2025年4月2日|宣布“对等关税”:特朗普4月2日在白宫玫瑰花园举行“让美国再次富有”(Make America Wealthy Again)记者会,宣布“对等关税”措施。美国对大多数国家征收10%的基准关税,但针对特定国家征收更高税额。中国、欧盟和越南分别面临34%、20%和46%的关税; 日本、韩国、印度、柬埔寨和台湾,分别受到24%、25%、26%、49%和32%进口关税的打击。
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.
A Palestinian man looks at buildings destroyed by Israeli strikes in al-Shati refugee camp, northern Gaza
Hamas says it is consulting other Palestinian groups before giving a formal response to the latest proposal for a new Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal put forward by the US.
President Donald Trump said on Friday morning that expected to know within 24 hours whether Hamas has agreed to the plan.
On Tuesday, Trump said Israel had accepted the conditions necessary for a 60-day ceasefire, during which the parties would work to end the 20-month war.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military is continuing to bomb targets across the Gaza Strip.
Local journalists reported hearing explosions and gunfire as Israeli helicopter gunships and artillery struck the southern Khan Younis area on Friday morning.
Overnight, at least 15 Palestinians were killed in strikes on two tents housing displaced people in Khan Younis, the local Nasser hospital said.
The Israeli military has not yet commented on the strikes, but it did say its forces were "operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities".
In a statement issued early on Friday, Hamas said it was discussing with the leaders of other Palestinian factions the ceasefire proposal that it had received from regional mediators Qatar and Egypt.
Hamas said it would deliver a "final decision" to the mediators once the consultations had ended and then announce it officially.
The proposal is believed to include the staggered release of 10 living Israeli hostages and the bodies of 18 other hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Fifty hostages are still being held in Gaza, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
One of Hamas's key demands is the resumption of unrestricted food and medical aid into Gaza, and the proposal reportedly says sufficient quantities would enter the territory immediately with the involvement of the United Nations and Red Cross.
It is said the plan would also include a phased Israeli military withdrawal from parts of Gaza.
Above all, Hamas wants a guarantee that Israeli air and ground operations will not resume after the end of the 60-day ceasefire.
The proposal is believed to say that negotiations on an end to the war and the release of the remaining hostages would begin on day one.
Donald Trump told reporters early on Friday that he expected to know "over the next 24 hours" whether the proposals would be accepted by Hamas.
The hope then would be the resumption of formal, indirect, talks ahead of a planned visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington next week.
"We sure hope it's a done deal, but I think it's all going to be what Hamas is willing to accept," US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Israel's Channel 12 TV on Thursday.
"One thing is clear: The president wants it to be over. The prime minister wants it to be over. The American people, the Israeli people, want it to be over."
Netanyahu meanwhile promised to secure the release of all the remaining hostages during a visit to Kibbutz Nir Oz, a community near the Israel-Gaza border where a total of 76 residents were abducted during the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023 that triggered the war.
"I feel a deep commitment, first of all, to ensure the return of all of our hostages, all of them," he said. "We will bring them all back."
He did not, however, commit to ending the war. He has insisted that will not happen until the hostages are freed and Hamas's military and governing capabilities are destroyed.
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the 7 October 2023 attack, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
At least 57,130 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
There are now three designated areas in Paris for swimming in the Seine
The River Seine in Paris has reopened publicly to swimmers for the first time since 1923 after a century-long ban.
The seasonal opening of the Seine for swimming is viewed as a key legacy of the Paris 2024 Olympics, when open water swimmers and triathletes competed in its waters which were specially cleaned for the event.
On Saturday morning at 08:00 local time (07:00 BST) a few dozen swimmers arrived ahead of the opening and dived into the water when they were able to do so.
There are three designated areas for public swimming in the Seine - one near the Eiffel Tower, another close to Notre Dame Cathedral and a third in eastern Paris.
Zones have changing rooms, showers, and beach-style furniture, which allow for up to 300 people to lay out their towels.
Until the end of August, the three swimming sites will be open for free at scheduled times to anyone with a minimum age of 10 or 14 years, depending on the location.
Lifeguards will also be present keeping an eye on those in the river.
The promise to lift the swimming ban dates back to 1988, when then-mayor of Paris and future president Jacques Chirac first advocated for its reversal.
Improvements over the last 20 years have already led to a sharp reduction in faecal bacteria entering the river.
For 100 years swimming was banned in the river because of the levels of water pollution that could make people ill.
Ahead of last summer's Olympics more than €1.4bn (£1.2bn; $1.6bn) was invested into cleaning up the Seine.
But, in the lead up to the games there were doubts as to whether the River Seine would be ready for the Olympics after it was revealed it failed water quality tests.
Organisers blamed rainfall for the increased pollution which limited athletes' abilities to train for the triathlon, marathon swimming and paratriathlon.
Last July, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and other members of the Olympic committee went into the Seine to prove that it was safe to swim in.
Last summer BBC correspondent Hugh Schofield was among those who took a dip in the Seine.
"We rode this wave together and I loved him," said co-star Dylan Walsh in his tribute
Australian actor Julian McMahon, famed for roles in popular series like Nip/Tuck and Charmed, has died aged 56.
His wife said the actor passed away in Clearwater, Florida, on Wednesday. He had been diagnosed with cancer.
"Julian loved life. He loved his family. He loved his friends. He loved his work, and he loved his fans. His deepest wish was to bring joy into as many lives as possible," Kelly Paniagua said in a statement carried by Deadline.
McMahon's career took off with the hit supernatural television series Charmed before he gained wider recognition with Nip/Tuck, the medical drama in which he played the role of plastic surgeon Dr Christian Troy.
Running for six seasons from 2003 to 2010, the show earned him a Golden Globe nomination.
Co-star Dylan Walsh told Dealine he was "stunned".
"We rode this wave together and I loved him.
"Jules! I know you'd want me to say something to make you smile — all the inside jokes. All those years you had my back, and my god, we laughed. My heart is with you. Rest in peace."
McMahon also played Doctor Doom in two Fantastic Four films in 2005 and 2007 and later appeared in three seasons of FBI: Most Wanted.
Dick Wolf, the producer of FBI: Most Wanted, said McMahon's death was "shocking news".
McMahon was the son of a former Australian prime minister and went on to play an Australian prime minister's role in Netflix's The Residence - one of his recent appearances.
McMahon married three times - the first to Australian singer-actress Dannii Minogue, sister of Kylie Minogue.
A red notice on Ismail Abdo was issued by Interpol last year
One of Sweden's most wanted gang leaders, Ismail Abdo, has been arrested in Turkey, the Swedish prosecutor's office said on Friday.
The dual Swedish-Turkish national has an extensive list of drug-related charges against him according to the global police agency, Interpol.
The 35-year-old, nicknamed The Strawberry, is a well-known leader of the Rumba crime gang in Sweden. He is accused of orchestrating illegal operations from abroad and has been the subject of an Interpol red notice since last year.
Swedish police did not identify him, but confirmed the arrest of a man "suspected of having engaged in serious drug trafficking and inciting serious violent crimes" for many years in Sweden.
He was one of 19 people who were arrested during raids in Turkey, where officers seized more than a tonne of drugs, state broadcaster TRT reported. Exactly where the raids took place has not been revealed.
Arrest warrants were issued for a further 21 suspects, of whom 14 were believed to be abroad and three already in custody on other charges. Four are still at large, TRT added.
Turkish authorities reportedly seized assets worth around 1.5bn Turkish lira (£27.8m; $38m), including 20 vehicles, bank accounts and 51 real estate properties.
Gang violence in Sweden has escalated in recent years, in part because Abdo's former friend, Rawa Majida, is the leader of a rival gang, Foxtrot.
Many people have been killed since their deadly turf war began. It entered a new, violent chapter in 2023 when Abdo's mother was murdered in her home in Uppsala, north of the capital, Stockholm.
The escalation prompted the government to bring in the army to help tackle the surge in gang killings.
In 2024, Turkish police arrested Abdo during a traffic stop, but released him on bail despite the active Interpol red notice against him - a move which drew criticism from Swedish authorities who were seeking to extradite Abdo.
