.

Tebego set an African record 19.46 seconds in the 200m, and also won a silver medal in the men’s 4x400m relay alongside his teammates.

On Tuesday, tens of thousands of people gathered in the National Stadium in the capital, Gaborone, to welcome the Olympic team home after President Mokgweetsi Masisi declared it a half-day holiday.

• Botswana welcomes Tebogo home with stadium spectacular
• ‘A hyperactive child’ – Letsile Tebogo’s mum on the sprinters athletic journey
• Botswana’s youth unemployment problem
• How can Africa improve its performance for LA 2028?

Disney World is arguing a man cannot sue it over the death of his wife because of terms he signed up to in a free trial of Disney+.

Jeffrey Piccolo filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Disney after his wife died in 2023 from a severe allergic reaction after eating at a restaurant at the theme park.

However, Disney argues its terms of use, which Mr Piccolo agreed to when creating his Disney account in 2019, means they have to settle out of court.

Representatives for Disney and Jeffrey Piccolo have been contacted for comment.

Mr Piccolo alleges that the restaurant at Disney World – in Orlando, Florida – that he and his wife dined at did not take enough care over her severe allergies to dairy and nuts, despite being repeatedly told about them.

Dr Kanokporn Tangsuan died in hospital later that day, 5 October 2023.

According to the legal filing, her death was confirmed by a medical examiner “as a result of anaphylaxis due to elevated levels of dairy and nut in her system.”

He is suing Disney for a sum in excess of $50,000 plus legal costs.

Disney wants the case in the courts to be halted, and for the dispute to be resolved out of court, in a process called arbitration.

The entertainment company argues it cannot be taken to court because, in its terms of use, it says users agree to settle any disputes with the company via arbitration.

It says Mr Piccolo agreed to these terms of use when he signed up to a one month free trial of its streaming service, Disney+, in 2019.

Disney adds that Mr Piccolo accepted these terms again when using his Disney account to buy tickets for the theme park in 2023.

Mr Piccolo’s lawyers call Disney’s arguments “preposterous” and “inane”.

They say Disney’s case “is based on the incredible argument that any person who signs up for a Disney+ account, even free trials that are not extended beyond the trial period, will have forever waived the right to a jury trial”.

The argument that this can be extended to wrongful death or personal injury claims “borders on the surreal,” according to the legal filing.

They also argue that Mr Piccolo agreed to the Disney terms of use for himself, whereas he is now acting on behalf of his deceased wife, who never agreed to the terms.

“Disney is pushing the envelope of contract law,” says Ernest Aduwa, partner at Stokoe Partnership Solicitors, who are not involved in the proceedings.

“The courts will have to consider, on balance, if the arbitration clause in a contract for a streaming service can really be applied to as serious an allegation of wrongful death through negligence at a theme park,” he says.

He adds: “Disney’s argument that accepting their terms and conditions for one product covers all interactions with that company is novel and potentially far reaching.”

Jibreel Tramboo, barrister at Church Court Chambers, says the terms in the Disney+ trial are a “weak argument for Disney to rely on”.

However, he says, the clause in the ticket purchase from 2023 may be a stronger case, “as there is a similar arbitration clause”.

“That may permit Disney to stay the case for arbitration,” he says, “although there are many other threads that may prevent them going to arbitration given the delicate circumstances in this case.”

Mr Piccolo wants the case to go in front of a jury in a court of law.

Disney’s motion to take the case out of court and decided by arbitration will be heard in front of a Florida judge in October.

Arbitration means the dispute is overseen by a neutral third party who is not a judge.

It is usually a quicker and cheaper process than a court case.

“Disney understandably may want to benefit from the privacy and confidentiality that arbitration brings, rather than having a wrongful death suit heard in public with the associated publicity,” says Jamie Cartwright, partner at law firm Charles Russell Speechlys.

A south-east London street cleaner whose bosses banned him from accepting £3,000 raised by the community for a holiday can now go on his dream trip after a travel agent stepped in.

Bromley Council contractor Veolia told 63-year-old Paul Spiers he could not accept the money raised through a GoFundMe campaign because its agreement with the council forbade it.

But a travel agent then launched a competition, with very narrow criteria for entrants – and Mr Spiers “won” a £3,000 holiday to Portugal.

A Veolia spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service it was aware of the competition and had no objection to Mr Spiers accepting the prize.

The fundraising page was created by Lisa Knight, a Beckenham estate agent manager.

Ms Knight said she and Mr Spiers became friends through their mutual love of Elvis Presley, which he often played from a speaker on his dustcart.

She explained she got the idea for the fundraiser after Mr Spiers “let slip that he wanted to save up to go to Portugal [for his birthday] because he had only been once, which his brother paid for, on his 60th birthday”.

“That’s the only time he’s ever been abroad,” she added.

After the gesture was blocked by Mr Spiers’ employer, a local travel agent posted details of its competition on X on Tuesday.

The company said the terms and conditions of its competition stated applicants must “love Elvis Presley, be aged between 62 and 64, be loved by the local community, be a street cleaner in Beckenham and have the surname Spiers”.

A Veolia spokesperson said: “We are always happy to hear from members of the public who want to recognise our teams.

“Unfortunately on this occasion, we were not made aware of the fundraising and were therefore unable to work together to find the most appropriate way to recognise Paul.

“Veolia has a number of recognition schemes across the UK that reward our colleagues for exceptional services to the community and Paul will be the recipient of Bromley’s Employee of the Quarter – an internal financial reward to recognise his hard work and dedication.”

