Friends and colleagues of Mike Lynch have paid tribute to “the UK’s greatest tech entrepreneur” after he was confirmed to have died when a luxury yacht sank off the coast of Sicily.

The British businessman, 59, was among those killed when the Bayesian vessel foundered in stormy weather early on Monday near Porticello.

The bodies of four others have been recovered, and a sixth person – believed to be Mr Lynch’s daughter Hannah, 18, is still missing.

Mr Lynch was a prominent figure in the UK tech industry, where his backing of successful companies led to him being dubbed the British equivalent of Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

However, he later became embroiled in a long-running legal dispute which resulted in him being controversially extradited to the US, before being acquitted earlier this summer.

Andrew Kanter, a close friend and colleague of Mr Lynch, said he was “the most brilliant mind and caring person I have ever known.”

“Over nearly a quarter century I had the privilege of working beside someone unrivalled in their understanding of technology and business,” he said.

Former Sun newspaper editor David Yelland said Mr Lynch was “an irreplaceable loss not only to those that loved him but also to the country”.

“He is the UK’s greatest tech entrepreneur of recent decades, a family man, a long-time client of my business and a friend,” he said.

“To think Mike Lynch lost his life just as he began to rebuild it is devastating for all those that know him.”

• Four bodies found inside wreck of luxury yacht that sank off Sicily

Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo, his wife Neda Morvillo and Recaldo Thomas, the yacht’s chef, also died when the vessel sank.

In a statement confirming their parents’ deaths, the Bloomer family described the couple as “incredible people and an inspiration to many”.

Mr Lynch is survived by his wife Angela Bacares, who was rescued, along with 14 others, after the yacht sank. The couple lived at the Loudham Hall estate in Suffolk.

Brent Hoberman, co-founder of Lastminute.com, described the deaths as “tragic”, saying Mr Lynch had much more to give to the UK tech scene.

“He was still on his journey, and he’d been sidetracked for a decade with this court case,” he told the BBC.

“I think there was a lot of unfulfilled potential.”

IT analyst Richard Holway said in a post on LinkedIn that Mr Lynch – a friend of more than 25 years – was “a unique British tech talent”.

“Goodness knows what he could have achieved next,” he added.

Mr Lynch co-founded tech firm Autonomy in 1996, which expanded rapidly and was sold to Hewlett Packard for $11bn (£8.6bn) in 2011, from which he is believed to have netted £500m.

But questions over the sale of Autonomy led to a long-running legal battle.

In 2022, Mr Lynch lost a civil fraud case against HP at the High Court in London.

A day later, he was extradited to the US as part of criminal proceedings, and was facing a possible two decades in jail.

He was acquitted in June this year after a jury found him not guilty of the crimes.

He told BBC Radio 4 that though he was convinced of his innocence, he was only able to prove it in a US court because he was rich enough to pay the enormous legal fees involved.

Mr Lynch is reported to have gone on the yacht trip with his family to celebrate securing his freedom.

Its name, Bayesian, is understood to derive from the theory that his PhD thesis – and the software that underpinned Autonomy – was based on.

Witnesses say its aluminium mast broke in half in a storm, causing the ship to lose its balance and sink.

Dick Smith, a neighbour of Mr Lynch, told the BBC he was “reeling from the shock of the news”.

“He was so approachable and a very easy person to talk to with a nice sense of humour,” he said.

“You might think with all that money he would be difficult to talk to, but in fact he was a very easy person to talk to.”

Born on 16 June 1965, Mr Lynch was the son of a nurse and a fireman, and was raised near Chelmsford in Essex.

His first computer was a BBC Micro, and he wrote fondly of how it shaped his passion for programming in a 2011 BBC article celebrating 30 years of the device.

While at school his “first foray into commercialisation of technology” came when designing a digital sampler that could sample music, then selling the designs, according to a 2017 interview.

He continued the hobby while studying Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge – where he said he annoyed his college by getting “solder in the carpets” of his room.

While at Cambridge he earned a PhD in mathematical computing, and later undertook a research fellowship.

In 1991, Mr Lynch helped establish Cambridge Neurodynamics – a firm which specialised in using computer-based detection and recognition of fingerprints.

His tech firm Autonomy was created five years later, using a statistical method known as “Bayesian inference” at the core of its software.

The company’s fast-paced growth and success throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s saw Mr Lynch earn a number of awards and accolades.

In 2006 he was awarded an OBE in recognition of his service to UK enterprise.

He served on the board of the BBC as a non-executive director, and in 2011 was appointed to the government’s council for science and technology – advising then-Prime Minister David Cameron on the risks and possibilities of AI development.

Following the sale of Autonomy, Mr Lynch established tech firm Invoke Capital, which helped create prominent UK cybersecurity firm Darktrace in 2013. Lynch had a seat on its board until earlier this year.

“This was the beginning of a new life for Mike,” former cabinet minister Lord Deben told Times Radio.

“He’s made such a contribution to Britain, his companies have put Britain in the forefront, and he was going to do it again,” said Lord Deben, who is the former Conservative MP John Gummer.

Police have clashed with protesters in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta as tens of thousands of people gathered in protest of the government’s attempt to reverse a constitutional court ruling.

Scenes of chaos have unfolded outside parliament as a handful of protesters were seen attempting to tear down its gates, while others shouted for calm.

Police also clashed with protesters who gathered in other major cities such as Padang, Bandung and Yogyakarta.

Observers say the power struggle between Indonesia’s parliament – which is dominated by the president’s supporters – and the country’s constitutional court could precipitate a political crisis.

On Wednesday, Indonesia’s top court ruled that parties would not need a minimum 20% of representation in their regional assemblies in order to field a candidate.

Yet within 24 hours, parliament tabled an emergency motion to reverse these changes – a move which has sparked widespread condemnation and fears of a constitutional crisis.

A vote on the fast-tracked legislation, which would reverse parts of the court’s ruling, was postponed on Thursday because there were not enough MPs present.

If passed, it would maintain the status quo, which favours parties in the ruling coalition of the outgoing president, Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, and his successor, Prabowo Subianto. As a result, many local elections are expected to be uncontested affairs.

The parliament decision also means that a major government critic, Anies Baswedan, would also be prevented from running for the influential post of Jakarta governor.

The Indonesian government is also trying to find a way around the constitutional court’s decision to uphold the current minimum age limit of 30 for candidates, which would bar Mr Widodo’s 29-year-old son, Kaesang Pangarep, from running in a regional contest in Central Java.

Mr Widodo’s eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, is the incoming vice-president who ran alongside Mr Prabowo.

Mr Widodo has downplayed the dispute, saying the amendments were part of the “checks and balances” of government.

One of the protesters, Joko Anwar, said the country’s leaders appeared to be intent on keeping themselves in power.

“Eventually, we’ll just become a powerless mass of objects, even though we’re the ones who gave them power,” he said.

“We have to take to the streets. We have no choice,” he said.

On social media, blue posters with the words “Emergency Warning” above Indonesia’s symbolic national eagle have been widely shared.

According to Titi Anggraini, an elections analyst at University of Indonesia, parliament’s move to annul the court’s decision is unconstitutional.

“This is a robbery of the constitution,” she told BBC Indonesian.

A barrier that was erected to block a popular view of Mount Fuji has been taken down after successfully deterring tourists from swarming the area.

Authorities in Yamanashi prefecture installed the barrier in May after growing tired of foreign visitors’ littering, bad parking and anti-social behaviour.

The barrier was removed last week – initially in preparation for a typhoon – but officials in the town of Fuji Yamaguchiko confirmed that the mesh screen would remain down for the time being.

However, if tourists return in large numbers the screen will go back up, officials said.

“We wanted to see what would happen,” an official told AFP news agency.

“There are still some people who come to the place, but we no longer find many people suddenly rushing out into the traffic to cross the road. We feel like it has been effective,” he added.

The barrier blocked a view of a Lawson convenience store in the foreground with Japan’s most iconic landmark rising behind it.

The contrast between one of Japan’s most ubiquitous shops and the soaring volcano made it an especially popular photo spot for visitors looking to capture the “perfect Japanese” photograph.

But seeing their local convenience store – popularly referred to online as “Mount Fuji Lawson” – become a viral internet sensation was an unwelcome development for the inhabitants of Fujikawaguchiko, especially in a year when Japan experienced record levels of tourism.

“They cross the street and they don’t seem to care about the cars at all, it is dangerous. And they leave trash and cigarette butts everywhere,” said one local resident speaking to the BBC in May.

In July, Japan saw a record 3.29 million tourists – with as many as 35 million foreign tourists expected in 2024.

The problem of overtourism is not unique to Mount Fuji alone. In Kyoto, the popular geisha tourist district of Gion earlier this year banned tourists from entering its alleyways in an attempt to stamp out unruly tourists.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Ukraine on Friday, just weeks after he met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

The visit is significant because Kyiv and some Western capitals had reacted sharply to Mr Modi’s visit to the Russian capital in July.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky was particularly critical, saying he was “disappointed to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy hug the world’s most bloody criminal in Moscow”.

So, is Mr Modi visiting Kyiv to placate Mr Zelensky and other Western leaders?

Not entirely.

It’s not surprising to see India balance its relations between two competing nations or blocs. The country’s famed non-alignment approach to geopolitics has served it well for decades.

This week’s visit – the first by an Indian prime minister to Ukraine – is more about signalling that while India will continue to have strong relations with Russia, it will still work closely with the West.

Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Centre think-tank in Washington, says the trip will further reassert India’s strategic autonomy.

“India isn’t in the business of placating Western powers, or anyone for that matter. It’s a trip meant to advance Indian interests, by reasserting friendship with Kyiv and conveying its concerns about the continuing war,” he says.

However, the timing of the visit does reflect that Indian diplomats have taken onboard the sharp reactions from the US to Mr Modi’s Moscow visit.

India has refrained from directly criticising Russia over the war, much to the annoyance of Western powers.

• Modi’s balancing act as he meets Putin in Moscow

Delhi, however, has often spoken about the importance of respecting territorial integrity and sovereignty of nations. It has continuously pushed for diplomacy and dialogue to end the war.

Mr Modi’s Moscow visit in July came hours after Russian bombing killed at least 41 people in Ukraine, including at a children’s hospital in Kyiv, sparking a global outcry.

The Indian PM said the death of children was painful and terrifying but stopped short of blaming Russia.

Mr Modi is not likely to deviate from this stance during his visit to Kyiv. The US and other Western nations have grown to accept Delhi’s stand, given India’s time-tested relationship with Moscow and its reliance on Russian military equipment.

India, the world’s largest importer of arms, has diversified its defence import portfolio and also grown domestic manufacturing in recent years but it still buys more than 50% of its defence equipment from Russia.

India has also increased its oil imports from Russia, taking advantage of cheaper prices offered by Moscow – Russia was the top oil supplier to India last year.

The US and its allies have often implored India to take a clearer stand on the war but they have also refrained from applying harsh sanctions or pressure.

The West also sees India as a counterbalance to China and doesn’t want to upset that dynamic. India, now the fifth largest economy in the world, is also a growing market for business.

Mr Kugelman says the West will welcome the visit and see it as Delhi’s willingness to engage with all sides.

“Mr Modi has a strong incentive to signal that it’s not leaning so close to Moscow that there’s nothing to salvage with Kyiv,” he says.

This is important because India wants to keep growing its relations with the West, particularly with the US, and wouldn’t want to upset the momentum. Eric Garcetti, the US ambassador to India, recently said the relationship should not be “taken for granted”.

India also needs the West as China, its Asian rival, and Russia have forged close ties in recent years.

While Delhi has long viewed Moscow as a power that can put pressure on an assertive China when needed, it can’t be taken for granted.

Meanwhile, many media commentators have spoken about the possibility of Mr Modi positioning himself as a peacemaker, given India’s close relations with both Moscow and the West.

But it’s unlikely that he will turn up with a peace plan.

“Is India really up to it, and are the conditions right? India doesn’t like other countries trying to mediate in its own issues, chief among them Kashmir. And I don’t think Mr Modi would formally offer mediation unless both Russia and Ukraine want it. And at this point, I don’t think they do,” Mr Kugelman adds.

Ukraine, however, will still welcome Mr Modi’s visit and see it as an opportunity to engage with a close ally of Moscow, something it hasn’t done much since the war began.

Mr Zelensky, though, is unlikely to hold back his criticism of Mr Putin in front of the Indian PM. Mr Modi can live with that as he has faced such situations many times in other Western capitals.

Moscow is not likely to react to the visit as it has also been making concessions for Delhi’s multilateral approach to geopolitics.

But beyond reasserting its non-alignment policy, Delhi also has bigger goals from this visit.

India has been ramping up engagement with Europe in the past decade, particularly with the underserved regions in Central and Eastern Europe.

Delhi wants to keep consolidating its relations with the big four – the UK, Italy, Germany and France – but also wants to boost engagement with other countries in Europe.

Mr Modi is also visiting Poland on this trip – the first Indian PM to visit the country in 45 years. He also became the first Indian prime minister to visit Austria in 41 years in July.

Analysts say that this signals India’s growing understanding that Central European nations will play a bigger role in geopolitics in the future and strong relations with them will serve Delhi well.

The Indian government has also revived trade deal negotiations with Europe. It has signed a trade and investment deal with the European Free Trade Association, which is the intergovernmental organisation of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

So, while there will be a lot of focus on the war during his visit, Indian diplomats are likely to stay focused on the bigger goal.

“Central and Eastern Europe now have greater agency in writing their own destiny and reshaping regional geopolitics. Mr Modi’s visit to Warsaw and Kyiv is about recognising that momentous change at the heart of Europe and deepening bilateral political, economic and security ties with the Central European states,” foreign policy analyst C Raja Mohan wrote in the Indian Express newspaper, summing up Mr Modi’s wider goal.

Democrats will gather in Chicago on Thursday night where Vice-President Kamala Harris will make the biggest speech of her life, as she readies herself for the sprint before November’s presidential election.

On the final day of the Democratic National Convention, Ms Harris will formally accept her party’s nomination – following a ceremonial roll call earlier in the week during which state delegates confirmed their support.

Her running mate Tim Walz spoke on Wednesday night, making a personal pitch to middle America by giving a “pep talk” in the vain of an American football coach.

US political conventions, which happen every four years before a presidential election, date back to the 1830s, when a group of Democratic delegates supporting President Andrew Jackson gathered to nominate him for a second term.

Here’s what to know about the 2024 DNC, which has been attended by thousands of people.

The convention has all been building up to Thursday night.

When she takes the stage, Vice-President Harris will formally accept the presidential nomination, and give a speech looking ahead to November.

It will be the most significant address of her political career.

