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Flooding that left homes and businesses in a village submerged was caused by "one of the most severe storms" in recent times, a report has concluded.

About 50 properties in Wheatley, Oxfordshire, were left under water following severe rainfall on 23 and 24 September 2024.

A report has has made eight recommendations to prevent the event from being repeated.

Councillor Tim Bearder, who represents Wheatley on Oxfordshire County Council, said the report highlighted the "devastating impact" of the flood.

The report said it had been "one of the worst flood events affecting the village of Wheatley in recent times".

More than 120mm (4.7ins) of rain fell within a 24-hour period in "one of the most severe storms affecting the catchment in recent times".

September 2024 was Oxford's wettest month for 250 years, according to research by the city's university.

The deluge particularly affected the High Street, as well as parts of Bell Lane, Crown Square, Farm Close Road, Littleworth Road and Keydale Road.

It "overwhelmed culverts and drainage infrastructure", the report found.

Analysis showed, at its peak, the flow of stormwater exceeded the capacity of a culvert running under the village's High Street by more than threefold.

Among the recommendations, the report – which was conducted by South Oxfordshire District Council in conjunction with the county council – has proposed an assessment of the culvert, as well as "key surface water sewers".

A review of flood alleviation proposals, better community awareness and preparation, and support for local flood wardens have also been suggested.

"This report highlights the devastating impact of the September 2024 floods on Wheatley…" Mr Bearder said.

"Whilst it outlines a number of proposals many of them need more detail and will require successful bids with our partners to reduce future flood risks and improve resilience."

He added he would work with his local Liberal Democrat colleagues, including MP Freddie van Mierlo, to "ensure that all stakeholders review the recommendations and join us in taking action".

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The Liberal Democrats say they "intend to lead Wiltshire moving forward", despite not having a majority.

For the first time, the Lib Dems became the biggest party in last week's local elections, but fell short of the 50 seats needed to control the chamber.

The Conservatives say it is premature for the Liberal Democrats to already be forming their cabinet as there is no guarantee of how the new administration will function.

The key Wiltshire Council meeting to appoint a new leader, where any power sharing deals are first tested, takes place on Tuesday 20 May.

The Liberal Democrats in Wiltshire even had a visit from national leader Sir Ed Davey at the weekend after the result – he played cricket with the county's Lib Dem leader, Ian Thorn.

"We won the popular vote. We think it's absolutely right that the Liberal Democrats should lead any administration in Wiltshire going forward," said Mr Thorn.

He is very insistent his party will lead the council and said he does not see discussing a cabinet as premature, but instead wants to show that the party is "determined" and make it clear there is a "first class team to take us forward".

That would appear to include inviting an independent councillor Jon Hubbard to join their ruling cabinet, Mr Thorn suggested on social media.

Analysis: Dan O'Brien, Wiltshire political reporter

It's an obvious fact that suddenly becomes important – if you want to get something done in a council chamber, you need to persuade the majority of councillors to vote in your favour.

At County Hall, that means persuading at least 50 of the 98 councillors to pick your side. The Liberal Democrats, now the largest party, have 43.

They strongly believe that with the most councillors, and winning the popular vote, they now deserve to run the show – but there are no guarantees for how this will all play out.

They're promising to listen to all sides, but it is hard to envisage the Conservatives or Reform UK's councillors backing too many Lib Dem ideas.

So the way things are heading, they'll push to persuade the independent group and the one remaining Labour councillor to team up – only just getting them over the line.

Whether we see a formal coalition or something less official, we don't yet know – but the Lib Dems have already published their hopes for an independent councillor to take a seat on the cabinet.

It's possible this leads to a more collaborative form of politics and decision making – that's what the Lib Dem leader is hoping for and there are plenty of councils across the land who make this sort of setup work.

But the approach is yet to be tested against Wiltshire's new political reality.

A primary school in Pembrokeshire has been flooded with sewage after a sewer main burst.

Welsh Water confirmed its teams were at Broad Haven Primary School, Haverfordwest on Saturday, and repaired the burst main pipe.

The teams were back on Sunday conducting deep cleaning and disinfecting.

Councillor Nick Neumann said the pipe, which carries sewage waste from the village up to the sewage works, had burst on Saturday.

Broad Haven School is expected to open on Monday as normal.

Councillor Neumann praised the response from Welsh Water, who he said had been both "co-operative and responsive".

Welsh Water said it had identified a burst sewer main in the yard of the school.

A spokesperson said: "The affected area has been isolated and made safe, and resurfacing will take please early next week.