Money from the fundraiser will now be donated to Cancer Research UK, Mr Spiers’ charity of choice.

Ms Knight said the response from the public had “been overwhelming” and “mind-blowing”.

“I’m so proud to live in a place that has a community like this,” she said.

“I’ve always known it was a special place.”

Prince Harry and Meghan will begin a visit to Colombia later this week where they are expected to support projects aimed at safeguarding young people from online harm.

The couple have been invited by Francia Marquez, the South American country’s vice president and the first black woman to hold that role.

It comes ahead of a global ministerial conference about ending violence against children which is being held in Colombia in November.

According to the vice-president’s office, the couple will be meeting “leaders, youth and women who embody the voices and aspirations of Colombians committed to progress”.

Over the next few days, Prince Harry and Meghan will visit the capital Bogota and the regions of Cartagena and Cali.

If the visit is anything like their recent trip to Nigeria, they can expect a rock star welcome.

But it will also raise questions about the status of the trip.

It is not a state visit or royal trip, which would be carried out on behalf of the government. The couple are no longer working royals.

Nonetheless, the trip, which was arranged following an invitation from the vice president, might resemble an official royal visit.

There are likely to be photo-friendly visits to cultural events and community projects.

The couple are attending as guests of Ms Marquez, a political leader with a background in human rights and environmental campaigning.

The vice president has highlighted the need to tackle “cyberbullying, online exploitation and the mental health impact of these threats” and says this will be a key feature of Prince Harry and Meghan’s visit.

The couple, who have faced their own attacks on social media, are campaigning to make the internet a safer place.

They launched The Parents’ Network to help families whose children have experienced the harmful effects of social media.

The project aims to do more to protect the “mental, physical, and emotional well-being” of children who might have been adversely affected.

In a TV interview with US network CBS News, Prince Harry spoke of some parents not knowing what their children are doing online.

“They could be in the next door room on a tablet or on a phone, and can be going down these rabbit holes,” he said.

Ahead of the trip to Colombia, Prince Harry’s chief of staff Josh Kettler has left his role.

It was said to be a mutual decision to part ways.

There will be concerns about security on the trip to Colombia, too, with the Foreign Office advising against travel to several regions of the country.

In an interview with ITV, Prince Harry spoke of his fears about his family’s safety, particularly in terms of threats provoked by negative press or social media coverage.

He said it was one of the reasons he would not bring Meghan back to the UK.

Prince Harry has been involved in ongoing legal cases against what he claims have been abuses of the tabloid press and the unlawful gathering of information.

The California-based couple also appear to be working on a consumer lifestyle brand.

There have been social media teases for a project called American Riviera Orchard. Pots of jam were sent to the couple’s famous friends and then posted online.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the mpox outbreak in parts of Africa a public health emergency of international concern.

The highly contagious disease – formerly known as monkeypox – has killed at least 450 people during an initial outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It has now spread across parts of central and east Africa, and scientists are concerned about how fast a new variant of the disease is spreading and its high fatality rate.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the potential for further spread within Africa and beyond “is very worrying”.

“A co-ordinated international response is essential to stop this outbreak and save lives,” he said.

Mpox is transmitted through close contact, such as sex, skin-to-skin contact and talking or breathing close to another person.

It causes flu-like symptoms, skin lesions and can be fatal, with four in 100 cases leading to death.

• Explained: What is mpox and how is it spread?

There are two main types of mpox – Clade 1 and Clade 2.

A previous mpox public health emergency, declared in 2022, was caused by the relatively mild Clade 2. However, this time it is the far more deadly Clade 1 – which has killed up to 10% of those getting sick in previous outbreaks – that is surging.

There was a change in the virus around September last year. Mutations led to an offshoot – called Clade 1b – that has since spread rapidly. This new variant has been labelled “the most dangerous yet” by one scientist.

Since the start of the year, there have been more than 13,700 cases of mpox in the DR Congo, with at least 450 deaths.

It has since been detected in other African countries – including Burundi, the Central African Republic, Kenya and Rwanda.

It is hoped the declaration of mpox as a public health emergency will lead to research, funding, and the introduction of other international public health measures being accelerated.

Dr Josie Golding, from the Wellcome Trust, said it was a “strong signal”, while Emory University’s Dr Boghuma Titanji said the move “underscores the gravity of the crisis”.

Prof Trudie Lang, the director of the Global Health Network at the University of Oxford, said it was “important and timely”, but added that the emergence of a new strain meant there were “many unknowns that need to be addressed”.

In July 2022 the milder Clade 2 strain of mpox spread to nearly 100 countries, including some in Europe and Asia.

It spread rapidly, and there were more than 87,000 cases and 140 deaths reported during that outbreak, according to a WHO count.

Although anyone can catch monkeypox, the outbreak was largely concentrated among men who had sex with men.

That outbreak was brought under control by vaccinating vulnerable groups.

On Tuesday, scientists from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared a public health emergency.

The head of the organisation, Jean Kaseya, warned that this current outbreak could spiral out of control if immediate steps were not taken to contain it.

“We must be proactive and aggressive in our efforts to contain and eliminate this threat,” he said.

Early on Friday morning, a 31-year-old female trainee doctor retired to sleep in a seminar hall after a gruelling day at one of India’s oldest hospitals.

It was the last time she was seen alive.

The next morning, her colleagues discovered her half-naked body on the podium, bearing extensive injuries. Police later arrested a hospital volunteer worker in connection with what they say is a case of rape and murder at Kolkata’s 138-year-old RG Kar Medical College.

