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Today — 5 July 2025News

Trump to sign sweeping tax and spending bill into law

5 July 2025 at 00:59
Anthony Zurcher: Passage of megabill is big win for Trump

US President Donald Trump is to sign his landmark policy bill into law, a day after it was narrowly passed by Congress.

The signing event at the White House on Friday afternoon, coinciding with 4 July celebrations, enacts key parts of the Trump agenda including tax cuts, spending boosts for defence and the immigration crackdown.

Trump began his victory lap at an Iowa rally on Thursday night, telling supporters it will unleash economic growth, but he must now convince sceptical Americans as polling suggests many disapprove.

Several members of his own Republican party were opposed because of the impact on rising US debt and Democrats warned the bill would reward the wealthy and punish the poor.

The 870-page package includes:

  • extending 2017 tax cuts of Trump's first term
  • steep cuts to Medicaid spending, the state-provided healthcare scheme for those on low incomes and the disabled
  • new tax breaks on tipped income, overtime and Social Security
  • a budget increase of $150bn for defence
  • a reduction in Biden-era clean energy tax credits
  • $100bn to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

The bill signing will precede 4 July American Independence Day fireworks and a military picnic attended by the pilots who recently flew into Iran to try to dismantle three nuclear sites.

The celebratory mood follows days of tense negotiations with Republican rebels in Congress and days of cajoling on Capitol Hill, sometimes by the president himself.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries delayed the final vote in the lower chamber of Congress on Thursday by speaking for nearly nine hours.

He called the bill an "extraordinary assault on the healthcare of the American people" and quoted testimony from individuals anxious about its impact.

But his marathon speech only postponed the inevitable. As soon as he sat down, the House moved to a vote.

Getty Images U.S. Speaker of the House Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) celebrates with fellow House Republicans during an enrollment ceremony of H.R. 1, the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act at the U.S. Capitol on July 3, 2025 in Washington, DC.Getty Images
Republican lawmakers celebrated after narrowly passing Trump's sweeping budget bill before a self-imposed deadline of 4 July

Only two Republicans went against, joining all 212 Democrats united in opposition. The bill passed by 218 votes to 214.

Earlier this week, the Senate passed the bill but US Vice-President JD Vance was required to cast a tiebreaking vote after three Republicans held out.

Hours after the House passed the bill, the president was in a triumphant mood as he took to the stage in Iowa to kick off a years long celebration of 250 years since American independence.

"There could be no better birthday present for America than the phenomenal victory we achieved just hours ago," he told supporters in Des Moines.

"Very simply the One Big, Beautiful Bill will deliver the strongest border on Earth, the strongest economy on Earth [and] the strongest military on Earth."

The White House believes the various tax cuts will help stimulate economic growth, but many experts fear that will not be sufficient to prevent the budget deficit - the difference between spending and tax revenue in any year - from ballooning, adding to the national debt.

Analysis by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) suggests the tax cuts could produce a surplus in the first year but will then cause the deficit to rise sharply.

Chart showing steep rises in US budget deficit each year

According to the Tax Policy Center, the tax changes in the bill would benefit wealthier Americans more than those on lower incomes, About 60% of the benefits would go to those making above $217,000 (£158,000), its analysis found.

The BBC spoke to Americans who may see a cut in the subsidies that help them pay for groceries.

Jordan, a father of two, is one of 42 million Americans who benefits from the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) scheme targeted by the bill.

He and his wife get about $700 a month to feed their family of four and the 26-year-old said if this bill reduces what he can claim he would get a second job. "I'm going to make sure that I can do whatever I can to feed my family," he says.

Watch: what will Trump’s tax and spending bill do to the US national debt?

Along with cuts to SNAP, the changes to Medicaid - a programme that covers healthcare for low-income, elderly and disabled Americans - would result in nearly 12 million losing coverage in the next decade, the CBO estimates.

Republicans defend their changes to Medicaid, saying that by toughening up work requirements they are tackling abuse and fraud.

Polling taken before the bill passed in Congress suggests public support is low and dwarfed by numbers opposed. A recent Quinnipiac University survey pointed to only 29% endorsing the legislation, which rose to two-thirds among Republicans.

But knowledge of the bill may be low too. Reuters reported there was little awareness of the legislation among Trump supporters they spoke to at the Iowa rally on Thursday night.

Several killed in severe weather in Texas and New Jersey

5 July 2025 at 02:55
KSAT via AP Debris is pictured at the side of a large pool of floodwater with trees and a fire engine seen in the background, in a grab from footage following flooding along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, Texas on 4 July.KSAT via AP

Several people have died and others are missing after flash flooding hit parts of central Texas on Friday morning.

Disaster declarations have been issued for the Hill Country and Concho Valley regions.

Rescues and evacuations have been underway since the early morning, but there are warnings of more potential flash flooding to come.

"Even if the rain is light, more flooding can occur in those areas," Acting Governor Dan Patrick said.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said the state was providing "all necessary resources to Kerrville, Ingram, Hunt and the entire Texas Hill Country dealing with these devastating floods".

The region is to the north-west of the Texas city of San Antonio.

Pictures show the deep flood waters swamping bridges and fast moving water swirling down roads.

Exactly how many people have died or are missing has not yet been confirmed by authorities.

"Folks, please don't take chances. Stay alert, follow local emergency warnings, and do not drive through flooded roads," Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said.

Kerr County Sheriff's Office said the area had suffered a "catastrophic flooding event" and confirmed that fatalities had been reported.

It told residents near creeks, streams and the Guadalupe River to move to higher ground.

Is Corbyn's new party happening and could it damage Labour?

5 July 2025 at 02:12
Getty Images Zarah Sultana speaks with former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn after addressing an audience at a fringe event for political festival The World Transformed.Getty Images
Zarah Sultana and Jeremy Corbyn shared platforms when they were both Labour MPs

High profile left winger Zarah Sultana has quit Labour and vowed to launch a new political party with Jeremy Corbyn.

That, however, seems to have come as news to him.

In a social media post, the former Labour leader congratulated Sultana on her "principled decision" to leave and said he was "delighted that she will help us build a real alternative".

But he said "the democratic foundations of a new kind of political party" were still taking shape and discussions were "ongoing".

Sultana appears to have jumped the gun, taking not just Corbyn but others involved in the project by surprise.

But that does not mean it is not happening.

There is no name yet - Aspire and The Collective have been bandied about. Corbyn is thought to like the phrase "Real Change", but not necessarily as a party name.

No timetable for a launch has been agreed, although there has been talk of fielding candidates at next May's local elections.

But all of those involved in the project believe there is a huge gap in the market to the left of Sir Keir Starmer's Labour Party, with millions of potential votes up for grabs.

Are they right?

And what would the arrival of a new socialist party mean for the Greens who have scooped up many left-wing voters in recent times - not to mention the Labour Party itself?

It is very difficult to assess support for a party that does not yet exist, has no leader and no policies.

Pollsters More In Common recently tested the sort of support a party to the left of Labour would have – specifically one led by Jeremy Corbyn.

Their research suggested it could pick up 10% of the vote - reducing Labour's standing by three points but far more dramatically eating in to support for the Greens, which would fall from 9% to 5% in the polls.

Notably, a Corbyn-led party could become the country's most popular party among 18- to 24-year-olds with 32% of the vote.

Former Corbyn aide Andrew Murray said Sir Keir Starmer had "created the space" for a party to Labour's left by ruthlessly expelling left wingers from the party and dropping his leadership campaign promises.

Speaking to GB News's Choppers Podcast, Murray said Labour's 2017 vote - 3.2 million more than Sir Keir's in 2024 - showed the scale of potential support for a new left-wing party.

Thousands of votes had leaked away from the Tories to Reform UK at last year's election, he added, and "there are similarly huge numbers of people who regard themselves as progressives and are looking for something different."

A veteran left-wing organiser, who did not wish to be named, told the BBC even with a double digit share of the national vote it is "quite hard for new parties to become positive forces in the UK".

"I think it could do quite a lot of damage to Labour and the Greens if it gets above a critical mass," he said.

Senior Greens have told the BBC they are not worried about a new insurgent party.

Green leadership hopeful Zack Polanski said "anyone who wants to challenge Reform and this failing Labour government is a friend of mine".

But he added: "In the past there's been lots of left-wing parties, but only the Green Party has endured and had sustained growth."

Polanski's point was echoed by his leadership contest rival Adrian Ramsay, who currently co-leads the party, and said anyone looking for a "progressive alternative to Labour" should join the Greens.

Any damage to the Greens could be limited by a "non-aggression" pact with the new party, running candidates on a joint ticket, for example, or agreeing to stand aside in certain circumstances.

Jeremy Corbyn has been working for some time under the radar to turn the small group of independent MPs he co-ordinates into a full-blown political party which could stand candidates at the local elections next year.

Last year, the Islington North MP united with Shockat Adam, Ayoub Khan, Adnan Hussain and Iqbal Mohamed - four independents that beat Labour candidates in the 2024 election with their pro-Palestinian stance in constituencies with large Muslim populations.

On Wednesday he hinted that a new party could be on the way, telling ITV's Peston he and his fellow pro-Gaza independents would "come together" and "there will be an alternative".

The MPs are united in their condemnation of Keir Starmer's approach to the Gaza crisis, but we don't know what their rest of their policy programme would be.

We do not even know for certain that Jeremy Corbyn would be their leader. He is thought to favour a democratic convention to decide on leadership but others in the project are impatient to get on with it.

