Trump says it is ‘disgusting’ what Russia is doing to Ukraine

President Donald Trump has said that Russia’s war in Ukraine is “disgusting”, in his latest attack on Vladimir Putin.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, he said he plans to impose sanctions on Moscow if no agreement can be reached to end the conflict.

Trump said he was not sure whether sanctions would deter Russia. Earlier this week, the President announced that Moscow had until August 8 to make a deal or face sanctions.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Russia after his current trip to Israel, the President said.

It came as a pair of bipartisan US senators on Thursday introduced a bill that would provide £40 billion ($54.6bn) in military aid to Ukraine over the next two years.

Congress last passed a major aid package for Ukraine – £46 billion ($61bn) – in April 2024, when Democrat Joe Biden was still president and his fellow Democrats had a slim majority in the Senate.

Jeremy Clarkson ‘devastated’ after farm suffers TB outbreak

Jeremy Clarkson has shared some “devastating” news from Diddly Squat, telling fans that his Cotswolds farm has been struck by an outbreak of bovine tuberculosis.

The 1,000-acre holding in Oxfordshire is at the heart of his hugely popular Prime Video series Clarkson’s Farm, which follows the TV presenter’s journey as a new farmer and the challenges he faces along the way.

“We’ve gone down with TB. Everyone here is absolutely devastated,” he wrote on X/Twitter on 31 July, adding: “I should clear this up really. It’s Bovine TB that we have. It doesn’t affect people, just our poor cows.”

He revealed that “the offending animal is pregnant with twins” and also said that tests for Endgame, the beloved Aberdeen Angus bull featured in his hit show, were “inconclusive”.

Bovine TB (bTB) is a chronic respiratory disease caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium bovis. The disease can be catastrophic for farmers, and forces the culling of infected cattle. Due to a bTB incident in England between October 2021 and September 2022, 22,934 cows were killed.

The disease, which can also infect badgers, deer, goats and pigs, is the biggest challenge facing the farming industry today.

“An increasing number of farm families are facing the emotional and financial hardship of a TB breakdown,” Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon TD said in May 2025, urging for “decisive action”.

There are differing beliefs over how to reduce the spread, with government officials believing badger culling could stop the disease.

However, in 2022, a “landmark” report found that a badger cull did not contribute to a significant fall in levels of tuberculosis in cattle. This led the RSPCA to call for an immediate halt to culling programmes.

Sources recently told The Independent that, last year, 10,769 badgers were killed, bringing the total killed in 12 years to around 240,000.

Despite the government’s scientific chief advising against it, officials approved a fresh round of badger culling in June 2025 – but it was later scrapped after a review of the policy was pushed through.

Clarkson bought the now-famous land in 2008 and, after the villager who ran the farm retired in 2019, he decided to see if he could run it himself – a venture tracked in Clarkson’s Farm.

He previously clashed with Brian May over his views on badger culling; the Queen guitarist has long been a vocal critic of the practice.

“These are not nice animals,” Clarkson told The Daily Mail in 2023 after struggling with the threat of bovine tuberculosis to his cattle.

“Do not be fooled by Brian May. This is what badgers do. This is how much heartache they’re causing to people who’ve worked for generations to build up a farm that’s been wiped out by badgers.”

This outbreak of bTB is the latest setback for Diddly Squat farm, which has already weathered a year of climate-driven disasters.

Earlier this month, Clarkson gave a worrying update on the future of his farm. He called 2025 the “worst year ever”, citing a “shocking” harvest due to heatwaves and drought in the UK.

Clarkson’s Farm has become one of Prime Video’s most-streamed TV shows and in July 2024, Clarkson extended his business empire by taking over rural country pub The Windmill in Asthall – a “village boozer” on five acres of countryside near Burford.

The purchase of his pub, which is called The Farmer’s Dog, featured in the latest series of Clarkson’s Farm. But Clarkson recently ruled out any similar ventures in the future, telling The Times he is “done with business” as he “doesn’t understand it”.