The increase in gang violence that has plagued some of Sweden's biggest cities and spread to quieter suburbs and towns has shattered its reputation as a safe and peaceful nation.
Lat year, Sweden's security service, Sapo, accused Iran of recruiting Swedish gang members to carry out attacks on Israeli or Jewish interests. In October, a 13-year-old boy fired shots outside the offices of Israeli tech firm Elbit Systems. Israel's embassies in Sweden and Denmark were also both targeted.
Sweden's centre-right governing coalition, which promised to end the gang crime wave when it was elected in 2022, will see Abdo's capture as a win. However the fact that he is also a Turkish citizen could complicate the extradition process.
An estimated 14,000 people in Sweden are caught up in criminal gangs, according to a police report last year, and a further 48,000 people are said to be connected to them.
Namibia reportedly spent 30m Namibian dollars ($1.7m; £1.25m) on transport costs during founding President Sam Nujoma's funeral
The Namibian government has announced a temporary ban on state funerals amid criticism over the rising costs of these burials.
Only President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has the power to exempt funerals from the moratorium, the government said.
Minister of Information and Communication Technology Emma Theofelus made the announcement following a Cabinet meeting earlier this week.
She said the moratorium would last until April 2026, while a review committee looks into the "criteria and processes associated with bestowing official funerals".
Ms Theofelus told the BBC that a committee consisting of "no more than seven members" would be established to lead the review.
The government has not said whether the decision was related to mounting criticism of the increasing costs of the numerous state funerals as reported by local media.
The BBC has asked the presidency for comment.
The Windhoek Observer, a privately owned publication, said calls for the moratorium had been made as far back as 2021 when the rising cost of official burials came under scrutiny, especially at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It quoted Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare, who earlier this year revealed that official funerals had cost the government 38.4m Namibian dollars ($2.2m; £1.6m) in the 2024/2025 financial year.
By comparison, only 2.1m Namibian dollars was spent on 23 funerals during the 2022/2023 financial year, according to the news site.
The Observer said the state had spent 30m Namibian dollars just to transport the body of founding President Sam Nujoma around the country ahead of his state funeral in February this year.
Nujoma, who died at the age of 95, led the long fight for independence from South Africa after helping found Namibia's liberation movement, the South West Africa People's Organisation (Swapo), in the 1960s.
After independence, Nujoma became president in 1990 and led the country until 2005.
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 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
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.
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.
As Donald Trump cheered the passage of his self-styled, and officially named, Big Beautiful Budget Bill through Congress this week, long-sown seeds of doubt about the scale and sustainability of US borrowing from the rest of the world sprouted anew.
Trump's tax-cutting budget bill is expected to add at least $3 trillion (£2.2 trillion) to the US's already eye-watering $37tn (£27tn) debt pile. There is no shortage of critics of the plan, not least Trump's former ally Elon Musk, who has called it a "disgusting abomination".
The growing debt pile leaves some to wonder whether there is a limit to how much the rest of the world will lend Uncle Sam.
Those doubts have been showing up recently in the weaker value of the dollar and the higher interest rate investors are demanding to lend money to America.
It needs to borrow this money to make up the difference between what it earns and what it spends every year.
Since the beginning of this year, the dollar has fallen 10% against the pound and 15% against the euro.
Although US borrowing costs have been steady overall, the difference between the interest rates paid on longer-term loans versus shorter-term loans - what's known as the yield curve - has increased, or steepened, signalling increased doubts about the long-term sustainability of US borrowing.
And that is despite the fact that the US has lowered interest rates more slowly than the EU and the UK, which would normally make the dollar stronger because investors can get higher interest rates on bank deposits.
The founder of the world's biggest hedge fund, Ray Dalio, believes that US borrowing is at a crossroads.
On its current trajectory he estimates the US will soon be spending $10tn a year in loan and interest repayments.
"I am confident that the [US] government's financial condition is at an inflection point because, if this is not dealt with now, the debts will build up to levels where they can't be managed without great trauma," he says.
The first option is a drastic reduction in government spending, a big increase in taxes or both.
Ray Dalio suggests that cutting the budget deficit from its current 6% to 3% soon could head off trouble in the future.
Trump's new budget bill did cut some spending, but it also cut taxes more, and so the current political trajectory is going the other way.
Secondly, as in previous crises, the US central bank could print more money and use it to buy up government debt - as we saw after the great financial crisis of 2008.
But that can end up fuelling inflation and inequality as the owners of assets like houses and shares do much better than those who rely on the value of labour.
The third is a straightforward US default. Can't pay won't pay. Given that the "full faith and credit of the US Treasury" underpins the entire global financial system, that would make the great financial crisis look like a picnic.
'Cleanest dirty shirt'
So how likely is any of this?
Right now, mercifully, not very.
But the reasons why are not actually that comforting. The fact is, whether we like it or not, the world has few alternatives to the dollar.
Economist and former bond supremo Mohamed El-Erian told the BBC that many are trying to reduce dollar holdings, "the dollar is overweight and the world knows it, which is why we have seen a rise in gold, the euro and the pound, but it's hard to move at scale so there's really very few places to go".
"The dollar is like your cleanest dirty shirt, you have to keep wearing it."
Nevertheless, the future of the dollar and the world's benchmark asset - US government bonds - is being discussed at the highest levels.
The governor of the Bank of England recently told the BBC that the levels of US debt and the status of the dollar is "very much on [US Treasury] Secretary Bessent's mind. I don't think the dollar is fundamentally under threat at the moment but he is very aware of these issues and I don't think it is something that he underestimates."
Debt of $37tn is an unfathomable number. If you saved a million dollars every day, it would take you 100,000 years to save up that much.
The sensible way to look at debt is as a percentage of a country's income. The US economy produces income of around $25tn a year.
While its debt to income level is much higher than many, it's not as high as Japan or Italy, and it has the benefit of the world's most innovative and wealth creating economy behind it.
At home I have a book called Death of the Dollar by William F Rickenbacker in which he warns of the risks to the dollar's status as the world's reserve currency. It was written in 1968. Mr Rickenbacker is no longer with us - the dollar is.
But it doesn't mean that its status and value is a divine right.
The Wimbledon title was the third of Arthur Ashe's Grand Slam crowns
Fifty years ago Arthur Ashe pulled off an amazing feat, upsetting the odds and becoming the first black man to win the Wimbledon Men's final when he beat fellow American Jimmy Connors - but it was not something he wanted to define his life.
His fight to break down barriers around racial discrimination was closer to his heart - and apartheid South Africa became one of his battle grounds.
"I don't want to be remembered in the final analysis for having won Wimbledon... I take applause for having done it, but it's not the most important thing in my life - not even close," he said in a BBC interview a year before his death in 1993.
Nonetheless his Centre Court victory on 5 July 1975 was hailed as one of those spine-tingling sporting moments that stopped everyone in their tracks, whether a tennis fan or not, and it is being commemorated with a special display at the Wimbledon museum.
Ashe was already in his 30s, tall, serene and with a quiet and even-tempered demeanour. Connors, 10 years younger and the defending champion, was an aggressive player and often described as "brattish".
Ashe's achievements and the skills and courage he displayed on the court were certainly matched by his actions off it.
Sports Illustrated/Getty Images
Ashe's victory at Wimbledon was an iconic moment in sport
In the early 1970s, South Africa repeatedly refused to issue a visa for him to travel to the country alongside other US players.
The white-minority government there had legalised an extreme system of racial segregation, known as apartheid - or apartness - in 1948.
The authorities said the decision to bar him was based on his "general antagonism" and outspoken remarks about South Africa.
However, in 1973, the government relented and granted Ashe a visa to play in the South African Open, which was one of the top tournaments in the world at the time.
It was Ashe's first visit to South Africa, and although he stipulated he would only play on condition that the stadium be open to both black and white spectators, it sparked anger among anti-apartheid activists in the US and strong opposition from sections of the black community in South Africa.
