Warning: This article contains distressing content.

Noelia Castillo Ramos, 25, said she was raped on two occasions, once by her ex-boyfriend and the second time by three boys in 2022, describing this as a turning point in her life.

She jumped from the fifth-floor window of an apartment building in a cocaine-fuelled attempt to end her own life in October 2022 after previously overdosing on medication, according to legal rulings.

The fall left her paraplegic, and she is suffering severe, chronic and incapacitating pain with no possibility of improvement, her medical reports show.

Noelia, from Barcelona, Spain, will be euthanised today after a long legal battle with her father, which ended with a ruling in her favour from the European Court of Human Rights.

"I want to go now in peace and stop suffering, period," Noelia told Spanish TV programme Y Ahora Sonsoles in her only interview, recorded at her maternal grandmother's house.

Noelia, who is living in a Barcelona care home, said she has been "very clear" about her wish to die from the beginning.

"None of my family is in favour of euthanasia. But what about all the pain I've suffered during all these years," she said.

"The happiness of a father, a mother, or a sister cannot be more important than the life of a daughter."

She said she "always felt alone" and "saw my world as very dark", even before requesting euthanasia. She doesn't feel like "doing anything", has back and leg pain and said sleeping was "very difficult".

Her mother, Yolanda 'Yoli' Ramos, told the Spanish broadcaster that while she still hopes her daughter will change her mind, she will be by her side "until the very end".

'I want to die alone'

Noelia said she wants to "die looking pretty, I want to die beautiful", adding that she will wear her prettiest dress and put on some makeup.

She said that while she has invited her family to say goodbye, she wants to be alone in her bedroom at the care facility at the moment of her death.

She will have four photos with her when she dies: one of her painting a portrait of her mother, one of her childhood puppy, another from her first day of school and a fourth from her childhood, which she said are reflecting "happy" moments in her life.

Noelia has been in psychiatric treatment since she was 13 and her parents separated. She was eventually diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD).

Her father witnessed her attempt to take her own life in October 2022.

"My father saw me fall and couldn't do anything. But after everything he's done, I don't feel sorry for him anymore," she told Y Ahora Sonsoles, referencing his legal challenge to stop her euthanasia.

"He hasn't respected my decision and he never will."

Two-year legal battle

Noelia's euthanasia request was initially granted by a specialised expert committee in Catalonia in July 2024, with the procedure scheduled for 2 August 2024, but her father has blocked it ever since.

Geronimo Castillo, supported by the ultra-conservative advocacy group Abogados Cristianos or Christian Lawyers, argued that Noelia's mental illness impaired her ability to decide to end her life.

During a nearly two-year-long legal battle, he took the case through Spain's courts, finally reaching Spain's highest tribunal, the Constitutional Court, in February. The court rejected his argument, ruling that there had been no violation of fundamental rights.

As the final instance, Mr Castillo took the case to the European Court of Human Rights, where his request for interim measures to stop Noelia's euthanasia was rejected on 10 March, according to newspaper El Pais.

As a last-ditch effort, his legal team on Wednesday asked an investigating court looking into Noelia's medical-legal team to introduce "urgent precautionary measures" to stop her euthanasia, but a judge rejected the request due to lack of jurisdiction.

"I've finally done it," Noelia said, adding: "Let's see if I can finally rest".

According to several sources, Noelia Castillo Ramos's euthanasia is scheduled for 5pm Spanish time (4pm UK time).

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In 2021, Spain became the fourth European Union country to legalise euthanasia and assisted suicide for people with incurable or severely debilitating conditions who wish to end their lives.

The law was enacted after years of fierce opposition from conservative parties and the Catholic Church, which has historically shaped public attitudes on end-of-life issues.

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK.

Alternatively, you can call Mind's support line on 0300 102 1234, or NHS on 111.

In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) cut its 2026 forecast for UK gross domestic product by 0.5 percentage points, meaning Britain will have among the weakest economic growth in the developed world this year.

Its prediction for a 0.7% rise in output amounted to the worst downgrade among OECD member nations, with the euro area and South Korea following close behind.

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By contrast, the US will enjoy stronger growth this year as a result of the events of the past few weeks.

The divergence is largely explained by higher energy prices, which act as a tax on British living standards, since the UK is an energy importer, particularly sensitive to gas prices, while the US exports significant amounts of hydrocarbons.

The OECD said that it was downgrading its forecasts for growth widely following the sharp increase in the price of crude oil, alongside other key related products, from jet fuel and diesel to fertilisers which will weigh heavily on prices for consumers including those for food and other essential goods.

The OECD interim forecast is the first major update for the global economy from a major international body since the onset of military activity in the Persian Gulf.

It said: "The breadth and duration of the conflict are very uncertain, but a prolonged period of higher energy prices will add markedly to business costs and raise consumer price inflation, with adverse consequences for growth."

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It pointed to the rise in tariffs imposed by the US in recent months as another source of uncertainty, dragging down global growth, and added: "A significant downside risk to the outlook is that persistent disruptions to exports from the Middle East that raise energy prices even further than assumed and aggravate shortages of key commodities, add to inflation and reduce growth.