"We have been liaising with education officials, and this will not impact the planned school reopening tomorrow. The whole yard has been cleaned and sanitised and we apologise for any inconvenience caused."

A woman who lost her ability to walk as a teenager has broken the world record for cycling the length of the UK and back.

Sarah Ruggins, from Gloucestershire, was diagnosed with a rare neurological condition called complex regional pain syndrome, which also meant she lost her ability to move her hands without support.

Ms Ruggins has now broken the record by cycling 1,677 miles (2,700 km) from John O'Groats in Scotland to Land's End in England, and back again in five days, 11 hours and 14 minutes.

"This ride was a celebration of life and it was a gift to myself and hopefully a gift to others who need motivation," she said.

World War One medals awarded to a former Hull coroner have sold at auction for almost double the estimated price.

Norman Jennings was a medical student when he was called up to serve as a surgeon probationer on the destroyer HMS Waveney in 1914.

After the war he qualified as a doctor and also studied law, becoming the coroner for Hull in 1935.

A spokesperson for auctioneers David Duggleby said the medals raised £440 in the sale on Thursday and would now be displayed in the coroner's office where Mr Jennings once worked.

The spokesperson added: "These are the types of things we love to sell – things with the stories – and that's what makes them special and that's certainly what brought the result yesterday."

Jessica Tarver, of David Duggleby, previously told the BBC that Mr Jennings spent most of the war carrying out anti-submarine and counter-mining patrols in the North Sea.

"The medals themselves are not uncommon – the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal, plus the St John Service Medal and Star," she said.

"What makes the group rare is the fact that it was awarded to a surgeon probationer."

Ms Tarver said there was ongoing debate about how many of "these extraordinary young men" there were.

"It seems likely that there were no more than 1,000 and the figure could be as low as 500," she added.

Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Soundslatest episode of Look North here.

In his remarks, the Russian president did not address demands from the US and European countries for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.

After his one-on-one call with Trump, Zelensky reaffirmed Ukraine's desire for a "full and unconditional ceasefire", and warned if Moscow is not ready, "there must be stronger sanctions".

Speaking earlier before Trump's conversation with Putin, Zelensky said he had asked that any decisions about Ukraine were not made without his country, calling them "matters of principles" for Ukraine.

He added he did not have any details on a "memorandum" but said once they have received anything from the Russians, they will "be able to formulate their vision accordingly".

Writing on his Truth Social page after the call, Trump said: "Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War," adding he had informed Zelensky of this in a second call, which also included other world leaders.

He added: "The conditions for that will be negotiated between the two parties, as it can only be, because they know details of a negotiation that nobody else would be aware of."

Zelensky said the negotiation process "must involve both American and European representatives at the appropriate level".

"It is crucial for all of us that the United States does not distance itself from the talks and the pursuit of peace, because the only one who benefits from that is Putin," he explained.

Talking at a White House event later in the day, Trump said the US would not be stepping away from brokering talks between Russia and Ukraine, but that he has a "red line in his head" on when he will stop pushing on them both.

He also denied that the US was stepping back from its negotiating role.

In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly warned that the US would step away from negotiations as he became increasingly frustrated at the lack of developments from both Moscow and Kyiv in the way of peace.

When asked on what he believes on Russia, he said he thinks Putin has had enough of the war and wants it to end.

Meanwhile, Putin – who described the call with Trump, which he took from a music school on a visit to the city of Sochi, as "frank, informative and constructive" – also spoke of the potential for a ceasefire.

"We have agreed with the US president that Russia will offer and is ready to work with Ukraine on a memorandum on a possible future peace agreement," he said.

This, he added would define "a number of positions" including "principles of the settlement and a timeline for concluding a possible peace agreement…including a possible ceasefire for a certain period of time, should relevant agreements be reached".

Yury Ushakov, an aide to the Russian president, said a ceasefire timeframe was not "discussed… although Trump, of course, emphasises his interest in reaching one or another agreement as soon as possible".

Zelensky held a second call with Trump after the US president spoke to Putin, which also included President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and the leaders of France, Italy, Germany and Finland.

"I want to thank President Trump for his tireless efforts to bring a ceasefire to Ukraine," von der Leyen said, adding: "It's important that the US stays engaged."

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Pope Leo's offer to host potential peace talks was a gesture welcomed by the US and the other leaders in the call, and "judged positively".

Earlier this month, the new Pope offered the Vatican as a venue for possible peace talks after Putin turned down Zelensky's offer to meet face-to-face in Turkey for negotiations.