“I am not motivated by money. I just want a good craic,” he said.

And despite his Prime Video series’ continued success, Clarkson has suggested that the forthcoming fifth season may be its last.

“I’d do a sixth if there was a reason for doing it, like a bloody good story,” he said in May. “Whatever happens we’ll definitely take a short break as the crews are all worn out.”

“We’ve been filming here two or three days a week, every week, for five years. Everybody could do with a rest.”

Prime Video is yet to announce a release date for season five, but based on releases of previous seasons, fans can expect a return to Diddly Squat in May 2026.

Erasing a woman from MasterChef over the mistakes of a man is a shocking move from the BBC

If you thought the BBC’s optics couldn’t get any worse, think again, for they have hit a crushing new low. Last week, the broadcaster, alongside production company Banijay, took the controversial decision to go ahead and air the latest series of MasterChef – despite its host, Gregg Wallace, having just been fired from the BBC. His sacking came after an independent report substantiated 45 allegations against him, including claims of inappropriate sexual language and one incident of unwelcome physical contact. Today, it emerged that a female contestant had opposed the decision to broadcast the show, saying it would send the wrong message about the treatment of women. The solution? Make her disappear. Aspiring chef Sarah Shafi, who at 57 might be what Wallace would have dismissively dubbed “a woman of a certain age”, has been edited out of the series.

This grim development is the latest in a long line of abysmal decisions from the BBC, which seems to have become its own worst enemy of late. Recent months have seen disaster after disaster befall the corporation, in scenes that would seem too absurd and implausible even for the satirical farce W1A.

There was the outrage over the livestreaming of a Glastonbury set in which punk duo Bob Vylan led a chant of “Death to the IDF”. Then there was the chaos of its flustered response. It was lambasted for axing a documentary about doctors under attack in Gaza, which ended up on Channel 4 instead. And there’s been the ever-burning bin fire that is MasterChef, only fuelled further by the news that Wallace’s co-host, John Torode, has also been sacked for allegedly using “the worst racial slur there is”. Wallace has apologised “for any distress caused”, saying the report into his misconduct cleared him of “the most serious and sensational accusations”. Torode, meanwhile, said he was “shocked and saddened” by the racism allegation and said he knows any racial language “is wholly unacceptable in any environment”.

But this latest catastrophe in decision-making – intentionally erasing a woman for having the temerity to speak out – has to be the bottom of the barrel. It is a stark reflection of a society in which women are constantly expected to adjust their behaviour for men: we are told to cover up, avoid walking alone in certain areas at night, smile more, lighten up – “it’s just a joke, love” – and to avoid, at all costs, becoming “a woman of a certain age” by adhering to ever-more elaborate anti-ageing regimes and tweakments. We are consistently not believed and repeatedly failed by the justice system when it comes to cases of sexual misconduct and assault. And for years, women’s careers have suffered because of the indiscretions of men. That promotion? Not going to happen if you’re too loud or too difficult. That meeting? You might not be invited if you can’t handle the “banter”. In this case, a woman has literally been discarded on the cutting room floor because she was an inconvenience.

Shafi revealed that, in a “heated conversation” with a producer at Banijay, she was urged to think about the life-changing opportunity the show provided to some contestants. It was suggested that a “potential solution” could be to edit her out of the programme. “I was flabbergasted, because in what way was that a solution – and a solution for whom?”, Shafi told The Guardian. “My point was not about me not being associated with it. My point was about the institutional enabling environment. I said, ‘I am completely against this airing of the show. I object to it strongly.’” She added: “Where is the respect for how life-changing, for the worse, it has been for the victims?”

She has hit the nail on the head. Not only is putting Wallace on BBC One a slap in the face for all the women who made allegations against him, but if a female contestant standing up for her principles and wanting to hold power to account can expect to be removed for speaking her mind, then what message does that send? What does it say to women everywhere about what the likely outcome will be should they pluck up the bravery to stand up for what they believe in?