Sultana is clearly keen to play a leading role, although her statement was carefully worded - she wants to co-lead the "founding" of a new party with Corbyn.

One thing is already clear - any new party will not be a reincarnation of the previous Corbyn project, as key figures on Labour's left show no sign of leaving.

Corbyn's former shadow chancellor John McDonell said he was "dreadfully sorry to lose Zarah from the Labour Party" but is not expected to quit himself.

The chair of the Labour party under Corbyn - Ian Lavery – told the BBC he planned to stay in the party until he retired.

The Independent MPs were elected last year in areas where voters felt Labour wasn't taking a strong enough line on Israel's actions in Gaza.

We don't know how resonant the issue will be at the next election, four years away.

But where Keir Starmer's strategists might be concerned is that a new left-wing party might just reduce the Labour vote by enough in some seats to allow a second-placed Reform UK to sneak home.

And Labour may have to be more mindful that it can lose votes on the left and not just the right.

It was once seen as close to impossible to successfully launch a new political party in the UK, under Westminster's first-past-the-post voting system.

But Reform UK, which has five MPs and is currently ahead in the polls, has shown how volatile politics now is and the extent to which traditional party loyalties no longer matter.

A well-known leader and some eye-catching policies could potentially redraw the map of mainstream politics.

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Several killed as flash flooding hits central Texas

5 July 2025 at 02:04
KSAT via AP Debris is pictured at the side of a large pool of floodwater with trees and a fire engine seen in the background, in a grab from footage following flooding along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, Texas on 4 July.KSAT via AP

Several people have died and others are missing after flash flooding hit parts of central Texas on Friday morning.

Disaster declarations have been issued for the Hill Country and Concho Valley regions.

Rescues and evacuations have been underway since the early morning, but there are warnings of more potential flash flooding to come.

"Even if the rain is light, more flooding can occur in those areas," Acting Governor Dan Patrick said.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said the state was providing "all necessary resources to Kerrville, Ingram, Hunt and the entire Texas Hill Country dealing with these devastating floods".

The region is to the north-west of the Texas city of San Antonio.

Pictures show the deep flood waters swamping bridges and fast moving water swirling down roads.

Exactly how many people have died or are missing has not yet been confirmed by authorities.

"Folks, please don't take chances. Stay alert, follow local emergency warnings, and do not drive through flooded roads," Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said.

Kerr County Sheriff's Office said the area had suffered a "catastrophic flooding event" and confirmed that fatalities had been reported.

It told residents near creeks, streams and the Guadalupe River to move to higher ground.

Palestine Action to be banned after judge denies temporary block

5 July 2025 at 02:07
Getty Images Royal Courts of JusticeGetty Images

Palestine Action will be banned from midnight after a judge refused its request to temporarily block the government from proscribing it as a terror group.

On Friday, a High Court judge refused the group more time to pursue legal action against the government's decision.

The proposed ban, which amends the Terrorism Act 2000, will come into force after being approved by both the House of Commons and House of Lords earlier this week.

It means supporting Palestine Action will become a criminal offence, with membership or expressing support for the direct action group punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

The move was taken to ban the group after an estimated £7m of damage was caused to planes at RAF Brize Norton last month, in action claimed by Palestine Action.

At a hearing earlier on Friday, Raza Husain KC, barrister for Palestine Action's co-founder Huda Ammori, told the court banning the group would be "ill-considered" and an "authoritarian abuse" of power.

"This is the first time in our history that a direct action civil disobedience group, which does not advocate for violence, has been sought to be proscribed as terrorists," he said.

Joey Chestnut Returns to Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

5 July 2025 at 02:31
Mr. Chestnut, who was barred last year over an endorsement deal with a vegan-meat company, and Miki Sudo easily won their respective contests but did not break records.

© Vincent Alban/The New York Times

Joey Chestnut was a 16-time winner of the annual Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest before being barred from participating last year. He notched his 17th win on Friday.

'It's Groundhog Day': Ukraine's sky defenders stuck in relentless battle

5 July 2025 at 00:03
MOOSE CAMPBELL/BBC Unit commander Jaeger holds a machine gun pointed towards the skyMOOSE CAMPBELL/BBC
Soldiers on the Sumy front are trying to intercept about 100 drones from Russia a night.

As the evening light ebbed away a handful of Ukrainian troops emerged from the treeline to face an unequal fight. Their mission – to shoot down 21st Century killer drones with weapons designed in the dying days of World War One.

In Ukraine's north-eastern region of Sumy, bordering Russia, this is a nightly battle.

Just after we joined the troops, there was danger in the skies, and tension and adrenaline on the ground.

The commander – codenamed Jaeger – was glued to a screen showing clusters of red dots, each indicating an Iranian-designed Shahed drone, one of Russia's key weapons. By early evening, there were already 30 in the skies over Sumy, and the neighbouring region of Chernihiv.

Two flatbed trucks were driven out into a clearing – on the back of each a heavy machine gun and a gunner, scanning the skies. The trucks were flanked by troops, light machine guns at the ready.

We could hear the whirring of the propellers before we could see the drone - barely visible as it sliced through the sky. The troops opened fire - all guns blazing in unison – but the drone disappeared into the distance. These low-cost long-range weapons are terrorising Ukraine.

As often in war, there were flashes of humour. "You'll know when the next drone is coming, when that short guy gets nervous," said Jaeger, pointing at one of his team.

MOOSE CAMPBELL/BBC Tracer fire - which looks like eleven small red dots - can be seen amongst pitch black sky. Tree tops are just about visible in the darkness.MOOSE CAMPBELL/BBC
Tracer fire streaks across the sky as Ukrainian troops hunt Russian drones

As darkness closed in, the drones kept coming and the troops kept trying – sending tracer fire streaking across the sky. But how do they feel when these suicide drones get through?

"Well, it's not very good, "Jaeger says sombrely, glancing away. "You feel a slight sadness but to be honest - as you have seen - you don't have time for emotions. One comes in and another can come right behind it. You work in this rhythm. If it's taken down - good, if not, you know there are other teams behind you who will also engage it."

He and his men are a "mobile fire unit" from Ukraine's 117 Territorial Defence Brigade – all locals trying to defend not just their hometown but their country. Most Russian drones fly through this region and deeper into Ukraine.

"They come in massive waves, often flying at different altitudes," says Jaeger. "When there is heavy cloud cover, they fly above the clouds, and we can't see them. And it's very hard to detect them when it's raining."

A hundred Shahed drones a night is standard for Sumy.

His unit includes a farmer ("now I do something else in the fields," he jokes) and a builder. Jaeger himself is a former forest ranger, and mixed martial arts fighter.

Now he fights an enemy he can barely see.

"It's the same thing every single day, over and over again," he says. "For us, it's just like Groundhog Day."

"The worst thing is that years are passing by," adds Kurban, the builder, "and we have no idea how long all this is going to last".

MOOSE CAMPBELL/BBC A close up picture of 'Jaeger', whose face is bathed in red light as darkness falls. He has almost no hair and wears body armour. MOOSE CAMPBELL/BBC
Jaeger leads a unit of locals trying to defend Sumy and other parts of Ukraine from Russian drones

Many of the drones in the skies over Sumy that night were headed for the capital, Kyiv. Jaeger and his men knew it. So did we. The knowledge was chilling.

An air raid alert warned the residents of Kyiv of incoming drones. Russia aimed more than 300 at the capital overnight, according to the Ukrainian air force, trying to overwhelm its air defences. By morning six locations had been hit, and the victims were being reclaimed from the rubble. In the days that followed the death toll climbed to 30.

In Ukraine's fourth summer of full-scale war the fields around Sumy are dotted with corn and sunflowers, not yet in bloom, and a crop of dragon's teeth - triangles of concrete which can stop tanks in their tracks.

The picture was very different last autumn. Ukrainian troops had turned the tables with a cross-border attack on Russia, capturing territory in the neighbouring region of Kursk.

By March of this year, most were forced out, although Ukraine's military chief said recently it still holds some territory there. By May, President Zelensky warned that 50,000 Russian troops were massed "in the direction of Sumy".

By June, more than 200 villages and settlements in Sumy had been evacuated, as the Kremlin's men slowly shelled their way forward.

President Putin wants "a buffer zone" along the border, and is talking up the threat to the city of Sumy.

"The city…is next, the regional centre," he said recently. "We don't have a task to take Sumy, but I don't rule it out." He claims his forces are already up to 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) inside the region.

Warning: The following section contains distressing details

The head of Ukraine's army, Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, claims his troops have halted the Russian advance, but the war has already closed in on Margaryta Husakova, 37, menacing her village. She warned her sister not to come because there were explosions.

"She came anyway," Margaryta says, "and everything was fine for a month, quiet and peaceful, until we got on that bus".

On the morning of 17 May, the sisters set out with other relatives for a trip to the city.

"I remember how we came, got on the bus, how we laughed, were happy," says Margaryta. "Then we started to leave, and it happened."

The bus was ripped apart by a Russian drone, in an attack that killed nine people – all civilians - including her mother, her uncle and her sister.

Margaryta was pulled from the wreckage with a shattered right arm – now held together by steel rods.

MOOSE CAMPBELL/BBC A woman wearing a white headcover with her arm in a sling sits on a benchMOOSE CAMPBELL/BBC
Margaryta lost her mother, sister and uncle in a drone strike on her bus. She survived with a shattered arm

She is tormented by what she lost, and what she saw. Her description is graphic.