Kyiv has previously said Putin's comments saying he desires peace are hollow.

"Putin wants war," Andriy Yermak, a top aide to the Ukrainian president, said after Russia on Sunday launched what Ukraine said was its biggest drone attack since the full-scale invasion began.

Ukraine says at least 10 people have been killed in Russian strikes in recent days – including nine people in an attack on a civilian minibus in north-eastern Ukraine. Russia says it has also intercepted Ukrainian drones.

The strike on the bus happened just hours after Russia and Ukraine held their first face-to-face talks in more than three years. A prisoner swap was agreed but there was no commitment to a ceasefire.

Trump had offered to attend the talks in Turkey if Putin would also be there, but the Russian president declined to go.

Russia has declared ceasefires before – but only temporary ones. It declared one for 8-11 May – which coincided with victory celebrations to mark the end of World War Two – but Kyiv would not sign up to it, saying Putin could not be trusted and that an immediate 30-day ceasefire was needed.

The Kremlin announced a similar, 30-hour truce over Easter, but while both sides reported a dip in fighting, they accused each other of hundreds of violations.

Russia and Ukraine have been at war since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The King and Queen have spent the day in Bradford to celebrate the people and heritage of the current UK City of Culture.

Crowds waving flags greeted Charles and Camilla when they arrived at the city's new £50m Bradford Live venue.

Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracey Brabin welcomed the royal couple to the city, before they stopped to speak to members of the public.

The King and Queen were then treated to a performance by school pupils before being taken on a tour of some of the district's cultural highlights.

The Queen, as patron of the National Literacy Trust, then joined an event celebrating the organisation's work in Bradford, where she met volunteers and listened to poetry performed by local school children.

Meanwhile, the King visited Impact Hub Yorkshire in Little Germany, a centre that provides support for growing local enterprises and entrepreneurs.

Safeena Khan, who runs Florent flower shop in Bradford, presented a bouquet to the King, inspired by his Highgrove garden.

They also shared a moment together discussing living with cancer, she said.

"It's one of the things nobody wants in common with anybody, while His Majesty is still going through cancer, I have had it twice," Ms Khan said.

"He was really appreciative of the flowers. He said they were lovely, they were beautiful.

"He asked me how I was with the cancer, and I asked him how he was as well.

"We had that little exchange, and it was quite personal and quite warming."

The King has been receiving ongoing cancer care for about 15 months since he was diagnosed with an undisclosed from of the disease early in 2024.

The Queen then visited a cottage in Thornton where the Bronte sisters were born and which was recently bought so it could be turned into a cultural and education centre.

Later, the King visited Cartwright Hall, an art gallery and community cultural space in Lister Park, to tour an exhibition of work by Bradford-born artist David Hockney.

While at the exhibition, he was surprised by 15-year-old Florence McGrellis, who hugged him when he stopped to talk.

Asked afterwards "what was she thinking", Florence, who has Down's Syndrome, said it was "awesome".

"Because I'm friendly and I'm very helpful, and I'm a hugger," she said.

"And all my family are giving hugs. So I give them hugs.

"I felt very proud. It was also very exciting. I'm looking forward to meeting him again."

During the visit, the King also met magician Steven Frayne, formerly known as Dynamo, who turned a newspaper into £20 notes and performed a classic pick-a-card trick.

Frayne said: "I've been fortunate to visit him in the royal estate, but it's nice to bring him back to my hood, to my estate – from council estate to royal estate."

Charles was also treated to a performance by the BBC Radio Leeds Bantam of the Opera choir, before he spent time talking to some of the members about their experience with the choir and their memories of the 1985 Bradford City fire, which claimed the lives of 56 football fans.

West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds

The final report from the public inquiry which examined how serial killer Lucy Letby was able to commit her crimes on a hospital neonatal unit will not be published until "early 2026".

The former nurse, 35, is serving 15 whole-life orders after she was convicted at Manchester Crown Court of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others, with two attempts on one of her victims, between June 2015 and June 2016.

Lady Justice Thirlwall, the chair of the inquiry, had previously said she hoped her findings would be released in November.

However, a statement issued on the Thirlwall Inquiry website said publication was now expected next year.

Lady Thirlwall is expected to write to those criticised in the final report in September and the document is due to be completed by the end of November, according to the statement.

"The report will then undergo copy editing and typesetting, ahead of publication in early 2026," it added.

Letby, from Hereford, lost two bids last year to challenge her convictions at the Court of Appeal.

