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Today — 15 July 2025News

More of England likely to be declared in drought

15 July 2025 at 08:22
Getty Images A dried-up bed of a reservoir with only a narrow stream of water flowing through the middle. In the background there is a bridge and a blue sky with scattered clouds.Getty Images
Yorkshire is already in drought, with reservoirs like this one showing much lower levels than usual

More English regions are expected to join the North West and Yorkshire in an official drought on Tuesday after yet another hot and dry spell of weather.

The announcement is likely to come after the National Drought Group – which manages preparations for dry conditions in England – meets on Tuesday morning.

Declaring a drought means that water companies put in place their plans to manage water resources. That can involve hosepipe bans, but not always.

Droughts are driven by natural weather patterns, but climate change and our growing use of water are raising the risks of water shortages, the Environment Agency says.

The National Drought Group is made up of the Environment Agency, government, Met Office, water companies and others.

There are no official droughts in Wales and Northern Ireland at the moment. Scotland does not declare droughts but monitors "water scarcity".

Parts of eastern Scotland are in "moderate" scarcity – the second most extreme category – which means there is "clear" environmental impact.

In England there is no single definition of drought, but it is ultimately caused by a prolonged period of low rainfall, which has knock-on effects for nature, agriculture and water supplies.

England had its driest spring in more than 100 years, followed by three heatwaves in quick succession for some areas in June and July.

That intense warmth has drawn even more moisture out of the soil.

So while it may be raining where you live today, it's unlikely to be enough to bring water levels back to normal across the country.

The Environment Agency (EA) declares droughts in England based on reservoir levels, river flows and how dry the soil is, alongside long-term weather forecasts.

"We certainly expect more regions to enter drought status," said Richard Thompson, deputy director of water resources at the EA, adding that further details would be announced later on Tuesday.

In a "reasonable worst-case scenario" - where regions get 80% of their long-term average rainfall - another five regions across central and southern England could enter drought status by September, joining Yorkshire and the North West, according to the EA.

Current long-term forecasts suggest roughly normal levels of rainfall over the next few months, however.

If further droughts are declared, it does not automatically mean that hosepipe bans will be put in place, but these can often follow.

Some regions, such as parts of Kent and Sussex, have already declared hosepipe bans, but are not in drought status.

Getty Images Hosepipe with a yellow head rests on dry, yellow grass. A yellow hosepipe lead is in the background.Getty Images
Hosepipe bans can often follow official drought declarations

The EA warned last month that England's water supplies could face a shortfall of six billion litres a day by 2055 without dramatic action, driven by rising temperatures, population growth and other factors.

Climate change is expected to lead to drier summers on average, while more intense heatwaves mean more water can be lost via evaporation.

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Faroes-style tunnels could 'transform' fortunes for Shetland isles

15 July 2025 at 06:05
BBC A grey car enters a tunnel, driving past red "no pedestrian" and "no cyclist" roadsigns. The tunnel disappears into a grassy hillside. A blue and white radio station information sign reads "FM 100.0".BBC
The 18 islands which make up the Faroes are connected by 23 tunnels, four of which run below the sea

The Faroese prime minister says Shetland could boost growth and revitalise island life by following his country in replacing ageing ferries with undersea tunnels.

Shetland Islands Council says it is pushing ahead with plans to build tunnels to four outlying isles in the archipelago including Unst, the most northerly place in the UK.

"I think we have learned in the Faroe Islands that investment in infrastructure is a good investment," Aksel Johannesen told BBC News.

Shetland Islands Council says its multi-million pound project is likely to be funded by borrowing money and paying it back through tolls, potentially providing a new transport model for other Scottish islands.

Faroese prime minister Aksel Johannesen pictured in an office with two blurred out gold-framed paintings hanging on a white wall behind him. He has brown hair combed to the side and is clean-shaven. He is looking directly at the camera with a serious expression. He is wearing a black shirt and a checked blazer.
The Faroese prime minister Aksel Johannesen told BBC News tunnels had helped to grow the population and the economy of the archipelago

Critics say politicians in Scotland have wasted years talking about tunnels while the Faroes, nearly 200 miles further out into the Atlantic, have actually built them.

"It is frustrating," says Anne Anderson of salmon producer Scottish Sea Farms, which employs nearly 700 people in Scotland, including just under 300 in Shetland.

The island chain produces a quarter of all Scottish salmon - the UK's most valuable food export with international sales of £844m in 2024.

"Ten years ago Scottish salmon used to have 10 per cent of the global market. Nowadays we're slipping ever closer to five per cent," adds Ms Anderson, who blames that slide, in part, on a lack of investment in public infrastructure .

She agrees that the UK should look to the Faroes for inspiration.

"Identify what works well for them and then just copy and paste and let's get moving," urges Ms Anderson.

A windswept Anne Anderson photographed from the chest up  in a marina setting. She has grey hair - tied back -  blue-rimmed glasses and is smiling at the camera. She is wearing a blue jacket with a "Scottish Sea Farms" logo on the left hand side.
Anne Anderson of Scottish Sea Farms says politicians should get moving

They have been building tunnels in the Faroes since the 1960s.

The 18 islands which make up the self-governing nation under the sovereignty of Denmark are connected by 23 tunnels, four of which run below the sea.

More are under construction.

Most dramatic is a 7.1 mile (11.4km) tunnel which connects the island of Streymoy to two sides of a fjord on the island of Eysturoy.

It includes the world's only undersea roundabout.

At its deepest point it is 187m (614ft) below the waves and has halved the driving time between the capital Tórshavn and the second biggest town, Klaksvik.

Photograph of vehicles streaking past a roundabout in a tunnel. The tunnel has a green/ blue backdrop and black silhouettes of figures on it.
A tunnel which connects the islands of Streymoy and Eysturoy includes the world's only undersea roundabout, nicknamed the jellyfish

Speaking in his grass-roofed office looking out over a busy harbour in Tórshavn, Johannesen says tunnels helped to grow the population and the economy of the archipelago, which is home to some 54,000 people, in contrast to Shetland's 23,000.

"It's about ambition," says tunnel builder Andy Sloan, whose company worked on part of the Faroese tunnel project.

He adds the islands have led the world "in connecting an archipelago in the middle of the North Atlantic through blood, sweat and tears – and focus.

"They have delivered a remarkable piece of infrastructure," says Mr Sloan, who is executive vice-president of engineering firm COWI.

It is now advising Shetland Islands Council on the technicalities and financing of tunnels.

The Faroese tunnels were constructed using a technique known as drill and blast – where holes are drilled in rock, explosives are dropped in, and the rubble is then cleared away – which Mr Sloan says could also be used in Scotland.

"Without doubt, Shetland can copy what has been achieved in these islands," he adds.

Head and shoulder shot of a smiling Andy Sloan, who is bald, smiling at the camera. He is wearing a navy suit jacket, navy half-zip jumper and a white shirt with the top button open. Green shrubbery is visible in the background.
Tunnel builder Andy Sloan worked on the Faroese tunnels

Prof Erika Anne Hayfield, dean of the Faculty of History and Social Sciences at the University of the Faroe Islands, says the tunnels have delivered significant benefits.

"People can live and thrive in smaller settlements," while still participating fully in island life and commuting to "the central labour market" in Tórshavn, she explains.

"In the long term, in terms of demography, social sustainability, a lot of people on islands believe that it is necessary," adds Prof Hayfield.

But she said the costs of some tunnels had been controversial, with some Faroese arguing that they are being built at the expense of investing in schools and hospitals.

Drone footage of Tórshavn marina, with government buildings, some of which have grass roofs, visible in the foreground. A number of boats can also be seen in the picture
The capital, Tórshavn, is a shorter commute for islanders since the construction of the tunnel network

Shetland's main town, Lerwick, may be closer to Tórshavn than it is to Edinburgh – and closer to Copenhagen than London – but advocates of tunnels insist the islands are not a remote backwater but an advanced economy constrained by poor infrastructure.

The archipelago of 100 islands at the confluence of the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean boasts the UK's only spaceport and a thriving fishing industry.

"We land more fish in Shetland than we do in the whole of England, Northern Ireland and Wales," says council leader Emma Macdonald.

"Tunnels could be incredibly transformational," she continues.

Macdonald adds: "We're really excited about the opportunity."

The 20th Century oil and gas boom brought Shetland riches but the islands have since embraced the shift to renewable energy and are home to the UK's most productive onshore wind farm.

"Shetland's really integral to Scotland and to the wider UK," says Macdonald.

The council has authorised a £990,000 feasibility study into building tunnels to four islands – Unst, Yell, Bressay and Whalsay.

It has not yet published an estimated cost for construction.

Head and shoulders shot of Elizabeth Johnson, who has short grey hair, smiling at the camera. She is wearing a grey t-shirt and a darker grey jacket with a navy "Saxavord UK Space Port" patch. She is standing on a shoreline and the sea is visible under grey skies in the background
Elizabeth Johnson says tunnels would "enhance the economic viability of the island"

"Tunnels would really open up this island for businesses," says Elizabeth Johnson, external affairs manager of Saxavord Spaceport on Unst.

She adds that they would "enhance the economic viability of the island".

But with neither the Scottish nor UK governments volunteering to pay for Shetland's tunnels, the Faroese funding model of borrowing paid back by tolls looks likely to be adopted.

"I think people recognise that there is probably a need for tolling and I think people understand that," says Macdonald.

She adds: "They already have to pay to go on the ferries."

At present the council runs ferry services to nine islands, carrying around 750,000 passengers each year on 12 vessels at a cost of £23m per year.

The average age of the fleet is 31.5 years, costs have risen sharply in the past decade, and some routes are struggling to meet demand for vehicle places.

Hebridean and Clyde ferries, off the west of Scotland, run by Scottish government-owned Caledonian MacBrayne, are also ageing and have been beset by problems.

