Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary has refused to apologise to a rape crisis centre which criticised him for describing rival airlines as high-fare rapists. Speaking to journalists, O'Leary said some people were desperate to get to Ryanair's low fares because they can't afford to fly with the high-fare rapists around Europe. O'Leary doubled-down on his choice of words when asked about them at the time, and later refused to apologise when the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) wrote to him asking for apology, in a letter seen by the BBC. Ireland's deputy premier Simon Harris said it was clearly an inappropriate use of language and that O'Leary should have moved to rectify it. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told UK radio outlet LBC that victims of rape are not going to be rushing to book tickets with him, let's be honest.

UK government rejects'kill switch' idea for dangerous AI The UK government has rejected the idea of creating a so-called kill switch to stop a dangerous attack from rogue AI. The proposal to create a legal mechanism for the UK to switch off an AI model in an emergency has been brought to Parliament by lords and MPs in recent weeks as fears grow about the threat the tech poses. But the Cabinet Office - the part of government which leads on AI safety - said the UK cannot simply turn AI off. Blocking access to models in the UK would not prevent them being developed or misused elsewhere, a spokesperson told BBC News. The government's opposition to the legislation does not prevent it from progressing through parliament, but makes it unlikely it will become law.

Eight people have been questioned on suspicion of attempted murder after a multiple stabbing at a KFC restaurant in south-east London. The Met Police, ambulance service and air ambulance were called out to reports of an altercation involving several people on Bromley High Street at about 14.15 BST on Thursday. A 21-year-old man and three boys aged between 14 and 17 were taken to hospital with stab wounds. The man's condition was previously critical but is now not thought to be life-threatening. The Met said those four, plus four other boys aged between 14 and 17 have since been arrested and remain in custody.

Catherine, Princess of Wales has visited the hospital where she was treated for cancer after completing a charity climb to help fund a new unit there earlier this year. Catherine carried out the Three Peaks Challenge in June, which involves climbing the highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales within 24 hours, in aid of the Royal Marsden in London. The amount of money she raised has not been made public, but it will go towards a new unit offering complementary healing alongside clinical care. The princess, who announced she was receiving cancer treatment in March 2024, spoke to patients and staff about the importance of supporting patients with more than just physical treatment. Catherine sat down and chatted to those receiving treatment at the hospital on Friday, including patients with breast cancer, head and neck cancer and a brain tumour.

Image caption, Matthew Wright appeared at Bromley Magistrates' Court on Friday The former chief executive of Southern Water has appeared in court charged with conspiracy to defraud, over allegations water quality tests were manipulated to avoid penalties. Matthew Wright, 60, who denies any wrongdoing, appeared at Bromley Magistrates' Court on Friday alongside three other former employees. Wright, along with Philip Barker, 57, Clive Massey, 64, and Mark Gregory, 63, are accused of conspiracy to defraud the Environment Agency and water regulator Ofwat. It is alleged that between January 2012 and December 2017, the group manipulated a self-monitoring regime by carrying out artificial no-flow events at wastewater treatment works, to avoid failing environmental checks. The alleged conduct could have avoided fines of £45m or higher, according to the charges.

Israel's military says it has destroyed a large underground complex operated by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. It said it used more than 1,000 tonnes of explosives to destroy two tunnels spanning more than 2km (1.2 miles) beneath the Ali Taher Ridge. The blast triggered seismic activity equivalent to a magnitude 4.1 earthquake, according to the US Geological Survey. There was no immediate public response from Hezbollah or the Lebanese government. Israeli forces took control of the ridge last week after months of fighting with the Iran-backed group there.

Thai police have arrested a Buddhist monk on suspicion of embezzling 100 million baht ($3m; £2.2m) from his monastery, along with a suspected female accomplice he was filmed having sex with. Phra Wachirayan Wi, a former abbot at the prominent 14th-Century Wat Phutthaisawan in the ancient capital of Ayutthaya, allegedly pocketed donations meant for the temple on more than 20 occasions over two years. In Thailand, Buddhist monks take a vow of celibacy and also renounce material possessions. He was defrocked after his arrest. He has yet to comment publicly.

Polanski selected as Green Party candidate for Starmer's former seat Green Party leader Zack Polanski has been selected as the party's candidate in the by-election for Sir Keir Starmer's former seat in Parliament. Polanski, who is a London Assembly member, will stand in Holborn and St Pancras on 8 October as he seeks to become an MP. He was voted to be the party's candidate by members of the Camden Green Party ahead of local councillor Hamza Chowdhury. Polanski said the Greens might be the underdog in this election but we have the momentum and we can win. He also spoke of how he made Camden my home when he first moved to London 20 years ago, adding he has lived and worked across Holborn and St Pancras for many of the years since.

A man has been charged with murdering his parents in their own home. Ismail Ahmed Yeli, 80, and 78-year-old Fatma Leli were found stabbed to death in a house on Hardman Street in Blackburn on Monday, Lancashire Police said. Their family described the couple as inseparable, adding they were heartbroken to have lost the oldest and most cherished members of our family. Yasin Leli, 46, also of Hardman Street, has been charged with two counts of murder and is due to appear at Blackburn Magistrates Court later. Officers were called to the house at just after 08:20 BST and found the couple had died from multiple stab wounds.

A Singaporean man has lost a court case to claw back hundreds of thousands of dollars that he had lavished on his ex-girlfriend while they were together. The S$468,000 ($369,200; £273,260) that Chander Agarwal attempted to recover from Felicia Lee was money he had willingly spent on her, the Singapore High Court ruled. Agarwal displayed a consistent pattern of showering [Lee] with lavish gifts even before they got together and would reassure her that he did not expect repayment, Senior Judge Lee Seiu Kin said. Agarwal, the CEO of a logistics company, met Felicia Lee, a former flight attendant, during a flight in 2019. They were in a romantic relationship from September 2022 to December 2023, the court heard.