The Criminal Cases Review Commission, which investigates potential miscarriages of justice, is considering evidence presented on Letby's behalf from an international panel of medics who claim poor medical care and natural causes were the reasons for the babies collapsing.

Lawyers for the families of Letby's victims have dismissed the panel's conclusions as "full of analytical holes" and "a rehash" of the defence case heard at trial.

Cheshire Constabulary is continuing a review of deaths and non-fatal collapses of babies at the neonatal units of the Countess of Chester and Liverpool Women's Hospital during Letby's time as a nurse from 2012 to 2016.

A separate probe by the force into corporate manslaughter and gross negligence manslaughter at the Countess of Chester Hospital also remains ongoing.

The coming Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be busier than usual, US science agency NOAA has warned, just as cuts to American research are raising fears about the ability to track and prepare for these often deadly storms.

Between six and 10 hurricanes are forecast for the Atlantic between June and November, compared with the typical seven.

Warmer sea temperatures – made more likely by climate change – and generally favourable atmospheric conditions, are behind the forecast.

Several scientists have told the BBC that widespread firings by President Donald Trump's administration of government researchers could endanger efforts to monitor hurricanes and predict where they might hit.

Today's 2025 Atlantic season outlook covers the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, called the Gulf of America by the Trump administration.

In total NOAA expects between 13 and 19 named tropical storms. Of these, between six and 10 could become hurricanes, including three to five major ones – meaning they reach category three or above (111mph or 178km/h).

That's not as many as last year's very active season, which saw 18 tropical storms including 11 hurricanes of which five were major hurricanes.

But it's more than the long-term average of 14 named tropical storms a year, of which seven are usually hurricanes, with three major ones among them.

Climate change is not expected to increase the number of these storms globally. But a warming planet is thought to increase the chances of them reaching the highest wind speeds, bringing heavier rainfall and a higher likelihood of coastal flooding.

This year's above average forecast is expected for two main reasons.

Firstly, sea surface temperatures are above average across most of the tropical Atlantic, although they are not as extreme as this time last year.

Warmer seas provide the fuel source for hurricane growth as they track westwards across the Atlantic.

Secondly, the natural weather pattern known as El Niño – which makes it harder for Atlantic hurricanes to develop – is not expected this year, according to NOAA.

Neutral or weak La Niña conditions – which favour Atlantic hurricanes – are considered more likely, though this early on it is difficult to say.

Other conditions have to be right for hurricanes to develop, and those aren't possible to predict months in advance.

Localised air movements and even the amount of dust in the atmosphere can play important roles in shaping whether these storms develop or not.

"We can't really predict all that stuff this far out," said Phil Klotzbach, research scientist at Colorado State University, which has also predicted an above-average season.

'Less data means a worse forecast'

But NOAA's pre-season forecast is still giving scientists cause for concern – and not just because of the meteorological backdrop.

Since the beginning of President Trump's second term, hundreds of NOAA staff have been laid off, with the aim of cutting US government spending and costs to the taxpayer.

This has left the National Weather Service – NOAA's weather forecasting and hazard-warning branch – critically understaffed ahead of the hurricane season, several scientists told the BBC.

"I know that the people remaining are trying their absolute hardest to provide accurate forecasts, but when you're reduced to such few staff, it's going to lead to burnout," said Zack Labe, a climate scientist who was recently laid off by NOAA.

The office in Houston for example – Texas is particularly vulnerable to hurricanes – is effectively without its top three management positions.

Other offices are struggling to maintain 24/7 operations. Experts with contacts at NOAA told the BBC of battles to get basic maintenance over the line, from computer systems to toilets.

US media widely reported last week that the National Weather Service was seeking to fill more than 150 key vacancies – from other positions within NOAA due to a ban on hiring new staff – ahead of the hurricane season.

BBC News has been unable to independently verify these reports, and has reached out to NOAA and the White House. Neither have responded to requests for comment.

"It's a huge problem, and it is a growing problem, and it is a problem that will likely, unless it is immediately resolved, become life threatening during severe weather events," said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles.

He said he feared the cuts so far were just "the tip of the iceberg".

Staffing cuts could also threaten "hurricane hunter" flights – plane journeys into the storms as they approach land to inform preparations for landfall.

And scientists have spoken of other reductions in atmospheric observations, such as weather balloon launches, with the Trump administration reportedly attempting to cut anything related to "climate".

Hurricane forecasts have generally become more accurate over time, but there are fears that these cuts could put that progress at risk.

