After her colleague and mate Dylan Keogh (William Beck) uncovered she’d been conducting a clandestine romance with his son and junior medic Matty Linlaker, he informed Clinical Lead Flynn Byron (Olly Rix).
Explaining that the accusations levelled against her ‘amount to sexual coercion’, Matty, Dylan and Stevie were all required to attend hearings with HR panel members during Saturday’s instalment (June 20).
Throughout the medical drama, the three clashed yet again as Stevie subsequently apologised to Matty for the entire situation.
Nevertheless, Matty responded: “You’re not sorry, Stevie. You’ve realised I’ve got the power to end your career and you’re worried what I’m going to say, right?”
When she questioned what he intended to tell the HR panel, he remained silent, while Stevie was subsequently shown in floods of tears confiding in Flynn, confessing she didn’t wish to lose her position, reports the Daily Star.
As the episode drew to a close, audiences witnessed Stevie facing the panel members as she declared: “Look, before we get started. I just wanted to apologise unreservedly for my behaviour.
“I have no doubt whatsoever that I’ve made mistakes. But, I’m a bl**dy good doctor. I deserve to be here, and I’ll fight tooth and nail to make sure I stay.”
Can Stevie preserve her position at the hospital? Or will Matty destroy her career for spurning him?
It didn’t take long for viewers to react to the episode, with many divided over Stevie and her future on the long-running medical drama. One viewer wrote: “WE CAN’T LOSE STEVIE.”
While another urged: “Fight for your job, Stevie.” A third chimed in: “THE WAY STEVIE ENDED THE EPISODE. I’m so happy.”
With one fan commenting: “Stevie is going to fight for her job. Hopefully, she isn’t leaving now.”
Yet not everybody shared the same excitement about Stevie’s decision to fight for her position, with a number of viewers keen to see her go.
One wrote: “Don’t like this storyline. Add in real life, Stevie would be on suspension, I would’ve thought.” While another simply declared: “So tired of Stevie.”
Former EastEnders actress Gurlaine Kaur Garcha, who previously played Ash Panesar on the long-running BBC soap, has married her partner Max after a year-long engagement
Gurlaine Kaur Garcha has married her partner after a year-long engagement(Image: WireImage)
EastEnders star Gurlaine Kaur Garcha has married her partner after a year-long engagement. The actress, 32, is best known known for having previously played Ash Panesar on the long-running BBC soap, but she left the programme just over three years ago.
A slew of Gurlaine’s former co-stars were quick to congratulate her. Former Strictly Come Dancing star Balvinder Sopal, who plays Gurlaine’s on-screen mum Suki, wrote: “Gorgeous baby. Congratulations.”
Emma Barton, known for her role as Honey Mitchell, wrote: “Gorgeous… congratulations beautiful,” whilst Denis Fox actress Diane Parish simply said; “Congrats”
Last year, the actress, who last year was seen in an episode of the Amazon Prime hit The Girlfriend, shared the happy news of her engagement with fans on Instagram, flashing a huge diamond ring while sipping a cocktail abroad.
“v happy & v engaged!!!!!!” she wrote, keeping the caption short and sweet. Although Gurlaine’s kept her partner’s identity private, she confirmed the romantic proposal took place while on holiday in Ibiza.
Gurlaine made her debut in Albert Square back in 2019 as Ash; a confident, no-nonsense doctor who immediately made an impression. She arrived as the first member of the Panesar clan, with her brothers and mum Suki introduced shortly after.
Her character quickly became a key figure in several dramatic storylines from tense family fallouts and fractured relationships to fast-paced scenes at the hospital. She was also part of a same-sex romance with Iqra, making Ash one of the few LGBTQ+ South Asian characters in soap at the time.
Ash wasn’t afraid to speak her mind, often clashing with her mum Suki, whose controlling nature added even more fuel to their fiery dynamic. Her arrival was also seen as a big moment for representation, with viewers praising EastEnders for spotlighting a British Sikh woman in a lead medical role – something rarely seen on mainstream TV.
Gurlaine took a short break from the show in 2022 before officially bowing out in early 2023. At the time, soap bosses thanked her for her contribution, while the actress told fans she was “excited for what’s to come”.
Since then, Gurlaine’s kept a low profile but still shares snippets of her life online – posting travel pictures, moments with friends, and positive messages with her followers.
And while she’s stayed off-screen for now, fans will no doubt be thrilled to see her celebrating such a personal milestone.
The 28-year-old was on a six-week trip when she was involved in an accident in the motorhome she had hired
Emma Blood was badly hurt in the crash(Image: SWNS)
A Brit’s dream holiday turned into a nightmare after a horror motorhome crash left her unable to walk. Emma Blood, 28, was travelling in Western Australia when the collision left her trapped, seriously injured and facing a year-long recovery.
The hospitality worker from Milton Keynes had travelled to Australia on March 19, 2026, with plans to spend six weeks exploring. Inspired by stories from other travellers, she teamed up with three women she had met through a travel group and hired a motorhome to travel around and live in while exploring the region.
Just nine days into the trip, on March 29, Emma and the three women were travelling towards Margaret River when she lost control of the motorhome, due to slipping on the Western Australia mud roads, and crashed into a tree. Two passengers suffered minor injuries, but Emma was trapped from the waist down in the wreckage and had to be cut free by firefighters.
She was then airlifted to Perth Trauma Hospital, where she spent 10 days before flying back to the UK to continue her recovery. She said: “There are still a lot of blank spaces in my memory, I’m not sure whether I lost consciousness or whether it’s just a trauma response.
“I recall the moment of impact, when the vehicle struck a tree on the driver’s side where I was sitting. The force of the crash pushed everything forward, and I ended up trapped from the waist down.”
While the other passengers escaped with relatively minor injuries, Emma suffered devastating damage to her leg. One passenger required stitches to her face, and another was left with a bruised finger, but Emma faced a far more serious outcome.
Emergency services were alerted after her phone automatically contacted them following the collision. Upon arrival, a fire crew had to cut Emma free before she was airlifted to Perth Trauma Hospital.
Doctors discovered she had broken her femur in three places. She underwent emergency surgery lasting around six hours, during which surgeons inserted an intramedullary nail – a metal rod fixed inside the bone with six screws to stabilise the fractures.
Emma said: “I remember being in and out of consciousness, having scans and being moved around the hospital. It felt like something out of 24 Hours in A&E or Casualty, being rushed about.
“One of the most difficult moments was definitely standing for the first time after surgery. It was terrifying because I had no control over my leg, at first they thought there could be spinal injuries but it turned out to be okay.”
Complications continued when doctors discovered her haemoglobin levels had dropped dangerously low, resulting in a blood transfusion several days later. Emma spent 10 days in the hospital in Australia before her father flew out to help bring her home.
She said: “I couldn’t have travelled back on my own, I needed someone with me the whole way. If my dad hadn’t come to pick me up, I would have had someone to take me who I didn’t know.”
After arriving back in the UK on April 8, she was admitted to Milton Keynes Hospital for around another week before continuing her recovery at home.
In the early stages of recovery, Emma could not move her injured leg without using a strap around her foot and required assistance with everyday tasks, including showering.
