BBC Verify examines viral claims the new film will be distorted if not seen on a dedicated screen
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A previously recorded slowdown in Arctic sea ice decline has ended, according to a new study, with the largest year-to-year wintertime reduction ever recorded.
In a study published last summer, researchers found that melting sea ice in the Arctic had slowed down over the past 20 years, with no statistically significant decline in its extent recorded between 2005 and 2024.
Given the increase in global temperatures during this period, the finding was surprising.
However, the researchers said natural variations in ocean currents that limit ice melting probably balanced the rise in global temperatures. They said this was only a temporary reprieve and melting was highly likely to start again at about double the long-term rate at some point in the next five to 10 years.
Just two years later, the new study has found the slowdown in sea ice decline is now over.
Using the most recent satellite observations of sea ice coverage, the researchers found that the 2005 to 2024 slowdown was “temporary rather than sustained”.
Dr Duo Chan, lead author of the paper from the University of Southampton’s School of Ocean and Earth Science, said that what “looked like a pause in the early 2020s now appears to have just been a temporary slowdown within a longer-term decline”.
Sea ice area in September, when it reaches its annual minimum, has halved since 1979, when satellite measurements began.
The researchers found that between 2024 and 2025 Arctic sea ice declined by 5.8%. This is the largest year-to-year wintertime drop ever recorded.
Dr Alessandro Silvano, co-author of the paper at the University of Southampton, said this sharp drop in 2025 was unusual, but physically plausible under current Arctic warming.
Because the winter sea ice acts as an insulator between the relatively warm Arctic ocean and the much colder atmosphere, a reduction in ice will mean more ocean heat and moisture will enter the atmosphere.
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The authors say this can affect pressure patterns, storm development and large-scale atmospheric circulation, affecting the weather farther south.
Chan said the study acted as a warning of the ongoing climate crisis.
“Short-term recoveries can temporarily obscure the longer-term direction of Arctic sea ice change. The low winter sea ice extents in 2025 and 2026 clearly show that Arctic sea ice loss has not stopped – it is continuing in a warming climate,” he said.
The Liverpool and Newcastle United legend was diagnosed in January with stomach cancer, a disease that affects 6,800 people in Britain each year and claims 3,600 lives over the same period.
Fans were able to see the pop legend while the traffic lights remained on red.
“Nobody really got chance to speak with him,” said Morton.
The tour guide revealed it was not his first encounter with the star, having come across him when he used to work at the Cavern Club.
“We were told not to take photos but I managed to sneak one,” he said.
Sir Paul, who famously first found fame in his home city with The Beatles before they became global superstars, was in the city to present actor Stephen Graham with an award in a ceremony at his performing arts school.
Graham, who grew up in the Merseyside town of Kirkby, will be presented with a companionship of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) by the former Beatle and co-founder of the school.
LIPA has other Beatles connections, as it is based at the former Liverpool Institute school attended by Sir Paul and George Harrison and is neighbour to Liverpool Art College, where John Lennon studied.
What the UK ETA actually is
The Electronic Travel Authorisation is a mandatory pre-clearance requirement for visitors to the United Kingdom from eligible countries. It is not a visa. It does not grant entry, it authorises travel to the UK border. The UK Border Authority retains the final decision at the port of entry.
Citizens from over 60 countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Japan, Singapore and the UAE, are now required to hold a valid UK ETA before travelling.
Key facts travellers often miss:
- Valid for two years from issue (or until your passport expires, whichever comes first)
- Allows multiple entries – each visit can be up to six months
- Linked digitally to your passport – no physical document needed
- Cannot be extended – you must reapply if it expires or your passport changes
Why rejections happen
ETA rejections are not typically about eligibility. The majority of errors that lead to rejection are avoidable with careful preparation.
What separates approved applications from rejected ones is rarely ability. It’s attention to detail at the moment of submission.
Why independent verification exists
The government application process is straightforward for many travellers. For those who want an additional layer of checking before they submit, independent services exist to help.