"I opened my eyes, and there was no bus," she said, her voice beginning to break. "I looked around and my sister's head was torn off. My mum too, she was lying there, hit in the temple. My uncle had fallen out of the bus, his brain was exposed."

We met at a sand-bagged reception centre for evacuees in Sumy. Margaryta sat outside on a wooden bench, seeking comfort from a cigarette. She told me she was planning to leave for the home of another relative, but feared her eight children might not be safe there either.

"Maybe we will have to run away even further," she said, adding: "It's scary everywhere."

"I'm terrified, not for myself but for the children. I must save them. That's what matters."

As we spoke an air raid siren wailed overhead – the sound so familiar that Margaryta did not respond. Neither did anyone else around us. "We only run for explosions now," a Ukrainian journalist explained "and only if they are loud and close".

MOOSE CAMPBELL/BBC A soldier with a shaved head and long beard, wearing military uniform, looks to the cameraMOOSE CAMPBELL/BBC
Soldiers, such as "Student", have seen relationships break down due to the strain of years of war

There's little talk in Sumy of a ceasefire, let alone an end to Europe's largest war since 1945.

US President Donald Trump no longer claims he can deliver peace in Ukraine in a day. He's become embroiled in a newer war, bombing Iranian nuclear sites.

Talks between Russia and Ukraine have delivered only prisoner exchanges, and the return of bodies. President Putin appears emboldened and has been upping his demands.

With the Summer sun still overhead, those trying to save Ukraine expect more Winters of war. We followed a bumpy track deep into a forest to meet troops fresh from the front lines. They were getting a refresher course in weapons skills at a remote training ground. A battle-hardened 35-year-old with a shaved head and full beard was among the group - call sign "student".

"I think the war won't end in the next year or two," he told me. "And even if it does end in six months with some kind of ceasefire, it will start again in four or five years. President Putin has imperialist ambitions."

War inflicts wounds – seen and unseen.

"Student" sent his family abroad for safety soon after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022 and has been unable to see his two daughters since then.

He and his wife are now divorced. Other soldiers we met also spoke of broken relationships and marriages that have buckled under the strain.

Student sums up war as "blood, dirt and sweat" and does not try to conceal the cost. "We joined our battalion, as a platoon of 30 neighbours," he told me.

"Today, only four of us remain alive. "

Additional reporting by Wietske Burema, Moose Campbell and Volodymyr Lozhko

Kenyan leader to build huge church at presidential office

5 July 2025 at 00:24
Getty Images Kenyas President William Ruto gesticulates with his hands while he speaks into a microphone on stage at an interdenominational prayer service at Nakuru Athletic Club two years ago.Getty Images
Plans seen by a local newspaper suggest it could cost $9m and feature 8,000 seats

Kenyan President William Ruto says he is building a church at the presidential residence in Nairobi that he will pay for himself - and says he has nothing to apologise for.

"I am not going to ask anyone for an apology for building a church. The devil might be angry and can do what he wants," President Ruto said on Friday.

That statement alone has angered Kenyans already frustrated with his style of leadership and what they regard as the entanglement of the state and the church.

The BBC has asked the government for comment.

It is not clear who Ruto was referring to as "the devil" in his comments at state house, but he says nothing will stop the project from going ahead.

On Friday one of Kenya's leading newspapers - the Daily Nation - published architectural designs showing a large building with stained glass windows and capacity for 8,000 people.

The paper questioned whether the project was in keeping with Kenya's secular constitution.

There has also been criticism of the cost, estimated at $9m (£6.5bn), at a time when many Kenyans are struggling with the rising cost of living.

Ruto said he would pay for the church out of his own pocket, however that raises the question of whether he has the right to build such a large structure on state-owned property.

In an open letter, one MP said Kenya was not a Christian state and belonged to people of all religions.

While some 85% of Kenyans are Christian, there is also a large Muslim population of about 11%, along with other minority faiths including Hinduism and traditional African religions.

There is no mosque or temple at the presidency.

"I did not start building this church when I entered the State House. I found a church but one made out of iron sheets. Does that look befitting for the State House?" a defiant Ruto told politicians at a meeting he hosted on Friday.

You may also be interested in:

Getty Images/BBC A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News AfricaGetty Images/BBC

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica

Some Ways Fireworks Impact Animals and People

5 July 2025 at 01:41
Firework displays can harm animals and create bursts of pollution with lingering effects, but there are ways to mitigate them.

© Graham Dickie/The New York Times

Fireworks explode over the Hudson River during Fourth of July celebrations in Manhattan last year.

Oasis Starts Its World Tour With Cardiff Concert

5 July 2025 at 01:32
Liam and Noel Gallagher seem ready to put aside their brotherly rivalry and play the first date of their band’s long-awaited comeback tour.

© The New York Times

Oasis fans in Cardiff, Wales, on Friday. Anticipation for the show has been building in the city.

From Court to Congress to the Mideast, Trump Tallies His Wins

5 July 2025 at 01:04
There are serious questions about the wisdom and durability of President Trump’s policies, but on his terms, he can point to a string of accomplishments.

© Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times

President Trump was in an ebullient mood at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on Thursday.

Wildfires Sweep Syria’s Coast as Drought Strains Fragile State

By: Euan Ward
5 July 2025 at 00:35
Firefighting efforts have been hampered by the presence of mines and unexploded ordnance left over from the civil war, as the country grapples with the worst drought in decades.

© Omar Haj Kadour/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Syrian firefighters sprayed burned trees with water in a forest outside the village of Rihaniya in the Latakia province, Syria on Tuesday.

“一家像瑞士军刀,一家像手术刀”:中国版英伟达抢滩科创板

两家公司的募资用途几乎全部围绕新一代芯片研发展开。

中国90%的高端GPU依赖进口,若替代率从10%提至30%,将打开36亿美元市场空间。

重启科创板第五套标准,意味着未盈利但具备高成长性的科技创新企业再次有了上市机会。

南方周末记者 施璇

责任编辑:冯叶

2024年7月4日,观众在上海举办的世界人工智能大会上参观摩尔线程展台。视觉中国/图

2024年7月4日,观众在上海举办的世界人工智能大会上参观摩尔线程展台。视觉中国/图

本土GPU(Graphics Processing Unit,一种专门设计用于处理图形渲染和相关计算任务的芯片)厂商正在加速上市。

2025年6月30日,摩尔线程和沐曦股份同日递交科创板招股书。与这两家公司同属国产GPU“四小龙”的壁仞科技、燧原科技,也已进入上市辅导阶段。

摩尔线程和沐曦股份均诞生于2020年。前者由英伟达前全球副总裁、大中华区总经理张建中创办,主打全功能GPU,产品覆盖政务、企业智算及个人消费等多层次应用场景。后者由AMD(超威半导体)前企业院士彭莉和杨建担任首席技术官,专注于高性能GPU。

英伟达目前仍掌控全球超八成GPU市场,摩尔线程和沐曦股份尚未实现盈利。谁能率先跑通商业闭环?国产GPU距离真正替代英伟达,还有多远?

募资围绕新一代芯片研发

“(集中上市)核心原因是资金饥渴与战略窗口期的双重驱动。”深度科技研究院院长张孝荣对南方周末记者说。

GPU研发属于“高投入、长周期、高风险”的典型“三高”领域,如流片单次成本可高达数亿元,且需持续迭代架构,企业普遍面临较大资金压力。流片是指将设计好的芯片电路图送往晶圆厂进行试产。

芯片厂商都在烧钱研发。过去三年,摩尔线程的研发支出约为38.10亿元,是累计营业收入的六倍多。沐曦股份整体规模较小,三年累计投入22.5亿元,是营收的2.8倍。

两家公司的募资用途也几乎全部围绕新一代芯片研发展开。

据招股书,摩尔线程计划通过IPO募资80亿元,其中约25.1亿元用于新一代AI训推一体芯片研发,25亿元用

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As Fire Videos Compete With Beach Photos, Greeks Who Rely on Tourism Are Worried

More than 1,500 people were evacuated when a fire broke out on the southeastern tip of Crete, most of them tourists.

© Costas Metaxakis/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Firefighters trying to put out flames on Thursday in Ierapetra on the island of Crete, a popular tourist destination in Greece.

S. Daniel Abraham, the Force Behind Slim-Fast, Dies at 100

5 July 2025 at 00:02
He turned a tiny family business into a billion-dollar weight-loss empire by replacing calorie counting and forbidden foods with “just add milk.”

© David Karp/Associated Press

S. Daniel Abraham in 2006. He turned a company his father had bought in 1947 for $5,000 into a giant in the weight-loss industry.

Former Arsenal footballer Thomas Partey charged with rape

4 July 2025 at 23:48
Getty Images Thomas Partey in Arsenal kitGetty Images

Former Arsenal footballer Thomas Partey has been charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

The offences are reported to have taken place between 2021-2022, the Metropolitan Police said.

The charges involve three women with two counts of rape relating to one woman, three counts of rape in connection to a second woman and one count of sexual assault linked to a third woman.

The contract of the 32-year-old footballer, from Hertfordshire, ended with Arsenal on Monday after playing with the team since 2020. BBC News has contacted the team for comment.

The charges follow an investigation by detectives, which started in February 2022 after police first received a report of rape.

Det Supt Andy Furphy, who is leading the investigation, said: "Our priority remains providing support to the women who have come forward.