Ms Harris became the Democratic nominee after President Joe Biden stepped aside and gave her his backing, following weeks of pressure from party members.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, who both represent swing states, are also expected to speak on Thursday – as is high-profile Republican Adam Kinzinger.

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Wednesday night was Mr Walz’s first significant opportunity to introduce himself to the nation – and specifically to connect with middle America.

His speech was heavy on his personal story, including the importance of his family, his teaching career and time spent coaching a high-school football team, his stint in Army National Guard, and his service as a congressman and Minnesota governor.

Long-time TV host Oprah Winfrey made a surprise appearance, receiving a raucous response and urging Americans to “choose truth” in the upcoming vote.

Other prominent Democrats who featured on the same night included grandees Bill Clinton, the former president, and Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker.

There were also appearances by rising stars such as Josh Shapiro, the governor of the swing state of Pennsylvania.

Earlier in the week, the convention heard from President Joe Biden, who stepped aside last month for Ms Harris to contest the presidency. On Monday, he gave an emotional defence of his time in the White House: “America, I gave my best to you.”

The same evening, Hillary Clinton, the 2016 presidential candidate, took the stage and voiced her hope that Ms Harris could finally break the “highest, hardest glass ceiling” in the US by becoming the first female president.

During back-to-back speeches on Tuesday, Barack and Michelle Obama mixed gags with serious exhortations to Democrats to get out and vote in November.

“Hope is making a comeback,” said Mrs Obama. This was a contrast with the “chaos” of Donald Trump’s time in the White House, Mr Obama added. And Trump’s former spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham gave a speech of her own criticising her ex-boss.

America’s Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff was introduced to the stage on the same night by his son Cole, who called him a “goofy dad”. Mr Emhoff went on to laud his wife, Ms Harris, as the “right person” for him and the presidency alike.

Because Ms Harris and Mr Walz were already nominated ahead of the event, and the roll call was a formality, this year’s convention has been focused on speeches and the adoption of the party’s policy platform.

Delegates have been working in the daytimes to finalise the platform, a draft of which has already been released. It focuses on a broad range of issues, including plans to lower inflation, mitigate climate change and tackle gun violence.

In the draft, Democrats contrast each of the party positions with Project 2025, an ultra-conservative blueprint for what a second Trump administration could look like, authored by the Heritage Foundation. Trump has sought to distance himself from the project, though several of his allies were involved in writing it.

Members of the public can only attend the convention in person by becoming volunteers. But as with the Republican convention, there is plenty of national media coverage, and the convention itself has been offering live-streams on social media platforms.

You can follow BBC News coverage – featuring on-site reporting and analysis – across the website and app, and on our livestream.

The BBC News Channel is carrying special coverage from 20:00 ET (01:00 BST) each night. You can find special episodes of The Global Story and Americast podcasts on BBC Sounds and other podcast platforms.

Sign up to North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher’s election newsletter US Election Unspun for his take on the week’s events direct to your inbox.

About 50,000 people are thought to have travelled to the event in Chicago. They include thousands of delegates chosen by state Democratic parties, as well as party grandees and some members of the Democratic National Committee.

As with the equivalent Republican event last month, which featured famous faces as well, the DNC has been a star-studded affair. Winfrey and Lil Jon have been joined by musicians Stevie Wonder, John Legend and Lil Jon, and comedian Mindy Kaling.

Rumours have swirled about whether mega-stars Beyoncé and Taylor Swift will make appearances themselves, but neither has confirmed anything.

Demonstrations have been taking place outside the convention centre, focusing on opposition to US support of Israel’s war in Gaza. A further demonstration is planned on Thursday.

On Wednesday, a group of delegates who were denied the chance to speak at the convention began a sit-in outside the arena.

The delegates, selected in state Democratic primaries earlier this year, have pledged themselves “uncommitted” to any presidential candidate as part of an internal protest over Gaza.

Earlier in the week, a protest on Tuesday near Chicago’s Israeli consulate culminated in scuffles between demonstrators and police and led to several arrests.

And thousands of marchers took to the streets for a mostly peaceful protest on Monday, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to US support for Israel. Several were arrested when dozens of them broke through a security fence.

In that night’s address, Mr Biden acknowledged that the activists “have a point”, going on to say that “a lot of innocent people are being killed, on both sides”.

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Thailand has announced its first confirmed case of a new, potentially deadlier strain of Mpox – the first in Asia, and second outside of Africa.

According to Thailand’s Department of Disease Control, the infected 66-year-old European man arrived in Bangkok from an unnamed African country on 14 August.

He began displaying symptoms the next day, and immediately went to hospital. It has since been confirmed he had contracted Mpox, and in particular the strain known as Clade 1b.

At least 450 people have died from Mpox in an outbreak centred in the Democratic Repulic of Congo which started last year.

It has since spread to a number of nearby countries – including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, all of which were previously unaffected by Mpox.

Now a more worrying strain of Mpox called Clade 1b has been identified in the east of the DRC, which is being spread along the border and into neighbouring countries.

Sweden was the first place outside of the African continent to confirm a case of Clade 1b a week ago. The infected man had also recently travelled to an unnamed African country, Sweden’s public health ministry said at the time.

The infection in Thailand is the first confirmed case of Clade 1b in Asia.

Mpox is transmitted through close contact, such as sex, skin-to-skin contact and talking or breathing close to another person – but it is nowhere near as infectious as other viruses like Covid and measles.

But the spread of the new variant and its high fatality rate in parts of Africa has sparked concern among scientists, and led the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare it a public health emergency of international concern.

Outbreaks can be controlled by spreading awareness of the disease, tracking close contacts and preventing infections with vaccines, though these are usually only available for people at risk or those who have been in close contact with an infected person.

Vaccines in Africa are in short supply, but there are plans for millions of doses to arrive in the DRC in the next week or so.

In Thailand, the Department of Disease Control has tracked down some 43 patients who were sitting in the rows near the unidentified man, and those who met him after he landed.

They will all be monitored for 21 days.

Thailand is also requiring people travelling from 42 “risk countries” to test on arrival.

Mpox causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions. For most people, it’s a mild illness but it can be fatal.

The new strain spreading in central Africa is thought to be more deadly than previous ones – with four in 100 cases leading to death. Mpox is most common in the tropical rainforests of West and Central Africa and there are thousands of infections every year.

Another strain – Clade 2 – which is far milder, caused a global public health emergency in 2022. There are still cases of that Mpox strain in many countries.

“I don’t deserve to be here at all” is a protestation you would expect to hear from someone in prison. But, as she sits in her maroon overalls, Tetyana Potapenko is adamant that she is not who the Ukrainian state says she is.

One year into a five-year sentence, she is one of 62 convicted collaborators in this prison, held in isolation from other inmates.

The prison is near Dnipro, about 300km (186 miles) from Tetyana’s home town of Lyman. Close to the front lines of the Donbas, Lyman was occupied for six months by Russia and liberated in 2022.

As we sit in the pink-walled room where inmates can phone home, Tetyana explains that she had been a neighbourhood volunteer for 15 years, liaising with local officials – but that carrying on those duties once the Russians arrived had cost her dearly.

Ukrainian prosecutors claimed she had illegally taken an official role with the occupiers, which included handing out relief supplies.

“Winter was over, people were out of food, someone had to advocate,” she says. “I could not leave those old people. I grew up among them.”

The 54-year-old is one of almost 2,000 people convicted of collaborating with the Russians under legislation drafted nearly as quickly as Moscow’s advance in 2022.

Kyiv knew it had to deter people from both sympathising and co-operating with the invaders.

And so, in a little over a week, MPs passed an amendment to the Criminal Code, making collaboration an offence – something they had failed to agree on since 2014, when Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula.

Before the full-scale invasion, Tetyana used to liaise with local officials to provide her neighbours with materials such as firewood.

Once the new Russian rulers were in place, she says she was convinced by a friend to also engage with them to secure much-needed medicines.

“I didn’t co-operate with them voluntarily,” she says. “I explained disabled people couldn’t access the drugs they needed. Someone filmed me and posted it online, and Ukrainian prosecutors used it to claim I was working for them.”

After Lyman was liberated, a court was shown documents she had signed that suggested she had taken an official role with the occupying authority.

She suddenly becomes animated.

“What’s my crime? Fighting for my people?” she asks. “I never worked for the Russians. I survived and now find myself in prison.”

The 2022 collaboration law was drawn up to prevent people from helping the advancing Russian army, explains Onysiya Syniuk, a legal expert at the Zmina Human Rights Centre in Kyiv.

“However, the legislation encompasses all kinds of activities, including those which don’t harm national security,” she says.

Collaboration offences range from simply denying the illegality of Russia’s invasion, or supporting it in person or online, to playing a political or military role for the occupying powers.

Accompanying punishments are tough too, with jail terms of up to 15 years.

Out of almost 9,000 collaboration cases to date, Ms Syniuk and her team have analysed most of the convictions, including Tetyana’s, and say they are concerned the legislation is too broad.

“Now people who are providing vital services in the occupied territories will also fall liable under this legislation,” says Ms Syniuk.

She thinks lawmakers should take into account the reality of living and working under occupation for more than two years.

We drive to Tetyana’s home town to visit her frail husband and disabled son. As we near Lyman, the scars of war are clear.

Civilian life drains away and vehicles gradually turn a military green. Droopy power lines hang from collapsed pylons and the main railway has been swallowed by overgrown grass.

While the sunflower fields are unscathed, the town isn’t. It has been bludgeoned by airstrikes and fighting.

The Russians have now moved back to within nearly 10km (6 miles). We were told they usually start shelling at about 15:30, and the day we visited was no exception.

Tetyana’s husband, Volodymyr Andreyev, 73, tells me he is “in a hole” – the household is falling apart without his wife, and he and his son only manage with the help of neighbours.

“If I were weak, I would burst into tears,” he says.

He struggles to understand why his wife is not with him.

Tetyana might have received a shorter sentence had she admitted her guilt, but she refuses. “I will never admit that I am an enemy of state,” she says.

But there have been enemies of state – and their actions have had deadly consequences.

Last autumn, we walked on the bloodstained soil of the liberated village Hroza in the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine. A Russian missile had hit a cafe where the funeral of a Ukrainian soldier was taking place – it had been impossible to hold the service while Hroza was under Russian occupation.

Fifty-nine people – almost a quarter of Hroza’s population – were killed. We knocked on doors to find children alone at home. Their parents weren’t coming back.

The security service later revealed that two local men, Volodymyr and Dmytro Mamon, had tipped off the Russians.

The brothers were former police officers who had allegedly begun working for the occupying force.

When the village was liberated they fled across the border with Russian troops, but stayed in touch with their old neighbours – who unwittingly told them about the upcoming funeral.

The brothers have since been charged with high treason – but are unlikely to be jailed in Ukraine.

That is broadly the story of Kyiv’s battle with collaborators. Those who commit more serious crimes – guiding attacks, leaking military information or organising sham referendums to legitimise occupying forces – are mostly tried in absentia.

Those facing less serious charges are often the ones who end up in the dock.

Under the Geneva Convention, occupying Russian forces have to allow and provide the means for people to continue living their lives.

Just as Tetyana Potapenko says she tried to do, when troops moved into Lyman in May 2022.

Her case is one of several we have uncovered across eastern Ukraine.

They include a school principal jailed for accepting a Russian curriculum – his defence, his lawyer says, was that although he had accepted Russian materials, he didn’t use them. And in the Kharkiv region, we heard about a sports stadium manager facing 12 years in prison for continuing to host matches while under occupation. His lawyer says he had only organised two friendly matches between local teams.

In the eyes of the United Nations (UN), these collaboration convictions breach international humanitarian law. A third of those handed down in Ukraine from the start of the war in February 2022 until the end of 2023 lacked a legal basis, it says.

“Crimes have been carried out on occupied territory, and people need to be held to account for the harm they’ve done to Ukraine – but we’ve also seen the law applied unfairly,” says Danielle Bell, the head of the UN’s Human Rights Monitoring Mission in the country.

Ms Bell argues that the law doesn’t consider someone’s motive, such as whether they are actively collaborating, or trying to earn an income, which they are legally allowed to do. She says everyone is criminalised under its vague wording.

“There are countless examples where people have acted under duress and performed functions to simply survive,” she says.

This is exactly what happened to Dmytro Herasymenko, who is from Tetyana’s home town of Lyman.

In October 2022, he emerged from his basement after artillery and mortar fire had subsided. The front line had passed through Lyman, and it was under Russian occupation.

“By that time people had been living without power for two months,” he recalls. Dmytro had worked as an electrician in the town for 10 years.

The occupying authorities asked for volunteers to help restore power, and he stuck up his hand. “People had to survive,” he says. “[The Russians] said I could work like this or not at all. I was afraid of turning them down and being hunted by them.”

For Dmytro and Tetyana, the relief of liberation was brief. After Ukraine took back control of the town, officers from the country’s security service – the SBU – brought them in for questioning.

After admitting to having provided power to the Russian occupiers, Dmytro was swiftly handed a suspended sentence and banned from working as a state electrician for 12 years.

We found him at the garage where he now works as a mechanic. Shiny tools reflect his enforced career change. “I can’t be judged in the same way as collaborators who help guide missiles,” he says.

His protests echoed Tetyana’s. “What can you feel when a foreign army moves in?” she asked. “Fear of course.”

Such fear is justified. The UN has found evidence of Russian forces targeting and even torturing people supporting Ukraine.

“We’ve had cases of individuals being detained, tortured, disappeared, simply for expressing pro-Ukrainian views,” says the UN’s Ms Bell.

From the moment Moscow invaded Crimea in 2014, the definition of being “pro-Russian” changed in the eyes of Ukrainian lawmakers – from simply favouring closer national ties, to supporting a Russian invasion seen as genocidal.

That same year, Russian proxy forces – funded by the Kremlin – also occupied a third of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

It is often the elderly who choose to, or are forced to, live under occupation. Some may be too frail to leave.

There will also be those with Soviet nostalgia or sympathy with modern-day Russia.

But given how Ukraine might one day have to reunite, does the collaboration law come down too hard?

The message from one MP who helped draw it up is blunt: “You’re either with us, or against us.”

Andriy Osadchuk is the deputy head of the parliamentary committee on law enforcement. He strongly disagrees that the legislation breaks the Geneva Convention, but accepts it needs improvement.

“The consequences are extremely tough, but this isn’t a regular crime. We are talking about life and death,” he says defiantly.

Mr Osadchuk believes it is, in fact, international law which has to catch up with the war in Ukraine, not the other way round.

“We need to build Ukraine on liberated territories, and not make someone happy from the outside world,” he says.