Drone shot of a white car preparing to enter a tunnel in the Faroes. The tunnel has been constructed under green fields and some sheep are also visible in the image.
The 18 islands which make up the self-governing nation under the sovereignty of Denmark are connected by 23 tunnels

Mr Sloan says tunnels could provide more robust transport links for the west coast as well as the Northern Isles.

"Quite frankly, it can be repeated in Shetland, and not just Shetland, possibly elsewhere in Scotland."

Mr Sloan agrees that tolls are the most feasible funding option.

Tolls were abolished on the Skye Bridge in 2004 after a long-running campaign of non payment, and were scrapped on the Forth and Tay road bridges in 2008.

But Ms Johnson, of the Saxavord Spaceport, reckons Shetlanders would be happy to pay their way.

"I don't think anybody that I've spoken to would be against tolls," she says.

Vehicles streak past the two lanes in a tunnel either side of a yellow sign which reads: "Klaksvik"
Four tunnels in the Faroes run below the sea

Although there is no organised opposition to tunnels in Shetland some locals do express concern about whether they would change what it means to be an island.

Pat Burns runs the northernmost shop in the British Isles, The Final Checkout on Unst.

She was not convinced about tunnels at first, fearing that they would alter the nature of island life.

"I like the challenges of trying to get from A to B," she explains.

However after years of worrying about bad weather interrupting supplies for her shop and seeing tourists turned away because ferries are full, she has changed her mind.

"I was a wee bit iffy-iffy about it before," she says, "but now I realise that if Unst doesn't get a tunnel, the challenge is going to be too big."

China’s Economy Grows Steadily Despite Trump’s Tariffs

15 July 2025 at 10:12
Companies redirected exports through other countries to avoid U.S. tariffs, and policymakers turned up investment in manufacturing and infrastructure.

© Gilles Sabrié for The New York Times

Workers on the production line at an electric vehicle factory in Chongqing, China.

'Heart-breaking': Locals and visitors devastated by loss of Grand Canyon Lodge

15 July 2025 at 02:39
Getty Images The view from Grand Canyon Lodge Getty Images
People came from all over the world to enjoy the views from Grand Canyon Lodge at the North Rim

Davy Crockett watched from miles away as the first small plumes of smoke began to rise in the Grand Canyon's North Rim.

It was not long before the small plumes transformed into huge flames. Mr Crockett, vice-president of the non-profit Grand Canyon Historical Society, went to bed but worries kept him up. The historic Grand Canyon Lodge, with its panoramic views of one of the natural wonders of the world, was in the path of those flames.

On Sunday, park officials confirmed the beloved lodge was destroyed in raging wildfires.

"It broke my heart," said Mr Crockett. "I was devastated."

Hundreds of people are sharing his sadness and posting tributes on social media to the stone lodge perched at 8,000 feet (2,438m), the only accommodation available within the national park's North Rim.

It was "stunning, a balm for my weary soul", one person wrote. "Heartbroken to hear the historic lodge, visitor center and more were destroyed."

Watch: Wildfire burns parts of the Grand Canyon National Park

Many of the dozens of cabins at the lodge were also lost in the Dragon Bravo Fire, which has burned over 5,000 acres.

Honeymooners, hikers and runners all treasured the lodge and its views, historians and locals said.

Karne Snickers has led tours in the North Rim for 24 years. She said the area sees fewer tourists than the South Rim because the view in parts is slightly obscured by "majestic" ponderosa trees.

But it was clear on the deck of the Grand Canyon Lodge, she said.

"It's very spiritual there," she said. "Sitting on the deck of that lodge, there isn't one dry eye from any trip that I've ever done when you turn away and have to go back to the van."

The destruction of the lodge has been like "losing an old friend".

"I shed many tears yesterday," Ms Snickers said.

The 61-year-old tour guide was there just before the fires began, when a lightning strike ignited a blaze on 4 July that officials initially thought would be containable.

But after the winds picked up, the fire exploded, Mr Crockett said.

Firefighters were there to protect the lodge, but when a water treatment plant burned down and released toxic chlorine gas into the air, they had to evacuate.

Along with the lodge, much of the surrounding nature has been lost too, including 400 year-old trees.

Ms Snickers believes one large tree she would have hikers on her tours hug is no longer there.

"Much of the beauty is gone," Mr Crockett said. "It'll take decades for things to grow back."

National Park Service A black-and-white photo of old-fashioned buses in front of a stone building, with a line of women in cleaning uniforms and two men playing stringed instrumentsNational Park Service
Workers sing to departing guests on tour buses in 1930

This was the second time the lodge burned down.

A version that opened in 1928, designed by architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood, was lost four years later to a fire that started in its kitchen.

Building a new structure during the Great Depression took years and perseverance, repurposing much of the original building's stonework and lumber.

A smaller, temporary lodge that housed construction workers also burned down for unknown reasons, according to Mr Crockett.

Then, a massive snowstorm dropped 12 feet of snow in the area one winter, cutting the workers and their families off from food and the outside world for weeks, he said.

Finally, some of the workers hiked down to the trailhead in snow shoes to call for help, bringing in snow plows to rescue the rest of the group, Mr Crockett said.

After the lodge opened once again, in 1938, it became a "summer getaway that people have just cherished over the years", he said.

Lodge guests might encounter an occasional buffalo while walking beside tall pine trees. Inside, they could take in views from the massive windows in the lodge's sun room, or from their table in the dining room, with its high ceiling that was crossed with ponderosa beams.

Park officials have yet to say whether they plan to rebuild the iconic lodge, but many visitors and locals are holding out hope.

"We have to rebuild this place," Ms Snickers said. "It's going to take time, but it needs to come back. It was a part of history."

National Park Service Dining room with high ceilings and windows overlooking Grand Canyon, where people sit to eat or stand, during the dayNational Park Service
Diners also had views of the canyon - often considered one of the natural wonders of the world - from their tables

UK to start processing Syrian asylum claims again

15 July 2025 at 06:38
AFP via Getty Images Two female protesters hold Syrian flags and placards reading: "Syrian refugees deserve dignity" and "no human is illegal".AFP via Getty Images

The UK is to start processing Syrian asylum claims again, more than seven months after decisions were paused following the fall of the Assad regime.

Asylum minister Dame Angela Eagle said the Home Office had "worked to lift the pause as soon as there was sufficient information to make accurate and well-evidenced determinations".

The government has published updated guidance for officials to make decisions on Syrian claims.

Dame Angela said claims could now be processed, and returns to Syria conducted in line with this.

The UK paused decisions on Syrian claims for asylum and permanent settlement in December, after President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown by a rebel offensive led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), following years of civil war.

In a written statement, Dame Angela said the pause "was a necessary step while there was no stable, objective information available to make robust assessments of risk on return to Syria".

However, the move left more than 7,000 Syrians waiting for a decision on an asylum claim in limbo.

The majority of these are living in government-funded accommodation, such as hotels.

The pause also applied to Syrians who had already been granted refugee status and were initially given the right to stay in the UK for five years before being able to apply for permanent settlement.

Campaigners say being left with this temporary status makes it harder for people to secure a job or housing.

Welcoming the move, Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council charity, said: "We know the pause in decision making had left Syrian people trapped in further limbo, unable to work, move on with their lives and fearing for their future.

"However, the situation in Syria continues to be unstable, and we urge the government to ensure that every asylum application is assessed on a case-by-case basis, ensuring the safety and protection of Syrians who would face extreme risk if they are returned."

Figures affiliated with HTS - which is designated a terrorist group by the UK - now run the country, with HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa named as Syria's interim president earlier this year.

Under the United Nations Refugee Convention, an individual must have a "well-founded fear of persecution" to be granted asylum and refugee status.

The Home Office's updated guidance on Syria states that a "breakdown in law and order or uncertain security situations do not in themselves give rise to a well-founded fear of persecution".

"There are not substantial grounds for believing there is a real risk of serious harm in Syria because of a serious and individual threat to a civilian's life or person by reason of indiscriminate violence in a situation of international or internal armed conflict," it adds.

"All cases must be considered on their individual facts, with the onus on the person to demonstrate they face persecution or serious harm."

Ministers have previously suggested that the majority of Syrians who arrived in the UK before the fall of Assad were fleeing the regime, and some may now wish to return.

On the issue of returns, the guidance notes that following the change in government, opponents of the former Assad regime are "unlikely to be at risk upon return to Syria solely on that basis".

On the situation for religious minorities, it states that Kurds, Christians, Druze and Shia Muslims are "are unlikely to face a real risk of persecution or serious harm from the state" and "the onus is on the person to demonstrate otherwise".

However, it adds that Kurds in areas under de facto control of the Syrian National Army - a coalition of Turkish-backed rebel groups - "are likely to face a real risk of persecution or serious harm" based on their ethnicity or perceived political opinion.

It also says that although the new government has sought to assure members of the Alawite minority they will not be subject to violent reprisals, Alawites "are likely to face a real risk of persecution or serious harm from the state due to their religion and/or an imputed political opinion".

Many of the former Assad regime's political and military elite belonged to the Alawite sect.

The guidance notes that in March members of the Alawite minority were subject to a series of attacks which killed an estimated 800 people, with HTS-affiliated groups reported to have been involved.

Earlier this month, Foreign Secretary David Lammy met interim president al-Sharaa, as he became the first UK minister to visit Syria since the uprising that led to the country's civil war began 14 years ago.

The UK has also been gradually lifting sanctions on Syria.

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Beyoncé's unreleased music stolen from car during Cowboy Carter tour

15 July 2025 at 07:17
Reuters Beyonce is seen singing on stage during her Cowboy Carter tour in a silver and white outfit. She is wearing white fringed chaps. Reuters

Unreleased music by Beyoncé was among several items stolen from a vehicle in Atlanta, just days before the singer's four-night Cowboy Carter tour stop in the city, authorities have confirmed.

