well, it's a very, very comprehensive report. more than 300 pages. and remember, this review work goes right back to 2020. and dr hilary cass�* interim report in 2022 questioned the use of puberty blockers at the tavistock and portman trust, which provided gender services. and that led to a series of events, including an inspection by the regulator, the cqc, which found the service to be inadequate. and then last month nhs england said puberty blockers would no longer be routinely prescribed, and the service at the tavistock and portman was brought to an end with two new clinics being set up. so this is a long—running and much debated issue. i think the things that stand out for me is the fact in herforward to the report,

dr cass is saying directly, "i want to speak directly to children and young people how they've been let down", that there wasn't adequate, in her view, research or evidence to support the long—term use of puberty, blockers and hormone treatment. and that that was partly, i think she's she more or less implies, because of the toxic debate around the issue and the fact that some clinicians were shying away from the whole thing, didn't want to get involved, were reluctant to engage. and you had this large rise in referrals to the trust for the gender service. so i think there's that. but then there's the more forward—looking aspect to it, which is how do you improve services now? and she's very clear that services need to be extended, made more available, notjust one centre in london, but a new centre in london and one in liverpool and then other regional hubs. because of the very long waiting lists for children and young people

with gender dysphoria, and long waiting lists for adults as well. and she's really saying we need to move on from this toxic debate to provide the best possible care for children and young people on the similar standards to the levels of care that are expected and assumed in other parts of the nhs. sonia, if i can come to you, as hugh said, children have been let down, this report says. that's right. and i think he's entirely right that the most important thing looking forward is the reforms that cass is recommending to gender services for children. and that's really about having more holistic services that treat children and young people in the round as human beings. that takes into account the fact that when children are questioning their gender, sometimes that might be predictive of a fixed trans identity in adulthood. but quite often it will resolve itself and it can be associated with many other things, including mental health issues, including autism, including children processing, they're developing same—sex attraction.

so huge, important recommendations. i think the big challenge does come back to this toxicity point, and i think it's important to explain why the toxicity has hampered the use of evidence in children's health care is because when whistle—blowers were raising concerns about the lack of evidence, you know, some of them as long ago as 15 to 16 years ago, they were tarred. they were called transphobic, bigoted, hateful. and that has led to an environment where essentially an adult ideology around gender identity has been allowed to drive the health care of children. that has failed children. and i think going forward there are really big question marks. the nhs, how is it going to realise dr cass' vision? how is it going to ensure that if it's using some of the same clinicians, some of them very well—meaning, who've been involved with this service that has failed children so badly, how is it going to ensure that there's a new approach when some of them may be very attached to the old model that was based on ideology, not evidence about what works

for children and young people? yeah. on that toxicity issue, is it the fact that health care professionals are afraid to say what they think in case, for example, it gets on social media and it is blown up as we have seen in previous cases when we talk about the trans issue? yeah, i think it's if you look at both the interim report and the final report, and she's done a lot of work with clinicians trying to understand views in this area, it is because the debate was so toxic and these whistle—blowers were tarnished. and any newspaper you know, my newspaper has done reporting on this issue. others have. bbc newsnight did. there was a lot of backlash against that reporting, which was reporting of legitimate concern. so clinicians, that has a real world

impact on children and young people because clinicians working with children and young people, they look at that backlash and they're scared when children come come to them and say, you know, we're questioning our gender. or we think, you know, you know, i was born a girl, but i might be a boy. clinicians actually become wary of treating. become wary of treating those children, and that is so damaging to children and young people. and that is why when you get these activists driving debates with adult arguments, adult ideology that harms children, and that is what hilary cass is calling out in this report. and hugh, this report specifically about england, what about the rest of the uk and how gender services are provided for young people? well, the tavistock and portman trust in london provided the service for all of england and wales. so the consequences of this report are important for wales as well as england in scotland. there's a clinic in edinburgh and the scottish government has said that it will study very carefully the hilary cass report to find out how they can address these issues with gender services in scotland. we haven't had a reaction yet from the administration in northern ireland, but i think this report will resonate right around the uk.

but it's interesting to just add on the thought that hilary cass makes the point that there are different approaches and no clear view in different health care systems. and for example, germany, switzerland and austria have continued to be quite liberal in their views on the use of puberty blockers, whereas sweden, finland and now this report for england and by definition that the uk has taken a very, very different view on that issue of puberty blockers. thank you. just one final point to you, sonya. are you optimistic that now we can deal with this going forward in an open way? i think this report is incredibly important in taking the heat out and going back to the evidence. so i am optimistic. yes, i think it's a really important moment. but as i was saying before, i do think that there are big challenges for the nhs.