Independent verification services exist to complement the government process, not replace it. They add a second check at the point where most errors occur: before submission.
Introducing UK Visa Portal
UK Visa Portal is an independent application-checking service built on three principles: trust, simplicity, and support. The service exists to answer the question most travellers ask: “Am I doing this right?”
Trust through transparency
UK Visa Portal is an independent application-checking service. It is not a government body, does not represent applicants to UK authorities, and makes no decisions on eligibility. All fees are shown in full before payment, and the service fee is separate from the government ETA fee. Applicants can also apply directly through gov.uk at no additional cost.
Simplicity in practice
The UK Visa Portal form is built to help you organise your information clearly. Each field is explained, each requirement is outlined, and your uploads are checked against the stated formatting requirements before you proceed.
No jargon. No guessing. No, “what does this field actually want?” moments. The form is designed for people who want to get it right.
Support when you need it
Travellers often need assistance outside of standard business hours, particularly when applying from different time zones. UK Visa Portal operates 24/7 support so help is available whenever you need it.
If you’re unsure about a field, a team member can clarify what it is asking for. If the government requests further information, support is available to help you understand what has been requested. If you simply want to talk through the process, help is there.
How UK Visa Portal works
The process is straightforward:
- Complete your application. Enter your details and pay the service fee. We check everything you have entered for completeness and formatting requirements before your application is processed.
- Your application is processed with the UK Home Office. Your checked application details are sent to the UK Home Office for processing. You will receive your result by email once the Home Office has made a decision.
- Travel with confidence. Your approved ETA is linked to your passport digitally. No printed documents are needed – simply show your passport at the UK border.
Throughout this process, you remain in control. Your data is stored securely and encrypted. It is never sold or shared with third parties for marketing purposes. You receive regular status updates and support is available 24/7 if you have any questions.
Getting it right the first time
The UK ETA is straightforward to apply for. Submitting accurate, complete information from the start means fewer delays and a smoother experience overall.
Whether you apply directly through the UK Government or choose to use an application-checking service, the goal is the same: get it right the first time. That’s what travellers need.
For more information, visit ukvisaportal.com. Support is available 24/7 if you have questions about the ETA or about how the service works.
Recognised and accredited
UK Visa Portal is registered with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) under its Travel Industry Designator Service (TIDS), registration number 96238671. IATA/TIDS registration identifies UK Visa Portal as a registered travel industry intermediary.
UK Visa Portal is also a member of the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), membership number 900406918. ASTA is the world’s largest association of travel professionals. Its members are bound by a shared Code of Ethics covering honesty, transparency, and fair dealing with travellers. Membership connects UK Visa Portal to a global network of vetted travel professionals operating to consistent standards.
These accreditations reflect a commitment to operating transparently and to the standards travellers should expect from any service they trust with their travel documentation.
UK Visa Portal is an independent document and application assistance service. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the UK Government. UK Visa Portal is not an immigration adviser and does not provide immigration advice. UK Visa Portal provides document checking and application assistance only. You can apply for your UK ETA directly and at no additional cost through gov.uk.
Jeremy revealed his diagnosis in an episode of Clarkson’s Farm (Image: Getty)
Health chiefs are being urged to offer thousands more men pinpoint prostate cancer therapies, similar to those received by Jeremy Clarkson and Lord Cameron. A landmark study found focal therapies that destroy only the cancerous part of the gland were effective and caused fewer side effects than more radical treatments such as surgery. Experts said the research meant more men with early prostate cancer should be offered these more precise treatments.
Former Prime Minister Lord Cameron, 59, said it was “not right” that many are not given this option. He said: “I was fortunate to be able to benefit from a more advanced focal therapy to treat my cancer that reduced the risk of life-changing side effects. Prostate cancer is incredibly common and the way we treat it is changing. We should be doing everything we can to ensure that men across the UK — wherever they live, and whatever their means — can benefit from the latest advances.