Hard drives containing the unreleased songs, show plans, and past and future set-lists for her tour were among the items stolen from a rental car used by the singer's choreographer and one of her dancers, according to a police report.

The theft occurred on 8 July, two days before Beyoncé's first Atlanta performance.

Atlanta police say an arrest warrant has been issued, but the suspect's name has not been made public.

Choreographer Christopher Grant and dancer Diandre Blue told police they had parked the rented Black Jeep Wagoneer and gone inside a nearby food hall. When they returned, the vehicle's rear window had been smashed and two suitcases were missing, a police incident report states.

They told police they were "carrying some personal sensitive information for the musician Beyoncé" in the vehicle that was also stolen.

That included "five jump drives containing watermarked music, unreleased music, footage plans for shows past and future, and set list", the report states.

Other items reported stolen included a laptop, designer clothes and Apple AirPods. Authorities used tracking information on the laptop and headphones to track where the items may have gone, a police report notes.

Authorities also dusted the vehicle for any fingerprints and discovered "two very light prints".

It's unclear whether the stolen items have been recovered.

The BBC has contacted a representative for Beyoncé for comment.

Beyoncé is currently on tour in Atlanta as part of her Cowboy Carter stadium tour. She has been performing in the city since 10 July and her last show was set for Monday night.

Her husband, the rapper Jay Z, made a surprise appearance on the third night of her show.

Starbucks staff must work in the office four days a week

15 July 2025 at 05:28
Getty Images A Starbucks takeaway cup held by a person with a leopard print shirt in Sacramento, California, US, on Monday, April 28, 2025.Getty Images

Starbucks has told its corporate staff they must work in the office for four days a week or take a payment and quit.

Workers will be expected to be in the office between Monday and Thursday starting in October, up from a previous requirement that staff come in for three days.

The directive is the latest in a series from companies who are pushing to restrict remote working which expanded during the Covid pandemic.

Starbucks workers who choose not to comply with the new policy, which applies to the US and Canada, will be offered a one-time payout if they decide to leave.

Brian Niccol, chief executive at Starbucks who joined the business less than a year ago, said the change would help the firm do its "best work" as it faces falling sales and other challenges.

"We understand not everyone will agree with this approach," he wrote in a company blog.

"We've listened and thought carefully. But as a company built on human connection, and given the scale of the turnaround ahead, we believe this is the right path for Starbucks," he said.

As part of the move, the company will require certain managers to relocate to Seattle, where Starbucks is headquartered, or Toronto.

Mr Niccol's contract did not require him to relocate to Seattle while specifying that the firm would establish a small remote office near his hometown in California.

He has since bought a home in Seattle.

The new policy is part of a series of changes Mr Niccol has made to turn around Starbucks.

These include revamping its menus and coffee shops as well as reversing rules for its cafes in North America that allowed people to use their facilities even if they had not bought anything.

Previously, people were allowed to linger in Starbucks outlets and use their toilets without making a purchase.

Earlier this year, the firm cut 1,100 jobs.

Other companies have also been tightening their remote work policies, including the likes of Amazon and JP Morgan.

Surveys by researchers at Stanford, the Instituto Tecnogolico Autonomo de Mexico and the University of Chicago suggest that overall working practices in recent years have been fairly stable.

Their research has found that in the US, about about a third of staff who can perform their roles remotely have been recalled to the office full-time, while roughly a fifth are fully remote. About 45% enjoy a hybrid policy.

Musk's Grok signs $200m deal with Pentagon days after antisemitism row

15 July 2025 at 06:42
Getty Images In this photo illustration, the xAI Grok logo is seen displayed on a smartphone screen with xAI logo in the backgroundGetty Images
Elon Musk's xAI says Grok will soon be available for purchase and use by all federal government agencies.

The Pentagon has signed a multi-million dollar deal to begin using Elon Musk's artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, as part of a wider rollout of AI tools for government use, the Department of Defence confirmed.

Announced on Monday by Musk's company xAI, the $200m (£149m) contract is part of its "Grok for Government" programme, and aligns with the Trump administration's push for more aggressive adoption of artificial intelligence.

It comes just days after Grok sparked backlash for spouting antisemitic posts, including praise for Adolf Hitler on X, the social media platform owned by Musk.

Musk said the bot was "too compliant" and "too eager to please". He said the issue was being addressed.

Musk's xAI says the new deal will give US government departments access to Grok 4, the latest version of the chatbot, and offer custom tools for national security use.

The company also plans to provide technical support for classified environments.

The Pentagon also announced awarding similar contracts to Anthropic, Google and OpenAI - each with a $200m ceiling.

"The adoption of AI is transforming the Department's ability to support our warfighters and maintain strategic advantage over our adversaries," said the administration's Chief Digital and AI Officer Doug Matty.

Musk's expanding government partnerships come amid a deteriorating relationship with President Donald Trump.

The Tesla and SpaceX boss had spent a quarter of a billion dollars on Trump's re-election effort in 2024, and actively campaigned for him.

He was later appointed to run the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) - a federal cost-cutting initiative tasked with reducing the size of the US government.

But in recent months, Musk began openly criticising what Trump had dubbed the "Big Beautiful Bill", a sprawling spending and tax cuts legislation that the Tesla boss said was too costly for Americans.

Musk resigned from his post at Doge in May, though the department has not been officially disbanded.

Since then, Trump had suggested Doge could be deployed to harm Musk's companies.

Trump also suggested he might deport Musk, who is an American citizen and was born in South Africa. He also holds Canadian citizenship.

While at the helm of Doge, the White House was criticised for allowing Musk to have unfettered access to troves of government data on American citizens.

Despite the fall-out, Musk's xAI has continued to expand its government work. Its newly-announced contract may also create an avenue for that data collection to continue.

Grok was introduced in late 2023 as a more unfiltered alternative to other AI chatbots like ChatGPT. It is already integrated into Musk's social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Faroes-style tunnels could 'transform' fortunes for Shetland isles

15 July 2025 at 06:05
BBC A grey car enters a tunnel, driving past red "no pedestrian" and "no cyclist" roadsigns. The tunnel disappears into a grassy hillside. A blue and white radio station information sign reads "FM 100.0".BBC
The 18 islands which make up the Faroes are connected by 23 tunnels, four of which run below the sea

The Faroese prime minister says Shetland could boost growth and revitalise island life by following his country in replacing ageing ferries with undersea tunnels.

Shetland Islands Council says it is pushing ahead with plans to build tunnels to four outlying isles in the archipelago including Unst, the most northerly place in the UK.

"I think we have learned in the Faroe Islands that investment in infrastructure is a good investment," Aksel Johannesen told BBC News.

Shetland Islands Council says its multi-million pound project is likely to be funded by borrowing money and paying it back through tolls, potentially providing a new transport model for other Scottish islands.

Faroese prime minister Aksel Johannesen pictured in an office with two blurred out gold-framed paintings hanging on a white wall behind him. He has brown hair combed to the side and is clean-shaven. He is looking directly at the camera with a serious expression. He is wearing a black shirt and a checked blazer.
The Faroese prime minister Aksel Johannesen told BBC News tunnels had helped to grow the population and the economy of the archipelago

Critics say politicians in Scotland have wasted years talking about tunnels while the Faroes, nearly 200 miles further out into the Atlantic, have actually built them.

"It is frustrating," says Anne Anderson of salmon producer Scottish Sea Farms, which employs nearly 700 people in Scotland, including just under 300 in Shetland.

The island chain produces a quarter of all Scottish salmon - the UK's most valuable food export with international sales of £844m in 2024.

"Ten years ago Scottish salmon used to have 10 per cent of the global market. Nowadays we're slipping ever closer to five per cent," adds Ms Anderson, who blames that slide, in part, on a lack of investment in public infrastructure .

She agrees that the UK should look to the Faroes for inspiration.

"Identify what works well for them and then just copy and paste and let's get moving," urges Ms Anderson.

A windswept Anne Anderson photographed from the chest up  in a marina setting. She has grey hair - tied back -  blue-rimmed glasses and is smiling at the camera. She is wearing a blue jacket with a "Scottish Sea Farms" logo on the left hand side.
Anne Anderson of Scottish Sea Farms says politicians should get moving

They have been building tunnels in the Faroes since the 1960s.

The 18 islands which make up the self-governing nation under the sovereignty of Denmark are connected by 23 tunnels, four of which run below the sea.

More are under construction.

Most dramatic is a 7.1 mile (11.4km) tunnel which connects the island of Streymoy to two sides of a fjord on the island of Eysturoy.

It includes the world's only undersea roundabout.

At its deepest point it is 187m (614ft) below the waves and has halved the driving time between the capital Tórshavn and the second biggest town, Klaksvik.

Photograph of vehicles streaking past a roundabout in a tunnel. The tunnel has a green/ blue backdrop and black silhouettes of figures on it.
A tunnel which connects the islands of Streymoy and Eysturoy includes the world's only undersea roundabout, nicknamed the jellyfish

Speaking in his grass-roofed office looking out over a busy harbour in Tórshavn, Johannesen says tunnels helped to grow the population and the economy of the archipelago, which is home to some 54,000 people, in contrast to Shetland's 23,000.

"It's about ambition," says tunnel builder Andy Sloan, whose company worked on part of the Faroese tunnel project.

He adds the islands have led the world "in connecting an archipelago in the middle of the North Atlantic through blood, sweat and tears – and focus.

"They have delivered a remarkable piece of infrastructure," says Mr Sloan, who is executive vice-president of engineering firm COWI.

It is now advising Shetland Islands Council on the technicalities and financing of tunnels.

The Faroese tunnels were constructed using a technique known as drill and blast – where holes are drilled in rock, explosives are dropped in, and the rubble is then cleared away – which Mr Sloan says could also be used in Scotland.

"Without doubt, Shetland can copy what has been achieved in these islands," he adds.

