By OLIVIA ALLHUSEN, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER

Published: 23:04 BST, 18 August 2026 | Updated: 01:43 BST, 19 August 2026

Andy Burnham said he will continue ‘to support Ukraine 100 per cent’ after Moscow warned Britain would ‘pay’ following confirmation that UK-made drones were used in recent strikes on Russia.

‘We are not fair-weather friends, we will be there in Ukraine’s hour of need and that won’t change,’ the Prime Minister said.

Russia was able to destroy only 180 of the 620 drones Kyiv launched at Moscow on Monday night.

Officials said three people were wounded as air defence systems scrambled to repel one of Ukraine’s biggest attacks on the capital.

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Energy facilities were reportedly targeted, including a Moscow oil refinery.

A warehouse belonging to e-commerce giant Wildberries was hit amid claims the firm supplies components for Russian drones.

In Ukraine, Russian missiles killed ten and injured eight others in a village in the Kharkiv region.

Vladimir Putin faced further humiliation as the fear of drone attacks led to the cancellation of an annual Red Square military music festival this weekend for the first time in four years of war.

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Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said Britain ‘supports Ukraine 100 per cent’ after Vladimir Putin warned against supplying Kyiv with drones

With frontline fighting at a near standstill, Ukraine and Russia have stepped up long-range attacks, pushing the civilian death toll to its highest since the war began in 2022.

On Monday the Russian embassy in London accused Britain of ‘deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine crisis’ by supplying the drones, adding: ‘London’s actions will inevitably carry consequences for which it will have to answer.’

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And former deputy foreign minister Andrei Fedorov warned Russia could strike Britain as military figures in the Kremlin believe the US would stop any retaliation.

He told Radio 4’s Today: ‘There are a lot of people in the military community who are saying Russia can strike the UK and Nato will do nothing. Trump will not allow Nato to answer.’

It comes after Mr Putin threatened on Wednesday to seize British ships in the Pacific.

British-made drones used by Ukraine for strikes on Russian territory include the Nyan – a jet-powered, carbon-fibre attack drone (pictured) 

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He framed the move as tit-for-tat if Andy Burnham orders the arrest of more Russian shadow fleet tankers carrying oil to boost Moscow’s war coffers.

The Kremlin’s threat on Monday followed reports British drones were used to strike targets on Russian mainland on Sunday.

Drones made by two UK companies were supplied to Ukraine, whose forces deployed the weapons as part of its deep-strike campaign against Russian oil refineries.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s campaign against vital Russian resources has cost more than £35billion in economic damage, according to estimates, and has led to fuel shortages across the country.

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British-made drones used by Ukraine for strikes on Russian territory include the Nyan – a jet-powered, carbon-fibre attack drone developed by Wiltshire-based Callen-Lenz, a subsidiary of BAE Systems, The Sunday Times reported.

The aircraft has a wingspan of more than 9ft and a reported range of more than 150 miles.

It was reportedly used against Belgorod last year and has since formed part of Ukraine’s expanding deep-strike campaign.

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Ukraine has deployed a second unidentified British-made drone, launched by catapult and capable of travelling more than 600 miles.

British systems have reportedly participated in operations targeting Russian oil refineries and other infrastructure during the past six months.

The disclosure over the use of British drones follows Ukraine’s use of Storm Shadow missiles in the war, but stocks of these are limited and costs high compared with unmanned planes.

The first known strikes took place in November 2024.

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The trainers are made from premium leather with a durable, flexible sole making the style both stylish and comfortable in equal measures

Many women who commute into the office will have a pair of old trainers that they wear on the train and then a neat pair of shoes that they slip into when they arrive at work. These can take up a lot of space in a handbag or tote, making the scenario not exactly ideal when you’ve got more important things to worry about.

Luckily, Clarks has dropped a new pair of comfortable shoes that are smart enough to wear to the office, so there’s no need to change your shoes once you’ve got dressed for the day. The Code C Lace trainers are especially going to be a popular style as we enter autumn in the next few weeks.

The Code C Lace trainers in black come in at £85. Shoppers can pick them up in sizes three to eight, including half sizes, in both D (standard) and E (wide) widths.