Tens of thousands of women in Kolkata and across West Bengal state are expected to participate in a ‘Reclaim the Night’ march at midnight on Wednesday, demanding the “independence to live in freedom and without fear”. The march takes place just before India’s Independence Day on Thursday. Outraged doctors have struck work both in the city and across India, demanding a strict federal law to protect them.

The tragic incident has again cast a spotlight on the violence against doctors and nurses in the country. Reports of doctors, regardless of gender, being assaulted by patients and their relatives have gained widespread attention. Women – who make up nearly 30% of India’s doctors and 80% of the nursing staff – are more vulnerable than their male colleagues.

The crime in the Kolkata hospital last week exposed the alarming security risks faced by the medical staff in many of India’s state-run health facilities.

At RG Kar Hospital, which sees over 3,500 patients daily, the overworked trainee doctors – some working up to 36 hours straight – had no designated rest rooms, forcing them to seek rest in a third-floor seminar room.

Reports indicate that the arrested suspect, a volunteer worker with a troubled past, had unrestricted access to the ward and was captured on CCTV. Police allege that no background checks were conducted on the volunteer.

“The hospital has always been our first home; we only go home to rest. We never imagined it could be this unsafe. Now, after this incident, we’re terrified,” says Madhuparna Nandi, a junior doctor at Kolkata’s 76-year-old National Medical College.

Dr Nandi’s own journey highlights how female doctors in India’s government hospitals have become resigned to working in conditions that compromise their security.

At her hospital, where she is a resident in gynaecology and obstetrics, there are no designated rest rooms and separate toilets for female doctors.

“I use the patients’ or the nurses’ toilets if they allow me. When I work late, I sometimes sleep in an empty patient bed in the ward or in a cramped waiting room with a bed and basin,” Dr Nandi told me.

She says she feels insecure even in the room where she rests after 24-hour shifts that start with outpatient duty and continue through ward rounds and maternity rooms.

One night in 2021, during the peak of the Covid pandemic, some men barged into her room and woke her by touching her, demanding, “Get up, get up. See our patient.”

“I was completely shaken by the incident. But we never imagined it would come to a point where a doctor could be raped and murdered in the hospital,” Dr Nandi says.

What happened on Friday was not an isolated incident. The most shocking case remains that of Aruna Shanbaug, a nurse at a prominent Mumbai hospital, who was left in a persistent vegetative state after being raped and strangled by a ward attendant in 1973. She died in 2015, after 42 years of severe brain damage and paralysis. More recently, in Kerala, Vandana Das, a 23-year-old medical intern, was fatally stabbed with surgical scissors by a drunken patient last year.

In overcrowded government hospitals with unrestricted access, doctors often face mob fury from patients’ relatives after a death or over demands for immediate treatment. Kamna Kakkar, an anaesthetist, remembers a harrowing incident during a night shift in an intensive care unit (ICU) during the pandemic in 2021 at her hospital in Haryana in northern India.

“I was the lone doctor in the ICU when three men, flaunting a politician’s name, forced their way in, demanding a much in-demand controlled drug. I gave in to protect myself, knowing the safety of my patients was at stake,” Dr Kakkar told me.

Namrata Mitra, a Kolkata-based pathologist who studied at the RG Kar Medical College, says her doctor father would often accompany her to work because she felt unsafe.

“During my on-call duty, I took my father with me. Everyone laughed, but I had to sleep in a room tucked away in a long, dark corridor with a locked iron gate that only the nurse could open if a patient arrived,” Dr Mitra wrote in a Facebook post over the weekend.

“I’m not ashamed to admit I was scared. What if someone from the ward – an attendant, or even a patient – tried something? I took advantage of the fact that my father was a doctor, but not everyone has that privilege.”

When she was working in a public health centre in a district in West Bengal, Dr Mitra spent nights in a dilapidated one-storey building that served as the doctor’s hostel.

“From dusk, a group of boys would gather around the house, making lewd comments as we went in and out for emergencies. They would ask us to check their blood pressure as an excuse to touch us and they would peek through the broken bathroom windows,” she wrote.

Years later, during an emergency shift at a government hospital, “a group of drunk men passed by me, creating a ruckus, and one of them even groped me”, Dr Mitra said. “When I tried to complain, I found the police officers dozing off with their guns in hand.”

Things have worsened over the years, says Saraswati Datta Bodhak, a pharmacologist at a government hospital in West Bengal’s Bankura district. “Both my daughters are young doctors and they tell me that hospital campuses in the state are overrun by anti-social elements, drunks and touts,” she says. Dr Bodhak recalls seeing a man with a gun roaming around a top government hospital in Kolkata during a visit.

India lacks a stringent federal law to protect healthcare workers. Although 25 states have some laws to prevent violence against them, convictions are “almost non-existent”, RV Asokan, president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), an organisation of doctors, told me. A 2015 survey by IMA found that 75% of doctors in India have faced some form of violence at work. “Security in hospitals is almost absent,” he says. “One reason is that nobody thinks of hospitals as conflict zones.”

Some states like Haryana have deployed private bouncers to strengthen security at government hospitals. In 2022, the federal government asked the states to deploy trained security forces for sensitive hospitals, install CCTV cameras, set up quick reaction teams, restrict entry to “undesirable individuals” and file complaints against offenders. Nothing much has happened, clearly.

Even the protesting doctors don’t seem to be very hopeful. “Nothing will change… The expectation will be that doctors should work round the clock and endure abuse as a norm,” says Dr Mitra. It is a disheartening thought.