it's notjust the case that you get, you know, in an area that's so contested and polarised, it's not the case that you get a report based on the evidence and then everything magically changes. nhs commissioning managers are going to have to work very, very hard to ensure that children and young people do get the services they deserve, as set out in hillary carter's vision. i think that's going to be quite difficult. so i think we are on the start of a long journey here. our health editor hugh pym, and the 0bserver�*s chief lead writer sonia sodha. next for decades, gambling and football have gone hand in hand. but concerns are growing that the sheer amount of football betting adverts, are leading to a rise in addiction amongst players, and fans. the former stoke city winger tony kelly almost lost everything through his addiction. so now he's giving workshops to teenage non—league footballers to show them the dangers of gambling, before it takes root. james bovill reports. braves the april showers, these

16—18—year—old academy players are training for a btec paloma in sports development. many will hope for a career in football but today they are learning about the darker side of the sport they love. i are learning about the darker side of the sport they love.— are learning about the darker side of the sport they love. i don't know to this day — of the sport they love. i don't know to this day how— of the sport they love. i don't know to this day how long _ of the sport they love. i don't know to this day how long i _ of the sport they love. i don't know to this day how long i was - of the sport they love. i don't know to this day how long i was in - of the sport they love. i don't know to this day how long i was in that l to this day how long i was in that bookmakers for.— bookmakers for. professional footballer— bookmakers for. professional footballer tony _ bookmakers for. professional footballer tony kelly - bookmakers for. professional footballer tony kelly a - bookmakers for. professional - footballer tony kelly a recovering gambling addict. he made 58 appearance for stoke city in the early 90s, a career cut short by his addiction i early 90s, a career cut short by his addiction ., ., ., addiction i have gone through £192,000 — addiction i have gone through £192,000 bankruptcy - addiction i have gone through £192,000 bankruptcy file. - addiction i have gone through | £192,000 bankruptcy file. the addiction i have gone through - £192,000 bankruptcy file. the break down of my 20 year relationship with my partner. the mental health issue h i wonder how did i not get to a point where i have lost hope or want to ache my own life. our message is there a darker side to gambling. academy managerjamie lentom says many young players already gamble,

making early intervention all the more important. we making early intervention all the more important.— making early intervention all the more important. we are aware that ounu more important. we are aware that young peeple _ more important. we are aware that young peeple over— more important. we are aware that young people over the _ more important. we are aware that young people over the age - more important. we are aware that young people over the age of- more important. we are aware that young people over the age of 18 - more important. we are aware that young people over the age of 18 do | young people over the age of 18 do have these gambling apps and are accessing them on a daily basis, so i think it's a case of making sure they are aware of how to manage the time than has been used and the money that is being spent on the apps. it money that is being spent on the a- s. , money that is being spent on the a . s, , ., money that is being spent on the a- s. , ., , , money that is being spent on the an s. , ., , , ., money that is being spent on the a n s. , ., , , ., . , apps. it is on the shirts of club, sponsored _ apps. it is on the shirts of club, sponsored by — apps. it is on the shirts of club, sponsored by betting _ apps. it is on the shirts of club, i sponsored by betting companies, which _ sponsored by betting companies, which means that people are going to want to— which means that people are going to want to do— which means that people are going to want to do it more, whereas if they -ot want to do it more, whereas if they got rid _ want to do it more, whereas if they got rid of— want to do it more, whereas if they got rid of ii— want to do it more, whereas if they got rid of it plenty of people would stop doing it. | got rid of it plenty of people would stop doing it— stop doing it. i don't see the point of it and losing _ stop doing it. i don't see the point of it and losing money, _ stop doing it. i don't see the point of it and losing money, because . stop doing it. i don't see the point l of it and losing money, because you might— of it and losing money, because you might win, — of it and losing money, because you might win, i— of it and losing money, because you might win, i don't _ of it and losing money, because you might win, i don't know, _ of it and losing money, because you might win, i don't know, a - of it and losing money, because you might win, i don't know, a small- might win, i don't know, a small amount, — might win, i don't know, a small amount, you _ might win, i don't know, a small amount, you never— might win, i don't know, a small amount, you never really - might win, i don't know, a small amount, you never really win - might win, i don't know, a small amount, you never really win inl might win, i don't know, a small. amount, you never really win in the lon- amount, you never really win in the long run. _ amount, you never really win in the long run. i— amount, you never really win in the long run. i have _ amount, you never really win in the long run, i have never— amount, you never really win in the long run, i have never been - amount, you never really win in the. long run, i have never been tempted to do— long run, i have never been tempted to do it _ to do it. aston . to do it. i aston villa to do it. - aston villa is run to do it. — aston villa is run with of to do do. — aston villa is run with of seven premier league clubs with a gambling firm as a shirt sponsor, a ban on that comes into effect in 2026. in the championship tony's former club stoke is owned by bet 365. tony is one of many lobbying for an ends to