It must have taken a lot of courage for Shafi to take this stance, and her reward was to be scrubbed out. The long-term impact of this erasure on her, and on so many women reading the news today, is immeasurable.

The BBC and Banijay, it has to be said, were between a rock and a hard place here. The decision to air the show was fraught with controversy – do you axe it entirely, therefore removing a platform for Wallace and Torode, and wind up punishing the blameless contestants hoping for their big break in the process? MasterChef did, after all, launch the careers of Wahaca founder Thomasina Miers and successful restaurateur and author Tim Anderson. Or do you broadcast it, even though you’ve sacked its hosts, therefore giving a stage to two people you’ve made clear no longer have a place at the BBC?

Ultimately, bosses went with the latter choice, explaining it was for the sake of the contestants. They acknowledged that “not everyone will agree” with the decision and that doing so “in no way diminishes our view of the seriousness of the upheld findings against both presenters”, adding: “We believe that broadcasting this series is the right thing to do for these cooks who have given so much to the process.” Representatives for both the BBC and Banijay said of Shafi’s position that they were “sorry that this contestant does not support the decision to air this series,” but argued that the other participants wanted it to go ahead. Yes, it’s an impossibly difficult position to be in – but I feel certain that just hitting ctrl-alt-delete on the one woman who dared to protest is not the answer.

In fairness, Shafi did eventually bow to the pressure and capitulate, saying the producers could cut her out of the show if they insisted on it being broadcast. But if the BBC’s position was tough, surely Shafi’s was even more so – forced to pick between being deleted or appearing to normalise and endorse Wallace and Torode’s behaviour.

The first episode of the new series, which marks the 21st season of MasterChef with Wallace and Torode at the helm, will air on BBC One next Wednesday. It already felt doomed from the outset, but now it will certainly leave a sour taste in the mouth. As any good chef knows, sometimes, if a key ingredient is missing – or in this case, removed – the whole dish falls apart.

Man, 76, arrested on suspicion of poisoning children at summer camp

A 76-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of poisoning a group of children at a summer camp in Leicestershire.

Police officers, paramedics and an air ambulance were scrambled to the camp on Canal Lane in the village of Stathern at around 4pm on Sunday, 27 July, after reports that a group of children were feeling unwell.

After being transported to a triage centre at the nearby village hall in Plungar, the children were assessed by the ambulance service, and eight were taken to Queen’s Medical Centre as a precaution.

Locals reported “pretty stressed” parents arriving at the “crazy” scene, with many reportedly unable to see their children as they were being treated.

The children had been attending a summer camp at a youth centre called Strathern Lodge, which is owned by the Christian charity Braithwaite Gospel Trust.

A representative of the trust said that while it maintains the upkeep of the building, the centre is self-catered and is hired out by various organisations for education holidays and events. It has no direct involvement with the camp.

The children have since been discharged from hospital, and their parents have been informed.

The 76-year-old man was arrested at the camp on suspicion of administering a poison with intent to injure, and remains in police custody.

Neighbours have described chaotic scenes outside the village hall, with stressed parents reportedly unable to access their children.

A 28-year-old woman who lives near the village hall said: “We saw all the ambulances and police cars outside. All the kids were very guarded, they would not let anybody near it.

“Everybody was pretty stressed out. There were like four police cars, critical care teams, an ambulance, there was quite a lot. It was crazy.

“The parents were pretty stressed, they were here until probably 11pm.”

A man who also lives on the street said: “I saw maybe one girl with her dad. She had her toy with her. They were waiting around a lot.

“It was a bit surreal I guess, a bit odd because it’s quite quiet around here. The parents couldn’t get any access to the kids, that was the weird thing. Just been told they weren’t allowed in basically. I felt for them.”

Ed Argar, Conservative MP for Melton and Syston, said the reports were “clearly shocking” and “deeply concerning”.

“Our thoughts are with the young people affected – wishing them a full recovery,” he added.

He said while he understood people “will have a lot of questions” he urged caution against people speculating about what happened while police investigate.

On Thursday afternoon, a police cordon remained in place on Canal Lane just outside the small village.