She said: “It felt like I had lost all independence. I have been told a full recovery could take up to a year, but I am making great progress.
“My older brother is helping me, he’s a sports physiotherapist and thanks to him I progressed from a walking frame to two crutches, and now I only rely on one.”
She spends time in the gym every day, rebuilding strength and mobility and recently celebrated a major milestone by getting back behind the wheel of a car.
She said: “Driving again was huge for me, both physically and mentally. Although the accident cut short my dream trip, I will go back to finish it.
“There is still a lot of trauma attached to what happened, but for now, I am going to focus on getting back to my full health and independence.”
The Retirement Abroad Index 2026 has ranked 20 countries across five key areas including healthcare, cost of living and visa accessibility – and the results may surprise you.
The place you want to retire may be about to change(Image: Getty)
While you might be drawn to these sunny spots for a holiday, have you ever considered they could be the perfect place to spend your retirement?
As Brits approach retirement age, plenty contemplate purchasing a property in well-loved retirement havens such as Spain and France, but there are warmer, more affordable locations that could offer greater advantages, according to the latest figures.
The Expatriate Group, a specialist provider of international health insurance serving expats and retirees globally, has published The Retirement Abroad Index for 2026. The study assessed 20 countries, evaluating them across five crucial categories, including healthcare, visa accessibility, health insurance requirements, cost of living, and community and integration.
Drawing from these essential factors, it’s evident which destinations emerged as frontrunners for retirees and which have fallen in the rankings, with some surprising contenders.
Lee Gerry, director of Expatriate Group, said: “Retiring abroad has never been more achievable, but the decisions that matter most – healthcare access, visa routes, and the reality of day-to-day costs – are often the least well understood.”
“This index is designed to cut through the noise and give people an honest, data-led picture of where the real opportunities are.”
The top destination for retirement, according to the index, was the Philippines, with a Special Resident Retiree’s Visa that ranks among the most accessible globally. It requires a fixed deposit of roughly £11,000 for those receiving a pension.
What’s more, it achieved impressive marks for affordability and anticipated integration, which, combined with its tranquil beaches and stunning scenery, makes it an idyllic spot to enjoy your retirement years.
The second choice is perhaps less of a shock, as it’s certainly more familiar to Brits, though still not typically considered the top pick: Thailand.
The nation boasts several well-established and vibrant cities, each providing a flavour of its rich culture, but most prominently, Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket all feature internationally recognised private hospital networks.
Thailand secured a perfect 20 out of 20 on the scoring index, excelling in the healthcare category alongside Spain and France. Regarding visas, their Non-Immigrant O-A Visa demands coverage of at least $100,000, approximately £74,000, per policy, per year, as a visa requirement.
The third country, which may surprise some retirees, is Colombia, offering one of the most straightforward retirement visa routes among the 20 destinations and, remarkably, achieving a cost of living score of 18 out of 20.
According to their findings, the report indicates a retired couple can generally enjoy a comfortable lifestyle in Medellín, the capital of Colombia, on roughly £1,000 to £1,500 per month. In contrast to most British cities, it boasts reliably warm weather and possesses a lively atmosphere that’s difficult to match elsewhere.
Portugal emerged as the first European nation to feature on the list as an ideal spot to spend your golden years, claiming fourth place. Joint fifth went to Sri Lanka and South Africa, while Malaysia and the UAE shared sixth position, before Mexico secured a solid seventh spot.
While Spain continues to be among the most favoured destinations for British retirees, it didn’t appear until eighth on the list, achieving 18 out of 20 for healthcare, though it was let down by the cost of living and visa complications.
It also shares eighth place with Indonesia, which is cherished for its relaxed way of life and renowned for its strong emphasis on wellness culture. Packed with stunning beaches and particularly attracting visitors to Bali, it has climbed to the top of countless people’s bucket lists as a must-visit destination.
Coming in at number nine is Panama, followed by Qatar. Panama has made headlines in recent years for its ‘Pensionado’ programme, which offers a generous range of discounts designed to make retirement far more affordable.
The scheme also requires retirees to demonstrate a lifetime income of just £738 or so per month, with an extra £184 for each dependant.
Due to several countries sharing identical scores, the top 10 is actually made up of 13 nations in total. These are:
The farmer was visibly upset, breaking into tears, when Jeremy Clarkson announced his cancer diagnosis in the latest episodes of the TV show Clarkson’s Farm
04:56, 17 Jun 2026Updated 04:58, 17 Jun 2026
Kaleb breaks down in tears as Clarkson breaks the news (Image: Prime)
Jeremy Clarkson’s devastating cancer diagnosis left farm manager Kaleb Cooper in tears.
“I’ve got cancer,” Clarkson said during a conversation about the farm’s harvest.
Kaleb replied, “No, you haven’t. Where?”
The former Top Gear host has continued: “Where it is, is of no concern of anybody. I’ve known since May.”
“I had a medical, you remember back in May? I disappeared off the other week and I had a biopsy and it is cancer and it’s aggressive, but it’s really early so the treatment will be, you know…
“I was praying we could get the harvest done and then I could go and get some treatment but it’s going to be slap bang in the middle.”
Kaleb, wiping away tears, then said, “Look after yourself, you go and do… if you need anything just ring.”
Later in the show, Clarkson spoke about how the year had been challenging while talking to Kaleb, his girlfriend Lisa, and his two other employees.
“We started the year and I had coronary heart disease and ended it with me with cancer,” he explained.
“We can dwell as much as we like on all the bad things that have happened on the farm, but I think it’s better now, at the end of the year, to focus on things that have happened that are good.”
Kaleb asked, “When will we know the treatments worked?”
In response to Kaleb’s tears, the Who Wants to be a Millionaire host jests at him to “cheer up”.
“Not for another few weeks. Come on cheer up, it probably did work.”
The emotional episode has now been added to Prime Video.
Ahead of the episodes the TV star warned fans that they may be “a difficult watch”.
He posted on Instagram: “Ordinarily we try to keep the show bucolic and charming and cheerful. But the final two episodes which drop in the middle of the night tonight are none of those things really.”
In the clip, he took a deep breath and added: “They’re a difficult watch. They’re really, really difficult.”
After he announces the news to the farmers, Clarkson is later seen in a hospital bed set to undergo surgery.
However, Clarkson appears to maintain a positive attitude as he says he hopes to be back for a sixth season, before joking that if the treatment isn’t successful ‘take care everyone’.
Juba, South Sudan – In the days before Lankien was attacked, doctors at the local hospital rushed to evacuate patients. Some were women in labour. Others were being treated for gunshot wounds. By the evening of February 3, just hours after the last patients were carried out, a bomb struck the empty facility, ripping a crater through its warehouse.
Fighting was underway in surrounding areas as South Sudan’s military pressed forward with a counteroffensive aimed at retaking territory seized by opposition armed groups. As the army advanced eastward through Jonglei State, it captured town after town, pushing opposition fighters towards the Ethiopian border.
In the aftermath of the bombing, residents said they were forced to flee into surrounding marshland on the morning of February 7 as mortar fire struck the town. Some eventually returned and described extensive destruction.