Head and shoulder shot of a smiling Andy Sloan, who is bald, smiling at the camera. He is wearing a navy suit jacket, navy half-zip jumper and a white shirt with the top button open. Green shrubbery is visible in the background.
Tunnel builder Andy Sloan worked on the Faroese tunnels

Prof Erika Anne Hayfield, dean of the Faculty of History and Social Sciences at the University of the Faroe Islands, says the tunnels have delivered significant benefits.

"People can live and thrive in smaller settlements," while still participating fully in island life and commuting to "the central labour market" in Tórshavn, she explains.

"In the long term, in terms of demography, social sustainability, a lot of people on islands believe that it is necessary," adds Prof Hayfield.

But she said the costs of some tunnels had been controversial, with some Faroese arguing that they are being built at the expense of investing in schools and hospitals.

Drone footage of Tórshavn marina, with government buildings, some of which have grass roofs, visible in the foreground. A number of boats can also be seen in the picture
The capital, Tórshavn, is a shorter commute for islanders since the construction of the tunnel network

Shetland's main town, Lerwick, may be closer to Tórshavn than it is to Edinburgh – and closer to Copenhagen than London – but advocates of tunnels insist the islands are not a remote backwater but an advanced economy constrained by poor infrastructure.

The archipelago of 100 islands at the confluence of the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean boasts the UK's only spaceport and a thriving fishing industry.

"We land more fish in Shetland than we do in the whole of England, Northern Ireland and Wales," says council leader Emma Macdonald.

"Tunnels could be incredibly transformational," she continues.

Macdonald adds: "We're really excited about the opportunity."

The 20th Century oil and gas boom brought Shetland riches but the islands have since embraced the shift to renewable energy and are home to the UK's most productive onshore wind farm.

"Shetland's really integral to Scotland and to the wider UK," says Macdonald.

The council has authorised a £990,000 feasibility study into building tunnels to four islands – Unst, Yell, Bressay and Whalsay.

It has not yet published an estimated cost for construction.

Head and shoulders shot of Elizabeth Johnson, who has short grey hair, smiling at the camera. She is wearing a grey t-shirt and a darker grey jacket with a navy "Saxavord UK Space Port" patch. She is standing on a shoreline and the sea is visible under grey skies in the background
Elizabeth Johnson says tunnels would "enhance the economic viability of the island"

"Tunnels would really open up this island for businesses," says Elizabeth Johnson, external affairs manager of Saxavord Spaceport on Unst.

She adds that they would "enhance the economic viability of the island".

But with neither the Scottish nor UK governments volunteering to pay for Shetland's tunnels, the Faroese funding model of borrowing paid back by tolls looks likely to be adopted.

"I think people recognise that there is probably a need for tolling and I think people understand that," says Macdonald.

She adds: "They already have to pay to go on the ferries."

At present the council runs ferry services to nine islands, carrying around 750,000 passengers each year on 12 vessels at a cost of £23m per year.

The average age of the fleet is 31.5 years, costs have risen sharply in the past decade, and some routes are struggling to meet demand for vehicle places.

Hebridean and Clyde ferries, off the west of Scotland, run by Scottish government-owned Caledonian MacBrayne, are also ageing and have been beset by problems.

Drone shot of a white car preparing to enter a tunnel in the Faroes. The tunnel has been constructed under green fields and some sheep are also visible in the image.
The 18 islands which make up the self-governing nation under the sovereignty of Denmark are connected by 23 tunnels

Mr Sloan says tunnels could provide more robust transport links for the west coast as well as the Northern Isles.

"Quite frankly, it can be repeated in Shetland, and not just Shetland, possibly elsewhere in Scotland."

Mr Sloan agrees that tolls are the most feasible funding option.

Tolls were abolished on the Skye Bridge in 2004 after a long-running campaign of non payment, and were scrapped on the Forth and Tay road bridges in 2008.

But Ms Johnson, of the Saxavord Spaceport, reckons Shetlanders would be happy to pay their way.

"I don't think anybody that I've spoken to would be against tolls," she says.

Vehicles streak past the two lanes in a tunnel either side of a yellow sign which reads: "Klaksvik"
Four tunnels in the Faroes run below the sea

Although there is no organised opposition to tunnels in Shetland some locals do express concern about whether they would change what it means to be an island.

Pat Burns runs the northernmost shop in the British Isles, The Final Checkout on Unst.

She was not convinced about tunnels at first, fearing that they would alter the nature of island life.

"I like the challenges of trying to get from A to B," she explains.

However after years of worrying about bad weather interrupting supplies for her shop and seeing tourists turned away because ferries are full, she has changed her mind.

"I was a wee bit iffy-iffy about it before," she says, "but now I realise that if Unst doesn't get a tunnel, the challenge is going to be too big."

以旧换新补贴推动消费回暖,中国刺激政策能走多远?

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以旧换新补贴推动消费回暖,中国刺激政策能走多远?

DAISUKE WAKABAYASHI
北京的一个购物区。在美国的贸易战面前,中国政府今年将提供3000亿元资金,支持消费产品以旧换新。
北京的一个购物区。在美国的贸易战面前,中国政府今年将提供3000亿元资金,支持消费产品以旧换新。 Kevin Frayer/Getty Images
中国天津的一家电子产品商店里,詹德宓(音)一边浏览苹果手机,一边不假思索地说着她需要升级手机的理由。
她现有手机的内存已被刚学会走路的孩子的照片和视频占满了。一个孩子的老师让她下载各种各样的应用程序,进一步挤占了手机内存。但最终促使她走进这家商店的原因是政府为刺激持续低迷的消费支出而推出的以旧换新政策。
面对与美国的贸易战,中国政府今年将提供3000亿元资金,支持消费品以旧换新。今年的资金规模是去年的两倍,目的是通过为购买从洗衣机到电动汽车等各种消费产品提供补贴,来刺激状况不稳定的经济所急需的消费增长。
该政策成效显著,以至于一些城市的政府已在最近几周暂停或降低提供补贴,以防止资金过早耗尽。在对智能手机和家电产品的强劲需求推动下,5月的零售总额意外地增长了6.4%,超出了经济学家们的预期。
由于去年的经济增长乏力,中国政府为刺激消费支出,推出了耗资1500亿元的消费品以旧换新政策。而2025年的资金规模是去年的两倍。
由于去年的经济增长乏力,中国政府为刺激消费支出,推出了耗资1500亿元的消费品以旧换新政策。而2025年的资金规模是去年的两倍。 Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
“我们想薅羊毛,”詹女士说,她的意思是要利用商家推出的各类优惠机会。她利用以旧换新政策,以最多可达20%的折扣购买了节能空调等家电。“如果能在有优惠的时候一次性地升级所有产品,我们就会行动,”她说。
消费低迷长期困扰中国经济。与大多数发达国家的情况相比,中国消费者的储蓄率更高,更少花钱,即使是在经济高速增长的时候。但现在,经济增长已在放缓,高薪岗位正在消失,而且低迷的房地产行业没有丝毫反弹的迹象(房地产曾是中国经济增长的主要动力,也是中国人投资的主要方式),因此刺激消费对维持经济增长至关重要。
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中国惯用的经济刺激手段此次可能失灵。基建投资无法延续过去的规模。地方政府几十年来一直在修建机场、火车站,以及桥梁,但现已陷入巨额债务。中国与美国持续的贸易摩擦,加上全球各地对廉价中国商品大量涌入的担忧日益增长,限制了中国提高工厂生产、增加出口的能力。
詹女士说,尽管她在消费品以旧换新上花了钱,但她也在缩减其他方面的开支,这反映了中国政策制定者们面临的挑战。她常去的咖啡馆把咖啡的单价从10元提高到15元后,她决定自己买豆在家做咖啡。她说,在经济不景气的时候,做出这种选择很自然。
消费品以旧换新的目的是通过为购买电动汽车和家用电器等商品提供补贴来刺激消费。
消费品以旧换新的目的是通过为购买电动汽车和家用电器等商品提供补贴来刺激消费。 Qilai Shen for The New York Times
“不少人甚至已经失了业,或被迫停止工作,或被降了工资,”詹女士说。“所以为了让手头的钱够用,人们更倾向于货比三家,花钱更谨慎。”
虽然执政的中国共产党多年来一直在口头上强调促进消费的重要性,但高层官员们最近的说法已更加明确。
国务院总理李强上个月表示,中国正在“加力实施扩大内需战略,开展提振消费专项行动”。在天津举行的的世界经济论坛上,李强面对与会的企业高管、政府要员以及专家,承诺“推动中国在‘制造大国’的坚实基础上成长为超大体量的‘消费大国’”。
中国最高领导人习近平今年承诺“使消费潜力充分释放出来”,以抵消中美贸易战的影响。
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当前实施的以旧换新计划类似于美国的“旧车换现金”政策,于去年年底启动,最初只适用于八类家电和汽车,提供的补贴从15%到20%不等,节能产品的补贴更高。
中国已发行了特别国债为消费品以旧换新提供资金,2025年提供的资金将是去年的两倍,产品覆盖范围已扩大到包括智能手机、平板电脑和智能手表等。
上个月,重庆市和其他几个地区的政府暂停了补贴。重庆是一个有3000多万人口的直辖市,市政府表示暂停补贴不是彻底取消,而是为稍后推出的第二轮补贴做准备。
国务院总理李强说,中国正在“加力实施扩大内需战略,开展提振消费专项行动”。
国务院总理李强说,中国正在“加力实施扩大内需战略,开展提振消费专项行动”。 Jade Gao/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
尽管以旧换新政策取得了成功,但经济学家们担心该政策对消费的影响将是短暂的,并可能导致今年下半年和明年上半年的消费支出下滑。据日本投资银行野村证券估计,中国2025年下半年的零售额将比去年同期减少0.4个百分点,明年上半年的零售额将降低近一个百分点。
中国政府正在探索其他政策方案。据彭博新闻社报道,中国打算从今年开始向有三岁以下儿童的家庭提供每孩每年3600元的补贴。凯投宏观的中国经济学家黄子春(音)表示,提供现金补贴是一个“思维转变”,为后续消费支持措施奠定了基础。
中国高储蓄率的另一个原因是社会保障体系资金不足。虽然大多数中国公民都参加了医疗保险和养老保险,但保障力度有限,而且自付比例较高。大多数人没有失业或工伤保险,包括中国两亿零工群体中的许多人。
汽车制造商比亚迪的销售员张迪伦(音)说,以旧换新为汽车销量带来了小幅增长。但他在展厅等待顾客时坦言,需求仍远不及两三年前,那时买车的人接连不断,想买的人甚至需要等上六个月才能拿到车。
在中国浙江的一个物流中心,准备装入集装箱的出口货物。
在中国浙江的一个物流中心,准备装入集装箱的出口货物。 Kevin Frayer/Getty Images
与许多中国消费者一样,张先生说,房地产市场低迷已经让他的经济状况受到影响。他和妻子2019年花大约180万买了房子。自那以后,房子的价值已跌了近一半。
当被问及为何中国消费者不愿增加消费时,张先生说,人们花钱吝啬,是因为“赚钱太难”。
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在天津一家购物中心的小米手机专卖店,销售员王明科(音)说,消费品以旧换新刺激了公司手机的销量。他说,现在店里每月卖出30多部智能手机,而政府提供补贴前每月只卖出20部。几个月前,也就是补贴政策实施的最初几个月,该店每月曾卖出过50部手机。
现年35岁的王先生说,补贴政策给担心花钱的消费者提供了一点消费动力。
“大家都在谈论经济下行,赚钱确实更难了,”他说。“随着人们的收入减少,他们在可自由支配的支出上可能会选择暂时不买。”