The UN monitoring mission admits there have been some improvements. Ukraine’s prosecutor general has recently instructed his offices to comply with international humanitarian law while investigating collaboration cases.

Ukraine’s parliament is also planning to add more amendments to the legislation in September. One suggested change would see some people issued with fines instead of prison sentences.

For now, Kyiv sees the likes of Tetyana and Dmytro as acceptable recipients of tough justice, if it means Ukraine can finally be free of Russia’s grasp.

The pair claim they only regret not escaping when the Russians moved in the first time.

But with the state breathing down their necks and Lyman at risk of falling once more, it’s not clear how candid they can be.

Romanian prosecutors are asking a court in Bucharest to remand in custody the controversial internet influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan as they investigate new and serious allegations, including sex with a minor and trafficking underage persons.

The two men appeared in court on Thursday afternoon.

The new investigation involves a total of 35 alleged victims, including a woman who was 15 at the time.

In a statement, Romania’s agency against organised crime, DIICOT, said six people had been detained in total, both Romanians and foreigners.

The Tate brothers have previously been charged with human trafficking – and Andrew Tate charged with rape – and are awaiting trial on those charges.

They strongly denied any wrongdoing and deny the formal charges they face. These are new and separate allegations.

The anti-organised crime agency says the accused were grooming “vulnerable” people, who were then housed in different locations and forced to produce pornographic material for online broadcast.

One of the foreign men is accused of forcing a 17-year-old foreign citizen to “perform sexual acts” in order to make online video content. He is said to have kept all the $1.5m (£1.1m) profit. The statement does not name him.

The same man is accused of repeatedly having sexual relations with a girl who was 15 years old when they met.

After questioning for several hours at the DIICOT offices, Andrew Tate told the BBC on Wednesday night that the latest allegations were “pathetic” and that prosecutors were “desperate”. He said they had “made up a lot”.

He also said he was accused of “lover-boying” the mother of his children – a technique used by criminals to prey on victims’ vulnerabilities and then exploit them.

A notorious misogynist with a giant online following, Andrew Tate has referred on Twitter/X to the case against him as some kind of mainstream “conspiracy” to silence him.

In the new statement, prosecutors accuse the brothers of buying four luxury cars, and registering them in the names of other people in order to hide the proceeds of what they describe as their illicit activity.

In total, it is alleged that the accused made some $2.8m through sexual exploitation.

Those detained are also accused of attempting to intimidate the victims and witnesses.

During a 10-hour search of four properties on Wednesday, investigators seized cash and other items, including luxury watches, laptops, hard drives and documents. They also impounded 16 luxury cars.

The Tate brothers were taken into custody late on Wednesday night after questioning, along with four Romanian citizens.

But to hold them longer than 24 hours, the prosecutors had to bring them before a judge, and the brothers appeared in court hours later.

A six-year-old boy who was missing for five days has been found deep in a forest in Vietnam.

Dang Tien Lam, who lives in the northwestern Yen Bai province, was playing in a stream with his nine siblings on 17 August when he wandered into the hills and got lost, local reports said.

He was found on Wednesday by local farmers who heard a child’s cry while they were clearing a cinnamon field close to the forest.

Lam, who was found sitting in cassava bushes about 6km (3.7mi) from where he went missing, had become so weak he was unable to stand.

“I’m so tired, I can’t stand up, please carry me up,” Lam said, according to 52-year-old farmer Ly Van Nang.

Lam survived on leaves, wild fruits and streamwater, reports said.

Pictures online show locals tending to him and offering him cake after he was carried out of the forest.

He was found wearing a red T-shirt and shorts that were completely soiled.

“[The child told me] that when he got lost, he could not find his way home,” said Mr Nang, according to local news site Dan Tri.

“And the more he walked, the more he could not find a way out.”

The police said it was a “miracle” that Lam was found alive.

“Congratulations on returning safely to your family,” officers wrote on a Facebook post.

The news sparked relief on social media, with many congratulating Lam’s family and thanking the search team for their efforts.

Local authorities had mobilised more than 150 people – including police officers, soldiers and local volunteers – in search of the young boy.

The second-largest diamond ever found – a rough 2,492-carat stone – has been unearthed in Botswana at a mine owned by Canadian firm Lucara Diamond.

It is the biggest find since the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond, found in South Africa in 1905 and cut into nine separate stones, many of which are in the British Crown Jewels.

The diamond was found at Karowe mine, about 500km (300 miles) north of Botswana’s capital, Gaborone.

Botswana’s government said it was the largest diamond ever discovered in the southern African state.

The previous biggest discovery in Botswana was a 1,758-carat stone found at the same mine in 2019.

Botswana is one of the world’s biggest producer of diamonds, accounting for about 20% of global production.

In a statement, Lucara said the stone was “one of the largest rough diamonds ever unearthed”.

“We are ecstatic about the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492 carat diamond,” said Lucara head William Lamb.

The diamond was detected with the use of Lucara’s Mega Diamond Recovery X-ray technology, said Mr Lamb.

It has been used since 2017 to identify and preserve high-value diamonds so that they do not break during ore-crushing processes.

The firm did not give details of the stone’s gem quality or its value.

The 1,758-carat stone found in 2019 was bought by French fashion brand Louis Vuitton for an undisclosed sum.

A 1,109 carat diamond, unearthed at the same mine in 2016, was bought for $53m (£39.5m) by London jeweller Laurence Graff, chairman of Graff Diamonds, in 2017.

Lucara has 100% ownership of the mine in Karowe.

Botswana’s government has proposed a law that will ask companies, once granted a license to mine, to sell a 24% stake to local firms if the government does not exercise its option of becoming a shareholder, Reuters news agency reported last month.

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Taylor Swift says the cancellation of her Vienna tour dates over an attack threat filled her with “a new sense of fear”.

In a post on Instagram, she said she felt “a tremendous amount of guilt” because so many people had planned on travelling to the shows.

Three concerts were cancelled in the Austrian capital earlier in August as three people were arrested in connection with allegedly planning attacks inspired by the Islamic State group.

The 34-year-old singer-songwriter finished the European leg of her Eras Tour on Tuesday at Wembley Stadium in London.

In a post on Instagram on Wednesday, the US singer wrote: “Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating.

“But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives.

“I was heartened by the love and unity I saw in the fans who banded together.”

She said the safety of her fans was paramount when continuing with her tour, adding: “I decided that all of my energy had to go toward helping to protect the nearly half a million people I had coming to see the shows in London.

“My team and I worked hand in hand with stadium staff and British authorities every day in pursuit of that goal, and I want to thank them for everything they did for us.”

Explaining why she had chosen to wait until now to speak about the cancellation of the Vienna concerts, which were meant to take place between 8 and 10 August, she said: “Let me be very clear: I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows.

“In cases like this one, ‘silence’ is actually showing restraint, and waiting to express yourself at a time when it’s right to.

“My priority was finishing our European tour safely, and it is with great relief that I can say we did that.”

Swift performed eight concerts at Wembley this summer, overtaking a record for any solo singer, which was previously set by Michael Jackson in 1988.

Swift’s next show as part of The Eras Tour is scheduled for 18 October in Miami, Florida.

Jermaine Jenas, who presents The One Show and appears on Match of the Day for the BBC, has been sacked by the corporation following complaints about workplace conduct.

The former footballer, 41, has been taken off air from both primetime shows.

BBC News understands his contract was terminated because of alleged issues relating to workplace behaviour, after issues involving digital communications such as texts were raised with the corporation a few weeks ago.

A BBC spokesperson said: “We can confirm Jermaine Jenas is no longer part of our presenting line-up.”

It is understood issues were raised with the broadcaster a few weeks ago, and it took action.

He was last on air earlier in the summer.

Jenas earned £190,000 – £194,999 at the BBC for his work on the FA Cup, Match of the Day and the World Cup.

His work on The One Show was for BBC Studios, the BBC’s commercial production company, so his salary is not in the public domain.

Jenas made his footballing debut at the age of 17, and played for his boyhood team Nottingham Forest, Spurs and Newcastle United. He went on to play 341 times, as well as making 21 appearances for England.

He retired in 2016 aged 32, although he had not played since 2014.

Jenas turned his attention to media work as a pundit while recovering from a knee injury and became a regular on Match of the Day, as well as BT Sport. He had been presenting The One Show since 2020.

He and a friend set up the Aquinas Foundation to help incentivise and raise the aspirations of young people in schools across Nottingham.

The ex-footballer also appeared on The Great Sport Relief Bake-Off in 2016.

In December 2023 it was announced that he would collect an honorary degree from Nottingham Trent University.

Tim Walz was formally nominated as the Democratic candidate for vice-president at the party’s convention in Chicago on Wednesday night – where delegates also delighted in a surprise speech about freedom from Oprah Winfrey.

Minnesota Democrats were the last to leave the United Center after their state governor worked the room with a folksy “pep talk” inspired by his love of American football. His proud son Gus could also be seen giving a tearful reaction.

The night also played host to Democratic grandees such as former President Bill Clinton and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, as well as rising party stars including Josh Shapiro, the governor of the key swing state of Pennsylvania.

In case you missed the convention’s third night, here are some of the highlights.

Governor Walz gave a brief speech to formally accept the nomination as his party’s vice-presidential candidate – and tapped into his favourite sport.

“I haven’t given a lot of big speeches like this, but I have given a lot of pep talks,” he told a cheering crowd.

The former high-school American football coach went on to use pitchside metaphors to try to stir the passions of Democrats and moderates alike.

He portrayed his side as the underdogs in the presidential match: “It’s the fourth quarter, we’re down a field goal, but we’re on offence and we’ve got the ball. We’re driving down the field, and boy do we have the right team.”

• ‘Coach Walz’ makes personal pitch in DNC speech

Members of Mr Walz’s old team brought the metaphor to life by donning their old jerseys and rushing to join him on stage, as the horns and drums of a marching band played in the background.

Mr Walz’s remarks were a folksy pitch to middle America. He also spoke about his experience as a teacher, his lifelong love of hunting and his family’s fertility struggles.

He relied on phrases that have become hits with Democratic devotees. One of them – “when we fight, we win” – was chanted by the room like a sports crowd.

Wednesday night was another family affair at the DNC – with scenes reminiscent of an appearance by Donald Trump and JD Vance with their wives and relatives at the equivalent Republican gathering last month.

Mr Walz described his wife Gwen and children Hope and Gus as his “entire world” – a remark that got Gus on his feet, shouting through tears: “That’s my dad.”

Ahead of the convention, Mr and Mrs Walz spoke to People magazine about their “brilliant” 17-year-old son, saying he had a learning disorder, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and an anxiety disorder – saying these conditions gave him a “super power”.

• Who is Kamala Harris’s VP pick, Tim Walz?

Ms Harris’s family also had a prominent role. Tony West, her brother-in-law, spoke about how they met in law school, and how Ms Harris had gone on to fight for her family – saying this she would do this for voters if they elected her president.

It was a message echoed by Harris’s niece and two nephews – Alexander Hudlin, Jasper Empoff and Arden Emhoff, who appears on stage to say “auntie” would be a president for “all of us”.

Hudlin said Ms Harris calmed his fears as a nine-year-old when Trump won the presidency in 2016. She told him: “You know what superheroes do? They fight back.”

The crowd erupted when media mogul Oprah Winfrey stepped in front of the DNC podium, making a surprise appearance dressed in a purple pantsuit.

Invoking the words of civil rights leader John Lewis and the lyrics of Woody Guthrie’s This Land is Your Land, the long-time TV host told the audience that “America is an ongoing project” requiring “hard work and heart work”.

• Winfrey tells voters to ‘choose truth’ in surprise DNC showing

Winfrey spoke on the abortion bans in Republican states as an example of a loss of freedom. She said to loud applause: “If you cannot control when and how you choose to bring your children into this world and how they are raised and supported, there is no American dream.”

While speaking about the principles of unity and neighbourly values, she provided the metaphor of a house on fire – saying the right thing to do was to save its inhabitants, even if one of them was a “childless cat lady“.

The comments referred to a 2021 interview in which Mr Vance disparaged Democratic politicians as “a bunch of childless cat ladies”.

She was not the only celebrity who lent their support to the Democratic cause on Wednesday.

Soul legend Stevie Wonder took to the podium and then the piano – and was followed on the keys by John Legend who sang a rendition of Prince’s Let’s Go Crazy.

There were also some moments of levity unrelated to politics. Comedian Mindy Kaling somehow shoehorned in a joke about Ben Affleck’s divorce from Jennifer Lopez.

Former President Bill Clinton delivered his 12th straight convention speech – a tradition that dates back to 1980 and spans the period he won two White House terms in the 1990s.

He received a warm welcome from the Democratic faithful, even if it was not at the levels seen for another former president, Barack Obama, on Tuesday night.

“In 2024, we have a clear choice: ‘We The People’ versus ‘Me, myself, and I,’” the 78-year-old said, alluding to Trump. “I know which one I like better for our country.”

Clinton, who was famously born in the small Arkansas town of Hope and later became that state’s governor, echoed a warning made by the Obamas last night – saying that Democrats should not be “overconfident”.

“One of the reasons that President-to-be Harris is doing so well is that we’re all so happy,” he added. “But you should never underestimate your opponent.”

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has earned credit for helping to convince President Joe Biden to leave the 2024 White House race – as well as some heat.

But the crowd at the United Center did not appear to meet her with animosity. The senior Democrat began her speech with gratitude for Mr Biden.

“Thank you, Joe,” the 84-year-old said, after listing the president’s legislative accomplishments.

Despite reports of bad blood between Mr Biden and Mrs Pelosi, the president used his own DNC speech earlier this week to deny that he was upset with those who called on him to step aside in this year’s election.

Mrs Pelosi did not wade any further into the controversy, and spent much of her remaining remarks singing the praises of Ms Harris and remarking on Trump’s role in stirring in the Capitol riot on 6 January 2021.

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Tim Walz is running for vice-president, but for a while on Wednesday night, it felt like he was campaigning to be the nation’s high school football coach.

Before he spoke, roughly a dozen of the players on the team he helped coach to a Minnesota state championship decades ago ran on stage, some wearing their old high-school jerseys, bouncing to the blasting horns of a marching band.

Once Mr Walz did appear, delegates in the packed arena waved signs that read “Coach Walz” – and the crowd chanted “coach, coach, coach!”

As this was Mr Walz’s first significant opportunity to introduce himself to the nation, his speech was heavy on his personal story – his time as a football coach, of course, but also his upbringing, his enlistment in the Army National Guard, his work as a high-school teacher, and his service as a congressman and governor.

• Who is Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’s VP pick?

During parts of his speech his daughter Hope, 23, and son Gus, 17, were seen in tears in the front row of the arena. “That’s my dad!” Gus mouthed as the television camera focused on him.