The hospital had been looted and burned. Its cold-chain storage unit, used to preserve vaccines, was set on fire. Vehicles were sprayed with bullets and stripped for parts. Solar-powered water systems had been dismantled. The local market was reduced to twisted metal sheets, while homes on the outskirts appeared to have been burned.
“Anything that can support the life of human beings was deliberately destroyed,” said Emmerson Gono, deputy head of mission for Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF, who visited Lankien in April, adding that this was his assessment based on what he observed.
A counteroffensive across Jonglei
Since the start of what authorities refer to as “Operation Enduring Peace,” satellite imagery analysed by the Centre for Information Resilience (CIR), combined with verified videos, images and witness accounts, indicates widespread destruction across a swathe of Jonglei that has long been a stronghold of opposition groups.
Both the military and opposition forces have been accused of razing villages and attacking civilians in recent months. In this area of Jonglei, which is home to a section of the Nuer ethnic group that officials often cast as hostile to the state, more than a dozen residents who spoke to Al Jazeera said they believed the military was responsible for targeted destruction that experts say has pushed tens of thousands of people towards the brink of famine.
Lankien hospital was evacuated, and patients were discharged hours before the attack, following increased tensions and after MSF received information about a possible attack against the city. [Courtesy of MSF]
In most of the 23 incidents CIR documented between late January and February, civilian structures, including homes, health facilities and markets, appear to have been burned and looted. CIR said the destruction was “likely to be more widespread and potentially part of what it described as a deliberate military strategy”.
“Using satellite imagery, we were able to map how troop movements from west to east followed a path of burning and looting,” said CIR researcher Kiria Borak, stressing that satellite imagery alone cannot determine intent or responsibility.
Some officials and humanitarian actors have attributed the destruction in Jonglei to clashes between government troops and opposition forces. However, residents told Al Jazeera that opposition fighters were not present when their villages were attacked. Those accounts could not be independently verified due to restricted access to the area.
Government officials did not respond to requests for comment on the specific allegations described in this report. In earlier statements, authorities have said military operations are conducted in self-defence and that civilians are not deliberately targeted.
Political backdrop
Violence has escalated since 2025, when opposition leader and first vice president Riek Machar was arrested on charges of subversion, allegations he denies. Machar and President Salva Kiir were once on opposing sides of the country’s 2013–2018 civil war, which killed hundreds of thousands of people before a peace agreement brought them into a fragile unity government.
The implementation of that agreement stalled amid delays in unifying armed forces into a national military and repeated postponements of national elections.
Following Machar’s arrest, the government undertook a campaign of aerial bombardments to beat back a simmering rebellion in rural areas. Machar’s political group declared the peace deal dead and began launching hit-and-run attacks on military positions.
Between December and January, opposition fighters, buoyed by support from local armed youth, seized several military garrisons in Jonglei, prompting the government to announce a counteroffensive on January 28.
Then-army chief Paul Nang ordered forces, drawn from the national army, intelligence units, police and allied militias, according to UN investigators, to retake territory held by opposition groups.
Analysts say the involvement of allied militias operating alongside formal units has complicated the determination of command responsibility.
‘Burning homes’
Five individuals who fled Lankien told Al Jazeera they witnessed events unfold on February 7.
They said government-aligned forces reached the outskirts of the town after fighting in a nearby village. Around late morning, mortar fire struck the town, followed by the arrival of ground forces in armoured vehicles.
Gai Ket, 32, said he had been cutting firewood when explosions began. He rushed back to town to look for his wife and children.
“The first thing I saw was smoke. SSPDF was burning homes,” he said, referring to the national army.
When he reached his house, he found his wife dead, with a severe wound to her chest. Bodies lay scattered across the neighbourhood. “Everything was gone,” he said.
The hospital’s main warehouse was destroyed during the attack, and we lost most of our critical supplies for providing medical care. [Courtesy of MSF]
Another resident, Puoch Duol, said he returned at night to search for his grandmother, who had been too weak to flee. He said he found her body among several others near the ruins of burned homes.
Satellite imagery reviewed by CIR indicates significant destruction in Lankien between February 7 and 9. On February 7, the army announced it was in control of the town.
MSF has said government forces were in control of Lankien in the days after the attack but has not assigned responsibility for the destruction. It said the government is the only party to the conflict with the capability to carry out aerial bombardments.
Government-appointed officials told Al Jazeera that opposition fighters looted the town during their withdrawal. Opposition representatives deny this, saying their forces were not present at the time. Neither account could be independently verified.
A pattern of destruction
Residents described a similar pattern of destruction across towns and villages stretching from the Nile River to the Ethiopian border. Armed men in military-style uniforms arrived in armoured vehicles, often after opposition forces were reported to have withdrawn, according to residents.
Homes and markets were burned, while health facilities and humanitarian compounds were looted. Civilians took refuge in swamps and forests, while those too weak to flee were killed or went missing.
CIR geolocated social media footage from Pathai showing fighters moving among burning structures towards a road leading into the town’s western entrance. The identities of those in the footage could not be independently verified.
Jany, an aid worker based in the town of Walgak, described an attack on February 5.
“We saw smoke everywhere. They were firing guns and burning houses,” he said.
Satellite imagery shows significant structural damage in Walgak between February 3 and 7, shortly after the town changed hands.
Humanitarian sources tracking developments in the area reported that multiple villages in the vicinity of Walgak were burned or destroyed during the same period. These accounts could not be independently verified due to restricted access and ongoing insecurity.
Remote sensing data shows clusters of fire activity across the region during the same period. However, satellite imagery alone cannot determine the cause or responsibility for the fires.
Command rhetoric and discipline
From the start of military operations, remarks by commanders raised concerns over civilian safety.
A video circulated on social media shows Johnson Olony, a deputy army chief who is also head of the Agwelek armed group, telling troops not to spare lives or property during operations. The government later said the remarks did not reflect official policy, and Olony apologised.
In another video, a commander identified as Wal Nyak appears to threaten violence against perceived opposition supporters. “Whether you are a woman or a girl, we will kill you all … We don’t want supporters of Riek Machar here,” he says.
Reports and satellite imagery point to burned villages and mass displacement across Jonglei. [Satellite imagery/Vantor]
The authenticity and full context of the footage could not be independently verified.
Humanitarian impact
Aid agencies say the consequences of the destruction reported in the area are severe and likely to last for months or longer.
At least 28 health facilities in Jonglei were damaged or looted this year, according to the UN. Seventy percent are no longer functioning.
The Integrated Phase Classification (IPC), a United Nations-backed analysis body, says there is a risk of famine in multiple counties, while more than 70,000 people are already facing the highest possible severity of hunger.
Nicholas Kerandi of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said the impacts on food security and public health “are likely to persist through the remainder of the year and potentially beyond”.
Others say the alleged abuses in Jonglei have pushed South Sudan’s already fractured state to breaking point.
“The tribes don’t trust one another, the citizens don’t trust the government, and the government doesn’t trust its citizens,” Ter Manyang Gatwech, a human rights advocate from Jonglei, told Al Jazeera.