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Trump threatens Russia with tariffs while unveiling Ukraine weapons plan

15 July 2025 at 05:34
Getty Images A headshot of TrumpGetty Images
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he was "very unhappy" with Russia

US President Donald Trump has announced the US will send "top-of-the-line weapons" to Ukraine via Nato countries, while also threatening Russia with severe tariffs if a deal to end the war is not reached within 50 days.

"We want to make sure Ukraine can do what it wants to do," Trump said following a meeting with Nato chief Mark Rutte in Washington.

Rutte confirmed the US had decided to "massively supply Ukraine with what is necessary through Nato" and that the Europeans would foot the bill.

European countries will send Kyiv their own Patriot air defence systems - which Ukraine relies on to repel Russia's deadly air strikes - and replacements will then be issued by the US, Trump said.

Neither Rutte nor Trump elaborated on the weaponry that will be sent to Kyiv but Rutte said the deal included "missiles and ammunition".

However, the president did say "top-of-the-line-weapons" worth billions of dollars would be "quickly distributed to the battlefield" in order to support Ukraine.

"If I was Vladimir Putin today... I would reconsider whether I should not take negotiations about Ukraine more seriously," Rutte said, as Trump nodded.

On the tariffs front, Trump said that the US would impose 100% secondary tariffs targeting Russia's remaining trade partners if a peace deal with Ukraine was not reached within 50 days.

This would see any country that trades with Russia face the tax if they want to sell their products to the US.

For example, if India keeps buying oil from Russia, US companies that purchase Indian goods would have to pay a 100% import tax, or tariff, when the products reach American shores.

This would make the goods so expensive that US businesses would likely choose to buy them cheaper from elsewhere, resulting in lost revenue for India.

The intention is also to hobble Russia's economy. Theoretically, if Moscow was unable to generate money by selling oil to other nations it would also have less money to finance its war in Ukraine.

Given that oil and gas account for almost a third of Moscow's state revenue and more than 60% of its exports, 100% tariffs could make something of a dent Russia's finances.

Still, the Moscow Stock Exchange Index rose sharply following the announcement, likely as investors were expecting Trump - who last week teased a "major statement" on Russia - to pledge even harsher measures.

Although detail about both the tariffs and the Nato weapons deal was scant, Monday was the first time Trump pledged to make new military equipment to Ukraine since returning to the White House.

Reuters US President Donald Trump meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, where President Trump announces a deal to send U.S. weapons to Ukraine through NATO, in the Oval Office at the White House in WashingtonReuters
Nato chief Mark Rutte met with Trump on Monday

The briefing was also notable for the tone struck by US president, whose rhetoric on Vladimir Putin has become increasingly harsh.

Not for the first time, Trump implied Kyiv bore some responsibility for Russia's decision to launch its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

But he mostly appeared frustrated at the lack of progress in ending a conflict which he once seemed to believe could be easily solvable.

Asked about his relationship with Putin, Trump said that the two speak "a lot about getting this thing done" but voiced his displeasure at the fact that "very nice phone calls" with the Russian president are often followed by devastating air strikes on Ukraine - which have been growing in intensity and frequency.

"After that happens three or four times you say: the talk doesn't mean anything," Trump said.

"I don't want to call him an assassin but he's a tough guy. It's been proven over the years, he fooled a lot of people – Clinton, Bush, Obama, Biden," he added. "He didn't fool me. At a certain point talk doesn't talk, it's got to be action."

Two rounds of ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine took place earlier this year but no other meetings have so far been scheduled - something Moscow has blamed on Kyiv.

Ukraine's President Zelensky is currently hosting US envoy Keith Kellogg in Kyiv and earlier on Monday hailed a "productive meeting" - saying he was "grateful" to Trump for his support.

The Kremlin did not immediately comment on the announcement - but commentary trickling in from Moscow appeared to indicate a measure of relief.

Pro-Kremlin pundit and former Putin aide Sergei Markov called the tariffs announcement "a bluff" that indicated Trump had "given up on trying to achieve peace in Ukraine".

Senator Konstantin Kosachev argued that "if this is all Trump had to say about Ukraine today, then so far it's been much ado about nothing".

In 50 days a lot could change "both on the battlefield and in the moods of the powers that be in the US and Nato," Kosachev wrote.

Additional reporting by Dearbail Jordan

Trump weapons pledge marks major step forward for Ukraine

15 July 2025 at 04:05
Reuters File picture of a Patriot air missile system being fired during an exercise between US and Philippine troopsReuters
Additional Patriot missile batteries will give Kyiv a chance to expand protection against Russian attacks (file pic)

For the first time since returning to the White House, Donald Trump has pledged to make new weapons available to Ukraine.

Under a new deal, the US will sell weapons to Nato members who will then supply them to Kyiv as it battles Russia's invasion.

The president didn't give too many specifics about what he said was "billions of dollars' worth of military equipment". But when asked if the deal included Patriot air defence batteries and interceptor missiles, he replied "it's everything".

One European country has 17 Patriot systems and "a big portion" would soon be on the way to Ukraine, Trump said.

For Ukraine, a huge country that currently operates handful of batteries - perhaps as few as eight - this is a major step forward, giving Kyiv a chance to expand protection against Russian ballistic and cruise missiles.

Sitting beside the president, the Nato Secretary General, Mark Rutte, hinted at a bigger package.

"It's broader than Patriots," he said.

"It will mean that Ukraine can get its hands on really massive numbers of military equipment, both for air defence, but also missiles, ammunition..."

This is a significant moment.

Less than two weeks ago, there was horror in Kyiv at news that the Pentagon had suspended military shipments to Ukraine, including Patriots.

The decision-making surrounding that announcement remains unclear, but on Monday, Trump once again tried to make light if it, saying it had been made in the knowledge that this deal would be struck.

"We were pretty sure this was going to happen, so we did a little bit of a pause," the president said.

Now, thanks to some tortuous negotiations, many of them involving Rutte, the weapons can continue to flow without Washington picking up the tab.

"We're in for a lot of money," the president said, "and we just don't want to do it any more."

The deal is a personal triumph for Rutte, the "Trump whisperer", who has flattered and encouraged the president, in part by helping to secure a member-wide Nato commitment to spend 5% of GDP on defence.

As they sat side by side in the Oval Office, Rutte continued to flatter Trump, calling the latest deal "really big" and saying it was "totally logical" that European members of Nato pay for it.

Reuters U.S. President Donald Trump meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, on the day President Trump announces a deal to get U.S. weapons to NATO, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 14, 2025.Reuters

A number of countries, he said, were lining up to participate, including the UK, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands.

"And this is only the first wave," he said. "There will be more."

In a separate and rather characteristic development, Trump threatened Moscow with a new deadline: if Vladimir Putin doesn't agree to a ceasefire deal in the next 50 days, Russia and its trading partners will be hit with 100% secondary tariffs.

It's a novel approach, which Kyiv and members of the US congress have been urging for some time: pressure Russia by targeting countries that continue to buy Russian oil and gas, like China and India.

Trump's move comes as the US Senate continues to work on a bill that would impose much stiffer sanctions.

The president said the Senate bill, which envisages 500% secondary tariffs, could be "very good" but added that it was "sort of meaningless after a while because at a certain point it doesn't matter".

As always, the precise details of the president's threat remain somewhat vague.

But whatever happens in the coming weeks and months, Monday felt like something of a turning point. A US president finally moving away from his perplexing faith in Vladimir Putin, while still giving the Russian leader time to come to the negotiating table.

It's definitely not a return to Joe Biden's pledges to support Ukraine "for as long as it takes," but nor is it quite the neutral stance that has infuriated Ukraine and its western allies.

Trump appears to have guaranteed that the all-important US weapons pipeline to Ukraine will remain open for now – provided others pay for it.

But 50 days will feel like a very long time to Ukrainians, who are on the receiving end of near-nightly drone and missile bombardment.

Nothing Trump has done seems likely to put an immediate stop to this.