“I hope this new evidence helps speed up wider access, so more men can benefit from the focused treatments that I received.”
Jeremy Clarkson, 66, recently revealed he had been treated for early, aggressive prostate cancer with a type of focal therapy called high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). This involves using high frequency sound waves to heat and destroy tumour cells.
The Top Gear star said the treatment left the cancerous 10% of his prostate “dead” while preserving the rest.
The study by researchers at Imperial College London followed almost 3,500 men who were treated at 14 UK hospitals. They received either HIFU or another focal therapy, freezing-based treatment (cryotherapy).
Ten years after treatment, just two men had died from their prostate cancer and 3% had seen their disease spread outside the prostate.
Experts said these rates were similar to those seen with more radical surgery or radiotherapy. Of men who had two sessions of focal therapy, only one in 10 needed to have prostatectomy or radiotherapy due to persistent cancer.
This compared to a recurrence rate of around 15-30% for men with similar disease risk who had a prostatectomy or radiotherapy first.
The risk of side effects such as incontinence with focal therapy was around one fifth of that for the other treatments. Just 13–24% of men reported erectile dysfunction three years later — less than half the rate seen after radical treatments.
Focal therapies are offered at only a few NHS centres, mostly in London and the South East. Around 1,000 men access it each year but Prostate Cancer UK estimates up to 15,000 could benefit.
Lord Cameron said it’s ‘not right’ that some men are not offered the therapies (Image: Getty)
The charity is urging the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to review the new evidence and expand access.
Amy Rylance, the charity’s director of health services, equity and improvement, said: “Side effects like incontinence or sexual problems can be devastating, and this is the first long-term study that shows many men could avoid them without increasing the risk their cancer could return.
“But without NICE approval, the sad truth is that thousands of men will have to deal with life-changing side effects simply because of their postcode. That’s completely unacceptable, which is why we’re calling for an urgent review of these treatments.”
Dr Taimur Shah, consultant urologist and associate professor at Imperial, said: “Our study now gives clinicians and patients the long-term evidence they have been waiting for.
“We hope these results will help update the main NICE clinical guidelines so that focal therapy is routinely offered as a first-line choice to men.
“Men who would like to know whether it might be right for them can ask their urologist about referral to a specialist centre that performs these treatments.”
The Government recently £2.8 million in capital funding to expand focal therapy provision and create several new centres.
Health Innovation and Safety Minister Preet Kaur Gill said: “Everyone deserves access to the best possible treatment, and this government is determined to make that a reality.
“This study is a powerful demonstration of what focal therapy can achieve. Our investment of up to £2.8 million, announced earlier this year, will help expand the TRANSFORM trial and ensure more men have access to this treatment through prostate cancer screening.”
A US federal judge has temporarily blocked the proposed $110bn (£85bn) merger between media giants Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery.
The decision follows a lawsuit brought by a coalition of 12 US states, including California and New York, aiming to halt the deal over concerns it would stifle competition and raise consumer prices.
Prosecutors representing the states said merging two major studios would cause “substantial harm on movie theatres, basic cable distributors, and, ultimately, audiences nationwide”.
In response, the media giants argued that the states had misread the market and that merging would improve streaming efficiency.
US district judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín issued the temporary restraining order on Monday following legals arguments heard last week.
Under the 14-day injunction, neither company can finalise the deal or start joining the businesses together.
In her ruling, the judge noted that the state coalition raised “serious questions” regarding the deal’s impact on movie distribution.
She warned that allowing the merger to proceed now would make it “extraordinarily difficult to unscramble the egg” if the court decided later to block it all together.
Judge Martínez-Olguín also pushed back against the companies’ arguments, highlighting that “public’s vital interest in antitrust enforcement” outweighed any temporary delay to the merger.
She said that Paramount and Warner Bros “will continue to operate as separate, viable companies competing in the marketplace” while legal proceedings continue.
TikTok Shop says its UK sales grew by more than 30% year-on-year in June, with live shopping the fastest-growing format.