“Unless there is a miracle, South Sudan will disintegrate,” he said.
Kevin and daughter Natalie (Kennedy News and Media)
A dad faces a £30,000 medical bill after falling ill on holiday because he didn’t declare a common ailment on his travel insurance. Kevin Turner flew to Alicante with his partner Joy Peck in May after feeling poorly the week before with a chest infection.
After taking antibiotics and steroids, the 63-year-old said he felt assured by his GP that he was ‘good to go’ and was prescribed more medication to account for being away. The retired painter and decorator felt ‘off’ when he landed but put it down to the journey. It was when his chest pains worsened the following day that Joy called an ambulance.
After being rushed to a hospital in Alicante, doctors discovered Kevin had a pierced lung and pneumonia and he was put in intensive care. Despite having holiday insurance, Kevin’s family says his medical bills aren’t covered as he didn’t declare his chest infection before travelling – meaning he faces bills of at least £30,000.
Kevin’s daughters Sam Turner, 44, and Natalie Fowell, 40, have set up a GoFundMe to help pay his medical bills and get him home to the UK. Sam, from Winsford, Cheshire, said: “It was really, really scary because obviously you’re helpless. You’re over here and you don’t know what’s going on.
“He did have an existing chest infection that he had visited the doctor for that week and had been given antibiotics and steroids. He did also say that he was due to go on holiday and there were no warnings or concerns around that [from the GP] so he thought he was good to go.
“They just gave him enough medication for the fact that he was going away and that was it. He’d arrived at midnight, had something to eat and drink and gone to bed, feeling a bit off but just put it down to travel. It got progressively worse from there.
“By the next day the pains were just so much that in hindsight he probably already had pneumonia when he got on the flight, but he wasn’t aware. Joy rang me from the hotel and said ‘I’ve had to call him an ambulance, he’s not good’ and we were like ‘right, ok get him to the hospital’, trying to get updates all the time.
“They [doctors] said he had a pierced lung and chest and stomach pain where it’s believed air and gases had built up and had to be drained.”
Wedding co-ordinator Sam flew out to be with her dad on May 30 to be by his bedside. After contacting the insurance company, Sam says she was told that Kevin’s medical bills wouldn’t be covered as he didn’t declare the ongoing chest infection on his travel insurance before flying.
Sam said: “It very much looks like it’s a case of, the small print says if there are any significant health changes up to the date of travel then you must notify them. He’s still in intensive care and we’re trying to find out what the prognosis is.
“He hasn’t been out of bed, he hasn’t used his legs or feet and he’s just really worried because he’s lost all feeling in them. The insurance took about two weeks for them to decide that they weren’t going to pay out. It involved a lot of chasing from us.
“I would always say read the small print of the insurance document, make sure you go with a reputable company and look at their reviews.”
Martin Lewis’s team has issued urgent advice for the summer
Martin Lewis’s MoneySavingExpert has issued urgent advice for anyone travelling to Europe this summer, as more than two million people will see a key document expire before they head off. MoneySavingExpert.com has a holiday warning for anyone visiting countries including France, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Italy.
Martin’s team has urged holidaymakers to check if their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) is still valid, as 1,285,250 GHICs and 926,954 EHICs are set to expire this year. The EHIC is being replaced by the new Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC). These cards are totally free to get and they give you access to state-run hospitals or GPs in EU countries for the same price as a local.
They last for up to five years, and the final EHICs issued after Brexit are expiring this year. The MSE newsletter reads: “These cards give access to state-run hospitals or GPs in EU countries for the same price as a local – so if it’s free for them, it’s free for you.”
You need to check your card for the expiry date, and apply for a new one if necessary.
The team said: “You’ll need to get a new card – it’s now called a GHIC (as it’s been rebranded a ‘Global’ card, though in essence still covers mostly the same European countries).” However, MSE also warned people not to fall for websites that charge you for these cards.
MSE said: “Never pay to get an EHIC or GHIC. It is always free, beware shyster sites trying to charge you for ‘fast tracks’ or other stuff, that’s nonsense. See how to safely get a free GHIC.” If you have an existing EHIC, it remains valid until the expiry date runs out – after this, you’ll need to apply for a GHIC card.”
The NHS explains: “The UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) lets you get necessary state healthcare in the European Economic Area (EEA), and some other countries, on the same basis as a resident of that country. This may be free or it may require a payment equivalent to that which a local resident would pay.
“The UK GHIC has replaced the existing European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). If you have an existing EHIC you can continue to use it until the expiry date on the card. Once it expires, you’ll need to apply for a UK GHIC to replace it.
“The ‘Global Health Insurance Card’ (GHIC) and its predecessor, the EHIC, give access to state-run hospitals or GPs, mainly in European countries, for the same price as a local. So if they don’t pay, you don’t either. Over two million expire this year, check yours.”
A UK GHIC is free, and you can apply through the NHS website. The NHS advises avoiding unofficial websites, which may charge an application fee. People can apply for a new card up to nine months before their current card expires.
The NHS says: “Every member of your family needs their own card. You can add your spouse, civil partner and children to your application when you apply. You must enter your own details first and apply for any additional cards when prompted.”
Watch out for blue, red or dark patches on your skin
A doctor has explained the red flag warning signs that should never be ignored after a flight. Millions of people will jet off on their summer holidays in the coming months and a vascular consultant says holidaymakers should be aware of tell-tale signs before they become a medical emergency.
Dr Mark Regi, Consultant Interventional Radiologist at VeinCentre, said: “Air travel, particularly long-haul flights, can put extra strain on your circulatory system as most people will have limited movement for a long period of time. People with poor circulation or varicose veins can be at greater risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot usually found in the leg.
“For most people, a walk around the cabin and some compression socks will do the trick, but it’s always worth knowing the signs to look out for that something potentially serious could be happening.”
Last year influencer Molly-Mae Hague told how she feared she had suffered a blood clot after experiencing severe pain in her leg following a flight home from Dubai. After rushing to hospital doctors gave the former Love Island star the all clear. She told fans: “It needs to be taken so much more seriously because it can happen to anyone at any age.”
Symptoms of DVT include a throbbing pain in the calf or thigh, swelling in one leg, swollen veins and the skin around the leg becoming red, blue or darkened. Dr Regi said: “If any swelling doesn’t ease after a flight and you experience a dull ache or heavy cramping then it’s always worth speaking to a doctor.
“DVT can be serious so keep a close eye on any changes that don’t settle down. If you experience shortness of breath or chest pain, together with these symptoms, seek medical advice straight away as this could be a sign a clot has travelled to the lung.”
Dr Regi continued: “People who already know they have poor circulation, for example if they have varicose veins, should try and move around as much as is practical during any long-haul flights. That’s because twisted or bulging veins can struggle to circulate blood effectively during extended periods of immobility.
“I always recommend investing in medical-grade compression stockings if you have varicose veins. You should also keep hydrated and keep alcohol and caffeinated drinks to a minimum. Exercises such as calf raises and ankle pumps can also keep blood pumping around your legs when you can’t get up for a wander.”