"We would ask anyone who has been impacted by this case, or anyone who has information, to speak with our team. You can contact detectives about this investigation by emailing CIT@met.police.uk"

Mr Partey is expected to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday 5 August.

He joined Arsenal for £45.3m from Atletico Madrid in October 2020, made 35 top-flight appearances last season and scored four goals as the London club finished second in the Premier League.

He also played 12 times in the Champions League as the Gunners reached the semi-finals before being knocked out by eventual winners Paris St-Germain.

Overall, he made 130 Premier League appearances for Mikel Arteta's side, scoring nine goals.

Israel's strike on bustling Gaza cafe killed a Hamas operative - but dozens more people were killed

4 July 2025 at 22:24
Reuters Three people inspect a crater next to the sea at the site of the Al-Baqa beach cafe in Gaza, after an Israeli air strikeReuters
A crater at al-Baqa beach cafe after it was hit by an Israeli strike

Moments before the explosion, artists, students and athletes were among those gathered at a bustling seaside cafe in Gaza City.

Huddled around tables, customers at al-Baqa Cafeteria were scrolling on their phones, sipping hot drinks, and catching up with friends. At one point, the familiar melody of "Happy Birthday" rang out as a young child celebrated with family.

In a quiet corner of the cafe overlooking the sea, a Hamas operative, dressed in civilian clothing, arrived at his table, sources told the BBC.

It was then, without warning, that a bomb was dropped by Israeli forces and tore through the building, they said.

At the sound of the explosion, people nearby flooded onto the streets and into al-Baqa in a desperate search for survivors.

"The scene was horrific - bodies, blood, screaming everywhere," one man told the BBC later that day.

"It was total destruction," said another. "A real massacre happened at al-Baqa Cafeteria. A real massacre that breaks hearts."

Google A photo taken before the war shows people sitting at tables overlooking the sea in the cafe. They are sat in blue plastic chairs. Not all tables are occupied. Google
The cafe was a popular meeting spot before and during the war

The BBC has reviewed 29 names of people reported killed in the strike on the cafe on Monday. Twenty-six of the deaths were confirmed by multiple sources, including through interviews with family, friends and eyewitness accounts.

At least nine of those killed were women, and several were children or teenagers. They included artists, students, social activists, a female boxer, a footballer and cafe staff.

The conduct of the strike and the scale of civilian casualties have amplified questions over the proportionality of Israel's military operations in Gaza, which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) say are aimed at defeating Hamas and rescuing the hostages still being held by the group.

Family members in Gaza and abroad spoke to the BBC of their shock and devastation at the killings.

"We were talking with each other two days ago. We were sending reels to each other. I can't believe it," said a young Palestinian man living in the US whose 21-year-old "bestie" Muna Juda and another close friend, Raghad Alaa Abu Sultan, were both killed in the strike.

The numbers of deaths analysed by the BBC were broadly consistent with figures given by the Hamas-run Civil Defence Agency, a senior local medic and the Palestinian Red Crescent in the days after the strike.

Staff at Shifa Hospital, which received the bodies, said its toll as of Thursday had reached 40 deaths, including people who had succumbed to their injuries, and unidentified bodies.

An official at the hospital said some of the bodies had been "blown to pieces", and that 72 injured patients were brought there - many having sustained severe burns and significant injuries that required surgery. He said many were students.

In a statement after the strike, the IDF said it had been targeting "terrorists" and that steps were taken to "mitigate the risk of harming civilians using aerial surveillance".

"The IDF will continue to operate against the Hamas terrorist organization in order to remove any threat posed to Israeli civilians," it added, before saying the "incident" was "under review".

The IDF did not directly respond to multiple BBC questions about the target of the strike, or whether it considered the number of civilian casualties to be proportionate.

A three-part vertical composite image showing the aftermath of a blast at al-Baqa cafeteria in Gaza City. At the centre, there is a satellite view of the damaged cafeteria. Above and below it, there are two photos, each pointing to their specific locations on the aerial image. The top photo shows people walking through rubble inside a severely damaged structure. The bottom photo shows the opposite side of the cafeteria, with broken furniture and extensive debris visible inside. Images ara credited to Getty and Planet Labs.

Al-Baqa Cafeteria was well-known across the Gaza Strip, considered by many to be among the territory's most scenic and vibrant meeting spots.

Split over two floors and divided into men's and mixed family sections, it had views out to the Mediterranean Sea and television screens where people could watch football matches. It was a place to gather for coffee, tea and shisha with friends, and was a particular favourite with journalists.

Al-Baqa had remained popular even during the war, especially because of its unusually stable internet connection. The cafe, which had until now survived largely unscathed, also served up a reminder of the life that existed before the bombardments.

A cafe manager told the BBC that there was a strict entry policy. "It was known to our customers that if any person looked like a target, then they were not let inside the cafeteria - this was for our safety and the safety of the people there," he said.

A composite map and satellite image showing the location of Al-Baqa cafeteria in Gaza City. The left side features a regional map highlighting the Gaza Strip along the Mediterranean Sea, with Gaza City marked. A more detailed city map below shows the location within Gaza City. The right side shows a satellite image of the coastline with the cafeteria building marked on the beachfront near Al-Rashid street. A yellow dashed line indicates the street’s location. The Mediterranean Sea is visible alongside the beach. The image is credited to Google and BBC.

On the day of the strike, the port area of Gaza City where the cafe is located was not under Israeli evacuation orders, and families of those killed on Monday say they had felt as safe as is possible when heading there.

Staff told the BBC that the strike in the early afternoon - between the Muslim prayers of Zuhr and Asr - was outside of the cafe's busiest hours.

The strike hit a section of the men's area where staff said few people were at the time.

BBC Verify showed several experts photos of the crater left in the wake of the explosion and the remaining munition fragments. Most said that they believed it was caused by a bomb, rather than a missile, with a range of size estimates given, at a maximum of 500lb (230kg).

The IDF told the BBC it would not comment on the type of munition used.

A journalist who was in the area at the time of the strike and spoke to eyewitnesses immediately afterwards told the BBC the munition that hit the cafe "was launched from a warplane - not from a drone that would usually target one or two people… It looked like they were very keen on getting their target". His account was consistent with others we spoke to.

Twenty-seven-year-old Hisham Ayman Mansour, whose deceased father had been a leading figure in Hamas' military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, was among those in the men's section by the sea.

His brother was previously killed by Israeli forces, and one social media post mourning his death suggested the brother had taken part in the 7 October 2023 attacks.

A local Hamas source said Hisham was the target of the strike, and described him as a field commander with the group, a "mid-ranking role".

Tributes posted on social media also referred to him as a "fighter" and "member of the resistance". His cousin also described him to the BBC as a "fighter" with the proscribed group, but said he thought he was "low-level" and not currently active.

It is unclear what he was doing in the cafe that day, with two sources telling the BBC he was believed to be there for a "money drop", while another suggested he was there for "coffee and a short respite" and that he had not been involved in "militant activities" during the war.

A photo shared on social media purported to show Hisham at the same spot in the men's area of the cafe the day before the strike, wearing a cap and sports t-shirt. Photos of his body after the strike in the same outfit were shared by family and friends.

Two members of his family - one of them a child - were also killed.

The IDF would not confirm whether Hisham was the primary target, or one of a number of targets of the strike.

Getty, Google A composite image featuring a satellite view and a photo to show the location of al-Baqa cafeteria in Gaza City. The satellite image, taken before the explosion, features a yellow outline marking the men's area, labeled in white. A red label indicates the blast site, with an inset photo showing two men inspecting the resulting crater on the beachfront. Image is credited to Getty.Getty, Google

One former senior IDF official told the BBC he understood that "multiple Hamas operatives" were hit at the cafe, but that a so-called battle damage assessment was still ongoing. A source with Israeli intelligence connections pointed towards a social media post naming Hisham as the target.

Sources in Gaza gave the BBC the name of a more senior Hamas commander who was rumoured to have been seated on a nearby table, but posts on social media said he died the following day and did not mention the cafe.

The Hamas source said Hisham was the only person within the group killed at al-Baqa, while the IDF did not respond to questions about the commander.

An anti-Hamas activist told the BBC that "many Hamas people" were injured in the strike, including one who worked with the group but not as a fighter, who lost his leg in the explosion.

Medics could not confirm this account, but said that they dealt with many people with severe injuries, including those arriving with missing limbs or requiring amputations.

Israel does not allow international journalists access to Gaza to report on the war making it difficult to verify information, and Hamas has historically ruled the territory with an iron grip, making speaking out or any dissent dangerous.

Getty / NurPhoto A pink and white teddy bear lying on the ground among the debris on the floor of the cafe after the strikeGetty / NurPhoto
A teddy bear was found among the debris after the strike

The remainder of this article contains details some readers may find distressing.

Among the bodies and the debris in al-Baqa were traces of the civilian lives lost - a giant pink and white teddy bear, its stuffing partially exposed, a child's tiny shoe, and playing cards soaked in blood.

A displaced man who was in the area seeing family at the time of the strike was among those who went running into the cafe to try to find survivors.

"Shrapnel was everywhere… there were many injuries," he told the BBC.

He said when he entered part of the men's section that he found the bodies of waiters and other workers, and saw as one "took his last breath".

"It was crazy," said Saeed Ahel, a regular at the cafe and friend of its managers.

"The waiters were gathered around the bar since it was shady and breezy there. Around [six] of them were killed," he added, before listing their names. More were injured.