British journalist and tennis historian Richard Evans, who became a life-long friend of Ashe, was a member of the press corps on that South Africa tour.
He says that Ashe was "painfully aware" of the criticism and the accusation that he was in some way giving legitimacy to the South African government - but he was determined to see for himself how people lived there.
"He felt that he was always being asked about South Africa, but he'd never been. He said: 'How can I comment on a place I don't know? I need to see it and make a judgment. And until I go, I can't do that.'"
Evans recalls that during the tour, the South African writer and poet Don Mattera had organised for Ashe to meet a group of black journalists, but the atmosphere was tense and hostile.
"As I passed someone," Evans told the BBC, "I heard someone say: 'Uncle Tom'" - a slur used to disparage a black person considered servile towards white people.
"And then one or two very vociferous journalists stood up and said: 'Arthur, go home. We don't want you here. You're just making it easier for the government to be able to show that they allow someone like you in.'"
Gerry Cranham / Offside
Arthur Ashe went to Soweto in November 1973 to hold tennis clinics for children in the township
But not all black South Africans were so vehemently opposed to Ashe's presence in the country.
The South African author and academic Mark Mathabane grew up in the Alexandra township - popularly known as Alex - in the north of Johannesburg. Such townships were set up under apartheid on the outskirts of cities for non-white people to live.
He first became aware of Ashe as a boy while accompanying his grandmother to her gardening job at a British family's mansion in a whites-only suburb.
The lady of the house gifted him a September 1968 edition of Life magazine from her collection, and there, on the front cover, was a bespectacled Arthur Ashe at the net.
Mathabane was mesmerised by the image and its cover line "The Icy Elegance of Arthur Ashe" - and he set out to emulate him.
When Ashe went on the 1973 tour, Mathabane had only one mission - to meet Ashe, or at least get close to him.
The opportunity came when Ashe took time off from competing to hold a tennis clinic in Soweto, a southern Johannesburg township.
The 13-year-old Mathabane made the train journey to get there and join scores of other black - and mostly young - people who had turned out to see the tennis star, who they had given the nickname "Sipho".
"He may have been honorary white to white people, but to us black people he was Sipho. It's a Zulu word for gift," Mathabane, now aged 64, told the BBC.
"You know, a gift from God, from the ancestors, meaning that this is very priceless, take care of it. Sipho is here, Sipho from America is here."
Gerry Cranham / Offside
Gerry Cranham / Offside
Excited crowds descended on the tennis clinic to catch a glimpse of the superstar tennis player...
By 1973 Arthur Ashe had already won the US Open and Australian Open...
The excitement generated at the Soweto clinic was not just contained to that township but had spread across the country, he said.
From rural reservations to shebeens or speakeasies (bars) - wherever black people gathered, they were talking about Ashe's visit.
"For me, he was literally the first free black man I'd ever seen," said Mathabane.
After the 1973 tour, Ashe went back to South Africa a few more times. In early 1976 he helped to establish the Arthur Ashe Soweto Tennis Centre (AASTC) for budding players in the township.
But not long after it opened, the centre was vandalised in the student-led uprisings against the apartheid regime that broke out in June of that year.
It remained neglected and in disrepair for several years before undergoing a major refurbishment in 2007, and was reopened by Ashe's widow Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe.
The complex now has 16 courts, and hosts a library and skills development centre.
AFP/Getty Images
The Arthur Ashe Soweto Tennis Centre has big ambitions - and Serena and Venus Williams have held tennis clinics there
The ambition is to produce a tennis star and Grand Slam champion from the township - and legends such as Serena and Venus Williams have since run clinics there.
For Mothobi Seseli and Masodi Xaba, who were once both South African national junior champions and now sit on the AASTC board, the centre goes beyond tennis.
They feel that fundamentally it is about instilling a work ethic that embraces a range of life skills and self-belief.
"We're building young leaders," Ms Xaba, a successful businesswoman, told the BBC.
Mr Seseli, an entrepreneur born and raised in Soweto, agrees that this would be Ashe's vision too: "When I think about what his legacy is, it is believing that we can, at the smallest of scales, move the dial in very big ways."
Ashe was initially inclined to challenge apartheid through conversations and participation, believing that by being visible and winning matches in the country he could undermine the very foundation of the regime.
But his experience within South Africa, and international pressure from the anti-apartheid movement, persuaded him that isolation rather than engagement would be the most effective way to bring about change in South Africa.
He became a powerful advocate and supporter of an international sporting boycott of South Africa, speaking before the United Nations and the US Congress.
In 1983, at a joint press conference set up by the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and UN, he spoke about the aims of the Artists and Athletes Against Apartheid, which he had just co-founded with the American singer Harry Belafonte.
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Arthur Ashe and US singer Harry Belafonte (R), seen here during an anti-apartheid protest outside the UN in New York, founded Artists and Athletes Against Apartheid
The organisation lobbied for sanctions against the South African government, and at its height had more than 500 members.
Ashe joined many protests and rallies, and when he was arrested outside the South African embassy in Washington DC in 1985, it drew more international attention to the cause and helped to amplify global condemnation of the South African regime.
He was the captain of the US Davis Cup team at the time, and always felt that the arrest cost him his job.
Ashe used his platform to confront social injustice wherever he saw it, not just in Africa and South Africa, but also in the US and Haiti.
He was also an educator on many issues, and specifically HIV/Aids, which he succumbed to, after contracting the disease from a blood transfusion during heart surgery in the early 1980s.
But he had a particular affinity with South Africa's black population living under a repressive regime.
He said that he identified with them because of his upbringing in racially segregated Richmond in the US state of Virginia.
No wonder then that Ashe was one of the key figures that South African anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela was keen to meet on a trip to New York, inviting him to a historic townhall gathering in 1990 shortly after his release from 27 years in prison.
The pair met on a few occasions, however Ashe did not live to see Mandela become president of South Africa following the 1994 election, which brought in democratic rule and the dismantling of apartheid.
But like Ashe, Mandela was able to use sport to push for change - by helping unify South Africa - notably during the 1995 Rugby World Cup when he famously wore the Springbok jersey, once a hated symbol of apartheid.
To celebrate this year's anniversary of Ashe's victory, the Wimbledon Championships have an installation in the International Tennis Centre tunnel and a new museum display about him. They are also taking a trailblazer workshop on the road to mark his achievement.
His Wimbledon title was the third of his Grand Slam crowns, having previously won the US and Australian Opens.
But to many people like Mathabane - who in 1978 became the first black South African to earn a tennis scholarship to a US university - Arthur Ashe's legacy was his activism, not his tennis.
"He was literally helping to liberate my mind from those mental chains of self-doubt, of believing the big lie about your inferiority and the fact that you're doomed to repeat the work of your parents as a drudge," he said.
"So that was the magic - because he was showing me possibilities."
The earliest records of Kolhapur sandals date back to the 12th Century.
The Western Indian town of Kolhapur has found itself in an unlikely global spotlight, as thousands of local artisans who hand-craft traditional leather footwear are mounting a collective attack on luxury fashion label Prada for plagiarising their designs without credit.
The rhythmic pounding of the hammer in 58-year-old Sadashiv Sanake's dimly lit workshop bears witness to the hard grind behind handcrafting the iconic Kolhapuri leather sandals.
"I learnt the craft as a child," he tells the BBC. A day's toil goes into making just "eight to 10 pairs" of these sandals he says, that retail at a modest $8-10
Barely 5,000 artisans in Kolhapur are still in the profession – a cottage industry that struggles to compete in a mechanised world, caught in the funk of dismal working conditions and low wages.
It's no surprise then that when Italian luxury brand Prada released a new line of footwear that bore a striking resemblance to the Kolhapuri sandals - but didn't mention the design origins - local artisans were up in arms.
Reuters
Prada's leather footwear at the Milan Fashion Week sparked a major controversy
The backlash was swift. Social media was flooded with accusations of cultural appropriation, prompting Prada to issue a statement acknowledging the sandals' roots.
Now local politicians and industry associations have thrown their weight behind the artisans who want better recognition of the craft and its cultural legacy.