In the folksy style that the Democratic campaign believes connects with moderate voters in the crucial states of the Midwest, he told the crowd that he was “ready to turn the page on these guys”, referring to Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance.

“So say it with me: ‘We are not going back.'”

He followed a diverse range of speakers and entertainers who took to the stage on the third night of the convention in Chicago, with Oprah Winfrey receiving the most raucous response after a surprise appearance in her hometown.

The four-day party extravaganza will culminate on Thursday evening when Vice-President Kamala Harris formally accepts the Democratic nomination, a little over a month after President Joe Biden stepped out of the race.

But on Wednesday night, everything built up to Tim Walz, a man virtually unknown to most Americans just weeks ago.

He drew from the first speech he gave in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, earlier this month after being chosen as Kamala Harris’s running mate, repurposing some of the same zingers.

“In Minnesota, we respect our neighbours and the personal choices they make,” he said. “And even if we wouldn’t make the same choices for ourselves, we’ve got a Golden Rule – mind your own damn business!”

Personal freedom has become a common refrain among Democrats at this convention and in pivoting to it, Mr Walz described “the hell of infertility”.

IVF fertility treatment has become entangled in America’s debate over abortion rights and the Minnesota governor has repeatedly alluded to the process on the campaign trail when talking about his family’s story.

His wife, Gwen, recently clarified that they went through a different procedure, drawing Republican criticism that Mr Walz had been misleading.

On the convention stage, he said he wanted to talk about their struggle having children because this election was about “freedom”.

“When we Democrats talk about freedom, we mean your freedom to make a better life for yourself and the people you love,” he said.

“The freedom to make your own health care decisions. And, yeah, your kids’ freedom to go to school without worrying they’ll be shot dead in the halls.”

He also touted the Democratic priorities he has enacted while serving as Minnesota governor – including free school lunches, paid family and medical leave, middle-class tax cuts and lower prescription drug prices.

“While other states were banning books from their schools, we were banishing hunger from ours,” he said to cheers.

But it was the coaching theme he returned to again and again. When going on the attack against Donald Trump and JD Vance, he pointed to a frequent Democratic target – Project 2025, a think-tank policy blueprint designed in part by former Trump administration officials. The former president has disavowed its contents, but Mr Walz had a rejoinder.

“I coached high school football long enough, I promise you this – when somebody takes the time to draw up a playbook, they’re going to use it,” he said.

And in closing, he poured on the football metaphors, promising a pep-talk as the crowd again chanted “coach”.

“It’s the fourth quarter,” he said. “We’re down a field goal. But we’re on offence. We’re driving down the field. And, boy, do we have the right team to win this.”

Earlier in the evening, Ms Harris – if she were watching – had a chance to see a few of rumoured finalists in her vice-presidential selection process on stage.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg spoke of the positive effect government had opening the door way for him to start a family as a gay man. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro also hit on the personal freedom theme – focusing heavily on education, reproductive rights and fair elections.

“Kamala and Tim’s names may be on the ballot,” he said, “but it’s our rights and our freedoms on the line.”

Ms Harris opted for Mr Walz, however – and his particular talents were on display Wednesday night. He didn’t have Mr Shapiro’s soaring rhetoric or Mr Buttigieg’s eloquence, but Democrats hope his flat midwestern accent, his somewhat rotund physique and his thinning hair – combined with the small-town coach speak – will appeal to the kind of voters who have abandoned the Democratic Party when Trump is on the ballot.

Many Republicans said they were relieved at Mr Walz’s selection, as they feared the appeal Mr Shapiro would have in key battleground Pennsylvania.

And they’ve already been on the attack against the Minnesota governor – criticising what they view as too-liberal policies as governor and contending that he not only misrepresented the nature of his family’s fertility treatments but also his rank in the Minnesota National Guard.

They haven’t yet found a way to dent his coaching record, however. And if Wednesday night in Chicago was any indication, that – as much as anything – is going to be a central focus of the Walz’s pitch to the public.

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Abbas Alawieh, an uncommitted delegate from Michigan, was emotional as he relayed the news outside the United Center, where the convention concludes on Thursday.

“We were hopeful because Vice-President Harris’s team was engaging with us,” Mr Alawieh told reporters. “We just want to be heard.”

The uncommitted delegates were selected in state Democratic primaries earlier this year – part of an internal party protest against US support for Israel.

President Joe Biden won an overwhelming share of primary voters, but pro-Palestinian activists urged people to vote “uncommitted” and similar options in a number of states.

• Michigan vote tests anger over Biden’s Israel policy

Enough Democratic voters did so to send 30 delegates to the convention in Chicago, out of a total of more than 2,400 delegates.

Mr Alawieh said it was “unacceptable” that their request for a speaking slot was turned down.

“We’re not going anywhere before November,” he said. “You’re not going to get rid of us. We’re going to engage the system.”

• ‘Coach Walz’ rallies Democrats with personal pitch to middle America
• ‘That’s my dad’: Tim Walz’s son Gus gives tearful reaction to speech
• Oprah Winfrey tells voters to ‘choose truth’ in surprise convention speech
• Three things the Democrats have avoided so far at the DNC
• What young Democrats want Harris to do if she wins

After they announced that their request had been rejected, Mr Alawieh and three other uncommitted delegates began a sit-in outside the arena.

The delegates also said that they had collected signatures from nearly 250 Harris delegates supporting a ceasefire in Gaza.

The war in the Middle East has been the main focus of a series of protests outside the Democratic convention this week.

On Monday several thousand protesters marched by the United Center, although the turnout was less than organisers had expected.

A smaller protest held outside the Israeli consulate in Chicago on Tuesday led to clashes between protesters and police, resulting in 56 arrests.

Another march outside the convention site is planned for Thursday evening.

Cook County, where Chicago is located, is home to the country’s largest Palestinian community.

A group of pro-Palestinian Democrats said their request for a speaking slot at this week’s Democratic National Convention has been denied by party leaders.

The “uncommitted” delegates were hoping as late as Wednesday evening that a Palestinian-American politician would be allowed to speak critically about Israel’s war in Gaza.

But a spokesman for the Uncommitted National Movement said their request was turned down.

The BBC contacted Kamala Harris’s campaign for comment.

Television icon Oprah Winfrey made a surprise appearance at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in her hometown of Chicago, where she urged Democrats and independent voters to “choose common sense over nonsense”.

“Let us choose truth, let us choose honour, let us choose joy,” Winfrey told a cheering crowd on Wednesday. “Because that is the best of America.”

Winfrey, who has avoided the political spotlight in recent years, lent some of her star power to Vice-President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota governor Tim Walz on the third night of the four-day convention.

The 70-year-old’s comments came before Mr Walz’s primetime speech to accept formally the party’s nomination for vice-president.

Her endorsement of the pair helped to further energise the DNC – which has this week already hosted other famous faces such as rapper Lil Jon.

In keeping with the tradition of party conventions, the Republicans, too, filled their own gathering last month with stardust. Musician Kid Rock and wrestler Hulk Hogan both made appearances.

As well as voicing a message of unity, former talk-show host Winfrey tacitly criticised the Republican challengers, former President Donald Trump and Ohio Senator JD Vance.

“Despite what some would have you think, we are not so different from our neighbours,” Winfrey said. “When a house is on fire, we don’t ask about the homeowner’s race or religion, we don’t wonder who their partner is or how they voted. No. We just try to do the best we can to save them.”

In a slight directed at Mr Vance, she added: “And if the place happens to belong to a childless cat lady, well, we try to get that cat out, too.”

The comments referred to a 2021 interview in which Mr Vance referred to Democratic politicians as “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too”.

The remarks, which went viral after Trump announced the Ohio senator as his running mate, were roundly criticised. Oprah does not have any children.

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The billionaire media mogul has shied away from politics in recent years. In 2007, she endorsed then-Illinois Senator Barack Obama’s longshot bid for president. Winfrey, who considered Mr Obama a friend as the two overlapped in Chicago’s political orbit, hosted fundraisers and volunteered for his campaign in Iowa.

But on Wednesday night, Winfrey cast herself as Independent, urging other like-minded voters to back Democrats in November.

“You’re looking at a registered Independent who’s proud to vote again and again and again, because I’m an American, and that’s what Americans do,” she said.

Tracy Prince and Kathy Sykes jumped out of their seats when they saw Oprah, who was born in their home state of Mississippi, take to the stage.

“We love Oprah so much,” Mrs Sykes told BBC News. “Everyone in Mississippi is so proud that she claims us.”

She said Oprah’s speech was a “powerful message” to independent voters in particular to vote for Ms Harris.

“She gave very good reasons why – to choose common sense over nonsense,” Mrs Sykes said from the convention hall.

Wednesday night also included several other celebrity cameos including Stevie Wonder, Mindy Kaling and Kenan Thompson.

The Democratic Party is calling upon its famous supporters to help draw attention to their convention, hoping their presence will get voters to pay attention – and maybe cast a vote for Ms Harris in November.

Previous research on celebrity endorsements has suggested that big-name figures are capable of generating publicity for a party, but it is less clear whether this translates into votes.

Studies have suggested that friends and family may have more influence on which way a person casts a ballot – and that in some circumstances, celebrities may even put off voters.

In 2018, India’s top court legalised gay sex in a landmark ruling – but the country still doesn’t allow transgender people and gay and bisexual men to donate blood.

People from the LGBT community say the decades-old ban is “discriminatory” and have gone to court to challenge it.

When Vyjayanti Vasanta Mogli’s mother was on her deathbed battling advanced Parkinson’s, she needed regular blood transfusions.

But Ms Mogli, a trans woman based in the southern city of Hyderabad, couldn’t donate blood despite being her mother’s sole caregiver.

“I had to keep posting [requests for blood donors] on WhatsApp and Facebook groups,” she said, describing the process as “traumatising”.

Ms Mogli was fortunate to find donors for her mum but many others aren’t.

Beoncy Laisharam – a doctor in the north-eastern state of Manipur – recounted the experience of one of her patients, whose transgender daughter was unable to give blood for his treatment.

“The father needed two to three units of blood daily. They were unable to find blood from other sources,” she said.

“He died two days after being brought in.”

It was such stories that pushed Sharif Rangnekar, a 55-year-old writer and activist, to file a petition in India’s Supreme Court against the ban on blood donation by LGBT people.

Indian laws prohibit LGBT people from donating blood on the ground that they are high-risk groups for HIV-Aids – it is compulsory for donors to be free from diseases that are transmissible by blood transfusion.

The policy dates back to the 1980s, when several countries imposed similar bans to reign in an HIV-Aids epidemic raging across the world, which killed thousands.

Despite change in attitudes, subsequent policies have kept the ban in place, including the latest rule drafted in 2017.

Filed in July, the plea argues that the existing blood donation policies are “highly prejudicial and presumptive” and violate the fundamental rights of “equality, dignity and life” of the LGBT community.

The court has asked the federal government to respond to Mr Rangnekar’s plea and tagged it with two similar court cases filed in 2021 and 2023 that are pending before it.

In an earlier hearing, the government had defended the ban by citing a 2021 health ministry report which stated that transgender people, gay and bisexual men were “six to 13 times” more at the risk of contracting HIV than the general population.

“The government’s policy is for mitigating risk with no moral judgement [attached to] it,” said Dr Joy Mammen, an expert in blood transfusion.

But critics say the policy is discriminatory, rooted in stigma and makes them feel “excluded and insignificant”.

“Other genders also have HIV positive people but their entire community is not banned [from donating blood],” Dr Beoncy said, adding that the ban reinforces existing stereotypes.

India is is home to an estimated tens of millions of LGBT people. In 2012, the Indian government put their population at 2.5 million, but global estimates suggest the true figure could be over 135 million.

Many of them face discrimination and are forced to leave their families.

Campaigners say the ban hampers their access to crucial medical care as it bars them from taking blood from their partners or “chosen families”.

“If there’s a blanket ban on blood donation by LGBT people, how do you expect community members to receive help in emergency situations?” asked Sahil Choudhary, an LGBT activist.

In many instances, donors might also feel compelled to lie about their sexuality while filling a mandatory form for making blood donations, to save the life of a loved one.

Activists argue that apart from it being discriminatory, the ban is also irrational because of the high demand for blood transfusions in the country.

A study published by the Public Library of Science in 2022 estimated that India faced an annual deficit of around one million units of blood.

Thangjam Santa Singh, a transgender rights activist who petitioned the court against the ban last year, said the current Indian laws are outdated as several countries have moved away from restrictions on LGBT blood donors in recent years.

Last year, the US lifted all restrictions on gay and bisexual men donating blood. Now instead of sexual orientation, donors are screened on the basis of whether they have engaged in “high-risk sexual behaviour”.

All prospective donors have to answer a questionnaire about their recent sexual histories. Those who have had a new sexual partner, multiple sexual partners and have engaged in anal sex in the last three months are asked to wait for three months before donating blood.

The rationale is that new testing technology allows faster detection of HIV cases, so prospective donors can safely give blood based on an individual risk assessment.

The UK set in place similar guidelines in 2021. Other countries that have lifted bans or eased restrictions, include Brazil, the Republic of Ireland, Canada, France and Greece.

Petitioners argue that India should also have an individual-centric system for blood donation that is based on “actual risk” and not “perceived risk”.

Ms Singh said that the Indian government can consider having a deferral period based on the donor’s recent sexual history, instead of denying the entire LGBT community the opportunity to donate altogether.

“This makes me feel like I am not human,” she said.

The Indian government has opposed this, saying that the country’s healthcare system is not ready for the change.

In its response to the earlier petitions filed before the Supreme Court, the federal government had said that advanced blood testing technologies, such as nucleic-acid testing which is widely used in other countries, were only available at a “small fraction” of blood banks in India.

“In India, the systems are not rigorous enough,” said Dr Mammen.

This applies not just “to testing” but also in “ensuring an environment where there is privacy and confidentiality so that people feel comfortable in answering questions about their sexual history”, he added.

But members of the community are not convinced – and say they would continue their fight against the “prejudiced ban”.

“I keep thinking how I wouldn’t be able to donate blood to my family in case of urgent need,” Mr Rangnekar said.

“I do not want to spend the rest of my life trying to find ways around these obstacles.”

Here in Lesotho it is known as white gold – the water which plays such an important role in the country’s economy.

The engineering marvel at the centre of this is incongruous in the country’s highlands – sited among the shepherds in traditional Basotho blankets and mud huts that make up this rural area.

The Katse dam is a seriously impressive piece of design. Standing at 185m (600 feet) tall, it is Africa’s second largest curved dam.

Completed in 1996, it forms part of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, which was the result of a deal signed between the governments of Lesotho and apartheid South Africa a decade earlier.