The mother of two young men who worked at the cafe screamed as she followed their bodies while they were carried on a sheet out of the wreckage on Monday.

A distraught man pointed at a dry patch of blood on the floor, where he said bits of brain and skull had been splattered. He had put them in a bag and carried them out.

Meanwhile, the grandmother of 17-year-old Sama Mohammad Abu Namous wept.

The teenager had gone to the cafe that afternoon with her brother, hoping to use the internet connection to study. Relatives said the siblings were walking into the beachside cafe when the bomb hit. Sama was killed, while her brother was rushed to hospital.

"She went to study and they killed her," she said. "Why did she have to return to her grandmother killed?"

Palestinian Olympic Committee Malak Musleh standing up, wearing a black tracksuit, black boxing gloves, a black baseball cap and white facemask.Palestinian Olympic Committee
Young female boxer Malak Musleh was killed in the strike

The coach of young female boxer Malak Musleh said he was in shock at the loss of his friend of more than 10 years, having first learned the news of her killing through social media.

"She believed that boxing was not just for boys but that girls should have the right too," Osama Ayoub said. "Malak was ambitious. She didn't skip any training day."

He said he last saw Malak about 10 days before the strike, when he dropped off some aid to her and her father.

"We sat together for nearly an hour. She told me that she was continuing her training with her sister and wished I could train them. I told her unfortunately because my house got demolished I live now in Khan Younis [in southern Gaza], but as soon as I hear that there is a ceasefire I will try to go back to training," he said.

"She said to make sure to keep a space for them… She had passion in her eyes and her words."

When Osama saw the Facebook post by Malak's father announcing her death, he "didn't believe it".

"I called him and he confirmed it but I still don't believe it," he said over the phone from a displacement camp.

Instagram/@francalsalmi An image by artist Amina Omar Al-Salmi depicts a woman with her eyes closed and covered in bloodInstagram/@francalsalmi
An image by artist Amina Omar Al-Salmi, who was killed in the strike, depicts a woman with her eyes closed and covered in blood

Artist Amina Omar Al-Salmi, better known as Frans, was also at the cafe with a well-known photographer friend.

Since the 35-year-old's death, one of her pieces depicting a dead woman with her eyes closed and covered in blood, has been shared widely online alongside an image of her after her death, with people noting the striking similarities.

Her sister, now living in Sweden, told the BBC that the last time they spoke, Frans had said that she was sure "something good was going to happen".

"She was happy and said: 'We'll meet soon. You'll see me at your place.'"

Additional reporting by Riam El Delati and Muath al-Khatib

Verification by Emma Pengelly and Richie Irvine-Brown

'It's Groundhog Day': Ukraine's sky defenders stuck in relentless battle

5 July 2025 at 00:03
MOOSE CAMPBELL/BBC Unit commander Jaeger holds a machine gun pointed towards the skyMOOSE CAMPBELL/BBC
Soldiers on the Sumy front are trying to intercept about 100 drones from Russia a night.

As the evening light ebbed away a handful of Ukrainian troops emerged from the treeline to face an unequal fight. Their mission – to shoot down 21st Century killer drones with weapons designed in the dying days of World War One.

In Ukraine's north-eastern region of Sumy, bordering Russia, this is a nightly battle.

Just after we joined the troops, there was danger in the skies, and tension and adrenaline on the ground.

The commander – codenamed Jaeger – was glued to a screen showing clusters of red dots, each indicating an Iranian-designed Shahed drone, one of Russia's key weapons. By early evening, there were already 30 in the skies over Sumy, and the neighbouring region of Chernihiv.

Two flatbed trucks were driven out into a clearing – on the back of each a heavy machine gun and a gunner, scanning the skies. The trucks were flanked by troops, light machine guns at the ready.

We could hear the whirring of the propellers before we could see the drone - barely visible as it sliced through the sky. The troops opened fire - all guns blazing in unison – but the drone disappeared into the distance. These low-cost long-range weapons are terrorising Ukraine.

As often in war, there were flashes of humour. "You'll know when the next drone is coming, when that short guy gets nervous," said Jaeger, pointing at one of his team.

MOOSE CAMPBELL/BBC Tracer fire - which looks like eleven small red dots - can be seen amongst pitch black sky. Tree tops are just about visible in the darkness.MOOSE CAMPBELL/BBC
Tracer fire streaks across the sky as Ukrainian troops hunt Russian drones

As darkness closed in, the drones kept coming and the troops kept trying – sending tracer fire streaking across the sky. But how do they feel when these suicide drones get through?

"Well, it's not very good, "Jaeger says sombrely, glancing away. "You feel a slight sadness but to be honest - as you have seen - you don't have time for emotions. One comes in and another can come right behind it. You work in this rhythm. If it's taken down - good, if not, you know there are other teams behind you who will also engage it."

He and his men are a "mobile fire unit" from Ukraine's 117 Territorial Defence Brigade – all locals trying to defend not just their hometown but their country. Most Russian drones fly through this region and deeper into Ukraine.

"They come in massive waves, often flying at different altitudes," says Jaeger. "When there is heavy cloud cover, they fly above the clouds, and we can't see them. And it's very hard to detect them when it's raining."

A hundred Shahed drones a night is standard for Sumy.

His unit includes a farmer ("now I do something else in the fields," he jokes) and a builder. Jaeger himself is a former forest ranger, and mixed martial arts fighter.

Now he fights an enemy he can barely see.

"It's the same thing every single day, over and over again," he says. "For us, it's just like Groundhog Day."

"The worst thing is that years are passing by," adds Kurban, the builder, "and we have no idea how long all this is going to last".

MOOSE CAMPBELL/BBC A close up picture of 'Jaeger', whose face is bathed in red light as darkness falls. He has almost no hair and wears body armour. MOOSE CAMPBELL/BBC
Jaeger leads a unit of locals trying to defend Sumy and other parts of Ukraine from Russian drones

Many of the drones in the skies over Sumy that night were headed for the capital, Kyiv. Jaeger and his men knew it. So did we. The knowledge was chilling.

An air raid alert warned the residents of Kyiv of incoming drones. Russia aimed more than 300 at the capital overnight, according to the Ukrainian air force, trying to overwhelm its air defences. By morning six locations had been hit, and the victims were being reclaimed from the rubble. In the days that followed the death toll climbed to 30.

In Ukraine's fourth summer of full-scale war the fields around Sumy are dotted with corn and sunflowers, not yet in bloom, and a crop of dragon's teeth - triangles of concrete which can stop tanks in their tracks.

The picture was very different last autumn. Ukrainian troops had turned the tables with a cross-border attack on Russia, capturing territory in the neighbouring region of Kursk.

By March of this year, most were forced out, although Ukraine's military chief said recently it still holds some territory there. By May, President Zelensky warned that 50,000 Russian troops were massed "in the direction of Sumy".

By June, more than 200 villages and settlements in Sumy had been evacuated, as the Kremlin's men slowly shelled their way forward.

President Putin wants "a buffer zone" along the border, and is talking up the threat to the city of Sumy.

"The city…is next, the regional centre," he said recently. "We don't have a task to take Sumy, but I don't rule it out." He claims his forces are already up to 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) inside the region.

Warning: The following section contains distressing details

The head of Ukraine's army, Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, claims his troops have halted the Russian advance, but the war has already closed in on Margaryta Husakova, 37, menacing her village. She warned her sister not to come because there were explosions.

"She came anyway," Margaryta says, "and everything was fine for a month, quiet and peaceful, until we got on that bus".

On the morning of 17 May, the sisters set out with other relatives for a trip to the city.

"I remember how we came, got on the bus, how we laughed, were happy," says Margaryta. "Then we started to leave, and it happened."

The bus was ripped apart by a Russian drone, in an attack that killed nine people – all civilians - including her mother, her uncle and her sister.

Margaryta was pulled from the wreckage with a shattered right arm – now held together by steel rods.

MOOSE CAMPBELL/BBC A woman wearing a white headcover with her arm in a sling sits on a benchMOOSE CAMPBELL/BBC
Margaryta lost her mother, sister and uncle in a drone strike on her bus. She survived with a shattered arm

She is tormented by what she lost, and what she saw. Her description is graphic.

"I opened my eyes, and there was no bus," she said, her voice beginning to break. "I looked around and my sister's head was torn off. My mum too, she was lying there, hit in the temple. My uncle had fallen out of the bus, his brain was exposed."

We met at a sand-bagged reception centre for evacuees in Sumy. Margaryta sat outside on a wooden bench, seeking comfort from a cigarette. She told me she was planning to leave for the home of another relative, but feared her eight children might not be safe there either.

"Maybe we will have to run away even further," she said, adding: "It's scary everywhere."

"I'm terrified, not for myself but for the children. I must save them. That's what matters."

As we spoke an air raid siren wailed overhead – the sound so familiar that Margaryta did not respond. Neither did anyone else around us. "We only run for explosions now," a Ukrainian journalist explained "and only if they are loud and close".

MOOSE CAMPBELL/BBC A soldier with a shaved head and long beard, wearing military uniform, looks to the cameraMOOSE CAMPBELL/BBC
Soldiers, such as "Student", have seen relationships break down due to the strain of years of war

There's little talk in Sumy of a ceasefire, let alone an end to Europe's largest war since 1945.

US President Donald Trump no longer claims he can deliver peace in Ukraine in a day. He's become embroiled in a newer war, bombing Iranian nuclear sites.