READ MORE: New Balance trainers reduced from £111 to £66 ‘are comfortable even after 20,000 steps’

READ MORE: Roman’s prettiest £19 hot weather trousers both ‘look and feel special’

Alongside the elegant black colourway, shoppers can get the Code C Lace trainers in five other colours. These include navy, pale green, light pink, pewter metallic and white, all available for £85.

The trainers are made from premium leather with a durable, flexible sole making the style both stylish and comfortable in equal measure. They boast Clarks’ most advanced dual-layer comfort technology to make every step a breeze.

The unmatched cushioning and support absorbs impacts and returns energy to power the wearer forward. The trainers feature a lace fastening, offering a secure and customizable fit.

The shoes have a lightweight Strobel construction that allows for flexible, full-range motion, which comes in handy when you need to run for the train or the bus. They are finished off with a 35mm heel height that provides substantial underfoot cushioning while remaining easy to walk in.

Elsewhere, Marks and Spencer’s Leather Side Detail Trainers, £49.50, is a great high-street option. Made in a regular fit with a practical lace-up fastening, they feature a contrast side detail for a distinctive look.

The flat heel ensures all-day comfort, while Marks and Spencer’s innovative Freshfeet technology helps minimise odour. The leather material offers durability with a touch of sophistication.

Alternatively, The Dash FF T-Toe Leather/Suede Trainers are available for £80.75 instead of £95 with the discount code ‘WELCOME’ applied at checkout. Crafted from smooth leather with contrasting, premium suede panelling at the side and heel, the subtle colour-blocking on these low-top trainers is inspired by classic, retro styles.

The trainers have an ultra-lightweight, high-rebound cushioning system that diffuses pressure on feet and stop muscles from being overworked. Designed for city days and weekend plans, they’re finished with added Scotchgard protection to protect them against the elements.

Back at Clarks, the Code C Lace trainers are so new in, they are yet to receive any reviews from shoppers. One thing to bear in mind is that they’re made from leather, so those who’d prefer to wear synthetic materials will want to shy away from this option.

GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — A former senior adviser to infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci pleaded guilty Tuesday to plotting to conceal federal records related to research on the origins of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. David Morens is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 12 by U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Greenbelt, Maryland. Morens pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the U.S. government, a felony punishable by a maximum prison sentence of five years.

“By pleading guilty today, Dr. Morens has taken responsibility for what he did, and he will continue to do so,” defense attorney Tim Belevetz said in a statement after the plea hearing.

Morens is accused of using his private email account to intentionally circumvent public records laws while employed at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The Justice Department alleges that he concealed or destroyed records of discussions related to COVID-19 research grants, including an effort to revive a controversial coronavirus grant.

The indictment follows a probe by House Republicans into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic that scrutinized Morens’ email communications and accused him of intentionally concealing records. In congressional testimony, Morens denied attempting to evade federal transparency laws by using his personal email.

In July, Fauci repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a congressional hearing on his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last Friday, Fauci declined a request to appear voluntarily before a second Senate panel after majority Republicans on the Homeland Security Committee voted along partisan lines to hold him in contempt of Congress.

Fauci wasn’t charged in the case against Morens, 78, of Chester, Maryland.

A wildfire classified as a “major incident” last week has now”concluded”, the fire service has confirmed.

A spokesperson for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said:

“Following several days of intensive firefighting operations and a coordinated multi-agency response, the wildfire at Rhandirmwyn has now concluded. Fire and Rescue Service personnel will continue to closely monitor the area and respond to any changes in conditions.

“Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service can confirm that the proactive firefighting phase of the wildfire incident in the Rhandirmwyn area, near Llandovery, has now concluded.

“Significant progress has been made in bringing the fire under control, and operational firefighting crews have now left the scene following several days of intensive firefighting activity and a coordinated multi-agency response.

“While active firefighting operations have ended, the incident will continue to be closely monitored. Fire and Rescue Service personnel will maintain a watching brief and undertake regular proactive visits to the affected area for the foreseeable future to monitor conditions and check for any remaining hotspots.

“As conditions continue to settle, members of the public may notice occasional fluctuations in smoke levels from the affected area. This is not unexpected following an incident of this scale. Residents and visitors can be reassured that the area is being closely monitored to assess conditions and respond if required.