An 11-year-old girl stabbed eight times by a stranger in London’s Leicester Square this week is an Australian tourist, according to the country’s authorities.

The Australian foreign ministry disclosed her nationality on Tuesday and said it was offering assistance to the girl and her mother, who was with her at the time of the attack.

Both had been visiting London on holiday when they were set upon in the popular tourist district on Monday.

UK police have charged a 32-year-old man, Ioan Pintaru, with attempted murder.

Prosecutors told a London court on Tuesday that Mr Pintaru had approached the duo on Monday at about 11:30 BST. He grabbed the child, put her in a headlock and then attacked her with a steak knife.

“[He] stabbed her eight times to the body,” prosecutor David Burns told the Westminster Magistrate Court.

She suffered wounds to her face, neck, wrists and shoulders and which required plastic surgery in hospital. UK authorities say she has since been discharged.

Mr Pintaru was remanded in custody until his next court hearing on 10 September. UK authorities say he is a Romanian national with no fixed address.

Police have said they do not believe the stabbing was terror-related.

Columbia University President Minouche Shafik has resigned from her position amid a free speech debate over campus protests of the war in Gaza.

Ms Shafik’s resignation comes only a year after she took the position at the private Ivy League university in New York City, and just a few weeks before the autumn semester is due to begin.

Ms Shafik is now the third president of an Ivy League university to resign over her handling of Gaza war protests.

In April, Ms Shafik authorised New York Police Department officers to swarm the campus, a controversial decision that led to the arrests of about 100 students who were occupying a university building.

The episode marked the first time that mass arrests had been made on Columbia’s campus since Vietnam War protests more than five decades ago.

The move inflamed other protests at dozens of colleges across the United States and Canada.

In an email to students and faculty on Wednesday, Ms Shafik wrote that she has overseen a “period of turmoil where it has been difficult to overcome divergent views across our community”.

“This period has taken a considerable toll on my family, as it has for others in our community.”

Katrina Armstrong, chief executive officer of the Columbia University Irving Medical Center, will serve as the interim president.

“Over the summer, I have been able to reflect and have decided that my moving on at this point would best enable Columbia to traverse the challenges ahead,” Ms Shafik wrote in her letter.

“I have tried to navigate a path that upholds academic principles and treats everyone with fairness and compassion,” she continued.

“It has been distressing – for the community, for me as president and on a personal level – to find myself, colleagues, and students the subject of threats and abuse.”

Students’ anger over how Israel is fighting its war against Hamas has raised fraught questions for university leaders, who are already struggling with combustive campus debates around what is happening in the Middle East.

US college campuses have been a flashpoint for Gaza war protests since Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October, and Israel’s subsequent incursion into the Gaza Strip.

The leaders of Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology all testified before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

The presidents of Harvard and UPenn ultimately resigned amid backlash over their handling of campus protests and congressional testimony, including their refusal to say that calling for the deaths of Jews could violate university policy.

In April, Ms Shafik defended her institution’s efforts to tackle antisemitism to Congress, saying that there had been a rise in such hatred on campus and the college was working to protect students.

Ms Shafik is a highly-respected Egyptian-born economist who formerly worked for the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Bank of England.

She also previously served as president of the London School of Economics.

Ms Shafik, who received a damehood in 2015, was previously considered to be on the shortlist for the Bank of England governor, the BBC reported in 2019.

Her letter adds that she has been asked by the UK Foreign Secretary to lead a “review of the government’s approach to international development and how to improve capability”.

The decision, she wrote, “enables me to return to the House of Lords and to reengage with the important legislative agenda put forth by the new UK government”.

Her resignation comes after three Columbia University deans also resigned last week, after text messages showed the group used “antisemitic tropes”, according to a statement by Ms Shafik, while discussing Jewish students.

The text exchanges were originally published by the Republican-led House Committee on Education and the Workforce in early July.

Congresswoman Virginia Foxx, the chairwoman of the congressional committee, praised the decision by the three administrators to resign.

“About time. Actions have consequences,” she said in a statement last Thursday, adding that the decision should have been made “months ago”.

“Instead, the University continues to send mixed signals,” she continued, adding that the administration is allowing a dean who has not resigned to “slide under the radar with no real consequences”.

Universities around the US are preparing for the academic year to begin in the next several weeks, as the conflict in Gaza continues.

On Tuesday, a judge in California ruled that UCLA – which saw violent protests break out on campus in May – must prevent protesters from blocking Jewish students from campus facilities.

Judge Mark Scarsi ruled that protesters had “established checkpoints and required passers-by to wear a specific wristband to cross them”, and blocking “people who supported the existence of the state of Israel”.

“Jewish students were excluded from portions of the UCLA campus because they refused to denounce their faith,” Judge Scarsi wrote in the order. “This fact is so unimaginable and so abhorrent to our constitutional guarantee of religious freedom that it bears repeating.”

The university has blamed outside agitators for the checkpoints and said it objected to the ruling.

Hamas-led gunmen killed about 1,200 people in an attack on Israel on 7 October, taking 251 others back to Gaza as hostages.

That attack triggered a massive Israeli military offensive against Gaza and the current war.

At least 39,897 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli campaign, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.

Kursk.

It is one of the first words I wrote and spoke as a BBC correspondent.

In 2000, I reported on the sinking of the Kursk submarine in the icy waters of the Barents Sea. One hundred and eighteen submariners were killed.