Two police cars and three officers were stationed at the cordon while other police vehicles were seen leaving the site.

More officers could be seen in the distance beyond the cordon, which has blocked off a stretch of the road.

Detective Inspector Neil Holden, the senior investigating officer, said: “We understand the concern this incident will have caused to parents, guardians and the surrounding community.

“We are in contact with the parents and guardians of all children concerned.

Describing it as a “complex and sensitive investigation”, he added: “Please be reassured that we have several dedicated resources deployed and are working with partner agencies, including children’s services to ensure full safeguarding is provided to the children involved.

“We also remain at the scene to carry out enquiries into the circumstances of what has happened and to continue to provide advice and support in the area.

An East Midlands Ambulance Service spokesperson said that they attended an address in Plungar at 4pm after being alerted to a “medical emergency”.

Four paramedics in ambulance cars, ten crewed ambulances and an air ambulance were sent to the scene.

Meanwhile, Leicestershire Police also said it has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over what it said were the “circumstances of the initial police response”.

An IOPC spokesperson said: “We received a conduct referral on Tuesday (July 29) from Leicestershire Police relating to their handling of concerns passed to them over the wellbeing of a group of children.

“Our assessment team has examined all available evidence and concluded the matter should be independently investigated by the IOPC.

“The investigation will look at whether there were any breaches of professional behaviour – namely a failure to carry out duties and responsibilities – that resulted in a delay in Leicestershire Police’s response to what was later declared a critical incident.”

Covid and flu can awaken ‘sleeping’ cancer cells, scientists find

Respiratory illnesses such as Covid and the flu can awaken dormant cancer cells in the body and cause them to spread, scientists have warned.

Researchers found when mice were exposed to Covid or influenza, dormant cancer cells woke up and spread rapidly.

The inflammatory process, which happens when the body’s immune system is activated in response to an infection, can awaken disseminated cancer cells (DCCs). These are cells that have broken away from a primary tumour that can spread to distant organs, often lying dormant for extended periods.

Researchers found that a Covid or influenza infection in the mice sparked a massive expansion of metastatic cells in the lungs within days of infection and the appearance of metastatic lesions within two weeks.

Their analysis, published in the journal Nature, revealed the dormant cells were awoken by interleukin-6 (IL-6) – a protein that immune cells release in response to infections or injuries.

The results are “really quite dramatic”, said James DeGregori, a cancer biologist at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, and an author of the study.

“Respiratory virus infections didn’t just awaken the cells,” he added. These viruses also caused them to proliferate, or multiply “to enormous numbers”, he said.

“Dormant cancer cells are like the embers left in an abandoned campfire, and respiratory viruses are like a strong wind that reignites the flames”.

However, two population studies also showed the risk of a virus waking up dormant cancer cells is not just a problem in mice.

The study’s authors suggested that respiratory infections in cancer patients in remission are linked to cancer metastasis – where cancer cells spread from the original tumour to other parts of the body.

Researchers used data from patients who were diagnosed with cancer and other diseases prior to the pandemic from the UK Biobank, which holds data from more than 500,000 people.

Researchers from Utrecht University and Imperial College London investigated whether a Covid infection increased the risk of cancer-related mortality among participants with cancer.

They focused on cancer survivors who had been diagnosed at least five years before the pandemic, ensuring they were likely in remission. Among them, 487 individuals tested positive for Covid and these were compared to 4,350 matched controls who tested negative.

After excluding those cancer patients who died from Covid, the researchers found that cancer patients who tested positive for Covid faced an almost doubling of risk of dying from cancer compared to those patients with cancer who had tested negative.

The second population study used data from the US Flatiron Health database and focussed on data from female breast cancer patients seen at 280 US cancer clinics.

They compared the incidence of metastases to the lung among those who did not have Covid (36,216) and patients that tested positive (532).

Participants were followed up just over four years later and researchers found those who came down with Covid were almost 50 per cent more likely to experience metastatic progression to the lungs compared with patients with breast cancer without a diagnosis of Covid.