Gaza father's outrage after Israeli strike kills son 'searching for sip' at water point

15 July 2025 at 04:35
Reuters A Palestinian boy inspects the site of an Israeli strike that killed 10 Palestinians, including six children, who were queueing at a water distribution point, in Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza (13 July 2025)Reuters
Ten people were killed as they gathered near a water distribution point in Nuseirat refugee camp

Mahmoud Abdul Rahman Ahmed says his son, Abdullah, was "searching for a sip of water" when he took the family's jerrycans on Sunday morning and headed as usual to one of the water distribution points in the urban Nuseirat camp, in central Gaza.

"That area was inhabited by displaced people, others who were exhausted by the war, and those who have seen the worst due to the imposed siege and limitations, and the ongoing aggression," Mahmoud said in an interview with a local journalist working for the BBC.

"The children, Abdullah among them, stood in a queue with empty stomachs, empty jerrycans, and thirsty lips," he added.

"Minutes after the children and thirsty people of the camp gathered, the warplanes bombed those children and the water distribution point, without prior notice."

Mahmoud Abdul Rahman Ahmed speaks to the BBC in Nuseirat refugee camp after his son Abdullah was killed in an Israeli air strike that hit a water distribution point on 13 July 2025
Mahmoud called on the world to put pressure on Israel to end the 21-month war

Graphic video filmed by another local journalist and verified by the BBC showed the immediate aftermath of the Israeli strike on a street in the New Camp area of Nuseirat.

He passes two men carrying young children before coming across a destroyed structure, beneath which dozens of yellow plastic jerrycans are clustered.

Women scream as bystanders pull a man from the rubble, while others try to help another man covered in blood. Other adults and children are seen lying motionless nearby.

Al-Awda hospital in Nuseirat said 10 people, including six children, were killed in the strike, and that 16 others were injured.

Along with Abdullah, they named the children who died as Badr al-Din Qaraman, Siraj Khaled Ibrahim, Ibrahim Ashraf Abu Urayban, Karam Ashraf al-Ghussein and Lana Ashraf al-Ghussein.

When asked about the strike, the Israeli military said it had targeted a Palestinian Islamic Jihad "terrorist" but that "as a result of a technical error with the munition, the munition fell dozens of meters from the target".

The military said it was "aware of the claim regarding casualties in the area as a result" and "regrets any harm to uninvolved civilians", adding: "The incident is under review."

However, Mahmoud claimed that Israel "intended to convey a message: it won't allow people to drink even the drinking water that they crave."

He also lamented that dreams of Abdullah and the other children would never be realised.

"They were looking at reality with the hope of it changing, and of becoming like the other children of the world - practicing their normal role of playing, moving, traveling, eating, drinking, and living in safety," he said.

Reuters Abandoned jerrycans at the site of an Israeli strike that killed 10 Palestinians, including six children, who were queueing at a water distribution point, in Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza (13 July 2025)Reuters
The Israeli military said a "technical error" caused a munition to land dozens of meters from its target

The UN says water shortages in Gaza are worsening due to the lack of fuel and spare parts for desalination, pumping and sanitation facilities, as well as insecurity and inaccessibility due to Israeli military operations against Hamas and evacuation orders.

As a result, many people are receiving less than the emergency standard of 15 litres per day, amounting to what the UN calls "a human-made drought crisis".

"You see children queuing up, by the side of the road, with yellow jerrycans every single morning, waiting for the daily water truck to come and get their five litres [or] 10 litres, of water used for washing, cleaning, cooking, drinking, etc," Sam Rose, the acting Gaza director for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa), told the BBC.

"Every death is a tragedy. This one is particularly emblematic, given the circumstances in which it took place. But it's one of many," he added.

Last Thursday, 10 children and three women were killed as they waited for nutritional supplements outside a clinic in the nearby town of Deir al-Balah.

The Israeli military said it had targeted a Hamas "terrorist" nearby and, as with Sunday's incident, that it regretted harming any civilians.

"We focus on these incidents, but of course these weren't the only children killed in Gaza [on Sunday]," Rose said. "Every single day, since the start of the war, on average of classroom full of children have been killed."

The executive director of the UN children's agency (Unicef), Catherine Russell, meanwhile called both incidents "horrific" and demanded that Israeli authorities "urgently review the rules of engagement and ensure full compliance with international humanitarian law".

Men and boys pray beside the body of a child killed in an Israeli air strike that hit a water distribution point on 13 July 2025
Sam Rose of Unrwa said a "classroom full of children" had been killed on average every day in Gaza since the war began

Later this week, the UN Security Council will convene to discuss the situation of children in Gaza, following a request by the UK.

However, Israel's permanent representative Danny Danon said council members would be "better served to apply pressure on Hamas for prolonging this conflict".

"The children in Gaza are victims of Hamas, not Israel. Hamas is using them as human shields and the UN is silent," he claimed.

Mahmoud said it was Israel which should be pressured to end the war.

"We have no power and no strength. We are victims. We are civilians just like other people in the world, and we don't own any nuclear weapons or arms or anything," he added.

"This war needs to stop, and so does the ongoing massacre happening in the Gaza Strip."

US tariff threat leaves Russia less rattled than relieved

15 July 2025 at 05:00
Getty Images Russian President Vladimir Putin smiles duting a meetng, while visiting a military base of nuclear submarines, March 26, 2025, in Murmansk, RussiaGetty Images
Trump has threatened further sanctions unless Russia strikes a deal to end the Ukraine war within 50 days

In the Oval Office on Monday, Donald Trump was talking tough, announcing new US arms shipments to Ukraine paid for by European governments, and threatening new tariffs which, if imposed, would hit Russia's war chest.

But, back in Moscow, how did the stock exchange react? It rose 2.7%.

That's because Russia had been bracing for even tougher sanctions from President Trump.

"Russia and America are moving towards a new round of confrontation over Ukraine," Monday's edition of the tabloid Moskovsky Komsomolets had warned.

"Trump's Monday surprise will not be pleasant for our country."

It wasn't "pleasant". But Russia will be relieved, for example, that the secondary tariffs against Russia's trading partners will only kick in 50 days from now.

That gives Moscow plenty of time to come up with counter proposals and delay the implementation of sanctions even further.

Nonetheless, Donald Trump's announcement does represent a tougher approach to Russia.

It also reflects his frustration with Vladimir Putin's reluctance to sign a peace deal.

On his return to the White House in January, Donald Trump had made ending Russia's war in Ukraine one of his foreign policy priorities.

For months, Moscow's response was: "Yes, but…"

Yes, Russia said in March, when it welcomed President Trump's proposal for a comprehensive ceasefire. But first, it said Western military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv should end, along with Ukrainian military mobilisation.

Yes, Moscow has been insisting, it wants peace. But the "root causes" of the war must be resolved first. The Kremlin views these very differently to how Ukraine and the West see them. It argues that the war is the result of external threats to Russia's security: from Kyiv, Nato, 'the collective West.'

Yet, in February 2022, it wasn't Ukraine, Nato or the West that invaded Russia. It was Moscow that launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, triggering the largest land war in Europe since World War Two.

Reuters A Russian contract soldier looks out of a T-72 tank during military drills held at a firing range amid Russia-Ukraine conflict, in the southern Krasnodar region, Russia, December 2, 2024.Reuters
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago

For quite some time, the "Yes, but…" approach enabled Moscow to avoid additional US sanctions, while continuing to prosecute the war. Keen to improve bilateral relations with Russia and negotiate a peace deal on Ukraine, the Trump administration prioritised carrots to sticks in its conversations with Russian officials.

Critics of the Kremlin warned that with "Yes, but"… Russia was playing for time. But President Trump hoped he could find a way of persuading Vladimir Putin to do a deal.

The Russian president has appeared in no rush to do so. The Kremlin believes it holds the initiative on the battlefield. It insists it wants peace, but on its terms.

Those terms include an end to Western arms shipments to Ukraine. From Donald Trump's announcement it is clear that is not going to happen.

President Trump claims that he is "not happy" with Vladimir Putin.

But disillusionment is a two-way street. Russia, too, has been falling out of love with America's president. On Monday, Moskovsky Komsomolets wrote:

"[Trump] clearly has delusions of grandeur. And a very big mouth."

Trump threatens Russia with tariffs while unveiling Ukraine weapons plan

15 July 2025 at 05:34
Getty Images A headshot of TrumpGetty Images
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he was "very unhappy" with Russia

US President Donald Trump has announced the US will send "top-of-the-line weapons" to Ukraine via Nato countries, while also threatening Russia with severe tariffs if a deal to end the war is not reached within 50 days.

"We want to make sure Ukraine can do what it wants to do," Trump said following a meeting with Nato chief Mark Rutte in Washington.

Rutte confirmed the US had decided to "massively supply Ukraine with what is necessary through Nato" and that the Europeans would foot the bill.

European countries will send Kyiv their own Patriot air defence systems - which Ukraine relies on to repel Russia's deadly air strikes - and replacements will then be issued by the US, Trump said.

Neither Rutte nor Trump elaborated on the weaponry that will be sent to Kyiv but Rutte said the deal included "missiles and ammunition".

However, the president did say "top-of-the-line-weapons" worth billions of dollars would be "quickly distributed to the battlefield" in order to support Ukraine.

"If I was Vladimir Putin today... I would reconsider whether I should not take negotiations about Ukraine more seriously," Rutte said, as Trump nodded.

On the tariffs front, Trump said that the US would impose 100% secondary tariffs targeting Russia's remaining trade partners if a peace deal with Ukraine was not reached within 50 days.

This would see any country that trades with Russia face the tax if they want to sell their products to the US.

For example, if India keeps buying oil from Russia, US companies that purchase Indian goods would have to pay a 100% import tax, or tariff, when the products reach American shores.

This would make the goods so expensive that US businesses would likely choose to buy them cheaper from elsewhere, resulting in lost revenue for India.

The intention is also to hobble Russia's economy. Theoretically, if Moscow was unable to generate money by selling oil to other nations it would also have less money to finance its war in Ukraine.