"Less data means a worse forecast," warned Matt Lanza, a Houston-based meteorologist.

"I'm especially concerned about hurricane season because a lot of the steering mechanisms that direct hurricanes are governed by what's happening thousands of feet up," he added.

"And if we're not collecting data in important places, then I think that risks your hurricane forecast suffering."

It's difficult to say whether this will become apparent this year – a lot will depend on exactly where and when hurricanes hit.

But it also has potential implications for weather forecasting further afield in the world, which the Trump administration argues has become too reliant on the US.

"You need good information on the state of the atmosphere and the oceans from the whole world to make weather forecasts for any given location on Earth," warned Dr Swain.

"The impacts [of cuts to NOAA] are most concentrated in the United States, but will eventually cascade beyond the US should they continue at their current level or further expand."

In a press conference, NOAA acting administrator Laura Grimm said that NOAA had the best scientists and continued to make advances in forecasting, and remained committed to protecting the public.

For half an hour on 6 May 1981, Oxford United and its prospective football stadium was national news.

BBC2's Take The Mic programme was broadcast from the city and its 100 guests – including the U's chairman, manager and a future city MP – discussed how a potential new stadium could impact the Marston area.

In the end, the stadium didn't happen – one of many potential sites the club had hoped to use over a number of decades but ultimately was unable to.

The club only moved from The Manor to the Kassam Stadium in 2001 but, 24 years later, it is looking to move to The Triangle near Kidlington.

The Take The Mic programme reveals that some of the arguments for and against football stadiums in Oxford have been used before.

Back in 1981, Oxford was still awaiting its first "superstore".

Several firms were hoping to build it in Marston but the rub was that if there was no superstore built, there would be no new Oxford United stadium either.

"Oxford's more than a university town. It's a major manufacturing base, with British Leyland at Cowley and a regional centre, surrounded by small towns and villages," presenter David Freeman said.

"Marston used to be such a village and it's at the centre of [the] argument."

Marston resident Lynne Isaac, who told the audience she was a mother of five children and grandmother of nine, said the development would be "at the bottom of her garden".

"We've watched this development for nine years. We have seen everybody over there working. We have watched it, we've put up with it for nine years," she said.

Ian Greaves, who by May 1981 had managed Oxford United's first team for four months, sat next to the club's chairman Bill Reeves and coach Ray Graydon on the show.

Greaves and Graydon had helped lead the U's to a 14th-placed finish in the then Third Division four days before the programme aired.

"The overall idea of the stadium has got to be excellent," said Greaves, who left Oxford in 1982.

"Wherever the stadium is, whether it's Marston or wherever, it's got to be excellent. We are just about 100 years behind others in this respect [of community].

"Remember a soccer club is only used once a fortnight. That's why the club's losing money – because there's only people going into the soccer club once a fortnight.

"The thing should be used every day. With the idea that is being mooted at the moment, this stadium will be used every day. Not just by the soccer club but by the local community."

Andrew Smith was then the chairman of Oxford City Council's recreation committee.

Mr Smith said the stadium would be a "plus when local authorities, because of the attacks on our ability to spend money by the current Conservative government, haven't got the money to put into these sorts of facilities ourselves".

While he said residents had "legitimate concerns", the potential benefits for the football club and community outweighed the disadvantages.

He was elected Oxford East's MP in 1987 and retired in 2017.

James Simmonds, who lived in Marston, said that "faceless people in Jersey" stood to benefit from the scheme, which he said would lead to the "despoiling of our local village".

"God created grass, trees, birds, tranquillity in Marston. We still require that tranquillity and it should not be despoiled just to make profits for faceless people. And that's what it's all about," he said.

One guest, Carol, who lived in the Blackbird Leys area of the city, was aggrieved at the lack of facilities available there.

"The Marston people don't want this stadium," she said.

"They have got their beautiful views and their lovely birds singing in the trees. They want to live in Blackbird Leys with 4,500 kids and see what views those have kids got."

Little could she have known that eventually the football club – and a leisure park, which itself could be built upon soon – would be based a stone's throw away at the site formerly known as Minchery Farm, between Blackbird Leys and Littlemore.

Marston did get eventually a football stadium and sports complex at Court Place Farm in 1993, which is used by Oxford City, but the scale of it is much smaller than the one planned in the early 1980s.

About 3,700 people, groups or businesses have commented on the current planning application for the potential Oxford United stadium at the Triangle near Kidlington.

A decision on that is expected in the summer.