all gambling advertising and sponsorship in football. by educating these players early it is hoped fewer will fall foul of the dangers muslims across the country are celebrating the festival of eid today. the festivites mark the end of ramadan, a month of fasting. in leicester, thousands gathered at victoria park this morning for prayers followed by a day of celebrations as emily anderson reports. at nine o'clock this morning, hundreds gathered for communal prayers in victoria park. this marks the end of ramadan which is an auspicious and a holy month of ramadan. it's a family event, it is geared towards the children, a great day. and they certainly are — people have come to victoria park from all over the city to celebrate. and some have come from further afield, like abdullah who has travelled from cardiff simply because he loves leicester's celebrations.

when i am celebrating eid, in cardiff, i still come to leicester because of the diversity. it brings people up and it is actually like very nice to celebrate in leicester rather than cardiff. fasting during ramadan ends when the new moon has been sighted, this signals the start of eid, a time for families and friends to gather together and celebrate. the best feelings ever, - because we fast for 30 days and we fast because, _ obviously, to become god conscious, and to humble ourselves, - so this is like a reward from god and it is the most beautiful reward you could ever receive. _ eid you could ever receive. mubarak if you are celebra1 today. hello there. it got quite cold last night as the weather briefly calmed down. things are going to be warming up over the next few days, but at the moment we have all this

cloud streaming in from the atlantic, those two weather fronts bringing spells of rain, but the wind direction is changing, we are getting a south—westerly wind, and that will bring in that warmer air. now today, temperatures aren't going to be too high because we still have a lot of cloud around, some fog over the hills, but 111 or 15 is an improvement on yesterday. still have the rain, and the rain is going to be heavier across the hills of western scotland for a while, but that second rain band will push south—eastwards overnight. the rain becoming light and patchy. we will see clearer skies following towards the north. we still have that south—westerly breeze, so it will be a lot warmer than last night for many parts of the country, temperatures are going to remain in double figures. tomorrow sees more sunshine around as well. some early rain in the far north of scotland clears, a few spots of rain through the english channel and southern most parts of england and wales could stay cloudy. the next rain arrived in southern ireland, but in the uk it will probably be dry in most places, and with sunshine round, in that south—westerly breeze, it will be warmer, temperatures back up to 19 or 20 degrees. but there are more weather fronts coming in from the atlantic again. they are going to return northwards, take more cloud and some wet weather northwards,

so we will see rain pushing towards northern ireland, and into scotland, maybe even northern england. further south, after a bit of a cloudy start, we should see the cloud thinning and breaking and some sunshine coming through. we still have those warm south—westerly winds. so these are the temperatures we are looking at on friday. compare those with the average for this time of year. so bury st edmunds, 20 on friday, six degrees warmer than normal and in aberdeen, a similar story, six degrees warmer than normal. a pleasant day for many areas on thursday and into friday. over the weekend, though, it will start to cool down again. the wind direction changes, cooler air is going to push down from the north—west, pressure is going to be falling as well, and with low pressure moving in, we will find more wet weather coming in from the north—west as well. now the fine weather will last throughout the weekend across south—east areas, but here it will turn cooler. towards the north and west though,

an increasing risks of showers.

live from london, this is bbc news. kazakhstan and russia's worst flooding in almost a century forces more than 100,000 people from their homes. a review finds children have been let down by "weak" evidence about gender treatment. england joins a list of european nations limiting medical intervention. spain's prime minister, pedro sanchez, says recognising a palestinian state is in europe's best interests. ending ramadan in the ruins of rafah — people in gaza mark eid al—fitr surrounded by the rubble of their mosque. a german museum sacs an employee who put his own artwork on display. —— a german museum sacks an employee.