Given that oil and gas account for almost a third of Moscow's state revenue and more than 60% of its exports, 100% tariffs could make something of a dent Russia's finances.

Still, the Moscow Stock Exchange Index rose sharply following the announcement, likely as investors were expecting Trump - who last week teased a "major statement" on Russia - to pledge even harsher measures.

Although detail about both the tariffs and the Nato weapons deal was scant, Monday was the first time Trump pledged to make new military equipment to Ukraine since returning to the White House.

Reuters US President Donald Trump meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, where President Trump announces a deal to send U.S. weapons to Ukraine through NATO, in the Oval Office at the White House in WashingtonReuters
Nato chief Mark Rutte met with Trump on Monday

The briefing was also notable for the tone struck by US president, whose rhetoric on Vladimir Putin has become increasingly harsh.

Not for the first time, Trump implied Kyiv bore some responsibility for Russia's decision to launch its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

But he mostly appeared frustrated at the lack of progress in ending a conflict which he once seemed to believe could be easily solvable.

Asked about his relationship with Putin, Trump said that the two speak "a lot about getting this thing done" but voiced his displeasure at the fact that "very nice phone calls" with the Russian president are often followed by devastating air strikes on Ukraine - which have been growing in intensity and frequency.

"After that happens three or four times you say: the talk doesn't mean anything," Trump said.

"I don't want to call him an assassin but he's a tough guy. It's been proven over the years, he fooled a lot of people – Clinton, Bush, Obama, Biden," he added. "He didn't fool me. At a certain point talk doesn't talk, it's got to be action."

Two rounds of ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine took place earlier this year but no other meetings have so far been scheduled - something Moscow has blamed on Kyiv.

Ukraine's President Zelensky is currently hosting US envoy Keith Kellogg in Kyiv and earlier on Monday hailed a "productive meeting" - saying he was "grateful" to Trump for his support.

The Kremlin did not immediately comment on the announcement - but commentary trickling in from Moscow appeared to indicate a measure of relief.

Pro-Kremlin pundit and former Putin aide Sergei Markov called the tariffs announcement "a bluff" that indicated Trump had "given up on trying to achieve peace in Ukraine".

Senator Konstantin Kosachev argued that "if this is all Trump had to say about Ukraine today, then so far it's been much ado about nothing".

In 50 days a lot could change "both on the battlefield and in the moods of the powers that be in the US and Nato," Kosachev wrote.

Additional reporting by Dearbail Jordan

US weapons pledge marks major step forward for Ukraine

15 July 2025 at 04:05
Reuters File picture of a Patriot air missile system being fired during an exercise between US and Philippine troopsReuters
Additional Patriot missile batteries will give Kyiv a chance to expand protection against Russian attacks (file pic)

For the first time since returning to the White House, Donald Trump has pledged to make new weapons available to Ukraine.

Under a new deal, the US will sell weapons to Nato members who will then supply them to Kyiv as it battles Russia's invasion.

The president didn't give too many specifics about what he said was "billions of dollars' worth of military equipment". But when asked if the deal included Patriot air defence batteries and interceptor missiles, he replied "it's everything".

One European country has 17 Patriot systems and "a big portion" would soon be on the way to Ukraine, Trump said.

For Ukraine, a huge country that currently operates handful of batteries - perhaps as few as eight - this is a major step forward, giving Kyiv a chance to expand protection against Russian ballistic and cruise missiles.

Sitting beside the president, the Nato Secretary General, Mark Rutte, hinted at a bigger package.

"It's broader than Patriots," he said.

"It will mean that Ukraine can get its hands on really massive numbers of military equipment, both for air defence, but also missiles, ammunition..."

This is a significant moment.

Less than two weeks ago, there was horror in Kyiv at news that the Pentagon had suspended military shipments to Ukraine, including Patriots.

The decision-making surrounding that announcement remains unclear, but on Monday, Trump once again tried to make light if it, saying it had been made in the knowledge that this deal would be struck.

"We were pretty sure this was going to happen, so we did a little bit of a pause," the president said.

Now, thanks to some tortuous negotiations, many of them involving Rutte, the weapons can continue to flow without Washington picking up the tab.

"We're in for a lot of money," the president said, "and we just don't want to do it any more."

The deal is a personal triumph for Rutte, the "Trump whisperer", who has flattered and encouraged the president, in part by helping to secure a member-wide Nato commitment to spend 5% of GDP on defence.

As they sat side by side in the Oval Office, Rutte continued to flatter Trump, calling the latest deal "really big" and saying it was "totally logical" that European members of Nato pay for it.

Reuters U.S. President Donald Trump meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, on the day President Trump announces a deal to get U.S. weapons to NATO, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 14, 2025.Reuters

A number of countries, he said, were lining up to participate, including the UK, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands.

"And this is only the first wave," he said. "There will be more."

In a separate and rather characteristic development, Trump threatened Moscow with a new deadline: if Vladimir Putin doesn't agree to a ceasefire deal in the next 50 days, Russia and its trading partners will be hit with 100% secondary tariffs.

It's a novel approach, which Kyiv and members of the US congress have been urging for some time: pressure Russia by targeting countries that continue to buy Russian oil and gas, like China and India.

Trump's move comes as the US Senate continues to work on a bill that would impose much stiffer sanctions.

The president said the Senate bill, which envisages 500% secondary tariffs, could be "very good" but added that it was "sort of meaningless after a while because at a certain point it doesn't matter".

As always, the precise details of the president's threat remain somewhat vague.

But whatever happens in the coming weeks and months, Monday felt like something of a turning point. A US president finally moving away from his perplexing faith in Vladimir Putin, while still giving the Russian leader time to come to the negotiating table.

It's definitely not a return to Joe Biden's pledges to support Ukraine "for as long as it takes," but nor is it quite the neutral stance that has infuriated Ukraine and its western allies.

Trump appears to have guaranteed that the all-important US weapons pipeline to Ukraine will remain open for now – provided others pay for it.

But 50 days will feel like a very long time to Ukrainians, who are on the receiving end of near-nightly drone and missile bombardment.

Nothing Trump has done seems likely to put an immediate stop to this.

John Torode says allegation he used racist language upheld in MasterChef report

15 July 2025 at 05:20
Getty Images John TorodeGetty Images

MasterChef presenter John Torode has said he is subject to an allegation of using racist language, upheld as part of an inquiry into separate allegations against co-host Gregg Wallace.

In an Instagram post on Monday, the TV presenter said the allegation was that he made the remarks in 2018 or 2019 and that he had apologised immediately afterwards.

However, the TV chef said he had "no recollection" of any of it, adding: "I do not believe that it happened."

It comes after an inquiry ordered by MasterChef's production company Banijay found that 45 allegations about Wallace's behaviour on Masterchef were upheld.

Reddit starts verifying ages of users in the UK

15 July 2025 at 05:03
Getty Images Woman looks at Reddit website on a laptopGetty Images

Reddit has announced it is introducing age verification on its UK site from Monday to stop people aged under 18 from looking at "certain mature content".

The social media platform is bringing in the measures to comply with new rules under the UK's Online Safety Act which require sites that show adult material to introduce "robust" age checking techniques.

Reddit, known for its online communities and discussions, said that while it does not want to know who its audience is: "It would be helpful for our safety efforts to be able to confirm whether you are a child or an adult."

Ofcom, the UK regulator, said: "We expect other companies to follow suit, or face enforcement if they fail to act."

Reddit said that from 14 July, an outside firm called Persona will perform age verification for the social media platform either through an uploaded selfie or "a photo of your government ID", such as a passport.

It said Reddit will not have access to the photo and will only retain a user's verification status and date of birth so people do not have to re-enter it each time they try to access restricted content.

Reddit added that Persona "promises not to retain the picture for longer than seven days" and will not have access to a user's data on the site.

The new rules in the UK come into force on 25 July.

A spokesperson for Ofcom said: "Society has long protected youngsters from products that aren't suitable for them, from alcohol to smoking or gambling.

"Now, children will be better protected from online material that's not appropriate for them, while adults' rights to access legal content are preserved."

Pornhub and a number of other major adult websites recently confirmed they would introduce enhanced age checks in time for the new rules.

Pornhub's parent company, Aylo, said it would bring in "government approved age assurance methods" but is yet to reveal how it will require users to prove they are over 18.

Ofcom has previously said simply clicking a button, which is all the adult site currently requires, is not enough.

Companies that fail to meet the rules face fines of up to £18m or 10% of worldwide revenue, "whichever is greater".

It added that in the most serious cases, it can seek a court order for "business disruption measures", such as requiring payment providers or advertisers to withdraw their services from a platform, or requiring Internet Service Providers to block access to a site in the UK."

A Timeline of Trump’s Tariff Fight With Canada, Mexico, China and the E.U.

15 July 2025 at 03:09
The president’s penchant for imposing and then suspending tariffs has shaken markets and confounded trading partners.

© Eric Lee/The New York Times

President Trump signed an executive order in February to impose steel and aluminum tariffs.

【CDT关注】“没有机会去靠近一个人物,一旦靠拢他们就会遇到麻烦”(外二篇)

By: elijah
15 July 2025 at 05:35

《404档案馆》讲述中国审查与反审查的故事,同时以文字、音频和视频的形式发布。播客节目可在 Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify 或泛用型播客客户端搜索“404档案馆”进行收听,视频节目可在Youtube“中国数字时代· 404档案馆”频道收看。

欢迎来到404档案馆,在这里,我们一起穿越中国数字高墙

CDT 档案卡
标题:【CDT关注】“没有机会去靠近一个人物,一旦靠拢他们就会遇到麻烦”(外二篇)
来源:季风播客中国民间档案馆BBC中文网

主题归类:新闻自由新疆柴静
CDS收藏:公民馆
版权说明:该作品版权归原作者所有。中国数字时代仅对原作进行存档,以对抗中国的网络审查。详细版权说明

中国数字时代长期关注中国大陆的审查与抗争,但是我们也留意到墙内墙外也并非泾渭分明。一方面,中共大外宣遍及全球,另一方面包括华人在内的全球民众也在戮力捍卫自由。为此,我们设立“CDT关注”栏目,旨在发掘并助推中国境外网络中反抗中共专制的努力,尤其是华人世界勇敢的声音和行动。

一、季风播客|国家叙事之外,如何讲述一个多元的中国社会?