Mr Sanake was not aware of Prada's show until the BBC showed him a video of it. When told that that the sandals could retail for hundreds of pounds in luxury markets, he scoffed. "Do they have gold in them?" he asked.
Prada hasn't revealed the price tag but its other sandals retail at between £600 to £1,000 in the UK as per its website.
Women try on Kolhapuri sandals at a store in Kolhapur
The earliest records of Kolhapur sandals date back to the 12th Century.
"These sandals were originally crafted by members of the marginalised Charmakar (cobbler) community, also known as chamars," said Kavita Gagrani, a history professor at the New College in Kolhapur.
Chamar is a pejorative caste term used to describe Dalits (formerly known as untouchables) who work with animal hides.
"But in the early 20th Century, the craft flourished when the then ruler of Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj granted royal patronage to this community," Ms Gagrani said.
Today, nearly 100,000 artisans across India are engaged in the trade with an industry worth over $200m, according to the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture (MACCIA), a prominent industry trade group.
Yet, most of them continue to work in unorganised setups under dismal conditions.
"I was never educated. This is all I know, and I earn about $4-5 a day, depending on the number of orders," said 60-year-old Sunita Satpute.
Women like her play a critical role, particularly in engraving fine patterns by hand, but are not compensated fairly for their long hours of labour, she said.
That's why Sunita's children don't want to continue the craft.
A short distance away from her workshop lies Kolhapur's famous chappal gully, or sandal lane, a cluster of storefronts - many of them struggling to stay afloat.
"Leather has become very expensive and has pushed up our costs," said Anil Doipode, one of the first sellers to open a shop here.
Traditionally, artisans would use cow and buffalo hide to make these sandals. But since 2014, when the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power, there have been several reports of vigilantes - self-appointed protesters or activists - cracking down on alleged cow slaughter, sometimes with physical violence. The cow is considered sacred by Hindus.
In 2015, Maharashtra state banned the slaughter of cows and the sale and consumption of beef, forcing artisans to rely on buffalo leather sourced from neighbouring states, pushing up their production costs.
Traditional sellers are also struggling to compete with synthetic copies flooding the market.
"Customers want cheaper sandals and can't always tell the difference," said Rohit Balkrishna Gavali, a second-generation Kolhapuri sandal seller.
Women artisans engrave fine patterns in the leather sandals by hand
Industry experts say the controversy highlights the need for a better institutional framework to protect the rights of artisans.
In 2019, the Indian government had awarded Kolhapuri sandals the Geographical Indication (GI) - a mark of authenticity which protects its name and design within India, preventing unauthorised use by outsiders.
Globally, however, there is no binding law that stops other countries or brands from aesthetic imitation.
Aishwarya Sandeep, a Mumbai-based advocate, says that India could raise the issue at the World Trade Organization under its TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) agreement, of which it is a signatory.
But the system is cumbersome, expensive and often lacks enforceability, both in India and abroad, she adds.
Lalit Gandhi, the president of MCCIA, says his organisation is planning to patent the Kolhapuri sandal design, hoping to create a legal precedent for future cases.
But some say real change can only happen when India starts seeing its traditional heritage in a different light.
"It's about ethical recognition. India must push for royalty-sharing and co-branding," says Ritu Beri, a renowned designer. "The more we take pride in our culture, the less we will be exploited."
Kolhapur is home to thousands of artisans who have been making these sandals for generations
Of course, this isn't the first time a global fashion brand has been accused of appropriating Indian handicrafts.
Many big labels have featured Indian fabrics and embroidery work with little to no artist collaboration. "Take Chikankari (a delicate hand-embroidery style from the northern Indian city of Lucknow), Ikat (a cloth-dyeing technique), mirror work; they've all been used repeatedly. The artisans remain invisible while brands profit from their inspiration," Ms Beri says.
Mr Gandhi, however, says that Prada's endorsement of Kolhapuri sandals could also be beneficial for artisans.
"Under their label, the value [of Kolhapuri sandals] is going to increase manifold," he says. "But we want some share of that profit to be passed on to artisans for their betterment."
Rohit Balkrishna Gavali, a sandal-seller in Kolhapur, agrees - he has already begun to see the difference.
"The design Prada used wasn't even very popular, but now people are asking for it, with clients from Dubai, the US and Qatar" placing orders, he says.
"Sometimes, controversy can help," he adds. "But it would be nice if it also brought respect and better prices for those keeping this tradition alive."
The issue is unlikely to die down soon.
For now, a plea has been filed in a high court, demanding Prada pay damages and compensation to artisans, along with a court-supervised collaboration between the luxury label and artisan associations.
Prada has told BBC in a statement that it is in talks with the MCCIA on this matter.
Mr Gandhi, its chief, says a meeting between the two sides is going to take place next week.
The alliance of emerging economies hopes to offer a counterweight to the United States and other Western powers. But military strikes on Iran are testing its unity.
The continent is dedicated to research and cooperation, but proposed funding cuts in the Trump administration and actions by other world powers may alter the environment.
England & Wales bid to survive 'toughest group of all'
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
England and Wales are in Group D along with France and the Netherlands
Published
England and Wales are flying the flag for the home nations at Euro 2025 this summer.
But the two teams have found themselves paired together in the trickiest group, alongside the Netherlands and France.
That means three of the four teams in the group are in the top 11 of Fifa's world rankings.
Wales take on the Dutch (17:00 BST on Saturday) in a game you can watch and listen to across the BBC, before England face France (20:00), with radio commentary on 5 Live and BBC Sounds, with live text updates on the BBC Sport website and app.
But what makes Group D so difficult and who is most likely to make it through?
'The most lopsided draw I have ever seen'
Group D, according to Netherlands boss Andries Jonker, is the "toughest group of all" at Euro 2025.
And Opta have backed up his claim, with the stat experts' supercomputer predicting there's a 37% chance a Group D team will win the tournament.
That's 7% higher than the second-favourite group.
"It's the most lopsided draw I have ever seen," football journalist Tom Garry told the Football Daily podcast.
"The doomsday scenario for England and Wales is that they could both be out before they play each other in the third game."
Two former champions
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Sarina Wiegman led the Netherlands to Euros success in 2017 before guiding the Lionesses to the trophy in 2022
England arrive in Switzerland as the defending champions while the Netherlands won the previous tournament in 2017 - both were managed by Sarina Wiegman.
Both teams won all three of their group-stage games when they won the title.
The defending champions have never failed to progress past the group stage at a European Championship.
"Straight from the beginning, we need to be really sharp and strong but that's also the case for the other teams," England head coach Wiegman said when the draw was made.
The Lionesses have won their past 14 group-stage matches at major tournaments while the Netherlands are unbeaten in their past 13.
Jonker said: "This is the toughest group of all with three top countries. We have to accept this and go for the challenge and believe in ourselves.
"We are not coming to participate, we think we can beat every country."
France on fine form
France have never won a major trophy but they have an impressive group-stage record, progressing in each of their past eight major tournament appearances.
And Laurent Bonadei's team have form on their side. They are on an eight-game winning run and have only conceded two goals since February while they last tasted defeat in December - to world champions Spain.
England full-back Lucy Bronze says Saturday's opening match between the sides is not to be missed.
"Both teams are full of exciting attacking talent and I think it's the game everyone is going to be watching because it's surely the most exciting group game coming into a Euros," right-back Bronze said.
Les Bleues left-back Selma Bacha also said she is "very happy" to play England first, adding: "That's going to put us straight into the thick of things for the Euros."
However, this will be the first time since 2005 that France have been at a Euros or World Cup without both Wendie Renard and all-time leading scorer Eugenie le Sommer, who were controversially left out of Bonadei's side.
"The experience and the amount of caps that Renard and Le Sommer have is absolutely huge," said former England forward Ellen White.
"To have that completely wiped from your squad is a really interesting dynamic to go into this tournament."
Former Scotland defender Jen Beattie said: "They've obviously seen something and made a big decision, and they were also quoted saying 'insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results'."