The country might be entirely surrounded by its much larger neighbour, but it has something parts of South Africa lack – a regular supply of water.

Due to its unique geography – Lesotho is the only country in the world that lies entirely above 1,000m – the country receives a relatively high amount of precipitation.

That is where Katse comes in.

Water is funnelled out of the dam, entering a series of tunnels, that eventually takes it into the Vaal river system in South Africa. It is Africa’s biggest water transfer scheme.

The government says Lesotho receives $200m (£154m) a year from South Africa for the water – more than double what the country used to get after the agreement was renegotiated earlier this year.

However, despite being water rich, Lesotho remains economically poor. And nowhere is that more apparent than in Ha Ramokoatsi village.

Despite being around just 1km from the dam, its 200 residents still have to rely on a small natural spring, tucked away inside a small cave on the hillside, for their supply of water.

At 10:00 on the day the BBC visits, there is a steady queue of women, holding empty paint buckets to carry the water home.

Some have been here since 03:00. In the queue we meet 50-year-old Manteboheleng Mosiyoa, who arrived five hours ago.

“The water situation here is terrible,” she says, visibly angry.

“Sometimes when it rains, a dead dog can be washed into the spring. We have to just take it out as we need the water, even if it is contaminated.”

She adds that consuming the water has had health consequences, and shows us an itchy rash on her wrist, which health workers say is a result of drinking dirty water.

“We regularly get sick, even small children. They drink this water and they have upset and painful stomachs.

“Sometimes when you come to the water you see little worms, but we still drink the water, because there is no way we can survive without it.”

As we speak the spring runs dry, meaning Ms Mosiyoa is left to scoop out the remaining water from a litter-filled, stagnant pool.

Village officials say that despite a series of promises from politicians – dating back to 2020 – that running water would be installed, they have heard nothing.

Village chief Hlojeng Khethisa shows me written minutes in a notebook from meetings held with the previous government.

“My message to this government is that they should come here and see how we live. We can’t have this beautiful dam built around our village and yet we’re still living in poverty.”

That is not a story that you will hear on the tours of the dam, offered by the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority, which runs the project.

Our guide is eager to tell tourists about the fact that Lesotho generates half its electricity through hydro-power, and the roads that have been built thanks to money earned from the dam.

Katse was the first dam, with a second opening in 2003. A third is set to start operating in 2028, with plans for a total of five dams.

Despite the growth, Minister of Natural Resources Mohlomi Moleko admits that the project has not always been in the interests of the communities that live around it.

“We now have to – as Basotho – refocus. Our main focus going forward is to give water to the Basotho, and second the water transfer.

“We are now looking at the provision of water for locals by 2030. That’s what we’re going to be looking at.” He adds that “he would bet his life” that the roll-out will be completed by then.

The demand for Lesotho’s natural resources is only likely to grow.

Much of Lesotho’s water is diverted to Gauteng province, South Africa’s economic heartland, and home to its biggest city, Johannesburg.

It is the largest city in the world not built on a water source, and the city of gold is getting thirstier.

Taps in the city increasingly run dry due to a combination of crumbling infrastructure, a growing population and reservoirs emptying out due to climate change.

“Lesotho’s water is very important, as it basically drives part of South Africa’s GDP,” says Professor Anja du Plessis, a water management expert at the University of South Africa.

“Water demand however is not sustainable. Consumers use a lot of water, over 200 litres a day, but 46% of water that goes through the system does not reach the consumer, due to neglected infrastructure. It’s a man-made issue at this point in time.”

A deal has also recently been signed to take Lesotho’s water more than 700km, into Botswana.

None of the economic benefits of this will be much comfort to the residents of Ha Ramokoatsi.

Despite being able to see the Katse dam from the window of her house, Ms Mosiyoa says it has bought nothing positive to her life.

“This dam hasn’t done anything for us. We know nothing of the money Lesotho gets. Nothing has been done for us. We’re really struggling.”

• The small African country with the world’s highest suicide rate
• The diamond magnate at the helm of Lesotho’s politics
• A quick guide to Lesotho

A search operation is continuing off the coast of Sicily after the British-flagged luxury yacht Bayesian sank during freak weather early on Monday morning.

Fifteen of the 22 people who were on board were rescued from the boat.

The vessel’s cook – understood to be Recaldo Thomas – is confirmed to have died and his body was recovered the same day the yacht went down, according to Sicily’s civil protection agency.

Of the six who remained missing, five of their bodies had been brought to shore by Thursday, with divers continuing to search for the last person.

Italian authorities have not confirmed the identities of those recovered.

The body of a man recovered near the Bayesian yacht is believed to be that of Recaldo Thomas, a Canadian-Antiguan chef who was working on the boat.

His friends have been paying tribute to him. Gareth Williams, who lives in Antigua, knew Thomas for 30 years.

“I can talk for everyone that knew him when I say he was a well-loved, kind human being with a calm spirit,” he told the BBC.

The two grew up together in Antigua, where Thomas spent his time during off-season.

“He would come over to mine over the weekend and he would sing. He had the deepest, most sultry voice in the world, and a smile that lit up the room.

“He told me just the other day that he needed to work two more seasons to fix up his late parents’ house. He loved yachting, but he was tired.”

• Follow live updates here
• ‘For two seconds I lost my baby in the sea’ – yacht survivor
• How sinking of luxury yacht off Sicily unfolded
• What might have caused yacht to sink
• Divers battle 10-minute dive window and debris in yacht search

The names and nationalities of the six people who went missing have all been confirmed. Four are British and two are American.

Among them are British businessman Mike Lynch, who was recently acquitted of fraud in the US.

Several people on the boat were involved in his recent trial and there have been reports that the yacht trip was a celebration of Mr Lynch’s acquittal.

Mr Lynch is a tech entrepreneur who was once regarded by some as “Britain’s Bill Gates”.

Raised in Essex, he went on to study at the University of Cambridge, before co-founding software company Autonomy in 1996.

The 59-year-old made his riches by selling the company to US tech giant Hewlett-Packard in 2011 for $11bn (£8.6bn).

Mr Lynch became embroiled in a decade-long legal battle following the acquisition. He was acquitted in the US in June on multiple fraud charges, over which he had been facing two decades in jail.

He told BBC Radio 4 in August that he believed he had only been able to prove his innocence in US court because he was rich enough to pay the enormous legal fees involved.

“You shouldn’t need to have funds to protect yourself as a British citizen,” he said.

Mr Lynch was travelling with his daughter Hannah, who is also missing.

The 18-year-old is reportedly the younger of Mr Lynch’s two daughters.

She had just completed her A-levels and secured a place to read English at Oxford University, according to the Times.

Chris Morvillo is a lawyer who represented Mr Lynch in his US trial. Since 2011, he has been a partner at the Clifford Chance law firm in New York.

His biography on the firm’s website says that he served as assistant attorney for the southern district of New York from 1999 to 2005.

During his tenure, he worked on the criminal investigation surrounding the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center.

American jewellery designer Neda Morvillo, wife of Mr Morvillo, is also unaccounted for.

Mr Morvillo’s employer, Clifford Chance, confirmed the news.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the law firm said: “We are in shock and deeply saddened by this tragic incident.”

Ms Morvillo designs jewellery under the name Neda Nassiri. Her website says she “has been designing and hand-crafting fine jewelry in New York City for over 20 years”.

Jonathan Bloomer is the chairman of the Morgan Stanley International bank and insurance company Hiscox.

The 70-year-old Briton was educated at Imperial College London and has previously served on a number of company boards.

Mr Bloomer appeared at trial as a defence witness for Mr Lynch, according to the the Financial Times. Media reports suggest the pair are close friends.

Mr Bloomer’s twin brother, Jeremy, told the BBC he felt numb and his family were “coping the best we can” as rescue workers continued to search for his sibling.

“He was my elder by half an hour, so, it means a lot when you lose a twin brother. We’ll still wait and see, so it’s fingers crossed,” he said.

He added: “It’s a slow process, and it will take time. There might be air pockets but we don’t know.”

Aki Hussain, group chief executive of Hiscox, which Mr Bloomer has chaired since 2023, said: “We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event.

“Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular our chair, Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife Judy, who are among the missing.”

Judy, the wife of Jonathan Bloomer, is also among the six people missing.

Ms Bloomer is listed as a former director of property developer Change Real Estate along with her husband.

She has been called a “brilliant champion for women’s health” by a charity she has worked closely with.

Ms Bloomer has been a trustee and supporter of gynaecological cancer research charity the Eve Appeal for more than 20 years.

The charity’s chief executive, Athena Lamnisos, said she was “deeply shocked to hear the news that our very dear friend and her husband Jonathan, are among those missing”.

“Our thoughts are with Judy and Jonathan’s family, as well as all those who are still waiting for news after this tragic event,” she added in a statement.

Among the 15 people who were rescued are nine members of the yacht’s crew.

This means every member of the crew is accounted for minus the chef, who local authorities say has died.

Eight of the 15 who were rescued have been taken to hospital.

Dr Fabio Genco, who was part of the local emergency medical service that treated the survivors, said all of them had been discharged from hospital by Tuesday.

A British mother, named locally as Charlotte Golunski, was travelling on the yacht with her partner and baby girl. All three were rescued from the boat.

In an interview, she described holding her infant daughter above the surface of the sea to save her from drowning.

Ms Golunski is a partner at Mr Lynch’s company, Invoke Capital, where she has worked since 2012, according to her LinkedIn profile.

The Times has reported that she has previously worked for Autonomy, the company at the centre of Mr Lynch’s recent court case.

Another lawyer, Ayla Ronald, was also rescued along with her partner.

The New Zealand national works for Clifford Chance, where Mr Morvillo is a partner, and was part of Mr Lynch’s legal team for his June trial.

Her father told the Telegraph that she was “invited to go sailing as a result of the success in the recent United States court case”.

Angela Bacares, Mr Lynch’s wife and Hannah Lynch’s mother, is also among those who have been rescued.

On Monday, Ms Bacares was using a wheelchair after suffering ­abrasions on her feet, according to the newspaper La Repubblica.

The rapid spread of mpox – what used to be called monkeypox – in parts of Africa has been declared a global emergency.

A new form of the virus is at the heart of concerns, but there still remain huge unanswered questions.

Is it more contagious? We don’t know. How deadly is it? We don’t have the data. Is this going to be a pandemic?

“We have to avoid the trap of thinking this is going to be Covid all over again and we’re going to have lockdowns – or that this will play out like mpox did in 2022,” says Dr Jake Dunning, an mpox scientist and doctor who has treated mpox patients in the UK.

To assess the threat – despite the uncertainty – we first need to realise this is not one mpox outbreak, but three.

They are all happening at the same time, but affecting different groups of people and behaving differently.

They are labelled by their “clade” – essentially which branch of the mpox virus family tree they come from.

• Clade 1a is causing most of the infections in the west and north of the Democratic Republic of Congo. This is the outbreak that has been going on for more than a decade. It is spread mostly by eating infected wildlife known as bushmeat. Those who get sick can pass the virus onto people they come into close contact with and children have been particularly affected.
• Clade 1b is the new branch of the mpox family and is causing the outbreaks in the east of the DRC and neighbouring countries. This is being spread along trucking routes with drivers having heterosexual sex with exploited sex workers, with infected people also passing it onto children through close contact.
• Clade 2 is the mpox outbreak that went around the world in 2022 and again had a strong connection with sex, this time predominantly affecting gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men communities (98.6% were men in the UK) as well as their close contacts. This outbreak is not over.

The World Health Organization labelled Clade 1b as one of the main reasons for it declaring a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. This strain has spread to countries previously unaffected by mpox – Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

It was first reported this year, but genetic analysis has traced its origins back to September 2023 in the gold-mining city of Kamituga, in the Congolese province of South Kivu.

“There is a sex industry in the mining city and it has rapidly spread out to border countries because of the massive movement of people,” Leandre Murhula Masirika, a health department research coordinator, tells me from South Kivu.

He said paying for sex was the main way the virus was spreading, but it is then passed from parent-to-child or between children and had been linked to miscarriages.

The outbreak of this new Clade 1b offshoot looks markedly different to Clade 1a.

“It’s really different because the rash is more severe, the disease seems to be going on for longer, but most of all this is really being driven by sexual transmission and person-to-person contact and we haven’t seen any involvement with bushmeat at all,” Prof Trudi Lang, from the University of Oxford, told me on Radio 4’s Inside Health programme.

A key question is why? The answer is either evolution or opportunity.

The new strain does look genetically distinct, but as yet there is no compelling evidence those mutations have made the virus itself more contagious.

Getting into sex workers who have close contact with many other people would also put rocket boosters on an outbreak.

“Transmission through sexual networks occurs more rapidly, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the virus itself is more transmissible,” says Dr Rosamund Lewis, the World Health Organization’s mpox lead.

The virus is not a textbook sexually transmitted infection. However, it is spread through close physical contact and sex obviously involves close contact.

There is also uncertainty around how deadly the current outbreaks are.

Not all deaths are being recorded as some people are seeking “traditional” rather than hospital medicine. And we have no idea how many people are being infected – some of whom may have mild or no symptoms.

“We just don’t know how many cases there are and for me that is one of the most important unknowns,” says Prof Lang.

History suggests Clade 1 outbreaks are more dangerous than Clade 2. In previous outbreaks up to 10% of people who got sick with Clade 1 mpox died. However, it is not clear how relevant that 10% figure is to the current outbreaks.

And death rates are about more than just the virus. Malnourishment, untreated HIV damaging the immune system or no access to hospital care would all drive up the death rate.

The World Health Organization says 3.6% of known mpox cases died for Clade 1a in 2024. It has no equivalent figure for the new Clade 1b.

More than 500 people have already died in the mpox outbreaks in DR Congo this year. The threat posed to the country and its neighbours is clear.

“We have not been able to control the virus in South Kivu,” says Leandre Murhula Masirika.

“We need a massive intervention to control this outbreak and to stop it.”

The situation is complicated by the conflict raging in eastern DR Congo, where numerous rebel groups have taken up arms.

Prof Lang, who is working with teams in DR Congo, draws comparisons with the early days of HIV. When I challenge her on this she says it’s a phrase used “not very often and definitely not lightly”.

She says: “That combination of young exploited sex workers, the families, the truckers and obviously the children around all of this who are the vulnerable first victims of this outbreak and this was exactly the same situation in the early days of HIV, where it was really perpetuated by the trucking routes.”

Mpox is not expected to be a Covid-level event. It is already nearly a year since the new strain emerged in September 2023.

The most likely scenario in the UK and similar countries is somebody flies back with the virus and becomes sick.