“The Major Incident declaration has now been stood down, and all roads previously closed as part of the emergency response have been reopened.

“Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service would like to place on record its sincere thanks to the local community for the exceptional support, patience and understanding shown throughout this incident.

“We are especially grateful to local residents, businesses, landowners and members of the farming community whose cooperation, local knowledge and practical assistance have been invaluable in supporting the emergency response.

“We would also like to acknowledge the vital contribution of our partner agencies and organisations, whose expertise, resources and support have played a key role in bringing this incident to a safe conclusion.

“Finally, we extend our gratitude to all fire and rescue personnel, both from Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and those who assisted with mutual aid arrangements, whose professionalism, commitment and resilience have helped protect communities, property and the environment.

“If members of the public see flames or have significant concerns about fire activity in the area, they should call 999 immediately.”

Scientists say they have been “stunned” by how quickly young children’s lungs began to recover and grow after pollution restrictions were brought in where they lived.

Researchers found that children in London whose lung growth had been stunted by pollution showed impressive improvements after the introduction of an Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) in 2019 reduced emissions.

The study followed more than 3,400 primary school children in London and Luton and provides what scientists believe is the strongest evidence yet that local clean air zones could help reduce some of the harm caused by pollution during childhood.

But independent researchers caution that other factors must also be considered.

Air pollution can stunt the growth of young children’s lungs leaving them at an increased risk of asthma, heart disease, diabetes and even premature death.

Children are also more vulnerable to pollution because their lungs and immune systems are still developing. And when outside, they tend to be closer to the ground and nearer sources of exhaust fumes, for example.

In 2020 Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, a nine-year-old girl from London who died following an asthma attack in 2013, became the first person in the UK to have air pollution listed as a cause of death.

In the study, researchers recruited six to nine-year-olds attending primary schools in London’s ultra low emission zone and followed the same children for five years, comparing them to similar children (in terms of socio-economic background, physical activity and ethnicity) in Luton.

Children in the study had annual lung function and capacity tests in the year before Ulez came in and for four years after.

Initial results showed children’s lungs in London were smaller in capacity than those in Luton, which is less polluted than London but has a similar mix of pollutants.

At the end of the study the children’s lung capacity reached near identical levels in both groups.

“While we would expect children’s lungs to grow year on year, our results indicate that the London children’s lung growth had accelerated during the four years to ‘catch up’ with the control group in Luton to reach similar levels of lung capacity,” researchers say.

“I was absolutely stunned when I first saw the results,” Prof Chris Griffiths, a senior author on the study, at Queen Mary University of London, told the BBC.

“The speed of catch up in lung capacity in the London group was surprising and impressive.

“This shows an ambitious clean air zone can drive pollution levels down, rapidly restoring children’s stunted lung growth.”

The main test measured how much air a child could forcibly breathe out in one second after a big breath in.

In practical terms the improvements could mean children in the London group could run as fast as the Luton group without getting out of breath or blow out of the same number of candles for example, Griffiths explained.

Another way of testing for lung capacity used in the study showed significant improvements too, though not to the same extent – implying there are still gains to be made.

Overall the proportion of children in London whose lung capacity was deemed “clinically impaired” (suggesting lung damage resulting in coughs or breathlessness) fell from 14% to 9%.

In Luton – where some smaller scale measures were put in place to tackle air pollution – the figures were 9% to 7%.

The team’s measurements also showed the level of nitrogen dioxide children were exposed to fell faster in London than in Luton over this time.

Researchers say this is key as it likely demonstrates that the improved lung growth they saw was related to air quality improvements following the implementation of Ulez.

London’s Ulez was first introduced in 2019 by Mayor Sadiq Khan in a bid to “clean up London’s air”. London had high levels of the harmful gas nitrogen dioxide which comes from motor vehicles.

Older, more polluting vehicles had to pay a daily charge to drive in central London. The measures were later expanded to cover the whole capital. While many supported the policy it provoked political opposition and protests.

He’s vowed to end rough sleeping

Andy Burnham has pledged to work to “get everyone in for Christmas” as he continues to build on his vow to end rough sleeping.

The Prime Minister is attempting a repeat of efforts during the coronavirus pandemic when the Everyone In scheme resulted in thousands of rough sleepers across England being taken in off the streets.