It says it now has more than 6,000 livestreams taking place every day.
At an event in the centuries old Covent Garden market, it hosted 20 small businesses with stalls who were also selling live to customers all over the UK.
With nothing more than a smartphone, a lighting kit and a fridge full of fresh meat, halal butcher Manny Malik from Wolverhampton had around two hundred people tuning into his session.
“Last week we did a TikTok live for three hours and we sold £8,000 worth of meat,” he says.
It would normally take him three to four days to sell this amount in his family shop, Malik Butchers.
They’re now opening a second store in Stoke. TikTok, he says, is helping to drive his expansion.
But there are fees.
TikTok Shop UK keeps up to 9p from every £1 sold on the platform, as its standard commission.
As a comparison, eBay’s marketplace business sellers typically pay between 6.9p and 14.9p depending on the category. Businesses selling on the dedicated live selling format, eBay Live, pay a combined fee of up to 8.42p including payment processing.
“It’s a lot,” says Manny.
“For us in the meat game, there aren’t huge margins. However, it’s opened up a new platform. We didn’t have these sales prior to TikTok. We’re not losing money, we’ve got enough profitability in there,” he adds.
If you’re from the generation that grew up with martial arts morality tale The Karate Kid, you’ll remember the weight of expectation on the shoulders of Daniel, the movie’s lead character. Imagine, then, the sort of pressure that comes with playing him in the new musical adaption! That’s what Gino Ochello is doing, in a touring production that’s about to open in Cardiff, so Oliver Howells chatted to him.
“Breathe in, breathe out…” Following the sage advice given to The Karate Kid’s title character, Daniel LaRusso, by his mentor Mr Miyagi is all well and good – but when you’re trying to sing and perform karate moves at the same time, it’s easier said than done. Then of course, there’s the flesh wounds to contend with.
“I’m full of bruises every night!” says 19-year-old Gino Ochello, who’s making his professional acting debut as Daniel in The Karate Kid – The Musical. ‘‘We do actually make contact with each other. Obviously not to the extent that it looks like on stage, but we’re making contact with the floor and with our fists and stuff. There’s some things that are inevitable – and it’s live theatre, so things are bound to go wrong…”
The show premiered in late April before touring the UK; with several performances now under his gi, how has debutant Ochello found it? “Rehearsals started on March 16,” he recalls, “and within two days we’d learnt the whole thing – which is crazy, given it’s a brand new show and there’s 15 songs.
“It’s been a whirlwind of emotions. I mean, the nerves from that opening night – I wish I could bottle it up and relieve that experience, because you just have so many emotions passing through your body at the same time. You’re super grateful to be there but you’re so nervous because it’s everything you’ve wished for and there’s this pressure because all the sacrifices you’ve made come down to this one performance.”
And with Ochello’s family members flying over from Gibraltar, his home country, to watch the opening night, even more was at stake. “I know I have nothing to prove because my family love me regardless. But you want to show your family that this is exactly what you’re meant to be doing.”
Amusingly enough, as regards the actor’s upbringing, I thought I’d picked up a distinctly Welsh lilt to his accent. Not so! “It’s funny – everyone I’ve ever met thinks I’m Welsh because of my accent. But I think everyone from Gibraltar sounds a bit Welsh, because we’ve got that singsongy thing.”
The original Karate Kid, from 1984, has spawned various sequels and spinoffs, the latest as recently as last year. The musical adaption – written by Robert Mark Kamen, who also wrote the original – is largely based on and faithful to it, though features a few surprising extras. “You do have glimpses of other things,” says Ochello. “You get to meet Mr Miyagi’s wife, for example!”
Speaking of which, was the teenager an established Karate Kid fan? Recalling the excitement of his father on hearing he got the role, Ochello says he’d seen several of the films, thanks in part to that paternal enthusiasm, yet had been unsure this role was right for him. “I don’t think it’s my kind of casting,” he’d told his agent, who eventually succeeded in persuading him otherwise. Ochello recorded an audition on tape at home, and ended up getting the part.