This has happened multiple times with mpox in the past in the UK and the UK continues to report cases of mpox linked to the 2022 Clade 2 outbreak.

These imported cases could be the end of it or there may be limited spread within households through close physical contact. Sweden had the first Clade 1b case outside of Africa, with no further spread reported.

A more worrying scenario would be a young infected child taking it to nursery or pre-school where they play with other children and cause an outbreak there.

This is the limit of what is being considered likely in the UK.

“No, I don’t think this is going to be a big one,” said Dr Jake Dunning.

“I’m getting a little bit irked and twitchy about people just focusing on what happened in 2022 and thinking that the same will happen.”

The response would be to find people who came into contact with anyone infectious and vaccinate them, rather than mass immunisation programmes.

It should be easier to stay on top of any imported cases in this way in the UK than in DR Congo which has added conflict and humanitarian challenges.

There are still no mpox-specific vaccines but smallpox vaccines work against the disease.

Smallpox and the monkeypox viruses are both Orthopoxviruses and immunity to one leads to protection from the other.

The end of the smallpox immunisation campaigns – after the disease was eradicated in 1979 – is one of the reasons we’re seeing mpox take off now.

Those who did get a smallpox vaccine as children, despite a now aged immune system, should still have some protection.

As will men who were given the vaccine during the 2022 outbreak, although the Clade 1 outbreaks are not disproportionately affecting gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.

The people with the biggest need for vaccines are at the heart of the outbreak in Africa.

Dr Dunning said: “We’re absolutely appalling at sharing tools to prevent mpox, particularly vaccines and that’s indefensible.

“It’s obvious to me that the greatest win for us is controlling these outbreaks at source.”

The rape and murder of a trainee doctor in India’s Kolkata city earlier this month has sparked massive outrage in the country, with tens of thousands of people protesting on the streets, demanding justice. BBC Hindi spoke to the doctor’s parents who remember their daughter as a clever, young woman who wanted to lead a good life and take care of her family.

“Please make sure dad takes his medicines on time. Don’t worry about me.”

This was the last thing the 31-year-old doctor said to her mother, hours before she was brutally assaulted in a hospital where she worked.

“The next day, we tried reaching her but the phone kept ringing,” the mother told the BBC at their family home in a narrow alley, a few kilometres from Kolkata.

The same morning, the doctor’s partially-clothed body was discovered in the seminar hall, bearing extensive injuries. A hospital volunteer worker has been arrested in connection with the crime.

The incident has sparked massive outrage across the country, with protests in several major cities. At the weekend, doctors across hospitals in India observed a nation-wide strike called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), with only emergency services available at major hospitals.

The family say they feel hollowed out by their loss.

“At the age of 62, all my dreams have been shattered,” her father told the BBC.

Since their daughter’s horrific murder, their house, located in a respectable neighbourhood, has become the focus of intense media scrutiny.

Behind a police barricade stand dozens of journalists and camera crew, hoping to capture the parents in case they step out.

A group of 10 to 15 police officers perpetually stand guard to ensure the cameras do not take photos of the victim’s house.

The crime took place on the night of 9 August, when the woman, who was a junior doctor at the city’s RG Kar Medical College, had gone to a seminar room to rest after a gruelling 36-hour shift.

Her parents remembered how the young doctor, their only child, was a passionate student who worked extremely hard to become a doctor.

“We come from a lower middle-class background and built everything on our own. When she was little, we struggled financially,” said the father, who is a tailor.

The living room where he sat was cluttered with tools from his profession – a sewing machine, spools of thread and a heavy iron. There were scraps of fabrics scattered on the floor.

There were times when the family did not have money to even buy pomegranates, their daughter’s favourite fruit, he continued.

“But she could never bring herself to ask for anything for herself.”

“People would say, ‘You can’t make your daughter a doctor’. But my daughter proved everyone wrong and got admission in a government-run medical college,” he added, breaking down. A relative tried to console him.

The mother recalled how her daughter would write in her diary every night before going to bed.

“She wrote that she wanted to win a gold medal for her medical degree. She wanted to lead a good life and take care of us too,” she said softly.

And she did.

The father, who is a high blood-pressure patient, said their daughter always made sure he took his medicines on time.

“Once I ran out of medicine and thought I’d just buy it the next day. But she found out, and even though it was around 10 or 11pm at night, she said no-one will eat until the medicine is here,” he said.

“That’s how she was – she never let me worry about anything.”

Her mother listened intently, her hands repeatedly touching a gold bangle on her wrist – a bangle she had bought with her daughter.

The parents said their daughter’s marriage had almost been finalised. “But she would tell us not to worry and say she would continue to take care of all our expenses even after marriage,” the father said.

As he spoke those words, the mother began to weep, her soft sobs echoing in the background.

Occasionally, her eyes would wander to the staircase, leading up to their daughter’s room.

The door has remained shut since 10 August and the parents have not set foot there since the news of her death.

They say they still can’t believe that something “so barbaric” could happen to their daughter at her workplace.

“The hospital should be a safe place,” the father said.

Violence against women is a major issue in India – an average of 90 rapes a day were reported in 2022, according to government data.

The parents said their daughter’s death had brought back memories of a 2012 case when a 22-year-old physiotherapy intern was gang-raped on a moving bus in capital Delhi. Her injuries were fatal.

Following the assault – which made global headlines and led to weeks of protests – India tightened laws against sexual violence.

But reported cases of sexual assault have gone up and access to justice still remains a challenge for women.

Last week, thousands participated in a Reclaim the Night march held in Kolkata to demand safety for women across the country.

The doctor’s case has also put a spotlight on challenges faced by healthcare workers, who have demanded a thorough and impartial investigation into the murder and a federal law to protect them – especially women – at work.

Federal Health Minister JP Nadda has assured doctors that he will bring in strict measures to ensure better safety in their professional environments.

But for the parents of the doctor, it’s too little too late.

“We want the harshest punishment for the culprit,” the father said.

“Our state, our country and the whole world is asking for justice for our daughter.”

Sphen the gentoo penguin – one half of a world-famous same-sex “power couple” – has died in Australia, aged 11.

He and his partner Magic shot to global stardom in 2018 when they fell in love at the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium, later adopting and raising two chicks.

Their romance has inspired a Mardi Gras float, been referenced in Australia’s education syllabus, and even featured in the Netflix series Atypical.

The Sea Life Sydney Aquarium said Sphen had an “immeasurable” impact around the world as a symbol of equality and a conduit for the conservation cause.

The penguin’s health had deteriorated in the days leading up to his death, and the aquarium’s veterinary team made the difficult decision earlier this month to euthanise Sphen to end his pain and discomfort.

An investigation into the cause of his decline is underway.

“The loss of Sphen is heartbreaking to the penguin colony, the team, and everyone who has been inspired or positively impacted by Sphen and Magic’s story,” the aquarium’s general manager Richard Dilly said in a statement.

“We want to take this opportunity to reflect and celebrate Sphen’s life, remembering what an icon he was.”

A sub-Antarctic species, gentoo penguins on average live between 12 and 13 years and are famously romantic monogamists.

Magic, 8, has been taken to see Sphen’s body to help the penguin understand his partner will not return.

He immediately started singing, the aquarium said, which was reciprocated by the broader penguin colony.

“The team’s focus is now on Magic, who will soon prepare for his first breeding season without Sphen,” Mr Dilly said.

Sphen is also survived by Sphengic – known as Lara – and Clancy, the couple’s two fostered chicks.

Magic and Sphen had been together for six years. Staff first noticed an attraction between them when they saw them bowing to each other – a gentoo way of flirting.

Members of the public have paid tribute to Sphen in a condolence message board on the aquarium’s website.

“Sphen and Magic were equality icons. My heart breaks for the keepers and the whole Sea Life Sydney team,” wrote long-time fan Mark.

“You taught the world so much. We will never forget you, Habibi,” another user named Rach added, using an Arabic term of affection.

A newspaper published in the aftermath of the sinking of the Titanic has been unearthed in a wardrobe.

The edition of The Daily Mirror from 20 April 1912, which shows a photo of two women waiting for the list of survivors to be posted on a wall in Southampton, was found in a house in Lichfield, Staffordshire, after 112 years.

More than 1,500 people died when the Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean on 14 April 1912.

The newspaper was found by Hansons Auctioneers, the owner of which, Charles Hanson, called it a “valuable piece of social history”.

“The sinking of the Titanic has been heavily documented in films, TV shows and books and we know much about those who lost their lives,” he said.

“This find reminds us of the many bereaved families and friends, heartbroken mothers, fathers and wives.”

Beneath the picture of the women, the article described “tragedy upon tragedy” for Southampton where “the majority” of the crew lived.

“A list of the saved was posted outside the White Star offices, and mothers and wives who had been hoping against hope eagerly read the names, only to find their worst fears were realised,” it read.

“By this appalling disaster mothers have been robbed of sons, wives of husbands and young girls of sweethearts.”

It described “a terrible day in the history of the town, though it put an end to all suspense”.

Inside the newspaper, which sold for £34 on Tuesday, is a double-page spread with photographs of some of the victims.

Mr Hanson said the woman whose wardrobe the paper was found in kept newspapers marking several major events, including the coronation of King George V in 1911.

He said the focus for the Titanic was often on the victims themselves, rather than the victims’ families.

“But when you see the faces of those affected it’s very moving,” he said.

US prosecutors have filed criminal charges against a Chinese dissident living in the US, accusing him of being an agent of Beijing’s intelligence service.

Yuanjun Tang, 67, was arrested on Wednesday in the New York City, the US department of justice (DOJ) said in a statement.

He is alleged to have spied on US-based Chinese democracy activists and dissidents.

Mr Tang, now a naturalised US citizen, is also accused of making false statements to the FBI.

The BBC could not immediately identify a lawyer for Mr Tang.

In Wednesday’s statement, the DOJ said Mr Tang “was charged by criminal complaint with acting and conspiring to act in the United States as an unregistered agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and making materially false statements to the FBI”.

It also alleged that between 2018 and 2023 he acted as China’s agent on the orders of the country’s ministry of state security (MSS) – China’s principal civilian intelligence agency.

Mr Tang is accused of regularly receiving instructions via email, encrypted chats and other means of communications from the agency.

It is also alleged that he “regularly received instructions from and reported to an MSS intelligence officer regarding individuals and groups viewed by the PRC as potentially adverse to the PRC’s interests, including prominent US-based Chinese democracy activists and dissidents.”

“He also travelled at least three times for face-to-face meetings with MSS intelligence officers and helped the MSS infiltrate a group chat on an encrypted messaging application used by numerous PRC dissidents and pro-democracy activists to communicate about pro-democracy issues and express criticism of the PRC government,” the DOJ alleges.

He apparently agreed to work for China’s intelligence agency in a bid to see his family living in mainland China, according to CBS, the BBC’s US news partner, which cites US prosecutors.

According to court documents, Mr Tang was imprisoned in China for opposing the Chinese government.

He protested against the Chinese Communist Party during the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations, CBS reports.

In about 2002, he managed to defect to Taiwan, and was later granted political asylum in the US, the DOJ said.

A man has been sentenced to more than six years in prison after hacking into a state database to fake his death, and get out of paying child support.

Jesse Kipf from Kentucky, in the US, was sentenced to 81 months for computer fraud and aggravated identity theft.

The 39-year-old admitted to accessing the Hawaii Death Registry System in January last year and creating a “case” for his own death.

Kipf then completed a State of Hawaii Death Certificate Worksheet, assigned himself as the medical certifier for the case and certified his death, using the digital signature of the doctor.

It meant he was successfully registered as a deceased person in many government databases.

Kipf admitted that he did it to avoid his outstanding child support obligations of more than $100,000.

The hacker also accessed other death registry systems and companies in unrelated attacks that he carried out using the stolen log in details of real physicians and workers.

He was found to be offering to sell access to the systems and selling stolen databases containing private information like Social Security Numbers to other cyber criminals on the darknet.

The darknet is a portion of the internet only accessible through specialist software that hides a browser’s identity. There are many darknet marketplaces where cyber criminals sell stolen data or access to compromised IT systems.

Kipf sold to international buyers, including individuals from Algeria, Russia and Ukraine, the court was reportedly told.

“This scheme was a cynical and destructive effort, based in part on the inexcusable goal of avoiding his child support obligations,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky.

Under federal law, Kipf must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.

The damage to governmental and corporate computer systems and his failure to pay his child support obligations amounted to a total of $195,758.65.

South Africans are paying tributes to their “favourite teacher”, William Smith, who has died aged 85.

The beloved maths and science teacher and innovator died on Wednesday morning after a short battle with cancer, his family said.

The renowned teacher hosted a learning programme on state broadcaster SABC for years, which is said to have touched the hearts of many South Africans.

He received many accolades in his life for innovation in learning, including a national award in 2019 given by President Cyril Ramaphosa for his contribution to “teaching and demystifying mathematics and science”.

President Ramaphosa described the “favourite teacher” as “an education and cultural icon to our nation”.

“William Smith’s passion for his curriculum and for the success of those he taught in classrooms, at matric camps and on TV benefited millions of young South Africans even before our transition to democracy and the dawn of a new dispensation of equal education,” he said.

He is hailed for making maths and science education available for free to millions of children through the ground-breaking 1990s TV programme Learning Channel, which he convinced SABC to air.

The presidency describes the programme as “essentially an open South African school teaching physical science, mathematics, biology and English”.

It gave disadvantaged pupils access to free extra classes, said to be the only high-quality instruction some received at the time.

One of the children watching was Johan Ferreira, now a professor at the University of Pretoria statistics department.

He told the BBC that Mr Smith had an “astounding effect”, adding that “the inspiration that he elicited [showed] that anyone is able to or can understand science”.

He said that nowadays children have access to lots of material to help them learn but Mr Smith was ahead of his time.

“I like to think of William Smith as the original science content creator of South Africa.”

Some people have taken to social media to laud Mr Smith as the reason they were successful in the subjects.

“William Smith got me through high school maths and science. What a legend and national treasure,” said Wendy Verwey Bekker on X.

“It felt like we knew this man personally. Thank you, Mr William Smith for all those very narrow passes in Maths that would not have been passes at all without you. Sorry we never paid you any school fees,” said Roy Petzer.

Zola Hashatsi ka Motsiri said Mr Smith “guided countless of us through high school maths with his TV lessons, leaves behind a legacy cherished by many South Africans”.

During his life he also earned the national “Teacher of the Year” award as well as being voted one of the top three presenters on South African television in 1998 for his teaching programme. In 2004 he was voted 86th on the list of the Top 100 Great South Africans.

After retiring, he moved with his family to Australia where he died.

He was surrounded by his family during his final moments, his daughter Jessica Smith told South African news outlet News24.