Dr Regi says varicose veins are often seen as purely a cosmetic issue, but they should be taken seriously and treatment is available. He said: “Varicose veins mean they are not working as they should. Treatments are available which focus on the underlying venous insufficiency to alleviate symptoms and prevent complications. Endovenous Laser Ablation (EVLA) is a minimally invasive procedure that uses laser energy to close off affected veins, treating the root cause of varicose veins.”
The island’s dark history of forced labour and harrowing conditions for prisoners of war has left a haunting legacy
This island has been abandoned for decades(Image: Getty)
In the late 19th century, this isolated Japanese island was a bustling town fuelled by its coal-mining industry. Today, it’s gradually being swallowed by the sea and reclaimed by nature, but given the island’s sinister past, perhaps it’s for the best that this once-thriving community has fallen into silence.
Hashima Island sits roughly 15 kilometres off Nagasaki, and was formerly a mining settlement. At its height in the late 1950s, the island housed more than 5,000 residents who lived in its towering apartment blocks — the ruins of which remain visible today.
Initially renowned for its undersea coal mines, the island also harbours a deeply troubling history.
The island was purchased by Mitsubishi in the late 19th century, and in 1916, work commenced on apartment blocks to house workers. There was a school, a kindergarten, a community centre and a hospital.
For leisure, residents could head to the cinema or visit the numerous shops, reports the Express.
Following the end of World War 2, Chinese and Korean prisoners of war were forced to labour on the island, either erecting buildings or toiling in the mines. These prisoners endured appalling and perilous conditions under Mitsubishi’s control.
Many perished from exhaustion and starvation — the precise death toll on the island ranges from 137 to as many as 1,300.
The people who laboured here dubbed the island “Jail Island” or even “Hell Island” — a stark contrast to the tranquil mining town it seemed to be. By the 1970s, coal reserves had largely run dry and the industry was in terminal decline.
This prompted many residents to abandon the island, and by the mid-70s, the mine had shut its doors for good, leaving the island completely deserted.
In 2009, Japan put forward a request for the island to be added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The move drew sharp criticism from the governments of North and South Korea and China, with Seoul arguing it would “violate the dignity of the survivors of forced labour”.
Eventually, South Korea and Japan struck a deal allowing the island to be included on the list, on the condition that Japan provided information acknowledging the use of forced labour.
However, in 2021, it emerged that Japan had failed to honour its side of the agreement, having not displayed adequate information regarding the use of forced labour.
The museum in Nagasaki, which documents the island’s history, reportedly contains no testimonies from Koreans about forced labour or discrimination, and the sole Korean testimony on display actually denies that forced labour was ever used.
The looming impact of federal Medicaid cuts has reignited a long-simmering, costly battle between California’s medical industry and one of its largest health worker unions.
SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, with about 120,000 members, has put forward two ballot initiatives to cap the pay of medical executives and require community clinics to spend the bulk of their revenues on patient care.
The California Hospital Assn. has responded with its own ballot proposal that would make it tougher for unions to spend money on political initiatives in the future. It would require approval by a union’s rank-and-file membership for any spending of $1 million or more on statewide measures, or $100,000 or more on local ones.
The competing measures, which have drawn enough verified signatures to qualify for the November ballot, come at a time when the rising cost of healthcare is emerging as a top voter concern.
The Service Employees International Union affiliate has seized upon affordability angst to resurrect a proposal for a cap on healthcare executive compensation, which it has failed to achieve multiple times before. The proposed measure garnered more than 1 million petition signatures.
“This initiative reflects the serious crisis we face and that affordability is a real thing,” said Vikas Saini, president of the Lown Institute, a Massachusetts-based healthcare think tank. “I think it also reflects grassroots anger and a desire to do something.”
Mikey Vaughn, a certified nursing assistant at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said the hospital often lacks supplies and staffing levels that he and his colleagues need in order to do their jobs effectively and without undue stress, despite its reputation as the go-to place for the rich and famous.
“The executive pay initiative would, I hope, be used to hire staff and to actually provide better resources for our patients,” he said. Vaughn is also a member of SEIU-UHW’s executive board and political committee.
Thomas Priselac, then-president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, made $8.8 million in fiscal year 2024, according to the organization’s most recent available federal tax filing. Kaiser Permanente’s CEO, Gregory Adams, made nearly $13 million in 2024. Warner Thomas, head of Sutter Health, made just under $12 million.
Cedars-Sinai spokesperson Duke Helfand said the hospital would be unable to recruit and retain physicians, nurses, and specialists if the measure passed, dramatically impairing its ability to provide healthcare.
“Such a scenario would be disastrous not only for Cedars-Sinai but for hospitals across Los Angeles and California,” Helfand said.
The union wants to cap compensation at $450,000 a year for senior hospital and medical group executives, as well as other administrative and managerial staff. However, the initiative does not stipulate how dollars diverted from payroll must be spent.
Carmela Coyle, CEO of the hospital association, called the measure a cynical political ploy.
“It’s bad policy and it’s going to have bad consequences across California,” she said.
Glenn Melnick, a healthcare economist at the University of Southern California, said even if the initiative were fully implemented and pay cuts enacted, he doubts it would reduce the cost of healthcare for patients.
SEIU-UHW does not have an estimated total amount the initiative would claw back from pay packages that exceed the limit.
Opponents of the initiative note that it doesn’t just target executive pay; it would affect medical practitioners who are also managers. That could include chief medical officers and chief nursing officers, as well as heads of surgery, emergency rooms, oncology, obstetrics, cardiology and other specialties, they say.
It would be up to each hospital, health system and physician group to report which staff members exceed the cap and by how much.
Ultimately, who is subject to the pay cap “probably will have to be battled out in court,” Coyle said . “That’s why we are throwing everything we can at it.”
The second SEIU-UHW ballot initiative, on community clinics, is already in court. The California Primary Care Assn., which represents clinics, filed a federal lawsuit in April seeking to invalidate it before it reaches the November ballot.
The proposed measure would require federally designated community clinics to spend at least 90% of their revenues on activities directly related to their mission of providing care for low-income populations. If it were to pass, more than 90% of those clinic organizations would be on the hook for penalties totaling $1.7 billion in the first year alone and “would face similarly crippling penalties every year,” according to a report commissioned by the primary care association and conducted by the Berkeley Research Group, an international consulting company.
Louise McCarthy, president and CEO of the Community Clinic Assn. of Los Angeles County, said many pivotal services the clinics provide — such as translation and transportation — would likely not be counted toward the spending requirement.
“They are targeting a group of what they see as employers and we see as the safety net,” she said.
The lawsuit cites the harm to clinics and claims the proposed spending requirement would interfere with federal authority.
Renée Saldaña, a spokesperson for SEIU-UHW, characterized the lawsuit against the initiative as “a really desperate attempt by the clinic industry to try and avoid accountability.”
SEIU-UHW, proud of its political activism, is also behind a controversial billionaire tax proposal that would impose a one-time 5% levy on California residents with fortunes over $1 billion to backfill the funding gap created by federal cuts coming down the pike under Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The law, passed last July and signed by President Trump, is projected to squeeze nearly $1 trillion from the Medicaid health coverage program for low-income people by 2034, including as much as $30 billion annually in California.