Still, he says now, landing such an iconic role was “daunting”, and posed challenges beyond acting and singing. “I’d never done any type of martial arts in my life – but not only was I going to have to learn karate, but perform it live on stage every night!” Ochello signed up to a local dojo for two months, prompting questions as to where his sudden interest in the discipline had came from and why the temporary basis; obliged to keep his iconic role a secret, he had to stay schtum.
Grateful to have others alongside him for this new journey of his, Ochello speaks well of his co-stars: Adrian Pang, who plays Mr Miyagi, and Sharon Sexton, Daniel’s mother Lucille. “I feel like they really take on not only the fatherly and motherly figure within the show, but also outside of the show – and, you know, on a personal level. Working with them is genuinely a gift, and they’re such giving performers. Being in scenes with them, I know I’m able to relax.”
The Karate Kid – The Musical, Wales Millennium Cente, Cardiff Bay, Tue 28 July-Sat 1 Aug
Tickets: £19-£71. Info: here
words OLIVER R MOORE-HOWELLS
He spoke about several financial documents you should have in place
People planning for their retirement often overlook a pensions rule, Martin Lewis has warned. He shared a host of tips on his BBC podcast about getting your finances in order.
Addressing a newlywed couple on his BBC podcast who asked which financial records they should update, Lewis had some words to say about pensions. He highlighted an important form that all pension savers should check is up to date. The money expert said: “You will probably have workplace pension schemes. It’s important to understand when you sign up to a pension, you fill out an expression of wishes. It can also be called a nomination form.”
His MSE website says that an expression of wish form tells your pension provider who should get your pension savings if you die before you retire. The website say that it is not legally binding on the provider, but says “they will take your wishes into account when deciding who to pay your pension out to”.
The Interactive Investor website says you “should be given the opportunity to complete an expression of wishes when you first open your pension.” Yet if not, it notes that you can complete one whenever you like by getting in touch with your provider.
The document plays a key role in where your savings end up, yet it is easily forgotten. Mr Lewis said: “Many people forget that they’ve done this. And that’s because your pension is not included in your will. The expression of wishes tells the trustees of the pension or the pension firm who you would like your pension to go to in the event that you die.”
For anyone who has recently remarried or tied the knot after a previous long-term relationship, reviewing this form is vital. If an ex-partner remains listed as the beneficiary on your nomination form, your pension pot will still be awarded to them upon your death—regardless of your current relationship status.
‘More important than a will’
Beyond pensions, Mr Lewis also told listeners that creating or updating a will is “really important”. In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, entering a marriage or civil partnership automatically revokes any existing will you previously had, leaving you without a valid estate plan unless a new one is drafted.
But Mr Lewis argued that another document is even more vital during your lifetime: a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA). Being married does not automatically give you the right to handle your spouse’s finances if they suffer an illness or injury that leaves them unable to manage their own affairs.
Explaining why he views an LPA as “more important than a will”, Mr Lewis warned: “Once you’re dead, you’re dead, and there are intestacy laws and it won’t mean your money goes to the right place, but it’ll mean it’ll go somewhere. But if you’re incapacitated and you can’t make decisions for yourself, then the finances can be locked away.”
Financial perks for couples
While administrative tasks like LPAs and pension forms require prompt attention, getting married also unlocks major tax advantages:
- Inheritance tax allowances: Every individual has a standard tax-free allowance of £325,000, plus an additional £175,000 main residence allowance when passing a home to a direct descendant. Married couples and civil partners can transfer any unused tax allowances to the surviving partner upon death—effectively doubling their standard allowance up to £650,000 for standard assets and £350,000 for the main residence allowance.
- Marriage Allowance: If one partner earns below the Personal Allowance threshold (a non-taxpayer), they can transfer 10 per cent of that allowance—worth £1,260—to their tax-paying spouse.