季风播客是一档人文对谈节目,依托华盛顿特区的季风书园,旨在通过访谈“向更广阔的华语世界传递人文、理性、求真之声”。

点击这里阅读全文。

在季风播客新一期节目中,主持人何流与美国全国公共广播电台(NPR)华裔记者Emily Feng一起分享了他们对于如何在国家叙事之外讲述多元中国社会的看法。

被问到在中国做报道时有什么印象深刻的事情时,Emily提到:

有一次我们去了山东一个被拆迁的小村庄,当地书记主张先拆除破旧农房,然后将村民集中安置到统一建设的高楼里。但问题是,拆房子已经把建新楼的钱花掉了,导致村民们没有新房住,只能暂时住在棚子里。这背后也涉及贪污问题。

我平常的经验是,在到达当地的几个小时内,我们就会被公安或宣传部门发现并阻拦,当地居民也会有点害怕接受外媒采访。但我到这个村以后,

村民一发现我们是媒体、是记者,马上就找到了两三个受访者,因为他们真的已经没有家了。村民带着大麦克风很快就叫来了十几个居民,半小时以内变成了几百个的居民要做采访,他们也带来了一些证据。

有一个村民提出,我们应该一起走到书记的办公室,要求获得一个回应,现场很快就变成了一个大party。

最后当然没有好结果,我们又被拦住了。当时是疫情期间,宣传部工作人员穿着那种医生的衣服(防护服)找到我们,把我们关在车里面,说要把我们隔离在山东两个礼拜,不能离开这个村子。最后我联系了北京的外交部,他们帮助了我们离开。所以中央政府跟当地政府有时也会用不同的手段跟外媒接触。

90年代,中国改革开放早期,整体氛围很欢迎媒体,当地政府觉得媒体可以帮助他们把一些信息传递给中央。媒体在中国社会是一个可以被发掘的角色,但不可幸的是现在是被限制的角色。

此外,Emily还提到在中国采访的艰难,她称:

我总是在寻找一个值得拍成纪录片或电影的故事。但是挑战在于中国越来越管控记者,电子监控系统也已经非常发达。

没有机会去靠近一个人物,一旦靠拢他们就会遇到麻烦。采访就无法继续。所以一直没有机会去了解一个人真正在想什么,是什么样的一个人。我写这本书其实也是给自己的一道“功课”——我可不可以通过书写,呈现给读者一个陌生人的画像。

二、民间档案馆|《被眼泪浸湿的土地》:一部维吾尔族“右派”的苦难史

中国民间档案馆近期发布一篇文章,通过介绍《被眼泪浸湿的土地》一书,展现维吾尔族“右派”的苦难史。

文章部分内容如下:

《被眼泪浸湿的土地》一书,是海外维吾尔社会最早用维吾尔语出版的回忆录之一。该书详细描述了维吾尔知识分子在1957年“反右运动”中的悲惨经历,填补了这一领域历史资料的空白。作者苏云古丽·恰尼谢夫以自己的亲身经历为主线,记录了1957年至1982年间,在新疆的维吾尔青年知识分子的动荡经历和悲剧命运。

img

《被眼泪浸湿的土地》一书维吾尔语版封面。

苏云古丽·恰尼谢夫1940年出生于乌鲁木齐一个知识分子家庭。1957年9月,年仅17岁的她被录取进新疆医学院。此时,毛泽东在全中国范围内发起的“双百”运动(指“百花齐放,百家争鸣”,号召对党提意见)刚刚结束,整风运动开始,新疆维吾尔自治区官方正在紧锣密鼓地准备开展“反对地方民族主义”运动。

苏云古丽就这样在政治风暴中开始了大学生活,这为她后来的命运翻开了意想不到的黑暗篇章。当时的她,与其他维吾尔族同学一起被迫参加“鸣放”和整风会议,公开表达对共产党的看法。这群朝气蓬勃、对未来充满希望但政治阅历尚浅的纯真学生,当时因为对眼前一些残酷的政治现实深感失望,同时相信了党会采纳意见,而大胆提出了自己的观点和要求。

她和其他一些同学,认为应该效仿当时苏联的模式,建立加盟共和国式的高度自治制度,以保障维吾尔、藏族、蒙古等少数民族的高度自治权,并对中共的民族区域自治制度深感不满。他们主张在新疆建立东突厥斯坦加盟共和国,而非作为省级行政区的新疆维吾尔自治区。他们在“鸣放”会议上提出的这些观点和要求,后来成为他们无法摆脱的严重政治罪行。

在随后的“大跃进”和“反对地方民族主义”运动期间,包括苏云古丽在内的这些新疆当地学生遭受了严厉的批判和迫害,承受着巨大的政治压力和精神折磨。“反右运动”不久,大饥荒随之降临。经历了如此严酷的考验,他们认识到了中国共产党少数民族自治政策的欺骗性和虚假本质。

最终,他们决定成立地下组织,开展秘密政治斗争活动,计划在时机成熟时发动当地民众,形成大规模的民族解放阵线,以摆脱殖民统治,实现东突厥斯坦独立。1962年2月5日,他们在新疆医学院的学生宿舍秘密集会,成立了“东突厥斯坦劳动人民党”,由苏云古丽·恰尼谢夫担任秘书。然而,仅仅几个月后,由于中共公安机关安插在学生中的密探告密,该组织被揭发。同年4月29日,包括苏云古丽在内的数十名维吾尔族学生被逮捕。

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作者苏云古丽·恰尼谢夫于1957年。

从此,苏云古丽和她的同学们开始了长期的监狱和强制劳动生活。在乌鲁木齐监狱度过了长达4年的酷刑折磨和黑暗的牢狱生活后,苏云古丽和她的同学萨吉德被送往乌鲁木齐周边的劳改营接受强制劳动。在此期间,她们遭受了难以想象的迫害,每天十几个小时的繁重劳动,忍受着饥饿和精神的双重折磨。

文化大革命开始后,他们的处境更加艰难。苏云古丽被戴上政治犯的帽子,安置在乌鲁木齐周边的一个人民公社,在群众监督下接受劳动改造。她在这里经历了比监狱更为艰难的日子,在精神和肉体上遭受严重摧残。长期的监禁、强制劳动和折磨,摧毁了苏云古丽和她狱中同学这一代维吾尔青年的青春、理想和追求。

该书于2006年首次由伊斯坦布尔的塔克拉玛干维吾尔出版社出版,并在海外维吾尔读者中产生重大影响,成为畅销书。2015年以更大印数再版。2018年英译缩写本在英国出版。民间档案馆提供该书维语版的PDF,英文缩写版《The Land Drenched in Tears》可于此处购买。

三、柴静:从官媒的知名记者到出走海外的独立媒体人

近日,知名媒体人柴静接受BBC访问,谈及二十多年的媒体生涯经历和感受。

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柴静曾供职于中国中央电视台,2014年离职央视,2017年移居海外,现为独立媒体人、YouTuber。

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柴静的YouTube频道正在接近100W粉丝

2023年7月,柴静开通了个人YouTube频道,并宣布于同年8月17日开始播出独立制作的六集系列纪录片《陌生人——对话圣战分子》。

2025年5月,柴静10年前出版的自传体书《看见》在中国被下架,也让她再次回到舆论浪尖。

2025年6月9日,柴静发布视频回应12年前出版的《看见》一书在大陆被禁,她表示“真实自有万钧之力…..一群人,一个片子,一本书可以失去,可以毁掉,但无形东西却会留下来,它不反抗,但你也不可能剥夺。”

基于这一期BBC对于柴静的报道,我们可以梳理出柴静的人生轨迹:

1976年,柴静出生于山西。大学时期,柴静在湖南完成学业。之后,柴静在湖南当地成为小有名气的电台主持人。

2003年,柴静调至央视知名的调查节目《新闻调查》。《新闻调查》时期的许多报道关注底层群体、民主法治,也为柴静赢得了”公知”声誉,但她视自己为一位记者与作家。

2003年非典期间,柴静因”零距离”采访医院病患成名,获年度风云记者称号。

2011年,柴静主持访谈节目《看见》,深度报道了征地农民、女死囚、重庆”打黑”、留守儿童、同性恋者等社会边缘群体和敏感议题。

2013年,《看见》节目停播(最后一期是清华大学“朱令被投毒”案)。2014年,柴静辞职离开央视。

2015年自费制作雾霾纪录片《穹顶之下》,获2亿浏览量后被全网下架。 (【真理部】视频网站删除《穹顶之下》)

2017年移居欧洲,柴静继续独立媒体工作。

2023年柴静转型做YouTube自媒体,至今发布50部视频。首支影片为自制纪录片《陌生人》,聚焦欧亚伊斯兰“圣战士”的恐怖行动背后的宗教禁忌。关注议题涵盖义和团、文革、六四、维权人士、朝鲜战争、俄乌战争、国共内战等话题。

柴静制作的一部文革纪录片获得近百万点击量,该片首次公开清华物理系创系主任叶企孙的文革日记和照片,让她感到“织补了历史缺漏”的满足感。

柴静制作的视频多次触碰“敏感议题”,对此柴静认为应该有人“平静、诚实、公正地叙述禁忌”,因为“一个社会有禁忌就不健康了”。

阅读全文:BBC |柴静: 从中国官媒的知名记者和“公知”到出走海外的独立媒体人

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