Vladimir Putin had been president for less than half a year. I can still remember Russian TV channels slamming him over his handling of the disaster.

This week marked 24 years since K-141 Kursk sank. And, once again, the word Kursk is filling my despatches from Russia. This time Kursk Region, where Ukrainian troops launched their surprise incursion and where they have been seizing territory for nine days now.

Same word.

But Russia 2024 is very different from Russia 2000.

This time on Russian TV there is no hint of criticism of President Putin; no casting doubt on his decision-making; no suggestion that it is his invasion of Ukraine that has led to this dramatic moment. Then again, the Kremlin has had a quarter of a century to establish tight control over the Russian media and the messaging.

Even so, will these events damage Vladimir Putin?

It’s a question I’ve been asked many times over the last two-and-a-half years:

• In 2022 when Ukraine sank the warship Moskva, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet
• again a few months later after Russian troops’ lightning retreat from north-eastern Ukraine
• and again in 2023 during the Wagner mutiny, when armed mercenaries were marching on Moscow – a direct challenge to Vladimir Putin’s authority.

President Putin got through all of that, apparently unscathed. He will be confident he can overcome this latest challenge.

But here’s the thing. The Wagner mutiny was over in a day.

Ukraine’s offensive inside Russia has been going on for more than a week. The longer it continues, the greater the pressure will be on the Russian leadership and, potentially, the greater the damage to President Putin’s authority.

Through his two and a half decades in power, Mr Putin has cultivated the image of “Mr Security, the only man in this vast country capable of keeping Russians safe and secure.

His so-called “special military operation” (the full-scale invasion of Ukraine) was presented to the Russian people as a way of boosting Russia’s national security.

Two and a half years into this war there isn’t much sign here of “safe and secure”.

There is more Nato on Russia’s borders, with Sweden and Finland having joined the Nato Alliance; Russian towns are coming under regular Ukrainian drone attack; now Ukrainian soldiers are seizing Russian territory.

Through his choice of language, Vladimir Putin is trying to show the Russian public that there is no need to panic.

When referring to the Ukrainian incursion he has avoided using the word “invasion”. Instead, he has spoken of “the situation in the border area” or “the events that are taking place”. The Kremlin leader has also called the Ukrainian offensive “a provocation”.

What will the Russian president do next?

Don’t expect him to pick up the phone and call Kyiv. Russian officials have made it clear that, following the Ukrainian attack, they’re putting the very idea of peace talks on hold.

Not that any large-scale negotiation had been scheduled to take place.

In fact, this week Vladimir Putin leader announced exactly what his intention is: “…to force the enemy from Russian territory.”

It’s one thing saying it. It’s another thing doing it. Despite deploying reinforcements to the Kursk region, the Russian military has yet to regain control in this part of Russia.

As I was walking past the Kremlin on Thursday morning, I stopped in my tracks.

As workers were setting up seating and screens for an event, Edith Piaf’s classic (No, I regret nothing) was playing on a large video screen and echoing across Red Square.

It was a very surreal moment.

Vladimir Putin has shown no sign of regret for having launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

No regret for the decisions he has taken since.

If his public statements reflect his current state of mind, he still believes there is only one possible outcome of this war: Russia’s victory.

The Middle East is in turmoil. International diplomacy is in overdrive. And for once many in Israel, Lebanon and Iran have something in common – a war of nerves.

They worry and they wait for what may come next. It feels like the whole region is holding its breath.

Is this the slide towards an all-out regional war? Can a ceasefire be wrestled from the ruins of Gaza? How will Iran, and its proxy militia Hezbollah, retaliate against Israel for back-to-back assassinations in Beirut and Tehran? Will they heed calls for restraint?

In Lebanon, the stultifying heat of summer is overlaid by a layer of anxiety.

Heart-stopping sonic booms interrupt the hum of traffic in Beirut, as Israeli warplanes break the sound barrier in the skies above.

Many foreign nationals are gone, heeding the advice of their governments. Plenty of Lebanese have fled too.

Others cannot tear themselves away – like the 30-year-old chef of a hip café (Beirut has too many of these to count). She is tattooed and candid but prefers not to be named.

“Living in Beirut is like being in a toxic relationship you can’t escape,” she tells me.

“I am emotionally attached. I have family abroad, and I could leave, but I don’t want to. We live day to day. And we joke about the situation.”

In the next breath she admits business has suffered, and she has post-traumatic stress disorder. “It’s like a cold war for us,” she says. She is expecting a hotter one but hopes it will be short.

International mediators are criss-crossing the region, working overtime to prevent a wider conflict. The US envoy Amos Hochstein is among them.

“We continue to believe that a diplomatic resolution is achievable,” he said, “because we continue to believe that no-one truly wants a full-scale war between Lebanon and Israel.”

He was speaking in Beirut on Wednesday, after meeting a close ally of Hezbollah, Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berry.

When asked by a reporter if war could be avoided, Mr Hochstein replied: “I hope so, I believe so.” But he added that the more time goes by, the greater the chances for accidents and mistakes.

The last time Israel and Hezbollah went to war, in 2006, it lasted six weeks and caused major damage and loss of life in Lebanon. More than 1,000 Lebanese civilians were killed, along with up to 200 Hezbollah fighters. Of the 160 Israelis killed, most were soldiers.

All sides agree that a new war would be far more deadly and destructive.

And many here in Lebanon agree that the country cannot afford it. The economy is crippled, and the political system is dysfunctional. The government can’t even keep the lights on.