“Our findings suggest that cancer survivors may be at increased risk of metastatic relapse after common respiratory viral infections,” said Dr Roel Vermeulen of Utrecht University. “It is important to note that our study focused on the period before Covid-19 vaccines were available.”

“Our findings indicate that individuals with a history of cancer may benefit from taking precautions against respiratory viruses, such as vaccination when available, and discussing any concerns with their healthcare providers,” said Dr Julio Aguirre-Ghiso of MECCC’s Cancer Dormancy Institute, a co-leader of the study.

Easy, delicious carrot cake blondies for your Macmillan Coffee Morning

It’s a small thing, baking a cake – but it’s also a wonderful way to bring people together and do a bit of good. Macmillan Coffee Mornings prove as much, turning cups of tea and slices of something sweet into vital support for people living with cancer. Because while almost one in two of us will get cancer in our lifetime, not everyone gets the same care – and Macmillan is working to change that.

These blondies are a quieter take on carrot cake. All the familiar warmth is there – cinnamon, ginger, a whisper of nutmeg – but baked into a single tray with no layers, no icing and no stress. Just a handful of seasonal carrots, a swirl of cream cheese and a bake that feels quietly celebratory.

Want to be a Macmillan Coffee Morning Host?

The ingredients are unshowy – butter, sugar, flour, eggs – and the method is unfussy enough to pull together the night before. Once cooled and cut, they’re easy to carry, easy to serve and easy to eat with one hand while holding a cuppa in the other.

Makes: 12 generous squares or 16 smaller bite-sized blondies

Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 25-30 minutes | Cooling time: 1 hour (optional, but recommended for clean slicing)

20cm square baking tin

Baking paper

Mixing bowls

Whisk or electric hand mixer

Rubber spatula or spoon

Fine grater (for carrot and optional orange zest)

Small bowl and spoon/skewer for swirling

For the blondie base

150g unsalted butter, melted

150g light brown sugar

75g caster sugar

2 medium eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

½ tsp fine sea salt

160g plain flour

100g grated carrot (about 1 medium carrot, peeled and finely grated)

50g chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Zest of ½ an orange (optional but recommended)

For the cream cheese swirl

100g full-fat cream cheese

1 egg yolk

30g icing sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 170C fan (190C conventional) and line a 20cm square tin with baking paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and caster sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until glossy.

3. Stir in the spices, salt, and flour, mixing until just combined. Fold through the grated carrot, optional nuts, and orange zest.

4. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the cream cheese swirl ingredients until smooth.

5. Pour the blondie batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Dollop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture over the surface and swirl gently with a knife or skewer for a marbled effect.

6. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the edges are set and golden, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs (but not raw batter).

7. Allow to cool completely in the tin, then chill for 30 minutes before slicing into squares for clean edges.

Signing up to host your own Macmillan Coffee Morning this year couldn’t be easier! Find out more today on the Macmillan website

Macmillan Cancer Support, registered charity in England and Wales (261017), Scotland (SC039907) and the Isle of Man (604). Also operating in Northern Ireland.

Conor McGregor loses appeal over civil rape case

Conor McGregor has lost his appeal of a civil jury’s finding in favour of a woman who had accused him of rape.

The MMA fighter lost his appeal on all five grounds that the case was taken.

The woman successfully sued McGregor in a civil court over an incident in which he was alleged to have “brutally raped and battered” her in a penthouse at a south Dublin hotel in December 2018.

The jury found that McGregor, who told the court he had consensual sex with the woman, was civilly liable for assault.

The woman was awarded 248,603.60 euro in damages and McGregor was also ordered to pay about 1.3 million euro in legal costs following November’s trial.

McGregor then launched an appeal on the basis of five grounds.

Among the grounds was fresh evidence following an affidavit from a former neighbour of the woman who said she had witnessed a physical row between her and her then-partner at about the same time of the incident at the Beacon hotel.

Earlier this month, McGregor’s legal team dramatically withdrew that ground of appeal, saying it would no longer be relying on the material.