The hospital association, the community clinic group and the California Medical Assn., which represents physicians, are neutral on the wealth tax proposal thus far. But Saldaña said all three of the union’s ballot proposals tie into an overarching strategy to counter the widening healthcare disparities caused by the federal law.
“We believe the primary concern of healthcare providers, including executives, should be to serve the community, heal patients, and not be in healthcare just to enrich themselves,” she said on the proposed pay cap.
Over the years, the union has submitted dozens of local and statewide ballot initiatives, including ones to cap the pay of hospital executives, regulate dialysis clinics, and raise the minimum wage of healthcare workers.
The hospital association calculates that SEIU-UHW has spent nearly $125 million on local and statewide initiatives since 2012. But healthcare industry groups have spent far more opposing them. The hospital association data shows that the union spent nearly $36 million on three ballot proposals to regulate the dialysis industry, but dialysis companies poured in $302 million to defeat them, according to state campaign finance records.
The union’s ongoing political efforts “threaten patient access to quality health care,” according to the hospital association’s ballot initiative, which could limit how much unions spend on future ballot measures.
Saldaña hinted at a possible lawsuit should that measure pass, saying “we don’t see the legal viability” of it. The proposal, she said, is an attempt “to silence the front-line healthcare workers.”
Ultimately, a ballot initiative won’t cure the ills that plague healthcare in the United States, said the Lown Institute’s Saini. What’s needed, he said, is “an evaluation and reimagination of healthcare.”
Wolfson writes for KFF Health News, anational newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.
Coronation Street actress Tracy Shaw, who played Maxine Peacock in the ITV soap, has been battling breast cancer and has now shared an update after completing her first day of chemotherapy
She showed herself having her hair cut off(Image: tracy.k.shaw/Instagram)
Coronation Street star Tracy Shaw, who portrayed Maxine Peacock in the ITV soap opera, has shared a health update after she revealed she has been fighting breast cancer.
Following the completion of her first chemotherapy session she explained to fans that she would be shaving her head and donating her hair to charity. Posting a video on Instagram, she disclosed to her followers that she had spent more than eight hours at her initial appointment.
The actress said: “First day of chemo done. I’m feeling alright but that has a great amount to do with the steroids which are helping my body fight the chemo that has gone in. So I went in today to start at 9am and I left at 5:30pm, very hot day and there was a bit of delay.”
She continued: “Basically with my chemo injection, one of which hadn’t arrived, it’s got nothing to do with robots or anything to do with the hospital team, it was the medics delivery, so yeah that was the delay. But I’m feeling really positive but everything I keep eating tastes horrible.
“Everything tastes of metal, just like you told me, and every now and again I feel like the Incredible Hulk, I want to start moving furniture around, the dogs keeping away from me because they sense that.”
This follows her recent decision to cut her hair to donate to The Little Princess Trust, and she has since ventured out to shop for a replacement wig. She posted footage online of herself modelling the various wigs and displaying them while being assisted by a Macmillan nurse who also offered guidance to individuals experiencing a similar situation, reports the Express.
Earlier this month Tracy revealed the emotional difficulties she’s been encountering, informing her followers: “Each morning I wake up and know that I have to go into hospital and receive more news, which has been going on for a long time, that unknown… I just think, ‘I can’t go through with this anymore,’ but I’ve not even started my journey.”
She’s received an outpouring of support online from her followers as she’s posted updates on every stage of her journey, with many of Tracy’s recent posts emphasising how waking up is a “gift” each day.
EastEnders’ Denise Fox, whose symptoms began with fatigue, will discover she has acute myeloid leukaemia following a bone marrow biopsy – Yvonne Gabriel knows exactly how she feels
Eastenders Blood Cancer Storyline
EastEnders’ Denise Fox is all alone today when she receives the shattering news that she has blood cancer. While partner Jack Branning gears up for the upcoming World Cup, Denise, whose symptoms began with fatigue, will discover she has acute myeloid leukaemia following a bone marrow biopsy.
And Yvonne Gabriel, 58, will know exactly how she feels. The retired deputy head teacher was also by herself when told she had AML, in July 2018. She says: “It was such a huge shock. I wrongly thought adults couldn’t get leukaemia. The whole thing was a blur. But I remember the doctor saying it was treatable and I hung on to those words for the whole of my cancer journey.”
Yvonne went back to her home in Wallington, Surrey, and told her civil partner Annette, 63, a lawyer, and daughter Leanne, 38, a graphic designer, the awful news. She recalls: “My partner and daughter kept reiterating that the cancer was treatable and curable.
“I am usually the person that looks after people so it was really hard to feel I was causing the upset. They held themselves together for me.” EastEnders worked closely with the charity Blood Cancer UK on Denise’s storyline, starting today on World Blood Cancer Day, which in many ways mirrors Yvonne’s.
Yvonne and Denise, played by Diane Parish, 56, are both Black and, according to the charity, Black or mixed-race blood cancer patients with leukaemia have only a 37% chance of finding a 10/10 matched unrelated stem cell donor, compared to 72% for white patients.
Yvonne began treatment in Sutton’s Royal Marsden Hospital within days of diagnosis. She had three courses of intensive chemotherapy, requiring hospital stays, and finished that November. She says: “It is fantastic that EastEnders are running this storyline. It might mean viewers watching it get help if they have symptoms or even understand a little more what people with blood cancer are going through.”
Yvonne also recommends staying active, as it helps the body to cope with the harsh treatment. She adds: “I lost my hair and if Denise has chemotherapy this will probably happen to her. I was very emotional on the day I shaved it.” But she adds: “It will come back and it’s a sign the treatment is working. You can adorn yourself in different ways – wear jewellery or colours that make you feel like you.”
Yvonne has now trained to do massage therapy after benefiting from it herself as a patient. She says: “It was life-changing. It helped me physically and emotionally.”
Matthew White, director at Blood Cancer UK, says: “Many people with blood cancer have to visit their GP multiple times before they are diagnosed. Seeing blood cancer spotlighted on such a popular programme like EastEnders is a powerful platform that can help make a ‘hidden’ cancer more visible.”
*Blood Cancer UK provides trusted advice for people with blood cancer and funds research into better and kinder treatments that will transform lives. bloodcancer.org.uk
A health worker sprays disinfectant on his colleague after working at an Ebola treatment centre in Beni, eastern Congo, during an outbreak in 2018(Image: AP Photo/Al-hadji Kudra Maliro)
At least 80 deaths have been reported as a country battles an outbreak of a highly contagious disease.
The deaths were confirmed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s new Ebola disease outbreak in the eastern Ituri province, authorities said, as health workers raced to intensify screening and contact tracing to contain the disease. Officials first announced the outbreak on Friday, with 65 deaths and 246 suspected cases. Meanwhile, journalists in Ituri’s capital, Bunia, interviewed local people who recounted their fears and constant burials.
“Every day, people are dying … and this has been going on for about a week. In a single day, we bury two, three, or even more people,” said Jean Marc Asimwe, a resident of Bunia. “At this point, we don’t really know what kind of disease it is.”