"Such a scenario, or lower than expected returns from AI investment, could also trigger more extensive repricing in financial markets, weakening demand and raising financial stability risks."

Financial markets have fully priced in two interest rate rises by the Bank of England this year, to combat the possibility of heightened oil and gas costs becoming widely engrained in the economy.

But the OECD believes, however, that the bank would hold off. It saw the current rate of 3.75% as restrictive enough, given the country's existing labour market weakness.

It predicts inflation of 4% for the UK - up from the current annual rate of 3%.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said of the report: "The war in the Middle East is not one that we started, nor is it a war that we have joined. But it is a war that will have an impact on our country.

"In an uncertain world we have the right economic plan. The decisions we have taken have put us in a better position to protect the country's finances and family finances from global instability.

"Our economic plan means going further to build a stronger more secure economy. That means going further on our three big choices: empowering regional growth, embracing AI and innovation, and establishing a closer relationship with the EU."

The restriction applies to eligibility for any female category event at the Olympic Games, or any other IOC event, including individual and team sports.

The policy is not retroactive, and does not apply "to any grassroots or recreational sports programmes", the IOC said in a statement, adding that it "protects fairness, safety and integrity in the female category".

Those events will now be limited to biological females, determined on the basis of a one-time test for the SRY gene, which "is fixed throughout life and represents highly accurate evidence that an athlete has ​experienced male sex development", the IOC said.

The organisation's new policy aligns with US President Donald Trump's executive order on women's sports ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles games, the first Olympics where the new rules will apply.

It is unclear how many, if any, transgender women are competing at Olympic level.

No woman who transitioned from being born male competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Runner Caster Semenya, a two-time Olympic champion who has a medical condition known as differences in sex development (DSD), is among those affected by the change.

IOC President Kirsty Coventry established a review of "protecting the female category" soon after becoming the first woman to lead the Olympic body in its 132-year history last June.

In a U-turn to previous policy, she wanted to bring in a universal rule for competitors in female elite sports after years of fragmented regulation that led to some ​major controversies.

In the statement, she said that even the smallest margins ‌"can be the difference between victory and defeat".

Ms Coventry added: "So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe."

Female eligibility was one of the main issues in the IOC election last year when Coventry's main rivals said they would adopt a stronger policy.

Prior to the games in Paris, track and field, swimming and cycling had already passed rules excluding transgender women who had been through male puberty.

Being born male gives physical advantages that are retained, the IOC said, pointing to its own research.

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"Males experience three significant testosterone peaks: in utero, in mini-puberty of infancy and beginning in adolescent puberty through adulthood," the document said.

It added this gives males "individual sex-based performance advantages in sports and events that rely on strength, power and/or endurance."

Sky sports correspondent Rob Harris called it a "landmark decision" driven in part by "growing concerns about the potential for physical advantages that are retained by transgender women who have gone through male puberty".

The IOC sees itself as "protecting the female category at the Olympics for biological females", as well as ensuring competitors' safety, especially in sports like boxing, where physical advantages "could potentially be dangerous".

There was "big pressure" on the IOC, not least from Mr Trump, who, at a fundraiser on Wednesday, "was repeating this desire to keep transgender women out of women's sporting events", Harris said.

It was the first time Maduro, 63, and his wife, Cilia Flores, 69, appeared in court since a January hearing in which they denied all the charges. Maduro did not speak during the hearing.

He led Venezuela from 2013 until his dramatic capture, along with Flores, by US military forces on 3 January in an overnight raid on their home in Caracas.

Maduro is accused of working with drug cartels and members of the military to facilitate the shipment of thousands of tons of cocaine into the US, along with charges of ordering kidnappings, beatings and murders of those who owed them drug money or undermined their trafficking operation.

If convicted, they face life in prison.

Before the hearing, people gathered outside the courthouse in New York to protest for and against Maduro, although the larger group were supporters of the former leader. There were reports of scuffles between the two groups.

Both are being detained at Brooklyn detention centre, and neither has asked to be released on bail. The judge in the case, Alvin Hellerstein, has yet to set a trial date.

Prosecutors have yet to disclose who will testify against Maduro, who is represented by one of America's most prominent defence attorneys, Barry Pollack.

The lawyer argued that the US is violating the deposed leader's constitutional rights by blocking Venezuelan government funds from being used to pay his legal costs.

Prosecutors have previously responded that the US government had authorised Maduro and Flores to use personal funds to pay their legal fees, but Maduro said he is unable to afford his defence.

Judge Hellerstein said he will decide at a future date whether the Trump administration will be ordered to allow Venezuela to pay the legal fees for Maduro and his wife.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump has again accused Maduro of being a "major purveyor of drugs coming into our country".

During his cabinet meeting on Thursday, the US president said Maduro would be given "a fair trial". But he also said, "I would imagine there are other trials coming", without clarifying the comment.