“I hope there won’t be a war,” says Hiba Maslkhi. “Lebanon won’t be able to cope.”

We meet the tracksuit-clad 35-year-old on a slip way at the waterfront in Beirut. She’s focused on the Mediterranean, fishing rod in hand.

“I hope wiser heads will prevail,” she says, “and that we can control the escalation so that things don’t get out of control.”

She takes every sonic boom personally. “If I hear one, I start to panic, and I wonder if they [Israeli forces] have hit near my house or bombed the airport.”

Hiba, who sells perfume for a living, says Lebanon has already suffered enough.

“Ten months is a long time for us to be psychologically destroyed, hiding in our houses,” she says. “We are scared to start businesses to earn some money because we think war might be around the corner.”

The current round of conflict here began last October when Hamas gunmen stormed out of Gaza and killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel, most of them civilians.

Hezbollah soon joined in, firing from Lebanon into Israel. The Shia Islamist armed group and political party – which is classed as a terrorist organisation by Britain and the US – said it was acting in support of the Palestinian people.

Since October, Hezbollah and Israel have been trading fire, causing tens of thousands to flee on both sides of their shared border, and killing more than 500 in Lebanon, most of them fighters. Israeli officials say 40 people have been killed there – 26 of them soldiers.

Fears of a wider conflict were raised at the end of July, when an Israeli strike in Beirut killed a senior Hezbollah commander.

Israel blamed him for the killing of 12 children in a rocket attack on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights in Syria.

It’s already all-out war in Gaza, where Israel has killed almost 40,000 Palestinians at last count, according to figures from the Hamas run health ministry – data the World Health Organisation regards as credible.

Gaza is the main concern for Ayman Sakr. He is fishing alongside Heba, but their views are far apart.

The 50-year-old taxi driver insists that if all-out war comes, Lebanon will deal with it. “There is some concern, but we can handle it,“ he tells us. “In the end we will defend ourselves. If we die, that’s ok.”

He is quick to pay tribute to the hundreds of Hezbollah fighters who have been killed by Israel, and to the leader of the armed group.

“I salute the resistance and those who were martyred from the bottom of my heart,” he says, “and I salute Hassan Nasrallah who made us and all the Arabs proud. Everyone’s worried about Israel, what about the 39,000 people Israel has killed?”

Ayman, who is a father of five, says the horror in Gaza is undeniable, but being ignored.

“The whole world sees children, women and the elderly being massacred every day in front of the cameras and nobody notices,” he says. “People’s children are being killed in front of their eyes. Where is the world? Those who are quiet are complicit.”

Hiba still hopes that full scale warfare can be avoided.

“No-one has the right to kill anyone,” she says, ”not organisations, not parties and not militias. I hope the new generation is wiser than the one that came before it.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the mpox outbreak in parts of Africa a public health emergency of international concern.

The highly contagious disease – formerly known as monkeypox – has killed at least 450 people during an initial outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mpox disease is caused by the monkeypox virus. This is from the same group of viruses as smallpox but is much less harmful.

The virus was originally transmitted from animals to humans but now also passes between humans.

It is most common in remote villages in the tropical rainforests of Africa, in countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo).

In these regions, there are thousands of cases and hundreds of deaths from the disease every year – with children under 15 worst affected.

There are two main types of mpox – Clade 1 and Clade 2.

A previous mpox public health emergency, declared in 2022, was caused by the relatively mild Clade 2.

It spread to nearly 100 countries which do not normally see the virus, including some in Europe and Asia, but was brought under control by vaccinating vulnerable groups.

However, this time it is the far more deadly Clade 1 – which has killed up to 10% of those getting sick in previous outbreaks – that is surging.

There was a change in the virus around September last year. Mutations led to an offshoot – called Clade 1b – that has since spread rapidly. This new variant has been labelled “the most dangerous yet” by one scientist.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says there were more than 14,500 mpox infections and over 450 deaths from mpox between the start of 2024 and the end of July. That is a 160% increase in infections and a 19% increase in deaths compared with the same period in 2023.

While 96% of mpox cases are in DR Congo, the disease has spread to many neighbouring countries such as Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, where it is not normally endemic.

There is poor access to mpox vaccines and treatments in DR Congo and health officials are concerned about the spread of the disease.

Experts say the new strain may be spreading more easily, causing more serious disease and more deaths in children and adults.

Initial symptoms include fever, headaches, swellings, back pain and aching muscles.

Once the fever breaks, a rash can develop, often beginning on the face then spreading to other parts of the body, most commonly the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.

The rash, which can be extremely itchy or painful, changes and goes through different stages before finally forming a scab, which later falls off. The lesions can cause scarring.

The infection usually clears up on its own and lasts between 14 and 21 days.

Serious cases can see lesions attack the whole of the body, and especially the mouth, eyes and genitals.

Mpox spreads from person to person through close contact with someone who is infected – including through sex, skin-to-skin contact and talking or breathing close to another person.

The virus can enter the body through broken skin, the respiratory tract or through the eyes, nose or mouth.

It can also be spread through touching objects which have been contaminated by the virus, such as bedding, clothing and towels.

Close contact with infected animals, such as monkeys, rats and squirrels, is another route.

During the global outbreak in 2022, the virus spread mostly through sexual contact.

The current outbreak from DR Congo is being driven by sexual contact, but has also been found in other communities.

Most cases are often found in people who are sexually active and men who have sex with men. People with several partners or new sexual partners can be most at risk.

But anyone who has close contact with someone with symptoms can catch the virus, including health workers and family members.