Congolese health minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said late on Friday that there have been eight laboratory-confirmed cases, among them four deaths. Test results confirmed the Bundibugyo virus, a variant of the disease that has been less prominent in Congo’s past outbreaks.
This is the country’s 17th outbreak since Ebola first emerged in the country in 1976, the Associated Press reproted. Ebola is highly contagious and can be contracted through bodily fluids such as vomit, blood, or semen. The disease it causes is rare, but severe and often fatal.
The suspected index case in the latest outbreak is a nurse who died at a hospital in Bunia, Mr Kamba said, with the case dating back three weeks to April 24. He did not say whether samples from the nurse were tested, but said the person presented symptoms suggestive of Ebola.
DR Congo has experience in managing Ebola outbreaks, but often faces logistical challenges in getting expertise and supplies to affected regions. As Africa’s second-largest country by land area, Congo’s provinces are far from one another and mostly battling conflict. Ituri, for instance, is around 620 miles from the nation’s capital, Kinshasa, and is ravaged by violence from Islamic State-backed militants.
The disease is so far confirmed in three health zones in the Ituri province, including the capital city, Bunia, as well as in Rwampara and Mongwalu where the outbreak is concentrated.
Foreign Office advice for Democratic Republic of the Congo
As of Saturday afternoon, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office had not given specific advice about travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in regards to the Ebola outbreak.
Its current advice, which it said remained valid on May 16, was that UK citizens should avoid travel to muliple parts of the country due to political instability.
It said: “If you are in North or South Kivu and judge it safe to do so, and if routes are available, you should leave. M23 rebels and Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) have captured the cities of Goma and Bukavu and the surrounding areas in North and South Kivu. M23 rebels and RDF captured the city of Uvira in December 2025, and then withdrew from the city in January 2026, though clashes continue in the surrounding areas. The situation remains highly unstable and unpredictable. Routes to depart Uvira, Goma and Bukavu are limited and may change at short notice.
“The border crossings between Rwanda and the DRC at Gisenyi-Goma and Ruzizi-Bukavu could close at short notice. Goma and Bukavu airports have been attacked and commercial flights are no longer operating from the airports.
“Support from the UK government is severely limited outside Kinshasa. You should not assume that FCDO will be able to provide assistance to leave the country in the event of serious unrest or crisis.”
The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to:
The districts of N’djili and Kimbanseke in Kinshasa city south of the main access road to N’djili airport, in Nsele commune
The N1 road in Kinshasa Province, between and including Menkao to the west, Kenge to the east, the border of Mai-Ndombe province to the north, and 10km to the south
The FCDO advises against all travel to within 50km of the border with the Central African Republic and to the provinces of:
Haut-Uélé and Ituri, including the entire DRC-South Sudan border
North Kivu
South Kivu
Maniema
Tanganyika
Haut-Lomami
It also advises against all travel to the Kwamouth territory of Mai-Ndombe Province. This is between, and including, the towns of Kwamouth, Bandundu and the southern border of Mai-Ndombe province. Further, it advises against all travel to the province of Kasaï Oriental and against all but essential travel to the provinces of Kasaï and Kasaï Central and to Bangoka International Airport in Kisangani.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s sweeping demands for confidential transgender patient information from Rhode Island’s largest hospital that provides gender-affirming care to minors.
U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy’s Wednesday ruling is the latest setback for the U.S. Department of Justice, where at least seven other federal courts have agreed to quash or limit the expansive civil subpoenas sent to more than 20 doctors and hospitals last summer.
McElroy’s decision also echoed similar concerns raised by judges surrounding the expansive scope of the subpoenas, describing the Justice Department as having “immense prosecutorial authority and discretion” but no longer trustworthy it will enforce its power fairly and honestly.
“DOJ has proven unworthy of this trust at every point in this case,” McElroy wrote.
A Justice Department spokesperson said Thursday that it would appeal and continue with its investigations.
“The Rhode Island court’s attack on the professionalism and integrity of DOJ attorneys is outrageous and unjustified,” the department said.
According to the subpoenas, the Justice Department had demanded Rhode Island Hospital hand over the birth dates, Social Security numbers and addresses of every patient who received transgender care over the past five years. It also included instructions to provide all documents detailing adverse side effects in minor patients who received gender-related care, assessments that formed the basis for prescribing puberty blockers or hormone therapy, as well as patient intake forms and guardian authorization.
The Justice Department has repeatedly argued that the information sought in the subpoenas is needed to investigate possible fraud or unlawful off-label promotion of drugs. Most recently during a hearing in Rhode Island, the DOJ said that the investigation was taking place in the Northern District of Texas, where the court’s chief judge ordered Rhode Island Hospital to comply with the subpoena before McElroy’s decision voided the subpoena.
Assistant U.S. Atty. Brantley Mayers told McElroy during the hearing that the Justice Department is investigating potential “misbranding” of drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, such as puberty blockers for young people. While off-label prescribing is legal, Mayers said that the DOJ is concerned that pharmaceutical companies are providing “financial incentives” to Rhode Island doctors to prescribe the drugs.
The subpoenas were crucial in getting the names of children and their families so the Justice Department could interview them.
McElroy rejected that argument.
“The administration has publicly characterized gender-affirming care for minors as abuse, directed the DOJ to bring its practice to an end, and celebrated when hospitals curtailed such programs as a result of this subpoena campaign,” McElroy wrote.
The Rhode Island decision is the latest development in the fight over transgender youth health records. Earlier this week, 11 families filed a class-action lawsuit seeking to block the Justice Department from obtaining the documents. The lawsuit, filed in Maryland’s federal court, is backed by families with transgender children who have received care from hospitals across the U.S.
And separately, a New York hospital announced that it received a grand jury subpoena from federal prosecutors in Texas seeking information about children who received gender-affirming care and the medical providers who administered it.
NYU Langone is the first hospital system to publicly acknowledge receiving a subpoena for such records as part of a federal criminal investigation. But the institution said in its statement Tuesday it was one of several that received a subpoena out of the Northern District of Texas on May 7. It said it was deciding on how to respond.
“The government cannot use its subpoena power to intimidate families out of seeking lawful medical care. To trans and gender-diverse children and their families, we want you to know that you are valued, you are not alone,” Kevin Love Hubbard, an attorney with the Lawyers’ Committee of Rhode Island, who represented the plaintiffs in the case, said in a statement.
Gender-affirming care includes a range of medical and mental health services to support a person’s gender identity, including when it’s different from the sex they were assigned at birth. It may include counseling, medications that block puberty, hormone therapy to produce physical changes or surgeries to transform chests and genitals, although those are rare for minors.
Most major medical groups say access to the treatment is important for those with gender dysphoria and see gender as existing along a spectrum.
At least 27 states have adopted laws restricting or banning the care for minors, while several others have adopted laws or policies protecting access to transgender healthcare.