Wales will 'embrace' underdog status
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Wales beat the Republic of Ireland in December's play-offs to qualify for Euro 2025
Competing in their first major tournament and as the lowest ranked team in the compteition, Wales are not only the underdogs for Group D but for the whole of Euro 2025.
"People can call us underdogs and write us off as much as they want but our belief in ourselves will be the most important thing," said Wales forward Jess Fishlock.
"I think we will embrace it and we will use it as an advantage."
Despite their lower ranking, Wales have shown they can compete with top teams under coach Rhian Wilkinson, claiming two impressive draws against Sweden earlier this year.
"It absolutely terrifies me playing Wales in the last game and trying to get points because it will be such a hard game," White said.
"It will be a European final for Wales. They've got enthusiasm, you don't know what to expect, they're competitive, the fans are going to be amazing. That's going to be a really hard test for England."
However, history isn't on Wales' side. Only one of the past six teams making their debut in the Euros have made it out of the group.
Casks of beer were blessed at an Oktoberfest event in 2022 at Bangor Cathedral
Priests and choristers at a cathedral mired in controversy did a "seven last shots of Christ" drinking game at a pub on Good Friday after services at the Archbishop of Wales' cathedral.
People who sang with the choir at Bangor Cathedral have told the BBC there "seemed to be any excuse to bring out the wine" and "go to the pub" because of a "binge drinking culture".
Mr John will also retire as Bishop of Bangor on 31 August but the church has called for a series of reviews and investigations of his diocese and cathedral.
This comes after reports highlighted "a culture in which sexual boundaries seemed blurred", excessive alcohol consumption and governance and safeguarding weaknesses.
While there is no suggestion the then archbishop, the leader of the Church in Wales, behaved inappropriately, the church's representative body said there must be a "change in leadership, procedures and governance in the diocese of Bangor".
Andrew John retired as Archbishop of Wales last month and will retire as Bishop of Bangor on 31 August
Jessica, not her real name, said she was assaulted by someone who was trying to become a priest who had been drinking at a Bangor Cathedral Oktoberfest event in 2022.
"He had had considerably too much to drink," she told the BBC.
"I'd already warned people that night he's drinking a lot more than everyone else. So these warning signs were ignored and that led to that assault."
Jessica, now in her early 20s, said another person was also sexually assaulted by the man at the event in the 6th Century Gwynedd cathedral.
She reported it and he apologised, but she said the drinking culture did not change.
"Several bottles of prosecco would be gone through on a Sunday morning," Jessica added.
"Any sort of external event or big internal event there was prosecco or wine."
The Church in Wales confirmed that Jessica was one of two people who complained about the man's behaviour and his priest training was not taken forward.
'Seven last shots of Christ'
After a cathedral concert on Good Friday in 2023, members of the choir went for drinks.
"A few of the priests came out with the choir," recalled Jessica. "It was deemed appropriate to do the seven last shots of Christ."
The Seven Last Words of Christ refers to seven last sentences that Jesus spoke from the Cross on Good Friday as quoted in the Bible.
"Because Christ has seven last words, therefore we sang seven pieces of the seven last words in the concert - and that somehow translated into seven shots of Christ," she recalled.
"I think I left after the first shot because I was like 'I don't think this is appropriate'. There's too many people taking shots in dog collars for me to be comfortable."
Jessica said she went on a tour to Rome with the choir in June 2023.
"Every night we'd go to a bar first and then a restaurant," she recalled.
"At the time I was teetotal. I would be like I don't want wine, I don't want to drink in this situation. I don't want alcohol.
"That would not be an okay answer, that would be questioned beyond belief. Like, this alcohol is free. Why are you not taking it? You should have it."
Esme Byrd
Esme Byrd said she left her position as a lay clerk at Bangor Cathedral because no-one listened to her concerns about the culture at the diocese
Esme Byrd was a lay clerk at Bangor Cathedral for six months and regularly sang with the choir until leaving in January 2023.
The 29-year-old said the culture and attitude to alcohol was "deeply unhealthy" with some people getting "really catastrophically drunk".
"There was a culture of binge drinking," said Esme.
"Not necessarily all the time, but certainly there was a lot of alcohol around almost all the services or various events. It seemed to be any excuse to bring out the wine, any excuse to go to the pub."
Esme, who sometimes worked directly with the children in the choir, said she became concerned about the wellbeing of younger members of the choir, especially the language used around them.
"It was the level of 18-rated sexual jokes, crude sexual humour done in front of children as young as six or seven," said Esme.
"In terms of safeguarding training, there was absolutely nothing. There was no training, so in terms of certainly me starting and me doing my job, there was no training of anything whatsoever."
Esme Byrd
Esme Byrd sometimes worked directly with the children in the choir at Bangor Cathedral
Esme said she was only asked to do a DBS check a couple of weeks after starting, despite being appointed months in advance.
"I looked around and I just thought, this is not safe," Esme told BBC Wales Investigates. "This is not a safe and nurturing and good environment for children to be in."
She added: "It felt a lot more like a badly run after school club rather than a professional organisation."
Esme said she raised her concerns but eventually left because she became frustrated with the lack of action.
"It's not a sense of malevolence, but a huge sense of negligence and neglect and not following good practice," added Esme.
"Creating the space where a malevolent actor could have done almost whatever they wanted."
The Church in Wales said "concerns about a drinking culture" prompted them to investigate and said alcohol was "not now generally available" after services.
A spokesperson said they did not believe that Bangor Cathedral was unsafe for children, but said improvements to policy and practice were required.
The spokesperson said: "Previous concerns about a drinking culture at the Cathedral contributed to the decision to undertake a Bishop's visitation.
"The Implementation Group who are addressing the recommendations from the visitation are developing a policy concerning alcohol use. Alcohol is not now generally available after services.
"The inappropriate use of alcohol within and during cathedral-related activities included encouragement by some towards others to consume alcohol.
"This inappropriate behaviour is addressed in the actions which are required following the visitation process.
"DBS checks are required and safeguarding training delivered in line with UK legislation, and the Church in Wales policies."
Regarding the blessing of beer, the spokesperson said this was occasionally practised in churches but that "the abuse of alcohol is always inappropriate".
"We rode this wave together and I loved him," said co-star Dylan Walsh in his tribute
Australian actor Julian McMahon, famed for roles in popular series like Nip/Tuck and Charmed, has died aged 56.
His wife said the actor passed away in Clearwater, Florida, on Wednesday. He had been diagnosed with cancer.
"Julian loved life. He loved his family. He loved his friends. He loved his work, and he loved his fans. His deepest wish was to bring joy into as many lives as possible," Kelly Paniagua said in a statement carried by Deadline.
McMahon's career took off with the hit supernatural television series Charmed before he gained wider recognition with Nip/Tuck, the medical drama in which he played the role of plastic surgeon Dr Christian Troy.
Running for six seasons from 2003 to 2010, the show earned him a Golden Globe nomination.
Co-star Dylan Walsh told Dealine he was "stunned".
"We rode this wave together and I loved him.
"Jules! I know you'd want me to say something to make you smile — all the inside jokes. All those years you had my back, and my god, we laughed. My heart is with you. Rest in peace."
McMahon also played Doctor Doom in two Fantastic Four films in 2005 and 2007 and later appeared in three seasons of FBI: Most Wanted.
Dick Wolf, the producer of FBI: Most Wanted, said McMahon's death was "shocking news".
McMahon was the son of a former Australian prime minister and went on to play an Australian prime minister's role in Netflix's The Residence - one of his recent appearances.
McMahon married three times - the first to Australian singer-actress Dannii Minogue, sister of Kylie Minogue.
Serena Hanor Aldrich said her daughters were trapped by floodwaters for a couple of hours at Camp Mystic, where as many as 25 girls are missing. She criticized camp officials.
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.
A Palestinian man looks at buildings destroyed by Israeli strikes in al-Shati refugee camp, northern Gaza
Hamas says it is consulting other Palestinian groups before giving a formal response to the latest proposal for a new Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal put forward by the US.
President Donald Trump said on Friday morning that expected to know within 24 hours whether Hamas has agreed to the plan.