Advice is to avoid close contact with anyone with mpox and clean your hands with soap and water if the virus is in your community.

Those who have mpox should isolate from others until all their lesions have disappeared.

Condoms should be used as a precaution when having sex for 12 weeks after recovery, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.

Outbreaks of mpox can be controlled by preventing infections – the best way of doing that is with vaccines.

Vaccines exist but only people at risk or who have been in close contact with an infected person are usually able to have it.

The WHO has recently asked drug manufacturers to put forward their mpox vaccines for emergency use, even if those vaccines have not been formally approved in the countries where they are needed.

Now that the Africa CDC has declared a continent-wide public health emergency, it is hoped that governments will be better able to co-ordinate their response and potentially increase the flow of medical supplies and aid into affected areas.

A woman has received £35,000 in compensation after her rape case was dropped amid claims she could have had an episode of “sexsomnia”.

Jade Blue McCrossen-Nethercott, 32, contacted police in 2017, telling them she thought she had been raped while asleep. She said she had woken up half-naked, finding her necklace broken on the floor.

But charges were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) days before a trial was due to begin after lawyers for the alleged perpetrator claimed Jade had sexsomnia – a medically recognised, but rare, sleep disorder that causes a person to engage in sexual acts while asleep.

Jade has now received compensation from the CPS, which said it has “apologised unreservedly”.

• Read Jade’s full story here

It added that it was “committed to improving every aspect of how life-changing crimes like rape are dealt with”.

Jade said the CPS had “taken me to the darkest points of my life”, and that it felt “like a big triumph to be able to hold them accountable”.

Her lawyers, from the Centre for Women’s Justice, said it was “extremely rare” for the CPS to make a payout like this.

In 2017, after a night out with friends, Jade woke up on a sofa with a feeling she had been raped while she slept. Within hours, she had reported it to the police. The suspect offered no comment when questioned and the CPS made the decision to charge him with rape.

But in 2020, just days before the trial was due to start, Jade was told by the CPS her rape case would not be taken to trial because the defence had claimed she had experienced an episode of sexsomnia.

The CPS explained that two sleep experts had given their opinion on the case after a police interview with Jade where she was questioned about her sleep habits. Neither expert had met or spoken to Jade.

Jade said she did not have sexsomnia, however, sleep experts were not able to rule out the possibility that she could have had an isolated episode on the night of the incident.

Despite never appearing before a jury, the defendant was formally acquitted, leaving the case unable to be reopened without compelling new evidence.

In 2021, Jade lodged an appeal via the CPS victim’s right to review system. In response, she received a letter of apology from a chief crown prosecutor, independent of the CPS department that made the original decision to close her case.

They admitted the CPS was wrong in closing her case, saying it should instead have been taken to trial.

Jade described the CPS decisions during this time as “more damaging” to her than the night of the incident, saying the legal process had turned her world “upside down”.

She said her decision to sue the CPS was motivated by wanting accountability and to ensure “similar mistakes [were] not made again in these kind of rape cases”.

“For me it’s not about the financial side of things. I’m very much wanting to push for systemic changes with the CPS and the legal system advocating for better training, policies, procedures and practices,” she said.

She added: “It has taken a lot from me, but I held on to a lot of positives. I am really proud of the work that both myself and the Centre for Women’s Justice have done to get to this point.”

Kate Ellis, joint litigation lead at the Centre for Women’s Justice, said claims brought by victims against the CPS are legally “difficult”, with payouts “extremely rare”.

She said Jade’s was the first case she was aware of in which a rape victim had been awarded compensation by the CPS over a decision to discontinue a case before trial.

“It’s a testament to how severe the failing was on the part of the CPS that we have been able to bring this claim,” she added.

In the year to March 2024, 65,913 rape cases were recorded by police in England and Wales (excluding Devon & Cornwall police). Of these cases, just 2.6% have so far resulted in a suspect being charged, or receiving a summons, according to Home Office figures.

A spokesperson for the CPS said: “A settlement has been reached with Ms McCrossen-Nethercott, to whom we have apologised unreservedly, and we continue to wish her the very best going forward.

“We remain positive about the progress being made and recognise there is still a long way to go to improve outcomes for victims, so more people can come forward and report with confidence.”

Jade said she was still waiting to hear from the CPS about the lessons it has learned from her case. She said she hoped her story would empower others to raise their voices.

“We must hold these agencies accountable and we’ve done it now,” she added.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, help and advice can be found here

Sexsomnia: Case Closed?

When unexpected sleepwalking claims turn a rape case on its head, Jade fights back. Filmed over three years, this is the remarkable story of one woman’s battle for justice. Will she win?

Watch now on BBC iPlayer (UK Only)

The world’s highest single-arch rail bridge is set to connect Indian-administered Kashmir with the rest of the country by train for the first time.

It took more than 20 years for the Indian railways to finish the bridge over the River Chenab in the Reasi district of Jammu.

The showpiece infrastructure project is 35m taller than the Eiffel Tower and the first train on the bridge is set to run soon between Bakkal and Kauri areas.

The bridge is part of a 272km (169 miles) all-weather railway line that will pass through Jammu, ultimately going all the way to the Kashmir valley (there is no definite timeline yet for the completion). Currently, the road link to Kashmir valley is often cut off during winter months when heavy snowfall leads to blockages on the highway from Jammu.

Experts say the new railway line will give India a strategic advantage along the troubled border region.