A BAFTA winner broke the fourth wall during the awards’ ceremony to ask BBC bosses if they would cut footage of Gaza: Doctors Under Attack winning the prize for best film about current affairs
22:35, 10 May 2026Updated 22:35, 10 May 2026
The executive producer of a BAFTA-winning documentary took aim at the BBC during the awards ceremony(Image: Getty Images for BAFTA)
A BAFTA winner took aim at the BBC during the ceremony after a documentary about Gaza triumphed at the prestigious television awards ceremony.
The current affairs film Gaza: Doctors Under Attack picked up a major prize at the BAFTA Television Awards tonight (Sunday, 10 May). But the moment quickly turned political when executive producer Ben De Pear used his acceptance speech to question the broadcaster that originally commissioned the programme.
The one-off documentary, which features testimonies from Palestinian healthcare workers and documents attacks on medical facilities in Gaza, was initially commissioned by the BBC before being shelved over impartiality concerns. It was later broadcast by Channel 4 instead.
When he took to the stage after the film won in the current affairs category, Ben thanked the journalists involved in making the documentary before addressing the BBC directly.
He fired his parting shot, asking: “Finally, just a question for the BBC: given you dropped our film, will you drop us from the Bafta screening later tonight?”
BBC One was responsible for the TV coverage of the BAFTA Awards night, but did not air the ceremony live. The reception of each award was broadcast to the public around two hours after the actual events took place.
Ben was joined on stage by journalist Ramita Navia, who delivered a powerful speech about the findings of the investigation featured in the film.
He shared: ” Israel has killed over 47,000 children and women in Gaza. So far, Israel has bombed and targeted every single one of Gaza’s hospitals.
“It’s killed over 1,700 Palestinian doctors and health care workers. It has imprisoned over 400 in what the UN now calls the medicide. These are the findings of our investigation that the BBC paid for but refused to show.
“But we refuse to be silenced and censored. We thank Channel 4 for showing this film. Right now, there are over 80 Palestinian doctors and healthcare workers being held in detention centres that Israeli human rights groups describe as torture camps. We dedicate this award to them.”
The documentary was originally commissioned over a year ago by the BBC via their independent production company Basement Films.
However, the broadcaster delayed its release while an internal review into a separate Gaza-related programme was carried out. After that review process, the corporation ultimately decided not to air the film.
At the time, the BBC said it had concerns the programme could create “a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards that the public rightly expect”.
The corporation also confirmed that production on the documentary had been paused while the review was was being conducted. Despite dropping the programme, the BBC said it remained committed to reporting on the conflict.
In a statement previously issued by the BBC, the broadcaster said it was “committed to covering the conflict in Gaza and has produced powerful coverage”.
The island is a popular holiday destination for Brits
16:06, 09 May 2026Updated 16:09, 09 May 2026
The MV Hondius stationary off the port of Praia
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has moved to reassure concerned residents in Tenerife that they will not come into contact with passengers from a hantavirus-affected cruise ship due to arrive on the island. Nearly 1million people call the island home, which also serves as a major holiday destination for British tourists and visitors from across Europe.
The UN health body confirmed there had been six cases of hantavirus linked to the MV Hondius vessel, with four patients currently receiving hospital treatment. It revealed that a total of eight cases, including three fatalities, had been recorded — though one suspected case has since been ruled out after returning a negative hantavirus test.
Around 22 British passengers and crew members aboard the ship are due to arrive in Tenerife on Sunday, with plans to fly them back to the UK on the same day. Representatives from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Foreign Office will meet the MV Hondius when it arrives in Spain’s Canary Islands, with British nationals on board undergoing hantavirus testing before disembarking.
Those who test negative and show no symptoms will be transported directly to a specially arranged repatriation flight with medical staff on board. British citizens returning home will be required to self-isolate for 45 days and will be prohibited from using public transport to reach their residences. The WHO confirmed on Saturday that no symptomatic passengers were currently aboard the vessel. In a letter to the residents of Tenerife, WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus acknowledged locals were “worried”.
The Ethiopian public health official described the virus as “serious” but stressed the outbreak was “not another Covid” and the “current public health risk from hantavirus remains low”.
He explained: “Spain’s authorities have prepared a careful, step-by-step plan: passengers will be ferried ashore at the industrial port of Granadilla, far from residential areas, in sealed, guarded vehicles, through a completely cordoned-off corridor, and repatriated directly to their home countries.
“You will not encounter them. Your families will not encounter them. Nearly 150 people from 23 countries have been at sea for weeks, some of them grieving, all of them frightened, all of them longing for home. Tenerife has been chosen because it has the medical capacity, the infrastructure, and the humanity to help them reach safety.”
Two British men are currently being treated for hantavirus in the Netherlands and Johannesburg, South Africa, while a third British man with symptoms is being cared for on the isolated South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha. The Foreign Office confirmed that a total of 30 passengers and crew aboard the MV Hondius are British nationals, with 22 still remaining on the vessel. The outbreak has been linked to a birdwatching trip in Argentina, which two of the passengers attended prior to embarking on the ship.
BBC Ambulance took an emotional turn as one paramedic was brought to tears
A BBC Ambulance paramedic was left in tears(Image: BBC)
A BBC Ambulance paramedic was left sobbing as he made a heartbreaking admission.
Healthcare professional Jeff tackled an emergency call that he said “hit close to home” as his dad passed away from a similar issue he had to take on.
Fans of the BBC hit show see real-life emergencies and high-pressure environments as frontline workers give everything they have to save lives in the most critical of circumstances.
During tonight’s (April 15) instalment, which is the final episode of the season, Castleford crew paramedic Jeff and associate ambulance practitioner Eddie receive a call to attend to a 51-year-old man, who has been having trouble getting his dialysis most of the week.
The duo rushed to the scene and after arriving it was clear Dale was uncomfortable as they found him lying in his bed struggling to move.
Dale’s mum explained to Jeff and Eddie that he has been feeling drowsy, has been suffering with pain in his chest and was being sick all morning.
After running some checks, Jeff quickly informed his mum that if they had left it any longer he would have gone into cardiac arrest. Acting quick, Jeff and Eddie rushed Dale to hospital and made sure he got treated immediately.
While sitting in the ambulance, things took an emotional turn as Jeff broke down in tears and revealed: “Quite close to home for me because my dad passed away from renal failure. So it’s quite close to home for me.”
Jeff struggled to control his emotions as he stepped out of the car to have a moment to himself.
Stepping back into the vehicle, he explained to colleague Eddie: “My dad went into renal failure. British National in South Africa, during COVID as well so I couldn’t go and see him and he passed away before he really knew what was happening.”
Visibly moved, he continued: “I think as a bloke sometimes emotionally we don’t deal with what’s going on in the background. The baggage becomes quite heavy until you get to the point where it’s overflowing and your whole world comes crumbling down.”
Jeff added: “I think half the problem is that I don’t do good talking about emotions. People deal with grief in different ways. It’s the little things that can trigger it and it can come out of the blue. My dad dying has definitely been life changing for me.”
At the end of the show it was revealed that after a long illness and multiple hospital admissions Dale died 6 months later
![evacuated, and patients were discharged hours before the attack, following increased tensions and after MSF received information about a possible attack against the city. [Courtesy of MSF]](https://i0.wp.com/occasionaldigest.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/MSF366127High-1781523402.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)
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