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Maduro and Flores continue to enjoy some support in Venezuela, with murals and billboards across the capital, Caracas, demanding their return.

But while Maduro's ruling party remains in power, he has slowly been erased from the government of Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela's acting president.

And British doctors who've worked in Gaza have spoken about the horrifying similarities between Israeli tactics inside the Palestinian territory and what's happening in Lebanon.

Dr Tom Potokar, who was inside Gaza's European Hospital when it was bombed, told us: "The violation of international humanitarian laws has become normalised.

"Once again we're seeing attacks on the medical infrastructure, just like we saw in Gaza, but this time in Lebanon. Once again, we're seeing attacks on hospital staff, ambulance workers and first responders.

Dr Potokar said there was the familiar "condemnation and words from political leaders, yet no action - nothing is done to stop these violations".

He added: "Hospitals should be places of refuge where you can receive treatment and are protected under international law. Yet they and first responders continue to be subject to attack."

Dr Potokar has travelled to Lebanon to work in the Sidon government hospital, home to the country's key specialist burns unit which he helped set up through his Interburns charity more than a year ago.

We saw him treating a patient who'd suffered 65% burns in an Israeli airstrike on his home in Nabatieh just over a week ago.

Almost his entire body is swathed in bandages now. It will take months for him to recover. He arrived with two other severe burns victims after their homes in the south were bombed.

Among the team tending to him was another British medic, Dr Anna Joseph, who's taken time off from her job with the NHS to help Lebanon's victims.

She told us: "The systematic destruction of healthcare facilities and staff from here and in Gaza has created a huge need.

"People are suffering and dying and the specialists who could help them are being targeted, arrested, denied entry or even killed."

There was also a young doctor in exile from Gaza. Mohammad Ziara said he sees tragic echoes of what he went through when he was working as a doctor in Al Shifa hospital in Gaza.

"It is obvious what's happening in Lebanon," he told us.

"There is an attempt to degrade the medical facilities in order to push people to leave just like they have done in Gaza - and this will have a terrible impact on everyone. And until international law is applied to all parties, this will continue."

The Israeli military says Hezbollah is hiding among civilian structures and using ambulances to transport military equipment but has provided no evidence.

The Lebanese ministry of health has angrily denied these claims and said it's an attempt by the Israeli authorities to "justify war crimes".

'We lost four hospitals'

British Palestinian doctor Ghassan Abu Sittah, who runs a charity caring for children and has a clinic in Beirut, told us children are suffering as a result of the military tactics.

"When Israel ordered the evacuation of the southern suburbs [of Beirut] we lost four hospitals and one of which has a paediatric intensive care unit, and so the system shrunk because we had no access to these hospitals.

"The ambulances are now afraid to go to the peripheral hospitals and we've lost three kids waiting to be transferred."

He too has worked in Gaza and sees similarities in what's now happening in Lebanon.

"What we are seeing is a scorched earth policy," said the doctor.

"Scorched earth, which means making a place uninhabitable, invariably meaning the destruction of the health system.

"Because in an urban environment this is the social anchor that if you get rid of it, it gets easier to ethnically cleanse people… We saw that in Gaza again and again."

The fighting between Israeli troops and Hezbollah has dramatically intensified within the past few days.

The IDF insists it's killing hundreds of Hezbollah fighters and destroying hundreds of its military infrastructure sites: "More than 30 terrorists were eliminated in close-quarters combat and from the air," an IDF statement said on Thursday.

But Hezbollah seems far from finished, with a statement declaring its fighters had fired a record 80 rockets into northern Israel in a single day.

The constant hum of Israeli jets is ever present in the southern Lebanese towns, punctuated by outgoing Hezbollah rockets being fired.

But there are undoubtedly civilians being killed and injured.

'Our family used to be four - now it's three'

Among the burns casualties at the Sidon government hospital is the father of a 15-year-old boy, killed in an Israeli airstrike in the middle of the night whilst they were sleeping in their apartment in central Beirut.

"I have no feelings right now," Mohammad Kobeissi told us from the hospital.

"Our family used to be four - now it's three. I have lost my son. He was just 15, What did he do? We are just civilians. Stop the war! Stop this killing."

There are a rising number of casualties in the country - with the Lebanese health ministry saying more than 3,000 have been injured and more than 1,000 killed. The ministry does not differentiate between combatants and civilians.

The war has also seen more than a million people flee their homes, most of them in the southern communities bordering Israel, but many also from the southern suburbs of the Beirut.

The Beirut suburb of Dahieh is a Hezbollah stronghold but also densely populated. Many of the victims and survivors insist they have no connection with Hezbollah or any political affiliations.

The Israeli military has embarked on a range of tactics to create what it calls a security "buffer zone", including blowing up bridges and bombing petrol stations and hitting power plants supplying electricity to entire cities.

It has warned Lebanese residents to leave a huge swathe of the country south of the Litani River.

Several Israeli government officials have declared the intention is for ground troops to occupy this area which makes up about 10% of Lebanese territory.