The latest annual national statistics, published by the Government in February, estimated there were 4,793 people sleeping rough on a single night in autumn 2025 in England.

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This was a new record high and the fourth annual increase in a row. At that stage 43% of all people sleeping rough were in London and the South East.

Newer data for London published last month showed a 10% year-on-year drop in the number of rough sleepers in the capital, prompting a charity boss to insist ending rough sleeping in London and beyond is “within reach”.

Some 3,959 people slept rough in the capital between April and June this year, research from the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (Chain) showed, down from 4,392 in the same period in 2025.

This week, the Government has committed to “offer everyone a route off the streets this Christmas”, although there is no defined duration as to how long local authorities might be expected to take people in for, and it is understood to be accepted that not every rough sleeper might take up the offer.

Mr Burnham has also said he will host what is being described as a first-of-its-kind national summit this autumn to “bring together leaders from across society – from business, finance, charities, health, faith communities and more – to ask what role each of them can play in ending rough sleeping”.

The Prime Minister, who pledged as his “first instruction” on day one in No 10 “to end rough sleeping in our country”, suggested people living on the streets has begun to become accepted over the years.

He said: “No-one should have to bed down in a doorway or outside a station. But we’ve seen it for so long that it feels like Westminster has started to accept it.

“I won’t accept it. That’s why my first instruction as Prime Minister was to end rough sleeping. And it’s why today we’re getting started with a national drive to get everyone in for Christmas.

“We did it in the pandemic, we can do it again. But it needs all of us.

Government will put the money in, but I’m asking leaders in communities and sectors across society to play their part locally too.

“Let’s get people out the cold. And let’s bring back hope.”

Mr Burnham has announced an additional £102 million, from uncommitted budgets within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), to go towards immediate routes for people off the street this winter, including an £8.4 million boost to the Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund, in recognition of the work of charities, faith groups and community organisations in this area.

The £102 million will go alongside the £340 million announced last month in funding for new support to get long-term rough sleepers into settled accommodation.

MHCLG said areas facing the greatest pressures with regard to homelessness will get the largest share of support and that mayors will be expected to work alongside councils to “play a leading role in driving local action to end rough sleeping” including deciding what help is needed and where.

Guidance to help with the drive will “make clear the need to ensure adequate and accessible provision” for female rough sleepers who the department said are often underrepresented in official statistics and can be at greater risk of violence, abuse and exploitation.

Local areas will be encouraged to “consider single-sex accommodation with specialist, intensive and trauma-informed support, for victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence”, the department said.

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said: “When the Prime Minister pledged to end rough sleeping, we said we’d move urgently from words to action. Today we’re delivering on that promise.

“This funding will help thousands of people leave the streets behind, move into secure homes and get the support they need to rebuild their lives.

“Working alongside councils, mayors and charities, we’re backing local areas to tackle rough sleeping at its roots, giving people the security, dignity and opportunity they deserve, and restoring hope to those who have been let down for far too long.”

Ms Rayner has previously declined to put a target deadline on the Government’s pledge to end rough sleeping, when asked about Mr Burnham’s commitment that his Government would work to “finally end long-term rough sleeping across the UK at the earliest opportunity”.

Homelessness charities welcomed the announcement as a “strong start” that puts the country on a path to end rough sleeping, while opposition critics said it lacked detail and substance.

Shelter chief executive Sarah Elliott said: “The Prime Minister’s pledge to get everyone sleeping rough off the streets by Christmas is a game-changing move and exactly the kind of bold leadership needed to end the housing emergency.”

She added: “Tackling the most visible form of homelessness is a strong start, but the almost 178,000 children hidden away in grim temporary accommodation also need somewhere to call home.

“The Prime Minister must apply the same unwavering ambition to delivering the council housing revolution he promised.”

Lord John Bird, the crossbench peer and co-founder of the Big Issue, said: “Covid proved that when we decide rough sleeping is unacceptable, we can act and get people in off the streets. This Christmas commitment is a welcome return to that spirit.

“But it’s important that people are not just brought in from the cold for a few weeks, only to be sent back out again.

“To that end, I’m encouraged to see the Prime Minister is allocating millions in tried-and-tested localised solutions that offer wraparound support for long-term rough sleepers.”