She said the family was mourning him but also celebrating his legacy, adding that it was inspiring to see how other people were celebrating him.

He is survived by his wife, Jenny, his three daughters and five grandchildren.

Additional reporting by Claudia Efemini

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Actress Cate Blanchett is to return to the stage for the first time in six years, with a role in Anton Chekhov’s play The Seagull.

The Oscar winner will play Arkadina in the new adaptation, which will also star Strike actor Tom Burke.

The show will play at the Barbican Theatre in London for six weeks from February.

Its director Thomas Ostermeier described Blanchett as a “once-in-a-generation actress”.

The new adaptation will mark a reunion for Blanchett and Burke, who recently completed filming for Steven Soderbergh’s forthcoming film Black Bag.

Ostermeier told BBC News: “I have known and admired Cate for many years, and to see her on stage is always a privilege.

“I am thrilled that we will make our first artistic collaboration with this production of The Seagull at the Barbican, and that London will experience this once-in-a-generation actress in one of the greatest theatrical roles of Arkadina.

“I’m also very pleased to be forging a new artistic relationship with Tom Burke, who will play the role of Trigorin.”

Another production of The Seagull, starring Game of Thrones actress Emilia Clarke, played in London two years ago.

Blanchett’s character Arkadina is a celebrated actress whose larger-than-life presence dominates both the stage and her personal relationships.

But when she arrives at her family’s country estate for the weekend, she must navigate a series of conflicts.

Her son struggles to step out of her shadow, and her lover becomes the romantic target of an aspiring young actress. The play explores themes including ambition, vanity, disappointment and desire.

The Seagull will be produced by Wessex Grove, the same team behind Ostermeier’s production of An Enemy of the People, which starred Matt Smith earlier this year.

Blanchett last performed on the Barbican stage in 2012’s Big and Small (Gross und Klein).

Her last theatre role overall, however, was just before the Covid pandemic, in a 2019 production of When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other at the National Theatre.

Blanchett has had a long and varied film career, with credits including Carol, Nightmare Alley, Tar, Don’t Look Up, Notes on a Scandal, Thor: Ragnarok and Ocean’s 8.

She has been nominated for eight acting Oscars, winning twice – for The Aviator and Blue Jasmine.

Burke has appeared in The Wonder, Living, The Souvenir and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga as well as the BBC’s Strike.

Jermaine Jenas, who presents The One Show and appears on Match of the Day for the BBC, has been sacked by the corporation following complaints about workplace conduct.

The former footballer, 41, has been taken off air from both primetime shows.

BBC News understands his contract was terminated because of alleged issues relating to workplace behaviour, after issues involving digital communications such as texts were raised with the corporation a few weeks ago.

A BBC spokesperson said: “We can confirm Jermaine Jenas is no longer part of our presenting line-up.”

It is understood issues were raised with the broadcaster a few weeks ago, and it took action.

He was last on air earlier in the summer.

Jenas earned £190,000 – £194,999 at the BBC for his work on the FA Cup, Match of the Day and the World Cup.

His work on The One Show was for BBC Studios, the BBC’s commercial production company, so his salary is not in the public domain.

Jenas made his footballing debut at the age of 17, and played for his boyhood team Nottingham Forest, Spurs and Newcastle United. He went on to play 341 times, as well as making 21 appearances for England.

He retired in 2016 aged 32, although he had not played since 2014.

Jenas turned his attention to media work as a pundit while recovering from a knee injury and became a regular on Match of the Day, as well as BT Sport. He had been presenting The One Show since 2020.

He and a friend set up the Aquinas Foundation to help incentivise and raise the aspirations of young people in schools across Nottingham.

The ex-footballer also appeared on The Great Sport Relief Bake-Off in 2016.

In December 2023 it was announced that he would collect an honorary degree from Nottingham Trent University.

The second-largest diamond ever found – a rough 2,492-carat stone – has been unearthed in Botswana at a mine owned by Canadian firm Lucara Diamond.

It is the biggest find since the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond, found in South Africa in 1905 and cut into nine separate stones, many of which are in the British Crown Jewels.

The diamond was found at Karowe mine, about 500km (300 miles) north of Botswana’s capital, Gaborone.

Botswana’s government said it was the largest diamond ever discovered in the southern African state.

The previous biggest discovery in Botswana was a 1,758-carat stone found at the same mine in 2019.

Botswana is one of the world’s biggest producer of diamonds, accounting for about 20% of global production.

In a statement, Lucara said the stone was “one of the largest rough diamonds ever unearthed”.

“We are ecstatic about the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492 carat diamond,” said Lucara head William Lamb.

The diamond was detected with the use of Lucara’s Mega Diamond Recovery X-ray technology, said Mr Lamb.

It has been used since 2017 to identify and preserve high-value diamonds so that they do not break during ore-crushing processes.

The firm did not give details of the stone’s gem quality or its value.

The 1,758-carat stone found in 2019 was bought by French fashion brand Louis Vuitton for an undisclosed sum.

A 1,109 carat diamond, unearthed at the same mine in 2016, was bought for $53m (£39.5m) by London jeweller Laurence Graff, chairman of Graff Diamonds, in 2017.

Lucara has 100% ownership of the mine in Karowe.

Botswana’s government has proposed a law that will ask companies, once granted a license to mine, to sell a 24% stake to local firms if the government does not exercise its option of becoming a shareholder, Reuters news agency reported last month.

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Ukraine on Friday, just weeks after he met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

The visit is significant because Kyiv and some Western capitals had reacted sharply to Mr Modi’s visit to the Russian capital in July.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky was particularly critical, saying he was “disappointed to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy hug the world’s most bloody criminal in Moscow”.

So, is Mr Modi visiting Kyiv to placate Mr Zelensky and other Western leaders?

Not entirely.

It’s not surprising to see India balance its relations between two competing nations or blocs. The country’s famed non-alignment approach to geopolitics has served it well for decades.

This week’s visit – the first by an Indian prime minister to Ukraine – is more about signalling that while India will continue to have strong relations with Russia, it will still work closely with the West.

Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Centre think-tank in Washington, says the trip will further reassert India’s strategic autonomy.

“India isn’t in the business of placating Western powers, or anyone for that matter. It’s a trip meant to advance Indian interests, by reasserting friendship with Kyiv and conveying its concerns about the continuing war,” he says.

However, the timing of the visit does reflect that Indian diplomats have taken onboard the sharp reactions from the US to Mr Modi’s Moscow visit.

India has refrained from directly criticising Russia over the war, much to the annoyance of Western powers.

• Modi’s balancing act as he meets Putin in Moscow

Delhi, however, has often spoken about the importance of respecting territorial integrity and sovereignty of nations. It has continuously pushed for diplomacy and dialogue to end the war.

Mr Modi’s Moscow visit in July came hours after Russian bombing killed at least 41 people in Ukraine, including at a children’s hospital in Kyiv, sparking a global outcry.

The Indian PM said the death of children was painful and terrifying but stopped short of blaming Russia.

Mr Modi is not likely to deviate from this stance during his visit to Kyiv. The US and other Western nations have grown to accept Delhi’s stand, given India’s time-tested relationship with Moscow and its reliance on Russian military equipment.

India, the world’s largest importer of arms, has diversified its defence import portfolio and also grown domestic manufacturing in recent years but it still buys more than 50% of its defence equipment from Russia.

India has also increased its oil imports from Russia, taking advantage of cheaper prices offered by Moscow – Russia was the top oil supplier to India last year.

The US and its allies have often implored India to take a clearer stand on the war but they have also refrained from applying harsh sanctions or pressure.

The West also sees India as a counterbalance to China and doesn’t want to upset that dynamic. India, now the fifth largest economy in the world, is also a growing market for business.

Mr Kugelman says the West will welcome the visit and see it as Delhi’s willingness to engage with all sides.

“Mr Modi has a strong incentive to signal that it’s not leaning so close to Moscow that there’s nothing to salvage with Kyiv,” he says.

This is important because India wants to keep growing its relations with the West, particularly with the US, and wouldn’t want to upset the momentum. Eric Garcetti, the US ambassador to India, recently said the relationship should not be “taken for granted”.

India also needs the West as China, its Asian rival, and Russia have forged close ties in recent years.

While Delhi has long viewed Moscow as a power that can put pressure on an assertive China when needed, it can’t be taken for granted.

Meanwhile, many media commentators have spoken about the possibility of Mr Modi positioning himself as a peacemaker, given India’s close relations with both Moscow and the West.

But it’s unlikely that he will turn up with a peace plan.

“Is India really up to it, and are the conditions right? India doesn’t like other countries trying to mediate in its own issues, chief among them Kashmir. And I don’t think Mr Modi would formally offer mediation unless both Russia and Ukraine want it. And at this point, I don’t think they do,” Mr Kugelman adds.

Ukraine, however, will still welcome Mr Modi’s visit and see it as an opportunity to engage with a close ally of Moscow, something it hasn’t done much since the war began.

Mr Zelensky, though, is unlikely to hold back his criticism of Mr Putin in front of the Indian PM. Mr Modi can live with that as he has faced such situations many times in other Western capitals.

Moscow is not likely to react to the visit as it has also been making concessions for Delhi’s multilateral approach to geopolitics.

But beyond reasserting its non-alignment policy, Delhi also has bigger goals from this visit.

India has been ramping up engagement with Europe in the past decade, particularly with the underserved regions in Central and Eastern Europe.

Delhi wants to keep consolidating its relations with the big four – the UK, Italy, Germany and France – but also wants to boost engagement with other countries in Europe.

Mr Modi is also visiting Poland on this trip – the first Indian PM to visit the country in 45 years. He also became the first Indian prime minister to visit Austria in 41 years in July.

Analysts say that this signals India’s growing understanding that Central European nations will play a bigger role in geopolitics in the future and strong relations with them will serve Delhi well.

The Indian government has also revived trade deal negotiations with Europe. It has signed a trade and investment deal with the European Free Trade Association, which is the intergovernmental organisation of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

So, while there will be a lot of focus on the war during his visit, Indian diplomats are likely to stay focused on the bigger goal.

“Central and Eastern Europe now have greater agency in writing their own destiny and reshaping regional geopolitics. Mr Modi’s visit to Warsaw and Kyiv is about recognising that momentous change at the heart of Europe and deepening bilateral political, economic and security ties with the Central European states,” foreign policy analyst C Raja Mohan wrote in the Indian Express newspaper, summing up Mr Modi’s wider goal.

Police have clashed with protesters in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta as tens of thousands of people gathered in protest of the government’s attempt to reverse a constitutional court ruling.

Scenes of chaos have unfolded outside parliament as a handful of protesters were seen attempting to tear down its gates, while others shouted for calm.

Police also clashed with protesters who gathered in other major cities such as Padang, Bandung and Yogyakarta.

Observers say the power struggle between Indonesia’s parliament – which is dominated by the president’s supporters – and the country’s constitutional court could precipitate a political crisis.

On Wednesday, Indonesia’s top court ruled that parties would not need a minimum 20% of representation in their regional assemblies in order to field a candidate.

Yet within 24 hours, parliament tabled an emergency motion to reverse these changes – a move which has sparked widespread condemnation and fears of a constitutional crisis.

A vote on the fast-tracked legislation, which would reverse parts of the court’s ruling, was postponed on Thursday because there were not enough MPs present.

If passed, it would maintain the status quo, which favours parties in the ruling coalition of the outgoing president, Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, and his successor, Prabowo Subianto. As a result, many local elections are expected to be uncontested affairs.

The parliament decision also means that a major government critic, Anies Baswedan, would also be prevented from running for the influential post of Jakarta governor.

The Indonesian government is also trying to find a way around the constitutional court’s decision to uphold the current minimum age limit of 30 for candidates, which would bar Mr Widodo’s 29-year-old son, Kaesang Pangarep, from running in a regional contest in Central Java.

Mr Widodo’s eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, is the incoming vice-president who ran alongside Mr Prabowo.

Mr Widodo has downplayed the dispute, saying the amendments were part of the “checks and balances” of government.

One of the protesters, Joko Anwar, said the country’s leaders appeared to be intent on keeping themselves in power.

“Eventually, we’ll just become a powerless mass of objects, even though we’re the ones who gave them power,” he said.

“We have to take to the streets. We have no choice,” he said.

On social media, blue posters with the words “Emergency Warning” above Indonesia’s symbolic national eagle have been widely shared.

According to Titi Anggraini, an elections analyst at University of Indonesia, parliament’s move to annul the court’s decision is unconstitutional.

“This is a robbery of the constitution,” she told BBC Indonesian.

Thailand has announced its first confirmed case of a new, potentially deadlier strain of Mpox – the first in Asia, and second outside of Africa.

According to Thailand’s Department of Disease Control, the infected 66-year-old European man arrived in Bangkok from an unnamed African country on 14 August.

He began displaying symptoms the next day, and immediately went to hospital. It has since been confirmed he had contracted Mpox, and in particular the strain known as Clade 1b.

At least 450 people have died from Mpox in an outbreak centred in the Democratic Repulic of Congo which started last year.

It has since spread to a number of nearby countries – including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, all of which were previously unaffected by Mpox.

Now a more worrying strain of Mpox called Clade 1b has been identified in the east of the DRC, which is being spread along the border and into neighbouring countries.

Sweden was the first place outside of the African continent to confirm a case of Clade 1b a week ago. The infected man had also recently travelled to an unnamed African country, Sweden’s public health ministry said at the time.

The infection in Thailand is the first confirmed case of Clade 1b in Asia.

Mpox is transmitted through close contact, such as sex, skin-to-skin contact and talking or breathing close to another person – but it is nowhere near as infectious as other viruses like Covid and measles.

But the spread of the new variant and its high fatality rate in parts of Africa has sparked concern among scientists, and led the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare it a public health emergency of international concern.

Outbreaks can be controlled by spreading awareness of the disease, tracking close contacts and preventing infections with vaccines, though these are usually only available for people at risk or those who have been in close contact with an infected person.

Vaccines in Africa are in short supply, but there are plans for millions of doses to arrive in the DRC in the next week or so.

In Thailand, the Department of Disease Control has tracked down some 43 patients who were sitting in the rows near the unidentified man, and those who met him after he landed.

They will all be monitored for 21 days.

Thailand is also requiring people travelling from 42 “risk countries” to test on arrival.

Mpox causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions. For most people, it’s a mild illness but it can be fatal.

The new strain spreading in central Africa is thought to be more deadly than previous ones – with four in 100 cases leading to death. Mpox is most common in the tropical rainforests of West and Central Africa and there are thousands of infections every year.

Another strain – Clade 2 – which is far milder, caused a global public health emergency in 2022. There are still cases of that Mpox strain in many countries.