On Tuesday, Trump said Israel had accepted the conditions necessary for a 60-day ceasefire, during which the parties would work to end the 20-month war.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military is continuing to bomb targets across the Gaza Strip.
Local journalists reported hearing explosions and gunfire as Israeli helicopter gunships and artillery struck the southern Khan Younis area on Friday morning.
Overnight, at least 15 Palestinians were killed in strikes on two tents housing displaced people in Khan Younis, the local Nasser hospital said.
The Israeli military has not yet commented on the strikes, but it did say its forces were "operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities".
In a statement issued early on Friday, Hamas said it was discussing with the leaders of other Palestinian factions the ceasefire proposal that it had received from regional mediators Qatar and Egypt.
Hamas said it would deliver a "final decision" to the mediators once the consultations had ended and then announce it officially.
The proposal is believed to include the staggered release of 10 living Israeli hostages and the bodies of 18 other hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Fifty hostages are still being held in Gaza, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
One of Hamas's key demands is the resumption of unrestricted food and medical aid into Gaza, and the proposal reportedly says sufficient quantities would enter the territory immediately with the involvement of the United Nations and Red Cross.
It is said the plan would also include a phased Israeli military withdrawal from parts of Gaza.
Above all, Hamas wants a guarantee that Israeli air and ground operations will not resume after the end of the 60-day ceasefire.
The proposal is believed to say that negotiations on an end to the war and the release of the remaining hostages would begin on day one.
Donald Trump told reporters early on Friday that he expected to know "over the next 24 hours" whether the proposals would be accepted by Hamas.
The hope then would be the resumption of formal, indirect, talks ahead of a planned visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington next week.
"We sure hope it's a done deal, but I think it's all going to be what Hamas is willing to accept," US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Israel's Channel 12 TV on Thursday.
"One thing is clear: The president wants it to be over. The prime minister wants it to be over. The American people, the Israeli people, want it to be over."
Netanyahu meanwhile promised to secure the release of all the remaining hostages during a visit to Kibbutz Nir Oz, a community near the Israel-Gaza border where a total of 76 residents were abducted during the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023 that triggered the war.
"I feel a deep commitment, first of all, to ensure the return of all of our hostages, all of them," he said. "We will bring them all back."
He did not, however, commit to ending the war. He has insisted that will not happen until the hostages are freed and Hamas's military and governing capabilities are destroyed.
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the 7 October 2023 attack, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
At least 57,130 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
In late 2023, sisters Lisa and Nicole were told they had inherited a substantial sum from their late Aunt Christine. But while they were absorbing this life-changing news, the windfall was just as quickly snatched away.
A man unknown to Christine's family, friends or neighbours, appeared - apparently from nowhere - and produced a will, naming him sole heir to her entire estate.
Doubts about the man's claim grew as troubling details emerged. However, the police and probate service said they would not investigate.
Lisa and Nicole's is one of several similar cases investigated by BBC News in the south of England.
We found mounting evidence that a criminal gang has been carrying out systematic will fraud by exploiting weaknesses in the probate system, stealing millions of pounds from the estates of dead people, and committing serious tax fraud.
'My dear friend'
Lisa and Nicole were upset to hear about the death of their aunt, Christine Harverson, whom they had not seen since their early childhood. They were also shocked to be told that they stood to inherit her entire estate, including a house in Wimbledon, south London, which could be worth nearly £1m. She had not left a will, and they were her closest living relatives.
The sisters were alerted to their inheritance by an "heir-finder" company, Anglia Research Services. Heir-finders use an official government register that lists estates where no will has been made. They research the dead person's family in order to identify, locate and contact the rightful heirs.
In return for a portion of the inheritance, these companies act on the heirs' behalf and apply for what's known as a grant of probate. This gives them the legal right to deal with a deceased person's estate – in other words, their property, money and possessions.
However, on this occasion, the application for probate on behalf of Lisa and Nicole was stopped in its tracks.
A Hungarian man by the name of Tamas Szvercsok contacted the probate service, and produced a will describing him as Christine's "dear friend".
It named him the beneficiary of her entire estate, as well as sole executor - the person legally responsible for carrying out the instructions in the will.
The possibility that Mr Szvercsok was genuine, initially was not dismissed out of hand.
"It happens - sometimes cases slip through the net and a will is unearthed," says Matt Boardman, a former police officer who works for Anglia Research.
However, there were clear signs something was amiss:
Christine's neighbour and friend, Sue, said she had never mentioned a Hungarian friend at any point in the years they had known each other
The will was dated 2016 - Christine was housebound and disabled by this time, and receiving practically no visitors
The terms of the will meant that Christine would have disinherited her husband and carer Dennis, who in 2016 was still alive (he died in 2020)
Moreover, because Dennis was the joint owner of their house, Christine could not have legally bequeathed the house without his consent
After Dennis's death, Christine entered a care home, but there was no record of Mr Szvercsok ever visiting her
Joe Dixey/BBC
Sue (pictured in front of Christine Harverson's house) cast doubt on the authenticity of her late neighbour's will
Other even more troubling details stood out.
Christine's home address was misspelled on the will, and even though it was dated 2016, the address given for Mr Szvercsok was a block of flats that had not been built until 2021.
Matt Boardman contacted Mr Szvercsok, who replied by email: "I never heard of any family. I'm the sole executor of her will."
Despite presenting what they thought was a strong case to police and the probate service, Lisa and Nicole were told they would have to bring a civil action if they wanted to prove that the will was a fake. That would cost tens of thousands of pounds which they do not have.
Lisa now says she sometimes wishes she had never been told about the will in the first place: "All it's done is bring misery really, and heartache. It's just a whole nightmare."
'Vacant goods'
Stealing a dead person's property and financial assets appears to be extremely easy under UK law, if no will can be located.
The official government register of unclaimed estates in England and Wales is called Bona Vacantia (Latin for "vacant goods"), and is freely accessible online. It currently contains about 6,000 names and is updated daily.
Legitimate heir-hunting companies use Bona Vacantia to research potential clients, but it also appears to have become a valuable resource for criminals.
To claim an estate where there is no known heir, a fraudster simply has to find a promising name on Bona Vacantia, produce a will quickly enough, and be awarded grant of probate.
Since 2017 it's been possible to apply for grant of probate online, but critics of the system say it is failing to detect suspicious applicants, and it also appears to increase the opportunity for tax fraud.
When someone dies, their estate has to be assessed for inheritance tax. This is not payable on estates worth £325,000 or less, but any amount over that threshold – with some exceptions - is taxed at 40%.
It's the responsibility of the person awarded grant of probate to make sure inheritance tax has been paid.
Applicants for grant of probate must complete a form to say this has been done, but under the current arrangements, they need do no more than declare on the online form that no tax is due.
It is a system that relies largely on trust, but gives ample opportunity for that trust to be roundly abused.
During our investigations we have come across cases where estates have been valued at just under the inheritance tax threshold, even though they include property worth far more.
One of these was the estate of Charles Haxton.
Whose house?
At the time of his death in 2021, Charles Haxton was living alone in a terraced house in Tooting, south London.
He was reclusive and only occasionally spoke to neighbours, although one of them, Roye Chapman, was there for him near the end when he suffered a bad fall outside.
"I rang the police and then got him up and got him into the ambulance," he says. "His head was all cut open, and then two weeks later, he died."
No will was initially found for Mr Haxton, and his name and address appeared on Bona Vacantia. This prompted Anglia Research to look for possible heirs, and they told several of his cousins that they could be in line to inherit Mr Haxton's estate.
Joe Dixey/BBC
Roye Chapman stands in front of the house of his late neighbour, Charles Haxton
Then, as with Lisa and Nicole, the cousins were told that a will had appeared after all, leaving everything to one man - also Hungarian - called Roland Silye.
The family initially accepted his claim, to have been an old friend of Mr Haxton, but one relation, Barry, obtained a copy of the will and was struck by how odd it looked.
It left Mr Silye two properties - not only Mr Haxton's home in London, but also a house in Hertfordshire.