Talks between Russia and Ukraine have delivered only prisoner exchanges, and the return of bodies. President Putin appears emboldened and has been upping his demands.

With the Summer sun still overhead, those trying to save Ukraine expect more Winters of war. We followed a bumpy track deep into a forest to meet troops fresh from the front lines. They were getting a refresher course in weapons skills at a remote training ground. A battle-hardened 35-year-old with a shaved head and full beard was among the group - call sign "student".

"I think the war won't end in the next year or two," he told me. "And even if it does end in six months with some kind of ceasefire, it will start again in four or five years. President Putin has imperialist ambitions."

War inflicts wounds – seen and unseen.

"Student" sent his family abroad for safety soon after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022 and has been unable to see his two daughters since then.

He and his wife are now divorced. Other soldiers we met also spoke of broken relationships and marriages that have buckled under the strain.

Student sums up war as "blood, dirt and sweat" and does not try to conceal the cost. "We joined our battalion, as a platoon of 30 neighbours," he told me.

"Today, only four of us remain alive. "

Additional reporting by Wietske Burema, Moose Campbell and Volodymyr Lozhko

Man who told woman to kill herself first to be sentenced under new online safety law

5 July 2025 at 00:14
BBC Breaking newsBBC

A man has been sentenced after he "repeatedly and persistently" encouraged a vulnerable woman he met online to kill herself.

Tyler Webb, 23, connected with his victim on social media before asking the woman, who cannot be named, to harm herself for his own "sexual gratification".

Police said the victim's bravery was "profound" in reporting the offence, which led to Webb being the first person in the country to be charged with encouraging serious self-harm online under section 184 of the Online Safety Act 2023.

Webb was given a hybrid order of nine years and four months, which will see him detained at a mental health facility and if deemed fit to leave, he will serve the remainder in prison.

Although Webb being charged was a legal first, the Crown Prosecution (CPS) said other cases brought since then had already concluded.

Webb, of King Street in Loughborough, Leicestershire, admitted encouraging suicide and one count of encouraging or assisting someone to seriously self-harm at a hearing in May.

Alex Johnson, from the CPS, described the case as a "watershed prosecution" and said "as far as he is aware", this is the only case this offence has been used to prosecute someone targeting a vulnerable person via social media.

At Leicester Crown Court on Friday, prosecutor Louise Oakley said Webb first met the victim on a social media forum - where mental health difficulties were being discussed - and, after their contact, started encouraging her to harm herself on the Telegram messaging app.

He then asked her to send him pictures of injuries, and the court heard he would use them for his own sexual pleasure.

Webb later encouraged her to kill herself and told her to carry out the attempt on a video call so he could watch.

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Warnings for rain ahead of a possible third heatwave

4 July 2025 at 19:05

Warnings for rain ahead of a possible third heatwave

Blue sky peeking through dark ominous clouds over a hilly landscapeImage source, Southern Landscapes via Getty

Parts of the UK could experience an third heatwave in the space of a month later next week.

This will follow a comparatively cool and changeable weekend, in which many areas will see rain at times.

For some, expected rainfall amounts between now and Saturday afternoon are enough to prompt the issue of a weather warning.

Where are there weather warnings?

With low pressure passing the north of Scotland over the next few days, weather fronts are expected to sweep southwards across the UK. These will linger longest across northern areas, with rainfall totals enhanced on western hills by strong to gale force winds.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for rain across parts of Argyll and Bute, the southern Highlands, Mull and Skye. It's valid until 15:00 (BST) on Saturday.

It warns of 40 to 60mm (1.6 to 2.4in) of rain quite widely within these areas, and possibly over 100mm (4in) in some of the mountains. This could lead flooding and travel disruption, as well as possible interruption to power supplies. Winds of 40 to 50mph (64 to 80km/h) will make for difficult travel conditions too.

Map of the Met Office yellow warning for rain, from 6am Friday to 3pm Saturday. Area covers much of Argyll and Bute, the southern Highlands, Mull and Skye
Image caption,

Over 100mm (4in) of rain is possible within the Met Office warning area

Sunshine and showers for the rest of the UK

This weekend comes with a bit of a reality check for those who experienced heatwave conditions for the last two weekends.

With an area of low pressure still close to the UK winds will swing round to come from a more northerly direction. This will make it feel comparatively cool by Sunday, with temperatures peaking in the high teens or low twenties Celsius instead of the low thirties of last weekend.

However, these sorts of temperatures are much closer to the long-term average for this time of year than we have seen recently.

Low pressure also means that showers are possible just about anywhere throughout the weekend, with some seeing more than others. In contrast to the rain totals we will see in western Scotland, some areas of central and southern England, where rain has been lacking over recent months, may only receive 1 to 3mm (under 0.2in).

It will not be a washout of a weekend though. All areas will see some sunshine at times too, especially on Sunday.

Dark clouds behind a hill and wind turbineImage source, BBC WeatherWatchers/PhotosDaft
Image caption,

Rain clouds and a cooler breeze will feature at times this weekend in most areas

When could we see another heatwave?

June was the hottest on record across England, according to the Met Office, with statistics boosted by two heatwaves during the second half of the month.

The temperature peaked during the first heatwave with a high of 33.2C recorded at Charlwood, Surrey on the 21 June. Little over a week later, on the 30 June both Jersey and Heathrow airports hit 33 Celsius, only to be exceed on the 1 July as St James's Park, London reached 34.7C. Heat health alerts were issued by the UK Health Security Agency widely across England to help prepare health and social services for an expected increase in demand.

Some weather computer models are now showing that later next week it's possible that some areas could experience their third heatwave in four weeks.

Spectators in the sunshine watching tennis at Wimbledon's Court OneImage source, BBC WeatherWatchers/Jam-Jam
Image caption,

The Wimbledon Championships recorded the hottest opening day in its history as temperatures hit 32C on 30 June

Given we are talking about the second half of next week and beyond, a long time off when it comes to the weather, there are question marks over who will see any potential heatwave, how hot it will get and how long it will last.

At the moment, like in the previous heatwaves, computer models are pointing to parts of central and eastern England seeing the highest temperatures. Some suggest we could again achieve temperatures around the 30C mark, possibly even higher. Much of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland however, are likely to be well below this.

Some of the heat potential may already be showing up in the longer-term forecasts on your weather app and online, but it is worth treating the forecasts with caution for now.

Changes in weather patterns to the west of the UK could disrupt the build of high pressure and southerly airflow that would help boost heat across eastern areas. A shift of wind direction or greater likelihood of cloud and showers would therefore limit the temperature rise.

Your BBC weather teams across the UK will keep you updated on any changes through the days ahead.

Why China Isn’t Lecturing Trump About His Costly Bill

Beijing has a history of warning Washington about the safety of its Treasury holdings. This time it may have reasons to stay silent, at least publicly.

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The House passed a sweeping bill to extend tax cuts and slash social safety net programs. The budget office reported the measure would increase U.S. national debt by at least $3.4 trillion over a decade.
Yesterday — 4 July 2025News

Israel's strike on bustling Gaza cafe killed a Hamas operative - but dozens more people were killed

4 July 2025 at 22:24
Reuters Three people inspect a crater next to the sea at the site of the Al-Baqa beach cafe in Gaza, after an Israeli air strikeReuters
A crater at al-Baqa beach cafe after it was hit by an Israeli strike

Moments before the explosion, artists, students and athletes were among those gathered at a bustling seaside cafe in Gaza City.

Huddled around tables, customers at al-Baqa Cafeteria were scrolling on their phones, sipping hot drinks, and catching up with friends. At one point, the familiar melody of "Happy Birthday" rang out as a young child celebrated with family.

In a quiet corner of the cafe overlooking the sea, a Hamas operative, dressed in civilian clothing, arrived at his table, sources told the BBC.

It was then, without warning, that a bomb was dropped by Israeli forces and tore through the building, they said.

At the sound of the explosion, people nearby flooded onto the streets and into al-Baqa in a desperate search for survivors.

"The scene was horrific - bodies, blood, screaming everywhere," one man told the BBC later that day.

"It was total destruction," said another. "A real massacre happened at al-Baqa Cafeteria. A real massacre that breaks hearts."

Google A photo taken before the war shows people sitting at tables overlooking the sea in the cafe. They are sat in blue plastic chairs. Not all tables are occupied. Google
The cafe was a popular meeting spot before and during the war

The BBC has reviewed 29 names of people reported killed in the strike on the cafe on Monday. Twenty-six of the deaths were confirmed by multiple sources, including through interviews with family, friends and eyewitness accounts.

At least nine of those killed were women, and several were children or teenagers. They included artists, students, social activists, a female boxer, a footballer and cafe staff.

The conduct of the strike and the scale of civilian casualties have amplified questions over the proportionality of Israel's military operations in Gaza, which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) say are aimed at defeating Hamas and rescuing the hostages still being held by the group.

Family members in Gaza and abroad spoke to the BBC of their shock and devastation at the killings.

"We were talking with each other two days ago. We were sending reels to each other. I can't believe it," said a young Palestinian man living in the US whose 21-year-old "bestie" Muna Juda and another close friend, Raghad Alaa Abu Sultan, were both killed in the strike.

The numbers of deaths analysed by the BBC were broadly consistent with figures given by the Hamas-run Civil Defence Agency, a senior local medic and the Palestinian Red Crescent in the days after the strike.

Staff at Shifa Hospital, which received the bodies, said its toll as of Thursday had reached 40 deaths, including people who had succumbed to their injuries, and unidentified bodies.