The Himalayan region of Kashmir has been a flashpoint between India and Pakistan for decades. The nuclear-armed neighbours have fought two wars over it since independence in 1947. Both claim Kashmir in full but control only parts of it.

An armed insurgency against Delhi’s rule in the Indian-administered region since 1989 has claimed thousands of lives and there is heavy military presence in the area.

“The rail bridge will permit the transport of military personnel and equipment around the year to the border areas,” said Giridhar Rajagopalan, deputy managing director of Afcons Infrastructure, the contractor for the Indian railways that constructed the bridge.

This will help India exploit a “strategic goal of managing any adventurism by Pakistan and China [with whom it shares tense relations] on the western and northern borders”, said Shruti Pandalai, a strategic affairs expert.

On the ground, sentiment about the project is more nuanced. Some locals, who did not want to be named, said the move would definitely help improve transport links, which would benefit them. But they also worry it would be a way for the Indian government to exert more control over the valley.

The railway line is part of a larger infrastructural expansion – along with more than 50 other highway, railway and power projects – by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, which stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its special status and divided the state into two federally administered territories in 2019.

The controversial move was accompanied by a months-long security clampdown which sparked massive anger in the region. Since then, the government has brought in several administrative changes that are seen as attempts to integrate Kashmir more closely with the rest of India.

Ms Pandalai adds that while India’s plans for the region would naturally be guided by its “strategic aims”, it also needs to take “local needs and context” into account.

The construction of the Chenab bridge was approved in 2003, but faced delays and missed deadlines because of the region’s treacherous topography, safety concerns and court cases.

Engineers working on the project had to reach the remote location on foot or by mule during the early stages of construction.

The Himalayas are a young mountain range and their geo-technical features have still not been fully understood. The bridge is located in a highly seismic zone and the Indian railways had to carry out extensive exploration studies, modifying its shape and arches to ensure the bridge could withstand simulated wind speeds of up to 266km/h.

“Logistics was another major challenge given the inaccessibility of the location and the narrow roads. Many of the components of the bridge were built and fabricated on site,” said Mr Rajagopalan.

Besides the engineering complications, the railways had to design a blast-proof structure. Afcons claims the bridge can withstand a strong “explosion of up to 40kg of TNT” and trains would continue to ply, albeit at slower speeds, even if there was damage or a pillar was knocked out.

Experts say that enabling all-weather connectivity to the Kashmir valley could give the region’s economy a much-needed boost.

Poor connectivity during winter months has been a major bugbear for the valley’s largely farm-dependent businesses.

Seven in 10 Kashmiris live off perishable fruit cultivation, according to think-tank Observer Research Foundation.

Ubair Shah, who owns one of Kashmir’s largest cold storage facilities in Pulwama district in south Kashmir, said the impact of the rail link could be “huge”.

Right now, most of the plums and apples stored in his facility make their way to markets in northern states like Haryana, Punjab and Delhi. The new railway line would give farmers access to southern India which could eventually help increase their incomes, he said.

Yet without better last-mile connectivity, he doesn’t expect a quick shift to railway cargo.

“The nearest station is 50km away. We’ll have to first send the produce to the station, then unload it and load it onto the train again. It’s too much handling. With perishables you have to try and minimise that,” Mr Shah said.

The project is also expected to boost the region’s tourism revenue.

Kashmir’s spectacular tourist spots have seen a recent surge in arrivals despite the remoteness of the region. A direct train between Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar would not only be cheaper, but also halve travel time, which could give tourism a further shot in the arm.

There will be several challenges too.

Kashmir continues to be dogged by incidents of violence. A recent spurt in militant activity – which seems to have shifted from the Kashmir valley to the relatively calmer Jammu region – is a particular cause for concern.

In June, nine Hindu pilgrims were killed and dozens injured after militants opened fire on a bus in Reasi – where the bridge is located – in one of the deadliest militant attacks in recent years. There have been several other attacks on the army and civilians.

Experts say such incidents are a reminder of the fragility of peace here – and without stability, connectivity projects would go only so far in reviving the region’s economy.

American actress Gena Rowlands, who is known for roles including in The Notebook and Another Woman, has died at the age of 94.

Rowlands, who was nominated for an Oscar for 1974’s A Woman Under the Influence and 1980’s Gloria, died at her home in Indian Wells, California.

No cause of death was given, but she had been suffering from Alzheimer’s, according to reports.

She quit acting in 2015 after winning four Emmys, two Golden Globes, and earning two Oscar nominations, according to Deadline.

Both A Woman Under the Influence and Gloria were collaborations with her former husband John Cassavetes.

Her Emmys were for The Betty Ford Story, Face of a Stranger, Hysterical Blindness, and The Incredible Mrs Ritchie.

Born in Wisconsin, she moved to New York and stared in the Broadway debut of The Seven Year Itch.

In 1956 she starred in Broadway play Middle of the Night.

In 2015, she was given an honorary Academy Award for her long acting career.

“Working this long? I didn’t even think I’d be living this long,” she recently told Variety.

She also starred in films Faces, Opening Night, Unhook the Stars, Yellow and Broken English, Hope Floats, Tempest, The Brink’s Job, Tony Rome and The Neon Bible.

The Notebook was directed in 2004 by her son Nick Cassavetes, who recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly about how his mother played a character suffering from dementia.

“We spent a lot of time talking about Alzheimer’s and wanting to be authentic with it, and now, for the last five years, she’s had Alzheimer’s,” he said.

“She’s in full dementia. And it’s so crazy — we lived it, she acted it, and now it’s on us.”