Crisis chief executive Matt Downie said: “Today’s announcement represents a clear statement that in the 21st century, we will not tolerate a situation where people are having to bed down on our streets.

“It puts us on the path to an historic milestone: the end of rough sleeping in England.”

He added: “Where access to a home isn’t possible straight away, providing good quality accommodation with a clear plan to support people into settled housing is a vital first step.”

Shadow housing secretary Sir James Cleverly said: “Andy Burnham promised to end rough sleeping in Manchester, and failed because he didn’t do the hard work necessary.

“Now he is pledging to end it nationally without any plan for delivery. And as with many of his other commitments, there is very little detail on how this one will be paid for.”

Sir James added: “Labour must come clean on what other programmes they are cutting to pay for this project.

“Otherwise, struggling families will fear that yet more Labour tax rises are on the horizon.”

Deputy Reform UK leader Richard Tice dismissed the pledge as “yet another vague announcement with no substances which uses our most vulnerable for political point-scoring”.

“We’ll believe it when we see it. Andy Burnham’s record on homelessness has left a lot to be desired,” he said.

“As mayor of Greater Manchester, he promised to eradicate rough sleeping. In actual fact, homelessness in the city-region increased every year since 2021.”

The police watchdog has launched an investigation into two British Transport Police (BTP) detectives after a serial sex offender was left free to murder two women and rape a third.

Simon Levy’s crime spree spanned from 2018 to 2025 and included myriad sex attacks on women in public spaces and two murders, as the Metropolitan Police, BTP and the courts failed to stop him.

Levy was on bail as his attacks on women escalated to double murder.

The Met, BTP and Crown Prosecution Service have all admitted failings in how they dealt with him.

A probe has now been launched into the conduct of two BTP detectives over “alleged failures to progress or supervise an investigation” into two reported sexual assaults by Levy on the London Underground in October 2024, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said on Tuesday.

It comes after the IOPC previously said an investigation into alleged failures of two Metropolitan Police officers in their management of Levy following his prison release on licence in February 2023 was “ongoing”.

A spokesperson for the watchdog said of the investigation into the BTP officers: “Levy was arrested in November 2024 regarding these incidents but was bailed to return to custody in January, with his bail further extended twice until May 2025 to allow for the investigation to be completed.

“During this period, Levy committed multiple further sexual assaults on trains, and other serious offences including murder and rape.

“We received a voluntary conduct referral from BTP on August 12 and decided an independent investigation was required.”

“The families of murder victims Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo and Sheryl Wilkins, and the woman who survived the rape attack, have been notified of our investigation,” the spokesperson added.

The BTP said: “It’s in the public interest for independent and objective scrutiny to be applied, and we will fully co-operate with the IOPC’s independent investigation.”

Levy, 40, was jailed for the rest of his life earlier this month after being convicted of killing grandmother Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo, 53, in March 2025 and mother-of-four Sheryl Wilkins, 39, in August that year.

He suffocated both women in sexually motivated attacks, with Ms Valencia-Trujillo found in a largely abandoned block of flats on the Aylesbury estate in south-east London, and Ms Wilkins behind a car park wall near Tottenham High Road, north London.

When he turned killer, Levy had already subjected a third woman to a brutal rape in January 2025 in the same car park where Ms Wilkins’s body was later found.

The surviving victim had told police where her attacker lived.

Levy committed the murders after having been jailed in 2021 for groping two women in the summer of 2018, one at Notting Hill Carnival and the other at a party in Camden.

He sexually assaulted a prison guard while behind bars in 2022 but was still released the following year, going on to sexually assault a woman on the Tube in October 2023 and allegedly rape another in May 2024, for which he was recalled to prison and released again in August that year.

Levy was arrested by BTP in November 2024 for sexual assaults on the Tube, but delays in organising an identification parade until the following April left him free to carry out the rape and first murder.

Following Ms Valencia-Trujillo’s death, Levy was released on bail at two magistrates’ court hearings in May and June 2025.

The Crown Prosecution Service admitted it had not opposed bail at the first hearing, and the prosecutor had not given the court all the relevant information for consideration at the second hearing.