An official at the hospital said some of the bodies had been "blown to pieces", and that 72 injured patients were brought there - many having sustained severe burns and significant injuries that required surgery. He said many were students.

In a statement after the strike, the IDF said it had been targeting "terrorists" and that steps were taken to "mitigate the risk of harming civilians using aerial surveillance".

"The IDF will continue to operate against the Hamas terrorist organization in order to remove any threat posed to Israeli civilians," it added, before saying the "incident" was "under review".

The IDF did not directly respond to multiple BBC questions about the target of the strike, or whether it considered the number of civilian casualties to be proportionate.

A three-part vertical composite image showing the aftermath of a blast at al-Baqa cafeteria in Gaza City. At the centre, there is a satellite view of the damaged cafeteria. Above and below it, there are two photos, each pointing to their specific locations on the aerial image. The top photo shows people walking through rubble inside a severely damaged structure. The bottom photo shows the opposite side of the cafeteria, with broken furniture and extensive debris visible inside. Images ara credited to Getty and Planet Labs.

Al-Baqa Cafeteria was well-known across the Gaza Strip, considered by many to be among the territory's most scenic and vibrant meeting spots.

Split over two floors and divided into men's and mixed family sections, it had views out to the Mediterranean Sea and television screens where people could watch football matches. It was a place to gather for coffee, tea and shisha with friends, and was a particular favourite with journalists.

Al-Baqa had remained popular even during the war, especially because of its unusually stable internet connection. The cafe, which had until now survived largely unscathed, also served up a reminder of the life that existed before the bombardments.

A cafe manager told the BBC that there was a strict entry policy. "It was known to our customers that if any person looked like a target, then they were not let inside the cafeteria - this was for our safety and the safety of the people there," he said.

A composite map and satellite image showing the location of Al-Baqa cafeteria in Gaza City. The left side features a regional map highlighting the Gaza Strip along the Mediterranean Sea, with Gaza City marked. A more detailed city map below shows the location within Gaza City. The right side shows a satellite image of the coastline with the cafeteria building marked on the beachfront near Al-Rashid street. A yellow dashed line indicates the street’s location. The Mediterranean Sea is visible alongside the beach. The image is credited to Google and BBC.

On the day of the strike, the port area of Gaza City where the cafe is located was not under Israeli evacuation orders, and families of those killed on Monday say they had felt as safe as is possible when heading there.

Staff told the BBC that the strike in the early afternoon - between the Muslim prayers of Zuhr and Asr - was outside of the cafe's busiest hours.

The strike hit a section of the men's area where staff said few people were at the time.

BBC Verify showed several experts photos of the crater left in the wake of the explosion and the remaining munition fragments. Most said that they believed it was caused by a bomb, rather than a missile, with a range of size estimates given, at a maximum of 500lb (230kg).

The IDF told the BBC it would not comment on the type of munition used.

A journalist who was in the area at the time of the strike and spoke to eyewitnesses immediately afterwards told the BBC the munition that hit the cafe "was launched from a warplane - not from a drone that would usually target one or two people… It looked like they were very keen on getting their target". His account was consistent with others we spoke to.

Twenty-seven-year-old Hisham Ayman Mansour, whose deceased father had been a leading figure in Hamas' military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, was among those in the men's section by the sea.

His brother was previously killed by Israeli forces, and one social media post mourning his death suggested the brother had taken part in the 7 October 2023 attacks.

A local Hamas source said Hisham was the target of the strike, and described him as a field commander with the group, a "mid-ranking role".

Tributes posted on social media also referred to him as a "fighter" and "member of the resistance". His cousin also described him to the BBC as a "fighter" with the proscribed group, but said he thought he was "low-level" and not currently active.

It is unclear what he was doing in the cafe that day, with two sources telling the BBC he was believed to be there for a "money drop", while another suggested he was there for "coffee and a short respite" and that he had not been involved in "militant activities" during the war.

A photo shared on social media purported to show Hisham at the same spot in the men's area of the cafe the day before the strike, wearing a cap and sports t-shirt. Photos of his body after the strike in the same outfit were shared by family and friends.

Two members of his family - one of them a child - were also killed.

The IDF would not confirm whether Hisham was the primary target, or one of a number of targets of the strike.

Getty, Google A composite image featuring a satellite view and a photo to show the location of al-Baqa cafeteria in Gaza City. The satellite image, taken before the explosion, features a yellow outline marking the men's area, labeled in white. A red label indicates the blast site, with an inset photo showing two men inspecting the resulting crater on the beachfront. Image is credited to Getty.Getty, Google

One former senior IDF official told the BBC he understood that "multiple Hamas operatives" were hit at the cafe, but that a so-called battle damage assessment was still ongoing. A source with Israeli intelligence connections pointed towards a social media post naming Hisham as the target.

Sources in Gaza gave the BBC the name of a more senior Hamas commander who was rumoured to have been seated on a nearby table, but posts on social media said he died the following day and did not mention the cafe.

The Hamas source said Hisham was the only person within the group killed at al-Baqa, while the IDF did not respond to questions about the commander.

An anti-Hamas activist told the BBC that "many Hamas people" were injured in the strike, including one who worked with the group but not as a fighter, who lost his leg in the explosion.

Medics could not confirm this account, but said that they dealt with many people with severe injuries, including those arriving with missing limbs or requiring amputations.

Israel does not allow international journalists access to Gaza to report on the war making it difficult to verify information, and Hamas has historically ruled the territory with an iron grip, making speaking out or any dissent dangerous.

Getty / NurPhoto A pink and white teddy bear lying on the ground among the debris on the floor of the cafe after the strikeGetty / NurPhoto
A teddy bear was found among the debris after the strike

The remainder of this article contains details some readers may find distressing.

Among the bodies and the debris in al-Baqa were traces of the civilian lives lost - a giant pink and white teddy bear, its stuffing partially exposed, a child's tiny shoe, and playing cards soaked in blood.

A displaced man who was in the area seeing family at the time of the strike was among those who went running into the cafe to try to find survivors.

"Shrapnel was everywhere… there were many injuries," he told the BBC.

He said when he entered part of the men's section that he found the bodies of waiters and other workers, and saw as one "took his last breath".

"It was crazy," said Saeed Ahel, a regular at the cafe and friend of its managers.

"The waiters were gathered around the bar since it was shady and breezy there. Around [six] of them were killed," he added, before listing their names. More were injured.

The mother of two young men who worked at the cafe screamed as she followed their bodies while they were carried on a sheet out of the wreckage on Monday.

A distraught man pointed at a dry patch of blood on the floor, where he said bits of brain and skull had been splattered. He had put them in a bag and carried them out.

Meanwhile, the grandmother of 17-year-old Sama Mohammad Abu Namous wept.

The teenager had gone to the cafe that afternoon with her brother, hoping to use the internet connection to study. Relatives said the siblings were walking into the beachside cafe when the bomb hit. Sama was killed, while her brother was rushed to hospital.

"She went to study and they killed her," she said. "Why did she have to return to her grandmother killed?"

Palestinian Olympic Committee Malak Musleh standing up, wearing a black tracksuit, black boxing gloves, a black baseball cap and white facemask.Palestinian Olympic Committee
Young female boxer Malak Musleh was killed in the strike

The coach of young female boxer Malak Musleh said he was in shock at the loss of his friend of more than 10 years, having first learned the news of her killing through social media.

"She believed that boxing was not just for boys but that girls should have the right too," Osama Ayoub said. "Malak was ambitious. She didn't skip any training day."

He said he last saw Malak about 10 days before the strike, when he dropped off some aid to her and her father.

"We sat together for nearly an hour. She told me that she was continuing her training with her sister and wished I could train them. I told her unfortunately because my house got demolished I live now in Khan Younis [in southern Gaza], but as soon as I hear that there is a ceasefire I will try to go back to training," he said.

"She said to make sure to keep a space for them… She had passion in her eyes and her words."

When Osama saw the Facebook post by Malak's father announcing her death, he "didn't believe it".

"I called him and he confirmed it but I still don't believe it," he said over the phone from a displacement camp.

Instagram/@francalsalmi An image by artist Amina Omar Al-Salmi depicts a woman with her eyes closed and covered in bloodInstagram/@francalsalmi
An image by artist Amina Omar Al-Salmi, who was killed in the strike, depicts a woman with her eyes closed and covered in blood

Artist Amina Omar Al-Salmi, better known as Frans, was also at the cafe with a well-known photographer friend.

Since the 35-year-old's death, one of her pieces depicting a dead woman with her eyes closed and covered in blood, has been shared widely online alongside an image of her after her death, with people noting the striking similarities.

Her sister, now living in Sweden, told the BBC that the last time they spoke, Frans had said that she was sure "something good was going to happen".

"She was happy and said: 'We'll meet soon. You'll see me at your place.'"

Additional reporting by Riam El Delati and Muath al-Khatib

Verification by Emma Pengelly and Richie Irvine-Brown

'I don't know who to trust anymore': Druze worry about being left behind in post-war Syria

4 July 2025 at 20:39
OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images View of inside of burnt out car with a young boy standing on one side of the vehicle looking inOMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images
More than 100 people were killed in sectarian violence in a suburb south of Damascus in April

When the gunfire started outside her home in the Damascus suburb of Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, Lama al-Hassanieh grabbed her phone and locked herself in her bathroom.