Together, the two properties would have been worth about £2m. However, Mr Silye listed the value of the estate as £320,500 – just £4,500 short of the amount at which inheritance tax kicked in.
What was even stranger was that Mr Haxton had never owned, and had no connection to, any house in Hertfordshire.
We visited this property. It was large and dilapidated, and neighbours told us it had been unoccupied for a long time.
The puzzle of the extra house also caught the attention of Neil Fraser, a partner in another heir-hunting company. He thinks that Mr Silye may have bundled the Hertfordshire property into a will in an attempt to fake ownership.
"He must have gone past that house and thought, 'I'll just take that derelict house. How can I get that house? Well, I can put it inside a will!"
Crucially, the will was accepted by the probate service, who did not check or raise any questions about the Hertfordshire house.
We were unable to trace Roland Silye in our investigation, and his motivation remains a mystery.
The will would not give him possession of the Hertfordshire house - the property registry and the electoral roll name the owner as a woman who would be in her 70s.
However, Mr Fraser speculates that the will could be used in future as leverage to take ownership when the real owner dies.
Despite reporting his suspicions to the police and the probate service, he says action was not taken.
Mr Silye cleared probate not only for Mr Haxton's estate, but also that of George Woon, an elderly man from Southall, west London.
Mr Woon also died in 2021, and shortly afterwards, his name appeared on Bona Vacantia. Mr Silye came forward with a will which named him as sole heir. Mr Woon's house was later sold at auction for £360,000.
A complex web
We asked an expert in financial fraud, Graham Barrow, to check whether there could be any connection between Roland Silye and Tamas Szvercsok.
Both have names of Hungarian origin, and, according to Companies House, both appear to be directors in a complex and interlinked web of companies.
Mr Barrow established that the address Mr Szvercsok gave in Mrs Harverson's will was also used by Mr Silye for some of his companies.
What these companies do is unclear, although some have been struck off for fraudulent addresses, and others have been warned for failing to provide accounts.
The pattern - multiple businesses, related addresses, similar names - is one which often indicates a criminal network, says Mr Barrow.
He adds that owning multiple companies can allow criminals to disperse funds across different accounts and locations, and makes life more difficult for law enforcement.
Another Hungarian name featuring in this web of companies is Bela Kovacs, who, according to a will dated 2021, was heir to the entire estate of Michael Judd, from Pinner, west London.
Michael Judd's estate included his bungalow in Pinner, west London
According to his neighbours, Mr Judd was a multi-talented individual with a distinguished record in the security services. However, in his final years he had become something of a hoarder, seldom leaving his house.
One neighbour, Chris, told us he thought the will had sounded strange and not only because Mr Judd had never mentioned Bela Kovacs.
A few months before his death in 2024, Mr Judd told Chris he had made a will long ago, but the people named on it were all now dead. In any case, he added, he did not know where it was.
"I suppose I better try and dig it out some time," Chris remembers him saying.
He feels it's inconceivable that Mr Judd would have troubled himself with these decisions if he had made a will three years previously.
We tracked Mr Kovacs down to a luxury estate in the Watford area but he refused to talk to us.
Joined-up writing
Other factors seem to connect these cases.
The wills made out for Charles Haxton, George Woon and the others we have seen, appear to have been written by the same person, according to handwriting expert Christina Strang.
"The numbers two, four and seven are all written in the same way on several addresses," she says.
She also sees other similarities, such as the spacing of the letters in different signatures, and the positioning of the signatures on the line.
"It seems to be one person actually signing, forging all of these."
Handwriting expert Christina Strang says it seems one person signed all the wills
Ms Strang also thinks this same person may have also forged signatures for the witnesses named on the wills, none of whom, we found, were apparently known to the deceased, and some of whom might have been completely fictitious.
There are disturbing similarities in the way that properties were treated during and after the probate process:
Shortly after Mr Szvercsok made his initial claim on Mrs Harverson's estate, her nieces discovered her Wimbledon house had been ransacked
A workman employed to empty Mr Judd's house told us he had been instructed to empty it quickly, even though this meant having to destroy what appeared to be valuable heirlooms
After Mr Haxton's house was cleared, the windows and doors were blacked out, and the locks strengthened; a year later, it emerged that it was being used as a cannabis farm (a fact that only emerged when a rival gang tried to force entry and neighbours alerted the police)
Joe Dixey/BBC
Charles Haxton's neighbours, Delorie, Roye and Sharon (L-R), alerted police to strange goings-on at their late neighbour's house
A system in trouble
As a result of our investigation, bank accounts for dozens of companies connected to the suspected fraudsters, have been suspended.
In addition, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has told us it now wants to question Roland Silye about inheritance tax which he might owe on the estate of Charles Haxton.
Bela Kovacs was granted probate over the estate of Michael Judd, which was valued at £310,000 - just below the inheritance tax threshold. However, HMRC's interest was also piqued by this case, and it has now suspended a planned sale of Mr Judd's bungalow in Pinner.
Meanwhile, the dispute over Christine Harverson's estate means the probate process has been frozen, and it looks unlikely to be resolved soon. Tamas Szvercsok cannot take possession of her Wimbledon house, but Lisa and Nicole lack the funds to go to the civil court and prove his will is fake.
Probate for Christine Harverson's estate has been frozen because of the dispute between her nieces and Tamas Szvercsok
We wrote to Mr Szvercsok and Mr Silye at the addresses supplied with their probate applications, offering them a right of reply, but we did not hear back.
When we shared our findings with the Ministry of Justice, which is ultimately responsible for the probate system, it told us that it was "working with law enforcement to ensure criminals feel the full force of the law".
However, a different picture emerges from others who know the system.
"Because probate isn't high profile – it's not sort of, for want of a better word, politically sexy, it doesn't stay in the headlines," says former MP Sir Bob Neill, who until the 2024 general election was the chair of the House of Commons Justice Select Committee.
In 2023, the select committee launched an inquiry into the probate system, but it was cut short by the election.
Sir Bob believes an over-eagerness to cut costs by digitising the probate system, has produced weaknesses which fraudsters are now exploiting.
"When you had regional offices you had human awareness, contact and scrutiny that was better suited to pick up cases where things have gone wrong," he says. "A purely sort of automated system isn't really good at doing that."
Sir Bob Neill
He says the system introduced in 2017 was a cheap and quick fix. It lacks the sophistication, he says, of programs used by insurance companies to deal with fraud, which can detect patterns of suspicious behaviour.
His concerns are echoed by Anglia Research's investigator, Matt Boardman, who says that previously, executors of wills would have had to attend their local probate registry to swear an oath, which "would allow the registrar to evaluate every single case on its own merit".
He says the system's move online "completely eliminated" the chance to question the executor's demeanour or behaviour.
"Goodness knows just how many of these have already gone through and been processed by the probate registry," he says, "and how rich we're making these people."
In an interview with the Guardian, Chancellor Rachel Reeves says it is impossible for her to rule out tax rises in the autumn budget and insisted she never thought of quitting despite a turbulent week for her. It comes after she was spotted crying in the Commons. She tells the paper "there are costs" to watering down the welfare bill and acknowledged it has been a "damaging" week for Downing Street.
"Reeves hints at more tax rise pain", says the Daily Express as it reports the chancellor "may target millions of middle earners with punishing income tax hikes". It also suggests Reeves could put up VAT and National Insurance in a bid to plug a £40bn black hole. "It's a centre court delight for Mary" says the headline on the paper's main image as it shows Dame Mary Berry watching tennis at Wimbledon.
The Times writes tax rises in autumn are likely to be smaller than last year's but Reeves is expected to have to raise tens of billions of pounds more. The paper notes there are also suggestions she could raid pension savings. The paper also highlights the UK's "25 prettiest villages" on its front page.
The Daily Mail leads with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accusing Sir Keir Starmer of a "year of lies and U-turns". She says the prime minister has "taken a wrecking ball to the economy and presided over a record surge in Channel crossings. Ex-GMTV presenter Fiona Phillips is also pictured as she gives an update on her life with Alzheimer's.