There were another three crown court hearings that he failed to attend for various reasons, yet no arrest warrant was requested.

Less than two weeks after a hearing on August 11, he murdered Ms Wilkins.

The murders of Ms Valencia-Trujillo and Ms Wilkins over eight months in 2025 were interspersed with sexual assaults on six women on the Tube and Overground.

As opening statements kicked off Tuesday in a trial for Meta Platforms, advocates and parents of social media victims gathered outside the federal courthouse in Oakland, California, with a banner that stretched several feet across.

Written on it in black ink were the names of children and young adults who have died from social media related harms, including deaths by suicide after bouts of cyberbullying or sextortion. Giovanni, an 11-year-old, Bubba, a 13-year-old, and Englyn, a 14-year-old, were among the nearly 600 names. Parents said the names were “just the tip of the iceberg.”

“Behind us, justice is going to be served,″ said Lennon Torres, an advocate with the organization Heat Initiative. “The courtroom doors are open, and it is time that the public see what the executives at Meta have known all along: that their products are designed to addict and to harm children.″

Many of the gathered parents have attended previous trials, congressional hearings and other events related to online child safety. But they say this trial, in which the attorneys general from four states are seeking billions of dollars in damages for social media harms to children, marks a significant moment.

They see it as the culmination of years of work and public pressure on social media firms to do more to protect kids online. Social media companies are increasingly facing lawsuits over harms to young users, and Meta already has lost two pivotal cases over harms to children and teens this year, both of which it is appealing.

The trial represents a “groundswell of public perception changing against these companies,” said Amy Neville, whose 14-year-old son Alexander Neville died from fentanyl poisoning after being deceived by a drug dealer operating on Snapchat. Neville, like many other parents who have lost their children in similar ways, has dedicated her life to educating and spreading awareness of the dangers of social media.

“If we can keep holding them accountable over and over, something has to give, and I don’t want us to stop doing this until they’ve made their products safe by design,” she said.

Lawsuit focuses on broad claims

This lawsuit is not focused on any individual person, case or specific harm tied to social media, but rather broader claims that Meta made decisions in designing Instagram and Facebook that put young users at risk. The states also claim Meta knew the platforms to be dangerous and lied about how dangerous they were.

Meta has rejected the allegations and said the trial will show the work it has done to make its platforms safer.

The trial’s outcome could have significant consequences for Meta’s bottom line and how its platforms are designed and operated. But many parents are eager for evidence from the trial, namely internal Meta documents, to be brought to light.

John DeMay, whose son Jordan died by suicide at age 17 after being subject to a sextortion scheme on Instagram, is one of those parents who will be closely watching the trial and the evidence that emerges.

“As this information starts to unfold and unfold and unfold, the American people, the American mothers and the American fathers who are not seeing this stuff every day can see it and go, ‘Oh my God, this is really what’s happening,’ ” he said.

Some of the parents present outside of the courtroom were residents of the four states that are the plaintiffs in this trial — California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey — and they thanked their attorneys general for the work on the case.

Lori Schott of Colorado said Attorney General Phil Weiser has viewed the content that populated her daughter Annalee’s social media feeds and read her journals after her death by suicide. Annalee, who was 18 when she died, wrote in her journals about feeling ugly and comparing herself to other girls’ social media profiles.

Parents call for accountability

In a message to Meta, its CEO Mark Zuckerberg and the head of Instagram Adam Mosseri, Schott said outside of court that they have built one of the most powerful companies in the world, “but power does not excuse harm.”

“Profits does not erase the responsibility of Big Tech and no company — no matter how wealthy, no matter how influential, no matter how untouchable it feels it is — should get to stand above the truth, the law and our children,” Schott continued.

Many parent advocates seemed to carry optimism with them on Tuesday. Erin Popolo, whose daughter Emily Murillo died by suicide after being subject to intense cyberbullying, was hopeful the trial’s outcome could lead to meaningful change on social media.

“I think that we’re going to make history here,” she said.

___

Associated Press journalist Terry Chea contributed to this report.

Duff drew on her shared experience with Panettiere, who similarly started acting in her youth, and said: “I remember staying up late, chatting and gossiping, and connecting because we were part of such a small sliver of people who actually understood the strange lot in life we were navigating…