The newly announced boss of Starbucks, Brian Niccol, has come under fire after it was revealed he will commute almost 1,000 miles (1,600km) from his family home in Newport Beach, California, to the firm’s headquarters in Seattle on a corporate jet.

Critics have noted what they see as a discrepancy between the company’s public stance on green issues and the lifestyles of its top executives, along with questions around whether Starbucks’ three-day office working rule will apply to him.

Mr Niccol is due to take up the role at the helm of the world’s biggest coffee shop chain on 9 September.

Starbucks has not responded to the BBC’s repeated requests for comment, but last week the company said Mr Niccol would “exceed” workplace expectations.

Mr Niccol’s job offer said he would “not be required to relocate to the company’s headquarters”, but added: “You agree to commute from your residence to the company’s headquarters… as is required to perform your duties and responsibilities”.

The document states that he will be eligible to use the company’s aircraft for “business related travel” and for “travel between [his] city of residence and the company’s headquarters”.

Starbucks also said it will set up a small remote office in Newport Beach for Mr Niccol to use when working from California.

Starbucks has a hybrid work policy that means employees have to be in the office at least three days a week.

The company has not confirmed whether the same rules will apply to Mr Niccol or whether him working from the new remote office in California would fulfil those requirements.

In a statement to the Financial Times last week, Starbucks said that Mr Niccol’s “primary office and a majority of his time” would be spent in Seattle or visiting staff and customers in stores, offices and other facilities around the world.

The coffee shop chain added he would “exceed the hybrid work guidelines and workplace expectations” that apply to all employees, and that he was also likely to get a home in Seattle.

Dan Coatsworth, an investment analyst at AJ Bell, told the BBC Mr Niccol “on paper” was being given the “same hybrid working terms as other office-based employees, as one might expect”.

“However, what leaves a sour taste is the idea he can use a private jet to nip 1,000 miles between California and Seattle,” he added.

Mr Coatsworth said while using a private jet was not only bad for the environment and would send a bad message to customers and staff, it was also “ultimately not a practical way to run a $105bn business with an estimated 400,000 employees”.

“A leader needs to be at the heart of a business, not sitting on the beach enjoying the perks of the job,” he said.

“The fact Brian Niccol was drafted in to give a new lease of life to Starbucks implies he has a big challenge ahead. This isn’t taking the reins of a business firing on all cylinders; it’s a repair job which means being in the engine room at all times.”

The topic of where people work from has been debated in recent years, with companies in many industries wrestling with whether to allow the remote work practices that exploded during the coronavirus pandemic to continue.

Andrew Speke, a spokesperson for High Pay Centre, a think tank which tracks executives’ pay, said it was important for business leaders that “employees can see that it’s not one rule for them and one rule for their bosses”.

The terms of his employment also sparked a backlash on social media.

“That’s nice… good convenience for top talent! But hope we don’t see too many new ‘sustainability’ and ‘environment’ related ads from @starbucks? *Wink*,” said one X user.

“The new Starbucks CEO is ‘supercommuting’ 1,000 miles to Seattle on a private jet to work, so don’t be too harsh on that waitress who gave you a plastic straw when you didn’t want one,” said another.

Some sectors, such as banking, signalled early on that they would expect staff to return to the office full-time, while others, often in the tech industry, have said they will allow remote work indefinitely. Many places have opted for a mix.

Others focused on how much Mr Niccol is set to get paid in his new job.

“How come we never talk about CEO pay when we talk about rising prices?” former US Secretary of Labor Robert Reich posted.

According to the terms of his offer, Mr Niccol’s annual base pay will be $1.6m (£1.2m). On top of that he could get a performance-related bonus of as much as $7.2m and up to $23m a year of Starbucks shares.

A report published by the United Nations in 2021 showed that the world’s wealthiest 1% of people produced double the combined carbon emissions of the poorest 50%.

Starbucks announced this month that Mr Niccol would be replacing Laxman Narasimhan as its chief executive.

The announcement came as the coffee chain looks to boost flagging sales.

Mr Niccol had led the Mexican fast food chain Chipotle since 2018, helping it to recover from a crisis after outbreaks of food poisoning.

During his time in the role the firm’s sales doubled and its shares surged from less than $7 each to more than $50.

Chipotle also opened almost 1,000 new stores and new technologies were introduced to automate food preparation.

In recent months, it has been seen as a bright spot in the restaurant industry, where many businesses have reported that customers are cutting spending.

United States border agents have intercepted a truck carrying more than $5m-worth of methamphetamine at the US-Mexico border hidden inside a shipment of watermelons.

The drugs were wrapped in plastic painted in two shades of green to resemble the fruit and placed among real watermelons.

More than two tonnes of methamphetamine – in a total of 1,220 packages – was seized by officers.

Stashing drugs among produce is a common way to smuggle the illicit substances across borders – banana shipments are the most popular but officers have recently found narcotics in Gouda cheese and avocados.

US Customs and Border Protection officials said their officers had stopped a truck hauling a trailer at the border with Mexico in Otay Mesa.

The paperwork suggested the driver was transporting a shipment for watermelons, but a inspection revealed the parcels containing methamphetamine.

Also known simply as meth, it is a powerful and highly addictive stimulant.

The driver was handed over to Homeland Security officials.

The seizure came a week after officials at the same border crossing discovered almost 300kg of meth in a shipment of celery.

Both hauls came to a total value of $6m, according to CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.

Mexican drug cartels are the leading producers and suppliers of methamphetamine to the United States.

In February, Mexican security forces seized more than 40 tonnes of the drug at the biggest lab to be discovered in recent years.

Mexican officials said the lab boasted more than 200 centrifuges, boilers and condensing chambers – key equipment used to make the chemical.

Tim Walz is running for vice-president, but for a while on Wednesday night, it felt like he was campaigning to be the nation’s high school football coach.

Before he spoke, roughly a dozen of the players on the team he helped coach to a Minnesota state championship decades ago ran on stage, some wearing their old high-school jerseys, bouncing to the blasting horns of a marching band.

Once Mr Walz did appear, delegates in the packed arena waved signs that read “Coach Walz” – and the crowd chanted “coach, coach, coach!”

As this was Mr Walz’s first significant opportunity to introduce himself to the nation, his speech was heavy on his personal story – his time as a football coach, of course, but also his upbringing, his enlistment in the Army National Guard, his work as a high-school teacher, and his service as a congressman and governor.

• Who is Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’s VP pick?

During parts of his speech his daughter Hope, 23, and son Gus, 17, were seen in tears in the front row of the arena. “That’s my dad!” Gus mouthed as the television camera focused on him.

In the folksy style that the Democratic campaign believes connects with moderate voters in the crucial states of the Midwest, he told the crowd that he was “ready to turn the page on these guys”, referring to Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance.

“So say it with me: ‘We are not going back.'”

He followed a diverse range of speakers and entertainers who took to the stage on the third night of the convention in Chicago, with Oprah Winfrey receiving the most raucous response after a surprise appearance in her hometown.

The four-day party extravaganza will culminate on Thursday evening when Vice-President Kamala Harris formally accepts the Democratic nomination, a little over a month after President Joe Biden stepped out of the race.

But on Wednesday night, everything built up to Tim Walz, a man virtually unknown to most Americans just weeks ago.

He drew from the first speech he gave in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, earlier this month after being chosen as Kamala Harris’s running mate, repurposing some of the same zingers.

“In Minnesota, we respect our neighbours and the personal choices they make,” he said. “And even if we wouldn’t make the same choices for ourselves, we’ve got a Golden Rule – mind your own damn business!”

Personal freedom has become a common refrain among Democrats at this convention and in pivoting to it, Mr Walz described “the hell of infertility”.

IVF fertility treatment has become entangled in America’s debate over abortion rights and the Minnesota governor has repeatedly alluded to the process on the campaign trail when talking about his family’s story.

His wife, Gwen, recently clarified that they went through a different procedure, drawing Republican criticism that Mr Walz had been misleading.

On the convention stage, he said he wanted to talk about their struggle having children because this election was about “freedom”.

“When we Democrats talk about freedom, we mean your freedom to make a better life for yourself and the people you love,” he said.

“The freedom to make your own health care decisions. And, yeah, your kids’ freedom to go to school without worrying they’ll be shot dead in the halls.”

He also touted the Democratic priorities he has enacted while serving as Minnesota governor – including free school lunches, paid family and medical leave, middle-class tax cuts and lower prescription drug prices.

“While other states were banning books from their schools, we were banishing hunger from ours,” he said to cheers.

But it was the coaching theme he returned to again and again. When going on the attack against Donald Trump and JD Vance, he pointed to a frequent Democratic target – Project 2025, a think-tank policy blueprint designed in part by former Trump administration officials. The former president has disavowed its contents, but Mr Walz had a rejoinder.

“I coached high school football long enough, I promise you this – when somebody takes the time to draw up a playbook, they’re going to use it,” he said.

And in closing, he poured on the football metaphors, promising a pep-talk as the crowd again chanted “coach”.

“It’s the fourth quarter,” he said. “We’re down a field goal. But we’re on offence. We’re driving down the field. And, boy, do we have the right team to win this.”

Earlier in the evening, Ms Harris – if she were watching – had a chance to see a few of rumoured finalists in her vice-presidential selection process on stage.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg spoke of the positive effect government had opening the door way for him to start a family as a gay man. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro also hit on the personal freedom theme – focusing heavily on education, reproductive rights and fair elections.

“Kamala and Tim’s names may be on the ballot,” he said, “but it’s our rights and our freedoms on the line.”

Ms Harris opted for Mr Walz, however – and his particular talents were on display Wednesday night. He didn’t have Mr Shapiro’s soaring rhetoric or Mr Buttigieg’s eloquence, but Democrats hope his flat midwestern accent, his somewhat rotund physique and his thinning hair – combined with the small-town coach speak – will appeal to the kind of voters who have abandoned the Democratic Party when Trump is on the ballot.

Many Republicans said they were relieved at Mr Walz’s selection, as they feared the appeal Mr Shapiro would have in key battleground Pennsylvania.

And they’ve already been on the attack against the Minnesota governor – criticising what they view as too-liberal policies as governor and contending that he not only misrepresented the nature of his family’s fertility treatments but also his rank in the Minnesota National Guard.

They haven’t yet found a way to dent his coaching record, however. And if Wednesday night in Chicago was any indication, that – as much as anything – is going to be a central focus of the Walz’s pitch to the public.

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The rape and murder of a trainee doctor in India’s Kolkata city earlier this month has sparked massive outrage in the country, with tens of thousands of people protesting on the streets, demanding justice. BBC Hindi spoke to the doctor’s parents who remember their daughter as a clever, young woman who wanted to lead a good life and take care of her family.

“Please make sure dad takes his medicines on time. Don’t worry about me.”

This was the last thing the 31-year-old doctor said to her mother, hours before she was brutally assaulted in a hospital where she worked.

“The next day, we tried reaching her but the phone kept ringing,” the mother told the BBC at their family home in a narrow alley, a few kilometres from Kolkata.

The same morning, the doctor’s partially-clothed body was discovered in the seminar hall, bearing extensive injuries. A hospital volunteer worker has been arrested in connection with the crime.

The incident has sparked massive outrage across the country, with protests in several major cities. At the weekend, doctors across hospitals in India observed a nation-wide strike called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), with only emergency services available at major hospitals.

The family say they feel hollowed out by their loss.

“At the age of 62, all my dreams have been shattered,” her father told the BBC.

Since their daughter’s horrific murder, their house, located in a respectable neighbourhood, has become the focus of intense media scrutiny.

Behind a police barricade stand dozens of journalists and camera crew, hoping to capture the parents in case they step out.

A group of 10 to 15 police officers perpetually stand guard to ensure the cameras do not take photos of the victim’s house.

The crime took place on the night of 9 August, when the woman, who was a junior doctor at the city’s RG Kar Medical College, had gone to a seminar room to rest after a gruelling 36-hour shift.

Her parents remembered how the young doctor, their only child, was a passionate student who worked extremely hard to become a doctor.

“We come from a lower middle-class background and built everything on our own. When she was little, we struggled financially,” said the father, who is a tailor.

The living room where he sat was cluttered with tools from his profession – a sewing machine, spools of thread and a heavy iron. There were scraps of fabrics scattered on the floor.

There were times when the family did not have money to even buy pomegranates, their daughter’s favourite fruit, he continued.

“But she could never bring herself to ask for anything for herself.”

“People would say, ‘You can’t make your daughter a doctor’. But my daughter proved everyone wrong and got admission in a government-run medical college,” he added, breaking down. A relative tried to console him.

The mother recalled how her daughter would write in her diary every night before going to bed.

“She wrote that she wanted to win a gold medal for her medical degree. She wanted to lead a good life and take care of us too,” she said softly.

And she did.

The father, who is a high blood-pressure patient, said their daughter always made sure he took his medicines on time.

“Once I ran out of medicine and thought I’d just buy it the next day. But she found out, and even though it was around 10 or 11pm at night, she said no-one will eat until the medicine is here,” he said.

“That’s how she was – she never let me worry about anything.”

Her mother listened intently, her hands repeatedly touching a gold bangle on her wrist – a bangle she had bought with her daughter.

The parents said their daughter’s marriage had almost been finalised. “But she would tell us not to worry and say she would continue to take care of all our expenses even after marriage,” the father said.

As he spoke those words, the mother began to weep, her soft sobs echoing in the background.

Occasionally, her eyes would wander to the staircase, leading up to their daughter’s room.

The door has remained shut since 10 August and the parents have not set foot there since the news of her death.

They say they still can’t believe that something “so barbaric” could happen to their daughter at her workplace.

“The hospital should be a safe place,” the father said.

Violence against women is a major issue in India – an average of 90 rapes a day were reported in 2022, according to government data.

The parents said their daughter’s death had brought back memories of a 2012 case when a 22-year-old physiotherapy intern was gang-raped on a moving bus in capital Delhi. Her injuries were fatal.

Following the assault – which made global headlines and led to weeks of protests – India tightened laws against sexual violence.

But reported cases of sexual assault have gone up and access to justice still remains a challenge for women.

Last week, thousands participated in a Reclaim the Night march held in Kolkata to demand safety for women across the country.

The doctor’s case has also put a spotlight on challenges faced by healthcare workers, who have demanded a thorough and impartial investigation into the murder and a federal law to protect them – especially women – at work.

Federal Health Minister JP Nadda has assured doctors that he will bring in strict measures to ensure better safety in their professional environments.

But for the parents of the doctor, it’s too little too late.

“We want the harshest punishment for the culprit,” the father said.

“Our state, our country and the whole world is asking for justice for our daughter.”