McGregor’s appeal proceeded on other grounds, largely relating to the circumstances under which his “no comment” answers to gardai were allowed to enter the trial.

Meanwhile, McGregor’s co-defendant has also lost his appeal against the trial judge’s decision not to award him his legal costs.

During the same trial in November, the jury did not find James Lawrence had assaulted the woman at the hotel.

However, the trial judge decided that she would not have to pay Mr Lawrence’s costs.

His legal team challenged whether that decision was correct and reasonable, arguing that the woman should have to pay as the jury did not find he had assaulted her.

Delivering their judgment on Thursday, the three judges of the court – Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, Mr Justice Brian O’Moore and Mr Justice Patrick MacGrath – agreed to dismiss both appeals in their entirety.

Reading out the judgment on behalf of the three-judge panel, Mr Justice O’Moore summarised the grounds for appeal before explaining the Court of Appeal’s reasons for dismissing all five grounds.

“I therefore dismiss the appeal in its entirety,” he said.

Speaking outside court, the woman said: “To every survivor out there, I know how hard it is but please don’t be silenced … You deserve to be heard, you also deserve justice. Today, I can finally move on and try to heal.”

Neither McGregor nor Mr Lawrence were present in court.

Universities could be sanctioned if they fail to uphold free speech

Universities could face penalties if they fail to uphold free speech, as new protections for academic freedom came into force.

The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act, which comes into force on Friday, will require universities and colleges in England to promote academic freedom to ensure discussions can take place on campuses without fear of censorship of students, staff or speakers expressing lawful opinions.

It also bans universities from using non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in cases of bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct.

Skills minister Baroness Jacqui Smith has said the government will “not tolerate the silencing of academics or students who voice legitimate views”.

The Office for Students (OfS), England’s higher education regulator, can investigate universities and colleges and impose fines if it has found they have failed to protect free speech rights.

In March, the OfS issued a record penalty of £585,000 to the University of Sussex after a three-and-a-half year probe into the resignation of academic Professor Kathleen Stock.

The OfS’s investigation found the institution’s trans and non-binary equality policy statement had “a chilling effect” of possible self-censorship of students and staff on campus.

It was launched after high-profile protests called for the dismissal of Prof Stock in 2021 over her views on gender identity.

Professor Arif Ahmed, director for freedom of speech and academic freedom at the OfS, previously suggested universities could face higher fines in the future if they fail to uphold free speech.

Baroness Smith said: “Academic freedom is non-negotiable in our world-leading institutions, and we will not tolerate the silencing of academics or students who voice legitimate views.

“These strengthened protections make this explicitly clear in law, and the record fine already handed down by the OfS has put universities on notice that they must comply or face the consequences.

“Through our Plan for Change we are restoring our world class universities as engines of growth, opportunity and innovation, and fostering a culture of free inquiry and academic freedom is at the heart of that.”

In January, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced the government would be pushing ahead with key measures in the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act.

But she announced the “statutory tort” – which could have allowed individuals to bring legal proceedings against universities that failed to comply with freedom of speech duties – would be removed from the legislation.

Ms Phillipson said the tort would create “costly litigation that would risk diverting resources away from students”.

The implementation of legislation, passed under the previous Conservative government in 2023, was paused by Labour in July last year after the general election due to concerns it could be “burdensome” for universities.

A new OfS complaints scheme will allow academics, external speakers and university staff to raise concerns about restrictions on their lawful free speech, which could lead to fines if their free speech is not protected.

Students will be able to make complaints to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator.

Prof Ahmed said: “Free speech and academic freedom are fundamental to the quality of students’ education and their experience in higher education.

“From today universities and colleges take on new legal duties to secure and promote freedom of speech and academic freedom.

“The OfS’s regulatory requirements to prevent and address harassment and sexual misconduct are also fully in place.

“These are an important set of measures which will further protect students from harassment while ensuring that students and academics are free to discuss controversial views, including those which some might find shocking or offensive.”