For hours, she cowered in fear as fighters dressed in military-style uniforms and desert camouflage roamed the streets of the neighbourhood. A heavy machine gun was mounted on a military vehicle just beneath her balcony window.

"Jihad against Druze" and "we are going to kill you, Druze," the men were shouting.

She did not know who the men were - extremists, government security forces, or someone else entirely - but the message was clear: as a Druze, she was not safe.

The Druze - a community with its own unique practices and beliefs, whose faith began as an off-shoot of Shia Islam - have historically occupied a precarious position in Syria's political order.

Under former President Bashar al-Assad, many Druze maintained a quiet loyalty to the state, hoping that alignment with it would protect them from the sectarian bloodshed that consumed other parts of Syria during the 13-year-long civil war.

Many Druze took to the streets during the uprising, especially in the latter years. But, seeking to portray himself as defending Syria's minorities against Islamist extremism, Assad avoided using the kind of iron first against Druze protesters which he did in other cities that revolted against his rule.

They operated their own militia which defended their areas against attacks by Sunni Muslim extremist groups who considered Druze heretics, while they were left alone by pro-Assad forces.

But with Assad toppled by Sunni Islamist-led rebels who have formed the interim government, that unspoken pact has frayed, and Druze are now worried about being isolated and targeted in post-war Syria.

Recent attacks on Druze communities by Islamist militias loosely affiliated with the government in Damascus have fuelled growing distrust towards the state.

A woman with shoulder length brown hair and in a white shirt looks to camera with a book case behind her
Lama witnessed the outbreak of violent attacks against Druze in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya

It started in late April with a leaked audio recording that allegedly featured a Druze religious leader insulting the Prophet Muhammad. Although the leader denied it was his voice, and Syria's interior ministry later confirmed the recording was fake, the damage had been done.

A video of a student at the University of Homs, in central Syria, went viral, with him calling on Muslims to take revenge immediately against Druze, sparking sectarian violence in communities across the country.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said at least 137 people - 17 civilians, 89 Druze fighters and 32 members of the security forces - were killed in several days of fighting in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, the southern Damascus suburb of Jaramana, and in an ambush on the Suweida-Damascus highway.

The Syrian government said the security forces' operation in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya was carried out to restore security and stability, and that it was in response to attacks on its own personnel where 16 of them were killed.

Lama Zahereddine, a pharmacy student at Damascus University, was just weeks away from completing her degree when the violence reached her village. What began as distant shelling turned into a direct assault - gunfire, mortars, and chaos tearing through her neighbourhood.

Her uncle arrived in a small bus, urging the women and children to flee under fire while the men stayed behind with nothing more than light arms. "The attackers had heavy machine guns and mortars," Lama recalled. "Our men had nothing to match that."

The violence did not stop at her village. At Lama's university, dorm rooms were stormed and students were beaten with chains.

In one case, a student was stabbed after simply being asked if he was Druze.

A young woman in her 20s with long brown hair and wearing a peach top sits on a sofa against a wall
This university student, also named Lama, says her dorms were stormed and Druze students were beaten

"They [the instigators] told us we left our universities by choice," she said. "But how could I stay? I was five classes and one graduation project away from my degree. Why would I abandon that if it wasn't serious?"

Like many Druze, Lama's fear is not just of physical attacks – it is of what she sees as a state that has failed to offer protection.

"The government says these were unaffiliated outlaws. Fine. But when are they going to be held accountable?" she asked.

Her trust was further shaken by classmates who mocked her plight, including one who replied with a laughing emoji to her post about fleeing her village.

"You never know how people really see you," she said quietly. "I don't know who to trust anymore."

Getty Images Three men in military camouflage outfits carrying gun walk one after the other under some trees as several people watch on from the other side of the streetGetty Images
Druze volunteers were brought in to help protect their community during the attacks

While no-one is sure who the attackers pledged their allegiance to, one thing is clear: many Druze are worried that Syria is drifting toward an intolerant Sunni-dominated order with little space for religious minorities like themselves.

"We don't feel safe with these people," Hadi Abou Hassoun told the BBC.

He was one of the Druze men from Suweida called in to protect Ashrafiyat Sahnaya on the day Lama was hiding in her bathroom.

His convoy was ambushed by armed groups using mortars and drones. Hadi was shot in the back, piercing his lung and breaking several ribs.

It's a far cry from the inclusive Syria he had in mind under new leadership.

"Their ideology is religious, not based on law or the state. And when someone acts out of religious or sectarian hate, they don't represent us," Hadi said.

"What represents us is the law and the state. The law is what protects everyone…I want protection from the law."

The Syrian government has repeatedly stressed the sovereignty and unity of all Syrian territories and denominations of Syrian society, including the Druze.

A man in his 40s with a greying beard and short dark hair looks directly at the camera
Hadi's lung was pierced by a bullet fired by an armed group that ambushed his volunteer group

Though clashes and attacks have since subsided, faith in the government's ability to protect minorities has diminished.

During the days of the fighting, Israel carried out air strikes around the Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, claiming it was targeting "operatives" attacking Druze to protect the minority group.

It also struck an area near the Syrian presidential palace, saying that it would "not allow the deployment of forces south of Damascus or any threat to the Druze community". Israel itself has a large number of Druze citizens in the country and living in the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

Back in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, Lama al-Hassanieh said the atmosphere had shifted - it was "calmer, but cautious".

She sees neighbours again, but wariness lingers.

"Trust has been broken. There are people in the town now who don't belong, who came during the war. It's hard to know who's who anymore."

Trust in the government remains thin.

"They say they're working toward protecting all Syrians. But where are the real steps? Where is the justice?" Lama asked.

"I don't want to be called a minority. We are Syrians. All we ask for is the same rights - and for those who attacked us to be held accountable."

Additional reporting by Samantha Granville

Fictional K-pop bands beat BTS and Blackpink in US charts

4 July 2025 at 22:21
Netflix Huntrix from the Netflix animated film KPop Demon Hunters.Netflix
KPop Demon Hunters is currently the most streamed movie on Netflix globally

A hugely popular K-pop musical animation has seen songs by its fictional bands zoom to the top 10 of music charts, rivalling the success of real-life K-pop groups.

KPop Demon Hunters, produced by Sony Pictures Animation, is currently the most streamed movie on Netflix globally, clocking up more than 33 million views in just two weeks.

The song Your Idol by a boy band in the film, Saja Boys, has reached number two on the chart. This makes them the highest charting male K-pop group in US Spotify history, according to reports - surpassing kings of K-pop BTS.

Golden, a track by the film's fictional girl group Huntr/x, hit number three on Spotify in the US, equalling Blackpink as the highest-charting female K-pop group.

The film's soundtrack shot into the top 10 of the Billboard 200 in the US, making it the highest debut for a soundtrack so far this year.

Golden is being released as an official single by Republic Records, and Netflix is submitting it for awards consideration, according to Variety.

KPop Demon Hunters follows the adventures of superstar band Huntr/x.

The three members of the all-female group - Rumi, Mira, and Zoey - are secretly "badass demon hunters" who protect their legions of fans from supernatural dangers.

During Huntr/x concerts, their music is used to protect the human world from the forces of darkness.

But rival band the Saja Boys, who are demons in disguise, are their arch enemies.

Jinu, Abbs, Romance, Baby, and Mystery have been sent by demon king Gwi-ma to steal the souls of Huntr/x's fans.

KPop Demon Hunters was directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans and was based on a story by Ms Kang.

Its success should perhaps not be too surprising as top producers including Teddy Park, who has worked with Blackpink, and BTS collaborator Lindgren were part of the team that created the album.

Netflix The Saja Boys from the Netflix animated film KPop Demon Hunters.Netflix
The Saja Boys are demons sent by their king Gwi-ma to steal the souls of music fans

The huge success of KPop Demon Hunters comes as South Korean mega-stars BTS are set to make their highly-anticipated comeback.

The seven-strong group announced this week that it will head to the US this month to start working on new music.

The band is due to release a new album and go on tour next year after all of its members completed their mandatory military service.

Meanwhile, Blackpink is set to start its first all-stadium world tour on 5 July.

The band, which has not released an album together since 2022's Born Pink, is due to reveal a new song at the start of the Deadline World Tour.

Footballer Thomas Partey charged with rape

4 July 2025 at 22:12
Getty Images Thomas Partey in Arsenal kitGetty Images

Former Arsenal footballer Thomas Partey has been charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

The offences are reported to have taken place between 2021-2022, the Metropolitan Police said.

The charges involve three women with two counts of rape relating to one woman, three counts of rape in connection to a second woman and one count of sexual assault linked to a third woman.

The contract of the 32-year-old footballer, from Hertfordshire, ended with Arsenal on Monday after playing with the team since 2020. BBC News has contacted the team for comment.

The charges follow an investigation by detectives, which started in February 2022 after police first received a report of rape.

Det Supt Andy Furphy, who is leading the investigation, said: "Our priority remains providing support to the women who have come forward.

"We would ask anyone who has been impacted by this case, or anyone who has information, to speak with our team. You can contact detectives about this investigation by emailing CIT@met.police.uk"

Mr Partey is expected to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday 5 August.

He joined Arsenal for £45.3m from Atletico Madrid in October 2020, made 35 top-flight appearances last season and scored four goals as the London club finished second in the Premier League.

He also played 12 times in the Champions League as the Gunners reached the semi-finals before being knocked out by eventual winners Paris St-Germain.

Overall, he made 130 Premier League appearances for Mikel Arteta's side, scoring nine goals.

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