The Daily Telegraph picks up a Boris Johnson interview with a Swiss magazine in which the former prime minister is quoted as saying the best strategy to counter Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is to ignore him. He said: "My strategy with the individuals that you mention is don't talk about them... Talk about what you are going to offer the people." Emma Raducanu is also pictured following her exit from Wimbledon in the third round against Aryna Sabalenka.
"Oasis back together at last" writes the Daily Mirror. "Oasis exploded back into life last night" in front of 70,000 fans, according to the paper . Liam Gallagher told the crowd: "Yes beautiful people, too long."
The Gallagher brothers stand on stage with arms outstretched during their concert on the front of the Daily Star. "The crowd were mad for 'em," writes the Daily Star.
The Sun called the comeback gig "historic" with the feuding brothers performing together after 16 years.
The Times reports that Chancellor Rachel Reeves has told the Cabinet that the decision to abandon welfare reforms means that taxes will have to rise to cover the cost. The paper says her comments "went significantly further than her public statements". To underline that point, "I can't rule out tax rises" is how the chancellor's interview with the Guardian is headlined.
The Daily Express suggests Reeves may target millions of middle earners with income tax rises as she is forced to clear up what the paper calls "Labour's welfare mess". Experts reportedly believe she may have to plug a black hole of £40 billion.
"Just ignore Farage", is the advice from Boris Johnson in the Daily Telegraph to Conservatives concerned about the rise of Reform UK. The paper quotes an interview the former prime minister has given to a Swiss magazine, in which he says the Tories should focus on what they are going to offer people. A Reform source says Mr Johnson did "unprecedented damage" to the country.
"A decidedly mixed record", is how the Times describes Sir Keir Starmer's first year as prime minister. The Daily Mail leads on comments from the leader of the Conservatives, Kemi Badenoch, in which she accuses the PM of presiding over a "year of lies and U-turns". According FT Weekend, many Labour MPs believe there have been "too many mistakes". But in its school report for the PM, the Daily Mirror says he "coped well" with Trump and Putin and "excelled" on defence and NHS spending.
"One for the bucket hat list", is the Guardian's take on the Oasis reunion gig in Cardiff. Liam and Noel Gallagher walked on stage hand-in-hand, but according to the Daily Star they had "lost none of their sneering cool and arrogant indifference". The Daily Mirror says the brothers "found their stride" with "Morning Glory and Some Might Say". "The best reunion ever?" asks the Daily Mail. The answer: "Definitely (not maybe!)".
On Saturday more than one million people are expected to attend Pride in London, the UK's largest LGBTQ+ event.
But despite huge visitor numbers, organisers say the event - and others like it around the country - face an uncertain future due to a drop in funding and falling volunteer numbers.
More than 85 Pride organisations say they've seen a reduction in corporate sponsorships or partnerships, according to a questionnaire by the UK Pride Organisers Network (UKPON), which said it represents the majority of UK Pride events.
Some celebrations have already been cancelled or postponed, while others are scaling back plans or charging for tickets to what have previously been free-to-attend events.
The UK's Pride movement began in 1972 when a group called the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) decided that, as well as protesting, it was also important to celebrate the community.
At the time, same-sex couples showing affection in public could have seen them arrested.
Now, Pride events take part across the world, often combining protest, in the form of marches and rallies, with parties and live entertainment.
BBC News has spoken to a number of Pride organisers about their worries for the future of Pride events, and what they believe is behind the drop in funding.
'If America sneezes, the UK catches a cold'
Dee Llewellyn
Dee Llewellyn believes what is happening in America can affect Pride events in the UK
Dee Llewellyn is volunteer chair of UKPON, and also works full-time as Pride in London's head of partnerships.
She said: "There's an old saying, if America sneezes, then the UK catches a cold, and I think we're really feeling that right now.
"Global corporations, with head offices based in America, have had their DEI funding cut, which has meant that some corporations, even ones that have been really long-standing supporters of Pride in the UK, have no longer got a budget to do so."
Despite the difficulties it faces, London continues to be the UK's largest Pride event and over the past few years attendance has grown to 1.5 million people, making it one of the city's largest public events.
Asked why a Pride event - which is seen by many as a form of protest first and foremost - costs this much to run, Dee told the BBC: "It's about making safe spaces, not just emotionally safe but physically safe for everybody there as well - it means paying for security staff, barriers, road closures.
"As Pride grows, and the numbers grow, the cost and the level of health and safety and other infrastructure grows as well. No Pride would be able to go ahead without meeting those health and safety regulations."
Although the focus this weekend will be very much on the capital, UKPON told the BBC that Pride events up and down the country are facing similar issues.
In April UKPON asked its 201 members whether they were facing any financial or operational pressures.
Of the 112 organisations that responded:
More than 85 reported lost revenue from corporate sponsorships and partnerships this year
More than 40 said that the drop was between 26% - 50% compared to last year
21 said they'd experienced their revenue fall by more than half in that same period
More than 60 said they'd seen reductions in grants from corporations or charities
In recent weeks, several Pride organisations have taken the decision to cancel events.
Liverpool City Region Pride announced in June that rising costs and difficulty securing funding "made it impossible to bring Pride to Liverpool this year".
Alex MacDonald (left) hopes Plymouth Pride will come back stronger next year
Plymouth Pride, which organisers say usually has an estimated 6,000-7,000 attendees, will this year also not go ahead in its official capacity.
Organisers told the BBC they were £12,000 short of the estimated £35,000 it costs to put on their annual event, which includes a march through the city and a number of stages showing entertainment.
Alex MacDonald, chair of Plymouth Pride, told the BBC that rising costs for things like security, first aid and toilet facilities, combined with a drop in grant funding, had left the organisation with no choice but to cancel the official event.
He said: "Ultimately it was [grant] funding that was the make or break for us and this year it didn't work.
"I'm just absolutely gutted because I think it's more important this year to have Pride than any other year."
A smaller group, Plymouth Community Pride, has now raised funds to host an alternative event in the city.
"We've been very lucky this year, the community rallied together and a separate organisation is putting on lots of little events. We'll hopefully come back bigger and stronger next year," Alex added.
Charging for tickets is 'one of the most difficult decisions'
OhMyMedia / Olly Rigby
Reece Holmes said some events, like The Pink Picnic, would not be able to go ahead without charging for tickets
In June, more than 6,000 people attended The Pink Picnic, an event organised by a team of volunteers from Salford Pride in the city's Peel Park.
Started in 2011, it's marketed by organisers as a small, community-focused Pride event and is seen as a quieter alternative to Manchester Pride, a ticketed multi-day event with celebrity headliners which takes place a few miles down the road.
In 2025, Salford Pride took the decision to charge for tickets for the first time in order to plug what they say was a £40,000 shortfall in sponsorships from corporate partners.
The team, made up entirely of volunteers, decided to charge £5 per ticket, but estimate that the event costs around £18 per head.
Reece Holmes, event lead for Salford Pride, said it was "one of the most difficult decisions" his team of volunteers have had to make and that it led to some "being subjected to quite a lot of abuse online."
Despite The Pink Picnic being a relatively small event, costs such as security and stewards - which Reece said are essential to run a public event - mean it costs around £100,000 a year to run.
He told the BBC: "We've had a 28% increase in costs from 2024, but we've also lost three corporate sponsors since then.
"It's a mixture of economic issues and I think the political climate at the minute, I think [companies] are a little bit scared to support Prides."
Reece said that without charging for tickets to cover some of the costs, the event would not have been able to go ahead.
"We're being forced to make these kinds of decisions due to a lack of funding, due to economic issues and due to the political climate."
Although many Prides have told the BBC they are struggling financially, and may have to scale back or charge more for events in the future, Dee Llewellyn said there is "no chance" Pride as a movement will stop.
She added: "We need to remember that we as a community are incredibly resilient.
"We have always been resilient and we always will be, so while we might go through this ebb and flow, and we've fallen off a cliff this year with corporate partnerships, we will find ways around that.
"We are going to club together, stand together and be stronger and more united and we will come back stronger."